the second sense here where he cals Christ a Prince of the kings of the earth in regard as he is God and man or God incarnate the Mediator Now Christ being a King he must needes haue a kingdome which cannot stand in the might and pollicie of man as earthly kingdomes do but it is spirituall it stands in the heart and consciences of men his lawes they bind the soule and conscience to obedience And this is his priuiledge which can be giuen to no creature man or Angell to rule and raigne spiritually in the heart and conscience This spirituall kingdome of Christ is exercised in the consciences and soules of men by the word of Christ not by dint of sword or force of armes but he is a King which carieth his sword in his mouth euen his word by which he rules and raigns in our hearts he rules with the rod of his mouth Esa. 11. that is by his word by which he speaketh to mens consciences Prince of the Kings of the earth So is Christ in two respects First because he and he alone can and is able to giue lawes to bind the consciences of men yea of the greatest Monarch in the world none so high which is not subiect to his lawes Secondly he is called King of the Princes of the earth because he hath soueraigne power ouer all Kings and Potentates to saue and to destroy for not onely hath he power to make a law to bind their consciences but also if they keepe it to saue them if they breake his law he hath power to destroy them be they what they may be He hath the key of heauen to open and to shut none can controle him Reuel 3. 7. He can if he will leade them to life and saue them or else leaue them to their owne mind and so destroy them Seeing our Sauior Christ is a Prince of the greatest monarks of the world and is farre aboue them we must then with all feare trembling reuerence his high Maiestie We reuerence Kings on earth shewing great dutifulnesse to them then what reuerence ow we to him which is Prince and Lord of all the kings of the earth We cannot conceiue what reuerence we owe vnto him which is placed in the throne of all maiestie we must shew our reuerence to this Prince by hearing his word with trembling and beleeuing hearts reuerently and with conscience we must not dare to take his high name into our mouthes without great reuerence the very Kings must shew reuerence vnto this King of kings But the common practise of men doth shew what litle reuerence we haue of Christ for we haue his name in our mouthes at euery word to prophane the same to talke of it in iesting and without all reuerence we tosse it in our mouthes like a tenice ball Seeing he is King of Kings we must giue him absolute obedience Princes must be obeyed so farre as they obey him but he must be obeyed without exception absolutely and not onely absolutely but willingly must he be obeyed and without compulsion freely yea personally perpetually and in all his commaundements Men they will say they beleeue in Christ as he is their Sauiour but that is not enough we must beleeue in him as he is the King of Princes That we therefore may beleeue in him as he is King of Kings we must do him absolute obedience do his will in all things and vnlesse we beleeue in him so we cannot beleeue in him no not as he is a Sauior for these two go together Now this duty and obedience we owe to him must be done to him as we learne out of his word read and preached in the Church Seeing he is King of kings al princes kings potētates must do him seruice for they be all inferiour and subiect to him Psal. 2. the three last verses Be wise now O ye Kings be learned ye Iudges of the earth Kisse the son c. that is inwardly reuerence and outwardly obey him This their subiection must be shewed to Christ their King in the gouernement of their kingdomes for they must make and frame their lawes after the lawes of Christ Iesus they must make lawes exercise iudgement keepe Courts Assises begin and end and continue warre by his commaundements And seeing all Kings are in subiection to Christ as their subiects be to them they must therefore be guided and directed in all the matters of their kingdomes by the counsell of Christ so Dauid saith Thy lawes O Lord are my counsellers Psal. 119. 24. If Christ be soueraigne King and aboue all other Kings then all other must plant and set vp in their kingdomes the religion of Christ else how can they shew they be Christs subiects then it followes that they may not be of what religion they list And this is shewed in the parable of the mariage for when the supper was ready he sent his seruants to compell them to his supper which may be vnderstood of the magistrate whose duty is to compell men to the true Religion and profession of the Gospell of Christ. Seeing Christ is King of Kings and no man hath this priuiledge but he hence we learne that Kings on earth they in their dominions are soueraigne kings ouer all persons causes because as he is King of Kings absolutely so they are vnder him kings and haue supremacy in their kingdomes Then we see the presumption and arrogancy of the Pope and sea of Rome who would be supreame head of the whole earth and King of all Kings to put Christ out of his office and sit in his roome ouer al at his pleasure Seeing Christ is King of all Kings we must not be discouraged when we be called to suffer any affliction or crosse seeing that though the tyrants and Kings of the earth rage and bend their force to hurt vs yet we haue a King aboue them all who can stay and bridle them and if he please confound and bruise them in peeces they cannot do any thing but that which he permits them to do for he rules and raignes in the midst of all these where they are the thickest and would do most malice and can do to them as pleaseth him Now followes the second part of Christs description by his execution of his offices which consist in foure workes the first contained in these words Vnto him which loued vs the second in these Which washed vs in his bloud the other two in the two last verses which follow Which loued vs. That is the Churches of Asia and by proportion all other Churches being parts of the true Church The loue of Christ hath three degrees the first is called a generall loue whereby he loues all his creatures as they be his creatures and this loue is common to all his creatures The second degree is the loue of mankind in that he was content to become a redeemer for mankind not for any other
root from whence is conueyed to vs all righteousnesse Seeing Christ is holy both in himselfe and in vs yea the root of all holinesse we must note this maine principle of all true religion which is to be set and ingraffed into Christ as a branch into a tree and being once in him to become new creatures to labour to feele the power of Christ killing in vs the old man our naturall corruptions and also renewing in vs the new man and the image of God in righteousnesse and true holinesse to feele the power and vertue of Christ as sensibly in vs as we feele the corruption of nature and shew this vertue we receiue of Christ euen as a branch sheweth the sappe it receiueth from the roote by the leaues and fruite 2 Seeing Christ was thus holy he propoundeth to vs a patterne to follow teaching vs to be holy as he was holy to make conscience of al sinne to be conformable to him to marke what he did and to imitate it 1. Ioh. 3. 4. We must purge our selues of sinne and be pure as he is pure for he which is not holy as he is holy shall haue no benefit or fellowship by his death and passion Thirdly we see that title giuen to the Bishop of Rome is blasphemous to call him Holinesse as it is common in all their speeches to him Now he in that taketh to him the title of Christ which is a part of Christs honour communicable to none else nay he taketh more on him then Christ here doth for Christ is called but holy he is called holinesse it selfe The second title of Christ is truth Christ is called true in three respects first because without errour and ignorance he knoweth al things as they be in themselues so do not creatures but by vertue from him Secondly because what he willeth and decreeth he willeth and decreeth seriously without fraud deceipt or any contradiction as appeareth in the whole Scripture wherein is nothing contrarie to it selfe but all without chaunge and alteration Thirdly because he maketh good all his promises in his word he accomplisheth and performeth them all he is the performance of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea and Amen Seeing Christ is true nay truth it self we see a difference betweene Christ and all false spirits for they be spirits of errors the diuell is a lyer from the beginning he is the father of lyes nay his nature is to lie he can do nothing else but Christ is true nay truth it selfe euery way true in his knowledge in his will and in his promises he is true Seeing Christ is absolutely true we must beleeue in him and beleeue his promises in his word without doubting for seeing Christ is true nay truth it selfe what need we call his promises into question And this shold be the very prop of our faith that he which promiseth is true therfore wil perform his promise So in persecutiō in trouble and affliction trust in Christ he hath promised to helpe he will not faile because he is most true of his promise Seeing he is so true he propoundeth himselfe to be followed of vs. Christ he knoweth things truly he willeth and decreeth things seriously so should we promise and performe and make good our lawfull promises Psal. 55. The Lord hateth the deceiptfull person Reu. 20. without that is in hell be all deceiptfull and lying persons Psal. 15. It is a note of a member of the Church and of Christ to be true and faithfull and to speake truth from his heart for the diuell is the author of lies 3 Christ is described by his kingly office which hath the keyes of Dauid First let vs see what is meant by the key of Dauid Esay 22. 22. speaking of Eliakim saith I will put the key of Dauid vpon his shoulder for Ezra had bene Hezechiahs Steward an ancient steward in many kingdomes but in his dayes he began to be negligent in his dutie therfore he decreed to cast him out and to place Eliakim in his stead 2. King 18. 18. and therefore saith he will put the key of Dauid that is the gouernement of the kingdome of Iudah on his shoulder for by Dauids house is meant the kingdome of Dauid and the giuing of the key is the placing and inuesting him into his office and giuing him the authoritie of the kingdome of Dauid Christ here hath the key of Dauid great and large authoritie of the Churches as a chiefe Gouernor in a kingdome It will be said Dauids key was temporall Christs kingdome spirituall Ans. First Christ had Dauids key properly for when Christ was borne the scepter was departed from Iudah to the Romaine Emperour so that Christ then was the next to it and had true right to the crowne and kingdome Luk. 3. And Christ challenging his right saith Mat. 17. 26. That the Kings sonnes be free and therefore he need not to pay tribute 2 Christ had Dauids key typically and figuratiuely for Dauids tēporall kingdome was a figure of Christs spirituall kingdome so Dauid was a figure and type of Christ therefore he is often called Christ and Ezec. 3. Christ is called Dauid Now he is said to haue Dauids kingdome and not Neroes or any other because their kingdomes were kingdomes of darknesse and miserie and cursed kingdomes but Dauids kingdome was a kingdome of light a blessed kingdome hauing those men which were acceptable to God and therefore was a type of the kingdome of Christ. Then where Christ is said to haue Dauids key it is not so to be vnderstood that he had the same with Dauid but that which is signified by Dauids key Christ Mat. 2. is called a Nazarite not that he vsed their rites and customes for he dranke wine they did not but because he was that signified by a Nazarite namely by Sampson Iud. 13. For as he slue more by his death then by his life so Christ he saued more by death then by his life yet Christ was a Nazarite that is seuered from all sin and pollution And so Christ had Dauids key that is the spirituall key signified by his temporall key which key signifieth authoritie power and gouernment of the church of God Which openeth and none shutteth In these words Christ hath relation to an house where when one openeth the doore he openeth the house and so Christ he openeth and he shutteth which sheweth his absolute and soueraigne authoritie he hath the key of Dauid and he hath it absolutely no creature is aboue him but he can shut or open at his pleasure Now this key is the power of Christ. In his hand which is a supreme soueraignetie ouer the church by which he can saue or destroy Now this soueraigne power of Christ hath three parts first to prescribe secondly to iudge thirdly to saue and destory First to prescribe he hath an absolute power without constraint of any creature to commaund what he will haue done or not so he
propoundeth doctrine to mens consciences to be beleeued vpon paine of eternall death Christ sheweth in the bookes of the old and new Testament that no man can make one article of our beleefe nay he which teacheth any other doctrine then that is accursed Gal. 1. Secondly Christ hath absolute power to prescribe regiment to his Church how and in what maner and also the persons by whom it shall be gouerned So Moses made the tabernacle according to the patterne Christ shewed him Salomon built the Temple according to the forme he saw by reuelation 1. Chron. 28. 12. Thirdly Christ hath authority to prescribe times for his worship to appoint Sabbaths c. And Gen. 1. as he created the Sabbath so hath he power alone to alter it no creature can prescribe a time to Gods seruice to the end of the world but Christ alone Then it is not true that the Church hath power to appoint two Sabbaths in one weeke or one in many weekes for it is Christs honour to prescribe his worship and the time of the same The second part of Christs soueraigne power is to iudge to haue power to determine of his owne will without helpe of any man or Angell And in this regard it belongeth to him to giue sense of the Scriptures he alone gaue them he is the lawgiuer and must expound his owne law Secondly Christ alone must decide questions and controuersies concerning faith Then the Church hath not any such power but from Christ by helpe of the written word by which Christ expoundeth them to vs. The third part of this soueraigntie is that Christ can saue and destroy open and shut he alone hath the keys of heauen and hell he can open that is pardon sinne properly And he alone promiseth this pardon and can performe it being God and as he giueth the pardon for sinne so he giueth also eternall life sauing mens soules Secondly he hath power to shut to cast some into hell and to destroy when men liue in sinnes and dye in thē without repentance he hath power to hold men in sins after to cast them into hell and shut them vp for euer Seeing Christ prescribeth this doctrine to the soule and consciēce to the most secret part of mans soule such doctrine as can saue and destroy we see Christ he is Lord of the Church he is Lord of the most secret wils and affections of the chiefest part of the mind The Papists say that by vertue of this key of Dauid Christ can set vp and depose kings and princes at his pleasure but this they hold craftily to bring in the damned power of the Pope But it will do them no good for Christ as he is Mediator of the Church and gouernour thereof he deposeth none he maketh no king but as he is God so he maketh and pulleth downe at his pleasure being farre aboue all men And hence kings are called Gods because they represent Christ as he is God Christ as he is Mediatour maketh men spirituall kings but he maketh not temporall kings but onely as he is God For if he had such power why did he refuse to deuide the inheritance saying Who made me a Iudge and to punish the adulterous woman confessing he was not a Magistrate From this power is another deriued frō Christ namely the power of the keyes which proceedeth from the power of Christ and by which power the key of Dauid is put in execution Mat. 16. 19. I will giue thee the keyes of heauen Now this power of the keyes is a ministerie granted to the Church of God to open and shut the kingdome of heauen First it is a ministerie that is a seruice and dutie for that which the Ministers do is but a seruice done to the Church and they be but seruants and stewards of Christ in the Church of God in gouerning it So then it is no authoritie but a seruice When Adam fell we all fell in him and he thrust himselfe and all mankind out of Gods kingdome by his sinne closed vp heauen gates against vs. Now since that fall Christ became man and in his manhood dyed for our sinnes and made satisfaction to God for them and this satisfaction of Christ is the thing which properly openeth the kingdome of heauen and nothing else properly Christ alone can open and shut the Church can only reueale and pronounce the will of God then no otherwise she openeth or shutteth but by declaring the same to be open or shut To the Church of God That is to the companie of true beleeuers called to saluation by Christ to them onely is this key giuen Mat. 18. 18. the promise is made onely to the Church and Gods people not to all societies of men The end of it is to open and shut How Christ he knew best Ioh. 20. 23. where he sheweth what is the key and what to open and shut namely to pardon and remit sinnes and no way else can men open and shut Now we must distinguish betweene giuing sentēce pronouncing that sentence The first belongs to Christ alone the second to man who forgiueth sinne not by giuing sentence but pronouncing sentence giuen alreadie by Christ in heauen And to make the church to forgiue sinnes properly is to robbe Christ of a speciall honor due to his Godhead Then the right vse of the power of the keyes is when the church of God vseth them onely in the name of Christ to open and shut first as his seruants and stewards secondly according to his will and word not mans traditions and affections Thirdly to bring sinners to saluation to beget and continue them in repentance They being so vsed haue a promise namely What you bind on earth is bound in heauen c. and it is the means by which Christs power is put in execution Now this power of the keyes giuen to the Church hath two parts first the ministerie of the word secondly spirituall iurisdiction The first Mat. 16. 19. namely the ministerie of the word is set downe and authorised by Christ I will giue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen that is the word of God and whose sinnes thou shalt bind by that word they shall be bound by the cords of their sinnes in heauen c. This ministerie of the word is a key to open and shut two wayes first by teaching expounding the word of God and doctrine of saluation and this is a key Luk. 11. 52. You haue taken away the key of knowledge The key of knowledge is the doctrine of the word of God Secondly the ministerie of the word is a key in men lawfully called in that they apply in the ministerie thereof the curses of the law to them which liue in sinnes and the promises of the Gospell to the repentant heart So it openeth and shutteth the kingdome of heauen for that which the Minister pronounceth by Gods word to be bound on earth is fast bound in heauen
gifts might be humbled in the consideration of this point Naamans seruant perswadeth him when Elisha the Prophet cannot 2. King 5. 12. Behold These words may also be vnderstood of the whole Church I haue giuen thee a doore that is a speciall priuiledge to enter into the kingdome of heauen and title to it I approue thy workes and this is a signe of it that I haue giuen thee entrance into the same Now this is a priuiledge not belonging to all men but onely to the Church of God Which confuteth vniuersall redemption If this then be a priuiledge of the Church to enter into the kingdome of heauen and to haue such liberty we must labour to vse it striuing to enter into that place We haue this priuiledge to see heauen open by faith we must not then be so slacke to enter into it but alas we make no account of it we are wholy possessed with the profits and pleasures of this life and our sinnes are such a loade to vs that we cannot enter in Oh let vs cast off such burthens that so we may more easily enter Which no mā shall shut That is no power after I haue opened heauen shall be able to shut it Here after the libertie he sheweth the continuance of it namely for euer How then is it true that Christ died for all men effectually if all men are not saued because they will not So Christ should for his part open heauen and they should shut it by their wils But Christ saith no power either of the diuell or man can shut it he hauing once opened the same For thou hast a litle strength Thou art indued with a litle and small measure of grace of faith hope regeneration yet according to that measure thou hast defended my word and not denied me in persecution By this we see that a man indued with a small measure of Gods spirit may do works acceptable to God and by the same come to life euerlasting if his grace be true grace Math. 17. if their faith be but as a graine of mustard seed it shall be able to remoue mountaines Now that which is true of miraculous faith that is true of iustifying faith if it be true though neuer so litle yet it shall be able to do workes pleasing to God and by the same we may come to saluation for God regardeth not so much the measure of grace as the maner that it be true not fained In this is a speciall comfort for those which labour to keepe faith and a good conscience Such are often troubled with the consideration of their owne weaknesse and wants but they must know that if they haue true faith though it be but in small measure the Lord accepteth of them if they labour to please God in all things for the Lord accepteth a man not for that he should haue but for that he bestoweth on him be it much or litle This may incourage those which be not so forward in religion which haue not made such proceeding as they should for many seeing the Lord to require so much they cast all off and neuer labour to come to know religion and to keepe faith and a good conscience But these shold remember that the Lord accepteth of small gifts if they be true he accepteth a man according to the measure of grace he bestoweth on him be it more or lesse Then we must not be discouraged for our wants imperfections and ignorances for if we labour to haue true faith the Lord regardeth not the measure of grace but that it be true grace Yet we must take heed we abuse not this mercie of God and take occasion to sinne and to become negligent and carelesse in the duties of religion but still labour to come to such measure as the Lord will most approue of Because c. Here Christ sheweth for what workes he commendeth this Church first she kept his word secondly she denyed not his name but maintained it in persecution against all his enemies And these two containe euen all the duties of a true Christian and the whole practise of all religion And these must be an example for vs we must labour to keepe his word and in all things to do his will Secondly we must in time of persecution defend his name and maintaine his word against all his enemies To keepe his word A few wordes but a great dutie for it signifieth that she in all things in euery commaundement of the law and Gospell had care to obey his word and will And happie were we indeed if Christ could say so of vs that we obeyed his word all the commandements of the law by obeying and the Gospel by faith and repentance c. But it cannot for though in shew we professe we do yet in life we shew we faile in most points of both Vers. 9. 10. In these verses are two promises concerning the conuersion of certaine Iewes Behold c. Here is the first promise concerning the the confirmation of the Church of Philadelphia Now it is likely in this citie there was a synagogue of the Iewes which bare men in hand that they were the true worshippers of God yet denied Christ the Sauiour and so persecuted this Church Now Christ here promiseth he will make this synagogue repent and become true members of Christ to professe Christ and worship him In this promise note three points first who is the author of their conuersion namely God for so it is said I will make them or I will bring them to that estate to worship me Secondly who be conuerted namely the synagogue of the Iewes Thirdly the fruites of their repentance they shall worship before thy feet First the author of their conuersion is Christ himselfe for so he saith I will make them to repent These are significant words which giue all to God in their conuersion of some and of all sinners God is the sole author man hath no stroke in his owne conuersion man indeed willeth it and is conuerted willingly yet not by nature doth he will it but by grace This confutes the Papists who hold that nature and grace may concurre in the conuersion of a sinner for a man say they being stirred vp by grace can will and do that which is good As a man being sicke he hath the facultie of walking yet being faint he cannot vnlesse he leane on anothers shoulder so a man hath a power to will that which is good but it must be stirred vp first by grace But Ephes. 2. man by nature is not onely sicke but starke dead in sin and cannot moue one foote no more then a dead man Obiect But say they then man should be but a blocke if he doth nothing in his conuersion Answ. Though he do nothing in the matter of conuersion yet he hath sense and vnderstanding which he can vse in naturall and ciuill causes though he cannot vse them in spirituall actions and so he is not
euer in respect of his manhood for after he ascended into heauen there he liueth in glorie with the Father and holy Ghost because in the manhood of Christ dwelleth the power of the Godhead bodily Colos. 2. The second thing is why he liueth for euer namely that he might giue eternall life to his Church and all his true members God giueth vs eternall life by his Sonne 1. Ioh. 5. 11. and this is the ground of all ioy this that Christ liueth to giue vs eternall life is the foundation of the Church and the ground of our happinesse We must then consider of Christ as a roote he liueth not for himselfe as a roote doth not liue for it selfe but to giue life to all the branches and true members of the Church And we must consider of the manhood of Christ as a common treasurie or storehouse of eternall happinesse therefore Iohn 6. Christ saith My flesh is meat indeed and he which eateth his flesh and drinketh his bloud shall liue for euer shewing that his flesh and manhood hath power to giue life and quicken his true members yet not as considered in it selfe but as the same is ioyned with the Godhead and is the manhood of God and the flesh of God for it hath all this power from God The meanes whereby he giueth eternall life is the mysticall coniunction betweene him his members First God the father giueth Christ to the Church and euery true member of the same as he hath promised to giue him Now he giueth him as he is Mediator of the Church euen whole Christ yet the Godhead of Christ is not giuen of the Father but onely by the operation thereof in the manhood whereby the manhood is made able to satisfie Gods iustice but the manhood of Christ that is really giuen his very substance his flesh and bloud is really giuen to euery beleeuer and the benefits of the manhood also are truly giuen vs as righteousnesse and life eternall as really as lands or goods are giuen to men Now to whom Christ is giuen with him God giueth the Spirit of Christ for Christ and his Spirit come together and this Spirit createth in the heart of a man the instrument of faith by which Christ giuen of God is receiued of vs and we by faith apprehend his bodie and bloud and the merits thereof And we receiue not Christ in imagination or in our braine but euen as God the Father giueth him in the word and Sacraments really and truly And as the spirit of Christ createth in vs faith so it knitteth vs also to Christ our head really though mystically now from this mysticall coniunction betweene Christ the head and vs the members proceedeth eternall life thus First he which is ioyned and knit to Christ in this life and receiueth him he beginneth by this coniunction to liue an eternall life in dying to all his sins and to liue to God to liue as Christ liueth a spirituall life And this I may call the first benefit of our spiritual vnion with Christ. Secondly man thus vnited shall rise to glorie in his bodie And so the second fruite of this mysticall coniunction with Christ is the resurrection of the bodie for this coniunction with Christ after it is begunne it is perpetuall it is neuer broken so that though a man lie in his graue many thousand yeares yet he is thē vnited to Christ is in the graue a mēber of Christ by vertue of this mysticall vnion he shall be raised at the last day As we see the sappe of trees in winter time is in the roote and the branches seeme to die but in the spring when the heate of the Sunne cometh then it creepeth out into the branches and they bud and bring foorth fruite so man hath his winter time in the graue but in the last day because he is ioyned to Christ the roote he shall haue his Sommer and be raised by the power of this mysticall vnion Thirdly man so vnited shall liue euer therefore the third benefite is eternall life and happinesse By this mysticall vnion we shall haue eternall felicitie and euerlasting life in heauen there we must possesse it but it cometh from this mysticall vnion with Christ our head In this life it is begun and is neuer broken in regard of the roote and ground therof but lasteth for euer and by it Christ conueyeth eternall life to vs. In these words Behold I liue for euer Amen is the ground of two maine articles of our beleefe namely of the rising of the bodie and of life euerlasting for Christ he liueth for euer to giue life to vs for euer and this is the ground of our ioy as to Iob I know my Redeemer liueth c. Now doth Christ liue to giue vs life in heauen then we must haue our conuersation in heauen for where Christ is there should be our conuersation because he is the foundation and ground of eternall life to vs. Now that our conuersation may be in heauen we must often and seriously consider of this eternall life purchased to vs by Christ and for this cause he saith Behold I liue and withall as we must consider of it we must haue our affections set on him our ioy reioycing and affiance because Christ liueth that he might keep eternall life for vs. We vse to haue most care to preserue that part wherein life is preserued so seeing Christ is the foundation of our life and the author of it we should haue most care of him Now followeth the third part of the distinction though I was dead yet I haue the keyes of hell and death In these words we must not imagine hell to be a bodily place kept with locke and key as our houses be Nay it cannot be proued out of the Scriptures that it is a bodily place or the punishment of hell in regard of our soule and conscience is bodily seeing it is the sense feeling of Gods wrath and vengeance in bodie and soule therfore it is rather spirituall But Christ here borroweth a comparison from earthly stewards who when they haue any thing committed to them and haue the keyes put into their hands this sheweth they haue power and authority of al. So Christ hath the keyes of hell and death that is power ouer hell and death and dominion of them both As if he had said Though I once was dead in the graue yet now I haue power and dominion ouer hell and death and haue vanquished them both Seeing Christ alone hath power ouer hell and death no creature else properly hath authoritie to forgiue sinne but onely Christ for he which can forgiue sinne must haue power ouer hell and death but he can take away death the punishment of sin and hell the reward of it ergo he alone can forgiue sin Then we see the Priesthood of the church of Rome is full of blasphemie who hold that man called thereunto can properly forgiue sinne
not only pronounce sinne to be forgiuen as the reformed churches hold and which they denie but properly to forgiue sinne Seeing Christ hath power ouer hell and death we must reuerence him do him all honour and obedience we can if we haue not done this already yet now to begin if we haue then to do it more Seeing he hath the key of death he can shut open saue and destroy But if we dishonour and disobey him then he will not shut but open the doore to death and hell to plague vs. We thinke all is well Christ he is a Sauiour and all shall be well he is mercifull and so make him our packehorse of our sinnes but we must know he is not onely a Sauiour but a Iudge he can destroy and saue open and shut he hath the key of heauen and hel and of death This is a comfort to the godly which cleaue to Christ that he can keep them frō hell death so as they cannot hurt them and this consideration might comfort vs in time of persecution in the time of sicknesse or any calamitie Write these things In these words he describeth Christ by a second action for after he had comforted S. Iohn now he giueth him a commandement which commandement was giuen in the eleuenth verse before and here repeated to Iohn againe First because Christ intended by this to shew Iohn his especiall care of his Church that he is now still a prouident and carefull head of his Church and therefore sayth not once Write these things but the second time that the Church of God might vnderstand in al ages to come that it is necessary mē should know the estate of the Church for else he would not haue repeated it againe if it had not bene very necessary It is necessary for men to know that the estate of the church is to be in troubles that they might the better prepare thēselues to beare thē Thirdly he doth it that S. Iohn might be more assured certainly of his calling to write and pen this booke Fourthly that the Church in all ages might be fully assured without doubt that this booke is a booke of God and part of holy Scripture not inuented by man but reuealed by God to Iohn for the good of the Church Obiect But though Christ reuealed his wil aright Iohn might mistake it and erre in penning Answ. S. Iohn penned this booke both for matter and maner as Christ gaue it to him for this we must know that there is a difference betweene Apostles and Prophets in the old and new Testament and Ministers of the Gospell for they were called immediatly by God and Christ and had speciall assistance of the spirit of God which appeareth by those promises they haue made to thē by God as Christ saith He which receiueth you receiueth me c. Luke 10. 16. And It is not you which speake but the spirit of my Father therfore feare not And Iohn 14. The holy Ghost shall leade you into all truth which though some apply it to all Ministers yet if we mark the place it can agree to none but the Apostles And they meeting at Ierusalem concluded as it seemed good to the holy Ghost to them so that we see they could not erre though they were but men But it is not so with the Ministers of the word they may and do erre often Now S. Iohn being a faithfull Apostle he receiued this of Christ without errour and so penned it In this commaundement of Christ is a plaine diuision of this whole booke Write the things thou hast seene that is this vision I haue offered to thee the things thou sawest In the secōd place he sets downe the present estate of the church Thirdly the things to come that is the future estate of the church to the end of the world So that this booke containeth two things in it first the estate of the church in time present secondly in time to come to the end of the world the words of Christ make this diuision plainly If it be lawfull to vse diuisions then it is lawfull to set downe rules for direction of diuiding aright but the first is lawfull ergo the second Therefore the art of reasoning and diuiding as also Rhetoricke is not vnlawfull as some would haue it The mystery of the seuen starres Here is the third action of Christ which is the interpretation of the vision which he had shewed to Iohn and he onely interprets the principall parts of it Now Christ expounds this visiō to Iohn namely because he was to shew himselfe to be an holy man of God namely a Prophet Now the principall thing in a Prophet is to be able to expound visions either his owne or any others as we see in Daniel Now that he might shew himselfe to be an absolute Prophet in this booke Christ doth not onely shew him the vision but the intertation of it he expounds it that Iohn might be incouraged in penning and receiuing the things in this booke Now Christ expounds not the whole vision but the two principall parts what is meant by the seuen starres and seuen candlestickes namely by the seuen starres seuen Angels of the seuen churches by the candlestickes we shewed before In this verse note why Christ expounds the two principall parts leaues the rest vnexpounded The reason is first because Christ hath giuen his church power to expound visions and scripture Now if he had expounded euery part and circumstance then there had bene no matter left to the church to exercise her power Secondly to stir vp to diligence study of the scripture both Ministers all mēbers of the church for if all were plaine then men wold be idle neuer take paines to interpret the word therefore Christ expounds the chiefe and leaues the circumstances and appurtenances for the church to interpret Thirdly that men might dayly grow in knowledge of the Scripture for if all were knowne at first they would not study to increase in knowledge fourthly to stir vp inuocatiō for grace to vnderstand Scripture Now these Ministers are called Angels which be the Pastors and Ministers of the church Mat. 11. 10. Iohn Baptist is called Christs Angel or messenger or Ambassadour By this we haue direction to expound another place of Scripture where it is said Women must be couered because of the Angels that is because of the Ministers for the couering of the head in the church of Corinth was a signe of subiection and inferioritie contrary to our vse Now the women when they come into the congregation before the Ministers they must be couered to shew their subiection and submission to the Gospell and doctrine deliuered to them Seeing Ministers be called Angels that is messengers and Ambassadors they must behaue themselues as Ambassadors they must haue speciall care first of the matter of the ambassage secondly of the maner that they deliuer nothing but their Lords
here he commands her to embrace the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles Hence we see Christ would haue this Church to embrace the doctrine taught by his Apostles to maintaine that and not to regard any other but though an Angell from heauen did preach any other doctrine he should be accursed Galat 1. By this we may iudge of the maine religions which be in the world namely of the Turkes Iewes and Papists The Papists magnifie their religion standing on vnwritten traditions but they cannot proue they be Apostolical ergo we must not regard them no nor doctrines which men say they haue by reuelation for we must onely regard Apostolicall doctrine As for the Turkes religion it was not the Apostles preaching but crept in six hundred yeares after them And for the Iewes all their religiō is against the Gospel Then good men in diuers countries shold not be of diuers religions but they should embrace the doctrine taught by the Prophets and Apostles of Christ neither should men because of dissent in religion be of no religion for Christ inioynes this Church to maintaine the doctrine of the Apostles though many discented from it Hold fast to the end Here not how long not one or two dayes but to the end and we must looke to this seeing Christ so straightly commands it because this is the foundation and mark of true religion and the readie way to saue mens soules to be constant to the end and for this 2. Tim. 2. Paul bids him teach that he learned that others might instruct them which follow and so conuey it from age to age and for this the Church is called the ground and pillar of truth And so the Lord Eph. 4. giueth the Church Pastors first such as by their teaching maintaine puritie in maners and teachers which maintaine it in doctrine Then this is the Churches dutie to continue puritie of religion to the end of the world If the marke be set wrong in the hauen it is enough to cast away all the ships so if the puritie of doctrine be corrupt which is the direction of our soules to heauen then we shall make shipwracke of our soules in hell Then the Ministers must not onely teach truly but labour to beate downe false doctrine which poisons the doctrine of the Gospell And because men labour not to maintaine the puritie of religion and true doctrine the Lord 2. Thess. 2. giueth them vp to beleeue lies and fantasies of men To him which ouercometh c. In these words is the last part to wit the conclusion of the Epistle containing two parts first a promise secondly a commaundement In the promise note two things first the parties to whom secondly the benefits promised The partie to whom to him which ouercometh whom here Christ describes to be he which keepes his workes by his practise of obedience He which keepes or obserues This is the forme of obedience namely the obseruing of the works of Christ which is not a keeping of them according to the rigour of the law but a constant purpose and indeuour to keepe them for the children of God haue this priuiledge that their will and indeuour is accepted of God for the deed in Christ Iesus There are many which haue litle knowledge these must not be cast downe but if they haue a desire and indeuour to liue according to the will of Christ making conscience of sinne their obedience is true obedience and acceptable to Christ. My workes Here is the matter of obedience namely Christs works that is such workes as Christ hath ordained in his word by his spirit and is the author of in his members Christ cals these workes his workes therefore we must not thinke or speake or do our words or workes but onely Christs workes commanded and ordained in his word and caused in vs by his spirit which we do when we conforme our works and wils to his word and will We see no worke is acceptable to God which is not ordered by Christs word though we think highly of it Esay 6. he reproueth them for teaching the feare of God by mens cōmandemēt This condemnes the Turkes Papists and Iewes religion which are not workes of Christ but of sinfull men standing in praying to Saints fasting vowing Masses c. My workes Not one or two workes but all my workes the creature must obey Christ not in some but absolutely in all things he will not pattstakes but wil haue all or none Dauid Psal. 119. conformed himselfe to the whole law So Hezekiah he turned to all the law of Moses Vnto the end Here we see Christ will haue our obedience to be constant c. we must not iudge of obedience by one or two actions but by the course of a mans life if his life hath bene good with conscience of sinne then his obedience is good For say a man by reason of sicknesse rage and raue at his death yet if he haue liued well and made conscience of sinne we must not iudge of him by that fit Now the benefits promised are two first power to rule secondly the morning starre I will giue him power which I haue receiued of my father These words must be referred to the words not following but before For the better vnderstanding of them two questions are necessary first what is the power of the Mediator secondly how farre he conueyeth power to his seruants For the first the power of Christ as he is Mediator is great and described by three arguments first to rule ouer nations here is the largenesse of it for Christ hath power ouer all men all countries and kingdomes in the whole world are in his hand Secondly it is soueraigne and absolute ruling and ouerruling all creatures ouerruled of none This soueraigntie stands in two things first that he giueth lawes that binde the conscience so that if men keepe them not he hath power to condemne them nay he ruleth mens wils and affections he can make them obey him in spite of their hearts Seconly in that he hath this power of himself and from himself Reu. 3. he hath the keyes of heauen and hel Psal. 2. he can breake them in peeces as a potters vessell Thirdly he receiues it from his father as he is God he is equall to his father yet as he is Mediator he receiueth it from him thus is his power generall soueraigne and absolute To come to the second question How farre this power is ours and imparted to vs. Answ. The generall soueraigne power of Christ is not giuen to vs or to any creature but to him who is God and man it is incommunicable to any creature and proper to the person of Christ. Then Christ speaketh these words not to shew that his absolute soueraigne power is giuen to vs but because his creatures haue the benefit of it the full comfort and saluation of the elect cometh from it they haue fruite of it in that they partake
c. Here we must remember that Ministers are either certaine or vncertaine of mens repentance being certaine they must remit sinnes certainely and simply but being vncertaine they must do it with condition and so they must simply or with condition remit and retaine sinnes Then in the publike handling of the word men must pronounce with conditiō seeing they be vncertaine who are penitent who not Their auditors are a mixt companie some beleeue and some do not beleeue Lydiaes heart is opened Simon Magus is hardened The second power of the keyes is spirituall iurisdiction it is called spirituall to distinguish it from mens and ciuill iurisdiction of the Magistrate It is set downe and confirmed by Christ Mat. 18. 16 17 18. and after the promise is added vers 19. 20. This spirituall iurisdiction is a power wherby the Church pronounceth sentence vpon an obstinate sinner and putteth the same sentence in execution It hath two parts Excommunication and absolution Excommunication is an action of the church in the name of Christ excluding an obstinate offender frō the outward priuiledges of the church and the kingdome of heauen That so much is in true excommunication we see 1. Cor. 5. the incestuous person must be excluded from the church and be thrust out into the kingdome and regiment of Satan and his body some way afflicted Math. 18. 17. if the offender will not repent being excommunicate he must be as a prophane man euen one which hath no title to the kingdome of heauen But some may say Christ onely can thrust them out of the kingdome of heauen It is true indeed so he doth properly yet the church pronounceth who be receiued and who refused as that an obstinate sinner is shut out of the church and withall shut from the kingdome of heauen she can debarre him of the outward priuiledges of the church 1. Cor. 6. the drunkard which liueth in drunkennesse shall not come to heauen vpon which ground the church shuts him out by her sentence euē out of the kingdom of God Christ. Ob. If this be so thē the true child of God may be shut out seeing he may fall to such sins Ans. He may in part and for a time not wholly and for euer because he may be ouertaken often but yet as a free citizen is known to be a free-man though he be in prison for a time and so hath no vse of his freedome so the child of God though in part for a time he be shut out hauing no vse of the kingdome of heauen yet wholly and for euer he is not but so soone as he begins to repent he shal be receiued againe Excommunication being so weightie a matter it must be vsed with great aduice and due preparation as we would when we cut off a leg or an arme not rashly for then we sin against the third commaundement seeing it is one of Gods speciall ordinances which we abuse whē it is executed for each smal offence This excōmunication hath one especial degree as 1. Cor. 16. 22. he which loueth not Christ let him be anathema that is accursed and wholly shut from the kingdome of heauen And this is onely pronounced vpon one which sinneth against the holy Ghost and then the church vpon sufficient ground may pronounce it But it is very hard to discerne this sin being more in the heart then any where else for it is a set malice against the person of Christ and that vpon knowledge Now contrary to excommunication is absolution when an offender vpon his sufficient repentance is approoued to be a member of the church and of Christ first Christ must receiue him then the church vpon his repentance pronounceth and declareth him to be receiued Further to know the power of the keyes we must know foure abuses crept in the vse of the power of them the first abuse was in former ages in that they gaue them onely to Peters person barred al other Pastors from them wheras they belong to al Pastors in their places as well as Peter Ob. Mat. 16. 19. Christ saith I will giue to thee Peter Ans. But before he spake to all the Disciples and Peter he being more bold and indued with aptnes answered in steed of all not that the rest did not answer but to auoid confusion he spake for them all ergo Christ speakes to him in stead of them al. Secondly Iohn 20. 23. he giues it to them al not to Peter alone And Ministers haue that power conueyed from the Apostles by vertue of Christs promise Mat. 28. he will be with them not onely in their persons but in them which followed to the end of the world to them I say which should preach and baptise as they did The second abuse is that the church of Rome hath turned the power of the keyes into the supremacie of the church for they make it a supremacie ouer al Princes and churches whereby they put vp and pul downe Kings and make lawes to bind all mens consciences For it is a seruice and no supremacy The third abuse is that they will haue onely the Clergie and not the Prince to deale in matters of religion but we reade the contrary in Gods word Iosias 2. Chron. 35. 32. he intends to banish idolatrie and to set vp the true worship of God and therefore causeth the people of Beniamin and Iudah to stand to his couenant his subiects to obey his intent and this is commended in him But they say that Princes haue not the chiefest power to gouerne because Pastors haue the power of the keyes Answ. Spirituall power is giuen to the Pastors to rule the church spiritually yet Princes haue power to rule the church ciuilly to cause their subiects to embrace true religion and to forsake idolatrie but then say some they should be vnder the Pastors Answ. If we consider the Pastors person and goods they be vnder the Princes but as they beare the key of Christ and his word the King must honour them for they stand in the stead of Christ but to make the Pastor aboue the Prince is a ready way to get all into his hand and a great abuse in the church of God The fourth abuse is that the Romish church hath turned the power of the keys into the hands of their Priests in the sacramēt of penance for euery Popish priest sits as iudge and euery man cometh to him kneeleth to him confesseth all his sinnes he can remember against euery commandement he inioyneth him to bewaile them and after some signes of repentance he forgiueth the fault and that properly as God doth yet after pardon he must vndergo some temporall punishment for he forgiueth the fault only not the punishment In which abuse note these errors First there is confession of all sinnes which hath no warrant in the word secondly he giuing absolution properly as God doth robbeth Christ of his honor for euē the Pharises confessed that God alone forgiueth sinnes
properly Thirdly they absolue from the fault but not the punishment and this is to enrich themselues and to get whole countries yea all mens lands and liuings into their owne hands Fourthly they will haue them make satisfaction to God which is impossible and withall maketh Christs satisfaction imperfect Now by these foure abuses it appeareth that Christ vnto thē is no true Christ but though the Pope giue the keyes of Peter the crosse keyes in his Armes yet he hath not the true vse of them nay seeing he maketh new doores as beside that of heauen and hel those of Purgatorie and Lymbus Patrum he must make new keyes to open them flat contrarie to the keyes of Christ. In that Christ is said both to open and shut we learne that he openeth not to all men and euery person but shutteth heauen gates against some for Adam falling from Gods fauour by his sinne shut out himselfe and his posteritie both out of the heauenly and earthly Paradise so that our sinnes be now as a partition wall and a cloud to separate God and vs. And for this euen for our sinnes Christ shutteth some out of heauen Then by this we see our miserable case for by our sinnes we be all shut out of heauen and vnder the power of Satan Our sinnes haue bene as so many bars to shut vp heauen gates which is no small matter yet the diuell bewitcheth vs and maketh vs thinke sinne is no sinne great sinnes be small small none whereas the least sinne is sufficient to shut vs out of heauen for euer Againe seeing sinne shutteth vs out of heauen we must repent for euery sinne for we cannot come thither if we liue in any one sinne euery sinne is a barre and locke to shut vs from Gods kingdome and we must labour to haue these bolts taken of which is only by the passion of Christ for that alone can take them away Thirdly we see that Christ opened heauen to some as to Nathanael in the ministery of the word and he hath now opened heauen doores by his death and traced the way by his blood Now the doore being open we must labour to enter in yea thrust and croud to get in That we may come thither we must become members first of his church on earth else we cannot come to heauen That we may do this first we must come to the doore namely the church before we come to the house namely heauen Now the church is the doore and in it is the key to open heauen gates namely the word of God That thou maist come into the church first humble thy selfe for all thy sinnes secondly trust in Christ for the free pardon of all thy sins and purpose in thy heart to liue a new life and constantly in all things to please God to the end and then thou art in the church and hast the key to open heauen gates But if thou come not to open this doore in this life where the key is thou canst neuer enter into the kingdome of heauen in the life to come Verse 8. I know thy workes From this eighth verse to the eleuenth is contained the matter of the Epistle containing three heads first praise secondly promise thirdly commandement The praise is in the eigth verse the promise is two-fold in the ninth and tenth verses the commaundement in the eleuenth 1. The praise is propounded summarily I know thy workes Then the reason why he praiseth her where the former words be expounded I know thy workes This hath bin expounded in euery Epistle I know and approue thy course and conuersation of life These words are repeated in euery Epistle to stir vp euery church and member of the same to the feare of God for Christ by these words would haue vs be perswaded that God is present with vs seeth all we do is an eye-witnesse of all our actions Then we should do all our actions as in his presence as before his Maiestie and where this consideration is not in some measure there is no feare of God nor true religion The reason of this commendatiō is added Behold c. here note two points first a signe of his approbation I haue giuen thee an open doore c. secondly what be the workes he approoued Thou hast a litle strength Behold c. These words may be vnderstood either of the Angell of Philadelpha alone or of the whole church both Pastor and people If of the Angell this is the sense Behold I haue giuen thee that is behold and consider I haue giuen and vouchsafed thee libertie and oportunity to preach my Gospel and by preaching to win and conuert sinners to me So 1. Cor. 16. 9. there Paul vseth the same words signifying by the doore of vtterance libertie and oportunitie to preach the Gospell of Christ. For thou hast a litle strength That is though thou be endued but with a small measure of gifts yet thou hast maintained the doctrine of saluation and not denied my Gospel in persecution Now Christ saying thus to this Minister that he had giuen him libertie to preach shewes it is a great priuiledge to preach the Gospell and to win soules to Christ for so much the word Behold and the words themselues import That it is so it appeareth in that the most worthy Prophets haue not had this graunted as Esay Ezechiel c. they hardened the people and they say they spēt their strength in vain did no good For this ministers are called the instruments of saluation Dan. 12. they shall shine for the winning of soules as stars in heauen Then they which haue this priuiledge should esteeme of it highly aboue any thing in the world for it is a most excellent dignitie aboue all earthly preferments for which we ought especially to magnifie Gods mercie For thou hast a litle strength Though thou hast but small measure of grace and gifts yet thou hast maintained my word Here we see that Ministers though indued with small gifts may do much good to the Church as this Angell of Philadelphia did and we haue seene by experience when as in Queene Maries time in this place learning abounded yet not one of them would stand out for the Gospell yet one not farre off hauing but small gifts in comparison of their schoole-learning stood out and sealed the profession of it with his bloud And so now men of smaller gifts further the Church and Gospell more then they which haue farre greater knowledge in the arts and tongs for such as haue greater gifts be commonly flacke so that they which be behind them in gifts an hundred degrees do more good in the Church then they by a thousand degrees Yet for all this men must be brought vp in learning and labor to know Arts and Toungs though we see it cometh to passe that men which want such schoole-learning they haue zeale and do more good then they which excell in them that so men of greater