if he would humble vs as he did Nabucadonosor and make vs to eate grasse with the beastes of the field and to water vs with the deaw of heauen till our hearts were whollie turned vnto him againe rather than do fill vs so abundantlie with all manner of temporal blessings With health in our bodies plentie in our coffers ioy in our families fauour with our Princes to haue praise with priuate persons and to haue authoritie in kingdomes but therewith to bee depriued of the grace and mercie of God of Christes promised saluation and in steede of the pleasures of this life to receaue paines intollerable both of bodie and soule in the life to come Wherefore ô my bretheren remember what yee are where yee are and whether yee goe Yee are of those for whom the world was made For whome the remnant was saued in Noahs floud For whome God hath shewed a thousand miracles in Aegipt in the redde Sea and in the wildernesse For whome Christ liued so manie yeeres in this wretched world and for whome hee suffered so shamefull death vpon the Crosse Yee are the seede of Abraham and generation of the blessed Yee are of the Church and members of Christes bodie Yee are the vessells of the holie Ghost if yee liue holilie and vnblameablie And ye are of them to whom the promise of euerlasting life was made Remember also that yee are in this transitorie world a place so latelie made which shall so shortlie perish wherein there is nothing but lustes of the fresh lustes of the eyes and pride of life Remember that a thousande yeeres with the Lorde are but as one day and that all your whole life is not one hower of such a day Remember that yee are in a place full of miseries cares and troubles among a crooked and peruerse generation among a people that haue solde them selues to commit wickednesse and that with all greedie desire That a mans dayes passe awaie like a shaddowe and his yeeres like vanitie That though he be the mightiest Prince Monarch of the world yet when age infirmities creepe vpon him he desireth to be losed from the burthen of this flesh Againe remember the place whereunto yee shall tende For yee are heere but pilgrimes and straungers for a little season And as manie of you as are Christes must home to your owne Countrey of Heauen A place of libertie a place of felicitie a place of euerlasting pleasure Where time shall be no more time where night and darkenesse shall be banished where yee shall neither hunger nor thirst where yee shall neither lust nor desire where it is vnpossible yee shoulde die anie more where the Lorde him selfe shall bee your foode and portion and the light of your countenaunce where the measure of your ioyes shall be full and where ye shall liue in pleasure and felicitie for euermore But on the other side as manie of you as are called Christians and are not of the flocke of Christ as manie as refuse this saluation offered you in not beleeuing as you ought and liuing as you should As manie of you as trust not whollie to be saued by the merite of Christ Iesus but iustifie your selues by your owne workes Naie all you that boast of your faith in Christ and yet mortifie not your carnall members nor walke in the steppes of his commaundements As many as make Christ Iesus but a straunger to you and seeke for other Mediatours than his owne selfe As manie as frame vnto the Church a monsterous head vpon the earth besides our owne mercifull head Christ Iesus in heauen As manie as will make the decrees of mans corrupt iudgement equall with the most holie and sacred word of GOD As manie as refuse to laie holde on Christ by faith and runne for helpe vnto Images and dumme Idolls As manie as frustrate the benefites of Christes death by redeeming their sinnes with monie and pardons As manie as thinke to obtaine their requestes by a set number of verball prayers without any earnest meditation of the merite and promise of Christ As manie as prophane that glorious bodie of Christ Iesus by worshipping of any creature for and in the name of him and so cut off the hand of faith whereby we hold fast by him as he sitteth on the right hand of his Father Briefly as many as know that God must be worshipped in spirit and trueth and yet will cleaue to the apish toyes and foolish superstitions of Antichrist Finally as many as walke after their owne waies and not as the Lord himselfe hath commaunded in his holie worde All these must likewise home to their countrie a place of torment a place of eternal trouble a cruell and terrible habitation continuallie to bee vexed with burning fire and most intollerable heate mingled neuerthelesse with palpable darknes not for a time and season but perpetuallie and for euer there to remaine vnder the dominion of Lucifer and his Angels whose workes they followed and whose commaundements they obeyed Wherfore if there yet remaine in you any sparke of godlinesse anie loue of Religion anie dutie towards God anie hope of the resurrection to come anie desire of saluation anie feare of damnation if all faith all conscience all goodnesse and all religion be not quite extinguished reuiue your mindes lifte vp your hearts ascend vnto Christ by faith Set your affection vpon things aboue and not vpon thinges beneath Cast away all vaine and idle cogitations reforme your liues forsake your sins returne no more to your filthie pleasures giue ouer your superfluous vanities cleanse your selues from all vngodlinesse as you haue hetherto giuen ouer your members to serue vncleannesse so make them now to be seruants vnto righteousnesse Crucifie the olde man in you that the bodie of sinne may be vtterly destroyed Come out from Babylon and be no more partaker of her wickednesse touch no more vncleannesse and the Lord will receiue you Euery one of you abound in charitie one towards another euen as Christ hath loued you and hath giuen himselfe for you Be renewed in the spirite of your minde and put on the newe man which is shapen in holinesse and righteousnesse Examine your selues whether you be in the faith and knowe for certaintie that Christ is in you except ye bee reprobates Clense your hearts from all filthines and sinne and go forth to meet with the Bridegrome So shall all your former sinnes be wiped out of his remembrance Ye shal be his people and he wil be your God He will seperate you from the wicked and set you on his right hand He will protect you in this life from al your enemies and in the life to come will giue you a kingdome of euerlasting happinesse Come therfore Lord Iesus Come quicklie for the saluation of thy chosen and gladnes of thy people FINIS
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
A second Sound or Warning of the Trumpet vnto Judgement Wherein is proued that all the tokens of the Latter day are not onelie come but welneere finished With an earnest Exhortation to be in continuall readinesse By Anthonie Marten Sewer of her Maiesties most honorable Chamber When ye see these things come to passe be ye sure that he is euen at the doores Mark 13. PRO LEGE ET GREGE LOVE KEPYTHE LAWE OBEYETH THE KYNGE AND IS GOOD TO THE COMMEN WELTHE Imprinted at London by Thomas Orwin for Andrew Maunsell 1589. To the Queenes most excellent Maiestie Most renowmed and mightie Prince Jt pleaseth your highnes after a long winters abode in some one of your Princely Pallaces the stormes of colde being past and the pleasant spring tide come to remooue your householde into a fresh and wholsome aire And for a warning to your officers and seruaunts of your Court you doe cause the Trumpet to bee three seuerall times sounded against you descende from the higher part of your mansion But if it happen to bee long before the seconde warning of the trumpet be giuen the third is no sooner sounding but your owne Person is then comming Then must all your seruants be readie to waite vpon you you are the Souereigne and not to expect for anie They that be not readie at the same instant are not worthie of such a Prince nor to haue reward for such a seruice Euen so the most inuincible King of glorie Christ Jesus who by his holie spirit hath been present in this worldly mansion with his houshold the Church welneere 1600. yeares while it hath abidden many sharpe and bitter stormes hath been as it were imprisoned within the Pallace of this wretched world is now minded speedely to remooue the same into his owne Countrie a pleasand land and place of felicitie The first warning of his remooue he sounded by his Apostles when his fame was spread ouer all the world by the first preaching of the Gospel The second he hath proclaimed by the preachers of his word whom he reuiued as it were out of the dust within these 70. yeres And together with them are sent all the promised tokens of his comming Howbeit the day being so farre spent before his seconde warning wee shall see himselfe speedely descend from aboue with the third sound of the trumpet and in the voyce of an Archangel And those that watch for him with their lampes burning he will receiue and the rest he will exclude from his kingdom from the reward of his seruice VVherfore your Highnes beeing one of his principall seruants nay at this day the chiefe Stewarde of his household it shall be a perpetuall honour to your kingdome a not able blessing to your subiects an vnspeakable benefit to the Church an acceptable seruice to Christ yea an eternal felicitie to your self if the light of your lampe do continuallie shine and the oyle of your workes doe perpetually abound that nowe at his comming ye may bee readie to enter with him into that glorie which he hath promised to all those which be faithfull seruants Your Maiesties most humble Subiect and Seruant Anthonie Marten A second Sound or warning of the Trumpet vnto iudgement OFten sundrie times did God foreshew vnto our forefathers in the olde Testament the first comming of his Son into this world the taking of our nature vpon him most plainly euidently did he declare vnto them that Christ by his death should restore vs vnto life and that by his resurrection and ascension hee should make perfect the worke of our saluation In like manner did hee with no lesse perspicuitie set foorth vnto them the returne of our Sauiour vnto iudgement and that all men should rise againe vnto immortalitie and render an account of all their workes and actions All this did hee promise them by his Prophetes iustifie in his person and confirme firme by manie maruellous signes and wonders such as were neuer heard of before since the beginning of the world Yet did the obstinate Iewes harden their hearts and beleeued not Wherefore God made them no more nation but scattered them into all lands in such wise wee see them at this day to be a scorne and derision vnto all people Neither can the example of these men so often rebuked by vs for their incredulitie so greatly blamed for their obstinacie so sharply reprooued by vs for their crueltie so iustlie despised for their ignominie any thing amend vs in the same things wherin wee condemne them For what promise haue they and wee haue it not performed What Prophesie had they and we haue it not fulfilled What true Religion had they and we haue it not restored What worde what testimonie what signes what miracles what mercies what graces and what benefites had they and we haue them not a thousand times more increased Yet are we altogether either incredulous of the promises or doubtful of the performance or else carelesse and desperate of our own deliueraunce And this maketh vs to leane to the fables and deceaueable doctrines of men more then to the true Prophesies of the word of God to the commandements of Christ and his Apostles who haue declared the second comming of Christ and that in such plaine and euident sort as they haue shewed the verie time when the manner how and the things themselues that shoulde withholde the signes and tokens that should goe before and all other certainties whatsoeuer are necessarie for man to knowe as concerning the same And by this meanes if the iudgement of God and finall destruction of the world do come sodainely vpon man before he be aware there is no ignoraunce to be pleaded there is no excuse to bee regarded there is no darkenesse of the Scriptures to be alledged For it al the holie Bible there is not anie one thing that the mercie and goodnesse of our God hath set downe more amplie taught more plainlie and set foorth more expreslie for the assurance of our faith than the tokens of Christs comming And as the preaching and publishing of the Gospel by the Apostles ministers and disciples of Christ in the first ages after his ascension was the first warning of the Trumpet sounded at that time vnto all Nations against the resurrection of the flesh and of Christs returne againe vnto iudgement so the reuiuing of the Gospel and reuealing of Antichrist by preaching of the worde together with the other signes tokens that Christ himselfe told vs should come to passe before his second comming is a peremptorie warning that shall be giuen vnto all flesh For the last sound of the Trumpet shall bee no more properlie a warning but an hastie and sodaine comming a crying vnto iudgement and appearing of Christ in the cloudes a perishing of the heauens a consuming of the earth and all the workes thereof with fire Wherefore I meane heere to put the Christian world in minde of all those tokens as
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
hard hearted that there is No example of temporall punishments in other no feele of Gods wrath in our selues no threatning of Gods vengance to come no remembrance of punishments past no remorse of conscience for our sinnes no promise of temporall blessings no assurance of eternall rewards neither signes in heauen aboue nor tokens in the earth beneath nor the hope of euerlasting saluatiō nor feare of perpetuall damnation that can once effectually moue vs to amend our liues and make vs to forsake the sinne that reigneth in our mortall bodies although we know die kingdome of heauen to be neuer so neere nay euen at the very doore Wherefore I feare me it will be pronounced against vs that was sometime against the vnbeleeuing cities of Iuda Woe be vnto you Christians and especiallie you that haue takē vpon you to reforme my Church and to haue my Gospell preached among you woe I say bee vnto you For if the signes and myracles that haue bin in your time and among you had bin done among the Turkes and Infidels yea among the most sauadge Indians of the world they would long since haue repented insackecloth and ashes O that wee would open the fountaines of our heart and powre in contrition into our soule O that wee had a floud of teares to bewaile the multitude of our sinnes O that we would haue but some parte of that affection towards our selues that the creatures of God haue towards vs For they mourne and lament for our sins they long for our deliuerance because of our sinnes The earth trembleth quaketh because of our sinns The Sonne and the Moone want of their light and beautie for our sinnes The Heauens powre downe floudes of destruction for our sinnes The plants and hearbes lacke their vertue and operation for our sinnes The windes goe foorth of their places the seasons of the yere keepe not their wonted course for our sinnes yea the natures of all creatures are in a manner changed for our sinnes But what shall I saye more The Angels of God doe mourne for our sins The verie soules of the righteous doe lament for our sinnes And it greeueth the spirite of God himselfe that we persist in our sinnes But all this mooueth not our senses nor yet melteth our owne heartes for our sinnes All that we speake all that we write all the labor we take is in vaine For our heart is as hard as the Adamant and our soule refuseth counsell Euerie man speaketh of the mercies of GOD Euerie man acknowledgeth his benefits Euerie man hath the word of God in his lippes Euerie man crieth Lorde Lord but no man dooth the will of his heauenlie Father Euerie man confesseth the tokens of Christ to bee come but no man prepareth him selfe his comming No man maketh attonement with his brother no man sheweth the fruites of faith no man forsaketh his wicked life no man keepeth his vessell pure and holie to the Lorde Euerie man blameth euerie man reprooueth euerie man condemneth shamefull actes in others but no man amendeth anie one sinne in himselfe O gracious GOD why shoulde thy people thus forget thee why shoulde they bee thus stiff-necked against thee why shoulde they so deepelie dissembled with thee why shoulde they make as though they beleeued thy worde when they bee so farre from reforming of their liues why should they be so rauished with earthlie delightes that perish in a moment and contemne the hauenlie ioyes which continue for euer why shoulde they bee thus distraught from the sense and feele of hapinesse to followe the delightes and pleasures of their owne fancies Shal the care of transitorie riches of this world drowne the desire of glorie in the worlde to come Shall the vglie and deceaueable lustes of sinne that breede long and bitter repentaunce preuaile aboue the beautifull contemplation of thine eternall Godhead Shall this vale of miserie wherein wee see nothing but sinne and wickednesse nothing but care and vexation of minde nothing but perilles by lande and sea at home and abroade in bedde and at boord in freedome and in bondage in pouertie in welth in honour and disgrace at all times and in all places both in life and in death bee more deepelie printed in our heart than the Kingdome of Christ wherein the bodie shall bee chaunged from corruption to immortalitie from dishonour to glorie from weakenesse to strength from a naturall bodie to a spirituall bodie wherein all paines and sorrowes shall bee vtlie vanished and all quietnesse and tranquilitie of conscience shall dwell for euermore Nay shall the affection which wee beare to father or mother or brother or sister or wife or children or landes or goods or to haue die whole earth at our becke and commaundement once seperate vs from the loue that is in Christ Iesus from the companie that wee shall haue with his holie Angells from the fellowship of all the godlie and elect people and from the continuall fruition of Gods diuine presence and Maiestie GOD forbid What is the cause then that wee so greedelie imbrace and laye holde vpon these transitorie thinges Nothing verelie but the corruption of our owne nature the following of our owne sensuall pleasures and the instigation of the diuell who laboureth now towardes the ende of the worlde more stronglie than euer to drawe all the soules that he can into damnation with himselfe of whom we to our great shame stande in seare as though Christ our Conqueror had neuer redeemed vs as though he that had once saued vs could no more defende vs. But alas why shoulde wee not continuallie and vnfainedlie praye vnto God to assist vs and with the strength of his holie spirite to defende vs from all our wicked enemies that in him by him we may haue grace to vanquish and ouercome whensoeuer we are pressed or disquieted either in bodie or minde But as concerning sinne albeit wee for our owne parts haue made such a couenant with death as whatsoeuer be said vnto vs we will not amend haue entered into such a league with hell that we will not be saued albeit we haue refused the mercie of God that calleth all men to repentance and would all men to be saued yet after we haue once receaued the knowledge of the truth and haue been baptized in the name of Christ and haue promised to liue in his true faith and feare let vs neuer so treade vnder foote the Sonne of God nor worke such despite vnto the spirit of grace that through our vngodlie and sinfull life we shoulde make the Gentiles to hate the name of Christ for our sakes and by this meanes to keepe both out selues and others too out of the kingdome of Christ Which otherwise if they saw our iust and sincere conueration answerable to the forme of our profession they would ioyne them selues vnto the bodie of Christ so magnifie his name ouer all the world Shall not the zeale of our forefathers who in
comparison of vs that haue the light of the Gospell liued but in darkenesse and in the shadowe of death be a notable testimony against vs in the day of iudgemēt since they feared god more reuerētly serued him more willingly obeyed him more dutifully and loued him more feruently thē we Since they had more compasston vpon their pore brethren more deuotion vnto al good workes and more regard to their owne saluation then we Since they had lesse dissimulation lesse craft lesse hypocrisie lesse malice lesse couetousnesse less wickedness in their life then we Compare the great zeale of our predecessors with the colde deuotion that wee haue in these daies and we shall be ashamed of our selues The good deedes which were done by them were done simplie either for the loue they bare to God or as they tooke it for the honor of his seruice and religion or of a compassion to their poore brethren or for the safetie of their owne soules or of a zeale they bare to their parents departed or for a benefite to the Common wealth or to ease the burthen of their successors or for the furtherance of Schooles and learning or for some such other either good or wel-meaning intent But on the other side what little good soeuer we doe we doe it neither of a lone towards GOD nor of a charitable minde towards our neighbour nor of any remorse of conscience in our selues nor yet of any affection towards our natiue countrie but all that the most of vs do we do it either for vaine glorie or for pleasing of other mens humours or to bee seene and praised of men or to auoyd the clamor of the world or by compulsion and commandement or for feare of shame and punishment or by importunate sute that is made or because wee knowe not els what to do with that we haue Wherefore the former with their blind zeale and supposed good intent shall rise vp in the daie of iudgement and condemne vs for the fruitlesse ostentation and boasting of our faith If the men of Niniuie which repented at the preaching of Ionas and the Queene of the South that came so farre to heare the wisedome of Salomon shall rise in iudgement against the Iewes that would not beleeue and amend for all that could bee said vnto them by Christ and the Prophets What shall so manie Prophets and Preachers of God do against vs in that day who daily hourelie and continuallie rebuke vs for our sinnes and stirre vs vp by all meanes to amendment of our liues shewing vs that the daie of the Lord is at hand O Iesus why should we now be further from the obeying of thee than when wee were further from thee Shall the brightnes of thy presence and the light of thy blessed word which lighteneth euerie man that commeth into the world and whose propertie is to giue light and saluation to all them that will receiue the same shall it shine I saie vppon such stonie and grauelie hearts as haue no power to bring forth true repentance nor any fruites of a godlie life And shall the Deuill so preuaile against them for whom thou hast shed thy most precious bloud that sodainlie vppon the reuealing of Antichrist and sending of new Ambassadours from thee to put thinges in order against thy comming he shall turne the hearts of all men from all goodnesse and vertue to vice and crueltie alter the natures of things from better to worse bring in Schisme Atheisme Treason and all vngodlines into the worlde and make iniquitie flowe beyond measure ouer all the bankes of the earth Howbeit Lorde if this bee thy will and that by no other meanes thy holie word should bee verified namelie that wickednesse should so mightilie abound before thy comming If thy promise should on this wise bee fulfilled If thy chosen must on this manner bee tried and that this should bee one of the last tokens of thy comming wee accept all these things as Oracles sent before and wee assuredlie looke for thine owne selfe in person to followe Wherefore ye my brethren of the Church of England for whose cause specially I haue written this second warning or sound of the last Trompet beare in minde all these thinges that I haue declared vnto you Examine your owne consciences whether ye haue not tasted of the blessings of GOD in measure more aboundantlie in fauour more apparantlie in mercie more infinitlie and in signes and tokens more wonderfullie than anie nation in the world Againe consider with your selues how all these graces and mercies haue been requited of you Whether there bee anie nation of the worlde more vnthankfull for Gods benefites more forgetfull of his promises more disobedient to his commaundements more negligent in their callings more factious in practises more contentious in Religion more inclined to Treason more vncharitable in action more colde in deuotion more rash in enterprises more restlesse in vanities more greedie in getting more carelesse in spending more slowe to vertue and more forward to vice And finally more desperate to all kinde of mischiefe then commonly the people of this kingdome are Wherefore if the mercies of God did not daylie salue the deadly wounds and diseases of our soule wee should long before this time haue come to a feareful and horrible end But that the Lord doth yet spare you impute it not to your owne desert but to his great mercy That ye perish consume not in his wrath it is of his mercie That ye liue vnplagued of your enemies is of his mercie That ye loose not his Gospell and true Religion is of his mercie That we see our Elizabeth reigne in holinesse health and prosperitie is long of his mercie And yet for all this do we reiect his goodnesse discredite his promises dishonor his seruices disallowe his tokens continue in sinnes deuide the Church with Schismes and slaunder the trueth of the Gospell by our vngodlines yet for all this do ye crye Peace Peace and think that all shall go aswell with you at the last as it did at the first And consider not the mercifull patience and long suffring of the Lord how he calleth you to repentance For ye shall al dye with euerlasting destruction vnlesse ye speedily shewe foorth the fruites of repentance And the patient forbearing of temporall punishment of your bodies in this life doth breede the greater weight of perpetuall shame and damnation both of bodie and soule in the life to come Farre more easie should it bee for vs if our sinnes had not deserued greater punishement that it would please the Lord fatherlie to correct vs while wee are heere either with publicke warres plagues and famines or else with priuate sicknesse penurie imprisonment and with losse of goods and possessions if he would feede vs with the bread of teares and with the water of affliction if he would exercise vs with all kinde of miserie and so purge and trie vs as it were by fire yea