cap. 1. Circa medium capitis He hath these words Per quot dies tendatur iudicium hoc incertum est sed Scripturarum more sanctarum diem poni solere pro tempre nemo qui illas litter as quamlibet negligenter ligerit nescit How many daies that iudgement time shall holde it is vncertaine but it s the custme of the Scripture to put a day for the length of time and none haue beene so little conuersant in the Scriptures but know this Had Augustine thought it shuld be mentall he neede not haue spoken of Daies for it would haue a short cut be soone dispatcht On the other side Some supposeit shall be Mental onely and they bring the not Canonicall Scripture for proofe Wisedeme cap. 4. ver 19. Without a voice he shall burst them Others hold that the Sentence of iudgement shall bee both Mentall and Vocal because the Iudge shall iudge both as God and man therefore that his iudgement shall be both after a diuine and an humaine manner But for these opinion although I rater thinke with the last yet I say Of secret things which belong to the creator there can bee no sure determination by the creature Thus I pray O Lord increase our faith tell our death so shall we be sure to be Christs when wee are dead and then shall we not care whether the iudgement be vocall or mentall ne or both Some are of opinion that so many men shall be saued as diuelsfell Some that so many shall be saued as Angels stood A third sort say That there shall be in heauen two wals the one of Angels the other of men and that the ruine of the Angels shall be restored with Virgins the other wals shall haue so many Saints to make vp that as there are both Angels and Virgins But these vncertaine opinions of men I leaue to the future trial of such holy men as shall inioy blessednesse there where they shall truely iudge of these opinions In the meane time my Quaere is whether the number of the Angels that stood or the diuels that fell be the greater Of the Angels that stood some thinke they are moe in number now remaining then all the material things created and the Prophet speaking of them sets down no determinate number of them but they are thousand thousands and ten thousand thousands Deut. 7.10 that is they are innumerable Quoad nos in respect of vs. As for the diuels that fell thogh with Bucanus in his booke of Angels I suppose that there is Paene innnmerabilis numerus Almost a number without number not to be numbred yet I beleeue that more stood by the mercy of God then were suffired to fall in his iustice onely what I thinke in this to be true I know not This I know if that the redeemer of our soules hath written all our here-names in the Cataloque of the holy ones that shall be saued it wil not hurt vs though wee know not the number of them that shal be sued true faith will assure vs of the one now and bring vs assuredly where we shall know the other hereafter 4 The fourth part of my text is the manner how we shall be iudged set downe to be In righteousnesse for the goodnesse of the vpright Iudge may be a warrant to vs for righteousnesse in iudgement Righteousnes in God is De essentia A part of his essence nay it is God for Quicquid est in deo deus est Whatsocuer is in God is God therefore to haue him giue Rectum in dicium right iudgement it is no doubt Dauid saith He is inst in all his waies and righteous in all his workes and according to a worke of righteousnesse he will iudge the world therefore he saith Psa 35. Iudge me according to ty righteousnesse True iustice is Suum cuique tribuere To giue euery one his owne saith the Philosopher and so will God render to cuery one according to their workes be they good or euill Among many pettie Iudges Ignorantia legis the ignoraÌ„ce of the law maketh a default in iudgement But our Iudge was the lawgiuer himself therfore there needeth no writ of errour be sued out among all Iudges Ignoratia facti the ignorance of the fact for want of true Euidence may produce a wrong sentence but this Iudge is Serntator cordium The searcher of all hearts he knoweth al thoughts as the Psalmist saith Yea knoweth what wee will doe before it is done and therefore he must needes iudge aright when it is done This Iudge who shall iudge vs was once iudgd himselfe and we who one day must be iudged doe at this day oft in dge others but yet others and our selues shall be once iudged by him who will one day be iudge of all yea and that in righteousnesle as himselfe was not iudged Pilate the iudge yeelded that he found no fault in him at all and yet against all right with more wrong he gaue sentence vpon him the tenour whereof the Euangelists haue concealed yet in an old writer I finde it thus recorded Iesus Nazari seductor populi quem gens tua namprobauit regem propter contentum Caesareae magistatis praecipio te primum flagellari secundum principum statuta deinde in cruce ileuari I lictor expedi crusom Iesus of Nazareth a seducer of the people one whom thine owne nation haue allowed King for contempt of the Maiestie of Cesar I doe command that according to the Lawes of Princes Thou be first whipt then lifted vp to the Crosse Goe Sergeant prepare the Gibbet Thus dealt Pilate with him in whose mouth was found no guile then what shall become of vs in whom is found so much For if the iust man fall seauen times a day Pro. 24.16 How shall they escape whose life is continual fal Howsoeuer my text saith we shall be iudged in righteousnesse we shall haue our due and beare but our owne burthen yet that without helpe God knowes is too heauie Were the Iudges in the world like the Iudge of the world to iudge all in righteousnesse oh it were well Socrates laught because hee saw great theeues hang vp little theâ—ues but we may grieue to see poore flies intangled where Bees pasle through without any stoppage the best is this All are but Stewards and al must be countable Habent supremi iudices superiorem iudicem Chiefe Iudges shall haue the chiefe Iudge to iudge theÌ„ if they for fauor do not giue true iudgement If in a country thou seest the oppression of the poore the defrauding of iudgement iustice be not astonied at the matter for he that is higher then the highest regardeth and there be higher then they Eccl. 5.7 Si tanta in terris haberetur fides quanta in caelis exspectatur merces If men had so much faith on earth as they expect teward with the sonne of man in heauen good Lord what a world should we haue But farth of late hath
betaken it selfe to it wings and is fled from peoples hearts godlines is become as a vagrant gees vp and downe from towne to towne from partie to partie for want of imployment the intertainment thereof is a passeport whipt away from the earth and sent home to heauen the place where it was borne Religion is fixt in the sphere of no mans heart there is none that doth good no not one it is now Plannet-like sometimes nigher sometimes farther off he who giues it oâ—be-rome This moneth discards it the moneth following we haue so many temporizers that few shall be eternized so many on earth that few in heauen So much dissimulation that Momus his wish to Iupiter as the Poets faint to haue a glaslewindow in mens brests to diseerne betweene their hearts and their words would be a Boone to the world So little fidelitie that an honest plaine dealing man is Animal rarum like a nightrauen seldome seene so that we may instly with Diogines take a candle and a lanthorne at noone day and say Quae ro hommem I seeke a man We liue in an age I cannot say the least God be thanked it is the last but I may too truely say the worst and as the Cynicke said of an Italian Take a light and seeke cuerie hole and not finde a worse so say I of our times Take paines and search all stories and not finde the like Hence I inferre that these bee the last daies and farthest times of our Sauiours comming that the appointed day is at our very heeles because now our good friends doubt may be easily resolued when the Son of man shall come shall he finde faith on the earth Luk. 18.8 Yea. doubtlesse some and but a little and yet some else the world could not stand For I dare say we have some saithfull Eliahs that obtaine raine in time of neede some holy Moses that stand in the gap of Gods wrath to keep his iudg meÌ„ts froÌ„ vs some blessed Abrahams that pleade with God euen the case of this citie else I beleeue that the wals hereof had beene downe long ere this Preuention is the hart of pollicie and let vs learne Christian policie to preuent the policie shall bee that which Peter teacheth vs To amend our lines Act. 2.38 Euery one to mend one the preuention will-be this we shall bâ— nesther punished with the wicked nor shall we perish with the wicked Not pnnished My people be not partakers of her sinnes least you beare a part of her plagues Apoc 18.4 Not perish He that turnes to the Lord his souleishall liue Ezech 18. Let vs then who desire to escape both punishing and perishing too looke to all Christ tels vs ignorance shall excuse no man the seruant gaue his maister none answere at his reture the text ait and the reason is giuen by Chri Vt sciamus in die inditij cessare excusationem peccati To giue vs to vnderstand that at the day of iudgement none excuse will sarue the turne only my text tels vs we shall be iudged in righteousnesse and right is no wrong In righteousnesse God created man in righteousnes created man should liue in righteousnesse liuing man should die and in righteousnesse liuing and dead menshal be iudged Gifts blinde the eies of the wise but our Iudge will not be bribed Iudges may be partiall to parties but God is no accepter of persons Iudges may be moued with pittie but our now Iesus will be then Iudex A iudge all for iustice In isto tantum seculo misericors est Hier. in 105 Psalme Onely in this world God is mercifull in the next world mercy hath no seare pittie hath no plea. Let all then take heede how they liue in this interstiticall time before iudgement least being found guâ—tie when they shall be conuented before the great Iudge at the great Assise of the world they haue that dismail Mittimns made of Ite to their distressed soules from the hands of him who will iudge in righteousnesse 5. The sift part of my text is the partie who must iudge vs Your honorable worshipfull and religious patience hath afforded me eies and eares in this more then two houtes trauell through the way of my texâ— I beseech you let not now my prolixitie make you thinke ouerlong the time to stay vntil the end of my tourney that you may heare the whole discourse for t hast a pace and presse towards the marke It any then aske me who this iudge shall be who the man is that is appointed to iudge the world I answere It is the man Iesus Christ God and man who died for man to iudge man For he that was God was borne vpon the earth as man for vs he that was borne vpon the earth as man for vs wrought vpon the earth as God for vs he who wrought vpon the earth as God for vs died vpon the eresle as man for vs and he who died vpon the crosle as man for vs rose againe the third day as God for vs to make vs the adopted sons of his father Now he that was thus borne did thus worke so die and so rise againe he who was God and man to adopt man shall iudge man The truth of this appeares out of our creede Where we beleeue in Iesus Christ who ascended into heauen shall thence come to iudge both the quicke and the dead tappeares out of Rom 14.10 where the text saith We shal al appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ it is plaine loh. 5.22 The father indgeth no man but hath giuen all iudgement to the sonne which words are spoken by our Sau our himselfe Iesus Christ the Iudge The Sonne then shall be iudge yet we must not think that the Father and the holy Ghost are seduced froÌ„ this iudgement but this we must hold that the sonne Iesus Christ our Sauiour shal iudge immediatly really locally personally visibly the other two shall iudge inuisibly onely by giuing their consent Christ shall execute sentence vpon the world personally In forma hominis In the forme of a man in the same forme which he tooke on him when he was on earth Whereupon Bernard saith Vulnera seruanit in diem iudicij vt videant ea Iudaes confundâ—â—tur He hath kept his wounds vnto the day of iudgement that the Iewes may see them and bee confounded The whole Trinitie shall iudge Authoritatiue with equall authoritie but Christ shall iudge executatiue with execution of sentence be cause Iudex debet esse manifestus omnibus iudicandis The Iudge must shew himselfe and be manifest to al that shall be iudged For wee must know that the Father and the holy Ghost shal not be seene according to their diuine nature of all that must be at iudgement for then all should be blessed and all should be blessed for the seeing of God is blessednesse and blessednesse is the seeing of God For as in hell Maxima paena The greatest punishment is the
Tortuosae viae Crooked craneld waies and Malimores Bad and worse conditions are neerely allyed yet how the kindred comes in I desire not to search the Records least happily without desire I might loose my selfe While I was musing vnder the burthen of my thoughts what text to take that behooued many this my text met me offering it selfe to me and you and it concernes all It was at my choise to choose and speake what all know but in my choise I choose to speake what the most know not I might speake to you reuerend Iudges to take heed of peruerting iudgement least you euert your selues when your selues shall come to iudgement but I would faine suppose that they who know equitie will doe right I might speake to this Honourable worthy Lord Maior that he would be a father to the fatherlesse and defend the cause of the widow that he would eleuate virtue and debelitate vice but I heare so much of you that this hortatory speech I heare will be needlesse notwitstanding I heare that sin so abounds here that vnlesse the whippe scourg it the scourge is like to whip al. I might speake to the noble learned Clergie my brethren that they like Iohn Baptist would be burning lights and not like Demas burnt-out lights but this they know as well as I and I must striue as well as they I might speake to the speakers at the Law that they with care would maintaine their Clients as their Clients at cost retaine them but they are wise and know much and in their wisdome cannot but know this I might speake to the fashion-mongers men and women of our age that they would imbrace Pauls counsel Rom 12.2 Not to fashion themselues like vnto this world but this hauing beene a fashion among many my predecessours heretofore my selfe am willing to leaue this fashion now I might speake to all with my Sauiour Ioh. 5.14 and so I will and doe Sinne no more because each one must die and come to iudgement All must giue account of all to the Iudge of al. The Philosopher saith Primus motor mouet primum mobile Primum mobile caetera omnia the chiefe mouer moues the first mouable it all the rest Be God almighty the first mouer suppose me for this time place the chief mouable your selues my iudicious Auditors the bodies to be moued Meane while God grant my spirit of mediocritie the voice of the Bird of Paradise of whom I reade that she moues all to repentance to whom she sings which if I asking shal receiue I will think this a blessed time bestowed in defire wherof I craue your atteÌ„tiue hearts to that portion of scripture which I finde thus written Act. 17.31 He hath appointed a day in the which he wil iudge the world in righteousnes by that man whom he hath appointed BLessed Paul who of a Peelar became a Pillar of an earnest persecuter Act. 8. became a zealous Preacher Act. 13. being guided by the spirit from citie to citie to preach in the end he came to Athens as appeares in this 17 chapter vers 15. Where being he was brought into the Streete of Mars ver 19. there passing along he stood and told them what he had obserued An altar wherein was written vnto the vnknowne God vers 23. Whereupon Paul took occasion to preach vnto theÌ„ The liuing God declaring vnto them tâ—at he was the framer of this worlds Architecture that he dwelt not in haÌ„dmade temples that he is not worshipped with bandie workes ver 25. that he giues breath to all and appointed to euery thing his season that in him we liue and mooue and haue our being vers 28. and therefore that we who liue and mooue and be should Repent vers 30. Because as my text hath it in this verse 31. He hath appointed a day in the which he will iudge the world in righteousnesse by that man whom he hath appointed In which words I note fiue things 1. Parts 5. The certainety of the day set downe by a double Affidauit first the Author He that is God 2. The resclution Hath appointed 2. The vncertaintie of the day in that it is not limited coacted or restrained to a day definitiue This or that day but to a day indefinite A day The end of the appointment to Iudge the world 4. The manner how In righteousnesse 5. The Partie who By that man whom he hath appointed In speaking of which words I craue this sole fauour that all things may be taken and not mistaken as they are spoken 1. For the certaintie The Power of God hath an appointed day for the creatioÌ„ of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The great world the mercy of God had it appointed day in the redemptioÌ„ of man the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The little world now the iustice of God must haue the appointed day for the iust punishment of the vniust little world that soiourns in the great world for Fundamenta The foundations of the Continent shall be shaken and then Blandamenta The follies of the contained shall be ouerthrowne The Apostle speaking of the certainety of this day saith The day of the Lord will come as a thiefe in the night in the which the heauens shall passe away with a noise the elements shall melt with heate and the earth with the workes that are therein shall be burnt vp and we must looke for new heauens and new earth 2. Pet. 3.10 For I doe beleeue that at the end of the world there shall goe a great and terrible fire either hard before or with the comming of the Iudge But now whether this fire shall be Elementum ignis the element of fire in it owne proper sphere or whether all the fires on the earth or in the earth among the stones and minerals or whether such a fire Qualem excitabit tum deus as the almighty shall then raise whether I say it shall be all of these Coniunctim in one or any of these Deuisim seuered that I know not And that fire shall consume this world it shall Corpora incinerare terrae nascentia absumere in nihilum redigere burne bodies not all into ashes consume all the vegetatiue things on the earth and bring them to nothing Also I looke for new heauens and new earth but how new Quoad formam non quoad substantiam New in regard of the forme and fashion not new in respect of the matter and substance In this I hold with Aug. Ciuit. lib. 20. cap. 16. Elementa id est Caelum terram non esse abolenda sed in melius commutanda figurem id est imaginem mundi non substantiam berituram That is The Elements heauen and earth shall not be taken quite away but changed into better the fashion that is the likenesse of the world shall perish but not the substance therrof Iumping with this opinion of Augustin is that of Saint Greg. Mor. lib. 17. cap. 5. Caelum terra
per eam quam nunc habent imaginem transeunt sed tamen per essentiam sine fine subsistunt caelum igitur terra transit erit quoniam ab ea quam nunc habet specie per ignem tergitur tamen natura sua seruatur That is Heauen and earth passe away through that Image which they now haue but in their Being they remaine without end therefore beauen and earth shall both not bee and be because from it now-shape it is scoured and made cleane by fire but the nature and condition thereof is still continued agreeing to that of Psal 101. Thou shalt change them they shall be changed Now that this great dreadfull day will come Pie credendum we must vndoubtedly and holily beleeue The Prophet Malichi saith The day of the Lord will come burning like an ouen ca. 4.1 and it is a rule among the Schoolemen Futurum in deo aeque certum quam aut presens aut praeteritum Will in God giue as much certaintie as Is the future tence is as sure as the present tence or preter-perfect tence that which is to come in God is as certaine as what is either present or past Therfore the Prophet Ioel happily hauing reference to this position saith The day of the Lord is come for t is at hand c. 2.1 The Prophet Esay in the 13. chapter of his Prophesie and Abdi in his short Prophesie say both It is at hand The Prophet Zephaniah saith It is hard by Therefore there needes no doubt be made of the certaintie neither is there any question of the miserie Esay cals it a day of trouble ruine cap. 22. Ieremie cals it a day of vengeāce c. 46. Ioel cals it a fearfull day c. 2. Amos cals it a darke day c 8. Zephoniah cals it a day of wrath c. 1. Zephany cals it the special day c. 14. Bern. speaking of the dreadfulnes of this day saith Plaugent Iudaei plangent gentiles Plangent Christiani plangent ones qui magis mundum amarunt quam deum plangent suam culpam quam commiserunt suam stultitiaem quam nen corrererunt suam gloriam quam amiserunt suam paenam quam incorrererunt Iewes shall weepe Gentiles shall weepe Christians shall weepe all shall weepe that loued the world more then God They shall lament the faults they haue committed their follie they haue not corrected the glory that they haue lost and the punishment that they haue incurred And indeede well may they weepe for aboue they shall see the angrie Iudge whom they haue offended Beneath hell gaping which they haue deserued Without the world burning which they haue delighted Within the conscience stinging which they haue surcharged On the right hand their sinnes accusing which they haue commited on the left hand euill Angels tugging them about them good Angels driuing them into hell Therefore let me say with the Apostle What manner of men ought wee to be in holy conuersation of life 2. Pet. 3.11 For the time is come that Iudgement must beginne at Gods house If it beginne at vs first what shall bee the end of them that obey not the Gospell of God And if the righteous scarce be saued where shall the vngodly and sinner appeare 1. Pet. 4 17. The first iudgement was in water to coole the riotous heate of lust that then did abounde when Bigamie and Polygamie was suffered but the last iudgemēt shall be in fire to purge this away raining desire of gold and heate the lukewarme charitie that now the world being old waxeth cold Our Sauiour speaking of the fearfulnes of this day saieth The Sun shal be darkned the Moon shal not giue her light the Stars shal fall from heauen the powers of heauen shall be shaken all kindreds of the earth shall mourne and ye shall see the sonne of man comming in the clouds of heauen with power and great glory Mat. 24.29 That is the heauēly bodies shall indure great alteration to terrifie the wicked and be Criers as it were vnto them to sūmon them before the great Tribunall But how the sunne shall be darkned how the moone shall not giue her light how the stars shall fall from heauen which really cannot be because the least starre is so much bigger then the whole earth and how the powers of heauen shall be shaken to say truth we cannot now iustly determine let me therefore say with that worthy Aug. Ciuit. lib 20. cap. 30. Magis tum docebit rerum experientia quam nostra iam consequi possit intelligentia The experience of things which we shall see then shall teach vs better then we can conceiue now But howsoeuer it shall be terrible yea so terrible that as Aug spak of God Verius cogitatur deus quam dicitur verior est quam cogitatur God is truer thought of then spoke of and yet himselfe much truer then both So say I of iudgements terror it is sooner imagined then expressed easier thought then spoken and yet in it selfe more hideous then either imagined expressed spoke or thought Terribele est illud iudicium in euitabilis paeua intollerabile tormentum It is a terrible iudgement a paine ineuitable a torment intollerable but yet Quid sit Directly what one it is as Aug. Eucher c. 38 said of the diuersity of the Angels Potentiality say I of this Dicaut quipossint dummodo qd dicunt probare valeant Let them speak who can so be what they speake they can proue This is and thus is the secōd comming of Christ this far different from that that was In humilitate in humilitic like a seruant this shal be in magistate in magistie like a king that was in infirmitate in infirmitie like a sheepe to the ssaughter this shall be in potestate in power like a Lion to his prey that was in pouerty being Infans in praesepio an infant in a manger this shal be in dignitie being Index in iudicio A iudge to giue sentence that was in misericordia in mercie to confirme al this shall be In iusticia In iustice to confoūd most He was then Homo inter homines a man amōg mē he is now Deus supra Angelos A God aboue Angels yet thogh a God he will come like a man to iudge men wicked Angels there was a time when he did Pati pro peccatis suffer for our sins after a time ther wil be a time when yet there shall be no time whē we shall with him as he doth now Triumphare cum liberatis Triumph with freemē freely freed what time he wil seuer vs A damnatis frō those whom his rigor hath appointed to be damned I remember the Scriptur speaks of Dauid that he was wrath with Nabal for denying him victu al 's at his sheepshearing whē Dauid was an hungred in his flight so Abigaile was faine to appease him 1. Sam. 25. ◠But whē Iesus Christ shall come in flaming fire to render vengeāce on thē that
alone knowes that knowes all Thirdly There are signes going with the day of iudgement 1. The signe of the Son of man 2. The lamētations of the Sons of men All kindreds of the earth shall mourne then shaell the Sonne of man come to indge and the Angels bee sent out to gather Mat 24.30 It is doubted among writers what this Signe of the Sonne of man shall bee Caluin seemes to holde it to be the glorie and maiesty and power of Christ giuing notice as it were of his cōming Vt caele sti potentiae praeditus quae si signe in sublime erecte ad se conuertat totius muldi intuitum That being furnished with heauenly power hee might set the whole world a looking at him as it were with an elected signe on high Many hold it to be the very body of Christ retaining the wounds of his passion in his hands feete side as Musculus cites the opinion Theophilact on the 24 of Mathew holds this signe to be the signe of the Crosse Qua apparebit in caelo suprae solem fulgens adarguendos Iudaeos which shal appeare in heauen shining aboue the sunne to reprehend the Iewes and be a Trophe and kingly Ensine This is likewise the opinion of Chrysostome Hom. 77. on Mathew Signum filij hominis erit signum Crucis non crux lignea in quam passus dominus sed Lux in dominum Crucis sole splendidiori The signe of the sonne of man shall be the signe of the Crosse brighter then the Sunne for the Sunne shall be dakened but the crosse shall appeare to abash the impndencie of the wicked saith this golden mouthed father Hier. in Mat. 24. saith We vnderstand the signe of the crosse by the signe of the Sonne of man that the Iewes may see him whom they thrust through as Zachar. speakes cap. 12.10 A worthy writer hath this comparison As a king entring 2 citie goes before the armie and hath his Banners and Vexilla regalia Kingly flagges carried before him So the Lord of heauen the King of kings descending from the heauen of heauens doth goe before his hoast of Angels and Archangels who carrying before the signe of the Crosse as a standard of triumph will relate to wretched men the comming of the heauenly King on earth to iudge the world Now among those peroursarie signes they are all expired but these two The preaching of the Gospel throgh out all the world Mat. 24. And the calling of the Iewes Rom. 2. throughout the whole chap. 1 As for the preaching of the Gospell if by all the world is ment by the figure Sinecdoche the most parts of the world or the Iewes Gentiles the whole world being into them two deuided as Maister Caluin vnderstands it then is the signealso expired as hee auerreth for so it hath beene 2. And for the calling of the Iewes though as yet it is not for there must not be a calling peculiar of one particular Iew or a few Iewes but a generall calling of them all neuerthelesse how soone it shall bee Man knoweth not but that they being in number so many in places so dispersed in religion so backward as yet they are not all doe graunt Howsoeuer these signes being in a manner all fulfilled they rubbe our dull memorie of the end of all things at hand to be expected Saint Hier. citeth 15 signes out of the olde Rabbins that should goe hard before the day of iudgement all which Scholast Hist saith that Hierome found in the Annalibus libris Hebreorum these signes in number 15. are to be expired in 15 daies before the worldslast expiratiō the breathing out the last gaspe of the last day 1. The first day the Sea shall raise it selfe 40 cupits higher then the moūtains stāding like a wall in it own place 2. The seond day it shal so much go again into it self that it shall scarce be seene 3. The 3 day the habitants of the Sea fishes shall appeare aboue the waters bellowing out roaring and crying euen to hearten 4. The fourth day the sea and all waters shall burne 5 The fifth day the trees herbs shall haue a bloody deawe 6. The sixth day All edifices and buildings shal fall 7. The seuenth day there shall be a generall rupture of the rocks in peeces 8. The eight day the whole earth shall quake 9. The ninth day the ground shall be made plaine and leuell 10. The tenth day men shall goe out of caues and dens of the earth like mad men not able to speake one to another 11. The eleauenth day the bones of the dead shal arise and be ouer their graues 12. The twelfth day the Stars shal fall from heauen to the iudgemēt of many 13. The thirteenth day the liuing men shal die that they may rise with y dead 14. The fourteenth day heauē earth shall burn 15. The fifteenth day there shall be a new heauė new earth all mē shal arise I quote not these as thogh I did or would haue you beleeue those Rabbins frō whom Hier. made this relation both because the 13. is false as also because we haue Scripture for the certaintie but of some of them and for the order of none of them Only to tel you that no Adamantine stony hart can but tremble at the consideration of these things to teachyou with care conscience to prepare against the ensuing time of death iudgement for it you be ready against death comes you shall be happie when iudgement comes Euery mans deaths day is his particular iudgement day Quocunque ceciderit arbor ibi erit Eccles 2.3 As the tree falleth so it lieth mankind resembleth crecs some cut downe in their spring some in their full grouth some when they are dead So is man some die in youth some in middle age some in old age and as the Axe death cuts downe the tree Man as the tree falleth so it lieth as death doth leane vs so shal iudgment find vs as iudgement finds vs so shall sentence pasle vpon vs. Qualis exieris ex hac vita talis redderis futurae Such as a man goes out of this life such shall he become at the future life God hath hidden fromvs this time of the last iudgement in diuerse respects 1. To try our faith and pacience to possesse our soules therwith Lu. 21.19 vincit quipaetitur 2. To haue vs euer ready 3. That the wicked might be without excuse Mat 24 44 4. Rom. 2.5 To bridle curiositie not to search into secret things which belong ro the Lord our God In the 1. Deut. 29 29 of the Acts and 7 ve the disciples were tolde It was not for them to know the times and seasons which the father hath put into his own power if we growinquisitiue Moses tels vs The things reucaled belong to vs. Our Sauiour himsel speaking of the iudgement day saith Mat. 24. But of that day houre
know eth no man no not the Angels of heauen saue the father only what then needs man grieue to be ignorant when the blessed Angels are content not to know it yea more Iesus the Sonne of God was content to be nescient for our sakes In quantum homo in that he was man Some say he knew it euen Quatenus homo as he was Man but not Eatenus to reueale it to men Some haue boasted of reuelations by theÌ„ to set down desinitiuely a certain day of iudgment some by the Astrological aspects of stars some by Arithmetical supputarioÌ„s of numbers would diuine the time of the last time al salse to seduce the simple Of which sorts of people I may say as Cato said of the Sooth-sayers of his time I wonder that they doe not laugh when they meete each other in the streets There were diuerse of the learned in times past who held that as the wals in Iericho fell down the feueÌ„th day after they were coÌ„pasled about with blowing of truÌ„pets shouting of the children of Israel as we read Ios 6.20 So the balding of this world after those 6 great daies wherof one is to the Lord as a 1000. Pet. 3.8 years a 1000. years as one day shal fal theÌ„ shal be that coÌ„tinuall sabaoth when al times seasons shall meete together in coniunction whereof the Prophet Esay speakes ca. 66.23 Theold Thadalmost said the idle Prophesie of Elias falsly shrouded vnder his name in the Iewes Thalmuld is much tossed haled by many that the world shal last 6000. years 2000. vacui before the Law 2000 vnder the Law and 2000. vnder the Gospel The strength of their weake coniecture is 1 As in sixe dayes the Lord made heauen earth and al that therein is so in 6000. yeeres the Lord shall gouerne this world being subiect to generation and corruption and as the seauenth day he rested so in the 7000. shall he hauing gatheredtogether his Church by the preaching ' of his word bring all to euerlasting rest and peace 2. As the Sabaoth was instituted in the euening of the sixt day So by this Sabaoth being vnderstood the last Sabaoth in the end of the last 2000. yeres or a little before shall come the heauenly Sabaoth when all shall rest 3. As the six first Fathers Adam Seth Enos Cainan Malaltel Gared are deade and Enoch the seauenth from Adam was translated into Heauen aliue and sawe no death So for the space of 6000. yeeres the world and death in the world shall bee and in the 7000. shall be blessednesse and immortalitie To shew the errour of this Prophesie in false computation of yeares it will more trouble your Honorable and iudicious cares then edify your hearts onely thus much know that there were before the Law aboue two thousand and fiue hundred yeres and vnder the Law sewer then two thousand Besids this the opinion wants a grouÌ„dworke for it hath no Scripture for Euidence now where that foundation failes there the building fals But what shall be vnder the Gospell wee shall not know vntill the Audit day come at what time euery Mans bill of accounts shall be put in by appointment of the Creator of Time and wages God make vs mean-while good seruants giuen in particular to all Some haue supposed that because Christ liued vpon the earth 32. yeeres and some six moneths that therefore the Time vnder the Gospel shall bee so long for say they The Church hath a relation to Christ and the body of the one a type of the other So then as the naturall bodie tinued on earth 32. yeares so shall the mistical body the Gospell the Church wee who are his members prouided still that sith at the end of these yeares say they shal be the euerlasting Iubiiee of our soules that in the Interim euery one of these yeeres haue a relation to the Mosaicall Iubile that after so many fiâ—â—es bee expired the end shall come But this being but opinion and the opinion of some I leaue it in hast to your reuerend opinions now and to beescanned by the opinions of all at leasure hereafter only desiring you to consider with mee thus much That all ages of man are limited to a certaine number of yeeres except the last part of old age Infancie is reckoned to holde vntill the third or fourth yeare Childhoode vntill ten yeeres Pubertie vnto eÌ„ighteene youth vnto fiue and twentie Courage vntill thirtie fiue or fourtie yeres Constant age vnto fiftie luÌ„pish age vntil 65 only decrepit crookedage hathno time of yers presixt but euen to last vntill the last and the last gaspe bee it sooner or farther off to be the Stage post or bound of tha So likewise this last age of the world cannot bee determined vntill by the Determiners appointment wee see a certaine determination In the meane time let vs redeeme the time considering the time Let vs redeem the time or euilnes of the time with the goodnesse of our liues Let vs take his couÌ„sell who gaue the best councell euen councell for our soules To watch and pray least that day come vpon vs vnawares and finde vs vnprouided Consider at that day what a Iudge we shal see afrowning Iudge he that damned the poore seruant Mat. 25.28 for hiding his Talent and bringing him onely his owne without inerest Hee that damned the poore soule Mat. 22.13 for comming to the marriage feast without his wedding garment Hee that damned the fiue foolish virgins Mat. 25.12 for not coming iumpe at the houre and finall threatneth to dame all those that worke iniquite Mat. 13.41 Doe not wee reade how he cast out Adam the first man for eating an apple Drowned the old world wholly for wicked imaginations al but Noah and his family saued by a seely Arke of pine-trees Reiected Saul and cast him out of his Kingdome for sparig the Amalekites Punished Dauid a man otherwise after his owne heart with plagues and his rebellious sonne for the committed acts of adultery and murther Threw the Angels out of heauen That light as Austine thinkes which Moses speakes of in the first of Genesis Turnd Lots wife into a piller of Salt And then Qui Angelis pijs non pepercit Hee who neither sparde the Angels nor good men how shall wee wretched Sinners looke to escape It is good for vs to thinke vpon these things and to consider that Our redemption draweth nigher now then when we first beleeued Rom. 13.11 For if Paul held those the last daies wherein he liued who liued so many yeeres since euen but 37. yeares after Christs Passion and beheaded in the 14. yoeere of Nero what may we think of ours The great Papist Bellarmine affirmes that we haue not 400. to come but be it wee had 4000. to the worlds end what is that to vs The Psalmist sayth Our daeyes are but threescore yeeres and ten and if they bee of strength fourescore yeers and if so all is