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
hated namely Idolatrie and Adulterie which are ioyned together in these Nicolaitans Adulterie is the punishment of Idolatrie and Idolatrie the punishment of Adulterie Spirituall Adulterie is punished with bodily adulterie This was verified in the old Iewes when they fell a whoring after strange gods God gaue them vp to vncleane lust And it is palpable in the Church of Rome they being fallen to idolatrie doe abound in all vncleanenesse for they tollerate stewes for fornication and adulterie and Sodomic are common among them Againe sundry men may here be well admonished who will bee of no Religion because there are many sects and schismes among the professours thereof These men should consider That in the best Churches planted by the Apostles there were sects and heresies euen in the Apostles times as here in Ephesus And therefore no maruell if there bee sects and schismes among vs at this day This offence should not mooue any to dislike the gospell but rather cause them more firmely to cleaue vnto the truth Which I also doe hate This Christ addeth to encourage them to goe forward in the vertue for which hee commended them in hating euill workes for what could more prouoke them to zeale and constancie therein than to know they did that which Christ himselfe did And here wee see that Christ would haue euery member of his Church to be like minded and like affected vnto him as he was man Wee must loue those things which Christ loueth and hate those things which Christ hateth reioyce wherein Christ reioyceth and mourne for those things for which Christ mourned And great reason it should be so for wee professe our selues to be members of Christ bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh for out of his bloud sprung the Church and there must bee consent and conformitie betweene the head and the members Quest. If Christ hated these wicked men why did hee suffer them to liue and not cut them off from troubling his Church Answ. Because hereby hee would manifest his loue to his Church and his iustice vpon the wicked for hee can bring light out of darkenesse and good not onely out of good but out of euill Verse 7. Let him that hath an eare heare what the spirit sayth vnto the Churches To him that ouercommeth will I giue to eat of the tree of life which is in the middest of the paradise of God These words containe the conclusion of this Epistle the scope whereof is to excite this Church to the more carefull performance of the duties before prescribed This conclusion hath two parts a commaundement and a promise The commaundement in the beginning of the verse Let him that hath aâ—â—are he arâ— what the spirit sayth vnto the Churches In this commaundement note three points I. who are commaunded These which haue eares II. The dutie commaunded They must heare III. What they must heare namely What the spirit sayth vnto the Churches I. point The parties commanded are thus set forth He which hath an eare who these bee Christ doth more fully expound Matth. 13.9 when hee saith Let him that hath an eare to heare heare Where he maketh this distinction of hearers that some are deafe hearers some hearing hearers The deafe hearers are those that bring with them to the ministerie of the word their outward eares only but their hearts are not affected with it neither do they care to learne to beleeue or obey that which is taught them The hearing hearers are all such as beside their bodily eares haue eares piâ—â—ced in their hearts by the spirit of grace whereby they doe not onely heare the word outwardly but their hearts are also affected with it and made pliable vnto it so as they beleeue it and bring forth obedience vnto it This hearing eare is set foorth by Dauid when he saith Sacrifice and burnt offeringâ— thou wouldest not haue but mine â—ares hast thou opened and preparâ—d and then I sayd Loâ— I come Hereof Isay saith Thou openedst mine eares and I was noâ— rebellious And this hearing eare 〈…〉 giuen her when God opened her heart whereby she became attentiue to the word of God preached by Paule By this distinction of hearers which Christ maketh we may learne that Gods grace vnto saluation is not vniuersal that is God giueth not vnto al men such measure of grace whereby if they will themselues they may beleeue repent and be saued For in Christs time and euer since there haue bene in the church these two kind of hearers whereof the deafe hearer doth not receiue nor beleeue the gospell vnto saluation Neither is it true that God giueth grace sufficient vnto all whereby they might be saued if they by their malice and sinne did not abolish the same For though he admit all sorts into his church yet not all but some onely haue eares pierced by the spirit of grace that they can heare And therefore when the Disciples asked Christ Why hee spake in parables he answered thus To you it is giuen to know the will of God and the secrets of his kingdom but to others it is not giuen Shewing plainly that the gift of hearing to saluation is not giuen to all and in some made void by their own wilfulnesse but to some it is giuen and they haue hearing eares and to some it is not giuen and their eares are deafe Secondly seeing this commaundement is directed to the hearing hearers we must hereby be admonished to vse all good meanes to become good hearers of Gods word bringing with vs not onely the bodily eares which we haue by creation but the spirituall eares of the heart which we haue by regeneration For it is not sufficient to our saluation to receiue the word into the outward bodily eares vnlesse the inward eares of the heart bee opened that our soule may bee affected with the word and fitted to receiue to beleeue and obey the same Thus did good king Iâ—sias heare the law read the text saith His heart 〈◊〉 within him And thus did Dauid heare when the Lord sayd to the church Seeke â—ee my face his heart answered I seeke thy face O Lord. And as we must bee carefull to get spirituall eares so wee must take heede of deafe eares Which is when a man commeth heareth the word of God but yet hath no care in his heart to learne beleeue or obey the same This deafe eare is a fearefull iudgement of God whereof we may read Isay. 6.9 where the Prophet is sent To make their eares heauie and their harts fat that they might not beare nor beleeue lest they should turne and be saued And this the rather we must looke vnto because it is a iudgement of God vpon many among vs at this day The greatest part of hearers are deafe hearers which appeareth by this that after long teaching they neitheir increase in knowledge nor in faith nor in obedience but remaine the same for blindnesse of mind hardnesse
sinne of impenitencie forbidden for the law condemnes no more than it reuealeth but it neuer reuealed repentance and therefore it doth not forbid or condemne the want thereof Secondly for the greatnesse of this sinne it may appeare because hereby men heape sin vpon sinne and Wrath vnto themselues against the day of wrath Some to aggrauate the grieuousnesse of this sinne say that impenitencie is the sinne against the holy ghost and that opinion is antient but yet false and erronious for the sinne against the holy ghost is a blasphemie Mat. 12.31 but this is not a blasphemy Again the sinne against the holy ghost is in this life but finall impenitencie is neuer before the end of this life Hence also the Papistes gather free will to good by nature shee did not repent therefore she had freewill power to repent if she would Ans. This reason is not good thus much may hence be gathered that she had freewil not to repent and to sinne for euery man sinneth freely but yet it followeth not that they haue the same power to cease from sinne or to repent without Gods special grace without which no man can will or doe that which is truly good before God Againe the same sinne which is reproued in this wicked woman may bee layd to the charge of the greatest number in our churches and congregations God hath giuen vnto men a long time of repentance to some ten to some twenty yeares but they repent not as their liues do plainly testifie for some liue in irreligion and prophanenesse some in Saboath breaking some in fornication and adulterie some in idlenesse some in couetousnesse and extortion giuing themselues wholly and spending all their time in seeking the things of this life neuer regarding with reuerence thâ— things of God Verse 22. Behold I will cast her into a bed and them that commit fornication with her into great affliction except they repent them of their works Christ hauing reprooued this church and this woman for their seuerall faults doth here giue speciall counsell and direction vnto them both whereby they may auoid escape the grieuous iudgements due vnto them for their sinnes both in this life and in the life to come This counsell of Christ hath two parts First to Iesabell and her company vers 22.23 The second to the church of Thyatira verse 24 25. The summe of Christs counsell to Iesabell is to repent which is not expressed but insteed thereof the reason to moue her to repentance is propounded And it may be framed thus If thou repent not I will punâ—sh thee with sundry iudgements But thou wouldest not be so punished and therefore repent This reason hath two parts A threatning and an exception thereof The threatning in these words I will cast her into a bed and them that commit fornication with her into great affliction And before this threatning Christ prefixeth a word of attention Behold whereby hee would teach them and vs that wee ought seriously to consider of the threatnings that are propounded in Gods word against sinne and sinners When Iosias heard the booke of the law read hiâ— heart melted which it could neuer haue done vnlesse it had first trembled at the iudgements therein denounced And the pricking that was wrought in the hearts of the Iewes by Peters first Sermon was nothing else but a compunction wrought in them vpon consideration of the iudgements and condemnation due vnto them for crucifying the Lord of life The cause why sinne is so rise in euery estate and condition of men at this day is for that men set light by the threatnings of Gods word If men would tremble when they heare of Gods iudgements it would make them crie out Men and brethren what shall we doâ— but because God is mercifull therefore men feare him not Isay. 57.11 This threatning hath three seuerall parts according to the three seueral sorts of persons whom it concerneth The I. is against Iesabell her selfe who was the chiefe of them all in these words I will cast her into a bed The meaning whereof may bee gathered out of the like words of Ionaâ—â—â— to Ammon bidding him lye downe on his bed and make himselfe sicke So that Christs meaning is that he wil strike her with some grieuous sicknes the place of the sick person being put for the sicknesse it selfe As if hee should say Iesabell takes her pleasure in fornication and thereto abuseth the bed I will therfore send on her some great sicknesse which shall cast her into her bed Here note Gods dealing with sinners In those thingâ— which they abuse for the furtherance of their sinnes will the Lord plague and punish them Iâ—sabell abused her bed with fornication thither shee must bee cast with sicknesse Diueâ— in his life time abused his tongue and tast by gluttonie and therefore 〈…〉 now in in hell therein most of all plagâ—d and tormented at hiâ— crying 〈◊〉 drop of water to coole his tongue doth import gamesters take their pleasure in â—â—â—ding and dicing which many times God turneth to their wo for therby they are vsually brought to extreame want and miserie Ahab shed Naboths bloud to get his vineyard and for that sinne must his bloud the bloud of Iezabell and his children he shed And now in these dayes the couetous for their gaine doe suckâ— the bloud of the poore but that bloud will haue bloud from them againe The Lord will spoyle the soule of him that spoyleâ— the poore Prou. 22 2â— This must make vs to beware how we abuse any creature of God to serue vs for any sinne for the Lord will cause that to bee a meanes of woe and punishment vnto vs which we misuse vnto our lusts Againe note here who is the author of grieuous sicknesses namely Christ himselfe For he saith I will cast her into a bed Sicknesses come not by chaunce or fortune but from the hand of God This wee must learne to beleeue and it will cause vs to make better vse of sicknesses than vsually we do If men did beleeue this it would make the hardest heart to repent in time of sicknesse for this they would say Hath God cast me downe with sicknesse no doubt it is to humble me for some of my sinnes to make me know them to leaue them and to turne vnto him This vse the seruants of God haue made hereof when the Prophet came to Hezâ—â—ias and told him hee should die he turned his face to the wall and wept as for other things so for his sinnes especially And Iaacob being to die leaâ—ed on his â—â—affe and by faith worshippeâ— towards the beds head lifting vp his body to do reuerence vnto God thereby testifying his humilitie faith and hope And the like ought we to do which if wee could wee should find our sicknesse would become a blessing vnto vs. The second part of Christs threatning is the punishment of her followers which
Christ deliuereth vnto them as hath bene shewed before verse 7. In this commaundement of Christ note two things First that all men in Gods church are bound in conscience to frequent Sermons whereby they may come to the knowledge of those things that God prescribeth vnto them At the natiuitie Easter and such good times as they are called ignorant people will come to the church but it may bee not once more of a moneth after or a quarter of a yeare But Christ saith My sheepe heare my voyce So that hee that will not come to heare the voyce of Christ is none of his sheepe Math. 16.19 Christ saith to Peter I will giue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen There the preaching of the gospell is the key of the kingdom of heauen So that looke how necessary it is for a man to haue his soule saued and to enter into heauen so behoouefull is it for him to heare Sermons for that is the turning of the key whereby we enter into this kingdome 2. Cor. 5.18 the preaching of the gospell is the doctrine of reconciliation and therefore looke how necessary it is for a man to be reconciled to God so needfull is it for him to heare the word preached He that is of God beareth Gods word and he that beareth it not is not of God 1. Iohn 4.6 But men haue manie excuses to exempt themselues from hearing Sermons Some say if God himselfe would preach or Christ or an Angel from heauen then they would heare but so long as sinfull man preacheth it is no great matter though they absent thēselues Answ. This is a presumptuous reason for the preaching of the gospell by man is Gods owne ordinance and that for these causes First since Adams fall man cannot abide the voyce of God so as if man should heare God speake he would cry out with the Iewes Exod 20.19 Let not God talke with vs lest we die And with Peter Depart from me I am a miserable sinner Secondly God speaketh by man to trie the obedience and humilitie of men to see whether they would bee content to receiue and beleeue his word being propounded by sinfull man that is like vnto themselues And thirdly to maintaine loue betweene man and man by mutuall conuersing in this holy ordinance Others doe say they may well inough keepe themselues in their families for there they haue their Bible wherein bee the Sermons of Christ and of his Prophets and Apostles than which no minister can preach better Ans. It is Gods ordinance that these Sermons of Christ of the Prophets and Apostles should be againe handled preached and expounded in his church and therefore euerie man is bound in conscience to come into the congregations there to heare with reuerēce Gods holy word Others will not come to the church for they thanke God they can serue God with as good a heart on horse-backe or on their iourneys as those that come vnto the sermons Answ. These persons are blind and ignorant a seduced heart beguileth them and therefore they despise the ordināce of God but let them heare what Salomon saith He that turneth away his eare from hearing the law that is the doctrine of God euen his prayer shall be abhominable God speaketh vnto vs in the ministerie of his word and if wee refuse to heare him there shall we thinke hee will heare vs when wee pray Know therefore if thou refuse his word hee will refuse thy prayers neither indeed can any without the word pray aright Such people deceiue themselues their prayers in their needlesse iourneyes shall bee their iudges to condemne them for therein they confesse God is to bee worshipped and yet in practise they reiect his direction for the same Lastly others say they haue knowledge inough the ministers can teach them no more than they know and therefore they need not go heare so much preaching Answ. These that pretend such perfect knowledge are commonly the most ignorant not knowing the end of this ordinance of God for preaching serueth not only to teach men to know God and his will but also to increase in knowledge and to yeeld obedience to that which they know If therefore thou hast knowledge it is well but that is not inough if thou wouldest be blessed thou must doe that which thou knowest Iohn 13.17 And for this cause the most learned man that is must still frequent the hearing of Sermons to further himselfe in obedience because a man may know much and yet want conscience to obey Secondly in this commandement men are inioyned the reading of the word hearing of it read not onely publickly but also priuatly in their families that therby also they may come to the knowledge of that thing which Christ propoundeth vnto them Luk. 10.26 Christ saith to one of the Scribes what is written how readest thou Taking it for granted that men must read the Scripture priuatly And the Lord saith My people go into captiuitie because they haue no knowledge yea they perish Hose 4.6 But wofull is the defect of this duty for many haue not the Bible in their houses for their priuat exercise in the word and in many families it is set vp for a shew or lieth couered with dust when as cards and tables are worne with vse It is not amisse for men to get the statutes of the land into their houses and to read therein for the knowledge of mens lawes but yet herein they are blame worthie that either they haue not or else regard not the booke of God whereby they might bee acquainted with the statutes of the Lord for the better guiding of our vnruly affections Other things in this commandement haue beene obserued before The second part of this conclusion is an excellent promise made to him that ouercommeth which for substance hath beene handled in the conclusions of the former Epistles Here onely some speciall blessings are particularly promised In the handling whereof two points are to bee considered First the persons to whom the promise is made To him that ouercommeth whereof entreatie was made before verse 7. Secondly the blessings promised comprised in this threefold gift of God First To eate of the Mannah which is hid Secondly To receiue a white stone Thirdly A new name written in the stone All which three signifie in effect The election vocation iustification and glorification of Gods people But I wil handle them in particular The I. benefit is The giuing of the hidden Manna to eate Manna properly signifieth that food which God gaue from the clouds to the people of Israell which for the excellencie of it is called The wheate of heauen The food of the strong o◠the food of Angels In forme it was like Coriander seed and in colour white in tast it was pleasant and sweete Herewith God fed his people in the wildernesse 40. years to teach them That man liueth not by bread only but by
neuer seeketh it This his mercie is verified in all Churches and vnto vs VVhich must be an occasion to enlarge and stirre vp our hearts to blesse the name of Christ for this vnspeakable mercie in vouchsafing vs fauor when we neuer sought it but refused it Quest. How doth Christ knocke Answ. The words going before wherto these haue reference giue light vnto this Question Before Christ had threatned this Church euen to spew her out of his mouth for her luke-warmenesse and after hee counsels her to buy of him gold and other remedies Now vpon this greeuous threatnings the Church might despaire of his mercie But Christ to comfort her tels her here that these reproofes and rebukes were but knocking 's at the dores of their hearts to make them open For then Christ knocketh at the hearts of any people when he vouchsafed them means to see their sinnes and threatens them for the same and withall giues them coun wherby they may escape the fearefull punishments thereby deserued Here then note the state of any people that haue the ministrie of the Gospell vouchsafed vnto them they haue Christ among them standing at the dore of their harts and knocking to come in by exhortations admonitions threatnings and by promises which is a great and endlesse mercie First seeing wee haue Christ knocking at our dores there ought not to bee in vs such dulnesse and deadnesse of heart in hearing him knocke If a man of any account come and knocke at the dore of our house oh what a stirre will we make to let him in quickely VVhat a shame then is it that we should be dead-harted when Christ Iesus the King of Heauen knockes at the dore of our hearts Secondly this must admonish vs with all speed to turne vnto God by true repentance for wee knowe not how long hee will continue knocking and if wee doe not heare and turne before he withdraw himselfe from vs wee perish eternally For if we refuse when he knocketh at the dore of our harts he will refuse when we knocke at the dore of his mercie Prou. 1. 25.26 Mat. 25.11.12 Note further this knocking is not ordinarie but it is ioyned with crying For he saith If he heare my voice so that hee both knocks cries It is then the knocking of one that would enter we therfore ought answerably with serious regard to receiue the threatnings of the law and the promises of grace and so bee as earnest in receiuing and embracing him as hee is in knocking to come into vs. The second token of Christs loue is a gracious promise of fellowship with them in these words If any man heare my voice and open the dore I will come in vnto him and will suppe with him and hee with mee These wordes haue beene much abused and therefore I will stand to set downe the true vse and meaning of the same Marke the forme of speech is such as giues vnto a mans will soule an action in his conuersion whereby hee comes to Christ and receiues Christ. This may seeme strange but it is for iust cause vsed by the holy Ghost for in the conuersion of a sinner there be three workers the holy Ghost the word and mans will The holy Ghost is the principall Agent inlightning the minde with true knowledge softning the heart and changing the will from euill to good The worde is the instrument of the holy Ghost for now he worketh not by reuelation or speciall instinct but ordinarily in and by the word when a man is reading hearing or meditating either publickely or priuately for the word preached is the power of God to mans saluation from faith to faith Thirdly mans will though by nature it be euill and dead vnto grace yet being renewed by the holy Ghost in the first act of conuersion moueth and striueth to bee turned It is not like a peece of waxe onely passiue which without any action receiueth impression But as fire so soone as it fire doth borne and so soone as it burneth it is fire so the will though by nature it mooue not yet being renewed by grace it mooueth and so some as it mooueth it is renewed And hereupon it is that the holy Ghost ascribeth action vnto a sinner that is to bee conuerted which argueth not that by themselues men can haue a will to bee conuerted but that being renewed they may will their conuersion And for this cause is the Gospell preached in these tearmes Repent and beleeue not to shew that man by nature can repent or beleue but that God in mans conuersion doth giue him grace to will and desire the same Hence then it followes thar this text hath been diuers waies abused First by the Papists who hence would gather Free will of conuersion in a sinner by nature True it is a man hath free will in his conuersion yet not by nature but by grace neither can any more be gathered hence for here it is onely said If any man heare and open when I knocke Nay hence wee may rather gather that a man by nature cannot heare nor open because the counsell is giuen to such as are poore and blinde and naked by nature Secondly they also abuse this text that hereby would prooue a flexible free will by grace to be in man which is this Sundry men thinke that after the fall of Adam all being wrapt vp in sinne God gaue a generall grace whereby any man might will and receiue that which is good and this grace though it dispose the will in some part to that which is good yet it takes not the corruption away but that remaines still whereupon if hee will he may receiue Christ by that general grace or if hee will not hee may refuse Christ by his naturall corruption which yet remaineth in him It is saide this may bee gathered from this text But the truth is here is no foundation for flexible free-will all that can here be gathered is that man hath free-will in his conuersion yet not by a generall but by Gods speciall grace Nay Christs ministry serue◠for this end that those which before could not turne of themselues might by grace be conuerted This flexible grace is against Gods word Christ sayth Euery one that hath heard and hath learned of the Father commeth vnto me He saith not may come if hee will but peremptorily commeth For mans will cannot dispose and ouer 〈◊〉 the worke of God but the worke 〈◊〉 God ouer-rules the will of man though man be vnwilling yet when God calleth effectually hee cannot but come For the creature cannot reiect or resist the will and calling of his creator If any man open vnto me I will come c. The proper intent of Christ in this conditional promise is to prouoke them that be dull and heauy to listen diligently to Christ words and to receiue the doctrine of saluation from him gladly In the example of this Church we are taught our dutie Seeing
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
first Christ sent and shewed this reuelation This action of Christ is noted by the holy ghost for two speciall causes first to shew That S. Iohn did not pen and publish this booke rashly but by calling and warrant from God This teacheth vs what must be our behauiour in all our actions whatsoeuer we take in hand we must looke we haue warrant from God for the doing of the same by vertue of our calling and with out this we should not dare to enterprise any thing If this dutie were practised there would be more conscience of the seruice and worship of God and more care of iust dealing with men then there is in the affaires of this life Secondly this action of Christ is noted to get more reuerent acceptance and greater authoritie to this booke for which cause also it was sent by an holy Angell If an earthly prince should write his letter to his subiect and withall send it by one of his guard we doubt the subiect would receiue it most reuerently Behold this booke is the Epistle and letter of Iesus Christ sent by his Angell for the benefit of his Church What reuerence therefore and acceptation ought this to find surely a thousand fold more with euery one then the writing of any earthly prince whatsoeuer The second point to be obserued is the persons whom Christ imployeth about this Reuelation and they be two An holy Angell and Saint Iohn For the first It hath pleased God in all ages to vse the ministerie of Angels as a meanes whereby hee would conuey the knowledge of his will vnto his Church The law in mount Synai was giuen to Moyses by the ministerie of an Angell Act. 7.38 Gal. 3.19 and Daniell receiued the exposition of sundry dreames and visions by an Angell Dan. 8.19 and 9.21 and 10.14 And the seuen visions which conteine the substance of this booke were shewed to Iohn by an holy Angell But here we must take heed that we do not like the papists ground hereupoÌ„ the inuocation of Angels because they be about vs and bring vnto vs particular messages from the Lord for before we may pray vnto them wee must haue from God a particular commandement so to do and also a promise to be heard in that wee aske or else our prayer is not of faith but the whole Scripture affoords no word of command or promise for any such action and therefore we cannot do it without sinne The second instrument here imployed by Christ is Iohn This Iohn was sonne to Zebedeus and so kinsman vnto Christ a blessed Apostle and Euangelist which penned one of the Gospels and the three Epistles which beare his name This was that Disciple whom Iesus loued And to procure the more credit and reuerence to this booke he describeth himselfe by two arguments First by a propertie calling himselfe Christ his seruant Secondly by an effect or action in bearing record to Gods word vers 2. For the first note that Iohn doth not call himselfe that Disciple whom Iesus loued nor the kinsman of Christ which he might haue done being allied vnto him for Iohns mother was sister to Ioseph Christs supposed father and cosin german to the virgin Mary Iohn had learned of Christ himselfe that the â—earers and doers of the will of his father were esteemed more deere and neere vnto him than any bond of outward allyance could possibly make them Math. 12.50 Luk. 11.28 But he cals himselfe Christs seruant hauing yeelded vp himselfe to do his will for herein stands the dignitie of a Christian to do seruice vnto Christ. The blessed Virgine had neuer found such fauour with God to haue beene Christs mother if she had not withall become Christs seruant She bare him in her heart by faith as well as in her wombe by conception or else she had neuer beene saued by him Hence we learne that outward dignities as bloud royall noble parentage and such like will nothing further a mans saluation he that would bee acceptable vnto Christ must become his seruant by beleeuing his word and doing his will hauing cast off the old man which is corrupt and put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse So Paul saith Circumcision is nothing and vncircumcision is nothing but keeping the commandements of God 1. Cor. 7.19 and henceforth know I no man after the flesh but if any man be in Christ he is a new creature 2. Cor. â— 16 17. Againe consider in what regard Iohn is here called the seruant of Christ not onely for that he beleeued in Christ and obeyed his will as all true christians do but more specially because hee was an Apostle and did seruice vnto Christ in the worke of his ministerie which was his particular calling So Paul writing to the Romans calleth himselfe an appostle seruant of Christ Cap. 1.1 And he rendreth a reason thereof vers 9. Because hee did seruice vnto him in preaching the Gospell Hence we are taught that we must not onely shewe our selues Christs seruants in our generall calling of christianitie but especially in our particular callings and offices after the example of Christs blessed Apostles It is a good thing to professe seruice vnto Christ by hearing his woord receiuing his sacraments and keeping his Saboathes but vnlesse therewithall we shewe the power of godlinesse in our particular callings our outward profession is flat hypocrisie This magistrats ministers husband wife parents children maisters seruants buyer seller and euerie one in his lawfull calling should carefully obserue for vnlesse in the particular duties of their speciall callings as the magistrat in the duties of a magistrat c. they do seruice vnto Christ their publicke seruice in the outward duties of religion shall neuer commend them vnto God be it neuer so glorious Micha 6.6 7 8. Vers. 2. Which bare record of the word of God and of the testimonie of Iesus Christ and of the thâ—ngs that he saw Here is the second argument whereby Iohn describeth himselfe namely by this action or effect in bearing record to the word of God for partly by writing the gospell and partly by preaching hee bare witnesse and testified that the word of God was true And because the word of God hath diuerse parts the Law and the Gospell he shews in the next words that hee meanes especially the Gospell adding and of the testimonie of Iesus Christ that is of those things which Iesus sayd and did And that no man might cal into question the truth of his testimonie hee professeth himselfe to haue bene an eye witnesse of all those things whereof he bare record saying and of all those things which he saw And here he alledgeth his testimonie to the Gospell to proue himselfe a faithfull pen-man of this booke that so it might haue more reuerence for hee which was faithfull in penning the Gospell of Christ the same also is faithfull in penning this Prophesie of the Church In this testimonie we
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
polluted with sinne that once washing was not ynough but sayth hee Wash mee againe and againe rince bathe and swill me in the bloud of Christ till I be purged and cleansed from all my sinnes And this same affection should be in euery one of vs wee should labour that our hearts may bee touched with a liuely sence of our vile estate by reason of our sinnes which make both bodie and soule most vgly and filthie in Gods sight and that the staine hereof is so deepely set in our soules that we can neuer be cleansed but by the washing of Christ his own hand and that in his owne hearts bloud yea that one washing will not serue but wee must be rinced and bathed therein For till such time as this consideration doe in some measure take place in our hearts it is not possible that we should loath sinne as we ought or come to this comfortable assurance of Gods loue that he hath washed away our sinnes in his bloud for this humilitie in our soules by reason of our sins is the beginning of all true grace and comfort Now this worke of Christ in washing vs from our sinnes doth comprehend a double benefit First the remission of our sinnes whereby the guilt and punishment due to them is taken away Secondly the mortification of sinne whereby the corruption of sinne is remooued and abolished And we must obserue that S. Iohn propounds this benefit generally without limitation saying Which washed vs from our sinnes That is from all our sinnes to giue vs to vnderstand that if any beleeue truly in Christ hee hath pardon of all his sinnes without any restraint or limitation either of number or qualitie bee they neuer so many or neuer so great By his bloud How can bloud wash away filthinesse nay it rather defiles a man Answ. This washing stands not in the substance of Christs bloud but in the merit thereof for that substance of bloud which was shed is lost and wee know not what is become of it whatsoeuer the Papists say but the merit therof remaineth still And Christs bloud deserues to purge away sinne rather than any other mans bloud as of Peter Iohn c. because his bloud was the bloud of God not of the godhead but of him who was both God and man For the manhood of Christ was receiued into the vnion of the second person And so it may be called the bloud of God as Paule sayth God redeemed his Church by his bloud that is Christ God incarnate And so it being the bloud of him that is God is more meritorious than the bloud of any creature whatsoeuer Besides Christ was appointed by God to be a publicke person in the worke of redemption and in his death and passion he stood in the roome and stead of all his elect so as when his bloud was shed their bloud was shâ—â— because it was shed for them But the bloud of other priuate men cannot answer for any besides themselues because it is shed onely for themselues Then damâ—â—ble is the doctrine of the Papists who hold the bloud of Martyrs can merit for others being applied vnto them for seeing they be but priuate men and suffered in their owne persons onely they cannot profit any other thereby By bloud we must vnderstand the passion of Christ a part for the whole and with all his fulfilling of the law vpon the crosse for in his suffering hee fulfilled the law and in fulfilling the law he suffered These two cannot be seuered saue onely in thought And so this word containes the whole obedience of Christ whereby he procured the remission and mortification of our sinnes Here then wee see two notable benefites of Christ vnto his church his loue the washing away of sinnes which S. Iohn sets downe to moue the churches with reuerence diligence to reade and delight in this booke All of vs will say wee are sure God loues vs and hath pardoned our sinnes in Christ why then doe wee not shew our loue againe to him by hearing and reading his word set downe in this or any other booke of Scripture and by yeelding answerable obedience thereto Why then do we not offer vp ourselues soules and bodies to serue him as the Apostle requires Rom. 1â— 1 by way of recompence for his mercies and loue shed out vnto vs But alas that is more common which is most shamefull to turne Gods grace into wantonnesse for when men say God loues them and hath washed away their sinnes yet they rebell against him when as these two benefites are here recorded to bee inâ—ucements of continuall loue and obedience to his holy word Verse 6. And made vs kings and 〈◊〉 to God euen his father to him be glory and dominion for 〈◊〉 Amen In these words is set downe the third worke and benefit of Christ bestowed on his church and on euery true member thereof For the better vnderstanding whereof we must consider in them foure points First the dignitie and excellencie of all true beleeuers and memberâ— of Christ They are kings and priests Secondly when they be made kings and priests in this life noted by the phrase of speech hath maâ—â— Wherein 〈◊〉 speaketh of the church on earth and vseth a word that signifieth the time past Thirdly the maner how they become kings and priests they are not so borne but Christ hath made them such Fourthly to whom they be made such to God euen the father For the first The dignitie of all true beleeuers hath two heads first They bee kings secondly Priests They are called kings not in regard of an earthly kingdome for vsually the condition of most beleeuers on earth is base and contemptible but in regard of a spirituall kingdome the kingdome of heauen whereto the Lord giues them right title and interest in and by Iesus Christ. So our Sauiour Christ speaketh to his disciples Feare not little flocke it is your fathers will to giue you the kingdome And againe Behold I giue vnto you a kingdome Now the faithfull are kings in these respects first because by Christ they bee lords and conquerours of all these enemies sinne Sathan the world death hell and their owne flesh Secondly because in and by Christ they are partakers of the glorie of Christs kingdome and saluation for they receiue of Christ grace for grace and so answereably glory for glory and felicitie for felicitie Thirdly because they be made lords of all things in heauen and earth except good Angels and the church All things are yours whether it be Paule or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death whether things present or to come euen all are yours and yee Christs Quest. But if Christ bee king and all his members kings how do they differ Answ. In two points First Christ is the sonne of God by nature and so a king by nature hauing the right of the kingdome of heauen by inheritance but the members of Christ
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
bee an inducement vnto all those that are indued with gifts fit for this calling to affect the same Lastly euery minister of the gospell must hereby learne to bee faithfull in his calling and holy in his conversation for by vertue of his calling hee is placed in Christs right hand Now shall we thinke that Christ wil long bear in his right haÌ„d any that are vnfaithfull or prophane Nay he will take them out of his right hand and put them vnder his feete of brasse and there grind them to powder For as they are honoured aboue others by their place so shall their confusion be the greater vnlesse they be faithfull This wee may see in Nadab and Abihu Leuit. 10.1 and Hophâ—â—â— and Phineas 1. Sam. 3.13 And in the same respect ought all the people of God to be carefull to their wayes for by their calling of christianitie they be members of Christ. Now if they be not faithfull and answerable to their profession hee will surely deale with them as with vnfaithfull ministers put them vnder his feet of brasse confound them for euer They must therefore make conscience of all sin and become not hearers onely but doers of his will so shall Christ protect them in this life and saue them eternally And out of his mouth went a sharpe two edged sword This sword that came out of his mouth is nothing else but the doctrine of the Law and the Gospell vttered and propounded in the writings and ministerie of the Prophets and Apostles Heb. 4.12 The word of God is liuely mightie in operation and sharper than any two edged sword And it is thereto compared because as a sword with a double edge entreth sharply into the flesh and pierceth deeply into the bones euen to the very marrow So the doctrine of the Law and the Gospell entreth sharply and pierceth deepely into the very marrow of the heart of euery man to the diuiding of the thought and the spirit This two edged sword the word of God hath a twofold operation One vpon the wicked Another in the elect It woundeth the wicked at the very heart with a deadly wound and thereby brings them to eternall death Isay. 11.4 Christ shall slay the wicked with the breath of his lippes that is with his word which is this two edged sword Herewith shall he consume Antichrist 2. Thes. 2.8 visit Leuiathan and slay the dragon that is the greatest enemies of his church Isay. 27. vers 1. Here consider how the word of God should kill an impenitent sinner There be three degrees of spirituall death First in this life where an impenitent sinner receiueth his deadly wound The second at the end of this life when the bodie is laid in the graue but the soule goeth to the torments of the damned The third at the end of the world when bodie and soule together go to hell eternally Now a sinner receiueth in this life his deadly wound after this manner Christ in the giuing thereof hath a threefold worke in his heart by the ministerie of his word which is this two edged sword First hereby he reuealeth vnto him his sinnes as hypocrisie pride and rebellion of heart with all other his horrible and damnable transgressions against the first and second table 1. Cor. 14.24.25 When all Prophesie and there commeth in one vnlearned he is reproued of all the Prophets by the word iudge him and thereby lay open vnto him the secret sinnes of his heart with the sinnes of his life Secondly Christ hereby reueâ—leth vnto him his indignation and wrath which is the curse of the law due vnto him In which regard the law is called a killing letter shewing no mercy but onely thundreth out the fierce wrath of God vpon transgressors Thirdly hereby Christ awaketh his guiltie conscience sharpneth the sting thereof and terrifieth him at the hearing of his word Thus wicked Felix trembled when hee heard Paul preach of temperance righteousnesse and the â—udgement to come So when king Belshazzer saw the palme of the hand writing things against him vpon the â—all his countenance was changed his thoughts troubled him his ioynts were loosed and his knees stood one against another And al these are wrought in the wicked without apprehension of mercy or reformation of life It may please God to recouer one that â—s 〈◊〉 wounded but while he is 〈◊〉 this estate hee hath receiued a deadly wound and without vnfamed repentance is alreadie in thâ— first step towardâ— eternal death for these horrorâ— oâ— conscience seuered from the apprehension of Gods mercie in Christ are no grace but the flashes of hell fire and the beginning of eternall woe And thus we see how Christ by this sword woundeth his enemies Hence we are to learne sundry duties First how to earne our selues towards them that after they haue heard the word preached vnto them will rage and storme against it and the preachers therof because it touched them We must not despise or maligne them but rather be mooued with compassion towards them For this their behauiour is a token they are wounded with the sword of Christ at the verie heart and these their ragings are nothing but struglings before death eternall vnlesse the Lord in mercy recouer them of this deadly wound II. Hereby wee are let to see and know the lamentable state of the greatest number in those congregations where the word hath long bene preached for we shall find by lamentable experience that in those placeâ— few come to true knowledge repentance and obedience but most remaine ignorant and impenitent now this their condition is most fearefull A terrible iudgement of God is vpon them for when men haue long heard Gods word and are not thereby bettered for knowledge in mind and obedience of life they are thereby wounded vnto death This two edged sword hath alwayes his worke it either cureth vnto life by working repentance and other graces of saluation or woundeth vnto death them that receiue it not We must therefore lament the case of such persons as remainâ— ignorant and impenitent vnder the ministerie of the word for they are as yet dead men for ought wee know how soeuer they may make a faire shew by their â—â—ill honestie If any man should come into a field and there behold many thousands slaughtered and 〈◊〉 ouâ— bloâ—d some in the â—ead some in the side c. this sight would make his heart to bleed Wel this 〈…〉 God 's church though it be not seene with bodily eyes the most men are wounded with this sword of Gods word and lye 〈◊〉 wallowing in the bloâ—d of their soules 〈◊〉 they continue in ignorance in seâ—uritie and want of repentaâ—ce III. This mâ—st admonish vs all to labour earnestly to haue further things wrought in vs than a knowledge of our sinnes an apprehension of wrath oâ— horrour of conscience namely 〈◊〉 faith and repentance and sound reformation of life for without this wee haue nothing in vs
reuealeth his will not to the proud but to the meeke and lowly and as Isay sayth to them that are of a contrite spirit Isay. 57.15 And in this humbling of himselfe a man must renounce his owne naturall wit and reason and become nothing in himselfe but euen a foole in respect of his owne conceit Also he must vnfainedly pray to God that hee would reueale vnto him his truth Aske sayth Christ and it shall be giuen you euen the holy ghost vnto them that desire of the father And S. Iames sayth If any man lack wisdome let him aske of God which giueth to all men liberally Secondly after preparation hee must labour to know throughly what the false teachers are and what be theiâ— opinions with the grounds and foundations thereof wherein they agree and wherein they differ from the truth of God maintained by the church for it is a foule ouersight to misconceiue the state of the aduersaries question by propounding it otherwise than they hold as it falleth out with many in the handling of controuersies Thirdly due proofe must bee made whether the aduersaries doctrine bee of men or of God This is Gods commandement 1. Iohn 4.1 Proue the spirits whether they be of God or not And for triall hereof we must haue recourse vnto the word of God it must be Iudge in this cause Isa. 8. vers 20 To the law and to the testimonies if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Iohn 5.39 Search the Scriptures for in them yee looke to haue eternall life and they are they which testifie of mee Who is so fit to iudge in the matters of God as God himselfe and so hee doth in his written word of all doctrine and opinions in religion The Scriptures shew whether the doctrine examined be directly gathered thence and by iust consequent or not Fourthly serious consideration must bee had of the faith and liues of the teachers examined for a false teacher by Gods iust iudgement is vsually a wicked liuer And therefore Christ sayth yee shall know them by their fruits if they bee throughly examined such they will appeare howsoeuer for a time they may bleare the eyes of men as the hystories of the church in many famous heretickes doe plainely declare The second braunch of this discouerie is sentence giuing in these wordes And hast found them liers The church here giueth out a sharpe and seuere sentence against them shee calleth them false Apostles and liers and yet she sinneth not for Christ commendeth her for it Though to raile or taunt cannot beseem any yet magistrats and ministers in their places may giue ouâ— seuere speeches against offendors in token of detestation to their sinnes and not offend Thus Iohn called the Scribes and Pharisees a generation of vipers Matth. 3.7 and our Sauiour Christ called Herod a foxe Luk. 13.32 and Paule called the Galathians fooles Gal. 3.1 And in this place the church calleth these false teachers lyers which is very much for therein shee accuseth them of three things First of teaching that which was false indeed secondly that they know it to be false and so sinned of knowledge Thirdly that they did it of malice with intent to blind the eyes of the Church and to deceiue the people In this discouerie wee may obserue the iust accomplishment of Paules prophecie Acts. 20.29 30. namely that there should rise vp among the Ephesians grieuous wolues and men speaking peruerse things and such were these false Apostles who after examination were found liers Againe seeing in the dayes of this Apostle Iohn men durst presume to claim Apostolicke authoritie and call themselues Apostles when they were not no maruell if the Pope of Rome sixe hundred yeares after did challenge to himselfe to be Peters successour and to haue Apostolicke authoritie and that they dare now auouch some bookes to bee scripture which are not as also bring in their traditions vnwritten verities to bee receiued and obeyed equally with Gods word Verse 3. Thou hast suffered and hast patience and for my names sake hast laboured Here our Sauiour Christ declareth how this Minister and church of Ephesus opposed themselues against false teachers after their discouerie The manner we shall see in handling the points particularly as they lie in order Thou hast suffered or Thou hast borne a burden for the word signifieth to be pressed downe vnder a great burden This burden was the troubles which false Apostles brought vpon them after they were discouered partly by open affliction and persecution partly by the spreading of their hereticall and schismaticall doctrine These false teachers were Ebion Cerinthus Marcion and such like who in the dayes of Iohn troubled this church as hystories do shew Here wee may obserue that it is Gods will that the best churches should be troubled by wicked men and hereticall teachers who both by false doctrine and persecution become grieuous burdens This the Lord permits for weighty causes I. That true beleeuers may bee excited more constantly to embrace the syncere doctrine of the Gospell and therefore Iude most worthily exhorts the Christians in his time to fight for the common faith II. That professors may be tried whether they soundly hold the doctrine of the Gospell or not 1. Cor. 11.19 It is â—ette sayth Paule that there should bee heresies in the Church that they which are sound in the faith and approoued may â—ee knowne III. That God may execute his iudgements vpon wicked men and hypocrites that haue not loued his truth reuealed vnto them 2. Thess. 2.10 11. God gaue them vp to strange illusions to beleeue lies because they haue not loued his truth For many know the word that loue it not This must teach vs to take heed of a common scandale in the world which is to be offended at religion because there be in the church schismes and heresies which come not from the Gospell but from the malice of Sathan who soweth his tares among the Lords wheate Wee must consider that it is the will of God there should be such euils in his church and therefore should labour to bee so farre from offence that hereby wee bee rather prouoked with more cheerefulnesse and courage to loue and embrace religion And hast patience and for my name hast suffered c. Here is set downe the dealing of this church against these false Apostles in all their persecutions But first note the coherence of this vertue with the former Thou hast suffered trouble and hast had patience Quest. How can these stand together It is against mans nature in trouble to be patient for troubles and afflictions make men discontent and to fret against God and man Answ. They stand not by nature but by grace Rom. 5. vers 4. Tribulation bringeth forth patience namely to all those that haue receiued to beleeue in Christ for to them God giueth the spirit of meekenesse in their troubles shedding
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
euery mans conscience will mooue vnto him namely How may I scape the second death that lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Answ. Thou must in this life truely turne vnto God from all thine euill wayes renounce thy selfe and put all thine affiance in Christ his death and passion and euermore labour to keepe true religion faith and good conscience vnto death in all estates This doe and though thou tast of the first yet the second death shall neuer touch thee Thirdly hereby Christ giueth vs to vnderstand that of the two deaths the second is the worser The bodily death is terrible vnto Nature but the second is the proper death indeed the destruction of the creature in soule and bodie eternally And yet behold the madnesse of man who feareth greatly the first death and regardeth nothing the burning lake like vnto little children that feare their owne shaddowes and yet are not afraid of fire and water that will burne and drowne theÌ„ This is mans miserable estate through the blindnesse of his mind the hardnesse of his heart Verse 12. And to the Angell of the Church which is at Pergamus write This sayth hee that hath that sharpe sword with two edges Here is the third particular commaundement which Christ gaue to Iohn whereof wee haue spoken before in the first verse shewing there what is meant by Angell and why this particular commaundement was giuen vnto Iohn This third Epistle of Christ as the former hath three parts a Preface in this verse The Proposition of the Epistle verse 13 and so forward vnto the 17 And the Conclusion in the 17 verse I. part The Preface sheweth in whose name this Epistle is written namely in Christs name The causes whereof we haue shewed before in the first verse Christ is here set foorth by an action of his kingly office borrowed from the former Chapter verse 16. These things sayth hee that hath that sharpe two edged sword that is He who is not onely Priest and Prophet of his church but the king thereof to guide and gouerne the same The sword which hee hath in his hand or in his mouth as Isay sayth is that two edged sword yea that sharpe two-edged sword thereby is signified the whole word of God the Law and Gospell which is so called by reason of the operation thereof as it is Hebr. the 4.12 Christ is thus described to comfort this Church of Pergamus For hereby three things are signified First his wonderfull power in slaying originall sinne and corruption by his word in all them that beleeue in him so as there is no hope of recouerie for sinne after it is once wounded Secondly that hee will strengthen and preserue his Church and all the true members thereof by the same word against all their enemies This it doth after this manner The whole word of God both law and gospell must both bee knowne and beleeued then whensoeuer any temptation commeth faith maketh the same word powerfull in vs to repell the temptation and to strengthen vs in affliction for it is that sword of the spirit whereby wee wound all our enemies But if it bee not beleeued it is but as a sword in a sheath and will nothing helpe vs. Thirdly hereby he signifieth that hee destroyeth all their enemies this is the chiefe end why hee so describeth himselfe in this place How Christ woundeth his enemies herewith wee haue shewed in the former Chapter and the sixteenth verse with the vses thereof Verse 13. I know thy workes and where thou dwellest euen where Sathans throne is and thou keepest my name and hast not denied my faith euen in thâ—se dayes when Antipas my faithfull Martyr was slaine among you where Sathan dwelleth Here beginneth the second part of this Epistle to wit the Proposition which containeth two parts A commendation of this Church in this verse and a Reproofe vers 14 15. The commendation is twofold First generall in these words I know thy workes then speciall in the words following I know where thou dwellest c. Of the generall commendation wee haue spoken in the former Epistles verse 2. and 9. This yet must be obserued that Christ herewith beginneth the matter of all his Epistles intending no doubt hereby to settle the persuasion of his presence deepely in euery one of our hearts for it is indeed the ground of the holy feare of God which is the beginning of all true religion and godlinesse And here Christ giueth a president for his ministers namely that the first thing they must teach their people is to be persuaded of this presence of Christ wheresoeuer they are Christ is with them and whatsoeuer they do he seeth them This will cause them make conscience of all their waies and it is impossible that any should euer haue sound knowledge or good conscience till he be persuaded hereof Abraham knew well that in Abimelekes court they would make no conscience of murther because they wanted this feare of God to feare God and keepe his commaundements is the whole man and therefore wee should giue all diligence hereunto It is indeed a hard lesson for vs to learne and of our selues wee cannot learne it but if we vse the meanes Gods blessing will be vpon our endeuour and then shall wee haue knowledge vpon knowledge and grace vpon grace with the comfort of a good conscience The particular commendation of this church is for her constancie in maintaining the doctrine of the gospell in these words I know where thou dwellest euen in a place where Sathans throne is and yet for all that thou keepest my name that is thou holdest still my true religion and doctrine The throne of Sathan is any place where superstition idolatry or profanenesse is maintained without controlement and from whence wickednesse is conueyed to other places For the diuell is the God of the world and he hath his thrones among men Pergamus was a great citie of the gentiles which maintained idolatry and persecuted the gospell from whence also iniquitie was deriued to other townes and places therefore it is called the diuels throne Herein we may obserue sundrie points of great importance First the exceeding pollicie of Sathan he hath his kingdome in this world and for the establishing thereof he must haue his thrones where wickednesse and idolatrie is maintained without controlement and whence sin is deriued to other places In all ages it hath bene thus and will continue so to the end In the old world hee had his thrones among Cains posteritie in the church of the Iewes euen in the daies of the kings of Israell the high places and groues where the people sacrificed to their idols were the diuels thrones the oracles of the gentiles where the diuels gaue answere vnto men were his cheefe thrones in the dayes of poperie euerie church and chappell were thrones of Sathan wherein were erected images holy roods for the worship of saints whither the people came to worship from
Prophet giuing comforts to whom comfort belongeth and threatning iudgements to whom iudgement is due and making difference of iudgements according to the state of the persons against whome they are threatened For the heauie iudgements of God must not be threatened against all persons but against the impenitent And because there be degrees of iudgements temporall and eternall therefore temporall iudgements must be threatened to those to whom they belong eternall iudgements denounced against those to whom they belong obseruing the circumstances of time place and persons according to Christs example in this place and else where So likewise the benefites of the Gospell are not to bee propounded to euery person hand ouer head without difference but with restraint to some onely as Gods Prophets haue done It is often a great offence in the Church when the benefits of the Gospell are propounded to all and the threatening of the law denounced against all without limitation or restraint The conditions therefore of repentance impenitencie of faith and vnbeleefe and also the degrees of them all must carefully bee obserued in the dispensation of the Law and the Gospell Fourthly the end of Christs fighting must be considered for first hee intends to reclaime them from their euill wayes but if they will not be reclaimed then to cause the same word to be an occasion of their deeper condemnation This must be deepely weighed of vs all who haue had by Gods mercie for many yeares the plentifull preaching of the gospell by which God hath continually rebuked checked the sinnes that bee among vs as ignorance blaspemie and filthinesse crueltie and all iniquities whatsoeuer and the same thing the Lord yet continues to doe vnto vs. Wee therefore must thinke that all this while the Lord is fighting against vs when ignorance is reprooued in the ministerie of the word the ignorant person must thinke the Lord is fighting against him and so all Atheists blasphemers adulterers oppressers and cruell persons when their sinnes are reprooued they must know that the Lord stands face to face against them with the sword of his mouth seeking to reclaime them from these iniquities as hee did to Balaam in his way And when any mans sinnes be thus touched hee must not rebell but humble himselfe as Balaam fell before the Angell considering it is the Lord that wageth battell against him When wee heare that forraine nations shake their swords against vs how are wee mooued both high and low Shall wee feare the sword of mortall man and shall we not tremble when we heare that the sword of the euerliuing God is shaken against vs Those therefore whose hearts are guiltie of any one sinne must humble themselues by true and speedie repentance there is no withstanding of the Lord if his sword doe not cure vs it will cut vs in pieces if his word doe not conuert vs from our sinnes it will bee an occasion to cast our soules deeper into hell Thus he dealt with Balaam when he would not be restrained from giuing bad counsell he was slaine among the Midianites Few thinke on these things from whence commeth such great contempt of Gods ordinance in the ministerie of the word as we see at this day but they must know that either death or life come by the stroke of this sword and therfore they must repent Fiftly note the title giuen to Gods word it is called The sword of Christs mouth not onely because it was once deliuered by himselfe from his own mouth but because it doth dayly proceed from his mouth for the Ministers of the gospell which bee truely called are the very mouth of Christ from which Gods people receiue his word If thou shalt returne sayth the Lord to Ieremie and shalt separate the precious from the vile then shalt thou stand before me and be according to my word 2. Cor. 5.19 Wee are the embassadors of Christ beseeching you in his steed which is an high and wonderfull honour The consideration whereof is a ground of sundry duties First all students that are in the way of preparation to higher callings must hereby learne to conceiue a good opinion of the Ministerie of the gospell and to affect the same aboue other callings For though the blind world count it a base calling yet Christ wee see maketh the minister his owne mouth which honour is not giuen either to the Lawyer or to the Physition Secondly hereby euery Minister of the Gospell is taught to deliuer nothing in his publicke Ministerie but the pure word of God so farre foorth as Christ shall enable him and that also in so pure a manner as in the persuasion of his owne conscience hee thinkes Christ would speake if he were there present like vnto faithfull embassadours who speake onely the will of their lord and prince and in that manner which their lord and prince doth best approoue If this were well weighed wee should not haue such preaching as is commonly vsed consisting of a mixture of testimonies partly diuine and partly humane considering that neither Christ nor his Apostles preached so Thirdly the people also are hence taught their dutie when they heare a sinfull man like vnto themselues speake vnto them in the Ministerie of the word they must not despise Gods ordinance because it is deliuered by man but receiue the same as from the mouth of Christ and as the pure word of God so far forth as it consenteth with holy scripture In this behalfe Paule blessed God for the Thessalonians That they receiued the word from him not as the word of man but as it is indeed the word of God 1. Thess. 2. vers 13. Sixtly where Christ sayth I will fight against them with the sword of my mouth We may obserue that the kingdom of Christ is spirituall and not of this world for if it were worldly then a ciuile sword wielded by the hand of man should belong vnto him But he hath no such sword he gouernes his church and people by the sword of his mouth his holy word Wherby appeareth that the primacie of the sea of Rome is from hell not from heauen for the Pope sayth he is Christs vicar and yet he will be armed with both swords when as Christ dealeth not with the ciuill sword but onely vseth the sword of his mouth Verse 17. Let him that hath an eare heare what the spirt saith vnto the Churches To him that ouercommeth will I giue to eate of the Manna which is hid and will giue him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth sauing he that receiueth it These words are the conclusion of this Epistle which containeth two parts a commaundement and a promise The commaundement in these words Let him that hath an eare heare what the spirit saith vnto the Churches The promise in the words following To him that ouercommeth c. The commandement serueth to stir vp Gods church to attention in marking that which
day for some certaine time carrieth a faggot for his own burning in the end Secondly from this end of life all that haue not repented must learne not to deferre their repentance but now begin while it is called to day and in the exercise thereof spend the whole time of their life The end of all our endeauours while wee liue should be this to get a roome in the kingdome of God which wee can neuer haue without repentance Next consider who it is that giues this time of repentance neither man nor Angell hath this time in his hands but the power of appointing it belongs vnto Christ alone Hereby then all persons whatsoeuer are to bee admonished without delay to repent The young man will take his pleasure in his youth and repent when he is old but hereby he robbeth Christ of his honour who onely hath power to point out the time of repentance Vse therefore the time present while thou hast it and deferre not repentance for how knowest thou that thou shalt liue to bee old And though thou doest yet how canst thou tell whether God will giue thee repentance considering thou diddest refuse while he called for it Men thinke that if they die quietly and peaceably all is well they goe to heauen straight but herewith many are deceiued for vnlesse they haue truely repented they goe straight to the deuill let their manner of dying be what it will A quiet death is a comfortable thing but no sure signe of grace because it may come by reason of some easie lingering sickenesse Considering therefore wee haue no title vnto this grace of repentance to clayme it at our pleasure it being the rare gift of God nor any leaâ—â— of our life but bee meere tenants at will let vs seeke to turne to God with full purpose of heart while 〈◊〉 is called to day and if we haue begun let vs dayly renew this grace to the end of our life Thirdly consider to whome God giues space of repentance namely to a wicked woman as wicked as Iezabell Wherein behold the endlesse mercie of God that vnto such a wicked person who blasphemed God in fathering her sinnes vpon the spirit of grace and dishonoured God by seducing his seruants doth yet vouchsafe a time of repentance This hath beene and is the dealing of God with most grieuous sinners Manasses was one that sold himselfe to worke wickednesse giuing himselfe to sorcerie and idolatrie and yet vpon his heartie repentance God receiued him to mercie And Salomon fell most fearefully but yet before his death wee may persuade our selues hee repented and was receiued to mercie for hee was a penman of Scripture all which were holy men of God as Peter sayth 2. Pet. 1.20 The Israelites were a people of Sodome and of Gomorrha as bad as those who are condemned in hell and yet mercie is offered vnto them vpon their true repentance and conuersion Hereby no man must take occasion to liue in his sinnes but those that feele themselues laden with the huge burden of their transgressions haue here a comfort to keepe them from despaire for if they can humble themselues and turne vnto Christ and pray for the pardon of their sinnes there is yet with the Lord mercie in store that they may bee saued Lastly Christ saith He gaue her space to repent of her fornication No doubt she had many other sinnes whereof shee was to repent for no sinne goeth alone but euery capitall sinne draweth many with it Christ his meaning therefore is not that she should let passe other sins without repentance but he nameth this one sin of fornication because it was a principall sinne in her for she both practised it in her owne bodie and so made her selfe the stable of the diuell who should haue bene the temple of Gods holy spirit and also maintained this sinne and so drew others thereto Now speciall and principall repentance must be of principall sinnes Here then is a patterne for all sinners how to practise repentance They must beginne with their capitall sinnes which burden their conscience and whereto they are most addicted and repent of them For the man that truly repenteth of one sinne repenteth of all for true repentance maketh the heart alike affected to all sinnes And that heart which is brought to hate his speciall sinnes will neuer approue of pettie sinnes This lesson ought carefully to be learned put in practise For the repentance of most men is onely in generall to say wee are all sinners Lord haue mercie vpon me or God forgiue me But this confused repentance is not good it stands with a purpose to sinne againe In particular therefore we must search our consciences and see wherein we haue most dishonored God and what sinne hath neerest plunged our soules to the pit of hell and with that we must beginne to bring our soules to heauen by repenting truly for the same and turning from it with all our hearts Hence the Papists gather that man hath free will to doe that which is truly good before God as namely to repent for say they God gaue Iesabell space of time to repent and therefore shee had power to repent or else the giuing of that time vnto her had bene in vaine Answ. Their reason is nought it followeth not because God gaue her time to repent therefore she had power of her selfe to repent as will easily appeare if wee consider the ends for which God giues men space time of repentance and commandement so to do The ends are two I. That in that time of repentance which hee allotteth to men hee may giue his children grace whereby they may be enabled to obey his commandement and to repent for the Lord vseth the commandements and threatnings of the law and the promises of the gospell as outward meanes of giuing grace vnto men by the worke of his spirit II. He giueth commaundement and time to repent that men may see what they should doe not what they can doe and that the wicked may bee without excuse at the day of iudgement and be ashamed of their slauerie bondage vnto sinne in this life And shee repented not Here the sinne of Iezabell is expressed namely her impenitencie and hardnesse of heart Whereby without remorse shee liued in her fornication and idolatrie For the vnderstanding of this her sinne two points are to bee considered I. Where this sinne of impenitencie is forbidden in Gods word II. What is the greatnesse of this sinne for the first there bee two parts of Gods word the Law and the Gospell which must not be confounded but distinguished or else wee shall ouerturne manie points of Christian religion The law giues commandements touching things that were by nature in Adam before his fall forbidding those things which are contrarie to those vertues which were in his perfect nature But the gospell commands forbids things that are aboue nature and in that part of Gods word is this
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
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
scripture speaketh of God vsually Before the old world was destroyed it is sayd The Lord saw that the wickednesse of man was great vppon the earth as if he had looked from heauen vpon the earth and beheld that it was corrupt speaking after the manner of men to signifie that search which he maketh into mens actions And so he is sayd to come down from heauen at the building of Babell Gen. 11. and before he destroyed Sodome and Gomorrha He came downe to see whether they had done according to that crie which was come vp to him and so before the Lord punished the wickednes of the Israelits He made a search into their waiâ—â— and the second Commaundement is this God will visite the sinnes of the father vpon the children that is he will make a search whether the sinnes of the fathers be among the children and if they be he will punish them Seing Christ makes this search into all mens actions we are taught in all things to haue care to conforme our selus to the will of Christ and to set our selues to the doing of all good duties according to his word If we knew a Magistrate would come to make search in our house wee would bee sure to set all thinges in order against he came shall we be thus circumspect to prepare for the comming of an earthly man shall we not much more prepare our selues against the search of our Sauiour Christ the euerliuing God from whom nothing can be hid I haue not found thy works perfect Works are perfect two waies by the law or by the Gospell By the law wheÌ„ in our works wee doe all that the law requireth and thus are no mans workes perfect in this life By the Gospel our works are perfect when they proceed from a belieuing hart that hath a care to please God in all things these works are perfect not in theÌ„selus but in the acceptation of Christ. Here by perfect works Christ meaneth not the perfection of the law but of the Gospell as if he had sayd I haue searched into your waies you doe many workes in shew but they proceed not from sincere faith nor from a heart that hath care to please God in all his commandements and a full purpose not to sinne against him you haue a shew of godlynesse but you want the power thereof Here obserue that Christ condemneth this church not because their works were not outwardlye conformable to the will of God but because they proceeded not from a beleeuing hart that had a full purpose to forsake all sinne and to please God in all things Wee therefore must take heede of all hypocrisie by the Example of this Church and labour to bee of Dauids minde and praye with him That our harts may be vpright in the Statutes of the Lord that wee may say with Hezekias Behold Lord how I haue walked before thee with an vpright minde for this is a notable token of grace and an infallible badge of him that is the child of God Before God Some may say Christ here distinguisheth himselfe from God and therefore hee is not God Answere By God in this place we must vnderstand not God simply but God the father For Christ here speaketh of himselfe not as he is God but as he is mediator God man in which respect euen as he is now glorified he is inferiour vnto his Father Where note that Christ being now glorified in heauen carrieth himselfe as mediator whence we gather that we may lawfully and without presumption pray vnto Christ without the meanes or intercession of Saints or Angels The church of Rome denie this and say because Christ is now in full glorie in heauen therefore wee must vse vnto him the mediation of Saints but Christ being now in heauen marks our workes in particular and therefore we may without presumption come vnto him by prayer Vers. 3. Remember therfore how thou hast receiued and heard and hold fast and repent If therefore thou wilt not watch I will come on thee as a thiefe and thou shalt not know what houre I will come vpon thee When Christ hath reprooued them for their sinne of hypocrisie and prescribed them a remedie with a reason thereof he doth as a good Phisitian pastor shew them the way how they may practise that remedie For they might say we are commanded to watch and to renew our decayed graces but how shall we doe this Christ answereth by doing three things I. by remeÌ„bring that which thou hast receiued by hearing II. by holding fast III. by repenting of thy sinnes For the first Remember therefore that is call to mind the doctrine of saluation which thou hast been taught by mine Apostles This remembrance is a most excellent means to mooue a man to subiection to Gods will to repent and to practise all good graces When Dauid saw the prosperitie of the wicked his fect had almosâ— steps but his remedie against that temptation was his goâ—â—g to Gods sanctuariâ— and there calling to mind the end of those men Againe I haue remembred thy name oh Lord in the night and haue kept thy law Peter denied his Master when he forgot his words but when hee was put in mind thereof by the looke of Christ and the crowing of a Cocke he then repented and wept bitterly Luk. 22.61.62 Sinnes committed by men of ignorance are many and grieuous and therfore all sins are called ignorances Heb. 9 7. but if men wold by faith keepe in mind the word of God it would bee a notable meanes to keepe them from sinning Here then we haue a soueraigne remedie against sinne namely wheresoeuer we are or whatsoeuer we doe we must call to minde the word of God and the promises of God and those will bee a lanterne vnto our steps and a light vnto our paths The Diuell laboureth aboue all things to bring vs to forget the word for then he knowes he can easily draw vs into any sin Quest. How shall we keepe in minde the word and promises of God Answ. That is a grace of God and for the attayning vnto it we must first labour to haue our hearts affected with the loue of Gods word and promises for a man can neuer keepe in mind that whereof he hath no liking Secondly we must labour to belieue the word of God For faith giues it rooting in our hearts Colos. 2.7 The cause why there is so little remembring of that which is taught is for that it is not mixed with faith in those that heare it Againe the thing to be remembred is How thou hast receiued and heard that is looke what Doctrine thou hast receiued by hearing and that remember Where we see Christ ioineth receiuing and hearing together Whence wee may gather that â—â—aching and receiuing of the word of God by hearing is the prescribed generall meanes whereby God reuealeth his will counsell and purpose touching the saluation
satisfaction of Christ is properly that key whereby heauen is opened beeing opposite to mans sinne whereby it was shut And Gods Church and Ministers cannot properly open Heauen by any power they haue but onely reueale vnto men what Christ hath done for them and withall apply vnto them the doctrine of Christs satisfaction which is reuealed And in this regard they are said to open and shut the kingdom of heauen not as Lords but as ministers seruants Next I adde that this power is giuen to the Church that is to the companie of of true Beleeuers called to saluation by Christ and to none other and therefore it is sayd of them Whatsoeuer you bind on earth shall be bound in heauen c. Thirdly I adde the end of this power of the keyes To open and to shut heauen How the Church doth this Christ that gaue this power knoweth best and hee hath set it downe Iohn 20.23 Whosoeuers sinnes ye remit they are remitted and whosoeuers sinnes ye retayne they are retayned The Church therefore opens heauen when it pardons mens sinnes and it shuts the same when it lawfully retaines their sinnes and holdeth them vnpardoned besides this there is no opening and shutting of heauen committed to the Church Quest. Can the Church pardon sinne or retaine the same Answ. Yes for these are the wordes of Christ but let vs see how It is one thing to giue sentence of the pardon of sinne and another to pronounce the same sentence giuen To giue the sentence of the pardon of sinne is onely proper to Christ the head of the Church no Saint nor Angell hath that priuiledge but yet the Church pronounceth the sentence of pardon giuen by Christ. If wee should say the the Church should pardon sin we should rob Christ of his honour for that is a priuiledge of his Godhead Thus wee seâ— what the power of the keyes is The right vse of this power is when the Church doth vse the same for the opening and shutting of heauen First in the name of Christ alone as a seruant Secondly according to the rule of Gods word not after mens affections or inuentions Thirdly for this end to bring sinners to repentance to continue them therin that they may be saued and to the Church thus vsing this power Christ hath promised that whatsoeuer they binde in earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer they loose in earth shall bee loosed in heauen Mat. 18.18 Further this power of the keyes hath two parts the ministerie of the word and spirituall iurisdiction The key of the Ministerie of the word is set downe established by Christ Mat. 16.19 I will giue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen c. This ministery of the word is a key because it opens shuts heauen this it doth two wayes First by teaching and explayning the substance of religion the doctrine of saluation whereby men must come to heauen in that regard is called the key of knowledge Lu. 11.52 Secondly by applying the promises of the Gospel and the threatning of the Lawe For when in the ministerie of the word the promises of remission of sins life euerlasting are applyed to beleeuers that repent then the kingdom of heauen is opened when as in the same ministerie of the word the curses of the law are denouÌ„ced against impenitent sinners then is the kingdom of heaueÌ„ shut Yet touching the ministerie of the word this distinction must be remembred that otherwhiles the church is certen of the faith repentance of some men or some congregation and then they may pronounce remission of sins absolutely But otherwhiles they are vncerten of their faith and repentance or of their impenitencie then they must accordingly remit or retaine mens sins that is conditionally pronouncing the remission of sins to all that repent denouncing damnation to all that repent not And thus is the word to be publikely handled in Gods church at this day because our congregations are mixt companies consisting of some that repent beleeue and of others that doe not truely repent nor beleeue The second part of this power of the keyes is spiritual iurisdiction I call it spirituall to distinguish it from that outward iurisdiction whereby the common-wealth is gouerned That this spiritual iurisdiction is a key may appeare Mat. 18.16.17.18 If thy brother offend thee saith Christ admonish him priuately if hee heare thee not yet take with thee two or three if he heare not them tell it to the Church if he refuse to heare the Church let him bee vnto thee as an heathen man and as a publican Then followeth the promise Verely I say vnto you whatsoeuer ye bind on earth shal be bound in heauen and what soeuer ye loose shal be loosed in haauen This spirituall iurisdiction is a power whereby the Church pronounceth sentence vpon obstinate offenders in the Church and puts the same in execution And it hath two parts Excommunication and absolution Excommunication is an action of the Church in Christs name excluding an obstinate offender that is a professor of the Gospel from all the priuildedges of the Church and from the kingdom of heauen So Paul commandeth the incestious man to be committed to Sathan that is not onely put out of the kingdome of Christ but also after a sort made subiect vnto Sathan to bee outwardly afflicted by him And therefore Christ saith If he heare not the Church let him be vnto thee as an heathen man that is as one that hath no title to the kingdome of heauen Heere may some say Can the Church thrust any man out of the kingdome of heauen Answ. It is Christ only that receiueth men in thither and it is he alone that must thrust them out the Church doth not properly either receiue men in or put them out but onely pronounce and declare what Christ doth in this behalfe As if a man that liues in the church bee a common drunkâ—rd the Church finding in Gods word that no drunkard can inherite the kingdome of heauen which is the sentence of Christ may pronounce the same against him and so exclude him from the kingdome of heauen Obiect The true child of God may be excoÌ„municated but he can neuer be excluded from the kingdome of heauen Ans. The true childe of God may for a time and in part be excluded the kingdome of heauen In part as a man that hath freedome in an incorporation may lie in prison for some trespasses and so want the vse of his freedome though he be a freeman so the child of God for committing sinne may want the vse of his libertie and freedome which he hath in Gods kingdome and for a time while hee liueth in sinne without repentance yet wholly and for euer hee cannot but so soone as hee repents hee shall bee receiued certainely againe for no man is to bee barred either from heauen or the Church any longer then hee
remaineth impenitent Whereas this censure is such as doth exclude a man both from the kingdom of heauen and the liberties of the Church till he repent we may here see that this censure ought to bee vsed with great reuerence feare and consideration euen such or greater as wee would vse in the cutting of a member from the bodie The abusing therfore of this sentence in small matters cannot but be a grieuous sin and a breach of the third Commandement wherein one of Gods most weightie ordinances is taken in vaine Further one speciall degree of Excommunication is Anathema which is when one is pronounced to bee condemned whereof Paul speaketh 1. Cor. 16.22 But this is not pronounced vpon any but on those that sin against the holy Ghost and therfore it is seldom vsed because that sin is hardly discerned cōsisting not so much in the speech as in the malice of the heart against Christ. The second part of this spirituall iurisdiction is absolution which is when a malefactor vpon his sufficiēt repentance is approued to be a mēber of the Church and is admitted to the kingdome of heauen And yet here the Church receiues him not into the kingdome of Christ but only declareth vpon his repentance what Christ doth and thus we see wherin Ecclesiasticall iurisdictiō consisteth what be the parts of the power of the keyes For the better discerning of this power of the keyes wee must remember foure special abuses hereof that haue takē place in Gods Church for many hundred years The first is this that in former Ages the church hath giuen this power of the keies to Peter alone debarring the same from all other euen from the rest of the Apostles as though they had only the vse not the right of this power But the ease is plaine this power belongs to euery true minister of the Gospel though they be not Apostles as well as it did to Peter for in the promulgation of this power Mat. 16.19 thogh Christ direct his speech to Peter yet he speaketh vnto all as the circumstances of the place doe plainly shew for Christs question Whom say ye that I am was made to all nowe because it would haue beene great disorder in that holy company for all of them to haue spoken therefore Peter being both ancient and bould of speech speaketh for all and the rest answered in his person and so accordingly Christ speaking to Peter doth make a grant of this power vnto all his disciples in his person And therefore Ioh. 20.23 He giues this power to all saying plainly Whosoeuers sins ye retaine they are retained c. So that the word of God is plaine in this point to satisfie the conscience of any that is not wilfully addicted to the Popish religion Quest. Whence haue the Ministers of the Gospell this power Answ. By succession from the Apostles for Christ saith Mat. 28.19.20 Goe and preach I will be with you to the end of the world Where he cannot meane the Apostles only but with thē all Ministers that did preach and baptise after them making this promise to the Apostles not as they were Apostles but as they were Ministers and preachers of his Gospel The second abuse is that the Church of Rome hath turned the power of the keies into a supremacie ouer the church making it to bee a soueraigne authoritie whereby Peter and his successors the Popes haue libertie to make Lawes Canōs constitutions which bind the conscience as also to make kings and to depose the same A most notorious abuse of this power which is no superioritie but a ministerie the chiefe power whereof consisteth in the dispensation of the word wil of Christ. For Christ said not to Peter I will giue thee the keyes of the kingdoms of mē but of the kingdom of heauen The third abuse hereof is that the church of Rome hath thereby for a 1000. yeeres almost barred Kings Queenes and Emperors from being Gouernors ouer the Churches of God an error flat against Scripture for when as good King Iosias intended the reformation of religion and the abandoning of Idolatrie he made a couenant with the Lord for the accomplishment of the same is said to haue caused all that were found in Ierusalem and Beniamin to stand to the couenant which he made Now shall we say Iosias did euill in causing thē so to doe God forbid It is recorded of him by the holy Ghost for his cōmendation Obiect But Gods pastors teachers haue the power of the keyes and princes haue not Ans. True but yet they haue a ciuil power wherby they rule ouer Gods Church for there is a ciuil power a spirituall power Princes rule not by any spirituall power but ciuilly therby they haue power to compell all their subiects to the outward means of Gods worship to forsake Idolatrie and may also punish those that obey them not Obiect By this power of the keyes Kings and Queenes are brought vnder Pastors Answ. In Pastors and Ministers we must consider their persons and goods their office and word which they bring Princes are ouer their persons and goods and yet may be vnder their word Ministerie because therein they stand in Christs stead Yet al this sheweth nothing why Princes in Gods Church should be so robbed of their right as the Church of Rome doth The fourth abuse is that the Church of Rome for some 800. yeeres hath turned the power of the Keyes vnto the Priest in their Sacrament of Penance for wheras by Gods word the Ministers power is onely to pronounce the absolution of Christ with them euery Priest sits as a Iudge and all the people come vnto him as to a Iudge making knowen vnto him all their thoughts words and deeds as neere as they can wherein they haue broken any Commandement which done the Priest enioynes him to bewaile his sinnes and after contrition doth properly giue sentence of pardon euen as Christ himselfe doth and then after appoints him workes of satisfaction to be done for the temporall punishment of his sinnes which done his sins are pardoned in heauen Where behold a most deuillish practise as may appeare by the manifold errors contained therein As first the confession of all a mans sinnes which hath no warrant in Gods word Secondly that the Priest should giue sentence of pardon is a most notorious practise whereby Christ is robbed of his honour for the Pharises could say None can forgiue sins but God that is properly Mark 2.7 Which Christ approueth and it is must true for he that can forgiue sins properly must make satisfaction for sins Thirdly they absolue from the fault but they will not forgiue the punnishment and thereby they robbe others to inrich themselues Fourthly they enioyne satisfaction to God by men for their sinnes whereby they doe nothing els but ouerturn the al-sufficient satisfactiō of Christ and enioine that to man which is impossible Al these are most
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
Here see the proper â—nd of all reprofes and corrections namely the reformation and amendement of mens faults misdemeanors whatsoeuer that so they may bee more carefull of their wayes and more zealous in good duties then euer they were Whensoeuer therefore wee are reprooued by the word of God or when the Lord shall visite vs in body minde or goods by any kind of crosse wee must remember to take occasion thereby to repent and amend knowing that by all these as by so many Sermons the Lorde calles vs to amendement Nowe come to the remedie of their Luke-warmnesse Be zealous That wee may vnderstand this Commandement we are to handle some points touching Zeale First what is zeale Zeale is a burning affection in regard of Christian Religion and the true worship of God This Zeale is compounded of two affections of loue and anger or indignation so that in this Commandement are two duties enioyned vnto this Church First that they should loue Christ and his Religion aboue all things Secondly that they should be greiued especially for this that Christ was dishonoured his worship prophaned and his doctrine not embraced but insteed thereof false worship and false doctrine entertayned when both these concurre then zeale is in the heart A most notable Example hereof wee haue in Christ Psalm 69.9 where the Prophet Dauid in his person saith The zeale of Gods house had eaten him vp Whereby thus much is signified that the heat of his loue for the maintaining of his Fathers glorie had euen consumed him and that his indignation was so great because his Fathers Name was dishonoured and his worship prophaned that it did euen care him vp This wee shall see to bee true in Christ if wee read the Hystorie of his life Iohn 2.17 Yea hee professeth of himselfe that it was meate and drinke vnto him to doe his Fathers will Ioh. 4.34 That thing he preferred before his owne life or safetie nay for the accomplishment thereof hee was content to suffer the pangs of hell The like zeale was in Elias when all Israel was fallen to Idolatrie his heart was zealous for the Lord of Hosts 1. King 19.14 II. point The kinds of zeale Zeale is either good or bad In good zeale are these things required I. True faith as the roote thereof 1. Tim. 1. vers 5. The end of the commandement is loue 〈◊〉 of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith vnfained Now one apart of zeale is loue and therefore 〈…〉 proceedâ— from true faith so must true zeale 〈◊〉 and that which is not grounded on faith is rather rashnesse and fiercenesse of nature than true zeale II. Repentance 2. Cor. 7.11 There are seuen 〈◊〉 of repentance recyted whereof zeale is one that is good zeale Euen a burning loue of true Religion and a godly indignation when false religion is embraced There may bee zeale in a man that hath no repentance as was in Iehu 2. King 10.16 Come with mee sayth hee and see the zeale that I haue for the Lord. Yet he wanted repentance for Vers. 29.31 It is said Iehu regarded not to walke in the Law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart for hee departed not from the sinnes of Ieroboam which made Israel to sinne and therefore he had not in him the true zeale that is heere commanded III. Zeale must come from knowledge for without knowledge it is but rashnesse and bold-hardinesse such as the Iewes had Rom. 10.2 whose Zeale was without knowledge And such as Paul had before his conuersion Phil. 3. vers 6. In Zeale hee persecuted Gods Church Knowledge therefore in Gods word must bee the guide and conductor of our zeale III. point The fruites of zeale must be considered for the better discerning of true zeale First true zeale constraineth a man in euery thing to seeke to please God Whether we be out of 〈◊〉 wits we are it vnto God or whether we bee in our right mind we are it vnto you For the loue of Christ constrayneth vs. So wheresoeuer this true zeale is in any measure it offereth violence to the heart so as a man cannot but endeuour to doe his dutie for the loue he beareth vnto Christ. Elihu sayd The grace of God was in his heart as new wine in a vessell which must needs vent out Iob. 32.18.19 Secondly true zeale makes a man indeuour to serue and please God with all his heart power and strength So good king Iosiah hearing the words of the Law read hee turned not slackely or negligently but with all his heart and all his soule and with all his might according to all the Law of Moses so as like him was no King before neither after him arose there any like him Psal. 51 Dauid humbling himselfe for his sinnes prayes for the pardon of them with such maruellous zeale as no tongue can vtter desiring God to remember him according to the multitude of his mercies often repeating the same thing in diuers tearmes that in some sort hee might expresse the earnest desire of his heart And in giuing God thankes for his benefits he putteth all the strength of his heart thereto crying out My soule prayse thou the Lord and all that is within mee Psa. 103.1 And thus we see what a thing it is to be zealous whence true zeale ariseth and what it worketh in mans heart Seeing wee as hath beene shewed are tainted with this sinne of Lukewarmnesse and coldnesse in religion let vs here learne how to redresse this vice Wee must become zealous hauing in our heart a feruent loue of true religion and a vehement indignation when the same is disgraced and false worship takes place Let Religion therefore take place in our hearts and let vs bee feruent and shew that same in our liues by zealous obedience Away with all slacknesse and lukewarmnesse it were better to bee Iewes and Turkes and to hold no Religion then to be luke-warme in the true profession And thus much for zeale The second part of this remedie is to Repent or amend This they are also enioyned because zeale without repentaÌ„ce is nothing but rashnes Iehues zeale was no true zeale because hee wanted repentance euen then when hee was zealous But wherefore was this Church inioyned to repent Namely for Lukewarmnes not for that she had committed any horrible sinne but because she was slacke in good duties Here then we haue a good Lesson for the ignorant sort that challenge Gods mercie vnto themselues because they are no notorious malefactors as murtherers adulterers they hate no man but do good vnto all but heere they are taught to reforme this their blindnesse and ignorance For repentance must be for want of good duties yea for slacknesse therein therefore let no man sooth himselfe in his ignorance with a false perswasion that all is wel if he liue not in grosse sinnes This is the enchantment of the deuill whereby he rocks many asleepe in
may obserue that the doctrine of Gods word is an infallible marke whereby to know the true Prophet of God and also to distinguish hâ—m from all false prophets God foretold his people that false Prophets should come among them for their triall Deut. 13. But how shall they discerne them surely by their doctrine for though they shew wonders yet if their doctrine tend to draw men fâ—om the true God to idolatrie they are false prophets and should die When our Sauior Christ was asked By what authoritie hee did those things Luk. 20.2 3. He approoued his authoritie by the testimonie of Iohn who bare witnesse of him Iohn 1.15 and confirmed the calling of Iohn by the truth of his doctrine which themselues being witnesses was from heauen Luke 20. ver 4 5. Hereby then we see the error of the Papists who teach That the onely note of a true Prophet is to confirme his doctrine by a miracle and that hee which cannot doe so is a false Prophet But this note of difference is not true for false Prophets may confirme their lying vanities by signes and wonders as we may see Deut. 13. And so doth Antichrist 2. Thess. 2.9 The sixt argument by which this Reuelation is described is the order and manâ—r of propounding it to the Church and it stands in foure degrees First God the father giueth it to Christ the mediator and head of the Church Secondly Christ giueth it to an Angell Thirdly the Angell conueyes it to Iohn the Apostle Fourthly Iohn diâ—ected and assisted by the holy Ghost deliuereth it to the Churches Now as this particular booke was so no doubt all other holy Scriptures were conueyed to the Church from whence we may obserue First the constant loue of God to his children by this his special care in propounding and deliuering his will and word to his Church Secondly that this booke and so all other parts of holy Scripture are in their kind most perfect and excellent Thirdly that the Church of Rome blasphemeth in calling the written word of God a dead letter and dumbe Iudge matching generall councels with it for authoritie and teaching that the vniuersall consent of the Church is about Scripture fâ—r â—â—terpretation and giues life and sence thereto which otherwise of it selfe were but an inckie letter and dumbe word Verse 3. Blessed are they which reade and they that heare the words of this prophesie and keepe those things which are written therein for the time is at hand Here is the seuenth and last argumeÌ„t whereby this Reuelation is described to wit the fruit effect and the profit which comes of it euen true happrnesse This prophesie concerneth the present and future state of the Church the reading and hearing whereof ioyned with carefull keeping bringeth with it true blessednesse that is fellowship with God and life euerlasting In this argument we may obserue First the end of this booke and so of all other bookes of Scripture viz. â—o bring men to happinesse to fellowship with God and life euerlasting These things were written saith S. Iohn that yee might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ and so beleeuing might haue eternall life Iohn 20.31 Againe hee declared to them the word of Christ that by it they might haue fellowship with God the father and with his sonne Iesus Christ. 1. Iohn 1.3 In which fellowship is true happinesse Christ himselfe sayth Search the Scriptures for in them you thinke to haue eternall life Iohn 5.39 And in this they differ from all other bookes and writings of men for mens writings bee penned either by the light of nature and so be erronious and misse the end of true happinesse or els they be penned by them which haue direction from the word and so all the truth they haue leading to true happinesse is borrowed hence when as the Scriptures of themselues doe directly guide men thither From the consideration of this blessed end of holy Scripture wee may obserue first That the opinion and practise of the church of Rome is damnable who barre the people of God from reading and hearing the Scriptures in their vulgar tongue For in depriuing them of this meanes as much as in them lieth they barre them of their saluation and they doe directly crosse the purpose of S. Iohn who doth therefore pronouÌ„ce him blessed that shall heare and reade this booke with conscience to keep and obey it that he might allure and draw al men to doe it with delight Secondly we are hereby admonished with all care and diligence to reade and meditate in Gods word That place before named is most excellent Search the Scripture Iohn 5.39 Euen as wee would search for gold or some precious thing which we would fain find So the word imports And he addeth the reason For in them you thinke to haue eternall life The same is wisdomes counsell Prou. 2.4 But some will say I cannot reade I was neuer brought vp in learning and therefore I cannot search S. Iohn cuts off his excuse in the next wordes saying Blessed he is also which beares the wordes of this prophecie As if he should say though hee cannot reade yet if hee heare and keepe it he is blessed Here then iâ— the dutie of those which cannot read the Scriptures they must procuâ—e others to reade vnto them and by hearing and keeping they shall be blessed Thirdly by this scope and end of Scriptures wee must learne to carrie in mind this plaine difference between the bookes of God and writings of men Gods word bringeth a man which keepâ— it to happinesse but mans writings of themselues cannot doe so vnlesse they haue light from the word of God If this distinction were imprinted in our harts we should not bee so delighted as many are to heare or speak the words of God mixed with the wordes of sinfull men specially in the publicke ministerie In former times the Lord forbad his owne people to sowe their field with mingled seede 〈◊〉 to make them garments of diuerse things as of linnen and woollen Leuit. 19.19 And no doubt the same God doth mislike that the pure seed of his word should be mingled with the sayings of erroneous and sinfull men when the same is sown vpon the furrowes of mens heaâ—ts Secondly in this seuenth Argument wee may obserue the right manner and way of hearing and reading the Scriptures a point worthie all serious consideration Iâ— stands in two things First we must set downe with ourselues a certaine end why we reade and heare the Scriptures which is that we may attaine to true happinesse standing in fellowship with God and life euerlasting This end must bee the motiue to induce vs to heare and reade the word of God and when this taâ—es place in our hearts it wil be of force to make vs reade and heare with care and conscience which beseemeth Gods word Secondly wee must keepe in mind the things wee reade or heare so fayth the text And keepeth the things which are