Ashes but this iudgement was formerly denounced by Loth. He brought his vengeance and fierce wrath vppon Pharaoh but hee had faire warning thereof by Moses aforehand Thus God threatneth the worlds end but he giueth vs signes which are the Preachers and forerunners of the end That God doth this inuincible argument that hee loueth vs and that he is loath to vndoe vs. For wished he our destruction hee would not preuent it with so wholesome admonition For the Huntsman that seeketh the death of the Hare threatneth not the Hare but warily watcheth him the better to set vpon him but God threatning vs before it is a signe hee would haue vs take heede of that which followeth The Genttle had an eye to this who tooke coniectutes of consequent calamities by some preâ—â—â— accidents according to that which the Poet sayth Sâ—pe malum hoc nobis si mens non laeua fuisset De Coelâ— tactas memini praedicere quercus This euill to vs if that our minds had not been fondly bent Thunder froÌ„ heauen vpon our Oaks did threaten such eueÌ„t That we should be grounded in the certaintie of the worldes end though we know not the certaintie of the time these signes and markes are giuen vs. The signes prefired partly are such as are knowne vnto vs and familiar to our senses and partly they are such as exceede natures course and are verie strange and fearfull to ronfider of But they all serue to set foorth the corruption and consumption of the worlds bodie as Vlcers diseases distort and luxate members forespeake the dissolution of the naturall bodie This is no strange and vncouth case as wee haue sayde before but it is Gods woont so to doe Hee made peace with Noah but the Raine-bowe which hee placed in the Heauen was the consignement of this Charter and indentment Ezechias receâ—ueth promise of ensuing health and of longer life And the recesse of the Sunne and shadowe certaine degrees bindeth and confirmeth it In this sort by signes are wee assured that the world shall be dissolued The signes expresly nominated in the holie Scriptures are by Matthew Marke Luke diligently set foorth and put together thus 1 The first is corruption of doctrine and seduction by impostors and deceyuable teachers noted by the pen-men of the Gospels in these wordes Manie shall come in my name saying I am Christ and shall deceiue manie 2 The second is warres and rumors of warres in these wordes Ye shal heare of wars and rumors of warres 3 Motions commotions subuersions of Empires and dominations thus deliuered Nation thaâ— rise against nation realme against realme 4 Pestilence 〈◊〉 Famine 6 Earthquake in the ende of the seauenth verse of the 24. Chapter of Saint Mathews Gospell hudled together 7 The persecution of the Church by the false Bretherâ—â— the bretheâ—â— of 〈◊〉 churâ—â— in these woâ—ds 〈◊〉 TheÌ„ shall they deliuer you vp to be afflicted and shall kil you and ye shall be hated of all nations for my names sake 8. Defections in the church and intâ—stine perturbations and diuisione betweene kâ—dred and alâ—eâ— in these wordes opened And then shall manye be offended and shall betray one another and shall hate one another And that an insolent neiâ—hbour-hood and Eroâ—â—erhood shall doe this Marke foreteâ—â—eth The Brother shall deliueÌ„ the Brother to death and the father the Sonne and the Children shall rise against their Parents and shall cause them to die 9. Generallie of iniquiâ—ie and detection of charitie are tokens of a cousumption in the worldes bodie in the same Cat log of â—ehearsed malignities put downe And because iniquitie shall be increased the loue of many shall be colde 10. The collâ—men of the church throughout the Gentils alâ—â—ations and the dispersion of the Gospell among all lanoâ—s to the endes of the world is another presagement of the worldes â—nd And this Gospel of the kingdom shal be preached throughout the whole world for a witnesse to all nations and then shall the end come 11. The abhomination of desolution setting vp a Monarchie in the holie place with the rest witnesseth the worldes desolution When yee shall see the abhom nation of desolation spoke of by Daniel the Prophet standing in the holy place c. 12. The comming in of dececiuable and damnable spirit false Christs and false Prophets is an other essentiall marke of this matter For there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders so that if it were possible they should deceiue the verie elect 13. Prodigious Aspeas in the heauen strange Ecclipses of Sunne and Moone palpable and more then Aegiptian darknesse afearefull fall of the Startes a shaking in all the powers of headâ—â— do prophecie this point The Sunne shall bee darkned and the Moone shall not giue her light and the Starres shall fall from Heauen and the powers of heauen shall be shaken Descend from the ayre to the earth which giueth vs no lesse fearefull tokens hereof as troubles and perplerities among the nations roarings in the sea and alâ—â—ps palpitatious torobbings and thrauings in all hearts in expecttion of so terrible destruction VpoÌ„ the earth trouble among the nations with perplexâ—tie the Sea and the waters shall roare And mens hearts shall faile them for feare and for looking after those things which shall come on the world 14 The signe of the sonne of man in the elâ—udes shall be set vp as a banner of the approach and end without end Then shall they see the sonne of man come in a cloud with power and great glorie 15 Lastlie to trusse vp the bundle hereof a supine securitie in the hearts of men eating â—rinking huing in daliance as they did in Noahs time whom the stood found so occupied and destroied shal possessie the world and shall betoken the end of the world As it was in the daies of Noah so shall it be in the daies of the sonne of man they eate they dranke they married wines and gaue in maâ—iage vnto the day that Noe went into the arke and the flood came and destroied them all 16 To the former put varâ—etie or nuâ—â—itie of saith But when the sonne of man commeth shall he find faith on the earth These signes are of two kinds 1 Some goe before the Iudgement 2 Some goe hand in hand with it Of the first ranke are these 1 Adulteration of pure doctrine by false and 〈◊〉 doctors 2 Warres and proclamations of warres 3. Plagur 4 Famine 5 Earthquake 6 Catholicke and general corruption to maners 7 Decay of charity 8 The progresse and free passage of the Gospell Martirdome of good men 10 Publicke scandale 11 Setled and stiffe-necked secaritie 12 Terror and horror among men 13 Vocifiration and exâ—ndation of waters SccoÌ„dly The signes that keepe companie with the Iudgâ—nt are 1. The obscucaâ—lon of the sunne 2 The Eâ—lâ—pse and defect
ad downe in Barrels of sharpe nailes some haue béene boared with Aules some punched sobbed with bodkins some haue had their nayles pricked through with Néedles their flesh plucked a péeces with Pincers their skinnes drawne ouer their eares aliue but all these are but flea-bitings to the torments of hell There is no order but eternall horror There is an ende without ende a death that dieth not fire inextinguishable darknesse more palpable then the darknesse of the Aegiptians and blacker then blacknesse it selfe torments more terrible then the torments of men by how much the reach of the wittes of diuels goeth beyond the inuentions and excogitations of men There is the cuppe of the deadlyest wine that euer was drunke vp there be the deepest Graues that euer were made to keepe vs downe that we rise not any more there be the waters of Wormewood and Gall there be those malignant aspects pestilence blood pillars of smoke huge hailstones stormes and terrible tempests wherewith he will plead his righteous cause against the damned That is that capable and wide Winepresse of the Lords indignation where the smoke goeth vp foreuer and there is no rest day nor night there be the infinite and vnmercifull plagues which the Angels of God powre out of their glasse bottels when blood is giuen them to drinke and they boyle so with heate as they eate their verie tongues for griefe Who can better make Chronicle of this place then the purple Glutton that is in it that may say Et quorum pars vno fui who shared in these torments and had his ordinarie allowance in that lake For the torments of hell would haue the vttermost farthing of their due of him and would not depart with a droppe of water for the ease-ment of his tongue As Esau could not ransome his morgaged birth-right with all the moysture of his bodie that gushed out of his eyes so that mercilesse man if he could haue deliuered such plentie of teares as the Ocean hath of waters his request vnto Abraham in that little might not be obteyned Giue we that he had speeded in that slender sute yet what good had it done him when as his other parts as his heart liuer lungs boweâ—â— armes feete fryed and were all in a light fire The torments of hell are to last for a time and times and when time shall be no more For when thou hast laine rosting there so manie thousandes of yeares as thou canst possible name thou art as farre from the ende as at the first As the Gates of Paradise were garded by the Cherubins and the blade of a Sworde shaken so Hell gates are warded by Porters for purpose by the Diuell and his Angels and a Seale set vppon the doore liddes as the Tombe and graue-stone of Christ was sealed vp by the Priests So that as Adam was barred from ingresse into Eden so the damned sort shall bee kept from egresse out of hell The coueriant that God hath made with the day and night that they shall come in their turnes may bee reuersed the Starres may finish their course the Elements shall melt away like Ware before the fire Heauen and earth shall bee renued Sommer and Winter shall cease but the paines of poore Prisoners in Hell shall bee perpetuall Yet more to particularize of the paynes of Hell 1 They shall firsâ— feele the anger of God vppon them as Christ saieth in Iohn The wrath of God abideth in him And as Iohn himselfe saieth to the Pharisees and Sadduces Who hath forewarned you to flie from the anger to come Howe horrible and vnsufferable this is conceiue by the description of the Scriptures of it The Poet passingly portrayeth out vnto vs in his colours the fierce qualities of Achilles giuing him these Titles Scriptor honoratum si forte reponiâ— Achâ—llem Impiger iracundus mexorabilis acer But this is nothing to that linely description made by the Prophet Dauid of the Lords anger thus The earth trembled and quaked the mightie foundations of the hils shaked and were remoued because he was wroth It striketh of 〈◊〉 one side with woe and on the other side with woe as not â—epenting of yâ— it doth wherfore the Philistims said Woe vnto vs woe vnto vs who shal deliuer vs out of the haÌ„ds of tnese mightie Gods Iob aggrauateth it thus The pillars of heauen tremble and quake at his reproofe Isaiah laieth it downe with these notable circumstances of amplification At my rebuke I drie vp the sea I make the floods desart their fish rotteth for want of water and dieth for thirst I cloath the heauens with darknesse and make a sacke their couering The like plummets of Lead doth Ieremy hang vpon the heeles of Gods wrath to make it most heauie to vs. I haue looked vpon the earth and lo it was without forme and void and to the heauens and they had no light I beheld the mountaines and lo they trembled and al the hils shooke I beheld and lo there was no man and all the birds of the heauen were departed I beheld and lo the fruitfull place was a wildernesse and all the Cities thereof were broken downe at the presence of the Lorde and by his fierce wrath For thus hath the Lord saide The whole land shall bee desolate yet will I not make a full ende As he saide to Samuel When I begin I will also make an ende or rather he will make no ende his indignation being endlesse The rage of the rankest euemie among men may be qualifyed if not it must dye with him But Gods anger is euerlasting as hee himselfe is euerlasting The hostilitie of men may with counter-hostilitie bee resisted though his Quiuer bee an open Sepulchre and all his armie verie strong if not when hee is in the extent of his crueltie and hath done his worst hee hath but eaten thine Haruest and thy bread bee hath deuoured but thy sonnes and thy daughters hee hath but eaten vppe thy sheepe and thy bullockes thy Vines and thy Figg-trees and destroyed with the Sworde thy fenced Cities But Gods wrath is vnappeaceable irremediable incomprehensible Of the anger of God Moses speaketh thus Fire is kindled in my wrath and shall burne vnto the bottom of hell and shall consume the earth with her encrease and set on fire the foundations of the Mountaines Father Chrysostome saieth that it is farre more sharpe to see the angrie countenance of the Iudge then a thousand hell fiers 2 It is also one degree of their punishment to be separated and diuided from God according as it is in the forme of the sentence Depart from me ye cursed of which we haue formerly intreated 3 Their third plague shall bee their hellâ—â—h companie the Diuell and his Darlings for so it is laide out in the definitiue sentence in these wordes Prepared for the Diuell and his Angels 4 â—et the eternitie of their
any of these which is the period of my labors and desires the Lordes name be blessed for it Doomes day Booke The first Chapter Of the vnquestionable certaintie of the worldes end THe sâ—curitie and iniquitie of these â—â—mes haue thrust this argument vpon me For hauing beene foure and fourtie yeres suâ— feted with peace and plentie we haue not onely forgotten but as it were set our faces against pleâ—ie So that spaâ—â—â—â— the iudgements of God not by his word but by the state of the times wee make a mocâ—â—â—â— them and whatsoeuer Preachers tell vs of the dissolution of the world of 〈…〉 of all flesh of the generall countie day wee 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 Tâ— cut the veâ—â—â—ase 〈…〉 of truth doe wee not finde that the worâ—d sedde vpon 〈…〉 and â—ucke vp these suâ—â—â—â— damnable epâ—nons to the subâ—â—â—sion of their soules 〈◊〉 that 〈…〉 no 〈◊〉 at all or iudgement to â—â—me sensuall 〈…〉 2. Or that God â—ath adiourned the â—â—me of his câ—mmâ—ng and that it will belong â—ce he come of the generation of those 〈◊〉 al the â—est of them that Saint Peter taketh to â—â—ske It is therefore high time to put the world in mind of their lying vaniâ—ies which so 〈◊〉 their soules and so call them from deade woâ—k 〈◊〉 so bee it may 〈…〉 seâ—ue the liuing God by placing before 〈◊〉 â—yes the day of doome which must certainely come and shortly come which shall giue to euerie one according to their workes That is to them which by continuance in well doing seeke glory and honour and immortalitie eternall life but vnto them that are contentious and disobey the truth obey vnrighteousnesse shall be indignation and wrath Now if this shrill trumpet and passing Bell will not wake vs out of our lithargie of carnall securitie there is no recouerie of vs For this is the onely cooler I can consider of to queÌ„ch or qualifie our hot sinfull lustes If we looke vp to this clocke or dyall we shall bee wary how we spend our time Daniel by strewing ashes vppon the floore found out the fallacy of the Priestes of Baal by the mature meditation of our fraile condition that wee are but dust and ashes and that we are sure of a resurrection and retribution according to the nature of our actions we shall desâ—tie and dispeli the subtilties of the deuill For all his deuises by the memorie hereof shall bee subdued vnto vs as the deuill himselfe was driuen away by Christ by telling him of Scriptures The remembrance of this will bee a staffe and crotch as luckie vnto vs in this our wearisome perambulation of the few and euill dâ—â—eâ— of our life as that of Iacobs was vnto him wherewith he passed ouer Iordan If we looke to the end as the wisemen to the star it will leade vs as it did them the right way to Christ For why are older men better keepers of their Church then young men but because they consider they are nearer their end yong men by their sinnes with the younger Sonne who went farre from his father are farther off from God the farther they thinke in regard of their youth they are from their end They are as proud of the healthfull estate of their bodies as Nabuchadonozar was of the statelynesse of his Pallace saying to themselues Iâ— not this a strong bodie as Nabuchadonozer saide to himselfe Is not this great Babell The cause of the sinnes of the people that were endlesse was their carelesnesse of the end as Ieremie flatly telleth Hierusalem Her filthines is in her skirts she remembreth not her last end While Moses considered that hee had but a time in the world â—ee forsooke the worlde betime and chose rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God theÌ„ to inioy the pleasures of sins for a season Tell me worldly man that sayest with Peter It is good to behere whether if thou hadst hired a house whose foundation reeleth and rocketh and threatneth a downfall thou wouldest not make hast out of that house It is certaine thou wouldest Hast thee saue thee escape for thy life I counsaile thee as the Angell counselled Lot Escape into the Mountaine and holie hill of the Lord as Lot was aduised when Sodom was destroied for the Lord will fire the house of this worlde and the heauens the beautifull roofe of the house according as hee hath immutably decreed saying Heauen and earth shall passe And as in this chapter it shall be fully prooued vnto thee He that made the heauen can fold it vp like a booke againe can rolle it together like a skin of Parchment He that made the sea and set the waues thereof in a rage and caused it to boile like a pot of oyntment can say to the â—â—oods Be ye dried vp He that made the drie land can rocke it to and fro vpon her foundations as a drunken man reeleth from place to place He can cleath the Sunne and the Moone in sack-cloath and commaund the starres to fall downe to the earth and the mountaines of the land to remoue into the sea It is the greatest follie in the world to dreame here of a dwelling place Wee haue here no continuing Citie but we seeke one to come Of his fathers house Christ hathsaid That there are many mansioÌ„s but he neuer said so much of Horeb or Thabor or of the wildernesse of this world But the worde is alreadie gone out of Gods mouth It is appointed vnto all men once to die nay twise to die as God threatned Adam Thou shalt die the death wherefore the Apostle maketh vp the former sentence with this addition After that commeth the iudgement Beleeue this as the Samaritans did not because of my worde but because the Lorde himselfe hath spoken it by the mouth of his Prophets euer since 〈◊〉 world began The Deluge or flood which Moses diligently hath described vnto vs. â—s a liuely representation of the worldes disâ—â—tion Saint Peter â—â—â—â—teth so much from thence against the mockers of his time thus Wherefore the worlde that then waâ— perished ouerflowed with the water but the heauens and earth which 〈◊〉 now are kept by the same werde in store 〈◊〉 â—lerued vnto fire vnto the day of iudgement This his 〈…〉 is taken from the example and it is fashioned thus If God could in times past marre the face of the whole world hee is able to doe the like againe But the former he hath done alreadie ouerwhelming the whole earth a handfull of seede as it were onely reseâ—â—ed to renue the same againe with riuers of waters And the latter is to be looked for that he waste the worlde againe with riuers of fire and brimstone Christ in many places is plaine in this point Heauen earth shall passe away but
worlde shall perish Take wee a shorte and curâ—ory suruay of the espâ—ciall parts to put the matter out of doubt which for 〈…〉 wee reduce to two cheâ—fe for so the scripture truneth them all vp as it were in two bundles The heauen and the earth But the definitiue doome of Christ concerning them is that they shall be destroied Heauen and earth shall pasâ—e The heauen is the roofe and the earth the foundation of Gods house The heauen containeth the ayre and whatsoeuer liueth in the same The earth containeth the sea in it which are the pauement of Gods beautiful pallace the sea also being the girdle of the dryland now there is nothing more firme and stable then the earth which how best it be â—ounded vpon the floodes as Dauid saith yet is it such a solid and compact bodie and of such waightines as by no means of man it may bee rocked out of his place an earthquake which assaniteth it most is numbred amongest the strangest thunderboltes of Gods iudgements which he letteth she as arrowes at a marke The heauen as it is so mortaised and hangde as it cannot bee drawne from his hindges and hookes so his orbs haue their certaine and orderlie courses but they shall bee thredbare and waxe olde as a garment The heauens shall pass away with a noise and the elements shall melte with heate c. Doe wee not see how the earth droopeth like an old man that hath lost his strength hauing lost the fatnesse and marrow that was wont to be in the heart bones of it whilest it is somtimes choaked with water and at other times parched with heat and whilest in some places it mouldreth away It is recorded of Aetna that mightie mountaine that it is not such a marke to Sailers as it was wont In manie places the sea retire and giue backe as is written of Egipt in other places it getteth ground horriblie ouerwhelming whole townes and prouinces In some places mountaines are maimed by earthquakes rockes the boniest places of the earth splitted asunder great deepes dried vp and are like a drie floore neither cloddes nor clouds giue theâ—r wonted instâ—â—â—s al which doe argue that they haue no long contâ—unâ—â—e Moreouer if wee may beleeue Astrononiers the 〈…〉 of the celestiaâ—â—â—â—s is weakned the Sun is not so many 〈…〉 from vs as it was wont to be for they auouch that â—t is neerer to vs by the fourth part then it was in Pâ—olome â—s time that is to say nine thousand nine hundred seuentie fire miles as the Germaines reckon miles If there be such a declâ—â—ation in the vppermost parte what shall we say of this lowe â—â—ost rome but that it is in a verie weake taking Old age hath come vpon the backe of the worlde and euery part thereof groaueth vnder the burthen thereof In pâ—antes their is lesser vertue in beaâ—ts and men lesser strength in all of vs fewer yeares I looke therefore for noe lesse then a suddaine and short consummation of all From this doctrine groweth verie special vse if we haue grace â—o apprehend it 1. For the consideration of the traÌ„sttory nature of the things of this world lifteth vp our mindes beyond all earthlie thinges and gaineth them to God For it is but lost labour to plough vpon rocks to leane vpon a broaken reede to looke for comfort of a riuer that is dried vp to builde vpon vncertainties and to relie vpon meere vanities But Salomon smiteth the world of both cheeres twice calling it vanitie vanitie of vanities and troubling the note that wee might knowe it is his verdict without repeale All is vanitie Ionas giueth the he to them naming them lying vanities as promising one thing and giuing vs another promising liâ—e and euery minute bringing vs to death promising felicitie and ouerwhelming vs with miserie promising eternitie whereas it is transtâ—orie dealing dissemblingly and falsly with vs as Laban did with Iacob who promised him Rachell but gaue him Leaâ—â— in her steade And as the false prophets did by Achab promising him victorie when behold hee was slaine by the enemie and as the deceitfull teachers did the people of whom God thus speaketh by Isaiah My people they that cal you blessed deceiue you It is the ghostly councel the Apostle giueth vs from this obseruation Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high minded and that they trust not in vncertaine riches but in the liuing God c. The like lecture Christ reade vs before him Lay not vp treasures for your selues vpoÌ„ the earth which the moth and canker corrupt and where theeues digge thoâ—ough and steale For if we d ee the verie corruption thereof shall coâ—â—â—â—me our corruption as the Apostle learneth vs. Your riches 〈◊〉 corrupt and your garments are motheaten Your golde and siluer is cankered and the rust of them shall be a witnes agaâ—â—st you and shall eate your 〈◊〉 as it were fire Ye haue liâ—â—â—â—â— pleasure on the earth and in wantonnes Ye haue nourished your hearts as 〈◊〉 day of slaughter He saith of them as Duke Ioab said to Abner in effect Knowest thou not that it 〈◊〉 bitternes in the latter end If we could spare a time from due sinnes for such a thought wee should soone feele in our selues more compunction and deuoâ—ion 2. This document also as needfull as the former is from hence deducted that wee who dwell in houses of clay whose foundation is the dust whoe are nothing else but a sincke of sinne and Chaos of corruption shall much more perish seeing all the parts of the world the excellent creatures and wormanship of God shal haue their desolution We â—iue not heere in a castle and place of abode but as it were in an Iune as passengers to tarry but for a night as Christ said My kingdome is not of this world so our kingdome and continuance is not in this world As God said to AbrahaÌ„ get thee out of thy country from thy kindred and from thy fathers house so God will say to euery one of vs get thee out of thy life As the tabernacles of the Iewes were made to be remoued so are we Wherefore stand not so much vpon yâ— prerogatiâ—e of thy birth right and termes of gentry seeing they are all so momentarie It is well knowne from what house the best borne among vs the sonne of man only excepted originally haue descended namely from the earth and gleabe Iob teaching vs to cal corruption our father and the worm our mother Now what profite is there as Dauid saith in our bloud when wee goe downe to the pitte As 〈◊〉 said Lo I am almost dead what is then this birthright tâ—â—ee Wherefore by the diligent consideration of thy end with the worlde and thou shalt be taught
and brought to make an end of sinne and so beginne a new life And therewith 〈…〉 Christ the sole obiect of the eye of the 〈◊〉 thou shalt 〈…〉 death bedde be willing to die and 〈…〉 which saying Possidâ—nius in the storie of his life 〈…〉 I am not ashamed to liue I doe not feare to die because I haue a good maister whom I serue what extremitie of sollie is it to be thinking of this transitorie world so much and of the eternall world to come so litle wherein wee are like the â—unnell that tunneth in licor into a vessell that deliuereth it selfe of the purer matter but suffereth the concreat and gresser substance to cleaue to the sides of it The iudgement that should purifie vs is out of our sight and the carnall cares of the world like lumpes of mire and clay sticke to our soules The second Chapter Of the maner how the world shall be destroied IT being concluded in the former chapter that the world shall be destroied order would we should set downe how it is to bee destroied which shall bee the subiect argument of this chapter which wee will spend vpon these two parts 1. The first shall determine in what sorte it shall perish 2. The second shall giue decision to this question whether the same in substance or forme shall so perish About the first there is great dispute and difference among Doctors while they denide them selues into contrarie minâ—es some holding that it shall be destroied by water othersome by fire Of the first rancke are Seneca and his schollers Of the second which are the sounder sort are the Stoicks of whom Cicero and Galen maketh mention Heraclitus the greater part of Philosophers the Mathematicians and Diuines running with the streame of sacred authorities as the other part with the current of their priuate fanâ—ics For they take their text from Peter who saith But the heauens and earth which are now are kept by the same worde in store and resâ—rued vnto fier against the day of iudgement and oâ— tâ—e destâ—â—â— of vngodly men But yet there is no small 〈…〉 of the Moon to scoure and purifie the other three elements others producing it out of the Sunne beames Peter Lombard saith that thâ—e fier shall goe before the face of the Lord and shall reduce the whole fashion of the heauens earth to a consumption and he is so curious and fine as to measure out vnto vs the height of the fier suâ—ing it to the depth of yâ— waters of Noah which drowned the earth Such thinges deliuereth Austine in his twentieth booke of the Citie of God in the 18. chapter Yet in the 16. chapter of that booke he semeth to denie that a man may haue any certaine knowledge therein but by the especiall certificate of the spirite Wherein hee is in the right and of the surer side for it is safer for vs to hold this modestie then to be ouer busie with the secrets of Gods sanctuary It is enough that we simplie beléeue as Peter teacheth that the worlde shall bee fixed 1. To ventilate and examine of what kind of nature this fire should be 2. From whence it should be brought 3. How the saints shall be preserued in that flame liue as the Salamander in the fire 4. How high this fier shal mount we leaue to the wil prouideÌ„ce of God being contented to be wise with sobrietie and not affecting to know more then God wold haue vs or to compel the scriptures that are willing to go part of yâ— way with vs to go after the vagaries of our idle lusts It serueth to the confirmation of the present cause namly to the illustratioÌ„ of the maner of the worlds dissolution that which Math hath in these words At midnight there was a cry made Behold the bridgrome coÌ„meth The voice of the angell and the trumpet of God is part of that cry The scripture calleth it else where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the hoarse vociferation of Mariners when they call one vpon another to goe to their tackling for it must needs be a cry out of cry that must waken the dead and raise them from their graues But another part of the cry is the stridor and noise that Peter mentioneth which this fier that shal consume the world shall make saying The heauens shall passe away with a noise and the elements shall melt with heat and the earth with the workes therin sâ—al be burnt vp Wee heare a terrible noise at the downfal of two or three houses at once therefore that must be a noise with a 〈◊〉 esse which one fire shall make which shalouerchroâ—â—â—he heauers the earth the sea all cities towns houses beasts liuing creatures and the whole masse of the world â—ltogither Dauid by an apt similitude teaching the â—â—ate and condition of the wicked alludeth hereunto As the fire among the thornes c. Fire among thorns maketh a great noise Wherefore heare we now the crie of his worde at mid-day least we heaâ—e this fearefull crie at midnight hetherto spoken of and in time let the swéete crie of his mercie charme vs least the direfull and irefull out crie of his iudgements do condemne vs. We come to the second part of this Chapter which answereth the question whether the substance or forme of the worlde shall perish For hereof are two opinions scattered 1 Some are of that minde that in verie substance it shall be turned vpside downe fastning vpon these Scriptures as of that in the Psalme Thou hast aforetime laid the foundation of the earth and the heauens are the workes of thine hands They shall perish but thou shalt indure c. As of that saying of the Prophet Isaiah For loe I will create new heauens and a new earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into mind as of that which Saint Iohn in his Reuelation saith And I sawe a new heauen and a new earth for the first heauen and the first earth were passed away and there was no more sea Finally in that the Angell sweareth by him that liueth for euer that Time shall be no more Now if time be taken away all motion must be taken away If all motion be taken away there is nothing in the world that can continue 2 But othersome hold that only but some parts of the worlde shall bee ouerturned at the second comming of Christ not altogither raised from their foundationâ— but so as they shall suffer a singular alteration Ambrose taketh part with this side and setteth his hande to this opinion vrging that which the Apostle Paul saith The fashion of this worlde goeth away prossing the word which he calleth the fashion shadow or forme and not the masse matter substance That authoritie of Peter also fauoureth that part in these wordes Wherefore the worlde that then was perished ouerflowed with the water when
as but the lower parts thereof were corrupted by the waters That of the Reuelation preiudiceth not the point For there seemeth rather a new heauen and newe earth to be destroyed then a dissolution of the other to be insinuated Also in Isaiah it is said That the Moone shall haue the light of the Sun and that the Sunne shall yeeld seuen fold more light then it doth now The Schoolemen applie all inferences in this case to the qualities and not to the substance of the world for the nature of the world shall not so be turmosted as it shall bee brought to nothing but it shall be rescued and redeemed from the hands of varâ—tie vnto which it was subiect For the world being sentensed to this iudgement for the sinne of man not of it selfe sinning against God after that sinne is out of place the world must recouer his former dignitie when the time appointed is accomplished especially the lower bodies which are in the sublâ—â—arie worlde for those be most obiect and subiect to corruption The master of the Sentences in effect deliuereth thus much But hee borroweth that which hee hath herein from Austine who saith That by a worldly combustion the qualities of the corruptible elements which had some cognation and correspondencie with our corruptible bodies shall vtterly burne and perish and that the substance shall put on those qualities by a miraculous exchange which shal be agreeable with the coÌ„dition of immortal bodies that the world being altred to the better may bee fitting to the persons also in their bodies altred to the better In the 14. Chapter of the forenamed booke this is his verdit This world shall passe away by a mutation not finall subuersion And he alledgeth for himselfe the fore-cited saying of Paul The fashion of this world passeth away The figure saith he not the nature is spoken of by the Apostle else where he likewise saith we are not to beléeue that the Elements that is to say that heauen and earth are to be produced to ashes but that their propertie shall be bettered The scriptures no where shew the dissolution of the worlds substance Also the bodies of the Saints must be in a place but what place shall they haue if they haue not a place in the worlde Moreouer man for whose sinne all woe came vpon the world shall not vtterly be destroyed but shall be renued in bodie and inuested with immortalitie either to his endlesse felicitie or miserie wherefore the worlds composition that was not in the transgression shall much lesse comein substance to this vtter confusion But this being a point more doubtfull then profitable we leaue it arbitrable what shall be the ende of the world we shall best know in the end of the world Thus hauing insisted as much as neede requireth in the two propounded points of this Chapter we will giue the vse the life of the whole and so conclude the same Whereas the fire is to consume this worlde as stubble as the former world was licked vp by water wee see how euery thing howsoeuer simplie of it owne nature appertaineth moste to the necessarie vse of man hath a most hurtfull effect against man when God will take it vp as a rod in his hand either for the correction or destruction of man The fire the water the soile the aire are the Elements that are aliments vnto vs in their propertie and kinde whereby we liue moue and haue our being but when God otherwise disposeth of them and purposeth the diuersion of their nature they are posting Purseuants of the wrath of God to execute his iudgements to the ouerthrow of our liues Wherefore the fire went out from Gods presence to burne vp Sodom and her Cities The water the Beesom of his fierce anger drowned reseruing onely eight persons yâ— whole world of the vngodly The earth whereupon euery one treadeth opened and distended her mouth like hell and swallowed vp Dathan and coneted the congregation of Abiram Manna the daintie restauration of the Israelites burst out of their noses and sauoured abhominably as a most iust iudgement against their palpable and damnable vngratefulnesse The sonnes of the Prophets by a sower hearbe in their pottage had almost perlshed The winde a Meteor by which we liue being the spirit of life and as it were a fanne in the hand of God for the clarifying the ayre that it should not putrifie an the Lungs in stead of Bellowes are giuen to the heart to qualifie the excessiue heare of the heart driued Ionas into the depth of the sea Againe whereas the world is to be wasted with fire and euerie mans worke is to be reuealed by sire let vs labour to plant golde siluer precious stones which the fire will make brighter and roote vp and remoue woodde â—ay stubble which cannot continue against the force of the fire When the Lord Iesus shall shew himselfe from Heauen with his mightie Angels in flaming fire rendering vengeance vnto them that doe not know God c. Lastly this argueth the worldes follie that laboureth to labour and carketh to care neuer taking out his Quietus est for those things that are reserued vnto fiâ—e which draweth manie through their wicked practises thereabout into the horrible fire that we shall â—ntreate of afterward The third Chapter Of the vncertaine and vnknowne time of the worlds end HAuing fore shewed the maner of the worlds dissolution which we rather call an immutation then corruption and a translation from a wâ—rser to a better condition like as when we of children become men of men old men we are not destroyed but changed in nature the fire not consuming the world but restoring it as the fire consumeth not the gold but refineth it by the methode of the place it would bee considered concerning the time of the duration thereof what is to bee determined wherein wee will desire to knowe no more then the Scriptures haue reuealed From whence we haue no certaintie but rather the vncertaintie is euerie where spoken of As where Christ saith Of that day and houre knoweth no man no not the Angels of heaueÌ„ but my father only In Mark he excepteth against himselfe to leaue the high knowledge thereof onely to his father Neither the sonne himselfe saue the father Which is to be vnderstoode of his humanitie which naturally and ordinarily knoweth nothing â—erein but as it is taught by a better schoolmaster namely his Diuinitie When the Apostles put forth the question to Christ Lord wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdome to Israel Their answere was that the knowledge thereof was to deepe misterie for them It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the father hath put in hâ—s owne power It is Christs watchword to the world Ye know not what houre your muâ—â—er will come Ye know not the day nor the houre when the sonne of man will
come Ye know not wâ—en the time is But 〈◊〉 it is not farre of we are sure So Paul teacheth To admonisâ— vs vpon whom the ends of the world are come Saint Iohn is as plaine It is the last time Augustine saith vnto Hesychius who was curiously inquisitiue of the worldes end That he dare not giue the aduenture to measure the length and the scope theref seeing the Angels and Sonne of man himselfe are ignorant hereof But in his first â—ocke vppon Genesis against the Manichies hee giueth sixe ages to the life of the worlde as the life of man is disposed and diuided into seuerall sundrie ages through which as his life passe so the life of the worlde goeth away By casting the worlde into sire ages hee followeth the set number of dayes which were sire wherein the whole forme and frame of heauen and earth were made and finished The first age is the time from Adam to Noah or to the stood which hee compareth to our infancie The seconde is all the time from the flood to Abrahams dayes which hee likeneth to our childehoode The third is all the time from Abraham to Dauid which he suteth to our youthfull age The fourth is all the time from Dauid to the transportation of the people into Babylon which is answerable to our mans estate The fift is all the time from the captiuitie to the Incarnation of Christ which hath reference is our olde age The sixt is all the time from Christ to the verie ende it selfe which is our decrepit estate and condition which is called by Saint Iohn The last houre After which followeth the seauenth day euen the Sabboth of our endlesse rest But in regarde of the notable chaunges thereof the worlde may be drawne to a narrower roome and more simplie be destributed into foure ages onely The first is the time from the Creation to the Flood which wee may rightly tearme the infancie and Child-hoode of the worlde for that theu Artes were first founde out and that with the first principles and promises of saluation the godly were satisfied and they worshipped God after a simple and plaine manner The second from the Flood extendeth it selfe to the promulgation and publication of the Lawe which for verie good causes wee may woorthily call the youthfull age of it For then were men farre and wide diuided throughout all partes of the earth Common-wealths were first founded and the beginning of the first Monarchie instituted and the couenant of saluation by God with Abraham our father indented the linage and descent of the Messiah designed and our vniuersall redemption in the deliuerance of the Israelites from the Egyptian thraldome typicallie represented The thirde age comprehendeth the whole time that was spent vnder the time of the Lawe vnto the comming of our Sauiour in the flesh as wee finde it diuided by our Sauiour Christ himselfe saying The Lawe and the Prophets are vnto Iohn c. That was the ripe age and manhoods of the Worlde it being then come to his perfect growth for then came in Magna Charta the plenarie enrolment of the will of God making the consignement of the promises of God by sundrye Ceremonies and opening them at large by the Commentaries of the Prophets Nowe as sorrowes encrease with yeares and the full age hath fulnesse of troubles accompanying it so manie perturbations did fall vppon these tymes and the whole worlde was as it were set vppon Wheeles and vp and downe rolled with tragicall commâ—tions The fourth age ranne vppon the necke of this wherein the Senne of God in flesh was manifested which to the consummation of the worlde shall be continued This as wee noted before out of Iohn is called The last houre otherwise called by the Apostle Paul to the same effect The fulnesse of time so tearmed because all the promises of God excepting the generall resurrection and iudgement are absolutely fulfilled and shall make a full end of the Worlde Nowe it agreeth fulâ—ie with the nature of olde age For as olde men can not liue long though young men may die soone and they spende their remainder of time with cares infirmityes and diseases enough so wee can not promise to the worlde beeing in his olde age any long continuance or that it shall bee better then it is but rather that the age of it shall bee more burdensome vnto it and make it to be worsser This knowledge howsoeuer sufficient for vs satisfieth not others folishly curious ayming at the verie exact time of his dissolution by these â—riuolous coniectures These haue found out a simple shift for themselues to answer Christs words The day and houre knoweth no man instnuating that we may haue a gesse at the time though wée knowe not the nicke and exact part of the time But their sophistrie will not serue theÌ„ For Christs â—â—plie to the â—psie quâ—stion of the Apostles in these words It is not for you to know the times cutleth off their cauilling â—â—stinction of time it beeing in the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Times and seasons wherefore their cunning commeth out of time Neither will that out of Mathew doe them good whereby they would take a measure of the time when 〈◊〉 world should haue 〈◊〉 in these words And this Gospell of the kingdome shall bee preached thorough the whole world for a witnes to all natiâ—ns and then shall the end come Augustine answereth them thus the Lords comming shal not be vntill the Gospell be dispersed throughout the world But how soone he shal come after this is thus published it is not from hence gathered The Gospel was generally notified to the world in the Apostles time who by their coÌ„tinual tedious perambulations had sent the sound thereof into all lands as Paul in his letter to the Colossians writeth thus Which is come vnto you euen as it is vnto all the world and is fruitful as it is also among you and yet euer since the world hath continued But there are many relie vpon idle dreames as vpon familiar deuiles The Mathematicians doe looke for a great yeere as Cicero sheweth after which al the starres shal returne to their beginnings and then the end of the world shal be Baldus in Cicero putteth in this spoake This conuersion howe long it will bée is a great question but it is necessarily certaine and definite Macrobius out of the opinion of naturall philosophers doth set downe a great yeere which hee calleth the worldes yeere Making it to confist of fiftéene thousand yeeres as the Sunne measureth them Augustine acquainteth vs with the fancies of some in his time who assigned fower hundred yéeres after the assention of Christ vnto heauen of others who â—â—crâ—ed fiue huÌ„dred of others who spake of a thousand after the expiration whereof the world should haue an absolute vastation But their vttermost prefixed time hauing long beene out of date their vaine assertions are sufficiently reproued
shall not escape Wherefore the vncertaine suddaines of the worldes end is effectuall to dispell desidiousnes and to stirre vs vp to watchfulnes to liue as if the present day were the last and to make our bookes euen as if out of hand God would keepe his Audit among vs and take a streight account of vs. Omnem crede diem tibâ— diluxisse suâ—remum Thinke euery day the last that heere abode thou hast A Poet spake it and euery Christian may well repeat it It thou were called to a table furnished with fiftie or thrée score platters of good meate sâ—uing onely that deâ—dly poison is in one of those chargers and thou art toâ—oe so â—â—uch before but art â—ot certified in which of them it is Doubtlesse in the tender regarde which thou hast of thâ— liâ—â— thou wouldest mistrust euerie diâ—h and forbeare all together least in that which thou tastest thou shouldest be taken It is thus with thee thou hast heere fiftie or thrée scoâ—e yeares to liue and in one of those death shall certainely seaze on thee and thou knowest not in which of them hee will attach thee wherefore doubt euerie one I aduise thee and looke circumspectly aboâ—t thee Seeing our pater patria and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are in heauen we are Pilgrims and Trauailers vpon earth as al our Fathers were and we haue a â—ourney to goe namely to Ierusalem a Citie whose builder and workeman is God and a swift Horse wee haue to carrie vs thether let vs gird vp our reynes put our Sandols about our feet and prepare for the voyage What man knowing that hee is to liue in England will purchase and build in Spaine But such fooles are wee looking to liue in heauen wee consume our selues with care how to liue heere in earth I doe not impartinently degresse from the matter in putting two endes together of the world and mans life For the same consideration is to be had of them both there being such a kinde Simpathye and affâ—nite betweene them For death in Scripture is called the way of all flesh and the common ineuitable condition of death is imposed vpon all But there is nothing more certaine then the vncertaintie thereof as daily proofe teacheth Iob his Sonnes and Daughters when they were feastingÌ„ in their elder Brothers house little thought that death was so nie them in a whirl-wind which threwe the foure corners of the house ouer them When Elah was drinking in his Stewards house in his capable Goblets eueâ— vnâ—o drunkennes he did not imagine there to be done to death by Zimri Did Babilon was bare the title of the Ladie of the kingdomes and was called Tender and Delicate who presumed of herselfe that shee was like Mount Syon not to be remooued and therefore said I shall bee a Ladie for euer I am and none else I shal not sit as a Widdow neither shall knowe the losse of Children Did she I say that thus swelled with pride dreame that this sentence should so soone haue beene reade ouer heâ— Thine end is come wherefore to such as sayâ—â— Isaâ—ah Come I wil bring wine we will fill our selues with strong drinke to morrowe shall bee as this day and much more which 〈◊〉 but the merrie madnesse of one houre Iâ—â—nes remooueth thâ—◠〈◊〉 from their eies that blindeth them and loâ—teth them see the nice and â—ickle est ate wherein they stand thus censuring their follie Go to now ye that say To day or tomorrow we will goe into such a Citie and continue there a yeare and buy and sell and get gaine and yet cannot tell what shall be tomorrow For what is your life It is euen a vapour that appeareth for a little time and afterward vanisheth away No glasse or pitcheâ— of earth is more brickle then the body oâ— man as being nothing else but a house of clay whose foundation is the dust For a noysome sauour an infected ayre a day little more then ordinarily hotter some what a larger supper excessiue either sorrow or pleasure is as it were a blowe of a hammer that knocketh the sides of tâ—is fraile vessell together A little labour cracketh some a little loâ—e othersome vnkindnesse is some mans coroâ—iue and his pleasant wine is his â—o This man complaineth of head-ache with the Sunamites sonne that man hath conâ—ulsion in his bowels with Antiochus A third man crieth out of the goute in his legges with Asa Some perish through peâ—utie as the sonneâ— of Ierusalem and other some are slaine surfetted through satietie as the Sodomâ—tes many are dispatched by violent death many kindâ— of wayes some in their cradle as the Babes of Bethlehem some in their Parlar as Eglon. some in the field as Saul some in their bed as Isbosheth some betweene the Porch and the Altar as Zenacharib some at the very hornes of the Altar as Duke Ioab some by water as Pharaoh and his Princes of Egypt some by fire from heauen as the Coâ—onels with their fifties some by fiâ—e from the earth as Zâ—mri some by yâ— rupture and opening of the earth as DathaÌ„ and his complices some by winde as lobs sonnes and daughters some by dogges as Iesabel some by wormes as Herod some by Lions as the disobedient man of God some by Beares as the gracelesse children that mocked the Prophet some by the Gallowes as Haman some by a Gâ—at as Pope Adrian the fourth some by a haire in their 〈◊〉 as a certaine Roâ— an Fabius the Senator some by the stone of a Râ—â—sâ—n as Anacreon wee come into the world one way but we go out of it by a thousand We maruel not that a clock is soone out of â—elter because it coÌ„sisteth of so many slender peeces our bodies staÌ„ding of so many weak iunctures why should we admire the soone decay of it Death knocketh vs on the head like a hammer goeth through the loynes of vs like a sword entangleth euerie one of vs like a snare as a prison keepeth vs forth-comming as a sea ingendreth vs all and it is the tribute money that we must all disburse to nature Wherefore as watchmen are set to those places where they feare the enemie wil come though his comming be vncertaine so because our enemie death will beset our bodies and soules and his comming is dayly to be feared and looked for let vs set good ward and watch about them both that we may be appointed for him when he commeth that wee may not be affraide when wee meete him in the gatâ— The fourth Chapter Shewing the signes of the worlds end THe saying of the Prophet Amos is verie memorable in these wordes Surely the Lorde God will doe nothing but hee reuealeth his secrets vnto his seruants the Prophets Hee brought the Flood vppon the first worlde but they were tolde of it a hundred yeares before by Noah Sodome and Gomorrha and the neighbour Cities were burnt to
of the Moone 3 The downefall of starres 4. The luâ—aâ—e and palseâ— shaking disposition of heauenlie powers 5 The signe of the sonne of man 6 The direfull eiulation and lamentation of the wicked If we shall cursorâ—â—e runne ouer the 〈◊〉 clasley we shal find al of them alreadâ—â—â— esse really accoupâ—â—eâ— 1 The first adulteration of doctrine hath beene long too 〈◊〉 Iosephus speaketh of â—ableâ—â—â—s of such who led the people into the wildernes and mount of Olmes and bare them in 〈◊〉 that they were their Sauiours among others he nameth the Egyptian named by Luke in the Actes of the Apostled This mischiefe like a Gangrene hath farre disperied it selfe For all the East-churches God after Mahomet and the Pope hath established the kingdome of Antichrist very strongly in the Westerne parts 2 Warres and rumors of warres haue alreadie béene many and great In lurie there were successiue seditions which partly were raised by their false teachers and partly by tyranous presidents were kindled Wars after yâ— death of Neroe waxed very hot the Romaines being at ciuil wars among theÌ„selues euery one catching his fellow by the head thrusting his sword in his fellowes side while there was claime made to the crowne by Galba Otto Vitellius VespasiaÌ„ in whose second yere Titus took the citie which together with the temple he quite consumed with fire 3 Plague 4 Famine are indiuided companions of warres or seruants that waite at the heeles of the Plagues were long before threatned them for sinne as where Moses saith I will appoint ouer you a consumption and the bnrning ague to consume the eyes to make the heart heauie The Lord shall make the pestilence to cleaue vnto thee vntil hee hath consumed thee from the land The heauie stroke of Gods hand herein have diuers parts of this our land of late yeres gréeuously felt Concerning samme it was so fierce and fearefull in Heirusalem as many died of it of which Iosephus writeth Of a famine that came vpon them the scripture speaketh And there stood vp one of them named Agabus and signified by the spirit that there should be a great famine throughout all the world which also came to passe vnder Claudius Cesar 5 It is enough that Earthquakes are foretold though there be no further inrolement either of the place or of the time yet Iosephus maketh relation of some things agréeing with this prediction For a yéere before the siege there was a starre ouer the Citie séene like vnto a sword at nine in the night a light greater theÌ„ the day-light shined in the Temple which continued halfe an houre In the ayre were seene armed soldiors skirmishing together and a voice in the Temple was heard Let vs depart hence But wée néede not wander so farre for proofe of such prodigies The Earthquake that hapned in the yéere 1580. on the sixt of April that shaked not only the scenicall Theatre but the great stage and Theatre of the whole land verifieth Christs prediction 6 A Catholique corruption in maners and conuersation being another marke of knowledge of the worlds consumption hath béene long and is still really and substancially in action And because iniquitie shall be increased the loue of many shall be cold This prophecy took place in Christs time wheÌ„ he came among his own but his owne knewe him not When Iudas betraied him Peter forsware him al his other followers persidiously did forsake him And is the conditioÌ„ of these times betterâ—no truly but far worser and are come to all extremitie iniquitie hauing set vp a Monarchie among vs and driuen out all pietie The word of God foundeth in our eares summoning vs to repentance that we may be reborne and be made new creatures But the more serious the holy ghost is with vs the more slacke we are to héede his suggestions and more forward to apprehend all vnlawfull motions confronting the verie heauens and offring the combate vnto God himselfe So it is therefore that being wholy dedicated and giuen vp to our forâ—ide gaine we neglect al those things that make against it we feede vpon hatred and malice without cause wee conceiue filthy lustes and anger implacable and those that seeme to be of the best sect are set vpon drunkennes glottonie carnality which dulleth the mind enféeble the body disable the whole man and turneth him into an other nature of a man making him a beast Due obedience to parents is not giuen faithfulnes betweene man and wife is not kept the recâ—procall dutie that is betwéene the Master and the Seruant is neglected and the loue of both sides that is to passe currantly betweene the magistrates and their vnderlings languisheth 7 Put the seuenth signe of this sicke and dying world to the former that is to say defection of charitie The loue of many shall waxe cold and there is nothing wanting that may helpe to fulfill the measure of iniquitie wee swarue not from the right if we proportion out the corruption of these present times with the corruption of the times in the time of the flood as the Poet Graphically and al the ful hath set them foorth Viuitur exrâ—pto nec hospes ab hospite tâ—tus Neusocer a genero fratrum quoque gratiarara est Imm net exâ—tio vir coniugis illa mariti Lurida terribiles nuscent aconiâ—a nouercae Filuis ante diem patrios inquiâ— it in annos Victaiacet pietas virgo caede madentes Vlâ—â—ma caelestum terras Astrea reliquiâ— Men liue by spoile the hoast is not of guest from danger free The father in law from son in law brothers seldome agree The wife is oft the husbands bane the husband of the wife The son doth looke before the time the terme of fathers life The stepmother likewise strong poison doth prepare All pietie is vp to heauen in earth it is but rare Sutable to this saying of the Poet is this of the Apostle Toward the latter daies shall come perilous times wherein men shall be louers of themselues couetous boasters proud cursed speakers disobedient to parents vnthankfull vnholy and without naturall affection truce breakers false accusers intemperate fierce dispisers of them which are good traitors headie high minded louers of pleasures more then louers of God c. All which large discourse and perticuler reckning may be concluded in this totall and generall summe in the sentence of our Sauiour When he coÌ„meth he shal scarce find faith vpon the earth If this be not as clere as the Sunne let any man goe with cresset torch light from the center to the circumferice find me out a man in whom some of these properties is not proper that walketh éeuenly both with God man without any imputatioÌ„ of reproofe to disproue and checke this assertion 8 The eight token of the end of the world which is the preaching of the Gospell through the whole world according to
so was afterwards confined and banished into Pathmos The third persecution is giuen to Tracâ—an in which Ignatius suffered in the yere of Christ one hundreth and tenne being worried deuoured of wilde beasts The fourth was mooued by Antonius the Philosopher in which were martired Policarpus Iustinus and many more in the yere of Saluation 170. The fiâ—â— moste mercilesse nusereant against the Church was Seuerus who among others did to death Leonides the Father of Origen in the yeare after Christ 204. Maximus was the sixt The seauenth was Dreius vnder whome Saint Lawrence was tortured beeing rosted vpon a Gridiron in the yere 252. The eight was stirred by Lyanus who with the blood of those two worthies Cornelius and Symon seeded and watred the Church of God Aurchan was chiefe actor in the ninth In the tenth Dioclesian and Maximianus had three handes full who meeting at Nicomedia confuted together for the vtter râ—â—â—ing out the name of Christians Wherevpon by power of their â—â—oclamations sent out into all quarters of their domination there was such a mightie massacre made euerie where as it is in register that in one month seauenteene thousand of them were put to the sword This tempest continued for thirteene yeares Neyther haue the times beene milder vnder Antichrist as examples enough shew which maister Foxe in his booke of monuments store you with to which I doe send you hauing bene prolixe enough in this point but I hope not vnprofitable The tenth signe of this downefalling world is publique offence and scandale that shall arise And then shall many bee offended Ofthie scandale and offence there are two sortes 1. For first such as starte aside from the Gospell take a scandale and offence at the corruption of mens manners 2. Secondly by their Apostacy and defection they hardeÌ„ the obstinate ouerthrowe the weake weaken the the strong moouing great offension in their mindes The latter is the worst and badde is the best of them This prediction could not otherwise be but fulfilled For many doe nothing else but seeke their priuate gaine vnder pretext and shew of Godlinesse and this is such a naturall and common disease as the Apostles themselues were not cleere of it as their ambitions contentions about the Primacie and the right hand and left hand in the kingdome doe witnesse How should it then be shifted but that grâ—dge and offence must growe in the mindes of men when they see those great Candles whome Christ called the light of the world ware dimme and loose their light wheÌ„ they had a taste how the salt of the earth had lost his sauour when they perceiued how his heaâ—enly herauldes the preachers of his word were poore dispised afflicted determined to death and made the spectacle in the Theater of this world for men and Angels to wâ—nder at At this day many are â—ffended when they see and heare how men of good note and chiefe place sometimes wedded to their superstitious vanities haue turned their copies and haue subscribed to the veriâ—ie and are disgraced and displaced for it Yea whome should not such thinges offend that are Christians when as Christ was fore tolde by Simon that he should bee a stone of offence for many to stumble at which Paul witnesseth saying But we preâ—ch Christ crucified vnto the Iewes euen a stâ—â—bling blocke and vnto the Graecians foolishnesse And it is well knowne what Christ humelie saith to the point Blessed is he that shall not be offended in me Paul giueth iustance of such of the Church as tooke offence â—so departed from the Church as of Hymeneus and Alexander who made shâ—pwracke of â—aith conscience altogether Eâ—e-where he theweth how riches haue beene a stumbling stone to maâ—y which hath â—isâ—ed them from a former good profession and intangled them with many molestations 11 The eleuenth signe of the end of the world is a seated and resolued securitie which neither iudgements from heauen nor preaching in earth can disâ—el out of the hearts of men Of which Christ saith As it was in the dayes of Noah so shall it be in the dayes of the sonne of man They eate they dranke they married wiues and gaue in marriage vnto the day that Noah went into the Arke and the â—lood came destroied theÌ„ all c. This signe these times as those times haue seene Gods word is fréely preached and neuer any age had so many learned preachers and it is wonderfull how many conuicted in their consciences doâ— confesse that that which they preach is the truth yet we may send them to the iudgement with this superscription on their foreheads Noluerunt incantari They would not be charmed We haue piped vnto them and they haue not daunced we haue mourned vnto them and they haue not lamented we haue stretched out our handes all the day long vnto a wicked and gain-saying people Men walke after the flesh and fleshly desires and too many there be who make the Gospel and the profession of holinesse the shrewde and mantle to couer their licentiousnesse Epicureous gormandizing is rife euerie where drâ—nkennesse is without example we are cast into as founde a sleepe of sin as Adam was when hee lost a rib as Sisera was when he was slaine in his tent as Isbosheth was when he was slaine in his bed and as Eutichus was when he fel from the third loft It is with the state of sinne as it was with Dyonisius who though he had bodkins thrust into his belly so as the fat a grease issued out yet he had no feeling of it so pierce we and wouâ—d sinne as much as we will and it will not yeeld an inch for it Bene pungeris si compungens saith Bernard It were good thou hadst that punction that would bring thee to compunction 12 The twelf fore-runner of the worlds confusion is the terror desperation that shall 〈…〉 by Luke in these wordes Mens hearts shall 〈…〉 feare and for looking after those things which haâ—◠〈◊〉 on the worlde which hitherto hath beene 〈…〉 home and warres abrod 〈…〉 all of a great death 〈…〉 pleagues newe diseases neuer 〈◊〉 before haue stroken vs like the 〈◊〉 that flieth by noneday 〈…〉 And as these outwâ—â—d 〈…〉 come vpon vs 〈…〉 vering the inward conscience 〈…〉 such hold of some as they could neuer be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and proviâ—â—â— opinions in matters of faith heritical 〈◊〉 of vnspeakeable Schismes and 〈◊〉 not onely 〈…〉 with vnâ—essie cogitations but plunging it into the bottomlesse pit of desperation But this is but a light 〈◊〉 and conculsion in respect of that lamentable vnspeakable conâ—â—sâ—on and 〈◊〉 of soule and bodie which shall be the scorpion to whippe them at the nick 〈…〉 of the direfull day of doome The woman that is with childe hath often manie aylements and complaininges as of 〈…〉 and sickenesse of stomacke but all these are little and light 〈◊〉 as
both from mind and bodie therefore the recompence of the reward shal be giuen vnto them both 2 Our second Apodicticall conclusion is this That which is imperfect hath not capacitie of absolute felicitie but the soule sundred from the bodie is imperfect therefore it must needes be coupled to the bodie to the attainment of this plenarie felicitie 3 We reason also thus The fulnesse of Gods goodnes towards those that are his could not be shewed nor the fulnes of his furiousnesse vpon the wicked could not be powred if the resurrection were not 4. It standeth God in hand as much as his truth is worth to make good the resurrection because we haue promise and charter of him for it Christ hauing said it God shall reward you in the resurrection of the iust 5 That we should not doubt of his truth in some examples at all tâ—mes he hath made proofe hereof exempting them froÌ„ death that the world may know that death is in his hands standing before him to execute his will like a Purseuant to spare and to spoile as in the time of nature when he tooke vp Enoch in the time of the law when he tooke vp Elias in the time of grace when he raised vp Christ from death to life We inforce the matter fuller and argue from the lesser to the greater thus Elizeus raised the Sunamites sonne therefore much more can Christ raise vs vp Elizeus his bones gaue life to a dead bodie therefore much more shall the omnipotent word of God which is Christ giue liâ—e to our dead bodies Aarons rod did blossom and beare Almonds Moses drie waster became a créeping Serpent Sarah her dead wembe was deliuered of a son what are these but liuely images of the resurrection 7 From the order of nature though we haue no strong proofe yet much probable matter we haue of the vndoubted resurrection The day that now passeth to morrow doth returne Trées and herbs are stroken dead by the violence of the winter reuiue with the spring the renuing time of the yere and are clothed with leaues and fruits But thou wilt say to this that life was not vtterly out of them by the winters wracke wee say also that by death man is not vtterly depriued of life for it is their soules that die not Such Logicks doth Paul vse in the corne that is sowne whose corruption is the generation of it O fool that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die This is that which Christ saith except the wheat-corne fall into the ground and dâ—e it bideth alone but if it die it bringeth forth much fruit If such contemptible creatures haue renewance and from death are restored to life shall not this handle worke of God be much more seen in man the noblest plant that his right hand hath planted and the finest seed that euer the furrowes of the earth were strowed with the most excellent and worthiest creature of all For what is the hay or gréeue herbe in comparison of man That Indian bird the Phaenix as philosophers do report good diuines do ratifie especially Lactantius among others dieth is wasted to ashes by the heat of the Sun of those her ashes is a yong one ingundred and thus is that kind continued This similitude is taken vp by diuines to illustrate our certain resurrection For more coÌ„panie sake we name the swallows worms flies which lie dead al the winter by yâ— increasing heat of the sun are enliued againe in the spring and sommer time If we run through all the rankes and classes of nature we shall finde euerie where probabilities in the point Fire that lieth dead in a flint stone by a little force that is put vnto it putteth life into it The Sunne that goeth downe doth rise againe the Moone decreaseth and increaseth againe Our nailes are paired and grow againe our heares are cut off come vp againe Sleepe called by Homer the brother of death and by others the image of death because it is the tying of the senses as binding them in that wise as they cannot execute their functions seazeth vpon vs and as it were burieth vs for a time But the bodie dispelleth it againe after which it is fresh and plyable to to any office The misbeleefe of such who cannot be brought to think that out of the putred and consumed stuffe life should be expressed are by sundry works of nature notably conuicted For of such confection or infection rather are mise mouls frogs worms ingendred Out of â—ooks cranies odde corners of the earth often very radiant and splendent precious stones are gathered The séed of liuing creatures which is nothing else but a drop of misshapen humour what substance doth it beget in progresse of time What partes doth it produce as hands feete eares eies head and such like in their kinde These thinges doe wee beholde in the Glasse of nature which so oft as we remember we doe well if we remember the resurrection 8 By the Prophets by Christ by the Apostles some haue beene raised from death in life to ground vs in the faith of the resurrection The widowes sonne of Sarepta was raised by Elias the Sunamites sonne by Elisha a dead man by the touch of the bones of Elisha the rulers daughter by Christ who was newly deceased the widowes sonne of Nain that was in his locker and led out to the graue by him likewise Lazarus that had lien in the ground foure dayes Tabitha by Peter Eutychus by Paul 9 A man would thinke if were a worke of more difficultie to forme the woman of mans rib to create the man of the gleab of the earth to make the whole frame of heauen and earth of nothing then to raise vp man from the dust to life If wine be mixed with water there are those that can part the wine from the water Goldsmiths and such as worke in mettals can dissolue confected substances concreate of gold siluer brasse steele And such are to be found who can expresse Oyle and liquide matter out of anie drie bodie Wherefore the illimited power of God which made all things of nothing shall reduce our bodies to their formes againe howsoeuer formerly reduced to nothing Lengthen out the matter so farre as conceit and imagination will let you and put the case thus That a man is eaten by a wolfe that wolfe is eaten by a lion that lion is deuoured by the fouls of the aire the foules of the are aire eaten by men one of those men eate vp another as Canibals doe yet shall his owne bodie be giuen him againe euerie man shall haue so much matter of his owne as will serue to make him a perfect bodie They shall haue the same bodies in substance as Iob saieth but altred in qualitie being freed from corruption and fulfilled with glorie Their mouthes shall bee opened to speake better things
their eyes shall haue better obiect before them their feete shall be exalted aboue the cloudes and the whole bodie shall be mantled with immortalitie as sayeth Chrysostome If to infringe this which hath beene deliuered any shall obiect this saying of the Apostle Flesh and blood cannot inherite the Kingdome of God and so inferre hereupon that the bodies of men shall not rise againe we answer them thus that by fleth and blood is not meant the bodies of men simply but as they are now in the state of corruption that which the Apostle calleth animale corpus The fleshly man or the earthly man and what soeuer is of nature without the spirite which being depraued and corrupted must needes be renued Wherefore Christ said to Nicodemus vnles a man be regenerate and borne a new he cannot enter into the kingdome of God The vnregenerate man is called Flesh therefore Christ immediatly after the former words said That which is borne of the flesh is flesh wherefore of force wee must be regenerated neither onely the flesh the bodie or a part of the minde is to be renued which couetteth and is angry but especially the reason the minde the will And Christ else where teacheth that the whole man as he is in the state of nature is called flesh and bloud For thus Christ answereth Peter Blessed art thou Simon Bar Iona for flesh and bloud hath not reuealed these thinges but the spirite of my father In which wordes Christ comprehendeth the better parts of the mind For they be those by which we vnderstood and the truth is reuealed vnto vs. Therefore these must be turned and transposed and created a new that we may be as Christ saith like the Angells in resurrection For the infirmitie of this mortall bodie is such as it cannot take the least taste or smack of heauenly glorie as we perceiue in the Prophets and Apostles who were men without soules when at anie time God did appeare vnto them And not without cause said God to Moses Thou canst not see my face neither shall man see me and liue Wherefore the German and right sence of the wordes of the Apostle is this as we are nothing else but flesh and bloud weake mortall sinfull Curuae in terris animae coel est ium in mes wée cannot inherite the kingdome of God Lastly if that of Salomon shall be laid against vs The condition of the children of men and the condition of beasts are euen as one condition and so argue that a man shall rise no more from the dead then a beast we will answere them by Salomon who explaineth himselfe in the words following they are like in dying As the one dieth so dieth the other but in their estate after death they differ of which Salomon speaketh not The sixt Chapter Of the certaintie of the iudgement or the day of doome THe general iudgement being the consecution of the resurrection the end therof yâ— last blast of that shril truÌ„pet giuing this Eccho surgite mortui venite ad IudiciuÌ„ Arise ye dead come to iudgement We are to enter into the tractation hereof in this place This subiect matter though it be of vnquestionable assurance Yet because the schoole of Cyclopical Atheists Epicures carnal minded men is so great who as seâ—pents grouel wholly in the dust only giue themselues to earthly things licking vp this Aphorisme of Socrates the Philosopher Quae supra nos nihil ad nos Those things that are aboue vs appertaine not vnto vs we list to light a candle before the Sun and aswel by scriptures as irrefragable reasons determine the absolute certaintie of this matter 1. The scriptures are plaine and plentifull in the point Hanna the mother of Samuel thus prophecieth hereof saying The Lords aduersaries shall be destroied and out of heauen shall he thunder vpon them the Lord shall iudge the ends of the world and shall giue power vnto his kinge and exalt the horne of his anointed which is Christ Isaiah sermoneth it thus Then shall they goe into the holes of the rockes and into the caues of the earth from before the feare of the Lord and from the glorie of his maiestie when he shall arise to iudge the earth That the prophet by these wordes aimeth at doomes day appeareth by the Angells exposition of the same And the kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the cheif captaines and the mighty men and euery bondman and euery free man hid themselues in dennes and among the rockes of the mountaines And said to the mountaines rocks fal on vs and hide vs froÌ„ the presence of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe For the great day of his wrath is come and who can stand In another place he preacheth thus Behould the day of the Lord cometh cruell with wrath and fierce anger c. But in another place â—e is most pathetical in the point The lord wil come with fire his charets like a wirlewind that hee may recompence his 〈◊〉 with wrath and his indignatioÌ„ with the flame of fire For the Lord wil iudge with fire and with his sword all flesh Daniel deliuereth the like doome saying And at that time shal Michael stand vp the great prince which staÌ„deth for the childreÌ„ of the people and there shall be a time of trouble such as neuer was since there began to bee a nation vnto that same time and at that time thy people shall be deliuered euery one that shall be found written in the booke And many of them that sleepe in the dust of the earth shall awake some to euerlasting life and some to shame and perpetuall contempt And they that bee wise shall shine as the brightnes of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnes shall shine as the starres for euer and euer Ioel writeth thus of it I will shew wonders in the heauens and in the earth bloud and fire and pillars of smoke The Sunne shall be turned into darknes and the moone into bloud before the great terrible day of the Lord come Zephaniah singeth the same songe with the rest The great day of the Lord is neere it is neere and hasteth greatly euen the voice of the day of the Lord the strong man shall crie there bitterly That day is a day of wrath a day of trouble and heaumes a day of destruction and desâ—lation a day of obscuritie and darknes a day of cloudes and blacknes a day of the trumpet and a â—arume against the strong citties c. Malachie hath also good matter to this purpose The day commeth that shal burne as an ouen and all the proud yea all that do wickedly shal be stuble the day that coâ—meth shall burne them vp saith the Lord of hosts and shall leaue them neither roote nor branch In the new testament we haue verie
pregnant proofes The EuaÌ„gelists are flat for it Christ saith in Math. The Son of man shal come in the glory of his father with his Angels then shal he giue to euery man according to his deeds Againe by the same Euangelist he saith thus They shall see the sonne of man come in the cloudes of heauen with power and great glory c. Also by the same pen-man thus when the Son of man commeth in his glory and all the holly Angells with him then shal he sit vpon the throne of his glory Luke recordeth the like wordes of our Sauiour Then shall they see the Sonne of man come in a cloude with power and great glorie beheaded and Peter to be crucified the Saints of God from time to time by all exquisite torments to be tortured if there were not a reuersion of times wherein they might be glorified Wherfore it was necessarie that a generall assise should bee holden for Gaile deliuerie and the consummation of their endlesse felicitie 3. When should this fore denuntiation of Christ sake effect Nothing is secret that shall not be euident neither anie thing hid that shall not be knowne and come to light As also these like predâ—ctions of holie Scripture God shall iudge the secretes of men by Iesus Christ Euerie mans worke shall bee made manifest if our expectation of the iudgement hath not due effect For seeing heere many thinges are smothered which neuer are detected Bee we assured that God keepeth a Kalender of our doings and noteth euerie thing exactly in his Register and that the bookes shall be opened and set before vs the eternall counsaile of God reuealing to euerie one his sinnes in particular 4 Albeit the two edged sword of Gods iustice resteth and rusteth in the Scabbard of his patience because he would haue no man to perish but would all men to come to repentance yet that this conniuencie might not cast vs vpon a bed of securitie he hath made some examples to vs in this life to set vs vpon our feet and to make vs vigilant that we fall not into the iudgement As those whom the Deluge did absorpe and sweepe away wherin all the Inhabitants of the world Noah his famille dedicted the remnant of the olde and the seede of the newe Worlde being destroyed Vnder this iudgement the future finall iudgement wherein onelie a remnant shall be saued euen the little Arke and Barke of Christs Church is luculently portended As also the fearefull conflagration of Sodome giueth faire admonition of a iudging God the breath of Gods anger hauing blowne the fire that will lick vp all the vngodly like stubble and consume them like drosse Heereupon Augustine thus sweetely speaketh Lot a iust man and a good house-keeper in Sodome pure and vndefiled from the filthinesse of the Sodomites was saued from the fire which was the image of hell fire being the type of the bodie of Christ which in all the Saints and now among the wicked wayleth by whose badde conuersation it is not corrupted and from whose consociation it shall bee deliuered in the ende of the worlde those being adindged to Hell fire c. Finally the repudiation of the Iewes the inheritance royall Nation and peculiar people of God is a memorable and dreadfull example of Gods iudgement who for their disobedience to the Lordes Prophets were the declamation and a Prouerbe vnto all the worlde and were pittifully entreated of the Assyrians and Babylonians and lastly by the Romans so spoyled as they were no more a people 5 Our consciences witnesse the certaintie of the iudgement which tremble and quake al the remembrance thereof as Faelix dâ—d at the Sermon oâ— Paul dilating vpon these points righteousnesse temperance iudgement to come But for as much as wee are called to reckoning immediately after the Dissolution of our bodies and with our death come in the Ticâ—ets and Bell of account of the by-past actions of the whole life the vniuersall generall Audit day seemeth needlesse but in a double respect it is more then necessarie First of God second of our selues 1 Of God that he might be iustified in his sayings and cleare when he is iudged God is so good as being infinite and omnipotent and we being little more then nothing hee yeeldeth to a iudiciall hearing that no man may complaine that iustice is not giuen him Therefore that thou mayest not charge him with wrong intended of his side towardes thee thou shalt haue thy open verie honourable tryull 2 In regarde of our selues it is also requisite that our shamelesse sinnes might come to more confusion and our good beâ—des might the more bee dignifyed Wherefore our prouinâ—â—ll Lawes punish theeues and malefactors openly to adde more shame vnto them If a Magistrate shall in pittie to couer his shame execute a felon closely in the Gaile hee shoulde not doe iustice because hee doth not the plenarie punishment the Lawe awarded him For the disgrace ignominie and reproch that followeth such a iudgement is the greatest part of the iudgement Hence it is that man tendring his credite had rather die then be oâ—â—gâ—aced Secular Iudges and Ecclesiasticall Officers bring foorth their delinquents to doe their peuance in the Market dayes and Sabaoth that the great apparance of people which such times do giue might inlarge their shame So God reserueth an impenitent sinner to that generall day to adde more affliction to his heauinesse being made as a spectaclâ— set vppon a stage for all the Worlde to wonder at This is that hee threatneth him by his Prophet Nahum Beholde I will discouer thy skiâ—s vpon thy face and will shew the nations thy filthinesse and the Kingdoms thy shame And I will cast filth vpon thee and make thee vile and will set thee as a gasing stocke Now what an exquisite iudgement is this consider by this which hath some similitude hereunto Put the case that an honest and shamefast Matrone shoulde bee stripped of her rayment and shewed naked to all that woulde beholde her woulde not this bee as a knife set at the heart or her and woulde shee not die through the anguish of soule for this vnspeakeable shame brought vppon her No question shee would But in what case is a sinner in respâ—ct of her who shall haue all his abhominations set before the viewe of the worlde the filthie workes wordes thoughts oâ— his â—â—â—de read in the audience of all A thousande to one that â—eheâ—â—e her nakednesse shall see his filthinesse by infinite degrees â—â—ereâ—ore the vexation of the one shall exceede the veration of the other For he shall call out heauen and earth to record against them as Moses against the people Angels and Diueâ—s shall goe against them and condemne them and what 〈◊〉 oâ— the sinnes of the Saints be spoken of Yes doubâ—â—s But rather to dignifie then damnifie them For they shall bee vnto them as rents of Garments
afterward speake of doth assoile this question and infinuation But yet is this concâ—usion somwhat choaked by that which Isaiah saith The Lord shall enter into iudgement with the antients of his people and the princes thereof meaning the elect and faithfull children oâ— God and by that promise of Christ to his Apostles Ye which followed mee in the regeneration shall sitte also vpon twelue thrones and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel And by that which Paul saith Doe ye not know that the saints shall iudge the world By these it should séeme that Christ haue copartners in this commission and that the whole authoritie is not in him alone We answere that he is the cheife iustice and hee and none but hee pronounceth the sentence the Apostles and good professers of his name shall sit on the bench by him as all that are iustices among vs doe sit by their principall Iudge at both hands and giue euidence and allowance to the sentence This is a royall prerogatiue that the saints haue that they are Christes assistants and consortes and their enimies iudges wherefore take the watchword of the Apostle with you Brethren consider your calling and disgrace we it at no hand by our misdoings A noble mans son is not suffered to conuerse with any inordinate or base companion We are of noble degrée as yee sée being to sitte with our Christ in his throne of maiestie Oh remember we this and by conuersing with wicked men let vs not bring vpon so high a calling such contempt and dislike Aulus Fuluius would haue â—laine his sonne because hee consorted himselfe with Catiline the enemie of the countrie whereas he had begat him for the good of the country God indureth not that such as are seperated put apart to be consorts to our sauiour should be copsmats with sinners When as Philip the King was playing with his prisoners taken in the warres and was casting vp vnto them in declamatorie wise their captiue condition Demades the philosopher indured him not but thus wisely censured him since fortune and good lucke haue made thee a great man laid vpon thee the person of Agamemnon art thou not ashamed to plaie the Thersites that is of a victorious prince wilt thou proue a paltrie companion This is our estate but not fortune but Gods fauor hath made vs kinges for euer wherefore be we not conditioned as catifes But as christians as it becommeth vs. And this grace the Lord giue vs. The eight Chapter How ioyfull it is to the godly and dolefull to the wicked that Christ shall be their Iudge AS Kinges haue their habits according to the times either of warre mirth or mourning So Christ suteth himselfe to the nature and propertie of his businesse and comming to iudge the worlde he cloatheth himselfe with the cloudes as with a garment and is decked with maiestie and honour He will come flying like a Beâ— amoÌ„g vs. bringing honie to the godly fastning his sting in those that are his enemies In his first comming hee came for thee but his second iourney if thou takest not heede wil be taken against thee To the Saint he will shâ—w himselfe a Lambe to the sinner he will shâ—w himselfe a â—ion His fiâ—st comming was the kingdome of grace his second shal be his kingdome of glorie and iustice That shewed mercie vpon soules this shall sit in iudgement vpon soules Then hee came with the Trumpet of mens tongues but he is to come next with the Trumpet of an Archangellâ— Then he came downe with a verie merrie noise with this comfortable Antheme and song of deliuerance Glorie bee to God in the heauens and peace in the earth but he is to come hereafter with a doleful dumpish note Woe woe be to the inhabitants of the earth Then he came to gather the lost sheepe into his folde but his next comming is to separate the sheepe from the Goates Then he came to entertaine both Iewe and the Gentile but when hee comes againe hee will diuide the seruant from the seruant standing at the Mill-quearnes the husband from the wife couching together in one bed Iacob from Esan wâ—llâ—wing in one wombe But then begins the merrie worlde with the godly which neuer shall haue end The righteous shall reioyce when he seeth the vengeance he shall wash his feete in the blood of the wicked The Saints shall bee ioyfull with gâ—â—rie they shall reioyce in their beds The praises of God shall be in their â—â—oâ—thes and a two edged sworde in their hands c. As the iudge 〈…〉 be dreadfull to the wicked because they shall be 〈…〉 it shall bee as delightfull to the godly because they 〈…〉 according to that which Paul saith I haue fought a good fight and haue finished my course I haue kept the faith For hence-forth is laide vp for me the crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue mee at that day and not to me onely but vnto all them also that loue his appearance By the names he giueth vs he openeth his loue towards vs that we might lift vp our heades when bee commeth againe to vs. He calleth the godly Mother Sisters Brethren Hee calleth them his Seruants He calleth them his Friends He calleth them his kinsmen He calleth them his Brethren He calleth them his Sonnes He calleth them his Spouse All these being tearmes of loue and requiâ—iâ—g dueties of loue By calling vs by all these what else doth hee thereby signifie but that he hath all loue towardes vs. Wherefore beare we him our hearts as Marie bare him in her armes if we be his Mother Let vs preferre him before all brethren as Ioseph preferred Beniamin before all his brethren if he be our brother Let vs embrace him as Rebecca did Isaac if we be his Spouse Art thou afraide saith Ambrose that thy Iudge will be vnmercifull consider what Iudge thou hast The Father hath committed all the iudgement to Christ can he condemne vs to death who hath redeemed vs from death â— hauing giuen himselfe for vs whose life he acknowledgeth to bee the recompence of his death Shall he not say what proâ—â—â—e is there in my blood if I damne him whom I haue deliuered Again dost thou consider the Iudge and dost not consider the Aduocate Can his sentence be sharpe who ceaseth not to make continuall intercession for vs that we may gaine his fathers grace againeâ— This is the sage and sweete saying of this worthie father Tâ— which this short sugred speach of learned Gregorie is sutable Est nobis spes magna poenitentibus quia Aduocatus noster factus est Iudex noster There is great hope for vs that are penitent because he that is our Aduocate is made our Iudge Thrice renâ— wneâ— Master Caluin to this purpose speaketh most comfortablie to the Christian soule thus It is no small securitie that we are not called before any iudgement seat
one chéeke to holde out the other the meaning whereof is that we rather suffer two iâ—iuries then reuenge one To the Epâ—cures ambitious luxurioâ—s and to all eâ—orbitant persons of what name and title soeuer they bee bée the same spoaken they haue their iâ—dgement in the law and they shall haue it in the lake if they looke not well vnto it Therfore for Godâ— sake be ye warned that ye may be armed that ye may not be harmed Thou angrie man it will not seâ—ue thy turne at that time toplead the heat of thy nature the impotencie of thy affections whereby thou canst not moderat thy â—cessiue perturbations For when many dogges came about Christ and many fatte Bulles of Basan incircled him and be set him round about hee was so farre from troublesome passions as hee was resolued into charitable affections towards them and put vp his praieres to his father for them Thou gréedie guttâ— that giuest vp thy selfe to gurmandizing it is but absurde to plead disuse of abstinence or temperaunco for Christ that great faster shal condemne thee thou great feaster From these instances all degrées of sinners may take inferences that belong vnto them and be in time conuerted least at that time they be for euer confounded Thus Christ as he was the ruine and resurrection of many according to the prophecie at his first comming so shall his second comming haue the same effects The dolor of the wicked and the pleasure of the godly shal be such at that time as a learned man in meditation hereof wondereth that euery stone should not be a thorne to the godly in this life to enlarg his miserie that in the life to come he might haue laide vpon his shoulders a great-weight of glorie that euery stone is not a rose to the wicked 〈◊〉 might haue his fill of pleasure in this life because then it is outâ—â— date and there is none to be looked for of him in the 〈◊〉 to come The ninth Chapter The Maiestie of Christ in his comming to Iudgement CHrist shall come verie gloriously to iudgement with a white cloud round about him the whole quire of Angells and the whole host of heauen attending vpon him with an incredible shrill and hoarse noise of trumpets His number without number is thus indefinitly spoken of by the Apostle in these wordes He shall come with thousandes of his saintes which hath consent with former prophecies for Daniel being in this argument saith A firie streame issued and came forth from before him thousand thousands ministred vnto him and ten thousand thousands stood before him the iudgment was set and the bookes opened This tooke place at his first coÌ„ming wheÌ„ the minister and hoast of heaueÌ„ly soldiers waited on him and shall take place againe at his second comming when all the ministring spirits and creatures of heauen Saints Angels seruants shall be pannelled personally to assist him To this end saith the Euangelist The sonne of man shall come in the glorie of his father with his Angells They shall see the some of man come in the cloudes of heauen with power and great glorie WheÌ„ the son of man cometh in his glorie al the holy Angells with him Yee shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of the power of God and come in the cloudes of the heauen They shall see the Sonne of man comming in the cloudes with great power and glorie The like wordes are in Luke with these hath the saying of Iude sweete harmonie Behold the Lord coÌ„meth with thousands of his saintes Now the power of Angels in the execution of Gods iudgements is inuincâ—ble for one Angel slew all the first borne of Egipt in on night By the hand of one Angel there was such hauock made of the armies of the Assirians as a hundreth fouer-score and fiue thousand of them were put to the sword and laid on the ground as corne by a sicle Therefore what a huge destruction shall there be of the wicked when hee commeth with such a royall armie of Angels with him There are manie that are innocent that are terrified when they see a King come by with an armed power the sight of glistring swords dismaieth them the clattering of armour and weapons affrighteth them therefore what terror horror shall come vpon the wicked when Christ a man of war shal buckle his harnesse to him he shal put on iustice as a habergeon shal come with his Miriades of heauenly Angels and betake himself to his throane out of which he shall thunder the great curâ—â—e against all flesh which must be ratified foreuer Where shall those that haue persecuted him in his members then appeare If they could not indure the maiestie of him when he came but to deliuer the law in Mount Synaj but the blacknes darknes tempest burning fiâ—e was to terrible for them insomuch as Moses said I feare and quake the people fled stood a far off and said vnto Moses Talk thou with vs we wil heare but let not God talk with vs least we die Now shal they endure his second comming in the â—â—tiousnes of his wrath when his voice shall shake yâ— heauens the earth the sea the dry land his comming is to take vengeance of the breakers of this lawe If men ware amazed at any strange eclips of Sunne and Moone if any extraordinarie darknes danteth them as the Egiptians were out of heart when such a foggie darknes came vpon them as for two or three daies together one could not see another or mooue out of his place if earth-quakes make them quake and their hearts faile them vpon the occurrence of impetuous winds vociferations of many waters noice in the night scritchings of Serpents and Dragons and such like When greater signes then these by infinite degrées be shewed in the glorious comming of Christ to iudge the worlde how should not the hearts of the wicked malt like waxe and fall away like water As in the daie wheron our redéemer was crucified the naturall sonne of God for the sinnes of the world the Sun was smoothered and there was dacknes ouer all the land so when the iustice of the adopted Son of God shal be shewed there shal be terrible fearful signes to strike sinners into passions as the Centurion and many others were at those signes shewed at his passion If the brethren of Ioseph could not tell what to say when as Ioseph in kindnes did but say vnto him I am Ioseph in remembrance but of one forpassed trespasse What shal stubborne sinners say at this the glorious comming of Iesus Christ when hee shall come riding vpon the heauens as vpon an horse and come flying with the winges of the wind who haue so often solde their Iesus by their sinfull doings and neuer with the brethren of Ioseph haue yet tasted of any sorrowe for it When
my Father which is in heauen The Apostle hath set it downe for an irrefrugable conclusion we shal all appeare before the iudgement â—eate of Christ Answerable to this is this his other Aphortâ—me we must al appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ that euerie man may receiue the thinges which are done in his bodie c. But the Godly shal make a very easie reckoning For Christ is their comfortâ—â— their conscience there cleergâ— as witnesse of their 〈◊〉 heauenly possession But the wicked because their conscience shal condemne theÌ„ the deuil shal accuse thâ—â— Christ shal be against theÌ„ shal haue a world of woâ—â—n answer to make answers They shal say to the mountaine hide vs and to the hilles coâ—er vs. But from hence groweth a question how the Godly can bee iudged seeing they shall sitte Assistants with Christ in the iudgement as Esai saieth The Lord shall enter into iudgement with the ancients of his people and the Princes thereof that is to say with the elect companie as Christ saith to his Apostles Ye shal sit vpon twelue Thrones and iudge the twelue Tribes of Israel as Paul saith Know ye not that wee shall iudge the Angels We answer that iudgement is of double nature there is a iudgement of Absolution there is another iudgement which is of Condemnation In the iudgement of Condemnation are the wicked only wrapped adulterers adultresses fornicators vncleane persons vsurers oppressors slanderers blasphâ—mers hers deceiuers epâ—cures Machiâ—ilians Atheists The godly haue onely but iudgement of Absolution that is to say they are iudged to be quit and deliuered and blessed They shall be absolued of all the slanderous imputatioÌ„s of the world and wicked men against them Besides men the euill spirite also shall be iudged Christ denounceth infernall fire to the diuell and his angels Goe yee cursed into Hell fire prepared for the diuell and his angels Of this their condemnation speaketh Peter thus God spared not the Angels that had sinned but cast them downe into hel and deliuered them into chaines of darknes to bee kept vnto condemnation Of this Paul speaketh when he saith Rnow yee not that we shall iudge the Angels Iude consenteth with the rest expresly saying The Angels also which kept not their sâ—st estate but leâ—t their own habitation he hath referred in euerlasting chaines vnder darknes vnto the iudgement of the great day These are to be iudged as ringleaders of all 〈…〉 of all the band of sinners as Iudas did the band of souldiers against Christ Also this iudgement shall extend it selfe vnto the senslesse vnreasonable creature the heauen the earth and whatsoeuer is conteined in them Esai speaketh of new heauen and a new earth that are promised The new heauens and the new earth which I will make shall remaine before me Paul sheweth somuch saying The feruent desire of the creature waiteth when the sons of God shal be reuealed because the creature is subiect to vanitie not of its own wil but by reason of him which hath subdued it vnder hope because the creaturs also shal be deliuered froÌ„ the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God Lastly antichrist is rankt in the ranke of those that shall haue condemnatorie iudgement His damâ—ation decréed against him is thus spoaken of Whom the Lord shall consume with the spirite of his mouth and shall abolish with the brightnes â—f his comming Thus haue we the seuerall persons that shall be iudged seuerally the senâ—les creature shal be purged the godly shal be absolued the wicked shall be condemned Sathan the muster maister of malignant men shall be throwne downe into hell and Anti-christ as the sonne of perdition the opposite aâ—uersarie to our Sauiour Christ shall be destroâ—ed by the wrathâ—â—lâ— indignation of Christ The eleuenth Chapter The thinges that are to be iudged AS all persons are to be iudged so they shall bee â—asted to their coâ—rsest branne Their thoughtes wordes workes shal be as throughly ransacked as euer Laban did raâ—sacke Rachels stâ—ffâ— That all thinges shal be scanned Saint Iohn hath declared I saw the dead bâ—th great and small â—â—and before God and the bookes were opened and another booke was openâ—d which is the booke of life and the deade were iudged of these things which were writteÌ„ in the bookes aâ—cording to their works God is said iâ— haue counting bookes by him because all thinges are as certaine to him as if he had Acâ—â—â—ries and Clarkes in heauen to make enrolement thereof and to keepe the recordes of them 〈◊〉 hath three seuerall 〈◊〉 or Bookes 1. The booke of prouidence 2. Of Iudgement 3. Of life The booke of his prouidence is the absolute knowledge of a particularities pâ—st present to come This Book is meâ—â—oned by Dauid in these wordes Thine eyes did see my substance yet being vnperfect and in thy bookes were al my members written which day by day were â—ashioned when as yet there were none of them As in another place thus Thou tellest my â—â—ttings puttest my teares into thy bottel are not these things noted in thy bookes The booke of Iudgement is that wherebâ— he giueth iudgement which is of two sections The first is his â—ore knowleâ—ge in whâ—ch all the affaires of men their designmeâ—ts and 〈…〉 as plainely set downe to him as if they were pâ—nned Wee may â—et them slippe in a carelesâ—e â—orge fulnesse but God hath â—ckets of our dooings by him and keepeth them in perâ—ect remembrance Of which the Prophet Dauid saith thus Thou hast set my misdeedes before thee and my secret sinnes in the sight of thy countenance So that be they neuer so olde they are as new to him as if they had beene doon but yesterday For he rippeth vp the sâ—ane of Amalek doone more then three hundreth yeares before and commaundeth Saul to conferre it He yâ— numbreth the stars calleth them all by their names hath numbred our sins and will name them vnto vs as periuries blasphemies adulteries lyes vsuries and such like The second leafe or tome of this second Booke is euerie mans particuler conscience which maketh conuulsions thinges in vs and is instead of a thousand witnesses setting before vs the thinges that we haue done The booke of life is the decree of Gods election in which God hath set downe who are sealed vp vnto eternal life The opening of these bookes is Gods reuealing vnto euerie man his owne proper sins in thought word and deede committed against heauen and against him and then also by his omnipotent power hee that can of stones by Iordans brooke side raise vp Children to Abraham shall breake a sunder our stonie consciences so that wee shall haue compunction and remembrance of all sorepassed actions Now the conscience of the wicked is feared with a hot yron and is past feeling but then it shall be so sensible
the siluer Smith with the Apprentises to that trade had raised is said to haue dismissed the church but the force of the word signifieth a companie called out from the common companie And truely such as are of the Church indeede are called out of the world into one companye and bodye into a holy common wealth by themselues Wherefore God when hee first founded his Church heere in earth hee did cast out Cain from the face of the earth and surrogated Seâ—h from whome lineally the Sonnes of God should haue distent So Abraham was called out of Chaldea and seperated from among them and the faithfull Sonnes of Abraham are peremptorily commaunded to goe out of Babilon Thus was Paul called from the companie of Pharises when hee was to her a Church man and hee nameth such as are Saintes called as the Romans To you that bee at Rome beloued of God called to bee Saints The Corinthians vnto the Church of God which is at Corinthus to them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus Saintes by calling And Christ saith that hee came not to call the righteous Wherfore such as are called are of the Church and such as are not called are not of the Church We will sift euerie word of the sentence one by one But we will first marke the difference that this Iudiciall proceeding shal haue from the definitiue doomes of men In the trybunals of earthly Iudges an enditement is put in an euidence vpon the Indicement is giuen witnesses are produced and sworne the guiltie person hath his aduocate and Counsellor to plead his cause a Iurye is pannelled against the Prisoner But here are none of these circumstances vsed for here the conscience shall accuse and excuse all Christ shall not need witnesses as knowing the verie secrets of the heart and vnderstanding the thoughts long before Whâ— by his presence shall comfort the elect and confound the reprobate Against whom the diuell shall vrge the Lawe and call for iustice out of hand thus yelling like a woolf against the damned ones as Eusebius Emissenus notablie thus deliuereth O thou iust Iudge these were thine by creation but they are mine by corruption thine by nature but mine by disobedience who héeded more my seduction then thy wholsome instruction thine by Law mine by fact thine by worke mine by will Then the king speaketh He calleth himselfe a king who before named himselfe the sonne of man to shew that his incarnation and humiliation shall bee nothing derogatorie from his Diuinitie and Maiestie when he shall come in the forme of a man true man to bee King of glorie and Iudge generall of all men He diuideth his speech into two partes suting them to the two sortes of people that shall stande before him 1 The elect 2 reprobate To the first he readeth sentence of Absolution to the second the sentence of Condemnation In the first wee will handle these points 1 Their calling 2 Who are called 3 To what they are called 4 Wherefore they are so called The first which is their calling is abridged in this word Come He giueth vs frée accesse vnto himselfe without the mediation of Saints Angels as the Church of Rome fancieth He is the same in heauen in the height of his Maiestie as he was in earth in the height of his humilitie This was his Proclaimation in earth Come vnto me all ye that are wearie laden and I will refresh you All ye that are thirstie come vnto the waters The same he will proclaime at the standard in the ayre Come yee blessed And why Because his pleasure is yâ— we he where he is according to that which he saith in Iohn I will that where I am there my seruants be also And after this saying I goe to prepare you a place and when I shall goe and prepare you a place I will come againe and take you vnto me that where I am there may you be also 2 The persons that are called are pricked out in these wordes Ye blessed of my father By which tytle wee see the whole conueyance of our heauenlye inheritance as descending vnto vs by the meere blessing of heauenly grace Wée being by Adams vngraciousnesse sentenced to a cursse By Christ therfore the case is altered a cursse is turned into a blessing he being that blessed promised seede that should bruse the Serpents head the original of our cursse hee being the â—eed of Abraham in whome all the nations of the earth are blessed Wherfore we sing the Apostle Paules song Blessed bee God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in heauenly thinges in Christ Wherefore this blessing came not by the lawe but by grace If the law of Moses could not make vs blessed much lesse can the lawes of Mahomet or the Pope make vs blessed Wherefore by grace wee are onelye gracious 3. Whether and to what wee are called is shewed in these wordes Possesse the Kingdome of Heauen prepared for you from the beginning of the worlde The Greeke word signifieth not simply to possesse but inherite which word inherit dooth vtterly vannish merrit For as the Infant is borne an heyre before hee can merrit the inheritance so God hath made vs inheritors before wee were able to doe any thing eyther good or euill as Paul by the examples of Iacob and Esau plainely teacheth vs. Againe the preparation and ordination of the Kingdome heere spoken of concludeth that it was ours before we were our owne wherefore wee come not to it by anye worthinesse of our owne 4. The answere wherefore wee are so called is giuen in the sequell I was a hungrie and you gaue me meate As if hee should haue said I call you the blessed of my Father and ioynt heires with mee in his Kingdome Because by effectuall workes and liuelye fruites thereof yee haue testified your faith The workes that are heere specified are workes of Charitie not of vanitie as monasticall vowes and such as haue foundation from humain traditions These containe all whatsoeuer else may be named For they that performe these doubtlesse will by hurtfull to none vse deceit towards none and be negligent towardes none who are commended to their charge by God In the next place followeth the condemnatorie sentence pronounced against the wicked which would make a mans blood cold and coâ—gealed within him Departe from mee Heereupon shall the damned say Lord seeing wee must so doe yet blesse vs before wee departe as Esau saide to his Father Isaac But with their departure is the blessing departed from them likewise Iacob haue I blessed and hee shall be blessed saith Father Isaac to Esau so the godly haue I blessed and they shall be blessed saith God our Father to the wicked therefore hee addeth this word Curssed