An Alarm to the Last Judgment, Part 2
The second part of the Booke touching mixt Signes in continuall motion.
CHAP. VIII. Of the vanity, corruption, and manifold abuse of the creatures.
THE first generall mixt Signe in continuall action and motion, is the vanity, decay, mortalitie, and maruellous abuse of the creatures, daily growing and preuailing vntill the consummation and end of the world. The world waxeth old as a garment; it, and all the parts of it, fade, waste, consume, and draw toward their fatall period. All things (by sinfull, licentious, and rebellious man) are abused, peruerted, mis-applyed (against the Creators scope, and the creatures desire) to vnlawfull, or immoderate profite and pleasure; yea to reuenge, and open persecution. The Sunne and Moone, The Sun & Moone.those two great Eyes of heauen, are often darkened, and fearefully eclypsed, and (as learned Astronomers hauehave obserued) many thousand miles neerer the earth then in times past. The Planets and the other Starres, Starres.like so many Candles and Spangles in the heauens, are much decayed in their vertues and operations, and by hurtfull effects and influences, often annoy corne, man, beasts and plants.
The Aire.The Aire that we breath in, is oft troubled, infected, and consumeth into the cloudes; and many frightfull and ominous fights appeare in it.
The Earth.The Earth, the common mother of vsus all, is many waies cursed, it is sore weakned, shaken eft-soones by earth-quakes, the Sea oft encroacheth vponupon it, and marreth the beauty of it, deadly dampes proceed out of it: it is in many places much more barren then in former times; or else aboundeth with weeds, thornes, and vnprofitable things.
The Sea.The Sea ebbeth and floweth, it corrodeth and eateth vponupon the firme Continent, roareth, is tempestuous and vnquiet, and drowneth both men and Ships.
Riuers are often dryed vp,Waters. and change their channels.
In Plants, Plants.Hearbs, Trees, there is not the same vigor, efficacy, feeding, and medicinable vertue, which was in times past.
Men are not so tall of stature,Men. not so long liued, not so strong as in the daies of old: They are more fraile, feeble, mortall; and though they are more illumined, more witty, and learned, by many degrees, then in old time; yet they generally are more crafty, wicked, mischeiuous: they hauehave science, but not so much conscience.
Excesse in Building and Apparell, Building.sunt aegrae Reipub. indicia, that is signes of a sick state: They serue rather for shew then substance, and are more glorious then lasting. Many Chymnies and little Smoake, faire houses and small hospitality; gallant houses and great enclosures, often eate vp men, and dispeople the Land.
Apparell.Apparell is vsed more for neatnesse then necessity, for garishnesse then seemelinesse; faire fethers make farie fooles, and now a dayes apparell maketh a man: For matter, men (and especially the woman-kind) that often carry all their riches on their backes, and that hauehave decked bodies but deformed soules, exceed their calling and ability, they cut not their coate according to their cloath; and this the poore Tenants finde and feele. Alas poore soules! And as for fashion and forme (now the Fashions kill an horse) the French, Spanish, Italian, and eueryevery new fangled forme, is in request. If they were as monstrous in their bodily shapes, as they are prodigious in their attire, all men might iustly wonder at them, and abhorre them. The Peacock is a goodly Bird but hath foule feete: and they that affect finenesse in apparell, neglect the sanctification of the soule; and (in a word) the leuity of Apparell, doth argue the lightnesse and changeablenesse of the mind.
Marriages are more desired for riches then Religion,Marriages for goods then goodnesse;Genus & forma sine re vilior alga est. and the face is more respected then grace; but like beginnings hauehave like endings, and like cause like effect, like parents, like posterity.
Diet.In Diet many great and rich men obserue no time, order, measure; they looke that the meat be rather toothsome then wholesome; they pamper the body but pine the soule; they stuffe themselues but sterue the poore; hence ensue surfets, sicknesses and vntimely deaths.
Drinkes.And touching drinking, men were neuer so much giuen to immoderate drinking, and to be drowned in drunkennesse, as in this dropsie age; not the fiery Tragon (yet there are too many ominous fires) but the watry Trigon raigneth: Men make their bodies Tuns to receiue the Wine and the Ale, and when the Wine and Ale is in, the Wit, yea Grace is out: They drinke away all grace out of their hearts, money out of their purses, honesty out of their liues, and oftentimes die, and are damned in their drunkennesse.
And that Indian, Tobacco.and costly, weed, now onelyonly and commonly in request, whereof so many thousands liue (and yet they sell nothing but smoake, that though it came not out of the bottomelesse pit, it leades many into it) I meane that smoaking and deuill-choaking Tobacco: For if the smoke or vapour that came out of the liuer of a Fish could driue the deuill out of Tobias daughter: Of how greater force is the Nicotium or Tobacco? Tob. 6.16.17.This Simple and Drugge serueth to dry vp the drunken dropsie, that men may gull in the more drinke. It is a nourisher of lust and drunkennesse; yea of all idlenesse and prodigality, and a shortner of the life, rather then a lengthner of it.
Docet experientia rerum. O would some straite and strict Statute were made against this waste-time and waste-mony Tobacco; for now it is a raging and vnruly euill, better beseeming Pagans then Protestants.
CHAP. IX. Of the daily weakening and wounding of Anti-christ.
THE second generall Signe in continuall and present motion is the daily weakning and wounding of Anti-christ and Popery in Christendome, by Writing, by Disputes, and by the Word and the Sword. The breath of the Lords mouth, 2. Thess. 2.8.i. the mightie and powerfull Preaching of the word of God must consume him: viz. by degrees and times. And hence it is, that the Pope and Papists are such deadly enemies to the sincere and plentifull Preaching of the Word. The three orders of Angels, Reu. 14. v. 6. ad 11.i. of Pastors and Preachers, must reueale, prophecy the ruin of Anti-christ, and vnderunder paine of damnation, labour to reuoke the fauourites of Anti-christ from their pernicious errours and heresies.
The Christian Magistrates, Princes, Dukes, Iudges, Captaines, &c. must and shall leade the Babylonians into captiuity, slay diuers of them with the sword; render double vntounto these seducing idolaters;chap. 18.6. chap. 17.6. hate the whore, make her naked, eate her flesh and consume her with fire: And this is in continuall execution; and both Magistrate and Ministers, Captaines and Colonels, are in the Scriptures commanded and enioyned to prosecute this businesse. God stirre vp their zeale and resolution;Iudg. 5.23. For Cursed is he that helpeth not the Lord against the mighty,Ier. 48.10. or, that goeth negligently about the work of the Lord.
CHAP. X. Of the falling of particular persons from the reuealed truth, and their returne to the errors of Anti-christ.
THE third generall Signe, in continuall motion, is, that in the latter daies, certaine shall depart from the faith;1. Tim. 4.1. some Princes, some Prelates, some Ministers, some Professours. They affect not, nor louelove, the sweet and sugred Gospell of Christ, but rather delight and doate vponupon sense-pleasing superstition;2. Thess. 2.11.12. and hence being iustly forsaken of God, these ignorant and vnstable soules returne with the dogs to their former vomite, and with the swine to their wallowing in the mire of Popish defilements.2. Pet. 2.
These that thus fall away in this great light of the world, whether to Anti-christ or to Epicurisme, and Atheisme, are Comets soone consumed, and not fixed Starres that alwaies abide in the Firmament. These are like Chaffe blowne away with eueryevery blast of trouble,Psal. 1.4. but not good Graine that abideth. Finally, they are they that build their house vponupon the sandy foundation of mans inuentions, or at least of Historicall and Temporary Faith;Mat. 7.26 27. and therefore as soone as the winds blow,Math. 13.10. & 21. and the waters flow, it falleth. For if they had builded it vponupon the Rock Christ, and kept Faith and a good Conscience, they had stood firme and fast, like the Mount Syon, Psal. 125.1which standeth fast for euer and can neuer be remoued.
But, thankes be to God, this wind shaketh no corne: though the Church of Rome gaine in one place, it looseth in another: that which is gained in the shire is lost in the hundred.
CHAP. XI. Of a generall corruption in life and manners, which is more to bee feared in these latter daies then corruption in doctrine.
THE fourth generall Signe in daily motion and encrease, is the invndation of all manner of sinne and wickednesse, and a generall corruption of mens manners. This plague raigneth and rageth: vices and abuses creepe vponupon men by stealth, by their contagion infect them, and passe from one to another. Our age is (as it were) the Sinke of all former ages, into which all filthinesse runneth. The more Light wee hauehave, the more Lewd wee are: the more wee are warned, the more wicked wee shew our selues. Men indeed hauehave a Forme and profession of godlinesse,2. Tim. 3 1. but deny the power thereof in their hearts. Men generally so now liue, as though there were no Iudge to call thē to an account, no heauen for reward, and no hell for punishment: and, as though the Preachers threates and thundrings were but scare-bugs; yea, as though God had granted out a generall indulgence vntounto all manner of sinne.
Mat. 24.11Charitie is waxen cold, yet selfe-louelove aboundeth. Vsury by the Scriptures, all ancient Fathers, and Councels, condemned to hell, and in former generations scarce heard of, is now become a common Trade. O Legall, nay ô Lawlesse theeues! Might ouer-ruleth Right; the poore is the rich mans booty. Idlenesse, excessiue pride in apparell, blasphemie, Saboth-profanation, lying, yea, and drunkennesse, abound and are vnpunished. These are priuiledged sinnes, and seeme to hauehave some speciall charter and immunity, yea impunity. But the iudgement of God sleepeth not, and one day shall pay for all. What should I speak of fraud, deceit, filthy liuing, back-biting, malice, enuy, and going to the Law (to feed the greedy Griffins) for eueryevery trifle? Men (in a manner) mind nothing but eating, drinking, buying, selling, building, marrying, and giuing in marriage;Luk. 17.26.27.28. planting, setting, &c. not dreading the last day (though neerely approaching) much lesse preparing themselues by faith and repentance, against the second comming of our Lord Iesus. But when they shall say peace, 1. Thess. 5.3.peace, sudden destruction shall come vponupon them as the trauaile vponupon a woman with child, and they shall in no wise escape. Finally, there is no truth in mens promises; whereas in time past eueryevery mans word was thought as good as an Obligation. There seemeth almost no faith left vponupon the earth, whether we respect God or man: Good men decay and euill men abound; yea, one may with better like and applause liue loosely then Religiously: For eueryevery religious man (though neuer so discreete) shall vsually bee mistermed a Puritane, a Precisian, a Schismatick, a factious and seditious person. And alas! what ill hauehave these honest and harmelesse men done? or who are these that so exclaime and declaime against them, but Libertines, Atheists, Papists, Drunkards, Gamesters, Epicures, and the like, whose tongue is no slander? What shall wee conclude of all these, and the sinnes of all Callings and Trades, in Church, Family, and Commonwealth, which would bee too long now to recite, All these daily and wonderously encreasing, doe presage and euince that the end of all things is at hand; and therefore wee should bee sober, and watch and pray, 1. Pet. 4.7.8.but aboue all things hauehave feruent charity amongst our selues.
For as vlcers and bodily diseasesA similitude. comming thick, and members out of ioint, are fore-runners of death neere at hand: so these common and prodigious offences and scandals euidently argue, that the day of the Lord is not farre off.
It shall bee our wisedome, and good for vsus in this common pestilence of Manners, to get and preserue the Antidotes and Counter-poisons of faith and a good conscience; that though wee liue in all euill world which will grow worse and worse, yet wee bee not infected by it: And it is the greatest tryall, yea and the highest commendations for any man to bee godly, good, and deuout, amongst those that are openly wicked: For it sheweth that grace in him is more strong to preserue him, then wicked and profane men to poison, or peruert him.