A New Years Gift, Section 22
XXII.
The Glorious Appearance of Chriſt to Judgment conſidered as Certain: The Terror and Aſtoniſhment, Confuſion and Deſpair of Wicked Jews and Chriſtians, to behold their Judge, and hear his Condemning Sentence to EVERLASTING Deſtruction.
WHen our Bleſſed Saviour ſhall appear to judge the World, I read that it ſhall be, In his own Glory, the Glory of his Father, and of the Holy Angels. If by the Glory of the Father, be meant that of the Divinity, as the Original and Author of all things in Nature; as the Almighty Creator of the World; and by the Glory of his Holy Angels, be underſtood that of the Legal Adminiſtration, the Law being given by the Diſpoſition of Angels; and by his own Glory, that of the Goſpel, as he is the Meſſiah; that in the Glory of all theſe, he ſhall come to Judgment: We have a ſummary Account of the three different Revelations, which God hath made of himſelf to Mankind; by the Light of Nature, that of the Law, and the more manifeſt one of the Goſpel. According to which every Man is to be judged at the laſt Day.
Tho' we cannot diſtinctly tell what, or how great our Lord's Glory will then be; we may be certain, it will be ſuitable to the Dignity of his Royal Perſon, ſuitable to the Grandeur of his Father's Majeſty; with the Splendour of a Triumphant Prince, who is Heir of all Things; and hath all Power in Heaven and in Earth committed to him; the Great Lord of both Worlds, Head of Angels and Men; and ſuitable to his Glorious Office, as Mediator, and the appointed Judge of Quick and Dead.
If at his Tranfiguration his Face ſhone, and his Raiment was white and glittering; How much more Splendid will his laſt Appearance be? When the Bodies of his Saints ſhall be ſeven times brighter than the luſtre of the Sun? And if his Members ſhall then be ſo glorious, how tranſcendently more ſo will their Head, their Lord appear? If the Delivery and Promulgation of the Law on Mount Sinai, was accompanied with ſuch Circumſtances of Terrible Majeſty, how much more may we ſuppoſe the Great Aſſize will be attended with; when he comes to judge for the violation of the Law, and the contempt of the Goſpel? And if even Moſes did then exceedingly quake and fear, what will be the Conſternation and trembling of the wicked World at the Coming of Chriſt? When he ſhall be revealed from Heaven in flaming Fire, with a glorious retinue of his mighty Angels, as ſo many bright Stars, about the more glorious Sun of Righteouſneſs. The Lights of Heaven ſhall be eclips'd; the viſible Sun ſhall vail its bluſhing head, as infinitely out-ſhone; the preſent Glory of the Creation be all benighted, by reaſon of his tranſcendent Brightneſs. Yea, the Heavens ſhall be wrapt up as a ſcroll; the Elements melt away with a mighty noiſe: the Earth and all its works be burnt up; and the whole Univerſe as one great Bonfire, to adorn the Triumph of our Lord's Appearance. And this uſher'd in by the Voice of an Archangel, proclaiming his approach; and the Voice of God, ſupplying the uſe of a Trumpet, to raiſe the Dead, and poſſeſs Mankind with an awful Reverence of their Judge.
Thus in Triumph, as a Conqueror, and a Judge, ſhall he come again, who once appear'd in the form of a Servant, to be Judged and Condemn'd by Man. Then he was called King in ſcorn: Now he will appear as much above all Earthly and Humane Greatneſs, as once he ſtoop'd, for our ſakes, beneath it. Then the Contempt of Nations, duplicate page duplicate page and no way eſteem'd Deſirable, when he came from the Womb of his Virgin-Mother: Now the Terrour of the World, when he comes again from the Right-hand of his Father. No more to be ſubject to a ſtate of Meanneſs, but to render vengeance to all, who know not God, and obey not the Goſpel: and to be glorified in his Saints, and admired in, and by, all them that believe *2 Theſſ. chap. 1..
He was put to ſhame in the days of his Fleſh, made himſelf of no Reputation, and accounted unworthy to live: But when he comes again, he will put on a Garment of Vengeance, to repay Fury to the Enemies of his Croſs, and make his wicked Deſpiſers riſe again to ſhame, and everlaſting contempt. They that once bowed the knee to him in mockery, and ſhaked their heads at him in deriſion, ſhall then ſee every knee how before him, of things in Heaven, things in Earth, and under the Earth: Angels, Men, and Devils, in ſubjection to him, as Lord and King. Pilate, who condem'd him as his Priſoner, ſhall appear before him as his rightful Judge; and know, that he was anothergueſs King and Monarch, than the Roman Emperor. The falſe Witneſſes, who accuſed him of Blaſphemy, ſhall be impeach'd by one another, and their own guilty Conſciences, before his Bar; with the other Jews, who once drag'd him before their Tribunal; and be confounded, to ſtand before his Judgment-Seat. His Crucifiers ſhall behold him on a Throne of Glory, whom they Nailed to an infamous Croſs. They ſhall be aſtoniſh'd, to behold him ſitting at the Right Hand of God, whoſe Hands they bound, whoſe Body they ſcourg'd, whoſe Side they pierc'd. They who Crown'd him with Thorns, ſhall (with all the World) behold him with a Crown of Glory. They that ſpit on him, and ſmote him on the face, with the fiſt of wickedneſs, ſhall have their own faces covered with Confuſion. They that approved his Condemnation to Death, as a Criminal, ſhall be ſentenced from His mouth, as their Judge, to Everlaſting Deſtruction. They that ſcourged him, as a Malefactor, ſhall be beaten with many ſtripes. They that made him ſtagger under the weight of his Croſs, ſhall ſink under the guilt and puniſhment of deſpiſing it. They that Nailed him to the accurſed Tree, between Thieves and Robbers, ſhall be ſentenc'd to endleſs Puniſhment, in much worſe Company. They who gave him Gall and Vinegar to drink, ſhall not be able to get a drop of water to cool their own Tongues. Where then ſhall the Wicked and Ungodly of the Chriſtian World appear? who Crucifie the Son of God afreſh, ſince he hath declared himſelf to be ſo, by his Reſurrection, and the Miſſion of the Holy Ghoſt, and fulfilling his threatned Vengeance on the Nation of the Jews, &c.
If the Jews ſhall have a ſorer Condemnation than ignorant Heathens, who never heard of Chriſt, never ſaw his Miracles, or were inform'd of his Doctrine; How ſhall we eſcape? For he will come again as a Conqueror, and Judge, and not as a Sufferer and a Surety, as he came at firſt; and tho' he was numbred with Tranſgreſſors, and made his Grave with the Wicked, at his firſt Appearance; he ſhall hereafter be attended with the ſhouts of Angels, who excell in ſtrength, and the joyful Acclamations of his Saints, glittering as the Light, and paying Homage to Him as the Judge of Quick and Dead. He, whom we have deſpiſed, ſhall then be encompaſs'd with a dezling Glory, that will confound us. He, whom we have affronted, will be cloathed with a Majeſty that ſhall aſtoniſh us. He, whom we have offended, ſhall be armed with Power, and with Wrath to puniſh us; and all that continue to lift up the Heel againſt him, ſhall then be made his Footſtool: all that refuſe to kiſs the Sceptre of his Grace, ſhall be broken in pieces by his Iron Rod.
The Holy Scripture doth frequently, and expreſly aſſure us, that he will thus come again, and for theſe ends. He is exalted, and gone to Heaven, as the Head of his Church, and the King of Glory; and when he foretold his Aſcenſion, he gave a promiſe of his Return. The Heavens are to contain him, till the Reſtitution of all things. By his Providence, and by his holy Spirit, he now carries on the Deſigns of his Death: and when theſe are accompliſh'd, he will appear, to the Joy of Believers, and the Confuſion of the Wicked. He is entred as our *Heb. c. 6.19, 20. &c. 10.20.Foerunner, within the Veil, to prepare Manſions, and to take poſſeſſion for us, and will not always leave us in this dark and defiling World. He knoweth our Sorrows, and heareth our Prayers, and bottles our Tears, takes notice of our Groans, and in all our Afflictions he is afflicted. Being reconciled by his Death, at his firſt coming, we ſhall be ſaved by his Life, ſince he lives to make good his word of coming again.
How comfortable is the News of it? how joyful will be the Meeting, to ſuch as expect and prepare to ſee him? when the Sea and the Graves ſhall yield up their Dead, and all the Priſoners of Hope lift up their heads, ariſe, go up, and meet the Lord in the Air, and aſcend with him to the Heavenly Glory. But who can expreſs how diſmal a Sight this will be to the Secure, and the Impenitent, to all who die in their ſins? to behold their Judge (who formerly offered to be their Saviour) upon a glorious Throne, and all the Children of Adam ſummon'd before his Tribunal! to have nothing to anſwer againſt his Charge, and no way to eſcape his condemning Sentence! They deſpiſed him as a Lamb, offer'd his Sacrifice to take away the Sins of the World; but ſhall no longer do ſo, when he comes as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, to devour and deſtroy the Enemies of his Croſs. Now they will not own him for their Lord, but ſhall then find he is ſo, by the Vengeance he will execute.
As a Jeſus, as a Saviour they rejected him, making light of his Salvation, deſpiſing his Mercy, refuſing his Grace: but the neglected Goſpel, will then be a more killing Letter than the Law. He who by his Embaſſadors doth now intreat Sinners to be reconciled, will then be as deaf to their Intreaties, as they have been to His. Becauſe they would not turn at his Reproof, hearken to the Call of his Word, and obey its Voice, they muſt hear the Sentence of Condemnation, and feel the Execution of it, whether they will or no; yea, the Blood of his Croſs will upbraid, accuſe, and plead againſt them. And whatſoever fooliſh Evaſions they now make, to continue in ſecurity, they ſhall then be Speechleſs, and Self-condemned. Nothing will be able to hide them, from the amazing Preſence of their Judge, or from the Wrath of the Lamb. He then will inflict an intolerable and righteous Vengeance, an Everlaſting Deſtruction, upon all the ignorant and ungodly World: The Greateſt, the Stouteſt, the Boldeſt of them, ſhall then be humbled, and ſtand before Chriſt's Tribunal, upon an equal Level with the Meaneſt; ſeized with horror, filled with guilt, anguiſh, and deſpair; and find to their eternal Confuſion, that the Judge is no reſpecter of Perſons, but every man ſhall receive according to his works. The Mighty ſhall not be ſpared for his Greatneſs, nor the Mean man for his Poverty.
O Fool! O Wretch that I am! ſhall many then ſay, who now brave it out in Pride and Vanity, unconcern'd about a future Judgment! not to be perſuaded by the Terrors of the Lord, which I was ſo often warn'd and foretold of! What Refuge of Hope can I now flie to? What can I ſay for my ſelf? What can I do to eſcape, to die, to exiſt no longer? I would have no compaſſion on my own Soul; I would not ſo much as conſider its danger; I ſhall now find none from Chriſt, I can expect none: His Mercy is gone, and gone for ever! I am loſt, undone, tormented, and muſt eternally be ſo. O the Amazement, Horror, and Deſpair of ſelf-condemned Sinners in that day of Vengeance!
O my Soul! what is there of greater Conſequence, or of greater Certainty from the Word of God, than that I muſt appear to Judgment, when Chriſt ſhall come again? Lord, teach me to believe it firmly, to conſider it often, to lay it ſeriouſly to heart, to act under the Influence and Power of it, as long as I live; that at the Great Reſurrection from the Dead, I may lift up my head with a joyful Hope, and find the Judge to be my Friend, my Advocate, my Jeſus, and not my Enemy, and Deſtroyer.