THE GREAT DAY OF JUDGEMENT, Handled In a SERMON Preached at the Assizes at New-Bristol. Octob. 7. 1687. By the Reverend and Learned SAMVEL LEE. M. A. sometimes Fellow of Wadham College in Oxon. Accompanied With, Preparatory Meditations, 〈◊〉 THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT By Mr. COTTON-MATHER. Boston in New-England. Printed by Bartholomew Green, for Nicholas Buttolph, at the Corner of Gutteridg's Coffeehouse▪ 1692. Price Bound 1 s. THE EPISTLE To the Worthy and Pious Auditory; before whom this Subject was treated upon. Grace and Peace in Christ Jesus our Lord. Whereas by the Call and Invitation of some of your very much Honoured and Respected Society, ●his Serious, Summons to the great day of Judgement; was proclaimed in your Ears, at Bristol, near Mount-Hope in New England, at the Assize, ●here hold, on Friday Octob. 7. ●687. Being also, moved to the Publication thereof, I do here humbly present it under divine Protection and Blessing to your Candid. Acceptation and Defence, who sometime Composed the choir of a most attentive, benign and solemn Audience in the time of its delivery. Honourable and Beloved, As these Papers tend (with your kind leave) to●re enkindle the the memorial of that day's Soul awakening Subject: so let me (I pray in this proem) beg you to ruminate on a saying of an Eminent Divine at Bury a Town of great note in Suffolk of old England [That Sermons are never done, Mr. Edmund Calany S●n. till they are Done] and let me add, If never Done, the hearers are undone for ever. Especially in such weighty & momentous Points as these, about the formidable, day of Judgement. The tears of Auditors, said Jerom (as J.M.) are the Jewels of Preachers; and if Sincere, Presage a Crown of Eternal joys to both. There are among many others in Divinity, three illustrious Doctrines, (1.) Justification by Faith in Christ alone. (2.) Sanctification by the Spirit. (3.) Resurrection to Glory. In whose Compass and Bosom was our present Subject about the Universal Judgement. As to which, Give me leave to present three things, and Close with the Apostolical Prayer. 1. State your own Eternal State, while yet in the State of this Life. Matter not the day or Censures of man's Judgement. They'll Fluctuate in their love as the wind of their Passions, 1 Cor. 4 3 Interests and Envious or false informations tur●s the fane of their Constructions: if they are not both wise and godly. And sometimes hastily Carp your innocence as if they had forgotten Pl●tarch and Senecas memorials about nature's gift of two Ears before they determine matters in question: Gal. 6.1. not pondering as they ought, in the Spirit of meekness the many Tentations the best of men are incident to, Tim. 3.2, their own frequent infirmities and others proud and invidious detractions and your own virtuous & Slander-Shaming Apologies. Taking little heed to the Fifteenth Psalm, and how unworthily these blast others usefulness & lay up Scourges for their own Consciences in the day when God shall visit them and give their abused Friends, Exod. 32.34. the greatest favour at last, Prov. 18. ●●, 38.23. when his Neighbour Searches him out; and then thy Brother's Mote may swell to a Beam in thine eye, by the rubbing of others inflamed Censures upon thee, when thy turn comes We all need Contrition, Confession, and Pardon. 2. Make Peace with God betimes and Expedite it. The ●ands of times hour Glass never stop, and are more precious than the golden ones of Tagus. Do this work seasonably, sincerely, & speedily, to frustrate the trouble of the New Repentance and prevent the divine Judgement. Delay not; lest Tardy neglect; 2 Cor. 11.31, 3●. quicken Goul-Confounding horrors, and Sudden wracks of Conscience will draw out the funeral-Song of Epimetheus, O non putaram, Prov. 2●. 19. or that of the Fool in Solomon. Was I not in jest? and cry out in earnest concerning laughter, Eccl. 2.2. Eccl. 9.6. that 'tis mad, and of mirth What doth it? but as the Crackling of thorns under a Pot: whose Prickles fly in his Eyes, & leave him in utter darkness, wring his hands in the blood of his heart, and streaming out bitter groans, that he did not think the Evening Shadows were so nigh. O Sirs, this tremendous work cries aloud for the greatest deliberation, the swiftest Execution, and perseverance without end. O Blessed Lord, help us out of the woeful Tentations and intricate Labyrinths of delay, Aesop. lest when Death comes indeed, as in the ancient Apologue, it prove an other guess work than most are now ware of; You'll stand in need of more than all your Graces, Experiences, Reliances and Restaurations out of deep and dark desertions. Yea and all little Enough and will prove scarce able to list you out of the dungeon of terror: unless the gracious Supplies of the Spirit come in upon a Spring tide from Heaven, and list up the Ark of Conscience above the flood gates and Rocks of Confusion. 3. Labour to provide against the formidable Thunders of Death, that the Sunshines of the Evidences of glory may brighten the dark passages of the Grave. The beauty of grace first darted into thy Breast, in a beam from the Eye of the Electing Love of God, and shall never cease the shining and warming influences till like new Stars that at last Concentre all their motions in the Sun: so shall the rays of thy joys be inbosomed in the Eternal Love of God. When thou hast done this work, John 6.19▪ which the Father hath given thee to do: then that TO PHOBEROTATON, Aristotle's grand King of Termers shall sling down his Crown with amazement at the foot of Christ: Heb. 3. 14● 1▪ Cor. 15● 5●, 57 and that Dragon, who hath the power of death shall himself be slung to Death by the Cross of Christ, first upon his illustrious Tomb at Mount Golgotha; or like the standard of Constantine, carrying TO SEMEION, the Labarum or sign of the Son of man, Mat. 34▪ 3 set upon the backbone of the Serpent, as you may see it on the Reverse of that Emperors Coin. Spelman. Aspilogi●. P. 20 Ed. Lo●d. 1654. cum, uptem. Yea and a●● holy Christians are like the Roman Draconiseri, the Dragoniers of the ancient Empire, carrying the Exuviae or case of the old Serpent in triumph, and yielding up their Spirits into the hands of a most faithful Creator: who once formed us, and will shortly as faithfully Redeem us out of the dust: and inform us a new with the same Immortal Souls to inherit the same Body in a State of Immortality, to Co-inhabit the Temple of Heaven in an immortal State of Glory, ever beginning and never ending▪ When the day of the last Redemption, that great day of the feast, when the ruddy morning shall Climb the Eastern hills of Mount Olivet with its pleasant Blushes to cure all the dark Solitudes and Sollicitudes of this Valley of Immortal Souls, by the Lord Jesus Christ; before whom they Appear when ●heir Bodies here are by Death made untenantable; and from whom they ●hen Receive Order, Either to be Admitted among the Spirits of Just men made perfect, or to be Reserved in Darkness unto the Judgement of the Great Day. That Separate Souls thus Exist ●n an Invisible World, is a thing whereof I know some, who have such palpable Evidences, that were the Scriptures wholly Silent, which Blessed by God, they are not, about it, yet they could no more Qustion it, than they Question their own Existence in the World. But there is a more General Work of this kind, shortly to be done, ●n a Vast Assembly of all mankind, unto ●hat end Summoned by the Mighty God, and called from the Rising of the Sun unto the Setting thereof. The Souls of men shall reassume a fit Portion of the Dust, whereunto they were formerly United, by the Almighty God fetched out of the Various matter whereinto it has been Dissolved and Dispersed, but now become as were the Keel, where upon shall be Buil● Incorruptible Bodies: and some that shall then be found alive shall by 〈◊〉 Translation, have their Bodies made i● a like manner Spiritual. In their Bodies thus Raised, and Changed, they shal● stand before a Tribunal of our Lord Jesus, descended from the Heavens into our Atmosphere; and after a● Exact Examination of their Behaviours While God was upon Earth Trying o● them, they shall have One of these two Sentences pronounced upon them Either, Come, ye Blessed, Inherit the Kingdom; Or, Depart, ye Cursed, into Everlasting Fire; Which will be accordingly Executed on them. Such 〈◊〉 Day of Judgement is there to come upon the World! Amen! Come; Lord Jesus, come quickly. Indeed, about the Circumstances of this most Illustrious Day, 'tis more easy than lawful for us to Inquire into such things as w● are not yet Able to Answer; nor ha● the Lord Indulged our Curious and Critical Inquiries after Particularities which He has not Revealed. It seem Revealed▪ That this Last Day, will be a Long Day; It will be a Day of public Hearing, and all Do of all people must be called out; Cunctaque Cunctorum Cunctis Arcana patebunt, So that things will not be Hastily ●uddled, and Suddenly Shuffled over. ●ea, It seems, Revealed, That the ●orning of This famous Day, will ●ake up at least a Thousand Years, wherein our Lord will be managing His Davidical Kingdom, with a New Hea●en and a New Earth wherein shall ●well Righteousness, and Reigning before His Ancient People Gloriously; at the Close whereof it seems to some that▪ The Rest of the Dead Live again▪ & all t●● Dead Small & Great stand before God. The Hour, when it shall be Commenced, and ●he Spot, where it shall be Che●fly managed, seem not Revealed; nor a thousand ●hings more, that concern the proceed of the Day. But whatever may be yet Unrevealed, it is abundantly Plain and Sure unto us, That the Son of man shall come in the Glory of His Father, with His Angels, and then, He shal● Reward every man According to hi● Works. This is Revealed, and it i● a Damnable Thing to Cherish an● Doubt of This, That we must a●l appea● before the Judgment-Seat of the Lord Jesus Christ. S. 3. The Judgement of the Great Day Or, a Day, wherein all men shall b● Raised and Changed into a State o● Immortality, and appear before the So● of Man within the Bounds of our Air to be Judged according unto wha● they Did, before they Dy●d; This is 〈◊〉 thing which the People of God in alleges, have given their Assent unto Even in Old Times, long before th● Flood, the Church of God, made this a● Article of their Creed. We hav● some short Notes of what was delivered by the Venerable Enoch abou● it, so long ago▪ in Judas 14. Behold ●he Lord comes, to Execute Judgement upon all. Yea, This was a main Controversy, between the Antediluvia● Saints, and the Impious, Impure Ge●●●●tion of. Atheists, then upon th● Stage. The Godly did Assert, There ●ali be a Day of Judgement, but the pro●ne did with Hard Speeches, Deride & explode the Belief of that awful Truth▪ We read in Gen. 4.8. Cain spoke to Abel his Brother; the Hebrew Bibles ●sually leave a Blank at the end of his clause; and the ancient Jewish targums, presume to put in the Dis●urse which they had; they say, that ●he Quarrel between Cain and Abel ●as upon this point; Abel said, There 〈◊〉 to be a Day of Judgement, and there is Judge, and there shall be another World▪ ●nd the Godly shall be Rewarded, and the Wicked Punished. But Cain said, There, 〈◊〉 no such Thing; and as the Targum ●f I Ben. Vzziel adds, Et Propter ha●um Rerum Causam Contendebant Super●acies Agri. And methinks, the Apostle in the Beginning of his Eleventh▪ chapter to the Hebrews, may seem to. ●ountenance this Tradition. It seems▪ ●s if Abraham also, saw this Day a●r off; inasmuch as there are those. ●ho put his Plea for Sudom, into this▪ ●nglish, in Gen. 18.25. W●ll not the Judge▪ 〈◊〉 all the Earth, Execute: Judgement, 〈◊〉 q d. Lord, Thou dost intent hereafter, to appear for a Judgement upon a● the World, in such Flames of Devouring Fire as thou art now going to destroy this miserable Place withal; b● Entreated therefore to spare these Towns, until that Revolution come Indeed all Christians have always Agreed in this Acknowledgement, long before, as well as ever since the Daye● of Job, I know that my Redeemer Lives and that He shall: stand at the Eatte● Day upon the Earth; and though Worms Destroy this Body, yet in my Flest I shall see God. And even in that Confession of Faith, which the Jews themselves at this Day embrace, their Eleventh Fundamental Article is, the Eternal Judgement. To what the People of God; have thus Received as the Faith delivered unto the Saints, they have had the Scriptures of God, most abundantly given their Infallible Testimony. There is hardly any one part of the Old Testament, which has not Considerable Glances a● the Day of judgement; But in the New ●estament, it is yet more plentifully insisted on. Very many of the Sermons Preached by our Lord Jesus Christ, ●nd all the Letters written by His Apostles, do set the Day of judgement before our Eyes. Yea, not only the Approach, but also the Process of this wonderful Day, is divers times Expressed in these Lively Oracles. The Holy Spirit of God, hath Chosen to make one of the East Clauses in the Bible, an Admonition unto us hereabout; the very last Lines of the last advice we have had from Heaven, are ●o this purpose, The Lord Jesus Christ▪ will shortly come to judge the World. And with the Assertions of Scripture, concerning this matter, the Apostle in 〈◊〉 certain place tells us, the Accusing● ●nd the Excusing●s of Conscience, do join ●heir Testimony thereunto 〈◊〉. The Verdict of Conscience upon the Sinner is▪ ●s Tertallian calls it; Future Judici● Prejudicium; a presage of a future judgement. It is true, the Dim Rus●●a●ale, which the Heathen had in their Notions about the Burning and the ●udging of the World, might be much ●ighted, at the Lamp of the Israe● 〈◊〉 Sanctuary. But yet mere. Natural Conscience, did use to warn the Rudest Pagans, of a Judgement, which God will at Last bring mankind into. Hence Felix the Governor, before Paul the Prisoner, Trembles at the Tidings of a judgement to come; he had a Preacher in his Bosom; that gave him a terrible Premonition of it. The very proceed of the Last judgement are antedated in our Consciences; and the Triumphs of Conscience upon our Welldoing, the Horrors of Conscience upon our Wickedness, the Inferences of Conscience from the Intricate Things every Day happening in the World, are so many most penetrating Intimations of that Judgement, wherein we are to stand before the Lord. Now the certainty of that Notable Day, being a thing as clear and sure as Day itself, it becomes us to silence all the Cavils of Carnal Reason, against any o● its Unfathomable Circumstances, by a● Faith acquiescing in this Assurance of it, Thus saith the Lord. Indeed, wha● Paul says, about the first of the Transactions belonging to this Day of th● Lord, may I say about the whole Aftyr of the Day, Why should it be Thought 〈◊〉 thing Incredible with you? All the Cavils which our Unbelief ca●● make ●gainst this Word of God, are Suffici●atly and Eternally taken off, with Demanding, Is any thing too hard for ●e Lord? But some of the Cavils, that ●ave seemed Specious, will upon Second Thoughts be found so Absurd, that ●ven Common sense itself would hiss ●t them. Such is that Objection, Where will there be room for such a Vast Multitude as Adam, with all his Children? The whole surface of the Earth ●ould not hold them all? Ridiculous Exception! Allow that this World should ●ast no less than Ten-Thousand Years, which it will not; Allow that there ●re at once alive a Thousand Millions of men, which there are not; Allow all ●hese to march off every Fifty years, with a New Generation rising up in ●heir stead; and allow each of these ●ndividuals a place Five foot Square to stand upon. I think these are Fair Allowances. I would now pray the Objector, if he have any skill at Arithmetic, to Compute, Whether a Spot of Ground, much less than England, which contains perhaps about Thirty M●llions of Acres, but about a Thousandth Part of the Terraqueous Glob, and about the Three Hundred thirty third part of the Habitable Earth, would not hold them all. I say then, we have something else to do, than to Cavil, the unexceptionable Doctrine of the Last judgement; it is our Interest and Business to Improve it, with deep Impressions thereof upon our Souls. S. 4. Of such an Aspect are all Things in the Day of Judgement, as that the Apostle might well call it, The Terror of the Lord. But me thinks; there is nothing that gives more Dread unto a Soul awakened out of Sinful Slumbers, than that ETERNITY, wherein this Day Expires; that Eternal Issue, that Eternal Event, which depends upon the Day. The last Judgement fixes the Children of men, like so many Rocks, in the Ocean of Eternity. Men will then be Immortalised; and their State of Weal or W●●, will be so inwrought into the very Being's of them, that Immortal Things ●ay as easily cease to Be, as for a righteous or Wicked man to pass ●nto another State, than what he is ●hen Confirmed in. 'tis a Passage in ●hat Memorable and Perhaps Historical ●arable, which decribes the State of ●en, in the other World, that after ●his Day, men have, A Great Guilf ●●xed, unto them; there is by the De●ree of God, such a Vast Pit, about the Children of men, that they cannot pas● put of the State wherein they are: The Nature of things will then require, ●hat they be Unalterable; the Children of men, will then be most Immediately Siezed, either by the Goodness or by the ●ustice of God; and because our God Himself Changes not, therefore the state of men becomes then Unchangeable; nor will it stand with the Wisdom of the most High, to alter the Sentence ●hen Pronounced about the State of Weal or Woe, which will then belong unto us. At the Day of Judgement, all Righteous men shall be adjudged unto a State of Eternal Happiness. 'tis a Life Eternal, 'tis an Eternal Salvation 'tis an Eternal Inheritance, 'tis an Everlasting Habitation, and they are Plea● sures for ever more, of which the Believer shall be made Partaker. After he has been in the mansions of th● Blessed, as many Millions of Age's a● there are Sunbeams in the Universe● he will still continue there. Th● stately Pillars in Solomon's Temple, wer● thence removed; but the Believe● shall now become a Pillar in the Temple of his God; from whence he shal● no sooner go out, than the Temple i● self ●●all Tumble down. A Deyo●● Person at a ●eas●, said well, In Heaven there is Good Cheer, and Goo● Company; and so there is here: but in Heaven there is no Taking away. The ●●●●estial Satisfactions of the Believer, ●●ll never be disquieted with such a Thought as this, At the Long run, these things will have an end. God will not Repent of the Love which He has freely set upon him ●●nor will Christ ever Suffer one of His own Members to be Plucked away. But at the Day of Judgement, all Wicked men shall be adjudged unto a State of Eternal Mi●ry. 'tis a Worm which Dyeth not, and 〈◊〉 Fire which is not Quenched, wherewithal the Sinner shall be Cruciated; 〈◊〉 is an Eternal Damnation, and it is 〈◊〉 Everlasting Destruction. Suppose an ●eap of as many Little Poppey-seeds, 〈◊〉 according to the old Ptolemaick ●ystem, would fill the whole Machine ●f the World, and no more than one ●f them in a Thousand years fetched ●way, but the Sinner in Anguish till ●he heap were all wasted so; behold, ●nd be amazed! All this Long while ●ould be but as a Drop to the Ocean, compared with that, Forever! that horrible Forever! whereto the Tor●ents of the Damned shall be Lengthened. Fifty two Ciphers, and One Fi●urt at the Head of them, would Comprehend, as the Learned and Noble, ●tto de Guerick affirms it, the Num●er of the Little Poppey-seeds in the prodigious Heap, newly mentioned; But I say then, suppose a Scroll as ●arge as the Starry Heaven itself, all ●illed with Figures of Nine; and yet ●o many Myriads of Ages, as would be therein deciphered, are Nothing to that Endless Duration, which the Torments of the Damned shall be made Exquisite withal. It may be said unto the sinner, Are not thine Iniquities Infinite? A Sin Committed against an Infinite God, Exposes, a man unto an Infinite Wrath. The sinner makes himself a prey to an Infinite Vengeance; and the Exercises of that Vengeance must be Infinite, or they bear no Proportion to the Desert of the sinner; now, they cannot be Infinite for the Degree of them: of such the sinner would be Incapable; so then, they must be Infinite for the Durance of them; they must abide World without End. Lord, what Rocks are our Hearts, that they do no more Tremble at the Fore-thoughts of such an ETERNAL JUDGEMENT. S. 5. To be Seriously, Constantly, Vigorously Preparing for the Day of Judgement, is indeed, The thing which our Hand finds to Do; and, O that we may to it with our Might! Now 'tis our Cordial Closure with the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Consent of our Souls to the Gospel-way of Salvation, by Him, in the New Covenant Exhibited, which is the Preparation, whereby alone, we may be Ready for the Terrible Day. It was the study and the Desire of the Apostle, O that I may be found in Him! We are to give out selves unto the Lord Jesus Christ, as unto our Prophet, and our Priest, and our King for ever; and now before Him, Judge ourselves, for all our Sins, from which we would have Him to save us. Our Judge will then become our Friend; and we shall be safe in the Day, that shall Burn like an Oven, and Consume all the Wicked of the Earth. When the Watery Flood, overwhelmed the old World, O how many Wishes had people then, for, An Ark! An Ark! to Shelter them? At the Day of Judgement there will be, what the Ancients called, a Dlluvium Ignis, or, Fiery Flood, upon the World; and O what a rate, will, A Christ! A Christ! be then Esteemed at? May we Now make sure of Him, by Faith in Him! If once that were done, we might, Rejoice before the Lord, for He comes, He comes to Judge the Earth. Suppose that before to Morrow Morning, the Lord Jesus Christ should set the World on a Light Fire, and Melt the Pillars of Heaven, with the Brightness of His Appearing; Suppose that we should, awaking at the next Midnight, hear such fearful and rattling Thunder claps, & see such hideous slashes of Lightning, as made Mount Sinai shake at the Giving of the Law; yet our Hearts might even Leap with Joy within us, at it, as John did within his Mother, when Jesus came into the room. Only, when That is done, we are to Remember, that our Faith will have this Happy Symptom, to Justify it, That it will cause us to Abound in the Works of the Lord. May we then by a Spirit of Foresight Consider, how Comfortable in the Day of Judgement it will be unto us, to Look back and say, I once made it my Care, to be every Day, all the Day long at Work for God; And, When the Lord put His Talents into my Hands, I husbanded them unto the best Advantage that I could; ●nd▪ Here can I in this Great Assembly, point at Multitudes of Persons, to whom I was not unserviceable, when I had my Opportunities! And may we Do Accordingly. There will be a Day of Judgement; and the Plain Deduction from it is, What manner of Persons, ought we to be, in all Holy Conversation, and Godliness! S. 6. 'tis to be added, That some of the most hopeful Preparations for the Day of Judgement, would be attained in our Solemn Anticipations of that most Great and Notable Day of the Lord. Let us afore hand Act over the Day of Judgement; not in a Play, Like those Germans, who turned the parable of the Virgins into a Comedy, whereat a Prince then present, fell into an Astonishment that immediately ended his Days; but by Seriously bringing ourselves Now to such Trials as will then be passed upon us. 'tis among the Oracles of God, in 1 Cor. 11.31. If we would Judge ourselves, we should not be Judged; and surely, if we would now proceed Against ourselves, with a most Exact, and Humble Judgement upon our own Miscarriages, it would be the way for us to stand, in the Day when the Lord shall Mark Iniquities. If we are not Christians, of Lean Souls within us, we sometimes do set a part our Days, for Fasting with Prayer before the ●ord; & thus we do sometimes more particularly, when we are Perfuming of ourselves for our Approaches to the S●pper of the Great King; now, let such Days, be so many little Days of judgement with us all. On such a Day, let us Examine ourselves by all the Ten Commandments of our God, and among other Things, Let us be Inquisitive, I. Have I not Grievously Forgotten the God that made me? And given unto the Flesh, the World, and the Devil, the Homage, which is due to Him alone? Or let Creatures have the Affection, the Obedience, and the Dependence, which He alone may lay claim unto? II. Have I not shamefully Neglected the Institu●ions wherein the Lord Jesus Christ has taught me to mentain Communion with Him? And Humoured the Superstitions of a Veins Conversation? III. Have I not Irreverently Treated the Names, A●tributes, Words, Work●, ●nd Ordinances, whereby the Almighty God makes Himself known unto us? And been without awful Apprehensions of His Majesty, under His Various Dispensations? iv Have I not been Carnal, Careless, Weary, in the Ordinary Sabbaths of God? and been Indisposed unto the Extraordinary ones? V Have I not been Perverse and Haughty towards my Superiors; Unkind & Foolish towards my Inferiors? Envious towards my Equals? and miserably Selfish in my Conduct of myself? VI Have I not impaired my own Health by Intemperancies? or been towards others, Passionate, Revengeful, and Contentious? VII. Have I not been Unchaste, in my Acts, my Thoughts, my Words? or been a Companion of the Fools that are so? VIII. Have I not by Fraud or Force wronged my Neighbour? nor been too Prodigal when I should not have spent; but when I should have spent, then too Niggardly? IX. Have I not uttered, or fomented, what has been Contrary unto Truth? nor given Countenance to a False Report? X. Have I not been Discontent with my own Condition? or, harboured in my Heart a Roving and a Craving Lust, after an undue Alteration of it? XI. Have not I despised the Offers of the Lord Jesus in the New Covenant, and the Wonderful Provision therein made for Unhappy Sinners? And permitted my Earthly Affairs to keep me at a Distance from the Lord Redeemer, who has been Waiting to give me, Repentance and Remission of Sins? XII. Is not the Fountain of all these Bitter and Cursed Streams, the Corrupt Nature which I have derived from my first Parents; a Nature, filled with a depraved Prejudice against what is, Holy, and Just, and Good? Upon the Discovery of our Gild in These, and such Articles, Let us now Judge ourselves as Worthy of Everlasting Destruction from the Presence of the Lord. And if the judgement, which we now pass upon ourselves, be attended with the Self Abhorrencies, and Self-Condemnations, and New-Resolutions, of a true Repentance, it will Prevent our coming under the like judgement on the Day of our Appearance before the most High Tribunal. But indeed, the Evening of Every Day, is also to be reckoned a fit Opportunity for us, to call ourselves unto an Account about our whole Behaviours in the Day; It becomes us with Self-judging Hearts, every Night before we Sleep, to make a Process, like what would be in the Day of judgement; and this as not knowing, but that before we Wake out of that Sleep, a Come away to Judgement! may Surprise us. Nightly Recollections have been Commended by Sober Pagans, and should not be Omitted by Pious Christians: but, when we have Considered, What has been God's Providence towards myself in the foregoing Day? We may do well also to Consider, What has been my Behaviour towards God, in the Day? We may now particularly take an Account, Q. 1. Have I Lived this Day, under a Deep sense of Mortality and Eternity? Q. 2. Have I Devoutly Read the Word of God this Day; and Seriously sought the Face of God, both in my Retirement, and with my Family? Q. 3. Have I had many Ejaculations this Day, both in a way of Petition, and in a way of Thanksgiving unto God? Q. 4 Have I had most affectionate Meditations upon Heavenly Things this Day; & have I made Earthly Things to occasion some of my Profitable Reflections? Q. 5. Have I been careful of my Discourse this Day, & Spoken with a Tongue Bridled by the Fear of the Lord? Q. 6. Have I been Diligent in my Calling this Day, and avoided all Needless Expense of my Precious and Golden, Minutes, in Diversions? Q 7. Have I this Day Endeavoured all Usefulness unto those to whom I am Related, or with whom I have been Concerned? Q. 8. Have I this Day Controlled and Conquered my Master Sin? and has my Watchfulness issued in my Victory over my own Iniquity? Q. 9 Am I in a fit State and Frame to appear before the Judgment-Seat of God, if I should before To Morrow Mornning be Summoned thereunto? And therefore, Do I still choose the Great God as my best Good, and my last End: and the Lord Jesus Christ, as my Prophet, my Priest, my King? And is it my Desire to be Employed as a Witness for His Truths and Ways for ever? Did we not let any Day pass us without such Representations of the Last Day unto our minds, we should be Always Ready. Reader, let us Aspire after such a Continual Readiness! S. 7. But none of the least Exercises in our Preparation for the Day of Judgement, would be our Meditation of it; Or, Our Looking for the Glorious Appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was an Holy man, among the Ancients, who could say, Wherever I am, and Whatever I do, Methinks I have the Sound of the Last Trumpet in my Ears, ARISE YE DEAD, AND COME TO JUDGEMENT. We should Labour to get a Proper & a Lively Character of the Day, when God shall Judge the Secrets of men; and often Raise it in our minds. It was said, Woe to them that put far away the Evil Day. Truly, The Day of Judgement will be an Evil day indeed, unto them that put it far away. Thoughts upon the Day of Judgement, should continually Lodge in our Hearts; and however we are employed we should think, What shall I do, when God rises up? and when He Visits, what shall I answer Him? Now for the Assistence and Nourishment of our Private Meditations upon, The Day of God, we are happily Supplied with the Published Meditations of many Worthy Pious Learned Writers, upon that Important Subject; and I pray, that we may not be Unthankful, or Unfruitful under such Advantages. The Carnal Jews, when they Read the Book of Ecclesiastes, have the last Verse but one [which has in it, Fear God and keep His Commandments] Printed over again, at the Close of all, because they would not have the Remembrance & impression of the Last Verse [which has in it, God shall bring every Work into Judgement] to be too strong upon them; whereas if men would Think more of the Latter, they would probably Do more of the Former. God forbidden, that we should any of us have any Indisposition to such Meditations on the Day of Judgement, as are Laid before us, in the Books of some that are Longing for the Day. Dear New-England! Thy Little Presses too, do now afford more than two or three Savoury Treatises upon the Day, which will not bundle such Books for the Fire, that shall then Burn up the Hay & Stubble, of Innumerable Volumes; No, Such are some of the Books that shall be Opened for a Witness against. Impenitents! In thee, is Reprinted the Zealous Thomas Vincents Discourse, On our Lords certain & sudden Appearance to Judgement. In thee, is Printed, a Sermon on, The Day of Judgement, whose Author is the Father of him that now addresses thee. In thee, is now Printed, the Reverend Samuel Lee's, Assize-Sermon, of Warning to the Great Day of Judgement; Left among us, as his Mantle, by that Elias, when he went away for Europe. These, besides other Books, has New-England, had, for the Loudening of that Midnight Cry among us, Behold, the Bridegroom comes. And indeed, if upon the passing away of the second Woe, the Third comes quickly, which brings on, The Time of the Dead, that they should be Judged, we that now see the Second Woe coming a pace unto its Period, should count no Awakening too many, to rouse us out of that profound Sleep, wherein the World shall be fast, When the Son of man comes. I am verily persuaded, The Judge is at the Door; I do without any hesitation venture to say, The Great Day of the Lord is Near, it is Near, and it hastens Greatly. O That our Minds may be as deeply Engaged in Thinking on the Second coming of our Lord, as the Saints of old were in Thinking on His First; and that the Books by which we may Understand, much of what concerns that matter, may have a due Entertainment and Efficacy with us. A Person of some Quality having Wasted much Time, at Unlawful Games, could not Sleep the Night following, & mentioned unto an Inquisitive Friend, the Ground of it; Yesterday casting my Eye into a Book that I saw open, I read the Word ETERNITY, and this Word has broke my very Heart within me. Truly, we that have so many Books about, ETERNAL JUDGEMENT, have our Hearts harder than the Nether Millstone, if at the sight of that Word ETERNAL JUDGNENT they do not break. But it is unto the God of Grace, that we are now to bow our Knees, with Petitions for, Mercy in the Day of the Lord. A SUMMONS Or WARNING to the Great Day of JUDGEMENT, In a SERMON Preached at the Assizes at Bristol in New-England. Octob. 7. 1687. now somewhat Amplified and Fitted to the Service of others. Luke 21.36 Watch and Pray alwa●es, that ye may be accounted worthy to Escape all those things, that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of man. A-kempts de Imit. Christi. l. 1. c. 24. Vere non pot●s duo gaudia habere: bic dil●cta●● in mando & postea reg●are cum Christo. Verily thou canst not expect two joys: To be solaced in this World and afterward to Reign with Christ. By SAMVEL LEE. M. A. and sometimes Fellow of Wad●am Coll. in Oxon. BOSTON, Printed by B. Green, for N. Buttolph, at the Corner of Gutteridg 〈◊〉 Coffeehouse. 1692. Price Bound 〈◊〉 Preparatory Meditations, upon THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT. S. 1. THE Great Apostle PAUL, according unto the Wisdom given unto him, Writing unto the Hebrews, hath with Good Reason erected Those as the Two Pillars, even the Jachin and Boaz of all Religion, GOD IS, and HE IS A REWARDER; Nor are the mountainous Pillars of Heaven, more stable, or more lasting, than these two, mo●● Glorious Principles. That there is a GOD, or a JEHOVAH, is a Truth more Engraven in the whole Fabric of the World, than the Name of the Artificer was of old into the Image of his Minerva. Even the Dumb and Mute Creatures do so loudly proclaim the Being of a GOD, Presentenque docet quaelibet Herba Deum, that I may say with Job, Ask now the Beasts, and they shall Teach thee; and the Fowls of the Air, and they shall Tell thee; Or speak to the Earth, and it shall Teach thee, and the Fishes of the Sea, shall declare unto thee. The World must necessarily have a Beginning; & that it could not have its Beginning from itself, is evident, inasmuch as Nothing would have then been the cause of Something. Nor does any thing less than the Power of a GOD, the Wisdom of a GOD, and the Goodness of a GOD; appear in the Constitution of the Universe. And as all the Creatures are so many Letters in the Book of Creation, from which we may spell the Existence of a GOD, so ●o's the Book of Providence give us a Continuation of the Demonstration, which proves a Deity. For therein, besides the Extraordinary Occurrents, In Prophecies, and Miracles, and Retaliations, upon the sight which every one cries out, The Finger of God the Excellent Order, wherein all things 〈◊〉 preserved, abundantly argues a GOD, whose Kingdom Ruleth all. But indeed, I may say, What need we any further Witnesses? Or what Need of any Coming from the Dead unto us, with such Advice as the Spectre of Major Sydenham gave to Captain Dyke, a while ago, I am come to tell you, that there is a GOD; and that He is a Just & a Terrible God The Notion of a GOD is imprinted so deeply in the Spirit of man itself, that it can be ascribed unto none but such an Author, and therefore such an Author there is, as, a GOD, who Forms the Spirit of man within him. Had this Idea, in the Soul of man, been a Mere Tradition of our Ancestors, why is it not all this while detected like other Vulgar Errors of much less Importance? Or, Had it been a mere Policy of our Governors, whence is it that Rulers themselves, as much as any other Mortals, are smitten with the Terrors of it? The Notion is as Natural, as 'tis Powerful; man is born with an Inclination to acknowledge a GOD, and he will have Many rather than have None; Atheism has not been so agreeable to mankind, as Polytheism▪ The Notion also is as General as 'tis Natural; 'tis not peculiar to any one Kingdom or Kindred; they which Differ in all other things, yet Unite in their sense of a GOD; and the Savage Indians themselves in the most hideous and Barbarous Thickets of America, own a Koutantowit, as the First Cause of all. Yea, I do confidently affirm, That of all the Few Professed Atheists, which have been known among the Brutifyed part of mankind; there has been hardly so much as One, which hath steadfastly Believed, That there is no God, without Vehement Suspicions of the Contrary. 'tis by some Remarkable Plague from our Injured and Provoked GOD, upon the more Atheistical sore of them things which would be called, Men, That none use the Name of GOD, in the profane A●●ses of Swearing and Cursing, so much as those Monsters do: and Calvin, as I Remember, mentions one of them, that upon a Blow given him, Cried out, O God help me! though he had just before been Vehemently disputing, that there was no God at all. ●ut besides, those Vndesigned Confessions of a GOD, from the Moviks of those Miscreants, there are at some times usually before they Die, such Flashes of Lightning from Heaven, darted into their Souls, as force 'em Deliberately to Recant, the Folly which acted them, when they said, that is, wished, rather than Thought, in their Hearts,— NO GOD. Some that have in their Lives pretended unto the more than Divillish Bravery, of Renouncing the Belief of a GOD; yet have declared at last that their Minds inwardly and frequently twitched 'em with direful Remonstrances against their Impiety, and Read, 'em Lectures upon the Reality of a GOD, which made 'em always Live uneasily. And if some Wretches, by the Constant Practice & Lerry of their Vices, have laid the sense of a GOD, in their Souls a sleep, yet our great GOD, na's Commonly roused them into some waking Minutes, wherein they might have said, When I Consider, I am afraid of GOD; GOD makes my Heart Soft, and the Almighty Troubles me. Wicked men, that Forget God, would fain also Destroy him; and, that they may go as far as they can, they Labour to Shake Off, and Root Out that Remembrance of GOD, in their Souls, which gives 'em so many Vexations in their Courses of Ungodliness; but it will not Off, it will not Out, the Almighty GOD makes the most haughty Criminals to stoop under this Instance of His Empire over them. A Certain Spark a while since in Company begun to brag, Well, Ill prove, for I am now able to prove, There is no God. A Gentleman (if a Beast may be called so!) then present, replied, Prithee Do! and Ill give thee a thousand Guinnies for thy Pains! But all the Guinnies in the World, will not rescue a man from the force of this persuasion, That there is a GOD; and such are the Circumstances of the persuasion, as that it must be From the GOD, OF whom it is. Now from the Faith of a GOD, we are led presently to Conceive of a JUDGE; JEHOVAH will be ELOHIM; 'tis to be Concluded, that He has given Laws, according whereunto Mankind is under His Moral Government; and in the Execution of this Government▪ He will dispense Rewards unto the Children of men, according to the Rules for the Distribution thereof, by Himself Prescribed. S. 2. There are Various Dispensations of Providence, wherein the God of Heaven, discovers Himself a REWARDER, unto that People, which He has form for Himself, that they may show forth His Praise. And were there more Collections, with fit Reflections, made of Dispensations this way Remarkable, it would be a Work full of Service and Honour into our God; They that were so Wise, as to Observe these things, would certainly Understand the Loving kindness of the Lord, even in the Remarkable Things, that would be done for themselves. But it is not in this World, that our God has the glory of His being, A REWARDER, so fully and so clearly displayed, as it ought to be; We daily see Godliness Oppressed: and Wickedness Advanced, in this Present evil World; and neither the Appeals of Afflicted Innocence, nor the Affronts of Outrageous Vallany, have a Sufficiently Sensible Notice taken of them. There is therefore an Eternal State of Blessedness and Misery, whereinto the Righteous God will bring every one of us, according to our Behaviours here. Our Short Condition in this World, is but a Condition of Probation or of Stewardship; and according to our Carriage in this Condition, we shall in the Issue, as the mouth of our faithful Saviour Himself, has long since astoned us, Go away into Everlasting Punishment, Or, else, Into Life Everlasting. But at the Threshold of that Eternal State, it is but proper that a Distinct Account should be taken of what every man has done in the Body, that so the Lustre of that Justice, which Dooms them to their Interminable Blessedness or Misery, may strike the very Consciences of all Beholders. Hence 'tis, that the Oracles of Truth have told us, God has appointed a Day, in which He will Judge the World, by that man whom He hath Ordained: Whereof He hath given Assurance unto a● men, in that He has Raised Him from the Dead. There is indeed a Particular Disposal of Dragons, and our Blessed Redeemer standing upon Mount Zion, Zech. 13 4 shall proclaim to all His Saints: Lift up your Heads, for the day of your final Redemption is come. Let's end with that apprecation of holy Paul. Heb. 13.20, 21. [Now the God of Peace that brought again from the Dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the Sheep, through the blood of the everlasting Covenant, Make you perfect in every good Work, to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be Glory for ever and ever, Amen.] Yours in Gospel Service, SAMVEL LEE. A SUMMONS or WARNING to the Great DAY of JUDGEMENT. Revelation. 20.12. On Friday Octob. 7. 1687. At Brist●● by Mount Hope in New. England. And I saw the Dead, Small and Great, 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 Written in the Books, according to their Works. THE Preceding Verse presents this Evangelical Prophet, with a Visionary scene Preparatory to the Day of Judgement: and here in the Text, we have a further Procedure in the amazing Concernments of that tremendous Session: where in may be observed. 1. The Apostles place or station in the I'll of Patmos (now Patina) near the Shore of the Aegaean Sea, Rev. 13.1 looking Eastward toward Ephesus and Jerusalem; Zech. 14 4. as you may suppose: Act. 1.11. because our Lord is represented standing upon Mount Olivet in that day. Where (in Speculo Visionis) in a Visionary Glass, he beholds with great attention what the Angel presented to him. 2. The Several Persons and things Exhibited to his strict Observation; which I may properly Conjoin together under several Heads, and therein, I. We have first the Character, or Denomination of the Persons attending; set forth under the style of the Dead: that is, not such as were now really Dead in this grea● Morning of the Resurrection; but which very lately had been involved in the state of the dead: Vers. 13▪ but now raised out of their dolesome Graves, and had newly Shaken off the Chains of Rottenness, and some come Dropping out of the stormy Seas and hastening with more shaking horror, to a yet more direful Shipwreck. Death & Hell must give up all their dead, at the formidable Summons of that Arch-Angels Trumpet. 1 Cor. 1● 52. By Hell or Hades we understand (under a metonymy) the Souls of men delivered out of their invisible State (under the manutenency of divine power) to be reinvested with their Bodies, and to appear a● this astonishing Bar. For so the Greek Fathers understood by HADES q. AIDES the Souls of men in Statu Separato according to that of H●mir [POLLAS D' IPTHIMOUS PSUCHAS AIDI PROIAPSEN] He dismissed many Valiant Souls, i.e. Persons into Hades. II. Their various quality. Both small and great; The Shortest Dwarves can't Creep into so deep holds or corners; not the Blustering Nimrods' can't Ruffle it away in their Pride and Jollity; but every Soul must drag his Prison-Chain into this most Solemn, and Splendid presence. Nay the Small are named to come first, to set forth the impossibility of their Exemption, and these meaner persons must stand out before the great on●●▪ that all may be seen in their Proportion [thi● I speak only by allusion▪] But to be sure, none shall Shuffle behind Noon and abscond from that Meridian Glory, or he Veiled from this all Searching Eye: And the all revenging hand of God. The Summoners & Apparitors of all these inferior Courts, must there appear and quiver and tremble for Summoning of God's Saints here upon Earth. Heb. 9.27. I●ts appointed for all to die, and then to Judgement. We must all stand at the dreadful Tribunal Seat of Jesus Christ. Where Judges themselves devested of all their formalities, like so many unhappy Felixes will Clatter their knees together, at the MENE TEKEL, Dan. 5.25. graven▪ upon the Crystal Walls of the Celestial Firmament; and glad men, could they but undergo such an Earthly. Sentence they passed upon others. III. Observe their posture] they must stand, Pro Tribunali, before that adamantine Bar, let down before them. They I have little Stomach to come too near, Rom. 14.10. no rude audacious Crowding into the presence of that most awful Judge. There will be but little pressing to see, His Sovereign August Countenance, that shines brighter, than the Sun in his greatest glory: but as forced by the Angelical Messengers; while they continue Crying to the Deaf Mountains and the Inflexible Rocks to hid them from Him that Sitteth on the Throne and from the Wrath of the Lamb. Rev. 6.16. iv The Ireful face of that most dreadful Judge; before whom the Heavens all on a light flame shall Crackle like a Parchment Scrol and fly away: 2 Pet. 3.11, 12 when Christ the Son of God, and God man; that Impartial Judge of quick and dead, from whom there is no appeal, shall put on an other guess purple Robe to judge Pontius Pilate and Herod, ●ark 15.17. and his men of War, Luk. 23.11 that mocked Him in the day of His Humiliation. This will be a day of horror to all those Wretches also, that mocked and fleered at God's Messengers, when they denounced against them the Judgements of the great day. Then comes out a Quo Warranto with a witness, to inquire what woeful work they made at Jerusalem: and who impowered them to Judge the Son of God, Judas 15. and to utter hard speeches, and commit ungodly deeds for a trace of some thousands of years, without Control or Impeachment. V The Allegations, proofs and evidences produced out of the black Books and bloody Registers of all Ages; which before were shut up and Sealed in Gods Archiva, or treasure Chambers above, are now all opened: and if they cannot Read their Psalms of Mercy: Rev. 6.20 there is no hope of Exile to a Patmus or any foreign Islands at that day, for they shall flee away. VI The final process [and they were judged out of the things written in the Books] whence there is no appeal, no recalling or reversion. There will be that Positive and final Conclusion. OBSERVATION. Obser. Most formidable and dreadful will be that great and general Day of Judgement. It's a Coming and hastening towards us: Nay 'tis near at hand. Jam. 5.9. The Judge is even at the Door. If you ask, how long. I Answer, He that was at the Door in the Apostle James his time, may be now stepped over the Threshold in our days, and well forward in His Journey towards Mount Oliver; and ready to ascend into the Seat of Judgement. Nay Besides, it is so near to every Particular Person, when he strides over the black Threshold of Death: that we cannot certainly tell How little a moment it will seem from the time of his Death to his Solemn appearance before Jesus Christ, and then 'twill indeed determine the truth of that Scripture, Heb. 10 31. that 'tis a fearful thing to fall into the Hands of the Living God; and most dreadful to all out of Christ at that day. If without Christ, having been without God in this World, they shall like Dogs be cast out of the Holy City, in the World to come, into a lake Burning with Fire and Brimstone. Rev. 22.15. Judicial days here, under the Sun are but like Pictures and Stories, in hang, and all Executions but like Painted Fire to this great and terrible day of the Lord which will make all the Ruffians quake like an Aspen leaf. Eccl. 3.16, 17. Those fools which now make a mock of Sin. Those Careless Gallios' & grave Eelixes, P●ov. 14.9. Act. 24 26 that put off the hearing of this day till another time: That alarm Trumpet will make your Ears to tingle above all other, and will ye, nill ye: up you must hasten to Judgement. There are three things which Command into the inmost Chambers of your hearts, most dreadful, most amazing thoughts, and high reverence with deepest astonishment. If so be, ye fall into the Snare of Death, in a State unreconciled to God, and not purged from your Scarlet Sins by the precious blood of Christ. 1. The infinitely glorious Majesty of the Judge. 2. The Exact rule of Procedure according to things found written in the Books before the Judge. 3. The stupendious quality or property of this Judgement. Of which in order. 1. Let us call to mind with all Reverence and trembling the infinite Majesty of the Judge who will then sit down upon the throne of Judgement. No less Person than the Maker of Heaven and Earth; before whom all the Devils tremble, Vers. 11 and the Pillars of Heaven are astonished and confounded, the foundations of the Earth flee away and Vanish into Smoke and nothing; at the fiery Breath of His Nostrils: whose single Word Shrinks the Universe into less than the Shadow of an Atom, at His pleasure. But let us here Remember, Isai. 40.17. we are not to Consider of this Almighty and Eternal Judge as God Essential only; but more Personally, the Son of God, who cometh with Ten Thousand of His Saints (that is) His Holy Angels, Judas. 14, 15. to Execute judgement, in that day for all the Violent actions against His Church and People, or any of His Redeemed ones. 2. The several strict rules of Procedure according to the Various Books, all lying patent before the Judge upon the Table: which are these following, I. The Books of Creation and Providence; like two Volumes joined and bound up together; wherein the distinct Successions of all Generations are delineated. God knows all the Stars of Heaven, and all the Lamps of the Intellectual beings, by name. The genealogical stems of all persons are fairly written in that Register, and he will call their bodies up out of their Graves, at that day from the Rising to Setting Sun, Psal. 50.3. to meet their Souls, and to accept a new Animation from them. When the El-Elohim-Jehovah as some gloss those Titles in the fifth Psalm, Isai. 27.13. that Powerful just, & merciful God will cause the great Trumpet to sound and awaken all out of the dost of Dan. 12.2. Death, and then God will call thee to account for the abuse of every Limb, Psal. 135 16. and member written in that Venerable book. II. The particular books of Record or Remembrance: which whether written by an Empyraean Pen drawn from a Seraphims Wing: I mean, whether the Holy Angels are the Scribes and Recorders, is not revealed to us. It's true the Lord Himself, or they in His Name enjoin holy John to write, Rev. 1.11 19 & 22 6, 16. & 19, 9, 10 Psal. 104 4. what they are Commanded to dictate to him. Besides we find them registered as Precedents of Nations, and to have the Guardianship of Saints, Heb. 1.14. and to be Ministers of the Divine Pleasure and of mighty influence in Slaying God's and His Church's Enemies, and to manage the great turns and overturnings of Kingdoms, That's certain: as in the case of Egypt, Psal. 78.49. when God sent evil Angels among them, that is, the Executioners of woeful & evil Judgements among them: like as the Angelus Percussor, the smiting Angel may be said to make a way for His wrath. Ezek. 9.3. Such instruments were used in Executing divine wrath upon Sennacheribs army, Psal. 78.50. and upon poor Jerusalem in her sad day, 2 King. 29.35. and afterward in the destruction of Babylon, Ezek. 9 3 when the Captain of the Lords army Marched before the Red and Speckled Horses in Zachary's Visions. Zech. 1.11. In like matters both as to Nations, Cities, and Persons: we may conceive of things as in the Glass of a continued Allegory: that there is a particular book for every Person in several cases: 1. There may be (I mean Allegorically) a dreadful black Book for every man's Sins. And truly this is a matter of heavy concernment (that though it should not be so Specifically, yet 'tis Equivalently and Eventually) that there is a particular Book in the Court of Records in Heaven with thy name on the out side, where every Sin of thine is written down with the blood of Dragons mixed with the galls or Cruel Venom of Asps, Deut. 32.33. & durably as if with the point of of a Diamond upon a Rock. Jere. 17.1. Truly it's all one, nay worse, then if so really: for 'tis writ in the memorial of that tremendous Judge. For every Secret Sin is set down in the Light of His Countenance, Psal. 90.3. beyond all the Noctiluca's in the World. Every Secret is determined to come to Judgement. Eccl. 12.14. Ten times have the Children of Israel Murmured against Me, Num. 14.22. says the Lord: and so again, the Sacred Pages number up Six Captivities under the Judges, Judges Ch. 10. 1● answering to Six several prevarications in the Worship of God. Petau. ra●ionarie. P. 84. Isai. 65.6. ●●s written before me, says the Lord by Isaiah, and I will recompense into their Bosom. And so 'tis now, Ten times Drunk, such a man: Ten times Forsworn, such another: Ten times, such a Proud Jezabel with her, Painted Eyes, Strutting in the Streets of Jerusalem: writ him down, set her down, says God, Paint her to the Life, that all the World may then behold her with Peacock's Feathers: and mincing, ● King. 9.30 Isa. 3.16 tinkling motions with, her feet. How should it strike as with a Poisoned arrow to the heart, to think of these dreadful tradegies of that terrible day. 2. men's Repentant sorrowful Sighs and Actions are also set down in God's day book: and this I speak for the comfort of all humble Mourners in Zion. The Confession of that Renitent Thief at Golgotha's Mount, Lord, Luke 24.42. Remember me in they Kingdom. We never drop a sincere tear, but it drops up-ward; Contrary to all other tears, it ascends up into Heaven, and Runs into the Chryst all Bottle upon the Shelf, with thy name engraven upon it, in Letters of Gold: and 'tis often taken up, and Looked upon, to see how it fills. Are they not in thy Bottle; Psal 56.8. says David, and in thy Book; But woe to them that have none. Every hearty Sigh; that Reeks e sulco pecto●is, from the inmost Closets of thy Soul are Penciled with vermilion, under the bloody lines streaming from the Cross of Life. 3. men's gracious discourses and good works, are all written in that Book. When serious Persons do but meet, and think upon the Name of the Lord in evil times, and talk often ingether. Mal. 3● 16. Every time you meet, every Heavenly thought, and every holy word you speak is written down. Nay all your Prayers and Alms deeds like those of Correlius go up in Remembrance before God. Act. 10.1 Every Penny you pu● into God's Treasury; Nay every Mite you give to Temple uses; as in the case of the poor Widows; Mark. 12 ●● is put down in God's Debt Book, and will be Converted into so many Pearls to adorn your Crown in Glory. III. The Books of men's Consciences shall then all be laid open. Here men's thoughts Excuse or Accuse one another till that day, Rom. 2.15.16. ●. Cor. 3. ●1. when God shall Judge the Secrets of all men by Jesus Christ according ●o the Gospel Preached by Paul: and let me tell you, that every faithful Sermon which you hear, Consonant to the Word of God, will come up in Judgement as a Testimony against you, if disobeyed: so that if our hearts Condemn us not, that is our Conscience, 1 john. 4.17. as to Irreverence, Negligence or Disobedience to we may have Confidence in the Day of Judgement before God; 1 john 3.20, 21. who is greater than our hearts, and knoweth all things: and this will give us a holy freedom of Spirit in that Solemn time. There will be no Shuffling Tricks, no False & Treacherous accounts, no Tiffany Cheats, no Fine-Spun-flams, but all fly away like Spider's Webs, before a Besom. The flaming Eyes in the Sceptre of that day sees through all in a moment. iv The Book of the Scriptures shall then be taken down, and the Parchment Rolls all unfolded. The Act Forensia, the Public Commentaries; the Regu a Juries, the Institures of the Law, Rom 2.16 and the Cannons of the Gospel shall be all produced: for Conviction of Sinners. All their in quities written in that Book, mentioned by Je●emy, with the point of a Diamond, jere. 17.1. or graven with an iron Pen, in focules or leases of Lead; mentioned by Job; job 19.24 25. or in a Rock for the ever of this World: Dan. 12.1. till our Redeemer standeth upon the Earth at mount Olivet at the latter day to Judge the World. Z●ch. 14 4. V The particular and singular Book of Election, when all that are written in that ivory Volumes, shall come forth and Shine as Stars for ever and ever. Dan. 12.1; 3. The Sheep of Christ's little Flock, Rev. 3.5 13, 8.17 8. that are written in the Lamb's Book of Life shall then pass under the rodaccount for the Sanctuary of Glory. Exod. 32 32. Nay God Himself is said to write down the names of those Chosen Vessels that are prepared and fitted for Salvation. Luke 10 20. The names of the Holy Apostles and Saints are deciphered and set down in Heaven, Psal. 68 28. Phil. 4. ●. when others are written in the Dust, and shall be legible by the flames of Hell. And so much for the Second particular, the rules of Procedure and its branch. In the Third Place we are to Consider the quality or property of this astonishing Judgement, in Five Particulars. 1. It's most accurate and Critical Exactness, as to Equity and Commensuration to Every one's actions be they good or bad. The Judge sits down in His Sella Curulis, or seat of Judgement, Dr stoughton's felicitas ultimi. Seculi. ●. all of ivory or unspotted Alabaster, like the Sun when He Shines [in Libra] among the Celestial Balances, near the Milky way. The Eyes of Justice are Covered with a Purple Mantle, no accepting the Person of any as to Earthly dignities and distinations; but its Ears are with all diligence and Curiosity attentive to the impending causes. 2. Impartiality in determining: Cuts off all demurrers and delays and gives speedy dispatches to persons of all Degrees. There will be no favouring of Rich and Great men to sit down near the bench, as here among fellow Worms: nor no pitying of a poor man in his cause from a seeming Commiseration to the mean and Afflicted. Leu. 19 ●5. The dispensation of justice will be Equal to a tittle, no pleading Sub forma pauperis at that day. 3. Universality as to Comprehensivenes of both persons and times. All Ages, both Sexes, all Qualities and degrees of men must make personal appearance without any Proxy in this Doomsday Parliament: no Slye Excuses or writs of Error to impeach, or turn by the gravity of that most awful judicature: no quirks nor tricks, nor juggling account shall Velum Pretendere, cast a mist before the Sagacious inspection of that quick and all searching Judgement. 4. The Irresistible doom. There is no Subtle arguing, no wresting of the Text of the Law, or the intentions of the Sacred Law Maker. No pleading of old Customs; or the Opinions of Reverend Ruffs here upon Earth. There is no Versiling●es Procuratores, no Tongue flexible Proctors, that have no straight bone of Equity in their Tongues, but turns up and down like a Serpents, be the cause good of bad; like the Counsellor at Athens, that had [bos in lingua] a bag of Silver-oxens (a Coin so called) to hang upon their Tongues, and to tip them with justice-perverting Eloquence. The cause will be stated in a moment. The Universal Conscience, that Public notary stands by with flaming Eyes, and makes instruments of Recognisance without any fees or private Audience. There's no Appeals to any Superior Court. 5. The Eternily of its Issue. Either to be with our Blessed Lord Christ and His Saints, or with the Devil and his Angels for ever. Matt. 25 41. Ever! Oh dreadful Ever! Oh that word of terror, that Shoots barbed Arrows, PHLOGOENTA BELEMNA, flaming darts through the stoutest hearts of the Proudest Nimrods', in the World. Ever! Oh irrevocable Doom! Of which lamentable Doom that poor Bird which appeared to the Scholars in a garden, who were then Assembled (as I Remember) at the Council of Constance Sang Melodiously: and then Cried out, O Eternity, Eternity, Eternity, and then flew away. But let us now retire to some Uses. Use 1 Use. I. Of Earnest Advice to all of you to Exercise yourselves with deep Consideration of the strictness of the Process, the Exactness and Inquisitions of that Sacred Judge in the management of that dreadful day. The brightness of the Sun in his highest Apogy is like Sackcloth, and his beams like streaming Pitch to the amazing glory of that time. Oh that the Presentment or Fore-thoughts thoughts of that day might always press upon our hearts, to a Serious Preparation for that appearance. If Jeroms Trumpet as to the advent of that day did always sound in our Ears: we should be better Christians, and keep Sabbaths more Holy, and hear with more Attention, and practice with more Conscientious diligence, than we do: but we are drowned in Sensuality, Supine Stupidity and negligence, till that day take us like Birds in an evil Snare. Use 2 Use. II. But Secondly be Exhorted to an anxious and sedulous Care as to every Vain and Idle Word. Crave daily pardon and beg strength and watchfulness against their daily incursion. As to evil thoughts in duty, and as to any Omission Sins: Cry out with that Holy man Bishop Usher: Lord forgive me my Sins of Omission. For all these things without Pardoning, Purging & healing grace must come into the golden Seal of that Critical Judgement. The Vain thought in one Scale, and the golden weight of the Precept in the other Scale, & the balance Poised in the hand of that most Holy and Righteous Judge [PAN ARGON REMA] q. AERGON. Every Idle word, or thing, that is, Matt. 1●. 36. whatever is not attended with some real Service to God, or benefit to man: that cannot plead some useful Scope at the end of it: must be arrested and brought to that Sacred touch stone. Every Secret thing, that is, Eccl. 12.12. in the depth of the thoughts, must pass by the Bar: ad limam revocari, be brought to the sil●, and to the Virgula censoria, to be Examined by the censure of divine justice. Rev. 21.27. & 22.19. No person can enter within the Gates into the City; but must pass this fiery Trual. Teque his ait, eripe flamis: Deliver thyself by Faith and Holiness, from the dirt of these dreadful flames. Use 3 Use. III. Remember, that this day may Quadani●nus, in some sort, be said to be Placed between time and Eternity. 'tis set in internodio, in the very juncture. In aequilibrio, in the very poise & centre of that weighty concernment of Eternity. As that day fixes: so all ends and determines. Then shall the Sins in the bag, Job. 14.17. as Job speaks, be pulled out. Eccl. 9.6. Not to instance in many; Then Envy shall cease; that bloody Cain, that monster of humane Confusions, that speckled Viper must have its. Aril Rhet l. 2. c. 10. ●la●o in. Tim. R●. Edit H. Ste●h. Vol. 〈◊〉 p. 27. Specious Coloured skin pulled off: when all the Secret defamations, backbitings and slander of men better than themselves shall be brought to light. We shall then know perfectly, No●● Envy does at any time befall a good man▪ what ill aspected malevolent persons they were, that durst not endure the lustre of virtue, the faithfulness of Pious reprovers, the brightness of a Holy Friends presence, without biting his heel like the old Serpent, and must now be all Scanned and Sifted to the bottom, from whence the base abuses of good men's Credit have issued, sp●● from their Cankered mouths, must now appear in their Venomous Colours in the light of God's Countenance. Psal 90.8. All those and other Secret Enormities must stare the affrighted Consciences of such Envious malignants in the face, before all the World; and gnaw their Vitals with fresh Wounds to all Eternity. Use 4 Use. iv Remember before thou: set thy hand to any new affair: whether the Transaction of it will stand in the Day of Judgement, with approbation. 〈◊〉 11. Rejoice O Young man in thy youth: let thy heart Cheer thee: Walk in the ●ayes of thy heart, and in the sight of thine Eyes: but Remember God will bring thee to judgement, for all these things. Sing and Swagger, beat your fellow Servants, drink and be drunken, Luk. 12.46. but Remember the board will come in an hour unlooked for and cut you in pieces and divide your portion among Hypocrites, Mat. 24. 4●. where weeping and gnashing of teeth, for over in a place that has no bottom; where is Fire without light, and Shivering in the midst of burning. O Remember, thou must come to Judgement. Use 5 Use. V Be sure thou be well acquainted, and get into favour with the Judge, that shall sit upon the throne: and happy, O thrice happy man, If He give you a promise to stand your. Brimed in that day▪ & shall plead with the Father on your behalf: nay with Himself and His own most Blessed Bowels: To be assured, that He died for you●: and that your peace is made: before you die to nature, that you may live to grace: and then you shall certainly live in glory. Heb. 7.25. For this Son of God will ever Live to enterceed for you, who art one of the most Blessed Creatures that ever were born, that hath power given thee to become one of the Adopted Sons of God, Joh. 1. 1●▪ & stand before the Son of man in that joyful day. Thy Crimson Sins are all washed away in His Crimson Blood, and shall never come into judgement: to shame thee, much less to condemn thee. Now give me leave to Conclude with, a serious, though short paraenesis or humble admonition or Exhortation, to Three Sorts of Persons. 1. To the Reverend Judges themselves. 2. To the People present. 3. To the guilty Person here arraigned before you, [for Murder] I. As to you the Worthy & Reverend Judges, that are to sit in judgement before the Lord this day: I sh●ll not enlarge, but only present unto you, what King Jehoshaphat gave in Charge to them from God, 2 Chron. 29.6. when he set them about this work▪ City by City. [Take heed what your do, for ye judge not for man but for the Lord, Vers. 5. who is with you in the judgement. Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Take heed & do it: for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of Persons, none taking of Gifts. II. To you that are the People and auditors this day. Count it a great Mercy that you have been preserved by Restraining or Sanctising grace, not to stand in the place of the nocent and so to become Obnoxious to the wholesome Law & Righteous Judgement of the Magistrate. Bless God for that Singular Mercy: If it were not for Majestracy, that great Ordinance of God in the World, Jere. 9▪ 8. men's tongues would be like Poisoned Arrows shot forth, speaking deceit, treating their Neighbour peaceably with their mouths, and laying wait in their hearts: Some such Sons of Belial that a man cannot speak to them, 2 Sam. 23.7▪ they are so surly and interrupting: & aught to be thrust away like thorns: If a man touch them, he must be sensed with Iron & the staff of a Spear. Men would prove Wolves & Vipers; 1 Sam. 25.17. Tigers, & Dragons mixed in one and the same person, to each other. O Bless God for this great gift of Princes & Judges to Rule the wicked & Enormous World, and to sway the Sceptre of Righteousness in the Earth. O Remember to speak Honourably of Rulers and dignities: Judas 8. Rom. 13. 2 Pet. 2.10. for they are Ordained of God for the Praise of them that do well; and God's Ministers and Avengers upon them that do Evil. Were it not for them, such as are now but Secret Malicious backbiters, would soon prove Badgers, and by't through the bone to the very heart. Have then a Special care of two Originating Sins that lead to many foul Enormities, that is, Pride & Envy: First in yourselves, that you be not tempted thereby to hurt others: and Secondly in others that you do not hurt them. For wherever you see manifest Signatures & tokens of these Sins lurking or putting out their forked tongues against others; beware of them, they are Persons market of God. and always have graven upon your breast that famous Emblem of a Righteous man. [Quod non vis tibi, ne seceris alteri] Do as you would be done by: Luke 31. 'tis our Lord's most golden Rule of Equity: Then Judge yourselves before God as to all infirmities, and otherwise insuperable weaknesses: then fear not man's day: having presented yourselves by Faith, as Clothed with the Righteousness of Christ; 2 Cor. 5.10. and in some sweet measure prepared for that Solemn appearance at His Tribunal. III. A word or two also to the poor guilty Person: which has Murdered her own unlawful infant: and so I Conclude. As for thee, poor Creature! What was it that enticed, entangled, inflamed thee to the Commission of these Sins against the Laws of God, the light of nature, and the just Laws of the Land. I understand thus much from thee in the Prison; that thy Parents were very negligent of thy Education, and so becamest a great neglecter of Sabbaths and Sermons, and then fellest into the fellowship of Lewd Companions, which may be a just warning to all others. All that I shall say at present: because of the great Sorrow, remorse & Repentance which thou hast manifested be fore many witnesses, and I hope may prove Sincere: If thou fleest from the horror, stain & shame of these thy Crying Sins, unto the most precious blood of Jesus Christ; and layest hold upon it with a true, though but a weak Faith: thou hast Patterns of Mercy in the blessed Book of God; Manassch, Mary Magdalen, and the Thief upon the Cross, to dispel the black and dismal Cloud of despair: and to lead and encourage thee to hope in His Mercy; Rom. 14.9. To which I humbly and hearty com thee in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord both of Dead and Living. AMEN. FINIS. AN APPENDIX Containing only some Heads of Meditation, on the DAY OF JUDGEMENT, more largely and fully delivered in a Sermon Preached at Charlestown. By the Reverend SAMVEL LEE. On Math. 25.6. At Midnight there was a Cry. THE Scope of a Parable is the best Expositor of it. The Design of this is to Express, The Suddenness of our Lords Advent, and the Supidity and Security of the World with reference thereto. Observe, Blessed Christians, Three Things, FIRST. A dolorous Exclamation, with the dismal season of it. The out cry here, is like that of drowning-Marriners, or routed Soldiers. SECONDLY. The matter of the Exclamation thus amazing, which causes all the great Hector's, and Herod's, and Belshazzars of the World, to tremble. Yet it is not, Behold, the Judge Come!— but,— the Bridegroom, the Delight of our Souls. 'tis good Advice, Are you Ready! Dr. Usher used to say unto some Persons of Quality. Madam, Be ready, Be ready. THIRDLY. A Command unto all, Especially the Virgins, Go out to meet Him. Even Hypocrites count themselves in a fair way to meet the Lord. Of old, Marriage was at Midnight, to show the Modesty of Marriage. You are by Ministers now Contracted, and are to be by Angels at last Conducted into Jesus Christ. The Ten Virgins are professors of all Sorts. A Wise Virgin is a Soul that takes the seasons of Grace, and is affected with the Beauty of Jesus Christ. A: Foolish, is one, that regards not the Word of God. Midnight, is the End of the World, before the Morning of the Resurrection. The Cry is an Angelical Voice: as soon as the Clock strikes Twelve, than the Angel sets his Trumpet to his mouth, and proclaimeth so. The Apantesis,— the Meeting here Expressed, is the Resurrection. When the Earth and Sea too shall yield their Dead; and the very Entrails of the Fishes shall be raked by the Trident of the Archangel. Never was there such a Terror as then will be! But the Saints are then led unto the Nuptial in the New Jerusalem. NOTE. At the Coming of Jesus Christ to Judgement, the whole World shall be in a state of great Security, and Insensibility of His Coming. I. There shall be a Great Day of Judgement. How many Warnings have you had about this Day of the Lord? But alas, How many of the then Raised, shall say, Non Putaram; or, This I thought not of! which is a sign of a great Fool. Oh that we could be like Jerom: always having a, Come to Judgement, in our Ears! believe you all make a Day of Judgement, an Article of your Creed. Why, The Heathen had a sense of it. II. Near and At that very times, there shall be a deadly Stupefaction in the World. As to sit under Nightshade, breed a Stupor.— This will be the Effect of being in the Night shade Walks of the World: How are most of us asleep? so that one can hardly get so much at any good Discourse on foot among us. See Math. 24.39 And knew not till the Flood came and took them all away; so shall also the Coming of the Son of man be.— Remember that on your Knees— ¶ This comes from want of Consideration God says, O that they would Consider! See Psal. 119.59. 'tis said, They Considered not for their Hearts were hardened. No Hammer can break this stone but Gods. 'tis only God's Fire and Vinegar, that can cause the Nether Millstone of our Hearts to Crack. And it works in Consideration. Consideration is the Glory of a man; and it would be our Happiness. But for Inconsiderateness, This comes, 1. From an Innate Inclination. People be not of Thinking Spirits. They are for Pastime. Oh dreadful Word! a Word for the Devil to put into our Hearts. The Fatness of Heart spoken of by Isaiah is mentioned Six times in the New Testament. No Text of the Old Testament so often cited Which is to be thought on. Blood is sometimes Congealed, like a Serpent in the Heart. Such Hearts have we! Men are against Pricked Hearts; though the Corruption cannot otherwise come out,— but the Devils will ●uck their Blood for ever. 2. From a Judicial Obsignation. God says, to His Ministers, Go Preach at such a place, and harden the People there. Oh with uplifted Hands beg. Lord, let me not be Sealed up under this hardness. This Hardness will be turned into shrieks in Hell. See Exod. 9.10. From this Hardness 'tis, that men will Scoff at a Little Expression of a Minister,— but every such Scoff shall cost you a Thousand years in Hell. This Nigrum Theta, marks for Hell. 3. From a Confaederation with Sin, and with Sinners. 'tis not our Cannot, but our Will not, that undoes us. Famous Fenner has Writ well of this Self-Murder. Sinners, as Cleopaira, take the Asp of Inconsiderateness, and put it to their Breasts. And Sinners harden one another— They are for a Priest that will be Drunk with them; and for a faithful Preacher, they think, much Learning has made him mad. They are as Psal. 50. end. So I should come to our Saviour's Question, What do ye more than others? III. But our Lord has given us a gracious Premonition about the Day of Judgement— You have the Voice of the Archangel now in your Ears. God forewarns, 1. By notable foregoing Judgements: Every is a warning of the Fire of Hell,— Every Dropsy is a Warning of the River of Styx. Every causualty is a Warning. Have you not been sick? and said, If God spare me, I will be better? Well said, Pharaoh.— Have you not heard of the late Earth quakes in Italy? and one at New-Haven lately? Have you not Rumours of War with the lygre Heathen?— Our Saviour speaks of these things as Warnings. 2. By Ministerial Denunciations. As Loud as I can, I tell you all in the further Corners yonder, The Day of Judgement is Coming! And 3. By Angelical Ministration. We have their Inward Workings on our Spirits. We have Heavenly Infusions from them,— and we have Operations of God's Holy Spirit. The Knock than is, as in Rev. 3.20. Behold, I stand at the Door, and Knock: if any man hear my Voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will s●p with him, and he with me. Besides this, Near the Time, the Voice of the Son of God shall be heard through the Whole World, l●ke the Roaring of the Sea. This is when the Judgement is just beginning, And ●●e Angels shall Trumpet with a greater Noise than that at Sina●● Upon the whole, Observe, and bewail the horrible Stupidity of the World. The Inconsiderate soon grow Debauched. Speak to them of Judgements, they will kick and say, Out be gone, you Hypocrite. Well, The Devil is in that Tongue. Lament these, as Monica did her, Filium tot Lacrymarum; Be much with God for them. Leave not until God strike the Arrow of His loving Vengeance into their Hearts. What if this Bible be God's Word, Sinners, Where are you then?— As in the story of the Hermit. Remember, The Seasons of Grace are sew;— When the Spirit of God comes nigh to the Heart. And row, Take some Antidotes against security. Antidote. I. Consider the Wonderful Suddenness 〈…〉 Day of Judgement. 〈…〉 ●●at if you Die, before you go 〈◊〉 of the Assembly? A Last Day ●ill come. Who knows which Pal●●● Mors will take first? Antidote, II. Consider, As our Lord comes like Thief, like Lightning; so the sentence will be Irreversible, and the Judgement Unavoidable. Gold will not bribe Charon. The Wicked shall not stand in Judgement,— but they shall be there. Antidote. III. Consider, the Impossibility of Escapedst Judgement is past. There can 〈◊〉 no Writ of Error, no Appeal. Think on Eternity; and let the oppressions of it, be kept in the Imagination of the Thought of your Heart's 〈◊〉 ever. FINIS. ADVERTISEMENT. THere is lately Published, 〈◊〉 little Book, Entitled, The Cause and Cure of a Wounded Spirit: in a Discourse, which Laye● open the Manifold and Amazing Wounds of a Troubled Conscience▪ and Pours the Balsam of Seasonable Counsils and Comforts into those Terrible Wounds. By the Reverend Cotton Mather. Sold at the Bookseller's Shops 〈◊〉 Boston, Price Bound 1 s. Stitched 8 d.