Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub

clofe upon the Time of Chrift's ftanding on the Earth, doth, without forcing any Thing in the Text, point unto us the Refurrection of the last Day; as if Fob fhould have said, I know and am affured that the Lord Jehovah, my Redeemer, liveth, and that in the latter, or the Day of his Perfonal Coming in Glory, he shall ftand upon the Earth: And though this may be fo long a Time first, as that my Skin, my Reins, my Body, by Worms may be eaten, deftroyed, and all of it confumed to the Duft: Yet in that Day when he fhall come again upon the Earth, my Body fhall be raised a glorious Body, (which will be the Time of the Refurrection of the Juft,) and fo in my Flesh I fhall fee God; whom I fhall for my felf, and not another for me; as every Child of God may fay; I fhall fee him then for my felf, I fhall behold him and his Glory, in the Fruition and Enjoyment of him for my felf, and not another who has no Intereft in him. Well! this is fufficient then, to fhew that when Chrift comes, he will come again upon this Earth; or that his Throne and Kingdom, in the great Day of Judgment, will be erected upon the Earth; there where Chrift and his People have fuffered, and been put to Shame, there will Chrift and the Saints fit in Glory. Zeph. iii. 19. I will get them a Praise and Fame in every Land, where they have been put to Shame.

Fifthly, The manner how Chrift will come? And that is perfonally. When he comes the fecond Time, he will come in his perfonal Glory, as God, Man, Mediator. As i. 1o, 11. When Chrift had fpoken thefe Things, (in Verfe 9.) while they bebeld him, he was taken up, and a Cloud received

go

him out of their Sight; and while they looked fedfaftly towards Heaven, (as being amazed to fee him up at his Afcenfion, being Jurprized, and could not tell what to think would be the Effect of these Things.) Bebold two Men Stood by them in white Apparel, which also faid, (unto them) Te Men of Galilee! Why Stand ye gazing up into Heaven? This Jame Jefus, which is taken up from you into Heaven, fhall fo come in like manner, as ye have feen him go up. I fhall take Notice in thefe Words, of two Things. First, That when the Lord Jefus Chrift had accomplished the great Work of our Redemption, by his Death and Sacrifice, after his Refurrection, and forty Days Continuance upon the Earth; he afcended perfonally, as God Man, into Heaven, in the Sight of all the Difciples that were then prefent; for they beheld him as he was taken up into Heaven, until a Cloud received him out of their Sight.

Secondly, When he comes again, he will come in the fame manner as he went up, God Man, in his perfonal Glory. This is very full in these Words; This fame Jefus which is taken up from you into Heaven, fhall fo come in like manner as ye fee him go up. This fame Jefus, this very fame Perfon, and not another, fhall fo come in like manner. And how was that? Why perfonally he went up, and perfonally he will come down again from Heaven. The Truth of this was teftified, by two Angels in the Appearances of Men, which the Lord fent from Heaven, at this Time, to encourage and ftrengthen the Faith, not only of his Difciples then prefent, but all his Children, in the Reality of his fecond perfonal Coming.

R 2

Thirdly,

Thirdly, As he will come perfonally, fo he will come vifibly, that is full alfo in that Expreffion, be fhall fo come in like manner: And how was that? Why vifibly. He was feen by all that were with him, as he went up into Heaven: So he will be feen by all that fhall be then living, and by all that fhall be then raifed, when he fhall come again from Heaven; and by all univerfally, at the laft Judgment. Rev. i. 7. Behold he cometh with the Clouds, and every Eye" fhall fee him; and they alfo which pierced him; and all Kindreds of the Earth, fhall wail because of him; even fo, Amen. Here are two Sorts of Perfons plainly diftinguished in that Word alfo; befides thofe that fhall be living, and raifed up out of their Graves when he comes, thofe also that pierced him, or crucified him, with all the Kindred of the Earth, who lived and died in Sin, will wail because of him, or becaufe of his Judgments.

Fourthly, When Chrift comes, he will come with Power and great Glory. Mark xiii. 26. Then fhall they fee the Son of Man Coming in the Clouds with great Power and Glory. Chrift will come with great Power and great Glory. His firft Coming was in a State of Humiliation: His fecond Coming will be in a State of Exaltation. His firft Coming was in the Form of a Servant, as a Sufferer for Sin; (though they were our Sins that he fuffered for.) His fecond Coming will be without Sin unto Salvation. His firft Coming was in poor, low, defpicable Condition: His fecond Coming will be as a King, yea as the King of Kings; with the Scepter of Rule, and Ballance of Power in his Hand, and a Crown of Glory on his Head. The

Lord

open

Lord Jefus Chrift will come with fuch Power when
he comes again, as will rend the Skies, break
the Graves, raise up the Bodies of thousands, and
thousands of thousands, to re-unite the Souls and
Bodies of all the Saints into a State of Glory for
ever. He will come with fuch Power as to flay
Millions of his Enemies, to destroy Antichrift;
with all his inveterate Enemies: Chrift will come
with fuch Power, as to lay hold upon Satan, that
old Serpent the Devil, with all the Powers of the
infernal Pit; and bind them faft in the Lake of
Fire, during the Time of his Glory and Kingdom.
Again, he will come with fuch Power, as to raise
up the Bodies, and bring up the Souls of all the
wicked and ungodly, to be re-united together,
that they may appear before his Tribunal to be
judged, at the End of the thousand Years.

Fifthly, He will come not only with Power, but with great Glory. He will come in his own Glory, in the Glory of his Father, with the Glo ry of Heaven, having thousand of thousands, ten thousand times ten thousand of glorified Saints and Angels attending of him. The perfonal Glory that Chrift will appear in that Time, will ten thoufand times exceed the Glory of the Sun, or any other created being whatfoever, thus will his Coming be with Power and great Glory, when he fhall come to erect his Throne of Judgment, and fet up the Glory of his vifible Kingdom.

Sixthly, The manner of Chrift's Coming will not only be glorious to the Saints, but dreadful and terrible to the wicked; and therefore his Coming is fail to be in flaming Fire, to take Vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the

Gofpe

[ocr errors]

Gofpel of our Lord Jefus Chrift; who fall be punished with everlasting Destruction, from the Prefence of the Lord, and from the Glory of his Power; 2 Theff. i. 8, 9. But oh who fhall be able to abide that Day, when Chrift will come in Flames of Fire, pouring forth Vials of Wrath upon all that know not God; by which the Heathens may be understood: And all that obey not the Gofpel, in believing on the Lord Jefus Chrift; by which all Defpifers of Grace, Rejecters of Chrift, who have fat under the Sound of the Gofpel, or lived in a Land of Light, may be fignified. Thefe will be punished with everlasting Destruction. How will poor Sinners then cry out (when it is too late to do them any good;) yea, Kings of the Earth, and great Men, (that fhall be found out of Chrift,) rich Men, the chief Captains, and mighty Men, and every Bond-man and Free-man, (whether he be rich or poor, if ungodly!) Saying to the Mountains and Rocks, fall on us, and hide us from the Face of bim that fitteth on the Throne, and from the Wrath of the Lamb, (who will be as a Lion to them, as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah,) for the great Day of his Wrath is come; and who shall be able to ftand. Rev. vi. 15, 16. The great Day of his Wrath, which they had often heard of before, but did not believe (or not regarded it) is now come, and who shall be able to ftand? Oh, who indeed! none but those who are interefted in Chrift, and in his Salvation? How fain would they hide themselves in Rocks and Holes of Mountains? Yea, would rather have the Rocks and Mountains fall upon them, and dafh them to Pieces, then to behold the Wrath of the Lamb? Well may it be

« AnteriorContinuar »