The Day of the Lord

This is from the Missing Cross to Purity:

Selections from the Works of Francis Howgill (1618-1669)

SECTION II

What the Day of the Lord is,
How it is Seen,
and to Whom has it Appeared.

That which may be known of God is manifest [revealed] within them,
for God has shown it to them.
Rom 1:19

God is a spirit, his day is spiritual, and is seen with a spiritual eye. It is pure light, pure brightness; the pure shining forth of the Lord in his glorious excellence; holiness shedding itself abroad in its glory — purity spreading itself in its immeasurable excellence. It can only be seen as it is in itself by the children of light, that are born of it. The natural day receives its brightness from the sun; the spiritual day receives its brightness from the Son of Righteousness, by whom it is brought forth, who causes it to spring from on high, who is the Fountain of life,without whom nothing was, or is made. As the natural day receives its clearness from the natural sun, and is discerned by the natural eye of the natural man; and all things natural are seen and discovered by and in the natural day, and are obvious to him that has his sight; even so from the Sun of Righteousness! the Lord of glory, light, and purity, the day of God receives its brightness; and it is discerned by the spiritual eye of the spiritual man, who is in the image of the Father, brought forth in life from God the Father of life, by Christ Jesus the Life of men, the Light of the world. This is the birth which is born from above, which is of the nature of the Father, and of the Son, and of the day. Only he, who is of this birth, comes to behold this day, and discerns all things of the Father’s kingdom by it, and likewise the hidden things of dishonesty, and the works of darkness, which are brought forth by the prince of darkness, who is shut up in eternal and utter darkness; which is his residence, and shall be the residence forever, and of all the workers of iniquity that bear his image.

Yet some may say that this day has not appeared to any in this age. But if a man who is naturally blind should say that there is no light in the day nor in the sun, because he sees none; is there then no light in the day, nor in the sun? And what if all things are alike unto him, day and night, so that he can not distinguish between the two; does this then make void the claim of those with a natural eye who can see both the sun and day? And if those who are spiritually blind, and are children of the night, say they see nothing of the day of the Lord, or of the discovery of the things of God, or of his glorious appearance, which many do witness, does this render their sight void, who have seen into the things of God’s kingdom? The unbelief of some does not make the faith of those who do believe void – may God so forbid.

–Francis Howgill

Judas said to him, (not Iscariot),
Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us, and not unto the world?
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man loves me, he will obey my teaching:
and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our home with him.
John 14:18-23 

The Day of the Lord – Section III

The Day of the Lord – Section V