Christs Certain and Sudden Appearance to Judgment, Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
THe judgment of the righteous will be first, and therefore I shall first treat of it, and here speak,
1. Of the immediate antecedents to their judgment.
2. Of the judgement it self.
1. Concerning the immediate Antecedents to the judgment of the righteous.
1. The first Antecedent to the righteous judgment will be their resurrection from the dead, 1 Thes. 4. 16. The dead in Christ shall rise first; when Christ descends from heaven, the souls of the righteous shall descend with him, 1 Thes. 4. 14. Them that sleep in Iesus will God bring with him. The spirits of all the just men and women made perfect shall then come down and finde out their own bodies, which have been sleeping in the bed of their graves, and they shall enter again into their old habitations; they went out of them, it may be with fear and trembling, with grief and sorrow, being unwilling to leave them behind, though they were so rotten and ruinous: but O with what joy will they return and enter again, when the building shall be repaired, when their bodies shall be raised by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, and healed of all infirmities, when they shall be made incorruptible and immortal! see 1 Cor. 15. 52. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last Trump, for the Trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. And vers. 54. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in Victory, then shall they triumph over death, and the grave, saying, vers. 55. O Death, where is thy sting? O Grave, where is thy Victory? The Lord Jesus will then make them victorious over this conquerour, vers. 57. Thanks be to God, who hath given us the victory, through our Lord Iesus Christ. The parting of soul and body was never so sad unto any of the Saints at their death, as the meeting will be sweet at their resurrection; O how will the soul wonder at the sudden and strange metamorphosis of the body? when the soul left the body vile to putrify and corrupt in the grave, and shall finde it come forth more bright and glorious than gold, after it hath been refined in a Furnace; when the vile body shall be fashioned like unto Christs most glorious body, Phil. 3. 21. O how will the soul delight in the beauty, strength, and immortality, which then shal be put upon the body, whereby it will be more suited to its nature, and fitted for its operations, and participation in its glory? and how will the body delight in the wonderful glories and shining excellencies which the soul hath attained since its separation? If the love between the soul and the body were so great, when the body was so vile, and the soul so sinful, what will it be when both are glorified? If the conjunction between the soul and body were so sweet vvhen the body vvas so frail and subject to death, and the soul a spiritual and never-dying substance, vvhat vvill it be vvhen the body shall be made immortal, and in some sort spiritual? O with what pleasure will the body awake out of its long sleep and arise and shake off its dust, and put on its beautiful garments of immortality and glory? with what delight and joy will it first open its eyes upon those beautiful and glorious objects which vvill quickly present themselves to its vievv? Thus concerning the resurrection of the righteous bodies.
2. The second Antecedent to the Iudgment of the righ…eous, will be their meeting with the Angels at their Graves mouth, Matth. 24. 31. He shall send his Angels with the great sound of a Trumpet, and they shall gather the Elect from the four winds, from one end of Heaven to the other: no sooner are they awakened and risen out of their Graves, but they are entertained by Angels, those holy and excellent creatures, who have such a dear love to them, and before have done many good offices for them, though, when before in the body, they did not perceive it, and were too low, and unfit for their acquaintance: but they will then know them, and be able to discern the beauty of those lovely spirits▪ who for so many years have been beholding the face of their Father in heaven, which will have cast such a lustre upon them that will be matter of their admiration; and these shall be part of their acquaintance and companions in glory: instead of Devils, those Angels of darkness, which used to assault, buffet and molest them, when in the body before; they shall now have Angels of light with them, and about them to joyn together in the Love and praise of the great Jehovah. The Angels will be sent to call them, and gather them, and we may …ationally imagine that they will salute them at their rising, and welcome them out of their graves: we read of the Angel Gabriel's salutation of Mary, Luke 1. 28. Hail thou that ar… highly favoured, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou amongst Women; and the same Angels words to Daniel, chap. 9. 23. Thou art greatly beloved. Such salutations possibly the Angels may give, to the Saints at their resurrection. Arise you that are highly favoured of God, come forth yee that are greatly beloved; welcome, welcome yee happy ones; ye that are blessed amongst the children of men; your Lord is come down and stayeth… for you; he hath sent us to call you, and convey you into his presence, & bring you where he is, that you may see and share in his glory: O how will such words make their hearts to glow within them! how joyfull will such a message be unto them! O happy they that ever they were born! or rather that ever they were new born! O happy they that they should live, that they should be raised to see such a day as this will be! O what looks! what speeches! what joyes will they have, when they are entertained by the Angels?
3. The third Antecedent to the Righteous Iudgment, will be their meeting one with another: Matth. 24. 31. The Angels will be sent to gather the Elect together, 2 Thes. 2. 1. I beseech you …rethren, by the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him; the Saints will be all gathered together, and we shall be gathered with them, if we be found in that number; there we shall meet with Abraham, and Isaac, and Iacob, and all the holy Kings, and Prophets, and Apostles, and Martyrs, and holy Men, who have lived in all Generations; and all these in another hue than when they lived upon the Earth, they will arise like so many shining Suns ou… of the Earth; O how shall we be delighted with the …ight of such a glorious train and company, when we see the Image and picture of the Lord upon them, drawn so to the life? what sweet greetings shall we have, and mutual congratulations of our old acquaintance in the flesh, who were with us acquainted with the Lord? and is this the end of our hearing and fasting, and praying, and self-denial, and mortification, and the poor services we have done for the Lord? Is this the issue of our pains and labour? O happy we that ever we repented, and believed, and closed with Jesus Christ! O happy we that laid up our Treasure, and waited for our glory and happiness till this time.
4. The fourth Antecedent is that the righteous shall be caught up together in the aire; all the righteous shall be caught up, they that are raised from the dead, and they that remain alive upon the Earth on that day, 1 Thess. 4. 16, 17. The dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them, to meet the Lord in the aire: we read of the two witnesses, which were slain; after three dayes and a half, the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon the…r feet, and they heard a great voice from Heaven saying unto them, come up hither, and they ascended up to Heaven in a Cloud, &c. Rev. 11. 11, 12. In the morning of the resurrection, the spirit of life from God will enter into the bodies of all the Saints, and they will stand up, and possibly they may hear a voice from Christ in the aire. Come up hither: and then they will be caught up, and ascend into the aire to meet with their Lord; O what unexpressible pleasure and delight will they finde when they Feel themselves begin to move upwards, when they are leaving the Earth and wicked men, and so many glorious persons of them together ascending to meet their most glorious Lord!
5. The fifth antecedent to the judgment, is their meeting with the Lord in the aire: 1 Thess. 4. 17. Then we which are alive, and remain, shall be caught up together with them, to meet the Lord in the aire. We have spoken of the meeting of the soul and the body; of the meeting of the Saints with the Angels; of the meeting of the Saints with the Saints; all which meetings will be very delightful, but the meeting of the Saints with the Lord himself will be beyond all. O how sweet will the sound of Christ's coming be unto them before they see him? When they hear the long expected shou…, and the sound of the last Trump! This, this will be musick indeed in their eares; Then, then they will lift up their heads with joy; and do but think how transporting the first glance of their eye will be upon the Lord Jesus Christ, when they see him yet afar off, cloathed with such brightness and beauty; never did their eye behold such an object before; they admired to see the Saints, and to see themselves so transformed; but how will they admire to see the Lord in such glory? if so be that some of his Disciples did gaze after him with wonder, when he was taken from them, and ascended into Heaven, Acts 1. 11. With what wonder will all his Disciples (most of which never saw him in the flesh, none of which saw him in such glory) then gaze upon him, when he shall come down from Heaven! Yee Men of Galilee, why stand yee gazing up into Heaven? Say the Angels. this same Iesus which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come in like manner, as yee have seen him go into Heaven; if you look and wonder now at his going, how will you look and wonder at his coming, which will be as surely, but far more gloriously? But when they are come neerer unto Christ, and have a fuller view of him, O vvhat thoughts! What affections! What joyes vvill there then fill their souls! O what workings, what beatings of heart! what transports and ravishment of spirit will they have! O how would they be overwhelmed with this sight, and utterly unable to bear it, if they were not strengthened beyond their present capacity! And is this the Saviour and Redeemer of the world? O glorious Son of righteousness! Did this most excellent Person, who thus appears in the brightness of his Fathers glory, and is now come down from his glorious habitation, with such a glorious train of Angels, once vouchsafe to dwell with men, and vaile his glory in the flesh! Did this eternal Son of God stoop so low, as to take upon him our nature, yea to take upon him the forme of a Servant! Did he live in such meanness and obscurity; and indure, such hardship, contradiction, reproach and injury, when he was upon the earth! O infinite condescention! Did this Lord of life and glory, in the dayes of his flesh so weep, and pray, and cry; sweat, and bleed, and die, though with such pain, anguish, and disgrace; yet with such willingness and patience, in our steads, that he might redeem us from sin, and death, and wrath to come; that we might not perish, but have overlasting life? O wonderful, uncon…eivable love! What, so glorious a Person to be made man! to be made sin! to be made a curse! to do such things! to suffer such things! for such mean, vile cursed …inners as we, that we might be blessed and happy with him; O surpassing superlative kindness! Is this he who made choice of us, when he chose so few, that called us when the most were passed by, that pitcht his love upon us, when there was no attractive in us, nothing to move him, but his own bowels, that revealed his secrets to us, when he hid them from the wise and prudent, that brought us nigh when we were afar off▪ and made us fellow-Citizens, and fellow-heirs with the Saints, and of the houshold of God, who were by nature children of wrath, even as others? O astonishing free grace! Is this he who cloathed us when we were naked, even with the robes of his own righteousness? that washed us when we were defiled, even in the fountain of his own blood? that cheared us when we were troubled, even with the comforts of his own Spirit? that strengthned us when we were weak, even with his might and glorious power in our inner man? was it from this Person that we received our pardon, our peace, our supports, our graces, our encouragements, and all the sweet refreshments we have found in Ordinances?
Is this the Advocate whom we made choice of, relied, and trusted upon f…r life and salvation? Is this the Master whom we followed, and whose work we were imployed about? Is this the Captain whose colours we wore, and under whose banner we fought? Is this the Lord whom we obeyed! the friend, the husband whom we loved? and is he so glorious! O how will the Saints be wrapt up with admiration and joy! how will they be all in a flame of burning love and affection, when they come to behold the Lord Jesus Christ himself, and view him in such glory, as then he will be decked withall? when they come to see him face to face, who hath such loveliness in his face, and such love in his heart unto them. It is said, 1 Pet. 1. 8. whom having not seen ye love, in whom though now ye see him, yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakab…e and full of glory.
If so be that the Saints do now love Christ, whom they never saw, only have heard of, and bel…eved the report of the word; how will they love him when they have this sight of him, and see a thousandfold more beauty in him than was reported, or could be imagined? if so be that now sometimes they rejoyce, with glorious and unspeakable joy in believing, what will they do when they come to see him in his glory? If they can now rejoyce in tribulations, and take pleasure▪ in the cross and reproach of Christ, what will they finde in their masters joy, and the Crown which he now comes to put upon their heads? O how glad will they be that they have been counted worthy to suffer any thing for such a Saviour? It will be a joyful time indeed unto the Saints when they are caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
And the joy of Christ will be no less, to meet with them; O with what an eye will he view them, when they are arising and ascending with so much of his beauty and lustre upon them▪ none can conceive the love and delight which the Lord Jesus will take in them at that day: he will look upon them as those who were beloved by the Father and himself from all eternity; as those who fetcht him out of heaven before to redeem them, and now to glorifie them; he will look upon them as the travel of his soul; as the price of his blood; he will look upon them as his Jewels; as spoils taken out of the hands of his enemies; he will look upon them as plants grown up unto perfection; as servants who have done their work; as those who have kept up his honour in the world; he will look upon them as members of his body; he will look upon them as his dearest spouse, and most beautiful bride, who now cometh to be joyned to him more neerly, and to live with him for ever. O the love and joy of Christ at this meeting! If so be that Christ so dearly loved his Spouse, and could delight in her too, when she was black and sooty, when her clothes were spotted, and stained, when her affections were weak, low, and inconstant; how will he love and rejoyce in her when she is made perfectly like to himself, and so beautiful with his comeliness? when her stains are all washed off, and she is presented before him without spot, wrinkle, blemish, or any such thing? when she shall be arrayed in white, and hath put on her shining garments, and appear so lovely, and her love shall be so high, and full, and strong, and flaming? Never did Lovers meet with such delight, & joy on their wedding-day, as Christ and his Spouse will meet at the day of his second appearance; O the sweet smiles the Saints will see in the face of Christ! Smiles upon them, such glances of love will sparkle forth from his eyes, as will ravish their hearts; O the sweet words they will hear! the welcome he will give them when they first meet! when they are come, he will place them at his right hand. So much concerning the more immediate Antecedents of the judgment of the righteous.