CErtain it is that there shall be a day of Judgement, wherein all Mankind shall he judged, and the Earth and all therein shall be destroyed by Fire; which truth is believed by all but the Sadduces, and Atheistical Infidels, of whom this age is full, who think there is no Resurrection; but how few are they that prepare themselves for this great day, and make themselves ready to meet the Lord at his coming.

[Page] The Bridegroom is coming, and yet most men [...]th the foolish Virgins, have not prepared their Lam [...]s. Our Saviour Iesus Christ in the Twenty Fourth of Matthew, having at large shewed the signs of his coming to Iudgment, and withal given us some fore warnings, that thereby h [...] might be fore-arm'd. In the Twen­ty Fifth Chapter, he shews how unprepared ma­ny should be against his coming, and as a caution to [...]s, he sets down the event of their unprepa­r [...]ss. Christ, in the foregoing Chapter, bids them Watch and Pray; but they (as you may see in the Fifth Verse) all slumbered and slept. And at Midnight was a great cry made, when they were all asleep, then came the Bridegroom suddenly as a Thief in the night; and when they [...]ould have been ready to have received him, they were to seek for Oyl: And so not being ready, the door was shut against them, and though they cryed, Lord, Lord, open unto us: yet the Lord said unto them, I know you not, Vers. 17. Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor hour wherein the Son of Man cometh.

A [...]d now behold! the Day draweth nigh, the Iudge standeth at the Door, James 5. 9. He i [...] at hand. Let us not therefore put far away from us, the Day of the Lord. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will no­tarry.

Let us be prepared and in a readli [...]s, let [Page] me be taken unawares, as the Foolish Virgins were, and so be shut out of Heaven for ever.

God hath appointed a day in which he will Iudge the World, and how soon this Day may be, we know not, perhaps sooner than we are aware of: it may be, if not this Year, yet the next: Although we know not certainly the time, when the great day will be, ytt we may see it can­not be far off, if we look but into the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament; S. Paul saith, We are they upon whom the ends of the World are come. If therefore the ends of the World were come upon those who lived 1600 years ago, then certainly the Day of Iudgment cannot be far off, Zeph. 1. 14. The great Day of the Lord is near, it hasteth greatly.

And Mat. 3. 2. John the Baptist Preached, Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. St. Agustin saith, the World shall last six A­ges. The first from Adam to Noah, the second from Noah to Abraham, the third from Abra­ham to David, the fourth from David to the Transmigration to Babylon, the fifth from thence untel the coming of Christ in the Flesh, and the sixth from Christ coming in the Flesh until the coming of Iudgment; so that now we live in the last Age. O that men were wise, that they would think of this day: Whether [Page] they eat [...]r drink (saith St. Jerom) or what­soever I do methinks I hear this crying sound­ing in mine ear; Arise you dead, and come to Judgement. John the Baptist, he was the fore-runners of Christ, and we all [...]now that it wa [...] r [...]g after his coming, that Christ himsel [...] came: and now the fore-runners of the Day of Iudgement are already come; and the day i [...] self will suddenly follow, when one of the Serva [...]ts are come, the Master will not be long God hath foretold us, that before his coming to Iudgement, such and such things should come to pass, and we having these things come to pass, therefore let us be ready.

In Matth. 2 [...] the Disciples asked Christ, What shall be the signs of his coming, and of the end of the world? And Christ answered them saying, Take heed, let no man deceive you, for many shall come in my name, saying, I am a Christ, and shall deceive many, ver. 5. and 24. There shall arise false Christs, and false Pro­phets, and shall shew great signs and wonders. And hath not this been fulfilled in our Days? I trouble to think how impiously, blasphe­mously, and cursedly, many wretched Crea­tures have abused the Lord Iesus Christ; some affirming themselves to be the Virgin Mary, others the Lord Iesus Christ himself. O [...] what a sad account will these men give, wh [...] they shall appear before the great Tribunal o [...] the Lord? [Page] Another sign of the day of Iudgement being hand, is expressed, Ver. 6, 7. There should Wars, and rumours of Wars; Nation against [...]tion, and Kingdom against. Kindom: [...]hat cruel unnatural blloody Wars have [...]en seen? and not only Nation against Nation, [...]d Kingdom against Kingdom, but Brother [...]nst Brother: yea, the Father hath killed [...]s own Son, and the Son hath killed his [...]n Father; even as Christ foretold, Mark 13. 10. The Brother shall betray the Brother to death, and the Father the Son, and the Chil­dren should rise up against their Parents, and cause them to be put to death; and many shall be offended, and shall betray one another, and hate one another, saith Christ: When ever was were more Hatred and Treachery then now? [...]n any Age of the World shew the like for Envy and Malice? Will not one Bro­ther betray another for Gain? Behold, these things ought not so to be; but this is a sign if the end of the World. And because Ini­quity shall abound, saith Christ, the love of many shall wax cold. When did Sin so much a­ [...]und as now? VVhen ever was there more Sabbath-breaking and Drunkenness, VVhoring and Swearing, and Cursing, and all manner of [...]ominable evils then now? yea, even little [...]s are skilful to Sin, before they are skilful [...]; to young Children, great Sinners! And for [Page] Love and Charity, when was it ever less th [...] now? it is cold indeed now.

And her [...]n expressed is, The Sun shall turned into darkness, and the Moon sha [...] give her Light; there shall be Blood, [...] Fires, with Vapors of Smoak. [...] urage and sad Eclipses have we lately [...] and the Lord hath forwarned us by m [...] strange sights from Heaven, as ever Mo [...] men beheld; and for Fire, there hath b [...] many sad spectacles now of late, witness Flee [...] s [...]eet, Thredneedle street, and South-wa [...] in which places were near two hundred habita [...] ons consumed. And this hath not only happe [...] ed in and about the City of London, but likewise several other places of the Countries abo [...] [...] been partakers of the same sorrows: Wh [...] strange sights were lately seen in the Mounta [...] of Sarpedon? in Spain was lately take [...] [...] Monster with seven hands, and Arms like a M [...] but the lower parts like a Satyr, with clo [...] Feet. Surely these are the Wonders of [...] Lord, declaring to us, that the great Day [...] Judgment is at hand.

The last sign that Christ tells us of, is i [...] Mat. 24. 38. The days immediately before the last day, should be like the days of No [...] before the Flood came. The Lord grant, [...] not taken as they were, suddenly, before [...] were aware. In the days before the Flood, [...] [Page] Eating and Drinking, Marrying and gi­ [...] in Marriage, following after their voluptu­ [...] Delights and sinful Pleasures, and in that [...]di [...]on the Flood came and took them all a­ [...]; so shall the coming of the Son of Man be. [...] [...]ow Men Eat and Drink, and follow the [...]ing of their own Lusts, saying within them­ [...]es as the rich Fool, Let us Eat and Drink, [...]d take our fill of pleasure, for to morrow all be as this day, and much more abundant: [...]hese pleasures shall continue for ever. Where­ [...] they should say, Let us Watch and Pray, for tomorrow we may dye; for it is appoint­ed for all men once to dye, and then cometh [...]dgment. Solomon saith, Rejoyce O Young Man, and let thy heart chear thee, but know for all this thou must come to Judgment. [...]nd seeing (as Christ saith) we have seen all these things, come to pass, let us know that this [...] is near, even at the door. The Old World because they would take no notice, the Flood came and drowned them all they had one hundred and twenty years to repent in, and yet would not hearken. Nineve had but forty days, yet they repented. Israel had forty years time to repent in. But who knows how long time we shall have to repent? we have had long time al­ [...]y, hundreds of years, but we are still a stiff­ [...]ed and disobedient People.

[...]. Paul tells us, 1 Tim. 4. In the last days [Page] there should be a departing from the Fait [...] giving [...]eed to seducin [...] Spirits, and Doctr [...] of Devils. And 2 Tim. 3. 1. In the last [...] p [...]ilous times shall come. Men shall be [...]o [...] themselves, covetous, boasters, proud, blas [...] mers, &c. Then certai [...] we are, tho [...] [...] the end of the world is come, for [...] these things have been fulfilled, is very [...] ful to consider. The Prophet Zephaniah 1. [...] saith, The great day of the Lord is near, [...] near, it hastneth greatly. And ver. 15. he [...] us, It is a day of wrath and distress, a day [...] desolation, a day of darkness and gloomin [...] day of clouds and thick darkness.

The day of Iudgement, although it sh [...] [...] a day of joy and rejoycing to the Godly, it [...] be a day of woe to the wicked: For who ma [...] bide the day of his coming? and who shall [...] able to stand when he appeareth? Mal▪ [...] Then wicked men shall cry to the Mount [...] to fall upon them, and hide them from [...] wrath of God; for in that day the wicked, [...] all the Nations that forget God, shall be th [...] into Hell, the [...] to abide for ever, suff [...] the Vengeance of Eternal Fire; as St. [...] saith, That day shall burn as an Oven, [...] the wicked shall be as stubble, &c. saith the [...] Mal. 4. 8. But to those that fear his Name [...] the Son of Righteousness arise, with hea [...] [...] his wings, and shall shine upon the just, a [...] [Page] [...] them into the Kingdom of Heaven, where [...] [...]s unspeakable, and full of Glory.

[...]d now having shewed you the certainty of [...] great day of Iudgement, and forewarned [...] of the near approach thereof; I will con­ [...]e with some few Exhortations to all, to [...]re our selves for this great day.

[...]s it so then, that there is a day of Iudge­ [...]nt? and is that day at hand? then let every [...] get Oyl, get Grace into the Lamp of his [...]rt, and rouze himself up from the world, [...] whensoever the Lord cometh, he may be [...]y. VVe should live every day, as if it were [...] last day we had to live; for if Iudgement [...]es not, yet Death will certainly come: [...]e know not when we lay our selves down sleep, whether we shall awake again. Many [...] been suddenly surprized by Death, that [...]y have been taken away before they were [...] to dye. Although there is nothing so cer­ [...]n as Death, yet nothing so uncertain as the [...]r and time when Death will come. The [...]ol said in his heart, Soul take thy ease, Eat, [...]rink, and be merry, for thou hast goods laid [...] for many years: But what saith God? [...] Fool, this night shall thy Soul be required [...] thee; then whose shall those be? thou must [...]y nothing with thee.

[...] had provided that which could do him [...] [...]od; certainly had he said thus, He had laid [Page] up a good stock for Eternity. O my [...] God hath exceedingly blest me in this [...] with great encrease, and abundance, [...] shall I do to lay up some portion for anot [...] d [...]y [...] this will I do, that as God hath gi [...] [...], I will make a good use of them [...] that abuse them to satisfie my Lusts, b [...] [...] [...]reely lend them to the Lord: I will [...] poor, cloath the naked, and feed [...] [...]; for in so doing, I shall lay up a go [...] stock for eternal life. Certainly had he [...] this, God would have said unto him, W [...] [...] done thou good and faithful Servant, thou h [...] improved thy Masters Talent, enter into [...] Masters Joy. For certainly what we give to [...] po [...]r, we lend to the Lord, and he would rep [...] again seven fold for it at the last day, when [...] m [...]n shall be Iu [...]ged [...]ording to what they [...] d [...]ne in the Flesh, [...]ther it be good or wheth [...] it b [...] evil; and then the poor Man shall be [...] [...]uch respected before God, as the greatest [...] or Emperor, and perhaps more: for h [...] is [...]o respector of persons, but he will [...] according to his works, whether [...]e po [...] [...] [...]ich. For we must all appear before [...] seat [...] Christ, small and great, rich and [...] where we shall be made partakers of eternal [...] pyness in Heaven, or sad spectacles of ete [...] torments in Hell. For God is a Righ [...] Iudge, he fears none; but will tender Mercy [...] [Page] [...]m that have shewed Mercy; but to the un­righteous, cruel, and hard-hearted Sinners, ac­cording to their own deserts. Then will he di­vide the Chaff from the Wheat, the Sheep from the Goats, and set the Sheep on his right hand, and the Goats on his left; and so pro­nounce Sentance to the Righteous. Come ye blessed of Father, inherit the Kindom prepa­red for you from the beginning of the World. But to the wicked and ungodly, Go ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels. And then what will the prophane Swearer, Curser, and Blasphemer, have to say, what will become of the Drunkard, Whore­ [...]onger, and Adulterer? they will wish then for the Mountains to fall upon them, or that they might be suddenly destroyed. The Lord awaken every sinful Soul, that he may re­pent and amend his Sinful Life, and turn to the Lord with speed, least that great and ter­rible day of the Lord come upon him unawares. For as the Lightening lighteneth from one place of Heaven unto the other, so shall the [...]ing of the Son of Man be: likewise also as it was in the days of Lot, they eat, they drank, they bought, they sould, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from Heaven, and destroyed them all, even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of Man shall [Page] be [...]ed, Luke 17. 20, 30: And before [...] shall be gathered all Nations, and he shall [...] rate them one from another, as the Shep [...] divideth the Sheep from the Goats, a [...] [...] Goats shall be sent into everlasting punish [...] and the Sheep into e [...]lasting Life, Mat. 2 [...] 45. For at t [...] [...] the World, the A [...] shall come forth, a [...] sever the wicked among the just, and [...] cast them into [...] [...] nace of Fire, where shall be Weeping [...] Wailing, and gnashing of Teeth, for eve [...] Mat. [...]3. 49, 50. Therefore every one heed, watch and pray, for we know not [...] the time is, Mat. 12. 33, 34. For the So [...] [...] Man is [...] a man taking a far journey, who [...] his house, and gave Authority to his Serv [...] and to every man his work, and willed the [...] ter to watch. W [...]tch ye therefore, for ye [...] not when the Master of the house comet [...] [...] [...]ven, or a [...] midnight. or at Cock crowing [...] one morning; least coming suddenly, he find [...] sleeping. And what I say unto you, I sa [...] to all men, Watch. For blessed shall th [...] [...] wh [...]n he cometh, shall [...] [...]en. Even so [...] Lord [...].