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
seruants in the generall calling of a Christian but in our particular callings For S. Iohn was his seruant not onely in beleeuing in him and obeying him generally but in beleeuing and obeying him in the particular calling of an Apostle So Paule he was the seruant of Christ not only generally but in the speciall calling of the Gospell in preaching the same This example of his and the Apostles must be our direction we must not content our selues with the generall calling of Christians but serue Christ in our particular callings It is not inough to professe Christ in publike assemblies to heare the word receiue the Sacraments but in our particular callings we must serue him at home as the magistrate not onely in his generall calling of Christianitie but in his particular calling as he is a magistrate the Minister as he is a Minister the maister of a familie as he is a maister and so all men in their particular callings must obey Christ. And if the maister of a familie come to the assembly heare the word receiue the Sacraments yet in his familie faile and performe not the duties of a maister he is but an hypocrite he is no true Christian though men accept so of him because he must be obedient to Christ both in generall and particular calling Now followeth the second argument by which Iohn is described namely the effect that he bare record of the word of God Which Iohn bare this record partly by preaching partly by penning the Gospell of Christ. And because the word of God hath two parts the Law and the Gospell he shewes in the next words that he meanes especially the Gospell of Christ adding Of things done and sayd by Christ. And lest any man should call his testimonie into question he saith he testifies that whereof he was an eye witnesse he saw it and therefore could not be deceiued and therefore his testimonie was true The end why he alleageth these words is to shew that he is a faithfull pen-man of this booke that so it might haue more reuerence for he which was faithfull in penning the Gospell of Christ the same also is faithfull in penning this Prophecie of the Church By these words we may gather that to testifie the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles to be the truth of God is a true note of a true Prophet And by these we may distinguish betweene a true Prophet and a false if they bring the doctrine of the Apostles and the Prophets it is true Deut. 13. If they worke wonders and their doctrine be to draw men from the true God they are false Prophets and must be put to death And our Sauiour Christ being asked of his authoritie he alledges Luk. 10. 1. Iohns testimonie and confirmeth Iohns testimonie to be true asking them this question The baptisme of Iohn was it from heauen or of men shewing that Iohn was a true Prophet seeing his Baptisme that is his doctrine was from heauen Hereby we see the difference of a true Prophet and false alledged by the Papists is no true difference for they say If one can worke miracles he is a true Prophet whereas Deut. 13. false Prophets may do that But the true marke of a true Prophet is the doctrine deliuered by the Prophets and Apostles and he which brings this though he can not worke a miracle is a true Prophet Now followeth the sixth argument by which this reuelation is described which is in the manner of propounding and deliuering of it to the Church And this maner and forme of deliuerie of it stands in foure degrees First God the Father giueth it to Christ the Mediator Secondly Christ the Mediatour and head of the Church giueth it to an Angell Thirdly the Angell conueyes it to Iohn the Apostle Fourthly Iohn directed and assisted by the holie Ghost deliuereth it to the Churches Now as this particular booke was so no doubt all the whole Scriptures were conueyed to the Church Now in that the Lord hath so conueyed his Scriptures to man we see his perpetuall care and loue of man and of the members of his Church Also we see the great excellencie and dignitie as also the perfection of these bookes seeing they were deliuered to man by God and by him he deliuers his will to his Church This shewes the blasphemie and sin of the Church of Rome who call the written word of God a dead letter a dumbe iudge they hold that generall Councels be equall to the word that the vniuersall consent of the Church is aboue the Scriptures it giues life and sense to them which otherwise they say of themselues be but an inkie and dumbe word But we see they be farre aboue all these for they be most absolute and perfect and also most excellent seeing they being giuen of God the Father to Christ the mediator and head of the Church and by him conueyed to an Angell who deliuers them to Iohn and he published them to the Church these degrees of the deliuerie of thē shew they be most excellent and perfect Blessed are they which heare c. Here is the seuenth and last argument of this description of the Reuelation which is by the fruite effect and the profite which comes of it being heard or read and ioyned with marking and attention it brings happinesse Blessed That is blessednesse which stands in the fellowship of God and life euerlasting belongs to them which heare and reade this booke and marke it keepe it in memorie remember the things contained in it being a prophecie of the estate of the Church partly present partly to come Blessed is he which reades Here the holy Ghost setteth downe the proper end of the Scriptures of this booke particularly For the ende of this booke and so of all other bookes of the Scriptures is to bring men to happinesse and felicitie and life euerlasting Ioh. 20. last the Scriptures be to make vs beleeue in Christ that so beleeuing we might haue eternall life 1. Ioh. 1. ◠He declared to them the word of Christ that by it they might haue fellowship with God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost which fellowship is true happinesse it selfe Ioh. 5. 39. Search the scriptures for in them you thinke to haue eternall life And in this they differ from all other books and writings of men For mens writings being penned either by the light of nature and so be thence erronious and misse of the end of happinesse and euerlasting life or else they be penned by them which haue light by by the word and so as they agree with the word they be grounded on the word and haue all their truth from it Seeing the end of this booke as of the other bookes of scripture is to bring men to happinesse we see the opinion and practise of the Church of Rome is damnable who barre the people of God from reading and hearing the Scriptures in their vulgar tongue for in barring them of
to lay their sinnes before their eyes without flattering or fauouring themselues not after their owne mind to iudge of them but to examine them by the rule of Gods word and in all their life looke what things there be for which Christ wil come against them For want of this many men being in the church perish neuer consider their former life how they haue liued and for what sins Christ wil come against them If we would escape death by Christs heauy and strait sentence and come to life we must thus call our selues to a reckoning and simply lay all our sinnes in word thought and deed before our eyes to thinke what we haue deserued and to condemne our selues then we shall preuent that iudgement of Christ he shall not need to enter into sentence with vs if we haue put all our sinnes in a booke and reckoned already for them The practise of this duty is the foundation of all religion and the beginning of all grace in the heart but the want of this is the ruine of mens soules and the ready way to destroy them And if this be wanting the Minister may speake and preach to little purpose Because thou hast borne with them that is entertained them which are wicked Here the fault is in more particular namely want of zeale they suffered men which maintained damnable doctrine and heretical opinions to be among them and dwell among them such as held the doctrine of Balaam so we see though they held religion yet they did it coldly not shewing their feruent zeale against such as maintained damnable doctrine By this we see the Church may vse zeale in excommunicating and cutting off those which maintaine damnable and hereticall doctrine they may after due admonition excommunicate them and cut them off as pernitious members 1. Tim. 2. Alexander and Hymineus were excommunicated the church may follow Paules example to cut off such as hold heresies in the fundamentall points of religion And seeing Christ was offended for this their forbearing of those wicked men we see we must not entertaine such as hold such errors and damnable doctrine but haue indignation against them hate their opinions and detest them The Church must be couragious to defend truth in religion to stand against wicked heretikes to excommunicate and thrust them out of the Church if they remaine obstinate Vers. 14. Thou hast That is thou entertainest certaine wicked men and euil persons which maintaine and teach Balaams doctrine the doctrine of the false Prophet And as Christ reproued them here so he might as well say to vs in this Church that he hath something against vs for want of zeale and seueritie against sinne and sinners for though our Church doth not hold and maintaine but repell the false doctrine of the Church of Rome of the Anabaptists and the Familie of loue yet Christ may truly say he hath something against vs for want of zeale against sinners and wicked men For in our Church they abound there is abundance of Atheists and wicked men in the midst of vs which are partakers of the word Sacraments al outward priuiledges of the Church and these Atheists though not in word yet in life deny God and religion they know not God cannot distinguish betweene true religion and the heresies and damnable doctrine of the Papists they thinke not reuerently of the word of God nor of his Ministers and Ambassadours Amongst vs there be abundance of Epicures who giue themselues to all licentiousnesse to eate drinke and sport themselues these loue not the word but being vnder the law of the land they will heare sometimes once a yeare receiue the Sacrament and this is all There are also vnmercifull and cruell men oppressors men which in their priuate callings vse all iniustice deceipt fraud wrong oppression with vsurie and such horrible sinnes these are suffered in the Church and these be the wise men of the world we count them as politicke and great men Now the suffering of these men amongst vs sheweth that in our Church is great want of zeale feruencie and seueritie for which Christ will come against vs as to the Church of Pergamus The reason followeth and the confirmation of his rebuke which is to moue the Church of Pergamus to detest the doctrine of Balaam the false Prophet and it is taken from the effects of Balaam that he gaue wicked counsell to Balaak to cast a blocke in the way of the children of Israel to make them eate of things offered to idols and commit fornication It standeth in a comparison or similitude As the false Prophet Balaam cast a stumbling blocke before the Israelites to moue them to eate of things offered to Idols and commit fornication so there are some among the Church of Pergamus which labour to moue men to the same sinnes The first part of the similitude is in the first part of this verse as Balaam taught false doctrine and gaue ill counsell to Balaak c. In which we must consider three things first what his false counsell was and what an offence is secondly the casting of offence before the Israelites thirdly the meanes how An offence properly is any thing word or deed which is cast in a mans way to make him stumble or fall or go out of his way as a stone or peece of wood or such like thing this is a scandall or stumbling blocke properly Here it is taken by comparison for any thing which hindereth a man in the way to saluation which hindereth or stoppeth him maketh him fall or go out of the way Offence is double either giuen or taken Offence giuen is any word or deed whereby a man is procured to sinne offence taken is when a man taketh occasion to sin or to be offended by that which is done well of another So when Christ did well and preached the true doctrine of saluation the Pharises were offended at his doctrine he did well they tooke occasion to be offended at his well doing Now one giueth an offence when he maketh one offended and causeth him as much as he can to sinne So Peter telleth Christ that the things he spake of should not come to him Christ biddeth him come behind him Satan where Peter gaue an offence to Christ though Christ did not sinne for Christ tooke not the occasion which Peter yet offered As for the giuing of offence it is to cause a man to sin or fall away from God by any thing The meanes are things either simply euill or indifferent By things in themselues euill as those which are directly against the word of God Those things euill in themselues be either ill perswasions or ill examples for by these offences are often giuen for euill perswasions and examples draw the better sort often to sin and are very dangerous meanes to make men offend Againe offences be giuen by things indifferent not euill in themselues but when men vse them vnseasonably and vnfitly out of time
is for brethren to dwell together in vnitie Aristotle could say that parents were not blessed vnlesse they were after their death blessed in their children And surely it is no small part of a fathers blessednesse to see his children like to flourish when he is gone Nay of all monuments that parents can leaue behind them there is none as one saith like to a vertuous sonne But all parents are not so blessed Adams two sonnes could not agree in one field Abrahams in one house Isaaks in one wombe Dauids in one pallace nor those two brethren in the diuision of an inheritance And though concord amongst brethrē especially such as must deuide the inheritance be very rare yet do you euen in this most comfortably agree You are not as Simeon and Leui Romulus and Remus Eteocles and Polynices Atreus and Thyestes Aeta and Perseus but as Castor and Pollux Dauid Ionathan Ioseph and Beniamin and as a true friend is described to be one soule in two bodies It seemeth that as Agrippa the brother of Augustus was beholding to Salust for that one sentence Small things increase by concord but perish through discord so you haue all learned the same lesson as being perswaded that as the members of a bodie being once dismembred they cannot possibly be ioyned againe so if naturall brethren be once vnnaturally disioyned no glue will conioyne them fast againe It were infinite to shew examples of brotherly loue and hatred and others haue eased me of this paines Now that good God who hath brought you from one roote placed you in one countrie aduanced you to like credit and giuen you one heart giue you also one inheritance in the kingdome of heauen Thus right worshipfull I am bold to speake vnto you and the world knoweth I speake the truth and the Lord knoweth I desire not to flatter Go on therefore I beseech you continue in loue be setled in the truth and labour to honor him who thus honoureth you Be not caried away with the shew of this world but thinke religion the best nobilitie and that as Prudentius said Generosa Christi secta nobilitat viros Cui quisquis seruit ille verè est nobilis He noble is that comes of Christ his race Who serues this Lord he surely is not base And this made Theodosius more to thanke God that he was a Christian then a king considering that he must lose the one he could not lose the other Now as to one of you I am bounden in particular and by him being a Minister the despised Ministry is not a litle graced so for him I pray that he may be an Abraham to our Abimelech a Nathan to our Dauid a Iehoida to our Ioash an Ebedmelech to Ieremiah an Elisha to the widow of this Prophet deceased a light in the Court a trumpet in the Church and that Ahashuerosh may long hold out his golden scepter vnto him that by his meanes great men may not want such as will tell them the truth no earthly Alexander accounted a sonne of Iupiter and that no man may be more respected then a good Pastor and that he may euer remember that saying of wise Salomon He that loueth purenes of heart for the grace of his lips the King shall be his friend His Cyrus will not be spoken to verbis bissinis in silken words to his Alexander he needeth not speake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either sweet words or no words For if one Antiochus might be surnamed holy another good Prince called the Good King much more may he whose religious knowledge surpasseth all the Princes that haue bene of this nation and whose humilitie is such that he will haue his sonne to remember that he dissereth not in stuffe but in vse from the rest of his people and that by Gods ordinance I am the bolder for that one to make choice of you all in the dedication of this booke no man knew loued conuersed with and respected this Author more then he He resorted to him in his health visited him in sicknesse and preached a learned Sermon for him at his death Concerning this author as he said of Carthage I had rather be silent then say litle and his worthie labours do speake enough for him by name that his Posthume dedicated to his excellent Maiestie by an excellent Diuine In a word therefore whatsoeuer this man did he desired to profite others by it he thought as it is written of Bernard in his life that he was not his owne man but deputed to the seruice of others He was neuer idle but as Hierome reporteth of Ambrose and Bernard of himselfe he did either reade or meditate or pray or conferre or counsell or comfort or write or preach And thus as the Embleme is of a faithfull Teacher he like a waxe candle in giuing light to others in a short time extinguished himselfe Yet in this short time of his what art was he not a maister of what vertue was he not endued with He was a complet Diuine and hath this blessing in the Church that no mans writings are read of all sorts and in all countries with greater grace and profite then his He was peaceable in the Church patient of wrongs and free from ambition For as Ierome said of Nepotian aurum calcans schedulas consectabatur he regarded not his purse but followed his booke and as Bernard said he liued in terra auri sine auro in a kingdome of gold without gold An excellent gift he had to define properly deuide exactly dispute subtilly answer directly speake pithily and write iudicially and how he preached if these Sermons do giue a testimonie what witnesse had they who often heard him themselues I haue published of his now two Discourses and I onely did it that these his labours might not perish I haue no benefite by them but exceeding great paines And since I vnderstand that his other labours are in the hands of his friends to make benefite for his children I will ease my selfe of the like labour be a means that they may haue the benefit of the future impressions of this booke the which how faithfully I haue published I appeale to the godly and indifferent Reader and I hope no honest minded man will be hired to calumniate it Thus as one desirous to be seruiceable in my calling profitable to the Church not forgetfull of my friend and to testifie the happinesse of your house which was in your fathers time and is now as it is said of Aurelian the Emperors Referta piis Ecclesia Dei replenished with the godly and a Church of God and withall to leaue a monument of my dutie to you all I haue as you see published this exposition of seuen Epistles vnder your eight names nothing doubting but it will be as welcome to you as
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 visioÌ„ And when Christ preached his Fathers will he wrought many miracles which were as sâ—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 â— 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 writteÌ„ 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
any openly wicked in life or doctrine we must not keepe any priuate companie with him shew him no speciall familiaritie but withdraw our selues from such as burdens to vs. And hast examined them This sharpe dealing of the Church of Ephesus hath 2 parts the first is examination the second cōdemnation of the false Apostles The first part is the discouerie of these false Apostles The second the opposing of her selfe against them being discouered The discouerie of the false Apostles teacheth two points first that God hath giuen to his Church and to the Ministers and members of it speciall grace and wisedome an excellent gift of discerning 1. Cor. 2. 15. 1. Cor. 11. Spirituall men endued with the Spirit of God can discerne of the Lords bodie and bloud betweene bread and wine in the Sacrament and common bread and wine 2. Cor. 13. Proue your selues shewing that the Church and the members thereof haue power and the gift of wisedome to try whether they haue faith or not 1. Ioh. 5. Trie the spirits And here she hath power to discerne of false Apostles and by this gift the Church of God differeth from all other societies of men no societie saue the Church of God hath this gift to iudge betweene good and bad truth and error true Apostles and false Apostles Secondly we gather hence that the Church of God can iudge whether a Church be a true Church or not Some men it pleaseth to call this to question nay to deny that there is any Church in England but call it the synagogue of Satan and say there is no ministerie in it no word no Sacraments Now seeing the Church of God can iudge of vs in England and the churches in Germanie in Scotland other Euangelicall and reformed Churches iudge the Church of England a true Church it is so though they deny it For we must rather stand to the iudgement of one or many particular true churches then of any one priuate or of many men Yea seeing the church of God can iudge of false Apostles it hath also power to iudge of Scriptures to iudge which books be canonicall which are not And that which the church of Rome saith is false that the Church indeed can iudge but as it hath authoritie from their Church This Church of Ephesus had this power long before Rome was in such name nay it was in this time of Iohn of farre greater name then Rome and more famous and excellent The second point in what things this discouerie of false Apostles consisteth in what this iudiciall action standeth which God hath giuen to the Church It standeth in two things first examination of false doctrine and false teachers Secondly condemnation of thē after examination For the first he saith And hast examined for the second and found them lyers To come to this examination the Church of Ephesus had a gift of examination and did examine false Apostles and their doctrine But how may a particular Church examine a false Apostle and his doctrine To do this the man or Church which would do it must first prepare themselues and make them fit to examine and in this preparation must haue an humble heart and lowly spirit for God reuealeth not his will to proud men such as haue high minds in their conceit And in this humbling of himselfe he must cleane renounce his owne wit and reason and in regard of himselfe become a foole in his owne reason if he will be wise in the word of God After this preparation he must make prayers to God in his spirit that the Lord would reueale the thing to him and that he would open his eyes by the meanes vsed to iudge of truth falshood Luk. 11. Iam. 1. 5. In the next place he must labour throughly to know and well to conceiue of their false doctrines he must seek to vnderstand them their grounds the differences betweene them and the truth For it is a fowle fault to propound a mans error and not in that meaning he propounded it or gaue it They must further proue and trie whether the doctrine be of God or men To do this he must come to the word of God which must be iudge in the matter not a dumme letter as the Papists hold but the true iudge in all matters and most sufficient Esa. 8. 19. 20. Ioh. 5. Search the Scriptures Only the Lord must be iudge in his owne matters he must giue sentence and no Angell Saint or man Now this he doth in the written word therefore they must search whether such doctrines be contained in the Scriptures or can by necessarie consequence be collected out of them They must after all this looke to their liues for it is not possible that a false Apostle should lead a good life We must looke on his faith and repentance and the fruites of them for though he may bleare the eyes of the world yet if his life be well sifted it will appeare by his faith and repentance he is but an hypocrite and therefore Mat. 7. Christ biddeth vs trie them by their fruites A bad tree cannot bring good fruite but if a man trie and tast them though they appeare beautifull to the eye yet we shall find them to be but hypocriticall and this is a iudgement of God vpon such that they shal be descryed by this one marke by their liues and conuersations If they teach false doctrine they haue liues answerable they cannot but liue accordingly There was neuer any which was a famous hereticke in the Church but his life was stained with monstrous sinnes as the historie of the Church declareth The second part of the discouerie is condemnation or sentence against them for after she had examined them finding them not that they seemed to be she pronounced them to be false Apostles and lyers Note she calleth them lyers vseth sharp speeches and yet sinneth not seeing Christ commendeth her so Ministers to shew their hatred against vice may vse sharpe speeches not to raile or taunt but only to shew our hatred and misliking of sinne So Iohn Baptist calleth them a generation of vipers Christ called Herod a Foxe Paul the Galatians fooles In that she calleth them lyers it sheweth three things first that they spake falsely and deliuered that which was vntrue secondly that they sinned of knowledge thirdly that they did it of malice to hurt and deceiue the Church for these three be the properties of a liar Againe here we see that which Paul Act. 20. foretold by the spirit of Prophecie to be fulfilled that among the Ephesians should arise lyars on them which professed the Gospell with them Againe if men in the daies of the Apostles they being yet aliue durst so take on thē Apostolical authoritie to cal thēselues Apostles and were none no maruell if the Pope of Rome durst sixe hundred yeares after them take this vpon him and say he is Peters successor to take on him Apostolicall power
were excellent mē the seruants of Christ. Hence arise two questions first why some men be rather the seruants of Christ then other some secondly whether the seruants of Christ can be seduced For the first some say God would haue euery man in the world his seruant doth what he can to make them so he calleth them redeemeth them giueth them grace to be his children reconcileth thē to himself so that they may if they will be saued now some will not for all this receiue Gods grace but contemne his mercy though he call them redeeme them and giue them grace But this is against common sense to make Gods will in subiection mans will to rule to disgrace God and set man aloft to make Gods will to be ordered by mans will But the reason why some are the seruants of God not al is Gods good pleasure in electing some and reiecting others for he electeth not all to grace and glory but some onely and these be his seruants by reason of his owne good will and pleasure Act. 13. 48. As many as were ordained to life that is elected and redeemed of Gods free will and pleasure they beleeued The second question is whether a seruant of God can be seduced Answ. Seruants be of two sorts some are only in appearance some in deed and truth Those be onely in appearance which receiue the word and outward seales but not the inward fruite and these be in our Churches the greatest part these may fall away finally and wholly as did the Galathians and many other But those which be in truth the seruants of Christ though they may fall in part yet they cannot fall wholy or finally Mat. 16. the gates of hel shal striue shew their strength against that rocke of faith but shall not preuaile So we pray Leade vs not into temptation that is let vs neuer be wholly vnder the power of Satan Now what we pray for that we haue a promise in the worde for it and true faith and a constant purpose to liue in any on sinne cannot stand together for faith purifieth the heart and preserueth it in life and death ergo a true beleeuer cannot fall wholly or finally To come to the meanes of discerning them it is by committing fornicatiō and eating things offered to idols She made the seruants of God to sinne by these two sinnes and meanes which shewes she was a maintainer of the sect of the Nicolaitanes of whom I spake before And I gaue her space to repent Christ reproued the Church of Thyatira before for suffering her here he reproueth her for her obstinacy and hardnes of heart that she would not repent of her sinnes Time to repent That is though her sinnes deserued present death yet God suffered her to liue in the world a space of time to see if she would repent Now in her example he teacheth vs how to vse time whilest we liue in the world namely seeing it is giuen vs of God to repent in and so to come to saluation we must vse it so repēt while we haue time For that cause he lets some liue twenty or forty yeares for there is no repentance before we come into this world or after we go out therefore while we liue in it we must repent then we must thinke of it earnestly that we vse it to repent in that so we may be reconciled to God receiued to mercy and haue the kingdome of heauen Then damnable is the practise of our daies when men liue in eating drinking sporting carding dicing in spending their strength and wit in getting riches neuer thinking of the true end why they liue which is to repent and come to saluatiō but spend their time he giues them to repent other wayes The Lord might cut them off as soone as they be borne yet he suffereth them to liue to see if they will repent then if they runne on in sin they increase their damnation and do as a man should euery day cary a faggot for ten yeares to one heape and be burned himselfe with them at the end I gaue her Namely Christ gaue her time to repent no creature no man or Angel can dispose of the time of repentance but only Christ Iesus it is in his power alone when one must repent or not Then seeing it is not in our power it is best for vs to repent without delay while it is called to day The yong man takes his swinge because he is yong as though he could repēt in old age or when he list but he robs Christ of his honor for he alone can dispose of the time of repentance Then take the present who knoweth when the Lord will cut him off and then his estate is miserable We thinke a man may repent at the last gaspe but it is not good for a man to deferre seeing he may die quietly by reason of the sicknesse yet may die out of Gods fauour But to whom gaue Christ this time To her that is Iesabel a wicked woman Here we see the endles mercy of God in Christ Iesus he offereth mercy to Iesabel a leud wicked fornicator idolater a blasphemous wretch fathering her sinnes on the spirit of God yet she hath mercy offered So the Lord dealeth not in iustice to cut men off but giueth grieuous sinners time to repent So did he to Manaesses a wisard and idolater who humbling himselfe was receiued to mercy Salomon an idolater yet repenting was receiued to mercy for he was a pen-man of the Scripture ergo an holy man 2. Pet. 1. 20. Isay 1. The Iewes a sinfull people as ill as they which were in hel The Sodomites and Gomorrheans they had mercy offered if they would repent and though their sins were as red as crimson yet God would wash them as white as snow We may not hence take occasion to sinne but they which be grieuous sinners must not despaire if they can repent they shall haue mercy Of her fornication She had sundry sinnes especially idolatry which cannot want company for no sinne goeth alone Christ calleth her to repent for that one sinne of fornication because that was the most principall sin the head sinne of that woman teaching vs that when we repent we must begin with our greatest sins which most clog our conscience and by which we offend most Againe he which can repent truly of one great sin he repents of all if he hate the greater he will hate the lesser Then we in repentance must begin at the greater sin and repent in particular for it for confused repentance is not true as to say I am a sinner c. but repentance in particular for particular sinnes beginning at the head sinne which most troubleth vs that is true repentance Seeing Christ saith he gaue her time to repent hence the Papists gather free will namely to do good and to repent for else this admonition were in vaine But it followes not for God gaue
Secondly in regard of his manhood because the holy Ghost hath powred foorth into his manhood the perfection of all graces and gifts whatsoeuer as he is annointed with the oyle of gladnesse aboue his fellowes And this perfection standeth in two things first in number secondly in degree or measure First in number thus Among Gods seruants some haue these graces some those none haue all but Christ hath all the graces which all men and Angels haue more too Secondly in degree for the graces of Christ are more in measure then all the graces of all the Saints and seruants of God whatsoeuer he hath the fountaine of all grace and therefore he is said to haue the Spirit without measure And for that cause also Christ is said to haue the seuen spirits This is spoken by occasion of the Church and people of Sardis which was a dead people and therefore Christ was able to quicken them and to put life and spirit into them That no man can haue fellowship with the Father or the holy Ghost but by Christ it is manifest by other places No man can come to the Father but by me so there must be a participation with Christ before there can be any with the holy Ghost This serueth for our instruction because among the Papists there be many great learned men which haue excellent gifts of nature wit memorie and vnderstanding and though they haue withall a reformed and ciuill life yet they want faith and regeneration How cometh this to passe that such worthy men hauing the common gifts of the spirit want the speciall The cause is this their Christ is a false Christ yea an idol Christ they professe the want of sauing faith and all is because they want Christ. Therefore no maruell though you see the greatest learned there mocke and scoffe at this speciall grace of the assurance of our election Againe many among vs looke to be saued by Christ and yet you shall see no grace neither of knowledge nor faith feare nor care to keepe Gods commandements or a good conscience no sparke of grace and yet looke to be saued by Christ. How can these stand together Though they say they haue Christ they deceiue themselues for they haue not the graces of the Spirit and they haue no grace because they are not in Christ and by that they may know they are not in Christ because they haue no grace To conclude then we must all be admonished to labour that we may be vnited to Christ our head truly to haue fellowship with him that in him we may haue fellowship with the Father and the holy Ghost No grace of God to life eternall will be bestowed vpon vs till we haue Christ himselfe Therefore first labour to be in Christ and to be truly ioyned and vnited to him by the bond of faith that by this meanes we may haue all graces distilling and flowing into our hearts by Christ. Now the second royaltieis he hath seuē starres that is the Ministers and Pastors of the seuen Churches Christ is said here to haue them because he is the soueraigne Lord ouer them he is an absolute Lord ouer all For he setteth them apart and giueth them whatsoeuer gifts they haue he appointeth them their offices duties and callings so as he hath rule ouer them he appointeth ordaineth maketh and preserueth them As he hath in him the fulnesse of spirit so is he a Lord ouer his Ministers he hath power to saue if they obey or to destroy if they rebell Ob. The Church maketh Ministers Ans. The right of making Ministers and ordaining them is Christs royaltie and belongeth to him the Church doth but testifie and declare who they be that Christ maketh Ministers and approueth them therefore he saith here the seuen starres be his Now the end of these words is to strike the heart of the Minister which is secure and negligent to make him know himselfe and his place that he may begin to haue sound conscience of his dutie And this point is an excellent motiue to make them looke to their dutie their gifts are not their owne nay they themselues are not their owne but Christs and he is their Lord. This very consideration cannot but be effectuall to stirre vp all pastors to regard their duties for seeing they are Christs they must not do their owne will We must renounce our selues in all things and therefore bethinke our selues our soules and our bodies are not our owne but Christs Let this consideration draw vs on to do thinke and speake nothing but that which Christ would if he will haue you liue be content because he is the Lord of your life if to dye be content because you are his and not your owne So much for the Preface Now followeth the second part of the Epistle containing two parts first a reproofe secondly a promise The reproofe in the first verse I know thy works in which is contained a reproof and withall a remedie in the next words I know Here note the vice and withall the reproofe the vice is hypocrisie for she pretended religion in outward shew but wanted it indeed Thou hast a name that is the Churches about thee iudge thee to liue that is to be borne anew beleeue in Christ to haue his spirit to guide thee but thou art dead in sinnes and wantest newnesse of life and regeneration The like we may say of many great Churches by name the Romish Church which though it seeme to liue yet in regard of spirituall life it is dead It pretendeth to be the true Church of Christ but in truth it is dead in sinne Yet some say it is not dead but diseased full of sores and sicknesses and though the throat be cut yet it breatheth and panteth but the truth is it is starke dead and cold it hath no spirituall life at all But some alleage the contrarie saying it hath the Sacraments in it and where there is a Sacrament there is a Church but they haue Baptisme therefore a Church Ans. Baptisme is not alwaies a note of a true Church for the Samaritanes had circumcision which was before Baptisme yet they were no people nor church of God Os. 1. 9. That there may be baptisme yet no church it appeareth because there may be baptisme without the preaching of the word As the Papists haue baptisme without the true preaching of the word so they haue the outward Baptisme but deny the inward Baptisme which is iustification by Christ and sanctification by his Spirit Againe I answer it is a Sacrament not to that church of the Papists but to the hiddē church in popery for the Lord euer hath his church among them he keepeth among them euen 7. thousand which neuer worshipped their idols Now then that Sacrament is reserued in that church not for the Papists but for Gods children among them By this we see Gods owne prouidence to call them by those meanes and for their sakes
root from whence is conueyed to vs all righteousnesse Seeing Christ is holy both in himselfe and in vs yea the root of all holinesse we must note this maine principle of all true religion which is to be set and ingraffed into Christ as a branch into a tree and being once in him to become new creatures to labour to feele the power of Christ killing in vs the old man our naturall corruptions and also renewing in vs the new man and the image of God in righteousnesse and true holinesse to feele the power and vertue of Christ as sensibly in vs as we feele the corruption of nature and shew this vertue we receiue of Christ euen as a branch sheweth the sappe it receiueth from the roote by the leaues and fruite 2 Seeing Christ was thus holy he propoundeth to vs a patterne to follow teaching vs to be holy as he was holy to make conscience of al sinne to be conformable to him to marke what he did and to imitate it 1. Ioh. 3. 4. We must purge our selues of sinne and be pure as he is pure for he which is not holy as he is holy shall haue no benefit or fellowship by his death and passion Thirdly we see that title giuen to the Bishop of Rome is blasphemous to call him Holinesse as it is common in all their speeches to him Now he in that taketh to him the title of Christ which is a part of Christs honour communicable to none else nay he taketh more on him then Christ here doth for Christ is called but holy he is called holinesse it selfe The second title of Christ is truth Christ is called true in three respects first because without errour and ignorance he knoweth al things as they be in themselues so do not creatures but by vertue from him Secondly because what he willeth and decreeth he willeth and decreeth seriously without fraud deceipt or any contradiction as appeareth in the whole Scripture wherein is nothing contrarie to it selfe but all without chaunge and alteration Thirdly because he maketh good all his promises in his word he accomplisheth and performeth them all he is the performance of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea and Amen Seeing Christ is true nay truth it self we see a difference betweene Christ and all false spirits for they be spirits of errors the diuell is a lyer from the beginning he is the father of lyes nay his nature is to lie he can do nothing else but Christ is true nay truth it selfe euery way true in his knowledge in his will and in his promises he is true Seeing Christ is absolutely true we must beleeue in him and beleeue his promises in his word without doubting for seeing Christ is true nay truth it selfe what need we call his promises into question And this shold be the very prop of our faith that he which promiseth is true therfore wil perform his promise So in persecutiō in trouble and affliction trust in Christ he hath promised to helpe he will not faile because he is most true of his promise Seeing he is so true he propoundeth himselfe to be followed of vs. Christ he knoweth things truly he willeth and decreeth things seriously so should we promise and performe and make good our lawfull promises Psal. 55. The Lord hateth the deceiptfull person Reu. 20. without that is in hell be all deceiptfull and lying persons Psal. 15. It is a note of a member of the Church and of Christ to be true and faithfull and to speake truth from his heart for the diuell is the author of lies 3 Christ is described by his kingly office which hath the keyes of Dauid First let vs see what is meant by the key of Dauid Esay 22. 22. speaking of Eliakim saith I will put the key of Dauid vpon his shoulder for Ezra had bene Hezechiahs Steward an ancient steward in many kingdomes but in his dayes he began to be negligent in his dutie therfore he decreed to cast him out and to place Eliakim in his stead 2. King 18. 18. and therefore saith he will put the key of Dauid that is the gouernement of the kingdome of Iudah on his shoulder for by Dauids house is meant the kingdome of Dauid and the giuing of the key is the placing and inuesting him into his office and giuing him the authoritie of the kingdome of Dauid Christ here hath the key of Dauid great and large authoritie of the Churches as a chiefe Gouernor in a kingdome It will be said Dauids key was temporall Christs kingdome spirituall Ans. First Christ had Dauids key properly for when Christ was borne the scepter was departed from Iudah to the Romaine Emperour so that Christ then was the next to it and had true right to the crowne and kingdome Luk. 3. And Christ challenging his right saith Mat. 17. 26. That the Kings sonnes be free and therefore he need not to pay tribute 2 Christ had Dauids key typically and figuratiuely for Dauids tēporall kingdome was a figure of Christs spirituall kingdome so Dauid was a figure and type of Christ therefore he is often called Christ and Ezec. 3. Christ is called Dauid Now he is said to haue Dauids kingdome and not Neroes or any other because their kingdomes were kingdomes of darknesse and miserie and cursed kingdomes but Dauids kingdome was a kingdome of light a blessed kingdome hauing those men which were acceptable to God and therefore was a type of the kingdome of Christ. Then where Christ is said to haue Dauids key it is not so to be vnderstood that he had the same with Dauid but that which is signified by Dauids key Christ Mat. 2. is called a Nazarite not that he vsed their rites and customes for he dranke wine they did not but because he was that signified by a Nazarite namely by Sampson Iud. 13. For as he slue more by his death then by his life so Christ he saued more by death then by his life yet Christ was a Nazarite that is seuered from all sin and pollution And so Christ had Dauids key that is the spirituall key signified by his temporall key which key signifieth authoritie power and gouernment of the church of God Which openeth and none shutteth In these words Christ hath relation to an house where when one openeth the doore he openeth the house and so Christ he openeth and he shutteth which sheweth his absolute and soueraigne authoritie he hath the key of Dauid and he hath it absolutely no creature is aboue him but he can shut or open at his pleasure Now this key is the power of Christ. In his hand which is a supreme soueraignetie ouer the church by which he can saue or destroy Now this soueraigne power of Christ hath three parts first to prescribe secondly to iudge thirdly to saue and destory First to prescribe he hath an absolute power without constraint of any creature to commaund what he will haue done or not so he
yea though they preach it oftentimes But they must looke that they do it not for ease but for the good of the Church And therefore the hearers hearing the Minister repeate the same doctrine ought not curiously to reprehend him for then they may as well reprehend Christ himselfe as before I haue shewed Here then is a dutie commaunded namely to heare this hearing is the good learning that bringeth true faith saluation and sincere obedience with it But to whom is this commandement giuen To hearing hearers and to such as do not onely receiue the word of God with their outward eares but with the eare that is in the heart Hence we learne first that God doth not giue to all men grace to heare his word to their saluation Secondly that we must so heare that thereby we may be conuerted and changed But what is to be said namely what the spirit teacheth to the Churches That we might heare attentiuely he vseth a double reason one drawne from the speaker another from the auditors to wit the Churches But I haue spoken of these before And to the Angell of the Church of the Laodiceans write c. As before all the other Epistles so before this last Epistle there is a commandement giuen to Iohn to write it And the Epistle hath three parts as the former had first a Preface secondly the matter thirdly a conclusion First of the Preface wherin Christ is described in whose name it was penned by two arguments First by his name and title Amen a faithfull witnesse Secondly by his priuiledge and propertie the beginning of the cratures Amen is an Aduerb of affirmation or asseueration signifying truly verily certainly The reason why he is so called is rendred in the words that follow which are a commentary and full exposition of this The faithfull witnesse c. So that to this end he is called Amen to shew that he is a true and faithfull witnesse See chap. 1. 5. there I expound it And here I will repeate the heads onely of that exposition He is called a witnesse betweene God the father and vs because he doth not onely reueale the fathers will to vs but sealed it with his blood and giueth vs many testimonies inward and outward but of all testimonies that of the Scripture is most certaine And for these three respects he is thus termed first because he doth reueale it and seale it and ratifie it by inward and outward testimonies secondly because he wold accomplish his fathers wil. 2. Cor. 1. 20. All the promises of God are in him yea and Amen that is most certaine and therefore he is a witnesse yea a faithfull witnesse Thirdly he is called a true witnesse because he speaketh the truth that which he reuealeth from his father is the will of his father who is truth it selfe he saith as the thing is without error or falshood nay his will is the rule of all truth This is the meaning of the first argument Now the vse and the end why here Christ is so called if we do but reade the Epistle and marke the contents we may guesse probably at the end which is that he might shew himselfe an example to the Angell of that Church who was slacke and negligent in his ministery therfore Christ instructs him how to cary himself without respect of persons teaching the word of God truly and faithfully See chap. 1. 5. And not only to the Angel but to all the Church yea to all Christians he propounds himselfe an example of two worthy vertues faith and truth he would haue all to be true and faithfull in their life and conuersation euen as he is This faith is a vertue whereby a mans word becometh as sure as an obligation as we vse to speake whereby we make good all our words othes and promises Truth is that whereby a man without lying deceit or fraud speaketh the truth from his heart that I say which is necessary to be knowne for his owne and others good and for the glory of God Set we this example before our eyes and as Christ is a true and faithfull witnesse so let vs be carefull to shew our selues true in all our words and speeches and to be faithfull in all our promises These be excellent graces in Christ and fruites of the spirit in Christians therefore let vs be knowne by these to be like Christ. The second end of this title is to induce this Church to apply it selfe to the word of God effectually for it was faultie in this point therfore that he might bring them to this he saith that he is a faithfull witnesse How should they do this Thus consider in the word the law and the Gospell the commaundements promises and threatnings and apply them particularly euery man to himselfe the commandements to know sinne the threatnings to humble vs and that we may be touched in conscience and made fit to receiue Gods grace see an example of it Luke 15. in the prodigall son I haue sinned and am not worthy c. So Daniel and Ezra humbled themselues No man can truly be humbled till he make this particular application of the word which he readeth and heareth Now the Gospell also must be thus applied we are bound to beleeue the promises of life eternal not onely that they are true but to apply them to our selues The Gospell requireth a further thing which is the foundation of the church for proofe see Phil. 3. 7 8 9 10 11. The summe is this he esteemes all things losse in regard of Christ and desires the righteousnes which is by faith in Christ and to know the vertue of Christs resurrection Now marke the fifteenth verse let so many as be perfect be thus minded teaching euery one of vs our dutie to apply Christ to our owne person Thus are we bound in conscience to apply the Gospell to our selues and whosoeuer doth not so he makes God a lier as much as in him lieth 1. Iohn 5. And this is the principall end and reason why Christ calleth himselfe so that men might not onely beleeue the word in general but apply it in particular to themselues The not doing of this is the cause of negligence in religon of so many luke-warme Christians and professors Therefore let vs all learne this dutie It is not enough to know the word no nor to be able to teach it but aboue al things to lay it to the conscience to apply it that we may be truly humbled and turne to God therefore iustifying faith is that which applieth in particular Now the second title of Christ is the beginning of all creatures Col. 1. 16. By him all things were created in heauen and earth therefore in regard of creation he is so called Yet I doubt not but there is a further cause why he is so called here namely because he is the beginning of the new creatures as Ephes. 1. 10. where it is said we are Gods workmanship created
in Christ to good workes Marke there euery Christian is a workmanship of God To this purpose Esay 53. 10. saith whē Christ shal giue him selfe a free will offering he shall see his seed How Thus All that are borne a new they are the seed of Christ he is the beginning and roote and so much the very scope of this Epistle declareth Now he is such a beginning two waies first as he is the author of regeneration for whosoeuer is borne a new Christ is the cause and author of his conuersion Therefore Esay 9. 6. he is called the father of eternitie because he doth regenerate men to life by his spirit and Esay 8. 18. he saith Loe here I am and the children that thou hast giuen me Secondly as he is the matter thereof Ephes. 5. the Church is flesh and bone of Christ where the Apostle alludeth to the creation of our first parents for Adam was a figure of a man regenerate and as Eue had her beginning from Adams side so the Church and euery Christian haue their being and beginning from Christ from his blood springs the Church of God and all Christians as they are new creatures and regenerate not as they are men and women Now the end why he is so called is to meete with a vice in that and other Churches Men haue more care and desire to seeme to be Christians then to be Christians indeed men set more by a shew then truth shadow then substance Therfore he shewes that their principall care must be to be true Christians indeed not to seeme so only This church was not regenerate in that church and therefore Christ tels them of it that he is the beginning of new creatures And the same is our fault our care is not so much for the power of godlines as for the shew of it therefore I beseech you haue care of this to heare the word and to receiue the sacraments are good things in their kind but they are not sufficient to saluation except thou become a true member of Christ thou hast no good by them 2 He saith this to meete with another vice that is spiritual pride He shewes that there is no excellencie in outward things all earthly excellēcies are nothing without this wherby a man is a new creature therefore we must not stand vpon our pantofles for our birth or gentry but whosoeuer wil reioyce must reioyce in this that he hath Christ for the author of his regeneration Further this teacheth vs an excellent lesson that Christ loueth and preserueth his church for as it was in the first Adam so it is in the second Adam The woman had not her beginning apart from man but of and from him that he might loue her the better and haue care of her preseruation So this is to teach vs that Christ hath a care of vs and that we must honor him Nay which is more Adam was but the matter onely and not the author of Heuah but Christ is both to the church to shew his loue to be endlesse The root neuer hurts the branches nay it strengtheneth it selfe to defend cherish and maintaine the branches it hath no affection inclination or disposition to hurt but to helpe Thus much of these words to note the bond betweene Christ and his church yea his loue and our dutie Hence I gather that the Papists erre in teaching that a man hath the vse of his owne will in his regeneration and that he can dispose himselfe in his iustification for a creature cannot worke nor help to create himself but euery regenerate person is a creature of God and the conuersion of a sinner is here made the creation of a man the creature in his owne creation is able to do nothing If there were no more such sayings in the Bible this one were sufficient to confute that opinion And thus much of the preface Now the matter of the Epistle or contents and substance Verse 15. I know thy workes c. that thou art neither hote nor hote c. The Proposition hath two parts First a dispraise or reproofe Secondly counsell The dispraise is for two faults the first lukewarmnesse the second pride and vanitie of mind Then first I will make the words plaine secondly declare the vse of them I know that is all thy waies and workes be manifest to me and I vtterly dislike them And to lay open their fault the more he borroweth a comparison from water whereof there be these three sorts hote cold and warme Cold and hote water may be receiued into the stomack with lesse hurt and annoyance but the water that is lukewarme troubleth the stomacke and ceasseth not till it be cast vp againe Now with these three kinds of water he compareth three sorts of men By cold men vnderstand the enemies of religion as Iewes and Gentiles Turkes and Saracens Gadarens and Galileans By hote vnderstand men zealous in religion by lukewarm indifferent So the meaning is thou art neither an open enemy of religion nor yet truly religious or a true friend I would c. Christ here maketh a wish but he doth not simply wish that they were enemies of religion but in respect of their estate he wisheth they were either of those rather then as they were Otherwise this absurditie would follow that Christ should wish them to be of a people no people of God By lukewarmenesse he vnderstandeth a people professing the word of God and yet not greatly regarding and reuerencing it This people is a lukewarme people as if he should say a mixture of both neither hote nor cold wanting the heate of grace and the fire of Gods spirit whereby their hearts should be heated and inflamed Vers. 16. Because thou art neither c. The meaning is this Euen as a man that hath receiued such water will cast it vp and cannot keepe it in so Christ being grieued with their sinnes will cast them off from hauing any fellowship with him and make them to be no Church This is the true and right meaning of the words Now in them these things are contained First Christ setteth downe their fault and aggrauateth it Secondly he compareth three kinds of men together The hote man hath the best place and the cold man the second and the lukewarme man the last and lowest So you see the enemie of religion and of Gods grace is better then he that professeth religion and liueth not thereafter As if he should say the ordinarie Gospeller which contenteth himselfe to heare the word and to receiue the Sacraments is not so good before God as the Turke and Iew. The threatning followeth I will spue them out of my mouth Now hauing found the meaning we must examine our selues whether we may not be charged with the same fault and it will be found that we are guiltie of this and euen plaine Laodiceans Which that you may see I will shew diuerse kinds of such lukewarme Gospellers and Christians 1
hote nor cold A man were better be a Turke or a Iew then a lukewarme Christian for they are better then such and such professors are worse then they And amend This is added because zeale without repentance is but counterfeit zeale as Iehues was But of what vices must they repent Euen of lukewarmenesse They were not bidden repent because of any grosse sinnes that they had committed but for slacknesse in performing good duties Here is a good lesson for our common people which say because they are no grosse sinners as adulterers theeues murtherers but meane well hurt no man and liue peaceably their case is good They despise preaching and neuer thinke how the want of practising good duties is a thing that they should repent for But they are to know that they are summoned to repent for want of good duties though they do no euill This is the diuels inchantment he rocketh them asleepe with it You may haue all these things and yet be condemned and go to hell And yet this is a common opinion and spread ouer euery where but know it thou maist liue and die with thy good meaning and peaceable liuing and yet be damned if thou repent not Vers. 20. Behold I stand at the doore c. Lest any should despaire because he had reproued them so sharpely and menaced them so seuerely he addeth these words which are to confirme the Church against doubting by shewing signes of his loue Now before he setteth downe the speciall tokens of his loue he saith Behold In which very note of attention we haue a necessarie instruction to teach vs that if we would arme our selues against doubting we must acquaint our selues with the tokens of Gods loue lay them to our hearts and remember them We haue of this an example in Dauid Psal. 23. in all the verses saue the last he rehearseth Gods goodnesse and his particular blessings whereupon he inferreth this conclusion Therfore without all doubt I shall liue long to praise God And all this came from the particular obseruation of Gods goodnesse therefore if you would not stand in doubt of Gods mercie obserue his dealing and his loue in Christ as plentifull tokens of his prouidence They being laid together worke in vs peace of conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost There is no man so full of despaire and doubting but if he lay these things together and obserue diligently all the tokens of Gods fauour he shall find store of comfort therefore looke backe to your liues what tokens of Gods loue you haue receiued and in the time of trouble that will be a remedie against desperation I stand Christ expresseth his mind by borrowed speeches for in this verse he compareth euery man to a house or housholder and our hearts to doores by which an entrance is made and himselfe to a guest or stranger which cometh to the house and desireth to be let in and entertained yet not so much to looke for kindnesse to be shewed him as to shew fauour to vs. By this similitude Christ purposeth to shew this Church what his mind is toward it and he expresseth it by two signes here set downe first a desire of their conuersion which he heartily seeketh and looketh for I stand and knocke Secondly his promise after their conuersion If any c. he will haue fellowship euen mutuall fellowship with them Now of the words in order as they lie The scope and substance of them being thus first thus generally propounded I here note two things First that this Church if we regard the greatest part of it had not true fellowship with Christ as yet nor Christ with thē because he was not yet receiued into their houses but stood at their doores which were shut This may seeme strange but the cause is euident the truth is there were many good things in them for they knew the Gospell and liked it and professed it and were partakers of the seales of the couenant and yet they were tainted with one great sinne of lukewarmenesse which closed vp the doore of their hearts so that though they had many good things yet this one sinne kept out Christ. By which we see that one sinne in a man indued with many good graces keepeth out Christ and barreth him from all fellowship and societie with him Iudas had many notable things in him he forsooke all and preached Christ and yet couetousnesse kept out Christ. Herod had so too but incest kept the doore shut against Christ. It is the nature of sinne to cut a man off from all fellowship with Christ and so we may haue many excellent things among vs as the word and Sacraments and yet if thou be a man which hast but one sinne and nourishest it it is a barre to keepe out Christ from entring If thou be giuen either to couetousnesse drunkennes fornication adulterie theft blasphemie or lying c. that one sin whatsoeuer will keepe out Christ so that he must be faine to stand and stay at the doore and so must abide as long as a man continueth in any one sinne Therefore so many as haue any desire to haue fellowship with Christ must haue care to cut off all sinne for though thou haue knowledge wit memorie vnderstanding and vtterance yet if thou haue but one sinne it taketh away the very ground of all fellowship with Christ that is of all felicitie and happinesse In the originall it is not I stand but I haue stoode So Ier. 7. 13. I haue risen vp early and Esa. 65. 2. I haue stretched out my arme all the day long And here I haue risen vp early and stood here long all the day till night for so much the word of supping importeth as if he should say till supper time This sheweth Christs exceeding patience in waiting for the conuersion of this people He might in iustice haue condemned them for their sinnes and haue cast them to hell and yet he standeth still all the day waiting for their conuersion till he is faine to complaine Now this place serueth to shew and set foorth and giueth iust occasion to speake of Gods patience in waiting for the cōuersion amendement of a sinner Now that which Christ saith to them may he iustly say to vs he hath risen vp early and spent a long day in waiting at our doores aboue sixe and thirtie yeares therefore he may well vpbraide vs. Let vs then learne to know the day of our visitation for that is the day of a peoples visitation when the Gospel is preached and Christ standeth knocking therefore it stands vs vpon to labour to know this and regard it If we can resolue our selues of this then we practise the dutie which Christ prescribeth the church of Ierusalem if we do not so but shall let passe all the signes and tokens of Gods mercy we must looke for the like end as Ierusalem had So much for the first part I stand at the doore And knocke First
other interpretation Onely I will here note that forasmuch as all figures types and colours contained in this booke may so conueniently be applied to Rome as though they had bene properly appointed to describe her as they were indeed it is great preiudice against Rome although no plainer proofes might be brought But when so plaine arguments are brought foorth that without too much impudencie cannot be auoided and all other figures and darke speeches agree accordingly it is a manifest coniunction that Rome is none other but this Babylon But to begin with these plaine places as I haue promised the first shall be out of the eleuenth Chapter of this Reuelation the place before alleaged where it is declared that God in all times yea in the greatest persecution would maintaine his Church and reserue at the least two witnesses which should testifie of his truth in spite of Antichrist and his adherents Which although the monstrous beast that ariseth out of the bottomelesse pit should murther and slay yet God should restore them to life again continually stirring vp a sufficient number to beare witnesse of his name and doctrine In that Chapter I say is contained that when the beast had murthered them he should enuie them the honour of buriall and so their bodies should lye in the streete or market place of that great citie which is spiritually called Sodoma and Aegyptus where our Lord was crucified Declaring thereby that as Rome had slaine and crucified the head so should Rome persecute the members And in the same Citie where their Lord was murthered the seruants should be persecuted But here a man would thinke that I were impudent to affirme that our Sauiour Christ was crucified at Rome whome all the world knoweth to haue suffered death at Ierusalem But you must call to remembrance that at the first I gaue warning that I did not vnderstand Rome for the topographie of Rome that is so much ground onely as is compassed within the walles of that Citie but for the regiment gouernance and prerogatiue that is claymed by reason of that Citie or Monarchie whereof Rome is the head and then I shall easily proue that Christ was crucified at Rome For by whome was he condemned was it not by Pilate the Deputie or Lieutenant of the Romain Empire For what cause or crime was he adiudged to die was it not for treason pretended to be committed against the Romaine Empire With what kind of execution was he put to death was it not such as was vsuall by the lawes of the Romaines for such hainous offences as were vniustly laid to his charge Finally was not the place wherein he suffered within the circuit of the Romaine Empire May I not then iustly affirme that he was crucified at Rome whē by the Romaine Iudge he was condemned for a crime against the Romaine state and executed by a kind of death appointed by the Romaine lawes and in a place of the Romaine dominion As for the Iewes they had at that time no authoritie to put any man to death as they confesse themselues when Pilate bad them take him and iudge him according to their owne lawe meaning they shold decree some light punishment against him They answered It is not lawfull for vs to iudge him to dye As touching the cause although they accused him of blasphemie in that he made himselfe the Sonne of God yet could he not be condemned for that because Pilate would admit no accusation but such as contained a crime against the Romaine lawes And as for the death of the crosse it is manifest to be proper to the Romaines for the Iewes would haue stoned him if they might haue condemned him for blasphemie according to the law of Moises And that the Angell in that place by no meanes can vnderstand Ierusalem it is manifest by these reasons first that he calleth it that great citie which tearme could neuer be spoken of Ierusalem Also he calleth it Sodoma and Aegyptus which was the sea of the monstrous beast Antichrist which in other places is often called Babylon Whereas no man euer did imagine that Ierusalem should be called Sodome Aegypt or Babylon Adde hereunto that Ierusalem the place where Christ suffered was vtterly destroyed in S. Iohns time whereby it is euident that by this great citie spiritually called Babylon Sodoma and Aegyptus is meant none other but the Romaine Empire which crucified the head and should also bring foorth to put any man to death and he hath deserued the monstrous beast Antichrist which should torment and afflict the members which began with murther of the Lord and should continue till it were destroyed in murthering of the seruants And by this plaine text which cannot be wrested to any other sense this great citie of Babylon where Christ was crucified is proued to be Rome and the authoritie rule and power of the Romaine Citie The second plaine and euident proofe which I will vse at this time shall be taken out of the thirteenth Chapter of this Reuelation where that euill shapen beast is described which is the head of the persecuting malignant Church hauing seuen heads and ten hornes and is the same which afterward in the seuenteenth Chapter beareth the great whore Babylon the mother of all abhominations of the earth Who so therefore will compare these things that are written in this booke concerning the description of that monstrous beast with those things that the Prophet Daniel in the seuenth Chapter of his Prophecie describeth of the foure beasts and specially of the fourth which all men confesse to be the Romaine Empire except he be too much blinded with frowardnes and peruerse affection he must needes acknowledge that this Beast which Iohn painteth out is the same that Daniel setteth out which containing in it the crueltie of the Leopard the Beare and the Lion which were the former Monarchies is vnlike to them all and therefore is the fourth Empire which all the world acknowledgeth to be the Monarchie of Rome What should I speake of the number of the hornes equall in both and generally of all other parts of their description which is set foorth so like and almost with the same words both of the one and of the other that it were meere madnesse to imagine that this beast which Iohn describeth should be any other then that Daniel had so long before portraited Then if the Beast in Daniels description doth signifie the fourth kingdome as the Angell expoundeth it which no man will denie to be the Romaine Monarchie the same monstrous Beast being here painted out in this Reuelation with the same shape colours and conditions must needes signifie the Romaine Empire and so Babylon by this reason also is proued to be Rome The third argument or proofe is taken out of the seuenteenth Chapter of this Reuelation and the ninth verse where the Angell expounding to Saint Iohn the mysterie of the Beast with the seuen heades declareth in very plaine wordes that the