3 Phil. 12.

we may be sure he will appear in it all when he comes to Judgment. The Scripture affures us, that Chrift is now clothed with a glorious Body; and that at the Refurrection he fhall change our vile bodies, that they may be like to his own most glorious body: and he himself 13 Mat.43. tells us, At that day the righteous fhall fhine forth like the fun in the Kingdom of their Father: And if he bestows fuch Glory on his meaneft Members, how glorious will the Head be? for St. Paul affures us, That there are very different degrees of Glory; There is one glory of the fun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one ftar differeth from another Star in glory. So also is the refurrection of the dead, 1 Cor. 15.41,42. With what Glory then will our Lord appear, when he comes to Judgment? If the Righteous fhall fhine forth like the Sun, how bright will the Sun of Righteousness himfelf be? If meer Creatures fhall appear fo glorious, what will the Glory of an Incarnate God be? for he will not then appear as a glorious Creature, but as a vifible God; as I obferved before, his Godhead will fhine through his glorified Humanity, as vifible as our Souls do through our Bodies: And how glorious muft that Body be, in which the Deity appears! a Glory which diftinguishes a God from the moft glorious Crea

turés.

But he must appear in the Glory of his Father alfo: that is, as I understand it, with the Authority of an Univerfal Judge: this is a great Glory; for Authority and Power carries Reverence and Majefty with it: Whatever Mens perfonal Qualifications are, though upon all

other

other accounts they are much inferior to their Neighbours; yet the Character of a Judge makes them Venerable, especially to those who must be judged by them. Authority is an invisible Character, but yet gives a visible Majefty; it is apt to impofe upon our Judgments of Perfons, that we hardly think them the fame men when they are in Authority and out of it: And if an ordinary Judge of Affize be lookt on with so much Reverence and Awe, What is the Glory and Majefty of an Univerfal Judge? How will all the World fall, and bow, and tremble before him, who with the : Word of his mouth can fentence them to Eternal Life or Death? This is his Father's glory, for he is the Natural Lord and Judge of the World, and from him he receives this Authority to judge the World; The Father judgeth no man, but bath committed all Judgment to the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father, 5 John 22, 23. To this Glory he is now advanced; and we must now Obey, and Reverence, and Adore him as our Judge, but it will give a visible Majefty to him, when he thus comes in the Glory of his Father; when the astonishing Glory of his Perfon is ftill made more Glorious and Majestick by the Authority of a Judge.

But his Retinue is very glorious alfo, and adds to the Terror and Majefty of his Appearance; for he fhall come attended with Myriads of holy Angels, bright and glorious Beings, who incircle his Perfon, and are the Witnesses and Ministers of his Juftice.

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"

We know a fplendid Retinue adds greatly to the Glory of a Prince or Judge: a Multitude has fomething great and awful in it, especially when this Multitude are all his Dependants, Servants, and Minifters; and more ftill, when every one of this Multitude are moft excellent and glorious Creatures, the Beauty and Perfection of the Creation, whofe fingle Glories we cannot now bear the fight of, without great Apprehenfion and Amazement: And what a mighty Prince is he, who comes attended with the whole Hoft of Heaven, who leave their Heavenly Mansions to wait upon their Lord, and to adorn his Triumphs!

But this glorious Retinue of Angels is not meerly for Pomp and State, but they are the Minifters of his Juftice, and therefore are

called his mighty Angels, or the Angels of his Mel' Ay fε- Power, 2 Theff. 1. 8. And what a powerful Av Jud-Judge is he, who has all the Powers of Heaven attending him to execute his Vengeance on Men and Devils?

μεως αντο.

This glorious Judge fhall at the laft Day come down from Heaven, for thither he afcended after his Resurrection from the Dead, and there he must continue till he comes to judge the World: But then the Lord himself fhall defcend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the Trump of God, 2 Theff. 4. 16. I fee no reason why this fhould not be understood literally, of an audible. Voice and Shouting, and an audible found of the last Trumpet to fummon all Mankind to Judgment; for this makes the Appearance more folemn and awful; and thus God defcen

ded

A

ded, on Mount Sinai, when he gave the Law, With thundrings and lightnings, and the voice of a trumpet exceeding loud; fo that all the people that was in the Camp, trembled, 19 Exod. 16. And if he gave the Law with the found of a Trumpet, why not judge the World with it too?

This Shout is the fhouting of the holy Angels, begun by the Voice of the Archangel, in their defcent with Chrift; and fignifies what fuch Shoutings do among Men, either great Joy and Exultation, or Alacrity and Courage: Thus Men fhout for Joy when any thing happens which highly pleases them; thus Soldiers fhout when the fignal is given for Battel.

Thus when our Lord fhall fay, Come ye holy Angels, go down with me to judge the World; they will fhout for Joy that that Day is come, which will put a final end to the Kingdom of Darkness; when the Devil and his Angels, and all Wicked Men fhall be caft into the Lake of Fire; and Good Men rewarded, and crowned, and received into the immediate Prefence of God in Heaven. For this is matter of Joy to all Holy Angels, to fee the final Conqueft of all the Enemies of CHRIST's Kingdom; to fee the Triumphs of Juftice, to fee all Impiety and Wickednefs fhamed, condemned, and punished, and the World cleanf ed from the Pollutions of it: To fee their numbers encreafed by the advancement of Good Men into Heaven, who will now be united to their Company, and joyn with them in finging Hallelujahs to Him that fitS 2

teth

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his Father's Houfe, there to fee, and there to partake in his Glory, and never to part

more.

;

Methinks I fee holy and devout Souls in the highest Raptures and Ecftafies of Joy, embracing and comforting one another at the Appearance of their Lord: Here comes the Bleffed Jefus, it is he himself, the true Image of God, the very Brightnefs of his Father's Glory: This is that bleffed Day we have fo long expected and hoped for let us go forth and meet him; let us haften into the Embraces of our Saviour: He is come to Judgment, but let thofe tremble at Judgment, who are afraid of the Judge: We are his, he has bought us with his Blood; he has renewed and fanctified us by his Spirit, and now he is come to own us in the prefence of Men and Angels, to beftow a Kingdom on us, to receive us to himself, that where he is, we may be alfo, and behold his Glory.

But then, on the other hand, confider, I beseech you, what a terrible Sight this will be to Bad Men, who have laughed at the Fable of a Crucified Jefus, and mocked at a Future Judgment: And is he come, will fuch a Sinner fay? and muft I be judged at laft, when I thought my felf fo fecure of Judg ment! Behold I fee him, and can be an Infidel no longer: Lord, what Terror is there in his Looks! How do his Eyes flame with Vengeance! Who can abide the Day of his Wrath! How can I appear before him as my Judge, whom I would not have for my Saviour! What

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