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truth_n	age_n	church_n	time_n	2,142	5	3.6322	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09442	Lectures vpon the three first chapters of the Reuelation: preached in Cambridge anno Dom. 1595. by Master William Perkins, and now published for the benefite of this Church, by Robert Hill Bachelor in Diuinitie. To which is added an excellent sermon, penned at the request of that noble and wise councellor, Ambrose, Earle of Warwicke: in which is proued that Rome is Babylon, and that Babylon is fallen	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.; Hill, Robert, d. 1623.	1604 (1604)	STC 19731; ESTC S114472	318,460	389

cities be Churches though not the Catholicke Church but members of it Note first the matter of this book concernes the Church seeing it is a propheticall history concerning the estate of the Church from the time of Iohn to the end and therefore it is meet it should be dedicated to the Church Secondly it is dedicated to the Church seeing the true members of the Catholicke Church be the pillars and ground of truth not that their authority is aboue the word but because they preserue the scriptures as a treasury from age to age And they be pillars and grounds of truth because they giue testimony to the truth of Gods word 3. Because they publish the truth of Gods word in and by the ordinary ministery of the word and so the church being the pillar and ground of truth it is fit this booke should be dedicated to it Secondly he writes it not to all Churches but makes choise of these seuen Churches in Asia first because they were then most famous as the Chapters following and histories of the Church do shew Secondly he sayes not to the Churches of Ierusalem and of the Iewes but of Asia to shew them that which was long before foretold was now fulfilled namely that the Gentiles according as the Prophets foretold should be called which now was verified seeing the Gentiles dwelt in Asia Seeing Iohn wrote and dedicated this booke to the Churches in Asia many yeares after Christ not to the Church of Rome then we see that the Papists are deceiued who would haue their Church the mother Church and all other Churches must rely on theirs but if that Church of Rome had bene the mother and most famous no doubt Iohn would haue dedicated it to her But he doth dedicate it to the Churches in Asia shewing they were then more famous then Rome 2 Now followes the salutation Grace and peace c. Salutation is of two forts ciuill or religious ciuil as that which men vse ordinarily with one another 2. religious which is more peculiar and proper to the Church and so it is here a religious salutation And seeing the Apostles vse it commonly in all their Epistles may be called an Apostolicall salutation They vsed this in all their Epistles Grace and peace c. which they did because their ministery was of grace and peace and they made their salutation answerable to their ministery for their Apostleship stood in these two to preach the word and to pray for the people that they might haue grace peace And the apostles vse this phrase in manner of blessing for when their ministery stood in two actions in preaching and praying for the people vnder the second action of praying was contained this to blesse the people and so did the high Priests and Leuites as also Christ he vsed this so Ministers to shew their duty more fully after they preach the word they blesse the people Grace be with you Most excellent words and containe in them the summe and substance of the whole Gospell Grace signifies two things first Gods fauour and good will secondly his graces Here it signifies his fauour because in this salutation grace is opposed to peace which is a grace of God so that it cannot be meant of a grace of God then by it is meant his good will and fauour whereby he accepts of vs for Christ his sake S. Iohn begins with Grace first and not with Peace because grace is the ground of peace and all blessings graces of God We must first be in Gods fauour then we must looke to haue prosperitie and graces from God Grace is the ground of all blessings as of our election vocation redemption iustification sanctification of faith repentance and perseuerance in faith and repentance nay it is all in all in the matter of our saluation For this cause he begins with it And peace Peace is taken first for welfare and good successe in things of this world by Gods blessing Exod. 18. 7. Moses askes Iethro his father in law of his peace that is of his welfare and so it is partly taken in this place Secondly it is taken for that vnity and blessed concord we shall haue in the kingdome of God and so it is especially taken here And being thus taken it hath sixe parts first when we haue peace with God which is when we stand in the fauour of God reconciled to him in Christ Iesus Secondly when we haue peace with Gods Angels in that they guard vs and cary vs as a nurse doth her child in her armes that we hurt not our feete at any stone and when they reioyce at our good estate Psal. 91. 11. The third is peace with a mans selfe when his conscience will not accuse him but excuse and cleare him as when our conscience is washed in the blood of Christ Phil. 4. 7. this peace passeth all vnderstanding The fourth is peace with the church So Act. 4. 32. those which beleeued were all of one mind and heart had peace with each other So Esa. 11. 6. The wild beast and the Lion the Lamb and the Cockatrise and the yong child shall lie together Fiftly this peace fauor of God is with the enemies of God so far as it is for the good of the Church and the glory of God So Ioseph had peace in Pharaohs house So Daniel had peace with the Kings Eunuches for though he was free when the children were cast into the ouen yet he did not reuolt but being fauoured they saued him The sixt is peace with all Gods creatures beasts birds all creatures in heauen and earth Ose. 2. 18. The Lord will make a couenant betweene vs and all his creatures Psal. 91. 13. The child of God he shall tread vpon the lion and serpent and they shall not hurt him for when a man is in Gods fauour what creature dares to hurt him nay al the creatures are ready and willing to serue him Grace and peace As though he had said first you must be in the fauour of God you must haue vnity and reconciliation with and in Christ and then this peace welfare prosperity in all good things as farre as is necessary yea then concord and vnity with God and all his creatures will follow Whereas the Apostle wishes them grace in the first place he would teach vs that this Gods fauour is to be sought for aboue all things yea in the first place Psal. 4. 6. Many say Who will shew vs any good But Dauid he seekes this grace and fauour of God Lord lift vp the light of thy countenance vpon me let me be in thy fauour And often he sayes the Lord he is his portion inheritance and his lot shewing to be in the loue and fauor of God is to be preferred before all things in the world So must we seeke first to be in Gods fauour make that our chiefest care seeke it aboue all things but we litle

subsisting These words proue the Godhead and eternitie of Christ the second person The end why Christ alleadgeth them is to certifie him that these things he was about to shew him came from God and therefore he bringeth his owne testimonie namely I which speake vnto thee am God therefore the things I deliuer vnto thee are from God euen from Iesus Christ the second person in the Trinitie which am God equall to my Father In this testimonie of Christ note a singular care of God in respect of his Church he is carefull not onely to reueale his will to his Church but withal to certifie his Church of the truth of the same As here he telleth Iohn that they come from God to certifie his soule and conscience in the truth of the same so he reuealeth not onely his will but withall assureth men of the truth thereof Act. 10. Peter hath a vision and withall the Lord assureth him of the truth of that visiō And when Christ preached his Fathers will he wrought many miracles which were as s●ales to confirme the same that it came from God Seeing the Lord he doth not only declare his will but withall assureth men of the certainetie and truth of his will this first confuteth the Papists who teach that the word of God is certaine in it selfe but to vs it is not certaine till we heare the testimonie of the Church which maketh the Scripture which is vncertaine to vs though certaine in it selfe to be certaine to vs. But we must here know and learne that the Lord doth not onely reueale his will to his children but withall vseth meanes to certifie mens hearts of the truth thereof and so the word of God is most sure not only in it self but euen to men though the testimonie of the Church shold neuer speake word of the same ● This confutes all carnall men There be many which will be of no Religion because there is as they thinke no certaintie in Religion seeing mens opinions in matters of Religion be so diuers that one cannot tell who speakes the truth Indeed we differ in many points of religion and so many men so many diuers opinions yet the true members of Christ they differ not in the fundamentall points of Religion And though all the world should differ in opinion yet it followes not there should be no Religion but the doctrine taught by the Prophets and Apostles should stand sure and be the true Religion of God for euer and the Lord can make men out of it to learne his will and assure them of the certainty of Religion Now followeth the commaundement That which thou seest write in a book c. This hath two parts first S. Iohn must write the things he receiueth secondly he must send them to the seuen famous Churches of Asia Now the Lord commaunds Iohn to write these things in a booke and he must set downe that which he receiued of God to send it to the seuen Churches of Asia because he being now in banishment and could not come to them and be present with them to instruct them therfore he must write these in a booke that so they might be holpen by them Secondly he must not only write them in a booke but send them to these seuen Churches first that they might be confirmed and strengthened in the matters of faith now in the cruell time of their persecution secondly that they might keepe these books for the Church of God which is the pillar ground of truth first because it publisheth the word secondly because she keepeth the same from time to time and also giues testimony of the truth of the same So then that these Churches might keepe publish and giue testimony of these things he must send them written to them Hence we learne that the word of God written is an excellent help for the church of God to edifie the same else he would neuer haue commaunded Iohn to send this booke to the seuen Churches in Asia This confutes first the Papists who hold that the writtē word is but a dead inky letter a nose of waxe to be turned any way secondly the Anabaptists who looke for reuelations contemne the written word but seeing the Lord bids him send it to the seuen Churches in Asia he sheweth it is an excellent meanes to edifie the Church We may learne that the reading of this booke as of other Scripture is Gods ordinance whether it be publike or priuate and that they must be so vsed as Gods ordinance with reuerence and good conscience Indeed the word preached is the ordinary meanes to begin faith and to worke repentance but the reading of them publikely and priuatly hath his proper vse to confirme our faith yea to increase knowledge faith and repentance in vs. Write and send it to the seuen Churches c. Here is the third point namely that a man in the crosse and persecution may be the deare child of God S. Iohn a famous Apostle and deare seruant of God yet he is in banishment and continues a long time from all company of men yet God reuealeth his wil to him and maketh him the pen-man of this book which he giueth to none but them which be his seruants Then a man may be and continue in banishment yet be the deare seruant of God We reason if a man be in the crosse and persecution and continue in the same he is surely out of Gods fauour but we see the contrary in Iohn In the end of the verse he setteth downe the names of these seuen Churches in particular and these seuen places were seuen most famous cities in Asia in which were planted seuen most excellent Churches of all those parts of the world and for that cause here are named one by one Then I turned backe Here is his preparation or entrance into the vision When I heard a voice behind me being loud and great I turned to see him which deliuered it to me In the preparation we must consider first the meanes to moue Iohn to attention namely a voice secondly the end to make him attentiue and to inioyne him his dutie namely to write and to send it to the Churches Now followeth the second part of his preparation which is that he turned backe when he heard this loud and great voice to see who it was which gaue the voice By this practise of S. Iohn we may learne our duty for as he dealeth with the man which giues the voice so must we deale with God S. Iohn heareth a voice and then he turnes backe to see who it is so must we do with the Lord we are all by nature ready to turne from God and runne from him as fast as we can by our sinnes Now when the Lord speaketh to vs by the preaching of the word when we are running on in another way we must turne to him turne our hearts to his wayes confesse our sinnes to him that so

here he commands her to embrace the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles Hence we see Christ would haue this Church to embrace the doctrine taught by his Apostles to maintaine that and not to regard any other but though an Angell from heauen did preach any other doctrine he should be accursed Galat 1. By this we may iudge of the maine religions which be in the world namely of the Turkes Iewes and Papists The Papists magnifie their religion standing on vnwritten traditions but they cannot proue they be Apostolical ergo we must not regard them no nor doctrines which men say they haue by reuelation for we must onely regard Apostolicall doctrine As for the Turkes religion it was not the Apostles preaching but crept in six hundred yeares after them And for the Iewes all their religiō is against the Gospel Then good men in diuers countries shold not be of diuers religions but they should embrace the doctrine taught by the Prophets and Apostles of Christ neither should men because of dissent in religion be of no religion for Christ inioynes this Church to maintaine the doctrine of the Apostles though many discented from it Hold fast to the end Here not how long not one or two dayes but to the end and we must looke to this seeing Christ so straightly commands it because this is the foundation and mark of true religion and the readie way to saue mens soules to be constant to the end and for this 2. Tim. 2. Paul bids him teach that he learned that others might instruct them which follow and so conuey it from age to age and for this the Church is called the ground and pillar of truth And so the Lord Eph. 4. giueth the Church Pastors first such as by their teaching maintaine puritie in maners and teachers which maintaine it in doctrine Then this is the Churches dutie to continue puritie of religion to the end of the world If the marke be set wrong in the hauen it is enough to cast away all the ships so if the puritie of doctrine be corrupt which is the direction of our soules to heauen then we shall make shipwracke of our soules in hell Then the Ministers must not onely teach truly but labour to beate downe false doctrine which poisons the doctrine of the Gospell And because men labour not to maintaine the puritie of religion and true doctrine the Lord 2. Thess. 2. giueth them vp to beleeue lies and fantasies of men To him which ouercometh c. In these words is the last part to wit the conclusion of the Epistle containing two parts first a promise secondly a commaundement In the promise note two things first the parties to whom secondly the benefits promised The partie to whom to him which ouercometh whom here Christ describes to be he which keepes his workes by his practise of obedience He which keepes or obserues This is the forme of obedience namely the obseruing of the works of Christ which is not a keeping of them according to the rigour of the law but a constant purpose and indeuour to keepe them for the children of God haue this priuiledge that their will and indeuour is accepted of God for the deed in Christ Iesus There are many which haue litle knowledge these must not be cast downe but if they haue a desire and indeuour to liue according to the will of Christ making conscience of sinne their obedience is true obedience and acceptable to Christ. My workes Here is the matter of obedience namely Christs works that is such workes as Christ hath ordained in his word by his spirit and is the author of in his members Christ cals these workes his workes therefore we must not thinke or speake or do our words or workes but onely Christs workes commanded and ordained in his word and caused in vs by his spirit which we do when we conforme our works and wils to his word and will We see no worke is acceptable to God which is not ordered by Christs word though we think highly of it Esay 6. he reproueth them for teaching the feare of God by mens cōmandemēt This condemnes the Turkes Papists and Iewes religion which are not workes of Christ but of sinfull men standing in praying to Saints fasting vowing Masses c. My workes Not one or two workes but all my workes the creature must obey Christ not in some but absolutely in all things he will not pattstakes but wil haue all or none Dauid Psal. 119. conformed himselfe to the whole law So Hezekiah he turned to all the law of Moses Vnto the end Here we see Christ will haue our obedience to be constant c. we must not iudge of obedience by one or two actions but by the course of a mans life if his life hath bene good with conscience of sinne then his obedience is good For say a man by reason of sicknesse rage and raue at his death yet if he haue liued well and made conscience of sinne we must not iudge of him by that fit Now the benefits promised are two first power to rule secondly the morning starre I will giue him power which I haue receiued of my father These words must be referred to the words not following but before For the better vnderstanding of them two questions are necessary first what is the power of the Mediator secondly how farre he conueyeth power to his seruants For the first the power of Christ as he is Mediator is great and described by three arguments first to rule ouer nations here is the largenesse of it for Christ hath power ouer all men all countries and kingdomes in the whole world are in his hand Secondly it is soueraigne and absolute ruling and ouerruling all creatures ouerruled of none This soueraigntie stands in two things first that he giueth lawes that binde the conscience so that if men keepe them not he hath power to condemne them nay he ruleth mens wils and affections he can make them obey him in spite of their hearts Seconly in that he hath this power of himself and from himself Reu. 3. he hath the keyes of heauen and hel Psal. 2. he can breake them in peeces as a potters vessell Thirdly he receiues it from his father as he is God he is equall to his father yet as he is Mediator he receiueth it from him thus is his power generall soueraigne and absolute To come to the second question How farre this power is ours and imparted to vs. Answ. The generall soueraigne power of Christ is not giuen to vs or to any creature but to him who is God and man it is incommunicable to any creature and proper to the person of Christ. Then Christ speaketh these words not to shew that his absolute soueraigne power is giuen to vs but because his creatures haue the benefit of it the full comfort and saluation of the elect cometh from it they haue fruite of it in that they partake