naturall life Where obserue sundry things I. That true religion and pietie will not free any from outward pouertie The religion of this church was excellent and yet they were in want and therefore let no man think because he is godly he shall bee rich or not fall into pouertie If it be sayd Godlinesse hath the promise not onely of the life to come but also of this life that is of earthly blessings and riches I answere it is true but yet with difference Eternall blessings onely are promised absolutely and temporall blessings with restraint namely if they serue for Gods glory and the good of his children otherwise they must want as this Church did II. The Lord would comfort this Church in her pouertie by saying that hee knew it and regarded it Where wee see a meanes to comfort all those that be in want of outward blessings They must consider that Christ seeth obserueth their want whatsoeuer and if they be his seruants he will free them from it so it bee for his glory and the good of their soules or els arme them with patience to beare it if they pray vnto him III. Christ here approueth of works where he acknowledgeth pouertie so that good workes and pouertie may stand together And therefore good workes doe not consist onely in large aâ—mes as the Church of Rome would haue it though these haue due reward and prayse in their place But euery worke of a mans lawfull calling done in obedience to God with an honest heart from a good conscience and for Gods glory is a good worke bee the calling neuer so base Thus may the shepheard please God in his calling as well as the magistrate or minister For it is not the matter of the worke that commends it vnto God but the manner of doing But thou art rich Here Christ intendeth both to prayse and to comfort this church as if hee should say Notwithstanding thy outward pouertie yet thou art rich in God 〈◊〉 Luke 12.21 Men are rich in God in two respects I. when they are reconciled to God in the merites of Christ 2 Cor. 8 9. Christ became poore for our sakes that we through his pouertie might be made rich that is that wee might haue the pardon of sinne and bee receiued into Gods fauour Hereupon Dauid cals the Lord his portion and his cup. And durable riches and righteousnesse are with wisedome Proverb 8.18 II. When they receiue his grace whereby they are enabled to bring forth good works both in duties to God and man Of this Paule speaketh when he exhorteth rich men to be rich in good works and to lay vp for themselues a good foundation against the time to come 1. Tim. 6.16 In this commendation sundry duties are to be learned I. poore men are here taught seeing God denieth vnto them earthly riches and wealth to labour to be rich in God to bee reconciled vnto him in Christ and to get such grace that they may doe good duties both vnto God and man in faith and with a good conscience II. Rich men on whom God bestoweth outward wealth must hereby be admonished to embrace Paules charge 1. Tim. 6.17 18 Aboue all things seeke for true riches in the liuing God and not suffer these outward blessings to puffe vp their minds but vse them as meanes to make theÌ„ rich in God by getting Gods grace doing good workes and distributing to the poore This admonition is most necessarie for though the promises of Gods grace be not denied vnto the rich yet sure it is riches doe choke the seede of grace in the heart and hinder the care men ought to haue for spirituall riches And hence it commeth that moe of the poorer sort receiue and obey the gospell than of the rich III. Herein behold the madnesse of the world For the most mens greatest labour and care is after worldly wealth and honour neuer regarding the true treasures of Gods grace which will commend them vnto God when the other must perish and the wicked owners thereof Let vs therefore iudge as Christ doth of true riches and accordingly labour to be rich in his â—ighâ— The second part of their tribulation is the reproch and blasphemie of their enemies in these words I knâ—w the blasphemie of them which say they are Iewes and are not c. that is I know the greeuous slaunders and reuilings which thine enemies fasten vpon thee For Blasphemie signifieth not onely speeches of disgrace against God but also against men As Naâ—â—â—b was accused 1. King 21.10 to 〈◊〉 blasphemed God and the king And of this Paule sayth When wee are reâ—â—led wee blesseâ— when wee are blasphemed wee pray 1. Cor. 4.12 13. Hence wee learne that all churches and men that desire truely to serue God and to keepe good consciences must looke for slaunders and reuilings Neither must this seeme strange vnto them for Christ hath sayd it must bee so Nay rather they might maruell if they should suffer no reproches for Christs sake seeing hee hath sayd Cursed are you when all men speake well of you Luke 6.26 It is indeed a greeuous thing to bee so euill rewarded for well doing but this must bee their comfort and ground of patience That Christ heareth and knoweth euery reproch and will in his good time remedie the same The persons which blaspheme this Church are thus described Which say they be Iewes and are not but are of the Synagogue of Sathan As in other famous cities so in Smyrna dwelt some of the Iewes who had their Synagogues that is such places of assemblies where they serued God after their manner and though they denied Christ yet they thought themselues to be the onely true worshippers of God in all the world and therefore did blaspheme and raile vpon the Christians that beleeued in Christ. And of these Christ sayth though by birth they were Iewes yet indeed they were not the Israell of God nor his true worshippers as they accounted themselues Whereby in generall we may see from whom come railings and reproches on Gods seruants namely from those which say they are true worshippers of God and are not For he is not a Iew that is 〈◊〉 outwardpunc Rom. 2.28 He therefore that slandereth the truth and the professors thereof is an enemie to Christ as well as to his seruants for no friend of Christ can possibly speake euill of his gospell and religion This should be considered for the comfort of the godly because they that endeuour to serue God in synceritie are of all men most subiect to reproch Hee that refraineth from euill maketh himselfe a prey Isay 59 1â— Touching these Iewes two points are to bee considered I. What they are in their owne opinion II. What they are in the iudgement of Christ. For the first because they were Iewes by birth descending from Abraham Isaac and Iacob Gods auntient seruants therefore they thought themselues the onely true worshippers of God as their forefathers were And
integritie Abrahams in meekenesse Moses in knowledge Arons in paines Paules and in praying Samuels and remember that as Augustine sayd Manus pauperum sunt gazophylacium Christi The hands of the poore are the treasurie of Christ. I need not speake much of the dutie of a Minister for euery one will teach him his dutie that will not bee ranged within any dutie himselfe These Churches were then like Dauids Worthies excellent aboue all the Churches of the world but because they lost their first loue were not faithfull to the death maintained the doctrine of Balaam suffered women to teach bare a name onely to liue had but a little strength were neither hote nor cold and repented not as they should haue done of all their sinnes they are reprehended by Iohn threatened by Christ and the Candlesticke of the Gospell is now taken away from them Iam seges est vbi Troia fuit Now Mahomet rageth where Messiah did raigne Are they reprehended let vs hearken are they threatened let vs feare are they fallen let vs labour to continue From Iohns reprehension we see that as one said hereof our Elders haue complained hereof doe we complaine and hereof they which liue after vs will complaine that men waxe worse and liue not according to the doctrine of Gods word From Christs threatning we see that God is mercifull who first offereth peace before he fight against vs that we being forewarned might be fore-armed And by the wofull downefall of these seuen Churches let vs that stand take heed that we fall not for if God spared not the old world who despised Noah the Sodomites who vexed Lot Ierusalem which abused the Prophets Colossa Hierapolis and Laodicea who reiected Paule and these Asian Churches who did not grow in righteousnesse as they did in riches how shall wee escape if we neglect so great saluation and for this cause these Sermons are most worthie to be considered of in this present age O then let vs now consider this season redeeme the oportunitie not harden our hearts but regard the time of our present visitation As the day openeth and shutteth with the Sunne so saluation openeth and shutteth with the Gospell Whilest it is called to day let vs heare his voice He that laboureth in Summer is the sonne of wisedome but he that sleepeth in haruest is the sonne of confusion All things in the world doe take their time the bird to build her neast the husbandman to sow his seed the mariner to goe to sea the gardener to set his trees the sicke patient to take physicke the cooke to season meats and the dresser of the vineyard to gather his fruit It will bee too late to build in Summer to sow in haruest to go to sea when the ship is launched to transplant trees when they are old to take physicke when we are dying to season meates when they are vnsauorie and when winter is come to gather fruit The fiue foolish virgines came too late Diues in hell repenteth too late the time present is onely ours Is the figge-tree fruitlesse it shall heare that sentence Neuer fruit grow on thee any more Get thee then righteousnesse before thou come to iudgement vse Physicke before thou be sicke and whilest thou maiest yet sinne shew thy conuersion as the wise man exhorteth euery man But alas whereunto shall I liken this generation We are like the Ephesians wee haue lost our first loue or the Laodiceans we are neither hote nor cold or the twilight neither day nor night or the Autumne neither faire nor foule or one sicke of an ague one day well another ill or a man in a Lethargie neither aliue nor dead or Hermaphroditus neither male nor female or to those creatures called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which liue in water or on land or the Lionesse which the oftener shee breedeth the fewer cubs she beareth or the Mariner who is onely good in a storme or the Marigold that shutteth and openeth with the Sunne or the Mermaids which are halfe flesh halfe fish I would to God wee were either hote or cold that as the hotest regions bring foorth sweetest spices so most zealous people might be most fruitfull in good workes that as the Sunne in the heauen is swiftest at her setting so the sonnes of God might bee best at their ending But is it so no the more wee are taught the more ignorant are many and the older we are the colder in religion We haue indeed many of vs as it was said of Aristogiton Martem or rather religionem in lingua religion in tongue but when triall is made of vs euery Phocâ—on can espie our halting and then with Archilochus we thinke it better clypeum abiicere quà m interire euen to cast off all religion than to vndergoe the least disgrace for religion The Moone desiring to be apparelled as the rest of the Planets answer was made her That her diuerse chaunges could admit no kind of habite and we desiring to be attired with the robes of Christians it is to bee feared that since we tread not the Moon vnder our feet we shal neuer be clothed as the Church was with the Sunne Who is wise and he shall vnderstand these things and prudent and he shall know them Let vs therefore labor to grow in grace to abound in knowledge to be full of good works and to ouercome all the vnderminers of our future saluation Then shall we eat of the tree of life not be hurt of the second death tast of the hidden Manna haue power ouer nations bee clothed in white made pillars in Gods temple and sit with Christ Iesus in the throne of his father And though the sonne of Ishai cannot make vs Captaines of thousands yet that Sonne of Dauid will make vs the sonnes of God That we may doe so we must beleeue the Gospell put on Christ Iesus and bee renewed by repentance The first is necessarie the second comely the third profitable To come to the first it is necessarie we should beleeue for hee that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie he is condemned in the counsell of God in the ministery of the word and in his owne conscience he shall be condemned in the day of iudgement for the wrath of God abideth vpon him The more I consider the fruits of faith the more I see the necessitie of faith Through it we are saued by it we are iustified in it we liue We are saued from Sathan iustified before God liue in the Church In the Church nay by it we liue in heauen for hee that beleeueth in the Sonne of God hath euerlasting life Faith is that which purifieth the heart maketh the whole man to run the wayes of Gods commaundements
reuerence as from the Lord. Lastly in this exceeding feare of Iohn who was an Apostle and a very godly and righteous man wee learne that the most holy man that is will be astonied euen to death with the presence of Gods glorious maiestie And if no man be he neuer so holy can stand before Gods presence much lesse can the most righteous workes of any man endure the triall of his iudgement if his person cannot abide his presence his workes will neuer beare his iudgement For the person must first bee approoued before the workes be accepted Therefore damnable is the doctrine of the church of Rome which teach that such as in themselues are sinfull men must stand before Gods iudgement seate bringing with them works of grace as meanes of their iustification and part of satisfaction to Gods iustice It is a doctrine of desperation for how can our works be perfectly holie seeing our persons are but sanctified here in part And who can thinke that the infinit iustice of God can bee satisfied by the imperfect righteousnesse of man II. point The effect of this feare in his body He fell downe as dead at his feete This was no small feare but exceding great astonishing his senses and laying him downe as dead Physitions say and that truly the mind followeth the temperature of the body But hence we may as truly say That the body followeth the disposition of the mind for the affections of the soule wil worke vpon the body like vnto strong diseases Iohns feare casteth his body into a sound And so horrour of conscience when the heart is cold will make the body hot and the intrals to roule in the body The same may be sayd of anger 1. Reg. 21.4 When Ahab could not obtaine Nabals vineyard he layd him downe on his bed in displeasure and was almost dead Euen so will other affections worke vpon the body Hence wee learne that the bodies of men being diseased must not alwayes be cured by bare physike but somtimes by curing of the mind and ordering of the affections for when the distemper of the body ariseth from the disorder of the mind then till the mind be well composed and setled physicke will little auaile III. point The kind of this feare is insinuated in these words he fell at his feet Wherby the holy Ghost giueth vs to vnderstand that this was a religious reuerent feare which hee bare to Christ For this kind of prostrating the body betokeneth humilitie and argueth a reuerent estimation of the thing feared Hence we are taught when we come into the presence of Christ we must prostrat our selues as Iohn did and looke that we be striken with a religious feare of his maiestie If any shall thinke that Christ is now ascended into heauen and therefore we cannot now fall down at his feet as Iohn did I answer though Christ be now in heauen yet hath he his feet vpon earth at which we must fall downe In the old testament the mercy-seat was the pledge of Gods presence and therefore it is called Gods footestoole Psal. 99.5 before which the Iewes were to fall downe Well though the mercy-seat be now taken away yet some thing is instead thereof For wheresoeuer Gods people assemble themselues in the name of God there is his footstoole and therfore in the assemblies of Gods saints we must cast downe our selues before Christ Iesus and do all duties vnto him with all feare awe and reuerence of his maiestie This feare of Iohn though it was holy yet is it tainted with some sinne and corruption for it was an immoderat feare of death which made him thus astonished and affright Whence wee learne that the most holy affections of righteous men are not perâ—ectly holy but mixed with imperfection according to the measure of their sanctification which is alwayes in part in this life Whereby it appeares that no man hath in him a filiall feare of God alone but some seruile feare whereby wee feare God for his iudgements is mixed therewith And thus much for Iohns feare which is the occasion of his confirmation Now followeth the meanes of his confirmation in these words Then he layd his right hand vpon me saying feare not I am the first and the last and I am aliue but I was dead and behold I am aliue for euermore Amen and I haue the keyes of hell and death Here note two things first the time when Christ vsed these meanes for Iohns confirmation secondly the means themselues The time is noted in this word then that is after his presence had stroken a feare in my heart which made me as dead then the Lord vsed meanes to comfort me The meanes of comfort and confirmation are then vsed when the party is humbled And thus the Lord dealeth with all his seruants in the matter of their saluation First he bruiseth their stonie hearts and woundeth their sinfull soules before hee powreth in the oyle of grace First a man must bee a lost sheepe and then Christ findeth him and layeth him on his shoulders and bringeth him home And indeed they that would feele sound comfort by Christ must first be humbled in themselues And the reason why men reape so little comfort either by the word or sacraments is the want of true humiliation before they come whereby the soule is fitted for grace and consolation II. point The meanes vsed by Christ to confirme Iohn and they are two First a sensible signe He layd his right hand vpon me Secondly comfortable words Feare not Here first obserue in generall Christs gratious dealing with Iohn he vseth not one meanes apart but in great mercie that he may throughly confirme Iohn he giueth him both a signe and words And so hee hath alwayes dealt with his seruants When he called Moses to bee a deliuerer of his people First hee gaue him his word saying I will be with thee and then a signe saying Vpon this mountaine shal ye serue God Exâ—d 3.12 So when he would confirme the heart of Ahaz against his enemies he first giues him a promise of deliuerance verse 7. then biddeth him aske a signe vers 11. And for this cause Christ in the publishing of his Gospell added signes and miracles vnto his word that the truth thereof might be fully confirmed And so in the worke of our saluation besides his mercifull promises which were sufficient in respect of his fidelitie he giueth vs further signes and seales to support our weaknesse and to confirme our faith in the assurance thereof euen the vse of the holy Sacraments This teacheth vs that Christ hath a speciall care ouer his church and people in that he doth so condescend and abase himselfe vnto their weaknesse adding vnto his word which of it selfe were sufficient signes and tokens that by both he might more euidently giue that assurance which by one alone our weaknes would not so well conceiue Againe in this meanes of confirmation note the order which Christ vseth
He would haue come to them but Sathan did binder him He seeketh the trouble and sorrow of the minister not onely by stirring vp persecution but by keepinh his people from profiting by his ministerie and therefore euerie minister had need to take paines with patience in his calling And as Christ ioyneth together labour and patience in the worke of the ministerie so should euery christian after this direction ioyne patience with his paines in the duties of his particular calling whether it be in church common-wealth or familie For looke what is the estate of the minister in his place such shall be the estate of euerie child of God in his This therefore they must doe first seeke to know the duties of their particular calling and therein labour and take paines with all good conscience Then considering the crosse doth accompany godly diligence they must labour to ioyne patience with their diligence for their continuance in weldoing euen vnder the crosse And for attaining of this patience they must set before them the promises of Gods blessing and protection while they so continue not suffering themselues to be dismayed by any affliction And if we shal thus walke in the duties of our particular places painefully and with patience wee shall haue our commendation of Christ Iesus and his blessed reward which farre surpasseth the praise of men and their rewards But on contrarie if we walke in our callings negligently or else forsake them because of afflictions or be impatient in our labour we shall loose our reward and vndergo the rebuke of Christ which is worse than all outward euils that can befall vs. The third speciall worke for which Christ commendeth this church is seueritie shewed against wicked men in these words And how thou canst not beare them which are euill By euill men Hee meaneth such as liued offensiuely and maintained manifest errors and heresies These she could not beare but iudged them as burdens and therefore sought to disburden her selfe of them Hence we may gather that it is a necessary thing for euery church to be purged of euill men The church of God in all ages hath put in practise this worke So soone as Cain had slaine his brother Abel God cast him out from his face as appeareth by his owne complaint to wit from that particular place where Adam and his familie worshipped God When false prophets and Idolaters did arise among the Israelits the Lord commandeth That they should be killed and taken from among them And therefore hee saith to Ieremie If thou turne and repent I wil bring thee againe and if thou take away the pretious from the vile thou shalt be according to my word 1. Cor. 5.4 5 Paul commandeth in the name of Christ that the incestuous maÌ„ be deliuered vnto Sathan the church purged of that old leauen and that wicked man put from among them verse 13. Besides the euidence of these testimonies some reasons may be added to prooue the necessitie of this separation First God will be worshipped in an holy manner and they that worship God must be purged and sanctified but euill men defile Gods worship and therefore they ought to be seuered from the church Secondly lest the whole church be infected with the contagion of their doctrine or the infection of their life for as leauâ—n sowreth the whole lumpe so will euill men defile the whole church Thirdly they are burdens to the church and therefore must be cast out For the church should be eased of euery burden This doctrine is the truth of God ought to be practised of Gods church Whereby we may see a common fault in the most coÌ„gregations among vs wherin all that will are admitted not onely to the hearing of the word but also vnto the Lords table hand ouer head without restraint as though euerie man were a good sound christian Whereas experience sheweth that many be ignorant many contemners of the Gospell many Saboath breakers drunkards and blasphemers all which ought to bee barred from the sacraments and in that respect seuered from the church as burdens Secondly hence we may gather that Christ hath giuen to his church a power iudiciall to suspend euill men from the sacraments and to excommunicate them from the outward fellowship of the church for els he would not haue commended this minister with his church for the execution of this power The reasons alledged to the contrarie are of no force I. Say they the parable Matth. 13.30 alloweth the growing together of tares and wheate till haruest and therefore euill men must bee suffered in the church without seperation Answ. In that parable Christ speaketh not of any particular purging of the church by Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction but of the vniuersall purging of his whole church by his holy Angels in the end of the world for there the field doth not signifie any particular church but the whole world and the seruants are not mâ—n but Angels that must gather together all both good and bad in the end of the world to the last iudgement Againe they alledge Luk 14.23 Compell them in the high wayes to come into the supper Here say they all must bee brought in but none must bee excluded the society of the church Ans. Christ speaketh not of compelling men vnto the sacraments but vnto the ministerie of the word wherto men must be caused to subiect themselues which hindereth nothing why the vngodly should not be debarred from the sacraments which are the seale of Gods mercy in Christ ordained onely for such as repent and beleeue Qu. Seeing this separation must be made how farre forth may wee conuerse with those that are openly euill offensiue either for life or doctrine Ans. Euill men must be considered diuers waies first as they be members of some commonwealth of some citie or incorporation secondly as they are members of some particular church by tolleration In the first regard it is lawfull for vs to conuerse with theÌ„ I. for outward dealings and ciuile affairs as bargaining buying and selling c. II. we may maintaine outward ciuile peace with them So Paule commandeth the Romans to haue peace with al men so much as in them lay that is so far as it would stand with faith good conscience III. In this ciuile conuersing with the wicked we must perform all duties of outward courtesie and loue vnto them so far forth as it doth not dishonor God or hinder the good of the church And therefore Paule commaundeth vs to be soft and courteous shewing all meekenesse vnto all men euen to euill men as the reason following sheweth For wee our selues were in time past vnwise disobedient deceiued c. and then were we euill Secondly consider them as dwellers in the church and members by permission and so we may liue with them in it for we may not make a separation from the church because wicked men are permitted therein Christ liued among the
her proceedeth to describe her doctrine And first hee sheweth the end and scope thereof namely to seduce and to deceiue Wherein he giueth vs a further note of a false Prophet or Prophetesse to wit to teach such doctrine as drawes men to sinne against the first or second Table True doctrine is according vnto godlinesse and leadeth men thereto but the end of false doctrine is impietie against God and man as was shewed by the doctrine of Balaam vers 14. and such was the doctrine of this woman Sundry students now adayes are maruellously affected with the sermons commentaries and postils of monks and friers These they prefer before the writings of other godly and sound Diuines which is a lamentable case for they are in their kind Iezabels the scope of their doctrine is to draw men to errours and transgressions against the law of God yea to bring men from heauen to hell And therefore this exceeding approbation of them is no small offence being in truth the right way to bring in againe errors Atheisme and Poperie For turne a Papist from a morall point wherein he often erreth and his doctrine and sermons are nothing but false and erronious and therefore as Christ would haue this Church to hate the doctrine of this woman because it did deceiue so must wee labour to grow in dislike with the commentaries and postils of monks and friers which tend to that end Secondly Christ setteth forth the end of her doctrine by two arguments First by the persons deceiued his seruants secondly by the meanes whereby they are deceiued to wit by causing them to commit fornication and to eat meaâ—es sacrificed vnto Idols Touching the persons Whereas shee deceiued not all men but the seruants of God for here is a plaine distinction of men this encreaseth her fault because they belonged vnto God But here two questions may bee mooued First why some men are the seruants of God and some are not Secondly whether the seruants of God may bee seduced by false teachers To the first some answere that God would haue all men 〈◊〉 bee his seruants and for his part doth all things needfull vnto all men to make them his seruants redeeming them and giuing them sufficient grace hereunto yet some are not his seruants because they themselues will not but wilfully reiect his grace that is offered vnto them But this doctrine is against common reason and doth much derogate from the glorie of God for hereby they make euery man an emperour and God an vnderling subiect vnto man they make Gods good pleasure to depend vpon mans pleasure and the accepting of his grace to depend vpon mans will But God is the first cause of all things his will ouerruleth mans will and therefore it is absurd to say some men are not Gods seruants because they themselues will not The true cause hereof is Gods good pleasure electing some and they alone become his seruants because hee hath chosen them But God did neuer chuse all men first to grace then to glorie and therfore as Luke saith so many as were ordained to euerlasting life beleeued So wee may say so many as are elected of God to grace and saluation they become his seruants The second question Whether may Gods seruants be seduced by false Prophets Answ. There bee two sorts of seruants of God seruants in appearance and seruants in truth Seruants in appearance are such as outwardly onely embrace the word and receiue the seales of Gods couenant and the greatest part of particular churches are such seruants Now these may fall away and that wholly and hence it commeth that whole particular churches may fall away as did the church of Galatia and many other and these are called seruants because we must in charitie iudge that all which make professioÌ„ of true religion in Gods church are the seruants of God But the true seruants of God though they may be seduced in part and for a time yet they can neither wholly nor finally fall away for the promise of Christ is to the contrarie Thou 〈◊〉 Peter and vpon this rocke that is the faith which thou professest will I build my temple and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against 〈◊〉 Which last word preuaile insinuateth that the diuell shall shew great malice and strength to vanquish their faith but yet shal neuer wholly ouercome it And Matth. 6.13 we are taught to pray Lâ—ad vs 〈◊〉 into temptation To be lead into temptation is wholly to be ouercome in temptation which being a lawfull petition must needs haue Godâ— promise to graunt the same belonging vnto it And therefore though Saâ—han may assay to ouercome the child of God yet he shall neuer get finall victory ouer him for true faith purifieth the heart and cannot stand with a purpose to continue in any one sinne these two banish each other sinne brings the child of God vpon his knees but true faith doth raise him vp againe II. point The means wherby she sought to seduce theÌ„ was by drawing them to commit fornication and to eate things sacrificed to Idols Whereby it is plaine shee was a fauourer of the sect of the Nicolaitans whereof entreatie was made in the foureteenth verse And thus much for the reproofe of the Church Verse 21. And I gaue her space to repent of her fornication and shee repented not Here Christ reprooueth this woman for her obstinacie and hardnesse of heart whereby shee went on in sinne without repentance By space to repent wee are to vnderstand libertie to liue for though by her sinnes she deserued present death temporall and eternall yet God of his mercy gaue her libertie to liue that shee might repent In her example we are taught what to iudge of that space of time which God giueth vs to liue in this world namely thâ—â— it is a time of repentance for before a man be borne and after this life can none repent but the time wee now liue or haue liued or shall liue is the only time allotted for repentance This point ought seriously to bee considered of all estates for it doth plainely rebuke the shamefull practise of many at this day who lead not their life as a time of repentance but spend it wholly in another course some in following their vaine pleasures as carding dicing c. some in heaping vp riches seeking nothing but temporall profites others in good fellowship as they call it that is in companie keeping in eating and drinking God in iustice might haue cut off these men so soone as they were borne and yet in mercie hee giues them time to repent to some twentie to others thirtie fortie or fiftie yeares but they abuse this mercie of God and in steed of repenting imploy themselues in such workes as are contrarie thereunto Their case is most fearefull they treasure vp to themselues wrath against the day of wrath declaration of the iust iudgement of God like vnto a man that euery