field foules of the ayre and fishes of the sea to be subiect to man who likewise according to Gods firste ordinaunce is borne at his appointed time and at his appointed time also returneth againe to duste from whence he came and so obseruing all the workes of God to holde on that course of nature at this daye without any change which he gaue to euery one of them in their kind at their first creation many yeares since thereupon they promise and presume of an eternall perpetuitie in all thinges concluding with the Precher Mundus durauit hactenus ergo finem non habebit The wor◠hath endured hitherto ergo it shall haue no ende and thus as much as in them lyeth both in the examples of their liues and wordes of their lippes discredyting nay deriding the promise of the comming of Christe and mocking the threatninges of God his iudgementes Such mockers in these dayes of ours which the Apostle termeth the last are manye One sort of them saye in their heartes there is no God In which number the moste and greatest part of vs I feare me may be comprehended we are not so impudent to say with our tonges there is no God but loke into our liues our offices and functions marke how euery man walketh in that state of lyfe wherein he is placed of the Lorde and you shall see we are not ashamed to say in our heartes There is no God We all saye with our tongues that we esteeme our soules a thousande times more deare then our bodies but compare that which we do to the one with that which we say of the other and you shall see that in our heartes we haue a greater care to preserue our filthye carcase then to instruct our conscience we all say with our mouthes we would goe to heauen if wishing would bringe vs to heauen but we frame our lyues as though in our hearts we neither hoped for heauen nor beleeued there is a hell but looked alwayes to liue vppon earth Wee cry out with our mouthes fie of the flesh and we defte the Diuell in our wordes but we are ready to take his part in our workes and the least temptation that is offered vs is able to vanquishe vs and cause vs to giue the Diuell our consent with our heartes Thus we mocke God and we deceaue our selues but the Diuell he will neither be deceiued nor mocked of vs when time shall bee that the secreats of all hearts shall be opened and the deedes of all men iudged he will challenge that which is his and bring in good and sufficient euidence to prooue vs to bee his then by our owne workes and not his whose now we pretend to be with oure mouthes Then shall we finde that in earnest which now beeing preached to vs and yet not felt of vs we esteeme but as a mocke or iest A second sort of mockers there is who although they confes there is a God yet saye they non veniet dies iudicii that God will neuer come in iudgement Let vs therefore cate and drinke for to morrow we shall die there is noman known to haue returned from the graue We are borne at all aduenture and wee shall bee hereafter as though we had neuer bene our breath is like a smoke in our nostrels and words like a sparke raised out of our hartes which being extinguished oure bodie shall be turned into ashes and our spirite shall vanishe as the softe aire our life shall passe awaye as the trace of a cloude and come to naught as the miste that is driuen awaye with the beames of the same and put downe with the heate thereof our name also shalbe forgotten by litle and litle and no man shall haue our works in remembrance for our time is a day shadowe that passeth away and after oure ende there is no returning Come on therfore let vs enioy the pleasures that are present and let vs cheerefullye vse the creatures like as in youthe Let euery one of vs bee partakers of oure voluptuousnesse let vs leaue some token of our pleasure in euery place for this is our portion and this onely our lot Let vs oppresse the pore righteous let vs not spare the widowe or old man let vs not regard the heads that are graye for age and so forth as it followeth in the booke of wisedome where the life and manner of these second sorts of moekers and epitures is liuely described and set foorth at large The Apostle tearmeth them ennemies to the crosse of Christ whose end is damnation whose God is their belly and glory to their shame minding onely earthly things and not seeking after those thinges that are aboue The third sort of mockers there is which saye with the ill seruant Tardat dominus venire these proue there is agod that God wil at last come in iudgement but yet presuming of his mercy life they differ their repentaunce to the houre of death thinking they may repēt them when they will that they shall haue leisure enough when they are old ready to dye But O ye fooles and mockers of God remēber with your selues that like as God is mercifull so goeth wrath from him also his indignation commeth downe vppon sinners Make no tarrying therfore to turne to the Lord and put not off from day to daye for sodenlye shall his wrath come and in the time of vengeance he shall destroy thee Put not of thy repentance therefore in hope to attaine to old age or to find God mercifull at the laste houre For thou knowest not whether thou shalt liue till thou arte olde and death when he commeth hee asketh not howe long a man hath liued but as hee findeth him so hee taketh him But suppose thou liuest till thou art old how art thou sure that thou shalt haue the space of an houre on quarter or minute of an houre before that death doth strike thee with his dart Olde father Isaac confessed hee knewe not the day of his death much lesse dost thou knowe the howre of thy death For as fishes are taken with the angle and birdes cought in the share euen so are men ouertaken with death But when thou dost sicken what if thou doste liue an houre a day a weeke before thou die art thou sure in y e howre day or weeke to haue a mind to call for God his grace and repente thee of thy life misliked Or dost thou thinke that a wicked man can repent him when he will and when he list why then did not Caine repent why did not Saul why Iudas why Esau who as the apostle saith founde no place of repentance though he sought it carefully with teares No repentance is the free gift of the grace of God who giueth it to euery man when he will to whom he will and in what measure hee will according to the riches of his mercie which
the gospel of peace your soules armed with the shield of faith your heade with the helmet of saluation holdinge in the handes of our hearts the swoord of the spirit with your lights and lamps burning in your hands and your selues like vnto men which looke for their Lord when he shall come from the wedding that when soeuer he shall come and knock whether at euen or at midnight at the cocke crowing or dawning of the day thou may open vnto to him immediately Happy is that seruaunt whome the Lorde when he commeth shall find so doing The third part To what ende we must appeare THe ende of the appearing shall be To receaue euery man accordinge to that which he hath done in his body whether it be good or euill Where first the Apostle noteth vnto vs the integrity and vprightnesse of him that shall be our iudge by twoo excellent points of iustice one in that he will reward euery man the other is in that he will rewarde them according to that which they haue done The firste property which the Apostle noteth giueth vs to vnderstande that he will respect no personnes but minister iustice to all alyke without particularitye shewed to one or extreamity to another rewarding euerye man according c. If anye man therefore liuing in the feare of God and with the testimonye of a good conscience findeth him selfe vexed iniuried hurt or oppressed powring forth his grieued soule before God without ease or release of these euils let him not therefore faint or thinke himselfe forsaken of God but patienâ—lye abide his leysure till he rewarde euerye man c. When Dauid saw Saule sought his life Abner after Saules death to enioy his welfare and seeke to ouerthrow his state and then Absoâ—on his owne childe to seeke his lyfe and thirst for his kingdome before his death with a number of such like calamities wherewith all it pleased the Lord to trye him mithall he was in that perplexitie that he protesteth he had vtterlye fainted but that he did verily beleeue to see the goodnes of the lord in the land of the liuing As though he should say the remembrance of the Lorde his goodnesse which I was sure to see and taste of at last in the land of the liuing was that which comforted me in the middest of all my troubles When the Lord had layd vpon Iob all those plagues which might fall vppon man robbed him of his riches spoyled him of his goods and cattell vereft him of his children marked him with botches and biles that from the sole of the foote to the crown of the head he had not one cleane place that whiche was his greatest geâ—eâ— plagues him w t vntrusty friendes vpbrayding him with the hippocrisie of his conscience and the calamities of his lyfe adding this moreouer to the perfection of his manifolde miseries namely a wiâ—â—â—ust froward wicked wise mocking and scoffing his miserie yet saith he The lorde gaue and the lorde hath taken awaye If the Lorde should kill me yet will I still trust in him For I knowe that my redeemer liueth that I shalbe cloathed with my skin and see God with these eyes c. As though he shoulde saye as for these temporall blessings he hath taken them that gaue them blessed be his holy name for them if he should take my lyfe with them too yet haue I this hope left that whatsoeuer I lose I haue a redeemer whom I cannot leese and who will not leese me but in his time reward mee and euerye man according c. In all thy troubles fore whatsoeuer looke vnto Iesus the captaine and finisher of thy faythe who in the end will reward euery man whether he bee bounde or free I haue beene yong saith Dauid and nowe am olde yet did I neuer see the righteous man for saken nor his seede beging their bread confessing as it were that hee had seene them haue their crosses to be persecuted hated and oppressed but that he neuer saw them fully forsaken For the patient abiding of the poore shall not alwais be forgotten The lord may disseÌ„ble his louing affection towardes them for a tyme and seeme to forget them but at last he will remeÌ„ber them Put thy trust in the lorde therfore and be doing good and verily thou shalt be fed Delight in the lord and he shall giue thee thy harts desire commit thy words to him and he shall make the righteous as cleare as the light thy iust dealing as the noone day when euery man shall receaue c. In the meane tyme fret not thy self bicause of the vngodlye neyther be thou enuious at euill doers nor grieued at the wicked or vngodlye whom thou seest in prosperitie For prosperitie neyther commeth from the Easte nor from the Weste nor yet from the South but the Lorde setteth vp one and pulleth downe an other And thoughe for a tyme the wicked florishe lyke a greene baye tree yet sodenlye doe they goe downe to the grounde where they are kepte to the daye of destruction and shall bee broughte foorthe to the daye of wrath and come to a fearefull ende and not bee able to stande in iudgement nor in the congregation of the righteous but receaue according to that whiche they haue done c. The seconde note of his vprightnesse is in this that hee will rewarde euerye man and euerye man shall receaue according to his doeing whereby the holye Ghoste signifieth vnto vs then he will proceede in iudgemente accordinge to the circumstance euidence and matter hanginge beefore hym in iudgement nor respectynge the man whose the cense is but the matter what it is For where the man is not respected not the matter their iustice is peruerted but where the matter is weighed the man not regarded there is iustice truly ministred To shew therfore the exact and precise forme of God his iudgement the Apostle saith Euery man shall receaue according to that which he hath done c. The iudges of this worlde they are men and no gods and therefore as men they proceede in iudgement and giue sentence according to such euidence as they see with their eyes or heare with their eares therfore do erre many tymes in their iudgements and swarue from the truth But he that is lorde and iudge of al men shal not giue iudgement after the thing that is brought before his his eyes neither reproue after the hearing of his eares but with righteousnesse according to the truth of the hart shall he iudge the earth his people with equitie euerie man receiuing according to that which he hath done in his body c. Let vs not deceiue our selues therefore being onely vaine speakers of the worde and not dooers thinking at last to win heauen w t speaking heauenly if we liue wickedly and vngodlye For at the latter daye men shall receiue according to that whiche
hath compassion of feeling of our state But out of hell there is no redemption no hope of redemption no hope of out paines to 〈◊〉 euer ended or eased No friendes to pitie vs to see vs to speake with vs or comfort vs. Naie if Noâ— Iob and Daniell euen these three righteous persons or anye other holye Patriarch Prophet Apostle Saint or Aungell should see their owne friendes Father mother wyfe or children in that hellishe place of the damned and woulde make intercession for them they could not deliuer their soules Nay that which is more and more lamentable those that shall bee placed in the ioyes of heauen shall be so farre from hauing any naturall compassion either the father which shall be saued of the child which shal be damned or the childe which shall be saued of the fatherâ— which shall be damned or the childe which shalbe saued of the father which shalbe damned or the wife which shalbe saued of the husband whiche shalbe damned or the husbande which shalbe saued of y e wife which shal be damned that they shal continue none more then these their friendes whome they sawe giuen ouer to all sinne and wickednes in their liues and by Gods iust iudgement to be now tormented in hell sâ—re after their deathes Thus we see there are but two wayes of all flesh heauen or hell two rewardes the one of ioyes the other of paines two rewarders God and the Diuell twoo endes good and euill two sortes of people the wretched in this life and cursed in the life to come the other happye thorough hope in this life but most blessed in the life to come when they shall enioye the full fruition of that they hoped for inheriting the kingdom which hath been prepared for them from the foundation of the world through death passion and meditation of Iesus Christ their sauiour to whome with the father and the holy Ghost three persons and one God c. A Letter SYR according to my promise your request I here send you a copie of my sermon preached before the right worshipfull and my verye good Patrone the M. of the Rolles and others the company of the sixe Clerkes praying you particularlye as with whome by occasion of a suite I had in Chauncerie I was first acquainted and through whome my acquaintaunce grew with the reste of your brethren to impart the same vnto them not for anye cause of desert in it but for that it was their pleasures to desire it and I gaue promise to send it Howbeit if it shall not so please their eares in the reading as it doth mooue their hartes in the speaking they must remeÌ„ber it wanteth that spirite and action wherewithall it was first deliuered And a sermon which hath beene vttered with the tongue and afterward is written with the penne will seem no more like it selfe to those that did first heare it and shall now read it then a dead image is lyke a liuing creature or a dumbe man like him that can speake Besides it wanteth diuers cotations which I would haue added if oportunitie and leysure had serued for it beetweene the writing of it and the sending of it But whatsoeuer it wanteth in forme or in words I trust you shall finde it the same that was deliuered in substaunce And so with harty thankes for that generall curtisie whiche I receiued at all your handes I take my leaue praying you to accompte of me as yours deseruedlye alwaies to bee commaunded in the Lorde according to the finall tallente hee hathe lent me The Lorde Iesus haue you in his keeping blesse you with his holye spirite and continue you in his feare From Oxbrough this 18. of Iune Yours and the whole Churches in the Lorde Thomas Scott 2. Cor. 5. 2. Cor. 4. 9. Iob. 14. 5. 2. Cor 5. 1. 6. 8. 9. Eccle. 7. 3â— 2. Peter 3. 3. Iud. 18. 1. Tim. 4. 1. 2 Tim. 3. 1. 2. Peter 2. 1. Gene. 1. 16. Gen. 1. 18. Mockers Psal 14. 1. Esai 22. 13. 1. cor 15. 32. Sap. 2. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Phil. 3. 17. 19â— Rom. 16. 18. col 3. 1. 2. Ec. 5. 6. 7. Eccl. 4. 1. Gen. 27. 2. Prech 9. 11. Heb. 12. 17. Math. 9. Exo. 5. Exod. 9. 27. Rom. 3. 4. 5. 6. 1. Iohn 23 2. Pet. 3. 9. Oportet Esai 14. 27. Mat. 2 â— 64. Act. â— 11. 1. Cor. 15 15 10. 17. 18. 1. cor 15. 19. 2. Tâ— 3. 12. Rom. 3. 4. Math. 25. Apoc. 20 21 Math. 25. Math. 3. Math. 13. Math. 25. 1. Cor. 15. 51. Psaâ— 25. 81 Apoc. 21 4. Apoc. 7. 17. 1. Cor. 15. 53 54. 1. Thes 4. â—5 1â— 17. Mat. 24. 31. 1. Cor. 15. 52 Apoc. 20. 13 1. Cor. 15. 36 4. Instit cap 17. sect 32. Luk. 8. 17. Psal 5â— 19. 20. 21. 22. Rom. 2. 5. 1. Corr. 4. 5. Sopâ—o 1. 4. Psal 53. 20. Dan. 12. 2. Apoc. 20. 12 Rom. 2. 15. Gen. 2. 1â— Exoâ—â— 2◠〈◊〉 Gen. 4. 15. Sâ—neca Psa 139. 2. 3. 4 5. 8. 9. 10. 12 Hebr. 4. 13. Rom. 2. 5. Mar. 4. 22. Lib. 20. 2â— Matth. 25. Matt. 3. 12. Mat. 13. 30. Rom. 8. 19. 21. 2. Pet. 3. 12. 13. Luk. 21. 19. 1. Pet. 4. 13. Rom. 8. 18. 2. Pe. 3. 14. Heb. 10. 22. 5. Iohn 5. 22. Mat. 11. 28. Esai 53. 2. 3. Mat. 25. 31. 2. Thes 1. 7. 8. Esa 30. 7. 8. Apoc. 6. 15. 16. 17. Isai 2. 19. Hose 10. 8. Apoc. 6. 16. Apoc. 9. 6. Kuk 23. 30. Matt. 24. 6. Luk. 20. 10. Mat. 2. 6. 10. Mat. 10. 21. 35. 36. Luk. 21. 16. Micah 7. 6. Hier. 11. 10. Matth. Tim. 4. 1. 2. 3. 2. Tim. 3. 1. 2. Pet. 3. 3. lud g18 2. Tim. 3. 2. 3. 4. 5. 2. Ehe 2. 3. 4. Aâ—â— 13. â— Mat 24. 32 Maâ—k 13. 32 Luke 21. â—4 Colo. 3. 1. 1. 2 Ephâ—s 6. 13. 14. 15. 16. 27. Luke 12. 36. 37. 36. Mat. 24. 46. Luk. 12. 43. 1. Sam. 29. 2. Sam. 2. Ioh. 19. 25. 26. 27. Ephes 6. 8. Psal 37. 25. Prea 37. 3. 4. 5. 6. Psal 37. 35. 35. Iob. 21. 30. 31. 32. Preach 1. 5. Esai 11. 3. 4. Matt. 7. 22. 23. ver 21. Rom. 11. 16. 2. Tim. 1. 9. Tit. 3. 5. Ephes 2. 8. Ioh. 13. 17. Ioh. 15. 14. Matth. 5 16. Iohn 8. 39. Math. 7. 21. Luke 6. 46. Iohn 15. 14. Rom. 2. 23. Iame. 1. 22. Iohn 15. 4. 1. Tim. 1 5. 1. Tim. 1. 6. Mâ—t. 6. 1. 2. Amb. devocatioâ—e gentia 〈◊〉 lib. 10. cap. 3. Ansel in 14. Rom. Rom. 14 .23 Mat. 12 36. Psa 5. 1. 1. 2. Greg. sap illus Mat. Egerientur in tenebras c. Psa 5. 1. 1. 2. Ezech 18. 2. 20. Ezech. 14. 14 16. Gal. 6. 10. Preche 12. 1 Prech 9. 10. 1. cor 9. 9. Hebre. 6. 10. Ephesi 6. 8. Luke 14. 14. Math. 5. 12. Iohn 5. 28 29. Math. 25. 46 Apo. 21. 23. Apoc. 22. 5. Isai 60. 19. Isai 25. 8. Sap. 5. 16. Sap. 5. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. Iohn 15. 4.
kingdoÌ„s in cities towns houses For non potest saith he eorum fidies esse affectus quorum diuersa est fides They caÌ„not be true on to another in hart affection y e differ in faith religion Another signe going before his comming is The Gospell shall be preached in all the world for a witnesse of all nations whereby he noteth vnto vs that towardes his comming the gospell shal be preached to all nations professed also of many but practised of a fewe but be a witnes and testimony against him For notwithstandinge the preaching of the Gospell some shall departe from the faith and shall giue heed to spirites of errour and doctrines of diuels which speak lyes through hypocrisie and haue their consciences burned with a hot iron forbidding to marry and commaunding to absteyne from meates which God hath created to bee receaued with giuinge of thankes of them which beleeue know the truth An other signe is that faith shall faile charitie waxe could and iniquitye abound For men shall be louers of them selues couetous proude boasters cursed speakers disobedient to parentes vnthankfull without naturall affection truthbreakers false accusers intemperate fierce no louers at all of those that are good traitours heady high minded louers of pleasures more then of GOD hauing a shew of Godlines but denying the power thereof But for all this the ende is not yet For that daye shall not come except there come a departinge first and that the man of sinne be disclosed euen the sonne of perdition which is an aduersary and exalteth him selfe againste all that is called God or that is worshipped sittinge as God in the temple of God shewing him selfe that he is God These are the heginninges of sorrowes the manifest demonstrations of his comming and the experience of theÌ„ in our dayes do plainely Prognosticate vnto vs that he can not be farre of For daylye doe we heare of warres and tumors of warres neuer was the world so full of newes and fearefull rumors nation doth rise against nation and realme against realme And euen now is the time that the sonne is at variance with the father the father with the sonne c. Euen now can one state hardly abyde another without grudging disliking or disdaine or if they agree in matters of policy gouerment yet do they hardly agree in matters of faith and religion in one house where they are nighly ioyned together it is hard to finde twoo of one mind amonge those that seeme to consent in opinions not to haue the selfe same man in some thinges to dissent froÌ„ them selues Euen now is the Gospell preached yet euen now in the time of the Gospell doe some depart from the truth giuing beede to spirites of errour and doctrine of Diuels forbidding to marrye and eat meates who the Lorde bath ordained to be receiued with thaÌ„ksgiuing Euen now also doth faith faile faith in religion faith in worde of promise in bargening buying and selling and no truth to be found charitye kaiecold a care to eache man common abuses remaines in many pity mercye and compassion and iudgement remayneth in few Iniquity is growne to such perfection in both sects all states ages and callinges that it hath almost gotten the vpper hand For when was there euer such selfe loue when was there euer so liet lenâ—ig hâ—orly loue when were â—teneueâ— so 〈◊〉 when were there eure such bosters braggers when was ther euer the like pride when were mens mouthes fuller of cursing bitternesse where were Children so disobedient to their parents when were men euer so vnthankfull either to God their prince or their priuate friends when were men euer so voyd of compassion when so fals harted when so many false tongs when so many riotous ruffiaÌ„s so fierce wheÌ„ was vertue godlines godly men more abhorted when so many traitors publique priuate open secret wheÌ„ were there euer so many bayrebraines when so many high minded marchauntes In what age were pleasures in greater price and God had in lesse honour when was religion euer more in showe when was there euer lesse among all men generally in truth And to make iniquity consummate hath not the man of sinâ—â— long since beene disclosed hath not the childe of perdition beâ—â—t manifestly deuealed are not his dangerous practises dayly discouered and through the wanderfull working of God miraculoustye confounded Since these thinges therfore are the sIgnes of his comming and are gone before let vs assure our seLues the time of his comming which they prognosticate can not be farre of And yet 〈◊〉 not I speake this as though A 〈◊〉 scemâ— precisely to determine of the verye day or howre weeke or yeare of his comming I know what Christ answered his Apostles when they 〈◊〉 yred of his retourne It is not for thee to know the times and seasons which the father hath put in his owne power And de die hora c. Of thatday and that howre no man knoweth not the angels in heauen nor the sonne of man him selfe But euen as lightninge flash 〈◊〉 in a mans face vnawares and as the byed is 〈◊〉 in the snare before he thinketh himselfe within danger of the net and as a chief enmmeth sodenly in the night so shall the comming of the sonne of man be yet because men are so sencelesse of their sinnes and liue in such securitie of lyfe crying peace peace safety safetye thinking least of those dangers which hang ouer their heades giuing them selues wholy to eating and drinking planting and building buying and selling chapping and chaunging wyuing marrying c. euen as they did in the dayes of 〈◊〉 when the flouddes came and destroyed them all and in the time of Lor when fier and Brimstone came downe from heauen and consumed them all vpon earth This generall securitie I say and these peritous times of ours whereas men liue as though they were either wedded or bewitched of this worlde without anye worde or remembraunce of the worlde to come is a most plaine and manifest argument that hee is at hande euen at the doore who commeth to iudge the world And therefore if thou will bee counted worthye to stand before the sonne of man and auoyd those daungers which shall fall vppon them that dwell on theÌ„ face of the earth Take heede that your hearts be not at any time ouercome with surffeting and drunkenesse and the eares of this lyfe but beeing on earth let your conuersation be in heauen Seeke those things that are aboue wher christ sitteth on the right hand of god set your affectioÌ„ on thinges aboue and not on thinges on earth and take vnto thee the whole armour of God that thou maye bee able to resist in the euil day that hauing finished all thinges thou maye stande fast hauing youre loynes gyrte with truth and the brest-plate of righteousnes your feete shod in the preparation of