it come withall must arme themselues with Christian courage and fortitude not to feare too much Thirdly they must be faithfull to God in regard of their promise and couenant in baptisme in keeping faith and good conscience and in defence of true religion euen to death So that they must heare these three the first concerning Gods prouidence seeing and regarding his church the second concerning Christian fortitude courage in afflictions the third our faithfulnes constancy in defence of faith a good conscience maintaining of true religion to the end These three are the things they should heare and consider and so we must consider and learne the same To excite them and vs to these three things to heare and know the three duties he giueth two reasons first because the Spirit speaketh the second is the persons to whom he spake not to one but all Churches directly to them of Smyrna and in them to all churches to all of vs no man is excepted but must heare him The second part of the conclusion is a promise He which euercometh shal not be hurt That we may ouercom two things are required first to renounce and go out of our selues secondly to cast all our hope trust and affiance in Christ which when we do then we haue sauing faith and this ouercometh all our enemies The second thing is to keep faith and a good conscience to defend true religion to the end of our dayes against all enemies And shall not be hurt of the second death that is eternall death for the first death is when the bodie and soule are separated in this life the second when both bodie and soule are separated from God for euer In which separation Reu. 21. consisteth the destruction of a man euen the suffering of the fire of the eternall lake It is then as if he said though he shall suffer the first death yet he shall not be hurt of the second he shall escape that fire and lake for euer This is a most comfortable and happie promise to escape the lake of hell Here note first to whom this promise is made to them which ouercome to them which renounce themselues put their trust and affiance onely in Christ and labour to keep faith a good conscience to the end Then if we would ouercome it is not enough to know to teach or heare of religion but true profession is ioyned with fighting against all the enemies of the same with christian courage let none of them raigne ouer vs but fight till we ouercome and get victorie ouer them all then we ouercome indeed and then to vs is made this promise Alas it is nothing to know or approue religion and yet to liue in sinne and to let the diuell the world and ourflesh raigne ouer vs. Then we must neuer content our selues with bare profession but labour to say in our hearts that we are conquerers of hell death c. by grace of Christ in vs and then we haue a blessed promise of freedome from the second death and of eternall happinesse we shall not feare the fire of hell the burning lake Furthermore in these words is answered a question which many a mans heart maketh but few in the truth of heart can answer How may I escape the burning lake how can I flie and auoid the second death Ans. Thou must in this life turne truly to God from all thy euill waies renounce thy selfe beleeue and put thine assurance in Christ and withall endeuour to keep faith and a good conscience to the end and then thou shalt escape the second death the fiery lake of hel shal not hurt thee though thou shalt tast of the first yet thou shalt not see the second death Would any haue his soule escape this burning lake haue his silly soule free from the torments of hell let him turne to God renounce himselfe put his trust and confidence in Christ neuer turne to his former sinnes and withall take heed to maintaine and keepe faith a good conscience and maintaine pure and true religion to the end and then he shall be free from the burning lake Further we see by these words that of the two deaths the second is the worse and most properly death for the first is but a preparation to the second the second is the cruell death and destruction of body and soule This is yet the madnes of men that they feare the pangs of the first and not of the second neuer thinke of the burning lake like children which feare shadowes and neuer feare fire or water but suffer themselues to be drowned or burned And to the Angell which is at Pergamus In these words is the third particular commaundement of Christ to Iohn for the penning and publishing of this third Epistle to the Church of Pergamus By the Angell of this Church is meant either the Minister and Pastor or company of the Ministers gouernors of the same So often in the word one is put for a multitude This particular commaundement is giuen to Iohn by Christ to assure him of his calling to pen this booke and Epistle secondly to assure the Church of the authoritie of the booke seeing it is deliuered by Christ himselfe The Epistle hath three parts first a preface secondly a proposition thirdly a conclusion The Preface in these words Thus saith he with hath that sharp c. the proposition in the thirteenth verse the conclusion in the seuenteenth verse Thus saith he Here he sheweth in whose name he wrote this Epistle to wit Christs who is described that he is not onely a Prophet and Priest but a King in gouerning and guiding his Church for he hath a sword in his hand which is described first that it hath to edges Secondly it is sharpe meaning by it the word of God so as not onely the doctrine of the law but the promises of the Gospell are of the like power Hebr. 4. 12. Christ is thus set out to comfort the Church of Pergamus for by this Christ signifies three things first that he by power of the word killeth sinne wounds it at the heart he killeth and slayeth the corruption of our nature so deadly that it cannot recouer againe secondly that he wil strengthen and maintaine the church and the members of the same by this sword against al their enemies for he will not onely hurt the enemies but defend his by his sword Obiect How doth he wound them by the word Answ. The word must be knowne and beleeued of vs. Now when we know and beleeue the law and the threates thereof and the points and promises of the Gospell then if afflictions come faith by which we beleeue them maketh vs that we are comforted and armeth vs against all afflictions and persecutions so that nothing can hurt vs but if we beleeue it not then the word is to vs as a sword in a sheath not drawn out nor vsed to defend or driue backe our enemies but
seeke to get one foot out of the graue of sinne and securitie And he had Here S. Iohn describeth him by his parts and the properties of euery part In his right hand seuen starres that is seuen Angels seuen Ministers of the seuen churches of Asia The Ministers are compared to starres first because as starres send out light to men on earth so the Ministers ought to giue light to men euen spirituall light by doctrine taught by them and by conuersatiō of life among them Secondly they be compared to stars because as the stars haue their continuall abode in heauen neuer descend downe so the Ministers of the word especially should haue their conuersation in heauen It is the dutie of all but more specially of the Ministers in regard of their callings first by seeking their owne saluation secondly by seeking the saluation of others by which two they must haue their conuersation in heauē though they haue their bodies in earth thirdly because they shall be honoured of God in heauen as the starres for Dan. 12. they which do their dutie they shall shine like starres in the firmament They be in Christs right hand that is all regiment and gouernement in matters of the Church belongs to Christ he alone hath the whole disposition and ordering of the ministery seeing he alone is head of the Church and the Ministers they be in his right hand he rules and raignes in his church he careth for it and looketh to it Seeing these starres be in Christs right hand this shewes that the choosing furnishing of the ministers of the word belongs to Christ Eph. 4. he giueth them their gifts and places then we ought in this last age to pray the Lord to send out laborers into his haruest that so his children might be gathered and an end made of these miserable dayes He holds these seuen starres in his right hand Whereby we see he giueth them defence and protection so long as they be faithful in their callings He carieth them in his right hand though they haue sundry discouragements yet seeing Christ he ordereth their ministery and disposeth of it if they be faithfull nothing should hinder their course nothing should cut them off from their duty neither the want of obediēce in them to whom they preach and labour not seeing that fruit they should nor the iniuries of the enemies of their profession nor any thing else Seeing they be in his right hand this sheweth the excellency of this calling of the ministery Idle men esteeme it most base accept of it as of a meane calling and so discourage many but in the sight of God it is an high and holy calling he carieth them in his right hand defends them and protects them Now what greater glory can there be then that they should be so honored to be borne and caried in the right hand of the King of heauen and earth though wicked men dishonour them esteeme so basely of thē This should stir those who haue good gifts to get this high and holy calling thus to be honoured of Christ. They must be vnblameable for seeing Christ carieth them in his right hand he will hold nothing but that which is holy and pure as he is but if it be defiled sinfull and wicked he will take it out of his right hand put it vnder his brazen foote and grind it to peeces and the more he had honoured them the more will he dishonour them By the same reason the hearers are bound to profit else they must drinke of the same cup for if the ministers be punished for not preaching then they for not hearing And out of his mouth c. In these words he describes him by the two last parts of his body his mouth and his face And in his mouth was a two edged sword c. By this two edged sword is meant the doctrine of the law and the Gospel vttered and propounded by the Prophets and Apostles and this two edged sword is described Heb. 4. 12. It is mightie in operation c. The doctrine of the law and the Gospell is compared to a two edged sword because as a sword with a double edge enters not onely into the flesh but to the bones yea euen to the marrow so the word preached it enters into the heart deepely to the diuiding of the spirits yea it enters to the very bottome of the heart it searcheth euery nooke and corner which is most secret The word hath a double operation one in the wicked another in the godly In the wicked this sharpe two edged sword of the word it wounds them at the heart with a deadly wound and so by the same wound brings them to eternall death Esa. 11. 4. He shall with his breath that is the sword of his word slay the wicked This is that sword that hath and will kill Antichrist Ob. But how cometh it that the word of God should wound or kill any how should it slay a wicked and vnrepentant sinner Answ. We must know there be three degrees of spirituall death The first is the separation of bodie and soule when the bodie is laid in the graue the soule conueyed to the place of torments The second is when a sinner in this life by the word is wounded and smitten and so receiueth in his heart a deadly wound The third degree is at the end of this life at the last iudgement whē soule and bodie shall go into hell fire for euen a sinner receiueth his deadly wound in this life which is the first steppe to hell and eternall death in the life to come In the inflicting and giuing of this wound there be three actions of Christ required which he worketh in the hearts of the wicked by the doctrine of the law and the Gospell The first is to reueale to them their sinnes all their pride rebellion hypocrisie the damnable corruptions of their hearts and all their sinnes against the first and second Table 1. Cor. 14. 24. 25. If in the Church all prophecie there come in one which beleeueth not he is rebuked of all because they iudge him an hypocrite and so the secrets and corruptions of his heart are laid open and discouered by the word preached The second action of Christ is this he after reuealeth to them the wrath and curse of God against sinne his indignation against the breakers of the law and for this cause the law is called the killing law because it sheweth iudgement without mercie for the transgressions of the law Thirdly Christ by the word preached sharpeneth the sting of conscience maketh it awake and terrifieth a man when he heareth or remembreth the word and the curse denounced against sinners So Felix when Paul preached to him of iustice and temperancie he fainted and trembled the word was a two edged sword of the spirit to wound his conscience with terrour and feare So Dan. 5. Beltashar seeing but an hand writing he
practise this because we bring from our cradles naturall presumption which perswades vs that we be in the fauour of God that we haue his loue to vs. But we must cast off this naturall presumption and take a new course and the first step to come to grace is to see that we want grace we must see that we be lost sheepe prodigall children in our selues the very fire-brands of hell and this to see our owne want of grace is the first step to grace The second step is to desire it when we see that we want it to hunger and long for it Thirdly to lay hold on it to apprehend this fauour and grace by true and liuely faith to apply the promises of saluation by faith in Christ Iesus and this is the last steppe to get this grace Secondly in that he sets downe first grace secondly peace here is the true order of seeking for things and blessings in this life First for grace and Gods fauour secondly for peace and welfare not first peace and welfare but first for grace So Christ bids vs first to seeke the kingdome of God and the rigteousnes thereof and then when we are in Gods kingdome of grace all things needfull shall be ministred to vs. This discouers the bad practise of most men who begin at a wrong end first with peace in their callings to get honour riches pleasure or preferment neuer seeking first for grace and Gods fauour but if we would haue peace we must first haue grace But men if God blesse them in riches health and wealth they say Oh God loues me but alas we deceiue our selues for we may haue peace yet want grace we may haue this welfare health wealth libertie and yet want grace nay the peace of the wicked is no blessing but a curse And though the Lord giue a man health wealth libertie which be but common blessings he may be out of his grace and fauour seeing the Lord bestowes these common blessings on those which be his enemies Psal. 73. 12. But though the wicked haue all these common blessings they be accursed And though a man had grace the fauour and true loue of God and had no other health wealth nor libertie yet he were most happy and blessed Frō him which is was c. Here he sets down the cause efficient and the author of these two Grace and Peace the Author is God distinguished into three persons the Father Sonne and holy Ghost the Father in these words which is was and is to come the holy Ghost is noted in these words And from the seuen spirits which are before his throne thirdly the Sonne in the fift verse S. Iohn in the first place describes the Father by his true nature in these words Which is was and is to come in which he alludes to that Exo. 3. 14. 15. where Moses demaunds of God if the people should aske who sent him what he should answer the Lord tels him say I am Ehjeh Iehouah hath sent me where are two names to one end namely to expresse the nature of God Now S. Iohn he expounds them here where he saith He which is which was and is to come Further these two names Ehjeh Iehouah be two such names as cannot be translated fully in our English tongue but are more significant in their originall Hebrue tongue for they import thus much Grace and peace be from him which is in himselfe and from himselfe a most perfect and absolute substance which was and which is to come a most absolute perfect simple substance and essence so that he is a nature most simple pure and subsisting in and by himselfe 1. Cor. 8. 4. An idoll is not so it is nothing in and of it selfe but onely in mans braine it hath no subsisting and being of it selfe by nature but by mans art and thus the Lord differs from all false gods seeing he hath his being in and from himselfe not of or by any other thing None other hath this propertie but God By this we see the nature of all creatures which is that though they haue their subsisting and being as mans body and soule yet it is not from themselues but from God not taken out of his essence for then they should be God And the Lord hath no parts as we haue but he makes all things out of himselfe of nothing Seeing then we haue all we haue of God our bodies soules and all we inioy we must in lieu of recompence in thankfulnesse and obedience giue our selues soules and bodies to his seruice to do his will and pleasure The Lord is most absolute and eternall euery way without beginning or ending Angels and the soules of men they be eternall but not as absolutely though they be eternall in that they shall neuer die yet had they a beginning Secondly they are eternall not absolutely but by participation for God made them eternall but the Lord is most absolutely euery way eternall From him which is to come That is to iudgement to iudge all his creatures especially men and Angels That God which is was which hath his being of in and from himself he shall come to iudgement This must we remember and thinke of that he which is God of himselfe and by himselfe which giues vs life and being he shall iudge vs and this will be a meanes to make vs do our dutie in conscience But many men flatter themselues saying God will not come in my time to iudgement but though the Lord come not to generall iudgement in this life yet he will come in particular iudgement by death in this life Thirdly if we would alwayes remember this it would bridle out liues and make vs keepe a good conscience before God and all men Act. 16. 24. And from the seuen spirits which are before his throne These words commonly are expounded of the Angels of God which stand and minister vnto him but it cannot be meant of them for two causes First those which are here called seuen spirits from these grace and peace come but it cannot come from the holy Angels which attend to minister before the Lord. Secondly in this verse which is a benediction or a salutation of Iohn to the Church the seuen spirits are set before Iesus Christ the second person of the Trinitie which cannot be true of the Angels who in no respect can be placed before Christ therfore it cannot be vnderstood of the holy Angels But for my part I vnderstand it thus And from the seuen spirits c. that is from the holy Ghost This exposition is most agreeable to all the circumstances of the text and the holy Ghost is called the seuen spirits first because though he be one in substance yet he is seuen that is many in gifts and operations and for this cause the spirit of God cals himselfe the seuen spirits Secondly he cals him so because he sets downe the Father Sonne and holy Ghost as he saw them
creature no not for the Angels which fell as well as man The third degree which is most principall is that whereby he loues his elect and chosen children which is that loue whereby he accepts of them to life euerlasting This third degree hath two parts for it is taken first for the purpose of his decree to loue secondly for the action or declaration of his loue For the first as I haue loued Iacob and hated Esau that is I haue purposed to loue the one and hate the other Secondly for the declaration of his purpose to loue Thirdly for the action and for the declaration of his loue and speciall fauor in speciall benefits 1. Ioh. 3. 1. Behold what singular loue God hath shewed on vs nothing the declaration of his purpose to loue vs in giuing his son for vs. So in this verse is meant Gods special loue or the declaration of his purpose to loue vs in speciall benefits Now whereas S. Iohn placeth this in the first place of all the benefites of Christ That he loued vs he would teach vs that this loue is the very ground of mans redemption the very cause of Gods liking and fauor to man Then there is no foreseene faith away with foreseene workes for he loued vs first and that alone is the cause and ground of our election and saluation But it may be obiected The loue of God as also of man respects the goodnesse of things loued so we loue a thing because it is good and when it is euill we hate it There is great difference betweene the loue of the creature and the Creator The creature loues the thing because he seeth it is good but God the Creator he first loues the creature and hence it comes that it is good because he loues it 2. Whereas S. Iohn and all the Churches of Asia as other true Churches do beleeue and are assured that Christ loues them for that S. Iohn taketh for graunted this should moue all men to haue this care to labour aboue all things to be rooted and grounded in loue seeing he places that in the first place This we do when we are assured in heart and conscience by the working of Gods spirit that he loues vs in Christ so that he which takes away the assurance of Gods loue to vs in Christ takes away the very ground of our saluation Now that we may haue this loue of God we must in all our duties to God and man draw neare to God keeping a good conscience before God all men and so if we loue God he wil come to vs stay and dwell in vs. And if we would haue his loue to be plentifully shed in our hearts then we must draw neare to him by loue and he will draw neare to vs for he louing vs first if we increase in that loue to him then will he double his loue to vs. And washed vs from our sinnes in his blood Here is the second benefit and action of Christ to his Church which is first the remission of sinnes secondly the mortification of sinnes Washed Here he sheweth that the sinnes of men are as filthy spots in their soules and after he confesseth the vile estate of the Church and euery member thereof in that he saith they were so washed For washing presupposeth filthinesse before and a corrupted estate and so should we by their example learne to consider our owne estate how that our soules and bodies be spotted and defiled with sins originall and actuall So did Dauid Psal. 51. most sensibly and excellently feele his owne wants and see his miserable estate when he desired the Lord to wash him thorowly confessing thereby his soule and body was foule stained and polluted with sinne and addes thoroughly not once and so inough bnt wash me againe and againe thoroughly till I be cleane and cleanse me rince bathe swill me in the blood of Christ to be purged and cleansed from all my sinnes In which words he sheweth his exceeding feeling of his own miseries how fouly he was defiled so should we labour to see how the spots of sinne are deeply stucke in our soules they be fast set so that one washing will not serue but we must be rinced bathed and cleansed by the blood of Christ for it is not the hand of any man or Angell which can wash away these spots nor any thing they can giue vs but onely Christ Iesus whose finger alone dipped in his owne blood can wash away our spots of sinne The consideration whereof should make vs consider our wretched estate and often to repent vs of our sins to take heed of sin which staines vs so We must labour to haue our hearts purged and cleansed by the blood of Christ and till we haue them so purged neither our faith obedience loue or any thing we do is acceptable to God The first part of this benefit of Christ containes the remission of our sinnes the taking away of the punishment and the guilt due to them the second part is the mortification of sin Which hath washed vs from all c. He addeth these words to shew that if any beleeue truly he hath pardon of all his sinnes without any restraint or limitation of these or those sinnes By his blood How can blood wash away filthinesse nay it rather defiles a man Answ. This washing stands not in the substance of the blood but in the merit thereof for the blood of Christ shed is lost and God knowes what is become of it whatsoeuer the Papists say but the merite of it washeth away sinnes Obiect But why doth Christs blood rather then any other mans blood as Peter Iohn c Answ. Because that blood was the blood of God not of the Godhead but of him who was both God and man for these two natures being vnited together make but one person and so it may be called the blood of God as Paul saith God redeemed vs by his blood that is Christ God and man God-man or God incarnate and so it being the blood of God is more meritorious then the blood of any creature whatsoeuer Besides I answer Christ was appointed by God to be a publike person to be suretie for all mankind but no man can be so to be in the roome of the whole company of mākind Then damnable is the doctrine of the Papists who hold the blood of Martyrs can merit for other for seeing they be but priuate men they cannot profit any other By blood we must vnderstand the passion of Christ being a part for the whole and withall we must remember his fulfilling of the law for in his suffering he fulfilled the whole law and in fulfilling the law he suffered and these two cannot be seuered so that this containes the whole obedience of Christ partly in suffering partly in fulfilling the law S. Iohn addeth these words and sets downe these two blessings to draw men to loue and like
on the sea yet they must keepe the Sabbath they must pray fast and call on the name of God c. In that he receiued the vision then when he was exercised in praying and fasting here is a comfort for the children of God that when men draw neare to God he draweth neare to them Iam. 4. Iohn a worthie Apostle being in banishment he draweth neare to God in fasting and prayer and the Lord he draweth nigh to him and reuealeth his will to him so if we draw neare to God by faith repentance by prayer and inuocation of his name then he will draw neare to vs. But if we draw our selues backe from him he draweth backe from vs. This then should moue vs aboue all things to seeke to draw as neare him as can be then he will come and shew his goodnesse to vs. And the cause why we are so litle acquainted with his goodnesse is because we will not be acquainted with him Now in the second place followeth after the fourth circumstance the parts of the vision which be two first an entrance into the vision secondly the representation of Christ as he is King and Priest to his Church which is the substance and chiefe thing in this vision The entrance is in these words And I heard a great voice behind me till the end of the eleuenth verse The vision or the representation of Christ from the twelfth to the end of the third Chapter The beginning and entrance into the vision is a preparation whereby the holy Ghost maketh S. Iohn more fit to receiue and marke things to be reuealed which may be heard and seene The meanes to prepare Iohn is a voice And I heard a voice The like to this we haue commonly in the old Testament where the Lord reuealing his will doth send a voyce before to prepare his seruants to receiue his will So when he would giue the couenant to Adam Gen. 3. he prepareth him to receiue and letteth him heare a voyce in the garden which made him affraid and to hide himselfe after the Lord speaketh to him face to face and giueth the couenant to him So when the Lord wold giue the law to Moses in the mount first he sent a voice in a mightie thunder lightning and sound of a trumpet after he declared the law to him 1. Sam. 3. When the Lord would speake to Samuel he sendeth a voice to him three times and after he speaketh to him plainely and calleth him by his name So commonly in the old Testament when the Lord will declare his will to his Prophets he prepareth them by a voice So to Cornelius Act. 10. c. Seeing the Lord dealeth thus with this most famous Apostle when he receiued his will by extraordinarie reuelation being first prepared then much more we which are sinfull men which haue not the thousandth part of those graces he had of knowledge faith and obedience but are so farre short in ordinarie gifts we must much more be prepared that our vnderstanding and memorie may be made fit to heare know and remember Gods will and word declared to vs. And the cause why we increase not in faith repentance and knowledge after long hearing the word is because we come vnprepared without looking that our vnderstanding memorie by all good means may be prepared to receiue the word The voice is described by the place Behind me Not before him but behind him to stirre vp attention in him for men most marke those things which come as of a sudden behind them so this coming suddenly behind him drew him to more earnest attention A great voyce Thirdly it is like the sound of a trumpet not onely a great voice but full of power and maiestie as the sound of a trumpet Now he vttereth these to stirre vp more attention in him for if he should heare an ordinarie voice or a small voice it would not perhaps haue stirred him but being a great powerfull sudden and a strange voice it could not but make him very attentiue Seeing he vseth all these meanes of attention in Iohn a worthie Apostle then much more must we vse all good meanes to stirre vp attention in vs seeing we in all gifts are a thousand times inferiour to the least Apostle seeing we be dull and heauie and our senses not so sharpe as they shold be we must stirre vp our selues seeke to be attentiue to that which which is spoken and as Lydia did we must employ all our diligence to make vs attētiue And the cause why the word is preached without fruite is because we heare it without attention and haue no affection to it Now that we may do this we must beware of two enemies of attention the first are by-thoughts when a man bringeth his bodie but his mind goeth about his farmes or worldly riches about a iourney or bargaine or some worldly affaires These by-thoughts are thornes in our hearts which choake the good seed of the word that it cannot prosper and grow for men which are troubled with them cannot see how one point dependeth and hangeth on another but their memorie and vnderstanding is hindered The second enemie is dulnesse and heauinesse of bodie and soule which is shewed in this that we come heauie and sleepie to heare the word and spend that time which we should employ in hearing in heauinesse and sleeping But if we will haue the word fruitfull to vs we must shake off this drowsinesse be affected with ioy and gladnesse and heare the word with greedinesse If a man should come heauie and sleepie into the presence of the King especially he being to tell him of great matters or the giuing of him some great benefit he would take it for disloyaltie and contempt of his Maiestie The cause why the word hath no better effect in vs but that after long preaching and teaching we be as blind and ignorant as euer we were is because we come not prepared contrarily if we come prepared the Lord increaseth our faith knowledge obedience c. Saying I am Alpha and Omega Before he described the voice which he heard as a meanes of this preparation by the place Secondly the qualitie A great voice like the sound of a trumpet In these words he proceedeth further to describe this voice in this eleuenth verse setteth downe the substance and matter of this voice which he heard which standeth in two things The first a testimonie in these words I am Alpha and Omega c. The second a commandement to write all these words c. 1 The testimonie in substance is in the eighth verse before In which words of Christ is as before a comparison namely as Alpha and Omega are the first and the last letters in the Greeke Alphabet so I Christ the Sonne of God am the first and last of all things because before me there was nothing neither after me shall there be any thing in being and
quaketh for feare the word of God came into his mind and made his conscience accuse him and his knees smote together for feare So then by this we see how Christ killeth the wicked by reuealing their sinnes shewing the wrath and anger of God against sinne and sinners which repent not and the curse of the law and also by sharpning the sting of conscience to wound them and strike them at the heart and so they by this haue the first wound of eternall death Though the Lord may in mercie recouer them of this wound yet of themselues they be in the estate of death and vnlesse they repent they are in the first step to eternall death For those horrors and feares which come into a mans heart in regard of Gods wrath and iudgements seuered from grace are no grace but the first wound to eternall death vnlesse the Lord giue grace Seeing Christ carieth the two edged sword of the Spirit in his mouth whereby he woundeth his enemies with a deadly wound at the heart then when we see any which cometh to heare the word and after rebelleth stormeth and rageth against the same being wounded in conscience therewith we must not be displeased with it but pitie his case seeing he is wounded at the heart with a deadly wound and he in this case is in the first steppe to eternall death vnlesse the Lord recouer him of this wound In those Churches and places where the word hath bene long preached and the people remaine in blindnesse and ignorance and vnreformed we must in these take pitie on them seeing this is a heauie iudgement of God on them for these are wounded with a deadly wound by the sword of the spirit because the word hath bene long and often preached to them without profit and the word it neuer returneth emptie but either saueth or destroyeth woundeth or healeth them So that though men may liue ciuilly before men making a faire shew yet if they be vnreformed and liue in ignorance these are but dead men in the sight of God the word hath giuen them the first deadly wound therefore we must pitie their estate If we come into the field see an hundred men lye wounded and gushing out bloud some in the head some in the sides and some in the feet we cannot but be exceedingly moued so in the church of God many are vnreformed in obedience and repentance and though we cannot see their bloudie wounds with bodily eyes yet we may see them lye wallowing in the bloud of ignorance and securitie of impenitencie and wickednesse therefore we must pitie their estate for they be dead men indeed seeing they be not reuiued by the word in reformation of life and obedience for the word either quickeneth or killeth Seeing the word without grace killeth we must not content our selues with it but seeke to feele the worke of the Spirit peace of conscience and reformation of life by the word Let vs then by a liuely faith labour to apply Christ by the word to lay hold on him and his righteousnesse so that we can say we liue not but Christ in vs. But this word hath another action in the elect children of God which though it be manifold yet all tend to further and procure their saluation The first work of it in these is to wound deepely and to kill the corruptioâ— of mans nature in his heart with a deadly wound that it neuer recouer againe Yet though it wound a man it killeth not the person as in the wicked but onely the corruption of his heart and quickeneth the person to Christ killeth him in regard of rebellion and vnbeleefe We are sacrifices to be offered to God therefore we must be killed not in our bodies and soules but in our corruptions affections and rebellions That we may be killed the two edged sword of the Spirit is required which giueth our corruption the deadly wound and cutteth vp the root Since the second action after our conuersion change is this the word of God must cut and pare the remnants of our corruption by lessening and weakening of it daily Ioh. 15. As the husbandman cutteth loppeth and pareth off all branches that beare no fruite so the word of God cutteth and pareth away the remnants of corruptions in our hearts that so our hearts may bring foorth more fruite Thirdly the word of God serueth to keepe his people and children in awe and subiection and therefore Christ holdeth the scepter of the word in his mouth that though the wicked will not be kept in awe yet his elect may tremble and feare at the lifting vp of the same Amongst men if many be fighting let the Magistrate but hold vp the sword of Iustice euery man yeeldeth and putteth his sword into his sheath and shall not we much more cease from sinne and feare when Christ the King of heauen and earth holdeth out the scepter of his word And if any refuse to be subiect and to obey the Magistrate he is counted a rebell if men refuse to obey the scepter of Christ shall they not be so accounted So then by these actions we see the power of the word it killeth corruptions in our hearts pareth it and the remnants of it and it keepeth men in awe and subiection Yet it differeth in the wicked and in the godly in the wicked it maketh them feare and woundeth them to death destroying both soule and bodie in the godly it woundeth them indeed not in their persons but in the corruptions of their hearts It maketh vs fit to encounter with the diuell and to vanquish him in all his temptations if it be vsed with knowledge Seeing the word of God serueth to kill our corruptions we when we heare the word must receiue and beleeue the same not onely when it is deliuered in generall but applyed in particular though it touch vs and wound our hearts we must suffer it and reioyce in it for that is the first steppe to health to haue our corruptions ripped vp and touched When the sword of the spirit entreth to our hearts it will ransacke euery nooke and secret corner then we must reioyce in this blessing of God suffer it gladly seeing it is the onely meanes to come to life If one be sicke of a Fistula he will suffer the Chirurgeon to rippe and launce him to search euery part of the wound and shall not we suffer the Phisition of the word to display to lay open to ransacke and search the corruption of our hearts seeing that is the onely way to recouer health For we cannot liue to God till we die to our selues and to our sinnes we cannot pâ—ssibly die to our sinnes till our corruptions be destroyed and all our sinnes killed and wounded to death In his mouth Other Kings carie their scepter in their hands but he in his mouth to shew that no doctrine must be receiued of vs vnlesse it proceed from his mouth for he receiued his
of death and desperation If a man be assured of Gods presence aide and helpe he needeth not to feare So Moses being affraid to go before the people the Lord to cōfort him Exod. 3. telleth him he will be with him and Dauid considering God protected him saith Psalm 23. He would not feare though he were in the shadow of death Then it is our dutie to labour to haue the assurance of Gods protection and assistance which will stay vs against all immoderate feare of death Now after this he addeth reasons to confirme his owne words to Iohn when his word might haue serued alone The first reason is in the end of the 17. verse I am the first and the last He is the first because nothing was or can be before him and the last because nothing is or can be after Christ. And he addeth these two phrases to shew his Godhead and eternitie and that Christ alone hath in his hands the beginning and end of all things all things haue their beginnings of him he of nothing but he giueth the beginning to all things and he alone putteth the end to all things Now seeing he hath power to giue beginning and end therefore he can preserue his seruants from death he can keepe them from condemnation And he hauing power to begin and end all things can giue and begin his promises can end and accomplish the same at his pleasure And am aliue or he that liueth but was dead In these words is the second reason which Christ alleageth to proue his former words and to make Iohn not to feare death too much The reason consisteth in a distinction thus Although I was dead yet now I am he which liueth I haue power of death of hell c. This distinction hath three parts first though I was dead yet now I liue secondly I liue for euer thirdly I haue power of death and the keyes of hell c. And I am he which liueth Here life is ascribed to Christ in a speciall maner that is he liueth not as all other creatures liue but in a more peculiar maner of liuing Christ vseth this phrase I am he that liueth first to shew he hath life in himselfe secondly that he giueth life to others First he hath sufficient life in of and from himselfe which appeareth thus life is two-fold vncreated or created vncreated as the life of God which is infinite eternall in and of it selfe sufficient Now Christ as he is God he liueth by this vncreated life which is all one with his Godhead Secondly there is a created life which is twofold first naturall preserued by meate and drinke secondly spirituall which is by immediate fellowship with God when we liue by the immediate operation of Gods spirit not by meat and drinke And Christ he liueth this spirituall life so that he liueth first by an vncreated life as he is God secondly he liueth a spirituall life his bodie and soule being sustained in the second person of the Trinitie therefore he hath in himselfe most absolute and perfect life And he giueth life to others two wayes first as he is God and so he giueth life to all men good and bad he is the author life in all things which liue In him we liue moue and haue our being he giueth life and he preserueth the same Secondly he giueth spirituall life to his Church and children as he is redeemer of mankind he liueth that we might liue by him Ioh. 14. 19. and as he died not for himselfe alone so he liueth not for himselfe alone but for vs that we by him might haue spirituall life as appeareth Colos. 3. Our life is hid with God in Christ. And for this cause thogh Christ be in heauen yet we eate his bodie and drinke his bloud really in a spirituall maner and they be the spirituall nourishment of our soules We liue by the spirituall life of Christ and that for these two causes first because he hath sufficient life in himselfe and secondly because he giueth life to others therefore he saith I am he which liueth Seeing Christ giueth this spirituall life we must seeke it at him and labour that we may say that we liue not but Christ in vs and that our life is hid in Christ for Christ he liueth spiritually that he might bring spirituall life to vs then we must labour to haue this We can be content to seeke farre and neare to take exceeding paines to get gaine to maintaine this our momentanie earthly life which is but as grasse yea as a fleeting shadow and as a span and shall we not be much more carefull to get spirituall life which lasteth for euer But the practise of men is cleane contrarie not one of a thousand laboureth for spirituall life but all are bewitched with the ouer greedie desire of things of this life c. The reason of this is because mens hearts are not touched with the burthen of sinne and the curse of God on vs for sinne and therefore it is that no man seeketh to be deliuered from sinne to haue this spirituall life with Christ our head This we may see in that woman Iohn 4. Christ telleth her he is the bread of life she beginneth to cauill with him but when he toucheth her speciall sinne then she hearkeneth to him so if the Ministers tel the people of matters of saluation vnlesse they first cast them downe make them see their sins they will but quarrell and cauill at it and the doctrine of the Gospell Christ is the water nay the well of life now we must be thirstie and parched with thirst and then we will seeke for water and we must not onely lightly tast but seeke to be dipped and diued in this fountaine to haue our soules sowsed and soaked in this water and if we could know that Christ liued in vs and we in him by spirituall life it would be a present remedy against all persecutions And behold I liue for euer Amen Here followeth the second part of the distinction namely Though I was dead yet now I liue for euer which second part of the distinction is propounded with two notes the first of certaintie Amen to assure vs that that which Christ auoucheth before of himselfe is vnfalliblie true the second note is of attention Behold This serueth to stir vp attention in Iohn and in vs to a serious and due consideration of that part of the distinction I liue for euer therfore Christ saith Behold Behold I liue Here note two things first in regard of what nature Christ liueth for euer 2. to what end He liueth for euer as he is the Mediator of the church ergo in regard of both natures as he is God man In regard of his Godhead he liueth for euer by the vncreated or essentiall life of God which is all one with his Godhead which is for euer of it selfe not by any other Secondly he liueth for
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
members we must hate that he hateth loue that he loueth so shew that we be true Christians and members of Christ. Ob. Christ he hateth wicked men why then suffereth he them to liue destroyeth theÌ„ not or take them out of his Church Answ. He suffereth them for iust cause for he can bring good out of euill light out of darknesse he can turne that which is most wicked in it selfe to his glorie and the benefite of his Church and children and the destruction of his enemies Then no maruel though he suffer them which he hateth Let him which hath an eare heare what the Spirit saith c. In this verse Christ inferreth this conclusion vpon the former words It containeth in it two parts the first a coÌ„mandement the second a promise A coÌ„mandement Let him that hath ears c. A promise in the end of the verse For to him will I giue of the tree c. and this conclusion serueth to stirre vp the Church of Ephesus to consider of the former things Christ taught her In the commandement is three things the first who be coÌ„maunded He which hath an eare secondly what is commanded namely to heare thirdly the thing which must be heard What the Spirit saith The parties commaunded to heare are described they which haue an eare that is which can heare Mat. 13. Christ expoundeth it he which hath an eare to heare that is an hearing eare he must heare and giue attention to the word By this we see there be two kinds of hearers one is a deafe hearer not hauing an hearing eare as those which bring outwaâ—d and bodily eares to the word but not the eares of the hart for their hearts are not affected with the word they cannot obey that they heare Secondly there is an hearing hearer who not onely heareth with the outward eare of the bodie but he hath his heart pierced and touched hath new eares made by Gods spirit this is he which bringeth both the eares his head and heart to the word who is affected with it applyeth it to his owne heart and beleeueth the word heard Such an eare had Dauid the Lord God bored his eare and made him new ears euen ears of heart Mine ears hast thou opened And when the Lord spake to him hauing new eares he answereth the Lord Lo I come his heart heard the Lord. Such eares had Isaiah Send me Such had Lydia her eares were opened and she became attentiue to Paules words the Lord gaue her new eares Seeing Christ maketh this distinction of hearers on earth then grace is not vniuersall sauing grace is not giuen to euery particular man that he if he will may heare and haue saluation for there must be some deafe hearers as well as hearing hearers Then all cannot heare nor haue eternall life seeing all cannot come to faith and repentance by hearing Nay though God admit all into the Church yet he giueth not grace to euery one to heare so that he becometh a profitable hearer to beleeue and repent by hearing Mat. 13. It is giuen to you to know not to others noting that some onely haue the spirit of God to heare to know his will and become obedient to the same Seeing the commandement is giuen to hearing hearers we must labour to become such to become good hearers not to bring onely the eares of the bodie to the word but the eares of the heart not onely eares of our bodie which we haue by creatioÌ„ but the eares of our soules which we haue by regeneration and neuer thinke our selues well till we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hearing of the heart to beleeue and obey that we heare can affect the same and be changed and turned by it Iosiah heard the law and that not with bodily eares but with his heart so that he turned to the Lord accordingly Dauid Psalm 26. God biddeth him seeke him he hauing his eares bored anew maketh answer Lord I will seeke thy face Take heed then of deafe eares when we heare the word daily not profiting by it are not changed in life for this deafe eare is a fearefull iudgement of God that men hearing should not heare nor obey and be bettered by that they heare And yet this is our common hearing for the most part we come bring our bodily eare to the word but our hearts hearken not they obey not that we heare but we remaine as blind and ignorant and as full of sinne as euer and that after long hearing Which sheweth we are indeed deafe hearers The second point is the dutie commanded namely to heare Hearing in the word of God is not onely listening with the bodily eares but to be attentiue to the word and with attention to adde faith repentance conuersion and obedience to it for we if we be good hearers then we must heare so as we be changed from the corruption of the old man and learne to beleeue in Christ. Eph. 4. 21. and as much as we practise and obey so much we learne for we heare no further then we obey Then seeing we must so heare the word we must suffer our selues to be chaunged and altered labour to obey the word and to be changed by it And except we thus heare the word is not to vs the sauor of life but of death and as the good hearing is the readie means to saluation so the deafe hearing is to destructioÌ„ The third point which is commaunded by God namely that which the Spirit speaketh The thing which we must heare with attention faith obedience is repentance for our wants and sinnes for of that Christ spake afore Then this is a most necessarie thing for men to consider their owne wants and sinnes and the iudgement of God for them for else Christ would not haue added these words for the conclusion of the Epistle who hauing shewed theÌ„ their wants and the remedie and the iudgment of God for 〈◊〉 sinnes he addeth this caueat which sheweth the necessitie of these things Then it standeth vs vpon to consider our own personal wants our sinnes and the wrath of God against them for the omitting of this dutie is the bringing of Gods iudgement vpon vs and the practise of it is the preuenting and turning away of Gods iudgements And as priuate men of their personall sinnes so must countries cities in generall remeÌ„ber their wants sins and do their first workes In the end of the verse are two reasons to moue them to heare the first because the things spoken are spoken by the Spirit that is the holy Ghost the third person in Trinitie the second because he speaketh not to one or two but to all the Churches in one Ob. But how can the Spirit speake these words seeing Christ speaketh them Ans. Both may stand for all outward actions of the persons in Trinitie are common to them all and seeing this to teach the Church is an outward action it belongeth to
vp to the third heauen 2. Cor. 12. It is called Paradise because it is a place of pleasure for so the word signifieth Of God that is most excellent and most infinite For so Gen. 30. 8. Rahell wrestled with Leah with wrestlings of God that is excellent or great wrestlings So in the Psalmes to shew how huge and high the hilles were Dauid calleth them the hilles of God the mountaines of God that is excellent or huge mountaines So here he calleth it the paradise of God to shew it is a place most excellent full of pleasure and ioy This place is set out at large Reu. 22. Then seeing this is so excellent a place we should labour aboue all things to come thither to weane our minds from earthly paradise which is but a prison and lift our heads vp to heauen set our hearts and minds on things aboue Phil. 3. Vers. 8. And to the Angell of the Church of Smyrna write From this eighth verse to the twelfth is the second Epistle or letter to another Church of Asia namely to the Church of Smyrna And before this second Epistle is a second particular commandement to Iohn for the writing of it in these words And to the Angell of the Church of Smyrna write which particular commaundement is prefixed before the Epistle to assure them and euery Church that S. Iohn had sufficient calling to write the same and that he did it not of himselfe And so should all they which come to speake or write the word of God haue a sufficient calling that so the Church may receiue their doctrine and without doubt beleeue the same as the true word of God So the Ministers of the Gospell must haue their calling for if the Apostles of Christ which were of more excellent gifts had it then such which be but ordinarie men This commandement and the meaning of it is in the first verse of this Chapter After the particular commandement is the Epistle it selfe standing of three parts first a Preface secondly a Proposition thirdly a Conclusion The preface or entrance is in the eighth verse and containeth a preparation to the matter of the Epistle to be deliuered In the preface he sheweth in whose name it is to be deliuered namely in Christs He which is and was which is the first and last This he doth for two causes first to stirre the Church of Smyrna to a religious care and receiuing of the same as the pure word of God secondly because no commaundement concerning religion and Gods seruice is to be propounded in the name of any creature but onely in the name of God and Christ. Now this Epistle being concerning religion and Gods worship he propoundeth it in Christ his name alone And Christ in this preface is described by two notable arguments first that he is first and last secondly that he was dead but is aliue but these words are expounded in the first Chapter where he saith he is first and last that is he is euerlasting God which hath neither beginning nor end afore all creatures after all He was dead but now liueth that is being God tooke vpon him our nature became subiect to death and rose to giue euerlasting life to vs. In which words note two points of doctrine first that Christ is a person consisting of two natures namely his Godhead and manhood for as he is said to be first and last he must be God and as he was dead but now is aliue he is man and as the bodie and soule make one man so the Godhead and manhood of Christ concurre to make one Christ. The second point of doctrine is a comfort or the foundation of all ioy and comfort to the Church of God first that he is God ergo he is able secondly he is man ergo he is willing to helpe to deliuer his Church from all miseries or else ease them for he is first and last ergo true God ergo able to helpe Secondly he was dead but liueth therefore willing seeing he came to take our nature vpon him to be subiect to death and to rise againe to giue to vs eternall life So then this is the scope and end of these words to comfort the Church in miserie and hence is the very fountaine of all comfort in this life If the Lord lay any crosse on thee as persecution tribulation miserie or calamitie then consider these two things Christ is God able to helpe he is man willing to deliuer thee And this may be a proppe to stay and hold vs vp that we sinke not in persecutions or crosses I know thy works After the Preface followeth the Epistle it selfe containing the matter and contents to be deliuered to the Church of Smyrna in the ninth and tenth verses The Epistle hath two parts first a commendation of the Church secondly counsell for her concerning time to come The commendation is in the ninth verse I know thy workes In these words as there is a commendation of her there is also a comfort for he doth not onely commend her but comfort her being in miserie I know thy workes We heard these words before expounded I know that is I see thy workes wayes dealing the course and tenour of thy life I know and approue of the same it liketh and pleaseth me well In that Christ saith he knoweth her workes here is a notable propertie of Christ that he seeth all Churches he beholdeth all mens actions he seeth their words workes affections and actions As he spake to the Church of Ephesus before so now to the Church of Smyrna to shew them that he is alwaies present in the midst of the Church he seeth and beholdeth all her dealings And this consideration is most necessarie and the ground of all grace and religion when a man is perswaded that Christ seeth his heart heareth euery word beholdeth all his actions and marketh all his words Dauid 139. Psalme The Lord beholdeth all my secrets there is not a word in my toung but he knoweth it So should we perswade our selues and this would make vs make conscience of all our words our thoughts our actions of all we do or say nay where this is wanting there is no true grace no faith no conscience for if a man were perswaded that Christ seeth his workes beholds and markes them he durst not for his life sinne as he doth And thy tribulation Here he ioynes workes and tribulation together where we may gather that tribulation must needs go with workes and with the grace of God where grace is there must be tribulations where God giueth grace he addeth tribulation first to humble them secondly to trie them thirdly to preuent other sinnes which they should else commit I know thy tribulation This then is added to comfort the Church as if he should say It is true thou art in tribulation but it comes not by chance but from God my father I know it I see and behold it and haue care of
chose Babylon a citie of confusion and abhomination So he hath chosen Rome which is become of a famous Church the throne of Satan So Ierusalem the citie of God the temple of God first began to be a denne of theeues and then the citie fell to wickednesse so the diuell getteth Gods temple and the holy citie to be his throne And in our time he getteth the great cities shire townes for his throne for in thē is greater ignorance and the Gospell more contemned then in small villages in which after litle preaching it is willingly embraced Now the cause of this is because the diuell laboureth especially to haue his throne where he may do the most harme and conuey his doctrine to moe places and liue without controlment If this or any other shire towne or any great citie liue in sin in ignorance and contemne the Gospell take heed for they shall become in time a denne of theeues and a synagogue of Satan he will haue his throne there Now then it is our dutie to labor against him to haue his throne plucked downe to haue him defaced and cast out haue our bodies and soules subiect to Christ renounce our selues relye wholly on Christ forsake our owne waies neuer lend our eares to Satan let him haue no footing in vs neuer suffer him to come to haue his throne begunne but still labour to haue it razed and turned vpside downe and withall suffer Christ to rule suffer him alone to possesse our hearts that so the kingdome of Satan being ouerthrowne the kingdome of Iesus Christ may be increased daily in vs. Wheras the Church of God is gathered out of that place where the diuell hath his kingdome erected we note that the Church of God is a companie of men deriued and taken out of the Synagogue of Satan the kingdome of the diuell though it be a chosen people yet it is picked out of the kingdome of the diuell where he ruleth Col. 1. 12. 13. for all men are by nature the vassals of Satan and subiects in his kingdome Then no man must stand of his gentilitie and of his nobility and bloud but all our true ioy must be in this that we are the members of the true Church of God for what will it auaile a man to haue a golden chaine on his necke and haue his will and affections vnder the slauerie of the diuell or to be the sonne of a Prince and yet to be out of the true Church and to be in the companie of the wicked a slaue and vassall of the diuell But our ioy must be in this that we are members of the Church of God and haue right to the kingdome of heauen Sundrie men thinke a man may be saued by any religion and most of the common people thinke that good meaning will saue them but a man may professe any religion and haue good meaning and yet not know one step to the kingdome of heauen but remaine the vassall and slaue of Satan For a man may haue outward ciuill iustice and ciuill pollicie and meane well yet be the seruant of the diuell We see the children of God gaine a priuiledge aboue all other for in affliction and persecution though they be cast into dangers yet they may assure themselues seeing they be members of Gods church they be freed from the kingdome of the diuell and so from that place of darknesse Seeing the preaching of the word gained a Church in the middle of the kingdome of the diuell we see the word hath a diuine power for there is no creature which hath greater power in earth then the diuell except good Angels yet the preaching of the word draweth one out of the kingdom of the diuel and gathereth a Church in the midst of his kingdome Seeing in Pergamus where the throne of the diuell was Gods children were we see that God will haue his seruants to dwell in the middle of the wicked and mingled with the vassals of the diuell yet so as he doth this for good causes first that their faith obedience and repentance might be exercised secondly that so they might be kept frō many grieuous sins into which else they would fall So when the Lord brought the Israelites into the land of Canaan he would not cast all their enemies out at once but they must be mingled and dwell with the Canaanites for if they should destroy them at once the wild beasts might haue destroyed the land so the Church must be mingled with euill men that the godly may be exercised and that they might be kept from more grieuous sinnes Secondly he will haue his children to dwell with wicked vngodly men that their godly life might shine as lights among them Philip. 2. 17. and so to winne them to the Gospell for a godly life is most effectuall to win men to Christ. Thirdly that the Lord might shew speciall tokens of his loue and fauour to them that when he bringeth his iudgements on the wicked yet he defendeth them Ezech. 9. 4. He marked them which mourned that they might escape the iudgement which was brought on Ierusalem Then if any man dwell among such as contemne and hate religion and the doctrine of the Gospell let them be cōtented seeing it is Gods will they should dwell with the wicked and the Lord will haue his Church on earth proued and exercised by them We see it is lawfull for men to dwell with and by such wicked men but they must not communicate with them in their sinnes but abstaine from their wickednesse as Lot in Sodome and Noah dwelt with the wicked men of the old world and the church of Pergamus in the place where the diuels kingdom was erected For 1. Cor. 7. there is a question whether a seruant hauing a maister which is an infidell may forsake him or not the answer is made he must dwell with him but so that therby he deny not the principall grounds of religion but keepe a good conscience towards God in all things And hence we may see how to answer that old obiection of the Papists Where was our Church fourscore yeares agone before Luther preached when the doctrine of Antichrist was in all Europe By the like I aske Where was the Church of Pergamus when the kingdome of the diuell was there The holy Ghost telleth vs that in the same time when the diuell had erected his throne mightily in that place yet there was the church of God So when the man of sinne had spread his doctrine of wickednesse in all Europe yet there was a Church amongst vs in this and other lands as appeares in that euer there was some which both openly and priuately oppugned his doctrine by word and writing in all ages which shews that though sin ruled in this church many hundred yeares yet the Lord had professors though not so visible as now it is when men may professe openly in euery place without feare And
the affection of Christ which things I also hate that is not their persons but their errors Which thing I hate First he teacheth vs to auoide and dislike the least honour or approbation which can be giuen to idols for these Nicolaitanes did not honour idols or offer to them but came into their temples and inuited by their friends did eate of the meate offered to them yet Christ hateth their dealing shewing he wold haue vs to do the like This also condemneth the practise of the Church of Rome who say they worship not idols yet they kneele downe to the images of Christ and Saints adore them light candles and tapers to them offer to them hang costly iewels about their neckes cloth them with costly apparell and so do indeed farre more then the Nicolaitanes did therefore hath Christ cause to hate them much more This also teacheth men which trauell to take heed that they trauell not without any calling to see newes out of the limits of the Church as to Spaine and Italie for then they being out of the bounds of the true Church offer themselues to occasions which may bring them to idolatrie though they hate images for being in idolatrous places they must come into their temples and do as their maner is offer to idols and kneele downe to them which they cannot without some approbation whereas they should hate the least approbation or liking of them Then it is good for men which trauell to trauell within the Church and not out but by some speciall calling and necessitie Further by this Christ would haue vs to hate all familiar societie with idolaters A man may I graunt liue with Idolaters in a ciuill course of peace but not to haue a speciall kind of familiaritie and amitie with them Now as Christ hated their idolatry so did he their fornicatiō giuing vs example to hate fornication first because our bodies are not our owne but the bodie of a faithfull man or woman is the bodie of Christ he hath bought it therefore we must consecrate and dedicate them to honour him not Satan his enemy Our bodie and soule is the member of Christ at least by profession then we must not take the member of Christ and make it the member of an harlot Our bodie and soule is the house and temple of the holy Ghost therefore we must keepe them faire pure and cleane fit to entertaine such a guest but they which pollute themselues with fornication make them sties and stables for the diuell Repent quickely Hauing laid downe the fault of the Church of Pergamus and the errors of the Nicolaitanes here he sheweth the remedie to escape and after the remedie addeth two reasons to moue thē to practise the remedie the first cōcerning the whole Church of Pergamus the second the Nicolaitans In the remedie note first what repentance is secondly why it is so often prescribed by Christ to his Church thirdly to whom To repent properly is to change the mind from euill to good from sinne to God thus when by Gods grace a man hath this purpose in his heart not to sin as before but in all things wholly to do the will of God for euer But here repentance as commonly in the Scripture is taken more largely for all the duties which go with or are in repentance as first humiliation confession of our sinnes condemning our selues for them secondly inuocation for pardon of them thirdly reformation of life when a man purposeth and indeuoreth in his life to do the will of God But why doth Christ so often repeate and prescribe repentance to his Church Ans. Not because it is a meanes to procure or demerit saluation and reconciliation with God for onely the death and passion of Christ and his merits alone can do that but he calleth them often to this dutie because it is the most excellent fruite of faith Repentance of it selfe procureth not Gods fauour but it is a token of Gods fauour procured in Christ. Secondly because it is a path way wherein all men must walke which must haue pardon of their sinnes and life euerlasting But to whom doth Christ prescribe repentance Ans. First to the whole church of Pergamus secondly to the Nicolaitanes As for the Church of Pergamus the Ministers and people thereof Christ before had commended them for worthie graces they had repentance before yet Christ bids them repent still Now in that he prescribeth repentance still to a repentant people it sheweth vs that the whole life of a Christian is a continuall practise of repentance a daily and perpetuall repentance When one hath begunne and repented once that is not enough but as euery day addeth to our age so euery day for our new sinnes we must haue new repentance 1. Cor. 5. Paule desired them to labour to be reconciled to God Now 1. Cor. 6. they were reconciled alreadie and had true repentance noting that they must labour to haue their reconciliation more increased in regard of the certaintie of it and their daily offences and sinnes Now we must thinke that what Christ spake to the Church of Pergamus is spoken to vs and if we be in the like sin we must learne to performe the same dutie which they are commanded here Christ moreouer prescribeth this not onely to the Church of Pergamus but to the Nicolaitanes which held two damnable errors and as they held them no doubt they liued accordingly yet Christ biddeth them repent Then great and grieuous sinners are not barred from Gods mercie if they will repent Excellent is that of Esay Our God is much exceeding much in mercie Psalm 130. God is much in mercie plenteous in redemption no man which is a grieuous sinner but God offereth him mercie if he will repent and lay hold on it Among vs in this Church are many ignorant and euill people yet if these will repent the Lord offereth his mercie though they be as wicked as the Nicolaitanes as Iudas or Herode were yet Christ offereth his mercie and merite if they will lay hold on it Then let all such wicked men breake off their sins by repentance of their idolatrie blasphemie fornication and humble themselues with Iob in dust and ashes and they shall find mercie But we must not abuse Gods mercie to presumption but be sure that though thy sinnes be as scarlet or crimson or as scarlet which can take no other colour yet there is mercie in store to helpe thee if thou repent This doctrine may be taught to malefactors not to imbolden them in sinne but to assure them that if they repent at any time the Lord will heare them yea though a man fall often into the same sinne which is dangerous yet if he haue grace to repent Gods fountaine of mercie is not drawne dry but still he hath in store onely they must repent for if they looke to haue the merit of Christ Christ looketh to haue their repentance Else I will come against thee
of his word God will be wearie of their seruice of all their prayers and other seruice where or whatsoeuer Lastly many thinke they haue knowledge enough no man can teach them that they know not alreadie But the preaching of the word serueth not onely to beget knowledge but to increase the same and also to beget in man obedience to his knowledge so that these though they seeme to be the wisest are most foolish no man no not the greatest learned but he hath knowledge in part and it may be increased and say he get not more knowledge yet he may by the word deliuered by a plaine and simple man be brought to obedience of that he knoweth Another principall dutie cōmanded in the conclusion is reading the word both in publike and priuate that so we may be prepared to heare and obey the same So Christ Luk. 10. 26. What readest thou he taketh it for graunted that the young man could reade the lawe Esay 5. 13. for want of Gods word and knowledge the people of God went into captiuitie And yet we see among vs many families which come to church heare the word nay receiue the Sacraments not knowing the thing assured in them neither hauing a Bible to reade nor procuring others if they cannot yet many haue a Bible lying on their cupbord but vse it not The tables cards and dice they be well vsed and worne but the booke of God lyeth couered with dust Many will haue the booke of Satutes that they may know their dutie but none careth to haue the Statutes of God to teach them to range their vnbridled affections within the compasse of the same And to him which ouercommeth Here is the second part of the conclusion namely the promise which is the same in substance with those annexed with the two former Epistles In this promise note two points first to whom it is made secondly what is promised First the persons to whom promise is made namely they which ouercome To ouercome as before is to beleeue to put all our trust and confidence in Christ alone and to get victorie against all our spirituall enemies That we may ouercome so we must do two things first we must denie our selues and all that is in vs put our whole confidence in Christ alone secondly we must maintaine true religion and a good conscience in all things to our last end and this is indeed to ouercome all our spirituall enemies Now seeing God maketh this promise to them which ouercome we must labour to come to this estate that so we may be partakers of the promise The second point is the thing promised He will giue him to eate of the hidden Manna c. The thing promised is a threefold gift of God first to eate of that Manna secondly he shall haue a white stone thirdly a new name written in the same white stone Which three signifie our election vocation iustification sanctificatiō glorification and to be the children of God To come to the first to eate of the hidden Manna Manna signifieth properly that food which God gaue the children of Israell from heauen to feed them in the wildernesse Psalm 98. For the excellencie of it it is called the wheat of heauen and the foode of strong men or of Angels in forme it was like Coreander seed white and sweet as Moses saith by which the Lord fed them in the wildernesse fortie yeares from heauen to teach them man liueth not by bread onely but by the word of God And this is thought of many to be the same white Manna sold in shops but I stand not on that and it is to be doubted But this Manna signifieth another food 1. Cor. 10. it is the spirituall foode which our fathers did eate namely the food of our souls that is Christ the true Manna and bread of life which came from heauen Iohn 6. sheweth that Christ is that food and spirituall meate of our soules feeding vs to eternall life Ob. But how can Christ the Sonne of God become our meat and food Ans. By these conclusions first Christ is food not in respect of his doctrine or his miracles or in regard of his death passion or obedience alone but in regard of himselfe as he is Christ God and man And here he is called the Lord of life first in regard of himselfe then in regard of his benefites The second conclusion he is our food not as he lay in the cratch or as he is now in heauen but as he died was buried rose suffered the paines of hell dead Christ crucified Christ he is our food of life for frō his death cometh our life The third conclusion Christ is food not in regard of his Godhead or Deitie but in regard of his manhood I say of his manhood not simply in it selfe but as it is in the Godhead subsisting by the Deitie as he is God and man so is his bodie and bloud our food yet Christ is not a bodily and sensible food to be receiued with our hand mouth and into our stomacke but he is a spirituall food to be receiued onely by the hand of faith into the stomacke of our soules whereby they be fed to eternall life And thus we eate him when we beleeue and assure our selues that he was dead buried and crucified for vs in particular Seeing Christ crucified is the bread of life and the spirituall Manna whereon our soules must feed we must long and hunger after Christ spiritually as truly and sensibly as we do after meate and drinke We see when a man is famished he will eate his owne flesh teare and pull it off his armes to satisfie hunger Now shall we thus pull our owne flesh and shall we not spend all we haue to haue this food of our soules In the hunger of the stomacke be two things first there is a paine in the nether part and bottome of the stomacke and from this there cometh a strong and hungrie appetite which lasteth till the belly and appetite be filled and satisfied So we should feele a paine in our hearts rising from the feare of Gods wrath for our sinnes and offences and withall we must feele an hungring and longing appetite to haue this paine taken away to haue this appetite satisfied which is onely by that food of the bodie and bloud of Christ. Secondly there is besides that paine an appetite and longing after meate and an earnest desire to be satisfied now as the stomacke longeth after meate so should the stomacke of our soules feeling a paine long and haue an earnest appetite to be filled and satisfied in some sort neuer quiet till we haue got the bodie and bloud of Christ which is the true food of our soules to satisfie our hungrie appetite But our case for the most part is miserable we haue a dead flesh growne ouer our hearts they be not touched with any paine of our wants and miseries But we must
is plaine in the old new Testament But how can these signifie thoughts and affections seeing thoughts be in the braine affections in the heart neither of them in the reines Ans. By resemblance for as the reines be in the most secret and inward parts of the bodie so thoughts be in the most hidden part of man namely his soule So thoughts are said to be in the heart because they haue operation in the heart though they be placed in the brain Search that is with such circumspection and diligence as bringeth the finding out of that we seek By this is signified that Christ seeth not onely the outward actions but the inward affections and motions nothing the most secret is hidden from him We see by this Christ is not onely man but very God for he which hath the true propertie of God is very God Christ hath ergo He which is God alone can search the heart the thoughts motions and inclinations of the heart but Christ can therefore he is true God one person consisting of two natures the Godhead and manhood Againe seeing Christ discerneth the heart we must in all things take heed of hypocrisie especially in matters of religion when we seeme to be that outwardly which indeed we are not inwardly but we must looke that we be that in truth and in heart which we would seeme to the world to be draw nigh to God with our souls as we do with our bodies lips words and actions For Christ is very God seeth and searcheth our hearts thoughts and affections he looketh not so much to the outward as the inward seruing of him we must worship him in spirit seeing he is a Spirit Besides we must suspect our selues for vnknowne sins for such is the depth of our corruption that we cannot sound the bottome of it neither can we thorougly see the pronenesse of our nature to sinne and corruption Therefore we must suspect our selues euen of all sinnes which we know not and not excuse any sinnes So did Dauid Psalm 19. after earnest search as though he had said Lord I haue searched my heart but I cannot sufficiently know mine owne corruptions therefore O Lord forgiue me all mine vnknowne sinnes And if we could thus suspect our selues we would better practise repentance and liue with greater care but ignorant persons not able to search their corrupt hearts they blesse themselues and excuse themselues nay say they can keepe the whole law Now Christ hauing cut off the first corrupt cōceipt preuenteth the second wherby they might hinder and auoid his iudgement for they might say though the Lord send iudgments yet we shall be safe they shall not come nigh vs. Thus they and euery sinfull man doth say Esa. 28. They in common iudgement make a league with hell saying Gods iudgements shall not come nigh them This is a naturall corruption of our hearts that in common iudgement we shall escape and euery man liketh this Now Christ to cut off this corrupt conceipt saith And will giue as if he had said you may flatter your selues thinke when I send iudgement you shall escape but I will giue to euery one none excepted according to his workes therefore flatter your selues no more I will giue That is I will reward partly in this life and partly at the day of iudgement for it is meant especially of the last iudgement Rom. 2. Reu. 20. Hence the Papists gather that men must be saued not onely by faith but workes seeing God will reward good workes Ans. 1. Their reason standeth thus by that we are iudged by the very same thing we are saued but we are iudged by workes therfore saued by works The flat maior is false for we must distinguish betweene iudgement and iustification To iudge is to declare one iust by his signes as his workes to iustifie is to make a man iust in which we consider nothing but Christ and our faith applying him to vs. So then we are iudged by workes but not iustified neither saued by workes Answ. 2. Christ saith not I will giue for their workes but I will giue them according to their works as their workes be not for them where he maketh workes an outward signe and rule according to which he wil frame his iudgement to declare men iust Seeing euery man must be iudged that is saued or condemned by his workes then good workes are necessarie to saluation for we must be iudged by our workes and saued according to our workes therefore they be necessarie not as causes either efficient or helping any waies but as fruites effects and signes of our faith and markes in the way to heauen which must direct vs to eternall life Seeing we shall be iudged in this life but especially in the last day by our workes we must labour to abound in good workes not to winne heauen by them but to assure our selues we belong to Christ and shall be truly vnited to him Now all good works are either the works or duties of the morall law of God or else they be those workes of our calling both generall as we be Christians or particular in that calling God placeth vs done in faith and loue to Gods glorie the good of others and in obedience to God These be good works to God though the calling be neuer so base for which we shall be rewarded and according to which we shall be iudged and saued Now contrarily euil works they be euident signes of condēnation look how many euil works we do they be so many brands and markes of our soules to shew we be the children of Satan Here we see there are degrees of glorie in heauen and of punishment in hell for he will reward euery one according to his works Then they which haue abounded in good workes they shall haue greater measure of glorie the fewer works the lesser glorie so they which haue committed greatest sinnes they shall haue greatest measure of punishment they which lesse lesse punishment in hell fire And vnto you I say In this foure and twentieth verse he cometh to the second part of his counsell to the Church and Angell of Thyatira that is the better sort of the Church But before the counsell he setteth a preface in which preface note first who speaketh secondly to whom For the first who speaketh namely I. Where Christ as doctor of the church challengeth to himselfe all supremacie and sufficient authoritie ouer the Church for all his Ministers come in his name not in their owne The Lord saith or Christ saith But Christ he comes in his owne name I say Noting he is the head Doctor and teacher of the Church the fountaine and head of all doctrine deliuered to it This Christ saith to smite a reuerence in their harts seeing this counsell is not deliuered to them by any man or Angell but by Christ himselfe who deliuered it to Iohn For the second to whom he giueth counsell namely you that
like a stocke I wil giue thē and make thē come therfore a man being effectually called he cannot either come or not come at his pleasure as though God did for his part offer man grace and will him to come yet he may refuse it and not come but if God call man cannot but come else Christ would not haue said I will giue him and make him come But they say Matth. 23. Christ saith to Ierusalem How oft would I c. but you would not Answ. He spake that not as he was God but as he was a Prophet or the Minister of circumcision to the Iewes Againe say they Act. 27. they resisted the holy Ghost Ans. That is the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets which was indicted by the holy Ghost not the spirit of God himselfe for no inferior power can resist a superior To come to the next Who be conuerted Namely a certaine synagogue of the Iewes at Philadelphia which said they were worshippers of Christ yet indeed were the synagogue of Satan and bond-slaues of the diuell Here we see not onely small but great and old sinners may repent and be saued Christ he died for all kinds of sinners great rebellious and obstinate if they can repent they may be conuerted and come to Christ. 2. Thess. 2. 26. they must waite for the repentance of those which were taken in the diuels snares so as he would wish them no surer Rom. 1. some were giuen ouer to a reprobate sense yet it is likely that some of them repented Then we see great grieuous and notorious sins may be forgiuen yet we must not abuse the grace of God to liue in sinne but gather comfort hence that though we be great sinners yet if we can repent there is mercie with the Lord no sin can hinder vs from Christ. We reade that Christ healed three sorts of dead men some when they went to the graue some buried and some which lay foure dayes and stanke as Lazarus did So Christ healeth all kind of persons he calleth men of all sorts euen them which lie stinking in sinnes and are almost rotten in them Then take the benefite of Christs exceeding mercie when he calleth thee to repent come and cast away thy sinne though thou be a vassal of Satan a man rotten in sin yet Christ hath mercy infinit he can heale and help thee and he came to call not those which think they be righteous but such as are penitent sinners to take them out of the Lions paw and to saue the lost sheepe of Israel Then abuse not this exceeding mercie but blesse his Maiestie for it and vse it as a meanes to repent to bring thee to newnesse of life to breake off thy sin and to make thee a liuely member in Iesus Christ. I will make them come and worship Now followeth the third point in the conuersion of a sinner namely the good fruites of their repentance and conuersion I will make them worship These words are expounded 1. Cor. 14. 25. where the children of God prophecying there cometh in an vnlearned man he falleth downe and worshippeth so here he will cause these wicked Iewes to come and fall downe and worship and adore the true God in the congregation of Gods church and people In these words note two fruites of conuersion the first concernes God the second the church of God and the members of the same For the first to worship God it is a true fruite of a conuerted sinner which no man can truly performe as he ought till he be conuerted to wit to worship and adore God in the companie of his saints people The natural man knoweth that there is a God that this God must be worshipped but to worship him as he ought it is a worke that none but he which is truly conuerted can performe Another may performe outward worship heare the word receiue the sacraments but true worship which is in the heart and spirit for God is a spirit that he cannot performe Now for the worship of God three properties are to be noted in these words first They shall come and worship not worship simply but come signifying that the true worship of God must be voluntary willing and cheerefull not of constraint or compulsion but as though there were no law or iudgment for them if they did not Psa. 110. they came freely not by compulsion Then we see how most men come short for men are not touched with loue of the word neuer or seldome come to heare it onely come to morning or euening Prayer because if they do not the law wil compell them These are no true worshippers of God for he cannot abide any worshippers but willing and voluntary And worship That is reuerence God with bowing the body or knee and this is the second property we must expresse our reuerence in conuenient and seemely bowing of the body or the knee Then we see this is not a thing indifferent but necessary to vse meete and conuenient gesture of the bodie in the seruice of God to bow downe and prostrate our selues our soule and bodie Esay 6. the Angels in the presence of God couer their feete with three wings and their face with other three testifying their reuerence and adoration in the worship of God So must Gods people worship him in soule and bodie c. But we come short in this dutie for whereas we should vse seemely and conuenient gesture of the bodie to shew our reuerence and humilitie we see many lie snorting and leaning on their elbowes others vnreuerently with their heads couered which ought to be bare for God is a God of soule and bodie therefore we must reuerence him with both Before thy feet This is the third propertie namely in the congregation of Gods people they shall prostrate themselues at their feet in hearing the word or prayer they must be humbled the pride of their hearts beaten downe be smitten with feare of Gods Maiestie and of their owne sinnes Act. 16. 29. The Iaylor ouer night put Paule into prison but in the morning finding all the prison doores open and thinking all the prisoners to be gone he would haue killed himself Now being thus astonished and affraid Paule preacheth the Gospell to him which before he contemned but now being smitten with feare of the Maiestie of God he heareth Paule willingly with trembling and cometh kneeling and crowching to him saying What shall I do c. And vntill a man be smitten downe with feare of Gods glorious Maiestie with sense of his iudgements for his sinnes and so come to humble himselfe he cannot be a true beleeuer of Gods will and word The cause why there be so few true professors and that all serue God with formall worship is because they were neuer cast downe they were neuer smitten with feare of Gods Maiestie neuer confounded for their owne sinnes for till these be in vs in some sort we cannot worship God we cannot
The Papist though he seeme to make a great shew of loue to Christ yet he performeth no such thing for he parteth stakes with Christ and maketh himselfe to be his owne sauiour so that howsoeuer he pretend to be a most zealous Catholike yet he hath no true grace 2 The Temporizer he which altereth his religion as times alter And such is the bodie of our people and they are not ashamed to confesse it that they will follow the Prince and change their religiō with the time And this sheweth what men will do if Poperie come againe they may say they are good Christians but they shew themselues plaine Laodiceans 3 All such as follow Nicodemus that is which loue Christ but dare not come to him by day light such as thinke they may heare Masse and yet keepe their conscience to themselues halting betwixt God and Baal 4 Such as are mediators and pacificators and would make an vnion betweene vs and the Papists being perswaded that our religion and the Papists are all one in effect for the matter and substance of it and that all the difference is only in circumstance so they write and defend their opinion but let them pretend what they will zeale of Gods glorie or whatsoeuer be it neuer so much they are but Laodiceans A fift fort there is and who are they Luk. 16. Such as serue God and Mammon And where are they nay where are they not Lamentable is out time wherein men will needes be professors and yet how is all their time spent vpon care for this world The greatest part of their life and time is bestowed on that there is all their ioy care desire labour and studie let them say what they will so long as their care and studie is spent vpon Mammon they are very Laodiceans And such are the most part of our hearers they draw neare God with their lippes but their hearts are vpon their goods the whole heart is set vpon the world and the whole time of their liues is spent in this Who they are your owne consciences will tell you they are indeed Christians professors but lukewarme and worse then Christs enemies 6 They that heare the word and like it but in their liues giue themselues to sinnes blasphemie drunkennesse fornication oppression vsurie some to this vice some to that And euen in this very ranck I place those which professe religion but yet delight in the fond and irreligious fashions of the world vsing the new strange and monstrous fashions of apparell they spend so much time vpon their bodies that the soule goeth naked The world aboundeth with such now yong and old It is strange to see how absurd men are beyond all common reason in apparelling themselues so fondly whereas their garments shold put them in mind of their owne shame and nakednesse be no cause of glorying in them And the modest garments should shew the vertues of the mind now what do they else but shew the vanities and vices of our minds Now shall we excuse our selues though we be none of these not intangled with the sinnes of the world No we cannot We shall find wants of the feare of God of hatred of sinne of the reuerend regard and estimation of the Gospel which we ought to haue so as no man can say he is free from this nay euery man euen he that hath best grace shall feele in himselfe want of care and loue to God and his word Therefore we must with Iob lay our hands vpon our mouthes and say we are vile Well this being so now consider the iudgement threatened lay it before your eyes marke the end and recompence Christ will spue such out of his mouth that is cast them from God from Christ and his Church This threatning pertaineth to this age and therefore we must tremble and be ashamed and repent of this sinne left ere long we be spued out of his mouth Thus much of the examination of this sinne Now of the amendement of it Where note first the fault secondly the greatnesse of it thirdly the punishment that is a separation from the Church Now I will proceed further to shew that euen among vs as well as in other places this sinne is to be found that euery one may be the better acquainted with his owne state And this appeareth by diuerse signes First by common neglect of the duties of Religion which is manifested diuerse waies first though we come often and greedily to the Church yet very few profit in knowledge and fewer in amendement of life and many that profit in knowledge something do thriue in obedience litle or nothing at all How true this is I appeale to euery mans conscience This is an euident argument of great negligence in all sorts Take the bodies of our congregations they be as ignorant as any I know there be some which profit both in knowledge and practise but I speake of the greatest part Experience in diuerse occasions maketh this manifest The second token of this negligence is that few spend any time in reading of the word to search the Scriptures try whether it be as they are taught or not nay few will be at the cost to buy a Bible or if they haue one they will not take the paines to reade in it or to keep a constant course in reading of it daily A third signe is the prophanation of the Sabbath though many come to Church at the time appointed for publike worship and seruice yet there is no priuate sanctification of it at home but when the congregation is dissolued men betake themselues to their owne affaires profits delights and pleasures No such persons can possibly haue any great measure of knowledge or obedience and grace because they do not keepe times for this purpose By these signes it is plaine and euident yea palpable that there is great negligence in the duties of Religion Now where there is such negligence though coldnesse be wanting yet there is no heate and we are but lukewarme Gospellers Another sign of lukewarmnesse is this our religion stands on generals and reacheth not to our particular callings In the church we are good Christians but when we come home to the particular duties of our priuate callings where is religion then where is the practise of that we heare There is no conscience made of lying deceiuing oppressing no care of that good dealing which ought to be in men Al our religion is in the church and none at home Whereas if religion were in the hart it would shew some fruit in our liues as fire and heate cannot be hidden Although I doubt not but there be some of whom these sins take no hold yet there be many which professe that they be neither hot nor cold but in a meane between both and yet they will be partakers of the word and sacraments and when they see any haue care to obey they haue presently the name of
of their pride that it was not small but great therefore the word is doubled to shew the strength of their conceipt and the greatnesse of their pride Now what is the cause why they were not onely puft vp but giuen to such an high degree of pride Answ. Knowledge was the cause for no doubt but the Angell of that Church had great knowledge and was a learned man and the people were well instructed Now knowledge puffeth vp it maketh mens hearts to swell with pride therfore it is true that where much knowledge is there is much pride if men want the grace of humiliation and griefe for sinne And haue need of nothing Here is a further marke and token of their pride when a man thinkes thus that he needs no help for his saluation if he stands in no need of Christs blood for the saluation of his soule this is a notable signe of abundant pride in the heart This serueth further to conuince our congregration of this pride for if we be neuer so litle sicke straight we seeke to the Phisitians but though our soules be neuer so sicke none seeke to the Ministers sicknesses we feele but not sins therefore the Phisitian is in request but the Minister is not thought of till the pangs of death be felt This shewes that we abound in spirituall pride therfore marke this you must labour to feele what need you haue of Christ for til you do so there is no grace in the heart If you would haue grace learne this that you want the bloud of Christ and till you feele this neuer thinke your case good but wretched and damnable It is a daungerous case for a man to say he wanteth nothing And knowest not Here he setteth downe the cause of their pride that is ignorance as if he should say Thou knowest not thine owne naturall estate as thou wert borne of Adam thy state out of Christ. Thus we see that ignorance is the cause of pride and pride of lukewarmenesse By this he sheweth what they are ignorant of Hence it may be gathered that pride was not the first sinne nor the roote of all other sinnes as the Papists and some other thinke Indeed it is a great sinne and a mother sinne yet it hath a more inward cause that is ignorance Whereof euen of a mans owne estate before God so much Christ here signifieth The cause why any thinke wel of themselues and swell in pride is the ignorance of their owne estate and because they are ignorant of that therefore they are puft vp with pride By this we must all be admonished to haue care to learne to know our owne estate in which we are by nature without Christ. Euery person that will come to saluation must be throughly acquainted with his owne estate and know his owne sinnes and the curse due to them and therefore it is that the Prophets so often call vpon the people to search and fanne themselues that they might be acquainted with their owne estate Till you know this you shall be but proud peacocks neuer haue grace although you haue otherwise very great gifts of knowledge and grace to conceiue a prayer be able to teach yet you shall neuer haue any grace to turne and repent truly till the ignorance of your state be remoued and then cometh grace true obedience and humiliation and other graces needfull for Gods seruice therefore labour for it If there be any blemish in your face you will see it O then labour to see the spots of your soules Now in that Christ doth thus strike at the roote of their pride and bewray their ignorance he sheweth the state of euery man by nature so that here cometh to be handled the naturall estate and miserie of man The miserie of this Church is propounded two waies first generally secondly particularly Generally in two words wretched and miserable Wretched that is one subiect to misery griefe and calamities so much is signified by the first word That we may know what this miserie is I will enter into a description of mans wretchednesse Where two things must be considered first the roote and fountaine of it namely originall sinne which hath two branches first that very particular offence and trespasse whereby Adam sinned which is not onely the sinne of his person but of mans nature and of euery one that cometh of Adam Christ excepted Secondly from that sinne as a part of it and yet withall as a punishment of it followeth the corruption of mans heart and defacing of Gods image whereby the heart hath got a pronenesse and disposition or inclination to all sinne In these two stand mans miserie for from these do spring al our miseries both in and after this life So much for the first part what mans miserie is Againe we must conceiue it vnder the forme of a punishment All miserie of what kind soeuer is a punishment laid vpon man for that first sinne Now the punishment of sinne must be considered diuerse waies according to the diuerse times of mans being either in this world or departed hence All punishment is either in this life or in the end of it or after and so is miserie in this life in the end of it or after it Againe some miseries concerne the whole man and they are two principally First a subiection to Gods wrath whereby a man is in daunger thereof euery day made a child of wrath This is a miserie of all miseries and so much the more grieuous as a man cannot without some grace see it Secondly bondage to the diuell the Scripture speaketh of it oftentimes You may conceiue it thus The man regenerate saith I sin but I would not sinne the naturall man saith I sinne and I will sinne it is my nature to sinne and my pleasure and in sinne will I liue And these are the two miseries concerning the whole man Now there be miseries which concerne not the whole man but the bodie or soule goods or calling in this life Miseries concerning the soule are these First in the mind and vnderstanding there is blindnesse and ignorance of Gods will Secondly in diuerse persons madnesse and foolishnesse All these are miseries curses and punishments inflicted on mans soule for sin And further that nothing can be learned without paines and difficultie Further in the mind there is a conscience and there is accusation secret feares and terrors and so many accusations so many miseries In the will there is rebellion and in the affections peruersenesse which is not onely a sinne but a plague and punishment And as the soule so the bodie is subiect to his miseries to many paines aches and diseases Yea the diseases of mans bodie are so many that all Physicke bookes cannot record them Besides diseases there is mortalitie that is a subiection to death so as all the art and skill in the world cannot preuent it In our goods the want of necessaries is a miserie and by
reason of sinne a punishment and in it owne nature a curse And all the hurt that cometh by the creatures whereas they be at enmitie betweene themselues or with men it is a curse for mans sinne And in that they be subiect to vanitie too all is for the punishment of our sinnes Further all losses and damages and crosses whatsoeuer and wants of temporall blessings they are miseries The like we may say of all callings for there is none but it is subiect to griefes and vexations no man can carie himselfe so in any calling but he shall feele some woe and miserie And as in this life so in the end of this life the miserie is bodily death that is a separation of the soule from the bodie which if man had not fallen should haue remained vnseparable This in it owne nature is a fearefull curse for it is the very gate of hell And after this life followeth the full accomplishment of Gods wrath all the miseries in this life are but preparations to that Then cometh destruction endlesse in the place of the damned For this destruction is first a separation from God and excludeth men from all societie with him secondly an apprehension of Gods wrath in the whole man bodie and soule for euer Thirdly it is in the place of the damned with the diuell and his angels therefore this miserie is the summe and accomplishment of all miseries the rest are but beginnings of this Thus you see what mans miserie is Now then considering what is the fountaine of our miserie originall sin what is the nature of miserie namely it is a curse and punishment we see what it is to be wretched and miserable Thou art wretched That is tainted with sinne and subiect to punishment for it in this life in the end of it and after it Now touching this generall point we are to consider the end why Christ saith this And knowest not c. Which is that he might teach them and vs to learne to know our miserie and to feele it and to be touched in conscience for it Whosoeuer shall but lightly reade ouer this Epistle shall see that this is the very end of it for they thought themselues to be highly in Gods fauour when it was nothing so indeed I pray you all therefore which are now assembled here to heare things touching eternall life and the saluation of your soules forsake abandon other conceipts and turne your eyes to this that you may see what be the miseries to which you are subiect and when you see them go further labour that your hearts may be touched that you may euen crie out with the men of Ierusalem What shall we do Till then we shall be like these Laodiceans neither hote nor cold We shall neuer haue true and sound religion in vs till we feele the waight of our miserie I acknowledge that the sight of our miserie is Gods grace but go to the root and seeke that all pride may be expulsed and you may embrace the Gospell which ministreth a remedie for all miserie But thou art miserable This word miserable signifieth one that is worthy to be pitied which he vseth to expresse the greatnesse of their misery meaning that they were so far subiect to misery that they were to be pitied of all men so that this is not added to shew any new thing but to inlarge the former Learne we hence that it is not our dutie to disdaine a sinner that is in misery or to reproch scorn but to pitie him the more grieuous sinner a man is the more he is to be pitied It was Dauids maner so to do 1. Sam 16. and he was so farre from contemning a sinner that he shed riuers of teares Psal. 119. 136. And Ezec. 9. the good man was moued with the bowels of compassion when the people were sinfull The like is in Ier. 9. It was the Corinthians fault when the incestuous man had sinned they were neuer a whit humbled or moued with pitie but puft vp with pride and contempt so that they scorned him and Paul reprooueth it in them And this is a fault in many of vs that men are not humbled when they see other men sinne our hearts are not touched with sorow for it but rather puft vp If we haue receiued more grace then other let vs not despise or scorne them which haue not the like measure Thus much of their misery in generall As for the particulars they are in number three that he might strike their hearts with a sense of their misery he is not content to set it downe in generall termes but enters into particular names three maine miseries of theirs The first word signifieth one so poore that he hath not a rag to his backe nor a bit of bread to put in his mouth more then he gets by begging But here he meaneth spiritual pouertie which what it is we shall best vnderstand when we know what is true riches to wit the grace and fauour of God in Christ for the pardō of sins to life euerlasting So the poore man is he that wants this that hath no good thing acceptable to God who in regard of his soule is as a begger which hath nothing for the maintenance of this temporall life Thus you haue the meaning of this first word Now the end likewise is to be considered why Christ calleth them poore namely that they and we might striue to see our pouertie that we might become poore in spirit for they thought themselues rich therefore Christ to beate downe this conceit and to prepare them to true grace tels them they are poore in regard of grace and life eternall And here we are taught a principall point of religion namely to feele our owne pouertie that we haue no goodnesse in vs and therefore to despaire vtterly of our saluation in regard of our selues This is greatly commended in the Scriptures therefore learne another dutie As we are by nature poore and haue no goodnesse in our selues so labour to see it and to be out of heart with our selues that is to be poore in spirit otherwise you may come to church heare the word receiue the sacraments but neuer haue saluation or haue spirituall blessings except you be first acquainted with your poore estate that you are very beggers nay more plaine bankerupts for so Christ taught vs to pray Forgiue vs our debts therfore Christ tels the proud Church of her pouertie Happie and blessed were our state and condition if we could learne this and lay aside our pride for we are so poore that we must pleade nothing but pardon no merit or satisfaction If we did this then would we esteeme aright of the Gospell and haue some comfort by it Now because we haue not this we do not embrace the Gospel heartily and chearfully as we ought Cary therefore away this lesson with you that the beginning of all grace is to feele the want
of grace to acknowledge your pouertie and to be touched for it and grieued euen from the bottome of your hearts to feele this as sensibly as the begger feeleth his misery Deceiue not your selues Gods word must stand till you be beggers the Gospell wil be but a dreame and a fancie to you Quest. But how can Christ call her poore seeing it was a very rich people Ans. It is true indeed they were very rich so histories do record but as it was a rich citie so it was a poore church for all the wealth in the world is pouertie without the fauour of God in Christ we are complete in Christ without him we haue nothing All things are yours and you Christs and Christ Gods All temporall blessings are nothing out of Christ riches are no riches honours no honors out of Christ. In Christ we are complete and therefore rich Laodicea is but a poore and beggerly people and so are all without Christ. Therefore if God haue giuen you riches lay vp a good foundation vse then for this end that they may further and not hinder your saluation as helpes and meanes thereof otherwise they will be your ruine and destruction So much for the first part of mans pouertie The second part is Blindnesse How can they be said to be blind they had no doubt an excellent teacher indued with great knowledge and ability to teach and I doubt not but the people were well instructed Answ. It cannot be denied but they had great knowledge yet they are called blind first because they knew not their own estate for though a man had al the skil and knowledge in the world he were but a blind man without this knowledge Secondly because they knew not God in Christ. They knew God in general as many do now but not by a particular application to themselues that God was their God in Christ and Christ their redeemer They were content to know the Gospell generally confusedly Thirdly because they could not vnderstand things that differred It is a great gift of God to be able to discerne things that differ earthly things from heauenly and temporall from spirituall Therefore let vs learne this lesson All knowledge is but ignorance if a man know not himselfe and God to be his God and Christ his sauiour Let a man be brought vp in the best schooles of learning and haue the most absolute gifts that can be though he go beyond all men in diuine and humane knowledge and learning if he know not himselfe and his state before God he knoweth nothing Christ sets this marke vpon the Angel of this Church and yet no doubt he was a learned man but it shewes he had no care to know him self Therfore content not your selues to haue the knowledge of the Gospell or humane learning but learne to know that God is thy God and Christ thy redeemer and that his blood was shed for thy sins Dauid intitleth the 32. Psal. his learning and yet what great or deepe learning is there but this that he is blest which hath the pardon of his sins which he proueth by his own example And indeed this seasoneth al learning when you know Christ till you do this you are blind as these were The last point of mans misery is Nakednes which is two-fold first to the eyes of man secondly to the eyes of God Corporall and bodily nakednesse is two-fold first before the fall and that was an excellent kind of nakednesse whereby their bodies being vncouered were full of glorie without shame but that is not meant here Secondly since the fall sinful and shameful nakednesse where the bodie is ful of deformitie and all parts of it should be couered but that for necessities sake the face and hands are left bare Besides this corporall nakednesse there is a spirituall nakednes which God seeth and man cannot see that is when a man lieth open and naked before God as Moses saw the people naked not that their bodies were vncouered but their soules rather Their sin appeared to God and they in their sins and so they lay subiect to Gods iudgements This is spiritual nakednes a plague of all plagues and a miserie of all miseries when God beholds men in their sins Now in that Christ saith this Church was wretched and miserable and a part of her miserie was her spirituall nakednesse we learne diuers instructions first not to couer our sins before Gods eies for we stand al naked and vncouered before him The studie and care of most men is to hide their sins from the world but few care for couering them that God may not see them Looke as ye haue seene Lazer-men lay open their nakednes before you so God seeth your nakednes Let al carelesse and negligent persons remember this whosoeuer considereth this seriouslie they will be ashamed to neglect this dutie Further let vs consider the end why Christ saith they were naked It is that al men might haue care to set themselues before God and bring themselues into his presence and not seeke to hide themselues from God as Adam did that they may obtaine a couering We must al learne to know our owne nakednes and be perswaded that God seeth al our sins Then we must be humbled and touched for them then we must pray for a couering It was Dauids practise Blessed is the man whose sins are couered First he vnfolds his nakednes and then intreateth the Lord to couer his sin giuing vs to vnderstand that he had laid open his nakednes So also should we all do shew the wounds and scars of our soules that God may giue vs a garment to couer vs. That we may all be partakers of the couering of Christs righteousnes labour to feele your pouertie and nakednes for till you feele your owne miserie you are neuer fit for Christ. Further Christ saith this to prepare them and vs for the good counsel following therefore let this be the conclusion If you haue receiued any grace labour to increase in it if not labour to haue it learne to know your owne pouerty blindnes and nakednes and to feele it and be touched for it be humbled seriously and throughly This must be the needle to draw Gods grace through your hearts Vers. 18. I counsell thee c. Now followeth the counsell of Christ in the three next verses in which he propoundeth a most excellent and sufficient remedie of their miserie in which note three things first the maner of prescribing the remedie by way of counsell secondly the remedie it selfe gold apparell and eye salue thirdly the means to obtain it buy of me Of these in order The maner of prescribing is mild in it Christ taketh vpon him the person of a Counsellor to his Church for as God hath his Church and people so in mercie he giueth them counsell and counsellers The president of this councell is Christ. Prou. 8. 14. Counsell is mine saith Wisedome Isay 9. 6. Christ
is called that Counseller He is both King of and Counsellor to his Church And surely this title of right belōgeth to him for first by his office he aduiseth men how they shall escape eternall death and be saued secondly he teacheth how a man may please God in all his actions thirdly how he may flie sinne These three he doth daily in his church and children and that not by extraordinarie but euen by ordinarie meanes as by his word and spirit and therefore may well be called our Counseller neither can any either Angell or man thus counsell vs but onely Christ. Now in that Christ is such a person by office and profession therefore we must acknowledge him to be our Counsellor yea the Counseller of the Catholike Church and euery part therof Therefore we learne to do him all the honour we can Counsellors of the common law are feed reuerenced and honoured for their counsell though it be but for worldly matters and it oftentimes faileth Much more is Christ to be honoured whose counsell concerneth the things of God and cannot faile but shall stand Nay as his counsell is infinitely more excellent then the counsell of any other creature so much more is he to be honoured Further in all dangers and temptations one must resort to Christ for counsell for to this end is he a Counseller He told them they were miserable and therefore gaue them counsell declaring that he is at hand in all our miseries and distresse And therefore we must resort to Christ for his counsell and rest vpon it and order our selues according to it The good king Iehosaphat when the Moabites and Ammonites banded together was in great distresse but what did he We said he know not Lord what to do but our eyes are toward thee That is we looke to thee for counsel and direction we must rest rely vpon thee for wholesome counsel good direction So should all men do in distresse and daunger as we are now by reason of our sinnes and the professed malice of our enemies for by all likelihood these dayes are the time of our chastisement and correction therefore we must say as he said Therefore in all distresse whether it be sicknesse or pang of death forsake all ill counsell go not to wizards and Astrologians for helpe but humble your selues and pray for his counsell So much for the first part that is the maner of prescribing this remedie Now of the remedie it selfe As the miserie had three parts and those great miseries all so Christ propoundeth his remedie in such sort that it is answerable to the three branches of the miserie first gold that thou mayest be rich secondly rayment thirdly eye salue By gold according to the analogie of the Scripture we are to vnderstand the graces of Gods spirit as true faith repentance feare and loue of God man All these are called gold as the triall of our faith is said to be more precious then gold We may likewise vnderstand al other gifts of the spirit yea all Christs merits Christ himself the fountaine of all Purged by the fire That is precious and fine gold of speciall account that is purged from all drosse by the art of man This sheweth what is the propertie of his gifts and graces they are as precious as fine pure gold as 1. Pet. 1. 5. This is worth the marking that the gifts of Gods spirit are of great price and value and that before Gold Psal. 119. 72. Math. 13. 4. This teacheth all how to beautifie themselues in soule and bodie The blind and false opinion of the world is that strange attire and forreine fashions beautifie and adorne the bodie and it is commonly thought that Iewels and precious stones adorne vs and indeed it is true in some persons such as be great personages but strange fashions and outlandish attire disgraceth the bodie The right way to beautifie the bodie indeed and to make it truly glorious and to adorne the soule also i◠to get these graces for these are as precious as fine gold Our bodies shold be the temples of the holy Ghost the houses of a worthie guest therefore we should the rather labour for the best ornaments And if you will adorne your selues as you ought you must do it with the graces of Gods spirit and abhorre these fond and absurd fashions which no wise man can like of That thou maist be rich c. These graces haue a further effect and serue not onely to adorne and beautifie but also to make men rich Here then see the common folly nay madnesse of men which spend all their time wit and strength to enrich their bodies and leaue their soules vnfurnished What a madnesse is this that so many should neglect true riches and studie for nothing more then that which is nothing lesse then riches euen counterfeit riches By this text it is more then manifest that such are more then mad and that this folly is very great Therefore seeing true riches be the graces of Gods spirit seeke for these So much for the first part of the remedie White garments That is Christ himselfe and his righteousnesse imputed As Gal. 3. 27. euen as a garment is put on the bodie so is Christ and his righteousnesse and the fruite thereof that is sanctification all this is meant by garments here Now the end is to couer the nakednesse of the soule which is deformed and defiled with sinne Eye salue That is the spirit of illumination knowledge wrought in the mind by the spirit of God For as eye-salue doth cleare the eye sight and sharpen the same where it was by some occasion hindred so doth Christ by illumination make a man know and vnderstand God in Christ and discerne betweene good and euill of things temporall and eternall Thus you haue the meaning of these words Now by the exposition you may see that by all these we can vnderstand nothing but Christ himselfe and his merits One and the same thing is signified by three words to shew that there is in Christ the fulnesse of grace and that he hath remedies for all our wants The Laodiceans were poore in spirituall goods and Christ was their riches naked and he their garment blind and he their eye-salue So that looke how many sinnes there be in men so many contrarie remedies there be in Christ. What wants soeuer be in vs he hath a supply of them all The Papists make him an insufficient Sauiour in that they patch our merits to his and so they disgrace Christ but we are to count Christ a most perfect and absolute Mediator and Redeemer in himselfe without vs. To buy The meanes how these worthie gifts of God are gotten Christ saith by buying and bargaining he saith not receiue but buy This is an allusion to the state of that citie which was rich and consisted most of Merchants which liued by buying and trafficke therefore he speaketh to them in their
wil sup c. This is the promise it self namely a mutual fellowship with Christ this is the ground of al ioy comfort happines therfore it is here propounded as the principal thing and it hath two parts first I will sup with him secondly and he with me The true communion betweene Christ and his members stands in these two things Here is a double feast and these two containe the summe and substance of Salomons book called the Canticles for there Christ entertaineth feasteth the church and the church feasteth him For the first I will sup with him How Cant. 4. end Come my wel beloued and eate of the delicate things and pleasant fruites there you may see how euery Christian soule conuerted makes Christ a feast to wit with the fruites of true repentance Psal. 51. The broken and contrite heart that is a most worthie part of the feast and a sacrifice acceptable to God Secondly a beleeuing heart for without saith it is vnpossible to please God Heb. 11. and when we giue vp our bodies and soules a liuing sacrifice Rom 12. 1. bring broken beleeuing and obedient harts these are the dishes and delicates wherewith Christ is fed wherein he delights And he with me We must also be feasted by Christ for Christ comes not for this end to be entertained but to entertaine The feast which Christ makes is his own bodie and bloud in the administration of his Supper his bodie is true meate and his bloud is true drinke And the vessels in which it is serued out are the seales of the word and the guests are penitent sinners which haue broken hearts which hunger and thirst after Christ. Now from this feast ariseth righteousnesse peace of conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. All ioy that heart can thinke comes by this feast Now seeing Christ makes these promises as a principall token of his loue we must make some vse of them We must renounce all our carnal vanities and earthly delights and giue our selues no more to surfetting and drunkennesse and sumptuous banquetting Here is a better kind of feasting therefore turne your eyes from those lift vp your hearts and haue care to entertaine Christ feast him with the graces that God hath giuen you and labor againe to be feasted of him feed of his bodie and bloud to life eternall Labour to be acquainted with these that you may know by experience how Christ feasts you and you him You know one friend how to entertaine another euerie man according to his dignitie but you should haue more care of this spirituall and mutuall entertainment betweene Christ and you Againe see here a notable abuse of those that come to the Lords table for marke how these two go together Christ feasts vs and we must feast him so that there may be an enterchange of feasting but our communicants come to the Lords table and they will haue Christ feast then but they will not feast him whereas we should feast him daily by faith obedience and repentance and good duties of our callings but we like churlish vngratefull Nabals haue not one good dish to feast him withall This is our shame Or if we be good guests for a day yet after that is past we haue no care to entertaine Christ. Looke to it therefore and see that you feed Christ not by your owne natural power but by your gifts of grace To him that ouercometh c. This is the conclusion of the Epistle in which note two parts first a promise secondly a precept The promise To him that ouercometh that is he that holds out keeping faith and a good conscience against all the enemies of his saluation Shall sit that is haue fellowship with Christ in his glorie Christ doth not promise equall glorie and honor for that is not possible for anie creature because he is the head of his church but onely a participation as if he should say he shall be partaker of my glorie so farre as shall be meete and conuenient for him as appeareth by the words following But this wil some say is no great matter True the carnall heart of man may surmise so therefore he addes as I ouercame c. This is no small glorie for like as my father did aduance me when I had ouercome so will I aduance all my members when they haue ouercome their spirituall enemies Now as Christ is inferiour to the Father as he is Mediator and yet sits with him so the members of Christ may sit with him and yet be vnequall to him in glorie Verse 22. Let him that hath an eare This hath bene expounded often before The memoriall of the righteous is euerlasting but the name of the wicked shall rot Prou. 10. Laus Christo nescia finis ⧠An excellent Sermon plainely prouing that Rome is Babylon and that Babylon is fallen Preached long since by a famous Diuine and added as a Commentarie to the hardest part of the Reuelation REVEL 14. VERS 8. She is fallen she is fallen euen Babylon that great Citie for of the wine of the furie of her fornication she hath made all Nations to drinke THE holy Euangelist S. Luke in the fourth chapter of his Gospell recordeth that on a time when our Sauior came into the Synagogue at Nazareth to reade as his custome was there was deliuered to him a booke containing the Prophecie of the Prophet Esay Which after he had opened at the first he found the place where it was written in these words The spirit of the Lord is vpon me because he hath annoynted me that I should preach the Gospell to the poore He hath sent me that I should heale the broken in heart that I should preach deliuerance to the captiues and sight to the blind that I should set at libertie them that are bruised and to preach the acceptable yeare of the Lord. Then after he had closed the booke and deliuered it to the Minister he sate downe to preach and the eyes of all them that were in the congregation were bent vpon him Then he opened his mouth and spake vnto them these words This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your eares and they all gaue him testimonie that it was so In like maner may I say concerning this place of Scripture which I haue read vnto you In your eyes and eares is this Scripture this day fulfilled And I pray God you may all likewise beare witnesse with me that it is so The last time that I spake in this auditorie I intreated of the flourishing and prosperous estate of Ierusalem which is the Church of God set foorth in the 122. Psalme and therefore good order now requireth that I should speake of the decay and ouerthrow of the enemie of Ierusalem which is Babylon the See and Church of Antichrist and for that purpose principally haue I chosen this text of Scripture to speake of that by the one we might be enflamed with loue of the true Church