VeR. 13.] SERMONS UPON TiTUS II. 11-14. 221
was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake.' Guess at it by the light at Christ's birth, that came from heaven, and shone round about the shepherds, so that they were exceedingly afraid : Luke ii. 9, * The glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid.' Guess at it by the glimpse of his divine glory which Christ gave us in his transfiguration : Mat. xvii. 2, ' His face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light,' when his disciples fell upon their faces, and could not endure the shining of his garments. So by the appearance of Christ to Paul that was struck blind for three days : Acts ix. 3, ' And suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven.' And by the terror the prophet Isaiah felt when he saw God in vision : Isa. vi. 5, ' Woe is me, I am undone ; because I am a man of unclean lips, and mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.* Because of some relics of corruption, therefore was it terrible and formidable to him. But this glory, though it shall be very great, yet it shall be comfortable to the saints, for sin and weakness shall be done away.
[2.] Especially if you consider his office. He is a judge of all the world, and therefore he shall come with all things tha't are becoming such a judge. He shall sit upon a visible throne, where he may be seen and heard of all. You know, in earthly j udicatories, when great malefactors are brought to trial, the whole majesty and glory of the nation is brought forth ; the judge comes in gorgeous apparel, accom- panied with the flower of the country, nobles and gentlemen, and a great conflux of people, to make it the more magnificent. So here Christ, the judge of all the world, comes becoming the judge of the world that sits upon a throne of glory and majesty: Mat. xxv. 31, 32, ' When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all his holy angels with them, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory, and before him shall be gathered all nations.' All the world shall be summoned before him. Thus for his personal glory.
2. In regard of his attendants, who are angels and saints, this appearance must needs be very glorious.
[1.] There are angels, multitudes of them, that come with Christ, and with such a glory as cannot be conceived of : Mat. xxv. 31, ' When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him.' Mark the emphasis of the expression, 'All the holy angels shall come with him.' When a prince removes, the Avhole court removes with him ; so when Christ removes out of heaven, the whole court of heaven removes with him. As Chrysostom saith, Heaven now shall be left void ; all the angels shall come out with Christ, that they may be present at this great act. Those blessed mansions shall be forsaken for a while, that they may be present with the judge of the world. Look, as the angels were present at the giving of the law, so also will they be present when the sentence of the law comes to be executed. Thrones, principalities, powers, and dominions, angels, however dis- tinguished, were all made by Christ ; he is theh head, and they are given to Christ by his Father, as he is Mediator, to be his servants in the mediatory office. And therefore Christ always useth angels. In his conception the angel Gabriel came to Mary. At his nativity, an host of angels came down to acquaint us with the glad tidings of
222 SERMONS UPON TITUS II. 11-14. [SeR. XVII.
salvation. In his passion, he was comforted Ly an angel ; at his resur- rection, there were angels at his grave ; at his ascension, he was carried to heaven by angels ; and in the government of the church, in the present dispensation, Christ useth angels more than we are aware of. These principalities and powers are conversant about and in the church ; and in the last day's act he shall come with his holy angels. Whether these angels shall then visibly appear, I dispute not ; certainly their attendance upon Christ is partly as a train, to make his appearance more full of majesty, and partly because Christ hath a ministry and service for them. Partly as a train to Christ, and to make his appear- ance more full of majesty. They that waited upon Christ at his ascension will now come to wait upon him at his coming to judgment. Public ministers of justice are made formidable by their attendance and officers. Christ will come like a royal king in the midst of his nobles ; and partly because they have also a ministry and service at that day ; they are to ' gather the elect from the four winds,' Mat. xxiv. 31. The angels love to be conversant about the saints. They that carried their souls to heaven shall now be employed to bring their bodies out of the grave. The holy angels shall conduct the souls of those that die in the Lord to heaven : Luke xvi. 22, ' The beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom.' So also those angels shall now be employed in bringing their bodies out of the grave. They are still serviceable to the saints, and this is the last office of love they can perform to them, therefore they do it cheerfully. And to the wicked, their office is to force them into Christ's presence, and to bind them up in bundles, as tares for the fire, Mat. xiii. 40, 4L Also, the angels have this ministry and service, to be employed as witnesses ; they attend now upon the congregation, to observe your behaviour ; therefore the apostle disputes concerning unseemly gestures : 1 Cor. xi. 10, ' For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head, because of the angels.' They are privy to our conversations, and able to give an account of our lives. In the assemblies there are more meet than are visible ; devils meet, and good angels likewise, to observe your carriage, that they may give account to God. And no sooner shall the sentence be pronounced, but it shall be executed. In a condescension to our capacity, God is pleased to represent the work as done by the ministry of angels. We can understand better the operations of an angel than the operations of Almighty God, because they are nearer to us in being, and are of an essence finite and limited.