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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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