without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment 5 Matth. 21 22 27 28. For indeed the Thoughts and Passions of the Soul defile the Man they discover the temper and complexion of the Mind This is the conceiving of lust as St. Iames speaks and while Men indulge themselves in wanton lustful proud ambitious spiteful and revengeful Thoughts it is almost impossible but such Thoughts as these will influence their Actions when a favourable opportunity serves and if they do not yet we know what the Mens Hearts are and God who dwells within us and sees our Thoughts will judge the Secrets of Hearts Men who act over the Scenes of Lust and Pride and Revenge in their Minds are as unlike to God who is Essential Holiness Purity Love as those who commit all those Villanies which they only please themselves with the fancy of Our Likeness to God consists onely in the Conformity of our Wills and Affections to him for it is only a Spirit that can be like a Spirit and therefore while our Thoughts and Passions are so contrary and opposite to the Divine Nature God can never own us we are not his Children we are not yet born of God for we have nothing of his Image on us And therefore let us take care of our Thoughts of our Passions and secret Affections for we must be judged for these as well as for our external Actions we may sin with our Minds and Spirits as well as with our Bodies and God who is a Spirit requires the Worship and Obedience of our Minds and Spirits and is as much offended with sinful and impure Thoughts as with wicked Actions VII We shall be judged for our Words too Thus our Saviour assures us 12 Matth. 36 37. But I say unto you That every idle word that men shall speak they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment For by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned I need not tell you what these idle words are Prophane Atheistical Discourse Blaspheming God and his Providence Ridiculing his Worship and Religion the Doctrines and Precepts of it and those Miracles which were wrought by the Power of the Holy Ghost for the Confirmation of Christianity to which our Saviour particularly refers in this place or Obscene and Wanton Discourse which S. Paul calls corrupt communication which should never come into the mouths of Christians and all Reviling and Reproachful Speeches Slandering Backbiting Railing which our Saviour threatens with Eternal Damnation But I say unto you Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgement and whosoever shall say to his brother Racha shall be in danger of the counsel but whosoever shall say Thou fool shall be in danger of hell-fire 5 Mat. 22. And St. Iames with a peculiar respect to such angry reproachful Language tells us If any man among you seemeth to be religious and bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart that man's religion is vain 1 James 26. And yet I need not tell any Man how common this practise is Atheistical Prophane Obscene Reviling Discourses make up the Wit and Humor and Conversation of the Age The brisk and pleasant Talkers would sit like Moops and gaze upon one another without one wise word to say unless you allow them to laugh at God and Religion and all things sacred to make a Mock of Sin to tickle their Fancies with Obscene Jests or Spiteful Reflections for were it ever possible that such Men should have nothing to Laugh at or nothing to Rail at they were undone These Men never think of being judged for their Words and yet there is as much reason we should be judged for our Words as for our Actions Words are the first and most natural Indications of the Temper and Disposition of the Mind For out of the fulness of the heart the mouth speaketh Our Words betray the Atheism and Infidelity the Lust and Wantonness Revenge and Malice and other evil Passions which are within Men are generally more cautious of their Actions than of their Words and they can speak their Minds when they cannot act and therefore may be better known by their Words than by their Actions nay Words do not only betray what is within but shew what the Heart most abounds with for out of the fulness of the heart the mouth speaketh That Men talk of most which is most in their Thoughts and which they are most full of so full that they cannot open their mouths but it runs out There are some Fools that only say in their Hearts There is no GOD. Such Thoughts as these lie low and secret are not come to maturity and perfection yet to be talked but when Men venture to say this with their Mouths when they come to be talking and disputing Fools it is a sign they are very full of these Thoughts and either are Atheists or have a great mind to be so There are a great many lascivious Wantons who yet are very modest in Conversation and will not offend chast Ears with their Wanton Discourse but when Men think they can't be witty nor pleasant Company without larding their Talk with Obscene Jests and putting Modest Matrons and Virgins to the Blush they have arrived at a great perfection of Lewdness And do not such Men deserve to be judged But besides this does any thing do more Mischief in the World than Words as little as some Men make of them Can there be a greater Contempt of God then for Men to Deny his Being to Reproach his Providence to Ridicule his Worship St. Iude tells us That the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints to execute vengeance upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all the hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him Jude 14 15 v. Does any thing more tend to corrupt the Minds of Men then such Words which St. Paul says Eat like a canker 2 Tim. 2.17 and prey upon the very Vitals of Religion What tends more to corrupt Mens Lives then lewd and wanton Talk as St. Paul tells us That evil communication corrupts good manners What makes more Divisions in the World and gives greater Disturbance to Neighbours and Families and private Persons then Slandering and Backbiting and Tale-bearing I am sure St. Iames tells us That the tongue is a little member and boasteth great things Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth And the tongue is a fire a world of iniquity so is the tongue amonst our members that it defileth the whole body and setteth on fire the course of nature and it is set on fire of hell 3 Jam. 5 6. And if Words can do so much Mischief in the World it is very fit that GOD should judge us for them and then it is very fit that we should be
the Gospel were never intended by our Saviour as the Rewards or Motives of our Obedience but only to eâ—courage and support us in our Pilgrimagâ— in this World that if we seek first tâ—â— kingdom of God and his righteousness 〈◊〉 we give up ourselves to the Obediencâ— of the Gospel and live upon the Hopes oâ— unseen Things and lay up Treasures iâ— Heaven all other things shall be added 〈◊〉 us God will provide what is needful for our passage through this World whateveâ— Difficulties and Discouragements we may meet with from Men. The design of the Gospel is to take ouâ— Hearts from this World to teach us noâ— to lay up for ourselves Treasures on Earth but in Heaven not to love this World nor the things that are in the World anâ— therefore it is impossible that Temporâ—â— Blessings should be a Gospel-Motive nothing in this World can be a Motive unless we love the World and therefore thiâ— can be no Motive of the Christian Religion which teaches us not to love the World unless the love of the World caâ— be a proper Motive and Argument to make us despise it and live above it And therefore I confess I have sometimes wished that there had been less stress laid upon the Temporal Rewards and Advantages of Vertue to perswade Men to Religion and upon the Temporal Evils and Miseries of Sin to discourage Men from it for this is not always true and if it were it is an Argument which will perswade no Men and if it did it cannot advance them to the heights and perfections of a Christian Vertue and therefore is no Gospel-Motive As for Instance Some Vertues are very healthful prolong our Lives and prevent a great many painful and mortal Diseases which the contrary Vices expose Men to such as Temperance and Chastity other Vertues are very proper Methods of Thriving in the World such as Diligence Prudence Justice others give us Reputation and Honour advance us to Rule and Empire and Publick Trusts Now this is sometimes true and sometimes not as the State of the World now is as I shewed you before that whatever natural Efficacy Vertue may have to make Men happy or Vice to make them miserable this may be in a great measure defeated by the external Circumstances of our Condition in this World and therefore this can never be a Motive that is it cannot be a reason why we should choose Vertue because it is not always a reason nay is as often a reason for Vice as for Vertue and if it be a good reason for one I cannot see why it should not be a good reason for the other for if it be a reason at all it is a reason for that side on which at present it is whether that be Vertue or Vice Indeed these Temporal Advantages of Vertue are not so much Reasons for Vertue as against Vice and that too only against such Vices or such Degrees and Instances of Vice as are destructive to Mens Health or Fortunes or Reputation however this Reason be it what it will will reach no farther than to such a degree of Vertue as will contribute to a happy and prosperous Life in this World and therefore will not raise us above this World will not teach us to despise Riches and Honours and Bodily Pleasures nay is not consistent with a mean Value and great Indifferency to present Things and therefore it cannot make us Christians and is a very improper Argument to perswade Men to be Christians it never made a Christian yet and never will do And therefore let us not think to conquer the Deceits and Flatteries of the World and the Flesh with such Arguments as these which have no strength â—n them which are more apt to make Men fond of this World then to conquer â—t But this is our victory which overâ—omes the world even our faith the hope â—nd fear of unseen Things or a Future â—udgment when God will eternally reward good Men and punish the wicked This is an Argument in all Times and in â—ll Conditions it will make us despise the World when it Smiles and Flatters and â—corn its Frowns Here are Hopes too big â—or this World and Fears too great and â—owerful for its Fears such Hopes as can â—upport us under the greatest Sufferings â—uch Fears as can imbitter all the sweets of Sin and therefore let us keep the Future â—udgment always in our eye let us fetch our Supports and Comforts from thence â—et us oppose these Hopes and Fears against all Temptations for here is our strength â—ll other Arguments are easily baffled but nothing can answer the Argument of Eternal Life and Death SECT VII Third Inference To refer all Iudgmenâ— to GOD. III. IF GOD will certainly Judge the World let us refer all Judgmeâ—â— to God or as St. Paul speaks Therefore judge nothing before the time until the Lord come who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will maâ—â— manifest the counsels of the hearts aâ—â— then shall every man have praise of God 1 Cor. 4.5 Nothing is more indecenâ— nor more dangerous than for Men whâ— must be judged themselves to take Godâ—â— Work out of his hands and to assume 〈◊〉 Praetorian Power to Judge Acquit anâ— Condemn whom they please without expecting the Judgment of God to Judge is God's Prerogative and he will Judge the World And what hast thou to do 〈◊〉 judge another man's servant to his owâ— master he shall stand or fall Why 〈◊〉 much hast to prevent the Judgment oâ— God by our rash ignorant uncharitable Judgments Judgment will come time enough for us all and therefore judge nothing before the time This is so common a Fault and does so much Mischief in the World and yet is so very unreasonable considering a Future Judgment that it will be of great use to Discourse it more particularly and if it be possible to Correct this Miscarriage which is one of the greatest Plagues of Humane Society It is very obvious to ask here What is the Fault of this Is there any living in the World without judging of Men and Things Must we not say that he is a very bad Man whom we see do very bad things Must we not distinguish between Vertue and Vice and between good and bad Men Must we not make good Men our Friends commend and imitate their Vertues and reject the Conversation of the wicked and beware of Knaves and Men of ill Principles and Designs And is it not necessary then to distinguish between good and bad Men that is to judge who are so Must we wholly refer the Punishment of Wickedness and the Rewards of Vertue to the Day of Judgement and because God will Judge the World must not Princes and Magistrates execute Justice and separate between the Pure and the Vile This is so very unreasonable so inconsistent with the wise Conduct and Government of our Lives and a prudent Care of ourselves so destructive to
Failings this makes Men believe that they may be good and yet live wickedly if they do but take care of their Hearts and they can easily perswade themselves that their Hearts are very good It were easie to reckon up a great many Mischiefs of this judging Mens Hearts especially when Censures fall upon the Ministers of Religion whick weakens their Authority and Counsels and Examples and Reproofs which was the Case of St. Paul himself who it seems was censured on all hands but Appeals from Man's Judgment to the Judgment of God With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or of man's judgement yea I judge not myself For I know nothing by myself yet am I not hereby justified but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time until the Lord come who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and make manifest the counsels of the heart and then shall every man have praise of God 1 Cor. 4.3 4 5. Let us then judge of Mens Actions according to those Rules of Good and Evil which the Gospel has given us but leave their Hearts to God who alone knows the Secrets of Hearts and who alone can judge them this is God's Prerogative and it is Presumption in us to intermeddle with it and worse then that it is very dangerous too with respect to our own Account at the last Judgment as our Saviour tells us 7 Matth. 1.2 Iudge not that ye be not judged For with what judgment ye judge ye shall be judge and with what measure ye meet it shall be measured unto you again So that if we will judge we ought to be favourable and charitable in our Judgment if we defire to be judged favourably by God and I believe there is none of us but will confess that we stand in need of a very favourable Judgment that God should make great Allowances for the Weakness Ignorance Folly Mistakes Inadvertencies Surprizes Temptations of Humane Nature and if we are so far from making any favourable Allowances for the Miscarriages of our Brethren that we search into their very Hearts and Thoughts to find something to quarrel with either to aggravate visible Faults or to turn appearing and visible Vertues into Faults what may we expect from the Just and Righteous Judge of the World It is a known Rule of Righteousness To do as we would be done to and all Mankind think it very just to suffer what we do to receive the same measure we mete to others and therefore we may make a Law to our selves and by a severe rigorous uncharitable Judgment of Men make God not an Unjust but yet a Severe and Rigorous Judge of us And if he be severe to marâ— what we have done amiss who can stand before him 2 dly As we must not judge Mens Hearts and Thoughts much less must we judge their final State to condemn them to eternal Miseries or to advance them to eternal Glories as we please for this is to pre-judge the Judgment of God and to prescribe to him whom he shall save and whom he shall damn by our own byaft and partial Affections It becomes us to take care of our own Accounts and to leave other Men to the merciful Judgement of God it is an argument of a very ill temper of Mind when Men are hasty and froward in pronouncing the Sentence of Damnation against others it looks as if they had a mind such Men should be damned as if they would direct God what to do least he should be too merciful It is enough for us to consider what the Terms of Salvation are which the Gospel has proposed to us and to take care to perform these Terms our selves whether other Men have performed them or not is none of our business to judge that God will do when he comes to judge the World But all pious and charitable Christians who consider what it is to be Damned are very unwilling to pronounce this Sentence upon any Man Our Church has been extreamly blamed by some Men for that Charity she has expressed in her Office of Burial towards all that die in her Communion when she teaches us to pray We meekly beseech Thee O Father to raise us from the death of Sin unto the life of Righteousness that when we shall depart this Life we may rest in Him as our hope is this our Brother doth And yet it may be the Person then buried is known to have lived a very wicked and profligate Life And how can we express our hope of the Salvation of such a Man Now the truth is our Church never intended this Office of Burial for Men of profligate Lives no more than she intended that such Men should live and die in her Communion for this Office is only for those who die in the Communion of the Church and were Church-Discipline duely exercised all such notorious Sinners must have been flung out of Church-Communion And those who raise the Clamour about this have been one great Hindrance of exercising Discipline having weakened the Power and Authority of the Church by their Schisms and Factions but taking things as they are I confess I can see no Impiety in it nor any such mighty Fault as is pretended The Church does not pretend to judge any Man's final State how wicked soever his Life was that is God's Work and she leaves them to him and what great Fault is it to hope well when we cant pretend to know enough of the worst os Men especially of the end and conclusion of their Lives to pass a final Sentence on them There are a great many degrees of Hope and one degree but the next remove from Despair that is but the next remove from pronouncing Damnation against them and if we must not do that we may say we hope still Suppose our Hope be no more than a charitable Wish how can that offend God that we wish well even to very bad Men an excess of Charity an Unwillingness that any Man should be eternally miserable is no Fault I am sure it is a greater to pronounce the final Sentence of Damnation against any Man But it is said that this encourages his wicked Companions who attend his Funeral to hope they may be saved too though they persist in their Wickedness to the last as he did now indeed what little matters may encourage such Men in sin I cannot say but there is no reason that a faint and charitable Wish should do this If they know the Gospel of Christ they know that He has threatened eternal Damnation against all impenitent Sinners if they know the Doctrine of the Church they know she teaches the very same thing if they saw their wicked Companion die they saw his dying Horrors and Agonies too which few of them die without if they have any time to consider their State and when they know and see all this is there any reason
such vain and groundless Fears This ought to be plainly and fully stated for we live in the last Days and have many of these Scoffers already among us 1. But if GOD have appointed the Dâ—y of Judgment it is a very foolish Argument to say that he will not judge the World because he has not done it yet unless we could prove that the Day appointed for Judgment is already past God cannot be said to delay to judge the World wheâ— the time he has appointed for Judgment is not yet come for to delay doing any thing is not to do it in its proper season when it is time to do it or when we resolved and determined to do it and therefore no Man can say that God delays to judge the World unless he could tell whaâ— Day God in his own infinite Wisdom appointed for Judgment For 2. That God appoints a long Day for Judgment is no Argument that he will not judge us Thus it was in the Destruction of the Old World a great while before God brought that Universal Deluge on them but it came at last and swept them all away as St. Peter observes For this they willingly were ignorant of that by the word of God the heavens were of old and the earth standing out of the water and in the water whereby the world that then was being overflow'd with water perished This general Destruction of the Old World by Water is reason enough to believe God when he threatens to destroy it again by Fire For the heavens and the earth which are now by the same word are kept in store reserved unto fire against the day of judgement and perdition of ungodly men 5 6 7. It was a great while before God destroyed the Old World and though this second Destruction by Fire is deferred much longer it will come in its appointed time 3. For what seems a very long time to us is not so to God as the same Apostle tells us One day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day God is not affected with the succession of Time nor its lingring delays and therefore is not in hast to judge the World before the World is ripe for Judgment and when that is he himself knows best For to appoint a Day to judge the World is a Work of great Wisdom and Counsel Before God judges the World it is fit for him to display all the various Scenes of Wisdom and Goodness and Power and Justice in the Government of the World to exercise great Patience towards Sinners and to make the utmost Experiments to reform them as St. Peter tells us The Lord is not slack concerâ—iâ—â— his promise as some men count slackness but is patient to us-ward not willing thâ— any should perish but that all should coâ—â— to repentance v. 9. 4. When God finally judges the Worlâ— he destroys this present Frame of Things as it follows in the next Verse The day 〈◊〉 the Lord will come 〈◊〉 a thief in the night in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat and the earth also and the works that are therein shall 〈◊〉 burnt up Now it does not become â— wise and a good God to be hasty in dâ—stroying a World that he has made And therefore to reconcile God's dâ—stroying the World with his Essential Attributes of Wisdom and Goodness therâ— are two things necessary 1 st The incorrigible Wickedness of Mankind A wise Man will not immediately pull down a House he has builâ— till he discovers some irreparable decayâ— in it thus God justifies his Destructioâ— of the Old World from the Universal Corruption of Manners and the incurable Wickedness of it God saw the wickedneâ—â— of man that it was great upon the earth aâ—â— that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth and it grieved him at his heart And the Lord said I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth 6 Gen. 5 6 7. And this was the only reason that could be given to justifie so universal a Destruction of Mankind that they were universally wicked excepting one righteous Family which God preserved and it seems very probable that the general State of the World will be very wicked and corrupt before the final Destruction of the World by Fire for we can conceive no other reason why God should finally destroy this World but to put an end to the incurable Wickedness of Men. And this is the Account the Scripture gives us of it we find every-where a deplorable Description of the Wickedness of the last Days In the last days perillous times shall come For men that is the generality of Mankind shall be lovers of their ownselves covetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents unthankful unholy without natural affection truce-breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good traytors heady high-minded lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof 2 Tim. 3.1 2 3 4 5. Thus St. Iude tells us There shall be mockers iâ— the last times who should walk after their own ungodly lusts v. 18. And St. Peter as you heard that in the last Days there shall be Scoffers saying Where is the promise of his coming And our Saviour himself plainly intimates what an universal Decay there shall be of Piety and Faith when he comes to judge the World Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh shall he find faith on the earth 18 Luke 8. Atheism and Infidelity shall greatly prevail in the World before the Day of Judgement and by this as St. Iohn said long since We know that is the last time And this is one of the signs both of the Destruction of Ierusalem and of the Day of Judgment Then shall many be offended and shall betray one another and shall hate one another And many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many And because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold But he that shall endure to the end the same shall be saved 24 Matth. 10 11 12 13. And therefore the Destruction of this World by Fire which is the Preparation to the final Judgment is represented as an immediate Vengeance on the wickedness of that Generation of Men who shall then be living on the Earth though at the same time the Dead shall be raised and all ungodly men involved in the same ruin The Lord Iesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ 2 Thess. 1.8 And 10 Hebr. 27. it is called a fiery indignation which shall devour the Adversaries So that one thing God has regard to in appointing the day of Judgment is
not to destroy the World till the wickedness of Mankind is grown incurable and past Remedy and till this is the state of the World how much wickedness soever there be in it it is too soon for a wise and good God to destroy the World he made But there seems 2. to be something more than this to justifie the final destruction of the World not only that the present race of Mankind is so universally corrupt that they deserve to be universally destroyed which was the case of the old World wherein there was but one Righteous Family but that Mankind is thus incurably wicked after all the wise Methods of God's Grace and Providence to reform the World for then it is time to put a final end to the state of this World and to the farther propagation of Mankind on it and to Summon all Men to Judgment to receive according to their Works This seems to be the reason why Noah's Flood did not put a final end to the World and why God did not at that time call all Mankind to Judgment because tho' the wickedness of that Generation of Men was so universal and so incurable that it justified their universal destruction yet God had new Methods of Grace and hidden Treasures of Wisdom in reserve for the reforming the World and therefore though he purged the Earth from its wicked Inhabitants he did not think fit to put an end to the race of Men but preserved Noah and his Sons in the Ark which was the only Righteous Family then living to propagate a new Generation of Men whom he would try with new Methods of Grace the last and most admirable and most effectual Method of Grace was reserved for the last Times the Mysterious Incarnation of the Son of God and the Power of Gospel-Grace And when this also shall have lost its effect when Atheism and Infidelity and all manner of Wickedness shall prevail when the Church it self shall be over-run with Heresies Schisms and a meer external form of Religion without the power of it when Men shall walk after their own Lusts when Faith shall fail Iniquity abound and the Loâ—â— of many wax cold then the end is at hand God has then tryed what Mankind will prove long enough and it is time to put a period to this World and to the race of Mankind and call them all to Judgment If what some learned Men teach be true that the Letters St. Iohn was commanded to write to the seven Churches of Asia were Prophetick of the seven different states of the Christian Church from the time of Christ till the end of the World we find that the very last state of the Church when Christ will spew her out of his mouth that is when he will put a final end to the Church on Earth is represented by the Church of Laodicea 3 Revel 14 c. And to the Angel of the Church of the Laodiceans write these things saith the Amen the faithful and true witness the beginning of the Creation of God I know thy works that thou art neither cold nor hot I would thou wert cold or hot so then because thou art Lukewarm and neither cold nor hot I will spew thee out of my mouth When a true Zeal and Concernment for the Faith and Practice of Christianity fails in the Church and Atheism and Infidelity and all manner of Wickedness prevails in the World these are â—resages of the near approach of a final Judgment Now if this be a fair and reasonable account of the destruction of the World and a Future Judgment we need not wonder that God has appointed so late a day for it seven or eight thousand Years is no long time for the duration of the World especially when we have had such a terrible Example of God's Justice and Vengeance in the destruction of the old World already We have reason to believe that this World should never have been destroyed but for the incurable wickedness of Mankind for nothing else can justifie the Wisdom and Goodness of God in destroying what he had made God could have judged and rewarded or punished particular Men without destroying the World but when Mankind is grown universally and incurably wicked it does not become God to suffer this Earth to be an eternal Nursery of Atheists and Rebels against the Majesty of Heaven and this makes it necessary for God to destroy it but then the Wisdom and Goodness of God requires that this should be done with great patience and long-suffering and after the disappointment of all the wise Methods of his Grace in reforming the World and then no Man can say that God has hitherto too long delayed the final Judgment some thousand years is no long tryal to save the World and Mankind whom he hath made from final destruction 1. And therefore let no Man laugh at a future Judgment and final destruction of this World as if it would never be because it is not yet God is in no hast to destroy the World but when he sees it ripe for Destruction that is the day he has appointed for Judgment Such Scoffers as these are certain fore-runners of that day and unless there be still a new Resurrection of true Faith and Piety which we hope for it cannot be far off how long soever such Men may think God delays yet their Iudgment lingreth not and their Damnation slumbereth not 2 Peter 2.3 Let us all remember what our Saviour tells us If that evil servant shall say in his heart my Lord delayeth his coming and shall begin to smite his fellow-servants and to eat and drink with the drunken the Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him and in an hour that he is not ware of and shall cut him asunder and shall appoint him his portion with the Hypocrites there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth 24 Matth. 48. It is no Argument that Judgment is a great way off because Men are secure and can laugh at the thoughts of it for the more secure the World is the nearer it is to Judgment the very day that Judgment shall overtake them they shall least of all think of it as it must needs be when the World shall be so over-run with Atheism and Infidelity and therefore the day of Judgment is said to come like a thief in the night that is suddenly and by surprize when we are asleep and secure and least suspect it 1 Thess. 5.2 4. 2 Peter 3.10 As Christ threatens the Church of Sardis 3 Revel 3. If therefore thou shalt not watch I will come on thee as a thief and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee Thus 24 Matth. 37 c. Christ tells us that the day of Judgment or the coming of the Son of man is like the days of Noah For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage