be no mistake not only the more openly profane and notoriously vile generation of the wicked who were even professed enemies of Gods people and shun their company and separate themselves now shall be separated from them by Jesus Christ at the last day but also all those who were more â—ober and had some kind of love to them but none unto Jesus Christ Yea all hypocrites who seemed to be of their company shall then be parted from them Christ will look upon all with a pierâ—ing distinguishing eye he will easily discern and discover all the hypocrites however they may plead that they have eat and drunk in his presence and some of them cast out devils in his â—ame he will not judge according to the outward appearance but according to the truth which hath been in the heart and they which â—ave so much deceived men shall not be able to â—eceive him None of them shall twine themselves â—â—perceivably and croud into Heaven amongst 〈◊〉 righteous Then the lamps of the foolish virâ—â—ns will be gone out then the vail and mask of 〈◊〉 outward show will be rent and torn to pieâ—â—s then the sheeps-skin will be pluckt off and â—â—ey will appear unto the whole world to have â—een but goats and amongst the goats they must 〈◊〉 Christ will not leave one of the goats â—mongst the sheep and he will not leave one of 〈◊〉 sheep amongst the goats all that belong to his fold shall be gathered into one society of their meeting more in their particular judgment 4 At the second appearance of Iesus Christ the Books will be opened out of which all must be judged Rev. 20. 12. I saw the dead small and greaâ— stand before God and the Books were opened and another Boâ—k was opened which is the Boâ—k of Life and the dead were judged out of thâ—se things which were written in those Books according to their works There are five Books which will then be opened 1. Thâ— Book of Gods remembrance 2. The Book of Menâ— own consciences 3. The Book of the Law 4. Thâ— Book of the Gospel 5. The Book of Life 1. The Book of God's Remembrance will be opened This we are to understand in a spiritual sense no as if there were a real Book which God did makâ— use of for his remembrance of things as men 〈◊〉 who have fraiâ—e and weak memories which woulâ— let slip many things of note without such a help but hereby we are to understand that God doâ— take an exact notice of things and remembers theâ— as if he had them written in a Book by him The Boâ—â— of Gods remembrance will be opened whereiâ— will be sound recorded 1. The names of all the Sons and Daughters 〈◊〉 Adam what ever Age and Generation they haâ—â— lived in from the beginning of the Creation 〈◊〉 the consummation of all things as also the relâ—â—tions they stood in and the charge was commiâ—ted to them Such and such were Magistratâ— and had such and such subjects under them 〈◊〉 had the sword of justice put into their hands 〈◊〉 their charge was to rule under Christ to encâ—â—â—rage and reward them that did well and to punish evil dâ—ers such and such were Ministers and they were entrusted with the care of souls they were set by the Lord for Watch-men to forewarn the people of judgments as Stewards to dispence the food of the Word and to give every one their portion such and such were Governours of Families whose work was to set up Religion and the worship of God in their houses and labour in their places after the salvation of the souls as well as to set those under them about their civil work and to provide for their bodies such and such were Children and Servants whose charge was to yield obedience to Parents and Governors in the Lord with meeknesse and fear with readinesse and diligence 2 There will be found recorded the places where such Persons lived such indeed lived in the dark places of Heathenisme and Idolatry but such and such lived in Israel in a Goshen in a Land of Light such and such lived in England in London in such a religious Family there will be recorded the means of grace which they have enjoyed in those places such lived under such a powerful Ministry heard such heart-awakening and heart-warming Sermons and had such sweet showers of the Word dropping upon them they were planted in a fertile soile and they had fat pastures to feed in 3 There will be found recorded the various dispensations of Gods providence towards them for their good such and such had not only Gods Word but also Gods Rod to teach them they lived under the sound of awakning Judgments they lived in London when the Plague raged so sorely and when the Fire brake forth and consumed the City and such were preserved when thousands fell into the Pit they were brought down to the Doores of the Grave and Eternity and they were brought up again they were preserved and provided for and every day tasted of the Cup of Gods goodness they were loaden with his mercies 4 And especially there will be found recorded all the actions of all the Children of men and their carriage towards God and towards one another in those places in those relations under those ordinances and providences 1 There will be found recorded all the good that hath been found in or done by any from the day of their Child-hood to their dying hour such and such they were obedient to Parents when they were young they were diligent in learning their Catechisme and ready to receive instructions in the Principles of Religion such were acquainted with the Scriptures when they were but Children such had tender hearts in their tender years such loved God and followed God when they were but youths such and such had their hearts opened in hearing of the Word and enlarged hearts in prayer such were awakned by such Sermons and convinced and humbled for sin and perswaded to repent and turn to the Lord such opened the door to Jesus Christ when he knocked and set up his Throne in their hearts and put their necks under his yoke Such and such were frequenters and lovers of the Ordinances and Ministers of Jesus Christ. Such made it their business to be religious such walked with God in their Families and were upâ—ight in their dealings in the World such used to deny themselves and took up their Cross and laboured to follow Jesus Christ where ever he led them such mourned for the sins they could not reform were thankful for the mercies they received were faithful in the relations they were placed were fruitful under the means they enjoyed were merciful to their brethren in misery were patient and chearful under the Rod which was laid upon them and all the good actions of men will be had in remembrance 2 There will be found recorded all the evil actions all the sins of the Children of men Such and such were
the eternity of Hel wil be the Hel of Hel. When our Saviour endured equivalent punishment to this of Hel for his people it had not this circumstance of eternity in it there not being that need because of the excellency of his person so that though the pains of Hel gat hold on him yet they could not keep him in hold but he brake thorow them and triumphed over them and could say in the conclusion It is finished but the damned wil not be able to break thorow their punishment they wil be compassed about with them and hedged in and shut down and never be able to lift up the head never shall they say of this punishment It is finished for their pains wil alwaies be as it were beginning when they have spent the time of as many years in Hel as there are Stars in the Firmament Sands on the Sea shore and Moats in the Sun their torment wil be as it were beginning and no nearer a conclusion than the first day they were cast into that place Who can express this eternity when we lanch forth our thoughts in the consideration thereof we lose them quickly it being such a deep which cannot be fathomed such a vast Ocean which cannot be measured yet a little to extend your thoughts in the consideration of the Eternity of the wickeds punishment I shall by one or two suppositions illustrate something of the vastness hereof Suppose that this globe of Earth on which we tread were hollow and that it were filled with great folio Books as full as it could hold and moreover there were Books heaped up upon it to fill the whole circumference of the aire round about it yea that the whole space of place to the uttermost verge of the Empyrean Heavens were filled with Books and all this vast number of Books were filled with figures in the highest degree of multiplication O what a number of Books would there be in the whole space of place what a number of figures in these Books and what a vast number would there be deciphered by these figures A bit of paper half as broad as an half penny will hold the figure of the number of as many years as have been since the creation of the World what then would a whole leaf of a great folio hold what would a whole folio hold what then would a room full of folios hold but what would the whole World full of folios hold now if at the end of time when the wicked go to Hell God should fill the whole space of the World with folios full of figures of numbers and tell the wicked that every thousand year one of these numbers should be substracted and promise them when all the numbers were substracted our of all these Books they should have a release out of their torments they would have a small spark of hope that after the substraction of so many millions millions millions of innumerable numbers in the revolution of so many millions millions millions of innumerable years yet at last there would be an end there would be time then set and a wearing towards an end yet if we could cast our thoughts so far in a supposition that all this number of years wherein all this number of figures were substracted by one in a thousand years were past and gone yea wherin they were all substracted as many thousand times as the number of the figures in all those Books would amount unto yet even then the punishment of the damned would be as far from ending as at the very first beginning of them Yea suppose further that there were as many Worlds as the number in the Books before supposed would arise unto and these Worlds should continue as many years as by this account there would be Worlds and all these Worlds were filled with Angels and Men and all these Angels and Men should be employed in nothing else from the beginning of these Worlds unto the end of them but in conceiving numbers of years unto the uttermost conception which they could have of numbers what a-to-us-inconceivable number of years would there be conceived by so many Angels and Men in so many years in so many Worlds yet if all that vast number of years were joyned to the end of the time wherein all the numbers in the figures of so many before-mentioned Books were substracted by one in a thousand years and these multiplied as many thousand times as numbers were conceived such a vast number of years would reach a great way but they would not be so much as a haires breadth in the measure of eternity and if we should suppose the space of all these years too to be spent by the damned in torments even then their torments would be as far from a conclusion as they were upon their first entrance into Hell O Eternity Eternity Eternity how vast is Eternity how infinite and immeasurable how horrible will the thoughts of Eternity be unto the damned to be punished so extreamly and that without any intermission or hopes of a conclusion to fall into such a horrible Pit and fiery Lake and there burn for ever without any possibility of ever getting forth O dreadful O blinde World O sottish sinners that take no more care now to avoid and get deliverance from such a punishment as this which they are exposed unto and will be the certain consequent of sin without repentance Thus concerning the punishment which the wicked shall go into 2. Concerning their entrance into this punishment when the whole crew of wicked and ungodly persons together with the whole Flock of Devils are departed from the presence of Christ and the glorious Saints and Heaven is now upon their backs and Hell before their face and they are now come to the very mouth of the bottomless Pit unto the Doors and great Gates of Hell and now they are opened before them and unto them and for them and they see the black smoke ascending up from thence and smell a horrible stink from the sulphurions Fire which they must be thrown into and when they behold the horrible slakes of Fire flashing forth from the Furnace of Hell ten thousand times more dreadfully than those which were seen to arise from London on the Munday night and now begin to feel the heat and see others tumbling in before them and they following of them and when they begin first to put their hands and their feet into the Fire and now they are in and covered with flames and begin to boile and fry and when they perceive the Gates of Hell to be shut upon them and great Stones rowled before them which can never be removed and great Bars put upon them which can never be broken and they are out of all hopes of ever breaking Prison and getting forth O how will they shreek and roar and cry out in the anguish of their souls and torture of their bodies Woe woe le unto its miserable sinners and
c. So that it is of ancient revelation The first coming of Christ was foretold to Adam in the promise that the seed of the woman should break the Serpents head and the second coming of Christ was foretold to Enâ—ch It is foretold by the Angels Acts 1. 10 11. Whilst the Disciples looked stedfastly upon our Saviour in his Ascension two Angels say unto them Ye men of Gâ—lilee why stand ye gazing up into Heaven this same Iesus which is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come down in like manner as â—e have seen him go into Heaven however Devils are Lyars and the Fathers of Lyes and Lyars yet the good Angels are true and Ministers of truth and this is a true restimony further this is foretold by the Apâ—stles who were employed to be the Pen-men of part of the holy Scripture and were guided by an infallible spirit the Apostle Paul speaks often of it especially see his testimony I Thes. 4. 15 16 17. For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Arch-angel and with the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord Thus he sets forth Christs coming in a comfortable manner unto his people therefore exhorteth Christians to comfort one another with those words and hopes of Christs glorious appearance when they should be caught up to meet with him and be with him for ever and he sets it forth in a dreadful manner in regard of the wicked 2 Thes. I 7 8 9. The Lord Iesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his Mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them which know not God and obey not the Gospel who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Moreover this coming of Christ is spoken of by the Apostle in every Chapter of both of these Epistles I Epist Chap. 1. 10 And to wait for his Son from Heaven Chap. 2. 19. What is our hope or joy or crown of rejoycing are not ye in the presence of the Lord Iesus at his coming Chap. 3. 13. To the end he may establish you unblameable in holiness at the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ. Chap. 4. 16. The Lord himself will descend from Heaven with a shout Chap. 5. 23. I pray that your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ. 2. Epist. Chap. 1. 10. He shall come to â—e glorified in his Saints Chap. 2. 1 3. Now I beseech you brethren by the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him that ye be not soon shaken in minde c. Chap. 3. 5. And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and patient waiting for Christ. I might turn you to further testimonies of his Tit. 2 13. Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearance of the great God and our Saviour Heb. 9. 28. Unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time unto salvation We have also the testimony of the Apostle Iames Chap. 5. 7. Be patient therefore brethren unto the coming of the Lord. Of the Apostle Peter 1 Epist Chap. 5. 4. When the chief Shepherd shall appear ye shall receive a Crown of glory which fadeth not away 2 Epist. Chap. 3. 10. The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night Of the Apostle Iohn 1 Epist. Chap. 3. 2. When he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is And in his Revelation frequently Rev. 1. 7. Behold he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him and they also that pierced him and all the kindreds of the earth shall waile because of him Even so Amen To conclude we have the testimony of our Saviour himself whilst on earth to his Disciples Mat. 16. 27. The Son of man shall come in the glory of the Father with his Angels and then he shall reward every man according to his works Matth. 24. 27. As lightning so shall the coming of the Son of Man be V. 30. They shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of Heaven V. 31. And he shall send his Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet to gather the Elect from the four Winds Mat. 25. especially from the 31. to the end where his judicial proceedings are set forth and our Saviour doth testifie to his enemies that he would come again Matth. 26. 64. Hereafter ye shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power coming in the clouds of Heaven And our Saviour testified by his Angel to Iohn his beloved Disciple after his ascension into Heaven that he would come again especially Rev. 22. where we have three promises of the same thing V. 7. Behold I come quickly Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of this Book V. 12. Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give to every man according as his work shall be V. 20. Surely I come quickly Amen Even so Come Lord Iesus If any one word in the whole Book of God may be believed this concerning Christ's second coming and appearance may be believed of which we have such frequent and evident testimonies in the Word as surely as he came the first time in the flesh according to the predictions hereof in the Old Testament so surely will he come the second time in glory according to the predictions in the New Testament God can as soon cease to be God as this Word concerning Christs second coming fail when the Sun goes down in the evening we believe it will return and arise at such a time in the morning accordingly it comes to pass So now Christ the Sun of righteousness is gone into Heaven whilst the night of this world doth last though we cannot know the certain time yet we may believe that he will certainly return and come down from Heaven in the morning of the resurrection it is more possible that the Sun when it is set should abide for ever in the other parts of the world and never arise any more in our Horison than that Christ should abide for ever in Heaven and not return to judge the World when the thing is evidently revealed and frequently promised in the Scripture 2. That the Scriptures are true is evident because they are the Word of God who is a God of truth and cannot lie who can as soon cease to be God as cease to be true untruth in God would argue weakness and imperfection in God which cannot be since to be