Considerations For Tuesday Why The Gospel Of DOOMBS-DAY Is Read Upon The First Sunday in Advent: A Plaine Path-way To Heaven Thomas Hill 1634




GOSPEL Luke 21. 25-33 
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples: "There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea and of the waves: men withering away for fear and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world. For the powers of heaven shall be moved; and then they shall see the Son of man coming in a cloud with great power and majesty. But when these things begin to come to pass, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is at hand." And He spoke to them a similitude: "See the fig tree, and all the trees; when they now shoot forth their fruit, you know that summer is nigh; so you also, when you shall see these things come to pass, know that the kingdom of God is at hand. Amen I say to you, this generation shall not pass away till all things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away."


Tuesday Meditation

Another circumstance of terror there is, in the person judge: because he to whom God the father hath given all judgment over us, is the person whom we have offended, our Lord Jesus Christ.

For although the works of the blessed Trinity be not divide, but all the three persons always concur in the work of our redemption, and therefore when one, we offend all three, because all three are one God: yet in regard that neither the father, nor the holy Ghost, but the second person the son of God descended from heaven, and assumed our human nature, in which he suffered so many indignities, and so cruel a death, and also gave us a new law published by his own blessed mouth and confirmed with undeniable miracles, and built his Catholic Church upon the rock upon St. Peter and his successors the visible heads thereof under himself, making it a ready, easy, plain undoubted way to salvation: and so plain a path, that (as Esay prophesied 35.c.II) even fool cannot err in finding it out, and in walking in it: In regard I say of these things, we do in the true law of grace, in a sort more peculiarly offend against the person of Christ our Savior, God and man: And for that respect hath the eternal father given his son the office and power of judgement at the latter day; from whence it is easy to gather, a more peculiar sort of offense committed against him, whensoever we offend him, who is not only our creator, but our savior also, and our judge; that the neglect of a most merciful savior, will be severely punished by him, when he cometh as a rigorous judge after this life, for then will it be a terrible matter to fall into his hands, as the Apostle affright, Heb. 10.31. Not, that he will judge us more severely, because he is a party offended, as mortal men do; but because he is such a party, and such a judge, to wit, our merciful father our most loving redeemer, our most gracious Lord, and yet by us more neglected, then many of his basest creatures; of which circumstance St. Peter ep.c.1.7. adverteth us saying: If you call him father, who judgeth without partiality, according to every ones work you have reason to live in fear before him, the time of your dwelling here on earth. 

And surely we all know, that though a Father be more merciful and indulgent then another, when he is offended: yet if he were to judge without partiality and affection (as Christ will, in the day of judgement) he would deem the offense of his child towards him being his Father, to be greater, then if it were an offense committed against any other man, even because he is his father, and so much the greater, by how much more loving a father he hath been unto him.


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