RIght Honourable, right Worshipfull, worthy, and Christian men, and bre­thren, it is a receiued opi­nion in Philosophie, that the motion of the inserior Orbe, is go­uerned by the motion of the superior. I may well compare this Chaire to a dimmy heauen, wherein the Ecclesiasticall Orbe of our blessed Horizon doe often moue. I may likē it to the Firma­ment, wherein the fixt startes being set, doe twinckle and glitter, to the admi­ration of most. The Orbe wherein my selfe am carried, is one of the lowest: yet now according to the will of God, the Primus motor, and my worthie friends that mooued, I [Page 2]am here in motion. In this my moti­on, I desire with the Israelites to the king of Hesbon. Deut. 2.27. to passe along the high-way of my Text, turning neither to the right-hand, nor to the left: onely as Micha­iah said to Ahabs messengers. 2. Chron. 18.13. As the Lord liueth, what my God saith, that will I speake. So say I, what my Text hath put into my hand, and the Lord shall put into my heart; the one will I touch, the other will I teach. It may be expected by some, that mine inferior Orbe shall bee carried accor­ding to the propper motion of the Primum Mobile; or that it shall imi­tate the wonted motion of the Superi­our Orbe; or sith some say, its A na­tura huius loci, The custom of this place, to summon the manners of this citie: that therefore mine shall wade into those abuses, wherein it selfe is a stran­ger: I answere, No it shall not. For min own part, I say with the Prophet. Puer sum, nescio loqui. ler. 1.6. I am a stran­ger here, no traueller in the world: I know that Tortuosae viae, Crooked, cra­neld [Page 3]waies; and Malimores, Bad and worse conditions, are neerely allyed: yet how the kindred comes in, I desire not to search the Records, least happily without desire I might loose my selfe. While I was musing vnder the bur­then of my thoughts, what text to take that behooued many: this my text met me, offering it selfe to me and you, and it concernes all? It was at my choise to choose, and speake what all know: but in my choise I choose, to speake what the most know not. I might speake to you reuerend Iudges, to take heed of peruerting iudgement: least you euert your selues, when your selues shall come to iudgement: but I would faine suppose, that they who know equitie, will doe right. I might speake to this Honourable wor­thy Lord Maior, that he would be a father to the fatherlesse, and defend the cause of the widow; that he would eleuate virtue, and debelitate vice: but I heare so much of you, that this hor­tatory speech I heare will be needlesse, notwitstanding I heare that sin so a­bounds [Page 4]here, that vnlesse the whippe scourg it, the scourge is like to whip al. I might speake to the noble & learned Clergie, my brethren; that they like Iohn Baptist would be burning lights, and not like Demas burnt-out lights: but this they know as well as I, and I must striue as well as they. I might speake to the speakers at the Law, that they with care would maintaine their Clients; as their Clients at cost retaine them: but they are wise and know much, and in their wisdome cannot but know this. I might speake to the fashion-mongers (men and women) of our age, that they would imbrace Pauls counsel. Rom 12.2. Not to fashion them­selues like vnto this world: but this hau­ing beene a fashion among many my predecessours heretofore, my selfe am willing to leaue this fashion now: I might speake to all with my Sauiour. Ioh. 5.14. and so I will and doe Sinne no more, because each one must die and come to iudgement, All must giue ac­count of all to the Iudge of al. The Philo­sopher saith, Primus motor mouet primum [Page 5]mobile, & Primum mobile caetera omnia: the chiefe mouer moues the first mouable & it all the rest. Be God almighty the first mouer: suppose me for this time & place the chief mouable, & your selues my iudicious Auditors, the bodies to be moued. Meane while God grant my spirit of mediocritie, the voice of the Bird of Paradise, of whom I reade that she moues all to repentance to whom she sings: which if I asking shal receiue I will think this a blessed time bestow­ed: in defire wherof, I craue your attē ­tiue hearts to that portion of scripture, which I finde thus written.

BLessed Paul who of a Peelar be­came a Pillar, of an earnest perse­cuter. Act. 8. became a zealous Preach­er. Act. 13. being guided by the spirit from citie to citie to preach, in the end he came to Athens, as appeares in this [Page 6]17 chapter, vers. 15. Where being, he was brought into the Streete of Mars. ver. 19. & there passing along, he stood and told them what he had obserued, An altar wherein was written, vnto the vnknowne God. vers. 23. Whereupon Paul took occasion to preach vnto thē The liuing God, declaring vnto them, t [...]at he was the framer of this worlds Architecture that he dwelt not in hād­made temples, that he is not worship­ped with bandie workes. ver. 25. that he giues breath to all, and appointed to euery thing his season: that in him we liue, and mooue, and haue our be­ing, vers. 28. and therefore that we, who liue, and mooue, and be, should Repent, vers. 30. Because, as my text hath it in this verse. 31. He hath ap­pointed a day in the which he will iudge the world in righteousnesse, by that man whom he hath appointed. In which words I note fiue things.

1.Parts 5. The certainety of the day, set downe by a double Affidauit: first the Author, He, that is, God. 2. The resclu­tion, Hath appointed. 2. The vncertain­tie [Page 7]of the day, in that it is not limited, coacted, or restrained to a day defi­nitiue. This or that day, but to a day in­definite, A day, The end of the appoint­ment, to Iudge the world. 4. The man­ner, how, In righteousnesse. 5. The Par­tie who, By that man whom he hath ap­pointed. In speaking of which words, I craue this sole fauour, that all things may be taken, and not mistaken as they are spoken.

1. For the certaintie, The Power of God hath an appointed day for the creatiō of the [...], The great world the mercy of God had it appointed day in the redemptiō of man, the [...] The little world: now the iustice of God must haue the appointed day for the iust punishment of the vniust little world that soiourns in the great world, for Fundamenta, The foundations of the Continent shall be shaken, and then Blandamenta, The follies of the contai­ned shall be ouerthrowne. The Apo­stle speaking of the certainety of this day, saith. The day of the Lord will come as a thiefe in the night, in the which the [Page 8]heauens shall passe away with a noise, the elements shall melt with heate, and the earth with the workes that are there­in shall be burnt vp, and we must looke for new heauens, and new earth, 2. Pet. 3.10. For I doe beleeue that at the end of the world there shall goe a great and terrible fire either hard before, or with the comming of the Iudge. But now whether this fire shall be Elementum ignis, the element of fire in it owne proper sphere, or whether all the fires on the earth, or in the earth among the stones and minerals, or whether such a fire, Qualem excitabit tum deus, as the al­mighty shall then raise: whether, I say, it shall be all of these Coniunctim in one or any of these Deuisim seuered, that I know not And that fire shall consume this world, it shall Corpora incinerare, terrae nascentia absumere, & in nihilum redigere: burne bodies (not all) into ashes, consume all the vegetatiue things on the earth, and bring them to nothing. Also, I looke for new heauens and new earth, but how new? Quoad formam, non quoad substantiam: New in regard of the [Page 9]forme and fashion: not new in respect of the matter and substance. In this I hold with Aug. Ciuit. lib. 20. cap. 16. E­lementa, id est, Caelum & terram non esse abolenda, sed in melius commutanda: figurem, id est imaginem mundi, non substantiam berituram. That is The E­lements, heauen and earth shall not be taken quite away, but changed into bet­ter: the fashion, that is, the likenesse of the world shall perish, but not the sub­stance therrof. Iumping with this opi­nion of Augustin is that of Saint Greg. Mor. lib. 17. cap. 5. Caelum & terra per eam quam nunc habent imaginem tran­seunt, sed tamen per essentiam sine fine subsistunt: caelum igitur & terra & transit & erit; quoniam ab ea quam nunc habet specie per ignem tergitur, & ta­men natura sua seruatur, That is, Hea­uen and earth passe away through that Image which they now haue: but in their Being they remaine without end: there­fore beauen and earth shall both not bee, and be, because from it now-shape it is scoured and made cleane by fire, but the nature and condition thereof [Page 10]is still continued; agreeing to that of Psal. 101. Thou shalt change them & they shall be changed. Now that this great & dreadfull day will come, Pie credendum we must vndoubtedly and holily be­leeue. The Prophet Malichi saith, The day of the Lord will come burning like an ouen. ca. 4.1. and it is a rule among the Schoolemen, Futurum in deo aeque cer­tum, quam aut presens, aut praeteritum: Will, in God giue as much certaintie as Is the future tence is as sure as the present tence, or preter-perfect tence: that which is to come in God, is as cer­taine, as what is either present, or past. Therfore the Prophet Ioel (happily hau­ing reference to this position) saith, The day of the Lord is come, for tis at hand c. 2.1. The Prophet Esay in the 13. chap­ter of his Prophesie, and Abdi in his short Prophesie, say both, It is at hand. The Prophet Zephaniah saith, It is hard by. Therefore there needes no doubt be made of the certaintie: neither is there any question of the miserie. Esay cals it a day of trouble & ruine. cap. 22. Iere­mie cals it a day of vengeāce. c. 46. Ioel [Page 11]cals it a fearfull day. c. 2. Amos cals it a darke day. c 8. Zephoniah cals it a day of wrath. c. 1. Zephany cals it the special day c. 14. Bern. speaking of the dreadfulnes of this day, saith, Plaugent Iudaei, plan­gent gentiles, Plangent Christiani, plan­gent ones qui magis mundum amarunt quam deum, plangent suam culpam quam commiserunt, suam stultitiaem quam nen corrererunt, suam gloriam quam amise­runt, suam paenam quam incorrererunt. Iewes shall weepe, Gentiles shall weepe, Christians shall weepe, all shall weepe that loued the world, more then God. They shall lament the faults they haue committed, their fol­lie they haue not corrected, the glory that they haue lost, and the punish­ment that they haue incurred. And indeede well may they weepe, for aboue they shall see the angrie Iudge, whom they haue offended. Beneath, hell gaping which they haue deserued; Without, the world burning which they haue delighted. Within, the conscience stinging, which they haue surcharged. On the [Page 12]right hand their sinnes accusing which they haue commited: on the left hand, euill Angels tugging them; about them good Angels driuing them in­to hell. Therefore let me say with the Apostle, What manner of men ought wee to be in holy conuersation of life. 2. Pet. 3.11. For the time is come that Iudgement must beginne at Gods house. If it beginne at vs first, what shall bee the end of them that obey not the Gospell of God? And if the righteous scarce be saued, where shall the vngodly and sinner appeare? 1. Pet. 4 17. The first iudgement was in water, to coole the riotous heate of lust, that then did abounde, when Bigamie and Polygamie was suffered: but the last iudgemēt shall be in fire, to purge this away raining desire of gold, and heate the lukewarme charitie, that now the world being old, waxeth cold Our Sauiour speaking of the fearfulnes of this day, saieth. The Sun shal be dark­ned, the Moon shal not giue her light, the Stars shal fall from heauen, the powers of heauen shall be shaken, all kindreds, of the [Page 13]earth shall mourne, and ye shall see the sonne of man comming in the clouds of heauen with power and great glory. Mat. 24.29. That is, the heauēly bodies shall indure great alteration, to terrifie the wicked, and be Criers (as it were) vnto them, to sūmon them before the great Tribunall. But how the sunne shall be darkned, how the moone shall not giue her light, how the stars shall fall from heauen (which really cannot be) be­cause the least starre is so much bigger then the whole earth) and how the powers of heauen shall be shaken: to say truth, we cannot now iustly deter­mine: let me therefore say with that worthy Aug. Ciuit. lib 20. cap. 30. Ma­gis tum docebit rerum experientia quam nostra iam consequi possit intelligentia, The experience of things which we shall see then shall teach vs better then we can conceiue now. But howsoeuer, it shall be terrible, yea so terrible, that as Aug: spak of God, Verius cogitatur deus quam dicitur, & verior est quam cogitatur. God is truer thought of, then spoke of, and yet himselfe much truer then both. So say [Page 14]I of iudgements terror, it is sooner i­magined then expressed, easier thought then spoken: and yet in it selfe more hi­deous, then either imagined, expressed, spoke, or thought. Terribele est illud iu­dicium, in euitabilis paeua, intollerabile tormentum: It is a terrible iudgement, a paine ineuitable, a torment intollera­ble: but yet Quid sit, Directly what one it is as Aug. Eucher. c. 38 said of the di­uersity of the Angels Potentiality: say I of this, Dicaut quipossint, dummodo qd. dicunt probare valeant, Let them speak who can, so be what they speake they can proue. This is and thus is the secōd comming of Christ, & this far different from that that was In humilitate, in hu­militic like a seruant, this shal be in ma­gistate, in magistie like a king, that was in infirmitate in infirmitie like a sheepe to the ssaughter: this shall be in pote­state, in power like a Lion to his prey, that was in pouerty, being Infans in praesepio, an infant in a manger, this shal be in dignitie being Index in iudicio, A iudge to giue sentence, that was in mi­sericordia, in mercie to confirme al, this [Page 15]shall be In iusticia, In iustice to confoūd most: He was then Homo inter homines, a man amōg mē, he is now Deus supra An­gelos, A God aboue Angels: & yet thogh a God, he will come like a man to iudge men & wicked Angels: there was a time when he did Pati pro peccatis, suffer for our sins, & after a time ther wil be a time when yet there shall be no time, whē we shall with him as he doth now Trium­phare cum liberatis Triumph with freemē freely freed; what time he wil seuer vs, A damnatis, frō those whom his rigor hath appointed to be damned. I remember the Scriptur speaks of Dauid, that he was wrath with Nabal for denying him victu als at his sheepshearing, whē Dauid was an hungred in his flight; & so Abigaile was faine to appease him.1. Sam. 25. [...] But whē Iesus Christ shall come in flaming fire, to ren­der vengeāce on thē that know him not, nor obey his Gospell.1. Thes. 2.8 No Abigaile shall serue for intercession. The terror of that day cānot be vttered, because the iudges sētence shall not be altered: mā while he was liuing, would euer be sinning: and God after that sētēce wil euer bepunish­ing. [Page 16]Then shall the Archangels loud voice be heard, that voice which cleaueth the rockes, openeth the graues, raiseth the dead, oyneth soules to their bodies, & all In momento, In a moment, & twink­ling of an eie. Then shall the vnbelee­uers misery come, then shall be the strict examination, the narrow serch­ing, and idle words accounting: then Exigetur e nobis me tempus impensum quomedo fuit expensum. We must giue ac­count of all time allotted vs how we haue bestowed it: For, Non est capillus de ca­pite, nec momentum de tempore de quo rationem non reddendum. There is not an haire of our heads, nor a moment of time, for which we must not be accountable? the reason is, Cuia qui pro frigida agnae dabit mercedem, Becuse he who for a cup of colde water will giue a reward, Pro verbo osioso statuit paenam, For an i­dle word hath allotted a punishmet. He that created time, & was borne for vs in the fulnes of time; be assured, he will iudg vs for our notvsed, or abased time; the greatmā the world, & mā the little world, both haue a time, and time will [Page 17]come that the Great mā shall haue an end, & the little man, who hued in the great mā shal be iudgd at that end. Whē that end shal com, the secrets of al harts shall be disclosed; for as Musculus on Genesis saith about Sodoms destructi­on; Quod noctu peccatur luce diurna pu­nitur, Sinne by night committed, by day shall be punished. Then shall it be saide to a sinner, as Nathan said to Dauid. 2. Sam. 12.12. Thou didst this secretly, but I will doe it before all Israell, and before the Sunne. In this world God afflicts his chosen, and then iudge how in the next world he will toment the wicked. And as Greg: speaking of Herods cruelty to holy Iohn Baptist, saith; Magna crude­lit as cum sacram caput fuit decollatum, maior cum allatum & homicidium osten­tatum, adhuc maior quia saltatrici da­tum sed Maxima quia in potestatem ad­ulterae assignatum, It was great crueltie to behead an holy man, more to bring the heade, and make boast of the murther, greater to giue it to a Dancer, but grea­ther then all to assigne it into the hands of an Adultresse: In the end concluds it [Page 18]with this remarkable note; Hinc vnus­quisq colligat quid illic passuri sunt quos reprobat, si hic ua cruciat deusquos amat By this may alisuppose how God will torture y^t wicked in y^e next world whō he hateth, when hee thus afflicteth his chosē in this world whō he loueth. In this world heads to his seruants falts.Iob. 14.17. In the world to come he wil sift the vngod lies sins. And as Bar: in Can. ser. 15. saith, Quid in Babilone tutum si in Hierosoly­ma fiat scrutinum? If there bee made a serch in Ierusalē, what safety can be ex­pected for Babylon. The Papists say, if there be but two places, Heauē & hel, & Non est quis medius locus vt possit u [...] mo esse nisi cum Diabolo qui non est cum Christo. There is none interstitial place but that he who is not with God must needs be with y^e denil. If y^t euery one (as the truth is.) after this life, is imediatly, In puncto temporis. In a very instant of time gone to soys or to pains, hath re­ward or punishmēt; what then need we a Iudgemēt day? I answer yes, in two respects. 1. Because the body hath bin a coagēt with y^t Soule in good or in euil, [Page 19]& y^t body, as yet lyeth sencelesse in the graue, & shall so do vntil y^t last dome, euē without any feeling: now, it is meet y^t as it hath bin a coactor, so it may be a copartner, that which vntil then it shal not be. 2 Because God will render to euery one according to y^e full measure of Mercy, or Iustice; & so it is that vntil that Iudgement day, neither the godly shal haue their ful fruition, & consum­mation of ioyes, nor y^t wicked of pains their measure: wherfore to make both cōpleat & absolute, ioyes to the godly, and pains to the wicked; As also y^t two old friends might meet again together to renew old acquaintance. A Iudge­mēt day must be. Gods mercie was re­fused, his son Iesus misused, therefore his iniuries must be reuenged, his ene­mies must be confounded, the wicked must together be punished; Vt tormen­tis panalibus socientur qui socij fuerunt in vitijs. To associate them in tormēts, who were cōpaniōs in sin. Paul y^e third Pope of y^t name made questiō of three things liuing, which dying, he said hee should bee resolued off. 1. In sit Deus [Page 20]if there were a God. 2. An Annimae im­mortales, If soules did liue after the bo­dies were dead. 3 Siqui inferno, If a­ny were in Hell? Now these three que­stions will haue time after the Iudge­ment-time to be discussed by leasure: the one to the Athist, the other to the carelesse Liuer; the last to the vnrepen­tant offender: all three to the sayle of Hell, the damned persons in Prison.

Now to this necessitie of Iudgemēt generall, two things make a certaintie to euery man in perticular. The Au­thor. 2 The resolution. 1 The author is God, and that God is, Ordo naturae, natura mentis humanae, terrores consci­entiae, ordo societatis Politicae, sacrorum hominum coucensus. The wonder full de­cencie euen of nature the nature of mans mind the terrors & stings of conscience, the order of politicall societie betweene man and man doth plainly shew. As Per­kins saith in his Armil. aurea. Nay, as the heathē Orator said; Nulla geus tam sera, There is no Nation so wilde, no Harbarian so barbarous, but in heart will acknowledge it; Wherefore in his [Page 21] Tusc. Questions, he reports of Protago­ras Abderites, that because he beganne his booke with doubt, De dijs vero ne­que vt sint, ne (que) vt non siut dicere habeo, As concerning the Gods, I haue nothing to say, but that they may be and may not be. He was banished the citie, and the whole contry by a publike Edict, and with a generall consent his bookes were burnt to ashes. Now this God, that is, is Magnus sine quantitate, bo­nus sine qualitate, Is great without quan titie, good without qualitie. As Aug. saith, Whose freewil elected vs, whose power created vs, whose loue preser­ued vs, whose mercie at the appointed day will crowne vs, if we in our allot­ted dayes will serue him. This God is called in Latine Deus of Do, to giue: Iam. 1.17. because, Onem dat, He giues euery good and perfect gift. In English he is called God, Quasi good, yea he is goodnesse it selfe, and no good thing will hee keepe from them that feare him, and serue him in holinesse and righteous­nesse of life. This Iudgement day then, is good, in respect of God and man; In [Page 22]God, to shew his great mercy & iust iudgemēt, to the godly & the wicked: In man, that a crowne immortal might be absolute, that the fulnes of perfec­tiō might make a perfect fulnes. 2 The resolution, he not only in a kind of in­tentionall determination verbally said it, that which had bin sufficient too, for,Psal. 33.9. Dixit & factum est. He spake the word and it came to passe. But more, he hath with mature deliberation re­solued vpon it: for my Text saith: Hee hath appointed a day: that is, Flatly a­greed vpon: As if the blessed Trinity had held a Councel about it, as about the making of man. Let vs make man. So,Gen. 1.26. Let vs apoint a day for Iudgement. And then after y^t secret heauenly Parli­amēt hold, the Act was published (as a reuealed thing which belongs to vs & our children for euer.) That there is an appointed day of Iudgement. Deut. 29.29. Agreeing to this is that of the He. c. 9.27. Statu­tum est hominibus vt semel moriantur, pastea vero iudicium. It is apointed for all men once to die, and after that coms the Iudgement. It is appointed, & ther­fore needs must be; nay both apointed, [Page 23]& therfore shal be, Death & Iudgement too. With god is no chāge no alterati­on, no shadow of either: for, Ego domi­nus & non mutor. I am the Lord and I chāge not,Mal. 3, 6. Solus deus recipit immortali­tatem, quia non capit mutalit atem. Only god is imortal because only God is i­mutable. The heauens change & look old as doth a garment but thouart the same & thy years fail not. Psa. 102.27. Why doth y^e sun guid y^e day, y^e moon & y^e stars gouern y^e night? Because god hath apointed it. why doth not the sea ouerflow the earth, it being so many degrees higher, thē y^e earth, but keep it selfe in it bounds which it pas­seth not? Because God appointed it. Why haue we a winter & a Summer? and not al one season of the yere? Be­cause God hath appointed it. Why doe al the godly look for a iudgemēt day? Because god hath appointed it. So we haue light and darknes, day & a night, a spring & a fal. Al because god apoin­ted all. If your aske me, why Iacob was predestinat before al worlds to saluati­on, & Esaw hated to damnation? I an­swer Statuitdeus, because god apointed. If you aske me why Saul was casheird [Page 24]of his Kingdome, and Dauid inthrō ­ned? I answere, Statuit Deus, God hath appointed it. If you aske me, why Ab­solon did hang betweene heauen and earth by the ruffinly hair of his head? (A destruction to giue our now such people instruction,) I answere, Statuit Deus, God had appointed it. If you aske me, why I doe, and you must looke for a Iudgement day? I answere with my Text. Quia statuit Deus, Be­cause God hath appointed it. The Rain­bow hath many colours, two Domi­nant, Fiery and Watry, the watry co­lour remembreth vs of the Deluge past, and bids vs feare it no more: the Fiery aduertiseth vs of the Iudgement to come, and bids vs daily looke for it. If you aske me why? I haue retained my Text, and what that speakes is law, Statuit Deus Because God hath appoin­ted it.

2 The second part of my Text, is the vncertaintie of the day of Iudge­ment: for, Quinatus ante tempus, Hee that was borne before time. And Qui dedit esse tempori, Who gaue a beeing to [Page 25]all time, will come, In tempore, In a fit time; to iudge vs. Pro tempore, For lost time, we who are Heires of time, when as Non erit amplius tempus, There shal be no more time. Time it selfe shal be no more, as wee read. Apock. 10.6. that is, No more time of persecution, of mur­ther, of Sinne: whereof the sixt Angel spake. Apoc. 9.13. The time of persecu­tion at that time shall cease, and yet time it selfe shall not haue cessation. Ante­christ with all Complices of his shalbe destroyed, so there shall bee no time for hurt, nor destruction, sith the de­stroyer himselfe shall bee destroyed: but, Ipsum Tempus in quantum tempus, Time in that it is time shall suffer no destruction. In three things appeares the vncertainety of the day of Iudge­ment. 1 The place where. 2 The manner how. 3 The time when. It is vncertaine in what place wee shall bee iudged. It is vncertaine in what manner wee shall bee Iudged, and it is vncertaine what time the Iudge will come to Iudgement. 1 The place, any particular place of Iudge­ment, [Page 26]or where the Iudge will appeare to Iudge, is to vs vtterly vnknowne; more then that Paul speaks of. 1. Thes. 4.17. Then wee who liue and remaine, shall bee caught vp in the clouds to meet the Lord in the Aire, and so shall bee with him for euer: So that the gene­rall place is the Aire. In the 6. of Mat. 64. In the 13. of Marke 26. In the 21. of Luke 27. The Iudge there spea­king of himselfe at his comming, saith; That it shall bee in the Clouldes of Hea­uen. That is, both as the Marginall hath it, and as the most vnderstand it. Sitting vpon the Clouds, as he was taken vp: which opinion is the com­mon receiued opinion of the learned. There were of the Friers, and are at this day, of opinion, that the valley Iehosaphat, which is situate towards the Eeast, betweene Ierusalem and the Mount of Oliuet, shall bee the place where (say they) the throne shall bee set, and where wee shall all be Iudged: the proofe of which opinion, they cite out of Ioel. 2. chap. 3. verse 2. where the text saith, I will gather all [Page 27]nations, and will bring them downe into the valey Iehosaphat. The reasons mo­uing them to this opinion are two. 1 Because they hold Ierusalem and the places about it adiacent, to bee neere the middle of the earth; and therfore being a place so copious, so famous, most fit for the place of Iudgement. 2 Because Iohosaphat in the Original, doth singnifie the Iudgement of the Lord. The which opinion of theirs, thus I answere. That for the places ci­tuation to be about the middest of the earth or world, that I leaue to the Cosmographers to be decided, accor­ding to their iudgement in that Arte and facultie. Also the wordes signi­sication, shall cause none alteration; sith they who are learned in the He­brewe tongue, will acknowledge no lesse.

But for the places quotation, they must obserue, that the Text is to bee vnderstoode, either by way of allusion, alluding to the valley where God did by a great and vnsupposed, vnexpected mean at the humble paier [Page 28]of Iehosaphat ouercome that good Kings enemies: for the enemies fell to Ciuill war among themselues, and one slew another: Moab and Amon fell vpon Mount Seir, and they euery one vpon the other, as wee read 2. Cr. 20.23. And so this may haue a refe­rence to that, and may fignifie the valley of destruction for the wicked. Or else doubtlesse it hath relation vn­to the word Iehosaphat, which signifi­eth Iudgement, or pleading, or arbi­trating of matters. Wherfore I auerre conclusiuely, that it is not to bee vn­derstood of the locall place of Iehosa­phat, but onely of Iehosaphat so ter­med and called, because the Iudge­ment then executed on the damned, shall resemble that which was vpon Ichosaphats enemies. Thus then of the place of Iudgement, no man must de­termine, because the Scripture doth no where define: for it is a Canon, Where the Scripture leaues none eui­dence, wee must lend no faith: but that there shall bee a place, we must all resolue; Latet dies & locus, & timea­tur [Page 29]omnis dies & locus, the day and place is vnkuowue, that euery day and (happily) Place too might bee feared. 2 The manner, the manner may partly bee gessed, because in holy writ it is plainly described. Saint Iohn saith, Videbunt in quempupugerunt, They shal see him whom they, thrust through, cap. 19.37, Ergo ait Aug. vidibunt corpus ipsum quod lancea percusserunt, & sic videbitur, a pijs & impijs, a Iustis & in­iustis, a gaudentibus & plangentibus, a conficis & confusis. Therefore saith Austine, They shall see that very bodie which they peareed with a Speare: and so he shalbe seene of the godly and the wicked, of the iust and the vniust, of them that shall reioyce and those that shall lament, of those that bee saued and those that be confounded. The circumstances then of the manner of the Iudges comming partly shall bee these fiue. 1 The Iudge shall Iudge in the meere forme of a man; yet not in the forme of a meere man, sith he is, was, and will bee more then man. Li­cet homo verus, non tamen homo merus. [Page 30]this is plaine. Act. 1.2. Where when bee was taken vp into the Cloudes from his Apostles, as they stood loo­king stedfastly towards Heauen, as he went; the Text saith, Two men stoode by them in white apparell, which said, Yee men of Galile, why stand yee gazing into Heauen? This Iesus which is taken vp from you into Heauen shal so come as ye bane seen him go into heauen. So, like a man he went, and like a man he shall come. Vnde Aug. Ser. 64 De verbis De; Forma illa erit Iudex quae sub iu­die estetit, illa iudicabit quae iudicata est. That forme shall bee Iudge that yeelded to a Iudge; that shall iudge, which was iudged it self. And if iudge­ment should be onely among the iust and holy Ones, to them would the Iudge appeare as in the forme of God, (sayth this Docter) but because all must bee iudged, iust and vniust, and sith it cannot bee that the vniust and wicked should see God. Talis appare­bit, Iudex qualis videri possit & abijs quos Coronaturus est, & abijs qua damnaturus est. Tract. in Iohn cap. [Page 31]5 The Iudge shall so shewe himselfe as hee may bee seene, both of those that shall bee crowned, and those which shall bee damned. For at that time he will, Dare praemia secundum bona opera, non propter bona opera. Giue rewards according to good works, but not for good workes; As may bee prooued. Apocal. 20. And Matthew 16.27. Also Ciuit. lib. 20. cap. 24. Manifestus veniet inter iustos & in­iustos indicaturus iuste, qui prius ve­uit occultus ab iuiustis iudicandus in­iuste: Hee shall manifestly come among the both iust and vniust, to iudge iustly; who before obscurely hidden, came among the vniust to be iudged vniustly.

In the forme of a Seruant shall the Iudge bee seeene. Occulta erit forma Dei, Occultus erit in Ser­uo Filius Dei, Hidden shall bee the forme of God, and the Sonne of God in thee forme of Man. The Sonne of man shall appeare, because the power of GOD shall make that appearance: and the Sonne of [Page 32]God shal Iudge the appearers, because hee will take the forme of man for the Iudgement. 2 Canet tuba, The Trumpe shall blow, that is, some admirable signe Accipitar, Shall bee receiued; which by diuine appointment, Dabitur, Shall be ginen: and this signe is diuersly termed in the Scripture: Sometimes to bee The voice of an Archangell: some­times The trumpet of God: sometimes The voice of the Sonne of God. And verily, it may well bee called a Trum­pet, because God doth come then like one who is ready to wage warre against his enemies: and such shall bee the virtue of it, that at the hea­ring thereof all shall arise. Though some, with the Martyres, haue their bones burnt to ashes; others deuou­red by beasts, some rotted in the graue, some lost in the earth, and one perhaps a thousand miles from the o­ther: yet these all by Gods diuine power and might, shall bee vnited and knit together; and beeing the felse same bones which the crea­ture had before it dyed, shall re­ceiue [Page 33]the very same flesh, though it be denoured by wormes, and retur­ned to dust from whence it came. Yea, and that Eaendem numero, the same nu­merarie flesh, as the Logitians terme it; and not Specie in shape and likenesse, as the Anabaptists falsely holde: Deum noua creare corpora: sed his similia, That God will create new bodies, but yet like to our former. In the 1. Thes. 4.6. it is said, The Lord shall descend from heae­uen with a shout, with the voice of an Archangell, with the trumpet of God. A shout doth properly belong to mar­riners, who for incouragement doe al shout together when they cast forth their oares: and it should seeme the Apostle alludeth to these, both as the marginall note hath it, and as Aretius on that place expounds it. The same Aretius holds, the shoute to bee the loud crie of the Angels: Lyra & Wirth, expounds this shoute, to be the crie of the Iudge calling all to iudgement: o-others thinke it shall bee the confused crie of all the vnreasonable creatures. The voice of the Archangel, is thought [Page 34]by some to be The great and generall noise of the heauenly troupe, that shall attend the Iudge. Bucer thinkes it the hie note of the Captain of the heauen­ly Hoast: Lyra saith, The voice of Christ, commanding all to iudgement, shall be vox imperatiua, the swaying, ouercomming voice, the voice of the Archangell calling to iudgement, shall be vox executiua, The accomplishing or sinishing voice, the voice of exe­cution: that as the Saints shall iudge the world. 1. Cor. 6.2: so when the Lord shall crie, Arise ye dead to iudgement, euen that crie shall be the Eccho, (as it were) and crie of the angelicall mul­titude. The trumpet of God, saith the Glosse, shall be the commanding all to arise. after which rising, instant­ly shall bee the iudgement. Others thinke, the trumpet shall be the ma­nifest appearing of the Iudge. Mus­culus thinkes, it shall bee some out­ward signe which may bee called and termed A Crie terrible and horrible, causing astonishment. But in this scrupulositie no mortall weight [Page 35]can be a true Arbitrator: let mee therefore say with Aug. Hoc est in con­cilio dei: This is in Gods counsell. This wee know, that when the Law was giuen to the Israelites vpon mount Synai, The mount smoakt and trem­bled, and a trumpit blew. Exod. 19.18. all was to mooue terrour and feare: and this beleeue, the trum­pet at the last day shall dreadfully blow, to terrifie the wicked, and comfort the godly, as also Aretius holdes. A trumpet is an instrument of vocalitie, properly vsed in warre, and by the call of a Trumpet (not a materiall one, dimentionate) shall we bee called to iudgement: what time, God will goe to battle with his enemies, and the fielde be yee­ded into his hands. Thirdly, The dead shall arise, the liuing shall bee changed; which change shall bee in stead of death. 1. Cor. 15.51. Fourthly, The Angels shaell gather together the elect from the four Winds: Mat. 24.31. that is frō the foure quarters of the world.Fiftly, The Stars shal be dark, either [...] indeed & truly, [Page 36]the Son was at the passion of our Saui­our, when Ferre non poterat creatura videre iniuriam creatoris. The creature was ashamed to see the iniurie offered to the creator, and so blusht for shame or els [...] by reason of a great light then comming. These are the maine circumstances of that great mans man­ner of comming: among great men euery where so meanely considered. The Romans had a custome, that when any offender was conuicted, they would put into the number or their names the double number of letters, the letters were A and C. and these were put In vrnam, into some holloe thing. A was the letter of absolution, and if the offender drew that Lot, it was a Supersideas, he had his pardon, not­withstanding both his ofience and sen­tence giuen on him. C. was the letter of condemnation, and if the poore pri­soner drew that; then the sillie querdon was to prepare himselfe for execution: for then, a Tamberlins, blacke tent was vp, nothing to be expected but destru­ction. But alas, no such A. shall be at [Page 40]Doomes day; when a sinner without a Sauiour, shall misse the venite. Mat. 25, 34. and the too late repentant, shal will he, nil he, draw the blacke C. of a la­mentable He, against which time, God make vs all prouided. 3. The time, the time is to vs meerely vncertaine, Mo­dium patefecit tempus celare voluit: He hath made known the manner, and con­ceiled the time. Aug. Epist. ad Hesenchi­um, saith. There are, Lord, which say they can make a computation of thy comming, but yet, of the very day and houre, (whereof my Sauiour speaks. Mat. 24, De die autem & horae illa nemo nouit, Of that day and houre, knoweth no man,) They say indeede they can giue no gesse at all: for mine owne part, I say nothing but this, Id me velle scire, quod Christ us ait neminem scire posse, I would bee glad to know that, which Christ saith none can know at all. Wherefore the same father in another place giues this good counsell, That we should not be like the idle seruant to say Moram faciet dominus meus, My Lord will de­ferre his comming. Luk. 12.45. and so [Page 38]beginne to eate and drinke with the dunken; nor yet resemble the Thessa­lonians. 2. c. 2. To giue credit to euerie false report and tale, as if the day was now in being: but to watch carefully, as if it were In tergo, at hand, and at our very backes behinde vs; conclu­ding thus, Nos itaque quod dominus sci­re noluit, libenter nesciamus. Let vs rest in willing ignorance, where the Lord would haue vs be in Nescience, and be content not to vnderstand, what God would haue no man to know. But as in the rules of Phisicke, a disease is gessed by the Symptomes, so in this great se­cret of heauen we may aime at it a lofe off, and deeme it to be nigh: but yet cannot tell, being aided onely by the Signes, to diuine when. Iohn Bap. was a Prodromus, a forerunner of our Sauiour & preacht repentance. Mat. 3.2. Third­ly, So there be certaine signes which are Prodromi, Preparers of the way, & bring tidings of Iudgemēts comming; which teach vs that lessō of our Sauiour; Be ye therfore ready, Mat, 24, 44 for in such an houre as you think not, wil the son of man come. Now [Page 39]among these signes, I note three sorts. 1. Some going lōg before y^e day of iugd­ment, of which sort are these. First, The preaching of the Gospel throughout al the world among al natiōs. 2.Mat. 24, 14. The great securitie & gluttony, as was in the daies of Noah. Mat. 24.38. Such did go before the iudge­ment of water, and such shall go before the iudgement of fire, 3. The perelous times whē mē shall depart frō the faith, & giue heed to spirits of errour, & do­ctrine of diuels. 4.1. Tim. 4. [...] The disastrous disor­der in mens conuersation, Pride, coue­tousnes, cursing, disobediēce, truce brea­king, with a bedroule more reckoned vp by Paul. 5.2. Tim. 3, 1 The disclosing of the mā an of sinne, Antichrist, the Popish sonne of perdition. 6.2. Thes. 2, 3 The perse­cution of the godly, the Church when men shall thinke they doe God good seruince in killing them. Iohn 16.2. Whereupon the Poet saith, Sanguine fundata est ecclesia sanguine saepit: san­guine succreuit, sanguine fiuis erit, The foundation, beginning, increase of the Church was with blood, & with blood shall the end be. 7. Charity shal be cold, [Page 40] And the loue of many shall abate. Mat. 24.12. which thing being but seriously thought on, who would not thinke, but either wee liued vnder the frozen Zone, or that there was a continuall winter, in mens hearts. Secondly, there are signes going hard before the day of iudgement, as first, The Ecclipses of the Sunne and Moone, both darkned scarce yeelding light. Mar. 13.24. wher in I say with Hemingius in his Syntag­ma, Quicquid accidit, Whatsoeuer coms to passe though a naturalist may giue a reason thereof; yet if it be extraor­dinary, as Ecclipses, Inundations, Tem­pests, and the like, it is Portentum, fore­doometh some thing. Secondly, The falling of the Stars, which is ment not really, but supposedly, as men shall i­magine: meaning that al creatures seue­rally and ioyntly, shall bee Praecones, Cryars to summon vs before that hor­rid seate of iudgement. Thirdly, In the earth shall bee tumultuous qua­king, on the earth nation shall rise vp a­gainst nation, about the earth strange rumours of warres, plagues, diseases, fa­mins, [Page 41]persecutions. Luk. 21.10. In the Sea strange breakings out and the ouer­flowings, that which our late wofull experience can too truely testifie. In the Aire dreadfull sights, as were ouer Ierusalem vpon her imminent destru­ction, whereof Iosephus writes. Fourth­ly, The calling of the Iewes, which Paulo prooues by three reasons that it shall be. Rom. 3. but how soone, he a­lone knowes that knowes all. Thirdly, There are signes going with the day of iudgement. 1. The signe of the Son of man. 2. The lamētations of the Sons of men, All kindreds of the earth shall mourne, then shaell the Sonne of man come to indge, and the Angels bee sent out to gather. Mat, 24.30. It is doubt­ed among writers, what this Signe of the Sonne of man shall bee. Caluin seemes to holde it to be the glorie, and maiesty, and power of Christ, giuing notice as it were of his cōming. Vt caele sti potentiae praeditus, quae si signe in sub­lime erecte, ad se conuertat totius muldi intuitum. That being furnished with heauenly power hee might set the [Page 42]whole world a looking at him, as it were with an elected signe on high. Many hold it to be the very body of Christ, retaining the wounds of his pas­sion, in his hands, feete, & side; as Mus­culus cites the opinion. Theophilact on the 24 of Mathew, holds this signe, to be the signe of the Crosse. Qua appa­rebit in caelo suprae solem fulgens adargu­endos Iudaeos: which shal appeare in hea­uen shining aboue the sunne to repre­hend the Iewes and be a Trophe, and kingly Ensine. This is likewise the opi­nion of Chrysostome Hom. 77. on Ma­thew. Signum filij hominis erit signum Crucis, (non crux lignea in quam passus dominus, sed Lux in dominum Crucis) sole splendidiori: The signe of the sonne of man shall be the signe of the Crosse, brighter then the Sunne: for the Sunne shall be dakened, but the crosse shall ap­peare to abash the impndencie of the wicked, saith this golden mouthed father. Hier. in Mat. 24. saith, We vnderstand the signe of the crosse, by the signe of the Sonne of man, that the Iewes may see him whom they [Page 43]thrust through: as Zachar. speakes. cap. 12.10. A worthy writer hath this comparison, As a king entring 2 citie, goes before the armie, and hath his Banners and Vexilla regalia, King­ly flagges carried before him: So the Lord of heauen, the King of kings, descending from the heauen of hea­uens, doth goe before his hoast of Angels, and Archangels; who car­rying before the signe of the Crosse, as a standard of triumph: will relate to wretched men the comming of the heauenly King on earth to iudge the world. Now among those peroursarie signes, they are all expired but these two, The preaching of the Gospel throgh out all the world. Mat. 24. And the cal­ling of the Iewes Rom. 2. throughout the whole chap. 1 As for the preaching of the Gospell, if by all the world is ment (by the figure Sinecdoche) the most parts of the world; or the Iewes & Gen­tiles, the whole world being into them two deuided, as Maister Caluin vnder­stands it: then is the signealso expired, as hee auerreth; for so it hath beene. [Page 44]2. And for the calling of the Iewes though as yet it is not, (for there must not be a calling peculiar of one par­ticular, Iew, or a few Iewes, but a generall calling of them all) neuer­thelesse how soone it shall bee Man knoweth not: but that (they being in number so many, in places so disper­sed, in religion so backward) as yet they are not, all doe graunt. Howsoeuer these signes being in a manner all ful­filled; they rubbe our dull memorie of the end of all things at hand, to be expected. Saint Hier. citeth 15 signes out of the olde Rabbins that should goe hard before the day of iudgement, all which Scholast. Hist. saith that Hie­rome found in the Annalibus libris He­breorum: & these signes in number 15. are to be expired in 15 daies before the worldslast expiratiō; the breathing out the last gaspe of the last day. 1. The first day, the Sea shall raise it selfe 40 cupits higher then the moūtains, stāding like a wall in it own place. 2. The seond day it shal so much go again into it self, that it shall scarce be seene. 3. The 3 day, the [Page 45]habitants of the Sea, fishes shall appeare aboue the waters bellowing out, roa­ring and crying euen to hearten. 4. The fourth day, the sea and all waters shall burne, 5 The fifth day, the trees & herbs shall haue a bloody deawe. 6. The sixth day, All edifices, and buildings shal fall. 7. The seuenth day, there shall be a generall rupture of the rocks in peeces 8. The eight day, the whole earth shall quake. 9. The ninth day, the ground shall be made plaine and leuell. 10. The tenth day, men shall goe out of caues and dens of the earth like mad men, & not able to speake one to another. 11. The eleauenth day, the bones of the dead shal arise, and be ouer their graues. 12. The twelfth day, the Stars shal fall from heauen, to the iudgemēt of many 13. The thirteenth day, the liuing men shal die, that they may rise with y dead. 14. The fourteenth day, heauē & earth shall burn. 15. The fifteenth day, there shall be a new heauė, & new earth, & all mē shal arise. I quote not these as thogh I did, or would haue you beleeue those Rabbins frō whom Hier. made this rela­tion; [Page 46]both because the 13. is false, as also because we haue Scripture for the cer­taintie but of some of them, and for the order of none of them: Only to tel you that no Adamantine stony hart, can but tremble at the consideration of these things & to teachyou with care & con­science to prepare against the ensuing time of death & iudgement: for it you be ready against death comes, you shall be happie when iudgement comes. E­uery mans deaths day is his particular iudgement day, & Quocunque ceciderit arbor ibi erit Eccles. 2.3. As the tree fal­leth, so it lieth: mankind resembleth crecs some cut downe in their spring, some in their full grouth, some when they are dead. So is man, some die in youth, some in middle age, some in old age: and as the Axe, death, cuts downe the tree. Man, as the tree falleth, so it li­eth: as death doth leane vs so shal iudg­ment find vs, & as iudgement finds vs so shall sentence pasle vpon vs. Qualis ex­ieris ex hac vita, talis redderis futurae, Such as a man goes out of this life, such shall he become at the future life. God [Page 47]hath hidden fromvs this time of the last iudgement in diuerse respects, 1. To try our faith and pacience, to possesse our soules therwith. Lu. 21.19. vincit quipae­titur. 2. To haue vs euer ready. 3. That the wicked might be without excuse.Mat, 24, 444.Rom. 2.5 To bridle curiositie not to search into secret things which belong ro the Lord our God. In the 1.Deut. 29, 29 of the Acts and 7 ve. the disciples were tolde, It was not for them to know the times and seasons, which the father hath put into his own power: & if we growinquisitiue, Moses tels vs, The things reucaled belong to vs. Our Sauiour himsel speaking of the iudgement day, saith;Mat. 24. But of that day & houre know eth no man, no not the Angels of heauen, saue the father only: what then needs man grieue to be ignorant, when the blessed Angels are content not to know it? yea more, Iesus the Sonne of God, was content to be nescient for our sakes; In quan­tum homo, in that he was man. Some say, he knew it, euen Quatenus ho­mo, as he was Man: but not Eatenus, to reueale it to men. Some haue [Page 48]boasted of reuelations, & by thē to set down desinitiuely a certain day of iudg­ment; some by the Astrological aspects of stars: some by Arithmetical supputa­riōs of numbers would diuine the time of the last time, & al salse, to seduce the simple. Of which sorts of people, I may say as Cato said of the Sooth-sayers of his time: I wonder that they doe not laugh, when they meete each other in the streets. There were diuerse of the learned in times past; who held that as the wals in Iericho fell down the feuēth day after they were cōpasled about with blowing of trūpets, & shouting of the children of Israel, as we read. Ios 6.20. So the balding of this world, after those 6 great daies wherof one is to the Lord as a 1000.Pet. 3.8 years, & a 1000. years as one day, shal fal: & thē shal be that cōtinuall sabaoth, when al times & seasons shall meete together in coniunction, where­of the Prophet Esay speakes. ca. 66.23. Theold (Thadalmost said the idle Pro­phesie of Elias falsly shrouded vnder his name in the Iewes Thalmuld) is much tossed & haled by many that the world [Page 49]shal last 6000. years, 2000. vacui before the Law, 2000: vnder the Law, and 2000. vnder the Gospel. The strength of their weake coniecture is. 1 As in sixe dayes the Lord made heauen, earth, and al that therein is, so in 6000. yeeres the Lord shall gouerne this world, being subiect to generation and corruption: and as the seauenth day he rested, so in the 7000. shall he (hauing gatheredtogether his Church by the preaching 'of his word) bring all to euerlasting rest and peace. 2. As the Sabaoth was instituted in the eue­ning of the sixt day. So by this Saba­oth, being vnderstood the last Saba­oth, in the end of the last 2000. yeres or a little before, shall come the hea­uenly Sabaoth, when all shall rest. 3. As the six first Fathers, Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Malaltel, Gared, are deade, and Enoch, the seauenth from Adam, was translated into Heauen aliue, and sawe no death: So for the space of 6000. yeeres, the world, and death in the world shall bee and in the 7000. shall be blessednesse and immortalitie. [Page 50]To shew the errour of this Prophesie, in false computation of yeares, it will more trouble your Honorable and iu­dicious cares, then edify your hearts; onely thus much, know that there were before the Law aboue two thou­sand and fiue hundred yeres, and vn­der the Law sewer then two thousand. Besids this, the opinion wants a groūd­worke: for it hath no Scripture for Euidence, now where that founda­tion failes, there the building fals.

But, what shall be vnder the Gos­pell, wee shall not know vntill the Au­dit day come: at what time, euery Mans bill of accounts shall be put in by appointment of the Creator of Time, and wages (God make vs mean­while good seruants) giuen in particu­lar to all. Some haue supposed, that because Christ liued vpon the earth 32. yeeres and some six moneths: that therefore the Time vnder the Gospel shall bee so long: for, say they, The Church hath a relation to Christ, and the body of the one, a type of the o­ther. So then, as the naturall bodie [Page 51]tinued on earth 32. yeares, so shall the mistical body; the Gospell, the Church wee who are his members: prouided still, that sith at the end of these yeares, say they, shal be the euer­lasting Iubiiee of our soules; that in the Interim, euery one of these yeeres haue a relation to the Mosaicall Iubile, that after so many fi [...]es bee expired, the end shall come. But this being but o­pinion, and the opinion of some, I leaue it in hast to your reuerend opi­nions now, and to beescanned by the opinions of all at leasure hereafter: only desiring you to consider with mee thus much, That all ages of man are limited to a certaine num­ber of yeeres, except the last part of old age.

Infancie is reckoned to holde vn­till the third or fourth yeare, Child­hoode vntill ten yeeres, Pubertie vnto ēighteene, youth vnto fiue and twentie, Courage vntill thirtie fiue, or fourtie yeres, Constant age vnto fiftie, lūpish age vntil 65 only decrepit croo­kedage hathno time of yers presixt, but [Page 52]euen to last vntill the last, and the last gaspe, bee it sooner or farther off, to be the Stage, post or bound of tha. So likewise this last age of the world cannot bee determined, vntill by the Determiners appointment wee see a certaine determination. In the meane time, let vs redeeme the time, conside­ring the time; Let vs redeem the time or euilnes of the time, with the good­nesse of our liues. Let vs take his coū ­sell who gaue the best councell, euen councell for our soules. To watch and pray least that day come vpon vs vna­wares and finde vs vnprouided. Con­sider at that day what a Iudge we shal see, afrowning Iudge, he that damned the poore seruant, Mat. 25.28. for hi­ding his Talent, and bringing him onely his owne without inerest. Hee that damned the poore soule, Mat. 22.13. for comming to the marriage feast without his wedding garment. Hee that damned the fiue foolish virgins, Mat. 25.12. for not coming iumpe at the houre; and finall threatneth to dame all those that worke iniquite. [Page 53] Mat. 13.41. Doe not wee reade how he cast out Adam, the first man, for ea­ting an apple? Drowned the old world wholly, for wicked imaginations, al but Noah and his family, saued by a seely Arke of pine-trees? Reiected Saul and cast him out of his Kingdome for spa­rig the Amalekites? Punished Dauid, a man otherwise after his owne heart, with plagues, and his rebellious sonne; for the committed acts of ad­ultery and murther? Threw the An­gels out of heauen. That light as Au­stine thinkes, which Moses speakes of in the first of Genesis? Turnd Lots wife into a piller of Salt? And then, Qui Angelis, & pijs non pepercit, Hee who neither sparde the Angels, nor good men, how shall wee wretched Sinners looke to escape? It is good for vs to thinke v­pon these things, and to consider that Our redemption draweth nigher now, then when we first beleeued. Rom. 13.11. For if Paul held those the last daies wherein he liued, who liued so many yeeres since, euen but 37. yeares af­ter Christs Passion; and beheaded in [Page 54]the 14. yoeere of Nero, what may we think of ours? The great Papist Bel­larmine affirmes that we haue not 400. to come: but be it, wee had 4000. to the worlds end, what is that to vs? The Psalmist sayth; Our daeyes are but three­score yeeres and ten: and if they bee of strength, fourescore yeers, and if so, all is but labour and sorrow, cut off and we soone gone. Psal. 90 10. And Hier. saith, Sin amplius vixerimus, If wee liue aboue 80. yeeres it is no life to be called, but a death rather. Now when we die, the world is at an end with vs, we goe to the house of our age, and come forth no more to tell any tales. Wherfore, Iesus make vs ready against death comes, and then Mercy will make vs happy when iudgemēt coms. The very period of the Iudge­ment time, some say, shall be at mid­night. Quia illahora Angelus Egyptum deuastauit, eademque hora electos suos de mundo liberabt, Because in that houre, say they, the Angel did slay the First-borne in Egypt; and that in that houre will hee deliuer his elect from [Page 55]Egypt of this world. Some say, Econ­tra, The iudgement time shall be in the day, either because the Prophets doe call it, The day of the Lord; Or else be­cause that night if the time of night, shall be as bright as the day. Others say, whose opinion Isodore citeth, that, The generall Resurrection shall be in the same night, wherein our Sa­uiour made his Resurrection: that is, On Easer euen, a the feast of the Pas­ouer; and for that cause, saith hee, ma­ny in the Primitiue Church of the faithfull, did watch that whole night, as expecting the Iudges comming, if we may beleene this Author. But these men I answere, first with that worthy father; Haec est fidei regnla dixit Chris­tus, dixit Apostulus, This is the rule of Faith, to say; Thus said Christ, thus the Apostle. Now this is more then Christ or his Apostles saide, and so more then you or I must be­leeue.

Next, for that they speake of the Night time, I answere, ei­ther with Aug. It shalbe, Nocte rerum, In [Page 56]the niht of the knowledge of actiōs; Non temporum, Not in the night seasn of time. Or els I say with he meaning of the Text, He shall come in the night, that is, Suddenly, vnexpected, when no man so much as dreameth on his then comming: and as in the night things are done that men know nor, so that time shall be when men thinke not. This is sure, whensoeuer it shall be A Trumpe shall blowe, Inerrorem, To terrifie: As Theophilact in Mat. 24 ait; And a shrill cry shall bee so lowde, that All Soules in Heauen and Hell, and bodies in the graue shal heare, and at the hearing thereof appear before the Iudge. Who as Beda in cap. 21. Lucae, saith; Ea forma electis apparebit, qua in mon­te apparuit, reprobis vero in ca forma qua in Cruce pependit, Sall appeere to his chosen in that forme wherein hee ap­peared to Peter, lames, and Iohn on the mountaine, that is, gloriousl, his face and clothes glistering. Mat. 17.2. But to the reprobate hee shall appeare in that forme and shape which he had, when hee hanged on the Crosse. Let vs then [Page 57]who desire and hope for saluation, worke it by faith, and serue God here, that that blessed day may be welcome to vs hereafter, and how God will be serued. Old Hier. tels you, It will bee better by Aduerbs then by Verbs. Vi­deat quisque vt bonum opus, bene & bo­na intentione faciat; quia non bonum fa­cere, sed bene facere laudabile est, non e­nim in eo quod facimus, sed quod bene facimus. Let euery one, saith he do good workes well, and with a good minde, for the praise is, not in the doing good, but in the doing well. Example be the Pha­risie, he did good: I fast twisea week, I giue tythes of all I possesse. I am no Extortioner, vniust, adulterer. Lu. 18.2. But he did not well, for he wanted a good intention, which hee had not, and waned not a proud heart, which he had. Wherefore he said, Not like this Publican. Ver. 2. And Christ saide, Not iustified. Vers. 14. Thus all vnre­generate persons may doe Bonum, Good: but not Bne, Well: they can­not doe good well, because they haue not in the sight of God a good will: [Page 58]the person before God is not plau­sible, because bee wants Faith: nor the worke to GOD acceptable, sith it wants not sinne, What is not of Fath is sinne, Romanes 14.23. 3. The end, to iudge the world, is the third part of my text, and this third part is taken in fiue sneses. First, for all creatures in the world. Secondly, for all mankinde. Thirdly, for the elect. Fourthly, for the reprobates. Fifthly, for the desires of the world, as lusts of the yes, desire of the heart, pride of life: and in the second senese, for all mankinde is worlde, in my text properly taken: for God shall iudge all mankinde, good and badde, and bring them all to iudgement. In the twentieth Chapter of the Reuelation and twelfth verse, Saint Iohn saw the dead both great & small stand before God for their iudgeent: and the bookes were opened, and euory one was iudged acording to the things written in those bookes: and the Sea gaue vp her dead and death & hell gaue vp his dead.

A question is heere mooued, how [Page 59]the damned soules in hell, and the Di­uels the fallen Angels shall be iudged at the last day, that are iudged already at this day?

Solu. I answere, that in respect of condemnation they shal not at the last day be iudged; seeing they before hand are condemned by Gods eternall de­cree, by his word, by their owne con­sciences: but in regard of aggrauation they shal be iudged, because their pains shall be increased, & themselues strict­ly lookt vnto, for hurting the godly any more. In this world Peter was sit­ted, & Iob was wounded: in the next world they are and shall be blessed: & the blessed shal be crowned, crowned with a crowne of immortality, white array, Apoc. 3.5. And thus much by the way let me tell you, as I passe along this third part of my text: that White shall be the last apparell that we shall lastly weare, it shall be the last weare which we shall weare, and it wil weare lastingly: euen so long as this mortall shall weare immortality, after this mortall hath put on immortality.

White is a colour betokening pu­rite, and so the fitter colour for Hea­uen, where als is Puritie. It is the co­lour which wee shall haue in Heaen, where no impure, nor vncleane thing is. Ephe. 5.5. This white was the colour wherewith Christ was moc­ked, and this where shall bee the co­lour wherewith wee shall be crowned. White was a color wherewith Christ was clad when hee was in miserie Luk. 23.15. And white shall bee that co­lour, wherewith wee shall be clothed when we are in maiestie.

In the 1. of Iohn, chap. 3. ver. 2. It is said, Wee shall bee like vnto him: that is, as Caluin saith, Corpus nosrum, hu­mile reddet conforme corpori suo glorio­so, Hee shall make our clay bodies like his gloriou body. And in the 17. of Mat ver. 2. the Text saith, When he ea transfigured his face didshine like the Sonne, and his clothes were as white as the light. So hee is white, and wee shall be white.

Now to this great Iudgement, (to which wee must come, when our cor­ruptible [Page 61]shall haue on this incorup­tible white) there are three Apparators that doe summon the World, as my text hath it: Vs, I say, Mankind who liue in the world. 1. Infirmitas paena­lis, Infirmitie penall. 2 Senectus tem­poralis, Age temporarie. 3 Mors in­euitabilis, Death ineuitable. And these three sammon all to Iudgement, be­cause all are sublunary, and subiect to corruption: all had a beginning, ad must haue an ending, euen ended by him, by whom they were begunne: him I say, That hath appointed a day in which hee will Iudge the World. The first of these Apparators doth threa­ten, the second doth prosecute, the third doth produce. Infirmitie threat­neth misery, Age doth prosecute ca­lamitie: and Death doth bring vs with him into the High Commission Court of Iudicium speciale, Our par­ticuler Iudgement, before the Iudge of the World, to answere for iniqui­tie, where if our Lawyers bee not good, the Cause will goe against vs.

We see in these daies that booke-ca­ses alter, and what is Law before one Iudge, is ouerruled by another: but sure I am that what is Law in this world, shall not bee Law in the world to come. Else would I deeme no peo­ple sooner saued then Lawyers, be­cause they who are good and consci­onable Lawyers, (as we haue diuers) such as will talke for their Clyents now; I suppose they would plead har­der for themselues then. 1. Infirmitie doth summon vs, for that is a punish­ment for the first sinne, (which whe­ther it was Lust, as many of the old writers held it out of Gen. 6.2. or whe­ther it was ignorance as sme say: or whether Pride, to haue an equalizing of themselues with God, as Hierome, Gregory Nazianzene prooue, and Au­gustine Tract in Iob. 49. affirmeth) that I leaue because my text doth not find it. And this infirmity is, partly in the soule, which delighteth not in heauen­ly things as it should; but in earthly things as it should not: partly in the body, subiect to hunger, cld, naked­nesse: [Page 63]and as Iob saith: Man borne of a woman hath but a short time to liue, and is full of miseries. Iob. 14.1. For be­fides miseries naturall, of which as Gallen saith, there are three hundred; as yes sbiect to blindnesse, bleered­nesse, thicknesse: Eares to deafenesse, impostumes, foulenesse: Mouth and tongue to cankers, toothache, dumb­nesse: Head to rewmes, megrims gid­dines: Throat to stuffings, stranglings hoarcenes: hands and legs to palsies, gowtes, feeblenes: there are also mise­ries accidentall, imprisonings, ve­nummings perils by fire, waters, cat­tell, men. These all are miseries, and all these miseries are all messengers; euen Remembrancers to put vs in mind of the iudgement day at hand: for mans miseries are like Iobs bad tidings, chap. 1.23. the end of ne euill message was the beginning of another. 2. Age doth cite vs that when we see our hairs gray, our bodies bend, our eies dimme all decline; wee cannot choose but thinke of our ende at hand vn­lesse, Nolumus agnoscere quod igno. [Page 64]norare uon possumus, Wee will not know what wee cannot but know. The very passing by graues, the vewing of Mo­numents, (fading memories, for mo­numents and all must dye) the slee­ping of Nature, the impayring of strength: these things, me thinks, be­ing cnsidered, should teach vs to re­member that, which will close vp our eyes, stoppe vp our breath, lay vs in a companilesse bed, a darke narrowe six foote grae. 3 Death (this Vl­timum terribilium, Last of all terrible things, as Aristotle cals it) doth serue a certaine vncertaine Summon vpon vs for Iudgement, sith after the one, instantly comes the other, and there is no purging third place, as the Pa­pists vainely, vilely salsely hold. Di­ues dyed and was in Hell in torments, Lazarus dyed, an was carried into A­brahams bosome. Duo sunt habitacu­la, in igne aeterno, in regno aeterno, & non est quis medins Locus vt possit nemo esse nisi cum Diabalo, qui non est cum Christo, Thers but two pla­ces, saith Augustine in the euerlasting [Page 65]kingdome & in eternall fire, and there is no third place, that he who is not with God, must needes be with the di­uell.

Many things there are that put vs in minde of death, & death puts in minde of iudgement: and when Mors fecit quod potuit, death hath done what must be; Indicium faciet quod erit: Iudge­ment will performe what shall be. One faith, God will one day aske vs all at the last day three questions. 1. Qui. 2. Qnales. 3. Quanti. What we are by creation, what by continuation, how we haue profited. Suppose the Almigh­ty examine any of vs here vpon these interrogatories, we cannot but answer Ad idem directly to the quesion, for it is follie to lie to him, who knowes better then we. 1. Well then for our creation, we will confesse that wee are Ad imaginem dei facti; Vessels (take heeue we make not our selues vassels) made after his owne image. 2. If we be asked, what we are by continuation: why that the Diuell without (who fees our actions, harts, our counsels knows [Page 66]our very thoughts. Quatenus animus externis se prodit sigus. As our minde bewraies it selfe by outward signes, as P. Mat. in 1. Sam. saith: who shall Astare iudicio, be by the Lord at iudge­ment, as one saith, and whom Augu. brings in pleading his inditement a­gainst vs, thus, These sinners, O iust iudge are thine, Per gratiam, through grace in which they were made, but mine Per culpam through sinne, by which they are marde: thine as they were framed, mine as they are fowled: thine in mercie, mine in iustice; thine by thy death, mine by their life, &c. can tell: and our conscience within, (which is as a thousand witnesses) can testifie. 3. But when he comes to Quan­tum profecimus, How much wee haue profited, though with that idle seruant Luk. 19.22. Ex ore nostro, Out of our owne mouth he might iudge vs, ye out of his mercie fraught with iustice, he goes to his owne bookes, searcheth the records, there hee waies our sinnes and Christs merits together in a ballance, to see how our faith [Page 67]can cacth holde to turne the scales. I pray God therefore we may liue in this world like iust men: for they liue like Paul, and Paul liued by the Faith of the Sonne of God. Gal. 2.20. So if wee liue like iust men, wee shall haue the rewards of iust men; euen the kingdome of heauen, where God and his Sonne is, and whethe God and his Sonne Iesus send vs all. A question more curious then need­full is moued by some about this day of iudgement: to wit, whether the definitiue sentence shall goe and pasle on vs Mentally, or Vocaly; that is, whether it shall bee onely in mens mindes, hearts, and consciences: or whether wee shall all be called name by name? It should seeme Augu­stine thought it to bee Vocall, for De ciuit. liber 20. cap. 1. Circa me­dium capitis, He hath these words. Per quot dies tendatur iudicium hoc, incertum est, sed Scripturarum more sanctarum diem poni solere pro tem­pre, nemo qui illas litter as quam­libet negligenter, ligerit, nescit: [Page 52]How many daies that iudgement time shall holde, it is vncertaine; but its the custme of the Scripture to put a day for the length of time, and none haue beene so little conuersant in the Scrip­tures, but know this: Had Augustine thought it shuld be mentall, he neede not haue spoken of Daies, for it would haue a short cut, & be soone dispatcht. On the other side, Some supposeit shall be Mental onely, and they bring the not Canonicall Scripture for proofe, Wisedeme cap. 4. ver. 19. Without a voice he shall burst them Others hold, that the Sentence of iudgement shall bee both Mentall and Vocal; because the Iudge shall iudge both as God and man: therefore that his iudgement shall be both after a diuine and an humaine manner. But for these opinion, al­though I rater thinke with the last: yet I say, Of secret things which be­long to the creator, there can bee no sure determination by the creature. Thus I pray, O Lord increase our faith tell our death, so shall we be sure to be Christs when wee are dead, and then [Page 69]shall we not care whether the iudge­ment be vocall, or mentall, ne or both. Some are of opinion, that so many men shall be saued; as diuelsfell: Some that so many shall be saued, as Angels stood. A third sort say, That there shall be in heauen two wals, the one of Angels, the other of men, and that the ruine of the Angels shall be restored with Vir­gins, the other wals shall haue so many Saints to make vp that, as there are both Angels and Virgins. But these vncertaine opinions of men, I leaue to the future trial of such holy men, as shall inioy blessednesse there, where they shall truely iudge of these opini­ons: In the meane time my Quaere is, whether the number of the Angels that stood, or the diuels that fell, be the grea­ter. Of the Angels that stood, some thinke they are moe in number, now remaining, then all the material things created: and the Prophet speaking of them, sets down no determinate num­ber of them, but they are thousand thousands, and ten thousand thou­sands. Deut. 7.10. that is, they are innu­merable, [Page 70] Quoad nos, in respect of vs. As for the diuels that fell, thogh with Bucanus in his booke of Angels, I sup­pose that there is Paene innnmerabilis numerus, Almost a number without number, not to be numbred: yet I be­leeue that more stood by the mercy of God, then were suffired to fall in his iu­stice: onely what I thinke in this to be true, I know not; This I know, if that the redeemer of our soules hath written all our here-names in the Cataloque of the holy ones that shall be saued, it wil not hurt vs, though wee know not the number of them that shal be sued: true faith will assure vs of the one now, and bring vs assuredly where we shall know the other hereafter, 4 The fourth part of my text, is the manner how we shall be iudged: set downe to be In righteous­nesse: for the goodnesse of the vpright Iudge, may be a warrant to vs for righ­teousnesse in iudgement. Righteousnes in God is De essentia, A part of his es­sence, nay it is God: for Quicquid est in deo deus est, Whatsocuer is in God is God: therefore to haue him giue [Page 71] Rectum in dicium, right iudgement, it is no doubt Dauid saith, He is inst in all his waies, and righteous in all his workes: and according to a worke of righte­ousnesse he will iudge the world: there­fore he saith, Psa. 35. Iudge, me according to ty righteousnesse, True iustice is Suum cuique tribuere. To giue eue­ry one his owne, saith the Philosopher: and so will God, render to cuery one according to their workes, be they good or euill. Among many pettie Iudges, Ignorantia legis, the ignorāce of the law maketh a default in iudgement. But our Iudge was the lawgiuer himself, & ther­fore there needeth no writ of errour be sued out among all Iudges Ignoratia facti, the ignorance of the fact for want of true Euidence may produce a wrong sentence: but this Iudge is Serntator cordium, The searcher of all hearts, he knoweth al thoughts, as the Psalmist saith: Yea, knoweth what wee will doe before it is done, and there­fore he must needes iudge aright when it is done. This Iudge who shall iudge vs, was once iudgd himselfe: and we [Page 72]who one day must be iudged, doe at this day oft in dge others, but yet o­thers and our selues shall be once iudg­ed by him, who will one day be iudge of all: yea, and that in righteousnesle, as himselfe was not iudged. Pilate the iudge yeelded that he found no fault in him at all, and yet against all right, with more wrong he gaue sentence vp­on him: the tenour whereof the Euan­gelists haue concealed, yet in an old writer, I finde it thus recorded, Iesus Nazari, seductor populi, quem gens tua namprobauit regem, propter contentum Caesareae magistatis, praecipio te primum, flagellari secundum principum statuta, deinde in cruce ileuari: I lictor, expedi crusom: Iesus of Nazareth, a seducer of the people, one whom thine owne nati­on haue allowed King: for contempt of the Maiestie of Cesar: I doe command that according to the Lawes of Princes, Thou be first whipt & then lifted vp to the Crosse: Goe Sergeant prepare the Gibbet. Thus dealt Pilate with him, in whose mouth was found no guile: then what shall become of vs, in whom is found [Page 73]so much? For if the iust man fall seauen times a day. Pro. 24.16. How shall they escape whose life is continual fal? How­soeuer, my text saith, we shall be iudg­ed in righteousnesse, we shall haue our due, and beare but our owne burthen; & yet that without helpe, God knowes is too heauie. Were the Iudges in the world; like the Iudge of the world, to iudge all in righteousnesse, oh it were well: Socrates laught because hee saw great theeues hang vp little the [...]ues but we may grieue to see poore flies intan­gled, where Bees pasle through with­out any stoppage; the best is this, All are but Stewards, and al must be count­able. Habent supremi iudices superiorem iudicem. Chiefe Iudges shall haue the chiefe Iudge to iudge thē, if they for fa­uor do not giue true iudgement: If in a country thou seest the oppression of the poore, & the defrauding of iudgement & iustice, be not astonied at the matter, for he that is higher then the highest re­gardeth, and there be higher then they. Eccl. 5.7. Si tanta in terris haberetur fi­des, quanta in caelis exspectatur merces, If [Page 70] [...] [Page 71] [...] [Page 72] [...] [Page 73] [...] [Page 74]men had so much faith on earth, as they expect teward with the sonne of man in heauen, good Lord what a world should we haue? But farth of late hath betaken it selfe to it wings, and is fled from peoples hearts; godlines is become as a vagrant, gees vp and downe, from towne to towne, from partie to partie for want of imployment: the intertain­ment thereof is a passeport, whipt away from the earth, and sent home to hea­uen, the place where it was borne. Reli­gion is fixt in the sphere of no mans heart, there is none that doth good, no not one, it is now Plannet-like some­times nigher, sometimes farther off. & he who giues it o [...]be-rome. This mo­neth discards it, the moneth following: we haue so many temporizers, that few shall be eternized: so many on earth, that few in heauen. So much dissimula­tion that Momus his wish to Iupiter (as the Poets faint) to haue a glaslewindow in mens brests, to diseerne betweene their hearts, and their words, would be a Boone to the world. So little fi­delitie, that an honest plaine dealing [Page 75]man, is Animal rarum, like a nightra­uen, seldome seene: so that we may inst­ly with Diogines take a candle and a lanthorne at noone day, and say Quae, ro hommem I seeke a man. We liue in an age, I cannot say the least (God be thanked, it is the last) but I may too truely say the worst: and as the Cy­nicke said of an Italian, Take a light and seeke cuerie hole, and not finde a worse; so say I of our times. Take paines and search all stories, and not finde the like. Hence I inferre that these bee the last daies and farthest times of our Sauiours comming: that the appointed day is at our very heeles, because now our good friends doubt may be easily resolued, when the Son of man shall come, shall he finde faith on the earth. Luk. 18.8. Yea. doubt­lesse some, and but a little, and yet some, else the world could not stand. For I dare say, we have some saithfull Eliahs that obtaine raine in time of neede: some holy Moses, that stand in the gap of Gods wrath, to keep his iudg mēts frō vs: some blessed Abrahams that [Page 76]pleade with God, euen the case of this citie, else I beleeue that the wals here­of had beene downe long ere this. Pre­uention is the hart of pollicie, and let vs learne Christian policie to preuent, the policie shall bee that which Peter teacheth vs, To amend our lines. Act. 2.38. Euery one to mend one: the pre­uention will-be this, we shall b [...] nesther punished with the wicked, nor shall we perish with the wicked. Not pnnished; My people be not partakers of her sinnes, least you beare a part of her plagues. A­poc. 18.4. Not perish He that turnes to the Lord, his souleishall liue. Ezech 18. Let vs then who desire to escape both pu­nishing and perishing too, looke to all Christ tels vs, ignorance shall excuse no man: the seruant gaue his maister none answere at his reture the text ait, and the reason is giuen by Chri, Vt sci­amus in die inditij cessare excusatio­nem peccati. To giue vs to vnderstand that at the day of iudgement none ex­cuse will sarue the turne: only my text tels vs, we shall be iudged in righteous­nesse, and right is no wrong. In righte­ousnesse [Page 77]God created man, in righte­ousnes created man should liue, in righ­teousnesse liuing man should die, and in righteousnesse liuing and dead menshal be iudged, Gifts blinde the eies of the wise, but our Iudge will not be bribed: Iudges may be partiall to parties but God is no accepter of persons: Iudges may be moued with pittie, but our now Iesus will be then Iudex. A iudge, all for iustice; In isto tantum seculo misericors est. Hier. in 105 Psalme, Onely in this world God is mercifull, in the next world mercy hath no seare, pittie hath no plea. Let all then take heede how they liue in this interstiticall time be­fore iudgement, least being found gu [...] ­tie, when they shall be conuented be­fore the great Iudge at the great Assise of the world: they haue that dismail Mittimns made, of Ite, to their distres­sed soules from the hands of him who will iudge in righteousnesse.

5. The sift part of my text, is the partie, who must iudge vs Your honor­able, worshipfull and religious patience hath afforded me eies and eares in this [Page 78]more then two houtes trauell through the way of my tex [...]: I beseech you let not now my prolixitie make you thinke ouerlong the time, to stay vntil the end of my tourney: that you may heare the whole discourse; for thast a pace, and presse towards the marke. It any then aske me, who this iudge shall be? who the man is, that is appointed to iudge the world? I answere, It is the man Ie­sus Christ God and man, who died for man to iudge man. For he that was God was borne vpon the earth as man for vs, he that was borne vpon the earth as man for vs, wrought vpon the earth as God for vs; he who wrought vpon the earth as God for vs, died vpon the eresle as man for vs, and he who died vpon the crosle as man for vs, rose a­gaine the third day as God for vs to make vs the adopted sons of his father? Now he that was thus borne, did thus worke, so die, and so rise againe: he who was God and man, to adopt man, shall iudge man.

The truth of this appeares out of our creede: Where we beleeue in Iesus [Page 79]Christ, who ascended into heauen & shall thence come to iudge both the quicke and the dead, tappeares out of Rom 14.10 where the text saith, We shal al appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ, & it is plaine, loh. 5.22. The father indgeth no man, but hath giuen all iudgement to the sonne, which words are spoken by our Sau our himselfe, Iesus Christ the Iudge. The Sonne then shall be iudge, & yet we must not think that the Father and the holy Ghost are seduced frō this iudgement: but this we must hold, that the sonne Iesus Christ our Sauiour shal iudge immediatly, really, locally, perso­nally, visibly, the other two shall iudge inuisibly, onely by giuing their consent. Christ shall execute sentence vpon the world personally, In forma hominis, In the forme of a man, in the same forme which he tooke on him when he was on earth. Whereupon Bernard saith, Vulnera seruanit in diem iudicij: vt videant ea Iudaes, & confund [...]tur He hath kept his wounds vnto the day of iudgement, that the Iewes may see them, and bee confounded. The whole Trinitie [Page 80]shall iudge Authoritatiue, with equall authoritie; but Christ shall iudge exe­cutatiue, with execution of sentence: be cause Iudex debet esse manifestus omni­bus iudicandis. The Iudge must shew himselfe, and be manifest to al that shall be iudged. For wee must know that the Father and the holy Ghost shal not be seene, according to their diuine na­ture of all that must be at iudgement, for then all should be blessed, and all should be blessed, for the seeing of God is blessednesse, and blessednesse is the seeing of God. For as in hell, Maxi­ma paena, The greatest punishment is the priuation of the seeing God: where­upon Chrys. saith. Impij non tantum do­lebunt de ipso supplicio, quam quod repel­luntur a tale consortio. The wicked shall not so much lament the paines which they suffer: as the company from which they are kept. So in heauen the greatest happinesse (all being happinesse, and being all happinesse) is to see God, that is, as wee can see him, and as he will bee seene. For in the world to come God shall bee seene of all [Page 81]whole, but not of all wholly: of all whole because the whole number of the Elect shall see him, but nor of all wholly, because God is infinite. God shal be seen in the world to come so far forth as is fit, either for the cre­ator to reueal himselfe to his creature, or for the creature to see the creator: but the whole Deity neyther is, nor can bee seene: for bee is a spirite, and Deum nemo vidit unquam, neuer man saw God at any time. 1. Iohn 4.12 Therefore whereas Iob saith, I shall see God in my flesh cap. 19.26. And where­as Iohn saith, Wee shall see him as hee is. 1. cap. 3. vers: 2. & whereas it is of Iacob Gen. 32. and of Moses, Exod 33. said, that they saw God. And whereas Paul saith, Wee shall see him face to face, 1. Corin. 13.12. Wee must not take the words litterally, but the meaning of the words: That we shall see God as hee will be seene. Wherefore by this seeing of God in the world to come, is meant the cleere knowledge which wee shall thē haue of God, which knowledge shal not be with the eies of our body, but the eyes of our mind: and that too, ei­ther [Page 82]by meanes, as by his word, works or outward signes: or else without means by speciall Reuelation: For one­ly God hath seene God, Iohn 6.46. For I do bele ue that in the world to come, there shall be diuersity of ioyes, one starre differeth from another in glery, 1. Cor. 15.41. that is as Wirth and di­uers of the learned expound it there shall be Honoris & gloriae graedus vna tamen & eadem: faelicitas aeterna, De­grees of honour and glory, and yet but one eternall felicity. Also my Sa­uiour saith, In my fathers house there be many dwelling places, Iob. 14.2. Which although Caluin obseruing the worde many saith, the text doth not nomi­nate Diuers, as Difference in glory, and therefore thinketh that there shal be in heauen no degrees of glory; yet for mine owne particular, I belceue with them that thus expound this place. Multitudo mansionum differen­tiam quoque gloriae significat: the multi­tude of manfions, signifieth diuersities of glory. But as in the oddes of ioyes I hold that the least shall be full, ney­ther [Page 83]able to hold any more, nor desi­ring any more: so doubtlesse the dif­ference of seeing God, shall be ex par­te videntis non visi; Of the party seeing, not of him who is seene. Fill two ves­sels of vnequall bignesse with any li­quor, and the bigger holds more then the lesse, yet both are full: so an olde declined, or an ill imperfect eye seeth the Sunne much worse then a young and perfect eye, and yet the Sunne shewes it selfe, and shieth to all alike. Thus doe I beleeue it will be between God and his Saints, the holy ones in the world to come. God is knowne 3. maner of waies. 1. Quod est. 2. Quid est 3. Sicut est. That heis, What he is, As he is. 1. That he is, & so he is known to the Diuels and the wicked; Credunt demo­nes et trement: the Diuels beleeue there is a God, & tremble, I am. 2.19. 2. What he is, and so is known to the Angels in heauē, in our blessed coūtry. 3. As he is, & so he shalbe neither seen nor known neither of Saints nor wicked, neither in this world nor the world to come: for Finitum nequit comprehendere infi­nitum, They that are finit can neuer cō ­prehend [Page 84]what is infinite. The Church also at the last day shall iudge as Christ tels vs, Ye shall sit on seats and iudge the twelue tribes of scaell, Luk 22.30. that is, as some expound it, Ibierunt omnes sancti iudicis sententiam approbantes. There shall be all the holy ones to ap­proue Christs sentence, and subscribe to his iudgement.

Vpon this text a woorthy writer saith thus, The Apostles iudge the world at this day, by the preaching of the Gospell, whoso beleeueth shall bee saued: at the last day the whole world shall be iudged by Christ, accor­ding to the Gospell preached by the Apostles; and in this sence, the Saints being members of Christ, Iudicabunt cum Christo mundum, et Angelos, hoc est, Diabolos, Shall iudge together with Christ the world & the cuill An­gels the Deuils: as wee may reade 1. Cor. 6.2. Musculus expounds it thus. The faith of the Apostles shall take away aell excuses from the Ifraelites, that is, At that day of iudgement shall rise vp to condemne them, as our Sauiour tells the [Page 85]people, Luke 11.31. The Queene of the South shall rise in iudgement with the men of this generation, and condemne them, for shee came from the vtmost parts of the earth to heare the wisedome of Salomon, and behold a greater then Salomon is heere: the men of Niniueh shall rise in iudgement with this ge­neration and shall condemne it, for they repented at the preaching of Ionas, and behold a greater then Ionas is heere. And as our Sauiour speakes, Iohn 12.4. The worde that I haue spoken shall iudge you at the last day: otherwise we must know that Christ the Iudge shall sit alone in iudgement. In that will be the blessed day, the day in which wee shall be blessed; and after which wee shall enioy eternall blessednesse in hea­uen. In heauen, Sciemus, amabimus, gaudebimus, laudabimus: We shall know, wee shall loue, wee shall re­ioyce, wee shall praise, saith Hugo. First wee shall know God, his coun­sells, his secrets, his iudgements, the causes, natures, beginning and en­dings of all creatures saith this Cardi­nalis: [Page 86]yea I assure my selfe, that in Heauen we shall know one another: but how? Not with an earthly know­ledge: I suppose that shall vanish a­way with all earthly desire: sith our will shall then bee the same with Gods will, wee shall bee glad to see them damned, whom God hath dam­ned; and them saued whom God hath made heyres of saluation.

Branmelerus is of an opinion, that heauen wee shall know those with whome on earth we haue conuersed, as Parents. Kindred, friends, yea all the Patriarchs and Apostles, Adam, Abrae­ham, Moses, Dauid, Peter, Paul, & the rest, euen those that we neuer saw: his reasons are. 1. Because the Apostles in Mount Tabor at the time of Christs transfiguration, knew Moses and Elias whom they neuer saw before, Mat. 17.4. If they did so, being in corpore infirmo, In a body of infirmitie, what shall they and wee doe when we are In corpore glorioso. In a body of glo­ry? 2. Againe, wee shall be, in heauen as Angels, and equall to them. Luke [Page 87]20.36. and the Angels in heauen doe assuredly know one another, as ap­peares, Dan 10.13. where the Angell that appeared to Daniel told him how he was withstood by the Prince of Persiae; if hee had not knowne him, how could he haue distinguished him to be that Prince? [...]eside, if we shall know God himselfe, as I haue show­ed you [...] much more shall wee know one another: thus Adam beeing cast into a sleepe, knew his Wife Euah, and could say, This is flesh of my flesh, and bone of my bone; When as yet hee neuer before had seene her. But this hee did Spiritu sancti ple­nus, et vera Dei cognitione praeditus, Beeing full of the holy Spirite, and indued with the true knowledge of God, saith this Author: And Greg. Di­al lib. 4. saith, Quia illic omnes commu­ni claritate conspiciunt, non est quod ibi nesciant vbi Scientem omnia sciunt; Because that in Heauen with a com­mon cleare brightnesse, and bright clearenesse, all there doe see, it cannot be that they may bee nescient, where [Page 88]they know him that knowes all, 2. Amabimus wee shall loue God, good things, one another; God, that there hath crowned vs; good things, that there are with vs: one another that there are all brethren among vs: for manent haec tria, now remaine these 3, Faith, Hope and Loue: But the chiefe of these is Loue, 1. Cor. 13.13, because Faith and Hope are but in this world to crowne vs in the next, and when they haue obtained their ende, they leaue. But Loue doth neuer leaue vs, it goeth with vs to Heauen, where whilest we liue, wee shall loue: there euer liue, and there euer loue. 3. Gau­debimus, wee shall haue ioy without measure, without compare, without end: without measure, for it cannot bee equald: without compare, for it shall be infinite: without ende, for it shall be euerlasting. 4. Laudebimus, wee shall praise God without griefe, without trouble, without wearinesse, without griefe, for all reares shall bee wiped from our eyes; without trou­ble, nothing shall molest vs: without [Page 89]wearines, for no mortall accident shal comencere our bodies; sith Aquinas saith, They shall bee seuen times cleer er then the glorious Sunne. O the glory of that happinesse, thrice happy are they that are so happy; that kingdome where youth shal flourish without age, where life knowes none end, where beauty neuer fadeth, loue neuer coo­leth, sicknesse neuer pierceth, ioy ne­uer ceaseth. That kingdome where sor­row is neuer felt, complaint neuer heard, mourning neuer seene, ill ne­uer feared. That kingdome where our knowledge shall bee perfected, our vnderstanding shall be polished, our acquaintance increased. That king­dome where our soules shall bee in felicity, our bodies in eternity, both soules and bodies in maiesty. Oh thrise happy day, when soule and body shall there meere, and wel­come be that appointed day which brings with it this blessed day. The meditation of this day, & these things, will teach vs many things; and as Io­nas gourd did comfort him, chap. 4.7. [Page 90]so this may instruct vs. Mark. 13.37. that kept him from heat, and this may shelter vs from danger. It may teach vs to watch and pray, sith wee know not the time of our dissolution; whe­ther our special iudgement shall be in the morning of our youth, the noone­tide of our strength, or the euening of our age: Whether we shall be Praemo­niti, forewarned, that we may be Prae­muniti forearmd: or whether we shall haue a Scarbrough warning, suddenly be gone. We read of a certaine watery serpent, called Ephemeron, that Simul oritur & moritur, no sooner bred but dead. And Aristotle writes of certaine flies by the riuer Hippanis, that they are bredde in the morning, strong at noone, and dead ere night. These are the Emblemes of man, as in a map des­cribing our mortality. Let vs then be warned, for Qui non cauet pauet; He feareth that takes no heed: Nemo ca­uenda timet quimetuenda cauet, whoso feareth what is to be preuented, nee­deth not preuent what is to be feared. Gregory saith, Nemo in huius vitae iti­nere [Page 91]torpeat, ne in Patria locum perdat; quiae enim adhuc bene licet agere sci­mus, an cras liceat ignoramus: Let none goe dully in the iourney of this life, least he loose his place in the heauen­ly country: for though we know wee haue time to do well to day, we know not whether we shall liue to morrow, yea or nay. Let vs therfore confes our sins, not to man as the Papists bid vs, who are Curiosum genus hominum ad cognoscendam vitanialienam, desidiosum ad corrigendam suam. A certain curious company of Shauelings to correct o­ther mens liues, and stothfull in men­ding their owne: but to God, Is enim nunc vidit quae fiunt, & postea punit eos qui paenitentiam non agunt: For hee seeth what we doe now, and punishes them that repent not, heereafter: If wee acknowledge our sinnes, hee is faithful and iust to forgiue vs our sins, 1. Iohn 1 9.2. It may teach vs to set a guard about our actions, & a watch about our lips with good Dauid, least we offend with our tongue. 3. It may teach vs to season all our actions [Page 92]with discretion, least at any time wee deale rashly as Saint Peter did, when he did cut off Malcus eare. 4. It may teach vs obedience, with Noah to pro­uide the Arke while the weather is calm: with Ioseph it may make vs pro­uident, in time of plenty to lay vp a­gainst a day of scarcity; in the Sum­mer of our youth against the winter of our age.

If Lot had aboade in Sodome in the time of burning, how could hee haue scaped? If we loue the world in this time of sinning, how shal we be saued? We see in the example of Sodome, that what is offended at midnight, is punished at noone day, for the sunne did rise vpon Sodome that day, and yet soone after came Sodomes destruction: now So­demes iudgement hath a reference to the last iudgement, thus. The light, or Sun­rise is Gods iudgement, the night or So­domes fall is the committing of wic­kednesse: the parallel is this whatsoeuer it committed in the night of the So­dome of this world, shall be made ma­nifest in the Sun-rise of the world to [Page 93]come. Lastly, it may comfort vs who are Gods chosen, whose names are written in the booke of life, to thinke that the will of our maker, hath giuen all iudgement to our redeemer: if our friend be our Iudge, we will hope to es­cape the vigour of iudgement; if sen­tence come from our Sauiour, we may be assured of saluation. This made Hil­larion so often call to his soule. Exi ani­ma mea, exi. Goe out my soule, goe out willingly from the prison of my bodie, thou hast serued God these 70. yeares, neuer feare now, nor be loath to be going: whose life and death when good Saint Hie­rome read, he clapt vp his booke, saying Hillarion shall be the champion whom I will follow. This made Policarpus, that hee would neuer by flattering, nor threatning be drawne from the feruice of his Sauiour, liuing he neuer did him hurt, and dying he beleeued glory. This made that holy man on his death­bed, say. Neu vitam sperno, nec mortem timeo, quia dominum bonum babeo: I nei­ther loath my life, nor dread my death be­cause I haue so good a maisten. This made [Page 94] Paul desire to be dissolued, and to bee with Christ, which is best of all. This makes the godly in the booke of the Reuelation, crie so earnestly. Veni domi­ne Iesu venicito: Come Lord Iesu, come quickly: Euen so Amen, and let Amen say Amen. Come Lord Iesu to make an end of a wicked, miserable, vnconscio­nable, vncharitable word: Come Lord Iesu to seale vp the kingdome of grace, which maketh thy Saints stay so long, and with long weary waiting crie, Qamdiu domine, How long Lord iust and true? Come Lord Iesu to hasten thy Kingdome of glory, that we may the sooner meet the King of glory, and be carried among the Angels into the place of glory, there to enioy the crowne of glory, with all the companie of heauen, to sing glory to God on high. Al which he that made vs, for his Sonnes sake grant vs, euen Christ the righteous: to whom with the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost, be ascribed all praise, power, maiestie, and dominion throughout all ages, now and euermore, Amen.