glory or euerlasting infamie euen as Dauid againe to the comforting of him selfâ and the Church telleth vs in thesâ wordes Then thought I to vnderstanâ this Psal 73.16 but it was too hard for me vntiâ I went into the sanctuarie of God and considered the end of these meÌ Namely how thou settest them in slipperiâ places that thou maist cast them dowâ headlong and destroy them O hoâ sodenly do they consume perish anâ come to a fearefull ende Yea euen aâ a dreame when one awaketh so makesâ thou their Image to vanish out of thâ Citie And because the infirmitie oâ the godly is great whiles they carrâ this earthly tabernacle about them that they cannot but feare by reasoâ of those fearefull tokens that shall goâ before the ende and consummation oâ the worlde therefore our Sauiour tâ their comfort and consolation speakeââ vnto them in this wise Luke 21.2 When thesâ things beginne to come to passe theâ looke vp and lift vp your heades for ââr redemption draweth nigh Meaâââ that they should not faint but ãâã plucke vp their heartes and bée âârry for that they do prognosticate ãâã declare how that their redemption ãâã at hand when they shal be deliuered ãâã raunsomed as it were from the ââseries of this lyfe in the comming âf the Sonne of God vnto iudgement ãâã consideration whereof Paule calâââh this day the day of Redemption Eph. 4.30 ãâã of this his deliueraunce he gloriââ in these wordes 2. Ti. 4.7 I haue fought a ââod fight haue fulfilled my course ââd haue kept the fayth From henceâârth is layde vp in stoare for mee a âowne of righteousnesse which the âord that is a righteous Iudge shall ââeme at that day not to me only but ââto all them also that loue his comâing And therfore the day of the Lord âââht not to be terrible to the godly ââither ought they to feare his coÌming ãâã that he commeth to deliuer them to ât them at ease but to render to the wicked eternall paine And I do firmely beléeue that the godly haue a thirstâ and a desire to enter into the courteâ of the Lordes house Psal 84.2 that they desirâ the day of Redemption Luke 11.2 that they still crye Let thy kingdome come Thaâ they still cry Apoc. 22.20 Come Lorde Iesu Thaâ they looke vp waighting his comming Phil. 3.21 which shall make their vile bodyes like to his owne glorious body That they desire Apo. 21.2 euen a litle shew â that holy citie new Ierusalem descending from heauen prepared of GOD as a bryde garnished for her husband For they certeinely beléeue that theâ there shall bée a full and complete endâ of all their troubles But the troubles of the wicked shall then beginâ The wicked shall sée aboue them aââ angry Iudge beneath them an horryble pytte of hell without them â burning worlde within them a gnawing conscience on the ryght handâ theyr sinnes accusing them on thâ lefte hande the deuiles halling theâ to torment The wretched sinners thââ sâ are besette where shall they go ââh then where shall they flée Ps 139.7 Oh then âââre shall they hide Oh whether âââll they go then from his spirit or âhether shall they goe then from his âââsence If they clime vp into heauen âis there If they goe downe to bell ãâã is there also If they take the wings âf the morning and remaine in the vtâârmost part of the Sea euen there ãâã shall his hand leade them and his âââht hand shal hold them If they say ââe darkenesse shall couer vs then shall âheir night be turned to day For the âârkenes is no darkenes with the Lord. The night is as cléere as the day the âârknesse and lyght vnto him are both âââke Oh with what terrour shall the ââcked be stroken in the day of the Lord Oh in what feare shall they be Ap. 6.16 They shall say to the hyls and rockes Fall vpon vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth on the seat and from the wrath of the Lambe for the great day of his wrath is come who is able to abide it The mockers which haue saide 2. Pe. 3.4 Where is the promise oâ his comming shall then sée and féeâ his comming to their great gréefâ shame and confusion when as too laââ repenting them selues they shall saâ Tedious wayes haue wee gone Sap. 5.7 but â for the way of the Lorde wée haue ãâã knowne What good hath our prâââ done vnto vs or what profit hath thâ pompe of riches brought vnto vs Lââ these thinges are passed away like â shadowe and thus are we consumed ãâã our owne wickednesse For the hope â the vngodly is like a dry thistle flowerâ or dust that is blowne away with thâ winde lyke a thinne fome that is scattered abroade with a storme and aâ the smoake that is dispersed with thâ winde and as the remembraunce of ãâã straunger that tarryeth but for a day and then departeth But the righteouâ shall liue for euermore their reward ãâã with the Lord and their remembranââ with the highest Therefore shall theâ receiue a glorious kingdome and aâ beautifull crowne at the Lordes hand For with his right hand shall hee couer ãâã and with his holy arme shall hée ââfend them Mat. 25.32 For when the Sonne of ãâã shal come in his glory and all the ââly Angels with him then shal he sit âpon the seate of his glory and before ãâã shall be gathered all nations and ââe shall separate the one from the oâher as the Shephearde deuideth the âhéepe from the Goates And hee shall âet the Shéepe on his right hand and âhe Goates on his left hand that is to âây the wicked whom hée compareth ââto Goates For as the Goates are ââthy and stincking beastes so the âicked by reason of their sinnes do âtincke in the sight of God And as the Goates do stricke the gyltlesse shéepe with their hornes so the wicked do punish and afflicte the godly with their tyranny And as the Goates do destroy the orcharde and garden so do the wicked destroye the vineyarde of the Lorde as it is sayde in the thirde of the Prophet Esay Esay 3. 14. Ye haue eate vp the Vineyarde the robberie of the poore is in your house These Goateâ hée shall set on his left hand And theâ shall the king saye to them on hiâ ryght hande Come blessed childreâ of my Father inherit the kingdomâ prepared for you from the beginningâ Then shall the king say to them on the left hand Departe from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the deuill and his angels Oh then how happy shal they be thaâ shall heare this ioyfull and happy sentence of Christ Come ye blessed of my father inherit the kingdoÌ prepared foâ you from the beginning of the world Oh then how vnhappy shall they bée that shall heare this terrible and fearfull sentence Go cursed into
after the things that shal come vâpon the earth For the powers of heâuen shal moue These fiue signes shâ goe before the comming of Christ vnâ iudgement First there shal be signâ in the Sunne and in the Moone and â the starres that is as S. Marke wrâteth Mar. 13.24 The Sunne shal be darkened thâ Moone shal not giue her light and tâ starres of heauen shall séeme to fall Secondly in the earth the people shalâ be at their wittes end thorow dispainâ That is as S. Marke againe doeth uâterprete Mar. 13.8 Nation shall rise against nation and kingdome against kingdome Thirdly the sea and the water shal ãâã roare that is there shalbée cruell tempestes vehement and vnaccustomed âââdes Fourthly by reason of these âens hartes shal faile them for feare ãâã looking after the thinges that shall âne vpoÌ the earth Fiftly the powers âf heauen shal moue that is there shall âee straunge sightes in the heauen and ân the earth there shal bee earthquakes ãâã al quarters Briefly the heauen the âârth and sea shal witnes and declare the day of the lord to be at hand Now beloued wée our selues may witnesse that most of these signes and tokens âre passed alreadie For wée haue séene âtraÌge Eclipses of the Sunne moone âée haue séene nation to rise against ââtion and kingdome to rise against kingdome we haue heard of cruel tempestes vehement and vnaccustomed âindes with other strange thinges And therfore wée may iustly prognosticat yea and beléeue that the ends of the worlde are come vppon vs and that it wil not be long before Christ wil come vnto iudgement Beholde sayeth our sauiour the figge tree and all other trees when they shoote foorth the buddes ye see and know of your owâ selues that sommer is nigh at hand ãâã likewyse yee also when yee see the things to come to passe be ye sure thâ the Kingdom of God is nigh at hand But wée haue séene most of these come to passe and therfore let vs thiâ no otherwyse but that the kingdom God is nigh at hand and that the lorâ is ready to take his fanne in his haÌd Mat. 3.12 purge his floore to gather his wherâ into his barne and to burne the chaâ with vnquenchable fire Other tokeâ there are besides these to prooue vnâ vs that the end of the world hangeth âuer our neckes among which in iâ iudgement the preaching of the Gâpel is not the least For as our saâââ sayeth in the 24. chapter after the Gâpel of S. Mathewe Mat. 24.14 The Gospel of ãâã Kingdom shal be preached thorow eâ the world for a witnes vnto al nation and then shal the end come By whâ words the Sonne of man doth plaiâ declare that about the time of tâ worldes destruction the true and comfortable doctrine of Christ shoulde bée preached Whereby it is gathered that the same was obscured and darkened almost defaced by reason of the false Prophetes Apostles afore that time But nowe againe by the vnspeakeable grace and mercy of God we do plainly perceaue such a cleare light of the Gospel to shyne ouer the whole world that in spite of the deuil and his adherents it casteth his bright beames ouer al nations And therefore what other thing may wee looke for but as Christ did foretel a sodaine downfal of this miserable and wretched world Another token of the ouerthrow of the world is because wee doe plainely perceaue all things dayly to wax worse and worse and to decrease in their vertue For example The ayre is oftentimes corrupt sometime with vntimely showres sometime with vnprofitable drynesse nowe with too much colde and nowe with extreame heate The fruitfulnes of the earth is not such as it hath béene afore tyme. Moreouer wée may thinkâ and perceaue the foundations of the world to be worne out and the same to bée falling vppon our shoulders wheâ we sensibly perceaue our selues to liââ in those daies of which our Sauiour hath foreshewed I meane eating anâ drinking marrying and married buying and selling planting and building For neuer more did men eate drinke neuer did they faster marry wyues iâ the dayes of Noe neuer more did they buy and sell plant and builde in thâ dayes of Lot than they doe now which may prooue vnto vs that the endes oâ the worlde are come vpon vs. For as our Sauiour sayth After these examples shal it be Luke 17.30 when the Sonne of man shal appeare And if wée compare thâ tyme present with that which is past and set the manners of men before our eyes wée shal perceaue wickednesse to haue his ripenes and to raigne almost euery where without coÌtrolment For notwithstanding that God thorot Aâ vnspeakeable mercy in these latter dayes hath giuen vs the vse of his most âly worde whereby we shoulde frame ââr lastes and affections according to ãâã most holy will what desire of righââusnesse what loue of vertue what âââe of godlynesse or what zeale of reâââion is there to bée founde yea who is âât in Christianitie eyther colde or âarelesse Wée may nowe plainely see greatest vice to bée counted for chiefest âertue and those men to bée most commended which of al other for impietie ââght most to bée dispraysed For the ârafty deceitful men are counted wise âhe couetous are called good husbands âhe prodigal are called liberal and rich men are déemed the best men Besides S. Paule foresheweth that in the last dayes shal come perillous tymes 2. Tim. 3.1 For men saieth hée shal be louers of themselues couetous bosters proude curââ speakers disobedient to father and ââther vnthankeful vnholy vnkind ãâã so foorth And when did men more âet by themselues When were they ââre couetous When were they more proude when more giuen to cursed speaking when more disobedient to father and mother when more vnthankful when more vnholy when more vnkinde And to bée short when more geuen ouer to worke wickednes Eph. 4.16 that with al kind of gréedines then at thesâ dayes And therfore it must néedes follow the comming of Iesus Christ vnto iudgement to bée nigh at hand Whose comming shal be in a cloude with power great glorie In the first of the Acts Act. 1.9 after the talke that our sauiour had with the Apostles whiles they beheld hee was taken vp and a cloude receaued him out of their sight And while they looked stedfastly vp to Heauen as he went behold two men stood by them in white apparel which also said Ye men of Galilee why stande yée gasing vp into heauen This same Iesus which is taken from you into Heauen shal so come euen as ye haue séene him to goe into heauen But hée went in a cloude into heauen and therefore hée shal come in a cloude from heauen with power and greate glory euen as â Paule wryteth in the fourth of the ãâã Epistle to the Thessalonians 1. Thes 4.16 The âorde shal descend from
and eternall thinges Ecc. 10.9 âere is not a more wicked thing then ââman to be in loue with mony Mat. 6.24 No ãâã can serue two maisters for eyâ he shall hate the one and loue the âr or he shall cleaue to the one and ââke the other Ye cannot serue God â Mammon Who so euer will be a ãâã of the world Iam. 4.4 is made the enimy ãâã If thou wilt be perfect saide ââât to the rich man go and sell all ât thou hast and geue it to the poore Mat. 19.21 â thou shalt haue treasure in heauen ãâ¦ã and followe me But when â heard that saying he would none of âât went his way mourning for hée â great possessions These worldly cares were also the cause Luke 14.18 why ãâã came not that in the Gospell were cââled to the great supper 1. Ti. 6.9 The sayinâ S. Paule vnto Timothy is most trâ They that will be rich fall into temâtation and snares and into many foâlish and noysome lustes which drowâ men in perdition and destruction Fâ couetousnes is the roote of al mischiâ which while some lusted after haue ãâã red from the faith and intangled theâselues with many folde sorrowes 1. Ti. 6.17 Aâ therefore he willed Timothy to chaââ them that are rich in this world that thâ trust not in vncertein riches but in ãâã liuing God which giueth vs abundaÌâ all thinges to enioy them laying vpâ store for them selues a good foundatiâ against the time to come that they ãâã obtaine eternal life But when our Sâuiour willeth vs to flée the cares of thâ life his meaning is not that we shoâ leaue a necessary 1. Ti. 5.3 and godly caâ which who so hath not hath denâ the fayth and is worse than an ãâã fidell but that wée should not so ãâã drowned in the cares of this lyfe as ââh wée had no care of the worde of ãâã of the hasting of Christ vnto iudgât or of the world to come Hée ãâã right well that gurmandise ãâã cares of this life would abound aâ the time of the worldes destructiâ and that men would be apt and redy âllow such vices eueÌ to the last cast ãâã therefore he saieth Take heede to ââr selues least your heartes be ouerââe with surfetting and dronkennes ââd cares of this life and that that day ââe not on you vnwares For as a âre shal it come on all theÌ that dwell the earth Eccles. 9.12 As the fish is taken with the âââe and as the birdes are taken with esnare so are men taken in the periâââ time when it commeth sodenly vâ them For though it be certain that âââs Christ shal come vnto iudgment of the yeare the hower time of his âââing vnto vs is altogether vncerââe For as our Sauiour doth saye ãâã the 24. chapter after the gospell of Mathewe Of the day Math. 24.36 and hower knoweth no man Mark 13.32 no not the Angels oâ heauen but my father only no not thâ sonne him selfe as he was man Mat. 24.27 But ãâã the lightning commeth out of the Eaâ and appeareth in the West so shall thâ comming of the Sonne of man be As the dayes of Noe were Math. 24.37 so shall thâ comming of the Sonne of man be Foâ as in the daies of Noe that went befoââ the floud they did eate and drinkâ marry and were married euen vntyâ the day that Noe entred into the Arkâ and knew not till the floud came anâ tooke them all away so shall the comming of the sonne of man be Likewiââ also as it chaunced in the dayes of Loâ They eat Luke 17.28 they draÌk they bought the sold they planted they built And enâ the same day that Lot went out of Sâdom it rayned fire and brimstone froâ heauen and destroyed them all Aftâ these exampls shal it be when the Sâ of man shall appeare The Apostlâ when they asked Christ Act. 1.16 saying Loâ wilt thou at this time restore again thâ kingdome to Israel Hée saide vnââ theâ It is not for you to knowe the ââs and seasons which the father ââh put in his owne power The day the Lord shall come as a théefe in the âââht For when they shall say peace 1. Thes 5.2 âace all thinges are safe then shall soââe destruction come vpon them as ââow commeth vpon a woman in her âauell and they shall not escape And âârefore beloued take héede to your âââes that your heartes be not ouerâââe with surfetting and dronkennes ãâã cares of this life and that that day ââe not on you vnwares Which exââtation teacheth vs not only how to repare our selues against the comââng of Christ in the last day but also âw euery particular man should order in self against the comming of death For death is wont to set vpon men âhen they thinke least thereof when âey thinke to be most mery and when âey promise them selues that they ââe many dayes to liue An example ãâã haue in the 1. of Samuel 1. Sa. 25.36 in the .25 ââpter of Nabal who held a feast like the feast of a king and his heart ãâã mery within him for hee was vâ dronke Now in the morning wâ Abigail his wife after that the wine ãâã gone out of his head had signified ãâã to him the purpose of Dauid his heââ died wtin him he became as a stââ Likewise in the xii of Luke Luke 12.16 we reââ how that the ground of a certaine râ man brought forth plentifull fruttâ And he said within him self what ãâã I do I haue no roome to lay my fruit in I will destroy my barnes ãâã buyld greater I will say to my soulâ Soule thou hast goodes layde vp iâ stoare for many yeares Take noâ thine ease eate drinke and be merrâ But God said vnto him Thou foâlâ this night they shal fetch thy soule frââ thée Take héede therefore for eueâ when yée thinke not vppon God wiââ send his messenger death to call vs away Now that our Sauiour hath tolde vs what we should not do against the day of his comming Hée likewise sheweth vs what wée must do Watch saith hée and pray continually Fyrst âââdeth to watch Math. 25.1 In the 25. of Maââ our Sauiour lykeneth the kingââ of heauen vnto tenne virgins âch tooke their lampes and went to âte the bridegrome But fiue were âhe and fiue were wise They ât were foolishe tooke their lampes â tooke no oyle with them But the ãâã tooke oyle in their vesselles with âr lampes also Now whiles the ââegrome taryed they all slumbred ãâã slept And at midnight there was âry made Beholde the bridegrome ââeth go out to méete him Then the âgins arose made redy their lamps ãâã the foolish said vnto the wise Geue vs of your oyle for our laÌps are gone out But the wise answered Not so least there be not enough for vs and you But go ye rather to them that