a man discreetly to consider the day of Iudgement will cause him Iudiciously to prepare his accompts against his Masters comming Amb. ad Virgin laps Cap. 8. Si mente cornerent peccatores quale Iudicium imminet mundo saith Saint Ambrose if sinners did consider what great Iudgement is to come vpon the world they would not hunt so much after worldly vanities and plunge themselues so deep into earthly dirt as they do Hierom. in Reg. Mona Cap. 30. Saint Hierome saith of himselfe that he was very carefull ouer his waies and fearefull in his carriage for saith he whether I eate or drinke or whatsoeuer I doe I continually thinke that I heare this sound in mine eare Rise vp ye dead and come vnto Iudgement It was Origens conceit that the Priest had bells in the lower parts of his garment to put the people in mind of Iudgment The cōsideration of which many times is a terror to the godly Psal 119.120 My flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraid of thy Iudgements saith the sweete singer of Israel and the wicked often are curbed by it Oderuut peccare mali formidine poenae The Psalmist tels vs that this is a cause why the wicked man doth so much delight in sinne and make such a progresse in Iniquity because Gods Iudgements are farre out of his sight Psal 10.5 the remembrance of the Tribunall the feare of execution the consideration of the dungeon the darknesse and blacknesse of the bottomlesse pit the weeping wailing and gnashing of teeth are able to reclaime the most wicked and make them refraine their euill waies knowing that they must come to Iudgement Considering then the terror of the day we perswade men as it is in the next verse That we may couet that both dwelling at home and remouing from home we may be acceptable to him as it is in the verse precedent Thus I haue made way to the Tribunall where I intend to take vp my standing that I may take a full view of the great Assembly cited before the seate of Iustice and there orderly obserue this generall appearance and first obserue the persons cited to appeare and you shall finde them all we 2. marke the manner of their appearance which is well set forth in the word manifested 3. the necessitie of appearance in the word oportet must 4. the place where it shall be and it is said before the Tribunall 5. the Iudge what he is or who hee is before whom and he is Christ. In the first you may see a generalitie for number in the second a plaine euidence or Charitie of euidence in the manner in the third an ineuitabilitie and no resistance of the matter in the fourth the glory or maiestie of the place being a Tribunall and lastly in the Iudge equity and humanitie for he is Christ In the first place The persons summoned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the persons are set downe in generall to be all we without exception Clergie Laitie King Priest and People it will not bee such an Assembly as that of king Ahashuerosh of his Nobles Princes and Captaines onely Ester 1.3 nor such as the biddings of rich men to their feasts of their rich neighbours Luke 14.12 kinsfolke and acquaintance but like the inuitation of that housholder in the Gospel that sent his seruants at supper time to compell all to come in Ibidem 23. In like manner shall it bee in that great day that all of what degree soeuer sort or sexe high or low rich or poore old or young that haue beene that are that shall be must generally appeare The howre shall come Ioh. 5.28.29 saith our blessed Sauiour in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce and they shall come forth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life and they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of condemnation Behold he commeth with clouds and euery eye shall see him yea Apoc. 1.7 euen they which pierced him and all the kinreds of the earth shall waile before him Plinie reporteth of the Lyonesse that she brings forth her whelps dead and so remaine for the space of three dayes vntill the Lyon comming neere to the place where they lye lift vp his voyce and roare so fiercely that presently they are raised from death to life The Prophet Ieremy tels vs the like of the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah Ier. 25.30.31 That hee shall roare from aboue and thrust out his voyce from his holy habitation he shall cry aloud as they that presse the Grapes his sound shall come to the ends of the earth and he will enter into Iudgement with all flesh so that with his voyce all that are dead shall bee raised to life and shall come and stand before him In that day none shall answer by a proxie no neighbour or friend answer for another no excuse nor pretence shall preuaile Apoc. 6.15.16 The Kings of the earth the great men the rich men the chiefe Captaines and the mightie men euery bondman and euery free man hid themselues in dens among the rockes of the mountaines and said vnto the hills fall on vs and to the rockes couer vs from the presence of the Lambe that sitteth on the Throne These you see would be couered but cannot they would haue others to stand for them but it will not be their authoritie although great in the world while they liued will not serue riches will not help nor honour auaile neither bribes nor friends can saue them from their appearance before that irefull Iudge that Iudge will admit no man to make way for malefactors that they should not bee brought forth into Iudgement neither shall their bee any standing by that dare for Money excuse any mans appearance or free him from the seate of Iustice I reade saith Chrysostome that the man that had not on a wedding garment Hom. 22. ad popul Antioch was thrust out from the feast but I read not saith hee that any made request for him I heare that hee that hid his talent in the earth was bound hand and foot and cast into vtter darknesse and none to speake for him I see the fiue foolish virgins shut out of the wedding chamber and none to make intercession for them Huius diei terror crit inexplicabilis veniet Iudex inexorabilis The terror and dread of this day is vnexplicable and the Iudge will come inexorable The Angels themselues will come out in feare and if in that day the Iust shall hardly be saued Where or how shall the sinner and vngodly appeare c But before I passe further Obiect I must answere an obiection that commeth in my way the Scripture saith That hee that beleeueth hath euerlasting life Ioh. 5.24 and shall not come to Iudgement but shall passe from death vnto life and that the wicked shall not rise vppe Psal 1.6 nor
whom we shall be iudged and here I will passeouer many obiections and draw briefly towards a conclusion Iohn 5.22 The Father is not our Iudge for the Father iudgeth no man nor yet the holy Ghost for the holy Ghost would rebuke the world of sinne of righteousnesse and of Iudgement All Iudgment is committed to the Sonne S. Paul in his Sermon saith That the Lord hath commaunded vs to preach vnto the people and to testifie that it is he that is ordained of God to be the Iudge of quicke and dead This Iudge must bee Christ for sundry reasons Cur Christus Iudex First because of his affinitie with vs in that he hath taken our nature vpon him for in the same flesh and forme that he was adiudged by Pontius Pilate in the same manner shall he come to iudge Pontius Pilate Heb. 4.15.16 We haue not an high Priest saith the Apostle to the Hebrewes that cannot bee touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all things tempted in like sort yet without sinne therefore let vs goe to the Throne of grace 2 Because by Christ shall all the dead bodies be raised in that day 1. Cor. 15.22 As by Adam all dye so by Christ all are made aliue saith the blessed Apostle I am the resurrection and life Ioh. 11.25 saith our blessed Sauiour 3 Because both good and bad must appeare as you haue heard and therefore Christ the Sonne of God God and Man must bee the Iudge for the wicked cannot see the face of God they shal be depriued of that comfort which shall onely be afforded vnto the godly That he shall come to Iudgement this word Christ in my Text doth verifie for he was annointed for this purpose to vndergoe this office and doth daily annoint vs to prepare vs for it he took our flesh with him into heauen as a pawne of his comming and left with vs his Spirit to make vs fit for his comming Then the certaintie of our resurrection and Christs comming to Iudgement is firmely testified in my Text For we must all appeare before the Tribunall seat of Christ Vse This doctrine doth yeeld great comfort vnto the children of God Comfort to the godly both in regard that there shall bee such a day as also that Christ Iesus shall bee their Iudge in that day Now their eyes are full of teares and their hearts full of griefe because of the many crosses and afflictions which they suffer in the valley of this misery The Israelites were neuer more gladder of their departure out of Egypt then the children of God of the comming of the day of Iudgement then they wil lift vp their heads For their redemption draweth nigh Againe it wil be comfortable vnto them that Christ Iesus their elder Brother shal be their Iudge because of his equitie and humanitie Abel went willingly into the field with Caine expecting no hard measure at his hand because he was his brother Isaac went freely to the Mount with Abraham looking for no seuerity of him because he was his father The children of God with a chearefull countenance will come out to Iudgement because their elder Brother is there And as this is a comfort to the godly A terrour to the wicked so it is a terrour to the wicked that there shall bee such a iudgement and that Christ shall bee the Iudge The Scripture maketh mention of some that doe not beleeue the Lords comming to iudgement because he doth delay his comming others there bee that put off the terrour of this day from them It is reported that the Italians do vse to ring their bells and discharge their cannons in a thunder-clap that the noise of the one may lessen the terrour of the other In like manner Satan I thinke doth hang tinkling cymbals at the eares of earthly men and delighteth them so with the musick of the world that thereby they may forget the sound of the last trumpe I doubt that day will bee seene of many before it bee foreseene of any It will prooue more terrible vnto them then that day of the promulgating of the Law did vnto the Israelites Exod. 19.18 for if the promulgation of the Law was fearefull how much more will the execution be more fearfull if his voice was terrible to those that came to apprehend him in so much Ioh. 18.6 that they fell backward to the ground when they heard it how shall the wicked stand before his wrathfull voice in that day Gen. 3.10 If Adam did hide himselfe for feare of the Lords furie after his transgression how much more would the wicked hide themselues if they had any place to hide them in from the voice of the Lambe that sitteth on the throne Gen. 45.3 If Iosephs brethren were mightily amazed and so daunted that they could not speake when he told them that hee was their brother Ioseph because of the euill that they had committed against him how much more will the wicked bee astonied when they shall see their brother Christ in such glorie and great Maiestie whom they haue pierced and persecuted with their wicked life Apo. 1.7 Euery eye shall see him yea euen they that pierced him and all the Nations of the earth shall waile before him Plangent quia mundum dilexerunt plangent quia vitam in mundo non correxerunt plangent quia fidem non habuerunt the couetous man shall waile because hee loued the world more then God and godlinesse the lasciuious man shall waile because for a little pleasure hee hath purchased euerlasting paine the vnbeleeuing wretch shall waile because he did not beleeue in Christ nor in the trueth of the Gospel the proud man shall waile because hee did contemne the base humilitie of the crosse of Christ and all the wicked men and women shall weepe and waile because they did not weepe nor waile in time while they liued in the world Remember these things now all yee that forget God least the Lord come in his furie against you and there be none to deliuer you let the feare of iudgement perswade you from your wicked courses Thou that blasphemest the name of God with execrable oathes filling vp euery sentence with an oath or a curse remember the gnashing of teeth after iudgement Let the thiefe robber and cousener thinke on them that shall be bound hand and foot and cast into vtter darknesse in that day Let the drunkard looke vpon the glutton scorched in the flame and cannot haue one droppe to coole his tongue withall Thou that takest thy pleasure consider the damned crew of the wicked that shall bee grieuously aflicted in that day Thou that liuest idlely on the sweat of other mens browes call him to minde that hid his talent in the earth was bound hand and foot and cast into vtter darknes in that day Thou that art couetous in griping other mens goods grinding the faces of the poore with thine own goods Consider the gnawing worme that shall continually gnaw and grinde thee in hell torments in that day Wee read that he that had not vpon him a wedding garment was put out and hee that did deferre his masters comming was not accepted In that day shall the godly looke vpon him with great ioy and comfort but the wicked shall behold him with great feare and torment In that day shall hee separate the sheepe from the Goats the sheepe he will place on his right hand and take them vp with him into theayre as St. Paul speaketh that all the world may know them and honour them as Saints but the wicked he will place on his left hand leauing them on the earth which they haue so much loued that all may behold them and despise them as sinners The Iudge shall sit aboue them to their great terrour Beneath them Hell shall be open readie to receiue them Before them the deuils and damned crew readie to execute Gods wrath vpon them Behind them the Saints and all their dearest friend forsaking them On their left hand their sinnes accusing them On their right hand Iustice threatning them On all sides the whole world burning and flaming about them It is no maruell that they seeke death but death flyeth from them they call vnto the mountaines and rockes and they refuse to couer them they shall dry vp and consume away for the very disquietnesse of their soules To goe forward it is intollerable to goe backward impossible to goe to either side vnauaileable Thus at the worlds end men shall be at their wits end but happie shall that seruant be whom the Master when he commeth shall find ready prepared and looking for his comming such shall bee sung in with that sweet haruest song Come yee blessed children of my father receiue the kingdome prepared for you before the beginning of the world To the which kingdome that he may bring vs let vs daily pray for Iesus Christ his sake that hath dearly bought vs to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour glorie and dominion for euer and euer FINIS
yee know doth shine into euery cranie and hole neither can there any thing be hid from the heat thereof when the Sunne of righteousnes doth appeare can there any thing bee hid from the heat of his furie or the bright beames of his piercing sight Then Apices Iuris your quirkes and nice distinctions of the law will not helpe neither Iudges nor witnesses can be deluded corruption smooth perswasion and fauour shall be altogether banished thy whole life and all the actions of thy life shall be there read and manifested vnto the whole world there shall not be a confused capitulation of thy crimes bound vp in a grosse summe and deliuered in the totall which if it might be granted to the wicked they would not much regard their standing in iudgement but that the Iudge of all the world may make appeare vnto the whole world his Iustice and righteous iudgement the sinnes of the wicked shal particularly be manifested in that day as St. Basil well noteth Lib. de vera virgin As the liniaments of a picture are euery one by themselues knowen so shall euery mans actions there bee manifested This our blessed Sauiour doth intimate vnto vs when he sayth there is nothing hid which shall not be manifested what is spoken in the eare shall be preached on the house toppe The Lord doth likewise affirme this speaking in these words of the Psalme When thou sawest a thiefe Psal 50.18 21. thourunnest after him thou art partaker with the adulterers these things hast thou done and I held my tongue and thou thoughtest wickedly that I was like vnto thy selfe but I will reproone thee and set them in order before thee The blessed Apostle St. Iohn speaking in the Apocalyps Reutl 20.12 concerning our appearing in that day saith That the bookes were opened Liber vitae liber conscientiae and the dead were iudged of those things which were written in the bookes according to their workes There shall bee two bookes opened in that day the booke of life and the booke of euery mans conscience the booke of the conscience is a true copy of the booke of life here a man may finde how it is written there The record of a mans conscience if it be truely obserued is a certaine and infallible euidence of the record in heauen If thou bee written in the booke of life thou shalt haue some assurance hereof in thine owne conscience Thus Saint Paul found it written in the booke of his owne conscience that because he had fought a good fight and kept the faith 2. Tim. 4.8 he doubted not but that a crown of righteousnesse was laide vp for him in heauen which the Lord the righteous Iudge would giue him in that day It is betweene God and man as betweene Creditor and Debitor both keepes bookes and when they are about to reckon they both bring forth their bookes and examine the one by th' other When the Pharisees brought the woman taken in adultery before our Sauiour Christ hee said nothing but stouped downe and with his finger Ioh. 8.6 wrote on the ground While wee liue in sensualitie and take our pleasure our al-seeing God obserueth it he holdeth his peace and seemeth to vs not to heare or see which causeth vs to bee secure in our actions but in the meane time hee writeth vp all our faults and sealeth them vp in a bagge Iob. 14.17 as Iob speaketh and one day will lay them open before vs. Whatsoeuer is written with the iuyce of a Limmon at the first appeareth not but hold it a little to the fire and then yee may read it plainely The Lord doth now write all our sins as if it were with Limons iuyce that almost they appeare not vnto vs to bee sinnes Who is priuie to his secret faults or who knoweth how often he doth offend But in that great day of Christs appearance when all our workes shall be tryed with fire then shall they appeare what they are there need no witnesses to accuse any man in that day omnia palam fient all shall bee laid open the booke of euery mans conscience will manifest his faults conscientia mille testes a mans own conscience wil be vnto him as a thousand witnesses quid prodest non habere conscium habenti conscientiam thou needest no witnesse to come against thee thine owne conscience wil condemne thee and if our owne hearts condemne vs God is greater then our hearts and knoweth all things Bern. Med. c. 13 Peccata mea celare non possum quoniam quocunque vado conscientia mea mecum saith holy Bernard I cannot hide my sinnes for whithersoeuer I goe my conscience is with mee it carieth with it whatsoeuer I haue laid vp in it be it good or euill it keepeth for mee while I liue and will restore vnto me when I am dead if I do amisse it is present Accusat constientia testis memoria c. and priuy to it Thus haue I in mine owne bosome my Iudges my witnesses my accusers and my tormentors The conscience is the accuser the memory witnesse reason the Iudge delight torment and feare the prison thus our consciences shall make manifest our deedes when our booke is examined with the booke of life so that to conclude in the presence of the Iudge in open view of all the world we shall bee manifested For we must appeare But here wee must obserue that Obseruation Manifestatio Hypocritatum in that day men and women shall be manifested two maner of waies 1. Some shall be reuealed to be that which they did not seeme to bee in the world A prophanis scriptoribus sic vocati vt refert Caluinus in sua Harmonia 2. Others shall appeare to bee that which they were in the world And for the further manifestation of these two consider all men and women as they are Actors vpon the Theator of this world and you know that Actors vpon a Stage are of two sorts either they be Hypocrites so they were named in former times because they did represent the persons of those that they were not one playeth the part of a King and is no King another acteth the Merchant and is no Merchant c. Others againe act the persons of such as they are one playeth the drunkard another the whoremaster a third the foole the fourth the Deuill and the fifth the part of a rogue nihil valent omnes and so they are In like maner In that day many that haue seemed vnto men to be honest ciuill charitable and religious when the vizards shall be pulled from their faces Tit. 1.16 shall appeare to haue beene plaine hypocrits they haue had a shew of godlinesse but in their actions they haue denyed the power of it as the cruell King the wicked Iudge the vniust steward the oppressing officer the griping landlord the complementall courtier the racking rake-shame of the Common-wealth that ploddeth among