Good Things to Come, Part 2 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. Containing ſomething further, in a general way propoſed, concerning the miſtery, of all not dying: but being changed: in a moment. In which; ſome things neer relating to it, with ſome ſcriptures of like tendency are diſcuſſed, in way of eſſay.
THe holy Apoſtle Peter, tells us, Acts. 3. 20. 21. of a very happy time: a time of refreſhing, from the preſence of the Lord: when God the father, ſhall ſend Jeſus Chriſt, our Lord: he, that before, was preached unto them, that came in his humiliation, dyed for our ſins, roſe again, for our juſtification, aſcended into heaven, and is at the right hand of God, in glory: whom, the heavens muſt contain (be the place of his ſtay, and abode) till then: namely, till that time of refreſhing come: and the time of the reſtitution, or reſtoration, of all things: that God hath ſpoken, by the mouth of all his holy Prophets, ſince the world began. This ſcripture comporteth in the tendency of it, with that of Rom. 8. 23. being for matter and time much the ſame: As in like manner, this; of the changing, in a moment, the deſire and groaning of the creature, as well as the ſervants of God, that have the firſt fruits of the ſpirit, as the earneſt of it, (to wit, that happy day) when they ſhall poſſeſs it; even their inheritance prepared for them. 1. Pet. 1. 4.
This groaning, and deſire, after reſtoration: this deſire of freedom, and the liberty of the ſons of God: ſeemeth to imply, a former happy eſtate, and condition, which they would be at, and enjoy again; to wit, that, which Adam was created in. He was created in the Image of God; a perfect man, in perfect freedom; from ſin, ſorrow, miſerie, and death: in full felicity: he ſinned, he fell; loſt his happy condition: and in him; all his poſteritie, and the creatures alſo: as: this: they groan under, and deſire to be rid of: ſo ſhall they according to their expectation, be reſtored to their former eſtate, with ſome addition of bleſſedneſs: at that day of reſtoration, forementioned.
Two wayes, this is attayned unto, as the holy ſcriptures do hold out unto us; the one, is by dying; and after lying a time in the grave: riſing again, or being raiſed out of the priſon of the grave, at the ſounding of the trumpet of God: when they ſhall, hear, awake, and riſe.
The other way is, by not dying, but being changed, in a moment, at the very ſame time, the dead are raiſed. This: change: is a miſtery: a ſecret: not much taken notice of. Theſe; both; at the ſame time, at the coming and appearing of the Lord Chriſt: will be raiſed, and changed, and caught up together in the clouds, to meet him in the air [not then to go up to heaven with him, but to attend him in his coming to the earth] and ſo will be ever after, with him, 1. Thes. 4. 17.
Theſe ſhall not prevent one another, by getting before one, the other: the raiſed, ſhall not ſo do, by the changed; nor ſhall they be occaſioned to ſtay for them: for they ſhall be changed, in a moment, in the twinckling of an eye, and caught up together, Very aierie, and ſpriteful, ſhall they be, then. This change, or being changed: To: is a great thing indeed.
The change of regeneration: or being born again: which Nicodemus made ſo ſtrange, and impoſſible a matter to be effected: to be born again, to put off the old man, with the affections and luſts; and to put on the new man, Ephes. 4. 22. 24. Col. 3. 8. 9. 10. The new man, being after God, created in righteouſneſs, and true holineſs. It's a being quite another perſon. A very great change, that hath much of miſtery in it. But the changing is a higher miſtery, a greater thing: the putting off ſin, and corruption, and mortality; at once; in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.
That, of regeneration, when begun by the ſpirit of Chriſt: it is carryed on, and advanced, in a gradual way; by the exerciſe of, mortification, and ſanctification, and by freſh ſupplies of the ſpirit of Chriſt, while we are in this world; till death, or this change, take place.
As we may, by that before, take ſome notice of this change: ſo we may alſo, of the neer affinitie it hath, with the reſurrection of the juſt; and how in ſundry things, they concur and agree together, in order to the righteous and ſaved people: who then, ſhall the one, be raiſed, the other, changed, at the ſame time, together. They ſhall both be rid, and freed of corruption, and mortality, together. They ſhall both be caught up together, to meet the Lord in the aire: they ſhall be with the Lord Chriſt, together: they ſhall enjoy, glory, and honor, and eternal life, together: and the bleſſednes of that happy day, for ever.
The unjuſt, and wicked ſinners, they ſhall not ſhare at all, in the glory, and bleſſedneſs, of that happy day; for as they ſhall not riſe: then: that not being their order, or time of riſing: ſo ſuch of them, as are then living, ſhall not be changed, then, but ſhall be left in their old clothing of corruption, and mortalitie, they ſhall have no ſhare, or be concerned, in the bleſſedneſs of this miſtery, of being changed: ſo: for then: that of our Lord Chriſt, Math. 24. 40. Luk. 17. 34. 35. 36. will be made good, and fulfilled: at the coming of the ſon of man: then: two ſhall be in the feild: the one, ſhall be taken, the other left; Two women ſhall be grinding together, at the Mill; one ſhall be taken, the other left. The evangeliſt, Luke, holds it forth more largely, thus. I tell you, in that night, there ſhall be two men in one bed, the one ſhall be taken, the other ſhall be left. And as it follows, Two grinding at the Mill: and two in the feild, ſo taken, and left. Vers. 37. Our Lord is asked; where, Lord? and he tells them in a dark borrowed way of ſpeaking; ſaying, whereſoever the body [or, carcaſe, Math. 24. 28.] is, thither will the Eagles be gathered together. As if he had ſaid, where I am, thither ſhall mine, to wit, the raiſed, and changed ſaints, be gathered together. Conſider the demand: where, Lord? not where thoſe, ſo taken, and left, ſhall be, then: when they are ſo taken, and left: that our Lord declared plainly: in the feild, and in the bed: but where thoſe, that are taken away, ſhould be, when they were ſo taken, from their companions, in the feild, and in the bed? they ſhould be taken, and brought to the Lord Chriſt, to meet him in the aire. This: that in Math. 24. 31. comp. with vers. 27. 28. ſeemeth very fully to hold forth.
When the Lord Chriſt ſhall come in the clouds of heaven, in power, and great glory, vers. 31. He ſhall ſend his Angels, with a great ſound of a trumpet [at which ſound, thoſe: dead; ſhall awake; and ariſe: and thoſe: living: ſhall be changed; in a moment. The trumpet ſhall ſound, and the dead, raiſed, and we ſhall be changed. 1. Cor. 15. 52. the place we are treating of. So. 1. Thes. 4. 16. with the trumpet of God. And as it followeth; he ſhall ſend his Angels] and they ſhall gather his elect, [to wit, thoſe, ſo raiſed and changed] from the four windes: from one end of heaven, to the other. A great thing; a wonderful gathering! this will be, at his coming: very ſudden, and tranſperent: as the lightning ſhining from the eaſt, to the weſt; let this be conſidered, with the anſwer of our Lord, in Luke: and then we may perceive, what thoſe words, both there and here, do mean; and what was the intent of our Lord in them: namely, where the carcaſe, or body, is, thither will the Eagles be gathered together. The raiſed, and changed: ſhall: then: as Eagles, mount up together, to meet the Lord in the Aire, 1 Thes. 4. 17. then: ſhall that prophecy of holy Iſaiah, be fully made good and fulfilled, which, it is very likely, eyeth that day. Iſa. 40. 31. they that wait upon the Lord, ſhall renew their ſtrength: they ſhall mount up with wings as Eagles, &c. as Eagles mount up: ſo, ſhall theſe: changed: and changed do then: according to the very letter: there needs no allegory in the matter. The ſervants of God, ſhall be very agile, aierie: and ſpriteful; and as the Eagles; ſhall mount up; ſo; to meet the Lord Chriſt. Then: will be the difference, between the righteous, and the wicked, of which the prophet Malachy ſpeaketh. Mal. 3. 18. be greatly made manifeſt, and clear to be known, Between the righteous, and the wicked: when, the, one, ſhall be taken, and the other left: when, one, ſhall be changed, and the other, left: in their corrupt and mortal ſtate and condition.
There are many great things, that will be attendants of this change As the change will be very great, and miſterious, ſo, will be the things that will concur, and go along with it: ſuch as we mentioned, when we treated of the reſurrection: as the attendants of that: the ſame, in like manner will be at this change: we ſhall forbear to mention them here, having done it then.
This change, it will be accompanyed with another, even the change of all things: which God hath ſpoken, by the mouth of all his holy prophets, ſince the world began, Acts. 3. 21. they will be reſtored into their former good condition: renewed, refined, and made new. A new heaven, new earth, as it is ſaid, Pſal. 102. 26. as a veſture, ſhalt thou change them, and they ſhall be changed. All ſhall be changed, and made new as at the firſt making Rev. 21. 5. behold I make all things new. A bleſſed ſtate, like that of paradiſe; if not higher: this world, ſhall end, and ceaſe: and with the change, the world to come, ſhall begin, and take place: of which we ſhall treat a little.