Note 3. ' Rest with us.' It is a comfortable adjunct to our felicity in heaven that we shall have such company there. Surely the apostle mentions it for their comfort here. So elsewhere it is propounded : Mat. viii. 11, 'Ye shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.' These were mentioned because they were the prime believers, and chief in esteem among the Jews, before whom Christ then spake. So everywhere in scripture it is made a happiness
234 SERMONS UPON 2 THESSALONIANS I. [SeR. V.
to be of this society, Heb. xii. 22, 23 ; Eph. ii. 19, ' Fellow-citizens with all the saints ; ' Eph. iii. 15, ' Of whom the whole family is named, whether in heaven or earth.' If to be of this society now be a privilege, though severed in distinct habitations, then what a comfort is it to be admitted to a greater nearness of converse with the patriarchs and prophets, apostles and martyrs, and all the worthies of God. We love their company now ; it is sweet to be in the assemblies of the saints on earth, to pray, hear, fast, and communicate together in the Lord's supper ; much more in heaven ; the saints are more lovely, other manner of saints than ever we knew them before.
Use. Well, then, let us love the saints of God now, for these are to be our everlasting companions: Ps. cxxxiii. 1, 'It is comely and pleasant to live together in unity.' We that look for one home, should we fall out by the way ? All agree there ; why should we not glorify God with one mind and mouth now ? There are different degrees of light, which cause differences of opinion ; but there are substantial and common truths enough, wherein we all agree, to bring us to a closer union. Certainly those beautefeus and coal-blowers should be hateful to all christians; the truest zeal and martyrdom will be enough in uniting christians.
SERMON V.
When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. — 2 Thes. i. 7.
We now come to the third thing, the time when our reward shall be fully accomplished, 'When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven.'
In the words observe — (1.) The person coming, ' The Lord ; ' (2.) His train and retinue, ' With his mighty angels.'
From thence observe two points —
1. There is a time coming when Christ shall be fully revealed from heaven, and appear in all his glory.
2. That when Christ cometh he shall bring his mighty angels with him.
For the first point.
1. What is this revelation ? The coming of Christ is sometimes set forth by the word airoKaXvtyis, revelation ; sometimes by the word iirKpciveia, appearing. The former is in the text, and in 1 Peter i. 13, ' Hope to the end for the grace which shall be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.' So 1 Cor. i. 7, ' Waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,' aTroKokv^nv, the revelation. Elsewhere the other word is used ; as 2 Tim. iv. 8, Titus ii. 13, ' Looking for the blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.' Both are to the same effect.
The former we are now upon. It is used for these reasons —
VeK. 7.] SERMONS UPON 2 THESSALONIANS I. 235
[1.] There are many who never had a sight of his glorious person, his bodily presence is withdrawn from us ; for Christ departed into the heavens long before we were born, not to deny the world any necessary satisfaction, but upon wise reasons. It was expedient he should go from us : John xvi. 7, ' It is expedient for you that I go away, for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you.' And he is contained in the heaven of heavens, Acts iii. 21, 'Until the time of the restitu- tion of all things.' There is a great distance between us and heaven, which though it doth not hinder his spiritual virtue and influence, yet it doth the enjoyment and sight of his bodily presence ; we cannot see him nor hear him, though we feel his gracious operations in our souls : 1 Peter i. 8, ' Whom having not seen, ye love ; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing ye rejoice with joy,' &c. But at the last day he shall be revealed, or visibly manifested to be the head of the church, and the judge and avenger of his people. We shall find that our faith was not misplaced, that he is what we believed him to be, and that he was worthy to be loved and obeyed.
[2.] When he was upon earth he lived in a state of obscurity, his godhead peeping out sometimes through the veil in a miracle or so, but mostly obscuring and hiding itself ; for his kingdom was not of this world. And this way of coming was necessary to try his people : John i. 11, 'He came unto his own, and his own received him not.' The Jews will not believe that Christ was the true Messiah, because he came not in such a manner as to satisfy his own countrymen ; but God's thoughts are not as man's thoughts. We walk here, ' not by sight, but by faith,' 2 Cor. v. 7. A dispensation of faith must neither be too bright nor too obscure.