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
of him his spirit and so we shall be able to discerne and iudge of it for no naturall man can do it no naturall man can discerne the things of God but he which is enlightened by the Spirit of God he can Secondly a man must haue Christ his testimonie of Scripture which is the Scriptures themselues for in them he setteth downe this testimonie of the Scriptures But if Christs testimonie be set downe of the Scriptures why do not all men know it Vnlesse a man haue a natural facultie of seeing he cannot discerne the Sunne though it shine so vnlesse a man haue grace from Christ to iudge of the Scriptures he cannot iudge of thē but if any haue the spirit of discerning then if he read and mark the phrase and manner of writing the stile and authoritie of the Scriptures he shall see then in euery line a testimonie of them giuen by Christ. How can a man know the true religion seeing the Turke Papist Iew Protestant haue their religions and dye in them I answer for to know which is true of these we must haue recourse to the faithful witnesse Christ and what he saith is true religion that we must hold for true religion Now Christ he giueth testimonie of them in the Scriptures and the Scriptures be as a letter sent from heauen to the Church shewing and testifiing which is true religion not that of the Iew Turke or Papist but of the Christian. Sundry men hold diuerse opinion in matters of religion as the Iew Turke Papist Christian which is the true opinion how is it knowne Answ. Still we must haue recourse to the witnesse of truth the faithful witnesse and Prophet of the Church and he is the iudge of these cōtrouersies Now in the Scriptures if we marke them we shall see his iudgement which of these is true But if there be diuerse opinions of Scriptures what must be iudge In this diuersitie of opinions yea of the Scriptures thēselues we must still haue recourse to the Scriptures if we note the circumstances the manner of writing if we conferre Scripture with Scripture we shall easily find out the true sense and meaning for the Lord sets out in them his iudgment plainly and fully The second certificate is particular belonging to the Propheticall office of Christ which is to certifie men in particular that the promise of the Gospell belongs to them as to Peter Iohn c. that he is the child of God and that euerlasting life belongs to any child in particular and this is done especially by the word not read but preached being ioyned with the working of the Spirit Rom. 8. We haue the spirit of Christ which testifies with our spirit we be the sonnes of God Now if this be the dutie of Christ to certifie men in particular that euerlasting life belongs to me or to any particular man then their doctrine is damnable who deny this seeing it is the proper office of the propheticall office of Christ. And in this he differs from al other Prophets and Apostles which be witnesses for they can witnesse onely outwardly to the eare but he can speake and testifie to the conscience neither can any of them certifie any man particularly though their ministerie tend to that end Christ is not onely a witnesse but a faithfull witnesse first because he testifies not his owne will but his which sent him namely his Fathers Secondly he testifies all his Fathers will neither adding nor detracting from it Thirdly because he teacheth it as he receiued it sincerely in the same manner in which he receiued it not altering changing or deprauing his Fathers will That faithfull witnesse The Lord hath sundrie faithfull witnesses as the Prophets Apostles the Church nay the Sunne and Moone Psal. 89. vers 37. but Christ alone is that faithfull witnes whereby he is distinguished from all other witnesses for he is aboue all other his witnesse is authenticall sufficient of it selfe needs no confirmation The witnes of the Apostles and Prophets be not authenticall and certaine but as they consent with Christs witnesse Secondly he is that witnesse because he is the Lord of that house whereof he giues witnesse namely the Church but the Apostles and Prophets are but seruants Thirdly Christ his witnesse is inward it assures and speakes to the conscience but the witnes of men as of the Prophets and Apostles is outward onely it comes to the eares it neuer binds and assures the conscience so that for that prerogatiue he is aboue all witnesses and here called THAT faithfull witnesse 1. Whereas Christ the Doctor and Prophet of the Church is called a faithfull witnesse we learne that all Ministers must be faithfull witnesses for euery Minister of the Gospell when he preacheth out of Gods word he is in the roome of Christ speaketh that which Christ should speake therefore he must be like Christ a faithfull witnesse 2. Now that they may be faithful witnesses they must deliuer the testimony of Christ aboue all other things and before all testimonies of man in the office of their ministery So it was meate and drinke to Christ to teach his Fathers will So Abraham his eldest seruant shewed his fidelitie in that he would not eate or drinke till he had done his maisters message Gen. 24. 33. So the Ministers must haue care first to teach the wil of God aboue all things secondly they must testifie all the will of God concerning matters of saluatiō As among men we count him a faithful witnes which testifies all the truth and no more but the truth so they be faithfull Ministers which testifie the whole will of God in things belonging to saluation neither adding nor detracting So Paul cleared himselfe that he was free from all mens blood seeing he deliuered the whole will of God in matters necessary for saluation and kept nothing backe 3. He must neither adde nor take away much lesse in any case depraue the word of God and this is the true marke of a faithfull witnesse In the Church of Rome a man may heare things concerning morall vertues handled soundly but come to faith and repentance matters of saluation they take away one part and adde another to the Scriptures they hold the Creed in word yet in deede they deny the same as by their doctrine it will appeare 4. The true witnesse must deliuer the testimony of Christ in that manner he receiues it namely in a spirituall manner in a plaine easie manner in a familiar kind of speech that the conscience of euery hearer may be moued When we seeke to obscure the word we do corrupt the same and as trades men and huxters we cannot be content to declare the word in a plaine easie familiar speech but as they set out their wares with sterching blowing spicing c. so we set a gloze on the word and make merchandize of it 2. Cor. 2.
taught by his grandmother Lois and Eunice his mother in the Scriptures But hence some gather without ground that as a womā may not teach so not gouern But this cannot be proued out of the word and it hath no force For though a woman may not teach and stand in Christs stead in the congregation yet she may gouerne and stand in his stead in the Common wealth be a Queene Dutchesse Countesse c. For there is special reason why she may not stand in Christs stead in the Church seeing men onely so stand in his stead for Christ tooke on him the person of a man not of a woman but that letteth not but she may stand in his stead in the Commonwealth if she come to it by succession seeing it is her patrimonie and inheritance And we haue great cause to blesse almightie God for the gouernment of a woman more then any which euer yet ruled ouer vs. But it is said the man is the womans head therefore he must beare rule not she Ans. He is the head that is more excellent as he is man but not in regard of any gifts for a woman may passe a man in grace and gifts of God and other respects and so may haue rule ouer the man though he be more excellent as he is man she inferiour as she is woman The second fault reproued in the Church of Thyatira is the suffering of a woman to teach and seduce Then as to suffer a woman to teach openly in the Church is a fault so to suffer her to seduce is a fault likewise Seeing Christ reproueth them for suffering her we see it is not left to mans will to teach and hold what he will but men must be restrained that they teach and hold nothing which standeth not with the word of God they must reproue patrons and defenders of sects and schismes and new doctrines for which our Church is to be commended which hath lawes for Papists Protestants and Recusants which is both lawfull and commended by Christ. To aggrauate these two faults he describeth her by her properties first that she is called Iesabel that is one like Iesabel secondly by her action she called her selfe a Prophetesse First the woman Iesabel But why doth Christ call her so First because this woman was like Iesabel and did in her person reuiue the wicked manners and opinions of Iesabel for as Iesabel was an idolater brought in idolatrie the worship of Baal among the Israelites so this woman in the Church of Thyatyra Secondly as she was giuen to fornication so this woman was a maintainer and teacher of the same Thirdly as Iesabel was a woman of authoritie and by her authoritie did countenance and defend her sinnes false religion and the worship of Baal so this woman was also of great authoritie and by the same taught and maintained her diuellish opinions In this reason see the practise of the diuell who laboureth in ages following to renew and reuiue the vices and sinnes which were before their errors For as he had Iesabel in Ahabs time who was a patron of fornication and idolatrie so in the Apostles time he had this woman who renewed these opinions another Iesabel like her The end is to further his kingdom for the diuell seeth that these meanes most dishonour God hurt his kingdome and most of all build his kingdom and so he dealeth in al ages to reuiue the opinions errors scismes of old So they which follow Machiauel imitate the doings of Achitophel So the Papists reuiue the errors of the Scribes and Pharises they which separate themselues frō our Church the opiniō of the Donatists the Family of loue the error of the Valētinians The second reason is because by this name he might draw thē to dislike of her and not to follow her but that she might be in as great disgrace as Iesabel was in the old Testament And this Christ doth to teach vs in reading the bookes of the old and new Testament if we reade of any wiked men that we should dislike their vices and errors take heed of them and auoid them nay if we see them in vs we must dislike our selues for them and contrarily if we reade of a vetruous man or woman we must imitate their vertues like and loue them and our selues for them if we haue the same The second argument whereby he describes her is her action Which calleth her selfe a Prophetesse that is she doth chalenge to her selfe to be such a one as taught the word by the instinct and help of Gods spirit and that all she taught was the word of Gods spirit She taught fornication was no sinne and that one might go into the Idoll temple and eate of their offerings and yet she pretends all to be done and taught by Gods spirit making him the teacher and author of her errors Seeing wicked men and women father their errors on Gods spirit we must labour to get the spirit of discerning to know whether the spirit be of God or not and we must not be of no religion because many teach false doctrine but rather labour to haue the spirit of discerning to try the spirits which we heare Againe when we are accused or slandered we must be content for we see this woman taught false doctrine and yet fathered it on Gods spirit which indeed was not of him but of the diuell and so made him the author of errors Now if the Lord be thus dealt withall made the author of lies by wicked men shall not we be content if we be slaundered who by our sinnes deserued the same As she chalenged her selfe to be a Prophetesse so she proued her selfe to be one namely by her owne testimony and her owne word she said she was one Here Christ sheweth the note of a false Prophet namely a mans owne word and testimony but a true Prophet hath many tokens and arguments to proue him to be so As in the Primitiue Church they spake sundry tongues without study often wrought miracles as seales of a true Prophet Secondly they held vnitie of doctrine in integritie of life and conuersation to confirme their callings Thirdly they had excellent gifts giuen them of God as zeale courage and constancy to maintaine their callings which were extraordinary but this woman had nothing but her owne word and bare testimony In the second place the more to disgrace her and the church of Thyatira her teaching was described by the end which was to deceiue men Here is another marke of a false Prophet to teach to seduce and draw men to some sinne or wickednesse The end of true teaching is godlynes but of false it is to draw men to sinne in life and conuersation After he describeth her seducing by two arguments first the persons my seruants secondly the meanes to make them commit fornication and to eate of things offered to idols For the persons my seruants this increaseth her fault seeing they
Manna haue power ouer nations be clothed in white made pillars in Gods temple and sit with Christ Iesus in the throne of his Father And though the sonne of Ishai cannot make vs Captains of thousands yet that Sonne of Dauid will make vs the sonnes of God That we may do so we must beleeue the Gospell put on Christ Iesus and be renewed by repentance The first is necessarie the second comely the third profitable To come to the first it is necessarie we should beleeue for he that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie he is condemned in the counsell of God in the ministerie of the word and in his owne conscience and he shall be condemned in the day of iudgement for the wrath of God abideth vpon him The more I consider the fruites of faith the more I see the necessitie of faith Through it we are saued by it we are iustified in it we liue We are saued from Satan iustified before God and liue in the Church In the Church nay by it we liue in heauen for he that beleeueth in the Sonne of God hath euerlasting life Faith is that which purifieth the heart maketh the whole man to runne the wayes of Gods commandements giueth entrance to grace accesse to God in prayer made the Elders well reported of and each Christian to stand to the profession of Christ. It is that hand by which we must apprehend Christ that shield by which we resist all the fierie darts of the diuell and that meanes by which we do good to others By faith we receiue the spirit are members of Christ we are risen with him he dwelleth in our hearts we feed on him continually resist Satan are the children of God and the word which we heare becometh profitable And what shall I say faith is of such a qualitie that it vniteth vs to Christ maketh vs certaine of our saluation bold in our profession ministreth true ioy giueth temporall blessings sanctifieth our gifts and maketh vs refuse the pleasures of this present world In a word no sinne can condemne him who hath this true faith and no vertue can saue him who wanteth it To come to the second which is Christ the obiect of faith The most comely garment that euer we can weare it is to be couered with the robes of Christs righteousnesse Iacob was blessed by Esaus garments we are blessed by Christs garments What we see through a greene glasse seemeth all to be greene and what God seeth thorough Christ it is al amiable We must put on this aparel not as the Church in the Canticles I haue put off my clothes how shall I put them on againe or as a gowne that we cast off when we come to our home but we must so put him on that we neuer put him off againe We must put him on by imputation imitation infusion and profession by imputation of his righteousnesse imitation of his vertues infusion of his Spirit and profession of his name Thus we must labour to get Christ for what though a man could commaund the earth with Alexander the sea with Moses the fire with Eliah and the Sunne with Iosuah What though he were as rich as Salomon as wise as Achitophel as strong as Sampson as swift as Ahimaaz as beautifull as Absolon as fortunate as Metellus descended as Paul was of the bloud royal of Princes yet hauing not Christ he hath nothing Yea say a man had the abstinence of Aristydes the innocencie of Phocion the holinesse of Socrates the almes deedes of Cimon the moderation of Camillus the honestie iustice and faithfulnesse of both Catoes all these out of Christ were but splendida peccata and to be esteemed as dung in regard of Christ. For haue him and haue all things want him and want all things he is in at and after death aduantage I come to the last it is profitable to repent for if we turne to the Lord he will turne to vs and that we may turne consider his mercies in forgiuing his benefites in giuing his patience in forbearing and his iudgments in punishing The word preached sinnes committed and that few shall be saued the shortnesse of life the vncertaintie of life and the certaintie of death the ioyes of heauen the torments of hell the comfort of the elect and that else we can haue no comfort in death pray we cannot vnlesse we repent and perish we shall vnlesse we repent but blessed shall we be if we do repent But manum de tabula Magister adest this discourse following will teach vs these things and it am I bold to present to your Worships Iohn sent his Reuelation to many Churches and I present his Epistles to many worthie personages and to whom may I better present them thē to you Iohn was a disciple full of loue and you are breethrē full of loue The Preacher of these Lectures was well knowne to many but to none better then to many of you especially to those who were in my time worthie members of that most worthie Colledge with him And the rather I do it that times to come may reioyce in the Lord that from one honorable root haue issued so many profitable branches to the Church You are sixe brethren as pillars of your house there were three sisters as fruitfull vines of the same one is not but is with the Lord and her I knew a Ladie of admirable vertues the other two are and long may they be so You are all brethren by nature of one venter nation of one countrie grace of one spirit affection of one heart fortune in great fauour and of one hope by your holy behauiour And concerning brotherly loue I need not to write vnto you for you are taught of God to loue one another Your Scilurus at his death need not teach you concord by giuing to each of you a sheafe of arrowes which cannot well be broken whilst they are conioyned for you by your amitie make your selues inuincible If Chilo the Lacedaemonian died for ioy to see one sonne crowned at Olympus and Diagoras Rhodius did the like when his three children got the garland at a wrestling and Iacob so reioyced to heare of his one Ioseph to be aduanced greatly in the kingdome of Egypt how might that happie father of yours reioyce to see at one time one sonne sitting as high Sheriffe of the shire another preaching before the Iudges of Assize and the third pleading as Councellor at the barre and all the rest of great expectation in the kingdome Thus wise sons are a ioy to their parents and all may behold how good and comely a thing it
then it may be fire should ceasse to burne as it did in the three children in the ouen Now in this place where he saith These things must be done it is not to be meant of absolute necessitie but of that which is but in part for they must come to passe necessarily onely in regard of Gods decree In them selues they be contingent necessary by the vnchangeable decree of God In regard of which decree of God all things which come to passe be necessarie yet can it not be inferred therefore man hath no free will For this necessitie taketh it not away neither the second causes but rather disposeth them and inclines mans free will Secondly the matter is described by the time shortly or quickly But how can this be true seeing things spoken of in this booke came not to passe a thousād years after which is a lōg time Ans. They may be said to come to passe shortly though a thousand yeares after in two respects First of God to whom a thousand years is but as one day Secondly in regard of men for though a thousand years seeme a long time to men ere it be expired yet when it is once past it seemes but a short time Which must shortly come He sets downe these wordes for two causes First to terrifie all carnall and carelesse men for it foretelleth iudgements and destructions to those which liue in their sinnes which be enemies to the Church of God and so it strikes a terror into their hearts seeing their destruction comes shortly And no doubt if anie carnall man could lay this to his heart that iudgement must come quickly it would rowze him if he belonged to Christ or else would terrifie his soule We here liue still in our sinnes though we heare the word daily we neuer repent of our sinnes But if we which be so carelesse wold consider that destruction and iudgement must come shortly to those which be carelesse it would stirre vs vp to repentance if we had anie grace Let these carelesse men let these consider that the hand of God may be on them quickly take hold on them ere they be aware Let the young man not runne on in his sins lest the Lord come ere he be prepared and prouided For the Lord will come quickly his iudgements they make hast and are not farre off they delay not Secondly the holy Ghost setteth downe this circumstance of time to arme the seruants of Christ the true members of the Church against all persecutions afflictions calamities which might befall them For the children of God being afflicted and crossed they might be impatient and discouraged but lest they should be so the Lord here telleth them that his coming shall be shortly they shall not alwayes beare the heauie burthen of afflictions on their shoulders but for a while a short time and then the Lord will come and ease them deliuer them and comfort their troubled minds lest they should be swallowed vp with griefe It followeth Which he sent That is which reuelation he sent and shewed by his Angell These words are set downe for two causes First to shew that S. Iohn he opened and published this booke not rashly but by calling and warrant from God This teacheth vs what must be our dutie in all our actions whatsoeuer we take in hand we must looke we haue our calling and warrant This was the Apostles practise as here S. Iohns he opened not this reuelation before he had speciall warrant So must we looke for our warrant in the word and till we haue it we must not enterprise anie thing If this dutie were practised there would be more conscience in the seruice and worship of God more care and conscience in our dealings with men then there is Secondly he setteth downe these words to get more reuerence and greater authoritie to this booke that it might more be accepted of and therefore he saith it was sent by an Angell to the Church And this is a verie good reason to get credite to it and reuerence For if an earthly Prince should write his letter to his subiect and withall send it by one of his gard no doubt the subiect would receiue it most reuerently The Scriptures they be the epistle of God sent to his Church not by anie but by his Angell then this should procure a thousand times more reuerence seeing God sends his letter to his Apostle S. Iohn and so to the Church by the hand of an Angell Now followeth the fifth argument of the description of this reuelation which is the instruments of this reuelation whereby it is conueyed from God to the Church and these be two First an Angell Secondly Iohn the Apostle or Euangelist The first instrument is an Angell by whom he sent this Reuelation to conuey it to his Church And so the Lord hath vsed their ministerie in other places of the scriptures So when the Law was giuen it was by the hand of an Angel Daniel had many of his dreames expounded by an Angell And the seuen visions in this booke of the Reuelation were shewed to Iohn by an Angell Yet we must take heede we gather not hence that we may worship them or pray to them because they be present about vs and see our wants but before we pray to them we must haue a commandement from God and a speciall promise that they can and will heare and helpe vs else we must not pray to them The second instrument is Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist which penned one of the Gospels that Disciple whom Iesus loued sonne to Zebedeus kinsman to Christ. Now to procure credit and more reuerence to his reuelatiō he describeth himselfe by two arguments First calling himselfe his seruant Iohn Secondly by an effect Which bare record c. First he cals him selfe the seruant of Christ not the Disciple of Christ not Christ his cosin or kinsman which he might haue done but he cals himself the seruant of Christ. For he had learned that which Christ speaks Mat. 12. 50. He which doth the will of my Father he is my mother sister and brother not he which is kinsmā or cosin but in this to do his fathers wil stands the note of his kinsman And in this to be the seruant of Christ stands the dignitie of a Christian. Had not the blessed Virgin Christs mother bene a seruant of Christ she had neuer bin saued by Christ. Then by this we see it is nothing to helpe a man to saluation to be borne of great kinred to come of Princes noble bloud but to be the seruants of Christ to do the will of Christ this is to be allyed and cosin to Christ. And if we will be the seruants of Christ we must become new creatures we must leaue off our old seruice and as S. Paule saith he knewe not Christ in the flesh but serued him in the spirit And we must not content our selues to be his
this last day when he shall see his Iudge with his eyes then it wil stirre it wil torment him it will attach accuse and condemne him it will lay to his charge his sinnes his contempt of Christ and his word his vnbeleefe in the time of grace it will be as a thousand witnesses to condemne him This should cause all men to labour to get a good conscience washed and purged in the blood of Christ which will not lay to our charge any one sinne but assure vs we be in the fauour of God which wil not make vs feare but looke vp to our redeemer and to reioyce in him We must take heed when our conscience lieth asleepe and accuseth not no not at death for it will then deceiue vs but search and examine our hearts and consciences and seeke to haue them washed and bathed in the blood of Christ. Lastly he confirmeth this doctrine of the second comming of Christ by a double note of asseueratiō Euē so Amen One of these is taken frō the Ebrewes Amen the second from the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euen as we auouch a thing first by a simple and bare affirmation or negation secondly by an earnest asseueration thirdly by an oath Now in that S. Iohn vseth these two kinds of assuring in this weightie matter of Christs second coming we see our dutie we must not vse the like at any time or thing but onely in matters of weight and moment so S. Iohn here he shall come and that certainly vndoubtedly it shal be so Then the practise of thē is wicked which vse these words in matters of no weight at euery word and much more which bind euery word with an oath which is far more Yea though our Sauior oftē vseth these words of asseueration yet onely in matters of weight and moment and when the hearers were to be certified of the truth of a thing which was of importance 2 He would by this shew that the coming of Christ is certaine and most vndoubted and to make vs out of all doubt he addeth these two words of asseueratiō Euē so Amē most certainly it will come then we should often thinke of this matter for in our nature there is a corruption which perswadeth vs that the coming of Christ is not yet that we shall not be summoned either by generall or particular iudgement therefore as the wicked seruant we deferre the comming of Christ. To take away this corruption he saith he cometh yea certainely vndoubtedly he cometh and that out of hand Thirdly to shew a speciall note and marke of Gods child for he doth not onely asseuere but withall desireth and longeth for the coming of Christ Lord let it be so Amen let it euen be so They long for and desire Christ his coming to iudgment but the wicked could wish with all their hearts that it might neuer be The godly they know that when Christ shall come then they shall haue that crowne of immortalitie and glorie which he hath prepared for all which desire his coming But the wicked and they which are not reconciled to God in Christ nor assured of their owne saluation they cannot for their life once wish and desire the coming of Christ. So that by this one note we may iudge of our owne estates whether we belong to Christ or not for if we desire and long for his second comming to iudgement if we wish he would come quickly then it is a certain token and signe we be reconciled to God in Christ that we belong to him But if as yet we feele not this longing and hungring desire in vs then we must suspect our selues and labour to feele it euery day for it is the desire of the Saints and of all the true children of God After that S. Iohn had described Christ at large here in this eighth verse he bringeth him in speaking of himselfe by a figure I am Alpha and Omega saith the Lord. The end and scope of this eighth verse is to confirme the former description of Christ. The reason is thus framed He which is the beginning and the end of all he is sufficient to be a King Priest and Prophet and is both able and willing to bestow all blessings on his Church This first part of the argument is omitted the second part is contained in this eighth verse But I am the beginning and the end c. I am sufficient c. In this eighth verse are three points concerning Christ first he is the beginning and the end I am alpha and omega secondly he is was and is to come thirdly he is almightie omnipotent 1 The first point is that Christ is the beginning and the end which he expresseth by a comparison taken from the Greeke alphabet or the A. B. C. of the Grecians for as in their Greeke alphabet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the first letter and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the last so I saith Christ am the beginning of all things and the end of all as those letters in the Greeke alphabet so am I in all things the first and last Out of this that Christ borroweth this comparison from the Greeke alphabet the Papists gather that the word may be read and deliuered to the people in an vnknowne toung because Christ here vseth an vnknowne toung to those whom he gaue this vision But though the vnlearned and vnlettered English man knoweth not what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is yet the Church to whō this booke was written being the Grecians knew what they meant generally Againe though the spirit of God vseth a strange word in one place we may not follow that in the whole word of God in the whole seruice and worship of God as the Papists do Christ is said to be the beginning and the end first because he is the very first of all things there was nothing before he was he had a being when all other creatures were not but begunne to be then was he the same that he is now he had his being and subsisting before all creatures and for this saith S. Iohn chap. 1. verse 1. In the beginning was the word that is the Son of God he had his being and subsisting when all other creatures wanted it and began to be This proueth the eternitie of Christ because he had his being before any creature was created he was a substance and essence begotten of the Father before all worlds not created as other creatures are or made of any other Secondly he is called the beginning because he giueth a beginning to all creatures for all things which were created were created by him and had their being from him So that he is the true beginning of all things Coloss. 1. 16. All things are from him he is the beginning of all and all are for him he is the end of all Seeing Christ giues a being to all things then we when
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
of death and desperation If a man be assured of Gods presence aide and helpe he needeth not to feare So Moses being affraid to go before the people the Lord to cōfort him Exod. 3. telleth him he will be with him and Dauid considering God protected him saith Psalm 23. He would not feare though he were in the shadow of death Then it is our dutie to labour to haue the assurance of Gods protection and assistance which will stay vs against all immoderate feare of death Now after this he addeth reasons to confirme his owne words to Iohn when his word might haue serued alone The first reason is in the end of the 17. verse I am the first and the last He is the first because nothing was or can be before him and the last because nothing is or can be after Christ. And he addeth these two phrases to shew his Godhead and eternitie and that Christ alone hath in his hands the beginning and end of all things all things haue their beginnings of him he of nothing but he giueth the beginning to all things and he alone putteth the end to all things Now seeing he hath power to giue beginning and end therefore he can preserue his seruants from death he can keepe them from condemnation And he hauing power to begin and end all things can giue and begin his promises can end and accomplish the same at his pleasure And am aliue or he that liueth but was dead In these words is the second reason which Christ alleageth to proue his former words and to make Iohn not to feare death too much The reason consisteth in a distinction thus Although I was dead yet now I am he which liueth I haue power of death of hell c. This distinction hath three parts first though I was dead yet now I liue secondly I liue for euer thirdly I haue power of death and the keyes of hell c. And I am he which liueth Here life is ascribed to Christ in a speciall maner that is he liueth not as all other creatures liue but in a more peculiar maner of liuing Christ vseth this phrase I am he that liueth first to shew he hath life in himselfe secondly that he giueth life to others First he hath sufficient life in of and from himselfe which appeareth thus life is two-fold vncreated or created vncreated as the life of God which is infinite eternall in and of it selfe sufficient Now Christ as he is God he liueth by this vncreated life which is all one with his Godhead Secondly there is a created life which is twofold first naturall preserued by meate and drinke secondly spirituall which is by immediate fellowship with God when we liue by the immediate operation of Gods spirit not by meat and drinke And Christ he liueth this spirituall life so that he liueth first by an vncreated life as he is God secondly he liueth a spirituall life his bodie and soule being sustained in the second person of the Trinitie therefore he hath in himselfe most absolute and perfect life And he giueth life to others two wayes first as he is God and so he giueth life to all men good and bad he is the author life in all things which liue In him we liue moue and haue our being he giueth life and he preserueth the same Secondly he giueth spirituall life to his Church and children as he is redeemer of mankind he liueth that we might liue by him Ioh. 14. 19. and as he died not for himselfe alone so he liueth not for himselfe alone but for vs that we by him might haue spirituall life as appeareth Colos. 3. Our life is hid with God in Christ. And for this cause thogh Christ be in heauen yet we eate his bodie and drinke his bloud really in a spirituall maner and they be the spirituall nourishment of our soules We liue by the spirituall life of Christ and that for these two causes first because he hath sufficient life in himselfe and secondly because he giueth life to others therefore he saith I am he which liueth Seeing Christ giueth this spirituall life we must seeke it at him and labour that we may say that we liue not but Christ in vs and that our life is hid in Christ for Christ he liueth spiritually that he might bring spirituall life to vs then we must labour to haue this We can be content to seeke farre and neare to take exceeding paines to get gaine to maintaine this our momentanie earthly life which is but as grasse yea as a fleeting shadow and as a span and shall we not be much more carefull to get spirituall life which lasteth for euer But the practise of men is cleane contrarie not one of a thousand laboureth for spirituall life but all are bewitched with the ouer greedie desire of things of this life c. The reason of this is because mens hearts are not touched with the burthen of sinne and the curse of God on vs for sinne and therefore it is that no man seeketh to be deliuered from sinne to haue this spirituall life with Christ our head This we may see in that woman Iohn 4. Christ telleth her he is the bread of life she beginneth to cauill with him but when he toucheth her speciall sinne then she hearkeneth to him so if the Ministers tel the people of matters of saluation vnlesse they first cast them downe make them see their sins they will but quarrell and cauill at it and the doctrine of the Gospell Christ is the water nay the well of life now we must be thirstie and parched with thirst and then we will seeke for water and we must not onely lightly tast but seeke to be dipped and diued in this fountaine to haue our soules sowsed and soaked in this water and if we could know that Christ liued in vs and we in him by spirituall life it would be a present remedy against all persecutions And behold I liue for euer Amen Here followeth the second part of the distinction namely Though I was dead yet now I liue for euer which second part of the distinction is propounded with two notes the first of certaintie Amen to assure vs that that which Christ auoucheth before of himselfe is vnfalliblie true the second note is of attention Behold This serueth to stir vp attention in Iohn and in vs to a serious and due consideration of that part of the distinction I liue for euer therfore Christ saith Behold Behold I liue Here note two things first in regard of what nature Christ liueth for euer 2. to what end He liueth for euer as he is the Mediator of the church ergo in regard of both natures as he is God man In regard of his Godhead he liueth for euer by the vncreated or essentiall life of God which is all one with his Godhead which is for euer of it selfe not by any other Secondly he liueth for
not only pronounce sinne to be forgiuen as the reformed churches hold and which they denie but properly to forgiue sinne Seeing Christ hath power ouer hell and death we must reuerence him do him all honour and obedience we can if we haue not done this already yet now to begin if we haue then to do it more Seeing he hath the key of death he can shut open saue and destroy But if we dishonour and disobey him then he will not shut but open the doore to death and hell to plague vs. We thinke all is well Christ he is a Sauiour and all shall be well he is mercifull and so make him our packehorse of our sinnes but we must know he is not onely a Sauiour but a Iudge he can destroy and saue open and shut he hath the key of heauen and hel and of death This is a comfort to the godly which cleaue to Christ that he can keep them frō hell death so as they cannot hurt them and this consideration might comfort vs in time of persecution in the time of sicknesse or any calamitie Write these things In these words he describeth Christ by a second action for after he had comforted S. Iohn now he giueth him a commandement which commandement was giuen in the eleuenth verse before and here repeated to Iohn againe First because Christ intended by this to shew Iohn his especiall care of his Church that he is now still a prouident and carefull head of his Church and therefore sayth not once Write these things but the second time that the Church of God might vnderstand in al ages to come that it is necessary mē should know the estate of the Church for else he would not haue repeated it againe if it had not bene very necessary It is necessary for men to know that the estate of the church is to be in troubles that they might the better prepare thēselues to beare thē Thirdly he doth it that S. Iohn might be more assured certainly of his calling to write and pen this booke Fourthly that the Church in all ages might be fully assured without doubt that this booke is a booke of God and part of holy Scripture not inuented by man but reuealed by God to Iohn for the good of the Church Obiect But though Christ reuealed his wil aright Iohn might mistake it and erre in penning Answ. S. Iohn penned this booke both for matter and maner as Christ gaue it to him for this we must know that there is a difference betweene Apostles and Prophets in the old and new Testament and Ministers of the Gospell for they were called immediatly by God and Christ and had speciall assistance of the spirit of God which appeareth by those promises they haue made to thē by God as Christ saith He which receiueth you receiueth me c. Luke 10. 16. And It is not you which speake but the spirit of my Father therfore feare not And Iohn 14. The holy Ghost shall leade you into all truth which though some apply it to all Ministers yet if we mark the place it can agree to none but the Apostles And they meeting at Ierusalem concluded as it seemed good to the holy Ghost to them so that we see they could not erre though they were but men But it is not so with the Ministers of the word they may and do erre often Now S. Iohn being a faithfull Apostle he receiued this of Christ without errour and so penned it In this commaundement of Christ is a plaine diuision of this whole booke Write the things thou hast seene that is this vision I haue offered to thee the things thou sawest In the secōd place he sets downe the present estate of the church Thirdly the things to come that is the future estate of the church to the end of the world So that this booke containeth two things in it first the estate of the church in time present secondly in time to come to the end of the world the words of Christ make this diuision plainly If it be lawfull to vse diuisions then it is lawfull to set downe rules for direction of diuiding aright but the first is lawfull ergo the second Therefore the art of reasoning and diuiding as also Rhetoricke is not vnlawfull as some would haue it The mystery of the seuen starres Here is the third action of Christ which is the interpretation of the vision which he had shewed to Iohn and he onely interprets the principall parts of it Now Christ expounds this visiō to Iohn namely because he was to shew himselfe to be an holy man of God namely a Prophet Now the principall thing in a Prophet is to be able to expound visions either his owne or any others as we see in Daniel Now that he might shew himselfe to be an absolute Prophet in this booke Christ doth not onely shew him the vision but the intertation of it he expounds it that Iohn might be incouraged in penning and receiuing the things in this booke Now Christ expounds not the whole vision but the two principall parts what is meant by the seuen starres and seuen candlestickes namely by the seuen starres seuen Angels of the seuen churches by the candlestickes we shewed before In this verse note why Christ expounds the two principall parts leaues the rest vnexpounded The reason is first because Christ hath giuen his church power to expound visions and scripture Now if he had expounded euery part and circumstance then there had bene no matter left to the church to exercise her power Secondly to stir vp to diligence study of the scripture both Ministers all mēbers of the church for if all were plaine then men wold be idle neuer take paines to interpret the word therefore Christ expounds the chiefe and leaues the circumstances and appurtenances for the church to interpret Thirdly that men might dayly grow in knowledge of the Scripture for if all were knowne at first they would not study to increase in knowledge fourthly to stir vp inuocatiō for grace to vnderstand Scripture Now these Ministers are called Angels which be the Pastors and Ministers of the church Mat. 11. 10. Iohn Baptist is called Christs Angel or messenger or Ambassadour By this we haue direction to expound another place of Scripture where it is said Women must be couered because of the Angels that is because of the Ministers for the couering of the head in the church of Corinth was a signe of subiection and inferioritie contrary to our vse Now the women when they come into the congregation before the Ministers they must be couered to shew their subiection and submission to the Gospell and doctrine deliuered to them Seeing Ministers be called Angels that is messengers and Ambassadors they must behaue themselues as Ambassadors they must haue speciall care first of the matter of the ambassage secondly of the maner that they deliuer nothing but their Lords
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
it come withall must arme themselues with Christian courage and fortitude not to feare too much Thirdly they must be faithfull to God in regard of their promise and couenant in baptisme in keeping faith and good conscience and in defence of true religion euen to death So that they must heare these three the first concerning Gods prouidence seeing and regarding his church the second concerning Christian fortitude courage in afflictions the third our faithfulnes constancy in defence of faith a good conscience maintaining of true religion to the end These three are the things they should heare and consider and so we must consider and learne the same To excite them and vs to these three things to heare and know the three duties he giueth two reasons first because the Spirit speaketh the second is the persons to whom he spake not to one but all Churches directly to them of Smyrna and in them to all churches to all of vs no man is excepted but must heare him The second part of the conclusion is a promise He which euercometh shal not be hurt That we may ouercom two things are required first to renounce and go out of our selues secondly to cast all our hope trust and affiance in Christ which when we do then we haue sauing faith and this ouercometh all our enemies The second thing is to keep faith and a good conscience to defend true religion to the end of our dayes against all enemies And shall not be hurt of the second death that is eternall death for the first death is when the bodie and soule are separated in this life the second when both bodie and soule are separated from God for euer In which separation Reu. 21. consisteth the destruction of a man euen the suffering of the fire of the eternall lake It is then as if he said though he shall suffer the first death yet he shall not be hurt of the second he shall escape that fire and lake for euer This is a most comfortable and happie promise to escape the lake of hell Here note first to whom this promise is made to them which ouercome to them which renounce themselues put their trust and affiance onely in Christ and labour to keep faith a good conscience to the end Then if we would ouercome it is not enough to know to teach or heare of religion but true profession is ioyned with fighting against all the enemies of the same with christian courage let none of them raigne ouer vs but fight till we ouercome and get victorie ouer them all then we ouercome indeed and then to vs is made this promise Alas it is nothing to know or approue religion and yet to liue in sinne and to let the diuell the world and ourflesh raigne ouer vs. Then we must neuer content our selues with bare profession but labour to say in our hearts that we are conquerers of hell death c. by grace of Christ in vs and then we haue a blessed promise of freedome from the second death and of eternall happinesse we shall not feare the fire of hell the burning lake Furthermore in these words is answered a question which many a mans heart maketh but few in the truth of heart can answer How may I escape the burning lake how can I flie and auoid the second death Ans. Thou must in this life turne truly to God from all thy euill waies renounce thy selfe beleeue and put thine assurance in Christ and withall endeuour to keep faith and a good conscience to the end and then thou shalt escape the second death the fiery lake of hel shal not hurt thee though thou shalt tast of the first yet thou shalt not see the second death Would any haue his soule escape this burning lake haue his silly soule free from the torments of hell let him turne to God renounce himselfe put his trust and confidence in Christ neuer turne to his former sinnes and withall take heed to maintaine and keepe faith a good conscience and maintaine pure and true religion to the end and then he shall be free from the burning lake Further we see by these words that of the two deaths the second is the worse and most properly death for the first is but a preparation to the second the second is the cruell death and destruction of body and soule This is yet the madnes of men that they feare the pangs of the first and not of the second neuer thinke of the burning lake like children which feare shadowes and neuer feare fire or water but suffer themselues to be drowned or burned And to the Angell which is at Pergamus In these words is the third particular commaundement of Christ to Iohn for the penning and publishing of this third Epistle to the Church of Pergamus By the Angell of this Church is meant either the Minister and Pastor or company of the Ministers gouernors of the same So often in the word one is put for a multitude This particular commaundement is giuen to Iohn by Christ to assure him of his calling to pen this booke and Epistle secondly to assure the Church of the authoritie of the booke seeing it is deliuered by Christ himselfe The Epistle hath three parts first a preface secondly a proposition thirdly a conclusion The Preface in these words Thus saith he with hath that sharp c. the proposition in the thirteenth verse the conclusion in the seuenteenth verse Thus saith he Here he sheweth in whose name he wrote this Epistle to wit Christs who is described that he is not onely a Prophet and Priest but a King in gouerning and guiding his Church for he hath a sword in his hand which is described first that it hath to edges Secondly it is sharpe meaning by it the word of God so as not onely the doctrine of the law but the promises of the Gospell are of the like power Hebr. 4. 12. Christ is thus set out to comfort the Church of Pergamus for by this Christ signifies three things first that he by power of the word killeth sinne wounds it at the heart he killeth and slayeth the corruption of our nature so deadly that it cannot recouer againe secondly that he wil strengthen and maintaine the church and the members of the same by this sword against al their enemies for he will not onely hurt the enemies but defend his by his sword Obiect How doth he wound them by the word Answ. The word must be knowne and beleeued of vs. Now when we know and beleeue the law and the threates thereof and the points and promises of the Gospell then if afflictions come faith by which we beleeue them maketh vs that we are comforted and armeth vs against all afflictions and persecutions so that nothing can hurt vs but if we beleeue it not then the word is to vs as a sword in a sheath not drawn out nor vsed to defend or driue backe our enemies but
he which receiues it for no man can know or discerne it then men must not thinke strange though be be not called by this new name The world knoweth vs not 1. Iohn 3. 1. Now in that he which hath this new name knowes it and seeth that he is the child of God and fellow-heire with Christ that he is called iustified sanctified and that none knowes it but he which hath receiued it This cōfutes the Papists who say they know it but not certainly but in hope and by coniecture and probabilitie But we see he knowes it certainly infallibly without doubt for he knowes it better then any other other men know it by coniecture but he knoweth it certainly No man knowes this new name so certainly infallibly and frō within as he which receiues the same for no man can determine of the faith adoption or calling of any but himself for that is proper to God to search the heart This must stay our censure and iudgement to iudge men to be hypocrites to condemne either the better or bad sort of men for we know not a mans heart his faith is but knowne to God and himselfe Obiect How farre may we iudge of anothers state of saluation Answ. We iudge of another mans estate either certainly or not certainly as when one iudgeth and sets downe certainly and resolutely that such men are elected to saluation without all doubt but this is proper to God no man can know the spirit of man but God and the man himself and so farre as it pleaseth him to reueale the same to some of his children as to Dauid he reuealed the damnation and reiection of some for which cause he prayeth for their destruction Now besides this there is the iudgement of charitie when we iudge of another as charitie moueth vs now charitie maketh a man iudge the best This charitie hath two parts first it is not to despaire secondly it is to iudge of a mans saluation vndoubtedly to be perswaded of it certainly We must not despaire though we see men liue in sin And we must iudge certainly of mens saluation and without doubt that they be called effectually in that they testifie their faith by their obedience not that we can set down certainly but we must in charitie iudge so of them And this is charitie in the highest degree when we iudge that such a one is the child of God by the fruites of his faith Here again they of the Church of Rome are deceiued making the Church to haue this note and property to be visible but not visibilitie but election adoption and faith are the principall markes of the Church Now these cannot be seene onely the fruites of them may And to the Angell Here beginneth the fourth particular Epistle The end scope of these words is to certifie the church of Thyatyra that Iohn had a speciall commandement and calling from God first to write this Epistle secondly to certifie all Churches to the end of the world that he had a commandement and calling from God to write not onely this Epistle but this whole booke and for that cause this is seuen times repeated To the Angell c. The Epistle beginneth here These things write c. and continueth almost to the end of this Chapter in it note three parts first a Preface secondly a Proposition thirdly a Conclusion The preface or entrance in the eighteenth verse all which were in the former Chapter verses 5. 14. 15. These things saith In the preface note first in whose name it is written namely in the name of Christ. The cause why his name is in the Preface is set downe before Christ is described by three arguments first he is the Son of God secondly his eyes are like a flame of fire thirdly his feet like fine brasse Christ is here said to be the Son of God In the former Chapter he was called the sonne of man here the Sonne of God By God he meaneth not the Godhead as it is absolutely or common to all the three persons but by it is meant the Father who when he is conferred with any person in the Trinitie is called God not that he is more God then the Sonne and holy Ghost or that they be not equall but for order in that he is the first person frō him the Godhead is cōmunicated to the Sonne and holy Ghost How Christ is called the Sonne of God we may know by these two rules first Christ is the Sonne of the Father not in respect of his Godhead or as he is God but in respect of his person and in respect of his person he is begotten of the Father before all worlds For the Godhead of Christ the Sonne is not begotten or begetteth not nor proceedeth but he hath one and the same Godhead with the Father therefore it no more begetteth or is begotten or proceeding then his The second rule Christ is the Sonne of the Father not by creation as the Angels and Adam nor by grace as true beleeuers in Christ but by nature in that he is begotten of the substance of the Father before all worlds Because the Father cōmunicated to him from himself his whole Godhead and nature and by this communication of the Godhead to his Son wholly he is said to beget the Sonne and he is said to be begotten of the Father The end why Christ is called the Sonne of God is namely to stirre vp in this Church of Thyatira care and diligence reuerence and attention in marking and obeying the things of this Epistle seeing that he which teacheth them is the Sonne of God teaching vs in their example when we heare the word read or preached we must haue attention diligent care and feare seeing it is the Sonne of God which speaketh to vs. When Pilate was condemning Christ and heard he was the Sonne of God he was affraid Shall an heathen man which knew not God feare to heare of Christ the Son of God and shall not we tremble to heare him speake to vs himselfe At the voice of Christ the mountaines melted and the rockes claue asunder and shall not our stonie and rockie hearts tremble to heare him speake to vs out of his word His eyes were like a flame of fire We must not take these words literally but as in the former Chapter for Christ is set out as he appeared in vision to Iohn By his fierie eye is meant first that in him is infinite wisedome he seeth all things he knoweth by his fierie and piercing eye all things present past and to come Secondly it signifieth his vigilancie and watchfulnesse ouer his Church and euery particular member of the same for these two ends first to preserue and protect his own children secondly to take reuenge and punishment on his enemies Thirdly by his fierie eye is signified his anger against sinnes and sinners Christ is said to haue fierie eyes to teach vs that he can discerne secret and hidden
sinnes for in this Chapter we find that certaine men in this Church were giuen to fornication and idolatrie close and hidden sinnes Now here he is said to haue fierie eyes to shew them he seeth these secret sinnes he knoweth their hearts much more their sinfull workes and will punish them Then by this we haue a good remedie against all secret sins The nature of man is for shame and feare of punishment to abstaine from outward crimes but being out of the companie of men he will breake the commandement of the first and second Table without any care or conscience and this euery mans conscience can best testifie that though he can abstaine from outward sinnes for shame and punishment yet he will cōmit secret sinnes But these men should remember that though they be out of the presence of men yet they stand in the presence of Christ he seeth them his fierie eye pierceth to their inward thoughts and affections and though they may bleare the eyes of men yet they cannot bleare this fierie eye of Christ. If euery man would remember this the fornicator blasphemer or any sinner it would be a good meanes to bridle and stay thē from committing sinnes both open and hidden And his feet like fine brasse He is said to haue brazen feet to shew his strength and power by which he ouercame and bruised the head of the serpent on the crosse and fully vanquished hell death and sinne by his death and also doth subdue sinne and Satan and put them vnder not onely his brazen foot but vnder the feet of his seruants and members The end why he is said to haue feet of brasse here in this Epistle is to terrifie certaine wicked persons in this Church as fornicators and idolaters nay the whole Church of Thyatira which by these wicked men were in daunger to be drawne that way This then may be a remedie for all loose liuers namely to consider of Christs brazen feet to thinke that Christ our Sauiour is in the midst of the Church walketh there and that he hath a foote of brasse to trample and tread all his enemies to powder and to destroy them The want of this is the cause why men lie in sinne and heape sinne vpon sinne without care or conscience or any feare The second part of the Epistle is the Proposition wherein is propounded the substance and matter of the Epistle It hath two parts first a praise secondly a dispraise or rebuke The commendation in the 19. verse the dispraise in the 20. verse First she is commended generally I know thy workes secondly particularly for many duties and vertues I know thy workes that is I see and allow thy workes and wayes The end why he alleadgeth and repeateth these words is to stirre vp the hearts of his seruants to consider of his presence For Christ before hath fierie eyes and here he saith I know thy workes to make this consideration to sinke more deepely and imprint it more throughly In the second part he commendeth her for many duties and vertues first loue secondly seruice thirdly patience fourthly faith and increase of godlinesse First she is commended for loue that is loue to man not to God for for that she is cōmended after in the duties to God But by loue and seruice is meant duties to man performed by man to man To know this loue better note three points first what it is secondly the property of true loue to man thirdly how it must be practised toward men Loue to man is a gift of Gods spirit whereby a man is well affected to his neighbour for Gods sake First loue is the gift of the Spirit Gal. 5. 25. Secondly it is a gift whereby a man is well affected to his neighbour that is to reioyce at his good to defend to seeke and wish his good yea to be grieued with his hurt and miserie and withall to haue bowels of compassion to helpe him in his hurt and miserie Thirdly it must be to our neighbour not by dwelling or habitation but to them which be our brethren in nature haue the same flesh with vs beare the same image of God Then all men as they be men are our neighbours though they dwell at the worlds end whether beleeuer or infidell friend or foe to these we must be wel affected Fourthly it must be for Gods sake for God must first absolutely and principally be loued and man for him so that our loue to man is a fruit of our loue to God springing and descending from it As for the propertie of our loue to man it must be feruent and that in two things first if need require euery man is bound in the compasse of his calling to lay downe his life for his brother and for his neighbour 1. Ioh. 3. 16. Secondly it must be feruent towards our enemies in the world there is much hatred malice and iniuries Now we must loue those persons from whō these come and loue must be feruent that these like water do not quench it And for the practise of our loue to man the rule is that we loue him as our selues as we loue and wish well to our selues heartily so must we loue and wish well to him This is the law of nature to do to another as we would haue him to do to vs yea this is the law of God do to all men as you would haue them do to you Is a man to sell the diuell offereth him gaine if he wil lie Now consider by thine owne law wouldest thou haue another to deceiue thee by lying no surely then deceiue not thy neighor by false weights wares or otherwise By these three things we see for what this Church was commended This loue were to be wished in vs but alas it waxeth cold euery man is a louer of himselfe seeketh his owne good no man his brothers euery man spends his labor wit and his calling to help himself no man to do good to others to help the common good or the good of the Church but to the hurt or hindering of others for men think they may make the best of their owne sell as deare as they can but we should employ all our callings if we had true loue not onely to our owne good but the good of others euen the common good of the towne country or church When men come to the Church to heare the word to pray to receiue the sacrament then they seeme to shew great loue of God but look into their callings there is no loue of their brethren which sheweth they haue no true but an outward loue of God seeing they loue not their neighbour liue by iniustice seeking to fley him and draw out his very bloud by cruell dealing by griping pilling and polling now there cannot be true loue of God where this loue of our neighbour is wanting 1. Iohn 3. 21. The second vertue for which this church is cōmended is seruice In this place
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
is called that Counseller He is both King of and Counsellor to his Church And surely this title of right belōgeth to him for first by his office he aduiseth men how they shall escape eternall death and be saued secondly he teacheth how a man may please God in all his actions thirdly how he may flie sinne These three he doth daily in his church and children and that not by extraordinarie but euen by ordinarie meanes as by his word and spirit and therefore may well be called our Counseller neither can any either Angell or man thus counsell vs but onely Christ. Now in that Christ is such a person by office and profession therefore we must acknowledge him to be our Counsellor yea the Counseller of the Catholike Church and euery part therof Therefore we learne to do him all the honour we can Counsellors of the common law are feed reuerenced and honoured for their counsell though it be but for worldly matters and it oftentimes faileth Much more is Christ to be honoured whose counsell concerneth the things of God and cannot faile but shall stand Nay as his counsell is infinitely more excellent then the counsell of any other creature so much more is he to be honoured Further in all dangers and temptations one must resort to Christ for counsell for to this end is he a Counseller He told them they were miserable and therefore gaue them counsell declaring that he is at hand in all our miseries and distresse And therefore we must resort to Christ for his counsell and rest vpon it and order our selues according to it The good king Iehosaphat when the Moabites and Ammonites banded together was in great distresse but what did he We said he know not Lord what to do but our eyes are toward thee That is we looke to thee for counsel and direction we must rest rely vpon thee for wholesome counsel good direction So should all men do in distresse and daunger as we are now by reason of our sinnes and the professed malice of our enemies for by all likelihood these dayes are the time of our chastisement and correction therefore we must say as he said Therefore in all distresse whether it be sicknesse or pang of death forsake all ill counsell go not to wizards and Astrologians for helpe but humble your selues and pray for his counsell So much for the first part that is the maner of prescribing this remedie Now of the remedie it selfe As the miserie had three parts and those great miseries all so Christ propoundeth his remedie in such sort that it is answerable to the three branches of the miserie first gold that thou mayest be rich secondly rayment thirdly eye salue By gold according to the analogie of the Scripture we are to vnderstand the graces of Gods spirit as true faith repentance feare and loue of God man All these are called gold as the triall of our faith is said to be more precious then gold We may likewise vnderstand al other gifts of the spirit yea all Christs merits Christ himself the fountaine of all Purged by the fire That is precious and fine gold of speciall account that is purged from all drosse by the art of man This sheweth what is the propertie of his gifts and graces they are as precious as fine pure gold as 1. Pet. 1. 5. This is worth the marking that the gifts of Gods spirit are of great price and value and that before Gold Psal. 119. 72. Math. 13. 4. This teacheth all how to beautifie themselues in soule and bodie The blind and false opinion of the world is that strange attire and forreine fashions beautifie and adorne the bodie and it is commonly thought that Iewels and precious stones adorne vs and indeed it is true in some persons such as be great personages but strange fashions and outlandish attire disgraceth the bodie The right way to beautifie the bodie indeed and to make it truly glorious and to adorne the soule also i◠to get these graces for these are as precious as fine gold Our bodies shold be the temples of the holy Ghost the houses of a worthie guest therefore we should the rather labour for the best ornaments And if you will adorne your selues as you ought you must do it with the graces of Gods spirit and abhorre these fond and absurd fashions which no wise man can like of That thou maist be rich c. These graces haue a further effect and serue not onely to adorne and beautifie but also to make men rich Here then see the common folly nay madnesse of men which spend all their time wit and strength to enrich their bodies and leaue their soules vnfurnished What a madnesse is this that so many should neglect true riches and studie for nothing more then that which is nothing lesse then riches euen counterfeit riches By this text it is more then manifest that such are more then mad and that this folly is very great Therefore seeing true riches be the graces of Gods spirit seeke for these So much for the first part of the remedie White garments That is Christ himselfe and his righteousnesse imputed As Gal. 3. 27. euen as a garment is put on the bodie so is Christ and his righteousnesse and the fruite thereof that is sanctification all this is meant by garments here Now the end is to couer the nakednesse of the soule which is deformed and defiled with sinne Eye salue That is the spirit of illumination knowledge wrought in the mind by the spirit of God For as eye-salue doth cleare the eye sight and sharpen the same where it was by some occasion hindred so doth Christ by illumination make a man know and vnderstand God in Christ and discerne betweene good and euill of things temporall and eternall Thus you haue the meaning of these words Now by the exposition you may see that by all these we can vnderstand nothing but Christ himselfe and his merits One and the same thing is signified by three words to shew that there is in Christ the fulnesse of grace and that he hath remedies for all our wants The Laodiceans were poore in spirituall goods and Christ was their riches naked and he their garment blind and he their eye-salue So that looke how many sinnes there be in men so many contrarie remedies there be in Christ. What wants soeuer be in vs he hath a supply of them all The Papists make him an insufficient Sauiour in that they patch our merits to his and so they disgrace Christ but we are to count Christ a most perfect and absolute Mediator and Redeemer in himselfe without vs. To buy The meanes how these worthie gifts of God are gotten Christ saith by buying and bargaining he saith not receiue but buy This is an allusion to the state of that citie which was rich and consisted most of Merchants which liued by buying and trafficke therefore he speaketh to them in their
standeth in the holy place which is the temple and signifieth the Church Now the Pope sitteth in the midst of the temple of God and boasteth himself to be God chalenging to himselfe such authoritie as is proper only to God and vsurping such honour as is peculiar onely to God Therfore not in the heathen Emperors but in the Popes is this prophesie accomplished Another reason to proue that Antichrist which in this Reuelation is foreshewed to come into the world cannot be vnderstood to be the heathen Emperours is taken out of the seuenteenth chapter of the same booke for there the Angell interpreting to S. Iohn the mysterie of the beast that beareth the harlot which hath seuen heads signifying seuen hilles he declareth also that they signifie seuen Kings or principall estates or formes of regiment for so the name of King is often taken in the Prophets and specially in Daniel at which prophesie S. Iohn borroweth many phrases Of these seuen heads fiue he saith were fallen the sixt was then presently in authority and the seuenth was not yet come which seuenth was the monstrous beast Antichrist that was both the seuenth and the eight Now it is euident that this could not be vnderstood of the heathen Emperours for Nero the first persecuting Paynim was come and gone and Domitian another persecutor by whose tyrannie S. Iohn was banished into the I le of Pathmos where he saw and receiued this Reuelation was then in authoritie so that of the Monarchie or tyrannie of heathen Emperours this could not be vnderstood and of the Christian Emperours no man will expound it so that it must needs be turned ouer to the Pope for it can rest in no place else and being referred vnto him all the rest haue a very apt exposition For the citie of Rome and the dominions thereof hath had seuen principall states or formes of regiment the first state of Kings the second of Consuls the third of Decemviri the fourth of Dictators the fift of Triumviri the sixt of Caesars or Emperors and the seuenth of Popes Now fiue of these states or formes of regiment were fallen and abolished in Saint Iohns time the sixt which was the Emperours in his time was in place and the seuenth which is the Popes was not yet come which was the very beast it selfe the Romaine Empire reuiued and raised vp from the bottomlesse pit of hell into the vsurped tyrannie of the Pope And this is that beast that sometimes was of wonderfull great power and glory in the dayes of Augustus and some other of his successors but then much decayed as if it had not bene although in some sort it were but should be restored in the vsurped authoritie of the Pope that claimeth all the world to be his Diocesse which power commeth not from God but from the Prince of pride out of the bottomlesse pit But chiefly let vs consider that the beast although he be but one yet in the account he standeth for two for he is that seuenth head and the eight also And remember that the Pope challengeth double authoritie namely the power of both the swords the spirituall and temporall So that in this exposition all things agree most aptly Againe it is manifest in the Scriptures that Antichrist should deceiue the world with false doctrine vnder pretence and colour of true religion and therefore so often times the Scripture warneth men that they be not seduced by him which were needles if any opē professed enemy of Christ shold be that Antichrist For there is no likelihood that an heathen man a Iew or a Turk should deceiue any multitude of true Christians but he that vnder the pretence of the name of Christ seeketh most of all to deface the honour of Christ he is a subtle aduersarie and the very spirit of Antichrist as S. Iohn also in his Epistle doth testifie For in the second chapter speaking of those Antichrists which were the fore-runners of the great Antichrist he sheweth that they went out from the Church And in the fourth chapter he calleth them false Prophets and teacheth men how to know the spirit of Antichrist He that denieth Iesus to be Christ he that denieth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh that is he that derogateth any thing from the honour of Iesus to be Christ and in his flesh to haue performed the ful worke of mans redemption as the Pope doth most blasphemously he is Antichrist and who so teacheth any such doctrine speaketh by the spirit of Antichrist For the testimony of Iesus is the spirit of prophesie Seeing therfore that S. Iohn accounteth Antichrist for one that is gone from the church for a false Prophet it is cleare that Antichrist is no heathē Emperor which was neuer of the Church nor yet a false Prophet that tooke vpon him to teach in the Church The same may be said of Mahomet who neuer professed himselfe to be a Christian nor yet a Prophet in the Church of Christ pretending to vphold the religion of Christ but an open enemie of the Gospel of our Sauior Christ altogether without the Church By these arguments I doubt not but all men may see that seeing Babylon is Rome and that the head of Babylon is Antichrist that he cannot be any of the heathen Emperours but euen the Pope himselfe And therefore I conclude according to my text that Rome is fallen if Babylon be fallen Now remaineth the last part that I promised to intreate of namely the cause of Gods so seuere iudgment against Babylon that he hath decreed her vtter ouerthrow and destruction which the Angel comprehendeth in these words Because she hath made all nations drunke with the wine of the furie of her fornication that is she hath deceiued all the world with false doctrine which he compareth vnto two kinds of vices whereby men are so deceiued that they loose all their right iudgement drunkennesse and fornication for as these two vices do allure men to commit them by coueting of vaine delectation that is in thē euen so Babylon hath inticed all men like another Circe to drink of the cup of her delectable errours and to commit most filthy fornication with her idolatrous religiō For of al other religions to the carnal man none is so pleasant as Poperie is in which be so many kinds of satisfaction to be obtained both in this life and after men be dead that there is no greater securitie for an hypocrite to sleepe in thē in the faire promises of Popery And that causeth so many willingly to embrace it and so loth to depart frō it because they would still continue without checke of true doctrine which calleth men to repentance amendment of life or else threatneth eternall damnation For howsoeuer it pleaseth them to charge the doctrine of the Gospell with cause of securitie it may easily be seene by comparison of it with the doctrine of Poperie whether is cause of securitie that which teacheth no
in vision Now S. Iohn saw the holy Ghost in forme of seuen lights in a vision Reu. 4. 5. Which are before the throne This he speakes by comparison taken from earthly kings which fitting in their thrones do there shew their might and maiestie most So S. Iohn he saw God the Father sitting in a throne by vision and Christ at his right hand and before the throne the holy Ghost Hence it followes not that he is inferiour to the Father and to the Sonne but by this comparison and kind of speech S. Iohn sets out the office of the holy Ghost which is to be sent by the Father and Sonne to the Church to enlighten the members thereof and to sanctifie them Seeing that he ascribes grace and peace from God the father and also from the seuen spirits that is the holy Ghost hence we note the holy Ghost is very God for from whom grace and peace proceeds he is perfect and very God We learne that we may direct our prayers to the holy Ghost for to whom grace and peace is ascribed to him we may direct our prayers seeing he can giue grace c. but they be ascribed to him and he can giue them ergo we may pray to him for them There be some which doubt whether we may pray to the holy Ghost but they may aswell doubt whether he be God or not but they say we haue no example Ans. It is false for here we haue an example for though this grace and peace c. be a blessing yet in substance it is a prayer as though he had said O Father Sonne and holy Ghost let thy grace and peace be vpon the Church Which are before the throne of the Father Hence we note the holy Ghost is a substance and a person subsisting not a quality as some Heretikes hold confessing the Godhead of the Father of the Sonne and denying the Godhead of the holy Ghost But here we see for the holy Ghost he is a substance and person subsisting standing before the throne of the Father not a gift or grace proceeding from God but a person distinguished from the Father and the Sonne the Father he sits on the throne the Sonne is on his right hand the holy Ghost distinguished from them both stands before the throne And from Iesus Christ. That is grace and peace from Iesus Christ. Where Christ Iesus is ioyned to the Father and the holy Ghost in bestowing grace and peace on his Church Ob. Why is Christ the second person of the Trinitie placed after the holy Ghost the third Person Answ. For two causes First Christ is considered two wayes first as he is the Sonne of the Father secondly as he is the Mediator of the Church Now as he is the Sonne of the Father he is the second Person in Trinitie and so before the holy Ghost in order Secondly as he is Mediator and so he is after them both the Father and the holy Ghost Esa. 61. 1. The Spirit of the Lord is vpon me hath sent me to preach Where Christ is sent by the holy Ghost to preach as he is Mediator and so as he is sent in that respect he is after the holy Ghost Secondly he is placed after the holy Ghost because the maner of them which pen the Scriptures is to set them in the last place of whom they meane to speake last So Mat. 1. he setting downe the genealogie of Christ from Abraham though in all those there was none more excellent then Christ yet he is in the last place because of order the Euangelist meaning to speak and treat of him he sets him in the last place purposing still to continue his historie of the life and death of Christ. So here S. Iohn he placed Christ in the last place because he purposed to continue his historie in speaking of the death and passion of Christ and other things which concerne him Now what saith he of Christ From this fift till the ninth verse he describes Christ first by his offices secondly by the execution of his offices His offices are three first he is set out by his propheticall office in these words which is that faithfull witnesse secondly by his priestly office the first begotten of the dead thirdly by his kingly office and that Prince of the kings of the earth First his propheticall office First he is a witnesse Secondly a faithfull witnesse Thirdly that faithfull witnesse First he is a witnesse Esa. 55. 4. I gaue him to be a witnesse to the nations In that he is called a witnesse there are signified many duties of his propheticall office as first to reueale the will of his Father secondly to certifie the Church of the certaintie of the same and in these two stand his whole office propheticall First to reueale his Fathers will to the Church is his office for there is none which knowes his Fathers will but he which came from the bosome of the Father and he hath declared it Ioh. 1. 18. And he hath not onely declared his Fathers will since he came in the flesh but from the beginning he reuealed the will and word of God When the Lord rained fire on Sodome Gen. 19. 24. there Iehouah the Father rained downe by Iehouah the Sonne So when the couenant was made to our first parents it was made in Christ the promised seed It was renewed to Abraham and the Patriarkes from the Father by the Sonne as appeared in the bush where Iehouah appeared but 1. Cor. 10. there he is called Christ. The Prophets and the Apostles wrote as they were inspired by Christ they were but his instruments to speake and write that he put into them by the holy Ghost The matter and the stile and phrase of the Scripture all came from Christ. Nay when any particular man comes to vnderstand the Scriptures this is by the working of Christ he opens their eyes He gaue the disciples vnderstanding as they went to Emaus to vnderstand the Scriptures The second duty of Christ is to certifie men of his Fathers will and that in conscience of the certainty of his Fathers will This certification is generall or particular When he certifieth men that the word written or spoken by man out of the word is the word of God neither nature nor learning can do this but it is proper to Christs Propheticall office and for this he saith to his disciples he will send them the comforter which shall leade them into all truth Here we must know first by what meanes he assureth vs secondly the principall cause of this assurance The meanes is the word it selfe The principall cause is the operation of the holy Ghost By this three points are resolued First the Papists aske how a man can come to know that the Scriptures read and taught be the word of God Answ. We must here haue recourse to the word and to the faithfull witnesse and desire