Thirdly, It is not only neceffary in matters of bare faith, and notions of belief, but in refpect of the active and operative reliance upon the promises of God. This was the particular confidence of Abraham the Father of the faithful, who staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was Rom. 4. 2ɔ, frong in faith, giving glory to God, and being perfuaded that what he had 21. promifed he was able alfo to perform. The promises of God are therefore falfitas, quia cultas aut im firm and fure, because he is both willing and able to perform them. We* Nulla eft in doubt or distrust the promises of Men, either because we may fear they in- promiflis Dei tend not to do what they have promifed, or cannot do what they intend: In nulla eft in fathe firft, we may fufpect them, because they are fubject to iniquity; in the ciendis diffi fecond, because they are liable to infirmity. But being God is of infinite poffibilitas. fanctity, he cannot intend by breaking his promises to deceive us: There- Fulgent. l. 1. fore if he be alfo of infinite power, he must be able to perform what he in- Ad Monim. tended, and confequently we can have no reason to distrust his promifes. From whence every good Chriftian may fay with the Apostle, I know whom 2 Tim. 1. 12, I have believed, and I am perfuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. I am affured that if I be a sheep, and hear my Saviour's voice, the powers of darkness and the gates of hell can never prevail against me; for it was the voice of the Son of God, My John 10. 20. Father which gave them me is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. Laftly, The belief of God's omnipotency is necessary to give Life to our devotions. We ask those things from Heaven which none but God can give, and many of them fuch, as if God himself were not Almighty, he could not effect. And therefore in that form of prayer which Chrift hath taught us, we conclude all our petitions unto the Father with that acknowledgment, For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory. Nor can there be a Mat. 6. 13. greater encouragement in the midst of all our Temptations, than that we are invited to call upon him in the day of trouble, who is able to do exceed- Eph. 3. 20. ing abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. After this explication of our Saviour's feffion, we may conclude what every Chriftian ought, and may be fuppofed to intend, when he maketh profeffion to believe that Chrift is fet on the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. For thereby he is conceived to declare thus much: I affent unto this as a moft infallible and neceffary truth, that Jefus Christ afcending into the highest Heavens, after all the troubles and fufferings endured here for our redemption, did reft in everlasting happiness; he which upon earth had not a place to lay his head, did take up a perpetual habitation there, and fit down upon the throne of God, as a Judge, and as a King, according to his office of Mediator, unto the end of the World; according to that which he merited by his Mediatorship, to all eternity; which hand of God the Father Almighty fignifieth an omnipotent power, able to do all things without any limitation, fo they involve not a contradiction, either in themselves or in relation to his perfections. And thus I believe in Jefus Chrift who fitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. *Or from From thence he_Chall come to judge the Quick and whence; the Latines fometimes inde, fometimes unde. And the Greek is osv, unde, both in the ancient MS. in Sir Robert Cot ton's Library, the Dead. HIS Article containeth in it four particular confiderations, and no more; First, That Chrift, who is gone from us, hall come again. Secondly, That the place from whence he shall then come, is the highest Heaven, to which he firft afcended, for from thence he shall come. Thirdly, That the end for which he fhall and in the come, and the action which he fhall perform when he cometh, is to judge; Creed of Mar- for from thence he shall come to judge. Fourthly, That the object of that action, or the perfons whom he fhall judge, are all Men, whether dead before, or then v, in the alive; for from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. latter MS. in Bennet College Library. Others neither dew, nor cubs, but waaw as Juftin Martyr, Hues ixítvaμhu Xessor you ☺sỡ ταυρωθέντα τα αναςάντα, καὶ ἀνεληλυθότα εἰς τὰς ἔρανὸς, καὶ πάλιν του ελυησόμθρου και πάν]ων ἁπλῶς ἀνθρώπων μέχρις αυ Adau. Dial. cum Tryphone. Others without inde or unde, only venturus, as the Nicene Creed, expor nešvar, others wάaw igxóμvor or nžovlæ wáλiv, and Fortunatus leaving out inde venturus, hath only judicaturus vivos & mortuos. cellus. But ἐκεῖθεν ἐρχό For the illustration of the firft Particular, two things will be neceffary, and no more; Firft, To fhew that the promised Meffias was to come again after he once was come: Secondly, To declare how our Jefus (whom we have already proved once to have come as the true Meffias) did promife and affure us of a fecond coming. That the Meffias was to come again, was not only certainly, but copioufly foretold; the Scriptures did often affure us of a fecond Advent. As often as we read of his griefs and humility, fo often we are admonished of his coming to fuffer: As often as we hear of his power and glory, fo often we are affured of his coming to judge. We must not fanfie with the Jews, a double Meffias, one the Son of Jofeph, the other of David; one of the Tribe of Ephraim, the other of Judah; but we must take that for a certain Truth, which they have made an occafion of their error; that the Mellias is twice to come, once in all humility, to fuffer and die, as they conceived of their Son of Jofeph; and again in glory, to govern and judge, as they expect the Son of David. Particularly, Enoch the Seventh from Adam prophefied of his Advent, faying, Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Angels. And more particularly Daniel faw the representation of his judiciary power and glory; I faw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of man, came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the ancient of days, and they brought him before him. And *R. Saadias there was given him dominion and glory, aud a kingdom that all people, Gaon ad lo- nations and languages fhould ferve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be deftroyed. This Son of man the * Jews themselves confefs to be the Jude 14. Dan. 7. 13, 14. cum, זהו משיח כךכתוב נאס וו" :unb aw unb In Bereshit Rabba, Speaking of the Genealogy concluding (1 Chron. 3. 34.) with Anani the youngest of the feven Sons of Elioenai, the Author afks this Question, y Nand who is this Anani? and answers it thus, This is the Mcflias, as it is write זה משיח שנ' חזה הוית בחזוי ליליא וארו עם ענני שמיא כבר אנש אתה הוא: ten, Dan. 7. 15. I faw in the night vifions, and behold one like the Son of man came with Anani, that is, the clouds of heaven; Solomon Jarchi ad locum, nunn pɔo nIJ VIN, and Aben Ezra, ibidem, my וסור ארם הוא סוד המשיח כאומרו כבר אנש אתי : ; So the Author of Tzeror Hammor אנש המשיח ונבין הרבר : The Mystery of Man is the Mystery of the Meffias, according to that of Daniel, he came as the Son of Man. This place is mentioned for one of the pan which speak of the Messiah, in the Midrash Tillim, Pfal. 2. And the Midrash up -Jpeaking of the Mef אר ברכיה בשם ר' שמואל כתוב אחר אום עם ענני שמיא כבר אנש : .7 .on the Art Pfal fias. Indeed the Jews do fo generally interpret this place of Daniel of the Meffias, that they made it an Argument to prove that the Meffias is not yet come, because no man bath yet come with the Clouds of Heaven. promised delivered in אר / אלכסנדרי בתיב על מלך promifed Meffias, and they take the Words to fignifie his coming, and fo my הוא וכתיב חמור זכר עם ענני שמיא לא זכר ענר זרוכב על חמור : Idem etiam legitur in Beribit Rabba R. Mofch. Haddarham, Gen. 49. II. Thus they make the coming of Chrift to de- That our Jefus, whom we have already proved to have come once into the World as the true Meffias, fhall come the second time, we are most asfured. We have the teftimony of the Angels, This fame Jefus which is ta- Acts 1. 11. ken up from you into heaven fhall fo come in like manner as ye have feen into heaven. We have the Promise of Christ himself to his Apostles: a a Heb. 10.37. who is him go * by that vul the World to known by the therefore will which made the Apostles afk that Question. Mat. 24. 3. When fhall these things be, and what fhall be the fign of thy The עם ענני השמים הם מלאכי צבא השמים זו היא רוב הגדולה שיתן הבורא למשי: :13 .7 .place of Dan Clouds of Heaven they are the Angels of the Hoft of Heaven; this is the great magnificence and power which God shall give unto the Meffias. From hence is that Expofition in Midrash Tillim, Pfal. 21. 7. אחר אומ' וארו עם ענני שמיא כבר אנש אתה הוא וקרמוהי הקרבוהי וכתוב אחר אמר והקרבתיו ונגש אלי הא ,Rabbi Barachia Jaid in the name of Rabbi Samuel, One Scripture faith כיצר חמלאכין מכניסין אותו עד מחיצתן : (Dan. 7. 13.) And behold one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And another Scripture faith, (Jer. 30. 21.) And I will caufe him to draw near, and he fhall approach unto me. Behold in what manner? The Angels fhall bring him into the midft of them. The place from whence he fhall come is next to be confidered, and is fufficiently expreffed in the Creed by reflection upon the place whither he went when Acts 3. 21. when he departed from us; For he afcended into heaven, and fitteth on the right hand of God, and from thence he shall come: that is, from, and out of the highest Heaven (where he now fitteth at the right hand of God) shall Christ hereafter come to judge both the Quick and the Dead. For him muft the heaven receive till the time of the reftitution of all things; and when 1 Theff. 4.16. that time is fulfilled, from that Heaven fhall he come. For the Lord himSelf fhall defcend from heaven with a fhout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God. Our converfation ought to be in heaven, because from thence we look for our Saviour the Lord Jefus. Our High-pricft is gone up into the Holy of Holies not made with hands, there to make an Atonement for us; therefore as the People of Ifrael ftood without the Tabernacle, expecting the return of Aaron, fo muft we look unto 2 Thess. 1. 7.. the Heavens, and expect Christ from thence, when the Lord Jefus fhall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels. We do believe that Christ is fet down on the right hand of God; but we must also look upon him as coming thence, as well as fitting there; and to that purpose Christ himself Mat. 26. 64. hath joined them together, faying, Hereafter shall ye fee the Son of man fitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Thus fhall the Saviour of the World come from the right hand of Power, in fulness of Majesty, from the highest Heavens, as a Demonstration of his Santity, that by an undoubted Authority, and unquestionable Integrity, he might appear moft fit to judge both the quick and the dead: which is the end of his fecond Coming, and leads me to the third Confideration, the Act of his Judging; From whence hall he come to judge. For the explication of this Action, as it stands in this Article, three Confiderations will be neceffary, Firft, How we may be affured that there is a Judgment to come, that any one shall come to judge. Secondly, In case we be affured that there fhall be a Judgment, how it appeareth that he which is afcended into Heaven, that is, that Christ fhall be the Judge. Thirdly, In case we can be affured that we fhall be judged, and that Christ fhall judge us, it will be worthy our Inquiry in what this Judgment fhall confift, how this Action fhall be performed: and more than this cannot be neceffary to make us understand, that he shall come to judge. That there is a Judgment to come after this Life, will appear demonftrable, whether we confider our felves who are to undergo it, or God who is to execute it. If we do but reflect upon the frame and temper of our own Spirits, we cannot but collect and conclude from thence, that we are to give an account of our Actions, and that a Judgment hereafter is to pass upon us. There is in the Soul of every Man a Confcience, and whofefoever it is, it gi veth teftimony to this Truth. The antecedent or directive Confcience tells us what we are to do, and the fubfequent or reflexive Confcience warns us what we are to receive. Looking back upon the Actions we have done, it either approves or condemns them; and if it did no more, it would only prove that there is a Judgment in this life, and every Man his own Judge. But being it doth not only allow and approve our good Actions, but also doth create a Complacency, Apology, and Confidence in us; being it doth not only difprove and condemn our evil Actions, but doth alfo conftantly accufe us, and breed a fearful Expectation and Terror in us; and all this prefcinding from all relation to any thing either to be enjoyed or fuffered in this Life it followeth that this Conscience is not fo much a Judge as a Witness, bound over to give testimony, for or against us, at fome Judgment after this Rom. 1. 15. Life to pass upon us. For all men are a Law unto themfelves, and have the work of the Law written in their hearts, their confcience alfo bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accufing or excufing one another in the day when God shall judge the fecrets of men. Again, If we confider the God who made us, and hath full Dominion over us, whether we look upon him in himself, or in his word, we cannot but expect a Judgment from him. First, If we contemplate God in himself, we muft acknowledge him to be the Judge of all mankind, so that a man shall Pfal. 58. 11. fay, verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth. Now the fame God who is our Judge, is, by an attribute, necessary and infeparable, juft; and this juftice is fo effential to his Godhead, that we may as well deny him to be God, as to be juft. It was a rational expoftulation which Abraham made, Shall Gen. 18. 25. not the judge of all the earth do right? We may therefore infallibly conclude that God is a moft juft Judge; and if he be fo, we may as infallibly conclude that after this life he will judge the World in righteousness. For as the affairs of this prefent world are ordered, though they lie under the difpofition of Providence, they fhew no fign of an univerfal Juftice. The wicked and disobedient perfons are often fo happy as if they were rewarded for their Impieties; the innocent and religious often fo miferable, as if they were punished for their Innocency. Nothing more certain than that in this life, rewards are not correfpondent to the vertues, punishments not proportionable to the Sins of Men. Which confideration will enforce one of these conclufions; either that there is no Judge of the actions of mankind; or if there be a Judge, he is not just, he renders no proportionate rewards or punishments; or laftly, if there be a Judge, and that Judge be just, then is there a judgment in anorher World, and the effects thereof concern another Life. Being then we must acknowledge that there is a Judge, which judgeth the earth; being we cannot deny but God is that Judge, and all muft confefs that God is moft juft; being the rewards and punishments of this life are no way anfwerable to fo exact a justice as that which is divine muft be; it followeth that there is a judgment yet to come, in which God will fhew a perfect demonftration of his juftice, and to which every man fhall in his own bofom carry an undeniable witnefs of all his actions. In From hence the Heathen, having always had a serious apprehenfion both of the power of the confcience of Man, and of the exactness of the justice of God, have from thence concluded that there is a judgment to come. fomuch that when S. Paul reafoned of righteousness and temperance and Acts 24.25. judgment to come, Felix trembled. The difcourfe of righteoufnefs and temperance touched him who was fo highly and notoriously guilty of the breach of both, and a pre-conception which he had of judgment after death, now heightened by the Apostle's particular defcription, created an horror in his foul and trembling in his limbs. The fame Apoftle difcourfing to the Athenians, the great lights of the Gentile world, and teaching them this Article of our Creed, that God hath appointed a day in which he will judge Acts 17. 31. the world in righteoufness by that man whom he bath ordained; whereof he hath given affurance unto all men, in that he hath raifed him from the This princidead; found fome which mocked when they heard of the refurrection of the ple of a judgdead, but against the day of judgment none replied. That was a principle Juftin Martyr of their own, that was confeffed by all who either believed themselves, or a propounds to God; a Confcience, or a Deity. ment to come, the Gentiles, as generally ac knowledged by all their Writers, and as the great encouragement of his Apology for the Chriftian Religion: 'ETH TOIVE ἡμῖν ὁ πεὶ ἡ ἀληθῆς θεοσεβείας προκει ή λόγο, ἧς ἐδὲν οἶμαι προτιμότερον τοῖς ἀκινδμύως βιόν προχρημένοις είναι νενόμισες με τ' μέλλεσαν μετὰ τὰ τελόυτίω τῇδε τῇ βία ἔσεως κρίσιν· τ ε μόνον οἱ ἡμέτεροι καὶ θεὸν κηρύτωσι πρόγονοι προφής τε καὶ νομοθέν, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ παρ ̓ ὑμῶν νομισθέντες είναι σοφοί, ο ποιηταὶ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ φιλόσοφοι, οἱ τω ἀληθῆ καὶ θείαν ἐπαγ[ελλόρθμοι παρ' ὑμῖν εἰδέναι γνώσιν. ad Gracos Cohort. I. Tertullian fhews the fame not only from the Writings but the conftant converfation and language even of the Gentiles. Anima licèt corporis carcere preffa, licèt inftitutionibus pravis. circumfcripta, licèt libidinibus & concupifcentiis evigorata, licèt falfis Diis exancillata, cùm tamen refipifcit ut ex crapula, ut ex fomnio, ut ex aliqua valetudine, & fanitatem fuam patitur, & Deum nominat, hoc folo quia propriè verus hic unus Deus bonus & magnus. Et quòd Deus dederit omnium vox eft. Judicem quoque conteftatur illum, Deus videt, & Deo commendo, & Deus mihi reddet.. O teftimonium animæ naturaliter Chriftiana! Apol. adv. Gentes. Indeed the ancient Gentiles have expressed the Judgment to come very exactly: As Philemon cited by Juftin Martyr de Monarch. |