4. If you consider some foregoing appearances of Christ. As for instance, at the giving of the law, it was the second person that man- aged that appearance ; for it is said. Acts vii. 38, that it was ' an angel that appeared in Mount Sinai, and spoke to our fathers;' that is, the angel of the covenant, Jesus Christ ; for it is clearly said, Heb. xii. 2G, that ' the voice of Christ then shook the earth.' Now, what a dreadful appearance was that ! The earth shook, the mountain trembled, and out of the midst of the thunderings. and lightnings, and a thick cloud, was the sound of the trumpet heard, so that the people trembled ; yea, Moses himself, a meek man, that had done great service in the churcli, did exceedingly quake and tremble, Heb. xii. 18-21. When he gave the law, he is represented as a terrible judge, ready to overcome his adversaries with the tempest of his wrath ; much more when he cometh to execute the sentence of the law ; as execution is always more ter- rible than promulgation. Or you may guess at it by the prophet Isaiah's terror when he saw God in vision, Isa. vi. 5. Into what an agony it drove that holy prophet ! ' Woe is me, for I am undone ; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips ; for mine eyes have seen the king, the Lord of hosts.' Adam fled from the presence of God walking in the garden, though God came to him in no terrible appearance, and though he had sinned, yet was not cut off from all hope of reconciliation. How will wicked men abide the presence of Christ when he cometh to show forth his glory, and they are excluded by his final sentence from all hope of pardon ? Or you may set it forth by the glory of Christ's transfiguration, the glory that was seen then ; for that was a glimpse of this glory of the Father, in which he shall appear at that day : Mat. xvii. 2, 'And he was transfigured before them, and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.' And then arose a bright cloud, and a voice out of the bright cloud : ' And when the disciples heard it, they were sore afraid.' There was a glorious shining brightness, breaking through skin and garment, overwhelming the disciples, that they were not able to stand before his majesty, though it were in mercy revealed to them. Or by that appearance of the angel, described Mat. xxviii. 3, 4, ' His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment as white as snow ; and for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.' Or by the appearance of Christ to Paul, Acts ix., when he was blind for seven i days, when the Lord Jesus showed himself to him from heaven. These instances will give us a guess, a taste of it. But —
1 Three.— Ed.
26 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. XIX.
Secondly, Why he will come in this. great glory ? I answer — 1. To take off the scandal and ignominy of the cross, and to recom- pense him for his humiliation. He that was once despised in the world for his outward and despicable estate will then be glorious, when he shall declare his power in raising the dead by his voice, and all the elements burning about him, and all the saints and angels attending him, every one as bright as the sun ; a glorious high throne set in the air for him, and all the creatures presented before him, and bowing to him. Ransacking the consciences of sinners, and bringing forth the story of all his administrations in the world. Then there will be a full recompense for all his sufferings. To make this evident, let us compare the two comings of Christ. Christ's first coming was so obscure, that it was scarce observed and understood by the world. The second will be so conspicuous and glorious as to be seen of all. In the former, he came in the form of a servant, and the contemptible appearance of a mean man ; in the second, he cometli as the Lord and heir of all things, clothed with splendour and glory as with a garment. At his first coming he had a forerunner, ' The voice of one crying in the wilderness ;' in the second he hath a forerunner also; there the Baptist, here an archangel with his trumpet, 1 Thes. iv. 10. In his first coming he was accompanied with a few poor fishermen, twelve disciples, persons of mean condition and rank in the world ; now with legions of angels, and with his holy ten thousands of his saints, Jude 14. Heretofore he raised three to life ; now all the dead. Then he was scorned, buffeted, spit upon ; now crowned with glory and honour. In the former he was to act the part of a minister of the circumcision, to preach the gospel to the people of Israel ; in the latter he shall act as the judge of all the world. In the former he invited men to repent- ance, and offered remission of sins to those that received him as a redeemer; but in the latter he shall cut off all hope of pardon for evermore from them that received him not, and neglected their day of grace. At first he came to bear the sins of many ; but now he shall €ome without sin, Heb. ix. 28, not bearing a burden, but bringing a discharge ; not as a surety, but as a paymaster ; not as a sufferer, but as a conqueror ; triumphing over death, and hell, and the devil. He Cometh, no more to go from us, but to take us from all misery unto liimself. In the former state he was God-man ; but he did as it were liide his godhead under the infirmities of his flesh; sometimes it peeped out through the veil in a miracle, but yet mostly obscuring liimself ; but in the latter lie shall discover himself with an unspeak- able brightness and majesty, and there will be no need of miracles to prove the divinity of his person and office; for then it shall be a matter of sense ; all shall see it, and feel it ; some with joy, others with trembling. In the former state he presented himself to suffer death ; but then he shall tread death under his feet._ In the former he was judged and condemned by men to an ignominious death, the death of the cross; but iu the latter he will judge, and with his own mouth pronounce sentence upon all men, on all kings, emperors, and judges, as well as poor peasants, sitting upon a glorious throne and tribunal. Then he judged no man: John iii. 17, ' For God sent not his Son to condemn the world, but that the world through him might