that he hath done whether it be good or euill Whereof S. Iohn had a manifest demonstration as we reade in his Reuelation Chap. 20.11.12 And I saw saith he a great white throne and one that sate on it from whose face fled away both the earth and the heauen and there place was no more found And I sawe the dead both great and smal stand before God who shall iudge both the quicke and the dead euen all that euer haue beene are and shal be to the end of the world as well those that are dead and rotten in the earth as those which shall be found aliue at his comming who shal be changed in a moment which change shal be in stead of death In iudgements that are practised among men there are diuers conueiances vsed not to appeare in iudgement and for fauour feare bribes and such like matters malefactors are bayled out of prison and bonds forfeyted and they kept from the barre and from the presence of the Iudge and quitte by Proclamation But here the ministers of this heauenly iudgement to wit the Angels shall not be blinded by any earthly considerations There shall be no entreaty no way to auoyd no other remedy but that they shall and must appeare It is a straunge matter and not to be seene that any Emperour King Prince or any such mightie Potentate should be called to iudgement or shuld bee subiect vnto the sentence of the Iudge For why as they say the Prince is aboue his law and not to be censured by any Subiects are vnder the penalty of lawes and iudgement may passe vpon them but as for the Prince and the highest in a Realme who dare controll him if he do ill But from this iudgement of this mighty heauenly Iudge whom no power can resist shall neither Emperour King Prince nor mighty Potentate be exempted neither can they be dispenced withall but that of force and necessitie they must make their personnall appearance There shal be no respect of persons high and and lowe rich and poore all shall appeare Yea then it shal be far better with the poorest begger that hath liued in the feare of God then with the mightiest Emperour that in his life time hath had little or no regard to serue God For true it is that the mighty shall be mightily punished All prophane persons leaud liuers Atheists persecutors which haue beene enemies to God to his word and to his ministers who haue wished in their hearts there were no God nor any iudgement who haue made a scoffe and contempt of all goodnesse and of the professours and Ministers thereof they shall of force bee brought to this Iudgement But what To speake in theyr owne behalfe No they shall not bee able For at that time and there they shall confesse theyr faultes and haynous offences and make bitter lamentation but all too late and there shall they waight in trembling sort to heare their iudgement And who is it amongst vs No excuses shall serue that knowes himself guiltie that will declare the truth being called before a Iudge but rather our mindes runne vpon deuices and excuses how wee may blinde the Iudge and defend our selues and auoyd that which is toward vs. And so long as wee haue to deale with mortall men it may so fall out that our excuses may serue the turne and set vs cleare But when our cause commeth to be tried before GOD from whom nothing is or can be hidde and vnto whom nothing can bee secrete then no excuses can preuaile neither shall any deuices helpe vs or blinde the Iudge Our first parents when God called them to their tryall for transgressing his commaundement and when the fled from God and his themselues although they were still in Gods presence but foolishly they thought otherwise how did they aunswere for themselues but by excuses Adam hee speakes for himselfe Gene. 3.12 and saith The Woman which thou gauest to be with me she gaue me of the tree and I did eate The woman likewise she thinkes to escape by that meanes Eue saith The Serpent beguiled me and I did eate When King Saul had disobeied Gods commaundement running after the pray being called to an account he deuiseth a currant excuse and saith Yea I haue obeyed the voyce of the Lord and haue gone the way which the Lord sent me and haue brought Agag the King of Amelek and haue destroyed the Amalekites But the people tooke of the spoyle sheep and oxen the chiefest of the things which should haue bene destroyed to offer vnto the Lord. Amongst these may Pilat be reckoned who against his owne conscience condemned Christ to death and yet would excuse himselfe as though he were innocent in the cause Math. 27.24 When Pilat sawe that hee auailed nothing but that more tumult was made hee tooke water and washed his hands shaying I am innocent of the blood of this iust mum In the description of the latter iudgement Math 25.44 wee read that some began to excuse themselues saying Lord when sawe we thee an hungred or a thirst or a straunger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister vnto thee Neuerthelesse all this serued not but vnto them it was said Depart from me ye cursed into euer lasting fire And such part is Pilat like to receiue for all his excuse King Saul his excuse was not taken our first parents escaped not for all their excuses but dyed the death and shall wee thinke our case to be better then theirse howsoeuer wee thinke we shall not so finde it There shall we appeare when as no friend nor and body shal be suffered to speake for vs and in our defence and when a faire glosing tale shall not bee heard for the plaine and naked truth must then come in place and we shal be enforced to giue our account euery one of vs by our selues This is the principall matter that must be done before the Iudge We must giue accoūt that we must giue account of our selues and of our deedes done in this life And most shall haue sorrowfull hearts because they shal be called to their accounts As it was said to the euill steward Come giue account of thy stewarship so shall euery one of vs be called to our account haue vsed those benefites gifts and graces which God hath endued vs withall whether to Gods glory and to the benefit of other or after our owne pleasures and to the hurt of others In the Epistle to the Romaines Chap. 14.10.12 We shall all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ and then euery one of us shall giue accounts of himselfe to God The wicked which lightly cānot be brought to any accounts they shal giue accounts to him that is ready to iudge quick and dead 1. Pet. 4.5 Not only most notorious and wicked deedes shal be called to account but we shall giue a reckoning for euery idle word So we read Math. 12.36 Out of the
say they is a day of blacknes darknes the earth shal tremble before him the heauens shall shake the Sun the Moone shal be dark and the stars shal withdraw their shining This day is great and very terrible and who can abide it it commeth cruelly with wrath as fierce anger and hee shall destroy the sinners out of the earth And because the world should haue some time to forethink themselues our Sauiour Christ hath giuen some warning by the signes that shall come before this iudgement day As that there shall be false reachers abroad in the world who shal deceiue if it were possible the very elect and chose children of God Math. 24.24 Warres and seditions Nation shall rise against Nation and Kingdome against Kingdome the father in matters of religion shal be against the sonne and the sonne against the father the mother against the daughter one friend against an other great earthquakes in diuers places hunger pestilence bitter persecution of them that shall professe Christ and his Gospell Charitie shall waxe cold among men men shall leade a leaud and sinfull life altogether carelesse of the Iudgement to come The Gospell shall be published and fewe shal regard it it shall bee preached through the whole world for a witnesse vnto all Nations to make them without all excuse and then shall the end come Feareful things shall be seene the sea and the waters shall roare and mens hearts shall faile them for feare and for looking after those things which shal come on the world The Sunne shall be darkened and the Moone shall not giue her light the starres shal fall from heauen and the powers of heauen shal be shaken wherby the horrible trembling of the world is meant together with the alteration and ouerturning of the whole course of nature And after all these things then shall appeare the signe of the Sunne of man in heauen What effects the signes of the latter day shal worke in the mindes of men The consideration of which signes shall worke diuersly both in the godly and in the wicked For the hearts of the wicked shall be hardned made worse by these signes as King Pharaohs hart by Gods strange punishmēts was more and more hardned vntill the time of his destructiō and that he was vtterly ouerthrowne in the red sea These signes as they shal moue the godly minded partly to repentance in consideration of theyr sinnes and partly to comfort in respect of ioyes to come so the wicked contrariwise shall be giuen to dispaire and to curse the houre that euer they were borne And this is a secret iudgement vpon them that they shall be blinded euen vntill the very houre of their destruction so that when they would seek for remedy there shal be none The godly they wish for the comming of the Lord Come Lord Iesus come quickly for they know that his comming shall end their miseries and begin their ioyes as Christ himselfe doth comfort them Luk. 21.28 And when these things begin to come to passe then looke vp and lift vp your heads for your redemption that is the full accomplishment of the same draweth neare For then as saith the Apostle 1. Thes 4.17 Shall wee bee caught in the cloudes to meete the Lord in the aire and so shall we be euer with the Lord. The last circumstance of this iudgement is Sudden that it shall come vpon the sudden and that most fearefully to the wicked 1. Thes 5.3 For when they shall say peace peace and all in safetie then shal come vpon them sudden destruction as the trauel vpon a woman with child and they shall not escape As it fell out to the rich man in the Gospell Luk. 12.20 Soule saith he take thy ease eat and drinke take thy pastime for thou hast much good laid vp for many yeares But he heard doleful words O foole this night will they fetch away thy soule from thee Or as when Nabuchadnezer vaunted himselfe of his stately buildings a fearefull voyce came suddenly vnto him O King Nabuchadnezer to thee be it spoken thy kingdome is departed from thee Or as when his sonne King Belshasar Dan. 5.6 feasting and hanquetting among his Concubines suddenly there appeared a hand writing vpon a wall declaring the end of his Kingdome and his death This sudden destruction shall worthily fall vpon them who haue made a mock of this iudgement who then shall feele the dint of Gods reuenging sword and they that imboldned themselues in all wicked waies and euill naughtie practises shall then know how far they went a stray The wicked whom no lawe could refraine from their licentious life and who haue died to the sight of men in peace after they haue long enioyed their lusts and diuers pleasures after much violence and wrong which they haue offered after many misdeeds which mans lawes should haue corrected and yet let passe although they haue escaped the iudgement of man yet then shall they receiue according to their deedes But to the good and well disposed it is a watch-word when they heare that the Iudgement day shall be vpon a sudden Let vs therefore with the fiue wise virgins haue oyle in our Lampes remembring Christ his forewarning That which I say vnto you I say vnto all men watch And so much briefly for the second part of the diuision of this Text namely of the description and declaration of the latter Iudgement Who shall be the Iudge The third generall matter which I proposed vnto you was concerning the Iudge and who it should be And as it was said of the Iudgement that it should be sudden so also shall the comming of the Iudge be Mat. 24.27 For as the lightning commeth out of the East and shineth into the West so shall also the comming of the sonne of man be He that was equall with God and tooke vpon him the shape of a seruant hee that was abased despised and persecuted of sinfull men hee shall come in power and great glory to iudge the world and to be reuenged of his enemies He whom God hath placed at his right hand farre aboue all principallitie power might domination and euery name that is named not in this world onely but also in that that is to come hee it is that is ordained of God a Iudge of quicke and dead Whose comming shall not be as at the first poorely and basely but with great maiestie and after a most glorious wonderfull and most dreadfull maner He shall descend from heauen not to come downe on the earth but to sit on the cloudes as his tribunall seate and throne of Iudgement hee shall come with a shout and a maruellous great noise with the voyce of the Archangel and with the sound of the last Trumpet For the Trumpet shall blowe and the dead shall be raised 1. Cor. 15. and hee shall shewe himselfe with thousands of his mighty Angels and that in flaming fire rendring vengeance vnto them
be placed in the heauenly Ierusalem and reckoned amōg the saints of God that the day of iudgement may not be a day of eternall condemnation vnto vs but euen the perfection of our saluation and redemption and the beginning of all ioy comfort While we liue here in this world let vs be alwayes ready by spending the time well For as we sowe so shall we reape As the holy Apostle doth put vs in minde Gal. 6.7.8 Bee not deceiued God is not mocked For he that soweth to the flesh by practising the workes of the flesh shall therefore reape corruption or rather as if he had said condemnation But he that soweth to the spirit by mortifying the deeds of the flesh by the good motions of Gods spirit shall there hence reape euerlasting life Which sentence I pray God print in all our hearts and so graciously prepare vs vnto the day of iudgement Now the very God of peace keepe vs in all well doing and in all good workes to do his will working in vs that which is pleasant in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom be praise for euermore Amen 2. Pet. 36. The world that then was perished ouerflowed with water 2. Pet. 3.7 But the heauens and earth which are now are kept by the same word in store and reserued vnto fire against the day of iudgement and of the destruction of vngodly men vers 9. The Lord is not slack but patient vers 10. Howbeit the day of the Lord will come as a theefe in the night in the which the heauens shall passe away with a noyse and the elements shall melt with heate and the earth with the workes therein shall be burnt vp Seeing therefore that all these things must be dissolued what manner persons ought ye to be in holy conuersation and godlynesse Looking for and hasting vnto the comming of the day of God by the which the heauens being on fire shal be dissolued But we looke for new heauens and a new earth according to his promise wherein dwelleth righteousnesse Wherefore beloued since ye looke for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse And suppose that the long suffering of our Lord is saluation 1. Pet. 4.7 Now the end of all things is at hand Be ye therefore sober and watching in prayer Luk. 21.34 Take heed to your selues least at any time your hearts be oppressed with surfetting and drunkennesse and cares of this life and least that day come on you at vnawares For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth Watch therefore and pray continually that ye may be counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to passe and that ye may stand before the Sonne of man Arise ye dead and come to iudgement The end of the first Treatise A TREATISE OF the Ioyes of Heauen 1. Cor. 2.9 But as it is written The things which eye hath not seene neither eare hath heard neither came into mans heart are which God hath prepared for them that loue him IF the holy Apostle S. Paul being taken vp into Paradice heard such words which cannot bee spoken and are not possible for man to vtter as he testifieth of himselfe 2. Cor. 12.3 How should I take vpon mee to shewe you those Ioyes which neither eye hath scene nor eare hath heard nor euer entred into the heart of man Herein I know mens mindes wil run vpon needlesse curiosities which is no part of my dutie to satisfie as also to shew you mine owne deuices and imaginations were a thing to set forth my owne folly But so far forth as mans reason may search but there we must stay for mans reason in spirituall affaires is altogether foolishnesse nay rather so far forth as Gods word doth instruct vs we may be desirous to learne as also to be content although many things bee hid from vs. Let it therefore be sufficient vnto vs if wee may haue but a taste of those Ioyes and that it pleaseth God in a measure to graunt vs some knowledge of them Adam beeing in the earthly paradice knewe not all the secrets and commodities thereof and how shall wee thinke to attaine to the full knowledge of heauenly Paradice But seeing God doth graunt vs the vnderstanding of these matters but after a sort he doth it for our good that seeing those ioyes that we can conceiue are surpassing excellent and yet the heauenly ioyes do surmount our cōceits by many degrees further we might the more be drawne in loue with God himselfe who hath ordained such rare vnspeakeable incomprehensible and endlesse excellencies for them that loue him and liue in his obedience As also considering our own great vnworthinesse we might with the Prophet Dauid breake foorth into the praises of God 14.4.3 and say Lord what is man that thou hast such respect vnto him or the sonne of man that thou so regardest him Now as the Prophets doo stir vp the peoples mindes to serue and honor God by setting before them the temporal blessings of this life and thereby giuing them an earnest of greater blessings to come so is the happie estate of euerlasting life described vnto vs by such earthly comparisons as our natural capacitie can conceiue That we beholding in minde and contemplation those wonderfull Ioyes which we can conceiue we may grow into admiration of those heauenly and incredible excellencies which are altogether past our conceit and farre beyond our reach and vnderstanding For as spiritual blessings do far surpasse corporall blessings so heauenly ioyes do far exceed al earthly glory Yea and these stately secrets of an other life are so much hidden from flesh and bloud that all the learning of the wise men of the world can come nothing neare them That in this case they may truly say with the Astrologers of King Nabuchadnezzer Dan. 2. It is a rare thing and there is no other that can declare them but God himselfe whose dwelling is not with flesh The Turkish Paradice But let vs a little behold what flesh and bloud hath set downe concerning these ioyes of heauen In the Turkish Alcoran that is a booke which they vse in stead of a Bible which Booke Mahomet their Prophet left vnto them as the learned haue searched out thus the ioyes of heauen are set downe Their Prophet promiseth them garments of silke of all sorts of colours bracelets of gold and amber parlours and banquetting houses vpon flouds and riuers vessels of gold and siluer Angels seruing thē bringing in gold milk in siluer wine lodgings furnished cushens pillows and downe beds most bewtifull women to accompany them gardens and orchards with harbors fountains springs and all manner of pleasant fruits riuers of milk honey and spiced wine all manner of sweet odours perfumes fragrant sents and to be short whatsoeuer the flesh shall desire to eate Thus fleshly people haue a fleshly religion
liues that godly religious care of the life to come That which we are so greatly in loue withall the Apostle giues vs counsel to the quite contrary Loue not the world neither the things that are in the world 1. Ioh. 2 he addeth the reason because the world passeth away But he that fulfilleth the will of God abideth for euer Heauen is not in this life and we must looke to bee weaned from this world if euer we wil looke to be in heauen The ioyes of heauen and the desires of the world are quite contrary for they are too heauy a burthen and doo hinder vs from mounting vp so high And herein for the most part wee may be resembled vnto the Grashopper which is borne and bred liueth and dyeth in the same ground The Grashopper hath wings and hoppeth vp a litle but presently falleth downe againe So many of vs haue often good motions vnto godlinesse and the life to come and againe all is gone in a moment and we returne to our olde affections in this world as though all our portion were onely in this life Those foules that feede grosly neuer flye high and they which feed their hearts with things belowe cannot haue their affections in heauen The ioyes of heauen being so rare and excellent and so surpassing woonderfull that they might remoue these heauy lumpish and grouelling desires of this world The carelesse earthly and worldly minde hath no sight nor sence nor feeling of these ioyes But as the oxe is fatted in the pasture and the byrd singeth sweetly and feedeth without feare and suddenly the one is driuen to the slaughter and the other is taken in the snare So they that are giuen to the world are lulled a sleep in securitie vntil the time that death striketh with his dart and endlesse destruction ouerwhelmeth thē But where is that man or woman which can say with the Apostle I desire to bee dissolued and to be with Christ which is best of all Phil. 1. For they that say such things declare plainely that they seeke a countrey Heb. 11.14 Desiring a better counttey then is to be found in this world that is a heauenly and for them hath God prepared a Citie Heb. 13.14 For here we haue no continuing Citie no continuing habitation let vs therefore seeke a better habitation to come which is of longer continuance and free from all miseries The next fruite is that the remembrance of these ioyes These ioyes teach vs patience teacheth vs patience in affictions in troubles and didistresses For how troublesome soeuer this life is here yet there shal al troubles miseries and wrongs be aboundantly recompenced And the Apostle speaketh truly Rom. 8.18 The afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory which shall bee shewed vnto vs. In the 126. Psal They that sowe in teares saith the Prophet shall reape in ioy And hee that now goeth on his way weeping and beareth foorth good seed shall doubtlesse come againe with ioy and bring his sheaues with him Woe bee to you saith Christ that now laugh for you shall waile and weepe Luke 6.25 And therefore happy shall they bee in an other worlde who haue in good causes suffered wrongs committing themselues vnto God This time of heauenly ioyes Heauenly ioyes compared to a haruest is compared vnto haruest and what care dooth euery one take to prouide good and choise seede that theyr haruest may fall out accordingly Thy seede is thy thoughts thy words thy deedes and conuersation Therefore let mee exhort you as the Apostle dooth Galla. 6.7 Bee not deceiued GOD is not mocked for whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall hee also reape For hee that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption but hee that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape life euerlasting Looke how wee sowe so shall wee reape such as our seede is such also shall bee our haruest The date of this our life is but short but the remembrance of a life well ledde shall bee comfortable for euer and this shall for euer and euer bee our endlesse haruest still gathering still encreasing and neuer payring The last thing in the aforesaid 21. Holinesse Chapter of the Reuelation is that there shall enter into this heauenly Ierusalem no vncleane thing And as it is in the Prophecie of Zechariah Chap. 14.21 In that day there shall bee no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of Hostes The Canaanites were a lewde people and for the same were driuen out of the land and if they were not worthy to dwell on earth much lesse shall they be worthy to be receiued in heauen Dearely beloued saith the Apostle S. Peter 1. Epist. 2.11 Abstaine from fleshly lusts bridle them keepe them vnder for they fight against the soule Collo 3.1 If ye be risen with Christ seeke those things which are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Set your affections on things which are aboue and not on things which are on earth and mortifie your immoderate affection and euill concupiscence Remember this peremptory word No vncleane thing shall enter there Mat. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Heb. 12.14 Follow holynesse without the which no man can see God And God graunt vs this wedding garment of holynesse that we may goe in with the bridegroome for we know what befell to him that wanted it Mat. 22.11 Let vs worke our owne saluation with feare and trembling being desirous to receiue a kingdome which cannot bee shaken let vs pray for grace whereby we may so serue God that we may please him with reuerence feare And seeing we haue precious promises 2. Cor. 7.1.2 Pet. 1.4 and that more surer then the heauen and the earth Heb. 6.13.18 let vs cleanse our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh spirit and grow vp into ful holinesse in the fear of God For as they that thus do his will shal enter in through the gates into the Cittie and their right shal be in the tree of life So without shal be dogs and all vnclean persons Reu. 22.14 Let not my last exhortation be forgotten among you Enter in at the strait gate for it is the wide gate and broad way that leadeth to destruction and many there be which goe in thereat Because the gate is straight and the way narrow that leadeth vnto life fewe there be that finde it To adde vnto these Gods mercie one of the greatest ioyes one of the greatest ioyes among all is Gods mercie whereof wee haue a sweete taste in this life For were it not for that none of vs all should enter into that place where thosse ioyes are to be found For as our first parents by Gods iust anger according to their due desert were cast out of Paradice and an Angel set with a sword drawne to keepe the way that no flesh should return thither so the onely gate to let vs in again is Gods mercy Wherof as the godly and most righteous that are stand in great need so let none of vs all either abuse Gods mercy or presume of his mercy least we misse of the same This mercy is called the rich mercy of God for no treasure is comparable vnto it and as it passeth all vnderstanding so cannot the deepest reach of man conceiue any part of the depth or height therof the compasse the largenesse the widenesse and breadth of it is such that it cannot bee measured and therefore may it well be called as it is indeed both infinit and incomprehensible And because no tongue of man can speake it let Angels bring the message As we reade Luk. 2.14 Glory be to God in the high heauens and peace in earth and towards men good will The Lord of his goodnesse direct our steppes to this throne of mercy and cloath vs with the garment of mercy And the Lord this day set his print and seale vpon you Thus I perswade my self I haue now wonne some and whom I haue wonne the Lord in mercy keepe and so I discharge my selfe For we are all by our owne disposition like vnto tottering walles still readie to slide still readie to fall And therefore I would I might say as it was saide to him that suffered with Christ This day shall ye be in Paradice And if this day your hatts be throughly conuerted surely this day you are in Paradice It was no comfort to Adam and Eue to remember they wer in Paradice seeing themselues now cast out And if we be once placed in Paradice then let vs looke to our standing that we fal not For as we are mortal so are we mutable and nothing so familiar with vs as to chaunge Deu. 5.29 Vnconstant God knowes we are the Lord make vs stedfast And the remembrance of these heauenly ioyes which wee haue now heard let that make vs stedfast euen to the end Deo soli omnis laus fit gloria Et gratia in seculum FINIS
godly therefore may comfort themselues with this that in time to come though not presently and out of hand there shal be a seperation The kingdome of heauen is likened vnto a drawe net cast into the sea that gathereth of all kindes of things which when it is full men draw to land and sit and gather the good into vessels and cast the bad away So shall it bee at the end of the world the good and the bad shall be parted after that the trumpet hath blowne and the dead bee raised Againe the seed sowne is the word of God preached The field wherein it is sowne is the world the good seed are they which with an honest heart heare the word and keep it and bring forth fruite and these be the children of the Kingdome and the tares are the children of the wicked and the enemie that soweth them is the diuell and the haruest is the end of the world and the reapers be the Angels As then the tares are gathered and brent in the fire so shall it be in the end of the world The sonne of man shall send forth his Angels and they shal gather and they shall seperate Math. 13.39 When the regions and parts of the earth are white then is the time of haruest As we read in the Reue. 14.15 That the Angel cried with a loud voyce to him that sate on the cloud Thrust in thy sickle and reape for the time is come to reape for the haruest of the earth is ripe As though he saw the time when the number of Gods elect and chosen children should bee fulfilled and the sinnes of the vngodly and wicked come to a full measure And the Angel thrust in his sharpe sickle on the earth and cut downe the vines of the vineyard of the earth and cast them into the great Wine-presse of the wrath of God So shall the bad bee seperated from the good as a shepheard seperateth the sheepe from the goates and the Iudge who is meant by the shepheard shall commaund the sheepe to be set on his right hand and the goates on the left the good and the bad And then will hee addresse himselfe to giue sententence and to take order for the execution of his iudgement And who shall stay or hinder this iudgement Sentence or who shall auoyd the fiercenesse furiousnesse of his wrath Shall the king be deliuered by the multitude of an host No he shal be but as one man naked and vnarmed and without helpe and hee that shall come to iudge him commeth with infinite thousands of Angels The strength of the strong man shall then stand him in no stead but in stead of strength he shall bee resolued into feare and weaknesse The wealth of the rich man shall not ransome him for riches shall not preuaile in the day of wrath Before so wise so vpright such a Iudge of that courage thou shalt stand whom neither feare shall daunt nor fauour shall moue nor gold shal bribe and corrupt him neither any entreaty or prayer then at that time shall perswade him There shal be no respect of persons no falsifying of the cause no colours nor excuse to blinde him no learning no men of lawe shall defend thee no wit nor pollicie shall go beyond this Iudge no speech nor flattery shall preuaile with him in a word what shall worldly helpes doo when the world it self shal vanish awaye Nothing that shall be deuised shall turn his mind nothing shall alter or reuerse his iudgement it shall passe without deniall and without all reuocation For then shall hee come to iudge the world righteously and to minister true iudgement vnto the people And thus after that the sheepe be seperated from the goates shall iudgement be executed and sentence shall be giuen in such sort and order as we read it set down Mat. 25.34 Then shal the king that is the Iudge say to thē on his right hād Come ye blessed of my father inherit yee the kingdome prepared for you frō the foūdatiōs the world But to thē on his left hand he shal say Depart frō me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is preparêd for the diuell and his angels And these shall go into euerlasting pain and the righteous into life eternall By reason of which fearefull sentence the wicked shall haue good cause to say to the mountaines and to the Rocks Reue. 6.15 Fall on vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the lambe For the great day of his wrath is come and who can stand They shall desire to hide thēselues in dens amōg the Rocks and moūtains but yet shal they not auoid his presence they shal desire death shall not find it seeke after it and yet shall death fly frō them And as the diuels as we read in the Gospell besought Christ that he would not torment them before their time so now shal the time of the terrible wrath of God be whē the diuels together with all the people that haue either forgotten or not regarded and highly displeased God to the vtter hazard of their soules shal be cast into hell and throwne into endlesse torments And therefore shall his comming be in flaming fire to render vengeance against the sinners of the earth who not onely shall be depriued from the presence of God and from the glory of his power and frō the company of the blessed Angels and redeemed soules but that which is far worse and more grieuous and lamentable they shall be punished with euerlasting perdition and destruction And the Angels that seperat the good from the bad shal then gather out of his kingdome all things that offend and them which do iniquitie and shall cast them into a furnace of fire there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth When as the iust and godly shall shine as the Sunne in the Kingdome of their father and when the accursed sort shall go downe by a by way a backe way and a blacke with many a sigh and sob from God from the Angel from the Saints from ioy from glory from blisse with the fiends of Hell to suppe in the pallace of darknesse with the princes of horror at the table of vengeance in the chaire of calamitie with the crowne of death vpon their head hauing nothing before their eyes but infinite torments prepared for them 4. By the sentence pronounced and last iudgement giuen How this iudgement pertaineth to the godly and to the wicked an entrance is laid open vnto me to declare vnto you how this iudgement pertaineth to the wicked and vnto the godly which was the last thing in this treatise of the latter iudgement that I purposed to speake vnto you of Vnto the which I haue thought good to adde an exhortation that wee may be prepared against the time hauing oyle in our lampes with the fiue wise virgines that waited for the comming of the
necessities in this world Christ saith vnto them Luk. 12.31 Feare not litle flocke for it is your fathers pleasure to giue you the kingdome and what greater preferment can they looke for Yea which is more that which but one can haue in a Realme here euery one shall be as a king Else how should it be true which wee read Reue. 3.11 Behold I come shortly hold that which thou hast that no man take thy crowne And that which the Apostle speaketh of himself 2. Tim. 4.7 I haue fought a good fight and haue finished my course For henceforth is laid vp for me the crowne of righteousnesse And the 24. Elders cast down their crowns before the throne of God Reue. 4.10 Earthly Princes want no worldly ioyes and they that weare crowns in heauen shall far more abound in all happinesse Those ioies which are highest on earth are of least account in heauen for all shall be crowned According to the speech of the Apostle 2. Tim. 4. Henceforth is laid vp for me the crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous iudge shall giue not to mee onely but vnto all them also that loue his appearing The place of Ierusalem where God would be worshipped which was in king Salomons time is now there which we do call the holy land which in times past was so famous that all nations had recourse thither And because of Gods worship and seruice and his manifold gracious blessings powred vpon that place therefore is the kingdome of heauen compared to this and called the new Ierusalem Likewise also Canaan that plentifull land which flowed with milke and honey which was the land that was promised to the people of Israel is compared to this heauenly habitation But as many dyed short of it and neuer entred into the land of Canaan some for murmuring some for whoredome some for idolatrie some for one offence some for an other So although wee heare of the ioyes of heauen and of this new Cittie and many would enter therein yet for their manifold offences in this time of our life in this time of our triall many are debarred from thence and fewe there are that are made the citizens of heauen Thus much for the place now for the commodities The heauenly ioyes of the soule The commodities which belong to this heauenly Ierusalem are first concerning the soule beeing the principall part of man Secondarily as touching the body for the body beeing ioyned vnto the soule shal be partaker of this inestimable happinesse that both in body and in soule the whole man may receiue his full perfection And whereas it is the chiefest delight of a godly minde to serue GOD especially in the Church and in the congregation in this celestiall Ierusalem there shall bee no Temple no Church And I sawe no Temple therein How then why the presence of GOD himselfe shall bee vnto them in stead of a Temple and Church For the Lord God Almightie the lambe are the Temple of it Thus in the presence of God shal be all happinesse and at his right hand there are pleasures for euermore And as it is said that the 24. Elders fel down before him that fate on the throne and worshipped him that liueth for euermore and cast their crowns before the throne so shall the Saints in heauen continually sing forth Gods praises Reue. 4.10 and 14.1 The hundred fortie and foure thousand which had the name of God in their foreheads did sing a new song before the throne and no man could learne that song but the hundred fortie and foure thousand which were redeemed from the earth Reue. 7. And there were that were cloathed in long white garments hauing palmes in theyr hands which cryed with a loud◠voyce saying Saluation be ascribed to him that fitteth vpon the seate of our God And all the Angels stood in the compasse of the seate which fell before the seate on their faces and worshipped God saying Amen Blessing and glory and wisedome and thankes and honour and power and might be vnto our God for euermore Now shall the minde heart thought and imagination of those that are thus blessed bee filled with all aboundance of spirituall comfort For now wee see as it were through a glasse but then shall wee see face to face Reue. 22.4 Then shall all errour and darknesse of ignorance bee vtterly taken away then shall wee not desire as now we doo in this life to see God as the Prophet Dauid speaketh My soule thirsteth after thee Like 〈…〉 Hart desireth the water brookes so 〈…〉 my soule after thee O God My soule 〈◊〉 athirst for God yea euen for the liuing God when shall I come to appeare before the presence of God At that time shall all our desires be fully satisfied And that which was denied the Prophet Moses to see the glory of God in this life Exo. 33.20 shall then be graunted to euery one that there shal be placed The griefe of minde and sorrowe of heart shall then be vtterly remoued no weeping no mourning no lamentation to be heard throghout that holy mountaine Behold saith the Prophet Esay in the person of God Chap. 65.13 My seruants shall reioyce and sing for ioy of heart I will ioy in my people and the voyce of weeping shall be no more heard nor the voyce of crying Reue. 21.4 For God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes and there shal be no sorrowe nor any more paine for the first things are past that is those things which wee suffred in this life shall not molest any more Then shall sorrow be neuer felt complaint shall neuer be heard matter of sadnesse shall neuer be seene neither shall euill successe at any time be feared No cause of feare no cause of griefe for that they shal possesse thee O Lord which art the perfection of their felicitie In him shall wee finde all knowledge all wisedome all bewtie all riches all nobilitie all goodnesse all delight and whasoeuer besides eyther deserueth loue and admiration or worketh pleasure and contentation All the powers of the minde shall be filled with the sight and presence and fruition of GOD all the sences of our body shall bee satisfied GOD shall bee the vniuersall felicitie of all his Saints containing in himselfe all particular felicities without ende number or measure He shal be a glasse to our eyes musicke to our eares hony to our mouthes most sweete and pleasant balme to our smell hee shall be light to our vnderstanding contentation to our will continuation of eternitie to our memory In him shall we enioy al the varietie of times that delight vs here and all the pleasures and ioyes that content vs here Finally the soule shall bee restored to the Image of of God in full measure and be throghly adorned with all righteousnes holinesse all heauenly and spiritual graces The heauenly ioyes of the body The commodities and priuiledges of the body also thus vnited to the
thy minde with varietie and rauishing thy sences with infinite delight And this may make vs more eager after those ioyes because we shall not be long without them For the time of this life is but short and the time of this thy tryall in this world is but in a manner a moment If our time here should be a thousand yeares what is it to one day in the world which hath no night which be it that it hath a sun-rising yet shall it neuer haue a sun-setting an entrance and beginning there is into these ioyes but the termes and date thereof cannot be tolde And as the torments of hell whereof I haue heretofore spoken are endlesse so are the ioyes of heauen beyond all time as they are remedilesse for out of hell there is no redemption so are these ioyes without all change alteration as they are cōfortlesse so these exceed in al maner of cōforts al without reach without nūber without measure Thus haue I shewed you the ioyes of the kingdome of heauen and yet haue I not shewed them for neither can I vtter them nor yet can you cōceiue them But that which I haue already spoken is sufficiēt though not for the worthines of the cause or for the satisfying of our infinit desires yet for edifying cōfort and instructiō And if I should lead you alōg with my owne deuices imaginatiōs it were but a matter to delude you againe neither be you desirous to knowe more then is fit and conuenient For when we haue spoken all or the learnedst in the world expressed al yet al must fal short of this marke to vtter the truth of those ioyes For if no eye hath euer seen them not hart of man can cōceiue them how is it possible I say not for me to declare them but for any tongue to vtter them But that which we doo know let vs gather to our good to our necessary instructiō leauing off to search where god wil giue no vnderstanding Hidden they are and vnknowne that wee might the more earnestly desire them For knowne things growe out of loue The consideratiō of these ioyes already recited may be sufficient to establish vs to cōfirme vs that there bee not in any of vs an vnfaithful heart to depart way frō the liuing God And who wold depriue himself of those ioyes if they were no other but such as euen our owne minds might imagine or our own hearts conceiue In this case let vs be content there to make a stop where Gods word hath set a full poynt And blessed be God who to incourage vs in the way of godlinesse hath graunted vs thus to behold these incredible ioyes thogh it be but in a shadow and as it were vnder a vaile Howbeit to shew you all these ioyes Application and not to apply them seemeth altogither without vse and without life The profitable instructions therefore that herehence may arise are more then I can vtter yet giue mee leaue to recite some And thinke not hardly though I stay you a litle longer For to heare the discourse of those things which pertaine to the kingdome of heauen I my selfe which haue searched more then any of you should in this respect forsake my dyet and forget to heare how the Clocke goes or the day passes Suppose we are now busie in the field at haruest vnmindfull to come euen to our owne houses and surely this is a farre better haruest and a better graine and commoditie then we can gather in When it pleased God I shuld deuise this for your good it was with comfort and now I vtter it it is with comfort and therefore I doubt not but that you that heare it heare it also with comfort To growe out of loue with the world The first instruction for our vse may be this to learne to growe out of loue with this present world and with the transitory pleasures and profites of the same that so we may prepare our iourney to our long home and to our wished home and to those houses and heauenly habitations whose leases shall neuer be expired to our heauenly Canaan and to his newe and most bewtifull Ierusalem Howbeit for the most part wee are so doted and bewitched with the glistring ioyes of this present fading world that no exhortation or perswasion shal lightly preuaile to withdrawe our mindes from thence Which thing may liuely be set forth to your viewe by reciting of a Parable of the custome of a certaine Common-wealth people and Nation which were woont to chuse their king from among the poorest sort of the people to aduance him to great honour wealth and pleasures for a time But after a while when they were aweary of him their fashion was to rise against him and to despoyle him of all his felicitie yea the very cloathes off his backe and so to banish him naked into an Iland of a far countrey where bringing nothing with him hee should liue in great miserie and be put to great slauery for euer Which practise one King at a certaine time considering by good aduice for all the other though they knew that fashion yet through negligence and pleasures of their present felicitie cared not for it tooke resolute order with himselfe how to preuent this misery Which was by this meanes he saued euery day great sums of mony from his superfluities and idle expences and so secretly made ouer before-hand a great treasure into that Iland whereinto he was in danger daily to bee sent And when the time came that indeede they deposed him from his kingdome and turned him away naked as they had done the other before he went to that Iland with ioy and confidence where his treasure lay and was receiued there with exceeding great tryumph and placed presently in greater glory then euer he was before This citie or common-wealth is this present world which aduanceth to authoritie poore men that is such as come naked into this life and vpon the sudden when they looke best for it doth it pull them downe againe and turneth them naked into their graues and so sendeth them into an other world where bringing no treasure with them they are like to finde litle fauor and rather eternall miserie The wise King that preuenteth this calamity is euery one which in this life according to the counsell of Christ dooth seeke to lay vp treasure in heauen against the day of theyr death when they must bee banished hence naked as all the Princes of that Citie were At which time if their good deedes doo followe them as God promiseth then shall they be happy men and placed in much more glory then euer this world was able to giue them But if they come without Oyle in theyr Lampes then is there nothing for them to exspect but this I knowe you not This sum of mony is not so much our good deeds as the forgiuenes of our manifold offences the amēdmēt of our sinfull