N00830:60
The blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the Great God our Saviour, Jesus…
The blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the Great God our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Opened & applied, in several sermons. / By Increase Mather, president of Harvard College in Cambridge, and preacher of the Gospel, at Boston, in N.E. ; [Nine lines of Scripture texts]The blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the Great God our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Opened & applied, in several sermons. / By Increase Mather, praesident of Harvard Colledge in Cambridge, and preacher of the Gospel, at Boston, in N.E. ; [Nine lines of Scripture texts]
Boston: printed by Timothy Green for Nicholas Boone, 1701
Title page typeset from the transcription.
The Blessed HOPE, And Glorious Appearing of JESUS CHRIST. › Sermon 2
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
For Answ. 1. The Reason why they should look for this Blessed Appearing of Christ, is because of the Certainty of it. If it were a doubtful matter, they would not have so much reason to look for it. But it past all doubt▪ Their Hope is that that shall not be disappointed, Rom. 5.5▪ Hope maketh not ashamed. When Believers hope for the coming of Christ, they shall not be ashamed by being disappointed. As for the time of Christs Appearance, and of their arriving at the Blessed Hope, it may be sooner than they look for, or longer; but as to the thing it self, they never shall be disappointed. The Anchor of their hope, tis an Anchor that will hold, Heb. 6.19 Hope is the Anchor of the Soul, su•e and steadfast. Therefore it is called a Good Hope, 2 Thes. 2·16 God has given us Everlasting Consolation, and good Hope through Grace. That is a good Hope, when a man hopes for good and shall certainly attain that good. Believers are as sure to enjoy their hoped for Blessedness, as if they now had it in actual possession. They are as sure to rise ⟨p. 33⟩out of their Graves at the Last Day to Eternal Life, as if now it were done. They are as sure when the Judgment is over to go with Christ to Heaven, and to be with Him there to Eternity, as if now they were there. Eph. 2.6 He has raised us up together, and made us sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus. We are as sure to be raised up together in that Blessed day, when the Great God our Saviour Christ shall appear, and as sure then to ascend into Heaven, as if now we were there. This is Evident from several things.
For Answ. 1. The Reason why they should look for this Blessed Appearing of Christ, is because of the Certainty of it. If it were a doubtful matter, they would not have so much reason to look for it. But it past all doubt▪ Their Hope is that that shall not be disappointed,