dungeon of Hell To leaue Lawrence marke what Christ saies in the 25. of Matthew and sée whether he doe not there most liuely demonstrate and shew what he accounts of the faithfull poore and what estimation he makes of Almes bestowed on them for there he saies Matt. 25.31 c. that when the sonne of man commeth in his glorie and all the holy Angels with him then shall the he sit vpon the throne of his glorie and before him shall be gathered all nations and he shall separate them one from another as a Shepheard separateth the shéepe from the goates and he shall set the shéepe on his right hand and the goates on the left Then shal the king say to theÌ„ on his right hand Come ye blessed of my father take the inheritance of the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world For I was an hungred and ye gaue me meate I thirsted and ye gaue me drinke I was a stranger and ye tooke me in vnto you I was naked and ye clothed me I was sicke and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came vnto me Then shall the righteous answere him saying Lord when saw we thée an hungred and fed thée or a thirst and gaue thée drinke and when saw we thée a stranger and tooke thée in vnto vs or naked and cloathed thée or when saw we thée sicke or in prison and came vnto thée And the king shall answeare and say vnto them Verily I say vnto you in asmuch as ye haue done it vnto one of the least of these my brethren ye haue done it to me How terrible shal the day of Iudgement be to those that are not perswaded that Christ shall bee as well their absoluer and acquitter as their Iudge censurer 2. Pet. 3.10 For the day of the Lord will come as a théefe in the night in the which the heauens shall passe away with a noyse and the elements shal melt heate and the earth with the workes that are therein shall be burnt vp and in that great and generall and Impartiall Iudgement the booke of all offences shall be layed open the Graue Death and Hell shall yeeld foorth all that are in them all corners shal be swept and all plaites and wrinckles shal be vnfolded the Sunne shal be darkened and the Moone eclipsed and the starres shall fall from Heauen Christ the Iudge of quick and dead shall take in hand the glittering and two-edged Sworde being readie to throw the Thunderbolts of his fierce wrath and the vnfaithfull and vngodly shal be driuen to such straites and extremitie that they shall crie to the Hills Fall on vs and to the Mountaine â—ouer vs and to the Waters Swallow vs vp Happie are they that may stand then boldly in that day but that loue their poore brethren shall haue boldnes and confidence in the day of Iudgement For as hee is so are wee in â—his world saith the Apostle that is 1. Ioh. 4.17 GOD will not condemne those that are like himselfe but the mercifull in this world are like to God for God is mercifull and gratious and therefore the mercifull néede not to feare the sentence of condemnation And wee must marke that CHRIST will say Take the inheritance of the Kingdome For I was an hungred and ye gaue me meate He will not say enherite the kingdome of heauen because ye haue prophecied in my Name cast out diuels in my Name For many that shall say so in the last day shall heare this Answere Mat. 7.23 I neuer knewe you Depart from me yee that worke iniquitie Neither shall Christ say enherite the Kingdome because you haue not couered your Neighbors goods because you haue not committed fornication because you haue not defiled your handes with blood although the auoyding of these things be necessarie for Christians for Fornicators and murtherers and vncleane persons and couetous persons Gal. 6.21 shall not possesse the kingdome of God Neither shall Christ say to Abel because thou hast suffered for righteousnes to Noah because thou hast built the Arke for the worlds preseruation to Abraham because thou hast offered vp thy Sonne to Moses because thou hast published the law to Peter because thou wast Crucified therefore inherite the Kingdome of heauen But Christ shall only say enherite the Kingdome because yee ministred to the poore Saintes in their necessities Which words of our Sauiour must not be so taken as if Almes or any other of our workes did merite eternall life Almes merite not and why mention is made of workes of mercie in the last iudgement For the Scripture expressely teacheth that our Election is of grace and if it be of grace it is no more of works or else were grace no more grace but if it be of workes it is no more grace or else were worke no more worke Rom. 1.5 â— and the scripture teacheth that we are saued by grace through faith and not of our selues it is the gift of God Eph. 2.8 and the scripture teacheth that Christ by his merite hath sufficiently obtained for vs eternall life in that he gaue his life for the ransome of many Matt. 20.28 and the scripture teacheth that Christ being an high Priest of good things to come by a greater and a more perfect tabernacle not made with hands neither by the blood of goates and calues but his owne blood entered once vnto the holy place and obtained eternall redemption for vs for if the blood of buls and of goates and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling them that are vncleane sanctifieth as touching the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ which through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without fault to God purge our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God Heb. â— 11.12.13.14 This doctrine clearely taught in holy scrripture vtterly excludes boasting on our part in the matter of saluation For that anie worke of oure may merite first it is required that it be freely our owne and not due to him to whome it is performed but whatsoeuer good we doe it is onely some parte of our dutie which wee owe to God Luk. 17.10 For when we haue done all those things which are commanded vs we must say we are vnprofitable Seruants wee haue done that which was our dutie to doe Ro. 11.35 And who hath giuen to the Lord first and he shall be recompenced Rom. 8.12 and we are debters not to liue after the flesh but after the spirit Next it is required that our worke or gift that we offer be profitable and commodious to him of whom wee merite but no action or worke of ours can bring any commoditie to the Lord Psal 16.2 For the Prophet sayes My well doing extendeth not to thee ô Lord And the Temanite Iob. 22. â— 3 Iobs friend sayes May a man be profitable vnto God as he that is wise may be profitable to himselfe
of Nabal Indeed I haue kept all in vaine that this fellowe had in the wildernes so that nothing was missed of all that pertained to him for he hath requited me euill for good so and more also doe God vnto the enemies of Dauid for surely I will not leaue of all that he hath by the dawning of the day any that pisseth against the wall Euen so Christ may say Indéed in vaine haue I bestowed so many benefites on wicked and obstinate mankind in vaine haue I shewed so many mercies in vaine haue I taken flesh for vngodly and vnfaithfull men and suffered death and preach the Gospell and sent my Apostles and offered the graces of my holy spirit and instituted my Sacraments and winked at them so often and imparted on them so many good things of nature and of the earth and what lay in me for my part I haue caused that nothing hath perished of all that pertained to man in vaine haue I done all this for vngodly and vnfaithfull men since they requite euill for good Vngratefull and foolish men are like to sottish Babel for they haue receiued my benefits yet haue seâ—ued Sathan and the flesh and when I sent my children my poore and my distresied members vnto them they did not couer the naked nor féede the hungrie nor comfort the afflicted God doe so and more also vnto mine enemies For I will destroy them and make them know how dangerous a thing it is to fall into the hands of the liuing God who is euen a consuming fire Abigail met with angrie Dauid Heb. 12.29 and appeased him but in the last Iudgement when Christ shall descend to reuenge the contempt of the vngodly that regarded not his saluation offered vnto them No Abigail shall make Intercession for sinners as S. Chrysostome prooues clearely out of the Scriptures Hom. 22. ad pocul AntiocheÌ„ Behold saith he how he that was not arrayed with the Wedding robe was cast out at the doores and none was a petitioner for him Behold how he that gained not with his Talent was punished and none made Intercession for him Behold how the fiue foolish Virg nes were excluded and their fellowes made no request for them Therfore the terror of this day is vnutterable and cannot be expressed because the Iudge shall be inexorable and cannot be intreated Then shall be heard the great and loude voyce of the Archangell and the Trumpet of God which all the Elements obey which cleaues the Rockes opens Hell breakes the bondes of the dead Chrys sup 1. Cor. 15. calles soules out of the depth and ioyned them againe with their bodies and all this it doth sooner then an Arrow doeth flie through the Ayre For the Apostle saith that it shall be done in a moment or twinkling of an eye Then shall come the time when the vnbeléeuing and vnrepenting shall say to the hils Fall vpon vs to the Mountaines Couer vs Luk. 23.30 and shall hide themselues from the presence of him that sitteth on the Throane and from the wrath of the Lambe and shall séeke death Reu. 6.16 Reu. 9.6 and shall not finde it and shall desire to die and death shall flie from them and shall goe into the holes of the Rockes Isai 2.19 and into the Caues of the earth from before the feare of the Lord and from the glory of his Maiestie when hee shall arise to destroy the earth Then there shall be a most strickt examination For what is lesse then an idle word yet the Lord saith Mat. 12.39 That of euery idle word that men shal speak they shal giue account therof at the day of Iudgement Then the hidden and secret cogitations shall be disclosed 1. Cor. 4.5 For when the Lord doeth come hee will lighten things that are hid in darknes and make the counsels of the hearts manifest and then shal euery man haue praise of GOD. Then shall bee done to the wicked and impenitent sinners which Nathan threatned to Dauid Thou didst it secretly 2. Sam. 12 12 but I will doe this thing before all Israell and before the Sunne That is the lurking sinnes of the vngodly shall be displayed before the view of the whole world 2. Cor. 5.10 Then we must all appeare before the iudgement seate of God that euery man may receiue the things which aâ—e done in his body according to that he hath done whither it be good or euill Eccles 12.14 for God will bring euery worke vnto iudgement with euery secret thing whether it be good or euill Then Ierusalem shall be searched with lanterns Ezek. 8.12 and the wall shall be digged downe and the abominations shall be seene at an open doore which sinners haue done in the darke and in their priuie chambers when they fondly said in their imagination The Lord seeth vs not the Lord hath forsaken the earth Then the Sonnes of men shall be called to a reckoning for all their workes as schollers are brought to repetitions in the end of the weeke and laborers receiue their wages in the euening and merchants pay when the faire is done for the wares which they haue staied and taken vp Then the wicked shall feele the shâ—rpenes of the two edged sword of Gods wrath which now is shut vp in the scabberd of mercie and the burning flame of Gods displeasure which is now couered like the Sunne vnder the cloude of long suffering and they shall no more be able to resist Gods firie anger Matt. 3.12 then the chaffe can resist the fire for they are the chaffe that shall be burnt vp with vnquenchable fire Then Sathan will conuince the obdurate transgressor by his owne offences and charge him with the debts he oweth him euen as the Creditor conuinceth his debter by his owne hand-writing Then the sinnes of the vnbeléeuers shall be opened as a fardell in the market and shall appeare in iudgement against them and like bastard children borne of wickednes Wisedom 4.6 shall be witnesses of the wickednes against their parents when they be asked If any should haue his secret faults reuealed in an open assembly in this world Chrys hom 5. ad Rom. would he not rather wish to die and to be swallowed vp quicke of the earth then to haue so many witnesses of his sinnes What then shall become of wretched sinners when all their doings shall be disclosed to the whole world vpon an open and perspicuous stage and shall be séene of infinite thousands whom they neuer knewe Now the sinnes of the wicked are so hidden as if they were written in Gods booke not with cléere Inke but with the iuyce of a citron or orenge Those things which are written with the iuyce of an orenge appeare not till they be brought to the fire and then they may be read plainely euen so the secret iniquities of the vngodly shall clearely appeare in the fire of the last iudgement For in Fire
by thy self and thy friends to performe that condition This life is as it were an houre neither canst thou assure thy self of one houre it is promised thee of God that thou shalt obtaine the euerlasting in heritance if thou watch and pray Why then dost thou cease to watch against sin to pray for Gods grace mercy that thou maist be counted worthy to escape all these things to staÌ„d before the Sonne of man That is to appeare boldly to obtaine fauor of the iudge and not to be reiected either in the general iudgment when all flesh shall receiue their doome or in the particular iudgment of thy soule when it shal be separated from the tabernacle of the bodie by death But perhaps because thou seest many to liue long thou doest promise to thy selfe ling life therefore dost deferre to prepare for thy iudgement And doest thou not also sée that many are takeÌ„ hence in their flourishing Age and on the sudden Who will not beware of a madde Dogge that bites all that passeth by Death is like a furious Dogge that spares none and warnes fewe But in this regard we are like vnto Swine For when Swine sée their fellowe killing and heare his grunting they all run about him and grunt and make a great sturre but when their Fellowe is killed and cryes no more presently they returne to the dyrt and dongue and care no longer for it So worldly carnall and voluptuous men when one of their acquaintaÌ„ce dyeth as long as the Funerals last they are mooued and serrified and troubled but anon after the Funerals are finished they soone forget it and returne againe to the filthinesse of their pleasures and former iniquities The deferring of repentance and doubling of sinnes is most perillous A Shippe bâ—eares many burdens yet it may be laden so long till it sincke againe God is gratious but if he be prouoked euery day he will whet his sword and bend his Bowe and shoote his Arrowes against the obstinate offenders Patience too much wronged Psal 7. â—â— is turned into Furie at last It is reported of the Diamond that it is the hardest of all stones but when it is broken it is scattered into most smal pieces that can hardly be discerned with the eyes and can neuer be ioyned together againe Let vs beware that the Lord be not by so much the more seuere against vs if we abuse his louing kindnes by how much the more fauour he hath formerly shewed vnto vs. He that heares the Thunder is afraid of the lightning The preaching of the word is a thundring of the iudgemeÌ„t to come Let vs next feare the lightning of the iustice of God The loÌ„ger we haue liued and the more punishments we haue escaped that were due to our sinnes the more let vs expect the iudgement that will come spéedily and surely Tâ—eramenes a Citizen of Athens when he had auoided the fall of an house which fell as soone as he was out of it cryed out Aelian de vaer histor l. 9. O Iupiter cuinam metemporâ—reseruea ô God for what time doest thou keepe me And anon after he was compelled by the thirtie Tyrants to drinke poyson and so dyed The like thing must the sinner expect that remaines impenitent and hath not yet felt the hand of God Wherefore say not Ecclus â— 4 5.6.7 I haue sinned and what euill hath come vnto me for the Almightie is a patient rewarder but he will not leaue thee vnpunished because thy sinne is forgiuen be not without feare to heape sinne vpon sinne and say not the mercie of God is great he will forgiue my manifold sinnes for mercy and wrath come from him and his indignation commeth downe vpon sinners Make no tarrying to turne vnto the Lord and put not off from day to day for suddenly shall the wrath of the Lord breake forth and in thy securitie thou shalt be destroyed and thou shalt perish in time of vengeance Thirdly Let vs sée to what the remembrance 3. To what the remembrance of the iudgement auaileth the Feare and the expectation of the last iudgement auaileth To meditate on the day of iudgement will bridle and refraine the desire and delight in sinning And therefore Saint Basil saies well If thou perceiue thy selfe to be prouoked to any sinne saith he call to minde that fearefull iudgement of Christ which no mortall man may endure and stay thy soule as it were with this bridle For as the Sunne obscures and darkens all the Starres with his brightnes In Psal 33 So the remembrance onely of this iudgement puts out all the concupiscences of the soule by the terriblenes thereof And therefore the Prophet Dauid shewes that the forgetting of this iudgement is the cause of sinne For when he had said that the vngodly doeth persecute the poore make boast of his owne hearts desire is so proud that he cares not for his God hath his mouth full of cursing deceit and fraude He yéeldes the reason Psal 10.6.11 when he saies That Gods iudgements are farre aboue out of his sight For he hath said in his heart God hath forgotten he hideth away his face and will neuer see it I shall neuer be mooued nor be in danger Therefore when we are allured and tempted to euill let vs resist temptations and say to our selues I will not doe this euill and I will not commit this sinne For a day will come wherein I shall not be able to answere for it in which the Heauen and Earth the Aire and water and whole world will stand vp and giue witnesse of my sinnes and though all things should hold their peace yet my very thoughts and workes shall be before mine eyes and shal accuse me before the Lord. When Sathan shall perswade vs that we shall finde fauour in that day though we persist and wallow in vngodlines let vs oppose and set against this assault the sort and qualitie of the last iudgement which shall be horrible intollerable vnauoydable sudden and wherein the iudge shall not be miscarried by fauour and entreatie For on the right hand shall be sinne to accuse On the left hand infinite Diuels to torment Vnder the hydeous Gulfe of Hell Ouer an Angrie Iudge Without the World flaming Within Conscience burning There the Righteous shall onely be saued Ah wretched Sinner whither wilt thou flie being so taken To be hidden it is impossible To appeare it is intollerable Nothing can be so auaileable to leade our life in the feare of God Ambros de Gffic as firmely to beléeue that he shall be the iudge whom no secret thing can deceiue and none offence hurt and who is delighted with vertue godlines the feare of the Lord. And if when our cause is to be heard of an earthly iudge we be so heedefull to prepare an Aduocate and to make readie all prooâ—es that may doe vs good how diligent should we be to haue our faith fixed
to say and sweare falsely for hatred fauor or gaine let Malachies prophecie he remembred where the Lord saieth thus Mal. 3.5 I will come neere to you in iudgement and I will be a swift witnes against the southsayers and against the adulterers and against false swearers and against those that wrongfully keepe backe the hirelings wages vexe the widowe and the fatherles and oppresse the stranger and feare not me saith the Lord of hostes For what shall it profite a man Matt. 16.26 to win the whole world and to loose his soule or what shall he giue for a recompence of his soule Bernard since that day shall come in quo plus valebunt pura corda quam astuta verba conscientia bona quam marsupia plena in which a cleane heart shall more auaile then a subtill tongue and a good conscience more then a full purse Because that Iudge will neither be deceiued by wordes not be wrested by gifts For the great and last iudgement shall be after another manner then the iudgements that are holden in this world Rom. 14.10.11.12 It shall not auaile to run away For we shall all appeare before the iudgement feare of Christ and euery one of vs shall giue accounts of himselfe to God Dan. 7.9.10 It shall not auaile to denie the faults for the booke of euery mans conscience shall be opened and euidence giuen of euery mans doings It shall not auaile to endeuor to beguile the Iudge for Christ knoweth all men And hee needeth not that any should testifie of man Ioh. 2.25 2. Pet. 3.7 for he knoweth what is in man It shall not auaile to trust in riches honours and treasure for the earth with all the riches and workes thereof shall be burnt vp What is it then that will auaile at that day Euen this that Christ acknowledge vs for his owne seruants and Christ will acknowledge and confesse those onely to be his Matt. 10. â—2 33 who haue beléeued in him and confessed him before men Saint Ieromes words are most worthy of obseruation when he thus speakes of himselfe Whether I eate or drinke In com in Matt. or doe any other thing alwaies that voyce seemeth to sound in mine eares Arise ô yee dead and come to iudgement as often as I muse on the day of iudgement so often doe I tremble with my whole heart and body for we must after such a manner passe ouer the pleasantnes of our life as that the bitternes of the iudgement to come be neuer forgotten Againe as the remembrance of the day of iudgement will curbe vs from hardnes of heart and continuing in sinne so it will comfort and chéere vs in our afflictions and miseries And therefore our Sauiour proposed the parable of the fig-tree saying Luk. 21.28.9 â—0 31 Behold the fig-tree and all trees when they now shoote foorth ye seeing them knowe of your owne selues that summer is then neere so likewise ye when ye see these things come to passe knowe ye that the kingdome of God is neere And when these things begin to come to passe then looke vp and lift vp your heads for your redemption draweth neere In which words Christ not onely meanes that those troublesome times shall be as certaine a signe of his comming as we certainely knowe that summer approacheth when trées bud foorth but he signifieth another thing besides For whereas in winter trees being drawne together with roughnes of colde séeme to be the stronger but when in the spring that hardnes is dissolued they appeare weaker and as it were clouen and opened that new tendrels and springals may breake out so the strength of the Church is not hindred when afflictions doe soften it in the eyes of men For as the inward iuyce dispersed through the whole trée when it is softned it encreaseth force to renew that which was before as it were dead so the Lord doth bring foorth the full restoring of his children from the corruption of the outward man The summe is this that by the feeble and fraile state of the Church we should not coniecture a destruction and decay but rather hope for immortall glorie vnto which the Lord prepareth his eiect by the crosse and tribulation For that which the Apostle speaketh of the seuerall parts must be applied to the whole body of the Church 2. Cor. 4.16 namely That though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed daily In the meane time art thou afflicted with pouertie want and scarsitie bee of good comfort a day is at hand when thy Sauiour will came to giue thee the glorie of Heauen that exceedes pearle pretious stones all the golde and treasure of Ophyre all things of this world most desireable Art thou molested with sicknes and infirmitie of bodie Be of good comfort a day is at hand when thou shalt be partaker of that Kingdome where is no sicknes no sorrowe no enemie no enuie no danger no death no feare of death Art thou falsely slandered and vniustly accused and oppressed wrongfully and depriued of thy right Be of good comfort a day is at hand when the cause of the Poore and Fatherles and widow shall be righted And no Bribes no partialitie no gloses no fleights no fetches shall either suppresse trueth or oppresse the true 2. Thess 1.6.7.8.9.10 For it is a righteous thing with GOD to recompence Tribulation to them that trouble the godlie to them which are troubled rest when the Lord IESVS shall shew himselfe from HeaueÌ„ with his mightie Angels in flaming Fire rendring vengeaÌ„ce vnto them that doe not know God which obey not vnto the Gospel of our Lord IESVS CHRIST which shall be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lorde and from the glory of his power when hee shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be made merueilous in all them that belieue in that day And when the royall Psalmist saieth That precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his Saints Psal 116.15 He giues vs notable coÌ„solation and doeth defend vs as it were with a Buckler not onely against the terrors of death and dartes of Sathan in the publike persecutions of the Church but also against priuate griefe and sorrow For he witnesseth that the Church is subiect to the Crosse and afflictions but yet that the godly can neuer bee brought so neere the gates of Death that they can see nothing but death and destruction before them And he admonisheth that those afflictions and griefes of the godlie are not tokens of Gods Anger and of their casting off from the face of God as worldlings iudge who when they sée the godly to be vexed outwardly destitute of all succour they assault them the more vehemeÌ„tly and insult vpon them the more proudely and hee teacheth that though now and then some members of the Church are slaine by Enemies and Tyrants yet that
punishment The Prophet tells thée saying Ezek. 16 49. The iniquitie of Sodome was pride fulnes of bread abundance of Idlenes in her and her daughters neither did she strengthen the hand of the poore and needie Quakest thou not to muse on the rich Glutton Luk. 16.15 that once fared delicitiously euery day and was clothed gorgeously in purple and fine linnen but now lieth in Helâ— in torments and desireth to haue his flaming tongue cooled with one drop of water and cannot be refreshed And why is no ruth and compassion shewed vpon him because he was merciles to the beggar Lazarus refusing to giue him the very crumbs which fell from his table Hast thou forgotten that at the dreadfull day of Iudgement when all shall appeare before the Tribunal seate of Christ and shall yeeld an account of their workes there shall be examination of Almes workes of charitie and as the godly shall heare this Matt. 25 3â—.41.42 Why and how the sentence of the last iudgement shall be pronounced according to workes see the treatise following Come ye blessed of my father take the inheritance of the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world so the mercifull shall heare that Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the D uel his Angels For saith Christ the eternall King Iudge vnto them I was an hungred and ye gaue me no meate I thirsted and ye gaue me no drinke I was a stranger and ye tooke me not in vnto you I was naked and ye clothed me not sicke in prison and ye visited me not Then shall they answere him saying Lord when saw we thee an hungred or a thirst or a straunger or naked or sicke or in prison and did not minister vnto thee Then shall he answere them and say Verily I say vnto you in as much as ye did it not vnto one of the least of these ye did it not to me In schooles those that are desirous to take degree knowing that strict examination shall be made of their sufficiencie they are woont to studie and labour much in that question and poynt in which they shall be examined and sifted and so they that are but meanely exercised in an Arte or profession shall be able to vnfold the difficulties of that one point and question Now since Christ the Iudge hath foretold that in the last Doome where the question shall not be for degrée of momentanie honour but for the crowne of immortalitie the chiefest inquisition shall bee touching Almes and workes of mercie if we neglect this one worke may it not be imputed to our owne slothfulnes if we be repelled in the great and terrible day And if they that giue not to the poore shall be so punished what shall the end be of the oppressour and defrauder of the poore Prou. 22.23 Prou. 23.10.11 God will defend the cause of the oppressed and afflicted and spoile the soule of those that spoile them and if any remoue the antient bounds and enter into the fields of the fatherles he that redéemeth them is mightie and he wil defend their cause Ier. 22.13 saith Salomon Woe vnto him that buildeth his house by vnrighteousnes and his chambers without equitie vsing his neighbour without wages and giuing him not for his worke saith the Prophet Ieremiah Ezek. 22.29.31 On them that vexe the néedie God will powre out his indignation and consume them with the fire of his wrath and render their owne waies vpon their heads saith the Prophet Ezekiel Amos. 4.1.2 Against the kine of Bashan that oppresse the poore and destroy thâ— néedie the Lord God hath sworne by his holines that he will take them away with thornes and their prosperitie with fishhookes O ye that swallowe vp the poore Amos. 8.4.5 c. and ye that make the néedie of the land to faile making the Epâ—ah small and the shekell great and falsifying the weights by deceit that ye may buy the poore for siluer and the néedie for shoes the Lord hath sworne by the excellencie of Iacob Surely I will â—euer forget any of these workes shall not the land tremble for this and euery one mourne that dwelleth therein I will turne your feasts into mourning and your songs into lamentation and I will bring sackcloth vpon all loynes and baldnes vpon euery head and I will make it as the mourning of an onely sonne and the end thereof as a bitter day Amos. 5.11.16 saith the Lord by the Prophet Amos. Forasmuch as your treading is vpon the poore and ye take from him the burdens of wheate his foode by which he should liue yee haue build houses of hewen stone but yee shall not dwell in them yee haue planted pleasant Vineyards but yee shall not drinke wine of them For the Lord God of Hosts the Lord saith thus Mal. 3.5 Mourning shall be in all streets they shall say in all the high wayes Alas Alas they shall call the husbaÌ„dman to Lamentation such as can mourne to mourning as it is in the same Prophet I will come neere to you to iudgement and I will be a swifte witnes against the Sooth-sayers and against the Adulterers and against false-swearers and against those that wrongfully keepe backe the Hirelings wages and vexe the Widow and the Fatherlesse and oppresse the stranger and feare not mee Iam. 5.1.2.3.4 saith the Lord of Hostes by the Prophet Malachy Goe too now saith the holy Apostle Iames weepe and howle for your miseries that shall come vpoÌ„ you Your riches are corrupt your garments are moath-eaten your gold and siluer is cankered and the rust of them shall be a witnes against you shall eat your flesh as it were fire For why behold the hire of the Labourers which haue reaped your fields which is of you kept backe by fraude crieth and the cries of theÌ„ which haue reaped are entred into the eares of the Lord of hosts ye haue liued in pleasure on the earth in waÌ„tonnes ye haue nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter They must remeÌ„ber this that depriue the poore of their liuings that wthold the wages of the laborer that beguile the néedie in bargaining and selling that smoother suppresse legacies that are bequeathed to the poore intreruerting and conuerting them otherwise then the Testators minde was Let none thinke to thriue thereby for as the Eagles feathers if they be laide by the feathers of other biâ—des they will fret consume them So the goods of the poore wrongfully deteined from them wil consume confound the residue of mens wealth substaÌ„ce And here is a memoranduÌ„ for all officers Collectors ouerseers for the poore that they vse all diligence plainenes trueth sincerity to gather dispose the Rates for the reléefe of the néedie knowing that if they performe not their dutie with a good conscience God is the auenger of such
1. Cor. 2.14 for spirituall things are spiritually discerned When the spirit of God comes vpon vs then these muddie and earthly cogitations and delights and desires will flée from vs. It fared so with Saul for at Samuels first spéech of the Kingdome he answered contemptuously and sportingly Am not I the sonne of Iemini of the smallest Tribe of Israell 1. Sam. 9.21 and my Familie is the least of all the families of the tribe of Beniamin wherefore then speakest thou so to mee But when he was annointed with oyle when the Spirite of the Lorde came vpon him hée tooke to him a royall minde and changed into another man he began to imagine things worthy of his estate It is hard indéed to contemne the pompe of the world and the enticements of riches and the allurements and baites of pleasures but wée must not cease from attempting for euery good vertuous thing is hard Learne of Salomon to séeke first the kingdom of God and his righteousnes for when God appeared vnto him by night and saide 1. King 3.9 Aske what I shall giue thee Salomon asked not for himselfe long life nor riches nor the life of his enemies but an vnderstanding heart to discerne betweene good and bad Learne of Iob to séeke first the kingdome of God and his righteousnes Iob. 1.5 For when the dayes of his childrens banquetting were gone about thinking that they had sinned and blasphemed God in their hearts hée was accustomed daily to sanctifie his children and to rise vp early in the morning and to offer burnt Offerings according to the number of his Children Learne of Daniel to seeke first the kingdom of God and his righteousnes for when hée vnderstood Dan. 6.10 that the King had established the statute that whosoeuer should aske any petition of any god or man for thirtie dayes saue of the King he should be cast into the Lyons denne hee went into his house and couragiously opening his window in his chamber toward Ierusalem he knéeled vpon his knées thrée times a day and prayed and praised his God as he did aforetime Learne of Dauid to séeke first the kingdome of God and his righteousnes who affirmes of himselfe Psal 55.7 that with forcible vehemencie he would pray call vnto God Ps 5.17 Euening and Morning and at Noone and that he did crie vnto the Lord his prayer should early come before him and that he had sworne vnto the Lorde Ps 88.13 and vowed vnto the mightie God of Iacob that he would not enter into the tabernacle of his house nor come vp vpon his pallet Psal 132.2.3.4.5 or bed nor suffer his eyes to â—leepe nor his eye-lids to slumber vntill he had found out a place for the Lorde an habitation for the mightie GOD of Iacob Learne of the very Ethnickes and Pagans to séeke first the kingdome of God and his righteousnes For they had the first and chiefest care for their Religion and superstition and did establish compose and settle that before all other things Lampridius writes in the life of Alexander Seuerus the Romane Emperor that when hee heard a controuersie betweene some Christians and certaine Hucksters or Inne-kéepers touching a common place and field which the Christians kept to pray therein but the Inne-kéepers saide it was theirs and in former times properly belonged vnto them the infidell Emperor answered Quoquo modo fit satius est eo in loco Deum câ—lâ—quam cauponas exercere Howsoeuer it be â—â—â—h he it is better that GOD be worshipped in that place then that Inne-kéeping should be there vsed In the Senate of Rome those things were euer first proposed which concerned Religion and the worship of their gods Albertus Noui-camp in orat ad Hungar. Princip And at this day as often as the Great-Turke doth deliberate with his Bassaes and Nobles a Professor of their law is commanded to be present to take carefull héede that nothing be concluded against their Religion It is memorablie reported of Albinius Val. Max. lib. 1. ca. 1. that when the Galles had taken Rome and the Flamen and Vestall virgins fled with the implements and instruments of Religion Albinius carrying his wife children in a Carte or Waggon preferring publike Religion before priuate charitie commaunded his people to descend from the waggon and placed therein the Flamen and Vestal virgins for their easier carriage of the holie things and by this his forward yet blind deuotion makes one to say that this course and homely waine did either equal or exceed the most glittering triuÌ„phall charriot that euer was Cannot Christs commaundement Cannot the vnconceiueable glorie and ioyes of Gods heauenly kingdome prepared for those that loue and feare God vnfainedly Cannot the examples of Gods true Seruants that haue shined as Lamps and starres in the middest of wicked wordlings stirre vs vp to séeke first the kingdome of God and his Righteousnes Why then let vs blush for shame to be excéeded by the very Paganes and let vs do that in the worship of the true GOD. that they did in the adoring of their Idols least otherwise they arise against vs in the day of iudgement and condemne vs. Quintus Cicero writing a tract to his brother Marcus Cicero De petit Consul â—t touching the suing for the Consulship which was then the highest ordinary dignitie in the world admonisheth him to set this alway before his eyes minde whether he were at home or whether he weÌ„t into the Common-place or whether he entred into the Senate-house and to say to himselfe these words Nouus sum Consulatum peto Roma est I am of no ancient house I am a sutor for the Consulship I sue for it at Rome For he thought that each of these was able to prouoke and excite him to vertue First that he was not a Romane citizen borne nor of an Ancient house but an Arpinate and descended of an obscure Familie Secondly that he sought after the supreme dignitie Thirdly that hée sued for it in the Citie of Rome the most magnificeÌ„t stage of the whole world and among a great number of most worthy Competitors But wée Christians all and singular doe séeke and sue not for a Consulship in one citie but for the kingdome of Heauen Therefore that we may séeke it aright let euery one of vs say to himselfe Nouus sum gloriam beatitudinem aeternam peto Coelum est I am naturally no citizen of Heauen I seeke for the glorie and happines that is eternall Heauen is the place First wée are not borne Citizens of the kingdome of Heauen as our first Father Adam was in the Paradise of pleasure and in the state of Innocencie But wee are by nature sonnes of wrath strangers soiourners and pilgrims borne in the worlde that lyeth all in sinne and borne of the Flesh and conceiued in iniquitie We liue in a cursed earth in which we eate our bread with the
wee attaine to the Kingdome of Heauen Neither can anie attaine to Eternitie vnles he walke in the way of good works And that our works may be good indéede and acceptable vnto God it sufficeth not that they be onely done in outward shew as Gods law prescribeth but there must be an inward sinceritie of minde procéeding from faith and purging the heart and there must be an assured perswasion that that we doe pleaseth the Lorde For Whatsoeuer is not of Faith is sinne Rom. â—4 23 Act. 13.9 that is Whatsoeuer wee vndertake with a doubtfull conscience whether it please God or not and whether God command it or not is sinne Lastly that a worke may bee good it must haue respect to Gods glorie alone as to the principall ende thereof For the hypocriticall Pharisee gaue Almes and the Publican gaue Almes after his Iustification but the Almes of the Pharise was odious to God because he gaue to be séene of â—en the Publicans almes was pleasing not so much for that it was commanded as for that it proceeded from sinceritie and faith and tended to Gods honour Therefore because the Lawe of God doth chieftie respect the fountaine of sinceritie Matt. 2â— 37. whence a regard to Gods glory must procéed the vnregenerate though their works séeme neuer so glorious outwardly yet because they doe not that well that is of it selfe good that is they do it not of faith to Gods honor their workes are not good but dead Gen. 3.7 and are like Adams fig-leaues that couer the inward corruption Ioâ— 14.4 Tâ—â— 1. â—5 For how can cleannes procéed from vncleannes And vnto them that are defiled vnbelieuing nothing is pure but euen their mindes and consciences are defiled But the man regenerate because he hath recouered by faith some parte of sinceritie of minde according to the measure of sinceritie recouered he is fitte to performe good workes S. Cyprian excellently declares the matter by a similitude De â—â—â—gularitâ—â—e Câ—â—ricâ—â—â— A Bishop saith hee that consecrateth a Church and confirmeth children is not then consecrated a Bishop when he doth those things yea except he were before that time consecrated a Bishop those things were vnprofitable and childish foolish toyous Euen so a ChristiaÌ„ being consecrated and saÌ„ctified by his faith hée doth good workes but hée is not first sanctified or made a Christian for these good works for this onely pertaines to Faith Yea except hee belieued befâ—re hee did good workes they should be vnprofitable wicked damnable sinnes Wherefore the marriage garment is Faith and good workes without faith there is no saluation without good workes there is no true faith Iam. 2.14 For so S. Iames saith What auaileth it though a man saith he hath Faith wheÌ„ he hath no works caÌ„ that faith sâ—ue him As though the Apostle should say Faith cannot bee without workes more then the Sunne can be without brightnes and a costly Ointment without smell and a liuing bodie without a soule therefore it is a painted Sunne that hath no brightnes a vile oyntment that smells not sweetly and a dead carkase that hath no soule and an idle vnprofitable faith Nay no faith at all that is destitute of good works Bern. ser 12. de Resurrect Domini Sicut corporis huius vitam ex motâ— suo coonoâ—â—â—â—nâ—â— â—ta fidei vitam ex â—onis opâ—ribus As we know that our body liueth because it mooues so wée know that our faith liueth because it bringeth foorth good works as the soule is the life of the body wherby it is moued hath féeling so the life of faith is loue wherby it worketh In Psal And therfore Austen saies fitly Sic docet me vt agam non vt tantummodo sciaÌ„ quid agere debeam God teacheth me so to do that I should not onely know what I ought to do For as it is said of Christ that he knew no ill by which we conceiue that he did no ill so that man may truely be said to know good that doth good 2. What Hypocrisie is the vnmasking thereof Hitherto the true profession of CHRIST which is the wedding garment hath bene set foorth vnto vs now let vs take a view of Hypocrisie and fained friendes that come to the marriage without the mariage robe to whom the King will say Friend how camest thou in hither hast not on a Wedding garment What then is Hypocrisie Hypocrisie is dissimulation for the originall worde signifieth a couering and concealing of Iudgement when a man shewes one thing indéede and an other thing in the iudgement and eies of men And properly an hypocrit is he that plaies his part in a stage-play But in coÌ„mon vse in diuinitie hypocrites are that like stage-players wil séeme to be other theÌ„ they are in very déed And therefore Austin saith Tracta de ser domini in monte In serm de ieiunio That Whosoeuer desireth to seeme that hee is not is an Hypocrite For he fayneth that he is righteous and is not such a one in deede And Chrysostome sayes more plainly He is an hipocrite that is a stage-player that takes vpon him on a stage the person of another for as a seruaÌ„t ofteÌ„times represeÌ„ts a Maister and a priuate person a Prince so they counterfeite on the Theater and stage of this life that beare another thing in their heart Matt. 23.4.5.6.7.16.23.24 25.27 then they pretend before the world But none can painte out an Hypocrite in more liuely colours then Christ our Sauiour hath done when hee saith that Hypocrites binde heauy burthens grieuous to be borne and lay them on mens shoulders but they themselues will not mooue them with one of their fingers and that Hypocrites do all their workes to be séene of men For so the Hypocritical Scribes and Pharisees made their Phylacteries broade and the fringes of their garments long loued the chiefe places at Feasts and the chiefe seates in the Assemblies and gréeting in the Market and to be called of men Rabbj Rabbj and accounted the golde greater then the Temple that sanctified the golde the oblation greater then the Altar that sanctified the oblation and that Hypocrites straine out a Gnatte swallowe a Camell tithe Mynt and Annise and Cummine and leaue the weightier matters of the Lawe as Iudgement and Mercie and Fidelitie and that they make cleane the vtter side of the Cuppe and of the Platter but inwardly they are full of briberie and excesse And the hypocrites are like to whited tombes which appeare beautifull outward but are within full of dead mens bones and all filthines One father saies Greg. li. 8. Morall that hypocrisie is the cloaking of a secret vice vnder the shew of vertue and that the life of an hypocrite is nothing else but quaedam visio phantasmaâ—is the shewe of an imaginarie matter which appeares something and is nothing Id. Ibid.
and compares the hypocrite to Simon of â—yrene that bare Christs crosse but died not with Christ so euery hypocrite professeth to liue to Christ but will not die to sinne and to the world Another father likens the hypocrite that séeketh God fainedly Chrys super Matt. 12. but findes not his true seruice to Herod that promised deuotion to the wise men yet meane while did whet his sword and paint his malice of heart with the colour of humilitie And he saith againe Hom. 57. de diuersis A man that is righteous in deed is like to a faire woman that needs no externall ornaments but hath naturall beautie but the hypocrite whose holines is dissembled is like to a filthy and deformed harlot which vseth many meretricious colourings yet cannot couer her filthines but the néerer any drawes vnto her the more he mislikes her Super Matt. sept And againe he saith that an hypocrite is like a wolfe cloathed in a shéepes skin but that he is found out by his voyce and by his doing for the shéepe bleats and lookes towards the earth and eats grasse which is a signe of humilitie and méekenes but the wolfe howles and lookes towards heauen and eats the flesh of beasts which is a signe of pride and crueltie They that can make White of blacke and blacke of white are like to Bell the Image of the Babylonians which outwardly was couered with brasse but was inwardly clay And therefore one saies well Bell. in entholog sacra Qui Curium simulat cum sit nequissimus illum Cur ego non Belem iure vâ—care queam Why may not I call him Bel that faines himselfe righteous and yet is most wicked As Aristotle the Prince of Philosophers saies of morall fained amitie Lib. 9. Ethic. He that faines himselfe a friend and is none is worse then a coâ—ner of false money So it may be truely said of religion and Gods feare with that holy father Counterfait pietie is no pietie but double iniquitie Aug. in Psal 23. because it is iniquitie and dissimulation The hypocrite hath Iaakobs voice but the hands of Esau that is he talkes religiously and zealously but he walkes impiously and prophanely the hypocrite is like the statues of Mercurie that were wont to be set in crosse waies to direct trauellers to some citie or towne but did not trauell nor mooue their selues the hypocrite is like the burning candle that consumes it selfe by giuing light to other that is by his worke he profits other and by ill doing thereof he procures his owne punishment the hypocrite is like the stage-plaier that when he cried out ô God he pointed with his finger to the earth and when he cried out ô earth he pointed with his finger to the Heauen Phiâ—ost and therefore wise Polemon gaue him no reward being iudge of the Actors saying â—ic manu Solaecismum fecit this fellowe hath spoken false language and committed an error with his hand the hypocrite is like the deafe and hollowe nut which hath no kernell within but is wasted of the worme and therefore is fit for nothing but for the fire the hypocrite is like the golden Image that outwardly is guilded but inwardly is but rotten wood for he couers a sinke of iniquitie vnder a cloake of pietie the hypocrite is like the false messenger that beares a boxe painted with the Princes Armes but he hath therein neither the Princes letters nor the seale Iob. 39.17 c. the hypocrite is like the Ostrich that layes eggs indéed but leaues them in the sand and hatcheth them not her selfe So though the hypocrite admonish others well shew them how to worke well yet he brings forth no good workes himselfe nor gaineth any to Christ by his owne good example the hypocrite is like to the Swan that hath white feathers Leâ—â— â—1 16.18 yet blacke flesh and therefore as one thinkes the Swan was forbidden to be eaten of the Iewes to shew that God abhorreth all dissimulation the hypocrite is â—â—ke siluer that is white in shew yet makes blacke strikes and lines the hypocrite is like the Vintner that deliuers good wine to his guestes and drinkes the lées himselfe and therefore though he speake neuer so holily yet he must remember Maâ—â— 7.21 That not euery one that sayeth Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doeth the will of God which is in Heauâ—n and that it must be said vnto him Maâ—â— 7.3 â—5 Why feest thouthe moate that is in thy Brothers eye and perceiuest not the beame that is in thine owne eye Or how sayest â—â—ou to thy brother suffer me to cast out the moate out of thine eye and behold a beame is in thine owne eye Hypocrite first cast out that beame out of thine owne eye and then shalt thou see cleerely to cast out the moate out of thy brothers eye In which words Christ forbids the hypocriticall censure and iudgement and that is when to obtaine praise and a reputation of goodnes men doe reprooue other for such faults as are in themselues either in the same or in greater measure Luk. 4.2.3 Rom. 2. â— They that are blamed and iudged by such presently say Physitian heale thy selfe and In that thou condemnest another thou condemnest thy selfe For wicked men that are full of hatred and sinne doe presume to iudge their brethren do directly looke on the offences of other and therefore doe censure them as they list but they consider their owne offences by a reflexion and thwart sight and circumstances whereby they endeuour either to couer them or to extenuate and lesseâ— them Contrarily the good and godly are sharpe-sighted in their owne sinnes and in the vertues of other but they are blinde in the sinnes of other and in their owne vertues The hypocrite is like Gold made by Alchimy that appeares as gold but is not so and hath a disease called noli me tangere for though he be spéedie in reprehending of other yet he himselfe will not be reprehended God in forming a man first frames the heart a painter in portraiting a man first deciphers the face So the good man imitates God and vseth an inward consideration and though he cannot excuse the outward action yet he excuseth the good intention but the hypocrite like a colourer and counterfaâ—ter he begins from the face and vseth outward censure and iudgeth after the outward appearance God commaunded the Israelites Ioh. 7.24 Leu. 19 1â— not to let their cattell gender with others of diuerse kindes not to sowe their field with mingled seede and not to suffer a garment of diuerse things as of linnen and wollen to come vpon them In these words God forbids hypocrisie for it is the hypocrite that soweth diuerse séedes and graines that speakes well but doth ill that hath wheate in his mouth and tares in his heart that is cloathed with the garment of vertue before men and with
him Iam. 4.4 for the amitie of the world is the enimitie of God and whosoeuer will be a friend of the world maketh himselfe the enemie of God Let vs remember that wee are in the latter end of the world And therefore they that haue wiues 1 Cor. 7.29.30.31 must be aâ— though they had none and they that weepe as though they wept not and they that reioyce as though they reioyced not and they that buy as though they possessed not and they that vse this world as though they vsed it not for the fashion of this world goeth away that is let vs not fixe and tie our affections on earthly things Heb. 13. â—4 For we haue hâ—ere no continuing Citie but wee seeke one to come but let vs hunger and thâ—rst after â—ighteousnessâ— that we may be filled with eternall blessednesse through our Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus Amen KNOW THIS THAT GOD WILL bring thee to iudgement Luk. 21.36 Watch therfore and pray continually that ye may be counted worthie to escape all these things that shall come to passe and that ye may stand before the Sonne of man WHen our Sauiour had shewed the terriblenesse of that last and great day wherein hee will come to iudge all flesh and to giue to euery one after his doings hee exhorts all men to haue these things in continuall remembrance that they may attaine to eternall blessednes escape euerlasting wretchednes For they that are drawne from sinne neither by the loue of God nor the desire of heauenly blessings nor by the embracing and following of vertue yet if they giue héede to that they heare they must néedes be terrified and consequently something refrained from euill by the expectation and looking for of this dreadfull iudgemâ—nt And therefore our Sauiour propounds this as a meaneâ— to reclaime obdurate and obstinate offenders and concludes the fearefull description of the day of doome with this admonition Watch therfore and pray continually that ye may be counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to passe and that wee may stand before the Sonne of man And that which in this Euangelist is spoken briefely in Saint Matthew is expounded and amplified more largely where Christ saith Watch therefore Matt. 24.42 c. for ye knowe not what houre your Maister will come Of this be sure that if the good man of the house knewe at what watch the theefe would come hee would surely watch and not suffer his house to be digged through therefore be yee also readie for in the houre that yee thinke not will the sonne of man come Who then is a faithfull seruant and wise whom his Maister hath made ruler ouer his household to giue them meate in season Blessed is that seruant whom his Maister when he commeth shall finde so doing Verily I say vnto you he shall make him ruler ouer all his goods But if that euill seruant shall say in his heart my Maister doth deferre his comming begin to smite his fellowes and to eate and to drinke with the drunken that seruants Maister will come in a day when he looketh not for him and in an houre that he is not ware of and will cut him off and giue him his portion with hypocrites there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Likewise our Sauiour saith in S. Marke Take heede watch and pray Mar. 13.33.34 c. for ye know not when the time is For the Sonne of man is as a man going into a strange countrey and leaueth his house and giueth authoritie to his seruants and to â—uery man his worke and commandeth the porter to watch Watch yee therefore for yee know not when the Maister of the house will come at euen or at midnight at the cocke crowing or in the dawning least if he come suddenly he should finde you sleeping And those things that I say vnto you I say vnto all men Watch. Now to the end we may be the more prepared and the more watchfull and the more earnest in praier let vs weigh with our selues first the dreadfulnes of the last iudgement secondly why the day thereof is not knowne thirdly whereunto the expectation and remembrance thereof is profitable 1. The dreadfulnes of the last iudgement The fearefulnes of the last iudgement the Lord describes in the foregoing words when he saith Then there shall be signes in the Sunne and in the Moone and in the Starres and vpon the earth trouble among the nations with perplexitie the sea and the waters shall roare and mens hearts shall faile them for feare and for looking after those things which shall come on the world Luk. 21.25.26.27 for the powers of heauen shall be shaken and then shall they see the Sonne of man come in a cloud with power and great glorie Thus also it is expressed in Saint Matthew Matt. 24. â—9 30.31 And immediately after the tribulation of those daies shall the Sunne be darkened and the Moone shall not giue her light and the Starres shall fall from heauen and the powers of heauen shall be shaken And then shall appeare the signe of the Sonne of man in heauen and then shall all the kinreds of the earth mourne and they shall see the Sonne of man come in the clouds of heauen with power and great glorie And he shall send his Angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together his elect from the fower windes and from the one end of the heauens vnto the other The substance of Christs words is this that then all Elements and heauenly bodies shall both suffer strangely in themselues to affright the wicked and shall also work strangely on the wicked by casting vpon them diuerse torments as well of soule as of body and that all Creatures aboue and beneath shall be cryers and trumpetters to summon men before that horrible Tribunall seate which because they haue contemned therefore they haue persisted still in all vngodlines How the Sun shall be darkened the Moone shall not giue her light and the starres shall fall from heauen and the powers of heauen shall be shaken and the sea and floods shall roare in such ghastly sort that men shall be readie to yeeld vp the ghost through feare and anguish At this time we cannoâ— coniecture but the euent it selfe will declare and though the manner thereof be not knowne to vs yet to God it is well knowne But howsoeuer it shall be because the vse of the scripture is by the darkening of the Sunne Moone and Starres and by the like things as Christ héere foretels to discipher and signifie the extreame stormes and tempests of Gods wrath vengeance therefore those threatning predictions in the old Prophets may be applied to the last day of Iudgement in which they prophesie that the world shal be in such anguish perplexitie as that men shal thinke the Sun to be darkened the Moone to be bloodie the Sars
shall God iudge the world This made Dauid to say Oh Lord thou hast tryed me Psal 139 1.2.3.4 and knowne me thou knowest my sitting and my rising thou vnderstandest my thoughts a farre off thou compassest my pathes my lying downe and art accustomed to all my waies For there is not a word in my Tongue but loe thou knowest it wholy ô Lord. And this made Iob to say that his steppes were numbred Iob. 14.16.17 his sinnes were not delaied and his iniquitie was sealed vp as in a bagge If God doe this in this fléeting life much more will he doe it in the great iudgement If God doe thus in Dauid and Iob how much more will he doe it in the wicked If the righteous can scarcely be saued Bern. Ser. 15. in CaÌ„t. Greg l. 27 Moral in Iob. where shal the sinner appeare Quid in Babylone tutum si in Ierusalem manet serutimum Quiâ— facient â—abulae quando â—remuns Columna If the search be so narrow in Ierusalem what can be hidden in Babyloâ— If the Pillars of the house tremble what shall the weake planckes doe That is If God so deale with his deare children in this life and so punish ofteÌ„tunes their sinnes in this world where there is a place for mercie how seuere shall his sentence be against the wicked in the world to come where onely iustice shall be found Vnlesse perhaps there be any so faithlesse and so prophane as to call into question the last iudgement and to doubt Aristotle whether the world shall haue an end or not Indéed the Philosopher affirmed that the world was eternall without beginning without ending and another spake as impiously Non alsuno videre patres aliúmne minores Aspicient Our Fathers saith he saw none other world Maniâ—â—â—s And shall our posteritie see any other But to these Infidels and Ethnicks may be opposed the Tradition of the Gentiles themselues who by the direction of ancieÌ„t Oracles did maintaine that Iupiter was the chiefest of the Gods and that his sonne was the Iudge of the soules of men in Hell And yet that this Sonne was not Apollo Liber or Mercurie who were accounted heauenly but he was Minos both a King Law-giuer As if they had meant that the Sonne of God should be Iudge of the world but yet such a one as was both a Man and iust to wit a Mediator That was both God and Man Against a Poet may be cited another Poet which saith Ouid. Met. 1. Esse quoque in fatis reminiscitur affore tempus Quo mare quo tellu correptaque regia caeli Ardeat mundi â—oles operosu laboret That the time shall come in which the Sea earth heauen and whole frame of the world shall be burnt with fire And aboue all Poets the eminent Prophetisse Sibâ—ll prooues the finall and generall iudgement in her Acrostich verses Lib. 8. Iesoûs Christós theoú üios sotèr stauros where the first letters make vp these words in the Greeks tongue wheâ—in she wrote Iesus Christ the Sonne of God our Sauiour that suffâ—red on the Crosse and where agréeably to the scriptures she shewes that Christ shall come to iudge all flesh and that the trumpet shall blowe and that the dead shall be raised vp and shall sée Christ and mourne before him and that all secrets shall be reuealed and that the Sunne Moone and Stars shall loose their light and that heauen earth and the Sea shall be burnt with fire and that the Saints shall be set at full libertie but the wicked horribly punished But of those mockers of the last day that say 1. Pet. â— 4 Where is the promise of Christs comming for since the fathers died all things continue alike from the beginning of the creation of those mockers what should be asked but this whether they doe not beléeue the Article of the Christian faith which holdeth that Christ shall come in the end of the world from heauen to iudge both quicke and dead and whether if they beleeue the Resurrection they must not of necessitie also beleeue the last iudgement for that God may iudge al the dead he must raise them vp from death and why should he raise them from death but to receiue their iudgement and whether Nature doe not demonstrate this principle vnto vs that God is iust and therefore the good must of necessitie be blessed for euer and the wicked cursed for euer which thing since in this world it comes not to passe where theâ—e are so many wicked men and Atheists vpon whom God doth not shew vengeance in this life and where on the contrarie godly men and sincere worshippers of the Lord are so farre from a recompence in this life 1. Cor. 15.19 that of all men they seeme to be most miserable there must néedes remaine a certaine and infallible iudgement wherein the wicked shall be punished and the iust shal receiue a reward of their pietie Lastly what should be asked of these mockers but this whether they will not beléeue the holy scripture which in manifold passages inculcates the great iudgement as when it saith that God shall iudge the world in righteousnes Psal 9.8 and shal iudge the people with equitie and when it saith that the Lord will iudge with fire Isa 66.15 and with his word all flesh and when it saith that nothing is secret Luk. 8.17 Ioh. 12.48 that shall not be euident neither any thing hid that shall not he knowne come to light and when it saith that he that refuseth Christ and receiueth not his words hath one that iudgeth him the Word that Christ hath spoken Rom. 2.16 it shall iudge him in the last day and when it saith that at the last day God shall iudge the secrets of mens hearts by Iesus Christ Heb 9.17 and when it saith that it is appointed vnto al men that they shal once die after that coÌ„meth the iudgement Iude. 14.15 when it saith that the Lord commeth with thousands of his Saints to giue iudgemeÌ„t against al men to rebuke all the vngodly amoÌ„g them of all their wicked déedes which they haue vngodly committed of all their wicked speakings which wicked sinners haue spoken against him and when it settes downe the whole procéeding Matt. 25. manner and execution thereof at large Besides this Is not the sentence of death pronounced against the traÌ„sgressor of the law Gen. 2.17 before the fall of Adam and the repetition of the same sentence by the mouth of God in the Lawe Deut. 26. â—6 a Fore runner and Herauld of the last Iudgement Is not the Hand writing of God Gal. 3.10 engrauen in mans conscieÌ„ce whereby his thoughts do either accuse him or excuse him Rom. 2.15 a summoning to the last Iudgement Are not the examples of Gods wrath heretofore executed on the World as the Flood the burning of Sodome the
reiection of the Iewes the destruction of erusaâ—em and the like demonstrations of the last Iudgement And are not daily calamities both publique priuate and the death of the bodie are not these representations Images of the last iudgement Wherefore since it is so certain that the day of iudgement shal come at the time prescribed of God and since that day shall be so searefull and terrible Let vs watch and pray continually that we may be counted worthie to escape all these things that shall come to passe and that we may stand before the Sonne of man Secondly we must note The day of iudgemeÌ„t not known and why that the day and houre of the day of Iudgement is vncertaine and vnknowne For this our Sauiour teacheth most euideÌ„tly For wheÌ„ the disciples asked what signe there should be of his coÌ„ming and of the end of the world Christ did not answere when his comming should be but after what manner it should be He declareth the fashion of it but he concealeth the season of it If any shall say that the approaching of it may be discerned by the signes and tokens which our Sauiour himselfe hath set downe and that therewithall the time of it may be somewhat coniectured It may be answered that the prognostications and signes of the day of iudgement are of two sorts some are precedent anâ— going before it and some are conioyned and going with it And of the foregoing tokens some goe long before it and some goe not long before it The signes that goe long before the day of iudgement Matt. 24 24.3â—.38 are these First the preaching of the Gospell throughout the whole world and among all nations secondly that strange securitie and gluttonie such as was in the daies of Noah before the flood thirdly a departure from sound doctrine of which Paul speakes 1. Tim. 4.1 when he saith That the spirit speaketh euidently that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith and shall giue heede vnto spirits of error and doctrines of Diuels fourthly a wonderfull disorder and corruption in manners for in the last daies saith the scripture shall come perillous times 2. Tim. 3.1.2.3.4 for men shall be louers of themselues couetous boasters proud cursed speakers disobedient to Parents vnthankefull vnholy without naturall affection truce-breakers false accusers intemperate fierce no louers at all of them which are good traitours headie hie-minded louers of pleasures more then louers of God fiftly the reuealing of that notable Antichrist for the Apostle saith 2. Thess 2.3 That no man must deceiue vs by any meanes For that day shall not come except there come a departing first and that that man of sinne be disclosed euen the sonne of perdition sixtly Luk. 2â— 12 Matt. 24.10 Matt. 24.11 the persecution of the godly and betraying of them for the name of Christ seuenthly publike and notorious scandales and offences eightly many false Christs false Prophets saying I am Christ that is vsing the name of Christ or faining that they are sent of Christ or that they are that which Christ is shewing forth signes and wonders to deceiue the very elect if it were possible ninthly neglect of loue and charitie and a falling from the faith The signes going néerely before the day yet such as the day shall not presently follow are these First in heauen Mar. 13.17.24 the sunne shall be darkened that is there shall be eclipses of the Sunne the Moone shall loose her light the Starres shall fall from heauen that is shall séeme to fall the powers of heauen shall be shaken Secondly in the earth there shall be great earthquakes sturs and tumults nation shall rise against nation and kingdome against kingdome Luk. 11.9.10.15 Mar. 13.7.8 Luk. 21.23 no place shall be frée from wars pestilences famines persecutions and vexations 3. In the sea there shall be fearefull roaring sounding and flowing 4. In the aire there shall be dreadfull and terrible tempests In a word the heauen earth and all Elements shall expresse the face of an angrie Iudge that sinners may be warned to repent Super. Matt. 24. except they will perish suddenly And therefore Saint Chrysostome saies When the good man of the house dieth the familie lamenteth apparelleth it selfe with blacke garments so when mankind drawes to an end the powers of heauen which were made for mankind doe mourne and putting aside beautie are ouerwhelmed with darkenes When the king of heauen ariseth to iudge the quicke and dead the Angelicall powers shall be moued and the terrible seruants shall goe before the terrible Lord. Vnto these foregoing signes may be added the conuersion or gathering of Israel to the faith that is of the whole Iewish nation to the Church of Christ Luk. 21.24 Isai 59. Rom. 11. when the fuâ—â—s of the gentiles is come in of which conuersion both the Prophet and the Apostle maketh mention and the which how and when it shall be none knowes but God These are the signes that goe before the second comming of Christ The tokens conioyned and going with the day of iudgement are the wayling of the kinreds of the earth Matt. 24.30 and the signe of the Sonne of man which shall be seene in the heauen when the Lord shall come in the cloudes which some take for the signe of the Crosse and some take for the excellent glory and Maiestie which shall giue witnes that Christ is come to iudge the whole world Now by the accomplishing of the foregoing signes which we haue scene and doe see daily performed we may gather the néere approaching of the day of iudgement but of the signe that shall goe with it the time is vncertaine and therefore our Sauiour saith Matt. 24.33 When ye see all these things knowe that the kingdome of God is neere euen at the doores and he addes presently but as the daies of Noah were Verse 37.38.39 so likewise shall the comming of the Sonne of man be for as in the daies before the flood they did eate and drinke marrie and giue in marriage vnto the day that Noah entered into the Arke and they knewe nothing till the flood came and tooke them all away so shall also the comming of the Sonne of man be And he ads withall of this be sure Verse 43.44 that if the goodman of the house knewe at what watch the theefe wold come he would surely watch not suffer his house to be digged through therefore be ye also readie for in the houre that ye thinke not will the Sonne of man come 2. Pet. 3.10 This Peter learned of his Maister Christ when he said That the day of the Lord will come as a theefe in the night And likewise Paul Thess 5.2.3 when he said That the day of the Lord shall come euen as a theefe in the night for when they shall say peace and safetie then shall come vpon them sudden destruction as
on Christ our Mediatour and Aduocate and to declare our faith by vertue and godlines of liuing that we may be absolued and preuaile against the daungerous enemies and accusees of our soules in the last and great day of iudgement For where our Sauiour saith That the houre shall come in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce Ioh. 5.28 we must attentiuely consider that it is said that the houre of the last day shall come For because we doe often so much pursue the vanitie of this world therein passeth away the tediousnes of houres and times in that we are taught that the houre of iudgement shall come and we knowe not how soone this must make vs carefull and watchfull in the loue and embracing of godlines For they that affirme that all shall at the last be said how can they aunswere to that spéech of him that cannot lie when he speaketh of the resurrection and last iudgement saying They shall come foorth that haue done good Ioh. 5.29 vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of condemnation In which words Christ sheweth that the twofold state of men shall appeare in the end of the world also and not without iust cause For as men haue béene diuerse in this life some elect some reprobate so euery one shall haue his reward and Christ shall gather all nations before him and separate them as the Shepheard separates the shéepe and goates setting the shéepe on the right hand and the goates on the left hand All shall liue indéed after the generall iudgement but there shall be a distinction of this life by the iudgement of Christ the iust Iudge For Christ béeing God that taketh no pleasure in iniquitie when he hath gathered the wheate into his gainer that is when he hath called and receiued the faithfull and godly to the perpetuall possession of his kingdome Matt. 3.11 then he will burnethe chaffe that is vnfruitful persons workers of iniquitie with fire that cannot be extinguished and the Angels shall goe forth and separate the euill from the iust Matt. 13.41 Mar. 9.41 and throwe them into the fornace of flaming fire where shall be wéeping and gnashing of téeth and the worme will neuer die This the Diuine expresseth in these words He that ouercometh shall inherite all things and I will be his God â—eu 21.7.8.27 and he shall be my son but the fearefull and vnbeleeuing and the abominable and murtherers and whoremongers and sorcerers and Idolaters and all lyars shall haue their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death for none vncleane thing shall enter into Heauen neither whatsoeuer worketh abomination or lyes but they which are written in the lambes booke of life The Apostle preaching to the Athenians Act. 17.31 said that God hath appointed a day in the which he will iudge the world in righteousnes As if Saint Paul had said that the circumstance and consideration of the time must stir vs vp to repentance and amendment of life for this is the time of grace in which men may be partakers of Gods mercie if they repent But if men stubbornely reiect the mercie of the Lord offered vnto them they must knowe that all men shall in the prefixed day be arraigned before Gods Tribunall seate which can neither be auoyded nor refused For albeit God suffer the vngodly for a time yet he doth it not for that he alloweth their wickednes but that by his forbearance he may allure them to repentance and if they contemne his kindnes and long suffering when he inuiteth them to his feare at length will they nill they they shall finde him a sharpe and seuere Iudge As he patiently for a long time expected the conuersion of the old world in the daies of Noah but at last said Gen. 6.3 That his spirit should not alway striue with man because he is but flesh and that his daies should be an hundreth and twentie yeares that is because men could not be wonne by Gods lenitie and long sufferance whereby as it were he stroue to ouercome them he would no longer stay his vengeance but definitely prescribe the terme of an hundreth and twentie yeares in which the inhabitants of the earth might repâ—nt before the Earth were destroyed Gen. 19.19.24.25 and as God patiently for a long time expected the conuersion of the Sodomites in the daies of Lot but at last for their hardnes of heart consumed them with fire and brimstone from heauen and their cities and that that grew vpon the Earth and as God patiently expected for a long time the conuersion of the Israelites sending his seruants the Prophets daily vnto them that they might be spared 2. King 17.13.14 but at last for reiecting and contemning of his admonitions and threatnings he destroyed Samaria Ierusalem so whosoeuer shall doe wickedly and yet shall thinke to escape Gods iudgement Rom. 2. â— 4 5.6.7.8 â— 10 despising the riches of Gods bountifulnes and patience and long sufferance not knowing that the bountifulnes of God should lead him to repentance he after his hardnes and heart that cannot repent heapeth vp as a treasure vnto himselfe wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God who will reward euery man according to his works that is to them which through patience in well doing séeke glorie and honor and immortalitie eternall life but vnto them that are contentions and disobey the truth and obey vnrighteousnes shall be indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish shall be vpon the soule of euery man that doth euill of the Iew first and also of the Grecian but to euery man that doth good shall be glorie and honour and peace to the Iewe first and also to the Grecian And why is the separation of the good and bad expressed by the comparison of the shéepe and goates but partly for the consolation of the godly who in this mixture of good and bad are manifoldly molested by the reprobate as the shéepe are by the goates partly for the instruction and admonition of the godly that we should be most studious in this life to cast aside the manners and malice of goates and to expresse the simplicitie and innocencie of shéepe When the world goes about to draw vs to the pleasures of youth and by addicting our selues to vanitie to forget God and his worship let vs call to minde what Salomon saith of this matter reioyce saith he Eccles. 11.9 ô young man in thy youth and let thine heart cheere thee in the daies of thy youth and walke in the waies of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes but knowe that for all these things God will bring thee to iudgement When the loue of the world and the desire of riches and honour shall moue vs to be vnconscionable vnmercifull readie
righteousnes and this is our Sanctification And thus if wee put on first Isai 61.10 Ezek. 16.10.11.12.13 Psal 4â— 13.14 the Purple robe and then the white robe At last wee shall be adorned with the Golden robe which is the glittering Garment of perfect Righteousnes and eternall life in Heauen and this is our glorification They therefore that haue these purple white robes are to be couÌ„sailed that they defile them not but that they walke in white that they may be worthie Reu. 3.3.4 watch for the coÌ„ming of him that wil come as a Thiefe in the night they are to be admonished that haue not these purple and white garments that they beg them deuoutly earnestly of God that they may be clothed that their filthy nakednes doe not appeare Reu. 3.18 and out of Gods word they are to be pronouÌ„ced Blessed that watch keepe their garmeÌ„ts lest they walke naked Reu. 16.15 meÌ„ see their filthines For he that is arraied with the purple robe of Christs righteousnes the white garment of Newnes of life in this world shall wtout all doubt and peradueÌ„ture in the end be garnisht and clad with the goldeÌ„ robe of immortalitie and glorie in the kingdome of heauen Wheâ—efore whither we be young or olde rich or poore at home or abroade buying or selling sicke or healthy ioyfull or heauy acting or conteÌ„plating let vs all stil beare in mind this lessoÌ„ giueÌ„ vs of our SAVIOVR IESVS CHRIST euen this Watch therefore pray continuallie that yee may be counted worthie to escape all these things that shall come to passe and that yee may stand before the Sonne of man AMEN Vni-trino Deolaus gloria THE SECOND part THE TITLES OF THE treatises tending to this purpose are set downe in the next page By R. W. Minister of Gods word Matt. 7.1.2 Iudge not that ye be not iudged for with what iudgement ye iudge ye shall be iudged and with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you againe LONDON Printed for Arthur Iohnson 1612. THESE TREATISES contained in the second part Spirituall balme for the afflicted A triumph ouer tribulation Ministers ought to moue to mercifulnes Pittifull persons lend to the Lord. A ghâ—st for the Soule The humble Centurion Constancies crowne TO THE RIGHT WORshipfull S. Edward Gyles Knight Accomplishment of all godlie desires and continuance of the Loue of God and men SYR if wee ponder things duely in the Ballance of consideration wee shall finde that the Sonnes of Adam are cummonly either crossed and combred with the burthen of trouble and a iuersitie or else doe enioy in more or lesse measure quietnes and prosperitie The first sort for the most part repine and grumble against Gods sacred prouidence as though he that keepeth Israell did slumber or sleepe they are enfeebled and faint welnigh faile vnder the weight of tribulation as though euen as Christ suffeâ—ed and then entered into his glorie So wee also should not through many afflictions enter into the kingdome of God they turne aside to by-paths out of the right course seeking plenarie contentation in transitorie delights where it cannot be found forsaking the Fountaine of liuing waters and following broken Cesternes that can holde no liquor repairing to Beelzebub the god of Ekron as though there were no God in Israel or Balme in Gilead The second sorte forgetting that Christians as fellow-members of one bodie are interessed one in anothers Felicitie and therefore ought to simpathize mutually and participate their ioy with their brethren are either negligent in making their Election sure by good workes and in manifesting the sinceritie of their Faith by Loue and Charitie Or albeit they haue a most sure word of the Prophets to guide them yet they doe not take heede vnto it as vnto a Light that shineth in a darke place vntill the Day dawne and the Day-starre arise in their hearts Or they are insolent and proude of their vertues and puffed vp with an ouer-weening conceit of their imaginarie perfection Or they are tired quickly wearied in the race of pietie at last fall away from their owne stedfastnes They that are attainted with these and the like daily and dangerous maladies by aduised perusing effectuall practizing of these following Treatises shall through the blessing of the God of all Consolation feele their infirmities if not altogether cured and remoued yet much diminished and mitigated specially if they applie the enioyned Medicines in such manner as they ought Namely with reuerence zeale and faith and if they bring a minde and longing desire to be recouered For it falls out in spirituall diseases as it doeth in corporall when a Medicine is not takeÌ„ in decent order it becomes vnprofitable And when the grieued person doth not desirously couet health all potions are vnfruitful Neither onely the receits are here prescribed but their reasons are drawne out of that Booke vnto which all humane reason must be subiect least perhaps otherwise some Patient might say as the Prince of Philosophers did in his griefe to his Physitian Come not to heale mee as if I were a Neat-heard or an Hedger but yeelde me a reason of the things thou commandest I will the more promptly obserue them My doings shall be battered with detraction Cauillation Controlling For some feede themselues with the gaule of Animaduersion and bitternes of reprehension as it is reported that the Quaile liueth by poyson But my comfort is this that these backe-biters are not very powerfull albeit they be fraught with carping as the Serpent Porphyrus hath venome but he hath it to himselfe onely for that hee wants Teeth and that they will oppugne and push faintely and so retire theirselues because they can doe no more hurte as the Waspe strikes and then flies away leauing her sting behinde her and that by attempting to ruinate the inuincible Bulwarke of Trueth they will bewray their owne imbecillitie and fall groueling backward as hee that throwes a stone against a Marble pillar breaketh not the Marble but by the vehement repercussion breedes his owne perill What curtesie soeuer the curious and malignant will affoorde me seeing my purpose was to please pleasure and profite manie and to displease gaule and offend none that are godlie whether hee that studies to doe good though hee performe it not bee not to be accepted since he that is willing to doe harme though hee effect it not is to bee reiected Let the vnkind traducer answere as the Philosopher expostulated when he departed from the Syracusane Tyrant When Antimachus was forsaken of all his Auditors except Plato yet hee proceeded in reading his Booke esteeming Plato to counterpoize them all So though the Criticke and disdainefull shall contemne and deride my doings yet if the well disposed that hunger and thirst after righteousnes that are poore in Spirite and pure in heart that mourne for iniquitie shall entertaine them they are to mee