they haue done not according to that whiche they haue professed and spoken Manye shall saye vnto mee in that daye saith Christ Lorde wee prophecyed in thy name caste out diuels and done many greate woorkes in thy name and yet for all their so saying Christe sayth he will tearme them workers of inniquitie and bid them depart from him For not euery one that saith Lord Lord shal enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that dothe the will of my father shall enter into the kingdome of heauen so that many good wordes shall bee found in hell but good workes goe all to heauen I speake not this as houlding that wee are iustified by our woorkes No we are saued by grace through faith and that not of our selues it is the gift of god But if thou braggest of faith shews me that saythe of this harte by the sruictes of thy life for true christianitye consisteth of owo parts profession practice or to vse the phrase of the scripture of fayth and good woorkes and to the perfection of a christian man both are necessarye and each doth mutually accompanye other as the shadowe goeth with the bodie And as the bodye is knowne to haue lyfe by it mouing so is the lyfe of faythe perceiued by working The life of the bodye is the soule and the life of faith is loue and as the bodie is dead withoute the soule so is fayth withoute loue and as circumcision profited the Iewes nothing without the lawe so neither doth faith profit vs without charitye Whatsoeuer wee professe howe muth soeuer we knowe our Sauioure Christ pronounceth vs so farfoorth blessed as we doe that wee professe and followe that we knowe They that profes the fayth of christians and doe not confirme it with a Christian lyfe are like belles in the steeple whiche call others to churthe with their sounde but neuer come into it them selues lyke fayre paynted sepulchers whiche are full of gaye golden pictures and immages without but ful of dead carcases and filthie corruption within like salte which hath his colour but lost his sauour like a candell whiche is lighte but hidden vnder a bushell But let youre lighte saith Christ speaking to Christians so shine beefore men that they maye see your woorkes c. If you be the sonnes of Abraham doe the workes of Abraham If ye call mee Lorde Lorde dooe the woorkes that I commaunde you The tree is not coÌ„mended for bearing leaues but fruites euen so the commendation of a Christian consisteth not in speaking but in dooinge They shall leaue their woordes beehinde them but theire woorkes shall followe them and they receaue according to that whiche they haue doone Dooing is double and of two sortes 1 Well dooing 2 Ill dooing And boeth shall bee rewarded accordinglye Hee that hathe doone well shall receaue accordinge to his well doing not that any man doth wel of him selfe For all fleshe hath corrupted his way and all the immaginations of oure hartes is euill euerie daye There is not one that doth good no not one our lips are full of cursing and bitternesse not apt or abell to vtter a good word much lesse are we able to doe a good worke Men doe not gather grapes of thornes nor figges of thistles we beinge shapen in wickednes conceiued in sinne are as vnapt as vnable to bring foorth good fruites as thornes are to bring foorth grapes or thistles figges But yet as the stocke of a sower crabbe may bring foorth a sweete apple if the graffe bee good so we being the children of wrath by nature may bring foorth good fruits by grace if Christe bee ingraffed into our hartes by faith For withoute mee sayth hee you can do nothing I am the vine you are the braunches he that abideth in me and in whom I bide he bringeth forth much fruit But as the braunch cannor bring forth fruit of it self except it abide in the vine so neither can you except you abide in me To make our workes good therefore it is necessarie to obserue these foure circumstaunces that we doe them in loue with a pure hart a good conscience and faith vnfayned Howe glorious a shewe of godlinesse or good intention soeuer our woorkes doe carrye before men if these foure conditions bee not obserued in doing them wee that are the doers of them as saythe the Apostle are but vaine ianglers and no frutifull workers To make the woorke good sayth Augustine It is not onelye requisite vt aliquid fiat quod in suo genere bonum sit sed prâ—cipue vt bene fiat 1. that the thinge whiche is donne bee in his owne nature good but especiallye that it is well done For many things being of their own nature good may be done they notwithstanding not doeing them wel of whom they are done It is good to helpe anye man in necessitie but he that seeketh the glory of men therby rather then of God bonum facit non bene saith Augustine he doth that which is good but he doth it not well because hee doth it not with a good minde and conscience Hence it is that Christe condenmeth the prayers fasting and almes of the scribes and pharisees who sought not to please God therin but rather to procure themselues a name and credit before men Many excellent morall vertues were in the heathen philosophers which notwithstanding bicause they referred them not to God were no hetter then sinnes before him Sine cultu veri dei etiam quod virius videtur esse peccatuÌ„ est nec placere vllus deo si deo non potest that is without the worship of the true God that which seemeth a vertue is a sinne neyther can any man please God without god Omnis vita infidelium peccatorum est nihil bonum sine summo hono The whole lyfe of infidels is sinne and nothing good without him that is the perfection of all that is good And to say all in one word without faith it is impossible to please God why saith Iulianus to Augustine if a Pagan should cloth a naked christian bicause it is not of faith were it sinne yea indeede were it saith Augustine Ipsa miserico dia per se opus est bonum at hoc bonum malefacit qui infideliter facit i. non fideli sed infideli 〈◊〉 Mercy it selfe is a good work but this good work doth he euilly which doth as infidels that is not with a faithfull but an vnbeleeuing hart And whatsoeuer is not of faythe is sinne Whereuppon Prosper de vita contemplatina lib. 30. cap. 10. Apostl non dicat quicquid non est ex fide nihil est sed dicendâ— peccatum est declarauit quod si non fuerint ex fide non sunt aliqua bona credenda sed vitia que non iuuant suos operarios sed eadem mane that is the Apostle saide not
A godlie Sermon of repentaunce and amendment of life togeather with the accompt which we must render at the day of iudgement Preached at the Rolles Church in London the second of Maye and taken out of the fifth Chapter of Saint Paule his Epistle to the Corrinthians Cor. 5. vers 10. We must all appeare before the iudgement seat of Christe that euery man maye receiue the thinges which are done in his bodye according to that which he hath done whether it bee good or euill AT LONDON Printed by Thomas Purfoote and are to be sold at his shop right ouer against S. Sepulchers Church 1585. A Sermon preached at the Rolles Church in London the 2. of Maye beeing Sondaye taken out of the 5. Chapter of S. Paule his second Epistle to the Corinthians verse 10. The Text. We must all appeare before the iudgement seat of Christe that euery man maye receiue the thinges which are done in his bodye according to that which he hath done whether it bee good or euill THe holye Apostle at such time as he wrote this Epistle to the Corinthians beeing persecuted for the testimonye of his conscience and the profession of the glorious Gospell of Iesus Christe protesteth solempnely that the troubles which bee suffered in his bodye did not onelye not discourage him nor cause him to faint but eyther That they did adde zealo and 〈…〉 causing him to continue constaune in his calling and to account those afflitions but tuomentary light in respect of that most excellent and eternall weight of glorye wherewith all in the end he knew he shoulde be crowned the earnest desire whereof caused him to sigh and grone in spirite that he might shortly be losed out of his body and cloathed with his house which the Lord had prepared for him in heauen not that be thought hee coulde preuent the time which the Lord in his secret counsel had already determined For he knew that the Dayes of man surely are determined and that his number of monethes are knowne of God who hath appoynted him his boundes which can not goe beyonde but we know sayth he that if our earthly house of that tabernacle bee destroyed wee haue a buildinge giuen of GOD that is a house not made with handes but eternall in the heauens beeing absent from the Lord whileste we are at hoame in this body Howbeit whether it be the Lord his good wil and pleasure that we shall stil dwell at home in the bodye or remooue from home out of this bodye and dwell wich him we endeuour our selues that we may be found acceptable in his sight at all times and in all places Whereof he giueth this reason For we must all appeare c. Exhorting al men both by his example and doctrine in life to meditate of death in prosperitie to feare aduersitie in the day of mercye to thinke of the daye of iudgement and so to liue in their seuerall callinges as to remember they must giue account of their callinges so to vse the benefites and blessinges of God as not forgetting from whence they haue them and when they muste resigne them according to that counsell of the wise man Remember thy ende That is the certaintie of thy ende the vncertain howre of thy ende the rewarde thou shalt receaue at thy ende the place of ioye or payne that thou must goe to at thy end In all thy doinges remember these thinges and thoâ—â—â—â— shalâ— neuer doe amisse For what causeth such losenes of life in all sortes but the forgetfulnes of death in all sortes What causeth the wicked alwayes to presume of God his mercye but the contempt of his iustice What causeth such generall security in sinne but the generall obliuion of the reward of sinne Whereas if we did alwayes remember our particular endes and our generall iudgements it would cause vs to walke more circumspectly in our callinges which more care of conscience and greater consideration of all our actions which one day must be brought to iudgment To this ende doth the Apostle preach of the daye of iudgement in this place putting vs in remembraunce of three thinges necessary to be thought of and considered of all men before that tyme. 1 First who and what they are whiche must appeare at that day 2 Secondarily where and before whom they must appeare 3 Thirdly to what ende they must appeare If you aske who they are which must appeare at that daye the Apostle saithe All. If you aske where and before whome those All must appeare the Apostle aunswereth Before the iudgement seate of Christ If you aske to what ende those All must appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ the Apostle doth aunswere To receaue euery man according to that which he hath done in his body whether it c. The first part TOuching the substaunce of that doctrine which here is deliuered by the Apostle it was prophesied long since by S. Peter that towards the letter end of the world this doctrine of the generall iudgement and resurrection of all flesh should of all other to the opinions of the wicked seeme most absurd ridiculous and foolish There shall come in the last dayes mockers saith he which will walke after their lustes and saye where is the promise of his comming For since the Fathers dayed all thinges continue a like from the beginning of the creation He termeth the despisers and contemners of this doctrine mockers he saith the dais they shal liue in shalbe the last the manner how they shall mocke it will appeare both in their liues and speeches in their liues for that they shall not walke after the lawes of God but after the lawes of their fleshe fulfilling the lustes therof as prophane and rechles persons void of al godlines and giuen ouer to all sinne and iuniquirye In speeches not ashamed to profes that they beleue nothing lesse then that that should be performed which is promised in the scriptures concerning the comming of Christ in iudgement The reason that moue them to thinke and say so is the obseruation of nature his constant course in all the workes and creatures of God continuing in y e same state wherein they were first created withoute any alteration or chaunge in any of them as those great lights the sunne and the Moone obseruing their vsuall and ordinarye time of their vprising and downe sitting according to the seuerall seales and tymes of the yeare the one ruling and giuing light to the daye the other in the night the starrs remaining firme and fixed as lightes in the firmament of heauen where they were firste planted in the beginning to diuide y e day and the night and to bee as signes and seasons for daies and yeares the earth being vnremooueable vnder our feete bringing forth budde and greene hearbe apt to seede and fruitfull trees euerye one yeilding fruites after his kinde and all these together with the beasts of the
heauen at whose comming all men shall rise agayne with their bodies and shall giue accompte for their owne workes It is of necessitie therefore that wee must appeare c. Otherwise saithe the Apostle our prearching is in vayne youre faithe is also vaine yea and we are founde false witnesses of God because wee haue testifyed of God howe that hee raised vp Christe whom hee raysed not vppe if so bee the deade rise not befâ—â—es you are yet in youre sinnes and they whiche are fallen a sleepe are perished But the preaching of the Apostles is true oure faythe grounded vppon the doctryne of Christe and his Apostles is true and wee beeleeue and receaue it for an vndoubted trueth that GOD hathe rayfed vp Iesus from the dead and that by vertue of his resurrection wee all must ryse agayne and they lykewise Muste appeare A thirde reason maye be taken from the iustice of GOD. For as the Apostle sayth if in this life onely we haue hope in Christe then are wee of all men moste miserable The best Christians are and alwayes shall bee moste hated The worlde shall hate you in the world you shall haue tribulation and agaâ—â—e They that will liue godlye shall suster persecution And therefore theire state who will â—iue godlye of all other maye seeme to bee moste miserable and vnhappye and contrariwise the state of the wicked moste happye and blessed For they for the most part are in no perill of death but lusty and strong they come in no suche misfortune as other folke neither are they plagued as other men they prosper in the lande and haue rydâ—â— in possession They come to oulde age thiâ—e children liue in their sighte and theirc generation beefore theyr eyes theire houses are safe from all feare and the rodde of GOD is not vppon them their bullocke ingendereth and that not oute of tyme their Cowe caluethe and is not vnfruitefull they send foorth their children by flockes and their sonns daunce they beare with them tabretes and harpes and reioyce in the iustrumentes of musicke c. What shall wee saye to this Is God vniust whiche thus heapeth his benefites and blessinges vppon the wicked Or is hee vnfaithfull of his promise that forgetteth the poore whome hee hath receaued into his charge God forbid yea let God bee true and euerye man a lyer mee hath promised that no good deede shalbe vnrewarded nor no ill deede vnpunished and bee will performe it I graunte wee see it fall oute contrarye manye tymes in this lyfe but yet her that hathe promised is faythfull hee cannot denye himselfe and thoughe sometyme he doth dissemble him selfe to his children in this life yet the truth consideration of his iustice do preache vnto vs the performance thereof shall be in an other lyfe And therefore Wee must appeare c. Neither must any man thinke him selfe exempted from the generall necessity of this iudgement challenging any prerogatiue as priuiledged from it by his petegree parentage person power riches honour learning wisedom or authority For saithe the Apostle this necessitye is common to all We must al appeare c. All. All flesh all Nations Iewes Gentils Turks insidels Christians high and lowe Princes aswell as their subiectes Magistrates and meane men rich and poore men and women fathers and mothers maisters and seruauntes young and olde I saw the deade sayth Iohn in his reuelation both small and great standing before God Not smal in respect of their stature nor great in respect of kodilye proportion but in respect of the great or small credite they carry in the world These All the scripture deuideth into two sortes foolishe or virginswise chaffe or wheate corne or els cockell good stshes or bad sheep or goaces the children of this world or the children of hight which two sorts onely shall appeare in iudgement wherof one is blessed the other cursed y e one chosen before the foundacion of the worlde the other reiected as also there shall be but 〈◊〉 formes of iudgement Come and goe but two places mencioned for these two sortes to goe vnto heauen or hell no mencion of anye third either before iudgement or after iudgement which were requisite if there were anye collects or third sore of people as they fandly imagine to them selues which dream of a third place And these two sortes shall all be found aliue or dead not halfe aliue or halfe dead as they may seeme to be which are supposed to be in the third place according to the articles of our Christian faith wherein we beleeue that hee shall come to iudge the quicke and the deade which the Apostle also witnesseth when he sayth We shall not all dye but we shall all be chaunged not meaning that we shall hee chaunged in substaunce or qualitie of oure bodyes but in the qualitye and nature of oure bodyes The teares beeyng wyped from our eyes all sorrow and griefe taken out of our myndes All infirmities and blemishes out of our bodies and cur hearts replenished with such psalmes of ioye as no man can take from vs. Besides this corruptible must put on incorruption this mortall must put on immortalilye and as wee haue borne the image of earth so wee shall be are the image of heauen Our bodles are sowen in corruption they shall rise agayne in incorruption they are sowen in dishonoure they shall ryse agayn in honour they are sowen in weakenesse they shall rise agayne in power they are sowen naturall bodyes they shall rise agayne spirituall bodyes and death shall be swallowed vp into victory If any man be so curious to aske whether those that shall bee founde alyue or those which shall bee dead shall appeare first the Apostle doth aunswere him That those which be aliue and which remaine vnto the comming of the Lorde shall not preuent them that sleepe For the Lorde him selfe shall descende from heauen in a shoute and in the voice of the archangell and in the trumpe of God and the deade in Christe shall rise first then we which liue and which remayne shall be caught vp together with them in the cloudes to meet the Lord in the ayer to remaine and liue with him for euer So that whether we remaine aliue or be found dead at his comming We must all appeare c. All whether we died at home or abroad in our beds or in the field whether we were drowned in the sea or slaine on the lande or whatsoeuer becommeth of our bodyes in this life to come We must all appeare c. I saw the sea giue vp her dead death and hell saith S. Iohn deliuered vp the dead that were in them and al stood before God Manye thinke that those bodyes which are buried in Christian buriall as they tearme it that is such as are laid in graues and included with in Church walles-shall rise againe but as for those bodies which
haue beene brent and consumed to ashes slayne in fieldes and veuoured of wild beastes or corne in peeces with vermine or which haue miscarried on the seas they thinke it impossible that those bodies should be brought againe But that which is impossible to man is possible with God al is one with him whether the sea hath receaued vs or lande the Church or the Chancel earth or water and as easie it is for him to raise vp our bodies out of the earth sea or land as it was easie for him at the firste of nothing to make vs something and with the breath of his spirite to breath into vs a liuing soule which before were boyde of life Dost â—oe thou see it is possible for thee being but a man and the creatour of God to strike ster out of the harde flint where before thou flindest it it may seeme impossible to haue fier And why shouldest thou thinke it were impossible thy creator and maker which hath giuen that nature to the stone that power to thee himselfe hauing greater power to raise thy body out of y e dust water or cinders seeing at first he gaue thee thy bodye Those that finde not them selues thus satisfied with the consideration of the omnipotent power of God but requyre to be further satisfied with reason the apostle saith there are fooles mad men as thaugh he should say the resurrectioÌ„ of the body is either to be beleeued that it shalbe then to be reasoned vpon how it can be they but fooles madd men that will stand reasoning about it when they are bound simply to beleue it Nay he that will call in question euery kind of doctrine in the scriptures wherof he cannot conceaue or giue a reason maye chaunce to doubt of the highest points of a christian mans faith and religion For what reson in there that there should be one and one three as that the Father shoulde be God the sonne God and the holye Ghoste God yet not three Gods but one God a trinity in vnity and an vnitye in trinitye What reason is there that a Virgine shoulde conceiue with childe beare a childe and yet after her conception and birth remain a pure and vndefiled virgine stil What reason is there that a man deade buried laid in his graue three daies should rise again aliue Or what is he that baring the name of a Christian dare denye or doubt of the truth of these thinges because he seeth not the reason of theÌ„ No God almighty his misteries are hid and inserchable not to be construed by reason but conceiued by faith And we are taught in the scriptures bound to beleeue many things whereof our reason can conceiue but few I come to the lord his table who hath hidden me vnder the signe of bread wine to receiue his bodye and drincke his bloud and I doe nothing doubt but he doth truly offer him selfe to me and I do truely receiue him Howbeit if anye man aske me how hee beeing in heauen shoulde be receiued in earth I aunswere as Maister Caluine De modo si quis me interrogat fateri me non pudebit sublimius esse attamen quam vt vel meo ingenio comprehendi vel enarrari verbis queat atque vt apertius dicam experior magis quam intelligam Itaque veritatem dei in qua acquiescere tuti licet hic sine controuersia amplector That is If anye man aske me of the maner howe Christe is present in the Sacrament I will not shame to confesse that it is a higher mistery than can either bee conceiued with my wit or expressed with my tongue and to speake more plainely I rather feele it then vnderstande it And therefore in this poynt I doe willinglye embrace God his truth wherein I doe safely rest stay So for the resurrection of the dead though I see no reason in it or that the reason is hid from me yet I doe acknowledge it to be an article of my Christian faith and therefore do vndoubtedly beleeue that the spirit of him that raysed Iesus from the dead shall raise my mortall and corruptible bodye and that my bodie and all mens bodies throughe his omnipotente power and myght being so raised Must appeare before the iudgement seate of Christe c. But heere now leaste anye man shoulde thinke that among such a multitude as must then appeare it were possible for some to hide themselues from the presence of their iudge and so escape the seueritie of his sentence therefore the Apostle saith we shal not onely be summoned by the trumpe of the Lorde and so dismissed agayne but of necessitye We must ad appeare before him and can no waye hide our selues from him The worde Apparere that is appeare is very emphaticall in this place notinge vnto vs the appearaunce of the soule as the bodye the inwarde heart and conscience as well as the outward man And because the nature of the wicked is to promise themselues perpetuall impunitie of those simes before God whereof they can not bee detected before the world to confute and confound that vain hope of theirs the Apostle telleth them plainly they must then appeare Which importeth so much as if he should saye whereas we haue heere played the Hipocrites dissembled our selues and oure sinnes before men with a counterfaite show of vprightnes not beeing the same men before God in our consciences now we must haue the vizardes pulled of froÌ„ our faces and be vncased laid wide open to the whole world Euen as though our bodyes were ript in peeces for euerye man to view vs to looke ouer vs vnder vs round about vs and into vs. Naie either the verye heartes in our bodyes which now we 〈◊〉 count the most feereat partes of vs shal be so 〈◊〉 sought and searched into as if they were 〈◊〉 in smell peeres for euerye 〈…〉 and discerne the secreates thereof which now are onelye knowne to oure selues Let vs take herd therefore we be no bescher incouraged to bee 〈◊〉 for the 〈◊〉 of our 〈◊〉 or the 〈◊〉 〈…〉 of the place wherein we doe 〈◊〉 For how 〈…〉 we be in our selues or how 〈…〉 yet will our wickednesse one daye appeâ—â—â— when nothing can hide it Nothing so secreat but it shall 〈◊〉 Sayth Christ it is not alwayes reuealed as it is done but it shall be The wicked presumptuous sinner who 〈…〉 â—he world with his glosing speech and â—ocketh God with his abhominable lyfe thinking that his hipocrisie shall neuer be found out because it is not alwayes piâ—nished and detected of God But God by the Prophet telleth him an other caâ—e When thou sawest a theife thou diddest consent to him and haste bene partaker with the adulterers Thou hast let thy mouth speake wickednesse and with thy tongue thou hast set foorth deceit Thou sattest and spakest againste thy brother yea thou hast slaundered thy owne mothers sonne these thinge haste thou
done and I heid my tongue and thou thoughtst wickedly that I was suen a one as thou thy selfe but I will reproue thee and lay before thee the things that thou hast don Let vs not flatter our selues in our sins therfore thinking bicaus God doth dissemble theÌ„ make as thogh he saw them not that therefore be doth forges them or allow of them but assure our selues that one day he will reproue vs and laye our faultes before our eyes We do many thinges in secret and huggermugger which for shame we woulde not if we knew we were seen of anye how much lesse ought we to do theÌ„ since we are seene of God We haue many secret thoughts phantasticall imaginacioÌ„s wherin we much please our selues and delight our flesh and would blushe to haue them knowne of others which one daye the Lorde will make knowne to our neighbours when he shall make manifest the thinges of the darcke and open the secreates of all heartes I will search Hierusalem sayth the Lorde in that day with a lanterne Alas who can hide him selfe so secretlye or dissemble so deeply but the Lord wil find him and found euen the vnserchable depth of his heart when he shall search Hierusalem with a lanterne Let vs remember this all the sort of vs least as the Prophet Dauid sayth we forget God and perish from the right waye The witnesses which shall come in againste vs shall be especiallye the testimonye of our owne heartes and consciences The bookes shal be opened and the dead shalbe iudged of these things which are written in the bookes These bookes are the consciences of our good deeds and bad which as the Apostle witnesseth shall then excuse vs or accuse vs iustiste vs or condemne vs make with vs or against vs. And there is no man to whom God hath not giuen one of these bookes to carrye with him alwayes in his bosome neyther is anye man so ignoraunt but the Lorde hath giuen him knowledge to reade them But most men are so carelesse to vnclapse them as they neuer read or marke the contents of them till it is to late for them When God had placed Adam in Paradise forbidding him to eate of the fruit in the middest of the garden hee gaue him a booke and for his memories sake hee wrote in it What day soeuer thou eat thereof thou shalt dye the death But Adam neuer vnclaspt this booke till he had in deede transgressed Goods commandement and then his booke beeing opened he sawe the vglesome deformitie of this sinne whereto he had brought him selfe and his posterity but it was too late Caine carried this booke in his bosome but he neuer opened it til he had murdered his brother and then vnclasping it he found written in it Thou shalt not kill but thou hast killed thy brother ergo sayth he My suâ—e is greater than that it can be forgiuen That same frantike 〈◊〉 of whom mencion is made in Euripides after he had staine adulterouâ—â— Egisthus aud Clytemnestra his owne mother hauing no man to accuse him but his own conscience he looked in his booke and there he found written Bloud will haue bloud and therevpon though he was acquit by the law he presemlye ran mad and was neuer his own man afterward One demaunding the cause thereof in Euripides Quid muli te perdidit Orestes What ill hath betide or what hath caused thee lose thy wits Orestes He aunswereth him conscientia my conscience for Quid si omnes excusant sola conscâ—enâ—ia accusat what if all meÌ„ in the world excuse a man if his owne conscience accuse him which is insteed of a thousand witnesses shal more foâ—er confound him then they al. And therfore Nullam peccatoruÌ„ tuoruÌ„ conscium magis timueris quaÌ„ teipsum aliuÌ„ potes effugerâ— teipsum nun quam feare no maÌ„ y â— in priuie to thy sins so much as thy selfe thou maist auoyd an other maÌ„ but thou canst not flee froÌ„ thy self nor thy own knowledg conscience which according to the Etimologye of the worde is nothing els but a ioynts knowledge which an other hath with thee and thou with him which is God and thy self and is very aptly termed of Chrisostom in psal 50. Coaeâ— in quo conscribanâ—â— quotidiana peccata A booke wherin is recorded our daily sins which howsoeuer they be dissembled of vs now shall then be reuealed brought to light and punished when we must appear c. And therfore is this day and time of our appearaunce termed of the Apostle dies declarationis the daye of declaration not that anye thing shall then be declared to the Lord more then he knoweth already For he that planes the care how can he but heare he that made the eie how can he but see heauen is his seate earth is his footstoole what can be dâ—n in heauen or earth wherof he hath not knowledg he knoweth our down sitting our vprising he vnderstandeth all our thoughtes long before he spieth out all our waies not a word in our tong but he knoweth it altogether if we climbe vp into heauen he is there if we go down into hell he is there if we remaine in the vttermost partes of the sea he is there also if we think darknes shal hid vs the darknes is no darknes with him but the night is as cleare as the day darknes light are both alike To conclude all thinges are naked and open to his eies and there is no creature that is not manifest in his sight but wherfore is the daye of iudgemente tearmed of the Apostle the day of declaration for that nothing is so secretlye concealed of vs nowe but it shall be manifestly reuealed then The daye of this lyfe is one daie and may be tearmed the day of our dissimulation the day which followeth immediately after this life is the lords and is tearmed the daye of declaration For then the verye heauens saith Iob shall declare the wickednes of the wicked and the earthe whiche nowe doeth beare him shall then take parte againste him Now the ten virgins go together walke together talke together eat and drinke together but at that day it shall appeare who are wise who foolish who haue slept who haue watched whiche of them had oyle in their Lampes and which way which of them shalbe admitted vnto the marriage and whiche excluded and shut oute Now the corne chaffe lie together on a heape in one flowre and are not yet scucrd but at that dtye the Lorde shall come with his â—ari in his hande and purge his flower thorowlye carrye his wheate into his garner but burne his chaffe with vnquenchable fier Now the wheate and tares growe together in one fielde and are not yet weeded out but at the daye the lorde of the haruest will saye to the reapers gather the eares and bind them vp in
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
whatsoeuer is not of faith is nothing but saying it is sin declareth that whatsoeuer thinges are not of faith they are not to be decided as good things but as vices rather which iustify not the doers of them but rather do condemne them When the scripture therefore saythe in this place Euerye man shall receaue according to that which he hath done in other places that euery man shalbe rewarded accordinge to that whiche hee hath doone that manner of speaking is not ment of the merite of oure dooinges for that wee shoulde all be rewarded with euerlasting damnation and hell fier but that we shall receiue and be euerie man rewarded according to the testimonye of that which hee hath done bearing witnesse of our faith with vs or of want of sayth against vs. If that which we haue done proceede of faith then doth God accept it and impute it to vs for a good woorlie not in respect of the woorke it selfe or for our sakes or for oure faythe sake but for Iesus Christes sake in whome he is well pleased and in whose name we do it and he doth accept it and in mercie reward it Now we are to consider that the Apostle saith Euery inan shall receiue according to his well doing so likewise Euery man that hath doone euil shall receiue according to his doing ill whiche must not be 〈◊〉 conâ—â—ued of vs as though man at the laÌ„tter iudgement shoulde receiue onely according to that ill whiche hee hath done and not aunswere at all nor receiue anye punishnent for that ill whiche hee hath spoaken For I tell you saith our sauioure Christ a man shall giue accompte for euerye euell woorde Quid ost in omni vit a nostra cutus nos minus rationis habeamus quam verborum what is there in the whole course of our life whereof we haue lesse regard then of oure wordes and therefore in what daunger stand we before God if we shal aunswere euery idell woorde wherein we haue offended before men Or if we shall aunswere euery idle worde Alas how shall we answere euery idell word If we must answere euery idell woorde how shall we answer euery lying word euery blasphemous word euery flandorous worde Or if wee cannot answere our idell words how shall we answere of one idell deedes and time mispent Or if we caÌ„not answere our idel deedes how shal we be able to susteine the punishment which we must receiue for our il deedes Heere we may all crye out and appeale from God his iustice and oure deseruings to his mercie Enter not into iudgement with thy seruants O lorde for no flesh is righteus in thy sight and haue mercie vppon me O God not according to my merites but according to the mercie doe awaye my offences c. For otherwise we must all prepare our selues to taste of the reward of sinne which be our sinne neuer so light or littell committed in thought woorde or deede is death of bodye and death of soule to euery one according to that which he hath done Vppon the vngodlye shall come snares fier brimstone stormie tempest this shalbe their portion to drinke The Prophet vseth many words wher of euery one may seeme more greeuous then other to teache vs that the greater shalbe the punishment which the sinner shal receiue according to that which he saith in the second chapter to the Romaines that the impenitent presumptious sinner doth heap vp wrath to himself c. as who should saye God will heape damnation vpon his head in life to come as he hath heaped one sinne vppon an other in this life not that there are many helles or many siers in bell but that the iustice of God re quireth to measure out y â— grieuousnes of their punishment accor to the grieuousnes of their sines vt et ignem non dissimilem habeant tamen eosdem singulos exurat that not hauing a diuerse fire yet euery one to be tormented the same w t fire euen as we feel in our do dies wheras many stand together in the sun the sun hath like power of them all alike yet doe they not all feele the like heat but some feele it hotter then other some euery man according to the complexion and constitution of his body Euen so according to the quality of his sinne shall euerye man receaue his punishment And therefore in the daye of iudgement it shall hee easie for Sodome and Gomortha then for those Cities Townes and persons which haue hard remission of sinnes preached in the name of Iesus yet haue not repented For the seruant that knew his maisters wil and did it not shalbe beaten with many stripes If that reuerend and childish feare of God therefore cannot win vs to eschue euill and do good yet let this seruile and slauishe feare the feare of punishement staie vs and make vs a fraide to perseuer in our ill least accordinge to the greeuousnes of the same in oure soules at last we reseaue double damnation in our bodyes For although euery man so sone as the soule and body are parted by death hath his particular iudgement and receiueth in his soul which presently mounteth either to heauen or is carryed to hell the rewarde of ioye or paine which either thorough sinne he hath deserued or the Lorde in merrye doth freely giue him yet doth he nor receiue the same in body which remayneth in the graue til the generall resurrection and iudgement of all flesh at what time the bodye shall be vnited to the soule and be made partaker of the same euerlasting ioyes in heauen or eternall torments in hell as it was partaker with the bodye in sin vpon earth If any man therfore aske wherefore and what there should neede to be a second iudgement since euerie man hath his iudgement already I answere out of the Apostle that euery man may receaue in his body that which hee hath already receaued in his soule Lâ—â— vs forbeare therefore to iudge of 〈…〉 mens sinnes to looke into other mens liues and either euery man that calleth vpon the name of the Lorde depart from iniquity and learne to amend him selfe For euery man shall receaue accordinge to that which he hath done in his body I shall not receaue accordinge to that which thou haste done in thy bodye nor thou shalt not receaue according to that which I haue done in my bodye but I according to that which I haue done in my bodye and thou according to that which thou 〈◊〉 done in thy body and so forth euery maÌ„ according to that which he hath done in his own bodye That soule that hath sinned that soule shall dye the death Though the father haue eaten sowre grapes the childrens teeth shall not be set on edge The sonne shall not beare the fathers iniquity nor the fathers beare the sonnes The righteousnes of the righteous shall be vppon him the wickednes of the wicked vpon him
also and euery man shall die in his own sinne or liue in his owne righteousnesse Noe Daniell and Iob shall in their owne righteousnesse deliuer but their owne soules not the soules of their sonnes daughters seruauntes or wyues but euery man receiue his wages sayth the Apostle according to his own labour Let no man therefore truste to other mens works prayers after he is deade thinking to be releaued by them as he that was sent for to the great supper though he might bee excused by the messenger though he came not himself manye in these dayes hauing liued very wickedly theÌ„ selues think to compound with God almighty for their sins life mislead by almes deedes and prayers not dooinge them selues in their own liues but making other men their factors posting them ouer to their executors to be done for theÌ„ after their deathes But thou foolish man then that good which after thy death is done by others is theirs and not thine and they shall receaue for it and not thou While thou hast time therfore make sure thy saluation thy selfe and as much as in thee lyeth Doe good to all men especially to the houshold of faith Remember thy maker in thy youth before the dayes of aduersitye come put thy righteousnesse before iudgement so shalt thou finde grace in the sight of the Lord. For the graue which thou goest vnto there is neither worke counsell nor wisedome but what a man soweth now he shall reape then He that soweth sparingly shall reape sparingly he that soweth liberally shall reape also liberally For God is not vnrighteous to forget our workes and labours of loue But what soeuer good thing any man doth he shal receaue of the Lorde at the resurrection of the righteous where his reward shall be great in the kingdome of heauen and euerye man receaue accordinge to that which he hath don And thus we see the end vse of this doctrine concerning the generall resurrection iudgement the sum wherof is no more but this All that are in their graues shal heare the voice of God and shal come forth they that haue done good vnto the resurrection of lyfe and they that haue done ill vnto the resurrection of damnation They that by continuance in well doing seeke for glorie honor immortality shall haue eternall lyfe but vnto them that are contentious do not obey the truth but obey vnrightousnes shall come indignation and wrath tribulation and iniquitie A sweete and comfortable doctrine to the children of God who then shal haue an end of all those miseries whereto in this lyfe they were subiect resting at last in ioye peace and tranquility with the angels and saintes in heauen The sun shall be no more the daye light the light of the Moone shal not shine to theÌ„ but the Lord himselfe shalbe their euerlasting light and God their glorie Hee shall take the care from thine eyes neyther shall they taste of death heauinesse sorrow or paine but freed from all suche calamities haue the full fruitioÌ„ of al those ioyes which the lorde hath prepared for them that feare him and looke for his comming They shall receaue a glorious kingdome and a beawtifull crowne at the lords hand for with his right hand shall he carrie them and with his arme shall he defend them But on the contrarye moste terrible and fearefull to the wicked For the ielosie of the lord of hostes shall take on harnesse and he shall arme the creature to be auenged of his enemyes He shall put on righteousnesse for a brest-plate an stake vnfayned iudgement in stead of a helmet His ferce wrath shal bee sharpen for a swoorde and the whole compasse of the worlde shall fight with him against the vnwise Then shall the thunder boultes go right out of the lightninges and come as oute of the well bente bowe of the cloudes to the place appointed And as from an angrie caster of stones their shal fal thick haile and the water of the sea shall bee wroth against them and the winde shall stande vp againste them to scatter them abrode Then shall the righteous stande in great boldnes before the face of such as haue dealt extreamly with them and taken away then labours When the vngodlye shall see it they shall bee vexed with horrible feare and shall onder at their health so farre beyond all that they looked for And chaunging their opinions with groaning for redresse of minde they shall say this is he whom sometime we had in derision and iested vpon We fooles thought his life very madnes and his end to be without honour But loe how he is counted among the children of God and his portion is amonge the saints Therefore haue we erred from the way of truth the light of righteousnesse hath not shined vnto vs the sun of vnderstanding hath not rose vpon vs. We haue wearied ourselues in the waye of wickednes and destruction but as for the way of the Lord we haue not known it What good hath pride done vnto vs Or what profit hath the pompe of riches brought vnto vs. All these things are passed like a shadow and as a Post that hasteth by c. As sone as we were borne we began immediatlye to drawe to oure ende and haue shewed no token of vertue but are consumed in our owne wickednes If they shoulde haue no other iudge to condemne them if there were no diuel to watch for them no hel to receiue them no fire in hell to torment them what greater torment maye be imagined then this wofull complaint mutuall accusing of the worme of their owne consciences and the sensible feeling of their sinnes past acknowledging with their own mouthes themselues deserueâ—ly depriued of all those heauenlye ioyes whereof they shal see the children of God to be made partakers But not onely to be depriued of those heauenlye ioyes but to be partakers of euerlasting tormentes to bee tyed with perpetuall chaines to be caste into palpable darkenes of the Diuels dungeon where the worme dyeth not where the fire goeth not out but continual weping and gnashing of teeth howling yelling and criyng without ease of payne or comfort of minde this is such endlesse miserye as the griefe thereof can neyther be conceaued of vs that speaketh of it nor expressed of them that feele it The greatest crosse that can be sayd vppon man in this life is to bee caste into perpetuall prison leese our landes and goodes and want the companye of our wyues our children other our friends that loue vs. But yet in this case we alwaies liue in hope of liberty and release of our punishment Or if our hope be vaine yet will God stirre vp the heartes of straungers to visite vs to pittie vs to comfort and relieue vs some with meat some with mony some with cloth some with counsell euery man as he is able
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