goodnesse it selfe and no good thing will hee keepe from them that feare him and serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse of life This Iudgement day then is good in respect of God and man In God to shew his great mercy iust iudgemēt to the godly the wicked In man that a crowne immortal might be absolute that the fulnes of perfectiō might make a perfect fulnes 2 The resolution he not only in a kind of intentionall determination verbally said it that which had bin sufficient too for Psal 33.9 Dixit factum est He spake the word and it came to passe But more he hath with mature deliberation resolued vpon it for my Text saith Hee hath appointed a day that is Flatly agreed vpon As if the blessed Trinity had held a Councel about it as about the making of man Let vs make man So Gen. 1.26 Let vs apoint a day for Iudgement And then after that secret heauenly Parliamēt hold the Act was published as a reuealed thing which belongs to vs our children for euer That there is an appointed day of Iudgement Deut. 29.29 Agreeing to this is that of the He. c. 9.27 Statutum est hominibus vt semel moriantur pastea vero iudicium It is apointed for all men once to die and after that coms the Iudgement It is appointed therfore needs must be nay both apointed therfore shal be Death Iudgement too With god is no chāge no alteration no shadow of either for Ego dominus non mutor I am the Lord and I chāge not Mal. 3 6. Solus deus recipit immortalitatem quia non capit mutalit atem Only god is imortal because only God is imutable The heauens change look old as doth a garment but thouart the same thy years fail not Psa 102.27 Why doth the sun guid the day the moon the stars gouern the night Because god hath apointed it why doth not the sea ouerflow the earth it being so many degrees higher thē the earth but keep it selfe in it bounds which it passeth not Because God appointed it Why haue we a winter a Summer and not al one season of the yere Because God hath appointed it Why doe al the godly look for a iudgemēt day Because god hath appointed it So we haue light and darknes day a night a spring a fal Al because god apointed all If your aske me why Iacob was predestinat before al worlds to saluation Esaw hated to damnation I answer Statuitdeus because god apointed If you aske me why Saul was casheird of his Kingdome and Dauid inthrōned I answere Statuit Deus God hath appointed it If you aske me why Absolon did hang betweene heauen and earth by the ruffinly hair of his head A destruction to giue our now such people instruction I answere Statuit Deus God had appointed it If you aske me why I doe and you must looke for a Iudgement day I answere with my Text. Quia statuit Deus Because God hath appointed it The Rainbow hath many colours two Dominant Fiery and Watry the watry colour remembreth vs of the Deluge past and bids vs feare it no more the Fiery aduertiseth vs of the Iudgement to come and bids vs daily looke for it If you aske me why I haue retained my Text and what that speakes is law Statuit Deus Because God hath appointed it 2 The second part of my Text is the vncertaintie of the day of Iudgement for Quinatus ante tempus Hee that was borne before time And Qui dedit esse tempori Who gaue a beeing to all time will come In tempore In a fit time to iudge vs. Pro tempore For lost time we who are Heires of time when as Non erit amplius tempus There shal be no more time Time it selfe shal be no more as wee read Apock 10.6 that is No more time of persecution of murther of Sinne whereof the sixt Angel spake Apoc. 9.13 The time of persecution at that time shall cease and yet time it selfe shall not haue cessation Antechrist with all Complices of his shal be destroyed so there shall bee no time for hurt nor destruction sith the destroyer himselfe shall bee destroyed but Ipsum Tempus in quantum tempus Time in that it is time shall suffer no destruction In three things appeares the vncertainety of the day of Iudgement 1 The place where 2 The manner how 3 The time when It is vncertaine in what place wee shall bee iudged It is vncertaine in what manner wee shall bee Iudged and it is vncertaine what time the Iudge will come to Iudgement 1 The place any particular place of Iudgement or where the Iudge will appeare to Iudge is to vs vtterly vnknowne more then that Paul speaks of 1. Thes 4.17 Then wee who liue and remaine shall bee caught vp in the clouds to meet the Lord in the Aire and so shall bee with him for euer So that the generall place is the Aire In the 6. of Mat. 64. In the 13. of Marke 26. In the 21. of Luke 27. The Iudge there speaking of himselfe at his comming saith That it shall bee in the Clouldes of Heauen That is both as the Marginall hath it and as the most vnderstand it Sitting vpon the Clouds as he was taken vp which opinion is the common receiued opinion of the learned There were of the Friers and are at this day of opinion that the valley Iehosaphat which is situate towards the Eeast betweene Ierusalem and the Mount of Oliuet shall bee the place where say they the throne shall bee set and where wee shall all be Iudged the proofe of which opinion they cite out of Ioel. 2. chap. 3. verse 2. where the text saith I will gather all nations and will bring them downe into the valey Iehosaphat The reasons mouing them to this opinion are two 1 Because they hold Ierusalem and the places about it adiacent to bee neere the middle of the earth and therfore being a place so copious so famous most fit for the place of Iudgement 2 Because Iohosaphat in the Original doth singnifie the Iudgement of the Lord. The which opinion of theirs thus I answere That for the places cituation to be about the middest of the earth or world that I leaue to the Cosmographers to be decided according to their iudgement in that Arte and facultie Also the wordes signisication shall cause none alteration sith they who are learned in the Hebrewe tongue will acknowledge no lesse But for the places quotation they must obserue that the Text is to bee vnderstoode either by way of allusion alluding to the valley where God did by a great and vnsupposed vnexpected mean at the humble paier of Iehosaphat ouercome that good Kings enemies for the enemies fell to Ciuill war among themselues and one slew another Moab and Amon fell vpon Mount Seir and they euery one vpon the other as wee
but labour and sorrow cut off and we soone gone Psal 90 10. And Hier. saith Sin amplius vixerimus If wee liue aboue 80. yeeres it is no life to be called but a death rather Now when we die the world is at an end with vs we goe to the house of our age and come forth no more to tell any tales Wherfore Iesus make vs ready against death comes and then Mercy will make vs happy when iudgemēt coms The very period of the Iudgement time some say shall be at midnight Quia illahora Angelus Egyptum deuastauit eademque hora electos suos de mundo liberabt Because in that houre say they the Angel did slay the First-borne in Egypt and that in that houre will hee deliuer his elect from Egypt of this world Some say Econtra The iudgement time shall be in the day either because the Prophets doe call it The day of the Lord Or else because that night if the time of night shall be as bright as the day Others say whose opinion Isodore citeth that The generall Resurrection shall be in the same night wherein our Sauiour made his Resurrection that is On Easer euen a the feast of the Pasouer and for that cause saith hee many in the Primitiue Church of the faithfull did watch that whole night as expecting the Iudges comming if we may beleene this Author But these men I answere first with that worthy father Haec est fidei regnla dixit Christus dixit Apostulus This is the rule of Faith to say Thus said Christ thus the Apostle Now this is more then Christ or his Apostles saide and so more then you or I must beleeue Next for that they speake of the Night time I answere either with Aug. It shal be Nocte rerum In the niht of the knowledge of actiōs Non temporum Not in the night seasn of time Or els I say with he meaning of the Text He shall come in the night that is Suddenly vnexpected when no man so much as dreameth on his then comming and as in the night things are done that men know nor so that time shall be when men thinke not This is sure whensoeuer it shall be A Trumpe shall blowe Inerrorem To terrifie As Theophilact in Mat. 24 ait And a shrill cry shall bee so lowde that All Soules in Heauen and Hell and bodies in the graue shal heare and at the hearing thereof appear before the Iudge Who as Beda in cap. 21. Lucae saith Ea forma electis apparebit qua in monte apparuit reprobis vero in ca forma qua in Cruce pependit Sall appeere to his chosen in that forme wherein hee appeared to Peter lames and Iohn on the mountaine that is gloriousl his face and clothes glistering Mat. 17.2 But to the reprobate hee shall appeare in that forme and shape which he had when hee hanged on the Crosse Let vs then who desire and hope for saluation worke it by faith and serue God here that that blessed day may be welcome to vs hereafter and how God will be serued Old Hier. tels you It will bee better by Aduerbs then by Verbs Videat quisque vt bonum opus bene bona intentione faciat quia non bonum facere sed bene facere laudabile est non enim in eo quod facimus sed quod bene facimus Let euery one saith he do good workes well and with a good minde for the praise is not in the doing good but in the doing well Example be the Pharisie he did good I fast twisea week I giue tythes of all I possesse I am no Extortioner vniust adulterer Lu. 18.2 But he did not well for he wanted a good intention which hee had not and waned not a proud heart which he had Wherefore he said Not like this Publican Ver. 2. And Christ saide Not iustified Vers 14. Thus all vnregenerate persons may doe Bonum Good but not Bne Well they cannot doe good well because they haue not in the sight of God a good will the person before God is not plausible because bee wants Faith nor the worke to GOD acceptable sith it wants not sinne What is not of Fath is sinne Romanes 14.23 3. The end to iudge the world is the third part of my text and this third part is taken in fiue sneses First for all creatures in the world Secondly for all mankinde Thirdly for the elect Fourthly for the reprobates Fifthly for the desires of the world as lusts of the yes desire of the heart pride of life and in the second senese for all mankinde is worlde in my text properly taken for God shall iudge all mankinde good and badde and bring them all to iudgement In the twentieth Chapter of the Reuelation and twelfth verse Saint Iohn saw the dead both great small stand before God for their iudgeent and the bookes were opened and euory one was iudged acording to the things written in those bookes and the Sea gaue vp her dead and death hell gaue vp his dead A question is heere mooued how the damned soules in hell and the Diuels the fallen Angels shall be iudged at the last day that are iudged already at this day Solu I answere that in respect of condemnation they shal not at the last day be iudged seeing they before hand are condemned by Gods eternall decree by his word by their owne consciences but in regard of aggrauation they shal be iudged because their pains shall be increased themselues strictly lookt vnto for hurting the godly any more In this world Peter was sitted Iob was wounded in the next world they are and shall be blessed the blessed shal be crowned crowned with a crowne of immortality white array Apoc. 3.5 And thus much by the way let me tell you as I passe along this third part of my text that White shall be the last apparell that we shall lastly weare it shall be the last weare which we shall weare and it wil weare lastingly euen so long as this mortall shall weare immortality after this mortall hath put on immortality White is a colour betokening purite and so the fitter colour for Heauen where al 's is Puritie It is the colour which wee shall haue in Heaen where no impure nor vncleane thing is Ephe. 5.5 This white was the colour wherewith Christ was mocked and this where shall bee the colour wherewith wee shall be crowned White was a color wherewith Christ was clad when hee was in miserie Luk. 23.15 And white shall bee that colour wherewith wee shall be clothed when we are in maiestie In the 1. of Iohn chap. 3. ver 2. It is said Wee shall bee like vnto him that is as Caluin saith Corpus nosrum humile reddet conforme corpori suo glorioso Hee shall make our clay bodies like his gloriou body And in the 17. of Mat ver 2. the Text saith When he ea transfigured his face didshine like the Sonne and his
clothes were as white as the light So hee is white and wee shall be white Now to this great Iudgement to which wee must come when our corruptible shall haue on this incoruptible white there are three Apparators that doe summon the World as my text hath it Vs I say Mankind who liue in the world 1. Infirmitas paenalis Infirmitie penall 2 Senectus temporalis Age temporarie 3 Mors ineuitabilis Death ineuitable And these three sammon all to Iudgement because all are sublunary and subiect to corruption all had a beginning ad must haue an ending euen ended by him by whom they were begunne him I say That hath appointed a day in which hee will Iudge the World The first of these Apparators doth threaten the second doth prosecute the third doth produce Infirmitie threatneth misery Age doth prosecute calamitie and Death doth bring vs with him into the High Commission Court of Iudicium speciale Our particuler Iudgement before the Iudge of the World to answere for iniquitie where if our Lawyers bee not good the Cause will goe against vs. We see in these daies that booke-cases alter and what is Law before one Iudge is ouerruled by another but sure I am that what is Law in this world shall not bee Law in the world to come Else would I deeme no people sooner saued then Lawyers because they who are good and conscionable Lawyers as we haue diuers such as will talke for their Clyents now I suppose they would plead harder for themselues then 1. Infirmitie doth summon vs for that is a punishment for the first sinne which whether it was Lust as many of the old writers held it out of Gen. 6.2 or whether it was ignorance as sme say or whether Pride to haue an equalizing of themselues with God as Hierome Gregory Nazianzene prooue and Augustine Tract in Iob. 49. affirmeth that I leaue because my text doth not find it And this infirmity is partly in the soule which delighteth not in heauenly things as it should but in earthly things as it should not partly in the body subiect to hunger cld nakednesse and as Iob saith Man borne of a woman hath but a short time to liue and is full of miseries Iob. 14.1 For befides miseries naturall of which as Gallen saith there are three hundred as yes sbiect to blindnesse bleerednesse thicknesse Eares to deafenesse impostumes foulenesse Mouth and tongue to cankers toothache dumbnesse Head to rewmes megrims giddines Throat to stuffings stranglings hoarcenes hands and legs to palsies gowtes feeblenes there are also miseries accidentall imprisonings venummings peril 's by fire waters cattell men These all are miseries and all these miseries are all messengers euen Remembrancers to put vs in mind of the iudgement day at hand for mans miseries are like Iobs bad tidings chap. 1.23 the end of ne euill message was the beginning of another 2. Age doth cite vs that when we see our hairs gray our bodies bend our eies dimme all decline wee cannot choose but thinke of our ende at hand vnlesse Nolumus agnoscere quod igno norare uon possumus Wee will not know what wee cannot but know The very passing by graues the vewing of Monuments fading memories for monuments and all must dye the sleeping of Nature the impayring of strength these things me thinks being cnsidered should teach vs to remember that which will close vp our eyes stoppe vp our breath lay vs in a companilesse bed a darke narrowe six foote grae 3 Death this Vltimum terribilium Last of all terrible things as Aristotle cals it doth serue a certaine vncertaine Summon vpon vs for Iudgement sith after the one instantly comes the other and there is no purging third place as the Papists vainely vilely salsely hold Diues dyed and was in Hell in torments Lazarus dyed an was carried into Abrahams bosome Duo sunt habitacula in igne aeterno in regno aeterno non est quis medins Locus vt possit nemo esse nisi cum Diabalo qui non est cum Christo Ther 's but two places saith Augustine in the euerlasting kingdome in eternall fire and there is no third place that he who is not with God must needes be with the diuell Many things there are that put vs in minde of death death puts in minde of iudgement and when Mors fecit quod potuit death hath done what must be Indicium faciet quod erit Iudgement will performe what shall be One faith God will one day aske vs all at the last day three questions 1. Qui. 2. Qnales 3. Quanti What we are by creation what by continuation how we haue profited Suppose the Almighty examine any of vs here vpon these interrogatories we cannot but answer Ad idem directly to the quesion for it is follie to lie to him who knowes better then we 1. Well then for our creation we will confesse that wee are Ad imaginem dei facti Vessels take heeue we make not our selues vassels made after his owne image 2. If we be asked what we are by continuation why that the Diuell without who fees our actions harts our counsels knows our very thoughts Quatenus animus externis se prodit sigus As our minde bewraies it selfe by outward signes as P. Mat. in 1. Sam. saith who shall Astare iudicio be by the Lord at iudgement as one saith and whom Augu. brings in pleading his inditement against vs thus These sinners O iust iudge are thine Per gratiam through grace in which they were made but mine Per culpam through sinne by which they are marde thine as they were framed mine as they are fowled thine in mercie mine in iustice thine by thy death mine by their life c. can tell and our conscience within which is as a thousand witnesses can testifie 3. But when he comes to Quantum profecimus How much wee haue profited though with that idle seruant Luk. 19.22 Ex ore nostro Out of our owne mouth he might iudge vs ye out of his mercie fraught with iustice he goes to his owne bookes searcheth the records there hee waies our sinnes and Christs merits together in a ballance to see how our faith can cacth holde to turne the scales I pray God therefore we may liue in this world like iust men for they liue like Paul and Paul liued by the Faith of the Sonne of God Gal. 2.20 So if wee liue like iust men wee shall haue the rewards of iust men euen the kingdome of heauen where God and his Sonne is and whethe God and his Sonne Iesus send vs all A question more curious then needfull is moued by some about this day of iudgement to wit whether the definitiue sentence shall goe and pasle on vs Mentally or Vocaly that is whether it shall bee onely in mens mindes hearts and consciences or whether wee shall all be called name by name It should seeme Augustine thought it to bee Vocall for De ciuit liber 20.
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
read 2. Cr. 20.23 And so this may haue a reference to that and may fignifie the valley of destruction for the wicked Or else doubtlesse it hath relation vnto the word Iehosaphat which signifieth Iudgement or pleading or arbitrating of matters Wherfore I auerre conclusiuely that it is not to bee vnderstood of the locall place of Iehosaphat but onely of Iehosaphat so termed and called because the Iudgement then executed on the damned shall resemble that which was vpon Ichosaphats enemies Thus then of the place of Iudgement no man must determine because the Scripture doth no where define for it is a Canon Where the Scripture leaues none euidence wee must lend no faith but that there shall bee a place we must all resolue Latet dies locus timeatur omnis dies locus the day and place is vnkuowue that euery day and happily Place too might bee feared 2 The manner the manner may partly bee gessed because in holy writ it is plainly described Saint Iohn saith Videbunt in quempupugerunt They shal see him whom they thrust through cap. 19.37 Ergo ait Aug. vidibunt corpus ipsum quod lancea percusserunt sic videbitur a pijs impijs a Iustis iniustis a gaudentibus plangentibus a conficis confusis Therefore saith Austine They shall see that very bodie which they peareed with a Speare and so he shal be seene of the godly and the wicked of the iust and the vniust of them that shall reioyce and those that shall lament of those that bee saued and those that be confounded The circumstances then of the manner of the Iudges comming partly shall bee these fiue 1 The Iudge shall Iudge in the meere forme of a man yet not in the forme of a meere man sith he is was and will bee more then man Licet homo verus non tamen homo merus this is plaine Act. 1.2 Where when bee was taken vp into the Cloudes from his Apostles as they stood looking stedfastly towards Heauen as he went the Text saith Two men stoode by them in white apparell which said Yee men of Galile why stand yee gazing into Heauen This Iesus which is taken vp from you into Heauen shal so come as ye bane seen him go into heauen So like a man he went and like a man he shall come Vnde Aug. Ser. 64 De verbis De Forma illa erit Iudex quae sub iudie estetit illa iudicabit quae iudicata est That forme shall bee Iudge that yeelded to a Iudge that shall iudge which was iudged it self And if iudgement should be onely among the iust and holy Ones to them would the Iudge appeare as in the forme of God sayth this Docter but because all must bee iudged iust and vniust and sith it cannot bee that the vniust and wicked should see God Talis apparebit Iudex qualis videri possit abijs quos Coronaturus est abijs qua damnaturus est Tract in Iohn cap. 5 The Iudge shall so shewe himselfe as hee may bee seene both of those that shall bee crowned and those which shall bee damned For at that time he will Dare praemia secundum bona opera non propter bona opera Giue rewards according to good works but not for good workes As may bee prooued Apocal. 20. And Matthew 16.27 Also Ciuit. lib. 20. cap. 24. Manifestus veniet inter iustos iniustos indicaturus iuste qui prius veuit occultus ab iuiustis iudicandus iniuste Hee shall manifestly come among the both iust and vniust to iudge iustly who before obscurely hidden came among the vniust to be iudged vniustly In the forme of a Seruant shall the Iudge bee seeene Occulta erit forma Dei Occultus erit in Seruo Filius Dei Hidden shall bee the forme of God and the Sonne of God in thee forme of Man The Sonne of man shall appeare because the power of GOD shall make that appearance and the Sonne of God shal Iudge the appearers because hee will take the forme of man for the Iudgement 2 Canet tuba The Trumpe shall blow that is some admirable signe Accipitar Shall bee receiued which by diuine appointment Dabitur Shall be ginen and this signe is diuersly termed in the Scripture Sometimes to bee The voice of an Archangell sometimes The trumpet of God sometimes The voice of the Sonne of God And verily it may well bee called a Trumpet because God doth come then like one who is ready to wage warre against his enemies and such shall bee the virtue of it that at the hearing thereof all shall arise Though some with the Martyres haue their bones burnt to ashes others deuoured by beasts some rotted in the graue some lost in the earth and one perhaps a thousand miles from the other yet these all by Gods diuine power and might shall bee vnited and knit together and beeing the felse same bones which the creature had before it dyed shall receiue the very same flesh though it be denoured by wormes and returned to dust from whence it came Yea and that Eaendem numero the same numerarie flesh as the Logitians terme it and not Specie in shape and likenesse as the Anabaptists falsely holde Deum noua creare corpora sed his similia That God will create new bodies but yet like to our former In the 1. Thes 4.6 it is said The Lord shall descend from heaeuen with a shout with the voice of an Archangell with the trumpet of God A shout doth properly belong to marriners who for incouragement doe al shout together when they cast forth their oares and it should seeme the Apostle alludeth to these both as the marginall note hath it and as Aretius on that place expounds it The same Aretius holds the shoute to bee the loud crie of the Angels Lyra Wirth expounds this shoute to be the crie of the Iudge calling all to iudgement o-others thinke it shall bee the confused crie of all the vnreasonable creatures The voice of the Archangel is thought by some to be The great and generall noise of the heauenly troupe that shall attend the Iudge Bucer thinkes it the hie note of the Captain of the heauenly Hoast Lyra saith The voice of Christ commanding all to iudgement shall be vox imperatiua the swaying ouercomming voice the voice of the Archangell calling to iudgement shall be vox executiua The accomplishing or sinishing voice the voice of execution that as the Saints shall iudge the world 1. Cor. 6.2 so when the Lord shall crie Arise ye dead to iudgement euen that crie shall be the Eccho as it were and crie of the angelicall multitude The trumpet of God saith the Glosse shall be the commanding all to arise after which rising instantly shall bee the iudgement Others thinke the trumpet shall be the manifest appearing of the Iudge Musculus thinkes it shall bee some outward signe which may bee called and termed A Crie terrible and
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