Looking Unto Jesus, Book 10 · Chapter 2 · Section 3
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 our ſelves, 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 Kingdome 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 perſwade you to it.Phil. 1.2…. 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,Rev. 12.17. Rom. 8 21, 23. Waiting to be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God; and not onelyonly they, but our ſelves alſo which have the firſt-fruits, of the Spirit, even we our ſelves groan within our ſelves, 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 vapours, 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. Acts 24.25.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, Rev. 6.12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17when 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 woful 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 onelyonly 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, Acts 3.19. Iſa. 31.9.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, quickning, reviving, and refreſhing.
2. It is a day of reſtoring of all things. Acts. 3.21.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. Rom. 8.19.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 Lords, 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.
Rom. 8.23.4. It is the day of adoption, and of the redemption of our bodyes. 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 for ever 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 diſpatcht 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,John 14.3. I will come again, and receive you to my ſelf, 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?
2 Theſ. 1.7.6. It is the day of Chriſts 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.
Coloſ. 3.4.7. 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,Tit. 2.13. Looking for the glorious appearing of the great God, and of our Saviour Jeſus Chriſt; therefore ſurely they deſire it.
Iſa. 53.11.8. It is the day of Chriſts 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 propheſie,Iſa. 62.5. As the Bridegroom rejoyceth over the Bride, ſo ſhall thy God rejoyce 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 rejoyce over his Saints for ever after.
9. It is the day of Chriſts 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 miſtical 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!
Hoſ. 2.18.10. 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, Cant. 4.10.and thou art my ſiſter, my ſpouſe, not my Wife; thou art not yet married, onelyonly contracted here: but at that day the marriage of the Lamb will be compleat, and then will the voyce be heard;Rev. 19.7. Let us be glad and rejoyce, and give honour to him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his Wife hath made her ſelf 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,Rev. 21 9. talked with him, ſaying, Come hither, and I will ſhew 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?
1 Cor. 5.24.11. 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 rejoyceth, and his very heart even ſprings again to preſent his Church unto his Father, Father here behold my Bride that I have marryed unto my ſelf. 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 our ſelves, when once we are marryed unto Chriſt, he will not think it any diſhonour, 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 Chriſts coming to Judgment? The Son of man ſhall come from heaven with power and great glory; and the work no ſooner done,Math. 24.30. 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 Ahaſhuerus could put upon his favourites 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, onelyonly the glory of this ſhall alwayes continue; it ſhall to all eternity be recorded that he was the Mediator, and that he is the Saviour that hath brought us to life and immortality, and upon this ground the tongues of all the Saints ſhall be imployed to all eternity to celebrate this glory. This will be their everlaſting Song, Ʋnto him that loved us, Rev. 1.5, 6.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 for ever 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 humane 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 cryed out,Cant. 8.14. 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 every one 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 bodyes; a day of Chriſts 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'le 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, Rev. 22.20.come Lord Jeſus.