vnto a field wherein are good corne and tares and like vnto a barne floore wherein is wheat and chaffe mingled together and yet all are reputed beleeuers because they professe the Gospell outwardly Now by reason of this mixture it may come to passe that a particular visible Church may fall away and become no Church either when the godly are taken away and hypocrites and dissemblers made manifest or els when true beleeuers waxing few are not able to maintaine the publicke profession of the truth against the might and multitude of the enemies which may dayly encrease But the case is not so with a particular member of Christ he cannot finally fall away as hath beene shewed at large vers 4. And thus much for the second part of this reason The third part of this reason is the condition of both the former threatenings in these words Except thâ—â— amend that is I will come in iudgement vnto thee and take my gospell from thee vnlesse thou preuent my comming by true repentance Here note that all the threatenings of the old and new Testament are conditionall 〈◊〉 commeth to Niniue and crieth yet fortie dayes and Niniue shall bee destroyed He sayd no more but yet that threatening must bee vnderstood with this exception vnlesse they repent Why wil some say are the threatenings in Gods word propounded conditionally Answ. Gods whole will and pleasure is one alone in itselfe and yet it may bee thus distinguished to bee partly secret and partly reuealed Gods secret will is touching those things which hee hath not made manifest vnto men His reuealed will is touching those things which are manifested in Scripture or doe fall out euery day Now Gods secret will is without condition for as euery thing commeth to passe so God willed it when good things come to passe them he willeth simply when euill things fall out them he permitteth to be done And to make Gods secret will conditionall is to bring Gods will vnder the power of man and to subiect the Creator vnto the creature But Gods reuealed will is conditionall because it containeth the matter of mans saluation and this manner of propounding it is a most effectuall way to bring the same to passe for it keepeth men more in awfull obedience than if it were absolute In this condition note this thing that Christ repeateth it twice both in the beginning of this reason If not and in the end Except thou amend Hereby hee would giue vs to vnderstand That when men commit sinne and lye therein or when they decay in any grace then haue they most necessarie cause to repent if they would escape Gods fearefull iudgements And seeing our estate is like to the state of this Church or els worser by much for wee lye in sinne and thereby cause God to come to vs in iudgement as we tender our owne good both in this life and after death let vs turne from our sinnes and repent euery man apart euery familie apart and the whole church publickely for repentance is most needfull els would not the Lord haue doubled this condition Verse 6. But this thou haâ—â— that thou 〈◊〉 the workes of the Nicolaitans which I also hate These words are a second reason to prooue that which was set downe in the second verse namely That this Church could not abide them that were euill In the second verse this was made manifest by their discouery of the false Apostles and here he prooueth it by their affection of hatred towards the workes of the Nicolaitans These Nicolaitans were certaine heretickes in the primitiue Church that held these two opinions First that adulterie and fornication were no sins Secondly that men might communicate with the sacrifices of idolaters in their Idoll temples and according to their opinions were their practises These heretickes as it is thought came of one Nicholas one of the seuen deacons mentioned Acts 6. who though for a while hee did faithfully discharge his dutie outwardly yet after fell away and became the head of this hereticall sect But this thou hast This Particle But hath reference to the former verse As if hee should say Though this be thy fault that thou failest in thy first loue yet for this I commend thee that thou hatest the workes of the Nicolaitans This practise of Christ discouereth the common sinne of this age which is to set out in their colours mens faults and infirmities to their greatest disgrace and yet by silence and obliuion to burie all their vertues which are prayse worthie This ought not to bee so wee must follow Christs example who with iust reproofe adioyneth due deserued praise If our friend or our foe haue a fault when we are called thereunto wee may speake of it and wee must reprooue them but yet withall we must commend the good things that be in them Secondly Christ here teacheth vs That it is not sufficient to anymans good estate before God that hee haue good things in him for that a man may haue and yet bee in danger to bee cut off from Christ. Saule had good things in him at the first entrance into his kingdome but what was hee afterward Iohn was verie zealous for Gods glorie in killing all the idolatrous priests but he would not depart from the sinnes of Ieroboam And Iudas no doubt had many good gifts while he was with Christ but his end was most fearefull And this church had many good things in her yet iâ— she in danger of being cut off from Christ And so many among vs haue excellâ—â—t gifts some for knowledge some for 〈◊〉 and conceiuing of prayer yet for all these they may be cut off from Christ. Therefore wee must not content our selues with these but labour for the principall which is true hearty and vnfained repentance which wee must dayly renew for our continuall fals And this will keepe vs in Gods fauour and from his iudgements More particularly Christ here commendeth this Church for hating the errours of the Nicolaitans Whereby hee would teach vs our dutie if wee bee Christians namely to take knowledge of the sinnes and errours of our times and to hate the same vnfainedly Yet note he commendeth them for hating their workes not their persons giuing vs direction how to temper our hatred in the world We must set it against the sinne not against the person of any man Some will say the Prophets prayed against the persons of the wicked And Dauid professed hatred of the men Psalm 139.21 Doe not I hate them that hate thee Answ. Dauid was an extraordinarie Prophet and no doubt had this reuealed vnto him that those his enemies were obstinate and would not repent Againe imprecations of the prophets in Scripture must bee vnderstood as prophecies of Gods iudgement to come vpon those against whome they prayed But wee which want that extraordinarie spirit must keepe our selues to our ordinarie rule Hate the sinnes and loue the persons Further obserue the workes here
charitie to bee persuaded that godly professors are the sons and daughters of God But the man himselfe that hath receiued this new name and new estate hee knowes it otherwise and therefore certainely and infallibly Secondly if no man know this name but hee that receiueth it then can none beside God and the conscience know from within the man his particular faith and adoption And hereby we are to bee admonished to beware of charging the euill and hard censure of hypocrisie vpon any that liue in the church in so doing we ouershoot our selues this iudgement belongs to God not to man saue onely to the man himselfe for wee cannot discerne the good within the man properly but by effects Quest. How farre forth may a man iudge of another mans election Answ. There be two degrees of iudgement iudgement of certentie and iudgement of charitie Iudgement of certentie is when a man can set downe certainely such a man shall be saued This is peremptorie iudgement belonging vnto God and to some men onely so farre forth as the Lord reuealeth it vnto them as he did the estate of some men to Dauid and to some Prophets Whereupon Dauid sometimes prayes for the finall destruction of his enemies but this is not giuen ordinarily no not to Gods ministers The iudgement of charity is that which bindâ— a man to iudge the best of another and herein bee two degrees First touching the vnregenerate charitie binds vs not to despaire of such as yet liue profanely but to hope that God will in good time call them And touching the regenerate who haue giueÌ„ good testimonies of their vocation charitie binds vs to be persuaded without doubt that they be the children of God And this we may doe without repugnance to this place for though wee cannot from within the man know his estate yet by the fruits we may which is the highest degree of iudgement that charitie can exercise Thirdly here wee see the church of Rome is deceiued who make Visibilitie the marke of Gods church for Gods church is a companie of men which beleeue the ground of the church is Gods election and adoption and mans faith which none other can see but the parties that haue them The signes thereof may be seene but properly the church cannot bee seene It comes to bee visible by the fruits of election and by the outward works of loue which proceed from faith We therefore hold farre better that wee beleeue there is a church and not that we see the church Lastly if others know not the name of Gods children then what maruell is it if the wicked miscall them 1. Iohn 3.2 The world knowes vs not Gods children therefore must not be daunted at the reproches of the wicked but pray with Christ Father forgiue them they know not what they doe Luk. 23.34 Verse 18. And vnto the Angell which is at Thyatira write These things sayth the sonne of God which hath his eyes like to a flame of fire and his feete like fine brasse Here followeth the fourth particular commaundement of Christ vnto Iohn as also the fourth particular Epistle The commaundement in these words To the Angell which is at Thyatira write of the substance of this commaundement I haue spoken before onely remember the end thereof which is to certifie this church of Thyatira that Iohn had a calling and commaundement from God to write this Epistle vnto them and further to certifie the whole Church of God to the end of the world of his calling to write this booke of the Reuelation The Epistle it selfe containeth three parts a Preface a Proposition and a Conclusion The Preface in these words These things sayth the sonne of God which hath his eyes like vnto a flame of fire and his feete like fine brasse all which things almost haue beene handled in the beginning of this chapter and in the former from whence they are borrowed In the Preface first is set downe in whose name the Epistle is written to wit in Christs name the causes thereof we haue shewed before Then Christ is described by three arguments First To be the sonne of God Secondly To haue eyes like a flame of fire Thirdly To haue feete like fine brasse For the first In the former chapter he was called The sonne of man but here he is called The sonne of God where by God wee must not absolutely vnderstand the godhead of the whole Trinitie but the person of the father who being opposed either to the sonne or to the holy ghost is vsually called God not that he is God more than the sonne or than the holy ghost but because he is the first in order and because hee is that person from whom the godhead is communicated to the sonne and to the holy ghost So that here Christ is called the sonne of the father which mysterie wee cannot fully vnderstand for the word hath not reuealed the same neither can wee find it elsewhere out of the word But yet for the better conceiuing thereof remember these two rules I. That Christ is the son of the father not in respect of his godhead but in respect of his person For the godhead of the sonne is the same with the godhead of the father The godhead of the father doth not beget neither is the godhead of the sonne begotten II. Rule Christ is the sonne of the father not by creation as the Angels and Adam were nor by adoption as euery beleeuer is but by nature in that hee is begotten of the substance of his father before all worlds for the father communicates from himselfe the whole godhead that is in himselfe vnto his sonne Christ is here called the sonne of God to stirre vp reuerence attention and care in this church in marking and obeying the things that follow in this particular Epistle And in their example Christ also teacheth vs that when we heare the word of God preached or read vnto vs wee should receiue it with fear and trembling and reuerence because he that speaketh vnto vs out of his word is the sonne of God When Pilate was about to condemne our Sauiour Christ he heard it said that Christ was the sonne of God And thereupon hee trembled and was the more afraid Ioh. 19. verse 8. shall a â—illie heathen man that knowes not Christ tremble towards him when hee heares his name and yet wee that professe our selues to beleeue in him bee nothing mooued with reuerence towards him when hee speakes vnto vs in his word At his presence the hils melt and at his voyce the rockes cleaue in sunder and therefore if our hearts shall not melt and cleaue asunder with a reuerent feare when he shall speake vnto vs wee are worser than these sencelesse creatures Secondly Christ is sayd To haue eyes like a flame of fire which we must not conceiue literally The words are borrowed from the former chapter vers 14. where Christ is described not as hee is in truth but
as he appeared to Iohn in vision We haue shewed before what is signified by these fierie eyes namely Christs infinite wisedome in himselfe and vigilant zeale ouer his church The end wherefore hee so describeth himselfe to this church is to giue them to vnderstand that hee can see and discerne their very secret sinnes for sundry among them were giuen to priuate offences as to fornication and idolatrie as we shall see afterward Here then wee haue an excellent remedie against secret sinnes shame and feare of punishment will restraine some men from open sinnes but yet the same men when they are in secret doe without fear commit priuie sinnes against the first and second table But these men must remember that being withdrawne from the presence of men they are yet in the presence of Christ for hee hath fierie eyes wherewith he seeth their most secret sinnes which they hide from the world For though we may make faire weather with men yet wee can neuer bleare the eyes of Christ. If fornicators wantons vsurers and blasphemers would remember this by Gods grace it would bee a notable meanes at least to restraine them from their secret sinnes if not to mooue them vnto the practise of true repentance Thirdly Christ is sayd to haue feete like fine brasse Whereby is signified as hath beene shewed his infinit power and strength whereby he doth subdue sinne Sathan and al his enemies first vnto himselfe and then vnto his members And Christ is thus described vnto this church to terrifie certaine wicked men among them that gaue themselues to fornication idolatrie and other sinnes as also to affright this whole church who by their wicked companie were almost drawne away to the same sinnes Here wee haue a notable remedie against loosenesse of life namely to consider that Christ whom we call our Sauiour walketh continually in his church with feet of brasse to tread Sathan and all his enemies vnder his feet and such are all that will not submit themselues to the regiment of his word Luk. 19.27 If the blasphemer could consider this it would stop his mouth and when the adulterer the theefe or any sinner goeth about his wicked deuices this by Gods grace would be a notable means to make him breake off his wicked purpose When Benhadad heard that the king of Israel would come against him in battell He sent his men with ropes about their necks to craue peace and in them humbled himselfe Shall men be thus afraid at the furie of man and shall not wee tremble and feare at the fury of Christ who hath these feet of brasse to trample in pieces all his enemies The want of this consideration is one maine cause why sinne doth abound Verse 19. I know thy workes and thy loue and seruice and faith and thy patience and thy deeds which are moe at the last than at the first Here begins the second part of this Epistle to wit the Proposition which containeth the substance matter thereof and it hath two parts a commendation of this church and a rebuke thereof The commendation in the 19 verse the rebuke or dispraise in the 20 verse and those that follow almost to the end of the chapter The commendation is twofold generall in these words I know thy workes This hath beene handled before vers 2. The particular commendation standeth in fiue notable workes to wit Loue Seruice Faith Patience and Encrease in godlinesse For the first by Loue wee must vnderstand Loue to men for afterward they are coÌ„mended for duties to God in faith and patience but loue and seruice are duties of man to man Touching Loue note three points What this loue is What is the propertie of this loue and how it is to be practised First Loue to man is a gift of the spirit of God whereby a man is well affected to his neighbour for Gods sake That loue is a gift of the Spirit is plaine Galat. 5. verse 22. where it is reckoned among the gifts of the spirit Next I adde That hereby a man is well affected to his neighbour To bee well affected to another is to reioyce at his good and to desire and seeke the same and withall to bee grieued at his miserie and to â—eare the bowels of compassion towards him being readie to releeue and helpe him to our vttermost By Neighbour wee must not vnderstand only those that are neere vnto vs in habitation but euen all those that are of the same nature with vs euen any of mankind Hee is thy neighbour that is a man as thou art and so bearing the image of God as thou doest bee hee friend or foe neere or stranger vnto thee and to him must thou be well affected Lastly I say For Gods sake for God is first and principally to bee loued for himselfe and man in God and for God because hee is the creature of God and beareth his image The loue we beare to man is a fruit of our loue vnto God for this commaundement wee haue of him That he that loueth God should loue his brother also 1. Iohn 4.21 II. point The propertie of this loue is To be feruent and that for two causes First if need require euery man is bound within his calling to testifie his loue by giuing his life for his neighbour though he be our enemie or a stranger which wee shall neuer doe vnlesse our loue be feruent Secondly there is much ingratitude hatred emulation and many iniuries in the world Now the persons from whom these come must be loued the vnworthinesse of the partie must not quench our loue but it must burne when the waters of mens iniuries and malice would quench the same III. point The practise of our loue must be squared by this rule The loue of our selues as wee wish our owne good heartely so we must wish our neighbours good This is the law of Nature To doe as a man would be done vnto And it is the law of God Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Example A man of some trade is to make a bargaine and if hee will lye or vse false weights and measures he may aduantage himselfe This the deuill and his owne corruption will suggest vnto him while hee is about the bargaine he therefore must call to mind this rule of loue and examine his owne heart whether hee would haue another man to deceiue him by lying by false weights c. The same thing must men doe when they are tempted to oppression or crueltie let them thinke whether they would haue others to wrong or oppresse them and so shew forth loue by this rule doing as they would bee done vnto It were to bee wished that our Church might haue the deserued prayse of this vertue of loue But Christ foretold of these our dayes That loue should waxe cold Matth. 24.12 And that men should be louers of themselues And so it is for euery man now is for himselfe no man
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