not on Lot himselfe so this Fire of wrath not of Correction shall parche the bodies of the wicked not of the Lordes people As the faithfull that carrie heere the Crosse of IESVS on their shoulders may heereby receiue just occasion of comfort and rejoicing so theeues adulterers murderers witches all that loue lies and vnrighteousnes may bee smitten downe and not haue wherewithall to be solaced After this daye the greate daye of deliverance saith PAVL * Rom. 8. Wee groane that haue the first fruites of the Spirite These that nowe groane not for this day as for the day of gaole deliverie they shall groane in that day as being the day of fearefull captivitie That gret day oh my God thou knowes I long after looking for litle rest till that day but after that day desireth not the man that hath not received the earnest pennie of thy spirit for here is his Heauen neither doth he exspect any good in that great day of fire Oh my God cause me to be ravished so stronglie with the memoriall of that daye as alwaies present to my eyes as I may not dare at any hand to cease preaching thy sacred worde nor for any worldlie maintenance to bee drawne to conceale any trueth from thy people Amen After this day of deliverie groane not onely wee that haue the first fruits of the spirit and the first fruits sanctifie the whole lumpe Rom. 11.16 but saith the blessed Apostle * Rom. 8.21 22. c. Every creature whether having onely being or being and moouing or being moouing and sence every of them groane togeather vvith vs and traueleth in paine for the presence of this great day that so they as well as wee may bee delivered from their bondage of corruption As by our sinne they became corrupted and so subject to rottennes stench impuritie c. falling togeather with vs so they shall rise and recover their pristine glorious estate but not till the day of our deliverance and therefore introduced groning togither with the Faithfull after the Last day As these creatures after a sort do groane vnder the burden of our sin so woe vnto man more sensles than a stone that cannot grone vnder the burden of his owne sinne rather adding sinne vnto sinne as though it were no burden These creatures in their kinde desire after this great day as for the adulterer theef murderer of bodies or souls or both they and all their companions of darknes desire there may neuer come such a day The Atheists beleeue not that there will be such a day as for them they shal need none other to testifie against them than stocks stones oxen asses neerer God than they are The consideration of whose blindnes insensibilitie causeth the Lord sometimes to turne away from men and crie out * Isa 1.2.3 Heare oh Heauens and hearken oh Earth justifying the Ox and Asse before them Against such the Lord will call the Heavens aboue and the Earth to judge Psalm 50.4 as being persons vnworthie to be judged by any but insensible and vnreasonable creatures because such Atheists are vnreasonable and sensles If the Heavens the earth whome I see not to be accessarie to Satan and Adam his sin except because the Satan might be made of the heavens nature as Adam of the earthlie and so the lumps should suffer with the Reasonable creatures formed out of them being once apostate If the heavens the earth role away and giue place at the appearance of our Lord how shal wicked sinfull man author of his own and their miserie how shal he appeare before him that sitteth vpon the white throane from whome shall proceede nothing but pure judgement and justice For in the daye of this fire the Iudge shall appeare in vnspeakable glorie his garment as white as snow his throane a fiery flame a streame of fire issuing before him and thousands of Angels round about him Oh beloued brethren this shall be the great day of deliverance for the Iudge appeareth to take vengeance on corruption and to glorifie sinceritie and righteousnes If any enquire Whether the creatures shall be delivered from their corruption before man have received his full and finall doome in the flesh I answere that point seemeth to me not very plaine from holy writ yet by some reasonable conjecture I easilie condiscend to this vz. That the Creatures shall first bee loosed from corruption First because before man was the creatures were existent and that * Genes 1. good every one of them As they were created for mans vse so ELOHIM wold not bring man into the wast world as into an emptie house but first furnished the temporarie mansion of the world with al necessaries and then brought man into the pallace of the world and the most pleasant chamber therein Eden that therein he might be exercised Nowe when as the creatures shal be restored to their former libertie I see not to what end but that the same may as in the order of first creation be first restored and then manifested to mankinde in the glorious act of judgment for the letting of him see howe good and glorious all thinges were before they were attainted and corrupted through mans sin And this may well be a preparation to the judgement or generall Session of Christ Iesus Neither seemeth this to bee contrary to blessed Iohn his words where he saith * Revel 20.11 c. I sawe a great white throne and one sitting thereon from whose face fled avvay the Earth and Heauen after which giuing place of the corruptible heavens and the earth he introduceth the dead and the opening of the books of judgment And if the * 2. Pet. 3.13 newe Heauens and new Earth wherein Righteousnes shal dwell be the Heavens and the Earth then restored then so much the more plaine it is That all the creatures vnder degree of reason and Angels and men are onely creatures Reasonable shall be loosed from their bondage corruption corruption giving place to him that sitteth on the throne and then be readie as it were to giue in verdict with the Faithfull that haue vsed them soberlie righteouslie as also to witnes against the wicked that vsed them intemperatlie vnholilie to the dishonor of the Creator Secondly I am rather induced to thinke that before all men haue received full and finall doome they shall see the other creatures restored to libertie as for the animating and lifting vp of the heades of the Elect so and that more specially for the tormenting of the heartes of the Reprobate who having seene the Creatures restored and beautified shall then vpon the books opening be not onely driven from the sweet behold of Iesus * Psal 1.5 from the glorious Assemblie of the Saintes but also from enjoying somuch as the very sight of the excellent creatures If any demaund vvhat shall become of these Creatures after once they be delivered from corruption bondage I answer repaire
worke wickednes in the sight of the Lord when the Apostle saith But the day of the Lord will come he wold oppose that Day vnto the daye of the wicked The wicked now haue their day the Lord then wil haue his day and therfore that great day is called the Lords day Christ his resurrection day is called the * Revel 1.10 Lords day because hee then triumphed over the Deuill death and sin so this day of Doome is called the Lords day because hee then will for ever commit the Deuill and those that haue delighted in the waies of death and sinne to everlasting torture As ABRAHAM could equally conclude against DIVES Thou hadst then thy pleasure and Lazarus his torment therefore now it is just that thou bee tormented and Lazarus haue pleasure so against all wicked ones I conclude As you haue your day nowe so Christ shall haue his day then walke on in the waies of your own flesh but be sure the day wil come that shal pay for al. In this day the wicked shall cry Hilles and mountaines fall vpon vs and cover vs from him that sitteth vpon the throane but as for the godly let them hold vppe their heades for then is come the fulnes of their redemption Woe be vnto these that nowe laugh because of sin for then they shall mourne but blessed be these that now mourne because of sinne for they then shall laugh and be comforted This day of the Lord saith PETER shall come as though hee should say tremble oh wicked man for thy day of judgment shall come be patient and rejoice thou that art persecuted for righteousnes sake for the daye of judging thy cause shall come This daye is figured out by the Prophet * Ioel. 3.12 14. IOEL vnder IEHOVAH his pleading in the Valley of Iehoshaphat in the daye of his threshing the Heathen Howsoeuer the Lord seeme now to be a sleepe the wicked thinking God like to themselues yet then the Lord shall awake as a Gyant refreshed with wine Pfal 50.21 bring them vnder the crushing blowe of his flayle a flayle of judgment that shall beat them like chaffe In the meane time let all knowe that whatsoever Mockers say The day of the Lord shall come Iudge righteouslie oh yee rulers of the Earth preferre not the cause of the Potent to the cause of Widowes and Orphanes slaughter not Christ in Habell commit not * 1 King 22.27 Michajah with Ahab vnto prison nor dare to feed the Lords Prophet with the bread and water of affliction for after yee haue had your daies of judging and pleading the Lords day shall come wherein hee will examine the cause of the poore and oppressed If yee haue not judged and done according to God his book but according to the inequall ballance of your owne making then hearken to * Isai 10.1 ISAIAH Woe vnto them that decree wicked decrees and doe vvrite grievous things for keeping back the poor from Iudgment and for taking away the iudgment of the poore of my people that Widowes may be their pray and that they may spoile the Fatherlesse What will yee do now in the day of visitation of destruction which shal come from farre to vvhome will ye flie for helpe and where will ye leaue your glory Oh yee Rulers of the Earth The day of the Lord shal come as verely as the Assirians Medes-Persians Graecians Syri-Egyptians vpon Iudah your judgments shall bee weighed in the ballances of the Sanctuarie if they be found faithfull and full weight then enter into the possession of glorie but if they be found partial and too light with Belshazzars kingdome then thou shalt be cast out for counterfeit coyne If oh yee widowes fatherles and wrongfull distressed ones ye here in the day of man cannot be equally dealt withall do not curse murmure but rest patient for a while Revel 6.9 as vnder the bloody Alter Iesus more injured than thou and after man hath had his day of playing Rex jex The day of the Lord shall come what time the Lord will examine their law-Law-books by his sacred Testament and call back the examination of thy cause in the hearing of men angels and devils Loosers must haue their sayings and the wicked their wordes for a season but The day of the Lord shall come wherein they shall bee forced to stand by and to hearken what the Lord shall say Iesus himselfe was here of the Rulers Priests of the people scarselie vsed as a Lord nay vsed like a traytor to Caesar like a sower of seditious doctrine like a superstitious conjurer in a worde like an of skouring of the world even as are his members but in this day hee will come as a LORD to whome al power in Heauen and Earth is given and they shall looke vpon him and his members mystical whome they haue pearced In the day of this life they would dominere and Lord it over him and his but now shall he and his Lord it over them In this day of the Lord Habel shal Lord it over Cain the * Matth. 2. slaughtered infants over the Fox Herod Lazarus ouer Dives In this day the Lord Iesus shal awake the mocking Atheist and let him knowe that there is a God that judgeth the earth The workers of iniquitie notwithstanding their preaching and casting out of Devils shall this day bee driuen from the societie of the faithfull and the face of Iesus Now the Lord wil examine how they haue * Mat. 25.24 fed and clothed the poore visited the prisoner and been mercifull vnto the distressed They shall in this day even every lippe-gospeller know what difference there is betwixt a dead faith or idle beleefe not working and a liuely Faith that bringeth foorth fruites of righteousnes and holinesse If they will not here in this life * Iam. 2.18 shewe their faith which is invisible by holy vvorkes which are visible then fear in that gret daye of our Lord to heare the sentence Depart from mee yee cursed into everlasting fire Mat. 25.41 Oh this shall bee a day of feare and horrour Our Lord shall bee vnto the wicked and vngodly the roaring Lyon of the tribe of Iudah but vnto the faithfull members of IESVS it shall be a day of solace and glorie for vnto them shall Christ be the meeke Lamb slaine from the beginning of the Worlde wiping away all teares from their eies setting them on his throane even as himselfe nowe sitteth on his Fathers throane so aeternize their felicitie vnto them for that shall be the Lords day Oh who will not beg with Lazarus now that he may glorie with Lazarus then who wil not now lay down the life of his bodie for an houre that so he may receiue of the Lord then life for yeares millions of yeares even for aeternitie of time beyond al time On the other side who will bee so madde to murther with Cain heere for satisfying
also other exteriour circles if any such be beyond our sight and probable conjecture By the στοιχεια Elements I vnderstand according to the nature of the word the Elements of Fire Aire Earth water whereof other creatures haue their constitution all which by that Iudiciall heate shall be loosed By the Earth and works therein I vnderstand the grosse corrupt commixture of the Earth together with the edifices and other workes of men remaining vpon the corrupt composition of the earth for otherwise every Scholler knoweth that the Elements are essences substances simple single as is the spirite of man That the Heavens are saide to passe away with an hissing noise he would teach that in that great daye the celestiall spheres shal depart or giue place with an hissing as doeth a scroule of parchment having received fire This sense is probable from the forme of speach vsed by Iohn where hee saith * Rev. 6.14 The Heauens departed as a scroule when it is rolled I well vnderstand that Iohn there speaketh of an other Heauen namely of the heavenlie places of the Saintes and visible face of the true Christian Church making as Paule faith * 2. Thess 2.3 A departure but as for the phrase or forme of speache it is borrowed from this effect as though hee should say The face of the mysticall Heauen the Church shall so depart from his former outstretched visibilitie as shall the materiall Heauens at last when they shall role away together As this by the way giveth a gird vnto these that pleade a perpetuall outstreatched visibilitie of the Church so it plainlie pronounceth that the superiour heavens shall once even in the day of the Lord depart and run together as a scroll That it is saide The Elements shall melt or bee loosed vvith heat or as they doe heate I know not what but this shuld be meant namely that the Elements and simple substances who nowe are commixt and possessed with corruption shall then bee loosed as pure siluer is melted from their commixture drosse and corruption and so consequentlie be restored into their first excellencie and libertie seeing this is the end of their groaning Rom. 8.19.20.21 Oh thou Churle that nowe cries Heart be at rest and oh thou Harlot that saiest with Babell * Isai 47.10 I am and none else what wilt thou do when the Heauens rattle the Elements melte the Earth and all earthly things are set on flame flie out of the Citie the fire is in the fieldes run out of Iudea the fire is in Syria climbe Nimrods Towre sulphure from Heaven powres down vpon thee skulpe in the cavernes of the earth and the earth it selfe falls on burning like a barrel of pitch descend into the Seas and the water is vanished through heat Nowe Cain the Citie builder shall see his Cittie on fire Absaloms Piller shall frye and hee that intytleth his house by his name shall in this great daye see it whollie on a flame Oh London London and oh ye her sister Citties in this great daye of the Lord if so the Lord meet not with you before what shal become of your golden shewes in your shops What in this daye shall become of your sumpteous ward-robes what shal then become of the rentalls debtbooks Surely this destinate fire shall pay all debts All these earthly works shall be set on flame and in a moment and trice all shall be consumed for which all haue cared and some consumed themselues The King as poore as the pesant and the meanest Cobler equal with Caesar If thou wilt hardly giue credence to me enquire of Diues that hauing passed the Session awayteth with horrour the generall Assises and hee will tell thee that his back and his soft rayment his bellie and his daintie fare haue made an everlasting parting Lazarus as rich as himselfe nay as riche and blessed in Abrahams bosome aboue by reason of faith as himselfe is beggerlie and accursed not worth a drop of cold water lodged in the Devils bosome belowe by reason he had no faith at least no liuely working faith The miserable Churle in the Gospell having filled his barnes sate downe saying Nowe soule rest thee but immediatlie hee heard from Heauen this speach Thou foole this night they shall take away thy soule Thus a fool and his substance were quicklie parted and when hee dreamed his soule shuld be at most rest then it was vtterlie divorced from rest And if before the great day of the Lord we see even every daye that worldlings and the world are sundred al they take with them to be but a winding sheet what shall we think of this great day of fire devouring vnmercifull fire that will not leaue so much as a winding sheet vnburnt to ashes when the Heavens shal depart with hissing the Elements dissolue the Earth and his workes be set on fierie flame what shall become of the gods of the Heathen and of our Romish halfe-gods and halfe-goddesses made of gold silver bone stone will they then for the Popes sake escape this devouring fire * Gen. 31.34 Rahel vnder the collour of a foule disease could cover her pretty gods from Labans eies But in this great daye who will cover their painted enoyled shrines no cursed shall be both Image and Image-maker howsoever now they are tearmed Lay-mens books yet in that great day it shall appeare true Habak 2.18 that Habakkuk long since writ namely that they are but teachers of lies Oh day of horrour oh thou day of feare and trembling oh that man is forgetfull of thee now pursuing egerlie after worldly trash vanitie all which in that great daye shal be turned into ashes Gold silver pretious stone trees plants hearbes flowers straw dyrt dunge all shall be jumbled togeather all wrapped vp in one for this is a fire of wrath and confusion All which well waighed what marvell was it that Salomon shuld crie out * Eccles 1.1 Vanitie of vanities Vanitie of vanities all is but vanitie When the fire shall cause all the glory of this worlde to vanish no marvel if it be called vanitie most vaine then is man that sells his soule and bodye to the Deuill for Vanitie Heere it will be demanded If so the faithfull shall together with the vnfaithfull frye in this fire thereto I answere when the floodes of wrath came vpon the old worlde then was Noah in the Arke when fire and brimstone rayned downe on the Citties of the plaine * Gen. 19.22 then was LOT in Zoar this question therfore is thus answered by Saint PAVL vnto the Thessalonians 1. Epist 4. Chapter verse 17. These that remaine liuing and these that arise from sleepe namelie from the graue shal be together caught vp in the clowdes to meet the Lord in the ayre As the waters of deludge ceazed on the disobedientspirits not on Noah as the fire and sulphure fastened on the carkases of these that vexed the spirit of Lot