true repentance in the bloud of lesus Christ in one word that none be partakers of her sinne least also they are partakers of her punishment which in one day that is suddenly and speedily shall come vpon her Reu. 18.8 For strong is the the Lord God that shall Iudge her And so much also for the destruction of Antichrist his kingdome which how soone it shall come he onely knoweth which knoweth al things And this I hope also may suffice to be spoken in this Chapter touching certaine signes and tokens foretold in the Scripture to goe before the end of the world whereof as I haue said many are passed and some of them may be yet to come God make vs thankfull for these so gratious forewarnings and giue vs also grace wisely to consider of the ceasons And to the ende that nothing may be omited as farre as my slender habilitie is able to reach which may any way edifie or comfort the simpler sort let it be further obserued in this place that as it is on the one side too much curiositie for any mortall man to determine or paint out the time or day of iudgement when it shall be seeing it is not reuealed but rather concealed by God him selfe for our good so on the other side it is too much sencelesnes want of Christian discretion nor to consider so much of this day or time as may either bring profite or comfort vnto vs. Yea probable coniectures how long the world may endure to sober and godly mindes I suppose cannot be hurtfull so that they be soberly auerred only as Christian coniectures and not for any certaine or sound conclusions Such are these as godly sober minded men haue not refused to speake and write as that it is probable the world shall not continue aboue sixe thousand yeares agreeable to the sixe daies of the Creation and the seauenth to be the great glorious Saboath or day of eternall rest vnto all Gods children and the rather is this coniecture receaued for that the Scripture vseth this phrase or speech more then once That one day with the Lord is as a thousand yeere and a thousand yeere as one day And the prophefie of Elias which the Rabbens haue reported and those of Sibile the prophetisse knowen to each scholler do not a little confirme that coniecture adde hereunto that if times and seasons be well compared together we shall finde that from the beginning of the world vnto the calling of Abraham are neare about two thousand yeares from that time till the Hebrewes which came of Eber a great Grandfather of Abraham were subdued by the Romanes are also neare or thereabout two thousand yeares sithence that time the world hath continued almost one thousand and sixe hundred yeares so to equall the yeeres of the Iewes with the Gentiles there wanteth but a three or foure hundred yeares which with God is but as a fewe houres if with God a thousand yeeres are but as one day and who knoweth how soone these houres may runne out seeing as many expound that place For the elects sake these daies shall be shortned But among all coniectures 〈◊〉 13. â—0 for I count them but coniectures this pleaseth me best and hath most often come into my minde since God gaue me a minde to thinke sereously on this day namely that this last age shall not exceede in number the yeeres of the first age of the world now the first age of the world by Computation from the Creation to Noaths floud were yeeres one thousand sixe hundred fiftie and sixe and the last age sithence the comming of Christ in the flesh which is euery where called in the Scriptures the last age is as we all knowe and confesse past the yeeres one thousand sixe hundred therefore I perswade my selfe Christ his comming vnto Iudgement is euen at hand This coniecture also pleaseth me the better for that this speech is so often vsed by our Sauiour himselfe when he putteth vs in minde of his second comming Luke 17.26 As it was saith he in the daies of Noath so shall it be at the comming of the Sonne of man And seeing now to our own experience it falleth out so true in the manners of men in this last age of the world as it did in the ending of the first age why may it not also fall out as true in the accomplishment of the times How beit as I said before so say I still for as much as all these or any other of the like sort are but coniectures and ought onely to be vsed and considered not to hinder any ordinary proceeding in our callings but onely to call vpon vs that our Master is not onely comming but that his comming is euen at hand Let this therefore be a conclusion of this point and likewise of this Chapter that the day of Iudgement whereof all this while we haue spoken be not before to morrow yet the time of our own death and so of our particular Iudgements may be before this day be ended Therefore let euery one haue a care how he liueth for looke in what case he dyeth so shall his iudgement be Where the tree falleth there it must lie And so much touching the signes which shew vnto vs that Christ Iesus is euen ready to come vnto iudgement who onely himselfe shal be the Iudge whereof we are to intreate in the Chapter following The fift Chapter AS it is an Article of our faith to beleeue that there shall be a general Iudgement following the resurrection of the dead so it is not the least point in that Article to be wel noted and considered both for the comfort of the Godly and terror of the wicked who he is that is appointed to be this supreame Iudge The Article it selfe saith He shall come againe to â—udge the quicke and the dead that is Iesus Christ the onely Sonne of God and our â—ord as wee confesse in the Creed The â—â—me Iesus that was conceaued in the â—ombe of a Virgine by the Almightie ower of the holy Ghost The same Iesus that was made Man for and dwelt among vs he whom the â—orld hated and persecuted from the â—â—adle to his graue hee that was most â—â—â—acherously betrayed most falsely acâ—â—sed and most vniustly by Pontius Pilate â—â—â—demned to that most 〈…〉 full death of the Crosse the same Iesus Christ I say the Sonne of God and man who then died for our sinnes rose againe for our Iustification Who shall be Iudge at the last day and ascended into the highest heauens shall most assuredly and vndoubtedly come againe at the last day to iudge the quicke the dead that is all those that haue dyed sithence the beginning of the world together with all those that shall be liuing vpon the earth at the time of his comming This Article is confirmed vnto vs byinfinite places of Scriptures whereof we may note a fewe for examples sake First no
SAINT PETERS WATCH WORD The end of all things is at hand Digested into eight Chapters and published by R.M. Minister Perused and allowed Reuel 22.7 Behold I come shortly Ver. 20. Surely I come quickly LONDON Printed by I.W. dwelling at Powles Wharfe at the signe of the Crosse-keyes 1603. The Contents of euery seuerall Chapter in this Booke IN the first Chapter The Watchword it selfe is explained In the second the day of Iudgement that it shall be is proued In the third the names and titles of that day are noted In the fourth the signes and tokens of that day are remembred In the fifth who shall bee the supreme Iudge at that day is shewed In the sixt the glorious comming of Christ vnto Iudgement is deciphered In the seuenth the order maner of the iudgement is described In the eight an exhortation vnto prayer sobriety and watchfulnesse is added with a necessarie prayer annexed thereunto TO THE VERIE VVORshipfull vertuous and religious Gentlewoman Mistresse Elizabeth Foord wife vnto the worshipfull master Th. Foord of Ilsington in Deuonshire Esquire R.M. dayly prayeth the rich blessings of God to be powred down vpon them their kindred and posteritie to their comforts in this life and to their eternall saluation in the life to come THe dayes of man being compared with eternitie may be likened vnto one sande on the Sea shore vnto one grasse vpon the ground or to one starre in the firmament matched with all the rest for if a man coulde liue as some almost haue liued a thousand yeares yet all those yeares are but as one day with God The ignoraunce whereof hath made men imagine that it is a very long while agone since God created man and that seeing the world hath continued so many thousand yeares therefore that it shall neuer haue an ende yea the worser sort do thinke that either God hath not at all determined to destroy this worlde or if he haue determined and promised so to do that then he hath forgotten his promise And therefore say many times to themselues Where is the promise of Christ his comming become And wherefore doth he make so long delay Whereunto our Sauiour himselfe doth answere if we would vouchsafe to heare him and sweares because we shoulde beleeue him Beholde I come shortly And surely I come quickly tarying for no mans pleasure one minute of an houre longer then is determined and appoynted which appoynted time though no man may curiously inquire of yet euery good Christian wil dayly think of it thank God for any good thing that may put them in remembrance of the same Among which number of true hearted Christians because I knowe your worship to bee one and such a one whereof in my charge I take greate comfort as well for your godlinesse as for your kindnesse extended vnto me I therefore offer vnto your meeke Meditation by way of dedication these my poore labours howsoeuer imperfect or vnpolished which at times of leysure I haue collected since my first comming vnto you through the fauour and presentment of your kinde husband and my very worshipfull and louing Patron Publishing the same in this sort for the benefite of all but through their owne fault for the comfort onely of all such as either do or hereafter shall vnfainedly loue and looke for the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ to their immortalitie Beseeching the diuine maiestie to giue vs grace and patience cheerfully to passe ouer this our pilgrimage in his feare and in some discharge of our dutie in a good conscience to Gods glorie and to some good of Gods children howsoeuer the world and the childrē therof shall esteeme of vs or of any thing we do that so at last to our endlesse ioy we may heare that sweet sentence of our sauiour pronounced vnto vs Euge bone serue fidelis Well done good and faithfull seruant thou hast beene faithfull in few things I will make thee ruler ouer much enter thou into the ioy of thy Maister Which God of his mercy grant through the merit of his sonne by the assistance of Gods holy spirit who seale the assurance therof in our hearts to which holy and blessed Trinitie be ascribed all prayse power and maiestie for euer Amen Your Worships as much bounden vnder God as his life is worth and in the Lord euer to be commaunded Radford Mauericke To each Christian Reader all health and eternall happinesse wished and desired BEing more then one yeare passed right courteous and Christian Reader sithence I was entreated to peruse Saint Peters Chaine for setting it on vnto a second Edition I therupon by Gods helpe togither with that labour tooke occasion and courage to contriue this little work called Saint Peters watchworde which may either passe alone by it selfe or bee ioyned to that Chaine according as it shall bee fitting and expedient the mettall both of the one and the other being finest golde of the truest touch first hammered vpon the Anuill in Saint Peters forge by that Apostle himselfe and whatsoeuer is added vnto it and howsoeuer vnpolished yet you shall finde it weighed I trust in the vpright ballance of the Lords Sanctuarie Which Watchworde of the Apostle if it waken them that are sound a sleepe in sinne and warne them that are alreadie waking to stand vpon their guard more warily then heretofore it is the onely marke that I ayme at and the verie blessing of God vpon these poore and vnlaboured labours of mine which I heartily desire And because as all men know it is a very vnpleasant thing any whit to trouble them that are asleepe and euen breuitie it selfe to them that are napping is counted tediousnesse I haue therefore not onely indeuoured to be as briefe as conueniently I might throughout this whole Treatise that so I might not offende them that are best disposed but haue also cut or deuided this discourse into diuerse partes or Chapters that so euen they that are drowsie may at least wise take a taste thereof in reading a Chapter betwixt euery nappe and so happily may be thereby incouraged to proceede with the rest as appetite and good desire shall increase vpon them Most humbly praying the holy spirit of God who first mooued Saint Peter to giue this watchword and inspired and confirmed my minde thus to explaine it and to publish the same for the good I trust of others to blesse this little labour of mine and to make it fruitfull with the dew of his grace as well in the heart of the sower as in the minds of those that shall reape any profit thereby And so gentle Reader I wish thee well to fare as thy soule fareth and in thy prayers I pray thee remember him that prayeth dayly for thee and for all them that looke for the appearing of our Lorde Iesus Christ to their immortalitie Veni citò domine Iesu SAINT PETERS Watch-word The end of all things is at hand 1. Pet. 4.7 The first Chapter THe
vs in safety In time of warre it getteth vs the victorie In time of prosperitie it keepeth vs from pride In time of aduersitie it keepeth vs from despaire If wee be in health we may pray without paine If wee bee sicke pray and recouer as did Hezekiah If wee bee rich prayer encreaseth our store If wee bee poore prayer maketh vs rich in content and goodnes If we be in authoritie wee haue neede to Pray for wisedome courage and grauity If of the CoÌ„monaltie for obedience loi altie If wee be Pastors our prayers preuaile for the people If we bee parishioners wee must pray and prayse God for and with our Pastors In a word prayer is a present for a Prince and is a delight for the painefull plough-man euery man is delighted with the singing of the Nightingale but no Nightingales song is so sweete in the eares of man as the faithfull prayers of the Saints are in the eares of our God Many commend contemplation but prayer is the soule of the coÌ„templatiue life If thou be in companie thou maiest pray secretly If alone thou maiest pray sweetely Whatsoeuer thou doest or wheresoeuer thou goest if prayer be thy guide thou shalt bee sure to prosper If thou begin to loathe these earthly vanities prayer will bring into thy sight the truest treasures If thou once begin to mortifie thy sinfull affections prayer perfumeth thy soule with most sweete consolation and ioy in the holy Ghost As the hill is the way to the mountaines and the meanes to ascende vnto it so prayer is the way to mortificacation As golde precious stones and marble doe make the houses of Kings so praier doth build the temple of Christ that he may dwell in our heartes by the holy Ghost As fire doth scoure the rust of Iron so prayer doth scowre cleanse our soules from the rust of sinne And as the ioynts of the body are bound together by nerues and sinewes so the soules of the righteous are established by prayer Prayer therefore for the force and efficacie thereof is compared by one to a forke that expelleth all euill things from vs and to a hooke or crooke that pulleth downe from heauen al blessings and good things vpon vs. If therefore thy foule seeme at any time to be cloyed and clogged in the earthly tabernacle of thy bodie the windes of prayer will carrie it aboue the cloudes and conduct thee vnto the pallace of eternall pleasure Pray therefore faithfully and pray continuallie and thou shalt bee sure to haue the presence and assistance of the glorious Trinitie Who therefore will not bee in loue with prayer which pierceth the cloudes preuaileth with God prospereth our affaires at home and abroad by day and by night maketh vs beloued of God and his Angels bringeth sweete rest and peace to our bodies and eternall rest and tranquilitie to our soules to our great comfort in this life and to our endlesse ioy in the worlde to come when Christ Iesus our Iudge and Sauiour shall come in the clouds to make an end of all mortall miseries Who blesse vs all and bring vs at that day into the sight of God his Father that we may see his glorie which hee had with him before the â—ld was made by the gracious guiâ—e of his most holy and blessed spirit which most holy and vndeuidable â—itie one God of most glorious Maâ—e be rendred of vs and all Saints and gels in heauen and in earth all power â—d impire all prayse and glorie and thankesgiuing from this time forth and for euer Amen FINIS Laus Deo
in sense Heare the ende of all feare God and keepe his commaundements which is the whole dutie of man for God will bring euerie worke vnto iudgement with euery secreate thing whether it be good or bad that is to the ende the good and godly may bee approued and rewarded the wicked and vngodly reproued and condemned Saint Paule the great Doctor of vs Gentiles 2. Cor. 5.10 vseth almost the same wordes saying None shall escape Gods iudgement We must all appeare before the tribunall or iudgement seate of Christ that euery one may receyue the things that are done in this life whether it be good or euill And in an other place reprouing the hastie and rash iudgement of some hee saith Rom. 14.10 Why dost thou iudge thy brother Meaning rashly or before the time or why dost thou despise thy brother Meaning in doing thinges that are indifferent presently he addeth Wee shall all appeare shortly before the iudgement seat of Christ where euerie one shall receiue a righteous iudge-ment And he also confirmeth his testimony out of the prophesie of Esay where it is written Esay 45.23 I liue saith the Lord and euery knee shall bow to me Meaning when hee commeth vnto iudgement for nowe many knees bow vnto Baal and many other Idols and all tongues euen the wicked shall confesse that is shall acknowledge Gods righteous iudgements And then the Apostle concludeth that euery one of vs shal giue accouÌ„t of himself to God And seeing the Apostle doth alledge this former testimonie of the Prophet Esay to proue the iudgement to come we may here adde another proofe out of the same Prophet where it is sayd Esay 6 Behold the Lord will come with fire and with Chariots like a whirlewinde that he may recompence his anger with wrath and his indignation with flames of fire Hereunto agreeth that euident place of Saint Peter where purposely hee speaketh entreateth at large of this generall iudgemeÌ„t saying The day of the Lord will come as a Theefe in the night 2. Pet. in the which day the heauens shall passe away with a noyse the element shall melt with heate and the earth with the workes that are therein shall be burnt vp And a little before the same Apostle saith The Lord knoweth how to deliuer the godly out of temptation and to reserue the vniust vnto the day of iudgement to be punished The Prophet Ioel also speaketh of this great and fearefull iudgement 〈…〉 31. when hee saith The Sunne shall be turned into darkenes and the Moone into blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord come The Prophet Malachy likewise as al the rest of the Prophets doe 〈…〉 4.1 which would be tedious to reherse speaketh of this great and feareful day of the Lord. Behold saith he the day commeth that shall burne like an Ouen and all the proude and all that do wickedly shall be stubble and that day that commeth shall burne them vp saith the Lord of hostes And the Prophet Dauid euerie where maketh mention of this iudgement 〈…〉 1. The God of Gods euen the Lord hath spoken Then he sayth Our God shall come and shall not keepe silence a fire shall deuoure before him and a mightie tempest shall bee moued round about him he shall call the heauen aboue and the earth to iudge his people Againe Say among the Nations the Lord raigneth he shall iudge the people in righteousnes Let the heauens reioyce and let the earth be glad before the Lord for hee commeth to iudge the earth he will iudge the world with righteousnes and the people with his truth And not onely haue the Patriarkes Prophets and Apostles remembred vnto vs this great and dreadfull day of iudgement but euen Christ Iesus the iudge himself hath beene most carefull to forewarne vs of this day knowing how carelesse and retchlesse the world would bee in this last and doting age of the worlde insomuch that when the Sunne of man commeth he shal scarce find faith on the earth iniquitie shal be encreased and the loue that should bee betweene man and man waxing cold In the foure twentieth and fiue and twentieth of Mathew Math. 2â— 25. in the thirteenth of Marke in the seuenteenth and one and twentieth of Luke and in diuers other places in the Gospel doe the euangelists record vnto vs the speeches and admonitions which our sauiour vseth touching his second comming vnto iudgement vnto which places for breuities sake I referre the Readers for this time the rather for that I shall haue occasion hereafter to note the chiefest of them when I shal speake of the maner of this iudgement and of the preparation which the faithfull ought to make against that day These few testimonies alreadie alledged are abundant proose vnto the faythfull and godly And therefore I may here say vnto any one that shal read this chapter 〈…〉 restâ—â—◠〈…〉 the 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 as a good writer saith speaking of the beginning of the worlde and the creation thereof Si credis satis tibi dictum est si non credis nihil tibi satis faciet If thou be a faithfull beleeuer there is inough spoken to satisfie thee if thou be an Infidel or an Atheist nothing will satisfie or content thee yet that the vngodliest Athiest may bee the more inexcusable if hee shall happen to reade this Booke it shall not grieue mee to adde some oher authorities and reasons fitting this mater we haue in hand not that any thing that can bee spoken can adde any weight to the proofes alreadie alledged out of the Scriptures but only to fight with the wicked â—â—â—ing â—dde â—oâ—itie 〈◊〉 scripâ—â—â—â— and to wound them as it were with their owne weapons who euery where builde vp their fortresses of reason and dispise or neglect he word of God which is able to throw down the strongest holdes and ought to bring into captiuitie all the thoughts and imaginations of man Wherefore if the wandring thoughts of the wicked Athiests wil not yeeld conâ—â—nt vnto this truth what reason haue â—â—â—y to gain-say it Surely none other but bare denials and because they woulde willingly not haue any iudgmeÌ„t though their consciences summon theÌ„ to iudgement euery day therefore they willingly cheerish and maintain this opinion that there shall be none at all And why maruell we at this seeing they sticke not to denie that there is a God that the soule is immortall that there shal be any resurrection from the dead and therefore no iudgement to bee looked for that the world had any beginning and therefore shal neuer haue ending This proceedeth wel inough for indeed to denie one One absuâ—ditie draâ—â— on anotâ—â—â— is to denie all as to grant one is to graunt all graunt the first that their is no God and all the rest follow of necessitie And why I beseech you doe they not aswell denie that there is a sunne in the
exhorting vs vnto sobrietie watchfulnesse and prayer As if he should say The end of all things is at hand and the Iudge is at the doore ready to take vengeance of all vngodlinesse and intemperancie By yee therefore sober The day of his comming is altogether vncertain Be ye therfore vigilant watchful If this be to hard for fraile flesh to performe fly vnto Prayer which maketh the hardest things easie to be done Be yee sober 1. Pet. 4 7. and watch vnto Prayer Of either of these three briefely Sobrietie Watchfulnesse and Prayer Of Sobrietie or Temperancie we haue heretofore spoken sufficiently I trust to instruct them that are godly and in loue with that vertue it is the fourth linke in Saint Peters Chaine In this place therefore by way of digression I will indeuor to speake briefely of Intemperancy the very bane cut-throate of all Christianitie and Pietie and a most cruell enimie vnto all good gouernement and policie There is a saying Nemo laeditur nisi a se ipso euery man is the worker of his owne woe I pray God the generall Intemperancie of this land doe not viper-like eate out the bowels thereof The stinging of a Viper they say at the first doth yeelde a certaine tickling delight to all the outward sences but assoone as the infected bloud comes to the hart presently the body is in daunger of death what pleasing delight is dayly taken in Intemperancie by all the sences I meane by all sorts and sexts of people in this land as in other places of the worlds it may better be felt then seene when Paule had but one viper on his hand Acts. 28 4â— all the standers by looked that hee should haue fallen downe dead presently But this countrey being stung with the venome of vipers I meane all kinde of filthy vices not in the band onely but in euery part of the body yet no man feareth the ruine or fall thereof Most true it is that we which liâ—e in the latter end of this last age of the world liue in the time and vnder the climate of all intemperancy I hope the end is the neerer at hand to redresse all that is amisse my minde is not and if my minde would serue time would not suffer me particularly to point out all the sinnes of intemperancy that abonnd at this day euery where among vs. There are foure cardinall sinnes vpon the which also the rest doe hang Pride Couetousnesse Whooredome Drunkennesse which for their swiftnes in running ouer the world may well be compared to the foure wheeles of the diuels chariot in the which chariot he daily carrieth cart-loads of soules into hell These sinnes together with the other sinnes of Sodome tumble in one on anothers backe like the waues of the Sea there is neither meane nor measure kept in any of them Onely least I should slaunder any with the truth in drinking they say they haue Law as strong as the Lawe of the Medes and Persians that euery one must drinke by measure but without any meane they must drinke off al their measure and leaue none yea I heare and I haue onely heard of it that our new dubd ale knights whereof we haue great store in the countrey inough to ransack any city in Spain if they were vnarmed of their Ale well marshalled doe in their dayly drinkings to their measure of drinke adde a certain set number of words which may bee termed the tossepots watch-word and therin not onely take their delight but many of them spend their whole thrift at the Ale-house leauing their wiues familise alone vncarde for so they may sit singing swinging themselues in good Ale from morning to night it is all that they care for and all the good or rather euil they desire to do except it be also to raile at those that be good and that are wont to reprooue them for this their â—eastlinesse This measurable drinking or rather vnmeasurable and vnreasonable quaffing carrowsing whereof I haue also spoken in the first Chapter will nay already doth begin to breed a great scarcity of Corne and grayne in our Countrey It cannot be denied but that there are already many good lawes in force to punish those dayly drunkards but neuer worse executed then at this day and some are of good hope that there shall be straiter and more seuere Lawes prouided against drunkennesse For I verily thinke and I wish experience prooue it not to bee true that drunkennesse is more hurtfull and dangerous to this Common-wealth wherein wee liue then common theft and therefore I pray God to put it into the harts of all good Common weales men specially those that are in high places and authoritie to vse all good meanes for the redressing thereof and before better or straiter Lawes be enacted to giue straiter charge to all other inferiour officers to execute with all seueritie as in a matter of great necessity appertaineth the lawes of our land already prouided which hitherto of a long time haue bin very much neglected at least in some quarters of this Countrey which will surely grow to a greater disease then many thinke off if it bee not the sooner cured which thing hath caused me often to speake and now to write more against this vice of drunkennesse both here and in the first Chapter then many happely will thinke it fit and conuenient to be spoken of in so smal a treatise howbeit if my words preuaile any thing to the killing of this stinging viper drunkennesse I will confesse I haue spoken inough if nothing that I haue written too much except for the discharge of mine owne conscience And as for the three other capitall vices of intemperancie Pride Couetousnesse and Whooredome I thinke they may be compared to the heads of Hydra for euery head that is cut off by the sword of the Preachers for other punishment there is little or none there spring vp an hundred in the place in such sort that Preachers are almost weried any longer to florish their swords of Gods word to cut downetheir sinnes except it would please the godly Magistrate to draw out of their sheathes or scabbards their sharpest swords of Iustice which in particular Sheathes I feare are waxen rustie for want of vse and so to ioyne their armies and forces together to kill or at least to keepe downe those monstrous Hydras which otherwise are like to spoyle deuoure this little land Let it therfore be looked vnto betimes for feare we repent too late for there is no daunger compared to that daunger which is not feared Citties and Countreyes Townes and Villages doe euery where stinke with these filthy and beastly sinnes Pride Couetousnesse Whooredome Drunkennesse Pride must needs haue Couetousnes as a mistresse to maintaine her and Drunkennesse must haue Whoredome and Lechery for a handmaid to attend on her Sine Cerere Baccho friget Venus Wine and women make many men runnagates Pride and Riot