excellency but in riches and honours here and therefore behaueth himselfe accordingly shewing all respect to the worldly great ones and neglecting the best Christians who are poore against which something followeth immediatly chap. 2. Now it is said to be vndefiled before God God being here opposed vnto man that is not in the account of man who may be deceiued but of God whom none can deceiue Whereas no mention is made of faith in Iesus Christ it is to be vnderstood that he speaketh according to the necessity of those to whom he wrote who in all likelihood did beare themselues altogether vpon faith not regarding to shew forth the power of Religion in the workes of mercy and holinesse as appeareth also further in the next Chapter which to put vs out of doubt herein is also begun with a mention of the Faith of our Lord Iesus Christ Note Note that the very remembrance of our Christian calling should stirre vs vp mightily vnto holinesse seeing wee are of Gods owne good will graciously made a certaine first fruits vnto God that is consecrated and set apart from others that be not Christians vnto him To pollute our selues now therefore will be taken far more hainously euen as if a common person should haue laid violent hands vpon Gods first fruits or offerings For this was horribly punished euen in the Priests sonnes 1 Sam. 2. Note againe Note that the Doctrines of Christianity together with the grounds whereupon they are soundly founded are not so easily and soone apprehended as that a man may by and by broach vnto others what he heareth or readeth and with eagernesse pursue such new vndigested tenents but great deliberation is herein to be vsed Be swift to heare slow to speake slow to wrath Note againe Note that it is most necessary for a Teacher to be Master of his passions and to vse meeknesse in instructing others as also he is exhorted 2 Tim. 2.24 because the anger of man doth not worke the righteousnesse of God He that is hasty and passionate shall not be able to teach others with profit for they will rather take that which commeth from him as proceeding of spleene and hatred than of loue and so it shall fall to the ground without any good effect of turning them to righteousnesse which God is wont to worke by the due and right teaching of his Word Note also from the Doctrine about the true and vaine Religion Note that how little soeuer men make account of vnaduised speeches in their anger yet they doe indeed ouerturne all their Religion hereby alone if there were nothing else it becommeth vaine and vnprofitable vnto them see Mat. 5.22 c. Note againe that workes of mercy are so necessary Note that without them no man can proue his Religion to be true and good this is the pure Religion before God howsoeuer one void of workes may seeme so before men That onely is a liuely faith that is accompanied with workes Note lastly that the world is a defiling thing Note a man cannot esteeme of and loue the riches and honours thereof but there will bee some aspersion vpon him hereby 1 Ioh. 2.15 The truly pure religious man is he that is mortified to the world Gal. 6.14 and the world vnto him CHAP. II. HAuing Chapter 1. Verse 27. spoken of the offices of loue and kindnesses in visiting the fatherlesse and widowes and of keeping a mans selfe vnspotted of the world which is by an ouer-esteeme of worldly things drawing the heart through couetousnesse after them whereby all such loue and kindnesse is extinct and it commeth to passe that after the manner of the world the rich only in this world are had in honour he now commeth more fully to explaine himselfe what he meant by such as are spotted of the world and to shew some reason of being rather kinde and louing to the poore intermixing some rebukes for being harsh towards them The couetous worldling is spotted of the world who hath the faith of Iesus Christ in respect of persons from which he dehorteth verse 1. and then explaineth what this respect of persons impugned by him is verse 2 3 4. and reasoneth against it vers 5 c. First Reason 1 from the consideration of the excellent condition of the poore verse 5. Secondly Reason 2 from the ill deserts of the rich verse 6 7. Thirdly Reason 3 from the scope and drift of the Law which is transgressed though it be offended but in this particular only verse 8 9. which he proueth verse 10 11. and then concludeth from this argument taken from the Law the iudgement of which cannot be escaped by those that are so void of mercy and are lead only by worldly respects from which yet the mercifull are free verse 12 13. The rest of the Chapter is spent in reprouing and confuting those that beare themselues vpon faith not regarding to doe workes of mercy wherein he doth resume that which hee began this Chapter withall Haue not the faith of our Lord Iesus c. and the last of the first chapter to visit the fatherlesse c. And so here is a new argument to proue that it cannot be pure Religion and acceptable to God that is void of the workes of mercy So that this whole Chapter consisteth of two parts a Dehortation with an explanation and arguments added to moue the more effectually verse 1 c. and a reprehension with arguments to conuince the vanity of that Religion which is barren of charitable deeds verse 14 c. the particular Analysing of which is most easie IAMES Chapter 2. Verse 1 2. Haue not the faith of our Lord Iesus Christ the Lord of glory with respect of persons Verse 2. For if there come into your Synagogue a man with a gold ring c. Verse 3. And ye haue respect to him that weareth the gay cloathing c. THe maine doubt of this place is Mayer whether it be vnlawfull to haue any respect of persons by giuing more reuerence to one than to another in regard of his wealth or outward dignity because this seemeth to make against all such respect as being partiall and vnreasonable Tho. Aquin. August Greg. Glosordin Thomas Aquinas handleth this question and cleareth it by the ordinary glosse and Austin and Gregory for both they and all sound Expositors speake to the same effect and that is simply to giue outward respect to the richer and to the more noble in this world as God hath differenced them by outward dignity wealth or office which they beare is not a sinne but may and ought to be done for it is commanded Honour father and mother Ephes 6.1 1 Pet. 2.17 Rom. 13. Honour the King and Giue honour to whom honour belongeth and seruants are commanded to reuerence their Masters and the younger to rise vp before the gray-headed A great rich man is in the office of a great Steward wherein he
persons not walking by charity sinneth against this Law and in a point of charity to sinne against the Law is to be a transgressour of the Law because all the Lawstandeth in this one thing viz. loue and so he is iudged as doing nothing according to the Law that wanteth loue thus also Beda and Augustine Touching the royall Law here spoken of Beda August it is clearely the Decalogue giuen Exod. 20. thus abbreuiated Deut. 6.5 for proceeding to speake further hereof he instanceth the command against murther and adultery it is royall because from the King of Kings Touching the coherence that of Pareus is not amisse that hee doth meet with them in a confidence which they might haply haue yet that notwithstanding their respecting of persons they kept the Law For this is against the Law of loue Leu. 19.15 if a man loueth his neighbour as himselfe he putteth not any such difference but in his inward esteeme euery one is vnto him as himselfe in whom there is no difference And as for the aggrauating of this sinne as a transgression of the whole Law I assent vnto Austin and Beda As they which shall bee iudged by the Law of liberty Vers 12. Some vnderstand the same Law of the Decalogue holding that it is called a Law of liberty Pareu Faber because it hath liberty ouer all to condemne them but this is forced Most therefore vnderstand better the Law of faith because when we come to beleeue we are set free from the censure of the Law Ioh. 8.32 Rom. 8.1 and so the meaning is say and doe so in your carriage towards other as they that when the time of iudgement commeth shall be dealt withall in loue and mercy going therefore according to the rule of mercy in your dealing with the poore Christian not despising him but rather comforting and releeuing him which indeed is the chiefe thing aimed at in all this Discourse that about preferring rich men being brought in but by the way doe aggrauate the sinne of neglecting the poore the more Here followeth the reason of all Verse 13. There shall be iudgement without mercy to him that sheweth not mercy and mercy reioyceth against iudgement The first part of the sentence is plaine touching the second Mercy reioyceth against iudgement that is the mercifull man shall securely and with ioy appeare before the Lord at the Day of Iudgement for so much as when the vnmercifull shall be adiudged to hell fire he shall be receiued into the Kingdome of Heauen Mat. 25. Note that Faith only and not outward things Note maketh men excellent and therefore the poorest man that hath grace is more to be esteemed than the greatest being void of grace because the poore man thus qualified not the other is the heire of the Kingdome of Heauen Note againe that to liue in any one sinne Note doth frustrate all that is done well for he that faileth in one point is guilty of transgressing the Law Note thirdly that loue is so necessary Note as that nothing done without it is acceptable and therefore those sinnes which are contrary to the loue of our neighbour are chiefly to bee auoided Lastly note Note in what a secure and comfortable estate the faithfull mercifull man is he shall bee without terrour when the most terrible time of the last iudgement commeth neither can any thinke of that time but with horrour and feare except he be mercifull to the poore and needy CHAP. 2. VERS 14. What profiteth is my brethren if one saith that he hath faith but hath not workes can that faith saue him c. From hence to the end of the Chapter Mayer there is onely one point handled against those that bearing themselues vpon their faith neglected the workes of mercy to perswade vnto which Saint Iames hath here vndertaken The maine question here is what he meaneth when he denyeth that a man is iustified by faith only and affirmeth iustification by workes Because Saint Paul speaking of iustification saith That it is by faith without the works of the Law Rom. 3.28 Oecumenius considering these propositions of these two Apostles seeming to bee so contrary Oecumen in Iac. 2. and yet that Abraham is brought for example by them both saith the word Faith is taken two wayes first for a simple consent vnto the thing preached that it is true Secondly for a consent ioyned with the assecution thereof out of an affection and with obedience of the first of these Iames affirmeth that a man is not iustified hereby But Paul speaking of the other ascribeth iustification vnto it The word Workes is also to be vnderstood two waies for there are works before Baptisme and workes after he that dieth immediatly after Baptisme dieth iustified by his Faith without workes because he had no time to doe any but he that liueth and hath time to doe is not iustified without good workes which is to be vnderstood not as though good workes had a part in the act of our iustification but because they cannot but necessarily follow as fruits and effects in whomsoeuer there is a sauing and iustifying Faith Touching Abraham whom Paul saith was iustified by Faith but Iames by workes both are truly said of him and doe indeed agree in one He beleeued that he should be the Father of many Nations hee beleeued Gods promise touching his seed and this was counted vnto him for righteousnesse and when he came to the worke here spoken of viz. the offering of his sonne hee did not fall from this Faith for he beleeued that God was able to raise him from the dead againe All the Ancients generally as Oecumenius intimateth speake to the same effect about iustification by Faith without workes viz. when there is no time after a mans conuersion to the Faith to doe workes he being preuented by death as I haue also partly shewed in speaking vpon Rom. 3.28 How Popish Writers vnderstand it I haue also there declared In short therefore to resolue this place Oecumenius hath rightly shewed that one Faith is spoken of here and another there and that indeed the worke of Abraham in offering his sonne wherein it is instanced here is the same with his Faith spoken of there his worke is his working Faith or Faith made euident by his worke by a Synecdoche or a Metonymy of the effect as Pareus resolueth it Pareus in Iac. That by worke a working Faith is vnderstood is plaine from the words following Vers 21. Thou seest that faith wrought together c. Vers 22. The Scripture saith That Abraham beleeued God this beleeuing being attributed to his worke of offering vp his sonne v. 24. after Abrahams beleeuing mentioned before he concludeth ye see then that a man is iustified by Workes making Faith and Worke all one And this is in a manner all one with the common solution Faith without Workes truly iustifieth before God that is maketh a sinner iust by
the imputed righteousnesse of Christ Iesus but Workes make a mans Faith euident and conspicuous to the world it being hereby proued that a man is a true beleeuer and so accepted for iust and righteous before God Ob. Hypocrites haue good workes and therefore it seemeth Obiect that good workes are no certaine euidence of Faith and consequently on one iustified Sol. Their workes are not truly good Sol. for such are the proper effects of Faith but because they are the same which the faithfull doe and it is hidden from man oftentimes who is an Hypocrite if wee shall iudge one to be faithfull because hee doth good workes we may bee deceiued Yet good workes doe manifest the truly faithfull because such a one is not without good workes though hee that hath good workes in our thinking is not alwaies faithfull but God seeth accuratly of what sort euery mans worke is He that desireth to reade more about iustification by Faith and Workes may haue recourse to Rom. 3.28 Touching the particular passages here verse 18. Vers 18. But some man may say thou hast faith and I haue workes shew we thy faith by thy workes c. Here such as trust to bare Faith are confuted by the bringing in of two speaking together the one seeming to himselfe to be faithfull the other manifested to bee such by his workes But that is but I will oppose thee by this prosopopeia Admit that a man truly faithfull challengeth thee thus Thou saist that thou hast Faith but how dost thou proue it hauing no works I can proue my Faith by my workes here the conscience of him that wanteth workes must needs bee conuinced Thou beleeuest that there is one God Vers 19. thou doest well the Deuils beleeue also and tremble To beleeue this though it be an Article of our Faith and likewise to beleeue and hold aright the other Articles doth not make one a true beleeuer though to beleeue this be to doe well because here is not all required to a sauing Faith Faith what which is to beleeue to the hauing of the affection moued to all due obedience vnto him in whom it is beleeued for loue as Oecumenius hath partly touched already and as Augustine sometime speaketh Faith with charity is a Christian faith August Fides cum charitate est fides Christiana fides sine charitate est fides daemonis Faith without charity is a faith of Deuills that is Faith inclining the heart to obey the Law of God the substance whereof standeth in loue Pareus and others of our Writers generally teach that a sauing Faith is to beleeue with application to a mans owne soule in particular This I confesse is true if we speake of that Faith which is growne to more perfection Iob 19.25 such as was in Iob saying I know that my Redeemer liueth Gal. 2.20 c. and in Paul saying I liue by the Faith of the Son of God who hath died for me But the Faith necessary to saluation commended vnto vs in the holy Scriptures is a beleeuing with loue and affection ioyned hereunto Such was the Faith of the Samaritans said to be Ioh. 4.42 Such a Faith Philip told the Eunuch if he had he might be baptized Act. 8.37 and such was Abrahams Faith Rom. 4.21 And this is such a Faith as none but the Elect can haue the Deuill cannot haue it for he beleeueth with an auersation the wicked cannot haue it for there is the like auersenesse in them also or at the least a deadnesse of affection for their Faith worketh not by loue of which they are void Here is also a certainty without wandring or doubring which is set forth as a property of true Faith for it is without all doubting assented to Iam. 1.5 that Iesus is the Sauiour of the world and that whosoeuer rightly beleeueth on him shall haue euerlasting life But as for certainty of a mans owne particular estate in grace I suppose that is not so of the Esse of Faith as the hee should bee said to haue no Faith who is not able for the present to apply Gods promises without doubting vnto himselfe for then wofull were the case of many true Christians who in time of temptation finde many feares and perplexities in themselues in so much that they are ready to say with Dauid they are cast out of Gods presence though afterward they see their weaknesse and recouer their hold againe Besides this particular assurance is a thing that is to increase daily as men grow vp in Christ and therefore no maruell if in those that are yet children in the Faith it be not so strong as it should be Certainly true loue is an inseparable companion and fruit of a true Faith and then who can deny it to be a liuely Faith wherwith true loue concurreth though such assurance touching a mans owne particular estate be not yet atrained vnto Thou seest that Faith wrought together with his workes Vers 22. c. that is for so much as I haue spoken of his iustification by his worke I would not haue it vnderstood but with reference to his Faith whereby he brought forth this worke so that Faith as the cause and worke as the effect did perfectly iustifie him so that his worke was in no part cause of his iustification as though his iustice stood herein but hereby his Faith was perfected because without it his Faith could not haue beene a perfect and liuing Faith as it is not in any other man Euen as he that from his heart without any dissimulation assenteth to any thing that is iust and equall is in that instant honest and iust but this assent of his is perfected by his act when he doth accordingly And the Scripture was fulfilled saying Vers 23. that Abraham beleeued God and it was counted to him for righteousnesse that is by this fact he shewed that he beleeued and in his beleeuing whereby he did it stood his iustice and not in the doing of this thing nothing can be plainer for iustification by Faith and to declare that what is attributed to worke in Abraham is meant of a working Faith as hath beene touched already Touching the conclusion Vers 24. v. 24. it must not be vnderstood but according to the Premises that when a man bringeth forth the fruit of Faith he is iustified and not when he doth barely beleeue not being able to shew his Faith by any such fruits Vers 26. And to this also do the last words v. 26. agree as the body without a spirit is dead so is Faith without workes Faith only iustifieth not because being alone without Workes it is dead and vnprofitable as a Carkasse without a soule Note Note that to beleeue only in Christ doth not auaile vnto saluation but when with the apprehension of the loue of God toward a man in Christ which is the greatest loue that euer was doth concurre the loue
of our Neighbour for his sake for this is a liuely and working Faith the other Faith onely And therefore this hearty loue vttering it selfe in the acts of mercy is most necessary vnto saluation not because saluation is hereby merited but because the life and soule of a true Faith lieth herein So that they are wonderfully deceiued that thinke to be saued by beleeuing onely hauing their hearts hardened in sinne in the meane season and hauing no regard to doe good workes and we are vniustly taxed by the Papists as crying downe good workes when we teach iustification by a true and liuely Faith and deny it to bee in part by Workes For we presse vnto good workes as much as they but that we doe it vpon a true ground holding that it is no liuely Faith that wanteth Workes they vpon a false holding that Workes together with Faith doe iustifie or that Faith maketh a man iust but Workes more iust that of iustification by Workes in part being a presumptuous inlargement of that which of old was taught touching Abraham who beleeued God and this was counted to him for righteousnesse this being made more iust a wicked inuention of their owne braines without all ground in the holy Scriptures Note againe Note that a man may beleeue the Articles of the Christian Faith and hold much truth in fundamamentall points and yet be in no better estate than the Deuill so that it maketh nothing for the credit of the Iesuites that in many points they hold the truth for so much as their practises are deuillish and damnable and it may be said likewise of the whole rabble of Papals seduced by them CHAP. III. HOwsoeuer there may seeme to bee no coherence betwixt this Chapter and those that went before yet if we looke backe to Chapter 1.19 and Verse 25. it will appeare that it cohereth very well For hauing there fallen vpon an Argument concerning speech and the abuse of the tongue vnto which he ioineth an exhortation to doe the Word and not to heare it onely and specially by emptying out all maliciousnesse and filthinesse and putting on meeknesse and exercising mercy towards the poore and not contempt hee keepeth as we may well obserue within these bounds thorowout the residue of his Epistle First more largely treating vpon that of vsing the poore contemptuously and vpon workes of mercy chap. 2. Secondly in a like large manner returning to speake of the misgouernment of the tongue chap. 3. after which thirdly in the same Chapter he also resumeth his exhortation vnto meeknesse and against maliciousnese vers 13. vnto the end of the Chapter Fourthly he returneth to speake against filthinesse also against which he had giuen a touch chap. 1.21 and this hee doth chap. 4. mixing his reproofe of this together with that other of malice and enuy whence strife ariseth a certaine Argument of pride and therefore hee toucheth vpon that also vers 6. Touching the residue of that Chapter wee shall see more when we come to the handling of it Here then are two points first against the abuse of the tongue seconly against strife and contention arising from the want of meeknesse in the heart which strife doth also vtter it selfe by railing and cursed speaking Touching the first he reproueth it first more obscurely vers 1. then plainly vers 2 c. IAMES Chapter 3. Verse 1. My brothren be not many masters knowing that we shall receiue the greater damnation Vers 2. For in many things we slip or stumble all THere were many Iewes in the daies of the Apostles who went Tho Aquinas Gorrans Glos â—ord before they were well instructed in the doctrine of Faith from Ierusalem to Antioch preaching the necessity of circumcision and other errors Against these hee opposeth this speech Be not many masters that is because the knowledge requifite in a Teacher is but of few bee not yee that are vnlearned and ignorant Masters and Teachers neither by ye many by your diuisions through ignorance into many opinions for it is not a thing reprehensible that there by many Masters which are sufficient and teach all one truth because thus they do altogether performe but the office of one Master Christ as he calleth himselfe Mat. 2â— Such shall receiue the greater damnation because it is a greater sin to set forth false doctrine than for a mans owne particular to hold it though he shall also perish for so doing In many things we offend all that is we that teach the Truth onely haue yet our frailties and sinnes and therefore no need that we should rush further in by vsurping such an high Office vnto which sufficient skill is wanting he speaketh thus of himselfe together with them that he might the more freely reproue them in this fault This speech is directed against rash iudging of the speeches and deeds of othes Pareus Piscator alike vnto which is Luk. 6.37 Now it is an vsuall Catachresis in any Language to call such supercilious persons as will take vpon them to censure and to speake euill of others Masters Be not many that is let there be no such the speech being framed according to the occasion because there were many faulty this way he biddeth Be not many Masters Hee saith We shall receiue the greater damnation for thus iudging others because the euill in our selues is aggrauated hereby before God and as it is iust with him hee will prouide that we shall haue the like measure meeted vnto vs againe and he numbreth himselfe amongst them lest he should seeme guilty of that which he taxeth if he should speake of others only exempting himselfe In many things we offend all that is hereby we should be staied from iudging of others because in iudging we condemne our selues who are many waies offenders also Ioh. 8. Gal. 6.1 Obiect By this reason none can censure the faults of others Obiect Solu It followeth onely Sol. that none can rightly doe thus without a calling wherein he that iudgeth standeth as Gods Deputy to censure for him for thus he iudgeth not but God iudgeth by him Secondly hauing a calling he ought not to be swaied by corrupt affections in censuring others in spleene and hatred orbeing proud ouer poore Malefactors as though there were nothing worthy of censure in himselfe but out of a conscience of his owne guiltinesse before God censure with mercy and clemency Faber Mayer Faber Gagneus Beda Luther August Ne sitis multi magistri i. dissentientes à doctima vnici Magistri Christi Beza Iunius and Gagneus and Saint Augustine also and Beda follow the first exposition and Luther likewise See August prolog in lib. 1. retract Be not many Masters saith he dissenting from the Doctrine of Christ our onelyl Master Beza and Iunius and others follow the newer exposition For my owne part I see no reason to goe from the old receiued interpretation That which Pareus obiecteth against it that thus vnderstood it should
is this standing at the doore and knocking is it in mans power to open and what is meant by this Supper Answ Christ is said to knocke partly by preaching the Law and threatning Pareus partly by preaching the Gospell and comforting partly by afflictions and partly by inspiring good motions and inlightning the vnderstanding He standeth at the doore to shew his perseuerant going on in thus knocking at the doore of the heart though yet shut against him Touching that saying If any man open this doth not argue a power in man to open if he will for the opening of the heart is ascribed vnto the Lord Act. 16.14 He opened the heart of Lydia and the whole worke and euery part of our conuersion is from the Lord Ezech. 36.26 Ioh. 6.44 2 Cor. 3.5 c. But man is thus spoken vnto Aug. de cor grat c. 3. O homo in praeceptione cognosce quid debes habere in correptione cognosce te tuo vitto non habere in oratione cognosce vnde accipias quod vis habere and Ezech. 18. Turne ye make you a new heart and a new spirit that he might know what he ought to doe hee is reproued for not doing so that hee might know it to bee through his owne default and directed to pray to God that he may be able to doe so that he might know from whence he hath the power to doe so as Augustine hath excellently set it forth Viegas a Iesuite vpon this place acknowledgeth that man hath no power to open-without Gods grace preuenting intimated in that he saith I stand at the doore and knocke by his knocking then we are awakened to open The Lord commeth first with his grace vnto the will inabling it then the will coworking with grace openeth in some in others not who being thus inabled can but will not For this cause he saith If any man will open implying that it is in his power not to open To the same effect Bellarmine lib. 1. de grat lib. arbit cap. 11. and the Councell of Trent Ses 6. Can. 5. cap. 4. But the truth is whosoeuer is excited by Gods knocking doth open vnto him he being made willing by vertue of the same knocke whose will before was dead to euery good motion For in the worke of grace a man is not moued as a blocke or a stone but as a liuing thing that goeth vpon the owne legs so he by his will openeth to the Lord when hee hath once put life into it And this viuifying of the will stirreth it so effectually to open as that it cannot but open seeing as motion alwaies followeth life so opening followeth the life of the free will Doth not a man then open hee is vndoubtedly dead still is hee quickned then hee doth vndoubtedly open So that they seeme plainly to me to speake contradictions that say God by his knocke inclineth the will from whence floweth this act of opening as a proper act of life and yet the will thus inclined may resist against God and keepe the doore shut still which argueth death in the will For no man is so much his owne enemy as not to flie from a deadly danger hauing sense to perceiue it and legs to carry him away and a passage open the instinct of nature conseruatiue of it selfe putteth him on that he cannot but flie in like manner when grace commeth there being life and legs and liberty and sense of the most deadly danger of all the same grace will not suffer but as an instinct preuaile to make a man hasten from this danger in keeping the Lord out and let him in without delay As for this If any man open from a supposition to a simple position the consequence is not good If any man open therefore some will not open when their doores are knockt at it followeth no more than as if a man should come to a prison full of malefactors lying in great misery expecting euery day to be cut off and say I haue obtained liberty for you all to depart if any man will depart it would follow that some would not depart and escape from this misery As for that saying Mat. 23. How oft would I haue gathered you together and ye would not it doth imply no more but that they had meanes to bee gathered together but through their owne corruption they preuailed not amongst them Moreouer by these complaints and instigations to turne the Lord is wont to worke a turning in such as shall bee saued Lastly the Lord promiseth If any man open that hee will come in and sup with him c. This opening is by beleeuing hee commeth in by making him his habitation for the beleeuer is Gods Temple and this is more than if Christ had come in person to our houses according to that of Augustine Aug. ser 144. de Temp. plus est habere Christum in corde quà m in domo quia cor nostrum interius est nobis quà m domus nostra Pareus Bullinger c. It is more to haue Christ in our heart than in our house because our heart is more inward to vs than our house He suppeth with vs when he is delighted with those good things that are wrought in vs for these are meat and drinke vnto him seeing hee taketh pleasure in them as men doe in their meat and drinke and we sup with him by being made partakers of those ioyes and spirituall comforts that are in beleeuing and finally sit downe at his Table in the Kingdome of Heauen Or else by this phrase nothing else is meant but the neare familiarity to which the faithfull are admitted with Christ euen as louing friends that vse to sup one with another And the word Supper is rather vsed than dinner because then is most time commonly for friends to tarry by it and recreate themselues in the society of one another Quest 5. He that ouercommeth Vers 21. I will giue to him to sit with me in my Throne as I haue ouercome c. What is meant by this Throne of Christ and why is this promised to such as ouercome in this Church Answ This Throne as all agree is a participation of Christs kingly glory which they shall haue euen as he is made partaker of this glory with the Father in his humane nature He doth promise it who sometime said that it was not his to giue Mat. 20. for that was spoken in respect of his iustice by which he could not for fauour or affection giue the chiefe places to them but as any were most excellent as I haue vpon that place shewed out of Chrysostome Bullinger One ascribeth that to his humanity this to his diuinity And this is mentioned specially according to his owne example to this luke-warme Church that they might not thinke by their coole going on to come to eternall felicity with Christ for he himselfe attained not vnto it but by labour and striuing with