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more eminently manifests himself in an amazing splendour. He is the great King who lives above in the highest heavens, as in his palace; where he represents himself in a glory so shining and dazzling (called in Scripture his majesty) that it is not for such as we (till there be a marvellous change wrought in us) to come nigh it.

Nor is it so beseeming that he should descend himself from thence in that most glorious majesty to judge the world, and to transform all those who shall be accounted worthy to obtain that better world, and the resurrection from the dead. And therefore we may be confident our blessed Saviour, who long ago was ordained to be the person, will, according to his word, come as his commissioner to do it in his stead. It is not so agreeable to his state and greatness (if I may so express it) to come himself out of his orb of light to fetch us to his house and dwelling-place but since he hath appointed a day of recompences, we may be sure he will send his Son in the glory of the Father, as he tells us, (that is, in a majesty like that I now spake of,) and in the glory of his holy angels, (who use to attend him,) to meet us and conduct us safely thither.

Or we may conceive of this expression after this manner: God (the Father, that is, the Son, and the Holy Ghost) is in that high and holy place, the sanctuary above; into which no man hath yet entered, save only the great High Priest of our salvation, the Lord Jesus. And yet God hath made us a promise by him, before he went to heaven, that we also shall live with him, and be there where he is. From whence we may conclude, that this great High Priest will certainly come in his royal majesty, out of that place into which he is gone, to bless us, by bringing us to that region of light and glory which he himself only as yet inherits; and which is not any way accessible, but only by his means. In whose power, we may be satisfied, it is to promote us thither, being in such favour with the divine Majesty, and sitting at his right hand: who inhabits or possesses this glorious place as his own proper dwelling, and therefore can dispose of a mansion in it to whom he pleases.

VI. And indeed the apostle bids us remember, (which is the

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last thing,) that no man hath seen God, nor can see him; is capable, that is, to be in his glorious presence. Which signifies partly the same with the former; and also may suggest among other things the faithfulness of him who hath promised to show us this appearing of Christ Jesus; of God, that is, the Father Almighty. Who we see here plainly is the person of whom the apostle hath, all this time, been speaking, (as St. Ambrose k and St. Chrysostom1 also, if his gloss be well weighed, understand him,) not of our Saviour: who hath been seen already and shall be seen again at his second appearing. And you know, he hath promised to the pure in heart that they shall see God m. A favour which in this state no man hath enjoyed or can enjoy, as St. Paul here tells us. It is not for such as we to see God; and therefore there must be a time, when, according to his faithful promise, Christ Jesus shall appear again; to change us, and put us in such a condition, that he may bring us to that sight of him which no man in this world can have.

Either we must remain for ever without the sight of him; (and then God would not be true, who hath said by his Son that we shall see him ;) or we must be carried up from hence unto his heavenly palace; and then our Lord must appear to fit us for it, and make us capable of such a blessedness, and to transport us thither.

For how we should otherways be conveyed to a place so much above us but by the coming of our Lord, to lift us up and promote us to it, we cannot understand; since this is the way that he hath described; and our Lord Jesus is to have the honour of doing all the good to his faithful servants which God in his infinite goodness designs to bestow upon them.

This I take to be intimated in these words, whom no man hath seen, nor can see, which declare still more fully than was said before the supereminent excellence and perfection of the divine nature, and the astonishing brightness of his majesty : which, whilst we are here, we cannot reach, or attain any considerable sight of; and therefore Christ Jesus, who hath promised we shall see him, will appear again to fit us for conversation with him.

And indeed, since God hath already fulfilled his promise of [Pseud-Ambros. in loc. tom. ii. append. col. 304 A.] [In loc. tom. xi. p. 654 B.] m Matt. v. 8.

the first appearance of his Son, and sent him, born of a woman, to bring the glad tidings of salvation to us (by which he did, in one sense, make us see God m, that is, understand his mind, counsels, and will); and since another promise likewise of his coming to destroy his crucifiers (when every eye, he saith, should see him; that is, his power and glory at God's right hand should be abundantly thereby manifested to the world) is punctually and exactly made good; what reason have we to doubt of the certainty of his other appearing, which is still behind, when we shall behold him personally present with us, to bring us nearer into the very presence of God?

We have the same word passed for it which they had for the other; he hath the same will, the same power, the same empire and sovereign dominion: and therefore why should we not have the same confidence, and expect it with as much and full assurance as holy men in old times waited for the first consolation of Israel, or pious Christians waited for deliverance from their adversaries?

There is so little cause that our faith should think itself less assured than theirs, that we may rather look for this second appearing of our Lord and Saviour with much greater confidence than they could do for the first; because we have the advantage of seeing all those old prophecies which foretold his manifestation in our flesh actually fulfilled; and the Lord hath shown since that how upright he is, and that there is no unrighteousness in him °. We may depend not only (as the apostle hath here told us) upon his goodness and perfect happiness, upon his power, upon his absolute dominion over all creatures whatsoever, upon his immortality, upon his transcendent glory and majesty, and upon his faithfulness and truth; but, I may add, upon the evident demonstrations he hath already given, in the most remarkable instances, that his mercies are sure, and that he keepeth truth for ever P.

For this blessed and only Potentate, this King of kings, and Lord of lords, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen or can see, hath done great things for us already, whereof we are glad. He hath sent his Son, after good men had long [Ps. xcii. 15.]

m John i. 18.

n Rev. i. 8.
P Acts xiii. 34; Ps. cxlvi. 6.

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expected him; he sent him to do for them more than they expected; he raised him up out of his grave, and made him Lord of all; he hath given him power to raise up us to eternal life (as appears by the gift of the Holy Ghost, which wrought in his apostles, and enabled them to raise the dead, and do many other wonders): his judgments also have already been made manifest; he hath in part avenged the blood of his servants', and the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christs. And therefore we may with a steadfast faith look for another appearing of our Saviour, when he will come in person to exercise this power himself (wherewith we see he is invested) so far as to change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body (which then he will show to the world), according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himselft.

CHAP. V.

Containing the use we should make of what hath been delivered in the foregoing chapter.

I CANNOT think fit to pass on to what I further intend, without some short reflection upon so weighty a subject as this of which I have been treating. And therefore let us here pause a while, and consider how mightily all this should move us to worship and adore this blessed Potentate God the Father Almighty; to acknowledge with the humblest submission his supreme authority; to reverence, admire, and praise his most glorious perfections, who hath given us such a sure ground of faith and hope in him. For so St. Paul here concludes this incomparable description of him;-to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

Which is not said to exclude the other two Persons in the holy and undivided Trinity from receiving our worship and service, (no more than the giving eternal glory to our Saviour in the next Epistle", and in other places, takes it away from the Father,) but only to remember us of a peculiar prerogative, which the holy Scripture alway ascribes to the Father s xi. 15.

q 1 Cor. ii. 9.

r Rev. vi. 10; xv. 4.
u 2 Tim. iv. 18.

t Phil. iii. 20, 21.

Almighty, of being the Fountain and Beginning of all; to whom it properly and peculiarly belongs to show this appearing of Jesus Christ. And therefore the apostle invites us, from the consideration of his most excellent majesty and absolute dominion, to acknowledge and confess him, to acknowledge and praise him; first, as worthy of all honour, worship, veneration, and service: because (secondly) he hath all power and authority over us and over all creatures; an independent uncontrollable power: and that (thirdly) everlastingly to be celebrated, not only by us, but by all that shall come after us to the world's end; nay, to be praised and magnified by saints and angels in heaven to eternal ages.

To this we should every one of us, together with the apostle, most heartily say Amen, Let be so; we give our consent unfeignedly to it, and wish from the bottom of our souls that all men would honour and submit unto this blessed and on1y Potentate, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords. What though no man ever saw him? nay, what though no man can see him yet glory, honour and power is to be ascribed to him, because we see his works of wonder every where. The heavens and the earth declare the greatness of his glory; and from all things that we behold we learn his rich goodness, his infinite power, his immortal bliss, and that he is such a Potentate as the greatest kings and princes upon earth, nay, the highest thrones and principalities in heaven, ought to worship and obey with the greatest reverence. And much more is this due from us poor and inferior creatures; especially since he hath shown himself so gracious to us in our Saviour (the most excellent demonstration of his blessed nature and mighty love), and hath promised he shall appear once more in greater glory than ever; and hath taught us to believe, by all the notions we have of him, that he will never fail to make that promise good.

And as we ought to honour God the Father of all, so this naturally moves us (out of a particular obligation) to honour

* So Epiphanius observes, that the Scripture shows píav elva Tv πηγὴν τῶν πάντων ἀγαθῶν, τουτέστι τὸν Πατέρα. Καθεξῆς δὲ τῆς πηγῆς .. ὢν μία πηγὴ ἐκ πηγῆς ὁ Υἱὸς, &c.

Hæres. lxix. num. 54. [tom. i. -p. 776 D.] and Nazianz. Örat. xxix. p. 489, &c. [ed. Ben. orat. xx. § 7. tom. i. p. 380.]

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