that which the blessed Euangelist Matthew setteth downe saying Wake therefore for ye know not what houre your Master will come Many other exhortations we haue to moue incite and stirre vs to a godly life drawne from this day of Iudgement as that of Paul Act. 17.30 31. verses where hee preached against idolatry and told the idolatrous people that God admonished all men euery where now to repent Because hee hath appointed a day wherein hee will iudge the world in righteousnesse c. Let the recordation hereof make vs to be sober and watch and haue feruent loue as Saint Peter exhorted the faithfull 1. Pet. 4.7 8. saying Now the end of all things is at hand be ye therefore sober and watching in Prayer But aboue all things haue feruent loue among your selues Watch therefore beloued and againe I say Watch. Take instruction of the Hare who not knowing when her enemy may come vpon her yet fearing the worst sleepeth with her eyes open and by that meanes seeth the least glimpse of her enemy that may steale vpon her The Nightingale fearing lest she should be deuoured of a Serpent setteth her brest against a sharpe Thorne or some hard thing that when she oppressed which sleepe noddeth shee may by and by be awaked and then shee will sing most cheerefully melodiously So doe you deare brethren sleepe as the Hare doth with her eyes open that you may awake sodainly auoid when your enemy Satan with his alluring temptations would steale vpon you Sleepe also when you are heauy and drowsie as the Nightingale doth with some sharp thing at your brest I meane sorrow for sin at your heart that though against your wil you nodde sometimes with sleepe yet you may with the Nightingale speedily awake and sing melodious but yet spiritual songs Ephes 5.19 I meane Psalmes of thanksgiuing vnto the Lord as Dauid doth exhort vs saying Sing wee merrily vnto our Lord God Psal 81. make a cheerefull noise vnto the God of Iacob O let vs be mindfull of our latter end of death and this last account which that we may the better doe let vs call to minde diuers domesticall and familiar things dayly conuersant before our eyes that they may put vs in minde of our latter end and all circumstances touching the same all antecedents coniuncts and consequents Our beds may bring to our remembrances our graues our sheetes that we lye in 1. Thes 4. our winding sheete our sleepe death for vnto the same Death is compared the very Flea that bites vs the worme of Conscience that shall gnaw the wicked the crowing of the Cocke that awaketh vs out of sleepe and warneth vs of the passing away of the night may presage vnto vs the Trumpe of the Lord the sweet Bels of Aaron sounding out and ringing alowd to call vs to the Church the societie of the faithfull to knowledge faith and a godly life here in this world yea and our awaking out of the sleepe of death at the last Day the last audit and account at the time of the Resurrection Therefore beloued giue mee leaue for your good to shake you out of the cradle of your sleepe securitie and carelesnesse be lulled and rocked therein no longer For then you are said to bee asleepe in the Scriptures when all the powers of the minde and senses are so ouercome with the sound and dead sleepe of sinne that you cannot heare when Christ calleth nor see him when he commeth vnto you nor feele him when he knocketh at your hearts nor taste him how gracious hee is when ye come to receiue the Sacraments but only to your condemnation when ye doe not smell him whether hee bee a sauour of life vnto life or death vnto death so that yee cannot know the day of your visitation when such darknesse ouershaddoweth you that you cannot comprehend Christ the light when he commeth among his owne On the contrary then are we said to watch when all our senses are apt to all godly exercises when our eares are open to heare Christ our Master when we continue our watch and ward neuer putting off our armour or betaking our selues to our rest least Death the Lords Bayliffe should sodainly arrest vs or our Sauiour the high Iudge comming to Iudgement when wee least thinke of his comming 1. Thes 5. 2. Pet. 3. and therefore it 's compared to the comming of a Thiefe who giues no warning should sodainly we vnprouided and not looking for him steale vpon vs. And this is the reason that my Text giueth mee occasion to presse you with now The speciall exercise that we are to vse in our Watch and Ward is Prayer 1. Pet. 4. Mat. 24.42 And because wee know not the certaine time of the Lords comming to take this account we should bee the more vigilant and watchfull hauing on our spirituall armour Ephes 6. whereof Paul speaketh Watch therefore good Christians whiles it is the time of light the time of grace before the night of death commeth wherein no man can worke out his saluation Ezek 7. Augustine yeeldeth a reason why man knoweth not the time of his death nor the Day of Iudgement His words are these Magna Dei misericordia monuit In Psal 34. vt rectè viuamus ideo diem mortis extremi Iudicij nobis abscondit ne nobis in futurum aliquid promittamus that is the great mercy of God hath taught vs to liue well and for this cause he hath kept vs from the day of our death and of the last Iudgement that wee might not promise any thing to our selues afterwards August de disciplina Christiana The same saith Latet vltimus dies vt obseruentur omnes dies that is to say the last day is vnknowne that we should obserue all dayes Therefore I say Watch for you are not certaine to liue one houre I wil tell you how I would haue you watch Vigilate rectè credendo Helm firmiter sperando sincere Deum proximum diligendo mandata Dei custodiendo sanctè piè iustè viuendo sine intermissione orando in patientia Deo in omnibus bonis operibus fructificando quae edificationis sunt vbique sectando in omni bonitate vsque in finem permanendo that is to say Watch truely beleeuing stedfastly hoping sincerely louing God and our neighbour keeping the commandements of God liuing holily godly and iustly praying without ceasing in patience fructifying to GOD in all good workes following in euery place those things that tend to edification continuing in all goodnesse to the end If thou doest these things thou shalt neuer perish neither in this world nor in the world to come The doctrine of the vncertainty of the day of Iudgement ouerthroweth all the coniecturall and doubtfull opinions of them which haue gone about to set downe the certaine time of Christs comming to Iudgement and the purging of the world by fire Elias whether the Prophet
cùm tandem caro datur vermibus anima daemonibus cum diuete sinc fine crucianda That is to say If thou haddest the wisedome of Salomon the beauty of Absalom the strength of Samson the long life of Enoch the riches of Croesus the felicity of Octauian what doe these profit thee when at the last thy flesh is giuen to the wormes and thy soule to the Diuels with the rich man to be tormented world without end For what will it auaile a man to winne all the world and to lose his owne soule or what ransome shall a man giue for his soule 2. Men placed Stewards in this world hauing the stock of the same at their disposition play the bad Stewards in setting their hearts vpon them idolatrously From this vice and hainous sinne Dauid dehorteth when he said Psal 62.10 1. Tim. 6. If riches increase set not your heart theron And Paul commands them that be rich in this world that they be not high-minded neither put their trust in vncertaine riches but in the liuing God In which place hee yeeldeth a great reason to moue men not to trust to riches adding a fit Epithite to riches calling them vncertaine For they ebbe they flowe they come they goe they are neuer certaine Therefore the Wise man gaue good counsell when as hee said Trust not in vncertaine riches Valerius said well to this purpose Diuitiae istae in quibus summam foelicitatem consistere putant sunt caducae momentancae crepundijs simillimae affluunt subitò subitò dilabuntur nullo in loco nullo in homine nullo tempore sunt certae sed incertissimo flatu fortunae huc illuc actae quos in sublime sustulerunt subito casu deijciunt That is to say Those riches wherein men place their chiefe felicitie are caduke momentany most like to gugawes they come suddenly and suddenly slide away they are certain in no place in no man at no time but tossed hither and thither by fortunes instabilitie whom they haue exalted highly they throw downe suddenly This was one of the Philosophers reasons why riches should not bee felicitie quia fluunt refluunt that is they come speedily to a man and hastily runne away like the tyde of the Sea So long as Troy flourished it was said of King Priamus quo nō foelicior alter neuer was any more happy but when it was destroyed so vncertaine was his state and so vaine his former trust in riches infoelix Priamus so that this saying Priami calamitates became a common prouerbe spoken of all distressed persons What a foolish thing it is for men to trust in riches may appeare by the example of that rich Steward who considering his great in-comes and friuts that were to come in reasoned with himselfe saying What shall I doe because I haue no roome where I may lay vp my fruits And he said This will I doe I will pull downe my Barnes and build greater and therein will I gather in all my fruits and my goods and I will say to my soule Soule thou hast much goods laid vp for many yeeres liue at ease eate drinke and take thy pastime But God said vnto him O foole this night will they fetch away thy Soule from thee then whose shall those things bee which thou hast prouided So is he that gathereth riches to himselfe and is not rich towards God which trusteth to vncertaine riches and considereth not how deadly they sting in the end For as the Bee carrieth Hony in his mouth and a sharpe sting in his tayle euen so the couetous and cruell man trusting to his riches hath pleasure in his life but pain at his death Like to the example of the rich Glutton whose pleasant life you may see whiles hee liued and his dolefull sorrows after death from the 19. Verse to the end of this Chapter Thirdly men play the bad Stewards in this Farme this world by keeping their goods to themselues basely and miserably of which goods the Lord is the true owner and not themselues but Stewards and Disposers of them and therefore O man thou shouldest dispose them and doe with them as he would haue thee for so ought euery one to doe that is a Steward and Bayliffe vnder another Therefore be rich in good workes glad to distribute For this is the true vse of riches in good men that vse them wel to whom they are Gods blessings and the ornaments of vertue But to the wicked that imploy them not to help others but rather do hurt they are sentina malorum Arist a sinke of euils Keepe not that to thy selfe basely which God the true owner bids thee layout cheerefully to help others For if thou doest thou art false to God in thy dealing If a rich man that hath a Bayliffe a seruant vnder him should say vnto him Here is twenty shillings pay this to such and such persons and it is as good as if thou payedst it vnto me If this seruant should keepe this twenty shillings vnto himselfe and not lay it out as his Master bids him nor restore it you will say with mee that this were a bad seruant a false Steward God of his gracious goodnes bestoweth all that thou hast vpon thee and bids thee giue vnto the poore feede the hungry cloath the naked Math. 25. visit the sicke and imploy it to other good vses and then thou giuest it to him If thou shouldest not doe this thou art a false Steward thou doest not repay that which thou hast receiued Thou a rich man carriest as it were the poore mans stocke and therefore let them haue part with thee Stips pauperum thesaurus diuitum Tiberius Constant the rich treasure is the poore mans stocke as said the good Emperour God will haue no Begger in Israel Nature suffereth nothing empty and the Raine when it falleth downe and runneth filleth euery chinker and hole as it runneth and leaueth still some moisture behinde it to doe good where need is So doe you ye rich Stewards of the weale publique Lay out some goods for the maintenance of the Gospell some for thy poore neighbours that is done to Christ that is a treasure in Heauen surely kept for thee Reu. 18. and hath a finall blessing Math. 25. for the works of the godly follow them to defend them and reioyce them in the world to come But if thou art a false Steward gettest thy goods by pilling polling grinding the faces of the poore and selling them for hose and shooes and keepest them basely to thy selfe and thinkest at thy death to leaue them to thy wife and children thou shalt vndoubtedly leaue behind thee for all thine not a blessing but a plague and a curse and so vtterly vndoe all thy posteritie De malè quaesitis vix gaudet tertius haeres Exod. 20. God doth visit the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation of them that hate him And the Lord
or rather some other Elias of the Rabbins because it is not found in the sacred Scriptures but in the Thalmud of the Iewes hath set downe his opinion thus Sex millia annorum mundus durabit deinde conflagratio that is The world shall continue sixe thousand yeeres and then burning makes an end of it And because of sinnes which shall be many and great some yeeres shall be wanting Irenaeus the Martyr was of the same mind these are his wordes Quot diebus factus est hic mundus tot millenarijs consummabitur nam mille anni apud Dominum quasi dies vnus Psal 90. and 2. Pet. 3.8 Now all things were finished perfectly in sixe dayes and the seuenth day was a time of rest Therefore the consummation of all those things shall be in the seuen thousandth yere the perpetuall Sabbath the euerlasting rest This is their fallible collection and conclusion altogether repugnant to the Scriptures The greatest reason or rather shew of reason that made Elias and Ireneus and their followers to erre was for that they vpon these words A thousand yeeres are with the Lord as one day doe say that the world was made in sixe dayes and the seuenth day was a day of rest therefore the world shal stand and continue sixe thousand yeeres and in the seuenth thousand shall be the consummation and end of all In very deed I must needs confesse that these men were learned But Bernardus non vidit omnia neither these men for in my opinion herein they were deceiued in that they thought that in eternall life in the world to come with God were spaces of times yeeres dayes and houres as well as with men in this mortall life which is not true for in heauen I meane not the aereum Coelum ayrie heauen conteining the space from vs vnto the Firmament nor coelum coelatum the engrauen heauen which I so call because it is as it were ingrauen and enameled with glorious lights the Sunne the Moone and the Starres but the heauen which is called of the Philosopher Empyreum but by Diuines in Scripture the glorious Heauen of heauens or Heauen aboue the visible heauens wherein is our Sauiour the Angels and glorified Saints In this are no spaces nor seasons of yeeres dayes moneths houres or other times which thus I proue because there is no Sun nor Moone nor Stars nor no vse need nor necessitie of any of them For the claritie and brightnesse of the Lord shineth there There is no night no Clockes nor Dyals nor Watches How then is it possible for a man to know the spaces of times there Wherefore in the life to come a thousand yeeres are as one day and one day as a thousand yeeres The Psalmist therefore well said A thousand yeeres in thy sight are but as yesterday Psal 90.4 seeing that is past as a watch in the night Againe there is so much ioy in heauen that for the greatnesse and pleasantnesse thereof a thousand yeeres seeme to be but one day But in no wise can it be hereby gathered that because in sixe dayes the world was made and in the seuenth was rest that therefore the world shall continue sixe thousand yeeres and in the seuenth shall be a perpetuall rest and Sabboth and an end of all and so a certaine time knowne Besides the maintainers of the opinion abouesaid there are others which haue taken vpon them to ghesse at the yeere when there should be an end of all things In this number are they which thought that the end of the world shall be in the yeere from Christs birth 1656. because there were so many yeeres from the creation of Adam vnto the Flood and the rather they haue so supposed because our Sauiour and Saint Peter doe compare the times of the Floud Mat. 24. 2. Epist 3. and of the fire in the last day together Wheras therefore from the Creation of Adam vnto the Deluge were 1656. yeeres and sixe dayes they collect that there shall be so many yeeres vnto the last Iudgement when the World shall bee purged by fire Some thought that it should bee in the yeere 1588. among which number was Regiomantanus who left to the world certain Verses shewing his too farre reaching opinion Which Verses are these following Post mille expletos à partu Virginis annos Et post quingentos rursus ab orbe datos Octo gesimus octauus mirabilis annus Ingruet is secum iristia fata trahet Si non hoc anno totus malus occidet orbis Si non in nihilum terra fretumque ruent Cuncta tamen mundi sursum ibuâ—t atque deorsum Imperia luctus vndique grandis erit After one thousand yeeres full explere ended And fiue hundred more vpon the same And eightie eight iust added From the Virgins birth without all staine A wonderfull yeere shall come vpon And dolefull deaths shall follow on If not this euill world this yeere With Land and Sea decay Yet all the Empires euery where Assuredly shall sway And mourning much will follow Albeit beloued Christians there was some shew of alteration that yeere yet many that are here liued then and all can speake by experience that in this matter of the last Iudgement Regiomontanus was deceiued as vvell as others and although there were some shew of troubles yet GOD bee thanked the feares were greater then the harmes and we that liue can relate the same to Gods glory who mercifully and miraculously protected vs making the Seas and Windes to fight for vs and to get the conquest that all the praise might be the Lords Some would haue the time to be certainely knowne or very neerely pointed at because our Sauiour saith Behold the Figge-tree and all the trees Luke 21. when they shoot forth their buds yee beholding know of your owne selues that Summer is then nie at hand So likewise yee when yee see these things come to passe bee yee sure that the Kingdome of GOD is nigh This similitude teacheth that as when vvee see Trees begin to budde then we know assuredly that Summer is nigh So when wee see and know these things performed that the Euangelists haue by the Spirit of GOD penned and set downe and our Sauiour foretold and which Daniel prophesied of then wee may assure our selues that the day and time is neere at hand but we cannot out of these words gather the particular and certaine time Againe men should consider that our Sauiour spake by a similitude which illustrateth but proueth not any set time knowne to man In very truth I confesse that the time of the last Iudgement may be knowne quod ad genus that is that certainely it will come but it cannot bee knowne quod ad speciem to wit as touching the houre day moneth and certaine yeere I therefore assure my selfe and I beseech you all bee so perswaded that no man knoweth the certaine time the very day nor houre of the Lords comming
of fire This doth Iames teach vs saying Iam. 5.1 2 3. Goe to now ye rich men weepe and howle for your miseries that shall come vpon you your riches are corrupt and your garments are moth-eaten your gold and siluer is cankred and the rust of them shall be a witnesse against you and shall eate your flesh as it were fire Ye haue heaped vp treasures for the last dayes How foolish then are greedie couetous men Rom. 1. which heape vp wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God Mat. 5. How much better were it for them to lay vp treasures not vpon earth where the rust and moth doth corrupt and where theeues breake thorow and steale but rather to lay vp treasures in heauen where neither rust nor moth doth corrupt and where theeues doe not breake thorow nor steale Fourthly a mans conscience shall witnesse with him or against him as the Apostle doth testifie Rom. 2. speaking thus of the Gentiles When the Gentiles saith he which haue not the Law doe of nature the things conteined in the Law they hauing not the Law are a law vnto themselues which shew the effect of the Law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witnesse and their thoughts accusing one another or excusing at the day when God shall iudge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ according to my Gospel Note I beseech you the Apostles words He saith That the conscience of the Gentiles shall beare witnesse and he telleth when she shall doe this to wit when God shall iudge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ meaning the day of Iudgement But that I may speake more plainely note I beseech you beloued Christians that as mens doings are two-fold good or bad They are good which proceed from faith and are agreeable to the Law of God and they are euill which proceed from infidelitie and are repugnant to the Lawes of God So the motions of mens hearts are two-fold either ioyfull which concomitate good deedes or sorrowfull which alwayes accompany euill deedes Hereupon it commeth to passe that one Conscience may bee called good another bad Omnis Conscientia cum scientia Now a good conscience is a ioyfull motion of the heart arising from a certaine knowledge of wel-doing or it is the iudgement of the mind grounded vpon knowledge concerning a mans good deeds ministring ioy vnto him Hereupon Paul said Our reioycing is this the testimonie of a good conscience 2. Cor. 1.12 Paul bended his wit and will and laboured earnestly to haue a good conscience towards God and man and he had such an one and with it could truly say I am pure from the blood of all men And further at his end his conscience so comforted strengthened and emboldened him that he without any scruple or hesitation 2. Tim. 4.7.8 said I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith c. A good conscience makes a merrie heart whiles wee liue makes vs to sleepe more quietly then if we layd our heades on a Doune-pillow and when death approcheth she causeth man not to feare to die and then will not forsake him when all worldly vanities and shadowes vanish fade away and yet she wil doe him the best seruice that she can shee will plead for him and witnesse with him O what a treasure is a good conscience She is as it were mount Tabor a glimpse of glory vpon earth a comfortresse of thy heart at the houre of death and a faithfull friend and witnesse to stand by thee at the day of Iudgement when thou shalt haue most need But an euill conscience is in this world as it were an hellish Hagge an infernall Furie euer tormenteth man followeth him she alwayes keepeth a true record of all mans euill thoughts words and workes troubleth man with direfull suggestions and temptations she is neuer at peace and quietnesse she bringeth man to destruction as it may appeare by the examples of Cain Iudas Arrius and many others and yet she hath not done but continuing an enemy at the last Day will witnesse against a man all his sinnes his swearing forswearing lying stealing iniuries oppressions and all other his workes of the flesh and darknesse She will not nor cannot forget them For all mens faults are so perfectly knowne vnto her and so firmely impressed in her that shee is compared to a booke a booke of remembrance wherein all things are so perfectly recorded that they cannot be forgotten Reu. 20 12. Iob saith Thou hast sealed vp our sinnes in a bagge to shew the exact and strict kind of keeping of them against that Day of account So that not an euill thought not an euil word not an euill deed can be forgotten they are all so surely recorded and the time of opening this booke and reading them ouer to the hearing of the world is the day of Iudgement For then all mens faults shall be knowne and in them that haue offended they shall be punished Foolish men and women think that all their wicked thoughts all their idle and euill words passe away with the wind but it is not so for in this booke they are written and recorded and once the booke shall be opened and thy secret sinnes discouered Now if we come to the liues of men and women alasse they are most wicked they are nothing else but a continuall practice of sinne Well let vs labour to keepe a good conscience an vnblotted and vnblurred booke and then we shall preuent and escape the danger The booke and touchstone of the triall The Booke and touchstone whereby all our thoughts words and workes shall be examined and tried is the Word of God it is I say the Rule and Line by which they ought to be leuelled squared and wrought by The Apostle Paul saith Rom. 1.16 That at the day of Iudgement God shall iudge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ according to his Gospel he meaneth that Gospel whereof he was a preacher not an authour Our thoughts words and workes must be tryed by the Word of God If therefore our thoughts words and workes are not agreeable to the Word of God to Gods rules and commandements they are as odious distastefull and vnpleasing vnto the Lord as the offering vp of brused things were in the time of the Law Therefore let the Word of God O man be a lanterne to thy feet and a light vnto thy pathes that thou mayest not wander out of the old ancient wayes of the Lord but goe the straight wayes to Heauen alwayes directing thy steps by this Word of God When the poore wretched sinner accused by his own thoughts is found culpable in his words and workes and is conuicted by euident and plaine testimonies as before because he made no conscience of his wayes and neuer directed his goings according to the Word of God behold in what lamentable