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

1. The believing Husband will then accuse and witness against his unbelieving Wife. Lord, she lay in my bosom, and was beloved of me as my self: I cherished her, and was as tender of her as my own flesh, according to thy command but all my love and kindness to her could not win her heart for thee: I told her often of thy beauty, and thy love which was a thousand fold beyond what• or any man alive could possibly express: but she was stupid and unbelieving, and wholly disregarded both thy Person and thy Love: I covered her faults with love, as much as I could, from others: and used many entreaties and loving persuasions to draw her to amendment: telling her the danger and destructive issue of a sinful course, but she would not hearken to amend, her heart was set upon sin and vanity, she was proud and foolish, she was wanton and froward, and would not be reclaimed she did see my grief and sorrow for sin, she was a witness to my •ears and mournful complaints: and yet she could bear up under greater guilt without any sense: she did see me often retire into my closet, and knew that I spent time daily between me and thee alone: and yet, though her need was as great, she would not be persuaded to an imitation: I have often in the secret silent night, when sleep hath fled from both our eyes, taken advantage of such opportunities to discourse with her about her soul-affairs told her of the sleep of death which ere long would sei• upon us: the night we must •••nd in the grave: of the morning of the resurrection: of thy second coming, and our appearing before thy Tribunal Seat, but nothing would quicken her to make preparation for death▪ and Judgment, she heard as if she were asleep, as indeed she was asleep whilst awake, and dead whilst she was alive, asleep and dead in sin and security.

1. The believing Husband will then accuse and witness against his unbelieving Wife. Lord, she lay in my bosom, and was beloved of me as my self: I cherished her, and was as tender of her as my own flesh, according to thy command but all my love and kindness to her could not win her heart for thee: I told her often of thy beauty, and thy love which was a thousand fold beyond what• or any man alive could possibly express: but she was stupid and unbelieving, and wholly disregarded both thy Person and thy Love: I covered her faults with love, as much as I could, from others: and used many entreaties and loving perswasions to draw her to amendment: telling her the danger and destructive issue of a sinful course, but she would not hearken to amend, her heart was set upon sin and vanity, she was proud and foolish, she was wanton and froward, and would not be reclaimed she did see my grief and sorrow for sin, she was a witness to my ears and mournful complaints: and yet she could bear up under greater guilt without any sense: she did see me often retire into my closet, and knew that I spent time dayly between me and thee alone: and yet, though her need was as great, she would not be perswaded to an imitation: I have often in the secret silent night, when sleep hath fled from both our eyes, taken advantage of such opportunities to discourse with her about her soul-affairs told her of the sleep of death which ere long would sei upon us: the night we must nd in the grave: of the morning of the resurrection: of thy second coming, and our appearing before thy Tribunal Seat, but nothing would quicken her to make preparation for death and Judgment, she heard as if she were asleep, as indeed she was asleep whilst awake, and dead whilst she was alive, asleep and dead in sin and security.