good treasure of the heart we bring forth good But I say vnto you saith Christ that of euery idle word that men shall speake they stall giue account thereof at the day of Iudgement When as wee shall aunswere for our selues beeing altogether vnable to aunswere one for a thousand Yea so much the more grieuous it shall bee because wee shall open all the secrets of our heart and bee enforced to confesse our misdeeds and to keepe backe nothing all must bee manifest And not as it is in this world when vpon the humble confession of our sinnes to God wee may cry for pardon and hope to be forgiuen but then shall but confession be to our open shame confusion and endlesse destruction Wherefore this day of iudgement may well bee called the day of Reuelation when as all things that are now hid shall then be reuealed and made known Secrets opened Here on earth many things are kept close hid and hudled vp But God shall tighten faith the Apostle things that are hid in darknesse 1. Cor. 4.5 and make the counsels of the heart manifest And at that day Ro. 2.16 God shall iudge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ. In this life many great and sinfull deedes are not punished but remaine hid and vnknowne and the parties passe as guilolesse and without all faulte who thinke themselues cleare inough so long as they can keepe their owne counsell But our Sauiour Christ Luke 8.17 sheweth the matter to be cleane contrary Nothing is secret that shall not bee euident neyther any thing hid that shall not be knowne and come to light The which in Eccle. 12.14 is more manifest God will bring euery worke vnto iudgement with euery secret thing whether it be good or euill Which is not set downe to driue vs to dispaire although no doubt we are priuie to many hainous sinnes the which we would not for all the worlds good should bee knowne abroade and in euery mans mouth yea such sin that are forcible inough to driue vs to dispaire yet seeing at the iudgement day they shall be reuealed be they neuer so secret wee are moued hereby to call for mercy while God doth graunt vs life and to pray with the Prophet O Lord deliuer mee from my secret faults from my secret sinnes from my secret offences This therefore that our secret hidden faults shall come to light iudgement is a very profitable lesson for vs whereby we may learn to feare what we do although wee may keepe it close from men as also that we may bethinke our selues of that which is past and pray for forgiuenesse and be more warie and circumspect in time to come so that it keepeth vs in the feare of God so long as we liue and let this be vnto vs in stead of Auricular confession in remembrance whereof in euery time and place wee may flye and auoyd all sinne whether it be secret or open whereof if we take not heed we may incurre the daunger of Gods wrath and heauy iudgement And at the day of iudgement shall God bring all matters to light as we may read Reue. 20.12 And I sawe the dead both great and small stand before God and the bookes were opened that is their conscience and another booke was opened which is the booke of life And the dead were iudged of those things which were written in the bookes according to their workes It is not onely God Conscience that shall bring our secret sinnes to light but euen our owne consciences shall bewray vs as the last place of Scripture alleadged Reue. 20.12 dooth testifie where by the bookes that were opened our owne consciences are vnderstood which shall be most ready to reueale all things According to that in the Epistle to the Romaines Chap. 2.15 Which shew the effect of the law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witnesse and theyr thoughts accusing one another or excusing at that day when God shall iudge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ. And full truly is it spoken that a mans conscience is in steed of a thousand witnesses For when time shall serue there shall not neede many accusers or store of euidences to be giuen vp against vs seeing that our conscience which is our secret storehoue shall declare all although it bee neuer so much against our will and that without any cōstraint or comparison Wherof we haue a sufficient and manifest tryall euen in this life For tell me who is it among vs but must of force confesse and dooth perceiue so much in himselfe that hee cannot no nor may not forget his sinnes and misdeedes for our conscience will not suffer it and especially the more notorious bad and wicked our deedes haue beene the more fresh and fresh they are and will bee in our remembrance They will come into our mindes when wee little thinke of any such matter and if wee would neuer so faine wee cannot put them away from vs and when they come into our mindes and remembrance they bring dumps and sorrow inough Which is a token and a most apparant signe and proofe of the iudgement day vnto the which time all our sinnes are reserued to bee iudged Before we commit any wicked or notorious deed our conscience within vs doth grudge against it and would full faine bridle and restraine vs from it if it were possible but after wee haue done the deed it is a torment vnto vs and that more grieuous inwardly to our mindes then any whip or scourge to the body can bee because the one is but for a time the other lasteth long and shall endure By which inward griefe conceiued and sorrowe of conscience many are driuen to dispaire and doo thinke so bad of themselues for theyr wicked vnlawful vngodly deeds that they are desirous to reuenge the matter vpon themselues and to be their owne tormenters before the iudgement day come But if there be any that can say their conscience is cleare let thē reioyce and giue God the praise and thankes who hath preuented them with his grace and preserued them from euill And as a guiltie conscience is his owne tormenter so a good conscience is a continuall feast He or shee that is not charged or rather ouercharged by their owne conscience they haue a continuall ioy within them so if our owne hearts condemne vs God is greater then our hearts and knoweth all things And what miserie trowe we doo the wicked of the world liue in For the Lord hath said There is no peace vnto the wicked when in all their life is feare and terror carrying in their breasts tormenting furies to hold them day night in feare of endlesse destruction And what should those heauy dumps and inward feares signifie but that there is a iudgement and that there is a hell as well as a heauen Their hearts doo droope and their consciences are affrighted and God by his secret power dooth worke this feare and
godly therefore may comfort themselues with this that in time to come though not presently and out of hand there shal be a seperation The kingdome of heauen is likened vnto a drawe net cast into the sea that gathereth of all kindes of things which when it is full men draw to land and sit and gather the good into vessels and cast the bad away So shall it bee at the end of the world the good and the bad shall be parted after that the trumpet hath blowne and the dead bee raised Againe the seed sowne is the word of God preached The field wherein it is sowne is the world the good seed are they which with an honest heart heare the word and keep it and bring forth fruite and these be the children of the Kingdome and the tares are the children of the wicked and the enemie that soweth them is the diuell and the haruest is the end of the world and the reapers be the Angels As then the tares are gathered and brent in the fire so shall it be in the end of the world The sonne of man shall send forth his Angels and they shal gather and they shall seperate Math. 13.39 When the regions and parts of the earth are white then is the time of haruest As we read in the Reue. 14.15 That the Angel cried with a loud voyce to him that sate on the cloud Thrust in thy sickle and reape for the time is come to reape for the haruest of the earth is ripe As though he saw the time when the number of Gods elect and chosen children should bee fulfilled and the sinnes of the vngodly and wicked come to a full measure And the Angel thrust in his sharpe sickle on the earth and cut downe the vines of the vineyard of the earth and cast them into the great Wine-presse of the wrath of God So shall the bad bee seperated from the good as a shepheard seperateth the sheepe from the goates and the Iudge who is meant by the shepheard shall commaund the sheepe to be set on his right hand and the goates on the left the good and the bad And then will hee addresse himselfe to giue sententence and to take order for the execution of his iudgement And who shall stay or hinder this iudgement Sentence or who shall auoyd the fiercenesse furiousnesse of his wrath Shall the king be deliuered by the multitude of an host No he shal be but as one man naked and vnarmed and without helpe and hee that shall come to iudge him commeth with infinite thousands of Angels The strength of the strong man shall then stand him in no stead but in stead of strength he shall bee resolued into feare and weaknesse The wealth of the rich man shall not ransome him for riches shall not preuaile in the day of wrath Before so wise so vpright such a Iudge of that courage thou shalt stand whom neither feare shall daunt nor fauour shall moue nor gold shal bribe and corrupt him neither any entreaty or prayer then at that time shall perswade him There shal be no respect of persons no falsifying of the cause no colours nor excuse to blinde him no learning no men of lawe shall defend thee no wit nor pollicie shall go beyond this Iudge no speech nor flattery shall preuaile with him in a word what shall worldly helpes doo when the world it self shal vanish awaye Nothing that shall be deuised shall turn his mind nothing shall alter or reuerse his iudgement it shall passe without deniall and without all reuocation For then shall hee come to iudge the world righteously and to minister true iudgement vnto the people And thus after that the sheepe be seperated from the goates shall iudgement be executed and sentence shall be giuen in such sort and order as we read it set down Mat. 25.34 Then shal the king that is the Iudge say to thē on his right hād Come ye blessed of my father inherit yee the kingdome prepared for you frō the foūdatiōs the world But to thē on his left hand he shal say Depart frō me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is preparêd for the diuell and his angels And these shall go into euerlasting pain and the righteous into life eternall By reason of which fearefull sentence the wicked shall haue good cause to say to the mountaines and to the Rocks Reue. 6.15 Fall on vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the lambe For the great day of his wrath is come and who can stand They shall desire to hide thēselues in dens amōg the Rocks and moūtains but yet shal they not auoid his presence they shal desire death shall not find it seeke after it and yet shall death fly frō them And as the diuels as we read in the Gospell besought Christ that he would not torment them before their time so now shal the time of the terrible wrath of God be whē the diuels together with all the people that haue either forgotten or not regarded and highly displeased God to the vtter hazard of their soules shal be cast into hell and throwne into endlesse torments And therefore shall his comming be in flaming fire to render vengeance against the sinners of the earth who not onely shall be depriued from the presence of God and from the glory of his power and frō the company of the blessed Angels and redeemed soules but that which is far worse and more grieuous and lamentable they shall be punished with euerlasting perdition and destruction And the Angels that seperat the good from the bad shal then gather out of his kingdome all things that offend and them which do iniquitie and shall cast them into a furnace of fire there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth When as the iust and godly shall shine as the Sunne in the Kingdome of their father and when the accursed sort shall go downe by a by way a backe way and a blacke with many a sigh and sob from God from the Angel from the Saints from ioy from glory from blisse with the fiends of Hell to suppe in the pallace of darknesse with the princes of horror at the table of vengeance in the chaire of calamitie with the crowne of death vpon their head hauing nothing before their eyes but infinite torments prepared for them 4. By the sentence pronounced and last iudgement giuen How this iudgement pertaineth to the godly and to the wicked an entrance is laid open vnto me to declare vnto you how this iudgement pertaineth to the wicked and vnto the godly which was the last thing in this treatise of the latter iudgement that I purposed to speake vnto you of Vnto the which I haue thought good to adde an exhortation that wee may be prepared against the time hauing oyle in our lampes with the fiue wise virgines that waited for the comming of the
clime into Gods vnsearchable counsell althogh it be denied vs. Wherefore let vs be content to keepe our selues within the bounds of modestie and not to be curious and desirous to knowe more then the Angels who are altogether ignorant hereof much lesse shal we be able to reach vnto it but the more we desire to know it the further off shal we be from it Some haue bene so bold as to set down the time and haue fained heauenly reuelations for the certaintie and assurance of their speeches yet their vanitie hath beene disprooued when the time hath beene expired How much better shall it bee for vs to lay aside all such vanitie which stands vpon vncertaintie and giue our selues to such a carefull meditation that wee may not bee vnprepared when wee shall bee called Curious searching can nothing profit vs but a wise and godly foresight and forecast may stand vs greatly in stead whereby wee shall not bee taken at vnawares as the vngodly are like to be who forecasting no danger shall suddenly fall into destruction If wee cannot sufficiently make answere vnto the Iudge Prayer before whose iudgement seate wee shall stand as doubtlesse wee shall not bee able to answere one for a thousand let vs prepare our hearts by confession of our sinnes and by prayer for forgiuenesse of them and let vs say with the Prophet Enter not into iudgement with vs O Lord for in thy sight shall no flesh bee iustified O Lord forgiue vs our sinnes and let not thy wrathfull displeasure light vpon vs. Who would be vnprepared against the time that shall come and yet it is vncertaine to teach vs to haue the more care seeing that after death hath arrested vs we shal be broght into the court of Gods iudgement and then no other issue no other way but either heauen or hell And who would not haue a great regard to this matter For the tryall of this iudgement shal be seene in the anguish of death and as it were at the last gaspe when our consciences shall bring heauy things to our remembrance and the diuell by his accusations shall put vs in great feare and driue vs well-neare to dispaire And the nearer wee begin to approach to the tribunall seate of Gods iudgement the greater shall bee our feare and more grieuous vnto vs then the bitter pangs of death it selfe Watch therefore and pray that thou mayest be prepared against this time and against this iudgement Wherefore the Lord in mercie Conclusion graunt vs a godly and a peaceable passage and that throgh his desert that dyed for vs it would please him to mittigate and asswage all these terrorus and feares and let vs with all speede approach to the throne of grace to finde helpe in time of need Whereas the wicked which are carelesse in their lifetime at the poynt of death and at their last passage out of the world shal be so assaulted on euery side by their owne cōscience condemning them and the diuell accusing them and the horrour of euerlasting torments to come ouerwhelming them that they shall bee driuen to crie out against that iudgement that hangeth ouer their heads and wayteth for them at the doore Such shall the day of iudgement bee to vs as is the last day of our life and looke what the course of our life is when we are called vnto iudgement for after our death immediately commeth iudgement and so shall our iudgement be Neither are we therefore to thinke that our last deedes onely shall come to examination but wee ought to be prepared euery moment least death doo take vs vnprouided For they which in the anguish of death and in the vpshot of their liues shal be found vnready it is hardly to be thought that their resurrection shal be happy And therefore our Sauiour Christ hath said He that perseuereth Perseuere and holdeth out well to the end he shall be saued The which that we may do let vs be prudent Noahs to build the Arke of a good conscience before the floud of iudgement do ouerflowe prouident Iosephs to lay vp the graine of golinesse in the barns of our harts before the dearth of mercy shal be like vnto painful ants to prouide the food of the soule before the winter of iustice do approach tractable patients to take the preparatiue of repentance before the pangs of death doo come wise virgines to haue ready the lampe of faith and the oyle of vertue before the Bridgrome Christ Iesus shut vp the doores good stewards to prouide for the tabernacle of heauen before we loose the office of this life And let vs not straine curtesie to see who will go first but let vs remember that euery one is to answere for himself and God hath many messengers For either sicknesse will come or age will come nay death will come suddenly and speedily and after a while we shall rise againe and the Iudge will come who will neither be led by fauour or request nor blinded and stopped from proceeding with bribes and money nor then will allowe of too late repentance because then shall be the time of execution of his iustice The day of iudgement shall come in the which pure harts shall more preuaile then faire words and a good conscience then great treasure And though some may thinke that that day is far off yet let them be sure their last time will come on apace and wee knowe not how soone that houre shal be and when God wil appoint the time Good it were and most happy for vs if euery one of vs were so affected and so prepared as it is reported of a holy father S. Ierome whose words were these euen the declaration of his heart For out of the heart out of the abundance thereof the mouth speaketh Whether I eate sath he or drinke or whatsoeuer I do me think I heare this sound alwayes in my eares Arise ye dead and come to iudgement Arise ye dead and come to iudgement Let vs follow his example confirmed by the Apostles counsell Watch and pray withall perseuerance that wee may keepe the garment of innocencie and labour the worke of God in the day of this life Wherefore seeing that day shall bee comfortable to the godly which shal be fearefull to the wicked let vs endeuour before this iudgement come to be among the godly and the righteous and that our cōsciences may cleare vs so wel that wee may feele within our selues a desire of this second comming of Christ rather then any trēbling at the remembrāce of it The which let it not be done by any fained flattery of our selues but in sinceritie truth knowing this assuredly that whosoeuer shal not be found written in the booke of life shal be cast into the lake of fire where their portion shal be nothing else but weeping gnashing of teeth That wee may not bee caught in the flaming fire rendring vengeance but that we may
say they is a day of blacknes darknes the earth shal tremble before him the heauens shall shake the Sun the Moone shal be dark and the stars shal withdraw their shining This day is great and very terrible and who can abide it it commeth cruelly with wrath as fierce anger and hee shall destroy the sinners out of the earth And because the world should haue some time to forethink themselues our Sauiour Christ hath giuen some warning by the signes that shall come before this iudgement day As that there shall be false reachers abroad in the world who shal deceiue if it were possible the very elect and chose children of God Math. 24.24 Warres and seditions Nation shall rise against Nation and Kingdome against Kingdome the father in matters of religion shal be against the sonne and the sonne against the father the mother against the daughter one friend against an other great earthquakes in diuers places hunger pestilence bitter persecution of them that shall professe Christ and his Gospell Charitie shall waxe cold among men men shall leade a leaud and sinfull life altogether carelesse of the Iudgement to come The Gospell shall be published and fewe shal regard it it shall bee preached through the whole world for a witnesse vnto all Nations to make them without all excuse and then shall the end come Feareful things shall be seene the sea and the waters shall roare and mens hearts shall faile them for feare and for looking after those things which shal come on the world The Sunne shall be darkened and the Moone shall not giue her light the starres shal fall from heauen and the powers of heauen shal be shaken wherby the horrible trembling of the world is meant together with the alteration and ouerturning of the whole course of nature And after all these things then shall appeare the signe of the Sunne of man in heauen What effects the signes of the latter day shal worke in the mindes of men The consideration of which signes shall worke diuersly both in the godly and in the wicked For the hearts of the wicked shall be hardned made worse by these signes as King Pharaohs hart by Gods strange punishmēts was more and more hardned vntill the time of his destructiō and that he was vtterly ouerthrowne in the red sea These signes as they shal moue the godly minded partly to repentance in consideration of theyr sinnes and partly to comfort in respect of ioyes to come so the wicked contrariwise shall be giuen to dispaire and to curse the houre that euer they were borne And this is a secret iudgement vpon them that they shall be blinded euen vntill the very houre of their destruction so that when they would seek for remedy there shal be none The godly they wish for the comming of the Lord Come Lord Iesus come quickly for they know that his comming shall end their miseries and begin their ioyes as Christ himselfe doth comfort them Luk. 21.28 And when these things begin to come to passe then looke vp and lift vp your heads for your redemption that is the full accomplishment of the same draweth neare For then as saith the Apostle 1. Thes 4.17 Shall wee bee caught in the cloudes to meete the Lord in the aire and so shall we be euer with the Lord. The last circumstance of this iudgement is Sudden that it shall come vpon the sudden and that most fearefully to the wicked 1. Thes 5.3 For when they shall say peace peace and all in safetie then shal come vpon them sudden destruction as the trauel vpon a woman with child and they shall not escape As it fell out to the rich man in the Gospell Luk. 12.20 Soule saith he take thy ease eat and drinke take thy pastime for thou hast much good laid vp for many yeares But he heard doleful words O foole this night will they fetch away thy soule from thee Or as when Nabuchadnezer vaunted himselfe of his stately buildings a fearefull voyce came suddenly vnto him O King Nabuchadnezer to thee be it spoken thy kingdome is departed from thee Or as when his sonne King Belshasar Dan. 5.6 feasting and hanquetting among his Concubines suddenly there appeared a hand writing vpon a wall declaring the end of his Kingdome and his death This sudden destruction shall worthily fall vpon them who haue made a mock of this iudgement who then shall feele the dint of Gods reuenging sword and they that imboldned themselues in all wicked waies and euill naughtie practises shall then know how far they went a stray The wicked whom no lawe could refraine from their licentious life and who haue died to the sight of men in peace after they haue long enioyed their lusts and diuers pleasures after much violence and wrong which they haue offered after many misdeeds which mans lawes should haue corrected and yet let passe although they haue escaped the iudgement of man yet then shall they receiue according to their deedes But to the good and well disposed it is a watch-word when they heare that the Iudgement day shall be vpon a sudden Let vs therefore with the fiue wise virgins haue oyle in our Lampes remembring Christ his forewarning That which I say vnto you I say vnto all men watch And so much briefly for the second part of the diuision of this Text namely of the description and declaration of the latter Iudgement Who shall be the Iudge The third generall matter which I proposed vnto you was concerning the Iudge and who it should be And as it was said of the Iudgement that it should be sudden so also shall the comming of the Iudge be Mat. 24.27 For as the lightning commeth out of the East and shineth into the West so shall also the comming of the sonne of man be He that was equall with God and tooke vpon him the shape of a seruant hee that was abased despised and persecuted of sinfull men hee shall come in power and great glory to iudge the world and to be reuenged of his enemies He whom God hath placed at his right hand farre aboue all principallitie power might domination and euery name that is named not in this world onely but also in that that is to come hee it is that is ordained of God a Iudge of quicke and dead Whose comming shall not be as at the first poorely and basely but with great maiestie and after a most glorious wonderfull and most dreadfull maner He shall descend from heauen not to come downe on the earth but to sit on the cloudes as his tribunall seate and throne of Iudgement hee shall come with a shout and a maruellous great noise with the voyce of the Archangel and with the sound of the last Trumpet For the Trumpet shall blowe and the dead shall be raised 1. Cor. 15. and hee shall shewe himselfe with thousands of his mighty Angels and that in flaming fire rendring vengeance vnto them
that doo not know God which obey not vnto the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ Which shall be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to bee made maruellous in all them that beleeue 2. Thes 1.7 Which glorious appearance of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ this heauenly Iudge that shall come in the latter end of the world shall be of the more maiestie if we shall compare it to the deliuerie of the lawe which then was both fearefull and terrible whereof wee reade Exod. 9.16 And the third day when it was morning there was thunders and lightnings and a thicke cloude vpon the mount and the sounde of the trumpet louder and louder euen exceeding loude so that all the people that was in the campe was affraied Then Moses brought the people out of the tents to meete with God and they stood in the nether part of the mount And mount Sinay was all on a smoke because the Lord came downe vpon it in fire and the smoake thereof ascended as the smoake of a furnace and all the mount trembled exceedingly This appearing of the deliuery of the lawe was to denounce a sharpe punishment and curse for sinne but this second appearing at the ende of the world shall bee with greater maiestie and more terrible by reason of the ful execution of this curse and punishment And as Moses was admitted into Gods presence but the people trembled and would not come neare so shall this second appearing bee ioyfull to the godly who shall meete with the Lord in the cloudes but as for the rest they shall mourne and as the Prophet saith who shall be able to abide it Then was but the mount on fire but now shall the whole world bee on a flame then onely the people of Israel were called and assembled together now shall all people nations and languages be gathered then was there a curse onely denounced if they and wee by them also beeing vnderstood should transgresse and breake Gods law and commaundements but no present punishment followed now shall there be no delay but they shall in the same moment of time receiue the sentence of condemnation and shall forthwith bee throwne into hell fire to be tormented for euer Therefore shall this appearing be of greater glory of greater maiesty and more terrible The Sonne of man as yee haue heard he shal be the Iudge of the whole world at the latter day indeede no earthly man but he that tooke vpon him the nature of man Who also elsewhere is called the sonne of God and is the second person in the reuerent and most holy trinitie whom God hath not onely ordained to this office but also hath commaunded the Apostles to preach and to publish it throughout the whole world that it might bee as surely grafted into the mindes of men as it is certainly decreed by the determinate purpose of God As we read Iohn 5.22 For the father iudgeth no man but hath committed all iudgement vnto the sonne Whereof the holy Apostle S. Paul also giueth witnesse Acts 17.32 God saith he admonisheth all men euerywhere to repent Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will iudge the world in righteousnesse by that man whom he hath appointed whereof he hath giuen an assurance vnto all men in that he hath raised him from the dead By the force of which certaine perswasion he chargeth Timothy to bee earnest and carefull in his dutie 2. Tim. 4.1 I charge thee therefore before God and before the Lord Iesus Christ who shall iudge the quick and dead at his appearing preach the word be instant in season and out of season improue rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine Also the holy Apostle S. Peter 2. Ep. 4.5 doth testifie the selfe-same thing when as he exhorted those whom he writ vnto to desist and leaue off their vngodly life to depart from the company of the wicked and not to be daunted in mind thogh they should be scoffed and mocked at their hands for so doing Encouraging them with a most forceable reason that might throughly perswade them which is that the wicked shall be iudged which iudgement they shall escape that go from them and turn to God in time forsaking the waies and counsels of the wicked And because the place of scripture is notable and worthy of great regard I think good to set it downe It is sufficient for vs saith hee that we haue spent the time past of the life after the lust of the Gentiles walking in wantonnesse lusts drunkennesse in gluttonie and in abhominable idolatries Wherein it seemeth to them strange that yee runne not with them vnto the same excesse of ryot and continue in so doing therefore speak they euill of you which shall giue accounts to him that is ready to iudge quick dead who is no other but Iesus Christ the Iust as is manifect by those places of Scripture which I haue before alleaged Which proofes being so substanciall that Christ shall be the Iudge and the matter so manifest as I think there is no man but doth so beleeue it shall suffice onely to haue touched it And so let vs go forward that wee may vnderstand how Christ shall performe his Iudgement Which especially is laide downe in these three poynts First that all the Nations and people of the world that euer haue bene shall be gathered into his presence and the reason why they shall appeare is All people shall appeare that they shall be called to their account Secondly after triall of their cause how he shall seperate the one from the other the iust from the vniust and the godly from the wicked Thirdly the execution of this Iudgemēt in pronouncing of sentence All nations people shal be gathered into his presence For he shal send forth his Angels with a great sound of trumpet and they shall gather together his elect frō the foure winds and frō the one end of the heauē to the other Math. 24.31 In the Parrable of the seede it is set downe Math. 13.30 that when haruest comes the reapers shall gather the tares and binde them in sheaues to burne them and so foorth Which Parable Christ enterpreting to his Disciples saith that the haruest is the end of the world and the reapers be the Angels whom the sonne of man shall send forth and they shall gather out of his kingdome all things that offend and them which doo iniquitie Whereby may be perceiued that both the good and the bad shal be gathered into the presence of the Iudge because the Text hath these words in the same place Then shall the iust men shine as the Sunne For we must all appeare saith the Apostle 2. Cor. 5.10 before the Iudgement seate of Christ that euery man may receiue the things which are done in his body according to
liues that godly religious care of the life to come That which we are so greatly in loue withall the Apostle giues vs counsel to the quite contrary Loue not the world neither the things that are in the world 1. Ioh. 2 he addeth the reason because the world passeth away But he that fulfilleth the will of God abideth for euer Heauen is not in this life and we must looke to bee weaned from this world if euer we wil looke to be in heauen The ioyes of heauen and the desires of the world are quite contrary for they are too heauy a burthen and doo hinder vs from mounting vp so high And herein for the most part wee may be resembled vnto the Grashopper which is borne and bred liueth and dyeth in the same ground The Grashopper hath wings and hoppeth vp a litle but presently falleth downe againe So many of vs haue often good motions vnto godlinesse and the life to come and againe all is gone in a moment and we returne to our olde affections in this world as though all our portion were onely in this life Those foules that feede grosly neuer flye high and they which feed their hearts with things belowe cannot haue their affections in heauen The ioyes of heauen being so rare and excellent and so surpassing woonderfull that they might remoue these heauy lumpish and grouelling desires of this world The carelesse earthly and worldly minde hath no sight nor sence nor feeling of these ioyes But as the oxe is fatted in the pasture and the byrd singeth sweetly and feedeth without feare and suddenly the one is driuen to the slaughter and the other is taken in the snare So they that are giuen to the world are lulled a sleep in securitie vntil the time that death striketh with his dart and endlesse destruction ouerwhelmeth thē But where is that man or woman which can say with the Apostle I desire to bee dissolued and to be with Christ which is best of all Phil. 1. For they that say such things declare plainely that they seeke a countrey Heb. 11.14 Desiring a better counttey then is to be found in this world that is a heauenly and for them hath God prepared a Citie Heb. 13.14 For here we haue no continuing Citie no continuing habitation let vs therefore seeke a better habitation to come which is of longer continuance and free from all miseries The next fruite is that the remembrance of these ioyes These ioyes teach vs patience teacheth vs patience in affictions in troubles and didistresses For how troublesome soeuer this life is here yet there shal al troubles miseries and wrongs be aboundantly recompenced And the Apostle speaketh truly Rom. 8.18 The afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory which shall bee shewed vnto vs. In the 126. Psal They that sowe in teares saith the Prophet shall reape in ioy And hee that now goeth on his way weeping and beareth foorth good seed shall doubtlesse come againe with ioy and bring his sheaues with him Woe bee to you saith Christ that now laugh for you shall waile and weepe Luke 6.25 And therefore happy shall they bee in an other worlde who haue in good causes suffered wrongs committing themselues vnto God This time of heauenly ioyes Heauenly ioyes compared to a haruest is compared vnto haruest and what care dooth euery one take to prouide good and choise seede that theyr haruest may fall out accordingly Thy seede is thy thoughts thy words thy deedes and conuersation Therefore let mee exhort you as the Apostle dooth Galla. 6.7 Bee not deceiued GOD is not mocked for whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall hee also reape For hee that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption but hee that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape life euerlasting Looke how wee sowe so shall wee reape such as our seede is such also shall bee our haruest The date of this our life is but short but the remembrance of a life well ledde shall bee comfortable for euer and this shall for euer and euer bee our endlesse haruest still gathering still encreasing and neuer payring The last thing in the aforesaid 21. Holinesse Chapter of the Reuelation is that there shall enter into this heauenly Ierusalem no vncleane thing And as it is in the Prophecie of Zechariah Chap. 14.21 In that day there shall bee no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of Hostes The Canaanites were a lewde people and for the same were driuen out of the land and if they were not worthy to dwell on earth much lesse shall they be worthy to be receiued in heauen Dearely beloued saith the Apostle S. Peter 1. Epist. 2.11 Abstaine from fleshly lusts bridle them keepe them vnder for they fight against the soule Collo 3.1 If ye be risen with Christ seeke those things which are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Set your affections on things which are aboue and not on things which are on earth and mortifie your immoderate affection and euill concupiscence Remember this peremptory word No vncleane thing shall enter there Mat. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Heb. 12.14 Follow holynesse without the which no man can see God And God graunt vs this wedding garment of holynesse that we may goe in with the bridegroome for we know what befell to him that wanted it Mat. 22.11 Let vs worke our owne saluation with feare and trembling being desirous to receiue a kingdome which cannot bee shaken let vs pray for grace whereby we may so serue God that we may please him with reuerence feare And seeing we haue precious promises 2. Cor. 7.1.2 Pet. 1.4 and that more surer then the heauen and the earth Heb. 6.13.18 let vs cleanse our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh spirit and grow vp into ful holinesse in the fear of God For as they that thus do his will shal enter in through the gates into the Cittie and their right shal be in the tree of life So without shal be dogs and all vnclean persons Reu. 22.14 Let not my last exhortation be forgotten among you Enter in at the strait gate for it is the wide gate and broad way that leadeth to destruction and many there be which goe in thereat Because the gate is straight and the way narrow that leadeth vnto life fewe there be that finde it To adde vnto these Gods mercie one of the greatest ioyes one of the greatest ioyes among all is Gods mercie whereof wee haue a sweete taste in this life For were it not for that none of vs all should enter into that place where thosse ioyes are to be found For as our first parents by Gods iust anger according to their due desert were cast out of Paradice and an Angel set with a sword drawne to keepe the way that no flesh should return thither so the onely gate to let vs in again is Gods mercy Wherof as the godly and most righteous that are stand in great need so let none of vs all either abuse Gods mercy or presume of his mercy least we misse of the same This mercy is called the rich mercy of God for no treasure is comparable vnto it and as it passeth all vnderstanding so cannot the deepest reach of man conceiue any part of the depth or height therof the compasse the largenesse the widenesse and breadth of it is such that it cannot bee measured and therefore may it well be called as it is indeed both infinit and incomprehensible And because no tongue of man can speake it let Angels bring the message As we reade Luk. 2.14 Glory be to God in the high heauens and peace in earth and towards men good will The Lord of his goodnesse direct our steppes to this throne of mercy and cloath vs with the garment of mercy And the Lord this day set his print and seale vpon you Thus I perswade my self I haue now wonne some and whom I haue wonne the Lord in mercy keepe and so I discharge my selfe For we are all by our owne disposition like vnto tottering walles still readie to slide still readie to fall And therefore I would I might say as it was saide to him that suffered with Christ This day shall ye be in Paradice And if this day your hatts be throughly conuerted surely this day you are in Paradice It was no comfort to Adam and Eue to remember they wer in Paradice seeing themselues now cast out And if we be once placed in Paradice then let vs looke to our standing that we fal not For as we are mortal so are we mutable and nothing so familiar with vs as to chaunge Deu. 5.29 Vnconstant God knowes we are the Lord make vs stedfast And the remembrance of these heauenly ioyes which wee haue now heard let that make vs stedfast euen to the end Deo soli omnis laus fit gloria Et gratia in seculum FINIS
that he hath done whether it be good or euill Whereof S. Iohn had a manifest demonstration as we reade in his Reuelation Chap. 20.11.12 And I saw saith he a great white throne and one that sate on it from whose face fled away both the earth and the heauen and there place was no more found And I sawe the dead both great and smal stand before God who shall iudge both the quicke and the dead euen all that euer haue beene are and shal be to the end of the world as well those that are dead and rotten in the earth as those which shall be found aliue at his comming who shal be changed in a moment which change shal be in stead of death In iudgements that are practised among men there are diuers conueiances vsed not to appeare in iudgement and for fauour feare bribes and such like matters malefactors are bayled out of prison and bonds forfeyted and they kept from the barre and from the presence of the Iudge and quitte by Proclamation But here the ministers of this heauenly iudgement to wit the Angels shall not be blinded by any earthly considerations There shall be no entreaty no way to auoyd no other remedy but that they shall and must appeare It is a straunge matter and not to be seene that any Emperour King Prince or any such mightie Potentate should be called to iudgement or shuld bee subiect vnto the sentence of the Iudge For why as they say the Prince is aboue his law and not to be censured by any Subiects are vnder the penalty of lawes and iudgement may passe vpon them but as for the Prince and the highest in a Realme who dare controll him if he do ill But from this iudgement of this mighty heauenly Iudge whom no power can resist shall neither Emperour King Prince nor mighty Potentate be exempted neither can they be dispenced withall but that of force and necessitie they must make their personnall appearance There shal be no respect of persons high and and lowe rich and poore all shall appeare Yea then it shal be far better with the poorest begger that hath liued in the feare of God then with the mightiest Emperour that in his life time hath had little or no regard to serue God For true it is that the mighty shall be mightily punished All prophane persons leaud liuers Atheists persecutors which haue beene enemies to God to his word and to his ministers who haue wished in their hearts there were no God nor any iudgement who haue made a scoffe and contempt of all goodnesse and of the professours and Ministers thereof they shall of force bee brought to this Iudgement But what To speake in theyr owne behalfe No they shall not bee able For at that time and there they shall confesse theyr faultes and haynous offences and make bitter lamentation but all too late and there shall they waight in trembling sort to heare their iudgement And who is it amongst vs No excuses shall serue that knowes himself guiltie that will declare the truth being called before a Iudge but rather our mindes runne vpon deuices and excuses how wee may blinde the Iudge and defend our selues and auoyd that which is toward vs. And so long as wee haue to deale with mortall men it may so fall out that our excuses may serue the turne and set vs cleare But when our cause commeth to be tried before GOD from whom nothing is or can be hidde and vnto whom nothing can bee secrete then no excuses can preuaile neither shall any deuices helpe vs or blinde the Iudge Our first parents when God called them to their tryall for transgressing his commaundement and when the fled from God and his themselues although they were still in Gods presence but foolishly they thought otherwise how did they aunswere for themselues but by excuses Adam hee speakes for himselfe Gene. 3.12 and saith The Woman which thou gauest to be with me she gaue me of the tree and I did eate The woman likewise she thinkes to escape by that meanes Eue saith The Serpent beguiled me and I did eate When King Saul had disobeied Gods commaundement running after the pray being called to an account he deuiseth a currant excuse and saith Yea I haue obeyed the voyce of the Lord and haue gone the way which the Lord sent me and haue brought Agag the King of Amelek and haue destroyed the Amalekites But the people tooke of the spoyle sheep and oxen the chiefest of the things which should haue bene destroyed to offer vnto the Lord. Amongst these may Pilat be reckoned who against his owne conscience condemned Christ to death and yet would excuse himselfe as though he were innocent in the cause Math. 27.24 When Pilat sawe that hee auailed nothing but that more tumult was made hee tooke water and washed his hands shaying I am innocent of the blood of this iust mum In the description of the latter iudgement Math 25.44 wee read that some began to excuse themselues saying Lord when sawe we thee an hungred or a thirst or a straunger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister vnto thee Neuerthelesse all this serued not but vnto them it was said Depart from me ye cursed into euer lasting fire And such part is Pilat like to receiue for all his excuse King Saul his excuse was not taken our first parents escaped not for all their excuses but dyed the death and shall wee thinke our case to be better then theirse howsoeuer wee thinke we shall not so finde it There shall we appeare when as no friend nor and body shal be suffered to speake for vs and in our defence and when a faire glosing tale shall not bee heard for the plaine and naked truth must then come in place and we shal be enforced to giue our account euery one of vs by our selues This is the principall matter that must be done before the Iudge We must giue accoūt that we must giue account of our selues and of our deedes done in this life And most shall haue sorrowfull hearts because they shal be called to their accounts As it was said to the euill steward Come giue account of thy stewarship so shall euery one of vs be called to our account haue vsed those benefites gifts and graces which God hath endued vs withall whether to Gods glory and to the benefit of other or after our owne pleasures and to the hurt of others In the Epistle to the Romaines Chap. 14.10.12 We shall all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ and then euery one of us shall giue accounts of himselfe to God The wicked which lightly cānot be brought to any accounts they shal giue accounts to him that is ready to iudge quick and dead 1. Pet. 4.5 Not only most notorious and wicked deedes shal be called to account but we shall giue a reckoning for euery idle word So we read Math. 12.36 Out of the