say they is a day of blacknes darknes the earth shal tremble before him the heauens shall shake the Sun the Moone shal be dark and the stars shal withdraw their shining This day is great and very terrible and who can abide it it commeth cruelly with wrath as fierce anger and hee shall destroy the sinners out of the earth And because the world should haue some time to forethink themselues our Sauiour Christ hath giuen some warning by the signes that shall come before this iudgement day As that there shall be false reachers abroad in the world who shal deceiue if it were possible the very elect and chose children of God Math. 24.24 Warres and seditions Nation shall rise against Nation and Kingdome against Kingdome the father in matters of religion shal be against the sonne and the sonne against the father the mother against the daughter one friend against an other great earthquakes in diuers places hunger pestilence bitter persecution of them that shall professe Christ and his Gospell Charitie shall waxe cold among men men shall leade a leaud and sinfull life altogether carelesse of the Iudgement to come The Gospell shall be published and fewe shal regard it it shall bee preached through the whole world for a witnesse vnto all Nations to make them without all excuse and then shall the end come Feareful things shall be seene the sea and the waters shall roare and mens hearts shall faile them for feare and for looking after those things which shal come on the world The Sunne shall be darkened and the Moone shall not giue her light the starres shal fall from heauen and the powers of heauen shal be shaken wherby the horrible trembling of the world is meant together with the alteration and ouerturning of the whole course of nature And after all these things then shall appeare the signe of the Sunne of man in heauen What effects the signes of the latter day shal worke in the mindes of men The consideration of which signes shall worke diuersly both in the godly and in the wicked For the hearts of the wicked shall be hardned made worse by these signes as King Pharaohs hart by Gods strange punishmēts was more and more hardned vntill the time of his destructiō and that he was vtterly ouerthrowne in the red sea These signes as they shal moue the godly minded partly to repentance in consideration of theyr sinnes and partly to comfort in respect of ioyes to come so the wicked contrariwise shall be giuen to dispaire and to curse the houre that euer they were borne And this is a secret iudgement vpon them that they shall be blinded euen vntill the very houre of their destruction so that when they would seek for remedy there shal be none The godly they wish for the comming of the Lord Come Lord Iesus come quickly for they know that his comming shall end their miseries and begin their ioyes as Christ himselfe doth comfort them Luk. 21.28 And when these things begin to come to passe then looke vp and lift vp your heads for your redemption that is the full accomplishment of the same draweth neare For then as saith the Apostle 1. Thes 4.17 Shall wee bee caught in the cloudes to meete the Lord in the aire and so shall we be euer with the Lord. The last circumstance of this iudgement is Sudden that it shall come vpon the sudden and that most fearefully to the wicked 1. Thes 5.3 For when they shall say peace peace and all in safetie then shal come vpon them sudden destruction as the trauel vpon a woman with child and they shall not escape As it fell out to the rich man in the Gospell Luk. 12.20 Soule saith he take thy ease eat and drinke take thy pastime for thou hast much good laid vp for many yeares But he heard doleful words O foole this night will they fetch away thy soule from thee Or as when Nabuchadnezer vaunted himselfe of his stately buildings a fearefull voyce came suddenly vnto him O King Nabuchadnezer to thee be it spoken thy kingdome is departed from thee Or as when his sonne King Belshasar Dan. 5.6 feasting and hanquetting among his Concubines suddenly there appeared a hand writing vpon a wall declaring the end of his Kingdome and his death This sudden destruction shall worthily fall vpon them who haue made a mock of this iudgement who then shall feele the dint of Gods reuenging sword and they that imboldned themselues in all wicked waies and euill naughtie practises shall then know how far they went a stray The wicked whom no lawe could refraine from their licentious life and who haue died to the sight of men in peace after they haue long enioyed their lusts and diuers pleasures after much violence and wrong which they haue offered after many misdeeds which mans lawes should haue corrected and yet let passe although they haue escaped the iudgement of man yet then shall they receiue according to their deedes But to the good and well disposed it is a watch-word when they heare that the Iudgement day shall be vpon a sudden Let vs therefore with the fiue wise virgins haue oyle in our Lampes remembring Christ his forewarning That which I say vnto you I say vnto all men watch And so much briefly for the second part of the diuision of this Text namely of the description and declaration of the latter Iudgement Who shall be the Iudge The third generall matter which I proposed vnto you was concerning the Iudge and who it should be And as it was said of the Iudgement that it should be sudden so also shall the comming of the Iudge be Mat. 24.27 For as the lightning commeth out of the East and shineth into the West so shall also the comming of the sonne of man be He that was equall with God and tooke vpon him the shape of a seruant hee that was abased despised and persecuted of sinfull men hee shall come in power and great glory to iudge the world and to be reuenged of his enemies He whom God hath placed at his right hand farre aboue all principallitie power might domination and euery name that is named not in this world onely but also in that that is to come hee it is that is ordained of God a Iudge of quicke and dead Whose comming shall not be as at the first poorely and basely but with great maiestie and after a most glorious wonderfull and most dreadfull maner He shall descend from heauen not to come downe on the earth but to sit on the cloudes as his tribunall seate and throne of Iudgement hee shall come with a shout and a maruellous great noise with the voyce of the Archangel and with the sound of the last Trumpet For the Trumpet shall blowe and the dead shall be raised 1. Cor. 15. and hee shall shewe himselfe with thousands of his mighty Angels and that in flaming fire rendring vengeance vnto them
that doo not know God which obey not vnto the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ Which shall be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to bee made maruellous in all them that beleeue 2. Thes 1.7 Which glorious appearance of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ this heauenly Iudge that shall come in the latter end of the world shall be of the more maiestie if we shall compare it to the deliuerie of the lawe which then was both fearefull and terrible whereof wee reade Exod. 9.16 And the third day when it was morning there was thunders and lightnings and a thicke cloude vpon the mount and the sounde of the trumpet louder and louder euen exceeding loude so that all the people that was in the campe was affraied Then Moses brought the people out of the tents to meete with God and they stood in the nether part of the mount And mount Sinay was all on a smoke because the Lord came downe vpon it in fire and the smoake thereof ascended as the smoake of a furnace and all the mount trembled exceedingly This appearing of the deliuery of the lawe was to denounce a sharpe punishment and curse for sinne but this second appearing at the ende of the world shall bee with greater maiestie and more terrible by reason of the ful execution of this curse and punishment And as Moses was admitted into Gods presence but the people trembled and would not come neare so shall this second appearing bee ioyfull to the godly who shall meete with the Lord in the cloudes but as for the rest they shall mourne and as the Prophet saith who shall be able to abide it Then was but the mount on fire but now shall the whole world bee on a flame then onely the people of Israel were called and assembled together now shall all people nations and languages be gathered then was there a curse onely denounced if they and wee by them also beeing vnderstood should transgresse and breake Gods law and commaundements but no present punishment followed now shall there be no delay but they shall in the same moment of time receiue the sentence of condemnation and shall forthwith bee throwne into hell fire to be tormented for euer Therefore shall this appearing be of greater glory of greater maiesty and more terrible The Sonne of man as yee haue heard he shal be the Iudge of the whole world at the latter day indeede no earthly man but he that tooke vpon him the nature of man Who also elsewhere is called the sonne of God and is the second person in the reuerent and most holy trinitie whom God hath not onely ordained to this office but also hath commaunded the Apostles to preach and to publish it throughout the whole world that it might bee as surely grafted into the mindes of men as it is certainly decreed by the determinate purpose of God As we read Iohn 5.22 For the father iudgeth no man but hath committed all iudgement vnto the sonne Whereof the holy Apostle S. Paul also giueth witnesse Acts 17.32 God saith he admonisheth all men euerywhere to repent Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will iudge the world in righteousnesse by that man whom he hath appointed whereof he hath giuen an assurance vnto all men in that he hath raised him from the dead By the force of which certaine perswasion he chargeth Timothy to bee earnest and carefull in his dutie 2. Tim. 4.1 I charge thee therefore before God and before the Lord Iesus Christ who shall iudge the quick and dead at his appearing preach the word be instant in season and out of season improue rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine Also the holy Apostle S. Peter 2. Ep. 4.5 doth testifie the selfe-same thing when as he exhorted those whom he writ vnto to desist and leaue off their vngodly life to depart from the company of the wicked and not to be daunted in mind thogh they should be scoffed and mocked at their hands for so doing Encouraging them with a most forceable reason that might throughly perswade them which is that the wicked shall be iudged which iudgement they shall escape that go from them and turn to God in time forsaking the waies and counsels of the wicked And because the place of scripture is notable and worthy of great regard I think good to set it downe It is sufficient for vs saith hee that we haue spent the time past of the life after the lust of the Gentiles walking in wantonnesse lusts drunkennesse in gluttonie and in abhominable idolatries Wherein it seemeth to them strange that yee runne not with them vnto the same excesse of ryot and continue in so doing therefore speak they euill of you which shall giue accounts to him that is ready to iudge quick dead who is no other but Iesus Christ the Iust as is manifect by those places of Scripture which I haue before alleaged Which proofes being so substanciall that Christ shall be the Iudge and the matter so manifest as I think there is no man but doth so beleeue it shall suffice onely to haue touched it And so let vs go forward that wee may vnderstand how Christ shall performe his Iudgement Which especially is laide downe in these three poynts First that all the Nations and people of the world that euer haue bene shall be gathered into his presence and the reason why they shall appeare is All people shall appeare that they shall be called to their account Secondly after triall of their cause how he shall seperate the one from the other the iust from the vniust and the godly from the wicked Thirdly the execution of this Iudgemēt in pronouncing of sentence All nations people shal be gathered into his presence For he shal send forth his Angels with a great sound of trumpet and they shall gather together his elect frō the foure winds and frō the one end of the heauē to the other Math. 24.31 In the Parrable of the seede it is set downe Math. 13.30 that when haruest comes the reapers shall gather the tares and binde them in sheaues to burne them and so foorth Which Parable Christ enterpreting to his Disciples saith that the haruest is the end of the world and the reapers be the Angels whom the sonne of man shall send forth and they shall gather out of his kingdome all things that offend and them which doo iniquitie Whereby may be perceiued that both the good and the bad shal be gathered into the presence of the Iudge because the Text hath these words in the same place Then shall the iust men shine as the Sunne For we must all appeare saith the Apostle 2. Cor. 5.10 before the Iudgement seate of Christ that euery man may receiue the things which are done in his body according to
no doubt they feele that there is giuen to them a spirit of bondage and feare through which they tremble at their owne estate They are in mount Sinay where is the burning fire blacknesse darknesse tempest and the sound of a Trumpet in consideration whereof they tremble and are inwardly tormented But thou wilt say the wicked prosper and reioyce in their dayes they are bound in no such bondage nor feare no such feare Thou canst not tell neither doest thou know the heart of wicked man howsoeuer hee boast in his substance and outward prosperitie and seemeth to haue peace peraduenture there is a bitter remembrance within him of the iudgement to come He may delight and sport himselfe but in that laughing the heart is sorrowfull and that myrth doth end in heauinesse And albeit they striue maruellously to cast out this feare yet if they could cast it out from them as out of a cannon and fieldpeece yet would it euermore returne vnto them againe and vexe their heart that so flyeth from it If they would full faine seare vp their consciences as with a hot and glowing Iron yet sometime it will awake them as out of a sleepe so â—aht vpon a sudden they shall see a fearfull sight of death and iudgement And as we read Rom. 8.19 That the feruent desire of the creature wayteth when the sonnes of God shall be reuealed so also we may well say that the consciences of men do groane as it were vnder the burthen of sinne and earnestly desire to be diâ—burthened and yet they shall not For at the iudgement day when all the creatures of the earth shall haue their desire then shall the consciences of the wicked torment them a fresh and that more fiercely then euer they did before For then shall the time be that we shall giue account and God shall bring all our secret sinnes to light our consciences bearing witnesse against vs. The diuell shall accuse And yet there remaineth an other accuser beside God and our owne conscience and that is the diuell who alwayes sought our destruction and brought vs vnto it by diuers temptations and sugered baytes The diuel shal be at hand to accuse vs to call for iudgement against vs who after our iudgement is giuen and the sentence past shal be ready most terribly to torment vs world without end And to bring this to passe then shall he lay deeply to our charge and call for iudgement against vs reioycing and triumphing that he hath so good a cause before so righteous a Iudge earnestly crauing that hee will iudge vprightly because iustice and iudgement is the preparation of his seat and his throne is established by it I pray thee therefore will this accuser say giue sentence with me and iudge him to bee mine which while hee liued would be none of thine mine he or she whosoeuer is by right and they haue deseâ—erued to suffer torments with me and seeing they haue followed my wayes in theyr liues now let them be partakers of my punishments And shall not the Iudge of the world doo right saith Abraham and minister righteous iudgement yea doubtlesse as the Apostle S. Iude vers 14. hath set it downe Behold the Lord commeth with thousands of Saints to giue iudgement against all men and to rebuke all the vngodly among them of all their wicked deeds which they haue vngodly committed and of all their cruell speakings which wicked sinners haue spoken against him When all matters are thus made manifest all shall be iudged partly according to the confession of their owne guiltie conscience and partly by the word of God which they haue hard and which they haue either neglected or despised euen by the selfesame word shal they be iudged For by that shall they be made without excuse and the more culpable before Gods iudgement seate As we may reade in the Gospell of S. Iohn Word Chap. 12.48 He that refuseth me and receiueth not my words hath one that iudgeth him the word that I haue spoken it shall iudge him in the last day Where by the way we are taught to haue the more regard of the word of God and with reuerence to heare it with remembrance to keepe it in our hearts and with care to expresse it in our liues and conuersation that it may be a helpe to our saluation whereas otherwise it is like to bee our Iudge to our condemnation Which is further declared by that which is set downe Acts 13.40.41 Beware therefore least that come vpon you which is spoken of in the Prophets Behold the despisers and wonder and vanish away For I worke a worke in their dayes a work which yee shall not beleeue if a man would declare it vnto you Which worke by the interpretation of the learned is the vnspeakable vengeance of God vpon those that contemne his word Thus then beeing in his presence and after the generall trial of our cause and after we haue giuen our account shall Iesus Christ who is appointed to be the Iudge of quick and dead proceed to Iudgement in seperating the iust from the vniust the good from the bad the wheat from the chaffe the sheepe from the goates For in this world they are mingled together the good with bad and God suffereth his raine to fall as well vpon the vniust as the iust neither is he hasty to separat them the one from the other in this life To the end that he may shewe his patience toward the wicked in giuing them time and space to repent as also by their meanes he exerciseth his Church and people to teach them patience and to try whether they will stand stedfast vnto him or fall away from him with the rest of the world And as he rebuked his Disciples because they desired that fire should come downe from heauen to consume the Samaritanes so also he findeth fault with them that would haue a seperation before the iust time come According as we read in the Epistle to the Romans Chap. 12.19 Vengeance is mine I will repay it saith the Lord. God knoweth his iust time and his appointed time is the end of the world Which matter is very effectually set downe in a Parable Mat. 13.12 For after the good feede was sowne and the blade sproong vp and brought forth fruite then appeared also tares Then came the seruants of the housholder and said vnto the maister Maister sowedst not thou good seed in thy field from whence then hath it tares And hee said to them the enuious man hath done this Then the seruants said vnto him Wilt thou then that we goe and gather them vp But hee said nay least while ye go about to gather the tares yee pluck vp also with them the wheat Let both grow together vntill the haruest and in time of haruest I will say to the reapers gather ye first the tares and bind them in sheaues to burne them but gather the wheat into my barne The
godly therefore may comfort themselues with this that in time to come though not presently and out of hand there shal be a seperation The kingdome of heauen is likened vnto a drawe net cast into the sea that gathereth of all kindes of things which when it is full men draw to land and sit and gather the good into vessels and cast the bad away So shall it bee at the end of the world the good and the bad shall be parted after that the trumpet hath blowne and the dead bee raised Againe the seed sowne is the word of God preached The field wherein it is sowne is the world the good seed are they which with an honest heart heare the word and keep it and bring forth fruite and these be the children of the Kingdome and the tares are the children of the wicked and the enemie that soweth them is the diuell and the haruest is the end of the world and the reapers be the Angels As then the tares are gathered and brent in the fire so shall it be in the end of the world The sonne of man shall send forth his Angels and they shal gather and they shall seperate Math. 13.39 When the regions and parts of the earth are white then is the time of haruest As we read in the Reue. 14.15 That the Angel cried with a loud voyce to him that sate on the cloud Thrust in thy sickle and reape for the time is come to reape for the haruest of the earth is ripe As though he saw the time when the number of Gods elect and chosen children should bee fulfilled and the sinnes of the vngodly and wicked come to a full measure And the Angel thrust in his sharpe sickle on the earth and cut downe the vines of the vineyard of the earth and cast them into the great Wine-presse of the wrath of God So shall the bad bee seperated from the good as a shepheard seperateth the sheepe from the goates and the Iudge who is meant by the shepheard shall commaund the sheepe to be set on his right hand and the goates on the left the good and the bad And then will hee addresse himselfe to giue sententence and to take order for the execution of his iudgement And who shall stay or hinder this iudgement Sentence or who shall auoyd the fiercenesse furiousnesse of his wrath Shall the king be deliuered by the multitude of an host No he shal be but as one man naked and vnarmed and without helpe and hee that shall come to iudge him commeth with infinite thousands of Angels The strength of the strong man shall then stand him in no stead but in stead of strength he shall bee resolued into feare and weaknesse The wealth of the rich man shall not ransome him for riches shall not preuaile in the day of wrath Before so wise so vpright such a Iudge of that courage thou shalt stand whom neither feare shall daunt nor fauour shall moue nor gold shal bribe and corrupt him neither any entreaty or prayer then at that time shall perswade him There shal be no respect of persons no falsifying of the cause no colours nor excuse to blinde him no learning no men of lawe shall defend thee no wit nor pollicie shall go beyond this Iudge no speech nor flattery shall preuaile with him in a word what shall worldly helpes doo when the world it self shal vanish awaye Nothing that shall be deuised shall turn his mind nothing shall alter or reuerse his iudgement it shall passe without deniall and without all reuocation For then shall hee come to iudge the world righteously and to minister true iudgement vnto the people And thus after that the sheepe be seperated from the goates shall iudgement be executed and sentence shall be giuen in such sort and order as we read it set down Mat. 25.34 Then shal the king that is the Iudge say to thē on his right hād Come ye blessed of my father inherit yee the kingdome prepared for you frō the foūdatiōs the world But to thē on his left hand he shal say Depart frō me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is preparêd for the diuell and his angels And these shall go into euerlasting pain and the righteous into life eternall By reason of which fearefull sentence the wicked shall haue good cause to say to the mountaines and to the Rocks Reue. 6.15 Fall on vs and hide vs from 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 They shall desire to hide thēselues in dens amōg the Rocks and moūtains but yet shal they not auoid his presence they shal desire death shall not find it seeke after it and yet shall death fly frō them And as the diuels as we read in the Gospell besought Christ that he would not torment them before their time so now shal the time of the terrible wrath of God be whē the diuels together with all the people that haue either forgotten or not regarded and highly displeased God to the vtter hazard of their soules shal be cast into hell and throwne into endlesse torments And therefore shall his comming be in flaming fire to render vengeance against the sinners of the earth who not onely shall be depriued from the presence of God and from the glory of his power and frō the company of the blessed Angels and redeemed soules but that which is far worse and more grieuous and lamentable they shall be punished with euerlasting perdition and destruction And the Angels that seperat the good from the bad shal then gather out of his kingdome all things that offend and them which do iniquitie and shall cast them into a furnace of fire there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth When as the iust and godly shall shine as the Sunne in the Kingdome of their father and when the accursed sort shall go downe by a by way a backe way and a blacke with many a sigh and sob from God from the Angel from the Saints from ioy from glory from blisse with the fiends of Hell to suppe in the pallace of darknesse with the princes of horror at the table of vengeance in the chaire of calamitie with the crowne of death vpon their head hauing nothing before their eyes but infinite torments prepared for them 4. By the sentence pronounced and last iudgement giuen How this iudgement pertaineth to the godly and to the wicked an entrance is laid open vnto me to declare vnto you how this iudgement pertaineth to the wicked and vnto the godly which was the last thing in this treatise of the latter iudgement that I purposed to speake vnto you of Vnto the which I haue thought good to adde an exhortation that wee may be prepared against the time hauing oyle in our lampes with the fiue wise virgines that waited for the comming of the
bridegrome It is an article of our beliefe and surely not without singular comfort and commoditie that he that vouchsafed to take our nature vpon him and to bee cloathed with our flesh that suffered and endured the spitefull dealing of the wicked and an accursed death for our sakes that he that rose from death to bring vs to life that he that ascended into heauen to procure vs an entrance into his fathers Kingdome and to make vs fellow heires with himselfe that he I say would not forsake vs euen in the most dreadfull time and greatest necessitie when we had deserued the heauy sentence of iudgement and wofull condemnation That hee would set vs free from all feare and to haue that comfortable and most gracious regard of vs as though we had neuer offended him and to vse this chearefull and ioyfull speech vnto vs Come ye blessed I say this article is not without singular comfort From thence shall be come to iudge both the quicke and the dead Which is not spoken to the wicked to whom nothing is comfortable but onely the vanities and pleasures of this transitorie life which shall haue an end and a sudden end and a finall and heauy recompence but to the comfort of the godly and to encourage them which haue sighed and groaned vnder the burthen of their sinnes and who haue fledde vnto the throne of the grace of God and holding out a godly course haue through hope and patience looked for this deliuerance which shall be at the day of doome and iudgement Which comming of Christ vnto iudgement shal be vnto them as the appearing of the Angel was after Christ his resurrectioÌ„ vnto the women that is milde and gentle Be not ye affraid let not your hearts be troubled But vnto the rest his countenance shall be like lightning and hee shal come in flaming fire reÌ„dring vengeance So that they shall not be onely astonied and become as dead men as were the souldiers that were set to keepe our Sauiour Christ in the graue but furthermore they shall be in horrible feare and trembling And happy were they if they might be partakers of their desire so far as not to be to become as thogh they had neuer bene borne But as the godly do passe to ioyes so the other of force must liue in eternall torments In consideration of which iudgement and torments to come they leade a life continually in feare and treÌ„ble at the remembrance of their woful estate which hereafter shal be The godly also haue good cause to feare the selfesame feare of the last iudgement and eternall torments in respect of their manifold sinnes and offences whereby they haue prouoked the heauy wrath of God against them But that they might be raised vp againe and comforted it pleased our Sauiour Christ to receiue the sentence of condemnation himselfe and against his owne person hee beeing altogether innocent and guiltlesse in the presence and from the mouth of an earthly Iudge Pontius Pilat by name that wee might bee acquitted and set free at the terrible and fearefull day of iudgement which in the ende of the world shall come vpon all flesh that wee I say might bee acquitted which are altogether full of sinnes and altogether guiltie According to that we read Ro. 8.1 Now then there is no coÌ„deÌ„natioÌ„ to them that are in Christ Iesus And what shall we then say If God be on our side who caÌ„ be against vs who spared not his own son but gaue him for vs al to death how shall he not with him giue vs all things also who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen It is God that iustifieth who shall condemne It is Christ which is dead yea or rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God maketh requÌ„est also for vs. So that I may boldly say to them who feele the inward comfort of Gods spirit within their hearts by the forgiuenesse of their sinnes through Christ his death Feare not this feare nor tremble as the wicked doo at this iudgement For seeing ye are led by the good spirit of God it is a token that yee are the children of God and that yee haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but ye haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba which is as much as to say father euen our father which art in heauen And the same spirit of God beareth witnesse with our spirit that wee are the children of God and if we be children wee are also heires euen the heires of God and fellowe heires with Christ our elder brother Wherefore there is no cause why the godly should feare this iudgement as the wicked feare it For as the one sort shall at that day receiue the iudgement of condemnation whereof they haue an inward feeling in this life which makes them feare so the other shall receiue the sentence of absolution and shall bee quit as it were by proclamation when Christ shall say Come yee blessed Which is the cause that moueth the holy Apostle S. Iohn 1. Ep. 4.17 to breake forth into these words Herein is the loue of God perfect toward vs that we should haue boldnesse at the day of iudgement Therefore the godly make their prayers and wish that this day might come shortly Reue. 22. Come Lord Iesus come quickly The wicked would not haue it come as yet nay if it were possible they could wish it should neuer be and that it would neuer come to passe Torment vs not say the diuels to Christ before our time Oh say the wicked that this time might neuer be or that after death wee might vanish away and come to nothing How greatly auaileable shall it be to the godly when hee that is their Sauiour and hath shead his most precious bloud for their redemption hee that is their elder brother and hath purchased vnto them this libertie as to be called the sonnes of God when he that is their head and hath made theÌ„ his members shal be their Iudge to iustifie them and to declare them righteous and whâ—n at that day hee shall deliuer them from all sinne feare of death the diuell hell and all other miseries wherewith other shall not onely be ouertaken but ouerwhelmed For who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods children and who shall procure their destruction whose saluation God hath wrought But to the great terrour of the godlesse and wicked who feare not God nor loue either Christ or his Gospell hee shall be their Iudge to their fearefull and that most iust destruction This also shal not onely be an inward refreshing amoÌ„g great miseries wrongs and persecutions while wee liue heere on the earth but also a great ioy in time to come that al vnrighteous iudgement shall be called to account and that there shal be a generall and most absolute reformation For on earth for the most part there is no true
be placed in the heauenly Ierusalem and reckoned amōg the saints of God that the day of iudgement may not be a day of eternall condemnation vnto vs but euen the perfection of our saluation and redemption and the beginning of all ioy comfort While we liue here in this world let vs be alwayes ready by spending the time well For as we sowe so shall we reape As the holy Apostle doth put vs in minde Gal. 6.7.8 Bee not deceiued God is not mocked For he that soweth to the flesh by practising the workes of the flesh shall therefore reape corruption or rather as if he had said condemnation But he that soweth to the spirit by mortifying the deeds of the flesh by the good motions of Gods spirit shall there hence reape euerlasting life Which sentence I pray God print in all our hearts and so graciously prepare vs vnto the day of iudgement Now the very God of peace keepe vs in all well doing and in all good workes to do his will working in vs that which is pleasant in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom be praise for euermore Amen 2. Pet. 36. The world that then was perished ouerflowed with water 2. Pet. 3.7 But the heauens and earth which are now are kept by the same word in store and reserued vnto fire against the day of iudgement and of the destruction of vngodly men vers 9. The Lord is not slack but patient vers 10. Howbeit the day of the Lord will come as a theefe in the night in the which the heauens shall passe away with a noyse and the elements shall melt with heate and the earth with the workes therein shall be burnt vp Seeing therefore that all these things must be dissolued what manner persons ought ye to be in holy conuersation and godlynesse Looking for and hasting vnto the comming of the day of God by the which the heauens being on fire shal be dissolued But we looke for new heauens and a new earth according to his promise wherein dwelleth righteousnesse Wherefore beloued since ye looke for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse And suppose that the long suffering of our Lord is saluation 1. Pet. 4.7 Now the end of all things is at hand Be ye therefore sober and watching in prayer Luk. 21.34 Take heed to your selues least at any time your hearts be oppressed with surfetting and drunkennesse and cares of this life and least that day come on you at vnawares For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth Watch therefore and pray continually that ye may be counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to passe and that ye may stand before the Sonne of man Arise ye dead and come to iudgement The end of the first Treatise A TREATISE OF the Ioyes of Heauen 1. Cor. 2.9 But as it is written The things which eye hath not seene neither eare hath heard neither came into mans heart are which God hath prepared for them that loue him IF the holy Apostle S. Paul being taken vp into Paradice heard such words which cannot bee spoken and are not possible for man to vtter as he testifieth of himselfe 2. Cor. 12.3 How should I take vpon mee to shewe you those Ioyes which neither eye hath scene nor eare hath heard nor euer entred into the heart of man Herein I know mens mindes wil run vpon needlesse curiosities which is no part of my dutie to satisfie as also to shew you mine owne deuices and imaginations were a thing to set forth my owne folly But so far forth as mans reason may search but there we must stay for mans reason in spirituall affaires is altogether foolishnesse nay rather so far forth as Gods word doth instruct vs we may be desirous to learne as also to be content although many things bee hid from vs. Let it therefore be sufficient vnto vs if wee may haue but a taste of those Ioyes and that it pleaseth God in a measure to graunt vs some knowledge of them Adam beeing in the earthly paradice knewe not all the secrets and commodities thereof and how shall wee thinke to attaine to the full knowledge of heauenly Paradice But seeing God doth graunt vs the vnderstanding of these matters but after a sort he doth it for our good that seeing those ioyes that we can conceiue are surpassing excellent and yet the heauenly ioyes do surmount our cōceits by many degrees further we might the more be drawne in loue with God himselfe who hath ordained such rare vnspeakeable incomprehensible and endlesse excellencies for them that loue him and liue in his obedience As also considering our own great vnworthinesse we might with the Prophet Dauid breake foorth into the praises of God 14.4.3 and say Lord what is man that thou hast such respect vnto him or the sonne of man that thou so regardest him Now as the Prophets doo stir vp the peoples mindes to serue and honor God by setting before them the temporal blessings of this life and thereby giuing them an earnest of greater blessings to come so is the happie estate of euerlasting life described vnto vs by such earthly comparisons as our natural capacitie can conceiue That we beholding in minde and contemplation those wonderfull Ioyes which we can conceiue we may grow into admiration of those heauenly and incredible excellencies which are altogether past our conceit and farre beyond our reach and vnderstanding For as spiritual blessings do far surpasse corporall blessings so heauenly ioyes do far exceed al earthly glory Yea and these stately secrets of an other life are so much hidden from flesh and bloud that all the learning of the wise men of the world can come nothing neare them That in this case they may truly say with the Astrologers of King Nabuchadnezzer Dan. 2. It is a rare thing and there is no other that can declare them but God himselfe whose dwelling is not with flesh The Turkish Paradice But let vs a little behold what flesh and bloud hath set downe concerning these ioyes of heauen In the Turkish Alcoran that is a booke which they vse in stead of a Bible which Booke Mahomet their Prophet left vnto them as the learned haue searched out thus the ioyes of heauen are set downe Their Prophet promiseth them garments of silke of all sorts of colours bracelets of gold and amber parlours and banquetting houses vpon flouds and riuers vessels of gold and siluer Angels seruing thē bringing in gold milk in siluer wine lodgings furnished cushens pillows and downe beds most bewtifull women to accompany them gardens and orchards with harbors fountains springs and all manner of pleasant fruits riuers of milk honey and spiced wine all manner of sweet odours perfumes fragrant sents and to be short whatsoeuer the flesh shall desire to eate Thus fleshly people haue a fleshly religion