* In margin here, ' This was preached before the sacrament, April 27. 1635.' Sibbes died on July 5. following. — G.
VOL. VTI.
THE COMING OF CHRIST.
Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that ivatcheth, and keepeth his gar- ments close, lest he walk naked, and they sec his shame. — Rev. XVI. 15.
We spake the last day concerning watching, out of the 12th of Luke and the 37th verse, ' Blessed are those servants whom their Master, when he shall come, shall find watching.' We will now go on in the argument a little, to add somewhat to that which hath been spoken, out of this IGth chapter of the Revelation, the 15th verse, being my present text.
' Behold, I come as a thief in the night. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments close, lest he walk naked, and be ashamed.'
After the sixth vial was poured out upon the enemies of the church, these words are brought in somewhat abruptly, out of Christ's care and love to his poor church in times of danger, ' Behold, I come as a thief in the night.'
You have in the words a prophetical premonition of watching and keep- ing our garments close, lest men walk naked, ' Behold, I come as a thief.' Beloved, Christ's coming is compared to the coming of a thief:
How comes a thief? He comes secretly and unexpectedly; secretly, lest he be discerned, and then with all advantages of surprisal, that he may not be taken himself while he is taking others. So Christ is said to come to judgment. He comes suddenly, and unexpectedly, and with a purpose to surprise. When people will take no warning, he watches the time of tlieir destruction, so that here you have ' the goodness and the severity of God,' Rom. xi. 22 ; first, his goodness is shewed in that he will give warn- ing in all dangers ; but here is his severity also : when warning will not be taken, then he comes with judgment. The scripture runs thus, ' Prepare to meet thy God, 0 Israel,' Amos iv. 12 ; but when nothing will do, neither judgments nor mercies, then it is just with God to come with all advantage to our overthrow, as a thief in the night.
Comparisons usually are to be taken from that which is usually done, whether good or evil ; for the goodness or badness of a thing is not regarded in comparisons.
The Spirit of God makes use of all things, ill things and good things. You see the diligence of the devil and the Jesuits, those old Jews and Pharisees that go about sea and land to make a proselyte. Why should not we be as diligent as they ? A gracious heart will take good of them from their industry.
THE COMING OF CHRIST.
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Christ here says ' he will come as a thief in the night,' and this his coming is by reason of our unfaithfulness. And his coming is sudden, unless to some of his children that he prepares by warning.
When he came into the world at his first coming, there were but a few 'waited for the consolation of Israel,' Luke ii. 25 : the rest did not. So when he shall convert the Jews and judge the world ' Shall he find faith upon the earth ? ' Luke xviii. 8. When he comes to any man or nation in his judgments, doth he find faith ? No ; he finds them blessing them- selves that to-morrow shall be as to-day. Beloved, let us take heed ; for there be divers degrees of Christ's coming. He comes to a person, and comes to a nation. We here in this nation bless ourselves when all the world is in combustion and we are safe ; as the three children in the fiery furnace. We bless ourselves, and cry, ' The temple of the Lord ! Oh the temple of the Lord ! but go to Shiloh, and see what the Lord hath done there,' Jer. vii. 12. Go to Bohemia, go to the Palatinate, and see what God hath done there. Oh, how should our hearts be awakened with the consideration of this, when we have such fair warning, and when the judg- ments of God are abroad.
But mark the prophecy spoken by Enoch, which was a thing to come — ■ he was the seventh from Adam — ' Behold, he comes in the clouds, with thousands of his saints,' Rev. i. 7. This prophecy was five thousand years ago, yet ' Behold, he cometh in the clouds.'
It is the nature of faith to answer all relations of God's dealings. That which God prophesies of, it is as sure as if it were past ; so faith is affected with it. In matter of judgment, faith is affected with sorrow, and afiected with a waking heart; in matter of joy, it is affected with delight. Alas ! what is the difference of time between us and the last coming of all ? what is this little distance ? It is nothing. Therefore, ' Behold, I come as a thief in the night ; blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments close.'
The Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Christ, here makes use of this his coming to stir us up to watch.