Christs coming opened in a sermon before the honourable house of commons in Margaret's…

This Doctrine looks wishly upon two sorts of people, Answ. such as he doth come against, and such as he doth come for.

This Doctrine lookes wishly upon two sorts of people, Answ. such as he doth come against, and such as he doth come for.

Some foolish virgins there are whom Christ comes against, and these he will come upon at midnight, take them in their beds, when they are fast asleep in their sin, and are most secure. Ye have heard of the lamentation of Norwich; there was a generation of men that rose up and threatened to destroy the godly Party there; but the Lord so ordered things in his providence, that those whom they threatened to destroy, were preserved, and the destroyers perished; nigh two or three hundred (if relations be right) blown up with powder, or spoiled, and three godly families, consisting of about twenty persons, in several rooms of the house that was blown up, were all preserved, and not a bone of them broken, whilst the other flew up into the air, as spectacles of divine anger, as if God should speak from Heaven, these are the people whom I would have preserved, and those are the people, that I would have punished. But ah! poor destroyed souls who perished in the thunder of Gods anger, ⟨p. 12⟩did they ever think that Christ would have come upon them at such a midnight? Here is a great deliverance and victory that is now before the: If relations speak true, two thousand and five hundred, putting to flight eight thousand of the enemy, fifteen hundred slain, three thousand taken prisoners, and the rest scattered: But ah! poor deceived people who made this insurrection? did they ever think that Christ would have come so suddenly, in such a time, at midnight upon them? Consider all your wars, and hath not Christ come at midnight all along? Christ is in the way to his Kingdom, and every step he takes shall be midnight; both unto those he comes for, and those that he comes against; but woe to them whom he doth come against, it is a dreadful thing to be cut off suddenly, and surprised in our sins. This is a judgment threatened on the latter day, Christ will come quickly, be quick with men in a way of judgment: as a thief in the night will he come, when poor foolish virgins shall be fast asleep.