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A52172
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The midnight cry a sermon preached on the parable of the ten virgins / by J.M ...
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Mason, John, 1646?-1694.
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1692
(1692)
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Wing M918; ESTC R32054
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17,923
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30
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and every Eye shall see him Happy they that can say This is our God we have waited for him A little before this all will be sensible of it there will be a loud Cry at Midnight Behold he comes This will be no Notion then Watch therefore for you know neither the Day nor the Hour when the Son of Man cometh Watch in a way of Expectation and in a way Preparation that he may come to you as a Friend in the Day not as a Thief in the Night Having said this let us go to the Parable Then shall the Kingdom of Heaven be likened to Ten Virgins c. Here is a manifest Allusion to a Wedding When Christ comes to set up his Kingdom the first thing is the Conversion of the Jews which is called a Marriage in several places Here is a Representation of a Slaughter of Christ's Enemies which is not usual at a Wedding but at the Entrance of a King into a Kingdom it is They go together He comes as a King and as a Bridegroom The Jews Weddings were kept in the Night the Bride stays at home the Bridegroom goes to fetch the Bride then the Bride-maids go forth to meet him and it being in the Night they have lighted Lamps in their Hands and so go in with him to the Marriage-Feast The Bridegroom is Jesus Christ the Bride is the Church of God What is that Why you 'l say all the true-hearted People of God It is true all God's People are the Church But if you make this to be the Bride who are the wise Virgins Are not they the People of God too For this and other reasons I conceive that tho the whole Church is Christ's Spouse yet here is meant a particular Church by the Bride therefore we understand the Church of the Jews There is a great deal Scripture for this in Psal. 45. in the Book of Solomon's Song especially Rev. 19. 7 8 9. Let us be glad and rejoice for the Marriage of the Lamb is come and his Wife hath made her self ready c. In this Chapter we read of the judging the great Whore there is Hallelujah for that then another Hallelujah that the Lord reigns His Marriage is come which is the Conversion of the Jews His Wife hath made her self ready How could she make her self ready Why ver 8. To her it was granted that she should be arrayed in fine Linnen clean and white The Book of the Revelation is a Book of Prophecy that sets down things that happen orderly one after another When Rome is fallen then Christ appears for the Conversion of the Jews They put on the fine Linnen clean and white for the fine Linnen is the Righteousness of Saints i.e. the Righteousness of Christ put on by the Saints But why is this understood of the Jews For this see Rev. 21. 9 10. Come hither and I will shew thee the Bride the Lamb's Wife And he shewed me the New Jerusalem descending out of Heaven from God This is not Heaven but something descending out of Heaven And observe what was written on the Gates ver 12. The Names written thereon are the Names of the twelve Tribes of the Children of Israel as a Man's Name is written on his Gate Ver. 14. And the Wall had twelve Foundations and in them the Names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. Now the Jews are grounded on the Doctrine of the Apostles so they are the Bride Now chap. 19. 9. Blessed are they which are called to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb i.e. the Bride-maids In the Parable the Bride doth not appear for therein is represented the State of the Gentiles and something that will happen to them before the Conversion of the Jews The Jews are now in their Synagogues blaspheming but the Lord is coming to call them and here is an Alarm to awaken the Virgins The Lord is coming Quest. Who are these Virgins Answ. 1. They are Gentiles 2. They are Christian Gentiles They go forth to meet the Bridegroom they have respect to Christ so they must be either Protestants taking the Word in a large Sense or Papists Now 3. These are Protestant Gentiles Compare this with Rev. 14. 4. These were not defiled with Women for they are Virgins It was spoken of the 144000 redeemed from Popery Now see Rev. 17. 5. Mother of Harlots Rome is the Mother of Harlots Popish Churches are Harlots and Protestant Churches are Virgins Now these are of two sorts 1. Carnal graceless Protestants 2. Spiritual gracious Protestants These make up the wise and foolish Virgins some have only a Lamp of Profession some Oil of Grace These go forth to meet the Bridegroom This was I suppose when Protestancy became the Religion of Kings and Nations and was visible in the World Rev. 14. 12. Here is the Patience of the Saints here are they that keep the Commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus i.e. the Protestants a People that cleave to the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament called the Commandments of God and Faith of Jesus Now here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Expectation of the Saints i.e. the time of their going forth to meet the Bridegroom These Protestants fall asleep While the Bridegroom tarried they all slumbred and slept There they lie slumbering and sleeping till there came a loud Cry at Midnight and then they look for their Lamps and happy they that have Oil This speaks to us all Two things I take notice of 1. Their slumbering The Virgins are asleep 2. The loud Cry that is then made They that are under the Midnight-Slumber will be awakened with the Midnight-Cry Doct. 1. The Virgins are asleep It were well if it were not so but it is so go where you will and you will find it so Congregations Towns Villages particular Persons they are all asleep People should be watching and praying and they are asleep You 'll say we are not asleep Ay but your Hearts are asleep and 't is a Midnight-Sleep which is the fastest the World is in a deep Sleep These Days are compared by Christ himself to the Days of Noah and Lot Luke 17. They ate they drank they bought they sold they planted they builded Why is there any hurt in these things No but they minded these things and nothing else People are eating and drinking c. i.e. carnally secure they mind their worldly Business but where is the Sabbath-keeping and Sense of a God They pay respect to others but where is their respect to God and his Worship O what a dead Sleep is on the Hearts of poor Creatures We are got to the Lees of the Church of Sardis Rev. 3. 1. To the Angel of the Church of Sardis Write Thou hast a Name that thou livest and art dead this means us Not our Fore-fathers nor them that come after us but us that stand here before God It 's spoken of England and this Country and this Town and Congregation This is a
prophetical Book and these are prophetical Epistles The Epistle before is to Thyatria i.e. the Church under Popery Then comes in the Reformation and that is in the Epistle to Sardis Then comes Philadelphia when the Jews are converted Now I speak to them that are spiritually wise Can here be an apter Character of us Thou hast a Name to live Oh! we are of the Church and for the Church but thou art dead they hear but they are dead pray but are dead receive Sacraments but are dead Dreadful but true there is no Life left They that have a little Life are sensible of it Three things are spoken of Sardis Thou hast a Name to live and art dead Remember therefore how thou hast received they have forgotten the Doctrines received in the Reformation and repent noting the Corruptions in manners They are dead in Worship decayed in Doctrine defective in Manners There was Life but what a formal People are we become Here has been sound Doctrine but how has Arminianism overspread the Land And for Corruptions in Manners O that my Head were Waters and mine Eyes Fountains of Tears to bewail the Debauchery of the Land And since the Hand of God has been lifted up amongst us People have had seven Spirits in them worse than before more of Malignity and Envy at the People of God than ever What will this come to ver 4. I will come on thee as a Thief and thou shalt not know what Hour I will come upon thee As the Lord liveth it will be so Yea the wise Virgins cannot excuse themselves How canst thou say thou art not dead Jer. 2. 23. You 'll say it is our Grief we are so dead It is well it is your Grief then it shall not be your Ruin How dead are many with respect to Christ's Kingdom There are many Christians that scarce think of it Others allow that such a State will be but if you speak of it in its Noon-tide Glory the wonderful and abiding Presence of God the Immunities and Priviledges of the Saints they cannot believe it will rise so high Tell them it will be Kingdom of God that there will be no more Death Death being put for Pestilence or Persecution nor Sorrow nor Crying nor Pain for so saith the Scripture Rev. 21. 4. tell them of the high frame that the People of God will be in when God himself is the Temple you cannot perswade them of it and tell them that all this is near who thinks of it Christ is about it and he protests he is coming quickly yet the precious People of God do not think of this It is a dead sleepy time If the Children of Israel will not believe what will become of Pharaoh It is Midnight-Sleep If there be a great Noise in a Room on one side and on the other and a Man asleep in the middle you 'll say it is a Midnight-Sleep indeed How did our Fathers weep over the Palatinate when it was but a light stroke But we have had Thundrings and Lightnings and we are slumbering What a Noise is there in Flanders and in Ireland and we in England between them are asleep 〈◊〉 Ministers come with a Call to repent to humble your selves you must be serious or you 'll never be saved Call upon Call and there is no Answer It is a sign you are asleep put this amongst the Signs that Christ is near We cannot say Christ comes this Night or Next The Day and Hour knoweth no Man but it is hear when you see such things come to pass Such a Blow given the Turks Rev. 11. 14. Such an Earthquake and Division of the Papal World Rev. 16. 18. Such a Conspiracy of two Popish Kings to give up their Kingdom to the Beast again Rev. 17. 17. Such a Tribulation on the People of God Mat. 24. 29. then the Lord will be here wonderful quickly he comes with infinite speed as he lives he loves as he loves he comes as he comes he comes quickly All the World will be convinc'd that he comes wonderful quickly The Signs are The Nations are shaken The Devil is roaring The Turks are falling Envy is boiling The Papists are raging The Elect are crying To which we may add The Virgins are sleeping and The Lord is coming And they say It will be a great while first but they slander the Footsteps of God's Anointed He saith Surely I come quickly and it was his parting Word Do you not perceive that the Lord is about his Work the World is in that posture that it was to be in just before the Appearance of Christ. You 'll say Why then do not People believe it Why they are asleep and it is a Midnight-Sleep But here will be a loud Cry Doct. 2. They that are under the Midnight-Slumber shall be awakened by a Midnight-Cry Here will be a Midnight-Cry in the Land I beseech you observe it The Virgins are Protestants and Protestants slumbering and sleeping this is before the Downfal of Babylon that they are awakened This thing will be thundered into the Consciences of drouzy Protestants and they that will not see shall see But what is this Midnight-Cry See Exod. 12. 29 30. It came to pass that at Midnight the Lord smote all the First-born of Egypt And there was a great CRY in Egypt Here is a Cry and a great Cry and an awakening Cry and they lie in their Beds till this great Cry but then they are called up Pharaoh arose in the Night He and all his Servants and all the Egyptians Why did they go to Bed Because they were carnally secure God had told them of it before Chap. 11. 4 5 6. About Midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt and there shall be a Cry c. God speaks this to the Protestant Lands There will be a Midnight-Cry and all will be awakened So it will be in England Rev. 3. 3. Sardis represents the Protestant Churches and particularly this I will come on thee like a Thief c. I will come Who shall stop him then It will certainly be so His Coming will be like that of a Thief sudden certain formidable surprizing The Thief cometh not but for to steal and to kill and to destroy This is you 'll say if they do not watch Ay who watcheth And mind Thou hast a few Names even in Sardis there are but few that escape The Midnight-Cry doth signify a terrible Judgment on the Protestants a great Tribulation which will be by the Papists Rev. 11. 2. The outer Court is given to the Gentiles i. e. the Papists You believe that Babylon will fall and you pray for it But how will it fall Why upon a Provocation that she will give Rev. 18. 6. Reward her as she hath rewarded you and double unto her double In the Cup which she hath filled fill to her double Out of this Land will go forth the Faithful Called and Chosen together with the People of