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
yea though they preach it oftentimes But they must looke that they do it not for ease but for the good of the Church And therefore the hearers hearing the Minister repeate the same doctrine ought not curiously to reprehend him for then they may as well reprehend Christ himselfe as before I haue shewed Here then is a dutie commaunded namely to heare this hearing is the good learning that bringeth true faith saluation and sincere obedience with it But to whom is this commandement giuen To hearing hearers and to such as do not onely receiue the word of God with their outward eares but with the eare that is in the heart Hence we learne first that God doth not giue to all men grace to heare his word to their saluation Secondly that we must so heare that thereby we may be conuerted and changed But what is to be said namely what the spirit teacheth to the Churches That we might heare attentiuely he vseth a double reason one drawne from the speaker another from the auditors to wit the Churches But I haue spoken of these before And to the Angell of the Church of the Laodiceans write c. As before all the other Epistles so before this last Epistle there is a commandement giuen to Iohn to write it And the Epistle hath three parts as the former had first a Preface secondly the matter thirdly a conclusion First of the Preface wherin Christ is described in whose name it was penned by two arguments First by his name and title Amen a faithfull witnesse Secondly by his priuiledge and propertie the beginning of the cratures Amen is an Aduerb of affirmation or asseueration signifying truly verily certainly The reason why he is so called is rendred in the words that follow which are a commentary and full exposition of this The faithfull witnesse c. So that to this end he is called Amen to shew that he is a true and faithfull witnesse See chap. 1. 5. there I expound it And here I will repeate the heads onely of that exposition He is called a witnesse betweene God the father and vs because he doth not onely reueale the fathers will to vs but sealed it with his blood and giueth vs many testimonies inward and outward but of all testimonies that of the Scripture is most certaine And for these three respects he is thus termed first because he doth reueale it and seale it and ratifie it by inward and outward testimonies secondly because he wold accomplish his fathers wil. 2. Cor. 1. 20. All the promises of God are in him yea and Amen that is most certaine and therefore he is a witnesse yea a faithfull witnesse Thirdly he is called a true witnesse because he speaketh the truth that which he reuealeth from his father is the will of his father who is truth it selfe he saith as the thing is without error or falshood nay his will is the rule of all truth This is the meaning of the first argument Now the vse and the end why here Christ is so called if we do but reade the Epistle and marke the contents we may guesse probably at the end which is that he might shew himselfe an example to the Angell of that Church who was slacke and negligent in his ministery therfore Christ instructs him how to cary himself without respect of persons teaching the word of God truly and faithfully See chap. 1. 5. And not only to the Angel but to all the Church yea to all Christians he propounds himselfe an example of two worthy vertues faith and truth he would haue all to be true and faithfull in their life and conuersation euen as he is This faith is a vertue whereby a mans word becometh as sure as an obligation as we vse to speake whereby we make good all our words othes and promises Truth is that whereby a man without lying deceit or fraud speaketh the truth from his heart that I say which is necessary to be knowne for his owne and others good and for the glory of God Set we this example before our eyes and as Christ is a true and faithfull witnesse so let vs be carefull to shew our selues true in all our words and speeches and to be faithfull in all our promises These be excellent graces in Christ and fruites of the spirit in Christians therefore let vs be knowne by these to be like Christ. The second end of this title is to induce this Church to apply it selfe to the word of God effectually for it was faultie in this point therfore that he might bring them to this he saith that he is a faithfull witnesse How should they do this Thus consider in the word the law and the Gospell the commaundements promises and threatnings and apply them particularly euery man to himselfe the commandements to know sinne the threatnings to humble vs and that we may be touched in conscience and made fit to receiue Gods grace see an example of it Luke 15. in the prodigall son I haue sinned and am not worthy c. So Daniel and Ezra humbled themselues No man can truly be humbled till he make this particular application of the word which he readeth and heareth Now the Gospell also must be thus applied we are bound to beleeue the promises of life eternal not onely that they are true but to apply them to our selues The Gospell requireth a further thing which is the foundation of the church for proofe see Phil. 3. 7 8 9 10 11. The summe is this he esteemes all things losse in regard of Christ and desires the righteousnes which is by faith in Christ and to know the vertue of Christs resurrection Now marke the fifteenth verse let so many as be perfect be thus minded teaching euery one of vs our dutie to apply Christ to our owne person Thus are we bound in conscience to apply the Gospell to our selues and whosoeuer doth not so he makes God a lier as much as in him lieth 1. Iohn 5. And this is the principall end and reason why Christ calleth himselfe so that men might not onely beleeue the word in general but apply it in particular to themselues The not doing of this is the cause of negligence in religon of so many luke-warme Christians and professors Therefore let vs all learne this dutie It is not enough to know the word no nor to be able to teach it but aboue al things to lay it to the conscience to apply it that we may be truly humbled and turne to God therefore iustifying faith is that which applieth in particular Now the second title of Christ is the beginning of all creatures Col. 1. 16. By him all things were created in heauen and earth therefore in regard of creation he is so called Yet I doubt not but there is a further cause why he is so called here namely because he is the beginning of the new creatures as Ephes. 1. 10. where it is said we are Gods workmanship created
The Papist though he seeme to make a great shew of loue to Christ yet he performeth no such thing for he parteth stakes with Christ and maketh himselfe to be his owne sauiour so that howsoeuer he pretend to be a most zealous Catholike yet he hath no true grace 2 The Temporizer he which altereth his religion as times alter And such is the bodie of our people and they are not ashamed to confesse it that they will follow the Prince and change their religiō with the time And this sheweth what men will do if Poperie come againe they may say they are good Christians but they shew themselues plaine Laodiceans 3 All such as follow Nicodemus that is which loue Christ but dare not come to him by day light such as thinke they may heare Masse and yet keepe their conscience to themselues halting betwixt God and Baal 4 Such as are mediators and pacificators and would make an vnion betweene vs and the Papists being perswaded that our religion and the Papists are all one in effect for the matter and substance of it and that all the difference is only in circumstance so they write and defend their opinion but let them pretend what they will zeale of Gods glorie or whatsoeuer be it neuer so much they are but Laodiceans A fift fort there is and who are they Luk. 16. Such as serue God and Mammon And where are they nay where are they not Lamentable is out time wherein men will needes be professors and yet how is all their time spent vpon care for this world The greatest part of their life and time is bestowed on that there is all their ioy care desire labour and studie let them say what they will so long as their care and studie is spent vpon Mammon they are very Laodiceans And such are the most part of our hearers they draw neare God with their lippes but their hearts are vpon their goods the whole heart is set vpon the world and the whole time of their liues is spent in this Who they are your owne consciences will tell you they are indeed Christians professors but lukewarme and worse then Christs enemies 6 They that heare the word and like it but in their liues giue themselues to sinnes blasphemie drunkennesse fornication oppression vsurie some to this vice some to that And euen in this very ranck I place those which professe religion but yet delight in the fond and irreligious fashions of the world vsing the new strange and monstrous fashions of apparell they spend so much time vpon their bodies that the soule goeth naked The world aboundeth with such now yong and old It is strange to see how absurd men are beyond all common reason in apparelling themselues so fondly whereas their garments shold put them in mind of their owne shame and nakednesse be no cause of glorying in them And the modest garments should shew the vertues of the mind now what do they else but shew the vanities and vices of our minds Now shall we excuse our selues though we be none of these not intangled with the sinnes of the world No we cannot We shall find wants of the feare of God of hatred of sinne of the reuerend regard and estimation of the Gospel which we ought to haue so as no man can say he is free from this nay euery man euen he that hath best grace shall feele in himselfe want of care and loue to God and his word Therefore we must with Iob lay our hands vpon our mouthes and say we are vile Well this being so now consider the iudgement threatened lay it before your eyes marke the end and recompence Christ will spue such out of his mouth that is cast them from God from Christ and his Church This threatning pertaineth to this age and therefore we must tremble and be ashamed and repent of this sinne left ere long we be spued out of his mouth Thus much of the examination of this sinne Now of the amendement of it Where note first the fault secondly the greatnesse of it thirdly the punishment that is a separation from the Church Now I will proceed further to shew that euen among vs as well as in other places this sinne is to be found that euery one may be the better acquainted with his owne state And this appeareth by diuerse signes First by common neglect of the duties of Religion which is manifested diuerse waies first though we come often and greedily to the Church yet very few profit in knowledge and fewer in amendement of life and many that profit in knowledge something do thriue in obedience litle or nothing at all How true this is I appeale to euery mans conscience This is an euident argument of great negligence in all sorts Take the bodies of our congregations they be as ignorant as any I know there be some which profit both in knowledge and practise but I speake of the greatest part Experience in diuerse occasions maketh this manifest The second token of this negligence is that few spend any time in reading of the word to search the Scriptures try whether it be as they are taught or not nay few will be at the cost to buy a Bible or if they haue one they will not take the paines to reade in it or to keep a constant course in reading of it daily A third signe is the prophanation of the Sabbath though many come to Church at the time appointed for publike worship and seruice yet there is no priuate sanctification of it at home but when the congregation is dissolued men betake themselues to their owne affaires profits delights and pleasures No such persons can possibly haue any great measure of knowledge or obedience and grace because they do not keepe times for this purpose By these signes it is plaine and euident yea palpable that there is great negligence in the duties of Religion Now where there is such negligence though coldnesse be wanting yet there is no heate and we are but lukewarme Gospellers Another sign of lukewarmnesse is this our religion stands on generals and reacheth not to our particular callings In the church we are good Christians but when we come home to the particular duties of our priuate callings where is religion then where is the practise of that we heare There is no conscience made of lying deceiuing oppressing no care of that good dealing which ought to be in men Al our religion is in the church and none at home Whereas if religion were in the hart it would shew some fruit in our liues as fire and heate cannot be hidden Although I doubt not but there be some of whom these sins take no hold yet there be many which professe that they be neither hot nor cold but in a meane between both and yet they will be partakers of the word and sacraments and when they see any haue care to obey they haue presently the name of
must know the duties of our callings secondly we must labour in patience to practise them with diligence and withal we must know that in the doing of our dutie there is also ioyned affliction therefore we must be armed with patience to vndergo all crosses and afflictions in our callings we must though afflictions come obey the commaundement of God inioyning vs trauell and labour in our callings and rely on his promise that he will blesse vs in our callings if we labour diligently and be patient in afflictions We must not thinke we may leaue our particular callings because of troubles and afflictions but we must faithfully continue in them and with patience endure afflictions and then Christ shall conmmend vs which is better then all the things in the world his commendation is better then any man can giue If he commend vs then we are happie though all men speake ill of vs. But if we neglect and contemne our callings and will not go on because of afflictions but leaue them for want of patience then instead of commending he will discommend and disgrace vs and then what will it help vs though all men speake well of vs And thou canst not beare c. Now followeth the third particular worke or vertue for which Christ commends the church of Ephesus And how thou canst not beare them which be wicked Here he commends her seueritie against wicked men that is such as liued offensiuely in life or doctrine maintained any manifest heresie or errour The church of Ephesus could not beare such but esteemed of them as a burthen which she could not beare but sought to be disburthened of Hence we see that it is necessary for wicked men to be seuered from the church and she must be purged of them So in all ages it was practised the Church sought to be disburdened of wicked men as when Cain had slaine his brother Genes 4. the Lord cast him out frō his face that is that place where Adam his family assembled to worship God So saith Ieremy the wicked must be taken away Ier. 15. If thou wilt turne and separate the wicked the vile then thou shalt be as the Lords mouth 1. Cor. 5. where the incestuous person must be giuen vnto Satan All these places proue that wicked men which be offensiue in life or doctrine must be separate from the church she must be purged of them It is necessary the church should be purged of these wicked men first because they defile the worship of God and infect it by their wickednesse whereas they which worship him must be holy as he is holy Secondly least the church be defiled infected by their wicked doctrine and life for they be as sowre leauen which wil soone infect the whole masse of dough By this we see a manifest and common fault in our churches wherein wicked men are not only suffered to liue but to receiue the sacraments and heare the word preached as though they were good yea though many of thē want knowledge be cōtemners of the word sacraments many be tainted with drunkennesse and vices which accompany that 〈◊〉 But such as want knowledge or be wicked men in life or doctrine ought not to be suffered to preach to the people and receiue the sacraments therfore we must seek al good meanes to disburthen the church of them Secondly seeing they sought to be disburthened of them we see Christ hath giuen his church iudicial power to disburthen her self of wicked mē to excommunicate and cast them out of the church from receiuing the sacraments she could not beare them but sought to be disburthened which she would not vnlesse Christ had giuen her power to do it Obiect But some hold that wicked men must not be cast out of the church but must be suffered to liue in the church and proue it by Marke 13. 30. the tares must be alone till the end Answer But here in the parable of the tares Christ speaketh not of the church to be purged by Magistrates but of the vniuersall purging in the last day and that not by men but by the Angels 2. Obiect Luke 14. 13. Christ bids them compell all in the high wayes now if all must be compelled then none must be exempted and cast out of the church Answ. Christ speaketh not of compelling them to the sacraments but onely to the preaching of the word they must come and heare that yet this proues not that men wicked and offensiue may not be suspended barred and excommunicated in regard of the sacraments and seales of saluation which must be giuen to them onely which haue faith and repentance Quest. Seeing wicked men must be seuered from the church hence a question ariseth how farre forth a man may conuerse with them and keepe company with them which are offensiue in life and doctrine Answ. Euill men must be considered first as they be members of a commonwealth towne or citie secondly as they be members of a particular church by tolleration Now as they be members of a commonwealth citie or towne we may conuerse with them in outward things and ciuill affaires as buying selling c. we may make outward ciuill peace with them though they be wicked as Paul biddeth vs haue peace with all men as farre as it may stand with the honor of God and good of the Church and societie wherin we liue In this ciuill societie we may performe outward ciuill dutie of loue and ciuill courtesie Tit. 3. 2. 2 As a wicked man is a member of a particular Church we may liue in it with him for we may not because of him leaue that Church but still liue and abide in it So Christ though the Iewes and their Doctors were wicked men in life and doctrine hypocrites yet he liued still among them but so as we seeing their wicked life allow not of it but be grieued with it as the Sodomites grieued the righteous heart of Lot Nay although they be admitted to the supper of the Lord by the fault of the Minister yet we must and may continue among them in the Church So did Christ he liued among the Iewes communicated among them in eating of the Passeouer and receiued the Sacraments among them though they were corrupt in life and doctrine And the reason is because if thy conscience be good it cannot be defiled by another mans ill conscience Yet though we may do these things with them yet two things are vnlawfull first we must haue no priuate or familiar companie with them 1. Cor. 5. the tenth and eleuenth verses Secondly no speciall familiaritie We must not barre them of generall duties but of speciall familiaritie onely For by that meanes a man doth not onely countenance their persons but alloweth of their sinnes This then condemneth them which are of that nature that they can fit and frame themselues to all companies to the humours and disposition of any companie but if there be
gifts might be humbled in the consideration of this point Naamans seruant perswadeth him when Elisha the Prophet cannot 2. King 5. 12. Behold These words may also be vnderstood of the whole Church I haue giuen thee a doore that is a speciall priuiledge to enter into the kingdome of heauen and title to it I approue thy workes and this is a signe of it that I haue giuen thee entrance into the same Now this is a priuiledge not belonging to all men but onely to the Church of God Which confuteth vniuersall redemption If this then be a priuiledge of the Church to enter into the kingdome of heauen and to haue such liberty we must labour to vse it striuing to enter into that place We haue this priuiledge to see heauen open by faith we must not then be so slacke to enter into it but alas we make no account of it we are wholy possessed with the profits and pleasures of this life and our sinnes are such a loade to vs that we cannot enter in Oh let vs cast off such burthens that so we may more easily enter Which no mā shall shut That is no power after I haue opened heauen shall be able to shut it Here after the libertie he sheweth the continuance of it namely for euer How then is it true that Christ died for all men effectually if all men are not saued because they will not So Christ should for his part open heauen and they should shut it by their wils But Christ saith no power either of the diuell or man can shut it he hauing once opened the same For thou hast a litle strength Thou art indued with a litle and small measure of grace of faith hope regeneration yet according to that measure thou hast defended my word and not denied me in persecution By this we see that a man indued with a small measure of Gods spirit may do works acceptable to God and by the same come to life euerlasting if his grace be true grace Math. 17. if their faith be but as a graine of mustard seed it shall be able to remoue mountaines Now that which is true of miraculous faith that is true of iustifying faith if it be true though neuer so litle yet it shall be able to do workes pleasing to God and by the same we may come to saluation for God regardeth not so much the measure of grace as the maner that it be true not fained In this is a speciall comfort for those which labour to keepe faith and a good conscience Such are often troubled with the consideration of their owne weaknesse and wants but they must know that if they haue true faith though it be but in small measure the Lord accepteth of them if they labour to please God in all things for the Lord accepteth a man not for that he should haue but for that he bestoweth on him be it much or litle This may incourage those which be not so forward in religion which haue not made such proceeding as they should for many seeing the Lord to require so much they cast all off and neuer labour to come to know religion and to keepe faith and a good conscience But these shold remember that the Lord accepteth of small gifts if they be true he accepteth a man according to the measure of grace he bestoweth on him be it more or lesse Then we must not be discouraged for our wants imperfections and ignorances for if we labour to haue true faith the Lord regardeth not the measure of grace but that it be true grace Yet we must take heed we abuse not this mercie of God and take occasion to sinne and to become negligent and carelesse in the duties of religion but still labour to come to such measure as the Lord will most approue of Because c. Here Christ sheweth for what workes he commendeth this Church first she kept his word secondly she denyed not his name but maintained it in persecution against all his enemies And these two containe euen all the duties of a true Christian and the whole practise of all religion And these must be an example for vs we must labour to keepe his word and in all things to do his will Secondly we must in time of persecution defend his name and maintaine his word against all his enemies To keepe his word A few wordes but a great dutie for it signifieth that she in all things in euery commaundement of the law and Gospell had care to obey his word and will And happie were we indeed if Christ could say so of vs that we obeyed his word all the commandements of the law by obeying and the Gospel by faith and repentance c. But it cannot for though in shew we professe we do yet in life we shew we faile in most points of both Vers. 9. 10. In these verses are two promises concerning the conuersion of certaine Iewes Behold c. Here is the first promise concerning the the confirmation of the Church of Philadelphia Now it is likely in this citie there was a synagogue of the Iewes which bare men in hand that they were the true worshippers of God yet denied Christ the Sauiour and so persecuted this Church Now Christ here promiseth he will make this synagogue repent and become true members of Christ to professe Christ and worship him In this promise note three points first who is the author of their conuersion namely God for so it is said I will make them or I will bring them to that estate to worship me Secondly who be conuerted namely the synagogue of the Iewes Thirdly the fruites of their repentance they shall worship before thy feet First the author of their conuersion is Christ himselfe for so he saith I will make them to repent These are significant words which giue all to God in their conuersion of some and of all sinners God is the sole author man hath no stroke in his owne conuersion man indeed willeth it and is conuerted willingly yet not by nature doth he will it but by grace This confutes the Papists who hold that nature and grace may concurre in the conuersion of a sinner for a man say they being stirred vp by grace can will and do that which is good As a man being sicke he hath the facultie of walking yet being faint he cannot vnlesse he leane on anothers shoulder so a man hath a power to will that which is good but it must be stirred vp first by grace But Ephes. 2. man by nature is not onely sicke but starke dead in sin and cannot moue one foote no more then a dead man Obiect But say they then man should be but a blocke if he doth nothing in his conuersion Answ. Though he do nothing in the matter of conuersion yet he hath sense and vnderstanding which he can vse in naturall and ciuill causes though he cannot vse them in spirituall actions and so he is not
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
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
the second sense here where he cals Christ a Prince of the kings of the earth in regard as he is God and man or God incarnate the Mediator Now Christ being a King he must needes haue a kingdome which cannot stand in the might and pollicie of man as earthly kingdomes do but it is spirituall it stands in the heart and consciences of men his lawes they bind the soule and conscience to obedience And this is his priuiledge which can be giuen to no creature man or Angell to rule and raigne spiritually in the heart and conscience This spirituall kingdome of Christ is exercised in the consciences and soules of men by the word of Christ not by dint of sword or force of armes but he is a King which carieth his sword in his mouth euen his word by which he rules and raigns in our hearts he rules with the rod of his mouth Esa. 11. that is by his word by which he speaketh to mens consciences Prince of the Kings of the earth So is Christ in two respects First because he and he alone can and is able to giue lawes to bind the consciences of men yea of the greatest Monarch in the world none so high which is not subiect to his lawes Secondly he is called King of the Princes of the earth because he hath soueraigne power ouer all Kings and Potentates to saue and to destroy for not onely hath he power to make a law to bind their consciences but also if they keepe it to saue them if they breake his law he hath power to destroy them be they what they may be He hath the key of heauen to open and to shut none can controle him Reuel 3. 7. He can if he will leade them to life and saue them or else leaue them to their owne mind and so destroy them Seeing our Sauior Christ is a Prince of the greatest monarks of the world and is farre aboue them we must then with all feare trembling reuerence his high Maiestie We reuerence Kings on earth shewing great dutifulnesse to them then what reuerence ow we to him which is Prince and Lord of all the kings of the earth We cannot conceiue what reuerence we owe vnto him which is placed in the throne of all maiestie we must shew our reuerence to this Prince by hearing his word with trembling and beleeuing hearts reuerently and with conscience we must not dare to take his high name into our mouthes without great reuerence the very Kings must shew reuerence vnto this King of kings But the common practise of men doth shew what litle reuerence we haue of Christ for we haue his name in our mouthes at euery word to prophane the same to talke of it in iesting and without all reuerence we tosse it in our mouthes like a tenice ball Seeing he is King of Kings we must giue him absolute obedience Princes must be obeyed so farre as they obey him but he must be obeyed without exception absolutely and not onely absolutely but willingly must he be obeyed and without compulsion freely yea personally perpetually and in all his commaundements Men they will say they beleeue in Christ as he is their Sauiour but that is not enough we must beleeue in him as he is the King of Princes That we therefore may beleeue in him as he is King of Kings we must do him absolute obedience do his will in all things and vnlesse we beleeue in him so we cannot beleeue in him no not as he is a Sauior for these two go together Now this duty and obedience we owe to him must be done to him as we learne out of his word read and preached in the Church Seeing he is King of kings al princes kings potētates must do him seruice for they be all inferiour and subiect to him Psal. 2. the three last verses Be wise now O ye Kings be learned ye Iudges of the earth Kisse the son c. that is inwardly reuerence and outwardly obey him This their subiection must be shewed to Christ their King in the gouernement of their kingdomes for they must make and frame their lawes after the lawes of Christ Iesus they must make lawes exercise iudgement keepe Courts Assises begin and end and continue warre by his commaundements And seeing all Kings are in subiection to Christ as their subiects be to them they must therefore be guided and directed in all the matters of their kingdomes by the counsell of Christ so Dauid saith Thy lawes O Lord are my counsellers Psal. 119. 24. If Christ be soueraigne King and aboue all other Kings then all other must plant and set vp in their kingdomes the religion of Christ else how can they shew they be Christs subiects then it followes that they may not be of what religion they list And this is shewed in the parable of the mariage for when the supper was ready he sent his seruants to compell them to his supper which may be vnderstood of the magistrate whose duty is to compell men to the true Religion and profession of the Gospell of Christ. Seeing Christ is King of Kings and no man hath this priuiledge but he hence we learne that Kings on earth they in their dominions are soueraigne kings ouer all persons causes because as he is King of Kings absolutely so they are vnder him kings and haue supremacy in their kingdomes Then we see the presumption and arrogancy of the Pope and sea of Rome who would be supreame head of the whole earth and King of all Kings to put Christ out of his office and sit in his roome ouer al at his pleasure Seeing Christ is King of all Kings we must not be discouraged when we be called to suffer any affliction or crosse seeing that though the tyrants and Kings of the earth rage and bend their force to hurt vs yet we haue a King aboue them all who can stay and bridle them and if he please confound and bruise them in peeces they cannot do any thing but that which he permits them to do for he rules and raignes in the midst of all these where they are the thickest and would do most malice and can do to them as pleaseth him Now followes the second part of Christs description by his execution of his offices which consist in foure workes the first contained in these words Vnto him which loued vs the second in these Which washed vs in his bloud the other two in the two last verses which follow Which loued vs. That is the Churches of Asia and by proportion all other Churches being parts of the true Church The loue of Christ hath three degrees the first is called a generall loue whereby he loues all his creatures as they be his creatures and this loue is common to all his creatures The second degree is the loue of mankind in that he was content to become a redeemer for mankind not for any other
we are to beginne any businesse in word or deed we must begin it with inuocation on the name of Christ for Christ he giues the beginning and proceeding to all things Then we which haue our beginnings of him must not dare to begin anything without inuocation on his name Secondly the same Christ he is the end of all things for two causes first because he is the last of all things and after him is nothing in subsisting and being nay if all creatures were left to themselues they would all come to nothing and yet though all should come to nothing Christ would remaine the same he was for euer namely the eternall Sonne and word of the Father In that some creatures are become eternall this is not of themselues but by Christ he giues them eternall being and durance and if they were left to themselues they would come to nothing as well as others This then shold make vs with full purpose of heart to cleaue to Christ if we would enioy eternall happinesse for without him and vnlesse we haue it from him we cannot but come to an end Secondly he is the end because all things were made to serue him Coloss. 1. 16. For him were all things created Which is was and is to come These words were expounded in the fourth verse where the very same are affirmed of the Father The sense is that Christ is a substance and essence or being subsisting in by and from himselfe and such a substance shall be for euer Hence we learne two things first that the second person in the Trinitie is consubstantiall with the Father of one and the same substance and nature with him And the reason is because there can be but one onely substance essence and being which can be in and by it selfe and from it selfe alone there cannot be two or moe but onely one As there cannot be two eternals or two infinits two omnipotents and absolute Lords which haue nothing one of another Now in the fourth verse it is said of the Father that he is a substance of in by and from himselfe alone and here of the Sonne is rehearsed the same Then they seeing there can be but one such essence must needs be all one and the Sonne must needes be the same substance nature and essence with the Father not like him or diuerse from him but the selfe same in substance and nature that is their Godhead is consubstantiall c. They be indeed two distinct persons yet but one substance and diuine essence in the Godhead which S. Iohn intimates affirming the same words of both Hence we learne that Christ is God of himselfe for in the same respect the Father is God he is God and as the Father is was and is to come so in the same regard is Christ c. But the Father is God of himselfe ergo also Christ is God of himselfe Indeed as he is the Sonne so he is of the Father hath this beginning from him but as he is God he is consubstantiall with the Father and coequall with him hath his essence of and in himselfe And the same is to be affirmed of the holy Ghost as he is the third person he proceedes from the Father and the Sonne but as he is God he is of from and in himselfe 3 That Christ is coeternall with the Father and as euerlasting as he is euery way coequall to the Father hauing the same attributes equally with him as he is God The Almightie As there is in God so is there in Christ a double power first a potentiall secondly an actuall power Potentiall is that whereby he can do many things moe then he wil do as he could raise children to Abraham of the stones but he would not he could haue deliuered Christ from death but he would not It is not taken for this power here principally but rather for the second namely his actuall power whereby he bringeth to passe without let and impediment whatsoeuer he decreeth willeth or promiseth So he is called Almightie here because he bringeth to passe actually whatsoeuer he promiseth to his in his word without let and stop Seeing he is thus Almightie hence come two comforts to his children first that whatsoeuer he hath promised his church in Christ shall be brought to passe effectually without stop and let as assuredly as he promised it Now since he promiseth in the Gospell to all penitent sinners remission of sinnes mortification iustification and life euerlasting euery one of them in their time shall be done Euery true beleeuer shall haue pardon of his sinnes mortification sanctification and eternall life because he which promised is almightie able and willing to do all he promised This is a comfort to all true beleeuers for all men and Angels cannot giue one of these but Christ he is omnipotent he can and will giue them all 2 He will and can giue his Church sufficient securitie and ease from all her enemies he can defend and guard her against all their furie and malice he is aboue them and can bridle their might when and how he pleaseth This then affoords vs two duties First in the crosse and tribulation to humble our selues vnder the hand of God For it is the Lord which correcteth vs he is able to do what he list and more then he will Secondly this should make vs to performe heartie obedience in our generall and particular callings to walke vprightly before him seeing he is almightie and seeth whether we walke sincerely or not if we do not he is able to punish vs. Gen. 17. it is the argument of God to perswade Abraham to walke vprightly because he is almightie able to correct and destroy those which refuse to obey him Thus farre of the two first parts of this Chapter the Inscription and the Titles of this booke I Iohn c. Here followeth the third part of this Chapter which containeth a vision from this ninth verse to the end of the third Chapter In this vision two things are to be noted first the circumstances secondly the parts The circumstances in the ninth and tenth verses the parts from thence to the end of the third Chapter The circumstances of this vision are 4. the first touching the person to whom this vision befell Iohn the second the place where in Pathmos the third the maner how it is propounded it was deliuered to him being rauished in the spirit the fourth the time when on the Lords day The first circumstance is the person to whom this vision befell Iohn He doth this to shew that it was giuen him of the Lord for as the Lord hath his visions and reuelations so the Diuell hath his but they be distinguished by the persons to whom they be giuen God giueth his visions not to all men but to those which are most fit for them such as be most holy men for life indued with exceeding gifts of God as
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
subsisting These words proue the Godhead and eternitie of Christ the second person The end why Christ alleadgeth them is to certifie him that these things he was about to shew him came from God and therefore he bringeth his owne testimonie namely I which speake vnto thee am God therefore the things I deliuer vnto thee are from God euen from Iesus Christ the second person in the Trinitie which am God equall to my Father In this testimonie of Christ note a singular care of God in respect of his Church he is carefull not onely to reueale his will to his Church but withal to certifie his Church of the truth of the same As here he telleth Iohn that they come from God to certifie his soule and conscience in the truth of the same so he reuealeth not onely his will but withall assureth men of the truth thereof Act. 10. Peter hath a vision and withall the Lord assureth him of the truth of that visioÌ„ And when Christ preached his Fathers will he wrought many miracles which were as sâ—ales to confirme the same that it came from God Seeing the Lord he doth not only declare his will but withall assureth men of the certainetie and truth of his will this first confuteth the Papists who teach that the word of God is certaine in it selfe but to vs it is not certaine till we heare the testimonie of the Church which maketh the Scripture which is vncertaine to vs though certaine in it selfe to be certaine to vs. But we must here know and learne that the Lord doth not onely reueale his will to his children but withall vseth meanes to certifie mens hearts of the truth thereof and so the word of God is most sure not only in it self but euen to men though the testimonie of the Church shold neuer speake word of the same â— This confutes all carnall men There be many which will be of no Religion because there is as they thinke no certaintie in Religion seeing mens opinions in matters of Religion be so diuers that one cannot tell who speakes the truth Indeed we differ in many points of religion and so many men so many diuers opinions yet the true members of Christ they differ not in the fundamentall points of Religion And though all the world should differ in opinion yet it followes not there should be no Religion but the doctrine taught by the Prophets and Apostles should stand sure and be the true Religion of God for euer and the Lord can make men out of it to learne his will and assure them of the certainty of Religion Now followeth the commaundement That which thou seest write in a book c. This hath two parts first S. Iohn must write the things he receiueth secondly he must send them to the seuen famous Churches of Asia Now the Lord commaunds Iohn to write these things in a booke and he must set downe that which he receiued of God to send it to the seuen Churches of Asia because he being now in banishment and could not come to them and be present with them to instruct them therfore he must write these in a booke that so they might be holpen by them Secondly he must not only write them in a booke but send them to these seuen Churches first that they might be confirmed and strengthened in the matters of faith now in the cruell time of their persecution secondly that they might keepe these books for the Church of God which is the pillar ground of truth first because it publisheth the word secondly because she keepeth the same from time to time and also giues testimony of the truth of the same So then that these Churches might keepe publish and giue testimony of these things he must send them written to them Hence we learne that the word of God written is an excellent help for the church of God to edifie the same else he would neuer haue commaunded Iohn to send this booke to the seuen Churches in Asia This confutes first the Papists who hold that the writteÌ„ word is but a dead inky letter a nose of waxe to be turned any way secondly the Anabaptists who looke for reuelations contemne the written word but seeing the Lord bids him send it to the seuen Churches in Asia he sheweth it is an excellent meanes to edifie the Church We may learne that the reading of this booke as of other Scripture is Gods ordinance whether it be publike or priuate and that they must be so vsed as Gods ordinance with reuerence and good conscience Indeed the word preached is the ordinary meanes to begin faith and to worke repentance but the reading of them publikely and priuatly hath his proper vse to confirme our faith yea to increase knowledge faith and repentance in vs. Write and send it to the seuen Churches c. Here is the third point namely that a man in the crosse and persecution may be the deare child of God S. Iohn a famous Apostle and deare seruant of God yet he is in banishment and continues a long time from all company of men yet God reuealeth his wil to him and maketh him the pen-man of this book which he giueth to none but them which be his seruants Then a man may be and continue in banishment yet be the deare seruant of God We reason if a man be in the crosse and persecution and continue in the same he is surely out of Gods fauour but we see the contrary in Iohn In the end of the verse he setteth downe the names of these seuen Churches in particular and these seuen places were seuen most famous cities in Asia in which were planted seuen most excellent Churches of all those parts of the world and for that cause here are named one by one Then I turned backe Here is his preparation or entrance into the vision When I heard a voice behind me being loud and great I turned to see him which deliuered it to me In the preparation we must consider first the meanes to moue Iohn to attention namely a voice secondly the end to make him attentiue and to inioyne him his dutie namely to write and to send it to the Churches Now followeth the second part of his preparation which is that he turned backe when he heard this loud and great voice to see who it was which gaue the voice By this practise of S. Iohn we may learne our duty for as he dealeth with the man which giues the voice so must we deale with God S. Iohn heareth a voice and then he turnes backe to see who it is so must we do with the Lord we are all by nature ready to turne from God and runne from him as fast as we can by our sinnes Now when the Lord speaketh to vs by the preaching of the word when we are running on in another way we must turne to him turne our hearts to his wayes confesse our sinnes to him that so
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
mind and in that very maner he would if he were present and if they deliuer any thing els or in any other maner they shal be suspected of vnfaithfulnes Now if Christ were on earth wold he deliuer his word partly in English partly in Latin or vse the authoritie of the fathers Philosophy or of Poets And surely though mē cal this the learned way of preaching yet it is not that Christ commaunded Nay if this were admitted it would bring in Barbarisme and expell the Gospell out of this land and bring in that misery which was among the Schoole-men when all things were brought to needlesse disputations The third thing is the phrase Christ vseth The seuen starres are the seuen Angels c. Not that they signifie the seuen Angels or the candlestickes signifie the seuen Churches but are so Hence we see that the exposition in the sacrament This is my body and blood is warranted and not to be vnderstood literally as the Papists hold For as it is absurd to hold that these were seuen Angels indeed because they are called so so to hold the bread is really transformed indeed into Christs body but being a signe as it is common in Scripture is put for the thing signified this bread is that is represents my body c. CHAP. II. VERSE I. Vnto the Angell of the Church of Ephesus c. IN this second and third Chapters is set downe the fourth action of Christ whereby Iohn describeth him which is that Christ in these two Chapters giueth him 7. particular commandements to write seuen Epistles to the seuen Churches of Asia The first of these seuen particular commandements is in this first verse Vnto the Angell of the Church c. and after the commandement followeth the Epistle it selfe These things c. to the eighth verse Vnto the Angell This word is two waies vsed first it signifieth the Minister or Pastor of the particular Church of Ephesus and so it is taken commonly and of the most Secondly it may signifie a companie of Ministers or gouernours of the particular Church of Ephesus as Paule biddeth thē take heed to the flocke of which they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ouerseers shewing there were many Ministers of the particular Church of Ephesus Aud so this word Angell may signifie the whole cōpanie of Ministers of that Church as we see in Scripture the naming of one man signifieth a whole multitude God biddeth Moses send my sonne c. by which particular he noteth the whole bodie of the Israelites So thogh Antichrist be not one particular man but the whole successiō of Popes yet Paul calleth him that Antichrist and that child of perdition so it skilleth not whether we take it for one man or the whole multitude of gouernors In this particular commandement are two points first the intent of Christ was to write to the whole bodie of the Church of Ephesus yet he directeth his letter not to them all but to the Angell and Minister That he intended to write to the whole Church it appeareth in the former Chapter where he is commanded to write to the Churches and in the end of this where he saith He which hath eares let him heare what the Spirit writeth to the Churches Now in that he directeth his Epistle to the Angell and Minister he intimateth to him his dutie first that he must especially labour to teach the particular contents of this Epistle to the Church of Ephesus secondly that he should not onely teach but be a patterne and example to them of the things contained in this Epistle Secondly he writeth to the Angell of the church himselfe because he especially doth great good or harme to the Church If the minister be good there cometh much good if he be euill there cometh much euill as all examples shew Now Christ writeth for this cause to him that he might be diligent and so the cause of good not of euill The second point is that Christ among all the seuen Churches writeth to the Church of Ephesus first which is not because it had authoritie aboue the rest but because it was in riches and estimation aboue the rest and was the mother citie for they were all candlestickes and all golden candlestickes but because it excelled all other cities in riches and estimation for that he directeth his Epistle first to this Church By which he sheweth that those Churches townes and people which excell either in riches and estimation and other temporall gifts they must also excell in the graces of God And so all men in particular as they excell in riches and estimation they must excel others in godlinesse and religion So then each town must as it excelleth other in that it hath a greater name greater riches or other temporall blessings go before other which want them If they excell other in these and be inferiour in godlinesse and religion it is a shame for them before God and man too The Epistle hath three parts as all ordinarie Epistles haue first a preface secondly a proposition thirdly a conclusion The preface in the first verse Now the preface or entrance is taken out of the former chapter The end and intent of it is to draw the Church of Ephesus to reuerence the admonition of Christ so that Christ propoundeth not that first but makes an entrance to prepare them to receiue the same with reuerence and regard his admonition The third reason which he vseth to do this is thus framed If I be he which holdeth the seuen stars in my right hand that is he which by my mightie power guide blesse protect and defend thee and thy Ministers and if I walke in the midst of the seuen candlestickes that is am alwaies present in the midst of thy Church to guide blesse and protect you then ye should receiue and reuerence mine admonition but the first is true ergo my admonition must be reuerenced and obeyed both of the Ministers and of the people In this preface two things are to be learned first seeing Christ repeateth that againe which he taught in the former Chapter he sheweth this is a most notable point to be learned and practised of all men which is that Christ he is present in his Church being present by his speciall prouidence doth blesse guide and protect it both in Ministers and people This must we labour to learne and to be certainely perswaded of euen of the speciall presence and prouidence of Christ in his Church in the speciall workes of the same And without this we cannot haue sound religion this standeth not in a swimming knowledge in the braine but in a sure perswasion of the same in the heart The second thing is that this perswasion of the speciall presence and prouidence of Christ in his Church is the meanes to draw vs to all duties of our calling seeing Christ maketh this his reason to moue them to obey his admonition So if we think
and perswade our selues that Christ is present in the midst of his Church and withall guideth blesseth and protecteth the same we cannot but be moued to walke as Enoch and Abraham did with God euen as in his presence In this second verse is the second part of the Epistle which is the proposition which containeth the very matter and substance of the Epistle This proposition hath two parts first a commendation of this Church especially of the Ministers in the second and third verses secondly a rebuke or reprehension in the fourth verse First the commendation is in generall I know thy workes Secondly in particular for particular duties in the words following I know thy workes Some expound it of workes of mercie and liberalitie but that cannot stand But when he saith I know thy workes that is the dealings and practises of the people and Ministers in their callings and affaires I know them they are open and not hid from me and not onely know them but with approbation allow them as in cōparing this with the fourth verse where there is an opposition Though I know thy workes that is allow them yet I find fault in some things with thee Whereas Christ he knoweth that is approueth their works wayes dealing conuersation and liuing this may be a remedie against all secret and hidden sinnes The adulterer theefe and murtherer wait for the night when they thinke none see them then they may as they thinke practise any sinne so the tradesman he thinking no man seeth him changeth and counterfeiteth his wares and blearing mans eye thinketh all is well And the cause why there is such fraud deceipt guile and iniustice among men is because men thinke they can do it so as none shall see them they say God regardeth and seeth not our dealing Psal. 94. 7. But if men would consider that though they can bleare the eye of man yet they cannot hide it from God seeing they be alwaies in his sight this would make men make conscience of many secret corruptions and sins in their hearts Whereas this knowledge is ioyned with approbation and so Christ approueth of their workes some may aske How can God approue of that which doth not satisfie his law as the best workes of the most holy men of God being stained with sin do not Answ. The Gospell reuealeth to vs more then the lawe being the second part of the word Now the Gospell telleth vs that if a man will and vnfainedly do his indeuour to please God to obey his will if a man do this in truth the Lord accepteth the will for the deed So Christ here he approueth of their workes proceeding from a pure will and earnest indeuour as perfect taking the will for the deed But seeing Christ approueth their workes the Papists may argue hence thus If God approue thus of men then they haue no sinne if they haue none then a man may fulfill the law in this life and so be iustified by works Ans. Christ approueth not their or our workes simply but in part as they be his workes proceeding from his spirit in our hearts but as they proceed from our corrupt will and be fruites of our flesh he doth not Againe Christ approues them with pardon as they be pardoned and if they were not so approued he could not approue them at all Christ sayth I know your workes that is as proceeding from my spirit and as pardoned hauing the guilt taken from them Now I come to her commendation particularly which is especially of the Angel or minister in whom the first thing commended is this namely labour which is an excellent vertue especially in the Ministers painfulnesse diligence and labour in guiding and gouerning the church ouer which they are set and this vertue is worthy of commendation as 1. Tim. 5. 17. he which ruleth well is worthy of double honour And Paul matched and preferred himselfe before all other Apostles in this that he laboured more then they all Seeing our Sauiour Christ commends this labour of the ministery we see it is a worke of paines and diligence if it be well done and not of ease and idlenesse as men commonly esteeme of it else Christ would neuer commend it aboue all other works in the ministery Seeing Christ commends the Ministers in being painful and diligent in teaching and gouerning the people must be diligent in learning and obeying them But men thinke all is wel if they come and heare the word though they take no paines to know and vnderstand it they will not take paines to increase in the knowledge of Religion And the want of this paines and diligence in the people is the cause why the word is heard without profit Men bestow all paines care and diligence in worldly things and yet take no paines in the principall namely that which belongs to their soules health but if they would be commended of Christ then they must vse diligence take paines in hearing learning and obeying the word of God The Minister must labour to teach and to gouerne the people ergo they must labor to obey and keepe a good conscience and to practise religion And as Paul laboured to keepe a good conscience so must all men learne to know and vnderstand the word and then to obey and practise the same Secondly Christ he commends their patience in bearing the crosse which vsually followes the Gospell and this is worthy commendation seeing it is more then many of the Prophets performed Ierem. 20. was exceeding impatient Ionah being schooled in the whales belly yet after that all things falling not out to his mind he was most impatient But this Angel laboured and withall ioyed in the crosse and persecution As he did so must Ministers labour to publish the Gospell and because the crosse accompanies the Gospell they must be armed against persecution with patience they must endure all crosses as Luke 8. 15. the good ground brings forth frutie with patience The practise of Religion and patience must go together Now Christ ioyneth these two labouring in his calling and patience together seuereth them not first because before the fal man could do all his dutie without trouble with ease and ioy but since the fall we being corrupted can do nothing but it is a trouble to vs and God set this marke on our sinnes that all our duties should be troublesome and our callings should haue crosses and calamities ioyned with them Secondly because as the Ministers labor to increase in the people knowledge and to do their duties so the diuell labours to hinder them and to stay them therefore they must not onely labour but be diligent to striue with patiēce So Paul 1. Thess. 2. he wold haue come to thē but Satan hindred him Now as Christ ioyneth these two in the ministery so in all callings these must go together both in particular callings of the church and of the common wealth First we
man from euill actions and affections to renued affections and renued actions By this we see that the common description of repentance is not good in that they say it standeth in contrition which is sorrow and remorce for sinne which is no part of repentance but may be a cause of repentance godly sorrow indeed causeth repentance but is nothing of the nature of it 2. Cor. 7. 9. 10. Or else That is if you will not practise that remedie to wit renew your former loue and repentance I will come against thee or as the words be in the originall I will come to thee shortly The Lord cometh to a people two waies in mercie or iudgement in mercie he cometh when he testifieth his presence to them by shewing mercie as when Christ in spirit came to the old world and preached to them as Peter saith an hundred and twentie yeares Secondly he cometh in iudgement when he testifieth his presence in iudgement So in the second Commaundement I will visite the sinnes of the fathers that is I will come and inquire of the fathers sinnes whether they be in their children and will punish them So here if the Church of Ephesus repent not he will come to her to testifie his presence in iudgement not mercie Out of this first generall threatning we may learne this one thing when any people or Church liue in any one sinne or decay in loue to God his word and religion he then prepareth himselfe to come to them in iudgement Amos 4. 12. he will punish them because they returned not to the Lord but lay in their sinnes therefore he biddeth them prepare themselues to meete him This we must apply to our selues our Church and people for the sinnes of the Church of Ephesus be our sinnes we haue decayed in our first loue since we heard the word first we for the most part want loue to God and to man and besides these sinnes we lye in many fearefull sinnes Atheisme now abounds in iudgement and in practise contempt of the worship of God neglect and contempt of true religion crueltie oppression and want of mercie yet for all this what man is it that prepareth to meete the Lord So that he may iustly say we do decay in loue that it is most true of vs that the Lord hath bene long coming to vs for these sinnes in iudgement in plagues and punishments and so is he coming at this day it hangeth ouer our heads and if we continue still in sinne he will surely come Thus then seeing the Lord hath bene long coming to vs he would haue vs to repent if we will not no doubt he will come and that shortly and remoue his Gospell he will come in iudgements and punishments to destroy vs. The second threatning is more particular I will remoue thy candlesticke Here he sheweth in what particular iudgement he wil come to thē namely to remoue her candlesticke In the former Chapter he compareth the Church to a candlesticke then when he saith he will remoue the candlesticke he meaneth his word and Gospell take the ministerie of the word from her and so make her become of a Church no Church and hauing remoued the Gospell will in stead of it send ignorance and blindnesse If thou repent not that is if thou continue stil in thy sin In this second threatning note three things first concerning the minister secondly the Church and people thirdly euery priuat man First concerning the minister if he decay in loue to God his word and religion if he continue and lie in his sinnes or any one sinne that is a meanes to depriue him of his office and calling and of his gifts for this is especially directed to the Angell Ier. 15. end The Prophet failing in his dutie partly by feare partly by want of patience then the Lord he becomes a Prophet to Ieremy tels him that vnlesse he returne to the Lord and repent the Lord would make him no Prophet so that in him he speakes to all Ministers that if they would haue their callings and gifts to remaine they must not liue in any one sin decay in loue to God or religion for then their callings and gifts shall be taken from them As repentance is necessary for all men so especially for Ministers they must especially renew it seeing that is the onely meanes to continue their callings and gifts The second thing is concerning a church or people if any church or people decay in loue to God or his word or lie in any one sin they then procure the Lord to remoue his candlesticke to take from them his word the Gospel and true religion Ose. 9. 7. The Prophet is a foole the man of spirits is mad a heauy iudgement whereof comes this He saith for the sins of the people the Prophet is ignorant and becometh mad If this be so then we haue all cause to feare that our sinnes haue deserued the Gospell should be taken from vs for in most men there is great decay in loue seeing religion is hated and contemned of most men Therfore we must needs feare and the Lord for this must needs remoue his word take his Gospell away if we meet him not with repentance for he in iustice giues men to beleeue lies when as they will not receiue his truth and Gospell being so long among them Our dutie then is to seeke to preuent this iudgement by hearty and true repentance The third point concernes euery priuate man euery priuat Christian now a daies decayeth in loue to God and man lieth in some one sinne or other c. Now these are the meanes to depriue him of the light of the Gospell and his particular gifts For as a mans loue decayeth his knowledge decayeth and so the Gospell and the loue to it wax cold In a clock if the watch stand all the wheeles stand if it go softly or swiftly the rest of the wheeles go accordingly so if our loue be increased our knowledge is so if our loue decay our knowledge our vnderstanding in religion decayeth And this is the cause of so litle knowledge especially in auncient folke because they loose their loue Heb. 4. 12. First we are deceiued by sin secondly our heart is hardened thirdly we call into question religion 4. we set our selues against religion and so fal from it so that decay in grace is the first cause of apostacy Then if we would increase in knowledge and religion we must seeke to be cleansed from sinne not liue and die in any one sinne neither decay in loue knowledge or affection to religion Some gather hence that a man may fall finally and wholly for if a whole church may much more one man but the reason is not good for there is great difference between one man and a whole church for a church stands of a mixt company good and bad sheepe and goates corne and chaffe wheat and tares Now in the Church the wicked may
c. The common people be of the Pharisies and Iusticiaries mind that they need no repentance seeing they liue ciuilly not tainted with horrible and grosse sins but we must repent for other sins as want of knowledge loue obedience c otherwise we cannot truly repent Now if we must repent of al sins much more of notorious sins as of Atheisme which now abounds and spreads abroade of pride in apparell contempt of the Gospell which increaseth in all places for want of mercie for crueltie and for those sinnes which can sooner remoue the candlesticke from vs. Now the remedie is to do their first workes to returne to their first loue to God his word and to man This is in the last place seeing this repentance neuer perisheth or decayeth but must be euer renewed So then he would haue vs also to remember what good thoughts affections actions we haue had to get them againe and neuer loose them after We must remember to do our first workes which the Lord graunted to vs at our first calling them we must labour to do againe Or else I will come against thee shortly Whenas our Sauiour Christ had rebuked the church of Ephesus for decay in loue and set downe the remedy first to remember whence she was fallen secondly to repent thirdly to do her first works in these words he layeth downe a reason to moue her to vse the remedie especially to repent if she will not then he will come against her shortly This containeth three parts first a generall threatning or cōminatiō or els I wil come to thee secondly a particular threatning and will remoue thy candlesticke thirdly a condition of the two threatnings except you repent Because he speaketh to all Churches this shewes our dutie in reading or hearing the word that we apply all that is spoken of one man or to one Church to our selues when we see any vertues commended we must imitate them or vices discommended we must search our selues whether we be cleane of them The promise To him which ouercommeth c. hath two parts first to whom it is made namely to him which ouercommeth secondly what is promised I will giue him of the tree of life namely eternall happinesse The partie to whom is he which preuaileth against all his spirituall enemies the diuell the world hell death and his owne flesh That we may ouercome these three things are necessary first a man must be borne anew become a new creature in Christ. 1. Iohn 5. for when a man is borne anew he is free from sinne and ouercommeth all his enemies Secondly he must haue true faith by vertue whereof he must deny himselfe and wholy rely on Christ 1. Iohn 5. We ouercome the world by our faith for he which truly beleeueth in Christ he is partaker of Christ of his victory ouer death hell sinne and the diuell and hath his naturall corruption abolished and weakned Thirdly that we stand against all our enemies with faith and good conscience to the end And he which hath these three he is able to resist al these his enemies To them which ouercome Ergo it is false that the promise of the Gospell belongs to all men without exception that God offereth life and saluation to all vnlesse they will reiect it for saluation is promised onely vnto them which are borne anew which haue faith in Christ denying themselues and they which stand out against all their enemies by faith and good conscience to the end of their dayes Is this so is the promise made onely to conquerers we must then labour to be conquerers to ouercome all our spirituall enemies but to liue in sinne to be the seruants of Satan that is slauerie and hell it selfe and for a man to say in truth of heart that he hath ouercome all these his enemies this is freedome and happinesse And though a man be neuer so great among men yet if he be the vassal of sinne an Satan he is out of the fauour of God and most miserable Secondly the thing promised is life eternall which is set out by two circumstances first by the cause of it I will giue secondly what to eate of the tree of life In which words is an opposition betweene Adam and Christ for Adam by his sinne depriued himselfe of the tree of life but Christ hath set open the tree of life that we may haue free accesse to it Adam he lost an earthly paradise Christ hath prepared an heauenly paradise The tree of life stood in the midst of the garden whereof Adam did eate It was called the tree of life first because it was a sacrament that is a signe and pledge to him of eternall life if he had continued in his estate Secondly because this tree had a vertue in it from God to preserue Adam for euer from death and old age and to make him continually to liue if he stood This tree of life was a true figure of Christ the Redeemer and Sauiour for as that tree had vertue in it from God to preserue Adams life so that he should haue liued for euer and be kept from old age so Christ Iesus the Mediator and Redeemer he liueth not onely as he is God but as he is man and not for himselfe alone but to conuey quickening vertue to all which beleeue in him and are partakers of his merits by a true faith To eate of the tree To eate signifieth sometime to beleeue as Ioh. 6. 50. but it cannot be so here seeing we cannot in heauen beleeue in Christ but to eate of that tree is to haue immediate fellowship and communion in heauen with Christ for euer For Christ shall be to vs a tree of eternall life for euer yea all in all to euery one of vs. In this first point of the promise note two things the first wherein consisteth eternall life namely in immediat fellowship cōmunion with Christ in heauen for euer and this is our true felicitie to eate of the tree of life to partake with Christ in heauen who shall be to his all in all that is all happinesse that heart can wish Therefore it standeth not in outward meanes as meate drinke apparell sleepe respiration recreation c. but in the eating of the tree of life that is in the immediate fellowship with Christ Iesus for euer Secondly the place of this tree is the midst of paradise where Christ putteth a difference between the tree of life in the earthly paradise and this in the heauenly paradise He saith in paradise that is in the third or highest heauē a place of ioy and pleasure where the Lord especially sheweth his glorie and where he prouideth happinesse for his children There are indeed three heauens one where we liue and breath and where the clouds be the second where the starres be the third is the place where the Lord sheweth his presence and where he will haue his children be Of this Paul speaketh when he was rapt
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
the affection of Christ which things I also hate that is not their persons but their errors Which thing I hate First he teacheth vs to auoide and dislike the least honour or approbation which can be giuen to idols for these Nicolaitanes did not honour idols or offer to them but came into their temples and inuited by their friends did eate of the meate offered to them yet Christ hateth their dealing shewing he wold haue vs to do the like This also condemneth the practise of the Church of Rome who say they worship not idols yet they kneele downe to the images of Christ and Saints adore them light candles and tapers to them offer to them hang costly iewels about their neckes cloth them with costly apparell and so do indeed farre more then the Nicolaitanes did therefore hath Christ cause to hate them much more This also teacheth men which trauell to take heed that they trauell not without any calling to see newes out of the limits of the Church as to Spaine and Italie for then they being out of the bounds of the true Church offer themselues to occasions which may bring them to idolatrie though they hate images for being in idolatrous places they must come into their temples and do as their maner is offer to idols and kneele downe to them which they cannot without some approbation whereas they should hate the least approbation or liking of them Then it is good for men which trauell to trauell within the Church and not out but by some speciall calling and necessitie Further by this Christ would haue vs to hate all familiar societie with idolaters A man may I graunt liue with Idolaters in a ciuill course of peace but not to haue a speciall kind of familiaritie and amitie with them Now as Christ hated their idolatry so did he their fornicatiō giuing vs example to hate fornication first because our bodies are not our owne but the bodie of a faithfull man or woman is the bodie of Christ he hath bought it therefore we must consecrate and dedicate them to honour him not Satan his enemy Our bodie and soule is the member of Christ at least by profession then we must not take the member of Christ and make it the member of an harlot Our bodie and soule is the house and temple of the holy Ghost therefore we must keepe them faire pure and cleane fit to entertaine such a guest but they which pollute themselues with fornication make them sties and stables for the diuell Repent quickely Hauing laid downe the fault of the Church of Pergamus and the errors of the Nicolaitanes here he sheweth the remedie to escape and after the remedie addeth two reasons to moue thē to practise the remedie the first cōcerning the whole Church of Pergamus the second the Nicolaitans In the remedie note first what repentance is secondly why it is so often prescribed by Christ to his Church thirdly to whom To repent properly is to change the mind from euill to good from sinne to God thus when by Gods grace a man hath this purpose in his heart not to sin as before but in all things wholly to do the will of God for euer But here repentance as commonly in the Scripture is taken more largely for all the duties which go with or are in repentance as first humiliation confession of our sinnes condemning our selues for them secondly inuocation for pardon of them thirdly reformation of life when a man purposeth and indeuoreth in his life to do the will of God But why doth Christ so often repeate and prescribe repentance to his Church Ans. Not because it is a meanes to procure or demerit saluation and reconciliation with God for onely the death and passion of Christ and his merits alone can do that but he calleth them often to this dutie because it is the most excellent fruite of faith Repentance of it selfe procureth not Gods fauour but it is a token of Gods fauour procured in Christ. Secondly because it is a path way wherein all men must walke which must haue pardon of their sinnes and life euerlasting But to whom doth Christ prescribe repentance Ans. First to the whole church of Pergamus secondly to the Nicolaitanes As for the Church of Pergamus the Ministers and people thereof Christ before had commended them for worthie graces they had repentance before yet Christ bids them repent still Now in that he prescribeth repentance still to a repentant people it sheweth vs that the whole life of a Christian is a continuall practise of repentance a daily and perpetuall repentance When one hath begunne and repented once that is not enough but as euery day addeth to our age so euery day for our new sinnes we must haue new repentance 1. Cor. 5. Paule desired them to labour to be reconciled to God Now 1. Cor. 6. they were reconciled alreadie and had true repentance noting that they must labour to haue their reconciliation more increased in regard of the certaintie of it and their daily offences and sinnes Now we must thinke that what Christ spake to the Church of Pergamus is spoken to vs and if we be in the like sin we must learne to performe the same dutie which they are commanded here Christ moreouer prescribeth this not onely to the Church of Pergamus but to the Nicolaitanes which held two damnable errors and as they held them no doubt they liued accordingly yet Christ biddeth them repent Then great and grieuous sinners are not barred from Gods mercie if they will repent Excellent is that of Esay Our God is much exceeding much in mercie Psalm 130. God is much in mercie plenteous in redemption no man which is a grieuous sinner but God offereth him mercie if he will repent and lay hold on it Among vs in this Church are many ignorant and euill people yet if these will repent the Lord offereth his mercie though they be as wicked as the Nicolaitanes as Iudas or Herode were yet Christ offereth his mercie and merite if they will lay hold on it Then let all such wicked men breake off their sins by repentance of their idolatrie blasphemie fornication and humble themselues with Iob in dust and ashes and they shall find mercie But we must not abuse Gods mercie to presumption but be sure that though thy sinnes be as scarlet or crimson or as scarlet which can take no other colour yet there is mercie in store to helpe thee if thou repent This doctrine may be taught to malefactors not to imbolden them in sinne but to assure them that if they repent at any time the Lord will heare them yea though a man fall often into the same sinne which is dangerous yet if he haue grace to repent Gods fountaine of mercie is not drawne dry but still he hath in store onely they must repent for if they looke to haue the merit of Christ Christ looketh to haue their repentance Else I will come against thee
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
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
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
Secondly in regard of his manhood because the holy Ghost hath powred foorth into his manhood the perfection of all graces and gifts whatsoeuer as he is annointed with the oyle of gladnesse aboue his fellowes And this perfection standeth in two things first in number secondly in degree or measure First in number thus Among Gods seruants some haue these graces some those none haue all but Christ hath all the graces which all men and Angels haue more too Secondly in degree for the graces of Christ are more in measure then all the graces of all the Saints and seruants of God whatsoeuer he hath the fountaine of all grace and therefore he is said to haue the Spirit without measure And for that cause also Christ is said to haue the seuen spirits This is spoken by occasion of the Church and people of Sardis which was a dead people and therefore Christ was able to quicken them and to put life and spirit into them That no man can haue fellowship with the Father or the holy Ghost but by Christ it is manifest by other places No man can come to the Father but by me so there must be a participation with Christ before there can be any with the holy Ghost This serueth for our instruction because among the Papists there be many great learned men which haue excellent gifts of nature wit memorie and vnderstanding and though they haue withall a reformed and ciuill life yet they want faith and regeneration How cometh this to passe that such worthy men hauing the common gifts of the spirit want the speciall The cause is this their Christ is a false Christ yea an idol Christ they professe the want of sauing faith and all is because they want Christ. Therefore no maruell though you see the greatest learned there mocke and scoffe at this speciall grace of the assurance of our election Againe many among vs looke to be saued by Christ and yet you shall see no grace neither of knowledge nor faith feare nor care to keepe Gods commandements or a good conscience no sparke of grace and yet looke to be saued by Christ. How can these stand together Though they say they haue Christ they deceiue themselues for they haue not the graces of the Spirit and they haue no grace because they are not in Christ and by that they may know they are not in Christ because they haue no grace To conclude then we must all be admonished to labour that we may be vnited to Christ our head truly to haue fellowship with him that in him we may haue fellowship with the Father and the holy Ghost No grace of God to life eternall will be bestowed vpon vs till we haue Christ himselfe Therefore first labour to be in Christ and to be truly ioyned and vnited to him by the bond of faith that by this meanes we may haue all graces distilling and flowing into our hearts by Christ. Now the second royaltieis he hath seuē starres that is the Ministers and Pastors of the seuen Churches Christ is said here to haue them because he is the soueraigne Lord ouer them he is an absolute Lord ouer all For he setteth them apart and giueth them whatsoeuer gifts they haue he appointeth them their offices duties and callings so as he hath rule ouer them he appointeth ordaineth maketh and preserueth them As he hath in him the fulnesse of spirit so is he a Lord ouer his Ministers he hath power to saue if they obey or to destroy if they rebell Ob. The Church maketh Ministers Ans. The right of making Ministers and ordaining them is Christs royaltie and belongeth to him the Church doth but testifie and declare who they be that Christ maketh Ministers and approueth them therefore he saith here the seuen starres be his Now the end of these words is to strike the heart of the Minister which is secure and negligent to make him know himselfe and his place that he may begin to haue sound conscience of his dutie And this point is an excellent motiue to make them looke to their dutie their gifts are not their owne nay they themselues are not their owne but Christs and he is their Lord. This very consideration cannot but be effectuall to stirre vp all pastors to regard their duties for seeing they are Christs they must not do their owne will We must renounce our selues in all things and therefore bethinke our selues our soules and our bodies are not our owne but Christs Let this consideration draw vs on to do thinke and speake nothing but that which Christ would if he will haue you liue be content because he is the Lord of your life if to dye be content because you are his and not your owne So much for the Preface Now followeth the second part of the Epistle containing two parts first a reproofe secondly a promise The reproofe in the first verse I know thy works in which is contained a reproof and withall a remedie in the next words I know Here note the vice and withall the reproofe the vice is hypocrisie for she pretended religion in outward shew but wanted it indeed Thou hast a name that is the Churches about thee iudge thee to liue that is to be borne anew beleeue in Christ to haue his spirit to guide thee but thou art dead in sinnes and wantest newnesse of life and regeneration The like we may say of many great Churches by name the Romish Church which though it seeme to liue yet in regard of spirituall life it is dead It pretendeth to be the true Church of Christ but in truth it is dead in sinne Yet some say it is not dead but diseased full of sores and sicknesses and though the throat be cut yet it breatheth and panteth but the truth is it is starke dead and cold it hath no spirituall life at all But some alleage the contrarie saying it hath the Sacraments in it and where there is a Sacrament there is a Church but they haue Baptisme therefore a Church Ans. Baptisme is not alwaies a note of a true Church for the Samaritanes had circumcision which was before Baptisme yet they were no people nor church of God Os. 1. 9. That there may be baptisme yet no church it appeareth because there may be baptisme without the preaching of the word As the Papists haue baptisme without the true preaching of the word so they haue the outward Baptisme but deny the inward Baptisme which is iustification by Christ and sanctification by his Spirit Againe I answer it is a Sacrament not to that church of the Papists but to the hiddē church in popery for the Lord euer hath his church among them he keepeth among them euen 7. thousand which neuer worshipped their idols Now then that Sacrament is reserued in that church not for the Papists but for Gods children among them By this we see Gods owne prouidence to call them by those meanes and for their sakes
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
propoundeth doctrine to mens consciences to be beleeued vpon paine of eternall death Christ sheweth in the bookes of the old and new Testament that no man can make one article of our beleefe nay he which teacheth any other doctrine then that is accursed Gal. 1. Secondly Christ hath absolute power to prescribe regiment to his Church how and in what maner and also the persons by whom it shall be gouerned So Moses made the tabernacle according to the patterne Christ shewed him Salomon built the Temple according to the forme he saw by reuelation 1. Chron. 28. 12. Thirdly Christ hath authority to prescribe times for his worship to appoint Sabbaths c. And Gen. 1. as he created the Sabbath so hath he power alone to alter it no creature can prescribe a time to Gods seruice to the end of the world but Christ alone Then it is not true that the Church hath power to appoint two Sabbaths in one weeke or one in many weekes for it is Christs honour to prescribe his worship and the time of the same The second part of Christs soueraigne power is to iudge to haue power to determine of his owne will without helpe of any man or Angell And in this regard it belongeth to him to giue sense of the Scriptures he alone gaue them he is the lawgiuer and must expound his owne law Secondly Christ alone must decide questions and controuersies concerning faith Then the Church hath not any such power but from Christ by helpe of the written word by which Christ expoundeth them to vs. The third part of this soueraigntie is that Christ can saue and destroy open and shut he alone hath the keys of heauen and hell he can open that is pardon sinne properly And he alone promiseth this pardon and can performe it being God and as he giueth the pardon for sinne so he giueth also eternall life sauing mens soules Secondly he hath power to shut to cast some into hell and to destroy when men liue in sinnes and dye in thē without repentance he hath power to hold men in sins after to cast them into hell and shut them vp for euer Seeing Christ prescribeth this doctrine to the soule and consciēce to the most secret part of mans soule such doctrine as can saue and destroy we see Christ he is Lord of the Church he is Lord of the most secret wils and affections of the chiefest part of the mind The Papists say that by vertue of this key of Dauid Christ can set vp and depose kings and princes at his pleasure but this they hold craftily to bring in the damned power of the Pope But it will do them no good for Christ as he is Mediator of the Church and gouernour thereof he deposeth none he maketh no king but as he is God so he maketh and pulleth downe at his pleasure being farre aboue all men And hence kings are called Gods because they represent Christ as he is God Christ as he is Mediatour maketh men spirituall kings but he maketh not temporall kings but onely as he is God For if he had such power why did he refuse to deuide the inheritance saying Who made me a Iudge and to punish the adulterous woman confessing he was not a Magistrate From this power is another deriued frō Christ namely the power of the keyes which proceedeth from the power of Christ and by which power the key of Dauid is put in execution Mat. 16. 19. I will giue thee the keyes of heauen Now this power of the keyes is a ministerie granted to the Church of God to open and shut the kingdome of heauen First it is a ministerie that is a seruice and dutie for that which the Ministers do is but a seruice done to the Church and they be but seruants and stewards of Christ in the Church of God in gouerning it So then it is no authoritie but a seruice When Adam fell we all fell in him and he thrust himselfe and all mankind out of Gods kingdome by his sinne closed vp heauen gates against vs. Now since that fall Christ became man and in his manhood dyed for our sinnes and made satisfaction to God for them and this satisfaction of Christ is the thing which properly openeth the kingdome of heauen and nothing else properly Christ alone can open and shut the Church can only reueale and pronounce the will of God then no otherwise she openeth or shutteth but by declaring the same to be open or shut To the Church of God That is to the companie of true beleeuers called to saluation by Christ to them onely is this key giuen Mat. 18. 18. the promise is made onely to the Church and Gods people not to all societies of men The end of it is to open and shut How Christ he knew best Ioh. 20. 23. where he sheweth what is the key and what to open and shut namely to pardon and remit sinnes and no way else can men open and shut Now we must distinguish betweene giuing sentēce pronouncing that sentence The first belongs to Christ alone the second to man who forgiueth sinne not by giuing sentence but pronouncing sentence giuen alreadie by Christ in heauen And to make the church to forgiue sinnes properly is to robbe Christ of a speciall honor due to his Godhead Then the right vse of the power of the keyes is when the church of God vseth them onely in the name of Christ to open and shut first as his seruants and stewards secondly according to his will and word not mans traditions and affections Thirdly to bring sinners to saluation to beget and continue them in repentance They being so vsed haue a promise namely What you bind on earth is bound in heauen c. and it is the means by which Christs power is put in execution Now this power of the keyes giuen to the Church hath two parts first the ministerie of the word secondly spirituall iurisdiction The first Mat. 16. 19. namely the ministerie of the word is set downe and authorised by Christ I will giue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen that is the word of God and whose sinnes thou shalt bind by that word they shall be bound by the cords of their sinnes in heauen c. This ministerie of the word is a key to open and shut two wayes first by teaching expounding the word of God and doctrine of saluation and this is a key Luk. 11. 52. You haue taken away the key of knowledge The key of knowledge is the doctrine of the word of God Secondly the ministerie of the word is a key in men lawfully called in that they apply in the ministerie thereof the curses of the law to them which liue in sinnes and the promises of the Gospell to the repentant heart So it openeth and shutteth the kingdome of heauen for that which the Minister pronounceth by Gods word to be bound on earth is fast bound in heauen
in Christ to good workes Marke there euery Christian is a workmanship of God To this purpose Esay 53. 10. saith whē Christ shal giue him selfe a free will offering he shall see his seed How Thus All that are borne a new they are the seed of Christ he is the beginning and roote and so much the very scope of this Epistle declareth Now he is such a beginning two waies first as he is the author of regeneration for whosoeuer is borne a new Christ is the cause and author of his conuersion Therefore Esay 9. 6. he is called the father of eternitie because he doth regenerate men to life by his spirit and Esay 8. 18. he saith Loe here I am and the children that thou hast giuen me Secondly as he is the matter thereof Ephes. 5. the Church is flesh and bone of Christ where the Apostle alludeth to the creation of our first parents for Adam was a figure of a man regenerate and as Eue had her beginning from Adams side so the Church and euery Christian haue their being and beginning from Christ from his blood springs the Church of God and all Christians as they are new creatures and regenerate not as they are men and women Now the end why he is so called is to meete with a vice in that and other Churches Men haue more care and desire to seeme to be Christians then to be Christians indeed men set more by a shew then truth shadow then substance Therfore he shewes that their principall care must be to be true Christians indeed not to seeme so only This church was not regenerate in that church and therefore Christ tels them of it that he is the beginning of new creatures And the same is our fault our care is not so much for the power of godlines as for the shew of it therefore I beseech you haue care of this to heare the word and to receiue the sacraments are good things in their kind but they are not sufficient to saluation except thou become a true member of Christ thou hast no good by them 2 He saith this to meete with another vice that is spiritual pride He shewes that there is no excellencie in outward things all earthly excellēcies are nothing without this wherby a man is a new creature therefore we must not stand vpon our pantofles for our birth or gentry but whosoeuer wil reioyce must reioyce in this that he hath Christ for the author of his regeneration Further this teacheth vs an excellent lesson that Christ loueth and preserueth his church for as it was in the first Adam so it is in the second Adam The woman had not her beginning apart from man but of and from him that he might loue her the better and haue care of her preseruation So this is to teach vs that Christ hath a care of vs and that we must honor him Nay which is more Adam was but the matter onely and not the author of Heuah but Christ is both to the church to shew his loue to be endlesse The root neuer hurts the branches nay it strengtheneth it selfe to defend cherish and maintaine the branches it hath no affection inclination or disposition to hurt but to helpe Thus much of these words to note the bond betweene Christ and his church yea his loue and our dutie Hence I gather that the Papists erre in teaching that a man hath the vse of his owne will in his regeneration and that he can dispose himselfe in his iustification for a creature cannot worke nor help to create himself but euery regenerate person is a creature of God and the conuersion of a sinner is here made the creation of a man the creature in his owne creation is able to do nothing If there were no more such sayings in the Bible this one were sufficient to confute that opinion And thus much of the preface Now the matter of the Epistle or contents and substance Verse 15. I know thy workes c. that thou art neither hote nor hote c. The Proposition hath two parts First a dispraise or reproofe Secondly counsell The dispraise is for two faults the first lukewarmnesse the second pride and vanitie of mind Then first I will make the words plaine secondly declare the vse of them I know that is all thy waies and workes be manifest to me and I vtterly dislike them And to lay open their fault the more he borroweth a comparison from water whereof there be these three sorts hote cold and warme Cold and hote water may be receiued into the stomack with lesse hurt and annoyance but the water that is lukewarme troubleth the stomacke and ceasseth not till it be cast vp againe Now with these three kinds of water he compareth three sorts of men By cold men vnderstand the enemies of religion as Iewes and Gentiles Turkes and Saracens Gadarens and Galileans By hote vnderstand men zealous in religion by lukewarm indifferent So the meaning is thou art neither an open enemy of religion nor yet truly religious or a true friend I would c. Christ here maketh a wish but he doth not simply wish that they were enemies of religion but in respect of their estate he wisheth they were either of those rather then as they were Otherwise this absurditie would follow that Christ should wish them to be of a people no people of God By lukewarmenesse he vnderstandeth a people professing the word of God and yet not greatly regarding and reuerencing it This people is a lukewarme people as if he should say a mixture of both neither hote nor cold wanting the heate of grace and the fire of Gods spirit whereby their hearts should be heated and inflamed Vers. 16. Because thou art neither c. The meaning is this Euen as a man that hath receiued such water will cast it vp and cannot keepe it in so Christ being grieued with their sinnes will cast them off from hauing any fellowship with him and make them to be no Church This is the true and right meaning of the words Now in them these things are contained First Christ setteth downe their fault and aggrauateth it Secondly he compareth three kinds of men together The hote man hath the best place and the cold man the second and the lukewarme man the last and lowest So you see the enemie of religion and of Gods grace is better then he that professeth religion and liueth not thereafter As if he should say the ordinarie Gospeller which contenteth himselfe to heare the word and to receiue the Sacraments is not so good before God as the Turke and Iew. The threatning followeth I will spue them out of my mouth Now hauing found the meaning we must examine our selues whether we may not be charged with the same fault and it will be found that we are guiltie of this and euen plaine Laodiceans Which that you may see I will shew diuerse kinds of such lukewarme Gospellers and Christians 1
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