25 4 aryl hiafecond Advent, or, Parts of the Text. DòEir. Chrift will come to judg- J ment to re- ward the god- ly and ungod- ly: Thefpeedinefs ofChrifts coming. t Cot. itt:ít. t Ioh. a.. s. i Pet. 4.7. Twobenefits concerning Chri@s com- ing to judge ment. a Per .hI t. Confuted by S. Peter. Country. And inthis theirtravel, they meet Withmany croffes, andafllsftions,and miferies. And likewife for the terror of the wicked, that make this world their kingdom; and arethe chiefLords and commanders of the fame : for thecomfort ofthe one,and the terror of the other, theAngel here in theperfon of Chriff faith, he will come, and-that/hartly, to be a fpeedy deliverer; of the one, and a jufiJudge againft the other. Behold, I rozne fhortly, andmy retard is with me, &c. To whichwords, obrave there particular brañci Firft, the word of preparation or attention, in the firth word, Behold, which is as it were a Trumpet that founds before the comingof the greatjudge, bid- ding every one to fit, and prepare himfelfto hold up his hand at the bar, Be- holed Secondly the Perfon, and that is the judgehimfelf, fpeaking in the perfonofthe Angel. I, Chrifk jefus himfelf. Thirdly, his a&ion, Icome." Fourthly, the fpeedinefs of his coming, fliorty. Fifthly, theend ofhis coming fp judgemeitt,and that is to reward everyman ac- cording to hie works. Sitetly,and laftly,thequantity,afld the quality ktthe reward inclufively fet down, which is according to the quality ofthe works : for if the works be good, there !hall be a great,and good reward,but ifthey bebhad,the reps' vard (hall be accordingly. The (mall model oftime will not fuf er me to run over all thefe particulars : there- fore my meditations,: andyour attention, !hall be in one doctrine fromthe wordsin general : and that is this, that, Cbrilt Jefas will ha/ten his coming to Judgement, to reward thegodly witheverlaff- ing, and eternal felicities : hut thewicked and ungodly, with endlefs woe, and perpetualmifery. For the prooofwhichdò&rite, youmay confider there four things. Firfl ofall the certainty; andcelerity of Chrifiscoming tojudgement. Secondly, the fignsthat prognollicate his coming. Thirdly, the Judgement it felt Laflly, the end. ForthecertaintyofChcil'ccoming to judgement, I perfwade my felt that there is none here among youfo ignorant, that he doth not know, or fo Atheiftical that he doth not believes you know it is an Articleofour belief, th he attended into heaven, and therehe (its at the right handof his Father toglory, irndfrom thence. he all come at the end' ifeh,world, tofredgeboth theqaic& and the dead. Therefore may (pare the labour, and the time in any further proof of that. Now concerning the fpeedinefs ofhis coming to judgement. If fo be thedayof udgement was athanditatteen ages fince, as both Chrilland his Apofllesproclaim- ed; if then even in Chrifts dayes the ends of the world were come, as Saint Paul faith, t Cor. ro, tr." if then was the loft time, as Saint John faith , r ?ohm2.18. if then the endof all things were at hand, as Saint Peter faith, r Pet.4.7. can we think that-now it is far off? Nay, fo fuse, and fo certain as God is God, and his Word istruth, andtnot one jottnor tittle thereof!ball pafsaway, he is rater at hand, hewill come fhortly. But, before we proceed, there lies two ftumbling blocks in the way, that we mull remove, wherewith many flumble concerning this point. In the time of the Apoflles there were two herefesconfuted : the one by Saint Peter, the otherby SaintPatel, Saint Peter in zPet. 3.3. he wills us to undcrfland, that in the laß dayes there /hall come freers, mots !wing after their own lulls, fay -hag, inhere is the promife of hiscoming? You- preach fo much that. Chrilijelus is coming tojudgement, anti to call
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