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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	election_n	faith_n	foresee_v	1,644	5	11.3276	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09442	Lectures vpon the three first chapters of the Reuelation: preached in Cambridge anno Dom. 1595. by Master William Perkins, and now published for the benefite of this Church, by Robert Hill Bachelor in Diuinitie. To which is added an excellent sermon, penned at the request of that noble and wise councellor, Ambrose, Earle of Warwicke: in which is proued that Rome is Babylon, and that Babylon is fallen	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.; Hill, Robert, d. 1623.	1604 (1604)	STC 19731; ESTC S114472	318,460	389

creature no not for the Angels which fell as well as man The third degree which is most principall is that whereby he loues his elect and chosen children which is that loue whereby he accepts of them to life euerlasting This third degree hath two parts for it is taken first for the purpose of his decree to loue secondly for the action or declaration of his loue For the first as I haue loued Iacob and hated Esau that is I haue purposed to loue the one and hate the other Secondly for the declaration of his purpose to loue Thirdly for the action and for the declaration of his loue and speciall fauor in speciall benefits 1. Ioh. 3. 1. Behold what singular loue God hath shewed on vs nothing the declaration of his purpose to loue vs in giuing his son for vs. So in this verse is meant Gods special loue or the declaration of his purpose to loue vs in speciall benefits Now whereas S. Iohn placeth this in the first place of all the benefites of Christ That he loued vs he would teach vs that this loue is the very ground of mans redemption the very cause of Gods liking and fauor to man Then there is no foreseene faith away with foreseene workes for he loued vs first and that alone is the cause and ground of our election and saluation But it may be obiected The loue of God as also of man respects the goodnesse of things loued so we loue a thing because it is good and when it is euill we hate it There is great difference betweene the loue of the creature and the Creator The creature loues the thing because he seeth it is good but God the Creator he first loues the creature and hence it comes that it is good because he loues it 2. Whereas S. Iohn and all the Churches of Asia as other true Churches do beleeue and are assured that Christ loues them for that S. Iohn taketh for graunted this should moue all men to haue this care to labour aboue all things to be rooted and grounded in loue seeing he places that in the first place This we do when we are assured in heart and conscience by the working of Gods spirit that he loues vs in Christ so that he which takes away the assurance of Gods loue to vs in Christ takes away the very ground of our saluation Now that we may haue this loue of God we must in all our duties to God and man draw neare to God keeping a good conscience before God all men and so if we loue God he wil come to vs stay and dwell in vs. And if we would haue his loue to be plentifully shed in our hearts then we must draw neare to him by loue and he will draw neare to vs for he louing vs first if we increase in that loue to him then will he double his loue to vs. And washed vs from our sinnes in his blood Here is the second benefit and action of Christ to his Church which is first the remission of sinnes secondly the mortification of sinnes Washed Here he sheweth that the sinnes of men are as filthy spots in their soules and after he confesseth the vile estate of the Church and euery member thereof in that he saith they were so washed For washing presupposeth filthinesse before and a corrupted estate and so should we by their example learne to consider our owne estate how that our soules and bodies be spotted and defiled with sins originall and actuall So did Dauid Psal. 51. most sensibly and excellently feele his owne wants and see his miserable estate when he desired the Lord to wash him thorowly confessing thereby his soule and body was foule stained and polluted with sinne and addes thoroughly not once and so inough bnt wash me againe and againe thoroughly till I be cleane and cleanse me rince bathe swill me in the blood of Christ to be purged and cleansed from all my sinnes In which words he sheweth his exceeding feeling of his own miseries how fouly he was defiled so should we labour to see how the spots of sinne are deeply stucke in our soules they be fast set so that one washing will not serue but we must be rinced bathed and cleansed by the blood of Christ for it is not the hand of any man or Angell which can wash away these spots nor any thing they can giue vs but onely Christ Iesus whose finger alone dipped in his owne blood can wash away our spots of sinne The consideration whereof should make vs consider our wretched estate and often to repent vs of our sins to take heed of sin which staines vs so We must labour to haue our hearts purged and cleansed by the blood of Christ and till we haue them so purged neither our faith obedience loue or any thing we do is acceptable to God The first part of this benefit of Christ containes the remission of our sinnes the taking away of the punishment and the guilt due to them the second part is the mortification of sin Which hath washed vs from all c. He addeth these words to shew that if any beleeue truly he hath pardon of all his sinnes without any restraint or limitation of these or those sinnes By his blood How can blood wash away filthinesse nay it rather defiles a man Answ. This washing stands not in the substance of the blood but in the merit thereof for the blood of Christ shed is lost and God knowes what is become of it whatsoeuer the Papists say but the merite of it washeth away sinnes Obiect But why doth Christs blood rather then any other mans blood as Peter Iohn c Answ. Because that blood was the blood of God not of the Godhead but of him who was both God and man for these two natures being vnited together make but one person and so it may be called the blood of God as Paul saith God redeemed vs by his blood that is Christ God and man God-man or God incarnate and so it being the blood of God is more meritorious then the blood of any creature whatsoeuer Besides I answer Christ was appointed by God to be a publike person to be suretie for all mankind but no man can be so to be in the roome of the whole company of mākind Then damnable is the doctrine of the Papists who hold the blood of Martyrs can merit for other for seeing they be but priuate men they cannot profit any other By blood we must vnderstand the passion of Christ being a part for the whole and withall we must remember his fulfilling of the law for in his suffering he fulfilled the whole law and in fulfilling the law he suffered and these two cannot be seuered so that this containes the whole obedience of Christ partly in suffering partly in fulfilling the law S. Iohn addeth these words and sets downe these two blessings to draw men to loue and like

cities be Churches though not the Catholicke Church but members of it Note first the matter of this book concernes the Church seeing it is a propheticall history concerning the estate of the Church from the time of Iohn to the end and therefore it is meet it should be dedicated to the Church Secondly it is dedicated to the Church seeing the true members of the Catholicke Church be the pillars and ground of truth not that their authority is aboue the word but because they preserue the scriptures as a treasury from age to age And they be pillars and grounds of truth because they giue testimony to the truth of Gods word 3. Because they publish the truth of Gods word in and by the ordinary ministery of the word and so the church being the pillar and ground of truth it is fit this booke should be dedicated to it Secondly he writes it not to all Churches but makes choise of these seuen Churches in Asia first because they were then most famous as the Chapters following and histories of the Church do shew Secondly he sayes not to the Churches of Ierusalem and of the Iewes but of Asia to shew them that which was long before foretold was now fulfilled namely that the Gentiles according as the Prophets foretold should be called which now was verified seeing the Gentiles dwelt in Asia Seeing Iohn wrote and dedicated this booke to the Churches in Asia many yeares after Christ not to the Church of Rome then we see that the Papists are deceiued who would haue their Church the mother Church and all other Churches must rely on theirs but if that Church of Rome had bene the mother and most famous no doubt Iohn would haue dedicated it to her But he doth dedicate it to the Churches in Asia shewing they were then more famous then Rome 2 Now followes the salutation Grace and peace c. Salutation is of two forts ciuill or religious ciuil as that which men vse ordinarily with one another 2. religious which is more peculiar and proper to the Church and so it is here a religious salutation And seeing the Apostles vse it commonly in all their Epistles may be called an Apostolicall salutation They vsed this in all their Epistles Grace and peace c. which they did because their ministery was of grace and peace and they made their salutation answerable to their ministery for their Apostleship stood in these two to preach the word and to pray for the people that they might haue grace peace And the apostles vse this phrase in manner of blessing for when their ministery stood in two actions in preaching and praying for the people vnder the second action of praying was contained this to blesse the people and so did the high Priests and Leuites as also Christ he vsed this so Ministers to shew their duty more fully after they preach the word they blesse the people Grace be with you Most excellent words and containe in them the summe and substance of the whole Gospell Grace signifies two things first Gods fauour and good will secondly his graces Here it signifies his fauour because in this salutation grace is opposed to peace which is a grace of God so that it cannot be meant of a grace of God then by it is meant his good will and fauour whereby he accepts of vs for Christ his sake S. Iohn begins with Grace first and not with Peace because grace is the ground of peace and all blessings graces of God We must first be in Gods fauour then we must looke to haue prosperitie and graces from God Grace is the ground of all blessings as of our election vocation redemption iustification sanctification of faith repentance and perseuerance in faith and repentance nay it is all in all in the matter of our saluation For this cause he begins with it And peace Peace is taken first for welfare and good successe in things of this world by Gods blessing Exod. 18. 7. Moses askes Iethro his father in law of his peace that is of his welfare and so it is partly taken in this place Secondly it is taken for that vnity and blessed concord we shall haue in the kingdome of God and so it is especially taken here And being thus taken it hath sixe parts first when we haue peace with God which is when we stand in the fauour of God reconciled to him in Christ Iesus Secondly when we haue peace with Gods Angels in that they guard vs and cary vs as a nurse doth her child in her armes that we hurt not our feete at any stone and when they reioyce at our good estate Psal. 91. 11. The third is peace with a mans selfe when his conscience will not accuse him but excuse and cleare him as when our conscience is washed in the blood of Christ Phil. 4. 7. this peace passeth all vnderstanding The fourth is peace with the church So Act. 4. 32. those which beleeued were all of one mind and heart had peace with each other So Esa. 11. 6. The wild beast and the Lion the Lamb and the Cockatrise and the yong child shall lie together Fiftly this peace fauor of God is with the enemies of God so far as it is for the good of the Church and the glory of God So Ioseph had peace in Pharaohs house So Daniel had peace with the Kings Eunuches for though he was free when the children were cast into the ouen yet he did not reuolt but being fauoured they saued him The sixt is peace with all Gods creatures beasts birds all creatures in heauen and earth Ose. 2. 18. The Lord will make a couenant betweene vs and all his creatures Psal. 91. 13. The child of God he shall tread vpon the lion and serpent and they shall not hurt him for when a man is in Gods fauour what creature dares to hurt him nay al the creatures are ready and willing to serue him Grace and peace As though he had said first you must be in the fauour of God you must haue vnity and reconciliation with and in Christ and then this peace welfare prosperity in all good things as farre as is necessary yea then concord and vnity with God and all his creatures will follow Whereas the Apostle wishes them grace in the first place he would teach vs that this Gods fauour is to be sought for aboue all things yea in the first place Psal. 4. 6. Many say Who will shew vs any good But Dauid he seekes this grace and fauour of God Lord lift vp the light of thy countenance vpon me let me be in thy fauour And often he sayes the Lord he is his portion inheritance and his lot shewing to be in the loue and fauor of God is to be preferred before all things in the world So must we seeke first to be in Gods fauour make that our chiefest care seeke it aboue all things but we litle

thing to come namely an houre of temptation Here Christ foretelleth a thing not present but to come though not known to the Church and that without the helpe of any creature man or Angel which prophecying of this persecution vnder Traian sheweth that he is true God for it is a propertie and priuiledge of God simply of by and from himselfe without helpe of any creature foreseeing of things in their courses to foretell a thing to come Men cannot foretell any thing vnlesse it be present in the causes not simply Then here we must know the cause why this persecution came to them rather then peace and why Christ foretold it rather than peace The cause why Christ saith this houre of temptation shall come is not any foreknowledge of Christ or because he foretelleth it for things come to passe not because God foretelleth and knoweth them but because they be to come to passe therefore he foreseeth them and foreknoweth them The cause then why things come to passe is the will good pleasure decree of God Act. 2. 23. Christ was put to death by the eternall counsell and decree of God so it was Gods will and pleasure not his foreknowledge or foreseeing that this persecution came on this church and the decree of God in the effecting of all things is the highest cause by which all things come to passe and that giueth being to al other causes Obiect Then God is the author of sin Answ. As Gods will and decree in the effecting of things is in the highest place so must we distinguish of the things he willeth for he willeth some things which he effecteth himselfe as all good things some things he willeth and yet doth not effect them but onely permits them to be done by other as sin and euill things which though they come not from his will yet they be according to his will not against his will for his will disposeth of sin and euill things and in all things good or euill his will disposeth and setteth downe the causes and circumstances of place time maner how the end c. Then their opinion is false which hold that certaine things as sin come to passe God onely foreseeing them not decreeing them to come to passe or permitting them Now to giue God a bare foreseeing without decreeing is to rob him of his Godhead and to take from him his prouidence by which he disposeth of all things seeing euery thing which is done cometh to passe by his will and decree he either decreeing and effecting it as all good things or permitting it as euill things The end why Christ alleageth this prophecie is to expound the former words namely why he called the time of persecution a temptation because it should certainly come to trie the whole earth Where we may note the propertie of any affliction persecution or crosse namely to trie a man to discrie what is in his heart whether there be grace and feare of God or hypocrisie And for this end is the crosse sent to men to make knowne either their faith or hypocrisie And there is nothing better to trie the heart of man then temptation and afflictiō and then though thy heart was full of presumption before thou maist know what is in thee and iudge of thy selfe Verse 11. Behold I come shortly Here is Christs commaundement in it note first the occasion it selfe secondly the reason to inforce it The commaundement Hold fast namely with both hands as for life and death If thou haue receiued a litle measure of grace rather part with any thing then with it keepe it and preserue it till death but of this before The reasons to inforce this commaundement are two one before the other after The first Behold I come shortly I wil come to thee shortly either by generall iudgement or else by particular iudgement by death Now before it Christ puts a word of attentiō to shew that this cōmandement is not to be lightly passed ouer of vs but to be earnestly and often remembred Now seeing Christ teacheth vs that he will come shortly to vs in iudgement general or particular we must beleeue him and often haue it in memory that Christ is not far off but wil come to vs shortly to shew our estate either in heauen or hell Then we must beleeue it haue it written in our hearts and in our memories and not flatter our selues we must not say that Christ will deferre his coming he teacheth vs that he is at the doore he cometh shortly either by generall iudgement of all men or particular iudgement to vs. Then happy were we if we could as that auncient father did thinke we heare his trumpet sound continually in our cares and thinke in our hearts and remember this that Christ wil not be long but will come very shortly And indeed the cause why men liue in sin neuer call themselues to an account is because men beleeue not and haue not learned this lesson that Christ wil thus come shortly If mē were thus perswaded in hart Christ will come to me shortly to iudge me giue me my reward in heauen or hell surely if they belonged to God it would make them turne to him from their sinnes and breake off their wicked life nay though a man were most desperate yet this wold make him tremble to thinke how Christ will come shortly to iudge him yea it wold make mē if they had any spark of grace to labor to get faith and a good conscience Seeing thē Christ is to come to iudge them shortly who would not repent who would not leaue his sins and turne to Christ vnlesse he will cast his soule away Then this is our duty to labour to get faith and a good conscience to iudge our selues that we may preuent Christs iudgement Againe this very consideration will make a man constant in all Christian duties and lastly it wil comfort such as be in affliction for they may be sure their affliction shall not last alway for Christ will come to iudgement shortly and he will free them from all their crosses and he will ere it be long giue them deliuerance Now followeth the reason after the commaundement That no man take thy crowne from thee that is the crowne of glorie word to vse his Sacraments reuerently else he will take them from vs put off our crowne and make vs a barbarous and brutish people giuen to all idolatrie O then let vs hold these fast with both hands let all go honour riches preferment pleasures and our owne life ere we loose our glorious crowne of the Gospell of Christ for if we wil not hold it fast he will giue it to a nation which though now we cōtemne yet they shall scorn hisse at vs. And now that we heare of warres and inuasions let these put vs in mind of greater iudgement and assure vs that if we make not more accompt of the word and Sacraments and not only professe