The Last Judgment, Tract · Doctrine 9
Doct IX. is this, That the Lord Jeſus in the day of Judgment will ſhew himſelfe a King to his People. The King ſhall ſay, &c:
For opening of which, let me ſhew, 1. Wherein he will ſhew himſelf a King. 2. Why. 3. The Uſes.
For the firſt, He will ſhew himſelfe a King. 1. In being inveſted with glory as a King, Ver. 31. 2. In the attendance of his Courtiers. 3. In ſitting as a King upon his glorious Throne, Ibid. 4. In Congregating all his Subjects and Enemies before him. Ver. 33. 5. In diſpoſing them in their ſeverall places. Ver. 33 6. In giving Sentence upon both; Ver. 34, 41, &c. 7. In rewarding his Subjects, and puniſhing his Enemies, Ver 46.
For the ſecond Why he will then ſhew himſelfe a King?
Anſ. 1. From his Father. 2. From himſelfe 3. From his Servants, both Subjects and Enemies.
1. From his Father. 1. He hath highly exalted him after his deep abaſement, Phil. 2.7, 8, 9, 10. 2. The Father is hereby glorified Ver. 11. 3. The Father Judgeth none but hath Committed all Judgement to the Son, Joh. 5.22. 4. The Father hath given him Authority to execute Judgment Joh. 5.27 5. The Father loveth the Son and … given all things into his hand Joh. 3.33. even all power in heaven and earth, Mat. 28.18. 6. The Father delighteth to honour the Son, and aims at his Honour in Committing all Judgment to him, Jeh. 5.22.23. Phil. 2.9, 10.
2. From Chriſt himſelfe, 1. He ha's fulfilled his Prieſtly and Propheticall Office, and neither of them he will exercize at that day but his Kingly Office, and therefore will ſhew himſelfe a King then. 2. He is the deſigned King by the Father Pſal. 2.6. 3. He is appointed to Judg the world, Act. 17.31. 4. He hath foretold his Kingly honour at that day, Mat. 26.64. Apoc. 22.12. 2 Cor 5.10. 5. He is Chriſt as well as Jeſus, and therefore annointed to the Office of a King as well as Prieſt and Prophet, Mat. 1.16. 6. He is already Crowned Heb. 2.9.
3. From his Servants, and that either Subjects or Enemies.
From his Subjects. 1. To comfort them, 1 Theſ. 4.17, 18. 2. To give them reſt, 2 Theſ. 6.7, 8. 3 To reward them, Apoc. 22.12. 4. To exalt them to be aſſeſſours with him, 1 Cor. 6.2, 3. 5. To own them as the bleſſed of the Father, Mat. 25.34. 6. To poſſeſs them of the great inheritance of a Kingdome. Ibid.
From his Enemies, 1. To terrifie them, 2 Cor. 5.10, 11. 2. To bring every thing to light, 1 Cor. 4.5. 3. To ſet their Sins in order before them, Pſal 50.21. 4. To convince of all that they have done and ſpoken againſt him, Jude ver. 14, 15. 5. To turn them out of his preſence with diſdain, verſe 41. 6. To puniſh them for their wickedneſs with endleſs, eaſeleſs, remedileſs torments, Mark. 9.44.
Ʋſe 1. for Information: 1. We ſee how exceeding terrible the day of Judgement will be to Hypocrites and Reprobates; for the majeſty of ſuch a King will daunt them, his Looks will daunt them, his Words will daunt them and diſmay them, his Attendance will daunt them, it will be a dreadful day to them, 2 Cor 5.10, 11. 2. We ſee how comfortable it will be to the Saints to ſee their King, and to hear the words of his mouth, and that their Saviour is to be their Judge. Surely the children of Sion will rejoyce in their King at that day, Pſal. 149.2. 3. We ſee what need we all had to hearken to him as our Prophet now, Mat. 17.5. and to get him to be our Prieſt to make reconciliation, and to intercede for us; for then he will ſhew himſelf a King to judge us. 4. We ſee what cauſe we have to ſerve him awfully, diligently, ſincerely and faithfully, for he will come as a King at that day to be our Judge, Pſal. 2.11. Joſh. 24.14. 5. We ſee the miſery of thoſe that reject Chriſt, and receive not his words; they reject him that …uſt be then King and Judge, and thoſe words of his that they have not received, ſhall judge them at the laſt day, John 12.48. 6. We ſee what need we had to live according to his Laws, and to beware we break not his Commandments; for he will ſhew himſelf a King, to avenge himſelf of all thoſe that tranſgreſs againſt him, Eccleſ. 12 13, 14. 7. We ſee how able he is to reward all his ſervants; for he is and will ſhew himſelf a King at that day: His reward is with him, Apoc. 22.12. 8. We ſee what a glorious One we ſerve, for we have a King to our Maſter, that will ſhew … ſelf a King at that day, we need not be aſhamed of his ſervice. 9. We ſee that all his words at that d…y will be with power, whether in his Sentence of Abſolution or Condemnation: ſee Eccleſ 8.4. 10. We ſee how ready and …eedy we ſhould be in doing any thing that is his will to be done: ſo do the ſervants of Princes and Kings. Ezra 7.21.
Ʋſe 2 for Terrour: 1. To all thoſe that have been rebellious againſt him openly, and continued in their rebellion; how will they look this King in the face? 2. To thoſe that have been ſecretly treacher us and falſe to him, this King will diſcover them at that day.
Ʋſe 3. for Exhortation: 1. To kiſs this King, Pſa. 2.12 as Sa…uel did Saul 1 Sam. 10.1. 2. To prepare to meet him, Amos 4.12. as Abigail did David, 1 Sam. 25. 3. To do him …omage, and be ſubject to him: if we muſt be ſubject to the higher powers here, Rom 13.1. Tit. 3.1. much more ſhould we be ſubject to him. 4. To rejoyce in him, Pſal. 149.2. 5. To love pureneſs of heart; if an earthly King will be a friend for this, Prov 22.11. …ow much more will this King? 6. To thout forth his praiſes; people give loud acclamations to their King. 7. To honour all his Children, for they are the children of a King: if we moſt Honour a… men, 1 Pet. 2.17. then much more the children of this glorious King 8. To preſent him with the firſt and beſt of what we have, Mal 1.14. to preſent him with the fervice of out firſt and beſt dayes. Eccleſ. 12.1.
Ʋſe 4. for Conſolation: 1. Againſt the enemies of Chriſt and his people, in that day he will deſtroy them all 2. Againſt the rebellions of our natures, and of our heart; at that day there ſhall be no riſings thereof any more. 3. Againſt the hard Laws of Tyrants and their hard uſage.
Poſitive Comforts: 1 That we ſhall ever enjoy peace in his Kingdome. 2. That we ſhall be alwayes in the preſence of our King. 3. That he will be as willing as able to reward his fervants. 4. That he will rule us, and bleſs us, and be a defence to us. 5. That we ſhall be pleaſed with what he does: ſee 2 Sam 3 36.