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

Thus will it be at the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to judgement, his coming will be sudden and unexpected: the wicked of the earth will be eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage; they will be as sensual & sinful, and as secure withal, as they are at this day; they are told frequently, by the preaching of the word, that the day of Judgement is appointed, and that it hasteneth greatly; that the Lord Jesus Christ will come, and that he will come quickly; but they want faith to believe it, and therefore they do not expect it, nor fear it, nor prepare for it: It is said, Luke 18. •. When the Son of Man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? Some interpret this place as spoken not of Christs second personal coming to judgment; but of his coming in a way of eminent deliverance of his people from the cruelty and oppression of their enemies, which will be so strange and unexpected, because they shall be brought so low, insomuch that there will hardly be faith in any to believe a deliverance. Others interpret this place, as speaking of Christs last appearance to judgment; that the earth will then be generally secure▪ and that wicked men, and unbelievers, and oppressors of Gods people will abound, & that true believers will be rare, and very hardly to be sound: I shall not determine which is the true sense of the place, but sure I am the wicked will be many, and very secure at the day of Christ's appearance; though the wicked be forewarned of this day, yet they do not believe this thing, than which nothing is more certain; the wicked, which are mingled amongst Gods people, think strange that they do not run with them unto the same excess of riot; they look upon them as no better than fools, and people besides themselves, when they see them deny themselves, sleight the pleasures and profits, and vanities of the world, and are so solicitous above all other things to prepare and Ark for the saving of their souls, to get an interest in Jesus Christ, typified by the Ark, that under his shelter they may be defended from the storm of Gods wrath, which shall beat upon the head of the wicked at the last day. The wicked do expect Christ's coming no more than the old world did the Flood in the •••yes of Noah.

Thus will it be at the second comming of the Lord Jesus Christ to judgement, his coming will be sudden and unexpected: the wicked of the earth will be eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage; they will be as sensual & sinful, and as secure withal, as they are at this day; they are told frequently, by the preaching of the word, that the day of Judgement is appointed, and that it hastneth greatly; that the Lord Jesus Christ will come, and that he will come quickly; but they want faith to believe it, and therefore they do not expect it, nor fear it, nor prepare for it: It is said,