2. The wicked are amazed and astonished when they see those so much loved and advanced by Christ, whose lives they counted mad- ness and folly. They shall be spectators of the blessedness of the godly, as the godly shall be of their destruction and punishment ; they shall see them whom they accounted the off-scouring of all things, shining as the stars in the firmament. The church complaineth, Lam. iii. 45, ' Thou hast made us as the off-scouring and refuse in the midst of the people.' You will say, They were a sinful nation that had revolted from God ; but you shall see Christ's choicest servants fared alike : 2 Cor. iv. 13, ' We are counted as the scurf and off-scouring of all things,' as the sweepings of the city. Now God's people, that are so odious in this world, are highly esteemed there ; Christ receiveth them as the dearly beloved of his soul, and that in the sight of the wicked ; for the sentence of absolution goeth before the judgment of condemnation, the sentence beginneth with the godly, but the execution with the wicked : Mat. xxv. 41, ' Then shall he say to them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire.'
3. The saints themselves are filled with wonder, they finding their expectation so much exceeded ; for admiration is the overplus of expec- tation. The saints know most of God and his grace, yet they shall then admire him, for prophecy is but in part, 1 Cor. xiii. 9. There is no tongue now to speak of these things, nor ear to hear them ; even in what is revealed, the saints find many astonishing instances of God's love ; all is wonderful in the Eedeemer's grace : 1 Peter ii. 9, ' That we should show forth the praise of him that hath called us out of dark- ness into his marvellous light.' Whether we consider the woful condition we were in before, the rich grace that hath recovered us, the
270 SERMONS UPON 2 THESSALONIANS I. [SeR. VIII.
blessed privileges we are called unto, it is all matter of wonder, and passeth the power of created understandings to apprehend, or our tongues to express. They wonder at their own happiness now, but then they shall admire Christ more than ever they have done ; our wonder now is but slender to our wonder then.
Thirdly, The author, Christ. How he is concerned in this ; for it is not said, the saints shall be glorified, but he shall be glorified and admired. Our glory, as it cometh from Christ, redoundeth to him : ' For of him, and through him, and to him are all things, to whom be glory for ever, amen,' Rom. xi. 36.
1. He is the procurer of this glorious estate for us by his death and sufferings. It is not,£hat I remember, expressly said that Christ hath purchased glory for us, but it is in effect said, for he purchased us unto glory ; therefore the church is called the purchased possession ; Eph. i. 14, ' Until the redemption of the purchased possession ; ' that is, until the church come to its final deliverance. So that we have the full effect of his death at the day of judgment, at which time those who are purchased by the blood of Christ, and are his possession and peculiar people, shall obtain full deliverance from sin and misery. He hath bought us with a price, and purchased us to this end, that he might possess us. And we have our full redemption, when our bodies are raised up and glorified, Rom. viii. 13. What though the death of Christ had a nearer end, our reconciliation with God, and the expiation of our sins, yet this glorified estate is also thence inferred : Rom. v. 10, ' For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.' No wise agent would lay so broad a foundation unless he intended an answerable superstructure. Would the Son of God die for a sinful world, if he did not mean to make them everlastingly happy ? Besides it is said, he gave himself for us, to cleanse us, yea, and to present us to himself, &c, Eph. v. 27. That is the second end of Christ's giving himself for his church, that he might present it to himself a glorious church. He gave himself, not only to sanctify his people, but to glorify them. Heaven is not merited by our holiness, but purchased by Christ ; it is the fruit of the blood and love of the Son of God.
2. He has promised it in his gracious covenant : 1 John ii. 25, ' This is the promise that he hath promised us, eternal life.' Other things are promised, but this is the chief promise ; he hath promised to justify his people, that he may take away that which hindereth their access to God, to sanctify his people, that he may fit them for communion with God, and begin the life which is perfected in heaven, and to glorify them as the consummation of all. Other promises are but steps to this, other promises are now accomplished within time, this is the promise most doubted of, and less liable to sense ; therefore now Christ will be glorified and admired in his faithfulness to his people. The promise longest delayed will come ; we must shoot the gulf of death ; stay till the end of all things, till we have the full of it.