A Golden Chain

The uses to be made hereof, are these. When S. Peter had set down the change that shall be at the coming of Christ, and that heaven and earth must be purged with fire, he makes this use thereof. Seeing all things must be dissolved, ⟨p. 424⟩what manner of men ought we to be in holy conversation and godliness? and the reason is good. For if heaven and earth must be changed and purged at Christs coming, then much more ought we to be changed, and to put off the old man of sin, and to become new creatures created after the image of God in righteousness and true holiness. If the brute creatures must be renewed by fire, then much more are we to labour that the heat of Gods spirit may burn up sin & corruption in us, & so change us that we may be ready for him against his coming: else heaven and earth it self shall stand in judgement against us to our condemnation. Secondly, the consideration of this, that the world shall be consumed with fire, teacheth us moderation and sobriety in the use of Gods creatures, as in costly buildings, gorgeous attire, and such like. What madness is this, to bestow all that we have, on such things, as at the day of judgement shall be consumed with fire. For look whatsoever abuse shall come to Gods creatures by our folly, the same shall then be abolished. Thirdly we must consider that the cause why heaven and earth must be consumed with fire, is mans sin, by means whereof, they are made subject to vanity & corruption. Here then we have just occasion to acknowledge the greatness & wretchedness of our sins. If any of us had but seen the Jews leprosy, it would have made us to wonder: for the contagion thereof did infect not only the whole man but his garments also that were about him, and sometime the walls of his house: but howsoever we cannot see that leprosy among us, yet we may see a worse. For the leprosy of our sins doth not only infect our garments, and the things about us, with our bodies; but even the high heavens and the earth are stained with the contagion thereof, and are made subject to vanity and corruption: yea by sin in us the most glorious creatures in them, as the Sun, Moon, and stars are become subject to vanity. Oh then, how wretched is the heart of man, that makes no bones of sin, which is the most noisome thing in all the world, the stink whereof hath infected both heaven and earth.

The vses to be made hereof, are these. When S. Peter had set downe the change that shall be at the comming of Christ, and that heauen and earth must be purged with fire, he makes this vse thereof. Seeing all things must be dissolued,