Quest. 4. Couldst thou not joyfully see the coming of Christ, if it were this day (if thou have done thy work, and art assured of his love?) The Apostle hath told us by the word of the Lord, that the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the Trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: and then they which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord,] 1 Thes. 4. 15, 16, 17. And this is the doctrine that comforteth believers, verse 18. Would it not rejoice your hearts, if you were sure to live, to see the coming of the Lord, and to see his glorious appearing and retinue? If you were not to die, but to be caught up thus to meet the Lord, and to be changed immediately into an immortal, incorruptible glorious state, would you be averse to this? would it not be the greatest joy that you could desire? For my own part, I ⟨p. 59⟩must confess to you, that death as death appeareth to me as an enemy, and my nature doth abhor and fear it: But the thoughts of the Coming of the Lord are most sweet and joyful to me, so that if I were but sure that I should live to see it; and that the Trumpet should sound, and the dead should rise, and the Lord appear before the period of my age, it would be the joyfullest tidings to me in the world. O that I might see his Kingdom come! It is the Character of his Saints to love his appearing, 2 Tim. 4. 8, and to look for the blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ, Tit. 2. 13. The Spirit and the Bride say, Come: Come Lord Jesus, Come quickly] is the voice of faith, and hope, and love, Revel. 22. 17, 20. But I find not that his servants are thus Characterized, by their desires to die. It is therefore the presence of their Lord that they desire: But it is Death that they abhor: And therefore (though they can submit to death) it is the coming of Christ that they Love and long for; and it is interposing Death that causeth them to draw back. Let not Christians be discouraged by mistakes, and think that they love not God and glory, because they love not this enemy in the way: nor think that they are gracenor ⟨p. 60⟩think that they are graceless or unbelieving worldlings, because they are afraid of death as death.
Quest. 4. Couldst thou not joyfully see the coming of Christ, if it were this day (if thou have done thy work, and art assured of his love?) The Apostle hath told us by the word of the Lord, that the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the Trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: and then they which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord,] 1 Thes. 4. 15, 16, 17. And this is the doctrine that comforteth believers, verse 18. Would it not rejoyce your hearts, if you were sure to live, to see the coming of the Lord, and to see his glorious appearing and retinue? If you were not to die, but to be caught up thus to meet the Lord, and to be changed immediately into an immortal, incorruptible glorious state, would you be averse to this? would it not be the greatest joy that you could desire? For my own part, I ⟨p. 59⟩must confess to you, that death as death appeareth to me as an enemy, and my nature doth abhor and fear it: But the thoughts of the Coming of the Lord are most sweet and joyful to me, so that if I were but sure that I should live to see it; and that the Trumpet should sound, and the dead should rise, and the Lord appear before the period of my age, it would be the joyfullest tydings to me in the world. O that I might see his Kingdome come! It is the Character of his Saints to love his appearing, 2 Tim. 4. 8, and to look for the blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ, Tit. 2. 13. The Spirit and the Bride say, Come: Come Lord Jesus, Come quickly] is the voice of faith, and hope, and love, Revel. 22. 17, 20. But I find not that his servants are thus Characterized, by their desires to die. It is therefore the presence of their Lord that they desire: But it is Death that they abhor: And therefore (though they can submit to death) it is the coming of Christ that they Love and long for; and it is interposing Death that causeth them to draw back. Let not Christians be discouraged by mistakes, and think that they love not God and glory, because they love not this enemy in the way: nor think that they are gracenor ⟨p. 60⟩think that they are graceless or unbelieving worldlings, because they are afraid of death as death.
