Ashes but this iudgement was formerly denounced by Loth. He brought his vengeance and fierce wrath vppon Pharaoh but hee had faire warning thereof by Moses aforehand Thus God threatneth the worlds end but he giueth vs signes which are the Preachers and forerunners of the end That God doth this inuincible argument that hee loueth vs and that he is loath to vndoe vs. For wished he our destruction hee would not preuent it with so wholesome admonition For the Huntsman that seeketh the death of the Hare threatneth not the Hare but warily watcheth him the better to set vpon him but God threatning vs before it is a signe hee would haue vs take heede of that which followeth The Genttle had an eye to this who tooke coniectutes of consequent calamities by some preâ—â—â— accidents according to that which the Poet sayth Sâ—pe malum hoc nobis si mens non laeua fuisset De Coelâ— tactas memini praedicere quercus This euill to vs if that our minds had not been fondly bent Thunder froÌ„ heauen vpon our Oaks did threaten such eueÌ„t That we should be grounded in the certaintie of the worldes end though we know not the certaintie of the time these signes and markes are giuen vs. The signes prefired partly are such as are knowne vnto vs and familiar to our senses and partly they are such as exceede natures course and are verie strange and fearfull to ronfider of But they all serue to set foorth the corruption and consumption of the worlds bodie as Vlcers diseases distort and luxate members forespeake the dissolution of the naturall bodie This is no strange and vncouth case as wee haue sayde before but it is Gods woont so to doe Hee made peace with Noah but the Raine-bowe which hee placed in the Heauen was the consignement of this Charter and indentment Ezechias receâ—ueth promise of ensuing health and of longer life And the recesse of the Sunne and shadowe certaine degrees bindeth and confirmeth it In this sort by signes are wee assured that the world shall be dissolued The signes expresly nominated in the holie Scriptures are by Matthew Marke Luke diligently set foorth and put together thus 1 The first is corruption of doctrine and seduction by impostors and deceyuable teachers noted by the pen-men of the Gospels in these wordes Manie shall come in my name saying I am Christ and shall deceiue manie 2 The second is warres and rumors of warres in these wordes Ye shal heare of wars and rumors of warres 3 Motions commotions subuersions of Empires and dominations thus deliuered Nation thaâ— rise against nation realme against realme 4 Pestilence 〈◊〉 Famine 6 Earthquake in the ende of the seauenth verse of the 24. Chapter of Saint Mathews Gospell hudled together 7 The persecution of the Church by the false Bretherâ—â— the bretheâ—â— of 〈◊〉 churâ—â— in these woâ—ds 〈◊〉 TheÌ„ shall they deliuer you vp to be afflicted and shall kil you and ye shall be hated of all nations for my names sake 8. Defections in the church and intâ—stine perturbations and diuisione betweene kâ—dred and alâ—eâ— in these wordes opened And then shall manye be offended and shall betray one another and shall hate one another And that an insolent neiâ—hbour-hood and Eroâ—â—erhood shall doe this Marke foreteâ—â—eth The Brother shall deliueÌ„ the Brother to death and the father the Sonne and the Children shall rise against their Parents and shall cause them to die 9. Generallie of iniquiâ—ie and detection of charitie are tokens of a cousumption in the worldes bodie in the same Cat log of â—ehearsed malignities put downe And because iniquitie shall be increased the loue of many shall be colde 10. The collâ—men of the church throughout the Gentils alâ—â—ations and the dispersion of the Gospell among all lanoâ—s to the endes of the world is another presagement of the worldes â—nd And this Gospel of the kingdom shal be preached throughout the whole world for a witnesse to all nations and then shall the end come 11. The abhomination of desolution setting vp a Monarchie in the holie place with the rest witnesseth the worldes desolution When yee shall see the abhom nation of desolation spoke of by Daniel the Prophet standing in the holy place c. 12. The comming in of dececiuable and damnable spirit false Christs and false Prophets is an other essentiall marke of this matter For there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders so that if it were possible they should deceiue the verie elect 13. Prodigious Aspeas in the heauen strange Ecclipses of Sunne and Moone palpable and more then Aegiptian darknesse afearefull fall of the Startes a shaking in all the powers of headâ—â— do prophecie this point The Sunne shall bee darkned and the Moone shall not giue her light and the Starres shall fall from Heauen and the powers of heauen shall be shaken Descend from the ayre to the earth which giueth vs no lesse fearefull tokens hereof as troubles and perplerities among the nations roarings in the sea and alâ—â—ps palpitatious torobbings and thrauings in all hearts in expecttion of so terrible destruction VpoÌ„ the earth trouble among the nations with perplexâ—tie 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 14 The signe of the sonne of man in the elâ—udes shall be set vp as a banner of the approach and end without end Then shall they see the sonne of man come in a cloud with power and great glorie 15 Lastlie to trusse vp the bundle hereof a supine securitie in the hearts of men eating â—rinking huing in daliance as they did in Noahs time whom the stood found so occupied and destroied shal possessie the world and shall betoken the end of the world As it was in the daies of Noah so shall it be in the daies of the sonne of man they eate they dranke they married wines and gaue in maâ—iage vnto the day that Noe went into the arke and the flood came and destroied them all 16 To the former put varâ—etie or nuâ—â—itie of saith But when the sonne of man commeth shall he find faith on the earth These signes are of two kinds 1 Some goe before the Iudgement 2 Some goe hand in hand with it Of the first ranke are these 1 Adulteration of pure doctrine by false and 〈◊〉 doctors 2 Warres and proclamations of warres 3. Plagur 4 Famine 5 Earthquake 6 Catholicke and general corruption to maners 7 Decay of charity 8 The progresse and free passage of the Gospell Martirdome of good men 10 Publicke scandale 11 Setled and stiffe-necked secaritie 12 Terror and horror among men 13 Vocifiration and exâ—ndation of waters SccoÌ„dly The signes that keepe companie with the Iudgâ—nt are 1. The obscucaâ—lon of the sunne 2 The Eâ—lâ—pse and defect
any of these which is the period of my labors and desires the Lordes name be blessed for it Doomes day Booke The first Chapter Of the vnquestionable certaintie of the worldes end THe sâ—curitie and iniquitie of these â—â—mes haue thrust this argument vpon me For hauing beene foure and fourtie yeres suâ— feted with peace and plentie we haue not onely forgotten but as it were set our faces against pleâ—ie So that spaâ—â—â—â— the iudgements of God not by his word but by the state of the times wee make a mocâ—â—â—â— them and whatsoeuer Preachers tell vs of the dissolution of the world of 〈…〉 of all flesh of the generall countie day wee 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 Tâ— cut the veâ—â—â—ase 〈…〉 of truth doe wee not finde that the worâ—d sedde vpon 〈…〉 and â—ucke vp these suâ—â—â—â— damnable epâ—nons to the subâ—â—â—sion of their soules 〈◊〉 that 〈…〉 no 〈◊〉 at all or iudgement to â—â—me sensuall 〈…〉 2. Or that God â—ath adiourned the â—â—me of his câ—mmâ—ng and that it will belong â—ce he come of the generation of those 〈◊〉 al the â—est of them that Saint Peter taketh to â—â—ske It is therefore high time to put the world in mind of their lying vaniâ—ies which so 〈◊〉 their soules and so call them from deade woâ—k 〈◊〉 so bee it may 〈…〉 seâ—ue the liuing God by placing before 〈◊〉 â—yes the day of doome which must certainely come and shortly come which shall giue to euerie one according to their workes That is to them which by continuance in well doing seeke glory and honour and immortalitie eternall life but vnto them that are contentious and disobey the truth obey vnrighteousnesse shall be indignation and wrath Now if this shrill trumpet and passing Bell will not wake vs out of our lithargie of carnall securitie there is no recouerie of vs For this is the onely cooler I can consider of to queÌ„ch or qualifie our hot sinfull lustes If we looke vp to this clocke or dyall we shall bee wary how we spend our time Daniel by strewing ashes vppon the floore found out the fallacy of the Priestes of Baal by the mature meditation of our fraile condition that wee are but dust and ashes and that we are sure of a resurrection and retribution according to the nature of our actions we shall desâ—tie and dispeli the subtilties of the deuill For all his deuises by the memorie hereof shall bee subdued vnto vs as the deuill himselfe was driuen away by Christ by telling him of Scriptures The remembrance of this will bee a staffe and crotch as luckie vnto vs in this our wearisome perambulation of the few and euill dâ—â—eâ— of our life as that of Iacobs was vnto him wherewith he passed ouer Iordan If we looke to the end as the wisemen to the star it will leade vs as it did them the right way to Christ For why are older men better keepers of their Church then young men but because they consider they are nearer their end yong men by their sinnes with the younger Sonne who went farre from his father are farther off from God the farther they thinke in regard of their youth they are from their end They are as proud of the healthfull estate of their bodies as Nabuchadonozar was of the statelynesse of his Pallace saying to themselues Iâ— not this a strong bodie as Nabuchadonozer saide to himselfe Is not this great Babell The cause of the sinnes of the people that were endlesse was their carelesnesse of the end as Ieremie flatly telleth Hierusalem Her filthines is in her skirts she remembreth not her last end While Moses considered that hee had but a time in the world â—ee forsooke the worlde betime and chose rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God theÌ„ to inioy the pleasures of sins for a season Tell me worldly man that sayest with Peter It is good to behere whether if thou hadst hired a house whose foundation reeleth and rocketh and threatneth a downfall thou wouldest not make hast out of that house It is certaine thou wouldest Hast thee saue thee escape for thy life I counsaile thee as the Angell counselled Lot Escape into the Mountaine and holie hill of the Lord as Lot was aduised when Sodom was destroied for the Lord will fire the house of this worlde and the heauens the beautifull roofe of the house according as hee hath immutably decreed saying Heauen and earth shall passe And as in this chapter it shall be fully prooued vnto thee He that made the heauen can fold it vp like a booke againe can rolle it together like a skin of Parchment He that made the sea and set the waues thereof in a rage and caused it to boile like a pot of oyntment can say to the â—â—oods Be ye dried vp He that made the drie land can rocke it to and fro vpon her foundations as a drunken man reeleth from place to place He can cleath the Sunne and the Moone in sack-cloath and commaund the starres to fall downe to the earth and the mountaines of the land to remoue into the sea It is the greatest follie in the world to dreame here of a dwelling place Wee haue here no continuing Citie but we seeke one to come Of his fathers house Christ hathsaid That there are many mansioÌ„s but he neuer said so much of Horeb or Thabor or of the wildernesse of this world But the worde is alreadie gone out of Gods mouth It is appointed vnto all men once to die nay twise to die as God threatned Adam Thou shalt die the death wherefore the Apostle maketh vp the former sentence with this addition After that commeth the iudgement Beleeue this as the Samaritans did not because of my worde but because the Lorde himselfe hath spoken it by the mouth of his Prophets euer since 〈◊〉 world began The Deluge or flood which Moses diligently hath described vnto vs. â—s a liuely representation of the worldes disâ—â—tion Saint Peter â—â—â—â—teth so much from thence against the mockers of his time thus Wherefore the worlde that then waâ— perished ouerflowed with the water but the heauens and earth which 〈◊〉 now are kept by the same werde in store 〈◊〉 â—lerued vnto fire vnto the day of iudgement This his 〈…〉 is taken from the example and it is fashioned thus If God could in times past marre the face of the whole world hee is able to doe the like againe But the former he hath done alreadie ouerwhelming the whole earth a handfull of seede as it were onely reseâ—â—ed to renue the same againe with riuers of waters And the latter is to be looked for that he waste the worlde againe with riuers of fire and brimstone Christ in many places is plaine in this point Heauen earth shall passe away but
worlde shall perish Take wee a shorte and curâ—ory suruay of the espâ—ciall parts to put the matter out of doubt which for 〈…〉 wee reduce to two cheâ—fe for so the scripture truneth them all vp as it were in two bundles The heauen and the earth But the definitiue doome of Christ concerning them is that they shall be destroied Heauen and earth shall pasâ—e The heauen is the roofe and the earth the foundation of Gods house The heauen containeth the ayre and whatsoeuer liueth in the same The earth containeth the sea in it which are the pauement of Gods beautiful pallace the sea also being the girdle of the dryland now there is nothing more firme and stable then the earth which how best it be â—ounded vpon the floodes as Dauid saith yet is it such a solid and compact bodie and of such waightines as by no means of man it may bee rocked out of his place an earthquake which assaniteth it most is numbred amongest the strangest thunderboltes of Gods iudgements which he letteth she as arrowes at a marke The heauen as it is so mortaised and hangde as it cannot bee drawne from his hindges and hookes so his orbs haue their certaine and orderlie courses but they shall bee thredbare and waxe olde as a garment The heauens shall pass away with a noise and the elements shall melte with heate c. Doe wee not see how the earth droopeth like an old man that hath lost his strength hauing lost the fatnesse and marrow that was wont to be in the heart bones of it whilest it is somtimes choaked with water and at other times parched with heat and whilest in some places it mouldreth away It is recorded of Aetna that mightie mountaine that it is not such a marke to Sailers as it was wont In manie places the sea retire and giue backe as is written of Egipt in other places it getteth ground horriblie ouerwhelming whole townes and prouinces In some places mountaines are maimed by earthquakes rockes the boniest places of the earth splitted asunder great deepes dried vp and are like a drie floore neither cloddes nor clouds giue theâ—r wonted instâ—â—â—s al which doe argue that they haue no long contâ—unâ—â—e Moreouer if wee may beleeue Astrononiers the 〈…〉 of the celestiaâ—â—â—â—s is weakned the Sun is not so many 〈…〉 from vs as it was wont to be for they auouch that â—t is neerer to vs by the fourth part then it was in Pâ—olome â—s time that is to say nine thousand nine hundred seuentie fire miles as the Germaines reckon miles If there be such a declâ—â—ation in the vppermost parte what shall we say of this lowe â—â—ost rome but that it is in a verie weake taking Old age hath come vpon the backe of the worlde and euery part thereof groaueth vnder the burthen thereof In pâ—antes their is lesser vertue in beaâ—ts and men lesser strength in all of vs fewer yeares I looke therefore for noe lesse then a suddaine and short consummation of all From this doctrine groweth verie special vse if we haue grace â—o apprehend it 1. For the consideration of the traÌ„sttory nature of the things of this world lifteth vp our mindes beyond all earthlie thinges and gaineth them to God For it is but lost labour to plough vpon rocks to leane vpon a broaken reede to looke for comfort of a riuer that is dried vp to builde vpon vncertainties and to relie vpon meere vanities But Salomon smiteth the world of both cheeres twice calling it vanitie vanitie of vanities and troubling the note that wee might knowe it is his verdict without repeale All is vanitie Ionas giueth the he to them naming them lying vanities as promising one thing and giuing vs another promising liâ—e and euery minute bringing vs to death promising felicitie and ouerwhelming vs with miserie promising eternitie whereas it is transtâ—orie dealing dissemblingly and falsly with vs as Laban did with Iacob who promised him Rachell but gaue him Leaâ—â— in her steade And as the false prophets did by Achab promising him victorie when behold hee was slaine by the enemie and as the deceitfull teachers did the people of whom God thus speaketh by Isaiah My people they that cal you blessed deceiue you It is the ghostly councel the Apostle giueth vs from this obseruation Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high minded and that they trust not in vncertaine riches but in the liuing God c. The like lecture Christ reade vs before him Lay not vp treasures for your selues vpoÌ„ the earth which the moth and canker corrupt and where theeues digge thoâ—ough and steale For if we d ee the verie corruption thereof shall coâ—â—â—â—me our corruption as the Apostle learneth vs. Your riches 〈◊〉 corrupt and your garments are motheaten Your golde and siluer is cankered and the rust of them shall be a witnes agaâ—â—st you and shall eate your 〈◊〉 as it were fire Ye haue liâ—â—â—â—â— pleasure on the earth and in wantonnes Ye haue nourished your hearts as 〈◊〉 day of slaughter He saith of them as Duke Ioab said to Abner in effect Knowest thou not that it 〈◊〉 bitternes in the latter end If we could spare a time from due sinnes for such a thought wee should soone feele in our selues more compunction and deuoâ—ion 2. This document also as needfull as the former is from hence deducted that wee who dwell in houses of clay whose foundation is the dust whoe are nothing else but a sincke of sinne and Chaos of corruption shall much more perish seeing all the parts of the world the excellent creatures and wormanship of God shal haue their desolution We â—iue not heere in a castle and place of abode but as it were in an Iune as passengers to tarry but for a night as Christ said My kingdome is not of this world so our kingdome and continuance is not in this world As God said to AbrahaÌ„ get thee out of thy country from thy kindred and from thy fathers house so God will say to euery one of vs get thee out of thy life As the tabernacles of the Iewes were made to be remoued so are we Wherefore stand not so much vpon yâ— prerogatiâ—e of thy birth right and termes of gentry seeing they are all so momentarie It is well knowne from what house the best borne among vs the sonne of man only excepted originally haue descended namely from the earth and gleabe Iob teaching vs to cal corruption our father and the worm our mother Now what profite is there as Dauid saith in our bloud when wee goe downe to the pitte As 〈◊〉 said Lo I am almost dead what is then this birthright tâ—â—ee Wherefore by the diligent consideration of thy end with the worlde and thou shalt be taught
and brought to make an end of sinne and so beginne a new life And therewith 〈…〉 Christ the sole obiect of the eye of the 〈◊〉 thou shalt 〈…〉 death bedde be willing to die and 〈…〉 which saying Possidâ—nius in the storie of his life 〈…〉 I am not ashamed to liue I doe not feare to die because I haue a good maister whom I serue what extremitie of sollie is it to be thinking of this transitorie world so much and of the eternall world to come so litle wherein wee are like the â—unnell that tunneth in licor into a vessell that deliuereth it selfe of the purer matter but suffereth the concreat and gresser substance to cleaue to the sides of it The iudgement that should purifie vs is out of our sight and the carnall cares of the world like lumpes of mire and clay sticke to our soules The second Chapter Of the maner how the world shall be destroied IT being concluded in the former chapter that the world shall be destroied order would we should set downe how it is to bee destroied which shall bee the subiect argument of this chapter which wee will spend vpon these two parts 1. The first shall determine in what sorte it shall perish 2. The second shall giue decision to this question whether the same in substance or forme shall so perish About the first there is great dispute and difference among Doctors while they denide them selues into contrarie minâ—es some holding that it shall be destroied by water othersome by fire Of the first rancke are Seneca and his schollers Of the second which are the sounder sort are the Stoicks of whom Cicero and Galen maketh mention Heraclitus the greater part of Philosophers the Mathematicians and Diuines running with the streame of sacred authorities as the other part with the current of their priuate fanâ—ics For they take their text from Peter who saith But the heauens and earth which are now are kept by the same worde in store and resâ—rued vnto fier against the day of iudgement and oâ— tâ—e destâ—â—â— of vngodly men But yet there is no small 〈…〉 of the Moon to scoure and purifie the other three elements others producing it out of the Sunne beames Peter Lombard saith that thâ—e fier shall goe before the face of the Lord and shall reduce the whole fashion of the heauens earth to a consumption and he is so curious and fine as to measure out vnto vs the height of the fier suâ—ing it to the depth of yâ— waters of Noah which drowned the earth Such thinges deliuereth Austine in his twentieth booke of the Citie of God in the 18. chapter Yet in the 16. chapter of that booke he semeth to denie that a man may haue any certaine knowledge therein but by the especiall certificate of the spirite Wherein hee is in the right and of the surer side for it is safer for vs to hold this modestie then to be ouer busie with the secrets of Gods sanctuary It is enough that we simplie beléeue as Peter teacheth that the worlde shall bee fixed 1. To ventilate and examine of what kind of nature this fire should be 2. From whence it should be brought 3. How the saints shall be preserued in that flame liue as the Salamander in the fire 4. How high this fier shal mount we leaue to the wil prouideÌ„ce of God being contented to be wise with sobrietie and not affecting to know more then God wold haue vs or to compel the scriptures that are willing to go part of yâ— way with vs to go after the vagaries of our idle lusts It serueth to the confirmation of the present cause namly to the illustratioÌ„ of the maner of the worlds dissolution that which Math hath in these words At midnight there was a cry made Behold the bridgrome coÌ„meth The voice of the angell and the trumpet of God is part of that cry The scripture calleth it else where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the hoarse vociferation of Mariners when they call one vpon another to goe to their tackling for it must needs be a cry out of cry that must waken the dead and raise them from their graues But another part of the cry is the stridor and noise that Peter mentioneth which this fier that shal consume the world shall make saying The heauens shall passe away with a noise and the elements shall melt with heat and the earth with the workes therin sâ—al be burnt vp Wee heare a terrible noise at the downfal of two or three houses at once therefore that must be a noise with a 〈◊〉 esse which one fire shall make which shalouerchroâ—â—â—he heauers the earth the sea all cities towns houses beasts liuing creatures and the whole masse of the world â—ltogither Dauid by an apt similitude teaching the â—â—ate and condition of the wicked alludeth hereunto As the fire among the thornes c. Fire among thorns maketh a great noise Wherefore heare we now the crie of his worde at mid-day least we heaâ—e this fearefull crie at midnight hetherto spoken of and in time let the swéete crie of his mercie charme vs least the direfull and irefull out crie of his iudgements do condemne vs. We come to the second part of this Chapter which answereth the question whether the substance or forme of the worlde shall perish For hereof are two opinions scattered 1 Some are of that minde that in verie substance it shall be turned vpside downe fastning vpon these Scriptures as of that in the Psalme Thou hast aforetime laid the foundation of the earth and the heauens are the workes of thine hands They shall perish but thou shalt indure c. As of that saying of the Prophet Isaiah For loe I will create new heauens and a new earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into mind as of that which Saint Iohn in his Reuelation saith And I sawe a new heauen and a new earth for the first heauen and the first earth were passed away and there was no more sea Finally in that the Angell sweareth by him that liueth for euer that Time shall be no more Now if time be taken away all motion must be taken away If all motion be taken away there is nothing in the world that can continue 2 But othersome hold that only but some parts of the worlde shall bee ouerturned at the second comming of Christ not altogither raised from their foundationâ— but so as they shall suffer a singular alteration Ambrose taketh part with this side and setteth his hande to this opinion vrging that which the Apostle Paul saith The fashion of this worlde goeth away prossing the word which he calleth the fashion shadow or forme and not the masse matter substance That authoritie of Peter also fauoureth that part in these wordes Wherefore the worlde that then was perished ouerflowed with the water when
as but the lower parts thereof were corrupted by the waters That of the Reuelation preiudiceth not the point For there seemeth rather a new heauen and newe earth to be destroyed then a dissolution of the other to be insinuated Also in Isaiah it is said That the Moone shall haue the light of the Sun and that the Sunne shall yeeld seuen fold more light then it doth now The Schoolemen applie all inferences in this case to the qualities and not to the substance of the world for the nature of the world shall not so be turmosted as it shall bee brought to nothing but it shall be rescued and redeemed from the hands of varâ—tie vnto which it was subiect For the world being sentensed to this iudgement for the sinne of man not of it selfe sinning against God after that sinne is out of place the world must recouer his former dignitie when the time appointed is accomplished especially the lower bodies which are in the sublâ—â—arie worlde for those be most obiect and subiect to corruption The master of the Sentences in effect deliuereth thus much But hee borroweth that which hee hath herein from Austine who saith That by a worldly combustion the qualities of the corruptible elements which had some cognation and correspondencie with our corruptible bodies shall vtterly burne and perish and that the substance shall put on those qualities by a miraculous exchange which shal be agreeable with the coÌ„dition of immortal bodies that the world being altred to the better may bee fitting to the persons also in their bodies altred to the better In the 14. Chapter of the forenamed booke this is his verdit This world shall passe away by a mutation not finall subuersion And he alledgeth for himselfe the fore-cited saying of Paul The fashion of this world passeth away The figure saith he not the nature is spoken of by the Apostle else where he likewise saith we are not to beléeue that the Elements that is to say that heauen and earth are to be produced to ashes but that their propertie shall be bettered The scriptures no where shew the dissolution of the worlds substance Also the bodies of the Saints must be in a place but what place shall they haue if they haue not a place in the worlde Moreouer man for whose sinne all woe came vpon the world shall not vtterly be destroyed but shall be renued in bodie and inuested with immortalitie either to his endlesse felicitie or miserie wherefore the worlds composition that was not in the transgression shall much lesse comein substance to this vtter confusion But this being a point more doubtfull then profitable we leaue it arbitrable what shall be the ende of the world we shall best know in the end of the world Thus hauing insisted as much as neede requireth in the two propounded points of this Chapter we will giue the vse the life of the whole and so conclude the same Whereas the fire is to consume this worlde as stubble as the former world was licked vp by water wee see how euery thing howsoeuer simplie of it owne nature appertaineth moste to the necessarie vse of man hath a most hurtfull effect against man when God will take it vp as a rod in his hand either for the correction or destruction of man The fire the water the soile the aire are the Elements that are aliments vnto vs in their propertie and kinde whereby we liue moue and haue our being but when God otherwise disposeth of them and purposeth the diuersion of their nature they are posting Purseuants of the wrath of God to execute his iudgements to the ouerthrow of our liues Wherefore the fire went out from Gods presence to burne vp Sodom and her Cities The water the Beesom of his fierce anger drowned reseruing onely eight persons yâ— whole world of the vngodly The earth whereupon euery one treadeth opened and distended her mouth like hell and swallowed vp Dathan and coneted the congregation of Abiram Manna the daintie restauration of the Israelites burst out of their noses and sauoured abhominably as a most iust iudgement against their palpable and damnable vngratefulnesse The sonnes of the Prophets by a sower hearbe in their pottage had almost perlshed The winde a Meteor by which we liue being the spirit of life and as it were a fanne in the hand of God for the clarifying the ayre that it should not putrifie an the Lungs in stead of Bellowes are giuen to the heart to qualifie the excessiue heare of the heart driued Ionas into the depth of the sea Againe whereas the world is to be wasted with fire and euerie mans worke is to be reuealed by sire let vs labour to plant golde siluer precious stones which the fire will make brighter and roote vp and remoue woodde â—ay stubble which cannot continue against the force of the fire When the Lord Iesus shall shew himselfe from Heauen with his mightie Angels in flaming fire rendering vengeance vnto them that doe not know God c. Lastly this argueth the worldes follie that laboureth to labour and carketh to care neuer taking out his Quietus est for those things that are reserued vnto fiâ—e which draweth manie through their wicked practises thereabout into the horrible fire that we shall â—ntreate of afterward The third Chapter Of the vncertaine and vnknowne time of the worlds end HAuing fore shewed the maner of the worlds dissolution which we rather call an immutation then corruption and a translation from a wâ—rser to a better condition like as when we of children become men of men old men we are not destroyed but changed in nature the fire not consuming the world but restoring it as the fire consumeth not the gold but refineth it by the methode of the place it would bee considered concerning the time of the duration thereof what is to bee determined wherein wee will desire to knowe no more then the Scriptures haue reuealed From whence we haue no certaintie but rather the vncertaintie is euerie where spoken of As where Christ saith Of that day and houre knoweth no man no not the Angels of heaueÌ„ but my father only In Mark he excepteth against himselfe to leaue the high knowledge thereof onely to his father Neither the sonne himselfe saue the father Which is to be vnderstoode of his humanitie which naturally and ordinarily knoweth nothing â—erein but as it is taught by a better schoolmaster namely his Diuinitie When the Apostles put forth the question to Christ Lord wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdome to Israel Their answere was that the knowledge thereof was to deepe misterie for them It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the father hath put in hâ—s owne power It is Christs watchword to the world Ye know not what houre your muâ—â—er will come Ye know not the day nor the houre when the sonne of man will
both from mind and bodie therefore the recompence of the reward shal be giuen vnto them both 2 Our second Apodicticall conclusion is this That which is imperfect hath not capacitie of absolute felicitie but the soule sundred from the bodie is imperfect therefore it must needes be coupled to the bodie to the attainment of this plenarie felicitie 3 We reason also thus The fulnesse of Gods goodnes towards those that are his could not be shewed nor the fulnes of his furiousnesse vpon the wicked could not be powred if the resurrection were not 4. It standeth God in hand as much as his truth is worth to make good the resurrection because we haue promise and charter of him for it Christ hauing said it God shall reward you in the resurrection of the iust 5 That we should not doubt of his truth in some examples at all tâ—mes he hath made proofe hereof exempting them froÌ„ death that the world may know that death is in his hands standing before him to execute his will like a Purseuant to spare and to spoile as in the time of nature when he tooke vp Enoch in the time of the law when he tooke vp Elias in the time of grace when he raised vp Christ from death to life We inforce the matter fuller and argue from the lesser to the greater thus Elizeus raised the Sunamites sonne therefore much more can Christ raise vs vp Elizeus his bones gaue life to a dead bodie therefore much more shall the omnipotent word of God which is Christ giue liâ—e to our dead bodies Aarons rod did blossom and beare Almonds Moses drie waster became a créeping Serpent Sarah her dead wembe was deliuered of a son what are these but liuely images of the resurrection 7 From the order of nature though we haue no strong proofe yet much probable matter we haue of the vndoubted resurrection The day that now passeth to morrow doth returne Trées and herbs are stroken dead by the violence of the winter reuiue with the spring the renuing time of the yere and are clothed with leaues and fruits But thou wilt say to this that life was not vtterly out of them by the winters wracke wee say also that by death man is not vtterly depriued of life for it is their soules that die not Such Logicks doth Paul vse in the corne that is sowne whose corruption is the generation of it O fool that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die This is that which Christ saith except the wheat-corne fall into the ground and dâ—e it bideth alone but if it die it bringeth forth much fruit If such contemptible creatures haue renewance and from death are restored to life shall not this handle worke of God be much more seen in man the noblest plant that his right hand hath planted and the finest seed that euer the furrowes of the earth were strowed with the most excellent and worthiest creature of all For what is the hay or gréeue herbe in comparison of man That Indian bird the Phaenix as philosophers do report good diuines do ratifie especially Lactantius among others dieth is wasted to ashes by the heat of the Sun of those her ashes is a yong one ingundred and thus is that kind continued This similitude is taken vp by diuines to illustrate our certain resurrection For more coÌ„panie sake we name the swallows worms flies which lie dead al the winter by yâ— increasing heat of the sun are enliued againe in the spring and sommer time If we run through all the rankes and classes of nature we shall finde euerie where probabilities in the point Fire that lieth dead in a flint stone by a little force that is put vnto it putteth life into it The Sunne that goeth downe doth rise againe the Moone decreaseth and increaseth againe Our nailes are paired and grow againe our heares are cut off come vp againe Sleepe called by Homer the brother of death and by others the image of death because it is the tying of the senses as binding them in that wise as they cannot execute their functions seazeth vpon vs and as it were burieth vs for a time But the bodie dispelleth it againe after which it is fresh and plyable to to any office The misbeleefe of such who cannot be brought to think that out of the putred and consumed stuffe life should be expressed are by sundry works of nature notably conuicted For of such confection or infection rather are mise mouls frogs worms ingendred Out of â—ooks cranies odde corners of the earth often very radiant and splendent precious stones are gathered The séed of liuing creatures which is nothing else but a drop of misshapen humour what substance doth it beget in progresse of time What partes doth it produce as hands feete eares eies head and such like in their kinde These thinges doe wee beholde in the Glasse of nature which so oft as we remember we doe well if we remember the resurrection 8 By the Prophets by Christ by the Apostles some haue beene raised from death in life to ground vs in the faith of the resurrection The widowes sonne of Sarepta was raised by Elias the Sunamites sonne by Elisha a dead man by the touch of the bones of Elisha the rulers daughter by Christ who was newly deceased the widowes sonne of Nain that was in his locker and led out to the graue by him likewise Lazarus that had lien in the ground foure dayes Tabitha by Peter Eutychus by Paul 9 A man would thinke if were a worke of more difficultie to forme the woman of mans rib to create the man of the gleab of the earth to make the whole frame of heauen and earth of nothing then to raise vp man from the dust to life If wine be mixed with water there are those that can part the wine from the water Goldsmiths and such as worke in mettals can dissolue confected substances concreate of gold siluer brasse steele And such are to be found who can expresse Oyle and liquide matter out of anie drie bodie Wherefore the illimited power of God which made all things of nothing shall reduce our bodies to their formes againe howsoeuer formerly reduced to nothing Lengthen out the matter so farre as conceit and imagination will let you and put the case thus That a man is eaten by a wolfe that wolfe is eaten by a lion that lion is deuoured by the fouls of the aire the foules of the are aire eaten by men one of those men eate vp another as Canibals doe yet shall his owne bodie be giuen him againe euerie man shall haue so much matter of his owne as will serue to make him a perfect bodie They shall haue the same bodies in substance as Iob saieth but altred in qualitie being freed from corruption and fulfilled with glorie Their mouthes shall bee opened to speake better things
the siluer Smith with the Apprentises to that trade had raised is said to haue dismissed the church but the force of the word signifieth a companie called out from the common companie And truely such as are of the Church indeede are called out of the world into one companye and bodye into a holy common wealth by themselues Wherefore God when hee first founded his Church heere in earth hee did cast out Cain from the face of the earth and surrogated Seâ—h from whome lineally the Sonnes of God should haue distent So Abraham was called out of Chaldea and seperated from among them and the faithfull Sonnes of Abraham are peremptorily commaunded to goe out of Babilon Thus was Paul called from the companie of Pharises when hee was to her a Church man and hee nameth such as are Saintes called as the Romans To you that bee at Rome beloued of God called to bee Saints The Corinthians vnto the Church of God which is at Corinthus to them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus Saintes by calling And Christ saith that hee came not to call the righteous Wherfore such as are called are of the Church and such as are not called are not of the Church We will sift euerie word of the sentence one by one But we will first marke the difference that this Iudiciall proceeding shal haue from the definitiue doomes of men In the trybunals of earthly Iudges an enditement is put in an euidence vpon the Indicement is giuen witnesses are produced and sworne the guiltie person hath his aduocate and Counsellor to plead his cause a Iurye is pannelled against the Prisoner But here are none of these circumstances vsed for here the conscience shall accuse and excuse all Christ shall not need witnesses as knowing the verie secrets of the heart and vnderstanding the thoughts long before Whâ— by his presence shall comfort the elect and confound the reprobate Against whom the diuell shall vrge the Lawe and call for iustice out of hand thus yelling like a woolf against the damned ones as Eusebius Emissenus notablie thus deliuereth O thou iust Iudge these were thine by creation but they are mine by corruption thine by nature but mine by disobedience who héeded more my seduction then thy wholsome instruction thine by Law mine by fact thine by worke mine by will Then the king speaketh He calleth himselfe a king who before named himselfe the sonne of man to shew that his incarnation and humiliation shall bee nothing derogatorie from his Diuinitie and Maiestie when he shall come in the forme of a man true man to bee King of glorie and Iudge generall of all men He diuideth his speech into two partes suting them to the two sortes of people that shall stande before him 1 The elect 2 reprobate To the first he readeth sentence of Absolution to the second the sentence of Condemnation In the first wee will handle these points 1 Their calling 2 Who are called 3 To what they are called 4 Wherefore they are so called The first which is their calling is abridged in this word Come He giueth vs frée accesse vnto himselfe without the mediation of Saints Angels as the Church of Rome fancieth He is the same in heauen in the height of his Maiestie as he was in earth in the height of his humilitie This was his Proclaimation in earth Come vnto me all ye that are wearie laden and I will refresh you All ye that are thirstie come vnto the waters The same he will proclaime at the standard in the ayre Come yee blessed And why Because his pleasure is yâ— we he where he is according to that which he saith in Iohn I will that where I am there my seruants be also And after this saying I goe to prepare you a place and when I shall goe and prepare you a place I will come againe and take you vnto me that where I am there may you be also 2 The persons that are called are pricked out in these wordes Ye blessed of my father By which tytle wee see the whole conueyance of our heauenlye inheritance as descending vnto vs by the meere blessing of heauenly grace Wée being by Adams vngraciousnesse sentenced to a cursse By Christ therfore the case is altered a cursse is turned into a blessing he being that blessed promised seede that should bruse the Serpents head the original of our cursse hee being the â—eed of Abraham in whome all the nations of the earth are blessed Wherfore we sing the Apostle Paules song Blessed bee God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in heauenly thinges in Christ Wherefore this blessing came not by the lawe but by grace If the law of Moses could not make vs blessed much lesse can the lawes of Mahomet or the Pope make vs blessed Wherefore by grace wee are onelye gracious 3. Whether and to what wee are called is shewed in these wordes Possesse the Kingdome of Heauen prepared for you from the beginning of the worlde The Greeke word signifieth not simply to possesse but inherite which word inherit dooth vtterly vannish merrit For as the Infant is borne an heyre before hee can merrit the inheritance so God hath made vs inheritors before wee were able to doe any thing eyther good or euill as Paul by the examples of Iacob and Esau plainely teacheth vs. Againe the preparation and ordination of the Kingdome heere spoken of concludeth that it was ours before we were our owne wherefore wee come not to it by anye worthinesse of our owne 4. The answere wherefore wee are so called is giuen in the sequell I was a hungrie and you gaue me meate As if hee should haue said I call you the blessed of my Father and ioynt heires with mee in his Kingdome Because by effectuall workes and liuelye fruites thereof yee haue testified your faith The workes that are heere specified are workes of Charitie not of vanitie as monasticall vowes and such as haue foundation from humain traditions These containe all whatsoeuer else may be named For they that performe these doubtlesse will by hurtfull to none vse deceit towards none and be negligent towardes none who are commended to their charge by God In the next place followeth the condemnatorie sentence pronounced against the wicked which would make a mans blood cold and coâ—gealed within him Departe from mee Heereupon shall the damned say Lord seeing wee must so doe yet blesse vs before wee departe as Esau saide to his Father Isaac But with their departure is the blessing departed from them likewise Iacob haue I blessed and hee shall be blessed saith Father Isaac to Esau so the godly haue I blessed and they shall be blessed saith God our Father to the wicked therefore hee addeth this word Curssed
palpable So is the resurrection of the dead These differences of dignitie in the creatures doe not ablâ—e illustrate the differences of glory that shal bee in mens bodies after there surrection Finally if we may measure this matter by the line of verie probable reason it is verie likely that the degrees of glorie in the life to come shall answere the diuersiue of iudgements and qualities giuen vs in this life The more we haue vsed our Talents by heauenly dispensation committed vnto vs to the glorie of God and the good of the church the more shall our felicitie bee in the day of retribution wherefore the twelue Apostles who were royallye embroatered and garnished with giftes and were Maister workemen in the Primitiue Church shal haue that stately preheminence ouer others as they shall sit in iudgement ouer others they should haue twelue scaffolds and Chaires placed for them whereupon they shall fitte to iudge the twelue Tribes of Israel But it may be thought if some shal haue so much there wil be nothing for othersome wee answere that the Fountaine of that felicitie is bottomlesse and can neuer bee emptied It is with that as it is with the great Sea to which if you carrie neuer so capable vessels yet there is more then enough alwaies to fill euerie ones tanckerd come he as often as hee will so though wee draw neuer so deepelye of the waters of life it hath a welspring of euer liuing water to giue aboundantly to all abone all that wee are able to speake or thinke The eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard neither can the heart of man conceiue the things that God hath prepared for those that loue him The latter I embrace as the cheerefullest and moste currant opinion let others bee as they thinke good of contrarie imagination Beeing â—ooted in this perswasion I am heartned to all zealous contrition in Religion that I may attaine more heauenly benediction Another question would be touched though wee will not vndertake fullie to determine it Whether wee shall know one another in heauen I am more carelesse in this matter because it is curious Let our care be to knowe whether wee shal come to heauen then to know whether wee shall know one another in heauen But it is cleere wee shall know one another there though we know them not heere For doubtles Adams knowledge in his best estate must giue place to that knowledge which we shall haue in our glorified estate But Adam knew Eue whome he neuer saw before and saide This is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh Therefore what reason is against it why wee should not knowe one another in heauen though neuer knowne heere to vs This is one argument in the cause Againe who doth not know that the clarification of Christ on Mount Tabor was a liuely idea of our glorification But when Christ was clarified and Moses and â—lias appeared Peter presently knew them though he neuer before knewe them this is another good argument in the cause Finally it Diues knew 〈◊〉 in hell dooth it not necessarily follow that wee all know one another in heauen where our knowledge shall bee absolute perfect whether we shall know one another so as we shall say this was my Father Mother Sister Brother c. I can say nothing to it but so I leaue it and leaue thâ—e to God Now to the King numortall inusible to God onely wise be all honour and glory for euer Amen FINIS Matth. 2. 9. Iohn 1. Act 26. Psâ—l 14. 1. 1 King 18. Matth. 13. Matth. 9. Act. 9. Luke 19. Matth. 4. 2. King 4. Hâ—ster 5. 1. Cor. 7 Hierâ—mâ— Hieron ad Cyprian 1. Cor. 15. Math. 24. â—2 38. 44 4â— 48. Luke 17. 1â— 27. 2â— 2. Pet. 3. 4. 8 1◠〈◊〉 18. Matâ— â— 13 34 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 Rom. â— 6. 7 8. 9 c. Apoca. 22. 12 Dan. 14. 15. 19. â—0 21. Gen. 18. 27. 〈◊〉 14 13 Gen. 32. 10. Mat. 2. 10. 11 Luke 15. 13. Dan. 4 27. 28 Lauâ—en 1. 9. Hebâ— 11. 25. Matt. 17. 4. Mark 9. 5. Gen. 19. 2â— Apoc. 21. 1. Matth. 24. 35. Psal 102. 2â— Heb. 1. 10. 11. 12. Mat. 24. 29. 21. 2â— Heb. 13. 14. Iohn 14. 2. 3 Heb. 9. 27. Gen 2. 17. Heb. Mâ—riendâ— moâ—â—ent Iohn 4. 30. 4â— 42. Gen. â— 1. 20. Luke 17. 26. 1. Pet. 3. 20. 2. Pet. 3. 6. 7. 〈◊〉 11. 12. 13 1. Pet. 3. 20. Gen. 6. 14. 17. Luke 17. 26. 2. Pet. 3. 6. 7 10 11 12 13 14. Matt. 5. 18. and ch 34. 35. Matth. 13. 39. verse 49. Matth. 25. Matt. 28. 20. Iohn 14. 16. Rom. 8. 21. 1. Cor. 15. 12. 15. 1. Thes 5. 2 3. 1. Pet. 4. 7. 2. Pet. 3. 10. Reuel 3. 3. Acts 17. 28. Tit. 1. 12. 13. 1. Sam. 17. 51. 1. King 18. 28 Ephes 2. 12. Rom. 2. 14. 15 Ouid lib. 1. 〈…〉 Gen. 6. 3. 18. First by a â—â—tood afterwards 〈…〉 a doctâ—â—ne agreeing with the 〈◊〉 Iudg. 14. 1â— Gen. 1. 1. 3. 8. 9. c. Gâ—â— 37. 28. 29. 2. Pet. 3. 36. Acts 17. 28. 2. Pâ—â— â— 7. 〈◊〉 in natura lib. quest lib. 1 2. Tim. 3. 1. 2. Pet. 3. 4. Iude 18. 1. Tim. 4. 1. Psâ—l 19. 1. c. 〈◊〉 1. 20. c. 〈◊〉 1. 1. Math. 5. â—8 Gen. 1. 8. 9 10. Psal 136. 6. Psal 102. 26. Hâ—br 1. 10. 11. 12. 1. Pet. 3. 10 11. 12. c. Iames. 5. 17. 1. King 17. 1. Luke 4. 25. Ecle 48. 3. Amos. 4. 7. c. 1. Cor. 2. 29. 32. 31. Rom. 8. 19. 20. 21. c. Isaith 24. 1. 3 4. 5. 6. 7. c. 〈◊〉 26. 14. Deut. 28. 16. Eccle. 1. 2. Ioan. 2. 8. Gen. â—9 13. 1 King 22. 34. 1. Tim. 6. 17. Mukâ— 4. 15. â—8 Luke 12. 15. 16. Math. 6. 19. 1 〈…〉 19. 〈◊〉 12. 33. 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 26. Iohn 18. 36. Gen. 12. 1. Acts. â— 3. Exod 33. 1. 7 Ge. 2. â— 5. 2 1. Cor. 15. 45 Gen 3. 19. Iob. 1â— 14. Iâ—al 6. 5. Gen. 25. 32. Hebr. 12. 16. Aâ—â—â—stine 〈◊〉 Seneca in naturalibâ— quest lib. â— In historia Phile. 1. Pet 3. 7. 10. 11. 12. 13. 〈◊〉 1. 65. 17. 66. 22. 〈◊〉 â— 21. 1 1. Peter 3. 7. c. Math 25 6. 1. Pet. 3. 10. Isal 102. 25. Heb. 1. 10 11 12. Isai 65. 17. and 66. 22. Reuel â—1 1. 1. Pet 3. 13. 1. Cor. 7. 31. 2. Pet. 3. 6. Apoc. 21. 1. Isai 3â— â—6 Rom. 8. 20. 21 c. Lib. 4. dist 4â— Lib. 20. cap. 1â— de 〈◊〉 Dei 1. Cor. 7. 31 Lib. de dogma 〈◊〉 2. Pet. 3. 7. 11. 12. Gen. 7. 20. Gen. 19 24. Gen 7. 20. Num. 16. 31. 32. 33. 34. Num. 11. 16. 33. 〈◊〉 1. 4. 1. Cor. 3. 12 13 14 15. 2. Thes 1. 7 8. 1. Thes 4. 16. 1. Cor. 15. 52. Matt. 24. 31. Matth. 24. 36. Mar. 13. 32. 〈◊〉 1. 6. Matth. 24. 41. Matt 2â— 13.