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

Suppose that this very day were the day of Judgment; and in this very Church were the Judgment seat: that here were a great white Throne, and the Lord Jesus Christ himself sitting upon it in his glory, with millions of holy Angels about him, and all the Saints in white at his right hand: and on his left, all the wicked gathered together into one body, as it will be at the last day: And the Judge should cry with a loud voice, Bring the prisoners to the Bay, Bring the sinners to judgment, and so summon and convict particular sinners.

1. Come forth all ye ignorant persons: who have not known the Father, nor me, nor the mysteries of salvation, however clearly revealed in my Word; who lived in darkness, and loved darkness, and hated the light, least your deed▪ should thereby have been reproved: What dark in a […] ignorant in London! in a place of so much knowledge and instruction! Did not Parents teach you when you were young? how is it that you would not be taught? If Parents neglected to instruct you, had you not Ministers, […] were ready to do it? How is it that you have not […]? If knowledge did not offer it self to you, why did you not seek after it? why did not you learn of your selves? was there any thing in the world that did concern you more to know? was not the knowledge of me, and my ways, […] the looking after? had you a capacity for other knowledge, and not for this? have not others learnt, who were naturally ⟨p. 70⟩as dull, and had as few helps, as you? had you time to spend about other things, in sports and sins, and not time to spend in getting knowledge? had you an ear, and yet not hear, so as to learn? had you an eye, and yet see so as to understand? And if you were naturally blind, had not I eyesalve? could not I have opened your eyes? was I not willing? did I not stand in the gates to call upon you, How long ye simple ones will you love simplicity? and fools hate knowledge: Turn unto me, and I will pour out my Spirit upon you, and make known my words unto you? Prov. •.22,24 Have you neglected me through ignorance, is not your fault double, because you have neglected knowledge too? have you committed many sins through ignorance, is not this an aggravation of your sin did not you hate knowledge, and therefore dis-regarded it? did not you love sin, and therefore shunned the light, which would have discovered it, and disturbed you in your wicked courses? have you liked darkness so well, and is it not fit then that you should go to the place where there is blackness of darkness for ever? Take them Devils bind them hand and foot.