e wicked shall rise too, and
shall receive their sentence from Christ, and so go to hell, where they
shall be punished world without end. Now, St. Paul's words are these,
"This say we unto you in the word of the Lord: that we which shall live
and shall remain to the coming of the Lord, shall not come before them
which sleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,
and the voice of the archangel and the trump of God, and the dead in
Christ shall arise first: then we which shall live, even we which shall
remain, shall be caught up with them also in the clouds to meet the Lord
in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord; wherefore comfort one
another with these words." 1 Thess. iv.

By these words of St. Paul it appears, that they which died in the
beginning of the world shall be by Christ as soon saved, as they who shall
be alive here at the time of his coming. I would have you to note well the
manner of speaking which St. Paul uses; he speaks as if the last day
should have come in his time. Now, when St. Paul thought that this day
should have come in his time, how much more shall we think that it shall
be in our time? For no doubt it will come, and it is not long thereunto;
as it appears by all the scriptures which make mention of this day; it
will come, but it shall come suddenly, unawares, as a thief in the night.
For a thief when he intends a robbery, to rob a man's house, to break up
his chests, and take away his goods, gives him not warning, he lets not
the good man of the house know at what time he intends to come, but rather
he intends to spy such a time, that no man shall be aware of him. So, no
doubt, this last day will come one day suddenly upon our heads, before we
are aware of it; like as the fire fell down from heaven upon the people of
Sodom when unlooked for; they thought that all things were well, therefore
they took their pleasures, till the time when fire fell down from heaven
and burned them up all, with all their substance and goods.

"And he showed them a similitude, Behold the fig-tree and all the trees,
when they shoot forth their buds, ye see and know of your ownselves that
summer is then near at hand." So when you see the tokens which shall go
before this fearful day, it is time to make ready. But here a man might
ask a question, saying, I pray you wherein standeth this preparation? How
shall I make ready? About this there has been great strife, for there have
been an i