But I imagine how they further ioyne together in petition and say Lord seeing we are cast out of thy presence and accursed yet giue vs some resting place to this he answereth into the fire Yet Lord say they let vs speak once more though we are to 1. Depart 2. Cursed 3. Into fire and all these thinges come vppon vs yet Quousque Domine how long shall these punishments be vpon vs Truely this their end shall bee without end the worme dyeth not and the fire neuer goeth out all the waters of the South cannot quench this fire therefore the nature of this fire is set downe in the soote of the sentence euerlasting fire Yet it were some refection like the droppe of water the Purple Glution called for to coole his flaming tongue that they might haue anye companion to comforte them but they shall haue no better friendes then the Fiendes the black Guard of Deuils their tormentors shall associate them and this is the binding and winding vp of all in these wordes prepared for the Deuill and his Angells Yet further to worke vppon these wordes that they may better worke in our soules wee will diue more deepely into euerie circumstance But to the vnfolding of these misteries to the full we had néede of a damned Doctor out of another world that might speake with a feeling to giue vs more feeling such a one as the Glutton entreated of Abraham might be sent out of Hell to forewarne his Bretheren For albeit the scripture is Schoolemaster sufficient as Abraham tolde Diues saying They haue Moses and the Prophets Yet no Preacher is more pleasing to those that are towards hell then one that commeth from hell according to this surioynder of that damned Epicure Nay father Abraham but if one come vnto them from the dead they will amend their liues How is it possible that a peece of Timber that taketh vp the roome of a whole house should be drawne out of the little wicket and Portall doore of that house Heere are so manie circumstances of wonder in this Iudiciall sentence which so fill all our sences and amaze them as out of the narrow doores of any mans â—â—pes they cannot in their full bignesse bee deliuered vnto you For heere the discension 2. Malediction 3. Exustion and 4. their eternall duration are to be spoken of vnto which the damned shall be deliuered vp Oh departure Cursse fire eternall fire formidable to heare but intollerable to indure We will take them as they come to the hand and as the hande of the Scripture layeth them out The first word Depart striketh the hearers dead It is a plague of all plagues and the verie bottome of the â—ioll of gods wrath to be driuen from God Caâ—n tooke this inflicted punishmeÌ„t so heauily as he thought nothing could be added more vnto it wherefore he said to God Behold thou hast cast me out this day from the earth and from thy face shall I bee hid and shall be a vagabond and runnagate in the earth whose euer findeth me shall slay me that is to say death the vpshot of miserie shall come vpon me Absalon of the two thought it the best choice rather to die then to bee in that disgrace with his Father as not to see his face and so hee tolde Ioab plainelye saying Let mee see the Kinges face and if there bee anye trespasse in mee let him kill mee As in the presence of God as saith the royall Prophet Is the fulnesse of ioy and at his right hand are aboundance of pleasures for euer more So when anye depart from God or God departeth from him all misfortnne and miserie doth fall vpon him If a King keepeth Court in a Countrye Towne all the Countrye is intitched by his comming and empourished againe by his departure So when God is among vs wee are rich and wealthye men and when hée leaueth vs a poore and woefull estate sâ—ndeth vs. The more the Sunne is with vs there is more plentie among vs and with the absence thereof is peâ—â—urye therefore the Summer season is the fruitefull season â—euen the Sunne is of moste power and the winter time is the â—â—ren and deade time when the Sunne is weakest The more 〈◊〉 Sunne-shine of Gods presence is vppon vs the more fruitfull we are in euerie good worke but when this decayeth all decayeth with it What a hard thing therefore it is for anye to departe from the liuing God from his sweete Sauiour Christ who is the life hope sollace saluation the beginning and end of all thinges in whome are all things But thou for a short sinfull pleasure bringest this horrible euill vpon thee and makest thy selfe an aliant from the Israel of God a stranger and bannished man from the heauenly Hierusalem If the Apostles for that little while that Châ—ist tolde them hée was to bee absent from them they wereâ—o sadde and sorrowful as expouading vnto them these vis wordes A little while and ye shall not see mee and againe A little while and yee shall see me he saide ye shall weepe and lament and measureth their mourning by the mourning of a woman in her trauell In what case shalt thou be thou accursed sinner when not for a white but for all eternitie thou shalt bee shâ—t from the sight of God If Peter to whome Christ said If I wash thee not thou shalt haue no part with me was so loath to part with Christ as he saide Lord not my feet onely but also the haÌ„ds the head How shall it be with the wicked who shall bee put away from God without hope of seeing his sweete face any more The name of Father in the entrie of the sentence read ouer the godlye omitted in the tenor of Iudgement against the wicked hath good consideration For in the saying to the Godlie Come ye blessed of my Father and absolutely saying to the damned Goe ye curssed It is to insinuate that the blessing of happinesse is his fatherly goodnes and not of mans worthinesse that eternall life is of the father of lightes Of the other side that damnation is not of the Father but of our follie according to this sentence of Oseas Thy destruction O Israel is of thy selfe but thy saluation is of me That the Godly are saued it is of grace that the wicked perrish it is of â—â—nne Let no man therefore commence complaint against God that hee is cruell for hee carrieth that which condemneth him about him as naturally sinfull God is the author of all that is good it proceeâ—eth from our corrupt natures whatsoeuer is euill In diuiding this truth aright in this sorte we shall walke with an euen foole neyther giuing to our selues that which is Gods or to God that which is onely ours Nâ—ither is the learning of Gods predestination laide down by 〈◊〉 which teâ—cheth that God in his free and righteous counsell eâ—eâ—â—een some
and brought to make an end of sinne and so beginne a new life And therewith 〈…〉 Christ the sole obiect of the eye of the 〈◊〉 thou shalt 〈…〉 death bedde be willing to die and 〈…〉 which saying Possidâ—nius in the storie of his life 〈…〉 I am not ashamed to liue I doe not feare to die because I haue a good maister whom I serue what extremitie of sollie is it to be thinking of this transitorie world so much and of the eternall world to come so litle wherein wee are like the â—unnell that tunneth in licor into a vessell that deliuereth it selfe of the purer matter but suffereth the concreat and gresser substance to cleaue to the sides of it The iudgement that should purifie vs is out of our sight and the carnall cares of the world like lumpes of mire and clay sticke to our soules The second Chapter Of the maner how the world shall be destroied IT being concluded in the former chapter that the world shall be destroied order would we should set downe how it is to bee destroied which shall bee the subiect argument of this chapter which wee will spend vpon these two parts 1. The first shall determine in what sorte it shall perish 2. The second shall giue decision to this question whether the same in substance or forme shall so perish About the first there is great dispute and difference among Doctors while they denide them selues into contrarie minâ—es some holding that it shall be destroied by water othersome by fire Of the first rancke are Seneca and his schollers Of the second which are the sounder sort are the Stoicks of whom Cicero and Galen maketh mention Heraclitus the greater part of Philosophers the Mathematicians and Diuines running with the streame of sacred authorities as the other part with the current of their priuate fanâ—ics For they take their text from Peter who saith But the heauens and earth which are now are kept by the same worde in store and resâ—rued vnto fier against the day of iudgement and oâ— tâ—e destâ—â—â— of vngodly men But yet there is no small 〈…〉 of the Moon to scoure and purifie the other three elements others producing it out of the Sunne beames Peter Lombard saith that thâ—e fier shall goe before the face of the Lord and shall reduce the whole fashion of the heauens earth to a consumption and he is so curious and fine as to measure out vnto vs the height of the fier suâ—ing it to the depth of yâ— waters of Noah which drowned the earth Such thinges deliuereth Austine in his twentieth booke of the Citie of God in the 18. chapter Yet in the 16. chapter of that booke he semeth to denie that a man may haue any certaine knowledge therein but by the especiall certificate of the spirite Wherein hee is in the right and of the surer side for it is safer for vs to hold this modestie then to be ouer busie with the secrets of Gods sanctuary It is enough that we simplie beléeue as Peter teacheth that the worlde shall bee fixed 1. To ventilate and examine of what kind of nature this fire should be 2. From whence it should be brought 3. How the saints shall be preserued in that flame liue as the Salamander in the fire 4. How high this fier shal mount we leaue to the wil prouideÌ„ce of God being contented to be wise with sobrietie and not affecting to know more then God wold haue vs or to compel the scriptures that are willing to go part of yâ— way with vs to go after the vagaries of our idle lusts It serueth to the confirmation of the present cause namly to the illustratioÌ„ of the maner of the worlds dissolution that which Math hath in these words At midnight there was a cry made Behold the bridgrome coÌ„meth The voice of the angell and the trumpet of God is part of that cry The scripture calleth it else where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the hoarse vociferation of Mariners when they call one vpon another to goe to their tackling for it must needs be a cry out of cry that must waken the dead and raise them from their graues But another part of the cry is the stridor and noise that Peter mentioneth which this fier that shal consume the world shall make saying The heauens shall passe away with a noise and the elements shall melt with heat and the earth with the workes therin sâ—al be burnt vp Wee heare a terrible noise at the downfal of two or three houses at once therefore that must be a noise with a 〈◊〉 esse which one fire shall make which shalouerchroâ—â—â—he heauers the earth the sea all cities towns houses beasts liuing creatures and the whole masse of the world â—ltogither Dauid by an apt similitude teaching the â—â—ate and condition of the wicked alludeth hereunto As the fire among the thornes c. Fire among thorns maketh a great noise Wherefore heare we now the crie of his worde at mid-day least we heaâ—e this fearefull crie at midnight hetherto spoken of and in time let the swéete crie of his mercie charme vs least the direfull and irefull out crie of his iudgements do condemne vs. We come to the second part of this Chapter which answereth the question whether the substance or forme of the worlde shall perish For hereof are two opinions scattered 1 Some are of that minde that in verie substance it shall be turned vpside downe fastning vpon these Scriptures as of that in the Psalme Thou hast aforetime laid the foundation of the earth and the heauens are the workes of thine hands They shall perish but thou shalt indure c. As of that saying of the Prophet Isaiah For loe I will create new heauens and a new earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into mind as of that which Saint Iohn in his Reuelation saith And I sawe a new heauen and a new earth for the first heauen and the first earth were passed away and there was no more sea Finally in that the Angell sweareth by him that liueth for euer that Time shall be no more Now if time be taken away all motion must be taken away If all motion be taken away there is nothing in the world that can continue 2 But othersome hold that only but some parts of the worlde shall bee ouerturned at the second comming of Christ not altogither raised from their foundationâ— but so as they shall suffer a singular alteration Ambrose taketh part with this side and setteth his hande to this opinion vrging that which the Apostle Paul saith The fashion of this worlde goeth away prossing the word which he calleth the fashion shadow or forme and not the masse matter substance That authoritie of Peter also fauoureth that part in these wordes Wherefore the worlde that then was perished ouerflowed with the water when
with Wo be to great dinners whereat when we haue béene at our full meales we haue full mouthes and powre out wastful words of wind as lustily as we haue powred in wine wantonly Iob â—umpeth with the former declaring that we shall haue it fall by our words This is the portion of the wicked man from God and the heritage that he shall haue of God for his words Christ telleth the wicked seruant that he will conuict and condemne him by his own mouth Cyprian is of that minde that the rich glutton was most tormented in his tongue because in his tongue he most offended Wherefore set we a watch before our tongue and ward we well the doore of our lips that no vnbeseeming word may passe out of it here after to punish vs. A godly man purposing to commit the whole Psalme to memorie and to meditate well vpon it when he had weyed well the first verse of it in these words I said I will take heed to my wayes that I offend not in my tongue found studie enough of that to last him all his life so that he could go no further I would to God we could take out this lesson while we liued we should he highly learned The calling of our brother but Foole in malice of minde is culpable of hell fire so Christ hath concluded Now who is not wrapped in the iudgement by this verdit Thus great is the Haruest of sinne what with thoughts wordes workes which by a sickle from Heauen shall bee cutte downe at the generall iudgement The twelfth Chapter Of the terror and horror of the iudgement day THough alreadie as fit aduantages haue béen offered we haue by diuerse inferences in some sort illustrated the terror of the iudgement yet because it beareth matter of a tractate by it selfe it minisstreth much profitable vse vnto vs we will take it in hand 1 The terrible signes the sorerunners of the iudgement doe signifie sufficiently the outrage thereof Hereupon Eusebius Emissenus maketh this deduction Cum talis futurus sit terror venientis quis poterit terrorem sustinere iudicantis If such be the terror of his comming who shall abide the terror of his iudging These signes haue had a roome by themselues and therefore we heere leade them 2 The matter we haue in hand is euicted by the number without number that is to be iudged I haue sworne by my selfe saith God the worde is gone out of my mouth in righteousnesse and shall not returne that euerie knee shal bow vnto me c. An hoast innumerable as the sands of the sea shall stand before him They shall be called together as soone as an arrow can be deliuered out of a bowe in a moment in the twinckling of an eie at the last trumpet Make this supposall my brethren that al the bodies of men did lye vpon one heap what a ruthfull sight would it make therefore what an obiect and spectacle will that be when so many Myriads of men shal be mustred together in the ayre at the iudgement day When the Kings writ is out for the execution of a noble man ye shall haue huge heapes of people trudging to the execution place but in the great day of iudgement wherein so many kings shall stande out in Chaines and so manie Nobles in Linkes of Iron naked trembling all their proude retinue cut from their heeles to receiue a sentence of a neuer dying death what beholding will there bee of that and how formidable will the face and fashion of the same bee 3 The greatnesse of Gods anger which will bee declared at that day sheweth likewise the great horriblenesse of that day The whole packe of worldly calamities as plagues bloodshed famine rage of waters and such like are but a sparke of that fire of furie that lyeth close in his breast couered as it were with Ashes which will breake out and climbe like the Sun in the morning and consume sinne and sinners like stubble at the dreadfull iudgement The Lorde sent this errant vnto Pharaoh I will at this time send all my plagues vpon thine heart c. And indeede for this cause haue I appointed to shewe my power in thee and to declare my name throughout all the worlde The obstinate sinner in the iudgement shal be the soule of this sentence vpon his vilde head shal be powred the full violl of the red mixt wine of his wrath God will get him a name by him and by their punishment make declaration of the greatnesse of his righteous iudgements The stroke of Gods hand in this life is but the stroke of a rod but the punishment laid vp for the life to come is a seething pot The vision of Ieremie the allusian hereunto giueth vs this comparison The deâ—ection of the Angels from their first estate of Adam out of Paradise the browning of the first world with riuers of water and of Sodom and Gomorrâ—a with riuers of Brimston the slaughter of the first borne of Egypt the plagues brought vpon Pharaoh the blotting out of the memorie of Amalek from among men the destruction brought vpon the kings Og and Schon the kingdoms of Chanaan the ouer whelming of the blasphemer with stones the leprosie wherwith Miriam the sister of Moses was smitteÌ„ the rupture of the earth which cauered Dathan Abiraâ—â— the firâ—â— Serpents that destroied the Israelites the iudgements shewed vpoÌ„ Achan for his sacriledge the sudden fearfull death of Eli the high priest who by a fall froÌ„ his chaire brake his necke the repudiation of Saâ—â— the death that was inflicted vpoÌ„ Vzzah for putting his hand to the Arke the iudgement shewed vpon the disobedient Prophet sent to Ieroboam who was torne by a lion the ouerthrow of an hundred fourescore and fiue thousand in one night of yâ— Assirians by the stroake of an Angell The singuler seueritie shewed vpon a sort of scoffing boyes that beardes the good Prophet torne in peeces by two Beares The Leprosie of Gihezi for his Simonie The slaughter of Goliath the champion by a childe the strange death of Ananias and Zaphira his wife stricken to death by the swoord of Peters lips the moste wretched ende of Herod ouer crowed and ouercame in the height of his pride by the lowest creatures in the earth eaten vp by wormes aliue impatient to stay till hee was laide in his graue These and whatsoeuer else besides these are to bee named are not worth the naming with those deuised torments for the damned which shall bee denounced against them in the iudgement For all these were but roddes held ouer them If thou strikest with a rod saith Salomon he shall not dye A rodde is but for correction it worketh not destruction And a blow giuen by this proceedeth not from hatred but from loue He
that spareth the rod hateth the Childe It is Dauids saying Thy rodde and thy staffe comfort me We are corrected in this world that we might not bee condemned in the world to come These punishments are but wandes to waken vs ouer-whelmed with a dead sléepe of securitie and to rouse vs vp out of the pallet of oâ—r carnall pleasures But there is a scalding kettle for the cursed companie set on the fire against the day of iudgement which is the seething Pot the Prophet before spake of A seething Pot is to boyle flesh in but God hath a capable pot for the nonce to boyle much flesh in it This Pot is Hell pitte and the fire vnder it is the fire of Hell and the seething is their perpetual burning Herevnto alludeth Iob saying Out of his mouth goe lamps and sparkes of fire leape out Out of his Nostrels commeth out smoake as out of a boyling pot or Caldron Thus much also is insinuated by the Psalmist in this wise Our God shal come and not keepe silence a fire shal deuoure before him and a mighty tempest shal be mooued round about him It is fearefull to heaâ—e a terrible thunder but the thunder clappe at that time wil shake and rend the foundation of the heart of which Dauid saith At the voice of thy thunder they are affraid The countenance of the iudge wil be then so grim his lips will be so burning and his face so full of indignation as the verie Saintes will shunne his lookes wherefore Iob saith Who shall hide me till the anger of God passeth ouer And why because there is no sin but God findeth it out An vnskilfull Painter pleaseth himselfe with his picture and workemanship but he that is perfect in that trade findeth manye faultes in it If therefore in that day which is a day of Iustice the elect tremble what shal sinners doe how shal they not be at their wittes end wherefore Malachi crieth out of that day saying Who may abide the day of his comming and who shall endure when he appeareth For he is like a purging fiâ—e and like fullers sope It is a fearefull thing saith the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes To fall into the hands of the liuing God To fall into the hands of a dying God if I may so tearme our crucified redeemer there is much hope of comfort to bâ—e had For thou shalt finde his handes fastned to the Crosse so as he cannot smite thee The punishment of this life laide to that which is laide out against the life to come I can liken no better then to the triyall that is made of a Bull before hee is ledde to the liâ—tes to bee baited who onelye is basted a little with a couple of clubs or cudgels but when he coÌ„meth to the combate then clubs Swordes speares are set against him These daies are daies of dalliance wherein a waster or rodde of lâ—uing correction is shaken against vs but at that dismall â—irefull dreadfull day Lances swordes speares and instruments of death will be prepared against the face of all his enemies Then shall the maâ—â—cles and fetters be brought foorth to binde Kinges in chaines and Nobles with linckes of yron I Lictor ligamâ—nus Erecutioner due thine office shall the iudge say Binde him hand and foote and cast him into vtter darknes Now are our feete free and of libertie to run the way of Gods commaundements but then they shall be shackled and be in the stockes and the yron shall enter intâ— our soule Now are our handes the instrument of good works loose but then they shall be pinnioned and they shall not be suffered to worke any longer Wherfore Ioel of this day thus saith Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble for the day of the Lord is come for it is at hand A day of darkenes of blacknes a day of cloudes and obscuritie As he shewed his power iâ— the worldes creation his wisdome in it's gâ—bernation so his iustice shall be manifested in the correction of the wicked in that day of the declaration of his righteous iudgements Then shall a sinner stand tongue tide haue not a word to say as the mute man that came to the marriage without his wedding suite For what should he say for it shall be as Iob saith How should a man compared vnto God bee iustified If hee would dispute with him hee could not answere him one thing of a thousand The discouerie that Ham made of the nakednesse of Noah his Father his irrision and insultation thereupon the sleepe of Noah in his tabernacle his answere when he awaked answereth notably the manner of Gods iudgement with the euent thereof For here Christ their Father is derided by his wicked Sonne Cham I meane the whole progenie of all prophane people who make a mocke of his Crosse and insult ouer his shame The afflicted estate of the Gospell is traduced by them and despised In the meane while Christ who is thus contemned seemeth a sleepe as Noah was as though hee saw not and vnderstood not what a sinner doth For how many Fornicators Adulterers blasphemers hath hee long suffered to escape vnpunished But wil be alwaies sleepe no he wil awake as one out of sleep and like a Giant refreshed with wine wil finite the enemies vpon the hinder partes and put them to a perpetuall shame Then as Noah when he awoke and knew what Cham had doon denounced his iudgement vpon Cham. Cursed shalt thou be So Christ when hee ariseth and perceiueth what the wicked hath done he shall wrap them in the great cursse and say Goe ye cursed into hell fire prepared for the Deuill and his Angells Which is parcell of the forme of the latter sentence of which we list now consequently to intreate The 13. Chapter The forme of the last sentence THe Coppye of the finall iudgement which passeth vppon all is cramplified by Math. in the 25. Chap. at the 34. verse to the end of the Chapt. But before the promulgation of the sentence the parties to bee sentenced are seperated The Church millitant is like a field wherin cockle daruel tares grow vp with good graine It is a draw-net that containeth and bringeth to shoare fishes of all sortes It is compounded of wise and foolish Virgins It is a mixed flock of Sheepe and Goates But in the latter day a diuision shall be made betweene good and bad betweene Cam and Abel Isaac and Ismael Esau and Iacob Cephas and Caiphas Simon Peter and Simon Magus Iude the Apostle and Iudas the Apostata Paul from Elimas the true Christian professor euerie hipocrite and persecutor The Church is commonly taken for euerie companie for the societie of the wicked as where Dauid saith Ecclesiam â—nâ—lignantium odi I haue hated the assemblie of the euill The Scribe and Towne-Clarke of Ephesus who appeased the Garboile that