part only but totally as the Sunne is totalitèr luminosus wholly inlightened Halfe repentance is no true repentance Sicut enim interpositio tereae est causa Eclipsis solis ita interpositio peccati est causa ecclipsis bonae conuersionis 4. But alas how many in the world are rather like vnto the Moone seldome or neuer without some spot of darkenesse with in the center of their hearts euermore lodging one mountaine of sinne or other within the chambers of their breasts to eclipse the glorious light of a sincere and holy conuersion and so of a sacred life and heauenly conuersation how many are there that can bee contented like Sampson to destroy some of the vncircumcised Philistims some notorious and hatefull impieties But yet they will bee sure to keepe in their bosomes their beloued Dalilah their sweete sinne Iudges 16.17 21. in which their soule delighteth and in which they take pleasure aboue the rest and that they will not forsake though they lose both their eyes for it as Sampson did his though they loose both bodies and soules and be constrained to grinde for euer like milhorses in the prison of iniquitie and to be made scoffes and laughing stockes vnto their enemies the vncircumcised Philistims the world the flesh and the diuell who both night and day still seeke their destruction But the estate of these men is miserable fearefull and damnable except they repent For as Saint Augustine concludeth S. August Tractat. in Iâ—han in his tractate vpon Iohn Because they giue part vnto God and part vnto the diuell iratus deus quiasit ibi pars diabolo discedit totum diabolus possidet 1. Sam. 15.36 1. Sam. 18.10 God beeing angry because there is part giuen to the diuell hee departeth away as hee did from Saul and the diuell possesseth the whole man and therefore that wee may escape the arrowes of Gods vengeance let vs cast downe the darts of our sinnes and burie them in the graue of repentance that they may neuer ascend towardes heauen to pull downe Gods iudgements vpon vs. And that in this life while wee haue tyme for all though the Bowe be signum pacis a signe of peace yet further it is to be noted from the forme and figure of it That this Bowe is not a round circle but a Hemisphere and shineth in one onely hemisphere aboue the earth and not vnder the earth 5 And so likewise pacis faederisque signa the signe of peace This life only a time of mercy and of the couenant the signe of grace and mercie they shine onely in one hemisphere that is dum super terram viuimus while we liue vpon the earth in the other they shall not shine to the impenitent at the day of iudgement these will not appeare vnto them for they shall beholde them non iridem signum pacis sed summae irae diuinae signa not the Rainbow the signe of peace but the fearefull signes of Gods anger to the horror and terror of their accusing consciences now they may beholde this heauenly Bow without arrowes and bended towards heauen not threatning the earth but then they shall beholde it full of arrowes and turned not towards heauen but towards the earth bent in vengence against the wicked O then beloued let vs labour to bende him now with prayers whom then teares will not mooue and to pacifie him now with a sanctified life in whom otherwise at the day of iudgement we shal finde inexorable and let vs so inioy this world that we may haue ioy in the world to come No perfection in the things of this life For this Bow is not a perfect circle although it be beautifull and after the same manner all humane things learning wisdome honours riches beauty and strength allthough they be faire and specious endowments yet are they not perfect in themselues and therefore wee must not labour for them as if by them we thought to obtaine perfection but striue rather for that perfection which is from God who is the author and giuer of them all wee must striue for that glorious perfection which the Saints shall receiue at the glorious resurrection The Saints neede not doubt of their glorious resurrection 7. Of which glory the children of God need not to stand in doubt For if the forme of this bowe be so glorious that amongst all the meteors there is none more illustrious none more admirable none more beautifull then it then as often as wee looke into the admirable splendour thereof it may confirme vs concerning our glorious resurrection for if God can make such a glorious meteor by vertue of the beames of the Sunne shining in the clouds much more can he at the day of resurrection as the Sonne of righteousnes shining vpon our bodies beget an admirable splendour and excellent glory in them 1. Cor. 15.53 And if this mortall must put on immortalitie if God will make vs glorious then in the time of iudgement how should wee labour to magnifie his glory now in the time of mercy The forme of the Bowe a figure of Christs kingdome 8. Againe this bowe doth neuer obtaine the compasse of a circle or exceede the magnitude of a semicircle And here lyeth a mysterie The kingdome of Christ is as it were a sphere or round circle descending from heauen vpon the earth and ascending from the earth towards heauen This doth consist of a double hemisphere the Church militant and the Church triumphant the first visible and the second inuisible and to the perfection of this there is required the twofold comming of Christ the first in humilitie to saue and this hath his power and effectuall operation til the day of iudgement The second in maiestie to reward those that are saued and render vengeance to the reprobate and the effect of this shall continue to all eternitie In coelis complebitur hic circulus putae regnum Christi dominans omnibus in omnem aeternitaiem Cornelius cornelii a lapide Comment in Genes The perfection of Christs kingdome a comfort to the godly since then till the day of iudgement the efficacy of his first comming florisheth vpon the earth and not of his second hence ariseth the figure of a semicircle like to the Rainebow neither can this circle bee perfected till the time of his second comming but then it shall receiue his full complement when hee shall raigne over his whole Church vnited in the fulnesse of glory for euermore O most ioyfull comfort to euery faithfull subiect of this heauenly King doest thou in feare and loue to this blessed God labour to fulfill thy circle to finish thy course in the hemisphere of this life then maiest thou assure thy selfe that the time shall come when this most glorious King will compasse the about with the sphere of his glory with the circle of his loue with the double Rainebow of ioy comfort and happinesse for euermore 10. To
dolefull sentence non noui vos I know you not depart from me ye workers of iniquitie And thus from the time I proceede to the manner of this iudgement by fire which is the second circumstance I obserued in the fiery colour of the Bowe 1. As the lightening commeth from the East and shineth vnto the West so shall the comming of the Sonne of man be Luk. 17. verse 24. Hee shall come ex improuiso like a thiefe in the night suddainly He shall come like lightening visibly for euery eye shall see him hee shall come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reuel 1 7. Mark 13.26 1 Thess 4.16 with power and great glory magnificently to be short the Lord himselfe shall descend from heauen with the voice of the Archangell and the trumpe of God But Quid sibi vult tubarum sonus S. Chrysost Hom. 77. in Mat. Ad exuscitationem ad gaudum ad exprimâ—ndum rerum stuporem ad dolorem corum qui relinquuntur 2. No imperfection in the Saints at the day of iudgement S August de ciuit dei lib 2â— cap. 15. S. Aust lib. de ciuit 22. c. 16. Magist sent lib. 4. dist 44. 3. Mat. 3 13. Locus sic explicatur a Lyca permundabit i. e. quotidie a varus tentationibus munlat in Mat. 4. A question S. August lib. 20 de ciuit dei cap 20 Exâ—â— mo tamen co quo a me cummemorata sunt ordinâ— esse ventiâ—ia to what end is this sound of the trumpet saith Saint Chrysostom in his 77. homil vpon Matthew and he answereth the question himselfe The Trumpet shal then sound and the voice of the Archangel shall then bee heard for the raising vp of the dead for the ioy of the godly to expresse the stupor and terrour of Christs comming and for the griefe and dolour of many that shall heare it The dead shall then bee raised and the bodies of Gods Saints shall then be glorified they shall rise in the fulnesse of the measure of Christ in a full and a perfect age in a fitting and conuenient stature that which is lesse then is fitting shall thence bee supplyed from whence the creator knoweth and that which is more shall bee detracted The integritie and perfection beeing retained as Saint August speaketh in lib. 22. of the citie of God cap. 19. 3. To conclude Christ shall come to this firey iudgement with his fanne in his hand the fanne of his iudgement as before he came with the fanne of his mercy and hee will thoroughly purge his floore the floore of his Church and separate the wheate from the chaffe the Elect from the reprobate gathering his wheate into the blessed garner of heauen but burning the chaffe with the vnquenchable fire of hell 4. Fire is the colour of the Rainebowe of which I am now to speake and fire is the iudgement of which I am now speaking But concerning this fire the question is demanded whether it shall bee before the day of iudgement or after Saint August seemeth to be of opinion that it should be after for speaking of those things which should come about the time of iudgement hee setteth the conflagration of the world and the renouation thereof in the last place and he addeth quo ordine haec veniant magis tu o docebit experientia in what order these shall come experience will then teach more perfectly but I thinke saith he that they will come in that order in which I haue rehearsed them and in his 18. câ—p S. August de ciuit lib. 20. cap. â—8 of the same booke he saith plainly post factum iudicium mundus ardebit after the iudge is done Answer Aquinas add quaest 74. artic 7 the world shall burne But wee may rather answer with Aquinas and with our later Diuines that this fire shall be before the execution of iudgement for behold the Lord will come with fire and with his charets like a whirlewind to render his anger with furie and his rebuke with flames of fire Isaiah 66.15 Isaiah 66.15 There shall goe a fire before him Psal 97.2 and burne vp his enemies on euery side Psal 67 2 Hee shall come with flames of fire rendring vengeance to them that know not God 2. Thess 1.8 2. Thess 1.8 This shall bee the true manner of his comming and therefore this fire shall appeare at the day of iudgement 2. Pet. 3.10 before the full execution of that finall sentence Or otherwise we may reconcile S. Augustine with Aquinas and our later Diuines and answere thus True it is there shall bee fire before the iudgement that is ignis conflagrationis the fire of burning and consuming and there shall be fire after the execution of iudgement that is Ignis condemnationis the fire of hell in which the Deuils and damned spirits shall bee tormented for euer 2. Answer The fire of hell more horrible then that which shall burne the world S. Aug. de ciuit Dei l. 20. c. 16. S. Ambr. lib. 7. in Luc cap. 4 Damascen lib. 4. fides cap. 28 Ignis non est materialis qualis is apud nos sed qualem Deus nouit Greg. in Iob 2â— Aug. lib. de ciuit cap. 21 Magist Sent. lib. 4. dist 44. Aquinas add quaest 77. artic 5. Anselmus in Elucidorio Gregor in Iob cap. 10. And this likewise is prefigured in the fierie colour of the Bowe But this is more terrible then the former and that diuers wayes First in respect of the nature of it which is so strange that it is knowen perfectly of no man as Saint Augustine affirmeth Some haue thought this fire to bee incorporeall and wanting corporall flames but tormenting the damned after a wonderfull manner so S. Ambrose Damascen Gregorie and others And some haue thought it corporeall as S. Aug. lib. 21. de ciuit Dei Gehenna corporeus ignis erit cruciabit corpora damnâ—torum Hell fire saith he shall be corporall and shall torment the bodies of the damned so the Master of the sentences Aquinas and others yet this fire is infinitely more terrible then our common fire and more tormenting for ardet non lucet it burneth and shineth not saith Anselmus that reuenging flame hath burning in aboundance but it hath no light saith Gregory yet Aquinas thinkes there shall be light sufficient for the damned to behold those things which shall torment them either in respect of the sight of the body vltrix isla flamma concremationem habet lumen vero non habet Aquinas ad quest 97. arti 4. Hell fire needs not the fodder of wood Isaiah 30.33 or the fearefull visions of the minde But howsoeuer whether it shall be alwayes darke with Gregory or haue some times a glimmering light with Aquinas it is of a strange and terrible nature for it needs not the fodder of wood to continue it in hell since the breath of the Lord like a riuer of brimstone shall kindle it Isaiah 30.33 But some will obiect that
worthy to bee drowned with a floud of Gods vengeance though we are not bound to be superstitious yet fitting it is that we should not forget Gods infinite loue and mercy towards vs. Allegorie 1. The rainbow a signe of the Gospel Againe it shall be for a signe Allegorically this Rainebow is a signe of the euangelicall Law for as the Rainebow being set for a signe did shew forth peace pardon and glory so the euangelicall law brought with it grace remission of sinnes and promise and assurance of eternall glory in the heauens Secondly this Rainebow doth signifie the incarnate word of God Allegorie 2. God in the flesh or the humanity of Christ and that after a manifold analogy A manifold Analogie betweene Christ and the Bowe and similitude betweene them For first as the Sunne shining in the Cloud doth beget a glorious and beautifull Bow so the eternall word of God that most powerfull Sunne of righteousnesse shining in and vpon our humane nature did as it were beget a glorious and blessed Redeemer after a diuine and wonderfull manner Secondly as the rainbow was a Symbole of peace in the time of Noah so the incarnation of Christ was the reconciliation of the world Thirdly the two hornes or ends of the Bowe may signifie the two natures of Christ his diuine and humane of which the hidden and inuisible string is like vnto the secret and admirable hypostaticall vnion of his two-fold nature Fourthly in the Rainebowe there is a three-folde colour and so likewise in Christ for Christ was Caerulean or Caelestiall by prayer hee was greene and flourishing by the flowers of spirituall graces and heauenly vertues of which hee was full as Saint Iohn speaketh Iohn 1. verse 14. Ioh. 1.14 And hee was redde by his bloud shedde vpon the Altar of the crosse by treading the winepresse of Gods wrath alone by which his raiment was stained as the Prophet speaketh Isaiah 63.3 Fiftly as from this Bowe are sent forth diuerse secret sweete and comfortable vertues amiable to the flowers of the earth so likewise from that mysticall and heauenly Rainebow Christ Iesus are sent downe many sweete comfortable and hidden arrowes of diuine loue with which his blessed spouse being wounded to the heart sings in her passionate loue to Christ her husband stay me with flagons comfort me with apples for I am sicke of loue Sixtly as this Bowe is imbrifera a Rainie-bowe Cant. 2.4 so likewise was that diuine Rainebow Christ Iesus when one the day of Pentecost he did shower downe in abundance the sweete raine of heauenly grace and caelestiall doctrine into the hearts of his Apostles doth continually shower downe his infinite blessings vpon his seruants In a word this Rainebow being a semicircle descending towards the earth and ascending towards heauen may fitly shew Christ descending towards the earth to take our nature vpon him to free vs by his passion from the wrath of his father and his ascension to prepares a place for vs where we shall one day liue and reioyce with him in glory and happinesse for euermore And thus doth the Rainebowe figure that heauenly Bowe Christ Iesus Or otherwise this Rainebow is a figure of Christ In another manner the Rainebow is a figure of Christ the clouds may signifie his body the threefold colour his threefold substance his flesh his soule and his diuinitie or his threefold supreame dignity spoken of by the Prophet Isaiah of King of Iudge and of Lawgiuer or last of all his threefold spirituall office of King Priest and of Prophet Perâ—rius in Genes To be short the Philosophers teach that the Rainebow doth consist of a threefold substance the earth the water and the aire from whence doth arise the threefold varietie of his colour of greene redde and watery And by this is insinuated the greatnesse of diuine mercy Gods mercy in a threefold respect manifested vnto men in a threefold respect in the state of nature of the law of Moses and of the Gospell in the state of creation of naturall corruption and spirituall grace in the grace of predestination from all eternitie of iustification in time and of glorification beyond all time But I dwell too long in these Allegories yet once againe It shal be for a signe We reade in the Scripture of diuers apparitions of this glorious Bow in the vision of the diuine maiestie Ezek. 1.28 which was shewed to Ezekiel the brightnesse of the glory of God was like vnto the Bow that is in the cloud in the day of raine In the Reuelation to that Euangelicall Prophet S. Iohn Reuel 4.3 Polan de Sacramento faderis there was a rainbowe round about the throne in sight like vnto an Emerald A Rainebowe to signifie that God was mindfull of his couenant with Noah and with his posteritie In sight like vnto an Emerald to shew the mercy of God towards the penitent whom God doeth refresh with a gracious countenance Pererius in Genes A Rainbow compassing a throne the Rainebow signifieth the mercy of God and the throne his Church to shew that God doeth protect and defend his Church with perpetuall mercy as the Rainbow did compasse the throne Lastly in another vision S. Iohn beholdeth a mightie Angell come downe from heauen Reuel 10.1 Angel Christ Cloude Humanitie Rainbowe Couenant cloathed with a cloud and a rainebow vpon his head his face shining like the Sunne and his feet as pillars of brasse A mightie Angel that is Christ Iesus clothed with a cloud that is his humanitie and hauing a Rainebow about his head to shew that he is the Author of the couenant and of our reconciliation with God figured likewise by the Rainbow in my text But I passe to the last part of my text the intimation of the internall significate in the last words Of the couenant betweene me and the earth Of which I will giue a touch and so conclude The fift part Couenant Erit signum foederis it shal be for a signe of the couenant that is a signe which shall seale and confirme that couenant which I haue entred with mankind as the seale of a King confirmeth the Charter granted to his subiects nay much more firme for that may altar because it is from man but this is vnchangeable A twofold Couenant because it is from God This Couenant which God hath entred with mankind is twofold a spirituall couenant and a corporall couenant The spirituall couenant doth consist of two branches the first the couenant of works and the second the couenant of grace Couenant of workes The couenant of works is that which God made with our first parents before their fall promising vnto them eternall happinesse if they continued obedient vnto his commandements which were dictated vnto them as by word of mouth and written in their hearts by the power of his Spirit The current of this was Hoc fac viues doe this