and the Apocalipse touching the continuance of Antichrist doth hold that the imaginary Antichrist which hee and his followers yet expect to come shall raigne iust three yeares and an halfe and that iust in the end of them Christ shall come to iudgement or at the vtmost there shall bee a distance of 45 daies for warning and preparation so that by this account a man may know the very day of the last iudgement which Christ in his humility knew not and which the heauenly Angels are ignorant of Let vs content our selues with the knowledge and practise of things reuealed and and in other matters be wise to sobriety otherwise if wee come too neere to the Arke of Gods secrets wee shall bee consumed if wee come too neere to this Flame wee shall bee burned Let vs not approach too neere this bottomelesse pit least wee bee drowned III. Vse The meditation of the comming of Christ of the neere approach of it and of the terrour of the last iudgement must awaken vs from the slumber of security and spurre and stirre vs vp to amendment of life to prayer sobriety and watchfulnesse that we be not taken tardy nor found vnready but waking and wel-doing And the lesse that the point of Christs comming is knowne vnto vs the more let vs watch and prepare our selues Let vs liue well and we shall die well and as we die and make our last end such shall our iudgement bee at the last day Finally let Saint Hieromes holy and blessed meditation bee ours also that euery one of vs may say with him Quoties diem illum considero c. that is As often as I consider that day I tremble in all my body for whether I eate or drinke or what else souer I doe me thinkes I alwaies heare that terrible Trumpet alwaies to sound in my eares Arise yee dead and come to iudgement IIII. Vse Seeing that our Lord in his loue towards vs hath left vs certaine Herbingers and Fore-runners of his second comming for our full redemption and for our inauguration into the Kingdome of heauen let vs search the Scriptures and take due notice of these Signes and the accomplishment of them and the neerer that that day approacheth so much the more let vs hold vp our heads For the glory happinesse triumph and immediate fellowship with the blessed Trinitie the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost wee shall then enioy shall infinitely exceed whether wee respect quantity quality or continuance all the troubles and trials of this mortall and miserable life And the serious meditation hereof will make vs hopefull and patient in all afflictions and when death approacheth make vs willing to goe to God and to cry come Lord Iesus come quickly Amen Amen An effectuall Prayer according to the argument and containing the Summe of the whole Treatise O LORD our God and most mercifull Father thou art indeed great and terrible of pure Eyes and canst not behold euill Hardning blinding forsaking punishing and in thy Iustice taking vengeance on thy aduersaries and art in thy wrath a consuming fire and art notwithstanding in thy onely begotten and most deerely beloued Son IESVS CHRIST a most louing gracious and kind Father to all thy Church and children not wishing much lesse working their misery ruin and destruction but calling iustifying sanctifying directing protecting and glorifying them yea thou dost most louingly fore-warne them of the euils to come and in the midst of their miseries and distresses assist comfort sustaine support and deliuer them This sweete Ointment perfume of thy mercies doth draw vs after thee these thy high and altogether vndeserued fauours wee confesse and acknowledge with all thankfulnesse and acclamation And more particularly seeing that thou in thy wisedome to check and correct our vaine curiosity rash presumption doth conceale keep from vs the knowledge of the set houre day yea yeare when the Sonne of man shall come to iudgement that wee should be ready and prepared at euery moment and withall that we after the manner of the wicked thy enemies should not bee suddenly surprised nor distressed and perplexed with feare and astonishment but bee encouraged in wel-doing And that wee should gather certaine signes of the Summer of solace and Haruest of Happinesse at hand and that we should be preserued from all atheisme doubting mis-beleefe thou hast in thine vnspeakeable mercy left vs in the sacred Scriptures sundry generall and vndoubted Signes tokens and Fore-runners of the last Iudgement Wherof diuersare already past as the destruction of the foure mighty Monarchies the desolation of Iudaea and Ierusalem the extinguishing of the large Romane Monarchie whose power Maiesty hindred the comming of the Romish Antichrist the vniuersall and solemne Preaching of the Gospell by the Apostles and their Assistants and Successours vnto all Nations Finally the reuealing yea generall weakning wounding of Antichrist And whereof some are yet in continuall motion and progresse as the reiection and dispersion of the Iewes the invndation and deluge of all impiety and iniquity the vanity abuse corruption and decay of the creature And whereof certaine remaine yet to bee accomplished namely the ruin of Rome the ouerthrow of Mahomet and his Alcaron the generall calling and conuersion of the Iewes vnto the Christian faith that which is the plague and poyson of the declining apostaticall contemptuous and vnthankfull world in the last age of the world the arising of False Christs and false Prophets their instruments that shall shew great Diabolicall Signes and Wonders insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceiue the very elect Lastly neere the point of Christ his glorious appearance the strange sudden and fearefull dimming and darkning of the Eyes Lamps Lights of heauen therefore bee thou entreated most mercifull Lord to enlighten all our blind vnderstandings to mollifie purge prepare all our hearts and effectually to stir vp and rectifie all our wils desires affections that wee may make true godly and seasonable vse of all these soundings of the trumpets and fore-running signes Grant vs grace that by the due obseruance of the signes expired and in continuall act wee may certainely expect and waite for the performance of those that are promised and yet for to come Heauen and earth shall passe away but thy words shall not passe away And because thy Church on earth is in such continuall trouble and warfare thy Saints and seruants so much oppressed wronged yea massacred and Martyred and the world of the Atheists Idolaters Hypocrites profane and wicked ones liue in so dreadlesse security and thriue in all manner of sin and vngodlinesse wee therefore thy poore and vnperfect children doe so much more humbly and earnestly beseech thy good Maiestie to hasten the comming of thy Son to shorten for thy Elects sake these daies of sin bondage corruption and in
be first abolished Lastly some of the Pagan Philosophers and Poets whensoeuer or wheresoeuer they had so much light acknowledge as much The Platonists held that the world should be destroyed so did the Sibyls Prophecie The Poet Ouid in the first booke of his Metamorphosis and Lucan in the first booke belli Pharsalici iustifie as much and mans sinne hath iustly deserued and procureth it CHAP. II. Of the Signes and Fore-runners of the last iudgement in generall ALBEIT the day and houre of the last iudgement is vnknowne to all men to the very Angels of heauen yea albeit the Sonne himselfe being on earth knew it not yea although no man knoweth the yeare when the Son of man wil come to iudgement For it is not for vs to know the times and seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power yet the Lord Iesus that hee might not so much leaue the wicked his irreconciliable enemies without all excuse and pretence of ignorance and withall appall affrighten and astonish them specially when his second comming neerely approacheth doth kindly and louingly forewarne his children that they should neither be amated nor found vnready for a man forewarned is halfe armed And that hee might comfort and encourage them against the manifold scandales troubles and miseries of this present life Hee hath I say in the Scriptures left and giuen them many generall and notable Signes Tokens and Fore-runners of his comming which they daily doe and alwaies ought to take notice of that when they see these things come to passe they might hold vp their heads knowing that their Redemption draweth neere These Signes and Prasagia are like to so many tender Greene and leauy branches of the Fig-tree that shewerh the Summer of their happinesse to bee nigh These are like the white and yellow eares of corne that declare the Haruest to bee at hand and these are as it were so many sounding Trumpets or Alarums to awaken vs. And as the Sunne being about to arise first sendeth forth his bright beames a farre off and enlightneth the East so our Lord Iesus the Sunne of righteousnesse doth before his second comming send certaine generall Signes and as I may say Herbingers that men might the more carefully waite for and more dilligently addresse and prepare themselues against that time The Tempests threaten before that they arise the Houses crack before they fall and the Smoake goeth before the flame So these Signes and Fore-warnings go before the consummation of the world These Signes Fore-runners are of three sorts namely those that are already accomplished and fulfilled Secondly those that are mixt signes and praedemonstrations in continuall action and motion and those that yet remaine in their due time to be performed Of these plainly and in order But that I may cleere the coast and proceede with more dexterity and profit two principall questions by many moued are to be seasonably decided First why God doth not and will not reueale vnto any the houre day yeare and time of the last iudgement Secondly why the Lord seemeth so long to delay and put off that day and iudgement especially seeing that hee promiseth to come quickly and that his children so long waite and so earnestly pray for that time I answer to the former question The Lord wil haue the day houre yeare c. of the vniuersall iudgement concealed First because it is the Glory of God to conceale a thing and not to reueale some things before the euent which is the best surest interpreter Secondly that hee might bridle and represse the impudent boldnesse and rash curiositie of those that vainely yea presumptuously pry and search into things forbidden vnnecessary and impossible to be known in the meane time neglect the searching out of and the due practise of things in the word of God reuealed and commanded Thirdly and lastly not onely to try and make knowne the modesty and humility of his deere seruants whether that they will break into the closet of his secrets or no but also to keep them from the slumber of security and to stir them vp to watch for and prepare themselues against that day Vtiliter saith an ancient Father latet vltimus dies vt obseruentur omnes dies That is it is for our profite that the last day is vnknowne that wee may obserue and watch all daies The second question Why doth the Lord so long deferre his comming to iudgement Ans. First that the Prophecy of the Reuelation and of other Scriptures should bee fulfilled For heauen and earth shall passe away but no point or tittle of Gods word shall passe away vnaccomplished Secondly that the sinnes and abhominations of the wicked and profane who abuse and despise the riches of Gods goodnesse forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth them to repentance and who mispend and lauish their time that God hath allotted for their repentance might be left without plea or excuse and that their sinnes being heaped vp to heauen might bee punished with eternity of torments Thirdly that none of the Predestinate should perish but that in this world they should come to the acknowledgement of the truth to repentance and so consequently to saluation Lastly to try declare cherish and exercise the patience faith hope and charity of his chosen that liue amongst such an infinite number of lewd Atheisticall scandalous superstitious and venemous people and yet by the grace of God directing and preseruing them are blamelesse harmelesse without rebuke and shine as light in the midst of a crooked and peruerse Nation CHAP. III. The first generall Signe the desolation and destruction of the Temple and Citie of Ierusalem and the vtter ouerthrow of the Iewes Common-wealth THE first generall Signe of the end of the world is the vtter ruin and laying waste of the Citie of God Ierusalem of the holy Temple and the ruin of the Iewes pollicie and Common-wealth The Temple and Citie was destroyed by Titus and Vespasian Romane Emperours the nine and thirtieth yeare after the Ascension of our Lord into heauen And the Iewes euer since haue bene led away captiue into all nations and Ierusalem hath beene troden downe of the Gentiles and the wrath of God is come vpon them to the full now whether the beleeuing Iewes shall towards the end of the world be temporally restored into their owne Country rebuild Ierusalem and haue a most reformed and flourishing Church and Common-wealth as some by extraordinary expositions seeme to gather out of the Scriptures the issue and euent will discouer But to finish the point in hand the desolation of the Temple and Citie of Ierusalem by reason of the similitude and correspondencie of things persons and euents is a type and figure of the destruction of the world CHAP. IIII. Of the Preaching of the Gospell vnto all Nations THE second generall
are so ripe and growne to such an head and impudency that they ouercome the patience and long-suffering of our Lord and prouoke and enforce him to descend vnto visible and horrible execution and reuenge For the iust Iudge of the world must needs doe Iustice and bee auenged of his enemies Let vs therefore say Exurgat Deus dissipentur inimici i. Let God arise and let his enemies bee dispersed VIII Reason The Anti-christ doth with all maine and might whatsoeuer the Foxe pretendeth set and oppose himselfe against our Lord Iesus Christ against his Gospell Discipline Church and Members Therefore our Almighty IESVS cannot but confront and confound this his Arch-enemy IX Reason The wailing and lamentation of the Popish Kings Marchants Marriners c. beholding a farre off the burning of Rome and contrary-wise the reioycing of the Prophets and Apostles per prosopopeiam and of the Pastors and Church of God for the desolation of Rome when it is come to passe demonstrate the certainty of this future Iudgement Lastly certaine of the neerest fore-runners of Romes ruine First a suddaine departure of many Christians out of Rome by the instinct of Gods Spirit like wherevnto was that of the godly Iewes departing from Ierusalem a little before the Siege of it Secondly a diuision of the Citie or Cittizens into three parts a figure whereof was the diuision of Tongues when the Tower of Babell was destroyed Lastly a most terrible and ominous Earth-quake Such as there was neuer since men were vpon the earth doe euidence it and will giue the godly the watch-word CHAP. XIII How after the destruction of Rome the Papists and louers of the Whore shall practise by violence vtterly to roote out all Christians but shall bee finally and vtterly ouerthrowne A Second generall Signe of Christs comming not yet begunne to bee fulfilled is the vtmost indeuour and practise of the Romanists that shall suruiue when Rome is burnt to roote out and extinguish by the sword all Christians And this cleerely appeareth out of the 19 chapter of Saint Iohns Reuelation and by the consent of diuers learned and iudicious Interpreters The Beast i. the second beast the Pope and the Popish Kings of the earth and their Armies viz. huge and many gathered themselues together to make warre against him that sate on the Horse i. Christ and Christian Princes his Instruments and against his Army 1. All Protestant Souldiers But behold and wonder at the euent and giue the Lord the glory of the victory The Protestants shall Eate i. destroy the flesh of Popish Kings Captaines Mighty men of horses horse-men bond free great small Then the beast and the false Prophet shall bee taken So perish all thine enemies ô Lord but let them that loue thee bee as the Sunne when it goeth forth in his might So you see that the Papists shall seek by a generall consent to recouer their ruines and regaine their losses but with no successe yea with their fatall ouerthrow It is no striuing against the Lord. CHAP. XIIII A third generall and memorable Signe of the approach of the last iudgement namely the conuersion of the Iewes A Third general and eminent Signe not yet fulfilled is the general Calling and Gathering of the whole Nation of the Iewes vnto the faith and into the Church of Christ And this is pregnantly gathered of Scripture Ioh. 10.16 There must be one Fold of Iewes and Gentiles and one Shepheard Euery Tribe must mourne apart for Christ by them crucified the parents by the Sword of Gods Word at least must thrust through the false Prophet when hee Prophecieth The Prophet shall bee ashamed of his vision i. his false doctrine lay aside his rough garment taken vp by apish imitation of the true Prophets and returne to his former husbandry Then shall wee see in earth The holy Citie new Ierusalem comming downe from God out of heauen prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband whereof so many glorious things are spoken in Scripture and literally to be vnderstood in many points These vpon the fame and brute of their first conuersion and the report of their purpose to returne into their owne Country neere wherevnto and in the Confines whereof many of them dwell shall bee assaulted by the great Turke the King of the North who with all his forces shall endeuour to extinguish them and kill euery mothers sonne so that there shall bee such a time of trouble to them as neuer was since there was a Nation euen to that same time But then Michaell the great Prince i. The Lord IESVS or his mighty instruments shall Stand vp and finally deliuer them None of all these Prophecies are yet performed therefore they must of necessity be fulfilled in their appointed times The Iewes being once conuerted shall bee a most famous reformed and Exemplary Church of all the world and all Nations shall flow vnto it and it shall bee as it were a visible heauen vpon earth but it shall not perhaps many yeares continue For the further proofe of their further conuersion to omit sundry glorious promises of God in Esay Ezechiel the Psalmes and which are thought hitherto but in small part to be performed I alledge these reasons ensuing I. Reason The Apostle S. Paul inferreth that the Iewes are not vniuersally forsaken because hee being an Israelite and of the Tribe of Beniamin is not forsaken II. Reason The same Apostle saith that there is a Remnant reserued and as it were some seed of election in the multitude though yet not seene nor discerned III. Reason The calling and conuersion of some Iewes to the Christian Faith in all ages doth conclude that the Iewes are not wholy forsaken but are rather the first fruites of a greater Haruest and the Fore-runners of a greater Conuersion IIII. Reason The First Fruites viz the holy Patriarkes are holy and therefore the Lumpe i. the multitude of them for the time to come is holy The roote Abraham is holy and therefore some Branches V. Reason It was a speciall end of Pauls Ministerie to winne his Country-men the Iewes and it is or ought to bee the scope of our zeale and good example to gaine them But this end and scope being of God cannot be vaine and frustrate VI. Reason The Fulnesse of the Iewes conuerted shall bee the Riches the occasion of knowledge grace of the world and their taking into the Church shall bee life from death the reuiuing and springing againe of the whole world consisting of Iewes and Gentiles VII Reason God can convert them and graft them in againe therefore it is not impossible VIII Reason When the Fulnesse of vs Gentiles is come into the Church id est some remaining Nations as perhaps Spaine Italy Portugall or the like Countries then shall all Israel i. a great or greatest