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devil, and discovered somewhat of liis divine power, the devils were afraid, as if he were coming to judgment already: Mat. viii. 29, ' Art thou come hither to torment us before the time ? ' The devil cannot endure to hear of Christ's coming ; no more can carnal men, for they are of his mind. If thieves and malefactors might have the liberty to choose whether there should be assizes, yea or nay, do you think they would look for and long for the judge's coming and the day of his approach ? So corrupt nature hath no desire of this day. It is the Spirit in the bride that says, Come ; as soon as the Spirit of grace works in us, there is a bent and inclination this way ; 1 Peter i. 3, ' Who hath begotten us again unto a lively hope.' Spiritual desires come from heaven, and thither they tend. As soon as the Spirit works grace in the heart, it looks out this way ; the heart is bent thither from whence it receives all it hath, as all creatures love the place of their original. The great work of the Spirit is to bring us and Christ to- gether. The Spirit comes from the Father and the Son, to bring us to the Father by the Son ; and therefore the Spirit stirs up those holy groans in us, When will he come ? They look upon the graces of a christian ; there is faith, love, and hope. (1.) Faith : The ground of this looking is the promise ; now faith stands waiting for the promise as if it were already begun to be accomplished. Look, as Kebecca espied Isaac afar off, so faith espies Christ afar off. Faith is the evidence of things not seen, and looks upon Christ as if he were already on his way, and so makes the soul stand ready to meet and receive him. As a loving wife stands upon the shore, and looks for the re- turn of her husband, and the sight of every ship makes her to realise by an active and loving fancy the sweetness of an interview, so faith stands waiting for the coming of Christ and the approaches he makes towards the church. (2.) Love : 1 Peter i. 8, ' Whom having not seen ye love.' The saints love Christ whom they never saw. We know Christ by hear- say here in the church, not by sight ; he woos us, as princes use to do, by picture ; therefore they long for his appearing. Whosoever is a friend to Christ will find his heart long for Christ, of whom he had so often heard in the word, and so often tasted in the supper. Love is an affection of union ; it desires to meet the party loved ; so is love to Christ ; it is not satisfied with the present state, but it cries out, Come, come ; why is his chariot so long a coming ? It longs to see him whom it hath heard of so often and so much, and of whose sweetness it hath already tasted ; for this love is not only kindled by the know- ledge we have of him by hearsay, but by experience. Christ first comes in the heart by grace, and then the soul, having tasted the sweetness of it, longs for another coming. When will he come in the clouds, that we may see him as he is? And as love to Christ, so also love to the saints enkindles this desire. We have not all our company here in the world ; and till we all meet together we shall never be satisfied. (3.) Hope, that is another grace, God fitteth us with graces as well as happiness. The Lord doth not only provide a glorious estate for us, but grace to expect it, and stirs up affections in us suitable thereunto. As in the privative part of salvation, Christ doth not only deliver us from the hurt of death, but from the bondage and fear of death. Despair is the beginning of hell. So in the positive part of salvation, the Lord doth
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not only provide heaven and happiness for us. but hope that we may look for this happiness : ' We are begotten again to a lively hope.' 1 Peter i. 3 ; ' And to wait for his Son from heaven,' 1 Thes. i. 10. Hope was made on purpose for this thing, that we may expect our full and future happiness. When the affection of hope is elsewhere placed, and turned to carnal things, it is like a member out of joint. It was made and framed on purpose that we might look for this glorious appearing of Jesus Christ.
2. Look upon their relation to Christ. There are two relations the scripture usually takes notice of with respect unto the day of judgment — Christ is our master and our husband. As he is our master, we must look for him. It is the property of a good servant to wait for his master's coming : Mat. xxiv. 46, ' Blessed is that servant whom his lord when he Cometh shall find so doing.' Here we have only present main- tenance, but hereafter we shall receive our wages : Kev. xxii. 12, ' Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me.' A servant of God should remember that when Christ comes he will not come empty- handed ; he is your good and bounteous master. Here you have but an earnest, as when you hire a man, you give him earnest. But now, because God would not have our affections to be servile, therefore there is a sweeter relation ; we are to look for him not only as a lord and master, but as an husband ; and therefore it is the ' bride that saith, Come,' Kev. xxii. 17. Here we are only contracted to Christ, he hath passed his promise to us, but the day of judgment is the day of solemn espousals : Hosea ii. 19, ' I will betroth thee unto me for ever.' Here in the covenant of grace Christ doth pass a promise to the church ; here he comes to give us a pledge and take a pledge from us. As Tertul- lian saith, Christ took from us the token and pledge of our flesh, and is gone to heaven to make all things ready ; and he hath left with us the token of his own Spirit, that so we might long for the time when he shall come again for the consummation of this happy and glorious marriage that is between him and us. We are to wait for glory, as a servant for his master, and as a bride or virgin betrothed doth wait for the coming of him that hath promised marriage to her.