The workes of the reuerend and faithfull seruant af Iesus Christ M. Richard Greenham, minister and preacher of the Word of God collected into one volume: reuised, corrected, and published, for the further building of all such as loue the truth, and desire to know the power of godlinesse. By H.H.

CHAP. XIX. of Death and Iudgement.

MAnie make no account of the death of the soule, because they feele it not as they doe* 1.1 the death of the bodie. Euery man feareth a Palsie, an Epilepsie, and an Apople∣xie, because they strike dead: but if a man be in a consumption, where hee shall be decaying seuen yeares, he thinks nothing of it. Likewise if an house fall suddenly, we say it perisheth, but if it moulder away we little regard it. In Hosh. 5, vers 7. 12. The Lord threat∣neth* 1.2 to be a Lyon to Israel, and a moath to Iudah. Surely, when the wrath of God, as a moathe hath secretly fed on vs ere we know it, our soules doe as it were bleede to death. For as hee that bleedeth to death feeleth little, vntill suddenly his strength faileth; so in the death of the soule, a man doth not perceiue how his strength is gone, or euer he be aware. It may be* 1.3 the Lord will not be vnto vs as a Lyon, but as a moath, we shall not happily die of an Apo∣plexie, but of a consumption, and CHRIST the Sauiour shall laugh at our destruction.

2 We can better away to meditate on Death which Sathan couereth with eternitie fol∣lowing,* 1.4 then on the day of Iudgement, where wee must all make our account.

3 The bare meditation of Death doth so farre moue vs from suffering our delights to dwell on earthly things, as that Reason disswadeth vs not to make any cost about a Tene∣ment* 1.5 where wee knowe we shall dwell but a while. Yet such bare imaginations of Death may build vp in the meane time the kingdome of pride in vs. Wherefore it shall be more* 1.6 auailable, if with our meditation of putting off this earthly tabernacle, we thinke also of putting on the heauenly Tabernacle, and of putting on the royall robe of Christs righte∣ousnes, without which we shall neuer stand with comfort before the great Throne of Gods Iudgement.

4 The cause why we beso loth to die is, because we cannot finde in our conscience that* 1.7 we haue done that good thing for which we came into this life.

5 If there be a desire in thee to die in respect of some iniurie, shake it off; it is better to* 1.8 be a liuing dog, than a dead Lion: for so long as thou liuest, there is time to repent, but after death there is none. Therefore labour for to feele his fauour in Christ, which if thou doe, thou shalt neuer faile till thou come to him.

6 God dealeth contrary to the course of our common Physitions, which first giue one* 1.9 medicine, and then if that will not serue, a stronger: but God giueth the strongest first. The argument of iudgement is the last that can moue vs. That argument moueth most in Lo∣gicke which hath the best reason and most sense: howsoeuer it seemeth to some, yet sure I am the argument of iudgement hath the most sense, or shall haue, and may best serue to moue all sensual men. There be three things to moue euen euil disposed men in that great iudgement, shame, griefe, and feare. Let it moue vs for shame; and if this will not, let vs remember the feare which then shall possesse vs; if wee want this, our state is lamenta∣ble, for then neither Prophets, nor Apostles, nor the holy Ghost can tell what to say vn∣to vs.

7 Many are of opinion (that teach without discretion) that it is euill to doe any thing* 1.10 for feare of iudgement, but all for loue: and if we abstaine from any euill for feare, that we are in a wrong course. I haue been of this error my selfe, but the holy Ghost is content to vse this as a good reason, and will bee beholding to vs, if wee feare to doe euill for iudge∣ments sake. Heare what Augustine saith: Doe this for feare of punishment, if thou ca••st not as yet obey for the loue of iustice. Bernard likens the feare of God to a needle, and the loue of God to a threed: first the needle entreth, and then followeth the threed: First, feare keepeth vs from doing, next, loue causeth that we doe not, euen then, when we can doe. This is t•••• meanes as Augustine saith, A timore bonavita, à bona vita bona conscientia: inde nullus timor, at{que} ita dulcescit Deus peccanti, &c. First we are Gods enemies, then his ser∣uants,

& if we behaue our selues wel in his seruice we shalbe made his adopted children.* 1.11

8 This word iudgement I would no man would let it passe without iudgement, and yet there is no word read with lesse iudgement. In the law the title de iudicio is best studied: and it is a great title. Chrysostome saith, if we had that care which they haue that be arraig∣ned before an earthly iudge, we should doe well. Though his iudgements be as the great deepe, as the Psalmist saith; yet they may be brought to foure heads, and first into two, the* 1.12 iudgement of man, and the iudgement of God: the iudgement of man, either when ano∣ther giues iudgement of vs, or we giue iudgement of our selues: the iudgement of God, ei∣ther in this life, or eternall. Iob, chap. 29 speaketh of some yong men in his daies, that fea∣red his iudgement. This feare is to be seene in heathen men, as in him that ran further into* 1.13 the Tauerne to auoyde the sight of the Philosopher. The boyes of Bethel, that wanted this feare, and reuerenced not Elisha the Prophet, were so far gone, that it was time to cut them* 1.14 off. He cursed them, and two she-beares came out of the wood and slew them. But as Lu∣cina saith of the consistorie of Christians, this is a miserable Consistorie, a poore iudge∣ment: euery man will pleade with the friar, We are exempted Lord: yet true it is. they* 1.15 that shall iudge the world, can best iudge, but they shall be iudged also. The second is the iudgement seate within vs, which God hath made to make vs esteeme his the more. It is counted an absurd thing for a man to be his owne iudge. This is our owne conscience. This is Gods register that registreth all things which we doe or speake, and it is also our remem∣brancer, when we are alone. Blessed is the man that despiseth not this iudge: no man can* 1.16 haue a more seuere iudge than himselfe, albeit a man doe acquite himselfe: the wicked is sometimes secure, but neuer in safetie. This is that, whereby God would call vs home. E∣uery* 1.17 sinner is his owne tormentor: Here be surdo verbera, strokes that cannot be heard, and yet strokes indeed. Then if there be within them such torments, why are wicked men so merrie? Surely I must answere them thus: Peccator est sui carnifex: but these are remo∣ued* 1.18 from the way of sinners to the seate of scorners: and then all is quiet. Euery sinner is condemned in himselfe, or by himselfe, if he become not brutish, & his conscience feared and hardened. And as for young mens consciences, Augustine compareth them to wa∣ter* 1.19 in a bason, the water is stirred, and there is no face seene: but so soone as maturitie of yeares come, then it will stand still, and we shall see our faces, and crie with Dauid and Iob, Lord wipe away the sinnes of my youth. The third iudgement may be compared to a* 1.20 quarter sessions, that doth consist in depriuing of commodities, the mulcte is the losse of Gods grace, an vnsensible punishment, but so great, that if all the creatures should* 1.21 mourne, saith Chrysostome, it were not sufficient, when grace is taken away from one* 1.22 man. If we will not be moued with the losse of that, which God makes account of, hee will take away that which we make account of, as by taking away our preferment, wit, &c. for I account that man to haue lost his wit, which is turned into a Foxe, which hath nothing* 1.23 but craft and subtiltie. Then he sendeth sicknes, reproches and hearts griefe to humble vs, or some singular sharp iudgement on some, of very good hope, and loue, and taketh them out of this life, to warne vs that are a great deale worse, to the terrour of the wicked, and* 1.24 that they might not see the punishments he is to bring vpon the vngodly for sin. Now for as much as a man in the first iudgement is cōdemned, in the second quited, in the third re∣priued: Therfore the Lord hath appointed a fourth iudgmēt, which shall pay them home: and that may be compared, if I may so say, to the gaole deliuerie, and this is called the day of iudgement. In comparison wherof other iudgements are as nothing. Then God wil take* 1.25 the matter into his own hand, then shal there be a new Quest, thē all th••se matters that are shuffled vp, and euill iudged, shall be iudged againe. Now is the day of affections, but then the day of iudgement: in it we shal lose all that is to be lost. Now for this day & this iudge∣ment,* 1.26 that we may haue somewhat to moue vs, being of our selues Verie dul, let vs see, how fearefull and dreadfull it is. In a iudgement there are three things, the action, the sentence, and the execution. For we see the prisoners, first how they plead for themselues. Secondly, being found guilty, the sentence is pronounced by the Iudge: and after, they are executed.* 1.27 In earth there are means to acquite for a season, as delusiō of the Iudge or of the witnesses, perswasion, corruption, fauor. For the first, they be apicesiuris, points in law, they vndoe all

iustice, a cau••lling iustice: but apices iuris in calo non excusant. And for the witnesses they* 1.28 shall not deliuer him, for they shall be true witnesses, the booke shall then be opened. No perswasion shall then serue, because God is not subiect to any affection. Thirdly, there shall be no corruption, for though the Iudge could be corrupted, what could we giue him, when the whole world shall be destroied? Lastly, we must looke for no fauour, for it is the day of iudgement and not of mercie. The night before the blowing of the Trumpet, there shall be preached mercy, but then there shall be none: let no man flatter himselfe, for* 1.29 so he shall find it. To escape a sentēce here on earth is either by appeale to an higher court,* 1.30 or by re••racting: but there can be no appeale, for who is higher than God: neither shall there be any reuersion of the sentence, for there shall be no more sitting, because there is no second iudgement. Thirdly, there is an execution, which is most fearefull. And executi∣on* 1.31 there shall be, well, let it come, will we say, for a punishment must be ours: & then what is there to helpe vs to escape punishment, but either resistance, or if that will not serue, flight; if we cannot flie, patience, or mitigation, or our cōfort is hope: but there is none of all these can stand vs in any stead: for the first, if we were, as Iob saith, hard rockes, as we are potshards, we were not able to resist, for if the Lord did but touch vs, we would smoke. But his wrath shall be powred vpon vs, and who is able to abide it? Secondly, it bootes vs* 1.32 not to flie, for the Lord is euery where round about vs, we are as it were in a circumferēce, the further we are from one part, the neerer we are to the other. We flie from the God of peace to the God of wrath, there is no escaping: Christ saith, Take the vnprofitable seruant,* 1.33 bind him hand and foot, so that he cannot flie; and Iude addeth, with euerlasting chaines, and that in darkenes; so that if he could breake his chaines, yet he could not see whither to flie in the darke. Thirdly, there is no patience; which ye shall see, if ye consider the example of the rich man in Luke, who required one drop of water to coole his tongue, of a person,* 1.34 whom he hated deadly; and no doubt they do hate the godly there as much as euer they did in this life. Last of all let vs looke for no mittigation: If there were any mittigation, it should be either in respect of the wearines of the tormentors, but they are spirits; or by consuming of our bodies, but we shall continue for euer: or by diminishing of the instru∣ments, but the fire shall neuer goe out: & that it may not so do, there is a lake of brimstone prepared to run into it, and the worme neuer dieth. Neither shal there be any comfort, the remembrance euen of that they enioyed shall torment them.

9 There is a people in Amos and Zephanie, that put the day of the Lord farre off,* 1.35 but it shall be vnto them a day of terrour and trembling. On the other side, let vs con∣sider how the world waxing olde as a garment, and all creatures become moath-eaten and worme-eaten: the fruites, stones, and hearbes decaying in their vertues. Against worldly Atheists the Prophet Zephaniah saith: The Lord will seeke them, and rather than he will lose them for finding, he will seeke them with a lanterne, and search them with a candle. When we know the time must come, we enquire of it: and beholding God draw∣ing some presently into the stage, and knowing that others are reserued for the last iudge∣ment, the faithfull inquire for their hope, the wicked for their feare. Well, as I would not haue men too curious, Mat. 24 so could I wish them not to be too carelesse: the first is ill, the second is worse. The day shall come suddenly, and therefore neither curiousnesse nor carelesnesse is good: only thus much is sure, it is at hand, but no man could neuer shew the fingers of his hand. Peter sheweth, that we must not measure the time after man, but after* 1.36 God. Some reason this, some that; but let vs remember that, Deuterono. 29. 29. The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things reuealed belong vnto vs. Let no man thinke by an allegorie to reach to that, which the Angels themselues cannot comprehend. For if one should say, that as there were foure thousand yeeres before Christ his comming in the* 1.37 flesh, so there should be foure thousand before he came to iudgement, were it not as like a quidditie as they harpe on, and yet both vntrue? If we looke on Cyprian and Tertullian, we shall see them to haue thought the day to come in their times. Here the Fathers haue roued much, but all like to misse the marke. Let vs know, that th•• neerenesse is not in re∣spect* 1.38 of vs, but of the speaker, who onely knoweth what is neere; and let vs content our selues with this, that in respect of eternitie nothing is long, that shall haue an ende. When

the Apostles then say, it is neere, so we may say, it is neere, and no difference: But as the Day was then neere, so the Houre is now neere; neere, I say in respect of God and of eter∣nitie. And as the promise accomplished was neere to God 4000. yeeres before it came, so it is not in the fadome of mans braine to tell, how many dayes or yeeres, wherewith God is not gouerned, is farre or neere vnto vs. The Apostle Heb. 10. 25. sheweth the time to bee neere, and that it is within the view of the eye, because the sacrifices of the Iewes are abo∣lished, the true sacrifices are offered, and the Gospell more or lesse is vniuersally preached. But among al reasons this moueth me, & may moue all, that now Christ is readie to come, because we see small faith on the earth For if euer this was, it is now, wherein is not onely a defect of faith, which euer was, but because now men goe cleane against faith: for now not onely the principles of the faith are not obserued, but they are thought absurde, and* 1.39 things cleane contrarie are prescribed. Is it not monstrous, that now some teach for do∣ctrine, that a man may lie and forsweare without sin or shame? Seeing that sinne is now in* 1.40 it ripenesse, which was before but in the eare, could the diuell from hell broch more pro∣found blasphemies? If the regions begin to grow white, and sin groweth ripe and yellow, we must looke for the Angell shortly to thrust in his sickle. Well, whensoeuer the dave of iudgment is, I feare the day of the departure of the Gospel is at hand. Our securitie is such, that we may rather say, the Lord hath suffered vs too long, then that we can accuse God for* 1.41 seuerenesse in striking vs too soone. Be it then, that as yet the day is not come, wherein the world shall crackle about our eares; or though we see not our Ierusalem destroyed: yet we know our day of death cannot be farre off, and quickely we shall come to our doome.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The death of the soule.
• * 1.2

  Simile.
• * 1.3

  Simile.
• * 1.4

  Meditation of Iudgemēt.
• * 1.5

  Simile.
• * 1.6

  Meditation of death.
• * 1.7

  Loth to die.
• * 1.8

  Wherefore some desire to die.
• * 1.9

  Iudgement. Morbus mag∣nus magnum remedium. P••dor, Dolor, Timor, Augustine. Maxima est poena timo∣rem amisisse iudicij.
• * 1.10

  Fac, fac, vel ti∣more poenae, si nondum po∣tes amore iu∣stitiae. Simile. Cùm dicis ti∣meo quid dic∣turus sum, ma∣lè times, vanè times.
• * 1.11

  Dominus a∣blato timore su••jcit timo∣••••••, dicturus sum ••lanè time.
• * 1.12

  Primum ti∣mo••ne facias, de••n amor, •••• ve••••s face••e, ••••••••••si possis.
• * 1.13

  Of the day of iudgement.
• * 1.14

  Verbum hoc iudicij vtinam nemo transi••er siue iudicio.
• * 1.15

  Si i•• nobis ea ess••t cura quae coram terreno iudice sisten∣dorum, s••••••ici∣ter age••••m••s.
• * 1.16

  1. Iudgemēt of man.
• * 1.17

  2. The iudg∣ment seate within vs.
• * 1.18

  Iudgement of the consci∣ence.
• * 1.19

  The strokes of mans con∣science.
• * 1.20

  Young mens consciences.
• * 1.21

  Simile.
• * 1.22

  ••. Iudgemēt. Losse of grace.
• * 1.23

  What men are beside their wits.
• * 1.24

  Iudgement▪
• * 1.25

  Vert••s ille iu∣dic j••dies, in quo omni•• causa ca••it.
• * 1.26

  Ven••er, veni•••• ille dies, in quo malè i••∣dicatus re••ud••∣cabitur.
• * 1.27

  Three things in iudgemēt▪ ••. Action▪
• * 1.28

  * Qu••rks in Ia••: Apex iuris pro iure ••••m••••e & ••••b∣t••li, ••pinola{que} di putatione. V••pian.
• * 1.29

  Note.
• * 1.30

  2. Sentence.
• * 1.31

  3. Executiō.
• * 1.32

  No flying from Gods iudgement.
• * 1.33

  Simile.
• * 1.34

  Luk. 16. A descrip∣tion of the torments of hell.
• * 1.35

  Against thē that are ei∣ther carelesse or curious in things con∣cerning the day of Iudg∣ment.
• * 1.36

  A worthy meditation of the day of iudgement.
• * 1.37

  The ancients erred concer∣ning the day of iudgemēt.
• * 1.38

  How the day of iudgement is said to be ••eer••.
• * 1.39

  Lying.
• * 1.40

  Swearing.
• * 1.41

  Securitie.