it come withall must arme themselues with Christian courage and fortitude not to feare too much Thirdly they must be faithfull to God in regard of their promise and couenant in baptisme in keeping faith and good conscience and in defence of true religion euen to death So that they must heare these three the first concerning Gods prouidence seeing and regarding his church the second concerning Christian fortitude courage in afflictions the third our faithfulnes constancy in defence of faith a good conscience maintaining of true religion to the end These three are the things they should heare and consider and so we must consider and learne the same To excite them and vs to these three things to heare and know the three duties he giueth two reasons first because the Spirit speaketh the second is the persons to whom he spake not to one but all Churches directly to them of Smyrna and in them to all churches to all of vs no man is excepted but must heare him The second part of the conclusion is a promise He which euercometh shal not be hurt That we may ouercom two things are required first to renounce and go out of our selues secondly to cast all our hope trust and affiance in Christ which when we do then we haue sauing faith and this ouercometh all our enemies The second thing is to keep faith and a good conscience to defend true religion to the end of our dayes against all enemies And shall not be hurt of the second death that is eternall death for the first death is when the bodie and soule are separated in this life the second when both bodie and soule are separated from God for euer In which separation Reu. 21. consisteth the destruction of a man euen the suffering of the fire of the eternall lake It is then as if he said though he shall suffer the first death yet he shall not be hurt of the second he shall escape that fire and lake for euer This is a most comfortable and happie promise to escape the lake of hell Here note first to whom this promise is made to them which ouercome to them which renounce themselues put their trust and affiance onely in Christ and labour to keep faith a good conscience to the end Then if we would ouercome it is not enough to know to teach or heare of religion but true profession is ioyned with fighting against all the enemies of the same with christian courage let none of them raigne ouer vs but fight till we ouercome and get victorie ouer them all then we ouercome indeed and then to vs is made this promise Alas it is nothing to know or approue religion and yet to liue in sinne and to let the diuell the world and ourflesh raigne ouer vs. Then we must neuer content our selues with bare profession but labour to say in our hearts that we are conquerers of hell death c. by grace of Christ in vs and then we haue a blessed promise of freedome from the second death and of eternall happinesse we shall not feare the fire of hell the burning lake Furthermore in these words is answered a question which many a mans heart maketh but few in the truth of heart can answer How may I escape the burning lake how can I flie and auoid the second death Ans. Thou must in this life turne truly to God from all thy euill waies renounce thy selfe beleeue and put thine assurance in Christ and withall endeuour to keep faith and a good conscience to the end and then thou shalt escape the second death the fiery lake of hel shal not hurt thee though thou shalt tast of the first yet thou shalt not see the second death Would any haue his soule escape this burning lake haue his silly soule free from the torments of hell let him turne to God renounce himselfe put his trust and confidence in Christ neuer turne to his former sinnes and withall take heed to maintaine and keepe faith a good conscience and maintaine pure and true religion to the end and then he shall be free from the burning lake Further we see by these words that of the two deaths the second is the worse and most properly death for the first is but a preparation to the second the second is the cruell death and destruction of body and soule This is yet the madnes of men that they feare the pangs of the first and not of the second neuer thinke of the burning lake like children which feare shadowes and neuer feare fire or water but suffer themselues to be drowned or burned And to the Angell which is at Pergamus In these words is the third particular commaundement of Christ to Iohn for the penning and publishing of this third Epistle to the Church of Pergamus By the Angell of this Church is meant either the Minister and Pastor or company of the Ministers gouernors of the same So often in the word one is put for a multitude This particular commaundement is giuen to Iohn by Christ to assure him of his calling to pen this booke and Epistle secondly to assure the Church of the authoritie of the booke seeing it is deliuered by Christ himselfe The Epistle hath three parts first a preface secondly a proposition thirdly a conclusion The Preface in these words Thus saith he with hath that sharp c. the proposition in the thirteenth verse the conclusion in the seuenteenth verse Thus saith he Here he sheweth in whose name he wrote this Epistle to wit Christs who is described that he is not onely a Prophet and Priest but a King in gouerning and guiding his Church for he hath a sword in his hand which is described first that it hath to edges Secondly it is sharpe meaning by it the word of God so as not onely the doctrine of the law but the promises of the Gospell are of the like power Hebr. 4. 12. Christ is thus set out to comfort the Church of Pergamus for by this Christ signifies three things first that he by power of the word killeth sinne wounds it at the heart he killeth and slayeth the corruption of our nature so deadly that it cannot recouer againe secondly that he wil strengthen and maintaine the church and the members of the same by this sword against al their enemies for he will not onely hurt the enemies but defend his by his sword Obiect How doth he wound them by the word Answ. The word must be knowne and beleeued of vs. Now when we know and beleeue the law and the threates thereof and the points and promises of the Gospell then if afflictions come faith by which we beleeue them maketh vs that we are comforted and armeth vs against all afflictions and persecutions so that nothing can hurt vs but if we beleeue it not then the word is to vs as a sword in a sheath not drawn out nor vsed to defend or driue backe our enemies but
Leaders Elders Salt Starres Angels and Shepheards Prophets to teach Seers to foretell Remembrancers to put in mind Trumpets to sound Watchmen to admonish Husbandmen to plow vp Stewards to distribute Maydens to keepe pure the doctrine of truth Fishers to catch men Leaders to go before Elders to gouerne Salt to season Starres to giue light Angels to declare and Shepheards to feed to feed I say soundly by doctrine liberally by charitie and religiously by life By doctrine for Sacerdos sine doctrina est nauis sine velis a Priest without knowledge is a ship without sailes By liberalitie for Nihil habet homo adeò diuinum quà m benefacere man is in nothing more like God then in doing good By life for cuius vita despicitur eius oratio contemnitur his words are not esteemed whose life is not approued And that it may be said of them as it was of Origen Quale habuit verbū talem habuit vitam as his words were so were his workes They must not be barren like mount Gilboah but weaned as Samuel was before they be offered vnto the Lord. They must be pure water if they will cleanse others and more then whetstones if they will sharpen others They must be in integritie Abrahams in meekenesse Moses in knowledge Arons in pains Paules and in praying Samuels and remēber that as Augustine said Manus pauperū sunt gazophylaciū Christi The hands of the poore are the treasurie of Christ. I need not speake much of the dutie of a Minister for euery one wil teach him his duty that wil not be ranged within any dutie himselfe These Churches were then like Dauids Worthies excellent aboue all the Churches of the world but because they lost their first loue were not faithfull to the death maintained the doctrine of Balaam suffered women to teach bare a name onely to liue had but a litle strength were neither hote nor cold and repented not as they should haue done of all their sins they are reprehended by Iohn threatened by Christ and the Candlesticke of the Gospell is now taken away from them Iam seges est vbi Troia fuit Now Mahomet rageth where Messiah did raigne Are they reprehended let vs hearken are they threatened let vs feare are they fallen let vs labour to continue From Iohns reprehension we see that as one said hereof our Elders haue complained hereof do we complaine and hereof they which liue after vs will complaine that men waxe worse and liue not according to the doctrine of Gods word From Christs threatning we see that God is mercifull who first offereth peace before he fight against vs that we being forewarned might be forearmed And by the wofull downefall of these seuen Churches let vs that stand take heed that we fall not for if God spared not the old world who despised Noah the Sodomites who vexed Lot Ierusalem which abused the Prophets Colossa Hierapolis and Laodicea who reiected Paule and these Asian Churches who did not grow in righteousnesse as they did in riches how shall we escape if we neglect so great saluation and for this cause these Sermons are most worthie to be considered of in this present age O then let vs now consider this season redeeme the oportunitie not harden our hearts but regard the time of our present visitation As the day openeth and shutteth with the Sunne so saluation openeth and shutteth with the Gospell Whilst it is called to day let vs heare his voice He that laboureth in Sommer is the sonne of Wisedom but he that sleepeth in haruest is the son of confusiō All things in the world do take their time the bird to build her nest the husbandman to sow his seed the mariner to go to sea the gardener to set his trees the sicke patient to take physicke the cooke to season meates and the dresser of the vineyard to gather his fruite It will be too late to build in Sommer to sow in haruest to go to sea when the ship is lanched to transplant trees when they are old to take phisicke when we are dying to season meates when they are vnsauorie when winter is come to gather fruite The fiue foolish virgins came too late Diues in hell repenteth too late the time present is only ours Is the fig-tree fruitlesse it shall heare that sentence Neuer fruite grow on thee any more Get thee then righteousnesse before thou come to iudgement vse Physicke before thou be sicke and whilst thou maist yet sinne shew thy conuersion as the wise man exhorteth euery man But alas whereunto shall I liken this generation we are like the Ephesians we haue lost our first loue or the Laodiceans we are neither hote nor cold or the twilight neither day nor night or the Autumne neither faire nor fowle or one sicke of an ague one day well another ill or a man in a Lethargie neither aliue nor dead or Hermaphroditus neither male nor female or to those creatures called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which liue in water or on land or the Lionesse which the oftener she breedeth the fewer cubs she beareth or the Mariner who is onely good in a storme or the Marigold that shutteth and openeth with the Sunne or the Mermaides which are halfe flesh half fish I would to God we were either hote or cold that as the hotest regions bring foorth sweetest spices so most zealous people might be most fruitfull in good workes that as the Sunne in the heauen is swiftest at her setting so the sonnes of God might be best at their ending But is it so no the more we are taught the more ignorant are many and the older we are the colder in religion We haue indeed many of vs as it was said of Aristogîton Marte◠or rather religionem in lingua religion in tong but when trial is made of vs euery Phocion can espie our halting and then with Archilochus we thinke it better clypeum abjicere quà m interire euen to cast off all religion then to vndergo the least disgrace for religion The Moone desiring to be apparelled as the rest of the Planets answer was made her that her diuerse chaunges could admit no kind of habite And we desiring to be attired with the robes of Christians it is to be feared that since we tread not the Moone vnder our feet we shall neuer be clothed as the Church was with the Sunne Who is wise and he shall vnderstand these things and prudent he shall know them Let vs therefore labour to grow in grace to abound in knowledge to be full of good works and to ouercome all the vnderminers of our future saluation Then shall we eate of the tree of life not be hurt of the second death tast of the hidden
Manna haue power ouer nations be clothed in white made pillars in Gods temple and sit with Christ Iesus in the throne of his Father And though the sonne of Ishai cannot make vs Captains of thousands yet that Sonne of Dauid will make vs the sonnes of God That we may do so we must beleeue the Gospell put on Christ Iesus and be renewed by repentance The first is necessarie the second comely the third profitable To come to the first it is necessarie we should beleeue for he that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie he is condemned in the counsell of God in the ministerie of the word and in his owne conscience and he shall be condemned in the day of iudgement for the wrath of God abideth vpon him The more I consider the fruites of faith the more I see the necessitie of faith Through it we are saued by it we are iustified in it we liue We are saued from Satan iustified before God and liue in the Church In the Church nay by it we liue in heauen for he that beleeueth in the Sonne of God hath euerlasting life Faith is that which purifieth the heart maketh the whole man to runne the wayes of Gods commandements giueth entrance to grace accesse to God in prayer made the Elders well reported of and each Christian to stand to the profession of Christ. It is that hand by which we must apprehend Christ that shield by which we resist all the fierie darts of the diuell and that meanes by which we do good to others By faith we receiue the spirit are members of Christ we are risen with him he dwelleth in our hearts we feed on him continually resist Satan are the children of God and the word which we heare becometh profitable And what shall I say faith is of such a qualitie that it vniteth vs to Christ maketh vs certaine of our saluation bold in our profession ministreth true ioy giueth temporall blessings sanctifieth our gifts and maketh vs refuse the pleasures of this present world In a word no sinne can condemne him who hath this true faith and no vertue can saue him who wanteth it To come to the second which is Christ the obiect of faith The most comely garment that euer we can weare it is to be couered with the robes of Christs righteousnesse Iacob was blessed by Esaus garments we are blessed by Christs garments What we see through a greene glasse seemeth all to be greene and what God seeth thorough Christ it is al amiable We must put on this aparel not as the Church in the Canticles I haue put off my clothes how shall I put them on againe or as a gowne that we cast off when we come to our home but we must so put him on that we neuer put him off againe We must put him on by imputation imitation infusion and profession by imputation of his righteousnesse imitation of his vertues infusion of his Spirit and profession of his name Thus we must labour to get Christ for what though a man could commaund the earth with Alexander the sea with Moses the fire with Eliah and the Sunne with Iosuah What though he were as rich as Salomon as wise as Achitophel as strong as Sampson as swift as Ahimaaz as beautifull as Absolon as fortunate as Metellus descended as Paul was of the bloud royal of Princes yet hauing not Christ he hath nothing Yea say a man had the abstinence of Aristydes the innocencie of Phocion the holinesse of Socrates the almes deedes of Cimon the moderation of Camillus the honestie iustice and faithfulnesse of both Catoes all these out of Christ were but splendida peccata and to be esteemed as dung in regard of Christ. For haue him and haue all things want him and want all things he is in at and after death aduantage I come to the last it is profitable to repent for if we turne to the Lord he will turne to vs and that we may turne consider his mercies in forgiuing his benefites in giuing his patience in forbearing and his iudgments in punishing The word preached sinnes committed and that few shall be saued the shortnesse of life the vncertaintie of life and the certaintie of death the ioyes of heauen the torments of hell the comfort of the elect and that else we can haue no comfort in death pray we cannot vnlesse we repent and perish we shall vnlesse we repent but blessed shall we be if we do repent But manum de tabula Magister adest this discourse following will teach vs these things and it am I bold to present to your Worships Iohn sent his Reuelation to many Churches and I present his Epistles to many worthie personages and to whom may I better present them thē to you Iohn was a disciple full of loue and you are breethrē full of loue The Preacher of these Lectures was well knowne to many but to none better then to many of you especially to those who were in my time worthie members of that most worthie Colledge with him And the rather I do it that times to come may reioyce in the Lord that from one honorable root haue issued so many profitable branches to the Church You are sixe brethren as pillars of your house there were three sisters as fruitfull vines of the same one is not but is with the Lord and her I knew a Ladie of admirable vertues the other two are and long may they be so You are all brethren by nature of one venter nation of one countrie grace of one spirit affection of one heart fortune in great fauour and of one hope by your holy behauiour And concerning brotherly loue I need not to write vnto you for you are taught of God to loue one another Your Scilurus at his death need not teach you concord by giuing to each of you a sheafe of arrowes which cannot well be broken whilst they are conioyned for you by your amitie make your selues inuincible If Chilo the Lacedaemonian died for ioy to see one sonne crowned at Olympus and Diagoras Rhodius did the like when his three children got the garland at a wrestling and Iacob so reioyced to heare of his one Ioseph to be aduanced greatly in the kingdome of Egypt how might that happie father of yours reioyce to see at one time one sonne sitting as high Sheriffe of the shire another preaching before the Iudges of Assize and the third pleading as Councellor at the barre and all the rest of great expectation in the kingdome Thus wise sons are a ioy to their parents and all may behold how good and comely a thing it
when a man keepeth this promise made in baptisme and performeth this condition to God and stipulation then he is faithfull to God when he breaketh it then he is vnfaithfull 1. Pet. 3. 21. Secondly the Lord he giueth his seruants many graces as faith hope loue repentance c. these he committeth to man to see how he will vse or abuse them 1. Tim. 6. 20. we must labour to keepe them to vse them well and this if we do to Gods glorie and to our owne good then we be faithfull to God else not as if a man commit a thing to be kept by another if he loose it or keepe it not well he is not faithfull to him Be faithfull As if he had said Thou hast made a promise in baptisme to keepe faith and a good conscience and thou hast had many graces promising to vse them well to keepe them in life and death be faithfull in persecutions afflictions keepe faith and a good conscience and then thou artfaithfull Against this dutie three sorts of men offend first they which though they haue made a couenant in baptisme to serue the Lord to keep faith and a good conscience yet liue in ignorance and securitie neuer seeking to know the Lord to vnderstand his will or to obey him yet these will brag of their good meanings though they haue no care at all to please God no care to keepe their couenant made with God and their stipulation in baptisme to him Secondly they which for a good while haue had faith and a good conscience and haue come to serue the Lord yet after long time fall away being entangled with the world with the profits and sinnes thereof and so leaue all and come to breake faith and a good conscience both these are vnfaithfull seruants and their reward if the Lord dealt in iustice with them is destruction and yet all men in a maner be of these two sorts they either liue in ignorance or fall away after a long time The third sort are they which professe a long time liue in faith and good conscience and be earnest professors yet in time of triall and persecution they will leaue all profession of religion to saue themselues Then seeing all these offend we must labour to know God to obey him to keepe his graces bestowed on vs to the end to liue and die in his seruice and to lose our life rather then any one grace which God bestoweth vpon vs. And I wil giue thee the crown of life Here is a reasoÌ„ to moue theÌ„ to go on in persecutioÌ„ to be faithful to the end HeÌ„ce the Papists gather that a man may merit heauen seeing there is promised a crowne of life Ans. It is called a crowne of life by resemblance for as men in a race first run and after they obtaine the crowne at the end of their race so men must first in this world liue godly run and finish their course after that they haue their crowne in heauen I answer againe this reward is not of the worke but the promise is made to the workers not to the martyredome but to the martyr which hath by suffering death shewed his faith in Christ it is not made to the passion or suffering but to the person suffering not for his suffering but to him as he is in Christ declared to be so by his suffering death So then that promise is not made to the work but to the worker and not for his work but for the worthinesse of Christ in whom he is a true member of the Church The vse then is that if we keepe this promise in Baptisme made before God his Angels and the Church we shall haue the reward of all which is the crowne of life in the kingdome of heauen promised to such as be faithfull to the end Let him which hath an eare heare In these words are the coÌ„clusion or last part of the Epistle Now in these three verses for the most part is a rehearsall of those things which Christ deliuered before in this and in the former Chapter Now seeing Christ the head and Doctor of his Church is most perfect in his doctrines both for matter and maner of deliuering the same seeing he repeateth againe and againe the same things and seeing Peter put them often in mind of their common saluation hence we note that Ministers may often repeate the same doctrine not onely the same matter but in the same maner and words So did Christ the head Doctor of the Church so may we or any preacher preach the same sermon againe in maner and matter not for to ease our selues but for the good and benefite of the Church as Christ seuen times repeateth the same doctrine to the good of the Church and common benefite of all The hearers then if they find the Preacher shall deliuer the same doctrine againe or often they must not find fault for then they might as well find fault with Christ himselfe who not once or twise but often repeated the same words In this eleuenth verse is a conclusion of the Epâ—stle to the Church of Smyrna and it hath two parts first a commaundement secondly a promise In the commandement first what is coÌ„manded secondly to whoÌ„ The duty commanded is to heare There are two kinds of hearing good and bad Here he requireth good hearing with faith and obedience not naked and bare outward hearing Then we see the true knowledge of the Gospell standeth in hearing with faith and obedience for we know no more then we beleeue and obey if we beleeue and obey nothing we heare and know nothing with sound hearing to saluation The second thing is to whom the commaundement is giuen to them which haue eares to heare for some are deafe some be liuely and hearing hearers They are deafe which heare onely with outward and bodily eares not affected in hart nor chaunged in life by the word they are good hearing hearers which are touched and affected by the word changed and renued in life by the same hauing not onely outward eares of the head but inward bored by Gods spirit in the heart Hence we learne two things first that election is not generall and vniuersall of euery particular man for there is was and shall be euer some deafe hearers Secondly we learne our duty that we must not onely heare the word and lend our outward eares but withall ioyne faith obedience and conuersion in life so heare that we be changed in life and turned to God else our hearing is fruitlesse nay to damnation The third thing is what they must heare What the Spirit saith namely that which is before in the former words deliuered by Christ. The principall things be these first that the Lord seeth and regardeth the tribulations and afflictions of his Church secondly that Gods Church and people being to suffer the crosse and afflictions must forethinke of it and consider of it before
kept my name Though thou dwellest in a place where the diuel hath erected his throne yet thou maintainest my name and holdest it fast so that neither fraud nor force of enemies can take it from thee My name that is my doctrine of the Gospell Rom. 9. Thou doest constantly hold and maintaine it and my religion thou beleeuest the doctrine of saluation which my seruants haue deliuered to thee So that in these words Christ commends the church of Pergamus for constancie in maintaining the doctrine of saluation We see it is not enough for vs to hold beleeue and maintaine religion but we must do it constantly so the word signifiâ—s we must hold the same fast against all aduersaries not easily turned with any blast of mens doctrine but so to hold religion that no enemy by force or fraud draw it from vs. When Math. 13. the man found the pearle he sold all to buy the field And if a man amongst vs should find in our field by his cunning and skil a golden mine he would not tel it to any but go and sel all he had buy the grouÌ„d that so he might inrich himself So we if we know the doctrine of saluation we must labor to make it ours to haue it made sure to vs to sell all we haue to loose life it selfe rather then to forgo that precious pearle 1. Tim. 3. 9. Faith is compared to a precious iewell which must be laid vp in the treasury of a good conscience which cannot be broken into but must be strong in which store-house and treasury we must haue true religion and faith locked that nothing get it from vs but loose all we haue euen our life before we part with it for if that be sure all is well but if faith and religion be lost all is gone saluation is lost thy soule is perished Now for her further commendation Christ sets out her constancie by two arguments first that she held religion without deniall secondly that she held it in the time of bloudy persecution 1. The Church of Pergamus neuer denied Religion or reuolted from faith in Christ she did not as many men who hold beleeue and maintaine religion yet in time of triall they will reuolt In this we must imitate her else we know not whether the Lord will giue vs grace to repent if he should not we perish Esaw sold his birth-right for a small thing a few red pottage but after he sought it with repentance and teares could not get it We must then hold religion and not in time of affliction and persecution reuolt and deny it lest the Lord giue vs no grace to repent which we know not whether he will or not And hast not denied my faith that is mine owne doctrine of the Gospell and true Religion Religion is called Christs first because Christ with the Father and holy Ghost is author of it all Religion which is good being from aboue secondly because he reuealed it from the bosome of his Father thirdly because Christ is the matter of al religion Christ is the whole subiect of religion in the old and new Testament the end of the law and the scope of the Gospell The second argument whereby Christ sets out her constancie is that she held religion in the time of bloudy persecution when she was thus persecuted she was constant When Antiphas was put to death Who this Antiphas was it is not certainly knowne by any history yet it is thought he was Pastor and Minister of the Church of Pergamus who opposed himself and oppugned the doctrine and idolatry of the heathen in that citie In these words are two points first he commends this martyr Antiphas when he saith That my seruant my faithfull seruant Antiphas he extols him to the Church of Pergamus By this we see that it is lawfull to honour and commend Martyrs which dy for Christs cause and that in two things first in giuing them their due deserued honour and commendation as Christ did to Antiphas secondly by careful imitation of their constancie and vertues and conuersation of life for this cause Christ commends this good Martyr that the people of Pergamus might imitate him in his constancie not to honour him as the Papists do with diuine honour and inuocation Againe he saith That my faithfull Martyr not commending him for his death that he died but for the cause for not the death but the cause makes a Martyr for a man may die for heresie and erronious opinion and yet he is no Martyr But Antiphas he was a true Martyr ergo Christ saith that my seruant nay that my faithfull seruant Antiphas In the end of this verse he setteth downe the authors of this death of Antiphas Some among you some of Pergamus were the cause of his Martyrdome they were such in whom the diuell ruled and raigned and this he repeates to shew that they which haue contemned Christs religion though they pretend good things yet they be the slaues of the diuell he rules and raignes in them they be his holds and castels Obiect But why did the diuell dwell in the citie of Pergamus more then in any other Answ. Because many in this citie were Gentiles they hated and conteÌ„ned the Gospel so became the holds of the diuel we must then take heed we neuer conteÌ„ne the fame For in a family where they liue in ignorance in iniustice fraud and wickednes there the diuell ruleth he hath his throne that is a stable for him to dwell in Then masters of families and parents which gouern families must see they loue and embrace religion and teach it to their family else their houses be but the stables of Satan his place to dwell in Ob. But whether might not Antiphas being Minister and Pastor of that Church haue fled Answ. Persecution is double either directed against the person of the Minister principally or to the whole Church equally if it be against his person he may flie safely if he get oportunitie to preserue his life and haue libertie of the Church to flie but if it respect the whole Church then vnlesse he haue libertie graunted by them he must stay and take part with them in their persecution Now of this sort was Antiphas persecution seeing he was so called of God to suffer But I haue a few things against thee He commended her before but here he rebukes her and this reproofe is first generally propounded then in more particular in generall he tels them that they wanted zeale Thou bearest with them which c. But I haue These words he spake to the church of Ephesus before and here repeates them againe teaching the true members of the Church to enter into their owne hearts to search what is in them that Christ may haue against them to cal themselues to a strait reckoning to consider all the things they haue done from their beginning to their end and al their life narrowly to examine themselues
cruel man he stands to fight against such face to face stands with his naked sword in the ministery of the word to reclaime them from their sins if they wil not to wound them to the heart and to kil them Now we hearing our sins reprooued we should feare and tremble fall downe as Balaam did and seeing the Lord in the word preached stands with his sword in his hand ready to slay vs if we wil not be stayed we should be afraid If we heare of an enemy to come against vs how will euery one quake for feare shall we feare the shaking sword of a mortal man and not the bloudy sword of the euerliuing God Shall we resist him and go on though he fight against vs Alas it is not wisedome to striue with God for then he will hacke vs to peeces but we must heare him and submit our selues to his good will pleasure and if we wil not the same sword of God shall be an instrument to pierce our hearts to death Then when we heare the Minister speaking to vs we must know that the Lord speaketh to vs fights against our sins and not contemne him Againe we see the word of God is called the sword of Christs mouth not only because he once deliuered it but because it dayly proceeds frō him in the preaching of the same by the Ministers Then we see this is an excellent thing that the Ministers of Christ lawfully called they be that mouth of Christ from which his sword proceeds So Paul calleth them the Ambassadours of Christ to deliuer his word 2. Cor. 5. 19. Then they which be in the schooles of the Prophets and they also which be in the way to the same must learne to thinke reuerently and highly of it not contemne it and thinke it a base calling for to be a Lawyer or Phisition hath not this priuiledge to be called the mouth of Christ as the Ministers haue Againe seeing they be the mouth of Christ Ministers must speake the word of Christ as they are perswaded in conscience Christ would speake the same if he were present Euen as Ambassadors who deliuer their masters will in that maner and those words which they thinke he would himselfe which if we did then we should not haue that humane kind of preaching partly in Greeke Latin English mingled with testimonies and sentences of men for Christ would neuer preach so neither did his Apostles or Prophets vse it Furthermore seeing the Minister lawfully called is the mouth of Christ we must take heed that we seeing a mortall man sinfull like to vs deliuer the word that we contemne it not for his sake but receiue the word as it is indeed the power of God though it come from a mortall man So Paul commends the Thessalonians who receiued his doctrine as the word of the euer liuing God Besides seeing Christ carieth his Scepter in his mouth not in his hand we see his kingdom is not of this world not carnall but spirituall he gouerneth and ruleth his Church and people by the sword of his mouth the eternall word of God published and preached by sinfull man like to vs. This sheweth the abuse of that sword which the Pope the Vicar of Christ chalengeth for he will haue both swords ciuil and Ecclesiasticalls surely he is not the Vicar and in the roome of Christ for Christ was content onely with the spirituall sword Now followeth the conclusion of the Epistle containing two parts the first a commandement Let him which hath an eare heare the second a promise To him which ouercometh will I giue to eate of the Manna c. Of the first I haue spoken before The end and scope of this commaundement is to stir vp the Church to attention to marke the things propounded The first speciall point what is commaunded to be heard is the word of God which must not be heard with a bare and simple hearing but with knowledge faith beleefe and obedience in practise Seeing he commaunds this hearing to all men we see it is the ordinance of God all men in the Church should frequent sermons where this word of God is propounded and taught by plaine and simple men that they may better learne their dutie At a good time men wil come to the Church though they come not halfe a yeare after but the ordinance of Christ is that men should daily at all lawfull occasions frequent sermons and come to the congregation and if we be his sheepe we will heare his voice Ioh. 10. desire to heare his word taught by his mouth Mat. 16. the word of God is called the key of the kingdome of heauen now as necessarie it is to haue the key to open heauen as to haue his soule brought thither Paule calleth the doctrine of the Gospell the word of reconciliation because the same by Gods grace reconcileth vs to him who being his enemies are made by it to be in his fauour Then we must come to heare it daily not at Christmas or such times alone for this is to magnifie those dayes aboue the Lords day But men corrupt froward say for themselues Tush if God or Christ or his Apostles wold preach to vs we wold come but when men speake to vs being sinfull and like our selues we will not Ans. It is the will and ordinance of God that his word should be published and preached to man by man like himselfe for since Adams fall man could not abide to heare the Maiestie of God the Israelites seeing but a glimmering of Gods glorie could not abide it but said Speake to vs by Moses Exod. 19. And he will haue his word preached by sinfull man to trie mans obedience and humilitie how he will receiue and obey the word of God deliuered by man Againe he doth it to make loue betweene man and man when one man speaketh the word of God to another Then are they presumptuous persons who dare oppose themselues against Gods most holy ordinance and will Againe others say they haue the Bible containing the Sermons of Christ the Apostles and Prophets and who can make better Sermons then they now seeing they haue these at hand they need not come to the Church But let these consider that as it is the ordinance and will of God to haue the Bible so will he haue it expounded by man in the Church that mē might vnderstand it and so make vse of it in their liues As for some others they will not come to the Church but hauing a iourney as they say they can serue God on their horse backe or in the way as well and with as good a heart as the best in the Church but let these heare the word of God by the wisest man Salomon Pro. 28. 16. He which turneth his eare from the law that is from hearing the word of God his prayers are abhominable And if he turne frō God God will turne from him and if men be wearie
here he commands her to embrace the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles Hence we see Christ would haue this Church to embrace the doctrine taught by his Apostles to maintaine that and not to regard any other but though an Angell from heauen did preach any other doctrine he should be accursed Galat 1. By this we may iudge of the maine religions which be in the world namely of the Turkes Iewes and Papists The Papists magnifie their religion standing on vnwritten traditions but they cannot proue they be Apostolical ergo we must not regard them no nor doctrines which men say they haue by reuelation for we must onely regard Apostolicall doctrine As for the Turkes religion it was not the Apostles preaching but crept in six hundred yeares after them And for the Iewes all their religiō is against the Gospel Then good men in diuers countries shold not be of diuers religions but they should embrace the doctrine taught by the Prophets and Apostles of Christ neither should men because of dissent in religion be of no religion for Christ inioynes this Church to maintaine the doctrine of the Apostles though many discented from it Hold fast to the end Here not how long not one or two dayes but to the end and we must looke to this seeing Christ so straightly commands it because this is the foundation and mark of true religion and the readie way to saue mens soules to be constant to the end and for this 2. Tim. 2. Paul bids him teach that he learned that others might instruct them which follow and so conuey it from age to age and for this the Church is called the ground and pillar of truth And so the Lord Eph. 4. giueth the Church Pastors first such as by their teaching maintaine puritie in maners and teachers which maintaine it in doctrine Then this is the Churches dutie to continue puritie of religion to the end of the world If the marke be set wrong in the hauen it is enough to cast away all the ships so if the puritie of doctrine be corrupt which is the direction of our soules to heauen then we shall make shipwracke of our soules in hell Then the Ministers must not onely teach truly but labour to beate downe false doctrine which poisons the doctrine of the Gospell And because men labour not to maintaine the puritie of religion and true doctrine the Lord 2. Thess. 2. giueth them vp to beleeue lies and fantasies of men To him which ouercometh c. In these words is the last part to wit the conclusion of the Epistle containing two parts first a promise secondly a commaundement In the promise note two things first the parties to whom secondly the benefits promised The partie to whom to him which ouercometh whom here Christ describes to be he which keepes his workes by his practise of obedience He which keepes or obserues This is the forme of obedience namely the obseruing of the works of Christ which is not a keeping of them according to the rigour of the law but a constant purpose and indeuour to keepe them for the children of God haue this priuiledge that their will and indeuour is accepted of God for the deed in Christ Iesus There are many which haue litle knowledge these must not be cast downe but if they haue a desire and indeuour to liue according to the will of Christ making conscience of sinne their obedience is true obedience and acceptable to Christ. My workes Here is the matter of obedience namely Christs works that is such workes as Christ hath ordained in his word by his spirit and is the author of in his members Christ cals these workes his workes therefore we must not thinke or speake or do our words or workes but onely Christs workes commanded and ordained in his word and caused in vs by his spirit which we do when we conforme our works and wils to his word and will We see no worke is acceptable to God which is not ordered by Christs word though we think highly of it Esay 6. he reproueth them for teaching the feare of God by mens cōmandemēt This condemnes the Turkes Papists and Iewes religion which are not workes of Christ but of sinfull men standing in praying to Saints fasting vowing Masses c. My workes Not one or two workes but all my workes the creature must obey Christ not in some but absolutely in all things he will not pattstakes but wil haue all or none Dauid Psal. 119. conformed himselfe to the whole law So Hezekiah he turned to all the law of Moses Vnto the end Here we see Christ will haue our obedience to be constant c. we must not iudge of obedience by one or two actions but by the course of a mans life if his life hath bene good with conscience of sinne then his obedience is good For say a man by reason of sicknesse rage and raue at his death yet if he haue liued well and made conscience of sinne we must not iudge of him by that fit Now the benefits promised are two first power to rule secondly the morning starre I will giue him power which I haue receiued of my father These words must be referred to the words not following but before For the better vnderstanding of them two questions are necessary first what is the power of the Mediator secondly how farre he conueyeth power to his seruants For the first the power of Christ as he is Mediator is great and described by three arguments first to rule ouer nations here is the largenesse of it for Christ hath power ouer all men all countries and kingdomes in the whole world are in his hand Secondly it is soueraigne and absolute ruling and ouerruling all creatures ouerruled of none This soueraigntie stands in two things first that he giueth lawes that binde the conscience so that if men keepe them not he hath power to condemne them nay he ruleth mens wils and affections he can make them obey him in spite of their hearts Seconly in that he hath this power of himself and from himself Reu. 3. he hath the keyes of heauen and hel Psal. 2. he can breake them in peeces as a potters vessell Thirdly he receiues it from his father as he is God he is equall to his father yet as he is Mediator he receiueth it from him thus is his power generall soueraigne and absolute To come to the second question How farre this power is ours and imparted to vs. Answ. The generall soueraigne power of Christ is not giuen to vs or to any creature but to him who is God and man it is incommunicable to any creature and proper to the person of Christ. Then Christ speaketh these words not to shew that his absolute soueraigne power is giuen to vs but because his creatures haue the benefit of it the full comfort and saluation of the elect cometh from it they haue fruite of it in that they partake
thing to come namely an houre of temptation Here Christ foretelleth a thing not present but to come though not known to the Church and that without the helpe of any creature man or Angel which prophecying of this persecution vnder Traian sheweth that he is true God for it is a propertie and priuiledge of God simply of by and from himselfe without helpe of any creature foreseeing of things in their courses to foretell a thing to come Men cannot foretell any thing vnlesse it be present in the causes not simply Then here we must know the cause why this persecution came to them rather then peace and why Christ foretold it rather than peace The cause why Christ saith this houre of temptation shall come is not any foreknowledge of Christ or because he foretelleth it for things come to passe not because God foretelleth and knoweth them but because they be to come to passe therefore he foreseeth them and foreknoweth them The cause then why things come to passe is the will good pleasure decree of God Act. 2. 23. Christ was put to death by the eternall counsell and decree of God so it was Gods will and pleasure not his foreknowledge or foreseeing that this persecution came on this church and the decree of God in the effecting of all things is the highest cause by which all things come to passe and that giueth being to al other causes Obiect Then God is the author of sin Answ. As Gods will and decree in the effecting of things is in the highest place so must we distinguish of the things he willeth for he willeth some things which he effecteth himselfe as all good things some things he willeth and yet doth not effect them but onely permits them to be done by other as sin and euill things which though they come not from his will yet they be according to his will not against his will for his will disposeth of sin and euill things and in all things good or euill his will disposeth and setteth downe the causes and circumstances of place time maner how the end c. Then their opinion is false which hold that certaine things as sin come to passe God onely foreseeing them not decreeing them to come to passe or permitting them Now to giue God a bare foreseeing without decreeing is to rob him of his Godhead and to take from him his prouidence by which he disposeth of all things seeing euery thing which is done cometh to passe by his will and decree he either decreeing and effecting it as all good things or permitting it as euill things The end why Christ alleageth this prophecie is to expound the former words namely why he called the time of persecution a temptation because it should certainly come to trie the whole earth Where we may note the propertie of any affliction persecution or crosse namely to trie a man to discrie what is in his heart whether there be grace and feare of God or hypocrisie And for this end is the crosse sent to men to make knowne either their faith or hypocrisie And there is nothing better to trie the heart of man then temptation and afflictiō and then though thy heart was full of presumption before thou maist know what is in thee and iudge of thy selfe Verse 11. Behold I come shortly Here is Christs commaundement in it note first the occasion it selfe secondly the reason to inforce it The commaundement Hold fast namely with both hands as for life and death If thou haue receiued a litle measure of grace rather part with any thing then with it keepe it and preserue it till death but of this before The reasons to inforce this commaundement are two one before the other after The first Behold I come shortly I wil come to thee shortly either by generall iudgement or else by particular iudgement by death Now before it Christ puts a word of attentiō to shew that this cōmandement is not to be lightly passed ouer of vs but to be earnestly and often remembred Now seeing Christ teacheth vs that he will come shortly to vs in iudgement general or particular we must beleeue him and often haue it in memory that Christ is not far off but wil come to vs shortly to shew our estate either in heauen or hell Then we must beleeue it haue it written in our hearts and in our memories and not flatter our selues we must not say that Christ will deferre his coming he teacheth vs that he is at the doore he cometh shortly either by generall iudgement of all men or particular iudgement to vs. Then happy were we if we could as that auncient father did thinke we heare his trumpet sound continually in our cares and thinke in our hearts and remember this that Christ wil not be long but will come very shortly And indeed the cause why men liue in sin neuer call themselues to an account is because men beleeue not and haue not learned this lesson that Christ wil thus come shortly If mē were thus perswaded in hart Christ will come to me shortly to iudge me giue me my reward in heauen or hell surely if they belonged to God it would make them turne to him from their sinnes and breake off their wicked life nay though a man were most desperate yet this wold make him tremble to thinke how Christ will come shortly to iudge him yea it wold make mē if they had any spark of grace to labor to get faith and a good conscience Seeing thē Christ is to come to iudge them shortly who would not repent who would not leaue his sins and turne to Christ vnlesse he will cast his soule away Then this is our duty to labour to get faith and a good conscience to iudge our selues that we may preuent Christs iudgement Againe this very consideration will make a man constant in all Christian duties and lastly it wil comfort such as be in affliction for they may be sure their affliction shall not last alway for Christ will come to iudgement shortly and he will free them from all their crosses and he will ere it be long giue them deliuerance Now followeth the reason after the commaundement That no man take thy crowne from thee that is the crowne of glorie word to vse his Sacraments reuerently else he will take them from vs put off our crowne and make vs a barbarous and brutish people giuen to all idolatrie O then let vs hold these fast with both hands let all go honour riches preferment pleasures and our owne life ere we loose our glorious crowne of the Gospell of Christ for if we wil not hold it fast he will giue it to a nation which though now we cōtemne yet they shall scorn hisse at vs. And now that we heare of warres and inuasions let these put vs in mind of greater iudgement and assure vs that if we make not more accompt of the word and Sacraments and not only professe
is for brethren to dwell together in vnitie Aristotle could say that parents were not blessed vnlesse they were after their death blessed in their children And surely it is no small part of a fathers blessednesse to see his children like to flourish when he is gone Nay of all monuments that parents can leaue behind them there is none as one saith like to a vertuous sonne But all parents are not so blessed Adams two sonnes could not agree in one field Abrahams in one house Isaaks in one wombe Dauids in one pallace nor those two brethren in the diuision of an inheritance And though concord amongst brethrē especially such as must deuide the inheritance be very rare yet do you euen in this most comfortably agree You are not as Simeon and Leui Romulus and Remus Eteocles and Polynices Atreus and Thyestes Aeta and Perseus but as Castor and Pollux Dauid Ionathan Ioseph and Beniamin and as a true friend is described to be one soule in two bodies It seemeth that as Agrippa the brother of Augustus was beholding to Salust for that one sentence Small things increase by concord but perish through discord so you haue all learned the same lesson as being perswaded that as the members of a bodie being once dismembred they cannot possibly be ioyned againe so if naturall brethren be once vnnaturally disioyned no glue will conioyne them fast againe It were infinite to shew examples of brotherly loue and hatred and others haue eased me of this paines Now that good God who hath brought you from one roote placed you in one countrie aduanced you to like credit and giuen you one heart giue you also one inheritance in the kingdome of heauen Thus right worshipfull I am bold to speake vnto you and the world knoweth I speake the truth and the Lord knoweth I desire not to flatter Go on therefore I beseech you continue in loue be setled in the truth and labour to honor him who thus honoureth you Be not caried away with the shew of this world but thinke religion the best nobilitie and that as Prudentius said Generosa Christi secta nobilitat viros Cui quisquis seruit ille verè est nobilis He noble is that comes of Christ his race Who serues this Lord he surely is not base And this made Theodosius more to thanke God that he was a Christian then a king considering that he must lose the one he could not lose the other Now as to one of you I am bounden in particular and by him being a Minister the despised Ministry is not a litle graced so for him I pray that he may be an Abraham to our Abimelech a Nathan to our Dauid a Iehoida to our Ioash an Ebedmelech to Ieremiah an Elisha to the widow of this Prophet deceased a light in the Court a trumpet in the Church and that Ahashuerosh may long hold out his golden scepter vnto him that by his meanes great men may not want such as will tell them the truth no earthly Alexander accounted a sonne of Iupiter and that no man may be more respected then a good Pastor and that he may euer remember that saying of wise Salomon He that loueth purenes of heart for the grace of his lips the King shall be his friend His Cyrus will not be spoken to verbis bissinis in silken words to his Alexander he needeth not speake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either sweet words or no words For if one Antiochus might be surnamed holy another good Prince called the Good King much more may he whose religious knowledge surpasseth all the Princes that haue bene of this nation and whose humilitie is such that he will haue his sonne to remember that he dissereth not in stuffe but in vse from the rest of his people and that by Gods ordinance I am the bolder for that one to make choice of you all in the dedication of this booke no man knew loued conuersed with and respected this Author more then he He resorted to him in his health visited him in sicknesse and preached a learned Sermon for him at his death Concerning this author as he said of Carthage I had rather be silent then say litle and his worthie labours do speake enough for him by name that his Posthume dedicated to his excellent Maiestie by an excellent Diuine In a word therefore whatsoeuer this man did he desired to profite others by it he thought as it is written of Bernard in his life that he was not his owne man but deputed to the seruice of others He was neuer idle but as Hierome reporteth of Ambrose and Bernard of himselfe he did either reade or meditate or pray or conferre or counsell or comfort or write or preach And thus as the Embleme is of a faithfull Teacher he like a waxe candle in giuing light to others in a short time extinguished himselfe Yet in this short time of his what art was he not a maister of what vertue was he not endued with He was a complet Diuine and hath this blessing in the Church that no mans writings are read of all sorts and in all countries with greater grace and profite then his He was peaceable in the Church patient of wrongs and free from ambition For as Ierome said of Nepotian aurum calcans schedulas consectabatur he regarded not his purse but followed his booke and as Bernard said he liued in terra auri sine auro in a kingdome of gold without gold An excellent gift he had to define properly deuide exactly dispute subtilly answer directly speake pithily and write iudicially and how he preached if these Sermons do giue a testimonie what witnesse had they who often heard him themselues I haue published of his now two Discourses and I onely did it that these his labours might not perish I haue no benefite by them but exceeding great paines And since I vnderstand that his other labours are in the hands of his friends to make benefite for his children I will ease my selfe of the like labour be a means that they may haue the benefit of the future impressions of this booke the which how faithfully I haue published I appeale to the godly and indifferent Reader and I hope no honest minded man will be hired to calumniate it Thus as one desirous to be seruiceable in my calling profitable to the Church not forgetfull of my friend and to testifie the happinesse of your house which was in your fathers time and is now as it is said of Aurelian the Emperors Referta piis Ecclesia Dei replenished with the godly and a Church of God and withall to leaue a monument of my dutie to you all I haue as you see published this exposition of seuen Epistles vnder your eight names nothing doubting but it will be as welcome to you as
and reading the writings of men contemning the word of God And yet the writings of men be sinfull and erronious euery way imperfect the writings of God holy certain and euery way absolute being giuen to the Sonne as he is king priest and Prophet To shew to his seruants cōcerning this testament shortly to be done In these words be 3. arguments for the description of this Reuelatiō First the end vz. to shew it secondly the persons his seruants thirdly the matter of it vz. things shortly to be reuealed The end of this reuelation was to manifest declare to his seruants to wit the Church of God his seruants and children to publish to them those things which should shortly be fulfilled and this is the maine drift of this Reuelation Hence then we note that the Papists erre who say that lay men should not haue the word but barre them the reading of the Scriptures but the holy Ghost saith this reuelation was to reueale things to come not onely to the Clergie nor to the doctors of the Church but to his seruants if so then to the lay man as well as the Clergie vnlesse they will say he is none of his seruants Then this I gather if that this booke being most hard must be learned of the lay man then those bookes which be not so hard must be learned and read and much more those which be more easie as the historie of the Gospell the Epistles c. Secondly the persons are the seruants of Christ this booke then of Reuelation belongs not to all men indifferently but it is written for the seruants of Christ that is such as repent of their sinnes beleeue truly in Christ and shew their faith by the fruites thereof in their liues And so the Lord saith he will reueale his secrets to his seruants the Prophets and the Lord will not keepe backe but reueale to Abraham the things he was to bring vpon Sodome and Gomorrha Then seeing those to whō the Lord shewes his will to whom he declares this book and others they must be his seruants we must not content our selues only to heare the word and receiue the Sacraments but we must seeke to be his seruants we must repent truly beleeue in Christ and shew this faith in obedience and then the Lord will more and more daily acquaint vs with his will And the cause why we heare the word daily and neuer profit but be as ignorant and blind as before the cause is because we be not his seruants we be bare hearers neuer practise that we heare in faith and obedience we repent not neither liue a new life by repentance in new obedience For else if the Lord see any which is his true seruant he approues of him he likes of him and acquaints him daily with his will and word increaseth his knowledge and obedience Secondly seeing that this reuelation is written for the seruants of Iesus Christ I obserue that Christ is true God the reason is because they be called his seruants that is Christs The reason stands thus he which is Lord of the Church the members thereof and also of Angels as it followeth after he is true God but Christ is Lord of men and Angels ergo he is true God His seruants not to all men to the whole world and euery singular man but to his seruants Hereby we see the opinion of those which hold God would haue all to be saued and cals all men is false For if he called all effectually then he would offer al the meanes to wit the word of God that so they might be called but he writes it not to all but to his seruants now that which is true of this booke is true of the whole Scripture The Lord shewed his word to Iacob not to all the world not to all nations as to him Psal. 147. 19. 20. he shewed to Iacob that is his true members his seruants and true Christians Now followeth the matter which is the fourth argument of the description of this reuelation vz. Things which shortly must come to passe and in this the matter of this booke is distinguished from all other bookes of the Scripture which speake generally of things either present or now past but this speakes of things to come The matter of this booke is described by two arguments first these things be necessarie they must be done Secondly by the circumstance of time shortly or quickly First the matter is things to come which must be done so speakes the holy Ghost in many places of the word As Christ saith shewing the necessitie Offences must come so Paule saith There must be heresies Act. 14. We must through manie tribulations enter into heauen c. So to Timothy they which be godly must suffer afflictions Shewing in all these places that things which are to come must necessarily come to passe But this doctrine agrees not with mans reason though it be the will of God for men will say If all things come to passe necessarily then it takes away mans free will for necessitie and free will can not stand together Answer They may Indeed constraint and mans will can not stand but mans will and vnchangeable necessitie may stand both together As I shew thus In God there is absolute free will yet he doth many things of necessitie as he willeth that which is good necessarily for he can not possibly will that which is euill but willes that which is good most freely So Christ he died necessarily he could not but die for he died in regard of Gods counsell and yet he died most willingly and gaue himselfe most freely to die when he suffered death ergo these two mans free will and vnchangeable necessitie though not constraint may stand together Men will obiect againe If things come to passe by necessitie then it is in vaine to vse anie meanes as to heare the word receiue the sacraments for Gods will must come to passe do we what we will do Answer These men must consider that as God hath appointed what things must come to passe so he hath appointed the meanes how they must come to passe Then seeing the Lord hath appointed as well the meanes as the ende we should by this necessitie rather be induced to vse the meanes then not to vse them To make this more plaine we must know there is a double necessitie one is absolute another is but in part I call that absolute necessitie which can not be otherwise possibly As that God liues it cannot be otherwise he is omnipotent he cannot but be so There is a necessitie which is not absolute but in part as when anie thing done is necessarie because it depends on necessarie causes As fire to burne this is not absolutely necessarie but in part because it depends on that order which God set in things in the creation It is not absolute for if God should change that order in the creation
seruants in the generall calling of a Christian but in our particular callings For S. Iohn was his seruant not onely in beleeuing in him and obeying him generally but in beleeuing and obeying him in the particular calling of an Apostle So Paule he was the seruant of Christ not only generally but in the speciall calling of the Gospell in preaching the same This example of his and the Apostles must be our direction we must not content our selues with the generall calling of Christians but serue Christ in our particular callings It is not inough to professe Christ in publike assemblies to heare the word receiue the Sacraments but in our particular callings we must serue him at home as the magistrate not onely in his generall calling of Christianitie but in his particular calling as he is a magistrate the Minister as he is a Minister the maister of a familie as he is a maister and so all men in their particular callings must obey Christ. And if the maister of a familie come to the assembly heare the word receiue the Sacraments yet in his familie faile and performe not the duties of a maister he is but an hypocrite he is no true Christian though men accept so of him because he must be obedient to Christ both in generall and particular calling Now followeth the second argument by which Iohn is described namely the effect that he bare record of the word of God Which Iohn bare this record partly by preaching partly by penning the Gospell of Christ. And because the word of God hath two parts the Law and the Gospell he shewes in the next words that he meanes especially the Gospell of Christ adding Of things done and sayd by Christ. And lest any man should call his testimonie into question he saith he testifies that whereof he was an eye witnesse he saw it and therefore could not be deceiued and therefore his testimonie was true The end why he alleageth these words is to shew that he is a faithfull pen-man of this booke that so it might haue more reuerence for he which was faithfull in penning the Gospell of Christ the same also is faithfull in penning this Prophecie of the Church By these words we may gather that to testifie the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles to be the truth of God is a true note of a true Prophet And by these we may distinguish betweene a true Prophet and a false if they bring the doctrine of the Apostles and the Prophets it is true Deut. 13. If they worke wonders and their doctrine be to draw men from the true God they are false Prophets and must be put to death And our Sauiour Christ being asked of his authoritie he alledges Luk. 10. 1. Iohns testimonie and confirmeth Iohns testimonie to be true asking them this question The baptisme of Iohn was it from heauen or of men shewing that Iohn was a true Prophet seeing his Baptisme that is his doctrine was from heauen Hereby we see the difference of a true Prophet and false alledged by the Papists is no true difference for they say If one can worke miracles he is a true Prophet whereas Deut. 13. false Prophets may do that But the true marke of a true Prophet is the doctrine deliuered by the Prophets and Apostles and he which brings this though he can not worke a miracle is a true Prophet Now followeth the sixth argument by which this reuelation is described which is in the manner of propounding and deliuering of it to the Church And this maner and forme of deliuerie of it stands in foure degrees First God the Father giueth it to Christ the Mediator Secondly Christ the Mediatour and head of the Church giueth it to an Angell Thirdly the Angell conueyes it to Iohn the Apostle Fourthly Iohn directed and assisted by the holie Ghost deliuereth it to the Churches Now as this particular booke was so no doubt all the whole Scriptures were conueyed to the Church Now in that the Lord hath so conueyed his Scriptures to man we see his perpetuall care and loue of man and of the members of his Church Also we see the great excellencie and dignitie as also the perfection of these bookes seeing they were deliuered to man by God and by him he deliuers his will to his Church This shewes the blasphemie and sin of the Church of Rome who call the written word of God a dead letter a dumbe iudge they hold that generall Councels be equall to the word that the vniuersall consent of the Church is aboue the Scriptures it giues life and sense to them which otherwise they say of themselues be but an inkie and dumbe word But we see they be farre aboue all these for they be most absolute and perfect and also most excellent seeing they being giuen of God the Father to Christ the mediator and head of the Church and by him conueyed to an Angell who deliuers them to Iohn and he published them to the Church these degrees of the deliuerie of thē shew they be most excellent and perfect Blessed are they which heare c. Here is the seuenth and last argument of this description of the Reuelation which is by the fruite effect and the profite which comes of it being heard or read and ioyned with marking and attention it brings happinesse Blessed That is blessednesse which stands in the fellowship of God and life euerlasting belongs to them which heare and reade this booke and marke it keepe it in memorie remember the things contained in it being a prophecie of the estate of the Church partly present partly to come Blessed is he which reades Here the holy Ghost setteth downe the proper end of the Scriptures of this booke particularly For the ende of this booke and so of all other bookes of the Scriptures is to bring men to happinesse and felicitie and life euerlasting Ioh. 20. last the Scriptures be to make vs beleeue in Christ that so beleeuing we might haue eternall life 1. Ioh. 1. ◠He declared to them the word of Christ that by it they might haue fellowship with God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost which fellowship is true happinesse it selfe Ioh. 5. 39. Search the scriptures for in them you thinke to haue eternall life And in this they differ from all other books and writings of men For mens writings being penned either by the light of nature and so be thence erronious and misse of the end of happinesse and euerlasting life or else they be penned by them which haue light by by the word and so as they agree with the word they be grounded on the word and haue all their truth from it Seeing the end of this booke as of the other bookes of scripture is to bring men to happinesse we see the opinion and practise of the Church of Rome is damnable who barre the people of God from reading and hearing the Scriptures in their vulgar tongue for in barring them of
none excepted shall come and stand before the tribunall seate of Christ. This is a comfort to Gods children in that they being dead rotten in their graues shall rise and receiue their life and motiō and see Christ their Sauiour and Iudge of all men If a man should lie downe to sleepe and be told that when he rose he should see his dead father and mother or his dearest friends this would be a notable comfort to him that so he should inioy them againe but this should be a farre greater comfort to vs that we which lie dead and rotten in the graue shall be raised and enioy not our parents and friends but Christ Iesus the sonne of God which is our frind aboue all friends who shall giue vs not onely life and motion but eternall life with his owne maiestie This was Iobs comfort that though he died yet he beleeued he should see his redeemer with his eyes and this should be our comfort against the feare of death and the last iudgement It shall be a terror to the wicked to all impenitent sinners who shall wil they nil they be brought to the barre of Christs iudgement seate and then looke on him who is their Iudge whom they had in their life contemned And this consideration may serue to moue vs to repentance which haue not begun to repent and to labor to becom the members of Christ. We think when we die all is done there is no harme to follow but though we lie rotting in our graues a thousand or two thousand yeares yet we shall rise and if we repented not we shall heare the sentence of condemnation and looke vpon our Iudge with our owne eyes Then it is best for vs now in the time of grace while we liue here to prepare that we need not feare to come to appeare and behold this Iudge No doubt if we were perswaded that we should thus appeare it would moue vs to repent Euery eye shall see him Then here we see that all men with their owne eyes shall looke on him and those who wanted them in this life shall haue them restored It is graunted of all Diuines that the elect haue all their senses and other defects restored and it is to be added that the wicked too they shal haue all their powers senses and faculties of soule and body restored the deafe shall heare the blind shall see this Iudge but this can be no glory to them seeing it is to increase their punishment for the more senses they haue they haue the more punishment because we iudge of things by sense Euen of those which pierced him This is added first to shew that we shal be freed No power or wisedom of any man or monarch can free vs from appearing for if any could escape then the Iewes and Gentiles who preuailed most against Christ in that they put him to death but none of these can escape his iudgement for euen they which pierced him they shall see this Iudge be summoned before his maiestie for though they had power to kill him yet none of them shall haue power to absent themselues from before his barre 2 To shew the case of all wicked men namely that such wo and misery befals them as they neuer dreamed of The Iewes and Gentiles they crucified Christ and put him to a temporall death but they neuer dreamed he should condemne them to eternall death 3 To shew the rufull and wofull estate of all impenitent sinners for these men shall haue their greatest enemy to be their iudge who will shew rigour vpon them and iustice without all mercy and this is meant not only of the Iew which pierced him but of all impenitent sinners because all such do by their sins as swords and speares wound him at the heart as the souldiers did These be as bad as the Iewes which pierced Christ as Iudas which betrayed Christ as the souldiers which goared his sides Out of these words some gather that the body of Christ hath still the wounds and scarres which here he had giuen him the print of the nailes in his hands and in his feete and that these shall be seene in Christ at the last day and say that it is no infirmitie to Christ to haue these but rather an increase of his glory but this cannot be gathered hence for though it be said They shall see him whom they pierced yet not as he was pierced And because they shall see him shall they see his wounds Many shall see Kings and Queenes whom they crowned in this world ergo as Kings and Queenes So we shall see our fathers mothers therefore as fathers and mothers so many shall see Christ therefore as he was wounded and pierced It is no good collection nor opinion And all the tribes of the earth shall waile for him That is before or ouer him Here is the fruit and effect of his comming especially in the wicked All the tribes of the earth S. Iohn he speakes here of the world as it was in the condition and diuision of the land of Canaan for before that time it was not diuided into tribes So Math. 25. setteth out the iudgement of the whole world by the separation of the sheep from the goates noting that they which repented not of what tribe soeuer of what estate or condition shall waile and mourne And he addes a reason of this for him before him or ouer him that is they shal waile and lament with exceeding lamentation because they beleeued not his word but contemned his doctrine and therefore now they want all helpe to free them from the punishment of their vnbeleefe and contempt of the Gospell If they shall mourne because they did not beleeue and receiue the doctrine of Christ and for that haue no way to escape then it is our dutie to labour aboue all things to be reconciled to God in Christ to get our sinnes pardoned to beleeue and embrace the word of God for vnlesse we beleeue and be reconciled when the last day comes there is no hope of helpe no way to escape no time of grace to repent If the doore be once shut we must stand without there is nothing then but horror of conscience for vs it will be a day to vs to make our eyes start out of our heads a day of all woe and misery Then it is great wisdome so to spend the time of grace in this life especially that we may get the pardon of our sins reconciliation with God in Christ to receiue and beleeue his will and word which if we do we shall haue no cause at all to waile and mourne but be glad and reioyce Then we must take heed the Diuell steale not out of our hearts this one lesson which is most necessary which he wil most labour for to do See what an euill conscience is it lieth asleepe here while a man liues it neuer troubleth him but in
perseuere and go on till we come to our iourneys end Rom. 15. 4. Hope to come to heauen is obtained by patience which maketh a beleeuer to go on suffering till he come to life eternall There is much fruite in the good ground but not obtained without patience and the true beleeuer liues by hope in this life yet cannot come to heauen without patience Iames 5. 9. Now because men will say Patience is a hard matter and so are discouraged therfore to set an edge on their desire he addes it is the kingdome and patience of Christ first because he commaunds it secondly patience cometh from the spirit of Christ thirdly because as he suffereth in his members it is called his patience for their misery and suffering is his when his members suffer he suffereth And this is a singular comfort to al suffering the crosse that they haue Christ their fellow sufferer he takes part with them puts vnder his shoulder he is content to suffer with them And in these three standeth the communion of Saints in suffering tribulation The first step to this fellowship communion of Saints is to beare and be in tribulation and he which is not come to that is not yet in the communiō of Saints Then secondly he must patiently beare them perseuere without grudging or repining then followes the last which is the end of all the enioying of the kingdome of heauen Which was in the I le called Pathmos In these words is the second circumstance namely the place where this vision was giuen to Iohn namely in the I le Pathmos an Iland and one of those which the Geographers call Sporades lying on the left side of the Churches of Asia neare to the East Churches by the sea commonly called the Egean sea this Iland was a small base and poore Iland litle or neuer a whit inhabited S. Iohn had his vision not at Ierusalem at Antioch or Rome but in Pathmos a base poore and litle inhabited Iland By which we see that in the new Testament there is no respect of one place aboue another in regard of Gods presence and our fellowship with him he doth as well giue Iohn this vision in Pathmos as to others his Prophets and Apostles in Ierusalem In the old Testament there was regard of places as the Lord shewed his presence and tyed his worship especially to his tabernacle and temple at Ierusalem there was the place where he would be worshipped which Daniel in his prophecy sheweth for being in captiuitie he in his chamber openeth the window which was towards the temple at Ierusalem But now in the new Testament that regard of place is abolished 1. Tim. 2. 8. Pray euery where lifting vp pure hands in regard of Gods worship and presence in all the duties of Religion we must do the like Then away with Popish pilgrimage to churches and chappels of Saints or to their reliques for this is meere superstition for God is present euery where and a man may haue fellowship with him in one place as wel as another Also this may serue to correct our false conceit we haue of our churches and chappels for we come into our common houses wherein we dwell and neuer humble our selues we thinke in these places we need not but if we come into the Church neuer so often we then fall downe and humble our hearts in prayer the reason is because we thinke that God is more present there and we should sooner be heard there then in our houses and that they be more holy But in the new Testament now all such diuersitie of place is abolished in regard of Gods seruice and presence Indeed Churches must be maintained because in them the people may more conueniently meete together to serue God but we must not think but that common houses are as holy as they for Gods seruice onely for decency sake when we that are many may assemble together in one place they be more holy then any dwelling house for that time when the word is preached and prayer made in them In this circumstance of place note two things first by what meanes S. Iohn came thither secondly to what end and for what cause First he came thither by banishment the Emperour Domitian exiled him secondly he came for the word of God He came and abode in Pathmos being banished for the Gospels sake In this banishment consider first that S. Iohn was a most worthy Apostle endued with rare gifts a singular maintainer of the Gospell and a famous founder of the Church of God and chiefe guide thereof in those dayes and for this cause most hated of the cruel persecutor Domitian of the Romanes yet whereas many other of the true Christians were put to the sword S. Iohn is not he escapeth and was banished The cause of this was Gods speciall prouidence by which he had reserued him for the benefit of the Church that he might receiue this reuelation and commit it to the Church to the perpetuall good of all his children And so though Domitian was a cruell tyrant yet he could not kill him but God ouer-ruled him that he did but banish him into this Iland wherein he receiued these visions and penned them for the good of the Church By this we see the great care and prouidence of God that he hath ouer his Church that he doth bridle and ouer-rule the minds and might of cruell Emperours that they cannot but do al that they do to the glory of God though they intend the contrary For Domitian intended only the hurt of Iohn yet see by his banishment into that I le he had fit place to receiue these visions for the good of the Church So in the death of Christ the Iewes and Gentiles and all men banded themselues together to put Christ to death and the diuell he laboured to stirre them on to practise their intended malice yet the prouidence of God directeth and ordereth this their malice and wicked practise to the redemption of mankind So Iosephs brethren intended no such deliuerāce as God wrought by him in selling their brother This consideration should comfort all Gods children c. When we are oppressed and persecuted by tyrants for Christs sake we must make no resistance offer no violence but suffer all things without resisting for the Christians weapons are onely prayers and teares and S. Iohn often in this booke addeth after the foretelling of persecution Here is the patience of Saints shewing that must be the complet armour against all out enemies Seeing he came into this Island not of his owne accord but by violence and constraint he thought it not a good and happy kind of life For if he had come into this place being litle or not inhabited he could not do this dutie of his Apostleship he could not haue founded the Church This then confuteth the Monkish life which is no life of holy perfection as they call it but
keepe that day for a Sabbath wherein he rose and the eight day after appeared to instruct his Disciples Now the Sabbath of the Iewes was changed for two causes first to maintaine the liberty of the Church of the new Testament whereof this was a great part that they were freed from the ceremonies of the Iewes for here when this day was changed the Church was no more tied to the Iewes Sabbath day neither had any such regard after of dayes and times Secondly that there might be a more fit time for the remembrance of the worke of redemption for as God in the old Testament appointed the seuenth day to be a day of rest to remember the first creation so there should be a day to celebrate this worke which is a wonderfull creation in which we are made new men so that there is now a new heauen and new earth as Isay speaketh chap. 66. Nay this is a more glorious work then that seeing in that creation Adam was the head in this Christ Iesus he is the head In that Adam was the chiefe in this Christ. In that Heuah was giuen to Adam in this we to Christ his Church to him In that Adam had an earthly paradise in this redemption we haue a spirituall kingdome In that Gods mercy onely in this both his mercy and iustice in punishing of Chirst and giuing vs forgiuenes appeared In that God shewed his wisdome goodnes but in part but herein this he shewed it fully In that he made man of nothing but now he made him of worse then nothing better then euer he was Therfore seeing this day of our redemption is farre passing that and the Lord appointed a day for the remembrance thereof much more should there be one for the remembrance of this now there is no day fitter then that day wherein Christ Iesus rose from death to life to remember his resurrection But may the Church now in the new Testament change the Sabbath to any other day as to tuesday wednesday c. Answ. It cannot I thinke because times and seasons belong to God he alone can dispose of thē Act. 1. 6. the church hath not knowledge of times and seasons much lesse of the ordering and disposing of them for that which the Father keepeth in his owne bosome the Church cannot know but the Father alone so keepeth times and seasons therfore the church cannot know them And as the church of the Iewes had not power to change their Sabbath no more hath the Church in the new Testament to change their Sabbaths Ob. But the Iewes had authoritie to appoint feasts therfore they could appoint Sabbath dayes Hest. 9. 17. they for their deliuerance appoint a day of rest of reioycing So 1. Maccab. 4. 8. They appointed indeed solemne dayes for reioycing and solemne feasts for speciall deliuerance but they appointed not any day for a sabath rest for the whole seruice of God Some hold that the Church hath power to alter it nay to make any day the Sabbath or if it could be conueniently two dayes in a weeke but they haue no warrant out of the word If this day the Lords day be a day to remember the death resurrection and merits of Christ we see three sorts of men here reproued first them which make this day a day of pleasure pastime and delight For most young men and seruants imploy this day wholy on their own delights and pleasures making it a day of carnall reioycing spending it in eating drinking carding dicing riot and excesse so that they turne this Lords day set apart to his worship into a day to offer sacrifice to the diuel The second sort is of them which liue more ciuilly then the former yet they thinke they may do their owne businesse and take iorneys on this day and that vpon this false ground that a man may aswell and with as honest and good an heart serue God in his owne businesse at home as they which go to Church But by this they make the Lords day appointed to his seruice their owne day to do their owne worke and not his The third sort is of those which keepe the Sabbath onely at morning and euening Prayer but as for the rest of the day they may spend it how they will on their owne pleasures and pastimes or their owne businesse and of this sort are many in the world who come to the Church but onely so far as the law of the Land inioynes them and these men part stakes with God they giue him one part and that the lesser and bestow the other on their owne businesse or pleasure whereas it is the Lords day not in part but in whole and so they breake the fourth commaundement Then on the contrary our dutie is to keep this day a Sabbath to the Lord as we are commaunded in the fourth commandement 1. we must rest from all our sinnes secondly from all the workes of our callings and imploy it wholly on the seruice of God sanctifying this day of rest to the worship of God from the morning to the euening Now there is a double sanctifying of the Sabbath first publicke in the congregation when we come to the Church to pray and giue thankes and there to heare the word and receiue the sacraments secondly priuate when men in their owne priuate houses at home sanctifie it in meditating reading and thinking of the word in praying priuatly and giuing thankes for benefits we must not imploy that day in our owne businesse If the Officer should take our seruant from our works set him about the common good we would be grieued And if we take the day appointed to Gods seruice and bestow it on our owne affaires shall not the Lord be offended And the cause why we heare the word publikely and neuer profit is because we sanctifie the sabbath onely publikely and not priuatly so that vnlesse we meditate reade the word pray and sanctifie the sabbath at home we may heare and reade the word publikely but without all increase of grace faith knowledge and repentance but if we performe neither it is not possible to get any grace seeing this day is set apart for that end Now to proceed The reason why the Lord he gaue Iohn these visions rather on this day then another is because though Iohn was absent in body from the Church yet he was present in spirit in praying for it at this time for being absent he would shew his presence in such duties as he could performe in that solitary place as fasting prayer c. Now when he was thus occupied the Lord reuealeth his will to him concerning the estate of the Church to the end of the world Seeing Iohn being in the Isle of Pathmos a desert place yet he kept the Sabboth in all such duties as he could performe hence we see that they which are absent from the Church as in prison sicke of some great disease or
Pharaohs Butler who promised Ioseph to remember him being promoted to honour out of prison but after being exalted in Pharaohs house forgot him Gen. 40. But Christ he is still now as readie as euer he was in earth to helpe vs and to do all the workes of a Mediator for vs. Then we must imitate Christ and haue our loines girded vp Luk. 12. we must be prepared and made readie to do all our duties to call vpon the name of God to giue him thankes to renew our faith and repentance daily yea euery day make our selues readie to die or to liue and to be alwaies readie to do all the workes concerning our saluation and at all times to carie our selues so as we be readie to enter into heauen at any time But we neuer thinke of this we are readie to no good thing we neuer thinke of death till it knocke at the doore Oh let vs labor to become good followers of Christ hauing our loynes girded vp readie prepared to all good workes About the paps not the belly but breast Some thinke and not vnfitly to shew that his thoughts and affections which came from the heart they be most perfect ranged in not subiect to any sinne but guided by the spirit which with full measure dwelleth in him bodily And his head as white as wooll Now S. Iohn describeth Christ by the parts of his bodie first his head is as white as wooll or snow which is to shew the eternitie of Christ for though as he was man he had a beginning yet as he is God he is eternall he is the auncient of dayes Dan. 9. and when all things began he was before Seeing our Sauiour Christ vseth this hoarinesse and whitenes of the old gray head to set out his eternitie and euer-being he would shew the excellencie and honor of aged men of the old gray headed man which other younger want and for this he compareth the old gray head to almond trees which are alwaies white Eccles. 12. 5. and Prou. 16. 31. it is compared to a siluer crowne not made by man but made and placed by the hand of God on the aged mans head This excellencie of the hoarie head is in this that he beareth in his person the image of Gods eternitie before all younger men he standeth in the roome of God to shew Gods eternitie to men namely in this old and white head of his Now seeing the aged man hath this excellencie aboue young men he must be reuerenced young men must rise to him Leuit. 19. and we must in their hoarie head learne the image of Gods eternitie They which be such which in regard of their age haue this excellencie aboue others they must excell others in knowledge and experience in wisdome and holinesse 1. Ioh. 2. 13. I write to you fathers which know the father which hath bene from the beginning shewing he taketh it for granted that aged men which be fathers should haue knowledge in the will of God Secondly they must exceed others in holinesse of life God is holy they beare his image therefore they must seeing they beare his image aboue others go before yong men in holinesse And therefore Salomon Prou. 16. 31. compareth old age to a siluer crowne ioyned with righteousnesse which when they be ioyned together old age indeed is a glorious ornament Then men must take heed that old age be no disgrace vnto them nor dishonour but an ornament and commendation But alas miserable is our dayes when young men excell old in knowledge and wisdome in godlinesse of life and conuersatiō and other gifts of the Spirit but it should not be so but as the aged must go before them in preferment and excellencie so they should go before them in wisdome knowledge experience and godlinesse And if in these which weare the siluer crowne on their heads there be found sinnes abounding and loosenesse of life it is much more dishonor in them then the younger though in neither commendable And it is not enough for old men to say their memorie conceipt and knowledge faile them for this sheweth they haue liued a bad and loose life and mis-spent their younger age but they must labour that with their siluer crowne on their head they may haue a siluer life in heart and hand And his eyes were as a flame of fire S. Iohn goeth on to describe Christ in vision by the parts of his bodie now in handling these parts though no man can set downe certainly what the holy Ghost intendeth in euery point yet we must consider what is most probable in the word of God And his eyes c. He addeth these to signifie two things first to shew that our Mediator is of a most piercing sharpe and quicke sight so that he beholdeth all things in earth euen the secrets of our hearts for he hath fierie and piercing eyes and as fire entreth and pierceth all mettals so Christ by his fierie eye pierceth into the substance and secrets of the hearts Now it is necessarie that the head of the Church should be so sharpe of sight that he might behold the whole Church see all the enterprises of the diuell and the estate of all his children Seeing Christ is of so piercing and fierie a sight that he seeth the very secrets and thoughts of our hearts we must haue care not onely of our words and actions but of ordering our thoughts and affections for Christ pierceth into our hearts and seeth them therefore we must looke they be in order that he may approue them It is true thoughts and inward affections with men beare no action because men know not the heart and affections but it is not so with God he seeth the least inclination and purpose of our hearts and he keepeth court of iudgement not onely for words and actions but for thoughts and affections Therefore men must take heed they be well ordered and so of Christ approued that for thē they be not condemned Christ he seeth our hearts and our very inclinations then we must in matters of religion be indeed that we seeme to be for though we can bleare mens eyes with outward profession and they can go no further yet the Lord he hath fierie and piercing eyes and seeth our hearts and how we be but hypocrites if we be not indeed that we seeme outwardly to be Yet men must stay and suspend their rash iudgement and not for the professing of religion iudge men to be hypocrites for God alone searcheth their hearts Secondly he is thus described to shew he is full of anger and iudgement and readie to take vengeance of his enemies that is of them which will not giue themselues and turne to him by repentance in obeying his will and word For though Christ be a Redeemer and Sauiour yet he is also a iudge in indignation will execute his iudgement on his enemies euen vpon all that refuse to haue him to rule ouer
quaketh for feare the word of God came into his mind and made his conscience accuse him and his knees smote together for feare So then by this we see how Christ killeth the wicked by reuealing their sinnes shewing the wrath and anger of God against sinne and sinners which repent not and the curse of the law and also by sharpning the sting of conscience to wound them and strike them at the heart and so they by this haue the first wound of eternall death Though the Lord may in mercie recouer them of this wound yet of themselues they be in the estate of death and vnlesse they repent they are in the first step to eternall death For those horrors and feares which come into a mans heart in regard of Gods wrath and iudgements seuered from grace are no grace but the first wound to eternall death vnlesse the Lord giue grace Seeing Christ carieth the two edged sword of the Spirit in his mouth whereby he woundeth his enemies with a deadly wound at the heart then when we see any which cometh to heare the word and after rebelleth stormeth and rageth against the same being wounded in conscience therewith we must not be displeased with it but pitie his case seeing he is wounded at the heart with a deadly wound and he in this case is in the first steppe to eternall death vnlesse the Lord recouer him of this wound In those Churches and places where the word hath bene long preached and the people remaine in blindnesse and ignorance and vnreformed we must in these take pitie on them seeing this is a heauie iudgement of God on them for these are wounded with a deadly wound by the sword of the spirit because the word hath bene long and often preached to them without profit and the word it neuer returneth emptie but either saueth or destroyeth woundeth or healeth them So that though men may liue ciuilly before men making a faire shew yet if they be vnreformed and liue in ignorance these are but dead men in the sight of God the word hath giuen them the first deadly wound therefore we must pitie their estate If we come into the field see an hundred men lye wounded and gushing out bloud some in the head some in the sides and some in the feet we cannot but be exceedingly moued so in the church of God many are vnreformed in obedience and repentance and though we cannot see their bloudie wounds with bodily eyes yet we may see them lye wallowing in the bloud of ignorance and securitie of impenitencie and wickednesse therefore we must pitie their estate for they be dead men indeed seeing they be not reuiued by the word in reformation of life and obedience for the word either quickeneth or killeth Seeing the word without grace killeth we must not content our selues with it but seeke to feele the worke of the Spirit peace of conscience and reformation of life by the word Let vs then by a liuely faith labour to apply Christ by the word to lay hold on him and his righteousnesse so that we can say we liue not but Christ in vs. But this word hath another action in the elect children of God which though it be manifold yet all tend to further and procure their saluation The first work of it in these is to wound deepely and to kill the corruptioâ— of mans nature in his heart with a deadly wound that it neuer recouer againe Yet though it wound a man it killeth not the person as in the wicked but onely the corruption of his heart and quickeneth the person to Christ killeth him in regard of rebellion and vnbeleefe We are sacrifices to be offered to God therefore we must be killed not in our bodies and soules but in our corruptions affections and rebellions That we may be killed the two edged sword of the Spirit is required which giueth our corruption the deadly wound and cutteth vp the root Since the second action after our conuersion change is this the word of God must cut and pare the remnants of our corruption by lessening and weakening of it daily Ioh. 15. As the husbandman cutteth loppeth and pareth off all branches that beare no fruite so the word of God cutteth and pareth away the remnants of corruptions in our hearts that so our hearts may bring foorth more fruite Thirdly the word of God serueth to keepe his people and children in awe and subiection and therefore Christ holdeth the scepter of the word in his mouth that though the wicked will not be kept in awe yet his elect may tremble and feare at the lifting vp of the same Amongst men if many be fighting let the Magistrate but hold vp the sword of Iustice euery man yeeldeth and putteth his sword into his sheath and shall not we much more cease from sinne and feare when Christ the King of heauen and earth holdeth out the scepter of his word And if any refuse to be subiect and to obey the Magistrate he is counted a rebell if men refuse to obey the scepter of Christ shall they not be so accounted So then by these actions we see the power of the word it killeth corruptions in our hearts pareth it and the remnants of it and it keepeth men in awe and subiection Yet it differeth in the wicked and in the godly in the wicked it maketh them feare and woundeth them to death destroying both soule and bodie in the godly it woundeth them indeed not in their persons but in the corruptions of their hearts It maketh vs fit to encounter with the diuell and to vanquish him in all his temptations if it be vsed with knowledge Seeing the word of God serueth to kill our corruptions we when we heare the word must receiue and beleeue the same not onely when it is deliuered in generall but applyed in particular though it touch vs and wound our hearts we must suffer it and reioyce in it for that is the first steppe to health to haue our corruptions ripped vp and touched When the sword of the spirit entreth to our hearts it will ransacke euery nooke and secret corner then we must reioyce in this blessing of God suffer it gladly seeing it is the onely meanes to come to life If one be sicke of a Fistula he will suffer the Chirurgeon to rippe and launce him to search euery part of the wound and shall not we suffer the Phisition of the word to display to lay open to ransacke and search the corruption of our hearts seeing that is the onely way to recouer health For we cannot liue to God till we die to our selues and to our sinnes we cannot pâ—ssibly die to our sinnes till our corruptions be destroyed and all our sinnes killed and wounded to death In his mouth Other Kings carie their scepter in their hands but he in his mouth to shew that no doctrine must be receiued of vs vnlesse it proceed from his mouth for he receiued his
Fathers will deliuereth it to his Church to his Prophets and Apostles and they to vs. And his face shone c. For as the Sunne is to the world so is Christ to his Church Now as the Sun performeth two duties to men so doth Christ the first is to giue light and driue away darkenesse to take away the night and bring the day so Christ he is the Sunne of righteousnesse Malach. 3. He giueth the light of knowledge to his seruants he sendeth the light of the word which can dispel darknes and enlighten his people in the knowledge of his will and word Then are we bound to labour aboue al things for knowledge of his will and word First when the day dawneth we set open our doores and windowes to receiue the light and comfort of the same now Christ is in the midst of his Church he sendeth light he shineth clearely being the Sonne of righteousnes then we must open the doores of our hearts and the windows of our soules and consciences to receiue his light and comfort into vs. Seeing Christ giueth light by his word we must in all our life be guided and directed by that light We are pilgrimes going through a vale of misery and darknes Christ is the light he shineth as a blazing torch we must then do all our duties by direction of this light we must in all our wayes haue our eyes fixed in this word which is the sonne of light and direction The action of the Sunne is to warme and comfort dead and cold bodies and to reuiue them as we see in the spring time it reuiues those creatures which before were as dead with cold so Christ giueth not onely light but life he giueth spiritual comfort to bodies frozen for cold he comforts them reuiues them by his spirituall heate and for this is called the Sunne of righteousnesse comforting our cold and frozen hearts in sinne and iniquitie Then we must labour aboue all things to be partakers of this spirituall life and comfort which cometh by the spirituall heate of Christ. As men will in winter go into the Sunne to feele the heate of the beames so must we come out of our sinnes get into the sun-shine of Christ that his beames may streame vpon vs plenteously to haue life conueyed to our benummed and dead consciences We will seeke to haue honour riches preferments and pleasures of this life but Psa. 44. we should desire the Sunne of righteousnesse to shine on vs with the beames of mercy to haue him quicken our dead hearts with the heate of his holy spirit That we may haue this spiritual life we must die our selues ere we cā liue to the Lord we must first be killed ere we be made aliue If we wold liue to God we must suffer the two edged sword to pierce to the heart to cut vp and cut off all our corruptions to suffer it to enter into vs to ransack our rebellious harts and to be thrust to the hilts that so it may diuide betweene the spirit the flesh pare off al the rottē flesh of corruptiō in vs for when we are killed to our selues discouraged in regard of our own sins we are most fit to be made aliue to God A body which is almost dead for cold is the most capable of heate and when we are thus cast downe in regard of our sins then we must labor to haue the comfortable beames of Christ to shine in our hearts to warme and to quicken vs and his fauourable countenance to shine on vs which if we haue though we haue neither honour riches nor preferment yet we haue enough and if we want that heate all things else are nothing The third worke or action of the sun is to discouer all things In the night nothing appeareth all haue one forme but when the Sunne cometh with his light all things appeare and a man may in the beames see the very motes so Christ the chiefe sunne seeth all things and he will discouer all nothing so secret which is hid from him nothing so close which his eye seeth not he knoweth and he can and will discouer all mens actions yea their secret thoughts Seeing Christ knoweth all our thoughts so as he can make thē manifest and open note that though we may liue so as men cannot iudge of our hypocrisie yet Christ seeth our dealings as the sunne is manifest to our eye so our actions are cleare to his eye This should make vs take heed to all our waies and workes that we do or thinke nothing but as in his presence for we cannot blind his eyes but he seeth it euen as clearely as we see the light of the sunne If men of occupations would consider this that all their actions are cleare to Christ they would not commit so much crueltie and iniustice there would not be so many sins practised of vs dayly as there are And when I saw him I fel at his feet as dead In these seuenteenth eighteenth verses Iohn proceeds to describe our sauior Christ as God gaue him a vision by other arguments that is by his actions The first action is contained in these seuenteenth and 18. verses which is a confirmation of S. Iohn being greatly afraid and this confirmation is the whole matter and substance of these two verses In this note two things first the occasion secondly the meanes The occasion mouing Christ to confirme S. Iohn in the second part of the seuenteenth verse the meanes in the end of the seuenteenth verse in the eighteenth The occasion was an exceeding feare of death which made Iohn as dead as appeareth by Christs comforting of him In this feare note 3 things first the cause secondly the effect of it thirdly the kind of feare The cause in these words And when I saw him c. which was the appearance of Christ to Iohn in his maiestie and glory which made Iohn exceedingly feare S. Iohn seeing the maiestie and glory of Christ he is exceedingly afraid and astonished as a dead mā We all by nature since the fall of Adam are fearefull sinners Before he fell he walked talked with God face to face but after his fall he fled and hid himselfe he could not brooke his presence because he had sinned and since his fall mans frailtie and weaknes is such that he cannot abide the presence and maiestie of God but as Manoah Iudg. 13. 22. seeing an Angell of God said We shall surely die because we haue seene God shewing that the presence of God of his maiestie is terrible to sinfull man euen so it is with all men Now seeing we haue lost our first estate we must labor continually to haue the image of Satan abolished in vs and the image of God daily renewed we must become new creatures seeke aboue all things to haue our former fellowship with God which we lost in Adam for in this fellowship with God
stands all true happinesse and ioy eternall Seeing it feared Iohn that he was as dead we see that the feeling of the presence of God of his maiestie and glory it is a singular meanes to humble man to cast him downe and make him know he is nothing in himselfe So soone as Iohn perceiued and saw the presence of Christ he was as dead fell at his feete So Abraham the more he perceiued the glory of God the more he humbled himselfe confessing he was dust and ashes And Peter Luke 5. 8 9 10. seeing but a glimmering of Christs maiestie and might he bids him depart frō him he was a sinner So Esa. 6. 2. the Angels couer thēselues with their wings with three they couered their face and with 3. their feet as fearing and not able to behold his maiesty as cōfessing they be nothing but sin in thēselues We see the great goodnes of God in the ministery of his word for though he might speake to vs by his own self and so that we could not abide to heare his voice but should be as dead men yet he in mercy speaketh to vs by sinfull men like to our selues and familarly then we must know and learne to acknowledge his mercy and be thankfull for it Seeing it astonished S. Iohn we see that euen holy and righteous men cannot abide the presence of Christ his maiestie and glory much lesse can the works of righteous men stand before his iust iudgement or answer to his iustice for the person must be first accepted before the worke can be accepted now if a righteous man cannot abide the presence of Christ no more can his worke Then damnable is the doctrine of the Church of Rome who will haue men to stand at Gods bar and bring their workes as part of their iustification but our workes be but in part holy no more then we be our selues but in part iust Now followeth the effect of this feare in S. Iohns body He fel at his feete as dead It was not a small but a great feare which astonished his senses made him as a dead man Phisitions say that the mind followeth the constitution and temperature of the body but we may here as truly say the body followeth the temperature and constitution of the mind for the mind can worke that on the body which other diseases can worke it can cast men into a swound make the body cold and many other things which diseases work in the body So Ahab being grieued and fearing he could not get Naboths vineyard was sick and almost dead So then affections of loue and feare and hatred c. can change kill the body therfore the body followeth the tēperature and constitution of the mind Againe we see diseases are not alwayes to be cured by art and phisicke but often when phisicke cannot helpe the body is cured by ordering and composing the affections of the heart seeing these can order and dispose the body and change it as their nature is Thē in the next place followeth the kind of feare I fel at his feet as dead c. shewing it was a godly religious reuerence in the heart of Iohn for this kind of prostrating the body is a signe of godly reuerence and religious feare We must learne by this example to cast downe our selues in the presence of Christ as Iohn did and to lie prostrate at his feet Ob. But some may say Christ is not present we cannot now fall at his feet seeing he is in heauen Answ. Though Christ be now in heauen yet he hath his footstoole on earth and his feet may be said to be here on earth For the mercie seate that was a signe of Gods presence though that be taken away God hath yet his footstoole on earth Psal. 99. 5. For wheresoeuer the Church of God is assembled to pray vnto him there is Christ truly present and there is his footstoole and there should we cast downe our selues our soules and bodies to Christ he being there present Now though S. Iohns feare be a godly feare yet it is stained with sin for it is ioyned with immoderate feare of death Then we see that the most holy affections of righteous men they haue their imperfections they be stained with sinne because they be sanctified but in part and in part be corrupt And there is no man which hath true filiall feare but he hath withall a seruile feare of hell and damnation The meanes follow whereby Christ confirmeth Iohn Then he laid his right hand In this note two things first when he vseth this meanes secondly the meanes it selfe The time when Then that is after Christ by his presence had smitten him cast him downe and laid him as dead then he vseth meanes of confirmation and comfort And this is Gods practise first to humble a man and cast him downe breake him and bruise him to powder then he hauing made him plyable and fit to receiue grace after confirmeth and comforteth him in the matter of saluation secondly a man must be wounded then haue oyle powred in and he must be a lost sheepe after Christ will bring him home againe And this is the cause why so few profit by the word preached and by the Sacraments because they be not first humbled and cast downe and made fit to receiue Christ comfortably offering himselfe in the Gospell Now follow the meanes themselues which are two the first a signe Then he laid his right hand c. secondly his word saying Feare not c. There is not one of them vsed a part neither the signe nor the word alone but he vseth both meanes more to confirme and comfort S. Iohn So the Lord dealt with Moses Exod. 3. 12. he first giueth him the word I will be with thee to comfort thee and not onely that but the signe he must offer sacrifice to God as a signe So to Ahaz though a wicked king he giueth him his word to comfort and confirme him and vers 11. he biddeth him aske a signe of him So Christ preached the Gospell there is his word and confirmeth the same by miracles Now he giueth vs promises of eternall life and not onely that but addeth signes and seales to confirme them namely his Sacraments By this we see that Christ hath exceeding care of his children and of his Church Seeing he vseth al meanes to confirme them and to comfort them he giueth them not onely his word which might be sufficient but for our weaknesse he addeth signes to confirme vs condescending thus to our capacitie to take from vs all doubtings and to giue vs assurance euen out of the maner of vsing the meanes as here first he vseth the signe 2. the word then he putteth his hand on Iohn to assure him of his protection and after biddeth him not to feare By this order we see that the very assurance of Gods presence and protection is a present remedie against all feare
euer in respect of his manhood for after he ascended into heauen there he liueth in glorie with the Father and holy Ghost because in the manhood of Christ dwelleth the power of the Godhead bodily Colos. 2. The second thing is why he liueth for euer namely that he might giue eternall life to his Church and all his true members God giueth vs eternall life by his Sonne 1. Ioh. 5. 11. and this is the ground of all ioy this that Christ liueth to giue vs eternall life is the foundation of the Church and the ground of our happinesse We must then consider of Christ as a roote he liueth not for himselfe as a roote doth not liue for it selfe but to giue life to all the branches and true members of the Church And we must consider of the manhood of Christ as a common treasurie or storehouse of eternall happinesse therefore Iohn 6. Christ saith My flesh is meat indeed and he which eateth his flesh and drinketh his bloud shall liue for euer shewing that his flesh and manhood hath power to giue life and quicken his true members yet not as considered in it selfe but as the same is ioyned with the Godhead and is the manhood of God and the flesh of God for it hath all this power from God The meanes whereby he giueth eternall life is the mysticall coniunction betweene him his members First God the father giueth Christ to the Church and euery true member of the same as he hath promised to giue him Now he giueth him as he is Mediator of the Church euen whole Christ yet the Godhead of Christ is not giuen of the Father but onely by the operation thereof in the manhood whereby the manhood is made able to satisfie Gods iustice but the manhood of Christ that is really giuen his very substance his flesh and bloud is really giuen to euery beleeuer and the benefits of the manhood also are truly giuen vs as righteousnesse and life eternall as really as lands or goods are giuen to men Now to whom Christ is giuen with him God giueth the Spirit of Christ for Christ and his Spirit come together and this Spirit createth in the heart of a man the instrument of faith by which Christ giuen of God is receiued of vs and we by faith apprehend his bodie and bloud and the merits thereof And we receiue not Christ in imagination or in our braine but euen as God the Father giueth him in the word and Sacraments really and truly And as the spirit of Christ createth in vs faith so it knitteth vs also to Christ our head really though mystically now from this mysticall coniunction betweene Christ the head and vs the members proceedeth eternall life thus First he which is ioyned and knit to Christ in this life and receiueth him he beginneth by this coniunction to liue an eternall life in dying to all his sins and to liue to God to liue as Christ liueth a spirituall life And this I may call the first benefit of our spiritual vnion with Christ. Secondly man thus vnited shall rise to glorie in his bodie And so the second fruite of this mysticall coniunction with Christ is the resurrection of the bodie for this coniunction with Christ after it is begunne it is perpetuall it is neuer broken so that though a man lie in his graue many thousand yeares yet he is thē vnited to Christ is in the graue a mēber of Christ by vertue of this mysticall vnion he shall be raised at the last day As we see the sappe of trees in winter time is in the roote and the branches seeme to die but in the spring when the heate of the Sunne cometh then it creepeth out into the branches and they bud and bring foorth fruite so man hath his winter time in the graue but in the last day because he is ioyned to Christ the roote he shall haue his Sommer and be raised by the power of this mysticall vnion Thirdly man so vnited shall liue euer therefore the third benefite is eternall life and happinesse By this mysticall vnion we shall haue eternall felicitie and euerlasting life in heauen there we must possesse it but it cometh from this mysticall vnion with Christ our head In this life it is begun and is neuer broken in regard of the roote and ground therof but lasteth for euer and by it Christ conueyeth eternall life to vs. In these words Behold I liue for euer Amen is the ground of two maine articles of our beleefe namely of the rising of the bodie and of life euerlasting for Christ he liueth for euer to giue life to vs for euer and this is the ground of our ioy as to Iob I know my Redeemer liueth c. Now doth Christ liue to giue vs life in heauen then we must haue our conuersation in heauen for where Christ is there should be our conuersation because he is the foundation and ground of eternall life to vs. Now that our conuersation may be in heauen we must often and seriously consider of this eternall life purchased to vs by Christ and for this cause he saith Behold I liue and withall as we must consider of it we must haue our affections set on him our ioy reioycing and affiance because Christ liueth that he might keep eternall life for vs. We vse to haue most care to preserue that part wherein life is preserued so seeing Christ is the foundation of our life and the author of it we should haue most care of him Now followeth the third part of the distinction though I was dead yet I haue the keyes of hell and death In these words we must not imagine hell to be a bodily place kept with locke and key as our houses be Nay it cannot be proued out of the Scriptures that it is a bodily place or the punishment of hell in regard of our soule and conscience is bodily seeing it is the sense feeling of Gods wrath and vengeance in bodie and soule therfore it is rather spirituall But Christ here borroweth a comparison from earthly stewards who when they haue any thing committed to them and haue the keyes put into their hands this sheweth they haue power and authority of al. So Christ hath the keyes of hell and death that is power ouer hell and death and dominion of them both As if he had said Though I once was dead in the graue yet now I haue power and dominion ouer hell and death and haue vanquished them both Seeing Christ alone hath power ouer hell and death no creature else properly hath authoritie to forgiue sinne but onely Christ for he which can forgiue sinne must haue power ouer hell and death but he can take away death the punishment of sin and hell the reward of it ergo he alone can forgiue sin Then we see the Priesthood of the church of Rome is full of blasphemie who hold that man called thereunto can properly forgiue sinne
not only pronounce sinne to be forgiuen as the reformed churches hold and which they denie but properly to forgiue sinne Seeing Christ hath power ouer hell and death we must reuerence him do him all honour and obedience we can if we haue not done this already yet now to begin if we haue then to do it more Seeing he hath the key of death he can shut open saue and destroy But if we dishonour and disobey him then he will not shut but open the doore to death and hell to plague vs. We thinke all is well Christ he is a Sauiour and all shall be well he is mercifull and so make him our packehorse of our sinnes but we must know he is not onely a Sauiour but a Iudge he can destroy and saue open and shut he hath the key of heauen and hel and of death This is a comfort to the godly which cleaue to Christ that he can keep them frō hell death so as they cannot hurt them and this consideration might comfort vs in time of persecution in the time of sicknesse or any calamitie Write these things In these words he describeth Christ by a second action for after he had comforted S. Iohn now he giueth him a commandement which commandement was giuen in the eleuenth verse before and here repeated to Iohn againe First because Christ intended by this to shew Iohn his especiall care of his Church that he is now still a prouident and carefull head of his Church and therefore sayth not once Write these things but the second time that the Church of God might vnderstand in al ages to come that it is necessary mē should know the estate of the Church for else he would not haue repeated it againe if it had not bene very necessary It is necessary for men to know that the estate of the church is to be in troubles that they might the better prepare thēselues to beare thē Thirdly he doth it that S. Iohn might be more assured certainly of his calling to write and pen this booke Fourthly that the Church in all ages might be fully assured without doubt that this booke is a booke of God and part of holy Scripture not inuented by man but reuealed by God to Iohn for the good of the Church Obiect But though Christ reuealed his wil aright Iohn might mistake it and erre in penning Answ. S. Iohn penned this booke both for matter and maner as Christ gaue it to him for this we must know that there is a difference betweene Apostles and Prophets in the old and new Testament and Ministers of the Gospell for they were called immediatly by God and Christ and had speciall assistance of the spirit of God which appeareth by those promises they haue made to thē by God as Christ saith He which receiueth you receiueth me c. Luke 10. 16. And It is not you which speake but the spirit of my Father therfore feare not And Iohn 14. The holy Ghost shall leade you into all truth which though some apply it to all Ministers yet if we mark the place it can agree to none but the Apostles And they meeting at Ierusalem concluded as it seemed good to the holy Ghost to them so that we see they could not erre though they were but men But it is not so with the Ministers of the word they may and do erre often Now S. Iohn being a faithfull Apostle he receiued this of Christ without errour and so penned it In this commaundement of Christ is a plaine diuision of this whole booke Write the things thou hast seene that is this vision I haue offered to thee the things thou sawest In the secōd place he sets downe the present estate of the church Thirdly the things to come that is the future estate of the church to the end of the world So that this booke containeth two things in it first the estate of the church in time present secondly in time to come to the end of the world the words of Christ make this diuision plainly If it be lawfull to vse diuisions then it is lawfull to set downe rules for direction of diuiding aright but the first is lawfull ergo the second Therefore the art of reasoning and diuiding as also Rhetoricke is not vnlawfull as some would haue it The mystery of the seuen starres Here is the third action of Christ which is the interpretation of the vision which he had shewed to Iohn and he onely interprets the principall parts of it Now Christ expounds this visiō to Iohn namely because he was to shew himselfe to be an holy man of God namely a Prophet Now the principall thing in a Prophet is to be able to expound visions either his owne or any others as we see in Daniel Now that he might shew himselfe to be an absolute Prophet in this booke Christ doth not onely shew him the vision but the intertation of it he expounds it that Iohn might be incouraged in penning and receiuing the things in this booke Now Christ expounds not the whole vision but the two principall parts what is meant by the seuen starres and seuen candlestickes namely by the seuen starres seuen Angels of the seuen churches by the candlestickes we shewed before In this verse note why Christ expounds the two principall parts leaues the rest vnexpounded The reason is first because Christ hath giuen his church power to expound visions and scripture Now if he had expounded euery part and circumstance then there had bene no matter left to the church to exercise her power Secondly to stir vp to diligence study of the scripture both Ministers all mēbers of the church for if all were plaine then men wold be idle neuer take paines to interpret the word therefore Christ expounds the chiefe and leaues the circumstances and appurtenances for the church to interpret Thirdly that men might dayly grow in knowledge of the Scripture for if all were knowne at first they would not study to increase in knowledge fourthly to stir vp inuocatiō for grace to vnderstand Scripture Now these Ministers are called Angels which be the Pastors and Ministers of the church Mat. 11. 10. Iohn Baptist is called Christs Angel or messenger or Ambassadour By this we haue direction to expound another place of Scripture where it is said Women must be couered because of the Angels that is because of the Ministers for the couering of the head in the church of Corinth was a signe of subiection and inferioritie contrary to our vse Now the women when they come into the congregation before the Ministers they must be couered to shew their subiection and submission to the Gospell and doctrine deliuered to them Seeing Ministers be called Angels that is messengers and Ambassadors they must behaue themselues as Ambassadors they must haue speciall care first of the matter of the ambassage secondly of the maner that they deliuer nothing but their Lords
accursed that the Iewes might be saued Againe they vrge If the righteous turne from his righteousnes he shall die ergo a righteous man may perish To these words I answer there is a double righteousnes one of the outward action another of the person the first is when a man keepeth the whole law outwardly in respect of men the second in that a mans person is righteous by Christs righteousnesse before God A man may haue the first and yet be an hypocrite and so it is meant here of the first not of the second by which mā is in deed righteous before God Ans. 2. It must be vnderstood of them which esteemed themselues righteous they pleaded that their fathers sinned they were punished so that they pretended they were iust but were not so indeed Another place is Luke 8. 13. there be some which beleeued for a time Ans. There are three kinds of faith as also of beleeuers historicall temporall and true sauing faith in the first is knowledge assent to the word yet no great ioy or reioycing in the second is also ioyned ioy and reioycing to the assent with approbation but in sauing faith there is also apprehension of the promise of God to our selues which is not in the other Now as of faith so of beleeuers there be three kinds one which knoweth the word and giueth assent to it yet hath no great loue or liking of it the second he loueth it reioyceth in it but apprehendeth not the promise but the third he beleeueth loueth and apprehendeth the promise Now the two first may fall away but the last cannot fall away and Luke is to be vnderstood of the two first not of the last But they obiect and say there is but one God and one faith therefore all faith is one Phil. 4. Answ. That is there is but one faith one doctrine of saluation and one religion so faith is vsed in the word and so it must be here vnderstood Secondly they proue it by exāples as first of Adam secondly of Dauid Adam he had grace sufficient yet he in his innocencie fell from God therefore much more we which haue not so much grace as he had Ans. Though he had greater measure of grace yet we haue more certaine and sure priuiledges of grace then he had first he had his grace by creation we by redemption which is greater then creation secondly he had the first grace not the second but we haue the first grace and the second too by promise which preserueth vs in the first grace Phil. 1. 6. 2. Thes. 1. The Lord is faithfull to establish vs to keepe vs from euill God giueth the first grace to beleeue and repent and the second to make vs to continue in the same They obiect Dauid fell from grace by two great sins one of adulterie the other of pride Answ. He fell grieuously and the graces of God were sore decayed weakned and wounded in him not cleane extinguished for then he should haue contēned God his word and religion despaired of mercie which he did not This sheweth he had the remnants of grace in his heart still though weakened and wounded Ob. 1. But he prayeth God to create in him a new heart Psal. 51. therefore he had cleane lost grace Answ. Dauid speaketh there as he felt himselfe not as he was in respect of God for he felt in his conscience much trouble and Gods wrath against him 2. Ob. But he repented not of a whole yeare Now no repentance no pardon and no pardon no grace Answ. The gift of repentance was in him when he fell and after but the practise of it shewed it selfe not till that time that the Prophet came to him he wanted not repentance simply but new repentance in practise for that fact Their third argument is from equitie of nature common reason a child of God may become the member of an harlot now one cannot be the member of God and of the diuell therefore a man may fall finally Ans. There be three sorts of mēbers a dead a decayed and a liuely member the first is as a leg of wood or brasse the second as an arme or leg taken with a palsey the third a mouing and liuely member as an hand sound and ready to moue So in Christ there is a dead mēber which is only in shew not in deed secondly a member decaied dying but not dead as a man by sin taken with a spiritual palsey which can not feele grace flowing frō Christ thirdly a liuely mēber which feeleth and liueth in Christ. Now a liuely member of Christ can not be the member of an harlot but a decaied member which is in the midst betweene dead and aliue that is the member of Christ and the member of an harlot but being not dead but dying shall be quickned againe so a man is made the member of Christ spiritually but the member of an harlot by carnall maner They say further if that men be so certaine of their saluation that they cannot fall away then this shewes there is no need of the word no need of preaching and exhortation Ans. Though a man be certaine he cannot fall away yet preaching and exhorting haue their vse not onely to worke grace but also to make men constant in grace and to perseuere to the end and though a man be certaine of his saluation yet he must vse the meanes Paul Act. 28. he knew that not one in the ship should perish yet there must not one go out of the ship Esay 38 tels Hezechiah he should recouer but he must vse the meanes and so he did But say they this doctrine maintaineth grosse securitie to teach that men are sure they cannot fall Ans. There is a double securitie one of the flesh when a man giues himselfe to the pleasures and profits of this world hauing no care or conscience of his owne saluation secondly there is a securitie of faith when one relieth wholy on Christ in the matter of saluation Now seeing that doctrine maintaines securitie not of the flesh but a spirituall securitie of faith and peace of conscience it is not to be disliked for it is a mans chiefe felicitie when a man in life and death relieth wholy on Christ. Thus the answer to the question is that a true beleeuer cannot loose faith nor fall away from grace wholly or finally but in part and for a time Seeing this decaying of loue was in this famous Church founded and preserued by the Apostles then much more is it rife in our Church seeing we haue not the like measure of grace that they had then we must looke to our selues see how we decay in loue to God and to our neighbour if we do then we shall find that after long profession we haue decaied much in loue And if we can excuse our selues yet take heed of it for seeing this famous Church was subiect to it it cannot be but we
election Rom. 9. and so might fall from the Church of God to be a synagogue of Satan for hauing only the generall election they might renounce the word and sacraments but the particular election is immutable Now let vs see when they became thus the synagogue of Satan it was not at that time when they put Christ to death for though many of thē did it of knowledge yet very many of ignorance And after that Christ was ascended Peter preaching to them tels them that the promise belonged to them and to their children It was not then at this time but when the Apostles had laboured by many arguments to proue that Christ was the Messiah and they would not beleeue still remaining in their wickednesse then they became of the church of God a synagoue of Satan for when they wold not heare Paul but threatned and reiected him then he left them and preached to the Gentiles and then the Iewes became of a Church no Church for the holding of an heresie makes a church to become no Church but when a Church holds errour in principall points of religion and is openly conuicted by publicke authoritie and iudgement and stil remaines so then it ceaseth to be a Church and not before though it be reproued by a priuate man for that is not sufficient So the Church of the Galatians holding iustification by workes yet ceased not to be a Church till it was conuicted publikely by authoritie Apostolicall And by this we see what we may iudge of the Papists Libertines Familie of loue c. which being conuicted by publique iudgement of the Church of God are no true Churches for they hold such heresies as be condemned in the word and haue bin conuicted long agone of them I come to the cause why they fell namely their vnbeleefe Rom. 11. Ob. But they hold the Scriptures and defend Moses and the law Answ. Though they hold the letter yet they corrupt the sense and where any thing is spoken of Christ they seeke to ouerthrow it and so taking away the subiect and matter of the Scripture which is Christ they ouerthrow all for he which worshippeth God not in but out of Christ he worshippeth not God but an Idoll So the Papists hold the Scriptures in word but in deed denie them seeing they take away Christ in spoiling him of his merit and intercession for take away his offices and then you shall haue an halfe Christ. This their example should be euer in our eyes seeing these Iewes Gods own chosen people whō he chose out of the whole world to serue him they fell for want of faith and became the synagogue of Satan to worship the diuell then we must take heed we be not proud because we haue the word and Sacraments and seeme to be the people of God but suspect our selues take heed we maintaine faith in a good conscience and shew it in repentance and obedience lest we be cut off as they were Feare none of those things which thou must suffer In this tenth verse is another part of the proposition But seeing Christ comforteth the Church of Smyrna and giueth her counsell and rebuketh her not as the Church of Ephesus hence some gather that a man may fulfill the whole law and liue without sinne but they be deceiued for Christ abstaineth here to rebuke the church not because there was no iust cause of reprehension in her but because he saw that the Church did truly beleeue and repent and decayed not in loue as the church of Ephesus had done Secondly he doth it because God accepteth of the will and indeuour of them which beleeue and repent as of the deed he taketh their labor and indeuour to obey him as perfect obedience at their hands And for these two causes Christ he commendeth and comforteth her giueth her counsell and rebuketh her not not that she wanted iust cause of rebuke Seeing that this Church was so accepted of Christ that he would not rebuke her but commendeth and counselleth her we see it is good and necessarie for Gods Church to be in affliction sometime for this church of Smyrna was in affliction and so was kept from many sinnes which otherwise she would haue fallen into So for all other churches and children of God it is necessarie to be in affliction sometimes But feare not Here is Christs counsell which hath three parts first a precept Feare not c. secondly a Prophecie Behold thirdly a precept againe Be thou faithfull The first precept is Feare not This commaundement may seeme to be contrarie to other places of Scripture as when he biddeth vs worke out our saluation with feare trembling where Paul biddeth vs not be high minded but feare Answ. There be three kinds of feare the first naturall the second of grace the third of vnbeleefe The first which is in all men by nature is a declining or auoiding of death seeing al things by nature seek to preserue thēselues and this naturall feare was in Christ who feared death as it was the separation of the soule and bodie though it was no sinne in him but an infirmitie Secondly feare is from grace Mal. 1. saith the Lord If I be your Father where is my feare Which is a reuerence to God in regard of his mercie and iudgment and this is no sinne but a vertue The third is from vnbeleefe when men for feare of persecution or other hurt forsake God and his religion more fearing the persons of men then the maiestie of God Now Christ speaketh not of the two first but of the last only namely a distrustful feare when for feare of persecution or affliction we forsake God and religion that feare which draweth men from God to death and damnation if they repent not Feare not Here Christ sheweth the sinne of euery man by nature namely to feare man more then God to be more affraid of the face and countenance of men then of the power and might of the euerliuing God which is not onely in sinners but in the regenerate in some part who do not consider of God as he is indeed a mightie Iudge taking vengeance on sinners In this Christ sheweth the means to arme our selues against all such feare of perils persecution or daunger namely Christian fortitude and courage which is a gift of God proceeding from true faith whereby we are made able to lay aside all feare of daunger and to vndergo all persecutions afflictions and dangers for the maintaining of faith and a good conscience This Christ often prescribeth and armeth his children with this christian fortitude as the Prophets and Apostles in the old and new Testament and now euery child of God and euery Church And it were to be wished that Ministers now in our daies could say to all Gods children Feare not but alas now they must change their voice and crie with the Prophet Howle and lament in sack cloth and ashes for your destruction is at hand And
surely there is cause why if one looke and view the bodie of our people as Osea saith there is no knowledge of God in the land euery man seeketh to follow his owne waies none cleaueth to the Lord seeketh to know and obey him Besides they are altogether carnall fleshly dead and drowned with the cares of this life none affecting things belonging to eternall life but all mens hearts are possessed with pleasures profits and preferments of this world Nay all men in generall lye in a dead sleep there is no sense or feeling in them a spirituall slumber hath wrapped all mens hearts in securitie and ignorance neuer thinking or considering of the iudgement to come neuer dreaming of the euill day though God preach daily by his iudgement to them Againe the contempt of the word and Gospell the prophanation of the Sabbath want of mercie and loue the cruelty which aboundeth in all men oppression whoredomes fornications these be the sinnes of the people now in our daies rife in euery place these are common sinnes calling for vengeance which will come vndoubtedly vnlesse we repent so that Christ cannot speake to vs as to this Church but in a contrarie voice But though this be the common estate of most men yet Christ he hath a remnant who lament and mourne for the sins of the land who are grieued with the abhominations of the world and these need not feare but they must take to them Christian fortitude courage lay aside al feare of danger of al that man can do and boldly vndergo all crosses and afflictions euen to death to maintaine faith and a good conscience to the end That they may do this let them first consider that they which feare distrustfully must haue a miserable portion in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Reu. 21. 8. therefore for feare of this reward let vs go on fearing nothing 2 They must consider Gods presence he is by them readie to protect and defend them his Angels pitch their tents about them Psalm 34. 12. 2. King 6. Elishahs seruant seeing in Dothan an huge armie which beset him and his maister he saith Be not affraid for they which be with vs be more then these against vs. He was fully perswaded of Gods presence and protection and that Gods Angels would defend and guard him so should al men in danger they must beleeue and perswade themselues God is present he hath his Angels pitching their tents to defend and protect his children 3 Gods children must consider in perill that it is an honorable thing to suffer for Christs sake and it is a happie thing to suffer for the Gospell of Christ. Paul he accounted it his chiefe honour nay he reioyced in nothing so much as in his sufferings for Christs sake Then if suffering the crosse for Christs sake be such an honourable thing we must lay aside all feare and by Gods grace arme our selues with Christian fortitude and courage to vndergo all crosses afflictions whatsoeuer But those which are not touched with the present day of miserie nor haue not this perfect fortitude they must lament and howle lest the euill day take them vnprouided The next part of Christs counsell is a prediction or prophecie of the afflictions which this Church must suffer But before he propoundeth the afflictions he setteth a word of attention Behold By which he teacheth them and in them vs that it is our dutie often to thinke and consider of the time of affliction before hand to meditate of Gods iudgements and corrections before they come lest we perish in them For Christ Luk. 19. he came to Ierusalem and wept ouer it and foretold the iudgements to come and the cause was because she knew not the day of her visitation because she would not think of her iudgement and affliction to come therefore Christ forotels and shewes her final destruction Let vs take heed lest it fall out with vs as it did with them It shall come to passe By this Christ shewes he is true God For he which can foretell all future things in particular though they be contingent he is God for that is proper to God but Christ foretels their particular affliction to come ergo he is God Ob. But the Phisitian can foretell the death of his patient the Astronomer the eclipse of the Moone to come Answ. They do so but by meanes the Phisitian foretels by the causes and signes he seeth in the partie by which death is in â—ort present so the Astronomer by the naturall course of the heauens can foretel an eclipse by the courses and signes of it in which the eclipse is present but without these signes and causes they cannot simply but Christ without any signe or cause simply foretels this affliction in particular to come to the Church of Smyrna Christ describes the affliction first by the cause namely the diuel secondly the persons some of you thirdly the kind imprisonment fourthly the end to trie you fifthly the time ten dayes For the first the cause it is the diuel Ob. But how can he afflict them seeing he is a spirit and dealeth not with the bodies of men Ans. He is indeed a spirit and ruleth in the aire he is the god of this world he ruleth in the hearts of wicked men he ruleth guideth and gouerneth in them directs their thoughts wils affections so as he stirres them vp moues and caries them to persecute the children of God to cast them in prison Now in that the diuell is the author of persecution we see of what spirit those be which persecute the Church namely men inspired by the diuel moued and ruled by him notorious wicked wretches which haue Satan for their king and ruler For this cause Paul saith he was the chiefe of sinners seeing he was caried by him to persecute the church of God Let then all men take heed of this for he which persecutes the Church for religion in word or action he in that action is the vassall of Satan led and ruled by the diuell and the diuell in that action vseth him as his instrument Satan is the chiefe and principall agent he is his slaue to do his will and is as a souldier vnder his band Againe learne we to take pitie on all such persons seeing they be possessed by the diuell led and moued by him yea euen to pray for our persecutors Furthermore the weapons we must haue to defend our selues in persecution are not temporall but spirituall seeing our enemy is a spirit we must vse inuocation and praier fasting and humbling our selues by which we shew our faith repentance and obedience to God By this weapon of prayer Elias is called the chariot and horsemen of Israel this is a most excellent weapon And if the Lord should send a forreine enemy among vs then is indeed the souldier to be vsed but our principall weapon must be prayer that must be our chariot and horsemen the
and place and not before fit persons So Paul saith that if to eate should offend he would neuer eate 1. Cor. 9. So here Balaam giueth offence they of Pergamus take it to commit sinne and to be stirred vp to fall from God The meanes by which Balaam cast these offences before the Israelites namely by prouoking them to eate of the meate offered to idols and commit fornication Numb 25. When Balaam had vsed many waies to curse them and could not preuaile he vsed new meanes which was to send out most wicked and beautifull women to inuite them to their idole banquets and to fornication and they condescended to them Hence we gather this is the peculiar note of a false Prophet to draw men to offence to cast stumbling blockes before them in the way to saluation for Balaam a false Prophet is noted by this and as Paul saith godlinesse and true religion is a great mysterie to saluation so false teaching is a mysterie tending to the destruction of mens soules So that by this note we may iudge of all religions both of the Iew and the Turke but especially of the Papists which most trouble vs in this Church for all religions whose doctrine tendeth to stop or hinder men in the way to saluation they be the doctrines of diuels The Papists religion which our ancient folke call the old religion is a doctrine tending to destroy men to ouerturne the whole morall law of God especially to maintaine adulterie and idolatrie The first commandement is thou shalt haue the true God onely for thy God But the Papists make moe then one they make the creatures Gods they inuocate Saints which what is it but to make them Gods to giue them his honour seeing he alone is present euery where seeth the hart and seeing they say they can merit which none can do formans sin but onely God no not Christ himself if he were not God Nay they make the wooden crosse not Christ on the crosse to be God in that they call it their hope and so the virgin Mary calling her our Ladie putting hope in her and saying she can commaund her Sonne in heauen in the matter of saluation The second Commaundement they in practise breake in making images of God the Father like an old man the Sonne as he was on earth and the holy Ghost in forme of a doue with religious worship adore and worship Saints They erre against the third commaundement teaching that a man may sweare by Saints and the fourth in that they make festiual dayes of men and saints to be equal with the Sabbath of the Lord and take away mens libertie of labouring six dayes to worship their saints As for the fift commandement in this they make subiects free from their lawful loyalty to their lawful Princes In the sixt they make and appoint places to which murderers may flie and be safe and in keeping the word from lay men as they call them and so murder their soules In the seuenth they maintaine stewes and houses of professed adultery and hold that the vncle may marry his neece or his great neece For the eight commandement they ouerthrow it in that they make all things saleable heauen hell purgatory and all which is manifest robbery They wrong the ninth commaundement in that they falsly make mens writings the canon of Gods word nay they maintaine lying seeing that they hold a man being asked of a thing he knowes as when one hath confessed his sinnes another askes him he may though he know the same say he knoweth not that is they know not them to tell them to you but that is a slender excuse For the tenth commaundement they make concupiscence and lust to be no sin and put out that commaundement So that we see this whole religion which is called of old people the old religon is cleane new from the true religion nay it is a doctrine of diuels seeing it tends to leade men to destruction and ouerturning of the whole law of God To come to our owne church true it is men slaunder our doctrine saying it is scandalous three wayes first that we teach God creates men to cast the greatest number of them into hel destroy them First we answer we hold that though the scripture speakes not of any certaine number yet the elect are said to be a small number Secondly the end why God created men was not to destroy them but to manifest his own glory in their due iust deserued damnation destructiō not that he created men to this end to cast them to hell Secondly they charge the doctrine of our church to be a blasphemous doctrine seeing we hold that God decreed mans fall and so do make him the author of sinne Answ. We say indeed that God decreed mans fall permitted him to sin yet teach we not that he is the author of sin for his wil is double generall and particular in his generall wil he decreed to permit man to sin and fall yet so as in respect of God it was good though in respect of man euill for as he can draw out of darknesse light so out of euill he can worke good to himselfe Secondly there is his speciall wil by which he wils and delights onely in that which is good and by this he hated mans fall And euen as the Magistrate hates would not the death of the malefactor yet he wils it in that he executes the same so the Lord he in his general wil willed the permitting of mans fall not as it was euil but as it turned to his glory and honour and the good of the elect Lastly they charge our doctrine to be a doctrine of securitie and carnall carelesnesse in that we teach men may be certaine of their saluation and to perseuere to the end but seeing we withal teach a man must vse the meanes daily pray heare the word receiue the sacraments and performe all the duties of faith and religion to the end we teach no doctrine of carnall securitie but a doctrine of paine and trouble which maketh men not carelesse but careful to come to heare to be certaine and to perseuere therefore they charge vs wrongfully in all these Seeing it is so great a sinne to giue offence we must take especiall heed we giue no offence in our life conuersation word or deed but so to cary our selues that we liue vnspottedly for if we giue offence we are Balaams scholers and tread in his path Let vs then in our callings so cary our selues vprightly that we giue no offence for wo to them by whom offences come nay it were better they had a mil-stone tied to them and they cast into the sea for that is to plunge our brothers soule as much as in vs lieth to the gulfe of hel But we must rather labour to help him to take from him al blocks of offence which if men would do then our Church should flourish
sinnes for in this Chapter we find that certaine men in this Church were giuen to fornication and idolatrie close and hidden sinnes Now here he is said to haue fierie eyes to shew them he seeth these secret sinnes he knoweth their hearts much more their sinfull workes and will punish them Then by this we haue a good remedie against all secret sins The nature of man is for shame and feare of punishment to abstaine from outward crimes but being out of the companie of men he will breake the commandement of the first and second Table without any care or conscience and this euery mans conscience can best testifie that though he can abstaine from outward sinnes for shame and punishment yet he will cōmit secret sinnes But these men should remember that though they be out of the presence of men yet they stand in the presence of Christ he seeth them his fierie eye pierceth to their inward thoughts and affections and though they may bleare the eyes of men yet they cannot bleare this fierie eye of Christ. If euery man would remember this the fornicator blasphemer or any sinner it would be a good meanes to bridle and stay thē from committing sinnes both open and hidden And his feet like fine brasse He is said to haue brazen feet to shew his strength and power by which he ouercame and bruised the head of the serpent on the crosse and fully vanquished hell death and sinne by his death and also doth subdue sinne and Satan and put them vnder not onely his brazen foot but vnder the feet of his seruants and members The end why he is said to haue feet of brasse here in this Epistle is to terrifie certaine wicked persons in this Church as fornicators and idolaters nay the whole Church of Thyatira which by these wicked men were in daunger to be drawne that way This then may be a remedie for all loose liuers namely to consider of Christs brazen feet to thinke that Christ our Sauiour is in the midst of the Church walketh there and that he hath a foote of brasse to trample and tread all his enemies to powder and to destroy them The want of this is the cause why men lie in sinne and heape sinne vpon sinne without care or conscience or any feare The second part of the Epistle is the Proposition wherein is propounded the substance and matter of the Epistle It hath two parts first a praise secondly a dispraise or rebuke The commendation in the 19. verse the dispraise in the 20. verse First she is commended generally I know thy workes secondly particularly for many duties and vertues I know thy workes that is I see and allow thy workes and wayes The end why he alleadgeth and repeateth these words is to stirre vp the hearts of his seruants to consider of his presence For Christ before hath fierie eyes and here he saith I know thy workes to make this consideration to sinke more deepely and imprint it more throughly In the second part he commendeth her for many duties and vertues first loue secondly seruice thirdly patience fourthly faith and increase of godlinesse First she is commended for loue that is loue to man not to God for for that she is cōmended after in the duties to God But by loue and seruice is meant duties to man performed by man to man To know this loue better note three points first what it is secondly the property of true loue to man thirdly how it must be practised toward men Loue to man is a gift of Gods spirit whereby a man is well affected to his neighbour for Gods sake First loue is the gift of the Spirit Gal. 5. 25. Secondly it is a gift whereby a man is well affected to his neighbour that is to reioyce at his good to defend to seeke and wish his good yea to be grieued with his hurt and miserie and withall to haue bowels of compassion to helpe him in his hurt and miserie Thirdly it must be to our neighbour not by dwelling or habitation but to them which be our brethren in nature haue the same flesh with vs beare the same image of God Then all men as they be men are our neighbours though they dwell at the worlds end whether beleeuer or infidell friend or foe to these we must be wel affected Fourthly it must be for Gods sake for God must first absolutely and principally be loued and man for him so that our loue to man is a fruit of our loue to God springing and descending from it As for the propertie of our loue to man it must be feruent and that in two things first if need require euery man is bound in the compasse of his calling to lay downe his life for his brother and for his neighbour 1. Ioh. 3. 16. Secondly it must be feruent towards our enemies in the world there is much hatred malice and iniuries Now we must loue those persons from whō these come and loue must be feruent that these like water do not quench it And for the practise of our loue to man the rule is that we loue him as our selues as we loue and wish well to our selues heartily so must we loue and wish well to him This is the law of nature to do to another as we would haue him to do to vs yea this is the law of God do to all men as you would haue them do to you Is a man to sell the diuell offereth him gaine if he wil lie Now consider by thine owne law wouldest thou haue another to deceiue thee by lying no surely then deceiue not thy neighor by false weights wares or otherwise By these three things we see for what this Church was commended This loue were to be wished in vs but alas it waxeth cold euery man is a louer of himselfe seeketh his owne good no man his brothers euery man spends his labor wit and his calling to help himself no man to do good to others to help the common good or the good of the Church but to the hurt or hindering of others for men think they may make the best of their owne sell as deare as they can but we should employ all our callings if we had true loue not onely to our owne good but the good of others euen the common good of the towne country or church When men come to the Church to heare the word to pray to receiue the sacrament then they seeme to shew great loue of God but look into their callings there is no loue of their brethren which sheweth they haue no true but an outward loue of God seeing they loue not their neighbour liue by iniustice seeking to fley him and draw out his very bloud by cruell dealing by griping pilling and polling now there cannot be true loue of God where this loue of our neighbour is wanting 1. Iohn 3. 21. The second vertue for which this church is cōmended is seruice In this place
were excellent mē the seruants of Christ. Hence arise two questions first why some men be rather the seruants of Christ then other some secondly whether the seruants of Christ can be seduced For the first some say God would haue euery man in the world his seruant doth what he can to make them so he calleth them redeemeth them giueth them grace to be his children reconcileth thē to himself so that they may if they will be saued now some will not for all this receiue Gods grace but contemne his mercy though he call them redeeme them and giue them grace But this is against common sense to make Gods will in subiection mans will to rule to disgrace God and set man aloft to make Gods will to be ordered by mans will But the reason why some are the seruants of God not al is Gods good pleasure in electing some and reiecting others for he electeth not all to grace and glory but some onely and these be his seruants by reason of his owne good will and pleasure Act. 13. 48. As many as were ordained to life that is elected and redeemed of Gods free will and pleasure they beleeued The second question is whether a seruant of God can be seduced Answ. Seruants be of two sorts some are only in appearance some in deed and truth Those be onely in appearance which receiue the word and outward seales but not the inward fruite and these be in our Churches the greatest part these may fall away finally and wholly as did the Galathians and many other But those which be in truth the seruants of Christ though they may fall in part yet they cannot fall wholy or finally Mat. 16. the gates of hel shal striue shew their strength against that rocke of faith but shall not preuaile So we pray Leade vs not into temptation that is let vs neuer be wholly vnder the power of Satan Now what we pray for that we haue a promise in the worde for it and true faith and a constant purpose to liue in any on sinne cannot stand together for faith purifieth the heart and preserueth it in life and death ergo a true beleeuer cannot fall wholly or finally To come to the meanes of discerning them it is by committing fornicatiō and eating things offered to idols She made the seruants of God to sinne by these two sinnes and meanes which shewes she was a maintainer of the sect of the Nicolaitanes of whom I spake before And I gaue her space to repent Christ reproued the Church of Thyatira before for suffering her here he reproueth her for her obstinacy and hardnes of heart that she would not repent of her sinnes Time to repent That is though her sinnes deserued present death yet God suffered her to liue in the world a space of time to see if she would repent Now in her example he teacheth vs how to vse time whilest we liue in the world namely seeing it is giuen vs of God to repent in and so to come to saluation we must vse it so repēt while we haue time For that cause he lets some liue twenty or forty yeares for there is no repentance before we come into this world or after we go out therefore while we liue in it we must repent then we must thinke of it earnestly that we vse it to repent in that so we may be reconciled to God receiued to mercy and haue the kingdome of heauen Then damnable is the practise of our daies when men liue in eating drinking sporting carding dicing in spending their strength and wit in getting riches neuer thinking of the true end why they liue which is to repent and come to saluatiō but spend their time he giues them to repent other wayes The Lord might cut them off as soone as they be borne yet he suffereth them to liue to see if they will repent then if they runne on in sin they increase their damnation and do as a man should euery day cary a faggot for ten yeares to one heape and be burned himselfe with them at the end I gaue her Namely Christ gaue her time to repent no creature no man or Angel can dispose of the time of repentance but only Christ Iesus it is in his power alone when one must repent or not Then seeing it is not in our power it is best for vs to repent without delay while it is called to day The yong man takes his swinge because he is yong as though he could repēt in old age or when he list but he robs Christ of his honor for he alone can dispose of the time of repentance Then take the present who knoweth when the Lord will cut him off and then his estate is miserable We thinke a man may repent at the last gaspe but it is not good for a man to deferre seeing he may die quietly by reason of the sicknesse yet may die out of Gods fauour But to whom gaue Christ this time To her that is Iesabel a wicked woman Here we see the endles mercy of God in Christ Iesus he offereth mercy to Iesabel a leud wicked fornicator idolater a blasphemous wretch fathering her sinnes on the spirit of God yet she hath mercy offered So the Lord dealeth not in iustice to cut men off but giueth grieuous sinners time to repent So did he to Manaesses a wisard and idolater who humbling himselfe was receiued to mercy Salomon an idolater yet repenting was receiued to mercy for he was a pen-man of the Scripture ergo an holy man 2. Pet. 1. 20. Isay 1. The Iewes a sinfull people as ill as they which were in hel The Sodomites and Gomorrheans they had mercy offered if they would repent and though their sins were as red as crimson yet God would wash them as white as snow We may not hence take occasion to sinne but they which be grieuous sinners must not despaire if they can repent they shall haue mercy Of her fornication She had sundry sinnes especially idolatry which cannot want company for no sinne goeth alone Christ calleth her to repent for that one sinne of fornication because that was the most principall sin the head sinne of that woman teaching vs that when we repent we must begin with our greatest sins which most clog our conscience and by which we offend most Againe he which can repent truly of one great sin he repents of all if he hate the greater he will hate the lesser Then we in repentance must begin at the greater sin and repent in particular for it for confused repentance is not true as to say I am a sinner c. but repentance in particular for particular sinnes beginning at the head sinne which most troubleth vs that is true repentance Seeing Christ saith he gaue her time to repent hence the Papists gather free will namely to do good and to repent for else this admonition were in vaine But it followes not for God gaue
her time to repent and commaundement to repent for other ends first that then he may with the time giue grace also to repent that so she and we may see what we should do and withall see our owne want that we are not able to do as we are commaunded and so to make vs inexcusable And she repented not Here Iesabels sinne is set downe namely impenitency and going on in her sins of fornication and idolatry concerning which sins note two things first where impenitency is forbidden secondly how great a sin it is First where it is forbidden Ans. There are two parts of the word the law and the Gospell and these two be seuered and distinct neither can be mingled one with the other Now the law cōmands things which we in that nature of man in which Adam was could haue fulfilled but the Gospell commaunds things aboue nature The law cannot command repentance seeing it reuealeth not repentance but the Gospell commaunds it and so by an Euangelicall commaundement this sin is forbidden As for the second part how great this sinne is know we that when men liue and go on in their sins it is a great sin seeing by it men heape vp sinne and wrath to themselues Some say it is a sin against the holy Ghost but it is vntrue for that is a blasphemy so is not impenitency that is in this life but impenitency properly is at death Hence the Papists gather againe that a man hath free will seeing he gaue her time to repent but she would not Ans. She had free will to sinne as all men haue and so to be impenitent but it followes not that she had free wil to do good to repent without Gods speciall grace That which Christ said of Iesabel may be said of our Church and most men among vs he giueth vs long time to repent ten twenty or thirty yeares not one of a hundred repents we care not to heare the word and receiue the sacraments we will not turne to God truly but lie in sin in ignorance in contempt of the word in prophanation of the Sabbath couetousnesse adultery idlenesse drinking and eating so that our liues tell plainly not one of a thousand turnes to God truly Now Christ hauing reproued the Church and Iesabel from the 22. to the 28. verse he giueth speciall counsell to them both The end of his counsell is to direct them how to auoide the iudgement of God both in this and the life to come The counsell of Christ hath two parts the first concerneth the woman Iesabel and her company the second the Church of Thyatira The counsell concerning her is in the 22. and 23. verses the summe of it is to repent thou Iesabel and thy company and disciples repent of your sins This is not expressed but in stead therof is the reason vers 22. 23. The reason is this If thou wilt not repent I will punish thee with sundry iudgements but thou wouldst not be punished with sundry iudgements therefore repent Behold I will This is the reason in which note two parts first a threatning secondly an exception except they repent of their workes Before the threatning Christ sets this note of attention This should teach her vs to cōsider seriously of iudgements against sin and sinners in the written word of God Iosias when the law was read his heart melted which was at the threatnings of the law 2. King 24. So when Peter preached the Iewes were pricked in heart because he told them of the fearefull iudgement due to them for killing the Lord of life Act. 2. 37. So should we with Iosias be humbled at the serious consideration of Gods threatnings against sin and be moued to repent And the cause why sin is so rife is because men thinke not earnestly or else regard not Gods iudgements against sin and sinners The threatning hath three parts according to three estates The first concerning Iesabel I will cast her into a bed We may gather the meaning of these words by those 2. Sam. 13. 5. of Ionadab to Amnon Ly down on thy bed and faine thy self sick So here I I will cast her into a bed that is strike her with some great sicknes the place namely the bed put for the sicknes which is in the man lying on the bed Iesabel tooke pleasure in the bed by fornication who abusing the bed the Lord to punish her in the bed accordingly gaue her sicknes in the same bed which she abused Here is Gods dealing with sinners he punisheth them in those things they haue abused Iesabel abused the bed to fornicatiō the Lord punished her in the bed with some great disease and sicknes Diues abused his tongue and tast in Gods creatures he is punished in them Luke 16. he asked a drop of water to coole his tongue Gamesters take pleasure in abusing time and spend it in carding and dicing their punishment it brings many iudgements on them they come to ruine and misery Ahab to get the vineyard sheds bloud the Lord sheds his Iesabels and his childrens and they which liue by the bloud of the poore draw it out of them are punished with the like for bloud will haue bloud and the Lord will punish men in those sins wherein they tooke most pleasure Then this should admonish vs to take heed we abuse no creature of God for the Lord he will turne the same to our punishment I will cast her That is strike her with some grieuous sicknes Here we see the author of sicknes it is not by chance but comes from the hand of God if men could learne this they would make better vse of sicknesse if men could say the Lord hath cast me on my bed visited my body with sicknes he hath done it for some of my sins to humble me and make me repent then they would find in their recouery a blessing and liue a new life Esay 38. Hezekiah when he lay on his death bed knew it came from the Lord therfore hearing Esay say he must die he turned him to the wall and wept as for other things so especially for his sins and craued pardon for them So Iacob lying on his bed leaned on his staffe sate vp and prayed for pardon of his sins and to testifie his faith and hope to God So should we in our sicknesse shew our faith and hope and pray for pardon of sinnes committed against him The second part of the threatning which concernes her disciples and followers which receiued her doctrine and committed fornication with her and their punishment is to be cast into great affliction We see it is a great sin to commit fornication and not a trick or slip of youth as we call it seeing Christ assignes a great punishment to it Againe we see some causes why townes cities and countries be afflicted with much famine sword and pestilence namely because there be fornicators and maintainers of errors and superstition for God
he reserueth the word and Sacraments among them But they say Antichrist sitteth in the middest of Gods temple but Antichrist as we say is in the Romish church therefore that is the temple of God Ans. The true Church of God is among them but it is hidden Now he sitteth in the midst of them not as a member but as an vsurper theefe and deceiuer for the Church of God is in their Church as wheate among chaffe and gold in drosse And the like may be said though not in regard of doctrine yet in regard of life of al our greatest townes in England for the body of them they seeme to liue if we looke on their outward seruice of God and shew yet indeed they be dead which appeareth by the common sinnes now in prosperitie as pride inward and outward fulnesse of bread carelesnesse in religion though we haue now the word plentifully preached yet we seeming to liue are stark dead Yet the Lord hath his church amongst vs but the body of our people though they haue the word preached yet they will not be reformed But as a father which cannot reforme his sonne by words must vse the rod so the Lord when as the preaching of the word will not serue he must needs take the rod in his hand to make vs obey his will to reform our liues to trie which be his own childrē which not Christ before called these seuen churches his true church yet here we see this church hath corruptions in it so that a church may haue corruption in opinion and doctrine and yet if it erre not in fundamentall points it may be the true church of God and we must not condemne a church for corruptions in it Thou hast a name Other churches iudged of this church by the rule of charity seeing them to make shew of religion and to professe the Gospell they iudged it to be a true church So must we so long as we see men liue outwardly in the feare of God professe religion iudge of thē in charitie til we see some euident signe and commit secret iudgement to God We see all infants are not the children of God yet we admit all iudge wel of them in charitie coming of beleeuing parents and Paul calleth all the churches he wrote vnto elect by the rule of charitie condemning none till God made them manifest But thou art dead The churches about iudged her to liue but Christs iudgement is thou art dead then we must regard especially the iudgement of Christ and not care so much to be approued of the church though that be good as to be approued of Christ which cannot erre for though the church approue and commend vs if Christ approoue vs not our estate is miserable Verse 2. Be awake and strengthen the things ready to die After the reproofe followeth first the remedy secondly the reason In the remedy note two duties first to be watchfull secondly to confirme the graces of God decayed in them In that first he commaunds them to be watchfull we see it is an excellent dutie and then is a man watchfull when he hath great circumspection and heedinesse in respect of the saluation of his soule This dutie concerneth two things namely sin and death for we are commanded in the word to watch against these two Against sin in two things first for a man to bethinke himselfe of all the sins he may fall into to do this he must consider first his nature secondly his calling First his nature that there is in it the seed of all sinne ergo he may fall into all sin secondly a man shall find that he is more inclined to one sinne then to another and against that he must labour most Secondly for his calling we must know that euery calling hath his sinnes since the fall of man Now a man must consider which be the especial sins of his calling and when a man seeth them he shall know by these two into what sins he may fall and against them he must watch Another thing is to keepe the heart that it be not tainted with any sinne Pro. 4. 24. aboue all watch and ward keepe thy heart that is vse all good meanes to keepe thy heart cleane from all sinne The second part of watchfulnesse is in death against the coming of Christ at iudgement vnto vs or in particular by death in which note two things first to bethinke our selues of Christs coming to iudgement or to come to vs in particular and in this regard we must make account that euery day is the day wherein Christ will come either in generall or particular iudgement The second dutie is to prepare our selues against Christs comming to make vs ready to die euery houre as if Christ would come euen this day so to morrow and euery day That we may do this we must vse sobrietie and temperancie in all the things of this life moderately to vse them not to be drowned with the pleasures profits of this life for we thē forget the time of death And as Christ prescribeth the remedie to Sardis so to vs we are not better then they we take great care to prepare for the dangers of this life If a towne were in danger to be sacked or a house to be robbed we would set watch and ward to guard thē how much more shold we watch for the saluation of our soules and not hazard them at death for want of watchfulnesse The second reason to moue vs to watch is the want of watchfulnesse and securitie which is the fore-runner of destruction 1. Thes. 5. 3. When men cry peace then cometh destruction Luk. 12. When the rich man thought all was safe then came destruction and his soule was taken from him When the old world thought nothing then came the floud and swept them away This should admonish vs to take heed to prepare our selues and watch both against sinne and death vnlesse we will cast away our soules And strengthen Here is the second dutie which is the reforming of the decayed graces As if he should say thou hast had many graces whereof diuerse are lost and many are sore decayed therefore labour to recouer and strengthen them Where Christ teacheth vs that if we haue any gift of God we must labour to preserue it and not onely that but to increase and grow on and strengthen it we must not stand in one estate but increase in good workes that we may become perfect men in Christ by growing in grace as in dayes for our gifts are not our owne but Gods we are his stewards he looketh to haue his owne with aduantage else we are vnprofitable seruants Then we must stirre vp the gifts of God in vs and to do so we must often and daily reade the Scriptures daily heare them and meditate on thē vse the Sacraments often vse often prayer and inuocation and striue daily against our owne corruptions and withall stirre vp our hearts to good
things and to true obedience Psal. 119. Dauid saith I haue inclined my heart euen my dead heart and put life into it and so we must put life into our benummed soules and often call on them which are halfe dead But we commonly stand still seeke not to grow but stand at a stay Christ by these words would signifie that some be dead other graces be readie to die whence we haue answer to that question whether grace may be vtterly lost We say some graces may othersome cannot be lost but sore decayed and diminished For Gods graces are of two sorts some necessarie to saluation as faith and regeneration some are lesse necessarie which go not with sauing faith as sensible and full feeling of Gods fauour ioy in the holy Ghost earnest inuocation on Gods name Now these may be separated from faith and be wholy lost in the seruants of God for a time the other cannot though they may be sore diminished nay faith and regeneration considered in thēselues may be lost wholy for nothing is vnchangeable in it owne nature but God The grace by which the elect Angels stand is in it selfe chaungeable and these would perish and come to nothing vnlesse they were continually preserued kept and confirmed in vs and them If this be so why then do not the elect fall away Ans. Not because they haue faith and regeneration or that they be in themselues vnchangeable but because of Gods promises as Mat. 16. Christ saith that the gates of hell though they shew their violence shall not preuaile against Peters faith so that these graces are eternall not of thēselues but by Gods promise which will preserue them to the end Now seeing grace may be lost we must not be too confident if we haue any grace in vs but worke out our saluation with feare and trembling for they may come to that ebbe that they may be at the point of death Now followeth the reason of the remedie For I haue not found c. therefore watch and seeke to restore thy decayed graces I haue not found Here Christ signifieth that he made a search in this Church and that to reward them either with life or death And so this was the practise of Christ when he came to Sodom he went downe to search it So Gen. 11. the Lord came downe to see Babel the like is Ierem. 9. And the Lord he visiteth that is he enquireth of the sinnes of the fathers in the children and if he find them he punisheth them in the children And alwaies Christ first maketh inquirie and after search made he rewardeth accordingly The like will Christ do with vs therefore we must labour to be such as he may approue of If a Magistrate were to search our houses we would see that nothing should be amisse how much more when Christ the heauenly Prince which searcheth the heart and cannot be deceiued cometh to search vs that he may approue of vs and reward vs But found thee not perfect There is a twofold perfection one of the law another of the Gospell Of the law when we satisfie the whole law of the Gospell when our workes done proceed from a beleeuing heart which is carefull to please God in all things Now though no worke of man be perfect yet those workes coming from a heart full of faith are perfect in Christ God accepting the will and indeuour for the deed through Christ. Christ he searched and found in this church many goodly works in shew only for they were full of hypocrisie made shew of godlinesse but wanted the power thereof neither did they come from an heart full of faith or that indeuoured to please God not to sinne in any thing therefore they were not perfect and pleasing to God In that this church is reproued not for want of workes and those faire in shew but because they proceeded not from a beleeuing and honest heart learne to pray as Dauid Psal. 119. 80. Lord let my heart be vpright let me giue all diligence to please thee in al things This is a great comfort when one can say in his conscience My heart is vpright but hypocrisie is the killing of the soule Before God Christ seemeth to distinguish himselfe from God But he speaketh not of God simply but of the Father and of himselfe as he is the Mediator and so is inferiour to the Father though he be now in glorie Now seeing he is in heauen and in glorie there yet carieth himselfe as Mediator we may pray to him without helpe of Angell or Saint and it is no presumption seeing he is still by his owne confession Mediator and so carieth himselfe toward vs. Remember Here after the remedie Christ as a good Pastour of the soule sheweth how to vse the same namely first remember secondly hold fast thirdly repent In practising of which three standeth the remedie of hypocrisie Remember that is call to mind the doctrine of saluation taught by my Apostles This remembrance is a most excellent dutie and bringeth with it many graces as subiection to Gods will repentance c. Psal. 73. Dauid seeing the prosperitie of the wicked had almost slipt and was sore tempted he could not be rid of his temptation till he went into the sanctuarie of God that is till he knew the word of God Psal. 119. 55. He kept the commaundement of God because he remembred his name in the night season Peter remembred Christs words and so repented at the crowing of a cocke Luk. 23. And indeed the cause of all sinne is forgetfulnesse of the word of God Therefore Heb. 6. euery sinne is called ignorance because we commit sinne not remembring and knowing Gods word and if we could keep in liuely memorie the word of God it were not possible that we should sin as we do Then it is a most excellent meanes to cut off sinne to haue the word of God running in our minds forbidding sinne in vs. And the Diuell he laboureth aboue all things to make vs forget the word for then he can draw vs easily to sinne Now that we may haue the word continually in memorie we must labour to haue our hearts affected with the same for we cannot remember more then we like and affect Then we must beleeue it else we cannot remember for that we beleeue not slippeth soone out of our memorie And the cause why so few remember the word is because they be not affected and delighted with it nor beleeue it That thou hast heard and receiued That is that doctrine which by hearing and receiuing thou hast learned Seeing he puts hearing and receiuing together we gather that this is the ordinary meanes of saluation to heare and receiue the word preached Then God calleth not all men in all times seeing men in all ages haue not heard the word neither receiued it and if they haue not heard the doctrine of saluation by Christ in all ages they could not be called for first they
root from whence is conueyed to vs all righteousnesse Seeing Christ is holy both in himselfe and in vs yea the root of all holinesse we must note this maine principle of all true religion which is to be set and ingraffed into Christ as a branch into a tree and being once in him to become new creatures to labour to feele the power of Christ killing in vs the old man our naturall corruptions and also renewing in vs the new man and the image of God in righteousnesse and true holinesse to feele the power and vertue of Christ as sensibly in vs as we feele the corruption of nature and shew this vertue we receiue of Christ euen as a branch sheweth the sappe it receiueth from the roote by the leaues and fruite 2 Seeing Christ was thus holy he propoundeth to vs a patterne to follow teaching vs to be holy as he was holy to make conscience of al sinne to be conformable to him to marke what he did and to imitate it 1. Ioh. 3. 4. We must purge our selues of sinne and be pure as he is pure for he which is not holy as he is holy shall haue no benefit or fellowship by his death and passion Thirdly we see that title giuen to the Bishop of Rome is blasphemous to call him Holinesse as it is common in all their speeches to him Now he in that taketh to him the title of Christ which is a part of Christs honour communicable to none else nay he taketh more on him then Christ here doth for Christ is called but holy he is called holinesse it selfe The second title of Christ is truth Christ is called true in three respects first because without errour and ignorance he knoweth al things as they be in themselues so do not creatures but by vertue from him Secondly because what he willeth and decreeth he willeth and decreeth seriously without fraud deceipt or any contradiction as appeareth in the whole Scripture wherein is nothing contrarie to it selfe but all without chaunge and alteration Thirdly because he maketh good all his promises in his word he accomplisheth and performeth them all he is the performance of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea and Amen Seeing Christ is true nay truth it self we see a difference betweene Christ and all false spirits for they be spirits of errors the diuell is a lyer from the beginning he is the father of lyes nay his nature is to lie he can do nothing else but Christ is true nay truth it selfe euery way true in his knowledge in his will and in his promises he is true Seeing Christ is absolutely true we must beleeue in him and beleeue his promises in his word without doubting for seeing Christ is true nay truth it selfe what need we call his promises into question And this shold be the very prop of our faith that he which promiseth is true therfore wil perform his promise So in persecutiō in trouble and affliction trust in Christ he hath promised to helpe he will not faile because he is most true of his promise Seeing he is so true he propoundeth himselfe to be followed of vs. Christ he knoweth things truly he willeth and decreeth things seriously so should we promise and performe and make good our lawfull promises Psal. 55. The Lord hateth the deceiptfull person Reu. 20. without that is in hell be all deceiptfull and lying persons Psal. 15. It is a note of a member of the Church and of Christ to be true and faithfull and to speake truth from his heart for the diuell is the author of lies 3 Christ is described by his kingly office which hath the keyes of Dauid First let vs see what is meant by the key of Dauid Esay 22. 22. speaking of Eliakim saith I will put the key of Dauid vpon his shoulder for Ezra had bene Hezechiahs Steward an ancient steward in many kingdomes but in his dayes he began to be negligent in his dutie therfore he decreed to cast him out and to place Eliakim in his stead 2. King 18. 18. and therefore saith he will put the key of Dauid that is the gouernement of the kingdome of Iudah on his shoulder for by Dauids house is meant the kingdome of Dauid and the giuing of the key is the placing and inuesting him into his office and giuing him the authoritie of the kingdome of Dauid Christ here hath the key of Dauid great and large authoritie of the Churches as a chiefe Gouernor in a kingdome It will be said Dauids key was temporall Christs kingdome spirituall Ans. First Christ had Dauids key properly for when Christ was borne the scepter was departed from Iudah to the Romaine Emperour so that Christ then was the next to it and had true right to the crowne and kingdome Luk. 3. And Christ challenging his right saith Mat. 17. 26. That the Kings sonnes be free and therefore he need not to pay tribute 2 Christ had Dauids key typically and figuratiuely for Dauids tēporall kingdome was a figure of Christs spirituall kingdome so Dauid was a figure and type of Christ therefore he is often called Christ and Ezec. 3. Christ is called Dauid Now he is said to haue Dauids kingdome and not Neroes or any other because their kingdomes were kingdomes of darknesse and miserie and cursed kingdomes but Dauids kingdome was a kingdome of light a blessed kingdome hauing those men which were acceptable to God and therefore was a type of the kingdome of Christ. Then where Christ is said to haue Dauids key it is not so to be vnderstood that he had the same with Dauid but that which is signified by Dauids key Christ Mat. 2. is called a Nazarite not that he vsed their rites and customes for he dranke wine they did not but because he was that signified by a Nazarite namely by Sampson Iud. 13. For as he slue more by his death then by his life so Christ he saued more by death then by his life yet Christ was a Nazarite that is seuered from all sin and pollution And so Christ had Dauids key that is the spirituall key signified by his temporall key which key signifieth authoritie power and gouernment of the church of God Which openeth and none shutteth In these words Christ hath relation to an house where when one openeth the doore he openeth the house and so Christ he openeth and he shutteth which sheweth his absolute and soueraigne authoritie he hath the key of Dauid and he hath it absolutely no creature is aboue him but he can shut or open at his pleasure Now this key is the power of Christ. In his hand which is a supreme soueraignetie ouer the church by which he can saue or destroy Now this soueraigne power of Christ hath three parts first to prescribe secondly to iudge thirdly to saue and destory First to prescribe he hath an absolute power without constraint of any creature to commaund what he will haue done or not so he
outwardly in bodie but in the seruice of God ioyne heart and hand be indeed as good professors as we beare the world in hand we are the Lord will remoue our crowne and giue it to a nation which will bring foorth better increase and seeke to maintaine it better Vers. 12. Him that ouercometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God Here is set downe the promise which containeth two things first to whom the promise is made to him that ouercometh secondly the thing promised in the words following For the first he giueth to vnderstand that whosoeuer will haue his seruice pleasing vnto God must dispose himselfe to fight a good fight and to wage battell against all his enemies A man cannot be a good Christian except he be a good souldier when he beginneth to turne to God then he hath innumerable enemies both within himselfe and without to make him take another course and turne from God now if he be not a good souldier these enemies will ouercome him For the second the thing promised is eternall life in these words I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God Christ here alludeth to men in this world who haue bene wont to build pillars vpon hils and mountaines that the posteritie to come might remember them when they were dead and rotten 1. Sa. 18. 18. Absolom in his life had reared him vp a pillar which is in the kings dale for he said I haue no sonne to keepe my name in remembrance This then is the sense It is the custome of men to set vp pillars for the remembrance of their bodies but I will make the man himselfe that ouercometh a pillar In the temple That is in the Church triumphant figured by the temple at Ierusalem as if he should say Others set vp pillars in fields and mountaines but I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God I will make him a pillar That is I will not onely make him a part but a worthie part in the temple My God This is set downe to shew that God is Christs God as he is Mediator otherwise as he is God the second person he is equall to the Father And he shall go no more out First he shall abide a pillar for euer he shall not need renewing as the pillars of men do This pillar shall haue three names first the name of God whereby he doth signifie that he is the seruant of God Secondly the name of the citie of my God By citie is not meant the triumphant Church but the place thereof namely the high heauens The meaning of it is I will make it manifest that he is a citizē of the place of glorie This citie is described in the words following by a resemblance it is called new Ierusalem because that was a citie that resembled Paradise where Adam was New Ierusalem But how can it be called new Ierusalem seeing it was before the earthly Ierusalem Answ. It is called new not in regard of the being but in regard of reuelation for it was before the beginning of the world Which came downe out of heauen from my God It is not said it shall come downe but it is come downe This clause is added to answer to an obiection which he that ouercometh might make thus Heauen is farre off how can heauen come downe from heauen Ans. It cometh downe to vs by the preaching of the Gospell for by it we begin to be citizens thereof Eph. 2. The third name is my new name By the name of Christ we are to vnderstand glorie and power Ob. But Christ had glorie and power from all eternitie Ans. True he had so but this is to be meant as he is God incarnate Now the ends and reasons which made him describe the estate of life euerlasting are these first to comfort them which keep faith and a good conscience he doth describe the reward thereof being an excellent meanes to incourage men to go forward in the faith Learne we then in all our afflictions to keepe this faith and good conscience to the end by beholding the estate of life euerlasting and the reward thereof Moses desired to suffer afflictions because he had respect to the recompence of the reward The second reason of this description is to bring men to view the excellencie of life euerlasting Many men are drawne from religion because they take such pleasure in earthly matters which they would not if they thought eternall life so great a matter The third reason is to teach men to practise Paules rule in the 1. to Tim. 6. 12. to lay hold on eternall life Men with both hands lay hold on the world both of honour and riches none layeth sure hold of life euerlasting though it be neuer so sweet pleasant blessed and glorious The fourth reason is to make the people of God not to feare the cruellest death that can be seeing bodily death is a doore to glory Thus much generally of the twelfth verse now it followeth that I speake particularly I will make him a pillar That which the seruants of God shall be in the Church triumphant that they must beginne to be in the Church militant If therefore thou wouldest be a pillar in heauen thou must begin to be one on earth by vpholding and maintaining the Gospell Againe in that he saith I will make him a pillar in Ierusalem that is the Church triumphant they must learne to amend their erronious opinion who thinke euery Church as holy as Ierusalem and is to haue the same reuerence And I will write vpon him That is he shall haue God for his God Here he giueth vs to vnderstand that we can haue no fellowship with God but by Christ God will neuer saue nor blesse vs out of Christ his Sonne If therefore thou wilt giue thankes to God thou must do it through Christ if thou wilt receiue any temporall blessing of God it must be in and by not out of Christ. I will make him a citizen of the kingdome of heauen Here we must learne to carrie our selues in this world as citizens of heauen and not of this world otherwise we can neuer looke for heauen Phil. 3. 20. I will make heauen come downe Here we may see the mercie of God to man heauen was shut vp by our sinnes but God hath opened it by the bloud of Christ that we might enter therein Therefore if we will haue the new name we must become new creatures for neither circumcision nor vncircumcision auaileth any thing but a new creature if we content our selues with the old man we shall neuer come to heauen Vers. 13. Let him that hath an eare heare what the spirit saith to the Churches This is the last part of the Epistle written to the Church of Philadelphia Now whereas Christ againe and againe repeateth the same words the Ministers of the Gospell haue a warrant if they preach the same Sermon to the people