The Last Judgment, Tract · Doctrine 10
Doct. X. is this, That the Lord Jeſus will at the laſt day welcome an his Elect ones, and … them come to him to enjoy his ſweet prejence.
Reaſons. 1. From his Father. 2. From Himſelf. 3. From his Saints.
From his Father. 1. He hath bleſſed them. So the text. But of that more hereafter. 2. He hath given his Son out of love to them, Joh. 3.16. & them to him, Heb. 2.13 therefore no wonder if the Son be ſo willing to welcome and receive his Fathers gift. 3. The Fathers pleaſure is to give them the Kingdome, Luke 12.32. and if the Father ſo honour them, the Son will honour them with a bleſſed welcome into his ſweet preſence. 4. The Father hath called them to the fellowſhip of his Son, 1 Cor. 1.9. and therefore no wonder if the Son admit ſuch into his fellowſhip at that day. 5. The Father hath delight in the ſight of the Lord Jeſus and his children together, Heb. 2.13. and therefore no wonder if he be ſo willing to bid them come to him. 6. The Fathers will is that none of them ſhould be loſt, John 6.39 and if ſo, the Son cannot but gather them together to himſelf.
2. From Chriſt himſelf. 1. He hath promiſed, that where he is, they ſhall be alſo, John 14.3. 2. He hath prepared a place for them, ibid. that they may be together. 3. He prayed for this when he was on earth, John 17.24. 4. He loves them, Deut. 33.3. Pſal. 146.8. Gal. 2 20. and they that love, are never well but when they are together. 5. He takes pleaſure in his people, Cant. 2.14. Pſal. 149.4. and if here, much more at that day, when all their rags are off, when in their Robes 6. He ſhews himſelf and his Children as a pleaſant ſight for the Father to behold, Heb. 2.13. and therefore cannot but at that day give them admittance into ſweeteſt fellowſhip with him, and ſay Come to them.
3. From the Elect Saints themſelves. 1. They are Members of his Body, of his Fleſh, and of his Bones, Eph. 5.30. 2. They are his Brethren: ſo the Text: and brotherly Communion he thinks is meet; Brethren love to be together. 3. They have had fellowſhip with him on earth, 1 John 1.3. and are ſtyled his fellows, Pſal. 45.7. and will not he bid his fellows welcome at that day? 4. They have been troubled for nothing more then his abſence, Lam. 1.16. 5. They have deſred his preſence when they have wanted it, Pſal. 42.1, 2. & 63.1, 2. & 84.1, 2. Jerem. 14.8, 9. 6. They have longed earneſtly for the full fruition of him, Cant. 8. ult. Rev. 22.20. and have looked for him, Phil. 3.20
Ʋſe 1. for Information: 1. We ſee the great love of the Lord Jeſus, that not onelyonly cauſeth us to come to him here in a ſtate of Grace, but admits us, and invites us to come to him in a ſtate of Glory. What love is there like to this love? Eph 3.18, 19. 2. We ſee the truth of that in John 6.37. Him that cometh to me, I will in no wiſe caſt out. 3. We ſee what earneſt denres we ſhould have, to have communion and fellowſhip with him here, for he will admit us at that day into full communion and fellowſhip with him, Job 22.21. 1 John 13.4. We ſee that the enjoyment of fellowſhip with Chriſt at that day, is the top of Glory, and the Heaven of Heaven it ſelf. Chriſt ſaid all and enough, when he ſaid, Luke 23.43. To day ſhalt thou be with me: and the Apotle in Philip. 1.23. 1 Theſſ. 4.17, 18. 5. We ſee how earneſtly we ſhould ſign and breather in our deſires after that day, to hear tha… joyful word, Co…e. Well may the Spirit and the Bride ſay, Come, Rev. 22.17. well may each faithful Soul ſay, Come, to him, who will at that day ſay Come, to them, Rev. 22.20. 6. We ſee how ready we ſhould be to come at his call, to come to him in a way of believing, John 6.35. to come to him in a way of Repentance, Iſa. 21.12. to come to him in a way of Obedience, Rev. 3.20. Well may we come to him all theſe wayes, who will ſpeak that bleſſed word Co…e, to us at that day. 7. We ſee that we need not diſdain to come after him, and take up his Croſs, for this ſweet word Come, will be comfort enough after all our ſufferings with him, and for him. 8. We ſee how joyfully we ſhould call one upon another, to come and aſſemble together into his Houſe and Courts, Iſa. 2.2, 3. M…cah 4.1, 2. Zech. 8.20, 21, 22. We may well come to meet him there, that will at that day meet with us, and ſay Come to us. 9. We ſee what great encouragement we have to invite him to come to partake in our Services and Duties, as Cant 4. ult. This bleſſed Come of his at the laſt day, ſhould put us upon inviting him to come to what we provide for him, his own precious fruits. 10. We ſee that the very meaneſt and pooreſt, and ſuch as are moſt deſpicable in their own and others eyes, ſhall be then owned and accepted of him, and entertained into ſweeteſt fellowſhip with him, for he ſhall ſay Come to them, at that day.
Ʋſe 2. for Exhertation: 1. To come before his preſence with ſinging, Pſal 100.2. And let this Come, put life and cheerfulneſs into all our Services in publick that are to be performed to him. 2. To come together in our more private Services, as they did of old, Mal 3.16. 3. To come often before him in ſecret Duties, Mat…h. 6.…, 6, 16. Let this Come, make us come and perform ſecret duties. 4. To own him, and his Cauſe, and Saints, that will then own us. 15. To admire the Lords mercy to us, that he ſhould give us any hope of hearing ſuch a joyful word, who have deſerved to be for ever abdicated from his preſence. 6. To love his appearing: well may we do ſo, … Tim. 1.8. 7. To give all diligence to make our calling and elect on ſure, 2 Pet. 1 10. for Elect ones ſhall never fall. 8. To have no fellowſhip with the workers of iniquity, for they are no meet company for thoſe that Chriſt will ſay Come unto at that d…y. 9 To bewail our long delayes in coming to him: He hath ſaid Turn ye, turn ye &c. Ezek. 33.11. and. When ſhall it once be? Jerem. 13.27. but we have and him ſtay long. 10. To pray earneſtly that we may be in that number, Luke 21.36. to ſtand before the Son of man.
Ʋſe 3. for Conſolation: 1. Againſt the ſeparation that others make from us: If Chriſt will own us, and ſay Come, it's no matter. 2. Againſt mens ſeparating us from their company, Luke 6.22. 3. Againſt Chriſts ſeeming derelictions here, they may be the better born, if at that day he ſay Come to us. 4. Againſt Satans whiſperings and falſe charges.
Poſitive Comforts. 1. That we are happy, if all go, if Chriſt ſ…y Come to us at that day. 2. That if we never come to any thing in this world, it's no matter if he ſay Come at that day. 3. That they are bleſſed that have a portion in him, for he will then ſay Come.