ministerie will soone bee tainted with the filthie puddles of mens inuentions Againe in this dealing of God with Iohn we may obserue the truth of Christs saying to him that hath it shall be giuen For though Iohn was endued with rare knowledge and singular gifts yet the Lord addeth more knowledge to his former The Lord found him faithfull in the duties of an Apostle and therefore reuealeth the knowledge of many secrets vnto him in most full manner euen so it is in Gods church at this day all that haue care to know the will of God and doe it though their knowledge be small at the first yet the Lord will helpe them and adde dayly to their knowledge And the cause why many heare the word of God and profit not but wax worse or stand at a stay is because they labour not to haue their knowledge encreased by putting in practise that which they know for if they did then to him which hath should more bee added and hee should haue abundance As on the contrarie when we be negligent to heare or know and to obey the will of God wee haue a spirit indeed sent vpon vs yet not Gods spirit but the spirit of slumber of blindnesse ignorance so that we see and see not heare and vnderstand not Isay. 6.9 On the Lords day In these words is the fourth circumstance namely the time when this vision was shewed to S. Iohn This day which here is called the Lords day among the Iewes was the first day of the weeke called by vs Sunday It is called the Lords day for two causes First because on this day Christ rose from death to life for Christ was buried the euen of the Iewes Sabboath which is our Friday and hee rested in the graue their whole Saboath which is our saturday and rose the first day of the weeke early in the morning which is our Sonday Secondly this first day of the weeke according to the Iewes account came in stead of the Iewes Saboath and was ordained a day of rest for the New testament and sanctified for the solemne worship of the Lord. And for this cause especially it is called the Lords day the manifestation whereof as some thinke Iohn chiefly intended in this title And touching this time for our better vnderstanding let vs consider three points First who changed the Iewes Saboath secondly for what cause thirdly whether the Church hath now in the New testament power to change the Saboath day we now celebrate to any other day of the weeke For the first it is commonly thought that the Iewes Saboath was changed into this Lords day by christian emperours long after the ascention of Christ. But it is more consonant to the tenour of the New testament to hold that Christ himselfe was the author of this change My reasons are these First that which the Apostles deliuered and enioyned the Church that they receiued from Christ either by voyce or instinct for they deliuered nothing of their owne head But the Apostles deliuered and inioyned this Saboath to the Church as to be kept a day of holy rest to the Lord as appeareth 1. Cor. 16.1 Where Paule ordained in the churches of Galatia and Corinth that the collection for the poore should be on the first day in the weeke This hee left not to the choise of the church but appointed it by authoritie Apostolicall from Christ. Now the day of collecting for the poore as appeareth in the histories of the church was the Saboath day when the people were assembled for Gods seruice For this was the custome of the church for many yeares after Christ First to haue the word preached and the Sacraments administred then to gather for the poore and for this cause in the writings of the church the Lords supper is called a sacrifice an oblation and the masse not a reall sacrifice as the papists vse it but spirituall because therewith was ioined collection for the poore which was a spirituall oblation not to the Lord but to the church for the releefe of the poore and it was called the masse because the collected releefe therat was sent to the poore saints abroad A second reason is this The Apostles theÌ„selues kept this day for the Saboath of the New testament Act. 20.7 And it cannot bee proued that they obserued any other day for an holy rest to the Lord after Christs assention saue onely in one case when they came into the assemblies of the Iewes who would keepe none other but the old Saboath of the law A third reason is Iohn 20.19.26 The same day whereâ—n Christ rose from death being the first day of the weeke â—e appeared to his disciples being gathered together and taught them many things which concerned the gouernement of his Church And eight dayes after being the first day of the weeke hee appeared vnto them for the same end Now it is more than likely that Christ in his own person gaue them an example to celebrate and keepe that day wherein he rose againe for a Saboath of the New testamenâ— II. point The Saboath of the Iewes was changed for two causes First to maintaine the libertie of the church of the New testament whereof this was a great part thaâ— they were freed from the ceremonies of the Iewes For when this day was changed the church was no more tied to the Iewes Saboath neither had any such regard of dayes and times Secondly that there might be a more fit time for the memorie of the worke of mans redemption For as God in the Old testament appointed the seuenth day to be a day of rest to remember the first creation So in the New testament it stands with reason there should be a day to celebrate this worke of redemption which is a wonderfull creation wherein as Isay saith are made a new heauen a new earth Chap. 66. And wherby men become new creatures 2. Cor. 5.17 Nay this redemption is a more glorious worke than the creation for in that creation Adam was the head but in this redemption Christ Iesus is our head By the first creation wee receiued a temporall life but by redemption wee receiue life eternall In the creation Adam was espoused to Eue but in the worke of redemption euery christian is espoused to Christ Iesus By creation Adam had an earthly Paradise In this redemption we haue an heauenly kingdome In the creation Gods power and wisedom did principally appeare In this redemption with power and wisedome he shewed mercie and iustice Iustice in Christs passion and mercie in our forgiuenesse By creation he made man of nothing but by redemption hee made him of worse then nothing and better then he was Therefore seeing this worke of our redemption is farre passing the creation it was meete a day should be set a apart for the memorie thereof Now no day could be more fit then the first day of the weeke in which Christ rose againe whereby he confirmed
signe or rule whereto hee will conforme and square the last iudgement Secondly whereas euery man must bee iudged that is saued or condemned according to his workes hence wee may gather that good workes are necessarie to saluation yet not as causes thereof either efficient or helping any way but onely as a way or meanes to come vnto saluation For faith is necessarie and good workes are the tokens and fruits of faith and so are necessarie Thirdly here we must bee admonished to bee carefull to abound in good workes not to win heauen by them but to get assurance of saluation in our selues And these good workes are the doing of the duties of pietie vnto God and of charitie vnto our brethren euen the duties of the Morall law or more plainely the doing of the generall duties of a Christian and the particular duties of a mans calling for if these bee done in obedience to God and to his glory proceeding from faith and loue vnto our brethren though the calling bee neuer so base they are good workes And on the contrarie this must admonish vs to make conscience of euery euill way for sinnes be the markes of condemnation and so many wicked workes as we commit so many markes and brands doe wee set vpon our selues of our iust and deserued condemnation vnlesse wee repent Lastly hence wee may gather that there bee degrees of ioy in heauen and of torments in hell For iudgements and rewards goe according to mens workes And therefore they that testifie their faith by great and many good workes shall haue great reward they that testifie their faith by lesser and fewer workes shall haue lesser reward and so for sinnes the more heynous they bee the deeper condemnation they doe procure Vers. 24. And to you I say the rest of them of Thyatira as many as haue not this learning neither haue knowne the deepenesse of Sathan as they speake I will put vpon you none other burden 25. But that which you haue already hold fast till I come Here Christ commeth to a second part of his counsell which concernes the Angell and the better part of this Church of Thyatira and first hee beginneth with the Preface of this counsell wherein wee may obserue two points First who speaketh Secondly to whom hee speaketh For the first hee that speaketh is Christ. I say hereby Christ challengeth vnto himselfe the absolute and all sufficient authoritie of the supreme Doctor of his Church in that hee speaketh in his owne name Whereby hee putteth a plaine difference betweene himselfe and all other his Ministers either Prophets Apostles or ordinarie teachers for they must not propound any thing vnto Gods people in their owne names but in the name of Christ. But Christ teacheth in his owne name being the fountaine of all diuine knowledge and vnderstanding that iâ— reuealed in the word of God And thus Christ himselfe speaketh in his owne name to strike the hearts of the Angell of this Church and the better part thereof with reuerence and to mooue them to receiue and obey the counsell following considering it comes immediately from Christ the Doctor of the Church II. point The parties to whom he speaketh To you that is the Angell and the better part of this Church for so Christ expounds it in the words following though first hee say in generall To you that is The rest of them of Thyatira When as Christ will behaue himselfe as the doctor and chiefe Angell of this Church note that he maketh a distinction of the persons in the Church and also deuideth his counsell giuing one doctrine and one iudgement to one part and a diuers doctrine and iudgement to another This giueth vs good direction for sundry actions for some may aske how must doctrine bee deliuered in a mixt congregation where some are Papists some Protestants some are hardened others despaire Answ. The persons must bee distinguished after the example of Christ and sutable doctrines deuided for them that euery one may haue his due Impenitent sinners must be terrified and threatenings deliuered against them with exception of them that repent Comforts must be propounded and applied to them that despaire with restraint from all impenitent persons that goe on in sinne If any demaund more particularly who these bee whom Christ calleth The rest of them of Thyatyra Christ answeres directly as the words import to as many as haue not this learning neither haue knowne the deepenesse of Sathan Where Christ giueth two notes whereby to discerne who bee the rest of them of Thyatira The first is the not receiuing or maintaining of the false doctrine of Iezabell whereof entreatie hath beene formerly made The second note is ignorance in the deepenesse of Sathan neither haue knowne the deepenesse of Sathan that is neither haue acknowledged nor approoued the doctrine of Iezabell which is the deepe and profound learning as themselues doe iudge In this obserue a most wicked practise of Iezabell and her followers they esteemed highly of their owne opinions calling them profound and deepe learning but for the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles in the Old and New Testaments in it there was no such matter This in all ages hath beene the practise of wicked persons highly to esteeme their owne conceits and basely to neglect the word of God The teachers of the Iewes doe hold to this day That the Lord gaue to Moses a most plain and easie law which he deliuered to his people but the most secret and profound doctrine was vnwritten shewed to Moses by reuelation and by him deliuered to the Priests and Leuites which they keepe still in their Cabbala And of the like iudgement touching Scripture are the Popish Churches The Word written is but an inkie word a dead letter or a nose of waxe but the most perfect Scripture is vnwritten which is the consent of faith and of doctrine in the hearts of all Catholickes And by such great tearmes the Anabaptists Libertines and Arrians maintaine their doctrine and abuse Scripture calling the written Word milke for euery nouice but the consent of heart among themselues with reuelations that is the strong meates Yea this opinion hath crept in among vs in part men thinke basely of Scripture and preferre other mens writings before it For let a man preach plainely the bare word of God and deliuer doctrines and exhortations out of the same this is but plaine preaching But let another come and vtter his mind partly in Latine and partly in Greeke and other languages alleadging withall the testimonies of Fathers Counsels and other Writers that is the learned preaching And thus doe most men abase Scripture and exalt the writings of men aboue it But seeing this is the practise of Iezabell and wicked men let vs on the contrary learne to reuerence the written word and giue place thereto aboue all the testimonies and sayings of men whatsoeuer The deepenesse of Sathan As if he should say They count it deepe learning but
must giue up at the last day 1. Cor. 15.24 And here we must consider in what manner God giues his Reuelation to his sonne First therefore Christ Iesus as he is Mediator is made Lord of this Reuelation so as hee may say it is his owne right and royaltie being a part of that law whereby his Church is now gouerned whereof he is Lord and King Againe this Reuelation was reuealed vnto Christ as he is man before it was euer knowne to any creature man or Angell by reason of the vnion of his manhood with the godhead In this which hath been said we may obserue that this booke of the Reuelation is Christ his right and belongeth vnto him as his owne royaltie and priviledge For as the lawes in any kingdome belong to the prince thereof and are called his lawes alone and no mans els So this booke being a part of that law whereby Christ gouerneth his Church is his royaltie alone for God gaue it him and he hath by his Angell sent it to his Church And that which is here said of this booke must be vnderstood proportionally of all other books of holy scripture Christ is made Lord of all and they are all of them his royalties and possessions And from hence will follow necessarily First That no man in the world hath authoritie aboue this booke or any other part of Canonicall Scripture indeed Monarchs and princes haue great authoritie and preheminence in their dominions ouer all persons and ouer all causes of men but in the Church they with all others owe homage vnto Christ there hee hath the Canonicall Scriptures to be his laws whereto euery one must subiect himselfe The dispensation of the word and the adminisâ—ration of the Sacraments bee his royall ordinances ouer which none may dare to claime rule or authoritie for so should the Scriptures haue beene giuen vnto them for their prerogatiues as they were to Christ but God gaue them to him alone and hee disposeth thereof as pleaseth him And therefore the Pope in taking vpon him to dispence with the word and to mangle the Sacraments doth herein steppe into the roome of Christ and so declare himselfe to be that man of sinne by seeking to rob him of that princely royaltie which belongs to him alone Secondly that the soueraigne power and authoritie of expounding Scripture belongeth to Christ alone and to none other with him True it is that man hath a ministerie committed vnto him by vertue whereof he may expound Scripture by scripture but men haue no power of themselues to determine of the proper sence of Scripture And therefore the Popish practise in giuing to the Church absolute authoritie to determin of the sence of Scripture of themselues without Scripture is flat robbery against Christ for therein they giue vnto men that soueraigne power which is proper to Christ. Thirdly herein wee obserue the excellencie of this booke and of the whole Scripture of God for all of it is the gift of the father to the sonne and of the son vnto his Church The like cannot bee said of any writings of men whatsoeuer bee they neuer so excellent herein the Scriptures surpasse them all Whereby we are taught to esteeme more reuerently of the Scriptures of God than of all the writings of men in the world Here then behold the sinne of this age which more delighteth to speake and heare the sayings of men in the publicke ministerie than the glorious word of the euerliuing God Whereas the writings of men be full of darkenesse of errour and deceit but the word of God is most holy and pure and euery way perfect proceeding wholly from the father of lights vnto his beloued sonne who hath faithfully dispersed the same for the good of his Church To shew to his seruants things that must shortly be done These words containe the second third and fourth Arguments whereby this Reuelation is described viz. the end of it the persons to whom it must be shewed and the matter which it containeth Arg. II. The end of this Reuelation is To shew that is to make knowne and manifest things to come for the good of the whole Church Whence we may obserue that the Papists erre exceedingly in debarring lay people as they call them from the reading of the Scripture for the end of this booke is To make manifest to Gods seruants things to come And who are Gods seruants Are the Cleargie onely and not lay people also God forbid the lay man is Christ his seruant as well as one of the Cleargie And therefore it is Gods will that he should learne to know and vnderstand this booke like one of his seruants And here consider that if this booke of Scripture which is hard and difficult must be learned of the lay man then much more must he search into all other bookes of God which bee more plaine and easie as the histories of Gospell Epistles c. Arg. III. The persons to whom it must be shewed viz. The seruants of Christ. This Reuelation was not giuen of God for all men indefinitely but for all his seruants that is such alone as repent of their sinnes and truly beleeue in Christ for the pardon of them and shew forth the same by new obedience So hee teacheth elsewhere The secret of the Lord is with them that feare him and his covenant to giue them vnderstanding Psalm 25.14 The Lord will reueale his secret to his servants the Prophets Amos 3.7 And God will not keepe backe from Abraham the thing hee was to doe vnto Sodome and Gomorrah because hee knew Abraham would doe his will and teach his familie after him Genes 18. vers 17.19 The consideration whereof should admonish vs not to content our selues with the bare hearing of the word and outward participation of the sacraments but to labor principally to become Gods seruants and to shew the same by the practise of that which we heare Hereby shall wee receiue instruction from the Lord and grow in knowledge dayly more and more our vnderstandings shall more easily conceiue the will of God for they that will doe the will of his father shall know his doctrine Iohn 7.17 Here then is the cause why most hearers after long teaching profit little but remaine as blind and ignorant as euer they were euen their owne impietie they liue in their sinnes and labour not to become Gods seruants Secondly in this argument we may obserue that Christ Iesus is true God for here he is made the head of the Church euery true beleeuer is his seruant and he his Lord the angels of the Churches be his angels as after we shall see which prerogatiue none can haue but he that is true and very God Thirdly in this Argument are those confuted which hold that God would haue all to bee saued and cals all men without exception For if hee called all effectually then hee would offer the meanes to all to wit his holy word that so they might
written which word imports that by diligent obseruation wee should lay them vp in our hearts This is a weightie dutie and seriously commended vnto vs of God Bind vp the testimonie seale vp the law among my disciples Isay. 8.16 And Marie is therefore commended because she kept in her heart the words of Iesus Luke 2.19 â—1 It was Dauids practise I haue â—id thy saying in my heart Psal. 119. â—â— And hereto â—endeth Christs encouragement pronouncing them rather blessed which heare the word and keepe it than those which bare Christ and gaue him sucke Luk. 1â— 27.28 And Iames calleth it the ingraffed word Iames 1.21 because it should abide in our hearts like a syence in a stock and neuer be remooued but there grow and fructifie vnto life eternall Now because this is a point of great difficultie and the want hereof the cause of so little profiting after much hearing and reading I will therefore shew how by Gods grace in hearing and reading the word of God a man may keepe the same in memorie First a man must learne the grounds or elements of religion commonly called the Catechisme for they are the fouÌ„dation of all knowledge without which a man shall neuer vnderstand the Scripture to his comfort nor keepe the same in memorie The Apostle sayth the Hebrewes were dull of hearing the deepe things of God in Christ because they had not well learned the first principles of the word Hebr. 5.11.12 This all ignorant persons should well obserue specially the aged that they may find in themselues the cause of their ignorance and dulnesse euen want of knowledge in the Catechisme They thinke it a disgrace to bee brought vnto it now they are old but if they would not be euer learning and neuer come to the knowledge of the truth they must lay in themselues this good beginning and learne the principles of religion Secondly wee must not rush vpon Gods holy ordinance but before we either come to heare or reade with reuerence prepare our selues thereto Most men at this day vse to prepare theÌ„selues before they come to the Lords table and so they ought to doe before they come to heare the word for God ordained both for this end to bee meanes to bring men to true happinesse they differ onely in this that the Sacraments are the visible and the Scriptures the audible word of God At the giuing of the law The people that must â—eare it were sanctified three dayes before Exod. 19. And when they did offer sacrifice or eat the Passeouer both priests and people must bee sanctified and the same thing for substance must we perform before we come to heare the word of God This preparation stands in two thingâ— First wee must put out of our hearts al by thoghts all delights and cares of wordly affairs and set our hearts as Ezra did to seeke the law of the Lord Ezra 7.10 Secondly we must make our earnest prayers to God that he would open our eyes that wee may see his will soften our hearts and make our eares attentiue as Lâ—diaes were and also giue vs grace to embrace his word and keepe it for Christ is the onely doctor of the heart by his spirit without whose inward teaching wee can neuer learne vnto saluation Thirdly when we are about the holy exercise of Gods word the frame of our heart should be thus disposed I. It must bee an humble heart for the Lord resists the proud and giues grace to the humble Iam. 4.6 Them that be meeke will he guide in iudgement and teach the humble his way Psal. 25.9 A proud heart is so stuffed with selfe loue that there is no room for the word of God to lodge in But the heart that is lowly in it selfe through the conscience of sinne that is the heart in which the Lord by his graces will take vp his abode Isay 57.15 II. It must be an honest heart such as hath no manner of purpose to liue in any one sinne whatsoeuer but though it feele corruption in it selfe is resolued to please God in all the wayes of his commandements and that continually such an heart haue the good hearers resembled by the good ground Luke 8.15 As on the contrarie that is a wicked heart which resolueth to cherish though it be but any one sinne whatsoeuer III. It must bee a beleeuing heart The old Iewes heard the word but it profited them not because they mingled it not with faith 〈◊〉 their hearts Hebrew 4.2 where he compares the heart to a vessell in which there must bee both the word and faith these two must be mingled together and then it will be a word of power of life and saluation Therefore when we heare the threatenings of the law or the promises of the Gospell we must labour to resolue our hearts of the truth thereof But incredulitie wherby men except against the word as not pertaining vnto them is the mother of forgeâ—fulnesse The old world knew nothing of the flood because they did not beleeue Matth. 24.39 IV. It must bee an hearing heart such as is pliable to the word Sacrifice and burnt offerings sayth Dauid thou wouldest not but mine eares hast thou prepared Psal. 40.6 As if hee should say beside those bodily cares which thou hast giuen me by creation thou hast bored new cares in my heart so as I can by thy grace attend and listen to thy word And when God saith Seeke ye my face this hearing heart will answere I seeke thy face O Lord Psal. 27. vers 8.9 Fourthly after we haue heard or read the word we must become doers of the same euen in the duties of our vocation We see euery man more skilfull in the works of his owne trade by reason of his dayly exercise therein euen so the constant practise of Gods word will make vs expert in it and cause vs to keepe it in perfect memorie And these are the right meanes to become good hearers and readers of the word of God Thirdly this benediction pronouÌ„ced vpon them that heare read keepe the prophecies of this booke serues to induce euery child of God as much as in him lieth to keep in memory the whole word of God but specially these prophecies of things to come that concerne the state of the Church for therefore did God reueale them that they might bee remembred When the Angell had told Daniel the state of the church from his time to the comming of Christ hee bids him Shut vp the wordes and seale the booke till the end of the time Dan. 12.4 meaning that he for his own comfort should hide them in his heart And Christ sayth to his disciples When ye see the abhomination of desolation spoken of by Daniell the Prophet let him that readeth consider it Matth. 24.15 Behold I haue told you before meaning things to come verse 25. shewing That hee would haue his children to marke and remember those weightie things that are foretold concerning the state
himselfe and by the vertue of his godhead quickened his manhood The most godly man that is or euer was cannot doe so but all the saints of God are raised from death by vertue of Christs resurrection through that mysticall vnion which is between Christ the head and all his members by meane whereof the power of Christ his godhead which raised vp his manhood is conueyed to all his members in their resurrection froÌ„ death to life And therefore is Christ called The first fruits of them that sleepe because as the first fruits of corne which was offered vnto God did sanctifie the whole crop so Christ his resurrection did make acceptable vnto God the resurrection of all his members In this title is comprised a notable comfort for all Gods children against the immoderate feare of death If Iohn had said Christ is the first borne among the liuing it had beene a great comfort for then had he shewed that the liuing saintâ— on earth were children in Gods familie hauing Christ for their eldest brother but calling him the first begotten of the dead here is a further comfort the Lord sheweth hereby what speciall regard he hath to the faithfull that be dead for euen then when they be dead they continue members of his familie and haue Christ Iesus dead and buried reckoned among them for their eldest brother In regard whereof Christ hath a double right among the dead first of a King secondly of a Priest The right of a king hee hath to commaund his members to rise againe and to enter into glorie after him The right of a priest whereby hee offered vp himselfe in death a sacrifice acceptable to God for the sanctifying of the death of all his members for by his death he tooke away the sting of death and hath made it vnto them a sweet sleep in the graue as in a bed of downe out of which they shall one day rise to eternall life and glorie And Prince of the kings of the earth Here is the third title giuen to Christ wherein his kingly office is expressed He is called a Prince of the kings of the earth in two respects First as he is God the sonne of God equall with the father and so is king together with the father and the holy ghost gouerning all things with them by the same diuine power in heauen in earth and in hell Secondly as hee is Mediatour and Redeemer God and Man in two natures In this respect hee sayth of himselfe All power is giuen to me in heauen and in earth Matth. 28.18 And Paule sayth God gaue him a name aboue euery name at which euery knee should bow euen as he is Mediatour And in this second respect he is called A Prince of the kings of the earth in this place Now Christ being a king must needes haue a kingdome which is not of this world standing in the might and policie of man as earthly kingdomes doe but it is spirituall directly concerning the hearts and consciences of men where he ruleth by his lawes And this is his priuiledge which cannot be giuen to any creature man or Angell to rule and raigne spiritually in the heart and conscience This spirituall kingdome of Christ is exercised not by dint of sword or force of armes but by his holy word through the worke of the spirit for hee is as a king which carrieth his scepter in his mouth euen his word Isay. 11.4 That is the râ—d of his power by which hee rules the heart and conscience euen in the middest of his enemies Psal. 110. vers 2. Now Christ is here entituled Prince of the kings of the earth in two respects First because he and he alone as Mediator can giue lawes to bind the consciences of men yea of the greatest Monarch in the world Secondly because he hath soueraigne power ouer all kings and potentates as well as ouer others to saue and to destroy for not onely hath hee power to make a law to bind their consciences but also if they keepe it to saue them if they breake his law hee hath power to destroy them bee they what they may bee Hee hath the keyes of heauen and of hell to open and to shut at his pleasure Reuel 3.7 He can if he will lead them to life and saue them or els leaue them to their owne mind and so destroy them Hence arise sundry instructions First seeing our Sauiour Christ is a prince of the greatest Monarchs of the world and is farre aboue them we must then with all feare and trembling reuerence his high maiestie Great is that reuerence which men yeeld to earthly princes Oh then what reuerence should we performe to him which is prince and Lord of all the kings of the earth We cannot conceiue what honour wee owe vnto him which is aduaunced in the throne of all maiestie And this our reuerence wee must shew by hearing his word with trembling and beleeuing hearts as Isay sayth cap. 66.2 We must not dare to thinke or speake of Christ without great reuerence At his name euery knee must bow that is at the consideration of the great maiestie whereto hee is now exalted euery heart euen of the greatest Monarchs should be touched with submission awe and reuerence If this tooke place in mens hearts the name of Christ would not bee so prophaned and blasphemed as it is in â—easting sports in cursing and swearing whereby men tosse it like a ball without all reuerence to so great a prince as is the king of kings Secondly seeing he is king of kings wee must giue him absolute obedience Princes on earth must be obeyed so far as they commaund in Christ but he must be obeyed without exception not onely absolutly and perpetually in all his commaundements but most willingly and freely as it is said his people come freely in the day of assembling Psal. 110.3 Men will say they beleeue in Christ as he is their Sauior but that is not ynough they must obey him also as he is the king of princes Many persuade themselues they haue a good faith in Christ their sauiour which little regard obedience to him as their King and Lord. But they deceiue themselues for none can haue Christ for their Sauiour which haue him not for their Lord master neither doth that man beleeue in Christ which will not striue to doe his will And this our obedience must bee shewed in performing those duties which we heare and learne out of his holy word Thirdly seeing Christ is king of kings all princes must doe him seruice for they be all inferiour and subiect to him Psal. 72.11 This is the counsell of the holy ghost Be wise now O yee kings be learned yee Iudges of the earth kisse the Sonne c. that is inwardly reuerence and outwardly obey him This their homage must bee shewed in all the affaires of their kingdomes They must frame their lawes after the lawes of Christ Iesus they must
the worke of our redemption for he died for oâ—r sinnes and rose againe for our iustification Rom. 4.25 III. point Whether may the church of the New testament chaunge this Saboath day to any other day of the week as to tewsday wednesday c. Ans. The church hath no such power for time is the Lords and the disposing thereof is in his hands Therefore Christ saith to his Disciples It is not for you to know the times and seasons which the father hath kept in his owne hands Act. 1.6 As if hee should say The father hath kept times and seasons in hiâ— owne power and therefore it is not for you to knowe them Now if that were a good reason as no doubt it was then is this also sound and good If God haue the disposing of times in his hands then it belongeth not to the church to dispose of them but God hath the disposing of all times in his hands ergo And it may be otherwise henâ—e gathered thus If that which is lesse belong not to the church then that which is more doth not But the knowledge of time and seasons which God hath in his power belongeth not to the church which is lesse than the disposing of times and seasons And therefore the church hath not power to dispose of them and so by consequent may not alter the Saboath day Obiect In the Old testament the Iewes appointed festiuall dayes as the feast of Dedication which Christ kept holy Ioh. 10.22 instituted by the Machabees in token of thankfulnesse for their deliuerance and for restoring of religion and the temple which Antiochus had pulled downe And also Mordichay instituted the feast Purim which was celebrated of the Iewes afterwards Now if they had power to make holidayes then they might alter the Saboath day and so may the church in the New testament Ans. These feasts of the Iewes were no Saboaths set wholly apart for the solemne worship of God but were onely daies of the solemnitie appointed by the church in token of ioy and thankfulnesse for the repairing of the temple deliuerance of Gods people And were onely celebrated as they serued to put the people in mind of these outward benefits So that whereas some hold that the church hath power to alter the Saboath day or to make two more Saboath dayes in a weeke if it were conuenient it hath no ground in Gods word For that authoritie which doth alter this day must not bee lesse than Apostolicall And thus wee see why this day was called the Lords day Now if the first day of the weeke bee the Lords day set apart for his honor in the memorie of so great redemption then here are three sorts of men reprooued First those that make the Lords day a day of vaine pleasure and delight This is the manner of all sorts of men but especially of the yonger sort and seruants who spend this day in carnall reioycing in riot gaming and wantonnesse neuer thinking of the worship of God which is then to bee performed But these sin greatly against the Lord for hereby they peruert the end of the Lords day It should be kept holy and glorious to the Lord but they turne it to the worship and seruice of the diuell The second sort here reprooued are those which liue more ciuilltie than the former but yet they thinke they may do what they will on the Lords day as to take their iourneys thereon and imploy themselues in their ordinarie affaires perswading themselues they may serue God with as good an heart when they are alone about their busines as they do who go to the church But these men sinne grieuously against the fourth commandement for hereby they make that their owne day which is the Lords A third sort here reprooued though not so bad as the former are those who thinke it needfull to serue God at those ordinarie times of the Saboath which the lawes of the land inioyne vnto men and therefore they will come duly to morning and euening prayer thinking that they are not bound besides to heare the word of God preached and that all the rest of the day they may doe what they will pertaining either to their profit or pleasure Of this sort are our ignorant people and a great number euerie where But they sinne grieuously against God for the Saboath day is called the Lords day because it is wholly consecrated to his worship but they part stakes with the Lord and giue him but a part of his owne day and that the lesser taking the rest vnto themselues which thee mispend vpon their lusts Now as these vices must be abhorred so on the contrarie wee must with all conscience keepe the Lords Saboath holy according to thâ— fourth commandement And therefore we must thereon cease from all workes of sinne and from the workes of our callings and sanctifie this day wholly by applying it all to the honour and worship of God And here we must remember that there is a double sanctification of the Saboath publike and priuate Publicke when men assemble themselues together publickly to heare Gods word for the increase of faith and knowledge and to call on Gods name for further graces as also to giue him thankes for his mercies and to receiue his Sacramens Priuate when men in their priuat places imploy themselues in holy duties of prayer reading and meditation vpon Gods word works whereby God is honoured and their souls edified and both these must bee performed to the Lord euerie Saboath day of euery man For wee may not abridge God of that timâ— wherein glorie should be giuen to his name If the officers should take our seruants in the weeke day from our priuat businesse imploy them in publicke affaires wee would thinke much at it though it were for the common good And shall we not thinke that God will take himselfe dishonored of vs when we shall take either whole or part of his holiday and imploy it in our businesse A maine cause why many profit little by the publicke mininisterie is want of priuat sanctification of this day Therefore we must learne to sanctifie the Saboath of the Lord for else we shal neuer increase in faith knowledge or obedience as wee should for the begetting and increase whereof this day hath beene set apart and sanctified from the beginning Obiect 2. Why did the Lord shew this vision vnto Iohn rather on this day then any other Answ. Though Iohn were absent from the church in regard of bodily presence yet hee was present in spirit withall the faithfull and therefore no doubt on this day hee gaue himselfe to prayer and other duties which he could performe for the glorie of God in that solitarie place Now it is the Lords manner when his seruants are thus humbled then to come and reueale himselfe vnto them in speciall manner So he did vnto Daniel Dan. 9. and to Cornelius Act. 10. and to Peter praying
of God sinneth not that is with full consent and with all his hart Sinne doth not raigne in him for the regenerate man consisteth of two parts flesh and spirit he sinneth not as hee is spirit that is regenerate but as hee is flesh and sinfull His will sinneth not as it is spirituall but as it is carnall The papists say Indeed he sinneth not so long as he continueth to be borne of God But this shift is cut off by the wordes of the text Neither can be sinne because the seede of grace euen the word of God abideth in him This place plainely proueth euen in the iudgement of the Papists that the child of God cannot wholly or finally fall from grace They say it is a hard place and indeed they cannot answere to it VIII Reason If a man may finally fall from grace then may hee bee wholly cut off from Christ for grace is neuer wholly lost till a man bee quite cut off from Christ. But it cannot bee that a member of Christ can be quite cut off for then it should follow that one and the same man must bee often ioyned to Christ namely so often as hee falleth by sinne if he would be saued Whereupon this would also follow that one and the same man must be often baptized for Baptisme is the Sacrament of incision the meanes of admission into the church and the seale of our vnion with Christ. But Rebaptization may not bee admitted The church of God denieth it vpon this ground because a man is onely once borne of God IX Reason Christ teacheth vs to pray thus Leade vs not into temptation that is suffer not Sathan and sinne wholly to preuaile against vs and finally to vanquish vs. This petition being taught by Christ must needes be lawfull and according to Gods will and therefore hereunto as to euery lawfull petition belong these two things First Gods commaund to make it Secondly his promise to assure vs it shall bee graunted Whereby this is euident That there is in Gods word a promise assuring euery child of God that hee shall neuer wholly be conquered of the deuill and therefore he can neuer wholly or finally fall from grace for if hee might then were he wholly ouercome in temptation The contrarie arguments be of three sorts places of scripture Examples and Reasons for the first Exod. 32 32. When the Israelits had sinned that great sinne of Idolatrie Moses prayeth God to forgiue them If not sayth he blot mee out of thy booke Hence they gather that a child of God may bee blotted out of Gods booke of life and so finally perish Answ. That place must be vnderstood with this condition If is be possible as in the like prayer it is expressed by Christ Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me This condition must needs be added for els wee must say that Moses prayed for that which he knew was impossible namely that one priuate man should suffer eternall punishments for the sinnes of others though in temporall punishments such a thing may be yet in eternall it is impossible Againe Moses in this prayer doth principally shew his exceeding affection and zeale for Gods glorie and for the safetie of his brethren both which hee preferred before his owne life as if hee should say Lord pardon them and rather than thy name should loose glorie blot me out of thy booke The like affection was in Paule when hee sayd He could wish himselfe to be separate from Christ for the loue of his brethren the Iewes They further vrge the Lords answere to Moyses vers 33. Whosoeuer hath sinned against mee I will put him out of my booke But as the Lord therein answereth to Moses prayer so must it bee vnderstood with the like exception II. Obiect Ezek. 18.24 If the righteous man turne away from his righteousnesse and commit iniquitie and doe according to all the abhominations that the wicked man doth shall hee liue All his righteousnesse that hee hath done shall not be mentioned but hee shall die in his sinne Here say they it is plaine that a man may fall from grace Answ. Righteousnesse is twofold of the outward action and of the person So Paule distinguisheth when he desireth to be sound not in his owne righteousnesse which is of the law that is such as was in him while hee was a Pharisee but in the righteousnesse of Christ. The righteousnesse of the action is when a man for outward actions keeps the law of God The righteousnesse of the person is that whereby a man is accepted righteous before God And answerable hereunto there be two kinds of righteous men one that is outwardly righteous before men thogh not indeed The other that is truly righteous before God Now of the former of these two must that place be vnderstood for the Lord there pleadeth with such as did esteeme and auow themselues to be righteous saying Their fathers had eaten soure grapes that is had sinned and they were punished for their fathers offences though they were righteous And the Holy ghost speaking according to their own conceit and opinion of themselues calleth them righteous and of such it is true they may turn from their righteousnesse III. Obiect Luk. 8.13 Some beleeue for a time and in time of temptation goe away Answ. There be three kinds of faith Historicall Temporarie and sauing faith In Histoâ—icall faith is knowledge of the word of God with assent vnto it In temporary faith are three things knowledge of the Word Assent and Approbation also with some ioy In sauing faith there are foure things Knowledge Assent Approbation and Apprehension that is an applying of the promises of God vnto a mans selfe whence proceedeth some ioy And answerably there are three kinds of beleeuers I. such as know the word of God but yet haue no loue thereof II. such as know it assent vnto it and reioyce in it also for a time The third are such as apprehend the promises and apply them to themselues Now the two first kinds of faith may bee left and the two first kinds of beleeuers may fall away whereof Saint Luke speaketh But hence it followeth not that sauing faith may be lost for he that is endued therewith can neuer fall away But faith say they is onely one Ephes. 4.5 There is but one faith one God one hope and one Baptisme Answ. By one faith is there meant one religion and doctrine of saluation as elsewhere is vsuall by the name of faith 1. Tim. 1.19 Their second kind of arguments are Examples which are chiefely two one of Adam the other of Dauid For Adam they say he was created righteous and yet hee fell wholly from grace and therefore any beleeuer now may much more fall away who haue farre lesse grace than he had Answ. This Argument is not good for though Adam had a greater measure of grace than we now haue yet our grace hath a greater priuiledge than his
that thence we may offer vp acceptable sacrifices of praise and thanksgiuing vnto the Lord. Secondly we must stir vp the gifts of grace that are in vs as Paule sayth to Timothie 2. Tim. 1.6 vsing a comparison from the fire which burneth more bright and cleare when it is stirred vp Lastly wee must exercise our selues in the duties of pietie as faith repentance loue and such like so shall they not decay And thus much for the sinne of this church Verse 5. Remember therefore whence thou art fallen and repent and doe thy first workes or els I will come against thee shortly and will remooue thy candlesticke out of his place except thou amend Our Sauiour Christ the faithfull physition of our soules hauing sharpely rebuked this church doth here prescribe vnto them a soueraigne remedie against their sinne of decay in loue FroÌ„ whence we may learne that the law whereby sin is reproued is to be taught but yet with this qualification that withall the doctrine of the Gospell be ioyned thereunto that the sinnes which are ripped vp by the law may be cured by the Gospel This is Christs manner of preaching in this place whose practise is a most worthie platforme for all his ministers for we haue no warrant at this day to preach the law barely which onely maketh the wound without the Gospell which alone sheweth the remedie This remedie here prescribed is of speciall vse and worthie our consideration generally by it we haue direction to answer to two necessarie questions of practise which often fall out in the life of man First a man is effectually called to professe the gospell and yet after his conuersion either through the corruption of his nature or by the temptation of the diuell and the world falleth into sinne againe what must this man do for his recouerie Ans. He must remember whence he is fallen and repent of those his sinnes and do his first workes The second question is this A man that hath all his life long liued in ignorance and sin is now touched in conscience for his loose life how shall this man escape the wrath of God become reconciled vnto him Ans. He must first remember whence hee is fallen by Adams sinne and by his owne transgressions Secondly hee must repent of his sinnes Thirdly endeuor to do the first workes whereto he is bound by the law of creation so shal he escape the wrath of God and be receiued into his loue and fauour In particular this remedie hath three parts The first Remember whence thou art fallen The second And repent The third And do thy first workes The words following Or else I will come against thee c. Are a reason of this remedie to persuade them to do the duties prescribed For the first Remember whence thou art fallen The words beare this sence Examine thy selfe throughly see in thy selfe the decay of thy former loue and then ponder the same in thy heart seriously and throughly Here Christ inioyneth to this church two duties I. Examination whereby shee must descend into her owne heart and search out her owne wants especially the want of her loue to God to his word and to her brethren II. Consideration whereby she must often thinke of these her wants and lay the same to her heart vnfainedly This course which Christ taketh with this church teacheth vs first that it is a dangerous thing for any person in Gods church not to bee acquainted throughly with his owne estate that so hee may search out his owne wants and deeply consider of the same For this very thing Ieremie blamed the people in his time that no man sayd with himselfe what haue I done And Christ layeth this sinne to the charge of the people of the old world that they were ignorant of their estate They knew nothing till the floud came and â—â—oke them all away And this is the common sin of this age no man almost doth examine himselfe consider in his hart his owne estate by reason of his sinnes and wants Nay men are growne to this that they count it a meanes to breed melancholie and therefore do â—lie the practise of this dutie and so nuzzell themselues in their fearefull securitie Secondly here wee learne that it is a speciall dutie for them that liue in Gods church to be throughly acquainted with their owne estate to examine and search out their owne sinnes and often to consider seriously of their particular wants Zephanie preaching the doctrine of repentance vnto the people beginneth thus Search ye search your selues oh nation not worthie to be beloued Where the word translated search signifieth such a search as a man would make for some small thing in a great heape of chaffe This is the Lords counsell Hag. 1.7 Consider your owne wayes in your hearts and it must be our practise if we would be saued This duty is the beginning and ground of true repentance and therefore Christ here giueth it the first place for no man can truly repent before hee bee acquainted with his owne infirmities and with his owne fearefull and damnable estate by reason of his sinnes And therefore Dauid saith I first considered my wayes and then I turned my feete into thy testimonies The cause why so few in the world doe truly repent is want of consideration from whence they are fallen and what bee their sinnes and the dreadful iudgements thereby deserued For till the mind doe truly conceiue her owne miserie the hart can neuer rightly hunger after mercie Sinne must bee our greatest woe before Christ become our chiefest ioy The second part of this remedie is Repentance iâ— selfe for after a man is well acquainted with his wants and hath throughly considered of his owne misery then he commeth to repent In the handling hereof fiue points are to be obserued I. What repentanceis II. How it is to be practised III. Who commandeth it IV. To whom it is commaunded V. For what they must repent For the first Repentance properly is in the mind as the word in this place doth import for it signifieth thus much After some follie or ouerslip to be better aduised Repentance then in the mind is a change from euil to good or a turning from sinne vnto God Act. 26.20 Repent and turne to God Which latter words expound the former plainly shew what repentance is And this change in the mind standeth in this resolution whereby a man by Gods grace purposeth to leaue all his former sinnes and to cleaue vnto God in holy obedience vnto all his commandements And when this resolution is in the mind therwithall followeth a turning of the whole man in will in affections and in all the actions of his life This appeareth by that description of the practise of repentance which Paul reduceth to seuen heads viz. Care clearing of themselues indignation feare great desire zeale and reuenge 2. Cor. 7.11 wherof some are renewed affections
pietie and syncere obedience wee may iudge it to be good but if it tend to draw men to idolatrie and sinne then it is a false doctrine Thus wee might scan all false religions as the religion of the Turke and Iew at this day But because wee are more troubled with the doctrine of Poperie among our common people who call it The old Religion therefore let vs a little examine the same by this rule The end of Poperie is to pull downe the kingdome of Christ and to disanull his lawes as will appeare by a short view in euery commaundement and therfore it cannot bee the true religion The first commaundement teacheth vs To chuse and acknowledge the true God for our God alone But the Church of Rome teacheth to make more gods than one to acknowledge the creature to be God for by their doctrine men are to pray vnto Saints wherby they make them gods in giuing this diuine propertie vnto them to know the heart Their doctrine also ascribeth vnto Saints power to merite which is a propertie of God for none can merite but he that is God The humane nature of Christ â—ould not haue merited any thing vnlesse it had beene ioyned to the godhead Yea they make the wood of the crosse to bee God for in their masse booke at this day they call not Christ crucified on the crosse but the very crosse it selfe our only hope yea the virgine Marie who is but a creature they place as a queene in heaueÌ„ giuing her power ouer Christ to commaund him in the matter of saluation and so they disanull the first commaundement The second commaundement they reuoke in teaching it to bee lawfull to make images of the Trinitie according as they shewed themselues in the old and new Testament the father like an old man the sonne as hee liued and the holy ghost like a doue and therein to worship them Againe they teach that men may adore the Images of Saints which is flat against that commaundement The third commaundement they disanull in teaching it to bee lawfull to sweare by Saints and not by God onely The fourth they disanull by making the feastiuall dayes of Saints equall with the Lords Sabbath and to be kept holy vnto God as solemnly as the Lords day Wherby also they take away the libertie of the church in the lawfull vse of the six dayes for honest labour in a mans calling The fift they disanull in giuing freedome and immunitie to their cleargie from subiection to ciuile authoritie and in dispensing with subiects for their loyaltie and allegeance to their lawfull princes and with children and seruants from yeelding due helpe seruice and obedience to their parents and masters The sixt by their houses of refuge which they call Sanctuarie wherein murderers may be in safetie and by maintaining ignorance in religion through which they murder many a simple soule The seuenth by tollerating of stewes and allowing of incest for by their law it is lawfull for the great vncle to marry his neece descending from his brother or sister so it bee without the fourth degree which is against nature The eight by making sale of all things of heauen hell of earth of pardons deliuering men from purgatorie which is flat robberie and most grosse deceit and cousenage The ninth they disanull by falsifying the canon of scripture for they make that canonicall which is no Scripture and besides in their doctrine practicall they defend a lye for when a man hath confessed his sinnes to the priest if the magistrat aske the priest what sinnes the man confessed they teach the priest to say I know not that is say they to tell it to thee which is a flat lye And whereas they would defend this by an exposition of Christs words when he sayth The day of iudgement is not knowne to the Sonne of man that is say they to reueale it vnto others they doe but deceiue the simple by an exposition which is not fit The last commaundement they disanull by holding concupiscence before consent to be no sinne when as wee know by Gods word that the first euill motions in vs bee sinnes So that hereby wee may see that Poperie is but a false religion though it haue falsely among our common people the name of The old Religion and therefore wee must abhorre the same as vngodly Now whereas some doe charge the doctrine of our Religion to bee sundry wayes scandalous they may be easily answered First they say it is a doctrine of desperation because it imports that God created men so as he will saue but a few making them for this end to cast the greatest number to hell To this I answere two things First touching the number of them that are to bee saued of which little is sayd in Scripture therefore I will not say much yet this may be auerred The number of the elect in it selfe is a great companie but being compared with them that shall bee damned it is but small Secondly touching the end of mans creation our doctrine is not that God created meÌ„ for this end to cast them to hell but this we teach that God created all men to manifest his glory in them in some by their iust and deserued damnation for sinne Wee teach not that men are otherwayes condemned than for their sinnes and therefore he that is condemned hath his iust reward II. Charge They say further our doctrine is a doctrine of blasphemie for that wee teach God to haue decreed the fall of man and so make God the author of mans sinne Ans. We teach indeed that God decreed Adams fall but thence it followeth not that he is the author of mans sinne For Gods will is twofold generall and speciall Gods generall will is to permit that which is euill not simply but because with God euill hath some respect of good and in this respect wee say God decreed Adams fall Gods speciall will is his approouing will whereby hee taketh pleasure and delight in that which is good and in this regard God nilled Adams fall and mans sinnes And yet in some respect he may be sayd to will them A magistrat though he take no comfort or delight in the death and execution of a malefactour yet hee decreeth and appointeth it and so may bee sayd to will it Euen so God who out of light can bring darknes permitteth euill because with him it hath some respect of good and so may be sayd to will it III. Charge They say also that the doctrine of our church is a doctrine of securitie because we teach that a man may be certaine of his saluation and of perseuerance in the faith vnto the end Answ. This is not a doctrine of carnall securitie because we do impose necessarily the vse of meanes to them that would bee certaine of their saluation and perseuer vnto the end as namely deniall of themselues humbling theÌ„selues in continuall prayer with hearing meditating
people doe not repent the Lord will come vnto them to execute his iudgements vpon them Yea though they haue before repented if for particular sinnes and wants they doe not renew their repentance hee will surely come to punish them This might be proued at large by testimonies of the Prophets Apostles but it is so euident in this text that I omit all further proofe onely I will applie it to this our Church of which this may bee truely sayd Thou doest not repent nor renew thy repentance for thy dayly sinnes For albeit there bee some among vs that by Gods grace repent and set themselues dayly to the exercise thereof yet take the greater part of our congregations and they are so far from renewing their repentance that they doe not repent at all for either they haue no knowledge of Gods will or if they haue knowledge yet they want care and conscience to put the same in practise This being our case and condition what man may not bee a Prophet against our churches and congregations being thus directed by this portion of Scripture to say and that truly That God will come vnto vs in iudgments to plague and punish vs for our sinnes and iniquities Wee may sooth our selues in hope of mercie still but the state of our Church continuing as it is nothing can bee expected but iudgements from the Lord. This then must be a motiue to persuade vs to repent euery person apart and euery family congregation apart we must humble our selues in dust and ashes for our sinnes past entreating the Lord to be reconciled vnto vs and purpose fully in our hearts and striue in our liues to obey God in all his commaundements yea though we can say wee haue repented yet for our dayly wants and sinnes wee must renew our repentance Thus doing we shall stay the Lord when he is comming against vs. But if we goe on in blindnesse ignorance and rebellion following the lusts of our own hearts then nothing but vengeance and iudgements are to bee expected for this conclusion must stand with all churches and people If they repent not God will come in iudgement against them The second threatening or commination is directed vnto the Nicolaitans in these words And will fight against them with the sword of my mouth that is I will bee at emnitie with them and testifie the same by waging battell against those among you that maintaine the lawfulnesse of eating things sacrificed to Idols and of fornication Thus I say will I fight against theÌ„ with the sword of my mouth that is with the preaching of my word the law and the gospell In this commination Christ alludeth still to the storie of Balaam for when hee was sent for by Balac to curse the people of God the Lord stood against him in the way with a naked sword to keepe him from going and when his eyes were opened that hee saw the Angell of the Lord withstand him in that sort hee fell downe and adored the Angell for it was the Lord yet because he ceased not from his wicked couetousnesse but gaue bad counsell against the Israelites when he could not curse them to cause them to sinne therefore hee was slaine with the edge of the sword among the Midianites by the children of Israel Num. 31.8 Euen so Christ dealeth with the Nicolaitans because they goe on in their bad counsel persuading the lawfulnesse of eating things sacrificed to Idols also of fornication therfore first he will fight against them with the sword of his mouth the ministery of his word therby to reclaime them from their wicked wayes if it bee possible but if that will not serue hee will still fight against them and with the same sword destroy them for euer First here marke Christ sayth not I will kill them but fight against them for hee intended not at the first to destroy these Nicolaitans but his purpose was to withdraw them from their wicked wayes yet so as afterward if they would not be reclaimed by his word he would therewith destroy them Wherein wee may behold the exceeding patience of Christ Iesus towards leaud and grieuous sinnerâ— that maintained the lawfulnesse of idolatrie and fornication and gaue themselues thereunto So the Lord in spirit stroâ—e with the old world and spared them 120 yeares to withdraw them from their wickednesse by the preaching of Noe. So likewise hee spared the Ammonites till their sinnes were come to the full and the Egyptians also for many hundred yeares though they were most cruell persecutors of his owne people And though the Iews most maliciously crucified the Lord of life yet he spared them fiftie yeares before hee cut them off from being a people Yea dayly experience teacheth vs this his long suffering we may heare most bloudie and bitter oathes from blasphemers whereby they dayly crucifie Christ with their tongues The like may be said of the adulterers and all cruell persons and yet he forbeares the same yea in our owne selues we dayly tast of this his patience for so soone as we were borne we deserued to be cast into hell and yet in mercie he vouchsafeth vnto vs to some twentie to some thirty and to some moe years for a time of repentance when as euery day hee might in iustice condemne vs. This therefore must admonish vs in the feare of God not to abuse this his long suffering any longer but now while the day of mercie lasteth to humble our selues and turne vnto him by true repentance These are the dayes of grace but how long they will last God onely knoweth For when death once commeth he sheweth no more mercie The old world because they abused the long suffering of God were destroyed and are now in hell in prison for it as Peter teacheth And vndoubtedly the same prison will be our portion if wee take the same course that they did Secondly in this threatening we may obserue that all irrepentant sinners haue God for their enemie to fight against them with a drawn sword For this cause sinne in Scripture is called rebellion and euery sinner is a rebell against God A fearefull thing it is to haue God for an enemie and yet this is the condition not onely of such as did neuer repent but of all those that hold the name of Christ in profession and yet continue in any one sinne without renewing their repeÌ„tance This also must serue to induce euery man that hath not repented now to begin and if they haue begun to repent more dayly renewing the same for their daily slips and so shal they be the friends of Christ as Abraham was and aâ— his disciples were Ioâ— 15.15 Thirdly in these two threateningâ— Christ sheweth himselfe to bee the true Doctor of his Church for he will fight against these Nicolaitans when as hee will onely come vnto his Church Where wee see hee deuideth his word aright wherein consisteth the principall wisedome of a true
This dutie especially concernes the preachers of the Gospell they should teach the truth and confute errours and beat downe false doctrines which poyson the truth of God If in the night season a man set vp a false light in the hauen all the ships that are comming to land are in danger of shipwrack So in Gods Church if the bright light of pure religion bee not set vp and aduaunced the soules of men are cast into the gulfe of hell The want of care in performing this dutie is the cause why God sends heresies and Apostacies into his Church Thus came in the Apostacie of Antichrist 2. Thess. 2.10 11 Because men loued not the truth And I no doubt will the Lord deale with vs if we haue not care to maintaine the puritie of Apostolicall doctrine Verse 26. For hee that ouercommeth and keepeth my workes vnto the end to him will I giue power ouer nations 27. And he shall rule them with a rod of yron and as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken 28. Euen as I receiued of my father so will I giue him the morning starre 29. Let him that hath an eare heare what the spirit sayth to the Churches Here is the conclusion of this Epistle which containeth two parts First a promise vers 26 27 28. Secondly a commaundement vers 29. In the promise note two things the parties to whom it is made and the benefit promised The parties to whom are euery one that ouercommeth whom Christ describeth by a propertie of syncere obedience To keepe his workes vnto the end Here then we haue a description of true obedience First the forme thereof consisteth in obseruing the workes of Christ which we must not vnderstand of doing them according to the rigor of the law but of a purpose and indeuour to keepe them For this is a priuiledge belonging to all that are in Christ that God accepteth their wils and indeuours of obedience for perfect obedience it selfe This we must know and hold for truth for many haue but little knowledge and thereupon are driuen to despaire yet they must know for their comfort that if they haue care to get more knowledge and make conscience to obey that which they know then they are keepers of the workes of Christ and shall haue the reward promised Secondly obedience is here described by the obiect or matter thereof to wit the workes of Christ that is all such workes as Christ hath ordained in his word and those whereof he is the author by his spirit in his members Hereby we learne first that he that will obey God in Christ Iesus must not thinke his owne thoughts speake his owne words nor do his owne deeds but he must thinke speake do that which Christ would haue him Secondly that no worke is or can bee acceptable to Christ but that which is ordained by him Isay complaineth of them that would teach the feare of God by mens commandements so that there is no true feare of God but that which is taught by Gods commaundements and the like may bee sayd of all other our obedience This rule ouerthroweth all other religions besides the true religion as of the Iewes Turkes and Papists For almost all their workes are of mens inuenting and were neuer ordained by Christ such are most points in poperie as saying of masse going on pilgrimage fastings vowing and praying to saints c. Thirdly whereas he â—aith my workes meaning not one or two but all his workes we learne that true obedience consisteth in doing all the workes of Christ For Christ and the diuel will neuer part stakes God must either haue all our workes or none And therefore Dauid saith I shall not be confounded because I haue respect vnto all thy commandements And good king Iosiaâ— is commâ—nded For that he turned to the Lord according to all the law of Moses This point must be learned of al For many thinke if they doe many good things with Herod all is well and for this cause many a man abhors couetousnesse and pride and yet is a contemner of the Gospell But true obedience must bee in all things Vnto the end Here is the fourth branch of true obedience it is constant That obedience which Christ will reward must not be for a day or a yeare but from time to time through the whole course of our life to the end of our dayes And thus wee must iudge of obedience not by some particular actions but by the whole tenour of a mans life Put case a man hath made conscience of all his wayes through the whole course of his life and yet in sicknesse by reason of the extremitie thereof is distracted and raueth blaspheming God and so dieth What must wee iudge of this man Surely we must not censure him by his behauiour in his sicknesse but consider what hath beene thâ—â—enour of his life if that haue beene vpright then his obedience was good and shall bee rewarded II. Point The benefits promised and they are two The first is power to rule verse 27. And he shall rule them with a rod of iron And as the vessels of a potter shall they bee broken euen as I receiued of my father The second is the morning starre verse 28. where note by the way that these words Euen as I haue receiued of my father are referred amisse in our English translation to the giuing of the morning starre when as they properly belong to the former words in this sence As I haue receiued power ouer nation of my father so will I giue to him that ouercommeth power to rule with the rod of Iron c. Now come to the benefits First here is promised by Christ A power to rule ouer nations Christâ— power as he is mediator is very great and here it is set foorth by three arguments borrowed from the second Psalme verse 8.9 First by the largenesse of it iâ— reacheth not to one countrie alone but to all countries and to all men in all nations Secondly by the Soueraigntie of it Christs power is absolute in ruling and ouerruling And this his Soueraigntie consisteth in two things First in making lawes vnto the consciences of men so as if they be not kept hee may iustly condemne them and in ouerruling the wils of all men conforming them to his will will they nill they which is signified by this He shall rule rule them with a rod of iron Secondly in that hee hath this absolute power in himselfe to saue and to destroy and therefore is sayd to haue The keyes of heauen and hell Which is signified in the next words And as the vessell of a potter shall they be broken Thirdly by the fountaine of it Christ receiueth this power from his father Indeed as Christ is God he is equall with his father and hath this power of himselfe But as he is mediator his power is giuen him of his father Mat. 28.18 For the better
vnderstanding of this place two questions must bee handled First how farre foorth doth Christ giue this his power vnto men Answ. Christs Soueraigne and generall power ouer the whole world is not indeed giuen to any creature nay it is incommunicable and cannot bee conueyed from the person of Christ to the person of any creature man or Angell this truth wee must hold of all Christs offices they are onely in the person of Christ and cannot passe from him to any other II. Quest. How then doth Christ say truly that hee will giue him that ouercommeth power ouer nations Answ. Not that his Soueraigne power is actually giuen to the creature but because the creature being in Christ hath the fruit benefit of this power in his saluation And this power is in them two wayes First hereby Christ makes all his seruants being his meÌ„bers partakers of his glorie in heauen whereas the whole world besides is condemned in hell and therefore we are sayd to be raised vp together and made to sit together in the heauenly places in Christ Iesus And againe he saith The saints shall iudge the world not iâ— giuing sentence vpon them but as witnesses and approuers of Christ his sentence For the elect shall first receiue the sentence of absolution and then beeing taken vp into the clouds shall sit with Christ and there approue of the iust condemnation of all the wicked Secondly by this power he enableth those that bee his in their owne person to ouercome all the enemies of their saluation His meaning then is this as if he had sayd Howsoeuer my Soueraigne power ouer all creatures in my selfe cannot bee deriued to any other yet by vertue of this my power I will exalt them that ouercome to partake of my glorie and will giue them power in themselues ouer their sinnes ouer death hell the world and all the enemies of their saluation Here then behold vnto what exceeding dignitie euerie true seruant of God is aduanced not in himself but in Christ He hath rule ouer nations and victorie ouer all the enemies of his saluation yea he is made partaker of Christs glory Hence we are taught to make conscience of euerie sinne whatsoeuer for the priuiledge of euerie christian is to haue power to iudge the wicked world Now as it is a shame for a iudge that sitteth and condemneth a murtherer or a theefe to be a theefe or a murtherer himselfe so it is for any christian to liue in any one sin seeing hee himselfe must condemne the world of those sinnes Neither can we thinke that Christ will euer aduance him that liues in sinne to condemne the same in others vnlesse hee first reforme it in himselfe Secondly the consideration of this priuiledge of a christian must bee hid in our minds against the time of aduersitie and affliction and of the pangs of death For hee that hath kept faith and good conscience all his life is a prince in Iesus Christ and shall rule ouer all his enemies And therefore though now he bee afflicted and wronged by them yet in Christ he is their iudge and shall one day condemne them that do him wrong And as for death it is subdued in Christ and shall bee no death vnto him 1. Corin. 15. vers 54. Againe the words in the originall are thus He shall feede and rule the nations as a shepheard ruleth and feedeth his lambes with his booke The Papists vpon the words of Christ to Peter Iohn 21.16 Feed my sheepe that is feede and rule my sheepe would gather Peters supremacie ouer the church in all the world But their grosse abuse of that place will appeare by comparing it with this promâ—se of Christ to euery one that ouercommeth for if their collection be good then hence will follow that euery Christian man should haue the like supremacie and be a Pope which how absurd it is euery man may iudge Therfore that place in Iohn must not be vnderstood of any supremacie for there Christ teacheth Peter the faithfull discharge of his office and dutie From this first gift of Christ the Papists gather two things I. That the seuerall saints in heauen are patrons of countries kingdomes as Saint George for England Saint Deâ—is for Fraunce Saint Patricke for Ireland c. Secondly that wee may pray vnto Saints for the Saints rule the nations and therefore know all nations and if they know them then they must bee prayed vnto But they swarâ—e from the meaning of this text for first it is not sayd that the Saints shall haue power one ouer one countrey and another ouer another but euery Saint hath power ouer al nations secondly they haue power ouer all nations not because they rule them actually but because they haue the fruit and benefit of Christs power wherby they are ruled And for their second collection wee must by nations vnderstand not all churches but vnbeleeuers for the wicked are they that must be broken like poâ—ters vessels Now the faithfull haue not power ouer the churches but ouer infidels therfore both their collections are absurd I will giue him the morâ—â—ng starre Here is the second benefit promised by Christ to him that ouercommeth The morning starre properly signifieth that bright star which riseth a little before the Sun some time of the yeare which the heathen call Venus And hereby is ment Christ himselfe as Reu. 22.16 I am the bright morning starre Christ is called a star First because he illuminateth all men with the light of vnderstanding and his church with the knowledge of the will of his father and that sufficiently in all matters that concerne saluation Secondly to shewe that the prophesie vttered by Balaam touching Christ whom he calleth the star of Iaacob is now fulfilled when as Christ by his Apostles hath plentifully reuealed himselfe to all nations Further he is called a morning starre for that special resemblance which is betweene him and it for the morning star riseth not in the beginning or middle of the night but in the end of the night towards the beginning of the day when the sunne is about to rise and then it shineth brighter than all other starres Euen so Christ he came not in the beginning or middle of the darke time vnder the law but in the last age of the world wherin after his incarnation he did shine most fully to all nations so as there was no such light of knowledge before his comming as hath bene since This Peter verifieth when he saith We haue a most sure word of the Prophets to which ye do well that ye take heed as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place vntill the day dâ—wne and the day starre arise in your hearts Where the time of the law and prophets is called a time of darknesse and their preaching then as a candlelight but the preaching of Christ vnder the Gospell is as the day starre which shineth most brightly he
is plaine in the Minister of this Church and might also bee shewed by manifold examples of such men in all ages but to come to our times In the dayes of Queene Marie when Religion was in banishing this our famous Schoole of the Prophets had many learned men in it yet not one of them stood out for the defence of the Gospell when as a poore secular Priest not three miles off who was far behind them in gifts of learning and knowledg yet hauing the truth reuealed vnto him did stand out for the maintenance of the same euen to the sealing of it with his blood And at this day many men of smaller gifts in the ministrie doe more further the Gospell by the encrease of the knowledge of Christ crucified and true obedience than those that are inriched with far greater gifts of knowledge both in tongues and arts so as though they be many hundred degrees short in regard of schoole-learning yet they go as farre before them in benefiting Gods Church If this be so will some say then it is needlesse for men to bee brought vp so much in the schooles of learning Ans. Not so for as much as may be Gods Ministers ought to haue knowledge of Schoole-learning both in Artes and tongues And yet for all this it oft commeth to passe by Gods prouidence that the greatest Clerks for learning are lesse profitable to the church thaÌ„ men of smaller gifts This God doth to humble the learned that they be not proud in themselues And to magnifie the worke of his spirite in the weaker instruments Further these words must also be vnderstood of the whole Church And then they beare this sence I haue set before thee an open dore That is I haue vouchsafed vnto thee a speciall priuiledge euen libertie to enter into the kingdome of heauen From whence we obserue That libertie to life euerlasting is a speciall priuâ—ledge belonging not to all men but onely to the Church of God and the true members of Christ. This point hath sundrie vses I. to confute this erronious opinion That Christ did effectually redeeme all and euerie man Which is â—â—at against Gods word and this text for those that are effectually redeemed haue libertie to enter into the kingdome of heauen but all men haue not that libertie for then it were no priuiledge of Gods Church alone to haue heauen opened vnto them II. Seeing this is a priuiledge which God vouchsafeth vnto his church to haue heauen gate opened vnto them Hereby we are taught to take the benefite of this libertie while the dore is open and in time to striue to enter therein For as Christ telleth Nathaniell the church of the new Testament shall by faith see heauen open We must not therefore neglect this oportunitie But it is our common shame that wee be slacke in seeking the kingdome of God and the righteousnes thereof suffering our selues so to bee clogged with heapes of sins and worldly lusts that we can neither walke in that straight way nor enter into that dore that leadeth vnto life for sinne is â—n heauie burden like a great packe that will not suffer a man to enter into so strait a dore We must therefore cast off all sinne that hee may so enter in and walke in the way of life And no man can shut it Here is the continuance of the former benefite against all aduersarie power whatsoeuer And this againe confuteth another opinion of the same kinde with the former to wit That Christ dyed for euerie man but yet some are not saued because they wil not they shut heauen dore against themselus But this opinion cannot stand for none can shut heauen dore against them to whome Christ hath set it open effectually neither sinne Satan nor the world no not man himselfe nor all their power together For herein is the will of man ruled by the will of God and looke whome God will haue to enter into heauen them doth hee encline to will their owne saluation and also make vnwilling euer to shut this dore against themselus For thou hast a little strength and hast kept my word c. That is Thou art indued with some measure of grace as of faith hope and righteousnesse and according to that measure thou hast maintained my word and not denyed my name Hence we learn that a man indued with a small measure of Gods grace may doe workes pleasing vnto God by the same grace come to life â—uerlasting Christ saith to his Disciples If your faith were as much as a grain of mustard seed by it should you bee able to remooue mountaines Now that which is here sayd of the faith of miracles may in like sort be said of all faith and so of iustifying faith if a man haue neuer so small a measure therof yet thereby hee shall doe workes acceptable to God for as Paul teacheth Gods children receiue not the tenths but the first fruits of the spirit that is a small measure of grace in this life which is onely a pledge of that which they shall fully receiue in the world to come for this cause is Rahab commended for her faith although it was but small and weake as wee shall see if wee read the whole Historie Ioshâ— 2 For God accepteth of man according to that hee hath receiued It is not so much the measure of grace that saueth a man as the truth of grace before God This serueth notably for the comfort of those that haue care to keepe faith and good conscience Such are most dismaied by reason of their wants corruptions but they must know that God approoueth of their grace though it bee but small if so be they haue care to increase in grace and doe striue to please God in all things according to the measure of grace receiued II. Hereby euerie one must be encoraged to embrace and obey true Religion Many bee dismayed herein by reason of the great measure of obedience which they thinke God requireth and therefore they leaue of all obedience But this ought not to bee so for God approoueth of a man in Christ according to that grace which hee hath be it more or lesse and not according to that which by the law he ought to haue And yet none of all this must make vs slacke and negligent in vsing those means which God hath vouchsafed vnto vs for the increase of grace that so wee may also increase in true obedience And hast kept my word and hast not denyed my name Here hee setteth downe two workes for the which he commendeth this church First their faithfull keeping of the word of Christ. Secondly the profession of his name in the time of persecutioÌ„ This behauior of this church must be a paterne and a looking glasse for vs to square our conuersation by For these works Thou hast kept my word and hast not denyed my name though the words be few yet they continue much in
God This fruite no man can bring forth till hee bee conuerted For the wicked and naturall man cals not vpon God True it is they will acknowledge there is a God and that the same God is to bee worshipped and therefore they will come outwardly and heare the word and receiue the elements of the sacraments but the true worship of God is in spirite and truth from the heart which a naturall man cannot perfourme vnto God This is the fruit of true coÌ„uersion which when a man receiueth hee doth heare the word of God with reuerence tremble at Gods iudgements and mingle the Doctrine of the Gospell with faith in his heart and in calling vpon God hee feeles his sinnes and therefore by prayer doth earnestly desire the supply of grace and the remission of his sins hauing his hart also beleeuing that he shall receiue mercie And in thankesgiuing his heart is filled with ioy and the grace of thankefulnesse so as being conuerted all his worship vnto God is in spirit and truth In the worship of these Iewes are noted three properties required in Godâ— seruice First it must bee willing and cherefull so did these Iewes worshippe GOD For they are sayd not onely to worship GOD but to come and worship GOD and thus doe all Gods children worship him Isay. 56.7 Those whom God bringeth to his mountaine hee maketh ioyfull in his house of prayer Psal. 110.3 They shal come willingly in the day of assemblies By this propertie wee may see a great number at this daye euerie where come farre short in the true worship of GOD for most men neuer regard the preaching of the word but content themselues with morning and euening prayer which they frequent to auoide the penaltie of the lawes of the Magistrate and the shame of the world But these are miserable worshippers of God his worship ought to bee free and willing The second propertie The worship of God must bee expressed with seemely meet and conuenient gesture The word translated Worship signifieth doing of reuerence with bowing of the body and knee and therfore it is not an indifferent thing but necessarie to vse conuenient gesture in Gods worship that thereby the grace and humilitie of the heart may bee expressed The Angels that stand before the throne of God haue two winges to couer their feete and two to couer their faces therby testifying their reuerence to Gods Maiestie In this point also many come short for as the common complaint is the maner of many is to lie snorting and sleeping vnder mens elbows at sermons and in the time of prayer to sit vnreuerently with their heads couered These things ought not to be for God is Lord of body and soule and ought to be worshipped with both The third propertie All that will truly worship GOD must first bee humbled for their sinnes and haue the pride of their hearts brought downe and bee stroken with a feare of GODS glorious Maiestie So these Iewes did prostrate their bodies at the feete of the congregation when they came to worship GOD. The Iaylor that imprisoned Paul and Silas ouer-night and put their feete in the stockes would then haue verie little regarded Paules Doctrine beeing so cruell and rigorous to their persons Yet when he was about to haue killed himselfe with his sword supposing the prisoners had beene gone because hee sawe the dores open hee was glad and ioyfull to heare the voice of Paul who called vnto him that hee should doe himselfe no harme for they were all there then being humbled by that strange and woonderfull worke of GOD he comes in vnto them humbles himselfe and fals downe before them crauing them to tell him what hee must doe to bee saued In like manner so long as men haue not their proud hearts beaten downe they will neuer worship God in spirit and truth Would wee therefore know why the most part worshippe God formally Surely it is because they haue not beene humbled with a feare of Gods maiestie and a terrour of hell Neither can it bee hoped that we shall euer worship God sincerely till our hearts bee thus broken within vs and we touched with the feare of Gods iudgements The want hereof is the cause why men and women content themselues with a bare mumbling ouer of the words of the Lords prayer the Creede and ten Commaundements neuer seeking in the sinceritie of their heart cheerefully and willingly both with soule and bodie to doe worship vnto God The second fruite of true conuersion concerneth man and that is A reuerence of the true worshippers of God noted in these words Before thy feete These Iewes when they were conuerted did not think themselues worthy to bee members of this congregation but submitted themselues to be foot-stooles vnto them This reuerence shewes it selfe in this one thing which is the ground thereof namely a base opinion which euery true conuerted person hath of himselfe by reason of his owne vnworthinesse This was in Paul causing him to call himselfe the cheefe of all sinners And the same ought to be in euerie one of vs for this is true grace and a note of true repentance when a man or woman can truely abase themselues beneath all Gods people so as if the question were who is the vilest person in the Church the conscience of euerie man should answere I my selfe The proude and pharesaicall heart is farre from true conuersion but the humble hart is pleasing to God And shall know that I haue loued thee These words contain a reason of the former submisse behauiour of these Iewes for it might bee asked why shall these Iewes come to ioyne themselues with Gods people and bee content to make themselues foote-stooles vnto them The answere is because Christ will make them know that hee hath loued his Church Here marke and see the ground of all true reuerence Gods loue and fauour Sundrie peâ—sons both in Church and Common wealth haue reuerence due vnto them as Maisters from their seruants parents from their Children and all superiours from their inferiours Now if these men would attaine to true reuerence indeede first they must seeke to be in the loue and fauour of God and of his children and so shall they procure vnto themselues true reuerence for when men set their hearts to feare God then will God turne the harts of men to reuerence them This ought to be thought vpon of those that be great in birth and wealth They must not stand on these things but look to the foundation of true reuerence namely the fauour of God which they must seek for and getting that God will get them reuerence euen of wicked men The cause why many in high place as Magistrate Maisters c. want due reuerence is for that they care not for the fauour of God the ground thereof Vers. 10. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience therefore will I deliuer thee from the houre of temptation which will
yet they will not take paines to reade the same at least in such a constant course as they ought to doe Thirdly the Lords Sabbath is broken for though most men at set times will come into the congregation yet there is not that priuate sanctifying of the Sabbath after the congregations are dissolued which Gods word requireth but men betake themselues to their own affaires and to outward delights to omit those that haue no care at all of sanctifying the Sabbath in any sort Now these persons must needs want both knowledge obedience and all sound grace that will not set apart some time wherein they should employ themselues in Gods word and by these signes it is euident that there is a greeuous disease of negligence in the duties of Religion that infects our congregations Now where this negligence is though coldnesse be not there cannot be zeale and so luke-warmnesse must needs abound II. Signe of luke-warmenesse The Religion of most men is this In the generall calling of a Christian they shew Religion but in the affaires of their particular callings where is religion In the Church they are good Christians but in practise of the duties of their particular callings who sheweth his religion for when as men should practise their callings according to Gods word and true godlynesse they follow the desires of their owne hearts Little conscience is made of lying and oppression that loue and plaine dealing which ought to be between man and man is wanting which prooueth them plainely to bee luke-warme Gospellers III. Signe There bee many that professe themselues to bee luke-warme neither hot nor cold For though all generally come to the hearing of the word and the receiuing of the sacraments yet many when they see some make conscience to become answerable in some measure to the word which they heare and the Sacraments which they receiue doe take vp in their mouthes this slaunder of precizenesse against them mocking them for doing that which in the word sacraments theÌ„selus profes shuld be don These men will not be enemies to the Religion of Christ and they professe themselues not to bee zealous by reproaching zeale in others Therefore they doe more than these Laodiceans did euen professe themselues to bee luke-warme For hee that reproacheth another for zeale in Religion brandeth himselfe with this sinne of Luke-warmenesse And who knowes not how many of this â—ort are euerie where I dare with good conscience say our congregations generally consist of such Now marke what followeth hereupon First that our common professors of religion are in worser case than heathen men Iewes and Turkes that knowe not Christ. This Christ teacheth in preferring cold persons before the luke-warm as if hee should say I had rather thou werest a Pagan than a Professor without zeale And Saint Peter to this purpose speaking of such saith It had beene better they had neuer knowne the way of truth than after they haue known it not to obey the commaundements of God So that vnlesse there be further matter in vs than knowledge and bare profession our case is worse than the case of Iewes and Turkes Religion knowne will not make thee better than them but it is zeale and obedience that must preferre thee before them Secondly from the consideration of our estate I gather that wee are in danger to be spewed out of the mouth of Christ as luke-warme water out of the stomacke This is the punishment heere threatned which was written for our instruction that we might know where luke-warmenesse takes place there this punishment will follow Wee may flatter our selues as the men in the old world did thinke all is well neuer regarding till the iudgement come but the truth is that in regard of this sinne we are in danger to bee cut off from the Church and from true societie with Christ God can doe this sundrie wayes either by bereauing vs of his Gospell and making vs as the heathen or by sending the enemie among vs to destroy and root vs out of this land and euen in our neighbor-countreys and townes hee sets spectacles before vs that by them wee may see how hee can spew vs ouâ— cut vs off from being a people And thus much of the first fault namely luke-warmenesse Vers. 17. For thou sayst I am rich and made rich and haue need of nothing and knowest not how thou art wretched and miserable and poore blinde and naked Here is the second sin of this Church namely spirituall pride The wordes depend vpon the former as a reason thereof before he charged theÌ„ with deadnes in religion and here he painteth out the cause thereof namely spirituall pride of hart As if hee should say thou thinkest thus within thy selfe I am rich for it is the manner of the scripture to expresse the thoughts of men by their speeches because the thoughts of men are as euident to Christ as any mans speeches can bee to another In that Christ doth expresse mens secret thoughts and propound the same in this Booke wee may hence gather that it is a part of Canonicall scripture for it is a priuiledge of the scriptures to set down the thoughts of Countreys of Churches of particular men euen as they coÌ„ceiue them This can no man doe in any booke of his owne deuising And hence wee may gather an argumeÌ„t against Athiests That scriptures are the word of God because they reueale mens secret thoughts Nowe followeth the thought it selfe of the Angell and people of this Church I am rich that is I haue many excellent gifts and graces of Gods spirite by this effect he expresseth their spirituall pride in ouerweening their estate before God This is a common sinne in the world and euer hath been Christ sayd He came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance by righteous meaning such as think themselues righteous And the proud Pharisie in his prayer which hee conceiued in his heart thought himselfe farre better than the poore Publican or other men And Paul bringeth in the Corinthians thinking proudly of themselues saying We are full and made rich c. This sinne takes place in the Papists at this day who perswade themselus that they can satisfie Gods iustice by temporall works and fulfill the law of God and merite for themselues and for others To come to our selues this same proud thought hath place among vs. First wee think we are rich in regard of knowledg both yong and old scorne to be catechized because they would not seeme to be ignorant some sticke not to professe this pride by bragging thus that they know as much for substance as any man can teach them when as indeed they know nothing but that wich nature wil teach a man Secondly men plead that they haue a most firme saith so as they neuer doubted of Gods mercie which is nothing but the presumption of a proude heart for true faith is troubled with doubting
shew mercie exercise iudgement keepe courts assises begin end and continue warre according to his commaundements And so in euery thing the direction of Christ should be their guide as it was to Dauid Thy lawes O Lord haue beene my counsellours Psal. 119.24 Fourthly if Christ bee soueraigne king then all earthly princes are bound to plant and establish in their kingdomes the religion of Christ else how can they shew themselues his loyall subiects Many imagine That earthly princes may admit vnto their subiects any religion for the peace of the ciuile state but this is against the equitie of Gods word in this place for wherein can earthly princes doe homage vnto Christ if they maintaine not his religion And their dutie in this behalfe is signified plainely in the parable of the mariage For when they that were bidden did not come the king sent forth his seruants which may be vnderstood of Christian magistrats to compell men to come to the mariage for that is the magistrates dutie in respect of the outward profession of true religion Fiftly seeing Christ alone is prince of the kings of the earth hence we learne that kings on earth in their dominions are soueraigne gouernours ouer all persons and in all causes next vnder Christ he is king of kings absolutely and they are vnder him alone and haue no other head but him Whereby wee see the presumption and arrogancie of the Pope and Sea of Rome in claiming supremacie aboue all kings and princes in the whole church vpoÌ„ earth This is a deuice of the diuell and high treason against Christ for hereby hee is robbed of this royall prerogatiue to be the only prince of the kings of the earth Lastly seeing Christ is king of all kings we must not be discouraged when we be called to suffer any affliction for his truth let the tyrants of the earth rage and bend their force to hurt vs yet wee haue a king aboue them al for whom we suffer he is their king hee can stay and bridle them and if hee please confound and bruise them in peeces They cannot do any thing but that which he permits for hee rules in the middest of all his enemies Psal. 110.2 he can breake them in pieces like a potters vessell Thus much of the offices of Christ. The second part of Christs description is by the execution of his offices which consists in foure works 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 verses which follow viz. 6 and 7. For the first which loued vs that is Iohn and the churches of Asia by proportion all other churches being parts of the true church The loue of Christ hath three degrees the first is a generall loue wherby he loues all his creatures approuing the same to be good as they be his by creation The second is the loue of mankind in that he was content to become a redeemer for mankind after their fall and not â—or any other creature no not for the Angels which fell as well as man who therefore remaine without all hope of saluation The third and principall is that wherby he loues his elect and chosen children which is that speciall sauour whereby he accepts of them to life euerlasting This third degree hath two parts First it is taken for his purpose to loue as when he saith I haue loued Iacob and hated Esau Rom. 9.13 Secondly for the act of louing which is the declaration of his purpose by spirituall benefits 1. Iohn 3.1 Behold what singular loue God hath shewed vnto vs that wee should be called the sonnes of God noting the declaration of his loue in the gift of adoption So in this verse by the loue of Christ vnto his church is meant the actuall declaration of his speciall fauour in accepting them for his children and bestowing many singular blessings vpon them Whereas S. Iohn placeth this in the first place of all the benefites of Christ That he loued vs hee would teach vs That this speciall loue is the very ground of mans redemption which excludeth all foreseene faith and workes from being motiues of mans election in Gods eternall councell and so proportionally all foreseene sinnes from being motiues in God of mans reprobation It may be obiected The loue of God as also of man respects a thing as it is good First the thing must be good and then it is loued and so in mans redemption God first foresees their goodnesse and therefore chuseth them Ans. There is great difference betweene the loue of the creature and of the creator The loue of the creature followes the goodnesse of a thing because he seeth it is good therefore he loues it But God the creator first loues the creature before it bee good and hence it comes that it is good because he loues it Secondly whereas Saint Iohn and all the churches of Asia as other true churches do beleeue and are assured that Christ loues them for that Saint Iohn taketh for granted this should moue all men to haue this care to labour aboue all things to be rooted and grounded in the loue of God seeing hee placeth that in the first place This is the principall thing wherein the Apostle would haue the Ephesians rooted and grounded and therefore prayeth That with all Saints they may be able to comprehend what is the breadth and length deapth and height thâ—â—of Ephes. 2. vers 17 18 19. This we doe when we are assured in heart and conscience by the working of Gods spirit that he loues vs in Christ. So that he which denies vnto vs the assurance of Gods loue in Christ takes away the very ground of our saluation Now that we may haue this assurance of Gods loue wee must in all good duties to God and man draw neere to God with our hearts keeping a good conscience in all things and then will God draw neere to vs. If any man loue me saith Christ he will keepe my word and then my father will loue him and we will come in vnto him and dwell with him Iohn 14.23 meaning by the holy ghost which shall shed this loue into our hearts Rom. 5. vers 5. causing vs to increase in the feeling thereof as wee grow in faith and obedience towards him And hath washed vs from our sinnes in his bloud Here is the second benefit and action of Christ to his church Where first of all the very phrase hath washed vs doth import that the sinnes of men are as filthie spots in their soules and that himselfe and this church of God were touched with a serious consideration of their vilenesse by reason of their sinnes for washing presupposeth former filthinesse and pollution Thus did Dauid most sensibly feele his owne filthinesse and see his miserable estate when he desired the Lord to wash him throughly confessing thereby that his soule and body were so foulely stained and