The Parable of the Ten Virgins, Part 2 · Chapter 5
CHAP. VI.
Of the certainty of Christs coming.
SECT. I.
THat though the coming of Iesus Christ to his Churches be late,Observation 2. yet it is certain.
For though it be midnight, yet he comes we see: For this coming at midnight is not to be understood of the last day of Judgment which shall be at midnight (as the Rabbins and Monks in their devotions conceive) for Christ speaks here of his coming to particular judgement also, which is not always at midnight: The scope of the Parable is to provoke to continual watchfulness; because though the Lord doth not come in the beginning of the night (as was the custom of the Jewish marriages) yet he will come late, even when you look not for him; even at midnight there is a cry. I confess the Lord speaks principally of his coming to Judgment; yet it is true of any other coming of Christ to his people in this life; and because particular examples and instances are the roots of general truths (as Circumcision a seal, so all Sacraments are so; Christ is a Saviour of his people; it is meant of great salvation at last, yet is true of all salvation beside) therefore I shall speak of the coming of Jesus Christ to his Churches and Servants in the general; and so involve the whole coming of Christ, for the more use and comfort to us.
Now we shall finde that the Scripture speaks of a sixfold coming of Christ, that as all our deliverances are but shadows of our great and last deliverance; so Christs coming now is but a shadow of his great and last coming.
First, Christ is said to come to his people, when he comes to hear their prayers, Luk. 18. 8. And the Lord argues strongly, Will an unjust Judge arise at night, to help a widow a stranger, when she is importunate? and will not the Lord hear his elect and chosen? yet when he comes, shall he finde faith? i. e. such prayers of faith as shall continue; oh no! but soon apt to be weary before the time comes.
SECT. II.
Object. BUt if they cease, how do they pray night and day?
Answ. 1. Because they do so for a time.
2. When they cease, then they are ringing in Gods ears; so that let the prayers of the elect for any mercy be once offered and presented as incense before the Lord, the Lord will not be worse than an unjust Judge, never to come to his people.
Secondly, Christ is said to come to fulfil his promises; for sometimes the Lord keeps his people exceeding short, and gives his people answers to their Prayer in particular promises (you find it so) Psal. 85. 8, 9. I will hear what the Lord will say, for he will speak peace to his people, that so they may live by faith, and glory more in the Lord then in themselves; yet he will come, though it be very long, Heb. 10, 36, 36. Ye have need of patience, that ye may receive the promise; for yet a little while, &c. We think it long, yet it will be so.
Thirdly, Christ is said to come to his people when he speaks peace, and breaks the clouds of fears and troubles, and shines upon his people; for while the Lord is angry, and hides his face, that a man is beyond sight of the face and love of God, now God and Christ is said to be gone; so then, when he returns to speak peace, now he is said to come, as that Martyr said, He is come, Zach. 1. 16, 17. I am r…turned to Ierusalem, with my mercies, and the Lord will yet comfort Zion; for when the Lord forsakes his people for seventy years, and takes away all his Ordinances, the external visible signs of his presence, one would think he would never come, yet the Lord will come and comfort his people, Isa. 61. 2. God hath sent and anointed him, and the Spirit hath filled him, and he is as willing himself to comfort them that mourn, nay when they have the spirit of heaviness; and when it is done, Christ is come; then that is a coming of Christ.
Fourthly, There is a coming of Christ when he comes in more full measure of his Spirit to his people, and that in his Ordinances; for there is a state and time of Christianity, wherein a man is carnal and blind, and the Image of Christ darkly stampt upon the soul, and is exceeding weak; now the Lord is said to come when he doth this, Ioh. 14. 18. I will see you again, and I will not leave you comfortless, Orphans alone without any one to take care for you; now though it be long before the Lord do come here; yet come he will, when the soul thinks it impossible, and the thing incredible; Behold thy God, thy King commeth, Isa. 40. 9. with 23. He shall come like the rain upon the fleece of wool.
Fifthly, Christ is said to come when he comes to destroy and root out the enemies of his Church, whether outward enemies or inward enemies, Isa. 26. 21. Now grant it be long, the Lord doth suffer them to prevail, and to be pricking bryars to the hearts of Gods people, and to the heart of Gods Spirit in his people, yet he will come; and hence the Church pleads this with God as an usual thing with him, Isa. 64. 1, 2, 3. He comes when men look not for him, yea he came so here; and the name of God lyes upon it to make known his name to his adversaries, Isa. 66. 5. Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word; your brethren that hated you and cast you out said, Let the Lord be glorified, He shall appear to your joy, but they shall be ashamed.
Sixthly, Christ is said to come to the soul, when he comes to it at death, to abolish all sin and sorrow, and to possess the soul of immediate fellowship with himself, and at Judgement when the great mariage day shall be, and the Bride made ready, and the Bridegroom in their perfect glory to the view of all the world, Ioh. 14. 3. Oh many a one is troubled now the Lord is gone from it mediately to comfort it; Let not your hearts be troubled, you have a God in his Word to believe in, cleave to that, and me in it; but when death comes against me, and enemies come against me, and heart fails, and eyes fails, will the Lord come? Yes, I will come again, for I go but only to prepare a place for you, and make Heaven sweet and ready for you; some would have all Christs coming here, but there is some hereafter.
SECT. III.
BEcause the love of Jesus Christ never fails his Churches and People;Reason 1. love will keep men from being ever absent from the thing they love: Now look as it was with Lazarus whom Christ loved, Iohn. 11. 3. he heard that he was sick, he could have come then, but he lingers and stays until he be dead, (behold Lazarus is dead) yea, till he had been four days dead, and then awakens him again, and Lazarus must come forth of his grave, to shew forth the everlasting love of the Son of God, vers. 4. For there are two things in Christ's love; first, it is pure independant, and dear, Prov. 8. penult. hence he will not ever be absent; for 1. If it be dependant, then we might say (as we change he changeth) he was good, but we have provoked him since, &c. 2. If independant, yet 'tis apt to forget, he minds me not, nor my prayers, nor sorrows: Yes, it is exceeding dear, and assures us of all; if he in love came to suffer, what will he not come to do, and that when the Church is most withered, Zach. 3. 1, 2, 3. and hence saith the Lord, why say…st thou, the Lord hath forsaken me and forgotten me, when written upon the palms of my hand? Isa. 48. 14.
Lest their spirit fail;Reason 2. Oh the Lord is very tender of that; he that bids parents not to be bitter to their children, lest their spirits fail and be provoked, will not do it himself, Isa. 57. 17. he will not always contend, lest the spirit fail within him, and the souls that he hath made; Oh remember this! now how apt is the spirit of a childe of God to fail upon this! what more bitter than Gods absence!
Because to come late,Reason 3. is many times the best time, for he comes ever in the fulness of time; if he should come sooner or latter, he should not come in season to his people.
Of unspeakable consolation to the people of God that lie under sad andVse 1. heavy perplexities in respect of the Lords absence from them (as for you that can bear this, that say to God depart if he will, this concerns not you at all) and the Lord being gone, you lye under sad thoughts that he will never return again; yes, you have now heard, he will come and return again, Say unto Sion, behold your God cometh.
Object. But what? when I have been secure and careless withal?
Answ. Yes, though the Virgins sleep, yet the Lord will come to them; for if his love did depend upon your watchfulness, he might never return; onelyonly it may be longer as to these, and he will awaken you some time before he doth come; and truly to mourn for his absence, is to awaken with him.
Object. But it hath been thus long before the Lord come, and therefore he will never come.
Answ. Though long, yet you see he comes at last to them; first, the cry says so, and then he comes; Ministers tell you so, and it is not long after; nay, then is the very time, when so long as you look not for him, as here to these.
SECT. IV.
Object. BUt I know it not.
Answ. God keeps his best blessings (and persumes them long in his own hand) from his own children; as Isaac, David, Abraham, Heman, Christ; but it is best you know it not.
Hast thou been seeking the Lord for his presence (that the Lord would but see and consider thee a little) until thine eyes fail thee? and do you think the Lord will ever forget? I tell thee if Peter were in Prison, prayers would deliver him, and fetch Angels from Heaven to him; though the Church of God lay desolate, sins great, yet the prayer of Daniel shall bring down words of command to make all up again; If thou be in any want, be careful in nothing, &c. He asked thee life, thou gavest him long life for ever and ever; nay, when thou …easest, thy prayers have their cry, when thy mouth, when thy heart speaks not; for prayers are not dead things but living, begotten out of a living Spirit, from a living God, presented by a living Mediator, who takes them and presents them, Heb. 7. and though unclean, yet being laid on that Altar they become holy.
Object. Oh, but I am fed with nothing but promises; I cannot deny them, but I feel them not; I think I shall never meet the Lord, Isa. 55. 10. Look as the rain on the dry yeelds fruit, so my word shall give you joy and peace, and the desire of your heart, &c. Can a man live by promises?
Answ. Hezekiah saith, by these things (i. e. afflictions) do men live; why not by promises? the words Christ speaketh they are Spirit and life; David did, 2 Sam. 23. 5. Heb. 10. The just shall live by his faith; and if my man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him, i. e. wholly. It is admirable how the Israelites had a promise of the land, and many wars must they have, and yet Iosh. 23. 14, 15. Not one thing hath failed of all that the Lord hath promised. So say I to you.
Obj. Oh but I have been long in trouble, and have bad no p…ace?
Ans. Hast thou been longer than David, whose moysture was dryed up, who hath nothing to present before the Lord, Psal. 6. but weakness, and bones vexed, verse 2. a soul vexed, verse 3. and that long weary with gro…ning, vers. 6. tears in the night when others are at rest, his eyes consumed with grief, and yet verse 8, 9. The Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping, and prayer too; sorrows cry, and sins cry also; and hence he saith, Depart from me all ye workers of iniquity, &c.
Object. But I am so weak, my heart so streitned, so little light and life, and seeking I have been for more, and find it not.
Answ. If Christ's presence be sweet, and his absence bitter, that you seek not more for your lusts sake than the Lords sake, then know that the Lord will return again, as verily as he is gone; he will not leave thee comfortless; you shall have that is fit for you to keep you humble and faithful; it may be one Sermon may do more good than twenty. Ioh. 1. 50. D…st believe because I saw thee under the figtree? thou shalt see greater things than these; God hath greater things to shew thee, if the Lord hath translated thee into the Kingdom of his dear son; hence it is said of the encrease of his government and peace there shall be no end, Isa. 9. 7.
Object. But enemies may opposeus?
Answ. Let it be so; but what if the Lord be with you?
Object. But he is gone.
Answ. No, the Lord will either come before trouble to deliver you from it, as Asa when a troop came against him, 2 Chron. 15. 11. let not man prevail against thee; Asa had wrapt God about him, cloathed himself with the majesty of God by faith, Isa. 54. penult. They shall together, and shall come against thee, but they shall not prosper, because the Lord is come; or if he doth stay, yet he will give them some blood, and come upon them for your blood; he that sheds mans blood, by man shall his blood be shed; but such as shed Churches blood, by God shall their blood be shed; The souls under the Altar shall cry, and then comes wo; he will do so in Germany if there have been Churches blood shed; he is making way for glorious deliverance when God shall come, and the wicked shall melt away as wax: Lucifer must fall though lifted up with pride. David was troubled with a Saul and a Doeg. Psal. 54. but God shall pull them up by the roots, &c. many of Gods Servants lye under reproaches and revilings (and the wicked boast of their sin) God shall pluck them up by the roots never to grow again: Hypocrites lie hid for a time, but all the Churches shall know that the Lord is a God that searcheth the hearts, Luk. 12, 1. Psal. 12. 5, 3. No good man left, but some men of deceit and flattery, some Apostares, &c. We are in fear (in this Country) of enemies; we came hither to shelter our selves under the wings of God; left our comforts for it; here we are at his posts, it is not honors we seek; and now it may be enemies are plotting, or will be coming to take us unawares, when weak, and so run away with the spoil, unless we will be bond-men to our former yoke; it may be the Lord will help then, Ezek. 38. 10, 20. to the end. If not, it may be the Lord will refine us more, and purge away our dross, and discover men that came hither for Ordinances and for peace sake, and betray the Ordinances; yet the Lord will come, and his blow shall ruine them, especially if his awake not at his cry, Isa. 25. 9, 10. it shall be said when the terrible ones are blasts, Lo! this is our God, and in this mount shall the hand of the Lord come.
Object. But still my sin con…nues.
Answ. The Church in the Revelations, when they have all things, yet are absent from the Lord, and sin before the Lord makes them say, Oh come Lord Iesus! saith Christ, Behold I come quickly! Christ will come at last and for ever comfort you, and be with you, and you ever with the Lord; this coming to be sure shall be, and what then though you walk through the vail of the shadow of death! the Lord is with you, and him that is the glory of Saints, the joy of Angels, the rest and delight of God, whom all ends of the earth have looked unto, shalt thou see with those eyes, and be with him for ever, and then shall he give thee double for all thy sorrows, sins, temptations, when every one else shall leave thee, and shall rejoyce and glory in thee, that ever he hath got thee, and (as he said) he will then serve thee, Luk. 12. Oh his coming would swallow up all our sorrows; Christ tells them of nothing but this, Ioh. 14. I wonder at Christians that are sadded at losses and evils here; Why the Lord will come!
SECT. V.
Quest. HOw shall I know whether the Lord will come or no?
Answ. 1. If the Lord ever hath or doth make this the rest and stay of thy heart, not only for righteousness, but for all fulness of comfort, and that not onelyonly to thy conscience, but to thy heart and will: for many rest on Christ for righteousness; but what comforts their hearts? they joy in other things, and are greedy after things in the world, &c. Now as a man that rests on Christ for righteousness, he abhors all other righteousness; so if a Christian rest on Christ for consolation, you will deny all other things to comfort you also, Ier. 17. 5, 6. Cursed is the man that trusteth in man, he shall not see when good comes. Psal. 22. 1. Oh Lord, why hast thou forsaken me? I …ust in thee; our fathers trusted in thee and were delivered: Yes, but not you that are so poor and vile: True, I am so in the eyes of the world; but on God have I been cast; To trust to Christ for righteousness, but not for consolation, is to marry a man to pay debts, but not to live upon his house; try if it be so or no; thou feelest the Lord gone, yet thy faith is not gone from him.
2. If the Lord hath given thee a heart, whether the Lord comes or no, not to trouble thy self about success, and time of coming, as to minde the doing of his work against his coming, that thy heart is resolved and will live to him though he never comes to thee. Ioh. 2. 5. When Mary said that wine was wanting; saith Christ, it is not my hour; then, what ever he bids you do, do it; Heb. 10. 36. you have need of patience; for all impatience ariseth from minding inordinately the success, what the event will be, and distracting the mind there; but (as a poor servant) when a man thinks whether Christ come or not, these sins shall down; this argues love never to be forgotten; Iudges 10. 16. nothing grieves the Lord and makes the Lord absent, but because grieved with sin, misery comes; now sin is removed; it may be no assurance while thou diest or livest; yet if resolved my soul shall follow the Lord, now it is right, &c. But if while the Lord is now gone, your hearts are jolly, and loose every way, way desire you the day of the Lord? it is darkness to you.