The Saints Sufferings and Sinners Sorrows, Part 38 – Part 41
Of the length of the day of Iudgement.
Zech. 14.7. Having ſpoken of Ieruſalems deſolation as Chriſt did, Math. 24. comes in the like manner to their conſolation, and ſaies, The Lord my God ſhall come, and all the Saints with thee; then deſcribes the day of judgement; 1. by light, to manifeſt all deeds of darkneſſe. 2. by the purity of this light, it ſhall not be cleare and darke, that is, one part light and another darke, like a day of creation, but it ſhall be light without darkneſſe. 3. the unity of this day, it is to be one how long ſoever; Chriſt will not be interrupted in his kingdome, or ſtayed in his judgement. 4. the knowledge of this day, both when it ſhall begin, how long it ſhould continue, and when it ſhal end, is onelyonly belonging to the King that ſhall rule in it. 5. to take away all doubt of a day, it ſhall not conſiſt of the parts of a naturall and created day, not night and day, which by the ordinances of heaven are perpetual: but this ſhall be a voluntary and arbitrary day, depending upon the will and motion of Chriſt, and no meaſure of ſtarres. 6. contrary to all the dayes of the creation, this ſhall bee light at the evening, yea, then ſhall bee the greateſt light in the regreſſion of the kingdome triumphantly from Chriſt to his and our Father.
The light of grace breaks forth into the light of power, and the light of power into the light of glory. What then ſhall be the glory of this day, called the great, notable, and terrible day of the Lord? Ioel 2.32. Iude verſ. 6. Rev 16.14. &c. ſhall it vaniſh in the twinckling of an eye, and that myſtery, Rev. 10.7. paſſe in a moment? No aſſuredly, wee are reſolved by Chriſt, that it ſhal be a day comprehending dayes, Luke 17.22, 26. many dayes that ſhall affoord times of refreſhing and reſtitution, Act. 3.19. dayes and times ſhall be upon this great day, and reaſon is faire to favour this ſenſe. Chriſt, takes his kingdome and power upon this day to reigne and rule, and therefore it is reaſonable to yeeld him ſome time before the delivery of it up to his Father, to ſhew the glory and the excellency of it. It agrees well with the regreſſion to perfection, that ſome ſtay ſhould bee made, for the honour of Heber, and glory of the King.
Shall I offer other texts, and tell you what they teach you to beleeve? I will not command your faith, where it is fit for me to ſuſpend my owne. It were preſumption to reſolve before the iſſue, and reade the ridle before it be plaine in the action and event, as well as in the prophecy and prediction. Zech. 14.8. the Prophet ſeemes to deſcribe unto us the day of judgement, and to compute it by a day in ſummer and in winter, and then the great day will mount to a yeere at the leaſt.
Iſa. 65.20. If the new heavens and the new earth, fall out upon this great day, as Peter ſeemes to expound it, 2 Pet. 3.13. then Iſaiah will ſeeme to ſpeake of an hundred yeeres at the leaſt, 2 Pet. 3.8. Rev. 20.4. If one day in Peter bee a day of judgement, as the verſe upon which it is inferred ſeemes to ſpeake plainely; then ſuch a great day with the Lord Chriſt, or to the Lord Chriſt (as Zechary phraſeth it) is as a thouſand yeares, and a thouſand yeares, as ſuch a day: One day, ſaies Zechary; one day, ſaies Peter, and both ſeeme to ſay one thing.
But a thouſand yeeres will be put for eternity, and ſo no time is expreſſed, but that which waits upon God, and ſheweth him to be eternall: but yet S. Iohn will anſwer this, and by an invincible argument take it from us, if his thouſand yeeres have relation with Peter to the ſame day; for after eternity there is no hiſtory of time, or relation of any ſucceſſion; but S. Iohn placeth a little ſeaſon after the thouſand yeeres, and that wipes out the opinion of a thouſand yeeres to be put for ever. I will neither diſpute nor relate any more, wee have too many new opinions, this is old enough, and by carnall Chiliaſts made both odious and erronious. It is fitteſt wee bee ſilent, and prepare for this great day, let it bee of what ſength the author pleaſeth; for to his liking muſt it laſt, not in living to carnall luſts, but heavenly joyes. God give us grace to looke for it, and inlarge our petition, with calling for the perfection of grace, in the perfection of power. Wee live (God knowes) as if we were ſome ſeven months birth, vitall, but weake. The kingdome of power will rouze us up; for Chriſt takes it not onelyonly to deſtroy our enemies, but to ſtirre up our graces. In the new heavens and new earth righteouſneſſe ſhall dwell; it is now baniſhed from kingdomes, Chittim oppreſſeth it, and a few ſons of Iaphet are perſwaded to imbrace it: but the time ſhal come, when it ſhall poſſeſſe mankinde plentifully, and not Shem, but all the ſonnes of Seth ſhall imbrace it. Numb. 24.17. Moab as an enemy periſheth: Sheth as a friend is ſubdued, that Chriſt may have ſubjects. I will touch the great change that Chriſts kingdome ſhall make in the world at his comming, and ſo haſten the returne of it to the Father.
Alterations by Chriſts comming.
Iſa. 32.15, 16, 17. &c. The Spirit that now is come to the Gentiles, and departed from the Iewes, muſt againe be powred on them, & then is wrought in the world: wonderfull change. 1. The field of Chittim that now flouriſheth in the hands of wicked men, ſhall bee turned into a forreſt, and made as barren and deſolate as the wilderneſſe. 2. The forreſt of the Iewes ſhall alter into a fertile field, and by Chriſt himſelfe ſhall be made giorious. Thirdly, this goodly and flouriſhing field ſhall be planted and ſowne with judgement and righteouſneſſe, they ſhall even dwell in it; and take up the whole poſſeſſion of it. Fourthly, the fruit ſhall be peace and quietneſſe, no warre, no moleſtation ſhall diſturbe them. Fiftly, this Harveſt of happineſſe ſhall be with aſſurance for ever. When Chriſt takes his power to reigne, none ſhall any more rule over him or his. Both hee and his Saints have ſuffered of this wicked world, but the woe thereof commeth quickely, and ſpeedy vengeance will pay for all delayes. Be admoniſhed (my brethren) you are by the conſent of Divines, come to the ſecond woe, Rev. 9.13. above 300 yeeres agoe. The next is the day of judgement, and is ever delivered with this Item, Behold it commeth quickely, Rev. 11.14. adde to this, Luke 18 8. Revel. 3.7. and 16.15. and 21.12. Other woes linger and laſt long, as being executed by men: but this will be ſpeedy, as being immediately done by Chriſt himſelfe, who will not ſtand long about his enemies, though his friends may enjoy a longer time of rejoycing in his preſence.
The delivery up of his Kingdome to his Father.
1 Cor. 15.24. compared with 2 Tim. 4.1. teach us the Epiphany and end of Chriſts adminiſtration, and wee have heard what falls out betweene theſe two termes. I muſt needs conceive it abſurd, till better reaſon convince me to conceive of an Epiphany of a kingdome and an end together: let who will ſo conceive and conjecture, I am not as yet of their minde; ſome duration and ſucceſſion of time will be from the Epiphany to the end, when the end is come (beſt knowne to Chriſt) hee will returne all to the Father: but you will object, Revel. 11.15. Hee ſhall reigne for ever and ever. I anſwer, the delivery up of the Kingdome, is not an excluſion of Chriſt from reigning, for as the Father reigneth in the Sonne, and both of them in holy Ghoſt: ſo in the regreſſion, the holy Ghoſt reigneth in the Sonne, and both of them in the I ather. O raviſhing Societie, and bleſſed Communion wee ſhall enjoy in our Fathers houſe, when all is given up unto him, and yet in him all to be enjoyed. In him we enjoy Chriſt, and the bleſſed Spirit; we are no loſers but gainers by theſe wayes of Divine and deepe wiſedome.
The regreſſion of the Kingdome to the Father.
1 Cor. 15.28. That God may be all in all, v. 24. God even the Father. God eſſentially ſhall bleſſe us, but the Father in ſpeciall ſhall be glorified in us. This was Chriſts prayer upon earth, Iohn 17.21. That we might be one in the bleſſed Trinitie, as they are one in themſelves, and have all conſpired to make us happy. Chriſt prayeth they may be perfect in one, that they may be where he is now, &c. The holy Ghoſt and the Sonne conclude in the Father, and ſo muſt wee for our full happineſſe, Zech. 14.16. Why not the Paſſeover to be kept in the great day ſpoken of before? this was the greateſt feaſt in Iſrael: but the feaſt of Tabernacles hath a more apt alluſion to thoſe times. Our Manſions are in heaven; as long as we ſtay upon earth, though under aſſured ſafety and freedome from danger, yet we are not at the beſt. In the Kingdome of Grace we are well and happy. In the Kingdome of power we are better and more happy: but in the Kingdome of Glory we are beſt of all.
We have thus farre digreſſed, and I hope tranſgreſſed no rule in Religion. Wee can eaſily recall our ſelves to our firſt intention, concerning the comming of the holy Ghoſt. And when he is come, he ſhall convince the world of ſinne, and of righteouſneſſe, and of judgement.