come Ye know not wâ—en the time is But 〈◊〉 it is not farre of we are sure So Paul teacheth To admonisâ— vs vpon whom the ends of the world are come Saint Iohn is as plaine It is the last time Augustine saith vnto Hesychius who was curiously inquisitiue of the worldes end That he dare not giue the aduenture to measure the length and the scope theref seeing the Angels and Sonne of man himselfe are ignorant hereof But in his first â—ocke vppon Genesis against the Manichies hee giueth sixe ages to the life of the worlde as the life of man is disposed and diuided into seuerall sundrie ages through which as his life passe so the life of the worlde goeth away By casting the worlde into sire ages hee followeth the set number of dayes which were sire wherein the whole forme and frame of heauen and earth were made and finished The first age is the time from Adam to Noah or to the stood which hee compareth to our infancie The seconde is all the time from the flood to Abrahams dayes which hee likeneth to our childehoode The third is all the time from Abraham to Dauid which he suteth to our youthfull age The fourth is all the time from Dauid to the transportation of the people into Babylon which is answerable to our mans estate The fift is all the time from the captiuitie to the Incarnation of Christ which hath reference is our olde age The sixt is all the time from Christ to the verie ende it selfe which is our decrepit estate and condition which is called by Saint Iohn The last houre After which followeth the seauenth day euen the Sabboth of our endlesse rest But in regarde of the notable chaunges thereof the worlde may be drawne to a narrower roome and more simplie be destributed into foure ages onely The first is the time from the Creation to the Flood which wee may rightly tearme the infancie and Child-hoode of the worlde for that theu Artes were first founde out and that with the first principles and promises of saluation the godly were satisfied and they worshipped God after a simple and plaine manner The second from the Flood extendeth it selfe to the promulgation and publication of the Lawe which for verie good causes wee may woorthily call the youthfull age of it For then were men farre and wide diuided throughout all partes of the earth Common-wealths were first founded and the beginning of the first Monarchie instituted and the couenant of saluation by God with Abraham our father indented the linage and descent of the Messiah designed and our vniuersall redemption in the deliuerance of the Israelites from the Egyptian thraldome typicallie represented The thirde age comprehendeth the whole time that was spent vnder the time of the Lawe vnto the comming of our Sauiour in the flesh as wee finde it diuided by our Sauiour Christ himselfe saying The Lawe and the Prophets are vnto Iohn c. That was the ripe age and manhoods of the Worlde it being then come to his perfect growth for then came in Magna Charta the plenarie enrolment of the will of God making the consignement of the promises of God by sundrye Ceremonies and opening them at large by the Commentaries of the Prophets Nowe as sorrowes encrease with yeares and the full age hath fulnesse of troubles accompanying it so manie perturbations did fall vppon these tymes and the whole worlde was as it were set vppon Wheeles and vp and downe rolled with tragicall commâ—tions The fourth age ranne vppon the necke of this wherein the Senne of God in flesh was manifested which to the consummation of the worlde shall be continued This as wee noted before out of Iohn is called The last houre otherwise called by the Apostle Paul to the same effect The fulnesse of time so tearmed because all the promises of God excepting the generall resurrection and iudgement are absolutely fulfilled and shall make a full end of the Worlde Nowe it agreeth fulâ—ie with the nature of olde age For as olde men can not liue long though young men may die soone and they spende their remainder of time with cares infirmityes and diseases enough so wee can not promise to the worlde beeing in his olde age any long continuance or that it shall bee better then it is but rather that the age of it shall bee more burdensome vnto it and make it to be worsser This knowledge howsoeuer sufficient for vs satisfieth not others folishly curious ayming at the verie exact time of his dissolution by these â—riuolous coniectures These haue found out a simple shift for themselues to answer Christs words The day and houre knoweth no man instnuating that we may haue a gesse at the time though wée knowe not the nicke and exact part of the time But their sophistrie will not serue theÌ„ For Christs â—â—plie to the â—psie quâ—stion of the Apostles in these words It is not for you to know the times cutleth off their cauilling â—â—stinction of time it beeing in the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Times and seasons wherefore their cunning commeth out of time Neither will that out of Mathew doe them good whereby they would take a measure of the time when 〈◊〉 world should haue 〈◊〉 in these words And this Gospell of the kingdome shall bee preached thorough the whole world for a witnes to all natiâ—ns and then shall the end come Augustine answereth them thus the Lords comming shal not be vntill the Gospell be dispersed throughout the world But how soone he shal come after this is thus published it is not from hence gathered The Gospel was generally notified to the world in the Apostles time who by their coÌ„tinual tedious perambulations had sent the sound thereof into all lands as Paul in his letter to the Colossians writeth thus Which is come vnto you euen as it is vnto all the world and is fruitful as it is also among you and yet euer since the world hath continued But there are many relie vpon idle dreames as vpon familiar deuiles The Mathematicians doe looke for a great yeere as Cicero sheweth after which al the starres shal returne to their beginnings and then the end of the world shal be Baldus in Cicero putteth in this spoake This conuersion howe long it will bée is a great question but it is necessarily certaine and definite Macrobius out of the opinion of naturall philosophers doth set downe a great yeere which hee calleth the worldes yeere Making it to confist of fiftéene thousand yeeres as the Sunne measureth them Augustine acquainteth vs with the fancies of some in his time who assigned fower hundred yéeres after the assention of Christ vnto heauen of others who â—â—crâ—ed fiue huÌ„dred of others who spake of a thousand after the expiration whereof the world should haue an absolute vastation But their vttermost prefixed time hauing long beene out of date their vaine assertions are sufficiently reproued
shall not escape Wherefore the vncertaine suddaines of the worldes end is effectuall to dispell desidiousnes and to stirre vs vp to watchfulnes to liue as if the present day were the last and to make our bookes euen as if out of hand God would keepe his Audit among vs and take a streight account of vs. Omnem crede diem tibâ— diluxisse suâ—remum Thinke euery day the last that heere abode thou hast A Poet spake it and euery Christian may well repeat it It thou were called to a table furnished with fiftie or thrée score platters of good meate sâ—uing onely that deâ—dly poison is in one of those chargers and thou art toâ—oe so â—â—uch before but art â—ot certified in which of them it is Doubtlesse in the tender regarde which thou hast of thâ— liâ—â— thou wouldest mistrust euerie diâ—h and forbeare all together least in that which thou tastest thou shouldest be taken It is thus with thee thou hast heere fiftie or thrée scoâ—e yeares to liue and in one of those death shall certainely seaze on thee and thou knowest not in which of them hee will attach thee wherefore doubt euerie one I aduise thee and looke circumspectly aboâ—t thee Seeing our pater patria and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are in heauen we are Pilgrims and Trauailers vpon earth as al our Fathers were and we haue a â—ourney to goe namely to Ierusalem a Citie whose builder and workeman is God and a swift Horse wee haue to carrie vs thether let vs gird vp our reynes put our Sandols about our feet and prepare for the voyage What man knowing that hee is to liue in England will purchase and build in Spaine But such fooles are wee looking to liue in heauen wee consume our selues with care how to liue heere in earth I doe not impartinently degresse from the matter in putting two endes together of the world and mans life For the same consideration is to be had of them both there being such a kinde Simpathye and affâ—nite betweene them For death in Scripture is called the way of all flesh and the common ineuitable condition of death is imposed vpon all But there is nothing more certaine then the vncertaintie thereof as daily proofe teacheth Iob his Sonnes and Daughters when they were feastingÌ„ in their elder Brothers house little thought that death was so nie them in a whirl-wind which threwe the foure corners of the house ouer them When Elah was drinking in his Stewards house in his capable Goblets eueâ— vnâ—o drunkennes he did not imagine there to be done to death by Zimri Did Babilon was bare the title of the Ladie of the kingdomes and was called Tender and Delicate who presumed of herselfe that shee was like Mount Syon not to be remooued and therefore said I shall bee a Ladie for euer I am and none else I shal not sit as a Widdow neither shall knowe the losse of Children Did she I say that thus swelled with pride dreame that this sentence should so soone haue beene reade ouer heâ— Thine end is come wherefore to such as sayâ—â— Isaâ—ah Come I wil bring wine we will fill our selues with strong drinke to morrowe shall bee as this day and much more which 〈◊〉 but the merrie madnesse of one houre Iâ—â—nes remooueth thâ—◠〈◊〉 from their eies that blindeth them and loâ—teth them see the nice and â—ickle est ate wherein they stand thus censuring their follie Go to now ye that say To day or tomorrow we will goe into such a Citie and continue there a yeare and buy and sell and get gaine and yet cannot tell what shall be tomorrow For what is your life It is euen a vapour that appeareth for a little time and afterward vanisheth away No glasse or pitcheâ— of earth is more brickle then the body oâ— man as being nothing else but a house of clay whose foundation is the dust For a noysome sauour an infected ayre a day little more then ordinarily hotter some what a larger supper excessiue either sorrow or pleasure is as it were a blowe of a hammer that knocketh the sides of tâ—is fraile vessell together A little labour cracketh some a little loâ—e othersome vnkindnesse is some mans coroâ—iue and his pleasant wine is his â—o This man complaineth of head-ache with the Sunamites sonne that man hath conâ—ulsion in his bowels with Antiochus A third man crieth out of the goute in his legges with Asa Some perish through peâ—utie as the sonneâ— of Ierusalem and other some are slaine surfetted through satietie as the Sodomâ—tes many are dispatched by violent death many kindâ— of wayes some in their cradle as the Babes of Bethlehem some in their Parlar as Eglon. some in the field as Saul some in their bed as Isbosheth some betweene the Porch and the Altar as Zenacharib some at the very hornes of the Altar as Duke Ioab some by water as Pharaoh and his Princes of Egypt some by fire from heauen as the Coâ—onels with their fifties some by fiâ—e from the earth as Zâ—mri some by yâ— rupture and opening of the earth as DathaÌ„ and his complices some by winde as lobs sonnes and daughters some by dogges as Iesabel some by wormes as Herod some by Lions as the disobedient man of God some by Beares as the gracelesse children that mocked the Prophet some by the Gallowes as Haman some by a Gâ—at as Pope Adrian the fourth some by a haire in their 〈◊〉 as a certaine Roâ— an Fabius the Senator some by the stone of a Râ—â—sâ—n as Anacreon wee come into the world one way but we go out of it by a thousand We maruel not that a clock is soone out of â—elter because it coÌ„sisteth of so many slender peeces our bodies staÌ„ding of so many weak iunctures why should we admire the soone decay of it Death knocketh vs on the head like a hammer goeth through the loynes of vs like a sword entangleth euerie one of vs like a snare as a prison keepeth vs forth-comming as a sea ingendreth vs all and it is the tribute money that we must all disburse to nature Wherefore as watchmen are set to those places where they feare the enemie wil come though his comming be vncertaine so because our enemie death will beset our bodies and soules and his comming is dayly to be feared and looked for let vs set good ward and watch about them both that we may be appointed for him when he commeth that wee may not be affraide when wee meete him in the gatâ— The fourth Chapter Shewing the signes of the worlds end THe saying of the Prophet Amos is verie memorable in these wordes Surely the Lorde God will doe nothing but hee reuealeth his secrets vnto his seruants the Prophets Hee brought the Flood vppon the first worlde but they were tolde of it a hundred yeares before by Noah Sodome and Gomorrha and the neighbour Cities were burnt to
any of these which is the period of my labors and desires the Lordes name be blessed for it Doomes day Booke The first Chapter Of the vnquestionable certaintie of the worldes end THe sâ—curitie and iniquitie of these â—â—mes haue thrust this argument vpon me For hauing beene foure and fourtie yeres suâ— feted with peace and plentie we haue not onely forgotten but as it were set our faces against pleâ—ie So that spaâ—â—â—â— the iudgements of God not by his word but by the state of the times wee make a mocâ—â—â—â— them and whatsoeuer Preachers tell vs of the dissolution of the world of 〈…〉 of all flesh of the generall countie day wee 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 Tâ— cut the veâ—â—â—ase 〈…〉 of truth doe wee not finde that the worâ—d sedde vpon 〈…〉 and â—ucke vp these suâ—â—â—â— damnable epâ—nons to the subâ—â—â—sion of their soules 〈◊〉 that 〈…〉 no 〈◊〉 at all or iudgement to â—â—me sensuall 〈…〉 2. Or that God â—ath adiourned the â—â—me of his câ—mmâ—ng and that it will belong â—ce he come of the generation of those 〈◊〉 al the â—est of them that Saint Peter taketh to â—â—ske It is therefore high time to put the world in mind of their lying vaniâ—ies which so 〈◊〉 their soules and so call them from deade woâ—k 〈◊〉 so bee it may 〈…〉 seâ—ue the liuing God by placing before 〈◊〉 â—yes the day of doome which must certainely come and shortly come which shall giue to euerie one according to their workes That is to them which by continuance in well doing seeke glory and honour and immortalitie eternall life but vnto them that are contentious and disobey the truth obey vnrighteousnesse shall be indignation and wrath Now if this shrill trumpet and passing Bell will not wake vs out of our lithargie of carnall securitie there is no recouerie of vs For this is the onely cooler I can consider of to queÌ„ch or qualifie our hot sinfull lustes If we looke vp to this clocke or dyall we shall bee wary how we spend our time Daniel by strewing ashes vppon the floore found out the fallacy of the Priestes of Baal by the mature meditation of our fraile condition that wee are but dust and ashes and that we are sure of a resurrection and retribution according to the nature of our actions we shall desâ—tie and dispeli the subtilties of the deuill For all his deuises by the memorie hereof shall bee subdued vnto vs as the deuill himselfe was driuen away by Christ by telling him of Scriptures The remembrance of this will bee a staffe and crotch as luckie vnto vs in this our wearisome perambulation of the few and euill dâ—â—eâ— of our life as that of Iacobs was vnto him wherewith he passed ouer Iordan If we looke to the end as the wisemen to the star it will leade vs as it did them the right way to Christ For why are older men better keepers of their Church then young men but because they consider they are nearer their end yong men by their sinnes with the younger Sonne who went farre from his father are farther off from God the farther they thinke in regard of their youth they are from their end They are as proud of the healthfull estate of their bodies as Nabuchadonozar was of the statelynesse of his Pallace saying to themselues Iâ— not this a strong bodie as Nabuchadonozer saide to himselfe Is not this great Babell The cause of the sinnes of the people that were endlesse was their carelesnesse of the end as Ieremie flatly telleth Hierusalem Her filthines is in her skirts she remembreth not her last end While Moses considered that hee had but a time in the world â—ee forsooke the worlde betime and chose rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God theÌ„ to inioy the pleasures of sins for a season Tell me worldly man that sayest with Peter It is good to behere whether if thou hadst hired a house whose foundation reeleth and rocketh and threatneth a downfall thou wouldest not make hast out of that house It is certaine thou wouldest Hast thee saue thee escape for thy life I counsaile thee as the Angell counselled Lot Escape into the Mountaine and holie hill of the Lord as Lot was aduised when Sodom was destroied for the Lord will fire the house of this worlde and the heauens the beautifull roofe of the house according as hee hath immutably decreed saying Heauen and earth shall passe And as in this chapter it shall be fully prooued vnto thee He that made the heauen can fold it vp like a booke againe can rolle it together like a skin of Parchment He that made the sea and set the waues thereof in a rage and caused it to boile like a pot of oyntment can say to the â—â—oods Be ye dried vp He that made the drie land can rocke it to and fro vpon her foundations as a drunken man reeleth from place to place He can cleath the Sunne and the Moone in sack-cloath and commaund the starres to fall downe to the earth and the mountaines of the land to remoue into the sea It is the greatest follie in the world to dreame here of a dwelling place Wee haue here no continuing Citie but we seeke one to come Of his fathers house Christ hathsaid That there are many mansioÌ„s but he neuer said so much of Horeb or Thabor or of the wildernesse of this world But the worde is alreadie gone out of Gods mouth It is appointed vnto all men once to die nay twise to die as God threatned Adam Thou shalt die the death wherefore the Apostle maketh vp the former sentence with this addition After that commeth the iudgement Beleeue this as the Samaritans did not because of my worde but because the Lorde himselfe hath spoken it by the mouth of his Prophets euer since 〈◊〉 world began The Deluge or flood which Moses diligently hath described vnto vs. â—s a liuely representation of the worldes disâ—â—tion Saint Peter â—â—â—â—teth so much from thence against the mockers of his time thus Wherefore the worlde that then waâ— perished ouerflowed with the water but the heauens and earth which 〈◊〉 now are kept by the same werde in store 〈◊〉 â—lerued vnto fire vnto the day of iudgement This his 〈…〉 is taken from the example and it is fashioned thus If God could in times past marre the face of the whole world hee is able to doe the like againe But the former he hath done alreadie ouerwhelming the whole earth a handfull of seede as it were onely reseâ—â—ed to renue the same againe with riuers of waters And the latter is to be looked for that he waste the worlde againe with riuers of fire and brimstone Christ in many places is plaine in this point Heauen earth shall passe away but
one chéeke to holde out the other the meaning whereof is that we rather suffer two iâ—iuries then reuenge one To the Epâ—cures ambitious luxurioâ—s and to all eâ—orbitant persons of what name and title soeuer they bee bée the same spoaken they haue their iâ—dgement in the law and they shall haue it in the lake if they looke not well vnto it Therfore for Godâ— sake be ye warned that ye may be armed that ye may not be harmed Thou angrie man it will not seâ—ue thy turne at that time toplead the heat of thy nature the impotencie of thy affections whereby thou canst not moderat thy â—cessiue perturbations For when many dogges came about Christ and many fatte Bulles of Basan incircled him and be set him round about hee was so farre from troublesome passions as hee was resolued into charitable affections towards them and put vp his praieres to his father for them Thou gréedie guttâ— that giuest vp thy selfe to gurmandizing it is but absurde to plead disuse of abstinence or temperaunco for Christ that great faster shal condemne thee thou great feaster From these instances all degrées of sinners may take inferences that belong vnto them and be in time conuerted least at that time they be for euer confounded Thus Christ as he was the ruine and resurrection of many according to the prophecie at his first comming so shall his second comming haue the same effects The dolor of the wicked and the pleasure of the godly shal be such at that time as a learned man in meditation hereof wondereth that euery stone should not be a thorne to the godly in this life to enlarg his miserie that in the life to come he might haue laide vpon his shoulders a great-weight of glorie that euery stone is not a rose to the wicked 〈◊〉 might haue his fill of pleasure in this life because then it is outâ—â— date and there is none to be looked for of him in the 〈◊〉 to come The ninth Chapter The Maiestie of Christ in his comming to Iudgement CHrist shall come verie gloriously to iudgement with a white cloud round about him the whole quire of Angells and the whole host of heauen attending vpon him with an incredible shrill and hoarse noise of trumpets His number without number is thus indefinitly spoken of by the Apostle in these wordes He shall come with thousandes of his saintes which hath consent with former prophecies for Daniel being in this argument saith A firie streame issued and came forth from before him thousand thousands ministred vnto him and ten thousand thousands stood before him the iudgment was set and the bookes opened This tooke place at his first coÌ„ming wheÌ„ the minister and hoast of heaueÌ„ly soldiers waited on him and shall take place againe at his second comming when all the ministring spirits and creatures of heauen Saints Angels seruants shall be pannelled personally to assist him To this end saith the Euangelist The sonne of man shall come in the glorie of his father with his Angells They shall see the some of man come in the cloudes of heauen with power and great glorie WheÌ„ the son of man cometh in his glorie al the holy Angells with him Yee shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of the power of God and come in the cloudes of the heauen They shall see the Sonne of man comming in the cloudes with great power and glorie The like wordes are in Luke with these hath the saying of Iude sweete harmonie Behold the Lord coÌ„meth with thousands of his saintes Now the power of Angels in the execution of Gods iudgements is inuincâ—ble for one Angel slew all the first borne of Egipt in on night By the hand of one Angel there was such hauock made of the armies of the Assirians as a hundreth fouer-score and fiue thousand of them were put to the sword and laid on the ground as corne by a sicle Therefore what a huge destruction shall there be of the wicked when hee commeth with such a royall armie of Angels with him There are manie that are innocent that are terrified when they see a King come by with an armed power the sight of glistring swords dismaieth them the clattering of armour and weapons affrighteth them therefore what terror horror shall come vpon the wicked when Christ a man of war shal buckle his harnesse to him he shal put on iustice as a habergeon shal come with his Miriades of heauenly Angels and betake himself to his throane out of which he shall thunder the great curâ—â—e against all flesh which must be ratified foreuer Where shall those that haue persecuted him in his members then appeare If they could not indure the maiestie of him when he came but to deliuer the law in Mount Synaj but the blacknes darknes tempest burning fiâ—e was to terrible for them insomuch as Moses said I feare and quake the people fled stood a far off and said vnto Moses Talk thou with vs we wil heare but let not God talk with vs least we die Now shal they endure his second comming in the â—â—tiousnes of his wrath when his voice shall shake yâ— heauens the earth the sea the dry land his comming is to take vengeance of the breakers of this lawe If men ware amazed at any strange eclips of Sunne and Moone if any extraordinarie darknes danteth them as the Egiptians were out of heart when such a foggie darknes came vpon them as for two or three daies together one could not see another or mooue out of his place if earth-quakes make them quake and their hearts faile them vpon the occurrence of impetuous winds vociferations of many waters noice in the night scritchings of Serpents and Dragons and such like When greater signes then these by infinite degrées be shewed in the glorious comming of Christ to iudge the worlde how should not the hearts of the wicked malt like waxe and fall away like water As in the daie wheron our redéemer was crucified the naturall sonne of God for the sinnes of the world the Sun was smoothered and there was dacknes ouer all the land so when the iustice of the adopted Son of God shal be shewed there shal be terrible fearful signes to strike sinners into passions as the Centurion and many others were at those signes shewed at his passion If the brethren of Ioseph could not tell what to say when as Ioseph in kindnes did but say vnto him I am Ioseph in remembrance but of one forpassed trespasse What shal stubborne sinners say at this the glorious comming of Iesus Christ when hee shall come riding vpon the heauens as vpon an horse and come flying with the winges of the wind who haue so often solde their Iesus by their sinfull doings and neuer with the brethren of Ioseph haue yet tasted of any sorrowe for it When
he shall be in his domination not one one kingdome of Egipt as Ioseph but ouer all the kingdomes of the worlde If Esther was cast into a trance and life for a time went out of the gates of her bodie at the fight of king Assuerus in his royaltie If Daniel hauing but séene an Angel was a man for a time out of soule what terror and trepidation shall possesse vs at the appearance of Christ in his maiestie at the sight of his retinue of inumerable Angells If the Warders of the Sepulcher of Christ at the day of his resurrection were so dismaid as they semed like dead men If the Iewes strong by an arme of flesh by seculer Mace and authoritie comming with forcible prouision to attache Christ in the Garden hearing him but speak say I am her fell vpon their backes and their legges could not longer bolde vp their bodies Infinit terrors shall beset the sinfull soule at the â—ight of the coÌ„ming of Christ in the cloudes If yâ— Iewes could not â—uâ—uâ—e the Maiestie of the Almightie when he descended vpon Mount Sinai but to deliuer the Lawe how shall they bee able to sustaine his furie when hee commeth to take vengeance of the breakers of the Lawe What breast can beare the arrowes of â—s indignation which hee hath steeped in 〈◊〉 for the retaâ—â—aâ—â—on of incorrigible transgressions of which he himself saith I will make mine arrowes drunken in blood and my sworde shall eate vp their flesh If the holy Citie of Ierusalem shaâ—l be scorched with lights and buâ—â—ing â—orches how shall Babylon the place of confusion bee searched This dreadfull maner of Christes comming to 〈◊〉 is so the greater dismayment of the wicked when the King of Kings came to bee married to his Church and came as it were to seasâ— with vs hee came in apparell suting that purpose and looked louingly and spâ—ke peaceablie to the worlde but when hee shall came in bâ—ght armour with Sworde and Arrowes in his hande hee sheweth by this behaâ—iour that hee commeth in anger and that there is no talking with him At his natâ—â—iâ—e when hee came to bee merrie at a marriage heâ— thus sweeteâ—â— saluted them by his heauenly faintlie Glorie bee to God on high in earth peace and good will towardes men But his second comming as Esaih sheweth is otherwise The Lorde shall goe forth as a Grant hee shall stirre vp his courage like a man of warre The Maiestie of worldly Princes coâ—isteth in their glorious retinue of all degâ—â—es of Dukes Earls Lordes Knightes Gentlemen and others of 〈◊〉 state the glorie of our blessed Sauiour shall be shewed in the Clowdes by his royall armie of Saints and Angels The Clowd 〈◊〉 the Session house of the Lord of hostes that place was for good 〈…〉 as being the roomâ—aiest and capable of all 〈…〉 of Angells Apostles Martâ—â—â—â—â—arkes and 〈◊〉 idea 〈◊〉 Saints as also of all the confused cursed 〈…〉 But he â—en is the onely braue place for 〈…〉 God 〈◊〉 of â—hat because 〈…〉 heaven and it is parcell 〈◊〉 punishment interminatea against the diuel and his angels to be cast out of heauen Herein also God keepeth custome meaning to ceasuâ—e the delinquent where he sâ—â—ned The Iewes mete out the valley or Iehosaphat for Gods iudgement hall laying the foundation of this their assertion from Ioels prediction I will also gather all nations and will bring them downe into the valley of Iehosaphat and will pleade with them there for my people and for mine heritage Israel and from other such wordes in the middle part of that chapter Let the heathen be weakned and come vp to the valley of Iehosaphat for ther wil I sit to iudge all the heathen round about The Iewes with all pertinacie doe applie this prophesie to temporall things and dote hereupon that the Messias shall preuaile euer the Gentiles in this valley and condemne them and that afterwarde in the resurrection of the righteous he shall sit in the same place vpon their finall sentence and that there he shall kéepe a solemne feast with the godly They giue out also in their head-strong imaginations that an Oxe is staked vp for the purpose created and fatted by God to that vse and that the Leuiathan hath béene slaine long since and laid in the powdring tub and that they shall drinke wine fréely out of Paradice The valley of Iehosaphat is called the valley of iudgement and it may bee true that at Ierusalem there was a place of this name scituated at the East doore of the Temple but that is but the type and shadow of the iudgement place of the Lord to which shall resort a greater assembly then that valley can receiue But we desire to know no more then is meete for vs which God hath reuealed to vs We list not to looke beyond the Moone for mysteries As the time of iudgement is onely knowne to God so God knoweth best what place is fittest and what place he will haue to hold his Assises in The tenth Chapter The persons that are to be iudged CHrist his second comming apperteyning wholie to iudgement where the persons are that are to bee iudged is to be considered All persons are to be iudged without exception which the Scriptures cal and the Article of our Creede calleth the quick the dead Some by the quick vnderstand the righteous by the dead doe vnderstand the wicked So did Diodonis of whome Augustine wrighteth whose eâ—position he there reprooueth But in the Creede scripture the quick are said to be those whome Christ findeth aliue in bodie at his second comming and the dead whose soules haue left their bodies or are giuing vp the ghost at his second coÌ„ming For the Apostle when he saith We shal not al sleep but we shall aâ—l be changed speaketh of the death of the bodie not of the vniust onely but the iust likewise deade in bodie The trumpet shall blow and the dead shall rise incorruptible Hee setteth against these all that liue in generall both good and bad we shal be changed that is to say all whome Christ shall finde liuing In his letter to the Thessalonians by those that sleepe he simplie vnder standeth the dead in bodie and by the liuing onely those that are in bodily life when he shall come That all shall bee cited to this Court as well good as badde sundrie comparisons doe shewe as of the wise and foolish virgins of the wheate and of the tares of the good and badde fish and of the Shéepe and Goates Likewise many Scripture places doe conclude the same Before him shall be gathered all Nations Hetherto belongeth this saying of our Sauiour indefinitely Whosoeuer shall confesse mee before men him will I confesse also before my Father which is in heauen But whosoeuer shall deny mee before men him will I also denye before
the siluer Smith with the Apprentises to that trade had raised is said to haue dismissed the church but the force of the word signifieth a companie called out from the common companie And truely such as are of the Church indeede are called out of the world into one companye and bodye into a holy common wealth by themselues Wherefore God when hee first founded his Church heere in earth hee did cast out Cain from the face of the earth and surrogated Seâ—h from whome lineally the Sonnes of God should haue distent So Abraham was called out of Chaldea and seperated from among them and the faithfull Sonnes of Abraham are peremptorily commaunded to goe out of Babilon Thus was Paul called from the companie of Pharises when hee was to her a Church man and hee nameth such as are Saintes called as the Romans To you that bee at Rome beloued of God called to bee Saints The Corinthians vnto the Church of God which is at Corinthus to them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus Saintes by calling And Christ saith that hee came not to call the righteous Wherfore such as are called are of the Church and such as are not called are not of the Church We will sift euerie word of the sentence one by one But we will first marke the difference that this Iudiciall proceeding shal haue from the definitiue doomes of men In the trybunals of earthly Iudges an enditement is put in an euidence vpon the Indicement is giuen witnesses are produced and sworne the guiltie person hath his aduocate and Counsellor to plead his cause a Iurye is pannelled against the Prisoner But here are none of these circumstances vsed for here the conscience shall accuse and excuse all Christ shall not need witnesses as knowing the verie secrets of the heart and vnderstanding the thoughts long before Whâ— by his presence shall comfort the elect and confound the reprobate Against whom the diuell shall vrge the Lawe and call for iustice out of hand thus yelling like a woolf against the damned ones as Eusebius Emissenus notablie thus deliuereth O thou iust Iudge these were thine by creation but they are mine by corruption thine by nature but mine by disobedience who héeded more my seduction then thy wholsome instruction thine by Law mine by fact thine by worke mine by will Then the king speaketh He calleth himselfe a king who before named himselfe the sonne of man to shew that his incarnation and humiliation shall bee nothing derogatorie from his Diuinitie and Maiestie when he shall come in the forme of a man true man to bee King of glorie and Iudge generall of all men He diuideth his speech into two partes suting them to the two sortes of people that shall stande before him 1 The elect 2 reprobate To the first he readeth sentence of Absolution to the second the sentence of Condemnation In the first wee will handle these points 1 Their calling 2 Who are called 3 To what they are called 4 Wherefore they are so called The first which is their calling is abridged in this word Come He giueth vs frée accesse vnto himselfe without the mediation of Saints Angels as the Church of Rome fancieth He is the same in heauen in the height of his Maiestie as he was in earth in the height of his humilitie This was his Proclaimation in earth Come vnto me all ye that are wearie laden and I will refresh you All ye that are thirstie come vnto the waters The same he will proclaime at the standard in the ayre Come yee blessed And why Because his pleasure is yâ— we he where he is according to that which he saith in Iohn I will that where I am there my seruants be also And after this saying I goe to prepare you a place and when I shall goe and prepare you a place I will come againe and take you vnto me that where I am there may you be also 2 The persons that are called are pricked out in these wordes Ye blessed of my father By which tytle wee see the whole conueyance of our heauenlye inheritance as descending vnto vs by the meere blessing of heauenly grace Wée being by Adams vngraciousnesse sentenced to a cursse By Christ therfore the case is altered a cursse is turned into a blessing he being that blessed promised seede that should bruse the Serpents head the original of our cursse hee being the â—eed of Abraham in whome all the nations of the earth are blessed Wherfore we sing the Apostle Paules song Blessed bee God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in heauenly thinges in Christ Wherefore this blessing came not by the lawe but by grace If the law of Moses could not make vs blessed much lesse can the lawes of Mahomet or the Pope make vs blessed Wherefore by grace wee are onelye gracious 3. Whether and to what wee are called is shewed in these wordes Possesse the Kingdome of Heauen prepared for you from the beginning of the worlde The Greeke word signifieth not simply to possesse but inherite which word inherit dooth vtterly vannish merrit For as the Infant is borne an heyre before hee can merrit the inheritance so God hath made vs inheritors before wee were able to doe any thing eyther good or euill as Paul by the examples of Iacob and Esau plainely teacheth vs. Againe the preparation and ordination of the Kingdome heere spoken of concludeth that it was ours before we were our owne wherefore wee come not to it by anye worthinesse of our owne 4. The answere wherefore wee are so called is giuen in the sequell I was a hungrie and you gaue me meate As if hee should haue said I call you the blessed of my Father and ioynt heires with mee in his Kingdome Because by effectuall workes and liuelye fruites thereof yee haue testified your faith The workes that are heere specified are workes of Charitie not of vanitie as monasticall vowes and such as haue foundation from humain traditions These containe all whatsoeuer else may be named For they that performe these doubtlesse will by hurtfull to none vse deceit towards none and be negligent towardes none who are commended to their charge by God In the next place followeth the condemnatorie sentence pronounced against the wicked which would make a mans blood cold and coâ—gealed within him Departe from mee Heereupon shall the damned say Lord seeing wee must so doe yet blesse vs before wee departe as Esau saide to his Father Isaac But with their departure is the blessing departed from them likewise Iacob haue I blessed and hee shall be blessed saith Father Isaac to Esau so the godly haue I blessed and they shall be blessed saith God our Father to the wicked therefore hee addeth this word Curssed
But I imagine how they further ioyne together in petition and say Lord seeing we are cast out of thy presence and accursed yet giue vs some resting place to this he answereth into the fire Yet Lord say they let vs speak once more though we are to 1. Depart 2. Cursed 3. Into fire and all these thinges come vppon vs yet Quousque Domine how long shall these punishments be vpon vs Truely this their end shall bee without end the worme dyeth not and the fire neuer goeth out all the waters of the South cannot quench this fire therefore the nature of this fire is set downe in the soote of the sentence euerlasting fire Yet it were some refection like the droppe of water the Purple Glution called for to coole his flaming tongue that they might haue anye companion to comforte them but they shall haue no better friendes then the Fiendes the black Guard of Deuils their tormentors shall associate them and this is the binding and winding vp of all in these wordes prepared for the Deuill and his Angells Yet further to worke vppon these wordes that they may better worke in our soules wee will diue more deepely into euerie circumstance But to the vnfolding of these misteries to the full we had néede of a damned Doctor out of another world that might speake with a feeling to giue vs more feeling such a one as the Glutton entreated of Abraham might be sent out of Hell to forewarne his Bretheren For albeit the scripture is Schoolemaster sufficient as Abraham tolde Diues saying They haue Moses and the Prophets Yet no Preacher is more pleasing to those that are towards hell then one that commeth from hell according to this surioynder of that damned Epicure Nay father Abraham but if one come vnto them from the dead they will amend their liues How is it possible that a peece of Timber that taketh vp the roome of a whole house should be drawne out of the little wicket and Portall doore of that house Heere are so manie circumstances of wonder in this Iudiciall sentence which so fill all our sences and amaze them as out of the narrow doores of any mans â—â—pes they cannot in their full bignesse bee deliuered vnto you For heere the discension 2. Malediction 3. Exustion and 4. their eternall duration are to be spoken of vnto which the damned shall be deliuered vp Oh departure Cursse fire eternall fire formidable to heare but intollerable to indure We will take them as they come to the hand and as the hande of the Scripture layeth them out The first word Depart striketh the hearers dead It is a plague of all plagues and the verie bottome of the â—ioll of gods wrath to be driuen from God Caâ—n tooke this inflicted punishmeÌ„t so heauily as he thought nothing could be added more vnto it wherefore he said to God Behold thou hast cast me out this day from the earth and from thy face shall I bee hid and shall be a vagabond and runnagate in the earth whose euer findeth me shall slay me that is to say death the vpshot of miserie shall come vpon me Absalon of the two thought it the best choice rather to die then to bee in that disgrace with his Father as not to see his face and so hee tolde Ioab plainelye saying Let mee see the Kinges face and if there bee anye trespasse in mee let him kill mee As in the presence of God as saith the royall Prophet Is the fulnesse of ioy and at his right hand are aboundance of pleasures for euer more So when anye depart from God or God departeth from him all misfortnne and miserie doth fall vpon him If a King keepeth Court in a Countrye Towne all the Countrye is intitched by his comming and empourished againe by his departure So when God is among vs wee are rich and wealthye men and when hée leaueth vs a poore and woefull estate sâ—ndeth vs. The more the Sunne is with vs there is more plentie among vs and with the absence thereof is peâ—â—urye therefore the Summer season is the fruitefull season â—euen the Sunne is of moste power and the winter time is the â—â—ren and deade time when the Sunne is weakest The more 〈◊〉 Sunne-shine of Gods presence is vppon vs the more fruitfull we are in euerie good worke but when this decayeth all decayeth with it What a hard thing therefore it is for anye to departe from the liuing God from his sweete Sauiour Christ who is the life hope sollace saluation the beginning and end of all thinges in whome are all things But thou for a short sinfull pleasure bringest this horrible euill vpon thee and makest thy selfe an aliant from the Israel of God a stranger and bannished man from the heauenly Hierusalem If the Apostles for that little while that Châ—ist tolde them hée was to bee absent from them they wereâ—o sadde and sorrowful as expouading vnto them these vis wordes A little while and ye shall not see mee and againe A little while and yee shall see me he saide ye shall weepe and lament and measureth their mourning by the mourning of a woman in her trauell In what case shalt thou be thou accursed sinner when not for a white but for all eternitie thou shalt bee shâ—t from the sight of God If Peter to whome Christ said If I wash thee not thou shalt haue no part with me was so loath to part with Christ as he saide Lord not my feet onely but also the haÌ„ds the head How shall it be with the wicked who shall bee put away from God without hope of seeing his sweete face any more The name of Father in the entrie of the sentence read ouer the godlye omitted in the tenor of Iudgement against the wicked hath good consideration For in the saying to the Godlie Come ye blessed of my Father and absolutely saying to the damned Goe ye curssed It is to insinuate that the blessing of happinesse is his fatherly goodnes and not of mans worthinesse that eternall life is of the father of lightes Of the other side that damnation is not of the Father but of our follie according to this sentence of Oseas Thy destruction O Israel is of thy selfe but thy saluation is of me That the Godly are saued it is of grace that the wicked perrish it is of â—â—nne Let no man therefore commence complaint against God that hee is cruell for hee carrieth that which condemneth him about him as naturally sinfull God is the author of all that is good it proceeâ—eth from our corrupt natures whatsoeuer is euill In diuiding this truth aright in this sorte we shall walke with an euen foole neyther giuing to our selues that which is Gods or to God that which is onely ours Nâ—ither is the learning of Gods predestination laide down by 〈◊〉 which teâ—cheth that God in his free and righteous counsell eâ—eâ—â—een some