not trust in the vncertaintie of riches Psal 112. but in the true and liuing God That he which disperseth his goods and giueth to the poore his righteousnesse shall remaine for euer That blessed are the rich which be found without blemish and haue not put any trust in monie and riches And a thousand such other profitable warnings and promises hath he giuen you But ye haue hardned your hearts and thinke that ye shall neuer come to an account how ye haue bestowed them Werefore the Canker and rust of them yea the vayne and friuolous bestowing of theÌ„ without profite to your neighbour or benefite to the Church or Common weale shall be a witnes against you at the day of Iudgement Yea the supreme Iudge himselfe all the holie Angells elect of God shall testifie against you nay your owne conscience shall accuse you when you see before your eyes those whom ye despised and oppressed And the Lord himselfe in that daie shall saie vnto you you are they vpon whom I bestowed so many benefites wheÌ„ as I might haue giuen them vnto others farre more worthie then you I made you stewards of my treasures to dispose them as might bee most agreeable to mine owne honor for the reliefe of your poore brethren which are members of my bodie whome ye sometime derided and iested at and thought their life to be but madnes Wis 5. and their end to be without honor But now ye see that I haue chosen them before you and made them heires of my saluation You in this life had aboundance of all good things but because ye vsed not those things as I had commaunded you but abused them to your owne lustes I testifie against you that the poore which before time indured al the penurie and miserie of this life shall now possesse the inheritance of my kingdome and ye shall bee turned out They in stead of the cold hunger nakednesse and trouble which they suffered vpon the earth shall now inioy all honor glorie pleasure and felicitie for euermore But ye which exalted your selues in the pride of your riches and dreamed of no other happines but temporall honors and treasures of the earth ye shall now from henceforth feele nothing but euerlasting paines and griefes in hell and bee tormented with the deuill and his Angels Ye see the poore continuallie before you in the streates the maymed and miserable go from doore to doore the impotent Lazars lye at your gates the poore farherlesse children and widdowes in continuall want They desire but the scraps that fall from your table you shut you cares against them and in the distresse of their soule they crie vnto God and shall not God deliuer them in the time of their trouble and call you to an account for them in the day of Iudgement O vnkinde and vngratefull nature of man beyond all the creatures that God hath made The birdes of the aire that be lame or olde or not able to seeke foode are fed by the labour of other birds The wilde beasts that be sicke and impotent to take anie pray of themselues are fedde by the pray of others But shal men so degenerate from their own nature and from the kind and nature of al other beasts of the fielde that hauing ouer and aboue that which should susteine themselues and their familie they wil not feede the hungrie nor cloath the naked nor helpe the maymed and impotent Wherefore those beasts and foules of the aire shal rise in the day of iudgement against them nay al the creatures of God that are obedient vnto man serue for his life and sustenaunce shal be a witnesse against them in that woful dreadfull day of the Lord. Neither shall those rich whether they bee men or women escape the iudgement of God which gathering to themselues abundance of treasure deferre all their good deeds til the time of their death determine then to dispose all things after a good and charitable manner seeing for the most part either their life is so dainlie taken from them before they haue set all in order Or while they liue they are spoyled of that they haue Or else some other mischaunce commeth after their death that things cannot be disposed according to their will But especiallie since in the meane time they haue suffred manie Christian soules to perish for lacke of their helpe Againe what thanke is it to them to be liberal then when they must of necessitie leaue their riches vnto others and cannot vse the same anie more themselues Neither wil the Iudge in that day so straightlie inquire how they bestowed the riches which they had at their death as he will examine whether they did the workes of charitie in their life Namelie Whether they had pitie on the fatherles children widowes when they cried vnto them Whether they helped the lame and blinde and impotent that were not able to shifte for themselues Whether they gaue fuel and clothes to them that were cold and naked Whether they releeued poore prisoners when the yron entered into their soules Whether they gaue Phisicke to the sicke and surgerie the wounded Whether they lent their monie freelie without hope of gaine Whether they eased the common burden of the poore in time of famine Whether they helped their Countrie and Common weale in time of necessitie Whether they ministred vnto the Saintes in their aduersitie Whether they put their helping hand to the vpholding of Religion And finallie Whether they did all these things with a single eye and faithfull heart not to be seene of men but for pure loue to Christ his members And then if they haue anie thing lefte at their death to be spared from their owne familie let them bestow the same in such wise as may most tend to the glorie of God to the edifieng of the Church and benefite of the Common weale And God shall restore them a thousand folde in the life to come But if they sawe all those necessities of their brethren and did shut vp their compassion from them and thought all too little for themselues while they liued all the good deedes at their death shall not be imputed one iot vnto them but they shal haue their poâ—tioÌ„ with hipocrites where shal be weeping and gnashing of teeth For they that haue shewed no mercie vnto others shall haue iudgement without mercie to them selues Generallie there is no estate nor degree of person whatsoeuer in this life that shal escape froÌ„ this iudgement but all shall appeare before the seate of GOD and they that haue not walked with an vpright and sincere heart before him nor haue beleeued effectuallie nor liued fruitefullie in Iesus Christ wherby their sinnes might not be imputed to them shall aunswere before him not onelie for all the actuall sinnes that they haue coÌ„mitted against God against their neighbor and against their owne soules but they shall also yeelde an account for euerie idle and
one dish but once in a day of them that haue manie dainties at their table woulde satisfie the poore that lie in miserie at their gate The superfluitie of fare that is spent in one dayes interteinment would giue reliefe to all that be lame and impotent The monie that is spent in strong and needlesse drinke would pay all the duties that belong to a Prince Neuerthelesse so vile and corrupt is the nature of man so desperately doeth hee runne into his owne fleshly desires that though hee knewe his poore and needie brother shoulde perish for want that his Countrie and Common weale should be in distresse nay that his own life should lye vpon the abstinence of one meale or forbearing of one match at drinking he would not leaue his greedie appetite Although men at this day are ashamed to see such beastlinesse in others Albeit they are greeued when they heare of the drunkennesse of Noah when his two sonnes couered him of Lot when he lay with his own daughters Although they know that death was pronounced against Aaron Leuit. 10. if he dronke wine or strong drink Gen. 25. That Esau lost his birth-right for the greedinesse of a messe of potage That Balthazar in his dronkennesse sawe a finger vpon the wall Dan 5. that wrote the finall ende both of him and his kingdome and that the drunken banquet of Benadab 4. King 20. was the destruction 32. Kings with all their Armie Albeit that wo is pronounced to them Esay 5. that rise vp early to follow dronkennesse that wine maketh a man scornfull and vnquiet Pro 20. Ezech. 16. Gal. 5. that fulnesse of meate was one of the great causes why Sodom was destroyed and finally that no drunkard nor glutton shall inherite the kingdome of heauen yet are not men by al these warnings moued yet doe they follow the wickednesse thereof and that with more greedinesse than euer before All their felicitie is in banqueting all their pleasure is in drinking all their delight is in their belly all the pastime of their life is in gluttonie good cheere Esay 22.13 Come say they let vs eate and drinke and bee merie for to morrow we shall die Nothing at this day but eating nothing but drinking nothing but powring in of cups from morning to night and from night to morning and so al their life long without respect of time or place or holie dya or Sabboth day without feare of lawes without feare of life without feare of God and without feare of damnation or any hope of saluation Wherefore this vice beeing greater than euer requireth a greater vengeance and speedier comming vnto iudgement than euer But I tremble at this day with horrour and greefe when I heare the name of the Lorde to bee so commonly and continually taken in vayne and to bee dishonored in euery corner For wheras we are straightly charged that we should not sweare neither by heauen nor by the earth nor by any other othe so wicked and peruerse is the nature of man so crosse and contratie to the will and commaundement of God so vntoward to that he should and so readie to that hee should not that whatsoeuer he is most forbidden that doth he most insue If there bee any corner whereinto he may start from the impunitie of mans lawe thether doth he runne headlong without regarde of any diuine prohibition and without feare of Gods terrible iudgement and condemnation And for this cause where a publike weale hath made no expresse lawe for the punishment of swearing there men make no conscience of any othe in the world there heauen and earth is no othe with them there the creatures of God are nothing with them there the Lord of hoasts is nothing with them the name of his blessed Sonne is nothing with them nay all the precious members of our Sauiour that suffered for vs are too little for them to bee a testimonie of all their vntruthes of all their vilanies of all their abhominations that they worke in the worlde But if they promise or vowe any thing which they haue any minde to perfourme or if they would iustifie themselues in any thing wherein their conscience cleereth them that will they affirme by that little trueth and faith which they haue But if they be stirred vp vnto furie if their bloud be warmed with surfeting and drunkennesse if they be greedie of reuenge agaynst such as haue offended them if they promise to meete vpon any wicked enterprise if it be for the sauing of a small penie in their purse or for defence of their credite in a playne vntruth in euery trifling matter in euery vayne enterprise in euery idle game and communication and action that will they confirme with the most vehement and mightie othes that they can deuise The blessed and diuine soule of Christ the precious and deere bloud of the Lambe immaculat and all the glorious and excellent members of Christ nay be Maiestie of Christ and of the Father himselfe are nothing in their vile and vnpurre lippes This I say is the naughtie nature of man to bee euer contrarie to the commaundements of God If GOD had commaunded vs that whatsoeuer wee promise or affirme or answere or iustifie in this life wee should call heauen and earth to record or his creatures or himselfe or some of his bodily members we should neuer haue heard an othe in this worlde But because hee forbad vs all these thinges and that our affirmation should bee nothing but yea and nay therefore wee most impudentlie abuse all his creatures and most shamefully blaspheme the name of GOD in all our wordes in all our affirmations iustifications and actions and therfore shall all these bee a testimonie agaynst vs in the day of iudgement Looke well vnto it therfore ye that be these luftie and wilfull swearers in the world ye that call the Lorde of hostes so often to witnesse with your vntruths and vanities bee yee sure that the Lorde is not deafe but doth heare you hee hath registred written vp all the idle words that ye haue spoken in your banqueting in your surfetings in your gaming 's and in al the loose and lewd behauiour of your liues hee hath written in the face of euerie creature all the testimonies that ye called them to witnesse with you much more shall yee finde printed in his presence nay yee shall haue it engrauen both in your owne conscience and in the Maiestie of his person all the wilfull and rash othes wherby ye haue called him to record and vnlesse you speedely repent you in this life and cease for euer to blaspheme the name of God as yee haue done yee shall shortly come before the supreme Iudge where it shall be so hardly layd to your charge as ye shal wish that the mountaines might couer you and the earth shadow you from the presence of God whom you haue so highly displeased For the horrible sinne
vaine worde that they haue spent all the time of their life and so to receaue iudgement for the same Thus are all mortall men and women cyted to appeare before the Iudgement seate of God to aunswere for themselues There shall then be no excepting of persons before him but Emperors Kings and Princes their subiects seruaunts and vassals all both Magistrates and people the highest Prelates and poorest Ministers Lords and tenants masters and seruants parents and children olde and young one with another shall all stand before the face of the Lorde to receiue their iudgement and either for their vngodlinesse to be accused and condemned or else hauing walked with a perfect heart before him they shal bee iustified and saued by the death and redemption of Christ Wherefore seing al these things shall thus happen that shortly how sodainly we know not and seing the day of the Lord wil steale vpō vs like a theefe in the night 2. Pet 3. when the hauens shall passe away and the earth and al the workes therein shal be vtterly burned with fire seeing we shall immediately be caried away vnto iudgement and seeing the Lord is not slacke but will speedelie come as he hath promised what manner of persons ought we to be in holinesse and godly conuersation How ought we to purge our liues from the dead and damnable workes of this world to serue the true and liuing God Howe well furnished ought we to be at all houres with all the armour of God that nothing but truth may proceede out of our mouths That all our actions bee defended by iustice and vpright dealing That wee may treade all our steppes in the Gospell of peace That we may haue a strong faith to withstand the deuill and all the temptations of this life That wee relie whollie vppon the saluation of Christ and that the word of God may dwell plentifully in vs wherewith we being indued we shall be readie at euery instant to meete the Lord when he commeth in the clowdes with power and great glorie But what shall the Lord say to them that bee so carelesse and negligent as they will not watch one small time in praier and meditation for his comming Shall they not in that great day be accused of the greatest vnfaithfulnes in the world Yea shall they not bee condemned of foule and beastlie ingratitude when for the pure loue that he beareth to vs he hath so sensiblie before hand shewed vs of all these things that haue happened and hath willed vs to watch and bee readie with our Lampes burning because the Sonne of man will come at such an houre as we knowe not O vngratefull and faithlesse generation maie he saie it repenteth me that I haue been so kinde and louing to you and that I haue bestowed vpon you so large and ample benefites when ye were dead in the burthen of your sinnes and were in thraldome of the deuill and of all your mortall enernies and had no other waie to be relieued but by me I humbled my selfe from the throne of my Maiestie and tooke your nature vpon me I came not as I might haue done like a great Prince and Monarch of this world but was content to abase my selfe to be borne of a poore woman to bee brought vp like a poore childe to walke in the forme of a poore seruant and to liue poorely from the daie of my birth to the daie of my death I indured nakednesse and cold and hunger for your sakes yea thirtie yeares together and vpward did I abide all the calamities of this life for your sakes I submitted my selfe to the lawe of man and obserued euerie iot and title of the same for your sakes I fasted fourtie daies and fourtie nights for your sakes I wrought great miracles and wonders in the world for your sakes And when the time of my passion was come I sweate water and bloud for your sakes I was scourged buffetted and beaten for your sakes I abode a crowne of sharpe thornes vpon my head for your sakes I indured spitting railing and despightfull words against my selfe for your sakes And in the ende I suffered amost shamefull and cruell death vppon the Crosse for your sakes For you and your saluation haue I done all this and yet ye will not beleeue the signes that I haue shewed nor prepare your selues to watch for my comming Therefore I will come so sodainlie vppon you as it shall be too late for you to repent and whome I finde not watching and prepared for me him will I cast into the vttermost darkenes where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Wherefore my deare brethren in Christ when we haue diligentlie weighed and considered these things how iustlie how innocentlie and how purelie ought wee to shewe our selues in all the whole course of our liues looking daylie and hourelie for the appearing of our Sauiour that we maie be blamelesse in the daie of his cōming It is for our learning edifying that al the holie Scriptures are written that all the teaching instructiōs warnings therin are giuē that all the miracles of God from the beginning haue been shewed that all the examples of our forefathers haue been published that God from the beginning was so mindfull of our redemption that he sent his owne Sonne for our saluation It is we that he hath been so carefull to preserue so many ages together in the middest of so many crooked and peruerse nations from the hands of so many cruell bloudie tyrants Who were preserued in the Arke from the first destruction of the world by waters but we Who were saued from death in the great famine of Egipt and countries adioyning but we Who were deliuered from Pharao from the inhabitants of Chanaan and from manie other nations with a mightie and stretched out arme but we Who were preserued in the great and horrible persecutions of the Primitiue Church from being vtterly consumed of tyrants but we Who were safelie kept by God as the apple of his owne eye in so great and generall Apostacie of the Church but we Who were againe deliuered by God from the power of Antichrist and were indued with the knowledge of his truth but we Nay who haue receiued so many tokens of the end of the world warnings of Christes comming as we For the heathen haue no knowledge of his lawes And they that bee straungers from Christ feare not his iudgements And all they which sinned without law shall perish without law Againe if iudgement begin first with the house of God what shall become of them that beleeue not the Gospell Why do not wee then with all faithfulnesse and willng heart receiue all these Oracles sent vs by God Why doe wee not thankfully accept his benefites Why do we not beleeue his promises Why do wee not prepare our selues for his iudgements Why doe we not weepe and bewaile and lament for our sinnes Why are we so stonie and
many hundreth yeares before neuer heard of All which things since they most and chiefly happened or began about the time that the Gospell in our age was reuiued by preaching and when the kingdome of Christ began to be restored they bee manifest tokens of the ende of the world Hath not these many and mightie Kingdomes of England Scotland Denmarke Swethland Poland Germanie Belgica and a great part of the large kingdome of Fraunce all which be as much as the rest of Christendome retired themselues and been reclaymed within this space from the Romish bondage and from Antichristianitie to the true worshipping of Christ by beleeuing of the Gospell preached vnto them Was not the Arte and skill of Printing deuised by Christians and specially practised in our time by the meanes wherof though not only yet chiefly all other Religions in the world are found to bee most shamefull and Idolatrous and only the true and sincere worshipping of Christ magnified and extolled in all the world Were not all the learned tongues and languages renued by Christians in our time from a rude barbarisme wherein they had many ages been a sleepe to an excellent and perfect fourme both of speaking and writing Is not the desire of Christians in our time more earnestly bent to seeke a perfection of all Arts and Sciences and a more exquisite forme of Religion then euer was in any age before vs since the sincere times of the Primitiue Church Were not all the order and maner of Instruments and habiliments of warre and warfare in our age wel neere contrarie to that it was before especially by the deuise of gunnes which the deuill together with his deliuerance out of bondage deuised for the speedie destruction of mankind and great effusion of bloud all making way to the second comming of Christ our King Was not the finding out of the newe or as I may say of the nether world by the indeuour and trauell of Christians in our time one of the most wonderfull accidents that hath happened since the time of Christ and euen as a signe and token before the latter day that GOD which hath shut vp those nations so manie ages before in vnbeleefe would now yet in the latter time call them to the knowledge of his Sonne if any perhappes would hearken to his word that they also might bee saued and healed by the death of Christ Is it not likewise a speciall token of the end of the world that such extraordinarie Starres and Comets such straunge and rare Coniunctions of the Planets such meruellous remouings of earth whereof no mortall man can giue any naturall reason together with mightie ouerflowinges of the Sea whereby whole Countries and people are destroyed But is it not as great a signe and token hereof that within so fewe as fifteene yeares now to come there shall happen fiue Eclipses of the Sunne besides many others of the Moone such and so terrible as the like neuer happened within so short a space since the beginning of the world Doth not also the sodaine decay of mans strength and stature age together with the vnwilling mind he hath to all godlines vertue and charitable actions prognosticate vnto vs any lesse than the things before Moreouer do not the trees the plants the hearbes and fruits and all other sencelesse things of the earth which should bee for the comfort of man most sensiblie shewe vnto vs by the decay of their strength of their taste and vertue which not long since they had in greater measure that within a short time there shall be no more vse of them Nay doth not the earth it self complayne that she hath powred out of her bowells in a manner all the store of her treasures and commodities wherewith she was fraighted for the vse of man Yea do not all the creatures of God earnestly expect when the Sonne of God shall appeare that they also may be deliuered frō the bondage of corruption But shall wee not account this also to bee a great signe of the ende of the world that it pleased God in this age and neuer before both to indue man with knowledge and to leade him as it were by the hand about the whole compasse of the earth That when he had seene all and compast all and yet found all to be nothing but trouble and vanitie and vexation of minde by sea and land in all places where he came he might glorifie his Creator and Sauiour which had giuen so excellent guiftes and vertues and knowledge and ciuilitie and so iust a Religion vnto his Christian people before so many and so great nations which in comparison of them liued without God without faith and without all humanitie and might the rather bee drawne from the loue of this earthly mansion to long for the day of Christ and to bee translated to a more ioyfull and euerlasting habitation To be short The number of Prophets that GOD doth daylie send to admonish all people of the latter day and to giue them warning to be in a readines because they teach no lyes but such things as they finde in the word of God are no lesse to bee beleeued then those that prophesied of the first comming of Christ To make an ende hereof the opinions or rather firme beleefe of sondrie seuerall learned wise men so farre distant asunder by places but so neerely conspiring together by the vnitie of their iudgements and consent of their spirits as touching the comming of Christ do declare that the Bridegrome is euē now comming and craue vs to wayt for him all houres of the day and night that we may enter with him into the mariage feast Where bee now these Atheists where bee these mockers where be those that walke after their own lusts and say where is the promise of his comming Behold the winter blasts are now gone and the comfort of the spring is come The Lord shall come speedelie foorth like a Lion out of his denne and will be auenged of them that speake blasphemie and will destroy all the workers or wickednesse Beholde the Arke is now welneere finished the number is accomplished the Church established the chosen confirmed The trumpet hath sounded The kings sonne must be maried The feast is prepared the bidden guests haue refused All sorts of people in all the high waies of the world are gathered the wedding is furnished The king and the bridegroome are comming The earth and the sea shall yeeld vp their dead the sonne of man shall appeare in the cloudes he shal come with exceeding glorie Angels without number shall attend vpon him All nations of the worlde shall drawe vnto him The godlie shall triumph and reioyce in him The generatiō of the wicked shal tremble to see him The godlie shal stand at his right hand the wicked on his left Heauen shal be opened the earth shal bee consumed the sea shal be dried The Sunne the Moone shal be darkened and all the powers
of heauen shal bee moued The sonne of God shall sit on his throne the wicked shall receaue the iudgement of death and the faithfull bee carried into the euerlasting Kingdome Wherefore the Lord shall come not tarie He promised signes of his comming those signes he hath sent He promised that he would come immediatelie after those signes wherefore those signes beeing accomplished hee will come and that sodainlie like a mightie tempest For heauen and earth shall faile but one iot of his promise shall not faile Wherefore insomuch as wee see so manie of the promises alreadie fulfilled let vs be patient in the rest and not murmure against him as the Children of Israel did in the wildernesse least a sodaine destruction come vpon vs as it did vpon them and we be cast aliue both bodie and soule into the bottomlesse pit They which beleeue not in the cōming of Christ doe imitate the foolish exāple of Iulius Cesar who being often warned before to take heed to himself least some great treason were wrought against him in the Ides of March made but a mock thereof the same day that hee was slaine saying to some of his familiars which counselled him not to go that day into the Senate house Why saith he they haue tolde mee this good while that I should be in danger when the Ides of March were come they are come and yet I am safe I saith one they are come but they are not yet past And so by his owne follie negligence he was the same day slaine In like manner these that doe but mocke at the Lords comming do see indeed that al the signs which were promised should come to passe are founde to bee true but yet because Christ is not come together with the signes they thinke perhaps that he will not come But ô ye fooles ye see them to be come indeed but ye see them not yet finished neither shall ye see them so soone ended as ye shal see the promise of his comming iustified Some motions yee had perhaps this last yeere to think vpon that day more than ye be accustomed because of the great expectation of the Prophesie of the yere 1588 and for that ye heard by manie probable reasons and coniectures of men drawen from the cōsent and agreement of times from the coniunctions of planets which threaten either finall destruction or wonderfull alteration and from the equalitie of numbers in the yeeres of the worlde 5550 and 5555 which iumpe with the yeres of Christ 1588 and 1593 that either the world should then ende or else verie strange things should then happen Howbeit this yere being past yee seeme now to liue more securelie yee feare God lesse yee care lesse for religion yee delight more in vanities yee sinne more greedelie yee prouoke Gods wrath more greeuouslie yee runne more headlong into damnation and yee sing your olde tune Where is the promise of his comming more reprochfullie than euer yee did before Neuertheles if so manie and so strange things happened that yere as the like did not in so short space in many ages before mē hauing no more knowledge therof thā that which could be gathred by cōiecture of the stars by cōparing time with times what effects do we think shal folow vpō the sure infallible prophesie warranted by the spirit of God himselfe in the canonicall scriptures If the starres that are but creatures can point to the time when God will worke such mighty operations in other of his creatures as against that yere they did whereby the proud lustie mindes of mightie Monarchs are abated wherby puissant and strong armies are dissolued whereby the most inuincible nauies and strong castles of the sea be destroyed whereby the leagues cōspiracies of princes shal be made frustrate wherby they that haue plaid so manie horrible tragedies in the Church and haue caused the bloud of so manie hūdred thousands to be spilled shal the same yeere finish their daies some by bloud some by death Nay if the pore herrings of the sea haue this yere brought vs letters of warning from God written vpon the skins of their little bodies that Christ cōmeth that quickly what think we shal the performāce of gods eternal promise or the least word that proceedeth out of his mouth bring to passe against al the tyrants and blood suckers of this worlde against all the enemies of his Church and religion against all them that make but a mocke at the glorious comming of Christ against all the strong and mightie Cities of the earth yea and against the consummation of the whole globe of the world But ye my masters that giue so great credit to the reuolutions of the heauens and to the threatning of the starres planets look wel to your selues from henceforth for besides that the Lord hath promised very shortly to com himselfe and call you to a reckoning hee hath put also into his creatures new accidents the effects whereof shall continue not one but one and twentie yeeres at the least if the Lorde come not before and those greater than haue euer bin since the world was made the straungenes whereof shall amase you and the effects thereof shall trouble you when ye shall see the Sunne and Moone so often and in so short time eclipsed when you shall see the brightnes of heauen at noone time darkened when God shall powre out his wrath aboundantly by plagues and famines by winds and tempestes by fearefull ouerflowings of waters and by the ruine and destruction of some Prouinces when ye shall perceiue the strength of all creatures diminished when the earth will not bring foorth her benefites when by this time all truth and righteousnes will be vanished all loue and societie among men will bee dissolued when all men will altogether loue themselues and no man will any whit loue another when naturall affection of men towards their owne will bee prostrate when all obedience to God and to Magistrates to parents and maisters to Kingdomes and Common weales will be abolished whē nothing will bee done for duetie and conscience but all for feare and necessitie when all truth all charitie and all goodnes will be abandoned and when there shall be nothing but pride enuie dissimulation oppression lust and couetousnes in all the whole earth when the earth it selfe will craue at the hands of GOD Come Lord Iesus come quicklie and deliuer me from this intolerable burden which the foundation that I am builded vpon namely thy heauenly word is not able anie longer to beare Wherefore If Christ haue discouered vnto vs vpon whom the latter endes of the world are come all the signes and tokens which he promised of his comming If he haue sent Preachers into the world to proclaime the Gospell of his kingdome If he haue reuiued as it were his owne name againe that laie hidden in Images and dumme Idolls If he haue resumed vnto himselfe his owne authoritie
of swearing is so continually accustomed in your mouths and the name of God and of his holy members is so abused in your actions as he can no longer indure the wickednesse thereof but wil hasten himselfe vnto iudgement Now if these sinnes besides manie others that I might recite doe so abound at this day in the hearts of men and doe breake out so mightily in their actions as the things themselues declare that the day of iudgment is at hand what shall we say of the sinne of couetousnesse the roote and welspring of all other mischiefes Wherein men at this day doe so farre exceed the measure of our forefathers as the later wee are borne the more corruption we haue receiued the neerer to the day of the Lord the lesse affection haue we to heauenly things and the more desire of worldlie vanities And albeit this sinne of coueting bee set downe as a capital crime in the holy Scriptures yet do we make small account of the same Howbeit if the children of Israel fled before their enimies Iosu 7. onely for the couetousnesse of Achan and that Achan himselfe was iudicially and formally executed because he had hidden to his owne vse some thinges that were accursed if Nabal the Carmelite for his couetous minde 1. Sam. 25. in denying some sustenance vnto Dauid and his seruants in time of necessitie was striken by God that he died finally if Gehezi the seruant of Elizeus 4. Kings 5. was punished with a foule leprosie for requiring and taking but a small gifte of Naaman the Sirian whome his Master had frankly freely a litle before healed of the same disease what deserueth the vnsatiable mind of Christians in our time that without all measure or ende without feare of God without regard of religiō with out remorse of cōscience without sense of other mēs griefes be it right or wrong whether it cōcerne God or the Church the Prince or the Commonweale the father or the sonne neighbour or straunger friend or foe life or death if it may turne to our owneprofit commoditie we seeke by all manner of meanes to attaine therevnto though we die for it in this life and be sure of damnation in the life to come without all remorse of conscience or anie care of restitution Howbeit all this commeth to passe that the word of God may not be frustrate which saith that in the latter day iniquitie shall abound and the loue towardes God and man shall decaie And the abundance of all sinne doth grow from this verie roote of coueting greedinesse of riches But in verie deede the meanes that this sinne hath had to come to such ripenesse in these our dayes haue been farre greater than euer in anie Age before For euen since the time that it pleased God to shewe foorth all other signes and tokens which hee had promised to come against the ende of the world what wayes haue men attempted what artes haue they deuised to fulfill their greedie appetite and desire Be there anie lands that they haue not searched or anie seas that they haue not sayled Bee there anie dangers that they haue not ventured Is there anie colde or heate that they haue not indured Is there anie world that they haue not compassed anie myne that they haue not opened anie bloud that they haue not spilled nay anie people that they haue not destroyed to attaine to their desire Doe they not trauell more willinglie more often and farther from the vppermost face of the earth to the nethermost part of the same from the Sunne rising to the Sunne setting from the South to the North and to all the endes of the world and all for the insatiable desire of golde siluer redde claie and white than they woulde doe for the sauegard of their owne life And yet the more they haue the more they want the more they want the more they couet In such sort as if the earth and sea were emptied of their treasures I suppose that they woulde seeke to Heauen for temporall riches which they cannot beelead vnto for the saluation of their soules Wherefore this vice of couetousnesse is now so primie full as it craueth an ende and dissolution of the world Now come wee to the last token and restimonie of the comming of Christ namelie That the Gospell shal be preached in all the world for a witnes vnto all nations and then shall the ende come As I wrote before that the reuealing of Antichrist and man of sinne which sitteth in the Temple of God should be the first token of that secōd comming of Christ so the preaching of the Gospell ouer all the world both by the circumstance of the Euangelicall historie and by the consequence of the thinges themselues must of necessitie bee the last token before his comming And this is also confirmed by Iohn in the Reuelation when he saith Apoc 14. That he sawe an Angell flie in the midst of heauen hauing the euerlasting gospell to preach to all nations kindreds and people and saying Giue glorie to God for the hower of his iudgment is come And immediatelie after this preaching of the word an other Angell crieth Babylon is falne that great Citie is falne that made all Nations drinke of the Cup of her fornication For if there bee no other way to make Babylon to fall to reueale Antichrist the enimie of Christ and to banish the Apostasie of the Church procured by the same Antichrist but the preaching of the word and free course of the Gospek thē is there also no other way to inlarge the kingdom of Christ to gather the Saints of God into one but onely the free course and publication of the Gospell which by litle and litle shall consume as it hath gebun the spirite of error and apostasie of the Church till the brightnes of Christes presence haue vtterly destroyed the same al the authors abettors thereof Wherfore whatsoeuer other tokens shal be at the verie comming of Christ as no doubt but ther shal be many both in the Sunne and Moone and starres and in al the creatures of God as behoueth in so great an alteration consummation of the worlde Mat. 24. Mark 13. and as Christ himselfe hath most effectually set downe in his holy word yet this publishing of the Gospel in all the world shall vndoubtedly be the very last token before his comming as it is euidently set down by the holy Ghost himself when he saith And then shal the ende come And when the Angels after preaching of the word said Apoc 14. The houre of iudgement is come thrust in thy sythe and reape for the haruest is ripe As if he should say When Antichrist of Rome which exalteth himselfe aboue me shal be reuealed to be the principal head that hath caused so great a falling away from the truth in my Church hee shall trouble and persecute you to the death he shall make
nation to rise against nation for vpholding of his damnable heresie and hee shall cause you to bee hated for my sake but feare not my little ones for when yee shall see all these troubles to happen bee ye sure that my comming and your redemption draweth nigh For my word shall runne out very swiftly and in a short space consume that which he by his hypocrisie and tyrannie had in many yeares contriued He that hath caused al Princes to drinke of the poysoned cuppe of his fornication him will I sodainly destroy with the breath of my mouth Yea and least ye should any longer bee deceiued by his false signes and deceiuable errors my word shall be published in all the world and then is the time of my comming then is the haruest of the earth ripe and then will I thrust in my sickle and reape And this publication of the Gospell ouer all the world is the second sound vnto iudgment For as our Sauiour Christ gaue the first sound when he sent foorth his Apostles and commaunded them to teach all nations Math. 2◠and to baptize them in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost and to plant Churches in al those places which receiued the word of truth that the fame of Christ and sound of the Gospell went foorth at that time to all lands where any people did inhabite So now all things being fulfilled that the Scriptures had promised should come to passe betweene the first warning and the second The Gospell of our Sauiour is begun agayne to be renewed published ouer al the world and that more freely and without perill then euer before by reason of the godly minds and good indeuors of Christian Magistrates And this I say is the second sound of the Trompet besides which wee are to expect no more till Christ himself enuyrond with thousands of Angels and in the Trompet of God voyce of an Archangell shal descend from heauen and commaund the dead to arise and shall gather his elect from the foure windes and from euery part of heauen and earth and from the deepe places And as this publishing of the Gospell is a most assured token of his comming so by reason of the effects thereof it is more notable then all the rest For it seemeth to bee but simple in shewe but it is wonderfull in operation It is contayned in playne and familiar termes but it searcheth the very roote of the heart It appeareth but foolishnesse to the vngodlie and to them that perish but it confoundeth the wisedome and craftines of this world It is but small and of no reputation amongst men but it driueth proud and mightie tyrants from their feates and exalteth into their places them which submit themselues vnto it It is but weake in sight of the world but it is the power of God vnto saluation in them that beleeue and it cutteth more sharp than a two edged sword ouerthrowing all the imaginations 2. Cor. 10. vers 4.5 6. and euery high thing that is exalted agaynst the knowledge of God bringing into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ and hauing readie vengeance against all disobedience And it is no new Gospell that is now preached but it is the old Gospell newly published It is the same that the Apostles taught planted but the ingratitude of the world left and contemned If any nation at this day haue been kept in blindnes if any haue been held frō the benefite of the Gospell their owne sinnes and abhominations haue been the cause thereof for that they haue wilfully withheld the truth in their own vnrighteousnes and haue despised both God the Father his Sonne haue wrought despite vnto the spirit of grace For the creation both of themselues and of all the visible things of the world might make both God and his eternitie manifest enough vnto thē yet would they not acknowledge him but haue followed their own imaginations haue turned the glory that is due vnto the only wise vncorruptible God either vnto creatures farre inferior to themselues or els they haue worshipped deuils damnable spirits forsaking the true God that made both them al the world Besides this they cannot pleade ignorance For vndoubtedly the sound of his Gospell hath first or last gon into all lands And though perhaps later into one countrie than into another that hath God done in his wonderfull wisedome and prouidence who beholdeth all the nations in the world at one view seeth into all their actions beholdeth all their hearts perceiueth who be inclined vnto any goodnes who haue giuen ouer themselues to a wilfull and reprobate mind And as he beholdeth all men so he calleth all men some at the first houre and some at the last that he may haue mercie on whom it pleaseth him and may shut vp vnder infidelitie those that are hard harted Neuerthelesse if there be any nation that heard not of Christ in the first sound of the Trompet by the Apostles nor in all this time that the preaching of the Gospell hath been discontinued yet now there is not doubt but in this second warning publication of the word of God through the prosperous successes of our blessed Soueraign by the care that she other godly Princes of the reformed Churches haue to aduaunce the kingdome of Christ there shall bee no corner within the whole circumference of the earth but in short space shall not only haue the sound of the Gospell but a perfect publication and spreading of the same with a full knowledge of Christ For the Gospell shall be published ouer all the world and then commeth the end And vndoubtedly if the Gospell had been preached and taught vnto the people of America and the lower India by the Spanyards and Portingalls when they first found out those nations with such plainnes and simplicitie as is done by vs in the reformed Churches without adding of Images or superstitions or vanities no lesse peeuish and vngodly then the abhominations that those Infidels themselues had before vsed the kingdome of Christ had long before this day been receiued and spread ouer all those large and ample Territories Wherefore the more greeuous shall bee their damnation that haue so mocked and deceiued them and the greater is the mercie of God if he impute not their ignorance vnto them Now that wee haue breefly declared all the signes and tokens which the holy Ghost hath promised in the Scriptures to come to passe before the ende of the world wee must also with the like perspicuitie examine whether this be not the time or very neere thervnto that Christ shall come agayne in glorie to iudge both the quick and the dead which is the second part of this discourse For albeit that he hath set downe all these tokens of his comming so exactly and in such order as it is vnpossible but that anie man capable of reason may