not on Lot himselfe so this Fire of wrath not of Correction shall parche the bodies of the wicked not of the Lordes people As the faithfull that carrie heere the Crosse of IESVS on their shoulders may heereby receiue just occasion of comfort and rejoicing so theeues adulterers murderers witches all that loue lies and vnrighteousnes may bee smitten downe and not haue wherewithall to be solaced After this daye the greate daye of deliverance saith PAVL * Rom. 8. Wee groane that haue the first fruites of the Spirite These that nowe groane not for this day as for the day of gaole deliverie they shall groane in that day as being the day of fearefull captivitie That gret day oh my God thou knowes I long after looking for litle rest till that day but after that day desireth not the man that hath not received the earnest pennie of thy spirit for here is his Heauen neither doth he exspect any good in that great day of fire Oh my God cause me to be ravished so stronglie with the memoriall of that daye as alwaies present to my eyes as I may not dare at any hand to cease preaching thy sacred worde nor for any worldlie maintenance to bee drawne to conceale any trueth from thy people Amen After this day of deliverie groane not onely wee that haue the first fruits of the spirit and the first fruits sanctifie the whole lumpe Rom. 11.16 but saith the blessed Apostle * Rom. 8.21 22. c. Every creature whether having onely being or being and moouing or being moouing and sence every of them groane togeather vvith vs and traueleth in paine for the presence of this great day that so they as well as wee may bee delivered from their bondage of corruption As by our sinne they became corrupted and so subject to rottennes stench impuritie c. falling togeather with vs so they shall rise and recover their pristine glorious estate but not till the day of our deliverance and therefore introduced groning togither with the Faithfull after the Last day As these creatures after a sort do groane vnder the burden of our sin so woe vnto man more sensles than a stone that cannot grone vnder the burden of his owne sinne rather adding sinne vnto sinne as though it were no burden These creatures in their kinde desire after this great day as for the adulterer theef murderer of bodies or souls or both they and all their companions of darknes desire there may neuer come such a day The Atheists beleeue not that there will be such a day as for them they shal need none other to testifie against them than stocks stones oxen asses neerer God than they are The consideration of whose blindnes insensibilitie causeth the Lord sometimes to turne away from men and crie out * Isa 1.2.3 Heare oh Heauens and hearken oh Earth justifying the Ox and Asse before them Against such the Lord will call the Heavens aboue and the Earth to judge Psalm 50.4 as being persons vnworthie to be judged by any but insensible and vnreasonable creatures because such Atheists are vnreasonable and sensles If the Heavens the earth whome I see not to be accessarie to Satan and Adam his sin except because the Satan might be made of the heavens nature as Adam of the earthlie and so the lumps should suffer with the Reasonable creatures formed out of them being once apostate If the heavens the earth role away and giue place at the appearance of our Lord how shal wicked sinfull man author of his own and their miserie how shal he appeare before him that sitteth vpon the white throane from whome shall proceede nothing but pure judgement and justice For in the daye of this fire the Iudge shall appeare in vnspeakable glorie his garment as white as snow his throane a fiery flame a streame of fire issuing before him and thousands of Angels round about him Oh beloued brethren this shall be the great day of deliverance for the Iudge appeareth to take vengeance on corruption and to glorifie sinceritie and righteousnes If any enquire Whether the creatures shall be delivered from their corruption before man have received his full and finall doome in the flesh I answere that point seemeth to me not very plaine from holy writ yet by some reasonable conjecture I easilie condiscend to this vz. That the Creatures shall first bee loosed from corruption First because before man was the creatures were existent and that * Genes 1. good every one of them As they were created for mans vse so ELOHIM wold not bring man into the wast world as into an emptie house but first furnished the temporarie mansion of the world with al necessaries and then brought man into the pallace of the world and the most pleasant chamber therein Eden that therein he might be exercised Nowe when as the creatures shal be restored to their former libertie I see not to what end but that the same may as in the order of first creation be first restored and then manifested to mankinde in the glorious act of judgment for the letting of him see howe good and glorious all thinges were before they were attainted and corrupted through mans sin And this may well be a preparation to the judgement or generall Session of Christ Iesus Neither seemeth this to bee contrary to blessed Iohn his words where he saith * Revel 20.11 c. I sawe a great white throne and one sitting thereon from whose face fled avvay the Earth and Heauen after which giuing place of the corruptible heavens and the earth he introduceth the dead and the opening of the books of judgment And if the * 2. Pet. 3.13 newe Heauens and new Earth wherein Righteousnes shal dwell be the Heavens and the Earth then restored then so much the more plaine it is That all the creatures vnder degree of reason and Angels and men are onely creatures Reasonable shall be loosed from their bondage corruption corruption giving place to him that sitteth on the throne and then be readie as it were to giue in verdict with the Faithfull that haue vsed them soberlie righteouslie as also to witnes against the wicked that vsed them intemperatlie vnholilie to the dishonor of the Creator Secondly I am rather induced to thinke that before all men haue received full and finall doome they shall see the other creatures restored to libertie as for the animating and lifting vp of the heades of the Elect so and that more specially for the tormenting of the heartes of the Reprobate who having seene the Creatures restored and beautified shall then vpon the books opening be not onely driven from the sweet behold of Iesus * Psal 1.5 from the glorious Assemblie of the Saintes but also from enjoying somuch as the very sight of the excellent creatures If any demaund vvhat shall become of these Creatures after once they be delivered from corruption bondage I answer repaire
a sodaine momentaine lust and then bee damned to the pit of torment for ever who will be so mad as for sparing a little meate and drinke with the proud glutton from the needie to sell his body and soule to the Devill and the damnable pit for ever Oh foolish and vntoward fleshe of ours that remembers not this day this fearefull day to the workers of vnrighteousnes It is written of a certaine Ancient that he so lived as ever opening his eare and listening vnto the voice of the Angels trumpet that shuld cry Come come away vnto Iudgment If we would so liue as ever listening after the appearance of the Lord in this his day then assuredlie wee would not dare to rush into adulterie stealth and other prophanesses as we doe When thou art tempted to defile thy Neighbours bed to filtch away thy Neighbours goods to imprison or kill the innocent c. Then say thus within thy selfe Oh miserable man nowe the spirite of Hell with the bellowes of his malice is blowing and puffing vppe thy lustes to sette them on fire that so thy members may commit iniquitie this Sathan doeth to haue me damned with him If I followe the motion of this wicked spirit what gaine shal I therby win I shall satisfie my lust of vncleannes of filching of wrath of pride Oh but God hath damned that lust and set his curse vpon that work what if the terrible day of the Lord come as I am committing that sinne or if not howe shall I exspect Gods mercie vnto repentance after the doing of the sinne that knowes before hand that it is displesing vnto my God what is an howres plesure to fierie torments induring for ever why should I grieue God and cause the Devill to bee merrie thogh the great day of the Lord come not vppon me at this instant yet this day may be the day of my death then commeth my soules Iudgement shall I then hazard my soule nay shal I wittinglie commit it to the Devils seruice who is desirous to drawe me with himself vnto the black burning pit Thus debate with thy selfe then tell mee what pleasure thou canst take in sinning Oh Lord sweet Lord Iesus though this shal be a terrible day to the Atheist mocker and counterfeit Christian whose pleasure then endeth and whose endles pain and torture then beginneth yet vnto thy poore afflicted sonnes and daughters it shal be a day of glee and gladnes for then shall their dolour end and their never fading glorie beginne then shall the wicked be tormented in hell fire but thy people shall raigne in the beauteous heavens then shall the wicked be coupled and chained with the Devill and his Angels in the Iron bandes of thy wrath but thy sanctified members shall be * Iohn 3.2 like thee see thee as thou art wait vpon thee the Lambe whither soever thou goest Sweete Iesus sanctifie the consideration heereof vnto thy people that by the torture of the wicked the glorie of the godlie they may be drawn from sinne to serue thee in righteousnes and holines all the daies of their life But how shall this day come The Apostle hauing learned that of our Saviour Iesus what time hee preached vnto them the destruction * Mat. 24. of Ierusalem doth answer it shal come as a theefe in the night that is even as the theefe stealeth vpon a man in the night season vnawares to the housholder even in the time of his sleepe so shall this day of the Lord vnawares and sudenly come vpon the inhabitants of the earth ey our Saviour according to Lukes rehearsall saith that this day shall as a * Luk. 21.35 snare come on all them that dwell vppon the face of the whole earth that is even as the beast or bird not thinking of any danger neer is then vnawares caught in a snare so shall the dwellers on the earth sodainly without foreknowledge be arrested by the day of the Lord. Methinks to him that is content but to vnderstand according to sobrietie Rom. 12.3 another question and that a curious one is heerein answered Many demaund in what daye or in what yeare This great day of the Lord shall fall Of the houre and daye no professor of Christ dare define because our Saviour hath said plainlie * Matth. 24.36 Of that day and houre knoweth no man no not the Angels of Heauen but my Father only but concerning the yeare some dare determine for say they though the houre and day be not reveiled in the word yet the year is clear lie vnderstood from Daniel 12. c. neither say they let it be marveled that the yeare should be pointed at considering the Devils had some foreknowledge of that time when they cried * Mat. 8.29 Art thou come hither to torment vs before our time As also Elias plainlie fore-prophesied The World shall stand six thousand yeares and then it shal be consumed with fire And having determined the vttermost day to fall out Anno 1700. they then qualifie their judgment by saying that somthing of these times must be cut off from Mat. 24.22 c. To answer to all these things at large would require a peculiar treatise and it is bruited but I knowe it not of certaintie that * L. Chadderton M. of that Colledge one of Immanuel in Cambridge hath publikelie there confuted the opinion I therefore as I speak of it but by the way will therefore but by the way shape foorth this litle answere The shortning of the daies Matth. 24.22 is properlie spoken of the cutting of them troublous daies of miserie which came vpon Ierusalem what time the Romanes besieged it This may bee gathered from our Saviours words in the 15.16.17.18.19.20.21 verses aforegoing The people there are willed for avoiding them troubles to flee out of Iudea If them daies were ment of the daies immediatelie before the ending of the world to what end should hee speake of flying out of Iudea to what end should he will the people to make such haste in flying from house and substance and howe should it then bee better for such women as were not with child then for these that were except he ment that the first might with lesse paine and trouble flie away from the sworde of Titus and his souldiers as also from the sworde of the * Read Iosephus de bello Iud. Divided in the Citie why should he wish them to pray that these troubles might befall Iudea in the sommer rather than in the winter but that hee knewe that snowe and foule weather wold hinder the speedines of their flight Secondlie to cause our Saviour in DANIEL to giue foorth a limited yeare and then in the time of his fleshe to cut somewhat from that time even 12. yeares as some haue is to make Christ yea and nay which the Apostle PAVLE denieth 2. Corinth 1.19.20 as also a breaker of the Prophets which himselfe denieth Mat. 5.17
Them troublous daies there spoken of and it is affirmed verse 22. of them that they should be shortened can not bee spoken of the last troublesome times that shall come vppon the whole world To Elias prophecie which may bee numbred amongst the Papistes vnwritten verities I say no more but this I acknowledge him not for Elijath the Tishbite for his Canonicall speaches are registred by the holy Ghost in the book of Kings neither haue wee any such speach there or else where in the Canonicall Scriptures as is this As for the Devils they might well say that the latter day was not yet come wherein they should begin to bee more notablie tormented and yet notwithstanding be far ynough from foreknowing the Latter day The Devill had learned by the prophecies of the old Testament that there should bee a long distance betwixt the incarnation of Christ and the end of all things He knewe that Christ must haue his spirituall possession to streatch over * Psal 2.8 the Heathen vnto the corners of the Earth As yet the partition wall was not broken downe and after the lawe should go out from Zion to the Gentiles there would bee some yeares spent for gathering the Heathen vnto the faith of Christ Besides Isaiah * Isa 59.20 had prophecied an vniversall calling of the Iewes which time as yet is vnexpired and from many other circumstances every where in the Prophets the devils might easilie know that the time of Christ his incarnation could at noe hand be the time of the Lords last comming namely to judgment That speach therefore of the Devils is nothing to this purpose As for the numbers Dan. 12.11.12 which some would haue as to be so many yeares so to be accompted from Iulian the Apostates time An 365. what time it is said * Carion Chron. lib. 3. that he in spite of Christ commanded the Iewes to build the temple which afterwardes was by thunder and earthquake overturned to the ceasing of Sacrifice and so accounting from that time would haue the world to cease at fardest in the latter number Dan. 12.12 Thereto I answer If it were the Angels meaning there to speake of the end of this world I could not but reverence that conjecturall beginning of the accompt but as the spirite of God in the greatest visions as of that of the 4. mettels and the other of the * Dan. 2. Cap. 7. Cap. 11. 4. beastes as also in the Revele of the Syrian and Egyptian actes their Kings tearmed King of the North King of the South as in all these the Lord leadeth Daniel not to the consideration of the state of the newe Testaments Church except vnder type or figure but for the comforting of him and the Iewes doeth foretell vnto them the state of the Church of the Iewes vnder the kingdomes of Chaldea Mede-Perse Grecia Syri-Egypt and that vntill the comming of Christ in the flesh and the * Dan. 9.24 sealing vp of the old Testaments vision and prophecie so I cannot easilie consent vnto the former conjecture but rest in this judgment namely that them daies Dan. 12.11.12 were properlie giuen forth for the Iews to accompt what time their * Dan. 7.8 c. and 11 36. compared with 2. Thes 2.3.4 notable Antichrist of Gogs land the figure of our Sonne of perdition should tread them and their temple vnder-foote And whereas they think that the age of these last times by reason God is one and the same should no more bee hid to the faithfull nowe then was the date of the first world vnto Noah I answere God is one and the same though hee reveale not the thinges whereof wee haue no promise as also not like need as had Noah who was during that 120. yeares to prepare an Arke for preservation to the second world Secondly if the knowledge shuld be proportionable then all the faithfull must know This for so no doubt the faithfull then with Noah vnderstoode that Againe the very yeare ey the day should bee knowne of This for so was * Gen. 6.3 7.4 That But the day our Saviour plainely denieth doth he therefore Repent his goodnesse towards the faithfull and themselues giue it 12. years compasse to fal within vz. betweene 1588. and 1700. themselues therfore conclude against themselues Lastly I see not why from this speach of Peter The day of the Lord shal come as a Theefe as also that our Saviour saith it shall come as a snare that is vnawares and that not onely vpon some but vpon all that dwell vpon the Earth I see not I say why I may not from this forme of speach conclude that noe probable conjecture of the year may be giuen And whereas they affirme that though the Day bee not knowne yet the yeare may be known I answer first I see no such thing from the Scriptures alleadged Secondly where our Saviour denieth the foreknowledge of the Day I see not why by Day may not ey must not be vnderstood Time indefinitely as though he should say That time is vnknown to the sonne of man even as when he saith The housholder would watch if hee knewe the Time The faithfull all know that that day will come and therefore doe watch over their waies so that whensoever it shal come it snal * 1. Thes 5.4 not come vnlooked for yet our Saviour saith it shall come vnlooked for as a theefe This then must necessarilie bee our Lord and Master his meaning Watch and be ye sober speaking to all Christians in their persons that so that great day in regard of limitation comming vnawares vppon you may not in regard of your beleeuing and wayting for the same steale on you as on the wicked This take I to be the very natiue sense of our Saviour and his Apostles wordes and allusion from all which I conclude that I see not howe from Scripture the definite time of our Lords comming to judgment can be gathered Many having in their mouthes in the Apostle Paul his time * 2. Thes 2.3 That the day of the Lord was at hand hee therefore amongst other things writ vnto the Saints at Thessalonia where chieflie this was bruited that it was false because before that great day of the Lord there should be a Departure or generall Apostacie from the faith of Christ a thing taught by Iohn in his Apocalyps where hee saith * Rev. 6.14 Heauen not a part of Heaven neither are we ignorant howe the Church is called Heauen in all that book as also Mat. 11.11 13. c. Heauen saith he departed away as a scrole when it is rolled Secondly saith Paul before that day of Christ the man of sinne shall bee * 2. Thess 2.3 disclosed Thirdly he shall be consumed and therefore called the Sonne of perdition by the spirit of Christs mouth namely in the powerfull ministery of his word Christ then as he rid on with Salomon Psalm 45.4 vpon the