life by Christ which is eternall This will comfort vs in all distresse and take from vs the feare of death of hell and all danger The second part of the distinction Though I was dead yet behold I liue for euermore Amen This part is vttered and propounded by two notes to bee obserued First by a note of certaintie Amen Secondly by a note of attention Behold The note of certaintie Amen serueth to assure vs that this is an infallible truth which Christ affirmeth of himselfe saying I liue for euermore The note of attention which is prefixed Behold serueth to stirre vp Iohns mind and the mind of euery one of vs to a serious consideration of this which Christ saith I liue for euermore And because it pleaseth Christ to propound this point in this manner let vs a little stand thereon and herein consider two points First in respect of what nature Christ is sayd to liue for euer Secondly for what end he liueth for euer For the first No doubt as Christ as the mediator of the church He liueth for euer and therefore this must bee vnderstood of Christ in regard of both his natures godhead and manhood In respect of his godhead he is coeternall with the father and with the holy Ghost liuing of himselfe that vncreated and essentiall life which is all one with the godhead being eternall without beginning or ending Secondly hee liueth for euer as hee is man for after his death hee ascended vp to heauen where in full glorie he inioyeth immediat fellowshippe with the godhead for in him dwelleth the fulnes of the godhead bodily his manhood being wholly and immediatly susteined by his godhead II. Point The end for which Christ liueth for euer is to giue eternall life to his church and to euerie true member thereof So Saint Iohn saith This is the testimonie of God euen the father that hee hath giuen vs life euerlasting and this life is in that his sonne And here Christ must bee considered of vs as the head of his church as the roote and ground of our saluation and the fountaine of all our happinesse For as the roote of a tree liueth not for it selfe but for the body and for all the branches euen so Christ Iesus he hath eternal life in him not for himselfe alone but that he may conuey the same to al his members Yea wee must consider Christ as the common treasurie storehouse of all true felicitie wherein life eternall is laid vp for al the members of his church For which cause hee saith His flesh is meate indeed and whosoeuer eateth his flesh and drinketh his bloud shall liue for euer To giue vs to vnderstand that his manhood hath quickning vertue in it Yet not of it selfe or by it self but as it is the māhood of the sonne of God For from the godhead it receiueth this quickning power to giue eternall life vnto the church And here the meanes must be considered by which Christ giueth life vnto his church namely by vertue of that misticall vnion which is betweene him and euery member of his church Which vnion is thus caused God the father giueth Christ vnto his church and to euery one that is to be saued by Christ and that really and truly according to the terror of the couenant in which he hath promised to giue Christ with all his benefits to euery one that beleeueth The manner and order of this gift is this Whole Christ God man is giuen to euery beleeuer euen as he is mediator And yet the godhead of Christ is not giuen with the manhood but only the vertue operation of the godhead in the manhood by which the manhod is made able to merit for the beleeuer But the manhood of Christ is giuen both for substance and in regard of all benefits that are conueyed to man by it as iustification and redemption as truly as lands and goods are giuen of man to man And when God giueth Christ to any he doth withall giue vnto the same partie the spirit of Christ for hee that hath part in Christ hath part in his spirit and this spirit createth in his heart the instrument of faith by which Christ giuen of the father is receiued and apprehended both his body and bloud and the efficacie and the benefites thereof Christ is not receiued in imagination as men receiue things by conceit in the braine but as hee is giuen of the father namely in the word and sacraments really and truly though spiritually And the same spirit that worketh this faith doth knit the beleeuer vnto Christ really though mystically making him one with Christ so as Christ is the head and the beleeuer a member And thus is this mysticall coniunction wrought from whence proceedeth this eternall life The benefites that come from this mysticall coniunction are these I. Hereby a beleeuer begins in this world to liue eternall life for by the worke of his spirit Christ maketh that man that is thus vnited vnto him to begin to die vnto all sinne and to liue vnto him spiritually as himselfe liueth II. Hence commeth the resurrection of the body for this coniunction being once begun remaineth eternall and is neuer wholly broken off no not from the body while it is consumed to dust and ashes Looke as in the Winter season the sap returneth to the root of the tree and then all the branches seeme as they were dead but when Spring time commeth by vertue of the sunne the sap ascendeth and maketh them fresh and greene againe euen so the bodies of Gods children haue their Winter season while they lie dead and rotten but yet by vertue of their vnion and coniunction with Christ at the last day shall life bee conveyed from Christ Iesus vnto them whereby they shall be raised to life III. Hence commeth eternall life to euery beleeuer that is glory and blisse in body and soule in heauen for euer and euer for being once begun as it is in this world it is neuer dissolued And thus we see how Christ conueyeth eternall life vnto his members The words bearing this sence do containe in them the foundation of two maine articles of our beleefe namely the resurrection of the body and life euerlasting for both these are effected to vs by vertue of our vnion with Christ for he liueth for euer to giue life to vs. And this is the ground of all true ioy as wee may see in Iob who in the middest of his miserie stayed himselfe on this That hee knew his Redeemer liued and that hee should rise againe and behold him with those same eyes wherewith he saw other creatures Iob. 19.25 26. 2. Againe if Christ liue in heauen to giue vnto vs eternall life then must wee learne to haue our conuersation in heauen with Christ for where our life is there should our conuersation bee Now that our conuersation may be with him wee must often seriously consider with our selues of this
future estate of the church to the end of the world as I will reueale it vnto thee Thus then is the whole booke distinguished I. It containeth things touching the present estate of the church in Iohns daâ—es II. It entreateth of things which concerne the future estate thereof from Iohns time to the end of the world Hence obserue the lawfulnesse of the art of Logicke for diuisions be lawfull else the holy ghost would not here haue vsed them and so by proportion are other arguments of reasoning and therefore that art which giueth rules of direction for the right vse of these arguments is lawfull and good Those men then are farre deceiued who account the arts of Logicke and Rhetoricke to be friuolous and vnlawfull and in so saying they condemne the practise of the holy ghost in this place Vers. 20. The mysterie of the seuen starres which thou sawest in my right hand and the seuen golden candlestickes is this The seuen starres are the seuen Angels of the Churches and the seuen candlesticks which thou sawest are the seuen Churches This is the third action of Christ namely the interpretation of the Vision in the principall parts thereof which he expoundeth for these causes First Iohn in this businesse was to shew himselfe a Prophet of God by declaring the present and future estate of Gods church Now the principall part of a Prophet is to expound visions or dreames reuealed either to himselfe or to others as wee may see in Daniell and the rest of the prophets Secondly that Iohn might bee encouraged in the publishing of this booke and of the things reuealed vnto him For Iohns calling respected the Church of God And when he should perceiue these visions to concerne the Churches this would stirre vp his diligence in obseruing and penning the things reuealed Now Christ expoundeth not the whole vision but two principall things therein namely what was meant by the seuen starres to wit the seuen Angels or the seuen ministers of the Churches And what was meant by the seuen golden candlesticks namely The seueÌ„ Churches theÌ„selues The reasons why both were so called wee haue showed before with the vse therof Here onely I will obserue these three points First why Christ in the interpretation of his vision doth not expound the whole but onely two principall parts thereof This he doth for these causes First because hee hath giuen vnto his church the gift of interpretation which hee would haue them to exercise about this vision For if hee had expounded euery part himselfe then he had left herein no matter to his church whereabout shee might exercise her gift Secondly to prouoke Gods ministers especially with other members of his church vnto all diligence in studying this and other parts of scripture For if all things were easie and plaine then men would grow carelesse in reading and searching out the knowledge of Gods word Thirdly to stir vp in euery Reader of this booke an earnest and hartie desire to vnderstand the same Fourthly to excite all his seruants to prayer and inuocation vpon God for his grace that they may with reading the Scripture vnderstand the true meaning thereof II. point Note here the ministers of the churches are called Angels What these Angels are appeareth in the chapters following to wit the pastors and ministers of these seuen churches of Asia So Mat. 11.10 Iohn Baptist is called Christs Angell or messenger whereby wee haue good light for the expounding of a place in Paule 1. Cor. 11.10 saying That the woman ought to haue power ouer her head that is bee couered because of the Angels Where by Angels may well bee vnderstood the preachers and ministers of the Gospell And the reason of that precept may bee this Among the Corinthians the couering of the head was not as it is with vs a token of prelieminence and superioritie but a signe of subiection And therefore the Apostle would haue the women of Corinth when they came into the congregation to haue their heads couered according to the custome of their countrey in other assemblies to signifie their submission and reuerence vnto the ministerie of the Gospell Whereas Ministers are the Lords angels and embassadours hence wee gather that euery Minister of the Gospell must carry himselfe as the messenger of the Lord. Messengers haue regard of two things of the matter of their message and of their manner of deliuerie that they speake all which they are commanded and in such order as their Lord and master would haue it spoken or speake it himselfe if hee were present and he that faileth in either of these may iustly bee chalenged of vnfaithfulnesse The Minister therefore being Christs messenger must deliuer the whole will of Christ alone vnto his people as also in that manner which Christ approoueth and would himselfe obserue if hee were present Now can we once imagine that Christ would deliuer his will partly in English partly in Latine and other Languages or intermingle with the testimonies of the Prophets and Apostles the sentences of Fathers of Philosophers Poets and other writers Those therfore that in this sort dispence Christs gospel doe hereby bewray vnfaithfulnesse in their deliuerie Indeed this is counted the learned kind of preaching But it is not that manner which Christ approoueth And besides if this kind of teaching may take place it will bring in as great Barbarisme in regard of true Diuinitie as was among the Schoolemen when Gods word was wholly turned vnto needlesse disputation yea it would shortly banish the Gospell out of this land III. point Note the phrase which the holy ghost vseth he sayth not The seuen starres signifie the seuen Angels but Are the seuen Angels and the seuen candlestickes Are the seuen churches giuing to the signe the name of the thing signified Wherein wee haue a good warrant for our exposition of that phrase in the Sacrament This bread is my body this cup is my bloud Which the Papists vnderstand properly of the very bodie and bloud of Christ by reall transmutation But as these seuen starres are sayd to bee seuen Ministers because they did signifie the seuen Ministers so is the bread called the body of Christ because it signifieth and representeth his bodie and the cup his bloud And as it is absurd to say the seuen ministers were indeed seuen starres because they are so called so it is absurd to hold the bread in the Sacraments to be really Christs body or the wine his bloud because it is so called And thus much of the third action of Christ in the interpretation of this Vision THE SECOND CHAPTER Vers. 1. Vnto the Angell of the Church of Ephesus write These things sayth he that holdeth the seuen starres in his right hand and walketh in the middest of the seuen golden candlestickes IN this Chapter and in the next is contained the fourth action of our Sauiour Christ wherein he giueth seuen particular commaundements to Iohn to write vnto the
Christ in the ministrie of his word knockes both by threatnings by promises and good counsell therefore we must all of vs listen vnto the words of Christ open the dores of our hearts and receiue him into the same But alas the practise of the world is far otherwise men are churlish Nabals vnto Christ who though he come friendly yet they repell him making no account of such against Nay we are Bethlemites which haue no roome for Christ in the Innes of our harts if Christ will needs lodge with vs hee must lye among the beasts in the filthy stable Nay many send him out of their gates with the Iews and crucifie him with their sinnes But let vs abandon this greeuous sinne for it is the right way to plunge our soules into the pit of destruction Quest. How must a man open his hart to receiue Christ Answ. By doing two things First hee must labour to see his owne vilenesse that hee is vnworthy to receiue so blessed a Guest then hee must humble himselfe and acknowledge this his vnworthinesse Euen as the ruler did when he sayd vnto Christ Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe Mat. 8.8 This humiliation is the beginning of grace This done hee must by true faith lay hold on Christ that is beleeue that Christs death and passion is for the pardon of his sinnes and for the saluation of his soule For as Christ dwels in mens hearts by faith so by faith he must be receiued into their harts Here some will say if this be to receiue Christ then all is well But take heede thou deceiue not thy selfe with a vaine imagination of thine owne braine in stead of faith Looke therefore that thy faith be true sound If it be true faith it will work by loue euen a true loue of Christ and his members which will appeare by keeping his Commaundements Ioh. 14.23 I will come in vnto him and suppe with him and he with me Here is the thing promised to wit mutuall communion and fellowship with Christ. This is the principall token of Christs loue being indeed the verie ground of all true happinesse ioy and comfort and therefore it is added to mooue them to open vnto Christ. This societie is here propounded in two parts First the sinner being conuerted makes a feast vnto Christ I will come in vnto him and suppe with him Secondly Christ makes a feast vnto him And hee shall sup with me And in these two consists the sum of Salomons song of songs where Christ entertaineth the Church and the Church againe feasts Christ. For the first some may aske how can a poore sinner make a feast for Christ Answ. Cantic 4.16 The Church or euerie Christians soule calleth Christ vnto a feast in his Garden to eate his pleasant thinges This Feast consisteth of these things First of the fruits of true repentance Psal. 51 17 A broken and contrite heart is a daintie diâ—â— acceptable vnto God Secondly of an hart beleeuing the word and promises to God for without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 Thirdly the penitent sinner must giue vp himselfe in soule and bodie a holy and acceptable sacrifice vnto God by seruing God faithfully not only in the duties of piety but also in the faithfull perfourmance of the duties of his particular calling these be the delightfull dishes wherwith Christ is fed The second feast is made by Christ and hee shall sup with me Christ comes not to bee entertained onely but to entertaine And the feast which he makes is his own bodie and blood For his flesh is meat indeede and his blood is drinke indeede The vessels whereon these meates are caried are the Word and Sacraments And all that bee his welcome guests are true penitent sinners which haue hungring and thirsting hearts after his bodie and blood Luk. 1.58 And from this feast arise these blessings Righteousnesse peace of conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost Seeing this fellowship with Christ is here promised to those that open receiue him into their hearts First hereby we are taught to renounce all earthly and carnall pleasures and not to addict our selues to drinking and quaffing or sumptuous fare for heere is a better feast sette before vs whereupon we must set our hearts turning our eyes from all worldly pleasures We know by experience how friends entertaine each other but wee must labor to know how to entertaine Christ and to feast him with his owne graces that hee may suppe with vs and we with him and so haue true fellowship with him Againe by this we may see a notable abuse of many that come to the Lordes table for heere wee see is required an interchange of feasting betweene Christ and a Christian but many there bee that will come to the Lords table and feast with Christ that will neuer feast Christ againe And yet we ougt to be as carefull to feast him as to feast with him It is a shame to suppe often with Christ and yet like vngrateful Nabals neuer to haue one good dish of grace and holy obedience to set before him wherewith indeede we should feast him dayly Others will seem to giue him good entertainment for that day whereon they feast with Christ but soone after they giue him gall to eate and vineger to drinke by their dayly sinnes Vers. 21. To him that ouercommeth will I make to sit with me in my throne euen as I ouercame and sit with my father in his throne Vers. 22. Let him that hath an eare heare what the spirit sayth vnto the Churches Here is the conclusion of this Epistle and it hath two parts A Promise vers 21 and a Commaundement vers 22. In the Promise note two things First to whome it is made To him that ouercommeth Hereof we haue spoken Secondly the thing promised that is fellowship with Christ in glorie I will make to sit c. whereby is not meant equalitie of glorie and honor for that is not possible for any creature to receiue But a participation onely of some part of his glorie so much as shall suffice for his perfect happinesse And because it might bee thought no great matter therefore it is illustrated by a comparison as I ouercame and sit with my father in his throne As if hee should say I will aduance them that ouercome their spirituall enemies into the participation of my glorie euen as my Father when I had ouercome aduanced me into the fellowship of his glorie Now Christ as hee is Mediator is inferiour to his father and in that regard is not aduanced to equall glorie with his Father though he sit with him So the members of Christ being inferiour vnto him may sitte with him in his throne though their glorie be vnequall These things for substance haue beene handled Chap. 2. vers 26.28 The second part of this conclusion Let him that hath an eare heare c. hath also
polluted with sinne that once washing was not ynough but sayth hee Wash mee againe and againe rince bathe and swill me in the bloud of Christ till I be purged and cleansed from all my sinnes And this same affection should be in euery one of vs wee should labour that our hearts may bee touched with a liuely sence of our vile estate by reason of our sinnes which make both bodie and soule most vgly and filthie in Gods sight and that the staine hereof is so deepely set in our soules that we can neuer be cleansed but by the washing of Christ his own hand and that in his owne hearts bloud yea that one washing will not serue but wee must be rinced and bathed therein For till such time as this consideration doe in some measure take place in our hearts it is not possible that we should loath sinne as we ought or come to this comfortable assurance of Gods loue that he hath washed away our sinnes in his bloud for this humilitie in our soules by reason of our sins is the beginning of all true grace and comfort Now this worke of Christ in washing vs from our sinnes doth comprehend a double benefit First the remission of our sinnes whereby the guilt and punishment due to them is taken away Secondly the mortification of sinne whereby the corruption of sinne is remooued and abolished And we must obserue that S. Iohn propounds this benefit generally without limitation saying Which washed vs from our sinnes That is from all our sinnes to giue vs to vnderstand that if any beleeue truly in Christ hee hath pardon of all his sinnes without any restraint or limitation either of number or qualitie bee they neuer so many or neuer so great By his bloud How can bloud wash away filthinesse nay it rather defiles a man Answ. This washing stands not in the substance of Christs bloud but in the merit thereof for that substance of bloud which was shed is lost and wee know not what is become of it whatsoeuer the Papists say but the merit therof remaineth still And Christs bloud deserues to purge away sinne rather than any other mans bloud as of Peter Iohn c. because his bloud was the bloud of God not of the godhead but of him who was both God and man For the manhood of Christ was receiued into the vnion of the second person And so it may be called the bloud of God as Paule sayth God redeemed his Church by his bloud that is Christ God incarnate And so it being the bloud of him that is God is more meritorious than the bloud of any creature whatsoeuer Besides Christ was appointed by God to be a publicke person in the worke of redemption and in his death and passion he stood in the roome and stead of all his elect so as when his bloud was shed their bloud was shâ—â— because it was shed for them But the bloud of other priuate men cannot answer for any besides themselues because it is shed onely for themselues Then damâ—â—ble is the doctrine of the Papists who hold the bloud of Martyrs can merit for others being applied vnto them for seeing they be but priuate men and suffered in their owne persons onely they cannot profit any other thereby By bloud we must vnderstand the passion of Christ a part for the whole and with all his fulfilling of the law vpon the crosse for in his suffering hee fulfilled the law and in fulfilling the law he suffered These two cannot be seuered saue onely in thought And so this word containes the whole obedience of Christ whereby he procured the remission and mortification of our sinnes Here then wee see two notable benefites of Christ vnto his church his loue the washing away of sinnes which S. Iohn sets downe to moue the churches with reuerence diligence to reade and delight in this booke All of vs will say wee are sure God loues vs and hath pardoned our sinnes in Christ why then doe wee not shew our loue againe to him by hearing and reading his word set downe in this or any other booke of Scripture and by yeelding answerable obedience thereto Why then do we not offer vp ourselues soules and bodies to serue him as the Apostle requires Rom. 1â— 1 by way of recompence for his mercies and loue shed out vnto vs But alas that is more common which is most shamefull to turne Gods grace into wantonnesse for when men say God loues them and hath washed away their sinnes yet they rebell against him when as these two benefites are here recorded to bee inâ—ucements of continuall loue and obedience to his holy word Verse 6. And made vs kings and 〈◊〉 to God euen his father to him be glory and dominion for 〈◊〉 Amen In these words is set downe the third worke and benefit of Christ bestowed on his church and on euery true member thereof For the better vnderstanding whereof we must consider in them foure points First the dignitie and excellencie of all true beleeuers and memberâ— of Christ They are kings and priests Secondly when they be made kings and priests in this life noted by the phrase of speech hath maâ—â— Wherein 〈◊〉 speaketh of the church on earth and vseth a word that signifieth the time past Thirdly the maner how they become kings and priests they are not so borne but Christ hath made them such Fourthly to whom they be made such to God euen the father For the first The dignitie of all true beleeuers hath two heads first They bee kings secondly Priests They are called kings not in regard of an earthly kingdome for vsually the condition of most beleeuers on earth is base and contemptible but in regard of a spirituall kingdome the kingdome of heauen whereto the Lord giues them right title and interest in and by Iesus Christ. So our Sauiour Christ speaketh to his disciples Feare not little flocke it is your fathers will to giue you the kingdome And againe Behold I giue vnto you a kingdome Now the faithfull are kings in these respects first because by Christ they bee lords and conquerours of all these enemies sinne Sathan the world death hell and their owne flesh Secondly because in and by Christ they are partakers of the glorie of Christs kingdome and saluation for they receiue of Christ grace for grace and so answereably glory for glory and felicitie for felicitie Thirdly because they be made lords of all things in heauen and earth except good Angels and the church All things are yours whether it be Paule or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death whether things present or to come euen all are yours and yee Christs Quest. But if Christ bee king and all his members kings how do they differ Answ. In two points First Christ is the sonne of God by nature and so a king by nature hauing the right of the kingdome of heauen by inheritance but the members of Christ
First he giueth him the signe of his presence Laying his hand vpon him to assure him of protection froÌ„ al danger of death TheÌ„ he giueth him his wrod bidding him not to feare Hence we may learne that the assurance of Gods presence and protection is a souerigne remedie against all feare when Moses feared the great calling he was sent about to take away that feare the Lord saith I will be with thee Hence Dauid saith He will not feare though he walke through the valley of the shadow of death because God is his stay and comfort Wherefore it concerneth vs to labour to be assured not onely of Gods presence but of his prouidence and speciall protection And so in all dangers both of life and death wee shall haue stay and comfort for our soules The Lord hauing vsed these two meanes to confirme Iohn both a signe his word doth yet further condescend vnto Iohns weaknesse and establisheth his owne word by two reasons The first in these words I am the first and the last Christ is the first Because nothing was or could bee before him The last because nothing is or can bee after him These two titles are giuen vnto Christ to expresse his Godhead and eternitie as before wee haue heard verse 8. Now here they are againe set downe to giue vs to vnderstand that hee hath in his owne power the beginning and end of all things and therefore is able to protect his seruants from all dangers and from death and will make good vnto them all his promises vnto eternall life Verse 18. And Am he that liueth but I was dead and behold I am aliue for euermore Amen And I haue the keyes of hell and of death These words conteine the second reason to confirme Iohn And it may thus be framed by way of a distinction Although I was dead yet I am he that liueth for so the words are and behold I am aliue for euermore Amen Yea I haue power ouer death and hell This distinction containeth three parts First Though I was once dead yet I am he that liueth Secondly Though I was once dead yet I liue for euermore Thirdly Though I was once dead yet I haue the keyes of death and of hell Of these in order I. part And Am he that liueth though I was dead Here life is ascribed to Christ in a speciall manner For Christ liueth in a peculiar sort differeÌ„t froÌ„ the life of other creatures For first hee hath sufficient life in himselfe and from himselfe Secondly he giueth life to others For the first that wee may better conceiue it wee must know that life is twofold vncreated and created Vncreated life is the life of God whereby God liueth This life is eternall and infinit in it selfe from it selfe Now as Christ is God he liueth this vncreated life which is all one with the godhead Againe created is twofold The first is naturall preserued by means of meat and drinke The second is spirituall both begunne and continued by meanes of the immediat operation of Gods spirit whereby wee haue fellowship with God And this spirituall life is more perfect than the naturall Now Christ liueth not the naturall life but as he is God liueth the vncreated life as he is man he liueth the spirituall life his body and soule hauing al their subsisting and sustentation in the second person in Trinitie and therefore he hath in himselfe most absolut and perfect life and so liueth of himselfe Secondly Christ is here said to liue because he giueth life vnto men that two wayes First as he is God and so he giueth life to all good and bad For in him euery thing liueth moueth and hath his beeing Act. 17.28 Secondly as he is mediator God and man and so he giueth spiritual life vnto his church and people Hence he saith to his Disciples Because I liue yee shall liue also Iohn 14.19 For looke as Christ died not for himselfe but for vs that we might not die eternally So hee liueth now in heauen the spirituall life not for himselfe alone but for vs that we might liue that spirituall life in and by him eternally And therefore our life is sayd To be hid with God in Christ. And for this cause in the Sacrament we doe eate the body and drinke the bloud of Christ really by the mouth of faith that wee might know that our life is to be fetched from him For as we receiue grace from his grace so wee receiue life from his life Hereby wee are taught to seeke for this spirituall life at Christ hands that we may say with Paul I liue not now but Christ liâ—eth in me Gal. â— 21 and that Our life 〈◊〉 â—id in Christ as in a head and roote For he liueth in heauen that wee might liue by him our care must not be so much for our temporall life which is but a vapour and like a fleeting shadow as for this spirituall life which is eternall But the practise of this duty is rare to bee found though the omission of it bee a grieuous sinne Mens whole care is for temporall life few thinke on this how to procure to themselues this spirituall life by Christ though he haue said I liue that you may liue in me This appeareth by their common practise They will goe ten twenty yea an hundred miles to prouide means for their bodily preseruation and yet will scarce go one or two miles for the meanes of their saluation for euer The cause thereof is the hardnesse of mens hearts which are not touched for their sinnes nor feele the smart weight thereof This we may see plainly in the woman of Samariah For when Christ sate at the well of Iacob talking with her and telling her that he was the well of life of whose water whosoeuer dranke should neuer thirst She did nothing but cauill with him But when he layd to her heart her principall sinnes then she left off cauelling and in reuerence and some beginning of faith Acknowledged him to be the Messias Euen so let the minister say vnto his people hee can bring them to the water of life they will nothing regard but cauill at the doctrine of the Gospell till their sinnes bee touched and their soules humbled by the sight thereof Wherefore if wee would haue our hearts fit to receiue spirituall life by Christ we must first labor to haue a sense of our sinnes and to feare Gods wrath due vnto vs for the same Hereby we shal be weined from the dangerous loue of earthly things and our soules shall bee rauished with desire of Christ Iesus He is the well of life and if once we could feele a parching heat in our soules by reason of our sinnes then would we thirst neuer be at rest till we had drunke our fill and dined our selues in his sauing merits This naturall life is but vanishing and therefore we must labour for this spirituall
euerie word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God This is thought to bee the same white Manna which is vsed in shops at this day but I will not dispute thereof seeing it is doubtfull That Manna did represent a more excellent food and therefore Paul calleth it A spirituall meat because it represented vnto them the spirituall food of the soule Christ Iesus the true Manna The liuing bread that came downe from heauen as wee may see at large Iohn 6. And so in this place by Manna wee must not vnderstand the Manna of the people of Israel But Christ himselfe the true food of life eternall How Christ doth become vnto vs our spirituall Manna and the true food of life I will shew by these conclusions I. He is this food not in regard of his doctrine or of his miracles nor yet onely in regard of the blessings of his death and passion But Christ himselfe God and man is true food of life as is shewed at large Iohn 6. And in Christ himselfe are his death and passion the benefits thereof food vnto the soule II. Conclus Christ is this food not as he lay in the manger or as he now sitteth in heauen at the right hand of his father but as he suffered the wrath of God and pangs of hell vpon the crosse and as he died was buried for our life commeth out of Christs death III. Concl. He is this food not in regard of his godhead for that no creature can receiue or apply to his iustificatiō or sanctification but in regard of his manhood subsisting in the person of the sonne of God Christs flesh profiteth nothing seuered from the godhead but yet his body and bloud haue this vertue to be true spirituall food because they are the flesh and bloud of that person which is God IV. Concl. Christ is not a bodily food to be receiued with the hād eaten with the mouth digested in the stomacke but he is a spirituall food to be receiued applied digested by faith◠And being so receiued he doth preserue the soule vnto eternall life This faith is that wherby a man is enabled to beleeue that Christ crucified is his Christ. And thus doth he become our spirituall Mannah when by true faith wee assure our selues that he suffered for our sinnes and rose againe for our righteousnesse Is Christ crucified the true bread of life and our spirituall Manna then should we long after him with a true spirituall hunger in our very hearts as truly as any man longeth after meat drinke When a man is famished for the staying of his hunger he will pull his owne flesh from his bones and eat it Euen so for the satisfying of our hungrie soules with Christ Iesus this food of life we must forsake the deerest thing in all the world though it bee our owne flesh For that which we will do for our bodies we must do much more for our soules Que. How shall we attaine to this true spirituall hunger Answer It is with the hunger of the soule as it is with the hunger of the body In bodily hunger bee two things A great paine in the stomacke for want of nourishment And a strong and earnest appetite which continueth till the stomacke be filled Euen so we should feele a paine in our hearts rising from a sense of the wrath of God for our sinnes And then wee must labour to haue a greedie appetite and earnest desire to bee filled with Christ crucified neuer be at rest til we be satiat with the merit of his passion which only can free vs from Gods wrath and fill vs with true ioy But wofull bee these times for there is in most mens hearts a deadnesse of spirit whereby they are made insensible of inward wants and miseries They are like vnto full men that feele no paine for want of food There is indeed an hunger nay a greedie worme in many after the profits pleasures and honors of this world but few or none do hunger after Christ. But if wee would haue part in the feast of the Lambe we must labour to haue this longing appetite after Christ If we be full stomacked wee shall haue no refreshing from his merits Mary saith truly in her song God filleth the hungrie with good things but the rich and full goe away emptie Which is a most fearfull curse when the soule is debarred from this food of life But blessed are we if we hunger after Christ and his righteousnesse for then we shall bee satisfied Christ will giue vnto vs our fill of the water of life freely Reuel 21.6 Secondly here we may take a view of the profane madnesse of the world For though this bread of life Christ Iesus be the most excellent food of all farre surpassing the Israelits Manna the food of Angels yet it is nothing or little desired Men are like to the foolish Israelits that had more regard to leekes and onions and to the flesh pots of Egypt than to Angels food which God gaue them frō heauen They spend their wits and their strength by day and by night that they may satiate themselues with the fraile riches and vaine pleasures of the world And yet these men haue the name to be the onely men whereas indeed they are profane Esau◠wicked Israelits As therefore this practise is damnable so must we learne to detest it And on the contrarie seeing Christ Iesus is the true Manna our principall care and desire must bee to bee fed therewith Wee must thinke it is a great disgrace to Christ Iesus which hee cannot endure without reuenge that wee should haue lesse regard to him the true bread of life than to earthly foode which perisheth Thirdly here wee may see that which is vsuall in the Scripture intreating of the Sacraments to wit the name of the signe giuen to the thing signified for Christ here promiseth them Manna meaning thereby not the Israelits food but himselfe whereof their Manna was a signe a seale a pledge as appeareth plaine because Paul calleth it spiritual meat 1. Cor. 10·2 Further Christ is not only called Manna but hidden Manna to put a difference betweene himselfe and the Manna of the Israelits which was visible that euery man might see And Christ is called hidden Manna for two causes first because no man by nature knoweth this food or desireth it secondly because God doth not reueale this food to al men effectually as may appeare Mat. 11.25 I giue thee thankes oh father that thou hast hidden these things that is the doctrine of the gospell and the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen from the great and wise men of the world and hast opened them vnto babes Is Christ hidden Mannah then first here learne to take knowledge of the state of men in the world They know not Christ neither do they feele in themselues any want of this food and therefore they know not what
receiued her doctrine committed fornication with her They must bee cast into great affliction First this must teach all persons that it is a diuellâ—sh speech to thinke and say that fornication iâ— but a tricke and shippe of 〈◊〉 for great affliction is the punishment of this sinne which notably argueth the haynousnesse thereof Secondly hence we may gather some of the causes why townes and kingdomes are afflicted with grieuous wars famine and pestilence among the rest these are two fornication â—nd embracing of errours and superstition Sodome for fornication and other 〈◊〉 was burnt with fire brimstone from heauen The Israelits for this sin suffered most grieuous afflictionâ— And among the Corinthians for comming to the Lords table in this sin among others many were sicke many 〈◊〉 and many sleâ—â— And this land of ours hath bene afflicted with famine and pestilence as for other sinnes so for fornication which in time of peace is multiplied and so will continue till it draw vpon vs bloudshed also and great afflictions For that which is sayd of the followers of Iesabel must be verified of all that liue in the like sinnes The second part of the reason is the exception of these communications except they repent them of their workes Where we may see First that all the threatnings of Gods iudgements and of eternall destruction must bee vnderstood with the exception of repentance Whence also this followeth that men of yeares liuing in the church are not so much condemned for other particular sins as for liuing in their sins without repent â—ee euery sin makes a man subiect to damnation but it is this impenitencie that brings vpon theÌ„ actuall daÌ„nation Want of repentance for sin is more dangerous than the sin it selfe the consideration whereof must teach vs not to lie in sinne though wee haue committed it but turne to God by speedie repentance for it is the continuance in sinne without repentance that casteth the soule to hell When thou shalt turne from thy sinne by true repentance thou art free from the threatning and the curse of sinne For they admitting the exception of true repentance 〈◊〉 18.8 Further obserue how this exception of repentance is placed betweene two threatnings of iudgements which sheweth how God mingleth his iudgements with mercie hee sheweth not wholly either iustice or mercie but tempereth them together in all the workes that concerne mans saluation Thirdly here note that repentance preuents not onely eternall damnation but also temporall iudgements as grieuous sicknesses and other plagues and afflictions This point may haue speciall vse among vs Wee haue by Gods mercie enioyed his gospell with long peace but for our abuse thereof we may iustly feare it shall be taken from vs and if we would escape that iudgement wee must repent both high and low Of their workâ—s That is of their idolatrie and fornication where hee sheweth of what things true repentance must be namely of bad workes in particular whereto men giue themselues euerie man that would truly repent must consider of his particular faults The drunkerd in particular of his drunkennesse and the couetous man of his couetousnesse and insteed of iniuries and hard dealing shew mercy vnto the poore The common repentance of the world that is done in generall is nothing but a visard of repentance and yet it is all that is vsed of the greatest part of our people for they will come to heare the word and to receiue the Sacraments and in generall confesse themselues to bee sinners and then they thinke they haue done enough But true repentance is of particular sinnes As Dauid Psalm 51. cried out of bloud guiltinesse Vers. 23. And I will kill her children with death and all the Churches shall know that I am â—ee which searcheth the reines and hearts and I will giue vnto euerie one of you according to his workes Here is the third part of Christs threatning against Iesabels children by children wee are to vnderstand properly those which are borne of her and were of her husband and not her followers for they were threatned with grieuous afflictions in the former verse It had bene sufficient to haue sayd I will 〈◊〉 her children But to note the certainty and greeuousnesse of this punishment he saith I will kill them with death Quest. How can this stand with the iustice of God to punish the offences of the parents in the person of the children Ans. God deareth so for temporall punishments not for eternall And though we could not perceiue the iustice of God in so doing yet wee must reuerence the â—ame blaming our owne ignorance Albeit euen in reason wee may conceiue of the equitie of this course for societies as church common-wealth and families are Gods ordinance and the parties in them must bee considered as members of those societies for God conceiueth of them when hee afflicteth the punishment deserued by one vpon another as of the Prince vpon the people of the parents vpon their children This hee may iustly do by reason of that neere bond which is betweene the members of the same societie like as in the naturall bodie when the stomacke is distempered the head aketh and when the head is wounded the stomacke is sicke and the bodie may bee smitten for the errours of the tongue Thus when Dauid sinned the child died and when hee numbred the Israelites the people were plagued And thus is the child stained in bloud for the fathers treason against earthly Princes and so God punished this woman in her children that shee might knowe the greatnesse of her sinnes hee smote her children with death Hence parents are taught to make conscience of euerie sinne For thereby they may bring iudgements vpon their children and familie euen to death Now what bloudie hearted parents are those that will make no conscience of doing that whereby they bring vengeance vppon their owne children And by the same reason must euery man that liues in any societie be admonished to take heed of sinne because thereby a man especially if hee bee a principall member of a societie may bring destruction vpon many As Dauid did by numbring the people And Achan by his couetous stealth Iosua 7 And Ahab vpon his posteritie So that impenitent persons which will not be reformed but go on in sinne ought to bee banished both from church and commonwealth as hurtfull members yea enemies to all good societies That these threatnings might take place in the hearts of Iesabell and her followers Christ remooueth two carnall conceits whereby they might thinke to delude or escape these iudgements threatned The first is this Iesabell and her company might thinke that their practises were secret not knowne to the world and therefore they were not in danger of Gods iudgements This is a wicked imagination that comes into the mind of all sinners but this Christ cuts off saying And all the Churches shall know that I am hee which search the reines and the
Thirdly men will professe that they are rich in loue both towards God and their neighbours when as they loue the world and the pleasures thereof more than Christ and so haue no true loue of God in their harts Fourthly to make more plain that this spirituall pride raignes in mens harts mark this let any bodily calamity be made knowne to a man that is newly befallen him oh how is hee presently perplexed but let Gods Minister out of his word make knowne vnto him his inward fearfull estate that by reason of sinne hee is in danger of Gods iudgements and a firebrand of Hell hee is not affraide Worldly newes doth affright men much when as the threatnings of the word mooue them nothing What argueth this but that their hearts are fore-stalled with this false conceit I am rich The drunkard in his drunkennesse the filthie person in his vncleannesse and euerie man in his sinne sootheth himselfe with this God is mercifull I am rich and in his fauour hee will not condemne me Well it being thus manifest that spirituall pride is our common sin We must labour to see it in our selues and vse all good meanes that it may be remooued The means follow afterwards And increased with goods or am made rich so the words are these words are added onely for amplification to shew that this church had not any smal portion but an exceeding measure of spirituall pride The doubling of the words sheweth the strength of this conceit What 's the cause that this Church was growne to such an height of pride Answ. It may be it was knowledge wherewith no doubt the Angell of this Church and many therin did abound now the holy Ghost saith That knowledge pusseth vp This is true in all places great knowledg without speciall grace great pride This is the sinne of the Schooles of learning Where knowledge abounds there pride of heart abounds and men are puffed vp according to the measure of their gifts vnlesse by his grace and the sight of their sins God doe humble them And haue need of nothing This is a further signe of their great pride that they thought they needed not the helpe of any thinge or any person beside themselues And all such as thinke they haue no need of the blood of Christ for the washing away of their sinnes doe surfet and abound with this spirituall pride of heart This serues further to conuince our congregations of this damnable spirituall pride If any one be sicke in bodie hee streight sendeth to the Phisitian but not one of a thousand seeketh to the Minister till the pange of death draw neere The soules disease by sin is not felt there is no complaint for want of the blood of Christ. But if wee would be emptied of this pride wee must labour to see that wee stand in neede of Christ and euerie droppe of his blood till such time as wee feele that in vs there is no goodnesse in our hearts VVee are but the proude Laodiceans and our case is wretched and damnable And knowest not how thou art wretched and miserable and poore and blinde and naked Christ intending to strike this sin of pride to the verie heart doth here set downe the true cause thereof to wit Ignorance as if hee should say Thou knowest not thine owne naturall estate as thou art borne of Adam out of Christ and therefore thou art proude and thy pride maketh thee luke-warme Then he sheweth whereof they were ignorant namely of their naturall estate For the first Christ making Ignorance the cause of their Pride teacheth vs that Pride is not the first sin that euer was in the world as many both Papists and others haue thought True it is Pride is a great and mother sinne and the cause of many fowle iniquities but yet Ignorance is a mother sin wherof Pride springeth The cause why any person swelles with pride in himselfe is Ignorance of his owne naturall estate By this then wee are taught to learne to knowe our owne estate what wee are by nature in our selues without Christ for that is the way to pull downe our hearts For this cause the Prophets of God vsed to call men To a searching of themselues Zeph. 2.1 when they would bring the people to humilitie and grace that men seeing their estate by reason of their sinnes to bee damnable might bee humbled and caused to forsake themselues and come vnto Christ. And surely till such time as men bee humbled for their sinnes they will neuer get sound grace but be as the proud Pharisie hypocrits and dissemblers though they haue much knowledg But when a man hath searched his naturall estate then besides knowledg of himselfe come other most excellent graces as humilitie the feare of God and true obedience with good conscience And therefore first of all let vs labour to be acquainted with our own estate in our selues with our personall sins with Gods iudgmēts due vnto vs for them For this is the ground of true grace The spots and blemishes of our bodies we can soone espy and wipe away and why should wee bee lesse carefull of our soules which be farre better That Christ might fully make knowne vnto them their ignorance of thēselues it pleaseth him to desrcibe to thē their naturall estate so proportionally the naturall condition of all Churches of all people which is the state of mans miserie This he propoundeth two waies first generally in these wordes and knowest not how thou art wretched and miserable then by the parts thereof which be three Pouertie Blindnesse and Nakednesse For the first The word translated Wretched signifieth one subiect to calamities griefes and in a word to all miseries And that we may know who is thus wretched I will enter into a description of mans miserie whereof that we may conceiue aright two things are to bee considered First the roote and fountaine thereof for therein wee shall best see what miserie meaneth This root is originall sinne and it hath two braunches First that particular transgression whereby Adam sinned which was not only the sinne of his person but also of the whole nature of man spreading it self to all his posterity Christ excepted Secondly the defacing of Gods Image and the corrupting of mans heart which by reason of the fall of our first parents hath in it a pronesse vnto all sin both in will affection and in all the faculties of the soule In these two stands originall sin and in them and with them must wee conceiue of mans misery as in the root thereof Secondly we must conceiue of mans misery vnder the forme of punishmēt hauing relation to the first sin of Adam to the corruption of ech mans nature therby receiued The punishent of sin must be considered sundry waies according to the diuers kind of mans being either in this world or after For it is either in this life or at the end of this life or after this life
shew mercie exercise iudgement keepe courts assises begin end and continue warre according to his commaundements And so in euery thing the direction of Christ should be their guide as it was to Dauid Thy lawes O Lord haue beene my counsellours Psal. 119.24 Fourthly if Christ bee soueraigne king then all earthly princes are bound to plant and establish in their kingdomes the religion of Christ else how can they shew themselues his loyall subiects Many imagine That earthly princes may admit vnto their subiects any religion for the peace of the ciuile state but this is against the equitie of Gods word in this place for wherein can earthly princes doe homage vnto Christ if they maintaine not his religion And their dutie in this behalfe is signified plainely in the parable of the mariage For when they that were bidden did not come the king sent forth his seruants which may be vnderstood of Christian magistrats to compell men to come to the mariage for that is the magistrates dutie in respect of the outward profession of true religion Fiftly seeing Christ alone is prince of the kings of the earth hence we learne that kings on earth in their dominions are soueraigne gouernours ouer all persons and in all causes next vnder Christ he is king of kings absolutely and they are vnder him alone and haue no other head but him Whereby wee see the presumption and arrogancie of the Pope and Sea of Rome in claiming supremacie aboue all kings and princes in the whole church vpoÌ„ earth This is a deuice of the diuell and high treason against Christ for hereby hee is robbed of this royall prerogatiue to be the only prince of the kings of the earth Lastly seeing Christ is king of all kings we must not be discouraged when we be called to suffer any affliction for his truth let the tyrants of the earth rage and bend their force to hurt vs yet wee haue a king aboue them al for whom we suffer he is their king hee can stay and bridle them and if hee please confound and bruise them in peeces They cannot do any thing but that which he permits for hee rules in the middest of all his enemies Psal. 110.2 he can breake them in pieces like a potters vessell Thus much of the offices of Christ. The second part of Christs description is by the execution of his offices which consists in foure works The first contained in these words Vnto him which loued vs the second in these Which washed vs in his bloud the other two in the two verses which follow viz. 6 and 7. For the first which loued vs that is Iohn and the churches of Asia by proportion all other churches being parts of the true church The loue of Christ hath three degrees the first is a generall loue wherby he loues all his creatures approuing the same to be good as they be his by creation The second is the loue of mankind in that he was content to become a redeemer for mankind after their fall and not â—or any other creature no not for the Angels which fell as well as man who therefore remaine without all hope of saluation The third and principall is that wherby he loues his elect and chosen children which is that speciall sauour whereby he accepts of them to life euerlasting This third degree hath two parts First it is taken for his purpose to loue as when he saith I haue loued Iacob and hated Esau Rom. 9.13 Secondly for the act of louing which is the declaration of his purpose by spirituall benefits 1. Iohn 3.1 Behold what singular loue God hath shewed vnto vs that wee should be called the sonnes of God noting the declaration of his loue in the gift of adoption So in this verse by the loue of Christ vnto his church is meant the actuall declaration of his speciall fauour in accepting them for his children and bestowing many singular blessings vpon them Whereas S. Iohn placeth this in the first place of all the benefites of Christ That he loued vs hee would teach vs That this speciall loue is the very ground of mans redemption which excludeth all foreseene faith and workes from being motiues of mans election in Gods eternall councell and so proportionally all foreseene sinnes from being motiues in God of mans reprobation It may be obiected The loue of God as also of man respects a thing as it is good First the thing must be good and then it is loued and so in mans redemption God first foresees their goodnesse and therefore chuseth them Ans. There is great difference betweene the loue of the creature and of the creator The loue of the creature followes the goodnesse of a thing because he seeth it is good therefore he loues it But God the creator first loues the creature before it bee good and hence it comes that it is good because he loues it Secondly whereas Saint Iohn and all the churches of Asia as other true churches do beleeue and are assured that Christ loues them for that Saint Iohn taketh for granted this should moue all men to haue this care to labour aboue all things to be rooted and grounded in the loue of God seeing hee placeth that in the first place This is the principall thing wherein the Apostle would haue the Ephesians rooted and grounded and therefore prayeth That with all Saints they may be able to comprehend what is the breadth and length deapth and height thâ—â—of Ephes. 2. vers 17 18 19. This we doe when we are assured in heart and conscience by the working of Gods spirit that he loues vs in Christ. So that he which denies vnto vs the assurance of Gods loue in Christ takes away the very ground of our saluation Now that we may haue this assurance of Gods loue wee must in all good duties to God and man draw neere to God with our hearts keeping a good conscience in all things and then will God draw neere to vs. If any man loue me saith Christ he will keepe my word and then my father will loue him and we will come in vnto him and dwell with him Iohn 14.23 meaning by the holy ghost which shall shed this loue into our hearts Rom. 5. vers 5. causing vs to increase in the feeling thereof as wee grow in faith and obedience towards him And hath washed vs from our sinnes in his bloud Here is the second benefit and action of Christ to his church Where first of all the very phrase hath washed vs doth import that the sinnes of men are as filthie spots in their soules and that himselfe and this church of God were touched with a serious consideration of their vilenesse by reason of their sinnes for washing presupposeth former filthinesse and pollution Thus did Dauid most sensibly feele his owne filthinesse and see his miserable estate when he desired the Lord to wash him throughly confessing thereby that his soule and body were so foulely stained and