EPicurisme and Atheisme are two sins most hainous and deadly: the Atheist beléeues there is no God: him Dauid confutes, Doubtles there is a God which iudgeth the earth. The Epi­cure beléeues there is no Iudgement after Death: him Salomon doth séeme to in­struct, Remember that for all these things thou must come to Iudgment. There is no Christian, I think,Mat. 24.3 but beléeues that there shall be a day of Iudgment: But when this day shal come, none knows, for of that day and houre, no man knoweth, neither the Angels of heauen, but my father only. But although no mans reach is able to deter­mine when that day and houre shall be yet it may plainly be demonstrated and shown both from the Prophets and Apostles, that this iudgement day is néere at hand, & will most suddenly come vpon vs. It is the mercy of the holy Ghost to man, in holy Writ to insert these caueats, and to put man in mind of the Iudgement day, and [Page] thrée speciall causes.

• 1 That we may be terrified from sin.
• 2 That we might be admonished to the true and sincere worship of God.
• 3 That wee might be strengthened in our faith, lest that great and terrible Day should come vpon vs vnawares, and so find vs vnprouided.

Since the foundation of the world, wée know the time; when the dissolution of the world shal be, we are altogether ignorant: yet we may iustly Prophesie and presage thus much, since sinne and impiety is now come to that height, that it can by no suc­céeding ages be aggrauated, & that vertue and godlinesse are so despised and vilified among impious men, that they can neuer hereafter be lesse estéemed: Who cannot then perceiue, or is so dull sighted, that is not able to apprehend and fore-sée the dis­solution to bée at hand? Now is that Pro­phesie of Hosea verified; There is no truth, nor mercy, Hosea 4. nor knowledge of God in the Land, which appeareth by the cursing, ly­ing, murthers, thefts, and adulteries which now aboundeth: Mich. 7. So that now, as the Pro­phet Micah hath it: The godly man is pe­risht from the earth, & there is no iust man among the sons of men. Thus Hosea, Mi­cah, nay, all the Prophets do agrée in one, [Page] whereupon saith Saint Ambrose: When righteous men perish from off the face of the earth, the earth must needs perish also, because the godly are the pith & marrow of earth. For as a trée without pith & moi­sture soone drieth vp, so the present world must néeds decay, when the righteous that should vphold it, are not to be found in it: for this cause, as the Prophet Esay hath it: In the City is left desolation, and destru­ction is in the gates thereof, because of their manifold iniquities.

Christ Iesus himselfe said, As in the dayes before the Flood, Mat. 24. they were eating and drinking, marrying, and giuing in marriage, vntill the day of the flood came and tooke them away: So also shall the comming of the Sonne of man be, by rea­son of prophanesse and too much security. Suppose that this Prophecy shall be ful­filled vpon our present times, and that God will say to vs, as he did to Noah, I will destroy you with the world. O vn­happy and miserable shall that man bee then, that hath not God for his guide. But to the end wee may the better dis­cerne, that we are they, vpon whom the ends of the world must come, there is no better a signe among those which Christ himselfe gaue before, than this: [Page] Namely, That the Gospell of the King­dome shall be preached in all the World, for a witnesse to all nations, and then shall the end come. Which is as much as to say according to S. Chrysostome: To accuse and reproue those that would not beleeue the Gospell. The same it is of Hillarie: The Apostles being dispersed through­out all the world, and the Gospell preach­ed, then shall the fall of Ierusalem, and the end be. Neuerthelesse, there are both lear­ned & vnlearned of this opinion, that since the world, so long after these prophesies, hath continued as before, that the end is not néere, and that the world should conti­nue still immutable; but let them perse­uere in their opinions. For since S. Am­brose, Cyprian, Chrysostome, and Saint Gregory were of opinion, that since the Gospell, in their time was preached to all Nations, long after their time the world could not endure; surely then it is most probable, that this is the age in which the end must come. Now that we may haue some proofe that the world cannot endure long, because the Gospell is said to bée preached to all Nations; heare Saint Ie­rome, who was of opinion that there was in his time, no Nation that was ignorant of the Gospell of Christ: for he saith; Al­though [Page] they haue no Preacher, yet they cannot but heare the opinion of the Faith of their neighbour Nations.

This Prosper confirmes: No part of the world is without the Gospel of Christ, some of all sorts, and of all Nations haue knowledge of Christ: I could induce a Cloud of opinions: but let Ambrose serue for them all: The Gospell is preached, that the world may be destroied. To conclude this point, since probably by this great motiue we are induced to beléeue that the end is at hand, and that the day and houre thereof is vncertaine, it should stirre vs vp to a more holy course of life, lest that our desolation and confusion ouertake vs vna­wares.

But to the end that wée may the better vnderstand and beléeue, what hath béene before shewed, the word of God is a most firme argument to informe vs of the truth of Christs sudden comming, and that this present Age, is the last Age of the world; for the Spirit expresly saith: 1 Ti­moth 4. That in the latter end some shall depart from the Faith, giuing heed to se­ducing spirits, and Doctrines of Deuills, speaking lyes in Hypocrisie, and hauing their consciencce feared with an hot iron, &c. And againe, know this also, That in [Page] the last dayes perillous times shall come; for men will bee louers of their owne selues, couetous, boasters, proud, blasphe­mers, disobedient to Parents, vnthanke­full, vnholy, without naturall affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, despisers of those that are good, high­minded, louers of pleasure more than of God, hauing the forme of godlinesse, but denying the power thereof.

Thus farre the Apostle, which words S. Cyprian handling, saith, All things that were foretold, are fulfilled, and the end of the world drawing neere: The Prophesies are come to passe, both in re­spect of the men, and the mindes; for now (if euer) is the perfection, or rather im­perfection of all the sinnes, the Apostle names to bée the fore runners of the end. Why doubt wée then, that the end is not at hand, or why feare we not rather, that a sudden end will preuent our procasti­nated Repentance? As bodies are sicke before death, and as infirmity and sicke­nesse are the true fore-runners of a se­paration betwéene the Body and the Soule: Euen so fareth it with the world, it now langnisheth, and is corrupt, it now lies sicke, and therefore it must needes come to confusion, and to an end. For [Page] deadly sicknesse is a fore-runner of death; all things now suffer their defect, and let no man wonder at it, for man now is borne in such defect, in respect of the birth of man in former times: but what is wan­ting in the present condition of mans bo­dy, is supplied in the faculties of his minde, and what is defectiue in the strength of his members, is compleat in the ripenesse of his vnderstanding, which is for the most part implyed not in liberall, but in diuel­lish arts; not in the study of learning, but of pleasure. Onely wit and maturity is resident in man, the onely Idea and repre­sentment of the Image of God in man. What can we otherwise but thinke, that the time is at hand, wherein mortality shall put on immortality; wherin the bur­then of the flesh being laid aside, the glori­ous body of the Church shall bée coupled to her glorious head, the communication of Saints shal be consummate, and Christ shall inioy his Spouse in continuall loue and vnion? In the meane time with Paul, Vnhappy men that we are, Rom. 4. [...]4 who shall deli­uer vs from this body of death, that wee may passe secure to the body of life.

Then let euery good Christian in these wicked times wherein destruction hangs ouer our heads, with good Hezekiah pray, [Page] Lord I am oppressed, doe thou vndertake for me; and since the day of destruction is so néere vs, wee intreat thée since it is ex­pedient for vs, that thou wouldest teach vs so to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts to wisedome: Psal. 39. And since thou hast pronounced that seruant happy, whō his Master when the came, found vigilant and watchfull: Grant, Lord, we beseech thée,Luk. 12.37 that since it is manifest, that long it cannot bée before thou come, that wée may bée fitted and prepared for thy com­ming, and bée found with oyle in our Lampes, and so in happinesse enter thy Bride-chamber with ioy: and let vs, good Lord, thinke the Day most neere, lest while the day of death or iudgement bée thought to be farre off, it preuent the im­prouident, and while long life is expected, it quickly forsake the wicked and guilty persons. Our mindes are very desirous, if we could, to know the day of death, and dissolution. But if wee could attaine to the knowledge thereof, what would it pro­fit vs, suppose the consummation of this world to be after ten, twenty, or forty, or a hundred yeeres, what is this materiall? is not the terme of life the consummation of each man? Why then are thou so trou­bled about the last day of iudgement, since [Page] [...]s thy end leaues thée, Iudgement shall [...]ind thée, and how suddenly death shal find [...]hee, thou art altogether ignorant: For as [...]n other things not regarding things per­ [...]aining to our soules, wee altogether are [...]usied in things common, saying: This man is an Adulterer, this man a Theefe, [...]his man a false-hearted fellow, that man proud, but no man hath a care or feeling of his owne sins far worse.

So doth euery man neglecting his own [...]nd; he would faine learne when the gene­rall day of dissolution shall be, which Day whether it be néere or farre off, it doth no­ [...]hing concerne vs, so each man regard his [...]euerall end. For since thou art borne, 'tis most certaine thou must dye, and it is cer­ [...]ain after death commeth, that Iudgment may be far off, yet thy last day is at hand. Therefore prepare thee for this day: for if [...]his day find thée vnprouided, the day of [...]udgment shall find thée so likewise, when [...]hou shalt rue for it:Psalm. 50. Consider this all yee [...]hat forget God, lest he teare you in pée­ [...]es, and there bee none to helpe: For our God shall goe, and shal not kéepe silence. A fire shall come before him, and it shall be [...]ery tempestuous round about him, for God himselfe is Iudge. And the Day of Iudgement will quickly be at hand, pre­uent [Page] the speede thereof: It will spéedil [...] come, preuent it I say, bée thou spéedil [...] conuerted. And as the Prophet Daui [...] aduiseth vs, let vs runne before the fac [...] of the Iudge, with confession of our fault [...] and true contrition for the same. And th [...] reason why thou knowest not his comming is, that thou mayest alwayes be prepared for it: for it is in thine owne powe [...] how thou mayest expect his comming, h [...] therefore defers his comming, that whe [...] he comes he may not daunt thee. Behold, hée is not yet come, he is in Heauen, thou art on earth; he deferres his comming, do [...] not thou deferre this time of repentance lest it for euer, though too late, repent th [...] of his comming: For in that day, it wil [...] be too late to repent; therefore pray no [...] that his Kingdome come, which thou fearest comming, but rather correct thy selfe that thou pray not against thy selfe: Today hee cals vpon thee, that hée may not in that day condemne thee. He that shall then be thy Iudge, is now thine aduocate and hée now cals vpon thee, that tho [...] wouldest leade a godly life Let vs therefore set the day of Iudgement before ou [...] eyes, which way soeuer wée goe, let v [...] carry the memory of it with vs, and i [...] will bring this profit with it, that we shall [Page] not onely meditate on the horrour and de­ [...]truction of that day, but also wish for the [...]ccomplishing of the same, which makes [...]he wicked to tremble when they heare it approacheth.

Thus Chrysostome saith: Let vs from [...]mong our selues repeat these things, and with others, there shall be a resurrection, [...] day of Iudgement, and a time of exami­nation for all our workes, whether good or bad: and this will cause that the minds [...]oth of good and bad, be not conuersant in [...]he vanities and pleasures of this world, and bee not tempted to any wickednesse, [...]ut rather to vndergoe any thing to be im­posed vpon them here, than to incurre the [...]ore-séene punishment of euerlasting fire [...]ereafter.

This made Dauid cry out: Establish my flesh in thy feare, for I haue been afraid to [...]eare thy iudgements. To conclude this [...]oint since wée all must appeare before [...]he Iudgement-seat of Christ, that euery [...]ne may receiue the thing done in his bo­dy according to that he hath done, whe­ther it be good or bad, and knowing the terror and Iustice of the Iudge of al men, that shall iudge the World in righteous­nesse, and considering the punishment that then shall be imposed on the wicked: [Page] That shall be turned into Hell with the [...] that forget God. Let vs heare and follow S. Hillaries aduise, In all the course of ou [...] liues, the memory of the last and grea [...] Iudgement is to be planted and grafted i [...] our hearts, for happy is that man that dot [...] what he must doe in remembrance of th [...] last day and why?Eccl. 7.36. heare the words of Iesu [...] the sonne of Sirach; Whatsoeuer thou ta­kest in hand, remember thy end, and thou shalt neuer doe amisse.

Thus much shall suffice, there shall bée a day of Iudgement, and that that Day i [...] néere: Now somewhat remaineth to bé [...] spoken of the manner of this Day, and th [...] terrour thereof, that the wicked being touched with the vnderstanding of th [...] same, might be driuen nearer to God: I [...] that day (saith S. Paul) euery mans work [...] shall be made manifest, for the day shal [...] declare it, because it shall be reuealed by the fire, and the fire shall try euery mans worke of what sort it is. The time is now come when Iudgement must begin at th [...] house of God, and if it first beginnes with vs, what shall the end be of them that o­bey not the Gospell of God? and if the righteous scarcely be saued, where shall the vngodly and sinner appeare? where will they hide themselues in that terrible [Page] [...]ay, wherein there shall be nothing, but weeping and gnashing of téeth, howling, [...]amentation, and repentance too too late? when the foundations of the mountaines [...]hall bée mooued, and the land shall bée [...]urnt with fire; when as S. Peter saith, The Heauens shal passe away with a great [...]oyse, and the firmament shall melt with [...]eruent hear, the earth also and the works [...]hat are therein shall be burnt vp: when, [...]s God himselfe said in the Gospell:Mat. 24.29 The [...]unne shall be darkened, the Moone shall [...]ot giue her light, the Stars shall fall from Heauen, and the powers thereof shall be [...]haked: Where will the wicked then be­ [...]old themselues, where will Adulterers, [...]runkards, where will cursers and swea­ [...]ers appeare? where will the luxurious, [...]eceiuers, proud, vncleane and filthy [...]ersons be found? what, vnhappy as they [...]re, can they then plead for themselues, to [...]ppease the anger of the iust Iudge of hea­ [...]en and earth? surely nothing. Howle ye [...]herefore, O ye wicked that forget God, [...]r the day of the Lord is at hand, and it [...]hall come as a destruction from the Al­mighty; for the Lord shall lay the Land [...]esolate, and shall destroy the sinners [...]hereof out of it, he will punish the world [...]or their euill, and the wicked for their [Page] iniquity, hee will cause the arrogancie o [...] the proud to cease, and will lay low the hautinesse of the ambitious worldling [...] what feare, and what horror, what terror and amazement shall there seize vpon, and possesse those that are marked out for eter­nall destruction? In the Name of God le [...] vs therfore while we haue time, rouze ou [...] selues vp; whiles there is time, let vs correct and amend our selues that wée neue [...] be brought to these Tortures of body an [...] soule. Let vs rather preferring the simp [...] city of the Doue, and the chastity of the Turtle, with the spirituall feathers o [...] graces, lift our soules vp into heauen b [...] our prayers, that so wée may be alwaye [...] ready to resigne our soules and bodies int [...] the hands of our Redeemer, with ioy an [...] alacrity of spirit.

But that we may the better heare and vnderstand the terror of that day, to auoid the same, wee will heare the Prophets what they fore-tell. Gird your selues and lament you priests, how leye ministers o [...] the Altar, lie all night in sackcloath ye [...] Ministers of my God: For the meate offering, and the drinke-offering, is with holden from the house of God. Alasse [...] for the day of the Lord is at hand, and as [...] destructiō from the Almighty shal it come [Page] Blow a trumpet in Zion, and sound an ala­rum in thy holy mountaine, let al the inha­bitants of the land tremble: For the day of the Lord commeth, for it is nigh at hand; a day o [...] darknes and of gloomings, a day of clouds, and thicke darknesse; for great is the day of the Lord, and very terrible, sure tis a great day wherein so great a God greatly to be praised, and to be feared a­boue all gods, shal come to iudgement, and [...]o reward all men for their doings. Tis a great day, after which there shall bee us change of time, no course of dayes shal fol­ [...]ow; which day in it selfe shal containe ei­ther euerlasting condemnation, or saluati­on without end.

It is a very terrible day, and the Pro­phet Malachy, séemes to giue the reason of [...]t. For behold, the day commeth, that shall burne as an Oven, and all the proud, and al that doe wickedly, shall be as stubble, and that day that cōmeth shall burne them vp, [...]aith the Lord of hosts; leauing them nei­ther root nor branch: And as the Prophet Dauid hath it. Our God shall come, and shall not keepe silence, a fire shall deuoure before him, and it shall be very tempestu­ous round about him, he shall call to the heauen from aboue, and to the earth be­low, that he may iudge his people. For [Page] God is Iudge himselfe; who, therefore wil endure the fury of thi [...] day, where the strong shall be thus weakned & oppressed, and where she proud, and all that doe wic­kedly, shal be burnt vp as stubble? who wil not stand astonish'd, where the root with the branch shall be plucked vp and consumed? what wicked man, what sinner then dareth to appeare where the iust shal scarse be sa­ued? Per. 4. But many men, partly out of dull stu­pidity, and partly being oppressed with crosses and vexations of this life, do little estéeme of the terror of this last day, and do séeme as being prepared for this day, very earnestly to wish and desire the same: But the Propht Amos 5.18. doth threaten these men, saying, Wo vnto you that desire the day of the Lord, to what end is it for you? The day of the Lord is darknes, and not light, as if a man did fly from a Lyon, and a Beare met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wal, and a Serpen [...] bit h m. You doe, saith he, very e­uill to your selues, in that you doe so rashly desire the day of the Lord, for yée shall not walke in the light of Gods countenance, because yée haue not beene children of the light, but children of darknes. There noy­some darknes shall come vpon you, what­soeuer you shall then assay, you shall not [Page] shun terror, you cannot auoid horror: and if you may shunne the face of the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah, that you render not accompt for your sins; yet that Beare the Deuill will ronne vpon you, méete you and punish you for the same. Or if you scape this Beare, and enter into the house of your conscience to consider the euils you haue committed and the good you haue omitted, the tormenting worme will seize vpon your conscience, the worm that Esay 66. speaketh of, The worme shal neuer dy: And the Euangelist Marke 9. did testifie the same; Their worme dieth not, their fire neuer goeth out, their torments are endlesse, neither is there in that day any partiality to be vsed. For the Kings of the earth, Gentlemen, the rich men the great & chiefe Captaines, the mighty men eue­ry bond-man and euery frée-men, shall hide themselues in the dens, and in the rockes of the mountaines, & shall say to the rocks and mountains fal on vs, and hide vs from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne, and from the wrath of the Lambe. For she great day of wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand. But when the Son of man shall come in the Maiesty of his glory, and the holy Angels with him, be­fore whom all Nations shall be gathered: [Page] He shall then separate them one from ano­ther, as she shepheard diuideth his shéepe from the Goats, and he shall set his shéepe on his right hand, and the goats on the left hand; and the King shall say to them on the right hand, Mat, 25. Come yee blessed of my father, inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world: but to them on the left hand hée shall say; Depart from me you wicked into euerla­sting fire, prepared for the diuell & his an­gels, and those shall goe into euerlasting punishment; but the righteous into life e­ternall. To conclude this point heare she Counsell of our Sauiour Ch [...]ist: Take heed, lest at any time your hearts be ouer­charged with surfeting and drunkennesse, c. 2. 34 and cares of this life, and so that day come vpon vs vnawares. For as a snare, it shall come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth: watch yee, and pray al­wayes, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to passe, and to stand before the Sonne of man. Since therefore all these things are suddenly expected to be fulfilled, and all that reade the Scriptures may heare this, both from Prophets and Apostles, nay, and Christ himselfe: That it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God; It [Page] is a wonder, that since all things (as the Apostle saith) shall be dissolued, that now at length we become not pure, and walke in an holy conuersation and godlinesse, loo­king for,2 Pet. 3.11 and hasting vnto the comming of the day of God. Wherein the Heauens being on fire, shall be dissolued, and the ele­ments shall melt with feruent heat. It is a wonder that we doe not deny all vngod­lines, and worldly desires, and lusts of the flesh, the glory of the world, the deceitful­nesse of riches, and the choaking cares of all earthly things, and exercise our selues in all sobriety and godlinesse, looking for that blessed hope,Tit. 2.3. and the glorious appea­ [...]ance of that great God, and our Sauiour Iesus Christ. It ought therefore to be our [...]rst and chiefest care, in these dangerous [...]nd wicked times, not being drowned in [...]he imployments of this world, to haue a [...]are of our owne saluation, and to make [...]ure the anchor of our hope and saith, that [...]ur soules suffer not eternall shipwracke. [...]et vs not perswade our selues that the [...]ord is not néer. Let vs not say with them [...]hat Peter reprehended; where is the pro­ [...]ise of his comming? For since the fathers [...]el asléep, all things continue as they were [...]nce the Creation: for how long these [...]hings shall continue, the Lord of Hosts [Page] by the Prophet Haggai doth declare. Yet once, it is a little while, and I wil shake the heauens and the earth, the Sea, and the dry land. Now the Apostle Peter giues the rea­son why he is not yet come.2 Pet. 3.9 'Tis his long suffering, saith he, to vs-wards, not willing that any should perish but that all should come vnto repentance; wherefore account that the long suffering of the Lord is sal­uation, and be diligent, that you may bee found of him in feare, without spot and blamelesse; we must be diligent & watch­full: the Grecians are gone aside, we haue a Sinon in vs that will yéeld the place to them: we must continually watch, and haue alwayes an eye to the watch, holding our weapons in our hands, vnlesse wee be minded at all times to be surprised, and yéeld at the pleasure of our enemie. For the day of the Lord commeth as a theefe in the night, in which the Heauens shall passe away with a great noise, and the E­lements shall melt with feruent heat.

Therefore be yee ready, for in such an houre as you thinke not, the Sonne of man commeth. Now, they that deferre the comming of the Lord, and say with that euill seruant, My Lord delayeth his com­ming, Let vs eate and drinke, be drun­ken, let them know, The Lord will come [Page] in a day when they looke not for him, and in an houre when they are not aware, and will cut them asunder, and will giue them their portion with the vnbeleeuers & Hy­pocrites; where there shal be weeping and wa [...]ing and g [...]ashing of teeth. Now,Luk. 12.3 they that know these things, and prepare not themselues, neither doe according to the Will of God, shall be beaten with many stripes: as the same Apostle Saint Luke hath in his Gospel pronounced. Let vs en­deauour therefore, that when the last day cometh, we may say with S. Paule I haue fought a good fight, 2 Tim. 4.7 I haue finished my course; I haue kept the Faith: henceforth there is laid vp for me a crowne of righte­ousnesse, which the Lord that righteous Iudge shall giue me that day: but is this crowne laid vp for thee alone (O Paul) not onely for mée (he saith) but also for them that loue the Lord Iesus, and expect his appearance.

Oh that this would take some impres­sion in the hardest of hearts, that doe sing a temporall requietem here vnto their soules, lest while they think the day of the Lord farthest from them, it on the sudden come vpon them, and so they be found in a condition too late to be amended, and by no meanes whatsoeuer to be auoided.

To conclude all, gird vp the loynes of your mindes, be sober, and hope to the end for the glory that is to be brought to you at the reuelation of Iesus Christ, as obe­dient children, not walking after your for­mer lusts of ignorance, let your loynes, I say, be girded, and your lights burning, and you your selues like vnto them that wait for the Lord, [...]uk. 12 15 when he wil return from the wedding, that when he cōmeth and knock­eth, you may open immediatly: blessed is the seruant, whom, his Master when hée cōmeth finds so doing, of a truth, I say vn­to you, he will make him ruler euer all hée hath Take ye heed, watch and pray, for ye know not when the time is. For the sonne of man is as a man taking a far iourney, who left his house, and gaue authority to [...]s seruants, and to euery man his worke [...]mmanding them to waith: Watch ye therefore, for ye know not when the Ma­ster commeth, at euen, at mid-night, or at the cock crowing, lest comming suddenly, he finde you sleeping, and so cast you into prison, there to remaine world without end. From which, the Lord Iesus kéepe vs all, and that for his mercy sake alone. To whom he rendred all honour, glory, praise and thankesgiuing, now and for e­uer, Amen.