take away comfort from every Christian soule and leaue them in state no better then the damned nay then the Deuils Difference betweene the faith of Devils and true beleevers To this purpose I pray you consider briefely what is the faith of the Deuils and what is the faith of true beleevers touching the Articles of the Creed For the Devils beleeve and man beleeveth But as Christ telleth his Disciples Except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises ye cannot enter into the Kingdome of heauen so may I say Except our faith exceed the faith of the Deuils and of all the Romanists and Reprobates we cannot be saued For there is no faith taught in the Church of Rome but a man may have it and yet be damned Now I will shew what the Devils beleeve and how farre they proceed They beleeve there is one God that God is a Father that Christ Iesus is a Saviour and Redeemer and the holy Ghost a Sanctifier they beleeve there is now hath beene before and euer shall be a Church a true Church they beleeve the Communion of Saints and forgivenesse of sinnes they beleeve there shall be a resurrection of mens bodies and everlasting life All these they steadfastly beleeve without any wavering or doubting Obiect But some will say Is not this enough is not this faith sufficient Answ what is then wanting I answer A man may beleeve all these and yet goe to hell as a damned creature that it had beene better hee had never beene borne as it is said of Judas For this is but the historicall faith to beleeve the Scriptures to be true The Devill himselfe doth this and yet hath no benefit by it Obiect nor comfort in it What then Is this common faith to be condemned because the Devils have it Answ No in no wise For albeit wee cannot be saved by it yet we cannot be saved without it and therefore it is not to be condemned nay the Apostle James commendeth it Iam. 2.19 Thou beleevest one God thou dost well in it This indeed must be embraced but there is more then this not to be omitted Christ our Saviour saith If yee love them that love you Luke 6.32 what thanke have yee for sinners also love those that love them What then doth he forbid us to love such againe as love us or doth he reiect this as euill No but he meaneth this is not sufficient if we proceed no further as Lots wife is punished not because she went out of Sodom not because she pased it for a time with her husband not because she went so farre but because she stood still and looked backe Gen. 19.26 and went no further So then where the Devils end we must begin or rather proceed True it is wee must haue this common faith not because the Deuils haue it but because God hath commanded it as Peter confessed Christ to be the Sonne of God not because the Deuils confessed it but because the Father had revealed it unto him This common faith is a good preparative to saving faith and layeth after a sort the foundation thereof and we must have it not because of it selfe it is sufficient or we may not rest there as if wee were come to our iournies end but must proceed forward in our way For we must beleeve not onely that there is a God but likewise that he is our God not onely that he is a Father but that he is our Father not onely that Christ is a Saviour but that he is our Saviour not onely that there is a Church but that we are parts and members of it that we are of the Communion of the Saints and that our sinnes shall be forgiven that our bodies shall be raised and that we shall have eternall life given unto us This truth the grounds before delivered are sufficient to manifest if any thing can bee sufficient and to shew that there must be of necessity an application Obiect But the Romanists alledge against these things that in the Gospell all runneth in generall and that it is not therein written that such a man is Gods and such a man shall haue his sinnes forgiven and have benefit by Christ I answer Answ whereas they confesse there is a generall in the Gospell we conclude that therefore there is of necessity a particular included in the generall As for example the Gospell teacheth this Whosoever beleeveth and repenteth Mark 16.16 hath Christ Iesus for his Saviour therefore there is this particular Peter Paul Cornelius and the rest did beleeve and repent therefore certainely they are saved by this their application The Apostle Paul saith to the Iayler Act. 16.31 Act. 16. If thou beleevest in the Lord Jesus thou shalt be saved and all thine house But he might presently have rejoined by the doctrine of these doting Doctors to the Apostles Sirs how doe you know this is my name written in so many letters and syllables in the Scripture But doubtlesse Paul and Silas would have shaped him this answere This is as true and certaine by the generall rules as if thy name were written therein As for the particular faith it is written in our hearts not in the Scriptures But let us deale with them according to their owne practice The Romish Priests take authority to themselves to forgive sinnes to binde and to loose Aske any particular Priest for his warrant Ioh. 20.23 Matth. 18.18 hee will alleadge a generall Commission Whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted and whose sinnes ye retaine they are retained John 20.23 And he supposed this to be sufficient albeit his owne name be not read and registred therein So then if a man should demand by what authority they absolve or who gaue them this authority they thinke they have answered fully that they are the successors of the Apostles and that therefore whatsoeuer they did they also have power and authority to doe the same and yet neither their names nor of such as are absolved by them neither of the pardoners nor of the pardoned are written in holy Scripture What then May not we apply to our selves and to our comfort and salvation that which they doe to others for gaine and for money Lastly this objection overthroweth all piety and Religion For if we be not bound to be assured of our salvation because it is not said in the Scripture by name that we shall be saved then it wil follow that we are not bound to be holy nor to feare God nor to be religious because it is said in Scripture by name that we ought to be so O but it will be said Obiect Many are deceived that apply the promises to themselves when indeed and in truth they doe not belong unto them Answ I answer Be it so yet a false claime cannot barre by any Law the true owner from his right This ought to drive us to take heed wee doe not deceive our selves but
the Rod should shake it selfe against them that lift it up or as if the Staffe should lift up it selfe as if it were no wood Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker Let the Potsheard strive with the Potsheards of the earth Wherefore albeit he shewed no mercy on Cain Esau Saul Ahab Judas and sundry others yet is he not herein unjust for hee was indebted unto them nothing at all Nay more then all this had he denyed mercy to all mankinde and appointed all the sonnes of Adam of whom they come as out of a corrupted masse to endlesse torments as he did the Angels that fell yet had he done them no wrong but executed upon them just judgement and their deserved punishment so that no man can justly utter a word of complaint against him Rom. 11.51 Hence it is that the Apostle saith Rom. 11. Who hath first given to him and it shall be recompenced unto him againe This reprooveth two sorts First Vse 1 such as set up mans free will and make the beginning of our salvation to come from our selves This crosseth the doctrine of the holy Scriptures which teach that in our will is no good at all untill God from above give it and graft it in us as the earth is dry and barren the dryest of all the elements untill it receive the showres from Heaven to make it fruitfull This error setteth up mans nature and puffeth up flesh and blood It abolisheth the grace of God and derogateth much from the glory of his mercy because we are no more able of our selves to doe good then the stone can of it selfe mount up aloft If you take it and throw it into the aire it flyeth upward so if the Sonne take us and make us free Cant. 1.4 then we will and worke freely and if wee bee drawne Obiect wee runne after him What then may some say Are we stockes and stones without will without life without motion I answer Not so Answ wee are not utterly as blockes or stones without understanding For our will is capable of good when once it is wrought in us whereas stones sencelesse creatures and bruit beasts are not Nay we have a certaine freedome and liberty in naturall and civill things and some Ecclesiasticall so farre as both sence and reason may guide us But to any thing that is simply good and well-pleasing to God before he make us willing that are unwilling wee are worse then stocks I meane to doe good in a good holy and sanctified manner For not onely wee have stony hearts but also we rebell against God and lift up our selves against him which stockes and stones never doe against their Maker Ioh. 15.5 Ephes 2.1 so that Christ saith Without mee yee can doe nothing And the Apostle Wee are borne dead in sinnes and trespasses Whosoever therefore shall tell us and perswade us that we have power of our selves to doe that which is good and that wee stand in need of nothing but to be gently holpen with the hand to walke in his waies and need not to be wholly assisted and prevented by grace they are lying spirits and false prophets beleeve them not bid them not God speed neither receive them to house What a stirre hath there beene heretofore and is yet in the Church of Rome and among other Sectaries and who is ignorant of it about the matter of free will Were he not a fond man who being fast bound in chaines and irons would talke of nothing but of his present freedome and liberty Yet this is the case with us we are bondmen and yet we hold our selves to be free men wee have just cause therefore utterly to abolish this name of Free-will and learne to reason of our bond-will another while For we are as unfit to begin any good in our owne selves as the greene wood is to kindle in it selfe and of it selfe any fire or heat which being kindled it is rather apt to be put out againe These never knew the greatnesse of the fall of man and the deadly wound that nature hath received for it is God that worketh in us the will and the deed And if both the deed and will it selfe be Gods gifts I would gladly know what good gift we have left unto us in nature or what we can rightly challenge to our selves God is Alpha and Omega the first and the last the beginning and the ending and therefore all power and ability is taken from us quite and cleane of doing any thing that is good True it is the first man Adam before his transgression had free will to chuse the good and to refuse the evill but by his fall hee lost both it and himselfe both his liberty and his innocency Mans freedome is a very bondage For now our freedome is onely to be free to sinne too free alas we are to it if that may be called a freedome which indeed is the most miserable and slavish bondage while wee can doe nothing else but sinne lying as it were fast bound in chaines and fetters hand and foot O but a man that is fettered hath at least a will and desire to be loosed It is true of bodily captives and prisoners but it is not so with the naturall man that is unregenerate For as he is fettered so of himselfe he is willing and desirous to be so he doth evill and he will doe it he loveth his chaines as if they were of gold or silver Ephes 5.14 2 Tim. 2.26 and hath no will to bee raised from the dead sleepe of sinne Hee thinketh himselfe at liberty and as free as the best when he is faster holden then the worst Gally-slave He is the servant of corruption and yet hee is offended with him that moveth him to shake off those heavy bolts and fetters and to come out of that bad and bond condition The Apostle sheweth 1 Cor. 2.14 that the naturall man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse to him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Secondly it reprooveth such as teach that faith and workes foreseene are the causes of our election to life and salvation This were for us to choose God Faith foreseene is not the cause of our salvation and not for God to choose us whereas he witnesseth the contrary This is to reject all infants from Gods Election who are taken away by untimely death as corne that is reaped downe in the greene blade This maketh election to be uncertaine and to depend upon the will and pleasure of men This teacheth that grace is not the totall cause of faith This is as much as to begin our spirituall life at our selves and to give the praise to our selves at least in part and not to God for the blessings that we receive from him This is to be afraid lest we should bee too much beholding to God for our salvation and too little
such faire warning to avoyd the stroke of his sword drawne out against us For wherefore doth hee not destroy us Is it for want of desart on our part No doubtlesse he findeth just cause to proceede against us and hee is of infinite power to punish us The Prophet teacheth Num. 11.23 Esay 59.1 that his hand is not weakned as though he could not strike us neither is his arme shortned as though hee could not reach us Esa 59.1 v. Secondly if any man bee overtaken with any judgement he must know thus much that certainely God was true and that his purpose was we should prevent it or else he would never have given warning of it There is no man that can justly say that the silence of God is the cause of his security for Gods manner is never to come with any judgement and to discharge a whole volly of shot but he alwayes sendeth a warning peece before But you will say we have no Prophets to foretell Ob. they are all gone it is not with us as it was in former times Answ To this I make answer as our Saviour saith of the rich man in the Gospell that his brethren had both Moses and the Prophets among them Luk. 16.29.31 when indeed both Moses and the Prophets were all dead long before but his meaning was that they had the bookes of Moses and the writings of the Prophets before them So may I say that wee have the Prophets and Apostles still among us I meane we have the holy Scriptures wherein are contained the workes of the Prophets and of the Apostles and besides these God hath given to us his Ministers that they might as it were put life againe into the dead Prophets that they might open and declare unto us those things which are doubtfull and obscure and therefore if any man be admonished by these that judgements shall certainly come let him take heed he withstand not the Spirit of God for it is as true and evident as if the Prophets and Moses himselfe were alive and uttered these threatnings and it is the wonderfull goodnesse of God that hee will foretell us of his judgements and after a sort send them home to our owne hearts Our consciences tell us that wee are guilty of those sinnes which have formerly beene reprooved and whereof we have beene forewarned let us therefore conclude with our selves that it is the mercy of God that hee doth threaten hell and judgements unto us as well as promise heaven and happinesse and let us blesse his name in our hearts that he hath granted such a gracious warning unto us and endeavour to breake off our sinnes that so hee may bee pleased to proceede no farther with his judgements against us Lastly this dealing of God must provoke us to repentance and to turne unto God Rom. 2.4 2 Pet. 3.13 because his patience serveth to leade us to repentance Rom. 2.4 The daies of his patience last long but they are not everlasting if we repent not Let us meete him betimes while hee is in the way before he approach nearer unto us and come upon us Sinne separateth betweene him and us and maketh God our utter enemy Let us make an attonement with him before his wrath burne like fire True it is he beareth long but if we greeve his Spirit we shall beare his indignation and our owne condemnation whosoever we be He forbeareth long but he will not alwaies forbeare Exod. 34.6 he will come speedily and suddainly upon us The longer he is in drawing his bow the deeper do his arrowes pierce Thus much of the generall doctrine Yet forty daies Before we come to the cheefe point offered to our considerations in these words Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Intiellgit post 40. dies non intrà ut quidavolunt Vide Drusij Lection a question may bee demanded how this threatning standeth with the truth of God and the issue and event of the matter mentioned in the end of this prophesy to pronounce such a dreadfull sentence against a City and the inhabitants thereof which tooke not that effect or shall wee thinke that God changed his minde to propose that which he purposed not and doth not the Scripture teach us that he is unchangable and no shaddow of turning with him I answer the threatnings of God are oftentimes conditionall though the condition be not expressed as appeareth in the last verse of the 3. Chapter Chap. 3.10 God repented of the Evill that he had said that he would doe unto them and he did it not True it is he might have destroyed them justly for their crying sins if it had pleased him Chap. 1.2 seeing their wickednesse was come up before him calling for judgement and it had beene as easy for him to have sent a destroying Angell to overturne them as a preaching Prophet to turne them unto him From hence wee learne Doct. 2 that the threatnings of God and denouncing of his judgements are not absolute but conditionall toward his people Gods threatnings are conditionall Gen. 6.3 1 Pet. 3.20 1 Cor. 6.9.10 Eph. 5.5 they containe an exception and limitation except they repent and amend their waies The condition is understood So it was to the old world Their daies were an hundred and twenty yeares which S. Peter calleth the time of his patience while the Arke was preparing See the same 2 King 20.1 Gen. 20.3 Mic. 3.12 and Ier. 26.18 Sometimes it is expressed as Lu. 13.3.5 Re. 2.5 Let us see some reasons Reason 1 First because after threatnings if we repent and lay them to our hearts it causeth forgivenesse and blotting of our sinnes out of his remembrance For sinne the cause of Gods judgements being removed Ezek. 33.14 c. the effect will cease as Ezek. 33. If I say to the wicked you shall dye the death if he turne from his sinne and doe that is lawfull and right none of his sinnes that he hath committed shall be mentioned he shall live and not die Secondly God is a God of long sufferance and much patience ready to forgive and receive to mercy yea in judgement to remember mercy as 2 Sam. 24 16. and Hab. 3.2 when once we turne unto him Ier. 3.22 and 33.20 as Ier. 3. O ye disobedient children returne and I will heale your rebellion and Chap. 31. when Ephraim after his corrections lamented saying Thou hast chastened me and I was chastened as a Bullocke unaccustomed to the Yoke surely after that I was turned I repented the Lord answered My bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him he is my deare sonne he is my pleasant child Thirdly it is a speciall end and purpose why God doth denounce his judgements and threaten his plagues that we should repent and so that he might repent therefore they are not absolute but limited with condition except we change and amend And thus did the King of Nineveh understand
any were to worke in us such duties as may please him To give The fourth branch of the reason These words containe the manner of bestowing the promise and the meanes how it is convaied unto us As the fountaine of it is Gods good pleasure so the chanell to convay it is his free gift Some kinde of gifts are given but they are first well deserved by them that receive them Againe some things are given Luke 14.11 but it is with hope and expectation to have as great or greater bestowed upon them againe as they that give to Kings and Princes Some things are said to be given when a sufficient recompence is tendred and offered withall as Gen. 23.9 Give me the cave for as much money as it is worth Gen. 23.9 and 1. King 12.2 Give me thy Vineyard and I will give thee for it a better Vineyard then it This giving by way of commutative justice is no other then bargaine and sale or exchange But it is not thus with the gifts of God who is a free giver and bestower hee doth not alter them neither barter them for other he doth not chop and change buy and sell his blessings as men doe Bullockes in a market that he should be as much beholding to us as we to him He offereth with a willing heart Doct. 10 and performeth with a free hand This teacheth us that all spirituall gifts and graces are bestowed upon us frankely and freely They come unto us neither by inheritance nor by exchange nor by bargaine and sale nor yet by purchase True it is our Salvation and Redemption were purchased by Christ who paid a deare price to bring us to God because his Iustice required it Ephes 1.7 yet was this also of meere grace We have Redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of our sinnes according to the riches of his grace So then albeit Salvation were purchased and as I may say dearely bought in respect of Christ yet neither the whole worke nor any part or parcell thereof was purchased in regard of our selves who are made partakers thereof through Gods speciall grace We conferre nothing toward the attainement of Salvation to procure to our selves this unspeakable benefit Wee cannot gratifie Christ Iesus againe in any matter or measure Esay 63.3 who trode the wine-presse of the wrath of the Father alone for us and hath paid the utmost farthing that could be required of us and therefore it commeth as a meere gratuity unto us without any purchase or paiment without any money or satisfaction Rom. 3.24 6.23 This the Apostle teacheth Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Christ and Chap. 6.23 The gift of God is eternall life through Jesus Christ our Lord. And Peter speaketh to the same purpose 2 Pet. 1.3 According to his divine power hee hath given us all things that pertaine unto life and godlinesse 2. Pet. 1.3 Thus the Prophet long before proclaimed the free gift of God without either money or money-worth or any price all that are a-thirst may come freely to the waters of life Revel 22.17 Esay 55.1 2. John 7.37 The reasons are Reas 1 first from the generall to the speciall All good gifts and perfect gifts whatsoever are from above and come downe from the Father of lights Jam. 1. They spring not out of the earth Iam. 1.17 Ioh. 3.27 as John 3. A man can receive nothing except it be given him from above neither yet come unto Christ except the Father draw him John 6. Secondly wee cannot obtaine a bit of bread to doe us any good but we must have it by Gods gift as appeareth in the Lords Prayer where wee are taught to come to him to have our daily bread given unto us Matth. 6.11 Deut. 9.5 The Israelites could not inherit the Land of Canaan by any inherent righteousnesse in themselves the uprightnes of their hearts neither yet conquer it by their owne sword Psal 44.3 Psal 44.3 They gate not the Land in possession by their owne sword neither did their owne arme save them but thy right hand and the light of thy countenance because thou hadst a favour unto them much lesse then are we able to possesse the heavenly Canaan by any godlinesse in our owne persons This doctrine overthroweth all Iustification by our owne workes and merits whether done before grace Vse 1 or in the state of grace The Apostle saith Rom. 3.20 By the deeds of the Law shall no flesh bee iustified in his sight for by the Law is the knowledge of sinne And Tit. 3. Rom. 3.20 The kindnesse and love of God appeared Tit. 3.4 5. not by workes of righteousnesse which we have done but according to his mercy hee saved us and againe 2. Tim. 1.9 He hath saved us and called us by an holy calling 2 Tim. 1.9 not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which is given us in Christ Jesus before the world began What can workes before a mans conversion availe for as much as wee are borne dead in sinnes and trespasses as wee have shewed before being without faith without hope without any good so that wee should be justified by our sinnes and our righteousnesse should be by unrighteousnesse if we should bee justified by these or any such workes Neither can workes of righteousnesse done in faith and after our conversion present us as righteous in the sight of God because they are all unperfect even the best and the holiest of them that we cannot challenge righteousnesse by them Psal 143.2 130. 3. 32.1 2. but must with the Prophet cry out Lord enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified And againe to like purpose If thou Lord shouldst marke iniquities O Lord who shall stand but there is forgivenesse with thee that thou maist be feared This is our justification to obtaine remission of our sinnes Psal 32. The Servants of God doe not in the pride of their hearts advance themselves against God through their owne righteousnesse but they aske forgivenesse for their unrighteousnesse The Apostle John saith 1 Iob. 1.10 If we say that we have not sinned we make him a lyer and his Word is not in us All our righteousnesse is as a menstruous cloth Esay 64.6 spotted with the flesh Obiect But the Adversaries object that the Scripture never saith We are justified by faith onely and complaine that this word is fraudulently foysted and cunningly thrust into this Question as an Addition of our owne whereupon notwithstanding the chiefe state of the Controversie betweene us and them dependeth I answere Answ The putting to of that word is not alwaies an Addition to the Text but rather an exposition or explication Luke 4.8 Deut. 6.13 as wee see the like case in Christ our Saviour Luke 4.8 compareth with Deut. 6.13 who
all meanes save not all but some 1 Cor. 9. And what some this is in comparison of the rest the Actes of the Apostles sufficiently declare sometimes one sometimes two Obiect and sometimes none at all But did God create any man to be damned If not then they shall be saved To say he did maketh him unjust I answere Answ He created all for his owne glory yea Prov. 16.4 even the wicked for the day of evill as Salomon teacheth So it is said of Pharaoh Ro. 9. For this same purpose I have raised thee up Rom. 9.17 18 that I might shew my power in thee and that my Name might be declared thorowout all the earth therefore He hath mercy on whom He will have mercy and whom He will Hee hardneth Secondly God doth consider man as fallen and thereby having lost the happinesse wherein he was created This befell him for his owne grievous sinne Gen. 3. The more grievous by how much the goodnesse of God toward him was the greater and the power whereby he was inabled to stand the stronger Besides by the sinne of our first Parents we all were defiled no lesse then if Satan had tempted us in the Garden and we in our persons had harkened to his voyce had tasted of the forbidden fruit actually and had stretched out our hand to receive the same as Rom. 5.12 By one man sinne entred into the world Rom. 5.12 15 17. and death by sinne and so death went over all men for as much as all men have sinned Thus also afterward By the offence of one the fault came on all men to condemnation and by one mans disobedience many were made sinners as by the obedience of One many are made righteous Obiect But it will be further objected that the Apostle saith God hath concluded all in unbeleefe that he might have mercy upon all Rom. 11.32 If upon all then none no Rom. 11.32 not one shall be condemned I answere Answ The purpose of the Apostle is not to teach that it is Gods purpose to save every particular person but some of all sorts some Iewes some Gentiles even all the faithfull of every Nation Tongue and Language Rom. 10.12 13. Gal. 3.22 as appeareth by comparing of other Scriptures as Rom. 10 12 13. He is rich to all that call upon him and Gal. 3. where all is limited and restrained to all beleevers to all the Elect and to them onely Secondly woe to all impenitent persons the whole company of the Reprobate for they shall be shut out of the Kingdome as the foolish Virgins were out of the Bride-chamber As the Kingdome of heaven is the hight of happinesse so to be shut out of it is the greatest misery that can be It had beene better for such that they had never beene borne It is a sore punishment to be banished out of a mans Country Our Country soyle is pleasant and welcome to all men therefore to be exiled from it is worthily accounted a great Iudgement how much more to be cast forth of the City which hath foundations Heb. 11.10 whose builder and maker is God Heb. 11 It is a sore punishment to have judgement to bee burned notwithstanding that the fire quickely consumeth the body to dust and ashes how much more to be cast into the fire that never goeth out Who knoweth not what a fearefull judgement it was to be cast into the Denne of Lions Dan. 6.16 as Daniel was how much more to be cast into the darke Dungeon and Den of the Devils which are Lions alwaies roaring after their prey A sore judgement to be committed to perpetuall imprisonment and to lye there with bolts of iron as many as he can beare and to have none suffered to come to comfort him how much more to be cast into the prison of hell 1 Pet. 3.19 Revel 20.7 in which there is no release out of which there is no recovery nay all these punishments if they could be put together what are they but as painted fires painted dennes painted prisons painted paines in comparison of the everlasting punishment in hell and those unspeakable torments It is a grieuous punishment to be thrust out of the visible Church in this life Gen. 4.14 21.10 as Cain was out of the house of Adam as Hagar with her sonne Ishmael out of the house of Abraham but a thousand times more fearefull to be thrust out of the house of God in heaven from the glorious presence of God and his Angels Alas what benefit or comfort shall these have to know that God hath prepared a Kingdome and an Inheritance immortall and undefiled and that fadeth not Matth. 8.11 12. 1 Cor. 6.9 and to see Abraham Isaak and Iacob and all the Prophets and people of God in the Kingdome of heaven and themselves shut out of dores Math. 8.11 1 Cor. 6.9 This cannot but be a terrour nay a terrour of all terrours to consider that God hath appointed a certaine day Acts 17.31 Rom. 2.5 Iude 15. in which he will iudge the world in righteousnesse Act. 17. He will rebuke the ungodly of all their wicked deedes which they have ungodly committed This terrour will be acknowledged the greater for these causes First they shall heare the dreadfull thunder of Christs fearefull voice summoning them to Iudgement 1 Cor. 15.52 For the Archangell shall blow the Trumpet so shrill that the dead shall heare the sound thereof and hearing it 1 Thes 4.16 shall arise and come to Iudgement Secondly they shall be all compelled though sore against their wills to appeare before the Iudgement Seate of Christ being gathered and assembled from the foure winds of heaven If malefactors bee hardly drawne before Magistrates to receive worthy punishment for their offences how much more will the Reprobate strive and struggle to keep themselves if it might be from the presence of him that sitteth upon the Throne and rather say to the mountaines Fall upon us and to the hills Cover us Thirdly Luke 23.30 they shall stand as poore caitiffes at the left hand of Christ as a signe of miserable disgrace especially when they shall behold the Righteous on his right hand in token of their honour and advancement whom they in their life time have despised For as the right hand hath bin taken for a token of acceptation and receiving into favour 1 King 2.19 So on the other side the left hand hath beene accounted ominous and a token of rejection Psal 50.3 2 Thes 1.8 Exod. 19.18 19 16. 20.18 Fourthly a fire shall devoure before him and it shall bee tempestuous round about him Psal 50. So it was at the giving of the Law in mount Sinai which was altogether on a smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a Furnace and the whole mount quaked greatly there were thunders and lightnings and the voyce of the Trumpet