worke wickednes in the sight of the Lord when the Apostle saith But the day of the Lord will come he wold oppose that Day vnto the daye of the wicked The wicked now haue their day the Lord then wil haue his day and therfore that great day is called the Lords day Christ his resurrection day is called the * Revel 1.10 Lords day because hee then triumphed over the Deuill death and sin so this day of Doome is called the Lords day because hee then will for ever commit the Deuill and those that haue delighted in the waies of death and sinne to everlasting torture As ABRAHAM could equally conclude against DIVES Thou hadst then thy pleasure and Lazarus his torment therefore now it is just that thou bee tormented and Lazarus haue pleasure so against all wicked ones I conclude As you haue your day nowe so Christ shall haue his day then walke on in the waies of your own flesh but be sure the day wil come that shal pay for al. In this day the wicked shall cry Hilles and mountaines fall vpon vs and cover vs from him that sitteth vpon the throane but as for the godly let them hold vppe their heades for then is come the fulnes of their redemption Woe be vnto these that nowe laugh because of sin for then they shall mourne but blessed be these that now mourne because of sinne for they then shall laugh and be comforted This day of the Lord saith PETER shall come as though hee should say tremble oh wicked man for thy day of judgment shall come be patient and rejoice thou that art persecuted for righteousnes sake for the daye of judging thy cause shall come This daye is figured out by the Prophet * Ioel. 3.12 14. IOEL vnder IEHOVAH his pleading in the Valley of Iehoshaphat in the daye of his threshing the Heathen Howsoeuer the Lord seeme now to be a sleepe the wicked thinking God like to themselues yet then the Lord shall awake as a Gyant refreshed with wine Pfal 50.21 bring them vnder the crushing blowe of his flayle a flayle of judgment that shall beat them like chaffe In the meane time let all knowe that whatsoever Mockers say The day of the Lord shall come Iudge righteouslie oh yee rulers of the Earth preferre not the cause of the Potent to the cause of Widowes and Orphanes slaughter not Christ in Habell commit not * 1 King 22.27 Michajah with Ahab vnto prison nor dare to feed the Lords Prophet with the bread and water of affliction for after yee haue had your daies of judging and pleading the Lords day shall come wherein hee will examine the cause of the poore and oppressed If yee haue not judged and done according to God his book but according to the inequall ballance of your owne making then hearken to * Isai 10.1 ISAIAH Woe vnto them that decree wicked decrees and doe vvrite grievous things for keeping back the poor from Iudgment and for taking away the iudgment of the poore of my people that Widowes may be their pray and that they may spoile the Fatherlesse What will yee do now in the day of visitation of destruction which shal come from farre to vvhome will ye flie for helpe and where will ye leaue your glory Oh yee Rulers of the Earth The day of the Lord shal come as verely as the Assirians Medes-Persians Graecians Syri-Egyptians vpon Iudah your judgments shall bee weighed in the ballances of the Sanctuarie if they be found faithfull and full weight then enter into the possession of glorie but if they be found partial and too light with Belshazzars kingdome then thou shalt be cast out for counterfeit coyne If oh yee widowes fatherles and wrongfull distressed ones ye here in the day of man cannot be equally dealt withall do not curse murmure but rest patient for a while Revel 6.9 as vnder the bloody Alter Iesus more injured than thou and after man hath had his day of playing Rex jex The day of the Lord shall come what time the Lord will examine their Law-books by his sacred Testament and call back the examination of thy cause in the hearing of men angels and devils Loosers must haue their sayings and the wicked their wordes for a season but The day of the Lord shall come wherein they shall bee forced to stand by and to hearken what the Lord shall say Iesus himselfe was here of the Rulers Priests of the people scarselie vsed as a Lord nay vsed like a traytor to Caesar like a sower of seditious doctrine like a superstitious conjurer in a worde like an of skouring of the world even as are his members but in this day hee will come as a LORD to whome al power in Heauen and Earth is given and they shall looke vpon him and his members mystical whome they haue pearced In the day of this life they would dominere and Lord it over him and his but now shall he and his Lord it over them In this day of the Lord Habel shal Lord it over Cain the * Matth. 2. slaughtered infants over the Fox Herod Lazarus ouer Dives In this day the Lord Iesus shal awake the mocking Atheist and let him knowe that there is a God that judgeth the earth The workers of iniquitie notwithstanding their preaching and casting out of Devils shall this day bee driuen from the societie of the faithfull and the face of Iesus Now the Lord wil examine how they haue * Mat. 25.24 fed and clothed the poore visited the prisoner and been mercifull vnto the distressed They shall in this day even every lippe-gospeller know what difference there is betwixt a dead faith or idle beleefe not working and a liuely Faith that bringeth foorth fruites of righteousnes and holinesse If they will not here in this life * Iam. 2.18 shewe their faith which is invisible by holy vvorkes which are visible then fear in that gret daye of our Lord to heare the sentence Depart from mee yee cursed into everlasting fire Mat. 25.41 Oh this shall bee a day of feare and horrour Our Lord shall bee vnto the wicked and vngodly the roaring Lyon of the tribe of Iudah but vnto the faithfull members of IESVS it shall be a day of solace and glorie for vnto them shall Christ be the meeke Lamb slaine from the beginning of the Worlde wiping away all teares from their eies setting them on his throane even as himselfe nowe sitteth on his Fathers throane so aeternize their felicitie vnto them for that shall be the Lords day Oh who will not beg with Lazarus now that he may glorie with Lazarus then who wil not now lay down the life of his bodie for an houre that so he may receiue of the Lord then life for yeares millions of yeares even for aeternitie of time beyond al time On the other side who will bee so madde to murther with Cain heere for satisfying
what time the old world was destroyed by water This I take to bee the true sence of them two verses In the seventh verse he teacheth the pure minded that the same worde that brought forth the former effects the same worde is the preseruer of the Heauens and Earth during the time of their conservation but that the same word hath determined an end vnto the Heauens and the Earth which shall as verely take place by fire as erst by water The day of which destruction shal be what time the Lord shall vtterlie destroye the vngodly closely intimating thus much As the waters overflowed the Earth in that day wherein God had appointed to preserue Noah and to destroy the vnbeleevers so verely shall the fire ceaze vppon the Heavens and Earth in that day wherein our God hath secretly concluded the destruction of all such mockers and vngodlie persons In the eight and ninth verses hee stirreth vp the beloued of the Lord to be grounded in a perswasion quite contrary vnto the former mockers First in not being ignorant as the former were willinglie ignorant Secondly to testifie their not being ignorant by beleeving first that before the Lord one day and a thousand yeares are alike this is secretlie opposed to the ignorant judgement of the mockers who thought God woulde neuer come because hee had driven so many yeares Secondly by beleeuing that the Lord will not be slack in keeping his promise of comming howsoeuer some in their foolishnes accounted him slack for the effecting of which beliefe in them hee giueth in the next words a reason not of the Lords slacknes but of his not destroying the world and comming vnto judgement as yet namely because he hath decreed a time wherein with all long suffering he will awaite the repentance of people that so they might be saued This secretly insinuateth thus much Euen as the Lord before he would destroy the old world by water did with loue and much patience even an * Genes 6.3 1. Pet. 3.20 hundred twenty years awaite the repentance of the people euen so with patience and asmuch ey more lenitie he now awaiteth the conuersion of people from Sinne to Sanctitie that so in that great and fearfull day they might bee saved and not with the vngodly be destroied Now come we to the text read wherin is considered two things First the propound of the doctrine generall in the first verse read by a simple affirmatiue Secondly by way of concession in the first clause of the next verse then an exhortation vrged by an interrogation in the next and last clause In the proposition generall wee haue to obserue the comming of the Lord in these wordes But the day of the Lord will come Secondlie the manner of his comming like a Theef in the night Thirdly what shall be effected by his comming vz. the passing away of the Heuens with the Elements melting Secondly of the Earth by the burning of fire Thirdly the concession of the whole in these words Seeing all these things must be dissolued The exhortation included in the interrogation lieth in these wordes What maner of persons ought ye to be in holy conversation and godlinesse The comming of the Lord expressed in these words But the day of the Lord vvill come is an opposition to the mockers negatiue axiome which was this The day of the Lord vvill not come And to make the affirmation more forcible the holy Apostle preponeth the particle But as though he shuld say You mockers affirme that the Lord vvill not come But I affirme he vvill come Thus the Apostles of Sathan and the Apostles of Christ will be ever in contradictions like to IEHOVAH and Satan in Paradise The Lord he said In eating of the tree of knowledge of good evill thou shalt dy the death Genes 2.19 Sathan soone after saide * Chap. 3.4 Ye shall not die at all The impes of Satan can say Loe all things in the world are as they were woont to be therefore God will not come to iudgment The Apostle of IESVS he saith But the day of the Lord will come Whether nowe shall we beleeue the abhominable Atheist or the blessed Apostle PETER To the wicked their fore-but the Apostle opposeth his But which But will prooue so mighty a wal in the end as neither mockers nor mockers disciple shall be able to leape over without breaking the neck of their soule The Apostle PAVL hee plainely saith to the Thessalonians * 1. Thes 5.2 Ye knowe perfectly that the day of the Lordshal come but our Mockers say vve knowe perfectly that the day of the Lord shall not come Holy IVDE bringeth in the prophecie of * Iude. 14.15 Henoch saying that the Lord commeth vvith thousandes of Saintes to giue iudgment And our Saviour himselfe affirmeth * Matth. 24. that Hee will come with the sounde of a Trumpet but our Helhounds affirme that all these things are but tales and devises of men whom shal we beleeue now The blessed Apostles and our Saviour himselfe or these birds of the bottomles pit that breath blasphemie against God and his worde A wonder of the worlde that man should be so infatuate and sensles But the Apostle a little before giues the reason hereof namely that they willingly are ignorant howe the Lord by his word hath made and conserved the Heauens and Earth as also howe heretofore by the same potent word hee brought the waters vpon the Earth to the destruction of all Creatures breathing excepting them in the Arke These Atheists blind Moles are ignorant of the Worde and works of God ey willingly ignorant else they could not but knowe that the Lord will come vnto judgment Let the rankest mocking Atheist answere to this question Is there not sometimes a qualme comming over thine heart when thou murdreist vvhen thou steales vvhen thou commits adulterie c. Feelest thou not sometimes a griping of thy Conscience Speake plaine ly not Oh yes thou Atheist thou art not ever exempted from such nips girds and cold qualmes What meanes thine hart to admit of such molestures Oh thou Atheist thy soule is affraid and trembles to come before one that will take an accompt of thy wicked life that will judge that sinne and plague it with Hell fire Thy Conscience therefore accuseth thee thy soule trembles with thy Predecessor Diagoras neither shalt thou escape the Iudge before whom thy soul so citeth and sommoneth thee * Prou. 14.13 Euen in laughing thine heart is somtimes sorrowfull and the end of thy mirth attainted with heavines Put the evill day farre from thee for a while yet the remembrance thereof wil somtimes crosse thy banquet when thou art so overthwarted imagine thy selfe to bee * 2. King 21.20 Ahab and that overthwarter to be Elijah Say vnto the twitching light of thy Conscience Hast thou found me oh mine Enemie and it shall answer I haue found thee for thou hast sold thy selfe to
white Horse in the * Rev. 6.2 first seales opening namely vppon the worde of truth meeknes and righteousnes so shall hee returne for the perdition of the Antichristian body vpon the same worde or * Revel 19.11 c. white Horse issuing out of Heaven the Church then opening and the armies of faithfull issuing foorth with him for the destruction of the Gentiles the Beast the earthly Kings false Prophetes and Idolatrous marked People At the perimplishment whereof I look for the generall obedience of Israel prophecied plainely of by Isaiah 59.20 60. by Zechariah 12.10 c. by Paule Rom. 11.25.26 and the glory of their Church figured out plainlie Revel 21. compared with Isaiah 60. All which well waighed some may say Many things fore prophecied of and yet vnfulfilled are to fall out before that day therefore not like it is at hand I answere how things are effected abroad in the world I nor thou wholie vnderstand Secondly I feare that the multitude of the worlde will not perceiue these effects nor acknowledge the holy Church but rather arise with weapons to assist * Revel 20.7 c. Gog and Magog against the Church till fire come downe from heauen devoure them Thirdly the Apostle Peter not ignorant of the former prophecies did notwithstanding in his time crye out The day of the Lord is at hand 1. Epist 4.7 teaching vs so to fix our eye on this great day as no numbers of yeares foregoing may be deemed a day in comparison of that eternitie of time that then beginneth This Time finite and endable that infinite and without end as to the elect saved so to the reprobate damned as also to stirre vs vp to account of Time as God accompteth time that is future time to be present before our eies the glasse of time runne the Iudge at the doore and therefore accordingly to prepare our selues to judgment This necessarilie by the way now to the vse of the doctrine Will the day of the Lord come as a theefe even then when all the inhabitants of the earth shall no more discerne the time then did Sodome Gomorrha Zeboim Admah the fire and sulphure rained downe vppon them Oh how had wee neede to watch and * Luk. 21.34 to take heede to our selues as our Saviour admonisheth lest at any time our hearts be oppressed with surfeting drunkennes and cares of this life lest that day come vpon vs vnawares how had we need to watch and pray continuallie that wee may bee compted worthie to escape al these things that then shall come to passe and that wee may stand before the Sonne of man If a servant knew that his Lord at such a time would come he would happelie within that time orderly dispose of all things but alasse we are ignorant of the time of our Lords repaire Sure we are he wil come but how sodainly we know not except even then when we least dreame of his comming If any man say tush tush the day of the Lord is not neere I answere but thou knows that thy day is neere Admit the Great day be farre of yet thy death-day is not farre off What lease hast thou of thy life but till to morrowe and when thou art dead all the world is dead with thee As thou falls so receiues thy soule judgment Haue thou bene never so righteous if thou be cut downe in sinne vnrepented off * Ezech. 18. all thy former righteousnes shall be forgotten thou shalt vntill the greate day of the Lord be chained in the prison of horrour where the vnfaithfull and disobedient to * 1. Pet. 3.19 Noahs preaching are stil pent in that general doome the body shall be vnited with his soul and as they sinned togeather so liue a never dying death togeather Let not the Devill therefore sounde in thine cares the day of the Lord is nor neere wherein all souls shall be judged considering there is a day neere wherein thy soule shall be judged Death may as suddenly arrest thee vnto this particular doome or Fore-session as fire shall sommon the whole world vnto that generall Assises and Iudgment He that now saith Heart be at rest may by and by heare Oh Ideot this night they shall take away thy soule When Noah preached the end of all flesh they eat drank married builded planted sported out the daye and slept out the night but then even then the Cataracts of Heaven burst open and the waters belowe mounted aboue their bounds swelling till they overpeered the highest mountaines suffocated all flesh excepting them in Noahs Arke when with the fat franked Boare and rainging Heifer they deemed themselues most happy even then they became haples and accursed With the faithfull Sorrowe is ouer night and ioy in the morning but with the prophane and vnbeleever Ioye is ouer night and sorrowe in the morning Feare feare tremble then oh thou Earthworme who savours nothing but earth and dust as doth the serpent who was appointed to * Gen. 3.14 glide on the earth and to feede on dust Salomon knew it a * Prou. 28.14 blessed thing alwaies to feare and art thou wiser in thinking thy self blessed living fearelesse As the lightening flashing sodainely from East to west so shall the comming of the Son of man be Outward conjectures may bee drawne of his neere approching as is Faith liuely hard to bee founde Coldnes of loue vnnaturalitie c. but the period of time be it day moneth yeare as vncertaine as is the day moneth yeare of the theeues assailment vnto the housholder Ephes 6. As wise housnolders therefore haue we alwaies ready the helmet of Saluation not of Damnation the brestplate of Righteousnes not of Iniustice the girdle of Truth not of Falshood the sheild of Faith not of Vnbeliefe the sword of the Spirite not of the Flesh shooes prepared to carrie vs to Vtter forth and to heare the Gospell of peace not to carrie vs from vttering and hearing he peaceable Gospell and aboue all other things let vs Alwaies pray that come the Day generall or particular wee may be founde well exercised that when the wicked shal yell and roare and crie out to the mountaines to cover them then wee may with comfort lift vp our heades because that is the daye of our Redemption But because the Apostle wel knew that the bare and naked saying The day of the Lord will come sodainlie wold smallie availe to rowse vp persons addicted vnto the things of the worlde hee in the next place joineth with his comming such an effect as happilie may cause churlish Nabal to tremble The Heauens saith hee shall passe away with an hissing noise the Elements shall loose with heate and the Earth vvith the works therein shall be burnt vp Heere sed pace Doctorum dixerim by Heauens I vnderstand the celestiall globes of the seaven planeticall or wandering Starres together with the firmamentall sphere and first Moouer as