The Brides Longing for her Bridegrooms Second Coming, Title page – Table of contents
THE BRIDES Longing for her BRIDE-GROOMES second comming. A Sermon preached at the funerall of the right Worshipfull, Sir THOMAS CREVV, Knight, Sergeant at Law to his MAIESTIE.
By The late learned and reverend Divine' RICH. SIBS.
REV. 22. 17.
The Spirit and the Bride say, Come, and let him that heareth, say, come.
LONDON: Printed by E. P. for E. Langham, in Bambury. 1638.
To the Reader.
Loving Readers:
LOe here the verifying of that ancient adage, quod differtur, non aufertur, for long look't for comes at last. That which before a Solemne and sad assembly, was publikely preached and committed to the eares of some, is now printed and committed to the eyes of all that have a minde to reade it; which thing hath with a long and longing desire bin wished and waited for by sundry. This Funeral sermon bespake your receiving and respecting of it in a double consideration, each of which, in my opinion, hath an important, rare, and singular ponderation. Behold, first the Man; secondly, the matter. The Man by whom, and the man for whom, it was made: the one that worthy Divine, Dr Sibs, who in his life time intended and approoved it for the presse, as it now comes forth; the other that Worshipful Serjeant, Sir Thomas Crew, men of more then ordinary worth and goodnesse; whom to name is enough, to those that knew them: for if I should enter into a particular discourse, and discovery of their deserved worth, I feare I should more dishonour my undertakings, and wrong your expectation, then in any proportion answer the excellency of two such worthy Theames. Secondly, for the matter, as the occasion & mens expectations were extraordinary, so shal you finde his preparation; Read, & then judge. It sweetly, and to the life sets forth the duty, desire, and disposition of the Church, & Spouse of Christ, Ecchoing a faithful and prayerful Amen, to all the truths of God, especially to the precious promises, and chiefly to that promise of promises, Christs second comming; which in cold bloud, undauntedly to desire, is an unfallible marke of a true and through cōvert: which that we may doe, wee must make sure our espousall to Christ here, and get to be clad with the wedding garment of faith, and repentance, teaching us to ponder & pray much, and then admirable shall be our confident standing before God; our rich hope, our quietnesse and hearts ease, our joy, as if wee had one foot in heaven already. Wee shall bee able with S. Paul, to cast downe our gantlet, and bid defiance to Divels, to men, to height, to depth, to things present, and things to come. If all the hearts in the world were one Heart, it could not comprehend those rich blessings, wherewith true Christians are richly indowed, and those spirituall ioyes and comforts which shall rain upon them in sweet showers from heaven: rich they are in hand, but richer in hope: rich in possession, but richer in reversion. For what ravishing Ioy, what inexplicable sweetnesse shal then everlasting possesse our soules? when as wee who have bin a long time contracted to our Lord & husband, shall see that blessed time come, when we shall have that glorious marriage between him and us, really and Royally solemnized, in the presence of God, and his holy Angels, and shall have the fruition of him and all his happinesse, and enioy such heavenly fellowship, familiarity & acquaintance with him, transcendantly above all the sweetest relations here below, I say with him who is The Prince of Peace, the King of glory, yea the very glory of Heaven and Earth, the expresse image of his Fathers person, in whom those things which are invisible are seene, the brightnesse of everlasting light, the undefiled mirrour of the Maiesty of God; and the desire of all Nations. Blessed are they which are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb, Rev. 19. 9 Wherunto that you may be admitted as a welcome guest, you must both know and practice, what in this Treatise is contained. To conclude, I am bold therefore in the cause of Gods honour, and your salvation, to intreat you (as ever you would have interest in Christs blood and bles sednesse, sufferings and satisfactions; as you meane to have any Fellowship or communion in Heaven, with the Blessed Saints and Angels; as you intend to have any part in that Kingdome, which the Lord Iesus hath purchased with his owne bloud) that you would up, and bee doing, that which the wife of the Lambe is said to have done; Rev. 19. 7. make your s…lves ready, which if you doe, his speedy accesse, shall bring to you speeding successe: which that you may doe, you shall not want his constant, and instant prayers, who is
Your christian and cordiall wel-wisher, G. H.
The CONTENTS.
THe Churches happines consummate in Heaven. page 2
Of the word Amen. p. 9
Doct. 1. The hearts of Gods Children are plyable to all divine truths; more to the promises, above all, to the promises of Christs second comming. p. 12
Rea. 1. There is a sutablenesse betweene a sanctified heart, and sanctified Truths. p. ibid.
Rea. 2. There is a spirituall taste infused to relish those truths. 13
Rea. 3. The Churches will is not her owne, but Christs. 14
Rea. 4. There is a spirituall contract betweene Christ and the soule. ibid.
Rea. 5. It is a seale of effectuall calling 15
What effectuall calling is 16
Use 1. If wee find an unpliablenesse on our part, to begge the performance of the Covenant of grace. 17
Motives to give our Amen.
Mot. 1. God honours us in having our consent. 19
Mot. 2. Wee honour God in sealing to his truth. 20
Use 2. A reproofe of 2. sorts.
1. Those which have no Amen for God. 21
2. Those which have a false Amen. 23
The desires of the Spirit, the true Characters of a Christian. 28
Desires resembled to a Streame, in sundry particulars.
1. They come from a good Spring. 29
2. They carry all before them. 30
3. They swell by opposition. ibid.
4. They are restlesse till they are emptied. ibid.
5. They increase in running. 31
6. They rest in their proper place. 32
7. They constantly send up vapours. 33
5. Observations making way to the main point.
1. There will be a second coming of Christ, more glorious then the former. 34
2. A Christian that hath true Faith in the times to come, will have answerable desires and prayers. ibid.
3. Agracious heart turnes promises into desires and prayers. 38
4. The more assured one is of any thing, the more effectuall it makes him pray. 40
5. Gods promises have graduall performances. 43
The sixt and maine point. 6 It is the duty and disposition of a gracious heart to desire the glorious comming of Christ; and all his other commings, in way and order to this, as they make way for his last comming. 48
Rea. 1. The Church is in want till then. 49
Rea. 2. Our life is hid with Christ in God. ibid
Rea 3. Christ is in some sort imperfect till then. 50
Rea. 4. Where the treasure is, there will the heart be. 51
Rea. 5. The members are carried to union with the head. 52
Rea. 6. By comparing it with glory here in sundry particulars. 56
Rea. 7. From the state of the Church at the best in this World, in regard of troubles without, 64. and corruptions within. 68
Tryalls of our desires for the second comming of Christ.
Tryall 1. By seeing what benefit we have by the first comming of Christ. 70
Tryall 2. By our preparing for it. 73
Tryall 3. Whether our hearts be the Kingdome of Christ now. 74
Tryall 4. By our holy exercises. 77
Directions inabling us to utter this desire and prayer.
Direct. 1.
1. Labour to be reconciled to God. 81
2. Labour to grow in the new Creature. 83
3. Be sure to do what you doe throughly and quickly. 85
4. Take all advantages to helpe this desire, and prayer, from crosses and Satan. 92
Two objections answered.
1. Object. I find I am not so desirous of the comming of Christ as I ought. 9…
2. Object. But I desire to live still. 97
A pressing exhortation, to long for the second comming of Christ, and from thence also to quicken our selves in our Christian work. 98
A conclusion,
Upon the particular occasion. 111