the meanes they barre them of their saluation the end of them whereas S. Iohn would by these wordes Blessed c. drawe men and allure them to to reade and delight in the Scriptures Seeing the end of this booke and the rest is to bring men to happinesse we are here admonished all of vs to reade and meditate in them and search them as Ioh. 5. 39. euen as we would search for gold or some precious thing which we would faine finde so the word imports And he addeth the reason For in them you thinke to haue eternall life But some will say I cannot reade I was neuer brought vp in learning S. Iohn cuts off this excuse in the next words Blessed is he which reades or heares the words of this prophecie So that if he cannot reade yet if he heare and keepe it he is blessed Then those which can not reade them they must procure others to reade they must hearken and heare diligently We must learne to carrie in minde the distinction betweene the bookes of God and writings of men Gods word brings a man which keepes it to happinesse but man 's of them selues can not vnlesse they haue light from the word of God And if this distinction were imprinted in our harts we should not be so delighted either to heare or speake the words of God mixed with the words of sinfull men First among the Iewes it was not lawfull to mingle cloth of diuerse kinds then much lesse will the Lord suffer his word to be mingled with the sayings of erronious and sinfull men be they neuer so learned or ancient Secondly here followeth the right manner and way of hearing and reading the Scriptures which stands in two things First we must set downe a certaine end why we reade the Scriptures which is that we may attaine to happinesse fellowship with God and life euerlasting And when this takes place that we set downe this end that we reade and heare them with care and conscience to practise them Secondly we must keepe thē remember the things we reade or heare And this second point is principall to heare and to reade so as we keepe those things we heare or reade and so as we make obseruation of that we heare so the words import Here we see the cause why we heare and reade the word dayly yet no profite comes thereby the cause is because we be onely hearers we keepe it not to make vse of it in our liues That we may keepe the word which we heare or reade it is so commended to vs in many places Luke 2. 19. Mary is said to keepe and to ponder all these things in her heart Psal. 119. 8. Dauid he hid the statutes of the Lord in his heart Luke 11. Blessed are they which heare the word and keepe it Iames 1. 21. We must keepe the word which is grafted in vs where it is compared to a ciens or graffe which is set into a stocke so the word is ingrafted into our hearts and there it must abide and bring forth fruite That we may keepe this word we must first learne the elements of Religion in the Catechisme both old and young must learne them for that is the beginning of all knowledge and though a man reade and heare the word and yet learne not the grounds he cannot keepe it So that we see the cause why many especially aged folke heare the word from yeare to yeare and neuer profit but are as ignorant as euer they were they be alwayes learning yet neuer learne any thing the reason is because they will not abase themselues to learne those principles of Religion those first seeds without which they cannot profit by and keepe the word That we may keepe those things we heare or reade we must con our part before we come we must addresse our selues we must not rush on Gods ordinance without preparation In the old Testament when the people offered sacrifice they must sanctifie themselues so we in receiuing of the Lords supper we prepare our selues reuerently Now that we do in the Lords supper we must do in hearing the word seeing there is no difference but that that Supper is onely a visible word the word preached is an audible word When the people receiued the law the Lord cōmaunded them to sanctifie themselues three daies before So then when we come to heare the word which is the law expounded we must sanctifie our selues prepare our hearts to heare it This preparation stands in these things 1. we must put out of our hearts all by-thoughts all cares and thoughts of worldly affaires and we must set our hearts to seeke the Lord Ezra 7. to looke in the law that we may know the will of God reuealed in his word withall we must make our carnest prayers to God that he would open our eyes that we may see his will soften our hearts and make our eares attentiue as Lidiaes were and also giue vs grace to embrace his word and keepe it When we are about to heare or reade the word we must haue humble hearts else we cannot keepe the word nor beleeue the promises in the same The Lord he reueales his secrets to the humble in spirit that is which be humbled for their sinnes troubled and touched with their owne infirmities which haue contite broken and bruised hearts but in the proud heart there is no keeping of the word there is no hole in it for the word to lie in but it is wholly possessed and puffed vp with selfe-loue and pride The heart must be an honest heart we must not onely haue our hearts touched with the remembrance of our sinnes but they must be honest hearts good hearts such as are not purposed to liue in sinne or any one sinne be it neuer so litle but wholy purposed to serue the Lord we must not come with vnchast or wicked hearts with minds to leaue all sinne but yet to liue in some one sinne We must haue a beleeuing heart Heb. 4. 2. The old Iewes heard the word but it profited them not because they mingled it not with faith in their hearts where he compares them to a vessel in which there must be both the word and faith and these must be mingled together it must be tempered by faith then it will be a word of power of life and saluation and this is the onely meanes to remember the word and to beleeue truly the iudgements denounced against sinne and sinners and promises pronounced for the true beleeuers But incredulitie is when we except the curses against sin as not pertaining to vs and cannot apply the promises of the Gospell This is the proper cause of all ignorance and obliuion so that we must labour aboue all things for this true faith to beleeue the word and then we shall well and easily remember it We must haue hearing hearts besides these eares of the body we must haue new eares pearced We
must haue our eares opened to become listeners and pliable to the word that when the Lord cals vs to do his wil we may answer with Dauid I am ready to do thy will O God Further after we haue read or heard the word we must practise that we heare in performing true repentance and laboring faithfully in our vocation for as we see men of trades become cunning by the continuall practise of their trades so if we practise true obedience in repentance and our vocation we shal be skilfull in the word It followeth Which are written in the booke of this prophesie The child of God must keepe and remember the whole word of God yet it is his speciall duty to keepe these prophesies which are to come So the Angell bids Daniel seale vp the booke of the Prophesie till the time come that is remember and keepe it diligently So Mathew 24. 15. When they shall see the abhomination of desolation speaking of things to come he would haue them to marke and remember what he saith Mat. 24. 25. Behold I haue told you before where he shewes that when any great things are to befall the Church then we must in these be most carefull to remember them For the time is at hand Here is a reason of the former words Blessed is he which readeth c. Seeing the time of the accomplishing of this Prophesie is at hand and must shortly be fulfilled therefore those be blessed which reade and keepe this prophesie and it is an answer to a secret obiection For they might haue said We need not reade this Prophesie seeing it shal not be fulfilled in our dayes but he addeth The time is at hand and so taketh that obiection away Now seeing these words were in the first verse and here repeated againe he would teach vs that they containe some waighty matter for vs to be considered and to be earnestly thought of Now S. Iohn addes these words for two causes first because the Church though it cannot be ouertaken with deadly sleepe yet it may slumber and be cast into some beginnings of sleepe as the fiue wise virgins though they slept not so carelesly as the other yet they all slept not a deadly sleepe but a slumber for in the Church there may be some remnants of security Cant. 5. 2. The Church sleepes but so as she alwayes listens as awaken being in a light slumber Now least the Church should be carelesse sleeping and drowsie the holy Ghost addes these words The time of the last iudgement is at hand Secondly he addes these words to confirme the Church and all the true members of Christ against afflictions seeing by these words he foretels them that they be to last but a short time the time of iudgement is at hand the affliction cannot long endure Then this should comfort those which suffer for Christ his sake In this that Christ foretels the Church that now in the last age the time is at hand we must be assured that whatsoeuer befalleth the mēbers of Christ shal shortly befal them temtations afflictions the crosse and calamity shall presently befall vs the time of iudgement is at hand it will presently befall vs. And if we had this confidence that the last iudgement is at hand it would make vs do all in good conscience stay vs frō many sins and the want of this is the cause of much mischiefe for so the bad seruant thinking his maister would defer his comming he smites and beates his fellow seruants And the old world liued in sinne and would not beleeue the flood should come though they were foretold of it till they were all swept away by water We then should lay this to our harts euer think the Lord is at the doore he is presently to come to iudgement And we ought the rather to thinke of this for we haue had ease peace and the Gospell flourishing this 8 yeares with all temporall blessings Now the state of the Church is now peace and now trouble and persecution Now then seeing these crosses which must fall on the Church they be to be done presently we cannot but looke for affliction and persecution after so long peace and preaching Iohn to the seuen Churches in Asia grace and peace c. In this fourth verse is the second part of this Chapter which is the inscription of this booke wherein is first the party which writes it and dedicates it secondly the parties to whō it is dedicated first the party which dedicates it is Iohn secondly the parties to whom the seuen Churches in Asia In the inscription are two parts first a dedication secondly a salutation contained from the fourth till the ninth verse In the dedication there be first the party which dedicates it secondly the parties to whom it is dedicated The party which dedicates it is Iohn who here againe in this fourth verse repeates his name yet so as he repeates no more but his bare name without any titles of commendation he repeats it againe to shew and certifie euery Reader of this booke that he was without all doubt the true pen-man of the holy Ghost in writing this Reuelation But though he repeate his name yet he doth not adde any titles of honour as he did in the first verse many titles of praise and commendation This he doth to giue vs a true patterne of modesty and humility which is neuer to speake in our own causes to our owne praises but onely in cases of necessity when Gods glory may be aduanced and the credit of our particular callings maintained This Paul practised who often humbles himselfe and cals himselfe the least of all the Apostles yea the chiefe of all sinners yet when the credit of his Apostleship came into question then he sets out himselfe shewing he was a true Apostle and aboue those which did falsly call themselues so 2. Cor. 11. So may we when the glory of God or the credit of our particular callings be in question set out our selues with titles of commendation The persons to whom he wrote were the seuen Churches in Asia concerning them note two things first he cals them Churches secondly in Asia Why writes he to the Churches rather then to the Church seeing there is but one true Church Ans. The Church may be considered first as it is the whole company of the elect and so it is but one secondly as it is parted and diuersly sundred into parts as in one country there is one Church or one part of the Church is in one city or towne another part in some other And there may be many Churches seeing euery congregation professing the Gospell of Christ is a Church being a member of the true Catholicke Church as the sea is but one yet there be many parts of the sea which lying against other countries are called by their names as the English French Spanish Italian sea So the particular Churches in particular countries townes and
members we must hate that he hateth loue that he loueth so shew that we be true Christians and members of Christ. Ob. Christ he hateth wicked men why then suffereth he them to liue destroyeth theÌ„ not or take them out of his Church Answ. He suffereth them for iust cause for he can bring good out of euill light out of darknesse he can turne that which is most wicked in it selfe to his glorie and the benefite of his Church and children and the destruction of his enemies Then no maruel though he suffer them which he hateth Let him which hath an eare heare what the Spirit saith c. In this verse Christ inferreth this conclusion vpon the former words It containeth in it two parts the first a coÌ„mandement the second a promise A coÌ„mandement Let him that hath ears c. A promise in the end of the verse For to him will I giue of the tree c. and this conclusion serueth to stirre vp the Church of Ephesus to consider of the former things Christ taught her In the commandement is three things the first who be coÌ„maunded He which hath an eare secondly what is commanded namely to heare thirdly the thing which must be heard What the Spirit saith The parties commaunded to heare are described they which haue an eare that is which can heare Mat. 13. Christ expoundeth it he which hath an eare to heare that is an hearing eare he must heare and giue attention to the word By this we see there be two kinds of hearers one is a deafe hearer not hauing an hearing eare as those which bring outwaâ—d and bodily eares to the word but not the eares of the hart for their hearts are not affected with the word they cannot obey that they heare Secondly there is an hearing hearer who not onely heareth with the outward eare of the bodie but he hath his heart pierced and touched hath new eares made by Gods spirit this is he which bringeth both the eares his head and heart to the word who is affected with it applyeth it to his owne heart and beleeueth the word heard Such an eare had Dauid the Lord God bored his eare and made him new ears euen ears of heart Mine ears hast thou opened And when the Lord spake to him hauing new eares he answereth the Lord Lo I come his heart heard the Lord. Such eares had Isaiah Send me Such had Lydia her eares were opened and she became attentiue to Paules words the Lord gaue her new eares Seeing Christ maketh this distinction of hearers on earth then grace is not vniuersall sauing grace is not giuen to euery particular man that he if he will may heare and haue saluation for there must be some deafe hearers as well as hearing hearers Then all cannot heare nor haue eternall life seeing all cannot come to faith and repentance by hearing Nay though God admit all into the Church yet he giueth not grace to euery one to heare so that he becometh a profitable hearer to beleeue and repent by hearing Mat. 13. It is giuen to you to know not to others noting that some onely haue the spirit of God to heare to know his will and become obedient to the same Seeing the commandement is giuen to hearing hearers we must labour to become such to become good hearers not to bring onely the eares of the bodie to the word but the eares of the heart not onely eares of our bodie which we haue by creatioÌ„ but the eares of our soules which we haue by regeneration and neuer thinke our selues well till we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hearing of the heart to beleeue and obey that we heare can affect the same and be changed and turned by it Iosiah heard the law and that not with bodily eares but with his heart so that he turned to the Lord accordingly Dauid Psalm 26. God biddeth him seeke him he hauing his eares bored anew maketh answer Lord I will seeke thy face Take heed then of deafe eares when we heare the word daily not profiting by it are not changed in life for this deafe eare is a fearefull iudgement of God that men hearing should not heare nor obey and be bettered by that they heare And yet this is our common hearing for the most part we come bring our bodily eare to the word but our hearts hearken not they obey not that we heare but we remaine as blind and ignorant and as full of sinne as euer and that after long hearing Which sheweth we are indeed deafe hearers The second point is the dutie commanded namely to heare Hearing in the word of God is not onely listening with the bodily eares but to be attentiue to the word and with attention to adde faith repentance conuersion and obedience to it for we if we be good hearers then we must heare so as we be changed from the corruption of the old man and learne to beleeue in Christ. Eph. 4. 21. and as much as we practise and obey so much we learne for we heare no further then we obey Then seeing we must so heare the word we must suffer our selues to be chaunged and altered labour to obey the word and to be changed by it And except we thus heare the word is not to vs the sauor of life but of death and as the good hearing is the readie means to saluation so the deafe hearing is to destructioÌ„ The third point which is commaunded by God namely that which the Spirit speaketh The thing which we must heare with attention faith obedience is repentance for our wants and sinnes for of that Christ spake afore Then this is a most necessarie thing for men to consider their owne wants and sinnes and the iudgement of God for them for else Christ would not haue added these words for the conclusion of the Epistle who hauing shewed theÌ„ their wants and the remedie and the iudgment of God for 〈◊〉 sinnes he addeth this caueat which sheweth the necessitie of these things Then it standeth vs vpon to consider our own personal wants our sinnes and the wrath of God against them for the omitting of this dutie is the bringing of Gods iudgement vpon vs and the practise of it is the preuenting and turning away of Gods iudgements And as priuate men of their personall sinnes so must countries cities in generall remeÌ„ber their wants sins and do their first workes In the end of the verse are two reasons to moue them to heare the first because the things spoken are spoken by the Spirit that is the holy Ghost the third person in Trinitie the second because he speaketh not to one or two but to all the Churches in one Ob. But how can the Spirit speake these words seeing Christ speaketh them Ans. Both may stand for all outward actions of the persons in Trinitie are common to them all and seeing this to teach the Church is an outward action it belongeth to
Manna haue power ouer nations be clothed in white made pillars in Gods temple and sit with Christ Iesus in the throne of his Father And though the sonne of Ishai cannot make vs Captains of thousands yet that Sonne of Dauid will make vs the sonnes of God That we may do so we must beleeue the Gospell put on Christ Iesus and be renewed by repentance The first is necessarie the second comely the third profitable To come to the first it is necessarie we should beleeue for he that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie he is condemned in the counsell of God in the ministerie of the word and in his owne conscience and he shall be condemned in the day of iudgement for the wrath of God abideth vpon him The more I consider the fruites of faith the more I see the necessitie of faith Through it we are saued by it we are iustified in it we liue We are saued from Satan iustified before God and liue in the Church In the Church nay by it we liue in heauen for he that beleeueth in the Sonne of God hath euerlasting life Faith is that which purifieth the heart maketh the whole man to runne the wayes of Gods commandements giueth entrance to grace accesse to God in prayer made the Elders well reported of and each Christian to stand to the profession of Christ. It is that hand by which we must apprehend Christ that shield by which we resist all the fierie darts of the diuell and that meanes by which we do good to others By faith we receiue the spirit are members of Christ we are risen with him he dwelleth in our hearts we feed on him continually resist Satan are the children of God and the word which we heare becometh profitable And what shall I say faith is of such a qualitie that it vniteth vs to Christ maketh vs certaine of our saluation bold in our profession ministreth true ioy giueth temporall blessings sanctifieth our gifts and maketh vs refuse the pleasures of this present world In a word no sinne can condemne him who hath this true faith and no vertue can saue him who wanteth it To come to the second which is Christ the obiect of faith The most comely garment that euer we can weare it is to be couered with the robes of Christs righteousnesse Iacob was blessed by Esaus garments we are blessed by Christs garments What we see through a greene glasse seemeth all to be greene and what God seeth thorough Christ it is al amiable We must put on this aparel not as the Church in the Canticles I haue put off my clothes how shall I put them on againe or as a gowne that we cast off when we come to our home but we must so put him on that we neuer put him off againe We must put him on by imputation imitation infusion and profession by imputation of his righteousnesse imitation of his vertues infusion of his Spirit and profession of his name Thus we must labour to get Christ for what though a man could commaund the earth with Alexander the sea with Moses the fire with Eliah and the Sunne with Iosuah What though he were as rich as Salomon as wise as Achitophel as strong as Sampson as swift as Ahimaaz as beautifull as Absolon as fortunate as Metellus descended as Paul was of the bloud royal of Princes yet hauing not Christ he hath nothing Yea say a man had the abstinence of Aristydes the innocencie of Phocion the holinesse of Socrates the almes deedes of Cimon the moderation of Camillus the honestie iustice and faithfulnesse of both Catoes all these out of Christ were but splendida peccata and to be esteemed as dung in regard of Christ. For haue him and haue all things want him and want all things he is in at and after death aduantage I come to the last it is profitable to repent for if we turne to the Lord he will turne to vs and that we may turne consider his mercies in forgiuing his benefites in giuing his patience in forbearing and his iudgments in punishing The word preached sinnes committed and that few shall be saued the shortnesse of life the vncertaintie of life and the certaintie of death the ioyes of heauen the torments of hell the comfort of the elect and that else we can haue no comfort in death pray we cannot vnlesse we repent and perish we shall vnlesse we repent but blessed shall we be if we do repent But manum de tabula Magister adest this discourse following will teach vs these things and it am I bold to present to your Worships Iohn sent his Reuelation to many Churches and I present his Epistles to many worthie personages and to whom may I better present them thē to you Iohn was a disciple full of loue and you are breethrē full of loue The Preacher of these Lectures was well knowne to many but to none better then to many of you especially to those who were in my time worthie members of that most worthie Colledge with him And the rather I do it that times to come may reioyce in the Lord that from one honorable root haue issued so many profitable branches to the Church You are sixe brethren as pillars of your house there were three sisters as fruitfull vines of the same one is not but is with the Lord and her I knew a Ladie of admirable vertues the other two are and long may they be so You are all brethren by nature of one venter nation of one countrie grace of one spirit affection of one heart fortune in great fauour and of one hope by your holy behauiour And concerning brotherly loue I need not to write vnto you for you are taught of God to loue one another Your Scilurus at his death need not teach you concord by giuing to each of you a sheafe of arrowes which cannot well be broken whilst they are conioyned for you by your amitie make your selues inuincible If Chilo the Lacedaemonian died for ioy to see one sonne crowned at Olympus and Diagoras Rhodius did the like when his three children got the garland at a wrestling and Iacob so reioyced to heare of his one Ioseph to be aduanced greatly in the kingdome of Egypt how might that happie father of yours reioyce to see at one time one sonne sitting as high Sheriffe of the shire another preaching before the Iudges of Assize and the third pleading as Councellor at the barre and all the rest of great expectation in the kingdome Thus wise sons are a ioy to their parents and all may behold how good and comely a thing it
quaketh for feare the word of God came into his mind and made his conscience accuse him and his knees smote together for feare So then by this we see how Christ killeth the wicked by reuealing their sinnes shewing the wrath and anger of God against sinne and sinners which repent not and the curse of the law and also by sharpning the sting of conscience to wound them and strike them at the heart and so they by this haue the first wound of eternall death Though the Lord may in mercie recouer them of this wound yet of themselues they be in the estate of death and vnlesse they repent they are in the first step to eternall death For those horrors and feares which come into a mans heart in regard of Gods wrath and iudgements seuered from grace are no grace but the first wound to eternall death vnlesse the Lord giue grace Seeing Christ carieth the two edged sword of the Spirit in his mouth whereby he woundeth his enemies with a deadly wound at the heart then when we see any which cometh to heare the word and after rebelleth stormeth and rageth against the same being wounded in conscience therewith we must not be displeased with it but pitie his case seeing he is wounded at the heart with a deadly wound and he in this case is in the first steppe to eternall death vnlesse the Lord recouer him of this wound In those Churches and places where the word hath bene long preached and the people remaine in blindnesse and ignorance and vnreformed we must in these take pitie on them seeing this is a heauie iudgement of God on them for these are wounded with a deadly wound by the sword of the spirit because the word hath bene long and often preached to them without profit and the word it neuer returneth emptie but either saueth or destroyeth woundeth or healeth them So that though men may liue ciuilly before men making a faire shew yet if they be vnreformed and liue in ignorance these are but dead men in the sight of God the word hath giuen them the first deadly wound therefore we must pitie their estate If we come into the field see an hundred men lye wounded and gushing out bloud some in the head some in the sides and some in the feet we cannot but be exceedingly moued so in the church of God many are vnreformed in obedience and repentance and though we cannot see their bloudie wounds with bodily eyes yet we may see them lye wallowing in the bloud of ignorance and securitie of impenitencie and wickednesse therefore we must pitie their estate for they be dead men indeed seeing they be not reuiued by the word in reformation of life and obedience for the word either quickeneth or killeth Seeing the word without grace killeth we must not content our selues with it but seeke to feele the worke of the Spirit peace of conscience and reformation of life by the word Let vs then by a liuely faith labour to apply Christ by the word to lay hold on him and his righteousnesse so that we can say we liue not but Christ in vs. But this word hath another action in the elect children of God which though it be manifold yet all tend to further and procure their saluation The first work of it in these is to wound deepely and to kill the corruptioâ— of mans nature in his heart with a deadly wound that it neuer recouer againe Yet though it wound a man it killeth not the person as in the wicked but onely the corruption of his heart and quickeneth the person to Christ killeth him in regard of rebellion and vnbeleefe We are sacrifices to be offered to God therefore we must be killed not in our bodies and soules but in our corruptions affections and rebellions That we may be killed the two edged sword of the Spirit is required which giueth our corruption the deadly wound and cutteth vp the root Since the second action after our conuersion change is this the word of God must cut and pare the remnants of our corruption by lessening and weakening of it daily Ioh. 15. As the husbandman cutteth loppeth and pareth off all branches that beare no fruite so the word of God cutteth and pareth away the remnants of corruptions in our hearts that so our hearts may bring foorth more fruite Thirdly the word of God serueth to keepe his people and children in awe and subiection and therefore Christ holdeth the scepter of the word in his mouth that though the wicked will not be kept in awe yet his elect may tremble and feare at the lifting vp of the same Amongst men if many be fighting let the Magistrate but hold vp the sword of Iustice euery man yeeldeth and putteth his sword into his sheath and shall not we much more cease from sinne and feare when Christ the King of heauen and earth holdeth out the scepter of his word And if any refuse to be subiect and to obey the Magistrate he is counted a rebell if men refuse to obey the scepter of Christ shall they not be so accounted So then by these actions we see the power of the word it killeth corruptions in our hearts pareth it and the remnants of it and it keepeth men in awe and subiection Yet it differeth in the wicked and in the godly in the wicked it maketh them feare and woundeth them to death destroying both soule and bodie in the godly it woundeth them indeed not in their persons but in the corruptions of their hearts It maketh vs fit to encounter with the diuell and to vanquish him in all his temptations if it be vsed with knowledge Seeing the word of God serueth to kill our corruptions we when we heare the word must receiue and beleeue the same not onely when it is deliuered in generall but applyed in particular though it touch vs and wound our hearts we must suffer it and reioyce in it for that is the first steppe to health to haue our corruptions ripped vp and touched When the sword of the spirit entreth to our hearts it will ransacke euery nooke and secret corner then we must reioyce in this blessing of God suffer it gladly seeing it is the onely meanes to come to life If one be sicke of a Fistula he will suffer the Chirurgeon to rippe and launce him to search euery part of the wound and shall not we suffer the Phisition of the word to display to lay open to ransacke and search the corruption of our hearts seeing that is the onely way to recouer health For we cannot liue to God till we die to our selues and to our sinnes we cannot pâ—ssibly die to our sinnes till our corruptions be destroyed and all our sinnes killed and wounded to death In his mouth Other Kings carie their scepter in their hands but he in his mouth to shew that no doctrine must be receiued of vs vnlesse it proceed from his mouth for he receiued his
when a man keepeth this promise made in baptisme and performeth this condition to God and stipulation then he is faithfull to God when he breaketh it then he is vnfaithfull 1. Pet. 3. 21. Secondly the Lord he giueth his seruants many graces as faith hope loue repentance c. these he committeth to man to see how he will vse or abuse them 1. Tim. 6. 20. we must labour to keepe them to vse them well and this if we do to Gods glorie and to our owne good then we be faithfull to God else not as if a man commit a thing to be kept by another if he loose it or keepe it not well he is not faithfull to him Be faithfull As if he had said Thou hast made a promise in baptisme to keepe faith and a good conscience and thou hast had many graces promising to vse them well to keepe them in life and death be faithfull in persecutions afflictions keepe faith and a good conscience and then thou artfaithfull Against this dutie three sorts of men offend first they which though they haue made a couenant in baptisme to serue the Lord to keep faith and a good conscience yet liue in ignorance and securitie neuer seeking to know the Lord to vnderstand his will or to obey him yet these will brag of their good meanings though they haue no care at all to please God no care to keepe their couenant made with God and their stipulation in baptisme to him Secondly they which for a good while haue had faith and a good conscience and haue come to serue the Lord yet after long time fall away being entangled with the world with the profits and sinnes thereof and so leaue all and come to breake faith and a good conscience both these are vnfaithfull seruants and their reward if the Lord dealt in iustice with them is destruction and yet all men in a maner be of these two sorts they either liue in ignorance or fall away after a long time The third sort are they which professe a long time liue in faith and good conscience and be earnest professors yet in time of triall and persecution they will leaue all profession of religion to saue themselues Then seeing all these offend we must labour to know God to obey him to keepe his graces bestowed on vs to the end to liue and die in his seruice and to lose our life rather then any one grace which God bestoweth vpon vs. And I wil giue thee the crown of life Here is a reasoÌ„ to moue theÌ„ to go on in persecutioÌ„ to be faithful to the end HeÌ„ce the Papists gather that a man may merit heauen seeing there is promised a crowne of life Ans. It is called a crowne of life by resemblance for as men in a race first run and after they obtaine the crowne at the end of their race so men must first in this world liue godly run and finish their course after that they haue their crowne in heauen I answer againe this reward is not of the worke but the promise is made to the workers not to the martyredome but to the martyr which hath by suffering death shewed his faith in Christ it is not made to the passion or suffering but to the person suffering not for his suffering but to him as he is in Christ declared to be so by his suffering death So then that promise is not made to the work but to the worker and not for his work but for the worthinesse of Christ in whom he is a true member of the Church The vse then is that if we keepe this promise in Baptisme made before God his Angels and the Church we shall haue the reward of all which is the crowne of life in the kingdome of heauen promised to such as be faithfull to the end Let him which hath an eare heare In these words are the coÌ„clusion or last part of the Epistle Now in these three verses for the most part is a rehearsall of those things which Christ deliuered before in this and in the former Chapter Now seeing Christ the head and Doctor of his Church is most perfect in his doctrines both for matter and maner of deliuering the same seeing he repeateth againe and againe the same things and seeing Peter put them often in mind of their common saluation hence we note that Ministers may often repeate the same doctrine not onely the same matter but in the same maner and words So did Christ the head Doctor of the Church so may we or any preacher preach the same sermon againe in maner and matter not for to ease our selues but for the good and benefite of the Church as Christ seuen times repeateth the same doctrine to the good of the Church and common benefite of all The hearers then if they find the Preacher shall deliuer the same doctrine againe or often they must not find fault for then they might as well find fault with Christ himselfe who not once or twise but often repeated the same words In this eleuenth verse is a conclusion of the Epâ—stle to the Church of Smyrna and it hath two parts first a commaundement secondly a promise In the commandement first what is coÌ„manded secondly to whoÌ„ The duty commanded is to heare There are two kinds of hearing good and bad Here he requireth good hearing with faith and obedience not naked and bare outward hearing Then we see the true knowledge of the Gospell standeth in hearing with faith and obedience for we know no more then we beleeue and obey if we beleeue and obey nothing we heare and know nothing with sound hearing to saluation The second thing is to whom the commaundement is giuen to them which haue eares to heare for some are deafe some be liuely and hearing hearers They are deafe which heare onely with outward and bodily eares not affected in hart nor chaunged in life by the word they are good hearing hearers which are touched and affected by the word changed and renued in life by the same hauing not onely outward eares of the head but inward bored by Gods spirit in the heart Hence we learne two things first that election is not generall and vniuersall of euery particular man for there is was and shall be euer some deafe hearers Secondly we learne our duty that we must not onely heare the word and lend our outward eares but withall ioyne faith obedience and conuersion in life so heare that we be changed in life and turned to God else our hearing is fruitlesse nay to damnation The third thing is what they must heare What the Spirit saith namely that which is before in the former words deliuered by Christ. The principall things be these first that the Lord seeth and regardeth the tribulations and afflictions of his Church secondly that Gods Church and people being to suffer the crosse and afflictions must forethinke of it and consider of it before
cruel man he stands to fight against such face to face stands with his naked sword in the ministery of the word to reclaime them from their sins if they wil not to wound them to the heart and to kil them Now we hearing our sins reprooued we should feare and tremble fall downe as Balaam did and seeing the Lord in the word preached stands with his sword in his hand ready to slay vs if we wil not be stayed we should be afraid If we heare of an enemy to come against vs how will euery one quake for feare shall we feare the shaking sword of a mortal man and not the bloudy sword of the euerliuing God Shall we resist him and go on though he fight against vs Alas it is not wisedome to striue with God for then he will hacke vs to peeces but we must heare him and submit our selues to his good will pleasure and if we wil not the same sword of God shall be an instrument to pierce our hearts to death Then when we heare the Minister speaking to vs we must know that the Lord speaketh to vs fights against our sins and not contemne him Againe we see the word of God is called the sword of Christs mouth not only because he once deliuered it but because it dayly proceeds frō him in the preaching of the same by the Ministers Then we see this is an excellent thing that the Ministers of Christ lawfully called they be that mouth of Christ from which his sword proceeds So Paul calleth them the Ambassadours of Christ to deliuer his word 2. Cor. 5. 19. Then they which be in the schooles of the Prophets and they also which be in the way to the same must learne to thinke reuerently and highly of it not contemne it and thinke it a base calling for to be a Lawyer or Phisition hath not this priuiledge to be called the mouth of Christ as the Ministers haue Againe seeing they be the mouth of Christ Ministers must speake the word of Christ as they are perswaded in conscience Christ would speake the same if he were present Euen as Ambassadors who deliuer their masters will in that maner and those words which they thinke he would himselfe which if we did then we should not haue that humane kind of preaching partly in Greeke Latin English mingled with testimonies and sentences of men for Christ would neuer preach so neither did his Apostles or Prophets vse it Furthermore seeing the Minister lawfully called is the mouth of Christ we must take heed that we seeing a mortall man sinfull like to vs deliuer the word that we contemne it not for his sake but receiue the word as it is indeed the power of God though it come from a mortall man So Paul commends the Thessalonians who receiued his doctrine as the word of the euer liuing God Besides seeing Christ carieth his Scepter in his mouth not in his hand we see his kingdom is not of this world not carnall but spirituall he gouerneth and ruleth his Church and people by the sword of his mouth the eternall word of God published and preached by sinfull man like to vs. This sheweth the abuse of that sword which the Pope the Vicar of Christ chalengeth for he will haue both swords ciuil and Ecclesiasticalls surely he is not the Vicar and in the roome of Christ for Christ was content onely with the spirituall sword Now followeth the conclusion of the Epistle containing two parts the first a commandement Let him which hath an eare heare the second a promise To him which ouercometh will I giue to eate of the Manna c. Of the first I haue spoken before The end and scope of this commaundement is to stir vp the Church to attention to marke the things propounded The first speciall point what is commaunded to be heard is the word of God which must not be heard with a bare and simple hearing but with knowledge faith beleefe and obedience in practise Seeing he commaunds this hearing to all men we see it is the ordinance of God all men in the Church should frequent sermons where this word of God is propounded and taught by plaine and simple men that they may better learne their dutie At a good time men wil come to the Church though they come not halfe a yeare after but the ordinance of Christ is that men should daily at all lawfull occasions frequent sermons and come to the congregation and if we be his sheepe we will heare his voice Ioh. 10. desire to heare his word taught by his mouth Mat. 16. the word of God is called the key of the kingdome of heauen now as necessarie it is to haue the key to open heauen as to haue his soule brought thither Paule calleth the doctrine of the Gospell the word of reconciliation because the same by Gods grace reconcileth vs to him who being his enemies are made by it to be in his fauour Then we must come to heare it daily not at Christmas or such times alone for this is to magnifie those dayes aboue the Lords day But men corrupt froward say for themselues Tush if God or Christ or his Apostles wold preach to vs we wold come but when men speake to vs being sinfull and like our selues we will not Ans. It is the will and ordinance of God that his word should be published and preached to man by man like himselfe for since Adams fall man could not abide to heare the Maiestie of God the Israelites seeing but a glimmering of Gods glorie could not abide it but said Speake to vs by Moses Exod. 19. And he will haue his word preached by sinfull man to trie mans obedience and humilitie how he will receiue and obey the word of God deliuered by man Againe he doth it to make loue betweene man and man when one man speaketh the word of God to another Then are they presumptuous persons who dare oppose themselues against Gods most holy ordinance and will Againe others say they haue the Bible containing the Sermons of Christ the Apostles and Prophets and who can make better Sermons then they now seeing they haue these at hand they need not come to the Church But let these consider that as it is the ordinance and will of God to haue the Bible so will he haue it expounded by man in the Church that mē might vnderstand it and so make vse of it in their liues As for some others they will not come to the Church but hauing a iourney as they say they can serue God on their horse backe or in the way as well and with as good a heart as the best in the Church but let these heare the word of God by the wisest man Salomon Pro. 28. 16. He which turneth his eare from the law that is from hearing the word of God his prayers are abhominable And if he turne frō God God will turne from him and if men be wearie
Leaders Elders Salt Starres Angels and Shepheards Prophets to teach Seers to foretell Remembrancers to put in mind Trumpets to sound Watchmen to admonish Husbandmen to plow vp Stewards to distribute Maydens to keepe pure the doctrine of truth Fishers to catch men Leaders to go before Elders to gouerne Salt to season Starres to giue light Angels to declare and Shepheards to feed to feed I say soundly by doctrine liberally by charitie and religiously by life By doctrine for Sacerdos sine doctrina est nauis sine velis a Priest without knowledge is a ship without sailes By liberalitie for Nihil habet homo adeò diuinum quà m benefacere man is in nothing more like God then in doing good By life for cuius vita despicitur eius oratio contemnitur his words are not esteemed whose life is not approued And that it may be said of them as it was of Origen Quale habuit verbū talem habuit vitam as his words were so were his workes They must not be barren like mount Gilboah but weaned as Samuel was before they be offered vnto the Lord. They must be pure water if they will cleanse others and more then whetstones if they will sharpen others They must be in integritie Abrahams in meekenesse Moses in knowledge Arons in pains Paules and in praying Samuels and remēber that as Augustine said Manus pauperū sunt gazophylaciū Christi The hands of the poore are the treasurie of Christ. I need not speake much of the dutie of a Minister for euery one wil teach him his duty that wil not be ranged within any dutie himselfe These Churches were then like Dauids Worthies excellent aboue all the Churches of the world but because they lost their first loue were not faithfull to the death maintained the doctrine of Balaam suffered women to teach bare a name onely to liue had but a litle strength were neither hote nor cold and repented not as they should haue done of all their sins they are reprehended by Iohn threatened by Christ and the Candlesticke of the Gospell is now taken away from them Iam seges est vbi Troia fuit Now Mahomet rageth where Messiah did raigne Are they reprehended let vs hearken are they threatened let vs feare are they fallen let vs labour to continue From Iohns reprehension we see that as one said hereof our Elders haue complained hereof do we complaine and hereof they which liue after vs will complaine that men waxe worse and liue not according to the doctrine of Gods word From Christs threatning we see that God is mercifull who first offereth peace before he fight against vs that we being forewarned might be forearmed And by the wofull downefall of these seuen Churches let vs that stand take heed that we fall not for if God spared not the old world who despised Noah the Sodomites who vexed Lot Ierusalem which abused the Prophets Colossa Hierapolis and Laodicea who reiected Paule and these Asian Churches who did not grow in righteousnesse as they did in riches how shall we escape if we neglect so great saluation and for this cause these Sermons are most worthie to be considered of in this present age O then let vs now consider this season redeeme the oportunitie not harden our hearts but regard the time of our present visitation As the day openeth and shutteth with the Sunne so saluation openeth and shutteth with the Gospell Whilst it is called to day let vs heare his voice He that laboureth in Sommer is the sonne of Wisedom but he that sleepeth in haruest is the son of confusiō All things in the world do take their time the bird to build her nest the husbandman to sow his seed the mariner to go to sea the gardener to set his trees the sicke patient to take physicke the cooke to season meates and the dresser of the vineyard to gather his fruite It will be too late to build in Sommer to sow in haruest to go to sea when the ship is lanched to transplant trees when they are old to take phisicke when we are dying to season meates when they are vnsauorie when winter is come to gather fruite The fiue foolish virgins came too late Diues in hell repenteth too late the time present is only ours Is the fig-tree fruitlesse it shall heare that sentence Neuer fruite grow on thee any more Get thee then righteousnesse before thou come to iudgement vse Physicke before thou be sicke and whilst thou maist yet sinne shew thy conuersion as the wise man exhorteth euery man But alas whereunto shall I liken this generation we are like the Ephesians we haue lost our first loue or the Laodiceans we are neither hote nor cold or the twilight neither day nor night or the Autumne neither faire nor fowle or one sicke of an ague one day well another ill or a man in a Lethargie neither aliue nor dead or Hermaphroditus neither male nor female or to those creatures called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which liue in water or on land or the Lionesse which the oftener she breedeth the fewer cubs she beareth or the Mariner who is onely good in a storme or the Marigold that shutteth and openeth with the Sunne or the Mermaides which are halfe flesh half fish I would to God we were either hote or cold that as the hotest regions bring foorth sweetest spices so most zealous people might be most fruitfull in good workes that as the Sunne in the heauen is swiftest at her setting so the sonnes of God might be best at their ending But is it so no the more we are taught the more ignorant are many and the older we are the colder in religion We haue indeed many of vs as it was said of Aristogîton Marte◠or rather religionem in lingua religion in tong but when trial is made of vs euery Phocion can espie our halting and then with Archilochus we thinke it better clypeum abjicere quà m interire euen to cast off all religion then to vndergo the least disgrace for religion The Moone desiring to be apparelled as the rest of the Planets answer was made her that her diuerse chaunges could admit no kind of habite And we desiring to be attired with the robes of Christians it is to be feared that since we tread not the Moone vnder our feet we shall neuer be clothed as the Church was with the Sunne Who is wise and he shall vnderstand these things and prudent he shall know them Let vs therefore labour to grow in grace to abound in knowledge to be full of good works and to ouercome all the vnderminers of our future saluation Then shall we eate of the tree of life not be hurt of the second death tast of the hidden
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
cities be Churches though not the Catholicke Church but members of it Note first the matter of this book concernes the Church seeing it is a propheticall history concerning the estate of the Church from the time of Iohn to the end and therefore it is meet it should be dedicated to the Church Secondly it is dedicated to the Church seeing the true members of the Catholicke Church be the pillars and ground of truth not that their authority is aboue the word but because they preserue the scriptures as a treasury from age to age And they be pillars and grounds of truth because they giue testimony to the truth of Gods word 3. Because they publish the truth of Gods word in and by the ordinary ministery of the word and so the church being the pillar and ground of truth it is fit this booke should be dedicated to it Secondly he writes it not to all Churches but makes choise of these seuen Churches in Asia first because they were then most famous as the Chapters following and histories of the Church do shew Secondly he sayes not to the Churches of Ierusalem and of the Iewes but of Asia to shew them that which was long before foretold was now fulfilled namely that the Gentiles according as the Prophets foretold should be called which now was verified seeing the Gentiles dwelt in Asia Seeing Iohn wrote and dedicated this booke to the Churches in Asia many yeares after Christ not to the Church of Rome then we see that the Papists are deceiued who would haue their Church the mother Church and all other Churches must rely on theirs but if that Church of Rome had bene the mother and most famous no doubt Iohn would haue dedicated it to her But he doth dedicate it to the Churches in Asia shewing they were then more famous then Rome 2 Now followes the salutation Grace and peace c. Salutation is of two forts ciuill or religious ciuil as that which men vse ordinarily with one another 2. religious which is more peculiar and proper to the Church and so it is here a religious salutation And seeing the Apostles vse it commonly in all their Epistles may be called an Apostolicall salutation They vsed this in all their Epistles Grace and peace c. which they did because their ministery was of grace and peace and they made their salutation answerable to their ministery for their Apostleship stood in these two to preach the word and to pray for the people that they might haue grace peace And the apostles vse this phrase in manner of blessing for when their ministery stood in two actions in preaching and praying for the people vnder the second action of praying was contained this to blesse the people and so did the high Priests and Leuites as also Christ he vsed this so Ministers to shew their duty more fully after they preach the word they blesse the people Grace be with you Most excellent words and containe in them the summe and substance of the whole Gospell Grace signifies two things first Gods fauour and good will secondly his graces Here it signifies his fauour because in this salutation grace is opposed to peace which is a grace of God so that it cannot be meant of a grace of God then by it is meant his good will and fauour whereby he accepts of vs for Christ his sake S. Iohn begins with Grace first and not with Peace because grace is the ground of peace and all blessings graces of God We must first be in Gods fauour then we must looke to haue prosperitie and graces from God Grace is the ground of all blessings as of our election vocation redemption iustification sanctification of faith repentance and perseuerance in faith and repentance nay it is all in all in the matter of our saluation For this cause he begins with it And peace Peace is taken first for welfare and good successe in things of this world by Gods blessing Exod. 18. 7. Moses askes Iethro his father in law of his peace that is of his welfare and so it is partly taken in this place Secondly it is taken for that vnity and blessed concord we shall haue in the kingdome of God and so it is especially taken here And being thus taken it hath sixe parts first when we haue peace with God which is when we stand in the fauour of God reconciled to him in Christ Iesus Secondly when we haue peace with Gods Angels in that they guard vs and cary vs as a nurse doth her child in her armes that we hurt not our feete at any stone and when they reioyce at our good estate Psal. 91. 11. The third is peace with a mans selfe when his conscience will not accuse him but excuse and cleare him as when our conscience is washed in the blood of Christ Phil. 4. 7. this peace passeth all vnderstanding The fourth is peace with the church So Act. 4. 32. those which beleeued were all of one mind and heart had peace with each other So Esa. 11. 6. The wild beast and the Lion the Lamb and the Cockatrise and the yong child shall lie together Fiftly this peace fauor of God is with the enemies of God so far as it is for the good of the Church and the glory of God So Ioseph had peace in Pharaohs house So Daniel had peace with the Kings Eunuches for though he was free when the children were cast into the ouen yet he did not reuolt but being fauoured they saued him The sixt is peace with all Gods creatures beasts birds all creatures in heauen and earth Ose. 2. 18. The Lord will make a couenant betweene vs and all his creatures Psal. 91. 13. The child of God he shall tread vpon the lion and serpent and they shall not hurt him for when a man is in Gods fauour what creature dares to hurt him nay al the creatures are ready and willing to serue him Grace and peace As though he had said first you must be in the fauour of God you must haue vnity and reconciliation with and in Christ and then this peace welfare prosperity in all good things as farre as is necessary yea then concord and vnity with God and all his creatures will follow Whereas the Apostle wishes them grace in the first place he would teach vs that this Gods fauour is to be sought for aboue all things yea in the first place Psal. 4. 6. Many say Who will shew vs any good But Dauid he seekes this grace and fauour of God Lord lift vp the light of thy countenance vpon me let me be in thy fauour And often he sayes the Lord he is his portion inheritance and his lot shewing to be in the loue and fauor of God is to be preferred before all things in the world So must we seeke first to be in Gods fauour make that our chiefest care seeke it aboue all things but we litle
the second sense here where he cals Christ a Prince of the kings of the earth in regard as he is God and man or God incarnate the Mediator Now Christ being a King he must needes haue a kingdome which cannot stand in the might and pollicie of man as earthly kingdomes do but it is spirituall it stands in the heart and consciences of men his lawes they bind the soule and conscience to obedience And this is his priuiledge which can be giuen to no creature man or Angell to rule and raigne spiritually in the heart and conscience This spirituall kingdome of Christ is exercised in the consciences and soules of men by the word of Christ not by dint of sword or force of armes but he is a King which carieth his sword in his mouth euen his word by which he rules and raigns in our hearts he rules with the rod of his mouth Esa. 11. that is by his word by which he speaketh to mens consciences Prince of the Kings of the earth So is Christ in two respects First because he and he alone can and is able to giue lawes to bind the consciences of men yea of the greatest Monarch in the world none so high which is not subiect to his lawes Secondly he is called King of the Princes of the earth because he hath soueraigne power ouer all Kings and Potentates to saue and to destroy for not onely hath he power to make a law to bind their consciences but also if they keepe it to saue them if they breake his law he hath power to destroy them be they what they may be He hath the key of heauen to open and to shut none can controle him Reuel 3. 7. He can if he will leade them to life and saue them or else leaue them to their owne mind and so destroy them Seeing our Sauior Christ is a Prince of the greatest monarks of the world and is farre aboue them we must then with all feare trembling reuerence his high Maiestie We reuerence Kings on earth shewing great dutifulnesse to them then what reuerence ow we to him which is Prince and Lord of all the kings of the earth We cannot conceiue what reuerence we owe vnto him which is placed in the throne of all maiestie we must shew our reuerence to this Prince by hearing his word with trembling and beleeuing hearts reuerently and with conscience we must not dare to take his high name into our mouthes without great reuerence the very Kings must shew reuerence vnto this King of kings But the common practise of men doth shew what litle reuerence we haue of Christ for we haue his name in our mouthes at euery word to prophane the same to talke of it in iesting and without all reuerence we tosse it in our mouthes like a tenice ball Seeing he is King of Kings we must giue him absolute obedience Princes must be obeyed so farre as they obey him but he must be obeyed without exception absolutely and not onely absolutely but willingly must he be obeyed and without compulsion freely yea personally perpetually and in all his commaundements Men they will say they beleeue in Christ as he is their Sauiour but that is not enough we must beleeue in him as he is the King of Princes That we therefore may beleeue in him as he is King of Kings we must do him absolute obedience do his will in all things and vnlesse we beleeue in him so we cannot beleeue in him no not as he is a Sauior for these two go together Now this duty and obedience we owe to him must be done to him as we learne out of his word read and preached in the Church Seeing he is King of kings al princes kings potētates must do him seruice for they be all inferiour and subiect to him Psal. 2. the three last verses Be wise now O ye Kings be learned ye Iudges of the earth Kisse the son c. that is inwardly reuerence and outwardly obey him This their subiection must be shewed to Christ their King in the gouernement of their kingdomes for they must make and frame their lawes after the lawes of Christ Iesus they must make lawes exercise iudgement keepe Courts Assises begin and end and continue warre by his commaundements And seeing all Kings are in subiection to Christ as their subiects be to them they must therefore be guided and directed in all the matters of their kingdomes by the counsell of Christ so Dauid saith Thy lawes O Lord are my counsellers Psal. 119. 24. If Christ be soueraigne King and aboue all other Kings then all other must plant and set vp in their kingdomes the religion of Christ else how can they shew they be Christs subiects then it followes that they may not be of what religion they list And this is shewed in the parable of the mariage for when the supper was ready he sent his seruants to compell them to his supper which may be vnderstood of the magistrate whose duty is to compell men to the true Religion and profession of the Gospell of Christ. Seeing Christ is King of Kings and no man hath this priuiledge but he hence we learne that Kings on earth they in their dominions are soueraigne kings ouer all persons causes because as he is King of Kings absolutely so they are vnder him kings and haue supremacy in their kingdomes Then we see the presumption and arrogancy of the Pope and sea of Rome who would be supreame head of the whole earth and King of all Kings to put Christ out of his office and sit in his roome ouer al at his pleasure Seeing Christ is King of all Kings we must not be discouraged when we be called to suffer any affliction or crosse seeing that though the tyrants and Kings of the earth rage and bend their force to hurt vs yet we haue a King aboue them all who can stay and bridle them and if he please confound and bruise them in peeces they cannot do any thing but that which he permits them to do for he rules and raignes in the midst of all these where they are the thickest and would do most malice and can do to them as pleaseth him Now followes the second part of Christs description by his execution of his offices which consist in foure workes the first contained in these words Vnto him which loued vs the second in these Which washed vs in his bloud the other two in the two last verses which follow Which loued vs. That is the Churches of Asia and by proportion all other Churches being parts of the true Church The loue of Christ hath three degrees the first is called a generall loue whereby he loues all his creatures as they be his creatures and this loue is common to all his creatures The second degree is the loue of mankind in that he was content to become a redeemer for mankind not for any other
none excepted shall come and stand before the tribunall seate of Christ. This is a comfort to Gods children in that they being dead rotten in their graues shall rise and receiue their life and motiō and see Christ their Sauiour and Iudge of all men If a man should lie downe to sleepe and be told that when he rose he should see his dead father and mother or his dearest friends this would be a notable comfort to him that so he should inioy them againe but this should be a farre greater comfort to vs that we which lie dead and rotten in the graue shall be raised and enioy not our parents and friends but Christ Iesus the sonne of God which is our frind aboue all friends who shall giue vs not onely life and motion but eternall life with his owne maiestie This was Iobs comfort that though he died yet he beleeued he should see his redeemer with his eyes and this should be our comfort against the feare of death and the last iudgement It shall be a terror to the wicked to all impenitent sinners who shall wil they nil they be brought to the barre of Christs iudgement seate and then looke on him who is their Iudge whom they had in their life contemned And this consideration may serue to moue vs to repentance which haue not begun to repent and to labor to becom the members of Christ. We think when we die all is done there is no harme to follow but though we lie rotting in our graues a thousand or two thousand yeares yet we shall rise and if we repented not we shall heare the sentence of condemnation and looke vpon our Iudge with our owne eyes Then it is best for vs now in the time of grace while we liue here to prepare that we need not feare to come to appeare and behold this Iudge No doubt if we were perswaded that we should thus appeare it would moue vs to repent Euery eye shall see him Then here we see that all men with their owne eyes shall looke on him and those who wanted them in this life shall haue them restored It is graunted of all Diuines that the elect haue all their senses and other defects restored and it is to be added that the wicked too they shal haue all their powers senses and faculties of soule and body restored the deafe shall heare the blind shall see this Iudge but this can be no glory to them seeing it is to increase their punishment for the more senses they haue they haue the more punishment because we iudge of things by sense Euen of those which pierced him This is added first to shew that we shal be freed No power or wisedom of any man or monarch can free vs from appearing for if any could escape then the Iewes and Gentiles who preuailed most against Christ in that they put him to death but none of these can escape his iudgement for euen they which pierced him they shall see this Iudge be summoned before his maiestie for though they had power to kill him yet none of them shall haue power to absent themselues from before his barre 2 To shew the case of all wicked men namely that such wo and misery befals them as they neuer dreamed of The Iewes and Gentiles they crucified Christ and put him to a temporall death but they neuer dreamed he should condemne them to eternall death 3 To shew the rufull and wofull estate of all impenitent sinners for these men shall haue their greatest enemy to be their iudge who will shew rigour vpon them and iustice without all mercy and this is meant not only of the Iew which pierced him but of all impenitent sinners because all such do by their sins as swords and speares wound him at the heart as the souldiers did These be as bad as the Iewes which pierced Christ as Iudas which betrayed Christ as the souldiers which goared his sides Out of these words some gather that the body of Christ hath still the wounds and scarres which here he had giuen him the print of the nailes in his hands and in his feete and that these shall be seene in Christ at the last day and say that it is no infirmitie to Christ to haue these but rather an increase of his glory but this cannot be gathered hence for though it be said They shall see him whom they pierced yet not as he was pierced And because they shall see him shall they see his wounds Many shall see Kings and Queenes whom they crowned in this world ergo as Kings and Queenes So we shall see our fathers mothers therefore as fathers and mothers so many shall see Christ therefore as he was wounded and pierced It is no good collection nor opinion And all the tribes of the earth shall waile for him That is before or ouer him Here is the fruit and effect of his comming especially in the wicked All the tribes of the earth S. Iohn he speakes here of the world as it was in the condition and diuision of the land of Canaan for before that time it was not diuided into tribes So Math. 25. setteth out the iudgement of the whole world by the separation of the sheep from the goates noting that they which repented not of what tribe soeuer of what estate or condition shall waile and mourne And he addes a reason of this for him before him or ouer him that is they shal waile and lament with exceeding lamentation because they beleeued not his word but contemned his doctrine and therefore now they want all helpe to free them from the punishment of their vnbeleefe and contempt of the Gospell If they shall mourne because they did not beleeue and receiue the doctrine of Christ and for that haue no way to escape then it is our dutie to labour aboue all things to be reconciled to God in Christ to get our sinnes pardoned to beleeue and embrace the word of God for vnlesse we beleeue and be reconciled when the last day comes there is no hope of helpe no way to escape no time of grace to repent If the doore be once shut we must stand without there is nothing then but horror of conscience for vs it will be a day to vs to make our eyes start out of our heads a day of all woe and misery Then it is great wisdome so to spend the time of grace in this life especially that we may get the pardon of our sins reconciliation with God in Christ to receiue and beleeue his will and word which if we do we shall haue no cause at all to waile and mourne but be glad and reioyce Then we must take heed the Diuell steale not out of our hearts this one lesson which is most necessary which he wil most labour for to do See what an euill conscience is it lieth asleepe here while a man liues it neuer troubleth him but in
perseuere and go on till we come to our iourneys end Rom. 15. 4. Hope to come to heauen is obtained by patience which maketh a beleeuer to go on suffering till he come to life eternall There is much fruite in the good ground but not obtained without patience and the true beleeuer liues by hope in this life yet cannot come to heauen without patience Iames 5. 9. Now because men will say Patience is a hard matter and so are discouraged therfore to set an edge on their desire he addes it is the kingdome and patience of Christ first because he commaunds it secondly patience cometh from the spirit of Christ thirdly because as he suffereth in his members it is called his patience for their misery and suffering is his when his members suffer he suffereth And this is a singular comfort to al suffering the crosse that they haue Christ their fellow sufferer he takes part with them puts vnder his shoulder he is content to suffer with them And in these three standeth the communion of Saints in suffering tribulation The first step to this fellowship communion of Saints is to beare and be in tribulation and he which is not come to that is not yet in the communiō of Saints Then secondly he must patiently beare them perseuere without grudging or repining then followes the last which is the end of all the enioying of the kingdome of heauen Which was in the I le called Pathmos In these words is the second circumstance namely the place where this vision was giuen to Iohn namely in the I le Pathmos an Iland and one of those which the Geographers call Sporades lying on the left side of the Churches of Asia neare to the East Churches by the sea commonly called the Egean sea this Iland was a small base and poore Iland litle or neuer a whit inhabited S. Iohn had his vision not at Ierusalem at Antioch or Rome but in Pathmos a base poore and litle inhabited Iland By which we see that in the new Testament there is no respect of one place aboue another in regard of Gods presence and our fellowship with him he doth as well giue Iohn this vision in Pathmos as to others his Prophets and Apostles in Ierusalem In the old Testament there was regard of places as the Lord shewed his presence and tyed his worship especially to his tabernacle and temple at Ierusalem there was the place where he would be worshipped which Daniel in his prophecy sheweth for being in captiuitie he in his chamber openeth the window which was towards the temple at Ierusalem But now in the new Testament that regard of place is abolished 1. Tim. 2. 8. Pray euery where lifting vp pure hands in regard of Gods worship and presence in all the duties of Religion we must do the like Then away with Popish pilgrimage to churches and chappels of Saints or to their reliques for this is meere superstition for God is present euery where and a man may haue fellowship with him in one place as wel as another Also this may serue to correct our false conceit we haue of our churches and chappels for we come into our common houses wherein we dwell and neuer humble our selues we thinke in these places we need not but if we come into the Church neuer so often we then fall downe and humble our hearts in prayer the reason is because we thinke that God is more present there and we should sooner be heard there then in our houses and that they be more holy But in the new Testament now all such diuersitie of place is abolished in regard of Gods seruice and presence Indeed Churches must be maintained because in them the people may more conueniently meete together to serue God but we must not think but that common houses are as holy as they for Gods seruice onely for decency sake when we that are many may assemble together in one place they be more holy then any dwelling house for that time when the word is preached and prayer made in them In this circumstance of place note two things first by what meanes S. Iohn came thither secondly to what end and for what cause First he came thither by banishment the Emperour Domitian exiled him secondly he came for the word of God He came and abode in Pathmos being banished for the Gospels sake In this banishment consider first that S. Iohn was a most worthy Apostle endued with rare gifts a singular maintainer of the Gospell and a famous founder of the Church of God and chiefe guide thereof in those dayes and for this cause most hated of the cruel persecutor Domitian of the Romanes yet whereas many other of the true Christians were put to the sword S. Iohn is not he escapeth and was banished The cause of this was Gods speciall prouidence by which he had reserued him for the benefit of the Church that he might receiue this reuelation and commit it to the Church to the perpetuall good of all his children And so though Domitian was a cruell tyrant yet he could not kill him but God ouer-ruled him that he did but banish him into this Iland wherein he receiued these visions and penned them for the good of the Church By this we see the great care and prouidence of God that he hath ouer his Church that he doth bridle and ouer-rule the minds and might of cruell Emperours that they cannot but do al that they do to the glory of God though they intend the contrary For Domitian intended only the hurt of Iohn yet see by his banishment into that I le he had fit place to receiue these visions for the good of the Church So in the death of Christ the Iewes and Gentiles and all men banded themselues together to put Christ to death and the diuell he laboured to stirre them on to practise their intended malice yet the prouidence of God directeth and ordereth this their malice and wicked practise to the redemption of mankind So Iosephs brethren intended no such deliuerāce as God wrought by him in selling their brother This consideration should comfort all Gods children c. When we are oppressed and persecuted by tyrants for Christs sake we must make no resistance offer no violence but suffer all things without resisting for the Christians weapons are onely prayers and teares and S. Iohn often in this booke addeth after the foretelling of persecution Here is the patience of Saints shewing that must be the complet armour against all out enemies Seeing he came into this Island not of his owne accord but by violence and constraint he thought it not a good and happy kind of life For if he had come into this place being litle or not inhabited he could not do this dutie of his Apostleship he could not haue founded the Church This then confuteth the Monkish life which is no life of holy perfection as they call it but
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
to allow of those bookes for canonical which are not and to make them as pure Scripture which are onely Apocrypha And thou hast suffered In the former words were the first part namely of her seueritie for which Christ commended the church of Ephesus now followeth the second part which is after their discouery to oppose her self against false apostles how it will appeare in the particulars First of the words Thou hast suffered or as well thou hast borne as a burthen for the word signifieth to be pressed down vnder a great burden These burdens were troubles which these false apostles caused after they were discouered first open iniuries and persecutions secondly the spreading of damnable and hereticall doctrines The Ecclesiasticall histories report that these false apostles were such as Cerinthus Ebeon Marcion and such like Now in these words we note it is the will of God that euen the best church shall be troubled by false Apostles teaching hereticall doctrine and persecuting the church of God and so become great burdens to the church and that the Lord suffers for weightie causes first these false apostles must be that the beleeuers and true imbracers of the Gospel might be stirred vp more to embrace and loue the same as Iude exhorts the true beleeuers To fight for their common faith and the more religion is oppressed the more we should labour to maintaine it Secondly that professors might be proued and tried whether they be true and sound or not 1. Cor. 11. 19. There must be heresies c. Thirdly that God may exercise his indgements on the wicked and hypocrites for they be giuen vp to beleeue lies to receiue their false doctrine 2. Thess. 2. 11. Seeing the Lord suffereth his best churches to be troubled with false Apostles and that for most weightie causes we must not be offended because we see dissensions and scismes in the church which proceed not by reason of the Gospell but from wicked erronious and hereticall men for the Lord will haue such to liue in his church to make his owne seruants to loue him more to trie who be sound professors and to bring iudgement on the wicked these should not make vs discouraged but more to loue and embrace the Gospell Now after the dealing of these false apostles is set downe the dealing of the church of Ephesus against them in all things opposing her selfe against them Thou hast suffered and hast patience That is thou hast borne a burden by manifold troubles and persecutions and hast patience to beare them Obiect But how can troubles persecutions and patience stand together for troubles are against mens nature and makes them fret and be impatient against God man Ans. These stand together not by nature but by grace Rom. 5. 4. Tribulation brings patience And they stand thus together to him which truly beleeueth in Christ God giueth the spirit of meeknes sheds his loue in his heart so in the midst of trouble giues him a speciall tast of his mercie And thus in the time of trouble they which be most troubled are withal most patient so trouble and patience may be together And hast patience Here is the first way by which the church of Ephesus opposed her self against false apostles and their dealings which were double first iniuries and persecutions secondly false doctrines heretical and damnable teaching Now by patience she opposed her selfe to both these So the onely way to oppose our selues against persecutors such as iniury or wrong vs is patience whereby we stop their mouthes and if it be possible ouercome and winne them to Christ. This should be our meanes to oppose our selues against wicked men as well in life and maners as in iudgement and doctrine not to returne iniury for iniurie and wrong for wrong but to haue patience not that we should beare their sinnes but their wrongs And for my names sake hast laboured Here is the second meanes how she opposed her selfe against their spreading of damnable and hereticall doctrine which is the second way how they were a burden to her Hast laboured that is taken much paines for my name that is my glory and the Gospell of Christ for maintaining my glory and true Religon thou hast taken as great paines as they did to broach heresies and so thou hast opposed thy selfe against them Here then is our second way to oppose our selues against damnable heresies of wicked men we must labour to haue the true word of God to maintaine the glory of God and true Religion Is this so Then euery man shall labour for the name and Religion of Christ both minister and people for this labour is double partly of the minister partly of the people Concerning ministers the ministers first labour must be by studying and reading the word to furnish himselfe with sufficient knowledge in the foundation and substance of the Gospel of Christ. And for this cause S. Iohn Reuelation 11. must eate the booke that is by study meditation haue it in his hart and mind to digest it wel Psal. 2. 7. the Priests lips must preserue knowledge and the people must seeke it at his mouth Secondly he must deliuer the whole counsell of God concerning the matter of saluation to the people and the whole doctrine of the Gospell contained in the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles So did Paul Act. 20. He kept nothing backe but deliuered the whole counsell of God Thirdly he must be able to discouer and labour to discerne false teachers to the people not onely to know them but make the church to know them Tit. 1. he must conuince false teachers and then discerne and discouer them which he shall do by two things first by conuincing and discrying their erronious doctrine secondly by reprouing their wicked life So Christ noteth the erronious doctrine of the Scribes and Pharises in their misinterpreting the law secondly their hypocriticall life So Paul in all his Epistles noteth wicked mens errours and then their bad life Fourthly he must labour that the doctrine deliuered out of the Gospell may edifie and take fruite in mens hearts which is the end of all preaching and teaching 1. Cor. 14. Fifthly he must labour to be a patterne and president in his owne person of that doctrine which he teacheth that so they may haue his example to follow which is an excellent meanes to make them obey the word and the neglect of it is the cause why many contemne the word Sixthly he must make petition to God that his particular church may hold receiue obey that doctrine he deliuereth So Paul in all his Epistles praies for them that they may receiue his doctrine Now as the minister so the people also must labour for the name of Christ euery true member of the church must labour to know vnderstand that doctrine which is deliuered out of the word Christ bids vs beleeue the Gospel and repent therfore we must first know
vp to the third heauen 2. Cor. 12. It is called Paradise because it is a place of pleasure for so the word signifieth Of God that is most excellent and most infinite For so Gen. 30. 8. Rahell wrestled with Leah with wrestlings of God that is excellent or great wrestlings So in the Psalmes to shew how huge and high the hilles were Dauid calleth them the hilles of God the mountaines of God that is excellent or huge mountaines So here he calleth it the paradise of God to shew it is a place most excellent full of pleasure and ioy This place is set out at large Reu. 22. Then seeing this is so excellent a place we should labour aboue all things to come thither to weane our minds from earthly paradise which is but a prison and lift our heads vp to heauen set our hearts and minds on things aboue Phil. 3. Vers. 8. And to the Angell of the Church of Smyrna write From this eighth verse to the twelfth is the second Epistle or letter to another Church of Asia namely to the Church of Smyrna And before this second Epistle is a second particular commandement to Iohn for the writing of it in these words And to the Angell of the Church of Smyrna write which particular commaundement is prefixed before the Epistle to assure them and euery Church that S. Iohn had sufficient calling to write the same and that he did it not of himselfe And so should all they which come to speake or write the word of God haue a sufficient calling that so the Church may receiue their doctrine and without doubt beleeue the same as the true word of God So the Ministers of the Gospell must haue their calling for if the Apostles of Christ which were of more excellent gifts had it then such which be but ordinarie men This commandement and the meaning of it is in the first verse of this Chapter After the particular commandement is the Epistle it selfe standing of three parts first a Preface secondly a Proposition thirdly a Conclusion The preface or entrance is in the eighth verse and containeth a preparation to the matter of the Epistle to be deliuered In the preface he sheweth in whose name it is to be deliuered namely in Christs He which is and was which is the first and last This he doth for two causes first to stirre the Church of Smyrna to a religious care and receiuing of the same as the pure word of God secondly because no commaundement concerning religion and Gods seruice is to be propounded in the name of any creature but onely in the name of God and Christ. Now this Epistle being concerning religion and Gods worship he propoundeth it in Christ his name alone And Christ in this preface is described by two notable arguments first that he is first and last secondly that he was dead but is aliue but these words are expounded in the first Chapter where he saith he is first and last that is he is euerlasting God which hath neither beginning nor end afore all creatures after all He was dead but now liueth that is being God tooke vpon him our nature became subiect to death and rose to giue euerlasting life to vs. In which words note two points of doctrine first that Christ is a person consisting of two natures namely his Godhead and manhood for as he is said to be first and last he must be God and as he was dead but now is aliue he is man and as the bodie and soule make one man so the Godhead and manhood of Christ concurre to make one Christ. The second point of doctrine is a comfort or the foundation of all ioy and comfort to the Church of God first that he is God ergo he is able secondly he is man ergo he is willing to helpe to deliuer his Church from all miseries or else ease them for he is first and last ergo true God ergo able to helpe Secondly he was dead but liueth therefore willing seeing he came to take our nature vpon him to be subiect to death and to rise againe to giue to vs eternall life So then this is the scope and end of these words to comfort the Church in miserie and hence is the very fountaine of all comfort in this life If the Lord lay any crosse on thee as persecution tribulation miserie or calamitie then consider these two things Christ is God able to helpe he is man willing to deliuer thee And this may be a proppe to stay and hold vs vp that we sinke not in persecutions or crosses I know thy works After the Preface followeth the Epistle it selfe containing the matter and contents to be deliuered to the Church of Smyrna in the ninth and tenth verses The Epistle hath two parts first a commendation of the Church secondly counsell for her concerning time to come The commendation is in the ninth verse I know thy workes In these words as there is a commendation of her there is also a comfort for he doth not onely commend her but comfort her being in miserie I know thy workes We heard these words before expounded I know that is I see thy workes wayes dealing the course and tenour of thy life I know and approue of the same it liketh and pleaseth me well In that Christ saith he knoweth her workes here is a notable propertie of Christ that he seeth all Churches he beholdeth all mens actions he seeth their words workes affections and actions As he spake to the Church of Ephesus before so now to the Church of Smyrna to shew them that he is alwaies present in the midst of the Church he seeth and beholdeth all her dealings And this consideration is most necessarie and the ground of all grace and religion when a man is perswaded that Christ seeth his heart heareth euery word beholdeth all his actions and marketh all his words Dauid 139. Psalme The Lord beholdeth all my secrets there is not a word in my toung but he knoweth it So should we perswade our selues and this would make vs make conscience of all our words our thoughts our actions of all we do or say nay where this is wanting there is no true grace no faith no conscience for if a man were perswaded that Christ seeth his workes beholds and markes them he durst not for his life sinne as he doth And thy tribulation Here he ioynes workes and tribulation together where we may gather that tribulation must needs go with workes and with the grace of God where grace is there must be tribulations where God giueth grace he addeth tribulation first to humble them secondly to trie them thirdly to preuent other sinnes which they should else commit I know thy tribulation This then is added to comfort the Church as if he should say It is true thou art in tribulation but it comes not by chance but from God my father I know it I see and behold it and haue care of
he which receiues it for no man can know or discerne it then men must not thinke strange though be be not called by this new name The world knoweth vs not 1. Iohn 3. 1. Now in that he which hath this new name knowes it and seeth that he is the child of God and fellow-heire with Christ that he is called iustified sanctified and that none knowes it but he which hath receiued it This cōfutes the Papists who say they know it but not certainly but in hope and by coniecture and probabilitie But we see he knowes it certainly infallibly without doubt for he knowes it better then any other other men know it by coniecture but he knoweth it certainly No man knowes this new name so certainly infallibly and frō within as he which receiues the same for no man can determine of the faith adoption or calling of any but himself for that is proper to God to search the heart This must stay our censure and iudgement to iudge men to be hypocrites to condemne either the better or bad sort of men for we know not a mans heart his faith is but knowne to God and himselfe Obiect How farre may we iudge of anothers state of saluation Answ. We iudge of another mans estate either certainly or not certainly as when one iudgeth and sets downe certainly and resolutely that such men are elected to saluation without all doubt but this is proper to God no man can know the spirit of man but God and the man himself and so farre as it pleaseth him to reueale the same to some of his children as to Dauid he reuealed the damnation and reiection of some for which cause he prayeth for their destruction Now besides this there is the iudgement of charitie when we iudge of another as charitie moueth vs now charitie maketh a man iudge the best This charitie hath two parts first it is not to despaire secondly it is to iudge of a mans saluation vndoubtedly to be perswaded of it certainly We must not despaire though we see men liue in sin And we must iudge certainly of mens saluation and without doubt that they be called effectually in that they testifie their faith by their obedience not that we can set down certainly but we must in charitie iudge so of them And this is charitie in the highest degree when we iudge that such a one is the child of God by the fruites of his faith Here again they of the Church of Rome are deceiued making the Church to haue this note and property to be visible but not visibilitie but election adoption and faith are the principall markes of the Church Now these cannot be seene onely the fruites of them may And to the Angell Here beginneth the fourth particular Epistle The end scope of these words is to certifie the church of Thyatyra that Iohn had a speciall commandement and calling from God first to write this Epistle secondly to certifie all Churches to the end of the world that he had a commandement and calling from God to write not onely this Epistle but this whole booke and for that cause this is seuen times repeated To the Angell c. The Epistle beginneth here These things write c. and continueth almost to the end of this Chapter in it note three parts first a Preface secondly a Proposition thirdly a Conclusion The preface or entrance in the eighteenth verse all which were in the former Chapter verses 5. 14. 15. These things saith In the preface note first in whose name it is written namely in the name of Christ. The cause why his name is in the Preface is set downe before Christ is described by three arguments first he is the Son of God secondly his eyes are like a flame of fire thirdly his feet like fine brasse Christ is here said to be the Son of God In the former Chapter he was called the sonne of man here the Sonne of God By God he meaneth not the Godhead as it is absolutely or common to all the three persons but by it is meant the Father who when he is conferred with any person in the Trinitie is called God not that he is more God then the Sonne and holy Ghost or that they be not equall but for order in that he is the first person frō him the Godhead is cōmunicated to the Sonne and holy Ghost How Christ is called the Sonne of God we may know by these two rules first Christ is the Sonne of the Father not in respect of his Godhead or as he is God but in respect of his person and in respect of his person he is begotten of the Father before all worlds For the Godhead of Christ the Sonne is not begotten or begetteth not nor proceedeth but he hath one and the same Godhead with the Father therefore it no more begetteth or is begotten or proceeding then his The second rule Christ is the Sonne of the Father not by creation as the Angels and Adam nor by grace as true beleeuers in Christ but by nature in that he is begotten of the substance of the Father before all worlds Because the Father cōmunicated to him from himself his whole Godhead and nature and by this communication of the Godhead to his Son wholly he is said to beget the Sonne and he is said to be begotten of the Father The end why Christ is called the Sonne of God is namely to stirre vp in this Church of Thyatira care and diligence reuerence and attention in marking and obeying the things of this Epistle seeing that he which teacheth them is the Sonne of God teaching vs in their example when we heare the word read or preached we must haue attention diligent care and feare seeing it is the Sonne of God which speaketh to vs. When Pilate was condemning Christ and heard he was the Sonne of God he was affraid Shall an heathen man which knew not God feare to heare of Christ the Son of God and shall not we tremble to heare him speake to vs himselfe At the voice of Christ the mountaines melted and the rockes claue asunder and shall not our stonie and rockie hearts tremble to heare him speake to vs out of his word His eyes were like a flame of fire We must not take these words literally but as in the former Chapter for Christ is set out as he appeared in vision to Iohn By his fierie eye is meant first that in him is infinite wisedome he seeth all things he knoweth by his fierie and piercing eye all things present past and to come Secondly it signifieth his vigilancie and watchfulnesse ouer his Church and euery particular member of the same for these two ends first to preserue and protect his own children secondly to take reuenge and punishment on his enemies Thirdly by his fierie eye is signified his anger against sinnes and sinners Christ is said to haue fierie eyes to teach vs that he can discerne secret and hidden
things and to true obedience Psal. 119. Dauid saith I haue inclined my heart euen my dead heart and put life into it and so we must put life into our benummed soules and often call on them which are halfe dead But we commonly stand still seeke not to grow but stand at a stay Christ by these words would signifie that some be dead other graces be readie to die whence we haue answer to that question whether grace may be vtterly lost We say some graces may othersome cannot be lost but sore decayed and diminished For Gods graces are of two sorts some necessarie to saluation as faith and regeneration some are lesse necessarie which go not with sauing faith as sensible and full feeling of Gods fauour ioy in the holy Ghost earnest inuocation on Gods name Now these may be separated from faith and be wholy lost in the seruants of God for a time the other cannot though they may be sore diminished nay faith and regeneration considered in thēselues may be lost wholy for nothing is vnchangeable in it owne nature but God The grace by which the elect Angels stand is in it selfe chaungeable and these would perish and come to nothing vnlesse they were continually preserued kept and confirmed in vs and them If this be so why then do not the elect fall away Ans. Not because they haue faith and regeneration or that they be in themselues vnchangeable but because of Gods promises as Mat. 16. Christ saith that the gates of hell though they shew their violence shall not preuaile against Peters faith so that these graces are eternall not of thēselues but by Gods promise which will preserue them to the end Now seeing grace may be lost we must not be too confident if we haue any grace in vs but worke out our saluation with feare and trembling for they may come to that ebbe that they may be at the point of death Now followeth the reason of the remedie For I haue not found c. therefore watch and seeke to restore thy decayed graces I haue not found Here Christ signifieth that he made a search in this Church and that to reward them either with life or death And so this was the practise of Christ when he came to Sodom he went downe to search it So Gen. 11. the Lord came downe to see Babel the like is Ierem. 9. And the Lord he visiteth that is he enquireth of the sinnes of the fathers in the children and if he find them he punisheth them in the children And alwaies Christ first maketh inquirie and after search made he rewardeth accordingly The like will Christ do with vs therefore we must labour to be such as he may approue of If a Magistrate were to search our houses we would see that nothing should be amisse how much more when Christ the heauenly Prince which searcheth the heart and cannot be deceiued cometh to search vs that he may approue of vs and reward vs But found thee not perfect There is a twofold perfection one of the law another of the Gospell Of the law when we satisfie the whole law of the Gospell when our workes done proceed from a beleeuing heart which is carefull to please God in all things Now though no worke of man be perfect yet those workes coming from a heart full of faith are perfect in Christ God accepting the will and indeuour for the deed through Christ. Christ he searched and found in this church many goodly works in shew only for they were full of hypocrisie made shew of godlinesse but wanted the power thereof neither did they come from an heart full of faith or that indeuoured to please God not to sinne in any thing therefore they were not perfect and pleasing to God In that this church is reproued not for want of workes and those faire in shew but because they proceeded not from a beleeuing and honest heart learne to pray as Dauid Psal. 119. 80. Lord let my heart be vpright let me giue all diligence to please thee in al things This is a great comfort when one can say in his conscience My heart is vpright but hypocrisie is the killing of the soule Before God Christ seemeth to distinguish himselfe from God But he speaketh not of God simply but of the Father and of himselfe as he is the Mediator and so is inferiour to the Father though he be now in glorie Now seeing he is in heauen and in glorie there yet carieth himselfe as Mediator we may pray to him without helpe of Angell or Saint and it is no presumption seeing he is still by his owne confession Mediator and so carieth himselfe toward vs. Remember Here after the remedie Christ as a good Pastour of the soule sheweth how to vse the same namely first remember secondly hold fast thirdly repent In practising of which three standeth the remedie of hypocrisie Remember that is call to mind the doctrine of saluation taught by my Apostles This remembrance is a most excellent dutie and bringeth with it many graces as subiection to Gods will repentance c. Psal. 73. Dauid seeing the prosperitie of the wicked had almost slipt and was sore tempted he could not be rid of his temptation till he went into the sanctuarie of God that is till he knew the word of God Psal. 119. 55. He kept the commaundement of God because he remembred his name in the night season Peter remembred Christs words and so repented at the crowing of a cocke Luk. 23. And indeed the cause of all sinne is forgetfulnesse of the word of God Therefore Heb. 6. euery sinne is called ignorance because we commit sinne not remembring and knowing Gods word and if we could keep in liuely memorie the word of God it were not possible that we should sin as we do Then it is a most excellent meanes to cut off sinne to haue the word of God running in our minds forbidding sinne in vs. And the Diuell he laboureth aboue all things to make vs forget the word for then he can draw vs easily to sinne Now that we may haue the word continually in memorie we must labour to haue our hearts affected with the same for we cannot remember more then we like and affect Then we must beleeue it else we cannot remember for that we beleeue not slippeth soone out of our memorie And the cause why so few remember the word is because they be not affected and delighted with it nor beleeue it That thou hast heard and receiued That is that doctrine which by hearing and receiuing thou hast learned Seeing he puts hearing and receiuing together we gather that this is the ordinary meanes of saluation to heare and receiue the word preached Then God calleth not all men in all times seeing men in all ages haue not heard the word neither receiued it and if they haue not heard the doctrine of saluation by Christ in all ages they could not be called for first they
c. Here we must remember that Ministers are either certaine or vncertaine of mens repentance being certaine they must remit sinnes certainely and simply but being vncertaine they must do it with condition and so they must simply or with condition remit and retaine sinnes Then in the publike handling of the word men must pronounce with conditiō seeing they be vncertaine who are penitent who not Their auditors are a mixt companie some beleeue and some do not beleeue Lydiaes heart is opened Simon Magus is hardened The second power of the keyes is spirituall iurisdiction it is called spirituall to distinguish it from mens and ciuill iurisdiction of the Magistrate It is set downe and confirmed by Christ Mat. 18. 16 17 18. and after the promise is added vers 19. 20. This spirituall iurisdiction is a power wherby the Church pronounceth sentence vpon an obstinate sinner and putteth the same sentence in execution It hath two parts Excommunication and absolution Excommunication is an action of the church in the name of Christ excluding an obstinate offender frō the outward priuiledges of the church and the kingdome of heauen That so much is in true excommunication we see 1. Cor. 5. the incestuous person must be excluded from the church and be thrust out into the kingdome and regiment of Satan and his body some way afflicted Math. 18. 17. if the offender will not repent being excommunicate he must be as a prophane man euen one which hath no title to the kingdome of heauen But some may say Christ onely can thrust them out of the kingdome of heauen It is true indeed so he doth properly yet the church pronounceth who be receiued and who refused as that an obstinate sinner is shut out of the church and withall shut from the kingdome of heauen she can debarre him of the outward priuiledges of the church 1. Cor. 6. the drunkard which liueth in drunkennesse shall not come to heauen vpon which ground the church shuts him out by her sentence euē out of the kingdom of God Christ. Ob. If this be so thē the true child of God may be shut out seeing he may fall to such sins Ans. He may in part and for a time not wholly and for euer because he may be ouertaken often but yet as a free citizen is known to be a free-man though he be in prison for a time and so hath no vse of his freedome so the child of God though in part for a time he be shut out hauing no vse of the kingdome of heauen yet wholly and for euer he is not but so soone as he begins to repent he shal be receiued againe Excommunication being so weightie a matter it must be vsed with great aduice and due preparation as we would when we cut off a leg or an arme not rashly for then we sin against the third commaundement seeing it is one of Gods speciall ordinances which we abuse whē it is executed for each smal offence This excōmunication hath one especial degree as 1. Cor. 16. 22. he which loueth not Christ let him be anathema that is accursed and wholly shut from the kingdome of heauen And this is onely pronounced vpon one which sinneth against the holy Ghost and then the church vpon sufficient ground may pronounce it But it is very hard to discerne this sin being more in the heart then any where else for it is a set malice against the person of Christ and that vpon knowledge Now contrary to excommunication is absolution when an offender vpon his sufficient repentance is approoued to be a member of the church and of Christ first Christ must receiue him then the church vpon his repentance pronounceth and declareth him to be receiued Further to know the power of the keyes we must know foure abuses crept in the vse of the power of them the first abuse was in former ages in that they gaue them onely to Peters person barred al other Pastors from them wheras they belong to al Pastors in their places as well as Peter Ob. Mat. 16. 19. Christ saith I will giue to thee Peter Ans. But before he spake to all the Disciples and Peter he being more bold and indued with aptnes answered in steed of all not that the rest did not answer but to auoid confusion he spake for them all ergo Christ speakes to him in stead of them al. Secondly Iohn 20. 23. he giues it to them al not to Peter alone And Ministers haue that power conueyed from the Apostles by vertue of Christs promise Mat. 28. he will be with them not onely in their persons but in them which followed to the end of the world to them I say which should preach and baptise as they did The second abuse is that the church of Rome hath turned the power of the keyes into the supremacie of the church for they make it a supremacie ouer al Princes and churches whereby they put vp and pul downe Kings and make lawes to bind all mens consciences For it is a seruice and no supremacy The third abuse is that they will haue onely the Clergie and not the Prince to deale in matters of religion but we reade the contrary in Gods word Iosias 2. Chron. 35. 32. he intends to banish idolatrie and to set vp the true worship of God and therefore causeth the people of Beniamin and Iudah to stand to his couenant his subiects to obey his intent and this is commended in him But they say that Princes haue not the chiefest power to gouerne because Pastors haue the power of the keyes Answ. Spirituall power is giuen to the Pastors to rule the church spiritually yet Princes haue power to rule the church ciuilly to cause their subiects to embrace true religion and to forsake idolatrie but then say some they should be vnder the Pastors Answ. If we consider the Pastors person and goods they be vnder the Princes but as they beare the key of Christ and his word the King must honour them for they stand in the stead of Christ but to make the Pastor aboue the Prince is a ready way to get all into his hand and a great abuse in the church of God The fourth abuse is that the Romish church hath turned the power of the keys into the hands of their Priests in the sacramēt of penance for euery Popish priest sits as iudge and euery man cometh to him kneeleth to him confesseth all his sinnes he can remember against euery commandement he inioyneth him to bewaile them and after some signes of repentance he forgiueth the fault and that properly as God doth yet after pardon he must vndergo some temporall punishment for he forgiueth the fault only not the punishment In which abuse note these errors First there is confession of all sinnes which hath no warrant in the word secondly he giuing absolution properly as God doth robbeth Christ of his honor for euē the Pharises confessed that God alone forgiueth sinnes
thing to come namely an houre of temptation Here Christ foretelleth a thing not present but to come though not known to the Church and that without the helpe of any creature man or Angel which prophecying of this persecution vnder Traian sheweth that he is true God for it is a propertie and priuiledge of God simply of by and from himselfe without helpe of any creature foreseeing of things in their courses to foretell a thing to come Men cannot foretell any thing vnlesse it be present in the causes not simply Then here we must know the cause why this persecution came to them rather then peace and why Christ foretold it rather than peace The cause why Christ saith this houre of temptation shall come is not any foreknowledge of Christ or because he foretelleth it for things come to passe not because God foretelleth and knoweth them but because they be to come to passe therefore he foreseeth them and foreknoweth them The cause then why things come to passe is the will good pleasure decree of God Act. 2. 23. Christ was put to death by the eternall counsell and decree of God so it was Gods will and pleasure not his foreknowledge or foreseeing that this persecution came on this church and the decree of God in the effecting of all things is the highest cause by which all things come to passe and that giueth being to al other causes Obiect Then God is the author of sin Answ. As Gods will and decree in the effecting of things is in the highest place so must we distinguish of the things he willeth for he willeth some things which he effecteth himselfe as all good things some things he willeth and yet doth not effect them but onely permits them to be done by other as sin and euill things which though they come not from his will yet they be according to his will not against his will for his will disposeth of sin and euill things and in all things good or euill his will disposeth and setteth downe the causes and circumstances of place time maner how the end c. Then their opinion is false which hold that certaine things as sin come to passe God onely foreseeing them not decreeing them to come to passe or permitting them Now to giue God a bare foreseeing without decreeing is to rob him of his Godhead and to take from him his prouidence by which he disposeth of all things seeing euery thing which is done cometh to passe by his will and decree he either decreeing and effecting it as all good things or permitting it as euill things The end why Christ alleageth this prophecie is to expound the former words namely why he called the time of persecution a temptation because it should certainly come to trie the whole earth Where we may note the propertie of any affliction persecution or crosse namely to trie a man to discrie what is in his heart whether there be grace and feare of God or hypocrisie And for this end is the crosse sent to men to make knowne either their faith or hypocrisie And there is nothing better to trie the heart of man then temptation and afflictiō and then though thy heart was full of presumption before thou maist know what is in thee and iudge of thy selfe Verse 11. Behold I come shortly Here is Christs commaundement in it note first the occasion it selfe secondly the reason to inforce it The commaundement Hold fast namely with both hands as for life and death If thou haue receiued a litle measure of grace rather part with any thing then with it keepe it and preserue it till death but of this before The reasons to inforce this commaundement are two one before the other after The first Behold I come shortly I wil come to thee shortly either by generall iudgement or else by particular iudgement by death Now before it Christ puts a word of attentiō to shew that this cōmandement is not to be lightly passed ouer of vs but to be earnestly and often remembred Now seeing Christ teacheth vs that he will come shortly to vs in iudgement general or particular we must beleeue him and often haue it in memory that Christ is not far off but wil come to vs shortly to shew our estate either in heauen or hell Then we must beleeue it haue it written in our hearts and in our memories and not flatter our selues we must not say that Christ will deferre his coming he teacheth vs that he is at the doore he cometh shortly either by generall iudgement of all men or particular iudgement to vs. Then happy were we if we could as that auncient father did thinke we heare his trumpet sound continually in our cares and thinke in our hearts and remember this that Christ wil not be long but will come very shortly And indeed the cause why men liue in sin neuer call themselues to an account is because men beleeue not and haue not learned this lesson that Christ wil thus come shortly If mē were thus perswaded in hart Christ will come to me shortly to iudge me giue me my reward in heauen or hell surely if they belonged to God it would make them turne to him from their sinnes and breake off their wicked life nay though a man were most desperate yet this wold make him tremble to thinke how Christ will come shortly to iudge him yea it wold make mē if they had any spark of grace to labor to get faith and a good conscience Seeing thē Christ is to come to iudge them shortly who would not repent who would not leaue his sins and turne to Christ vnlesse he will cast his soule away Then this is our duty to labour to get faith and a good conscience to iudge our selues that we may preuent Christs iudgement Againe this very consideration will make a man constant in all Christian duties and lastly it wil comfort such as be in affliction for they may be sure their affliction shall not last alway for Christ will come to iudgement shortly and he will free them from all their crosses and he will ere it be long giue them deliuerance Now followeth the reason after the commaundement That no man take thy crowne from thee that is the crowne of glorie word to vse his Sacraments reuerently else he will take them from vs put off our crowne and make vs a barbarous and brutish people giuen to all idolatrie O then let vs hold these fast with both hands let all go honour riches preferment pleasures and our owne life ere we loose our glorious crowne of the Gospell of Christ for if we wil not hold it fast he will giue it to a nation which though now we cōtemne yet they shall scorn hisse at vs. And now that we heare of warres and inuasions let these put vs in mind of greater iudgement and assure vs that if we make not more accompt of the word and Sacraments and not only professe
yea though they preach it oftentimes But they must looke that they do it not for ease but for the good of the Church And therefore the hearers hearing the Minister repeate the same doctrine ought not curiously to reprehend him for then they may as well reprehend Christ himselfe as before I haue shewed Here then is a dutie commaunded namely to heare this hearing is the good learning that bringeth true faith saluation and sincere obedience with it But to whom is this commandement giuen To hearing hearers and to such as do not onely receiue the word of God with their outward eares but with the eare that is in the heart Hence we learne first that God doth not giue to all men grace to heare his word to their saluation Secondly that we must so heare that thereby we may be conuerted and changed But what is to be said namely what the spirit teacheth to the Churches That we might heare attentiuely he vseth a double reason one drawne from the speaker another from the auditors to wit the Churches But I haue spoken of these before And to the Angell of the Church of the Laodiceans write c. As before all the other Epistles so before this last Epistle there is a commandement giuen to Iohn to write it And the Epistle hath three parts as the former had first a Preface secondly the matter thirdly a conclusion First of the Preface wherin Christ is described in whose name it was penned by two arguments First by his name and title Amen a faithfull witnesse Secondly by his priuiledge and propertie the beginning of the cratures Amen is an Aduerb of affirmation or asseueration signifying truly verily certainly The reason why he is so called is rendred in the words that follow which are a commentary and full exposition of this The faithfull witnesse c. So that to this end he is called Amen to shew that he is a true and faithfull witnesse See chap. 1. 5. there I expound it And here I will repeate the heads onely of that exposition He is called a witnesse betweene God the father and vs because he doth not onely reueale the fathers will to vs but sealed it with his blood and giueth vs many testimonies inward and outward but of all testimonies that of the Scripture is most certaine And for these three respects he is thus termed first because he doth reueale it and seale it and ratifie it by inward and outward testimonies secondly because he wold accomplish his fathers wil. 2. Cor. 1. 20. All the promises of God are in him yea and Amen that is most certaine and therefore he is a witnesse yea a faithfull witnesse Thirdly he is called a true witnesse because he speaketh the truth that which he reuealeth from his father is the will of his father who is truth it selfe he saith as the thing is without error or falshood nay his will is the rule of all truth This is the meaning of the first argument Now the vse and the end why here Christ is so called if we do but reade the Epistle and marke the contents we may guesse probably at the end which is that he might shew himselfe an example to the Angell of that Church who was slacke and negligent in his ministery therfore Christ instructs him how to cary himself without respect of persons teaching the word of God truly and faithfully See chap. 1. 5. And not only to the Angel but to all the Church yea to all Christians he propounds himselfe an example of two worthy vertues faith and truth he would haue all to be true and faithfull in their life and conuersation euen as he is This faith is a vertue whereby a mans word becometh as sure as an obligation as we vse to speake whereby we make good all our words othes and promises Truth is that whereby a man without lying deceit or fraud speaketh the truth from his heart that I say which is necessary to be knowne for his owne and others good and for the glory of God Set we this example before our eyes and as Christ is a true and faithfull witnesse so let vs be carefull to shew our selues true in all our words and speeches and to be faithfull in all our promises These be excellent graces in Christ and fruites of the spirit in Christians therefore let vs be knowne by these to be like Christ. The second end of this title is to induce this Church to apply it selfe to the word of God effectually for it was faultie in this point therfore that he might bring them to this he saith that he is a faithfull witnesse How should they do this Thus consider in the word the law and the Gospell the commaundements promises and threatnings and apply them particularly euery man to himselfe the commandements to know sinne the threatnings to humble vs and that we may be touched in conscience and made fit to receiue Gods grace see an example of it Luke 15. in the prodigall son I haue sinned and am not worthy c. So Daniel and Ezra humbled themselues No man can truly be humbled till he make this particular application of the word which he readeth and heareth Now the Gospell also must be thus applied we are bound to beleeue the promises of life eternal not onely that they are true but to apply them to our selues The Gospell requireth a further thing which is the foundation of the church for proofe see Phil. 3. 7 8 9 10 11. The summe is this he esteemes all things losse in regard of Christ and desires the righteousnes which is by faith in Christ and to know the vertue of Christs resurrection Now marke the fifteenth verse let so many as be perfect be thus minded teaching euery one of vs our dutie to apply Christ to our owne person Thus are we bound in conscience to apply the Gospell to our selues and whosoeuer doth not so he makes God a lier as much as in him lieth 1. Iohn 5. And this is the principall end and reason why Christ calleth himselfe so that men might not onely beleeue the word in general but apply it in particular to themselues The not doing of this is the cause of negligence in religon of so many luke-warme Christians and professors Therefore let vs all learne this dutie It is not enough to know the word no nor to be able to teach it but aboue al things to lay it to the conscience to apply it that we may be truly humbled and turne to God therefore iustifying faith is that which applieth in particular Now the second title of Christ is the beginning of all creatures Col. 1. 16. By him all things were created in heauen and earth therefore in regard of creation he is so called Yet I doubt not but there is a further cause why he is so called here namely because he is the beginning of the new creatures as Ephes. 1. 10. where it is said we are Gods workmanship created
The Papist though he seeme to make a great shew of loue to Christ yet he performeth no such thing for he parteth stakes with Christ and maketh himselfe to be his owne sauiour so that howsoeuer he pretend to be a most zealous Catholike yet he hath no true grace 2 The Temporizer he which altereth his religion as times alter And such is the bodie of our people and they are not ashamed to confesse it that they will follow the Prince and change their religiō with the time And this sheweth what men will do if Poperie come againe they may say they are good Christians but they shew themselues plaine Laodiceans 3 All such as follow Nicodemus that is which loue Christ but dare not come to him by day light such as thinke they may heare Masse and yet keepe their conscience to themselues halting betwixt God and Baal 4 Such as are mediators and pacificators and would make an vnion betweene vs and the Papists being perswaded that our religion and the Papists are all one in effect for the matter and substance of it and that all the difference is only in circumstance so they write and defend their opinion but let them pretend what they will zeale of Gods glorie or whatsoeuer be it neuer so much they are but Laodiceans A fift fort there is and who are they Luk. 16. Such as serue God and Mammon And where are they nay where are they not Lamentable is out time wherein men will needes be professors and yet how is all their time spent vpon care for this world The greatest part of their life and time is bestowed on that there is all their ioy care desire labour and studie let them say what they will so long as their care and studie is spent vpon Mammon they are very Laodiceans And such are the most part of our hearers they draw neare God with their lippes but their hearts are vpon their goods the whole heart is set vpon the world and the whole time of their liues is spent in this Who they are your owne consciences will tell you they are indeed Christians professors but lukewarme and worse then Christs enemies 6 They that heare the word and like it but in their liues giue themselues to sinnes blasphemie drunkennesse fornication oppression vsurie some to this vice some to that And euen in this very ranck I place those which professe religion but yet delight in the fond and irreligious fashions of the world vsing the new strange and monstrous fashions of apparell they spend so much time vpon their bodies that the soule goeth naked The world aboundeth with such now yong and old It is strange to see how absurd men are beyond all common reason in apparelling themselues so fondly whereas their garments shold put them in mind of their owne shame and nakednesse be no cause of glorying in them And the modest garments should shew the vertues of the mind now what do they else but shew the vanities and vices of our minds Now shall we excuse our selues though we be none of these not intangled with the sinnes of the world No we cannot We shall find wants of the feare of God of hatred of sinne of the reuerend regard and estimation of the Gospel which we ought to haue so as no man can say he is free from this nay euery man euen he that hath best grace shall feele in himselfe want of care and loue to God and his word Therefore we must with Iob lay our hands vpon our mouthes and say we are vile Well this being so now consider the iudgement threatened lay it before your eyes marke the end and recompence Christ will spue such out of his mouth that is cast them from God from Christ and his Church This threatning pertaineth to this age and therefore we must tremble and be ashamed and repent of this sinne left ere long we be spued out of his mouth Thus much of the examination of this sinne Now of the amendement of it Where note first the fault secondly the greatnesse of it thirdly the punishment that is a separation from the Church Now I will proceed further to shew that euen among vs as well as in other places this sinne is to be found that euery one may be the better acquainted with his owne state And this appeareth by diuerse signes First by common neglect of the duties of Religion which is manifested diuerse waies first though we come often and greedily to the Church yet very few profit in knowledge and fewer in amendement of life and many that profit in knowledge something do thriue in obedience litle or nothing at all How true this is I appeale to euery mans conscience This is an euident argument of great negligence in all sorts Take the bodies of our congregations they be as ignorant as any I know there be some which profit both in knowledge and practise but I speake of the greatest part Experience in diuerse occasions maketh this manifest The second token of this negligence is that few spend any time in reading of the word to search the Scriptures try whether it be as they are taught or not nay few will be at the cost to buy a Bible or if they haue one they will not take the paines to reade in it or to keep a constant course in reading of it daily A third signe is the prophanation of the Sabbath though many come to Church at the time appointed for publike worship and seruice yet there is no priuate sanctification of it at home but when the congregation is dissolued men betake themselues to their owne affaires profits delights and pleasures No such persons can possibly haue any great measure of knowledge or obedience and grace because they do not keepe times for this purpose By these signes it is plaine and euident yea palpable that there is great negligence in the duties of Religion Now where there is such negligence though coldnesse be wanting yet there is no heate and we are but lukewarme Gospellers Another sign of lukewarmnesse is this our religion stands on generals and reacheth not to our particular callings In the church we are good Christians but when we come home to the particular duties of our priuate callings where is religion then where is the practise of that we heare There is no conscience made of lying deceiuing oppressing no care of that good dealing which ought to be in men Al our religion is in the church and none at home Whereas if religion were in the hart it would shew some fruit in our liues as fire and heate cannot be hidden Although I doubt not but there be some of whom these sins take no hold yet there be many which professe that they be neither hot nor cold but in a meane between both and yet they will be partakers of the word and sacraments and when they see any haue care to obey they haue presently the name of
reason of sinne a punishment and in it owne nature a curse And all the hurt that cometh by the creatures whereas they be at enmitie betweene themselues or with men it is a curse for mans sinne And in that they be subiect to vanitie too all is for the punishment of our sinnes Further all losses and damages and crosses whatsoeuer and wants of temporall blessings they are miseries The like we may say of all callings for there is none but it is subiect to griefes and vexations no man can carie himselfe so in any calling but he shall feele some woe and miserie And as in this life so in the end of this life the miserie is bodily death that is a separation of the soule from the bodie which if man had not fallen should haue remained vnseparable This in it owne nature is a fearefull curse for it is the very gate of hell And after this life followeth the full accomplishment of Gods wrath all the miseries in this life are but preparations to that Then cometh destruction endlesse in the place of the damned For this destruction is first a separation from God and excludeth men from all societie with him secondly an apprehension of Gods wrath in the whole man bodie and soule for euer Thirdly it is in the place of the damned with the diuell and his angels therefore this miserie is the summe and accomplishment of all miseries the rest are but beginnings of this Thus you see what mans miserie is Now then considering what is the fountaine of our miserie originall sin what is the nature of miserie namely it is a curse and punishment we see what it is to be wretched and miserable Thou art wretched That is tainted with sinne and subiect to punishment for it in this life in the end of it and after it Now touching this generall point we are to consider the end why Christ saith this And knowest not c. Which is that he might teach them and vs to learne to know our miserie and to feele it and to be touched in conscience for it Whosoeuer shall but lightly reade ouer this Epistle shall see that this is the very end of it for they thought themselues to be highly in Gods fauour when it was nothing so indeed I pray you all therefore which are now assembled here to heare things touching eternall life and the saluation of your soules forsake abandon other conceipts and turne your eyes to this that you may see what be the miseries to which you are subiect and when you see them go further labour that your hearts may be touched that you may euen crie out with the men of Ierusalem What shall we do Till then we shall be like these Laodiceans neither hote nor cold We shall neuer haue true and sound religion in vs till we feele the waight of our miserie I acknowledge that the sight of our miserie is Gods grace but go to the root and seeke that all pride may be expulsed and you may embrace the Gospell which ministreth a remedie for all miserie But thou art miserable This word miserable signifieth one that is worthy to be pitied which he vseth to expresse the greatnesse of their misery meaning that they were so far subiect to misery that they were to be pitied of all men so that this is not added to shew any new thing but to inlarge the former Learne we hence that it is not our dutie to disdaine a sinner that is in misery or to reproch scorn but to pitie him the more grieuous sinner a man is the more he is to be pitied It was Dauids maner so to do 1. Sam 16. and he was so farre from contemning a sinner that he shed riuers of teares Psal. 119. 136. And Ezec. 9. the good man was moued with the bowels of compassion when the people were sinfull The like is in Ier. 9. It was the Corinthians fault when the incestuous man had sinned they were neuer a whit humbled or moued with pitie but puft vp with pride and contempt so that they scorned him and Paul reprooueth it in them And this is a fault in many of vs that men are not humbled when they see other men sinne our hearts are not touched with sorow for it but rather puft vp If we haue receiued more grace then other let vs not despise or scorne them which haue not the like measure Thus much of their misery in generall As for the particulars they are in number three that he might strike their hearts with a sense of their misery he is not content to set it downe in generall termes but enters into particular names three maine miseries of theirs The first word signifieth one so poore that he hath not a rag to his backe nor a bit of bread to put in his mouth more then he gets by begging But here he meaneth spiritual pouertie which what it is we shall best vnderstand when we know what is true riches to wit the grace and fauour of God in Christ for the pardō of sins to life euerlasting So the poore man is he that wants this that hath no good thing acceptable to God who in regard of his soule is as a begger which hath nothing for the maintenance of this temporall life Thus you haue the meaning of this first word Now the end likewise is to be considered why Christ calleth them poore namely that they and we might striue to see our pouertie that we might become poore in spirit for they thought themselues rich therefore Christ to beate downe this conceit and to prepare them to true grace tels them they are poore in regard of grace and life eternall And here we are taught a principall point of religion namely to feele our owne pouertie that we haue no goodnesse in vs and therefore to despaire vtterly of our saluation in regard of our selues This is greatly commended in the Scriptures therefore learne another dutie As we are by nature poore and haue no goodnesse in our selues so labour to see it and to be out of heart with our selues that is to be poore in spirit otherwise you may come to church heare the word receiue the sacraments but neuer haue saluation or haue spirituall blessings except you be first acquainted with your poore estate that you are very beggers nay more plaine bankerupts for so Christ taught vs to pray Forgiue vs our debts therfore Christ tels the proud Church of her pouertie Happie and blessed were our state and condition if we could learne this and lay aside our pride for we are so poore that we must pleade nothing but pardon no merit or satisfaction If we did this then would we esteeme aright of the Gospell and haue some comfort by it Now because we haue not this we do not embrace the Gospel heartily and chearfully as we ought Cary therefore away this lesson with you that the beginning of all grace is to feele the want
and bring them to amendment Now for the vse of these words Christ sets downe his ordinarie dealing with his seruants which is by reproofe and chastisement and diuers visitations for this very end that he might conuince them and correct them Euery member of Christ must come vnder his rod therefore looke for it yea marke further Christ layeth vpon all his seruants afflictions in diuers sorts according to the diuers dispositions of mens natures such as will hardly be broken of their faults he laieth vpon them more sharp punishments where men are easier to be amended there he vseth milder correction The vse of this is two-fold Prouerb 3. 12. the first is despise not the Lords chastisemēt for it is a token of his loue whēsoeuer he reprooueth or afflicteth thee by visitations and crosses make not light account but make profit of it The second is faint not arme thy self with patiēce because it is the Lords maner to chastise those that he loueth and so many chastisements so many pledges and pawnes of his loue towards his seruants By this Christ is an example to all parents and gouernours they must giue tokens of loue in necessarie corrections that their children and seruants may be brought from their misdemeanure for this end chastisement should be vsed It were to be wished that all parents and maisters did vse to giue correction thus but our case is lamentable in this respect Men thinke it enough to prouide foode and raiment for their houshold all their care is for the bodie only and they neuer seeke to reforme their misdemeanours in life This negligence brings many sinnes with it and pulleth many iudgements vpon vs. So much for the second point Amend Againe marke the order of the words Rebuke and chasten Here we haue a necessary instruction seeing Christ first propounds a direct end of his chastisement that is their amendment which that he may the better effect first he conuinceth them secondly he reprehendeth and thirdly chasteneth them and all these tend to our amendment A worthie and excellent order and to be followed of all gouernors they must propound a good end of all chastisements first the good of the partie chastised then they must vse this order first a conuiction of the conscience by the word of God secondly reprehension thirdly correction if the two former wil not serue Which being so you see how they ouershoote themselues that make correction serue for nothing but a meanes of reuenge an action of choller and rage without any purpose to better the partie Whereas this order vsed would reforme the person and stop many vices and nip them euen in the head to some it is as good as meate and drinke to be fighting and brawling Be zealous Here is a remedie for luke-warmnesse In the eight verse they had a remedie for pride now he maketh a plaister for luke-warmnesse Here first marke how these words depend on the former Christ had said Whom I loue I vse to chastise according as their faults be greater or lesser therefore seeing I haue corrected thee repent Where we are taught the vse of all reproofes admonitions and visitations the speciall end of them is to driue vs to amend As oft as the Lord doth either by word reproue or by deed correct vs it is to shew that we must repent and amend therefore whensoeuer you are visited say the Lord summons you to repent take an occasion by the visitation of further reformation yea know it that so many afflictions are so many sermons of Repentance to make you grow and increase in faith repentance and obedience Now that we may the better vnderstand what this commandement Be zealous meaneth diuers points are to be handled first what zeale is Zeale is an affection that is compounded of two affections loue and indignation or sorow therefore first we must loue Christ aboue all things if we will be zealous secondly we must be grieued and angred when Christ is dishonoured Loue of religion and griefe for the want of good successe therof will make men zealous We haue an example in Christ Ioh. 2. 17. where thus much is signified that his loue to his father was so great that the heate of his indignation had almost consumed him he preferred the accomplishment of his Fathers will before all In the second place note the diuerse kinds of zeale good that is true or bad that is counterfeit To a good zeale there is required first true faith secondly repentance thirdly knowledge As for faith it is the very root of good zeale for as Paule saith Loue is from faith vnfained 1. Tim. 1. 5. Now zeale is an affection compounded of loue and faith And as for repentance we see that zeale and it are conioyned in this place Iehu indeed was zealous but because he repented not but liued in the sins of his predecessors it was no good zeale And for the last we must know that zeale without knowledge is but rashnesse And thus you see how to distinguish true zeale from counterfeit euen by the companions of it Now further by the fruites it may be discerned First it compelleth a man to please God in all things it will enforce one ouer-rule and maister him 2. Cor. 5. 13. Whether we be out of our wit we are in it vnto God c. The very loue of Christ and his Gospell inforced him that he could not but preach So wheresoeuer this true zeale is in any measure it will make a man that he cannot but do his dutie It will burst foorth and find an issue like a flame as Elihu said he could not containe his belly would burst Secondly It will make a man indeuor to obey God with all his heart strength power Example Good king Iosia turned with all his heart Dauid prayed with grones vnspeakable according to the multitude of thy mercies c. and so goeth on maruellous earnestly and feruently he prayed not slackly and coldly but with all his force and power from the heart for pardon and reconciliation And so when he gaue thankes he saith My soule praise the Lord and all that is within me c. Psal. 103. 1. Thus you see what be the fruites of zeale and what it is to be zealous In a word then it is this to haue our hearts enflamed with a loue of Christ and his word aboue all things and to be exceeding angrie when it is disobeyed enforcing vs to do our dutie with all the strength we haue Now to end this point we heard before that lukewarmenesse in religion is our sinne generally throughout the land our zeale is cold and our profession but formall How shall we reforme this Become zealous beare a feruent loue to religion loue Christ aboue all and be grieued when you see him dishonored or his word disobeyed and false worship established Away with this slacknesse in religion otherwise it had bene better you had bene of no religion then to be neither
he vsed meanes to enter when they had barred him out Marke the vnspeakeable mercie of Christ they by their sinnes stopt Christ from entring yet he pursueth them with mercie and offereth mercie to them that refused it and contented themselues to lie and liue in their sinnes When Adam had sinned and fled from God the Lord sought him out and made a couenant of grace with him So Esay 65. the Lord saith he was found of them that neuer sought him they that neuer dreamed of mercie sound mercie In the parable of the lost sheep that sheep which was left as a prey to the wild beasts Christ sought it vp and brought it home All these places tend to one end to shew the infinite mercie of Christ. This is true in all churches yea in this of ours If we haue mercie we haue it before we seeke it nay when we refuse it as much as in vs lieth This should be an occasion to stirre vp our hearts to magnifie Christ for his mercie we should not let passe such considerations as these but rather breake out into praise of Gods loue and mercie which is a bottomlesse sea Quest. It may be demaunded how he knockes Answ. The words precedent shew the sense for these words haue relation to them He said before he would spue them out then he giueth them counsell Now by so sharpe a rebuke they might haue despaired therefore he shewes that by this threatning and rebuke and counsell he knockes that they might perceiue they were not tokens of wrath but of mercie So then this knocking is nothing else but the reproofe threatning and counsell vsed before He knocketh when it pleaseth him to make men see their sinne by such things Here then we are to marke the state of al people which haue the ministerie of the word they haue Christ among them and he standeth at the doore and knocketh at euery mans heart All threatnings of the law reproofes of sin exhortations admonitions and promises they are so many knockes of Christ. A great vnspeakeable mercie that the King of heauen and earth should do this Now then doth Christ knocke thus by preaching promises and threatnings c. then we must not be so dull dead and backward but shew more zeale If any man of great place and calling knocke at your doores what stirring is there that you may receiue him as is meete Then what a shame is this when Christ vouchsafeth to deale thus mercifully with vs Againe in that Christ cometh by the ministery of the Gospell to work our conuersion it serueth to admonish vs to turne with all speed for we know not how long he will stand and reach forth the hand of his ministerie to beate vpon our hearts Marke further this knocking is not a light and soft kind of knocking but it goeth with crying he both knocketh and crieth it is an earnest knocking of one that would faine enter Seeing then Christ standing at the doore of mens hearts knocketh so earnestly to saue mens soules we againe ought to be earnest to receiue and embrace the Gospell He knocketh in good earnest and we must accordingly by Gods grace be as earnest So much for the first token of Christs loue his desire of their conuersion which he sheweth by two signes first his waiting secondly his knocking and that ioyned with crying If any man c. Now followeth the second token namely a promise of fellowship with them after their conuersion These words haue bene much abused therefore I wil stand a litle to set downe the meaning Marke the forme of speech it is such as seemeth to giue a man an action in his owne conuersion whereby he comes and receiues Christ. So it attributes to mans will an action as if he should say I for my part stand and knocke if therefore any man heare c. This may seeme strange that such an action should be attributed to a mā that is dead in sin But this speech is vsed for iust cause for in the conuersion of a sinner there be three agents first the holy Ghost secondly the word thirdly mans will The principal agent and worker is the holy Ghost which changeth the mind and will from euill to good the will by nature willing nothing but that which is against the will of God Secondly the word which is an instrument of the holy Ghost for he works not now ordinarily by reuelation or speciall instinct and inspiration but when a man is reading or hearing the word and applying it to his heart then the holy Ghost workes in and by the word that being the power of God to saluation frō faith to faith Thirdly the wil though it be dead by nature can do nothing of it self yet when the holy Ghost begins to moue it it moues it self and striues to be altered whē God moues it We must not think mās wil is like a peece of wax which hath no actiō but only passiuely receiues and impression but the will being disposed moues and stirres it selfe Euen as fire so soone as it is kindled it burnes and as soone as it burnes is fire so when God hath once giuen grace the will moueth the mind seeth and acknowledgeth sin and the will inclined by the holy Ghost begins a strife against sin and makes a man endeuour to please God so much as he can So the will in the very first conuersion hath his action though not by nature but by grace Now considering these three actions concurre in the conuersion of a sinner hence it is that actions are ascribed to sinners which are to be conuerted as here and in manie other places not that they can do any thing of themselues without Christ but when they are wrought vpon by the holy Ghost Thus a man hath a free will in his first conuersiō by grace as fire hath some effects of fire so soone as euer it is kindled therefore it is said Repent and beleeue to impenitent persons not because they can do it of themselues but because when it shall please the holy Ghost to worke it in their hearts by the word they can turne and vse good meanes This is the cause why the holy Ghost ascribes an action to such persons when God giues grace to receiue Christ then it receiueth Christ when God opens the heart by that grace it is enabled to receiue Christ. This being the true meaning of these words let vs see how this text hath bene abused first by Papists which gather hereupō that a man hath free will in his conuersion by nature that he hath and that is the faith which sets open the heart wide to receiue Christ. Thus if you shall humble your selues and acknowledge your vnworthinesse and lay hold on Christ with true faith and testifie it by feruent loue to Christ and his members then shall your hearts be open indeed and you shall receiue Christ. Thus much for the true meaning of the condition It followeth I
wil sup c. This is the promise it self namely a mutual fellowship with Christ this is the ground of al ioy comfort happines therfore it is here propounded as the principal thing and it hath two parts first I will sup with him secondly and he with me The true communion betweene Christ and his members stands in these two things Here is a double feast and these two containe the summe and substance of Salomons book called the Canticles for there Christ entertaineth feasteth the church and the church feasteth him For the first I will sup with him How Cant. 4. end Come my wel beloued and eate of the delicate things and pleasant fruites there you may see how euery Christian soule conuerted makes Christ a feast to wit with the fruites of true repentance Psal. 51. The broken and contrite heart that is a most worthie part of the feast and a sacrifice acceptable to God Secondly a beleeuing heart for without saith it is vnpossible to please God Heb. 11. and when we giue vp our bodies and soules a liuing sacrifice Rom 12. 1. bring broken beleeuing and obedient harts these are the dishes and delicates wherewith Christ is fed wherein he delights And he with me We must also be feasted by Christ for Christ comes not for this end to be entertained but to entertaine The feast which Christ makes is his own bodie and bloud in the administration of his Supper his bodie is true meate and his bloud is true drinke And the vessels in which it is serued out are the seales of the word and the guests are penitent sinners which haue broken hearts which hunger and thirst after Christ. Now from this feast ariseth righteousnesse peace of conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. All ioy that heart can thinke comes by this feast Now seeing Christ makes these promises as a principall token of his loue we must make some vse of them We must renounce all our carnal vanities and earthly delights and giue our selues no more to surfetting and drunkennesse and sumptuous banquetting Here is a better kind of feasting therefore turne your eyes from those lift vp your hearts and haue care to entertaine Christ feast him with the graces that God hath giuen you and labor againe to be feasted of him feed of his bodie and bloud to life eternall Labour to be acquainted with these that you may know by experience how Christ feasts you and you him You know one friend how to entertaine another euerie man according to his dignitie but you should haue more care of this spirituall and mutuall entertainment betweene Christ and you Againe see here a notable abuse of those that come to the Lords table for marke how these two go together Christ feasts vs and we must feast him so that there may be an enterchange of feasting but our communicants come to the Lords table and they will haue Christ feast then but they will not feast him whereas we should feast him daily by faith obedience and repentance and good duties of our callings but we like churlish vngratefull Nabals haue not one good dish to feast him withall This is our shame Or if we be good guests for a day yet after that is past we haue no care to entertaine Christ. Looke to it therefore and see that you feed Christ not by your owne natural power but by your gifts of grace To him that ouercometh c. This is the conclusion of the Epistle in which note two parts first a promise secondly a precept The promise To him that ouercometh that is he that holds out keeping faith and a good conscience against all the enemies of his saluation Shall sit that is haue fellowship with Christ in his glorie Christ doth not promise equall glorie and honor for that is not possible for anie creature because he is the head of his church but onely a participation as if he should say he shall be partaker of my glorie so farre as shall be meete and conuenient for him as appeareth by the words following But this wil some say is no great matter True the carnall heart of man may surmise so therefore he addes as I ouercame c. This is no small glorie for like as my father did aduance me when I had ouercome so will I aduance all my members when they haue ouercome their spirituall enemies Now as Christ is inferiour to the Father as he is Mediator and yet sits with him so the members of Christ may sit with him and yet be vnequall to him in glorie Verse 22. Let him that hath an eare This hath bene expounded often before The memoriall of the righteous is euerlasting but the name of the wicked shall rot Prou. 10. Laus Christo nescia finis ⧠An excellent Sermon plainely prouing that Rome is Babylon and that Babylon is fallen Preached long since by a famous Diuine and added as a Commentarie to the hardest part of the Reuelation REVEL 14. VERS 8. She is fallen she is fallen euen Babylon that great Citie for of the wine of the furie of her fornication she hath made all Nations to drinke THE holy Euangelist S. Luke in the fourth chapter of his Gospell recordeth that on a time when our Sauior came into the Synagogue at Nazareth to reade as his custome was there was deliuered to him a booke containing the Prophecie of the Prophet Esay Which after he had opened at the first he found the place where it was written in these words The spirit of the Lord is vpon me because he hath annoynted me that I should preach the Gospell to the poore He hath sent me that I should heale the broken in heart that I should preach deliuerance to the captiues and sight to the blind that I should set at libertie them that are bruised and to preach the acceptable yeare of the Lord. Then after he had closed the booke and deliuered it to the Minister he sate downe to preach and the eyes of all them that were in the congregation were bent vpon him Then he opened his mouth and spake vnto them these words This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your eares and they all gaue him testimonie that it was so In like maner may I say concerning this place of Scripture which I haue read vnto you In your eyes and eares is this Scripture this day fulfilled And I pray God you may all likewise beare witnesse with me that it is so The last time that I spake in this auditorie I intreated of the flourishing and prosperous estate of Ierusalem which is the Church of God set foorth in the 122. Psalme and therefore good order now requireth that I should speake of the decay and ouerthrow of the enemie of Ierusalem which is Babylon the See and Church of Antichrist and for that purpose principally haue I chosen this text of Scripture to speake of that by the one we might be enflamed with loue of the true Church