by thine eternal election, I have not lost a saint, John 17:12. In their several ages I produced them, and gave them a being, and in their times I remembered them, and presented their conditions and necessities before thee; and now I have not a saint more in the book of life, there is not another name written to be born on earth; and to what purpose should I now continue the world? The saints are they for whom I made the world, the saints are they that hold forth the light of my glory in the world, the saints are they for whom my eternal counsels before the world did work, the saints are they for whom I was content to shed my precious blood when I was in that world below; and now their number is completed, I am resolved to unpin the fabric of the world, and to take it down; it stands but for their sakes, and therefore now let the seventh angel blow his trumpet, that the mystery of God may be finished," Rev. 10:7. “I swear by him that lives for ever and ever, that time shall be no longer,” ver. 6.

2. No sooner is this said, but the "seventh angel sounds," Rev. 11:15. This seventh angel (saith Pareus) is the archangel that proclaims Christ's coming with a great and mighty shout, "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God," 1 Thess. 4:16. The Lord shall descend with a shout, but before he descend, and I believe upon the very discovery of his coming down, there will be a shout in heaven; for so it follows, “ And the seventh angel sounded, and there were great voices in heaven," if we believe commentaries,* these are the voices of blessed souls, and blessed angels in heaven; no sooner Christ bids the angels (sound) q. d. Suminon those blessed souls that were slain for the word of God, and therefore cried, "How long, Lord, holy and true?" Rev. 6:10. Summon those blessed souls, that have cried so long, "Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly," Rev. 22:20. Summon all souls, and summon all angels, and bid them wait on me, now I resolve to go down and to judge the world: no sooner, I say, Christ bids the angel sound; but presently at the joy of this com mand, all the voices in heaven gave up a shout; why, this is the long looked for day; the day of perfecting the number of the saints; the day of joining the souls and bodies of the saints together; the day of convening all the families both of saints and angels under one roof; the day of bringing up the bride unto the Lamb, and of completing the marriage into its highest solemnity; and therefore no wonder, if at this news great voices and crics (such as are used by mariners, or gatherers of the vintage) were made in heaven. Oh! what an addition of joy is this to heaven's joy itself. The spirits of the just, and the blessed angels that have lived together in heaven's bliss; had never such an adventitious joy as this before; now they shout and sing a new and blessed song, "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever," Rev. 11:15. We may call this heaven's triumph for the finish. ing of God's mystery. Now it is that Christ will vindicate his kingdom, and overthrow the power of his enemies: they had long set themselves against the Lord, and against his anointed; the kings of the earth, and the rulers confederated, they ruled all, and as much as in them lay, excluded Christ; but now the kingdoms of the world will return to Christ, and he alone shall rule; and hence the winged choristers of heaven chant forth this anthem, "The kingdoms of the world are become the kingdoms of Christ."

*Pareus in loc.

3. After this shout, “The four and twenty elders which sit before God on their seats, fall upon their faces, and worship God, saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come, because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned, and the nations were angry," &c. Rev. 11:16,17,18. By these four and twenty elders, we understand all God's saints of the Old and New Testament, comprehended under the twelve patriarchs, and twelve apostles; others would have them to be only those saints of the Old Testament, and therefore called elders; whosoever they are, we find they are so glad at this news, that Christ will now judge the world, that presently they rise off their seats, and fall on their faces; and first they praise, and then they pray. 1. They praise God for taking to himself his own power; Christ connived (as it were) till now at the power of his enemies; antichrist, and not Christ, seemed to rule, and to sit in the temple of God, but now Christ is resolved to rule himself, and to make all his enemies his footstool; and therefore now 64 we give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty." 2. They pray Christ to go on to judgment. 1. Because "the nations were angry," Rev. 11:18. q. d. They have been angry long enough, they have set theinselves against Christ, and against his church; and therefore now it is time to bridle their wrath, and to break them with a rod of iron; “"O let thy wrath come." 2. Because the time of judgment is now accomplished, which God hath decreed in his eternal counsel, and which the Father hath put in his own power; "This time was not for mortals to know, but now it was revealed to these celestial spirits by Christ; and therefore they beg, Go on, Lord Jesus; reward now thy servants, prophets, and saints, and destroy them which destroy the earth."

4. God the Father, is well pleased with Christ's purpose of judging the world. "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool," Psal. 110:1. I know these words were spoken to Christ at his ascension into heaven; yet that hinders not but that now God speaks them again to Christ: for "as yet (saith the apostle) we see not all things put under him," Heb. 2:8. And God's purpose was that Christ should rule, until he had put all things in subjection under his feet. Nay, why not these words spoken now, rather than before? Christ indeed reigned as king, ever since his ascension; but now more especial. ly he is to manifest his kingdom, for now is he to "judge among the hea then; now is he to wound the heads of many countries," Psalın 110:6. Now is he to overthrow Pope, Turk, and all his enemies, and he alone, with the Father and the Spirit, is to reign in his elect saints and angels. Thus all agree, that Christ in the latter days shall be fully honored in his kingly power; hitherto Christ hath been much honored in his prophetical and priestly office; but not so much in his kingly office, but now he must be fully honored in his kingly office, now, especially "the kingdoms of this world must become the kingdoms of the Lord, and his Christ, and so he shall reign for ever and ever," Rev. 11:15. Certainly there is a dif ference betwixt Christ's reign before, and his present reign at the day of judgment; Christ hath a double throne wherein he sits and reigns, "To him that overcomes will I give to sit with me in my throne, as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne," Rev. 3:21. The kingly rule that Christ hath from his ascension is upon his Father's throne, but the kingdom that Christ shall have at the day of judgment, and ever after, it is the joint reign of him with the Father, he shall have a throne *Mortalibus ignotum, coelestibus vero nunc revelatum a Christo. Pareus in loc,

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himself, and the saints shall sit with him in his own throne: and now, saith the Father, "Sit thou at my right hand," q. d. Sit on my throne by me; go on to judge the nations; I will not judge them but only in thee, and by thee; Lo! I have committed all judgment unto the Son," John 5:22. " and do thou judge them, until thou hast rewarded thy friends, and made thine enemies thy footstool." Mark," he hath committed all judgment to the Son;" The Father gives the Son a commission, wherein is written (as it were) these words, "My Son, now is the time and season which I had put in my own power, and my pleasure is that all the world shall be set on fire; These heavens under thee shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; the earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burnt up," 2 Pet. 3:10. "And I will have new heavens, and a new earth, wherein shall dwell righteousness," ver. 13. Go to then, put on thy robes, appear in thy glory; empty this heaven of all those glorious spirits that are therein, and let them wait on thee to thy judgment-seat; go pass thy doom on all flesh; and send reprobates to hell, and bring up hither all thy saints, that they may live with thee, and here behold thy glory for ever and ever. Lo! here is thy commission, be gone, and return no more hither until it be accomplished.”

Use. Christians, I cannot but wonder at this joy and exultation in hea ven, and that we have so little, or none of this on earth; we say with cold lips, and frozen hearts, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;" but if our prayers were real and fervent, if we could but imitate those heavenly citizens, what longings would be in our hearts after Christ's coming? How should we rejoice at the very thoughts thereof? Christ comforting his disciples in respect hereof, he speaks these words, "When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, (said he) and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh," Luke 21:28. The fulness of our redemption is a ground of consolation; all the spirits above are sensible of this; God, and Christ, and the angels, and saints rejoice, and again rejoice, "The spirit and the bride say come," Rev. 22:17. and Christ himself saith, "Surely, I come quickly:" O! let us say, Amen to it; "Even so come, Lord Jesus," ver. 20.

SECT. II. Of Christ coming to judgment.

2. FOR Christ's coming to judgment, no sooner Christ prepared, and all in readiness, but down he descends from his imperial throne, to the judgment-seat. In this passage I shall observe these particulars.

1. He descends with his train; he comes with his royal attendants out of heaven. This is the glory of a prince, that he hath so many nobles waiting on him; and this is the glory of Jesus Christ, that when he comes to judge the world, he shall have his saints and angels (the glory of the creation) to be his attendants in that work, "Behold the Lord comes with mighty angels," 2 Thess. 1:7. "Behold the Lord comes with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all," Jude 14. Certainly a numberless number shall wait upon him; Daniel tells us of a thousand thousands that this day minister unto Christ, "a thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him,” Dan. 7:10. Or if heaven have more, I believe heaven will empty itself of all the saints, and all the angels; not one spirit, whether saint or angel, shall stay behind, when Christ descends; "The son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him," Matth. 25:31. Oh! what a glorious day will this be? If one sun make the morning sky so glorious, what a bright shining and glorious morning will that be, when so many

thousands of suns shall shine over all our heads, the glorious body of our Christ surpassing them all in splendor and glory? Here's a new heaven of sun, and stars, such as this nether world never saw: "Lo, yonder the Sun of righteousness with all his morning stars, singing and shouting for joy!" Heaven now empties itself of all its created citizens, and cleaves asunder to make way for Christ and all his train.

2. In his descent through the heavens, he shakes the heavens, "And the powers of the heavens shall be shaken," Matth. 24:29. The whole frame of heaven, most strong and immutable in its being and motion; or the mighty bodies thereof, most mighty in their substance, lastingness, motion, and operation, shall be shaken. I know by the powers of heaven, some mean the angels, who at this wonderful descent of Christ, shall admire and move; but I rather think the heavens themselves are meant hereby, whose very nature shall be moved and shaken at that day, "At his nod the pillars of heaven tremble, and are astonished," Job 26:11. As yet they are subject to vanity, and therefore it is no wonder if at the coming of Christ they tremble and are moved. In this moving or shaking, the evangelist adds, that the glorious lights of heaven shall be altered, "The sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall," Matth. 24:29. Many interpretations are given of this; I am not for allegories, but rather conceive these things are real?* The very coming of Christ shall bring with him such a light, that the splendor of the sun and moon shall be obscured;† This is most certain, saith Aretius, that both sun and moon shall surely be darkened at that day; it is the glory of his majesty, that will dazzle those candles.

3. As he passes through the elementary world, a fire doth usher him, "Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him," Psal. 50:8. Whence this fire shall come, I shall not dispute, only one tells us with some confidence, That it is begotten in the middle region of the air by divine command; and that it first goes before him, ushering the judge to the judgment-seat, and that there it stays during the judgment, and that ended, and the doom passed on all flesh, then it sets on fire all the world. Let this pass as it may, scripture goes thus far, that "a fire goeth before him,-Psal. 97:3. Behold the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, Isa. 66:15. And the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire," 2 Thess. 1:7,8. In which respect, Daniel saw "His throne like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire; a fiery stream issued and came forth from before him," Dan. 7:9,10. And at last, this fire shall have that effect, that the very "elements shall melt with fervent heat; the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up," 2 Pet. 3:10. O Christians! what cause have we to make the apostle's use on this point? "Seeing all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for, and hastening unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?" 2 Pet. 3:11,12. 4. He descends lower and lower till he is enwrapt with clouds, "Here

Adventum Christi tantum lucis allaturum, ut eo solis et luna splendor obscureter Aretius in loc.

+ Certissimum autem dium judicii magna majestate fore, ut recte & sol & luna dicantur obscurandi. Aretius in loc.

* Suaroz de renovatione mundi, in 3 parts. Thomae.

after shall ye sce the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven," Matth. 24:64. When he went up into heaven, it is said, that "a cloud received him out of their sight," Acts 1: 9. and the angels then said, "Ye men of Galilee, Why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." Aets I: 11,12. He went ap in clouds, and he shall come down in clouds. "I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven," Dan. 7:13. Here is the first sight of Christ to men on the earth, when once he is come down into the clouds, then shall they lift up their eyes, and have a full view of Jesus Christ; a cloud first received him out of their sight, and a cloud now discovers him to their sight, "Then shall appear the sight of the Son of man in heaven, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory," Matth. 24:30. Is it not plain that the first appearings and sight of Christ at his second coming from heaven is in the midst of clouds? "Behold he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him," Rev. 1:7. Some controversy there is about these clouds, as whether they be angels. When the Psalmist speaks of all sorts of meteors, as of waters, clouds, winds, flames, some say all these are angels; "and of the angels, he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire," Heb. 1:7. For my part I take it in the literal sense, that upon the very backs of clouds, Christ shall come riding along at the general day; and howsoever this may seem a small matter unto us, yet I cannot look on any circumstance of this transaction as small and trifling; the very clouds on which Christ ridea, speak terror and comfort.

*

1. Oh! what a terror is this to the wicked? "They shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn,' Matth. 24:30. These tribes of the earth are the tribes of the wicked; no sooner shall they look up, and see Christ in his clouds, but with inconceivable horror will they cry out, "O yonder is he whose blood we neglected, whose grace we resisted, whose counsels we refused, whose government we cast off! O yonder is he that comes now in clouds, in tempestuous clouds! O see how he storms! do not these very clouds in which he rides, speak or threaten a storm?" In the eighteenth Psalm is a description of Christ coming to judgment. But, O! how terrible? In the seventh verse, we find the earth trembling; in the eighth verse, a fire devouring; in the ninth verse, the heavens bowing downwards; in the 12, 13,14,15, verses, are "thick clouds, darkening the sky, thunders, lightnings, hail-stones flying through the air, the foundations of the world discovered." Thus the mighty God, our Jesus descends. Oh! how should the wicked but tremble at this, when but a consideration of this hath sometimes startled God's own people? Behold, Habakkuk, with quivering lips, trembling joints, bones mouldering into dust, when he had only a prophetic representation of Christ's second appearance, Hab. 3:16. All the dreadful things that attended the presence of God in Egypt, at the red sea, on mount Sinai, through the wilderness, are made but types, but shadows of the terrible march of the Captain of the Lord of hosts, and therefore shall the wicked mourn.

2. Here is the patience, and faith, and joy of saints, "And all the kin

* Id de impiis solum intelligo, ad quos planctus & luctus illi miserandos solum pertiAretius in locum.

nent.