my fathers kingdome Where is now the heretique that confoundeth particular iudgement Where is now the Epicure that thinketh there is no iudgment at all Where is now the ignorant Papist that dreameth of Purgatory and hee that fondly thinketh that there is Limbus patrum and Lymbus puerorum and where are these that imagin of a place of abâ—ade betweene Heauen and Hell I turne them all together to the Hebrewes for Wisedome in this point where they shall finde that after death the soule of man is iudged Would Paul haue so earnestly desired to haue beene dissolued if hee should not presently haue bin with Christ He saith that in this world wee see in a glasse darkly We see but Gods backe ports as Moses did that is but a little of the sailour of God But then that is after this life ended we shal see god face to face that is we shall haue the full fruition of him We read of Diues and Lazarus that after death the one was iudged to heauen the other to hell which is a Parable to signifie the trueth of this particular iudgement And to conclade this poynt we read in Salomon that the dust returneth to the earth from whence it came and the spirit to God â—hâ— gaue it So that wee may learne from hence the vncertainty of the day of iudgment Wel saith Bernard Nihil certius morte hora mortis nihil inocentius that is Nothing is more certayn than death there is nothing more vncertaine than the houre of death Let euery Christian therefore that wisheth the saluation of his soule at the day of death and iudgement beware of security and carelesse liuing let no man deferre repentance and amendement of life least death come when he iâ—dâ—eth not for it and so being vnprepared he be cast into hell fire The olde world had 120. yeares to repent in Nâ—nâ—e had 40. dayes to repent in Israell had 40. yeares to repent in but thou O maÌ„ knowest not how long thou hast to liue thou haste no lease oâ— thy life thou art heere to day and gonâ— to morrow when the houres of thy life bee ended and the glasse outrunne thou must awaye death wasteth for thee in euery place and at all times therefore waste thou for it plaing as the fiue wise virgins that had the candle of faith burning in the lamps of their harts nourished which the oyle of loue and workes Ierusalem because shee could not bee brought to repentance shee was destroyed many hundred thousandes of her children were famishâ—e to death and many hundred thousands taken captiue by Titus Vespatian the Roman Emperour many cast to wilde beastes and deuoured The children of Israell because they were a stiffenecked people and a froward generation and woulde not bee brought to repentance how many thousands of them lay slaine in the wildernesse 600000. males except Ioshua and Caleb The old world because they would take no warning and could not bee brought to amendment of life the floud drowned them all except faithfull Noah and his godly family And except thou repentest thou likewise shall perish according to that of Luks Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish beware therefore and repent betimes Foelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum Happy is he whome other mens harmes do make to beware Refuse no good motions knocking at the doore of thy heart but entertaine them willingly according to the counsell of Augustine If hee offereth thee grace to day saith hee take it make much of it for thou knowest not whether he will offer the same to morrow Make no long tarrying to turne to the Lord and put not off from day to day the longer thou remainest in thy sinne the harder it is for thee to repent for Qui non est hedie cras minùs aptus erit If thou beest not fit to amendement to day thou wilt bee lesse fit to morrow Therfore while the lord speaketh to thee make him answer while hee calleth vnto thee let there be an eccho in thine heart as was in the heart of Dauid seek ye my face thy face Lord will seek and while it is said to day harden not thine heart In no case therefore defer thy repentance for the day of death and iudgement is vncertain as saith Chrisostome Poenitenti veniam spospondit sed viuendi in crastinuÌ„ non spospondit that is the Lord hath promised pardon to him that repenteth but to liue till tomorrow he hath not promised But some there be in the world that will say the more it is to be lamented I am young I will liue a while after my hearts desire and in my olde age I will repent mee of my sinnes for God hath promised who will be as good as his word At what time soeuer a sinner doeth repente him of his sinnes from the bottom of his heart J will put all his wickednes out of my remembrance saith the Lord. And will pray to the Lord for forgiuenesse of their sinnes as Augustine said before his conuersion Ignosce pacer ignosce mihi at noli modo Forgiue mee my sinnes but not now let me sinne in my youth pardon me in myne age thus they would desire to die the death of the righteous but they would not liue the life of the righteous but let these gracelesse persons that thus deferre repentance beware of two things 1 Let them beware of sodaine death Let them take heede least they bee cut off in the middest of their sinnes as Iobs children in the middest of their bauquetting and ryoting were soddaynely slayne by the fall of the house and as the floud came vnlooked for and drowned the old world Liuis reporteth a fearefull example of sodaine death saith hee there were two olde men that frequented two harlots and presently vppon the face committed they both died sodainely the one was thrust thorow with a dagger the other died sodainely of an Apoplerie which is a disease ingendered of aboundance of grosse humors which do fill those vessels and receptories of the head from whence commeth feeling moouing of the body as saith Galene and therefore they that haue this disease are depriued of all sence feeling moouing Let euery Iustie yonker and desperate ruffian set this fearefull example before his eyes Againe the young man dieth as soone as the olde the Lambs skinne is brought to the market as well as the oldâ— crones true is that saying of Augustine vita dum crescit decrescit vita mortalis mors vitalis id est life while it increaseth decreaseth life is dying and death is liuing 2 Let all men that refuse the mercy of GOD and deferre their repentance know that repentance is not theirs at command but it is the great mercy of GOD and it is to be feared that they that haue refused it offered when they would haue it they
vs but hurt vs increase our iudgment neither our smalnes will excuse vs or accuse vs to harme vs but we must all of al sorts and degrees and sexes stand hould vp hand at thy hat O sweet Iesus let it please thee that we may vse our greatnes to thy glory to good and not to harme our smalnes with comfort and contentednes O lord though we may couer our sins before men and finde a friend in court yet we pray thee good Iesus let vs remember that we must answere in thy courte when it shall be too late to intreat O Lord awake vs and make vs mindfull of our account before that wee be called for and seeing most greate god al sesecrets must then be known or pronounced pardoned O good lord let vs haue grace froÌ„ thee to confes our secret sins to take heed of such for thou keepest a depte book Lord let vs find speedily thy depe book Rased thy word answered the book of life to haue our names that when they shal be opened in the great day of thy iudgement they may bee no terror to vs. Good Christ let vs prepare our witnesses and make ready our answere without delay for we know not what wil be to morrow O lord we confes we caÌ„ haue no lesse then 4 sufficient witnesses thy word thy spirit our conscience and the conscience of our neighbours iointlie Let vs be sure of these to stop the mouth of all hellish Enimity and to seale vp to vs pardon and recoÌ„ciliation in Iesus Christ Let vs iudge our selues that our Iudgement may quickly be passed ouer that after we may iudge not be iudged O lord we know before that we must heare iustice mercilesly if we repeÌ„t not if we turne not we must be turned out if we wil not come in time we must fearfully go with out time O Lord let vs bethink vs of our estate be sure of our peace with thee els our doting will quickly appeare for we are euery moment within the compas of death the prison of hell O Lord happy are toades before Reprobates for death fully ends theÌ„ but death doth keepe the wicked to restore them and bring them out againe to iudgemente O Lord let vs see thee angrie let vs see thee pleased and so let not thy wrath death nor the last iudgemeÌ„t terrifie vs. Let thy church our king and state be blessed Let Sions ilwillers be either conuerted or confouÌ„ded send out in thy bottomles mercies a reuocation of the commission gone out against the people of this nation By vertue whereof many die many poor widdows poore orphans cry lord work what thou wilt take what thou wolâ—est be pacified Lord al thy afflicted seruants make mone to thee Lord hear in heauen and send comfort to the earth and it shal bring vp hearty praise to thee by Iesus Christ Amen A short prayer of purpose against Sathans assaults MY louing and most pitifull father who in Iesus Christ for his sake hast called me to thee by grace I am come to thee Now blessed father I finde stronger enmity then before and finde such a combination betweene Sathan and my nature with the worlde against me that my weaknes is ready to yeelde good father seing that nowe this rage of assault seems to bee for thy sake I thy poore child doe beseech thee to manage thy owne cause and make thy part good against these enemies of thine in all theire forcible assaults let them all know they haue to deal with thee so defend thy glory and this poore soule of myne that commeth trembling to creep vnder thy wings and desireth to cast liuely thy sweet fauour and neuer to be drawne from thee she we thy selfe for Christs sake and let me not be blinded in iudgement nor so weak in faith that I should be deluded thy Maiesty dishonored the enemy incoraged or thy little ones dismaied free me therefore good father from all these daungerous perplexities that in patience faith and true Godlines I may runne my race and fighte a good fight conquer that I lose not my Crowne for Iesus Christs sake Amen A short prayer at hand vpon all occasions O Christe I beleeue helpe my vnbeleefe I am tolde from thee that Sathan is conquered sinne is killed hell is shut thys wrath is pacified curse and law are fully answered and no perill can possibly befal me Good Christ let me not onely see it but liuely and ioyfully apprehend it and so stablish me and mortisse me into thy self vnchangeably against winde and storme and all that the Dragon can cast out of his mouth and so I the least of thine with many thy deare children will praise thee for euer Amen A prayer for all sorts O Lord heare vs looke mercifully vpon vs thou hast promised it commaunded vs to ask it performe thy promise and helpe vs in asking for thy sons sake Thou hast been gratious and thy mercy endures we haue been vngracious our sinnes continue let thy wrath prouoked be pacified let thy iustice stirred be stayed and satisfied in Iesus Christe our mediatour Pitty vs and pardon vs we beleeue helpe our vnbeleefe resolue vs and peswade vs remoue all dangerous doubts from vs as olde Adam liued and ruled when thou wert prouoked so let it die and be subiecte nowe thou art pacified let vs be lightned by thy word let vs be affected with it let vs haue it in high estimation and let vs follow it in our conuersation let it be our sword against the deuils temptation let vs conquer in Christ Iesu let a god conscience Iudge vs Let a continuall watch keepe vs Let the power of thy spirit arme vs Let our weaknes neuer grow to wilfulnesse let thy spirit neuer forsake vs leaue vs not ouerlong though thou tri'st vs set security aside shake of our drowsinesse quicken our deadnesse soften our hardnesse quenche all the fiery dartes of Satan in vs let vs looke back to our former state and to our present state let our heart grieue that it can bee no more grieued let our souls ioy be in Christ thy son let vs glad our selues in the holy ghost let vs be giuen to reading hearing and meditation let vs resorte to the company of thy saints let vs loath the companie of the wicked let vs be lowly conceited in our selues let vs think reuerendly of al thy children let vs rest in thee our good father-watch vs by night guide vs by day blesse vs in both with al ours publikly and priuately protect thy gospell and church preuent thy foes at home and abroad for Iesus sake amen Finis Gen. 3.9 Mat. 12.24 The first part 2. c 1.5 10 Heb. 9 2â— Art 7. August Mat. 8.22 Habâ— 2.4 Mat. 24.31 Mat 13.40 Obiect Ioh. 3. â—8 Answer Eccle. 3.17 Psal 139â— 8.9 Rom 2 11 Psal 98.9 a a wisd 5 8 b. Act. 23 â— Gen 25.33 2 Pet. 2.22 Psal â—â—â— â—37 Ierem. 4 19 â—â— Monica Apo. 13.16 Eph. â— 2 1. Pet. 5.8 1. Iohn 2.16 Anst a psal 12 1 Compa Note Inuen â—uk 12.19 Iero. The secoÌ„d part â—wis 1 9 Mat. 5 28 Bernard b. 1. Pc. 5.9 a. Iob. 3.15 Mat. 15.11 The laâ—er of sinne Prou. 4.23 om 6 23 Word Greg. Ierome â— Basil Calv. Psal 31 1â— 1. Pet 4.18 Pet. Dami Exo. 8 2.4 Poet. Gen. 3.6 Nu. 15.36 Mat. 16.22 23. Act. 5.35 Ma. 11.3.5 Eccl. 14.8 Works 1. cor 5.10 Ecle 12.14 Goods Esay 38.1 Iuk 16 21. Time Ber. Aug. Amos 6. â— Exemp Quid 1. Pc. 4.11 Epes 4.29 Psal 34.1 Iob. 27.4 Poet. Mat. 12 3â— Three kingdoms Ouid. Iob. 3.31 1. Iohn 4.5 Eccles 3. â— Greg. Iohn 14.6 â—cclesiasti 21.25 Text The third part 2. Cor. 5.10 Iohn 5 22 Math. 28.18 Ps 2.7.8.9 Psal 110 1 Iudge Rom 2 â— Iam. 4.12 Iob. 31.14 Hilâ—ion 1 Pc. 4.18 Ex. 16.18 Apo. 1.17 Dan. 8.17 Hest 7.6 Gen. 3.8 Aug. Apoc. 6.16 Psal 50.21 Psal 50.4 Rom. 2.15 Mat 25 41 Goc Apoc. 9.6 Luk. 6.25 Psal 11.6 Mat. 13 4â— Yee Curâ— Into euerl fire Mat. 22.13 Which is prepared Zeph 1.15 Apoc. 6.9 10. Phil. 1.23 Apoc. 22. Math. 〈◊〉 2. Dan. 4. Psal 14.1 Apo. 19.1 P. 44.15 Text. Act. 1 7. Marke 13 32. Arist Mat. 24.42 1 Ioh. 2.28 Eliah 1. Co. 10.11 Iam. 5.9 Mat. 3.2 Death what Heb. 9.27 2 Es 14.25 Ans Luke 23.43 Psal 90.4 Ans Gen. â— 17 Ob. Ans Aug. Heb. 9.27 Phil. 1.23 1 Co. 13.11 Exo. 33.23 Luk. 16.22 Eccle. 12.7 The vse hereof Ber. Gen. 6.3 Ionâ—s 1.4 Pl. 95.10 Mat. 25.4 Iosephu Gen. 7.23 Luke 13 3 Aug. Ecclesiasticus Poet. Psal 27.9 Chrysost Obiect Eze. 18.21 22. Aug. Iob. 1.18 Liuie Galen August Rom 6 13. Poet. Demasc Ieromes Act. 16.
bee carefull and circumspect to all his wayes that hee treade not his shooe awry at any time that he offend not this fearefull iudge in any thing that at this day of iudgment hee may finde him a gentle and louing Lambe and not a Lyon of Iuda for as to the wicked this iudge is terrible so to the godly hee is a friendly and a welcome Iudge as to the wicked the day of iudgement is a daye of desolation a day of cloudes and blacknesse so to the godly it is a day of redemption yea the godly shall leape for ioy at that day and for the comming of that eternall daye the blessed spirits in heauen cry out saying how long Lord and the blessed ones vpon earth desiring the comming of this day also saying with Paule Cupimus dissolui esse cum Christo id est Wee desire to bee dissolued and to bee with Christ and praying with Iohn Veni Domine Iesu Come Lord Jesus come quickly Let euery Christian therefore so lead his life that it may goe well with him at that day What if J haue all the world and loose my soule at that day what doth it profit me If a man be called to appeare before some earthly iudge hee will haue an especial care to array himself in the best manner hee may and to be haue himselfe accordingly that hee may bee the better accepted of him So euery Christian against the daye of iudgement when hee must appeare before the king of Kings and iudge of all the worlde must haue an especiall care to put on the wedding garment of Christs righteousnesse and regeneration least hee bee sent packing to Hell with the wicked and all those that forget God Mordecay because he went basely in sackcloth could not bee permitted to come into the Kings pallace and doest thou thinke whatsoeuer thou art that thou shalt be admitted into the glorious Pallace of the King of heauen hauing on the stinking defiled abhominable garment of impurity and the menstruous cloath of iniquity no no the Lord will spue thee out of his mouthe a stinking carkas stinketh not to before men as a polluted sinner in the nostrells of almighty God Nebuchadnezzar woulde haue no children in his Pallace but those that were wise and beautifull and doest thou think that the King of heaueÌ„ and earth will haue any fooles that is sinners for the sinner is called a foole in the Scripture the fooâ—e â—ath said in his heart there is no God to dwell with him in his Pallace or doest thou think that any vgly person shall bee suffered there that is any sinner for the sinner is an vglye and abhominable thing in the sight of God no the Lord will entertaine none into his kingdome but such as are beautifull shining in holinesse purity and righteousnesse as the portalls of the burnisht sunne such as are without spot or wrinckle Omnino ad imaginem suam altogither like vnto him holy as hee is holy pure as hee is pure such will the Lord haue in his kingdome to sing Halleluiah Saluation and glory and honor and power be to the Lord our God Therefore as the theefe is exceeding prouident and very carefull how hee may aunswere the Iudge at the barre and as in earthlye courtes men will be very carefull to prouide an answere against they bee called yea and will make some friende to the iudge that they may speede the better So likewise euery Christian soule shoulde carefully prouide a good aunswere againste hee bee cited by the Apparitour death to appeare before Christe at the generall Courte of Heauen And that then it may goe well with him let him get some friend to mooue the iudge in his behalfe as he tendereth the welfare of his deare soule and who must that friende bee Not Mary nor Peter but it muste be Christ Iesus that sitteth at the right hand of his father in glory and maketh daily intercession for the sinnes of the whole worlde Get him for thy Proctour who offereth himselfe to al and then happie shalt thou bee the diuel shall not preuaile against thee for Christ hath broken his head the gates of Hell shall not preuaile against thee for Christ hath conquered them and death shall not bolde thee captiue for christ hath ouercome it Happy art thou that art in such a case yea blessed arte thou if thou hast the Lord for thy God Thus much for the third pare of this Text namely of the iudge to whome we must giue an account But I say vnto you that of euery idle word c. 4 When we shall giue an account it is said heer at the day of iudgement The time wheÌ„ this great generall day shal be cannot be known of mortal maÌ„ yea it is not for maÌ„ to know of it as we may read in the Acts It is not for you to know the times seasons which God hath put in his owne power yea Christe himselfe knoweth not of this day But of that day and houre saith Marke knoweth no man no not the Angels which are in heauen neither the Sonne himlelfe saue the Father id est Christe according to his humane nature knoweth not of it but according to his diuine nature he knoweth of it as well as God the Father for he is coequall with God the Father in knowledge wisedome and in all thinges whatsoeuer yea hee knewe of this daye before the foundation of the world was laide yea he himselfe shal sit iudge at the day God will not haue vs know of this daye when it shall bee for these three causes 1 To prooue and trie our patience faith and other vertues to see whether wee will put our whole trust and affiance in him although wee â—â—â—â—…e not the time of our dissolution 2 To bridle our curiositie and peeuish inquisition after such too high matters qua supra nos nihil ad nos that which is aboue our capacitie wee ought not to meddle withall 3 To keepe vs in continuall watchfulnesse for if wee knew certainely the day of death and iudgement surely it would be a greate and forcible motiue to drawe vs to a loose negligent and secure kind of life Watch therfore saith the Euangelist because yee know not when your Maister will come For these three causes the Lord will not haue vs know of the time of iudgement Although my beloued in Christe we know not the certainetie of the time of this day yet neuerthelesse wee muste knowe that this great and general day cannot bee farre off both according to the prophesies of holy Fathers as also to the truth of holy Scriptures Augustine in his booke vpon Genesis against the Manichees saith that the worlde shoulde laste sixe ages the first from Adam to Noah the second from Noah to Abraham the third from Abraham to Dauid the fourth froÌ„ Dauid to the transmigration of Babilon the fifth froÌ„ the
transmigration of Babilon to the comming of Christ in the flâ—sh the sixth from the comming of Christe in the flesh to his comming againe to iudgement So that according to his prophecie wee liue in the last age which last age â— called of Iohn hora extrema or hora nouissima the laste hourâ— but how loÌ„g this last houre doth last he that is α and ω the first the last the euerlasting God alone doth know The Hebrewes they boast of the prophecie of Eliah a great man in those daâ—eâ— hee prophecied that the worlde should last 6000 yearâ—s 2000 before the law 2000 vnder the law and 2000 from Christ to Christe If this his prophecie holdes true the world cannot last 400 yeares for since Christe his comming in the flesh it was 1606. at Christes tide last hast according to the computation of the Church from time to time But leauing men and comming to the Scripturs which cannot erre for HumanuÌ„ est errare Man may yea and doth many times erre Sainte Paule saith to the Corinthians Wee are they vpon whome the ends of the world are come If therefore the ends of the worlde were come vpon theÌ„ that liued aboue 1560. yeares ago then surely doomes day caÌ„not now possibly be far off Iames likewise saith Behold the Iudge standeth before the doore Iohn Baptist preached repentance to the Iewes saying repent for the kingdome of heauen is at hand So that by these places of Scripture it is euident that the generall day of Iudgement is at hand as also by the signes tokens which should goe before this day immediatly of which many yea almost all are already fulfilled Moreouer we must deare brethren know that there is a twofolde iudgement the one called a particuler iudgment the other called a generall iudgment 1 The particular iudgemente is exercised and executed vpon euery man immediatly after death which is segregatio anima a corpore a separation of the soule from the bodie Of this particuler iudgemente wee may reade in the Epistle to the Hebrewes It is appointed vnto men that they shall once die and after that commeth iudgemente And though the generall Iudgement commeth not these 4000. years yet particular iudgment coÌ„meth at the day of our death look as we at the day of our death shal be found so shall we bee iudged and as we then shal be iudged so shall wee bee iudged at the general iudgement 2 The generall iudgementâ— of which this Scripture speaketh is exercised and executed vpon all men together by Christe who shall by his power raise all those vp againe that haue beene dead from the beginning of the world to that time and they shall bee presented all together being againe vnited to theire soules before Christes tribunall seate who shall come downe in a cloude from heauen in greate maiesty and glory with thousands of blessed Angels attending vpon him and hee shall giue sentence vpon all in generall the wicked shall be cast into euerlasting fire the godly he shall carry vp with him into caelum Empiraeum the third and highest heauen where he nowe in bodie reigneth remaineth there to reape ioyes vnspeakable for euermore But some man may obiecte and say why I pray you shall there bee a generall iudgement when as all are iudged in the particuler iudgement what shall thee be two iudgements executed There shal notwithstanding the particulâ—r be a generall iudgemente and that for three causes 1 Because in the particuler iudgemeÌ„t the faule of man is iudged onely but then both soule bodie shall be iudged 2 In the particuler iudgemeÌ„t the soule onely is either rewarded or punished but then both soule bodie either shal be rewarded with ioyes or punished with torments 3 There shall be a generall iudgmeÌ„t to declare to all the worlde assembled then together the iuste iudgemente of god that he hath iustly saued the godly iuâ—ly condeÌ„ned the wicked yea the uery wicked themselues shal confes no lesse By reason of this generall iudgement some light braine hereticks their bee the say that ther is no particular iudgmeÌ„t at al that the soul immediatlâ— after death is not iudged for wheras it is said hodie mecuÌ„eris in paradiso to day shalte thou be with me in paradise the speech of our sauiour to the theef they take that word hodie id est to day for 1000 years bring for proofe hereof that place of the Psalmist A thousand yeeres in thy sighte are as yesterday But to answere them this place of Scripture is not so to bee vnderstood as that a thousand yeares shoulde bee taken for a day or a day for a thousand yeares for hee saith not a thousand yeares are a daye but a thousand yeares in the sighte of God that is in respecte of the eternity and euerlastingnesse of god are as a day It is therefore spoken on this manner to expresse the eternitie of God as if hee should say a thousand yeares with man in respect of the eternity of God are but as a daye for as many as are haue beene and euer shall bee the daies of man so many thousand yea so many thousand thousands yeeres is the eternity of God he is-and-the first and the last before all beginnings and shall neuer haue ending Againe they alledge that place of Genesis In that day that thou eatest therof namely of the forbidden fruite thou shalt die the death Now saith the heretique that day they died not but liued many hundred yeers after therfore by a day is vnderstood many hundred yeers But I answer that that day wherin Adam did eat of the forbidden fruit euen that day did hee dye that is that day by sinne hee was separated from God then the which separation no death is greater for Vt vita corporis est anima ita vita animae est deus tolle animaÌ„ perit corpus tolle deuÌ„ moritur animae id est As the soule is the life of the body so God is the life of the soule take away the soule the body dieth take away God the soule is dead So that Adam that day died in soule being separated from the Lord yea that day Adam was made subiect to death in this life and in the life to come that day he had the beginnings of death seasing vppon him for hee was presently cast out of Paradise into the ragged world he was cursed and all his posterity yea hee should haue gone to hell had not the second Adam broken the head of the subtile serpent that inticed him to sin Yea the thiefe vpon the crosse had Paradise that day in soule in which he suffered in body although he had it not in so full measure as hee shall at the generall day when his soule shall take vnto it the body againe hodie to daie thy soule with my soule shall be in Paradise that is in