OCR Text |
Show •-t chrifl is coming. "more cfpecially faid to be prefent there, this is his Glorious prefence. As to his Power it is exercifed in bringing good or evil. Now in regard that mercy and goodncfs is the moll natural work of God (having no caufe at all in the Creature,) and judgment is hisftrangt work,_; God is faid to be prefenr with his people when he fheweth them m~rcy, abfent . when he exercifeth hi; Power, in bringing judgment or affliCtions upon them. Now in regard evils are offeveral forts, fame rrjpe{Ji>rg tht otttward man: Such as Sword, Famine, Peflilence, &c. Others refpeding the in. ward man; and thofe either refpeding the outward means of Salvation, fuch as tak,prg away hi< Gojpel; their Liberties as to his publick Ordinances, &c. Or fecondly, fuch as refped the in. ward means of Grace, viz. the injlHencuofhi< Spirit not necelfary to Salvation. God may be faid to be abfent from his people and fo in a capacity to return to them many ways. ' r. He may be faid to be abfont from thtm, when he givuthem up into tbe hamis ofthtir memiu'; fuff'ers them to be numb1ed to the Sword, affliCts them with Pellilence, ,or other fore difeafes fends amongfl them Scarcitie, &c. and to come, or return to then: when he removeth rhefe outward Judgments. , . 2. As he may be foid to be abfom from them, when be .denietb them hi< Gojpel,and the liberty of his Ordina11ces, and thofe outwArd adva"tag01 which he givu them for their SoNis: So he may be faiti to come, or ret~rn to them,when he reftoretbthefo mercies and priviledges to them agarn. .', 3· As he ls faid to be abfent when he withdraweth the Gradual manifellarions of his Love from thern(fuch as are not neceffary ro thdr Salvation, for necelfaries he cannot deny them;) fo I e may be fozd to ret~trn, or to come to them, >Phen be again cauftth bi1 face to fhint upo11 thtm ;,. a t»ay of comfort, ,.,hen be returns to q~<iolltn a11d ftrcngtben then~ unto duty,again{i 'Itmptations,again(l Sin,&c,This is the firfi fenfe 111 which the Propofiriori is true that Chrifi is coming. But Secondly, Chrifl is not God only but God-man in one perfan, and to be confidered as the Meffias and Saviour ofhis people. And u~der t_his confideration it is partly true, parr Jy not ~rue that he ts commg ; and partly doubtful, whether he be com-qm~ . '. He i< not coming to tak.! upon him our nature. In this fenfe it was true, when Sol•moa fpake this in the perfon of rhe Church, Chrift ir comiilg. . or particularly_ believing Soul : ' And there arc that think the Spoufe here had refped to this, and that fhc was in irfikc Ab•aham, who afar olf (aw Gbrifts day, and rej•yced: nor will I deny this to be part of the fenfe, but I do not think it the whole, nor doth it concern us, nor is rhe Propotition true, that he is thus coming. Thus indeed the Jews are looking llil) for the Meffi.n,bur their eyes will fail with looking, for be i< cornr. Cbrift was he 1¥ho was to come, nor is there any other to be looked for : And they alfo in time fhall fee it, when God fhall give them an heart to look upon him whom they have crucified. Bur it is enough for me to have mentioned this fenfe of the Text, and to have rejected it in the Propofition, as it concerneth us: 2. In fame fenfe it is uncertain and doubtful whether he b~ com· ing ye• or no .i' There is in fame an expectation of a coming of Cbri{i, zooo years before the day of Judgment. Some expecl: thar he fhould come perfunaUy : Others, that he fhall come tH a King, though nor in perfon, yet giving a rule and dominion to his People. I know therea~e many Texts that are quoted to this purpof<, which fame tmderfiand of Chrifts coming in perfon: Others, of his c•miHg in his Saints.' Others only conclude from them, that there fhall towards the latter end t>f the world be a more glorious time of peace and liberty, &c. I dare determine nothing in the cafe: nor do I think them matters of Faith, bur fuch divertities of opinion, as a Chriflian-( without prafriting upon them) may fafely obforve, What wiU be 1be' iffue o[, without further diflurbance; ( as Jacob did by Jofiphs revelations in his two dreams, which yet proved true,Gm·37·' t.) The Scriptures brought are capable of another Senfe. 3. La lily, In fome fenfe it is mofl certain, That Cbrift rr>iU come. He will come again to Judg both the quick and dead , J ohH 14. 2. If I go and prepne a plact for you I wiU come again, tfnd recrivc yo,. Hllto my folf, that where I am, thtre you m•y be alfo. The Apoflle fai th, rhat God hath appointed bim ~o be J~tdg of the quick., and the dead, and he mull come to make good his Fathers appointment : • Of this it is that the Lord fpeaketh by the Apollle, 'jnde v.15,'Ihe Lord cometh with 10o0o of hi< Saints, and the day of the Lord cometh IH a thief. r Their. s. 2, And again, 1 'IheJJ'. + 14. 'Ibe Lord him] elf jhaU def:end [rom heaven with a fhout, with the voice of an Arch-Angel,&c, and in many other texts of Scripture. By this you eafily undcrlland in what fenfe even now the Propofition is true. J, Firll, |