being beleeued it is powerfull no might of man or any Prince is comparable Thirdly Christ destroyeth and killeth all our enemies all the aduersaries of the Church this is the principal end of this sword for Christ speaketh these words to comfort his Church in persecutions and for this he is said to haue a sharpe two edged sword for he killeth and slayeth the enemies of his Church partly in this life but deadly in the life to come In this life the word serueth to conuince them of hypocrisie vnbeleefe heresies superstition for Christ he abolished them with the breath of his mouth that is this sword 2. Thess. 2. Secondly when they be touched by the preaching of this word with desperations for when the law and Gospell is preached to them it wounds them to the heart by reuealing all their cursed dealings their vnbeleefe and hypocrisie and sets the conscience on the racke and stirres it vp which is fit of it selfe to accuse them when it hath reuealed their sinnes then it smites them with feare and horror and makes their conscience more fit to accuse terrifie them and then though they run on in sin yet they haue a deadly wound of desperation and this increaseth in this life and slayeth in the next for it cleane cuts them off when Christ shall say Go yee cursed this smiteth them starke dead casting them into eternall destruction for euer We must labour to haue the word of God worke powerfully in vs. to take place in our hearts by faith not onely to shew our sins Gods wrath against the same but withal to wound them slay and kill them and at the first to wound deadly for onely to haue our sins detected and our consciences terrified this is the way to desperation and the first wound to death but we must go further haue our corrupt hearts ript vp wounded crucified haue them reformed and this is the way to wound our soules and the end why Christ hath the two edged sword The second part is the proposition containing two parts first a commendation secondly a rebuke The commendation in the thirteenth verse I know thy workes In these words he commends this Church first in generall secondly in particular generally in these words I know thy workes that is thy waies and doings thy counsels affaires and withall I approue them as Psal. 1. 6. The Lord knoweth the righteous that is he approues them I know thy works Christ he begins with these words in this and euery of these Epistles to teach vs one especiall thing that the feare of God is the chiefe thing to be learned the beginning of all religion and for this cause he beginneth thus I know thy workes three or foure times I know shewing by this that wheresoeuer we be we are in the presence of Christ he sees all our works he heareth and knoweth all we do we cannot go out of his presence and to settle this deepely in our hearts that he is present alwaies seeing and beholding vs he repeates this seuen times in the beginning of euery Epistle Then this should teach vs both Minister and people to labour to haue this perswasion in our hearts that Christ is present seeth and beholdeth all we do when we take any thing in hand he stands at our elbowes looketh on vs whether we do well or ill then we must labour to haue this perswasion in our hearts that we can say now I do this or that my Sauiour Iesus Christ my Lord and redeemer he beholds me lookes on me seeth all my dealings therefore I will behaue my selfe well And the Preacher may spend himselfe in speaking and to no purpose till God giue grace to teach the people this one point which is the beginning and ground of all religion and feare of God for men may haue knowledge and speake much of the words of religion yet they cannot be true Christians till they haue learned this one point to be so perswaded as they can say in their heart Christ seeth and beholds me and till we can do that we shall make conscience of no sinne 2 The particular first commendation And where thou dwellest though thou dwel in a place where the diuel hath set his throne a place most incommodious and vnfit yet thou obseruest and keepest my name and religion thus he commendeth her for her constancie in religion Throne That is any place where superstition idolatrie and wickednesse is practised without controlment and frō whence wickednesse is conueyed to other places for the diuell is the god of this world 2. Cor. 4. 4. and he hath his kingdome throne and seate placed where he can practise sinne and wickednesse where iniquitie is maintained the Gospell despised and from whence he conueyeth his diuellish wickednesse to other places Such a place was Pergamus a citie wherein sinne did abound without controlment religion despised and from whence wickednesse was conueyed to many other cities townes and places Here we may note the diuels pollicie who hath his kingdome here on earth like to God here he placeth his thrones as a Prince and maketh choice to haue the fittest place where he may rule and raigne and practise wickednesse without controlment frō whence he may conuey it to other places he hath euer had hath now will haue his thrones He had in old time the high places the groues and such places where the people committed idolatrie Among the Gentiles there were Oracles to erect his thrones for in them he gaue answers and so conueyed his wickednesse to many In later dayes he had euery church and chappell his throne when Images Saints Roodes and such like were erected to which all men from all parts of the land came to worship In schooles of learning he had his thrones when nothing was taught but superstition and errors And now in our times he hath his thrones and officers to attend on the same as wisemen and these are a speciall meanes to erect his throne for vnto these come men from farre and neare so that he conueyeth his iniquitie to many seeing many seeke to them and so do him homage So dicing and brothell houses seeing in them iniquitie is practised in them is his throne In families where they liue in ignorance in sinne and wickednesse in blaspheming and drunkennesse or any one sinne there is his throne and so many thrones as families where they liue by any vniust dealing Then it is necessarie seeing the diuell hath his throne the Lord should haue his opposite to this as when men haue thrones of iustice both ciuill and ecclesiasticall ciuill to represse all iniustice and wickednesse to punish vice to reward vertue and ecclesiasticall to punish and reprehend those sinnes which ciuill iustice cannot The diuell cunningly and pollitickly chooseth Pergamus not a base towne or village but a huge citie whence many kings proceeded where there was a famous and great king and where was much people So he
it is a vertue and work of loue whereby a Christian man becomes a seruant to euery man for his good This is commended and described Heb. 6. 10. Paul Gal. 6. commaunds vs to do seruice one to another by loue 1. Cor. 13. loue seekes not her owne but the good of others So Christ Iohn 13. commaunds his to be seruants one to another in those good things which God giueth vs. As we must do them good in all we can so one speciall dutie here mentioned is to be ready to releeue according our abilitie the want of the Church for we must haue first loue and charitie then seruice as a braunch springing from loue Heb. 6. 10. which is when we are ready to bestow our goods or gifts which God giueth vs to the good of the Church especially the godly in the Church This were to be wished in England but it is not seeing the richest sort bestow their goods in hawks hounds beares buls dogs and other their pleasure and pastime but when any comes to be bestowed on the poore then they be strait handed all comes as hardly frō thē as a rib out of their side We see men can be content yearely to bestow much money in playes pastimes and other delights and that with zeale and earnestnes but come to the poore our owne flesh to our brother who beares the same image of God as we do here we sticke and from winter to winter suffer them to starue for want of that which our dogs haue To moue men to help the poore first see how men in the old testament were charged with offerings first fruites sacrifices and many other ceremonies now these be ended but instead of that altar the poore they be the altar whereon we must offer our burnt offerings our sacrifices Secondly Esay 58. 10. he which imparts his heart to the poore that is seeing him in want hath his heart touched with the bowels of compassion and testifies his loue in releeuing his want this man hath a happie promise his name shall not be put out but shine for euer and this is true religion to visit the fatherlesse and widow to comfort and releeue them Iam. 1. Prou. 25. He which giueth to the poore lendeth to the Lord. Now the Lord he comes in his person to borow he makes the pore his stewards to gather it in wilt thou say him nay to lend him of his owne thou wilt not Wouldest thou haue him stay or send his steward away emptie Again Christ comes in their person he askes an almes he saith in their person I am hungry naked fatherles and motherles and in them he stands crauing at our doores Now if we would escape that horrible sentence of condemnation Away from me c. let vs not say him nay or deny him But if we wil be liberall in any thing and bestow largely on any thing bestow it on the poore our owne flesh and so we lend to God who is the best paymaster and we giue to Christ who will not let it be vnrewarded Now followeth the third particular vertue for which Christ commends the Church of Thyatira which is faith that is fidelitie whereby we are faithfull to God in keeping our promise made to him in baptisme wherein we promise to renounce our selues to beleeue in God three persons one true God to obey him all our life time this is commaunded 1. Tim. 5. 12. Now it would be wished that our Church might be commended for this fidelitie but it cannot for though it be a common thing among vs to sweare by our faith yet there is litle faith in our hearts yea litle care to keepe this fidelitie promised in baptisme for some of vs lie in ignorance neuer knowing what promise we haue made to God and such are many among vs young olde high low rich poore Others they haue no care of goodnes of heauen or heauenly things but of eating drinking sporting in which they spend their days neuer thinking of Christ or of their promise to him A third sort are those which we account honest and wise men but they come short indeed for these set their hearts on riches and the things of this world spend their strength and wit in the getting of them and haue their hearts glued to them They like Molds are euer in the earth We call them I say honest men but indeed they deny God forsake their first faith and fidelitie to God in baptisme and in stead of the true God erect an idoll euen their riches and of these we haue great heapes Then it stands vs in hand often to remember our promise in baptisme to renounce our selues the things of this world to beleeue in Christ to performe obedience to him in al our life for if we go on and stil deny our first faith nothing belongs to vs but condemnation The fourth vertue is patience whereof we haue heard in this and the former chapter Here marke how patienc is ioyned with loue to men faith to God and seruice to men and God The reason is because no good action can be done of any man without patience loue and faith without it are nothing for if a man do his dutie to man he shall be sure to be hated now without patience he ceaseth to do his dutie So if a man beleeue in God and professe the same the world contemnes him now without patience he cānot perseuere constantly Patience is the effect of faith Rom. 15. faith brings forth hope and Mat. 13. the good ground brings forth fruit but in patience All that a man doth if it be done acceptable to God it must be ioyned with patience Then we must in all our gifts and graces ioyne patience with our hope faith loue knowledge c. 2. Pet. 1. 6. No grace can shew it selfe without this a man cannot endure the crosse without it And thy workes Christ before had said the same here he repeateth it againe which is not idle for no word in scripture is idle but by this Christ shewes his exceeding approbation of the workes of this Church of Thyatira that they were such as he liked of not in a meane but in exceeding great measure the cause why he liked them so followeth afterward Now seeing Christ repeates these words after foure worthy vertues he doth it to shew vs what things are required to a good worke namely faith loue seruice patience and fidelity for to do a worke to God we must ioyne these foure vertues and therfore Christ addeth these words both before and after these vertues First faith is required because in doing any actiō euery mā must shew his fidelitie to God which we do when before we do any worke we search the word of God whether it be commanded or forbidden there for no worke we do can please God vnlesse we be perswaded out of the word that it is lawfull nay being not of faith it is sin Rom. 14. Secondly our works
he vsed meanes to enter when they had barred him out Marke the vnspeakeable mercie of Christ they by their sinnes stopt Christ from entring yet he pursueth them with mercie and offereth mercie to them that refused it and contented themselues to lie and liue in their sinnes When Adam had sinned and fled from God the Lord sought him out and made a couenant of grace with him So Esay 65. the Lord saith he was found of them that neuer sought him they that neuer dreamed of mercie sound mercie In the parable of the lost sheep that sheep which was left as a prey to the wild beasts Christ sought it vp and brought it home All these places tend to one end to shew the infinite mercie of Christ. This is true in all churches yea in this of ours If we haue mercie we haue it before we seeke it nay when we refuse it as much as in vs lieth This should be an occasion to stirre vp our hearts to magnifie Christ for his mercie we should not let passe such considerations as these but rather breake out into praise of Gods loue and mercie which is a bottomlesse sea Quest. It may be demaunded how he knockes Answ. The words precedent shew the sense for these words haue relation to them He said before he would spue them out then he giueth them counsell Now by so sharpe a rebuke they might haue despaired therefore he shewes that by this threatning and rebuke and counsell he knockes that they might perceiue they were not tokens of wrath but of mercie So then this knocking is nothing else but the reproofe threatning and counsell vsed before He knocketh when it pleaseth him to make men see their sinne by such things Here then we are to marke the state of al people which haue the ministerie of the word they haue Christ among them and he standeth at the doore and knocketh at euery mans heart All threatnings of the law reproofes of sin exhortations admonitions and promises they are so many knockes of Christ. A great vnspeakeable mercie that the King of heauen and earth should do this Now then doth Christ knocke thus by preaching promises and threatnings c. then we must not be so dull dead and backward but shew more zeale If any man of great place and calling knocke at your doores what stirring is there that you may receiue him as is meete Then what a shame is this when Christ vouchsafeth to deale thus mercifully with vs Againe in that Christ cometh by the ministery of the Gospell to work our conuersion it serueth to admonish vs to turne with all speed for we know not how long he will stand and reach forth the hand of his ministerie to beate vpon our hearts Marke further this knocking is not a light and soft kind of knocking but it goeth with crying he both knocketh and crieth it is an earnest knocking of one that would faine enter Seeing then Christ standing at the doore of mens hearts knocketh so earnestly to saue mens soules we againe ought to be earnest to receiue and embrace the Gospell He knocketh in good earnest and we must accordingly by Gods grace be as earnest So much for the first token of Christs loue his desire of their conuersion which he sheweth by two signes first his waiting secondly his knocking and that ioyned with crying If any man c. Now followeth the second token namely a promise of fellowship with them after their conuersion These words haue bene much abused therefore I wil stand a litle to set downe the meaning Marke the forme of speech it is such as seemeth to giue a man an action in his owne conuersion whereby he comes and receiues Christ. So it attributes to mans will an action as if he should say I for my part stand and knocke if therefore any man heare c. This may seeme strange that such an action should be attributed to a mā that is dead in sin But this speech is vsed for iust cause for in the conuersion of a sinner there be three agents first the holy Ghost secondly the word thirdly mans will The principal agent and worker is the holy Ghost which changeth the mind and will from euill to good the will by nature willing nothing but that which is against the will of God Secondly the word which is an instrument of the holy Ghost for he works not now ordinarily by reuelation or speciall instinct and inspiration but when a man is reading or hearing the word and applying it to his heart then the holy Ghost workes in and by the word that being the power of God to saluation frō faith to faith Thirdly the wil though it be dead by nature can do nothing of it self yet when the holy Ghost begins to moue it it moues it self and striues to be altered whē God moues it We must not think mās wil is like a peece of wax which hath no actiō but only passiuely receiues and impression but the will being disposed moues and stirres it selfe Euen as fire so soone as it is kindled it burnes and as soone as it burnes is fire so when God hath once giuen grace the will moueth the mind seeth and acknowledgeth sin and the will inclined by the holy Ghost begins a strife against sin and makes a man endeuour to please God so much as he can So the will in the very first conuersion hath his action though not by nature but by grace Now considering these three actions concurre in the conuersion of a sinner hence it is that actions are ascribed to sinners which are to be conuerted as here and in manie other places not that they can do any thing of themselues without Christ but when they are wrought vpon by the holy Ghost Thus a man hath a free will in his first conuersiō by grace as fire hath some effects of fire so soone as euer it is kindled therefore it is said Repent and beleeue to impenitent persons not because they can do it of themselues but because when it shall please the holy Ghost to worke it in their hearts by the word they can turne and vse good meanes This is the cause why the holy Ghost ascribes an action to such persons when God giues grace to receiue Christ then it receiueth Christ when God opens the heart by that grace it is enabled to receiue Christ. This being the true meaning of these words let vs see how this text hath bene abused first by Papists which gather hereupō that a man hath free will in his conuersion by nature that he hath and that is the faith which sets open the heart wide to receiue Christ. Thus if you shall humble your selues and acknowledge your vnworthinesse and lay hold on Christ with true faith and testifie it by feruent loue to Christ and his members then shall your hearts be open indeed and you shall receiue Christ. Thus much for the true meaning of the condition It followeth I
and reading the writings of men contemning the word of God And yet the writings of men be sinfull and erronious euery way imperfect the writings of God holy certain and euery way absolute being giuen to the Sonne as he is king priest and Prophet To shew to his seruants cōcerning this testament shortly to be done In these words be 3. arguments for the description of this Reuelatiō First the end vz. to shew it secondly the persons his seruants thirdly the matter of it vz. things shortly to be reuealed The end of this reuelation was to manifest declare to his seruants to wit the Church of God his seruants and children to publish to them those things which should shortly be fulfilled and this is the maine drift of this Reuelation Hence then we note that the Papists erre who say that lay men should not haue the word but barre them the reading of the Scriptures but the holy Ghost saith this reuelation was to reueale things to come not onely to the Clergie nor to the doctors of the Church but to his seruants if so then to the lay man as well as the Clergie vnlesse they will say he is none of his seruants Then this I gather if that this booke being most hard must be learned of the lay man then those bookes which be not so hard must be learned and read and much more those which be more easie as the historie of the Gospell the Epistles c. Secondly the persons are the seruants of Christ this booke then of Reuelation belongs not to all men indifferently but it is written for the seruants of Christ that is such as repent of their sinnes beleeue truly in Christ and shew their faith by the fruites thereof in their liues And so the Lord saith he will reueale his secrets to his seruants the Prophets and the Lord will not keepe backe but reueale to Abraham the things he was to bring vpon Sodome and Gomorrha Then seeing those to whō the Lord shewes his will to whom he declares this book and others they must be his seruants we must not content our selues only to heare the word and receiue the Sacraments but we must seeke to be his seruants we must repent truly beleeue in Christ and shew this faith in obedience and then the Lord will more and more daily acquaint vs with his will And the cause why we heare the word daily and neuer profit but be as ignorant and blind as before the cause is because we be not his seruants we be bare hearers neuer practise that we heare in faith and obedience we repent not neither liue a new life by repentance in new obedience For else if the Lord see any which is his true seruant he approues of him he likes of him and acquaints him daily with his will and word increaseth his knowledge and obedience Secondly seeing that this reuelation is written for the seruants of Iesus Christ I obserue that Christ is true God the reason is because they be called his seruants that is Christs The reason stands thus he which is Lord of the Church the members thereof and also of Angels as it followeth after he is true God but Christ is Lord of men and Angels ergo he is true God His seruants not to all men to the whole world and euery singular man but to his seruants Hereby we see the opinion of those which hold God would haue all to be saued and cals all men is false For if he called all effectually then he would offer al the meanes to wit the word of God that so they might be called but he writes it not to all but to his seruants now that which is true of this booke is true of the whole Scripture The Lord shewed his word to Iacob not to all the world not to all nations as to him Psal. 147. 19. 20. he shewed to Iacob that is his true members his seruants and true Christians Now followeth the matter which is the fourth argument of the description of this reuelation vz. Things which shortly must come to passe and in this the matter of this booke is distinguished from all other bookes of the Scripture which speake generally of things either present or now past but this speakes of things to come The matter of this booke is described by two arguments first these things be necessarie they must be done Secondly by the circumstance of time shortly or quickly First the matter is things to come which must be done so speakes the holy Ghost in many places of the word As Christ saith shewing the necessitie Offences must come so Paule saith There must be heresies Act. 14. We must through manie tribulations enter into heauen c. So to Timothy they which be godly must suffer afflictions Shewing in all these places that things which are to come must necessarily come to passe But this doctrine agrees not with mans reason though it be the will of God for men will say If all things come to passe necessarily then it takes away mans free will for necessitie and free will can not stand together Answer They may Indeed constraint and mans will can not stand but mans will and vnchangeable necessitie may stand both together As I shew thus In God there is absolute free will yet he doth many things of necessitie as he willeth that which is good necessarily for he can not possibly will that which is euill but willes that which is good most freely So Christ he died necessarily he could not but die for he died in regard of Gods counsell and yet he died most willingly and gaue himselfe most freely to die when he suffered death ergo these two mans free will and vnchangeable necessitie though not constraint may stand together Men will obiect againe If things come to passe by necessitie then it is in vaine to vse anie meanes as to heare the word receiue the sacraments for Gods will must come to passe do we what we will do Answer These men must consider that as God hath appointed what things must come to passe so he hath appointed the meanes how they must come to passe Then seeing the Lord hath appointed as well the meanes as the ende we should by this necessitie rather be induced to vse the meanes then not to vse them To make this more plaine we must know there is a double necessitie one is absolute another is but in part I call that absolute necessitie which can not be otherwise possibly As that God liues it cannot be otherwise he is omnipotent he cannot but be so There is a necessitie which is not absolute but in part as when anie thing done is necessarie because it depends on necessarie causes As fire to burne this is not absolutely necessarie but in part because it depends on that order which God set in things in the creation It is not absolute for if God should change that order in the creation
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
the meanes they barre them of their saluation the end of them whereas S. Iohn would by these wordes Blessed c. drawe men and allure them to to reade and delight in the Scriptures Seeing the end of this booke and the rest is to bring men to happinesse we are here admonished all of vs to reade and meditate in them and search them as Ioh. 5. 39. euen as we would search for gold or some precious thing which we would faine finde so the word imports And he addeth the reason For in them you thinke to haue eternall life But some will say I cannot reade I was neuer brought vp in learning S. Iohn cuts off this excuse in the next words Blessed is he which reades or heares the words of this prophecie So that if he cannot reade yet if he heare and keepe it he is blessed Then those which can not reade them they must procure others to reade they must hearken and heare diligently We must learne to carrie in minde the distinction betweene the bookes of God and writings of men Gods word brings a man which keepes it to happinesse but man 's of them selues can not vnlesse they haue light from the word of God And if this distinction were imprinted in our harts we should not be so delighted either to heare or speake the words of God mixed with the words of sinfull men First among the Iewes it was not lawfull to mingle cloth of diuerse kinds then much lesse will the Lord suffer his word to be mingled with the sayings of erronious and sinfull men be they neuer so learned or ancient Secondly here followeth the right manner and way of hearing and reading the Scriptures which stands in two things First we must set downe a certaine end why we reade the Scriptures which is that we may attaine to happinesse fellowship with God and life euerlasting And when this takes place that we set downe this end that we reade and heare them with care and conscience to practise them Secondly we must keepe thē remember the things we reade or heare And this second point is principall to heare and to reade so as we keepe those things we heare or reade and so as we make obseruation of that we heare so the words import Here we see the cause why we heare and reade the word dayly yet no profite comes thereby the cause is because we be onely hearers we keepe it not to make vse of it in our liues That we may keepe the word which we heare or reade it is so commended to vs in many places Luke 2. 19. Mary is said to keepe and to ponder all these things in her heart Psal. 119. 8. Dauid he hid the statutes of the Lord in his heart Luke 11. Blessed are they which heare the word and keepe it Iames 1. 21. We must keepe the word which is grafted in vs where it is compared to a ciens or graffe which is set into a stocke so the word is ingrafted into our hearts and there it must abide and bring forth fruite That we may keepe this word we must first learne the elements of Religion in the Catechisme both old and young must learne them for that is the beginning of all knowledge and though a man reade and heare the word and yet learne not the grounds he cannot keepe it So that we see the cause why many especially aged folke heare the word from yeare to yeare and neuer profit but are as ignorant as euer they were they be alwayes learning yet neuer learne any thing the reason is because they will not abase themselues to learne those principles of Religion those first seeds without which they cannot profit by and keepe the word That we may keepe those things we heare or reade we must con our part before we come we must addresse our selues we must not rush on Gods ordinance without preparation In the old Testament when the people offered sacrifice they must sanctifie themselues so we in receiuing of the Lords supper we prepare our selues reuerently Now that we do in the Lords supper we must do in hearing the word seeing there is no difference but that that Supper is onely a visible word the word preached is an audible word When the people receiued the law the Lord cōmaunded them to sanctifie themselues three daies before So then when we come to heare the word which is the law expounded we must sanctifie our selues prepare our hearts to heare it This preparation stands in these things 1. we must put out of our hearts all by-thoughts all cares and thoughts of worldly affaires and we must set our hearts to seeke the Lord Ezra 7. to looke in the law that we may know the will of God reuealed in his word withall we must make our carnest prayers to God that he would open our eyes that we may see his will soften our hearts and make our eares attentiue as Lidiaes were and also giue vs grace to embrace his word and keepe it When we are about to heare or reade the word we must haue humble hearts else we cannot keepe the word nor beleeue the promises in the same The Lord he reueales his secrets to the humble in spirit that is which be humbled for their sinnes troubled and touched with their owne infirmities which haue contite broken and bruised hearts but in the proud heart there is no keeping of the word there is no hole in it for the word to lie in but it is wholly possessed and puffed vp with selfe-loue and pride The heart must be an honest heart we must not onely haue our hearts touched with the remembrance of our sinnes but they must be honest hearts good hearts such as are not purposed to liue in sinne or any one sinne be it neuer so litle but wholy purposed to serue the Lord we must not come with vnchast or wicked hearts with minds to leaue all sinne but yet to liue in some one sinne We must haue a beleeuing heart Heb. 4. 2. The old Iewes heard the word but it profited them not because they mingled it not with faith in their hearts where he compares them to a vessel in which there must be both the word and faith and these must be mingled together it must be tempered by faith then it will be a word of power of life and saluation and this is the onely meanes to remember the word and to beleeue truly the iudgements denounced against sinne and sinners and promises pronounced for the true beleeuers But incredulitie is when we except the curses against sin as not pertaining to vs and cannot apply the promises of the Gospell This is the proper cause of all ignorance and obliuion so that we must labour aboue all things for this true faith to beleeue the word and then we shall well and easily remember it We must haue hearing hearts besides these eares of the body we must haue new eares pearced We
must haue our eares opened to become listeners and pliable to the word that when the Lord cals vs to do his wil we may answer with Dauid I am ready to do thy will O God Further after we haue read or heard the word we must practise that we heare in performing true repentance and laboring faithfully in our vocation for as we see men of trades become cunning by the continuall practise of their trades so if we practise true obedience in repentance and our vocation we shal be skilfull in the word It followeth Which are written in the booke of this prophesie The child of God must keepe and remember the whole word of God yet it is his speciall duty to keepe these prophesies which are to come So the Angell bids Daniel seale vp the booke of the Prophesie till the time come that is remember and keepe it diligently So Mathew 24. 15. When they shall see the abhomination of desolation speaking of things to come he would haue them to marke and remember what he saith Mat. 24. 25. Behold I haue told you before where he shewes that when any great things are to befall the Church then we must in these be most carefull to remember them For the time is at hand Here is a reason of the former words Blessed is he which readeth c. Seeing the time of the accomplishing of this Prophesie is at hand and must shortly be fulfilled therefore those be blessed which reade and keepe this prophesie and it is an answer to a secret obiection For they might haue said We need not reade this Prophesie seeing it shal not be fulfilled in our dayes but he addeth The time is at hand and so taketh that obiection away Now seeing these words were in the first verse and here repeated againe he would teach vs that they containe some waighty matter for vs to be considered and to be earnestly thought of Now S. Iohn addes these words for two causes first because the Church though it cannot be ouertaken with deadly sleepe yet it may slumber and be cast into some beginnings of sleepe as the fiue wise virgins though they slept not so carelesly as the other yet they all slept not a deadly sleepe but a slumber for in the Church there may be some remnants of security Cant. 5. 2. The Church sleepes but so as she alwayes listens as awaken being in a light slumber Now least the Church should be carelesse sleeping and drowsie the holy Ghost addes these words The time of the last iudgement is at hand Secondly he addes these words to confirme the Church and all the true members of Christ against afflictions seeing by these words he foretels them that they be to last but a short time the time of iudgement is at hand the affliction cannot long endure Then this should comfort those which suffer for Christ his sake In this that Christ foretels the Church that now in the last age the time is at hand we must be assured that whatsoeuer befalleth the mēbers of Christ shal shortly befal them temtations afflictions the crosse and calamity shall presently befall vs the time of iudgement is at hand it will presently befall vs. And if we had this confidence that the last iudgement is at hand it would make vs do all in good conscience stay vs frō many sins and the want of this is the cause of much mischiefe for so the bad seruant thinking his maister would defer his comming he smites and beates his fellow seruants And the old world liued in sinne and would not beleeue the flood should come though they were foretold of it till they were all swept away by water We then should lay this to our harts euer think the Lord is at the doore he is presently to come to iudgement And we ought the rather to thinke of this for we haue had ease peace and the Gospell flourishing this 8 yeares with all temporall blessings Now the state of the Church is now peace and now trouble and persecution Now then seeing these crosses which must fall on the Church they be to be done presently we cannot but looke for affliction and persecution after so long peace and preaching Iohn to the seuen Churches in Asia grace and peace c. In this fourth verse is the second part of this Chapter which is the inscription of this booke wherein is first the party which writes it and dedicates it secondly the parties to whō it is dedicated first the party which dedicates it is Iohn secondly the parties to whom the seuen Churches in Asia In the inscription are two parts first a dedication secondly a salutation contained from the fourth till the ninth verse In the dedication there be first the party which dedicates it secondly the parties to whom it is dedicated The party which dedicates it is Iohn who here againe in this fourth verse repeates his name yet so as he repeates no more but his bare name without any titles of commendation he repeats it againe to shew and certifie euery Reader of this booke that he was without all doubt the true pen-man of the holy Ghost in writing this Reuelation But though he repeate his name yet he doth not adde any titles of honour as he did in the first verse many titles of praise and commendation This he doth to giue vs a true patterne of modesty and humility which is neuer to speake in our own causes to our owne praises but onely in cases of necessity when Gods glory may be aduanced and the credit of our particular callings maintained This Paul practised who often humbles himselfe and cals himselfe the least of all the Apostles yea the chiefe of all sinners yet when the credit of his Apostleship came into question then he sets out himselfe shewing he was a true Apostle and aboue those which did falsly call themselues so 2. Cor. 11. So may we when the glory of God or the credit of our particular callings be in question set out our selues with titles of commendation The persons to whom he wrote were the seuen Churches in Asia concerning them note two things first he cals them Churches secondly in Asia Why writes he to the Churches rather then to the Church seeing there is but one true Church Ans. The Church may be considered first as it is the whole company of the elect and so it is but one secondly as it is parted and diuersly sundred into parts as in one country there is one Church or one part of the Church is in one city or towne another part in some other And there may be many Churches seeing euery congregation professing the Gospell of Christ is a Church being a member of the true Catholicke Church as the sea is but one yet there be many parts of the sea which lying against other countries are called by their names as the English French Spanish Italian sea So the particular Churches in particular countries townes and
practise this because we bring from our cradles naturall presumption which perswades vs that we be in the fauour of God that we haue his loue to vs. But we must cast off this naturall presumption and take a new course and the first step to come to grace is to see that we want grace we must see that we be lost sheepe prodigall children in our selues the very fire-brands of hell and this to see our owne want of grace is the first step to grace The second step is to desire it when we see that we want it to hunger and long for it Thirdly to lay hold on it to apprehend this fauour and grace by true and liuely faith to apply the promises of saluation by faith in Christ Iesus and this is the last steppe to get this grace Secondly in that he sets downe first grace secondly peace here is the true order of seeking for things and blessings in this life First for grace and Gods fauour secondly for peace and welfare not first peace and welfare but first for grace So Christ bids vs first to seeke the kingdome of God and the rigteousnes thereof and then when we are in Gods kingdome of grace all things needfull shall be ministred to vs. This discouers the bad practise of most men who begin at a wrong end first with peace in their callings to get honour riches pleasure or preferment neuer seeking first for grace and Gods fauour but if we would haue peace we must first haue grace But men if God blesse them in riches health and wealth they say Oh God loues me but alas we deceiue our selues for we may haue peace yet want grace we may haue this welfare health wealth libertie and yet want grace nay the peace of the wicked is no blessing but a curse And though the Lord giue a man health wealth libertie which be but common blessings he may be out of his grace and fauour seeing the Lord bestowes these common blessings on those which be his enemies Psal. 73. 12. But though the wicked haue all these common blessings they be accursed And though a man had grace the fauour and true loue of God and had no other health wealth nor libertie yet he were most happy and blessed Frō him which is was c. Here he sets down the cause efficient and the author of these two Grace and Peace the Author is God distinguished into three persons the Father Sonne and holy Ghost the Father in these words which is was and is to come the holy Ghost is noted in these words And from the seuen spirits which are before his throne thirdly the Sonne in the fift verse S. Iohn in the first place describes the Father by his true nature in these words Which is was and is to come in which he alludes to that Exo. 3. 14. 15. where Moses demaunds of God if the people should aske who sent him what he should answer the Lord tels him say I am Ehjeh Iehouah hath sent me where are two names to one end namely to expresse the nature of God Now S. Iohn he expounds them here where he saith He which is which was and is to come Further these two names Ehjeh Iehouah be two such names as cannot be translated fully in our English tongue but are more significant in their originall Hebrue tongue for they import thus much Grace and peace be from him which is in himselfe and from himselfe a most perfect and absolute substance which was and which is to come a most absolute perfect simple substance and essence so that he is a nature most simple pure and subsisting in and by himselfe 1. Cor. 8. 4. An idoll is not so it is nothing in and of it selfe but onely in mans braine it hath no subsisting and being of it selfe by nature but by mans art and thus the Lord differs from all false gods seeing he hath his being in and from himselfe not of or by any other thing None other hath this propertie but God By this we see the nature of all creatures which is that though they haue their subsisting and being as mans body and soule yet it is not from themselues but from God not taken out of his essence for then they should be God And the Lord hath no parts as we haue but he makes all things out of himselfe of nothing Seeing then we haue all we haue of God our bodies soules and all we inioy we must in lieu of recompence in thankfulnesse and obedience giue our selues soules and bodies to his seruice to do his will and pleasure The Lord is most absolute and eternall euery way without beginning or ending Angels and the soules of men they be eternall but not as absolutely though they be eternall in that they shall neuer die yet had they a beginning Secondly they are eternall not absolutely but by participation for God made them eternall but the Lord is most absolutely euery way eternall From him which is to come That is to iudgement to iudge all his creatures especially men and Angels That God which is was which hath his being of in and from himself he shall come to iudgement This must we remember and thinke of that he which is God of himselfe and by himselfe which giues vs life and being he shall iudge vs and this will be a meanes to make vs do our dutie in conscience But many men flatter themselues saying God will not come in my time to iudgement but though the Lord come not to generall iudgement in this life yet he will come in particular iudgement by death in this life Thirdly if we would alwayes remember this it would bridle out liues and make vs keepe a good conscience before God and all men Act. 16. 24. And from the seuen spirits which are before his throne These words commonly are expounded of the Angels of God which stand and minister vnto him but it cannot be meant of them for two causes First those which are here called seuen spirits from these grace and peace come but it cannot come from the holy Angels which attend to minister before the Lord. Secondly in this verse which is a benediction or a salutation of Iohn to the Church the seuen spirits are set before Iesus Christ the second person of the Trinitie which cannot be true of the Angels who in no respect can be placed before Christ therfore it cannot be vnderstood of the holy Angels But for my part I vnderstand it thus And from the seuen spirits c. that is from the holy Ghost This exposition is most agreeable to all the circumstances of the text and the holy Ghost is called the seuen spirits first because though he be one in substance yet he is seuen that is many in gifts and operations and for this cause the spirit of God cals himselfe the seuen spirits Secondly he cals him so because he sets downe the Father Sonne and holy Ghost as he saw them
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
none excepted shall come and stand before the tribunall seate of Christ. This is a comfort to Gods children in that they being dead rotten in their graues shall rise and receiue their life and motiō and see Christ their Sauiour and Iudge of all men If a man should lie downe to sleepe and be told that when he rose he should see his dead father and mother or his dearest friends this would be a notable comfort to him that so he should inioy them againe but this should be a farre greater comfort to vs that we which lie dead and rotten in the graue shall be raised and enioy not our parents and friends but Christ Iesus the sonne of God which is our frind aboue all friends who shall giue vs not onely life and motion but eternall life with his owne maiestie This was Iobs comfort that though he died yet he beleeued he should see his redeemer with his eyes and this should be our comfort against the feare of death and the last iudgement It shall be a terror to the wicked to all impenitent sinners who shall wil they nil they be brought to the barre of Christs iudgement seate and then looke on him who is their Iudge whom they had in their life contemned And this consideration may serue to moue vs to repentance which haue not begun to repent and to labor to becom the members of Christ. We think when we die all is done there is no harme to follow but though we lie rotting in our graues a thousand or two thousand yeares yet we shall rise and if we repented not we shall heare the sentence of condemnation and looke vpon our Iudge with our owne eyes Then it is best for vs now in the time of grace while we liue here to prepare that we need not feare to come to appeare and behold this Iudge No doubt if we were perswaded that we should thus appeare it would moue vs to repent Euery eye shall see him Then here we see that all men with their owne eyes shall looke on him and those who wanted them in this life shall haue them restored It is graunted of all Diuines that the elect haue all their senses and other defects restored and it is to be added that the wicked too they shal haue all their powers senses and faculties of soule and body restored the deafe shall heare the blind shall see this Iudge but this can be no glory to them seeing it is to increase their punishment for the more senses they haue they haue the more punishment because we iudge of things by sense Euen of those which pierced him This is added first to shew that we shal be freed No power or wisedom of any man or monarch can free vs from appearing for if any could escape then the Iewes and Gentiles who preuailed most against Christ in that they put him to death but none of these can escape his iudgement for euen they which pierced him they shall see this Iudge be summoned before his maiestie for though they had power to kill him yet none of them shall haue power to absent themselues from before his barre 2 To shew the case of all wicked men namely that such wo and misery befals them as they neuer dreamed of The Iewes and Gentiles they crucified Christ and put him to a temporall death but they neuer dreamed he should condemne them to eternall death 3 To shew the rufull and wofull estate of all impenitent sinners for these men shall haue their greatest enemy to be their iudge who will shew rigour vpon them and iustice without all mercy and this is meant not only of the Iew which pierced him but of all impenitent sinners because all such do by their sins as swords and speares wound him at the heart as the souldiers did These be as bad as the Iewes which pierced Christ as Iudas which betrayed Christ as the souldiers which goared his sides Out of these words some gather that the body of Christ hath still the wounds and scarres which here he had giuen him the print of the nailes in his hands and in his feete and that these shall be seene in Christ at the last day and say that it is no infirmitie to Christ to haue these but rather an increase of his glory but this cannot be gathered hence for though it be said They shall see him whom they pierced yet not as he was pierced And because they shall see him shall they see his wounds Many shall see Kings and Queenes whom they crowned in this world ergo as Kings and Queenes So we shall see our fathers mothers therefore as fathers and mothers so many shall see Christ therefore as he was wounded and pierced It is no good collection nor opinion And all the tribes of the earth shall waile for him That is before or ouer him Here is the fruit and effect of his comming especially in the wicked All the tribes of the earth S. Iohn he speakes here of the world as it was in the condition and diuision of the land of Canaan for before that time it was not diuided into tribes So Math. 25. setteth out the iudgement of the whole world by the separation of the sheep from the goates noting that they which repented not of what tribe soeuer of what estate or condition shall waile and mourne And he addes a reason of this for him before him or ouer him that is they shal waile and lament with exceeding lamentation because they beleeued not his word but contemned his doctrine and therefore now they want all helpe to free them from the punishment of their vnbeleefe and contempt of the Gospell If they shall mourne because they did not beleeue and receiue the doctrine of Christ and for that haue no way to escape then it is our dutie to labour aboue all things to be reconciled to God in Christ to get our sinnes pardoned to beleeue and embrace the word of God for vnlesse we beleeue and be reconciled when the last day comes there is no hope of helpe no way to escape no time of grace to repent If the doore be once shut we must stand without there is nothing then but horror of conscience for vs it will be a day to vs to make our eyes start out of our heads a day of all woe and misery Then it is great wisdome so to spend the time of grace in this life especially that we may get the pardon of our sins reconciliation with God in Christ to receiue and beleeue his will and word which if we do we shall haue no cause at all to waile and mourne but be glad and reioyce Then we must take heed the Diuell steale not out of our hearts this one lesson which is most necessary which he wil most labour for to do See what an euill conscience is it lieth asleepe here while a man liues it neuer troubleth him but in
perseuere and go on till we come to our iourneys end Rom. 15. 4. Hope to come to heauen is obtained by patience which maketh a beleeuer to go on suffering till he come to life eternall There is much fruite in the good ground but not obtained without patience and the true beleeuer liues by hope in this life yet cannot come to heauen without patience Iames 5. 9. Now because men will say Patience is a hard matter and so are discouraged therfore to set an edge on their desire he addes it is the kingdome and patience of Christ first because he commaunds it secondly patience cometh from the spirit of Christ thirdly because as he suffereth in his members it is called his patience for their misery and suffering is his when his members suffer he suffereth And this is a singular comfort to al suffering the crosse that they haue Christ their fellow sufferer he takes part with them puts vnder his shoulder he is content to suffer with them And in these three standeth the communion of Saints in suffering tribulation The first step to this fellowship communion of Saints is to beare and be in tribulation and he which is not come to that is not yet in the communiō of Saints Then secondly he must patiently beare them perseuere without grudging or repining then followes the last which is the end of all the enioying of the kingdome of heauen Which was in the I le called Pathmos In these words is the second circumstance namely the place where this vision was giuen to Iohn namely in the I le Pathmos an Iland and one of those which the Geographers call Sporades lying on the left side of the Churches of Asia neare to the East Churches by the sea commonly called the Egean sea this Iland was a small base and poore Iland litle or neuer a whit inhabited S. Iohn had his vision not at Ierusalem at Antioch or Rome but in Pathmos a base poore and litle inhabited Iland By which we see that in the new Testament there is no respect of one place aboue another in regard of Gods presence and our fellowship with him he doth as well giue Iohn this vision in Pathmos as to others his Prophets and Apostles in Ierusalem In the old Testament there was regard of places as the Lord shewed his presence and tyed his worship especially to his tabernacle and temple at Ierusalem there was the place where he would be worshipped which Daniel in his prophecy sheweth for being in captiuitie he in his chamber openeth the window which was towards the temple at Ierusalem But now in the new Testament that regard of place is abolished 1. Tim. 2. 8. Pray euery where lifting vp pure hands in regard of Gods worship and presence in all the duties of Religion we must do the like Then away with Popish pilgrimage to churches and chappels of Saints or to their reliques for this is meere superstition for God is present euery where and a man may haue fellowship with him in one place as wel as another Also this may serue to correct our false conceit we haue of our churches and chappels for we come into our common houses wherein we dwell and neuer humble our selues we thinke in these places we need not but if we come into the Church neuer so often we then fall downe and humble our hearts in prayer the reason is because we thinke that God is more present there and we should sooner be heard there then in our houses and that they be more holy But in the new Testament now all such diuersitie of place is abolished in regard of Gods seruice and presence Indeed Churches must be maintained because in them the people may more conueniently meete together to serue God but we must not think but that common houses are as holy as they for Gods seruice onely for decency sake when we that are many may assemble together in one place they be more holy then any dwelling house for that time when the word is preached and prayer made in them In this circumstance of place note two things first by what meanes S. Iohn came thither secondly to what end and for what cause First he came thither by banishment the Emperour Domitian exiled him secondly he came for the word of God He came and abode in Pathmos being banished for the Gospels sake In this banishment consider first that S. Iohn was a most worthy Apostle endued with rare gifts a singular maintainer of the Gospell and a famous founder of the Church of God and chiefe guide thereof in those dayes and for this cause most hated of the cruel persecutor Domitian of the Romanes yet whereas many other of the true Christians were put to the sword S. Iohn is not he escapeth and was banished The cause of this was Gods speciall prouidence by which he had reserued him for the benefit of the Church that he might receiue this reuelation and commit it to the Church to the perpetuall good of all his children And so though Domitian was a cruell tyrant yet he could not kill him but God ouer-ruled him that he did but banish him into this Iland wherein he receiued these visions and penned them for the good of the Church By this we see the great care and prouidence of God that he hath ouer his Church that he doth bridle and ouer-rule the minds and might of cruell Emperours that they cannot but do al that they do to the glory of God though they intend the contrary For Domitian intended only the hurt of Iohn yet see by his banishment into that I le he had fit place to receiue these visions for the good of the Church So in the death of Christ the Iewes and Gentiles and all men banded themselues together to put Christ to death and the diuell he laboured to stirre them on to practise their intended malice yet the prouidence of God directeth and ordereth this their malice and wicked practise to the redemption of mankind So Iosephs brethren intended no such deliuerāce as God wrought by him in selling their brother This consideration should comfort all Gods children c. When we are oppressed and persecuted by tyrants for Christs sake we must make no resistance offer no violence but suffer all things without resisting for the Christians weapons are onely prayers and teares and S. Iohn often in this booke addeth after the foretelling of persecution Here is the patience of Saints shewing that must be the complet armour against all out enemies Seeing he came into this Island not of his owne accord but by violence and constraint he thought it not a good and happy kind of life For if he had come into this place being litle or not inhabited he could not do this dutie of his Apostleship he could not haue founded the Church This then confuteth the Monkish life which is no life of holy perfection as they call it but
of great superstition S. Iohn would not haue left all companie of men but that he was compelled to leaue thē then the life of those which voluntarily leaue all companie of men liuing in cloisters and secret places cannot be a life of perfection but of all imperfection man is borne to do good to others Seeing S. Iohn was banished and here receiued his visions we see that those which honour God he will honour them For S. Iohn was banished then which what could they do more to hurt him Yet then because it was for Gods cause God doth most honour him in reuealing to him these visions So when Ioseph was sold of his brethren and most dishonoured of them then God exalted him The same may be said of Daniel who when he was most dishonoured of men then the Lord exalted him aboue all other men and the same is true of all Gods children they which honor him he will honour them 2 The cause for which he came into this Isle For the word of God that is because he was by calling a publisher and preacher of the word of God for which cause he was banished By which we may note that all naturall men as Domitian and the Romaines were and all men are by nature hate all that professe God hate his word they cannot abide it For S. Iohn a most worthie Apostle a famous man for gifts a singular preacher of the word of God yet for this very cause is hunted nay banished not for his owne cause but for the word of God This hath bene seene in all heathen Emperours yea and all men by nature hate the word yet though they hate it in their hearts the same word it winneth them and hath taken place in them to conuert them and to make them to loue it which sheweth that the word taught by the Prophets and Apostles is indeed the true word of God not the inuention of man For if the word which is hated of all men by nature had not some diuine power in it it could neuer make such mē to loue it by grace which hate it by nature For no word of man can make a man which hateth the same to loue it but onely the word of God Seeing Iohn was banished for Gods word all Ministers are to cast their accompts to make a reckoning that they may and must suffer persecution nay banishment for the word of God For that which the principall founders and chiefe builders of the Church haue suffered that cannot be auoyded of them which are ordinarie Ministers Christ he acquainted his disciples with this and telleth them that they are euen accursed when all men speake well of them Luk. 6. 26. They must not seeke to haue all thinke well of them but rather feare if all men like of them they are accursed And witnesse bearing That is for the testimonie of the history and doctrine of the Gospell the summe whereof is that Iesus Christ the sonne of Mary is our Redeemer to procure to vs righteousnesse and life euerlasting Now he addeth after the other this of the Gospell as a doctrine how to come to life euerlasting and righteousnesse in Iesus Christ to shew for what part of the word we are most hated and persecuted not so much for the law as for the Gospell because the law is partly natural the Gospell is aboue nature as to beleeue that God made his couenant with our first parents that the seed of the womā shold bruise the serpents head Now the Gospell is the glad tidings in which there is declared that the promised seed is come and therefore the diuell he hateth this part most of all and laboureth man to hinder the course of the Gospell rather then of the law So three hundred yeares after Christ he laboured by might and maine to extinguish the Gospell to keepe men in ignorance of the Messiah but when he could not preuaile by force might he vsed sophistrie and deceipt and brought in heresies to obscure the truth of the Gospell and to ouerthrow the natures offices and benefites of Christ. Then we are bound to do the contrarie seeing he laboureth to extinguish it we must labour to maintaine and defend it we must labour as much to know it as he doth to keepe vs in ignorance that so we may obey and beleeue it And I was rauished on the Lords day c. In this tenth verse are two circumstances the first which is the third in number is the maner of receiuing this vision and giuing of it to Iohn namely in a traunce the second or fourth the time on that Lords day or that day of the Lord. I was in the spirit Here we see he receiued this vision in a trance I was in the spirit that is I was by the mightie and extraordinarie worke of the spirit of God cast into a traunce This appeareth by comparing this Prophecie with other as with that of Ezechiel who when he receiued any vision was cast into a traunce by Gods spirit To vnderstand this consider two things first what a trance is secondly the end of it A trance is an extraordinarie worke or action of Gods spirit ergo not of the constellation and temperature of the starres nor from the constitution of mans bodie or imaginations of men but wrought by the holy Ghost Secondly it is not euery worke but an extraordinarie work aboue the order of nature a powerfull and mightie work of the holy Ghost wherein the whole man both in bodie and mind is altered and for that cause S. Iohn saith I was in the spirit This action consisteth in two actions one of the mind and the other of the bodie In procuring a trance the spirit of God casteth a man into a dead sleepe whereby all the senses both inward and outward are benummed So Gen. 15. 12. when God renewed the couenant with Abraham he cast him into a trance that is into a dead sleepe the senses all were benummed onely the mind and soule working The other action of the holy Ghost is on the mind to draw it from fellowship with the bodie and all the senses to haue fellowship with God that so the spirit of God may enlighten it with light and knowledge of things which are to reuealed to it And so we see in other extasies and traunces as that of Peter his mind was drawne from the fellowship with the bodie and was in fellowship with God Then a trance is a mightie and powerfull worke of the holy Ghost both in bodie and mind whereby both the mind is drawne from fellowship with the bodie and vnto the fellowship of God and also enlightened with light and knowledge of God to vnderstand things to be reuealed Now followeth the end of a trance The cause why men are cast into trances in receiuing any visions is that as S. Iohn here they might know that the things deliuered were not inuented of themselues but
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
on the sea yet they must keepe the Sabbath they must pray fast and call on the name of God c. In that he receiued the vision then when he was exercised in praying and fasting here is a comfort for the children of God that when men draw neare to God he draweth neare to them Iam. 4. Iohn a worthie Apostle being in banishment he draweth neare to God in fasting and prayer and the Lord he draweth nigh to him and reuealeth his will to him so if we draw neare to God by faith repentance by prayer and inuocation of his name then he will draw neare to vs. But if we draw our selues backe from him he draweth backe from vs. This then should moue vs aboue all things to seeke to draw as neare him as can be then he will come and shew his goodnesse to vs. And the cause why we are so litle acquainted with his goodnesse is because we will not be acquainted with him Now in the second place followeth after the fourth circumstance the parts of the vision which be two first an entrance into the vision secondly the representation of Christ as he is King and Priest to his Church which is the substance and chiefe thing in this vision The entrance is in these words And I heard a great voice behind me till the end of the eleuenth verse The vision or the representation of Christ from the twelfth to the end of the third Chapter The beginning and entrance into the vision is a preparation whereby the holy Ghost maketh S. Iohn more fit to receiue and marke things to be reuealed which may be heard and seene The meanes to prepare Iohn is a voice And I heard a voice The like to this we haue commonly in the old Testament where the Lord reuealing his will doth send a voyce before to prepare his seruants to receiue his will So when he would giue the couenant to Adam Gen. 3. he prepareth him to receiue and letteth him heare a voyce in the garden which made him affraid and to hide himselfe after the Lord speaketh to him face to face and giueth the couenant to him So when the Lord wold giue the law to Moses in the mount first he sent a voice in a mightie thunder lightning and sound of a trumpet after he declared the law to him 1. Sam. 3. When the Lord would speake to Samuel he sendeth a voice to him three times and after he speaketh to him plainely and calleth him by his name So commonly in the old Testament when the Lord will declare his will to his Prophets he prepareth them by a voice So to Cornelius Act. 10. c. Seeing the Lord dealeth thus with this most famous Apostle when he receiued his will by extraordinarie reuelation being first prepared then much more we which are sinfull men which haue not the thousandth part of those graces he had of knowledge faith and obedience but are so farre short in ordinarie gifts we must much more be prepared that our vnderstanding and memorie may be made fit to heare know and remember Gods will and word declared to vs. And the cause why we increase not in faith repentance and knowledge after long hearing the word is because we come vnprepared without looking that our vnderstanding memorie by all good means may be prepared to receiue the word The voice is described by the place Behind me Not before him but behind him to stirre vp attention in him for men most marke those things which come as of a sudden behind them so this coming suddenly behind him drew him to more earnest attention A great voyce Thirdly it is like the sound of a trumpet not onely a great voice but full of power and maiestie as the sound of a trumpet Now he vttereth these to stirre vp more attention in him for if he should heare an ordinarie voice or a small voice it would not perhaps haue stirred him but being a great powerfull sudden and a strange voice it could not but make him very attentiue Seeing he vseth all these meanes of attention in Iohn a worthie Apostle then much more must we vse all good meanes to stirre vp attention in vs seeing we in all gifts are a thousand times inferiour to the least Apostle seeing we be dull and heauie and our senses not so sharpe as they shold be we must stirre vp our selues seeke to be attentiue to that which which is spoken and as Lydia did we must employ all our diligence to make vs attētiue And the cause why the word is preached without fruite is because we heare it without attention and haue no affection to it Now that we may do this we must beware of two enemies of attention the first are by-thoughts when a man bringeth his bodie but his mind goeth about his farmes or worldly riches about a iourney or bargaine or some worldly affaires These by-thoughts are thornes in our hearts which choake the good seed of the word that it cannot prosper and grow for men which are troubled with them cannot see how one point dependeth and hangeth on another but their memorie and vnderstanding is hindered The second enemie is dulnesse and heauinesse of bodie and soule which is shewed in this that we come heauie and sleepie to heare the word and spend that time which we should employ in hearing in heauinesse and sleeping But if we will haue the word fruitfull to vs we must shake off this drowsinesse be affected with ioy and gladnesse and heare the word with greedinesse If a man should come heauie and sleepie into the presence of the King especially he being to tell him of great matters or the giuing of him some great benefit he would take it for disloyaltie and contempt of his Maiestie The cause why the word hath no better effect in vs but that after long preaching and teaching we be as blind and ignorant as euer we were is because we come not prepared contrarily if we come prepared the Lord increaseth our faith knowledge obedience c. Saying I am Alpha and Omega Before he described the voice which he heard as a meanes of this preparation by the place Secondly the qualitie A great voice like the sound of a trumpet In these words he proceedeth further to describe this voice in this eleuenth verse setteth downe the substance and matter of this voice which he heard which standeth in two things The first a testimonie in these words I am Alpha and Omega c. The second a commandement to write all these words c. 1 The testimonie in substance is in the eighth verse before In which words of Christ is as before a comparison namely as Alpha and Omega are the first and the last letters in the Greeke Alphabet so I Christ the Sonne of God am the first and last of all things because before me there was nothing neither after me shall there be any thing in being and
seeke to get one foot out of the graue of sinne and securitie And he had Here S. Iohn describeth him by his parts and the properties of euery part In his right hand seuen starres that is seuen Angels seuen Ministers of the seuen churches of Asia The Ministers are compared to starres first because as starres send out light to men on earth so the Ministers ought to giue light to men euen spirituall light by doctrine taught by them and by conuersatiō of life among them Secondly they be compared to stars because as the stars haue their continuall abode in heauen neuer descend downe so the Ministers of the word especially should haue their conuersation in heauen It is the dutie of all but more specially of the Ministers in regard of their callings first by seeking their owne saluation secondly by seeking the saluation of others by which two they must haue their conuersation in heauē though they haue their bodies in earth thirdly because they shall be honoured of God in heauen as the starres for Dan. 12. they which do their dutie they shall shine like starres in the firmament They be in Christs right hand that is all regiment and gouernement in matters of the Church belongs to Christ he alone hath the whole disposition and ordering of the ministery seeing he alone is head of the Church and the Ministers they be in his right hand he rules and raignes in his church he careth for it and looketh to it Seeing these starres be in Christs right hand this shewes that the choosing furnishing of the ministers of the word belongs to Christ Eph. 4. he giueth them their gifts and places then we ought in this last age to pray the Lord to send out laborers into his haruest that so his children might be gathered and an end made of these miserable dayes He holds these seuen starres in his right hand Whereby we see he giueth them defence and protection so long as they be faithful in their callings He carieth them in his right hand though they haue sundry discouragements yet seeing Christ he ordereth their ministery and disposeth of it if they be faithfull nothing should hinder their course nothing should cut them off from their duty neither the want of obediēce in them to whom they preach and labour not seeing that fruit they should nor the iniuries of the enemies of their profession nor any thing else Seeing they be in his right hand this sheweth the excellency of this calling of the ministery Idle men esteeme it most base accept of it as of a meane calling and so discourage many but in the sight of God it is an high and holy calling he carieth them in his right hand defends them and protects them Now what greater glory can there be then that they should be so honored to be borne and caried in the right hand of the King of heauen and earth though wicked men dishonour them esteeme so basely of thē This should stir those who haue good gifts to get this high and holy calling thus to be honoured of Christ. They must be vnblameable for seeing Christ carieth them in his right hand he will hold nothing but that which is holy and pure as he is but if it be defiled sinfull and wicked he will take it out of his right hand put it vnder his brazen foote and grind it to peeces and the more he had honoured them the more will he dishonour them By the same reason the hearers are bound to profit else they must drinke of the same cup for if the ministers be punished for not preaching then they for not hearing And out of his mouth c. In these words he describes him by the two last parts of his body his mouth and his face And in his mouth was a two edged sword c. By this two edged sword is meant the doctrine of the law and the Gospel vttered and propounded by the Prophets and Apostles and this two edged sword is described Heb. 4. 12. It is mightie in operation c. The doctrine of the law and the Gospell is compared to a two edged sword because as a sword with a double edge enters not onely into the flesh but to the bones yea euen to the marrow so the word preached it enters into the heart deepely to the diuiding of the spirits yea it enters to the very bottome of the heart it searcheth euery nooke and corner which is most secret The word hath a double operation one in the wicked another in the godly In the wicked this sharpe two edged sword of the word it wounds them at the heart with a deadly wound and so by the same wound brings them to eternall death Esa. 11. 4. He shall with his breath that is the sword of his word slay the wicked This is that sword that hath and will kill Antichrist Ob. But how cometh it that the word of God should wound or kill any how should it slay a wicked and vnrepentant sinner Answ. We must know there be three degrees of spirituall death The first is the separation of bodie and soule when the bodie is laid in the graue the soule conueyed to the place of torments The second is when a sinner in this life by the word is wounded and smitten and so receiueth in his heart a deadly wound The third degree is at the end of this life at the last iudgement whē soule and bodie shall go into hell fire for euen a sinner receiueth his deadly wound in this life which is the first steppe to hell and eternall death in the life to come In the inflicting and giuing of this wound there be three actions of Christ required which he worketh in the hearts of the wicked by the doctrine of the law and the Gospell The first is to reueale to them their sinnes all their pride rebellion hypocrisie the damnable corruptions of their hearts and all their sinnes against the first and second Table 1. Cor. 14. 24. 25. If in the Church all prophecie there come in one which beleeueth not he is rebuked of all because they iudge him an hypocrite and so the secrets and corruptions of his heart are laid open and discouered by the word preached The second action of Christ is this he after reuealeth to them the wrath and curse of God against sinne his indignation against the breakers of the law and for this cause the law is called the killing law because it sheweth iudgement without mercie for the transgressions of the law Thirdly Christ by the word preached sharpeneth the sting of conscience maketh it awake and terrifieth a man when he heareth or remembreth the word and the curse denounced against sinners So Felix when Paul preached to him of iustice and temperancie he fainted and trembled the word was a two edged sword of the spirit to wound his conscience with terrour and feare So Dan. 5. Beltashar seeing but an hand writing he
and perswade our selues that Christ is present in the midst of his Church and withall guideth blesseth and protecteth the same we cannot but be moued to walke as Enoch and Abraham did with God euen as in his presence In this second verse is the second part of the Epistle which is the proposition which containeth the very matter and substance of the Epistle This proposition hath two parts first a commendation of this Church especially of the Ministers in the second and third verses secondly a rebuke or reprehension in the fourth verse First the commendation is in generall I know thy workes Secondly in particular for particular duties in the words following I know thy workes Some expound it of workes of mercie and liberalitie but that cannot stand But when he saith I know thy workes that is the dealings and practises of the people and Ministers in their callings and affaires I know them they are open and not hid from me and not onely know them but with approbation allow them as in cōparing this with the fourth verse where there is an opposition Though I know thy workes that is allow them yet I find fault in some things with thee Whereas Christ he knoweth that is approueth their works wayes dealing conuersation and liuing this may be a remedie against all secret and hidden sinnes The adulterer theefe and murtherer wait for the night when they thinke none see them then they may as they thinke practise any sinne so the tradesman he thinking no man seeth him changeth and counterfeiteth his wares and blearing mans eye thinketh all is well And the cause why there is such fraud deceipt guile and iniustice among men is because men thinke they can do it so as none shall see them they say God regardeth and seeth not our dealing Psal. 94. 7. But if men would consider that though they can bleare the eye of man yet they cannot hide it from God seeing they be alwaies in his sight this would make men make conscience of many secret corruptions and sins in their hearts Whereas this knowledge is ioyned with approbation and so Christ approueth of their workes some may aske How can God approue of that which doth not satisfie his law as the best workes of the most holy men of God being stained with sin do not Answ. The Gospell reuealeth to vs more then the lawe being the second part of the word Now the Gospell telleth vs that if a man will and vnfainedly do his indeuour to please God to obey his will if a man do this in truth the Lord accepteth the will for the deed So Christ here he approueth of their workes proceeding from a pure will and earnest indeuour as perfect taking the will for the deed But seeing Christ approueth their workes the Papists may argue hence thus If God approue thus of men then they haue no sinne if they haue none then a man may fulfill the law in this life and so be iustified by works Ans. Christ approueth not their or our workes simply but in part as they be his workes proceeding from his spirit in our hearts but as they proceed from our corrupt will and be fruites of our flesh he doth not Againe Christ approues them with pardon as they be pardoned and if they were not so approued he could not approue them at all Christ sayth I know your workes that is as proceeding from my spirit and as pardoned hauing the guilt taken from them Now I come to her commendation particularly which is especially of the Angel or minister in whom the first thing commended is this namely labour which is an excellent vertue especially in the Ministers painfulnesse diligence and labour in guiding and gouerning the church ouer which they are set and this vertue is worthy of commendation as 1. Tim. 5. 17. he which ruleth well is worthy of double honour And Paul matched and preferred himselfe before all other Apostles in this that he laboured more then they all Seeing our Sauiour Christ commends this labour of the ministery we see it is a worke of paines and diligence if it be well done and not of ease and idlenesse as men commonly esteeme of it else Christ would neuer commend it aboue all other works in the ministery Seeing Christ commends the Ministers in being painful and diligent in teaching and gouerning the people must be diligent in learning and obeying them But men thinke all is wel if they come and heare the word though they take no paines to know and vnderstand it they will not take paines to increase in the knowledge of Religion And the want of this paines and diligence in the people is the cause why the word is heard without profit Men bestow all paines care and diligence in worldly things and yet take no paines in the principall namely that which belongs to their soules health but if they would be commended of Christ then they must vse diligence take paines in hearing learning and obeying the word of God The Minister must labour to teach and to gouerne the people ergo they must labor to obey and keepe a good conscience and to practise religion And as Paul laboured to keepe a good conscience so must all men learne to know and vnderstand the word and then to obey and practise the same Secondly Christ he commends their patience in bearing the crosse which vsually followes the Gospell and this is worthy commendation seeing it is more then many of the Prophets performed Ierem. 20. was exceeding impatient Ionah being schooled in the whales belly yet after that all things falling not out to his mind he was most impatient But this Angel laboured and withall ioyed in the crosse and persecution As he did so must Ministers labour to publish the Gospell and because the crosse accompanies the Gospell they must be armed against persecution with patience they must endure all crosses as Luke 8. 15. the good ground brings forth frutie with patience The practise of Religion and patience must go together Now Christ ioyneth these two labouring in his calling and patience together seuereth them not first because before the fal man could do all his dutie without trouble with ease and ioy but since the fall we being corrupted can do nothing but it is a trouble to vs and God set this marke on our sinnes that all our duties should be troublesome and our callings should haue crosses and calamities ioyned with them Secondly because as the Ministers labor to increase in the people knowledge and to do their duties so the diuell labours to hinder them and to stay them therefore they must not onely labour but be diligent to striue with patiēce So Paul 1. Thess. 2. he wold haue come to thē but Satan hindred him Now as Christ ioyneth these two in the ministery so in all callings these must go together both in particular callings of the church and of the common wealth First we
to allow of those bookes for canonical which are not and to make them as pure Scripture which are onely Apocrypha And thou hast suffered In the former words were the first part namely of her seueritie for which Christ commended the church of Ephesus now followeth the second part which is after their discouery to oppose her self against false apostles how it will appeare in the particulars First of the words Thou hast suffered or as well thou hast borne as a burthen for the word signifieth to be pressed down vnder a great burden These burdens were troubles which these false apostles caused after they were discouered first open iniuries and persecutions secondly the spreading of damnable and hereticall doctrines The Ecclesiasticall histories report that these false apostles were such as Cerinthus Ebeon Marcion and such like Now in these words we note it is the will of God that euen the best church shall be troubled by false Apostles teaching hereticall doctrine and persecuting the church of God and so become great burdens to the church and that the Lord suffers for weightie causes first these false apostles must be that the beleeuers and true imbracers of the Gospel might be stirred vp more to embrace and loue the same as Iude exhorts the true beleeuers To fight for their common faith and the more religion is oppressed the more we should labour to maintaine it Secondly that professors might be proued and tried whether they be true and sound or not 1. Cor. 11. 19. There must be heresies c. Thirdly that God may exercise his indgements on the wicked and hypocrites for they be giuen vp to beleeue lies to receiue their false doctrine 2. Thess. 2. 11. Seeing the Lord suffereth his best churches to be troubled with false Apostles and that for most weightie causes we must not be offended because we see dissensions and scismes in the church which proceed not by reason of the Gospell but from wicked erronious and hereticall men for the Lord will haue such to liue in his church to make his owne seruants to loue him more to trie who be sound professors and to bring iudgement on the wicked these should not make vs discouraged but more to loue and embrace the Gospell Now after the dealing of these false apostles is set downe the dealing of the church of Ephesus against them in all things opposing her selfe against them Thou hast suffered and hast patience That is thou hast borne a burden by manifold troubles and persecutions and hast patience to beare them Obiect But how can troubles persecutions and patience stand together for troubles are against mens nature and makes them fret and be impatient against God man Ans. These stand together not by nature but by grace Rom. 5. 4. Tribulation brings patience And they stand thus together to him which truly beleeueth in Christ God giueth the spirit of meeknes sheds his loue in his heart so in the midst of trouble giues him a speciall tast of his mercie And thus in the time of trouble they which be most troubled are withal most patient so trouble and patience may be together And hast patience Here is the first way by which the church of Ephesus opposed her self against false apostles and their dealings which were double first iniuries and persecutions secondly false doctrines heretical and damnable teaching Now by patience she opposed her selfe to both these So the onely way to oppose our selues against persecutors such as iniury or wrong vs is patience whereby we stop their mouthes and if it be possible ouercome and winne them to Christ. This should be our meanes to oppose our selues against wicked men as well in life and maners as in iudgement and doctrine not to returne iniury for iniurie and wrong for wrong but to haue patience not that we should beare their sinnes but their wrongs And for my names sake hast laboured Here is the second meanes how she opposed her selfe against their spreading of damnable and hereticall doctrine which is the second way how they were a burden to her Hast laboured that is taken much paines for my name that is my glory and the Gospell of Christ for maintaining my glory and true Religon thou hast taken as great paines as they did to broach heresies and so thou hast opposed thy selfe against them Here then is our second way to oppose our selues against damnable heresies of wicked men we must labour to haue the true word of God to maintaine the glory of God and true Religion Is this so Then euery man shall labour for the name and Religion of Christ both minister and people for this labour is double partly of the minister partly of the people Concerning ministers the ministers first labour must be by studying and reading the word to furnish himselfe with sufficient knowledge in the foundation and substance of the Gospel of Christ. And for this cause S. Iohn Reuelation 11. must eate the booke that is by study meditation haue it in his hart and mind to digest it wel Psal. 2. 7. the Priests lips must preserue knowledge and the people must seeke it at his mouth Secondly he must deliuer the whole counsell of God concerning the matter of saluation to the people and the whole doctrine of the Gospell contained in the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles So did Paul Act. 20. He kept nothing backe but deliuered the whole counsell of God Thirdly he must be able to discouer and labour to discerne false teachers to the people not onely to know them but make the church to know them Tit. 1. he must conuince false teachers and then discerne and discouer them which he shall do by two things first by conuincing and discrying their erronious doctrine secondly by reprouing their wicked life So Christ noteth the erronious doctrine of the Scribes and Pharises in their misinterpreting the law secondly their hypocriticall life So Paul in all his Epistles noteth wicked mens errours and then their bad life Fourthly he must labour that the doctrine deliuered out of the Gospell may edifie and take fruite in mens hearts which is the end of all preaching and teaching 1. Cor. 14. Fifthly he must labour to be a patterne and president in his owne person of that doctrine which he teacheth that so they may haue his example to follow which is an excellent meanes to make them obey the word and the neglect of it is the cause why many contemne the word Sixthly he must make petition to God that his particular church may hold receiue obey that doctrine he deliuereth So Paul in all his Epistles praies for them that they may receiue his doctrine Now as the minister so the people also must labour for the name of Christ euery true member of the church must labour to know vnderstand that doctrine which is deliuered out of the word Christ bids vs beleeue the Gospel and repent therfore we must first know
man from euill actions and affections to renued affections and renued actions By this we see that the common description of repentance is not good in that they say it standeth in contrition which is sorrow and remorce for sinne which is no part of repentance but may be a cause of repentance godly sorrow indeed causeth repentance but is nothing of the nature of it 2. Cor. 7. 9. 10. Or else That is if you will not practise that remedie to wit renew your former loue and repentance I will come against thee or as the words be in the originall I will come to thee shortly The Lord cometh to a people two waies in mercie or iudgement in mercie he cometh when he testifieth his presence to them by shewing mercie as when Christ in spirit came to the old world and preached to them as Peter saith an hundred and twentie yeares Secondly he cometh in iudgement when he testifieth his presence in iudgement So in the second Commaundement I will visite the sinnes of the fathers that is I will come and inquire of the fathers sinnes whether they be in their children and will punish them So here if the Church of Ephesus repent not he will come to her to testifie his presence in iudgement not mercie Out of this first generall threatning we may learne this one thing when any people or Church liue in any one sinne or decay in loue to God his word and religion he then prepareth himselfe to come to them in iudgement Amos 4. 12. he will punish them because they returned not to the Lord but lay in their sinnes therefore he biddeth them prepare themselues to meete him This we must apply to our selues our Church and people for the sinnes of the Church of Ephesus be our sinnes we haue decayed in our first loue since we heard the word first we for the most part want loue to God and to man and besides these sinnes we lye in many fearefull sinnes Atheisme now abounds in iudgement and in practise contempt of the worship of God neglect and contempt of true religion crueltie oppression and want of mercie yet for all this what man is it that prepareth to meete the Lord So that he may iustly say we do decay in loue that it is most true of vs that the Lord hath bene long coming to vs for these sinnes in iudgement in plagues and punishments and so is he coming at this day it hangeth ouer our heads and if we continue still in sinne he will surely come Thus then seeing the Lord hath bene long coming to vs he would haue vs to repent if we will not no doubt he will come and that shortly and remoue his Gospell he will come in iudgements and punishments to destroy vs. The second threatning is more particular I will remoue thy candlesticke Here he sheweth in what particular iudgement he wil come to thē namely to remoue her candlesticke In the former Chapter he compareth the Church to a candlesticke then when he saith he will remoue the candlesticke he meaneth his word and Gospell take the ministerie of the word from her and so make her become of a Church no Church and hauing remoued the Gospell will in stead of it send ignorance and blindnesse If thou repent not that is if thou continue stil in thy sin In this second threatning note three things first concerning the minister secondly the Church and people thirdly euery priuat man First concerning the minister if he decay in loue to God his word and religion if he continue and lie in his sinnes or any one sinne that is a meanes to depriue him of his office and calling and of his gifts for this is especially directed to the Angell Ier. 15. end The Prophet failing in his dutie partly by feare partly by want of patience then the Lord he becomes a Prophet to Ieremy tels him that vnlesse he returne to the Lord and repent the Lord would make him no Prophet so that in him he speakes to all Ministers that if they would haue their callings and gifts to remaine they must not liue in any one sin decay in loue to God or religion for then their callings and gifts shall be taken from them As repentance is necessary for all men so especially for Ministers they must especially renew it seeing that is the onely meanes to continue their callings and gifts The second thing is concerning a church or people if any church or people decay in loue to God or his word or lie in any one sin they then procure the Lord to remoue his candlesticke to take from them his word the Gospel and true religion Ose. 9. 7. The Prophet is a foole the man of spirits is mad a heauy iudgement whereof comes this He saith for the sins of the people the Prophet is ignorant and becometh mad If this be so then we haue all cause to feare that our sinnes haue deserued the Gospell should be taken from vs for in most men there is great decay in loue seeing religion is hated and contemned of most men Therfore we must needs feare and the Lord for this must needs remoue his word take his Gospell away if we meet him not with repentance for he in iustice giues men to beleeue lies when as they will not receiue his truth and Gospell being so long among them Our dutie then is to seeke to preuent this iudgement by hearty and true repentance The third point concernes euery priuate man euery priuat Christian now a daies decayeth in loue to God and man lieth in some one sinne or other c. Now these are the meanes to depriue him of the light of the Gospell and his particular gifts For as a mans loue decayeth his knowledge decayeth and so the Gospell and the loue to it wax cold In a clock if the watch stand all the wheeles stand if it go softly or swiftly the rest of the wheeles go accordingly so if our loue be increased our knowledge is so if our loue decay our knowledge our vnderstanding in religion decayeth And this is the cause of so litle knowledge especially in auncient folke because they loose their loue Heb. 4. 12. First we are deceiued by sin secondly our heart is hardened thirdly we call into question religion 4. we set our selues against religion and so fal from it so that decay in grace is the first cause of apostacy Then if we would increase in knowledge and religion we must seeke to be cleansed from sinne not liue and die in any one sinne neither decay in loue knowledge or affection to religion Some gather hence that a man may fall finally and wholly for if a whole church may much more one man but the reason is not good for there is great difference between one man and a whole church for a church stands of a mixt company good and bad sheepe and goates corne and chaffe wheat and tares Now in the Church the wicked may
election Rom. 9. and so might fall from the Church of God to be a synagogue of Satan for hauing only the generall election they might renounce the word and sacraments but the particular election is immutable Now let vs see when they became thus the synagogue of Satan it was not at that time when they put Christ to death for though many of thē did it of knowledge yet very many of ignorance And after that Christ was ascended Peter preaching to them tels them that the promise belonged to them and to their children It was not then at this time but when the Apostles had laboured by many arguments to proue that Christ was the Messiah and they would not beleeue still remaining in their wickednesse then they became of the church of God a synagoue of Satan for when they wold not heare Paul but threatned and reiected him then he left them and preached to the Gentiles and then the Iewes became of a Church no Church for the holding of an heresie makes a church to become no Church but when a Church holds errour in principall points of religion and is openly conuicted by publicke authoritie and iudgement and stil remaines so then it ceaseth to be a Church and not before though it be reproued by a priuate man for that is not sufficient So the Church of the Galatians holding iustification by workes yet ceased not to be a Church till it was conuicted publikely by authoritie Apostolicall And by this we see what we may iudge of the Papists Libertines Familie of loue c. which being conuicted by publique iudgement of the Church of God are no true Churches for they hold such heresies as be condemned in the word and haue bin conuicted long agone of them I come to the cause why they fell namely their vnbeleefe Rom. 11. Ob. But they hold the Scriptures and defend Moses and the law Answ. Though they hold the letter yet they corrupt the sense and where any thing is spoken of Christ they seeke to ouerthrow it and so taking away the subiect and matter of the Scripture which is Christ they ouerthrow all for he which worshippeth God not in but out of Christ he worshippeth not God but an Idoll So the Papists hold the Scriptures in word but in deed denie them seeing they take away Christ in spoiling him of his merit and intercession for take away his offices and then you shall haue an halfe Christ. This their example should be euer in our eyes seeing these Iewes Gods own chosen people whō he chose out of the whole world to serue him they fell for want of faith and became the synagogue of Satan to worship the diuell then we must take heed we be not proud because we haue the word and Sacraments and seeme to be the people of God but suspect our selues take heed we maintaine faith in a good conscience and shew it in repentance and obedience lest we be cut off as they were Feare none of those things which thou must suffer In this tenth verse is another part of the proposition But seeing Christ comforteth the Church of Smyrna and giueth her counsell and rebuketh her not as the Church of Ephesus hence some gather that a man may fulfill the whole law and liue without sinne but they be deceiued for Christ abstaineth here to rebuke the church not because there was no iust cause of reprehension in her but because he saw that the Church did truly beleeue and repent and decayed not in loue as the church of Ephesus had done Secondly he doth it because God accepteth of the will and indeuour of them which beleeue and repent as of the deed he taketh their labor and indeuour to obey him as perfect obedience at their hands And for these two causes Christ he commendeth and comforteth her giueth her counsell and rebuketh her not not that she wanted iust cause of rebuke Seeing that this Church was so accepted of Christ that he would not rebuke her but commendeth and counselleth her we see it is good and necessarie for Gods Church to be in affliction sometime for this church of Smyrna was in affliction and so was kept from many sinnes which otherwise she would haue fallen into So for all other churches and children of God it is necessarie to be in affliction sometimes But feare not Here is Christs counsell which hath three parts first a precept Feare not c. secondly a Prophecie Behold thirdly a precept againe Be thou faithfull The first precept is Feare not This commaundement may seeme to be contrarie to other places of Scripture as when he biddeth vs worke out our saluation with feare trembling where Paul biddeth vs not be high minded but feare Answ. There be three kinds of feare the first naturall the second of grace the third of vnbeleefe The first which is in all men by nature is a declining or auoiding of death seeing al things by nature seek to preserue thēselues and this naturall feare was in Christ who feared death as it was the separation of the soule and bodie though it was no sinne in him but an infirmitie Secondly feare is from grace Mal. 1. saith the Lord If I be your Father where is my feare Which is a reuerence to God in regard of his mercie and iudgment and this is no sinne but a vertue The third is from vnbeleefe when men for feare of persecution or other hurt forsake God and his religion more fearing the persons of men then the maiestie of God Now Christ speaketh not of the two first but of the last only namely a distrustful feare when for feare of persecution or affliction we forsake God and religion that feare which draweth men from God to death and damnation if they repent not Feare not Here Christ sheweth the sinne of euery man by nature namely to feare man more then God to be more affraid of the face and countenance of men then of the power and might of the euerliuing God which is not onely in sinners but in the regenerate in some part who do not consider of God as he is indeed a mightie Iudge taking vengeance on sinners In this Christ sheweth the means to arme our selues against all such feare of perils persecution or daunger namely Christian fortitude and courage which is a gift of God proceeding from true faith whereby we are made able to lay aside all feare of daunger and to vndergo all persecutions afflictions and dangers for the maintaining of faith and a good conscience This Christ often prescribeth and armeth his children with this christian fortitude as the Prophets and Apostles in the old and new Testament and now euery child of God and euery Church And it were to be wished that Ministers now in our daies could say to all Gods children Feare not but alas now they must change their voice and crie with the Prophet Howle and lament in sack cloth and ashes for your destruction is at hand And
kept my name Though thou dwellest in a place where the diuel hath erected his throne yet thou maintainest my name and holdest it fast so that neither fraud nor force of enemies can take it from thee My name that is my doctrine of the Gospell Rom. 9. Thou doest constantly hold and maintaine it and my religion thou beleeuest the doctrine of saluation which my seruants haue deliuered to thee So that in these words Christ commends the church of Pergamus for constancie in maintaining the doctrine of saluation We see it is not enough for vs to hold beleeue and maintaine religion but we must do it constantly so the word signifiâ—s we must hold the same fast against all aduersaries not easily turned with any blast of mens doctrine but so to hold religion that no enemy by force or fraud draw it from vs. When Math. 13. the man found the pearle he sold all to buy the field And if a man amongst vs should find in our field by his cunning and skil a golden mine he would not tel it to any but go and sel all he had buy the grouÌ„d that so he might inrich himself So we if we know the doctrine of saluation we must labor to make it ours to haue it made sure to vs to sell all we haue to loose life it selfe rather then to forgo that precious pearle 1. Tim. 3. 9. Faith is compared to a precious iewell which must be laid vp in the treasury of a good conscience which cannot be broken into but must be strong in which store-house and treasury we must haue true religion and faith locked that nothing get it from vs but loose all we haue euen our life before we part with it for if that be sure all is well but if faith and religion be lost all is gone saluation is lost thy soule is perished Now for her further commendation Christ sets out her constancie by two arguments first that she held religion without deniall secondly that she held it in the time of bloudy persecution 1. The Church of Pergamus neuer denied Religion or reuolted from faith in Christ she did not as many men who hold beleeue and maintaine religion yet in time of triall they will reuolt In this we must imitate her else we know not whether the Lord will giue vs grace to repent if he should not we perish Esaw sold his birth-right for a small thing a few red pottage but after he sought it with repentance and teares could not get it We must then hold religion and not in time of affliction and persecution reuolt and deny it lest the Lord giue vs no grace to repent which we know not whether he will or not And hast not denied my faith that is mine owne doctrine of the Gospell and true Religion Religion is called Christs first because Christ with the Father and holy Ghost is author of it all Religion which is good being from aboue secondly because he reuealed it from the bosome of his Father thirdly because Christ is the matter of al religion Christ is the whole subiect of religion in the old and new Testament the end of the law and the scope of the Gospell The second argument whereby Christ sets out her constancie is that she held religion in the time of bloudy persecution when she was thus persecuted she was constant When Antiphas was put to death Who this Antiphas was it is not certainly knowne by any history yet it is thought he was Pastor and Minister of the Church of Pergamus who opposed himself and oppugned the doctrine and idolatry of the heathen in that citie In these words are two points first he commends this martyr Antiphas when he saith That my seruant my faithfull seruant Antiphas he extols him to the Church of Pergamus By this we see that it is lawfull to honour and commend Martyrs which dy for Christs cause and that in two things first in giuing them their due deserued honour and commendation as Christ did to Antiphas secondly by careful imitation of their constancie and vertues and conuersation of life for this cause Christ commends this good Martyr that the people of Pergamus might imitate him in his constancie not to honour him as the Papists do with diuine honour and inuocation Againe he saith That my faithfull Martyr not commending him for his death that he died but for the cause for not the death but the cause makes a Martyr for a man may die for heresie and erronious opinion and yet he is no Martyr But Antiphas he was a true Martyr ergo Christ saith that my seruant nay that my faithfull seruant Antiphas In the end of this verse he setteth downe the authors of this death of Antiphas Some among you some of Pergamus were the cause of his Martyrdome they were such in whom the diuell ruled and raigned and this he repeates to shew that they which haue contemned Christs religion though they pretend good things yet they be the slaues of the diuell he rules and raignes in them they be his holds and castels Obiect But why did the diuell dwell in the citie of Pergamus more then in any other Answ. Because many in this citie were Gentiles they hated and conteÌ„ned the Gospel so became the holds of the diuel we must then take heed we neuer conteÌ„ne the fame For in a family where they liue in ignorance in iniustice fraud and wickednes there the diuell ruleth he hath his throne that is a stable for him to dwell in Then masters of families and parents which gouern families must see they loue and embrace religion and teach it to their family else their houses be but the stables of Satan his place to dwell in Ob. But whether might not Antiphas being Minister and Pastor of that Church haue fled Answ. Persecution is double either directed against the person of the Minister principally or to the whole Church equally if it be against his person he may flie safely if he get oportunitie to preserue his life and haue libertie of the Church to flie but if it respect the whole Church then vnlesse he haue libertie graunted by them he must stay and take part with them in their persecution Now of this sort was Antiphas persecution seeing he was so called of God to suffer But I haue a few things against thee He commended her before but here he rebukes her and this reproofe is first generally propounded then in more particular in generall he tels them that they wanted zeale Thou bearest with them which c. But I haue These words he spake to the church of Ephesus before and here repeates them againe teaching the true members of the Church to enter into their owne hearts to search what is in them that Christ may haue against them to cal themselues to a strait reckoning to consider all the things they haue done from their beginning to their end and al their life narrowly to examine themselues
things and to true obedience Psal. 119. Dauid saith I haue inclined my heart euen my dead heart and put life into it and so we must put life into our benummed soules and often call on them which are halfe dead But we commonly stand still seeke not to grow but stand at a stay Christ by these words would signifie that some be dead other graces be readie to die whence we haue answer to that question whether grace may be vtterly lost We say some graces may othersome cannot be lost but sore decayed and diminished For Gods graces are of two sorts some necessarie to saluation as faith and regeneration some are lesse necessarie which go not with sauing faith as sensible and full feeling of Gods fauour ioy in the holy Ghost earnest inuocation on Gods name Now these may be separated from faith and be wholy lost in the seruants of God for a time the other cannot though they may be sore diminished nay faith and regeneration considered in thēselues may be lost wholy for nothing is vnchangeable in it owne nature but God The grace by which the elect Angels stand is in it selfe chaungeable and these would perish and come to nothing vnlesse they were continually preserued kept and confirmed in vs and them If this be so why then do not the elect fall away Ans. Not because they haue faith and regeneration or that they be in themselues vnchangeable but because of Gods promises as Mat. 16. Christ saith that the gates of hell though they shew their violence shall not preuaile against Peters faith so that these graces are eternall not of thēselues but by Gods promise which will preserue them to the end Now seeing grace may be lost we must not be too confident if we haue any grace in vs but worke out our saluation with feare and trembling for they may come to that ebbe that they may be at the point of death Now followeth the reason of the remedie For I haue not found c. therefore watch and seeke to restore thy decayed graces I haue not found Here Christ signifieth that he made a search in this Church and that to reward them either with life or death And so this was the practise of Christ when he came to Sodom he went downe to search it So Gen. 11. the Lord came downe to see Babel the like is Ierem. 9. And the Lord he visiteth that is he enquireth of the sinnes of the fathers in the children and if he find them he punisheth them in the children And alwaies Christ first maketh inquirie and after search made he rewardeth accordingly The like will Christ do with vs therefore we must labour to be such as he may approue of If a Magistrate were to search our houses we would see that nothing should be amisse how much more when Christ the heauenly Prince which searcheth the heart and cannot be deceiued cometh to search vs that he may approue of vs and reward vs But found thee not perfect There is a twofold perfection one of the law another of the Gospell Of the law when we satisfie the whole law of the Gospell when our workes done proceed from a beleeuing heart which is carefull to please God in all things Now though no worke of man be perfect yet those workes coming from a heart full of faith are perfect in Christ God accepting the will and indeuour for the deed through Christ. Christ he searched and found in this church many goodly works in shew only for they were full of hypocrisie made shew of godlinesse but wanted the power thereof neither did they come from an heart full of faith or that indeuoured to please God not to sinne in any thing therefore they were not perfect and pleasing to God In that this church is reproued not for want of workes and those faire in shew but because they proceeded not from a beleeuing and honest heart learne to pray as Dauid Psal. 119. 80. Lord let my heart be vpright let me giue all diligence to please thee in al things This is a great comfort when one can say in his conscience My heart is vpright but hypocrisie is the killing of the soule Before God Christ seemeth to distinguish himselfe from God But he speaketh not of God simply but of the Father and of himselfe as he is the Mediator and so is inferiour to the Father though he be now in glorie Now seeing he is in heauen and in glorie there yet carieth himselfe as Mediator we may pray to him without helpe of Angell or Saint and it is no presumption seeing he is still by his owne confession Mediator and so carieth himselfe toward vs. Remember Here after the remedie Christ as a good Pastour of the soule sheweth how to vse the same namely first remember secondly hold fast thirdly repent In practising of which three standeth the remedie of hypocrisie Remember that is call to mind the doctrine of saluation taught by my Apostles This remembrance is a most excellent dutie and bringeth with it many graces as subiection to Gods will repentance c. Psal. 73. Dauid seeing the prosperitie of the wicked had almost slipt and was sore tempted he could not be rid of his temptation till he went into the sanctuarie of God that is till he knew the word of God Psal. 119. 55. He kept the commaundement of God because he remembred his name in the night season Peter remembred Christs words and so repented at the crowing of a cocke Luk. 23. And indeed the cause of all sinne is forgetfulnesse of the word of God Therefore Heb. 6. euery sinne is called ignorance because we commit sinne not remembring and knowing Gods word and if we could keep in liuely memorie the word of God it were not possible that we should sin as we do Then it is a most excellent meanes to cut off sinne to haue the word of God running in our minds forbidding sinne in vs. And the Diuell he laboureth aboue all things to make vs forget the word for then he can draw vs easily to sinne Now that we may haue the word continually in memorie we must labour to haue our hearts affected with the same for we cannot remember more then we like and affect Then we must beleeue it else we cannot remember for that we beleeue not slippeth soone out of our memorie And the cause why so few remember the word is because they be not affected and delighted with it nor beleeue it That thou hast heard and receiued That is that doctrine which by hearing and receiuing thou hast learned Seeing he puts hearing and receiuing together we gather that this is the ordinary meanes of saluation to heare and receiue the word preached Then God calleth not all men in all times seeing men in all ages haue not heard the word neither receiued it and if they haue not heard the doctrine of saluation by Christ in all ages they could not be called for first they
like a stocke I wil giue thē and make thē come therfore a man being effectually called he cannot either come or not come at his pleasure as though God did for his part offer man grace and will him to come yet he may refuse it and not come but if God call man cannot but come else Christ would not haue said I will giue him and make him come But they say Matth. 23. Christ saith to Ierusalem How oft would I c. but you would not Answ. He spake that not as he was God but as he was a Prophet or the Minister of circumcision to the Iewes Againe say they Act. 27. they resisted the holy Ghost Ans. That is the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets which was indicted by the holy Ghost not the spirit of God himselfe for no inferior power can resist a superior To come to the next Who be conuerted Namely a certaine synagogue of the Iewes at Philadelphia which said they were worshippers of Christ yet indeed were the synagogue of Satan and bond-slaues of the diuell Here we see not onely small but great and old sinners may repent and be saued Christ he died for all kinds of sinners great rebellious and obstinate if they can repent they may be conuerted and come to Christ. 2. Thess. 2. 26. they must waite for the repentance of those which were taken in the diuels snares so as he would wish them no surer Rom. 1. some were giuen ouer to a reprobate sense yet it is likely that some of them repented Then we see great grieuous and notorious sins may be forgiuen yet we must not abuse the grace of God to liue in sinne but gather comfort hence that though we be great sinners yet if we can repent there is mercie with the Lord no sin can hinder vs from Christ. We reade that Christ healed three sorts of dead men some when they went to the graue some buried and some which lay foure dayes and stanke as Lazarus did So Christ healeth all kind of persons he calleth men of all sorts euen them which lie stinking in sinnes and are almost rotten in them Then take the benefite of Christs exceeding mercie when he calleth thee to repent come and cast away thy sinne though thou be a vassal of Satan a man rotten in sin yet Christ hath mercy infinit he can heale and help thee and he came to call not those which think they be righteous but such as are penitent sinners to take them out of the Lions paw and to saue the lost sheepe of Israel Then abuse not this exceeding mercie but blesse his Maiestie for it and vse it as a meanes to repent to bring thee to newnesse of life to breake off thy sin and to make thee a liuely member in Iesus Christ. I will make them come and worship Now followeth the third point in the conuersion of a sinner namely the good fruites of their repentance and conuersion I will make them worship These words are expounded 1. Cor. 14. 25. where the children of God prophecying there cometh in an vnlearned man he falleth downe and worshippeth so here he will cause these wicked Iewes to come and fall downe and worship and adore the true God in the congregation of Gods church and people In these words note two fruites of conuersion the first concernes God the second the church of God and the members of the same For the first to worship God it is a true fruite of a conuerted sinner which no man can truly performe as he ought till he be conuerted to wit to worship and adore God in the companie of his saints people The natural man knoweth that there is a God that this God must be worshipped but to worship him as he ought it is a worke that none but he which is truly conuerted can performe Another may performe outward worship heare the word receiue the sacraments but true worship which is in the heart and spirit for God is a spirit that he cannot performe Now for the worship of God three properties are to be noted in these words first They shall come and worship not worship simply but come signifying that the true worship of God must be voluntary willing and cheerefull not of constraint or compulsion but as though there were no law or iudgment for them if they did not Psa. 110. they came freely not by compulsion Then we see how most men come short for men are not touched with loue of the word neuer or seldome come to heare it onely come to morning or euening Prayer because if they do not the law wil compell them These are no true worshippers of God for he cannot abide any worshippers but willing and voluntary And worship That is reuerence God with bowing the body or knee and this is the second property we must expresse our reuerence in conuenient and seemely bowing of the body or the knee Then we see this is not a thing indifferent but necessary to vse meete and conuenient gesture of the bodie in the seruice of God to bow downe and prostrate our selues our soule and bodie Esay 6. the Angels in the presence of God couer their feete with three wings and their face with other three testifying their reuerence and adoration in the worship of God So must Gods people worship him in soule and bodie c. But we come short in this dutie for whereas we should vse seemely and conuenient gesture of the bodie to shew our reuerence and humilitie we see many lie snorting and leaning on their elbowes others vnreuerently with their heads couered which ought to be bare for God is a God of soule and bodie therefore we must reuerence him with both Before thy feet This is the third propertie namely in the congregation of Gods people they shall prostrate themselues at their feet in hearing the word or prayer they must be humbled the pride of their hearts beaten downe be smitten with feare of Gods Maiestie and of their owne sinnes Act. 16. 29. The Iaylor ouer night put Paule into prison but in the morning finding all the prison doores open and thinking all the prisoners to be gone he would haue killed himself Now being thus astonished and affraid Paule preacheth the Gospell to him which before he contemned but now being smitten with feare of the Maiestie of God he heareth Paule willingly with trembling and cometh kneeling and crowching to him saying What shall I do c. And vntill a man be smitten downe with feare of Gods glorious Maiestie with sense of his iudgements for his sinnes and so come to humble himselfe he cannot be a true beleeuer of Gods will and word The cause why there be so few true professors and that all serue God with formall worship is because they were neuer cast downe they were neuer smitten with feare of Gods Maiestie neuer confounded for their owne sinnes for till these be in vs in some sort we cannot worship God we cannot
yea though they preach it oftentimes But they must looke that they do it not for ease but for the good of the Church And therefore the hearers hearing the Minister repeate the same doctrine ought not curiously to reprehend him for then they may as well reprehend Christ himselfe as before I haue shewed Here then is a dutie commaunded namely to heare this hearing is the good learning that bringeth true faith saluation and sincere obedience with it But to whom is this commandement giuen To hearing hearers and to such as do not onely receiue the word of God with their outward eares but with the eare that is in the heart Hence we learne first that God doth not giue to all men grace to heare his word to their saluation Secondly that we must so heare that thereby we may be conuerted and changed But what is to be said namely what the spirit teacheth to the Churches That we might heare attentiuely he vseth a double reason one drawne from the speaker another from the auditors to wit the Churches But I haue spoken of these before And to the Angell of the Church of the Laodiceans write c. As before all the other Epistles so before this last Epistle there is a commandement giuen to Iohn to write it And the Epistle hath three parts as the former had first a Preface secondly the matter thirdly a conclusion First of the Preface wherin Christ is described in whose name it was penned by two arguments First by his name and title Amen a faithfull witnesse Secondly by his priuiledge and propertie the beginning of the cratures Amen is an Aduerb of affirmation or asseueration signifying truly verily certainly The reason why he is so called is rendred in the words that follow which are a commentary and full exposition of this The faithfull witnesse c. So that to this end he is called Amen to shew that he is a true and faithfull witnesse See chap. 1. 5. there I expound it And here I will repeate the heads onely of that exposition He is called a witnesse betweene God the father and vs because he doth not onely reueale the fathers will to vs but sealed it with his blood and giueth vs many testimonies inward and outward but of all testimonies that of the Scripture is most certaine And for these three respects he is thus termed first because he doth reueale it and seale it and ratifie it by inward and outward testimonies secondly because he wold accomplish his fathers wil. 2. Cor. 1. 20. All the promises of God are in him yea and Amen that is most certaine and therefore he is a witnesse yea a faithfull witnesse Thirdly he is called a true witnesse because he speaketh the truth that which he reuealeth from his father is the will of his father who is truth it selfe he saith as the thing is without error or falshood nay his will is the rule of all truth This is the meaning of the first argument Now the vse and the end why here Christ is so called if we do but reade the Epistle and marke the contents we may guesse probably at the end which is that he might shew himselfe an example to the Angell of that Church who was slacke and negligent in his ministery therfore Christ instructs him how to cary himself without respect of persons teaching the word of God truly and faithfully See chap. 1. 5. And not only to the Angel but to all the Church yea to all Christians he propounds himselfe an example of two worthy vertues faith and truth he would haue all to be true and faithfull in their life and conuersation euen as he is This faith is a vertue whereby a mans word becometh as sure as an obligation as we vse to speake whereby we make good all our words othes and promises Truth is that whereby a man without lying deceit or fraud speaketh the truth from his heart that I say which is necessary to be knowne for his owne and others good and for the glory of God Set we this example before our eyes and as Christ is a true and faithfull witnesse so let vs be carefull to shew our selues true in all our words and speeches and to be faithfull in all our promises These be excellent graces in Christ and fruites of the spirit in Christians therefore let vs be knowne by these to be like Christ. The second end of this title is to induce this Church to apply it selfe to the word of God effectually for it was faultie in this point therfore that he might bring them to this he saith that he is a faithfull witnesse How should they do this Thus consider in the word the law and the Gospell the commaundements promises and threatnings and apply them particularly euery man to himselfe the commandements to know sinne the threatnings to humble vs and that we may be touched in conscience and made fit to receiue Gods grace see an example of it Luke 15. in the prodigall son I haue sinned and am not worthy c. So Daniel and Ezra humbled themselues No man can truly be humbled till he make this particular application of the word which he readeth and heareth Now the Gospell also must be thus applied we are bound to beleeue the promises of life eternal not onely that they are true but to apply them to our selues The Gospell requireth a further thing which is the foundation of the church for proofe see Phil. 3. 7 8 9 10 11. The summe is this he esteemes all things losse in regard of Christ and desires the righteousnes which is by faith in Christ and to know the vertue of Christs resurrection Now marke the fifteenth verse let so many as be perfect be thus minded teaching euery one of vs our dutie to apply Christ to our owne person Thus are we bound in conscience to apply the Gospell to our selues and whosoeuer doth not so he makes God a lier as much as in him lieth 1. Iohn 5. And this is the principall end and reason why Christ calleth himselfe so that men might not onely beleeue the word in general but apply it in particular to themselues The not doing of this is the cause of negligence in religon of so many luke-warme Christians and professors Therefore let vs all learne this dutie It is not enough to know the word no nor to be able to teach it but aboue al things to lay it to the conscience to apply it that we may be truly humbled and turne to God therefore iustifying faith is that which applieth in particular Now the second title of Christ is the beginning of all creatures Col. 1. 16. By him all things were created in heauen and earth therefore in regard of creation he is so called Yet I doubt not but there is a further cause why he is so called here namely because he is the beginning of the new creatures as Ephes. 1. 10. where it is said we are Gods workmanship created
precisenes ready for them because they haue care to do that which they professe In this very reproch they shew that they are luke-warme their mouthes proclaime it and their liues professe it and they are neuer a whit ashamed of it Whosoeuer opens his mouth to fasten this reproch vpon his neighbor he fastens vpon himselfe this marke of luke-warmnesse without shame And so they go beyond the Laodiceans which were ashamed of it and would not defend it whereas these boast of it My meaning is not to fasten this vpon euery man but I say it is a common sin more then any other Well now it being manifest that this is the common sinne of our time yea our common sin a sin that taketh hold of all sorts mark what followeth they are in a worse case then the heathen and Infidels are The common Christian is worse in some case then they for Christ preferreth them before these A man may perswade himselfe that he is in a good estate for all that but you see Christs iudgement sentence O it had bin better for them neuer to haue knowne the truth at all They are in a worse case which know Gods will and obey it not then they that neuer knew it Let vs not deceiue our selues then if we be but drowsie Protestants we are worse then Turkes We boast of our estate and we despise the Infidels but except thou ioyne with knowledge purpose of obedience thou art more vile and contemptible then they Publicans and harlots shall come into heauen before thee it is not the external profession of religion that will make the better then they but grace in the heart and obedience And this is the first point The second point is that we are in danger to be spued out of Christs mouth for this was written for our instruction and for all Churches that as luke-warme water troubleth mens stomackes so do we trouble Christ and therefore are like to be cast out euen as that is We may flatter our selues and thinke all is well as they did in Noahs time but know it we are in danger of a most grieuous iudgement namely to be cut off from Christ to be made no people Though we had no more sins but this we are in danger to be cut off for it And God can do this diuers wayes either by taking his Gospell from vs or sending in our enemies among vs. And by example of other countries the Lord sets this before our eyes dayly how he can and will do this therfore let vs not stand vpon any outward priuiledge but lay this to our hearts And so much for the first sin The second vice followeth in the seuenteenth verse Verse 17. Thou saist I am rich c. Here is a new reproofe of a new fault and that is spiritual pride These words depend on the former as a reason and cause for before they were charged with luke-warmenesse Now the cause of that is pride this is the mother that is the daughter Thou saist That is thou thinkest thus It is the maner of the holy Ghost to expresse the thoughts of men by speeches and when men thinke thus and thus the holy Ghost saith they say thus and thus because as manifest as our speeches be to one another so manifest be our thoughts to Christ. In that Christ doth thus expresse mens thoughts we may gather that this booke is canonicall for men cannot set downe in writing what be their owne thoughts much lesse other mens And so in all the bookes of Scripture the thoughts and imaginations of men are set downe euen as they conceiue them the like cannot be shewed in any writings of men It remaineth therfore that we receiue this booke as the word of God For could the Apostle Iohn by any art or learning come to know their thoughts No. Now I come the thought He expresseth their pride by the effect of it that is their thought and what is their thought I am rich That is I abound with spirituall graces as knowledge iudgement vnderstanding and memory By this thought Christ describeth their pride not outward but inward not carnal but spiritual whereby they perswaded themselues that they were in much better case and state then they were And this is the common sin of churches Against this sin of pride learne we that Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance But what is there any righteous since Adams fal No but some thinke themselues righteous as did the proud Pharises which said as the Church of Laodicea here I am rich And Paul brings in the Corinthians saying We shall raigne Thus you see that this hath bin a common sin and so it is at this time In the popish Churches this opinion takes place when they perswade themselues to satisfie Gods iustice for temporall punishments by their workes and that they can merite sufficiently for themselues and others And amongst vs this wretched thought finds harbour We thinke we abound with knowledge none will seeme to be ignorant or to want knowledge and therefore not one of a hundred will aske a question nay many therefore will not heare the word because they know as much for substance as the Preacher can tell them for all a mans dutie say they is but to feare God and keepe his commaundements and thou shalt loue God aboue all and thy neighbour as thy selfe and what would you more Thus they perswade themselues that they are rich and want no knowledge when they know not one principle of religion more then the law of nature teacheth them namely Do as you would be done to Others pleade that they haue had euer since they could remember such a strong faith that they neuer doubted of Gods mercy But this is no strong faith but a strong presumption and a strange faith for true faith is alway ioyned with doubting and distrusting Others professe that they are rich in loue and they will not be drawne from it but they loue God and their neighbours when they haue neither knowledge faith nor loue Which appeareth thus let a man make relation of any bodily calamitie and you are astonished but let the Ministers tel you that you are in danger of spirituall iudgement and who is afraid where is the person that trembleth Worldly newes troubleth you but the word neuer scares you the remembrance of your owne damnable estate grieueth you not Let vs say what we will of your soules state alas you regard it not but the drunkard will continue in his drunkennesse and the adulterer and blasphemer in their wickednesse and euery man blesseth himselfe in his sins and saith God loues him and he loues God I am rich in regard of Gods fauour of spirituall blessings c. This being our sin it stands vs all in hand to labour to see it and to be humbled for it Increased in wealth or made rich This is added only for amplification to shew the measure
of their pride that it was not small but great therefore the word is doubled to shew the strength of their conceipt and the greatnesse of their pride Now what is the cause why they were not onely puft vp but giuen to such an high degree of pride Answ. Knowledge was the cause for no doubt but the Angell of that Church had great knowledge and was a learned man and the people were well instructed Now knowledge puffeth vp it maketh mens hearts to swell with pride therfore it is true that where much knowledge is there is much pride if men want the grace of humiliation and griefe for sinne And haue need of nothing Here is a further marke and token of their pride when a man thinkes thus that he needs no help for his saluation if he stands in no need of Christs blood for the saluation of his soule this is a notable signe of abundant pride in the heart This serueth further to conuince our congregration of this pride for if we be neuer so litle sicke straight we seeke to the Phisitians but though our soules be neuer so sicke none seeke to the Ministers sicknesses we feele but not sins therefore the Phisitian is in request but the Minister is not thought of till the pangs of death be felt This shewes that we abound in spirituall pride therfore marke this you must labour to feele what need you haue of Christ for til you do so there is no grace in the heart If you would haue grace learne this that you want the bloud of Christ and till you feele this neuer thinke your case good but wretched and damnable It is a daungerous case for a man to say he wanteth nothing And knowest not Here he setteth downe the cause of their pride that is ignorance as if he should say Thou knowest not thine owne naturall estate as thou wert borne of Adam thy state out of Christ. Thus we see that ignorance is the cause of pride and pride of lukewarmenesse By this he sheweth what they are ignorant of Hence it may be gathered that pride was not the first sinne nor the roote of all other sinnes as the Papists and some other thinke Indeed it is a great sinne and a mother sinne yet it hath a more inward cause that is ignorance Whereof euen of a mans owne estate before God so much Christ here signifieth The cause why any thinke wel of themselues and swell in pride is the ignorance of their owne estate and because they are ignorant of that therefore they are puft vp with pride By this we must all be admonished to haue care to learne to know our owne estate in which we are by nature without Christ. Euery person that will come to saluation must be throughly acquainted with his owne estate and know his owne sinnes and the curse due to them and therefore it is that the Prophets so often call vpon the people to search and fanne themselues that they might be acquainted with their owne estate Till you know this you shall be but proud peacocks neuer haue grace although you haue otherwise very great gifts of knowledge and grace to conceiue a prayer be able to teach yet you shall neuer haue any grace to turne and repent truly till the ignorance of your state be remoued and then cometh grace true obedience and humiliation and other graces needfull for Gods seruice therefore labour for it If there be any blemish in your face you will see it O then labour to see the spots of your soules Now in that Christ doth thus strike at the roote of their pride and bewray their ignorance he sheweth the state of euery man by nature so that here cometh to be handled the naturall estate and miserie of man The miserie of this Church is propounded two waies first generally secondly particularly Generally in two words wretched and miserable Wretched that is one subiect to misery griefe and calamities so much is signified by the first word That we may know what this miserie is I will enter into a description of mans wretchednesse Where two things must be considered first the roote and fountaine of it namely originall sinne which hath two branches first that very particular offence and trespasse whereby Adam sinned which is not onely the sinne of his person but of mans nature and of euery one that cometh of Adam Christ excepted Secondly from that sinne as a part of it and yet withall as a punishment of it followeth the corruption of mans heart and defacing of Gods image whereby the heart hath got a pronenesse and disposition or inclination to all sinne In these two stand mans miserie for from these do spring al our miseries both in and after this life So much for the first part what mans miserie is Againe we must conceiue it vnder the forme of a punishment All miserie of what kind soeuer is a punishment laid vpon man for that first sinne Now the punishment of sinne must be considered diuerse waies according to the diuerse times of mans being either in this world or departed hence All punishment is either in this life or in the end of it or after and so is miserie in this life in the end of it or after it Againe some miseries concerne the whole man and they are two principally First a subiection to Gods wrath whereby a man is in daunger thereof euery day made a child of wrath This is a miserie of all miseries and so much the more grieuous as a man cannot without some grace see it Secondly bondage to the diuell the Scripture speaketh of it oftentimes You may conceiue it thus The man regenerate saith I sin but I would not sinne the naturall man saith I sinne and I will sinne it is my nature to sinne and my pleasure and in sinne will I liue And these are the two miseries concerning the whole man Now there be miseries which concerne not the whole man but the bodie or soule goods or calling in this life Miseries concerning the soule are these First in the mind and vnderstanding there is blindnesse and ignorance of Gods will Secondly in diuerse persons madnesse and foolishnesse All these are miseries curses and punishments inflicted on mans soule for sin And further that nothing can be learned without paines and difficultie Further in the mind there is a conscience and there is accusation secret feares and terrors and so many accusations so many miseries In the will there is rebellion and in the affections peruersenesse which is not onely a sinne but a plague and punishment And as the soule so the bodie is subiect to his miseries to many paines aches and diseases Yea the diseases of mans bodie are so many that all Physicke bookes cannot record them Besides diseases there is mortalitie that is a subiection to death so as all the art and skill in the world cannot preuent it In our goods the want of necessaries is a miserie and by
acknowledge Babylon in the Scripture to be vnderstood of Rome And thus I haue performed I trust sufficiently that which I tooke in hand to proue both by the authoritie of holy Scripture in plaine and manifest texts and by consent of many auncient writers yea by the confession of the Papists thēselues that Babylon in the Scripture is taken for Rome And thus much for the first part in which because I haue bene ouer long I will be shorter in that which remaineth In the second part I promised to declare how Babylon which is Rome is fallen according to the Prophecie of this Angell She is fallen saith the Angell She is fallen He repeateth the word of falling for two causes first to declare the certainty of her decay that howsoeuer she seemed to flourish triumph as though she should neuer haue fallen or come to ruine yet God for her wickednesse most righteously and for the comfort of his Church most mercifully had decreed vndoubtedly that she should fall when that time was once come which in his most wise and well ordered counsell was appointed for her destruction Secondly he repeateth twice that she is fallen to shew that she should haue an vnrecouerable fall she should not fall as other Cities which haue risen againe but she should fall without all hope of recouerie neuer to be restored againe Therefore in the eighteenth Chapter a mightie Angell taketh vp a great Mil-stone and throweth it into the sea saying With such violence shall Babylon that great Citie be throwne downe and neuer be seene any more So that as it is impossible for a great Milstone throwne with great force by a mightie Angell into the bottome of the sea to rise vp againe and swim aboue the water so impossible is it that Babylon when she is at the lowest of her fall should euer be set vp againe And in the nineteenth Chapter it is said That the smoake of her burning ascended vp for euer and euer Also of her vtter desolation descriptions are made in the eighteenth Chapter where it is said that Babylon is made a dwelling place of diuels a cage of vncleane birds according to the Prophecie of Esay concerning old Babylon that Zyim Ohym which be Sprights and Goblins shall walke in her Pallaces Scrichowles and Ostriges shall crie in her houses Apes and Satyres shall daunce in her beautifull buildings No voice of men shall be heard in her no sound of a Mill shall be heard no light of a candle shall be seene but perpetuall solitude and sorow shall dwell there for euermore Therefore saith the Angell she is fallen she is fallen that is she is destroyed and neuer shall be repaired But if we will better vnderstand how she is fallen we must consider more distinctly wherein she is fallen First in wealth and riches she hath sustained a great fall Consider how many kingdomes and states of the world haue renounced her obedience and all those haue withdrawne great rents reuenues and commodities that in times past were addicted to the maintenance of Babylon the Church of Rome A great fall without peraduenture and that will neuer be recouered Remember so many Abbeyes Monasteries Nunneries Frieries Hospitals Chauntries Churches and Chappels now ouerthrowne and made euen with the ground All lands iewels ornaments and great treasures that belonged vnto them cleane taken away frō them and you will confesse with me that Rome in riches hath a great fall Yea if you would see with your eyes a manifest example of Gods iudgement against Babylon behold those euill fauoured ruines and heapes of Monasteries that were sometimes gorgeous and sumptuous buildings The same end remaineth all that pompe and pride of Babylon not yet altogether beaten downe but euen now in falling For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it and his immutable counsell hath decreed it and he hath sent an Angell to proclaime it Some wish perchance that Monasteries had stood still and bene conuerted to better vses but vndoubtedly the prouidence of God so ordered all things that his curse which was vpon them might be executed and the Prophecies that were concerning them might be fulfilled that they might be a monument of his wrath vnto all the posteritie the beginning of the fall of Babylon and an example of the destruction of all the rest that should follow soone after Who would euer haue thought that so great riches treasures and reuenues should so suddenly be ouerthrowne destroyed and come to nothing Therefore it is manifest that the wealth and worldly substance whereby the pride voluptuousnesse and intemperance of ryotous Rome was maintained and growne to an intollerable excesse is greatly diminished sore decayed and hath a foule fall and shortly shall haue a finall fall Well Babylon is not fallen onely in wealth and riches but also in power and authoritie For the kings of the earth which sometimes were subiect to that monstrous beast haue now shaken off the yoke of her seruitude and withdrawne the obedience of all their subiects from her Yea the most part of the ten hornes which sometime gaue ouer their power and authoritie vnto the beast which were all the Kings and Potentates that acknowledged the Pope for their supreme head and soueraigne Lord do now hate and abhorre the Harlot of Rome and shall make her desolate by withdrawing their Subiects from her obedience and naked by spoiling her of her treasures and shall eate her flesh for pure hatred and burne her with fire For great is the Lord which iudgeth her So that she which before at her pleasure might commaund all Princes to begin warre to cease from warre to defend her quarrels to annoy her enemies now is glad to flatter a few seduced Princes to take her part that she be not vtterly forsaken of all men or else to practise by treason and trecherie suborning Rogues and Vagabonds to stirre vp tumults among the rude people to trouble godly estates and commonwealths that despise her dominion but without all hope euer to recouer her auncient tyrannie Her thunderbolts of Excommunication which were sometime terrible to all men are now feared of no man What thogh she retaine her proud and presumptuous stomacke and will do while her breath lasteth to pronounce sentence of depriuation against Princes that abhorre her wickednesse Her impudent arrogancie is not so much detested of many as laughed to scorn of all Her Proctors and priuie practisers though they chaunge themselues like Proteus into neuer so vnlikely shapes are espied in euery corner For God himselfe reuealeth their pretences and will not suffer her to preuaile any longer So that in power and authoritie Babylon is fallen and falleth daily more and more into vtter contempt with all men vntill she be vtterly cōsumed and brought to nothing which will not be long before it come to passe For this sentence that God hath pronounced against her and begun also to execute cannot be chaunged or much longer deferred But especially and