waile Fiftly the conclusion of this narration with two notes of asseueration Euen so Amen to confirme the second comming of Christ vnto all people I. point Behold First Saint Iohn beginneth this narration with a note of attention The spirit of God is accustomed when any thing is of special weight and worth our carefull marking to prefixe before it this note of attention Behold or such like Hence then wee are taught this speciall dutie namely often and euery day earnestly and seriously to bethinke our selues of the second comming of Christ to iudgement This consideration is a matter of great vse for it is a notable meanes to begin and continue the conuersion of a sinner vnto God When the Scribes and Pharises obstinat enemies came to the baptisme of S. Iohn hee vsed this as a meanes to make them to turne and beleeue in Christ saying Ob generation of vipers who hath forewarned you that you should flie from the vengeance to come Matth. 3.7 So Peter vseth this same Argument to bring the Iewes to repentance exhorting them to turne that their sinnes might be put away when the day of refreshing that is the day of iudgement should come Acts 3.19 Paule persuades the Athenians to repentance Because there is a day appointed in which the Lord will iudge the world by Iesus Christ Act. 17.30 31. Secondly this note of attention serues to strike our hearts with a feare and reuerence of Christ Iesus for it giues vs warning that hee shall come to bee our Iudge We are touched with awe and reuerence toward earthly magistrats when we consider that they haue authority to attach apprehend to bring vs to their courts and assizes How much more should this worke in vs a reuerend awe towards Christ when wee consider That one day wee must all bee brought before his Tribunall seat and there bee iudged of him II. point The comming of Christ himselfe Hee comes that is Christ locally descendeth from the highest heauen in his manhood to that part of the world where the clouds be there to giue iudgement vpon all mankind quick and dead Here marke in what manner Iohn propounds his comming hee sayth nor he shall come but in the present time hee commeth Whereby hee would teach vs First that this second comming of Christ is as certaine as if it were now present Secondly that it is not long to or far off but will be quickly Thirdly that our dutie is to consider of the comming of Christ as of a thing present This Saint Iohn learned and so should wee by his example for it is a matter of great vse For hence weâ— are taught to desire and doe that euery day which we would desire and doe in the day of iudgement and blessed is hee that attaineth hereunto Now that we may come to the practise of this dutie wee must dayly consider of the comming of Christ not as a thing to be delayed or farre off but as a thing present Wee must euery day call our selues to a reckoning and account and persuade our selues this may be the last day and so shall we carry our selues euery day as wee would in the last day Now we would wish at the day of iudgment that wee did repent and beleeue in Christ and therefore euery day of our life before the last iudgement come we ought to repent and beleeue in Christ. If this dutie were practised we should find lesse corruption and more grace in our hearts and lesse sinne â—â—d more obedience in our liues euery day than other but grace is wanting and sinne abounds because this meditation takes no place in our hearts Againe in that hee sayth Hee commeth meaning in respect of his manhood hence wee gather hee is absent from vs in regard of bodily presence and the heauens must containe him vntill the day of iudgement But if Christ were alwayes bodily present in the Sacrament hee could not bee said to come but onely to manifest himselfe being before present And therefore the opinion of those which hold the body of Christ to be really the bread to bee in or about the bread of the Sacrament is most false and friuolous flat against that article of our Faith whereby wee hold That he comes from heauen onely at the last day in regard of his manhood III. point The manner of Christs Christs comming in two things First that he comes with clouds Secondly that his comming is open and visible to euerie eye First with clouds here S. Iohn speaketh after the manner of the prophets who to set out God in his maiestie and glory say he comes with clouds rides on the wings of the wind as though he had sayd he comes in exceeding maiestie and glorie These words are added to make a distinction betweene the first and second comming of Christ. His first comming was in humilitie borne of a poore virgin entertained in a stable of an Inne but his second comming is with glorie maiestie and dominion in the clouds And the reason is because he came first to be a redeemer and a sauiour by his suffering and therefore came in the state of a seruant But his second comming is to bee a Iudge of all men yea of his enemies and therfore he commeth with all might maiestie and glory to shew himselfe king and lord of all The vses of this his second comming are set downe in the 97 Psalme to make the verie mountaines to tremble to confound the wicked and vngodly and to comfort the godly in that day Secondly for his open appearance Euerie eye shall see him he shall come in maiestie and glorie not secretly but in visible shew to all the world All men shall see him with their owne eyes All I say which were since the world began to his comming In these words hee toucheth three points First he taketh it here for granted that euerie man shall rise from death to life though their death were neuer so strange or neuer so long before Secondly that all men being raised againe shall haue life and motion and their senses restored to them as before they died Thirdly that all men none excepted shall come and stand before the tribunall seate of Christ and there bee iudged of him in the clouds The consideration whereof is First an exceeding comfort to Gods children in that they being dead and rotten in their graues shall rise and receiue their life and motion and see Christ their sauiour and iudge of all men If a man when hee layeth him downe to sleepe should bee told that when hee rose hee should see his dead father and mother or his dearest friends whom he saw not of long before this would bee a notable comfort to him that now he should inioy them againe 〈◊〉 how farre greater comfort shall this yeeld to all the godly who haue beene dead and rotten in the graue That they shall be raised vp and not onely to meete with godly friends but enioy Christ Iesus the
golden candlestickes That is so soone as I heard this sudden and mightie voice I turned my selfe to see who it was that vttered the same In this behauiour of Iohn we are to learne our dutie so to dispose our hearts towards God in the receiuing of his word as Iohn disposeth himselfe towards Christ in the receiuing of this vision So soone as the voice spake Iohn hearkened and because the sound thereof came behind him he turned himselfe to looke on him that vttered it Euen so must we doe we are by nature strangers with God slow to heare when hee speaketh and readie to turne our hearts from God when we heare Therefore when God speaketh vnto vs in the ministerie of his word we must hearken And though we bee going another way yet wee must turne our selues from our euill wayes and encline our hearts to his voice that we may haue fellowship with him Saint Iohn had not seene this maruellous vision vnlesse hee had turned himselfe to behold him that spoke No more shall wee at any time feele true fellowship with the Lord vnlesse we turne our hearts vnto his word and that betimes while he speaketh vnto vs in the ministerie thereof Thus much for the first part of the vision viz. the entrance thereunto The second part it the matter and substance of the vision containing a most worthie representation of Christ in his maiestie as he is the Prophet King and Priest of his church set downe at large by a description of Christ continuing from this twelfth verse vnto the end of the third chapter wherein Iohn sheweth what hee receiued of Christ partly by hearing and partly by seeing And first he beginneth his description of Christ as hee saw him represented in vision and so describeth him by two arguments First by the place where he saw him Secondly by his forme and figure wherein he appeared I. For the place Iohn saw him in the middest of the seuen golden candlesticks These seuen candlestickes here seene are the seuen Churches of Asia the particular churches of God being compared to candlesticks as Christ expoundeth himselfe vers 20. Now the particular congregations of Gods church bee called candlestickes for that resemblance which is between them For as the candlesticks serue to bear vp and hold forth the light that is set therein so the particular churches of God on earth they beare vp and shew forth the light of the gospell vnto the whole world partly in the ministerie of the world and partly in the profession of the faith of Christ. From hence sundry things are to bee learned first obserue that the churches are rather called candlestickes than candles To giue vs to vnderstand that they haue no light of themselues or from themselues but onely are Gods instruments to beare vp and hold forth the light in the ministerie of the word and profession of the faith for Christ Iesus is the onely true lampe and candle that giueth light to the heart and conscience by his holy spirit in the word Secondly hence euery one that professeth himselfe to be a true member of Gods church must learne his duty which is earnestly to labour to become a shining and burning candle Indeed this principally concernes the ministers of the church and therefore Iohn Baptist is called a burning and shining light Iohn 5. vers 35. but yet it must also bee verefied of euery member thereof as Saint Paule commaundeth Shine sayth hee as lights in the world in the middest of a naughtie and câ—â—oked nation holding forth the doctrine of life that is the gospell Quest. How shall euery member of the church become a burning light Answ. First hee must haue his mind enlightened in the knowledge of Gods will and word and then as a candlesticke hold out and send forth the beaâ—es thereof to others partly by teaching within the compasse of his calling and partly by example of an honest and blamelesse life and conuersation Thus we should doe if wee would be answerable to our profession And to induce vs hereunto let vs obserue the reasons following First it is Gods commandement Shine as lights sayth S. Paule in the world Philip 2.15 And walke as children of the light Ephes. 5.8 Secondly consider the fruit hereof which is wonderfull great For by godly instruction in our places and by answerable obedience in our liues we win many to the Lord shewing forth such lights whereby others may walke in this darke world to the kingdome of heauen which is a most blessed light In the Winter season men thinke they doe others great pleasure if in the night they hang forth a light to guide passengers a little way in an earthly walke What a blessed thing then is this that a man should alwayes hold forth that light which shall guide a sinfull wicked wretch to leaue the wayes of death and to walke in the pathes of righteousnesse to eternall life But on the contrarie when men liue in Gods church like candles put out by reason of the blindnesse of their minds and the badnesse of their liues hence commeth great hurt and danger to others with whom they liue for they lead others that depend vpon them to the pit of destruction especially they who know the will of God and yet make not conscience to shew forth the same by good example of a godly life For as in an hauen towne if any man in the night time doe remooue the sea-marke which guideth the ships in the right channell he doth as much as in him lieth cast away all the ships that are comming neere the shore by causing them to run on rockes and sands euen so they that should giue light in the church if they giue either no light or false light to such as depend vpon them who are sayling in the sea of this sinfull world hereby they lead and direct them to a wrong hauen and instead of heauen bring their soules to eternall perdition which must terrifie vs from ignorance and euill workes and make vs labour to shine as lights in this world by good instruction and godly conuersation Third reason Consider the fearefull iudgments of God against such as liue in his church as members thereof and yet giue no light they doe incurre the fearefull wrath of Christ. In the Temple the keeping of the lampes and lights belonged to the priest and therefore he had his snuffers and other instruments to trim the same which notably figured the dutie of Christ in the Church of the new Testament for hee is our high priest who looketh to euery light in the Sanctuarie that is to euery member of his church who ought to shine as a lampe and when they burne but dimly and darke he hath his snuffers to trim them and make them giue a better light both by godly life and good instruction But when hee hath snuffed them againe and againe if still they burne darke and dim and giue either no light or else a false light
First he giueth him the signe of his presence Laying his hand vpon him to assure him of protection froÌ„ al danger of death TheÌ„ he giueth him his wrod bidding him not to feare Hence we may learne that the assurance of Gods presence and protection is a souerigne remedie against all feare when Moses feared the great calling he was sent about to take away that feare the Lord saith I will be with thee Hence Dauid saith He will not feare though he walke through the valley of the shadow of death because God is his stay and comfort Wherefore it concerneth vs to labour to be assured not onely of Gods presence but of his prouidence and speciall protection And so in all dangers both of life and death wee shall haue stay and comfort for our soules The Lord hauing vsed these two meanes to confirme Iohn both a signe his word doth yet further condescend vnto Iohns weaknesse and establisheth his owne word by two reasons The first in these words I am the first and the last Christ is the first Because nothing was or could bee before him The last because nothing is or can bee after him These two titles are giuen vnto Christ to expresse his Godhead and eternitie as before wee haue heard verse 8. Now here they are againe set downe to giue vs to vnderstand that hee hath in his owne power the beginning and end of all things and therefore is able to protect his seruants from all dangers and from death and will make good vnto them all his promises vnto eternall life Verse 18. And Am he that liueth but I was dead and behold I am aliue for euermore Amen And I haue the keyes of hell and of death These words conteine the second reason to confirme Iohn And it may thus be framed by way of a distinction Although I was dead yet I am he that liueth for so the words are and behold I am aliue for euermore Amen Yea I haue power ouer death and hell This distinction containeth three parts First Though I was once dead yet I am he that liueth Secondly Though I was once dead yet I liue for euermore Thirdly Though I was once dead yet I haue the keyes of death and of hell Of these in order I. part And Am he that liueth though I was dead Here life is ascribed to Christ in a speciall manner For Christ liueth in a peculiar sort differeÌ„t froÌ„ the life of other creatures For first hee hath sufficient life in himselfe and from himselfe Secondly he giueth life to others For the first that wee may better conceiue it wee must know that life is twofold vncreated and created Vncreated life is the life of God whereby God liueth This life is eternall and infinit in it selfe from it selfe Now as Christ is God he liueth this vncreated life which is all one with the godhead Againe created is twofold The first is naturall preserued by means of meat and drinke The second is spirituall both begunne and continued by meanes of the immediat operation of Gods spirit whereby wee haue fellowship with God And this spirituall life is more perfect than the naturall Now Christ liueth not the naturall life but as he is God liueth the vncreated life as he is man he liueth the spirituall life his body and soule hauing al their subsisting and sustentation in the second person in Trinitie and therefore he hath in himselfe most absolut and perfect life and so liueth of himselfe Secondly Christ is here said to liue because he giueth life vnto men that two wayes First as he is God and so he giueth life to all good and bad For in him euery thing liueth moueth and hath his beeing Act. 17.28 Secondly as he is mediator God and man and so he giueth spiritual life vnto his church and people Hence he saith to his Disciples Because I liue yee shall liue also Iohn 14.19 For looke as Christ died not for himselfe but for vs that we might not die eternally So hee liueth now in heauen the spirituall life not for himselfe alone but for vs that we might liue that spirituall life in and by him eternally And therefore our life is sayd To be hid with God in Christ. And for this cause in the Sacrament we doe eate the body and drinke the bloud of Christ really by the mouth of faith that wee might know that our life is to be fetched from him For as we receiue grace from his grace so wee receiue life from his life Hereby wee are taught to seeke for this spirituall life at Christ hands that we may say with Paul I liue not now but Christ liâ—eth in me Gal. â— 21 and that Our life 〈◊〉 â—id in Christ as in a head and roote For he liueth in heauen that wee might liue by him our care must not be so much for our temporall life which is but a vapour and like a fleeting shadow as for this spirituall life which is eternall But the practise of this duty is rare to bee found though the omission of it bee a grieuous sinne Mens whole care is for temporall life few thinke on this how to procure to themselues this spirituall life by Christ though he haue said I liue that you may liue in me This appeareth by their common practise They will goe ten twenty yea an hundred miles to prouide means for their bodily preseruation and yet will scarce go one or two miles for the meanes of their saluation for euer The cause thereof is the hardnesse of mens hearts which are not touched for their sinnes nor feele the smart weight thereof This we may see plainly in the woman of Samariah For when Christ sate at the well of Iacob talking with her and telling her that he was the well of life of whose water whosoeuer dranke should neuer thirst She did nothing but cauill with him But when he layd to her heart her principall sinnes then she left off cauelling and in reuerence and some beginning of faith Acknowledged him to be the Messias Euen so let the minister say vnto his people hee can bring them to the water of life they will nothing regard but cauill at the doctrine of the Gospell till their sinnes bee touched and their soules humbled by the sight thereof Wherefore if wee would haue our hearts fit to receiue spirituall life by Christ we must first labor to haue a sense of our sinnes and to feare Gods wrath due vnto vs for the same Hereby we shal be weined from the dangerous loue of earthly things and our soules shall bee rauished with desire of Christ Iesus He is the well of life and if once we could feele a parching heat in our soules by reason of our sinnes then would we thirst neuer be at rest till we had drunke our fill and dined our selues in his sauing merits This naturall life is but vanishing and therefore we must labour for this spirituall
life by Christ which is eternall This will comfort vs in all distresse and take from vs the feare of death of hell and all danger The second part of the distinction Though I was dead yet behold I liue for euermore Amen This part is vttered and propounded by two notes to bee obserued First by a note of certaintie Amen Secondly by a note of attention Behold The note of certaintie Amen serueth to assure vs that this is an infallible truth which Christ affirmeth of himselfe saying I liue for euermore The note of attention which is prefixed Behold serueth to stirre vp Iohns mind and the mind of euery one of vs to a serious consideration of this which Christ saith I liue for euermore And because it pleaseth Christ to propound this point in this manner let vs a little stand thereon and herein consider two points First in respect of what nature Christ is sayd to liue for euer Secondly for what end he liueth for euer For the first No doubt as Christ as the mediator of the church He liueth for euer and therefore this must bee vnderstood of Christ in regard of both his natures godhead and manhood In respect of his godhead he is coeternall with the father and with the holy Ghost liuing of himselfe that vncreated and essentiall life which is all one with the godhead being eternall without beginning or ending Secondly hee liueth for euer as hee is man for after his death hee ascended vp to heauen where in full glorie he inioyeth immediat fellowshippe with the godhead for in him dwelleth the fulnes of the godhead bodily his manhood being wholly and immediatly susteined by his godhead II. Point The end for which Christ liueth for euer is to giue eternall life to his church and to euerie true member thereof So Saint Iohn saith This is the testimonie of God euen the father that hee hath giuen vs life euerlasting and this life is in that his sonne And here Christ must bee considered of vs as the head of his church as the roote and ground of our saluation and the fountaine of all our happinesse For as the roote of a tree liueth not for it selfe but for the body and for all the branches euen so Christ Iesus he hath eternal life in him not for himselfe alone but that he may conuey the same to al his members Yea wee must consider Christ as the common treasurie storehouse of all true felicitie wherein life eternall is laid vp for al the members of his church For which cause hee saith His flesh is meate indeed and whosoeuer eateth his flesh and drinketh his bloud shall liue for euer To giue vs to vnderstand that his manhood hath quickning vertue in it Yet not of it selfe or by it self but as it is the māhood of the sonne of God For from the godhead it receiueth this quickning power to giue eternall life vnto the church And here the meanes must be considered by which Christ giueth life vnto his church namely by vertue of that misticall vnion which is betweene him and euery member of his church Which vnion is thus caused God the father giueth Christ vnto his church and to euery one that is to be saued by Christ and that really and truly according to the terror of the couenant in which he hath promised to giue Christ with all his benefits to euery one that beleeueth The manner and order of this gift is this Whole Christ God man is giuen to euery beleeuer euen as he is mediator And yet the godhead of Christ is not giuen with the manhood but only the vertue operation of the godhead in the manhood by which the manhod is made able to merit for the beleeuer But the manhood of Christ is giuen both for substance and in regard of all benefits that are conueyed to man by it as iustification and redemption as truly as lands and goods are giuen of man to man And when God giueth Christ to any he doth withall giue vnto the same partie the spirit of Christ for hee that hath part in Christ hath part in his spirit and this spirit createth in his heart the instrument of faith by which Christ giuen of the father is receiued and apprehended both his body and bloud and the efficacie and the benefites thereof Christ is not receiued in imagination as men receiue things by conceit in the braine but as hee is giuen of the father namely in the word and sacraments really and truly though spiritually And the same spirit that worketh this faith doth knit the beleeuer vnto Christ really though mystically making him one with Christ so as Christ is the head and the beleeuer a member And thus is this mysticall coniunction wrought from whence proceedeth this eternall life The benefites that come from this mysticall coniunction are these I. Hereby a beleeuer begins in this world to liue eternall life for by the worke of his spirit Christ maketh that man that is thus vnited vnto him to begin to die vnto all sinne and to liue vnto him spiritually as himselfe liueth II. Hence commeth the resurrection of the body for this coniunction being once begun remaineth eternall and is neuer wholly broken off no not from the body while it is consumed to dust and ashes Looke as in the Winter season the sap returneth to the root of the tree and then all the branches seeme as they were dead but when Spring time commeth by vertue of the sunne the sap ascendeth and maketh them fresh and greene againe euen so the bodies of Gods children haue their Winter season while they lie dead and rotten but yet by vertue of their vnion and coniunction with Christ at the last day shall life bee conveyed from Christ Iesus vnto them whereby they shall be raised to life III. Hence commeth eternall life to euery beleeuer that is glory and blisse in body and soule in heauen for euer and euer for being once begun as it is in this world it is neuer dissolued And thus we see how Christ conueyeth eternall life vnto his members The words bearing this sence do containe in them the foundation of two maine articles of our beleefe namely the resurrection of the body and life euerlasting for both these are effected to vs by vertue of our vnion with Christ for he liueth for euer to giue life to vs. And this is the ground of all true ioy as wee may see in Iob who in the middest of his miserie stayed himselfe on this That hee knew his Redeemer liued and that hee should rise againe and behold him with those same eyes wherewith he saw other creatures Iob. 19.25 26. 2. Againe if Christ liue in heauen to giue vnto vs eternall life then must wee learne to haue our conuersation in heauen with Christ for where our life is there should our conuersation bee Now that our conuersation may be with him wee must often seriously consider with our selues of this
the doctrine of vniuersall grace affirming that the promises of the gospell for life and saluation belong to all and euerie man whatsoeuer vnlesse hee will reiect them is a deuice of mans braine For life eternall is not promised to euerie man as he is a man comming of Adam but to a man as hee is in Christ by faith and a new creature The promises of the gospell bee vniuersall indeed to all that ouercome but that is a propertie which restraines them wholly to true beleeuers Secondly hereby we are taught so to liue that we may say truly in the testimonie of a good conscience we haue ouercome all our spirituall enemies and do continually stand conquerours ouer them This is a matter of endlesse ioy comfort which will cheere the soule in greatest distresse But to liue and lie in sinne is or will bee a hell to the conscience What auaile the treasures honors of this world to any man while his conscience shall tell him he is a vassall to sinne and sathan for while he continueth in that estate he is out of the fauour of God and hath no part nor portion in the kingdome of heauen Therefore it standeth vs vpon to labour to feele in our harts the certaine euidence of this victorie ouer our spirituall enemies by the sure testimonie of the spirit of grace The second point is the thing promised to wit life euerlasting noted by this gift To eate of the tree of life And it is set out vnto vs by two circumstances First by the cause of it Secondly by the place where it is to bee found The cause is Christ Iesus I will giue to him to eat of the tree of life Where he maketh an opposition betweene himselfe and the first Adam The first Adam sinned and thereby cast himselfe with all his posterity out of the earthly paradise and lost the benefit of the tree of life But Christ the second Adam commeth and suffereth for sinne and thereby openeth the way to a better paradise than the first Adam lost and to all that ouercome he giueth libertie to enter in and to eate of the tree of life The tree of life properly was a tree placed in the middest of the earthy paradise and it was so called first because it was a pledge and sacrament vnto Adam that he should liue for euer if hee continued in obedience to God secondly because it had in it as may be proued vertue and power whereby it would haue preserued him from death and old age for euer if hee had stood in his innocencie This earthly tree of life was a figure and signe of Christ our Sauiour and mediator who liueth an eternall spirituall life not onely as hee is God but as hee is mediator and that not for himself alone but for this end that hâ—e may conuey quickning spirituall life to all that beleeue in him and for this cause hee tearmeth himselfe the tree of life Further he saith He will giue hereof to eate To eate sometime signifieth to beleeue Iohn 6.50 but it cannot heare be so taken For faith endeth with this life and hath no vse afterward Therefore to eate in this place signifieth to haue immediat fellowship with Christ in heauen where Christ shall bee vnto him a tree of life to make him liue for euer In this promise note two points I. In what things eternal life consisteth namely in immediat fellowship and communion with Christ in heauen Secondly that life eternall standeth not in outward meanes as meat drinke clothing physicke recreation sleepe and such like but in an immediat partaking with Christ in all his blessings So that when Christ is all in all vnto vs immediatly then do we eat of the tree of life and therby shall liue eternally II. Circumst The place where eternall life is to be had is in the paradise of God This paradise of God is the third heauen a place wherein the Lord doth manifest himself in his glorious maiesty and which he hath prepared for the glory of all his elect Hereof Christ spake to the theâ—fe on the crosse saying This day thou shalt be with me in paradise Luk. 23.43 and hither was Paule wrapped in vision and saw and heard things that cannot bee vttered and he calleth it the third heauen in respect of the heauens vnder it for the place wherein we breath is the first heauen the starrie firmament is the second heauen and this paradise of God is the third which is therefore called paradise because it is a place of endlesse ioy and pleasure And the adding of the name of God doth not onely put a difference betweene it and Adams earthly paradise but also sheweth it to be a great and most excellent place So Rabel saith I haue wrestled with my sister the wrestlings of God that is strong wrestlings And in the Psalmes the mountaines of God do signifie high and mightie mountaines And that this paradise is such an excellent place appeareth at large Reuel 22. For therein must come none vncleane thing but the Saints and Angels do there enioy the presence of God and behold his glorie so much as the creature is able to comprehend There God communicateth himselfe to all the elect and becommeth all things vnto theâ— immediatly so that this must needs beâ—â— place of all ioy and comfort The consideration whereof must admonish vs to seeke the thingâ— that bee aboue that wee may haue a place in this heauenly paradise For why should we set our heartâ— vpon the vaine glorie of this world which passeth away as a shadow and commeth to nothing and in the end is but labour and sorrow when wee haue all that the world can affoord But the ioyes and glorie of this paradise of God bee endlesse and vnspeakeable Let vs therefore denie our selues depend vpon Christ and in all things keepe faith and a good conscience vnto the end And thus much for the first Epistle Verse 8. And vnto the Angell of the Church of the Smirnians write these things sayth he that is the first and the last which was dead and is aliue In this verse and the rest that follow to the twelfth iâ— layd downe the second letter or Epistle of Christ to another church of Asia called Smyrna Before the Epistle Christ giues a second particular commaundement vnto Iohn touching the writing hereof vnto this church in these words And vnto the Angell of the Church of the Smirnians write Which is prefixed to this Epistle that this church and all other churches of God might bee assured that 〈◊〉 had sufficient warrant and calling for the writing hereof Which thing is necessarie to euerie pen-man of the holie Ghost that the church need not to doubt of the authoritie of Scripture but receiue the same as the pure word of God Hence we may gather that all ordinarie Ministers of the gospell must haue warrant and calling for euery doctrine which they teach in Gods church for the
Apostles that were extraordinarie men of moâ—e â—xcellent gifts might doe nothing without warrant Of the parts of this commaundement we spake in the first verse of this chapter The Epistle it selfe followeth containing thrâ—e parts a Preface a Proposition and a Conclusion The Preface containeth a preparation to the matter of the Epistle in these words These things sayth â—e that is the first to 〈◊〉 last which was dead and is aliue In this Preface he sheweth in whose name this Epistle was written vnto this Church namely in Christs name which he setteth downe for two causes First to stir vp the people in this church to a religious attention and a reuerent care of receiuing the things therin written as the pure words of Christ Iesus Secondly because no commaundement in the matter of Gods worship and religion is to be receiued from any creature but from Christ alone And therefore this Epistle concerning the true worship and religion of God is propounded in his name alone In this Preface Christ is described by two notable Arguments First To be the first and the last second that he was dead but is aliue The meaning of them both was shewed in the 17 and 18 verses of the former chapter whence they are borrowed By the first Christ would signifie that he is euerliuing God without beginning or ending before all creatures and after them By the second that hee is true man and assumed mans nature to suffer death for our sinnes and rose againe to liue for euer and to giue to man eternall life In this description two points of doctrine are expressed I. That Christ is a person consisting of two natures Godhead and Manhood He is the first and the last and therefore God He was dead and is aliue and therefore is true man If any aske how one person can consist of two natures Answ. As bodie and soule concurre to make one man so the Godhead and Manhood of Christ concurre to make one Christ and therefore are vnited II. Doctr. Here is the foundation of all true comfort vnto Gods Church and people in any miserie or afflictioÌ„ Which standeth in two points first that Christ is able to helpe them in any miserie either by freeing them quite from it or easing them in it seeing hee is God the first and last Secondly that as he is able so he is willing and readie to helpe them for he is man who tooke on him our nature died for vs and rose againe vnto life to giue to vs eternall life This is the very scope and end for which Christ thus describeth himselfe to this church that was in affliction Here then wee haue direction where and whence to seeke for true comfort 〈…〉 tribulation of this life namely wee must haue recourse to Christ and in him â—onsider both his abilitie and his willingnesse to â—ase all 〈◊〉 children in affliction And by these wee must arme our selues against dâ—spairâ— and against immoderate griefâ— and sorrow vnder the crosse Verse 9. I knâ—â— thy workes and â—â—ibulation and 〈◊〉 but thâ—â— ar◠〈◊〉 and I know the blasphemie of them which say they are Iewes 〈…〉 but are the Synagogue of Satan Here beginneth the Proposition of this Epistle containing the matter and substance of the whole Epistlâ— This Proposition hath two parts a commendation of this Church and counsell how to behaue 〈◊〉 selfe in the time to come The commendation is in this ninth verse wherewithall are mingled some comfortâ— vnto this Church being in affliction I knâ—w thy workâ—â— These wordâ— were handled in the former Epistle The meaning breefely is this I know all thy dealings thy waies I know the whole tenor of thy life and I doe withall well like and approoue of them Here Christ setteth downe an excellent propertie touching himselfe namely that he seeth and knoweth all things whatsoeuer nothing is hid from him and that this Church might bee resolued hereof hee repeateth this vnto them I know thy workes Neither is it any vaine repetition being indeed the ground of all true pietie and syncere obedience Wee therefore in a our affaires are here taught to labour to bee fully resolued in our consciences that Christ is with vs and seeth vs and knoweth the whole tenour of our wayes in thoughts words and â—â—eds Dauid had learned this when as he sayd Thou knowest my sitting and my rising thou vnderstandest my thoughts a farre off Thou compassest my paths and my lying downe and art accustomed vnto all my wayes there is not a word in my toung but thou knowest it wholly This persuasion is very necessarie for it will moue a man to make conscience of euery thought word and action and of his whole behauiour but where this persuasion is wanting there is no religion in the heart nor good behauior in the life When this takes place Religion beginneth and encreaseth with it so doth good conscience and true obedience for hee that hath the Lord alwayes before him will not greatly fall Psal. 16.8 And tribulation Marke here how workes that is a godly conuersation and tribulation goe together Hence we learne that God will haue tribulations ioyned with his grace where hee bestowes his graces there also hee layeth tribulation and that for weightie causes as to humble them for their sinnes past to make triall of their faith and other graces and to preuent in them sinnes to come The consideration wherof must mooue all Gods children in this our Church to looke for some tribulation for God hath bestowed among vs plentie of his graces with long peace and many outward blessings and his will is that trouble and affliction should accompanie the same Further Christ saying I know thy tribulations would hereby comfort this Church as if hee should say True it is thou art in great trouble but it commeth not by chaunce but by the speciall prouidence of my father and I do know and regard the same Psal. 113.6 7 The raising vp of the poore and needie is made a fruit of Gods beholding the things that are done vpon the earth This is an excellent comfort for any church or people that be in affliction for when they shall know that beside the hand of God therein Christ Iesus regardeth their sorrowes this must needes arme them with long suffering and ioyfulnesse We in this Church as hath beene shewed may persuade our selues that God will send tribulations among vs now when they come what shall we doe Shall wee sinke vnder them No but wee must now forecast to vse the meanes whereby we may stay our hearts vnder the smart and burden of them that is by setling our hearts in this persuasion that Christ seeth our affliction and withall hath speciall care to comfort or deliuer vs as hee seeth most for his glory and the good of our souleâ— In the next words Christ setteth downe two kinds of tribulations in this church Pouertie and Reproâ—h By Pouertie he meaneth want of temporall things to maintaine this
integritie Abrahams in meekenesse Moses in knowledge Arons in paines Paules and in praying Samuels and remember that as Augustine sayd Manus pauperum sunt gazophylacium Christi The hands of the poore are the treasurie of Christ. I need not speake much of the dutie of a Minister for euery one will teach him his dutie that will not bee ranged within any dutie himselfe These Churches were then like Dauids Worthies excellent aboue all the Churches of the world but because they lost their first loue were not faithfull to the death maintained the doctrine of Balaam suffered women to teach bare a name onely to liue had but a little strength were neither hote nor cold and repented not as they should haue done of all their sinnes they are reprehended by Iohn threatened by Christ and the Candlesticke of the Gospell is now taken away from them Iam seges est vbi Troia fuit Now Mahomet rageth where Messiah did raigne Are they reprehended let vs hearken are they threatened let vs feare are they fallen let vs labour to continue From Iohns reprehension we see that as one said hereof our Elders haue complained hereof doe we complaine and hereof they which liue after vs will complaine that men waxe worse and liue not according to the doctrine of Gods word From Christs threatning we see that God is mercifull who first offereth peace before he fight against vs that we being forewarned might be fore-armed And by the wofull downefall of these seuen Churches let vs that stand take heed that we fall not for if God spared not the old world who despised Noah the Sodomites who vexed Lot Ierusalem which abused the Prophets Colossa Hierapolis and Laodicea who reiected Paule and these Asian Churches who did not grow in righteousnesse as they did in riches how shall wee escape if we neglect so great saluation and for this cause these Sermons are most worthie to be considered of in this present age O then let vs now consider this season redeeme the oportunitie not harden our hearts but regard the time of our present visitation As the day openeth and shutteth with the Sunne so saluation openeth and shutteth with the Gospell Whilest it is called to day let vs heare his voice He that laboureth in Summer is the sonne of wisedome but he that sleepeth in haruest is the sonne of confusion All things in the world doe take their time the bird to build her neast the husbandman to sow his seed the mariner to goe to sea the gardener to set his trees the sicke patient to take physicke the cooke to season meats and the dresser of the vineyard to gather his fruit It will bee too late to build in Summer to sow in haruest to go to sea when the ship is launched to transplant trees when they are old to take physicke when we are dying to season meates when they are vnsauorie and when winter is come to gather fruit The fiue foolish virgines came too late Diues in hell repenteth too late the time present is onely ours Is the figge-tree fruitlesse it shall heare that sentence Neuer fruit grow on thee any more Get thee then righteousnesse before thou come to iudgement vse Physicke before thou be sicke and whilest thou maiest yet sinne shew thy conuersion as the wise man exhorteth euery man But alas whereunto shall I liken this generation We are like the Ephesians wee haue lost our first loue or the Laodiceans we are neither hote nor cold or the twilight neither day nor night or the Autumne neither faire nor foule or one sicke of an ague one day well another ill or a man in a Lethargie neither aliue nor dead or Hermaphroditus neither male nor female or to those creatures called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which liue in water or on land or the Lionesse which the oftener shee breedeth the fewer cubs she beareth or the Mariner who is onely good in a storme or the Marigold that shutteth and openeth with the Sunne or the Mermaids which are halfe flesh halfe fish I would to God wee were either hote or cold that as the hotest regions bring foorth sweetest spices so most zealous people might be most fruitfull in good workes that as the Sunne in the heauen is swiftest at her setting so the sonnes of God might bee best at their ending But is it so no the more wee are taught the more ignorant are many and the older we are the colder in religion We haue indeed many of vs as it was said of Aristogiton Martem or rather religionem in lingua religion in tongue but when triall is made of vs euery Phocâ—on can espie our halting and then with Archilochus we thinke it better clypeum abiicere quà m interire euen to cast off all religion than to vndergoe the least disgrace for religion The Moone desiring to be apparelled as the rest of the Planets answer was made her That her diuerse chaunges could admit no kind of habite and we desiring to be attired with the robes of Christians it is to bee feared that since we tread not the Moon vnder our feet we shal neuer be clothed as the Church was with the Sunne Who is wise and he shall vnderstand these things and prudent and he shall know them Let vs therefore labor to grow in grace to abound in knowledge to be full of good works and to ouercome all the vnderminers of our future saluation Then shall we eat of the tree of life not be hurt of the second death tast of the hidden Manna haue power ouer nations bee clothed in white made pillars in Gods temple and sit with Christ Iesus in the throne of his father And though the sonne of Ishai cannot make vs Captaines of thousands yet that Sonne of Dauid will make vs the sonnes of God That we may doe so we must beleeue the Gospell put on Christ Iesus and bee renewed by repentance The first is necessarie the second comely the third profitable To come to the first it is necessarie we should beleeue for hee that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie he is condemned in the counsell of God in the ministery of the word and in his owne conscience he shall be condemned in the day of iudgement for the wrath of God abideth vpon him The more I consider the fruits of faith the more I see the necessitie of faith Through it we are saued by it we are iustified in it we liue We are saued from Sathan iustified before God liue in the Church In the Church nay by it we liue in heauen for hee that beleeueth in the Sonne of God hath euerlasting life Faith is that which purifieth the heart maketh the whole man to run the wayes of Gods commaundements
from Christ. In Winter time men vse to stand in the sunne to comfort and warme themselues with the heat thereof Behold Christ Iesus is the sunne of righteousnesse to his church which giueth heat and life to all the true members thereof Wee therefore must seeke aboue all things to haue his blessed beames of grace to shine vpon our cold and frozen hearts that by his spirituall heat we may be reuiued vnto euerlasting life In this world nothing is so much regarded as riches honours and pleasures Who will shew vs any good is the worldlings song But with godly Dauid wee must say Psal. 4.4 Lord lift thou vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs quicken thou vs with thy spirituall life and comfort vs with the beames of mercy Quest. How may I get the gracious beames of grace and life to come from this Sunne of righteousnesse into my heart Answ. Before a man can liue by Christ hee must bee killed in himselfe Men doe not kill those whom they would restore to temporall life but the Lord taketh that course Thou therefore must suffer his two edged sword to enter into thee yea to bee thrust vp to the hilts into thy heart that so thy vile sinnes and corruptions may be ripped vp and the wrath of God deserued thereby made knowne vnto thee that in thy selfe thou mayest bee out of hope and then and not before art thou fit to receiue comfort and life by Christ as a man that is cold in bodie is most fit to receiue heat by cloathes and other meanes of warmenesse Now being thus humbled in thy selfe thou must vse the meanes which God hath ordained to wit the hearing reading and meditating in his word with earnest prayer for grace and mercie and thâ—â— shalt thou perceiue the ioyfull beames of life shining into thy soule If a man had all the world and wanted this grace of life and comfort by Christ it were but a curse vnto him but though a man want all things els yet by this life of grace in Christ he is blessed for euer and therefore aboue all other things men should labour for it Thirdly the sunne serueth to discouer all things In the night nothing is discerned but al things appear in one form but when the same commeth forth all things are made manifest euen the â—â—all motes in the aire Euen so Christ Iesus the sonne of righteousnesse he seeth all things and can discouer the most hidden secrets of men nothing is hid from the light of his countenance so infinit is his diuine wisdome and knowledge In regard whereof we must bee moued to looke vnto all our wayes both thoughts words and actions that they bee such as Christ approueth for though we may deceiue the world by a false glosse yet all that wee do speake or thinke is naked and bare before him he knoweth the same can and will reueale it If this were beleeued and remembred it would be a meanes to suppresse much fraud and iniustice and many grieuous sinnes which is rise in the world Men thinke if they can bleare the eyes of the world all is well they may do what they will but we must thinke vpon the shining face of Christ which discerneth and discouereth all secrets and labour thereupon to make conscience of all our wayes yea of our secret thoughts that God may approoue the same Vers. 17. And when I saw him I fell at his feete as dead then hee laid his right hand on me saying Feare not I am the first and the last Verse 18. And I am aliue but I was dead And behold I am alive for euermore Amen And I haue the keyes of hell and of the earth Here Saint Iohn describeth Christ further by other Arguments namely by sundry actions of his The first whereof is a confirmation of Iohn being sore afraid set downe in this the next verse In which action note two things First the occasion therof Secondly the meanâ— of his confirmation The occasion was Iohns exceeding feare set downe in these words And when I saw him I fell at his feete as dead The meanes of confirmation as in the words following Then hee layed his handâ— vpon me c. For the occasion Iohns feare was exceeding great and that of death as appeareth by Christ his confirmation wherein he telleth Iohn That be liueth and hath power ouer death In this his feare note sundry points The cause the effect and the kind of this feare For the first The cause was Christ his appearancen gloâ—ry and maiestie vnto Iohn set downe in these words When I saw him Where we learne that sinfull men since Adams fall cannot abide the presence of God Adam before his fall talked face to face with God without feare but so soone as he had sinned bee fled away at the hearing of his voyce and hid himselfe among the trees of the garden This feare commeth by reason of mans guiltinesse before God Hence Manoah sayd vnto his wife Wee shall surely die because wee haue 〈◊〉 seene God First by this That no sinfull man can abide the presence of God we are taught to labour to become new creatures to haue the image of sinne defaced in vs and the image of God restored in righteousnesse and true holinesse True happinesse consisteth in fellowship with God but wee can neuer haue true fellowship with him while wee liue in our sinnes 1. Iohn 1.6 If wee say we haue fellowship with him and walke in darkenesse we lie We therefore must labour to bee purged from our sinnes and so his presence shall bee our ioy Secondly this feare of Iohn at Christs presence in glory teacheth vs. That the sight and presence of Gods maiestie is a most excellent meanes to humble a man and to make him know himselfe to bee nothing in himselfe When Abraham talked with God the more hee beheld the maiestie of God the more hee humbled himselfe confessing at last that he was but dust and ashes Gen. 18.27 And Peter by a great draught of fishes seeing but a glimmering of diuine maiesty in Christ could not abide it but cried out Depart from me for I am a sinfull man Luk. 5.8 And so the holy Angels when they stand before the maiestie of God are sayd to couer their faces and their fâ—ete with theâ—â— wings to signifie that they are nothing in regard of the exceeding Maiestie of God and in themselues vnable to behould his glorie Thirdly hereby wee are taught to acknowledge Gods great goodnesse towards vs in the ministerie of the word wherein hee vouchsafeth to speake vnto vs not in his owne person as hee did in mount Sâ—rra which would bee so terrible 〈◊〉 none could abide it but fauorably familiarly by the ministerie of men that are like vnto our selues Many abuse this mercy of God and despise the word because of the messenger but wee must learne by this bountie of God to receiue the word with all
euerlasting life which Christ there keepeth in store for vs and for this cause principally doth Christ here say Behold I liue for euer 3. This also must mooue vs to put all our affiance in him and to place all our ioy and reioicing in him Men haue most regard to that part of their bodie by which the whole body and euery member liueth Well wee professe our selues to bee members of Christ and in him is hid our spirituall life wee therefore must set our hearts and affections on him especially The third part of the distinction is this Though I was dead yeâ— I haue the keyes of death and of hell Here we must not imagine that hell is a bodily place kept with locke and key and dores as mens dwelling houses are that cannot bee proued by any place of Gods word Neither yet that the torments thereof are bodily such as bee inflicted in this world but rather they are spirituall being the apprehension and feeling of Gods wrath and vengeance whose iealousie burnes like fire But Christ in this phrase borroweth a comparison from stewards of great houses who at their installing into their stewardships haue the keyes of all things giuen vnto them Which giuing of the keyes is a token of regiment and authoritie bestowed vpon them And the meaning is this That Iesus Christ thogh he once died yet by his death did vanquish hell and death and hath obtained full power dominion ouer them both for euermore Hence arise sundry instructions first that power and authoritie to forgiue sinnes properly belongeth onely vnto Christ. No meere creature hath this power for hee that can forgiue sinnes must bee able to take away the punishments of sinne namely hell and death which none can doe but Christ alone who onely hath the keyes thereof And to say that a man can properly forgiue sinnes is to say that a man hath power in himselfe ouer hell and death And therefore the priesthood of the church of Rome is full of blasphemie who take vpon them properly to pronounce vnto men the pardon of their sinnes of themselues and they deride the custome of reformed churches who from God pronounce the pardon of sinnes vnto them that repent Secondly hereby wee are taught to reuerence Christ and to performe vnto him all due honor and loyall obedience If wee neuer haue done this heretofore wee must now begin and if wee haue done it we must endeuour to do it more For Christ hath the keyes of hell and death hee can open the gates thereof at his pleasure and cast thither whom hee will Many deceiue themselues through their false conceit of Christ they thinke not of him as of a Iudge but as a Sauior onely they make him all of mercie and pitie and thereby they take occasion to goe on in sinne But wee must consider that Christ is likewise a righteous iudge who hath the power of hell and death in his hands and therefore we must not flatter our selues in our euill wayes but striue to please him continually with fear and trembling least by our sinnes we stir vp his wrath against vs and cause him to cast vs into hell whence is no redemption Thirdly this is a matter of great comfort vnto all those in Gods church that in this life vnfainedly cleaue vnto Christ and especially in time of affliction and temptation and at the houre of death for Christ hauing the keyes of hell death is able to keepe them from hell and from the sting of death And this hee will doe because they trust in him for he hath promised it If this were alwayes sounding in our eares it would minister endlesse ioy vnto our soules against the seruile feare of hell and death Vers. 19. Write the things which thou hast seene and the things which are and the things which shall come hereafter Here S. Iohn propoundeth a second action of Christ. For hauing confirmed Iohn against his great feare hee giueth him a commaundement to write the things which he had seene c. This commaundement was giuen to Iohn in the eleuenth verse and is here againe repeated for these causes First that Iohn might see the special care of Christ ouer his church that he still continueth a prouident head thereof for their good estate after his ascention Secondly that Gods church in all ages may vnderstand that it is necessarie men should know the estate of the church to bee subiect vnto troubles that thereby they may better arm themselues against the euils to come Thirdly that Iohn might be fully assured of his calling to write and publish this booke Fourthly that Gods church in all ages might be out of doubt that this booke is no deuice of man but a booke of God and part of holy Scripture reuealed from Christ to Iohn for the good of his church If it be sayd though Christ did faithfully reueale his will yet Iohn might erre in publishing it Answ. As Christ deliuered this to Iohn so hee receiued and published it faithfully without all fault either in matter or manner for we must make a difference betweene the Prophets and Apostles and all other teachers As the Prophets in former times so the Apostles in the New Testament were called immediately by Christ and had such speciall assistance of Gods spirit that they could not erre when they propounded by preaching or writing any doctrine of Christ vnto the church of God this appeareth by the promises of Christ made vnto them Luk. 10.16 He which heareth you heareth me and be which refuseth you refuseth me and â—e which refuseth me refuseth him that sent me Againe Matth. 10.20 It is not you which speake but the spirit of your father speaking in you Ioh. 14.26 hee promiseth to send his spirit to be their comforter which shall teach them all things yea to lead them into all truth Iohn 16 1â— Which promise some apply 〈◊〉 al Gods ministers but if we marke the circumstances therof we shall see that properly it agreeth to the Apostles for though in others the certaintie hereof cannot be affirmed yet in them it may for which cause in the counsell at Ierusalem thus they write vnto the churches It seemed good to the holy ghost and to vs as being assured of the certaine direction of the holy ghost which no ministers euer since could say being subiect to errour both in speaking and writing This distinction must bee held for the certainetie of our faith in the points of Religion and for our assurance of the faithfull penning and publishing of this booke And thus much of the causes of this repetition In the words of this commandement is contained the diuision of this whole booke Write the words which thou hast seene that is set downe what I haue shewed thee in this vision And which are that is all things which I reueale vnto thee touching the present estate of the church And which are to come hereafter that is those things which concerne the
III. Those that for a time shew forth many good things as care to get knowledge and to keepe faith and a good conscience but after suffer themselues to be intangled and drawne away with the profites and pleasures of the world or els to bee driuen backe by trials and persecutions And of these three sorts be most men generally whose case is fearefull and dangerous for they shall neuer haue the crowne of life if they continue thus vnfaithfull To induce men to fidelitie Christ addeth a most forcible reason promising thereunto The crowne of eternall life Hence the Papists conclude that Martyrs by suffering martyrdome doe merite the kingdome of heauen because it is called a crowne therefore say they it is a reward Whereto I answere two wayes I. The kingdome of heauen is called a crowne onely in resemblance because as with men after the race is run they receiue the garland euen so after men haue fought the good fight of faith and kept good conscience in this life then in the life to come they receiue the crowne of glorie For the keeping of faith good conscience is not the cause but the antecedent of eternall life Secondly the reward is promised not to the martyrdome but to the martyr and yet not for his sufferings but because hee is a member of Christ and by suffring death hath shewed his faith in Christ for whose merit alone hee is so rewarded And so must this and all other promises of like sort be vnderstood for the Papists do foulely erre when they apply the promises vnto the workes which are made vnto the workers By this promise wee all that haue made our vow to God in baptisme must learne to become faithfull in keeping the same vnto the end It is a shame for a man to be vnfaithfull vnto men much more with God And the more fearefull is this sinne because onely the faithfull shall inherite eternall life Secondly all such as haue made a shew of good things heretofore and now doe suffer the same to decay must call to mind from whence they are fallen and become faithfull keepers of the graces of God holding fast true religion and good conscience and walke constantly in obedience and then shall they haue the crowne of life though not for their deserts but only for the merits of Christ. Verse 11. Let him that hath an eare heare what the Spirit sayth vnto the Churches he that ouercommeth shall not bee hurt of the second death These words containe the last part of this Epistle namely the Conclusion Wherein obserue generally as also in the two next verses that Christ repeateth the same things which he spake before in this and the former chapters yea in the very same words This must bee considered because it is done by Christ who is the doctor of his church whose example both for matter and manner of teaching must bee our rule and precept The like did the Apostles It grieued not Paule to write the same things Phil. 3.1 And Peter sayth vnto the dispersed Church That he will often put them in mind of the same things before his departing wherein they had knowledge and were established Hereby all the Ministers of the gospell in their Ministerie haue warrant often to teach and repeat the same points of doctrine euen in the same words Yea Gods faithfull Minister may preach the same Sermon oftentimes if hee doe it not for ease to himselfe but for the benefit of the people And therefore if any hearer of Gods word shall at any time marke the Minister to deliuer the same things often he is not curiously to find fault with his Ministerie for by that reason they may find fault with Christ who seuen times repeateth the same things vnto these churches This Conclusion hath two parts a Commaundement and a Promise The words of this commaundement haue beene expounded in the seuenth verse with the doctrines and vses thereof yet here is to bee obserued what the spirit commendeth thus seriously to our hearing The things are three which were handled in the former verses First touching Gods prouidence that hee seeth and regardeth the tribulations of his church The second touching triall that Gods church and people ought before-hand to consider of the day of visitation and thereby arme themselues with courage against all afflictions that they suffer not themselues to bee ouermuch daunted with any feare The third touching faithfulnesse Gods people must consider what promises they haue made to God in baptisme namely to keepe faith true religion and good conscience vnto the end and these they must performe vnto death These things being so carefully commended vnto vs by Christ wee must labour to haue them engrauen in our hearts that we may practise them in our liues And to incite vs hereunto wee must marke the two reasons contained in the words First because the Spirit of Christ speaketh to vs. Secondly because they concerne all Churches though principally they were spoken to the church of Smyrna and therefore none may seeke excuse to exempt himselfe from learning and obeying these things The Promise Hee that ouercommeth shall not be hurt of the second death Of the meanes of ouercomming we haue spoken in the seuenth verse By second death is meant the condemnation of the soule and bodie for euer and euer For there be two kinds of death mentioned in Scripture The first is the separation of bodie and soule asunder at the end of this life The second is when soule and bodie both are sâ—â—ered for euer from Gods comfortable presence Reu. 21.8 This second death is expounded to bee an abode in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone The meaning therefore of the promise is this that they which ouercome thogh they may suffer the first death yet they shall neuer suffer damnation their soule and bodie may be seuered one from the other for a time but neither soule nor bodie shall euer be seuered from God to goe into that lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Which is a most gracious and happy promise Here first marke to whome this promise is made namely To them that ouercome Where learne that it is not sufficient for a man to professe and approoue or to teach the doctrine of the gospell but withall he must ioyne a fight against himselfe against sinne the world the deuill and against all the enemies of his saluation and not suffer them to raigne ouer him but so fight as by Gods grace hee may ouercome and then shall the second death neuer hurt him It is nothing to professe if we still liue in sinne and therefore wee must not content our selues with knowledge but labour to feele in our hearts such power of grace as will make vs truly to say we are conquerours ouer our spirituall enemies This is that blessed state of all those vnto whom life euerlasting belongeth who shall neuer taste of the second death Secondly here is answered a great question which
her proceedeth to describe her doctrine And first hee sheweth the end and scope thereof namely to seduce and to deceiue Wherein he giueth vs a further note of a false Prophet or Prophetesse to wit to teach such doctrine as drawes men to sinne against the first or second Table True doctrine is according vnto godlinesse and leadeth men thereto but the end of false doctrine is impietie against God and man as was shewed by the doctrine of Balaam vers 14. and such was the doctrine of this woman Sundry students now adayes are maruellously affected with the sermons commentaries and postils of monks and friers These they prefer before the writings of other godly and sound Diuines which is a lamentable case for they are in their kind Iezabels the scope of their doctrine is to draw men to errours and transgressions against the law of God yea to bring men from heauen to hell And therefore this exceeding approbation of them is no small offence being in truth the right way to bring in againe errors Atheisme and Poperie For turne a Papist from a morall point wherein he often erreth and his doctrine and sermons are nothing but false and erronious and therefore as Christ would haue this Church to hate the doctrine of this woman because it did deceiue so must wee labour to grow in dislike with the commentaries and postils of monks and friers which tend to that end Secondly Christ setteth forth the end of her doctrine by two arguments First by the persons deceiued his seruants secondly by the meanes whereby they are deceiued to wit by causing them to commit fornication and to eat meaâ—es sacrificed vnto Idols Touching the persons Whereas shee deceiued not all men but the seruants of God for here is a plaine distinction of men this encreaseth her fault because they belonged vnto God But here two questions may bee mooued First why some men are the seruants of God and some are not Secondly whether the seruants of God may bee seduced by false teachers To the first some answere that God would haue all men 〈◊〉 bee his seruants and for his part doth all things needfull vnto all men to make them his seruants redeeming them and giuing them sufficient grace hereunto yet some are not his seruants because they themselues will not but wilfully reiect his grace that is offered vnto them But this doctrine is against common reason and doth much derogate from the glorie of God for hereby they make euery man an emperour and God an vnderling subiect vnto man they make Gods good pleasure to depend vpon mans pleasure and the accepting of his grace to depend vpon mans will But God is the first cause of all things his will ouerruleth mans will and therefore it is absurd to say some men are not Gods seruants because they themselues will not The true cause hereof is Gods good pleasure electing some and they alone become his seruants because hee hath chosen them But God did neuer chuse all men first to grace then to glorie and therfore as Luke saith so many as were ordained to euerlasting life beleeued So wee may say so many as are elected of God to grace and saluation they become his seruants The second question Whether may Gods seruants be seduced by false Prophets Answ. There bee two sorts of seruants of God seruants in appearance and seruants in truth Seruants in appearance are such as outwardly onely embrace the word and receiue the seales of Gods couenant and the greatest part of particular churches are such seruants Now these may fall away and that wholly and hence it commeth that whole particular churches may fall away as did the church of Galatia and many other and these are called seruants because we must in charitie iudge that all which make professioÌ„ of true religion in Gods church are the seruants of God But the true seruants of God though they may be seduced in part and for a time yet they can neither wholly nor finally fall away for the promise of Christ is to the contrarie Thou 〈◊〉 Peter and vpon this rocke that is the faith which thou professest will I build my temple and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against 〈◊〉 Which last word preuaile insinuateth that the diuell shall shew great malice and strength to vanquish their faith but yet shal neuer wholly ouercome it And Matth. 6.13 we are taught to pray Lâ—ad vs 〈◊〉 into temptation To be lead into temptation is wholly to be ouercome in temptation which being a lawfull petition must needs haue Godâ— promise to graunt the same belonging vnto it And therefore though Saâ—han may assay to ouercome the child of God yet he shall neuer get finall victory ouer him for true faith purifieth the heart and cannot stand with a purpose to continue in any one sinne these two banish each other sinne brings the child of God vpon his knees but true faith doth raise him vp againe II. point The means wherby she sought to seduce theÌ„ was by drawing them to commit fornication and to eate things sacrificed to Idols Whereby it is plaine shee was a fauourer of the sect of the Nicolaitans whereof entreatie was made in the foureteenth verse And thus much for the reproofe of the Church Verse 21. And I gaue her space to repent of her fornication and shee repented not Here Christ reprooueth this woman for her obstinacie and hardnesse of heart whereby shee went on in sinne without repentance By space to repent wee are to vnderstand libertie to liue for though by her sinnes she deserued present death temporall and eternall yet God of his mercy gaue her libertie to liue that shee might repent In her example we are taught what to iudge of that space of time which God giueth vs to liue in this world namely thâ—â— it is a time of repentance for before a man be borne and after this life can none repent but the time wee now liue or haue liued or shall liue is the only time allotted for repentance This point ought seriously to bee considered of all estates for it doth plainely rebuke the shamefull practise of many at this day who lead not their life as a time of repentance but spend it wholly in another course some in following their vaine pleasures as carding dicing c. some in heaping vp riches seeking nothing but temporall profites others in good fellowship as they call it that is in companie keeping in eating and drinking God in iustice might haue cut off these men so soone as they were borne and yet in mercie hee giues them time to repent to some twentie to others thirtie fortie or fiftie yeares but they abuse this mercie of God and in steed of repenting imploy themselues in such workes as are contrarie thereunto Their case is most fearefull they treasure vp to themselues wrath against the day of wrath declaration of the iust iudgement of God like vnto a man that euery
receiued her doctrine committed fornication with her They must bee cast into great affliction First this must teach all persons that it is a diuellâ—sh speech to thinke and say that fornication iâ— but a tricke and shippe of 〈◊〉 for great affliction is the punishment of this sinne which notably argueth the haynousnesse thereof Secondly hence we may gather some of the causes why townes and kingdomes are afflicted with grieuous wars famine and pestilence among the rest these are two fornication â—nd embracing of errours and superstition Sodome for fornication and other 〈◊〉 was burnt with fire brimstone from heauen The Israelits for this sin suffered most grieuous afflictionâ— And among the Corinthians for comming to the Lords table in this sin among others many were sicke many 〈◊〉 and many sleâ—â— And this land of ours hath bene afflicted with famine and pestilence as for other sinnes so for fornication which in time of peace is multiplied and so will continue till it draw vpon vs bloudshed also and great afflictions For that which is sayd of the followers of Iesabel must be verified of all that liue in the like sinnes The second part of the reason is the exception of these communications except they repent them of their workes Where we may see First that all the threatnings of Gods iudgements and of eternall destruction must bee vnderstood with the exception of repentance Whence also this followeth that men of yeares liuing in the church are not so much condemned for other particular sins as for liuing in their sins without repent â—ee euery sin makes a man subiect to damnation but it is this impenitencie that brings vpon theÌ„ actuall daÌ„nation Want of repentance for sin is more dangerous than the sin it selfe the consideration whereof must teach vs not to lie in sinne though wee haue committed it but turne to God by speedie repentance for it is the continuance in sinne without repentance that casteth the soule to hell When thou shalt turne from thy sinne by true repentance thou art free from the threatning and the curse of sinne For they admitting the exception of true repentance 〈◊〉 18.8 Further obserue how this exception of repentance is placed betweene two threatnings of iudgements which sheweth how God mingleth his iudgements with mercie hee sheweth not wholly either iustice or mercie but tempereth them together in all the workes that concerne mans saluation Thirdly here note that repentance preuents not onely eternall damnation but also temporall iudgements as grieuous sicknesses and other plagues and afflictions This point may haue speciall vse among vs Wee haue by Gods mercie enioyed his gospell with long peace but for our abuse thereof we may iustly feare it shall be taken from vs and if we would escape that iudgement wee must repent both high and low Of their workâ—s That is of their idolatrie and fornication where hee sheweth of what things true repentance must be namely of bad workes in particular whereto men giue themselues euerie man that would truly repent must consider of his particular faults The drunkerd in particular of his drunkennesse and the couetous man of his couetousnesse and insteed of iniuries and hard dealing shew mercy vnto the poore The common repentance of the world that is done in generall is nothing but a visard of repentance and yet it is all that is vsed of the greatest part of our people for they will come to heare the word and to receiue the Sacraments and in generall confesse themselues to bee sinners and then they thinke they haue done enough But true repentance is of particular sinnes As Dauid Psalm 51. cried out of bloud guiltinesse Vers. 23. And I will kill her children with death and all the Churches shall know that I am â—ee which searcheth the reines and hearts and I will giue vnto euerie one of you according to his workes Here is the third part of Christs threatning against Iesabels children by children wee are to vnderstand properly those which are borne of her and were of her husband and not her followers for they were threatned with grieuous afflictions in the former verse It had bene sufficient to haue sayd I will 〈◊〉 her children But to note the certainty and greeuousnesse of this punishment he saith I will kill them with death Quest. How can this stand with the iustice of God to punish the offences of the parents in the person of the children Ans. God deareth so for temporall punishments not for eternall And though we could not perceiue the iustice of God in so doing yet wee must reuerence the â—ame blaming our owne ignorance Albeit euen in reason wee may conceiue of the equitie of this course for societies as church common-wealth and families are Gods ordinance and the parties in them must bee considered as members of those societies for God conceiueth of them when hee afflicteth the punishment deserued by one vpon another as of the Prince vpon the people of the parents vpon their children This hee may iustly do by reason of that neere bond which is betweene the members of the same societie like as in the naturall bodie when the stomacke is distempered the head aketh and when the head is wounded the stomacke is sicke and the bodie may bee smitten for the errours of the tongue Thus when Dauid sinned the child died and when hee numbred the Israelites the people were plagued And thus is the child stained in bloud for the fathers treason against earthly Princes and so God punished this woman in her children that shee might knowe the greatnesse of her sinnes hee smote her children with death Hence parents are taught to make conscience of euerie sinne For thereby they may bring iudgements vpon their children and familie euen to death Now what bloudie hearted parents are those that will make no conscience of doing that whereby they bring vengeance vppon their owne children And by the same reason must euery man that liues in any societie be admonished to take heed of sinne because thereby a man especially if hee bee a principall member of a societie may bring destruction vpon many As Dauid did by numbring the people And Achan by his couetous stealth Iosua 7 And Ahab vpon his posteritie So that impenitent persons which will not be reformed but go on in sinne ought to bee banished both from church and commonwealth as hurtfull members yea enemies to all good societies That these threatnings might take place in the hearts of Iesabell and her followers Christ remooueth two carnall conceits whereby they might thinke to delude or escape these iudgements threatned The first is this Iesabell and her company might thinke that their practises were secret not knowne to the world and therefore they were not in danger of Gods iudgements This is a wicked imagination that comes into the mind of all sinners but this Christ cuts off saying And all the Churches shall know that I am hee which search the reines and the
horrible abuses of this power which ought to bee knowen and considered being a sufficient warrant vnto vs that the Church of Rome is no true church of God for though the Pope cary in his armes the keys yet they are not the keyes of heauen but of hell For he hath made moe places of rest and woe than euer God did as Limbus pâ—tâ—uÌ„ and Purgatorie therefore must needs make moe doores thither and so moe locks keies By this doctrine touching the keyes of Dauid giuen to Christ and the power of the keyes in the church deriued thence we may learne sundry things First that Christ who hath the keyes of Dauid to open and shut doth not open to all but to some onely The reason hereof is this Adam beeing created in integritie was in the fauour of God but by his sinne he lost the fauour of God so barred himselfe both out of the earthly and heauenly paradise and all his posteritie by the same sin and by their owne actuall sins are likewise debarred for sinne is a partition wall betweene vs and God and a cloud between our praiers and God himselfe as Ieremie speaketh so that sinne is the cause of this exclusion and so many sins as a man committeth so many bolts and barres hee maketh to exclude himselfe from the kingdome of heauen The consideration whereof should moue euery one to take a narrow view of his miserable state in himself through AdaÌ„ for by originall sin wherin we were born and by our actual transgressions wherin we liue we barre our selfe from the kingdome of heauen It is lamentable to see how the whole world lyeth in sinne and how the deuill bewitcheth men to conceale or diminish their sins making great sins small and little sinnes none at all when as the least sinne which they commit without repentance is sufficient to barre them for euer out of the kingdome of Heauen Againe seeing euery sinne doth barre vs out of Heauen this must be a motiue to induce euery one of vs to repent of all our sinnes to bewayle the same to pray earnestly for the pardon of them in the death of Christ and continually to labor to turne vnto God from all sinne because if wee liue but in one sinne it will bee a mightie barâ—e sufficient to exclude vs the Kingdome of heauen eternally Thirdly seeing Christ keepâ— the keyes of heauen heereby wee are taught to come vnto Christ to seek by him to enter into the kingdom of heaueÌ„ For Christ by his death hath opened heauen as hee sayd vnto Nathaniell and Philip Verily verily I say vnto you hereafter shall yee see heauen open meaning by the ministrie of the Gospell and seeing it is open we must striue to enter into it as the men in Iohn Baptists time did Mat. 11.12 This we do by endeuoring to become good members of Gods church on earth for that is the dore and suburbs of the Kingdome of heauen which euerie one must enter into that would come to heauen it selfe euen as a man that would goe into a house must needs come to the dore Now in the Church there is the true dore which is Christ himselfe and the key thereof which is his word and the ministerie of the word which doth locke and vnlocke the same Quest. What shall we doe to become true members of the Church Ans. We must doe two things First humble our selues for all our sinnes praying vnto GOD for the pardon of them and beleeuing the same through Christ. Secondly endeauor and purpose by Gods grace euerie day to leaue the same sinnes This doing wee are at the dore of heauen and if wee would haue our soules enter into heauen when wee die this wee must doe while we liue But if we enter not into the dore of grace by the key of knowledge in the ministerie of the word while we liue wee shall neuer come to the gate of glorie after death Vers. 8. I know thy workes behold I haue set before thee an open dore and no man can shut it for thou hast a little strength and hast kept my word and hast not denyed my name In this verse and so forward to the twelft is contayned the matter of this Epistle which may bee reduced to three â—eads a Praise a Promise and a Commaundement The Praise in this eight verse The Promise in the 9. and 10. The Commaundement in the 11. For the first the Praise of this Church is first summarily propounded I know thy works which hath beene expounded and the end thereof with the vses in the former Epistles Then hee addeth the reason of his coÌ„mendation wherin are two things to bee obserued I the signe of Christs approbation in these words I haue set before thee an open dore II. their conuersation or the workes which Christ approoued In the words following Thou hast a litle streÌ„gth and hast kept my word hast not denied my name Both these may be vndetstood either of the Angell and Minister of this Church or of the whole Church also I take it to bee meant of both Being spoken of the Minister of this Church the words beare this sence Behold I haue set before thee an open dore c. That is behold and consider I haue vouchsafed vnto thee oportunitie and libertie to preach the Gospell and thereby to conuert men vnto me So much S. Paul meaneth by the dore of vtterance 1. Cor. 16.9 For thou hast a little strength and hast kept my word and hast not denyed my name That is though thou be indued but with a small measure of gifts pertaining to thy calling yet thou hast maintayned my Gospell and hast not denyed my name These words being thus expounded doe affoord vs these instructions First from the signe of his approbation wee learne that it is a great priuiledge for any Minister to haue libertie to preach the Gospell and thereby to conuert men vnto Christ so much the word of attention behold importeth which may also further appeare by this that the most famous and worthy Prophets of God were not alwayes vouchsafed this fauour as Isay and Ezekiell who were sent sometime to harden thy people And Christ himselfe complaineth of the want of this priuiledg saying I haue spent my streÌ„gth in vaine and in regard of this priuiledge the Ministers of the Gospell are called Sauiors And by reason of this libertie they haue title to the promise of shining as starres in glorie Dan 12.3 This therefore is an vnspeakable mercie and so ought to bee esteemed and all Ministers that haue the same vouchsafed vnto them ought highly to magnifie the name of God for it and to value it more worth than all earthly blessings whatsoeuer Secondly from the workes which Christ approoued in the Angell of this Church we may obserue that Ministers indued with small measure of gifts may bee able to doe great seruice vnto God in his Church This thing