Tortuosae viae Crooked craneld waies and Malimores Bad and worse conditions are neerely allyed yet how the kindred comes in I desire not to search the Records least happily without desire I might loose my selfe While I was musing vnder the burthen of my thoughts what text to take that behooued many this my text met me offering it selfe to me and you and it concernes all It was at my choise to choose and speake what all know but in my choise I choose to speake what the most know not I might speake to you reuerend Iudges to take heed of peruerting iudgement least you euert your selues when your selues shall come to iudgement but I would faine suppose that they who know equitie will doe right I might speake to this Honourable worthy Lord Maior that he would be a father to the fatherlesse and defend the cause of the widow that he would eleuate virtue and debelitate vice but I heare so much of you that this hortatory speech I heare will be needlesse notwitstanding I heare that sin so abounds here that vnlesse the whippe scourg it the scourge is like to whip al. I might speake to the noble learned Clergie my brethren that they like Iohn Baptist would be burning lights and not like Demas burnt-out lights but this they know as well as I and I must striue as well as they I might speake to the speakers at the Law that they with care would maintaine their Clients as their Clients at cost retaine them but they are wise and know much and in their wisdome cannot but know this I might speake to the fashion-mongers men and women of our age that they would imbrace Pauls counsel Rom 12.2 Not to fashion themselues like vnto this world but this hauing beene a fashion among many my predecessours heretofore my selfe am willing to leaue this fashion now I might speake to all with my Sauiour Ioh. 5.14 and so I will and doe Sinne no more because each one must die and come to iudgement All must giue account of all to the Iudge of al. The Philosopher saith Primus motor mouet primum mobile Primum mobile caetera omnia the chiefe mouer moues the first mouable it all the rest Be God almighty the first mouer suppose me for this time place the chief mouable your selues my iudicious Auditors the bodies to be moued Meane while God grant my spirit of mediocritie the voice of the Bird of Paradise of whom I reade that she moues all to repentance to whom she sings which if I asking shal receiue I will think this a blessed time bestowed in defire wherof I craue your atteÌ„tiue hearts to that portion of scripture which I finde thus written Act. 17.31 He hath appointed a day in the which he wil iudge the world in righteousnes by that man whom he hath appointed BLessed Paul who of a Peelar became a Pillar of an earnest persecuter Act. 8. became a zealous Preacher Act. 13. being guided by the spirit from citie to citie to preach in the end he came to Athens as appeares in this 17 chapter vers 15. Where being he was brought into the Streete of Mars ver 19. there passing along he stood and told them what he had obserued An altar wherein was written vnto the vnknowne God vers 23. Whereupon Paul took occasion to preach vnto theÌ„ The liuing God declaring vnto them tâ—at he was the framer of this worlds Architecture that he dwelt not in haÌ„dmade temples that he is not worshipped with bandie workes ver 25. that he giues breath to all and appointed to euery thing his season that in him we liue and mooue and haue our being vers 28. and therefore that we who liue and mooue and be should Repent vers 30. Because as my text hath it in this verse 31. He hath appointed a day in the which he will iudge the world in righteousnesse by that man whom he hath appointed In which words I note fiue things 1. Parts 5. The certainety of the day set downe by a double Affidauit first the Author He that is God 2. The resclution Hath appointed 2. The vncertaintie of the day in that it is not limited coacted or restrained to a day definitiue This or that day but to a day indefinite A day The end of the appointment to Iudge the world 4. The manner how In righteousnesse 5. The Partie who By that man whom he hath appointed In speaking of which words I craue this sole fauour that all things may be taken and not mistaken as they are spoken 1. For the certaintie The Power of God hath an appointed day for the creatioÌ„ of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The great world the mercy of God had it appointed day in the redemptioÌ„ of man the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The little world now the iustice of God must haue the appointed day for the iust punishment of the vniust little world that soiourns in the great world for Fundamenta The foundations of the Continent shall be shaken and then Blandamenta The follies of the contained shall be ouerthrowne The Apostle speaking of the certainety of this day saith The day of the Lord will come as a thiefe in the night in the which the heauens shall passe away with a noise the elements shall melt with heate and the earth with the workes that are therein shall be burnt vp and we must looke for new heauens and new earth 2. Pet. 3.10 For I doe beleeue that at the end of the world there shall goe a great and terrible fire either hard before or with the comming of the Iudge But now whether this fire shall be Elementum ignis the element of fire in it owne proper sphere or whether all the fires on the earth or in the earth among the stones and minerals or whether such a fire Qualem excitabit tum deus as the almighty shall then raise whether I say it shall be all of these Coniunctim in one or any of these Deuisim seuered that I know not And that fire shall consume this world it shall Corpora incinerare terrae nascentia absumere in nihilum redigere burne bodies not all into ashes consume all the vegetatiue things on the earth and bring them to nothing Also I looke for new heauens and new earth but how new Quoad formam non quoad substantiam New in regard of the forme and fashion not new in respect of the matter and substance In this I hold with Aug. Ciuit. lib. 20. cap. 16. Elementa id est Caelum terram non esse abolenda sed in melius commutanda figurem id est imaginem mundi non substantiam berituram That is The Elements heauen and earth shall not be taken quite away but changed into better the fashion that is the likenesse of the world shall perish but not the substance therrof Iumping with this opinion of Augustin is that of Saint Greg. Mor. lib. 17. cap. 5. Caelum terra
per eam quam nunc habent imaginem transeunt sed tamen per essentiam sine fine subsistunt caelum igitur terra transit erit quoniam ab ea quam nunc habet specie per ignem tergitur tamen natura sua seruatur That is Heauen and earth passe away through that Image which they now haue but in their Being they remaine without end therefore beauen and earth shall both not bee and be because from it now-shape it is scoured and made cleane by fire but the nature and condition thereof is still continued agreeing to that of Psal 101. Thou shalt change them they shall be changed Now that this great dreadfull day will come Pie credendum we must vndoubtedly and holily beleeue The Prophet Malichi saith The day of the Lord will come burning like an ouen ca. 4.1 and it is a rule among the Schoolemen Futurum in deo aeque certum quam aut presens aut praeteritum Will in God giue as much certaintie as Is the future tence is as sure as the present tence or preter-perfect tence that which is to come in God is as certaine as what is either present or past Therfore the Prophet Ioel happily hauing reference to this position saith The day of the Lord is come for t is at hand c. 2.1 The Prophet Esay in the 13. chapter of his Prophesie and Abdi in his short Prophesie say both It is at hand The Prophet Zephaniah saith It is hard by Therefore there needes no doubt be made of the certaintie neither is there any question of the miserie Esay cals it a day of trouble ruine cap. 22. Ieremie cals it a day of vengeāce c. 46. Ioel cals it a fearfull day c. 2. Amos cals it a darke day c 8. Zephoniah cals it a day of wrath c. 1. Zephany cals it the special day c. 14. Bern. speaking of the dreadfulnes of this day saith Plaugent Iudaei plangent gentiles Plangent Christiani plangent ones qui magis mundum amarunt quam deum plangent suam culpam quam commiserunt suam stultitiaem quam nen corrererunt suam gloriam quam amiserunt suam paenam quam incorrererunt Iewes shall weepe Gentiles shall weepe Christians shall weepe all shall weepe that loued the world more then God They shall lament the faults they haue committed their follie they haue not corrected the glory that they haue lost and the punishment that they haue incurred And indeede well may they weepe for aboue they shall see the angrie Iudge whom they haue offended Beneath hell gaping which they haue deserued Without the world burning which they haue delighted Within the conscience stinging which they haue surcharged On the right hand their sinnes accusing which they haue commited on the left hand euill Angels tugging them about them good Angels driuing them into hell Therefore let me say with the Apostle What manner of men ought wee to be in holy conuersation of life 2. Pet. 3.11 For the time is come that Iudgement must beginne at Gods house If it beginne at vs first what shall bee the end of them that obey not the Gospell of God And if the righteous scarce be saued where shall the vngodly and sinner appeare 1. Pet. 4 17. The first iudgement was in water to coole the riotous heate of lust that then did abounde when Bigamie and Polygamie was suffered but the last iudgemēt shall be in fire to purge this away raining desire of gold and heate the lukewarme charitie that now the world being old waxeth cold Our Sauiour speaking of the fearfulnes of this day saieth The Sun shal be darkned the Moon shal not giue her light the Stars shal fall from heauen the powers of heauen shall be shaken all kindreds of the earth shall mourne and ye shall see the sonne of man comming in the clouds of heauen with power and great glory Mat. 24.29 That is the heauēly bodies shall indure great alteration to terrifie the wicked and be Criers as it were vnto them to sūmon them before the great Tribunall But how the sunne shall be darkned how the moone shall not giue her light how the stars shall fall from heauen which really cannot be because the least starre is so much bigger then the whole earth and how the powers of heauen shall be shaken to say truth we cannot now iustly determine let me therefore say with that worthy Aug. Ciuit. lib 20. cap. 30. Magis tum docebit rerum experientia quam nostra iam consequi possit intelligentia The experience of things which we shall see then shall teach vs better then we can conceiue now But howsoeuer it shall be terrible yea so terrible that as Aug spak of God Verius cogitatur deus quam dicitur verior est quam cogitatur God is truer thought of then spoke of and yet himselfe much truer then both So say I of iudgements terror it is sooner imagined then expressed easier thought then spoken and yet in it selfe more hideous then either imagined expressed spoke or thought Terribele est illud iudicium in euitabilis paeua intollerabile tormentum It is a terrible iudgement a paine ineuitable a torment intollerable but yet Quid sit Directly what one it is as Aug. Eucher c. 38 said of the diuersity of the Angels Potentiality say I of this Dicaut quipossint dummodo qd dicunt probare valeant Let them speak who can so be what they speake they can proue This is and thus is the secōd comming of Christ this far different from that that was In humilitate in humilitic like a seruant this shal be in magistate in magistie like a king that was in infirmitate in infirmitie like a sheepe to the ssaughter this shall be in potestate in power like a Lion to his prey that was in pouerty being Infans in praesepio an infant in a manger this shal be in dignitie being Index in iudicio A iudge to giue sentence that was in misericordia in mercie to confirme al this shall be In iusticia In iustice to confoūd most He was then Homo inter homines a man amōg mē he is now Deus supra Angelos A God aboue Angels yet thogh a God he will come like a man to iudge men wicked Angels there was a time when he did Pati pro peccatis suffer for our sins after a time ther wil be a time when yet there shall be no time whē we shall with him as he doth now Triumphare cum liberatis Triumph with freemē freely freed what time he wil seuer vs A damnatis frō those whom his rigor hath appointed to be damned I remember the Scriptur speaks of Dauid that he was wrath with Nabal for denying him victu al 's at his sheepshearing whē Dauid was an hungred in his flight so Abigaile was faine to appease him 1. Sam. 25. ◠But whē Iesus Christ shall come in flaming fire to render vengeāce on thē that
priuation of the seeing God whereupon Chrys saith Impij non tantum dolebunt de ipso supplicio quam quod repelluntur a tale consortio The wicked shall not so much lament the paines which they suffer as the company from which they are kept So in heauen the greatest happinesse all being happinesse and being all happinesse is to see God that is as wee can see him and as he will bee seene For in the world to come God shall bee seene of all whole but not of all wholly of all whole because the whole number of the Elect shall see him but nor of all wholly because God is infinite God shal be seen in the world to come so far forth as is fit either for the creator to reueal himselfe to his creature or for the creature to see the creator but the whole Deity neyther is nor can bee seene for bee is a spirite and Deum nemo vidit unquam neuer man saw God at any time 1. Iohn 4.12 Therefore whereas Iob saith I shall see God in my flesh cap. 19.26 And whereas Iohn saith Wee shall see him as hee is 1. cap. 3. vers 2. whereas it is of Iacob Gen. 32. and of Moses Exod 33. said that they saw God And whereas Paul saith Wee shall see him face to face 1. Corin. 13.12 Wee must not take the words litterally but the meaning of the words That we shall see God as hee will be seene Wherefore by this seeing of God in the world to come is meant the cleere knowledge which wee shall thē haue of God which knowledge shal not be with the eies of our body but the eyes of our mind and that too either by meanes as by his word works or outward signes or else without means by speciall Reuelation For onely God hath seene God Iohn 6.46 For I do bele ue that in the world to come there shall be diuersity of ioyes one starre differeth from another in glery 1. Cor. 15.41 that is as Wirth and diuers of the learned expound it there shall be Honoris gloriae graedus vna tamen eadem faelicitas aeterna Degrees of honour and glory and yet but one eternall felicity Also my Sauiour saith In my fathers house there be many dwelling places Iob. 14.2 Which although Caluin obseruing the worde many saith the text doth not nominate Diuers as Difference in glory and therefore thinketh that there shal be in heauen no degrees of glory yet for mine owne particular I belceue with them that thus expound this place Multitudo mansionum differentiam quoque gloriae significat the multitude of manfions signifieth diuersities of glory But as in the oddes of ioyes I hold that the least shall be full neyther able to hold any more nor desiring any more so doubtlesse the difference of seeing God shall be ex parte videntis non visi Of the party seeing not of him who is seene Fill two vessels of vnequall bignesse with any liquor and the bigger holds more then the lesse yet both are full so an olde declined or an ill imperfect eye seeth the Sunne much worse then a young and perfect eye and yet the Sunne shewes it selfe and shieth to all alike Thus doe I beleeue it will be between God and his Saints the holy ones in the world to come God is knowne 3. maner of waies 1. Quod est 2. Quid est 3. Sicut est That heis What he is As he is 1. That he is so he is known to the Diuels and the wicked Credunt demones et trement the Diuels beleeue there is a God tremble I am 2.19 2. What he is and so is known to the Angels in heauē in our blessed coūtry 3. As he is so he shal be neither seen nor known neither of Saints nor wicked neither in this world nor the world to come for Finitum nequit comprehendere infinitum They that are finit can neuer cōprehend what is infinite The Church also at the last day shall iudge as Christ tels vs Ye shall sit on seats and iudge the twelue tribes of scaell Luk 22.30 that is as some expound it Ibierunt omnes sancti iudicis sententiam approbantes There shall be all the holy ones to approue Christs sentence and subscribe to his iudgement Vpon this text a woorthy writer saith thus The Apostles iudge the world at this day by the preaching of the Gospell whoso beleeueth shall bee saued at the last day the whole world shall be iudged by Christ according to the Gospell preached by the Apostles and in this sence the Saints being members of Christ Iudicabunt cum Christo mundum et Angelos hoc est Diabolos Shall iudge together with Christ the world the cuill Angels the Deuils as wee may reade 1. Cor. 6.2 Musculus expounds it thus The faith of the Apostles shall take away aell excuses from the Ifraelites that is At that day of iudgement shall rise vp to condemne them as our Sauiour tells the people Luke 11.31 The Queene of the South shall rise in iudgement with the men of this generation and condemne them for shee came from the vtmost parts of the earth to heare the wisedome of Salomon and behold a greater then Salomon is heere the men of Niniueh shall rise in iudgement with this generation and shall condemne it for they repented at the preaching of Ionas and behold a greater then Ionas is heere And as our Sauiour speakes Iohn 12.4 The worde that I haue spoken shall iudge you at the last day otherwise we must know that Christ the Iudge shall sit alone in iudgement In that will be the blessed day the day in which wee shall be blessed and after which wee shall enioy eternall blessednesse in heauen In heauen Sciemus amabimus gaudebimus laudabimus We shall know wee shall loue wee shall reioyce wee shall praise saith Hugo First wee shall know God his counsells his secrets his iudgements the causes natures beginning and endings of all creatures saith this Cardinalis yea I assure my selfe that in Heauen we shall know one another but how Not with an earthly knowledge I suppose that shall vanish away with all earthly desire sith our will shall then bee the same with Gods will wee shall bee glad to see them damned whom God hath damned and them saued whom God hath made heyres of saluation Branmelerus is of an opinion that heauen wee shall know those with whome on earth we haue conuersed as Parents Kindred friends yea all the Patriarchs and Apostles Adam Abraeham Moses Dauid Peter Paul the rest euen those that we neuer saw his reasons are 1. Because the Apostles in Mount Tabor at the time of Christs transfiguration knew Moses and Elias whom they neuer saw before Mat. 17.4 If they did so being in corpore infirmo In a body of infirmitie what shall they and wee doe when we are In corpore glorioso In a body of glory 2. Againe wee shall be in heauen as