or rather some other Elias of the Rabbins because it is not found in the sacred Scriptures but in the Thalmud of the Iewes hath set downe his opinion thus Sex millia annorum mundus durabit deinde conflagratio that is The world shall continue sixe thousand yeeres and then burning makes an end of it And because of sinnes which shall be many and great some yeeres shall be wanting Irenaeus the Martyr was of the same mind these are his wordes Quot diebus factus est hic mundus tot millenarijs consummabitur nam mille anni apud Dominum quasi dies vnus Psal 90. and 2. Pet. 3.8 Now all things were finished perfectly in sixe dayes and the seuenth day was a time of rest Therefore the consummation of all those things shall be in the seuen thousandth yere the perpetuall Sabbath the euerlasting rest This is their fallible collection and conclusion altogether repugnant to the Scriptures The greatest reason or rather shew of reason that made Elias and Ireneus and their followers to erre was for that they vpon these words A thousand yeeres are with the Lord as one day doe say that the world was made in sixe dayes and the seuenth day was a day of rest therefore the world shal stand and continue sixe thousand yeeres and in the seuenth thousand shall be the consummation and end of all In very deed I must needs confesse that these men were learned But Bernardus non vidit omnia neither these men for in my opinion herein they were deceiued in that they thought that in eternall life in the world to come with God were spaces of times yeeres dayes and houres as well as with men in this mortall life which is not true for in heauen I meane not the aereum Coelum ayrie heauen conteining the space from vs vnto the Firmament nor coelum coelatum the engrauen heauen which I so call because it is as it were ingrauen and enameled with glorious lights the Sunne the Moone and the Starres but the heauen which is called of the Philosopher Empyreum but by Diuines in Scripture the glorious Heauen of heauens or Heauen aboue the visible heauens wherein is our Sauiour the Angels and glorified Saints In this are no spaces nor seasons of yeeres dayes moneths houres or other times which thus I proue because there is no Sun nor Moone nor Stars nor no vse need nor necessitie of any of them For the claritie and brightnesse of the Lord shineth there There is no night no Clockes nor Dyals nor Watches How then is it possible for a man to know the spaces of times there Wherefore in the life to come a thousand yeeres are as one day and one day as a thousand yeeres The Psalmist therefore well said A thousand yeeres in thy sight are but as yesterday Psal 90.4 seeing that is past as a watch in the night Againe there is so much ioy in heauen that for the greatnesse and pleasantnesse thereof a thousand yeeres seeme to be but one day But in no wise can it be hereby gathered that because in sixe dayes the world was made and in the seuenth was rest that therefore the world shall continue sixe thousand yeeres and in the seuenth shall be a perpetuall rest and Sabboth and an end of all and so a certaine time knowne Besides the maintainers of the opinion abouesaid there are others which haue taken vpon them to ghesse at the yeere when there should be an end of all things In this number are they which thought that the end of the world shall be in the yeere from Christs birth 1656. because there were so many yeeres from the creation of Adam vnto the Flood and the rather they haue so supposed because our Sauiour and Saint Peter doe compare the times of the Floud Mat. 24. 2. Epist 3. and of the fire in the last day together Wheras therefore from the Creation of Adam vnto the Deluge were 1656. yeeres and sixe dayes they collect that there shall be so many yeeres vnto the last Iudgement when the World shall bee purged by fire Some thought that it should bee in the yeere 1588. among which number was Regiomantanus who left to the world certain Verses shewing his too farre reaching opinion Which Verses are these following Post mille expletos à partu Virginis annos Et post quingentos rursus ab orbe datos Octo gesimus octauus mirabilis annus Ingruet is secum iristia fata trahet Si non hoc anno totus malus occidet orbis Si non in nihilum terra fretumque ruent Cuncta tamen mundi sursum ibuâ—t atque deorsum Imperia luctus vndique grandis erit After one thousand yeeres full explere ended And fiue hundred more vpon the same And eightie eight iust added From the Virgins birth without all staine A wonderfull yeere shall come vpon And dolefull deaths shall follow on If not this euill world this yeere With Land and Sea decay Yet all the Empires euery where Assuredly shall sway And mourning much will follow Albeit beloued Christians there was some shew of alteration that yeere yet many that are here liued then and all can speake by experience that in this matter of the last Iudgement Regiomontanus was deceiued as vvell as others and although there were some shew of troubles yet GOD bee thanked the feares were greater then the harmes and we that liue can relate the same to Gods glory who mercifully and miraculously protected vs making the Seas and Windes to fight for vs and to get the conquest that all the praise might be the Lords Some would haue the time to be certainely knowne or very neerely pointed at because our Sauiour saith Behold the Figge-tree and all the trees Luke 21. when they shoot forth their buds yee beholding know of your owne selues that Summer is then nie at hand So likewise yee when yee see these things come to passe bee yee sure that the Kingdome of GOD is nigh This similitude teacheth that as when vvee see Trees begin to budde then we know assuredly that Summer is nigh So when wee see and know these things performed that the Euangelists haue by the Spirit of GOD penned and set downe and our Sauiour foretold and which Daniel prophesied of then wee may assure our selues that the day and time is neere at hand but we cannot out of these words gather the particular and certaine time Againe men should consider that our Sauiour spake by a similitude which illustrateth but proueth not any set time knowne to man In very truth I confesse that the time of the last Iudgement may be knowne quod ad genus that is that certainely it will come but it cannot bee knowne quod ad speciem to wit as touching the houre day moneth and certaine yeere I therefore assure my selfe and I beseech you all bee so perswaded that no man knoweth the certaine time the very day nor houre of the Lords comming
preserued at this generall and great Assize and they that cannot shall bee tumbled downe to the pit of perdition But because secure and carelesse men Epicures and Atheists deny this great and strict account that shall bee taken at the last Day 2. Pet. 3.3 4. according to Saint Peters prediction which telleth vs that in the last dayes there shall come mockers of Christs cōming to Iudgement to take this account And these are the last dayes in which wee see by many workes of the wicked liuing in Atheisme and Epicurisme that they are so perswaded and differ nothing as appeareth from the wicked iudgement of Paulus Tertius the Pope who when there was a speech made vnto him of this account at the last Iudgement said vnto Cardinall Bembus O Bembe Bembe quantum nobis profuit fabula de Christo making this doctrine a fabulous thing Therefore the more is the pitty the question An sit whether there is any last iudgement is most necessary to bee discussed and spoken of Which whiles I endeuour affirmatiuely to proue I beseech you without partialitie lend mee your yeelding resolutions vnto the truth as it shall be proued And Si tu quid rectius istis Candidus imperti si non his vtere mecum If better then these thou hast in store Let vs haue part and say no more But if thine owne doe thee not please Vse that I haue and rest at ease Psal 100. The first proofe is the Word of God an eternall an infallible truth as our Sauiour doth witnesse speaking thus to his Father a maintainer of it Ioh. 17.17 Sermo tuus est veritas thy Word is the Truth Enoch the seuenth from Adam prophesied prophesied of this day of the Lords comming to take an account saying Behold Iude 14. the Lord commeth with thousands of Saints to giue iudgement against all men and to rebuke all that are vngodly among them of all their wicked deeds which they haue vngodlily committed and of all their cruell speakings which vngodly sinners haue spoken against him In which place the Lords comming to iudgement is plainely foretold and because it is a thing certaine and sure to be therefore hee speaketh in the present Tense and said Behold the Lord commeth And so the high Iudge himselfe speaketh saying Behold I come as a Theefe Reu. 16. speaking in the present Tense as before and not in the future Tense saying I will come And Peter reporteth Act. 10. that the high Iudge our Sauiour Iesus Christ commanded him and the other Apostles to preach vnto the people and to testifie that it is he that is ordained of God a Iudge of quicke and dead And Paul prepareth men by repentance against that Day saying Act. 17.30 31. Now hee admonisheth all men euery where to repent because hee hath appointed a day in the which he will iudge the world in righteousnesse c. The same Paul assureth vs that wee all must appeare before the Iudgement seat of Christ 2. Cor. 5. that euery man may receiue the things which are done in his body according to that he hath done whether it bee good or euill The same Apostle most plainely setteth downe the order and manner of the Lords descension from Heauen to doe this weighty businesse when as he saith 1. Thes 4.16 17 The Lord himselfe shall descend from Heauen with a shout and with the voice of the Archangell and with the Trumpet of God And the dead in Christ shal rise first then we which liue remaine shall bee caught vp with them also in the clouds to meet the Lord in the Aire and so shall we euer be with the Lord. This comming of our Sauiour to iudge and to take this account was foretold of the Angels who standing by him when hee ascended into Heauen and seeing the men of Galilee gazing after him said This Iesus which is taken vp from you shall so come as ye haue seene him goe into heauen And how can we doubt hereof seeing that our Sauiour himselfe euen the high Iudge foresheweth the same Mat. 27. 25. And Saint Mathew setteth downe the order and maner of this Iudgement so plainely that no man led by the Spirit of God can once mutter against his doctrine The second proofe is taken from the end vnto which mankind was made of God God necessarily obtaineth his end And this was the end for which he made mankind that he might be his Image and his eternall Temple wherein he might and should be celebrated to whom he might communicate himselfe his chiefe wisedome goodnesse righteousnesse and felicitie which felicitie is part of the Image of God but this is destroyed and defaced of the Deuill Therefore God which is stronger then the Deuill will restore it And although the end for which man was made is hindred diuers wayes in this life yet the Lord once will attaine vnto it Wherefore there must of necessitie once be a change and an adiudging vnto the same end And here it is admirable to consider how like a Diuine the learned Philosopher aymed and leuelled at this marke and matter For thus hee said Verisimile est hominem ad has miserias non esse conditum sed longè verissimum est praestantissimam creaturam omnium ad meliorem finem conditam esse That is to say It is like to be true that man was not made to endure these miseries but rather it is farre most true that the most excellent creature of all was made to a better end The third proofe is taken from the righteousnesse of God his goodnesse and diuine truth which require that the godly should be perfectly well and the wicked perfectly euill and this falleth not out so many times in this life For here we see the wicked many times flourish with all worldly prosperitie Psal 37.35 luke 16. according to Dauids report and the example of the rich Glutton Therefore there must be another life wherein this iustice of God may appeare that both bodies and soules as they haue beene ioynt partakers of good actions and bad may haue either ioy and comfort or paine terrour and discomforts the wicked may haue tribulation the godly rest And the inchoation of this shall be at this day and time as Paul prooueth where he comforteth the Church of the Thessalonians shewing that their persecuters shall be afflicted and euerlastingly punished at this day and time and the godly rewarded The words are these 2. Thess 1.6 7 8 9 10. It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you which are troubled rest with vs when the Lord Iesus shall shew himselfe from heauen with his mighty Angels in flaming fire rendring vengeance to them that doe not know God and which obey not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ which shall be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of
no nor the Angels in Heauen nay which is most of all not our Sauiour Iesus Christ in his humanitie but in his Deitie knoweth all And let this worke in vs all a serious kinde of watchfulnesse Luk. 12.40 Bee yee ready saith our Sauiour for the Sonne of Man will come at an houre when yee thinke not The end of the fourth Sermon THE FIFTH SERMON God in his inscrutable wisedome and infinite goodnes towards man deferreth this day of iudgement for 3 reasons 1. To stirre vp in vs a vigilant expectance and a patient waiting for his appearance 2. That his Church his flocke may be increased 3. To grant all men time space to repent AS touching the first Chap. 5.7 8. Iames teacheth vs to performe the same by precept and patterne by precept in the beginning of the seuenth Verse where hee saith Bee patient vnto the comming of the Lord and hee in effect repeateth the same doctrine in the eighth Verse saying Bee ye also patient therefore and settle your hearts for the comming of the Lord draweth neere His example is taken from Husbandmen who patiently wait for the precious fruit of the earth vntill they receiue the former and the latter raine His words seruing for doctrine and example are these Bee patient therefore vnto the comming of the Lord Behold the Husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth and hath long patience for it vntill he receiue the former and the latter raine Be ye also patient therefore and settle your hearts for the comming of the Lord draweth neere He that waiteth in Faith Reu. 16.15 hope and patience for the Lords comming Luke 12.37 is blessed for hee shall appeare the second time without sinne vnto them that looke for him vnto saluation as we may see Heb. 9. the last Verse Secondly the Lord deferreth his comming to Iudgement that all the Elect may bee gathered together to his Church may be effectually called be of the Lords flocke who although they are the Lords already in his eternall Decree yet there is a time wherein they are called The Lord would haue them heare the Word and by the same to be born againe vnto which time is required and therefore that they may haue time the Lord delayeth his comming for their sakes the world consisteth and for them all the good things on the earth are prepared For the vngodly vse them as Robbers and Theeues The Apostle saith 1. Tim. 4.3 God hath prepared meates to bee receiued of the faithfull with thanksgiuing and of such as know the Truth The like place the Apostle hath speaking to this purpose thus Vnto the pure all things are pure but vnto them that are defiled Tiâ—us 1. â—5 and vnbeleeuing is nothing pure but euen the minde and conscience of them is defiled The third reason why the Lord is so long before hee come to take this account is very like to the former reason and it is to grant all men time and space to repent that they may bee saued which the godly will not pretermit nor neglect The Lord saith the Apostle that hath promised is not slacke as some men count slacknesse but is patient towards vs for as much as he would haue no man lost but would receiue all men to repentance Vnto which purpose hee speaketh after in the 15. Verse Suppose saith he that the long suffering of the Lord is saluation This time space to repent and prepare themselues for this account the godly will neuer let slip vnprofitably Contrarily the wicked neglect time and therefore by the same are made inexcusable making a fuller measure of their sinne in that they despise the goodnes and bountifulnesse of the Lord Rom. 2.4 calling them to repentance These wicked ones are afraid of this Iudgement and therefore neuer wish for it but the godly desire it because at that time they shall be deliuered from the miseries wherein they liue in this world Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am saith the Apostle who shall deliuer me from the body of this death In Reuelation 22. The Brideman and Bridewoman say Come Lord Iesu Come which they say not that are not ready to entertaine the Lord. Hauing before proued that there is a day of Iudgement and that God would haue vs to know it and the reasons wherefore and also hauing shewed that the certain time the yeere moneth weekes dayes and houres are vnknowne and the reasons also of the same with a confutation of the gaine-sayers and the vse of both And lastly hauing yeelded reasons why the Lord delayeth this Day In the rest I will bee as compendious and short as I may bee so as I may lay downe the truth with perspicuitie Which that I may the better doe obserue with mee these points which I thinke fittest to bee spoken of And first hauing before manifested that there is a day of Iudgement and account-taking next it wil be most profitable to shew First what this Iudgement is Secondly the terrible signes and dreadfull preparations for the wicked Thirdly the manner and comming of the Iudge and settling him in his Throne and raising of the dead to come to Iudgement Fourthly the tryall of the sinner by Accusers and Witnesses Fiftly the Booke and touchstone of the sinners tryall at the last Day Sixtly the lamentable case of the sinner condemned Seuenthly the sentence giuen of both godly and vngodly First what this Iudgement is First it is that Iudgement which God will exercise in the end of the World by Christ which shall come downe from Heauen into the Clouds visibly in great glory and Maiestie and will take this account and by him all men shall bee raised vp which haue beene dead from the beginning of the world euen to the end the rest then being aliue shall be suddenly changed and all shall stand before the Tribunall Seat of Christ who shall giue sentence of all and will cast the euill with the Diuels into eternall punishment and will take the godly to him that with him and the blessed Angels they may in Heauen enioy eternall felicitie This long description is taken out of the knowne Scriptures and therefore if I should labour to proue it I should hold vp a Candle to lighten the Sun I will therefore leaue this matter as yeelded vnto and hasten to the next point to wit what shall be done at that time at that fearefull time of reckoning that men warned of the dangers may be danted and discouraged from doing euill and walking any longer securely in the broad way that leadeth to destruction and by serious repentance be brought to the narrow way that leadeth to saluation Secondly at this Day of Iudgement when this strict reckoning shall be taken there shall be such terrible signes and dreadfull preparations for the wicked that they shall bee at their wits ends their hearts shall faile them for feare and they shall wish that the Hils may couer