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Throne is defcribed with Wheels, as the Throne expreffed in the ft and 10th Chapters of Ezekiel; and is to fhew that God's Providence moveth, rules, and governs every where, in all Places throughout the Universe: It fhews alfo, the Celerity and Speedinefs of God's Mercy in helping and delivering of his People out of Trouble; and the Facility or Speediness of God's Juftice, in the executing of his Judgments upon the wicked.

Again, this fiery Throne fets forth the Greatness, the Glory, the Majefty, and Dreadfulness of him that is to fit upon it; great and glorious will he be to the Saints, but dreadful to the wicked and ungodly. Therefore the very Coming of Chrift is faid to be in flaming Fire, to take Vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the Gofpel. This fiery Throne may further fignify the Omniscience of Chrift, or the quick and piercing Eye of the Lord Jefus, whofe Eyes are as a flaming Fire; Rev. 1. v. 14. Thefe Eyes of Chrift will fee through all Sorts of Perfons into the fecret Corners of the Heart, to discover and lay open what they be, and what they have done; nothing there is that can be hid from him. This fiery Throne does alfo fhew, not only the Glory, but Safety and Security of that Glory, which Chrift and the Saints will appear in at that Time. No Enemy, whether they be wicked Men or Devils, will be able to come near this fiery Throne; but it will ftrike them all with Dread and Terror round about; and therefore it is faid, A fiery Stream iffued and came forth from before him, or from before this glorious Throne. Which I humbly conceive refpects the Wrath of God, that like a Stream of Fire will iffue forth

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from Chrift, upon all his inveterate and implacable Enemies, who fhall be found living then upon the Earth, in the Beginning of that great and dreadful Day of the Lord; or it may have a Refpect unto that dreadful Sentence, Go ye curfed into everlasting Fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels; Matt. XXV. v. 41. which by Chrift will be pronounced against the wicked, upon the clofing up of the laft Judgment: It may be taken in either or in both thefe Confiderations.

Sixthly; Thoufand thousands miniftred unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the Judgment was fet, and the Books were opened. Now, however, this is a Representation of the great Day of Judgment; yet I look upon thefe Words to have a peculiar Refpect unto the Kingdom State, or Day of Judgment among the Saints; therefore by the thousand thousands, that miniftred unto him, (that is, unto Chrift,) I underftand the Saints may be fignified; and by their Miniftring unto him, is not out of any need, that Chrift will have of any Thing that they, or any Creature, can administer to him, but to fhew the Readiness which will appear in the Saints to join with the Angels in their Singing, and Celebrating the eternal Praise of the King of Glory; as in Rev. vii. v. 9. 10. 12. After the Sealing of the twelve Tribes, there was a great Multitude, which no Man could number, out of all Nations, Kindreds, People, and Tongues, food before the Throne, and before the Lamb, cloathed with white Robes, and Palms in their Hands, and cryed with a loud Voice, faying, Salva tion to our God, and unto the Lamb, and all the Angels flood round about the Throne, and about the El

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ders, and the four Beafts, and fell before the Throne, on their Faces, and worshipped God, faying, Amen: Bleffing and Glory, Wifdom and Thanksgiving, and Honour and Power, and Might be unto our God for ever and ever. So that the Miniftring of this great Multitude will be, in their throwing down their Crowns at Chrift's Feet in that glorious Day, or rather in their fetting of all their Crowns upon the Head of Chrift, and afcribing all the Glory that is due to him.

And ten thousand times ten thousand food before him; by which, the glorious Angels, I conceive, are meant; as we may fee, if we compare this with Rev. v. where we read of the Lamb in the midft of the Throne, and of the Elders, and the four Beafts, (by which the Saints are to be understood) fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them, Harps and golden Vials full of Odours, which are the Prayers of Saints; and they fung a new Song, Saying, Thou art worthy to take the Book, &c. and in the 11th Verfe, which agrees with this Interpretation, and the very fame Words, I beheld (faith John) and I heard the Voice of many Angels round about the Throne, and the Beast and the Elders, and the Number of them was ten thousand times ten thou fand, and thousands of thoufands; faying with a loud Voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was flain to receive Power, and Riches, and Wisdom, and Strength, and Honour, and Glory, and Bleffing, &c. Now that thefe are Angels, and the Number of them is in plain Words expreffed; whether the Number of the Angels fhall exceed the Number of the Saints, I fhall not determine, though there be fome that do think they fhall; but this is most certain, there

will be a great, a glorious, and a numberlefs Number of both. The Pofture that these Angels appear in, is standing; which fhews their Readiness to obey Chrift's Commands, in what Orders foever they receive from him to do.

Seventhly, The Fudgment was fet, and the Books were opened. Now I cannot understand, that by the Judgment being fet, placed, or fixed, the Books opened, &c. fhould mean only the Judgment of God upon Antiochus Epiphanes, that was a bitter Enemy to the Jews, as fome would have it; but that Judgment which the Holy Ghost by the Apoftle fpeaketh of, in 2 Cor. v. ver. 10. For we must all appear before the Fudgment Seat of Chrift, that every one may receive the Things done in his Body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. We may obferve from thefe Words; Firft, That Chrift will fit upon a Judgment Seat, called in Daniel his Throne. Secondly, That this cannot be until his fecond Perfonal Coming, with all the Saints, after the Refurrection of our Bodies, in a State of Glory and Immortality. Thirdly, That then we must all appear before this Judgment Seat of Chrift; The Perfons fpecified in the Words, we refpect the People of God; we, not only you, believing Corinthians, (to whom this Epiftle was fent) but we, with all the Saints; the Apoftle putting himself in among the reft; or it may be taken thus, We must all appear, not only thofe that fhall be found living at the Time when Chrift fhall come, but we, all we that have lived in the preceeding Generations, from the Beginning of the World; all we muft appear before Chrift's Judg ment Seat. It is true, the wicked may be included

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in the Words, because they must all appear before Chriff's Tribunal too, but not at the fame time, not untill the Judgment of the Saints is over. Therefore the Epiftle being writ to the Saints, and the Apofthe putting himself in among the reft, the Text muft principally intend the People of God, who only will be concerned in the Beginning or Firft Part of that Judgment. Fourthly, The Defign of this Judicature is, That every one may receive the Things done in his Body. Here I fhall obferve again, First, That every one of all the Saints muft receive a Reward for what they have done, whilst they were in the Body. Secondly, That this Time will be the Time of giving or beftowing Rewards, according to the Services they have done for Chrift in this World. This Time of Judgment among the Saints being the Time bf Chriff's Fifible or Perf nal Kingdom, will (as I humbly conceive from many Places of Scripture) be cotemporary with the Time of their Reigning and therefore a Time of Rewards to be beftowed by Jefus Chrift, upon his People: Tho as I have already faid, the Prontife of Eternal Life, and Salvation from Eternal Wrath, is by free and abfolute Grace. Vet it is very plain in the Word of God, that the Lord Jesus Christ will rewards the good Works of his own Children What meaneth elfe thofe Words in Mat. xxv. where the Lard: takes notice of those that had improved their Talents that had received Five Talents, gained (by making ufe of them) Five Talents more. He that had received Two gained Two more; ver. 20. Now in the 19th Verfe we read, After a long time the Lord of thofe Servants cometh and reckoneth with them. This can be no other than the Lord Jefus M

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Chrift,

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