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 stubâ—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 't is 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
The Great Assizes OR Generall Day of Judgement BEING The laying forth the state of Man in Righteousnesse and the Cursed Condition of the Wicked And the accounts that every Man must give at the Generall Resurrection I am the Resurrection and the Life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live John 11.25 Blessed and Holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second Death hath no power but they shall be Priests of God and Christ and raign with him a thousand years Revelation 20.6 By William Knowles the Vnworthiest of God's people yet servant to Christ and B. of P. London Printed for Fr. Coles at the Sign of the Half-Bowle in the Old-baily 1662. To the READER Christian Reader I Here present to your view a most excellent work of the general day of Judgement I desire you to read it over and lay to heart what is here inserted it will shew you the joyes of Heaven and the pains of Hell and also the state of the Righteous and of the wicked shewing the carefulness you ought to have of your souls while you live in this transitory life and seek so to God as you may know him and reign with him for evermore Amen And so hoping the same may work spiritually in you I for the same shall pray and rest Your friend in Christ W. K. B. of P. Give ear unto this call for doom And light your Lamps of Oyl It is not long e'r God will come Vnawares and take the spoil Then watch and pray good Christians all For know you God is just The Righteous unto Heaven he 'l call To Hell the Wicked thrust Revel 20.7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15. 7. And when the thousand years are expired Satan shall be loosed out of prison 8. And shall go out to deceive the Nations which are in the four quarters of the Earth Gog and Magog to gather them together to battle the number of whom is as the sand of the sea 9. And they went upon the bredth of the Earth and compassed the Camps of the saints about and the beloved City and fire came down from Heaven and devoured them 10. And the Divel that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimston where the beasts and false Priests are and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever 11. And I saw a great white Throne and him that sate on it from whose face the Earth and Heaven fled away and there was found no place for them 12. And I saw the dead great and small stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of Life and the dead were judged out of those things which were wriiten in the books according to their works 13. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it and death and Hell delivered up the dead which were in them and they were judged every man according to his works 14. And death and hell was cast into this lake of fire 15. And whosoever was not found in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of Fire 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 t is 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
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 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