Ver. 5, 6. xxvth Chapter of St. MA T T HEW. 37 firings for you; that fill up that which is behind of the aßlidions of Chrift in the fleli, for his bodies fake, which is his Church. Not as if Chrifts perfonal Sufferings fur the Redemption of Sinners were imperfe &, and fo to be fiipplyed by the fuflerings of others : No ; 'eis meant of Chrift myftical. So the fufferings are not perfeEt, or filled up, till every Member of his Body endure their allotted portion and (hare. This Cup goeth by courfe, and round : Chrift firft, we next. It goeth from hand to hand, while the World continueth. Yam. I. 4. Let patience have ai perfet`t work. That cannot be, but under great and long troubles. And as it is for the exer- cife of our patience, fo to awaken our defires. 2 Pet. 12. Looking for, and haRen- ing. to the conning of the day of God. Haften it by your Prayers .; and further the great works that are to be done before. God will not beftow Heaven upon us as we lay on gilding and fair colours on wood ór ftone, that have no feat of it, nor. delire of it ; but we muff firft groan, Rom. 8. 23. Thirdly, His coming at Midnight. He rarryed fomewhat beyond the feafon, to thew that he would come unhooked for. °ferom faith, It was an ancient Traditi- on, that Chrift fhould come at midnight; and therefore in the Vigil, or watch be- fore Eager, anciently they were not wont to be Pent away: till midnight. But of that day and hour knoweth no man. 'Tis put for an unexpe&ed time : as zech. 13. 9. At evening it fhallbe light. Chrift cometh when he is leaft expeEted, when the World groweth fecure, and his own people weary with looking : His coming is often compa- red in Scripture to the coming of a Thief in the night. r Thef. 5. a. For ye your (elves know perfee'ly, that the day of the Lord cometh eo a thief in the night : byway of fu rprize. The Thief doth not make appointment, nor forewarn the good man of the Houle. Luk. 12. 46. The Lord of thole fervants ¡call come in a day that he looketh not for him. Now God hideth this day from us, 1. To Phew his Sovereignty. Prov. 25. 2. The glory of God is to conceal a thing e There are Arcaica Imperii ; and the time and feafòn of his coming to Judgment is one of Gods fecrets. . 2. That we might aiwayes keep ready. Rev. 3. 3. Remember therefore how thou half received, and heard ; and hold fait, and repent. If therefore thou fhalt .not watch, I well come on thee as a Thief . and thou kalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. And Rev. 16. a 5. Behold P come as a thief ; blued is he that watcheth. afar would never let his Souldiers know his refolution for Battle osier, or the removal of his Camp,.'Ut paratum v" intenttru moment-is omnibus quo vellet gam; educeret; That they might be always in a ready pofture. So Clrrift'y coming at the laft day will be by way of furprizal, that he may have us always ready. Had it been expedient for us to know, he would have told us of it. Men will fay, if they knew juft the hour, and the day, they would be found praying. But you fhould always watch and be ready, becaufe you know not the hoar. Would our prepara- tion be haftened think you ? No ; vre fhould fay as they, Ifs. 22. 13. And behold Joy andgladnfs, flaying of r)xen, and killing of Sheep, eating' AA, sod drinktrng wine. Let as eat and drink; for to morrow we (hall die. And r Cor. 15. 32. Let us eat and drink, for to narrow we (hall d.e. Therefore Chrift will chufe his own time. Fourthly, I come to fpeak of the Cry made. The Cry is the means whereby God rouzeth them up out of this (lumber: Chrift fendeth his- cry to awaken Souls before his coming. This Cry is twofold. (1.) The more remote Cry ; which is for the rouzing of particular perlons in all Ages : And that is the voice of the Miniftry of the Word. Thus Chrift at his firlt coming had a Cryer went before him to alarm the World, and prepare them for his reception ; and that was ohn the Bapti&t ; The voice of one crying in the wildernefs. So Rill before his fecond coming he path fome to rail acry. The cry of the Word is often froken of in Scripture: Prov. 1.24. I cryed to them, and they would not hear. So Ifa. 58.1. Cry aloud, lift up thy voice like a trumpet. And 'tis the great means to awaken us out of our fecurity. All Gods faithful Ser- vants in all ages, have been crying, The Lord is at hand. Our work is to rouze up the hearts of men, that they may be prepared more and more for the joyful receiving of Chrift at his corning. We fhould not keep ftlence, nor deal fleepily. 'Tis a convincing powerful word that is a cry : and it is your duty to be awakened by the cry. If this word be not entertained, he bath his Rod : Pfal. a. 5. 'Then (hall he fpeak to them in his wrath, and vex the$a in his fore difpleafure. So Mic. 6. g; The voice of the Lord cryeth unto the City; and the man of wifdome (hall fee thy name, Year
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