A Complete Body of Divinity, Sermons · 112 (Question 28 cont.)
SERMON CXII.
WE are on the Contemplation of Chriſt's Exaltation. We have viewed him in his Reſurrection, Aſcenſion, and left him Sitting at his Fathers Right Hand, in Poſſeſſion of the greateſt fulneſs of incompreheaſible Glory. The peculiar Employment that he there purſues, is his precious Interceſſion for us: Of which many Divines treat here. But we have already taken a brief account of it, under his Prieſtly Office. But th… … piece of his Glorious Exaltation yet … and in which he ſhall appear at the … The Man-Chriſt is already made … happy. The deſpiſed Jeſus, is cr… … immenſe Glory: But it is a G… … from the eyes of the World; it is … by earthly men, and there are … here that believe i…. Yet the… is … coming when it ſhall be rendred con… and repreſented in the open view of … and Men. Yea, thoſe that hated … ſaid, This man ſhall not reign ever us, … him in his Majeſty to their eternal … Rev. 1.7. Behold, he cometh with …spab… every eye ſhall ſee him, … they … pierced him. Now the Glory which … then appear in, is his Execution of … upon all the World of reaſonable … the greateſt royalty. This we have … fully aſſerted in the holy Scrip… may take a brief account of in this, … ſhall not here treat of the whole … the laſt and general Judgment, … it for its place afterwards: But … … der of it, as it refers to the Per… … Judge, and ſo is one emi…cat piece …f … Exaltation. Jeſus Chriſt, after … compliſhed his great buſineſs upon … this lower World for a ſeaſon, as … mane preſence, when he aſcended … … ven, and took poſſeſſion of the … But he ſhall leave Heaven, at to … preſence, for a while, at the laſt … return back into this lower Wor… … hath accompliſhed the great Ju… … the clearing of this Article, let … ing Concluſions ſuffice.
1. THAT there ſhall be a Day of … A ſeaſon wherein all mankind that … or ſhall ever be in the World, ſhall be … an Account, and made to appear upon … receive their Recompence. I ſhall … here at preſent. It is one of the … the Chriſtian Faith, fully affected … Writ, upon which this Faith is … Eccl. 12.14. For God ſhall …ing every … judgment, with every ſecret thing, … good, or whether it be evil. Pſal. 96. … the Lord; for he cometh to judge the … righteouſneſs ſhall be judge the world people with equity. Rom. 14.10. F… …ll appear before the judgments ſ…. … And elſewhere abundantly. And … feſtation of the glorious Attri… … Juſtice calls for it, that it may … appear to all, that there is a right … who will do righteouſneſs. It is … of Parience, Long-ſuffering, and … and ſo there is a promiſcuous … of viſible Providences. All thi… … alike to all, Eccl. 9. …gin. The … unpuniſhed, accoring to hu…an… … and the goldy ſuffer many things … from them, and are not … The World is quite out of order, … reaſonable Creatures in it: And … … ſuffers it ſo to be. But therefore … …ſt be a Day wherein God will ſet … to rights, and give to every one …ing to their deſervings. He who reads … …rks, Eccl. 7.15. There is a juſt man …er… in his righteouſneſs, and there is … m…n that prelongeth his life in his … …uſs. And Ch. 8.14. There is a vanity … done upon the earth, that there be juſt … whom it happeneth according to the … of the wicked; I ſaid this alſo is vanity. …pan… remembers, that God is not only … but Governour too of the World, … …ds from ſuch premiſes infer this …, that there muſt be a Day of ….
2. TIM main thing to be obſerved, is that … Chriſt ſhall be Judge in that Great Day. … ſhall be put into his hand, and … ſway it; and there ſhall be an … confluence and appearance of all … his Judgment Seat, 2 Cor. 5.10. For … all appear before the judgment ſeat of … this every one may receive the things … the body, according to that he hath done, … it be good or bod. And he ſhall fit … not only as he is God, but as he is … Mediator, It belongs to his Medi… Kingdom, and hereupon the Scripture … …phaſis upon his Judging as Man, … 17.31. Becauſe he hath app…imod a day in … be will judge the world in righteouſ…y that men whom he hath ordained, whereof … …ven aſſurance unto all men, in that be … him from the dead. Joh. 3.27. And … him authority to execute judgment …ſe be is the Son of man. And if it …ed, how Chriſt co…eth to be Judge … I anſwer, it is by a delegate power, … to him by his Father, and this as … reward that was promiſed to him … of Redemption. This was one … joy that was ſet before him, Heb. … was an Article in the Agreement … between him and his Father in … of Eternity; one of the great rewards … pr…miſed to him, on condition of … …king and accompliſhing that great … …tisfaction to Divine Juſtice. God … …ly promiſe him a relative reward, … ſhould being back a great number … …ed mankind to Glory; but a perſo… …, which he himſelf ſhould re… and this was one part of it. Pſal. 2. … …at God hath a divine right and … …ve in judging the World none dare … …ombe of, but ſuch as will not … call his Being in queſtion. And … Chriſt as God hath an original and, … …ight to be Judge; and as Man, and … ſtation, ſo his Father hath … him in his Office, and by Com… over this …ffeit to his manage … 5.2…. For the Father judg…th no … hath …itued all judgment to the …, he hath done it, ſo to put upon … of a Redeemer, ver. 23. That all men ſhould honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that bonoureth not the Son, he toureth n…t the Father which ſent him. And what higher declarative Glory could the Man Chriſt be exalted to, than to have an elevated Throne pitch'd for him, and all the Heavenly Hoſt his Attendants, whiles he calls forth, and makes all men and devils appear at his Tribunal, and receive their final doom from his mouth?
3. THE ſtately Majeſty, and exalted Glory of Chriſt in this Affair, will appear in the management of the affair itſelf by him, which may here be briefly glanced at, ſo far as it may ſet forth the ſpleadid exaltation of his in it, in a few things.
1. THE Time when it ſhall be. There is an appointed time, a day f…x… and conſtituted for it, Act. 17.31. Now, things done by appointment, are intended to be done with the greateſt ſolemnity, eſpecially if decreed upon long before hand; ſuch is this Judgment. It is one of God's ancient decrees; E…h the ſeventh from Adam, propheſ…d of it, Jude 14, 15. When the time ſhall be, o… how many months and years ſhall paſs, before the Judge of the World, ſhall come to render rewards to men, is not given to us mortals to underſtand, but kept as a ſecret in God's own breaſt, Mark 13.32. Only thus much in general we may know of it, viz. that it will not be long before that day ſhall come; they are the laſt days, and the winding up of time that we live in. There are yet ſome propheſies to be fulfilled, ſome predictions to be accompliſhed, ſome of God's Elect unborn, that are yet to be called, and the World ſtands in its old poſture for the preſent, o… theſe accounts. When therefore theſe things ſhall be done (and God will wind up things a…p…ce towards the cloſe of time) then will the Lord Jeſus Chriſt come to Judgment; and mean while, it is not for us anxiouſly to inquire into times and ſeaſons, but to uſe utmoſt and ſpeedy endeavours, to get ready for the terrible day, that it may not ſteal upon us …n…d for, or ſind us unprepared. This is Chriſt's own advice, Mat. 24.44.
2. THE Place in which it ſhall be acted. This alſo is a Circumſtance of Chriſt's Glory at that day. And, though it would be too hold preſ…mption for us, to ſtate any individual place for it, as ſome have attempted, yet, in general, it ſhall be in this lower World. Hence the Lord is ſaid to come to judge, Pſal. 96. ult. And the Apoſtle t…lls us that he ſhall be revealed from Heaven, 2 Theſ. 1.7. And no doubt but that it w…ll be a moſt glorious and majeſtical appearance, when Chriſt ſhall come in the ſtate and equipage of a Judge. It was a ſtately Aſcenſion that he had, it daz…d the eyes of the beholders: And the Angel tells us, that he ſhall come again in like manner, Act. 1.11. The priſon in which the wicked are ſhut up, for the Judgment, is here below; and the Priſon is …ont not to be far from the Judgment Sear. Their Bodies are kept in the Grave, and their Souls are in the hands of Satan, whoſe Kingdom is here below: And it is a certain truth, that neither Devils nor wicked Men ſhall come into Heaven to be judged there: That holy place ſhall never be polluted with their entertainment for one moment of time, Rev. 21.27. And there ſhall in no wiſe enter into it any thing that deſileth, neither whatſoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lambs book of life. Hence it muſt be ſomewhere here below. Some have thought it will be in the Air, from 1 Theſ. 4.17. Then we which are alive, and remain, ſhall be caught up together with them in the clonds to meet the Lord in the air. But it ſeems more probable, that that Scripture ſpeaks of the Saints meeting of Chriſt there, and returning with him to the Judgment; who ſhall be thus ſignally diſtinguiſhed from the wicked. Others therefore reckon that it will be on the Earth; and ſo that, Job. 19.25. For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he ſhall ſtand at the latter day upon the earth: may ſavour is …hough it firſtly intends his Incarnation, and engagement in the work of Redemption. And thus will the place of Sinning be the place of Judgment; and where Chriſt himſelf was once judged, he ſhall himſelf judge his Judges. For the particular Place, as it is uncertain, ſo it is needleſs to be ſought after. That in Jo… 3.12. doth not prove that it muſt be in the Valley of Jehoſaphat; and thoſe that gather it from thence miſtake the prophecy of a particular Judgment, for the general one.
3. THE ſtately Preparation that ſhall he made for it, or the glorious manner in which Chriſt ſhall come, and appear. For it is the day of his appearing, 2 Tim. 4.1…. And the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who ſhall judge…the quick and the dead us his appearing and his kingdom: And the word fig…i…ies a bright, clean, and glorious appearing. He ſhall come in his Glory. His firſt coming was in all humility & meanneſs, in the form of a Servant, without all beauty or comelineſs; but it ſhall not be ſo when he comes again: All the ſplendour which he hath at his Fathers Right Hand, ſhall be ſhewn at that day; Math. 16.27. For the ſon of man ſhall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels: and then be ſhall reward every man according to his works. And there are theſe things in ſpecial that ſhall make it amazingly ſtately. 1. THE Forerunners of his coming to Judgment: which are principally two.
(1). THE Sigh of the Son of Man which ſhall appour in Heaven. Math. 25.30. What in particular this ſign ſhall be, ſince the Seripture hath no where declared, men do but conjecture: but this is out of queſtion, it ſhall be an amazing thing, which ſhall he conſpicuous to all men, and ſhall aſtoniſh and terrify the ungodly. …ib. And to thoſe that wait for his appearance, is ſhall be comfortable.
(2.) THE Voice of the Arch-angel … of the last Trumpet. Which ſhall … panied with almighty power, … awaken the dead Bodies out of … chres, change the Living in a mu… … collect all the number of thoſe that … Judged into a readineſs for his … 1 Cor. 15.52.1 Theſ. 4.16. And … thing it ſhall be. The Spirit of God … to it, when he repreſents the engod… … ſuch an horror, Rev. 16.14, 15.
2. THE Royal Retinue that ſhall. … and wait upon him in his coming. … have a vaſt and innumerable train … Heavenly Inhabitants, that ſhall … with him, and attend his holy plea… … 7.10. A fiery ſtream iſſued, and came … before him: thouſand thouſands … him, and tea thouſand times …en thouſ… … before him; the judgment was ſet; … were opened. 2 Theſ. 1.7. When the … ſhall be revealed from be… w…h … Angels. That company of Angels … he innumerable, Heb. …. 22. He… … for a while, be leſt empty of … who ſhall give their attendence … their reſpects to this great Judge … His Saints alſo, and his red…e… … dreſſ up for the ſtately Solemnity, … to meet him in his …y, and joy … knowledge him, in his coming to … their Redemption. 1 Theſ … 17. 3. He ſhall ſit down upon a Th… … for him, in the greatest ſtate and … 7.9. I beheld till the …ones were … and the ancient of days did fit, whiſ… … was white as ſnow, and the heir of … pure wool, his throne was like the …ry … his wheels as burning f… Theſe indeed are alluſive expreſſion … to be ſtrained, and therefore how … be in partioular, or in what manner … Chriſt ſhall place himſelf or that … for our curious determinering; … God doth in the Scripture, ſhadow … to us, by things which among mon … moſt pompons, and carry the gre… … and terror with them; and at le… … much, that the Glory of it is … and that it can be repreſented to … dark ſhadows, and exceeding …a… … blances. 4. THE Subject that it is be Judg… …. This alſo is a wonderful Circu… … Exaltation, and will reader his Gl… … parable. And this appears in the … tion bo… of the quantity … quality … For, they ſhall not be a ſew, but an… … able Companys. Not only …he … temptib…e ones in the World, … were exalted to the higheſt dig… … men, and were in this World … who ſ…ned to acknow… any … or any whom they ſhould be … auto. This is alluded to, Rev. 6. … Devils alſo ſhall then be then to apped … they are now priſoners in chains re… … Day, 2 Pet. 2.4. Abortives, that died in … W…ith, Infants that departed as ſoon at … the light, all of all Ages, States and …, Rev. 20.12. Theſe ſhall not only be …dibly, when the Voice ſhall be heard … and of Heaven to the other, Ariſe ye … come to Judgment, Joh. 5.28. but they … …de to appear perſonally. Then … the places wherein they had been … reſerved, freely reſign them up at the … ſ…mmons, Rev. 20 13, &c. Yea, Chriſt … will then employ his mighty Angels … of them together, and they ſhall … the whole Earth, and fetch them all … 24.31. Chap. 13.40, 41. They ſhall … and be made to acknowledge the …acy of the Judge, bow before him, and … their bend at his har. Then ſhall be … to be exalted far above Principalities … …wers. 5. THE manner of the Proceſs ſhall alſo he … gr…tiſt ſtate, and wonderfully illuſtrate the … of Chriſt. He then comes to wind … great work of ſpecial Govern… which had been managed from the …, and to ſettle the determinations of it …ity. Hereupon the Subjects of it are … …etive their due & juſt recompences, … to the eſtabliſhed Tenour of that …ent. And the great Glory of Chriſt ….
… the Trial itſelf. As all Me…ct De… be placed before his Tribunal; ſo … glorious Supremacy over them be …, in that he will call them forth … …tity, make them ſtand forth, and … his Juriſdiction, anſwer to their … hold up their Hands, and be Tried …, according to the ſtated rule of …nt. Then will their Indictment be … all that is to be laid to their Charge … pl…ded againſt them, and all that is … for them; all that they have done …, 2 Cor. …. 10. Every ſecret thing, …. Every word and every thought: …gs ſhall be examined & evidenced. … ſhall be examined & evidenced. … ſhall then be opened, Rev. 20.12. … Providence, and the book of Conſ… … theſe ſhall be compared with the … Law; and by theſe ſhall all things … …ed & laid open to the conviction … …ld, and the ſilencing of all cavils ….
… Sentence. Then will he preceed … greares;t Authority, to paſs the …en… … all, according to the evidence of …. And our Saviour himſelf hath … account of a two ſold Sentence, that … paſs from him, Mat. 25.54, 41. Then … …ing ſay unto them on his right hand, … …eſſed of my Father, inherit the kingdom … …ot you from the foundation of the world. … he ſay alſo unto the… on the leſe hand, … me ye cursed, into everlaſting Fire, … for the devil & his angels. And when … hath th… declared it, he will never … …om it, nor ſhall there be any liberty of an Appeal. This is the Supream Court, and he is the Sovereign Judge; nor can there be either a Revlew or Writ of Error entred, all things being now determined for ETERNITY. And how exalted and One will Chriſt then appear to be?
6. THE iſſues alſo and conſequents of this Judgment are glorious. The Lord Jeſus Chriſf, having with greateſt Authority put an end to the Affair, ſhall now again return to his former Sear of Eternal Glory, accompanied with the ſame Retinue of Angels, and all thoſe his Redeemed ones, whom he had, in that great Aſſembly, openly acquitted, & ad judged to evers laſting Glory, whom he ſhall carry home with him to his Eternal Palace, and make them to ſit down with him upon incorruptible Thrones, and dwell together with him forever in his Kingdom, there to enjoy thoſe inconceivable Delights, which were fore prepared for them, 1 Theſ. 4.17. And ſo ſhall we ever be with the Lord. Then ſhall the wicked, whom he had doomed to end leſs Torments, be left behind in the place of fire, to receive the execution of the fearful Sentence before paſt upon them; and ſuffer in that place which was of old ordained for them, where thoſe flames of everlaſting barnings ſhall be kindled upon them, which ſhall deſtroy them for ever; whereby the power & majeſty of the Judge ſhall be made to ſhine out with the moſt reſplendent luſtre. Thus ſhall that great & ſuperiour Court be broke up, and all the Acts of it be made to be of force, & abide in their efficacy through all Eternity, to the everlaſting renown of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. This is that which is in Scripture called the Great …y, becauſe of thoſe great things that are to be done upon it, by ou… exalted …deemer, and which ſhall never be …voked. And this is the Enalta… of Chriſt.
USE I. WHAT a loud Call is here to us all, above all things to ſeek and ſecure an Intereſt in Chriſt, and his Redemption? Is Jeſus Chriſt to manage that Great Day's Work? Oh I ſeek to make him your Friend againſt that time. Make haſte, break off your ſins by repentance, fly into the arms of a Saviour, that it may go well with you in that dreadful Day. Know of a certainty, that there is ſuch a Day coming, God hath ſaid, and r…co…ied it in the Scriptures of truth, Be aſſured, that you muſt every one of you then in perſon appear, and receive your final doom at that Bar. Remember, Jeſus Chriſt will them be the Judge and if you now deſpiſe the Son of God, and reject the Lord of Glory, how will you be able to appear before, and look him in the face at that Day? Think what a precious advantage is now in your hands, to ſeek and to obtain to be delivered from your Judge, to fly to his Righteouſneſs, and obtain your Pardon at his hands. Be then perſwaded ſeriouſly to inquire. What you ſhall do that you may ſtand in that day; how you may obtain then to be placed at the Judge's right Hand; and being acquainted with it, fly to the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, take up your ſhelter under the ſhadow of his Wings: Lo! He ſtands at the door and knocks; open to him, let him in, and he will be your protection in that terrible Day.
USE. II. What admirable Refreſhment doth this afford to all true Believers? Here is a Voice of Peace & Comfort to the Children of God. The great and dreadful Day needs not amaze you; it is your Spouſe, and your Saviour to whom God the Father hath committed this Judgment, with a full power to diſpoſe of the everlaſting rewards & puniſhment of the reaſonable Creatures. And if he be Judge, and his Righteousness ſhall anſwer for you, how happy will you be, to ſee your only Beloved ſitting on the Throne, when your eyes ſhall ſee your Redeemer … Father's Glory, and he ſhall take you … himſelf, and make you his Co-… Judging the World; when he ſhall … everlaſting Crown upon your Heads … of this then, and ſay, this is the Day … love, that I wait for: and let the … of it keep up in you a comfortable … of his coming again from the third … and put you upon making it your … ca…e & endeavour to be in a readine… … that when you hear him ſay, Behold, … quickly, you may chearfully ech… … Even ſo come LORD JESUS.
[AUGUST 31. 1697.]