SOMMONS TO Doomes daie SENT VNTO HIS BELOVED ENGLAND AS A MEmoriall of his deepe printed Loue and Loyaltie By HENOCH CLAPHAM EDINBVRGH PRINTED BY RObert Walde-graue Printer to the Kings Majestie An. 1595. Cum Priuilegio Regio SCHOLASTICIS LArgè spatiari Rhetoris est strictè autem Dialectici Hoc proprium Academicorum Scholis illud Rostris Medium inter vtrunque hoc potius vt ἔυαγγελὶας Prophetae accommodatius hic studui Lineae si quae occurrunt otiosae error verò hujus saeculi loquacis maximè fluitans illas ego repudio nec probo Facilius autem est destruere quam astruere nec difficilius labeculae non serpente connivere quà m labiorum labem vt nè dicam luem in aliorum lucubrationes evomere Quid tum peto vt aequo si non placido legatis animo vel saltem pacato haec mea qualiacunque deponatis hoc summissè petitur ac flagito Valete H. C. THE EPISTLE SWEET ENGLAND wishing all true happines to thee and my soueraigne Queene ELIâ—â—â—â—TH whose blooâ—â—â—â—ersaries intestine aâ—â—â—â—rane God in due time convert or confounde Being vrged to voyage from thee for a season I haue heere commended vnto thy reading this mite of a mountaine of Good will Forewarning is a fore-arming neither will my sommoning thy soule howsoeuer harshe at first proue otherwise than healthfull at last Some in whome is small good Zeal but more malice will considering my person wring what sences they list from my sentences that so they may snarle behinde my back But let such learne that Loue will judge the best but Malice never spake well Some in whome Zeale overmatcheth knowledge will è contra affirme that I haue not plainlye ynough rebuked sinne c. Let such learne that I haue learned that there is one manner of Rebuke in the Church of the olde Testament another Rule in the Church of the newe Testament one maner of dealing with persons within the visible Church another wisedome towardes them that are without He that followes one rule for forme of rebuke may aswell confound the first and latter ministrie This not obserued causeth much teaching but no good done Wordes vttered according to knowledge discretiue * Prov. 25.11 are like apples of golde pictures of silver Accept it with no worse meaning than I offer it then neither shalt thou disdaine to receiue it nor I repent the guift and so beseeching the Lordes blessing to accompanie my labour I end Edinburgh 1595. Fulgura sic flammas qui terris servat iniquis Anglorum Sωter semper vbique siet Thy humble petitioner vnto God for thy good HENOCH CLAPHAM SOMMONS TO DOOMES-DAIE 2. PET. 3. vers 10.11 10 But the day of the Lord wil come as a Theefe in the night in the which the Heauens shall passe away with a noise and the Elements shall melt with heat and the Earth with the vvorkes that are therein shall bee burnt vp 11 Seeing therefore that all these things must be dissolued what maner persons ought ye to be in holy conversation and godlines THE holy Apostle PETER writing vnto all wheresoever that had obtained the like precious faith even the precious faith of Christianitie doth vnto all and so consequentlie vnto vs if wee be Christians deliuer many saving doctrines and wholesome exhortations grounded vpon their doctrines for the further confirmation of faith and increasment of sanctification Amongst which this one namly a Caueat and warning peale of the destruction of the whole worlde by fire and the great day of Doome is not least vrged but of all the rest most forciblie in this Chapter propounded and pressed and especially in these two verses now read Before the handling of which two verses it shall be vnto me neither grievous nor to you vnprofitable that I summe vp the precedents of the chapter In the two first verses the blessed Apostle stirreth vp the Readers of his Epistle to receiue the ensuing doctrine into the puritie of their mindes for indeede a corrupt minde will but mock there at and the rather they are mooved therevnto because the doctrine should be no newe or strange doctrine but even such a doctrine as before had bin delivered First by the holy Prophets secondly by the Apostles of our Lord Saviour which doctrine he calleth a Commandement because it was not a lesson left to learne or beleeue at a christians leasure or plesure but enjoyned vpon every Christians neck by the holy Prophets before Christ came by the blessed Apostles after Christ come a commaundement to the Church of the old Testament and a commaundement to the Church of the newe Testament and therefore not such a lesson as may be beleeved and vnbeleued received and refused at mens pleasures but a commaundement sent vnto all that study puritie of minde and do awaite the comming of our Sauiour In the thirde and fourth verses hee foretels the pure minded of certaine adversaries to the saide doctrine and this he doth first by setting down their time of arising namely In the latter daies secondly by giuing vnto them an Epithet drawn from the qualitie of their speach vz. Mockers thirdly setting downe a Synopsis or compendium of their speache which is this Where is the promise of his comming for since the Fathers died all things continue alike from the beginning of the Creation as though they should say You write and you talke of Christs comming vnto Iudgement saying that there shall bee an end of all these worldly thinges I cannot tell the old ancient Fathers they died and so do we die others came in their roomes and so doth there in ours and not onely that but such creatures as were then such are nowe daies moneths and years turne about departing and comming againe in a worde I see nothing changed but all things alike now as of old and therfore I cannot beleeue that the saying The World shall bee consumed and the Christ shall come vnto Iudgment that it is any thing else but a tale of Robin-hood and therefore I will walke on in the waies of mine owne heart and in the delight of mine owne eies making my heauen heere whilest I liue heere for after death I cannot beleeue there is any account no nor life no more then of a dead Dog and pitted caryon All these and such like blasphemies the holy Apostle accompts no better than a Mock and the persons themselues Mockers namely of God and his word In the 5. and 6. verses the Apostle rendreth a reason of their Atheisme Infidelitie namely that they are willingly ignorant of what That they are willingly ignorant how the heauens had their beeing by the word of the Lord for they think the Heavens to come of themselues as also ignorant howe the earth by the same word of ELOHIM was separate from the waters and had his foundation as the Psalmist saith laid vpon the waters Psal 24.2 and therefore by the same worde of God brought aboue the Earth
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
a sodaine momentaine lust and then bee damned to the pit of torment for ever who will be so mad as for sparing a little meate and drinke with the proud glutton from the needie to sell his body and soule to the Devill and the damnable pit for ever Oh foolish and vntoward fleshe of ours that remembers not this day this fearefull day to the workers of vnrighteousnes It is written of a certaine Ancient that he so lived as ever opening his eare and listening vnto the voice of the Angels trumpet that shuld cry Come come away vnto Iudgment If we would so liue as ever listening after the appearance of the Lord in this his day then assuredlie wee would not dare to rush into adulterie stealth and other prophanesses as we doe When thou art tempted to defile thy Neighbours bed to filtch away thy Neighbours goods to imprison or kill the innocent c. Then say thus within thy selfe Oh miserable man nowe the spirite of Hell with the bellowes of his malice is blowing and puffing vppe thy lustes to sette them on fire that so thy members may commit iniquitie this Sathan doeth to haue me damned with him If I followe the motion of this wicked spirit what gaine shal I therby win I shall satisfie my lust of vncleannes of filching of wrath of pride Oh but God hath damned that lust and set his curse vpon that work what if the terrible day of the Lord come as I am committing that sinne or if not howe shall I exspect Gods mercie vnto repentance after the doing of the sinne that knowes before hand that it is displesing vnto my God what is an howres plesure to fierie torments induring for ever why should I grieue God and cause the Devill to bee merrie thogh the great day of the Lord come not vppon me at this instant yet this day may be the day of my death then commeth my soules Iudgement shall I then hazard my soule nay shal I wittinglie commit it to the Devils seruice who is desirous to drawe me with himself vnto the black burning pit Thus debate with thy selfe then tell mee what pleasure thou canst take in sinning Oh Lord sweet Lord Iesus though this shal be a terrible day to the Atheist mocker and counterfeit Christian whose pleasure then endeth and whose endles pain and torture then beginneth yet vnto thy poore afflicted sonnes and daughters it shal be a day of glee and gladnes for then shall their dolour end and their never fading glorie beginne then shall the wicked be tormented in hell fire but thy people shall raigne in the beauteous heavens then shall the wicked be coupled and chained with the Devill and his Angels in the Iron bandes of thy wrath but thy sanctified members shall be * Iohn 3.2 like thee see thee as thou art wait vpon thee the Lambe whither soever thou goest Sweete Iesus sanctifie the consideration heereof vnto thy people that by the torture of the wicked the glorie of the godlie they may be drawn from sinne to serue thee in righteousnes and holines all the daies of their life But how shall this day come The Apostle hauing learned that of our Saviour Iesus what time hee preached vnto them the destruction * Mat. 24. of Ierusalem doth answer it shal come as a theefe in the night that is even as the theefe stealeth vpon a man in the night season vnawares to the housholder even in the time of his sleepe so shall this day of the Lord vnawares and sudenly come vpon the inhabitants of the earth ey our Saviour according to Lukes rehearsall saith that this day shall as a * Luk. 21.35 snare come on all them that dwell vppon the face of the whole earth that is even as the beast or bird not thinking of any danger neer is then vnawares caught in a snare so shall the dwellers on the earth sodainly without foreknowledge be arrested by the day of the Lord. Methinks to him that is content but to vnderstand according to sobrietie Rom. 12.3 another question and that a curious one is heerein answered Many demaund in what daye or in what yeare This great day of the Lord shall fall Of the houre and daye no professor of Christ dare define because our Saviour hath said plainlie * Matth. 24.36 Of that day and houre knoweth no man no not the Angels of Heauen but my Father only but concerning the yeare some dare determine for say they though the houre and day be not reveiled in the word yet the year is clear lie vnderstood from Daniel 12. c. neither say they let it be marveled that the yeare should be pointed at considering the Devils had some foreknowledge of that time when they cried * Mat. 8.29 Art thou come hither to torment vs before our time As also Elias plainlie fore-prophesied The World shall stand six thousand yeares and then it shal be consumed with fire And having determined the vttermost day to fall out Anno 1700. they then qualifie their judgment by saying that somthing of these times must be cut off from Mat. 24.22 c. To answer to all these things at large would require a peculiar treatise and it is bruited but I knowe it not of certaintie that * L. Chadderton M. of that Colledge one of Immanuel in Cambridge hath publikelie there confuted the opinion I therefore as I speak of it but by the way will therefore but by the way shape foorth this litle answere The shortning of the daies Matth. 24.22 is properlie spoken of the cutting of them troublous daies of miserie which came vpon Ierusalem what time the Romanes besieged it This may bee gathered from our Saviours words in the 15.16.17.18.19.20.21 verses aforegoing The people there are willed for avoiding them troubles to flee out of Iudea If them daies were ment of the daies immediatelie before the ending of the world to what end should hee speake of flying out of Iudea to what end should he will the people to make such haste in flying from house and substance and howe should it then bee better for such women as were not with child then for these that were except he ment that the first might with lesse paine and trouble flie away from the sworde of Titus and his souldiers as also from the sworde of the * Read Iosephus de bello Iud. Divided in the Citie why should he wish them to pray that these troubles might befall Iudea in the sommer rather than in the winter but that hee knewe that snowe and foule weather wold hinder the speedines of their flight Secondlie to cause our Saviour in DANIEL to giue foorth a limited yeare and then in the time of his fleshe to cut somewhat from that time even 12. yeares as some haue is to make Christ yea and nay which the Apostle PAVLE denieth 2. Corinth 1.19.20 as also a breaker of the Prophets which himselfe denieth Mat. 5.17
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