§. Sect. 4 The last means is, to meditate often on the day of Iudge∣ment.
The last meanes, which I will heere touch, is, that we often meditate vpon that great and terrible Day of the Lord, when hee shall come with * 1.1 thousands of his holy Saints and Angels to iudge both the quicke and the dead; when as we must all appeare before the Iudgement seate of Christ, that euery man may receiue the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Of which Day, because we are vncertaine when it will be, we should alwayes keepe our spirituall watch, that we may, when∣soeuer Christ commeth, be found ready. And this vse our Sauiour him∣selfe maketh of his assured and yet vncertaine comming: Of that day and * 1.2 houre (saith he) knoweth no man, no not the Angels which are in heauen, nei∣ther the sonne, but the Father onely: Take yee heed therefore, watch and pray; for yee know not when the time is; lest comming suddenly, he finde you sleeping. So likewise the Apostle Peter; The end of all things is at hand, be yee there∣fore * 1.3 sober, and watch vnto prayer. And surely, if wee would but seriously consider with what rauishing ioy at that Day the hearts of all those shall be possessed, who, like wise and faithfull seruants, shall be found watching and waiting for the comming of their Lord, when as hee who hath pro∣nounced * 1.4 them blessed already, shall then enter them into the full fruition of blessednesse, and make them ioynt-owners of all that hee hath, the vn∣speakeable ioyes, inestimable riches, and triumphant glory of his King∣dome; and on the other side, with what shame and confusion of face, vexa∣tion of spirit, and horrour of conscience, they shall bee plagued and tor∣mented, who with the euill seruant haue securely gone on in their sinnes, and haue vtterly neglected the spirituall watch, hoping that the Masters comming was farre off; wee would be mooued heereby to shake off all carnall security, and thinke no care and diligence too great in keeping this watch, that wee may not bee taken vnprouided and vnprepared at the comming of our Lord. And these are the meanes, which if we care∣fully vse, will much helpe vs in keeping this watch. But let vs take heed that wee doe not rest wholly or chiefly vpon our owne watchfulnesse; see∣ing when we haue done all we can, wee shall with the wise Virgins bee ouertaken sometimes with drowzinesse, and intermit our watch; but see∣ing if the Lord, the great Watchman of Israel, who neuer slumbreth nor sleepeth, doe not watch ouer the house of our earthly Tabernacle and City * 1.5 of our soules, all our watching is but in vaine, let vs often and instantly pray vnto him, that hee will continually watch ouer vs, and inable vs with his * 1.6 grace and holy Spirit, to watch ouer our selues and waite vpon him; know∣ing assuredly, that if hee giue ouer his watch, and leaue vs to our owne, we shall soone be ouertaken of carnall security, and fall into the dangerous Lethargy of sinne and death.