part only but totally as the Sunne is totalitèr luminosus wholly inlightened Halfe repentance is no true repentance Sicut enim interpositio tereae est causa Eclipsis solis ita interpositio peccati est causa ecclipsis bonae conuersionis 4. But alas how many in the world are rather like vnto the Moone seldome or neuer without some spot of darkenesse with in the center of their hearts euermore lodging one mountaine of sinne or other within the chambers of their breasts to eclipse the glorious light of a sincere and holy conuersion and so of a sacred life and heauenly conuersation how many are there that can bee contented like Sampson to destroy some of the vncircumcised Philistims some notorious and hatefull impieties But yet they will bee sure to keepe in their bosomes their beloued Dalilah their sweete sinne Iudges 16.17 21. in which their soule delighteth and in which they take pleasure aboue the rest and that they will not forsake though they lose both their eyes for it as Sampson did his though they loose both bodies and soules and be constrained to grinde for euer like milhorses in the prison of iniquitie and to be made scoffes and laughing stockes vnto their enemies the vncircumcised Philistims the world the flesh and the diuell who both night and day still seeke their destruction But the estate of these men is miserable fearefull and damnable except they repent For as Saint Augustine concludeth S. August Tractat. in Iâ—han in his tractate vpon Iohn Because they giue part vnto God and part vnto the diuell iratus deus quiasit ibi pars diabolo discedit totum diabolus possidet 1. Sam. 15.36 1. Sam. 18.10 God beeing angry because there is part giuen to the diuell hee departeth away as hee did from Saul and the diuell possesseth the whole man and therefore that wee may escape the arrowes of Gods vengeance let vs cast downe the darts of our sinnes and burie them in the graue of repentance that they may neuer ascend towardes heauen to pull downe Gods iudgements vpon vs. And that in this life while wee haue tyme for all though the Bowe be signum pacis a signe of peace yet further it is to be noted from the forme and figure of it That this Bowe is not a round circle but a Hemisphere and shineth in one onely hemisphere aboue the earth and not vnder the earth 5 And so likewise pacis faederisque signa the signe of peace This life only a time of mercy and of the couenant the signe of grace and mercie they shine onely in one hemisphere that is dum super terram viuimus while we liue vpon the earth in the other they shall not shine to the impenitent at the day of iudgement these will not appeare vnto them for they shall beholde them non iridem signum pacis sed summae irae diuinae signa not the Rainbow the signe of peace but the fearefull signes of Gods anger to the horror and terror of their accusing consciences now they may beholde this heauenly Bow without arrowes and bended towards heauen not threatning the earth but then they shall beholde it full of arrowes and turned not towards heauen but towards the earth bent in vengence against the wicked O then beloued let vs labour to bende him now with prayers whom then teares will not mooue and to pacifie him now with a sanctified life in whom otherwise at the day of iudgement we shal finde inexorable and let vs so inioy this world that we may haue ioy in the world to come No perfection in the things of this life For this Bow is not a perfect circle although it be beautifull and after the same manner all humane things learning wisdome honours riches beauty and strength allthough they be faire and specious endowments yet are they not perfect in themselues and therefore wee must not labour for them as if by them we thought to obtaine perfection but striue rather for that perfection which is from God who is the author and giuer of them all wee must striue for that glorious perfection which the Saints shall receiue at the glorious resurrection The Saints neede not doubt of their glorious resurrection 7. Of which glory the children of God need not to stand in doubt For if the forme of this bowe be so glorious that amongst all the meteors there is none more illustrious none more admirable none more beautifull then it then as often as wee looke into the admirable splendour thereof it may confirme vs concerning our glorious resurrection for if God can make such a glorious meteor by vertue of the beames of the Sunne shining in the clouds much more can he at the day of resurrection as the Sonne of righteousnes shining vpon our bodies beget an admirable splendour and excellent glory in them 1. Cor. 15.53 And if this mortall must put on immortalitie if God will make vs glorious then in the time of iudgement how should wee labour to magnifie his glory now in the time of mercy The forme of the Bowe a figure of Christs kingdome 8. Againe this bowe doth neuer obtaine the compasse of a circle or exceede the magnitude of a semicircle And here lyeth a mysterie The kingdome of Christ is as it were a sphere or round circle descending from heauen vpon the earth and ascending from the earth towards heauen This doth consist of a double hemisphere the Church militant and the Church triumphant the first visible and the second inuisible and to the perfection of this there is required the twofold comming of Christ the first in humilitie to saue and this hath his power and effectuall operation til the day of iudgement The second in maiestie to reward those that are saued and render vengeance to the reprobate and the effect of this shall continue to all eternitie In coelis complebitur hic circulus putae regnum Christi dominans omnibus in omnem aeternitaiem Cornelius cornelii a lapide Comment in Genes The perfection of Christs kingdome a comfort to the godly since then till the day of iudgement the efficacy of his first comming florisheth vpon the earth and not of his second hence ariseth the figure of a semicircle like to the Rainebow neither can this circle bee perfected till the time of his second comming but then it shall receiue his full complement when hee shall raigne over his whole Church vnited in the fulnesse of glory for euermore O most ioyfull comfort to euery faithfull subiect of this heauenly King doest thou in feare and loue to this blessed God labour to fulfill thy circle to finish thy course in the hemisphere of this life then maiest thou assure thy selfe that the time shall come when this most glorious King will compasse the about with the sphere of his glory with the circle of his loue with the double Rainebow of ioy comfort and happinesse for euermore 10. To
iudgement not to be searched into Oraculum e schola Eliae Pet. Mart. loc Com. Three opinions concerning the day of iudgement who daring to outface the Sunne in beholding the bright shining of his glorious beames and searching into secrets not to be looked into haue dazelled their eyes and left their erronious opinions testimonies of their vile presumption Some like Lots wife haue not beene afraid to looke backe towards Sodome and to prie into Gods secret iudgements contrary to the admonition of the Angell yea to the doctrine of Christ himselfe setting downe and defining a determinate time to the day of iudgment producing an oracle as they faine from the schoole of one Elia a Iew by which they affirme that the world should continue sixe thousand yeares which they account thus two thousand before the Law two thousand vnder the Law and two thousand in the kingdome of Christ But for this prescription of time wee haue no warrant from the word of God and therefore we may iustly refuse it Others there are who differ but little from the former teaching that as God was sixe dayes in creating the world so he shall bee sixe dayes in gouerning of it accounting to euery day a thousand yeares and alledging for their ground that of the Prophet Dauid in the 90. Psal verse 4. A thousand yeares in thy sight Psal 90.4 are but as yesterday which is past But concerning that place of the Prophet the meaning iâ— that innumerable yeares is but as a short time with God And wee may as well say two thousand or ten thousand yeares are but as yesterday as a thousand since all is alike with God with whom there is neither Prius nor Posterius no difference of time for hee remaineth alwayes the same throughout all generations and his yeares haue no end Psa 102.27 And I am God Psal 102. â—7 Malac. 3.6 I change not and ye sonnes of Iacob are not consumed Malac. 3.6 we cannot therefore approoue of this neither because it cannot be prooued out of the word of God A third sort there is who affirme that as Christ was thirtie three yeares with his naturall body vpon the earth so he shall remaine thirtie three yeares with his mysticall body the Church accounting to euery yeare fiftie yeares making them like to the yeares of Iubely Leuit. 25.11 which did consist of fiftie yeares Leuit. 25 11. So that by this account it should be from the birth of Christ vnto the end of the world one thousand sixe hundred and fiftie yeares and therefore not aboue thirtie foure yeares to the day of iudgement But all these are figmenta hominum the deuises of men and therfore not to be beleeued S. Aâ—gust ad Hâ—sichâ—â—n Excellent is that answere of S. Augustine vnto Hesichius to whom enquiring curiously of the end of the world S. Augustine answereth Se non audere spacia seculorum vsquâ— ad finem mundi aut metiri aut enumerare that he durst not either number or measure the times of the ages vnto the end of the world because it is written Of that day and houre knoweth no man no not the Angels in heauen Math. 24.36 Math. 24.36 It is sufficient for vs to know that it is the last time and therefore not long to the day of Iudgement These are the last times S August in Genes lib. 1. Sixe ages of the world and end of the world For as S. Augustine obserueth in his first booke vpon Genesis there are sixe ages of the world the first from Adam vnto Noah the second from Noah vnto A raham the third from Abraham to Dauid the fourth from Dauid to the captiuitie of Babylon the fift from the captiuitie of Babylon vnto Christ and the sixt and last from Christ vnto the end of the world And of these ages fiue are wholly passed already and of the sixt and last there are 1616. yeares expired 1. Cor. 10.11 and therefore if S. Paul in his dayes affirmed vnto the Corinthians that the ends of the world were come vpon them 1. Peter 4.7 and S. Peter in his time that the ende of all things was at hand which is aboue fifteene hundred yeares since 1. Iohn 2.18 then may wee iustly verifie with S. Iohn that it is the last time and with S. Iames that the Iudge standeth before the doore Iames 5.9 Signes of the day of iudgement of two sorts Seeing almost all the signes that were to come before the day of Iudgement are already past and expired or else now manifest in the world for these signes are of two sorts the first Signa praecedentia precedent signes the second coniuncta or rather concomitantia as the Logicians speake signes accompanying the day of iudgement Of the first sort there are diuers noted in the Scripture as the preaching of the Gospell throughout all nations Mat. 24.14 2. Thes 2.3 2. Tim. 3.1 2 3 4 5. Math. 24.6 7. Rom. 11.25 26. the comming of Antichrist the departing away from the faith the generall corruption of the world and vniuersalitie of iniquitie warres and rumours of warre deadnesse of heart with carelesse securitie and last of all the calling of the Iewes But of time and manner and where it is not yet concluded amongst learned Diuines Howsoeuer the most of these signes are fulfilled alreadie And for the second sort they are set downe by our Sauiour Mathew 2â— Math. 24. â—here shall bee signes in the Sunne in the Moone and in the Starres and then shall appeare the signe of the Sonne of man in heauen and all the Tribes of the earth shall mourne and they shall see the Sonne of man comming in the cloudes of heauen Reuel 1.7 with power and great glory Fearefull and terrible shall these signes bee And therefore while the Sonne of righteousnesse CHRIST IESVS is in the signes of mercie Sol Christus luna est â—â—clesâ—a and the Moone in the fulnesse of grace before the Sunne bee turned into darkenesse and the Moone into blood while God doeth with patience expect our conuersion Conuersâ—on necâ—ssâ—ry in the time of meâ—â—y Hebr. 12.29 Greg in Hâ—m 13 in Euang. let vs turne vnto him lest when he shall passe to the signes of iustice hee punish with the seueritie of his iudgements For our God is a consuming fire saith the Apostle And S. Gregorie Hom. 13. vpon the Euangelists Deus quos diu vt conuertantur tâ—lerat non conuersos durius damnat those whom a long time God doeth suffer expecting their conuersion not being conuerted hee condemneth them with the greater seueritie Dulcis rectus dicitur Dominus the Lord is said to be gracious and righteous Psalm 25.7 Psal 25.7 Hee is now gracious because hee doeth offer the sweetnesse of his mercie vnto the wicked that they might not perish but in the daye of iudgment he shall bee found iust and righteous because he wil iustly condemne those then
and thou shalt liue The couenant of grace Couenant of grace was that which God made with our first parents after their fall promising them eternall life and freedome from wrath in Christ Iesus the seede of the woman shall breake the head of the serpents Genes 3. Genes 3.15 The current of this is hoc crede viues Beleeue this and thou shalt liue The corporall couenant Corporall couenant concerneth temporall benefits and this is that which God made with Noah and his sonnes and their posterity for euer and with euery liuing creature vpon the face of the earth especially aymed at by Moses in the wordes of my text It shall bee for a signe of the Couenant betweene me and the earth 1. This couenant was made betweene God and the earth that is the inhabitants of the earth with Noah and with his seede after him God then was mindfull of vs before we were borne God mindfull of vs before wee were borne mindefull of vs not in anger but in grace much more will be not be forgetfull now while we walke in the path of faith and waies of righteousnesse 2. The mercie of God farre exceeds his iustice Againe this couenant was an euerlasting couenant not to continue for a short time but to the end of the world to shew that the mercy of God doth farre exceed his iustice for the rigour of his iustice was but for a little space in once destroying the world by water but his mercy is perpetuall in the continuall preseruation thereof For a moment in mine anger haue I hid my face from thee but with euerlasting mercy haue I had compassion on thee saith the Lord of hoasts Isaiah 54 8. Isaiah 4.8 To mooue vs to relye on Gods mercy in the depth of misery and to sing with the Prophet Dauid Sorrow may indure for a night Psal 30.5 but ioy commeth in the morning To conclude The spirituall couenant the fountaine of the corporall it shall be for a signe of the couenant betweene mee and the earth Of this couenant the Rainbow was a seale and as it sealeth this couenant so it signes in this that eternall couenant of God with his Church Ferus in Genes which is the fountaine and foundation of this Pactum hoc cum Noe praefigurauit faedus Christi cum Ecclesia saith one This couenant with Noah did prefigure that couenant of Christ with his Church spoken of Isaiah 54.10 Isaiah 54.10 Iris designat Christum qui est signum reconciliationis perfectae The Rainbow doeth figure Christ who is a figure of our perfect reconciliation a signe of our eternall friendship with God the Father and an euerlasting memoriall of our peace Christ the mysticall rainbow an euerlasting memoriall of our peace For although the Rainebowe the outward signe shall passe away with clouds yet notwithstanding the couenant of which it is a signe the memorial of our redemption that shall remaine for euer in the sight of God the Father and be visible in the flesh of his Sonne in the charactars of the wounds of his hands of his feete and of his side by which hee procured our most happie and endlesse peace Rom. 5.1 Actes 10.36 Ephes 1.6 Hebr. 1.14 Isaiah 11.6 Acts 4.32 Luke 2.29 Phil. 4.7 Ecclus. 2.14 peace with God the Father yea with the blessed Trinitie peace with the blessed and glorious Angels blessed and happy peace one Christian with another And last of all but not least of all peace of conscience which passeth all vnderstanding Which happy and endlesse peace with God the Father with the blessed Trinitie the glorious Angels the blessed Saints and our owne consciences with euerlasting blessednesse for euer God of thy endlesse mercie and most infinite grace graunt vnto vs to thy whole Church to euery one of thy faithfull seruants for the vnspeakeable loue and inestimable merits of thy deare Sonne our blessed Sauiour To whom with thee and the holy and most blessed Spirit one God in Trinitie and Trinitie in Vnitie be ascribed all honour glorie and power all might maiestie and dominion this day and for euermore Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉