al one with his power to gather the dead as the quick Yea they shall be changed suddenly in a moment and in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump 1. Cor. 15. 52. Q. What furtber learne you of this A. The infinite knowledge wisedome and power of God in coupling euery bone to his proper ioynt in his owne body with the proper flesh and sinewes thereof notwithstanding the confused masse of all things that they shall bee turned into whether dust aire or other element whatsoeuer Notwithstanding also that they are so diuersly distracted in place Q. What is the reason thereof A. That those that haue glorified God in their bodies might be also glorified in the same and contrariwise 2. Cor. 5. 10. those that haue dishonoured him in their bodies might receiue dishonour of God Q. How shall the sound of the trumpet raise vp the dead A. No otherwise but by the quickening of God through the power of his spirit wherby it shall come to passe that the dead shall bee raised out of the dust and of mortall shall be made immortall Q. But cannot God doe this without the sound of a trumpet A. Yes verily hee is able to doe it without any such instrument as hee is also able to saue men extraordinarily without the preaching of his word yet he hath determined to vse this meanes at that day for the raising of his Saints from bodily death as he vseth his word for an ordinarie meanes to call them from the death and out of the graue of sinne For the very like power of Christ is exercised in vs whilest wee liue here who quickeneth vs by the Gospell to his obedience that are by nature dead in sinne and so not only vnable but also vnwilling and auerse to any thing that is good wherefore God ioyneth power to his word to raise from death to life as well spiritually in the first Iohn 5. 28. as corporally in the second resurrection which first resurrection is a manifest pledge of the second there Reuel 20. 6. being greater difficultie in the first then in the second for in the second resurrection though there be no will Rom. 8. 7. to rise yet there is no enmity or gainsaying which in the first is great Q. After what manner shall the resurrection be A. First the godly shall arise to euerlasting saluation then the wicked to eternall damnation 1. Thes 4. 16. Q. In what manner shall all men then be ranged and ordered A. That is set forth by a parable of the shepheard Mat. 25. 31. and the sheepe for as the shepheard when the euening commeth gathereth his flocke and separateth the sheepe from the goats so in the euening of the world our Sauiour Christ shall gather all nations by the ministerie of the Angels and then there shall bee a full separation the godly being set on the right hand and the wicked on the left Q. What learne you of this A. The difference betweene the iudgements of God and the iudgements of men where both the innocent and the guilty are confusedly presented at one barre but then there shall be two barres through a separation of the wicked and the godly which separation the Angels can most easily make in discerning betweene them as otherwise so euen by their cheerfull or fearfull countenances Q. Shall not some vngodly men be saued for the godlie's sake with whom they conuerse A. No for our Sauiour saith that then two shall be in the field one receiued another left two in one bed one taken another reiected c. Luk. 17. 34. 36. Q. What learne you of this A. That then it shall not auaile a wicked man to be in the companie of the godly for as much as they shall then be separated wheras in this world the wicked Ge◠18. 32. 19. 21. John 4. 15. are sometimes spared for the godlie's sake Q. What further instruction doe you gather from this A. That we should so vse our societies here that in the life to come wee may haue comfort in the continuance of them Q. Is not this separation now in these daies A. Yes verily here it beginneth when the Gospell Luk. 12. 51. 53. 8. 13. Reuel 21. 27. Psal 1. 5. and afflictions seuer the wicked and the godly but then shall bee a full separation when neither Canaanite Iebusite or Moabite shal be amongst the children of God Q. What speciall effects shall there bee of this glorious preparation A. There shall be some in the wicked and othersome in the godly Q. What are those that shall be in the wicked A. Mourning and lamentation for feare and terrour of the power and Maiesty of Christ and his Angels comming in the clouds which shall bee a beginning of hell vnto them before they shall feele it euen Reuel 1. 7. as guiltie prisoners shall bee terrified at the sight of the Iudges before there bee any execution of iudgement against them Q. What gather you of it A. First that at the bare sight of these signes the wicked shall bee so terrified how much more when they hauing receiued the sentence of damnation the same shall bee executed Againe if the godly hauing Luk. 1. 12. their sins forgiuen them are afraid at the appearance of one Angell much more the wicked who haue their sinnes tied fast vpon them will bee afraid at the sight of so many Angels And if a sparke of godlines Mark 6. 20. without any appearance of glory in a godly man bee terrible to the wicked much more will the Maiesty of the Sonne of God altogether holy and glorious strike an infinite feare into them and make them desire that the rocks and mountaines falling vpon them might hide them from his sight Luk. 23. 30. Reuel 6. 16. Q. VVhat are the effects of Christs comming in the godly A. They shall reioyce and bee glad at this glorious comming which they looked and prayed for euen as a faithfull seruant is glad when his master commeth with much honour and good speed in all his affaires the honour and glory of his master seruing to his further aduancement Q. How doth our Sauiour Christ garnish and enlarge this doctrine A. By a parable of the fig-tree which elegantly declareth the certainty and comfort of the former doctrine Mat. 24. 32. that whē the fig-tree bringeth forth her leaues wee know the summer is neare so when wee see the signes aforesaid come to passe the day of the Lord is euen at the dores and the summer of the Church of God is at hand Q. What learne you of this A. That as the summer is the most pleasant season and most of all others to be desired so we should long after the comming of Christ when wee shall enioy a perpetuall summer without all manner of winter stormes or troubles CHAP. 56. Of the sentence of the Iudge The parts of the iudgemēt are the Sentence of
backe the confession of her concupiscence which shee ought especially to haue confessed as being that without which the Serpent could not haue hurt her Q. How commeth it to passe that the old Serpent the author of all is not called to be examined A. Because that the Lord would shew no mercy vnto him wherfore he only pronounceth iudgement against him Q What learne you from thence A. That it is a mercy of God when we haue sinned to be called to account and to be examined whether immediately by God or mediately by those whom God hath placed ouer vs as by the father of the household or by the magistrate or by the gouernour of the Church and it is a token of Gods fearfull iudgment when we are suffered to rot in our sinnes without being Hos 4. 4. drawne to question for them Q. Hitherto of the examination and conuiction of the offenders now followeth the sentence What obserue you in the sentence against the Serpent A. That the first part contained in the 14. verse is against the instrument of the Diuell and that the other part contained in the 15. verse is against the Diuell Q. What learne you of this proceeding to sentence A. That according to Gods example after the cause well knowne iudgement should not be slacked Iudg. 19. 30. Eccles 8. 11. by those which are his vice-gerents on earth Q. Why doth God pronounce sentence against the Serpent that knew not what it did A. It was for mans sake and not for the beasts sake Q. Why for mans sake A. To shew his loue to mankind by his displeasure against any thing that shall giue any helpe to doe hurt vnto him In which respect he commandeth that the oxe that killeth a man should bee slaine and that the Exod. 21. 18. flesh thereof should not bee eaten Like a kind father that cannot abide the sight of the knife that hath maimed or killed his child A. What manner of curse is this when there is nothing laid vpon the Serpent but that which he was appointed to at the beginning before this seruice he was abused vnto A. It is like that he crept vpon his bellie before and ate dust before But his meaning is that he shall creepe Esay 65. 25. with more paine and lurke in his hole for feare and eate the dust with lesse delight and more necessity Q. What learne you from thence A. Not to suffer our selues to be instruments of euill to any in the least sort if we will escape the curse of God For if God did punish a poore worme which had no reason or will to chuse or refuse sinne how much lesse will he spare vs which haue both Q. What is the sentence against the diuell A. The ordinance of God that there shall bee alwaies enmitie betweene the Diuell and his seed of the one side and the woman and her seed on the other side together with the effect of this enmity Q. What doe you vnderstand by the seede of the Diuell seeing there is no generation of the Diuels for that there is no male or female amongst them neither haue they bodies to ingender A. The seed of the Diuell are all both wicked men Iohn 8. 44. 1. Iohn 3. 8. Act. 13. 10. and Angels which are corrupt as hee is and carrie his image in which respect the wicked are called the children of the Diuell and oft times the sonnes of Beliall Q. What learne you from thence A. That the warre of mankind with the Diuell is a lawfull warre proclaimed of God which is also perpetuall Iam. 4. 7. 1. Pet. 5 9. and without all truce and therefore that here it is wherein we must shew our choller our hate our valour our strength not faintly and in shew only but in truth where wee being collered with our enemie leaue our fight with him to fight against our brethren yea against our owne soules whereas he continually and without ceasing fighteth with vs and not against Matth. 12. 24. his owne as the blasphemous Pharisies said Q. Concerning the seed of the woman the treatise of it belongeth to another place tell me therefore what is the sentence against the woman A. First in the paine of conception and bearing Secondly in the paine of bringing forth wherein is contained the paine of nursing and bringing them vp Thirdly in a desire to her husband Fourthly in her subiection to her husband Q. Was she not before desirous and subiect vnto her husband A. Yes but her desire was not so great through conscience of her infirmitie nor her subiection was so painfull and the yoke thereof so heauie Q. What is the sentence against Adam A. First his sinne is put in the sentence and then the punishment Q. What was his sinne A. One that he obeyed his wife whom hee should haue commanded then that hee disobeyed God whom he ought to haue obeyed the first being proper to him the other common to his wife with him Q. What was the punishment A. A punishment which although it be more heauie vpon Adam yet it is also common to the woman namely the curse of the earth for his sake frō whence came barrennesse by thistles and thornes c. Whereof first the effect should be sorrow and griefe of mind Secondly labour to the sweat of his browes to draw necessarie food from it and that as long as hee liued Lastly the expulsion out of Paradise to liue with the beasts of the earth and to eate of the herbe which they did eate of Q. What learne you from thence A. That all men from him that sitteth in the throne Psal 104. 23. 128. 2. to him that draweth water are bound to painfull labour either of the body or of the mind what wealth or patrimonie soeuer is left them Q. But it was said that at what time soeuer they ate of it they should certainly die A. And so they were dead in sinne which is more fearefull then the death of the body as that which is a separation from God whereby they were already entred vpon death and hell to which they should haue proceeded vntill it had been accomplished both in body and soule in hell with the diuell and his angels for euer if the Lord had not looked vpon them in the blessed seed Q. How doth it agree with the goodnesse or with the very Iustice of God to punish one so fearfully for eating of a little fruit A. Very well for the sinne was horrible and manifold being first a doubting of the truth of God Secondly a crediting of the word of Gods enemie and theirs Thirdly a charge against God that hee enuied their good estate Fourthly intolerable pride and ambition in desiring to bee equall in knowledge to God himselfe Last of all which much aggrauateth the sin for that the commandement hee brake was so easie to be kept as to abstaine from one onely fruit in so great plentie and variety Q. What
before the comming of Christ What are the nearer tokens of the latter day A. They are either such as shall come within an age of the second comming of Christ or such as shall be nearer to it as it were ioyned with it Q. VVhat is the first A. That there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders Q. VVhat haue we here to consider A. Two things especially first the errour secondly the remedie against it Q. VVhat is the errour A. That it shall be said heere is Christ or there for there shall be false Christs which shall pretend the very person of Christ otherwise then Antichrist who tearmeth himselfe the vicar of Christ These also shall haue their ministers namely false Prophets which shall get credit vnto the false Christ Q. VVhat learne you by this A. That the Church of God shall be put vnder triall first of their knowledge and vnderstanding whether they can discerne betweene errour and truth secondly of their loue and fidelity whether after they know the truth they will sticke by it or no. Q. VVhat doe you note of this kind of errour A. The danger of it in that it maketh shew of the corporall presence of Christ whereunto we are naturally greatly giuen as appeareth not onely by the Papists but by the holy Apostles themselues which were too much addicted to the corporal presence of Christ secondly also by reason of the great meanes they shall haue to preuaile through the wonderfull miracles they shall doe especially considering that the true Ministers of God shall not haue for any warrant we haue out of the word any such power as hath already been shewed Q. VVhat further doe you learne of this A. The extreame impudencie of the diuell in those daies which hath neuer been heard of before that shal so possesse the spirit of a sinfull mortall man that hee shall take vpon him to be the sonne of the most High for notwithstanding there were many that tooke vpon them to bee the Messias before and after the first comming of our Sauiour Christ yet they imagining the Messias to be a bare man were neuer so impudently arrogant as to challenge to themselues to be the very naturall sonne of God Q. What note you of this that if it were possible the very elect should be deceiued A. First the certainty of their happie estate from whence they cannot fall Secondly that the same hath a foundation not in any thing that is in men but in the purpose and counsell of God which cannot be deceiued Q. So much of the errour VVhat is the remedy against it A. First an admonition then a confutation Q. What is the admonition A. First not to goe out that is so certainly to be resolued of the vntruth of the thing notwithstanding the greatnesse of the miracles as not once to enquire after it for those that haue itching eares and wanton rolling eyes to heare and see things are oftentimes by Gods iust iudgement deceiued although they haue a purpose to the contrary Secondly although by reason of some particular calling they bee constrained to be present at the place where such are or otherwise bee brought forcibly vnto them yet not to beleeue them when they see or heare those things Q. What is the confutation A. That it cannot bee Christ that they should goe out into the wildernesse to see first because hee shall come with great brightnesse as the lightning commeth from the East and shineth vnto the west neither shall one need to goe vnto the wildernesse to see him because his light shal be seene in all places of the world alike Secondly he will not come on the earth but will shew himselfe in the aire only Thirdly he shall come suddenly as in a moment wheras before he had space to goe from place to place Fourthly neither shall it auaile then to goe out after and seeke him because as speedily as the Eagles are gathered to the dead carkasse so the children of God being compared vnto Eagles shall suddenly bee gathered to our Sauiour Christ who is compared to a dead body in respect of his death Q. So much of the tokens which come within an age of the latter day What are the nearest tokens or rather such as are ioyned with the second comming of Christ A. The nearest are that the Sunne shall bee darkened and the Moone shall not giue her light the Starres shall fall from heauen the Sea shall rore terribly the earth shall tremble and in a word all the powers of heauen and earth shall be shaken Q. At what time shall these signes come to passe A. Immediately after the false Christs and Prophets which as hath been spoken shall raise vp a maruellous errour and by meanes thereof great vexation and therefore it is said after the tribulation of those daies shall the immediate signes of the comming of Christ be accomplished Q. VVhat is the cause of these signes appearing and of the comming of Christ immediately vpon them A. The faithfull prayers of the Saints of God which cry vnto him to make an end of these dangerous wicked dayes Q. Is not the day and houre of the comming of Christ reuealed vnto man A. No verily man may gather by the signes going before that it is not far off but the day and the houre no man knoweth no not the Angels Mat. 24. 36. Q. VVhat gather you of this A. Not that there is any want of loue in God towards vs in conceiling the day of his comming for as much as the Angels who are said to bee full of eyes in Ezech. 1. 18. Mat. 24. 36. Mark 13. 32. regard of their singular wisedome know it not yea and that which is more Christ himselfe who is much wiser then Angels is ignorant of it Q. But how can that bee that hee which gouerneth all things should be ignorant of that day A. As he is God he knoweth it but not as he is the sonne of man especially vnglorified that is to say before his ascension into heauen Q. VVhat is meant by this that one generation shall not passe till all be fulfilled Mat. 24. 34. A. That as it was said before that one generation should not passe vntill the destruction of Ierusalem were accomplished which indeed was effected about fortie yeeres after So it is likely that after all the signes aforesaid before one age shall passe the day of Iudgement aforesaid shall come Q. Wherefore is this vehement asseneration vsed That heauen and earth shall passe away but my words shall not passe away Mat. 24. 35. A. Against those mockers which shal come in the latter times and shall charge the ministery of the Gospell with vntruth because they see no alteration in the course of nature Q. VVhat is the reason of this concealement A. First that the Lord thereby might trie the humility of men whether they would be so impudently bold as to go about to breake
those duties vndone which the godly did And although the good workes of the godly were not the causes of saluation yet these euill workes are the very next cause of damnation Q. How can that be A. Because the best workes of the godly are imperfectly good and cannot deserue life but the euill workes of the euill are perfectly euill and therefore deserue death Q. What is to be considered in their answere A. Their exceeding blindnesse whiles they liued here in that they neuer considered that in reiecting the poore they reiected Christ CHAP. 57. Of the execution of Gods Iudgement Herein note the Eternall death and miserie of the wicked Perfect blessednes of the godly Common to all Freedome from all euill Fruition of all good Speciall MATTH chap. 25. vers 46. And these shall goe away into euerlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternall DAN chap. 12. vers 2. 3. 2. And many of them that sleepe in the dust of the earth shal awake some to euerlasting life and some to shame and euerlasting contempt 3. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnesse as the starres for euer and euer Q. HItherto of the sentence of the Iudge the execution of it followeth what is the order thereof A. Contrary to the order of the sentences for it shall begin at the wicked And this is agreeable to the Deut. 25. order of iustice which the Lord appointeth in the Law that the malefactors should bee executed in the eye of the Iudge Q. What then are the parts of this execution A. The eternall death and miserie of the wicked and the eternall life and perfect blessednesse of the godly Q. How shall the eternall death of the wicked be effected A. The Angell of God shall presently take and Mat. 13. 49. 50. 22. 13. binde them and cast them to hell Q. What shall their estate be in hell A. They shal for euer be separated from the blessed presence of God they shal bee shut vp into vtter darknes where shal be nothing but horror and confusion Esay 66. 44. Apoc. 22. 8. Mat. 9. 22. weeping and wailing gnashing of teeth and haue their portion with the diuell and his angels in a lake burning vnquenchably of fire and brimstone Q. What is the blessednesse of the godly A. That is set forth by the Prophet Dan. 12. 2. 3. where is also touched the shame and confusion that shall befall the wicked Q. VVhat is the scope of this place A. The scope of the Prophet is to hold the faithful afflicted in a constant course of duty and obedience to the Lord by consideration of the rich reward of the godly and fearfull punishment of the wicked at the second and glorious comming of Christ Q. It seemeth by the word many that all shall not rise A. There seemeth indeed to bee some aduantage giuen to the Iewes who imagine that there is no resurrection of the wicked which notwithstanding is manifestly confuted euen by this place it selfe where it is said that many shall awake to shame euerlasting Q. How then is this to be taken A. It is taken seuerally by it selfe as one whole which is diuided into his parts As if hee should say an infinite number shall awake an infinite or a great number of iust and an infinite or great number of the wicked And the like forme of speech to this is vsed of the Apostle Rom. 5. vers 15. 19. he saith that many are dead by the sinne of Adam and yet in the eighteenth verse he sheweth that by those many hee meaneth all and so speaketh that all were condemned in Adam likewise in the eighteenth verse it is said that the benefit of Christs death commeth to all meaning the faithfull that by faith are one with Christ as wee were all naturally with Adam yet in the 15. and 19. verses those that he called all he tearmeth many Although if he speake of the wicked by themselues and of the godly by themselues it may bee truly said that neither all the wicked nor all the godly shall awake out of the dust because some of both sorts shall not die but be changed onely 1. Cor. 15. 51. Q. VVhat doe you consider in this text A. The perfect happinesse of the good Q. VVhat doth this text teach concerning the same A. Two things the first of the happinesse which is common to all the good in the second verse and the other of the speciall happinesse that some shall haue aboue their fellowes in the third Q. From whence commeth this happinesse both common and speciall A. From our communication and participation Reu. 21. 3. with God in Christ which is set forth by this that God will dwell with vs we with him by a similitude of eating and drinking with him and eating of Reu. 3. 20. Mat. 26. 29. Reuel 2. 7. 17. Reuel 3. 5. 2. 26. 27. the tree of life and of the hidden Manna glorious clothes of rule and dominion Q. VVherein standeth the happinesse common to all A. Partly in freedome from all euill and partly in the enioying of the fulnesse of that which is good Q. How is the first set forth A. He shall wipe away all teares there shall bee no Reuel 21. 4. 22. 3. 5. more death no sicknesse no sorrow no crying no labour no darknesse no not so much as the danger or Reuel 21. 25. perill or feare of any euill the gates shall not be shut and therefore in their minds and soules they shall bee free from all those affections that haue any paine ioyned with them as wrath mercy pitie compassion feare care repentance and such like Q. How is the enioying of good things laid forth A. Wee may consider it either by that which is without or else that within vs. Q. How consider you that which is without A. The place which they shall bee in for the pleasant Psal 15. 1. Reuel 21. 10. situation likened to a high hill as that which is aboue the starres for the delicacie of it compared to Paradise called for the certainty and worth therof an inheritance and crowne immortall incorruptible vndefiled 1. Pet. 1. 4. Reuel 22. and that which withereth not and the glory of it is described at large Q. How else A. By the companie we shall haue and fellowship Heb. 12. 22. 23 24. 2. Thess 2. 1. Mark 9. 5. 6. with the Saints and Angels in which respect eternall life is set forth partly by being with Abraham Isaac and Iacob and the Apostle adiureth vs by the great assemblie And we see what delight the Apostles took to see Moses and Elias so as they would faine haue had them tarried with them although through their infirmitie they were afraid of the sight of them how much more then shall the ioy bee when wee shall behold their glory without all feare and