Looking Unto Jesus, Book 10 · Chapter 1 · Section 1
SECT. I. Of Chriſt's preparing for Judgment.
AND is not yet all done? O the unwearied patience, love, mercy, free grace of Chriſt in carrying on this mighty work! he begun it before the beginning of the world; ſince then he hath been labouring in it about ſix thouſand years; and now the time of reſtoring being come, he will perfect what he hath begun, and bring on the other end of the Golden chain; Moreover, whom he did predeſtinate, them he alſo called; Rom. 8.30.and whom he called, them he alſo juſtified; and whom he juſtified, them he alſo glorified. In this piece alſo as in the former we ſhall firſt lay down the object, and then give directions how to look upon it.
The Object is Jeſus, carrying on the great work of our ſalvation in his coming again to earth, and taking up with him all his Saints into Heaven. In this work I ſhall ſet before you theſe particulars:
1. Chriſt's preparing for judgment.
2. Chriſt's coming to judgment.
3. Chriſt's ſummons of the Elect to come under judgment.
4. Chriſt and the Saints meeting at the judgment day.
5. Chriſt's ſentencing or judging the Saints for eternal glory.
6. Chriſt and the Saints judging the reſt of the world.
7. Chriſt and his Saints going up into Heaven; when ſhall be the end of this world.
8. Chriſt ſurrendring and delivering up the Kingdom to God even the Father.
9. Chriſt's ſubjection to the Father, that God may be all in all.
10. Chriſt (notwithſtanding this) being all in all to his bleſſed, ſaved, redeemed Saints to all eternity.
1. For his preparing for judgment. When once the number of all his Elect ſhall be compleated, and the work of his interceſſion ſhall be at an end, then immediately will follow theſe particulars. As—
Rev. 16.17.1. A great voice comes out of the Temple of Heaven, ſaying, it is done. It comes out of the Temple of Heaven, that we may underſtand it to be the voice of Chriſt. And if this ſpeech be directed unto God, it is as if Chriſt had beſpoke his Father thus. And now, John 17.12.O my Father, I have done; that office of the Prieſt-hood which by agreement we erected, is now at an end: here I have ſate at thy right hand interceding for my Saints ever ſince my aſcenſion; and of all that thou haſt given me by thine eternal election I have not loſt a Saint; in their ſeveral ages I produced them and gave them a being, and in their times I remembred them, and preſented their conditions and neceſſities before thee; and now I have not a Saint more; in the Book of life there is not another name written to be born on earth; and to what purpoſe ſhould I now continue the world? the Saints are they for whom I made the world, the Saints are they that hold forth the light of my glory in the world, the Saints are they for whom my eternal counſels before the world did work, the Saints are they for whom I was content to ſhed my precious blood when I was in that world below; and now their number is compleated, I am reſolved to unpin the fabrick of the world, and take it down; it ſtands but for their ſakes, and therefore now let the ſeventh Angel blow his trumpet, that the myſtery of God may be finiſhed. I ſwear by him that lives for ever, Rev. 10.7. ver. 6.that time ſhall be no longer.
Rev. 11.15.2. No ſooner this ſaid, but the ſeventh Angel ſounds. This ſeventh Angel (ſaith Pareus) is the Arch-angel that proclaims Chriſt's coming, with a great and mighty ſhout;1 Theſ. 4.16. For the Lord himſelf ſhall deſcend from heaven with a ſhout, with the voice of the Arch-angel, and with the trump of God. The Lord ſhall deſcend with a ſhout; but before he deſcend, and I believe upon the very diſcovery of his coming down, there will be a ſhout in Heaven; for ſo it follows, And the ſeventh Angel ſounded, and there were great voices in Heaven; Pareus in loc.if we may believe Commentaries, theſe are the voices of bleſſed ſouls, and bleſſed ſouls, and bleſſed Angels in heaven; no ſooner Chriſt bids the Angel ſound] q. d. ſummon thoſe bleſſed ſouls that were ſlain for the Word of God,Rev. 6.10. Rev. 22.20. and therefore cried, How long Lord, holy and true? ſummon thoſe bleſſed ſouls that have cryed ſo long, Come Lord Jeſus, come quickly; ſummon all ſouls, and ſummon all Angels, and bid them wait on me, now I reſolve to go down, and to judge the world:) no ſooner I ſay Chriſt bids the Angel ſound, but preſently at the joy of this command, all the voices in Heaven give up a ſhout; why, this is the long-look'd for day, the day of perfecting the number of the Saints; the day of joyning the ſouls and bodies of the Saints together; the day of convening all the families both of Saints and Angels under one roof; the day of bringing up the Bride unto the Lamb, and of compleating the Marriage in its higheſt ſolemnity: and therefore no wonder if at this news great voices and cryes (ſuch as are uſed by Mariners, or gatherers of the vintage) were made in Heaven. O what an addition of joy is this to Heavens joy it ſelf! the ſpirits of the juſt, and the bleſſed Angels that have lived together in heavens bliſs, had never ſuch an adventitious joy as this before; now they ſhout and ſing a new and bleſſed Song,Rev. 11.15. The kingdoms of this world, are become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Chriſt, and he ſhall reign for ever and ever. We may call this Heavens triumph for the finiſhing of God's myſtery. Now is it that Chriſt will vindicate his Kingdom, and overthrow the power of his enemies; they had long ſet themſelves againſt the Lord, and againſt his anointed; the Kings of the earth, and the Rulers confederated; they ruled all, and as much as in them lay, excluded Chriſt; but now the Kingdoms of the world will return to Chriſt, and he alone ſhall rule; and thence the winged Choriſters of Heaven chant forth this Anthem, The Kingdoms of the world are become the Kingdoms of Chriſt.
Rev. 11.16, 17, 18.3. After this ſhout, The four and twenty Elders which ſit before God on their ſeats, fall upon their faces, and worſhip God, ſaying, we give thee thanks O Lord God Almighty, w…h art, and waſt, and are to come, becauſe thou haſt taken to thee thy great power, and h… … …ned; and the nations were angry, &c. By theſe four and twenty Elders we un… … …ll Gods Saints of the Old and New Teſtament, comprehended under the twe… … …riarchs, and twelve Apoſtles; others would have them to be only thoſe Saints … Old Teſtament, and therefore called Elders; whoſoever they are, we find they are ſo glad at this news, that Chriſt will now judge the world, that preſently they riſe off their ſeats, and fall on their faces; and firſt they praiſe, and then they pray: 1. They praiſe God for taking to himſelf his own power; Chriſt connived (as it were) till now at the power of his enemies; Antichriſt, and not Chriſt ſeemed to rule, and to ſit in the Temple of God; but now Chriſt is reſolved to rule himſelf, and to make all his enemies his footſtool: and therfore now We give thee thinks, O Lord God Almighty, Rev. 11.18.2. They pray Chriſt to go on to judgment. 1. Becauſe the nations were angry, q. d. they have been angry long enough, they have ſet themſelves againſt Chriſt and againſt his Church, and therefore now it is time to bridle their wrath, and to break them with a rod of Iron, O let thy wrath come. 2. Becauſe the time of judgment is now accompliſhed which God had decreed in his eternal counſel, and which the Father had put in his own power; This time was not for mortals to know, Mortalibus ignotum; caelestibus vero nunc revelatum a Chriſto. Paraeus in loc. Pſalm 110.1.but now 'twas revealed to theſe celeſtial ſpirits by Chriſt, and therefore they beg, Go on Lord Jeſus; reward now thy Servants, Prophets, Saints; and deſtroy them which deſtroyed the earth.
4. God the Father is well pleaſed with Chriſt's purpoſe of judging the world. The Lord ſaid unto my Lord, ſit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footſtool. I know theſe words were ſpoke to Chriſt at his aſcenſion into Heaven, yet that hinders not but that now God ſpeaks them again to Chriſt;Heb. 2.8. for as yet (ſaith the Apoſtle) we ſee not all things put under him; and God's purpoſe was that Chriſt ſhould rule, until he had put all things in ſubjection under his feet. Nay, why not theſe words ſpoken now rather than before? Chriſt indeed reigned as King ever ſince his Aſcenſion, but now more eſpecially he is to manifeſt his Kingdom, for now is he to judge among the heathen, Pſal. 110.6.now is he to wound the heads of many countries, now is he to overthrow Pope, Turk, and all his enemies, and he alone with the Father and the Spirit is to reign in his Elect Saints and Angels. Thus all agree, that Chriſt in the latter dayes ſhall be fully honoured in his Kingly power; hitherto Chriſt hath been much honoured in his Prophetical and Prieſtly office, but not ſo much in his Kingly; but now he muſt be fully honoured in his Kingly office;Rev. 11.15. now eſpecially The Kingdoms of this world muſt become the Kingdoms of the Lord, and of his Chriſt; and ſo he ſhall reign for ever and ever. Certainly there is a difference betwixt Chriſt's reign before, and his preſent reign at the day of judgment, Chriſt hath a double Throne wherein he ſits and reigns,Rev. 3.21. To him that overcomes will I give to ſit with me in my throne, as I alſo overcame, and am ſet down with my Father in his throne. That Kingly rule that Chriſt hath from his aſcenſion is upon his Fathers Throne, but the Kingdom that Chriſt ſhall have at the day of judgment and ever after, it is the joynt reign of him with the Father, he ſhall have a Throne himſelf, and the Saints ſhall ſit with him in his own Throne: And now ſaith the Father,John 5.22. Sit thou at my right hand, q. d. ſit on thy own Throne by me; go on to judge the Nations; I will not judge them, but only in thee, and by thee; Lo I have committed all judgment unto the Son, and do thou judge them, until thou haſt rewarded thy friends, and made thine enemies thy footſtool. Mark, He hath committed all judgment unto the Son; the Father gives the Son a Commiſſion; wherein is written (as it were) theſe words, My Son, now is the time or ſeaſon which I had put in my own power; and my pleaſure is, 2 Pet. 3.10, 13.that all the world ſhall be ſet on fire: theſe heavens under thee ſhall paſs away with a great noiſe, and the elements ſhall melt with fervent heat, the earth alſo, and the works that are therein ſhall be burnt up; and I will have new heavens, and a new earth, wherein ſhall dwell righteouſneſs; go too then, put on thy robes, appear in thy glory; empty thi… heaven of all thoſe glorious ſpirits that are therein, and let them wait on thee to thy judgment ſeat; go, paſs thy doom upon all fleſh, and ſend reprobates to hell, and bring up hither all thy Saints, that they may live with thee, and here behold thy glory for ever and ever. Lo here is thy commiſſion; be gone, and return no more hither until it be accompliſhed.
Chriſtians, I cannot but wonder at this joy and exultation in Heaven,Ʋſe. and that we have ſo little or none of this on earth; we ſay with cold lips, and frozen hearts, Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven; but if our prayers were real and fervent, if we could but imitate thoſe heavenly Citizens, what longings would be in our hearts after Chriſt's coming? how ſhould we rejoyce at the very thoughts hereof? Chriſt comforting his Diſciples in reſpect hereof, he ſpeaks theſe words,Luke 21.28. When theſe things begin to come to paſs, then look up (ſaid he) and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh. The fulneſs of our redemption is a ground of conſolation; all the ſpirits above are ſenſible of this; God, and Chriſt, and the Angels, and Saints rejoyce,Rev. 12.19. Ver. 20. and again rejoyce. The Spirit and the Bride ſay, come; and Chriſt himſelf ſaith, Surely I come quickly; O let us ſay Amen to it; Even ſo come Lord Jeſus.