A fourth volume containing one hundred and fifty sermons on several texts of Scripture…

Certainly some Sign there shall be, that shall make the World fall a Mourning. And it is notable, that these Preparations and Beams of Majesty are sometimes expressed by Light, and sometimes by Fire; by Light, to note the comfortableness of it to the Godly; it is as the Light of the Sun, which doth not scorch, but refresh and revive, and cheer the Heart: Light is comfortable. But then at other times it is represented by Fire; 2 Thess. 1.8. it is said, The Son of Man shall come in flaming Fire; or, as the Apostle's word is, [Greek or Hebrew], in Fire all a flame, to show the dreadfulness of his Appearance to the Wicked. Look, as Joseph told the Butler and the Baker, what Pharaoh would do to them, hang the one, and exalt the other; therefore when the Messenger comes for them, the Butler's Heart leaps for joy he was to be preferred; but the Baker thought of nothing but dreadful Execution that was presignified: Just thus shall it be with the Wicked and the Godly; the Sign of the Son of Man shall be comfortable to the Godly, but it shall be as a flame of Fire, and devouring Burnings, dreadful and formidable to the Wicked, whose Execution and final Judgment now draws near. So much for the Preparation.

Certainly some Sign there shall be, that shall make the World fall a Mourning. And it is notable, that these Preparations and Beams of Majesty are sometimes exprest by Light, and sometimes by Fire; by Light, to note the comfortableness of it to the Godly; it is as the Light of the Sun, which doth not scorch, but refresh and revive, and chear the Heart: Light is comfortable. But then at other times it is represented by Fire; 2 Thess. 1.8. it is said, The Son of Man shall come in flaming Fire; or, as the Apostle's word is, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, in Fire all a flame, to shew the dreadfulness of his Appearance to the Wicked. Look, as Ioseph told the Butler and the Baker, what Pharaoh would do to them, hang the one, and exalt the other; therefore when the Messenger comes for them, the Butler's Heart leaps for joy he was to be preferred; but the Baker thought of nothing but dreadful Execution that was presignified: Just thus shall it be with the Wicked and the Godly; the Sign of the Son of Man shall be comfortable to the Godly, but it shall be as a flame of Fire, and devouring Burnings, dreadful and formidable to the Wicked, whose Execution and final Judgment now draws near. So much for the Preparation.