CHriſtian Friends, of what degrée ſoever, I beg at all of you for Chriſts ſake, and the good of your own ſouls, to ſpend one half hour in reading over this ſmall Book, or tend to hear the reading of it: let me entreat you not to neglect ſo great ſalvation, and lay by all your buſied affairs to hear of the coming of Chriſt, of the great day of Iudgement, which is now even at the door; throw by all to prepare your lamps of Oyl againſt his coming; for his appearance is a glory to them that fear him; but it will be a terrible day to the wicked, according to my Text of Scripture before laid down. Satan is now looſe in the world, he deceives four parts of the Earth: yea, Gog and Magog he gathers together, whoſe number is as the ſands of the Sea; yea, he compaſſes the camps of the Saints, and the beloved City: ſo he, like a flying Locuſt, doth corrupt Gods people againſt the great Aſſizes to condemne them, when fire ſhall fall from Heaven and devoure the wicked, and the Divel that deceived the falſe Prophets of the world, ſhall be caſt into the lake of this fire and brimſton with them; then ſhall Chriſt ſit in judgement and power, and his Saints with him, judging the twelve Tribes of Iſrael, and the dead ſmall and great ſhall riſe and receive according to their works, and whoſoever be not found in the Book of Life ſhall be caſt in the lake of fire and brimſtone for ever, where ſhall be wéeping and gnaſhing of téeth; but the righteous ſhall never ſée this, he ſhall rejoyce when he ſéeth the vengeance, he ſhall waſh his féet in the blood of the wicked, ſo that a man ſhall ſay, There is a reward to the Righteous, verily he is God that judgeth the Earth, Pſal. 58.10, 11.

Oh kearken I beſéech you and repent you of your former ſins, in what condition will that man be in whoſe works are not good, a fearful thing it is to loſe Heaven to obtain Hell, to loſe the favour of God, to be curſed with the Divel to lie in torments for ever. Rent your hearts and not your garments turn to the Lord all you that are heavy loaden of your ſins; are as red as ſcarlet he will make them as white as ſnow ſaith the Lord of Hoſts, I do not deſire the death of a ſinner, but rather would have you repent and live. Dearly beloved Friends, the Lord doth not deſire you to go aſtray, but to obey his Call while its open unto you; for after death comes judgement; tis no referring your ſin of repentance: to day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts; to morrow is another day, and who knows what a day brings forth: Lie not wallowing in your corruptedneſſe like to beaſts; for the day of ſlaughter is nigh, a juſt reward is prepar'd for the wicked; the puniſhment of Hell might afright you but only you are a people of very hard mettle, miſbelieving of the Scriptures, like to the Scribes and Phariſées; but if like to them you do evil, you might partake of their puniſhments: alſo I ſay, how gloomy a ſight is the coming of Chriſt to the Righteous: for at the Reſurrection God will wipe away all tears from your eyes, and there ſhall be no more death, whether ſorrow nor crying; neither ſhall there be any pain to thee, for the former things are paſt away; but the fearful, and unbeliever, and the abominable, and unbelievers and whoremongers, and ſorcerers, ans Idolaters, and all lyars ſhall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimſtone, which is the ſecond death and terribleſt, Rev. 21.4, 8. it makes a reaſonable Chriſtian go out of his wits to think of the terrible puniſhment of Hell; ſtrive therefore I beſéech you to enter in at the ſtrait gate; For many I ſay unto you will ſtrive to enter in and cannot be able, Matth. 7.13. For when once the Maſter is riſen up and ſhut the door, and you begin to ſtand at the door knocking, without ſaying, Lord, Lord, open to us; but the Lord will anſwer, I know you not whence you are, depart from me all you workers of iniquity, Luke 13.25, 27. Oh what a diſmall Sentence is this to be deprived of the joyes of Heaven, and the preſence of Chriſt, wherein is all fulneſs of joy, lacking nothing, and reſt and peace for evermore. Conſider the Lillies how they grow; the toyl not, the ſpin not, and yet I ſay unto you Solomon in all his glory was not arayed like to one of theſe: if God ſo then cloath the graſſe which is to day in the field, and to morrow is caſt into an Oven, and how much more will he cloath you, O you of little faith, Luke 12.17, 18. O conſider my dear Friends, and he better grounded towards God in true faith, through Ieſus Chriſt. You ſée and know that God is able to let you want for nothing ſo you will but ſerve him. Mark what God ſaith in Ezekiel 33.4, 5. Whoſoever heareth the ſound of a Trumpet and takes not warning, if the ſword come and take him away, his blood ſhall be upon his own head: but he that taketh warning delivereth his own ſoul. I beſéech you Friends, now you hear this day the ſound of God in your ears, take warning hereby, prepare for the coming of Chriſt in the courts of Heaven to judgement; for aſſuredly that man that is found unprepared at that day will be in a moſt damnable condition, they ſhall burn as an oven; yea, and all the proud and all that do wickedly ſhall be ſtub • le, and the day that cometh ſhall burn them up, ſaith the Lord; that is, ſhall not leave neither root nor branch; but unto them that fear my name ſaith God▪ ſhall the Son of righteouſneſſe riſe with healing in his wings, and you ſhall tread down the wicked, for they ſhall be as aſhes under the ſoles of your feet, Malac. 4.1, 2, 3. We have great cauſe to work out our ſalvation with fear and trembling: what man would run himſelf in danger when he may eſcape it. Be not idle dear Friends, but ſpare of your ordinary ſléep to muſe of the word of GOD, for great is the reward of the righteous in Heaven; yea, love you your Enemies, and doe good, and lend unto the needy, hoping for none again, and your reward ſhall be great, and you ſhall be Children of the higheſt, Luke 5.35. ſée alſo the manner of Chriſts coming to Iudgement: the Lord himſelf ſhall deſcend from heaven with a ſhout, with the noiſe of the Arch-angell, with Trump of God, and thoſe which died in Chriſt ſhall riſe firſt: then we that are alive and remain, ſhall be caught up with them together in the Clouds, to méet the Lord in the Air: and ſo ſhall we ever be with the Lord, Theſ. 4.16, 17, 18. but the day and hour knoweth no Man, therefore watch and pray for the coming of Chriſt, for it will over-take you as a thief in the night: therefore ſleep not as do others, but watch and be ſober, for they that ſleep, ſleep in the night, they that be drunken, be drunk in the night; but let us who are of the day be ſober, putting on the breſt plate of Faith and Love, and for a Helmet put on the hope of ſalvation, And I beſéech you brethren to know them that labour among you, and are over you in the Lord; abſtain from all appearance of evill, do good and not hurt, for he that diligently ſéeketh good procureth favour, but he that ſeeketh hurt provoketh ſhame, Pro. 11.27. ſo it muſt néeds be with the wicked a perpetuall ſhamefull thing for a Chriſtian to be ſo ſimple as to loſe the preſence of God, and his glorious kingdome, to gain the intolerable flaſhing of Hell Fire; and to be accompanied with diveliſh companions, to foreſhew the glorious light of Heaven, where is light for evermore, to obtain Hells obſcured darkneſſe, to be bereft of everlaſting Ioyes, to ſuffer perpetuall Torments; this is true, that theſe torments are prepared for the Damned, which ſhall be known to all thoſe which is reſerved for thoſe torments, by the moſt wretchfull and indignation of God, a juſt reward for the wicked: for ſaith Job, Chap. 21.30. The wicked is reſerved to the day of Deſtruction, they ſhall be brought forth to the day of wrath. How oft is the Candle of the wicked put out, and how oft cometh her Deſtruction upon them, they are ſtubble before the wind, and as chaff that the ſtorm carrieth away, his eyes ſhall ſee his Deſtruction, and ſhe ſhall drink the wrath of the Almighty, Job 17.18, 20. ſtrive to eſcape this wrath of God, elſe will your own eyes ſée your ſudden deſtruction come upon you; is it not better to ſerve God and be in ſafety, then to ſerve the Devill and be in utter deſtruction: 'tis time Chriſtian Friends to prepare your ſelves for the day of doom, for it is even at the door, the ſigns of Chriſts coming doth ſignifie the ſame; for in the latter days there ſhall be Wars and Rumors of Wars with great ſlaughters, blood touches blood, the Father againſt the Son, and the Son againſt the Father, one Neighbour againſt the one, not knowing his Friend from his Foe, and the day is not yet, great ſignes will be in Heaven and in Earth, before the notable day of the Lord cometh, the Moon ſhall be turned into blood, and the Sun ſhall be darkened and forbear her ſhineing: Young men ſhall ſee Viſions, Old men ſhall dream dreams, and divers notable ſignes will be before the day of the Lord cometh, Acts 2.19, 20. theſe are the ſignes of the coming of Chriſt, and the generall Reſurrection: when the Lord ſhall appear in the Clouds with magnificent glory coming in the Air, with his Saints judging the Twelve Tribes of Iſraell, but when this is accompliſhed there will be peace and ſafety, but then cometh ſudden deſtruction as a Thief in the night; therefore Chriſtian Friends, watch and pray, for you know not at what hour the Son of Man cometh: you ſée and have heard, and do know that moſt of theſe things are accompliſhed, and we are now in peace and ſafety, and you know not how ſuddenly deſtruction may come upon you: pray, pray for the Lords coming, it is even at the door, it cannot be far off: for our ancient Fathers have wrought that the world ſhould laſt Six Ages: that's to ſay not ſix thouſand years, for the longeſt liver was Methuſaleh, who lived nine hundred ſixty and nine years, and then dyed, Geneſis 5.27. his age ſix times doubled makes it appear that the laſt day is not far of us, but will be accompliſhed in the year from the Creation, to the year of the Lords reſurrection 5886. but then the Apoſtles teſtifie, write in the book of the Acts, if the dayes be not ſhortned, there ſhall be no fleſh ſaved, this beloved is to put you off from knowing the day of the Lords coming: be carefull good people to prepare your ſelves, do not think with the ſcoffers of the world that God will not come; or like to Seduces and falſe Prophets, bringing in damnable doctrine of Hereſie, but behold many ſhall follow their pernicious ways, by reaſon of whom the way of truth ſhall be evill ſpoken of, Pet. 2.2. if God therefore ſpared not the Angels that ſinned, but caſt them down to Hell, and delivered them into chains of darkneſs, to be reſerved unto judgement, much more wil he reſerve the fire of hell for the extortionall ſinners of this world: he ſpared not the whole world, but drowned it, ſaving eight perſons: bringing the floods upon the world of the ungodly, ſo alſo ſhall fire and brimſtone burn up the wicked, and leave them neither root nor branch, the Lord alſo turned the city of Sodom and Gomorrah unto aſhes, condemned them with an overthrow, making an example to all thoſe that ever after ſhould live ungodly, and delivered juſt Lot, who was vexed with the filthy converſation of the wicked: ſo will GOD doe at the Iudgement day, he will ſever the wicked from the righteous, and ſhower upon them everlaſting Torments; we in England do as juſtly deſerve ſudden deſtruction, as did theſe Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, for there was not any one ſin raigned there, but it is as frequently here, the ſin of pride never raigned more, then it doth at this hour, both in City and Country, and that's cloaked over with a badg of Galantry: to what profit is it to be as Dives was in the Goſpell, to dwell in a ſumptuous Building, to wear rare apparel, to fair delicately every day, to have all the delights that the world could afford him, to be in damnable torments for ever: be content and ſtrive not dear Friends to gain this to looſe heaven, for the glory of the world is as nothing to the glory of God: beſides ſin ſo aboundeth in number, it is more then the ſands of Sea, Sodom had not the ſins as we have, why therefore O God are we not deſtroyed! O thou God art infinite in mercy and truth, ſparing thy people, willing them to amendment of life; but I wil preſent to your view what ſins are now in groth at this preſent time 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 firſt raigns pride, covetouſneſs, malice, envy, hatred, in all abundance, beſides the moſt damnable ſins of curſing and ſwearing, lying, drunkenneſs, whoredom, and divers other ſins which are weights to weigh a ſinner down to Hell.

Oh dear Friends, put from you ſin, which is the main thing that kéeps you from Heaven; yea, you take delight in ſinning to fulfill the luſts thereof: you think when you roar it in Taverns you do a good work when you hurt both ſoul and body; you vapour and exalt your ſelves when you ſhould be méek and lowly, you drink Béer and Wine to exceſſe when you ſhould be ſober; beſides, running to carnal luſts when you ſhould be chaſt, uſing moſt damnable Oaths and prophane actions, letting your mouths ſpeak guile, acting all evil abominably to the face of God, and thus in the practice of ſin you run continually, never thinking of the terrible day of Iudgement; yea, mighty terrible will it be to the wicked: and who will be able to ſtand before the righteous Judge, who judges in truth and righteouſneſſe, according to the work of every mans doings? In what a ſad condition my friends are you in to he judged according to your doings: doth it not behoove you all to have a care of your actions, if your works be bad, you muſt receive its juſt reward of puniſhment; if your works be juſt, your caſe will be happy at this general ſeat of Iudgement; after life there is no pleading your caſe; for your caſe is before known: you are either recorded in the Book of Life or Death, there is no Lawyers to plead for fées, there is none of your earthly friends can pay the ranſome of your ſouls, in what a vaile of miſery are you plunged in at this hour, the Divel is on one ſide of you, againſt the word of Sentence is paſt to bring you to eternal damnation, your own conſcience on the other ſide witneſſing againſt you of all the hidden ſecret ſins, which you in your life time have committed, the wrath of Gods fury hangs over you, his ſcourging Rod which will torment you, Hell lies under you ready to ſwallow ye up, where the moſt damnable torments of Hell fire is prepared for the wicked, then all calamities, ſorrows and helliſh torments preſſes you at once and compaſſes you about on every ſide: the loſſe of Heaven and the preſence of God is a helliſh torment, without any other torment, with the loſſe of the profitable love of God, and the glory thereof, beſides to be puniſhed in the flames of Hell for evermore, where there is wéeping and gnaſhing of téeth, Matth. 24.30. When the Son of Man ſhall come in his Glory, and all the holy Angels with him, and before ſhall be gathered all Nations together, and he ſhall ſeparate them one from another as a ſhepherd divideth his Sheep from his Goats; and he ſhall ſet the Sheep on the right hand, and the Goats on the left; and to the righteous ſhall ſay, Come ye bleſſed of my Father inherit the Kingdome of God, prepared for you from the beginning: but to the wicked he ſaith, Go you curſed into everlaſting fire, prepared for the Divel and his Angels, Matth. 24.31, 32, 34, 41. Lo. theſe ſhall go away into everlaſting puniſhment, and the Righteous into life Eternal.

Dear Brethren the way to eſcape theſe puniſhments dependeth only on things, that is to fear God, and kéep the Commands of GOD; theſe are alſo loſt in your ſelf, redéemed by Chriſt. What Chriſtians in the world would endanger themſelves of death, for the gaining of a trifled matter run into Hell, and forſake Heaven, falling into eternal miſery▪ and might obtain eternal Glory.

A word to you worldly men that makes a God of your Riches, pinching and grinding the poor for gain, It will be eaſier for a Camel to go thorow the eye of a needle, then for ſuch a rich man to enter into life eternal. But truſt not unto uncertain riches; now lay upno earthly riches in ſtore for the morrow, but lay up riches in Heaven, where moth nor ruſt cannot corrupt. And a place where is all fidelity, bliſſe and joy, and eternal happineſſe, relieve the poor and néedy, and turn not from them: for know you what is given to the poor with charitable friends is lent to the Lord, and your reward will be great in the Kingdome of Heaven. But ſuch covetous worldly men that will not relieve the oppreſſed, but lay up their gold in ſtore for many years, are counted like the fool in the Goſpel that was ſuddenly tain from his riches and indanger'd himſelf of everlaſting damnation. Lay up no treaſures on earth, take care neither for any thing; for to morrow thou mayſt go to thy grave. Then happy is he that hath laid up treaſures in Heaven to all eternity, where moth nor ruſt cannot corrupt, nor Thieves break thorow nor ſteal; For Heaven and Earth muſt paſſe away, and fly from the preſence of God, and not one tittle of the Goſpel of Chriſt ſhall paſſe away.

O England, beware of Gods heavy wrath and ſevere judgements againſt thée for thy rebellious ſinning againſt him: the Lords wrath will conſume thée except ſpéedy repentance, he hath ſtretched out his hand of affliction on the Land, as a toll to the day of Doom, And it ſhall come paſſe ſaith the Lord, at that day I will ſearch with Candles, and puniſh the men that are ſettled in their lees, that ſaith in their heart the Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil; therefore their goods ſhall become a booty, and their houſes a deſolation, they ſhall alſo build houſes, but not inhabit 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 them, they ſhall plant Vineyards, but not drink the Wine thereof; the great day of the Lord is near, and haſteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty men ſhall cry then bitterly, that day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and diſtreſſe, a day of waſtneſſe and deſolation, a day of darkneſſe and gloomineſſe, a day of CLOVDS and thick darkneſſe, a day of tumpeting and alarum againſt the fenced Cities, and againſt the high Towers: and diſtreſſe I will bring upon wicked men, that they ſhall walk like blind men, becauſe they have ſinned againſt the Lord, and their blood ſhall be poured out as duſt, and their fleſh as the dung: neither their Silver nor their Gold ſhall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lords wrath; give good regard to this you rich men, who like the great fiſhes of the ſea eateth up the poor & ſmall fiſhes, but thoſe the Lord ſpeaks in Micah 6.12, 15. the rich men are full of violence, ſhall I account them pure that uſes falſe ballance with baggs of deceitfull weights, no, I rather account him a deceiver of the poor; and at this generall day he cannot be able to ſtand before the Iudgement ſeat of Chriſt, but will be by his own Conſcience preſt from the preſence of God, wiſhing the Hills to cover him and hide him from the preſence of the Almighty; but when that the word of ſentence is paſt, he muſt depart to that lake of Fire that burneth for ever, where there is wéeping and gnaſhing of téeth, from which place O mighty God deliver us; but if a man will be willing to looſe his life to ſave it, he ſhall arive to his deſired Haven, which is a Heavenly Ieruſalem and glorious throne of Chriſt, as myſtically it was put for thoſe propheſies to John in the Rev. 21.9, 10, 27. and there came unto me one of the ſeven Angels, and talked with me, ſaying, come hither, and he carried me away in the ſpirit to a great and high Mountaine, and ſhewed me that great City deſcending out of Heaven from God, having the Glory of God, and his light was like unto ſtone moſt precious, even like a Jaſper ſtone clear as Chriſtall, and had a Wall great and high, and had twelve Gates, and at the Gates twelve Angels, which are the manner of the twelve Tribes of the Children of Iſraell; there was three Gates on the North, three on the South, three on the Weſt, three on the Eaſt, and the Walls of the City hath twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve Apoſtles, of the Lamb, and the City lyeth four ſquare, the length, and the bredth, and the height of it are equal, the building of the walls of it was of Jaſper, and the City was pure Gold, like unto clear Glaſs, the Foundation thereof was grounded with precious ſtones, and the twelve Gates were twelve Pearls, and the Gates of this City were pure Gold, as it were tranſparent Glaſs; and no temple is therein, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it. This City of Heaven hath no néed of the light of the Sun or of the Moon, for the glory of God and the Lamb is the light thereof, and alſo there proceedeth out of the Throne of God, and the Lamb a pure river of water of Life, as clear as Chryſtal, and in the midſt of the ſtreet was the Tree of life▪ which bears twelve manner of fruits, and yieldeth her fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree was for the healing of Nations, there is no night there, and they need no Candle, neither light of the Sun; for the Lord God giveth them light, and they ſhall raign for ever and ever; theſe ſayings my Friends are faithfull and true: for the Lord God hath ſhewed unto his Servants the thing which muſt ſhortly be done.

Oh beloved conſider the Glory of this Heavenly Jeruſalem, no man is able to imagine or conceive the wiſdome of God, and the Honour and Glory of the Lamb, and his amarous Throne which is the Portion of the Righteous and their greateſt reward: For behold ſaith God I come quickly and my reward is with me, to give to every man according to his works, what are our works by which we muſt be Iudged? Oh Baſe and Filthy, more worſe then the Beaſt of the Field, we work nothing that's good, we act miſchiefe continually to the Face of God, by our moſt Debauched Swearing, and Curſing, Whordome, and Drunkenneſſe, Pride, and Covetouſneſſe, Extortionall Idolatry, and Deceitfull Living and Murmuring at the handy works of God; but lo, the portion of thoſe wicked men is to be burned in a lake of Fire, which burneth for ever and ever: they will be Tormented with the memory of things paſt, preſent, and to come: the Rich man will think of his Fidelity that is paſt his puniſhment at preſent, and his intolerable Torments to come. You Rich Men be convinced and make not a god of your Riches, but make ſuch uſes of your Tallents that GOD hath lent you; be'ſt thou a King, Rule in Peace, Execute Iudgement upon Mercies, ſpread forth the Goſpell of Chriſt throughout the whole Dominions: and you Iudges and Magiſtrates in chiefeſt, Iudge equity and right, give Iuſtice to the Poor as well as to the Rich: let not the Ballance of Wickedneſſe out-weigh the Book of Life; nor hide nothing from God, for his all-ſéeing eye doth bring ſecret things to a clear light, for what is done in your ſecret Courts, will be proclaimed on the houſe Top, to you Lawyers recall your ſelves to remembrance what Law is, let not handfuls of Gold and Silver carry you from a rightfull Caſe, be you a pleader for the poor, and redéem them from an earthly bondage, and your Saviour will plead for you, and Iudge you according at the great Aſſizes, and redéem you; Next you Miniſters of God, meaſure out the Fruits of Righteouſneſſe to the People, ſound forth the Goſpell with boldneſſe, rehearſe nothing but ſound Doctrine, which prodéeds from the ſpirit of truth, and he as a ſhining light by your zeal and converſation; and lay aſide all Superſtition, Popery, Schiſme, or Hereſie, which hath bred Deſtruction in the Land: And laſtly to you People in General, of what degrée ſoever, or opinion, Take theſe few Rules and Adminiſtrations before I end, or quite conclude my Book: to you Learned, ſearch you the Scriptures, and you'l find me not to diminiſh the word of God, the Law of the Lord, then practiſe and follow what you find Writ in the Old and New Teſtament; and to the Ignorant People, I adviſe you to hearken to the Learned, and to thoſe that Preaches the Goſpell, and what they commend unto you, and lay it to heart, and ſearch out your Salvation with Fear and Trembling,

Firſt ſéek to find God in your hearts, then learn to know him, & he acquainted with him: for if you never ſéek to know him, how ſhould you ever think to live with him; you think in your hearts how ſhould we know him, that we nere beheld with our mortall Eyes: no my Friends, you muſt ſée him ſpiritually and not mortally; for no mortall eyes is able to behold his exceeding magnificent Glory: he ſent Chriſt in the Fleſh becauſe we ſhould believe, but for all this, yea for all the means he can uſe, we will not believe him: yet you ſay you believe there is a God, but wherein doe you believe? for if you believe aright, how dare you to offend ſo great a God? no my Friends, if you believe aright, you'l ſéek to pleaſe him, and not offend him, but fear his Iudgements, and truſt in his Mercy; for he is ſlow to anger and of great kindneſſe. Therefore beloved Conclude with me, with theſe ſayings, fear God and keep his Commandements, and then you may hope to believe aright: prepare your ſelves againſt this great day of the Lord, for unto you that fear my name, it will be a day of joy and rejoycing, a day of fidelity, mirth and gladneſſe with eternal Bliſs, when the Wicked man ſhall lie and be Curſed with Curſes, the Plagues of Hell Tormanting him, the Memory of things paſt oppreſſing him, the howle of fearfull Divels affrighting him, the heavy wrath and curſe of God hang over him, and worſt of all, the Everlaſting Torments to come, which doth ſtrike him in everlaſting deſpair: our wordly pains are wonderfull to be endured, were we but to ſit ſtill a month and ne're to move, to ly in Priſon ſeven years, to hold our hands in Fire for an hour, to be ſtormed to Death, is nothing to this unknownable Torment, of our earthly torment: the Tormented or the Tormentor dieth and hath an end, but the Pains of Hell hath never end. For the Grace of our magnificent God the Father, and the Glory of his Sonne our Saviour, accompanied with the holy Ghoſt, defend us from Hell, and bring us to Heaven to raign with him from everlaſting to everlaſting, Amen.