seeke to get one foot out of the graue of sinne and securitie And he had Here S. Iohn describeth him by his parts and the properties of euery part In his right hand seuen starres that is seuen Angels seuen Ministers of the seuen churches of Asia The Ministers are compared to starres first because as starres send out light to men on earth so the Ministers ought to giue light to men euen spirituall light by doctrine taught by them and by conuersatiō of life among them Secondly they be compared to stars because as the stars haue their continuall abode in heauen neuer descend downe so the Ministers of the word especially should haue their conuersation in heauen It is the dutie of all but more specially of the Ministers in regard of their callings first by seeking their owne saluation secondly by seeking the saluation of others by which two they must haue their conuersation in heauē though they haue their bodies in earth thirdly because they shall be honoured of God in heauen as the starres for Dan. 12. they which do their dutie they shall shine like starres in the firmament They be in Christs right hand that is all regiment and gouernement in matters of the Church belongs to Christ he alone hath the whole disposition and ordering of the ministery seeing he alone is head of the Church and the Ministers they be in his right hand he rules and raignes in his church he careth for it and looketh to it Seeing these starres be in Christs right hand this shewes that the choosing furnishing of the ministers of the word belongs to Christ Eph. 4. he giueth them their gifts and places then we ought in this last age to pray the Lord to send out laborers into his haruest that so his children might be gathered and an end made of these miserable dayes He holds these seuen starres in his right hand Whereby we see he giueth them defence and protection so long as they be faithful in their callings He carieth them in his right hand though they haue sundry discouragements yet seeing Christ he ordereth their ministery and disposeth of it if they be faithfull nothing should hinder their course nothing should cut them off from their duty neither the want of obediēce in them to whom they preach and labour not seeing that fruit they should nor the iniuries of the enemies of their profession nor any thing else Seeing they be in his right hand this sheweth the excellency of this calling of the ministery Idle men esteeme it most base accept of it as of a meane calling and so discourage many but in the sight of God it is an high and holy calling he carieth them in his right hand defends them and protects them Now what greater glory can there be then that they should be so honored to be borne and caried in the right hand of the King of heauen and earth though wicked men dishonour them esteeme so basely of thē This should stir those who haue good gifts to get this high and holy calling thus to be honoured of Christ. They must be vnblameable for seeing Christ carieth them in his right hand he will hold nothing but that which is holy and pure as he is but if it be defiled sinfull and wicked he will take it out of his right hand put it vnder his brazen foote and grind it to peeces and the more he had honoured them the more will he dishonour them By the same reason the hearers are bound to profit else they must drinke of the same cup for if the ministers be punished for not preaching then they for not hearing And out of his mouth c. In these words he describes him by the two last parts of his body his mouth and his face And in his mouth was a two edged sword c. By this two edged sword is meant the doctrine of the law and the Gospel vttered and propounded by the Prophets and Apostles and this two edged sword is described Heb. 4. 12. It is mightie in operation c. The doctrine of the law and the Gospell is compared to a two edged sword because as a sword with a double edge enters not onely into the flesh but to the bones yea euen to the marrow so the word preached it enters into the heart deepely to the diuiding of the spirits yea it enters to the very bottome of the heart it searcheth euery nooke and corner which is most secret The word hath a double operation one in the wicked another in the godly In the wicked this sharpe two edged sword of the word it wounds them at the heart with a deadly wound and so by the same wound brings them to eternall death Esa. 11. 4. He shall with his breath that is the sword of his word slay the wicked This is that sword that hath and will kill Antichrist Ob. But how cometh it that the word of God should wound or kill any how should it slay a wicked and vnrepentant sinner Answ. We must know there be three degrees of spirituall death The first is the separation of bodie and soule when the bodie is laid in the graue the soule conueyed to the place of torments The second is when a sinner in this life by the word is wounded and smitten and so receiueth in his heart a deadly wound The third degree is at the end of this life at the last iudgement whē soule and bodie shall go into hell fire for euen a sinner receiueth his deadly wound in this life which is the first steppe to hell and eternall death in the life to come In the inflicting and giuing of this wound there be three actions of Christ required which he worketh in the hearts of the wicked by the doctrine of the law and the Gospell The first is to reueale to them their sinnes all their pride rebellion hypocrisie the damnable corruptions of their hearts and all their sinnes against the first and second Table 1. Cor. 14. 24. 25. If in the Church all prophecie there come in one which beleeueth not he is rebuked of all because they iudge him an hypocrite and so the secrets and corruptions of his heart are laid open and discouered by the word preached The second action of Christ is this he after reuealeth to them the wrath and curse of God against sinne his indignation against the breakers of the law and for this cause the law is called the killing law because it sheweth iudgement without mercie for the transgressions of the law Thirdly Christ by the word preached sharpeneth the sting of conscience maketh it awake and terrifieth a man when he heareth or remembreth the word and the curse denounced against sinners So Felix when Paul preached to him of iustice and temperancie he fainted and trembled the word was a two edged sword of the spirit to wound his conscience with terrour and feare So Dan. 5. Beltashar seeing but an hand writing he
is called that Counseller He is both King of and Counsellor to his Church And surely this title of right belōgeth to him for first by his office he aduiseth men how they shall escape eternall death and be saued secondly he teacheth how a man may please God in all his actions thirdly how he may flie sinne These three he doth daily in his church and children and that not by extraordinarie but euen by ordinarie meanes as by his word and spirit and therefore may well be called our Counseller neither can any either Angell or man thus counsell vs but onely Christ. Now in that Christ is such a person by office and profession therefore we must acknowledge him to be our Counsellor yea the Counseller of the Catholike Church and euery part therof Therefore we learne to do him all the honour we can Counsellors of the common law are feed reuerenced and honoured for their counsell though it be but for worldly matters and it oftentimes faileth Much more is Christ to be honoured whose counsell concerneth the things of God and cannot faile but shall stand Nay as his counsell is infinitely more excellent then the counsell of any other creature so much more is he to be honoured Further in all dangers and temptations one must resort to Christ for counsell for to this end is he a Counseller He told them they were miserable and therefore gaue them counsell declaring that he is at hand in all our miseries and distresse And therefore we must resort to Christ for his counsell and rest vpon it and order our selues according to it The good king Iehosaphat when the Moabites and Ammonites banded together was in great distresse but what did he We said he know not Lord what to do but our eyes are toward thee That is we looke to thee for counsel and direction we must rest rely vpon thee for wholesome counsel good direction So should all men do in distresse and daunger as we are now by reason of our sinnes and the professed malice of our enemies for by all likelihood these dayes are the time of our chastisement and correction therefore we must say as he said Therefore in all distresse whether it be sicknesse or pang of death forsake all ill counsell go not to wizards and Astrologians for helpe but humble your selues and pray for his counsell So much for the first part that is the maner of prescribing this remedie Now of the remedie it selfe As the miserie had three parts and those great miseries all so Christ propoundeth his remedie in such sort that it is answerable to the three branches of the miserie first gold that thou mayest be rich secondly rayment thirdly eye salue By gold according to the analogie of the Scripture we are to vnderstand the graces of Gods spirit as true faith repentance feare and loue of God man All these are called gold as the triall of our faith is said to be more precious then gold We may likewise vnderstand al other gifts of the spirit yea all Christs merits Christ himself the fountaine of all Purged by the fire That is precious and fine gold of speciall account that is purged from all drosse by the art of man This sheweth what is the propertie of his gifts and graces they are as precious as fine pure gold as 1. Pet. 1. 5. This is worth the marking that the gifts of Gods spirit are of great price and value and that before Gold Psal. 119. 72. Math. 13. 4. This teacheth all how to beautifie themselues in soule and bodie The blind and false opinion of the world is that strange attire and forreine fashions beautifie and adorne the bodie and it is commonly thought that Iewels and precious stones adorne vs and indeed it is true in some persons such as be great personages but strange fashions and outlandish attire disgraceth the bodie The right way to beautifie the bodie indeed and to make it truly glorious and to adorne the soule also i◠to get these graces for these are as precious as fine gold Our bodies shold be the temples of the holy Ghost the houses of a worthie guest therefore we should the rather labour for the best ornaments And if you will adorne your selues as you ought you must do it with the graces of Gods spirit and abhorre these fond and absurd fashions which no wise man can like of That thou maist be rich c. These graces haue a further effect and serue not onely to adorne and beautifie but also to make men rich Here then see the common folly nay madnesse of men which spend all their time wit and strength to enrich their bodies and leaue their soules vnfurnished What a madnesse is this that so many should neglect true riches and studie for nothing more then that which is nothing lesse then riches euen counterfeit riches By this text it is more then manifest that such are more then mad and that this folly is very great Therefore seeing true riches be the graces of Gods spirit seeke for these So much for the first part of the remedie White garments That is Christ himselfe and his righteousnesse imputed As Gal. 3. 27. euen as a garment is put on the bodie so is Christ and his righteousnesse and the fruite thereof that is sanctification all this is meant by garments here Now the end is to couer the nakednesse of the soule which is deformed and defiled with sinne Eye salue That is the spirit of illumination knowledge wrought in the mind by the spirit of God For as eye-salue doth cleare the eye sight and sharpen the same where it was by some occasion hindred so doth Christ by illumination make a man know and vnderstand God in Christ and discerne betweene good and euill of things temporall and eternall Thus you haue the meaning of these words Now by the exposition you may see that by all these we can vnderstand nothing but Christ himselfe and his merits One and the same thing is signified by three words to shew that there is in Christ the fulnesse of grace and that he hath remedies for all our wants The Laodiceans were poore in spirituall goods and Christ was their riches naked and he their garment blind and he their eye-salue So that looke how many sinnes there be in men so many contrarie remedies there be in Christ. What wants soeuer be in vs he hath a supply of them all The Papists make him an insufficient Sauiour in that they patch our merits to his and so they disgrace Christ but we are to count Christ a most perfect and absolute Mediator and Redeemer in himselfe without vs. To buy The meanes how these worthie gifts of God are gotten Christ saith by buying and bargaining he saith not receiue but buy This is an allusion to the state of that citie which was rich and consisted most of Merchants which liued by buying and trafficke therefore he speaketh to them in their
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
then it may be fire should ceasse to burne as it did in the three children in the ouen Now in this place where he saith These things must be done it is not to be meant of absolute necessitie but of that which is but in part for they must come to passe necessarily onely in regard of Gods decree In them selues they be contingent necessary by the vnchangeable decree of God In regard of which decree of God all things which come to passe be necessarie yet can it not be inferred therefore man hath no free will For this necessitie taketh it not away neither the second causes but rather disposeth them and inclines mans free will Secondly the matter is described by the time shortly or quickly But how can this be true seeing things spoken of in this booke came not to passe a thousād years after which is a lōg time Ans. They may be said to come to passe shortly though a thousand yeares after in two respects First of God to whom a thousand years is but as one day Secondly in regard of men for though a thousand years seeme a long time to men ere it be expired yet when it is once past it seemes but a short time Which must shortly come He sets downe these wordes for two causes First to terrifie all carnall and carelesse men for it foretelleth iudgements and destructions to those which liue in their sinnes which be enemies to the Church of God and so it strikes a terror into their hearts seeing their destruction comes shortly And no doubt if anie carnall man could lay this to his heart that iudgement must come quickly it would rowze him if he belonged to Christ or else would terrifie his soule We here liue still in our sinnes though we heare the word daily we neuer repent of our sinnes But if we which be so carelesse wold consider that destruction and iudgement must come shortly to those which be carelesse it would stirre vs vp to repentance if we had anie grace Let these carelesse men let these consider that the hand of God may be on them quickly take hold on them ere they be aware Let the young man not runne on in his sins lest the Lord come ere he be prepared and prouided For the Lord will come quickly his iudgements they make hast and are not farre off they delay not Secondly the holy Ghost setteth downe this circumstance of time to arme the seruants of Christ the true members of the Church against all persecutions afflictions calamities which might befall them For the children of God being afflicted and crossed they might be impatient and discouraged but lest they should be so the Lord here telleth them that his coming shall be shortly they shall not alwayes beare the heauie burthen of afflictions on their shoulders but for a while a short time and then the Lord will come and ease them deliuer them and comfort their troubled minds lest they should be swallowed vp with griefe It followeth Which he sent That is which reuelation he sent and shewed by his Angell These words are set downe for two causes First to shew that S. Iohn he opened and published this booke not rashly but by calling and warrant from God This teacheth vs what must be our dutie in all our actions whatsoeuer we take in hand we must looke we haue our calling and warrant This was the Apostles practise as here S. Iohns he opened not this reuelation before he had speciall warrant So must we looke for our warrant in the word and till we haue it we must not enterprise anie thing If this dutie were practised there would be more conscience in the seruice and worship of God more care and conscience in our dealings with men then there is Secondly he setteth downe these words to get more reuerence and greater authoritie to this booke that it might more be accepted of and therefore he saith it was sent by an Angell to the Church And this is a verie good reason to get credite to it and reuerence For if an earthly Prince should write his letter to his subiect and withall send it by one of his gard no doubt the subiect would receiue it most reuerently The Scriptures they be the epistle of God sent to his Church not by anie but by his Angell then this should procure a thousand times more reuerence seeing God sends his letter to his Apostle S. Iohn and so to the Church by the hand of an Angell Now followeth the fifth argument of the description of this reuelation which is the instruments of this reuelation whereby it is conueyed from God to the Church and these be two First an Angell Secondly Iohn the Apostle or Euangelist The first instrument is an Angell by whom he sent this Reuelation to conuey it to his Church And so the Lord hath vsed their ministerie in other places of the scriptures So when the Law was giuen it was by the hand of an Angel Daniel had many of his dreames expounded by an Angell And the seuen visions in this booke of the Reuelation were shewed to Iohn by an Angell Yet we must take heede we gather not hence that we may worship them or pray to them because they be present about vs and see our wants but before we pray to them we must haue a commandement from God and a speciall promise that they can and will heare and helpe vs else we must not pray to them The second instrument is Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist which penned one of the Gospels that Disciple whom Iesus loued sonne to Zebedeus kinsman to Christ. Now to procure credit and more reuerence to his reuelatiō he describeth himselfe by two arguments First calling himselfe his seruant Iohn Secondly by an effect Which bare record c. First he cals him selfe the seruant of Christ not the Disciple of Christ not Christ his cosin or kinsman which he might haue done but he cals himself the seruant of Christ. For he had learned that which Christ speaks Mat. 12. 50. He which doth the will of my Father he is my mother sister and brother not he which is kinsmā or cosin but in this to do his fathers wil stands the note of his kinsman And in this to be the seruant of Christ stands the dignitie of a Christian. Had not the blessed Virgin Christs mother bene a seruant of Christ she had neuer bin saued by Christ. Then by this we see it is nothing to helpe a man to saluation to be borne of great kinred to come of Princes noble bloud but to be the seruants of Christ to do the will of Christ this is to be allyed and cosin to Christ. And if we will be the seruants of Christ we must become new creatures we must leaue off our old seruice and as S. Paule saith he knewe not Christ in the flesh but serued him in the spirit And we must not content our selues to be his
this last day when he shall see his Iudge with his eyes then it wil stirre it wil torment him it will attach accuse and condemne him it will lay to his charge his sinnes his contempt of Christ and his word his vnbeleefe in the time of grace it will be as a thousand witnesses to condemne him This should cause all men to labour to get a good conscience washed and purged in the blood of Christ which will not lay to our charge any one sinne but assure vs we be in the fauour of God which wil not make vs feare but looke vp to our redeemer and to reioyce in him We must take heed when our conscience lieth asleepe and accuseth not no not at death for it will then deceiue vs but search and examine our hearts and consciences and seeke to haue them washed and bathed in the blood of Christ. Lastly he confirmeth this doctrine of the second comming of Christ by a double note of asseueratiō Euē so Amen One of these is taken frō the Ebrewes Amen the second from the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euen as we auouch a thing first by a simple and bare affirmation or negation secondly by an earnest asseueration thirdly by an oath Now in that S. Iohn vseth these two kinds of assuring in this weightie matter of Christs second coming we see our dutie we must not vse the like at any time or thing but onely in matters of weight and moment so S. Iohn here he shall come and that certainly vndoubtedly it shal be so Then the practise of thē is wicked which vse these words in matters of no weight at euery word and much more which bind euery word with an oath which is far more Yea though our Sauior oftē vseth these words of asseueration yet onely in matters of weight and moment and when the hearers were to be certified of the truth of a thing which was of importance 2 He would by this shew that the coming of Christ is certaine and most vndoubted and to make vs out of all doubt he addeth these two words of asseueratiō Euē so Amē most certainly it will come then we should often thinke of this matter for in our nature there is a corruption which perswadeth vs that the coming of Christ is not yet that we shall not be summoned either by generall or particular iudgement therefore as the wicked seruant we deferre the comming of Christ. To take away this corruption he saith he cometh yea certainely vndoubtedly he cometh and that out of hand Thirdly to shew a speciall note and marke of Gods child for he doth not onely asseuere but withall desireth and longeth for the coming of Christ Lord let it be so Amen let it euen be so They long for and desire Christ his coming to iudgment but the wicked could wish with all their hearts that it might neuer be The godly they know that when Christ shall come then they shall haue that crowne of immortalitie and glorie which he hath prepared for all which desire his coming But the wicked and they which are not reconciled to God in Christ nor assured of their owne saluation they cannot for their life once wish and desire the coming of Christ. So that by this one note we may iudge of our owne estates whether we belong to Christ or not for if we desire and long for his second comming to iudgement if we wish he would come quickly then it is a certain token and signe we be reconciled to God in Christ that we belong to him But if as yet we feele not this longing and hungring desire in vs then we must suspect our selues and labour to feele it euery day for it is the desire of the Saints and of all the true children of God After that S. Iohn had described Christ at large here in this eighth verse he bringeth him in speaking of himselfe by a figure I am Alpha and Omega saith the Lord. The end and scope of this eighth verse is to confirme the former description of Christ. The reason is thus framed He which is the beginning and the end of all he is sufficient to be a King Priest and Prophet and is both able and willing to bestow all blessings on his Church This first part of the argument is omitted the second part is contained in this eighth verse But I am the beginning and the end c. I am sufficient c. In this eighth verse are three points concerning Christ first he is the beginning and the end I am alpha and omega secondly he is was and is to come thirdly he is almightie omnipotent 1 The first point is that Christ is the beginning and the end which he expresseth by a comparison taken from the Greeke alphabet or the A. B. C. of the Grecians for as in their Greeke alphabet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the first letter and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the last so I saith Christ am the beginning of all things and the end of all as those letters in the Greeke alphabet so am I in all things the first and last Out of this that Christ borroweth this comparison from the Greeke alphabet the Papists gather that the word may be read and deliuered to the people in an vnknowne toung because Christ here vseth an vnknowne toung to those whom he gaue this vision But though the vnlearned and vnlettered English man knoweth not what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is yet the Church to whō this booke was written being the Grecians knew what they meant generally Againe though the spirit of God vseth a strange word in one place we may not follow that in the whole word of God in the whole seruice and worship of God as the Papists do Christ is said to be the beginning and the end first because he is the very first of all things there was nothing before he was he had a being when all other creatures were not but begunne to be then was he the same that he is now he had his being and subsisting before all creatures and for this saith S. Iohn chap. 1. verse 1. In the beginning was the word that is the Son of God he had his being and subsisting when all other creatures wanted it and began to be This proueth the eternitie of Christ because he had his being before any creature was created he was a substance and essence begotten of the Father before all worlds not created as other creatures are or made of any other Secondly he is called the beginning because he giueth a beginning to all creatures for all things which were created were created by him and had their being from him So that he is the true beginning of all things Coloss. 1. 16. All things are from him he is the beginning of all and all are for him he is the end of all Seeing Christ giues a being to all things then we when
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
turning to him we may haue fellowship with God For vnlesse S. Iohn had turned to see the vision and him which spake he had not seene it so vnlesse we turne to God speaking in the ministery of his word and that in time whilst he speaketh to vs we can haue no fellowship with him though we heare the word neuer so much Now followeth the second part of the vision which is the representation of Christ his maiesty and magnificence as he is a Prophet King and Priest of his Church and it is set out by a large description of Christ from this twelfth verse to the end of the third chapter In which description S. Iohn sheweth what he receiued touching Christ partly by hearing partly by seeing And herein he describeth Christ first by his place In the midst of the seuen candlestickes secondly by his forme and figure Like to the sonne of man First he describeth Christ by the place I saw seuen golden candlestickes and in the middest one like c. These seuen candlesticks here seene of Iohn in a vision are the seuen Churches in Asia Now as the Church of God is compared to a candlesticke as Christ expoundeth it in the twentith verse so the particular Churches are here called candlestickes for their resemblance which they haue with candlestickes for as their property is to beare and hold forth the candle and lamp euen so the Churches of God beare vp and hold forth and publish the light of the Gospell to the whole world partly by preaching and maintaining it partly by professing the faith ◠Seeing euery Church is a candlesticke and not a candle to beare vp and hold forth the lamp and light of the word because they haue no light of themselues but onely can beare vp and hold foorth the light and are but the instruments of the light the true light being Christ himselfe then they cannot giue light to mens consciences and hearts but all that they can do is to beare the candle and hold out the light by instructing and preaching the word and by their profession of religion In that they are compared to candlestickes we learne that all the true members of Christ are candles burning and shining lights placed in the shafts of this candlesticke For though the Ministers must especially be blazing lampes to the people as Iohn Baptist was Ioh. 5. 35. yet also are all true members of Christ these blazing candles to hold foorth this light and shew foorth the doctrine of light to the world Phil. 2. 15. 16. Euery man in his calling must be a shining candle and a burning lamp Now that he may be such a one he must first haue knowledge of the will and word of God himselfe then as a blazing candle send foorth the same to others by teaching and instructing by godly life and conuersation We all professe we be members of Christ and members of the true Church then we must carie and hold foorth these burning lights hauing light in our selues to send it out to others by teaching them in our calling and liuing godly and giuing good example and so shine to the world To induce vs to this to carie our selues as burning lampes first it is the commandement of God Phil. 2. 15. Euery man in his calling must be a blazing light in the middle of a peruerse nation we must carie our selues free from all sinne send out our light to all men For a second reason marke the fruite and the effect which followeth this carying of our selues as shining lights When a man is indued with knowledge of Gods will and word and sends out this light by instructing others and in a godly example he winneth many men to the kingdome of heauen A man if he haue one to hold him out a candle in winter that he may see his way to go whither he would he taketh this as a great benefit how much more is this to light the way to a blind man euen to the kingdome of heauen But on the cōtrarie when men be dimme and darke candles and liue not in the Church as blazing lights but in sinne ignorance and loosenesse of life hence great hurt and daunger cometh to men with whom they liue For when a man knoweth the will of God and yet liueth in sin he giueth a false direction and so many follow him euen to the pit of hell and by his bad example he draweth men as much as in him lyeth to eternall destruction In hauen townes if a man remoue the night marke and the candle set to direct the ships he doth as much as in him lyeth to sinke all the ships for they hauing wrong direction runne on rockes and sands because they go to the light which is not in the right place and so they misse the channell and light on rockes and perish So men in this world they saile as on the sea to heauen now if we by our wicked life remoue the marke and giue wrong direction they must needes misse the right way and so come to a false hauen not heauen but hell And so then seeing either by our godly life we draw men to heauen or by our bad life we carie them to hell it is our dutie to labour by life and doctrine to giue good direction The third reason to moue vs to be burning lights is the iudgement of God for he which liueth in the Church and yet shineth not in teaching others by his good example he incurreth the iudgement of God In the temple the lights and candles belonged to the Priest who dressed and trimmed them for that purpose he had snuffers and such instruments now in the Church euery man is a candle standing in the church as in a sticke Christ Iesus he is the trimmer and dresser of them he standeth in the midst of them he hath his snuffers in his hands he trimmeth them and dresseth these candles Now if after three or foure times dressing and snuffing of this candle still it burneth dim and will not shine out he will either remoue it out of the sticke or else he will take and tread it vnder his feet So those which in the Church do not send out a shining light the Lord he dresseth and snuffeth them but if they still burne dimmely cast not a cleare light in instructing others and leauing good example the Lord will cast them out of their places put them vnder his foot and cleane extinguish them In regard of this daunger euery man in his shaft and place the Minister in his the vnlettered man in his must teach others giue good example else the issue will be this the Lord will come in iudgement and stampe it out and extinguish that light Nay very reason requireth this at our hands seeing we be all lights of this candlesticke of the Church that we should send out light In winter time we hang out lights that by them men might be directed to helpe them in
stands all true happinesse and ioy eternall Seeing it feared Iohn that he was as dead we see that the feeling of the presence of God of his maiestie and glory it is a singular meanes to humble man to cast him downe and make him know he is nothing in himselfe So soone as Iohn perceiued and saw the presence of Christ he was as dead fell at his feete So Abraham the more he perceiued the glory of God the more he humbled himselfe confessing he was dust and ashes And Peter Luke 5. 8 9 10. seeing but a glimmering of Christs maiestie and might he bids him depart frō him he was a sinner So Esa. 6. 2. the Angels couer thēselues with their wings with three they couered their face and with 3. their feet as fearing and not able to behold his maiesty as cōfessing they be nothing but sin in thēselues We see the great goodnes of God in the ministery of his word for though he might speake to vs by his own self and so that we could not abide to heare his voice but should be as dead men yet he in mercy speaketh to vs by sinfull men like to our selues and familarly then we must know and learne to acknowledge his mercy and be thankfull for it Seeing it astonished S. Iohn we see that euen holy and righteous men cannot abide the presence of Christ his maiestie and glory much lesse can the works of righteous men stand before his iust iudgement or answer to his iustice for the person must be first accepted before the worke can be accepted now if a righteous man cannot abide the presence of Christ no more can his worke Then damnable is the doctrine of the Church of Rome who will haue men to stand at Gods bar and bring their workes as part of their iustification but our workes be but in part holy no more then we be our selues but in part iust Now followeth the effect of this feare in S. Iohns body He fel at his feete as dead It was not a small but a great feare which astonished his senses made him as a dead man Phisitions say that the mind followeth the constitution and temperature of the body but we may here as truly say the body followeth the temperature and constitution of the mind for the mind can worke that on the body which other diseases can worke it can cast men into a swound make the body cold and many other things which diseases work in the body So Ahab being grieued and fearing he could not get Naboths vineyard was sick and almost dead So then affections of loue and feare and hatred c. can change kill the body therfore the body followeth the tēperature and constitution of the mind Againe we see diseases are not alwayes to be cured by art and phisicke but often when phisicke cannot helpe the body is cured by ordering and composing the affections of the heart seeing these can order and dispose the body and change it as their nature is Thē in the next place followeth the kind of feare I fel at his feet as dead c. shewing it was a godly religious reuerence in the heart of Iohn for this kind of prostrating the body is a signe of godly reuerence and religious feare We must learne by this example to cast downe our selues in the presence of Christ as Iohn did and to lie prostrate at his feet Ob. But some may say Christ is not present we cannot now fall at his feet seeing he is in heauen Answ. Though Christ be now in heauen yet he hath his footstoole on earth and his feet may be said to be here on earth For the mercie seate that was a signe of Gods presence though that be taken away God hath yet his footstoole on earth Psal. 99. 5. For wheresoeuer the Church of God is assembled to pray vnto him there is Christ truly present and there is his footstoole and there should we cast downe our selues our soules and bodies to Christ he being there present Now though S. Iohns feare be a godly feare yet it is stained with sin for it is ioyned with immoderate feare of death Then we see that the most holy affections of righteous men they haue their imperfections they be stained with sinne because they be sanctified but in part and in part be corrupt And there is no man which hath true filiall feare but he hath withall a seruile feare of hell and damnation The meanes follow whereby Christ confirmeth Iohn Then he laid his right hand In this note two things first when he vseth this meanes secondly the meanes it selfe The time when Then that is after Christ by his presence had smitten him cast him downe and laid him as dead then he vseth meanes of confirmation and comfort And this is Gods practise first to humble a man and cast him downe breake him and bruise him to powder then he hauing made him plyable and fit to receiue grace after confirmeth and comforteth him in the matter of saluation secondly a man must be wounded then haue oyle powred in and he must be a lost sheepe after Christ will bring him home againe And this is the cause why so few profit by the word preached and by the Sacraments because they be not first humbled and cast downe and made fit to receiue Christ comfortably offering himselfe in the Gospell Now follow the meanes themselues which are two the first a signe Then he laid his right hand c. secondly his word saying Feare not c. There is not one of them vsed a part neither the signe nor the word alone but he vseth both meanes more to confirme and comfort S. Iohn So the Lord dealt with Moses Exod. 3. 12. he first giueth him the word I will be with thee to comfort thee and not onely that but the signe he must offer sacrifice to God as a signe So to Ahaz though a wicked king he giueth him his word to comfort and confirme him and vers 11. he biddeth him aske a signe of him So Christ preached the Gospell there is his word and confirmeth the same by miracles Now he giueth vs promises of eternall life and not onely that but addeth signes and seales to confirme them namely his Sacraments By this we see that Christ hath exceeding care of his children and of his Church Seeing he vseth al meanes to confirme them and to comfort them he giueth them not onely his word which might be sufficient but for our weaknesse he addeth signes to confirme vs condescending thus to our capacitie to take from vs all doubtings and to giue vs assurance euen out of the maner of vsing the meanes as here first he vseth the signe 2. the word then he putteth his hand on Iohn to assure him of his protection and after biddeth him not to feare By this order we see that the very assurance of Gods presence and protection is a present remedie against all feare
all three and that the Father doth the Sonne doth and what the Sonne doth the holy Ghost and the Father do in outward actions Secondly Christ after his ascension teacheth not bodily but by his spirit for Christ being at his Fathers right hand sendeth his comforter to leade vs into all truth Now seeing the holy Ghost speaks in the Scripture he teacheth vs we see how the church of Rome sinneth in that they will haue a iudge which must speake for Christ he being in heauen and the Scriptures being not able to speake but are as a dumme iudge therefore the Church that is men in the Church they must be iudge of Scriptures But we see that the holy Ghost speaketh in the Scriptures and Christ he is iudge alone of them The Church is an instrument onely and cannot giue sentence of them but they be of themselues sufficient to take away any doubt whatsoeuer 2 Faith is no part of repentance but a cause of it for they be 2 distinct parts of Christianity the first a sermon beleeue and repent where repentance followeth faith as a fruite of it Thirdly obedience is no part of repentance but a cause thereof ergo repentance stands not in these three properties neither is all one with regeneratiō for this goeth before them for godly sorrow is the cause of repentance but regeneration is before godly sorow ergo before repentance too The second point is how we must practise repentance this stands in two things first true humiliation secondly true reformation of life Humiliation stands in confessing our sins miseries and wants and in condemning our selues for them and in harty praier to God for pardō Reformation is the changing of our bad actions to good and if need require to make satisfaction to men Dauid Psal. 32. first humbled himselfe secondly he prayed for pardon and withall promiseth reformation of life Manasses fel from God but he prayed to God humbled himselfe 2. Cron. 33. 12. So the prodigal son And Dauid in all these Psalmes of repentance humbles himself Psal. 32. 38. 51. 130. 143. 77. And so must we do if we truly repent Then we see the dānable doctrine of the Papists which make repentance stand in contrition and confession of sins to a Priest satisfaction for a man may do all these and yet be a reprobate So did Iudas he had contrition confessed his sinne made satisfaction and yet his repentance was not true repentance Another abuse is that they make contrition a part of repentance which is indeed no grace but may be a cause of grace Besides to confesse all sinnes to a priest is a gibbet to a mans conscience and more then God himselfe requireth Last of all to teach that a man must satisfie Gods iustice is to ouerthrow the satisfaction of Christ. The third point is Who commaunds this It is Christ. Now some out of these words gather that God giueth sufficient grace to euery man to repent if they will for say they if he command repentance and yet some cannot then he but mockes them and it is as if we should bid one bound hand and foot to rise and walke Ans. The Lord giueth not that commaundement to euery particular man but to the Church or to some people which shal become a Church and then he doth it to gather the elect Now in the Church there be elect and reprobate now this commandement to repent is giuen to the elect directly but to the reprobate by consequence as they be among the elect in the church And this commaundement is giuen to both for diuers ends first to the elect to shew them what they ought to do not their ability what they can do secondly that it may be an outward means to bring them to repētance for when he giueth them this commandement he is present by his spirit Phil. 2. 12. he bids them work out their saluation but addeth God giueth the will the deed shewing that God giuing that commandement is present by his spirit to worke in them abilitie to performe it Now the wicked being in the Church haue the same commaundement not directly neither to those ends but first to keepe them in outward ciuill order secondly to make them without excuse But whereas they reason thus If Christ command all to repent then all haue sufficiēt grace to repēt but the first is true ergo Ans. The first part is false vnles it be restrained thus if he command to this very end that they should repent and practise it for he giueth cōmandement to some not that they may do it but as to Pharaoh to harden their harts For the second part that he giueth commandement to all the meaning is he giueth it onely to the elect directly because he giueth them his spirit to obey it but to the wicked by consequence as they be mingled in the Church with his owne children The fourth point is who must repent namely the Angel and whole Church of Ephesus Ob. But they had repented before how then doth he bid thē repent againe Ans. There are two degrees of repentāce one is the beginning the other is the renewing of it In the practise of which two stands the whole life of a Christian first to begin to repent when he is truly called and secondly in continuing and renuing it dayly as he often falleth If we haue begun by Gods grace we must not stay there but go on and be renued euery day There is no man but he shall see in him selfe daily new sins slips and wants for which he must haue renewed repentance Then seeing we daily increase our sins we must take heed we lie not or continue in sin without this repentance for we are not so much condēned for sin as for lying in sin this if a man repent brings not condemation but lying in sin doth then aboue all things take heed of this let vs daily labor to know our sins to be acquainted with our wants to humble our selues pray for pardon 2. Cor. 5. 20. I beseech you saith Paul be reconciled to God they were reconciled before for they were iustified and sanctified but he would haue them to labour to be more assured of their iustification and to haue a more full and sensible feeling of it and that because their apprehension by reason of their weaknes is but sin all The like must be had of vs. The fift point is why or for what cause namely for their decay in loue especially and other wants Christ prescribeth to thē repentance not that they had none at all And so Christ preacheth to vs by his Ministers to repent of this decay in loue if we haue had loue and feele it now decayed we must repent if we haue not then we must labour to haue it And Christ we see giueth a large commaundement not for drunkennesse whooredome theft or such grosse sins but euen for their decay in loue want of knowledge faith feare
being beleeued it is powerfull no might of man or any Prince is comparable Thirdly Christ destroyeth and killeth all our enemies all the aduersaries of the Church this is the principal end of this sword for Christ speaketh these words to comfort his Church in persecutions and for this he is said to haue a sharpe two edged sword for he killeth and slayeth the enemies of his Church partly in this life but deadly in the life to come In this life the word serueth to conuince them of hypocrisie vnbeleefe heresies superstition for Christ he abolished them with the breath of his mouth that is this sword 2. Thess. 2. Secondly when they be touched by the preaching of this word with desperations for when the law and Gospell is preached to them it wounds them to the heart by reuealing all their cursed dealings their vnbeleefe and hypocrisie and sets the conscience on the racke and stirres it vp which is fit of it selfe to accuse them when it hath reuealed their sinnes then it smites them with feare and horror and makes their conscience more fit to accuse terrifie them and then though they run on in sin yet they haue a deadly wound of desperation and this increaseth in this life and slayeth in the next for it cleane cuts them off when Christ shall say Go yee cursed this smiteth them starke dead casting them into eternall destruction for euer We must labour to haue the word of God worke powerfully in vs. to take place in our hearts by faith not onely to shew our sins Gods wrath against the same but withal to wound them slay and kill them and at the first to wound deadly for onely to haue our sins detected and our consciences terrified this is the way to desperation and the first wound to death but we must go further haue our corrupt hearts ript vp wounded crucified haue them reformed and this is the way to wound our soules and the end why Christ hath the two edged sword The second part is the proposition containing two parts first a commendation secondly a rebuke The commendation in the thirteenth verse I know thy workes In these words he commends this Church first in generall secondly in particular generally in these words I know thy workes that is thy waies and doings thy counsels affaires and withall I approue them as Psal. 1. 6. The Lord knoweth the righteous that is he approues them I know thy works Christ he begins with these words in this and euery of these Epistles to teach vs one especiall thing that the feare of God is the chiefe thing to be learned the beginning of all religion and for this cause he beginneth thus I know thy workes three or foure times I know shewing by this that wheresoeuer we be we are in the presence of Christ he sees all our works he heareth and knoweth all we do we cannot go out of his presence and to settle this deepely in our hearts that he is present alwaies seeing and beholding vs he repeates this seuen times in the beginning of euery Epistle Then this should teach vs both Minister and people to labour to haue this perswasion in our hearts that Christ is present seeth and beholdeth all we do when we take any thing in hand he stands at our elbowes looketh on vs whether we do well or ill then we must labour to haue this perswasion in our hearts that we can say now I do this or that my Sauiour Iesus Christ my Lord and redeemer he beholds me lookes on me seeth all my dealings therefore I will behaue my selfe well And the Preacher may spend himselfe in speaking and to no purpose till God giue grace to teach the people this one point which is the beginning and ground of all religion and feare of God for men may haue knowledge and speake much of the words of religion yet they cannot be true Christians till they haue learned this one point to be so perswaded as they can say in their heart Christ seeth and beholds me and till we can do that we shall make conscience of no sinne 2 The particular first commendation And where thou dwellest though thou dwel in a place where the diuel hath set his throne a place most incommodious and vnfit yet thou obseruest and keepest my name and religion thus he commendeth her for her constancie in religion Throne That is any place where superstition idolatrie and wickednesse is practised without controlment and frō whence wickednesse is conueyed to other places for the diuell is the god of this world 2. Cor. 4. 4. and he hath his kingdome throne and seate placed where he can practise sinne and wickednesse where iniquitie is maintained the Gospell despised and from whence he conueyeth his diuellish wickednesse to other places Such a place was Pergamus a citie wherein sinne did abound without controlment religion despised and from whence wickednesse was conueyed to many other cities townes and places Here we may note the diuels pollicie who hath his kingdome here on earth like to God here he placeth his thrones as a Prince and maketh choice to haue the fittest place where he may rule and raigne and practise wickednesse without controlment frō whence he may conuey it to other places he hath euer had hath now will haue his thrones He had in old time the high places the groues and such places where the people committed idolatrie Among the Gentiles there were Oracles to erect his thrones for in them he gaue answers and so conueyed his wickednesse to many In later dayes he had euery church and chappell his throne when Images Saints Roodes and such like were erected to which all men from all parts of the land came to worship In schooles of learning he had his thrones when nothing was taught but superstition and errors And now in our times he hath his thrones and officers to attend on the same as wisemen and these are a speciall meanes to erect his throne for vnto these come men from farre and neare so that he conueyeth his iniquitie to many seeing many seeke to them and so do him homage So dicing and brothell houses seeing in them iniquitie is practised in them is his throne In families where they liue in ignorance in sinne and wickednesse in blaspheming and drunkennesse or any one sinne there is his throne and so many thrones as families where they liue by any vniust dealing Then it is necessarie seeing the diuell hath his throne the Lord should haue his opposite to this as when men haue thrones of iustice both ciuill and ecclesiasticall ciuill to represse all iniustice and wickednesse to punish vice to reward vertue and ecclesiasticall to punish and reprehend those sinnes which ciuill iustice cannot The diuell cunningly and pollitickly chooseth Pergamus not a base towne or village but a huge citie whence many kings proceeded where there was a famous and great king and where was much people So he
but the want of this makes men bold to sin and to run on by sinne into hell And as none must giue offence so we must take heed we take no offence or be allured to sin by mens wicked either counsel or examples nay we must cast off all things which may any way hinder vs in the way to heauen if our right eye or hand offend or any thing which is most deare and neare vs we must cut it off if we do so then Gods blessing is with vs. The Israelites in the borders of the Moabites so long as they serued the Lord all curses could not hurt them but turned to their good but after they tooke offence by the Moabitish women to be inticed by them then they came to eat with them at their idol-feasts and commit fornication and then the wrath of the Lord was vpon them The like may be said of vs. Seeing they vsed these meanes when they could not preuaile by cursing to send their fairest women to inuite them to their banquets to incite them to commit fornication we see that temptations drawn frō the right hand from profit and pleasure are most dangerous and preuaile most with men to bring them to sinne and to fall from God As a man that cannot win a citie by force yet by gold by promises of profit or pleasure getteth the gate open so when the diuell cannot preuaile with bitter sharp temptations then he vseth those of the right hand and ouerthroweth many We must then take heed especially of these For this cause Iob sacrificed daily for his children when they had bene feasting lest they should then haue sinned Vers. 15. Euen so thou hast those which maintaine the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes In these words is the second part of the comparison in which two things first what the Nicolaitanes were secondly how Christ was affected toward them First what they were in the Church of Pergamus is manifest in these words Euen so which is a word of resemblance and relation that may thus be described They were a sect of men in the Church of Pergamus which maintained two damnable opinions according to the doctrine of Balaam first that it was lawful to eate meate offered to idols euen in the idoll temples secondly that fornication was no sin as we haue shewed before It may seeme strange that in the dayes of the Apostles so soone after Christ there should be any such which held these damnable opinions yet we see there were such notorious heretickes Now that we fauour not their opinions we must know the grounds of their errors For the first error that a man might eate meat offered to idols euen in the very temples of idols for is they might vrge Christian libertie thus Those things which be indifferent may be lawfully vsed but to eate meate offered to idols is a thing indifferent ergo Ans. If these meats be cōsidered in themselues they be indifferent and may lawfully be vsed nay after they be offered to idols if they be sold in the market and bought they may be eaten priuately so that we wound not any weake Christian. But as they be prepared to be offered to idols vsed in idol-temples for the honour of them we may not vse them as prepared for the idol vsed and offered in the temple and had in honour of them Now the Nicolaitans vsed them so therefore vnlawfully Secondly they might and did alleage being professors of Christ outwardly other places of scripture as that Paul saith An idoll is nothing ergo it is no sinne to eate that which is offered to them Ans. An idol is nothing by nature subsisting or being nothing which hath any sparke of the Godhead in it but yet in mans braine it is something seeing in mens minds and imaginations they repute it as a God Thirdly they might alleage Naamans exāple 2. King 5. 18. who went into the temple of Rimmon and kneeled downe there Ans. He kneeled not to the idol but to the King who was there leaned on his hand so that he bowed downe not with any diuine worship to the idol but with ciuil worship to the Kings Maiestie and Naaman was in the temple not to worship the idoll but to make protestation that he would serue the God of Israel and for that end caried as much earth as two mules could beare to offer sacrifice to the Lord. And if the Nicolaitans had bene so in the idol temples to protest that they would worship the true God then they had not sinned So if any come into a place and be present where Masse is said with protestation to serue the Lord he then allowes not of the same but rather condemnes them for it For the second opinion of these Nicolaitanes that fornication was no sinne they seemed so to proue it out of Genes 19. 18. when the men of Sodom came to Lots house he offereth them his daughters now he would not haue done it say they if it had bin a sin Ans. Lot seemes to be faulty and not to be excused in that though he thought to escape the greater sin by the lesser but we must not do euil that good may come thereof Againe they might vrge that Hos. 1. the Lord commanded Hosea to take a wife and children of fornication Ans. 1. Some say it was onely in vision not in deed 2. Some answer that he did it in speech onely as he was a Prophet because he prophesied to the people that he was as one that had such a wife and children which both are safe answers and allowed Other more likely say it was a thing not in vision and word only but in deed and truth done And surely seeing the Prophets name the womans name her fathers name are set downe it seemeth to be a thing done indeed Neither doth a thing in speech so much affect the people as a deed and fact done And the best and most auncient interpreters which were nearest the time of Christ interpret it a thing done indeed But you may say this was against good maners contrary to Gods law that the Prophet should take such a wife Ans. No seeing God is aboue his law and can dispense with it as when he bids Abraham kil his sonne and he had not sinned if he had slaine him so here Hosea he did not sinne hauing a particular and speciall commaundement for the same Neither did he this to commit fornication but to make of an harlot an honest woman and he is bidden to take the children of fornination not that he should beget any in fornication but take her children which she had borne in fornication Againe Act. 15. The Apostle speaking of two things indifferent ioyneth fornication to them Ans. First he doth so because the Gentiles thought that it was no sinne but indifferent and they are there conioyned though fornication be not a thing indifferent because the Gentiles offended the Iewes by these three ioyntly together Now followeth
her time to repent and commaundement to repent for other ends first that then he may with the time giue grace also to repent that so she and we may see what we should do and withall see our owne want that we are not able to do as we are commaunded and so to make vs inexcusable And she repented not Here Iesabels sinne is set downe namely impenitency and going on in her sins of fornication and idolatry concerning which sins note two things first where impenitency is forbidden secondly how great a sin it is First where it is forbidden Ans. There are two parts of the word the law and the Gospell and these two be seuered and distinct neither can be mingled one with the other Now the law cōmands things which we in that nature of man in which Adam was could haue fulfilled but the Gospell commaunds things aboue nature The law cannot command repentance seeing it reuealeth not repentance but the Gospell commaunds it and so by an Euangelicall commaundement this sin is forbidden As for the second part how great this sinne is know we that when men liue and go on in their sins it is a great sin seeing by it men heape vp sinne and wrath to themselues Some say it is a sin against the holy Ghost but it is vntrue for that is a blasphemy so is not impenitency that is in this life but impenitency properly is at death Hence the Papists gather againe that a man hath free will seeing he gaue her time to repent but she would not Ans. She had free will to sinne as all men haue and so to be impenitent but it followes not that she had free wil to do good to repent without Gods speciall grace That which Christ said of Iesabel may be said of our Church and most men among vs he giueth vs long time to repent ten twenty or thirty yeares not one of a hundred repents we care not to heare the word and receiue the sacraments we will not turne to God truly but lie in sin in ignorance in contempt of the word in prophanation of the Sabbath couetousnesse adultery idlenesse drinking and eating so that our liues tell plainly not one of a thousand turnes to God truly Now Christ hauing reproued the Church and Iesabel from the 22. to the 28. verse he giueth speciall counsell to them both The end of his counsell is to direct them how to auoide the iudgement of God both in this and the life to come The counsell of Christ hath two parts the first concerneth the woman Iesabel and her company the second the Church of Thyatira The counsell concerning her is in the 22. and 23. verses the summe of it is to repent thou Iesabel and thy company and disciples repent of your sins This is not expressed but in stead therof is the reason vers 22. 23. The reason is this If thou wilt not repent I will punish thee with sundry iudgements but thou wouldst not be punished with sundry iudgements therefore repent Behold I will This is the reason in which note two parts first a threatning secondly an exception except they repent of their workes Before the threatning Christ sets this note of attention This should teach her vs to cōsider seriously of iudgements against sin and sinners in the written word of God Iosias when the law was read his heart melted which was at the threatnings of the law 2. King 24. So when Peter preached the Iewes were pricked in heart because he told them of the fearefull iudgement due to them for killing the Lord of life Act. 2. 37. So should we with Iosias be humbled at the serious consideration of Gods threatnings against sin and be moued to repent And the cause why sin is so rife is because men thinke not earnestly or else regard not Gods iudgements against sin and sinners The threatning hath three parts according to three estates The first concerning Iesabel I will cast her into a bed We may gather the meaning of these words by those 2. Sam. 13. 5. of Ionadab to Amnon Ly down on thy bed and faine thy self sick So here I I will cast her into a bed that is strike her with some great sicknes the place namely the bed put for the sicknes which is in the man lying on the bed Iesabel tooke pleasure in the bed by fornication who abusing the bed the Lord to punish her in the bed accordingly gaue her sicknes in the same bed which she abused Here is Gods dealing with sinners he punisheth them in those things they haue abused Iesabel abused the bed to fornicatiō the Lord punished her in the bed with some great disease and sicknes Diues abused his tongue and tast in Gods creatures he is punished in them Luke 16. he asked a drop of water to coole his tongue Gamesters take pleasure in abusing time and spend it in carding and dicing their punishment it brings many iudgements on them they come to ruine and misery Ahab to get the vineyard sheds bloud the Lord sheds his Iesabels and his childrens and they which liue by the bloud of the poore draw it out of them are punished with the like for bloud will haue bloud and the Lord will punish men in those sins wherein they tooke most pleasure Then this should admonish vs to take heed we abuse no creature of God for the Lord he will turne the same to our punishment I will cast her That is strike her with some grieuous sicknes Here we see the author of sicknes it is not by chance but comes from the hand of God if men could learne this they would make better vse of sicknesse if men could say the Lord hath cast me on my bed visited my body with sicknes he hath done it for some of my sins to humble me and make me repent then they would find in their recouery a blessing and liue a new life Esay 38. Hezekiah when he lay on his death bed knew it came from the Lord therfore hearing Esay say he must die he turned him to the wall and wept as for other things so especially for his sins and craued pardon for them So Iacob lying on his bed leaned on his staffe sate vp and prayed for pardon of his sins and to testifie his faith and hope to God So should we in our sicknesse shew our faith and hope and pray for pardon of sinnes committed against him The second part of the threatning which concernes her disciples and followers which receiued her doctrine and committed fornication with her and their punishment is to be cast into great affliction We see it is a great sin to commit fornication and not a trick or slip of youth as we call it seeing Christ assignes a great punishment to it Againe we see some causes why townes cities and countries be afflicted with much famine sword and pestilence namely because there be fornicators and maintainers of errors and superstition for God
sends these iudgements as for other sins so for fornication Sodom was destroyed for this sin And euen in our time we haue plagues famin sword many sicknesses and that for this sin among the rest 1. Cor. 11. many were dead for this sin lest they shold come defiled to the Lords table Now followes the exception Except they repent Here we see all Gods iudgements and threatnings be with exception in the matter of saluation And seeing Christ ads this exception vnlesse they repent we see men of yeares condemned in the Church not so much for sin as liuing in sin without repentance Indeed the least sin makes a man subiect to condemnation but lying in sin that brings actual condemnation the wrath of God vpon vs so that if man commit sinne and lie in it he casts his soule away To commit sinne is not that which killeth vs but to lye in sinne for if a man sinne and after repent he shall haue mercie at Gods hands Secondly it is propounded in the midst of the threates for they go before this exception and come after Where we see God mingleth his mercie with iudgement he sheweth not all iudgement nor all mercie but tempereth them together Now in that the Lord will bring iudgement on them vnlesse they repent we see that repentance preuenteth temporall iudgement We haue had long peace and haue abused it to commit sinne now we must looke for Gods iudgements and we see the Spaniard as a weapon of God now the Lord may iustly bring him on vs. The best way to preuent this and al Gods iudgements is for high and low and all estates to repent and so the Lord will turne him away Of thy workes namely fornication idolatrie So we if we wil repent we must cease from our particular sins as the drunkard from his drunkennesse and to liue soberly c. For to say I am sorie and in generall to repent as many men do is but to make shew of repentance but men must leaue each sinne and do the contrarie vertue In the three and twentieth verse is the third part of this threatening I will kill her child with death that is such as be of her familie and her children in fornication not them which follow her doctrine but properly for they are reproued before I will kill It had bene sufficient to say so but he addeth I will kill with death for the certaintie largenesse and fulnesse of it not sparing them But the mother sinned shall the child be punished for her sake Ans. In temporall and bodily punishments it may be so not in eternall punishments Among men if the father be a traitor the Son is punished and beareth the shame then shall it not be equitie with God to punish the sonne for the fathers sinne in bodily punishment And though there were no reason to vs yet we should thinke it good with God But there is reason sufficient why the Lord should destroy cities and commonwealths and families which be linked together by the bond of societie and be members of the same familie Now if one member sinne the other may be punished as in the bodie if the stomacke be sicke the head feeleth it so when the father sinneth the sonne may be punished when the husband the wife when the Maister the seruant when the subiect the magistrate because of the mutuall relation and nigh bond of societie betweene members of the same familie citie or kingdome Is this so then parents had need to take heed how they sinne for they sinning may bring iudgments and death on their familie or their children Then are they cruell parents which liue in sinne not caring for their children but by their sinnes bring Gods iudgements on them and on their families Let then euery man in the societie where he liueth be carefull he sinne not for then he may bring Gods iudgement on the place especially if he be a speciall member as Ahab on himselfe and his children and Dauid on the whole people Then all such as will not looke to themselues but liue in sinne should be banished out of all societies vnlesse they will repent and be new men seeing they do what they can to bring Gods iudgements on that place where they liue Vers. 24. That all Churches may know that I am he which searcheth the heart and reines Christ hauing propounded his threatning here he goeth about to make it take place in them in Iesabell and her company by remouing of two carnall conceipts whereby they might thinke to illude and auoid Christs threatnings For first they might haue said Our practises and sinnes be secret not knowne to men therefore though God threaten we shall escape the iudgements of God but we are without the reach of them they cannot take hold of vs. But Christ in the first words cutteth off this first conception Thogh you may perswade your selues you shall escape iudgement seeing your sinnes be secret yet I search the heart and I will discouer them to all Churches they shall know that I search the heart that is I see and know the most hidden and secret thoughts and affections of the heart That all Churches Christ will discouer their sins not to all the world but to all Churches and this he speaketh to the end to terrifie Iesabel and her companie For as it is a great honour to be approued and esteemed of all Churches so it is a great disgrace and dishonor to be euill thought of by the Churches of God Mat. 18. That which is bound in earth by the church of God is bound in heauen by God himselfe so by proportion those which be euill thought of in Gods church and in disgrace of it they be in disgrace with God in heauen Seeing Christ speaketh this to terrifie Iesabel and her companie we must labour in all things to be approued and esteemed of the Church though we must approue our selues as much as we can to all yet especially to the Church of God and auoide all things which may bring any disgrace or dishonour to the Church for as it is a great honor to be well esteemed of the Church so it is a great dishonor to be il esteemed Ro. 16. 1. Cor. 1. the last verse Paule saith All the Churches salute you not that all Churches send commendations by word of mouth but to confirme and comfort them he saith all true Churches planted by him did approue of them Act. 16. Paul approued of Timothy and receiued him to him because he was commended and had the approbation of the Churches and brethren at Lyconium and Lystra So must we haue the approbation of Gods Church which is the approbation of God himselfe But what would Christ haue all Churches to know namely that I search the heart c. In which words by heart and reines is meant the same thing namely by reines is meant the thoughts and affections of men and by heart is meant so much as it
is generally after he expoundeth this you namely to the rest of the Church of Thyatira to the whole bodie and Angell of that Church except Iesabel and her companie Where note Christ speaking to them distinguisheth betweene persons namely the Church and her Angell and Iesabel and her companie so sutably he giueth his doctrine to them Now he being the Doctor of the Church teacheth his Ministers what to do namely to distinguish betweene man and man doctrine and doctrine not to deliuer euery part of the word to all men but to deuide it aright to giue to euery person that which may be fit for him But how must the word be deliuered to mixt congregations where there be both weake and strong Papists and Protestants despairing and impenitent auditors Ans. We must imitate Christ we must distinguish betweene persons and sutably direct our doctrine to them Impenitent and hard hearted sinners must haue threatnings with exception of the penitent hard hearted must haue no comfort but iudgement with limitation to them which despaire these cōforts with limitation of them which be impenitent Now what is meant by this rest of them Christ sheweth And to as many as receiue not this learning Where he giueth two notes to know these rest by The first they which had not this learning which maintained not the doctrine of Iesabel and her companie The second note they which haue not knowne the deepnesse of Satan as they call it that is which haue not approued liked withstood nor giuen their consent to that depth of Satan that is that doctrine of Iesabel which they call and esteeme to be deepe and profound learning which these though they know it yet do not with knowledge approue it which Iesabel and her companie iudged profound learning beyond the doctrine of the Prophets Apostles Of the first note I haue spoken before In the second note we may marke a wicked practise of Iesabel and her followers they esteemed their owne learning highly profound but the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles that was no such matter an high conceipt of her owne false doctrine but a base opinion of true Apostolicall doctrine and this opinion hath bene in many heretikes So the Iewes hold that God gaue Moses two doctrines the first was the written law which was for the common people the second was a more secret doctrine which Moses had by reuelation and so conueyed it to the Iewes which they kept still in the Cabbala So the Papists thinke the written word but an inkie letter a dead letter or nose of waxe but the common consent in the heart of all Chatholikes that they take to be the true word of God contemning the written word in the Prophets Apostles So the Anabaptists they make the word of God written to be milke for euery nouice but the consent of the heart among themselues that is the strong meate Nay this opinion is in our Church for we preferre the writings of men before the word of God For if a man expound a text by the word gather doctrines according to the lawes of reason this we call simple preaching but if any bring in the authoritie of men as Saint Ambrose Augustine with Latine or Greeke this we take to be a learned kind of preaching which is nothing else but to magnifie the writings of men to thinke highly of them but to disgrace the word of God thinke basely of it Here Christ saith I grant it is a profound learning not of God but of the diuell Where we see Christ alleaging this saying of Iesabel doth it with a disgrace he saith it is deepnesse and profoundnesse but of the diuell yea Christ saith not it is profound indeed but that it is Iesabels speech as they say Hence I gather that Christian men cannot safely play stage playes and Comedies of heathen and prophane men for these be full of prophane and blasphemous oathes and wicked sayings against God and the morall law Now if Christ alleaging but one word of a wicked woman did it not without disgrace of her how can Christian men not onely speake but by iesture act heathen and prophane Comedies As they speake He addeth these words first to shew that the words he alleaged before were not his owne but Iesabels and her scholers Secondly to shew the proud and presumptuous mind of them in that they call their owne hereticall opinions profound learning which is a note of a false teacher to vse swelling words and great bragges to make a faire shew Iude vers 16. 2. Pet. 2. But the doctrine of God is in humilitie both of spirit and maner of teaching The Lord teacheth his will to the contrite and humble man Psalm 25. 14. Now followeth Christs counsell Though I lay no other burden on you yet I will haue you hold that still which I gaue you to the end This distinction cōtaineth two parts Though I lay no other c. in the foure and twentieth verse yet I will c. in the fiue and twentieth verse In the first part Christ saith Though I haue punished Iesabel left her on a bed punished her children and familie yet I will lay no burthen on thee but onely that I reproue thee for the suffering of Iesabel This Christ speaketh to comfort them and all such as giue themselues to maintaine sinceritie of life and of doctrine for these shall be saued from common iudgements and haue the Lords protection in commō afflictions though I punish Iesabel and her company yet when wicked men be punished in common destruction you which study to maintaine sinceritie of doctrine and life shall haue Gods protection in common iudgements Then it stands vs in hand to imitate thē to labor to maintaine sinceritie in doctrine to defend truth in life and conuersation to make conscience of all sin If we labour to obey the Lord in all things to keepe sincere hearts then in common iudgements though Iesabel and her company yea all wicked persons be punished it shall not touch vs we shall find Gods mercie and protection our punishment shall be onely reproofe for some defectiō in vs. But if we maintaine falshood in doctrine liue loosely not making conscience of sin then Gods iudgements shall take hold of vs and afflict vs. But that which you haue alreadie hold fast till I come After the preface followes the summe of the counsell of Christ to the Angell and Church of Thyatira which stands in a distinction though I will lay no burden on thee yet I wil haue you hold fast c. the first part is in the 24. verse the second part in these words as before I said That which you haue receiued That is that which my Apostles and Prophets haue taught you that doctrine of saluation they haue deliuered you hold that fast with both hands till I come to iudgement at the last day Before Christ commended this Church for not approuing the false doctrine of Iesabel but
and so by many parts he concludeth that the Pope is greater then the Emperor But here a man might help him what by Geometrie and what by Arithmeticke for where as the Sunne is 166. times greater then the earth and the earth 39. times greater then the Moone as is proued by Mathematicall demonstration the Pope should be 6474 times greater then the Emperour This is one noble exposition that is set forth to aduance the dignitie of the Pope and his kingdome Another like to this is vpon the words of the Apostles which answered vnto our Sauiour Christ when he commaunded him that had no sword to sell his coate and buy one signifying the great daunger that was at hand Lord say they here are two swords These swords saith the Glosar are the Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall power which remained in Peter and therefore his successor the Pope hath preheminence of both No doubt a worthy interpretation and that agreeth well with the text and doth the Pope great worship Againe S. Paul saith to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 2. The spirituall man iudgeth all things and he himselfe is iudged of none This spirituall man saith the Interpreter is the Pope which is Iudge of all the world and may not be controlled of any man no though he draw with him innumerable soules into hell fire there to be tormented with the diuell and him for euermore yet no man must be so bold as to find fault with him or to say Domine quid ita facis Lord why do you so Is not this an handsome exposition Yea I promise you euen like vnto this other Statuimus vt Clerici nec comam nutriant nec barbam radant We decree saith the Canon of an auncient Councell that the Clergie shall neither weare long haire nor shaue their beards The Glosar finding this Canon to be so cleane cōtrary vnto the custome of the Popish Clergie who vse to weare long haire and to shaue their beards thought he would draw it at the least if it would not come by faire meanes to maintaine the laudable custome of the Popish Clergie and by exposition of one word he maketh the whole Canon to serue his turne Therefore Statuimus saith he which is we decree is to be expounded for Abrogamus which is we disanul or abrogate and so the sense afterward falleth out very plaine for the popish Priests thus We disanul that Prists shold go without long haire or vnshauen beards A right cunning interpretation and proper for the place and such in effect are all those that serue for the maintenance of the Popes authoritie and the religion of Poperie Therefore he that is of so sharpe iudgement that he will mislike and refuse those plaine expositions which I haue brought of the places before alleaged and except against them as inforced constrained and far fetched let him like of praise magnifie and admire these interpretations which are sought to vphold and establish the Popes throne and religion as rightly faithfully and truly collected Atque idem iungat Vulpes mulgeat Hireos and by as good reason let him ioyne for his plough not Oxes but Foxes and milke for his paile not she Goates but he Goates as the Poet saith Now that I haue proued Babylon to be Rome by authoritie of Scripture it followeth that I must shew for the same the consent of auncient Doctors And as in my former probation I touched onely such places as did plainly directly and manifestly set forth my purpose so in this behalf I wil deale with the Doctors Not such as they are wont to alleage against vs names indeed of great and reuerent antiquitie but workes of meere falshood and forgery bewraying their authors not to be such as they are fathered vpon but such as out of the bodie of blindnesse and superstition of much later time haue begotten them Such are the decretal Epistles of the old Bishops of Rome Linus Clemēs Anacletus c. Of which Clemēs writing to S. Iames forsooth in his second Epistle chargeth him very earnestly that the Pixe be cleanly kept so that there appeare no Mise dong or any other filthines among the fragments of the body of Christ with many other like Apostolicall commaundements The impudencie of whose authors appeareth notably in this that whereas they were ignorant buzzards that could not write true Latine they would ascribe their counterfeit Epistles to so learned fathers as though at that time when women and children spake Latine naturally as their mother tong the Bishops were so vnlearned that they did write so barbarously and were not able to vtter their mind in true Latine But leauing those delicates for such as long after them I will vse no authoritie for this purpose but such as they cannot refuse but that that is auncient catholike and autenticall I will begin therefore with Irenaeus one of the most auncient and autenticall writers that the Church hath who in the fift booke of his treatise against all heresies speaking of the sea of Antichrist vpon the last verse of the 13. chapter of this Reuelation where it is said that the number of the beasts name is six hundred sixtie and sixe sheweth that the opinion of many in his time was that seeing this name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is in English the Latine man or Romane in the numerall Greeke letters containeth this number that Antichrist must be sought at Rome His words are these Sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nomen sexcentorum sexaginta sex numerorum c. valde verisimile est quoniam verissimum regnum hoc habet vocabulum Latini enim sunt qui nunc regnant Also saith he this name LATEINOS containing the number of 666. is thought to be the name of Antichrist and it is very like so to be for that which most vndoubtedly is a kingdome hath that name for they be Latines which now do raigne You see by this testimonie of Irenaeus that this prophecie of old time was vnderstood of Rome and that the mumber of the beasts name is to be found in one that beareth rule at Rome If this exposition or explication of the beasts name had bene deuised by Luther Zwinglius or Caluin it might haue bene suspected as a thing imagined of spite and enuy against the Church of Rome but when it is brought forth by so auncient a Doctor which liued not many yeares after this Reuelation was giuen as he himself saith that it was but a litle before his time vnder Domitian the Emperor which died thirteene hundred yeares before Luther was borne we must needs iudge it both to be very auncient and voide of all partialitie Wherefore I will passe ouer diuers other applications of that number to other names which neuerthelesse hit Babylon home because they haue bene sought out of late by such as beare il wil vnto Rome For I thinke this is sufficient with all reasonable men of equall iudgement to proue that this is no new opiniō
election Rom. 9. and so might fall from the Church of God to be a synagogue of Satan for hauing only the generall election they might renounce the word and sacraments but the particular election is immutable Now let vs see when they became thus the synagogue of Satan it was not at that time when they put Christ to death for though many of thē did it of knowledge yet very many of ignorance And after that Christ was ascended Peter preaching to them tels them that the promise belonged to them and to their children It was not then at this time but when the Apostles had laboured by many arguments to proue that Christ was the Messiah and they would not beleeue still remaining in their wickednesse then they became of the church of God a synagoue of Satan for when they wold not heare Paul but threatned and reiected him then he left them and preached to the Gentiles and then the Iewes became of a Church no Church for the holding of an heresie makes a church to become no Church but when a Church holds errour in principall points of religion and is openly conuicted by publicke authoritie and iudgement and stil remaines so then it ceaseth to be a Church and not before though it be reproued by a priuate man for that is not sufficient So the Church of the Galatians holding iustification by workes yet ceased not to be a Church till it was conuicted publikely by authoritie Apostolicall And by this we see what we may iudge of the Papists Libertines Familie of loue c. which being conuicted by publique iudgement of the Church of God are no true Churches for they hold such heresies as be condemned in the word and haue bin conuicted long agone of them I come to the cause why they fell namely their vnbeleefe Rom. 11. Ob. But they hold the Scriptures and defend Moses and the law Answ. Though they hold the letter yet they corrupt the sense and where any thing is spoken of Christ they seeke to ouerthrow it and so taking away the subiect and matter of the Scripture which is Christ they ouerthrow all for he which worshippeth God not in but out of Christ he worshippeth not God but an Idoll So the Papists hold the Scriptures in word but in deed denie them seeing they take away Christ in spoiling him of his merit and intercession for take away his offices and then you shall haue an halfe Christ. This their example should be euer in our eyes seeing these Iewes Gods own chosen people whō he chose out of the whole world to serue him they fell for want of faith and became the synagogue of Satan to worship the diuell then we must take heed we be not proud because we haue the word and Sacraments and seeme to be the people of God but suspect our selues take heed we maintaine faith in a good conscience and shew it in repentance and obedience lest we be cut off as they were Feare none of those things which thou must suffer In this tenth verse is another part of the proposition But seeing Christ comforteth the Church of Smyrna and giueth her counsell and rebuketh her not as the Church of Ephesus hence some gather that a man may fulfill the whole law and liue without sinne but they be deceiued for Christ abstaineth here to rebuke the church not because there was no iust cause of reprehension in her but because he saw that the Church did truly beleeue and repent and decayed not in loue as the church of Ephesus had done Secondly he doth it because God accepteth of the will and indeuour of them which beleeue and repent as of the deed he taketh their labor and indeuour to obey him as perfect obedience at their hands And for these two causes Christ he commendeth and comforteth her giueth her counsell and rebuketh her not not that she wanted iust cause of rebuke Seeing that this Church was so accepted of Christ that he would not rebuke her but commendeth and counselleth her we see it is good and necessarie for Gods Church to be in affliction sometime for this church of Smyrna was in affliction and so was kept from many sinnes which otherwise she would haue fallen into So for all other churches and children of God it is necessarie to be in affliction sometimes But feare not Here is Christs counsell which hath three parts first a precept Feare not c. secondly a Prophecie Behold thirdly a precept againe Be thou faithfull The first precept is Feare not This commaundement may seeme to be contrarie to other places of Scripture as when he biddeth vs worke out our saluation with feare trembling where Paul biddeth vs not be high minded but feare Answ. There be three kinds of feare the first naturall the second of grace the third of vnbeleefe The first which is in all men by nature is a declining or auoiding of death seeing al things by nature seek to preserue thēselues and this naturall feare was in Christ who feared death as it was the separation of the soule and bodie though it was no sinne in him but an infirmitie Secondly feare is from grace Mal. 1. saith the Lord If I be your Father where is my feare Which is a reuerence to God in regard of his mercie and iudgment and this is no sinne but a vertue The third is from vnbeleefe when men for feare of persecution or other hurt forsake God and his religion more fearing the persons of men then the maiestie of God Now Christ speaketh not of the two first but of the last only namely a distrustful feare when for feare of persecution or affliction we forsake God and religion that feare which draweth men from God to death and damnation if they repent not Feare not Here Christ sheweth the sinne of euery man by nature namely to feare man more then God to be more affraid of the face and countenance of men then of the power and might of the euerliuing God which is not onely in sinners but in the regenerate in some part who do not consider of God as he is indeed a mightie Iudge taking vengeance on sinners In this Christ sheweth the means to arme our selues against all such feare of perils persecution or daunger namely Christian fortitude and courage which is a gift of God proceeding from true faith whereby we are made able to lay aside all feare of daunger and to vndergo all persecutions afflictions and dangers for the maintaining of faith and a good conscience This Christ often prescribeth and armeth his children with this christian fortitude as the Prophets and Apostles in the old and new Testament and now euery child of God and euery Church And it were to be wished that Ministers now in our daies could say to all Gods children Feare not but alas now they must change their voice and crie with the Prophet Howle and lament in sack cloth and ashes for your destruction is at hand And
surely there is cause why if one looke and view the bodie of our people as Osea saith there is no knowledge of God in the land euery man seeketh to follow his owne waies none cleaueth to the Lord seeketh to know and obey him Besides they are altogether carnall fleshly dead and drowned with the cares of this life none affecting things belonging to eternall life but all mens hearts are possessed with pleasures profits and preferments of this world Nay all men in generall lye in a dead sleep there is no sense or feeling in them a spirituall slumber hath wrapped all mens hearts in securitie and ignorance neuer thinking or considering of the iudgement to come neuer dreaming of the euill day though God preach daily by his iudgement to them Againe the contempt of the word and Gospell the prophanation of the Sabbath want of mercie and loue the cruelty which aboundeth in all men oppression whoredomes fornications these be the sinnes of the people now in our daies rife in euery place these are common sinnes calling for vengeance which will come vndoubtedly vnlesse we repent so that Christ cannot speake to vs as to this Church but in a contrarie voice But though this be the common estate of most men yet Christ he hath a remnant who lament and mourne for the sins of the land who are grieued with the abhominations of the world and these need not feare but they must take to them Christian fortitude courage lay aside al feare of danger of al that man can do and boldly vndergo all crosses and afflictions euen to death to maintaine faith and a good conscience to the end That they may do this let them first consider that they which feare distrustfully must haue a miserable portion in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Reu. 21. 8. therefore for feare of this reward let vs go on fearing nothing 2 They must consider Gods presence he is by them readie to protect and defend them his Angels pitch their tents about them Psalm 34. 12. 2. King 6. Elishahs seruant seeing in Dothan an huge armie which beset him and his maister he saith Be not affraid for they which be with vs be more then these against vs. He was fully perswaded of Gods presence and protection and that Gods Angels would defend and guard him so should al men in danger they must beleeue and perswade themselues God is present he hath his Angels pitching their tents to defend and protect his children 3 Gods children must consider in perill that it is an honorable thing to suffer for Christs sake and it is a happie thing to suffer for the Gospell of Christ. Paul he accounted it his chiefe honour nay he reioyced in nothing so much as in his sufferings for Christs sake Then if suffering the crosse for Christs sake be such an honourable thing we must lay aside all feare and by Gods grace arme our selues with Christian fortitude and courage to vndergo all crosses afflictions whatsoeuer But those which are not touched with the present day of miserie nor haue not this perfect fortitude they must lament and howle lest the euill day take them vnprouided The next part of Christs counsell is a prediction or prophecie of the afflictions which this Church must suffer But before he propoundeth the afflictions he setteth a word of attention Behold By which he teacheth them and in them vs that it is our dutie often to thinke and consider of the time of affliction before hand to meditate of Gods iudgements and corrections before they come lest we perish in them For Christ Luk. 19. he came to Ierusalem and wept ouer it and foretold the iudgements to come and the cause was because she knew not the day of her visitation because she would not think of her iudgement and affliction to come therefore Christ forotels and shewes her final destruction Let vs take heed lest it fall out with vs as it did with them It shall come to passe By this Christ shewes he is true God For he which can foretell all future things in particular though they be contingent he is God for that is proper to God but Christ foretels their particular affliction to come ergo he is God Ob. But the Phisitian can foretell the death of his patient the Astronomer the eclipse of the Moone to come Answ. They do so but by meanes the Phisitian foretels by the causes and signes he seeth in the partie by which death is in â—ort present so the Astronomer by the naturall course of the heauens can foretel an eclipse by the courses and signes of it in which the eclipse is present but without these signes and causes they cannot simply but Christ without any signe or cause simply foretels this affliction in particular to come to the Church of Smyrna Christ describes the affliction first by the cause namely the diuel secondly the persons some of you thirdly the kind imprisonment fourthly the end to trie you fifthly the time ten dayes For the first the cause it is the diuel Ob. But how can he afflict them seeing he is a spirit and dealeth not with the bodies of men Ans. He is indeed a spirit and ruleth in the aire he is the god of this world he ruleth in the hearts of wicked men he ruleth guideth and gouerneth in them directs their thoughts wils affections so as he stirres them vp moues and caries them to persecute the children of God to cast them in prison Now in that the diuell is the author of persecution we see of what spirit those be which persecute the Church namely men inspired by the diuel moued and ruled by him notorious wicked wretches which haue Satan for their king and ruler For this cause Paul saith he was the chiefe of sinners seeing he was caried by him to persecute the church of God Let then all men take heed of this for he which persecutes the Church for religion in word or action he in that action is the vassall of Satan led and ruled by the diuell and the diuell in that action vseth him as his instrument Satan is the chiefe and principall agent he is his slaue to do his will and is as a souldier vnder his band Againe learne we to take pitie on all such persons seeing they be possessed by the diuell led and moued by him yea euen to pray for our persecutors Furthermore the weapons we must haue to defend our selues in persecution are not temporall but spirituall seeing our enemy is a spirit we must vse inuocation and praier fasting and humbling our selues by which we shew our faith repentance and obedience to God By this weapon of prayer Elias is called the chariot and horsemen of Israel this is a most excellent weapon And if the Lord should send a forreine enemy among vs then is indeed the souldier to be vsed but our principall weapon must be prayer that must be our chariot and horsemen the