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226 SERMONS UPON TITUS II. 11-14. [SeR. XVII.
applaiT^o of the angels. Oh ! how should we strive to be one of this number !
3. The next consequent is the burning of the world ; that is described at large, 2 Peter iii. 10-12, how that fire shall come out from God, and burn and devour all things, and melt the very firmament. Certainly that fire is to be taken literally, for it is opposed to water, the first water by which the world was destroyed. Now by this fire I conceive the world shall not he consumed, but renewed and purged, because in the everlasting state Grod will have all things new. He will not only have the bodies and souls of the saints new, but will have new heavens and new earth ; for it is ' a deliverance from the bondage of corruption,' Rom. viii, 21. If the world shall be no more the habita- tion of the saints, yet God will renew the world, that it may be a continual monument of his power. Now this burning of the world some place it in preparation before the day of judgment ; but I conceive it is a consequent, for it seemeth to be an instrument of vengeance on the wicked. I will not say, with the schoolmen, the feculent and drossy part of this fire is reserved for the torment of the wicked in hell, but in general it shall be the instrument of God's vengeance upon them ; so much is asserted, 2 Peter iii, 7, ' The heavens and earth that now are, by the same word are kept in store, and reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and the perdition of ungodly men.' There are some that say this fire shall begin the day of judgment. Et causam dicent inflammis — The wicked shall plead their cause in flames; but this were to execute before the sentence. Sodom's fire was dreadful, but nothing to this burning. It was a dreadful sight when God rained hell out of heaven, and the poor tormented creatures ran screeching and yelling to and fro because of those flakes of fire and brimstone ; but this fire shall come out of the throne of the Lord : Dan. vii, 10, * A fiery stream issued and came out from before him,' to consume his adversaries, and to remain in hell with them for evermore, which will be much more dreadful, God hath diluvium ignis, as well as aquce, a deluge of fire as well as of water. As one saith very wittily, As at the first he drowned the \Jor\di propter ardorem libidinis, because of the heat of lust, so in the end he will kindle a fire to burn the world propter teporem cJiaritatis, because of the coldness of love. The object of your adulteries will be burnt; God will have nothing impure in the everlasting state, the world shall be purged with fijre. Thus you have seen how the appearance of Christ will be glorious.
II. Why the appearance of Christ will be so glorious, 1. To recompense his own abasement. His first coming was in humility ; he came riding upon the foal of an ass, but now on the clouds ; they are as it were his royal chariot. Then he came with fishermen, a few apostles to be his messengers, but now he comes with angels. Then he came in the form of a servant to be judged ; now he comes as the Son of God, to be the judge of all the world. When the day of judgment is spoken of, Christ is called the Son of man: Mat. XXV. 31, ' When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all his holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory ; ' Mat. xxvi. 64, ' Hereafter ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven ; ' and Dan.
VeR. 13.] SERMONS UPON TITDS II. 11-14. 23i7
vii. 13, ' 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.' Why so ? He that was the Son of man, that came ia such a mean condition at first, shall then be glorious, and so it taketh off the scandal of his present estate. He that appeared in so low a condition, that was betrayed, crucified, spat upon, pierced, dead, buried, then shall be crowned with glory and honour. When he came to teach us righteousness, he came as the Son of man : but when he comes to reward righteousness, then he conies as the Son of God.
2. That he might show himself to be fully discharged of sin. The glory bestowed upon his human nature by God the Father noteth his plenary absolution as our surety. We hear that he is taken up into glory, that God hath acquitted him, that ' he was taken from prison and from judgment,' Isa. liii. 8 ; but then we shall see it with our eyes, when the Father sends him from heaven with power and great glory. At the first Christ came like a man, charged with sin, in the garb of a sinner ; therefore it is said, Eom. viii. 3, ' God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh ; ' but then, Heb. ix. 28, ' He shall appear the second time without sin.' The first time the world looked upon him as one that was forsaken, stricken, and smitten of God ; but then he comes as one that is honoured of God : his second coming shall make it evident that he is discharged of the debt which he took upon himself. The apostle doth not say. Those that look for him shall be without sin, but he shall be without sin. The discharge of our surety is enough ; it is a sign the debt is paid.