A Golden Trumpet Sounding an Alarm to Judgment, Book
A Golden Trumpet, Sounding an Alarum to Judgement: the ſound whereof was never more needfull, though evermore profitable.
Dedicated and directed unto all the Elect Children of God, which truly repent.
Newly publiſhed by Iohn Andrewes, Miniſter and Preacher of Gods Word.
The nine and twentieth Impreſſion.
LONDON, Printed for Edward Wright, and are to be ſold at his ſhop in gilt-ſpur-ſtreet without Newgate, at the ſigne of the Bible, 1648.
The Author to the Reader.
SOund to Judgment this Golden Trumpet,
Into the eares of every one:
Early be ringing here thine owne knell,
Or ſound t'- alarum, for time will be gone.
Weep for thy ſins, and watch for the day
Here of the coming of Chriſt our Judge:
Each day and houre ſlips quickly away;
No time is ſet, therefore doe not grudge.
Make this Trumpet to ſound in thine eare,
A day of Judgement is almoſt come:
Delay no time, we all muſt appeare,
Now ſtill prepare for the day of doome.
A Golden Trumpet.
CHAP. I. The firſt Chapter treateth of the ſound of the Trumpet.
AS Adam ſléeping ſecurely in his tranſgreſſion, had great néed of that Trumpet from GOD, to rowze him from the ſléep of ſin, Adam ubi es? Gen. 3.9Adam where art thou? So neceſſary for every ſinfull Adamite, (to raiſe him up from the ſléep of ſin) is this notable memento, this worthy ſound of the Golden Trumpet.
Wherefore if ever there were a time for Gods Miniſters to have their hearts like the Lions, their face of braſſe, and their voice of ſtéele, to ſound this Golden Trumpet, that they might boldly in the face of the Congregation cry, and lift up their voice like a Trumpet with the Prophet Eſay, Eſay 58.9to ſhew the people their tranſgreſſions: If ever there were a time for Ieremiah to cry in the eares of Hieruſalm, Ier. 50.2.to declare amongſt the Nations, and to ſet up a ſtandard to proclaim the fall of Babylon: If ever there were time for Lot To reprove the Sodomites, Gen. 19.7.for Elias to reprove Achab, Nathan to reprove David, Ionah to cry to the Ninivites, or Ieremiah to wiſh his head to be full of water, and his eyes to be a fountaine of teares: Yea David, Eſay, Ieremiah & Paul, to wéep for the ſins of the people;Ie. 4.19. Act. 20.19. then ſure the time is now. Yet, nothwithſtanding the Goſpell hath béen long taught amongſt us, the ſound thereof hath filled our eares, but whoſe heart hath it pierced?Eze. 3.18. Eze. 33.7. Eſa 56.1…. Ier. 2.1, 2 Ier. 48.10. Ez. 34.2, 3, 4 to the 10. Ier. 1.7, 8. Za. 11.8, 17. Malac. 2.7. Eze. 3 4.10 18. Mat. 5.21. Mat. 10.17. Mat. 25.26 2…, 28. Mat. 9.47. Luk. 10.2. Whoſe life hath it bettered? Sin is ſharply reproved, but iniquity ſtill aboundeth. To the briefe, I néed not complaine with the Prophet of thoſe gréedy dumbe Curres, which feacute;ed themſelves, and ſtarve the ſoules of their flocke, but onelyonly recite Gods threatnings againſt them in a few proofes of Scripture and ſo I leave them, for the Lord to require their bloud at their hands. For I may boldly ſay (the Lord be praiſed for it) that we had never more preaching, though never leſſe following than we have now: There were never more crafty worldlings, and gréedy Nabals, that love an ounce of Give me, more than a pound of Heare me, than be now. O I feare, that there were never more that have ſold themſelves, and their very Soules for lucre ſake, than be now. Wherefore I doubt not but the very iniquitie of the whole world is come to maturitie.
Therefore it is now high time to ſound the Golden Trumpet, and ring it with alarum, that if ever they will be rouzed from the deadly ſléep of ſin to awake and repent, now: for, Qui non eſt hodie, cras minus aptus erit. He that is not ready to repent to day will be leſſe ready to morrow.
Oh now therefore,Rom. 10.18. Pro. 11.34. Rev. 3.10. while the Goſpell ſoundeth, now while Chriſt calleth, now while he knocketh; let us now repent, let us take this preſent time while we have it? time and tide ſtaieth for no man; the time paſt is irrevocable, which cannot be recalled: the time to come is full of uncertainty for it may be it never ſhall come: Only the preſent time is, ours, but it is momentarie: O therefore let us take and make good uſe of it.
To morrow, ſome wil ſay, I will a Convert be,
O when tell me I pray, ſhall I this morrow ſee?
Let never wiſe man ſay, to morrow mend I will,
Who is not fit to day, is l…ſſe & l…ſſe fit ſtill.
Wherefore, holy men of God urge ſtill the time preſent?Iſa. 55 10. Ier. 25.15 Gal. 6.10. Heb. 3.15 Pſal. 95.8. Seeke ye the Lord while he may be found: Turne ye now from your evill wayes: Doe good while ye have time: To day if ye will heare his voice, hearden not your hearts.
Thus the converted heart ſéeketh the preſent time,Pſa. 51.17 Pſal. 51.4. be cauſe it is a bléeding and a tender heart;Acts 2.36. Pſal. 6.99. Pſa. 119 13 Iohn 2.17. Titus. 2.14 It trembleth at the word, it is pricked when it is rebuked, and inflamed with burning zeale when it is inſtructed. O then take hold of this preſent opportunity ſo friendly ſmiling on thée, and repent preſently: Let the ſound of this Golden Trumpet be ever in thy eares: For as our Saviour Chriſt ſaid of Iohn Baptiſt, This is Eliah, if ye will receive him;M… 2 …4. So ſay I, this inſtant, this moment is the time of repentance; this is the day of ſalvation this is the time of grace; this is the acceptable houre; O therefore embrace it. We read that the Ninivites were coverted at theſe words of Ionahs preaching,Ionah 3.4. Yet forty dayes and Niniveth ſhall be deſtroyed.
The ſound thereof cauſed not onelyonly the Subjects, but the very King of that City to come from his Throne of Monarchie,Ionah 3.5. to caſt off his Robes, to put on ſackcloth, and ſit in aſhes, with faſting, wéeping, and great mourning.
S. Peter at one Sermon converted thrée thouſand ſoules unto Chriſt; inſomuch as they were ſo pricked in their hearts at his Doctrine, that they came crying, Men and brethren, what ſhall we doe to be ſaved? Acts 2 37.In another Sermon he converted Cornelius the Captain, with a great multitude.Acts 10.
S. Iohn Baptiſt at one Sermon converted both Scribes, Phariſes,Luk. 3.14.2. Publicans, Souldiers and Sinners, inſomuch as all that heard him preach, Muſed in their hearts whether he were not very Chriſt.
Paul converted many in Aſia, Rom. 15.15and alſo in Europe, yea in all parts and quarters of the world: Chriſt himſelf converted ſo many,Ioh. 12.19. that it cauſed the Iewes to cry out, Behold the whole world goeth after him. O where is any ſuch Converſion in theſe our dayes? What drowſineſſe is in us? What careleſneſſe? Nay, what madneſſe is in us, that we cannot be converted with all the preaching that is ſo often and continually preached amongſt us? Can we not remember?Luk. 13.9. Eſay 59.2. Nabu. 1.2. 1 King. 10.1, 2. 1 Chr. 9.8. Is our memory ſo ſhort? or have we drunke ſo much of the River of forgetfulneſſe? That wée remember not what our Saviour ſaith plainly, Except ye repent, ye ſhall all be damned.
Let us conſider with our ſelves, and deſcend into our owne Conſcience and ſée whether there be any Reaſon▪ why God ſhould ſpare us,Mat 12, 42 Luke 11 3. and deale ſo ſeverely with others: Saba the Queene of the South came from the furthermoſt parts of the world, to heare the wiſdome of Salomon: But many of us which live in this evill declining age, are ſo over buſied with worldly affaires, that they have little or no time to come out of our doores, to beſtow one houre in the Church to heare the Wiſedome of Chriſt.
The want whereof maketh many which neglect their comming to Bethel, Ge. 13.19.the houſe of God, to ſtarve their Soules in Bethaven, the denne of iniquitie. Yea, too too many to become ſo godleſſe,Hoſ. 4.15 ſo graceleſſe, ſo roo…ed in all ſin, and ſo fully reſolved to live therein,Math. 3.2. Eſay 51.12 Pſal. 119.8. Ier. 4.19. Ier. 9.1. Acts 2.3. that if John Baptiſt were to preach; Eſay to cry, King David, Ieremiah, and Paul to wéep for the ſins of the people, Yet they are ſo frozen in their ſin, and ſo wedded in their wickedneſſe that a Leopard may ſooner change his ſpots, and a blacke Moore become white: nay (as our Saviour ſaith (It is eaſier or a Camell to goe through the eye of a needle, Mat. 10.51.than many to forſake their beloved ſins to gaine the Kingdome of Heaven.
What ſhall I more ſay? If Chriſt himſelfe came from Heaven, to cry unto the people, for to repent in theſe our dayes, it may be they would let him ſay what he would, but I feare that too too many would doe what they liſt: All his preaching, and all his wonders would no more prevaile with the wicked in theſe our times, than it did in his time with the Iewes,
To conclude then this point, if any ſeeme to ſtorme at my harſh writing, let them amend their lives, and not diſlike theſe my lines: For I openly proteſt, I feare none but God whoſe truth I teach, and hate nothing but ſin, which is the ruine and deſtruction of the ſoule. I care not for my life, ſo it were loſt in the defence of the truth: I looke not for preferment, the world is ſo corrupted: I deſire not the praiſe of men, it is but vanitie: I ayme not at my owne good, but to ſet forth Gods glory, the diſcharge of my owne conſcience, and the benefit of Chriſt his Church and children.
CHAP. II Of the ſhortnes and uncertainty of mans life.
MAns life is but a pilgrimage,Gen. 4.7. Pſalm. 3.1. Sirach 40. Pſalme 1. a travell, and a way: and he is ſcarce entred into the world, but he is admoniſhed to remember to depart out of the ſame, for all the world is mutable, and of all the things in the world man is moſt mutable. And as our dayes here are ſhort and evill, we ought alwayes to be prepared for the Lord:Benard For Nihil certius morte, hora mortis nihil incertius, as there is nothing more certaine than death, ſo there is nothing more uncertaine then the houre of death. We are all tenants at will, and know not how long we ſhall remaine it this earthly Tabernacle.
All creatures waxe old with this aged world; this is even the laſt houre, the world cannot continue long,Gen 6.27. Pſalme 89. Methuſela lived 969 yeares. If in our age we reach to 80. it is with ſorrow and labour. Thou haſt made my dayes as it were a ſpan long, Pſal. 40.6.ſaith David, All fleſh is graſſe (ſaith the Prophet) and all the glory thereof as the flower of the field. Eſay 39.5.The old world had 120. yeares given them to repent, Niniveh 40. daies,Gen 6.5. Ionah 1.4. Pſal. 95.20 and Iſrael 4…. yeares, but thou O man knoweſt not how long thou haſt to live.
Some are waſted away by wantonneſſe as Commodus, Claudius Nero, Alexander the Great and ſuch like, Some are ſhortned by ambition, many will never leave climbing till they catch a fall. This climbing by ambition cut off the dayes of Abſalom, and brought Haman to the trée.2 Sam. 18. Heſter 7. 2 Kin. 22. Pſal 54.5.
Some God taketh away; becauſe the world was not worthy of them; and ſome becauſe they are not worthy of it. He cut off Ioſias, 1 Kin. 2 1. Pſal 54.5. 1 Kin. 22.for his ſoule pleaſed God: therefore he made haſte to take him away from the iniquity of the world.
He cut off Achab, Agag and Herod, 1 Sa. 15.32 Mat. 2.19 20. Act. 12.32becauſe they were vile and ungodly men, therefore they did not live out half their dayes.
Some God cutteth off ſuddenly,Gen. 7.11. Ge. 19.14. Exo. 14.27 Nu. 21.6. Nu. 16.3. Act. 12.23. Lu. 12 20. Acts 5 5. and 10. Iudg. 3.21. 2 Sa. 3.27. in ſo much as they have not time to thinke on God, or once to cry, Lord help me. The old world not thinking on death, was ſuddenly drowned. The Sodomites ſuddenly conſumed by fire. Pharaoh with all his Hoſt ſwallowed up in the ſea: the Iſraelites gnawne of dedly ſerpents. Corah, Dathan and Abiram eaten up of the earth. Herod ſuddenly devoured with lice. The rich man ſuddenly ſmitten with death. Lying Ananias and his wife ſuddenly fell downe dead. Eglon the Moabite, and Abner the Captaine were ſuddenly murthered with the ſword. To conclude, all Hiſtories in all ages are full of the like examples▪
CHAP. III. Of the ſtraight accompt we m…ſt give unto God at the day of Judgement.
TO draw every man to a better conſideration of his time, and of his accompting day, our Saviour addeth a reaſon why we ſhould be ready, and alwaies prepared to render our accompt;Matth. 4. for (ſaith he) The Kingdome of God is at hand.
What will move a man to conſider of himſelfe, and of his accompting day, if this will not? when he heareth that the ſame is at hand.
Mortall men in their accompts they make to their Lords and Maſters, will gather their Scrowles, Bils, Papers, and other writings, from hundreths to farthings, leſt they be found unworthy men to be put in truſt with ſuch worldly commodities.
If mortall men have ſuch a care how to make their accompts to mortall Auditors, what care, nay, what feare ought to be in all men and women, when they are ſummoned by the eternall God to appeare before him and his Angels, to give accompt how they have ſpent their time from their birth untill their dying day?
Here we are ſummoded to the high Imperial Court of eternall doome. The time is come;Mark. 1.15 and the Kingdome of God is at hand. O Lord who ſhall eſcape amercing here? Nay, who ſhall eſcape damnation here? Séeke up your Scrowles, ſearch the Bookes of your conſciences: we are called to the Court, where every mans conſcience ſhall be laid open. Wherefore unleſſe we repent; that our ſins may be blotted out with the bloud of Chriſt Ieſus, the Lord will call us to accompt, the Bookes of our Conſciences ſhall be laid open, and every ſin both ſecret and knowne ſhall be brought to light: and not one ſinne ſhall paſſe, but all our ſinnes, both paſt, preſent, and to come, as well our rebellious thoughts,Rev. 10.12 as ſinfull Acts committed. Whereupon S Bernard ſaith, Omne tempus tibi impenſum requiretur a te qualiter fuerit expenſum: Bernard,All the time that God hath given thée (except thou repent) ſhall be required at thy hands, how thou haſt ſpent it. There ſhall inquiſition be made for the thoughts of the ungodly: There ſhall not a wicked thought paſſe in Iudgement.Wiſd. 1.9.
CHAP IV. Now followeth the manner of this accompt.
I. Who muſt give accompt
II. Of what things they muſt give accompt.
III. To whom this accompt muſt be made.
IV. When it muſt be made.
FIrſt, the perſons that muſt give accompt, our Saviour Chriſt expreſly ſheweth us to be men.M…t. 13.36. But I ſay unto you (ſaith our Saviour) that of every idle word that men ſhall ſpeake, they ſhall give accompt at the day of Iudgement.
And S. Paul ſaith, We muſt all appeare before the Tribunall Seat of Chriſt, 1 Cor. 5.30.that every man may receive according to his workes. For as Lingua eſt mentis interpres, The tongue is the interpreter of the mind, ſo ſaith our Saviour, By thy words (if thou doe well) thou ſhalt be juſtified, Mat. 12.37.and by thy words (if thou do evill) thou ſhalt be condemned. Thus we may ſée Chriſts true & iuſt judgement, how that firſt by the evidence of their déeds they ſhall be accuſed: Secondly, by the witneſſe of their words convicted: and thirdly, by the teſtimony of their owne conſcience condemned, Thus all men, none excepted, of all ages, and of all nations, Kings and Princes, rich and poore, yea all that have been from the beginning of the world, and ſhall be to the end of the ſame, ſhall appeare before the Tribunall ſeat of Chriſt, and give an account every one for himſelfe.
II Of what things they muſt give accompt.Mat. 12.29 2 Cor. 5.10 Eccl. 12.4. Wiſd. 1.9. Mat. 12.37 Rom. 4.12. 1 Pet. 4.5.
THey ſhall give accompt not onelyonly of every idle word, work, & deed, but alſo of every idle thought: yea, every man, and every member of man ſhall anſwer to his default.
The King muſt give an accompt for himſelfe, and how he hath governed his Kingdome.
The Miniſters that have taken upon them curam animarum, the charge of Soules, muſt give an accompt how they have fed their Flocke, and how they have lived in their calling: The Magiſtrate for his Iuſtice: The Maſter for his ſervants: The Parents for the children, and every Artificer for his trade, every man in his own proper perſon, muſt render an accompt of his Talent, be it ten, foure, or one that he hath received. And ſo ſtrait ſhall this accompt be, that every member of every body ſhall anſwer to his default: the Eyes ſhall give an accompt what they have ſéene: the Eares what they have heard: the Tongue what it hath ſpoken: the Hands what they have felt: the Féet where they have béene: and the Heart of man what it hath thought. To conclude, both Heart and Body, with all the parts and powers thereof ſhall be indited and arraigned before the Tribunall Seat of Chriſt to render a ſtreight accompt, Tam de dictis quam de factis ſuis, both of their words and their déeds.
III. To whom this accompt muſt be given.
THe Iudge to whom we muſt give our accompt is Chriſt. The Lord commandeth (ſaith David) to judge the World. Pſal. 56 13 Iohn 9.22.S. Iohn ſaith, …he Father, judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgement to the Sonne. Gen. …8 25And Abraham gave God the ſtile of the Iudge of the world. There it is evident that our Saviour Ieſus Chriſt is Iudge of the world. He is verus Iudex & Iuſtus, he is a true and upright Iudge? yea,Iames 4.12 he is a Iudge that is able to deſtroy both body and ſoule in hell fire for ever.
Iud. 14.15.But let us note, he commeth▪ not alone, but bringeth ten thouſand of his Saints to execute judgement upon all; yea, he ſaid to his Diſciples,Ma. 25.34 Wiſd. 6. Acts. 3 19. Ye which have followed me ſhall ſit upon twelve Thrones, judging the twelve Tribes of Iſrael.
VntoUnto the godly he ſhall ſay, Come ye bleſſed &c. They ſhall both with body and ſoule receive a glorious kingdome and a beautifull Crowne from the Lords hand: for with his right hand ſhall he cover them, Rev. 21.6. Rev. 7.1…. Eſay 15.4.and with his arme he ſhall protect them, Becauſe it ſhall be a day of refreſhing, when all teares ſhall be wiped away from their eyes, and all ſorrow ſhall ceaſe, and they ſhall live and raigne with the Lamb for ever.
To the wicked (Chriſt ſaith) Goe ye curſed.
BVt firſt let us note,M…t. 15.4 Mat. 7.17 Pſalm. 9.8 that he doth not judge them after the manner of worldly Iudges, whoſe knowledg may be deceived with falſe and Sophiſticall pleas; whoſe juſtice may be corrupted with feare, hatred, love and rewards; whoſe anger may be pacified with pittifull words. Oh fearefall and terrible will the ſight of this Iudge bée to the wicked: for his power ſhall be invincible, his anger implacable, his knowledge infallible and his Iuſtice inflexible. Firſt, tyrany and cruelty ſhall not countervaile his power: Secondly, benignity of pitifull words ſhall not appeaſe his anger: Thirdly, liberality, nor rewards ſhall not bow his Iuſtice: Fourthly, ſubtilty of advocates ſhall not blind his knowledge.
Whereupon ſaith S. Auguſtine Judex ille nec gratia praevenitur, nec miſericordia flectitur, nec pecunia corrumpitur, nec penitentia mitigatur. Neither is this Iudge prevented with favour, nor bowed with mercy, nor bribed with money, neither mitigated by Repentance: Therefore when Chriſt ſaith to the wicked, Goe ye curſed, hée doth not onelyonly curſe them, but hée biddeth them goe,Mat. 25 41. he ſendeth them to Gehenna, that dreadfull dungeon of utter darkneſſe, that burning Lake and moſt fearfull Tophet, yea, to that hollow cave and Chaos of all confuſion, to that bottomleſſe pit of eternall perdition: whoſe burning furnace is made by Gods Iuſtice, his power upholds it, and it is blowne with the bellowes of his wrath ever prepared for the Deuill and his Angels. And as Chriſt ſaith, Goe ye curſed, his curſe is paenarum inflictio, infliction of puniſhment, which is twofold, Paena Damni and Paena Senſus, the puniſhment of loſſe, and the puniſhment of ſenſe. The loſſe of God, of his glorious and moſt bleſſed preſence, his mercy, his favour, his bounty, his beauty, his grace, and all his eternall goodneſſe, the loſſe of heaven, the habitation of God, and of all his holy and bleſſed Angels and Saints, the houſe and heaven of happineſſe, with all the unſpeakable joyes, pleaſures glory, riches, and treaſures thereof for evermore.
The puniſhment of ſenſe which is hell and all the intolerable, everlaſting, and wofull torments thereof. As the bleſſing of God comprehends all bleſſings, ſo this curſe, Anathema and Maranatha, includes all croſſes,Mat. 25.41. Goe ye curſed, &c. They ſhall bée curſed of Chriſt himſelfe, curſed ſhall they be of the Angels, whoſe curſe is conſcientiae cruciamen vexation of conſcience. Curſed ſhall they be of the Devils, whoſe curſe is paenarum executio, the execution of their puniſhment, according to that of the Poet:
Minos examen, Radamanthus dat cruciamen;
Tertius, beufrater terti aiura tenet.
One Devill rippeth up the examination, another Devill tormenteth, the third addeth one torment upon another, For their deſire is revenge, their devotion curſing, and their bleſſing blaſphemy. They be in a Sea of miſeries, and in an Ocean of calamities; Fire flameth about them; the worme of conſcience gnaweth within them; rage, madneſſe, and irefull indignation among them, ugly viſages of black and fearfull Devils affrighting them; Sulphur and hot burning coales under them: the revenging hand of God over them, and powring forth the vials of his wrath full of variety of plagues without ceaſing upon them.
They have penury, for gluttony: extreame thirſting, for exceſſive drinking: burning, for lecherous luſting: want for ill gotten wealth: outragious madneſſe, for blaſpheming: for oppreſſion, utter deſolation; and a fearfull agony for bloudy cruelty.
And S. Auguſtine ſpeaking of Dives, ſaith,Auguſtines ſaying of Dives, Rom. 7. Deſideravit guttam, qui non dedit micam, hée would not give a erum, hée ſhall not have a drop: a juſt recompence: as he denied the leaſt comfort to Lazarus living, ſo Lazarus ſhall not bring him the leaſt comfort dead.
And Seneca ſaith, Nemini bonus, ſibi poſſimus, as he was good to none, ſo (let it be his plague) he is worſt to himſelf; thus the pain for ſin anſwers the pleaſure of ſin.Rev. 1.5. Pſal. 1.7 Their torments ſhall be both comfortleſſe & endleſſe. They ſhall bée dying alwayes, yet never dead. They ſhall ſéek death, but never find it. They ſhal be burning alwayes, yet never burnt to death. Their meat ſhall be griping hunger,Mat. 13.42 Mat. 22. 13 Pſal. 11, 7. and famine intolerable. Their drink ſhall be lakes of fire and brimſton. Their muſicke ſhall be howling and roaring of foule and ugly Devils, with ſavage furies accompanied, and with barbarous torments cruelly handled.
Thus Heaven they ſhall have loſt, which cannot be purchaſed. Hell they have received,Rev. 18, 2 & the place muſt néeds be indured. And looke how many ſins they have ſet on the ſcore, ſo many kinds of puniſhments are provided for them in Hell. O how many cauſes of wéeping and dolefull crying ſhall thoſe miſerable wretches then have? They ſhall wéep becauſe they cannot appeale from Gods dreadfull judgement. They ſhall wéep, becauſe their pleaſures have brought them to all theſe ſorowes. They ſhall wéep, becauſe they ſhall ſée their miſeries are paſt all remedy, and their repentance too late. To conclude this point, they will then curſe the parents which begat them, and the wombs which bare them, the day wherein they were borne, & the Aire that gave them breath: and will cry, woe, woe, that ever we were borne, O where is that Dives that would not beléeve this before he felt the fire of Hell.
IV. The time when we muſt give this accompt.
VVE muſt give an accompt at the day of Iudgement, when Chriſt commeth to judge the world. But of that day and houre knoweth no man, Mar. 13.3.no not the Angels which are in Heaven; neither the Son according to his humane nature; but the Father. But according to his Divine nature, hée knoweth as well as the Father. Therefore ſaith Chriſt. It is not for you to know the times and ſeaſons; which the Father hath put in his own power. Acts 1.17.But as Paul ſaith to the Corinthians, Seeing wee are they upon whom the ends of the world are come, we ought to learne of our Saviour, to watch,Mat. 24.42 for wee know not at what time the Lord will come. And our Saviour ſéeing the iniquity of the world growing ſo faſt to maturity, ſaith; Except thoſe dayes ſhould bee ſhortned, there ſhould no fleſh be ſaved. Therefore ſaith S. Iohn, Repent, for the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand. Mat. 14.24And S. Iames cryeth out, Behold the Iudge ſtandeth before the doore, If they looked for it to be ſo nigh in thoſe daies, now ſure it cannot be far off.
Auguſtine in his book upon Geneſis, againſt the Manichees ſaid, that the world ſhould laſt ſix ages. And (according to his prophecy) we live in the laſt age. Eliah alſo propheſied that the World ſhould laſt ſix thouſand yéeres, two thouſand before the Law, two thouſand under the Law. & two thouſand from Chriſts his birth untill his coming to Iudgement. If his prophecy be true, the World cannot laſt foure hundred yéeres. To conclude, let us be ready alwayes howſoever, although this day be like yeſterday, and too morow like to day, yet let us not defer our repentance.Gen. 3.8. Gen. 19.1. For God came not unto Adam before the evening, yet he came. Although the Angels came not upon Sodome untill the evening, yet they came. And ſo comes Chriſt to Iudgement, although he be not yet come, let us not think he hath leaden féet, and cannot come, leſt we finde hée hath iron hands when he doth come. To conclude, if there be any one thing in the Booke of God, from the Alpha of Geneſis, unto the Omega of the Revelation, that is able to turne a ſinner from his ſinnes to come unto God by repentance, it is the remembrance of this generall judgement. This is that kept David in ſo much awe, I have feared thy Iudgements. I have been mindfull of thy Iudgements, Pſal. 119.thy Iudgements were alwaies in my ſight.
O therefore let us ſpéedily repent that we may be unblameable before the Iudge at that great generall day of Iudgement; and be cloathed with the white Robes of righteouſneſſe, Rev. 19.8.& ſtand in the number of thoſe, unto whom Chriſt ſhall ſay, Come ye bleſſed children of my Father;Mat. 25.3. inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world. This God grant (without whoſe help, all the labour of man is vaine) even for his deare Son Chriſt Ieſus his ſake, our Redéemer and onelyonly Saviour, to whom with the Father, and the holy Goſt, be all honour glory, praiſe, power and dominion both now and for evermore. Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · John Andrewes, A Golden Trumpet Sounding an Alarm to Judgment (1648)