to léese their brightnes the earth to tremble the Sea to roare and all things else to manace a present ruine not as if it were so indéed but because men shall be so straitned as that they shall thinke it is so And because those notable reuengements of God on the Babylonians Tyrians Egyptians Iewes other nations were as it were paintings out of the great day of iudgement and forerunners thereof we may fitly apply vnto that day such descriptions as the Prophets haue made of those reuengements Behold then what Isaiah saith speaking of the punishment of the Babylonians Behold the day of the Lord commeth Isa 13.9 c. cruell with wrath and fierce anger to lay the land waste and he shall destroy the sinners out of it for the stars of heauen and the planets thereof shall not giue their light the Sunne shall be darkened in his going fâ—rth and the Moone shall not cause her light to shine Therefore I will saith the Lord shake the heauen and the earth shall moue out of her place in the wrath of the Lord of hoasts and in the day of his fierce anger and it shall be as a chased Doe and as a sheepe that no man taketh vp and I will visite the wickednes vpoÌ„ the world and their iniquitie vpon the wicked and I will cause the arrogancie of the proud to cease and will cast downe the pride of tyrants Behold againe what the same Prophet saith speaking of the punishment of all vngodly enemies of the Lords Church Isai 34.1.2 c. Come neere yee nations and heare and hearken ye people let the earth heare and all that is therein the world and all that proceedeth thereof for the indignation of the Lord is vpon all nations and his wrath vpon all their armies he hath destroyed them and deliuered them to the slaughter and their slaine shall be cast out and their stinke shall come vp out of their bodies and the mountaines shall be melted with their blood and all the hoast of heauen shall be dissolued and the heauens shall be folden like a Booke and all their hoasts shall fall as the leafe falleth from the vine and as it falleth from the figge tree Behold againe what Ezekiel saith Ezek. 32.4 c. speaking of the punishment of Egypt I will leaue thee vpon the land saith the Lord God and I will cast thee vpon the open field and I will cause all the foules of the heauen to remaine vpon thee and I will fill all the beasts of the field with thee and I will lay thy flesh vpon the mountaines and fill the vallies with thine heigth I will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest euen to the mountaines and the riuers shall be full of thee and when I shall put thee out I will couer the heauen and make the starres thereof darke I will couer the Sunne with a cloud and the moone shall not giue her light all the lights of heauen will I make darke for thee and bring darkenes vpon thy land saith the Lord God Behold againe what the Prophet Ioel saith speaking of the plagues that should light vpoÌ„ the Iewes Ioel. 2.1.2.31 Blowe the trumpet in Zyon and shoute in mine holy mountaine let all the inhabitants of the land tremble for the day of the Lord is come for it is at hand a day of darkenes and of blacknes a day of clouds and obscuritie the Sunne shall be turned into darkenes and the Moone into blood When we behold these and the like spéeches let vs suppose that they are foretellings of the last iudgement When the Psalmist saith The God of Gods euen the Lord hath spoken and called the earth from the rising vp of the Sunne Psal 50.1.3.4 vnto the going downe thereof our God shall come and shall not keepe silence a fire shall deuour before him and a mightie tempest shall be moued round about him he shall call the heauen aboute Zephan 1.14 c. the earth to iudge his people When the Prophet Zephania saith The great day of the Lord is neere it is neere and hasteth greatly eueÌ„ the voyce of the day of the Lord the strong man shall crye there bitterly that day is a day of wrath a day of trouble heauines a day of destruction desolation a day of obscuritie darkenes a day of clouds and blackenes a day of the trumpet alarme against the strong cities and against the high towers and I will bring distresse vpon men saith the Lord that they shall walke like blind men because they haue sinned against the Lord and their blood shall be powred out as dust and their flesh as the dongue neither their siluer nor their gold shal be able to deliuer them in the day of the Lords wrath but the whole land shal be deuoured by the fire of his iealousie for he shall make euen a speedie riddance of theÌ„ that dwell in the land When the Prophet Daniel saith I behold Dan. 7.9.10 till the thrones were set vp and the ancient of daies did sit whose garment was white as snowe and the haire of his head like the pure wooll his throne was like the fiery flame his wheeles as burning fire a firie streame issued came foorth from before him thousand thousands ministred vnto him and ten thousand thousands stood before him the iudgement was set the bookes opened When these things are spoken what else is it but that the Diuine saith And I sawe a great white throne Reu. 20.11.12.13 and one that sate on it from whose face fled away both the earth heauen and their place was no more found and I sawe the dead both great small stand before God the bookes were opened another Booke was opened which is the booke of life and the dead were iudged of those things which were written in the bookes according to their workes And the sea gaue vp her dead which were in her and death and hell deliuered the dead which were in them and they were iudged euery man according to their workes This is the second comming of Christ much differing from his first comming For in his first comming he appeared humble in the shape of a seruant in his second coÌ„ming he shall appeare stately in the shape of the King of Kings and Iudge of all in his first coÌ„ming he was subiect to reproach in his second comming he shall shine in glorie in his first coÌ„ming he appeared weake in his secoÌ„d comming he shall appeare in heauenly power in his first comming he did vndergoe the iudgement and condemnation of the reprobate in his second comming he shall iudge and condemne all the wicked and reprobate In his first comming he fought like little Dauid against Goliah without worldly furniture in his second comming he will descend like armed and angrie Dauid 1. Sam. 25 21.22 against vnthankefull Nabal and will say as Dauid said
of Nabal Indeed I haue kept all in vaine that this fellowe had in the wildernes so that nothing was missed of all that pertained to him for he hath requited me euill for good so and more also doe God vnto the enemies of Dauid for surely I will not leaue of all that he hath by the dawning of the day any that pisseth against the wall Euen so Christ may say Indéed in vaine haue I bestowed so many benefites on wicked and obstinate mankind in vaine haue I shewed so many mercies in vaine haue I taken flesh for vngodly and vnfaithfull men and suffered death and preach the Gospell and sent my Apostles and offered the graces of my holy spirit and instituted my Sacraments and winked at them so often and imparted on them so many good things of nature and of the earth and what lay in me for my part I haue caused that nothing hath perished of all that pertained to man in vaine haue I done all this for vngodly and vnfaithfull men since they requite euill for good Vngratefull and foolish men are like to sottish Babel for they haue receiued my benefits yet haue seâ—ued Sathan and the flesh and when I sent my children my poore and my distresied members vnto them they did not couer the naked nor féede the hungrie nor comfort the afflicted God doe so and more also vnto mine enemies For I will destroy them and make them know how dangerous a thing it is to fall into the hands of the liuing God who is euen a consuming fire Abigail met with angrie Dauid Heb. 12.29 and appeased him but in the last Iudgement when Christ shall descend to reuenge the contempt of the vngodly that regarded not his saluation offered vnto them No Abigail shall make Intercession for sinners as S. Chrysostome prooues clearely out of the Scriptures Hom. 22. ad pocul AntiocheÌ„ Behold saith he how he that was not arrayed with the Wedding robe was cast out at the doores and none was a petitioner for him Behold how he that gained not with his Talent was punished and none made Intercession for him Behold how the fiue foolish Virg nes were excluded and their fellowes made no request for them Therfore the terror of this day is vnutterable and cannot be expressed because the Iudge shall be inexorable and cannot be intreated Then shall be heard the great and loude voyce of the Archangell and the Trumpet of God which all the Elements obey which cleaues the Rockes opens Hell breakes the bondes of the dead Chrys sup 1. Cor. 15. calles soules out of the depth and ioyned them againe with their bodies and all this it doth sooner then an Arrow doeth flie through the Ayre For the Apostle saith that it shall be done in a moment or twinkling of an eye Then shall come the time when the vnbeléeuing and vnrepenting shall say to the hils Fall vpon vs to the Mountaines Couer vs Luk. 23.30 and shall hide themselues from the presence of him that sitteth on the Throane and from the wrath of the Lambe and shall séeke death Reu. 6.16 Reu. 9.6 and shall not finde it and shall desire to die and death shall flie from them and shall goe into the holes of the Rockes Isai 2.19 and into the Caues of the earth from before the feare of the Lord and from the glory of his Maiestie when hee shall arise to destroy the earth Then there shall be a most strickt examination For what is lesse then an idle word yet the Lord saith Mat. 12.39 That of euery idle word that men shal speak they shal giue account therof at the day of Iudgement Then the hidden and secret cogitations shall be disclosed 1. Cor. 4.5 For when the Lord doeth come hee will lighten things that are hid in darknes and make the counsels of the hearts manifest and then shal euery man haue praise of GOD. Then shall bee done to the wicked and impenitent sinners which Nathan threatned to Dauid Thou didst it secretly 2. Sam. 12 12 but I will doe this thing before all Israell and before the Sunne That is the lurking sinnes of the vngodly shall be displayed before the view of the whole world 2. Cor. 5.10 Then we must all appeare before the iudgement seate of God that euery man may receiue the things which aâ—e done in his body according to that he hath done whither it be good or euill Eccles 12.14 for God will bring euery worke vnto iudgement with euery secret thing whether it be good or euill Then Ierusalem shall be searched with lanterns Ezek. 8.12 and the wall shall be digged downe and the abominations shall be seene at an open doore which sinners haue done in the darke and in their priuie chambers when they fondly said in their imagination The Lord seeth vs not the Lord hath forsaken the earth Then the Sonnes of men shall be called to a reckoning for all their workes as schollers are brought to repetitions in the end of the weeke and laborers receiue their wages in the euening and merchants pay when the faire is done for the wares which they haue staied and taken vp Then the wicked shall feele the shâ—rpenes of the two edged sword of Gods wrath which now is shut vp in the scabberd of mercie and the burning flame of Gods displeasure which is now couered like the Sunne vnder the cloude of long suffering and they shall no more be able to resist Gods firie anger Matt. 3.12 then the chaffe can resist the fire for they are the chaffe that shall be burnt vp with vnquenchable fire Then Sathan will conuince the obdurate transgressor by his owne offences and charge him with the debts he oweth him euen as the Creditor conuinceth his debter by his owne hand-writing Then the sinnes of the vnbeléeuers shall be opened as a fardell in the market and shall appeare in iudgement against them and like bastard children borne of wickednes Wisedom 4.6 shall be witnesses of the wickednes against their parents when they be asked If any should haue his secret faults reuealed in an open assembly in this world Chrys hom 5. ad Rom. would he not rather wish to die and to be swallowed vp quicke of the earth then to haue so many witnesses of his sinnes What then shall become of wretched sinners when all their doings shall be disclosed to the whole world vpon an open and perspicuous stage and shall be séene of infinite thousands whom they neuer knewe Now the sinnes of the wicked are so hidden as if they were written in Gods booke not with cléere Inke but with the iuyce of a citron or orenge Those things which are written with the iuyce of an orenge appeare not till they be brought to the fire and then they may be read plainely euen so the secret iniquities of the vngodly shall clearely appeare in the fire of the last iudgement For in Fire
inconquerable firmenes whereby the scripture hath stood and miraculously triumphed against so many sleights of Sathan rags of the world 1. Mâ—â— â— 59.60 as when Antiochus coÌ„manded That the bookes of the law which were found should be burnt in the fire and cut in peeces and that whosoeuer had a book of the TestameÌ„t found by him or whosoeuer consented vnto the law should be put to death yet presently these bookes shined as it were out of darkenes and not long after they were translated into the Greeke tongue and divulged through the whole world Let this be considered and who may denie that the scripture hath procéeded from God 1. Cor. 2.4 Let vs consider the venerable Maiestie of the spirit of God which shineth euery where in the scripture vnder a plaine simplicitie and humblenes of words together with an euident appearance of heaueÌ„ly wisedome and the subiect and matter of the scripture which in euery place containes diuine doctrine not sauouring of earthly wisedome and shewes the pure and perfect lawe of the Lord Deut. 4.6.7.8 Psal 9.9 and declares that meanes of saluation which is not repugnant to the glorie and most perfect iustice of God but appeareth and calmeth mans conscience and the efficacie and powerfull working of the scripture in the mindes of men Heb. 4.12 Psal 119.11 Act. 12.13 namely in mans conuersion when the scripture doth vnfold an hidden force whereby a man is striken and inwardly moued and so transformed into a new man and in aduersitie when it kindleth a liuely and strong consolation in our hearts as that we regard the scripture more then all other things and suffer our selues to be separated from it by no kinde of torments no not by death it selfe as appeareth in the Martyrs with whose blood it hath bene sealed Let this be considered and who may denie that the Scripture hath procéeded from God Let vs consider the consent of the whole Church generally and of seuerall godly persons particularly for so many Ages and in so many Nations in receiuing and retaining the scriptue Let vs consider so many and notable miracles 1. Kings 17.12 2. Kings 4 13. 17.21 Ex. 14.21 Iosh 3.15.6 Iosh 10.12 2. Kings 10.11 Exo. 2.7.10 â— 2 Act. 7 2â— c. Am. 7.14 Act. 2.11 â— â—â— as well of the Olde Testament which Sathan could not imitate onely in colour as the raising of the dead the diuiding of the Sea and Riuers and the standing still and going backe of the Sunne as of the New which the Iewes themselues cannot denie though at this day they say that Christs Miracles were done by some superstition of the word Schemhamphâ—ras least they should be compelled to acknowledge Iesus to be the Christ the Sonne of the Virgine Marie and so yéelde to the Truth Let vs consider the meruailous calling of Moses and the Prophets and the Apostles of whom the most part were vnlearned and priuate men and such as had learned nothing in humane schooles and yet disputed with a maiestie of heauenly mysteries and the strange conuersion of Paul into a new man being before a professed cruell and bloudie enemie and that these had no regard to their owne estimation and profite but onely to the glorie of God and of Christ and to the saluation of men Let vs consider the admirable harmonie and consent of the doctrine of Moses the Prophets Christ the Euangelists Apostles so that as when two Lutes of the same proportion are tempered tuned alike at the touching of the one the other will moue the strings by reason of the consent and Harmonie So the olde and new Testament agreeing in the same tune being written by the same spirit if the string of the one be toucht the string of the other will sound that is if we vnderstand the type and figure of the old Testament we shall presently perceiue the trueth of the newe and if we perceiue the truth of the new we shall vnderstand the type and figure of the olde Let this be considered and who may denie that the script hath procéeded from God Let vs consider the Euent accomplishment of the prophecies of the Scripture as of the Messias the Sauiour of Mankinde Gen. 3.15 Of the going downe of Abrahams posteritie into Aegypt of the bondage of Aegypt and the deliuerance out of it Gen. 15. â—3 14 15 Act. 7.6.7 Gen. 49.8 Isa 45.22 Iâ—ai 22.1 Ezek. 1â— 6. 2. King 22.4 Dan. 9.3 â— Mat. 24. â—2 Ier 12.15 15 11.1â— Isa 44.23 45.1.2 1. King 13.2 2. King 23.15 Dan. 7.17 1 11.2 5.24.25.26.27 that should be and was foure hundreth yeares after it was fore tolde to Abraham Of the Principalitie and Kingdome that should be erected in the Tribe of Iudah Of the vocation of the Gentiles after a long time to the free Couenant of God Oâ— the destruction of Hierusalem Of the returne of the Iewes from the Babylonish captiuitie Of the workes of Gyrus fauour towards the Iewes described an hundreth and seuentie yéeres before they were done Of Iosiah the King of Iudah that should kill the Idolatrous Priests and â—urne mens bones on the Altar of Bathel three hundred yeeres before Iosiah was borne and three hundreth fiftie nine yéeres before it was bone Of the Foure Monarchies and their courses and periods Of Antichrist and his doctrine Of the end of the world and the like and of the comming and death of Christ All which could not before séene by the quicknes of mans wit nor be gathered by naturall causes and yet were most surely performed â—dde hereunto the antiquitie of the Scripture which deliuers those things which no Bookes of humanitie haue truely and directly mentioned As the Time and Order of the worlds Creation the Progresse of the world the names and families of the Patriarks and the causes of the Corruption of the World and the state and condition of soules after this life Let all this be considered and who may denie that the Scripture hath procéeded from God Besides this the Iewes themselues do witnes with one consent that the books of the old TestameÌ„t were giuen by inspiration from God and therefore they reade and kéepe them studiously For which cause one calles them Librarios Christianorum Aug. the keepers of the Librarie of Christians in that they haue affoorded vs the reading of those sacred Bookes the vsing of which themselues neglect Yea the Iewes doe confesse Ioseph lib. 18. cap. 4. Antiq. Iudâ—c will they nill they that Iesus Christ was famous for Wisedom and vnheard of Miracles was slaine of the people and rose againe the third day But these reasons and this testimonie of the Iewes to prooue that God is the author of the scripture and that it procéeded from him is nothing to that one inward Testimonie of the holy spirit which doth speake within to our hearts and doeth assure vs that the scripture was written by diuine
Quando quidem ipse etiam librorum aspectuâ— segniores nos reddit ad peccandum forasmuch as the very sight of the Bookes doth withhold vs from sinning If the very sight of the sacred Bible in our houses will cause vs to thinke thus I will not sweare vainely I will not blaspheme I wil not offend the diuine Maiestie this way or that way because yonder lyeth the holy Booke of God which forbids sinne and threatens sinners shewes the punishment of vngodlines If the very sight of the Bible doe so much how will the reading and perusing and reuerent meditating on the scriptures amend and reforme our manners Lastly that the word of God will make vs absolute Saint Paul teacheth when he saith to his scholler Timothie 2. Tim. 3.15 â—6 11 that the holy scriptures were able to make him wise vnto saluation through the faith which is in Christ Iesus for the whole scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to conuince to correct and to instruct in righteousnes that the man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good workes As if he had said the scripture teacheth the truth of the Christian faith and conuinceth erroneous doctrines and rebukes vices and instructs in all godlines and holy conuersation And that more is Rom 15.4 as the same Apostle affirmes as the scriptures were written for our learning so they were written for to bréede in vs patience and consolation and hope in all our afflictions If the word of God be able to prepare vs on this wise to euery good worke who will not admire the fulnes and sufficiencie thereof He that would say that the scripture containes not all things necessarie to saluation but that some vnwritten verities are to be beléeued equally with the written word such as were those things that Paul ordered when he came to Corinth 1. Cor. 11.34 2. Thes 2.15 2. Io. 11. 3. Io. 13.14 Io. 21.25 and the instructions and traditions that he vttered to the Thessalonians those things which the blessed Euangelist would not write with pen ynke and paper but speake mouth to mouth and those other things which Iesus did the which if they should be written euery one the Euangelist supposeth that the world could not containe the Bookes that should be written He that would obiect this to procure authoritie to mens deuises must knowe that the things which Paul ordered among the Corinthians were not fundamentall points of Christian doctrine but such things as pertained to order and decencie as place time forme of prayers and other such like for which the Apostle tooke order in congregations according to the consideration of times places and persons and he must knowe that the instructions and traditions giuen to the Thessalonians were nothing else but the selfe-same doctrine which formerly the Apostle had deliuered vnto them either by word or by letter and he must knowe that the Euangelist meanes not any other Gospell 1. Io. 1.1 then that which he had before preached and written euen Iesus Christ the eternall life which was from the beginning which he had heard and séene with his eyes and looked vpon and handled with his hands but he meanes some particular matters that priuately beloÌ„ged to some speciall persons and were not tending to the edification of the whole Church and he must knowe that though all things are not written Io. 20.31 that Iesus did yet enough is written that we might beléeue that Iesus is that Christ that sonne of God and that in beléeuing we might haue faith through his name and Christs Church is built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Eph. 2.20 Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone and no reuelations or apparitions are to be expected Luk. 16.29 Heb. 1.1 for we haue Moses and the Prophets and must heare them and albeit at sundry times and in diuerse manners God spake in the old time to our fathers by the Prophets in these last daies he hath spoken to vs by his sonne that is although the former declaration of Gods will made by the Prophets was not full yet nothing must be added to this latter For the sacred scriptures are the touchstone to try truth and falsehood as Cyprian shewes by an excellent similitude in which he likens the scripture to a pipe or conduit of water If saith he a conduit of water do suddenly faile In epist ad Pompeiuâ— coÌ„tra epist Stephani which before ran copiously abundantly doe we not presently goe to the head of the spring that we may see whether the vaines encreasing the head be dried vp or whether they running ful from thence it faile in the mid or meane way And if we find that the pipe be corrupted or broken we ameÌ„d it that the current of water may runne as it formerly did Euen so must the Ministers of God do they must keepe them fast by the coÌ„mandemeÌ„ts of God that if the truth reele or stagger in ought we may returne to the fountaine of the Lord the Gospel that which hath bene deliuered by the Apostles that a reason of our doing may thence arise from whence both the order and originall thereof proceeded For if we haue recourse to the welspring of Gods ordinance all error of man ceaseth and whatsoeuer is obscurely hidden vnder a darke cloud it is opened by the light of â—ruth Since then the word of God is so vsefull and necessarie for vs Chrys ser 3. de Laz let vs follow the custome of Smythes Carpenters and other such Artificers They haue stâ—ll the tooles and instruments of their science readie and fit and though dearth or pouertie constraine them yet they had rather do any thing then sell their tooles and so maintaine themselues and they had rather pay vse for monie then engage their instruments For why they well know that if they sell their tooles their art decaies and the foundation of their gaine fals to ground but while their tooles are left and they apply their facultie in processe of time it may come to passe that they may pay their debt But if they doe away their tooles before they pay their debt what hope or expectation is left Of this minde must euery Christian be And as their tooles are the hammer and tongs and anuile and the like so our instrumeÌ„ts are the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and the whole scripture giuen by inspiration of God As they finish the workes which they take in hand by their instruments and tooles euen so by these Bookes we frame our selues and corrupt our liues and reforme and renew our soules But héerein is the ods that the Artificer by his craft onely ads a forme and shape to that he workes on but he cannot chaunge the substance and matter for he cannot turne siluer into gold or yron into copper but he onely alters the outward shape and proportion of