of Socrates because all the cares of their life are but to liue Non viuit cui nihil est in mente nisi vt viuat He liueth not that mindeth nothing but to liue or as the Romaine Emperor said cui nihill in vita dulcius est vita to whome nothing in this life is sweeter theÌ„ life whose estate therein is no better then a stone viuit et lapis saith St. Augustin a stone it selfe liueth But they are dead dead againe as St. Iude saith to be plucked vp by the rootes Mar. 11.13 as the Fig-tree blasted by Christ his lippes dead by natural vegetation dead by spiritual execration From the subiect of the resurrection we are led by the hand of the Text to the tractat of the iudgement And first to the circumstance of the persons in the iudgement to bee tryed Al great and small without any difference of sex or sorte So saith Esay in the person of God Isai 45.23 Euerie knee shall bowe vnto 〈◊〉 c St. Paule confirmeth it saying VVe shal all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ Ro. 14.10 not one shall escape so he concludeth it in the same place fiue or one of vs 〈◊〉 giue accounts of himself to God Ro. 14.12 Iohn 5. This proposition is alwaies indefinitely deliuered All that are in the graues shal heare the voice of Christ and come foorth to iudgement All nations shal bee gathered before him Mat. 13.15 Hee shall giue to euerie one according to his works Wherefore the Lordes judgement is compared to a Barbers Raser which shall haue the haire of the head and the feete euen the hyest and the lowest the Pesant and the Prince Isai 7.20 Isai 8.8 It is compared to a violent rage of waters which shall not onely fil the channells and the vallies below but shall couer the toppes of the prowdest mountaines Men lay their nettes for the smaller fish but the Lord traÌ„meleth for the great Leuiathan Iob. 40.20 and casteth a line vnto his tongue and peirceth his nostrilles with a hooke Isai 27.1 he hath Tewe for the great Dragon the crocodile in the waters as the prophet Esay saith There is no running behinde a tree with Adam behinde a Tent with Sara or couering our selues with a vaile with Thamar There is no running into the hoales of Rockes or into the Caues of the earth from the glorie of his Maiestie The Mountaines cannot couer vs the hilles caÌ„not hide vs from the anger of him that sitteth vpon the Throne and of the Lambe Isai 22. Psalme 62. Ioel. 2.9 Though we make our nest in a Rock yet shall we bee as a tottering wall and as a broken hedge Gods iudgement shall runne vpon the wall climbe vp vpo the houses enter in at the windows like a Theefe No secret or sacred place shall then shrowde vs â—ephan 1 but Ierusalem shall bee searched with lanterns whereby make coniecture what shall bee become of Babilon When the judgement of waters came vpon the first world there was an Arke and a Barke to rescue Noah and his famely When the iudgement of fire licked vp Sodom and Comorra like drie stubble yet Lot was exempted and the little Citie Zoar appointed him to runne vnto But the vniuersal iudgement spareth none there is no couenant to be made with it Isa 30.33 Wisd 6. Tophet is prepared for the King and the mightie shall be mightely tormented The Lord puts this text into his seruant Ieremies mouth Say vnto the King the Queene Humble your selues Iere. 13.18 sit downe for the Crowne of your glorie shall come downe The greate mountaine before Zorobabell shall be made plaine it is the prophecie and aphorisme of the Prophet Corrupt Iudges shal then stand at the Barre before their judge and be condemned as Shebna was Isai 22.8 The jdle jdoll Bishopes and Ministers shall then be cut of in that day as he once cut of three of theÌ„ in a moneth Zach. 11.8 Blasphemers who now throwe out oathes as mad men throwe stones shall be sentenced to death Leui. 24.10 as that Sonne of the Egiptian was that was ouerwhelmed with stones and died False witnesses Zach. 11.5 vnder the burden of whom the earth now groaneth shall then be serued with a witnes shall reape the fruite their wickednes haue plowed as the accusers of Daniel were handled Dan. 6.24 All theeues and especially the Clerophagi of our time that ingrosse the patrimonie of the Church and say among themselues Come let vs take to our selues the house of God in possession who haue alreadie broken downe the carued workes therof with axes hammers shall be condemned in the iudgement with Achan who stole a wedge of golde and a Babilonish garment Josue 7. and bee led to execution All Polititians counterfeit Christians that look vnder the brow and runne with the streame and tide of the times to engrosse the prosperitie and plenteousnes thereof shall in the iudgement be stroken out of life Actes 5. as Ananias and Saphira were Our Popish heretiques and all maintainers of Hereticall Prauitie and Purloyners and Barterers of Gods holy misteries rather then they shall want executioners their own parents shal be glad of the office Zach. 13.3 shal thrust theÌ„ through Finally let all the sort of Schismatiques that fight vnder the standard of their grand Captaines Korah and his complices Numb 16. and would vnioynt gouernment tremble at their judgement the earth opening and swallowing vp Dathan and couering the congregation of Abiram Of which saith saint Augustin Quis dubitauerit hoc esse sceleratius coÌ„missum quod est grauius vindicatum Who dooth doubt that this is heynously committed which is of the Lord so highlye punished When a Noble man in case of treason is brought to Westminster Hal to be arraigned the people in admiration thereof runne in flocks and heapes thither But what a sight will there bee that judgement Hall where the Lord wil hold his Assises so many Princes PoteÌ„tates shal staÌ„d without gard or retenue naked trembling yearning eating their tongues through griefe shal receiue sentence not onely capital but eternall If al the bodies that euer were borne might bee now seene in one heape what a fearefull spectackle would it make but there shall bee this obiect in the generall iudgement to strike vs all with amazement 2. The next circumstaÌ„ce is the maner of the trial iudicial proceeding with the persons coÌ„uented in the iudgment that is by the bookes euidences that are put in against theÌ„ wherin what is ment by these bookes how many bookes there are it is to be coÌ„sidered By the bookes I vnderstaÌ„d the certaine infallible knowledge of God his remeÌ„brance care of al things especially of such as coÌ„cerne his choseÌ„ ones so as their nuÌ„ber names are before his eyes as if he had
amanuenses registers Scriueners to make enrolmēt of thē For as he numbreth the stars calleth thē al by their names as he keepeth tale of the haires of our head so as not one of thē fal away frō vs without his foreknowledge as his prouidēce stretcheth it self to the hādful of meale of the womā of zarepthah to the pitcher of oyle of the preachers widow to the fal of a sparrow frō the house top to the cloathing of the lilleis grasse of the field to the prouission of the young Rauens that call vpon him so much more keepeth hee a Kalender of our dooings and setteth our secret sins in the sight of his countenance Thus Metaphoricallie in this sence are Bookes giuen to God the spirit heere alluding to the custome of the wise to Princes Vniuersities Merchants Maisters of families and such like Princes vse to haue a bill of the names of such as appertaine vnto them that they may knowe what number they haue how to prouide for them in time So the Lord hath his court in heauen to which he hath not chosen al but some before the foundations of the worlde were laide Now the number and names of such he keepeth in as sure and sweet remembrance as if hee had put them into writing Tables for the purpose As God said to Moses I know thee by thy name Exo. 35.12 as Christ saith of himself to the Church Iohn 10.3 He calleth his owne sheepe by name else where Luk. 10.20 willing them to reioyce because their names were written in heauē Vniuersities doe the like when they admitte any into their corporation they cataloguize their names Merchants and Houshoulders serue their memories in matters of moment by notes that they keepe of them So this is the reason and cause of the Metaphor and the signification of the Bookes so often remembred in diuine learning Gods minde therfore is his book the Tables of our hearts are the writing Tables aswel as parchmēt skrolles wherein are thinges engrossed The omniscience of God is the writing it selfe Things are said to be written in a booke that is in the sacred secrets of his brest as he knoweth them altogether We finde three bookes giuen to God in the Scriptures 1. One is of his Prouidence foreknowledge of all things before euer they were 2. Another is of the iudgement 3. The other is of life The sweete singer of Israel saith Thine eyes did see my substance yet being imperfect Psal 139.16 and in thy booke were all my members written which day by day were facioned when as yet there was none of them There is the first booke of his prouidence foreknowledge 2. The second which is the book of iudgement hath two Tomes or volumes 1. The first is his vnderstanding of all our workes and wordes according to which hee will award Iudgement in the day of iudgement so as this is insteed of a rolle in Gods hand wherein the names of all delinquents are set downe and the qualitie of their dooings 2. The other Tome is the booke of euerie ones conscience which shall performe testimonie to things done and vndone which may also bee entitled the booke of life that is of this life which diuine operation in the conscience accusing or excusing scientia conscientiam the knowledge the conscience hath the name of a booke because in that in a manner is read whatsoeuer by the agent hath bene hid 3. The third book is inscribed the booke of life that is of Gods predestination to eternal life which is begun in this life by our stedfast faith in Christ according to the words of Christ Hee that beleeueth in me hath eternal life that is the inchoation first fruits therof after death it must haue consummation perfectiō So the book of life is a register or role in the Lords right hād of the names of such as are preordinated to euerlasting life whom God will alwaies acknowledge to be his Iohn 13.8 2. Tim. 1.19 as our Sauiour saith I knowe whom I haue chosen as St. Paule saith The Lord knoweth who are his This book is oftē spokē of in the scriptures as by Moses Exo. 32.32 when he saith Rase me out of thy book which thou hast written Psal 69.29 By Dauid Let thē be put out of the book of life not be writtē among the righteous By Isaiah he shal be called holy Isai 4.3 that shal be written among the liuing in Ierusalem Ezech. 13.9 By Ezechiel They shal not be written in the writings of the house of Israel By Daniel Dan. 12.1 Euery one shal be deliuered that shal be found written in the book The new Testament doth often intreate of it Luk. 10.20 Christ toucheth it saying Reioyce because your name is written in heauen that is in the book of life Phil. 4.3 so doth Paule when he saith I beleeue thee faithful yoake-fellow helpe those women which laboured with me in the Gospel with Clemēt also with other my fellow labourers whose names are in the book of life so doth the spirit elsewhere in the Reuelatiō There shal enter in it no vncleane thing Reuela 21.27 neither whatsoeuer worketh abhominatiō 〈…〉 Now these bookes shal be opened that is the Lord whose fiery eyes of his omnisciēce peirceth al things that holdeth the ball of the worlde in his hands and keepeth a perfect reckoning of our doings shal set euery ones seueral sinne in his sight And this diuine power shal smite open the doores of our cōsciences which shal cal to remēbrāce our forepassed misdeeds conuict condemne them For there is a booke that is writtē in our hearts which is of the workes of the law the Lord hauing imprinted in thē the notiōs of thē as naturally enduing the verye heathens with iudgement to deuide good from euill to discerne betweene thinges honest and dishonest that no man might hold vp for his defence the target of ignorāce This we shall soone perceiue by our cursory conference of the ten cōmaundements with their politick sanctions 1. Of the first which teacheth that there is a God whom we al stād bound to worship the Orator Cicero saith Cicero Legibus Nulla gens tam sera nulla tam barbara natio in quibus non misideat deorum opinio There is no natiō so wilde and barbarous that is not perswaded that there is a God The Athenians did set vp an Alter Ignoto Deo the vnknowne God Protagoras Act. 17. Abderites that said VVhether there be Gods or no I haue nothing to say was by the Athenians banished for it 2. To the second which is an inhibition of Idolatry the Persians gaue consent who as Strabo writeth 〈…〉 abhomination burned and destroyed their Temples and their Images Cornelius Tacitus storyeth it of the auncient Germaines that they held it verie vnbeseeming the heauenly Maiestie to mure him vp within
A SERMON PREACHED at Paules Crosse the 9. of Iune 1605. Vpon the 20. of the Reuelation the 12. vers treating of these seuerall heads 1. Of the Resurrection of the Flesh 2. Of the Iudgement of the quicke and dead 3. Of the Communion of Saints 4. Of Euerlasting life By Samuell Gardnier Doct. of Diuinitie LONDON Printed for Edward VVhite and are to be solde at the little North-doore of Saint Paules Church at the Signe of the Gun 1605. TO THE RIGHT HONOrable and vertuous Lady Jane Lady Barkley wife to Henry Lord Barkley IN the full affiance I haue in the Lordes mercie which made this poore Sermon welcome to so many eares being preached that hee will direct it to the common comfort being now presented to their eyes printed the importunitie of many of my good friends had successe with me I consecrate it most Honorable Lady vnto you in token of duetie towards you for your great Loue by which I am enabled to labour in this sort and indeede to liue Gods blessing be vpon it and vpon you Your Honors Chaplaine SAMVEL GARDNIER Reuelat. 20. Vers 12 ¶ And J sawe the dead both great and small stand before God and the Bookes were opened and an other Booke was opened which is the Booke of Life and the dead were iudged of those thinges which were written in the Bookes according to their workes HEere is cluster and multiplicitie of Christian Catechisme as including and concluding these foure Articles of the catholique faith 1. The resurrection of the flesh touched in the standing of the dead before God 2. The iudgement of the quicke and the dead noted in the opening of the Bookes out of which they haue the sentence of iudgement reade them 3. The Communion of Saints 4. Euerlasting life not obscurely insinuated by the other booke entitled The Booke of life heere spoken of This sentence is an absolute descriptiō of the iudgement wherin we haue these circumstāces 1. The persons standing in the iudgement to bee tryed All. 1 Greate 2. Small of what note marke soeuer they be 2. The manner of trial proceeding with them by the billes of enditement found out against thē in the opening the bookes 3. The doome definitiue of double nature 1. Absolution 2. Condemnation according to the propertie and condition of their workes The precedencie is an introduction to this which telleth vs the person of the iudge in the immediate verse before which is Christ the Sonne of God the Sonne of man John 5.22 to whome all the iudgement is committed by the father being the predestinate man by whome he will iudge the world in righteousnes Act. 17.31 whose maiestie is there depicted vnto vs in his orient colours answerable in effect to that which Augustine saith videbitur terribilis qui visus est contemptibilis demonstrabit potentiam qui demonstrauit patientiam He shall be seene terrible that hath bene seene contemptible and he shall manifest his power as hee hath shewed his patience And thus I pretermit the purport of the premises with this sentence of monition giuen you out of Augustin August in Psal 66. Deut se corrigendos dent se dirigendos ei qui videt iudicandos Let them yeeld to be corrected let them yeeld to be directed to him that one day shall see them all detected That which is first in nature is heere handled first in order the learning of the resurrectiō the fore runner of the iudgement the consequents thereof taught in the verie entrie in these wordes I sawe the dead both great and small stand before God The resurrection is the hand that holdeth vp religiō by the head the life and soule of it the first stone that we are to lay in our spiritual building or rather the foundation that beareth vp the building the anker of our hope the certaintie of our saluation called by Tertullian Ianua regni caelestis The doore whereat wee enter into the Kingdome of heauen the Godly therby going to the ioyes the wicked to the tormēts prepared for them the referēce of our faith by the same Godly Father Fiducia Christianorum est resurrectio mortuorum Our Christian expectation is the corporall resurrection which is grounded on the Doctrine of Saint Paul who bringeth in bundles of reasons for it by order of iust consequence thus If there were no resurrection 1. Then were our preaching vaine 1. Cor. 1◠1. 2. Your faith of none effect 3. VVee should be found false witnesses 4. The dead were quite vndone 5. VVe were yet in our sinnes 6. Of all men Christians were most miserable As if he shold haue said take away the resurrection and take away altogeather our preaching your beleeuing burne the Bible throw downe pulpits lay our churches euen with their foundations play the Epicures belli-gods and liue as ye list For the Bookes are found lyars the Prophets Apostles haue fed vs with fables they are as Fountains dryed vp But our foundations are in the holy hilles and not in the valleies of humane reasons we know what wee beleeue and wee lay stedfast holde of the resurrection of faith towards Christ Psal 3.21 VVho shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able euen to subdue all thinges vnto himselfe But yet there is more oppugnation and insurrection against this sweete Article of the resurrection then against any parcell of Diuinitie beside the deuill and his blacke guard bending and banding themselues against this withall the might and mallice that they can 1. By Gentils 2. By Iewes without and within the Liberties of the Church Without by the Peripatecians and almost al the broode of Brainsicke Philosophers and schoole of Epicures among whome heere what Seneca Seneca ad Martiam one of the best of that bunch saith Mors omnium solutio est et finis extra quam mala nostra non exeant Death is the Period and determination of al things beyond which they cannot goe And he standeth to reason it and maintaine it in this wise Quo modo potest miser esse qui nullus est How can he be a wretched man that is no man But there are in the Church that speake proudlye and peruersly against this excellent Diuinity eyther marring it altogether or which is little better making it in their owne moulds casting cloudes fume vpō the cleare light of the Scriptures making a spiritual resurrection cōsisting in our renuāce regeneration Such were the Sadduces among the Iewes put to a non plus Mat. 22.33 and silence by our Sauiour Such were Hymeneus and Philetus while the Apostles liued taught among them taxed by saint Paul in his letter to Timothee 2. Tim. 2 1◠Such were the Athenians verie troublesome to the same Apostle no sooner he touched this text of the resurrection how be it they heard him willingly the forepart of the