know eth no man no not the Angels of heauen saue the father only what then needs man grieue to be ignorant when the blessed Angels are content not to know it yea more Iesus the Sonne of God was content to be nescient for our sakes In quantum homo in that he was man Some say he knew it euen Quatenus homo as he was Man but not Eatenus to reueale it to men Some haue boasted of reuelations by theÌ„ to set down desinitiuely a certain day of iudgment some by the Astrological aspects of stars some by Arithmetical supputarioÌ„s of numbers would diuine the time of the last time al salse to seduce the simple Of which sorts of people I may say as Cato said of the Sooth-sayers of his time I wonder that they doe not laugh when they meete each other in the streets There were diuerse of the learned in times past who held that as the wals in Iericho fell down the feueÌ„th day after they were coÌ„pasled about with blowing of truÌ„pets shouting of the children of Israel as we read Ios 6.20 So the balding of this world after those 6 great daies wherof one is to the Lord as a 1000. Pet. 3.8 years a 1000. years as one day shal fal theÌ„ shal be that coÌ„tinuall sabaoth when al times seasons shall meete together in coniunction whereof the Prophet Esay speakes ca. 66.23 Theold Thadalmost said the idle Prophesie of Elias falsly shrouded vnder his name in the Iewes Thalmuld is much tossed haled by many that the world shal last 6000. years 2000. vacui before the Law 2000 vnder the Law and 2000. vnder the Gospel The strength of their weake coniecture is 1 As in sixe dayes the Lord made heauen earth and al that therein is so in 6000. yeeres the Lord shall gouerne this world being subiect to generation and corruption and as the seauenth day he rested so in the 7000. shall he hauing gatheredtogether his Church by the preaching ' of his word bring all to euerlasting rest and peace 2. As the Sabaoth was instituted in the euening of the sixt day So by this Sabaoth being vnderstood the last Sabaoth in the end of the last 2000. yeres or a little before shall come the heauenly Sabaoth when all shall rest 3. As the six first Fathers Adam Seth Enos Cainan Malaltel Gared are deade and Enoch the seauenth from Adam was translated into Heauen aliue and sawe no death So for the space of 6000. yeeres the world and death in the world shall bee and in the 7000. shall be blessednesse and immortalitie To shew the errour of this Prophesie in false computation of yeares it will more trouble your Honorable and iudicious cares then edify your hearts onely thus much know that there were before the Law aboue two thousand and fiue hundred yeres and vnder the Law sewer then two thousand Besids this the opinion wants a grouÌ„dworke for it hath no Scripture for Euidence now where that foundation failes there the building fals But what shall be vnder the Gospell wee shall not know vntill the Audit day come at what time euery Mans bill of accounts shall be put in by appointment of the Creator of Time and wages God make vs mean-while good seruants giuen in particular to all Some haue supposed that because Christ liued vpon the earth 32. yeeres and some six moneths that therefore the Time vnder the Gospel shall bee so long for say they The Church hath a relation to Christ and the body of the one a type of the other So then as the naturall bodie tinued on earth 32. yeares so shall the mistical body the Gospell the Church wee who are his members prouided still that sith at the end of these yeares say they shal be the euerlasting Iubiiee of our soules that in the Interim euery one of these yeeres haue a relation to the Mosaicall Iubile that after so many fiâ—â—es bee expired the end shall come But this being but opinion and the opinion of some I leaue it in hast to your reuerend opinions now and to beescanned by the opinions of all at leasure hereafter only desiring you to consider with mee thus much That all ages of man are limited to a certaine number of yeeres except the last part of old age Infancie is reckoned to holde vntill the third or fourth yeare Childhoode vntill ten yeeres Pubertie vnto eÌ„ighteene youth vnto fiue and twentie Courage vntill thirtie fiue or fourtie yeres Constant age vnto fiftie luÌ„pish age vntil 65 only decrepit crookedage hathno time of yers presixt but euen to last vntill the last and the last gaspe bee it sooner or farther off to be the Stage post or bound of tha So likewise this last age of the world cannot bee determined vntill by the Determiners appointment wee see a certaine determination In the meane time let vs redeeme the time considering the time Let vs redeem the time or euilnes of the time with the goodnesse of our liues Let vs take his couÌ„sell who gaue the best councell euen councell for our soules To watch and pray least that day come vpon vs vnawares and finde vs vnprouided Consider at that day what a Iudge we shal see afrowning Iudge he that damned the poore seruant Mat. 25.28 for hiding his Talent and bringing him onely his owne without inerest Hee that damned the poore soule Mat. 22.13 for comming to the marriage feast without his wedding garment Hee that damned the fiue foolish virgins Mat. 25.12 for not coming iumpe at the houre and finall threatneth to dame all those that worke iniquite Mat. 13.41 Doe not wee reade how he cast out Adam the first man for eating an apple Drowned the old world wholly for wicked imaginations al but Noah and his family saued by a seely Arke of pine-trees Reiected Saul and cast him out of his Kingdome for sparig the Amalekites Punished Dauid a man otherwise after his owne heart with plagues and his rebellious sonne for the committed acts of adultery and murther Threw the Angels out of heauen That light as Austine thinkes which Moses speakes of in the first of Genesis Turnd Lots wife into a piller of Salt And then Qui Angelis pijs non pepercit Hee who neither sparde the Angels nor good men how shall wee wretched Sinners looke to escape It is good for vs to thinke vpon these things and to consider that Our redemption draweth nigher now then when we first beleeued Rom. 13.11 For if Paul held those the last daies wherein he liued who liued so many yeeres since euen but 37. yeares after Christs Passion and beheaded in the 14. yoeere of Nero what may we think of ours The great Papist Bellarmine affirmes that we haue not 400. to come but be it wee had 4000. to the worlds end what is that to vs The Psalmist sayth Our daeyes are but threescore yeeres and ten and if they bee of strength fourescore yeers and if so all is
Tortuosae viae Crooked craneld waies and Malimores Bad and worse conditions are neerely allyed yet how the kindred comes in I desire not to search the Records least happily without desire I might loose my selfe While I was musing vnder the burthen of my thoughts what text to take that behooued many this my text met me offering it selfe to me and you and it concernes all It was at my choise to choose and speake what all know but in my choise I choose to speake what the most know not I might speake to you reuerend Iudges to take heed of peruerting iudgement least you euert your selues when your selues shall come to iudgement but I would faine suppose that they who know equitie will doe right I might speake to this Honourable worthy Lord Maior that he would be a father to the fatherlesse and defend the cause of the widow that he would eleuate virtue and debelitate vice but I heare so much of you that this hortatory speech I heare will be needlesse notwitstanding I heare that sin so abounds here that vnlesse the whippe scourg it the scourge is like to whip al. I might speake to the noble learned Clergie my brethren that they like Iohn Baptist would be burning lights and not like Demas burnt-out lights but this they know as well as I and I must striue as well as they I might speake to the speakers at the Law that they with care would maintaine their Clients as their Clients at cost retaine them but they are wise and know much and in their wisdome cannot but know this I might speake to the fashion-mongers men and women of our age that they would imbrace Pauls counsel Rom 12.2 Not to fashion themselues like vnto this world but this hauing beene a fashion among many my predecessours heretofore my selfe am willing to leaue this fashion now I might speake to all with my Sauiour Ioh. 5.14 and so I will and doe Sinne no more because each one must die and come to iudgement All must giue account of all to the Iudge of al. The Philosopher saith Primus motor mouet primum mobile Primum mobile caetera omnia the chiefe mouer moues the first mouable it all the rest Be God almighty the first mouer suppose me for this time place the chief mouable your selues my iudicious Auditors the bodies to be moued Meane while God grant my spirit of mediocritie the voice of the Bird of Paradise of whom I reade that she moues all to repentance to whom she sings which if I asking shal receiue I will think this a blessed time bestowed in defire wherof I craue your atteÌ„tiue hearts to that portion of scripture which I finde thus written Act. 17.31 He hath appointed a day in the which he wil iudge the world in righteousnes by that man whom he hath appointed BLessed Paul who of a Peelar became a Pillar of an earnest persecuter Act. 8. became a zealous Preacher Act. 13. being guided by the spirit from citie to citie to preach in the end he came to Athens as appeares in this 17 chapter vers 15. Where being he was brought into the Streete of Mars ver 19. there passing along he stood and told them what he had obserued An altar wherein was written vnto the vnknowne God vers 23. Whereupon Paul took occasion to preach vnto theÌ„ The liuing God declaring vnto them tâ—at he was the framer of this worlds Architecture that he dwelt not in haÌ„dmade temples that he is not worshipped with bandie workes ver 25. that he giues breath to all and appointed to euery thing his season that in him we liue and mooue and haue our being vers 28. and therefore that we who liue and mooue and be should Repent vers 30. Because as my text hath it in this verse 31. He hath appointed a day in the which he will iudge the world in righteousnesse by that man whom he hath appointed In which words I note fiue things 1. Parts 5. The certainety of the day set downe by a double Affidauit first the Author He that is God 2. The resclution Hath appointed 2. The vncertaintie of the day in that it is not limited coacted or restrained to a day definitiue This or that day but to a day indefinite A day The end of the appointment to Iudge the world 4. The manner how In righteousnesse 5. The Partie who By that man whom he hath appointed In speaking of which words I craue this sole fauour that all things may be taken and not mistaken as they are spoken 1. For the certaintie The Power of God hath an appointed day for the creatioÌ„ of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The great world the mercy of God had it appointed day in the redemptioÌ„ of man the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The little world now the iustice of God must haue the appointed day for the iust punishment of the vniust little world that soiourns in the great world for Fundamenta The foundations of the Continent shall be shaken and then Blandamenta The follies of the contained shall be ouerthrowne The Apostle speaking of the certainety of this day saith The day of the Lord will come as a thiefe in the night in the which the heauens shall passe away with a noise the elements shall melt with heate and the earth with the workes that are therein shall be burnt vp and we must looke for new heauens and new earth 2. Pet. 3.10 For I doe beleeue that at the end of the world there shall goe a great and terrible fire either hard before or with the comming of the Iudge But now whether this fire shall be Elementum ignis the element of fire in it owne proper sphere or whether all the fires on the earth or in the earth among the stones and minerals or whether such a fire Qualem excitabit tum deus as the almighty shall then raise whether I say it shall be all of these Coniunctim in one or any of these Deuisim seuered that I know not And that fire shall consume this world it shall Corpora incinerare terrae nascentia absumere in nihilum redigere burne bodies not all into ashes consume all the vegetatiue things on the earth and bring them to nothing Also I looke for new heauens and new earth but how new Quoad formam non quoad substantiam New in regard of the forme and fashion not new in respect of the matter and substance In this I hold with Aug. Ciuit. lib. 20. cap. 16. Elementa id est Caelum terram non esse abolenda sed in melius commutanda figurem id est imaginem mundi non substantiam berituram That is The Elements heauen and earth shall not be taken quite away but changed into better the fashion that is the likenesse of the world shall perish but not the substance therrof Iumping with this opinion of Augustin is that of Saint Greg. Mor. lib. 17. cap. 5. Caelum terra
per eam quam nunc habent imaginem transeunt sed tamen per essentiam sine fine subsistunt caelum igitur terra transit erit quoniam ab ea quam nunc habet specie per ignem tergitur tamen natura sua seruatur That is Heauen and earth passe away through that Image which they now haue but in their Being they remaine without end therefore beauen and earth shall both not bee and be because from it now-shape it is scoured and made cleane by fire but the nature and condition thereof is still continued agreeing to that of Psal 101. Thou shalt change them they shall be changed Now that this great dreadfull day will come Pie credendum we must vndoubtedly and holily beleeue The Prophet Malichi saith The day of the Lord will come burning like an ouen ca. 4.1 and it is a rule among the Schoolemen Futurum in deo aeque certum quam aut presens aut praeteritum Will in God giue as much certaintie as Is the future tence is as sure as the present tence or preter-perfect tence that which is to come in God is as certaine as what is either present or past Therfore the Prophet Ioel happily hauing reference to this position saith The day of the Lord is come for t is at hand c. 2.1 The Prophet Esay in the 13. chapter of his Prophesie and Abdi in his short Prophesie say both It is at hand The Prophet Zephaniah saith It is hard by Therefore there needes no doubt be made of the certaintie neither is there any question of the miserie Esay cals it a day of trouble ruine cap. 22. Ieremie cals it a day of vengeāce c. 46. Ioel cals it a fearfull day c. 2. Amos cals it a darke day c 8. Zephoniah cals it a day of wrath c. 1. Zephany cals it the special day c. 14. Bern. speaking of the dreadfulnes of this day saith Plaugent Iudaei plangent gentiles Plangent Christiani plangent ones qui magis mundum amarunt quam deum plangent suam culpam quam commiserunt suam stultitiaem quam nen corrererunt suam gloriam quam amiserunt suam paenam quam incorrererunt Iewes shall weepe Gentiles shall weepe Christians shall weepe all shall weepe that loued the world more then God They shall lament the faults they haue committed their follie they haue not corrected the glory that they haue lost and the punishment that they haue incurred And indeede well may they weepe for aboue they shall see the angrie Iudge whom they haue offended Beneath hell gaping which they haue deserued Without the world burning which they haue delighted Within the conscience stinging which they haue surcharged On the right hand their sinnes accusing which they haue commited on the left hand euill Angels tugging them about them good Angels driuing them into hell Therefore let me say with the Apostle What manner of men ought wee to be in holy conuersation of life 2. Pet. 3.11 For the time is come that Iudgement must beginne at Gods house If it beginne at vs first what shall bee the end of them that obey not the Gospell of God And if the righteous scarce be saued where shall the vngodly and sinner appeare 1. Pet. 4 17. The first iudgement was in water to coole the riotous heate of lust that then did abounde when Bigamie and Polygamie was suffered but the last iudgemēt shall be in fire to purge this away raining desire of gold and heate the lukewarme charitie that now the world being old waxeth cold Our Sauiour speaking of the fearfulnes of this day saieth The Sun shal be darkned the Moon shal not giue her light the Stars shal fall from heauen the powers of heauen shall be shaken all kindreds of the earth shall mourne and ye shall see the sonne of man comming in the clouds of heauen with power and great glory Mat. 24.29 That is the heauēly bodies shall indure great alteration to terrifie the wicked and be Criers as it were vnto them to sūmon them before the great Tribunall But how the sunne shall be darkned how the moone shall not giue her light how the stars shall fall from heauen which really cannot be because the least starre is so much bigger then the whole earth and how the powers of heauen shall be shaken to say truth we cannot now iustly determine let me therefore say with that worthy Aug. Ciuit. lib 20. cap. 30. Magis tum docebit rerum experientia quam nostra iam consequi possit intelligentia The experience of things which we shall see then shall teach vs better then we can conceiue now But howsoeuer it shall be terrible yea so terrible that as Aug spak of God Verius cogitatur deus quam dicitur verior est quam cogitatur God is truer thought of then spoke of and yet himselfe much truer then both So say I of iudgements terror it is sooner imagined then expressed easier thought then spoken and yet in it selfe more hideous then either imagined expressed spoke or thought Terribele est illud iudicium in euitabilis paeua intollerabile tormentum It is a terrible iudgement a paine ineuitable a torment intollerable but yet Quid sit Directly what one it is as Aug. Eucher c. 38 said of the diuersity of the Angels Potentiality say I of this Dicaut quipossint dummodo qd dicunt probare valeant Let them speak who can so be what they speake they can proue This is and thus is the secōd comming of Christ this far different from that that was In humilitate in humilitic like a seruant this shal be in magistate in magistie like a king that was in infirmitate in infirmitie like a sheepe to the ssaughter this shall be in potestate in power like a Lion to his prey that was in pouerty being Infans in praesepio an infant in a manger this shal be in dignitie being Index in iudicio A iudge to giue sentence that was in misericordia in mercie to confirme al this shall be In iusticia In iustice to confoūd most He was then Homo inter homines a man amōg mē he is now Deus supra Angelos A God aboue Angels yet thogh a God he will come like a man to iudge men wicked Angels there was a time when he did Pati pro peccatis suffer for our sins after a time ther wil be a time when yet there shall be no time whē we shall with him as he doth now Triumphare cum liberatis Triumph with freemē freely freed what time he wil seuer vs A damnatis frō those whom his rigor hath appointed to be damned I remember the Scriptur speaks of Dauid that he was wrath with Nabal for denying him victu al 's at his sheepshearing whē Dauid was an hungred in his flight so Abigaile was faine to appease him 1. Sam. 25. ◠But whē Iesus Christ shall come in flaming fire to render vengeāce on thē that
goodnesse it selfe and no good thing will hee keepe from them that feare him and serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse of life This Iudgement day then is good in respect of God and man In God to shew his great mercy iust iudgemēt to the godly the wicked In man that a crowne immortal might be absolute that the fulnes of perfectiō might make a perfect fulnes 2 The resolution he not only in a kind of intentionall determination verbally said it that which had bin sufficient too for Psal 33.9 Dixit factum est He spake the word and it came to passe But more he hath with mature deliberation resolued vpon it for my Text saith Hee hath appointed a day that is Flatly agreed vpon As if the blessed Trinity had held a Councel about it as about the making of man Let vs make man So Gen. 1.26 Let vs apoint a day for Iudgement And then after that secret heauenly Parliamēt hold the Act was published as a reuealed thing which belongs to vs our children for euer That there is an appointed day of Iudgement Deut. 29.29 Agreeing to this is that of the He. c. 9.27 Statutum est hominibus vt semel moriantur pastea vero iudicium It is apointed for all men once to die and after that coms the Iudgement It is appointed therfore needs must be nay both apointed therfore shal be Death Iudgement too With god is no chāge no alteration no shadow of either for Ego dominus non mutor I am the Lord and I chāge not Mal. 3 6. Solus deus recipit immortalitatem quia non capit mutalit atem Only god is imortal because only God is imutable The heauens change look old as doth a garment but thouart the same thy years fail not Psa 102.27 Why doth the sun guid the day the moon the stars gouern the night Because god hath apointed it why doth not the sea ouerflow the earth it being so many degrees higher thē the earth but keep it selfe in it bounds which it passeth not Because God appointed it Why haue we a winter a Summer and not al one season of the yere Because God hath appointed it Why doe al the godly look for a iudgemēt day Because god hath appointed it So we haue light and darknes day a night a spring a fal Al because god apointed all If your aske me why Iacob was predestinat before al worlds to saluation Esaw hated to damnation I answer Statuitdeus because god apointed If you aske me why Saul was casheird of his Kingdome and Dauid inthrōned I answere Statuit Deus God hath appointed it If you aske me why Absolon did hang betweene heauen and earth by the ruffinly hair of his head A destruction to giue our now such people instruction I answere Statuit Deus God had appointed it If you aske me why I doe and you must looke for a Iudgement day I answere with my Text. Quia statuit Deus Because God hath appointed it The Rainbow hath many colours two Dominant Fiery and Watry the watry colour remembreth vs of the Deluge past and bids vs feare it no more the Fiery aduertiseth vs of the Iudgement to come and bids vs daily looke for it If you aske me why I haue retained my Text and what that speakes is law Statuit Deus Because God hath appointed it 2 The second part of my Text is the vncertaintie of the day of Iudgement for Quinatus ante tempus Hee that was borne before time And Qui dedit esse tempori Who gaue a beeing to all time will come In tempore In a fit time to iudge vs. Pro tempore For lost time we who are Heires of time when as Non erit amplius tempus There shal be no more time Time it selfe shal be no more as wee read Apock 10.6 that is No more time of persecution of murther of Sinne whereof the sixt Angel spake Apoc. 9.13 The time of persecution at that time shall cease and yet time it selfe shall not haue cessation Antechrist with all Complices of his shal be destroyed so there shall bee no time for hurt nor destruction sith the destroyer himselfe shall bee destroyed but Ipsum Tempus in quantum tempus Time in that it is time shall suffer no destruction In three things appeares the vncertainety of the day of Iudgement 1 The place where 2 The manner how 3 The time when It is vncertaine in what place wee shall bee iudged It is vncertaine in what manner wee shall bee Iudged and it is vncertaine what time the Iudge will come to Iudgement 1 The place any particular place of Iudgement or where the Iudge will appeare to Iudge is to vs vtterly vnknowne more then that Paul speaks of 1. Thes 4.17 Then wee who liue and remaine shall bee caught vp in the clouds to meet the Lord in the Aire and so shall bee with him for euer So that the generall place is the Aire In the 6. of Mat. 64. In the 13. of Marke 26. In the 21. of Luke 27. The Iudge there speaking of himselfe at his comming saith That it shall bee in the Clouldes of Heauen That is both as the Marginall hath it and as the most vnderstand it Sitting vpon the Clouds as he was taken vp which opinion is the common receiued opinion of the learned There were of the Friers and are at this day of opinion that the valley Iehosaphat which is situate towards the Eeast betweene Ierusalem and the Mount of Oliuet shall bee the place where say they the throne shall bee set and where wee shall all be Iudged the proofe of which opinion they cite out of Ioel. 2. chap. 3. verse 2. where the text saith I will gather all nations and will bring them downe into the valey Iehosaphat The reasons mouing them to this opinion are two 1 Because they hold Ierusalem and the places about it adiacent to bee neere the middle of the earth and therfore being a place so copious so famous most fit for the place of Iudgement 2 Because Iohosaphat in the Original doth singnifie the Iudgement of the Lord. The which opinion of theirs thus I answere That for the places cituation to be about the middest of the earth or world that I leaue to the Cosmographers to be decided according to their iudgement in that Arte and facultie Also the wordes signisication shall cause none alteration sith they who are learned in the Hebrewe tongue will acknowledge no lesse But for the places quotation they must obserue that the Text is to bee vnderstoode either by way of allusion alluding to the valley where God did by a great and vnsupposed vnexpected mean at the humble paier of Iehosaphat ouercome that good Kings enemies for the enemies fell to Ciuill war among themselues and one slew another Moab and Amon fell vpon Mount Seir and they euery one vpon the other as wee
alone knowes that knowes all Thirdly There are signes going with the day of iudgement 1. The signe of the Son of man 2. The lamētations of the Sons of men All kindreds of the earth shall mourne then shaell the Sonne of man come to indge and the Angels bee sent out to gather Mat 24.30 It is doubted among writers what this Signe of the Sonne of man shall bee Caluin seemes to holde it to be the glorie and maiesty and power of Christ giuing notice as it were of his cōming Vt caele sti potentiae praeditus quae si signe in sublime erecte ad se conuertat totius muldi intuitum That being furnished with heauenly power hee might set the whole world a looking at him as it were with an elected signe on high Many hold it to be the very body of Christ retaining the wounds of his passion in his hands feete side as Musculus cites the opinion Theophilact on the 24 of Mathew holds this signe to be the signe of the Crosse Qua apparebit in caelo suprae solem fulgens adarguendos Iudaeos which shal appeare in heauen shining aboue the sunne to reprehend the Iewes and be a Trophe and kingly Ensine This is likewise the opinion of Chrysostome Hom. 77. on Mathew Signum filij hominis erit signum Crucis non crux lignea in quam passus dominus sed Lux in dominum Crucis sole splendidiori The signe of the sonne of man shall be the signe of the Crosse brighter then the Sunne for the Sunne shall be dakened but the crosse shall appeare to abash the impndencie of the wicked saith this golden mouthed father Hier. in Mat. 24. saith We vnderstand the signe of the crosse by the signe of the Sonne of man that the Iewes may see him whom they thrust through as Zachar. speakes cap. 12.10 A worthy writer hath this comparison As a king entring 2 citie goes before the armie and hath his Banners and Vexilla regalia Kingly flagges carried before him So the Lord of heauen the King of kings descending from the heauen of heauens doth goe before his hoast of Angels and Archangels who carrying before the signe of the Crosse as a standard of triumph will relate to wretched men the comming of the heauenly King on earth to iudge the world Now among those peroursarie signes they are all expired but these two The preaching of the Gospel throgh out all the world Mat. 24. And the calling of the Iewes Rom. 2. throughout the whole chap. 1 As for the preaching of the Gospell if by all the world is ment by the figure Sinecdoche the most parts of the world or the Iewes Gentiles the whole world being into them two deuided as Maister Caluin vnderstands it then is the signealso expired as hee auerreth for so it hath beene 2. And for the calling of the Iewes though as yet it is not for there must not be a calling peculiar of one particular Iew or a few Iewes but a generall calling of them all neuerthelesse how soone it shall bee Man knoweth not but that they being in number so many in places so dispersed in religion so backward as yet they are not all doe graunt Howsoeuer these signes being in a manner all fulfilled they rubbe our dull memorie of the end of all things at hand to be expected Saint Hier. citeth 15 signes out of the olde Rabbins that should goe hard before the day of iudgement all which Scholast Hist saith that Hierome found in the Annalibus libris Hebreorum these signes in number 15. are to be expired in 15 daies before the worldslast expiratiō the breathing out the last gaspe of the last day 1. The first day the Sea shall raise it selfe 40 cupits higher then the moūtains stāding like a wall in it own place 2. The seond day it shal so much go again into it self that it shall scarce be seene 3. The 3 day the habitants of the Sea fishes shall appeare aboue the waters bellowing out roaring and crying euen to hearten 4. The fourth day the sea and all waters shall burne 5 The fifth day the trees herbs shall haue a bloody deawe 6. The sixth day All edifices and buildings shal fall 7. The seuenth day there shall be a generall rupture of the rocks in peeces 8. The eight day the whole earth shall quake 9. The ninth day the ground shall be made plaine and leuell 10. The tenth day men shall goe out of caues and dens of the earth like mad men not able to speake one to another 11. The eleauenth day the bones of the dead shal arise and be ouer their graues 12. The twelfth day the Stars shal fall from heauen to the iudgemēt of many 13. The thirteenth day the liuing men shal die that they may rise with y dead 14. The fourteenth day heauē earth shall burn 15. The fifteenth day there shall be a new heauė new earth all mē shal arise I quote not these as thogh I did or would haue you beleeue those Rabbins frō whom Hier. made this relation both because the 13. is false as also because we haue Scripture for the certaintie but of some of them and for the order of none of them Only to tel you that no Adamantine stony hart can but tremble at the consideration of these things to teachyou with care conscience to prepare against the ensuing time of death iudgement for it you be ready against death comes you shall be happie when iudgement comes Euery mans deaths day is his particular iudgement day Quocunque ceciderit arbor ibi erit Eccles 2.3 As the tree falleth so it lieth mankind resembleth crecs some cut downe in their spring some in their full grouth some when they are dead So is man some die in youth some in middle age some in old age and as the Axe death cuts downe the tree Man as the tree falleth so it lieth as death doth leane vs so shal iudgment find vs as iudgement finds vs so shall sentence pasle vpon vs. Qualis exieris ex hac vita talis redderis futurae Such as a man goes out of this life such shall he become at the future life God hath hidden fromvs this time of the last iudgement in diuerse respects 1. To try our faith and pacience to possesse our soules therwith Lu. 21.19 vincit quipaetitur 2. To haue vs euer ready 3. That the wicked might be without excuse Mat 24 44 4. Rom. 2.5 To bridle curiositie not to search into secret things which belong ro the Lord our God In the 1. Deut. 29 29 of the Acts and 7 ve the disciples were tolde It was not for them to know the times and seasons which the father hath put into his own power if we growinquisitiue Moses tels vs The things reucaled belong to vs. Our Sauiour himsel speaking of the iudgement day saith Mat. 24. But of that day houre
betaken it selfe to it wings and is fled from peoples hearts godlines is become as a vagrant gees vp and downe from towne to towne from partie to partie for want of imployment the intertainment thereof is a passeport whipt away from the earth and sent home to heauen the place where it was borne Religion is fixt in the sphere of no mans heart there is none that doth good no not one it is now Plannet-like sometimes nigher sometimes farther off he who giues it oâ—be-rome This moneth discards it the moneth following we haue so many temporizers that few shall be eternized so many on earth that few in heauen So much dissimulation that Momus his wish to Iupiter as the Poets faint to haue a glaslewindow in mens brests to diseerne betweene their hearts and their words would be a Boone to the world So little fidelitie that an honest plaine dealing man is Animal rarum like a nightrauen seldome seene so that we may instly with Diogines take a candle and a lanthorne at noone day and say Quae ro hommem I seeke a man We liue in an age I cannot say the least God be thanked it is the last but I may too truely say the worst and as the Cynicke said of an Italian Take a light and seeke cuerie hole and not finde a worse so say I of our times Take paines and search all stories and not finde the like Hence I inferre that these bee the last daies and farthest times of our Sauiours comming that the appointed day is at our very heeles because now our good friends doubt may be easily resolued when the Son of man shall come shall he finde faith on the earth Luk. 18.8 Yea. doubtlesse some and but a little and yet some else the world could not stand For I dare say we have some saithfull Eliahs that obtaine raine in time of neede some holy Moses that stand in the gap of Gods wrath to keep his iudg meÌ„ts froÌ„ vs some blessed Abrahams that pleade with God euen the case of this citie else I beleeue that the wals hereof had beene downe long ere this Preuention is the hart of pollicie and let vs learne Christian policie to preuent the policie shall bee that which Peter teacheth vs To amend our lines Act. 2.38 Euery one to mend one the preuention will-be this we shall bâ— nesther punished with the wicked nor shall we perish with the wicked Not pnnished My people be not partakers of her sinnes least you beare a part of her plagues Apoc 18.4 Not perish He that turnes to the Lord his souleishall liue Ezech 18. Let vs then who desire to escape both punishing and perishing too looke to all Christ tels vs ignorance shall excuse no man the seruant gaue his maister none answere at his reture the text ait and the reason is giuen by Chri Vt sciamus in die inditij cessare excusationem peccati To giue vs to vnderstand that at the day of iudgement none excuse will sarue the turne only my text tels vs we shall be iudged in righteousnesse and right is no wrong In righteousnesse God created man in righteousnes created man should liue in righteousnesse liuing man should die and in righteousnesse liuing and dead menshal be iudged Gifts blinde the eies of the wise but our Iudge will not be bribed Iudges may be partiall to parties but God is no accepter of persons Iudges may be moued with pittie but our now Iesus will be then Iudex A iudge all for iustice In isto tantum seculo misericors est Hier. in 105 Psalme Onely in this world God is mercifull in the next world mercy hath no seare pittie hath no plea. Let all then take heede how they liue in this interstiticall time before iudgement least being found guâ—tie when they shall be conuented before the great Iudge at the great Assise of the world they haue that dismail Mittimns made of Ite to their distressed soules from the hands of him who will iudge in righteousnesse 5. The sift part of my text is the partie who must iudge vs Your honorable worshipfull and religious patience hath afforded me eies and eares in this more then two houtes trauell through the way of my texâ— I beseech you let not now my prolixitie make you thinke ouerlong the time to stay vntil the end of my tourney that you may heare the whole discourse for t hast a pace and presse towards the marke It any then aske me who this iudge shall be who the man is that is appointed to iudge the world I answere It is the man Iesus Christ God and man who died for man to iudge man For he that was God was borne vpon the earth as man for vs he that was borne vpon the earth as man for vs wrought vpon the earth as God for vs he who wrought vpon the earth as God for vs died vpon the eresle as man for vs and he who died vpon the crosle as man for vs rose againe the third day as God for vs to make vs the adopted sons of his father Now he that was thus borne did thus worke so die and so rise againe he who was God and man to adopt man shall iudge man The truth of this appeares out of our creede Where we beleeue in Iesus Christ who ascended into heauen shall thence come to iudge both the quicke and the dead tappeares out of Rom 14.10 where the text saith We shal al appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ it is plaine loh. 5.22 The father indgeth no man but hath giuen all iudgement to the sonne which words are spoken by our Sau our himselfe Iesus Christ the Iudge The Sonne then shall be iudge yet we must not think that the Father and the holy Ghost are seduced froÌ„ this iudgement but this we must hold that the sonne Iesus Christ our Sauiour shal iudge immediatly really locally personally visibly the other two shall iudge inuisibly onely by giuing their consent Christ shall execute sentence vpon the world personally In forma hominis In the forme of a man in the same forme which he tooke on him when he was on earth Whereupon Bernard saith Vulnera seruanit in diem iudicij vt videant ea Iudaes confundâ—â—tur He hath kept his wounds vnto the day of iudgement that the Iewes may see them and bee confounded The whole Trinitie shall iudge Authoritatiue with equall authoritie but Christ shall iudge executatiue with execution of sentence be cause Iudex debet esse manifestus omnibus iudicandis The Iudge must shew himselfe and be manifest to al that shall be iudged For wee must know that the Father and the holy Ghost shal not be seene according to their diuine nature of all that must be at iudgement for then all should be blessed and all should be blessed for the seeing of God is blessednesse and blessednesse is the seeing of God For as in hell Maxima paena The greatest punishment is the
priuation of the seeing God whereupon Chrys saith Impij non tantum dolebunt de ipso supplicio quam quod repelluntur a tale consortio The wicked shall not so much lament the paines which they suffer as the company from which they are kept So in heauen the greatest happinesse all being happinesse and being all happinesse is to see God that is as wee can see him and as he will bee seene For in the world to come God shall bee seene of all whole but not of all wholly of all whole because the whole number of the Elect shall see him but nor of all wholly because God is infinite God shal be seen in the world to come so far forth as is fit either for the creator to reueal himselfe to his creature or for the creature to see the creator but the whole Deity neyther is nor can bee seene for bee is a spirite and Deum nemo vidit unquam neuer man saw God at any time 1. Iohn 4.12 Therefore whereas Iob saith I shall see God in my flesh cap. 19.26 And whereas Iohn saith Wee shall see him as hee is 1. cap. 3. vers 2. whereas it is of Iacob Gen. 32. and of Moses Exod 33. said that they saw God And whereas Paul saith Wee shall see him face to face 1. Corin. 13.12 Wee must not take the words litterally but the meaning of the words That we shall see God as hee will be seene Wherefore by this seeing of God in the world to come is meant the cleere knowledge which wee shall thē haue of God which knowledge shal not be with the eies of our body but the eyes of our mind and that too either by meanes as by his word works or outward signes or else without means by speciall Reuelation For onely God hath seene God Iohn 6.46 For I do bele ue that in the world to come there shall be diuersity of ioyes one starre differeth from another in glery 1. Cor. 15.41 that is as Wirth and diuers of the learned expound it there shall be Honoris gloriae graedus vna tamen eadem faelicitas aeterna Degrees of honour and glory and yet but one eternall felicity Also my Sauiour saith In my fathers house there be many dwelling places Iob. 14.2 Which although Caluin obseruing the worde many saith the text doth not nominate Diuers as Difference in glory and therefore thinketh that there shal be in heauen no degrees of glory yet for mine owne particular I belceue with them that thus expound this place Multitudo mansionum differentiam quoque gloriae significat the multitude of manfions signifieth diuersities of glory But as in the oddes of ioyes I hold that the least shall be full neyther able to hold any more nor desiring any more so doubtlesse the difference of seeing God shall be ex parte videntis non visi Of the party seeing not of him who is seene Fill two vessels of vnequall bignesse with any liquor and the bigger holds more then the lesse yet both are full so an olde declined or an ill imperfect eye seeth the Sunne much worse then a young and perfect eye and yet the Sunne shewes it selfe and shieth to all alike Thus doe I beleeue it will be between God and his Saints the holy ones in the world to come God is knowne 3. maner of waies 1. Quod est 2. Quid est 3. Sicut est That heis What he is As he is 1. That he is so he is known to the Diuels and the wicked Credunt demones et trement the Diuels beleeue there is a God tremble I am 2.19 2. What he is and so is known to the Angels in heauē in our blessed coūtry 3. As he is so he shal be neither seen nor known neither of Saints nor wicked neither in this world nor the world to come for Finitum nequit comprehendere infinitum They that are finit can neuer cōprehend what is infinite The Church also at the last day shall iudge as Christ tels vs Ye shall sit on seats and iudge the twelue tribes of scaell Luk 22.30 that is as some expound it Ibierunt omnes sancti iudicis sententiam approbantes There shall be all the holy ones to approue Christs sentence and subscribe to his iudgement Vpon this text a woorthy writer saith thus The Apostles iudge the world at this day by the preaching of the Gospell whoso beleeueth shall bee saued at the last day the whole world shall be iudged by Christ according to the Gospell preached by the Apostles and in this sence the Saints being members of Christ Iudicabunt cum Christo mundum et Angelos hoc est Diabolos Shall iudge together with Christ the world the cuill Angels the Deuils as wee may reade 1. Cor. 6.2 Musculus expounds it thus The faith of the Apostles shall take away aell excuses from the Ifraelites that is At that day of iudgement shall rise vp to condemne them as our Sauiour tells the people Luke 11.31 The Queene of the South shall rise in iudgement with the men of this generation and condemne them for shee came from the vtmost parts of the earth to heare the wisedome of Salomon and behold a greater then Salomon is heere the men of Niniueh shall rise in iudgement with this generation and shall condemne it for they repented at the preaching of Ionas and behold a greater then Ionas is heere And as our Sauiour speakes Iohn 12.4 The worde that I haue spoken shall iudge you at the last day otherwise we must know that Christ the Iudge shall sit alone in iudgement In that will be the blessed day the day in which wee shall be blessed and after which wee shall enioy eternall blessednesse in heauen In heauen Sciemus amabimus gaudebimus laudabimus We shall know wee shall loue wee shall reioyce wee shall praise saith Hugo First wee shall know God his counsells his secrets his iudgements the causes natures beginning and endings of all creatures saith this Cardinalis yea I assure my selfe that in Heauen we shall know one another but how Not with an earthly knowledge I suppose that shall vanish away with all earthly desire sith our will shall then bee the same with Gods will wee shall bee glad to see them damned whom God hath damned and them saued whom God hath made heyres of saluation Branmelerus is of an opinion that heauen wee shall know those with whome on earth we haue conuersed as Parents Kindred friends yea all the Patriarchs and Apostles Adam Abraeham Moses Dauid Peter Paul the rest euen those that we neuer saw his reasons are 1. Because the Apostles in Mount Tabor at the time of Christs transfiguration knew Moses and Elias whom they neuer saw before Mat. 17.4 If they did so being in corpore infirmo In a body of infirmitie what shall they and wee doe when we are In corpore glorioso In a body of glory 2. Againe wee shall be in heauen as