by the wicked which seeme to men to fall to the earth when as indeede if faithfull in their indeuours to worke a sinners conuersion they shine like starres for euer and euer Dan. 1 2. v. 3. The Heauen say they is the sacred Bible and Canonicall Scripture containing in it the reuealed will of the King of Heauen by meanes whereof we are led vnto Heauen as the Wise-men were to Christ by the conduct of a Star Ioh. 5.39 Matth. 2. v. 9. Within the Pages of this holy Writ Christ the Church the Ministers are placed like the Sunne Moone and Starres in the Firmament of Heauen This Heauen departed in the raigne of Antichrist and became as a clasped Booke in respect of the vse of it for almost as good as if it had not beene at all then the people neuer a iot the better by it when the Laiety might not read it but through the Priests spectacles when Images were Lay-mens Bookes and sacred Scripture departed like a scrole that is lockt vp in an vnknowne tongue Earthquakes doe signifie seditions alterations mutations of Kingdomes and Empires such as began in the Papacy and doe not end as yet but still doth that exceeding dreadfull beast Daniel 7. v. 19. stirre vp seditions disturbe cōmon peace shake Kingdomes blowe vp Parliaments cut off and anathemize Kings by the thunder-bolt of excommunication yea and afterwards Canonize Deuils for Saints if they would aduenture to kill Kings The Mountaynes are say they the Prophets whom the breath of Antichrist doth ouer-turne and by the same breath of that not erring Man of sinne doe the Schole-Doctors by their false glosses and peruerse interpretations corrupt depraue and ouer-throw the sense of the Prophets The Ilands say they are the workes and writings of Philosophers which the same Doctors doe peruert some other way beyond the minde and meaning of Philosophers so that there is nothing cōmon with the Prophets nor with true Philosophie Kings and rich men c. are the Monarchs of the world and other priuate men made subiect to the Popes Catholicall and Vniuersall Supremacy when Kings must hold the stirrup and kisse the greasy feet of that triple-crownd Monster Hid themselues in dennes that is say they the Cels Cloysters Solitary places Nests of Nunnes and vnsociable Monkes I will not disallow of this allegorizing interpretation for it may very well stand for current but according to the simple sense and meaning of the words as they lye nakedly to be considered and if Scripture may interpret Scripture the Prophet Isaiah maketh them playne expounding this place in the selfe same termes or this place expounding that both setting forth the narrow strait and desperate perplexity which the wicked are brought vnto They shall goe into the holes of the Rocks and into the Caues of the earth for feare of the Lord and for the glory of his Maiesty when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth Isaiah 2.19 yea and to strike a deeper dread and horror into the hearts of the wicked he doth ingeminate it like that triple woe in the eight of the Reuelation vers 21. And said to the Mountaynes Rocks Fall on vs c. Here the holy Ghost doth allude vnto two places of Scripture the first is the tenth of Hosea v. 8. the second is the 23. of Luke vers 30. both describing the desperate estate of the wicked where our Sauiour speaketh of a certayne time when these things should be after hee had spoken of the destruction of Ierusalem which was a type of the consummation of the world and dissolution of al things but in Hosea the Prophet speaketh of the captiuity of Israel which was a figure of Ierusalems vtter diuastation and the worlds finall destruction as Hierome obserueth vpon that place It was an old dotage of Aquinas vpon this place who as his custome is to turne all things into Allegories doth wrest this place of Kings and chiefe Captaines and would haue it to be vnderstood of the Romish Clergy the Bishops the Archbishops and the rest of that rabble cloistred Monks and Masse-muttering Priests crying vnto the Mountaines that is inuocating the Saints imploring their patrocinie and their safeguarding protection from the wrath that is to come But these cursed Crue that rob Christ of his honor who is that one only Mediator 1. Tim. 2.5 pro quo nullus interpellat sed ipse per omnibus as Augustine defines a Mediator by making as many Mediators as there are Saints departed shal at that day find the Saints no better then Iobs friends miserable comforters and that the inuocating of them shall be no more regarded then the shouting and crying of the Priests of Baal 1 King 18. v. 27. Hide vs from the face of him that sitteth vpon the Throne and from the voice of the Lambe Obiect But how shall the wicked and vnfaithfull bee able to speake these words when as they neuer knew Christ sitting in his Throne nor vnderstood him to be the Lamb of God that taketh away the sinnes of the World as Peter told the Iewes that through ignorance they did crucifie Christ as did also their Gouernours Acts 3. v. 17. for had they knowne they would neuer haue crucified the Lord of glory Sol. I will not insist vpon any curious distinction either of Logicians or Schole diuines concerning ignorance In briefe I answere thus that the wicked out of the horror and hellish despaire of a distracted conscience partly by reason of that imminent danger without them the guilt of cōscience within them they shall be compeld to acknowledge Christ to bee that Incarnated Word of truth sent out of the bosome of the Father and to be that Lambe of God slaine for as many as beleeue then they shall see know be made to acknowledge him though in their life time they called his sacred Deitie into question yet then shal they acknowledge him without all question As Pharaoh at the first answered Moses and Aaron intreating him from the Lord to let the children of Israel goe that they may celebrate a feast to the Lord in the wildernesse Quis est Deus Who is the Lord as though he had thought belike that there had bin no God as Atheists say in their heart There is no God Psal 14.1 or that he himselfe had beene God onely Exod. 5.2 yet afterward hee learned a new lesson being instructed by diuers sorts of afflictions which were as so many Sermons to conuict and conuince him of Atheisme and was compelled to acknowledge God to be the Authour of them Exod. 8. and he only to be prayed vnto Exod. 14. So shall the wicked at that day howsoeuer at this day they doe scorne deride and not beleeue in Christ to be Iesus a Messias a Sauiour but persecute him in his members Act. 9.4 when they see the truth of prophesies fulfilled the destruction at hand their owne dismall desolation drawing neer then shall they acknowledge Christ to be the
verbum patris doce me facere volūtatem tuam vt à spiritu tuo bono ductus ad beatam illam proueniam ciuitatem O sweet Iesus thou that art the word of the Father teach me thy wil that being guided by thy good Spirit I may bee brought vnto that Citty where there is Certa securitas secura aeternitas aeterna tranquillitas tranquilla foelicitas foelix suauitas suauis iucūditas Where there is Security Eternity Tranquillity Felicity Vbi tu Deus cum Patre Spiritu Sancto regnas per infinita secula Greg. in Psal sept Where thou dost raigne as God with the holy Ghost world without end Let vs therefore stand with our loynes girded like good seruants waiting for their master Let vs pray that this Kingdome would come let vs ingeminate that of the Spouse the Church of Christ Come Lord Iesu come quickly Apoc. 22. And here let vs rest our thoughts a while and settle our meditations on serious consideration of this great day not curiously to define or determine how farre or how neere the day or yeere when these things shall be it being lockt from vs and kept vnreueyled in the secret counsell of God yet wading herein as farre as Hercules Pillars that is as farre as the word of God will conduct but where the holy Ghost is silent and hath not a tongue to speake my penne shall not indite nor my eare listen thereunto And first I will set downe the opinions and coniectures of others touching the end of the world Augustine reckoneth vp six Ages of the world August l. 1. in Gen. con Manichaeos the first from Adam to Noah the second from Noah to Abraham the third from Abraham to Dauid the fourth from Dauid to the captiuity of Babylon the fift frō the captiuity of Babylon vnto Christ the sixt from Christ vnto the end of all things the day of Iudgement So that this Age in which we liue is the last Age and may bee termed the decrepit and old-age of the world and if Saint Iohns time was the last howre then surely these our times are the last minutes Then now the end of all things is at hand and wee are they vpon whom the ends of the world are come and Christ is ready to iudge the quick and the dead But how long this last Age being the dotage of the world will continue it is conceald from men and Angels Augustine told his friend Heschius curiously inquiring of the end of the world that hee durst not measure limit or determine the times and seasons which God hath put in his owne power it may be euery mans answere vnto all such curious questionists There are very many of the learned Rabbins Oraculum a schola Eliae who being ledde by their owne vaine and weake coniectures would seeme to set downe a certaine set time of the end of the world positiuely affirming the world shall indure six thousand yeeres and those yeeres they doe distribute into two thousand before the Law two thousand vnder the Law two thousand after the Law wherevpon some other faine that the world shall indure six dayes as it was made in six dayes the length of euery day to bee a thousand yeeres as if it had beene Dauids meaning where he saith that A thousand yeeres in thy sight are as yesterday Psal 90 v. 4. Whereas his meaning is that all things past and to come are present with God Indeede it is the Deuils policy because hee would haue vs to put off farre from vs the euill day and with the sluggard in the Prouerbs desire yet a little more sleepe a little more slumber to busie vs with an infinite many of friuolous idle and vnprofitable questions that we may neglect that one thing which is necessary as namely a careful preparation rather then a curious inquiry to watch and pray according to our Sauiours counsell lest that day come on vs vnawares and we found sleeping for as Augustine truly Prophecies are sooner fulfilled then vnderstood Prophetias impleri quā intelligi Aug. Of that day and houre knoweth no man no not the Angels in heauen neither the Sonne but the Father Mark 13.32 If our Sauiour would haue reuealed this day vnto any doubtlesse hee would haue reuealed it vnto his Apostles his secretaries his fauourites his followers vnto whom hee imparted greater things and better things yet hee tels them flatly Non est vestrum nosse tempora c. It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power Act. 1.7 Of the day and houre knoweth no man no not the Angels The Angels abound with much knowledge naturall experimentall and reuealed vnto whom God himselfe doth reueale certaine Ambassages to conuay vnto his children and hauing farre better meanes of knowledge then wee haue for as much as they know God intuendo by his looking in his face Matth. 18.10 But wee haue our knowledge discurrendo by discussing reasoning disputing and that not a priori neither but a posteriori by his backe parts as hee hath manifested himselfe in his works being mirabilis in maximis mirabilis in minimis wonderfull in all his workes The inuisible things of him are clearely seen in the creation of the world and are vnderstood by the things that are made Rom. 1.20 And yet of that day and houre knoweth no man no not the Angels in heauen neither the Sonne To let passe Epiphanius interpretation Epiphanij in illum locum expositio est valdè arguta detorta Martyr his witty but wrested distinction of a twofold knowledge * Executionis Scientiae I will vnder the correction of the Learned shew how Christ knowes the day yet how he is ignorant of it It should seeme strange that the wisedome of God should bee ignorant of those things which are in God neither can it be said that Christ being GOD and man in one person together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Deity should not informe his Humanity as our soule doth the body but leaue it destitute of knowledge for in Christ saith the Apostle i. in his humane nature dwelleth the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily Colos 2.9 Christ himselfe being the best and truest interpretour of his owne words thus expounds himselfe As the Father gaue me commandement euen so I doe Iohn 14.31 Therefore because Christ was sent as an Ambassadour to declare and manifest the will of the Father hee would neither do or speake any thing but that vnto the which end hee was sent as therefore hee was an Ambassadour sent out of the bosome of the Father he is said to be ignorant because he had no commission to reueale it Aquinas part 3. q. 10. Art 2. According to that of Aquinas Dicitur nescire quia non facit scire He is said not to know because hee would not haue vs to know thus hee told his
Disciples It is not for you to know the times and the seasons Act. 1.7 I will conclude with the saying of Augustine Ne nos addamus inquirere quòd ille non addidit dicere Aug. Epist 146. Secret things belong vnto the Lord reuealed things vnto vs Deu. 29. verse 29. Let vs not dare to pry into the Arke of the Lord striuing to know that which is impossible for vs to know it being reserued vnreuealed within the secret bosome of his sacred Maiesty The word of God affoordeth vs certayne signes and prognosticks whereby wee may conclude of a certainty that that day is not farre off the first is this The reuealing and comming of Antichrist Antichrist must first come Antichrist the forerunner of the end of the world so saith the Apostle That Man of sin must first bee reuealed before that day come that sonne of perdition 2. Thess 2. ver 3. Little children saith S. Iohn it is the last time and as you haue heard Antichrist shall come euen now are there many Antichrists whereby we may know that it is the last time 1. Ioh. 2.18 I neede not proue that the Pope of Rome is Antichrist many by their writings haue made this plaine and apparent and discouered that Man of sinne vnto the whole world as manifest to bee Antichrist as he is Pope The second signe that the day is at hand is an Apostasie from Faith and from sound Doctrine of which the Apostle speaketh Now the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giuing heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of Deuils 1. Tim. 4.1 And is not this time come to passe already are not many carryed about like vapours in the ayre with euery blast of vaine Doctrine hauing itching eares affecting alwayes some new fangled point or other what a dispute beginnes there to bee about that Twinne of our saluation Faith and Repentance touching the priority of them which makes me thinke that either men haue no repentance or else no faith vnlesse both consist vpon the tippe of the tongue in prattling not in practice The third is the promulgation of the Gospell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 throughout the whole world So saith our Sauiour Christ And this Gospell of the Kingdom shall bee preached throughout the whole world and then shall the end come Mat. 24.14 It must bee published among all Nations Mar. 13.10 And is not the sound thereof already gone forth into the ends of the earth is it not spred already from Dan euen vnto Beersheba from one Sea coast vnto another The fourth is the rising vp of false Christs and false Prophets Many shall come in my name saith our Sauiour Christ saying I am Christ and the time draweth neere Luke 21.8 And many false Prophets shall arise and deceiue many Matth. 24.11 The fift signe is Iniquity shal abound The fift signe is the generality of sinne Matth. 24.12 There shall bee such a generall infection of sinne Men shall be louers of their owne selues couetous bosters proude blasphemers disobedient to parents vnthankefull vnholy without naturall affection truce-breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good Traytors heady high minded louers of pleasures more then louers of God hauing a forme of godlines but deny the power thereof 2. Tim. 3.1.2.3.4 And this is Gods ordinary proceeding against sinne hee doth neuer punish generall vntill sinne bee growne generall God neuer washt away the inhabitants of the earth with the waters of his wrath vntill all flesh had corrupted his way vpon the earth vntill the earth was filled with cruelty and all the imaginations of the thoughts of mans heart were euill onely euill continually euill Gen. 6.5.11.12 The Lord neuer rayned downe fire and brimstone from the Lord out of heauen vpon those two Cities Simeon and Leui like sisters in sinne vntill hee had made enquiry whether there were any righteous men amongst them for the Lord had it not derogated from his Iustice and so consequently from his glory in not being a iust reuenger of sinne was as willing and as well contented as Abraham that Sodom should be saued for euery petition returned vnto Abraham with some aduantage and most comfortable is it the Lord neuer ceased graunting till Abraham ceased asking but in the end there being such a penury such a scarcity such a nullity of good men that the Lord destroyed them with fire and brimstone and so it remaines vntill this day as a monument of Gods wrath Mare mortuum a Sea of fire and brimstone If we trauell vnto that great City Ierusalem the Metropolis of the world the Lady of the earth the perfection of beauty wee shall finde it but a heape of stones But what did moue the Lord to destroy so famous a City called the City of God the habitation of the most Highest a place where he did delight to dwell yet sin had made her infamous and odious in the sight of God the contagion and infection of sinne was generall and that not only some kinde of sinnes but all sinne all oppression that is all kinde of sinne Synechdoche speciei and well may it bee for oppression is a crying sinne and they that make no conscience of great sinnes surely will not make conscience of lesser and these sinnes were not committed in corners or by-lanes but in the open streets in the market place men were growne impudent in sinne all oppression was in the midst of Ierusalem Ierem. 6. vers 6. sinne was growne generall Ierusalem was a denne of Theeues there was no righteous man found throughout the whole City that executed iudgement and sought the truth No nor at the Court amongst the great Men amōgst the Rulers amongst the Noblemen These haue altogether broken the yoke and burst the bond no nor yet amongst the Prophets for they prophesie falsely and the Priests beare rule by their meanes that is both agree together in a mutuall and meere collusion of the people as the Pope with his orders of begging Fryers first they robbe and deceiue the people and then they diuide the spoile Ierem. 5.1.5.31 To conclude sinne was as generall in Ierusalem as euer it was in the old world when it was destroyed with water or in Sodome that City of pride luxury idlenesse when it was burnt with fire so Ierusalems punishments were paralell to her sinnes her sinnes were generall her iudgements were as generall There is not one stone left vpon another of so many stately buildings on which the Iewes so confidently presumed Ioseph l. 6. hist Iud. and so presumptuously insulted ouer the Romanes saying that if the Romans had wings yet they could not flye ouer their wals and inuade their City And is not sinne growne as generall in this world as euer 't was in the old world or in Sodome or in Ierusalem may we not as iustly take vp the complaint of Isay in his time Both head is sicke
the silent night onely is guiltie of these vnchast actions and secret chambers are only priuie vnto these works of darkenesse this sin is more suspected then knowne and yet knowne too well to be too too generall Drunkennesse may be the third head of this monstrous Hel-hound and Cerberus of sinne how generall is this shamelesse swinish idle base beastly sinne growne It was once but one mans sinne and of infirmity too as not knowing the vertue of the grape Chrysost nor the qualitie of that liquor and long since it hath beene scorned as the beggers fault Hence came the Prouerbe As drunke as the Begger But now adayes it is reputed not only the Seruingmans complement but the Gentlemans grace Seneca spake wel of these times Habebitur aliquando abrietati honor plurimum caepisse vini virtus erit The time shall come that honour shall be attributed to drunkennesse and to drinke much wine shall bee accounted vertue and valour How many now adaies draw their whole Patrimonie thorow their throate making a practice almost a profession of drunkennesse rising vp earely to follow strong drinke and so continue vntill night till wine enflame them Isaiah 5.11 And as the Wise man speaks tarrie long at the wine Prou. 23.29 Our Tauernes our Innes and Alehouses were they well lookt into by the Magistrate would yeeld too many of such kind of stayers by who vnder pretence of drinking a pot or two fill their braines ere they go away and emptie their purse I will not insist any longer in discoring Satans kingdom From the generalitie of these sins we may conclude an vniuersalitie of all the rest What sin is there but is growne as generall as euer the Plague was in any citie or countrie like Naamans leprosie it hath ouerspred the whole body From the sole of the foote to the crowne of the head there is no soundnes but wounds swellings putrifying sores Isa 1.6 Sin is growne vnto such an height and to such a head that it is safer for a man to commit sin then to reproue it and hee that refraineth his foote and runneth not into the same excesse of riot shall be a prey a scorne a by word a derision a laughing stocke Behold the regions are white vnto haruest sinne is ripe euen to the full growth and therefore assuredly it will not be long ere the Lord sends foorth his Labourers those winged executioners of his wrath with sickles in their hands to gather the wicked into bundles that they may be cast into hell It is the Lords gracious and mercifull dispensation to prorogue a while the tearme of his comming because wee should haue a little more time to repent in and so be left without lesse excuse Let vs then vse the Lords patience as a spurre and prouocation vnto repentance so saith the blessed Apostle prophesying of the Atheists of our time who doe not sticke to say VVhere is the promise of his comming Sheweth what vse they should make of the seeming slacknes of his comming his long suffering is an argument that the Lord is not willing that any should perish but that al should come to repentāce 2. Pe. 3.9 And thus mercifully the Lord dealt with the old world after hee had threatned their destruction hee gaue thē one hundred and twenty yeeres to repent in Gen. 6.3 Put not then off farre from thee the euill day if the Lord seemes slack it is because thou shouldest flye speedily with Lot vnto Zoar that is accelerate thy repentance Almighty God hath already whet his sword and bent his bow and made it ready how soeuer he may seeme slack yet he may easily come before thou art ready if hee doth come thou being vnprepared and vnprouided assuredly he will pay thee home for thus abusing his patience The Heathen writer could say thus much Valer. Max. Deum grauitate supplicij compensare tarditatem puniendi the greatnesse of his punishment shall recompence the slacknesse of his comming when he doth come when Deus dies vltionum conuenerint when the God of vengeance and the day of vengeance shall meet together thou shalt bee payed home for altogether I will conclude with that questioned Authour to the Hebrewes Yet a very little while and he that shall come wil come and will not tarry Heb. 10.37 The last vse shall bee an exhortation to repentance and that betime while wee haue time Walke saith our Sauiour Christ in the day Iohn 11. v. 9. that is in thy life which is but a moment a spanne of time The night commeth wherein no man can worke Iohn 9. v. 4. that is the night of thy death which is the conclusion of the day of thy life and then there is no more time to worke out our saluation For an Angell hath sworne from heauen by him that liueth for euermore that time shall be no more Apoc. 10.6 that is after this acceptable time no more time for repentance no more daies of saluation The Apostle wils vs to doe good while we haue time intimating therby that after this time Cypr. there is no more time Vitae aut hic amittitur aut tenetur cùm isthinc excessum fuerit nullus poenitentiae locus nullus satisfactionis effectus Life here is either got or lost for when we goe out of the body there is no place for repentance no effect of satisfaction if we haue sinned to day and haue not repented it may be wee shall haue leaue of the Lords patience to learne it better another day but after the transmigration of the soule from the body there remaines nothing else but a fearfull looking for of iudgement It stands vs therefore vpon the saluation of our soule to looke before wee leape to be certaine that wee haue one foote vpon the border of Canaan before wee leaue our earthly tabernacle Let vs make our election sure vnto vs by true and speedy repentance and seale vp this comfortable conclusion to our soules that our sinnes are pardoned in the bloud of Christ Suppose that the generall day of Iudgement were farre off and that this day of saluation were to shine vpon this Land still on to the worlds end yet what is that to thee or mee the day of grace endeth to thee and mee at the day of our death after that the Lord shall neuer offer mercy vnto vs. It is the gracious and merciful dispensation of almighty God who when hee may iustly cut thee off as thou art committing of sinne and throwe thee downe to hell yet hee giues thee space and time to repent of this thy sinning and so thy sinnes may bee done away Thus our Sauiour speaking of that woman Iezabel for so the holy Ghost points her out by the finger as it were in contempt saith That hee gaue her space to repent of her fornication and shee repented not Reuel 2.21 Meaning hee did let her liue to repent whereas if hee had cut her off before hee had taken