Chap. \.Sett. 2. J.Looltmg unto jjefu.s. Book Vi. 6i7 prefence and more of his light, and more of his favour, and more of his image. 0 let this be o11r work; let us thus confider Jefus in reference to his fecond coming to judgment. Andthatwemay do it in Order.-- ' 1 • Confider Chrift's preparing for judgment; realize it as if thou faweft or heardll: the fame; no fooner the time determined which God bath ap.poimed, but_Chi:i!t corn~ mands, make ready ye Angels to wait upo11 me, a~d make ready ye glonous fo_uls that now are with me. ir is the Fathers pleafure, and It is my plea(ure eo go·down toto the neather World 'and to cxll before me all the men and women that ever lived in it; there will I pafs my doom upon all lldh, and reward every one, good and bad, according to his works. Oh what a ll10ut may I imagine in Heaven at tbis news! what joy is in the fouls of Saints that now they muft go to their bodies, and enter into diem, that both their fouls and bodies, which fomedmes lived together, may now dwell together with Chril't i~ glory, and never part mo:e? If tbofe tllat live on earth are commanded by Chrift, To lift ~eptheir heads, beca.tfe theiHedemption draweth nigh; how much more lhall they joy in Heaven, who alfo have w•ite~for the ~doption, towie the rede!"ption of Rom.8. 23· their b.dies, that now the long-looked-for day ts come,tt tscome, 0 theexa!tattoo ofthe and Angels at this tydings! This is worthy a paufe, aSelah to be fet upo.n it·.· . z. Conrider Chrift:s coming to judgment ; all now in readinefs, fhe Son of God comes forth with all his glorious ane;-dams; For the Son of man (hall c~me in the glory ~{Mat. 16, •7• his Father with ·hu fi,t;els, and wtth the fouls of Samts, tfiat (oi· a ume have been m Parauife. Oh what a goodly fight is here-! In this meditation I may fee with John, The ntw 1erufa!cm coming downfror~ God out of heavm, prepared M " Bride adorned for Rev. ••· .; her hmb..nd. Down comes Chrift, and down come the Angels, and down come the fpi: irsof the juft made perfect'; and as they come along, fee how they lhake the He:r~ vens, and dim, and dark the very lights of Heuen; fee what a flood of fire goes before rhcm ; fee how they pafs imo the cloud, where Chrill: makes aftand, and ereds a Throne for himfelf to fit on. Sure 'twill be a guilded glorious cloud, when Chrifi. with all his celelbal fervants lhall fir upon it: amornings cloud guilded with the beam!i of theSun is adtqirably fair and Jhining ; but what a lhining cloud is that where the Sun of rigbr~oufnefs with all his morning Stars do lit and lhine? here'senough to dazzle my eyes, and to take up rny thoughcs; 0 my foul think on it; I 3. Confider Cbriil fummons of the ded to come under "ju4gment ; no fooner in the cloud, but he fha/1fendhi; .Angels with agrMt found of a Trumpet, .and they jhall gather Mat. •4·3'· toge·"er hii_e/e[/;[>·om thefour winds, from the one end of heaven to another. Will not this be a ftrange fight to fee Chrifl acoming, with Trumpets founding before him, canfing all the dead to awakenout of their lleeps of death? the very found oft.his Trumpet was ever in Jerome's ears, .Arife ye dead.and come to jndgment, and no quenion .bur thy ears lhall be filled with the b!at1 thereof; the Trumpet lhall found that'tl,all"be hear(! over all the World; and then ll~all the dead arife out of their graves; and every Saint's foul fl1all rc-enrer into hisown body, by venue of the refurredion of Chrift their Head. Can I pafs this meditationwithout fome reflection on my felf? 0 my foul how joyfully wilt thou greet thy bodl', when thou Iliale enliven it again? how wHt th?u fay, 0 my dear Sifler, whom I left belund me to du!~ when I went to Heaven? how lweet is thy carcafs; how comely i> tl1y countenance? howdo I emtr into thee, and animate thee, and I will never more leave thee ; thou watt my yoke-fellow in the Lord's labours, and my companion in perfecution and wrong; now lhall we enter together into our Mafters joy; fee, liftup thy head, behold fefu ; Chrifl yond fitting" in the cloud; and lo here the Angels waJtmg on us, and comin5 w take us with the reil: of the Saints into the Air, to meet our Redee'tler there, Could I but realize this fummons, this refurredion, this meeting of the foul and body, and going with the A'ngds imo the judgmem-fear, oh how would it work! and what work would it make within. _4.. Confider Chrifl: and rhe Saints meeting at the judgment day; oh, how lliall the Samrs look, ~ndfbre, and gaze at the beauty of Jefus Chrift? oh how ~vill they break .<:~t tnto adm1rauonat the liril: view of rhofe glories which never before appeared on this fw e Heaven/ Is not tillS he (will theyJay ) of whom we read fooften, that he was fair-· erthan the fons of men I that he was white, and ruddy, the clnefeft of ten thoufaods; th~t Iuscounrenance was as Lebanon, excellent as the Cedars, glorious as when the Sun flnneth in his !lr<ngth? but WJS ever thehalf told us of what now we fee, and behold? 0 the fuper-excellenr, tranfcendem beauty of this Sun of righteoufnefs! 0 the treafures oflovehnefs lntlusJefusChriil: neverfeenbefore! And thus as they admire, fo they X x x · · adore;
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