The Midnight-Cry A SERMON PREACHED On the PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS Watch therefore for you know not the Day nor the Hour when the Son of Man cometh St. Mark 13. 35. By J. M. M. A. Rector of W in the County of B The Fourth Edition with the Addition of two Hymns the coming of Christ By the same Author London Printed for Nathanael Ranew at the King's Arms in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1692. The Epistle Dedicatory TO All the sincere Lovers of Sion THE Apostle hath an Observation that they which sleep sleep in the Night and the dreadful frame is suited to the state of ignorant and benighted Souls but that they who are of the Day though they do not sleep as do others should slumber in the Light is justly wonderful The Spouse saith she slept but her Heart waked but the sadness of our case is that our Hearts are asleep When the Son of Man comes indeed shall he find Faith on the Earth As the People of God by Persecution have been at their wits-Wits-end so by the long delay of Deliverance they are almost at their faiths-Faiths-end and they that have obtained Faith in the Cross find it difficult to attain to Faith in the Kingdom It is worth a serious Enquiry why the Doctrine of Christ's Kingdom hath met with so cold a Reception especially when as the time of the End draws near many have ran to and fro i.e. by comparing Scripture with Scripture for which the following Discourse is so highly valuable and Knowledg in these things is much increased Our Blindness I conceive is but too much caused by the Dust that hath been raised by some who have driven furiously in by-paths amongst whom I reckon those most blame-worthy who have advanced Phancy so far above Faith as to run into carnal Notions of sensual Enjoyments more suited to a Turkish Paradise than the Kingdom of Christ their Carnality hath made this Doctrine to grate in a Christian's Ears to whom one Hour's Communion with God is preferred above all the Pleasures that the World can afford The next to these are they who have drawn or wire-drawn strang Consequences from this Doctrine to establish seditious Principle and Practices against the Powers that be whereby some hae gone beyond the filthy Dreamers who despised Dominions and spake evil of Dignities To these we may adjoin some greaâ— and good Men of whose Works many have complained that thy have darkned instead of enlightning their Eyes when they have too considently asserted the personal Presence of Christ on Earth for a thousand Years whereas it is not said that Christ shall reign with the Saints but that they shall reign with him then even as they suffer with him now but especially when they have retended to determine Day and Hour and so by their frequent Mistakes and Disappointments have exposed Themselves and heir Labours to Contempt Let us then take the Doctrine as refined from all this Dross and it will appear pure Gold The â—nly doubt is whether the asserting the Nearness of this bright Day be not equivalent to a fixing the Day and Hour and on the same Account dangerous I humbly conceive that the Scripture doth abâ—ndantly make the difference in which we are not only forbidden to pry into Secrets which the Father has in his own Power but we are commanded to go by Scripture-Signs that as no Man knows the one viz. the Day and Hour so when we see such and such things come to pass all may know the other viz. the Nearness of it I desire to be ashamed of my own Darkness and Vileness that I have not attained to that Evidence and Perswasion of our being now come to the time of the End that I know some of the dear People of God have arrived unto But I bless God for what I have seen and I could wish I had words to declare it to the World that they who live in the daily Expectation of the coming of Christ are the most lively zealous Christians that ever I have known or heard of in these latter Days the wonderful Impressions which they have upon their Spirits about it are soul-ravishing inflaming their Hearts with Love to him They are Soul-replenishing that they even overflow and run over in all their Discourse with the most affectionate speaking of Christ and for him whereby they are rendred some of the most useful Saints upon Earth and whereas all Enthusiastical Opinions are wont to puff up these Impressions have tended to make them the most humble and lowly Christians that ever I came near As the Generality of Christians are without these Expectations so by woful Experience we know how cold we are in our Hearts and Lives in our Converse and Families We stand in need of the Notes of some Boanerges some such awakening Discourse as is here presented to you Though we come behind other Christians as to the Plerophory they are raised up to yet by Grace we are assured that the Lord is not slack as some count Slackness We abhor the Malignity of the Scoffers that say Where is the Promise of his Coming We fully know that he that shall come will come in his own time and will not tarry This is enough to rouse us from our Security and to make us prize a Discourse that is more than ordinarily suited to the awakening of a drousy World This is enough to make us more fervent when we pray with the Church THAT THE KINGDOM OF THY DEAR SON MAY COME QUICKLY AND THAT ALL HIS ENEMIES BEING MADE HIS FOOTSTOOL HE WHO IS THE LORD OF LORDS AND KING OF KINGS MAY REIGN TO ALL THE ENDS OF THE EARTH Though I am engaged by Promise to say nothing of the Author which indeed is not necessary in any place where his Name is known yet I take it to be a point of Justice to him and to the World to say thus much of his Work that this Sermon was preached in a Country-Church I am perswaded without the least Design of being made Publick and that the Copy was written out and sent to the Press though not without the leave yet in the Absence of the Author so that the Judicious will easily believe with what Advantage it would have come forth if it had been on purpose prepared for publick view and the Copy had been corrected by the Author 's own Hand Vpon the whole seeing the Author has withdrawn his Name you must ascribe all the Praise to the Grace and Assistance of our coming Saviour and all the Faults to the poor Publisher who having nothing of his own worth offering is glad that he has credit enough to borrow such a Piece to cast into the Treasury and does only beg this great Bounty That when any Souls are raised into a lively frame by this Sermon and are blessing God for the Author they would also put up one Prayer or Groan for the quickning of him who was instrumental of conveying it unto
them R. M. Newly Printed PRactical Discourses concerning Death and Heaven discovering the great Necessity of speedy Preparation for Death the Danger of neglecting or delaying Such Preparations with Reasons and Arguments to enforce the practice of it and Directions for the right Management thereof Also the Excellency Glory and Happiness of Heaven opened and explained as the Portion of all true Believers after Death with Motives and Encouragements unto all Christians to secure to themselves an Interest therein Sold by Nathaniel Ranew at the King ' s-Arms in St. Paul ' s Church-yard A SERMON On St. MAT. 25. 1 2 to 13. Then shall the Kingdom of Heaven be likened to ten Virgins which took their Lamps and went forth to meet the Bridegroom And five of them were wise and five were foolish They that were foolish took their Lamps and took no Oil with them But the wise took Oil in their Vessels with their Lamps While the Bridegroom tarried they all slumber'd and slept And at Midnight there was a Cry made Behold the Bridegroom cometh go you out to meet him Then all those Virgins arose and trimmed their Lamps And the foolish said unto the Wise Give us of your Oil for our Lamps are gone out But the wise answered saying Not so lest there be not enough for us and you but go you rather to them that sell and buy for your selves And whilst they went to buy the Bridegroom came and they that were ready went in with him to the Marriage and the Door was shut Afterward came also the other Virgins saying Lord Lord open to us But he answered and said Verily I say unto you I know you not Watch therefore for ye know neither the Day nor the Hour wherein the Son of Man cometh HERE is an awful Parable and it is Christ's Parable and surely you should very much desire that none of you nor yours should be of these foolish Virgins The Door is shut some shut in and some shut out either you will be shut in or out It mightily concerns us all And if we would know the meaning we must have our Saviour's Key Ver. 13. Watch therefore for you know neither the Day nor the Hour when the Son of Man cometh Quest. The great Question is What is meant by the coming of the Son of Man Answ. 1. In the first place when any one dieth the Son of Man cometh to that Man The Body's Dying-day is the Soul's Dooms-day There is a particular Judgment and then the Soul is either shut into Heaven or shut out of Heaven The Parable may be applied to this and this agrees with other Scriptures And the Doctrine raised from it is That Death to a Saint is the Soul's Marriage to Christ and to a Sinner is the Soul 's everlasting Divorce from Christ. 2. The Son of Man cometh to judg the Quick and the Dead It is an Article of our Belief that we must adhere to There will be a Separation the Sheep aud the Goats parted These shall go away into everlasting Punishment cry to God that it may not be your Portion nor the Portion of your Children but the Righteous into Life Eternal 3. But the proper immediate Sense is seen by the Context You often read of the Coming of the Son of Man in the foregoing Chapter and the Discourse is continued in this Chapter St. Mat. 24 27. So shall the Coming of the Son of Man be Ver. 30. They shall see the Son of Man come in the Clouds Ver. 37. 39. You have the same words Ver. 42 44. You know not what Hour the Son of Man cometh Still the Question is What the meaning of this should be These things are spoken in the Answer to the Disciples Question Ver. 3. Tell us when shall these things be and what shall be the Sign of thy Coming and of the End of the World Here are three Questions 1. When shall these things be viz. When there shall not be left one Stone upon another in the Temple 2. What is the Sign of thy Coming What is the Sign of the End of the World Our Saviour answers to these three Questions distinctly He speaks to the Destruction of Jerusalem from ver 4 to v. 27. Then to the Signs of his Coming ver 27. this is carried on throughout that Chapter and a great way into this 25th especially as far as this Parable goes For in the Application ver 13. he is upon the same Subject viz. The Coming of the Son of Man Then in the Conclusion he speaks to the End of the World But of what sort of Coming of the Son of Man is it You must compare Text with Text and Place with Place Turn to Daniel 7. there you read of the Coming of the Son of Man and I remember not whether the Phrase be used in the Old Testament before this place Ver. 13. I saw in the Night-Visions one like the Son of Man came in the Clouds of Heaven He appeared to Daniel as the Son of Man and he appeared coming in the Clouds of Heaven Compare this with Mat. 24. 30. And they shall see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven Now go on in Daniel He came to the Ancient of Days i.e. to God the Father And there was given him Dominion and Glory and a Kingdom that all People Nations and Languages should serve him His Dominion is an Everlasting Dominion which shall not pass away Here is one like the Son of Man that receives a Kingdom This must be in this World for in the End of the World the Son gives up the Kingdom to the Father 1 Cor. 15. 24. Christ has a Kingdom in this World and all People Nations and Languages serve him That as all People Nations and Languages serv'd Nebuchadnezzar c. so now the People of several Countries shall serve Christ. His Dominion is an Everlasting Dominion his Dominion such as shall never pass away i.e. not as other Kingdoms have done before He had shewn how the Babylonian Persian c. Kingdoms past away but this Kingdom doth not pass away Now see Rev. 11. 15. The seventh Angel sounded and there were great Voices in Heaven saying The Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ. The Kingdoms of the World are not in this special sense the Kingdoms of Christ now but they become so when the seventh Angel sound i.e. When the Times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled Christ will have a Kingdom in this World As the Lord liveth he will reign here upon the Earth and his Enemies shall be slain before him He will cut his way through to his Kingdom by slaying Millions of Blasphemers Swearers Sabbath-breakers c. Here are Thunders and Ligtnings and a great Earthquake such as was not since Men were upon the Earth so mighty an Earthquake and so great Rev. 16. 18. Such a Change as never was before If thou art a Swearer a Drunkard a Devil
prophetical Book and these are prophetical Epistles The Epistle before is to Thyatria i.e. the Church under Popery Then comes in the Reformation and that is in the Epistle to Sardis Then comes Philadelphia when the Jews are converted Now I speak to them that are spiritually wise Can here be an apter Character of us Thou hast a Name to live Oh! we are of the Church and for the Church but thou art dead they hear but they are dead pray but are dead receive Sacraments but are dead Dreadful but true there is no Life left They that have a little Life are sensible of it Three things are spoken of Sardis Thou hast a Name to live and art dead Remember therefore how thou hast received they have forgotten the Doctrines received in the Reformation and repent noting the Corruptions in manners They are dead in Worship decayed in Doctrine defective in Manners There was Life but what a formal People are we become Here has been sound Doctrine but how has Arminianism overspread the Land And for Corruptions in Manners O that my Head were Waters and mine Eyes Fountains of Tears to bewail the Debauchery of the Land And since the Hand of God has been lifted up amongst us People have had seven Spirits in them worse than before more of Malignity and Envy at the People of God than ever What will this come to ver 4. I will come on thee as a Thief and thou shalt not know what Hour I will come upon thee As the Lord liveth it will be so Yea the wise Virgins cannot excuse themselves How canst thou say thou art not dead Jer. 2. 23. You 'll say it is our Grief we are so dead It is well it is your Grief then it shall not be your Ruin How dead are many with respect to Christ's Kingdom There are many Christians that scarce think of it Others allow that such a State will be but if you speak of it in its Noon-tide Glory the wonderful and abiding Presence of God the Immunities and Priviledges of the Saints they cannot believe it will rise so high Tell them it will be Kingdom of God that there will be no more Death Death being put for Pestilence or Persecution nor Sorrow nor Crying nor Pain for so saith the Scripture Rev. 21. 4. tell them of the high frame that the People of God will be in when God himself is the Temple you cannot perswade them of it and tell them that all this is near who thinks of it Christ is about it and he protests he is coming quickly yet the precious People of God do not think of this It is a dead sleepy time If the Children of Israel will not believe what will become of Pharaoh It is Midnight-Sleep If there be a great Noise in a Room on one side and on the other and a Man asleep in the middle you 'll say it is a Midnight-Sleep indeed How did our Fathers weep over the Palatinate when it was but a light stroke But we have had Thundrings and Lightnings and we are slumbering What a Noise is there in Flanders and in Ireland and we in England between them are asleep 〈◊〉 Ministers come with a Call to repent to humble your selves you must be serious or you 'll never be saved Call upon Call and there is no Answer It is a sign you are asleep put this amongst the Signs that Christ is near We cannot say Christ comes this Night or Next The Day and Hour knoweth no Man but it is hear when you see such things come to pass Such a Blow given the Turks Rev. 11. 14. Such an Earthquake and Division of the Papal World Rev. 16. 18. Such a Conspiracy of two Popish Kings to give up their Kingdom to the Beast again Rev. 17. 17. Such a Tribulation on the People of God Mat. 24. 29. then the Lord will be here wonderful quickly he comes with infinite speed as he lives he loves as he loves he comes as he comes he comes quickly All the World will be convinc'd that he comes wonderful quickly The Signs are The Nations are shaken The Devil is roaring The Turks are falling Envy is boiling The Papists are raging The Elect are crying To which we may add The Virgins are sleeping and The Lord is coming And they say It will be a great while first but they slander the Footsteps of God's Anointed He saith Surely I come quickly and it was his parting Word Do you not perceive that the Lord is about his Work the World is in that posture that it was to be in just before the Appearance of Christ. You 'll say Why then do not People believe it Why they are asleep and it is a Midnight-Sleep But here will be a loud Cry Doct. 2. They that are under the Midnight-Slumber shall be awakened by a Midnight-Cry Here will be a Midnight-Cry in the Land I beseech you observe it The Virgins are Protestants and Protestants slumbering and sleeping this is before the Downfal of Babylon that they are awakened This thing will be thundered into the Consciences of drouzy Protestants and they that will not see shall see But what is this Midnight-Cry See Exod. 12. 29 30. It came to pass that at Midnight the Lord smote all the First-born of Egypt And there was a great CRY in Egypt Here is a Cry and a great Cry and an awakening Cry and they lie in their Beds till this great Cry but then they are called up Pharaoh arose in the Night He and all his Servants and all the Egyptians Why did they go to Bed Because they were carnally secure God had told them of it before Chap. 11. 4 5 6. About Midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt and there shall be a Cry c. God speaks this to the Protestant Lands There will be a Midnight-Cry and all will be awakened So it will be in England Rev. 3. 3. Sardis represents the Protestant Churches and particularly this I will come on thee like a Thief c. I will come Who shall stop him then It will certainly be so His Coming will be like that of a Thief sudden certain formidable surprizing The Thief cometh not but for to steal and to kill and to destroy This is you 'll say if they do not watch Ay who watcheth And mind Thou hast a few Names even in Sardis there are but few that escape The Midnight-Cry doth signify a terrible Judgment on the Protestants a great Tribulation which will be by the Papists Rev. 11. 2. The outer Court is given to the Gentiles i. e. the Papists You believe that Babylon will fall and you pray for it But how will it fall Why upon a Provocation that she will give Rev. 18. 6. Reward her as she hath rewarded you and double unto her double In the Cup which she hath filled fill to her double Out of this Land will go forth the Faithful Called and Chosen together with the People of