2.3 intreating of the ââaginations of the wicked which say That after this life their bodyes âhalbe as ashes that are quenched and that their soules shal vanish away as the soft ayre hée sayeth That they doe not vnderstand the mysteries of the Lord that they haue no hope of the rewarde of the righteous that they regard not she woorship that holy blessed soules shall haue Wisd 3.1 And in the chapter following speaking of the soules of the righteous hée saieth That they are in the handes of God and that the feare of death shal not touche them Luke 16.22 The paâble of the rich man and Lazarus ãâã euidently and plainly proueth vnto that the soule doeth not dye with body For the soule of Lazarus was ried by the Angels into Abraham bosom and the soule of the riche ãâã was buried in hel Our sauiour in ãâã 10. of Matth. Mat. 10.28 comforting his disciplâ willeth them not to feare them tâ kil the body and bée not able to kill soule The soule therefore doeth not dâ with the body Secondly that the souâ doe not sléepe til the day of iudgemeâ the testimonies of the scripture doe dâclare In the 23. of Luke Luke 23.43 our Sauioâ sayd to the theefe that did hang on tâ one side of him vpon the Crosse Thâ day thou shalt be with mee in paradisâ As much to say Thou shalt bée wiâ mée in a place of singular quietnes aââ pleasure not there to sléepe till the daâ of iudgement but without all peraâuenture to liue and to raigne witâ Iesus Christ in eternall glory Apo. 6.9.10 And ãâã the 6. of the Reuelation it is declared that Iohn sawe vnder the altar the ââles of them that were killed for the âord of God and for the testimony âhat they had crying with a loude voice ãâã saying Howe long tarriest thou Lord holy and true to iudge and to âauenge our blood on them that dwell âon the earth The soules then doe not ââéepe til the day of iudgement neither doe they perish with the bodies but being loosed by death from the same are carried eyther vnto eternall ioy or els ââto euerlasting sorrowe vnto which âhe bodies shal bee gathered in the last day to receaue euery one according to that which they haue done whether it bée good or euill For it standeth with she eternal iustice of the eternall God she righteous iudge that euery man shal receaue according to his desertes Heereof Daniel prophesied whose wordes bée these Daniel 12.2 Many of them that sleepe in the dust of the earth shall awake some to euerlasting life some to perpetual shame and reproofe And in the third of the Prophet Malachy Mal. 3.5 I myselfe wil come and bée a swift vânes against witches against aduouârers against false swearers yea and âgainst those that wrongfully kéep bââ the hyrelings dutie which vex the wâdowe and the fatherlesse and oppreâ the stranger and feare not mee sayeâ the Lord of hoastes Eccles 11.9 In the 11. chaptâ of the bâoke of the Preacher it is sayd Be gladde o thou young man in thâ youth and let thine hart be mery in thâ yong dayes follow the wayes of thyâ owne hart and the lust of thyne eyeâ But bee thou sure that God shall brinâ thee into iudgement for al these thingâ Hee derideth those that set their delighâ in worldly pleasures as though Goâ woulde not call them to account theâ which nothing is surer For we must aâ appeare before the iudgement seate oâ Christ that euery man may receaue thâ workes of his body 2. Cor. 5.10 according to thaâ which hee hath done whether it be good or bad Hée wil come shortly anâ his reward is with him Apo. 22.12 to geue euerâ man as his woorke shalbée Rom. 9.7 Prayse honour and immortallitie to them that âtime in well doing and séeke eterââll life but vnto them that are rebelââââ and disobey the trueth shal come âignation wrath tribulation and ââââshe vpon the soule of euery one ââât doeth euill of the Iewe first and ââ the Gentile 2. Thes 1.6 For it is verily a righteââs thing with God to recompence ââibulation to them that trouble you ãâã to you which are troubled rest ââth vs when the Lorde Iesus shall ââwe him selfe from heauen with his âighty Angelles in flaming fire renââââ vengance vnto them that know ât GOD and to them that obey not ââto the Gospell of our Lorde Iesus Christ which shall be punished with eâerlasting damnation from the preâence of the Lorde and from the glory âf his power when he shall come to bée âlorified in his Saints and to be made âeruellous in all them that beléeue âohn saw by Reuelation the dead Apoc. 20.10 both ââeat and smal stand before the Lorde ãâã the booke to be opened and the dead to bee iudged out of that which waâ written according to theyr deedes And hée that was not written in thâ booke of lyfe was cast into the lake ãâã fire Iude. 1.14.15 And no doubt the time draweth when this that Iohn saw by Reuelation shall bée fulfilled when the Lorâ shall come with thousandes of Saint to giue iudgement against all men anâ to rebuke al the vngodly among them of all their vngodly déedes which theâ haue vngodlyly committed and of aâ their cruell speakinges which vngodâ sinners haue spokeÌ against him whicâ it must néedes followe as a necessarâ consequent that the state of good meâ in the comming of Iesus Christ vnâ iudgement shal be most glorious anâ the state of the wicked most miserablâ Which commeth to passe cleane coâtrary in this wicked world wheâ most coÌmonly the godly are with trââbles tormented with banishment pânished with the losse of goodes impoârished with all miseries ouerwhelmeâ But contrariwise the wicked are wiâ delycat fare nourished with goodes inriâââd with offices preferred for autoââe honoured as the Prophet Dauid in ââse words doth bitterly coÌplaine Psal 37.4 My ââete were almost gon my treadings âad well nigh slipt And why I was âreued at the wicked to see the vngodây in such prosperitie For they are in âo perill of death but are lusty and âroÌg They come in no misfortune like âther folk neither are they plaged like âther men Their eies swel with fat âhey do euen what they list Vers 12. And a litle ââter Beholde these prosper in the âorld these haue riches in possession Iob. 21.9 The houses of the wicked saith Iob are âeaceable without feare and the rodde âf the Lord is not vpon them Their âullock gendreth and fayleth not their ââwe calueth and casteth not her âalfe They sende foorth their chilâren like Shéepe and their Sonnes âeade the daunce And therefore there ââst be of necessitie an other life after âhis lyfe in which according to the ãâã iudgement of GOD euery one may receiue according to their workâ be they good or bad eternall
A SERMON preached in S. Peters Church in Exceter the 6. day of December last wherin is intreated of the second comming of âhrist vnto iudgement of the end of the world By Iohn Chardon maister of Art and preacher of the word of God 1. Pet. 4. vers 7. Novv the end of all things is at hand Be ye therfore sober and vvatching in prayer Jmprinted at London at the three Cranes in the Vintree by Thomas Dawson 1580. To the right worshipfull Sir Gawen Carew Knight Iohn Chardon wisheth prosperity in this lyfe and in Christ Iesus our sauiour lyfe euerlasting I Had no sooner ended this Sermon rightworshipful but some of my very familiar friends wished and in maner vrged me to coÌmend the same âo you or to the good Lady your wife vnto whose request I thought good the rather to yeeld for that I knewe right well what stoare you made of the Word Mat. 13.46 being a pearle of greate price a rich treasure and ân incomparable Iewell Mat. 13.44 the very âode of mans soule the sworde of âhe spirit Eph. 6.17 Heb. 4.12 more sharpe thaÌ any two âdged swoorde which entreth âhrough euen vnto the deuiding sunder of the soule and the spirit and of the ioynts and the maroâ In consideration whereof I offâ this my poore trauell vnto you praying you to accept the same as token of my good wil. And albeâ I cannot compare with the rich who of their superfluities are won to adde vnto the offerings of God yet I of my penurie am willing with the poore widowe Luk. 21.2 to cast iâ the substance I haue euen the mitâ to the augmentation of the treasury of the Lord. Which if I perceaue to be accepted your worship shall encourage mee to greater trauelles And so I betake you to the Lorde Heuytre The second of Ianuary 1579. Yours in the Lord to be commanded I. Chardon Hosea 4.1 AVdite verbum Domini filij Israël quia iudiciuÌ domino cum habitatoribus terrae non est enim ââritas non est misericordia non est scientia Dei in terra Maledictum mendacium homiciâââ furtum adulterium inundauerunt âââguis sanguinem tetigit Propter hoc lugebit terâa infirmabitur omnis qui habitat in ea Hoseae 12.2 ââdicium dominicum Iuda visitatio super Iacob âââra vias eius Ergo quìd euigilas nummorum condere saccoâ QuÃdue modus rabidae nullus auaritiae Quid gestis cupidè terras coniungere terris Quìd te Mammonae possidet alta sitis Quìd tibi concilias tam largo foenore nummos Quìd spolias fratres non miserande tuos Quìd iugulas teneros quos Christus diligit agnos Ioan. 13.1 Quìd Christo charas perdite perdis oues Quid non mendaces quìd non mendacia linquis Quìd violas magni iussa tremenda Dei Quid tua non linquis periuria furta rapinas Quìd tua sic lacerat liuida lingua bonos Quìd sic scortaris quìd non piget ire Corinthuâââ Quìd fuscant oculos blanda venena tuos Quìd non emendas mores vestigia gressus Quì sibi vult tantus cultus amórque mali Quìd sic decurris furiosae more iuuencae Quìd tollis cristas terra cinÃsque tuas Quìd sic defectu miserorum corporalanguent Horrea frumento quìd tua plena iacent Quìd non producis granorum durus aceruos Quìd sepelis tanti munera tanta Dei Quìd Lazarum spernis quem morte redemit Iesus ââke 16.21 QuÃdue tui superant te pietate canes Quìd non scripturas voluis medicamina vitae Quìd non sacratum voluis ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Volue reuolue precor sic disces iussa Iehouae Sic bene compones ordine quaeque suo Dudum terra fuit subito concussa tremore Aduentus magni tessera certa Dei Io. Chardonâs Vigilate igitur Mar. 13.35 nescitis enim quando dominus domus veniet vespere an media nocte an in gallicinio an manè ne quum repentè venerit inueniat vos dormientes ãâã 5.9 Quae autem dico vobis omnibus dico vigilate Index ante ianuam adstat ãâã 22.20 Dicit qui testatur ista Etiam venio citò Amen Etiam veni domine Iesu Luke 21. vers 25. THere shal be signes in the Sunne in the Moone and in the starres in the earth the people shal bee at theyr âittes end through dispaire The sea the water shal roare and mens hartes shall faile them for feare and for looking after those thinges which shall come on the earth for the powers of heauen shal moue And then shall they see the sonne of man come in a cloude with power great glory When these thinges begin to come to passe then looke vp and lift vp your heads for your redemption draweth nye And he shewed them a similitude Behold the figge tree and al other trees when they shoote foorth theyr buddes ye see and knowe of your owne selues that sommer is then nigh at hande So likewyse ye also when ye see these thinges come to passe bee sure that the kingdom of God is nigh Verily I say vnto you this generation shal not passe til al bee fulfilled Heauen and earth shal passe but my wordes shal not passe Take heed to your selues lest your hartes bee oueâ come with surfetting drunkennese and cares of this life and that that daâ come not on you vnwares For as ãâã snare shal it come on al them that dweâ on the earth Watch therfore continually and pray that you may obtaynâ grace to flee al this that shal come anâ that you may stand before the sonne oâ man THis Gospel beloued intreateth oâ the second comming of our Sauiour Iesus Christe vnto ãâã iudgement it confirmeth that article of our fayth by which we confesse and beleeue that the same Iesus which take fleshe of the virgin which suffered vnder Pontius Pilate which was buried which rose againe the thirde day from the dead and which ascended into heauen shal come againe at the end of the world to iudge the quicke the dead when all that are in the graues shall âeâre the voice of the Sonne of God Iohn 5. â9 ââd shal come foorth they that haue ââne good to the resurrection of life ââd they that haue done euil to the resurrection of damnation Wherof our Sauiour tooke occasion to speake by âeason of the talke that he had with his ââsciples about the temple of IerusaleÌ For when the disciples wondered at âhe gorgeous decking of the Temple with goodly stones and costly iewels ââe sayd that the time shoulde come Luke 21. â in which it should be destroied that there should not be left one stone vpon anoââer that should not be throweÌ down Then the disciples asked him saying Maister when shal these things be And âhie tolde them of certain signes and tokens which should goe before
after the things that shal come vâpon the earth For the powers of heâuen shal moue These fiue signes shâ goe before the comming of Christ vnâ iudgement First there shal be signâ in the Sunne and in the Moone and â the starres that is as S. Marke wrâteth Mar. 13.24 The Sunne shal be darkened thâ Moone shal not giue her light and tâ starres of heauen shall séeme to fall Secondly in the earth the people shalâ be at their wittes end thorow dispainâ That is as S. Marke againe doeth uâterprete Mar. 13.8 Nation shall rise against nation and kingdome against kingdome Thirdly the sea and the water shal ãâã roare that is there shalbée cruell tempestes vehement and vnaccustomed âââdes Fourthly by reason of these âens hartes shal faile them for feare ãâã looking after the thinges that shall âne vpoÌ the earth Fiftly the powers âf heauen shal moue that is there shall âee straunge sightes in the heauen and ân the earth there shal bee earthquakes ãâã al quarters Briefly the heauen the âârth and sea shal witnes and declare the day of the lord to be at hand Now beloued wée our selues may witnesse that most of these signes and tokens âre passed alreadie For wée haue séene âtraÌge Eclipses of the Sunne moone âée haue séene nation to rise against ââtion and kingdome to rise against kingdome we haue heard of cruel tempestes vehement and vnaccustomed âindes with other strange thinges And therfore wée may iustly prognosticat yea and beléeue that the ends of the worlde are come vppon vs and that it wil not be long before Christ wil come vnto iudgement Beholde sayeth our sauiour the figge tree and all other trees when they shoote foorth the buddes ye see and know of your owâ selues that sommer is nigh at hand ãâã likewyse yee also when yee see the things to come to passe be ye sure thâ the Kingdom of God is nigh at hand But wée haue séene most of these come to passe and therfore let vs thiâ no otherwyse but that the kingdom God is nigh at hand and that the lorâ is ready to take his fanne in his haÌd Mat. 3.12 purge his floore to gather his wherâ into his barne and to burne the chaâ with vnquenchable fire Other tokeâ there are besides these to prooue vnâ vs that the end of the world hangeth âuer our neckes among which in iâ iudgement the preaching of the Gâpel is not the least For as our saâââ sayeth in the 24. chapter after the Gâpel of S. Mathewe Mat. 24.14 The Gospel of ãâã Kingdom shal be preached thorow eâ the world for a witnes vnto al nation and then shal the end come By whâ words the Sonne of man doth plaiâ declare that about the time of tâ worldes destruction the true and comfortable doctrine of Christ shoulde bée preached Whereby it is gathered that the same was obscured and darkened almost defaced by reason of the false Prophetes Apostles afore that time But nowe againe by the vnspeakeable grace and mercy of God we do plainly perceaue such a cleare light of the Gospel to shyne ouer the whole world that in spite of the deuil and his adherents it casteth his bright beames ouer al nations And therefore what other thing may wee looke for but as Christ did foretel a sodaine downfal of this miserable and wretched world Another token of the ouerthrow of the world is because wee doe plainely perceaue all things dayly to wax worse and worse and to decrease in their vertue For example The ayre is oftentimes corrupt sometime with vntimely showres sometime with vnprofitable drynesse nowe with too much colde and nowe with extreame heate The fruitfulnes of the earth is not such as it hath béene afore tyme. Moreouer wée may thinkâ and perceaue the foundations of the world to be worne out and the same to bée falling vppon our shoulders wheâ we sensibly perceaue our selues to liââ in those daies of which our Sauiour hath foreshewed I meane eating anâ drinking marrying and married buying and selling planting and building For neuer more did men eate drinke neuer did they faster marry wyues iâ the dayes of Noe neuer more did they buy and sell plant and builde in thâ dayes of Lot than they doe now which may prooue vnto vs that the endes oâ the worlde are come vpon vs. For as our Sauiour sayth After these examples shal it be Luke 17.30 when the Sonne of man shal appeare And if wée compare thâ tyme present with that which is past and set the manners of men before our eyes wée shal perceaue wickednesse to haue his ripenes and to raigne almost euery where without coÌtrolment For notwithstanding that God thorot Aâ vnspeakeable mercy in these latter dayes hath giuen vs the vse of his most âly worde whereby we shoulde frame ââr lastes and affections according to ãâã most holy will what desire of righââusnesse what loue of vertue what âââe of godlynesse or what zeale of reâââion is there to bée founde yea who is âât in Christianitie eyther colde or âarelesse Wée may nowe plainely see greatest vice to bée counted for chiefest âertue and those men to bée most commended which of al other for impietie ââght most to bée dispraysed For the ârafty deceitful men are counted wise âhe couetous are called good husbands âhe prodigal are called liberal and rich men are déemed the best men Besides S. Paule foresheweth that in the last dayes shal come perillous tymes 2. Tim. 3.1 For men saieth hée shal be louers of themselues couetous bosters proude curââ speakers disobedient to father and ââther vnthankeful vnholy vnkind ãâã so foorth And when did men more âet by themselues When were they ââre couetous When were they more proude when more giuen to cursed speaking when more disobedient to father and mother when more vnthankful when more vnholy when more vnkinde And to bée short when more geuen ouer to worke wickednes Eph. 4.16 that with al kind of gréedines then at thesâ dayes And therfore it must néedes follow the comming of Iesus Christ vnto iudgement to bée nigh at hand Whose comming shal be in a cloude with power great glorie In the first of the Acts Act. 1.9 after the talke that our sauiour had with the Apostles whiles they beheld hee was taken vp and a cloude receaued him out of their sight And while they looked stedfastly vp to Heauen as he went behold two men stood by them in white apparel which also said Ye men of Galilee why stande yée gasing vp into heauen This same Iesus which is taken from you into Heauen shal so come euen as ye haue séene him to goe into heauen But hée went in a cloude into heauen and therefore hée shal come in a cloude from heauen with power and greate glory euen as â Paule wryteth in the fourth of the ãâã Epistle to the Thessalonians 1. Thes 4.16 The âorde shal descend from