Two Treatises on Death and Judgment, Treatise · Application 10
Uſe 10.
LAſtly, If Death be the laſt Enemy to be deſtroyed at the Reſurrection, we may learn hence, how earneſtly believers ſhould long and pray for the ſecond coming of Chriſt; when this full and final Conqueſt ſhall be made. Death ſhall do much for us; but the Reſurrection ſhall do more. Death ſends the ſeparated ſoul to Chriſt: but at his coming, both ſoul and body ſhall be glorified. There is ſomewhat in Death that is penal, even to believers: but in the coming of Chriſt, and their Reſurrection, there is nothing but glorifying grace. Death is the effect of ſin, and of the firſt ſentence paſſed upon ſinners: but the Reſurrection of the Juſt is the final deſtruction of the effects of ſin. And therefore, though the fears of Death may perplex us, me-thinks we ſhould long for the coming of Chriſt, there being nothing in that, but what tends to the deliverance and glory of the Saints. Whether he will come before the general Reſurrection, and reign on earth a thouſand years, which ſome expect, I ſhall not preſume to paſs my determination. But ſure I am, it is the work of faith, and Character of his people, to love his appearance, 2 Tim. 4. 8. and to wait for the Son of God from Heaven, whom he raiſed from the dead, even Jeſus who delivered us from the wrath to come, 1 Theſ. 1. 10. and to wait for the coming of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, 1 Cor. 1. 7. and to wait for the adoption, the redemption of our bodies, with inward groanings, Rom. 8. 23. O therefore let us pray more earneſtly for the coming of our Lord! and that [the Lord would direct our hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Chriſt] 2 Theſ. 3. 5. O bleſſed day, when the glorious appearing of our Lord ſhall put away all his ſervants ſhame, and ſhall communicate Glory to his members, even to the bodies that had laid ſo long in duſt, that to the eye of fleſh there ſeemed to be no hope! Though the Majeſty and glory will cauſe our Reverence, yet it will not be our terrour, to the diminution of our joy. It is his enemies that would not have him rule over them, whom he cometh to deſtroy, Lu. 19. 27. [Behold the Lord cometh with ten thouſands of his Saints, to execute judgement upon all, & to convince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deeds, which they have ungodlily committed, and of all their hard ſpeeches which ungodly ſinners have ſpoken againſt him; as Henoch the ſeventh from Noah, propheſied, Jud. 14. 15. But the precious faith of the Saints, ſhall be found to praiſe, and honour, and glory at the appearing of Jeſus Chriſt, 1 Pet. 1. 7. When the chief Shepherd ſhall appear, we ſhall receive a Crown of glory that fadeth not away, 1 Pet. 5. 4. He that was once offered to bear the ſins of many, (and now appeareth for us in the preſence of God) ſhall unto them that look for him appear the ſecond time, without ſin, to ſalvation,] Heb. 9. 24. 28. And When Chriſt who is our life ſhall appear, then ſhall we alſo appear with him in Glory, Col. 3. 4. The Lord ſhall then come to be glorified in his Saints, and admired in all them that believe, in that day, 2 Theſ. 1. 10. This is the day that all believers ſhould long, and hope, and wait for, as being the accompliſhment of all the work of their redemption, and all the deſires and endeavours of their ſouls. It is the hope of this day that animateth the holy diligence of our lives, and makes us turn from the careleſneſs and ſenſuality of the world. [For the grace of God that bringeth ſalvation, hath appeared unto all men; teaching us, that denying ungodlineſs, and worldly luſts, we ſhould live ſoberly, righteouſly, and godlily in this preſent world: looking for that bleſſed hope, and the glorious appearing of our great God, and our Saviour Jeſus Chriſt,] Tit. 2. 11, 12, 13. The heavens and the earth that are now, are kept in ſtore by the word of God, reſerved unto fire, againſt the day of judgment, and perdition of ungodly men. And though the Lord ſeem to delay, he is not ſlack of his promiſe (as ſome men count ſlackneſs:) for a day is with him as a thouſand years, and a thouſand years but as a day. But the day of the Lord will come as a Thiefin the night, in the which the Heavens 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. Seeing then all theſe things ſhall be diſſolved, what manner of perſons ought we to be in all holy converſation and godlineſs; looking for, and haſting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the Heavens being on fire, ſhall be diſſolved, and the elements melt with fervent heat! But we, according to his promiſe, look for new Heavens, and a new Earth, wherein dwelleth righteouſneſs] 2 Pet. 3. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.
Beza marvelleth at Tertullian for ſaying that the Chriſtians in their holy. Aſſemblics prayed pro mora finis, (Apologet. c. 39.) And ſo he might well enough, if it were not that to Chriſtians the Glory of God is dearer than their own felicity, and the ſalvation of millions more precious than the meer haſtening of their own; and the glory of the Church more deſirable than our perſonal glory, and the hallowing of Gods Name were not to be prayed for before the coming of his Kingdom; and the Kingdom of grace muſt not neceſſarily go before the Kingdom of glory. But as much as we long for the coming of our Lord, we are content to wait till the Elect be gathered; and can pray that he will delay it, till the Univerſal Body be made up, and all are called that ſhall be glorified. But to our ſelves, that are brought out of Aegypt into the Wilderneſs, how deſirable is the promiſed Land? When we think on our own intereſt, we cry [Come Lord Jeſus, Come quickly:] The ſooner the better. Then ſhall our eyes behold him, in whom we have believed: Not as he was beheld on earth in his deſpiſed ſtate; but as the glorious King of Saints, accompanied with the Celeſtial Hoſt, coming in flaming fire to render vengeance to the rebellious, and Reſt and Joy to believing ſouls, that waited for this day of his appearance. Then Faith and Patience ſhall give up their work; and ſight and fruition, and perfect love, ſhall everlaſtingly ſucceed them. The rage of Perſecutors ſhall no more affright us: the folly of the multitude ſhall no more annoy us: the falſeneſs of our ſeeming ſelfiſh friends ſhall no more betray us: the pride of ſelf-conceited men ſhall no more diſturb us: the turbulency of men diſtracted by ambition, ſhall caſt us no more into confuſions. The Kingdom that we ſhall poſſeſs, ſhall not be lyable to mutations, nor be toſſed with pride and faction, as are theſe below. There is no monthly (or annual) change of Governours and Laws, as is in Lunatick Commonwealths: but there will be the ſame Lord and King, and the ſame Laws and Government, and the ſame Subjects and obedience, without any mutinies, rebellions, or diſcontents, to all eternity. The Church of which we ſhall then be members, ſhall not be divided into parties, and factions, nor the members look ſtrangely at each other, becauſe of difference of opinions, or diſtance of affections, as now we find it, to our daily grief, in the militant Church. We ſhall then need no tedious debates to reconcile us: Unity will be then quickly and eaſily procured. There will be no falling out in the preſence of our Lord. There will be none of that darkneſs, uncharitableneſs; ſelfiſhneſs, or paſſion left, that now cauſeth our diſſentions. When we have perfect Light, and perfect Love, the perfect Peace will be eaſily attained, which here we labour for in vain. Now there is no Peace in Church or State, in Cities or Countries, in families or ſcarce in our own ſouls. But when the glorious King of Peace hath put all his enemies under his feet, what then is left to make diſturbance? Our enemies can injure us no more, for it is then their portion to ſuffer for all their former injuries to Chriſt and us: Our friends will not injure us (as here they do;) becauſe their corruption and weakneſs is put off, and the relicks of ſin, that cauſed the trouble, are left behind. O that is the ſight that faith prepareth for, that is the day, the bleſſed day, that all our dayes are ſpent in ſeeking, and waiting, and praying for; then ſhall the glory of holineſs appear, and the wiſdom of the Saints be juſtified by all, that now is juſtified by her children! Then it ſhall be known, Whether faith or unbelief, whether a heavenly or earthly mind and life, was the wiſer and more juſtifiable courſe: then ſhall all the world diſcern between the righteous and the wicked, between them that ſerve God, and them that ſerve him not, Mal. 3. 18. Then ſin (that is now ſo obſtinately defended, and juſtified by ſuch fooliſh cunning) ſhall never more find a tongue to plead for it, or a Patron to defend it more. Then where is the man that will ſtand forth, and break a jeſt at godlineſs, or make a ſcorn of the holy diligence of Believers? How pale then will thoſe faces look, that here were wont to jear at piety! What terrour will ſeize upon thoſe hearts, that here were wont to make themſelves ſport at the weakneſſes of the upright ſervants of the Lord? That is the day that ſhall rectifie all judgements, and cure the errours and contemptuous thoughts of an holy life, which no perſwaſions now can cure; that is the day that ſhall ſet all ſtraight, that now ſeems crooked; and ſhall ſatisfie us to the full, that God was juſt, even when he proſpered his enemies, and afflicted the ſouls that loved him, and walkt in their integrity before him. We ſhall then ſee that which ſhall fully ſatisfie us of the reaſon and equity of all our ſufferings, which here we underwent; we ſhall marvel no more that God lets us weep, and groan, and pray, and turns away his face, and ſeems not to regard us. We ſhall then find that all our groans were heard, and all our tears and prayers did ſucceed, which we ſuſpected had been loſt. We ſhall then find that a duty performed in ſincerity, through all our lives, was never loſt; no nor a holy thought; nor a Cup of cold water, that from holy love we gave to a Diſciple. We ſhall then ſee that our murmurings, and diſcontents, and jealous unbelieving thoughts of God, which ſickneſs, or poverty, or croſſes, did occaſion, were all injurious to the Lord, and the fruit of infirmity; and that when we queſtioned his Love on ſuch accounts, we knew not what we ſaid. We ſhall then ſee that Death, and Grave, and Devils were all but matter for the glorifying of Grace, and for the triumph of our Lord and us.
Up then my ſoul, and ſhake off thy unbelief and dulneſs: Look up, and long, and meet thy Lord. The more thou art afraid of death, the more deſire that bleſſed day, when mortality ſhall be ſwallowed up of life, and the name of death ſhall be terrible no more: Though death be thy enemy, there is nothing but friendly in the coming of thy Lord. Though death diſſolve thy nature, the Reſurrection ſhall reſtore it, and make thee full reparation with advantage.
How glad would I have been to have ſeen Chriſt, but with the Wiſe Men in the Manger! or to have ſeen him diſputing with the Doctors in his Child-hood in the Temple; or to have ſeen him do his Miracles, or heard him Preach; much more to have ſeen him as the three Diſciples, in his transfiguration; or to have ſeen him after his Reſurrection, and when he aſcended up to Heaven. But how far is all this below the ſight that we ſhall have of him when he comes in glory! when the brightneſs of his ſhining face ſhall make us think the Sun was darkneſs: and the glory of his attendants ſhall make us think what a ſorbid thing, and childiſh foolery was all the glory of this world! The face of Love ſhall be then unvailed, and raviſh us into the higheſt Love and Joy, that our natures are capable of. Then doubt, and fear, and grieve, if thou canſt! What then wilt thou think of all theſe diſquieting, diſtruſtful Thoughts that now ſo wrong thy Lord and thee? If going into the Sanctuary, and foreſeeing the end, can cure our brutiſh miſ-apprehenſions of Gods providences, (Pſal. 73. 17.) how perfectly will they be cured, when we ſee the glorious face of Chriſt, and behold the New Jeruſalem in its glory, and when we are numbred with the Saints that judge the world? We ſhall never more be tempted then, to condemn the generation of the juſt, nor to think it vain to ſerve the Lord, nor to envy the proſperity of the wicked, nor to ſtagger at the promiſe through unbelief; nor to think that our ſickneſs, death and grave, were any ſigns of unkindneſs or unmercifulneſs in God. We ſhall then be convinced that ſight and fleſh were unfit to cenſure the wayes of God, or to be our guides.
Haſten, O Lord, this bleſſed day! Stay not till Faith have left the earth; and infidelity, and impiety, and tyranny have conquered the reſt of thine inheritance! Stay not till ſelfiſh uncharitable pride hath vanquiſhed love and ſelf-denyal and planted its Colonies of Hereſie, confuſion and cruelty in thy dominions: and Earth and Hell be turned into one. Stay not till the eyes of thy ſervants fail, and their hearts and hopes do faint and languiſh with looking and waiting for thy ſalvation. But if yet the day be not at hand, O keep up Faith, and Hope, and Love, till the Sun of perfect Love ariſe, and Time hath prepared us for Eternity, and Grace for Glory.
FINIS.