For the first, they be apicesiuris, points in law, they undo all ⟨p. 658⟩justice, a cavilling justice: but apices juris in calo non excusant. And for the witnesses they1 shall not deliver him, for they shall be true witnesses, the book shall then be opened. No persuasion shall then serve, because God is not subject to any affection. Thirdly, there shall be no corruption, for though the Judge could be corrupted, what could we give him, when the whole world shall be destroyed? Lastly, we must look for no favour, for it is the day of judgement and not of mercy. The night before the blowing of the Trumpet, there shall be preached mercy, but then there shall be none: let no man flatter himself, for2 so he shall find it. To escape a sentence here on earth is either by appeal to an higher court,3 or by re•racting: but there can be no appeal, for who is higher than God: neither shall there be any reversion of the sentence, for there shall be no more sitting, because there is no second judgement. Thirdly, there is an execution, which is most fearful. And execution4 there shall be, well, let it come, will we say, for a punishment must be ours: & then what is there to help us to escape punishment, but either resistance, or if that will not serve, flight; if we cannot fly, patience, or mitigation, or our comfort is hope: but there is none of all these can stand us in any stead: for the first, if we were, as Job saith, hard rocks, as we are potshards, we were not able to resist, for if the Lord did but touch us, we would smoke. But his wrath shall be poured upon us, and who is able to abide it? Secondly, it boots us5 not to fly, for the Lord is every where round about us, we are as it were in a circumference, the further we are from one part, the nearer we are to the other. We fly from the God of peace to the God of wrath, there is no escaping: Christ saith, Take the unprofitable servant,6 bind him hand and foot, so that he cannot fly; and Jude addeth, with everlasting chains, and that in darkness; so that if he could break his chains, yet he could not see whither to fly in the dark. 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 cool his tongue, of a person,7 whom he hated deadly; and no doubt they do hate the godly there as much as ever they did in this life.
For the first, they be apicesiuris, points in law, they vndoe all ⟨p. 658⟩iustice, a cau•lling iustice: but apices iuris in calo non excusant. And for the witnesses they1 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, for2 so he shall find it. To escape a sentēce here on earth is either by appeale to an higher court,3 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 execution4 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 vs5 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,6 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* Qu•rks in Ja•: Apex juris pro jure ••m••e & ••bt•li, •pinolaque di putatione. V•pian.* Qu•rks in Ia•: Apex iuris pro iure ••m••e & ••bt•li, •pinolaque di putatione. V•pian.
- 2Note.
- 32. Sentence.
- 43. Execution.3. Executiō.
- 5No flying from Gods judgement.No flying from Gods iudgement.
- 6Simile.
- 7Luk. 16. A description of the torments of hell.
