Touchstone to Determine the True Catholic Faith, Part 40
Text. Verse 14. Some thinke that Enoch wrote bookes, as of this book Tertullian de habitu muliebri makes mentiō and defends.And Enoch also the seuenth from Adam prophesied of such, saying: Behold the Lord commeth with thousands of his saintes.] This saying of Enoch maie séeme to be by tradition committed to his posteritie: as no doubt was that promise of God made to Adam, the womans seede shall bruise the serpents head. This place also prooueth, that God will hauehave some alwaies to preach his truth: as Enoch and Seth, and Noe to the old world, & Lot to the Sodomites; but neuer so manie in anie age, as in this of ours: And therefore not one wo as our sauiour pronounced ouer Capernaum and Bethsaida, but euen as S. Paul saith, Anathema Maranatha, that is, woe and againe wo shall fall vponupon those, which despise Gods word, nowe so plainely and plentifully taught. Luke 12.48.For as the gospell teacheth, to whom much is giuen, of them much shall be required againe. And againe, he that hath eares to heare let him heare. But take heed what ye heare: Mar. 4.24.as though hee should saie, you shall one daie giuegive account of it.
The Lord commeth, that is, shall most assuredly come with thousands of his saintes and angelles. For both these shall adorne the tribunall seate of Iesus Christ.Mat. 17.3. And as Eliah and Enoch in the transfiguration: so now all saintes in his great glorie and maiesty shal bee present with him. And thousandes here are named, that the number of the wicked should not terrifie the godlie. The wicked to vsus séeme manie in number, seeme mightie in power: but they are but as waxe before the fire when God ariseth, Psal. 68.2.their enemies are but a handfull in comparison of his. The chariots of God, are twenty thousand euen thousands of Angels, and the Lord is amongst them, as in the holy place of Sinah. Verse 17.And there was a great company stoode before the throne of God, of all nations, kinreds and people, which no man could number. And euen in this world no doubt,Reuel. 7.9. the Lordes wheate is infinite: though hidden amongst the chaffe, though the chaffe of the wicked beare the greatest shewe.
To giuegive iudgment against all men, Text. Verse 15.and to rebuke all the vngodly among them, and all their wicked deedes which they hauehave vngodly committed, and of all their cruell speakings, which wicked sinners hauehave spoken against him.] He speaketh of the second comming of Christ. For at the first, when he came into the world, he came not to iudge the worlde, but that the worlde by him might bee saued.Io. 3.17. With God merciemercy alwaies goeth before iudgment, pardon is offered before punishment, saluation before destruction: So Iesus Christ came a sauiour first, before hee comes a iudge. And euen now his long tarrying from this his fierce iudgment, which here so long before Enoch prophesieth of;Phil. 4.5. Ia. 5 10. 2. Pet. 3.9. and the Apostles saide was hard at the doore, is nothing else, but his great aboundant tender merciemercy to vsus ward, as S. Peter teacheth: he is loth to come, he deferreth the time, no doubt, as long as may be, that all men might bee prepared against his comming. And the great vengeance which remaineth for the vngodlie, should kéepe Gods children in his feare and obedience. If the elements shall burne with fire, what kinde of men ought we to be (saith Peter) in holy conuersations and good workes, Verse 11.looking for and hastning to the comming of the day of God? We should by our workes declare our selues, as though we greatlie desired that daie, as though we would euen run to méet it. EueryEvery daie hath his proper workes. The scripture teacheth vsus what workes belong to the daie of iudgment:Mat. 25.35. To feede the hungry, to giuegive drinke to the thirstie, to harbour the harbourles, to cloth the naked, to visit the sicke, to go to prisoners. These workes we should doe with all speed, and so we should as it were make haste to that daie. These are the workes which at that daie shall be looked for at our hands; shall be allowed of in our accountes; shall be crowned of our mercifull and mightie king. These the iudge himselfe, who cannot lie, who would hauehave all his ready and prepared, hath foretold vsus. And what can be more louingly done to vsus then this? that the iudge should tell one what he should doe or saie, before hee commeth to the barre. Our iudges maie not doe it, they maie giuegive no counsell: but this great iudge of his excéeding great louelove towardes vsus, hath done it: and oh foolish men, who wil not followe his counsell, who regard it not, who nowe this iudgement drawing neare, will doe quite contrarie. These dearthes of corne which we hauehave had of late, this dearth of wooll and cloth, these rents raised of houses in all places: are but trialles of vsus against this great daie of God, what we will doe: whether we had rather fill our purses, or feede the poore; whether we had rather for lacke of rent, turne the poore out of doores, or else hauehave patience with our brethren; and if our tenants be not able to pay vsus, looke for our rent at Iesus Christes handes: whether wee had rather clothe our selues with our wooll money, and hang the walles of our houses; or the liuelie walles of the temple of Iesus Christ? The most men hope and wish corne will be deare, and hourd it vp, they will sell none yet, that they maie fill their purses, they wil not sell to the poore, much lesse relieue the néedie. The landlordes inhaunce their rents, that the poore cannot reach to them, and so doe not harbour them; but as much as in them lieth, turne them out of dores: naie they inhaunce their rentes so, as the tenant is not able, both to paie his rent, and maintaine his familie. And this is the chiefe cause, why hospitalitie decaieth so in our daies, especiallie in great lordshippes, which should bee as it were welheads to relieue the whole towne. Their rents are so great, that the tenantes of them are not able to giuegive anie almes, or reliefe. And is this to haste to the daie of the great God? Is this to follow our iudges counsell? Is this to hauehave faith? This is plainlie to saie in déede, there shall be no iudgment. For if they beléeued it, they would prepare themselues against it.
S. Paul giueth all christians this notable lesson against the daie of iudgment: We must all be made manifest before the tribunal seat of Iesus Christ, 2. Cor. 5.10.that eueryevery one may receiue according to those things hee hath done in his body, either good or euill. Wherein euerie word hath his force: First in that he saith (we must) there can be no excuse, God will pardon none. All, euen eueryevery one, euen kings and others that be in authoritie and nowe iudge others. (Be made manifest:) not onelyonly make appearance, as we doe in our courtes oftentimes, and then depart: but all the corners of our heartes, all our workes, all our secret thoughts, all our imaginations and priuat practises (which we keepe close in the bottome of our harts, as the prophet Dauid saieth, and which wee would hauehave no man knowe) shall then be made manifest, euen as cleare as the sunne, to the eies of all men: And that not before a friend, which would couer and cloake their faultes; but before the tribunall seate of a most terrible iudge, at whose presence heauen and earth quaketh: who is now come to render to eueryevery man according as he hath done. Oh therefore, let vsus nowe take héede what wee doe, let vsus studie nowe to please him, that at that daie we maie be accepted. Wee knowing this feare of the Lord, saith the Apostle, this terrible day of iudgment: we doe perswade men that they do good,2. Cor. 5.11. that they now striue who can please him best. For no doubt there is a reward. It is not, as most men thinke, that there shall be no regard had of our workes. Although our workes shall not iustifie vsus, yet this shall be required at our hands, God will not hauehave his seruants idle: 2. Pet. 1.8.And therefore he saith to all his faithfull seruants, I come quickly and my reward is with me: As though he should saie,Reu. 22.12. be not weary of well doing, or do not thinke it long ere I come, for I will come quickly, in respect of eternitie. Labour you, sweate you, endure you but a mynute of an hower; and you shall rest for euer. And my rewarde, my wages is with mee; I come not emptie. And surelie hee that bringes wages with him, lookes for some workemen. Let vsus all therefore be the Lordes workemen against this great and appointed daie, that we maie receiue our wages. For he will giuegive to eueryevery one as his worke is.