“The Midnight Cry” by John Mason 1690 |

I read this sermon and have edited it down to some highlights. Here is a man from the Puritans pleading with sinners based on Christ’ Return. I have a few observations at the end.

Then shall the Kingdom of Heaven be likened to ten Virgins… Matthew 25:1

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. …

Watch therefore, for you know neither the Day nor the Hour when the Son of Man cometh. But of what sort of Coming of the Son of Man is it? You must compare Text with Text, and Place with Place. …

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.… The Kingdoms of the World, are not in this special sense the Kingdoms of Christ now. When the Times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled, Christ will have a Kingdom in this World: As the Lord lives, 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, etc.

Repent quickly, or thou art in Hell quickly; for Christ is coming, the Earthquake is begun.

I beseech you to submit your selves to the Word: Daniel saith, Christ comes in the Clouds to take a Kingdom. Our Saviour saith the same, Mat. 24.—He will come in the Clouds, and then the Tribes of the Earth shall mourn; i.e. The Jews shall penitently mourn, and then Christ enters upon his Kingdom. … Christ appears in the Clouds, and the first thing done, is the Call of the Jews. …

Beg, that you, your Friends, and Children, may be taken, and not left. Here will be a World of People destroyed: Who shall live when God does this? Who may abide the Day of his coming? These things are at the Door. … (I speak not these things to amuse you, but for the Good of your Souls, and Honour of our Redeemer) …

I should be loath to speak what is a little abstruse, but who can hold his Peace? Christ’s Coming is to set up his Kingdom amongst Jews and Gentiles, which will be a glorious time; but dreadful Tribulations make way for it; which in part is come to pass, as to what is come upon the Turks. …

Surely I come quickly: The Lord will be here in a short time; and every Eye shall see him. Happy they that can say, This is our God, we have waited for him. … Watch in a way of Expectation, and in a way Preparation, that he may come to you as a Friend in the Day, not as a Thief in the Night.

…by the Bride therefore we understand the Church of the Jews. There is a great deal Scripture for this… In the Parable the Bride doth not appear; for therein is represented the State of the Gentiles, and something that will happen to them before the Conversion of the Jews. The Jews are now in their Synagogues blaspheming: but the Lord is coming to call them; and here is an Alarm to awaken the Virgins; The Lord is coming.

Quest. Who are these Virgins?

Answer 1. They are Gentiles.

Answer 2. They are Christian Gentiles, They go forth to meet the Bridegroom; they have respect to Christ.

Doctrine: The virgins are asleep.

It were well if it were not so, but it is so; go where you will, and you will find it so: Congregations, Towns, Villages, particular Persons, they are all asleep: People should be watching and praying, and they are asleep. You’ll say, we are not asleep. Ay, but your Hearts are asleep; and ’tis a Midnight-Sleep, which is the fastest; the World is in a deep Sleep. These Days are compared by Christ himself to the Days of Noah and Lot, Luke 17. … They minded these things and nothing else: People are eating and drinking, etc. i.e. carnally secure; they mind their worldly Business, but where is the Sabbath-keeping, and Sense of a God? They pay respect to others, but where is their respect to God and his Worship? O what a dead Sleep is on the Hearts of poor Creatures! …

We cannot say, Christ comes this Night, or Next: The Day and Hour knoweth no Man; but it is near, when you see such things come to pass: [He then lists historical events]. …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. …

They all have [at that time when Christ comes] an high esteem for Oil; All the World for a little Oil! Gold and Silver is nothing. We have provided for such a Child, and laid up such an Estate: worldly Projects took up our Thoughts; these kept out Christ and the Spirit: now these are all cut off, Lands, and Stocks, and Flocks, there is an end of all these. Oh! A thousand Worlds for Oil; Union with Christ, Communion with Christ: Oh! for Christ and Grace.

…Thou hast been baptized outwardly, but hast thou been baptized inwardly? Thou hast been called by the Minister: dost know what it is to be inwardly called? It must be something within that must stick by you. … I adjure you by the Lord, tell me what God has done for your Souls? Tell your selves; Are you converted? Are you justified and sanctified? Are you not yet in your Sins? You please your selves with coming to Church, but you must not rest in the outward Work, it will not do without Oil within.

Are there any unjustified, unsanctified ones here, Swearers, Sabbath breakers, Drunkards, Enemies to the Spirit, Prayerless, Graceless? You are in a miserable condition: Repent quickly, or you’ll perish quickly. You’ll say, I am young, I may live-many Years: I tell you, you have but a little time to be out of Hell, if you do not repent. … Conscience is now gagged, but then it will roar; they that were in presumption, are now in Desperation; Sinners, will you sell your Souls? Have you a mind to be damned?

…I am afraid that there are many here that are but foolish Virgins; you must be changed or damned. … Oh! cry Day and Night for Oil; for the Blood of Sprinkling, the Spirit of Sanctification. Your time is short, and your work great. …

Use to my Friends out of Christ

I wish you in Christ; you have been desired to get into Christ, but you have not minded these things; nothing but the Lamp; I tell you again and again, that will not do; stay till the loud Cry comes, and you are ruined for ever: There may be a little time, but like a Man in a Storm, you’ll reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken Man; and what, work for your souls when you are at your wits’ end?

…You lose all if you stay a little while longer: Get Christ and Oil: Husbands, pray for your Wives; Wives, pray for your Husbands: try what a praying Life will do. You’ll say, I cannot pray. Why, do as well as you can, that God would save your Life, and the Life of your little ones, before it be too late.

Use to my precious Friends in Christ

See that you have Oil in the Lamp, i. e. Grace in Act; If you live in the Spirit, walk in the Spirit; if you have Faith, use it; if you have Love, use it: as Luther said, Let them pray that can pray. Many a poor Creature cannot pray, they have hard Hearts, and cannot pray: But you do pray; ay, but not enough. When we expect a dear Friend, we would have something extraordinary: why, here is Christ a coming; What, nothing extraordinary! nothing but what is for the family! Get your hearts into a more lively frame; you have spoken to one another, now speak often one to another: whereas you prayed before, double the file. Do it seven times more, and watch; What I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch. It is but a little time, cannot you watch? As Christ said to Peter, Cannot you watch with me one Hour? …

Be less in the World; your Hearts out of the World, and your Hands less in it: contract your Business; do not regard the Stuff so much: Did we ever say so much to you before? … “Watch you therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Full text https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A52172.0001.001/1:4?rgn=div1&view=fulltext

My Observations