Foor, but this is not yet done. In yain had he en Laws, and appointed Officers under him, as he hath done to fee them obferv'd, if he would never come to call Men to account, and judge them by thofe Laws, rewarding his Obedient Subjets, and punishing the Rebellious. His Spouse the Church is yet in an obfcure condition, and a very changeable one and imperfect; but he hath promifed to make her a glorious Church, not having foot or wrinkle, or any fuch thing. Eph. 5, 27. She is now often under a Cloud and driven into the Wildernefs, and groaning under perfecution, and 'tis but fit and a righteous thing with God to Recompence Tribulation to them that trouble her, and to her that is troubled, Reft, when the Lord Jefus fhall be reveal'd from Heaven. 2 Thef. 4. 6, 7. Yea, 'tis very fit, that the Lord of Glory, who came in all Humility, abafing himself, and making himself of no Reputation, being in the form of a Servant, defpiled of Men, and fet at naught; fhould once fhew himfelf to the World in Glory and Majefty, appear like himself the great and glorious God, and Reign in Glory and Power, faying, Thofe mine Enemies who would not that I should Reign over them. bring them forth, and flay them before me, Luk. 19.27.

2. And his promise hath allured us that he fhail certainly come, and come in greatest Glory, and with moft terrible Majefty, when he will make every proud and profperous Sinner tremble, and call to the Mountains and the Rocks to fall on them, and cover them from the wrath of the Lambfinding, that he hath but been merrily treasuring up unto himself wrath against that day of wrath, and Revelation of the Righteous Judgment of God. Rom. 2. 5. Before he went away, he Com E e 4 manded

manded his Apofiles to preach unto the People, and to teftify, that it is he which was ordain'd of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. Act. 10. 42. And when he went up in the Clouds, which received him out of the Apoftles fight, two Men i.e. Angels ftood by 'em in white Apparel, which also faid, ye Men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up unto Heaven? This fame Jefus which is taken up from you into Heaven, fhall fo come in like manner, as ye bave feen him go into Heaven./ Act. 1. 10, 11. He fhall come in the Clouds of Heaven with Power and great Glory. Mat. 24. 30. Behold be cometh with Clouds, and every Eye fhall fee him, and they alfo which pierced him, and all Kindreds of the Earth fhall wail because of him, even so, Amen. Rev. 1. 7. Then fhall be come to execute Righteous Judgment upon all, as it was of old Prophefied by Righteous Enoch, the 7th from Adam. Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Saints to execute fudgment upon all. Jude 14. 15. I fhall add no more of this now, but proceed to the fecond Point.

2. Flis coming fhall be very fudden, and when least expected, even at Midnight, whilst the Virgins are flumbering and fleeping. It is not meant that Chrift's coming will be in the Night, and much lefs, juft at fuch an hour of the Night. It is a Parable we are explaining, and the words are not to be taken literally, but figuratively. The Midnight, therefore, being (as we fay) the dead time of the Night, when Men are usually in their .foundeft fleep, all things are hufht, and in deep filence, and no body thinking of any thing that is then done, fignifies to us, that the coming of our Bleffed Saviour fhall be very fudden and unexpected, and will furprize the World when Men are moft fecure, and think of no fuch thing. And .this

this we are very plainly taught, ift. That the time of his Coming is an unknown thing to the World. Secondly, That it fhall be very furprizing to the most.

to.

1. Chrift's Coming, as the time of it is unknown to the World. Nothing fo certain as that he will come, nothing more uncertain than when he will come. Tho' our Saviour in the 24th Chap. of St. Matthew does, without all difpute fpeak chiefly of his coming to take vengeance on the fews his Crucifiers, either in the whole Chapter, or the greatest part of it; yet he fpeaks of it fo, as to intimate it to be a Type and Figure of his last Coming to Judgment, feeing he is anfwering that Queftion of his Difciples. v. 3. What fhall be the fign of thy Coming, and of the end of the World? And v. 36. He tells them thus. But of that Day, and that Hour knoweth no Man, no not the Angels of Heaven, but the Father, and v. 42. Watch therefore, for ye know not, what Hour your Lord will come. And Mar. 13. 35. ye know not when the Master of the House cometh, at Even, or at Midnight, or at the Cockcrowing, or in the Morning. And Act 1.7. he thus tells his Difciples, It is not for you to know the Times and the Seafons which the Father hath put in his own power.

2. The Coming of Chrift fhall be very fudden and furprizing to the moft. This we are frequently taught by our Bleffed Saviour. Whilft all are fecure, and at reft, even at Midnight, then fuddenly the Bridegroom cometh. He compareth his coming with that of a Thief in the Night, who to be fure gives no notice beforehand of the time he will come, but takes fuch an Hour for it,

as

as the Mafter of the House leaft expects him in, Mat. 24. 43. So in an Hour when ye think not, the Son of Man cometh. v. 44. Again, he compareth himself with a Mafter taking a long Journey, who hath fet out to every one of his Servants the Work which he is to do in the mean time, but tells them not at what Day he will return, but commanded the Porter to watch, Watch ye therefore, for ye know not when the Master of the Houfe cometh. Mar. 13. left coming fuddenly be find you fleeping. v. 35. 36. In a Day when he looked not for him, and in an Hour, that he is not aware of. Mat. 24. 50. So to the Church of Sardis, Rev. 3.3. I will come on thee as a Thief, and thou shalt not know what Hour I will come upon thee. 2 Pet. 3. 10. The day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the Night. And 1 Thef. 5.1.2. Of the times and Seafons, Brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you; for your felves know perfectly that the Day of the Lord fo cometh, as a Thief in the Night. For when they fhall fay, Peace and Safety, then fudden deftruction cometh upon them, as Travail upon a Woman with Child, and they fhall not escape.

I

3. A Cry fhall be made, which will awaken us all to go out to meet Chrift Coming. The whole World of Mankind how foundly foever they fhall fleep, yea, even they that fleep in death, and in their Beds of Duft, fhall by the Cry which then shall be made, be all rouzed, and go forth of their Graves to meet the great Judge of the Quick and Dead. For the Lord himself fhall defcend from Heaven, with a Shout, and with the Voice of the Arch-angel, and with the Trump of God. And the Dead in Chrift shall rife firft, and they that are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds, to meet the Lord in the Air. Thef. 4. 16. Hefhall fend his Angels with the Sound of a

Trumpet,

Trumpet, and they shall gather his Elect from the four Winds, from one End of Heaven to another, All that are in the Graves fhall bear bis Voice, and fhall come forth, they that have done good to the ReJurrection of Life, and they that have done Evil, unto the Refurrection of Damnation. Joh. 5. 28. For we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Chrift, that every one may receive the Things done in his Body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 2 Cor. 5. 10.

I have spoken altogether yet of Chrift's laft Coming to Judgment, as the Thing principally meant in the Text. But now I would have what I have faid, be alfo applied by every one to the time of his own Death, for there is nothing betwixt that and Judgment that makes any change in our Cafe, but look how we are prepared for Death, fuch fo are we for Judgment too. Death will certainly come, that needs no proof, and the time when, is uncertain, and it will strangely furprize all that it finds afleep, or living carelefly, whenever it comes. As we meet the Lord then, fo fhall we meet him in Judgment. If our Lamps do not then burn, there is no Lighting of them afterwards, as we are then prepared or unprepa red to meet the Bridegroom, fo muft we for ever be. And therefore in the application of this DoEtrine we must have refpect to the Hour of Death, as well as to the Day of Judgment.

4. The Ufe of this Doctrine is very obvious. 1. Will Chrift certainly come, and that to. Judge all Men impartially according to our Works? Then this fhews us what too many of us are at this Day. We fay, as often as we re peat our Creed, that we believe this, that Chrift fhall come to Judge the Quick and Dead. I ask

then