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 n Rev. i. 8. ° [Ps. xcii. 15.] P Acts xiii. 34; Ps. cxlvi. 6.

m John i. 18.

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 Christ". 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 himself.

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 r Rev. vi. 10; XV. 4. s xi. 15. t Phil. iii. 20, 21. u 2 Tim. iv. 18.

4 1 Cor. ii. 9.

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 on'y 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 μíav elvai rηy πηγὴν τῶν πάντων ἀγαθῶν, τουτέστι τὸν Πατέρα. Καθεξῆς δὲ τῆς πηγῆς . . ὢν μία πηγὴ ἐκ πηγῆς ὁ Υἱὸς, &c.

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

and obey our Lord Jesus Christ, as the person whom this great Majesty will show in wonderful honour and glory at the great day.

This is the very reason (you must mark) wherewith the apostle backs his charge to Timothy to keep the commandment he gave him without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ; because the blessed and only Potentate will certainly, in his own time, show the glory wherein he lives, by his appearing again in royal majesty in the sight of all the world. It concerns us therefore, as well as it did Timothy, to have an exceeding great regard to this most glorious person, whom God will so highly honour; and to take care that we behave ourselves so as to be unreprovable at that day. We must observe his commandments, that is, as exactly as we can, and endeavour to render ourselves as a beautiful body, without any spot and blemish, and thereby be found acceptable in his sight at his appearing.

And if you would know what commandments they were which he would have Timothy, in consideration of this appearing of Christ, and the certainty thereof, to keep without spot, you need but look back to the eleventh and twelfth verses, and there you may find them: Follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness: fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, &c. That is, "shun covetousness, and all the vices that issue from it, ever rendering to every man what is his due: have God always before thine eyes, and put thy trust and confidence in him; deceive no man that relies on thy word; exercise mercy and charity to all; suffer wrongs rather than do them, and suffer them with a patient humble mind; bridle anger, repress all choleric motions; and use such gentleness to others as thou wouldst desire thyself in the like cases. And for this end, contend earnestly for the Christian faith; that is, suffer not thy faith in Christ to be shaken, much less overthrown, by any persecution, pain, or death itself. As thou hast begun to show thyself a good Christian, so continue. Remember thy calling and profession; and resolve to quit all thou hast rather than fall short of eternal life. And this I give thee

in charge, as thou wilt answer it before God, who raises even the dead, and before our Lord Jesus Christ, who constantly professed the truth before Pontius Pilate, that thou keep these things inviolable, and endeavour to be found pure and holy when Christ shall appear again: as certainly he will; for we have his word for it; and God, the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, &c. is able and lives for ever to make it good."

These two uses, you see, the apostle plainly directs us to Imake of the doctrine here delivered. And there is a third, which he teaches us in the place I am now treating of, when he describes all good Christians who keep the faith by the name of those who love this appearing of Christ Jesus.

All they who observe the commandments of our Lord and Saviour with seriousness and care, ought to set their hearts upon this glorious appearing which they expect, as the most goodly sight, the most blessed spectacle, that eyes can behold. This is the very character, you see, that St. Paul gives of the faithful; and so it hath ever since been esteemed by all those who understood our religion: which disposes and inclines all those that heartily embrace it, and live according to it, to have a great affection for that happy day, which so many pious souls, through so many ages, have most passionately longed to see. So Andreas Cæsariensis hath most excellently expressed the sense of all right Christians, when he sets this down for the contents of the last chapter of the Revelation (according to the old divisiona), ὅπως ἡ ἐκκλησία, καὶ τὸ ἐν αὐτῇ Πνεῦμα, &c. 'how the church, and that Spirit which is in it, wishes for and desires the glorious appearing of Christ:' which will bring with it so transcendent a bliss, that they have little faith or little goodness, who do not not only wait for it, but rejoice in hope of it before it come. For when the apostle calls this appearing of Christ his revelation (saith an ancient writer in Ecumeniusb), δίδωσιν αὐτοῖς μέγιστα προσδοκῶν, καὶ ἥδεσθαι, &c. ' he bids them look for the greatest things, and please themselves in the very thoughts of his coming, before they receive the recompense of the reward.' For as his appearing will be infinitely affrighting z 1 Tim. vi. 13. a Chap. lxxii. [ad calc. Ecum. tom. ii. p. 836.] b In 2 Thess. i. 7. [tom. ii. p. 190 A.]