Looking Unto Jesus

SECT. I. Of knowing Jesus as carrying on the great work of our Salvation in his second coming.

WHAT looking is, and what it contains, we have often heard; and that in these respects we may look on Jesus.

1. Let us know Jesus, carrying on the Saints Salvation in his second coming, and taking them to Heaven. Many glorious excellent things, many precious passages, many high and heavenly carriages are in this transaction; Is it not of high concernment that he that now sits at God's right hand interceding for us, should thence come again to judge the World, and after judgment take up his Saints with him into glory? can we read of the several actings of this general Assize, and not desire to read on still? nay, is not all our reading mixed with admiration of every passage? come! wonder, and sit, and pause, and stop, at every word; stay and wonder, and adore that light, which appears in any beam of truth, and in the admiration of that truth which doth appear, cast thyself down at the feet of Christ, and cry out; O the depth of Glory, and Majesty, and goodness, and grace in thee! O the riches of love that thou shouldst let out thyself in these several admirable dispensations! come be exact in this study; gather up all the crumbs and fillings of this gold; the least beams of the glory of Christ (especially as it shines and glitters at his second coming) have so much light, and love, and splendor in them, as that they will be very sweet to look upon them: every piece or part of this knowledge will be of special use and worth, yea the low and imperfect knowledge of this mystery is of infinite more value then the high and perfect knowledge of Ten thousand things besides. And one thing (O my soul) let me tell thee it is possible for thee to attain a very sweet, and satisfactory degree of this very knowledge. And therefore study close, run over again all that hath been spoken, and dig yet deeper into that glorious mine; content not thyself with a bare discovery of that gold-oar which is only upon the superficies or top of the mine, but go so far as to find out the inward spiritual, and experimental knowledge, which the Saints by the light of the Spirit may come to attain. O study Christ in his second coming to judgment.

SECT. II. Of considering Jesus in that respect.

2. LET us consider Jesus, carrying on this work of Salvation at his second coming. It is not enough to know, but we must meditate and seriously consider of it A mere student may know Christ, and study Christ, as he knows and studies other things: he may keep together many notions concerning Christ, and his coming to Judgment, but he hath no impression of the holiness of Christ upon his heart: and in this respect he is a stranger to Christ and all his actings; alas, he studies Christ, but he doth not rightly, seriously, inwardly consider of Christ, but he doth not look unto Jesus, as one that looks to his pattern, or as one that looks to his refuge, hope, and help; true and spiritual consideration, is a serious matter; its not some few and freeting thoughts that are the discharge of this work, but thoughts resting, dwelling, fixing, and staying upon Christ, until they come to some profitable issue; O it is another manner of business then many are aware of; it's a thinking with thought upon thought; it's a reiteration and multiplication of the thoughts of the mind upon the Subject propounded; so the Scripture expresseth it, I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and in that next verse, I turned to see; he looked, upon and considered his works, and he returned to behold them; he thought on them before, but now he returned to think; he renewed his thoughts upon the matter, and took a new view of them. Indeed when the understanding works seriously and spiritually, it will fetch things into sight, and not only so, but it will hold them there, and fasten upon them, and when they are gone, it will fetch them again, my soul hath them still in remembrance, my soul in remembering doth remember them, and will not off till the end he obtained; so a man eyes Christ, till he have more of Christ, more of his presence, and more of his light, and more of his favor, and more of his image. O let this be our work; let us thus consider Jesus in reference to his second coming to judgment. And that we may do it in Order—

1. Consider Christ's preparing for judgment; realize it as if thou sawest or heardest the same; no sooner the time determined which God hath appointed, but Christ commands, make ready ye Angels to wait upon me, and make ready ye glorious souls that now are with me; it is the Fathers pleasure, and it is my pleasure to go down into the nether World, and to call before me all the men and women that ever lived in it; there will I pass my doom upon all flesh, and reward everyone, good and bad, according to his works. O what a shout may I imagine in heaven at this news! what joy is in the souls of Saints that now they must go to their bodies, and enter into them, that both their souls and bodies, which sometimes lived together, may now dwell together with Christ, in glory, and never part more? if those that live on earth are commanded by Christ, To lift up their heads, because their redemption draweth nigh; how much more shall they joy in Heaven, who also have waited for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of their bodies, that now the long-looked-for day is come, it is come, O the exaltation of the Angels at this tidings! This is worthy a pause, a Selah to be set upon it.

2. Consider Christ's coming to judgment; all now in readiness, the Son of God comes forth with all his glorious attendants; For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his Angels, and with the souls of Saints, that for a time have been in Paradise. Oh what a goodly sight is here! In this meditation I may see with John, The new Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a Bride adorned for her husband. Down comes Christ, and down come the Angels, and down come the spirits of the just made perfect: and as they come along, see how they shake the Heavens, and dim, and dark the very lights of Heaven; see what a flood of fire goes before them; see how they pass into the cloud, where Christ makes a stand, and erects a Throne for himself to sit on. Sure 'twill be a guilded glorious cloud, when Christ with all his celestial servants shall sit upon it: a mornings cloud guilded with the beams of the Sun is admirably fair and shining; but what a shining cloud is that where the Sun of righteousness with all his morning stars do sit and shine? here's enough to dazzle my eyes, and to take up my thoughts; O my soul think on it!

3. Consider Christ's summons of the Elect to come under judgment; no sooner in the cloud, but He shall send his Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet, and they shall gather together his Elect from the four winds, from the one end of heaven to another. Will not this be a strange sight to see Christ a coming, with Trumpets sounding before him, causing all the dead to awaken out of their sleeps of death; the very sound of this Trumpet was ever in Jerome's ears, Arise ye dead and come to Judgment, and no question but thy ears shall be filled with the blast thereof; the Trumpet shall found that shall bp heard over all the World; and then shall the dead arise out of their graves; and every Saints soul shall re-enter into his own body, by virtue of the resurrection of Christ their Head. Can I pass this meditation without some reflection on myself? O my soul how joyfully wilt thou greet thy body, when thou shalt enliven it again? how wilt thou say, O my dear Sister, whom I left behind me in the dust when I went to Heaven? how sweet is thy carcass, how comely is thy countenance? how do I enter into thee, and animate thee, and I will never more leave thee; thou wast my yoke-fellow in the Lord's Labors, and my companion in persecution and wrong; now shall we enter together into our Masters joy? see, lift up thy head, behold Jesus Christ yonder sitting in the cloud; and lo here the Angels waiting on us, and coming to take us with the rest of the Saints into the Air, to meet our Redeemer there. Could I but realize this summons, this resurrection, this meeting of the soul and body, and going with the Angels into the judgment-seat, oh how would it work! and what work would it make within!

4. Consider Christ and the Saints meeting at the judgment day; oh how shall the Saints look, and stare, and gaze at the beauty of Jesus Christ? oh how will they break out into admiration at the first view of those glories which never before appeared on this side Heaven? is not this he (will they say) of whom we read so often, that he was fairer than the sons of men? that he was white, and ruddy, the chiefest of ten thousands; that his countenance was as Lebanon, excellent as the Cedars, glorious as when the Sun shineth in his strength: but was ever the half told us of what now we see, and behold? O the super-excellent, transcendent beauty of this Son of righteousness! O the treasures of loveliness in this Jesus Christ never seen before! And thus as they admire, so they adore; now they begin those Hallelujahs, that never, never shall have end; they fall at the feet of Christ, and the Lord Christ takes them up with his hands, and folds them in his arms; oh what mutual reciprocal salutations are these betwixt Christ and his members? oh my head! and oh my body! oh my husband! and oh my spouse! oh my dear! and oh my darling! never two lovers met with such heat of love, as Christ and his Saints; come, saith Christ, and sit you down here at my right hand, and let the world be on my left hand; it was otherwise with you in your life-time, my gold and my jewels were then cast in the dust; you were then clothed with infamy, and the vilest of men were then guilded with honor; but now I will set all right, now the dust shall be swept away, and the jewels of my Kingdom shall be gathered up; now the Goats shall be driven into the desert, and you who are the Sheep shall be brought into my fold. Oh my soul, what a meeting is this? what a sight will this be, to behold the Saints in this condition, and thyself amongst them? couldst thou but realize this one very passage, it were enough to quench thy lust, and to kindle a flame of pure love in thy heart to Jesus Christ; it is a quickening, rousing, rising, rejoicing, consideration.

5. Consider Christ sentencing the Saints for eternal glory; then shall the books be opened, and all the good works of the Saints shall be revealed and made known; and then shall the Judge from his Throne of Majesty (in the sight and hearing of all the world) pronounce that sentence, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world. q. d. Come my Saints, come with me into glory; come now from labor to rest, from disgrace to glory, from the jaws of death to the joys of eternal life; for my sake ye have been railed on, reviled and cursed; but now it shall appear to all those cursed Esau's, that you are the true Jacob's that shall receive the blessing, and blessed shall you be; come now and possess with me the inheritance of Heaven, where you shall be for love, Sons; for birth-right, heirs; for dignity, Kings; for holiness, Priests: come, you may boldly enter in, for my Father hath prepared, and kept it for you, ever since the first foundation of the World was laid.

O my soul, dost thou not remember when sometimes thou hast been at the feet of Christ in the beauty of holiness, and there tookest in those droppings of his spirit; which were better to thee than the feasts of Kings? dost thou not remember when sometimes thou hast had the very beams of light darted from the face of Jesus Christ, when he whispered to thy soul the forgiveness of thy sins, saying, Fear not, thy sins shall not hurt thee, I am thy salvation? oh what joy was then? what meltings, movings, stirrings, leapings of heart were then in thy bosom? but was that joy anything to this, or to be compared with this? that was a drop, but here's an Ocean, here's fullness of joy; oh what leapings of heart, what ravishments will be within when thou shalt see thyself in the arms of Christ, and shalt receive words of life from the mouth of Christ, in the face of all the World? what a thing will this be, when Christ shall pass a sentence of death on others, and speak words of life unto thee? when thou shalt see him frowning upon the world (and oh those frowns will break the heart) and shalt behold him smiling in the fullness of his love upon thyself? that Christ at such a time should be delighting-thee with all the embraces of love, and with this sweet invitation to Heaven, Come thou blessed inherit the Kingdom, it were enough to a spirit a soul half dead; the very meditation of this must needs be sweet.

6. Consider Christ and the Saints Judging the rest of the world; no sooner are the Saints sentenced, but Christ turns to the wicked, and bids them go into everlasting fire; in which sentence the Saints shall join with Christ himself, Do ye not know that the Saints shall judge the World? when the Saints appear, it is not only by a Summons, but with commission; not only to be judged, but to judge; not only shall they stand at Christ's right hand, but they shall sit down on the Throne of the Son of God, to judge the wicked Angels and the World. O the torment! O the vexation of wicked men and Devils, when they shall see those very men whom they scorned, oppressed, persecuted, to be now advanced, not only to glory, but to be their judges! it is as if some Noble man had wronged some Poor man, and that the King should therefore deliver the Noble man into the power of the poor man, to take his own revenge: Surely, The ungodly shall see this, and be grieved, he shall gnash with his teeth for indignation, and melt away: but on the contrary, The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance, he shall wash his foot-steps in the blood of the ungodly.

O my soul, dost thou believe this truth? and art thou confident that thou shalt sit with Christ on his very Throne to judge the World? why then be joyful in afflictions, exercise thou patience in the censures and judgments of the World, know thou for thy comfort that there is a turn and time of judging, and therefore say, With me it is a small matter that I should be judged of you, or of man's Judgment, as the original hath it, of man's day. Is it not enough to command patience, if God's day be at hand, when I shall judge my unjust judges; hark what the Apostle saith, Be patient Brethren unto the coming of the Lord, behold the Husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain; be ye also patient, stablish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh,—behold the judge standeth before the door. Come exercise patience, let the World be judging; if they will needs slander, reproach, and persecute thy soul, they had better abuse any judge on earth than thee: though thou art the poorest, weakest, meanest of God's Saints upon the earth, they will know one day that they have abused their own judge in abusing thee. And therefore be thou quiet, silent, patient; Say as David, let him alone, and let him curse, yea, let him judge, for the Lord hath bidden him; it may be the Lord will look, on mine affliction, and will requite good for his Judging this day; this is his day; but the day of the Lord is my day, and then shall I sit with Christ on his Throne to judge the World. Oh the sweet that I may suck from this honey-comb, of Christ and his Saints judging the World!

7. Consider Christ and his Saints going up into Heaven. No sooner hath he done his work with the World, and sent them away, but then he shall conduct all his flock like a faithful shepherd to their fold; then shall he go with all his troops following him into Heaven. Hath not Christ said so? If I go away, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also. O those songs of joy, and shouts of praise that will fill the World at that day! And thus as they go along, Heaven opens unto them, and they enter in; what welcomes they have there is past my telling; if we may imagine and guess, O the welcome that Christ will give! Come my spouse, and come my dear, come all my Saints; here be those Mansions that I went before to prepare and make ready for you, here be those everlasting habitations wherein you and I will dwell together; here is your Fathers house, the building of the wall is all of Jasper, and the worst piece of it is all of pure Gold, like unto clear Glass; why this is your home, your house made without hands, here you and I will spend our time, eternity itself, in joying, enjoying, and beholding of each other. And as thus Christ salutes them, so will the Angels, those Created Citizens of Heaven salute them too; for if joy be in Heaven at the conversion of one sinner, what joy will there be at the glorification of all these Saints? what welcome, entertainment, will the Angels give to these new guests at their first entrance into Heaven?

O my soul, if thou art one of them that shalt have this welcome, what wilt thou say when thou art admitted in thither! if weeping were in Heaven, wouldst thou not weep for joy? sure these things are no fictions of man's brain, but truths, and realities; and as they are true and real, so they are exceeding full of joy; all the excellencies of this World are but a dream in comparison of them; even the Sun in its brightness is but darkness to this glory that shall then be seen. Come, think over these things, and be so enlarged in thy thoughts, that before they go, thou mayest feel the sweet, and taste of this goodness of the Lord.

8. Consider all the several transactions that will follow in Heaven: then will Christ present all his elect to God his Father; then will he give in all his commissions which he hath received from his Father; Then will the Son himself be subject to the Father, that God may be all in all. I cannot stay to enlarge on these; Only remember, though God may be all in all, that excludes not Christ, for he also is All in all to all his Saints, even to all eternity; Immediate visions and fruitions of Christ, as God is the very top of Heavens joy: Christ is all, and in all; Christ is the center of Heavens happiness; Christ is the well-spring that fills the capacities of Saints and Angels; Christ is the object of happiness itself, there is as much happiness in Christ as happiness is; what ever belongs to glory, is in Christ, In him dwells all the fullness: whatever excellency is in Heaven, it is in Christ, not only in perfection, but connection, for all those excellencies meet together, rest in Christ; and Christ is all good things to all his Saints in Heaven; he is Beauty to their Eyes, Music to their Ears, Honey to their mouths, Perfume to their Nostrils, Health to their Bodies, Joy to their Souls, Light to their Understandings, Content to their Wills; he is Time without sliding, Society without loathing, Desire without fainting, Alpha and Omega, the beginning and ending; wanting both, needing neither, yet the Author of them both, he is All in all, from one, not all. Even all the Strength, Wit, Pleasure, Virtues, Colours, Beauties, Harmony, and goodness that are in Men, Beasts, Fishes, Fouls, Trees, Herbs, and all Creatures, are nothing but sparkles of those things which are in Christ. Christ himself will then supply their use, so that the best Creatures which now serve the Saints, shall not have the honor to serve them then; There will be no need of the Sun, nor of the Moon, to shine in that City, for the glory of God doth lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

And hence the beholding of Christ is the All in all to his glorified Saints: this was Christ's Prayer, Father I will that those whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, to what end? that they may behold my glory. Christ's heavenly presence is conspicuous, he is not present as some things that are not seen, and yet are present; but his presence is, or certainly shall be conspicuous to all his Saints: when he was in the world his glory was covered under a mean outside, he was like a bright light in a dark-Lanthern, and there were very few that knew him then; but in Heaven he shall be as a Cabinet opened, or as the Sun in his full glory; We shall know him as we are known, and behold him face to face, and we shall see him as he is. Nor only will he be conspicuous, but his presence shall be vital; a stone may be with us, and seen clearly, but there's little in the sight of that; in the beholding of Christ there will be an acting of kindness upon the Saints, there will be visions with life and dear refreshing: O the influences that the sight of Christ will have on his Saints in Heaven! nor only will he be conspicuous and vital, but his presence shall be fixed; he shall abide with the Saints, that they may forever behold him. Oh if there was such running after Christ in this world, some getting on hills, and others on trees, that they might behold him, when he passed by, what will the sight of Christ in Heaven be, when he shall be always in the eye of his Saints, and never out of sight, when they shall be always viewing of him, and be always satisfied with that view? nor only will he be conspicuous, vital, fixed, but his very presence shall transform; They shall see his face,—and they shall reign forever and ever. O the influence of this sight! it is of such a transforming Nature, that to see the King will make Kings; this vision of glory amounts unto a fruition of glory, if ever thou art a spectator of Christ, thou art sure to be a partaker of Christ in all his glory. I shall be satisfied, when I awake with thy likeness. It doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; why so? for we shall see him as he is. And no wonder, for if the imperfect beholding of his glory in the glass of his Gospel, change the soul into the same image from glory to glory; how much more shall the full view of his glory in Heaven transform both the souls and bodies of his Saints into a fullness of glory? Here then is the top of Heaven; here is the All in all; here is the satisfaction of souls to the very uttermost; if Christ's glory in his transfiguration was so satisfactory to Peter, as that he desired his sight of it might never have end, or interruption; O it is good to be here, let us here build Tabernacles; and yet Peter was only a spectator of this glory, for he had himself no share in it; O then what infinite satisfaction mayst thou expect in the beholding of Christ's Glory in Heaven, which will be accompanied with an everlasting enjoyment? the lusture of his glory will be diffused unto all, so that some shall enjoy the glory of the Sun, others of the Moon, and others of the Stars. O my soul, if thou art but a Star there, yet if thou art filled with that light that comes from the Sun of righteousness, it is enough. O remember! oh consider! oh never forget this Looking unto Jesus! as it is thy duty on Earth, so it is thy privilege and highest happiness in Heaven forever and ever.

SECT. III. Of desiring after Jesus in that respect.

3. LET us desire after Jesus, carrying on this work of man's Salvation at his second coming. It is true, many shrink at the thoughts of death and judgment; and 'tis an high pitch to desire the dissolution of ourselves, and of this world; the best Christians are compounded of flesh and spirit, and if the spirit long to be in Heaven, yet the Flesh is loath to leave this Earth. Speak out of my soul, thou prayest daily, Come Lord Jesus, let thy Kingdom come; but is not the Flesh afraid, lest God should hear thy Prayers? Oh that we could loath our loathness in that respect! oh that we could long for this second coming of Christ to Judgment! And Christians, this is attainable, or otherwise I should not persuade you to it. I am in a strait (said Paul) between two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ which is far better: And this is the voice of the desolate Bride, Come; for the spirit of Christ within her saith come, The Spirit and the Bride say come. Yea, the whole Creation saith come, Waiting to be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God; and not only they, but ourselves also which have the first-fruits, of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit the redemption of our body. Oh that we could groan! oh that we could come up to this high pitch, even to sigh out, not our breath, but our spirits! even to groan out, not some vapors, but our hearts.

I know it is suitable to flesh and blood to tremble at the thoughts of judgment; When Paul reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and of Judgment to come, Felix trembled. Weak Christians as well as Heathens may have many terrible fancies and notions of that day: Oh to think of a time, When there shall be a great earthquake, when the Sun shall become black as jet, and the Moon red as blood, when the Stars of heaven shall fall, and when the heavens themselves shall depart as a scroll; when the Trumpet shall sound, that will shake the Earth, and every Mountain and Island shall be moved out of their places; when the Kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief Captains, and every bonds-man, and every free-man shall hide themselves in the dens, and in the rocks of the Mountains, and shall say to the rocks and to the mountains, fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand? Will it not be terrible? if the people were so afraid when the Lord came without such attendants to give the Law upon Mount Sinai; certainly much more terrible must such a coming in this manner be, when he shall come like a revenging judge to take an account of the world for the keeping, or for the breaking of that Law.

In this respect, I wonder not at some weak Christians, that cry out, O Lord thou knowest, that I have not desired this woeful day; A wise Jew was wont to say, from a deep foresight of terror of this day, The Messiah will come, but Lord let me not live to see his coming. Now to conquer this fear, and to abate such slavish terror in such souls; oh that they would consider it in the whole notion of it, not only as it shall be a day of blackness, and of terror, but as it shall also be a day of rest and of release. Some are apt to take it up in the half notion of it, they look on it only as a day of judgment, and a day of condemnation, and so they fly from it as from a Serpent; but if they would take it up again, and look on the other side, the Serpent would be turned into a Rod. The day which will be so dreadful to the ungodly, and the beginning of their misery, it will be as joyful to the Saints, and the beginning of their glory.

But in what respect is this day of Christ so desirable a day? I answer, in these particulars—

1. It is a day of refreshing. Here the Saints work in a furnace; his fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem; but Christ in his second coming (when all the world shall be on fire) shall fan wind (as I may say) on his Saints to cool them; to the wicked it is an hot day, a day of everlasting burnings; but to the Saints it is a day of cooling, quickening, reviving, and refreshing.

2. It is a day of restoring of all things. Every creature is now in it's work-day dressed, all defiled with sin, but at that day there shall be a restitution of all things; all the disorders and ruins which sin hath brought into the world shall then be repaired, and man himself whose sin is the cause of all, shall then be restored to his original glory.

3. It is a day of the manifestation of the Sons of God. Then shall it be known who are true Saints, and who are Reprobates; here we live inconfusion, and in our most refined Churches (if we have none scandalous) yet we may have many hypocrites, and we cannot discern them; but in that day it shall be known who are the Lord's, and who are not; the hypocrite shall then be unmantled, and the Sons of God shall shine and glitter as the Sun, that all may run and read, These are God's Elect, these are the Sons and Daughters of the Almighty.

4. It is the day of adoption, and of the redemption of our bodies. It is the day of our Sonship and deliverance; I deny not but that the Saints are adopted and redeemed before this day; but this adoption and redemption is not consummate, nor declared before Christ come again to judgment, then it is that he takes his Saints home to his house, and all the Angels and Men of the World shall understand the love wherewith he loves them; then shall Christ say, These are my sons whom I have redeemed, and as I have set them free, so now shall they live and reign with me forever and ever.

5. It is The day of Christ's coming. He was here not long since travailing about the Earth, and about our business; which done, he went away to Heaven upon a special errand for his Saints; and there now he is to intercede for them, to attend the court, to be their Advocate, and to agitate the business of their souls; and withal th • re now he is to take up lodgings for them, and to prepare them mansions for eternity: And no sooner shall he have dispatched his business there, but he will come for earth again; he will bow the Heavens and come down to give a report of his transactions there; hath he not left us a letter to that effect, I will come again, and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also. O why are his Chariots so long a coming? why tarry the wheels of his Chariots?

6. It is the day of Christ's revealing. Christ to many of his Saints here is hidden and withdrawn; it is true, he may be in them, yea, certainly he is in them by his spirit, but no man knows it, no nor themselves neither, which makes them cry, O where is he whom my soul loveth; but at this day of Christ's revealing, all curtains shall be drawn aside, Christ shall be unhid, and the Saints shall see him face to face, they shall never lose him more; for without any intermission they shall stare, and gaze, and be ever looking unto Jesus.

7. It is the day of Christ's bright and glorious appearing. When he was upon the Earth he appeared in our dress, many then saw him, who then said of him, There is no beauty in him that we should desire him: Oh it was a sad sight to see him crowned with thorns and scourged with whips, and nailed to the cross? but in his next appearing we shall see him in his best attire, arrayed in white, attended with the retinue of glory, riding in his Chariot of light, and smiling upon all his Saints. Now is not this desirable? The Apostle tells us of the Saints, Looking for the glorious appearing of the great God, and of our Savior Jesus Christ; therefore surely they desire it.

8. It is the day of Christ's joy. Then he shall see of the travail of his soul, and he shall be satisfied. Now what is the travail of his soul? is it not the perfection of his redeemed ones? oh when Christ seeth this, when he seeth his spouse as without spot, or wrinkle; then shall be fulfilled that prophesy, As the Bridegroom rejoiceth over the Bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee: look how the joy of a Bridgroom is over his Bride upon the wedding-day, (surely then if ever) all is love and joy; so is Christ's joy over his Saints at the last day; then begins that joy that never, never shall have end, there shall be no moment of time wherein Christ will not rejoice over his Saints forever after.

9. It is the day of Christ's perfection. Christ as Mediator is not fully perfect till all his members be in glory united to him: As an head that wants an arm, or hand, or leg, we say is lame; so it is a kind of mystical lameness that Christ our head hath not with him all his members; the Saints are little pieces of mystical Christ, and it shall not be well till Christ gather in his arms, and thighs, and pull them nearer to himself in glory: and is not this desirable to see the Lord Jesus Christ as Head of the Church in his perfection? to see the Son of righteousness with every beam united to him? O desirable day!

10. It is Christ's Wedding-day, or the Marriage day of the Lamb. The Saints are betrothed to Christ when first they believe in Christ, that is Christ's word, I will betroth thee unto me, and thou art my sister, my spouse, not my Wife; thou art not yet married, only contracted here: but at that day the marriage of the Lamb will be complete, and then will the voice be heard; Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his Wife hath made herself ready. O the joy that Christ, and Saints, and Angels, and all that belong to Heaven will make at this marriage! Blessed are they that are called to the Marriage-supper of the Lamb. One of the seven Angels that came to John in visions, talked with him, saying, Come hither, and I will show thee the Bride, the Lambs Wife. If the espoused Virgin be willing to be married, how is it that we cry not, Come Lord Jesus, come quickly?

11. It is Christ's day of presenting his Saints unto his Father; he delivers up the Kingdom to God, even the Father. Then shall he take his Bride by the hand and bring her to his house, and present her in all state and solemnity to the Father. Is not this a desirable day? surely Christ rejoiceth, and his very heart even springs again to present his Church unto his Father, Father here behold my Bride that I have married unto myself. It is true, a Child may sometimes marry such a one, as he may be ashamed to think of bringing to his Fathers house; but how mean and sinful soever we are of ourselves, when once we are married unto Christ, he will not think it any dishonor, no not before his Father, that he hath such a bride, Father (will he say) lo here all my Saints of all that thou hast given me, I have lost none, but the children of perdition, these are mine, dearly bought, thou knowest the price, O welcome them to glory.

12. It is the day of Christ's glory. What glorious descriptions have we in scripture of Christ's coming to Judgment? The Son of man shall come from heaven with power and great glory; and the work no sooner done, but he shall return again into Heaven with power and great glory. Not to mention the essential glory of Christ, O the glory of Christ as Mediator; all the glory that Ahasuerus could put upon his favorites was nothing to this spiritual and heavenly glory, which the Father will put upon the Son; it is a glory above all the glories that ever were, or ever shall be; it is an eternal glory; not but that Christ shall at last give up his Kingdom to his Father; he shall no more discharge the acts of an Advocate, or intercessor for us in heaven, only the glory of this shall always continue; it shall to all eternity be recorded that he was the Mediator, and that he is the Savior that hath brought us to life and immortality, and upon this ground the tongues of all the Saints shall be employed to all eternity to celebrate this glory. This will be their everlasting Song, Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever, Amen. Now is not this a desirable thing? do we believe there is such a thing as Christ's mediatory glory, and Christ's essential glory? as Christ's human glory, and Christ's divine glory? and have we no desires to behold this glory? surely Christ himself desired it of God, he would have his Saints with him where he is, that they might behold his glory; and shall not we desire it, whom it most concerns? O the sweet temper of the spouse when she cried out, Make haste my beloved and be thou like a Roe, or to a young Hart upon the mountains of spices!

Come now, and run over these particulars; surely everyone is motive enough to desire this day; it is a day of refreshing, a day of restoring, a day of manifestation of the sons of God, a day of adoption, and of the redemption of our bodies; a day of Christ's coming, of Christ's revealing, of Christ's appearing, of Christ's joy, of Christ's perfection, of Christ's Wedding, of Christ's presenting of his Saints, of Christ's glory; what are we not yet in a longing frame? the wife of youth that wants her husband for some years, and expects that he should return from over Sea-lands, she is often on the shore, her very heart loves the wind that should bring him home; every Ship in view, that is but a drawing near the shore, is her new joy, and new reviving hopes, she asks of every passenger, O saw you my husband? what is he a doing? when will he come? is he not yet Shipped, and ready for a return? souls truly related to the Lord Jesus Christ should methinks long no less; O what desire should the Spirit and the Bride have to hear when Christ shall say to his Angels, Make you ready for the journey, let us go down and divide the skies, and bow the Heavens; I will gather my prisoners of hope unto me, I cannot want my Rachel, and her weeping Children any longer, behold I come quickly to judge the Nations? Methinks every spouse of Christ should love the quarter of the sky, that being rent asunder should yield unto her husband; methinks she should love that part of the heavens, where Christ puts through his glorious hand, and comes riding on the Rain-bow and Clouds to receive her to himself. I conclude this with the conclusion of the Bible, He that testifieth these things, saith surely I come quickly, Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus.

SECT. IV. Of hoping in Jesus in that respect.

4. LET us hope in Jesus, as carrying on the great work of our salvation for us in his second coming. Hope is of good things to come; hope is an act of the will extending itself towards that which it loves as future; only the future good as it is the object of hope is difficult to obtain, and therein it differs from desire; for desire looks at future good without any apprehension of difficulty, but hope respects the future good as it is gotten with difficulty. Lazy hopes that will not be in use of means, though difficult, are not true hopes; we see many desirable things set before us, of which we may say, Oh that we had our part and portion of them! but shall we go on, and search and find out the truth, whether we have any part or portion in them? or whether we have any hopes of any such thing? oh this is worthy our pains! come then, let us yet make a further progress, let us not only desire that it may be thus and so; but let us say, on some sure and certain grounds, we hope it is thus and so; we hope Christ will come again, and receive us to himself, that where he is, there we may be also.

Indeed there is the Christians stay and comfort; such an hope is a sure Anchor, that will hold the ship in a storm; only because our souls lie upon it, we had need to look to it that our hopes be true; the worst can say, They hope to be saved as well as the best; but I fear the hopes of many will be lamentably frustrated. Our Savior brings in many pleading with confidence at the last day for life, who shall be rejected with miserable disappointment; Many shall say to me at that day, Lord, Lord, &c. and I will confess unto them, I never knew them; depart from me. Now to clear this point, that our hopes, are of the right stamp, and not counterfeit hopes, I shall lay down some signs, whereby we may know that Christ's coming is for us, and for our good, and for the grace that is to be given us at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1. If we are born again, then will his glorious coming be to glorify us, Blessed be the God and Father of Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, to an inheritance incorruptible. Whoever hath the true hope of Heaven, he is one that is begotten again; so our Savior, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. Many things may be done, as Herod heard John the Baptist, and did many things: but except a man be born again, those many things are in God's account as nothing. When Peter had told Christ, that he and his fellow-disciples had forsaken all, and followed him; Then Jesus said, verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit in the Throne of his glory, ye shall also sit upon twelve Thrones, Judging the twelve Tribes of Israel. q. d. Peter, you have forsaken all, and followed me; but know, that bare forsaking is not enough: but you who have felt the Work of God regenerating your souls, upon which ye have followed me, ye shall sit upon twelve Thrones. In those who are alive at the last day there will be a change, and this change will be to them instead of death; Behold I show you a mystery, we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. Certainly in those who at the last day shall sit on Thrones with Christ, there must be a change likewise in this life; (i.e.) a new spirit, and a new life must be put into them: Oh what a change is this! suppose a rational soul were put into a beast, what a change would be in that Creature! suppose an angelical nature were put upon us, what a change would there be in us? oh but what a change is this, when a man is born again of water and of the spirit; I must tell you, that the highest degree of glory in Heaven, is not so different from the lowest degree of grace here, as the lowest degree of grace here is different from the highest excellency of nature here; because the difference betwixt the highest degree of the glory of Heaven, and the lowest degree of grace is only gradual; but the difference that is betwixt the lowest degree of grace, and the highest excellency of nature is a specifical difference. Oh there's a mighty work of God in preparing souls for glory by grace, and this change must they have that must sit on Thrones. Come then, you that hope for glory, try yourselves by this; is there a change in your hearts, words, and lives? is there a mighty work of grace upon your spirits? are you experienced in the great mystery of regeneration? why here's your evidence, that your hopes are sound, and that you shall sit upon Thrones to judge the world.

2. If we long for his coming, then will he come to satisfy our longings. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst, for they shall be satisfied; how satisfied, but in being saved? Christ was offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him, shall he appear the second time without sin to salvation; unto them that look for him, or long for him, shall he appear the second time unto salvation; it is very observable, how this looking for Christ, is in Scripture a frequent description of a true believer in Christ. Who are true, sincere, and sound Christians, but such as live in a perpetual desire and hope of Christ's blessed coming? they are ever looking for, and hasting unto the coming of the day of God. Here are two signs in one verse, looking for, and hasting unto; true believers are not only in a posture looking for the coming of Jesus Christ, but also, as it were, going forth to meet Jesus Christ with burning Lamps. Luther could say, That he was no true Christian, neither could he truly recite the Lord's prayer, that with all his heart desired not this day of the coming of Christ. It is true, that whether we will or no, that day will come, but in the Lord's prayer Christ hath taught us to pray that God would accelerate and hasten the day of his glorious coming, thy Kingdom come, (i.e.) the Kingdom of glory at the Judgment, as well as the Kingdom of grace in the Church. It is true, that the day of the Lord is a terrible day, the Heavens, and Earth, and Sea, and Air shall be all on a bone-fire, and burn to nothing; nevertheless we according to his promise look for new Heavens, and a new Earth; we that have laid hold upon God, and laid hold on him by the right handle, according to his promises, we look for this day of the Lord, we look for it, and hasten unto it, we are glad it is so near, and we do what we can to have it nearer, with an holy kind of impatience we beg of the Lord, Come Lord Jesu, come, quickly. This was Paul's character, We know that the whole creation groaneth, and travelleth in pain together until now; and not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit the redemption of our bodies: God's children, such as have the first-fruits of the spirit, the beginnings of true saving grace in them, they constantly look and long for the day of full deliverance, or of the coming of Christ. This the Apostle instanceth in his Corinthians, ye come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; and in like manner he writes to his Philippians, Our Conversation is in Heaven from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: And to Titus himself he writes the same things, We look for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Savior Jesus Christ. Now Christians lay this character to heart, do you long, pant, and look for this glorious and second coming of Christ? have you any such wishes, and sayings of heart and mind as these are; Oh that Christ would appear! Oh that Christ would now break the Heavens, and come to Judgment! oh that I could see him in the Cloud, and on his Throne! oh that his enemies were ruined, my sins subdued, my soul saved, that I might serve him without weariness, forever and ever! Surely if these elongations of soul be in you, it is a comfortable evidence that your hopes are sound, and that Christ will come to receive you to hims • lf, and to bring you to glory.

3. If we love Christ's appearing, then will he appear on our side, Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto them also that love his appearing. A true Christian loves Christ's appearing in ordinances, and in all the means of grace, how much more in his own person? but how should we love that we see not? O yes! there's a kind of an Idea of Christ, and of his glorious appearing in every sanctified soul, and in that respect we love him though we cannot see him, Who having not seen ye love, saith the Apostle: and so your love and faith at the appearing of Jesus Christ shall be found unto praise, and honor, and glory. Those that have not seen Christ, and yet love the Idea of his sight, even they shall appear at the appearing of Christ in praise, and honor, and glory. Is not the Crown laid up for them that love the appearing of Christ? is it not a sign of a good cause to love a day of hearing? surely the love of Christ's coming cannot consist without some assurance that a soul shall stand upright in the Judgdment. He that hath not a confidence in his cause, loves not the coming of the Judge; no guilty prisoner loves the Sessions, or loves the judges presence; it is the cry of Reprobates, O ye mountains, and O ye Rocks fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne. But as for Christ and his Saints; O the mutual loves, and mutual longings in their breasts! The last words that Christ speaks in the Bible (and amongst us last words make deepest impressions) are, Surely I come quickly; and the last answer that is made in our behalf, is, Amen, even so come Lord Jesus. I know this Character is near the former, and therefore I shall pass it over.

4. If our works be good, then will he reward us according to our works. At that great day this will be the trial, works? are no works? Then will he say to them on his right hand, come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you, for I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in, naked and ye clothed me, I was sick, and ye visited me, I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Here were works, upon which followed the rewards of Heaven for these went into eternal life. I know Works are not meritorious, and yet they are evidences; I know works without Faith are but glisterrings sins, and yet works done in faith are signs, and fore-runners of eternal glory; I know that if all the excellencies of all the moralities of all the men in the world were put together, these could never reach glory, and yet a cup of cold water given to one of Christ's little ones in the name of a Disciple of Christ shall not lose its reward. If a Christian doubt, how should I know that my works are of a right stamp. I answer, 1. Look at the principle, is there not something above nature? do I not find some new light let out by God, that shows a glory, and excellency, and beauty in good works? is there not something in me that makes the same to be sweet, or pleasant, or agreeable to me? 2. Look at the end; natural works have no better end than self and creature-respects; but in my works is there no aim at something higher than self? whatever I do, is not this in mine eye, that all I do may tend to the honor and glory of God? I had need take heed of vain-glory, and self applause; the Godly at the day of Judgment do not know the good works they did; if my aim be at God I shall forget myself, as if all I did were swallowed up in God. 3. Look at the manner of my doing works: Uzzah had a good intention, but his work was not good, because the manner was not good; are my works according to the rule? do they carry a conformity to the Law of God? Let every man try his own work in this: O my soul bring thy works to the touch-stone, the Scripture, the Rule of goodness, is not all thy gold then discovered to be dross? the Scripture doth not only tell of works, but tells us the manner of performing them; as for instance, if rightly done, they must be done in zeal, in fervency, in activity; thus God's people are called a peculiar people, zealous of good works; a formal, customary, superficial performance of holy works fails in the manner of performing them: what, are my works performed in zeal? is there not too much of coldness, emptiness formality in all I do? why, thus may I know whether my works are of a right stamp; certainly all works, duties, actings, which are not done by a gracious heart, through a gracious power, to a gracious end, in a gracious manner, are sins, and not such works as shall have the rewards of Heaven. Some may object, this is an hard saying, who then shall be saved? I answer, 1. By concession, very few; What is the whole company of Christians, besides a very few (said Salvian) but a sink of vices? are they only good works which are thus and thus qualified? it were enough to make us all fear all the works that ever we have done. But secondly, here's all our hope, that in a Gospel-way Christ looks at our good works in the truth of them, and not in the perfection of them; no man goes beyond Paul, who when he would do good, found evil present with him: Alas, there's a perpetual opposition and conflict betwixt the flesh and the spirit, so that the most spiritual man cannot do the good things he would do; and yet we must not conclude, that nothing is good in us, because not perfectly good. Sincerity and truth in the inward parts, may in this case hold up our hearts from sinking; as he in the Gospel cried, I believe Lord, help my unbelief; So if we can but say, I I do good works, Lord help me in the concurrence of all needful circumstances, here will be our evidence that our hopes are sound, and that Christ will sentence us to eternal life. Come ye Blessed, &c. and why so? For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat, &c.

5. If we believe in Christ, then shall we live with Christ; if we come to him and receive him by Faith, then will he come again, and receive us to himself, that where he is, there we may be also. Good works are good evidences, but of all works those of the Gospel are clearest evidences, and have clearest promises; come then, let us try our obedience to the Commandments of Faith, as well as Life; let us try our submission to the Lord by believing, as well as doing. Surely the greatest work of God that ever any creature did, it is this Gospel-work, when it apprehends its own unworthiness, and ventures itself and its estate upon the righteousness of Jesus Christ: if we were able to perform a full, exact, and accurate obedience to every particular of the moral Law, it were not so great a work, nor so acceptable to God, nor should be so gloriously rewarded in heaven, as this one work of believing in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the work to which in express terms salvation, Heaven, and glory is promised; He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that heareth my word • , and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but he hath passed from death to life — And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone that seeth the Son, and believeth on him may have everlasting life—And these things are written that ye might believe that Jesus is Christ the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his name— Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved— And if thou shalt confess with thy mouth, the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved— And we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe unto the saving of the soul— And these things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have everlasting life. Why this above all is the Gospel work, to which are annexed those gracious promises of eternal life. So that if we believe in Christ, how may we be assured that we shall live with Christ.

O my soul, gather up all these characters, and try by them. Everyone can say, that they hope well, they hope to be saved, they hope to meet Christ with comfort, though they have no ground for it but their own vain conceits; but hope on good ground, is that hope that maketh not ashamed; say then, art thou born again? dost thou look and long for the coming of Christ in the clouds? dost thou love his appearing? art thou rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate? dost thou obey the commandments of faith as well as life? sure these are firm, and sound, and comfortable grounds of an assured hope. Content not thyself with an hope of possibility, or probability; but reach out to that plerophory, or full assurance of hope; the hope of possibility is but a weak hope, the hope of probability is but a fluctuating hope, but the hope of certainty is a settled hope; such an hope sweetens all the thoughts of God and Christ, of death and judgment, of Heaven, yea, and of Hell too, whiles we hope that we are saved from it; and are not the Scriptures written to this very purpose, That we might have this hope? are we not justified by his grace, that we might be heirs in hope, heirs according to the hope of eternal life? and was not this David's confidence, Lord I have hoped for thy salvation? why then art thou cast down O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance and my God.

If I may here enter into a Dialogue with my own poor, trembling, wavering soul.— Person —why art thou hopeless O my soul? wouldst thou not hope, if an honest man had made thee a promise of anything within his power? and wilt thou not hope when thou hast the promise, the oath, and the covenant of God in Christ? — Soul — Yes; methinks I feel some little hope, but alas it is but a little, a very little.— Person — Ay but go on my soul, true hope is called a lively hope, and a lively hope is an efficacious hope; no sooner faith commends the promise unto hope, but hope takes it, and hugs it, and reckons it as its Treasure, and feeds on it as Manna, which God hath given to refresh the weary soul in the desert of sin; go on then, till thou comest up to the highest pitch, even to that triumphant joyful expectation, and waiting for of Christ in glory— Soul — Why, methinks I would hope, I would ascend the highest step of hope; but alas I cannot; Oh I am exposed to many controversies, I am prone to many unquiet agitations; though I have a present promise, yet I extend my cares and fears even to eternity: Alas, I cannot comprehend, and therefore I am hardly satisfied; my sinful reason sees not its own way and end, and because it must take all on trust and credit, therefore it falls to wrangling; nay, Satan himself so snarles the question, and and I am so apt to listen to his doubts, that in the conclusion I know not how to extricate myself.— Person —Sayst thou so? surely in this case there's no cure, no remedy, but only the testimony of God's Spirit; but saith not the Apostle, That the spirit of itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God? if a Man or Angel, or Archangel should promise Heaven, peradventure thou mightest doubt; but if the Supreme Essence of the Spirit of God bear witness within, what room for doubting? why, this voice of the spirit is the very voice of God; hark then, inquire O my soul, if thou hast but this testimony of the spirit, thou art sure enough— Soul —Oh that it were thus with me! oh that the spirit would even now give me to drink of the wells of salvation! oh that the spirit would testify it home! oh that he would shine upon, and enlighten all those graces which he hath planted in me! fain would I come to the highest pitch of hope, oh that I could look upon the things hoped for as certainly future.— Person —Thou sayst well O my soul, and if these wishes be real, then pour out thyself unto God in prayer; this was the Apostles method, Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope through the power of the holy Ghost; let this be thy practice, pray as he prayed, pray thou for thyself as he prayed for others; if an earthly Father will hearken to his child, how much more will God the Father give the spirit to them that ask the spirit of him.—Soul —Why if this be it; to thee Lord do I come, O give me the Spirit, the witness of the Spirit, the first-fruits of the spirit, the sealing of the spirit, the earnest of the spirit. O give me the spirit, and let the spirit give me this hope. O the hope of Israel, and Savior thereof in the time of trouble, why shouldst thou be as a stranger in my soul, and as a way-faring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night? Come, O come, and dwell in my soul, Come and blow on my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out: come and fill me with a livelv hope; yea Lord excite, and quicken, and stir up my soul to act this hope, yea, so illighten, or shine upon my hope, that I may know that I hope, and know that I joyfully expect, and wait for the coming of Christ: O Let me hear thy voice, Say unto my soul I am, and will be thy salvation.—Person —Well now, thou hast prayed, O my soul, Come, tell me, dost thou feel nothing stir? is there nothing at all in thee that assures thee of this assurance of hope? is there no life in thy affections? no spark that takes hold on thy heart to set it on flame? no comfort of the spirit, no joy in the holy Ghost?— Soul —Yes! methinks I feel it now begin to work, the Spirit that hath breathed this prayer into me comes in as Comforter; O now that I realize Christ's coming and my resurrection, I cannot but conclude with David, Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth, and my flesh also shall rest in hope. Oh what an earnest is this? what a piece hath the spirit put into my hand of the great sum promised? not only that he in great mercy promised me Heaven, but because he doth not put me into a present possession, he now gives me an earnest of my future inheritance. Why, surely all is sure, unless the earnest deceive me; and what? shall I dispute the truth of the earnest? oh God forbid! the stamp is too well known to be mistrusted; this seal cannot be counterfeit, because it is agreeable with the Word; I find in myself an hope, a true sincere hope, though very weak: I find upon trial that I am regenerate, that I look and long for the second coming of Jesus, that I love his appearance even before hand: that my works, though imperfect, are sincere and true, that I believe on the Name of the Son of God, and flesh and blood could never work these duties or these graces in me; it is only that good spirit of my God, which hath thus sealed me up to the day of redemption. Away, away despair, trouble me no longer with a musing thoughts; I will henceforth (if the Lord enable) walk confidently, and cheerfully in the strength of this assurance, and joyfully expect the full accomplishment of my happy contract from the hands of Christ. The Lord is my portion, therefore will I hope in him; the Lord is good to them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him; it is good that I both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord— It is good that I hope to the end, for the grace that is to be brought unto me at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

SECT. V. Of believing in Jesus in that respect.

5. LET us believe in Jesus as carrying on the great work of our salvation in his second coming. Now this believing in Christ is more than hoping in Christ; Faith eyes things as present, but hope eyes things as future; and hence the Apostle describes faith to the substance of things hoped for; it is the substance, foundation, or prop which upholds the building; or it is the substance, essence, existence of things hoped for, and consequently absent and a far off, to be by a firm apprehension of the believer as already present and real. And this is as necessary as the former; oh if we could but see things now, as they shall appear at that last general day of Judgment, how mightily would they work upon our souls? I verily think the want of this work of faith is the cause almost of all the evil in the world; and the acting of Faith on this subject would produce fruits even to admiration. If we could but see that glory of God in Christ, and those glorious treasures of mercies that shall then be communicated; if we could but see those dreadful evils that are now threatened, and shall then be fulfilled, would not this draw the hardest heart under Heaven? come, let us act faith this day, as if this day were the last day; a thousand years are but as one day to faith? it takes hold upon eternal life, whensoever it acts; it takes present possession of the glorious things of the Kingdom of God even now.

O then let us believe in Jesus in reference to his second coming to judgment. But how should we believe? what directions to act our saith on Jesus in this respect? I answer—

1. Faith must directly go to Christ.

2. Faith must go to Christ as God in the flesh.

3. Faith must go to Christ as God in the flesh made under the Law.

4. Faith must go to Christ made under the directive part of the Law by his life, and under the penal part of the Law by his death.

5. Faith must go to Christ as put to death in the Flesh, and as quickened by the spirit.

6. Faith must go to Christ, as going up into glory, as sitting down at God's right hand, and as sending down the holy Ghost.

7. Faith must go to Christ as interceding for his Saints, in which work he continues till his coming again. Of all these before.

8. Faith must go to Christ as coming again into this nether world to judge the quick and the dead; This is the last act of Faith in reference to Christ, From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. The coming of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, the change of the living, the last judgment, and the glory of Christ with his Saints to all eternity, is that transaction which must be dispatched at the end of the world; now this is the object of faith as well as the former; Christ's work is not fully perfected till all these be finished, nor is our work of Faith fully completed till it reach to the very last act of Christ in saving souls.—Oh what an excellent worker is Jesus Christ? he doth all his works thoroughly and perfectly; the greatest work that ever Christ under took was the work of redemption, that work would have broken Men and Angels, and yet Jesus Christ will carry it on to the end, and then will he say not only prophetically, but expressly, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. Now Faith should eye Christ as far as he goes, if Christ will not have done till he comes again, and receive us to himself, and settle us in glory; no more should Faith, it should still follow after him, and take a view of all his transactions from first to last; what, will Christ come again? will he summon all the elect to come under judgment? will he sentence or judge them to eternal life? will he conduct them into glory, present them to his Father, and be their all in all to all eternity? why then let our faith act itself upon all these promises; or if I may instance in one for all, Christ's coming is the most comprehensive of all; and is not the coming of Christ very frequently mentioned in the p • omises, as the great support and stay of his people's spirits till then? do not the Apostles usually quicken us to duty, and encourage us to waiting by the mentioning of this glorious coming of Jesus Christ? why then let us act our faith on this glorious Object; Christians, what do we believe, and hope, and wait for, but to see this coming? this was Paul's encouragement to rejoicing and moderation, Rejoice in the Lord always—and let your moderation be known to all, the Lord is at hand; To think and speak of that day with horror, doth well beseem the impenitent sinner, but doth ill beseem the beli • ving Saint; such may be the voice of an unbeliever, and it may be of a believer in desertion or temptation, but it's not the voice of faith. O believe on Christ, as carrying on our salvation at his coming again, For yet a little while, and he that shall come, will come, and he will not tarry.

9. Faith must principally and mainly look to the purpose, design, intent, and end of Christ in his second coming to Judgment. Now the ends are— 1. In respect of the wicked that they may be destroyed, for he must reign till he hath put all his enemies under his feet. He shall come with flaming fire, and then he will take vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. O miserable men! now it is God's design to be revenged on you. This is the day when the wicked shall suddenly start out of sleep, and meet with gastly amazedness at the mouth of their sepulchers; above them stands the Judge condemning, beneath Hell gaping, on the right had justice threatening, on all sides the world burning; to go forward is intolerable, to go backward is impossible, to turn aside is unavailable; which way then? Heaven gates are shut, Hell mouth is open, where they must end their endless misery; the last torment lasteth ever. O the shrikes of the wicked at every passage of this day! when the Prophet Joel was describing the formidable accidents of his day, he was not able to express it, but stammered like a Child, or an amazed imperfect person, A. A. A. for the day of the Lord is at hand. We translate it, Alas, for the day of the Lord is at hand. But Lyra, Ribera, the Vulgar Latin, and others translate it, A.A.A. in Hebrew it is indeed but one word, and sounds as Aha, which howsoever so written, yet is it pronounced without any aspiration, as Aaron, is pronounced Aaron. The best Critic • s would but have it one word, and so they write it, A-a-a- for the day of the Lord is at hand: thus they that stammer, and cannot suddenly speak, say A-a-a. it is not sense at first; the Prophet was so amazed, that he knew not what to say; the stammering tongue that is full of fear, can best speak that terror, which will make all the wicked of the world to cry, and shrike, and speak fearful accents; oh the shrikes! oh the fearful sounds that will then be heard! sure that noise must needs be terrible, when millions of men and women at the same instant shall fearfully cry out, and when their cries shall mingle with the thunders of the dying and groaning Heavens, and with the crack of the dissolving World, when the whole fabric of nature shall shake into dissolution, and eternal ashes. Now consider this ye that forget God, lest he tare you in pieces, and there be none to deliver you. Shall not the consideration of these things awake your spirits, and raise you from the death of sin? what? do you believe these things? or do you not? if you do not believe these things, where is your saith? if you do believe them, and sin on, where is your prudence? and where is your hope? but enough of this; it belongs to the wicked.

2. In respect of the Godly that they may be saved. Now this contains several steps. As—

1. They must be regenerated. It is true they partake of this grace before, but now is the full perfection and manifestation of it, and therefore the last day is called the day of regeneration.

2. They must be redeemed. So they are in this life; Paul could tell his Colossians, that Christ had delivered them from the power of darkness; and that in him they had redemption through his blood. Yet the Scripture calls the day of judgment in a peculiar and eminent manner the day of redemption. And grieve not the holy spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

3. They must be adopted. It is true, they are adopted in this life, We are now the Sons of God (saith the Apostle) yet it doth not appear what we shall be; the glory which Christ will put upon us at the last day, is so far transcendent and superlative to what now we are, that we know not what we shall be; sons, and more than sons; and therefore the Apostle calls the last day, the day of adoption.

4. They must be justified. I know they were justified by Faith before, and this justification was evidenced to some of their consciences; but now shall they be justified fully by the lively voice of the Judge himself; now shall their justification be solemnly and publicly declared to all the world; The Syriac word to justify, is also to conquer, because when a man is justified, he overcomes all those bills and indictments which were brought in against him; now this is manifestly done in the day of judgment when Christ shall before Men and Angels acquit, and absolve his people: oh what a glorious conquest will that be over Sin, Death, and Hell, when the judge of the whole World shall pronounce them free from all Sin, and from all those miserable effects of Sin, Death, Hell, and Dominion.

5. They must inherit the Kingdom prepared for them, so is the sentence at that day, Come ye Blessed, inherit the Kingdom. Not only are they freed from Hell, but they must inherit Heaven. Now herein is an high step of salvation, and a great part of the design of Christ's coming, to bring his Saints into Heaven; he went thither before to prepare it for them, and now he comes again to give them the possession of it, come enter into heaven. Heaven? what is Heaven? surely it is not one single Palace; but a City, a Metropolis, a Mother-City, the first City of God's creation: When the Angel carried John in the spirit to a great and high Mountain, he shown him the great City, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. But a City is too little, therefore its more, its a Kingdom; Fear not little Flock, its your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom; and at this last day he bids his Saints to inherit the Kingdom. Or if a Kingdom be too little, it is called a World; the Children of this world marry, and are given in marriage; but they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage, neither can they die anymore. There's another world besides this, and for eminency it is called the world to come. O the breadth and largeness of that world! as the greater circle must contain the less, so doth that world contain this; alas, all our dwellings here are but as caves under the earth, and holes of poor clay in comparison. In the bosom of that Heaven is many a dwelling place; In my Fathers house are many mansions; there lodges many thousand of glorious Kings; O what fair fields, and mountains of roses and spices, are there? surely gardens of length and breadth above millions of miles are nothing in comparison. O the Vines, the Lilies, the Roses, the precious Trees that grow in Immanuel's land! an hundred harvests in one year are nothing there, The lowest stones in every mansion there, are precious stones; the very building of the wall about it is Jasper, and the City is pure gold, like unto clear glass. O glorious inheritance! Tell me Christians, in what City on Earth do men walk upon gold? or dwell within the walls of Gold? though none such here, yet under the feet of the inhabitants of Heaven there is Gold; All the streets, and fields of that City, Kingdom, World, are pure gold, as it were transparent glass. But alas, what speak I of Gold, or Glass; all these are but shadows; indeed and in truth there is nothing so low as Gold, or precious Stones; there is nothing so base in this high and glorious Kingdom, as Gardens, Trees, or Roses, comparisons are but created shadows, that come not up to express the glory of the thing. I shall therefore leave to speak this, because unspeakable.

6. They must live with Christ in heaven; they must see, and enjoy Christ there to all eternity. This is a main end of Christ's coming, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also—And Father, I will that those whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold the glory which thou hast given me. O let faith eye this above all the former! what? will my Savior come again? and shall I see his face? Oh what a pleasant sight will this same be? if Heaven, if the inheritance be such a wonder to the beholders, what a beauty is that which is in the samplar? oh what an happiness to stand besides that dainty precious Prince in Heaven? to see the King on his Throne? to see the Lamb, the fair Tree of life, the flower of Angels, the spotless Rose, that Crown, the Garland, the joy of Heaven, the wonder of wonders for eternity? oh what a life to see the precious Tree of life! to see a multitude without quantity of the Apples of glory! to see love itself, and to be warmed with the heat of immediate love that comes out from the precious heart and bowels of Jesus Christ! Oh what a dearness to see all relations meet in one! to see the Savior, the good Shepherd, the Redeemer, the great Bishop of our souls, the Angel of the Covenant, the Head of the body of the Church, the King of ages, the Prince of peace, the Creator of the ends of the Earth, the Song of Angels, and glorified Saints. Not only must they see Christ, but they shall enjoy him whom they see; they fly with doves-wings of beauty after the Lamb, and in flying after him they lay hold upon him, and they will not leave him; they can never have enough of the chaste fruition of the glorious Prince Immanuel, and they never want his in-most presence to the full; they suck the honey and the honey-comb; they drink of the floods of eternal consolations, and fill all empty desires; and as if the souls of Saints were without bottom, a fresh they suck again to all eternity. Now 〈◊〉 is salvation indeed, the soul that attains this full enjoyment, is saved to the uttermost.

3. In respect of Christ himself that he may be glorified. Now in two things more especially will he be glorified at that day. 1. In his justice. 2. In his mercy, or free grace.

1. His justice will be glorified, especially in punishing the wicked here on Earth, little justice is done on most offenders; though some public crimes are sometimes punished, yet the actions of closets and chambers, the designs and thoughts of men; the businesses of retirements, and of the night, escape the hand of justice; and therefore God hath so ordained it, that there shall be a day of doom, wherein all that are let alone by men, shall be questioned by God; Shall not the judge of all the world do right! then all thoughts shall be examined, and secret actions viewed on each side, and the infinite number of those sins which escaped here, shall be blazoned there; all shall have justice; and the justice of the judge shall be so exact, that he will account with men by minutes; and that justice may reign entirely, God shall open his treasure: I mean the wicked man's treasure, and tell the sums, and weigh the grains and scruples. Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures? I will restore it in the day of vengeance saith the Lord. Oh how will God glorify his justice at that day? surely his justice shall shine, and be eminently glorious in every passage.

2. His mercy, or free grace will be glorified in rewarding the Saints. And this is the main, the supreme end of his coming to judgment, He shall come (saith the Apostle) to be glorified in his Saints; not but that the Angels shall glorify the riches of his grace, as well as Saints; but because the Angels never sinned, (they have now kept their Robes of innocence, their cloth of Gold above five thousand years, without one spark of dirt, or change of color:) therefore the glory of his grace is more especially fastened on Saints, that sometimes were sinners. Oh what stories will be told at this day of graces acts? I was a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and an injurious person (said Paul) but I obtained mercy; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , but I was be-mercied, as if he had been dipt in a River, in a Sea of mercy; it may be he will make the same acknowledgment at the day of judgment; I was a sinner, but the grace of the Lord Jesus to me was abundant, superabundant; I obtained as much grace as would have saved a world. Certainly free grace shall then be discovered in some purpose; then it shall be known, That where sin abounded, grace far more; it over-abounded, or more than over-bounded: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , It is a word borrowed from Fountains, and Rivers, which have over-flowed with Waters ever since the Creation; then all the Saints shall exalt, and magnify, and with loud voices praise the glory of his grace; they shall look on their debts written in graces book, and then shall they sing and say, O the mystery of grace! O the gold-mines, and the depts of Christ's free love! why this was the great design of our salvation: at the first, when God was willing to communicate himself out of his aloneness everlasting, he laid this plot, that all he would do should be to the praise of the glory of his grace; and now at his second coming, having done all he will do, the Saints for whom he hath done all, admire, esteem, honor, and sound forth the praises of his grace. Is not this their everlasting song which they begin at this day? Glory to the Lamb, and glory to his grace, that sitteth on the Throne forever more? not but that they glorify him in his wisdom, power, holiness, and his other attributes, ay but especially in this, it is his Grace in which he most delighteth; even as virtuous Kings affect, above all their other Virtues, to be had in honor for their Clemency, and Bounty; so Jesus Christ the King of Kings affects, above all, the glory of his grace. And to this purpose Heaven itself is an house full of broken men, who have borrowed millions from Christ, but can never repay more than to read, and sing the praises of Free-grace; Glory to the Lamb, and glory to the riches of his grace for evermore.

Thus for directions; one word of Application, or a few motives to work Faith in you in this respect,

1. Christ in his word invites you to believe; these are his Letters from Heaven, Come all to the marriage-supper of the Lamb; Ho everyone that thirsts come in; Heaven-gate is open to all that knock, but fools, foolish Virgins, foolish souls, which have no Faith, nor will have any, to render them fit for Heaven. This meets with some that scruple, what? will Christ come again to receive me to himself? shall I enter with him into glory? alas no unclean thing shall enter into that holy City, and shall such a sinner as I am be admitted? Oh believe, believe thy part in this coming of Christ, to receive thee to himself; and no sin, that thou feelest a burden, shall keep thee out of Heaven. There is Rahab the Harlot; and Manasseh the Murderer, and Mary that had so many Devils; a man that hath many Devils may come where there is not one; Lame, and Blind, and Halt may enter into Heaven, and yet still there is room; there is a great variety of guests above, and yet one Table large enough for all; no crouding, and yet thousands, and thousands of thousands sitting together; Ah poor soul why dost thou make ecceptions, where God makes none? why shouldst thou exclude thyself out of these golden gates, when God doth not? believe, only believe in the Lord Jesus, and the promise is sure, and without all controversy, thou shalt be saved.

2. Christ by his Ministry intreats you to believe; come, say they, we beseech you believe in your judge; it may be you startle at this, what? to believe in him who is a coming to be your judge? but if your judge be Jesus, if the same person who died for you, shall come to judge you, why should you fear? indeed if your judge were your enemy, you might fear; but if he who is your Lord, and who loves your souls shall judge you, there is no such cause; will a man fear to be judged by his dearest friends? a brother by a brother? a child by a father? or a wife by her husband? consider! is not he your Judge who came down from Heaven, and who being on earth was judged, condemned, and executed in your stead? and yet are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Oh what an unreasonable sin is unbelief! nay, say the scrupulous, if I were assured of this; if I knew that my judge were my friend, I should not fear; but is he not my enemy; have not I provoked him to enmity against my soul? do I not stand it out in arms against my judge? am not I daily sinning against him, who justly may condemn me for my sin? give this for granted, that this and no other, no better is my case, and what say you then? if it be so, hark then to the voice of our ministry. We poor Ministers that love your souls (say what you will of us) would fain have all this enmity against God, and against Christ done away; and to this purpose we not only appear many and many a time upon our knees to God for you, but (mangre all your opposition against us) we could be content to come upon our knees from God to you, to beseech you not to provoke your Judge against your souls: what, is Christ and you at odds? is the difference wide betwixt your judge and you? I do now in my Masters Name, in the Name of God, and in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, beseech you to believe; I beseech you in Christ's Name; in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled unto God. Is not this the Apostles word? Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead? Christ's Ministers are not only God's Legates, but Christ's Surrogates; to make this plain to you, when a Prince sends a messenger to another Prince, that messenger is only an Embassador, the Prince being not bound to carry the message himself in Person; but now Jesus Christ, he is the Father's Embassador, and Christ is thereby bound to bring the message of peace himself, but being necessarily employed elsewhere (in the same design of grace) he constitutes us his officers; so that we do not come only in the Name of God, but in the place of Christ to do that work which is primarily his; As the Father hath sent me, even so send I you; and this was the commendation of the Galatians, that they received the Apostle Paul even as Jesus Christ. Now weigh our desire, we beseech you to believe; we beseech you to sign the articles of agreement betwixt Christ and you; what? shall some base inconsiderable lust stand in competition with Jesus Christ? will you not make your peace with your judge whilst you are in a way, and before he sit in the Throne? behold we give you warning, the Judge is at the door, now believe and be saved. Oh how fain would we tempt you (as it were) with glory? we tender Christ, and we offer peace, we come in the judges name to beseech you to make ready for him, and for Heaven; we bring salvation to your very doors, to your very ears, and there we are sounding, knocking, Will ye go to Heaven, sinners? will ye go to Heaven? Oh believe in him that will judge you, and he will save you.

3. Christ by his Spirit moves, excites, and provokes you to believe. Sometimes in reading, and sometimes in hearing, and sometimes in meditating you may feel him stir; have you felt no gale of the spirit all this while? It is the spirit that convinceth the world of sin, especially of that great sin of unbelief; and then of righteousness, which Christ procureth by going to his Father; observe here, it is the work of the spirit thus to convince, so that all moral philosophy, and the wisest directions of the most Civil men will leave you in a wilderness; yea ten thousands of Sermons may be preached to you to believe, and yet you never shall, till you are over-poured by God's Spirit: it is the Spirit that enlightens, and directs you, as occasion is, saying this is the way, walk in it. It is the spirit that rouzeth, and awakeneth you by effectual motions, Arise my love, my fair one, and come away. He stands at the door and knocks; he stretches out his hand with Heaven in it, and he doth so all the day long; all the day long have I stretched out my hand; and that you may find his yoke easy, and his burden light; it is the Spirit that draws the yoke with you; and by secret animations, and sweet inspirations heartens, and enables you to do the work with ease; and in this respect the Saints are said to be led by the spirit; even as a mother leads her child that is weak, and enables it to go the better, so the spirit leads the Saints (as it were) by the hand, and strengthens them to believe yet more and more. I speak now to Saints, if whiles I press you to believe in Jesus, you feel the spirit in his stirrings, and impetuous acts, surely it concerns you to believe, it concerns you to be obsequious and yielding to the breathings of God's Spirit, it concerns you to co-operate with the spirit, and to answer his wind-blowing. As you are to take Christ at his word, so you are to take Christ's spirit at his work: if now he knocks, do you knock with him; if now his fingers make a stirring upon the handles of the bar, let your hearts make a stirring with his fingers also; O reach in your hearts under the stirrings of free grace; obey dispositions of grace as God himself; if now you feel your hearts as hot as Iron, it is good then to smite with the hammer; if now you feel your spirits docile, say then with him in the Gospel, I believe, Lord help my unbelief; I believe, what? I believe when Jesus comes again, he will receive me to himself, and that I shall be forever with the Lord, Amen, Amen.

SECT. VI. Of Loving Jesus in that respect.

6. LET us love Jesus, as carrying on the great Work of our Salvation for us in his second coming. In prosecution of this, I must first set down Christ's love to us, and then our love to Christ; that is the cause, and this effect; that is the spring, and this the stream; in vain should we persuade our hearts to love the Lord, if in the first place we were not sensible that our Lord loves us, We love him (saith the Apostle) because he first loved us; it is Christ's way of winning hearts, he draws a lump of love out of his own heart, and casts it into the sinner's heart, and so he loves him. Come then let us first take a view of Christ's love to us, and see if from thence any sparks of love will fall on our hearts to love him again. Should I make a Table of Christ's acts of love and free grace to us, I might begin with that eternity of his love before the beginning, and never end till I draw it down to that eternity of his love without all ending: his love is as his mercy, from everlasting to everlasting; he loved us before time, in the beginning of time, in the fullness of time, at this time the flames of his love are as hot in his breast as they were at first, and when time shall be no more he will love us still; this fire of Heaven is everlasting; there is in the breast of Christ an eternal coal of burning love, that never, never shall be quenched. But I have in some measure already discovered all those acts of his grace and love, till his second coming: and therefore I begin there.

1. Christ will come; is not this love? as his departure was a rich testimony of his love. It is expedient for you that I go away; so is his returning, I will not leave you comfortless, I will come unto you; Oh how can we think of Christ's returning, and not meditate on the greatness of his love? might he not send his Angels, but he must come himself? is it not state and majesty enough to have the Angels come for us, but that he himself must come with his Angels, to meet us more than half the way? what King on Earth would adopt a beggar, and after his adoption would himself go in person, to fetch him from the dunghill to his Throne? we are filthy lazars, from the crown of our heads to the soles of our feet we are full of sores, and yet the King of Heaven puts on his best attire, and comes in person with all his retinue of glory, to fetch us from our graves, to his own Court of Heaven. Oh the loves of Christ in this one act, he will come again, he is but gone for a while, but he will come again in his own person.

2. Christ will welcome all his Saints into his presence; and is not this love? after he is come down from Heaven; he stays for them a while in the Clouds, and commanding his Angels to bring them thither, anon they come; and oh how his heart springs within him at their coming! what throbs and pangs of love are in his heart at the first view of them? as they draw near, and fall down at his feet, and worship him; so he draws near, and falls upon their necks, and welcomes them. Methinks I hear him say, Come blessed souls, you are my purchase, for whom I Covenanted with my Father from eternity; O you are dearly welcome to your Lord, in that now I have you in my arms; I feel the fruit of my death, the acceptation of my Sacrifice, the return of my prayers; for this I was born and died, for this I rose again and ascended into Heaven, for this I have interceded a Priest in Heaven these many years; and now I have the end and design of all my actings and sufferings for you, how is my joy fulled? look as at the meeting of two lovers there is great joy, especially if the distance hath been great, and the desires of enjoying one another vehement; so is the meeting of Christ with his Saints; the joy is so great that it runs over, and wets the fair brows, and beauteous locks of Cherubims and Seraphims; and all the Angels have a part of this banquet at this day.

3. Christ will sentence his Saints for eternal life; here is love indeed, every word of the sentence is full of love; it contains the reward of his Saints, a reward beyond their work, and beyond their wages, and beyond the promise, and beyond their thoughts, and beyond their understanding; it is a participation of the joys of God, and of the inheritance of the Judge himself: Come enter into your Masters joy, inherit the Kingdom. Oh but if all the Saints have only one Kingdom, where is my room? fear not O my soul, thou shalt have room enough; though but one Kingdom, yet all the Inhabitants there are Kings; whole Heaven is such a Kingdom, as is entirely, and fully enjoyed by one glorified Saint, all and everyone hath the whole Kingdom at his own will; everyone is filled with God, as if there were no fellows there to share • ith him Oh that I may come under this blessed sentence! never was more love expressed in words, than Christ expresseth in this sentence, Come ye blessed, &c.

4. Christ will take up all his Saints with him into glory; where he will present them to his Father; and then be their all in all to all eternity. This is the heig • t of Christ's love; this is the immediate love that comes out from the precious heart and bowels of Jesus Christ; this is that Zenith of love, when sensibly and feelingly it burns at hottest; it is true, that Christ's love breaks out in all those precedaneous acts, we have already spoken; Oh but what loves will he cast out from himself in glory? the more excellent the Soyl is, and the nearer the Sun is, the more of Summer, and the more of day; the more delicious must be the Apples, the Pomegranates, the Roses, the Lilies that grow there; surely Christ in glory is a blessed soil; Roses, and Lilies, and Apples of love, that are eternally Summer-green and sweet, grow out of him; the honey of Heaven is more than honey; the honey of love that is pure, and unmixed, and glorious in Christ, must needs be incomparable. I cannot say, but that Christ's love, like himself, is the same yesterday, and today, and forever; there is no intension, or remission of his love as in itself; for God is love, he is essentially love; and therefore admits of no degrees; yet in respect of the sense, or manifestation of this love of Christ, there must needs be a difference; thus if he loved his spouse on earth, how much more will he love her when his Bride in Heaven? If he loves us while sinners, and enemies to his holiness, how much more will he love us, when we are sons, and perfected Saints in glory; he that could spread his arms, and open his heart on the Cross, will he not then open arms, and heart, and all to them that reign with him in his Kingdom? if in this life such is loves puissance, that we usually say of Christ, Though the head be in heaven, yet he hath left his heart on earth with sinners; what shall we say of Christ in glory, where love like the Sun ever stands in the Zenith? where the eternal God is the souls everlasti • g refuge, and underneath are his everlasting arms?

5. And if Christ love thus; how should we love again for such a love? Lord, what a sum of love are we indebted to thee? is it possible that ever we should pay the debt? can we love as high, as deep, as broad, as long as love itself, or as Christ himself? no, no; all we can do is but to love a little; and Oh that in the consideration of his love we could love a little in sincerity! Oh that we were but able feelingly to say, Why Lord I love thee, I feel I love thee, even as I feel I love my friend, or as I feel I love myself. Such arguments of love have been laid before us, as that now I know no more; we have seen whole Christ cap-a-pe; we have heard of the loves of Christ from eternity to eternity; we have had a view of the everlasting Gospel of Jesus Christ, wherein his love is represented to us as hot as death, or as the flames of God; and do we not yet love him? hath Christ all this while opened his breast and heart to us, saying, Friends, Doves, come in, and dwell in the holes of this rock? And do we scratch his breast? do we turn our backs upon him, and requite his love with hatred? surely this is more than sin; for what is sin but a transgression of the law? but this sin is both a transgression of Law and Gospel. What? to spurn against the warm bowels of love? to spit on grace? to disdain him who is the white and ruddy, the fairest of Heaven? Oh the aggravation of this sin! 'its an heart of flint and adamant that spits at Evangelic love: Law-love, is love, but Evangelic love is more than love; its the gold, the flower of Christ's wheat, and of his finest love. Oh the many Gospel-passages of love that we have heard! Oh the sweet streams of love that we have followed, till now that we are come to a Sea of love, to an heaven of love, to an infinite, eternal, everlasting love in heaven! I want words to express this love of Jesus; a Sea of love is nothing, it hath a bottom; an Heaven of love is nothing, it hath a brim; but infinite, eternal, everlasting love hath no bottom, no brim, no bounds, and do we not yet love him? do we not yet feel the fire of love break forth? if not, it is time to turn our Preaching into Praying; O thou who art the Element or Sun of love, come with thy power, let out • ne beam, one ray, one gleam of love upon my soul, shine hot upon my heart, cast my soul into a love-transe, remember thy promise to circumcise my heart, that I may love the Lord my God with all my heart, and with all my soul. Surely the great Marriage of the Lamb is coming on, he will come, and welcome all his Saints into his presence; he will bid them inherit the Kingdom, and put them in a possession of the inheritance; and then we cannot choose but love our Jesus with all our hearts, and with all our souls; only begin we it here; let us now be sick of love, that we may then be well with love? let us now rub and chase our hearts (our dead cold hearts) before this fire, till we say with Peter, Why Lord thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee.

SECT. VII. Of joying in Jesus in that respect.

7. LET us joy in Jesus, as carrying on the great work of our salvation for us in his second coming. Christ delights to have his People look upon him with delight; for a soul to be always under a spirit of bondage, and so to look upon Christ as a Judge, a Lyon, or an offended God, it doth not please God; the Lord Jesus is tender of the joy of his Saints, Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, saith Christ; rejoice evermore,—rejoice in the Lord always; and again, I say rejoice. Let the righteous be glad, let them rejoice before God, yea let them exceedingly rejoice. All that Christ doth to his Saints tends to this joy, as the upshot or end of all; if he cast down, it is but to raise them up; if he humble, it is but to exalt; if he kill, it is but to make alive; in every dispensation still he hath a tender care to preserve their joy. This is the Benjamin, about which Christ's bowels beat; Let my Children suffer anything, but nothing in their joy; I would have all that love my Name to be joyfall in me.

Oh, say some, but Christ's day is a terrible day; when Christ appears, he will make the Heavens, and Earth, and Hell to shake and tremble. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence; a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. True! but what's all this terror but an argument of my Father's power, and justice against sinners? if thou art Christ's, and hast thy part in him, not one jot of all this terror belongs to thee, The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust to the day of judgment to be punished. He knows how to make the same day a terror to his foes, and a joy to his people; he ever intended it for the great distinguishing and separating day, wherein both joy and sorrow should be manifested to the highest. O then let the heavens rejoice, the sea, the earth, the floods, the hills, for the Lord cometh to Judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the World, and the people with equity. If you find it an hard thing to joy in Jesus, as in reference to his second coming, think of these motives—

1. Christ's coming is the Christians encouragement; so Christ himself lays it down, You shall see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory; and when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh. The signs of his coming are the hopes of your approaching introduction into glory, and what should you do then but prepare for your approaching with exceeding joy? many evils do now surround you everywhere; Satan hath his snares, and the World his baits, and your own hearts are apt to betray you into your enemies hands; but when Christ comes, you shall have full deliverance, and perfect redemption; and therefore look up, and lift up your heads. The Apostle speaks the very same encouragement. The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive, and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air,—wherefore comfort one another with these words. Christ's coming is a comfortable doctrine to all believers; and therefore all the Elect that hear these words, should be comforted by them. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people.

2. Christ our Savior must be our Judge; the same Jesus that was born for us, and lived for us, and died for us, and doth now pray for us, will come at last to judge us; is not this comfortable? you that have heard all his transactions, can you ever foget the unweariness of Christ's love, in his constant and continual actings for your souls? how long hath he been interceding for his Saints? how long hath he been knocking at their hearts for entrance? it is now above a thousand six hundred years that he hath been praying, and knocking, and he resolves not to give over till all be his, till all the Tribes in ones and twos be over Jordan, and up with him in the heavenly Canaan. And if this be he that must be our Judge; if he that loves our souls must Judge our souls; if he that hath a great interest and increase of joy in our salvation, must pass our sentence, will not this work us into a rejoicing frame.

3. Christ's sentence is the Christian's acquittance; (I may call it his general acquittance from the beginning of the World to the end thereof.) Hence some call this the day of the believers full justification; they were before made just, and esteemed just, but now by a lively sentence they shall be pronounced just by Christ himself; now is the complete acquittance, or the full absolution from all sin; now will Christ pardon, and speak out his pardon once for all; now will he take his book (wherein all our sins, as so many debts or trespasses are written) and he will cancel all; Your sins shall be blotted out (saith Peter) when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And is not this enough to cause our joy? when the spirit witnessing with our spirits, doth but in part assure us of sins pardon, is it not exceeding sweet? Oh but how sweet will be that sentence, which will fully resolve the question, and leave no room of doubting anymore forever? consider O my soul, the day is a coming, when the Judge of Heaven and Earth will acquit thee of all thy sins before all the World; it is a part of his business at that day to glorify his Justice and free grace in thy absolution. O Christians! how may we comfort one another with these words?

4. Christ in the issue will lead us into glory. As the Bridegroom after nuptials, leads his Bride to his own home, that there they may live together, and dwell together; so Christ our royal Bridegroom will lead us into the Palace of his glory. And is not this joy of our Lord enough to cause our Joy; Oh what embraces of love, what shaking of hands, what welcomes shall we have into this City? there shall we see Christ in his garden, there shall we be set as a seal on Christ's arm, and as a seal upon his heart; there shall we be filled with his love, enlightened with his light, encircled in his arms, following his steps, and praising his Name, and admiring his glory; there shall we joy indeed, For in thy presence there is fullness of joy, and at thy right hand there are pleasures evermore. There is joy, and full joy, and fullness of joy; there are pleasures, and pleasures evermore, and pleasures evermore at God's right hand. O the music of the sanctuary! O the sinless and well-tuned Psalms! O the Songs of the high Temple, without either Temple or Ordinances, as we have them here! can we choose to joy at the thought of this joy above? if God would so dispense, that even now we might stand at the utmost door of Heaven, and that God would strike up a window, and give us a spiritual eye, and an heavenly heart, so that we could look in, and behold the Throne, and the Lamb, and the troops of glorified ones clothed in white; would not this cheer up our hearts, and fill them with joy unspeakable, and full of glory? certainly this day will come, when Christ will bring us not only to the door, but through the gates into the City; and then we shall see all these sights, and hear all the music made in heaven: how then should we but joy in the hope of the glory of God? O methinks raised thoughts of our mansion in glory, should make us swim through the deepest Sea of troubles, and afflictions, and never fear. Come then, O my drowsy soul, and hearken to these motives; if yet thou seest not the Son itself appear, methinks the twilight of a promise should revive thee; it is but a little while, And he that shall come, will come, and he will not tarry. It may be thou art reviled, and persecuted here on Earth; and what then? hath not Christ bid thee to rejoice in afflictions? is it not his word, that in this very case thou shouldst rejoice, and be exceeding glad? —is it not his command, Think it not strange concerning the fiery trials, but rather rejoice, in as much as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings, that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. We must rejoice now, that we may rejoice then; indeed our present joy is a taste of our future joy, and God would have us to begin our Heaven here on Earth. Come then, come forth, O my dull conjealed heart! thou that spendest thy days in sorrow, and thy breath in sighing, that minglest thy bread with tears, and drinkest the tears which thou weepest; thou that prayest for joy, and waitest for joy, and longest for joy, and complainest for want of joy; O the times a coming, when thou shalt have fullness of joy; the times a coming when the Angels shall bring thee to Christ, and when Christ shall take thee by the hand, and lead thee into his purchased joy, and present thee unspotted before his Father, and give thee thy place about his Throne; and dost thou not rejoice in this: art thou not exceedingly raised in such a Meditation as this? surely if one drop of lively faith were but mixed with these motives, thou mightest carry an Heaven within thee, and go on ever singing to thy grave; say then, dost thou believe? or dost thou not believe? if thy faith be firm, how shouldest thou but rejoice? if thou rollest thyself on Christ, and on that promise, I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you; how shouldst thou but rejoice, and be exceeding glad? if thou lookest upon the holy Ghost as designed by the Father and the Son to bring joy and delight into thy soul? how shouldst thou but be filled with the water of life, with the oil of gladness, and with the new wine of the Kingdom of God? O the blessed workings of faith on such a subject as this! if once we are but justified by faith, and that we can act our faith on Christ's glorious coming, then it will follow, that we shall have peace with God, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God; and not only so, but we shall glory in tribulation also.

SECT. VIII. Of calling on Jesus in that respect.

8. LEt us call on Jesus, as carrying on our souls salvation at his second coming; this contains prayer and praise.

1. Let us pray for the coming of Christ; this was the constant prayer of the Church, Come Lord Jesu, come quickly. The spirit and the Bride say, come. Well knows the Bride that the day of Christ's coming is her wedding day, her coronation day, the day of presenting her unto his Father, and therefore no wonder if she pray for the hastening of it; Make hast my beloved, and be thou like to a Roe, or to a young Hart; thy Kingdom come. Many prayers are in the bowels of this, as that Christ, when he comes, may bid us welcome, and give us a place on his Throne, on his right hand, and pronounce us blessed, and take us to himself, to live with himself in eternal glory, &c. But I mention only this general, and let each soul expatiate on the rest.

2. Let us praise him for his coming, and for all his actings at his coming. Our engagement to Christ even for this transaction is so great, that we can never enough extol his Name; at that day the books shall be opened, and why not the book of our engagements to Jesus Christ? if it must be opened, I can surely tell you it is written full; the page and margent, both within and without, is written full; it's an huge book of many volumes. O then let our hearts be full of praises! let us join with those blessed Elders that fell down before the Lamb, and sung, Worthy it the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. Yea, let us join with all those creatures in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and in the Sea; whom John heard, saying, Blessing, Honor, Glory, and Power be unto him that sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever, Amen.

SECT. IX. Of conforming to Jesus in that respect.

9. LET us conform to Jesus, as coming again to judge the World. Looking to Jesus contains this; when the Apostle would persuade Christians to patience under the cross, he lays down first the cloud of witnesses, all the Martyrs of the Church of Christ; and secondly Jesus Christ himself, as of more virtue and power than all the rest; the Martyrs suffered much, but Christ endured more than they all; and therefore saith the Apostle, look unto Jesus; surely he is the best exemplar, the chief pattern to whom in all his transactions, we may in some way or other conform.

But how should we conform to Christ in this respect? I Answer—

1. Christ will in his time prepare for judgment; Oh let us at all times prepare for his judging of us; doth it not concern us to prepare for him, as well as it concerns him to prepare for us? if Christ come, and find us careless, negligent, unprepared, what will become of us? the very thought of Christ's sudden coming to judgment might well put us into a waiting, watching posture, that we might be still in readiness; it cannot be long, and alas, what is a little time when it is gone; how quickly shall we be in another World, and our souls receive their particular judgments; and so wait till our bodies be raised, and judged to the same condition, or salvation? it is not an hundred years in all likelihood, till every soul of us shall be in heaven or hell; it may be within a year, or two, or ten, or thereabouts, the greatest part of this congregation will be in Heaven or Hell; and I beseech you what is a year, or two, or ten? what is an hundred, or a thousand years to the days of eternity? how speedily is this gone? and how endless is that time, or eternity that is come? is it not high time then to prepare our lamps, to trim our souls, to watch, and fast, and pray, and meditate, and to remember that for all our deeds, good or evil, God will bring us to Judgment? herein is our Conformity to Christ's coming; before he comes he prepares for us, oh let us against his coming prepare for him.

2. Christ at his coming will summon all his Saints to arise, to ascend, and to come to him in the clouds; O let us summon our souls to arise, to ascend, and to go to Christ in the Heavens. What Christ will do really at that day, let us do spiritually on this day. It was the prodigal's saying, I will arise, and go to my Father, and say unto him. We are naturally sluggish, we lie in a bed of sin, and security; and we are loath to arise, to ascend, and to go to God. Oh then let us call upon our own souls! Awake, awake Deborah! why art thou so heavy O my soul? let us stir up our spirits, consciences, wills, affections every day; let us wind them up, as a man doth his Watch, that it may be in a continual motion. Alas! alas! we had need to be continually stirring up the gifts and graces that are in us; it is the Lord's pleasure that we should daily come to him, he would have us on the wing of Prayer, and on the wing of Meditation, and on the wing of Faith; he would have us to be still arising, ascending and mounting up in divine contemplation to his Majesty. And is it not our duty, and the Saints disposition to be thus? Whethersoever the dead carcass is, thither will the Eagles resort: if Christ be in Heaven, where should we be but in Heaven with him? For where your Treasure is, there will your hearts be also. Oh that every morning, and every evening, at least, our hearts would arise, ascend, and go to Christ in the Heavens.

3. Christ will at last judge all our souls, and judge all the wicked to eternal flames; oh let us judge ourselves, that we may not be judged of the Lord in that sad Judgment. If we would judge ourselves (saith the Apostle) we should not be judged. Good reason we have to conform to Christ in this point, or otherwise how should we escape the judgment of Christ at the last day? but in what manner should we judge ourselves? I answer— 1. We must search out our sins. 2. We must confess them before the Lord. 3. We must condemn ourselves, or pass a sentence against our own souls. 4. We must plead pardon, and cry mightily to God in Christ for the remission of all those sins whereof we have judged ourselves, and condemned ourselves.

1. We must search out our sins. Winnow yourselves O people, not worthy to be beloved. There should be a strict scrutiny to find out all the profaneness of our hearts and lives, all our sins against light, and love, and checks, and vows; winnow yourselves. If you will not, I pronounce to you from the eternal God, that ere long the Lord will come in the Clouds, and then will he open the black Book wherein all your sins are written; he will search Jerusalem with candles, he will come with a Sword in his hand to search out all secure sinners everywhere, and then will all your sins be discovered to all the World. O that we would prevent this by our search and scrutining a forehand.

2. We must confess our sins before the Lord; we must spread them before the Lord as Hezekiah did his letter; only in our confessions observe these rules; As—

1. Our confession must be full of sorrow, I will declare my iniquity (saith David) I will be sorry for my sin. His confessions were dolorous confessions; he felt sin, and it wrought upon him as an heavy burden, They were two heavy for me. There's nothing in the World can make an heart more heavy, than when it feels the weight and heaviness of sin.

2. Our confession must be a full confession, we must pour it out. Thus David stiles one of his Psalms, A prayer of the afflicted when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the Lord. We must pour out our complaints, as a man poureth water out of a Vessel. Arise, cry out in the night, in the beginning of the watches, pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord. Water runs all out of a Vessel, when you turn the mouth downward, never a spoon-full will then stay behind; so should we pour out our hearts before God, (and if it were possible) leave not a sin unconfessed, at least for the kinds, if not for the particular sins.

3. Our confession must be with full aggravation; we should aggravate our sins by all the circumstances, that may show them odious. Thus Peter when he had denied Christ, it is said that he thought thereon, and he wept. He thought thereon, or he cast in his thoughts one thing upon another; q. d. Jesus Christ was my Master and yet I denied him, he told me of this beforehand, that I might take heed of it, and yet I denied him; I professed to him that I would never do it, I would never forsake him, and yet I denied him; yea, this very night, and no longer since, I said it again and again that I would not deny him, and yet I denied him; yea, I failed, Although others deny thee, yet will not I; and yet worse than all others, I denied him with a witness, for I affirmed desperately that I knew not the man; nay, I sware desperately that I knew not the man; nay more than so, I sware, and I cursed too, If I knew the man, let God's curse fall upon me; and all this I did within a few strides of my Lord; at that very time when I should have stood for my Lord, in that all the World forsook him; why, these were the circumstances of Peters sin, and meditating on them, He went out and wept bitterly. And thus we should aggravate our sins in our confessions; O my sins were out of measure sinful. O they were sins against knowledge, and light, against many mercies received, against many judgments threatened, against many checks of conscience, against many vows and promises; thus oft, and in this place, and at that time, and in that manner, I committed these and these sins; but of all the aggravations, let us be sure to remember how we sinned against the goodness, and patience, and love, and mercy of God; surely these circumstances will make our sins out of measure sinful. The Angel that reproved the Children of Israel at Bochim, after the repetition of his mercies towards them, and of their sins against him, he questions them in these words, Oh why have ye done this? q. d. The Lord hath done thus and thus mercifully unto you, oh why have ye done thus unthankfully towards him? why was his mercy abused, his goodness slighted, his patience despised? do ye thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise? in like manner should we confess and aggravate our sins, O my God, thou art my Father; was I ever in want, and thou didst not relieve me? was I ever in weakness, and thou didst not strengthen me? was I ever in straits, and thou didst not deliver me? was I ever in sickness, and thou didst not cure me? was I ever in misery, and thou didst not succor me? hast thou not been a gracious God to me? all my bones can say, who is like unto thee; Lord, who is like unto thee? and shall I thus and thus reward the Lord for all his mercies towards me? hear O Heavens, and hearken O Earth; Sun stand thou still, and thou Moon be thou amazed at this! hear Angels, and hear Devils; hear Heaven, and hear Hell, and be you avenged on such a sin as this is! O the sinfulness of my sin in regard of these many circumstances.

3. We must condemn ourselves, or pass sentence against our own souls; Lord, the worst place in Hell is too good for me; Lord here is my soul, thou mayst if thou pleasest send Satan for it, and give me a portion among the damned. This self-judging, or self-condemning is exemplified to this life in Ezra; for—

1. He fell on his knees, he did not bow down his knees, but like a man astonished he fell on his knees; he had before rent his garment, and mantle, and plucked off the hair of his head and off his beard, and sat down astonished; and now at the evening sacrifice he falls on his knees, and on the ground in great amazement.

2. He spread out his hands unto the Lord; q. d. here is my breast, and here is my heart-blood, I spread my arms, and lay all open, that thou mayst set the naked point of thy sword of justice at my very heart.

3. He is dum, and speechless (as it were) before the Lord; And now our God, what shall we say after all this? for we have forsaken thy commandments; q. d. shall I excuse the matter? alas! it is inexcusable? what shall we say after all this? shall we call for thy patience? we have had it, but how did we abuse it? should we call for mercy? indeed we had it, but our stubborn hearts would never come down: O our God what shall we say? I know not what to say, for we have sinned against thee.

4. He lays down his soul, and all the Peoples souls at God's feet, q. d. here we are, thou mayest damn us if thou wilt, Behold we are all here before thee in our trespasses, for we cannot stand before thee, because of this. Behold here we are, rebels we are; here are our heads and throats before the naked point of thy vengeance, if now thou shouldst take us from our knees, and throw us into Hell, if we must go from our prayers to damnation, we cannot but say that thou art just and righteous; Oh its mercy, its mercy indeed that we have been spared, its just and righteous with God that we should be damned.

In this more especially lies self-condemnation; it makes a man to trample upon his own self, it makes a man freely to accept of damnation; They shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity, and then will I remember my covenant with Jacob; they save God (as it were) a labor, judging themselves, that they may not be judged.

4. We must plead pardon, and cry mightily to God in Christ, for the remission of all our sins. This is the way of judging ourselves, we see nothing but Hell and damnation in ourselves, but then we fling down ourselves at God's gate of mercy; we despair not in God, though in ourselves; God in Christ is gracious and merciful, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; and hence we make bold to entreat the Lord for Christ's sake to be merciful to us; surely herein lies the difference betwixt nature and grace; the natural man may see his sins, and confess his sins, and judge himself for his sins; thus Saul did, and thus Judas did, but then they despaired in God, and were damned indeed; now the gracious man hath a conscience within, that represents to him his damned estate, but withal, it represents to him the free grace of God in Jesus Christ, and so he only despairs in himself, and not in his God; now thus far good: come Christians! do we despair in ourselves? do we fling off all our own hopes, and our own dependencies, hangings, holdings on duties, purposes, graces, performances? and do we go to God in Christ, and tell him, We hang upon nothing but the mere mercy, the free grace of God in Christ; and therefore Lord pardon, Lord forgive for thy Names sake, promise sake, mercies sake, and for the Lord Jesus sake: O let free grace have his work; Lord glorify thy Name, and glorify the riches of thy grace in saving us: Why, this is the best hold in the World, though the World cannot abide it; surely if we thus judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

4. Christ at his coming will be glorified in his Saints; not only in himself, but in his Saints also; whose glory as it comes from him, so it will redound to him: Oh let him now be glorified in us, let us now in some high way conform to the image of his glory, let us look on Christ till we are like Christ, not only in grace, but in glory; and this glory as it comes from him, so let it redound to him. I will not say, that the Kingdom of Heaven and glory is in this life, I leave this opinion to the dreamers of this time, I mean to the Familists, Quakers, and such like; but this I say, that even in this life the Saints of God enjoy a begun and imperfect conformity to Christ's glory; and this is that I would now press upon us; let us so behold the glory of the Lord in the glass of the Gospel, as that we may be changed into the same image from glory to glory; from a lesser measure to an higher measure of glory. The day is a coming that Christ will be glorified in himself, and he will be glorified in his Saints, O the glories that will then be accumulated and heaped upon Jesus Christ! come now, let us behold this glory of Christ till we are changed in some high measure into the same glory with Christ; Christ's glory rightly viewed is a changing glory: And herein the views of Christ surpass all creature-views, if we behold the Sun, we cannot possibly be changed into another Sun, but if with the eye of knowledge and faith we behold Jesus Christ, we shall be changed into the glorious image of Jesus Christ; if the Sun of righteousness cast forth his golden beams upon us, and we enjoy this light; why then, Who is she that looketh forth as the morning (as Aurora, the first birth of the day) fair as the Moon, clear as the Sun.

I know this glorious change is but a growing change by degrees, from glory to glory; and yet who can deny but there is some conformity to Christ's glory, even in this life? do not these very Texts speak the self same thing? These things have I spoken to you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. And ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. And rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad with her all ye that love her,—that ye may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations, that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. And the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing. Surely all joy, and peace, are synechdochically put for all other inchoations of glorification. But how is a Saint in this life filled with all joy? I answer, 1. In regard of the object, God and Christ. 2. In regard of the degrees; though not absolutely, yet so far forth, as the measure of joy is in this life attainable; I might instance in the joy of Mr. Peacock, Mrs Brettergh, and of some Martyrs, who sung in the fires. 3. In regard of duration, rejoice always, not only in the calm of peace, but in the storm of violent opposition. A Saint may have his troubles, but these troubles can never totally or finally extinguish his joy, your joy no man taketh from you. He rejoiceth always.

O that something of the glory of Christ might rest upon us! oh that having this glory of Christ in our thoughts, we could now feel a change from glory to glory! Is it so that the Lord Jesus will be glorified in all his Saints? and shall we have in-glorious souls; base and unworthy affections and conversations? or shall we content ourselves with a little measure of grace? O be we holy, even as he is holy; let our conversations be heavenly, let us purify ourselves even as he is pure; let us resemble him in some high measure of grace. And lastly, let us glorify him in bodies and spirits; all our glory is from him; and therefore let all our glory redound to him; let us now begin that Gospel-tune of the eternal song of free grace, which one day we shall more perfectly chant in glory; Allelujah! and again Allelujah! and Amen Allelujah! salvation, and glory, and power, and praise, and thanksgiving, and obedience, be unto him that sits on the throne, the Lamb blessed forever and ever, Amen.

The Conclusion.

And now (my brethren) I have done the errand which Christ sent me on, I verily believe, I have now delivered this work of the everlasting Gospel, or of Christ's carrying on the great work of man's salvation, hath been somewhat long in speaking, but oh how long in acting! may I give you a short view of what I have said; and of what hath been acted from eternity, and will yet be acted to eternity; you may remember, that God in his eternity laid a plot or design to glorify the riches of his grace in saving sinners; and to that purpose first he decreed a Christ. 2. Presently after the fall, he promised the Christ he had decreed. 3. In fullness of time he exhibited the Christ that he had promised; then it was that the same Christ took upon him out nature, and joined it to his God-head to be one person; and in that person he was born, and lived, and died, and rose again, and ascended into Heaven; there now he hath been sitting, sending down the Holy Ghost, and interceding for his Saints for above one thousand six hundred years: And in this last work he will continue till the end of the World, and then he will come again to judge the World, and to receive his Saints to himself, that where he is, they may be with him, to see and enjoy him to all eternity. This is the epitome of all I have said; only in every particular I have set down Christ's actings towards us, and our actings towards Christ; in various forms, and out-goings of his love he hath acted towards us; and in various forms, and out-goings of our souls we have been taught fitly and suitably to act towards him.

Now in all these actings, How doth the free grace of God in Christ appear? Ye are saved by grace, saith the Apostle, Eph. 2.5. the decree, the means, the end of our salvation is grace, and only grace. The decree is grace, and therefore it is called the election of grace; the means are of grace, and therefore we are called according to his grace; and we are justified freely by his grace. And the end is of grace, for eternal life is the gift of God, both beginning, and progress, and execution is all of grace. This is the riches of his grace, the exceeding, the hyperbolical riches of his grace; the conclusion of all is this, God's free grace which was first designed, will at last be manifested, and eternally praised by Saints and Angels; the same free grace which from the beginning of the age of God, from everlasting drove on the saving plot, and sweet design of our salvation, will at last be glorified to purpose; when Heavens inhabitants will be ever digging into this golden-mine; ever rolling this soul-delighting and precious stone; ever beholding, viewing, enquiring, and searching into the excellency of this same Christ, and this free grace. Now all is done, shall I speak a word for Christ, or rather for ourselves in relation to Christ; and so an end? if I had but one word more to speak in the World, it should be this; Oh let all our spirits be taken up with Christ! let us not busy ourselves too much with toys, or trifles, with ordinary and low things, but look unto Jesus. Surely Christ is enough to fill all our thoughts, desires, hopes, loves, joys, or whatever is within us, or without us; Christ alone comprehends all the circumference of all our happiness; Christ is the pearl hid in the large field of God's Word; Christ is the scope of all the Scriptures; all things and persons in the old World were Tipes of him; all the Prophets foretold him, all God's love runs through him, all the gifts and graces of the Spirit flow from him, the whole eye of God is upon him, and all his designs both in Heaven and Earth meet in him; the great design of God is this, That he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him. All things are summed up in one Jesus Christ; if we look on the creation, the whole world was made by Christ, if we look on providences, all things subsist in Christ, they have their being, and their well-being in him. Where may we find God but in Christ? where may we see God but in this essential and eternal glass? Christ is the face of God, the brightness of his glory, the express image of his Fathers person; the Father is as it were all Sun, and all Pearl; and Jesus Christ is the substantial rays, the eternal and essential irradiation of this Sun of glory: Christ outs God as the seal doth the stamp; Christ reveals God, as the face of a man doth reveal the man; so Christ to Philip, He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father; q. d. I am as like the Father, as God is like himself; there is a perfect indivisible unity between the Father and me, I and the Father are one; one very God, he the begetter, and I the begotten; Christ is the substantial Rose that grew out of the Father from eternity; Christ is the essential wisdom of God; Christ is the substantial Word of God, the intellectual birth of the Lord's infinite understanding. Oh the worth of Christ! compare we other things with Christ, and they will bear no weight at all; cast into the balance with him Angels, they are wise, but he is wisdom; cast into the balance with him men, they are liars, lighter than vanity, but Christ is the Amen, the faithful witness; cast into the scales Kings, and all Kings, and all their glory, why he is King of Kings; cast into the scale millions of talents-weight of glory; cast in two Worlds, and add to the weight, millions of Heavens of Heavens, and the balance cannot down, the scales are unequal, Christ out-weighs all. Shall I yet come nearer home? what is Heaven but to be with Christ; what is life eternal but to believe in God, and in his Son Jesus Christ? where may we find peace with God, and reconciliation with God, but only in Christ; God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself? where may we find compassion, mercy, and gentleness to sinners, but only in Christ? it is Christ that takes off infinite wrath, and satisfies justice, and so God is a most lovely, compassionate, desirable God in Jesus; all the goodness of God comes out of God through this golden pipe the Lord Jesus Christ: It is true, those essential attributes of love, grace, mercy, goodness, are only in God, and they abide in God, yet the Mediatory manifestation of love, grace, mercy, and goodness, is only in Christ; Christ alone is the Treasury, Store-house, Magazene of the free goodness and mercy of the God-head. In him we are Elected, Adopted, Redeemed, Justified, Sanctified, Saved; he is the ladder, and every step of it betwixt Heaven and Earth; he is the way, the truth, and the life; he is honor, riches, beauty, health, peace, and salvation; he is a suitable and rich portion to every man's soul; that which some of the Jews observe of the Manna, that it was in taste according to every man's palate, it is really true of Christ, that he is to the Soul whatsoever the soul would have him to be. All the spiritual blessings wherewith we are enriched, are in and by Christ: God hears our prayers by Christ; God forgives our iniquities through Christ; all we have, and all we expect to have, hangs only on Christ; he is the golden hinge, upon which all our salvation turns.

Oh how should all hearts be taken with this Christ? Christians, turn your eyes upon the Lord; Look, and look again unto Jesus: Why stand ye gazing on the toys of this World, when such a Christ is offered to you in the Gospel? can the World die for you? can the World reconcile you to the Father? can the World advance you to the Kingdom of Heaven? As Christ is all in all, so let him be the full and complete subject of our desire, and hope, and faith, and love, and joy; let him be in your thoughts the first in the morning, and the last at night. Shall I speak one word more to thee that believest? Oh apply in particular all the transactions of Jesus Christ to thy very self; remember how he came out of his Fathers bosom for thee, wept for thee, bled for thee, poured out his life for thee, is now risen for thee, gone to Heaven for thee, sits at God's right hand, and rules all the World for thee; makes intercession for thee, and at the end of the World will come again for thee, and receive thee to himself, to live with him forever and ever. Surely if thus thou believest, and livest; thy life is comfortable, and thy death will be sweet; if there be any Heaven upon Earth, thou wilt find it in the practice, and exercise of this Gospel-duty, in Looking unto Jesus.

A Poem of Mr. George Herbert in his Temple. JESU.