man mad But it is far otherwise in drinking this Wine and Milke for the first draught is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 t Esa 53.11 a fulnesse of knowledge by the illumination of Gods spirit the second is Certitudo salutis u Gal. 4.6 certaintie of saluation reueiled vnto vs by the same Spirit which in our hearts cryes Abba Father the third is Confidentia x Heb. 4.6 Confidencie whereby we approach boldly to the Throne of Grace the fourth is y Ephe. 1.5 Adoptio Adoption by which we receiue power to be actually accounted the Sonnes of God by Christ O let vs therefore drinke this Wine and Milke that we neuer hereafter may thirst againe Thirdly saith Christ Be merrie O my Welbeloued Nay further Be drunkē for so is it word for word in the Hebrew be drunken but z Ephe. 5.18 not with Wine for that is a voluntarie madnes and the Soules corruption Be drunken but not with sin a Esay 29.9 for then the Soule staggers falles into a spirituall slumber but be drunken with ioy because I haue Eate my Hony-combe with my Honie purchased your b Ephe. 2.15 peace Be merrie because I haue bailed you out of Deaths dungeon and deliuered you from the bondage of Sathan Be merry and reioyce alwaies because your names are writ in Heauen Lastly be euen drunken with mirth and ioy because being my friends vpon earth you shall be filled in heauen with the pleasures of Gods house To which holy tabernacle he that was born for vs bring vs to whom with the Father the holy Spirit be all honor and glorie now and euer-more FINIS The second Sermon THE TRIVMPH OF CONSTANCIE APOC. 3.11.12 VER Behold I come shortly hold that thou hast that no man take thy Crowne Him that ouercommeth will I make a Pillar in the Temple of my God and he shall goe no more out and I will write vpon him the Name of my God and the Name of the Citie of my God which is the new Hierusalem which commeth downe out of Heauen from my God and I will write vpon him my new Name AT the two ends of the a Exod. 25.13.19.20 Mercie-seat were set two Cherubims of beaten Gold whose wings were stretched out on hie and their faces one against an other both towards the Mercie-seat This Seate of Mercie is b Rom. 3.24 Christ these Cherubims the Prophets and the Apostles both which in all their Writings looke and leuell their pennes at Christ who is the true propitiatorie The Prophets being the Apostles of the Law were taught of God in c Num. 12.16 Dreames Visions both that the Messiah should come into the world to suffer and also what should happen before his birth The Apostles being the Prophets of the Gospel were after the same manner instructed in all occurrences concerning the Church till the last day Christs comming into the world to iudge Of this ranck was Iohn an Apostolicall Prophet and a Propheticall Apostle as appeareth by this Booke of the Apocalyps being a Register of intricate Visions wherein there be couched as many d Hier. ad pauli Mysteryes as Words The Author hereof was Christ the Secretarie Iohn the place in which he penned it Pathmos an Island in the e Strab. lib. 13. Aegaean Sea whither hee was banished by f Eus eccle hist lib. 3. cap. 18. Domitian the Emperour The time when these Visions were seene was the Lords day and his first Vision was of one like vnto the Sonne of Man hauing in his right hand seauen starres and standing in the middest of seauen golden Candle-sticks the Mysterie hereof is reueiled by Christ saying The seauen Starres are the Angels of the seauen Churches the seauen Candlestickes are the seauen Churches of Ephesus Smyrna Pergamus Thiatira Sardi Philadelphia and Laodicia to the Angels or Byshops whereof our Sauiour writes seauen Epistles commending some reprouing others and exhorting all to Perseuerance to Patience to Repentance but to omit the rest at the seauenth verse of this Chapter begins the Epistle to the Angel of Philadelphia a Citie of Misia in Asia Strab. lib. 12. in the first part wherof he commendeth the Angels patience threatens his enemies and assureth him of ayd and assistance In the latter part which is my Text hee first exhorts him to Constancie in these words Behold I come shortly hold that thou hast that no man take thy crowne Secondly recounts the rewards of Conquerors saying Him that ouercommeth will I make a Pillar in the Temple of my God and hee shall goe no more out and I will write vpon him the Name of my God and the Name of the citie of my God which is the new Hierusalem which commeth downe out of Heauen from my God and I will write vpon him my new Name The Exhortation lies in these words which are the very Nauill of the Verse Hold that thou hast about which these two Motiues twine like the Serpents about Mercuries rod. First Behold I come shortly secondly that No man take thy Crowne Hold that thou hast Constancie and Perseuerance are in the scriptures set forth by foure Metaphors Ploughing Running Standing and Holding For the first our Sauiour saith g Luc. 9.62 No man that putteth his hand to the Plough and looketh backe is apt to the Kingdome of heauen This Plough is Gods seruice and the Profession of Christ to which when a man hath once setled himselfe hee must by remembring Lots wife take heed that he looke not backe Religion is fitly resembled by the Plough for the life of a true Professour and a Plough-man are alike both full of labour and trauaile the one eates his bread in the sweat of his face the other groneth continually vnder the Crosse To this Plough all that hope for heauenmust put their hands for the Kingdome of heauen suffers violence saith Christ therefore we must take paines for it and continue constantly at our worke without looking backe from Zoar to Sodome and from the paines of the Plough to the pleasures of the world For the second S. Paul saith h 1. Cor. 9. So runne that you may obtaine In some sort all men runne but because all doe not obtaine it seemeth there is Error either in the choice of the way or in the maner of running There is but one way to heauen i Mat. 7.13 and it is narrow and strait this is Christ the k Luc. 14.6 Way the Truth and the Life whosoeuer followeth not this Path wandereth from the Truth and therefore looseth aeternall life as the Way so the maner of running is but One it must be without ceasing stoppe or stay l Mat. 10.22 for onely hee which continueth vnto the end shall be saued For the third the same Apostle saith m Ephe. 6.14 Stand therefore your loynes girded about with Veritie Now what else is it to stand but to be n
thy crowne In speaking the first Motiue the face of Christ was to looke vpon like the u Apoc. 4.3 Gasper-stone which is greene beautifull but in this hee resembleth the x Apoc. 4.3 Sardine which is red and bloodie for there is Comfort here is terrour there his y Cant. 5.16 mouth was as sweet things and he wholy delectable here out of his mouth proceeds a z Apoc. 1.16 sharpe two-edged sword and his countenance is very fearefull This word Corona a Crowne hath in the Scriptures diuers significations sometimes it signifieth aeternall life as in the second chapter of the Apocalipse a Apo. 2.10 Be faithfull vnto the death and I will giue thee the crowne of life so the Papists vnderstand this place whereupon they gather that the Decrees of Election and Reprobation be changeable for the Schoole-men teach that the Number of the Elect and of the Reprobate is certainely and vnchangeably decreed and purposed of God in his aeternall counsell so that it can neither be increased nor diminished for he hath absolutely appointed how many shall be saued and how many reiected but yet they say that he hath not certainely and vnchangeably decreed what particular men shall make vp or be of this determined and purposed number because that Men hauing as they say Free-will doe sometimes depart from God and sometimes returne vnto him The first of these Numbers they call the Formall number which is certaine the latter they call the Materiall number which is vncertaine and changeable so by their doctrine he that is elect may finally be blotted out of the booke of life and become a Reprobate and hee that is a Reprobate may be made an elect this their Position they endeuour to proue by this Text of Scripture amongst the rest by which words they affirme that it is euident that he which is elect to wear a Crowne of life may loose it and another which was not elect may supply his place But this their Collection is contrary to the intention and meaning of the Spirit of God that writ it who is neuer in opposition to himselfe b Ioh. 10.29 My Father is greater then all and no man is able to take them out of his hand therefore our election is certaine For c Iam. 1.17 with God there is no variablenes neither shadowing by turning Horum qui electi sunt si quispiam perit fallitur Deus sed nemo eorum perit quia non fallitur Deus Aug. de cor gra cap. 7. Aqui. part 7. quest 24. art 3. saith Augustine Of the elect if any perish God is deceiued but none of them can perish because God cannot be deceiued Likewise Aquinas saith Simpliciter in libro vitae scripti nunquam deleri possunt simply they that are written in the booke of life can neuer be blotted out of this Text of Scripture then we must seeke for some other Exposition for by it cannot be vnderstood the Crowne of aeternall life Secondly this word Corona a crowne sometimes signifieth any faithfull man which by the Ministerie preaching of the word is conuerted from Gentilisme to Christianity So S. Paul calles the Philippians saying d Philip. 4.1 Therefore my brethren beloued and longed for my ioy and my crowne so continue in the Lord ye beloued Thirdly it is the Badge or Cognisance of Authoritie both Temporall and Spirituall and so is it to be vnderstood in this place in which our Sauiour exhorteth the Angel or Bishop of Philadephia to constancie in his Function for feare an other be placed in his Office and take the dignitie of the Bishoprick from him By this threatned degradation may all Arch-angels and Angels learne to know that Crownes be no perpetuities If Salomon turne his heart from the Lord God of Israel and build high places to Chemosh the abhomination of Moab Molech the abhomination of the children of Ammon God will surely rent his kingdome from him and giue it vnto his e 1. Reg. 11.11 seruant if Eli the high Priest will not chasten the wickednesse of his sonnes but suffer them to run into slaunder and stay them not f 1. Sam. 4.11.18 he and they both shall goe with blood to their graues and the Priest-hood be conferred vpon an other Therefore hold that you haue that no man take your Crownes The second generall part of my Text is a Catalogue of the Rewards that Christ promiseth to bestow on Conquerours saying Him that ouercommeth will I make a pillar in the Temple of my God and hee shall goe no more out and I will write vpon him the Name of my GOD and the name of the Citie of my God which is the new Ierusalem which commeth downe out of heauen from my God and I will write vpon him my new Name Him that ouercommeth c. Reward makes men both valiant and ventrous g 1. Sam. 18.27 for a wife Dauid will fetch two hundreth fore-skins of the Philistims for gold the h 1. Reg. 9.28 seruants of Salomon will tenni confidere ligno hazard their liues in a ship and saile to Ophir Our Sauiour therefore to stirre vp our courage and put spirit in our faint hearts doth as the Romanes did they had lawes for the Triumphs of Generals and diuersities of crownes appointed for well deseruing Martialists and this was done in policie to make their men of warre stout and valiant so Christ to encourage those that march vnder his Standard the Crosse proclaimeth their Rewards saying i Apoc. 2.7 To him that ouercommeth will I giue to eate of the tree of life which is in the middest of the Paradice of God k Apoc. 2.13 To him that ouercommeth will I giue to eate of the Manna that is hid and will giue him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth sauing he that receiueth it Him that ouercommeth will I make a Pillar in the Temple of my God c. Oh then who would not be a souldier in the Campe of Christ preferring his thornie crowne before a diadem of gold his Crosse before a chaire of estate his Whip before a Scepter his Reed before all temporall Royaltie his White coate before raiments of Needle-worke his scoffes and taunts before worldly applause his gall and vinegar before the rich Gluttons delicious fare his death before life considering that Cum Domino iudices venient qui nunc pro Domino iudicantur saith Augustine They shall come with the Lord as Iudges who are now iudged for for the Lords cause Him that ouercommeth will I make a Pillar A Pillar is the Embleme of three things Remembrance Preheminence and Continuance First it is the Register of Memorie God turned l Gen. 19.26 Lots wife into a pillar of Salt because contrary to the commandement of the Angel shee looked backe towards Sodome and Gomorrah and Christ saith Remember Lots wife The sight of this Salt
shal waxe cold And out of the first Epistle to the Corinthians i 1. Cor. 9.27 I do chastice my body lest when I haue preached to others I shuld be a Reprobate In making answer to these obiections let vs but obserue the true meaning of these words Righteousnesse Faith Loue and Reprobate and then this Gordian knot wil with ease be loosed First wheras the Prophet Ezechiel speaketh of the fall of a righteous man you must note that he meaneth such righteous persons as to the worlds eye rather seeme so to be then be so indeed thus S. Luke teacheth vs to expound it who where as other Euangelists write thus From him that hath not shall be taken away euen that which he hath hee saith k Luke 8.18 that which hee seemed to haue God taketh away his grace from him that hath it not but onely seemeth to haue it and giueth still to him that hath he then that is hypocritically righteous wee grant may fall away finally but he that is truely righteous and a Pillar in the Temple of God shall goe no more out Secondly Faith is either Viua or Mortua A liuely or a dead faith of the dead faith there may be made a shipwracke it was Iudas his case such a faith is a reed shaken with euery blast of winde it is a combustible substance like Timber hay and stubble the least flame of any fire will burne it but the Liuely faith which is euer accompained with a good Conscience like the Ship in which our Sauiour slept may be tost and shaken with wind and waues but neuer cast away neuer swallowed vp in any gulfe for it is a house built vpon the rocke no tempestuous gust can ouer-turne it It is a well of liuing water springing vp to euerlasting life he that drinkes of it shall neuer thirst againe l Ioh. 5.24 For hee that beleeueth is already passed from death to life he is made a Pillar in the house of God and shall no more goe out Thirdly as there is a dead faith so there is a Counterfait Loue the one being the roote the other the branch therefore where there is such a faith charitie there must needs waxe cold m Cant. 8.7 but true Loue by much water cannot be quenched neither can the floods drowne it n 1 Cor. 13.8 It doth neuer fall away o Caus 33. dist 2. cap. 8. In quocunque fuerit haec charitas radix illi erit arescere non potest in whom soeuer this charitie is it shall be a roote vnto him hee cannot wither but euer flourish like a greene Oliue tree in the court of Gods Temple neuer to be transplanted neuer to goe out any more Fourthly this word Reprobate vsually in the Scriptures signifieth such a one as is p Iud. vers 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before of old ordained to condeÌ„nation reiected or reproued of God But sometimes it is taken in another sence and is all one with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is it reproued q 1. Cor. 9.27 or reprobate to men and so doth S. Paul vse it when hee saith I chastice my body lest when I haue preached to others I should be a Reprobate In this speech the Apostle doth not feare lest God should cast him away or finally reiect him for he professeth the contrary saying r Rom. 8.38.39 for I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth shall be able to seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. But his meaning is this lest if hee preached one thing and practised an other hee might be reproued and reproached of men No s Aug. de cor grat cap. 7. he that is Elect and whose faith worketh by loue either neuer falleth at all or if he doe hee is reuiued and raised vp againe before this life be ended for hee that is a Pillar in the Temple of God shall goe no more out Him that ouercommeth will I make a Pillar c. Vpon this Pillar Christ promiseth to write three Names The Name of God the Name of new Ierusalem and his owne new Name And I will write vpon him the Name of my God t Pro. 22.1 A good name saith Salomon is to be chosen aboue great riches it is better then a good oyntment it fatteth the bones What honor was it for Moses to be called Gods Seruant and for Dauid to be adorned with this Title a man after Gods owne heart Publius Scipio did reckon his name Africanus amongst his greatest glories And Paulus Aemelius thought himselfe well satisfied for his paines and seruice in the wars because the Romanes gaue him the name of Macedonius u Catal. glor mâ—nd part 11. consid 23. Honor decus est habere pulchruÌ„ nomen saith Cassanaeus it an honour and glory to haue a faire name and therefore Socrates wished that parents would giue their 〈◊〉 significant and wel-sounding names Such a name 〈◊〉 our Sauiour promise to write vpon them that perâ—â—â—â—e in goodnesse saying I will write vpon him the name of 〈◊〉 God God hath diuers names in the Scripture some being deriued from his substance other from his properties as he is a Being of himselfe and an aeternall Essence hee is called Iehoua of Haia to Be as he is mightie El as holy Cadoseh as all-sufficient Schaddai but his principall name is Iehoua a name of such holinesse that the Chaldaeans as Reuchlinus saith to auoid prophanation would not write it but expressed it in their Bookes by certaine prickes and the Iewes blinded with a superstitious conceit in stead thereof vsed Tetragrammaton Adonai and Elohim this name so holy shall be grauen vpon them that be pillars in Gods Temple Whereby Christ signifieth that God will be their Iehoua and they shall be his Israel x Apoc. â—1 7 hee will be their God and they shall be his people This name is y Apoc. 7.2 that Seale wherewith the seruants of God are marked in their fore-heads which who so hath no hellish z Apoc. 9.4 Locust can hurt him this name is like the a Exod. 12.13 strokes of blood vpon the postes of the Israelites houses no plague nor destruction shall light vpon them that beare it this name is like vnto the b Ioshua 2.18 Corde of red thread in Rahabs window it preserues them that haue it from the Sword in the day of Vengeance The Letters of his name Iehoua are by the Iewish Rabbins called Literae flatus literae quietis Breathing resting letters Wherby thus much may be collected First as God is a spirit so he is the sole Father and giuer of life he will raise vp the Elect at the last day in incorruption clothing them with immortalitie and bestowing vpon them life aeternall Secondly there is no way to finde Rest but in
Body can be but in a place Seeing then that the Resurrection shall be both of Body and Soule as well for the Reprobate as the Elect and that the one sort of them must enter into a b Matth. 25.34 Kingdome prepared for them from the foundations of the world and the other c Matth. 25.41 into eternall fire which is prepared for the Deuill and his angels must not both the Sheepe and the Goates be in two distinct seuerall and reall places it cannot be gaine-said but what places be these Some thinke that the Fruition and the Want of Gods presence and Glorie is that Kingdom and this Fire if it were so why should there be any generall Iudgement for in this Life the Elect enjoy Gods gracious aspect which is Heauen vpon Earth and the Reprobates are depriued of it which is a kinde of Hell This I confesse is a heauen and a hell for the Soule but take away that Place which is called Coelum Coelorum the heauuen of heauens and that Dungeon which is named Tenebrae exteriores vtter Darknesse and how shall the bodies of the Righteous d Dan. 12.3 shine as the brightnesse of the Firmament and the bodies of the wicked rise againe to perpetuall shame and contempt My conclusion then is this As God hath ordained some to be Vessels of honour some of dishonour so hath hee prepared two seuerall places for them heauen and hell the one aboue the other beneath betwixt which there is a e Luke 16.26 great gulfe so that they which would goe from heauen to hell cannot neyther can they come from hell to heauen That there shall be a Corporall Ascension and Descension into two distinct places Eliah and Corah are two figures f 2 Reg. 2.11 Eliah went vp by a whirle-wind into heauen carried in a fiery Chariot drawne by horses of fire and g Num. 16.33 Corah and his companie went aliue into hell neyther of these dyed but were changed h 1 Cor. 15.52 as the liuing shall be at the last day in a moment and in the twinckling of an eye and their bodies being corruptible did put on Incorruption sharing betwixt them Life and Death eternall both in body and Soule and all this was done to teach vs what shal become of our soules and bodyes at the generall resurrection and to informe vs that as there is a Place aboue Heauen for the Elect so there is a Place beneath hell for the Reprobates Here shall Dogges endure paines most bitter and eternall namely a fire vnquenchable and a worme that shall neuer cease gnawing of this Fire the Body shall be the Fewell and to this Worme the Soule shall be food Seeing then that there shall be a Separation a within and a without and that there is a heauen and a hell Ioy eternall and Torment euerlasting O let vs continually meditate vpon this Lake burning with fire and brimstone the thought whereof if all sparkes of grace be not quencht in our hearts will be like a Bridle to curbe vs and keepe vs from sinning Our Sauiour to disswade vs from back-sliding bids vs Remember Lots wife the Wise-man saith Remember thine end and thou shalt neuer doe amisse and so say I Remember Hell this Memento is like a Iewell made of Iacinthes to which the Lapidaries attribute three excellent effects namely to preserue a man from lightning from the Pestilence and to procure sleepe such like is the Remembrance of hell in that it is an Antidote against the poyson of sinne it saues the soule from that furnace of fire where there is nothing but weeping and gnashing of teeth and preserues it from those vnspeakeable plagues and torments which God hath prepared for the Diuell and his Angels lastly because hee that euer thinkes of Hell will be afraid to commit sinne this Memento doth disburden the Conscience of all internall horrour and Anguish which like Saules euill Spirit doe euer haunt the guiltie minde and consequently procureth spirituall peace and Rest to the Soule This Peace hee giue vs who is the Prince of Peace Christ Iesus the righteous to whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour prayse power glory and dominion both now and euer Amen FINIS ERRATA For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For Arians read Acrians For Mâ—cedâ—nius read Macedenious For Seliâ—â—â— read Silenâ—e