The General Assembly, Doctrine · Chapter 2
CHAP. II. What's meant by this gathering together, 1. What it alludes to, 2. How it is managed, and when tranſacted.
1. I Shall briefly explain the Emphaſis of this Word, what it ſignifies, and the Alluſions to ſomething in common view.
1. It alludes to an Hoſpitable Perſons taking in Wanderers to lodge them, and kindly entertain them: So the Word is uſed, Mat. 25.35. I was a ſtranger and he took me in [foreign] ye gathered me: Alaſs, God's Children are Strangers and Pilgrims in the Path, Heb. 11.13. as Men oft caſt them out, and they wander about in Sheep-skins and Goats-skins, in Deſerts, Mountains, Dens and Caves of the Earth, v. 37, 38. but their loving Father takes them in and provides them Houſe and Harbour,2 Cor. 5.1. an houſe not made with hands eternal in the Heavens; Lazarus at the rich Man's Gates is taken up into Abraham's boſom, a better lodging then the rich Man's ſtatelieſt Chamber, thus God gathers them.
2. It alludes to a Man's gathering a rich Treaſure together, Gold, Silver, precious Stones,Laying up in ſtore, Iſa. 39.6. as David gathered a prodigious Treaſure for building the Temple, three thouſand talents of gold, ſeven thouſand talents of refined ſilver, all manner of precious ſtones, 1 Chron. 29.2, 4. Solomon gathered ſilver and gold, and the peculiar treaſures of King's: Eccl. 2.8. Exod. 19.5.But what are all theſe to God's treaſure? Which too calls his peculiar treaſure, more worth then both the Indies: Theſe God hath his time and way to gather up, Mat. 3.17. They ſhall be mine ſaith the Lord in the day when I make up my jewels: God's jewels lie looſe and ſcattered, but he will ſtring them, and lay them up ſafe with himſelf in Heaven.
3. This word alludes to congregating together, as in a Synagogue for Religious Acts [caetus & conventus ſacer] an holy Religious meeting,Luke 7.5. He hath built us a Synagogue, that's for Religious worſhip, ſo the Hebrew word [foreign] imports a Religious meeting: And we read of a Synagogue of the Libertines, Acts 6.9.but this may be called the Synagogue or the Congregation of Licentiates or higheſt Graduates in Divinity, that have in ſome ſenſe commenced per Saltum, and have leapt out of the Church below into the Church triumphant above, being highly preferred by their bleſſed Maſter.
4. The word imports a meeting in an honourable Councel, that's above an ordinary Aſſembly, Mat. 26.3. Then aſſembled together the chief Prieſts, and Scribes and Elders, &c. theſe were the Sanhedrim and ſat as Judges upon cauſes Criminal and Capital [foreign] it ſignifies not a vulgar, or a common meeting, but a convention of States, to ſit upon Life and Death; and though that was a wicked meeting to condemn the Son of God, yet this glorious Aſſembly of Saints ſhall be convened to be Aſſeſſors with Chriſt to judge their Judges, 1 Cor. 6.2. Know ye not that the Saints ſhall judge the World, Rev. 1.6. Pſalm 45.16.yea Angels: All the Saints of God are Kings and Princes in all the Earth; Oh what an honourable Jury will there be to applaud the ſacred Judicature of our Lord!
This is the meaning of the Word.
2. I muſt ſhew the manner, means and method, how this gathering together is managed, or how the Saints come to be gathered together, and when;
1. Converting Grace gathers Sinners out of the world to God: This is initial and preparatory; the word in Eph. 1.10. gathering together in one [foreign] is very emphatical, it ſignifies to recapitalate, or recollect, or reduce all to an Head, it implies that mankind by Sin, is ſeparated from God, disjointed one from another, the Members ſcattered; juſt like an old ruinous Houſe that's fallen: All the pieces thereof are gone aſunder, till the workman come and ſet them together, and rear up a ſtately Fabrick of the old Materials; Man hath not loſt the faculties of his Soul by the fall, but the rectitude thereof:Gen. 6.5. Gen. 3.8. Luke 15. All the imaginations of Man's heart are become evil; He hath baniſh't himſelf from God, into a foreign Country: In a natural Senſe,Acts 17.27. God is not far from every one of us: But in a moral Senſe, God and unconverted Sinners are at a great diſtance,Eph. 2.13. Chap. 4.18. they are far off, alienated from the life of God, but Grace brings Sinners from their wanderings: The Spirit in the word unites them by a bleſſed cement in an efficacious manner, and that, he that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit: 1 Cor. 6.17.And the Blood of Chriſt unites God and the Soul meritoriouſly: O bleſſed conjunction, Oh,Eph. 2.13, 22. happy meeting! God hath found out a way in the Goſpel to gather together the outcaſts of Iſrael:Iſa. 56.8. Alaſs, we are all as Sheep going aſtray,Iſa. 40.11. John 10.16. but our Lord gathers the lambs into his armes, and brings them into fold, Jews and Gentiles make one fold: For, ſaith the Apoſtle Paul, ye are all the Children of God by faith in Chriſt Jeſus, Gal. 3.26. Faith makes a miſtical Union, Love a Moral, Eph. 4.15. But ſpeaking the truth in love (or teaching it in love) may grow up into him in all things, which is the head even Chriſt: Oh this, this is the foundation of all the reſt; converſion is the firſt collection.
2. God gathers his Saints by Death to himſelf: Its ſaid of Abraham, that he ſhould be gathered to his Fathers in peace, Gen. 15.15. and he was gathered to his people, Gen. 25.8. Interpreters obſerve that this is uſually applyed in Scripture to good Men, and it refers to the Soul, that they go to their godly progenitors,Gen. 25.17. Gen. 49.29. and becauſe this is applied to Iſhmael, therefore the Jews think he was a Penitent: But however,Num. 20.24. Chap. 27.13. the Phraſe is applied moſt ordinarily to good Men, as Jacob, and of Aaron, of Moſes, of Joſiah; 'tis ſaid, 2 Kings 22.20. I will gather thee to thy Fathers, and thou ſhalt be gathered to thy grave in peace: Its true, he died in Battle, but in peace with God, and was tranſlated into the everlaſting peace with the Saints; this is the way of Divine Providence to carry his Children through a tempeſtuous Sea into an Haven of Reſt; they ſhall not always be tormented with Satan's temptations, the Worlds oppoſitions, their own corruptions, but when they have done their work here in this wary World, they ſhall enter into peace, they ſhall reſt in their beds, each one walking in his uprightneſs, Iſa. 57.2. Oh bleſſed change, God gives them a quietus eſt from the Troubles of this wary Pilgrimage,Rev. 14.13. 1 Theſ. 4.14.they reſt from their labours: their bodies ſleep in Jeſus, and are laid up ſafe in a quiet Repoſitory,Luke 23.43. and their Souls do enter into Paradice, i. e. the third Heaven, the immediate preſence of God: As Earth is the common Mother of all, ſo Heaven is the receptacle of all Believers.
3. God gathers them up out of their graves by the reſurrection of their Bodies, and the reunion of their Souls to thoſe ſelf ſame Bodies: This was a Doctrine believed and well digeſted in the Old Teſtament, Job 19.25, 26, 27. Though after my skin, worms deſtroy this body, yet in my fleſh ſhall I ſee God; thy dead Men ſhall live ſaith Iſaiah, ch. 26.19. together with my dead body ſhall they ariſe: The New Teſtament doth abundantly confirm this great Article of our Faith, John 5.28, 29. 1 Cor. 15. Oh what an Army of Saints will ſtart up out of the Earth! Their ſcattered bones and duſt ſhall be reared up, and coagulated, and our Lord will bring their glorified Souls along with him to ſing out the high Praiſes of Jehovah: Roſes die, ſweeteſt Flowers periſh, and the beauteous Complexion of the Earth turns to a bleak and withered hue in Winter, yet in Summer there is a kind of Reſurrection: If you ſay in them, life is remaining in the Root and Seed, we ſay, the Soul is the root of the Body, and Chriſt the root of the Soul, and both are living, Col. 3.34. and though there be no phyſical Contract, yet there is a relative Union betwixt Soul and Body, and a deep rooted love and inclination the Soul hath to it; the ſilly Snail by its natural life and power, can make for it ſelf an Habitation, yea a Silk-worm becomes a winged Fly,See Mr. Baxter of Self-denial, Page 206. the warmth of the Hen turns the Egg into a Chicken; theſe: are Emblems of the Reſurrection. And what cannot the Power of God effect? If a skilful work-man can turn a little earth and aſhes into ſuch curious tranſparent Glaſſes, why ſhould we doubt whether the mighty Power of God can communicate a glorious perfection to the Fleſh that's diſſolved into its Elements? Luther ſaith, I love the noble Art of Chymiſtry, it is ſuch a brave Emblem of the Reſurrection: O what a bleſſed raviſhing ſight will that be, to ſee the ſanctified Soul united to the glorified Body, to receive their reward together! This is the next.
4. By the ſame power of God ſome ſhall be changed, others raiſed from the dead, the Souls of the glorified Saints ſhall deſcend and be united to their own Bodies, and then aſcend to meet the Lord in the Air, and the wicked are left behind on their dunghil the earth in ſetters to receive their Sentence, and confined to their Priſons, this is that Myſtery, which poſſibly the bleſſed Apoſtle Paul heard from God when he was caught up into the third Heaven, and heard unſpeakable words [foreign] worldles words:2 Cor. 12.4. This is 1 Cor. 15.51, 52. Behold I ſhew you a myſtery, we ſhall not all ſleep (i. e. die) but we ſhall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye: This is further confirmed and explained in 1 Theſ. 4.15. For this we ſay unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, ſhall not prevent them which are aſleep: And verſe 16. The dead in Chriſt ſhall riſe firſt, then we which are alive and remain, ſhall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: Verſe 17. Calvin ſaith, he ſpeaks here of the Faithful only,Calvin in 1 Cor. 15.5. the reſurrection of the Wicked, is a kind of change, though thy be not mentioned there; but of ſuch as ſhall bear the name of the heavenly or of Chriſt, verſe 49.50. this is equivalent to Death, when there ſhall be an aboliſhing of the former Nature, and introducing a new one: This is a ſpecies or kind of death, but as it is not a ſeparation of Soul from the Body, ſo 'tis not a ſleep, but it is a ſudden tranſition from corruptible Nature into a bleſſed immortality: Here is the difference betwixt thoſe that die and ſuch as are changed, that the former put off the ſubſtance of the body, but they that are changed, put off nothing but the qualities of the body, the dead ſhall riſe, before the living are rapt up: He ſends the Clouds for Chariots, as Joſeph his Wagons for Jacob and his Family: O what vaſt numbers will then mount up like a Cloud and darken the Heavens? This is in order to their congregating above.
5. The Angeles of God are ſent to gather up the ſcattered Saints, Mat. 24.31. And he ſhall ſend his Angels with a great ſound of a trumpet, Mark 13.27.and they ſhall gather together his Elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other: Its true, ſome take this to refer to the deſtruction of Jeruſalem, but the moſt ſolid interpreters apply it to this laſt Day:1 Cor. 15.52. Paul ſaith, the trumpet ſhall ſound, as of old, they called the Congregation of Iſrael together by the ſound of a Trumpet: So now, the Lord ſhall deſcend from heaven with a ſhout with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trumpet of God, 1 Theſ. 4.16. I confeſs here are hard Points, which no mortal can reſolve, as 1ſt. Concerning this Trumpet, what it is, Calvin ſaith [Relinquo aliis ſubtilius diſſerrendum] leave to others to diſcourſe ſubtilty of it: 2dly. What kind of ſhout this is, which is a kind of magnificent Acclamation to the Judge; and ſummoning all to appear, for the word in Greek [foreign] doth alſo ſignify a Command: Alluding to Marriners or Souldiers ſummoned to be ready. 3dly. Who this Archangel is, and what Degrees there are among the Angels, (which School-men voluminouſly diſpute,) or whether it be not Chriſt himſelf, becauſe its ſaid, the dead that are in their graves ſhall hear his voice, John 5.28. and 4thly. Whether this ſhall be an oral ſhout or voice from the mouth of Chriſt, or only an expreſſion of his Divine Power, I am not able to determine: But ſuch a Summons there ſhall be, and all the Sons and Daughters of Adam ſhall appear, not one Perſon gentle or ſimple can skulk or hide themſelves, the meaneſt ſhall not be lookt on as inconſiderable, and the moſt potent Princes are not at that day invincible: In vain ſhall the Kings of the earth, great Men, rich Men, the chief Captains and mighty Men, bond and free hide themſelves, or call to the mountains and rocks to fall on them, Rev. 6.15, 16. No, no, the Summons ſhall reach all, and all muſt obey and appear, whether they will or no; the mighty, Almighty God can fetch them out, his all-ſeeing Eve can ſpy them out: See the Summons, Pſalm 50. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. He ſhall call to the heavens from above and to the earth that he may judge his people: Theſe be words, gather my Saints together, unto to me, thoſe that have made a covenant with me by ſacrifice: O what a vaſt multitude will then appear! Thouſand, thouſands Miniſter to him, Dan. 7.10.and ten thouſand times ten thouſand ſtand before him: Yea, a great multitude which no Man can number, Rev. 7.9.of all nations, kindred and people, and tongues ſtand before the throne and the lamb, cloathed with white robes and palms in their hands: O what a glorious, celebrious, ſhining company of beautiful Perſons will there be!
6. Yet further, theſe multitudes gathered together will have their Spirits perfectly united, they ſhall all ſpeak one Language, as the whole earth did before the confuſion at Babel: There will be an harmony of Minds, Wills, Affections, Conſciences, converſations; no claſhing, no diſcord, they ſhall be fully united, cemented and perfectly joined together, and all to one Rule and Canon: They all conſpire together in one celeſtial Song, the heavenly quire of Angels ſtand round about the Throne, ecchoing to that innumerable company of believing glorified Jews and Gentiles; ſaying, Amen, bleſſing, honour and glory, and wiſdom and thankſgiveing be unto our God for ever and ever Amen, Rev. 7.10, 11, 12. Its worth obſerving, that upon Antichriſts ruine, a great voice of much people in heaven ſaying Alleluja, Rev. 19.1. And again they ſaid Alleluja, v. 3. then again, the four and twenty Elders, and four Beaſts, ſtill eccho out the ſame tune Alleluja: The former were more private this publick, of the whole Congregation: But ſtill upon a new Summons they add ever Alleluja, this was the Hoſanna Rabba (as the Jews call it,) or an [Hallelujatica victoria] as old Britans called their Victory over the Saxons: All but faint Emblems of that great Solemnity, in which the multitudes of glorified Souls are of one heart and lip, unanimouſly adoring their Redeemer, acquieſſing in his righteous Sentence [nemine contradicente] they neither contradict one another, nor the will of God: There is not a jarring String in this Muſick: Whatever apprehenſions or languages may be here; they all ſpeak the ſame there: Yea, though they did not underſtand one anothers Dialect in this World, yet they ſhall all ſpeak the Language of Canaan, whether it ſhall be Hebrew (as ſome conceive) who knows, but it will be intelligible by all that then meet together: The Text ſaith, they ſhall ſee eye to eye when the Lord ſhall bring again Zion, Iſa. 52.8. Now if ever that Text ſhall be fulfilled; even as two Eyes look both on one Object, ſo the Eyes of all Saints ſhall be towards the Lord: There will be a ſweet agreement in Principles, Practices, Profeſſions, Affections, as the Primitive Chriſtians that were of one heart and of one ſoul, Acts 4.32. Then ſhall we all come to the unity of the faith, Eph. 4.13.
7. Theſe congregated Saints ſhall be admitted into one place, and ſtate of Glory: They are before the throne of God, and he that ſitteth on the throne ſhall dwell among them, Rev. 7.15. Theſe bright Stars ſhall make a glorious Conſtellation in the heavenly orb: Though poſibly one Star may differ from another Star in Glory, yet they ſhall all be irradiated with the Sun of Righteouſneſs, according to their Capacities, though theſe veſſels of grace be of various quantity; yet they ſhall all be full in that vaſt ocean, not the weakeſt, feebleſt, ſhall be loſt or left behind, the feeble among them ſhall be as David, and the houſe of David ſhall be as God, as the Angel of the Lord before them, Zech. 12.8. Not a grace duty, not a mite given in charity ſhall be loſt:Pſal. 56.8. Mat. 12.42. Tears ſhall be here botled, and a cup of cold Water ſhall be rewarded, there is room enough in Heaven for all the Saints, in my fathers houſe, ſaith he, are many manſions, John 14.2. Many for number, large for extenſion:Rev. 21.10, 12, 25. That City is four ſquare having twelve Gates, filled from all quarters of the World: The gates of it continually open, never ſhut: O the ſtupendious vaſtneſs of that upper Region! Earth is but a point, a ſmall Pin-head compared to it; though the Text in Revelations ſpeak but of twelve thouſand Furlongs, which according to ſome make but fifteen hundred Miles: But what is that to Heaven, if the City of the great King be meant there by the New Jeruſalem as ſome think: But doubtleſs it is exceeding ſpacious, if indeed it be a place circumſcriptively taken; but where the King is there is the Court, as the Angels do always behold the Face of God, and therefore are ſtill in Heaven,Mat. 18.10. Heb. 1.14. though imployed about Saints on Earth; ſo it may poſſibly be with the Saints after the Reſurrection: Who knows whether the purified Earth may be one Place of their Coeleſtial Happineſs; yet ſome think it will be wicked Men's Hell, and place of Torments: But be that as it may, we are ſure there is room enough for all the Saints in Heaven; and our Lord will have them all with him, not an hoof left behind as ſlighted, for he purchaſed all at a dear rate, prayed for them when he was leaving the World: An idea and ſum of his preſent Interceſſion, we have in John 17. particularly verſe 24. Father, I will that they alſo whom thou haſt given me, be with me where I am: This will be a bleſſed Congregation indeed, a ſpacious Temple, a large Paradice not in corners, houſes, chappels, where they are crowded, and often perſecuted, fined, impriſoned, here they have liberty, yea, poſſibly every Saint ſhall have his proper Manſion, yet in full communion with God, and the reſt of glorified Spirits: But more of this hereafter.
Thus I have ſhewed how they are gathered.