fauour he is with-holden sometimes bribes blind his eies and peruert the right sentence But it shall not be so with this Iudge of the whole world His sentence is a righteous sentence he will iudge according to trueth he is able to finde out any cause and will examine it to the bottome hee feareth no mans person he will not be moued with fauor to conceale the truth And as for rewards hee contemnes them all therefore no doubt hee will proceede according to iustice This serueth for the comfort Vse 1 of Gods people in this world we see oftentimes the righteous cause is troden vnder foot mens lands and liuings are detained and taken from them by vnrighteous Iudges and that vnder colour of Law Well let men haue patience and know this that there wil come a day wherin there shal be Iustice and true Iudgement doone vnto them Here thy cause shall be heard it shal be righted for Christ Iesus will bee a righteous Iudge for the poore the fatherlesse and the widow Againe we see how the members of CHRIST which make conscience of sinne and care of their liues to heare the word and to walke accordingly they be disgraced and despised of the world Well let vs learn here to possesse our soules with patience for there will come a day of reckoning when as our righteous cause will bee heard and we shall haue iustice and all the contemners of Christ Iesus and persecutors of his poore members shall feele the smart of it Vse 2 Secondly seeing Christ Iesus the Iudge commeth thus with might and Maiestie not as a Sauiour or Mediator but as a Iudge It must admonish all men and women now to repent and turne vnto God in the time of mercy Esay 55.6 to seeke the Lorde while he may be found and to call vpon him while hee is neere Now while we liue Iesus Christ commeth vnto vs by his Ministers as a Sauiour to saue our Soules in mercie to bring vs to Repentance But after this life hee will no more come as a Sauiour or a Mediator but as a mightie Iudge full of Maiestie full of Might Power and Glory And therefore looke how men die so shall the Iudge finde them If thou die in thy sinnes and doest not repent and seeke for pardon at the hand of the Iudge whilest thou liuest heere There is no hope of mercy after death For how death leaueth thee so shall iudgement finde thee Cain died many thousand yeares agoe and Iudas in their sins so shall the last day find them For after death there is no mercy but iustice and iudgement And one fitting thereon NOw who this is which sate vppon this Great White Throne The Person of the Iudge described Reu. 14.14 you may see in the Reuelation of Saint Iohn the foureteenth chapter and the foureteenth verse I sawe a White Cloud and one sitting on it like the Sonne of man hauing on his head a golden Crowne and in his hand a sharpe Sickle So that wee see that it is the Sonne of man euen CHRIST IESVS GOD and man that shal be the iudge And so doth Saint Mathew call him Mat. 25.31 When the Sonne of man cometh in his glorie and all his holie Angells with him then shall hee sit vpon the Throne of his glorie And againe he titles him by the name of a King Verse 24. Then shall the King say to them on his right hand c. This is taught by the Apostle Wee must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ .1 Cor. 5.10 True it is that our Sauiour Christ is King Priest and Prophet a true Prophet in whom vvas contayned all the secrets and whole counsell of God A true high Priest whose Sacrifice alone was able to put avvay the sinnes of the vvhole world But when he comes in the Throne of his Maiestie to iudge the quicke and the dead he shall not come as Priest or Prophet for these Offices of Christ are finished For his Propheticall Office he hath sufficiently reuealed the whole counsell of God his Father to his Church and People First by his holy Prophets then by himselfe after by his Apostles and Minsters And therefore seeing that his Prophetical Office is finished he calles not himselfe a Prophet but a King Againe CHRIST IESVS our Priest hauing once for all offered vp that Propiciatory Sacrifice for the sinnes of all the Elect now this Office of a Priest is likewise finished and this Sacrifice must be no more iterated and repeated But now hee commeth as a King in all Maiestie and Glorie For though his Propheticall and Priestlie Office be accomplished yet his Princely Office is not finished But now CHRIST IESVS the Iudge of quicke and dead shall beginne to manifest himselfe to be a King to all Nations to men and Angells Novv shall hee shevv himselfe to be King of Kings and Lord of Lords full of all Diuine and Heauenly power and glory For that now at the name of CHRIST euery knee shall bow When our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST liued on earth he came in misery very base and lowly euery childe durst look him in the face Then euery base fellow euery sinfull wretch durst mock him and spit in his face Herod and Pontius Pilate and the rabble of the Iews durst then vse him at their pleasure But now Hee shall come as a King full of maiestie and glorie guarded and attended vpon with many thousands of heauenly Souldiours euen all his holie Angells and then he will make Herod and Pontius Pilate yea the greatest Kings and Monarchs to stoope Nay then all his enemies shall tremble and quake Zach. chap. 12 ver 10. and not dare to open their mouthes against him Oh then what a terrour may this bee to all vvicked and vngodlie sinners that liue in sinne to see him come in that wonderfull Maiestie to be their Iudge whom they haue contemned vvhose members they haue persecuted and whose word and glorious Gospel they haue not regarded but troden vnder foot for he shall come with a sharpe two-edged Sword to cut them in peeces and a consuming fire to burne vp all vngodlie sinners And as hee is a King to the vvicked so is hee a King to the godlie Hee alone hath the Scepter of Dauid to the endlesse comfort of those that bee the children of his Kingdome For who is it that curbs Leuiathan snaffles the Diuell brideleth his force and malice Surely this our King Who is it that cuts the throate of sinne in his members and taketh away the strength of sinne Surelie this King of Kings Who breaketh the brasse barres of Death and pulleth out the sting of Death Our sinnes that they sting not our soules to the eternall death None can doe that but this our King CHRIST IESVS Who opens the gate of heauen who puts his spirit into the hearts of his children making them to crie Abba Father to lift vp their soules and with ioy to long
himselfe in a Vision and sheweth after what manner we shal be all iudged Euen according to those things written in the Booke according vnto our workes You haue heard before that hee saw all both great and small stand before God none shall bee wanting or absent themselues Now it might bee wondered how this great multitude shall bee iudged how euerie mans Booke should bee read and euerie mans cause should bee tryed For wee see what a long time it holdes our Iudges heere to trie a few persons such calling for Euidences such prouing of witnesses such preferring of Inditements But Saint Iohn saith It shall not bee so heere for all must proceed according to the written Records And according to these things which bee written in the Booke So as when Christ Iesus the great Iudge shall once sit vpon the Throne of his Glorie attended by his holy Angells then shall the Bookes of euerie mans conscience bee opened and then they shal afresh call to minde all their sinnes In these words we are to obserue three speciall points Parts of the Text. First who they are that must come to this Iudgement namely the dead euen they which haue lien many thousand years rotten in the graue Secondly the means whereby they must be tryed euen by those things which bee written and recorded in their Bookes Thirdly the Touch-stone of this tryall namely the written word of God And first of the persons It is not to bee doubted but that Saint Iohn meaneth that all must come to Iudgement Both great and small must stand before God But why doth he say heere And the dead shall bee iudged It is to be obserued that he names so expresly the dead euen those which haue lyen rotting so many thousand yeares must come to Iudgement they must be called to accompt yea their olde sinnes must be now brought to light For this is rhe wicked thoughts of many carnall men that when a man is dead hee is well then all his sinnes die with him hee is forgotten and his sinnes are not spoken of But Saint Iohn saith heere that euen the dead must come to iudgement euen their olde sinnes must come to light and they must answer for them It is nigh sixe thousand yeares since Caine slew his brother yet this sin of his is not forgotten though Caine bee dead so long since yet his sins are not dead No no Caine one day shall come to accompt for his sinne Iudas he did for vile lucre sell his Maister many hundreds of yeares agoe hee is dead and gone but at this day hee shall be called to accompt So in our dayes many men thinke when they die their sins shall neuer be brought to light The Vsurer hee getteth his goods by wicked and vngodly meanes he groweth in wealth when hee dieth hee thinkes hee shall neuer heare of this sinne agayne So the Drunkard Swearer Profaner of the Lords Sabboth c. they are persvvaded that death will end all their miserie Ah poore soules it were well with them indeede if death might end their wofull miserie But alas alas death is euen as a wide Gate to let them haue some passage to endlesse woe and miserie For when they be dead and buried their sins doe not die with them their misery is not then ended O no then begins their endlesse miserie torment Oh it were good they might haue no more being after death It had beene good for such men they had neuer beene borne or being borne that they had been made rather a Toade or a Serpent for in death they haue an end But it is not so with a filthy and and vngodly sinner For when hee is dead and buried euen then beginnes his greatest woe and misery for euen the sinner that is dead a many thousand yeares must for all this come to iudgement And therefore thou that liuest in sinne in adultery c. remember that although thou die yet thy sinnes doe not die with thee No no both thou and they must one day come to iudgement thy old sinnes and those which thou hast committed in secret they must come now to light Seeing that the dead must come to Iudgement Vse that haue laine a many hundred yeares in the graue and then their old sinnes and secret sinnes must come to light Oh let vs then watch ouer our liues and haue this still in our mindes Well though I die and rotte in the Graue yet my sinnes shall not die my euill wayes cannot be buryed they must come to light that so wee may neuer dare to sinne thinking as many doe that when they be once dead they shall neuer come to accompt for their sinnes But Saint Iohn sayth heere that the dead were iudged euen those whom wee forgot and whose sinnes wee would thinke would neuer be called to accompt euen they must come to a reckoning In the next place Saint Iohn tells vs how all men shall be tryed and according to what Sentence shall bee avvarded Namely according to those things Written in their Bookes Heere is the Euidence heere is no witnesse to bee produced for a mans conscience shall bee euen as good as a thousand witnesses Novv what is heere meant by the bookes you haue heard already namely the particular Conscience of euerie man and woman Thy conscience is the Booke that is the Euidence No other witnesse shall bee produced but euen thy owne conscience Againe the things which be written in these Bookes I told you they be all our thoughts wordes and workes not onely our grosse sinnes as murder c. but in our Bookes bee recorded euen our idle and vaine words euery vile and filthy thought and by these Sentence must proceede and according to these must Iudgement be awarded Now then those which haue good thoughts yea and holie things written in their Bookes they be blessed and happie for they shall not be ashamed nay they shall be glad to haue their Bookes layd open that their repentance their faith loue zeale and patience c. might bee knowne and come to light But woe then to all filthie sinners adulterers c. For the reward of these sinnes is death the wrath and curse of God for euer Vse Seeing that heere is the Euidence and by the things written in our Bookes in our consciences we must be arraigned and seeing in our Bookes bee recorded all that we do all our words thoughts and deedes First it must teach vs aboue all things to looke to our Bookes our consciences to keepe them very faire and cleane that our Bookes of Accompts bee in a readinesse For our consciences shall eyther excuse or accuse vs at the day of Iudgement Acts 24. This was the care of the blessed Apostle saint Paul Acts 24 in regard of this that wee must all come vnto iudgement and our consciences must be layed open and wee iudged according to the things therein recorded it made this holie seruant of God to take all
possesse a Kingdome Hast thou beene hungry and thirsty heere then thou shalt taste of the Tree of Life Hast thou beene poore and naked heere Then thou shalt bee cloathed with the precious Robes of Christs righteousnesse and in steede of the rags of Infamie and Reproch which wee must put on heere wee shall bee crowned with a Crowne of immortall Glorie c. Agayne vnto the wicked and the vngodlie it is not so with them but they hauing taken their pleasure here and receiued their portion in this present world shall arise now to Iudgement to heare the Sentence of Condemnation denounced against them and Mohammed Bouaziziow to bee cast into the Lake that burnes with fire and brimstone for euer Iohn 5.29 which is the second death Thirdly seeing Saint Iohn saith that wee shall all come to iudgement these bodies of ours though they be drowned though they be burnt to ashes or howsoeuer they bee consumed yet they shall rise againe eyther to Life eternall or death eternall Should not this make vs all Beloued to looke vnto our selues to take heed we doe not vse our bodies to the dishonour of God Wouldest thou haue thy bodie to bee partaker of Life Felicitie Glorie and Saluation in heauen Then vse thy bodie now to the glorie of God vpon earth to heare his word to sanctifie Gods Sabboth c. But if thou vse thy bodie to sinne to swearing to drunkennesse whooredome c. then know that thy bodie shall rise againe to iudgement to be tormented for euer Do not looke vpon the rich Glutton Luke 16. hee had abused his bodie to swearing drunkennesse c. and what became of it was hee not fearefully tormented in Hell at last And hee which had giuen his tongue to swearing c. Now he cries his tongue his tongue O that all sinful wretches could but thinke of this one example of GODS iudgements that if they abuse their bodies as this man did that they shall then taste of the same Iudgement Wouldest thou haue thy body glorified then glorifie God in thy body Dost thou thinke that thy soule shall bee saued and thy body glorified if thou vse the members thereof to sinne to vncleanenes c. O no let vs not deceiue our owne soules it can not be For saith the Apostle Rom. 6.2 How can wee that are dead to sinne yet liue therein Fourthly seeing the Holie-Ghost saith that of what death soeuer wee doe die wee shall all rise againe and Gods children they shall rise to life and to glory This must teach vs all this Doctrine namely not to weepe and mourne immoderatly for our friends deceased True it is that CHRIST IESVS wept for Lazarus Iohn 11. and the Disciples made great lamentation for Stephen Acts 7. And so wee haue great cause to mourne and weepe when as some speciall member of the Church of God is taken away we may not be as stockes or stones or senselesse creatures without affection It must needes grieue the heart of a husband to part with his louing godly and religious wife But heere is a meane for this mourning to moderate our weeping that wee weepe not and mourne not ouermuch for they shall rise againe I would not haue you ignorant brethren concerning those that bee asleepe that you should mourne at they that haue no hope 1. Thess 4.13 Where the holy-Ghost tells vs that the dead in Christ doe not die properly but lay them downe to take a sweet sleepe after their long and tedious labors and troubls in this world and afterward they must rise againe to life to happinesse to liberty to glory and saluation And wherefore then should we mourne so excessiuely weep and lament at the death of our friends seeing they doe not perish they are not cast away O no their soules are presently in ioy and their bodies are buried in the graue as in a bed of dowlne to take a sweet sleepe till the day of Iudgement and then they shall rise to glory And they were iudged euery man according to their workes MArke I pray you how the holy Ghost repeates this point againe and againe he beates vpon it he can neuer haue done with it He said before The Bookes are opened and the dead were iudged according to those things written in the books And now againe he saith They were iudged euery man according to his workes What should bee the cause why the Holy-Ghost so often repeats this point and beates so vpon it againe and againe I answere The cause is in vs because wee are hardly brought to beleeue this poynt hardly perswaded of so necessary a matter for hardly one man of a thousand beleeueth this That he shall be iudged according to his workes Oh it is a hard matter to perswade men and women of this That they must giue an accompt of their workes and be iudged by their workes Tell the wicked sinner of his vngodly wayes of his profanenes contempt of Gods word c. And what doe they say Doe they quake and tremble Doth their heart and soules euen erne in them O no no they flatter themselues with this conceit God is mercifull And thus they make the mercie of God a packe-horse for all their abominations And thus it is in the vile heart of man to thinke he shall neuer come to account for his sins that he shall neuer bee called to a reckoning for them and receiue his reward according to his workes Heere then we may perceiue there bee but two sorts of men and women there is the repentant sinner and the impenitent sinner and both of them must come to iudgement The repentant sinner is he or she that mourneth for their sinnes bewaileth them hateth them and leaueth them and doth hunger and thirst after good things Now the impenitent sinner is he or shee that liues in sinne and will not in any wise bee brought to leaue sinne They neuer with teares beg the pardon of them at the handes of God but wallow in all vncleannesse heaping sinne vpon sinne and one vngodly way vpon another whereas all the sinnes of GODS children who doe repent be quit and pardoned in Christ Iesus hee hath nayled them to his Crosse and hath washed them away in his owne Bloud and they shall neuer come to light But their faith their religiō their good deeds as their feeding and cloathing of CHRIST IESVS in his poore members Matth. 25. and according to these they shal receiue their reward life happinesse and eternall saluation and as their good deeds be many and great so shall their honour praise and glory be greater in heauen And therefore we should labour to abound in good works in faith knowledge repentāce loue zeale c. seeing our reward shall be according to our workes But as for the vnrepentant sinner that liues in sinne delights in sinne as they do not repent nor haue no faith nor good workes euen so as their workes shall bee so
World must appeare before the Throne of CHRIST IESVS Thirdly if you desire to be instructed by what meanes and after what maner CHRIST IESVS wil proceed in iudgement What shall be the Euidences and the Witnesses What Iury shall passe vpon euery man and woman The holy Ghost tells vs that the Bookes shall be opened that God will Iudge euery man by his owne conscience for that shall giue euidence eyther with or against thee either to excuse or accuse thee Fourthly and lastly if you would know what shall be the finall end of all men you may heere perceiue that they vvhose Names are written in the Booke of Life shall bee Blessed But Death and Hell and Sathan and all vngodlie sinners shall bee cast into a Lake of Fire and Brimstone for euermore which is the second death Now hauing seene the meaning of the Text let vs come to speake of the seuerall points one by one in order I saw a great white Throne c. THis Verse containes in it a notable Description of the Iudge himselfe And whereas S. Iohn saith he saw a great white Throne that is Christ Iesus reuealed it vnto him in a Vision the manner of his second comming to iudgement and withall commandeth him to write it in a booke for the comfort and instruction of the Church of God for euermore Heere then we may note the great care and loue of IESVS CHRIST towards his poore Church and people that hee would not haue them ignorant of his second comming to Iudgement But he doth make it knowne to his Disciple Iohn and bids him record it in the booke of God for our instruction that so no man might be ignorant of it but rather might prepare himselfe by true repentance to meete the Lord Iesus Christ in the Clouds Now concerning the Vision Saint Iohn saw a Great white Throne he saw a throne set and this Throne is described by two properties First a Great Throne 1 Great Throne secondy a white Throne The first shewes the wonderfull Might Maiestie and Power of the Iudge The second shewes the Puritie Integritie and Vprightnesse of the great Iudge of the whole world Mat. 25.31 And as it was shewed vnto Iohn in a Vision so our Sauiour Christ himselfe speaketh of it when he shewes that as earthly Kings vvhen they will make shevv of their Regall Power and Dignitie of their Maiestie they ascend into the Thrones of their Kingdome euen so Christ Iesus when hee comes to Iudgement hee will come with all glorie all his holie Angells shall attend on his Sacred person And then hee will ascend into this Great white Throne of his Glorie to pronounce that finall sentence both on the Sheepe and on the Goates Vse 1 Here then we see a manifest difference betweene Christs comming in the flesh to bee a Mediator and Redeemer and his second comming to Iudgement And surely it makes much for the comfort of Gods poore children that though heere they be in want in misery and pouerty yet they shall be made partakers of this glorie of their head Christ Iesus Secondly it serueth to astonish all hard-hearted sinners which contemne Christ and his poore members Christ will at last manifest his power in their iust condemnation Seeing the person of the Vse 2 Iudge is of such endlesse power and glorie of such wonderfull might and maiestie this must humble all men vvhen they come to stand in presence of so great a Person as wee doe vvhen vvee come to heare the Word Preached and Taught to receiue the holy Sacrament If wee were to come but into the presence of an earthlie Prince how carefull and circumspectly vvould vve behaue our selues to do nothing vnbeseeming the presence of so great a person This is the great care men haue when they come into the presence of an earthlie iudge to put off their hats and to shew al tokens of reuerence And yet it is a wonder to see how vnreuerently men and women come into the ptesence of the Euer-liuing and most high God vnto the presence of the great Iudge of Heauen and Earth the King of Kings and Lord of lords When we come to pray or to sing Psalmes vnto God hovv vnreuerently doe some sit vvith their hattes on would any man do it in the presence of an earthly iudge or a mortall presence Surely it is an vnreuerent behauiour to sit couered eyther when wee speake vnto God by Prayer or vvhen GOD speaketh vnto vs in his word Againe when men come to heare the vvord of this great Iudge the glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ when they reade it priuately in their houses It is wonderfull to see what little reuerence they shew in the glorious presence of this great Iudge Would anie earthlie Prince take it in good part if thou shouldest stand in his presence and he talke with thee for thy good and thou shouldst euen at that time turne thy backe vpon him and fall to wiping of thy shoes or some baser businesse Though men dare not do this in the presence of an earthly prince yet when Iesus Christ shall speake vnto them in his Word and Gospell they will more regard the vaine and foolish talke of anie Boy or Girle that shall prattle in their eares then the heauenly voyce of this great Iudge CHRIST IESVS Which shewes very plainely that they care not for CHRIST and that they make but small account of his Word and glorious Gospel Oh therefore let vs consider when we come eyther to speake to God by our praiers or to heare Christ speak vnto vs in his Word that wee come to appeare in a glorious presence that so we may come in feare and reuerence as becommeth the presence of so great a maiestie Vse 3 Seeing the Person of the Iudge is of such endlesse Maiestie and power we must take heede we neuer doe wrong anie of his poore members for Christ hee taketh it as done vnto himselfe and hee will neuer put it vp at our hands Let vs therefore embrace the counsell of the Prophet Dauid in the second Psalme and twelfth verse Kisse the Sonne lest hee be angrie c. let vs regard his word embrace his Gospell loue his people obey his truth kisse the golden Scepter of this great and mightie Iudge of the world lest in his anger he breake vs in peeces with his rod of yron Secondly 2 White Throne this Throne of CHRIST IESVS is called a White Throne Now this white Throne it betokeneth puritie beautie sinceritie and integritie And therefore it sheweth that CHRIST IESVS the Iudge of the whole world will iudge all causes and all persons vprightly sincerely and purely no crueltie no iniustice nor wrong will hee doe to anie creature but will proceed most sincerely in all vprightnesse Indeed iudgement in this world many times swarueth greatly sometimes the Iudge is not able to search into the depth of the Cause sometimes for feare he dareth not doe iustice sometimes for