think one is, because the feast of tabernacles had been more neglected than other feasts; for upon the coming out of Babylon, in Neh. viii. it is said, they had not kept that feast from the time of Joshua the son of Nun to that day, which was almost a thousand years. Now the Holy Ghost seeing what degenerations there would be in our latter times, and losings and neglectings of ordinances, he saith here, that then they shall keep the feast of tabernacles: that is, in the expression of the Jews, observe those ordinances especially, which had been most defaced and forgotten. But I keep to the words of Scripture.

Christ shall come in the clouds again, when the poor Jews shall see him, and those which are called, Forsaken, shall be called, Beloved, the King's bride; when the fulness of the Gentiles shall be come in, when Christ himself shall set up his kingdom in the world, his regnum potentiæ, not patientiæ, when he shall rule from sea to sea, when he shall come, not riding upon an ass' colt, but in the clouds, with thousands of angels ministering unto him. When foolish virgins shall be shut out from his glory, and the wise professor taken in. And in the meanwhile, though our Lord and Saviour Christ seem to forsake the churches for the present, yet he will come again unto them with delivering and conquering mercy : "Behold, I come quickly, hold fast that which thou hast," Rev. iii.*

But how may it appear that Christ will come at midnight? I shall give you a taste of it in all his comings, because there is the same Spirit in one as in another.

For his spiritual coming. When Christ comes first with his converting grace, and causes his converting mercy to pass upon any soul, then he doth come at midnight. "God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceives it not; in a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon man, in slumberings upon the bed: then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction," Job xxxiii. 14, 15, 16. When a man is fast asleep in his sins, little thinks of any good, unless it be to oppose it, then Christ comes and seals

* Read 2 Esdras xiii. which though it be apocryphal, and the lowest of the Apocrypha, being written in Latin, yet of great antiquity, cited by Cyprian, Jerome, Austin, Clemens Alexandrinus, and divers others.

on some instruction upon his soul. Thus he doth come at midnight.

Again, When Christ comes with his comforting mercy, and causes his comforting grace to pass upon a man's heart, then he doth come at midnight, in an hour and time when he doth least expect him. "I sought him (says the spouse) but I found him not. I sought him on my bed (in private), and found him not. I sought him in the streets (in the public ordinances), but I found him not. It was but a little that I passed from the watchmen, but I found him whom my soul loveth." Then and there she finds him, where she looked not for him, and did not expect him. Ps. xlii. 6, 7, 8, says David, "O my God, my soul is cast down within me." Here is trouble, sorrow and heaviness. "All thy waves have gone over me," ver. 7. Here is more. Yet, saith he, ver. 8, "The Lord will command his loving kindness in the day time, and in the night his songs shall be with me." It is God's ordinary title, "The Lord our Maker, who giveth songs in the night," Job xxxv. We read of Master Robert Glover, mentioned by Master Fox in the Book of Martyrs, that though he were a man very gracious and holy, faithfully bearing witness to the truth; yet it pleased God to withdraw himself and presence from him, insomuch that he was greatly distressed while he was in prison: and opening himself to his friend, told him how God had left him and deserted him. His friend exhorted him still for to wait on God, which he laboured to do; and the night before his execution, spent much of that time in prayer. Yet no comfort came, no manifestations of the presence of Christ. The next day he was drawn out to the stake for to die for the truth, and as he went, he mourned much for the presence of Christ; but when he came in the sight of the stake, it pleased God so to fill his heart and soul with comfort and the incomes of his love, that he cried out unto his friend, Oh, Austin, he is come, he is come, he is come! This good man was in the dark a great while, but when in the darkest time, then Christ came. Christ comes at midnight, when he doth come with comfort.

And, when Christ comes with outward delivering mercy to a person or people, then he doth come at midnight also. It is said of Israel, that they went out of Egypt at midnight.

God had promised deliverance a long time before, and they did all expect it; but who would have expected it at such a time as that was? And if ye look into that last chapter of Zechariah, we shall find that the great deliverance of the churches, promised, is to be "in one day, which shall be known to the Lord, not day nor night, but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light," ver. 7. Who would expect light at evening? All expect darkness at evening time. But at evening, when we look most for darkness, God hath promised this great light.

And for Christ coming at the last, ye know what he says, "I will come in an hour when ye look not for me." And for this great deliverance and victory which the Lord hath now given unto you, was it not at midnight? Consider with yourselves a little, remember the days of your former troubles, and were you ever in a more dark condition; were ye not all benighted; when were your enemies more high and lofty; when were your friends more down and dejected? A night, a night, the Lord knows, a dark night was come upon us. Well, but now Christ comes with a seasonable, almost miraculous victory and deliverance. And this is Christ's way and manner; he never comes to his people as a Bridegroom, but still he doth come at midnight; in all his comings, still he doth come at midnight.

Christ loves that his people should sit up for him, watch and wait for him. He waiteth to shew mercy on them that wait on his mercy. The more a man is respected and beloved in a house, the more, if he be abroad, those in the house will sit up and watch for him: he that loves him not, says, I will go to bed, I will stay no longer, let him come when he pleases; but he that loves him saith, I will watch, I will stay, I will sit up for him, yea, though he do not come until midnight.

And does it argue love, for one man to sit up and wait for another; and not love in our souls, to sit up and watch, and wait for Christ? Christ loves to see our love exercised; and therefore, says he, Though I intend to save and help such a person, yet I will stay, and stay long, I will not help him presently, I will suffer a night, a dark night to come upon him; so shall I see his love in waiting for me.

Christ loves to shew mercy to his people in such a way,

as he may hide pride from men; he would not have his people to be proud of mercies. And upon this account, says the text, in Job xxxiii. "He seals on instruction in the night, that he may hide pride from man." When a man is awake,

he tries things by reason, and if reason like them, then they do pass for current; if reason do not approve them, then they will be rejected: but in a dream, in a deep sleep, the mind receives things, not examining them by reason. Now in the great things of God, the less hand reason hath, and the more faith, the better. Reason's going before faith doth diminish it; but reason's following faith, strengthens it: say the schools.* Faith ennobles a work. The more a man ushers in a business with his own reason, the more apt to be proud thereon; but in a dream, in a deep sleep, there is little of reason to be used; and therefore in a deep sleep he comes upon us, that he may hide pride from us.

Christ loves to come so as he may be most welcome to his people; and the less expected, the mere welcome many times: and when is he less expected than at midnight? If a man be in extremity of misery, and a friend comes to visit him, then he doth not only bid him welcome, but admires his love: Oh, sir, could you find in your heart to come to me now; what, now at midnight? this is love indeed. Christ comes to be admired of all that believe, says the Scripture; and therefore, when his people are in the dark, in a dark night, then he chooses to come, and then especially, and then a man's heart doth melt with love to Christ: Oh, what a gracious Saviour have I, that could find in his heart to find me out with his mercy in this dark condition, in this unexpected time. His time is not as our time, as his thoughts are not as ours. Christ is the good Samaritan, he will pour wine and oil into the bleeding wounds of his servants; but he will first let the priest pass by, and the levite pass by, and such means and helps pass by which we ordinarily expect comfort from; and when we have none from them, then says he, Now is a time for me: but by that time all other helps are passed by, it will be midnight. But though it be midnight, says Christ, it is all one to me, for I create light, and my thoughts and my times are not as man's are. And though man come with help and succour in the day time, yet

* Rationes precedentes minuunt fidem, subsequentes augent.

I will come at midnight. Oh, what glorious dispensations of love and mercy is here!

What is the issue of this doctrine; what if Christ do come at midnight?

This doctrine looks wishly upon two sorts of people, such as he doth come against, and such as he doth come for.

Some foolish virgins there are whom Christ comes against, and these he will come upon at midnight, take them in their beds, when they are fast asleep in their sin, and are most secure. Ye have heard of the lamentation of Norwich: there was a generation of men that rose up and threatened to destroy the godly party there; but the Lord so ordered things in his providence, that those whom they threatened to destroy, were preserved, and the destroyers perished; nigh two or three hundred, if relations be right, blown up with powder, or spoiled, and three godly families, consisting of about twenty persons, in several rooms of the house that was blown up, were all preserved, and not a bone of them broken, whilst the others flew up into the air, as spectacles of divine anger, as if God should speak from heaven, These are the people whom I would have preserved, and those are the people that I would have punished. But oh, poor destroyed souls who perished in the thunder of God's anger, did they ever think that Christ would have come upon them at such a midnight? Here is a great deliverance and victory that is now before ye: if relations speak true, two thousand and five hundred, putting to flight eight thousand of the enemy, fifteen hundred slain, three thousand taken prisoners, and the rest scattered: but, oh, poor deceived people who made this insurrection, did they ever think that Christ would have come so suddenly, in such a time, at midnight upon them? Consider all your wars, and hath not Christ come at midnight all along? Christ is in the way to his kingdom, and every step he takes shall be midnight; both unto those he comes for, and those that he comes against; but woe to them whom he doth come against, it is a dreadful thing to be cut off suddenly, and surprised in our sins. This is a judgment threatened on the latter day, Christ will come quickly, be quick with men in a way of judgment: as a thief in the night will come, when poor foolish virgins shall be fast asleep.