Christ's certain and sudden appearance to judgment. By Thomas Vincent, sometime Minister of Maudlins…

1. That the righteous will have an immediate Vision of God, as hath been shown; now they live in a dark World, and have a Cloud upon their minds and see but a little of God through the perspective Glass of his Ordinances, a little in the works of his hands, and in the works of his spirit upon the hearts of his Children; and if when they see and know him so little, they can love him so dearly above the whole World, how will they love him when they behold his face, when the Clouds shall be dispelled, and the Sun break forth? when they behold his beauty, and the transcendent excellencies which are in him, beyond whatever they could here imagine? how will their hearts be ravished with love to look God in the face, when they see him in himself, when they see him in his Son, when the Divinity of Christ shall appear in him, and shine so gloriously before them, when they see the Angels so full of God, and the Saints so full of God, and every thing in Heaven represent the glorious Jehovah unto them?

2. The love of God will heighten their love to him; to be loved by such an excellent Person, and with such a superlative love, O how will this inflame their hearts with love unto him? when they take a review of the past expressions of his love, and find the love of God in many things, which they did no• mind, when they were in the World; and when they see a thousand fold more love in those things which they did take notice of, but with low apprehensions, and dull affections, how will it raise their hearts? when their apprehensions of his love shall be raised; they will admire electing love so free towards them without any previsions of merit in them; they will admire his love in sending his Son to redeem them, and sending his spirit to convert them; his love in pardoning their sins, in adopting them to be ⟨p. 131⟩his Children; now they admire his love sometimes, Behold! what manner of love is this, that we should be called the Children of God! 1 Joh. 3. 1. Then they will admire it ten thousand times more; they will see Gods love in all his fatherly provisions, protections, yea in his chastisements, and corrections, and all his providences working for their good; but O what love will they see in his special distinguishing mercies, beyond what now they apprehend; and Gods past love will have a present and deep impression upon their hearts; further they will see the treasures of his love open, the heart of God opened, and the glory which in Heaven he will confer upon them, of which they shall never be deprived; and what a demonstration of Gods love will this be unto them. Moreover then they shall have no doublings of his love, which here do damp affections, they shall know assuredly that he hath loved them, doth love them, and will love them unchangeably, & eternally; and withal they shall have a full sense of his love upon their hearts, which will make such an impression, as to raise their hearts to an unconceivable height of love,