sell and ââye for your selues But whyles they went to buy the brydegrome ââe and they that were ready ââat in with him vnto the mariage ââd the gate was shutte vp Anon after came the other virgins and saiâ Lord Lord open to vs. But he ansâred and sayd Verily I say vnto youâ know you not Watch therfore for know neyther the day nor yet the hâwer wherin the Sonne of man shâ come Luk. 12.35 Let your loynes be girded abouâ and your lightes burning and ye yoââselues like vnto men that waight fââ their master when he wil return froâ the wedding that when he commeth and knocketh ye may open vnto him For happy are those seruantes whoâ the Lorde when hée commeth findetâ waking If he come in the secoÌd watch or third watch finde theÌ so happy arâ those seruantes Verely he shall gâââ him selfe and shall make them to sââ downe to meate shall walke by and minister vnto them Luk. 12.39 This vnderstand you If the good man of the house knew what howre the théefe would come hée would surely watch and not suffer his house to be broken vp Euen so if we knewe in what day or hower the Lord would come we would surely watch we would be prepared and adourned âe would haue lightes in our handes ãâã oyle in our Lampes But we doe ât know the day nor hower nor shal ânow And therfore let vs be prepared ãâã man hower that we thinke not Mar. 13.35 wil âe sonne of man come Watch I say ãâã ye know not when the maister of ââe house will come whether at euen â at midnight whether at the cocke âwing or in the dawning least if hée ââme sodeÌly he should find you sléeping Now if the euill seruant shall say thus ãâã his heart Math. 24.48 Tush my maister will deââre his comming and shall begin to ââuite his fellow seruants and shall begân to eat and drink and to be dronken ââe same seruants Lord shall come in a day when he looketh not for him and in an hower when he is not ware shall geue him his portion with hypocrites there shal be wéeping and gnashing of ââeth But contrariwise Luke 12.44 if the Lord shal find his seruaÌt wel doing he shal make him ruler ouer al his houshold Watch therefore and pray continually that we may obtein grace to flee al that shalâ come and that we may staÌd before thâ sonne of man Let vs pray that our flight be not in the winter nor on thâ the Sabboth day Mat. 24. â0 For so our Sauiour counselleth in the 24. of Saint Mathewe For to walke in the winter it was not good and vppon the Sabboth day it was not lawefull Meaning that we should pray and that with a stedfast and ardent fayth that the day of the Lord come not vppon vs vnprepared For if it doe wée shall not escape the euilles that then shal be nor yet be able to stande safely before the Sonne of man Beloued we haue bene warned to leaue our surfetting dronkennesse and to forsake the superfluous cares of this life We haue bene exhorted to watchfulnesse and to prayer and stil are we called vpon for these matters Howbeit wée are lyttle or nothing the better Mat. 12 4â The men of Niniue shall arise at the day of iudgement to condemne vs. For they amended at the short preaching of Ionas We haue bene called vpon with often and long ââeaching and yet cannot frame to lay ârâm vs the old man Ephe. 4.22 that marreth him seâfe with deceiuable vanities But let vâ thinke and beléeue that the negleâting of Gods holy spirit speaking in his prophets can not but prouoke Gods heauie wrath and indignation spedily to bée powred vppon vs. The heauens the earth and sea haue already witnessed the same against vs which vnlesse wée conuert in the measure of our sinnes he will power foorth vpon vs and so wee shall perish in his iustice vtterly that in mercy refused to imbrace his trueth obediently Mat. 3.10 Now is the axe put to the roote of the trée so that euery trée that bringeth not forth gââd fruite shall bée hewen downe Mat. 12.33 and cast into the fire Eyther then make the trée good and his fruit good or make the trée euill and his fruite âill also For beholde Iames. 5.9 the Iudge standeth before the dore It is tyme for vs to awake out of sléepe and to gyrde vp our loynes and to be ready with oyle in our lampes and to be adorne with our wedding garments that wâ may finde entraunce to the Lords marriage For sith it is most certaine thaâ Christ shall come to iudge both quicâ and dead Rom. 14.12 sith that euery one of vs shal geue account of him self to God 2. Pe. 3.10 sith thâ heauens shal passe away in manner ãâã a tempest sith the elements shall meââ with heate sith the earth also and thâ workes therein shal burne sith al thesâ things shall perishe what manner persons ought we to be in holy conuersation godlinesse looking for and hasting vnto the comming of the day of God ãâã which the heauens shall perish with ââer the elemeÌts shal be consumed with heate â Pe. 3.13 Neuerthelesse we looke for a new heauen and a newe earth according to his promise wherein dwelleth righteousnesse Wherfore beloued séeing we looke for such things let vs be diligent that we may be found of him in peace without spot and vndefiled growing in grace in the knowledge of the Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ that in the ende of the world when he shall come in ãâã clowds with power and great gloâ we perish not with the vnbeléeuers which the Lord graunt for his infinite âercy and goodnesse and for his chosen âââe shorten these vnhappy dayes that âârruptible may be swallowed vp of inâârruptibilitie and mortall of immorâââlity And that as in this woful Egypt âe haue fouÌd him a louing father so in âhe world to come we may behold him â merciful Sauiour Mat. 25.34 may receiue that ãâã and happiest blessing that neuer again shal be reuoked which thing likewise the father of al comfort and consolation spéedily bring vpon vs al for the tender loue of his beloued sonne Iesus Christ to whome with the holy ghost thrée distinct persons in trinitie but one eternal immortal most glorious God be al praise honour glory now and for euer Amen
euerlasting fire prepared for the deuill and his Angels Would God men did consider of these things and think vpon this streite iudgement in the fearfull day of the Lord and as often as they consider hereof whether they eat or drinke or what euer they do to think that the terrible trump of the Lord stil soundeth ãâã theyr eares Arise ye dead come away to ââdgemeÌt But what do they Though âây heare it preached that the day of ââe Lord is at hand yet they continue âââelesse they eat they drink they maââ are married they plaÌt they bild They build as though they should lyue ãâã euer they eate drinke as though ââey should dye to morrow saying 1. Cor. 15.23 Let âs eate and drinke for to morrow wee ââall dye Wheras if they did but think ãâã the world to come and remember ââw that euery one must geue an acââunt of him selfe vnto God they could âât they would not liue so wickedly so âââsually so carelesly so vngodly as ââey do they would not vex the fatherâesse the widdow nor the orphane and âtraunger as they do they would not âake all fish that commeth to the net they would not draw wickednes vnto âhem with a coard Esay 5. 18. and sinne as it were with a cartrope They would prepare ââd make redy themselues to méete the bridgrom They would obserue the adââââition and counsell of our Sauiour who bicause hee foresaw that iniquitiâ should ouerflowe the worlde before hiâ comming and that men would be carelesse about the time of the worldes destruction least we should be taken napping telleth vs what we must do anâ how wee must prepare our selues against his comming For as it is â great griefe vnto an earthly father tâ léese his Sonne for whome hée hath prouided but a meane inheritaunce sâ is it a great griefe to our heauenly Father to léese any of vs his children for whome hee hath prouided not aââ earthy 1. Pe. 1.18 but an heauenly inheritaunce purchased not with golde and siluer which are corruptible but with the effusion of the most precious blood of the immaculate and vndefiled Lambe Iesus Christ The admonition or counsell of our Sauiour is this Take heede to your selues least your hearts be ouercome with surfetting dronkennesse and cares of this lyfe that that day come not on you vnwares For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the earth Watch thereââre continually and pray that you âây obtaine grace to flee all this that ââall come and that you may stand beââe the Son of man In which wordes â willeth vs first to be sober Take âde saieth he vnto your selues least âur hearts be ouercome with surfetâââg dronkennesse Among other creâââres God hath geuen to none so litle ââouth as he hath giuen vnto man âcording to his quantitie which sigâââeth no doubte that man should ãâã more temperate in meates drinks ãâã al other creatures Besides the ââuth of a man is not bent to the earth ãâã are the mouthes of vnreasonable âeatures to signifie that man should âât eate and drinke after the manner âhrute beastes but should moderateââ vse those creatures which GOD ââth geuen as necessary and néedefull ãâã the preseruation of lyfe V. Max. lib. de insti antiquis The auncient Romaines were went ãâã eat their meates in the open stréetes ââd were not ashamed to let the people to sée what they did eate that by the example they myght learne to bee ââber For there is not a more vâ and pernicious thinge than surfâting and dronkennesse By surfâting saieth Ecclesiasticus manâ haue peryshed Eccl. 37.30 Wine and dronkenesse saieth Oze take away ãâã heart Oz. 4.11 Let the dronkardes and voluâtuous Epicures hearken vnto thâ which is written in the fift of the Prâphet Esay Esai 5.11 The wordes bée these Woe bee to them that ryse vp earely giue them selues to dronkennesse aââ set all their myndes so on drinkinâ that they sit sweating therat vntil it night The harp the lute and shaulâââ and plentie of wine are at theyr feaââ but the workes of the Lorde they dâ not beholde nor yet consider the opâration of his handes Esai 5.22 Woe bée to theâ that are mighty to drinke wine ãâã to them that are expert to aduanâââ dronkennes Awak ye dronkards sâââ the Lord Ioel. 1.5 by the Prophet Ioel wââ and howle al ye wine suppers becaâââ ãâã âhe new wine for it shal be pulled ãâã your mouth Pro. 23.31 Looke not saith Saâââ vpon the wine how red it is ââat a coulour it giueth in the glasse âââeth downe softly but in the end it ââeth like a serpent and stingeth like ãâã Adder Gala. 5.19 S. Paule in the fift to the ââlathians reckoneth gluttonie droÌâânesse among the déedes of the flesh ãâã coupleth them with Idolatrie forââcation murther witchcrafte and ââch like most gréeuous and detestaâââ vices and saieth that they that âââmit such thinges shall not inherit ââe kingdome of God And therfore let âât our heartes bee ouercome with âââfetting and dronkennesse 1. Pe. 4.3 Let it ââe enough and sufficient for vs that âée haue spent the time that is past ãâã the lyfe after the will of the Genââles walking in wantonnesse lustes ââonkennesse in eating and drinking ââd in abhominable Idolatrie wherin âseemeth to them a strange thing that ââe runne not also with them to the ââe excesse of ryot and therefore speake they euill of vs which shal gâ accountes to him that is ready to iââ quicke 1. Pe. 4.7 and dead The ende no dââ of all thinges is at hand And thââfore let vs be sober 1. Thes 5.6 Let vs not ãâã as other do but let vs watch and be âber For they that sléepe sléepe in ãâã night and they that bee dronken ãâã dronken in the night But let vs whââ are of the day Ro. 13.11 be sober It is time thâ we should now awake out of sleeâ For now is our saluation néerer thâ when we beléeued The night is passâ and the day is come nigh Let vs thâfore cast away the déedes of darkeneâ and put vpon vs the armour of lightâ Let vs walke honestly as in the dâ light not in eating and drinking neâther in Chambring and wantonneââ neyther in strife and enuying But ãâã vs put on the Lorde Iesus Christ aââ make not prouision for the flesh to fâfill the lustes and desires of it For is the will of God as the Apostle ãâã clareth vnto Titus that we should ânye vngodlinesse Tit. 21.2 and worldly lust aââ thâe should liue sober minded righâây and godly in this preseÌt world ãâã for that blessed hope and gloriââppearing of the mighty God and ââr Sauiour Iesus Christ Seâly our Sauiour willeth vs to flée câres of this life for that the loue ââre of temporall things doth draw ãâã quite away from the loue and deâ of heauenly
after the things that shal come vâpon the earth For the powers of heâuen shal moue These fiue signes shâ goe before the comming of Christ vnâ iudgement First there shal be signâ in the Sunne and in the Moone and â the starres that is as S. Marke wrâteth Mar. 13.24 The Sunne shal be darkened thâ Moone shal not giue her light and tâ starres of heauen shall séeme to fall Secondly in the earth the people shalâ be at their wittes end thorow dispainâ That is as S. Marke againe doeth uâterprete Mar. 13.8 Nation shall rise against nation and kingdome against kingdome Thirdly the sea and the water shal ãâã roare that is there shalbée cruell tempestes vehement and vnaccustomed âââdes Fourthly by reason of these âens hartes shal faile them for feare ãâã looking after the thinges that shall âne vpoÌ the earth Fiftly the powers âf heauen shal moue that is there shall âee straunge sightes in the heauen and ân the earth there shal bee earthquakes ãâã al quarters Briefly the heauen the âârth and sea shal witnes and declare the day of the lord to be at hand Now beloued wée our selues may witnesse that most of these signes and tokens âre passed alreadie For wée haue séene âtraÌge Eclipses of the Sunne moone âée haue séene nation to rise against ââtion and kingdome to rise against kingdome we haue heard of cruel tempestes vehement and vnaccustomed âindes with other strange thinges And therfore wée may iustly prognosticat yea and beléeue that the ends of the worlde are come vppon vs and that it wil not be long before Christ wil come vnto iudgement Beholde sayeth our sauiour the figge tree and all other trees when they shoote foorth the buddes ye see and know of your owâ selues that sommer is nigh at hand ãâã likewyse yee also when yee see the things to come to passe be ye sure thâ the Kingdom of God is nigh at hand But wée haue séene most of these come to passe and therfore let vs thiâ no otherwyse but that the kingdom God is nigh at hand and that the lorâ is ready to take his fanne in his haÌd Mat. 3.12 purge his floore to gather his wherâ into his barne and to burne the chaâ with vnquenchable fire Other tokeâ there are besides these to prooue vnâ vs that the end of the world hangeth âuer our neckes among which in iâ iudgement the preaching of the Gâpel is not the least For as our saâââ sayeth in the 24. chapter after the Gâpel of S. Mathewe Mat. 24.14 The Gospel of ãâã Kingdom shal be preached thorow eâ the world for a witnes vnto al nation and then shal the end come By whâ words the Sonne of man doth plaiâ declare that about the time of tâ worldes destruction the true and comfortable doctrine of Christ shoulde bée preached Whereby it is gathered that the same was obscured and darkened almost defaced by reason of the false Prophetes Apostles afore that time But nowe againe by the vnspeakeable grace and mercy of God we do plainly perceaue such a cleare light of the Gospel to shyne ouer the whole world that in spite of the deuil and his adherents it casteth his bright beames ouer al nations And therefore what other thing may wee looke for but as Christ did foretel a sodaine downfal of this miserable and wretched world Another token of the ouerthrow of the world is because wee doe plainely perceaue all things dayly to wax worse and worse and to decrease in their vertue For example The ayre is oftentimes corrupt sometime with vntimely showres sometime with vnprofitable drynesse nowe with too much colde and nowe with extreame heate The fruitfulnes of the earth is not such as it hath béene afore tyme. Moreouer wée may thinkâ and perceaue the foundations of the world to be worne out and the same to bée falling vppon our shoulders wheâ we sensibly perceaue our selues to liââ in those daies of which our Sauiour hath foreshewed I meane eating anâ drinking marrying and married buying and selling planting and building For neuer more did men eate drinke neuer did they faster marry wyues iâ the dayes of Noe neuer more did they buy and sell plant and builde in thâ dayes of Lot than they doe now which may prooue vnto vs that the endes oâ the worlde are come vpon vs. For as our Sauiour sayth After these examples shal it be Luke 17.30 when the Sonne of man shal appeare And if wée compare thâ tyme present with that which is past and set the manners of men before our eyes wée shal perceaue wickednesse to haue his ripenes and to raigne almost euery where without coÌtrolment For notwithstanding that God thorot Aâ vnspeakeable mercy in these latter dayes hath giuen vs the vse of his most âly worde whereby we shoulde frame ââr lastes and affections according to ãâã most holy will what desire of righââusnesse what loue of vertue what âââe of godlynesse or what zeale of reâââion is there to bée founde yea who is âât in Christianitie eyther colde or âarelesse Wée may nowe plainely see greatest vice to bée counted for chiefest âertue and those men to bée most commended which of al other for impietie ââght most to bée dispraysed For the ârafty deceitful men are counted wise âhe couetous are called good husbands âhe prodigal are called liberal and rich men are déemed the best men Besides S. Paule foresheweth that in the last dayes shal come perillous tymes 2. Tim. 3.1 For men saieth hée shal be louers of themselues couetous bosters proude curââ speakers disobedient to father and ââther vnthankeful vnholy vnkind ãâã so foorth And when did men more âet by themselues When were they ââre couetous When were they more proude when more giuen to cursed speaking when more disobedient to father and mother when more vnthankful when more vnholy when more vnkinde And to bée short when more geuen ouer to worke wickednes Eph. 4.16 that with al kind of gréedines then at thesâ dayes And therfore it must néedes follow the comming of Iesus Christ vnto iudgement to bée nigh at hand Whose comming shal be in a cloude with power great glorie In the first of the Acts Act. 1.9 after the talke that our sauiour had with the Apostles whiles they beheld hee was taken vp and a cloude receaued him out of their sight And while they looked stedfastly vp to Heauen as he went behold two men stood by them in white apparel which also said Ye men of Galilee why stande yée gasing vp into heauen This same Iesus which is taken from you into Heauen shal so come euen as ye haue séene him to goe into heauen But hée went in a cloude into heauen and therefore hée shal come in a cloude from heauen with power and greate glory euen as â Paule wryteth in the fourth of the ãâã Epistle to the Thessalonians 1. Thes 4.16 The âorde shal descend from
glory or euerlasting infamie euen as Dauid againe to the comforting of him selfâ and the Church telleth vs in thesâ wordes Then thought I to vnderstanâ this Psal 73.16 but it was too hard for me vntiâ I went into the sanctuarie of God and considered the end of these meÌ Namely how thou settest them in slipperiâ places that thou maist cast them dowâ headlong and destroy them O hoâ sodenly do they consume perish anâ come to a fearefull ende Yea euen aâ a dreame when one awaketh so makesâ thou their Image to vanish out of thâ Citie And because the infirmitie oâ the godly is great whiles they carrâ this earthly tabernacle about them that they cannot but feare by reasoâ of those fearefull tokens that shall goâ before the ende and consummation oâ the worlde therefore our Sauiour tâ their comfort and consolation speakeââ vnto them in this wise Luke 21.2 When thesâ things beginne to come to passe theâ looke vp and lift vp your heades for ââr redemption draweth nigh Meaâââ that they should not faint but ãâã plucke vp their heartes and bée âârry for that they do prognosticate ãâã declare how that their redemption ãâã at hand when they shal be deliuered ãâã raunsomed as it were from the ââseries of this lyfe in the comming âf the Sonne of God vnto iudgement ãâã consideration whereof Paule calâââh this day the day of Redemption Eph. 4.30 ãâã of this his deliueraunce he gloriââ in these wordes 2. Ti. 4.7 I haue fought a ââod fight haue fulfilled my course ââd haue kept the fayth From henceâârth is layde vp in stoare for mee a âowne of righteousnesse which the âord that is a righteous Iudge shall ââeme at that day not to me only but ââto all them also that loue his comâing And therfore the day of the Lord âââht not to be terrible to the godly ââither ought they to feare his coÌming ãâã that he commeth to deliuer them to ât them at ease but to render to the wicked eternall paine And I do firmely beléeue that the godly haue a thirstâ and a desire to enter into the courteâ of the Lordes house Psal 84.2 that they desirâ the day of Redemption Luke 11.2 that they still crye Let thy kingdome come Thaâ they still cry Apoc. 22.20 Come Lorde Iesu Thaâ they looke vp waighting his comming Phil. 3.21 which shall make their vile bodyes like to his owne glorious body That they desire Apo. 21.2 euen a litle shew â that holy citie new Ierusalem descending from heauen prepared of GOD as a bryde garnished for her husband For they certeinely beléeue that theâ there shall bée a full and complete endâ of all their troubles But the troubles of the wicked shall then beginâ The wicked shall sée aboue them aââ angry Iudge beneath them an horryble pytte of hell without them â burning worlde within them a gnawing conscience on the ryght handâ theyr sinnes accusing them on thâ lefte hande the deuiles halling theâ to torment The wretched sinners thââ sâ are besette where shall they go ââh then where shall they flée Ps 139.7 Oh then âââre shall they hide Oh whether âââll they go then from his spirit or âhether shall they goe then from his âââsence If they clime vp into heauen âis there If they goe downe to bell ãâã is there also If they take the wings âf the morning and remaine in the vtâârmost part of the Sea euen there ãâã shall his hand leade them and his âââht hand shal hold them If they say ââe darkenesse shall couer vs then shall âheir night be turned to day For the âârkenes is no darkenes with the Lord. The night is as cléere as the day the âârknesse and lyght vnto him are both âââke Oh with what terrour shall the ââcked be stroken in the day of the Lord Oh in what feare shall they be Ap. 6.16 They shall say to the hyls and rockes Fall vpon vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth on the seat and from the wrath of the Lambe for the great day of his wrath is come who is able to abide it The mockers which haue saide 2. Pe. 3.4 Where is the promise oâ his comming shall then sée and féeâ his comming to their great gréefâ shame and confusion when as too laââ repenting them selues they shall saâ Tedious wayes haue wee gone Sap. 5.7 but â for the way of the Lorde wée haue ãâã knowne What good hath our prâââ done vnto vs or what profit hath thâ pompe of riches brought vnto vs Lââ these thinges are passed away like â shadowe and thus are we consumed ãâã our owne wickednesse For the hope â the vngodly is like a dry thistle flowerâ or dust that is blowne away with thâ winde lyke a thinne fome that is scattered abroade with a storme and aâ the smoake that is dispersed with thâ winde and as the remembraunce of ãâã straunger that tarryeth but for a day and then departeth But the righteouâ shall liue for euermore their reward ãâã with the Lord and their remembranââ with the highest Therefore shall theâ receiue a glorious kingdome and aâ beautifull crowne at the Lordes hand For with his right hand shall hee couer ãâã and with his holy arme shall hée ââfend them Mat. 25.32 For when the Sonne of ãâã shal come in his glory and all the ââly Angels with him then shal he sit âpon the seate of his glory and before ãâã shall be gathered all nations and ââe shall separate the one from the oâher as the Shephearde deuideth the âhéepe from the Goates And hee shall âet the Shéepe on his right hand and âhe Goates on his left hand that is to âây the wicked whom hée compareth ââto Goates For as the Goates are ââthy and stincking beastes so the âicked by reason of their sinnes do âtincke in the sight of God And as the Goates do stricke the gyltlesse shéepe with their hornes so the wicked do punish and afflicte the godly with their tyranny And as the Goates do destroy the orcharde and garden so do the wicked destroye the vineyarde of the Lorde as it is sayde in the thirde of the Prophet Esay Esay 3. 14. Ye haue eate vp the Vineyarde the robberie of the poore is in your house These Goateâ hée shall set on his left hand And theâ shall the king saye to them on hiâ ryght hande Come blessed childreâ of my Father inherit the kingdomâ prepared for you from the beginningâ Then shall the king say to them on the left hand Departe from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the deuill and his angels Oh then how happy shal they be thaâ shall heare this ioyfull and happy sentence of Christ Come ye blessed of my father inherit the kingdoÌ prepared foâ you from the beginning of the world Oh then how vnhappy shall they bée that shall heare this terrible and fearfull sentence Go cursed into