turning to him we may haue fellowship with God For vnlesse S. Iohn had turned to see the vision and him which spake he had not seene it so vnlesse we turne to God speaking in the ministery of his word and that in time whilst he speaketh to vs we can haue no fellowship with him though we heare the word neuer so much Now followeth the second part of the vision which is the representation of Christ his maiesty and magnificence as he is a Prophet King and Priest of his Church and it is set out by a large description of Christ from this twelfth verse to the end of the third chapter In which description S. Iohn sheweth what he receiued touching Christ partly by hearing partly by seeing And herein he describeth Christ first by his place In the midst of the seuen candlestickes secondly by his forme and figure Like to the sonne of man First he describeth Christ by the place I saw seuen golden candlestickes and in the middest one like c. These seuen candlesticks here seene of Iohn in a vision are the seuen Churches in Asia Now as the Church of God is compared to a candlesticke as Christ expoundeth it in the twentith verse so the particular Churches are here called candlestickes for their resemblance which they haue with candlestickes for as their property is to beare and hold forth the candle and lamp euen so the Churches of God beare vp and hold forth and publish the light of the Gospell to the whole world partly by preaching and maintaining it partly by professing the faith ◠Seeing euery Church is a candlesticke and not a candle to beare vp and hold forth the lamp and light of the word because they haue no light of themselues but onely can beare vp and hold foorth the light and are but the instruments of the light the true light being Christ himselfe then they cannot giue light to mens consciences and hearts but all that they can do is to beare the candle and hold out the light by instructing and preaching the word and by their profession of religion In that they are compared to candlestickes we learne that all the true members of Christ are candles burning and shining lights placed in the shafts of this candlesticke For though the Ministers must especially be blazing lampes to the people as Iohn Baptist was Ioh. 5. 35. yet also are all true members of Christ these blazing candles to hold foorth this light and shew foorth the doctrine of light to the world Phil. 2. 15. 16. Euery man in his calling must be a shining candle and a burning lamp Now that he may be such a one he must first haue knowledge of the will and word of God himselfe then as a blazing candle send foorth the same to others by teaching and instructing by godly life and conuersation We all professe we be members of Christ and members of the true Church then we must carie and hold foorth these burning lights hauing light in our selues to send it out to others by teaching them in our calling and liuing godly and giuing good example and so shine to the world To induce vs to this to carie our selues as burning lampes first it is the commandement of God Phil. 2. 15. Euery man in his calling must be a blazing light in the middle of a peruerse nation we must carie our selues free from all sinne send out our light to all men For a second reason marke the fruite and the effect which followeth this carying of our selues as shining lights When a man is indued with knowledge of Gods will and word and sends out this light by instructing others and in a godly example he winneth many men to the kingdome of heauen A man if he haue one to hold him out a candle in winter that he may see his way to go whither he would he taketh this as a great benefit how much more is this to light the way to a blind man euen to the kingdome of heauen But on the cōtrarie when men be dimme and darke candles and liue not in the Church as blazing lights but in sinne ignorance and loosenesse of life hence great hurt and daunger cometh to men with whom they liue For when a man knoweth the will of God and yet liueth in sin he giueth a false direction and so many follow him euen to the pit of hell and by his bad example he draweth men as much as in him lyeth to eternall destruction In hauen townes if a man remoue the night marke and the candle set to direct the ships he doth as much as in him lyeth to sinke all the ships for they hauing wrong direction runne on rockes and sands because they go to the light which is not in the right place and so they misse the channell and light on rockes and perish So men in this world they saile as on the sea to heauen now if we by our wicked life remoue the marke and giue wrong direction they must needes misse the right way and so come to a false hauen not heauen but hell And so then seeing either by our godly life we draw men to heauen or by our bad life we carie them to hell it is our dutie to labour by life and doctrine to giue good direction The third reason to moue vs to be burning lights is the iudgement of God for he which liueth in the Church and yet shineth not in teaching others by his good example he incurreth the iudgement of God In the temple the lights and candles belonged to the Priest who dressed and trimmed them for that purpose he had snuffers and such instruments now in the Church euery man is a candle standing in the church as in a sticke Christ Iesus he is the trimmer and dresser of them he standeth in the midst of them he hath his snuffers in his hands he trimmeth them and dresseth these candles Now if after three or foure times dressing and snuffing of this candle still it burneth dim and will not shine out he will either remoue it out of the sticke or else he will take and tread it vnder his feet So those which in the Church do not send out a shining light the Lord he dresseth and snuffeth them but if they still burne dimmely cast not a cleare light in instructing others and leauing good example the Lord will cast them out of their places put them vnder his foot and cleane extinguish them In regard of this daunger euery man in his shaft and place the Minister in his the vnlettered man in his must teach others giue good example else the issue will be this the Lord will come in iudgement and stampe it out and extinguish that light Nay very reason requireth this at our hands seeing we be all lights of this candlesticke of the Church that we should send out light In winter time we hang out lights that by them men might be directed to helpe them in
forme and shape Like the son of man Hence some gather that it is not Christ but some Angell which is described but they are deceiued for he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first and the last and he that was first dead then aliue which belongs to Christ alone Like the sonne of man but more significant it is in the originall Like a sonne of man if it be translated The sonne of man then Christ must be vnderstood but in the originall it is A sonne of man according to the phrase of the old Testament where when they would signifie one that was a man they called him A sonne of man that is man like a man in forme and shape Christ is said to be like a sonne of man not that he appeared to Iohn in his manhood for that was in heauen but in a likenesse appearance and resemblance of his manhood and as he doth not appeare here so in no place after his ascension he appeareth in his true manhood Stephen saw the sonne of man stand at the right hand of God Act. 7. but that was in heauen and Paul heard him speake Act. 9. and being rauished 1. Cor. 13. but then also he was in heauen And this Christ doth to a speciall end to shew that whereas men much regard and esteeme his bodily presence as his Apostles and friends did who had too great a desire of it we must not seeke to haue earthly familiaritie with him but we must lift vp our hearts by faith and so haue spirituall familiaritie and acquaintance with him And so he biddeth Mary touch me not being not yet glorified to checke her too much desire of his bodily presence but he would haue her and vs to lift vp our hearts by faith and haue spirituall familiaritie and acquaintance with him in heauen Then hence the defence of consubstantiation and reall presence of the body of Chirst is in the sacrament is but needlesse seeing it is sufficient Christ is present in spirit not bodily any more but we must lift vp our harts to heauen and there for euer liue and rest in him The Papists gather of this in that Christ appeared after his ascension in the appearance and forme of a man that they may make the image of Christ who being God appeared in the forme of a man Secondly the Father who is figured by an old man Dan. 9. and the holy Ghost in the forme of a Doue they hold they may picture thē not in any forme but in that they appeared Answer It is not vnlawfull for vs to haue the pictures of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost as they appeared in forme as Christ in a man the Father in an old man the holy Ghost in a Doue to illustrate and set out the history but we deny and hold it vnlawfull to haue any of them or the picture of Christ if it were to be had to religious vses to put vs in remembrance of Christ to worship God in or at or by it for thus to worship God is flat against the second commaundement Clothed with a garment downe to the feete In these words following is described the garment and attire wherein Christ appeared to Iohn The first part of his attire is a long robe or garment down to the feet He appeared in this kind of garmēt first to shew he was the high Priest of the new testament after his ascension to do the the office of the high Priest because this was one of the garments which the high Priest vsed when he offered sacrifice So Christ hauing offered himselfe on the crosse he is still high Priest for vs to make intercession for vs to his father Secondly he appeared in this kind of attire to shew he is the Prince and King of peace because this long robe and garment is in all nations where it is vsed a signe of peace so Christ hauing this garment is not a King of war but of peace Esay 9. Thirdly to shew he excelled in wisedome and counsell for this garment in all nations which vse it was giuen to them which excell in wisedome and counsell so Christ here is clothed with this long stole and robe to shew that he excelleth in the spirit of wisdome and counsell because the spirit of wisedome is in him without measure Esay 9. 6. Col. 2. Hence for the attire of our body we learne that it must be sutable and answerable to those good things which be or ought to be in our hearts as this garment of Christ to shew he was high Priest secondly that he was King of peace lastly that he excelled in wisedome and counsell So our attire should be such which may signifie the vertues which be in vs as our knowledge obedience sobrietie temperancy humilitie and all the good gifts and graces of God we must not onely shew out the graces of our hearts by word but euen our attire must set out what they be And as we must be candles in teaching and instructing in life and conuersation so we must shine and shew forth the vertues of our heart by our attire But alas our practise is contrary for our apparell is now sutable to all our corruption and vices of our hearts to set out our pride to preach to the world our lightnesse and loosenesse of life the vanity and folly of our heart so that if a man see one go though he neuer be acquainted with him neuer spake to him yet he may know his fondnesse folly loosenesse of life pride and corruption of his heart by his apparell The second part of his attire is that he was girded about with a golden girdle about the breasts which is to shew that Christ was ready prepared to do all the offices of a Mediator for vs for the girding vp of the body the binding of mens apparell to them is a signe of diligence and care to do ones dutie as the not girding of the clothes but to leaue thē loose is a signe of negligēce and carelesnesse Then seeing Christ is girded vp it sheweth he is ready prepared to do the office of a Mediator to all men and so Christ whilest he was on the earth he shewed this he saued all the poore sinners which came to him and since his resurrection he is not negligent but ready prepared girded to do the office of a Mediator to all true penitent sinners This must be a singular comfort to all which haue any sparke of grace that Christ he is ready to attend on them to do the office of a Mediator for them When we be in affliction crosse he is ready prepared at our elbowes to deliuer vs and comfort vs when we be ready to die he is not farre off but stands by vs ready to cary our soules to heauen in all things he is ready to all the workes of a Mediator to helpe vs in all the workes of our saluation Christ he is not like
and place and not before fit persons So Paul saith that if to eate should offend he would neuer eate 1. Cor. 9. So here Balaam giueth offence they of Pergamus take it to commit sinne and to be stirred vp to fall from God The meanes by which Balaam cast these offences before the Israelites namely by prouoking them to eate of the meate offered to idols and commit fornication Numb 25. When Balaam had vsed many waies to curse them and could not preuaile he vsed new meanes which was to send out most wicked and beautifull women to inuite them to their idole banquets and to fornication and they condescended to them Hence we gather this is the peculiar note of a false Prophet to draw men to offence to cast stumbling blockes before them in the way to saluation for Balaam a false Prophet is noted by this and as Paul saith godlinesse and true religion is a great mysterie to saluation so false teaching is a mysterie tending to the destruction of mens soules So that by this note we may iudge of all religions both of the Iew and the Turke but especially of the Papists which most trouble vs in this Church for all religions whose doctrine tendeth to stop or hinder men in the way to saluation they be the doctrines of diuels The Papists religion which our ancient folke call the old religion is a doctrine tending to destroy men to ouerturne the whole morall law of God especially to maintaine adulterie and idolatrie The first commandement is thou shalt haue the true God onely for thy God But the Papists make moe then one they make the creatures Gods they inuocate Saints which what is it but to make them Gods to giue them his honour seeing he alone is present euery where seeth the hart and seeing they say they can merit which none can do formans sin but onely God no not Christ himself if he were not God Nay they make the wooden crosse not Christ on the crosse to be God in that they call it their hope and so the virgin Mary calling her our Ladie putting hope in her and saying she can commaund her Sonne in heauen in the matter of saluation The second Commaundement they in practise breake in making images of God the Father like an old man the Sonne as he was on earth and the holy Ghost in forme of a doue with religious worship adore and worship Saints They erre against the third commaundement teaching that a man may sweare by Saints and the fourth in that they make festiual dayes of men and saints to be equal with the Sabbath of the Lord and take away mens libertie of labouring six dayes to worship their saints As for the fift commandement in this they make subiects free from their lawful loyalty to their lawful Princes In the sixt they make and appoint places to which murderers may flie and be safe and in keeping the word from lay men as they call them and so murder their soules In the seuenth they maintaine stewes and houses of professed adultery and hold that the vncle may marry his neece or his great neece For the eight commandement they ouerthrow it in that they make all things saleable heauen hell purgatory and all which is manifest robbery They wrong the ninth commaundement in that they falsly make mens writings the canon of Gods word nay they maintaine lying seeing that they hold a man being asked of a thing he knowes as when one hath confessed his sinnes another askes him he may though he know the same say he knoweth not that is they know not them to tell them to you but that is a slender excuse For the tenth commaundement they make concupiscence and lust to be no sin and put out that commaundement So that we see this whole religion which is called of old people the old religon is cleane new from the true religion nay it is a doctrine of diuels seeing it tends to leade men to destruction and ouerturning of the whole law of God To come to our owne church true it is men slaunder our doctrine saying it is scandalous three wayes first that we teach God creates men to cast the greatest number of them into hel destroy them First we answer we hold that though the scripture speakes not of any certaine number yet the elect are said to be a small number Secondly the end why God created men was not to destroy them but to manifest his own glory in their due iust deserued damnation destructiō not that he created men to this end to cast them to hell Secondly they charge the doctrine of our church to be a blasphemous doctrine seeing we hold that God decreed mans fall and so do make him the author of sinne Answ. We say indeed that God decreed mans fall permitted him to sin yet teach we not that he is the author of sin for his wil is double generall and particular in his generall wil he decreed to permit man to sin and fall yet so as in respect of God it was good though in respect of man euill for as he can draw out of darknesse light so out of euill he can worke good to himselfe Secondly there is his speciall wil by which he wils and delights onely in that which is good and by this he hated mans fall And euen as the Magistrate hates would not the death of the malefactor yet he wils it in that he executes the same so the Lord he in his general wil willed the permitting of mans fall not as it was euil but as it turned to his glory and honour and the good of the elect Lastly they charge our doctrine to be a doctrine of securitie and carnall carelesnesse in that we teach men may be certaine of their saluation and to perseuere to the end but seeing we withal teach a man must vse the meanes daily pray heare the word receiue the sacraments and performe all the duties of faith and religion to the end we teach no doctrine of carnall securitie but a doctrine of paine and trouble which maketh men not carelesse but careful to come to heare to be certaine and to perseuere therefore they charge vs wrongfully in all these Seeing it is so great a sinne to giue offence we must take especiall heed we giue no offence in our life conuersation word or deed but so to cary our selues that we liue vnspottedly for if we giue offence we are Balaams scholers and tread in his path Let vs then in our callings so cary our selues vprightly that we giue no offence for wo to them by whom offences come nay it were better they had a mil-stone tied to them and they cast into the sea for that is to plunge our brothers soule as much as in vs lieth to the gulfe of hel But we must rather labour to help him to take from him al blocks of offence which if men would do then our Church should flourish
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
properly Thirdly they absolue from the fault but not the punishment and this is to enrich themselues and to get whole countries yea all mens lands and liuings into their owne hands Fourthly they will haue them make satisfaction to God which is impossible and withall maketh Christs satisfaction imperfect Now by these foure abuses it appeareth that Christ vnto thē is no true Christ but though the Pope giue the keyes of Peter the crosse keyes in his Armes yet he hath not the true vse of them nay seeing he maketh new doores as beside that of heauen and hel those of Purgatorie and Lymbus Patrum he must make new keyes to open them flat contrarie to the keyes of Christ. In that Christ is said both to open and shut we learne that he openeth not to all men and euery person but shutteth heauen gates against some for Adam falling from Gods fauour by his sinne shut out himselfe and his posteritie both out of the heauenly and earthly Paradise so that our sinnes be now as a partition wall and a cloud to separate God and vs. And for this euen for our sinnes Christ shutteth some out of heauen Then by this we see our miserable case for by our sinnes we be all shut out of heauen and vnder the power of Satan Our sinnes haue bene as so many bars to shut vp heauen gates which is no small matter yet the diuell bewitcheth vs and maketh vs thinke sinne is no sinne great sinnes be small small none whereas the least sinne is sufficient to shut vs out of heauen for euer Againe seeing sinne shutteth vs out of heauen we must repent for euery sinne for we cannot come thither if we liue in any one sinne euery sinne is a barre and locke to shut vs from Gods kingdome and we must labour to haue these bolts taken of which is only by the passion of Christ for that alone can take them away Thirdly we see that Christ opened heauen to some as to Nathanael in the ministery of the word and he hath now opened heauen doores by his death and traced the way by his blood Now the doore being open we must labour to enter in yea thrust and croud to get in That we may come thither we must become members first of his church on earth else we cannot come to heauen That we may do this first we must come to the doore namely the church before we come to the house namely heauen Now the church is the doore and in it is the key to open heauen gates namely the word of God That thou maist come into the church first humble thy selfe for all thy sinnes secondly trust in Christ for the free pardon of all thy sins and purpose in thy heart to liue a new life and constantly in all things to please God to the end and then thou art in the church and hast the key to open heauen gates But if thou come not to open this doore in this life where the key is thou canst neuer enter into the kingdome of heauen in the life to come Verse 8. I know thy workes From this eighth verse to the eleuenth is contained the matter of the Epistle containing three heads first praise secondly promise thirdly commandement The praise is in the eigth verse the promise is two-fold in the ninth and tenth verses the commaundement in the eleuenth 1. The praise is propounded summarily I know thy workes Then the reason why he praiseth her where the former words be expounded I know thy workes This hath bin expounded in euery Epistle I know and approue thy course and conuersation of life These words are repeated in euery Epistle to stir vp euery church and member of the same to the feare of God for Christ by these words would haue vs be perswaded that God is present with vs seeth all we do is an eye-witnesse of all our actions Then we should do all our actions as in his presence as before his Maiestie and where this consideration is not in some measure there is no feare of God nor true religion The reason of this commendatiō is added Behold c. here note two points first a signe of his approbation I haue giuen thee an open doore c. secondly what be the workes he approoued Thou hast a litle strength Behold c. These words may be vnderstood either of the Angell of Philadelpha alone or of the whole church both Pastor and people If of the Angell this is the sense Behold I haue giuen thee that is behold and consider I haue giuen and vouchsafed thee libertie and oportunity to preach my Gospel and by preaching to win and conuert sinners to me So 1. Cor. 16. 9. there Paul vseth the same words signifying by the doore of vtterance libertie and oportunitie to preach the Gospell of Christ. For thou hast a litle strength That is though thou be endued but with a small measure of gifts yet thou hast maintained the doctrine of saluation and not denied my Gospel in persecution Now Christ saying thus to this Minister that he had giuen him libertie to preach shewes it is a great priuiledge to preach the Gospell and to win soules to Christ for so much the word Behold and the words themselues import That it is so it appeareth in that the most worthy Prophets haue not had this graunted as Esay Ezechiel c. they hardened the people and they say they spēt their strength in vain did no good For this ministers are called the instruments of saluation Dan. 12. they shall shine for the winning of soules as stars in heauen Then they which haue this priuiledge should esteeme of it highly aboue any thing in the world for it is a most excellent dignitie aboue all earthly preferments for which we ought especially to magnifie Gods mercie For thou hast a litle strength Though thou hast but small measure of grace and gifts yet thou hast maintained my word Here we see that Ministers though indued with small gifts may do much good to the Church as this Angell of Philadelphia did and we haue seene by experience when as in Queene Maries time in this place learning abounded yet not one of them would stand out for the Gospell yet one not farre off hauing but small gifts in comparison of their schoole-learning stood out and sealed the profession of it with his bloud And so now men of smaller gifts further the Church and Gospell more then they which haue farre greater knowledge in the arts and tongs for such as haue greater gifts be commonly flacke so that they which be behind them in gifts an hundred degrees do more good in the Church then they by a thousand degrees Yet for all this men must be brought vp in learning and labor to know Arts and Toungs though we see it cometh to passe that men which want such schoole-learning they haue zeale and do more good then they which excell in them that so men of greater
Leaders Elders Salt Starres Angels and Shepheards Prophets to teach Seers to foretell Remembrancers to put in mind Trumpets to sound Watchmen to admonish Husbandmen to plow vp Stewards to distribute Maydens to keepe pure the doctrine of truth Fishers to catch men Leaders to go before Elders to gouerne Salt to season Starres to giue light Angels to declare and Shepheards to feed to feed I say soundly by doctrine liberally by charitie and religiously by life By doctrine for Sacerdos sine doctrina est nauis sine velis a Priest without knowledge is a ship without sailes By liberalitie for Nihil habet homo adeò diuinum quà m benefacere man is in nothing more like God then in doing good By life for cuius vita despicitur eius oratio contemnitur his words are not esteemed whose life is not approued And that it may be said of them as it was of Origen Quale habuit verbū talem habuit vitam as his words were so were his workes They must not be barren like mount Gilboah but weaned as Samuel was before they be offered vnto the Lord. They must be pure water if they will cleanse others and more then whetstones if they will sharpen others They must be in integritie Abrahams in meekenesse Moses in knowledge Arons in pains Paules and in praying Samuels and remēber that as Augustine said Manus pauperū sunt gazophylaciū Christi The hands of the poore are the treasurie of Christ. I need not speake much of the dutie of a Minister for euery one wil teach him his duty that wil not be ranged within any dutie himselfe These Churches were then like Dauids Worthies excellent aboue all the Churches of the world but because they lost their first loue were not faithfull to the death maintained the doctrine of Balaam suffered women to teach bare a name onely to liue had but a litle strength were neither hote nor cold and repented not as they should haue done of all their sins they are reprehended by Iohn threatened by Christ and the Candlesticke of the Gospell is now taken away from them Iam seges est vbi Troia fuit Now Mahomet rageth where Messiah did raigne Are they reprehended let vs hearken are they threatened let vs feare are they fallen let vs labour to continue From Iohns reprehension we see that as one said hereof our Elders haue complained hereof do we complaine and hereof they which liue after vs will complaine that men waxe worse and liue not according to the doctrine of Gods word From Christs threatning we see that God is mercifull who first offereth peace before he fight against vs that we being forewarned might be forearmed And by the wofull downefall of these seuen Churches let vs that stand take heed that we fall not for if God spared not the old world who despised Noah the Sodomites who vexed Lot Ierusalem which abused the Prophets Colossa Hierapolis and Laodicea who reiected Paule and these Asian Churches who did not grow in righteousnesse as they did in riches how shall we escape if we neglect so great saluation and for this cause these Sermons are most worthie to be considered of in this present age O then let vs now consider this season redeeme the oportunitie not harden our hearts but regard the time of our present visitation As the day openeth and shutteth with the Sunne so saluation openeth and shutteth with the Gospell Whilst it is called to day let vs heare his voice He that laboureth in Sommer is the sonne of Wisedom but he that sleepeth in haruest is the son of confusiō All things in the world do take their time the bird to build her nest the husbandman to sow his seed the mariner to go to sea the gardener to set his trees the sicke patient to take physicke the cooke to season meates and the dresser of the vineyard to gather his fruite It will be too late to build in Sommer to sow in haruest to go to sea when the ship is lanched to transplant trees when they are old to take phisicke when we are dying to season meates when they are vnsauorie when winter is come to gather fruite The fiue foolish virgins came too late Diues in hell repenteth too late the time present is only ours Is the fig-tree fruitlesse it shall heare that sentence Neuer fruite grow on thee any more Get thee then righteousnesse before thou come to iudgement vse Physicke before thou be sicke and whilst thou maist yet sinne shew thy conuersion as the wise man exhorteth euery man But alas whereunto shall I liken this generation we are like the Ephesians we haue lost our first loue or the Laodiceans we are neither hote nor cold or the twilight neither day nor night or the Autumne neither faire nor fowle or one sicke of an ague one day well another ill or a man in a Lethargie neither aliue nor dead or Hermaphroditus neither male nor female or to those creatures called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which liue in water or on land or the Lionesse which the oftener she breedeth the fewer cubs she beareth or the Mariner who is onely good in a storme or the Marigold that shutteth and openeth with the Sunne or the Mermaides which are halfe flesh half fish I would to God we were either hote or cold that as the hotest regions bring foorth sweetest spices so most zealous people might be most fruitfull in good workes that as the Sunne in the heauen is swiftest at her setting so the sonnes of God might be best at their ending But is it so no the more we are taught the more ignorant are many and the older we are the colder in religion We haue indeed many of vs as it was said of Aristogîton Marte◠or rather religionem in lingua religion in tong but when trial is made of vs euery Phocion can espie our halting and then with Archilochus we thinke it better clypeum abjicere quà m interire euen to cast off all religion then to vndergo the least disgrace for religion The Moone desiring to be apparelled as the rest of the Planets answer was made her that her diuerse chaunges could admit no kind of habite And we desiring to be attired with the robes of Christians it is to be feared that since we tread not the Moone vnder our feet we shall neuer be clothed as the Church was with the Sunne Who is wise and he shall vnderstand these things and prudent he shall know them Let vs therefore labour to grow in grace to abound in knowledge to be full of good works and to ouercome all the vnderminers of our future saluation Then shall we eate of the tree of life not be hurt of the second death tast of the hidden
Manna haue power ouer nations be clothed in white made pillars in Gods temple and sit with Christ Iesus in the throne of his Father And though the sonne of Ishai cannot make vs Captains of thousands yet that Sonne of Dauid will make vs the sonnes of God That we may do so we must beleeue the Gospell put on Christ Iesus and be renewed by repentance The first is necessarie the second comely the third profitable To come to the first it is necessarie we should beleeue for he that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie he is condemned in the counsell of God in the ministerie of the word and in his owne conscience and he shall be condemned in the day of iudgement for the wrath of God abideth vpon him The more I consider the fruites of faith the more I see the necessitie of faith Through it we are saued by it we are iustified in it we liue We are saued from Satan iustified before God and liue in the Church In the Church nay by it we liue in heauen for he that beleeueth in the Sonne of God hath euerlasting life Faith is that which purifieth the heart maketh the whole man to runne the wayes of Gods commandements giueth entrance to grace accesse to God in prayer made the Elders well reported of and each Christian to stand to the profession of Christ. It is that hand by which we must apprehend Christ that shield by which we resist all the fierie darts of the diuell and that meanes by which we do good to others By faith we receiue the spirit are members of Christ we are risen with him he dwelleth in our hearts we feed on him continually resist Satan are the children of God and the word which we heare becometh profitable And what shall I say faith is of such a qualitie that it vniteth vs to Christ maketh vs certaine of our saluation bold in our profession ministreth true ioy giueth temporall blessings sanctifieth our gifts and maketh vs refuse the pleasures of this present world In a word no sinne can condemne him who hath this true faith and no vertue can saue him who wanteth it To come to the second which is Christ the obiect of faith The most comely garment that euer we can weare it is to be couered with the robes of Christs righteousnesse Iacob was blessed by Esaus garments we are blessed by Christs garments What we see through a greene glasse seemeth all to be greene and what God seeth thorough Christ it is al amiable We must put on this aparel not as the Church in the Canticles I haue put off my clothes how shall I put them on againe or as a gowne that we cast off when we come to our home but we must so put him on that we neuer put him off againe We must put him on by imputation imitation infusion and profession by imputation of his righteousnesse imitation of his vertues infusion of his Spirit and profession of his name Thus we must labour to get Christ for what though a man could commaund the earth with Alexander the sea with Moses the fire with Eliah and the Sunne with Iosuah What though he were as rich as Salomon as wise as Achitophel as strong as Sampson as swift as Ahimaaz as beautifull as Absolon as fortunate as Metellus descended as Paul was of the bloud royal of Princes yet hauing not Christ he hath nothing Yea say a man had the abstinence of Aristydes the innocencie of Phocion the holinesse of Socrates the almes deedes of Cimon the moderation of Camillus the honestie iustice and faithfulnesse of both Catoes all these out of Christ were but splendida peccata and to be esteemed as dung in regard of Christ. For haue him and haue all things want him and want all things he is in at and after death aduantage I come to the last it is profitable to repent for if we turne to the Lord he will turne to vs and that we may turne consider his mercies in forgiuing his benefites in giuing his patience in forbearing and his iudgments in punishing The word preached sinnes committed and that few shall be saued the shortnesse of life the vncertaintie of life and the certaintie of death the ioyes of heauen the torments of hell the comfort of the elect and that else we can haue no comfort in death pray we cannot vnlesse we repent and perish we shall vnlesse we repent but blessed shall we be if we do repent But manum de tabula Magister adest this discourse following will teach vs these things and it am I bold to present to your Worships Iohn sent his Reuelation to many Churches and I present his Epistles to many worthie personages and to whom may I better present them thē to you Iohn was a disciple full of loue and you are breethrē full of loue The Preacher of these Lectures was well knowne to many but to none better then to many of you especially to those who were in my time worthie members of that most worthie Colledge with him And the rather I do it that times to come may reioyce in the Lord that from one honorable root haue issued so many profitable branches to the Church You are sixe brethren as pillars of your house there were three sisters as fruitfull vines of the same one is not but is with the Lord and her I knew a Ladie of admirable vertues the other two are and long may they be so You are all brethren by nature of one venter nation of one countrie grace of one spirit affection of one heart fortune in great fauour and of one hope by your holy behauiour And concerning brotherly loue I need not to write vnto you for you are taught of God to loue one another Your Scilurus at his death need not teach you concord by giuing to each of you a sheafe of arrowes which cannot well be broken whilst they are conioyned for you by your amitie make your selues inuincible If Chilo the Lacedaemonian died for ioy to see one sonne crowned at Olympus and Diagoras Rhodius did the like when his three children got the garland at a wrestling and Iacob so reioyced to heare of his one Ioseph to be aduanced greatly in the kingdome of Egypt how might that happie father of yours reioyce to see at one time one sonne sitting as high Sheriffe of the shire another preaching before the Iudges of Assize and the third pleading as Councellor at the barre and all the rest of great expectation in the kingdome Thus wise sons are a ioy to their parents and all may behold how good and comely a thing it
this booke to make them reade and take delight in it Now all of vs will say God loues me and hath pardoned my sins in Christ then we should shew our loue againe to him in taking delight in hearing and reading the word of God set downe in this or any other booke of Scripture And if we perswade our selues God hath loued vs we must then offer vp to him in signe of loue againe our selues soules and bodies to serue him to do him obedience Rom. 12. in regard of recompence to his mercies and loue shed out and shewed vnto vs. And made vs Kings and Priests to God and his Father euen his Father In these words is set downe the third action worke and benefite of Christ bestowed on his Church he hath made euery true member of it a King and a Priest Better to vnderstand these words we must consider in them foure points first the dignitie and excellency of all true beleeuers and members of Christ Kings and Priests Secondly when they be made namely hath made speaking in the time past noting that true beleeuers are Kings and Priests Thirdly the maner how we are not created such neither borne to be such but he hath made vs such Fourthly to whom to God euen the father First our dignitie and the excellencie of all true beleeuers and members of Christ hath two heads first Kings secondly Priests They are called kings not in regard of an earthly kingdome for the condition of most beleeuers on earth is base but in regard of a spirituall kingdome and in respect of the kingdome of heauen for the Lord he giues them this title and interest to be Kings to haue right to the kingdome of heauen in Christ. So our Sauiour Christ speakes to his Disciples Feare not litle flock it is your Fathers pleasure to giue you the kingdome The members of Christ are said to haue interest and title to the kingdome of heauen in these respects first because by Christ they be Lords and conquerors of all these enemies sin Satan the world death hell and our owne flesh Secondly because in and by Christ they are partakers of the kingdome of heauen they haue interest into it and right to the kingdome of happinesse for they receiue of Christ grace for grace glory for glory felicitie and happinesse for glory happinesse and felicitie Thirdly because they be made Lords of all creatures except good Angels and the Church 1. Cor. 3. 21. God is all in all to them all things are theirs they Gods and we haue interest to all his creatures in heauen and earth by Christ. Ob. But if Christ be King and al his mēbers how do they differ Answ. In two points first Christ he is the sonne of God by nature therefore a King by nature and so his inheritance belongs to him by nature but the members of Christ are the sonnes of God by adoption in his Son so that our right to that kingdome is not by nature but by adoption Secondly Christ he is King ouer all creatures whatsoeuer ouer the Angels and the Church and he is absolute King ouer all and hath his regiment in the hearts and consciences of men and can by his word bind them but his members they be not vniuersall kings for they haue not superioritie aboue good Angels and the Church neither are they absolute kings as he is neither by themselues but by Christ Iesus and as they participate with Christ in his kingdome The second part of our dignitie stands in this that we be Priests in that we be consecrated and set apart by Christ to the worship and seruice of God here in this life to serue him in spirit and truth and in the life to come eternally to serue and praise him Christ he is Priest so are we but yet there is difference First Christ he is an externall and reall Priest of the new Testament which offers vp a true reall and externall sacrifice to God the Father for vs we are not reall and externall Priests but spirituall offering vp spirituall sacrifice And Christ hath this priuiledge to offer vp a reall corporall and substantial sacrifice in the new testament we do not so When any member of Christ giues an almes he offers a sacrifice to God not a corporall sacrifice but spirituall euery way Againe note this that our Sauiour Christ he is a perfect Priest and offers vp a perfect sacrifice but we being imperfect do offer vp an imperfect sacrifice tainted and blemished with sinne but accepted as perfect for the worthinesse of Christs sacrifice Secondly we be Kings and Prists in this life for as in the entrance into an earthly kingdome there be degrees as first to giue one title to it secondly to giue him possession of it which is more then to giue one title onely so Gods children they haue the right giuen them of the kingdome of heauen in this life and as in the giuing of possession of a kingdome there be two degrees first the beginning of the possession secondly the full enioying and perfect possessiō so we haue the beginning of the possession of the kingdome of heauen in this life which stands in righteousnesse ioy and peace and they which haue these haue the kingdome of God begun in them The second part and degree is after this life which is the full fruition and possession of the kingdome of heauen but in all the true members of Christ it is begunne here and accomplished there And as we be kings in this world so we must be Priestes too in offering spirituall sacrifice to God and dedicating and consecrating our selues to his seruice Hath made vs. True beleeuers be Kings and Priests not by nature neither borne such nor by creation or birth or bloud are they such or by any other priuiledge they haue frō mā How then As earthly Kings and Priests were made in the old Testament so are spirituall Kings and Priests in the new the King was elected and ordained by a solemne calling so the Priest by a solemne election so are the Kings and Priests which be spirituall by a diuine calling In which calling note two things First Christ giueth his members right to his owne kingdome to be Kings and Priests yet not so that they can execute the regiment sustained by Christ and do the office of a King and Priest as it is done by Christ but because they belong to them in part and they haue the benefite of them both redounding to them wholly And this right they haue is brought to passe in the couenant of grace For the Lord in it promiseth that he for his part will giue to the true beleeuers in Christ Iesus his Sonne with all his benefits as he giues them this to be kings and priests For euery thing which belōgs to Christ as he is head of the Church belongs to his seruants as members and he imparts it to them in some sort Secondly in the appointing of kings
should moue vs to embrace it to loue and like it seeing it brings vs such an excellent benefit and not to misname it as we do by reprochfull termes Yea verily the consideration of this should make the Ministers of the word to take all paines to preach the word seeing by it they make men to become of vassalles of Satan the true members of Christ and heires of the kingdome of heauen In this world for a man to consecrate and establish one in a kingdome it is a thing of great honour is it not of greater honour to consecrate one to become king of heauen and earth to be heire of the kingdome of heauen Now that this is done in the ministery of the Gospel when by the word preached we are conuerted made to beleeue in Christ and to repent of our sinnes this I say should stirre and pricke forward the Ministers of the word to labour to win men to Christ and to make them kings and priests to God his father There also is matter of comfort to the godly for seeing they be Kings and Priestes in the kingdome of Christ if a man be in the crosse and affliction which is a great griefe yet let him know to his comfort that though he be so handled it appeareth not what he shal be yet he is a king and that he shall be and is heire to the kingdome of heauen If a man be in sicknesse he must consider it is but Gods messenger to call him out of this world to the possession of a kingdome If a man be in the trouble and vexation of mind and of his owne conscience if he be tormented fearefully with his sins yet he must be content the Lord wil giue him a happy issue he must know he is a king and therefore shall one day haue conquest ouer sin Satan and his owne corruption yea ouer all his enemies whatsoeuer If a man be in the heat of persecution so that he is turmoiled and tossed from post to pillar then flesh and blood cannot brooke it yet he is a king though he in persecution be killed and put to death euen then let him consider he is a most valiant conquerour Rom. 8. 37. In the pang of death when nature must needs be dissolued and soule and body separated then we must remember that we be kings in Christ and so we shall not feare death but know it is but a way and easie passage to the ful possession of our kingdom Thus much in that we are kings In that all the members of Christ be priests not earthly but spiritual and offer to God spirituall sacrifices first we are hence bound by this our calling to teach and instruct one another for the office of the Priest in the old Testament was to instruct the people The Priests lips must keepe knowledge Mal. 2. 7. So must we be teachers of others Col. 3. 18. We all ought to be able to teach the will of God that so the Gospell of Christ may be spread abroad And as this belongs to al men so especially to gouernors they must especially shew themselues priests to their charges Abraham did it Gen. 18. Dauid did it Pro. 4. and Bathshebath did it Prouer. 31. and all must do it that desire an holy generation to succeed after them We teach other things why not Religion 2 Seeing we be priests we must pray for others not onely for our selues but for all men especially the members of Christ The Priest in the old Testament must pray and make request not onely for himselfe alone but for the people also Moses is commended for prayer especially when he prayed for the Israelites and stood before the Lord in the gap Exod. 32. Eliah is called the horseman and chariots of Israel and Hezechiah beseecheth the Lord to be good to his people And so when any man in the word is cōmended for prayer it is for that he prayed for the people So did Dauid in the Psalmes So did Christ make this his speciall duty Iohn 17. We must offer spirituall sacrifice to God that is dedicate our selues our soules and bodies and all that is in vs our wit learning knowledge or any gift of body or mind we must consecrate it to Gods seruice That we may do all this to his glory we must look that all we take in hand be begun in faith do proceed from a good heart and be directed to a good end to Gods glory principally and if we do it in faith and obedience then it will please him We must be ful of blessings we may haue nothing to do with cursed speaking As the Priests in the old Testament their duty was to blesse the people so we must speake nothing but blessed and gracious speeches take heed of all cursed speaking of swearing and forswearing we must be blessed and gracious speakers to all men friend fo or any We must haue God our portion for the Leuites had no portion in the land of Canaan but dwelt in tents and the Lord was their portion So we being Priests to God we must be content with any estate in this world for God is our portion we must not seeke too much to haue any inheritance on earth for Gods fauour in Christ that is our portion and this wil suffice To him be glory In these words is a praising and thanksgiuing to God for the three former benefits of Christ bestowed on the Church In that S. Iohn before he come to the end of his description of Christ should interrtupt himselfe to giue God thankes for his benefits we see that the consideration of Gods benefits bestowed on vs should be a meanes to stirre vs vp to praise the Lord we should be caried away with this affection of thanksgiuing as S. Iohn was And in these words of this holy man we do see what is the true forme of giuing thankes to God namely to giue him and ascribe to him all glory power and absolute dominion for euermore But alas it is too too manifest that mans corrupt nature will not do this but denieth it and taking this from God bestoweth it on creatures yea on our own selues And it is a matter of grace to know this and to confesse that all glory and dominion belongs to God and to giue him his due So Christ he teacheth vs to ascribe all power glory might and dominion to God when we say in the Lords prayer For thine is the kingdome power and glory that is it is due to thee O Lord not to any creature whatsoeuer Amen So be it let it be so that thou mayst haue all glory and dominion he addes this to shew his feruent desire of Gods glorie and therefore he doubles and repeates it for he had said that before but not content with it he sheweth his feruencie and repeates the same againe so should we not freeze or be cold in our desire of Gods
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
of his word God will be wearie of their seruice of all their prayers and other seruice where or whatsoeuer Lastly many thinke they haue knowledge enough no man can teach them that they know not alreadie But the preaching of the word serueth not onely to beget knowledge but to increase the same and also to beget in man obedience to his knowledge so that these though they seeme to be the wisest are most foolish no man no not the greatest learned but he hath knowledge in part and it may be increased and say he get not more knowledge yet he may by the word deliuered by a plaine and simple man be brought to obedience of that he knoweth Another principall dutie cōmanded in the conclusion is reading the word both in publike and priuate that so we may be prepared to heare and obey the same So Christ Luk. 10. 26. What readest thou he taketh it for graunted that the young man could reade the lawe Esay 5. 13. for want of Gods word and knowledge the people of God went into captiuitie And yet we see among vs many families which come to church heare the word nay receiue the Sacraments not knowing the thing assured in them neither hauing a Bible to reade nor procuring others if they cannot yet many haue a Bible lying on their cupbord but vse it not The tables cards and dice they be well vsed and worne but the booke of God lyeth couered with dust Many will haue the booke of Satutes that they may know their dutie but none careth to haue the Statutes of God to teach them to range their vnbridled affections within the compasse of the same And to him which ouercommeth Here is the second part of the conclusion namely the promise which is the same in substance with those annexed with the two former Epistles In this promise note two points first to whom it is made secondly what is promised First the persons to whom promise is made namely they which ouercome To ouercome as before is to beleeue to put all our trust and confidence in Christ alone and to get victorie against all our spirituall enemies That we may ouercome so we must do two things first we must denie our selues and all that is in vs put our whole confidence in Christ alone secondly we must maintaine true religion and a good conscience in all things to our last end and this is indeed to ouercome all our spirituall enemies Now seeing God maketh this promise to them which ouercome we must labour to come to this estate that so we may be partakers of the promise The second point is the thing promised He will giue him to eate of the hidden Manna c. The thing promised is a threefold gift of God first to eate of that Manna secondly he shall haue a white stone thirdly a new name written in the same white stone Which three signifie our election vocation iustification sanctificatiō glorification and to be the children of God To come to the first to eate of the hidden Manna Manna signifieth properly that food which God gaue the children of Israell from heauen to feed them in the wildernesse Psalm 98. For the excellencie of it it is called the wheat of heauen and the foode of strong men or of Angels in forme it was like Coreander seed white and sweet as Moses saith by which the Lord fed them in the wildernesse fortie yeares from heauen to teach them man liueth not by bread onely but by the word of God And this is thought of many to be the same white Manna sold in shops but I stand not on that and it is to be doubted But this Manna signifieth another food 1. Cor. 10. it is the spirituall foode which our fathers did eate namely the food of our souls that is Christ the true Manna and bread of life which came from heauen Iohn 6. sheweth that Christ is that food and spirituall meate of our soules feeding vs to eternall life Ob. But how can Christ the Sonne of God become our meat and food Ans. By these conclusions first Christ is food not in respect of his doctrine or his miracles or in regard of his death passion or obedience alone but in regard of himselfe as he is Christ God and man And here he is called the Lord of life first in regard of himselfe then in regard of his benefites The second conclusion he is our food not as he lay in the cratch or as he is now in heauen but as he died was buried rose suffered the paines of hell dead Christ crucified Christ he is our food of life for frō his death cometh our life The third conclusion Christ is food not in regard of his Godhead or Deitie but in regard of his manhood I say of his manhood not simply in it selfe but as it is in the Godhead subsisting by the Deitie as he is God and man so is his bodie and bloud our food yet Christ is not a bodily and sensible food to be receiued with our hand mouth and into our stomacke but he is a spirituall food to be receiued onely by the hand of faith into the stomacke of our soules whereby they be fed to eternall life And thus we eate him when we beleeue and assure our selues that he was dead buried and crucified for vs in particular Seeing Christ crucified is the bread of life and the spirituall Manna whereon our soules must feed we must long and hunger after Christ spiritually as truly and sensibly as we do after meate and drinke We see when a man is famished he will eate his owne flesh teare and pull it off his armes to satisfie hunger Now shall we thus pull our owne flesh and shall we not spend all we haue to haue this food of our soules In the hunger of the stomacke be two things first there is a paine in the nether part and bottome of the stomacke and from this there cometh a strong and hungrie appetite which lasteth till the belly and appetite be filled and satisfied So we should feele a paine in our hearts rising from the feare of Gods wrath for our sinnes and offences and withall we must feele an hungring and longing appetite to haue this paine taken away to haue this appetite satisfied which is onely by that food of the bodie and bloud of Christ. Secondly there is besides that paine an appetite and longing after meate and an earnest desire to be satisfied now as the stomacke longeth after meate so should the stomacke of our soules feeling a paine long and haue an earnest appetite to be filled and satisfied in some sort neuer quiet till we haue got the bodie and bloud of Christ which is the true food of our soules to satisfie our hungrie appetite But our case for the most part is miserable we haue a dead flesh growne ouer our hearts they be not touched with any paine of our wants and miseries But we must
sends these iudgements as for other sins so for fornication Sodom was destroyed for this sin And euen in our time we haue plagues famin sword many sicknesses and that for this sin among the rest 1. Cor. 11. many were dead for this sin lest they shold come defiled to the Lords table Now followes the exception Except they repent Here we see all Gods iudgements and threatnings be with exception in the matter of saluation And seeing Christ ads this exception vnlesse they repent we see men of yeares condemned in the Church not so much for sin as liuing in sin without repentance Indeed the least sin makes a man subiect to condemnation but lying in sin that brings actual condemnation the wrath of God vpon vs so that if man commit sinne and lie in it he casts his soule away To commit sinne is not that which killeth vs but to lye in sinne for if a man sinne and after repent he shall haue mercie at Gods hands Secondly it is propounded in the midst of the threates for they go before this exception and come after Where we see God mingleth his mercie with iudgement he sheweth not all iudgement nor all mercie but tempereth them together Now in that the Lord will bring iudgement on them vnlesse they repent we see that repentance preuenteth temporall iudgement We haue had long peace and haue abused it to commit sinne now we must looke for Gods iudgements and we see the Spaniard as a weapon of God now the Lord may iustly bring him on vs. The best way to preuent this and al Gods iudgements is for high and low and all estates to repent and so the Lord will turne him away Of thy workes namely fornication idolatrie So we if we wil repent we must cease from our particular sins as the drunkard from his drunkennesse and to liue soberly c. For to say I am sorie and in generall to repent as many men do is but to make shew of repentance but men must leaue each sinne and do the contrarie vertue In the three and twentieth verse is the third part of this threatening I will kill her child with death that is such as be of her familie and her children in fornication not them which follow her doctrine but properly for they are reproued before I will kill It had bene sufficient to say so but he addeth I will kill with death for the certaintie largenesse and fulnesse of it not sparing them But the mother sinned shall the child be punished for her sake Ans. In temporall and bodily punishments it may be so not in eternall punishments Among men if the father be a traitor the Son is punished and beareth the shame then shall it not be equitie with God to punish the sonne for the fathers sinne in bodily punishment And though there were no reason to vs yet we should thinke it good with God But there is reason sufficient why the Lord should destroy cities and commonwealths and families which be linked together by the bond of societie and be members of the same familie Now if one member sinne the other may be punished as in the bodie if the stomacke be sicke the head feeleth it so when the father sinneth the sonne may be punished when the husband the wife when the Maister the seruant when the subiect the magistrate because of the mutuall relation and nigh bond of societie betweene members of the same familie citie or kingdome Is this so then parents had need to take heed how they sinne for they sinning may bring iudgments and death on their familie or their children Then are they cruell parents which liue in sinne not caring for their children but by their sinnes bring Gods iudgements on them and on their families Let then euery man in the societie where he liueth be carefull he sinne not for then he may bring Gods iudgement on the place especially if he be a speciall member as Ahab on himselfe and his children and Dauid on the whole people Then all such as will not looke to themselues but liue in sinne should be banished out of all societies vnlesse they will repent and be new men seeing they do what they can to bring Gods iudgements on that place where they liue Vers. 24. That all Churches may know that I am he which searcheth the heart and reines Christ hauing propounded his threatning here he goeth about to make it take place in them in Iesabell and her company by remouing of two carnall conceipts whereby they might thinke to illude and auoid Christs threatnings For first they might haue said Our practises and sinnes be secret not knowne to men therefore though God threaten we shall escape the iudgements of God but we are without the reach of them they cannot take hold of vs. But Christ in the first words cutteth off this first conception Thogh you may perswade your selues you shall escape iudgement seeing your sinnes be secret yet I search the heart and I will discouer them to all Churches they shall know that I search the heart that is I see and know the most hidden and secret thoughts and affections of the heart That all Churches Christ will discouer their sins not to all the world but to all Churches and this he speaketh to the end to terrifie Iesabel and her companie For as it is a great honour to be approued and esteemed of all Churches so it is a great disgrace and dishonor to be euill thought of by the Churches of God Mat. 18. That which is bound in earth by the church of God is bound in heauen by God himselfe so by proportion those which be euill thought of in Gods church and in disgrace of it they be in disgrace with God in heauen Seeing Christ speaketh this to terrifie Iesabel and her companie we must labour in all things to be approued and esteemed of the Church though we must approue our selues as much as we can to all yet especially to the Church of God and auoide all things which may bring any disgrace or dishonour to the Church for as it is a great honor to be well esteemed of the Church so it is a great dishonor to be il esteemed Ro. 16. 1. Cor. 1. the last verse Paule saith All the Churches salute you not that all Churches send commendations by word of mouth but to confirme and comfort them he saith all true Churches planted by him did approue of them Act. 16. Paul approued of Timothy and receiued him to him because he was commended and had the approbation of the Churches and brethren at Lyconium and Lystra So must we haue the approbation of Gods Church which is the approbation of God himselfe But what would Christ haue all Churches to know namely that I search the heart c. In which words by heart and reines is meant the same thing namely by reines is meant the thoughts and affections of men and by heart is meant so much as it
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
of Christ and by the other be moued to the hatred of that false Church of Antichrist Now this text of Scripture She is fallen she is fallen euen Babylon that great citie for of the wine of the fury of her fornication she hath giuen all nations to drinke offereth me three speciall things to be considered first what Babylon is secondly what is become of her and thirdly what is the cause of her heauie decay In the first part by the assistance of God I shall plainely shew and proue that Babylon is Rome In the second that Babylon or Rome by the iust iudgement of God is fallen yea she is fallen In the last the reason of this so sharpe sentence of God against her because she hath deceiued all the world with drunkennesse and whoredome Within the compasse of these three propositions I will keep my selfe in all my discourse sauing that by your fauour forasmuch as this is the middle voice of three Angels that speake in this Chapter for a Preface I will vse the voice of the first Angell of whose preaching this my text is a cōsequent and in the stead of a conclusion I will touch the voyce of the third Angel which is a consequent of this the middle Angels voice Concerning the preface it shall be this in few words After that S. Iohn had described the preseruation and vnitie of the Church of God in Christ their head euen in the midst of the furie of Antichrist vnder the figure of the Lambe standing on mount Sion with 144000. of his chast worshippers next he declareth that God would bring the same againe into the sight of the world by preaching of the Gospell and the ouerthrow of the kingdome of Antichrist Wherefore he sendeth an Angell flying in the midst of heauen or betweene heauen and earth bringing with him an euerlasting Gospell and preaching that all men should feare God and giue glorie to his name for the time of his iudgement was at hand and that they should worship him that made heauen and earth and all things that are in them A very Angelicall sermon indeed an euerlasting Gospell is that howsoeuer the enemies charge it with noueltie that teacheth to feare God to giue glorie to his name and to worship him onely that is the Creator of heauen and earth And a consequent of that Gospell is this Sermon of the Angell She is fallen she is fallen euen Babylon that great Citie For wheresoeuer men are taught to feare God aright to giue all glorie to him alone and to worship none other but him that made heauen and earth and all things in them contained there must needes follow a great fal and ouerthrow of Babylon and Babylonicall religion which teacheth the contrarie Wherefore if we loue the peace of Ierusalem to the ouerthrow of this her great aduersarie let vs imbrace this euerlasting Gospell that we feare God glorifie God and worship God alone Againe if we hate Babylon with a perfect hatred as we ought to do and therefore would seeke her vtter ruine and decay let vs procure that this Gospell may be preached that men may learn to feare honour and serue God onely and then vndoubtedly Babylon shall fall she shall fall I say she can stand no longer Let this suffice therefore for a Preface Now haue we to cōsider what Babylon is I haue vndertaken to proue that Babylon here spoken of is Rome But first I must admonish you how I vnderstand Rome And that is not onely for a certaine place in Italy compassed about with walles and furnished with buildings as other cities are but for that authoritie gouernment and preheminence which is challenged by meanes of that citie or for the Romaine Empire which is claimed by prerogatiue of the same citie and so is Babylon taken in the Scripture and namely in this Prophecie For in the eleuenth Chapter of this Reuelation the same great citie is called also Sodoma and Aegyptus where our Lord was crucified Sodoma for the great abhomination and filthinesse therein maintained and Aegyptus because it keepeth the people of God in miserable bondage and slauerie as Aegypt vnder Pharao did of old Whereby it is manifest that the great citie is to be taken for that tyrannie gouernment and preheminence as I said which is challenged in the right of that great Citie and so is the regiment and gouernance of the Romaine Antichrist depending vpon the prerogatiue of his See which is Rome Now if any will contend that Babylon must be taken in the proper sense for a citie in Chaldea onely as though we should looke for the See of Antichrist out of the East as the Papists for thirty or fortie yeares ago deuised a fable that was renewed also in Queene Maries dayes of a monstrous child which should be borne at Babylon which they would haue men suppose to be Antichrist he may be flatly conuicted of great ignorance whē the Angell in the seuenteenth Chapter of this Prophecie testifieth that her name is Babylon in a mysterie as in the eleuenth Chapter that she is spiritually called Sodoma and Aegyptus not in respect of situation of the place but in similitude and likenesse of conditions Wherefore it remaineth that according to my promise I proue Babylon here mentioned to be Rome The greatest controuersie that this day troubleth the world is where the true Church of God should be the Papists making great bragges that it is on their side we affirming that it is on our side This controuersie will soone be cut off and brought to an end if it may be shewed that Babylon is Rome for then cannot Rome be the Church of Christ but the Church of Antichrist And therefore it standeth me vpon to bring very good and substantiall proofes to maintaine this my assertion that Babylon is Rome But what proofes may be counted sufficient Is not the authoritie of holy Scriptures and the testimonie of auncient Doctors of the Church good and substantiall proofes Therfore if authoritie of Scriptures be a good and substantiall proofe ye shall haue Scriptures if consent of auncient Writers in the same sentence be of any value you shall haue plentie And first beginning with Scriptures I will not alledge such places as be hard and darke to vnderstand but such as be plaine euident and manifest and can receiue no other interpretation to satisfie the iudgement of any reasonable man I omit therefore so many figures as in this Reuelation do not very obscurely signifie but euen directly point at and paint out that Antichristian Church For although they do so aptly and fitly agree therto as a man might easily iudge they were made euen for the same purpose yet because they might be wrested to some other meaning if manifest places did not withstand I will leaue all aduantage that I might take of them and hold me onely at this time to those plaine and euident demonstrations which with no equitie nor conscience can admit any