as the darkning of the Sunne and Moone the roaring of the Sea and waters not by an ordinary but strange vnquietnesse the failing of mens hearts the generall palsey or shaking disposition that shall be in all the heauenly powers which shall be so violent and with such perturbations of all lights and elements that the starres shall fall that is shall seeme to fall from heauen and the signe of the Sonne of Man which I take to be the burning of the high heauens and this lower earth which at the instant of his comming shall be set on fire these and the like signes not of peace but of warre to the world and not of fauour but of great wrath to sinners how can they but pierce with feare all such as shal come before the Lord in their sinnes without repentance at this day If the winds keepe vs in some awe when they be high and loud and if we feare the sea when it is but a little mooued if euerie sudden noise and cracke at mignight fright vs and if the thunder make vs afraid what shall their feare be and how great the confusion of their faces who shall stand in no faith and therefore with no boldnesse before the Sonne of God when all these matters of intolerable feare shall come together and meete vpon the then firie stage of this world and be ready to execute in their fiercest wrath and greatest power the law and will of their most excellent Creator against all faithlesse reprobates Fourthly this will be a day not of mercie but of rebuke to all Gods enemies and therefore intolerable to such For if the Lord doe straitly marke what is done amisse who shall abide it Psal 130.3 An admonition Vse 1 seeing it shall be thus to all the enemies of Christ presently to make our peace with Him while we are in the way Mat. 5.25 Our Sauiour doth exhort all the faithfull to this wisdome by the example of a King going to warre who being wise confidereth if hee be able with tenne thousand to meere him that commeth against him with twenty thousand or if he be not will send an ambassage and desire conditions of peace Luc. 14.31.32 Haue we our ten thousands to incounter with Christ who commeth that is will come with thousands of his Saints to giue iudgement vpon all men Surely as the men of Samaria reasoned concerning Iohn two Kings could not stand before him how then shal we stand 2. King 10.4 so we may more truly and better say concerning Christ not two Kings but not all the Kings of the earth though they banded themselues and assembled in troupes against him could yet euer preuaile or stand before the fierce wrath of his comming Psal 2.2.4.9 and shall we poore wormes when Christ will come to rebuke sinners thinke to abide or stand against the chiding voice of his iudgement so intolerable and righteous therefore yeeld we must or be broken in peeces Should we not therefore while this King is I cannot say a great way off for he may be neeter then we are aware but in his way yet toward vs by his singular patience send forth an ambassage of humble supplication and teares and present amendment of life desiring peace and that he would not turne against vs but to vs in mercy that we may be saued Therefore while our feet are at libertie and before wee bee bound hand and foot let vs runne the way of the Lords commandements while we haue tongues and before we become speechlesse Mat. 22.12 let vs vse our tongues well and not suffer our mouthes to sinne and while we haue hands and before our hands fall from our arme and arme rot from our shoulder let vs worke with our hands the thing that is good Ephes 4.28 and procure things that bee honest in the sight of all men and while wee haue breath before God stop our breath let breath and all praise the Lord and while we haue eares and before our eares these daughters of singing bee abased Eccles 12.4 let vs lift vp our eares to the word and not vnto vanitie For if here we stop our eares against the trumpet of the Gospell we shall heare to our griefe the trumpet of the last iudgement which whether wee sleepe in the ayre or fire or sea or holes of the earth will awake vs. Some nay many like some players at the game of cardes who though the night be farre spent will not giue ouer till their candle faile them will not leaue off to doe wickedly till the candle that Iob speaketh of bee put out And some flatter themselues with an imagination of a longer day then God hath set vnto them or perhaps to the world for the last houre thereof But let such know that thogh the day of iudgement were far of yet the day and houre of euery mans particular iudgement in death cannot be it being a common and true saying to day a man to morrow none And for the day of the generall death of this languishing world he that wisely considereth the waines and declinings that haue been found in it within these few yeares and how like a woman with child which hath many panges fits before the throwes of her great labour come it is now in paine till it be deliuered hauing much complained in those signes and alterations that are gone before I say hee that well obserueth to the true purpose of his saluation these such like throws or rather downe throwes of things in the womb of this old and sickly world so neare to the trauell and time of her appointed end by fire cannot but say that it cannot continue long and that the Lord will come shortly among vs. When wee see a man in whose face wearing age hath many wrinckles and deepe surrowes we say This man can not liue long so when we see the furrowes of old age to appeare and bee manifest in so many wastes and consumptions as this feeble world is entred into why doe we not see that the death of it is neare More particularly and specially as there is no greater signe that a man is drawing towards death then that hee is alway catching at the sheetes and blankets and alway snatching and pulling at somewhat so seeing that euerie one catcheth what hee can in this griple and couetous age and seeing that there is so insatiable a minde of hauing in all conditions and callings of people now it is a sure signe to the heart of a wiseman that this world is sicke vnto death and so as it cannot hold out long And if there be no greater signe of death then that the bodie is so cold that no heate will come vnto it surely the cold charitie of the world mens no zeale to religion our nullitie of faith or poore growth in faith insomuch as Sermons are seldom heard or with small amendment can not but testifie that the world it selfe came to be of no long life
And if for should it not much concerne vs without putting off presently to turne vnto God presently to repent and beleeue the Gospell and presently to enter into and keepe the way of truth and vertue which are so seldome birds in our dayes A terrour to all the enemies of Christ Vse 2 who wil not haue him to raigne ouer them For now the Kings writs come forth for the execution of all vngodly men and of such he will say at his second comming bring them hither and slay them before mee Luk. 19.27 Then shall Kings be bound in chaines and the Nobles that would not be linked to Christ in linkes of yron till the appointed vengeance come And when that time is come the King will say Executioners doe your offices Bind these Kings and these great men binde them hand and foote that they may neither defend themselues nor flye and cast them into vtter darknesse that if they would flye they may not know whether to flye in the darke Mat. 22.13 They haue had their time and this is mine Men durst not rebuke them but I will rebuke them in iudgement And not them onely but all the vngodly of the earth This is my great day wherein I will burne with the fire of rebuke and perpetuall torment with the intolerable fire of hell all mine enemies Thus Christ will rebuke all the vngodly among men when hee sendeth the damned to their owne place At his comming when hee shall put on these garments of rebuke hee will sharpely reproue the world with a fire burning before him At mignight shal a cry be made by the voice of an Angell and trumpet of God Mat. 15 6. Now canst thou heare a sudden and long crie of fire fire at midnight and not be afraid Thou wilt be worse afraid if the fire shall be in thine own house and worse then that if it shall burne in the timber and along the floore of thy bed chamber But the vngodly shal suddenly and wofully heare a greater cry and cry of greater feare For the fire of hell and not the bare crie of fire shall be in their eares and begin to kindle in their bodies at their first rising out of their graues They shall see heauen and earth burning before their eyes and the chambers of their graues all on a fire They shall see the fire about them and flames of euer-burning fire ready to enter into them to torment them day and night So terrible shall this day of rebuke be to sinners and vngodly men And shall not the expectation of all this make the vnrighteous to melt with feare If the downefall of two or three houses can giue such a cracke what a terrible cracke and great burst will the heauens aire sea and all the elements with all the buildings and houses of this large and great frame make when they shall all runne togither like a scroule in the fire Therefore if wee would not haue this cry at midnight to condemne vs let vs now in this mid-day of the Gospell heare to obedience the cry of the word that we may liue If we would haue a comfortable rising let vs goe to our beds that is graues in the peace of faith and a good conscience And if we would not feare hereafter let vs feare now and now be Saints if we meane to be as the Saints then that is at that great day of Christs comming So much for the forme of the last iudgement the persons to whom it extendeth follow All the vngodly among them c. The persons who shall be rebuked in iudgement are the vngodlie yea all the vngodly none excepted By this propertie of vngodlinesse and by these persons who are called vngodly the Apostle vnderstandeth impenat◠wickednesse and the impenitent wicked against God and the people of God who shall rise to damnation Vngodlinesse is a sinne directly against God and vngodly men are fighters a-against him Either their thoughts are that their is no God Ps 10.4 or if they beleeue a God yet they denie his prouidence and distinguish of his presence they make an idol of his mercy and a sport of his iustice Or if they confesse that God is Ruler yet they will not confesse his rule by his word Iob 21.14 nor worship him as he hath commanded but as they themselues thinke good They neither pray for their necessities nor giue thanks for their receipts Iob. 21.15 They loue not the Lord and they abhorre his inheritance they make much of his enemies and smite downe his people liuing as if there were no God nor iudgement to come Ps 44.5 These are vngodly men and against these this iudgement of rebuke is threatned Doctr. From whence we learne That God will not iustifie the wicked though he beare with them nor count them innocent though he suffer them long When the Lord stood before Moses and proclaimed his name before him he speaketh of his mercie grace and slownes to wrath yet with a reseruation and prouiso of taking his iustice vnto him when he seeth time for he addeth that all this shall not make the wicked innocent as if he had said Indeed I am slow to anger but iust in my anger to all those who shall abuse these graces of my patience mercie and fauour to sinners Exod. 34 6.7 When the haters of God and they who cast his words behind them powred out themselues to all vngodlinesse and vnrighteousnesse the Lord held his tongue that is seemed not to dislike so great disorder and excesse of wickednesse in vngodly men therefore they thought that he was like to them and liked 〈◊〉 sinne as well as they that he toke pleasure in wickednesse and would neuer punish those that did wickedly But God assureth them that all is contrarie telling them that he will reproue them as here and draw forth his hand to punish them as in a day of rebuke and make them ashamed of all their sinnes that he will bring in order before them and as they committed them before him not sparing any Psal 50.21 The sinner saith Salomon doth euill an hundred times that is makes no end and keepes no measure in sinning because God prolongeth his daies or is patient not cutting him off so soone as hee hath done wickedly But though God beare neuer so long presume neuer so much it shall not be well to him or it shall be farre otherwise with him at the last For as the shadow that flyeth away so shall hee post to his graue and his soule flye to destruction Eccles 8.12.13 The reasons If God should euer iustifie the sinner it were either because hee did want power to punish him or instice to punish sinne But neither is lacking to God who for power is almightie and for zeale against sinne of pure eyes that cannot see euill Habac. 1.13 That is cannot abide it Secondly if God should beare euer with sinners men would thinke that God delighted in them or made some
learned Father compareth conscience which is the knowledge that we haue with our selues of some good or euill to water in a Well which when it is troubled sheweth no image of any face but waxing cleare doth So if we suffer this christall of our conscience to bee mudded with foule trespasses of habit or impenitencie wee shall neuer see our naturall face in it neither perceiue how deadly we sinne against God and our owne soules Where if we purge daily for our daily offences and greatly for our greater sinnes if we haue an eye alway to the Lord and his proceedings in vs making good vse of those priuie secret pinches that our consciences giue vs when we doe amisse wee shall in so cleare a fountaine of our good conscience as in a true glasse behold with sanctified profit the many faultes of our life and so the sooner and more conueniently bee humbled for them Or if when our consciences reproue vs of our waies wee listen vnto them and make present good vse of the strokes of our heart for euill deedes and that while we be tender and sensible of sinne wee shall auoide the plague of a foolish heart or heart past feeling Ephes 4.19 and not goe desperately on with bold sinners in the way that leadeth to destruction Thus may wee profit greatly by the iudgement that is begunne in vs in these mulcts of our consciences or mid-hearings preparing vs with comfort to the hearing of the last day A confutation of all Atheists Vse 1 whether Atheists in iudgement or in life Atheists who deny the iudgement to come or liue as if there should bee none Of such we reade who slandering the footesteps of Christs comming said where is the promise of that day 2. Pet. 3.4 that is what is become of it and of all this talke about it So there were in Esay who said when they heard of such a day Let him make speed let him hasten his worke that wee may see it as if they should haue said if it shall bee at all let it be now Or he had need to hasten it if we shall beleeue it Esay 5.19 And in Amos time there was a large fellowship of these mates who put the euill day the day of their death and iudgement which they called euill farre off Amos 6.3 But haue we none of this knot and conspiracie in our own time Yes too many whom I leaue to the mercie of God to be amended or as the drosse of the earth to bee consumed with the fire of his comming who will come with fire and his chariots like a whirlewinde Esay 66.15 A reproofe of their securitie Vse 2 who by certaine slumbering delaies and puttings off walke in no reuerence of the Lords comming or remembrance of their owne death For the yong man presumeth that he shall liue long and the oldest that he may liue one yeare longer But knowing these terrours of the Lord what care should bee in vs presently to set our house and nature in some good order for the comming of Christ the iudge or for our own last end in which we shall be iudged 2. Cor. 5.11 Schollars who come to render to their Master the lesson or part giuen them doe it not without feare and shall we not feare to thinke of that day in which wee must giue account to Christ the iudge for all the things that hee hath put in our hand and keeping When Paul willed the men of Athens to repent it was vpon this ground that the Lord had appointed a day wherein hee would iudge the world in righteousnesse Act. 17.31 As if he had said yee shall be sure to be iudged and therefore repent And yet wee liue in sinne and our hearts are not turned If we were sure that Christ would come to iudgement the next May day what an alteration would it worke in many of vs and how would it change vs and moue vs who would set his heart vpon riches who would deceiue and oppresse who would spend so much in apparell and so many daies in vanitie who durst be drunke who durst sweare and lie and commit adulterie what would become of our May-games dauncing greenes and bowres and such conuenticles of spirituall fugitiues from God on his Sabbaths who would not rather passe the time that remaineth in Gods seruice and run to sermons and reade and pray deuoutly and bestow good houres well and not spend time in chambering and wantonnesse But we are not sure that that day shall tarrie till May next And we know not that Christs day will come this weeke or the next or this present day and houre or while I am speaking of it and yet we walke in as great security and as desperately in sinne as if we were certaine it would not come in our time If we heare a sudden crie of fire fire we are astonied out of measure and yet hearing by our Preachers the Lords trumpets so many and fearefull threatnings by the word concerning the fires of hell and iudgement when not a few houses but the whole world shall burne like an ouen we are not moued Euerie one almost will giue his best helpe for the quenching of a materiall fire but who regardeth to saue himselfe or to preserue others from the vnquenchable fire of hell and terrible fire of the Lords comming that will most certainely we know not how soone flame out to the burning of this great Sodom of the Earth in the which the heauens shal passe away with a noise the elements shall melt with heat and all things corruptible shall be dissolued most speedily as if they did flee away 2. Pet. 3.10 Apoc. 20.11 Christ euen now standeth at the doore of thy Christian heart to wit as a guest and stranger that would be entertained Apoc. 3.20 and thou by continuing in sinne deniest to receaue him He threatneth by the law he reproueth by the law and condemneth by it all impenitent sinners By these he knocketh ernestly and crieth vehementlie at the dore of thy heart to open vnto him and wilt thou tarrie till by thy death he breake in or by his particular comming If a great man should knocke at our doore what stirring would there bee to receiue him presently and as is meâ—te Is there any greater or more worthy guest then Christ who knocketh by the ministerie of the Gospell at the gate of our heart who reacheth forth the hand of his threatnings to beate vpon our consciences day and night that we might turne with all speed which is our opening to the sonne of God and shall we giue him no entrance after so long a time of waiting at our hearts for our conuersion A great man will not be so abused and shall we thinke that the mighty God will take it well that after so many knocking 's and long standing without he should finde no dore of admission into vs or opening by vs and should still be deferred and put off or can these
Depart from mee I know you not Gen. 27.30.33.38 Mat. 7.23 It is a plague of all plagues and the very bottome of the viall of Gods wrath to bee separated from Christ For as in the presence of God is the fulnesse of all ioy Ps 16.11 So to depart from the Lord is the perfection of all miserie Absalon could say Let mee see the Kings face and if there bee any trespasse in mee let him kill me 2. Sa. 14.32 His meaning was rather let me not liue then liue in disgrace an exile from my fathers court and fauour And what will the wicked say who must in this rebuke of their euerlasting banishment from the face and saluation of Christ depart neuer to returne And if the comming of the Sunne to a place promise ioy and the againe departing of it from the same place cause sorrow and darkenesse what ioy must needs be lacking and sorrow abound where the Sunne and God of saluation shall neuer in the sunne-shine of his presence bee seene any more Where shall be no gleames of fauour but darke tempests of iustice raining snares vpon all the wofull inhabitants of the earth And yet this punishment is not all though insufferable For the damned Cains of hell shall not onely haue this cursed marke set vpon them to goe from the presence of the Lord Gen 4.16 but shall dwell for euer in the Tophet of damnation Esay 30.33 where besides their not endurable pain of losse they shall haue inflicted vpon them paines of sense that are intolerable For spirituall Tophet is a place wherin is fire and much burning Our ordinarie fire the hottest we make and greatest we kindle is but as painted fire to this fire indeede Yet a man would not be in it one quarter of an houre to gaine the world How much then and itolerably shall the wicked suffer who shal be tormented in this fierce fire not a quarter of an houre or yeare only but yeares vppon yeares yea millions of yeares world without end or if a little disease and that but in one part onely so troubled vs lying vpon a soft bed How shall we abide the rebuke of the Lord in all the parts of our body and tender powers of our mind and not vppon our pallats of ease but beds of glowing fire The rage of the fiercest enimy may be qualified or if it might not yet he shall perish and his wrath with him But in this large winepresse of the Lords indignation the worme dieth not and Gods anger endureth for euer as himselfe is eternal The couenant that God hath made with the day and night shall be broken But his iudgment of rebuke is inuiolable They whom he condemneth shall bee euer damned and whom he sendeth to hel shall neuer returne Some doe here idly aske how fire can euer burne the flesh of the damned and neuer consume it To this Ianswere materiall fire cannot but this fire appointed so to doe by the powere and will of the Creator shall The bush that Moses saw in the fire burned and consumed not Exod. 3.2 And it is saide of the Salamander that shee liueth in the fire and is not burnt So why may not these bushes of the curse ordained to burning and hellish Salamanders iudged to perpertuall fire be day and night tormented in a fornace of intollerable heat and yet their flesh neuer be diminished nor their bodie consumed in those flames Some are curious to know what manner fire that shall be Quest that is able to burne vpon not the bodies onely but soules of damned wretches To this curious question I only answere Answ God knoweth And let vs who haue the hope of the Saints endeuour rather neuer to feele it then to know it For as when a mans house is on fire we stand not to enquire how it came but doe our best to quench it so it should be our wisdome hearing that the Lord will rebuke the world with fire and sinners with hell fire rather to quench the matter of it in our so many increasings against God by the meanes of sinne that dwelleth in vs and to take from it the wood-pile that fedeth it then curiously to dispute or search how fire can fasten vpon a spirituall substance and with what kind of burning Thus haue we showed that the Lords comming at the last day shal be a putting of the wicked frō God and a putting of them into hell where they shall be tormented day and night for euer and that therefore it will be a day to all vngodly men of intolerable wrath from God and vexation from the effects of his comming The reasons All things which then they shall see and feele shall be if any thing may be terrible most terrible They shall see and feele sinne on their right hand and Satan on their left hell vnder their feet and an angry Iudge aboue their head the world full of destruction without and a worme gnawing the heart within Or to speake as b Anselme one sometimes fearefully spake Aboue them shall be their Iudge offended with them for their wickednesse beneath them hell open and that burning furnace wide gaping to receiue them on the right hand their sinnes accusing them on the left hand fierce diuels ready to execute this wrathfull sentence of the Lords rebuke vpon them within them their conscience gnawing without them all damned soules bewailing on euerie side the world burning Be not these sights terrible and will not these things worke terribly Secondly the wrath of a Lyon is terrible Am. 3.8 what then when the Lord shall roare from heauen and giue forth his voice and that a glorious voice who will not then be afraid or if the wrath of a King that is if a Kings anger or fire iust kindled burne to death vpon the offendours for Salomon saith The wrath of a King is as messengers of death Prou. 16.14 how terrible to eternall death shall the Lords anger be prouoked by sinners how insufferable to all those who haue by rebellious wickednesse offended him If the King passe sentence who will denie execution For where the word of the King is saith the Preacher there is power Eccles 8.4 And yet the King may command where the Subiect will not see done as when Saul would haue put Ionathan to death and the people would not let him die 1. Sam. 14.44.45 But if God once passe sentence who will stop it nay who will not be readie both good and bad Angels to execute it If Gods wrath be to be feared in man how fearefull is that wrath in the God of wrath Dauid saith if his wrath be kindled but a little blessed are they that trust in him then when it is all on fire how miserable are they who hauing trusted in themselues and prouoked him can haue no hope from him nor comfort from his comming Thirdly the signes that shall keepe company with or be ioined to the comming of the sonne of man to iudgement
God hauing giuen eyes to vs to see his truth and the light of iudgement to see it by let vs not walke in so great darknesse as they who know not the truth nor whether they goe Here also we learne to put difference betweene the condition of the righteous Vse 2 and the state of the vngodly in their graues and buriall the godly hauing their graues for their beddes of rest the wicked contrarily for their prisons out of which they shall come to the resurrection of death Ioh. 5.29 as malefactors to their execution And where the godly as honest men of the countrey shall stand before the Iudge without feare they shal stand as the guilty Prisoner at the barre of shame to receaue the sentence of their iust condemnation in soule and bodie And what comfort can this be to shamelesse sinners in the night of the putting off of their tabernacle seeing they goe not to their beddes as doe the righteous but to their dungeons of darknesse and horrible feare For as if a man should be bidden to goe to his rest that after he had slept and was risen the punishment of some terrible death might be inflicted vpon him So is the state and condition of all impenitent sinners in their death For they must lie downe for some time in their beddes of dust and rise againe that a second fearefull death may be inflicted vpon their soules and bodies Now could any poore man goe comfortably to his bed that is bidden so as we haue heard to goe vnto it with what comfort then can desperate sinners remember their graues of earth from which they must passe to their graues of fire for euer Indeed as a man that is out-lawed may take his pleasure and walke at large for a time but whensoeuer or wheresoeuer he is taken he must yeeld to the punishment that law hath awarded so the wicked vpon whom sentence of damnation is past alreadie by an out-lawrie and iudgement that cannot be reuoked may for a season goe vntaken taking their libertie and fetching their friskes as if it would neuer be otherwise or as if that iust God who is their creditour and must be their Iudge would neuer serue an execution vpon them by death his Minister but the time will come when they shal be arrested and after some short repriuie of their bodies in the gaole of the graue be violently haled to the prison and pit of hell from which there is no redemption It were well for such if they had beene cast into their graues as a dogge into a ditch for though his buriall be homely yet his case is much better then theirs who are buried gorgeously and goe to hell The dogge endeth his misserie with his death but when such die they beginne their miserie and end their â—oyfull daies for euer For man shall not die like a beast though he liue like a beast nor be senslesse of paine hereafter though here he was senslesâ—e of sinne free from paines and smart that others felt As before in respect of their soules that presently enter into peace Vse 3 so here in regard of their bodies which sleepe in their beddes of rest the godly may be comforted for their godly friends departures at least it may stay all sorrowing without hope For who would be sorrie for his friend because after his hard labour he goeth to his rest in a bedde of much ease prepared for him or to vse an other comparison A man locketh vp his best apparrell in a chest meaning hereafter to weare it will he mourne and be sorrie that it is so kept till there come a high daie to weare it So the faithfull concerning their bodies which are the vesture of their soules are shut vp by death in the coffers of the Earth And shall their friends take on because their friend hath his best clothing so preciously laid vp that euerie soule vpon the highest day of the daies of the yeere may haue the seuerall robe and vesture of it owne body to be put vpon it or will any man thinke much that his friend hath put off his old rags to put on robes of glorie This is the very case of the righteous when they lay downe their bodies They put off vile bodies to put on glorious and their bodies are but chested in the earth when they returne to their dust that in the solemne and high day of resurrection they may be brought forth againe and restored but with farre greater beautie and shining to the soules that were owners of them So much for the comforts promised The persons follow to whom such comforts are promised Euerie one that walketh c. The persons whose soules shall enter into peace and bodies be put in their sepulchers no otherwaies then if they should be laid in their beds of rest so soone as they goe hence are they who walke before the Lord or walke that is liue as in his sight And here the Prophet setteth downe two things the generality of the promise euerie one and condition vnder which it is made that walketh before Him that is the Lord. For the generalitie and where the Prophet saith euerie one his meaning is that neither countrey nor parentage nor diuersitie of sexe and calling nor any outward thing shall make his end vnhappy whose life by reason of his godly life is happie where learn That Doctr. God is no accepter of persons that is respecteth not the person of man but his grace in man Whosoeuer beleeueth in him or hath receaued the grace of faith to put faith in him and to liue vnto him let him be borne wheresoeuer and let his degree be whatsoeuer such an one saith Amen shall not perish But so it may be that is one may not perish and yet misse of peace therefore it is added and haue euerlasting life as if it had beene said he shall not be miserable and he shall be happie euer he shall not die and he shall liue eternally in glorie Ioh. 3.16 Peter perceiued this and in a vision comming from heauen saw this and therefore as God opened the vision Act. 10.15 so hee opened his mouth and said Of a truth I perceiue or to say the truth I now know that God is no accepter of persons or God doth giue his grace indifferently to one and other whether born in Iewrie or fearing God in Caesarea and therefore in euerie nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse no matter what countrey-man so he be a good man he that reuerenceth him shall haue his part in him Act. 10.34.35 whether Iew or Gentil circumcised or vncircumcised rich or poore bond or free he shall haue life if he walke before the God of life Blessed is euerie one that feareth the Lord and walketh in his waies Psal 128.1 All that walke in the sunne-shine of Christ shall receaue the die of his fauour as all that walke in the Suâ— are tanned They shall gaine peace and find rest
him but deale kindly with him nor run from him but towards him to bid him welcome not to bid him be gone Luc. 15.11 c. His very miserie was sufficient matter to worke vpon his fathers heart would not this ouercome a man the Lord is kinder to vs and how can we setting him before vs in so great loue but breake of the course of sinne and with a yeeding heart returne to our father Fourthly we must set the Lord before vs in his prouidence not onely generall to all but particular to vs which being well considered must needs doe something with vs for a better course For who will not seeke to please him or her vpon whom he must rely for al the turnes of life Seeing then wee depend on God for all things and that our life is at his only pleasure who breath in the aire of his mercies how can we thinke of this and thinke indeed and earnestly thereof and not striue to obey him in his word of whose prouidence we moue and haue beeing Acts 17.28 Fiftly and lastly for it were infinite to speake of all we must set the Lord before vs in Christ in whom he so loued vs not then friends but enemies Ro. 5.8.10 that he gaue his Son to death for vs Ioh. 3.10 Now what enemie will not bee reconciled and dearely loue him who shall but offer to die for him Christ died and made not an offer onely to die for vs and is not this sufficient beeing well and deepely thought of to reconcile vs to God by submission to Christ by spirituall life By all this wee may easily iudge why God is so little regarded among vs. Vse For we set him seldome before vs and as seldom we appeare before him rather we say Depart from vs wee desire not the knowledge of thy waies Iob. 21.14 So did Dauids enemies of whom hee maketh complaint in diuers Psalmes For he saith they sought not God and which made them more securely to doe euill they thought there was no God And after he giueth this for a reason of their so desperate and bold madnesse The iudgements of God were high aboue their sight that is they set them so farre off that they neuer looked after them nor did remember them Ps 10.4.5 Further speaking of strangers that rose vp against him and of tyrants that sought his life that which made them so cruell as he saith was they set not God before them Ps 54.3 86.14 God was not in their thoughts nor the feare of God before their eies therefore they kept no measure in sinning Let vs for our selues remember this who haue the Lord set before vs in the preaching of the Gospell euerie sabbath day Let vs remember him in his Sonne and not forget him in his iudgements specially in his last iudgement The end of our daies and the beginning of that draweth on the Sun is long since past the meredian line and death we know will not be answered with an I pray thee haue mee excused Luc. 14.19 Let vs not therefore put off till the flood come not of waters but of insufferable fire or till the Lord come with deuouring fire and with his tempest of the last iudgement to kindle it Let vs rather frame that course for our selues now that hereafter may proue in our dying houre or at this worlds last houre an arke for our bodies and a tabernacle for our soules If we would set the word before vs or God in it we should see our dangerous waies and by so cleare a light better direct our steppes Ps 119.105 If we would well remember Gods prouidence ouer vs and care for vs we should not doe as we haue done we would beare euils more patiently and doe euill more vnwillingly seeing whatsoeuer commeth to vs commeth by his appointment and whatsoeuer euill is done against him by vs is done against his bounties and loue And if we would set him before vs in Christ how could we sinne against the sacrifice of such a Redeemer or if we wold set Christ before vs in that day wherein this world that must be destroied shall crackle about our cares being all on fire and the large Ierusalem of the earth be brought downe by him who will send forth his voice and that a mighty voice Ps 50.3.4 how little would we regard the short and deare-prized pleasures of this our momentany and fading life But because God is so farre out of our sight and so late in our hearts therefore doe offenders so multiplie among vs and sinne so abound that the regions begin to grow white and we cannot but thinke that the Angell will shortly thrust in his sicle Men are at no paines and bestow no care in Gods seruice Men are mercilesse without naturall affection false accusers and despisers of them which are good 2. Tim. 3.3 Men want faith and some goe cleane against it both in word and in bookes written Sin is full ripe now which in our fathers daies was but greene in the eare and iniquitie that then stroue with righteousnesse hath now gotten the vpper hand what doe all these shew but that God is forgotten and that the fearefull God is cast behind vs in this age of so great liberty and fulnes of sinne The Lord giue vs the due consideration of these things pardon our great sinnes for his owne great names sake to whom be praise and glory for euer The end of the third sermon THE FOVRTH SERMON IVDES Epistle verses 14.15 Vers 14 Behold the Lord commeth with thousands of Saints Vers 15. Togiue iudgment vpon all men and to rebuke all the vngodly among them of all their wicked deeds which they haue vngodlily committed and of all their cruell speakings which wicked sinners haue spoken against him THis prophecy was ancient for he to whom this testimonie is ascribed was the seuenth from ADAM And it is like it either passed as Enocks from hand to hand by tradition or was found in the daies of the Apostles extant in some booke bearing Enochs name For the Iewes had some vnwritten truths which were profitable and good for instruction and yet were not made articles or rules of faith to saluation This prophecie of Enochs and testimonie of Iudes might bee one yet was it as common water till it passed through the sanctuarie Ezech. 47.1 Till the Apostle Iude or the holy Ghost by him set it down in scripture it was to be receiued but as other truths which are to haue their allowance from the booke of faith But now that the Lord hath brought it into his treasurie among the other golden plates which beare for letters of credence the stampe of his Spirit wee must take it for his owne coine and sacred metall distinguishing it from baser metall that hath receiued but common impression and is marked with the finger of man That which the Apostle would proue by this testimoniâ— is that those seducers of Gods people of whom he had spoken
Psal 1.5 Thus the doctrine standeth fast being proued in euery part particularly Other reasons may be giuen for further illustration The reasons And first there is great reason that Christ should be Iudge himselfe For he alone is the Sauiour and therefore he alone must be Iudge He that saueth his elect must condemne the world Secondly he is the head of his Church to saue it from harmes and to wring out the dregs of his wrath vpon their heads that harme it Eph. 5.23 Esa 63.1.2.6 And how can he thus deliuer his Church if he be not her Sauiour and thus be reuenged on his Churches enemies if he be not there Iudge Thirdly it shall be a day of ioy vnspeakable to the godly and of terrour importable to the wicked For the godly shall meet the Lord in the 2 1. Thes 4.17 aire The fornace that is appointed to purge the world and to consume sinners shall haue no power ouer such nor the smell of it come vpon them Dan. 3.27 The Iudge will be their Sauiour The witnesses the Angels the Saints and the great inquest of all the creatures will cleere them And who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect Rom. 8.33 The things that they shall be iudged off are condemned in Christ and the sting of conuiction is departed from them to his death who hath conquered all the power of the enemie The tribunall that face of it that is toward them shall put off feare and become a session-house of mercie and of plentifull redemption The sentence pronounced shall send them to their houses of ioy and blisse endlesse and their father will giue them the kingdome Luc. 12.32 But as the godly shal thus heare a most blessed sentence of absolution so the wicked shall then heare their iust sentence of seperation from God Where all things shall make them to melt away with an horrible dread and minister great matter of all feare and terrour in that day For first it shall be a most fearefull thing to see and consider the number of them without number that shall run hither and thither to hide themselues in the holes of the earth The place ground on which they must stand will be fearefull for it shall be all on a flaming fire The Iudge will be fearefull for God is Iudge himselfe The things that they shall be iudged off will be fearefull for their secret and darke vngodlinesse shall then euerie thought of it come to light and be iudged in the sight of fire in the sight of water in the sight of Angels in the sight of all the elements in the sight of men and presence of God the Iudge of quicke and dead on whose head are many crownes and who is clothed with a garment dipt in blood Apoc. 19.11.13 The witnesses will be fearefull which will be their owne griping conscience and Gods all-seeing prouidence the accusing Angels their offended brother and millions of creatures abused by them The bench will be fearefull for it shall be to them a tribunall of iudgment without mercie The sentence will be if any thing most fearefull as that which shall proceed against al vnrighteous persōs in the fearefull forme Go ye accursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Deuil and his Angels And the fire that to which they are appointed shall haue no end of feare For this fire is a far other thing then the fire of the chimney the fire of Gehenna then materiall fire The vses of this point concerne the godly and sinners Vse 1 It is comfortable to the godly that Christ shall be Iudge and they who haue followed him in the regeneration may lift their head to their redemption at hand when he commeth who will iudge his people with equitie that is with sauour For he must be Iudge who hath communicated to all his seruants the sweete and louing names of his a Mar. 33. mother sisters brethren b Cant. 4.9 10.11.12 spouse c Iohn 15.14.15 friends Now we are his mother if we beare him in the wombe of our hearts by faith as Marie bore him in the wombe of her bodie And we are his brethren and sisters if we loue him as brethren and cherish him as sisters in his weake and despised seruants among vs. And if we keepe our selues to him alone by matrimoniall faithfulnesse we are his spouse wife And we are his friends if we doe whatsoeuer he command vs. We being these and doing thus what need we feare for if we be his mother may we not come to him with as great boldnesse and expectation of successe as did Bath-sheba to Salomon the naturall mother to her Sonne 1. King 2.19 If we be his spouse shall we feare to make him our Iudge who is one with vs in spirituall marriage and by the espousall of faith our husband and friend or will one kind brother feare to make another his Iudge Can he condemne vs to death who hath redeemed vs from death eternall He is our Iudge who also is our aduocate at his fathers right hand and maketh intercession for vs. Art thou afraide that thy Iudge will be vnmercifull O what a vaine feare is that seeing he is thy Iudge who condemned himselfe to saue thee from iudgement who emptied himselfe for thy filling bestowed and spent himselfe for thy restoring and gaue his life which passed out at all the gates of his bodic for the life of thy soule Can the sentence be sharpe that commeth from the throne of grace in the hand of a Redeemer from whom commeth saluation or will he who stood at the barre to deliuer vs go vp to the bench and sit downe in the throne to condemne vs Rom. 8.1 or shall we feare any longer when our aduocate is made our Iudge And when he who came to saue vs may saue or condemne But shall Christ bee iudge Vse 1 The other was not more comfortable to the Saints then this shall bee terrible to vngodly sinners For what a hart-breaking will it bee to the wicked and death beyond all kindes of death temporall to see him who is their chiefe enemie in chiefe place What comfort can it bee to a couetous man or woman to be iudged by him for auarice who limited all his cares to the present day and spake so much earnestly against the morrowes care Or to a proud person to haue him his Iudge who humbled himselfe as a child being God of maiestie and set the low doore of humilitie before the courts of his fathers house Or to fleshly persons to appeare at his barre of iudgement whose whole life was lead in temperance and commandement was that we should be sober Or to Whoremongers and Adulterers whom God will iudge Heb. 13.4 to receiue sentence of death or absolution from his mouth who himselfe was born of a pure Virgin and hath those for his followers who were not defiled with women Apoc. 14.4 Or to the vnmercifull to be
is sufficient for vs to know that such a day will come and it shall be our wisdome alwayes to be ready for it that it come not vpon vs as the snare vpon the bird The reasons of the certainetie of this day of iudgement are First it is the will and decree of God for the Apostle saith He hath appointed a day in the which hee will iudge the world in righteousnesse Act. 17.31 Now the wil and decree of God is vnchangeable His counsell shall stand Esa 46.10 Secondly it is an article of our faith grounded on the word of God But the articles of our faith are all certaine and most certaine Thirdly the scripture saith that God will make manifest euerie mans worke and iudge the secrets of men Eccles 12.14 Luc. 8.17 Rom. 2.16 This is not done here and here many matters are cloked and carried in a mist that deserue iudgement and merit condemnation Therefore and that God may be iust in his sayings there must be a sessions of gaol-deliuery which we call with the scriptures the iudgement of the last day Fourthly the godly doe here groane vnder many miseries and the vngodly wallow in delights the rich liue delicately and Lazarus is in paine therefore is it necessary as it is certain that a day should come wherein the Lord may make knowne his righteousnesse and magnifie his iustice before his glorious throne that they who haue liued merrily dishonouring God might liue in torments of fire and they whose life hath beene miserable seruing the Lord might be comforted for euer Some haue offended deepely and haue not beene touched by the Magistrate some haue suffered great rebuke somtimes death deseruing fauour therefore a day must come and is appointed wherein the Lord that is iust will recompence tribulation to all that haue troubled the righteous and to such as were troubled by them rest 2. Thes 1.6.7 On the other side would it not be hard for the godly who here haue endured the crosse for the ioy that was set before them if there shold not come a time of refreshing from God and would it not too much induâ—rate the wicked who drinke iniquity as water if they should escape all punishments and vengeance here and after death Fiftly this is shadowed out in that housholder who when euen was come called the Labourers and gaue euery man his hire and pennie Math. 20.8.10 And if a wise Master will reckon with his seruants Math. 25.19 shall we thinke that the wisest will not one day reckon with sinners and call them before him for his money that is precious graces of wit learning authoritie wealth and other ontward and inward ornaments of life which they haue consumed on their lusts Sixtly euery wicked mans conscience doth by a trembling feare as in Felix at one time or another iustifie this point of a iudgmeÌ„t to come Act. 24 26. And therefore as the flood of waters once drowned the world except a few who were saued in the arke Gen. 7 1.7.2 Pet. 2.5 So it is certain that the flood and tempest of the last daies fire shall burne it and all in it except such as Christ hath or wil then gather into the little arke of his Church In the euening of this world and when there shall be no more time he will call the labourers before him giuing them the pennie or pay of euerlasting life but for the idle and loiterers forth of the vineyard and out of Christ he will let them goe with sinners to the place prepared for them as they haue liued without the Church or idlie in it so when the labourers receaue their pennie they shall heare depart from mee ye that worke iniquitie I know you not Math. 7.23 Thus it is proued not onely to be certaine but necessarie that there should be a iudgment But some will say Quest seeing men come to their account at their death what needeth any other day of audit or hearing I answere Answ Men at their death receiue but priuate iudgement here they shall receiue publike sentence Then they are iudged in their soules onely here they shall bee iudged in soule and bodie that is but a close Sessions that an open or solemne assise There much of their shame is hid here they shall be shamed to the full And if our owne lawes doe not condemne and execute malefactors in prison but for their greater shame in open place and manner It is great reason that wicked sinners should not priuately in their graues as in prison bee iudged and led to execution but be brought to the publike scaffold and barre of solemne fession there to receiue their shame and sentence together and not to bee executed by a close death in the goale but be broght forth to suffer vpon the high stage of the world in the sight of Saints and Angels where all eyes may see them But is not Christ iudge in this life Quest And is there not a iudgement begun here Indeed Answ there is a iudgement begun already a iudgement that goeth before this of the last day For God hath erected in the consistorie of euerie mans heart a certaine iudgement seat where conscience is iudge The wicked securely despise or scornefully deride this iudge and iudgement seat but it giueth them many secret gripes though they profit not by them Oftentimes Gods children themselues because that the noises and sounds that the ring of the world maketh in them doe too much neglect these loude cals of their consciences to amendment of life But this is the iudgement that the Lord beginneth here with which they must well bee acquainted who meane to stand before Christ the iudge at the last day And this one well compareth to our quarter-Sessions which are kept for mulcts and meddle not in matters of life and death as Sessions of goale deliuerie doe For in this mid-space betweene these Sessions and that day of assise the Lord executeth a kind of iudgement among his houshould people and enemies by taking his grace from his seruants for a season from the wicked for euer Or by taking something from his children that they loued to much and did hurt them and that from the wicked that they seemed to haue The first to prepare the righteous for a better world the other to make the wicked readie for the sentence of their last and iust damnation begunne in this world That we may be fitted for this comfortable meeting of the Lord in the ayre and not liue in sinne as those workers of iniquitie doâ— vpon whom these mid-Sessions haue passed sentence binding them ouer to the close sessions of their death or more publike assise of the last day when all prisons must be rid and graues emptied let vs not sleightly passe ouer those seuerall penalties that the Lord inflicteth at his quarter-sessions in the twitches of our conscience for some good omitted or euill done But when he thus calleth vs let vs answere here am I. A
bee without their honour whom Christ will bring with him and whom hee will make to sit with him on thrones in the ayre The Iudges of assise haue much honour And therefore the Iustices that sit with them sit downe on an honourable bench So Christ being exalted Shall not his Saints reioice When Dauid was made King all Dauids children sate neere the throne though not in the throne His sonnes were the kings sonnes and the posteritie he had the Kings children Thus Dauids honour honoured those that come of him And such honour haue all the Saints Such Nay greater For they all are Kings all sit on thrones who come with Christ 1. Cor. 6.2 More is spoken of this in the next doctrine But the Saints are a part of Christs company attendance that is he will bring them with him when hee commeth to giue iudgement against the world of the vngodly Doctr. From whence we learne that the faithull though despised here shall haue the honour from Christ at his comming to bee companions with him in the last Sessions This is the prerogatiue of the Saints and their proper glorie They shall meet Christ in the clouds and raigne with him for euer in heauenly places When the wicked shall stand vpon the earth as vpon a burning floore the fire flaming high about their cares they shall bee receiued into fellowship with Christ and then shall the iudgement begin The Prophet aimed at this Psa 50.4 5 who speaking of this great day of the Lords comming sheweth whom the Lord would call vnto it either to stand before him as witnesses or to be ioined with him as companions The witnesses are heauen and earth They whom Christ will haue in company with him are the Saints And therefore hee saith Gather my Saints together vnto mee Psal 50.5 Math. 24.31 As if hee had said Let heauen and earth come to iudgement but let my elect come to the bench And Dauid speaking of the Saints glorified doth not set them in the outward courts of Gods house but in the presence Psal 16.11 In thy presence saith hee that is in place where thou art This is resembled in the Lambes standing on mount Sion and in those hundred fourtic and foure thousand that were with him hauing his fathers name written in their forheads Apoc. 14.1 For by the Lamb is meant Christ and by the hundred fourty and foure thousand the company of the Saints who shall be with Christ So in the Virgens that went to meete the Bridegroome Math. 2â— 1 But more specially in those who being ready when the Bridegroome went in went in with him to the wedding ver 10. But the Apostle S. Paul speaketh plainely and not in a figure where speaking of the great honour that the Saints shall haue in the sight of the damned he saith They shall be caught vp in the cloudes and meet Christ in the aire 1. Thes 4 17. And addeth So they shall euer be with the Lord. The meaning is and it is as if he had said they shall neuer be strangers but companions Christ himselfe hath said it who speaking to his Disciples and in them to the rest of the thousands of his Saints that haue followed him in the regeneration promiseth that they shall sit on seats or rather on glorious thrones Math. 19.28 Luc. 22.30 Now he is faithfull who hath promised and will surely doe it Therefore shall the righteous abide with Christ for euer The reasons The Saints are Christs seruants Now where the Master is there must the seruants bee that waite vpon him Ioh. 12.26 nay they are Christs friends Ioh. 15.5 and where should a friend be but in the presence of his friend or they are Christs court Therefore where he is there must they be for where the King is there the court is And they be more then of his court for they are of his court and counsell too Ioh. 15.15 And so Christs presence is not only where they are as the Kings is at court but they be his counsell-table or court of power wherein he sitteth gloriously as the King in his throne Secondly and to reason from the lesse to the greater If a good Master will preferre his good followers when himselfe is preferred Christ being so highly exalted in glorie will much more honour those thousands that haue beene of his company and attendance here And so they who haue had fellowship with Christ in his afflictions shall haue fellowship with him in his glorie and they who haue suffered with him shall raigne with him 2. Tim. 2.12 Thirdly Luc. 12.32 this is the hope of the faithfull and shall the hope and patient abiding of the faithfull deceiue them Vse 1 This teacheth the righteous to beare the iniuries of the world quietly and willingly For the day will come when their persecutors shall be troden downe to hell and second death and they presently receiue the crowne of their sufferings who haue suffered for Christ Here hee that refraineth from euill maketh himselfe a prey Esa 59.15 and it is safer to doe wrong then to complaine of an iniury we but let me not too much discourage Gods children for that which is thus and so here shall bee contrary hereafter when the Lord shall requite the furie of his aduersaries with a recompence verse 18. then they who here despised the righteous mans life will say that they whom they thought to bee fooles and their end without honour are now counted among the children of God and their portion among the saints Wisd 5.4.5 what though the companions of the diuell set themselues as in battell array against those whom it pleaseth Christ in a gracious fellowship thus to call his and the companions of his comming after a while they shall be gathered to Christ and be free from all wrongs of men and at Christs comming see the iust iudgement and vengeance of all those who cruelly hurt them themselues sitting on the bench and giuing a kind of iudgement against them with Christ and the thousands that are with him But shall the Saints be in company with Christ at his comming Vse 2 and bee made a part of his attendance Then let vs consider our high calling and not company with sinners that must haue fellowship with Christ We cannot alway auoide those that be such yet we must in affection seperate from them when we cannot in place and not delight to sit down with them on one stoole There is a large fellowship of men in the world whose whole studies and desires are bent to passe the time in drinking gaming rioting and other beastly exercises and hee that will not be combined in fellowship with such loose mates is counted no bodie but Gods children and they who meane to haue fellowship with Christ must abhorre this vngodly fellowship of lewd men and not haue one purse or communion with them who beleeue the communion of saints not communion of light with such darknesse Prou. 1.14 2.
and wisely of our brother we may not iudge of the tree by the sappe neither may we iudge our brothers heart but must leaue that to his iudgment seat who knoweth it and the secretest walkes of it Neither is rash iudgement onely here forbidden but much more all lying iudgement as to say a man doth euill when he doth well or when he doth euill to say he doth worse then hee doth When a thing is doubtfull to take it in the worst part and when it is plaine to obscure it This meteth also with a kind of people who blow abroad vncharitably the faults which they should couer and haue their tongues alwaies vpon their neighbours sores setting their small faults vpon tenters and great vpon the stage of the wide world But the time that such spend in censuring of others they should bestow in amending of themselues remembring that they haue a Iudge and that that Iudge is the Lord who is full of eyes and lacketh not power to thrust into hell all such vsurping Iudges who speake cruelly and without respect either of their owne frailtie or their brothers amendment But more of this in the place thereof hereafter Here also they are reproued who giue a fauourable sentence not so much vpon euill doers as vpon their euill deedes calling their euill good Esa 5.20 For these doe not onlie preuent but flatly crosse Christs righteous iudgement Of these saith Salomon He that iustifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the iust euen they both are an abhomination to the Lord. And let them consider this who will be sure to speake for or to speake well of a wicked person or excuse him in his boldnesse with a lying tongue Men may commend such as charitable but God will condemne them as vnrighteous they may bee welcome to men but they are an abhomination to God You will say Christians must iudge charitably Charitably I grant but not falsely Charitie must neither bee too quicksighted nor blind And here wise iudgement is not forbidden but rash iudgement So much for the general end of Christs second comming the particular followeth And to rebuke all the vngodly among them c. The particular end of Christs comming concerneth the vngodly among men and that is to rebuke them to damnation and to set their doings in his angry countenance Where the Apostle setteth down two things as the forme of iudgement in the word rebuke or conuince and â—ow farre it exceedeth in the letter he speaketh of the persons who and the matters where of they shall be iudged The forme is by a iudgement of rebuke or conuiction wherein the Lord will proceede against all vngodly persons seuerely and terribly by his word and their owne consciences For God rebuketh two waies either in mercy when he correcteth his children Haâ— 3.2 or in iustice without mercie when he destroyeth his enemies Psal 6.1 Of the latter it is meant where it is said that the Lord will rebuke all the vngodly among men as if it had beene said he wil rebuke them to a perpetuall destruction or poure out his furie vpon them The doctrine here taught is The day of Christs comming against his enemies will be intollerable and full of wrath So the word sheweth whereby the Apostle doth expresse their igtollerable iudgement to come For he saith the Lord will rebuke Meaning that in his iudgement of rebuke he will reproue them by the booke of theirown wicked hearts which shall be so touched as it were opened euerie leafe of it and worke in it that all shall come forth Apoc 20.12 and they shall bee able to deny nothing that shall bee obiected against them and being thus laid open in their own consciences he will presently execute his fierce anger vpon them by punishing them with hell fire Esay the Prophet saith speaking of the Lords comming to iudgment against vngodly men that he will stretch out his hand as one that swimmeth his meaning is His iudgement shall so extend to them all that no one shall escape it Esay 25.11 Yea as an ouerflowing riuer so shall it be and shall goe ouer all their bankes and with such force break into their soules that they shall bee able no more to auoide this destruction of fire then the old world could that of the floud Esay 8.7.8 Now will not this be an intollerable iudgement that thus shal single out euery vngodly sinner as it were by the Pole to perishment It shall not be auoided and it cannot be abidden so terrible to all the Lords enemies shall the Lords comming be But this is set downe more fully by Saint Mathew where shewing how Christ in his last iudgement shall seperate his own people from strangers as a Shepheard separateth the sheepe from the goates he saith he will call to saluation the righteous whom therefore hee will set on the right hand of his fauour but for the wicked whom therefore he will set as on his left hand before the face of his rebuke in all their sinnes hee will in the chiding voice of that his last iudgement send them from his own comfortable presence to haue company with the Diuell his Angels of darknes in the lowest hels The words are Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the Diuell and his Angels Math. 25.41 One writing vpon these words doth thus amplifie As if the damned should say Lord let vs be in thy presence though vnworthy to sit downe vpon seates in thy kingdome No saith the Lord but depart from me that is out of my sight and presence for euer Yet say the damned if thou put vs out of thy sight blesse vs before we goe Gen. 27.38 No saith the Lord but depart yee cursed And must wee goe with a curse say the damned yet send vs into some place of ease and comfort No saith the Lord but goe into a lake of fire Yet let this fire haue an end might the damned say No saith the Lord but goe into euerlasting fire If wee must depart into euerlasting fire might the damned say yet let vs haue some good company there No saith the Lord but goe into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the Diuell and his Angels hauing the Prince of Diuels for your King and the rest of the Diuels for your companions And thus after this second Noah hath blessed the seed of the righteous as is said before in this Chapter vers 34. he will curse all the Chams of the earth Gen. 9.24 And now that the blessing is past which not Iacob alone but the seede of Iacob hath gotten though they would say with Esau yet blesse vs euen vs also before we goe hence they shal heare not from Isaac but from him that is iudge in the clouds who hauing made an end of blessing shall say Iacob haue I blessed and hee shall be blessed the godly are with me and shall euer remaine with mee but for you the workers of iniquitie