the meanes they barre them of their saluation the end of them whereas S. Iohn would by these wordes Blessed c. drawe men and allure them to to reade and delight in the Scriptures Seeing the end of this booke and the rest is to bring men to happinesse we are here admonished all of vs to reade and meditate in them and search them as Ioh. 5. 39. euen as we would search for gold or some precious thing which we would faine finde so the word imports And he addeth the reason For in them you thinke to haue eternall life But some will say I cannot reade I was neuer brought vp in learning S. Iohn cuts off this excuse in the next words Blessed is he which reades or heares the words of this prophecie So that if he cannot reade yet if he heare and keepe it he is blessed Then those which can not reade them they must procure others to reade they must hearken and heare diligently We must learne to carrie in minde the distinction betweene the bookes of God and writings of men Gods word brings a man which keepes it to happinesse but man 's of them selues can not vnlesse they haue light from the word of God And if this distinction were imprinted in our harts we should not be so delighted either to heare or speake the words of God mixed with the words of sinfull men First among the Iewes it was not lawfull to mingle cloth of diuerse kinds then much lesse will the Lord suffer his word to be mingled with the sayings of erronious and sinfull men be they neuer so learned or ancient Secondly here followeth the right manner and way of hearing and reading the Scriptures which stands in two things First we must set downe a certaine end why we reade the Scriptures which is that we may attaine to happinesse fellowship with God and life euerlasting And when this takes place that we set downe this end that we reade and heare them with care and conscience to practise them Secondly we must keepe thē remember the things we reade or heare And this second point is principall to heare and to reade so as we keepe those things we heare or reade and so as we make obseruation of that we heare so the words import Here we see the cause why we heare and reade the word dayly yet no profite comes thereby the cause is because we be onely hearers we keepe it not to make vse of it in our liues That we may keepe the word which we heare or reade it is so commended to vs in many places Luke 2. 19. Mary is said to keepe and to ponder all these things in her heart Psal. 119. 8. Dauid he hid the statutes of the Lord in his heart Luke 11. Blessed are they which heare the word and keepe it Iames 1. 21. We must keepe the word which is grafted in vs where it is compared to a ciens or graffe which is set into a stocke so the word is ingrafted into our hearts and there it must abide and bring forth fruite That we may keepe this word we must first learne the elements of Religion in the Catechisme both old and young must learne them for that is the beginning of all knowledge and though a man reade and heare the word and yet learne not the grounds he cannot keepe it So that we see the cause why many especially aged folke heare the word from yeare to yeare and neuer profit but are as ignorant as euer they were they be alwayes learning yet neuer learne any thing the reason is because they will not abase themselues to learne those principles of Religion those first seeds without which they cannot profit by and keepe the word That we may keepe those things we heare or reade we must con our part before we come we must addresse our selues we must not rush on Gods ordinance without preparation In the old Testament when the people offered sacrifice they must sanctifie themselues so we in receiuing of the Lords supper we prepare our selues reuerently Now that we do in the Lords supper we must do in hearing the word seeing there is no difference but that that Supper is onely a visible word the word preached is an audible word When the people receiued the law the Lord cōmaunded them to sanctifie themselues three daies before So then when we come to heare the word which is the law expounded we must sanctifie our selues prepare our hearts to heare it This preparation stands in these things 1. we must put out of our hearts all by-thoughts all cares and thoughts of worldly affaires and we must set our hearts to seeke the Lord Ezra 7. to looke in the law that we may know the will of God reuealed in his word withall we must make our carnest prayers to God that he would open our eyes that we may see his will soften our hearts and make our eares attentiue as Lidiaes were and also giue vs grace to embrace his word and keepe it When we are about to heare or reade the word we must haue humble hearts else we cannot keepe the word nor beleeue the promises in the same The Lord he reueales his secrets to the humble in spirit that is which be humbled for their sinnes troubled and touched with their owne infirmities which haue contite broken and bruised hearts but in the proud heart there is no keeping of the word there is no hole in it for the word to lie in but it is wholly possessed and puffed vp with selfe-loue and pride The heart must be an honest heart we must not onely haue our hearts touched with the remembrance of our sinnes but they must be honest hearts good hearts such as are not purposed to liue in sinne or any one sinne be it neuer so litle but wholy purposed to serue the Lord we must not come with vnchast or wicked hearts with minds to leaue all sinne but yet to liue in some one sinne We must haue a beleeuing heart Heb. 4. 2. The old Iewes heard the word but it profited them not because they mingled it not with faith in their hearts where he compares them to a vessel in which there must be both the word and faith and these must be mingled together it must be tempered by faith then it will be a word of power of life and saluation and this is the onely meanes to remember the word and to beleeue truly the iudgements denounced against sinne and sinners and promises pronounced for the true beleeuers But incredulitie is when we except the curses against sin as not pertaining to vs and cannot apply the promises of the Gospell This is the proper cause of all ignorance and obliuion so that we must labour aboue all things for this true faith to beleeue the word and then we shall well and easily remember it We must haue hearing hearts besides these eares of the body we must haue new eares pearced We
giuen of God For in Iohn his bodie and all his senses were benummed he neither heard saw nor felt but they were asleepe and therefore the vision must needes be from God Secondly that they might take the deeper impression in his and their mind for when the mind is freed from fellowship with the bodie not hindered by any fantasies of the senses they being all asleepe and quiet then the mind hath best oportunitie to attend and marke to know and vnderstand and also to imprint deeper in memorie things reuealed Here we see the great care of God who would not haue his children to receiue these visions by senses imperfectly but that they might throughly vnderstand know beleeue and carie thē away in faithfull memorie he deliuered them in extasies and trances the mind then being no whit hindred with fellowship of the bodie but freed from the same The like care had he of his Prophets that they might certainely know constantly beleeue and faithfully remember those visions he would not haue their minds troubled with the fellowship of the bodie or of the senses inward or outward And there is good reason of this for they which must teach a thing to other to make them know and vnderstand to beleeue and remember the same it is reason they should vnderstand and hold it themselues and keepe it well in memorie This seeing the Lord did to make them to vnderstand more throughly to beleeue more constantly and to carie away more faithfully this teacheth Ministers that they must haue also the through vnderstanding and knowledge of the word beleeue it constantly and remember it carefully Now we must not looke for and expect trances as they had but we must come to this by continuall studie in the word which is the ordinarie meanes to come to that knowledge it is the meanes by which all men Preachers students and hearers do know Then we should seeke to be cunning in the text of Scripture to vnderstand the proper sense of it to be good text men to vnderstand beleeue and remember it Then this is a fault of those which in studying of diuinity wil rather reade auncient writings of men nay the base writings of of wicked and hereticall Friers then of the holy word of God In that he receiued this vision will of God in a trance and had it so made fully known vnto him we see that though he was indued with singular gifts yet the Lord addeth more knowledge to his former so that we see that saying iustified To him which hath shall be giuen S. Iohn being so carefull to do his dutie of an Apostle the Lord reuealeth his will to him in most full maner Euen so all that haue care to know the will and word of God though their knowledge be small at the first yet the Lord will help them adde dayly to their knowledge and increase it So we see why many heare the word but increase not but waxe worse or stand at a stay the reason is because they labour not to haue their knowledge increased for if they did then to him which hath he should haue more added Nay contrarily when we be negligent to heare and to know the wil and word of God we haue a spirit indeed but not Gods but the spirit of slumber of blindnes and ignorance so that we see and see not heare and vnderstand not Esay 29. 10. On the Lords day In these words is the fourth circumstance namely the time when this vision was graunted to S. Iohn This day which here is called the Lords day among the Iewes was the first day of the weeke called by vs Sunday It is called the Lords day for two causes first because on this day Christ rose from death to life for Christ was buried the euen of the Iewes Sabbath which is our friday and he rested in the graue their whole Sabbath which is our saturday and rose the first day of the weeke early in the morning which is our Sunday and for this cause first it is called the Lords day 2 It is called the Lords day because this first day to the beleeuing Iewes was to them in stead of their Sabbath in which day they worshipped God solemnely it was the day appointed to his seruice among them and for this cause especially it is called the Lords day To vnderstand how it is called the Lords day we must know three points first who changed this day from the Iewes Sabbath secondly for what cause thirdly whether the Church haue now in the new Testament power to change the Sabbath day to any other day then this seuenth day The changer and appointer of this Sabbath of the new testament was Christ himselfe though it be commonly thought that the Church in the new testament and Christian Emperors changed it My reasons are these 1. That which the Apostles deliuered and inioyned the Church that they receiued from Christ either by voice or instinct for they deliuered nothing of their owne head but they deliuered this inioyned this Sabath to the Church although they receiued it from Christ. That they inioyned this day of rest and Sabbath to the Church it appeareth 1. Cor. 16. 1. For Paul ordained that the collection for the poore should be on the first day of the weeke he ordained it and left it not to the choise of the Church but appointed it by authoritie Apostolicall from Christ. Now the day of collecting for the poore as appeareth in the histories of the Church was the Sabbath day when the people were assembled then they vsed to make their collection for before that collection there went the word preached and the sacrament of the Lords supper and this was the custom of the Church many yeares after Christ first to haue the word preached and the sacraments administred then to gather for the poore and for this cause the Lords supper is called a sacrifice or a masse not as the Papists vse it but because in it we offer not to the Lord but to the poore which was sent them and so gaue the name to that sacrament to be called the masse By which it appeareth that they appointed by Apostolicall authoritie the first day of the weeke to be the Sabbath of the new Testament which here is called the Lords day A second reason is this The Apostles kept this day for the Sabbath of the new testament Act. 20. 7. and it cannot be proued that they obserued any other day for the Sabbath but onely in one case when they liued among the Iewes when they kept their old Sabbath A third reason is Iohn 20. 19. 26. That same day which Christ rose from death being the first day of the weeke he appeared to his Disciples to instruct them and the eight day after he appeared again the first day of the weeke instructing them in matters belonging to the kingdome of heauen Now it is more then likely Christ would celebrate and
diuell feareth not the sword or gun but this spirituall weapon will ouerthrow him I proceed to the second point their affliction is described by the persons some of you not all but some of them thirdly by the kind of affliction imprisonment he shall not kill or destroy you but imprison you and some of you not all of you Fourthly the end to trie you that your hope faith patience and other graces may be made knowne to your selues and other In all these we note that Gods prouidence is the first and generall cause aboue all causes ouerruling ordering and disposing them In this prouidence he vseth two instruments good as good Angels and regenerate men and he workes in and by these in all things and in these there is a good order no disorder The second kind of instruments be bad as wicked Angels diuels and wicked men which though they be wicked in themselues yet God can vse them well and in these is nothing but disorder and the Lord he worketh by them but not in them and permits their disorder and sinnes to shew by them his iustice and power These wicked instruments in themselues the Lord vseth well and to good ends for his prouidence is aboue them it restraines them keepes in their malice bridles them that they cannot shew their malice to the ful but be bridled and kept short being ouermastred by his prouidence So here the diuel he afflicts them yet not all but some of them and he destroyeth not but onely imprisoneth them and not alwayes but for a short time The second action of Gods prouidence vsing wicked instruments is that the Lord turneth all to the good of his children The diuell in afflicting them purposeth their destruction but the Lord turneth it to their good to proue them and trie the vertues and graces of their hearts as their faith hope loue patience c. so that the Lord doth not onely restraine their malice but turneth all things to the good of his people Now we should often thinke of this prouidence of God and for euer blesse his name for the same seeing he ouerrules the wicked instruments he restraines their malice he vseth them for the good of his children and considering of this it shold make vs to renounce our selues to commit our selues to his protection make his prouidence our sure defence and safegard in all our temptations And seeing the end of their affliction is to trie them we must al first labour to haue the power of godlinesse not onely in outward shew and formall profession but to feele the power of it truly in our hearts for the Lord wil trie vs as gold in the fire the Lord will cast vs into the fire of affliction to proue vs whether we be pure gold whether we haue pure faith vnfained repentance and a good conscience or not these wil abide the fire and not burne when formal shew of godlinesse will 2. Seeing afflictions are to trie vs we must reioyce and thinke tribulation a great blessing I am 1. Thinke it exceeding ioy to fall into temptations for by affliction our graces are made manifest to our selues and to the world The fifth circumstance is the time for ten daies Some vnderstand by this a long time as Gen. 31. 41 Laban changed Iacobs wages ten times that is many times but it is not so here for Christ speakes that to comfort them now what comfort were this to be long in affliction Others thinke that by ten daies ten yeares is meant and that because it is often in scripture so vsed seeing there is a weeke of yeares as well as of daies but that cannot be proued that they were in persecution so long and no longer Then I take it by ten daies is meant a very short time a litle space of time and this is most sutable to all the circumstances of the text and the purpose of Christ which was to comfort the Church as if he had said Thinke not thy affliction to be long for it is but for ten daies a short time In which words note two things first that the afflictions of Gods Church are for a certaine time a time decreed and set downe by God that cannot be shortned or made longer So the Lord told Abraham that the Israelites should be in captiuitie and affliction 430. yeares and so it came to passe for they were in affliction especially in the land of Egypt 430. yeares but so soone as that time was expired the same night were they deliuered So Daniel for the space of threescore and ten yeares captiuity prayed not to the Lord for deliuerance for he knew the time was certaine and could not be changed and therefore was patient but when that time drew to an end then he prayed for deliuerance and the Lord heard his prayer This should teach vs in affliction to be patient and to seeke to arme our selues with patience seeing the time of our affliction is certain and cannot be made shorter or longer we cannot be deliuered till the whole time be expired Secondly note that the afflictions of Gods Church and children be but for ten dayes a very short space of time in respect of eternall life and this is a notable comfort to any in the crosse and persecution seeing the Lord wil put an end to it it shal be but for ten dayes a short time as Paul teacheth 2. Cor. 4. 17. But yet there is more to be noted in these words euery word containing an argument of comfort for the Church for first the author of afflictions is the diuell he causeth them now feare not him for he is Gods enemy therfore thou being his enemy hast God for thy friend and then what can he do to thee to hurt thee for they which haue him their enemy their cause is good Secondly he shall not afflict all the whole Church but some of you a few of them the Lord restraines his malice he cannot do his wil. Thirdly he cannot kill or destroy them but onely afflict their bodies Fourthly he shall not do that to their destruction as he would but the Lord turnes it to try them for their good So this affliction it shall not last alwaies but for ten daies a very short time why then should you feare Let not feare ouercome your hearts be not discouraged but take Christs fortitude and courage lay aside all feare and vndergo manfully al danger to keepe faith and a good conscience to the end The third part of Christs counsell is another precept which containeth a most blessed and heauenly counsell be thou faithfull The children of God ought to be faithfull in regard of God and that fidelitie they owe to him first by promise made to him in baptisme for in that Sacrament God promiseth to his child Christ with all his benefits and the child of God promiseth and maketh this stipulation to God that he will renounce himselfe and in death and life rely onely on Christ. Now
we are to beginne any businesse in word or deed we must begin it with inuocation on the name of Christ for Christ he giues the beginning and proceeding to all things Then we which haue our beginnings of him must not dare to begin anything without inuocation on his name Secondly the same Christ he is the end of all things for two causes first because he is the last of all things and after him is nothing in subsisting and being nay if all creatures were left to themselues they would all come to nothing and yet though all should come to nothing Christ would remaine the same he was for euer namely the eternall Sonne and word of the Father In that some creatures are become eternall this is not of themselues but by Christ he giues them eternall being and durance and if they were left to themselues they would come to nothing as well as others This then shold make vs with full purpose of heart to cleaue to Christ if we would enioy eternall happinesse for without him and vnlesse we haue it from him we cannot but come to an end Secondly he is the end because all things were made to serue him Coloss. 1. 16. For him were all things created Which is was and is to come These words were expounded in the fourth verse where the very same are affirmed of the Father The sense is that Christ is a substance and essence or being subsisting in by and from himselfe and such a substance shall be for euer Hence we learne two things first that the second person in the Trinitie is consubstantiall with the Father of one and the same substance and nature with him And the reason is because there can be but one onely substance essence and being which can be in and by it selfe and from it selfe alone there cannot be two or moe but onely one As there cannot be two eternals or two infinits two omnipotents and absolute Lords which haue nothing one of another Now in the fourth verse it is said of the Father that he is a substance of in by and from himselfe alone and here of the Sonne is rehearsed the same Then they seeing there can be but one such essence must needs be all one and the Sonne must needes be the same substance nature and essence with the Father not like him or diuerse from him but the selfe same in substance and nature that is their Godhead is consubstantiall c. They be indeed two distinct persons yet but one substance and diuine essence in the Godhead which S. Iohn intimates affirming the same words of both Hence we learne that Christ is God of himselfe for in the same respect the Father is God he is God and as the Father is was and is to come so in the same regard is Christ c. But the Father is God of himselfe ergo also Christ is God of himselfe Indeed as he is the Sonne so he is of the Father hath this beginning from him but as he is God he is consubstantiall with the Father and coequall with him hath his essence of and in himselfe And the same is to be affirmed of the holy Ghost as he is the third person he proceedes from the Father and the Sonne but as he is God he is of from and in himselfe 3 That Christ is coeternall with the Father and as euerlasting as he is euery way coequall to the Father hauing the same attributes equally with him as he is God The Almightie As there is in God so is there in Christ a double power first a potentiall secondly an actuall power Potentiall is that whereby he can do many things moe then he wil do as he could raise children to Abraham of the stones but he would not he could haue deliuered Christ from death but he would not It is not taken for this power here principally but rather for the second namely his actuall power whereby he bringeth to passe without let and impediment whatsoeuer he decreeth willeth or promiseth So he is called Almightie here because he bringeth to passe actually whatsoeuer he promiseth to his in his word without let and stop Seeing he is thus Almightie hence come two comforts to his children first that whatsoeuer he hath promised his church in Christ shall be brought to passe effectually without stop and let as assuredly as he promised it Now since he promiseth in the Gospell to all penitent sinners remission of sinnes mortification iustification and life euerlasting euery one of them in their time shall be done Euery true beleeuer shall haue pardon of his sinnes mortification sanctification and eternall life because he which promised is almightie able and willing to do all he promised This is a comfort to all true beleeuers for all men and Angels cannot giue one of these but Christ he is omnipotent he can and will giue them all 2 He will and can giue his Church sufficient securitie and ease from all her enemies he can defend and guard her against all their furie and malice he is aboue them and can bridle their might when and how he pleaseth This then affoords vs two duties First in the crosse and tribulation to humble our selues vnder the hand of God For it is the Lord which correcteth vs he is able to do what he list and more then he will Secondly this should make vs to performe heartie obedience in our generall and particular callings to walke vprightly before him seeing he is almightie and seeth whether we walke sincerely or not if we do not he is able to punish vs. Gen. 17. it is the argument of God to perswade Abraham to walke vprightly because he is almightie able to correct and destroy those which refuse to obey him Thus farre of the two first parts of this Chapter the Inscription and the Titles of this booke I Iohn c. Here followeth the third part of this Chapter which containeth a vision from this ninth verse to the end of the third Chapter In this vision two things are to be noted first the circumstances secondly the parts The circumstances in the ninth and tenth verses the parts from thence to the end of the third Chapter The circumstances of this vision are 4. the first touching the person to whom this vision befell Iohn the second the place where in Pathmos the third the maner how it is propounded it was deliuered to him being rauished in the spirit the fourth the time when on the Lords day The first circumstance is the person to whom this vision befell Iohn He doth this to shew that it was giuen him of the Lord for as the Lord hath his visions and reuelations so the Diuell hath his but they be distinguished by the persons to whom they be giuen God giueth his visions not to all men but to those which are most fit for them such as be most holy men for life indued with exceeding gifts of God as
of great superstition S. Iohn would not haue left all companie of men but that he was compelled to leaue thē then the life of those which voluntarily leaue all companie of men liuing in cloisters and secret places cannot be a life of perfection but of all imperfection man is borne to do good to others Seeing S. Iohn was banished and here receiued his visions we see that those which honour God he will honour them For S. Iohn was banished then which what could they do more to hurt him Yet then because it was for Gods cause God doth most honour him in reuealing to him these visions So when Ioseph was sold of his brethren and most dishonoured of them then God exalted him The same may be said of Daniel who when he was most dishonoured of men then the Lord exalted him aboue all other men and the same is true of all Gods children they which honor him he will honour them 2 The cause for which he came into this Isle For the word of God that is because he was by calling a publisher and preacher of the word of God for which cause he was banished By which we may note that all naturall men as Domitian and the Romaines were and all men are by nature hate all that professe God hate his word they cannot abide it For S. Iohn a most worthie Apostle a famous man for gifts a singular preacher of the word of God yet for this very cause is hunted nay banished not for his owne cause but for the word of God This hath bene seene in all heathen Emperours yea and all men by nature hate the word yet though they hate it in their hearts the same word it winneth them and hath taken place in them to conuert them and to make them to loue it which sheweth that the word taught by the Prophets and Apostles is indeed the true word of God not the inuention of man For if the word which is hated of all men by nature had not some diuine power in it it could neuer make such mē to loue it by grace which hate it by nature For no word of man can make a man which hateth the same to loue it but onely the word of God Seeing Iohn was banished for Gods word all Ministers are to cast their accompts to make a reckoning that they may and must suffer persecution nay banishment for the word of God For that which the principall founders and chiefe builders of the Church haue suffered that cannot be auoyded of them which are ordinarie Ministers Christ he acquainted his disciples with this and telleth them that they are euen accursed when all men speake well of them Luk. 6. 26. They must not seeke to haue all thinke well of them but rather feare if all men like of them they are accursed And witnesse bearing That is for the testimonie of the history and doctrine of the Gospell the summe whereof is that Iesus Christ the sonne of Mary is our Redeemer to procure to vs righteousnesse and life euerlasting Now he addeth after the other this of the Gospell as a doctrine how to come to life euerlasting and righteousnesse in Iesus Christ to shew for what part of the word we are most hated and persecuted not so much for the law as for the Gospell because the law is partly natural the Gospell is aboue nature as to beleeue that God made his couenant with our first parents that the seed of the womā shold bruise the serpents head Now the Gospell is the glad tidings in which there is declared that the promised seed is come and therefore the diuell he hateth this part most of all and laboureth man to hinder the course of the Gospell rather then of the law So three hundred yeares after Christ he laboured by might and maine to extinguish the Gospell to keepe men in ignorance of the Messiah but when he could not preuaile by force might he vsed sophistrie and deceipt and brought in heresies to obscure the truth of the Gospell and to ouerthrow the natures offices and benefites of Christ. Then we are bound to do the contrarie seeing he laboureth to extinguish it we must labour to maintaine and defend it we must labour as much to know it as he doth to keepe vs in ignorance that so we may obey and beleeue it And I was rauished on the Lords day c. In this tenth verse are two circumstances the first which is the third in number is the maner of receiuing this vision and giuing of it to Iohn namely in a traunce the second or fourth the time on that Lords day or that day of the Lord. I was in the spirit Here we see he receiued this vision in a trance I was in the spirit that is I was by the mightie and extraordinarie worke of the spirit of God cast into a traunce This appeareth by comparing this Prophecie with other as with that of Ezechiel who when he receiued any vision was cast into a traunce by Gods spirit To vnderstand this consider two things first what a trance is secondly the end of it A trance is an extraordinarie worke or action of Gods spirit ergo not of the constellation and temperature of the starres nor from the constitution of mans bodie or imaginations of men but wrought by the holy Ghost Secondly it is not euery worke but an extraordinarie work aboue the order of nature a powerfull and mightie work of the holy Ghost wherein the whole man both in bodie and mind is altered and for that cause S. Iohn saith I was in the spirit This action consisteth in two actions one of the mind and the other of the bodie In procuring a trance the spirit of God casteth a man into a dead sleepe whereby all the senses both inward and outward are benummed So Gen. 15. 12. when God renewed the couenant with Abraham he cast him into a trance that is into a dead sleepe the senses all were benummed onely the mind and soule working The other action of the holy Ghost is on the mind to draw it from fellowship with the bodie and all the senses to haue fellowship with God that so the spirit of God may enlighten it with light and knowledge of things which are to reuealed to it And so we see in other extasies and traunces as that of Peter his mind was drawne from the fellowship with the bodie and was in fellowship with God Then a trance is a mightie and powerfull worke of the holy Ghost both in bodie and mind whereby both the mind is drawne from fellowship with the bodie and vnto the fellowship of God and also enlightened with light and knowledge of God to vnderstand things to be reuealed Now followeth the end of a trance The cause why men are cast into trances in receiuing any visions is that as S. Iohn here they might know that the things deliuered were not inuented of themselues but
keepe that day for a Sabbath wherein he rose and the eight day after appeared to instruct his Disciples Now the Sabbath of the Iewes was changed for two causes first to maintaine the liberty of the Church of the new Testament whereof this was a great part that they were freed from the ceremonies of the Iewes for here when this day was changed the Church was no more tied to the Iewes Sabbath day neither had any such regard after of dayes and times Secondly that there might be a more fit time for the remembrance of the worke of redemption for as God in the old Testament appointed the seuenth day to be a day of rest to remember the first creation so there should be a day to celebrate this worke which is a wonderfull creation in which we are made new men so that there is now a new heauen and new earth as Isay speaketh chap. 66. Nay this is a more glorious work then that seeing in that creation Adam was the head in this Christ Iesus he is the head In that Adam was the chiefe in this Christ. In that Heuah was giuen to Adam in this we to Christ his Church to him In that Adam had an earthly paradise in this redemption we haue a spirituall kingdome In that Gods mercy onely in this both his mercy and iustice in punishing of Chirst and giuing vs forgiuenes appeared In that God shewed his wisdome goodnes but in part but herein this he shewed it fully In that he made man of nothing but now he made him of worse then nothing better then euer he was Therfore seeing this day of our redemption is farre passing that and the Lord appointed a day for the remembrance thereof much more should there be one for the remembrance of this now there is no day fitter then that day wherein Christ Iesus rose from death to life to remember his resurrection But may the Church now in the new Testament change the Sabbath to any other day as to tuesday wednesday c. Answ. It cannot I thinke because times and seasons belong to God he alone can dispose of thē Act. 1. 6. the church hath not knowledge of times and seasons much lesse of the ordering and disposing of them for that which the Father keepeth in his owne bosome the Church cannot know but the Father alone so keepeth times and seasons therfore the church cannot know them And as the church of the Iewes had not power to change their Sabbath no more hath the Church in the new Testament to change their Sabbaths Ob. But the Iewes had authoritie to appoint feasts therfore they could appoint Sabbath dayes Hest. 9. 17. they for their deliuerance appoint a day of rest of reioycing So 1. Maccab. 4. 8. They appointed indeed solemne dayes for reioycing and solemne feasts for speciall deliuerance but they appointed not any day for a sabath rest for the whole seruice of God Some hold that the Church hath power to alter it nay to make any day the Sabbath or if it could be conueniently two dayes in a weeke but they haue no warrant out of the word If this day the Lords day be a day to remember the death resurrection and merits of Christ we see three sorts of men here reproued first them which make this day a day of pleasure pastime and delight For most young men and seruants imploy this day wholy on their own delights and pleasures making it a day of carnall reioycing spending it in eating drinking carding dicing riot and excesse so that they turne this Lords day set apart to his worship into a day to offer sacrifice to the diuel The second sort is of them which liue more ciuilly then the former yet they thinke they may do their owne businesse and take iorneys on this day and that vpon this false ground that a man may aswell and with as honest and good an heart serue God in his owne businesse at home as they which go to Church But by this they make the Lords day appointed to his seruice their owne day to do their owne worke and not his The third sort is of those which keepe the Sabbath onely at morning and euening Prayer but as for the rest of the day they may spend it how they will on their owne pleasures and pastimes or their owne businesse and of this sort are many in the world who come to the Church but onely so far as the law of the Land inioynes them and these men part stakes with God they giue him one part and that the lesser and bestow the other on their owne businesse or pleasure whereas it is the Lords day not in part but in whole and so they breake the fourth commaundement Then on the contrary our dutie is to keep this day a Sabbath to the Lord as we are commaunded in the fourth commandement 1. we must rest from all our sinnes secondly from all the workes of our callings and imploy it wholly on the seruice of God sanctifying this day of rest to the worship of God from the morning to the euening Now there is a double sanctifying of the Sabbath first publicke in the congregation when we come to the Church to pray and giue thankes and there to heare the word and receiue the sacraments secondly priuate when men in their owne priuate houses at home sanctifie it in meditating reading and thinking of the word in praying priuatly and giuing thankes for benefits we must not imploy that day in our owne businesse If the Officer should take our seruant from our works set him about the common good we would be grieued And if we take the day appointed to Gods seruice and bestow it on our owne affaires shall not the Lord be offended And the cause why we heare the word publikely and neuer profit is because we sanctifie the sabbath onely publikely and not priuatly so that vnlesse we meditate reade the word pray and sanctifie the sabbath at home we may heare and reade the word publikely but without all increase of grace faith knowledge and repentance but if we performe neither it is not possible to get any grace seeing this day is set apart for that end Now to proceed The reason why the Lord he gaue Iohn these visions rather on this day then another is because though Iohn was absent in body from the Church yet he was present in spirit in praying for it at this time for being absent he would shew his presence in such duties as he could performe in that solitary place as fasting prayer c. Now when he was thus occupied the Lord reuealeth his will to him concerning the estate of the Church to the end of the world Seeing Iohn being in the Isle of Pathmos a desert place yet he kept the Sabboth in all such duties as he could performe hence we see that they which are absent from the Church as in prison sicke of some great disease or
quaketh for feare the word of God came into his mind and made his conscience accuse him and his knees smote together for feare So then by this we see how Christ killeth the wicked by reuealing their sinnes shewing the wrath and anger of God against sinne and sinners which repent not and the curse of the law and also by sharpning the sting of conscience to wound them and strike them at the heart and so they by this haue the first wound of eternall death Though the Lord may in mercie recouer them of this wound yet of themselues they be in the estate of death and vnlesse they repent they are in the first step to eternall death For those horrors and feares which come into a mans heart in regard of Gods wrath and iudgements seuered from grace are no grace but the first wound to eternall death vnlesse the Lord giue grace Seeing Christ carieth the two edged sword of the Spirit in his mouth whereby he woundeth his enemies with a deadly wound at the heart then when we see any which cometh to heare the word and after rebelleth stormeth and rageth against the same being wounded in conscience therewith we must not be displeased with it but pitie his case seeing he is wounded at the heart with a deadly wound and he in this case is in the first steppe to eternall death vnlesse the Lord recouer him of this wound In those Churches and places where the word hath bene long preached and the people remaine in blindnesse and ignorance and vnreformed we must in these take pitie on them seeing this is a heauie iudgement of God on them for these are wounded with a deadly wound by the sword of the spirit because the word hath bene long and often preached to them without profit and the word it neuer returneth emptie but either saueth or destroyeth woundeth or healeth them So that though men may liue ciuilly before men making a faire shew yet if they be vnreformed and liue in ignorance these are but dead men in the sight of God the word hath giuen them the first deadly wound therefore we must pitie their estate If we come into the field see an hundred men lye wounded and gushing out bloud some in the head some in the sides and some in the feet we cannot but be exceedingly moued so in the church of God many are vnreformed in obedience and repentance and though we cannot see their bloudie wounds with bodily eyes yet we may see them lye wallowing in the bloud of ignorance and securitie of impenitencie and wickednesse therefore we must pitie their estate for they be dead men indeed seeing they be not reuiued by the word in reformation of life and obedience for the word either quickeneth or killeth Seeing the word without grace killeth we must not content our selues with it but seeke to feele the worke of the Spirit peace of conscience and reformation of life by the word Let vs then by a liuely faith labour to apply Christ by the word to lay hold on him and his righteousnesse so that we can say we liue not but Christ in vs. But this word hath another action in the elect children of God which though it be manifold yet all tend to further and procure their saluation The first work of it in these is to wound deepely and to kill the corruptioâ— of mans nature in his heart with a deadly wound that it neuer recouer againe Yet though it wound a man it killeth not the person as in the wicked but onely the corruption of his heart and quickeneth the person to Christ killeth him in regard of rebellion and vnbeleefe We are sacrifices to be offered to God therefore we must be killed not in our bodies and soules but in our corruptions affections and rebellions That we may be killed the two edged sword of the Spirit is required which giueth our corruption the deadly wound and cutteth vp the root Since the second action after our conuersion change is this the word of God must cut and pare the remnants of our corruption by lessening and weakening of it daily Ioh. 15. As the husbandman cutteth loppeth and pareth off all branches that beare no fruite so the word of God cutteth and pareth away the remnants of corruptions in our hearts that so our hearts may bring foorth more fruite Thirdly the word of God serueth to keepe his people and children in awe and subiection and therefore Christ holdeth the scepter of the word in his mouth that though the wicked will not be kept in awe yet his elect may tremble and feare at the lifting vp of the same Amongst men if many be fighting let the Magistrate but hold vp the sword of Iustice euery man yeeldeth and putteth his sword into his sheath and shall not we much more cease from sinne and feare when Christ the King of heauen and earth holdeth out the scepter of his word And if any refuse to be subiect and to obey the Magistrate he is counted a rebell if men refuse to obey the scepter of Christ shall they not be so accounted So then by these actions we see the power of the word it killeth corruptions in our hearts pareth it and the remnants of it and it keepeth men in awe and subiection Yet it differeth in the wicked and in the godly in the wicked it maketh them feare and woundeth them to death destroying both soule and bodie in the godly it woundeth them indeed not in their persons but in the corruptions of their hearts It maketh vs fit to encounter with the diuell and to vanquish him in all his temptations if it be vsed with knowledge Seeing the word of God serueth to kill our corruptions we when we heare the word must receiue and beleeue the same not onely when it is deliuered in generall but applyed in particular though it touch vs and wound our hearts we must suffer it and reioyce in it for that is the first steppe to health to haue our corruptions ripped vp and touched When the sword of the spirit entreth to our hearts it will ransacke euery nooke and secret corner then we must reioyce in this blessing of God suffer it gladly seeing it is the onely meanes to come to life If one be sicke of a Fistula he will suffer the Chirurgeon to rippe and launce him to search euery part of the wound and shall not we suffer the Phisition of the word to display to lay open to ransacke and search the corruption of our hearts seeing that is the onely way to recouer health For we cannot liue to God till we die to our selues and to our sinnes we cannot pâ—ssibly die to our sinnes till our corruptions be destroyed and all our sinnes killed and wounded to death In his mouth Other Kings carie their scepter in their hands but he in his mouth to shew that no doctrine must be receiued of vs vnlesse it proceed from his mouth for he receiued his
man from euill actions and affections to renued affections and renued actions By this we see that the common description of repentance is not good in that they say it standeth in contrition which is sorrow and remorce for sinne which is no part of repentance but may be a cause of repentance godly sorrow indeed causeth repentance but is nothing of the nature of it 2. Cor. 7. 9. 10. Or else That is if you will not practise that remedie to wit renew your former loue and repentance I will come against thee or as the words be in the originall I will come to thee shortly The Lord cometh to a people two waies in mercie or iudgement in mercie he cometh when he testifieth his presence to them by shewing mercie as when Christ in spirit came to the old world and preached to them as Peter saith an hundred and twentie yeares Secondly he cometh in iudgement when he testifieth his presence in iudgement So in the second Commaundement I will visite the sinnes of the fathers that is I will come and inquire of the fathers sinnes whether they be in their children and will punish them So here if the Church of Ephesus repent not he will come to her to testifie his presence in iudgement not mercie Out of this first generall threatning we may learne this one thing when any people or Church liue in any one sinne or decay in loue to God his word and religion he then prepareth himselfe to come to them in iudgement Amos 4. 12. he will punish them because they returned not to the Lord but lay in their sinnes therefore he biddeth them prepare themselues to meete him This we must apply to our selues our Church and people for the sinnes of the Church of Ephesus be our sinnes we haue decayed in our first loue since we heard the word first we for the most part want loue to God and to man and besides these sinnes we lye in many fearefull sinnes Atheisme now abounds in iudgement and in practise contempt of the worship of God neglect and contempt of true religion crueltie oppression and want of mercie yet for all this what man is it that prepareth to meete the Lord So that he may iustly say we do decay in loue that it is most true of vs that the Lord hath bene long coming to vs for these sinnes in iudgement in plagues and punishments and so is he coming at this day it hangeth ouer our heads and if we continue still in sinne he will surely come Thus then seeing the Lord hath bene long coming to vs he would haue vs to repent if we will not no doubt he will come and that shortly and remoue his Gospell he will come in iudgements and punishments to destroy vs. The second threatning is more particular I will remoue thy candlesticke Here he sheweth in what particular iudgement he wil come to thē namely to remoue her candlesticke In the former Chapter he compareth the Church to a candlesticke then when he saith he will remoue the candlesticke he meaneth his word and Gospell take the ministerie of the word from her and so make her become of a Church no Church and hauing remoued the Gospell will in stead of it send ignorance and blindnesse If thou repent not that is if thou continue stil in thy sin In this second threatning note three things first concerning the minister secondly the Church and people thirdly euery priuat man First concerning the minister if he decay in loue to God his word and religion if he continue and lie in his sinnes or any one sinne that is a meanes to depriue him of his office and calling and of his gifts for this is especially directed to the Angell Ier. 15. end The Prophet failing in his dutie partly by feare partly by want of patience then the Lord he becomes a Prophet to Ieremy tels him that vnlesse he returne to the Lord and repent the Lord would make him no Prophet so that in him he speakes to all Ministers that if they would haue their callings and gifts to remaine they must not liue in any one sin decay in loue to God or religion for then their callings and gifts shall be taken from them As repentance is necessary for all men so especially for Ministers they must especially renew it seeing that is the onely meanes to continue their callings and gifts The second thing is concerning a church or people if any church or people decay in loue to God or his word or lie in any one sin they then procure the Lord to remoue his candlesticke to take from them his word the Gospel and true religion Ose. 9. 7. The Prophet is a foole the man of spirits is mad a heauy iudgement whereof comes this He saith for the sins of the people the Prophet is ignorant and becometh mad If this be so then we haue all cause to feare that our sinnes haue deserued the Gospell should be taken from vs for in most men there is great decay in loue seeing religion is hated and contemned of most men Therfore we must needs feare and the Lord for this must needs remoue his word take his Gospell away if we meet him not with repentance for he in iustice giues men to beleeue lies when as they will not receiue his truth and Gospell being so long among them Our dutie then is to seeke to preuent this iudgement by hearty and true repentance The third point concernes euery priuate man euery priuat Christian now a daies decayeth in loue to God and man lieth in some one sinne or other c. Now these are the meanes to depriue him of the light of the Gospell and his particular gifts For as a mans loue decayeth his knowledge decayeth and so the Gospell and the loue to it wax cold In a clock if the watch stand all the wheeles stand if it go softly or swiftly the rest of the wheeles go accordingly so if our loue be increased our knowledge is so if our loue decay our knowledge our vnderstanding in religion decayeth And this is the cause of so litle knowledge especially in auncient folke because they loose their loue Heb. 4. 12. First we are deceiued by sin secondly our heart is hardened thirdly we call into question religion 4. we set our selues against religion and so fal from it so that decay in grace is the first cause of apostacy Then if we would increase in knowledge and religion we must seeke to be cleansed from sinne not liue and die in any one sinne neither decay in loue knowledge or affection to religion Some gather hence that a man may fall finally and wholly for if a whole church may much more one man but the reason is not good for there is great difference between one man and a whole church for a church stands of a mixt company good and bad sheepe and goates corne and chaffe wheat and tares Now in the Church the wicked may
when a man keepeth this promise made in baptisme and performeth this condition to God and stipulation then he is faithfull to God when he breaketh it then he is vnfaithfull 1. Pet. 3. 21. Secondly the Lord he giueth his seruants many graces as faith hope loue repentance c. these he committeth to man to see how he will vse or abuse them 1. Tim. 6. 20. we must labour to keepe them to vse them well and this if we do to Gods glorie and to our owne good then we be faithfull to God else not as if a man commit a thing to be kept by another if he loose it or keepe it not well he is not faithfull to him Be faithfull As if he had said Thou hast made a promise in baptisme to keepe faith and a good conscience and thou hast had many graces promising to vse them well to keepe them in life and death be faithfull in persecutions afflictions keepe faith and a good conscience and then thou artfaithfull Against this dutie three sorts of men offend first they which though they haue made a couenant in baptisme to serue the Lord to keep faith and a good conscience yet liue in ignorance and securitie neuer seeking to know the Lord to vnderstand his will or to obey him yet these will brag of their good meanings though they haue no care at all to please God no care to keepe their couenant made with God and their stipulation in baptisme to him Secondly they which for a good while haue had faith and a good conscience and haue come to serue the Lord yet after long time fall away being entangled with the world with the profits and sinnes thereof and so leaue all and come to breake faith and a good conscience both these are vnfaithfull seruants and their reward if the Lord dealt in iustice with them is destruction and yet all men in a maner be of these two sorts they either liue in ignorance or fall away after a long time The third sort are they which professe a long time liue in faith and good conscience and be earnest professors yet in time of triall and persecution they will leaue all profession of religion to saue themselues Then seeing all these offend we must labour to know God to obey him to keepe his graces bestowed on vs to the end to liue and die in his seruice and to lose our life rather then any one grace which God bestoweth vpon vs. And I wil giue thee the crown of life Here is a reasoÌ„ to moue theÌ„ to go on in persecutioÌ„ to be faithful to the end HeÌ„ce the Papists gather that a man may merit heauen seeing there is promised a crowne of life Ans. It is called a crowne of life by resemblance for as men in a race first run and after they obtaine the crowne at the end of their race so men must first in this world liue godly run and finish their course after that they haue their crowne in heauen I answer againe this reward is not of the worke but the promise is made to the workers not to the martyredome but to the martyr which hath by suffering death shewed his faith in Christ it is not made to the passion or suffering but to the person suffering not for his suffering but to him as he is in Christ declared to be so by his suffering death So then that promise is not made to the work but to the worker and not for his work but for the worthinesse of Christ in whom he is a true member of the Church The vse then is that if we keepe this promise in Baptisme made before God his Angels and the Church we shall haue the reward of all which is the crowne of life in the kingdome of heauen promised to such as be faithfull to the end Let him which hath an eare heare In these words are the coÌ„clusion or last part of the Epistle Now in these three verses for the most part is a rehearsall of those things which Christ deliuered before in this and in the former Chapter Now seeing Christ the head and Doctor of his Church is most perfect in his doctrines both for matter and maner of deliuering the same seeing he repeateth againe and againe the same things and seeing Peter put them often in mind of their common saluation hence we note that Ministers may often repeate the same doctrine not onely the same matter but in the same maner and words So did Christ the head Doctor of the Church so may we or any preacher preach the same sermon againe in maner and matter not for to ease our selues but for the good and benefite of the Church as Christ seuen times repeateth the same doctrine to the good of the Church and common benefite of all The hearers then if they find the Preacher shall deliuer the same doctrine againe or often they must not find fault for then they might as well find fault with Christ himselfe who not once or twise but often repeated the same words In this eleuenth verse is a conclusion of the Epâ—stle to the Church of Smyrna and it hath two parts first a commaundement secondly a promise In the commandement first what is coÌ„manded secondly to whoÌ„ The duty commanded is to heare There are two kinds of hearing good and bad Here he requireth good hearing with faith and obedience not naked and bare outward hearing Then we see the true knowledge of the Gospell standeth in hearing with faith and obedience for we know no more then we beleeue and obey if we beleeue and obey nothing we heare and know nothing with sound hearing to saluation The second thing is to whom the commaundement is giuen to them which haue eares to heare for some are deafe some be liuely and hearing hearers They are deafe which heare onely with outward and bodily eares not affected in hart nor chaunged in life by the word they are good hearing hearers which are touched and affected by the word changed and renued in life by the same hauing not onely outward eares of the head but inward bored by Gods spirit in the heart Hence we learne two things first that election is not generall and vniuersall of euery particular man for there is was and shall be euer some deafe hearers Secondly we learne our duty that we must not onely heare the word and lend our outward eares but withall ioyne faith obedience and conuersion in life so heare that we be changed in life and turned to God else our hearing is fruitlesse nay to damnation The third thing is what they must heare What the Spirit saith namely that which is before in the former words deliuered by Christ. The principall things be these first that the Lord seeth and regardeth the tribulations and afflictions of his Church secondly that Gods Church and people being to suffer the crosse and afflictions must forethinke of it and consider of it before
being beleeued it is powerfull no might of man or any Prince is comparable Thirdly Christ destroyeth and killeth all our enemies all the aduersaries of the Church this is the principal end of this sword for Christ speaketh these words to comfort his Church in persecutions and for this he is said to haue a sharpe two edged sword for he killeth and slayeth the enemies of his Church partly in this life but deadly in the life to come In this life the word serueth to conuince them of hypocrisie vnbeleefe heresies superstition for Christ he abolished them with the breath of his mouth that is this sword 2. Thess. 2. Secondly when they be touched by the preaching of this word with desperations for when the law and Gospell is preached to them it wounds them to the heart by reuealing all their cursed dealings their vnbeleefe and hypocrisie and sets the conscience on the racke and stirres it vp which is fit of it selfe to accuse them when it hath reuealed their sinnes then it smites them with feare and horror and makes their conscience more fit to accuse terrifie them and then though they run on in sin yet they haue a deadly wound of desperation and this increaseth in this life and slayeth in the next for it cleane cuts them off when Christ shall say Go yee cursed this smiteth them starke dead casting them into eternall destruction for euer We must labour to haue the word of God worke powerfully in vs. to take place in our hearts by faith not onely to shew our sins Gods wrath against the same but withal to wound them slay and kill them and at the first to wound deadly for onely to haue our sins detected and our consciences terrified this is the way to desperation and the first wound to death but we must go further haue our corrupt hearts ript vp wounded crucified haue them reformed and this is the way to wound our soules and the end why Christ hath the two edged sword The second part is the proposition containing two parts first a commendation secondly a rebuke The commendation in the thirteenth verse I know thy workes In these words he commends this Church first in generall secondly in particular generally in these words I know thy workes that is thy waies and doings thy counsels affaires and withall I approue them as Psal. 1. 6. The Lord knoweth the righteous that is he approues them I know thy works Christ he begins with these words in this and euery of these Epistles to teach vs one especiall thing that the feare of God is the chiefe thing to be learned the beginning of all religion and for this cause he beginneth thus I know thy workes three or foure times I know shewing by this that wheresoeuer we be we are in the presence of Christ he sees all our works he heareth and knoweth all we do we cannot go out of his presence and to settle this deepely in our hearts that he is present alwaies seeing and beholding vs he repeates this seuen times in the beginning of euery Epistle Then this should teach vs both Minister and people to labour to haue this perswasion in our hearts that Christ is present seeth and beholdeth all we do when we take any thing in hand he stands at our elbowes looketh on vs whether we do well or ill then we must labour to haue this perswasion in our hearts that we can say now I do this or that my Sauiour Iesus Christ my Lord and redeemer he beholds me lookes on me seeth all my dealings therefore I will behaue my selfe well And the Preacher may spend himselfe in speaking and to no purpose till God giue grace to teach the people this one point which is the beginning and ground of all religion and feare of God for men may haue knowledge and speake much of the words of religion yet they cannot be true Christians till they haue learned this one point to be so perswaded as they can say in their heart Christ seeth and beholds me and till we can do that we shall make conscience of no sinne 2 The particular first commendation And where thou dwellest though thou dwel in a place where the diuel hath set his throne a place most incommodious and vnfit yet thou obseruest and keepest my name and religion thus he commendeth her for her constancie in religion Throne That is any place where superstition idolatrie and wickednesse is practised without controlment and frō whence wickednesse is conueyed to other places for the diuell is the god of this world 2. Cor. 4. 4. and he hath his kingdome throne and seate placed where he can practise sinne and wickednesse where iniquitie is maintained the Gospell despised and from whence he conueyeth his diuellish wickednesse to other places Such a place was Pergamus a citie wherein sinne did abound without controlment religion despised and from whence wickednesse was conueyed to many other cities townes and places Here we may note the diuels pollicie who hath his kingdome here on earth like to God here he placeth his thrones as a Prince and maketh choice to haue the fittest place where he may rule and raigne and practise wickednesse without controlment frō whence he may conuey it to other places he hath euer had hath now will haue his thrones He had in old time the high places the groues and such places where the people committed idolatrie Among the Gentiles there were Oracles to erect his thrones for in them he gaue answers and so conueyed his wickednesse to many In later dayes he had euery church and chappell his throne when Images Saints Roodes and such like were erected to which all men from all parts of the land came to worship In schooles of learning he had his thrones when nothing was taught but superstition and errors And now in our times he hath his thrones and officers to attend on the same as wisemen and these are a speciall meanes to erect his throne for vnto these come men from farre and neare so that he conueyeth his iniquitie to many seeing many seeke to them and so do him homage So dicing and brothell houses seeing in them iniquitie is practised in them is his throne In families where they liue in ignorance in sinne and wickednesse in blaspheming and drunkennesse or any one sinne there is his throne and so many thrones as families where they liue by any vniust dealing Then it is necessarie seeing the diuell hath his throne the Lord should haue his opposite to this as when men haue thrones of iustice both ciuill and ecclesiasticall ciuill to represse all iniustice and wickednesse to punish vice to reward vertue and ecclesiasticall to punish and reprehend those sinnes which ciuill iustice cannot The diuell cunningly and pollitickly chooseth Pergamus not a base towne or village but a huge citie whence many kings proceeded where there was a famous and great king and where was much people So he
shortly After the remedy followes a two-fold reason to inforce and set an edge on the former doctrine first concerning the Church of Pergamus secondly concerning the Nicolaitanes holding and practising of these two sinnes The first cause and reason If not I will come c. that is if thou do not repent for these sinnes want of zeale and other thy particular sinnes I will come to thee shortly to punish and plague thee for the Lord as I haue said he cometh either in mercy or in iudgement Now if they repent not Christ saith he will come to them not to help them but to execute iudgement on them to punish them So Esay 30. 27. Christ saith not I will but I come to thee expressing the time to come by the time present to certifie them that if they repent not he will most surely come as certainly as if he did now come to them In this threatning we see a generall rule to be learned of all that if any Church or people will not repent then the Lord will come to them in iudgement to punish them as by sundry examples we may see the Lord hath done In our Church and people though some do repent yet for the common body of the people they do not but they liue in sinne and ignorance hauing no care to know Gods will and if they know it yet no care to obey the same but they for the most part continue in their sinnes Seeing their case is such who could not out of Gods word in good conscience foretell and prophesie by this generall rule that God will come against them shortly to take vengeance on them and to plague them Though we may flatter our selues and think all is well yet we must assure our selues he cannot but come vnlesse we repent This should then moue vs all to repent to humble our selues condemne our selues for our sins craue pardon purpose newnesse of life desire the Lord that he would in Christ be reconciled to each of vs and promise and performe euer after new obedience If we doe repent daily for new and particular sinnes then we shall stay the Lord preuent his coming to punish vs but if we go on in sinne assure our selues the Lord is true of his promise he will come in iudgement against vs. The second reason is directed to the Nicolaitans With whom he wil fight that is be at enmitie with them and declare the same in waging battell with them seeing they hold these two grosse and damnable â—â—inions With the sword of my mouth That is the preaching and publilishing of the word the ministery and dispensation of the law and the Gospell among men In which words he still alludeth to the doing of Balaam as in the doctrine so in the end and scope for when Balaam cursed the children of Israel the Angell stood against him to stay and hinder him that he should not go he seeing the Angel fel downe and worshipped the Angel that is the son of God Christ Iesus but after seeing he would not be restrained but went to curse the people he perished by the sword Numb 31. Euen so Christ dealeth with the Nicolaitanes as he did with Balaam seeing they went on still in wickednes he fighteth with them to reclaime them from their wicked wayes he withstands them with the sword of his mouth but if they will needs go on then he fights not to reclaime them but to slay them as he did Balaam But I will fight against thee not kill thee for Christ he intended not at the first to slay them but to withstand them and if it might be to reclaime them but after if they would not be hindered and stayed to destroy them as he did Balaam Seeing Christ comes against the wicked and impenitent not to kill them but to withstand and hinder them at the first we see his wonderfull patience toward sinners and wicked men So Gen. 6. the Lord striued and wrestled with the old world one hundred and twentie yeares that they might repent by the preaching of Noah and Genes 16. he bare with the Amorites till their sinnes were come to the full and he bare with the Aegyptians many hundred yeares nay the Iewes after they had killed Christ were not straight way consumed but the Lord suffered them fiftie yeares So the Lord suffereth sinners the blasphemer adulterer and cruell man to liue cometh often to them by his word not to kill them at first but to winne and reclaime them And so euery one of vs feeleth his mercie in that he might destroy and cast vs into hell so soone as we be borne yet he suffereth vs to liue some twentie thirtie or fortie yeares that we might haue a time and space to repent and turne to Christ. Then it is our dutie to take this occasion to take this time of Gods patience not to let it slip but haste to reâ—â—ntance ere the time of patience be ended The old world had one hundred and twentie yeares of patience but neglecting it they perished the time of mercie being ended Seeing they wold not heare Noah therefore they be now in prison that is in hell Againe in that Christ saith he will come thus against the Nicolaitanes we see that they which repent not haue God for their enemie to fight against them and for this cause sinne is called rebellion against God Now this is a most fearefull thing to haue God mans enemie let vs then repent that we may haue God a friend to vs as he was to Abraham and as Christ was to his disciples I will come to thee and fight against thee Here Christ sheweth he is the true Pastor and Doctor of the Church he can deuide the word aright giue promises to them to whom they belong and threatnings to whom they belong for iudgements and promises must not be propounded to all equally but there must be regard had of time place and persons For iudgements some be temporall which must be threatned to the penitent some eternal and those to the impenitent So promises are to be made not hand ouer head but with respect condition limitation and restraint To propound either promises or threatnings otherwise is not to deuide the word aright With the sword of my mouth that is the ministerie of the word not to kill them but to resist and withstand them which repent not and this is the chiefe end and scope of the preaching of the word to winne men from their sinnes and wicked wayes and if they will not repent then to drowne them in perdition and to slay them In this Church of England and in this congregation we haue had the Gospell this 36 yeares published and preached to vs the Lord hath rebuked vs for our sinnes and yet we still abide in them without repentance the Lord still cometh against vs with the sword of his mouth stil checkes vs for our sinnes and controlleth the wicked idolater Atheist fornicator
cruel man he stands to fight against such face to face stands with his naked sword in the ministery of the word to reclaime them from their sins if they wil not to wound them to the heart and to kil them Now we hearing our sins reprooued we should feare and tremble fall downe as Balaam did and seeing the Lord in the word preached stands with his sword in his hand ready to slay vs if we wil not be stayed we should be afraid If we heare of an enemy to come against vs how will euery one quake for feare shall we feare the shaking sword of a mortal man and not the bloudy sword of the euerliuing God Shall we resist him and go on though he fight against vs Alas it is not wisedome to striue with God for then he will hacke vs to peeces but we must heare him and submit our selues to his good will pleasure and if we wil not the same sword of God shall be an instrument to pierce our hearts to death Then when we heare the Minister speaking to vs we must know that the Lord speaketh to vs fights against our sins and not contemne him Againe we see the word of God is called the sword of Christs mouth not only because he once deliuered it but because it dayly proceeds frō him in the preaching of the same by the Ministers Then we see this is an excellent thing that the Ministers of Christ lawfully called they be that mouth of Christ from which his sword proceeds So Paul calleth them the Ambassadours of Christ to deliuer his word 2. Cor. 5. 19. Then they which be in the schooles of the Prophets and they also which be in the way to the same must learne to thinke reuerently and highly of it not contemne it and thinke it a base calling for to be a Lawyer or Phisition hath not this priuiledge to be called the mouth of Christ as the Ministers haue Againe seeing they be the mouth of Christ Ministers must speake the word of Christ as they are perswaded in conscience Christ would speake the same if he were present Euen as Ambassadors who deliuer their masters will in that maner and those words which they thinke he would himselfe which if we did then we should not haue that humane kind of preaching partly in Greeke Latin English mingled with testimonies and sentences of men for Christ would neuer preach so neither did his Apostles or Prophets vse it Furthermore seeing the Minister lawfully called is the mouth of Christ we must take heed that we seeing a mortall man sinfull like to vs deliuer the word that we contemne it not for his sake but receiue the word as it is indeed the power of God though it come from a mortall man So Paul commends the Thessalonians who receiued his doctrine as the word of the euer liuing God Besides seeing Christ carieth his Scepter in his mouth not in his hand we see his kingdom is not of this world not carnall but spirituall he gouerneth and ruleth his Church and people by the sword of his mouth the eternall word of God published and preached by sinfull man like to vs. This sheweth the abuse of that sword which the Pope the Vicar of Christ chalengeth for he will haue both swords ciuil and Ecclesiasticalls surely he is not the Vicar and in the roome of Christ for Christ was content onely with the spirituall sword Now followeth the conclusion of the Epistle containing two parts the first a commandement Let him which hath an eare heare the second a promise To him which ouercometh will I giue to eate of the Manna c. Of the first I haue spoken before The end and scope of this commaundement is to stir vp the Church to attention to marke the things propounded The first speciall point what is commaunded to be heard is the word of God which must not be heard with a bare and simple hearing but with knowledge faith beleefe and obedience in practise Seeing he commaunds this hearing to all men we see it is the ordinance of God all men in the Church should frequent sermons where this word of God is propounded and taught by plaine and simple men that they may better learne their dutie At a good time men wil come to the Church though they come not halfe a yeare after but the ordinance of Christ is that men should daily at all lawfull occasions frequent sermons and come to the congregation and if we be his sheepe we will heare his voice Ioh. 10. desire to heare his word taught by his mouth Mat. 16. the word of God is called the key of the kingdome of heauen now as necessarie it is to haue the key to open heauen as to haue his soule brought thither Paule calleth the doctrine of the Gospell the word of reconciliation because the same by Gods grace reconcileth vs to him who being his enemies are made by it to be in his fauour Then we must come to heare it daily not at Christmas or such times alone for this is to magnifie those dayes aboue the Lords day But men corrupt froward say for themselues Tush if God or Christ or his Apostles wold preach to vs we wold come but when men speake to vs being sinfull and like our selues we will not Ans. It is the will and ordinance of God that his word should be published and preached to man by man like himselfe for since Adams fall man could not abide to heare the Maiestie of God the Israelites seeing but a glimmering of Gods glorie could not abide it but said Speake to vs by Moses Exod. 19. And he will haue his word preached by sinfull man to trie mans obedience and humilitie how he will receiue and obey the word of God deliuered by man Againe he doth it to make loue betweene man and man when one man speaketh the word of God to another Then are they presumptuous persons who dare oppose themselues against Gods most holy ordinance and will Againe others say they haue the Bible containing the Sermons of Christ the Apostles and Prophets and who can make better Sermons then they now seeing they haue these at hand they need not come to the Church But let these consider that as it is the ordinance and will of God to haue the Bible so will he haue it expounded by man in the Church that mē might vnderstand it and so make vse of it in their liues As for some others they will not come to the Church but hauing a iourney as they say they can serue God on their horse backe or in the way as well and with as good a heart as the best in the Church but let these heare the word of God by the wisest man Salomon Pro. 28. 16. He which turneth his eare from the law that is from hearing the word of God his prayers are abhominable And if he turne frō God God will turne from him and if men be wearie
were excellent mē the seruants of Christ. Hence arise two questions first why some men be rather the seruants of Christ then other some secondly whether the seruants of Christ can be seduced For the first some say God would haue euery man in the world his seruant doth what he can to make them so he calleth them redeemeth them giueth them grace to be his children reconcileth thē to himself so that they may if they will be saued now some will not for all this receiue Gods grace but contemne his mercy though he call them redeeme them and giue them grace But this is against common sense to make Gods will in subiection mans will to rule to disgrace God and set man aloft to make Gods will to be ordered by mans will But the reason why some are the seruants of God not al is Gods good pleasure in electing some and reiecting others for he electeth not all to grace and glory but some onely and these be his seruants by reason of his owne good will and pleasure Act. 13. 48. As many as were ordained to life that is elected and redeemed of Gods free will and pleasure they beleeued The second question is whether a seruant of God can be seduced Answ. Seruants be of two sorts some are only in appearance some in deed and truth Those be onely in appearance which receiue the word and outward seales but not the inward fruite and these be in our Churches the greatest part these may fall away finally and wholly as did the Galathians and many other But those which be in truth the seruants of Christ though they may fall in part yet they cannot fall wholy or finally Mat. 16. the gates of hel shal striue shew their strength against that rocke of faith but shall not preuaile So we pray Leade vs not into temptation that is let vs neuer be wholly vnder the power of Satan Now what we pray for that we haue a promise in the worde for it and true faith and a constant purpose to liue in any on sinne cannot stand together for faith purifieth the heart and preserueth it in life and death ergo a true beleeuer cannot fall wholly or finally To come to the meanes of discerning them it is by committing fornicatiō and eating things offered to idols She made the seruants of God to sinne by these two sinnes and meanes which shewes she was a maintainer of the sect of the Nicolaitanes of whom I spake before And I gaue her space to repent Christ reproued the Church of Thyatira before for suffering her here he reproueth her for her obstinacy and hardnes of heart that she would not repent of her sinnes Time to repent That is though her sinnes deserued present death yet God suffered her to liue in the world a space of time to see if she would repent Now in her example he teacheth vs how to vse time whilest we liue in the world namely seeing it is giuen vs of God to repent in and so to come to saluation we must vse it so repēt while we haue time For that cause he lets some liue twenty or forty yeares for there is no repentance before we come into this world or after we go out therefore while we liue in it we must repent then we must thinke of it earnestly that we vse it to repent in that so we may be reconciled to God receiued to mercy and haue the kingdome of heauen Then damnable is the practise of our daies when men liue in eating drinking sporting carding dicing in spending their strength and wit in getting riches neuer thinking of the true end why they liue which is to repent and come to saluatiō but spend their time he giues them to repent other wayes The Lord might cut them off as soone as they be borne yet he suffereth them to liue to see if they will repent then if they runne on in sin they increase their damnation and do as a man should euery day cary a faggot for ten yeares to one heape and be burned himselfe with them at the end I gaue her Namely Christ gaue her time to repent no creature no man or Angel can dispose of the time of repentance but only Christ Iesus it is in his power alone when one must repent or not Then seeing it is not in our power it is best for vs to repent without delay while it is called to day The yong man takes his swinge because he is yong as though he could repēt in old age or when he list but he robs Christ of his honor for he alone can dispose of the time of repentance Then take the present who knoweth when the Lord will cut him off and then his estate is miserable We thinke a man may repent at the last gaspe but it is not good for a man to deferre seeing he may die quietly by reason of the sicknesse yet may die out of Gods fauour But to whom gaue Christ this time To her that is Iesabel a wicked woman Here we see the endles mercy of God in Christ Iesus he offereth mercy to Iesabel a leud wicked fornicator idolater a blasphemous wretch fathering her sinnes on the spirit of God yet she hath mercy offered So the Lord dealeth not in iustice to cut men off but giueth grieuous sinners time to repent So did he to Manaesses a wisard and idolater who humbling himselfe was receiued to mercy Salomon an idolater yet repenting was receiued to mercy for he was a pen-man of the Scripture ergo an holy man 2. Pet. 1. 20. Isay 1. The Iewes a sinfull people as ill as they which were in hel The Sodomites and Gomorrheans they had mercy offered if they would repent and though their sins were as red as crimson yet God would wash them as white as snow We may not hence take occasion to sinne but they which be grieuous sinners must not despaire if they can repent they shall haue mercy Of her fornication She had sundry sinnes especially idolatry which cannot want company for no sinne goeth alone Christ calleth her to repent for that one sinne of fornication because that was the most principall sin the head sinne of that woman teaching vs that when we repent we must begin with our greatest sins which most clog our conscience and by which we offend most Againe he which can repent truly of one great sin he repents of all if he hate the greater he will hate the lesser Then we in repentance must begin at the greater sin and repent in particular for it for confused repentance is not true as to say I am a sinner c. but repentance in particular for particular sinnes beginning at the head sinne which most troubleth vs that is true repentance Seeing Christ saith he gaue her time to repent hence the Papists gather free will namely to do good and to repent for else this admonition were in vaine But it followes not for God gaue
dealt with Abraham commanding him to kill his sonne Gen. 22. 2. Chron. 32. 31. he left Hezechiah to trie him And so euery Christian hath his set time when he must be tried that so God may either discouer his hypocrisie or make knowne his faith When one foundeth a schoole he setteth some to see how they profit after seuen yeares or some such space he will looke to trie the scholers that he may see how they go on and without this triall men will not make so good progresse So in Gods schoole the Lord he cometh at his set time to trie what profit men haue made to trie their hearts or true obedience to reward them accordingly If God will thus trie vs then it is best to trie our selues to seeke what is in vs for though thou maist bleare the eyes of the world yet thou canst not deceiue him he will search thee and lay all open to the world If thou be an hypocrite he will detect thee and make thee knowne if not he will make knowne thy grace Then neuer dawbe vp the matter spare not thy selfe but seriously enter into thine owne heart and neuer run with Adam from God for he will pull thee out slippe off thy figge leaues and make thee manifest to all men Now when we haue entred into a narrow search we must in a strait maner seeke to reforme our liues to the rule of Gods word that so the Lord when he cometh to trie vs may approue of vs for it is said He will come the time is set and cannot be changed It is a wonder to see how mens mouths be full of precisenesse so that if men knew not the world to be full of blindnesse it might daunt many Christian hearts But seeing there must be a day of triall of all that is in vs the Lord will not take our hypocrisie but he looketh for sinceritie then we must seeke as much as is possible to conforme our selues to Gods will for when we haue done all we can we come farre short and though men mocke vs yet God will approue vs. Then labour to be pure in all things without hypocrisie not giuen to any one sin but in all things word deed and thought keepe faith and a good conscience be not like to the foolish virgins haue not blazing lampes without oyle If a man come to trie a scholer in a good schoole and after long teaching find him not to haue profited it is a great disgrace thē what disgrace is it for vs if after so long time of grace Christ come to try vs and find no grace in vs no faith repentance nor obedience but hypocrisie and nothing answerable to our profession But we must with Dauid Psal. 26. be so vpright that for sinceritie of heart we would be content to haue the Lord to trie vs being not giuen to any sinne nor tainted with any offence I will saue them But how can this be seeing no Church was free frō this generall persecution of Traian for the Churches of Asia were all persecuted Now this was one of the most famous Churches how then did Christ saue them seeing they were persecuted grieuously and it may be put to death many of them Ans. Promises of deliuerance as this is be not simply made but with condition I will deliuer thee that is saue thee from temptation and persecution so farre as it shall be hurtfull for the saluation of thee Christ promiseth freedome not simply from persecution but from the hurt which might come thereby to thē in respect of Gods grace and their saluation Ps. 91. He which trusteth in the Lord the plague shall not come nigh his dwelling yet we see in common plagues as well the godly as the wicked die yet it is a true promise that the plague shall not come nigh him to hurt him or his to hinder any mans saluation And we pray Lead vs not into temptation not to be free from all tēptations but that we be not wholy left of God vnto the diuel but though we be tempted that he will deliuer vs from the euill of the temptation that it may be for our profit and not our hurt and so Christs promise is good to them God will haue his children tempted yet here is their comfort he will keepe them that they shall not haue any hurt by the temptation to hinder his grace or their saluation Though they be subiect to temptations and suffer a thousand crosses yea die in them yet if they keepe the faith they shall take no hurt but the Lord will turne them to their good so that this may comfort and reuiue any perplexed and oppressed conscience in persecution and temptation Againe seeing this promise is onely conditionall and not simple but as it freeth vs from the hurt of the temptation we see they which pray for freedome from all temptations afflictions and persecutions haue no warrant out of Gods word if they put not in that caueat for euery petition must haue a promise in the word now there is no promise that a man shall be free from all temptations but onely from the hurt of temptations afflictions Then we must when we pray for temporal deliuerances pray onely with condition so farre as they shall not hurt our saluation and hinder Gods grace in vs. From the houre of temptation But how can this also be true that the long and bloudie persecution vnder Traian for fourteene yeares should be called but an houre of temptation Ans. First in regard of God to whom a thousand yeares are but as one day therefore fourteene yeares is but a short time Secondly in regard of eternall punishment in hell which we deserue this time of persecution is but a short time Thirdly in regard of the persecutions of Gods people Iacob serued twice seuen yeares for Leah and they seemed a short time to him by reason of his affection to her so the affections that Gods people haue to the Lord to his word and religion make them thinke many yeares persecution a short time Paule for his affection and loue to Christ thought eternall damnation but a yeare a short time So these in this Church thought this long and bloudy persecution a short time an houre for that loue they had to Christ and his Gospell and the glory of God and for this affection could haue bene content to suffer it longer The end why Christ vseth this phrase is to comfort this and al other Churches in persecutions by the shortnes of their continuance which is but an houre a short time Now though they last twentie yeares yet if we haue any affection to Gods glory and to his religion it will be but an houre a short time This consideration of the shortnes of time might incourage any man and arme him to endure any persecution crosse or affliction Besides this which I haue said note that in these words there is a prediction there is a prediction of a
and reading the writings of men contemning the word of God And yet the writings of men be sinfull and erronious euery way imperfect the writings of God holy certain and euery way absolute being giuen to the Sonne as he is king priest and Prophet To shew to his seruants cōcerning this testament shortly to be done In these words be 3. arguments for the description of this Reuelatiō First the end vz. to shew it secondly the persons his seruants thirdly the matter of it vz. things shortly to be reuealed The end of this reuelation was to manifest declare to his seruants to wit the Church of God his seruants and children to publish to them those things which should shortly be fulfilled and this is the maine drift of this Reuelation Hence then we note that the Papists erre who say that lay men should not haue the word but barre them the reading of the Scriptures but the holy Ghost saith this reuelation was to reueale things to come not onely to the Clergie nor to the doctors of the Church but to his seruants if so then to the lay man as well as the Clergie vnlesse they will say he is none of his seruants Then this I gather if that this booke being most hard must be learned of the lay man then those bookes which be not so hard must be learned and read and much more those which be more easie as the historie of the Gospell the Epistles c. Secondly the persons are the seruants of Christ this booke then of Reuelation belongs not to all men indifferently but it is written for the seruants of Christ that is such as repent of their sinnes beleeue truly in Christ and shew their faith by the fruites thereof in their liues And so the Lord saith he will reueale his secrets to his seruants the Prophets and the Lord will not keepe backe but reueale to Abraham the things he was to bring vpon Sodome and Gomorrha Then seeing those to whō the Lord shewes his will to whom he declares this book and others they must be his seruants we must not content our selues only to heare the word and receiue the Sacraments but we must seeke to be his seruants we must repent truly beleeue in Christ and shew this faith in obedience and then the Lord will more and more daily acquaint vs with his will And the cause why we heare the word daily and neuer profit but be as ignorant and blind as before the cause is because we be not his seruants we be bare hearers neuer practise that we heare in faith and obedience we repent not neither liue a new life by repentance in new obedience For else if the Lord see any which is his true seruant he approues of him he likes of him and acquaints him daily with his will and word increaseth his knowledge and obedience Secondly seeing that this reuelation is written for the seruants of Iesus Christ I obserue that Christ is true God the reason is because they be called his seruants that is Christs The reason stands thus he which is Lord of the Church the members thereof and also of Angels as it followeth after he is true God but Christ is Lord of men and Angels ergo he is true God His seruants not to all men to the whole world and euery singular man but to his seruants Hereby we see the opinion of those which hold God would haue all to be saued and cals all men is false For if he called all effectually then he would offer al the meanes to wit the word of God that so they might be called but he writes it not to all but to his seruants now that which is true of this booke is true of the whole Scripture The Lord shewed his word to Iacob not to all the world not to all nations as to him Psal. 147. 19. 20. he shewed to Iacob that is his true members his seruants and true Christians Now followeth the matter which is the fourth argument of the description of this reuelation vz. Things which shortly must come to passe and in this the matter of this booke is distinguished from all other bookes of the Scripture which speake generally of things either present or now past but this speakes of things to come The matter of this booke is described by two arguments first these things be necessarie they must be done Secondly by the circumstance of time shortly or quickly First the matter is things to come which must be done so speakes the holy Ghost in many places of the word As Christ saith shewing the necessitie Offences must come so Paule saith There must be heresies Act. 14. We must through manie tribulations enter into heauen c. So to Timothy they which be godly must suffer afflictions Shewing in all these places that things which are to come must necessarily come to passe But this doctrine agrees not with mans reason though it be the will of God for men will say If all things come to passe necessarily then it takes away mans free will for necessitie and free will can not stand together Answer They may Indeed constraint and mans will can not stand but mans will and vnchangeable necessitie may stand both together As I shew thus In God there is absolute free will yet he doth many things of necessitie as he willeth that which is good necessarily for he can not possibly will that which is euill but willes that which is good most freely So Christ he died necessarily he could not but die for he died in regard of Gods counsell and yet he died most willingly and gaue himselfe most freely to die when he suffered death ergo these two mans free will and vnchangeable necessitie though not constraint may stand together Men will obiect againe If things come to passe by necessitie then it is in vaine to vse anie meanes as to heare the word receiue the sacraments for Gods will must come to passe do we what we will do Answer These men must consider that as God hath appointed what things must come to passe so he hath appointed the meanes how they must come to passe Then seeing the Lord hath appointed as well the meanes as the ende we should by this necessitie rather be induced to vse the meanes then not to vse them To make this more plaine we must know there is a double necessitie one is absolute another is but in part I call that absolute necessitie which can not be otherwise possibly As that God liues it cannot be otherwise he is omnipotent he cannot but be so There is a necessitie which is not absolute but in part as when anie thing done is necessarie because it depends on necessarie causes As fire to burne this is not absolutely necessarie but in part because it depends on that order which God set in things in the creation It is not absolute for if God should change that order in the creation
seruants in the generall calling of a Christian but in our particular callings For S. Iohn was his seruant not onely in beleeuing in him and obeying him generally but in beleeuing and obeying him in the particular calling of an Apostle So Paule he was the seruant of Christ not only generally but in the speciall calling of the Gospell in preaching the same This example of his and the Apostles must be our direction we must not content our selues with the generall calling of Christians but serue Christ in our particular callings It is not inough to professe Christ in publike assemblies to heare the word receiue the Sacraments but in our particular callings we must serue him at home as the magistrate not onely in his generall calling of Christianitie but in his particular calling as he is a magistrate the Minister as he is a Minister the maister of a familie as he is a maister and so all men in their particular callings must obey Christ. And if the maister of a familie come to the assembly heare the word receiue the Sacraments yet in his familie faile and performe not the duties of a maister he is but an hypocrite he is no true Christian though men accept so of him because he must be obedient to Christ both in generall and particular calling Now followeth the second argument by which Iohn is described namely the effect that he bare record of the word of God Which Iohn bare this record partly by preaching partly by penning the Gospell of Christ. And because the word of God hath two parts the Law and the Gospell he shewes in the next words that he meanes especially the Gospell of Christ adding Of things done and sayd by Christ. And lest any man should call his testimonie into question he saith he testifies that whereof he was an eye witnesse he saw it and therefore could not be deceiued and therefore his testimonie was true The end why he alleageth these words is to shew that he is a faithfull pen-man of this booke that so it might haue more reuerence for he which was faithfull in penning the Gospell of Christ the same also is faithfull in penning this Prophecie of the Church By these words we may gather that to testifie the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles to be the truth of God is a true note of a true Prophet And by these we may distinguish betweene a true Prophet and a false if they bring the doctrine of the Apostles and the Prophets it is true Deut. 13. If they worke wonders and their doctrine be to draw men from the true God they are false Prophets and must be put to death And our Sauiour Christ being asked of his authoritie he alledges Luk. 10. 1. Iohns testimonie and confirmeth Iohns testimonie to be true asking them this question The baptisme of Iohn was it from heauen or of men shewing that Iohn was a true Prophet seeing his Baptisme that is his doctrine was from heauen Hereby we see the difference of a true Prophet and false alledged by the Papists is no true difference for they say If one can worke miracles he is a true Prophet whereas Deut. 13. false Prophets may do that But the true marke of a true Prophet is the doctrine deliuered by the Prophets and Apostles and he which brings this though he can not worke a miracle is a true Prophet Now followeth the sixth argument by which this reuelation is described which is in the manner of propounding and deliuering of it to the Church And this maner and forme of deliuerie of it stands in foure degrees First God the Father giueth it to Christ the Mediator Secondly Christ the Mediatour and head of the Church giueth it to an Angell Thirdly the Angell conueyes it to Iohn the Apostle Fourthly Iohn directed and assisted by the holie Ghost deliuereth it to the Churches Now as this particular booke was so no doubt all the whole Scriptures were conueyed to the Church Now in that the Lord hath so conueyed his Scriptures to man we see his perpetuall care and loue of man and of the members of his Church Also we see the great excellencie and dignitie as also the perfection of these bookes seeing they were deliuered to man by God and by him he deliuers his will to his Church This shewes the blasphemie and sin of the Church of Rome who call the written word of God a dead letter a dumbe iudge they hold that generall Councels be equall to the word that the vniuersall consent of the Church is aboue the Scriptures it giues life and sense to them which otherwise they say of themselues be but an inkie and dumbe word But we see they be farre aboue all these for they be most absolute and perfect and also most excellent seeing they being giuen of God the Father to Christ the mediator and head of the Church and by him conueyed to an Angell who deliuers them to Iohn and he published them to the Church these degrees of the deliuerie of thē shew they be most excellent and perfect Blessed are they which heare c. Here is the seuenth and last argument of this description of the Reuelation which is by the fruite effect and the profite which comes of it being heard or read and ioyned with marking and attention it brings happinesse Blessed That is blessednesse which stands in the fellowship of God and life euerlasting belongs to them which heare and reade this booke and marke it keepe it in memorie remember the things contained in it being a prophecie of the estate of the Church partly present partly to come Blessed is he which reades Here the holy Ghost setteth downe the proper end of the Scriptures of this booke particularly For the ende of this booke and so of all other bookes of the Scriptures is to bring men to happinesse and felicitie and life euerlasting Ioh. 20. last the Scriptures be to make vs beleeue in Christ that so beleeuing we might haue eternall life 1. Ioh. 1. ◠He declared to them the word of Christ that by it they might haue fellowship with God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost which fellowship is true happinesse it selfe Ioh. 5. 39. Search the scriptures for in them you thinke to haue eternall life And in this they differ from all other books and writings of men For mens writings being penned either by the light of nature and so be thence erronious and misse of the end of happinesse and euerlasting life or else they be penned by them which haue light by by the word and so as they agree with the word they be grounded on the word and haue all their truth from it Seeing the end of this booke as of the other bookes of scripture is to bring men to happinesse we see 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 barring them of
must haue our eares opened to become listeners and pliable to the word that when the Lord cals vs to do his wil we may answer with Dauid I am ready to do thy will O God Further after we haue read or heard the word we must practise that we heare in performing true repentance and laboring faithfully in our vocation for as we see men of trades become cunning by the continuall practise of their trades so if we practise true obedience in repentance and our vocation we shal be skilfull in the word It followeth Which are written in the booke of this prophesie The child of God must keepe and remember the whole word of God yet it is his speciall duty to keepe these prophesies which are to come So the Angell bids Daniel seale vp the booke of the Prophesie till the time come that is remember and keepe it diligently So Mathew 24. 15. When they shall see the abhomination of desolation speaking of things to come he would haue them to marke and remember what he saith Mat. 24. 25. Behold I haue told you before where he shewes that when any great things are to befall the Church then we must in these be most carefull to remember them For the time is at hand Here is a reason of the former words Blessed is he which readeth c. Seeing the time of the accomplishing of this Prophesie is at hand and must shortly be fulfilled therefore those be blessed which reade and keepe this prophesie and it is an answer to a secret obiection For they might haue said We need not reade this Prophesie seeing it shal not be fulfilled in our dayes but he addeth The time is at hand and so taketh that obiection away Now seeing these words were in the first verse and here repeated againe he would teach vs that they containe some waighty matter for vs to be considered and to be earnestly thought of Now S. Iohn addes these words for two causes first because the Church though it cannot be ouertaken with deadly sleepe yet it may slumber and be cast into some beginnings of sleepe as the fiue wise virgins though they slept not so carelesly as the other yet they all slept not a deadly sleepe but a slumber for in the Church there may be some remnants of security Cant. 5. 2. The Church sleepes but so as she alwayes listens as awaken being in a light slumber Now least the Church should be carelesse sleeping and drowsie the holy Ghost addes these words The time of the last iudgement is at hand Secondly he addes these words to confirme the Church and all the true members of Christ against afflictions seeing by these words he foretels them that they be to last but a short time the time of iudgement is at hand the affliction cannot long endure Then this should comfort those which suffer for Christ his sake In this that Christ foretels the Church that now in the last age the time is at hand we must be assured that whatsoeuer befalleth the mēbers of Christ shal shortly befal them temtations afflictions the crosse and calamity shall presently befall vs the time of iudgement is at hand it will presently befall vs. And if we had this confidence that the last iudgement is at hand it would make vs do all in good conscience stay vs frō many sins and the want of this is the cause of much mischiefe for so the bad seruant thinking his maister would defer his comming he smites and beates his fellow seruants And the old world liued in sinne and would not beleeue the flood should come though they were foretold of it till they were all swept away by water We then should lay this to our harts euer think the Lord is at the doore he is presently to come to iudgement And we ought the rather to thinke of this for we haue had ease peace and the Gospell flourishing this 8 yeares with all temporall blessings Now the state of the Church is now peace and now trouble and persecution Now then seeing these crosses which must fall on the Church they be to be done presently we cannot but looke for affliction and persecution after so long peace and preaching Iohn to the seuen Churches in Asia grace and peace c. In this fourth verse is the second part of this Chapter which is the inscription of this booke wherein is first the party which writes it and dedicates it secondly the parties to whō it is dedicated first the party which dedicates it is Iohn secondly the parties to whom the seuen Churches in Asia In the inscription are two parts first a dedication secondly a salutation contained from the fourth till the ninth verse In the dedication there be first the party which dedicates it secondly the parties to whom it is dedicated The party which dedicates it is Iohn who here againe in this fourth verse repeates his name yet so as he repeates no more but his bare name without any titles of commendation he repeats it againe to shew and certifie euery Reader of this booke that he was without all doubt the true pen-man of the holy Ghost in writing this Reuelation But though he repeate his name yet he doth not adde any titles of honour as he did in the first verse many titles of praise and commendation This he doth to giue vs a true patterne of modesty and humility which is neuer to speake in our own causes to our owne praises but onely in cases of necessity when Gods glory may be aduanced and the credit of our particular callings maintained This Paul practised who often humbles himselfe and cals himselfe the least of all the Apostles yea the chiefe of all sinners yet when the credit of his Apostleship came into question then he sets out himselfe shewing he was a true Apostle and aboue those which did falsly call themselues so 2. Cor. 11. So may we when the glory of God or the credit of our particular callings be in question set out our selues with titles of commendation The persons to whom he wrote were the seuen Churches in Asia concerning them note two things first he cals them Churches secondly in Asia Why writes he to the Churches rather then to the Church seeing there is but one true Church Ans. The Church may be considered first as it is the whole company of the elect and so it is but one secondly as it is parted and diuersly sundred into parts as in one country there is one Church or one part of the Church is in one city or towne another part in some other And there may be many Churches seeing euery congregation professing the Gospell of Christ is a Church being a member of the true Catholicke Church as the sea is but one yet there be many parts of the sea which lying against other countries are called by their names as the English French Spanish Italian sea So the particular Churches in particular countries townes and
practise this because we bring from our cradles naturall presumption which perswades vs that we be in the fauour of God that we haue his loue to vs. But we must cast off this naturall presumption and take a new course and the first step to come to grace is to see that we want grace we must see that we be lost sheepe prodigall children in our selues the very fire-brands of hell and this to see our owne want of grace is the first step to grace The second step is to desire it when we see that we want it to hunger and long for it Thirdly to lay hold on it to apprehend this fauour and grace by true and liuely faith to apply the promises of saluation by faith in Christ Iesus and this is the last steppe to get this grace Secondly in that he sets downe first grace secondly peace here is the true order of seeking for things and blessings in this life First for grace and Gods fauour secondly for peace and welfare not first peace and welfare but first for grace So Christ bids vs first to seeke the kingdome of God and the rigteousnes thereof and then when we are in Gods kingdome of grace all things needfull shall be ministred to vs. This discouers the bad practise of most men who begin at a wrong end first with peace in their callings to get honour riches pleasure or preferment neuer seeking first for grace and Gods fauour but if we would haue peace we must first haue grace But men if God blesse them in riches health and wealth they say Oh God loues me but alas we deceiue our selues for we may haue peace yet want grace we may haue this welfare health wealth libertie and yet want grace nay the peace of the wicked is no blessing but a curse And though the Lord giue a man health wealth libertie which be but common blessings he may be out of his grace and fauour seeing the Lord bestowes these common blessings on those which be his enemies Psal. 73. 12. But though the wicked haue all these common blessings they be accursed And though a man had grace the fauour and true loue of God and had no other health wealth nor libertie yet he were most happy and blessed Frō him which is was c. Here he sets down the cause efficient and the author of these two Grace and Peace the Author is God distinguished into three persons the Father Sonne and holy Ghost the Father in these words which is was and is to come the holy Ghost is noted in these words And from the seuen spirits which are before his throne thirdly the Sonne in the fift verse S. Iohn in the first place describes the Father by his true nature in these words Which is was and is to come in which he alludes to that Exo. 3. 14. 15. where Moses demaunds of God if the people should aske who sent him what he should answer the Lord tels him say I am Ehjeh Iehouah hath sent me where are two names to one end namely to expresse the nature of God Now S. Iohn he expounds them here where he saith He which is which was and is to come Further these two names Ehjeh Iehouah be two such names as cannot be translated fully in our English tongue but are more significant in their originall Hebrue tongue for they import thus much Grace and peace be from him which is in himselfe and from himselfe a most perfect and absolute substance which was and which is to come a most absolute perfect simple substance and essence so that he is a nature most simple pure and subsisting in and by himselfe 1. Cor. 8. 4. An idoll is not so it is nothing in and of it selfe but onely in mans braine it hath no subsisting and being of it selfe by nature but by mans art and thus the Lord differs from all false gods seeing he hath his being in and from himselfe not of or by any other thing None other hath this propertie but God By this we see the nature of all creatures which is that though they haue their subsisting and being as mans body and soule yet it is not from themselues but from God not taken out of his essence for then they should be God And the Lord hath no parts as we haue but he makes all things out of himselfe of nothing Seeing then we haue all we haue of God our bodies soules and all we inioy we must in lieu of recompence in thankfulnesse and obedience giue our selues soules and bodies to his seruice to do his will and pleasure The Lord is most absolute and eternall euery way without beginning or ending Angels and the soules of men they be eternall but not as absolutely though they be eternall in that they shall neuer die yet had they a beginning Secondly they are eternall not absolutely but by participation for God made them eternall but the Lord is most absolutely euery way eternall From him which is to come That is to iudgement to iudge all his creatures especially men and Angels That God which is was which hath his being of in and from himself he shall come to iudgement This must we remember and thinke of that he which is God of himselfe and by himselfe which giues vs life and being he shall iudge vs and this will be a meanes to make vs do our dutie in conscience But many men flatter themselues saying God will not come in my time to iudgement but though the Lord come not to generall iudgement in this life yet he will come in particular iudgement by death in this life Thirdly if we would alwayes remember this it would bridle out liues and make vs keepe a good conscience before God and all men Act. 16. 24. And from the seuen spirits which are before his throne These words commonly are expounded of the Angels of God which stand and minister vnto him but it cannot be meant of them for two causes First those which are here called seuen spirits from these grace and peace come but it cannot come from the holy Angels which attend to minister before the Lord. Secondly in this verse which is a benediction or a salutation of Iohn to the Church the seuen spirits are set before Iesus Christ the second person of the Trinitie which cannot be true of the Angels who in no respect can be placed before Christ therfore it cannot be vnderstood of the holy Angels But for my part I vnderstand it thus And from the seuen spirits c. that is from the holy Ghost This exposition is most agreeable to all the circumstances of the text and the holy Ghost is called the seuen spirits first because though he be one in substance yet he is seuen that is many in gifts and operations and for this cause the spirit of God cals himselfe the seuen spirits Secondly he cals him so because he sets downe the Father Sonne and holy Ghost as he saw them
they must be annointed so must we be annointed Psal. 45. Christ was annointed aboue his fellowes but yet his members they are also annointed he in greater measure his members in lesse measure yet by the same oyle with him which is the vnction of the holy Ghost We haue receiued the annointing of Christ. 1. Iohn 2. 7. And the Lord he bids the wicked not to touch his annointed meaning not onely his seruants Abraham Isaac and the Patriarkes but his true members We haue the same spirit Christ had in his manhood though not in the same measure And the Lord he giues vs these gifts of the spirit signified by this oyle to this end that we may be fit kings priests So that first he giues vs right to a kingdome and then he giues vs gifts to discharge our dutie 4. To whom hath he made vs kings and priests to God and the Father euen his Father Now men might haue said If all his members be kings then all may liue as they list But he addeth they be kings but to God shewing that the interest they haue giuen to them to the kingdome of heauen it is giuen thē that they may be kings and priests to Gods glorie to his worship and seruice and to shew that all the interest belongs to God absolutely to vs by him in Christ. Lastly he addeth God and his Father which expounds the former word God for it is not taken for his nature absolutely but for the first Person God euen his Father Which sheweth that they must not liue as they list for they be made kings to the honour and seruice of God the Father who is here named alone not because he is aboue the Sonne and holy Ghost for they be equall but because he is the first person in order and the fountaine of the Deitie from it it is deriued to the Son and holy Ghost Now after the meaning of the words followe the vses First whereas all the true members of Christ be kings and priests in this life we are taught how we must carie our selues namely as enemies to them which be of the kingdome of Satan sinne the world and the flesh we must be deadly and sworne enemies to them we must haue no concord nor amitie with them For if we be kings of the kingdome of grace then we must be enemies to them which belong to the kingdome of darknesse there must be no fellowship between light and darknesse Now that we may so carie our selues as enemies we must first haue care to keepe guard to defend our selues as kings against all our enemies sinne Satan our owne flesh and the inticements of the world As Kings protect their kingdomes so must we stand on our guard defend our soules and bodies and euery facultie and part of them our wils affections thoughts and inclinations 1. Ioh. 5. 18. He which is borne of God keepeth himselfe as with watch and ward that sinne or Satan touch him not 2 We must make war and enter combat against Satan sinne our owne flesh all our spirituall enemies the corruptions of our nature and all the inticements of the world We must make no truce with them because they will neuer be reconciled so long as we haue interest into the kingdome of heauen 3 We must labour to kill and destroy these our enemies as much as possibly we can by that power we haue from Christ our head we must kill and crucifie the corruption of our owne hearts that is our owne sinnes We must like a valiant king seeke to haue the bloud of these enemies and seeke to conquer and vanquish Satan his power and might the world and our owne corruption 4 If we be kings in this life we must become Lords and rule ouer our selues our soules and bodies must be brought into subiection and order for in this that we be kings of our selues we shew especially that we be kings in this life We must not haue rule of the whole world but be ruling and maistering our owne corruptions and affections bringing them into subiection and order herein stands our kingdome in this world If a man were Prince ouer the whole earth and yet could not rule himselfe he were but a poore Prince nay he were no Prince indeed but though a man had not so much as a foote of ground in this world and could rule and maister himselfe his thoughts and affections this man were a valiant king Seeing we be kings we must do the duty of Iudges for kings they be as absolute Iudges and they must execute iudgement In the day of iudgement we shall be iudges but we must be iudges in this world and we must not iudge other men but we must be our owne iudges Wherefore as iudges summon arraigne condemne c. so must we summon and arraigne yea iudge and examine our selues call our selues to account and as guilty persons condemne our selues acknowledging we be worthy to be cast into eternal damnation with the Diuell and his Angels and withall pleade for pardon approch to the throne of grace and forgiuenesse and in these we shew our selues vpright iudges and and by this meanes we shall be freed from the iudgement to come If we be kings by Christ we must cary our selues as kings couragiously constantly in the afflictions and miseries which we shall suffer for Christs sake for herein stands the royalty of a king that he beares couragiously and constantly all the troubles which befall him so must we in the afflictions and troubles of this life which we suffer for Christ shew our selues in suffering them to be kings and conquerors Seeing we be spirituall kings we must aboue all things labor and seek to haue that our right and heritance to be possessors of our kingdome Must we so then we must not haue our hearts glued and fast tied to the things of this world but we must so vse this world as though we vsed it not If a King should lay downe his crowne and go and become a shepheard or of some manuall trade all men would maruell at it so when we fasten our selues to these worldly things we do as it were cast aside our kingly crowne and abase our selues But we must euer haue one foote fixed in heauen striuing to come to our inheritance there Seeing all the true members of Christ be kings and priests this should be an inducement to all backward persons to moue them and stirre them forward to christian religion and not to account of it as precisenesse seeing that by it we come to haue right and interest to the kingdome of heauen to be Lords of all creatures For why should we not esteeme of the Gospell as a most precious iewell seeing that we which are vassalles of Satan and fire-brands of hell as all men are by nature become the members of Christ yea Kings and Priests to God And seeing this is effected by the ministery of the Gospel this
should moue vs to embrace it to loue and like it seeing it brings vs such an excellent benefit and not to misname it as we do by reprochfull termes Yea verily the consideration of this should make the Ministers of the word to take all paines to preach the word seeing by it they make men to become of vassalles of Satan the true members of Christ and heires of the kingdome of heauen In this world for a man to consecrate and establish one in a kingdome it is a thing of great honour is it not of greater honour to consecrate one to become king of heauen and earth to be heire of the kingdome of heauen Now that this is done in the ministery of the Gospel when by the word preached we are conuerted made to beleeue in Christ and to repent of our sinnes this I say should stirre and pricke forward the Ministers of the word to labour to win men to Christ and to make them kings and priests to God his father There also is matter of comfort to the godly for seeing they be Kings and Priestes in the kingdome of Christ if a man be in the crosse and affliction which is a great griefe yet let him know to his comfort that though he be so handled it appeareth not what he shal be yet he is a king and that he shall be and is heire to the kingdome of heauen If a man be in sicknesse he must consider it is but Gods messenger to call him out of this world to the possession of a kingdome If a man be in the trouble and vexation of mind and of his owne conscience if he be tormented fearefully with his sins yet he must be content the Lord wil giue him a happy issue he must know he is a king and therefore shall one day haue conquest ouer sin Satan and his owne corruption yea ouer all his enemies whatsoeuer If a man be in the heat of persecution so that he is turmoiled and tossed from post to pillar then flesh and blood cannot brooke it yet he is a king though he in persecution be killed and put to death euen then let him consider he is a most valiant conquerour Rom. 8. 37. In the pang of death when nature must needs be dissolued and soule and body separated then we must remember that we be kings in Christ and so we shall not feare death but know it is but a way and easie passage to the ful possession of our kingdom Thus much in that we are kings In that all the members of Christ be priests not earthly but spiritual and offer to God spirituall sacrifices first we are hence bound by this our calling to teach and instruct one another for the office of the Priest in the old Testament was to instruct the people The Priests lips must keepe knowledge Mal. 2. 7. So must we be teachers of others Col. 3. 18. We all ought to be able to teach the will of God that so the Gospell of Christ may be spread abroad And as this belongs to al men so especially to gouernors they must especially shew themselues priests to their charges Abraham did it Gen. 18. Dauid did it Pro. 4. and Bathshebath did it Prouer. 31. and all must do it that desire an holy generation to succeed after them We teach other things why not Religion 2 Seeing we be priests we must pray for others not onely for our selues but for all men especially the members of Christ The Priest in the old Testament must pray and make request not onely for himselfe alone but for the people also Moses is commended for prayer especially when he prayed for the Israelites and stood before the Lord in the gap Exod. 32. Eliah is called the horseman and chariots of Israel and Hezechiah beseecheth the Lord to be good to his people And so when any man in the word is cōmended for prayer it is for that he prayed for the people So did Dauid in the Psalmes So did Christ make this his speciall duty Iohn 17. We must offer spirituall sacrifice to God that is dedicate our selues our soules and bodies and all that is in vs our wit learning knowledge or any gift of body or mind we must consecrate it to Gods seruice That we may do all this to his glory we must look that all we take in hand be begun in faith do proceed from a good heart and be directed to a good end to Gods glory principally and if we do it in faith and obedience then it will please him We must be ful of blessings we may haue nothing to do with cursed speaking As the Priests in the old Testament their duty was to blesse the people so we must speake nothing but blessed and gracious speeches take heed of all cursed speaking of swearing and forswearing we must be blessed and gracious speakers to all men friend fo or any We must haue God our portion for the Leuites had no portion in the land of Canaan but dwelt in tents and the Lord was their portion So we being Priests to God we must be content with any estate in this world for God is our portion we must not seeke too much to haue any inheritance on earth for Gods fauour in Christ that is our portion and this wil suffice To him be glory In these words is a praising and thanksgiuing to God for the three former benefits of Christ bestowed on the Church In that S. Iohn before he come to the end of his description of Christ should interrtupt himselfe to giue God thankes for his benefits we see that the consideration of Gods benefits bestowed on vs should be a meanes to stirre vs vp to praise the Lord we should be caried away with this affection of thanksgiuing as S. Iohn was And in these words of this holy man we do see what is the true forme of giuing thankes to God namely to giue him and ascribe to him all glory power and absolute dominion for euermore But alas it is too too manifest that mans corrupt nature will not do this but denieth it and taking this from God bestoweth it on creatures yea on our own selues And it is a matter of grace to know this and to confesse that all glory and dominion belongs to God and to giue him his due So Christ he teacheth vs to ascribe all power glory might and dominion to God when we say in the Lords prayer For thine is the kingdome power and glory that is it is due to thee O Lord not to any creature whatsoeuer Amen So be it let it be so that thou mayst haue all glory and dominion he addes this to shew his feruent desire of Gods glorie and therefore he doubles and repeates it for he had said that before but not content with it he sheweth his feruencie and repeates the same againe so should we not freeze or be cold in our desire of Gods
knowledge wisdome constancie zeale pietie and religion So in the old Testament he deliuered thē to his Prophets not to all but his seruants men of singular gifts and graces and of exceeding holinesse and pietie Indeed the Lord reuealed some particular things to wicked men as to Balaam but they neuer knew them comfortably It is a propertie belonging to the seruants of God to haue a vision reuealed and to know the same Now both these befell S. Iohn he was a man of exceeding holinesse of life for Christ loued him and of singular and rare gifts Now the diuell maketh no such choice but his visions befall men which are heretikes wicked notorious sinners and they haue no rare and speciall gifts as the other so that by this a man may distinguish them by the persons to whom they befall Then we must esteeme of it as a singular gift of God giuen to his owne Apostle S. Iohn After the description of Christ Iohn describes himselfe by many modest tearmes first Your brother that is of them being members all of the mysticall bodie Christ Iesus for the church of God is a familie God the Father is head and housholder Iesus Christ is the elder brother we all are fellow brethren in and by Christ being by him the adopted sonnes of God and brethren to each other By this title first he setteth out his humilitie and great modestie for he was a man at that time aboue all men which liued in regard of his gifts and holinesse of life he was the last Apostle and had apostolicall authoritie being a most true professor yet he calleth himselfe a brother to all true beleeuers maketh himselfe but equall with them though they were farre inferiour to him And so should we esteeme better of all our brethren then of our selues and make our selues inferior to them Secondly by this title we see he had his hart full of brotherly loue to all the members of the church of Christ so we are bound to loue all men as they be of the same flesh with vs but those which be of the same faith religion to these especially should we shew our loue and affection It is good reason that they which haue the same head Christ the same God the same faith hope religion and redemption by Iesus Christ should be so affected to one another and being linked by all these should haue a more neare loue then is between man man But in this world as Esay saith men hate their brethren euen for the profession of the same religion whereby they thinke to be saued If they liue with more conscience then others then they reuile speake ill of and hate them for the name of Christ. The second title Companion or fellow partner compartner in tribulations in the kingdome and in patience He was partner with them in tribulations for two causes first because at that time when he wrote this vision the whole Church was in persecutiō and tribulation vnder that cruell tyrant Domitian about fourescore or an hundred yeares after Christ and so he fled to Pathmos at that time and being mindfull of the afflictions of the Church whereof he was a member he cals himselfe a partner with them in affliction By which he shewes our estate that it is to be vnder the crosse to liue in affliction not to be companions of peace and ease but partakers of affliction and tribulation and therfore those which will be Christs Disciples and follow him they must deny themselues and take vp their crosse dayly and because of this estate the Church in this world is called the militant Church Now seeing the state of the Church is in tribulation we in this land and Church which haue had peace and quietnes so long without persecution we must know that it is giuen vs that now in the time of peace we might prepare our selues against the day of triall and persecution for seeing the estate of the Church is to be vnder affliction and persecution we are bound to looke for it and know that the Lord will come and try his Church for it must increase and grow by triall The Lord hath sent labourers into his haruest a long time which haue gathered much wheate into the Lords barne Now there must come a day when the Lord will take his fan and siue into his hands and will with the fan and siue of persecution try the wheat and winnow the corne from the chaffe that it may appeare who are his true children Then stands it vs in hand to take heed we be found good corne and not chaffe that we may abide the siue that we proue not light corne blowne about with the wind and fit to be cast into the fire to be burnt He cals himselfe their fellow partner in affliction because his pitifull hart was moued with compassion to all his fellow members and partners in affliction when he remembred their persecution and affliction they suffered vnder the cruell tyrant Dominitian Now looke what was in him the same affection should be in vs our hearts should be pitifull full of compassion for the poore afflicted members of Christ seeing they be our fellow members we should haue a fellow feeling with them and shew our compassion in pittying them If the foote be pricked the head stoopes the eye beholds and lookes on it the finger puls it out the hand applies the plaister the other foot is ready to run for help the tongue to aske for counsell and all the members are ready to affoord their mutuall helpe in pittie and fellow feeling so when any members of the Church suffer affliction be pricked with persecution for Christs cause then should we as fellow members of one body be ready to do all the helpe we can to them especially in shewing our fellow-feeling with them In the kingdome of Christ. That is the kingdome of heauen In that he sets first afliction then addes a kingdome he shewes that the afflictions crosse for Christs sake is the ready way to the kingdom of heauen it is the way which is beaten and troden by the Prophets Apostles and the Saints of God as the Apostle saith Through manifold tribulations we must enter into heauen And this momentany affliction causeth to vs an infinite weight of glory not that it deserues or effects it but that it is the path-way to heauen Then we must not thinke it strange when it befalleth vs for it is the meanes to bring wandring sheepe out of the way into the ready and beaten way to heauen nay it is rather to be thought strange when we haue no affliction for then we be gone out of the way seeing the Lord afflicts euery child which is his In patience A vertue whereby we are made able to perseuere in affliction to go on suffering till we come to heauen Afflictions are the beaten way heauen is our ioyfull end patience is the meanes to make vs
on the sea yet they must keepe the Sabbath they must pray fast and call on the name of God c. In that he receiued the vision then when he was exercised in praying and fasting here is a comfort for the children of God that when men draw neare to God he draweth neare to them Iam. 4. Iohn a worthie Apostle being in banishment he draweth neare to God in fasting and prayer and the Lord he draweth nigh to him and reuealeth his will to him so if we draw neare to God by faith repentance by prayer and inuocation of his name then he will draw neare to vs. But if we draw our selues backe from him he draweth backe from vs. This then should moue vs aboue all things to seeke to draw as neare him as can be then he will come and shew his goodnesse to vs. And the cause why we are so litle acquainted with his goodnesse is because we will not be acquainted with him Now in the second place followeth after the fourth circumstance the parts of the vision which be two first an entrance into the vision secondly the representation of Christ as he is King and Priest to his Church which is the substance and chiefe thing in this vision The entrance is in these words And I heard a great voice behind me till the end of the eleuenth verse The vision or the representation of Christ from the twelfth to the end of the third Chapter The beginning and entrance into the vision is a preparation whereby the holy Ghost maketh S. Iohn more fit to receiue and marke things to be reuealed which may be heard and seene The meanes to prepare Iohn is a voice And I heard a voice The like to this we haue commonly in the old Testament where the Lord reuealing his will doth send a voyce before to prepare his seruants to receiue his will So when he would giue the couenant to Adam Gen. 3. he prepareth him to receiue and letteth him heare a voyce in the garden which made him affraid and to hide himselfe after the Lord speaketh to him face to face and giueth the couenant to him So when the Lord wold giue the law to Moses in the mount first he sent a voice in a mightie thunder lightning and sound of a trumpet after he declared the law to him 1. Sam. 3. When the Lord would speake to Samuel he sendeth a voice to him three times and after he speaketh to him plainely and calleth him by his name So commonly in the old Testament when the Lord will declare his will to his Prophets he prepareth them by a voice So to Cornelius Act. 10. c. Seeing the Lord dealeth thus with this most famous Apostle when he receiued his will by extraordinarie reuelation being first prepared then much more we which are sinfull men which haue not the thousandth part of those graces he had of knowledge faith and obedience but are so farre short in ordinarie gifts we must much more be prepared that our vnderstanding and memorie may be made fit to heare know and remember Gods will and word declared to vs. And the cause why we increase not in faith repentance and knowledge after long hearing the word is because we come vnprepared without looking that our vnderstanding memorie by all good means may be prepared to receiue the word The voice is described by the place Behind me Not before him but behind him to stirre vp attention in him for men most marke those things which come as of a sudden behind them so this coming suddenly behind him drew him to more earnest attention A great voyce Thirdly it is like the sound of a trumpet not onely a great voice but full of power and maiestie as the sound of a trumpet Now he vttereth these to stirre vp more attention in him for if he should heare an ordinarie voice or a small voice it would not perhaps haue stirred him but being a great powerfull sudden and a strange voice it could not but make him very attentiue Seeing he vseth all these meanes of attention in Iohn a worthie Apostle then much more must we vse all good meanes to stirre vp attention in vs seeing we in all gifts are a thousand times inferiour to the least Apostle seeing we be dull and heauie and our senses not so sharpe as they shold be we must stirre vp our selues seeke to be attentiue to that which which is spoken and as Lydia did we must employ all our diligence to make vs attētiue And the cause why the word is preached without fruite is because we heare it without attention and haue no affection to it Now that we may do this we must beware of two enemies of attention the first are by-thoughts when a man bringeth his bodie but his mind goeth about his farmes or worldly riches about a iourney or bargaine or some worldly affaires These by-thoughts are thornes in our hearts which choake the good seed of the word that it cannot prosper and grow for men which are troubled with them cannot see how one point dependeth and hangeth on another but their memorie and vnderstanding is hindered The second enemie is dulnesse and heauinesse of bodie and soule which is shewed in this that we come heauie and sleepie to heare the word and spend that time which we should employ in hearing in heauinesse and sleeping But if we will haue the word fruitfull to vs we must shake off this drowsinesse be affected with ioy and gladnesse and heare the word with greedinesse If a man should come heauie and sleepie into the presence of the King especially he being to tell him of great matters or the giuing of him some great benefit he would take it for disloyaltie and contempt of his Maiestie The cause why the word hath no better effect in vs but that after long preaching and teaching we be as blind and ignorant as euer we were is because we come not prepared contrarily if we come prepared the Lord increaseth our faith knowledge obedience c. Saying I am Alpha and Omega Before he described the voice which he heard as a meanes of this preparation by the place Secondly the qualitie A great voice like the sound of a trumpet In these words he proceedeth further to describe this voice in this eleuenth verse setteth downe the substance and matter of this voice which he heard which standeth in two things The first a testimonie in these words I am Alpha and Omega c. The second a commandement to write all these words c. 1 The testimonie in substance is in the eighth verse before In which words of Christ is as before a comparison namely as Alpha and Omega are the first and the last letters in the Greeke Alphabet so I Christ the Sonne of God am the first and last of all things because before me there was nothing neither after me shall there be any thing in being and
subsisting These words proue the Godhead and eternitie of Christ the second person The end why Christ alleadgeth them is to certifie him that these things he was about to shew him came from God and therefore he bringeth his owne testimonie namely I which speake vnto thee am God therefore the things I deliuer vnto thee are from God euen from Iesus Christ the second person in the Trinitie which am God equall to my Father In this testimonie of Christ note a singular care of God in respect of his Church he is carefull not onely to reueale his will to his Church but withal to certifie his Church of the truth of the same As here he telleth Iohn that they come from God to certifie his soule and conscience in the truth of the same so he reuealeth not onely his will but withall assureth men of the truth thereof Act. 10. Peter hath a vision and withall the Lord assureth him of the truth of that visioÌ„ And when Christ preached his Fathers will he wrought many miracles which were as sâ—ales to confirme the same that it came from God Seeing the Lord he doth not only declare his will but withall assureth men of the certainetie and truth of his will this first confuteth the Papists who teach that the word of God is certaine in it selfe but to vs it is not certaine till we heare the testimonie of the Church which maketh the Scripture which is vncertaine to vs though certaine in it selfe to be certaine to vs. But we must here know and learne that the Lord doth not onely reueale his will to his children but withall vseth meanes to certifie mens hearts of the truth thereof and so the word of God is most sure not only in it self but euen to men though the testimonie of the Church shold neuer speake word of the same â— This confutes all carnall men There be many which will be of no Religion because there is as they thinke no certaintie in Religion seeing mens opinions in matters of Religion be so diuers that one cannot tell who speakes the truth Indeed we differ in many points of religion and so many men so many diuers opinions yet the true members of Christ they differ not in the fundamentall points of Religion And though all the world should differ in opinion yet it followes not there should be no Religion but the doctrine taught by the Prophets and Apostles should stand sure and be the true Religion of God for euer and the Lord can make men out of it to learne his will and assure them of the certainty of Religion Now followeth the commaundement That which thou seest write in a book c. This hath two parts first S. Iohn must write the things he receiueth secondly he must send them to the seuen famous Churches of Asia Now the Lord commaunds Iohn to write these things in a booke and he must set downe that which he receiued of God to send it to the seuen Churches of Asia because he being now in banishment and could not come to them and be present with them to instruct them therfore he must write these in a booke that so they might be holpen by them Secondly he must not only write them in a booke but send them to these seuen Churches first that they might be confirmed and strengthened in the matters of faith now in the cruell time of their persecution secondly that they might keepe these books for the Church of God which is the pillar ground of truth first because it publisheth the word secondly because she keepeth the same from time to time and also giues testimony of the truth of the same So then that these Churches might keepe publish and giue testimony of these things he must send them written to them Hence we learne that the word of God written is an excellent help for the church of God to edifie the same else he would neuer haue commaunded Iohn to send this booke to the seuen Churches in Asia This confutes first the Papists who hold that the writteÌ„ word is but a dead inky letter a nose of waxe to be turned any way secondly the Anabaptists who looke for reuelations contemne the written word but seeing the Lord bids him send it to the seuen Churches in Asia he sheweth it is an excellent meanes to edifie the Church We may learne that the reading of this booke as of other Scripture is Gods ordinance whether it be publike or priuate and that they must be so vsed as Gods ordinance with reuerence and good conscience Indeed the word preached is the ordinary meanes to begin faith and to worke repentance but the reading of them publikely and priuatly hath his proper vse to confirme our faith yea to increase knowledge faith and repentance in vs. Write and send it to the seuen Churches c. Here is the third point namely that a man in the crosse and persecution may be the deare child of God S. Iohn a famous Apostle and deare seruant of God yet he is in banishment and continues a long time from all company of men yet God reuealeth his wil to him and maketh him the pen-man of this book which he giueth to none but them which be his seruants Then a man may be and continue in banishment yet be the deare seruant of God We reason if a man be in the crosse and persecution and continue in the same he is surely out of Gods fauour but we see the contrary in Iohn In the end of the verse he setteth downe the names of these seuen Churches in particular and these seuen places were seuen most famous cities in Asia in which were planted seuen most excellent Churches of all those parts of the world and for that cause here are named one by one Then I turned backe Here is his preparation or entrance into the vision When I heard a voice behind me being loud and great I turned to see him which deliuered it to me In the preparation we must consider first the meanes to moue Iohn to attention namely a voice secondly the end to make him attentiue and to inioyne him his dutie namely to write and to send it to the Churches Now followeth the second part of his preparation which is that he turned backe when he heard this loud and great voice to see who it was which gaue the voice By this practise of S. Iohn we may learne our duty for as he dealeth with the man which giues the voice so must we deale with God S. Iohn heareth a voice and then he turnes backe to see who it is so must we do with the Lord we are all by nature ready to turne from God and runne from him as fast as we can by our sinnes Now when the Lord speaketh to vs by the preaching of the word when we are running on in another way we must turne to him turne our hearts to his wayes confesse our sinnes to him that so
turning to him we may haue fellowship with God For vnlesse S. Iohn had turned to see the vision and him which spake he had not seene it so vnlesse we turne to God speaking in the ministery of his word and that in time whilst he speaketh to vs we can haue no fellowship with him though we heare the word neuer so much Now followeth the second part of the vision which is the representation of Christ his maiesty and magnificence as he is a Prophet King and Priest of his Church and it is set out by a large description of Christ from this twelfth verse to the end of the third chapter In which description S. Iohn sheweth what he receiued touching Christ partly by hearing partly by seeing And herein he describeth Christ first by his place In the midst of the seuen candlestickes secondly by his forme and figure Like to the sonne of man First he describeth Christ by the place I saw seuen golden candlestickes and in the middest one like c. These seuen candlesticks here seene of Iohn in a vision are the seuen Churches in Asia Now as the Church of God is compared to a candlesticke as Christ expoundeth it in the twentith verse so the particular Churches are here called candlestickes for their resemblance which they haue with candlestickes for as their property is to beare and hold forth the candle and lamp euen so the Churches of God beare vp and hold forth and publish the light of the Gospell to the whole world partly by preaching and maintaining it partly by professing the faith ◠Seeing euery Church is a candlesticke and not a candle to beare vp and hold forth the lamp and light of the word because they haue no light of themselues but onely can beare vp and hold foorth the light and are but the instruments of the light the true light being Christ himselfe then they cannot giue light to mens consciences and hearts but all that they can do is to beare the candle and hold out the light by instructing and preaching the word and by their profession of religion In that they are compared to candlestickes we learne that all the true members of Christ are candles burning and shining lights placed in the shafts of this candlesticke For though the Ministers must especially be blazing lampes to the people as Iohn Baptist was Ioh. 5. 35. yet also are all true members of Christ these blazing candles to hold foorth this light and shew foorth the doctrine of light to the world Phil. 2. 15. 16. Euery man in his calling must be a shining candle and a burning lamp Now that he may be such a one he must first haue knowledge of the will and word of God himselfe then as a blazing candle send foorth the same to others by teaching and instructing by godly life and conuersation We all professe we be members of Christ and members of the true Church then we must carie and hold foorth these burning lights hauing light in our selues to send it out to others by teaching them in our calling and liuing godly and giuing good example and so shine to the world To induce vs to this to carie our selues as burning lampes first it is the commandement of God Phil. 2. 15. Euery man in his calling must be a blazing light in the middle of a peruerse nation we must carie our selues free from all sinne send out our light to all men For a second reason marke the fruite and the effect which followeth this carying of our selues as shining lights When a man is indued with knowledge of Gods will and word and sends out this light by instructing others and in a godly example he winneth many men to the kingdome of heauen A man if he haue one to hold him out a candle in winter that he may see his way to go whither he would he taketh this as a great benefit how much more is this to light the way to a blind man euen to the kingdome of heauen But on the cōtrarie when men be dimme and darke candles and liue not in the Church as blazing lights but in sinne ignorance and loosenesse of life hence great hurt and daunger cometh to men with whom they liue For when a man knoweth the will of God and yet liueth in sin he giueth a false direction and so many follow him euen to the pit of hell and by his bad example he draweth men as much as in him lyeth to eternall destruction In hauen townes if a man remoue the night marke and the candle set to direct the ships he doth as much as in him lyeth to sinke all the ships for they hauing wrong direction runne on rockes and sands because they go to the light which is not in the right place and so they misse the channell and light on rockes and perish So men in this world they saile as on the sea to heauen now if we by our wicked life remoue the marke and giue wrong direction they must needes misse the right way and so come to a false hauen not heauen but hell And so then seeing either by our godly life we draw men to heauen or by our bad life we carie them to hell it is our dutie to labour by life and doctrine to giue good direction The third reason to moue vs to be burning lights is the iudgement of God for he which liueth in the Church and yet shineth not in teaching others by his good example he incurreth the iudgement of God In the temple the lights and candles belonged to the Priest who dressed and trimmed them for that purpose he had snuffers and such instruments now in the Church euery man is a candle standing in the church as in a sticke Christ Iesus he is the trimmer and dresser of them he standeth in the midst of them he hath his snuffers in his hands he trimmeth them and dresseth these candles Now if after three or foure times dressing and snuffing of this candle still it burneth dim and will not shine out he will either remoue it out of the sticke or else he will take and tread it vnder his feet So those which in the Church do not send out a shining light the Lord he dresseth and snuffeth them but if they still burne dimmely cast not a cleare light in instructing others and leauing good example the Lord will cast them out of their places put them vnder his foot and cleane extinguish them In regard of this daunger euery man in his shaft and place the Minister in his the vnlettered man in his must teach others giue good example else the issue will be this the Lord will come in iudgement and stampe it out and extinguish that light Nay very reason requireth this at our hands seeing we be all lights of this candlesticke of the Church that we should send out light In winter time we hang out lights that by them men might be directed to helpe them in
Pharaohs Butler who promised Ioseph to remember him being promoted to honour out of prison but after being exalted in Pharaohs house forgot him Gen. 40. But Christ he is still now as readie as euer he was in earth to helpe vs and to do all the workes of a Mediator for vs. Then we must imitate Christ and haue our loines girded vp Luk. 12. we must be prepared and made readie to do all our duties to call vpon the name of God to giue him thankes to renew our faith and repentance daily yea euery day make our selues readie to die or to liue and to be alwaies readie to do all the workes concerning our saluation and at all times to carie our selues so as we be readie to enter into heauen at any time But we neuer thinke of this we are readie to no good thing we neuer thinke of death till it knocke at the doore Oh let vs labor to become good followers of Christ hauing our loynes girded vp readie prepared to all good workes About the paps not the belly but breast Some thinke and not vnfitly to shew that his thoughts and affections which came from the heart they be most perfect ranged in not subiect to any sinne but guided by the spirit which with full measure dwelleth in him bodily And his head as white as wooll Now S. Iohn describeth Christ by the parts of his bodie first his head is as white as wooll or snow which is to shew the eternitie of Christ for though as he was man he had a beginning yet as he is God he is eternall he is the auncient of dayes Dan. 9. and when all things began he was before Seeing our Sauiour Christ vseth this hoarinesse and whitenes of the old gray head to set out his eternitie and euer-being he would shew the excellencie and honor of aged men of the old gray headed man which other younger want and for this he compareth the old gray head to almond trees which are alwaies white Eccles. 12. 5. and Prou. 16. 31. it is compared to a siluer crowne not made by man but made and placed by the hand of God on the aged mans head This excellencie of the hoarie head is in this that he beareth in his person the image of Gods eternitie before all younger men he standeth in the roome of God to shew Gods eternitie to men namely in this old and white head of his Now seeing the aged man hath this excellencie aboue young men he must be reuerenced young men must rise to him Leuit. 19. and we must in their hoarie head learne the image of Gods eternitie They which be such which in regard of their age haue this excellencie aboue others they must excell others in knowledge and experience in wisdome and holinesse 1. Ioh. 2. 13. I write to you fathers which know the father which hath bene from the beginning shewing he taketh it for granted that aged men which be fathers should haue knowledge in the will of God Secondly they must exceed others in holinesse of life God is holy they beare his image therefore they must seeing they beare his image aboue others go before yong men in holinesse And therefore Salomon Prou. 16. 31. compareth old age to a siluer crowne ioyned with righteousnesse which when they be ioyned together old age indeed is a glorious ornament Then men must take heed that old age be no disgrace vnto them nor dishonour but an ornament and commendation But alas miserable is our dayes when young men excell old in knowledge and wisdome in godlinesse of life and conuersatiō and other gifts of the Spirit but it should not be so but as the aged must go before them in preferment and excellencie so they should go before them in wisdome knowledge experience and godlinesse And if in these which weare the siluer crowne on their heads there be found sinnes abounding and loosenesse of life it is much more dishonor in them then the younger though in neither commendable And it is not enough for old men to say their memorie conceipt and knowledge faile them for this sheweth they haue liued a bad and loose life and mis-spent their younger age but they must labour that with their siluer crowne on their head they may haue a siluer life in heart and hand And his eyes were as a flame of fire S. Iohn goeth on to describe Christ in vision by the parts of his bodie now in handling these parts though no man can set downe certainly what the holy Ghost intendeth in euery point yet we must consider what is most probable in the word of God And his eyes c. He addeth these to signifie two things first to shew that our Mediator is of a most piercing sharpe and quicke sight so that he beholdeth all things in earth euen the secrets of our hearts for he hath fierie and piercing eyes and as fire entreth and pierceth all mettals so Christ by his fierie eye pierceth into the substance and secrets of the hearts Now it is necessarie that the head of the Church should be so sharpe of sight that he might behold the whole Church see all the enterprises of the diuell and the estate of all his children Seeing Christ is of so piercing and fierie a sight that he seeth the very secrets and thoughts of our hearts we must haue care not onely of our words and actions but of ordering our thoughts and affections for Christ pierceth into our hearts and seeth them therefore we must looke they be in order that he may approue them It is true thoughts and inward affections with men beare no action because men know not the heart and affections but it is not so with God he seeth the least inclination and purpose of our hearts and he keepeth court of iudgement not onely for words and actions but for thoughts and affections Therefore men must take heed they be well ordered and so of Christ approued that for thē they be not condemned Christ he seeth our hearts and our very inclinations then we must in matters of religion be indeed that we seeme to be for though we can bleare mens eyes with outward profession and they can go no further yet the Lord he hath fierie and piercing eyes and seeth our hearts and how we be but hypocrites if we be not indeed that we seeme outwardly to be Yet men must stay and suspend their rash iudgement and not for the professing of religion iudge men to be hypocrites for God alone searcheth their hearts Secondly he is thus described to shew he is full of anger and iudgement and readie to take vengeance of his enemies that is of them which will not giue themselues and turne to him by repentance in obeying his will and word For though Christ be a Redeemer and Sauiour yet he is also a iudge in indignation will execute his iudgement on his enemies euen vpon all that refuse to haue him to rule ouer
them as he saith Those mine enemies which would not haue me to rule ouer them bring them that I may kill them This may serue to awake many drowsie and secure professors for men now in this barren age liue in sinne and ignorance neuer thinke of the duties of faith and repentance take pleasure in sinne it is meate and drinke to them to liue in securitie not one of a thousand turneth to God by heartie repentance Let these know that though they liue closely in sin yet Christ beholdeth them not as a Redeemer but as a Iudge with fierie and piercing eyes readie to execute iudgement on them for their sinnes They then must consider their owne estate in time and turne to God lest that they going on in their sinnes and snorting in securitie Christ come vnawares and cut them off in his anger for it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of God And his feet like to fine brasse The word signifieth brasse which is shining for substance durable pure the very choice and excellentest kind of brasse This he addeth to signifie the inuincible power of Christ that he is able to encounter nay hath alreadie encountred with sinne and Satan wounded them and bruised their heads to powder for his feete are strong and durable he is of power to ouercome his enemies to tread them vnderfoot and grind them to powder and not onely in his owne person but in his members he is most powerfull Seeing he hath brasen feet strong and durable to ouercome his enemies and tread them vnderfoot this is a singular comfort to the children of God who if they be exercised with any temptation of Satan or with any affliction and griefe they must not be discouraged but seeke to Christ their head he will in vs as he hath before in his owne person bruise the serpents head and breake it to powder Let vs then put our cause to Christ and let him haue the whole ordering and dispensation of it so if sin and corruption hang on vs vexe and oppresse vs we must flie to him make him acquainted with it seeke helpe from him and we shall doubtlesse find it weakened and wounded nay bruised to peeces by his helpe If we see the terrors of death we must not feare too much for Christ is strong and able to ouercome death nay he encountred with sinne and Satan on the crosse ouercame him there and went downe with him to his owne denne and cabine and there vanquished death so that he hath subdued and brought him vnder foote and made him his footstoole And as this is a comfort to the godly so it should be a terror to the wicked whō without repenting liue in their sinnes for Christ hath a foote of brasse he wil bruise them in peeces make them his foote-stoole and with his brazen foot grind them to powder Then they which be as yet enemies to Christ must turne to him leaue their old maister Satan come to him else he will breake them to nothing by his strong and brasen foote Burning as in a fornace The feete of God as of men in the Scriptures often signifie his or their wayes so here the feet of Christ signifie his wayes or workes Burning as in a fornace this sheweth the perfection of Christs wayes they be vncorrupt euen as brasse purified in the fire so be they most pure most vnspotted without all drosse all his wayes his counsels and works either of creation or preseruation all are without fault The way of God is vncorrupt the word of the Lord is tried in the fire he is a shield to all that trust in him Psal. 18. 30. Seeing all his wayes are pure and most holy we must speake and thinke of them with reuerence euen of his secret iudgements whereof we know no cause nor reason we must reuerence them and aknowledge that they are pure of themselues In matters of Religion there is a learned ignorance whereof this is not the least point to content our selues with his wayes and not curiously to search into those things which he hath not reuealed in his word but though they be against reason to man acknowledge them as holy true with reuerence for all Christs waies be holy The blind man cannot iudge of the light because he seeth it not no more can blind man such as all be iudge of workes hidden with God The Lord bids Abimelech giue Sarah to Abraham else he wil punish him and all his what reason is this in mans sight nay it seemeth cruelty to punish his seruants for him So Achan he sinned Ios. 7. and the people are plagued Dauid sinned 2. Sam. 12. the child died and he sinned againe 2. Sam. 24. the people is plagued What reason can mā giue of these These seeme al contrary to reason in mans iudgement but we must reuerence the counsels of God as good pure and holy though we see no cause at all of them The Lord hath determined to saue some to cast off other some now this seemeth crueltie to man nay some hold it an action of crueltie that the Lord should withhold his mercy from one and shew it to another But they sinne seeing it is the doctrine of Gods word that he in his good will and pleasure hath determined to saue some to reiect other for his owne pleasure though we see no reason at all of this we must reuerence it and hold it the truth of Gods most holy counsell And his voice as the sound of many waters This he addeth for two causes first to shew the loudnesse and greatnes of his voice because this voice of Christ in his word hath gone through the whole world for the doctrine of Christ hath bene sounded in all parts of the world Secondly to shew the power force and efficacy of this voice in the eares of his creatures Christ before all things were but spake the word and at his word all things were made Lazarus lay rotting in his graue yet he heard the voice of Christ as of a thousand trumpets sounding in his eares and rose vp nay the bodies of men being dead sixe thousand yeares euen those shal heare the voice of Christ being a loud and great voice a powerfull and effectnall voice Seeing this voice of Christ is so loud and powerfull a voice that the dead are able to heare it this shewes the securitie and deadnesse of those men which though they heare it dayly sounding and crying in their eares as the noise of many waters yet they will not as did the dead bodie of Lazarus heare and stand vp and come forth of their graues of sinne but still snort in securitie and rot in their sinnes This argueth our great drowsines that the dead which haue layne six thousand yeares shall at this voice rise and awake and we hearing it both loud and powerfull and publike in our eares will not put vp our head nor our heart not
seeke to get one foot out of the graue of sinne and securitie And he had Here S. Iohn describeth him by his parts and the properties of euery part In his right hand seuen starres that is seuen Angels seuen Ministers of the seuen churches of Asia The Ministers are compared to starres first because as starres send out light to men on earth so the Ministers ought to giue light to men euen spirituall light by doctrine taught by them and by conuersatiō of life among them Secondly they be compared to stars because as the stars haue their continuall abode in heauen neuer descend downe so the Ministers of the word especially should haue their conuersation in heauen It is the dutie of all but more specially of the Ministers in regard of their callings first by seeking their owne saluation secondly by seeking the saluation of others by which two they must haue their conuersation in heauē though they haue their bodies in earth thirdly because they shall be honoured of God in heauen as the starres for Dan. 12. they which do their dutie they shall shine like starres in the firmament They be in Christs right hand that is all regiment and gouernement in matters of the Church belongs to Christ he alone hath the whole disposition and ordering of the ministery seeing he alone is head of the Church and the Ministers they be in his right hand he rules and raignes in his church he careth for it and looketh to it Seeing these starres be in Christs right hand this shewes that the choosing furnishing of the ministers of the word belongs to Christ Eph. 4. he giueth them their gifts and places then we ought in this last age to pray the Lord to send out laborers into his haruest that so his children might be gathered and an end made of these miserable dayes He holds these seuen starres in his right hand Whereby we see he giueth them defence and protection so long as they be faithful in their callings He carieth them in his right hand though they haue sundry discouragements yet seeing Christ he ordereth their ministery and disposeth of it if they be faithfull nothing should hinder their course nothing should cut them off from their duty neither the want of obediēce in them to whom they preach and labour not seeing that fruit they should nor the iniuries of the enemies of their profession nor any thing else Seeing they be in his right hand this sheweth the excellency of this calling of the ministery Idle men esteeme it most base accept of it as of a meane calling and so discourage many but in the sight of God it is an high and holy calling he carieth them in his right hand defends them and protects them Now what greater glory can there be then that they should be so honored to be borne and caried in the right hand of the King of heauen and earth though wicked men dishonour them esteeme so basely of thē This should stir those who haue good gifts to get this high and holy calling thus to be honoured of Christ. They must be vnblameable for seeing Christ carieth them in his right hand he will hold nothing but that which is holy and pure as he is but if it be defiled sinfull and wicked he will take it out of his right hand put it vnder his brazen foote and grind it to peeces and the more he had honoured them the more will he dishonour them By the same reason the hearers are bound to profit else they must drinke of the same cup for if the ministers be punished for not preaching then they for not hearing And out of his mouth c. In these words he describes him by the two last parts of his body his mouth and his face And in his mouth was a two edged sword c. By this two edged sword is meant the doctrine of the law and the Gospel vttered and propounded by the Prophets and Apostles and this two edged sword is described Heb. 4. 12. It is mightie in operation c. The doctrine of the law and the Gospell is compared to a two edged sword because as a sword with a double edge enters not onely into the flesh but to the bones yea euen to the marrow so the word preached it enters into the heart deepely to the diuiding of the spirits yea it enters to the very bottome of the heart it searcheth euery nooke and corner which is most secret The word hath a double operation one in the wicked another in the godly In the wicked this sharpe two edged sword of the word it wounds them at the heart with a deadly wound and so by the same wound brings them to eternall death Esa. 11. 4. He shall with his breath that is the sword of his word slay the wicked This is that sword that hath and will kill Antichrist Ob. But how cometh it that the word of God should wound or kill any how should it slay a wicked and vnrepentant sinner Answ. We must know there be three degrees of spirituall death The first is the separation of bodie and soule when the bodie is laid in the graue the soule conueyed to the place of torments The second is when a sinner in this life by the word is wounded and smitten and so receiueth in his heart a deadly wound The third degree is at the end of this life at the last iudgement whē soule and bodie shall go into hell fire for euen a sinner receiueth his deadly wound in this life which is the first steppe to hell and eternall death in the life to come In the inflicting and giuing of this wound there be three actions of Christ required which he worketh in the hearts of the wicked by the doctrine of the law and the Gospell The first is to reueale to them their sinnes all their pride rebellion hypocrisie the damnable corruptions of their hearts and all their sinnes against the first and second Table 1. Cor. 14. 24. 25. If in the Church all prophecie there come in one which beleeueth not he is rebuked of all because they iudge him an hypocrite and so the secrets and corruptions of his heart are laid open and discouered by the word preached The second action of Christ is this he after reuealeth to them the wrath and curse of God against sinne his indignation against the breakers of the law and for this cause the law is called the killing law because it sheweth iudgement without mercie for the transgressions of the law Thirdly Christ by the word preached sharpeneth the sting of conscience maketh it awake and terrifieth a man when he heareth or remembreth the word and the curse denounced against sinners So Felix when Paul preached to him of iustice and temperancie he fainted and trembled the word was a two edged sword of the spirit to wound his conscience with terrour and feare So Dan. 5. Beltashar seeing but an hand writing he
and perswade our selues that Christ is present in the midst of his Church and withall guideth blesseth and protecteth the same we cannot but be moued to walke as Enoch and Abraham did with God euen as in his presence In this second verse is the second part of the Epistle which is the proposition which containeth the very matter and substance of the Epistle This proposition hath two parts first a commendation of this Church especially of the Ministers in the second and third verses secondly a rebuke or reprehension in the fourth verse First the commendation is in generall I know thy workes Secondly in particular for particular duties in the words following I know thy workes Some expound it of workes of mercie and liberalitie but that cannot stand But when he saith I know thy workes that is the dealings and practises of the people and Ministers in their callings and affaires I know them they are open and not hid from me and not onely know them but with approbation allow them as in cōparing this with the fourth verse where there is an opposition Though I know thy workes that is allow them yet I find fault in some things with thee Whereas Christ he knoweth that is approueth their works wayes dealing conuersation and liuing this may be a remedie against all secret and hidden sinnes The adulterer theefe and murtherer wait for the night when they thinke none see them then they may as they thinke practise any sinne so the tradesman he thinking no man seeth him changeth and counterfeiteth his wares and blearing mans eye thinketh all is well And the cause why there is such fraud deceipt guile and iniustice among men is because men thinke they can do it so as none shall see them they say God regardeth and seeth not our dealing Psal. 94. 7. But if men would consider that though they can bleare the eye of man yet they cannot hide it from God seeing they be alwaies in his sight this would make men make conscience of many secret corruptions and sins in their hearts Whereas this knowledge is ioyned with approbation and so Christ approueth of their workes some may aske How can God approue of that which doth not satisfie his law as the best workes of the most holy men of God being stained with sin do not Answ. The Gospell reuealeth to vs more then the lawe being the second part of the word Now the Gospell telleth vs that if a man will and vnfainedly do his indeuour to please God to obey his will if a man do this in truth the Lord accepteth the will for the deed So Christ here he approueth of their workes proceeding from a pure will and earnest indeuour as perfect taking the will for the deed But seeing Christ approueth their workes the Papists may argue hence thus If God approue thus of men then they haue no sinne if they haue none then a man may fulfill the law in this life and so be iustified by works Ans. Christ approueth not their or our workes simply but in part as they be his workes proceeding from his spirit in our hearts but as they proceed from our corrupt will and be fruites of our flesh he doth not Againe Christ approues them with pardon as they be pardoned and if they were not so approued he could not approue them at all Christ sayth I know your workes that is as proceeding from my spirit and as pardoned hauing the guilt taken from them Now I come to her commendation particularly which is especially of the Angel or minister in whom the first thing commended is this namely labour which is an excellent vertue especially in the Ministers painfulnesse diligence and labour in guiding and gouerning the church ouer which they are set and this vertue is worthy of commendation as 1. Tim. 5. 17. he which ruleth well is worthy of double honour And Paul matched and preferred himselfe before all other Apostles in this that he laboured more then they all Seeing our Sauiour Christ commends this labour of the ministery we see it is a worke of paines and diligence if it be well done and not of ease and idlenesse as men commonly esteeme of it else Christ would neuer commend it aboue all other works in the ministery Seeing Christ commends the Ministers in being painful and diligent in teaching and gouerning the people must be diligent in learning and obeying them But men thinke all is wel if they come and heare the word though they take no paines to know and vnderstand it they will not take paines to increase in the knowledge of Religion And the want of this paines and diligence in the people is the cause why the word is heard without profit Men bestow all paines care and diligence in worldly things and yet take no paines in the principall namely that which belongs to their soules health but if they would be commended of Christ then they must vse diligence take paines in hearing learning and obeying the word of God The Minister must labour to teach and to gouerne the people ergo they must labor to obey and keepe a good conscience and to practise religion And as Paul laboured to keepe a good conscience so must all men learne to know and vnderstand the word and then to obey and practise the same Secondly Christ he commends their patience in bearing the crosse which vsually followes the Gospell and this is worthy commendation seeing it is more then many of the Prophets performed Ierem. 20. was exceeding impatient Ionah being schooled in the whales belly yet after that all things falling not out to his mind he was most impatient But this Angel laboured and withall ioyed in the crosse and persecution As he did so must Ministers labour to publish the Gospell and because the crosse accompanies the Gospell they must be armed against persecution with patience they must endure all crosses as Luke 8. 15. the good ground brings forth frutie with patience The practise of Religion and patience must go together Now Christ ioyneth these two labouring in his calling and patience together seuereth them not first because before the fal man could do all his dutie without trouble with ease and ioy but since the fall we being corrupted can do nothing but it is a trouble to vs and God set this marke on our sinnes that all our duties should be troublesome and our callings should haue crosses and calamities ioyned with them Secondly because as the Ministers labor to increase in the people knowledge and to do their duties so the diuell labours to hinder them and to stay them therefore they must not onely labour but be diligent to striue with patiēce So Paul 1. Thess. 2. he wold haue come to thē but Satan hindred him Now as Christ ioyneth these two in the ministery so in all callings these must go together both in particular callings of the church and of the common wealth First we
to allow of those bookes for canonical which are not and to make them as pure Scripture which are onely Apocrypha And thou hast suffered In the former words were the first part namely of her seueritie for which Christ commended the church of Ephesus now followeth the second part which is after their discouery to oppose her self against false apostles how it will appeare in the particulars First of the words Thou hast suffered or as well thou hast borne as a burthen for the word signifieth to be pressed down vnder a great burden These burdens were troubles which these false apostles caused after they were discouered first open iniuries and persecutions secondly the spreading of damnable and hereticall doctrines The Ecclesiasticall histories report that these false apostles were such as Cerinthus Ebeon Marcion and such like Now in these words we note it is the will of God that euen the best church shall be troubled by false Apostles teaching hereticall doctrine and persecuting the church of God and so become great burdens to the church and that the Lord suffers for weightie causes first these false apostles must be that the beleeuers and true imbracers of the Gospel might be stirred vp more to embrace and loue the same as Iude exhorts the true beleeuers To fight for their common faith and the more religion is oppressed the more we should labour to maintaine it Secondly that professors might be proued and tried whether they be true and sound or not 1. Cor. 11. 19. There must be heresies c. Thirdly that God may exercise his indgements on the wicked and hypocrites for they be giuen vp to beleeue lies to receiue their false doctrine 2. Thess. 2. 11. Seeing the Lord suffereth his best churches to be troubled with false Apostles and that for most weightie causes we must not be offended because we see dissensions and scismes in the church which proceed not by reason of the Gospell but from wicked erronious and hereticall men for the Lord will haue such to liue in his church to make his owne seruants to loue him more to trie who be sound professors and to bring iudgement on the wicked these should not make vs discouraged but more to loue and embrace the Gospell Now after the dealing of these false apostles is set downe the dealing of the church of Ephesus against them in all things opposing her selfe against them Thou hast suffered and hast patience That is thou hast borne a burden by manifold troubles and persecutions and hast patience to beare them Obiect But how can troubles persecutions and patience stand together for troubles are against mens nature and makes them fret and be impatient against God man Ans. These stand together not by nature but by grace Rom. 5. 4. Tribulation brings patience And they stand thus together to him which truly beleeueth in Christ God giueth the spirit of meeknes sheds his loue in his heart so in the midst of trouble giues him a speciall tast of his mercie And thus in the time of trouble they which be most troubled are withal most patient so trouble and patience may be together And hast patience Here is the first way by which the church of Ephesus opposed her self against false apostles and their dealings which were double first iniuries and persecutions secondly false doctrines heretical and damnable teaching Now by patience she opposed her selfe to both these So the onely way to oppose our selues against persecutors such as iniury or wrong vs is patience whereby we stop their mouthes and if it be possible ouercome and winne them to Christ. This should be our meanes to oppose our selues against wicked men as well in life and maners as in iudgement and doctrine not to returne iniury for iniurie and wrong for wrong but to haue patience not that we should beare their sinnes but their wrongs And for my names sake hast laboured Here is the second meanes how she opposed her selfe against their spreading of damnable and hereticall doctrine which is the second way how they were a burden to her Hast laboured that is taken much paines for my name that is my glory and the Gospell of Christ for maintaining my glory and true Religon thou hast taken as great paines as they did to broach heresies and so thou hast opposed thy selfe against them Here then is our second way to oppose our selues against damnable heresies of wicked men we must labour to haue the true word of God to maintaine the glory of God and true Religion Is this so Then euery man shall labour for the name and Religion of Christ both minister and people for this labour is double partly of the minister partly of the people Concerning ministers the ministers first labour must be by studying and reading the word to furnish himselfe with sufficient knowledge in the foundation and substance of the Gospel of Christ. And for this cause S. Iohn Reuelation 11. must eate the booke that is by study meditation haue it in his hart and mind to digest it wel Psal. 2. 7. the Priests lips must preserue knowledge and the people must seeke it at his mouth Secondly he must deliuer the whole counsell of God concerning the matter of saluation to the people and the whole doctrine of the Gospell contained in the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles So did Paul Act. 20. He kept nothing backe but deliuered the whole counsell of God Thirdly he must be able to discouer and labour to discerne false teachers to the people not onely to know them but make the church to know them Tit. 1. he must conuince false teachers and then discerne and discouer them which he shall do by two things first by conuincing and discrying their erronious doctrine secondly by reprouing their wicked life So Christ noteth the erronious doctrine of the Scribes and Pharises in their misinterpreting the law secondly their hypocriticall life So Paul in all his Epistles noteth wicked mens errours and then their bad life Fourthly he must labour that the doctrine deliuered out of the Gospell may edifie and take fruite in mens hearts which is the end of all preaching and teaching 1. Cor. 14. Fifthly he must labour to be a patterne and president in his owne person of that doctrine which he teacheth that so they may haue his example to follow which is an excellent meanes to make them obey the word and the neglect of it is the cause why many contemne the word Sixthly he must make petition to God that his particular church may hold receiue obey that doctrine he deliuereth So Paul in all his Epistles praies for them that they may receiue his doctrine Now as the minister so the people also must labour for the name of Christ euery true member of the church must labour to know vnderstand that doctrine which is deliuered out of the word Christ bids vs beleeue the Gospel and repent therfore we must first know
members we must hate that he hateth loue that he loueth so shew that we be true Christians and members of Christ. Ob. Christ he hateth wicked men why then suffereth he them to liue destroyeth theÌ„ not or take them out of his Church Answ. He suffereth them for iust cause for he can bring good out of euill light out of darknesse he can turne that which is most wicked in it selfe to his glorie and the benefite of his Church and children and the destruction of his enemies Then no maruel though he suffer them which he hateth Let him which hath an eare heare what the Spirit saith c. In this verse Christ inferreth this conclusion vpon the former words It containeth in it two parts the first a coÌ„mandement the second a promise A coÌ„mandement Let him that hath ears c. A promise in the end of the verse For to him will I giue of the tree c. and this conclusion serueth to stirre vp the Church of Ephesus to consider of the former things Christ taught her In the commandement is three things the first who be coÌ„maunded He which hath an eare secondly what is commanded namely to heare thirdly the thing which must be heard What the Spirit saith The parties commaunded to heare are described they which haue an eare that is which can heare Mat. 13. Christ expoundeth it he which hath an eare to heare that is an hearing eare he must heare and giue attention to the word By this we see there be two kinds of hearers one is a deafe hearer not hauing an hearing eare as those which bring outwaâ—d and bodily eares to the word but not the eares of the hart for their hearts are not affected with the word they cannot obey that they heare Secondly there is an hearing hearer who not onely heareth with the outward eare of the bodie but he hath his heart pierced and touched hath new eares made by Gods spirit this is he which bringeth both the eares his head and heart to the word who is affected with it applyeth it to his owne heart and beleeueth the word heard Such an eare had Dauid the Lord God bored his eare and made him new ears euen ears of heart Mine ears hast thou opened And when the Lord spake to him hauing new eares he answereth the Lord Lo I come his heart heard the Lord. Such eares had Isaiah Send me Such had Lydia her eares were opened and she became attentiue to Paules words the Lord gaue her new eares Seeing Christ maketh this distinction of hearers on earth then grace is not vniuersall sauing grace is not giuen to euery particular man that he if he will may heare and haue saluation for there must be some deafe hearers as well as hearing hearers Then all cannot heare nor haue eternall life seeing all cannot come to faith and repentance by hearing Nay though God admit all into the Church yet he giueth not grace to euery one to heare so that he becometh a profitable hearer to beleeue and repent by hearing Mat. 13. It is giuen to you to know not to others noting that some onely haue the spirit of God to heare to know his will and become obedient to the same Seeing the commandement is giuen to hearing hearers we must labour to become such to become good hearers not to bring onely the eares of the bodie to the word but the eares of the heart not onely eares of our bodie which we haue by creatioÌ„ but the eares of our soules which we haue by regeneration and neuer thinke our selues well till we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hearing of the heart to beleeue and obey that we heare can affect the same and be changed and turned by it Iosiah heard the law and that not with bodily eares but with his heart so that he turned to the Lord accordingly Dauid Psalm 26. God biddeth him seeke him he hauing his eares bored anew maketh answer Lord I will seeke thy face Take heed then of deafe eares when we heare the word daily not profiting by it are not changed in life for this deafe eare is a fearefull iudgement of God that men hearing should not heare nor obey and be bettered by that they heare And yet this is our common hearing for the most part we come bring our bodily eare to the word but our hearts hearken not they obey not that we heare but we remaine as blind and ignorant and as full of sinne as euer and that after long hearing Which sheweth we are indeed deafe hearers The second point is the dutie commanded namely to heare Hearing in the word of God is not onely listening with the bodily eares but to be attentiue to the word and with attention to adde faith repentance conuersion and obedience to it for we if we be good hearers then we must heare so as we be changed from the corruption of the old man and learne to beleeue in Christ. Eph. 4. 21. and as much as we practise and obey so much we learne for we heare no further then we obey Then seeing we must so heare the word we must suffer our selues to be chaunged and altered labour to obey the word and to be changed by it And except we thus heare the word is not to vs the sauor of life but of death and as the good hearing is the readie means to saluation so the deafe hearing is to destructioÌ„ The third point which is commaunded by God namely that which the Spirit speaketh The thing which we must heare with attention faith obedience is repentance for our wants and sinnes for of that Christ spake afore Then this is a most necessarie thing for men to consider their owne wants and sinnes and the iudgement of God for them for else Christ would not haue added these words for the conclusion of the Epistle who hauing shewed theÌ„ their wants and the remedie and the iudgment of God for 〈◊〉 sinnes he addeth this caueat which sheweth the necessitie of these things Then it standeth vs vpon to consider our own personal wants our sinnes and the wrath of God against them for the omitting of this dutie is the bringing of Gods iudgement vpon vs and the practise of it is the preuenting and turning away of Gods iudgements And as priuate men of their personall sinnes so must countries cities in generall remeÌ„ber their wants sins and do their first workes In the end of the verse are two reasons to moue them to heare the first because the things spoken are spoken by the Spirit that is the holy Ghost the third person in Trinitie the second because he speaketh not to one or two but to all the Churches in one Ob. But how can the Spirit speake these words seeing Christ speaketh them Ans. Both may stand for all outward actions of the persons in Trinitie are common to them all and seeing this to teach the Church is an outward action it belongeth to
chose Babylon a citie of confusion and abhomination So he hath chosen Rome which is become of a famous Church the throne of Satan So Ierusalem the citie of God the temple of God first began to be a denne of theeues and then the citie fell to wickednesse so the diuell getteth Gods temple and the holy citie to be his throne And in our time he getteth the great cities shire townes for his throne for in thē is greater ignorance and the Gospell more contemned then in small villages in which after litle preaching it is willingly embraced Now the cause of this is because the diuell laboureth especially to haue his throne where he may do the most harme and conuey his doctrine to moe places and liue without controlment If this or any other shire towne or any great citie liue in sin in ignorance and contemne the Gospell take heed for they shall become in time a denne of theeues and a synagogue of Satan he will haue his throne there Now then it is our dutie to labor against him to haue his throne plucked downe to haue him defaced and cast out haue our bodies and soules subiect to Christ renounce our selues relye wholly on Christ forsake our owne waies neuer lend our eares to Satan let him haue no footing in vs neuer suffer him to come to haue his throne begunne but still labour to haue it razed and turned vpside downe and withall suffer Christ to rule suffer him alone to possesse our hearts that so the kingdome of Satan being ouerthrowne the kingdome of Iesus Christ may be increased daily in vs. Wheras the Church of God is gathered out of that place where the diuell hath his kingdome erected we note that the Church of God is a companie of men deriued and taken out of the Synagogue of Satan the kingdome of the diuell though it be a chosen people yet it is picked out of the kingdome of the diuell where he ruleth Col. 1. 12. 13. for all men are by nature the vassals of Satan and subiects in his kingdome Then no man must stand of his gentilitie and of his nobility and bloud but all our true ioy must be in this that we are the members of the true Church of God for what will it auaile a man to haue a golden chaine on his necke and haue his will and affections vnder the slauerie of the diuell or to be the sonne of a Prince and yet to be out of the true Church and to be in the companie of the wicked a slaue and vassall of the diuell But our ioy must be in this that we are members of the Church of God and haue right to the kingdome of heauen Sundrie men thinke a man may be saued by any religion and most of the common people thinke that good meaning will saue them but a man may professe any religion and haue good meaning and yet not know one step to the kingdome of heauen but remaine the vassall and slaue of Satan For a man may haue outward ciuill iustice and ciuill pollicie and meane well yet be the seruant of the diuell We see the children of God gaine a priuiledge aboue all other for in affliction and persecution though they be cast into dangers yet they may assure themselues seeing they be members of Gods church they be freed from the kingdome of the diuell and so from that place of darknesse Seeing the preaching of the word gained a Church in the middle of the kingdome of the diuell we see the word hath a diuine power for there is no creature which hath greater power in earth then the diuell except good Angels yet the preaching of the word draweth one out of the kingdom of the diuel and gathereth a Church in the midst of his kingdome Seeing in Pergamus where the throne of the diuell was Gods children were we see that God will haue his seruants to dwell in the middle of the wicked and mingled with the vassals of the diuell yet so as he doth this for good causes first that their faith obedience and repentance might be exercised secondly that so they might be kept frō many grieuous sins into which else they would fall So when the Lord brought the Israelites into the land of Canaan he would not cast all their enemies out at once but they must be mingled and dwell with the Canaanites for if they should destroy them at once the wild beasts might haue destroyed the land so the Church must be mingled with euill men that the godly may be exercised and that they might be kept from more grieuous sinnes Secondly he will haue his children to dwell with wicked vngodly men that their godly life might shine as lights among them Philip. 2. 17. and so to winne them to the Gospell for a godly life is most effectuall to win men to Christ. Thirdly that the Lord might shew speciall tokens of his loue and fauour to them that when he bringeth his iudgements on the wicked yet he defendeth them Ezech. 9. 4. He marked them which mourned that they might escape the iudgement which was brought on Ierusalem Then if any man dwell among such as contemne and hate religion and the doctrine of the Gospell let them be cōtented seeing it is Gods will they should dwell with the wicked and the Lord will haue his Church on earth proued and exercised by them We see it is lawfull for men to dwell with and by such wicked men but they must not communicate with them in their sinnes but abstaine from their wickednesse as Lot in Sodome and Noah dwelt with the wicked men of the old world and the church of Pergamus in the place where the diuels kingdom was erected For 1. Cor. 7. there is a question whether a seruant hauing a maister which is an infidell may forsake him or not the answer is made he must dwell with him but so that therby he deny not the principall grounds of religion but keepe a good conscience towards God in all things And hence we may see how to answer that old obiection of the Papists Where was our Church fourscore yeares agone before Luther preached when the doctrine of Antichrist was in all Europe By the like I aske Where was the Church of Pergamus when the kingdome of the diuell was there The holy Ghost telleth vs that in the same time when the diuell had erected his throne mightily in that place yet there was the church of God So when the man of sinne had spread his doctrine of wickednesse in all Europe yet there was a Church amongst vs in this and other lands as appeares in that euer there was some which both openly and priuately oppugned his doctrine by word and writing in all ages which shews that though sin ruled in this church many hundred yeares yet the Lord had professors though not so visible as now it is when men may professe openly in euery place without feare And
and place and not before fit persons So Paul saith that if to eate should offend he would neuer eate 1. Cor. 9. So here Balaam giueth offence they of Pergamus take it to commit sinne and to be stirred vp to fall from God The meanes by which Balaam cast these offences before the Israelites namely by prouoking them to eate of the meate offered to idols and commit fornication Numb 25. When Balaam had vsed many waies to curse them and could not preuaile he vsed new meanes which was to send out most wicked and beautifull women to inuite them to their idole banquets and to fornication and they condescended to them Hence we gather this is the peculiar note of a false Prophet to draw men to offence to cast stumbling blockes before them in the way to saluation for Balaam a false Prophet is noted by this and as Paul saith godlinesse and true religion is a great mysterie to saluation so false teaching is a mysterie tending to the destruction of mens soules So that by this note we may iudge of all religions both of the Iew and the Turke but especially of the Papists which most trouble vs in this Church for all religions whose doctrine tendeth to stop or hinder men in the way to saluation they be the doctrines of diuels The Papists religion which our ancient folke call the old religion is a doctrine tending to destroy men to ouerturne the whole morall law of God especially to maintaine adulterie and idolatrie The first commandement is thou shalt haue the true God onely for thy God But the Papists make moe then one they make the creatures Gods they inuocate Saints which what is it but to make them Gods to giue them his honour seeing he alone is present euery where seeth the hart and seeing they say they can merit which none can do formans sin but onely God no not Christ himself if he were not God Nay they make the wooden crosse not Christ on the crosse to be God in that they call it their hope and so the virgin Mary calling her our Ladie putting hope in her and saying she can commaund her Sonne in heauen in the matter of saluation The second Commaundement they in practise breake in making images of God the Father like an old man the Sonne as he was on earth and the holy Ghost in forme of a doue with religious worship adore and worship Saints They erre against the third commaundement teaching that a man may sweare by Saints and the fourth in that they make festiual dayes of men and saints to be equal with the Sabbath of the Lord and take away mens libertie of labouring six dayes to worship their saints As for the fift commandement in this they make subiects free from their lawful loyalty to their lawful Princes In the sixt they make and appoint places to which murderers may flie and be safe and in keeping the word from lay men as they call them and so murder their soules In the seuenth they maintaine stewes and houses of professed adultery and hold that the vncle may marry his neece or his great neece For the eight commandement they ouerthrow it in that they make all things saleable heauen hell purgatory and all which is manifest robbery They wrong the ninth commaundement in that they falsly make mens writings the canon of Gods word nay they maintaine lying seeing that they hold a man being asked of a thing he knowes as when one hath confessed his sinnes another askes him he may though he know the same say he knoweth not that is they know not them to tell them to you but that is a slender excuse For the tenth commaundement they make concupiscence and lust to be no sin and put out that commaundement So that we see this whole religion which is called of old people the old religon is cleane new from the true religion nay it is a doctrine of diuels seeing it tends to leade men to destruction and ouerturning of the whole law of God To come to our owne church true it is men slaunder our doctrine saying it is scandalous three wayes first that we teach God creates men to cast the greatest number of them into hel destroy them First we answer we hold that though the scripture speakes not of any certaine number yet the elect are said to be a small number Secondly the end why God created men was not to destroy them but to manifest his own glory in their due iust deserued damnation destructiō not that he created men to this end to cast them to hell Secondly they charge the doctrine of our church to be a blasphemous doctrine seeing we hold that God decreed mans fall and so do make him the author of sinne Answ. We say indeed that God decreed mans fall permitted him to sin yet teach we not that he is the author of sin for his wil is double generall and particular in his generall wil he decreed to permit man to sin and fall yet so as in respect of God it was good though in respect of man euill for as he can draw out of darknesse light so out of euill he can worke good to himselfe Secondly there is his speciall wil by which he wils and delights onely in that which is good and by this he hated mans fall And euen as the Magistrate hates would not the death of the malefactor yet he wils it in that he executes the same so the Lord he in his general wil willed the permitting of mans fall not as it was euil but as it turned to his glory and honour and the good of the elect Lastly they charge our doctrine to be a doctrine of securitie and carnall carelesnesse in that we teach men may be certaine of their saluation and to perseuere to the end but seeing we withal teach a man must vse the meanes daily pray heare the word receiue the sacraments and performe all the duties of faith and religion to the end we teach no doctrine of carnall securitie but a doctrine of paine and trouble which maketh men not carelesse but careful to come to heare to be certaine and to perseuere therefore they charge vs wrongfully in all these Seeing it is so great a sinne to giue offence we must take especiall heed we giue no offence in our life conuersation word or deed but so to cary our selues that we liue vnspottedly for if we giue offence we are Balaams scholers and tread in his path Let vs then in our callings so cary our selues vprightly that we giue no offence for wo to them by whom offences come nay it were better they had a mil-stone tied to them and they cast into the sea for that is to plunge our brothers soule as much as in vs lieth to the gulfe of hel But we must rather labour to help him to take from him al blocks of offence which if men would do then our Church should flourish
but the want of this makes men bold to sin and to run on by sinne into hell And as none must giue offence so we must take heed we take no offence or be allured to sin by mens wicked either counsel or examples nay we must cast off all things which may any way hinder vs in the way to heauen if our right eye or hand offend or any thing which is most deare and neare vs we must cut it off if we do so then Gods blessing is with vs. The Israelites in the borders of the Moabites so long as they serued the Lord all curses could not hurt them but turned to their good but after they tooke offence by the Moabitish women to be inticed by them then they came to eat with them at their idol-feasts and commit fornication and then the wrath of the Lord was vpon them The like may be said of vs. Seeing they vsed these meanes when they could not preuaile by cursing to send their fairest women to inuite them to their banquets to incite them to commit fornication we see that temptations drawn frō the right hand from profit and pleasure are most dangerous and preuaile most with men to bring them to sinne and to fall from God As a man that cannot win a citie by force yet by gold by promises of profit or pleasure getteth the gate open so when the diuell cannot preuaile with bitter sharp temptations then he vseth those of the right hand and ouerthroweth many We must then take heed especially of these For this cause Iob sacrificed daily for his children when they had bene feasting lest they should then haue sinned Vers. 15. Euen so thou hast those which maintaine the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes In these words is the second part of the comparison in which two things first what the Nicolaitanes were secondly how Christ was affected toward them First what they were in the Church of Pergamus is manifest in these words Euen so which is a word of resemblance and relation that may thus be described They were a sect of men in the Church of Pergamus which maintained two damnable opinions according to the doctrine of Balaam first that it was lawful to eate meate offered to idols euen in the idoll temples secondly that fornication was no sin as we haue shewed before It may seeme strange that in the dayes of the Apostles so soone after Christ there should be any such which held these damnable opinions yet we see there were such notorious heretickes Now that we fauour not their opinions we must know the grounds of their errors For the first error that a man might eate meat offered to idols euen in the very temples of idols for is they might vrge Christian libertie thus Those things which be indifferent may be lawfully vsed but to eate meate offered to idols is a thing indifferent ergo Ans. If these meats be cōsidered in themselues they be indifferent and may lawfully be vsed nay after they be offered to idols if they be sold in the market and bought they may be eaten priuately so that we wound not any weake Christian. But as they be prepared to be offered to idols vsed in idol-temples for the honour of them we may not vse them as prepared for the idol vsed and offered in the temple and had in honour of them Now the Nicolaitans vsed them so therefore vnlawfully Secondly they might and did alleage being professors of Christ outwardly other places of scripture as that Paul saith An idoll is nothing ergo it is no sinne to eate that which is offered to them Ans. An idol is nothing by nature subsisting or being nothing which hath any sparke of the Godhead in it but yet in mans braine it is something seeing in mens minds and imaginations they repute it as a God Thirdly they might alleage Naamans exāple 2. King 5. 18. who went into the temple of Rimmon and kneeled downe there Ans. He kneeled not to the idol but to the King who was there leaned on his hand so that he bowed downe not with any diuine worship to the idol but with ciuil worship to the Kings Maiestie and Naaman was in the temple not to worship the idoll but to make protestation that he would serue the God of Israel and for that end caried as much earth as two mules could beare to offer sacrifice to the Lord. And if the Nicolaitans had bene so in the idol temples to protest that they would worship the true God then they had not sinned So if any come into a place and be present where Masse is said with protestation to serue the Lord he then allowes not of the same but rather condemnes them for it For the second opinion of these Nicolaitanes that fornication was no sinne they seemed so to proue it out of Genes 19. 18. when the men of Sodom came to Lots house he offereth them his daughters now he would not haue done it say they if it had bin a sin Ans. Lot seemes to be faulty and not to be excused in that though he thought to escape the greater sin by the lesser but we must not do euil that good may come thereof Againe they might vrge that Hos. 1. the Lord commanded Hosea to take a wife and children of fornication Ans. 1. Some say it was onely in vision not in deed 2. Some answer that he did it in speech onely as he was a Prophet because he prophesied to the people that he was as one that had such a wife and children which both are safe answers and allowed Other more likely say it was a thing not in vision and word only but in deed and truth done And surely seeing the Prophets name the womans name her fathers name are set downe it seemeth to be a thing done indeed Neither doth a thing in speech so much affect the people as a deed and fact done And the best and most auncient interpreters which were nearest the time of Christ interpret it a thing done indeed But you may say this was against good maners contrary to Gods law that the Prophet should take such a wife Ans. No seeing God is aboue his law and can dispense with it as when he bids Abraham kil his sonne and he had not sinned if he had slaine him so here Hosea he did not sinne hauing a particular and speciall commaundement for the same Neither did he this to commit fornication but to make of an harlot an honest woman and he is bidden to take the children of fornination not that he should beget any in fornication but take her children which she had borne in fornication Againe Act. 15. The Apostle speaking of two things indifferent ioyneth fornication to them Ans. First he doth so because the Gentiles thought that it was no sinne but indifferent and they are there conioyned though fornication be not a thing indifferent because the Gentiles offended the Iewes by these three ioyntly together Now followeth
her time to repent and commaundement to repent for other ends first that then he may with the time giue grace also to repent that so she and we may see what we should do and withall see our owne want that we are not able to do as we are commaunded and so to make vs inexcusable And she repented not Here Iesabels sinne is set downe namely impenitency and going on in her sins of fornication and idolatry concerning which sins note two things first where impenitency is forbidden secondly how great a sin it is First where it is forbidden Ans. There are two parts of the word the law and the Gospell and these two be seuered and distinct neither can be mingled one with the other Now the law cōmands things which we in that nature of man in which Adam was could haue fulfilled but the Gospell commaunds things aboue nature The law cannot command repentance seeing it reuealeth not repentance but the Gospell commaunds it and so by an Euangelicall commaundement this sin is forbidden As for the second part how great this sinne is know we that when men liue and go on in their sins it is a great sin seeing by it men heape vp sinne and wrath to themselues Some say it is a sin against the holy Ghost but it is vntrue for that is a blasphemy so is not impenitency that is in this life but impenitency properly is at death Hence the Papists gather againe that a man hath free will seeing he gaue her time to repent but she would not Ans. She had free will to sinne as all men haue and so to be impenitent but it followes not that she had free wil to do good to repent without Gods speciall grace That which Christ said of Iesabel may be said of our Church and most men among vs he giueth vs long time to repent ten twenty or thirty yeares not one of a hundred repents we care not to heare the word and receiue the sacraments we will not turne to God truly but lie in sin in ignorance in contempt of the word in prophanation of the Sabbath couetousnesse adultery idlenesse drinking and eating so that our liues tell plainly not one of a thousand turnes to God truly Now Christ hauing reproued the Church and Iesabel from the 22. to the 28. verse he giueth speciall counsell to them both The end of his counsell is to direct them how to auoide the iudgement of God both in this and the life to come The counsell of Christ hath two parts the first concerneth the woman Iesabel and her company the second the Church of Thyatira The counsell concerning her is in the 22. and 23. verses the summe of it is to repent thou Iesabel and thy company and disciples repent of your sins This is not expressed but in stead therof is the reason vers 22. 23. The reason is this If thou wilt not repent I will punish thee with sundry iudgements but thou wouldst not be punished with sundry iudgements therefore repent Behold I will This is the reason in which note two parts first a threatning secondly an exception except they repent of their workes Before the threatning Christ sets this note of attention This should teach her vs to cōsider seriously of iudgements against sin and sinners in the written word of God Iosias when the law was read his heart melted which was at the threatnings of the law 2. King 24. So when Peter preached the Iewes were pricked in heart because he told them of the fearefull iudgement due to them for killing the Lord of life Act. 2. 37. So should we with Iosias be humbled at the serious consideration of Gods threatnings against sin and be moued to repent And the cause why sin is so rife is because men thinke not earnestly or else regard not Gods iudgements against sin and sinners The threatning hath three parts according to three estates The first concerning Iesabel I will cast her into a bed We may gather the meaning of these words by those 2. Sam. 13. 5. of Ionadab to Amnon Ly down on thy bed and faine thy self sick So here I I will cast her into a bed that is strike her with some great sicknes the place namely the bed put for the sicknes which is in the man lying on the bed Iesabel tooke pleasure in the bed by fornication who abusing the bed the Lord to punish her in the bed accordingly gaue her sicknes in the same bed which she abused Here is Gods dealing with sinners he punisheth them in those things they haue abused Iesabel abused the bed to fornicatiō the Lord punished her in the bed with some great disease and sicknes Diues abused his tongue and tast in Gods creatures he is punished in them Luke 16. he asked a drop of water to coole his tongue Gamesters take pleasure in abusing time and spend it in carding and dicing their punishment it brings many iudgements on them they come to ruine and misery Ahab to get the vineyard sheds bloud the Lord sheds his Iesabels and his childrens and they which liue by the bloud of the poore draw it out of them are punished with the like for bloud will haue bloud and the Lord will punish men in those sins wherein they tooke most pleasure Then this should admonish vs to take heed we abuse no creature of God for the Lord he will turne the same to our punishment I will cast her That is strike her with some grieuous sicknes Here we see the author of sicknes it is not by chance but comes from the hand of God if men could learne this they would make better vse of sicknesse if men could say the Lord hath cast me on my bed visited my body with sicknes he hath done it for some of my sins to humble me and make me repent then they would find in their recouery a blessing and liue a new life Esay 38. Hezekiah when he lay on his death bed knew it came from the Lord therfore hearing Esay say he must die he turned him to the wall and wept as for other things so especially for his sins and craued pardon for them So Iacob lying on his bed leaned on his staffe sate vp and prayed for pardon of his sins and to testifie his faith and hope to God So should we in our sicknesse shew our faith and hope and pray for pardon of sinnes committed against him The second part of the threatning which concernes her disciples and followers which receiued her doctrine and committed fornication with her and their punishment is to be cast into great affliction We see it is a great sin to commit fornication and not a trick or slip of youth as we call it seeing Christ assignes a great punishment to it Againe we see some causes why townes cities and countries be afflicted with much famine sword and pestilence namely because there be fornicators and maintainers of errors and superstition for God
sends these iudgements as for other sins so for fornication Sodom was destroyed for this sin And euen in our time we haue plagues famin sword many sicknesses and that for this sin among the rest 1. Cor. 11. many were dead for this sin lest they shold come defiled to the Lords table Now followes the exception Except they repent Here we see all Gods iudgements and threatnings be with exception in the matter of saluation And seeing Christ ads this exception vnlesse they repent we see men of yeares condemned in the Church not so much for sin as liuing in sin without repentance Indeed the least sin makes a man subiect to condemnation but lying in sin that brings actual condemnation the wrath of God vpon vs so that if man commit sinne and lie in it he casts his soule away To commit sinne is not that which killeth vs but to lye in sinne for if a man sinne and after repent he shall haue mercie at Gods hands Secondly it is propounded in the midst of the threates for they go before this exception and come after Where we see God mingleth his mercie with iudgement he sheweth not all iudgement nor all mercie but tempereth them together Now in that the Lord will bring iudgement on them vnlesse they repent we see that repentance preuenteth temporall iudgement We haue had long peace and haue abused it to commit sinne now we must looke for Gods iudgements and we see the Spaniard as a weapon of God now the Lord may iustly bring him on vs. The best way to preuent this and al Gods iudgements is for high and low and all estates to repent and so the Lord will turne him away Of thy workes namely fornication idolatrie So we if we wil repent we must cease from our particular sins as the drunkard from his drunkennesse and to liue soberly c. For to say I am sorie and in generall to repent as many men do is but to make shew of repentance but men must leaue each sinne and do the contrarie vertue In the three and twentieth verse is the third part of this threatening I will kill her child with death that is such as be of her familie and her children in fornication not them which follow her doctrine but properly for they are reproued before I will kill It had bene sufficient to say so but he addeth I will kill with death for the certaintie largenesse and fulnesse of it not sparing them But the mother sinned shall the child be punished for her sake Ans. In temporall and bodily punishments it may be so not in eternall punishments Among men if the father be a traitor the Son is punished and beareth the shame then shall it not be equitie with God to punish the sonne for the fathers sinne in bodily punishment And though there were no reason to vs yet we should thinke it good with God But there is reason sufficient why the Lord should destroy cities and commonwealths and families which be linked together by the bond of societie and be members of the same familie Now if one member sinne the other may be punished as in the bodie if the stomacke be sicke the head feeleth it so when the father sinneth the sonne may be punished when the husband the wife when the Maister the seruant when the subiect the magistrate because of the mutuall relation and nigh bond of societie betweene members of the same familie citie or kingdome Is this so then parents had need to take heed how they sinne for they sinning may bring iudgments and death on their familie or their children Then are they cruell parents which liue in sinne not caring for their children but by their sinnes bring Gods iudgements on them and on their families Let then euery man in the societie where he liueth be carefull he sinne not for then he may bring Gods iudgement on the place especially if he be a speciall member as Ahab on himselfe and his children and Dauid on the whole people Then all such as will not looke to themselues but liue in sinne should be banished out of all societies vnlesse they will repent and be new men seeing they do what they can to bring Gods iudgements on that place where they liue Vers. 24. That all Churches may know that I am he which searcheth the heart and reines Christ hauing propounded his threatning here he goeth about to make it take place in them in Iesabell and her company by remouing of two carnall conceipts whereby they might thinke to illude and auoid Christs threatnings For first they might haue said Our practises and sinnes be secret not knowne to men therefore though God threaten we shall escape the iudgements of God but we are without the reach of them they cannot take hold of vs. But Christ in the first words cutteth off this first conception Thogh you may perswade your selues you shall escape iudgement seeing your sinnes be secret yet I search the heart and I will discouer them to all Churches they shall know that I search the heart that is I see and know the most hidden and secret thoughts and affections of the heart That all Churches Christ will discouer their sins not to all the world but to all Churches and this he speaketh to the end to terrifie Iesabel and her companie For as it is a great honour to be approued and esteemed of all Churches so it is a great disgrace and dishonor to be euill thought of by the Churches of God Mat. 18. That which is bound in earth by the church of God is bound in heauen by God himselfe so by proportion those which be euill thought of in Gods church and in disgrace of it they be in disgrace with God in heauen Seeing Christ speaketh this to terrifie Iesabel and her companie we must labour in all things to be approued and esteemed of the Church though we must approue our selues as much as we can to all yet especially to the Church of God and auoide all things which may bring any disgrace or dishonour to the Church for as it is a great honor to be well esteemed of the Church so it is a great dishonor to be il esteemed Ro. 16. 1. Cor. 1. the last verse Paule saith All the Churches salute you not that all Churches send commendations by word of mouth but to confirme and comfort them he saith all true Churches planted by him did approue of them Act. 16. Paul approued of Timothy and receiued him to him because he was commended and had the approbation of the Churches and brethren at Lyconium and Lystra So must we haue the approbation of Gods Church which is the approbation of God himselfe But what would Christ haue all Churches to know namely that I search the heart c. In which words by heart and reines is meant the same thing namely by reines is meant the thoughts and affections of men and by heart is meant so much as it
is plaine in the old new Testament But how can these signifie thoughts and affections seeing thoughts be in the braine affections in the heart neither of them in the reines Ans. By resemblance for as the reines be in the most secret and inward parts of the bodie so thoughts be in the most hidden part of man namely his soule So thoughts are said to be in the heart because they haue operation in the heart though they be placed in the brain Search that is with such circumspection and diligence as bringeth the finding out of that we seek By this is signified that Christ seeth not onely the outward actions but the inward affections and motions nothing the most secret is hidden from him We see by this Christ is not onely man but very God for he which hath the true propertie of God is very God Christ hath ergo He which is God alone can search the heart the thoughts motions and inclinations of the heart but Christ can therefore he is true God one person consisting of two natures the Godhead and manhood Againe seeing Christ discerneth the heart we must in all things take heed of hypocrisie especially in matters of religion when we seeme to be that outwardly which indeed we are not inwardly but we must looke that we be that in truth and in heart which we would seeme to the world to be draw nigh to God with our souls as we do with our bodies lips words and actions For Christ is very God seeth and searcheth our hearts thoughts and affections he looketh not so much to the outward as the inward seruing of him we must worship him in spirit seeing he is a Spirit Besides we must suspect our selues for vnknowne sins for such is the depth of our corruption that we cannot sound the bottome of it neither can we thorougly see the pronenesse of our nature to sinne and corruption Therefore we must suspect our selues euen of all sinnes which we know not and not excuse any sinnes So did Dauid Psalm 19. after earnest search as though he had said Lord I haue searched my heart but I cannot sufficiently know mine owne corruptions therefore O Lord forgiue me all mine vnknowne sinnes And if we could thus suspect our selues we would better practise repentance and liue with greater care but ignorant persons not able to search their corrupt hearts they blesse themselues and excuse themselues nay say they can keepe the whole law Now Christ hauing cut off the first corrupt cōceipt preuenteth the second wherby they might hinder and auoid his iudgement for they might say though the Lord send iudgments yet we shall be safe they shall not come nigh vs. Thus they and euery sinfull man doth say Esa. 28. They in common iudgement make a league with hell saying Gods iudgements shall not come nigh them This is a naturall corruption of our hearts that in common iudgement we shall escape and euery man liketh this Now Christ to cut off this corrupt conceipt saith And will giue as if he had said you may flatter your selues thinke when I send iudgement you shall escape but I will giue to euery one none excepted according to his workes therefore flatter your selues no more I will giue That is I will reward partly in this life and partly at the day of iudgement for it is meant especially of the last iudgement Rom. 2. Reu. 20. Hence the Papists gather that men must be saued not onely by faith but workes seeing God will reward good workes Ans. 1. Their reason standeth thus by that we are iudged by the very same thing we are saued but we are iudged by workes therfore saued by works The flat maior is false for we must distinguish betweene iudgement and iustification To iudge is to declare one iust by his signes as his workes to iustifie is to make a man iust in which we consider nothing but Christ and our faith applying him to vs. So then we are iudged by workes but not iustified neither saued by workes Answ. 2. Christ saith not I will giue for their workes but I will giue them according to their works as their workes be not for them where he maketh workes an outward signe and rule according to which he wil frame his iudgement to declare men iust Seeing euery man must be iudged that is saued or condemned by his workes then good workes are necessarie to saluation for we must be iudged by our workes and saued according to our workes therefore they be necessarie not as causes either efficient or helping any waies but as fruites effects and signes of our faith and markes in the way to heauen which must direct vs to eternall life Seeing we shall be iudged in this life but especially in the last day by our workes we must labour to abound in good workes not to winne heauen by them but to assure our selues we belong to Christ and shall be truly vnited to him Now all good works are either the works or duties of the morall law of God or else they be those workes of our calling both generall as we be Christians or particular in that calling God placeth vs done in faith and loue to Gods glorie the good of others and in obedience to God These be good works to God though the calling be neuer so base for which we shall be rewarded and according to which we shall be iudged and saued Now contrarily euil works they be euident signes of condēnation look how many euil works we do they be so many brands and markes of our soules to shew we be the children of Satan Here we see there are degrees of glorie in heauen and of punishment in hell for he will reward euery one according to his works Then they which haue abounded in good workes they shall haue greater measure of glorie the fewer works the lesser glorie so they which haue committed greatest sinnes they shall haue greatest measure of punishment they which lesse lesse punishment in hell fire And vnto you I say In this foure and twentieth verse he cometh to the second part of his counsell to the Church and Angell of Thyatira that is the better sort of the Church But before the counsell he setteth a preface in which preface note first who speaketh secondly to whom For the first who speaketh namely I. Where Christ as doctor of the church challengeth to himselfe all supremacie and sufficient authoritie ouer the Church for all his Ministers come in his name not in their owne The Lord saith or Christ saith But Christ he comes in his owne name I say Noting he is the head Doctor and teacher of the Church the fountaine and head of all doctrine deliuered to it This Christ saith to smite a reuerence in their harts seeing this counsell is not deliuered to them by any man or Angell but by Christ himselfe who deliuered it to Iohn For the second to whom he giueth counsell namely you that
Secondly in regard of his manhood because the holy Ghost hath powred foorth into his manhood the perfection of all graces and gifts whatsoeuer as he is annointed with the oyle of gladnesse aboue his fellowes And this perfection standeth in two things first in number secondly in degree or measure First in number thus Among Gods seruants some haue these graces some those none haue all but Christ hath all the graces which all men and Angels haue more too Secondly in degree for the graces of Christ are more in measure then all the graces of all the Saints and seruants of God whatsoeuer he hath the fountaine of all grace and therefore he is said to haue the Spirit without measure And for that cause also Christ is said to haue the seuen spirits This is spoken by occasion of the Church and people of Sardis which was a dead people and therefore Christ was able to quicken them and to put life and spirit into them That no man can haue fellowship with the Father or the holy Ghost but by Christ it is manifest by other places No man can come to the Father but by me so there must be a participation with Christ before there can be any with the holy Ghost This serueth for our instruction because among the Papists there be many great learned men which haue excellent gifts of nature wit memorie and vnderstanding and though they haue withall a reformed and ciuill life yet they want faith and regeneration How cometh this to passe that such worthy men hauing the common gifts of the spirit want the speciall The cause is this their Christ is a false Christ yea an idol Christ they professe the want of sauing faith and all is because they want Christ. Therefore no maruell though you see the greatest learned there mocke and scoffe at this speciall grace of the assurance of our election Againe many among vs looke to be saued by Christ and yet you shall see no grace neither of knowledge nor faith feare nor care to keepe Gods commandements or a good conscience no sparke of grace and yet looke to be saued by Christ. How can these stand together Though they say they haue Christ they deceiue themselues for they haue not the graces of the Spirit and they haue no grace because they are not in Christ and by that they may know they are not in Christ because they haue no grace To conclude then we must all be admonished to labour that we may be vnited to Christ our head truly to haue fellowship with him that in him we may haue fellowship with the Father and the holy Ghost No grace of God to life eternall will be bestowed vpon vs till we haue Christ himselfe Therefore first labour to be in Christ and to be truly ioyned and vnited to him by the bond of faith that by this meanes we may haue all graces distilling and flowing into our hearts by Christ. Now the second royaltieis he hath seuē starres that is the Ministers and Pastors of the seuen Churches Christ is said here to haue them because he is the soueraigne Lord ouer them he is an absolute Lord ouer all For he setteth them apart and giueth them whatsoeuer gifts they haue he appointeth them their offices duties and callings so as he hath rule ouer them he appointeth ordaineth maketh and preserueth them As he hath in him the fulnesse of spirit so is he a Lord ouer his Ministers he hath power to saue if they obey or to destroy if they rebell Ob. The Church maketh Ministers Ans. The right of making Ministers and ordaining them is Christs royaltie and belongeth to him the Church doth but testifie and declare who they be that Christ maketh Ministers and approueth them therefore he saith here the seuen starres be his Now the end of these words is to strike the heart of the Minister which is secure and negligent to make him know himselfe and his place that he may begin to haue sound conscience of his dutie And this point is an excellent motiue to make them looke to their dutie their gifts are not their owne nay they themselues are not their owne but Christs and he is their Lord. This very consideration cannot but be effectuall to stirre vp all pastors to regard their duties for seeing they are Christs they must not do their owne will We must renounce our selues in all things and therefore bethinke our selues our soules and our bodies are not our owne but Christs Let this consideration draw vs on to do thinke and speake nothing but that which Christ would if he will haue you liue be content because he is the Lord of your life if to dye be content because you are his and not your owne So much for the Preface Now followeth the second part of the Epistle containing two parts first a reproofe secondly a promise The reproofe in the first verse I know thy works in which is contained a reproof and withall a remedie in the next words I know Here note the vice and withall the reproofe the vice is hypocrisie for she pretended religion in outward shew but wanted it indeed Thou hast a name that is the Churches about thee iudge thee to liue that is to be borne anew beleeue in Christ to haue his spirit to guide thee but thou art dead in sinnes and wantest newnesse of life and regeneration The like we may say of many great Churches by name the Romish Church which though it seeme to liue yet in regard of spirituall life it is dead It pretendeth to be the true Church of Christ but in truth it is dead in sinne Yet some say it is not dead but diseased full of sores and sicknesses and though the throat be cut yet it breatheth and panteth but the truth is it is starke dead and cold it hath no spirituall life at all But some alleage the contrarie saying it hath the Sacraments in it and where there is a Sacrament there is a Church but they haue Baptisme therefore a Church Ans. Baptisme is not alwaies a note of a true Church for the Samaritanes had circumcision which was before Baptisme yet they were no people nor church of God Os. 1. 9. That there may be baptisme yet no church it appeareth because there may be baptisme without the preaching of the word As the Papists haue baptisme without the true preaching of the word so they haue the outward Baptisme but deny the inward Baptisme which is iustification by Christ and sanctification by his Spirit Againe I answer it is a Sacrament not to that church of the Papists but to the hiddē church in popery for the Lord euer hath his church among them he keepeth among them euen 7. thousand which neuer worshipped their idols Now then that Sacrament is reserued in that church not for the Papists but for Gods children among them By this we see Gods owne prouidence to call them by those meanes and for their sakes
things and to true obedience Psal. 119. Dauid saith I haue inclined my heart euen my dead heart and put life into it and so we must put life into our benummed soules and often call on them which are halfe dead But we commonly stand still seeke not to grow but stand at a stay Christ by these words would signifie that some be dead other graces be readie to die whence we haue answer to that question whether grace may be vtterly lost We say some graces may othersome cannot be lost but sore decayed and diminished For Gods graces are of two sorts some necessarie to saluation as faith and regeneration some are lesse necessarie which go not with sauing faith as sensible and full feeling of Gods fauour ioy in the holy Ghost earnest inuocation on Gods name Now these may be separated from faith and be wholy lost in the seruants of God for a time the other cannot though they may be sore diminished nay faith and regeneration considered in thēselues may be lost wholy for nothing is vnchangeable in it owne nature but God The grace by which the elect Angels stand is in it selfe chaungeable and these would perish and come to nothing vnlesse they were continually preserued kept and confirmed in vs and them If this be so why then do not the elect fall away Ans. Not because they haue faith and regeneration or that they be in themselues vnchangeable but because of Gods promises as Mat. 16. Christ saith that the gates of hell though they shew their violence shall not preuaile against Peters faith so that these graces are eternall not of thēselues but by Gods promise which will preserue them to the end Now seeing grace may be lost we must not be too confident if we haue any grace in vs but worke out our saluation with feare and trembling for they may come to that ebbe that they may be at the point of death Now followeth the reason of the remedie For I haue not found c. therefore watch and seeke to restore thy decayed graces I haue not found Here Christ signifieth that he made a search in this Church and that to reward them either with life or death And so this was the practise of Christ when he came to Sodom he went downe to search it So Gen. 11. the Lord came downe to see Babel the like is Ierem. 9. And the Lord he visiteth that is he enquireth of the sinnes of the fathers in the children and if he find them he punisheth them in the children And alwaies Christ first maketh inquirie and after search made he rewardeth accordingly The like will Christ do with vs therefore we must labour to be such as he may approue of If a Magistrate were to search our houses we would see that nothing should be amisse how much more when Christ the heauenly Prince which searcheth the heart and cannot be deceiued cometh to search vs that he may approue of vs and reward vs But found thee not perfect There is a twofold perfection one of the law another of the Gospell Of the law when we satisfie the whole law of the Gospell when our workes done proceed from a beleeuing heart which is carefull to please God in all things Now though no worke of man be perfect yet those workes coming from a heart full of faith are perfect in Christ God accepting the will and indeuour for the deed through Christ. Christ he searched and found in this church many goodly works in shew only for they were full of hypocrisie made shew of godlinesse but wanted the power thereof neither did they come from an heart full of faith or that indeuoured to please God not to sinne in any thing therefore they were not perfect and pleasing to God In that this church is reproued not for want of workes and those faire in shew but because they proceeded not from a beleeuing and honest heart learne to pray as Dauid Psal. 119. 80. Lord let my heart be vpright let me giue all diligence to please thee in al things This is a great comfort when one can say in his conscience My heart is vpright but hypocrisie is the killing of the soule Before God Christ seemeth to distinguish himselfe from God But he speaketh not of God simply but of the Father and of himselfe as he is the Mediator and so is inferiour to the Father though he be now in glorie Now seeing he is in heauen and in glorie there yet carieth himselfe as Mediator we may pray to him without helpe of Angell or Saint and it is no presumption seeing he is still by his owne confession Mediator and so carieth himselfe toward vs. Remember Here after the remedie Christ as a good Pastour of the soule sheweth how to vse the same namely first remember secondly hold fast thirdly repent In practising of which three standeth the remedie of hypocrisie Remember that is call to mind the doctrine of saluation taught by my Apostles This remembrance is a most excellent dutie and bringeth with it many graces as subiection to Gods will repentance c. Psal. 73. Dauid seeing the prosperitie of the wicked had almost slipt and was sore tempted he could not be rid of his temptation till he went into the sanctuarie of God that is till he knew the word of God Psal. 119. 55. He kept the commaundement of God because he remembred his name in the night season Peter remembred Christs words and so repented at the crowing of a cocke Luk. 23. And indeed the cause of all sinne is forgetfulnesse of the word of God Therefore Heb. 6. euery sinne is called ignorance because we commit sinne not remembring and knowing Gods word and if we could keep in liuely memorie the word of God it were not possible that we should sin as we do Then it is a most excellent meanes to cut off sinne to haue the word of God running in our minds forbidding sinne in vs. And the Diuell he laboureth aboue all things to make vs forget the word for then he can draw vs easily to sinne Now that we may haue the word continually in memorie we must labour to haue our hearts affected with the same for we cannot remember more then we like and affect Then we must beleeue it else we cannot remember for that we beleeue not slippeth soone out of our memorie And the cause why so few remember the word is because they be not affected and delighted with it nor beleeue it That thou hast heard and receiued That is that doctrine which by hearing and receiuing thou hast learned Seeing he puts hearing and receiuing together we gather that this is the ordinary meanes of saluation to heare and receiue the word preached Then God calleth not all men in all times seeing men in all ages haue not heard the word neither receiued it and if they haue not heard the doctrine of saluation by Christ in all ages they could not be called for first they
gifts might be humbled in the consideration of this point Naamans seruant perswadeth him when Elisha the Prophet cannot 2. King 5. 12. Behold These words may also be vnderstood of the whole Church I haue giuen thee a doore that is a speciall priuiledge to enter into the kingdome of heauen and title to it I approue thy workes and this is a signe of it that I haue giuen thee entrance into the same Now this is a priuiledge not belonging to all men but onely to the Church of God Which confuteth vniuersall redemption If this then be a priuiledge of the Church to enter into the kingdome of heauen and to haue such liberty we must labour to vse it striuing to enter into that place We haue this priuiledge to see heauen open by faith we must not then be so slacke to enter into it but alas we make no account of it we are wholy possessed with the profits and pleasures of this life and our sinnes are such a loade to vs that we cannot enter in Oh let vs cast off such burthens that so we may more easily enter Which no mā shall shut That is no power after I haue opened heauen shall be able to shut it Here after the libertie he sheweth the continuance of it namely for euer How then is it true that Christ died for all men effectually if all men are not saued because they will not So Christ should for his part open heauen and they should shut it by their wils But Christ saith no power either of the diuell or man can shut it he hauing once opened the same For thou hast a litle strength Thou art indued with a litle and small measure of grace of faith hope regeneration yet according to that measure thou hast defended my word and not denied me in persecution By this we see that a man indued with a small measure of Gods spirit may do works acceptable to God and by the same come to life euerlasting if his grace be true grace Math. 17. if their faith be but as a graine of mustard seed it shall be able to remoue mountaines Now that which is true of miraculous faith that is true of iustifying faith if it be true though neuer so litle yet it shall be able to do workes pleasing to God and by the same we may come to saluation for God regardeth not so much the measure of grace as the maner that it be true not fained In this is a speciall comfort for those which labour to keepe faith and a good conscience Such are often troubled with the consideration of their owne weaknesse and wants but they must know that if they haue true faith though it be but in small measure the Lord accepteth of them if they labour to please God in all things for the Lord accepteth a man not for that he should haue but for that he bestoweth on him be it much or litle This may incourage those which be not so forward in religion which haue not made such proceeding as they should for many seeing the Lord to require so much they cast all off and neuer labour to come to know religion and to keepe faith and a good conscience But these shold remember that the Lord accepteth of small gifts if they be true he accepteth a man according to the measure of grace he bestoweth on him be it more or lesse Then we must not be discouraged for our wants imperfections and ignorances for if we labour to haue true faith the Lord regardeth not the measure of grace but that it be true grace Yet we must take heed we abuse not this mercie of God and take occasion to sinne and to become negligent and carelesse in the duties of religion but still labour to come to such measure as the Lord will most approue of Because c. Here Christ sheweth for what workes he commendeth this Church first she kept his word secondly she denyed not his name but maintained it in persecution against all his enemies And these two containe euen all the duties of a true Christian and the whole practise of all religion And these must be an example for vs we must labour to keepe his word and in all things to do his will Secondly we must in time of persecution defend his name and maintaine his word against all his enemies To keepe his word A few wordes but a great dutie for it signifieth that she in all things in euery commaundement of the law and Gospell had care to obey his word and will And happie were we indeed if Christ could say so of vs that we obeyed his word all the commandements of the law by obeying and the Gospel by faith and repentance c. But it cannot for though in shew we professe we do yet in life we shew we faile in most points of both Vers. 9. 10. In these verses are two promises concerning the conuersion of certaine Iewes Behold c. Here is the first promise concerning the the confirmation of the Church of Philadelphia Now it is likely in this citie there was a synagogue of the Iewes which bare men in hand that they were the true worshippers of God yet denied Christ the Sauiour and so persecuted this Church Now Christ here promiseth he will make this synagogue repent and become true members of Christ to professe Christ and worship him In this promise note three points first who is the author of their conuersion namely God for so it is said I will make them or I will bring them to that estate to worship me Secondly who be conuerted namely the synagogue of the Iewes Thirdly the fruites of their repentance they shall worship before thy feet First the author of their conuersion is Christ himselfe for so he saith I will make them to repent These are significant words which giue all to God in their conuersion of some and of all sinners God is the sole author man hath no stroke in his owne conuersion man indeed willeth it and is conuerted willingly yet not by nature doth he will it but by grace This confutes the Papists who hold that nature and grace may concurre in the conuersion of a sinner for a man say they being stirred vp by grace can will and do that which is good As a man being sicke he hath the facultie of walking yet being faint he cannot vnlesse he leane on anothers shoulder so a man hath a power to will that which is good but it must be stirred vp first by grace But Ephes. 2. man by nature is not onely sicke but starke dead in sin and cannot moue one foote no more then a dead man Obiect But say they then man should be but a blocke if he doth nothing in his conuersion Answ. Though he do nothing in the matter of conuersion yet he hath sense and vnderstanding which he can vse in naturall and ciuill causes though he cannot vse them in spirituall actions and so he is not
bow and crowch and humble our selues before him And this is the cause why most of the people euery where content themselues with outward and formal worship with mumbling ouer their Creed Pater noster and the tenne Commandements they were neuer smitten downe with feare of Gods iudgements and their owne sinnes their natural pride was neuer beaten downe with their owne vnworthinesse Then if we would be true worshippers of God let vs come willingly let vs worship God in soule and bodie and let vs come with humbled hearts with mortified minds and affections and so we shall worship him aright The second fruite of the conuersion concerneth man Before thy feete meaning the church of Philadelphia namely that they being conuerted to the church of God should reuerence it and the members thereof They shall cast themselues downe in the congregation as men not worthie to be mēbers of the church but as a footstoole for them to trample and tread on by reason of the great sinnes which these conuerted Iewes had before committed This their exceeding reuerence shewes it selfe in the roote of the same which is a base conceit and vile opinion of themselues and so should euery true conuert study to confesse namely that he is the greatest sinner of all Gods children and thinke so basely of himselfe that he can be content to be not a member but the footstoole of the congregation and this must we follow if we be truly cōuerted we must haue a base opiniō of our selues think we are the most vile of all Gods people giue place to all men in regard of our sins Paul Tim. 2. calleth himselfe the chiefe of all sinners and we must do the like for the proud Pharisaicall heart is farre from repentance but the lowly and humble heart is accepted of God And shalt know that I loue thee Here is a reason of the former words for why did these persecuted Iewes become true worshippers of God and beleeue in him and reuerence his church The reason is because I wil make them perswaded that I loue them and this is the ground of all true reuerence All superiours haue reuerence due to them by Gods ordinance as the father master Magistrate c. Now that they may haue true reuerence of their inferiours they must first labour to be beloued of the Lord and then they procure to themselues true reuerence for the loue of God to vs is the ground of this Then those which excel in birth or riches they must not looke to be reuerenced for them but for that they be loued of God And whence cometh it that men in authoritie as the father master Magistrate Prince c. want their due honor and reuerence but because they seeke not the ground of it namely to be in the fauour of God Because thou hast kept the words of my patience Here is the second promise of Christ namely preseruation of this church in time of most bloudie persecution This Epistle and booke was written by Iohn after Christs ascension in the daies of Diocletian Now after him came Traian who raysed a most bloudy persecution against the church in al countries putting to death many of Gods children Now of this persecution Christ foretels this church and withall makes this promise that he will preserue them out of the Emperors hand and addeth a reason They were constant to obey his Gospell In the promise consider first the occasion Because thou hast kept secondly the thing promised Deliuerance thirdly a prediction or prophecie of that which should come on this Church The occasion Because thou hast kept the word of my patience Some vnderstand by word of patience the cōmandement of patience which she shold obey but that is too narrow but it signifieth the doctrine of saluatiō taught in Christ. And this doctrine of saluation is called the word of patience first because the doctrine of the Gospell teacheth vs patience secondly because it is an instrument of patience to worke it in vs for when a man beleeueth his saluation in Christ then he is patient in all things Thirdly and especially because the Gospell cannot be obeyed constantly to the end without patience For a time one may obey but it is impossible to obey and be constant to the end without patience The good ground bringeth foorth fruit but in patience Luk. 8. This Church receiued the doctrine of the Gospell and constantly beleeued it for which is promised deliuerance in persecution Then we see that the grace of God well vsed is rewarded with plentie and increase of grace so that they which haue but small measure of grace yet if they be faithfull the Lord will reward it with greater increase This should make vs take pains to increase and vse our talent of faith patience repentance and obedience to the glorie of God and good of men and the Lord will double and triple the same otherwise he will take that talent from vs. The doctrine of the Gospell being a doctrine of patience how necessarie is it for vs to learne the same seeing the calamities and afflictions belonging to any calling are very many We must get our bread in the sweat of our browes and no man is free from sicknesse sorrow and death Now if we would indure these afflictions we must haue this grace of patience and constantly beleeue the doctrine of saluation by Christ which will make vs patient in any crosse whatsoeuer Againe we professe the Gospell of Christ now this is a doctrine not of disorder but of all order and moderation teaching vs to moderate and hold in our affections and will whereas if we want it we are caried away at their pleasure My patience Christ calleth it his because he is the author of it and worketh it in vs. And this is added to beate downe the pride of this Church For when Christ commended them for obedience they might begin to be too proud Therefore he hauing commended her lest she shold be so he telleth her it is not her owne but his gift he putteth it into her heart And this may beate downe the pride of our hearts when we consider that we haue nothing of our selues but all good things in vs come from Christ he bestoweth them on vs he giueth all nothing we haue of our selues What hast thou that thou hast not receiued why then should we be proud of it I will deliuer thee That is from the great and bloudie persecution of Traian which lasted fourteene yeares wherein many of Gods children were put to death Hence note that God hath set downe the very times and houres in which he will trie the faith of his children Deut. 8. the Lord led Israel through the wildernesse fortie yeares to trie them Chap. 13. 3. he sendeth false Prophets to trie his seruants whether they will cleaue to him or not So the Lord hath set times to trie his for their sins and to see what grace is in their hearts So he
and bring them to amendment Now for the vse of these words Christ sets downe his ordinarie dealing with his seruants which is by reproofe and chastisement and diuers visitations for this very end that he might conuince them and correct them Euery member of Christ must come vnder his rod therefore looke for it yea marke further Christ layeth vpon all his seruants afflictions in diuers sorts according to the diuers dispositions of mens natures such as will hardly be broken of their faults he laieth vpon them more sharp punishments where men are easier to be amended there he vseth milder correction The vse of this is two-fold Prouerb 3. 12. the first is despise not the Lords chastisemēt for it is a token of his loue whēsoeuer he reprooueth or afflicteth thee by visitations and crosses make not light account but make profit of it The second is faint not arme thy self with patiēce because it is the Lords maner to chastise those that he loueth and so many chastisements so many pledges and pawnes of his loue towards his seruants By this Christ is an example to all parents and gouernours they must giue tokens of loue in necessarie corrections that their children and seruants may be brought from their misdemeanure for this end chastisement should be vsed It were to be wished that all parents and maisters did vse to giue correction thus but our case is lamentable in this respect Men thinke it enough to prouide foode and raiment for their houshold all their care is for the bodie only and they neuer seeke to reforme their misdemeanours in life This negligence brings many sinnes with it and pulleth many iudgements vpon vs. So much for the second point Amend Againe marke the order of the words Rebuke and chasten Here we haue a necessary instruction seeing Christ first propounds a direct end of his chastisement that is their amendment which that he may the better effect first he conuinceth them secondly he reprehendeth and thirdly chasteneth them and all these tend to our amendment A worthie and excellent order and to be followed of all gouernors they must propound a good end of all chastisements first the good of the partie chastised then they must vse this order first a conuiction of the conscience by the word of God secondly reprehension thirdly correction if the two former wil not serue Which being so you see how they ouershoote themselues that make correction serue for nothing but a meanes of reuenge an action of choller and rage without any purpose to better the partie Whereas this order vsed would reforme the person and stop many vices and nip them euen in the head to some it is as good as meate and drinke to be fighting and brawling Be zealous Here is a remedie for luke-warmnesse In the eight verse they had a remedie for pride now he maketh a plaister for luke-warmnesse Here first marke how these words depend on the former Christ had said Whom I loue I vse to chastise according as their faults be greater or lesser therefore seeing I haue corrected thee repent Where we are taught the vse of all reproofes admonitions and visitations the speciall end of them is to driue vs to amend As oft as the Lord doth either by word reproue or by deed correct vs it is to shew that we must repent and amend therefore whensoeuer you are visited say the Lord summons you to repent take an occasion by the visitation of further reformation yea know it that so many afflictions are so many sermons of Repentance to make you grow and increase in faith repentance and obedience Now that we may the better vnderstand what this commandement Be zealous meaneth diuers points are to be handled first what zeale is Zeale is an affection that is compounded of two affections loue and indignation or sorow therefore first we must loue Christ aboue all things if we will be zealous secondly we must be grieued and angred when Christ is dishonoured Loue of religion and griefe for the want of good successe therof will make men zealous We haue an example in Christ Ioh. 2. 17. where thus much is signified that his loue to his father was so great that the heate of his indignation had almost consumed him he preferred the accomplishment of his Fathers will before all In the second place note the diuerse kinds of zeale good that is true or bad that is counterfeit To a good zeale there is required first true faith secondly repentance thirdly knowledge As for faith it is the very root of good zeale for as Paule saith Loue is from faith vnfained 1. Tim. 1. 5. Now zeale is an affection compounded of loue and faith And as for repentance we see that zeale and it are conioyned in this place Iehu indeed was zealous but because he repented not but liued in the sins of his predecessors it was no good zeale And for the last we must know that zeale without knowledge is but rashnesse And thus you see how to distinguish true zeale from counterfeit euen by the companions of it Now further by the fruites it may be discerned First it compelleth a man to please God in all things it will enforce one ouer-rule and maister him 2. Cor. 5. 13. Whether we be out of our wit we are in it vnto God c. The very loue of Christ and his Gospell inforced him that he could not but preach So wheresoeuer this true zeale is in any measure it will make a man that he cannot but do his dutie It will burst foorth and find an issue like a flame as Elihu said he could not containe his belly would burst Secondly It will make a man indeuor to obey God with all his heart strength power Example Good king Iosia turned with all his heart Dauid prayed with grones vnspeakable according to the multitude of thy mercies c. and so goeth on maruellous earnestly and feruently he prayed not slackly and coldly but with all his force and power from the heart for pardon and reconciliation And so when he gaue thankes he saith My soule praise the Lord and all that is within me c. Psal. 103. 1. Thus you see what be the fruites of zeale and what it is to be zealous In a word then it is this to haue our hearts enflamed with a loue of Christ and his word aboue all things and to be exceeding angrie when it is disobeyed enforcing vs to do our dutie with all the strength we haue Now to end this point we heard before that lukewarmenesse in religion is our sinne generally throughout the land our zeale is cold and our profession but formall How shall we reforme this Become zealous beare a feruent loue to religion loue Christ aboue all and be grieued when you see him dishonored or his word disobeyed and false worship established Away with this slacknesse in religion otherwise it had bene better you had bene of no religion then to be neither