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A32882
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Christ in the clouds, or, God's coming to judgment A short treatise, very necessary in these evil and dangerous times, for all those which desire that the day of the Lord may be their day of joy.
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1686
(1686)
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Wing C3931AB; ESTC R215217
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9,972
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26
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and the minds For now if ever is the perfection or rather imperfection of all the sins the Apostle names to be the fore-runners of the end Why doubt we then that the â—nd is not at hand Or why fear we not rather that a sudden end will prevent our procrastinated repentance As bodies are sick before death and as Iufirmities and Sickness are the true forerunners of a separation between the â—ody and the Soul even so fareth it with the World it now languisheth and is corrupt it now lies sick and therefore it must needs come to Confusion and to an end For deadly sickness is a forerunner of death all things now suffer their defect and let no man wonder at it for man is now born in such defect in respect of the birth of man in former times but what is wanting in the present-condition of mans Body is supplyed in the faculties of mind and what is defective in the strength of his Members is compleat in the ripeness of his understanding which is for the most part imployed not in liberal but in devilish Arts not in the study of Learning but in pleasure Only Wit and Maturity is resident in Man the only Idea and representment of the Image of God in Man What can we otherwise but think that the Time is at hand wherein Mortality shall put on Immortality wherein the burthen of the flesh being laid aside the Glorious Body of the Church shall be coupled to her Glorious Head The Communion of Saints shall be consummate and Christ shall enjoy his Spouse in continual Love and Vnion In the mean time with Paul Unhappy men that we are who shall deliver us from the Body of death that we may pass secure to the Body of Life Then let every good Christian in these Wicked times wherein destruction hangs over our heads with good Hezekiah Pray Lord I am oppressed do thou undertake for me and since the day of destruction is so near us we intreat thee since it is expedient for us that thou wouldest teach us So to number our days that we may apply our hearts to Wisdom And since thou hast pronounced that Servant happy whom his Master when he came found Vigilant and Watchful Grant Lord we beseech thee that since it is manifest that long it cannot be before theâ— come that we may be fitted and prepared foâ— thy Coming and may be found with Oyl iâ— our Lamps and so in Holiness enter thâ— Bride-Chamber with Ioy And let us good Lord think the day most near least whilest the Day of Death or Iudgment be thought to bâ—afar off it prevent the improvement and while long life is expected it quickly forsake the Wicked and Guilty persons Our minds are very destrous if we could to know the Day of Death and Desolation But if we could attain to the knowledg thereof what would it profit us Suppose the Consumation of this World to be after Ten Twenty or Forty or an Hundred years what is this material Is not the Term of Life the Consummation of each Man Why then art thou so troubled about the last day of Iudgment Since as thy end leaves thee Iudgment shâ—ll find thee And how suddenly Death shall find thee thou art altogether ignorant For as in other things noâ—regarding things pertaining to our Souls we altogether are busted in things common saying this man is an Adulterer this man a Thief this man a false-hearted fellow that man proud But no man hath a care far feeling his own sins far worse So doth every man neglect his own end he would fain learn when the general day of Dissolution shall be Which Day whether it be near or far off it doth nothing concern us so each man regard his several end for since thou art Born 't is most certain thou must Dye And it is certain after Death cometh Iudgment that may be far off yet thy last day is at hand Therefore prepare thee for this day For if this day find ther unprovided the day of Iudgment shall find thee so likewise when thou shalt rue for it Consider this all ye that forget God least he tear you in pieces and there be none to help For our God shall go and shall not keep silence a Fire shall come before him and it shall be very tempestuous round about him For God himself is Iudge and the day of Iudgment will quickly have an end prevent the speed thereof It will speedily come prevent it I say be thou speedily converted And as the Prophet David adviseth us Let us run before the face of the Iudge with Confession of Our Faults and true Contrition of the same And the reason why thou knowest not his coming is that thou mayest alwaies be prepared for it For it is in thine own power now thou maist expect his Comming He therefore deferrs his Comming that when he comes he may not daunt thée Behold he is not yet conte he is in Heaven thou art on Earth He deferrs his Comming do not thou deferr this time of Repentance lest thou for ever then too late Repent thee of his Comming For in that day it will be too late to Repent Therefore pray not that his Kingdom come which thou fearest comming but rather correct thy self that thou pray not against thy self So dayly he calls upon thee that he may not that day contemn thee He that shall then be thy Iudge is now thy Advocate and he now calls upon thee that thou wouldst lead a Godly Life Let us therefore set the day of Iudgment before our Eyes which way soever we go let us carry the Memory of it with us and it will bring this profit with it that we shall not only meditate on the Horror and Destruction of that day but also wish for the accomplishment of the same which makes the Wicked to tremble when they hear it approaches Thus S. Chrysostom saith Let us from among our selves repeat these things and with others There shall be a Resurrection a day of Iudgment and a Time of Examination of our Works whether good or bad And this will cause the minds both of good and bad be not conversant in the Vanities and Pleasures of this World and be not tempted to any Wickedness but rather to undergo any Thing to be imposed upon them here than to incurr the intolerable punishments of everlasting Fire hereafter This made David cry out Establish my Flesh in thy fear for I have been afraid to hear of thy Judgments To conclude this Point since we must all appear before the Iudgment-Seat of Christ that every one may Receive the things done in his Body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad and knowing the Terror and Iustice of the Iudge of all Men that shall Iudge the world in Righteousness and considering the punishment that then shall be imposed on the Wicked that shall be turned into Hell with them that forget God Let us hear and follow
St. Hillaries Advice in all the course of our Lives the Memory of the Last and Great Iudgment is to be planted and grafted in our hearts For happy is the man that doth what he must do in Remembrance of the Last day And why Hear the words of Jesus the Son of Sirach VVhatsoever thou takest in hand remember thy end and thou shalt never do amiss Thus much shall suffice that there shall be a Day of Iudgment and that that day is near Now somewhat remaineth to be spoken of the manner of this day and the Terrour thereof that the Wicked being touched with the understanding of the same might be driven nearer to God In that Day saith St. Paul every mans Work shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by the fire and the fire shall try every mans Work what sort it is The Time is now come when Iudgment shall begin at the house of GOD and if it first begins with us what shall the end be of them that Obey not the Gospel of God And if the Righteous scarcely be saved where shall the Vngodly and Sinners appear Where will they hide themselves in that terrible Day wherein there shall be nothing but wéeping and â—nashing of Teeth Howling Lamentation and Repentance too too late when the Foundations of the Mountains shall be moved and the Land be burnt with Fire When as St. Peter saith the Heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the Firmament shall melt with fervent heat the Earth also and the Works that are therein shall be burnt up When as God himself said in the Gospel Mat. 24. The Sun shall be darkned the Moon shall not give her Light the Stars shall fall from Heaven and the Powers thereof shall be shaken Where will the Wicked then betake themselves Where will Adulterers Drunkards where will Cursers and Swearers appear Where will the Luxurious Deceivers Proud Unclean and filthy Persons be found What imhappy as they are can they then plead for themselves to appease the Anger of a Iust Iudge of Heaven and Earth Surely nothing Howl ye therefore O ye wicked that forget GOD For the day of the Lord is at hand it shall come as a Destruction from the Almighty For the Lord shall lay the Land as desolate and shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it He will punish the World for their Evil and the Wicked for their iniquity He will cause the Arrogancy of the Proud to cease and will lay low the Haughtiness of the Ambitious Worldling What fear and what horror what terrour and amazement shall there seize upon and possess those that are marked out for eternal Destruction In the name of God let us therefore while we have time rouze our selves up while there is time set us correct and amend our selves that were never brought to these tortures of Body and Soul Let us rather preferr the simplicity of the Dove and the chastity of the Turtle the Spiritual feathers of Graces lift up your Souls up to Heaven by your Prayers that so we may be always ready to resign our Souls and Bodies into the hand of our Redeemer with Ioy and Alacrity of Spirit But that we may the better hear understand the terror of that day to avoid the same we will hear the Prophets what they foretell Gird your selves and lament you Priests howl ye Ministers of the Altar lye all night in sackcloth ye Ministers of my God for the meat-offering and the drink-offering is with-holden from the House of God Alas for the day of the Lord is at hand and as destruction from the Almighty shall it come Blow a Trumpet in Zion and sound an Alarm in the holy Mountain let all the Inhabitants of the Land tremble For the day of the Lord cometh for it is nigh at hand A day of darkness and gloominess a day of clouds and thick darkness For great is the day of the Lord and very terrible sure 't is a great day wherein so great a God greatly to be praised to be above all gods shall come to Judgment to reward all men for their doings 'T is a great day after which there shall be no change of clime no course of dates shall follow which day in it self shall contiue either everlasting Condomnation or Salvation without end It is a very terrible day and the Prophet Malachi seems to give the reason of it For behold the day cometh that shall burn as an Oven and all the Proud and all that do wickedly shall be as stuâ—ble and that day that cometh shall burn them up saith the Lord of Hosts Leaving them neither Root nor Branch And as the Prophet David hath it Our God shall come and shall not keep silence a Fire shall devour before him and it shall be very tempestuous round about him he shall call to the Heaven from above and to the Earth below that he may judge his People For God is Judge himself who therefore will endure the fury of this day where the Strong shall be thus weakned and oppressed and where the Proud and all that do wickedly shall be burnt us as stubble Whe wist not stand astonished where the Root with the Branch shall de pluckâ— up and consumed what wicked man what sinner even dareth to appear where the â—ust shall scarce be saved 1 Pet. 4.18 ver But many men partly out of dull Stupidity and partly being oppressed with crosses and vocations of this Life do little esteem of the Tercour of this fast day very earnestly to will and desire the 〈◊〉 But the Pronhet Amo. 5.18 doth threaten these men saying Woe unto you that desire the Day of the Lord to what and is it for you The Day of the Lord is darkness and nor sight as if a man did fly from a Lyon and a Lear meet him or went into the house and leâ—ned his hand on the Wall and a Serpent hite him You do saith he â—pery evil to your selves in that you do rashly desire the Day of the Lord for ye shall not walk in the light of God's countenance because ye have not been Children of the light but Children of darkness There noysome darkness shall come upon you whatsoever you shall then assay you shall not shun Terror you cannot abide Horeor And if you may shun the face of the Lyon of the Tribe of Judab that you render not account for your sins Yet that Bear the Devil will run upon you meâ—t you and punish you for the same Or if you escape this Bear and enter into the house of your conscience to consider the Evils you have committed and the Good you have omitted the tormenting worm will seize upon your conscience The Worm that Esaiah 66. speaâ—eth of The VVorm shall never dye and the Evangelish Mark 9 did testifie the same The VVorm dyeth not there Fire never goeth ours there torments are endless Neither is there in that Day