Christ's certain and sudden appearance to judgment. By Thomas Vincent, sometime Minister of Maudlins…

1. Godly Ministers, will be the accusers and witnesses against the wicked. Ministers must give an account▪ then to their Lord of the souls which he committed to their charge. Heb. 13. 17. And in some of their Flock they will rejoice, because their testimony concerning Jesus Christ was •••eved; because the Gospel which they preached amongst ••em was obeyed: because the Word was received as the Word of God, they will rejoice in them which have been effectually wrought upon by then Ministry; in those which they have been instrumental to regenerate and espouse unto Jesus Christ; to persuade to leave their sins, and submit themselves unto the yoke and Sceptre of the Lord; such will be the joy and crown of rejoicing to their Ministers on that day; of whom with unspeakable comfort they will say to their Lord, Behold the ⟨p. 64⟩Children which thou hast given us, Thine they were and are, and thou didst give them unto us, and they have believed and kept thy ••ord; and now as they have shared in thy Grace, let them and us share in, and participate of thy Glory. But alas! what a sad account will they have to give of others of their Flock, who have not believed and yielded obedience to the Gospel, which they have preached; it will be sad for them, when they must bring in heavy accusations against them. Lord thou didst send us upon thy E••assage unto them; but they regarded neither Messenger, nor Message; we preached often in thy Name, but either they would not hear when they might, or they would not believe and yield obedience when they heard: we oft told them of their sins, and foretold them of their danger, if they did not repent and reform; but they would not receive conviction, nor be persuaded to repentance and reformation; if we spake of sin more generally, they did look upon themselves as concerned, and made no Application, except it were to others: if we come more home and close, they shrouded their sins as close as they could under the Veil of some thin excuses: they shut their eyes and would not see: and if the beams of light brake in upon them, and in a start they open their eyes a little: they were either offended, that we should disturb them in their sleep, or they quickly shut their ees again, and dropped asleep faster than before: and soon wore off the convictions and troubles of mind which sometimes they have had under the light and alarm of thy word.