The Last Judgment, Tract · Doctrine 8
Verſe 34. Then ſhall the King ſay to them on his right hand &c.
Doct. VIII. That before the dreadfull Sentence of condemnation be pronounced againſt the Reprobate, the elect Saints ſhall be abſolved and acquitted. He begins with them firſt.
Reaſons. 1. They are appointed to riſe firſt. 1 Theſ. 4.17 and that may be a pledg of their Sentence of abſolution, to be firſt paſſed upon them. 2. They are to ſit with Chriſt to judg the world, and to judg Angels, 1 Cor. 6.2, 3. and therefore it is meet they ſhould be firſt abſolved & acquited before ye ſentence of condemnation be paſſed upon the reprobate. 3. The Lord will have them to be without fear at that day: now if they ſhould not be firſt in their ſentence of abſolution, they could not chuſe but be affraid at the dreadfull ſentence of condemnation upon reprobates: and therefore that the Judg may take away all fear from them at that day, he firſt begins with them, and acquits them. 4. That day is the day of their Redemption Luke 21.28. and if it were not ſo, that they were firſt acquitted, it could not be ſo, for they would be in captivity to trouble and trembling, and then it could not be a day of redemption to them: 5. That day is a day of refreſhing to the Saints, Acts 3.19. and that it may appear to be a day of refreſhing to them, they are firſt acquitted before the other are condemned. 6. The day is called the day of Reſtitution, Acts 3.21. wherin all that the Lord hath promiſed, ſhall be reſtored to them, all their peace, all their comfort, all their pilviledges, all their honour ſhall be reſtored to them at that day: and therefore they are firſt to have the ſentence of abſolution paſſed upon them. 7. At that day they are to have dominion over the wicked, Pſal. 49.14. & this is part of their dominion, that they ſhall have the ſentence of abſolution firſt paſſed upon them. 8. That day is the day they love, 2 Ti…: 4.8. The day they look for, Heb. 9.28. the day they wiſh & pray for, Cant. 8.14. Apo. 22.20 But ſoit would not be if; Saints were not firſt to be abſolved. 9 That day is ye day of clearing. 1 Cor. 4.5 wherin hidden things are to be brought to light, and the Saints are to have praiſe of God, and when they come to be firſt abſolved, then this will be. 10. That day is the day of Chriſt, Phil. 1.6. and the day of God, 2 Pet. 3.12. wherein the Wiſedome of Chriſt and the Juſtice of Chriſt ſhall ſhine forth: and all theſe will appear manifeſtly, in paſſing the ſentence of abſolution firſt upon elect ones. 11. That day is called the great day. Iude verſe 6. and that is one reaſon of it, in that the Lord Jeſus will then make his name ſo great in the admiring of his Saints, 2 Theſ. 1.10. in the ſentence of abſolution that he firſt paſſeth upon them. 12. That day is the day when he will reward his ſervants, Apoc. 22.12. and that is one principall thing in the reward of his ſervants, that he doth firſt cheer their hearts, in abſolving them, before he come to pronounce the dreadfull ſentence of condemnation againſt the wicked.
Ʋſe 1. for Information: 1. We ſee how tender the Lord Jeſus will be of his Elect…ones at that day, that he will take away all cauſe of feare from them, he would have them without fear here, when they have moſt cauſe to be affraid, Lam. 3.57. Iſai 41.10. but at that day he would not have them to have ſo much as a ſhaddow of fear upon them, and therefore takes a ſure courſe to prevent it by abſolving and acquitting them before be paſs the ſentence of Condemnation upon the wicked. 2. We ſee how deſireable that day ſhould be to all ye Lords Elect Saints, for it is the day wherein they ſhall be fully acquited and abſolved by the Judg of quick and dead, well may they long and look for that bleſſed day. 3. We ſee what love we ſhould expreſs to Jeſus Chriſt, how can we love him enough, that will at that day ſo lovingly abſolve and acquit us, a Malefactour would for ever love that Judg that when he might have cōdemned him, will notwithſtanding graciouſly acquit him, and that before he Condemn others: So much more ſhould we, 1 Cor. 16.22. 4. We ſee a reaſon why Chriſt ſhall be ſo glorified in his Saints at that day, 2 Theſ. 1.10. there is good cauſe why it ſhould be ſo, for he will firſt begin with abſolving them, before he do any thing elſe at ye day of Judgment. 5. We ſee why he ſhould be the firſt and chief with us, the firſt in our deſires, and above all others in our eſteem, Pſal. 73.25. Cant. 5.10. for we ſhall be the firſt with him at that day, he will firſt acquit us before he do any thing elſe at the great day. 6. We ſee what great reaſon we have to juſtifie and clear him in all his diſpenſations of himſelfe to us, in all the afflictions, troubles, and all the evils that paſs over our heads in this World, Pſal. 51.4. Nehem. 9.33. for as he doth here acquit us in his word, and by his ſpirit, ſo at that day he will with his own bleſſed mouth paſs the bleſſed ſentence of abſolution upon us, and it ſhall be the firſt thing that he will then do. 7 We ſee that what the Lord calls his Servants to, he will then ſurely inable them to, and remove that that might hinder them, he calls his ſervants then to an honourable work, to Judg the World, to Judg Angells, and that they may not be in the leaſt ſurprized with fear and ſo hindred, he takes that away and firſt paſſeth the ſentence of abſolution upon them, before he condemn the wicked World. 8. We ſee what tenderneſs we ſhould uſe toward his Saints and people, we ſhould do what we can to take them off from all their feares, ſuch as are in temptation that are full of feares, if we judg them ſuch as Chriſt hath acquitted and will acquit at that day, we ſhould do as he doth, do what we can to take them off from all their feares, 1 Theſ. 5.14. Iſai 35.3, 4. 9. We ſee the Wiſedome and Juſtice of Chriſt Jeſus the Judg that he will have nothing to trouble his Saints with, it is the wiſdome and juſtice of an earthly Judg to incourage thoſe that are innocent and acquit them: So here 2 Tim. 4.8. 10. We ſee what great honour the Lord will put upon his Elect Saints at that day in that he will acquit them and abſolve them before his Father and the Holy Angels and the whole World, it is an honour to a poor man that is brought before an earthly Judg to be acquitted before all the company that are preſent at the aſſize. Oh what an honour then will ye Lord Jeſus put upon them that are his Elect at that day whom he will acquit before God, Angels, and Men, when the whole World ſhall be convented before him: Such honour have all his Saints, if the Pſalmiſt ſaid ſo upon a leſs occaſion, Pſal. 149.9. much more may we ſay ſo upon this. 11. We ſee what a mercy it is to be acquitted here, in the aſſurance of the pardon of our Sins, Pſal. 32.1, 2. for it is a bleſſed pledg of our acquitting at that day. 12. We ſee how cordially the Lord Jeſus will abſolve his Elect ones at that day, for he it is that hath ſatisfied divine Juſtice, and payd all their debts for them, and therefore will heartily acquit them, and with much cheerfulneſs pronounce the ſentence of abſolution upon them.
Ʋſe 2. for Terrour to wicked men: For this muſt needs add to their Horrour and Amazement, that others are acquitted and themſelves in a fearfull expectation of being Condemned. So it would be Horrour to thoſe who were to be Condemned in mans Court, to ſee others acquitted firſt, and ſo it will be here, ſee Luk. 13.28.
Ʋſe 3. for Humiliation; 1. That we are ſo full of cenſuring of this and that body, how doeſt thou know but that thou cenſureſt them that Chriſt Jeſus will acquit at that day, Jam. 3.1. 2. That that day is no more longed for and deſired after, they that know they ſhall be acquitted, having gotten the Kings pardon, long for the day of Aſſize? So ſhould we.
Ʋſe 4. for Exhortation: 1. To make ſure of the pardon of our Sins here, that we may with comfort expect acquitting and abſolution at that day, for Bleſſed is he, &c: Pſal. 31.1, 2. 2. To make our calling and Election ſure 2 Pet. 1.10. for they are Elect ones that ſhall be abſolved and acquitted at that day. 3. To ſigh and groan earneſtly in our deſires after that bleſſed day, Apoc. 22.20. Who would not deſire to be acquitted and abſolved by the Judge in the Judgment day? 4. To thank Chriſt Jeſus who hath procured our pardon, and will then fully abſolve us, and acquit us, Epheſ. 1.7. Mic. 7.18. 5. To be the firſt in duty and ſervice unto him who begins with us firſt in that day in abſolving of us: ſee for illuſtration, 2 Sam. 19.11, 12. we had not need be laſt in our duty to him, who makes us firſt in that day. 6. To honour the Lord Jeſus by believing in him who will thus honour us at that day. if 1 Pet. 2.17. then much more are we to honour him. 7.10 wait patiently for his coming, Jam. 5.7, 8. 8. To Judge nothing before the time, 1 Cor. 4.5. 9. To be wea…ed from mens praiſes, for what are theſe to this acquitting? 2 Cor. 10.18. 1 Theſ 2.6. 10 To rulers in the Common Wealth to acquit thoſe that are innocent, Deut. 25.1.
Ʋſe 5. for Conſolation: 1. Againſt all raſh private cenſures and Judgments paſſed upon them w…ereby they are condemned of evill men, Chriſt Jeſus will abſolve them at that day, 1 Cor. 4.3, 4. 2. …gainſt ſlanders more publiquely laid upon them, as Mat. 11.18, 19. Act. 28.22. 3. Againſt the unjuſt and wrongfull ſentences that are paſſed in Judgement ſeats on earth Eccl. 3.16, 17. if they condemn now and Chriſt acquit then, it's no matter. 4. Againſt all the accuſations of Satan, and all the falſe Charges that he hath brought in againſt them day or night Apoc. 12.10. if Chriſt acquit at that day, who is he that ſhall Condemn? Rom. 8.35. 5. Againſt all the feares the Saints have in their own hearts, at that acquitting day and ever after they ſhall be free from all their feares. 6. Againſt mens light eſteem of them, they ſhall be honoured with the firſt, and they only at that day.