Lectures Upon Revelation 1-3, Title page – Dedication
LECTVRES VPONUPON THE THREE FIRST CHAPTERS OF THE REVELATION: PREACHED IN CAMbridge Anno Dom. 1595. by Master William Perkins, and now published for the benefite of this Church, by Robert Hill Bachelor in Diuinitie. To which is added an excellent Sermon, penned at the request of that noble and wise Councellor, AMBROSE, Earle of Warwicke: in which is proued that Rome is Babylon, and that Babylon is fallen.
Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord: for they rest from their labours, and their works follow them.
REV. 13. 13.
LONDON, Printed by Richard Field for Cuthbert Burbie, and are to be sold at his shop in Paules Church-yard, at the signe of the Swan. 1604.
❧To the right VVorshipfull Sir Edward Montagu, Sir Walter Montagu, Sir Henry Montagu, and Sir Charles Montagu Knights, M. Iames Montagu, Doctor of Diuinitie, Deane of his Maiesties Chappell, and M. Sidney Montagu Esquire, the Ladie Susan Sandys, and the Ladie Theodosia Capel, children of that right worthy and religious Sir Edward Montagu of Bowghton in the Countie of Northhampton Knight, and of the Ladie Elizabeth his worthie wife, sister to the right Honorable Sir Iohn Harington, Baron of Exton: and father to the vertuous Ladie the Countesse of Bedford: Grace and Peace.
RIGHT Worshipfull, as the Patriarch Iacob hadaGen. 42. 13. twelue sonnes, so Christ the Messiah had bMat. 10. 1.twelue disciples: but as Ioseph was beloued abouecGen. 37. 3. all those sonnes: so Iohn was beloued abouedIohn 21. all the disciples▪ Ioseph was apparelled better then the rest, and Iohn was inspired farre better then the rest.eGen. 41. 38. Had it not bene for Ioseph Egypt had wanted her food temporall, and had it not bene for Iohn, the Church had wanted her food eternall. fGen. 41. 25.The future state of Egypt was reuealed to Ioseph, and the future state of the Church was reuealed to Iohn. The one wasgGen. 37. 4. exiled, because his father loued him; and the other exiled, because his Maister loued him. The place of his exile was into theaReuel. 1. 9. Island of Pathmos, being before by Traian put into a vessell ofbFasciculus temporum. scalding oyle. But that God who shewed his visions tocGen. 22. 12. Abraham in the mount,dGen. 28. to Iacob in the field,eGen. 40. to Ioseph in the stockes,fExod. 3. to Moses in Midian,gIer. 38. 14. to Ieremie in the prison,hDan. 2. to Daniel in Babylon,iAct. 10. and to the Apostle Peter in the house of a Tanner, euen he sheweth his visions to Iohn in his exile.
He is not bound to persons, he can aduance whome he list, he is not bounden to place, he can reueale where he list. For persons, he can preferrekGen. 4. Abel before Cain, lMat. 1.Iacob before Esau, m1. Sam. 16.Dauid before Eliab, nAct. 1.Matthias before Iudas. He can makeoExod. 2. 10. Moses a Courtier,pIob. 1. 1. Iob a Potentate, qAct. 7.Samuel a Iudge,r2. Sam. 2. 1. Dauid a King,sPro. 1. 1. Salomon a Soueraigne, t1. Ki. 19. 19.Elysha a plowman,uAmos 1. 1. Amos a Neatheard,wJer. 1. 1. Ieremie a Priest,xDan. 1. 6. Daniel a Prince,yIsay 1. 1. Isaiah of the bloud Royall, zMath. 9. 9.Matthew a Publicane,aMat. 4 18. Peter a Fisher,bAct. 18. 2. Nullum tempus occurrit Regi. and Paule a Tent-maker, to be penners and preachers of the word of God. For place, as no time can prescribe against the King of a nation, so no place can prescribe against this King of all nations.cIoh. 5. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and the Spirit worketh where it listeth.
It pleased Christ, who is called in this Reuelation, dReuel. cap. 1. 5.that faithfull witnesse, that first begotten of the dead, eVers. 8.that Prince of the kings of the earth, fVers. 18.Alpha and Omega, the first and last, gVers. 16.he that hath the keyes of hell and of death, hVers. 14.which hath that sharpe sword, iVers. 15.his eyes like fire, kChap. 2. 1.his feete like brasse, lChap. 3. 1.the seuen Spirits of God, the seuen Starres in his hand, mVers. 7.the key of Dauid, who is called herenVers. 14. Amen, the beginning of the creatures of God; and in Daniel, he thatoDan. 2. 22. reuealeth secrets, it pleased this Christ to reueale secrets to Iohn. Not by dreame as topGea. 28. Iacob, or apparition as toqExod. 3. Moses, or by voice asrGen. 3. to Adam; but partly by vision, and partly by voice as he did when he turnedaAct. 9. Saule into Paule. This Iohn was Legatus à latere, that Ambassadour who leaned on his Lords brest.Johns Gospell, Iohns▪ Reuelation. He writeth Christs historie, there he sheweth his louelove to Christ: he writeth the Churches historie, there Christ sheweth his louelove to him: especially in this, that he will do nothing, which he doth not reueale to hisbAmos 3. 7. seruant this Prophet. For the Church in his time, we may see how it stood, in the three first Chapters: and what condition it should hauehave for the time to come, it is plainely set downe in the rest of this booke.The contents of the whole Reuelation. If we respect the generall estate of the Church, after Iohn had described the authors of this Reuelation, which are God the Father, chap. 4. and Christ his Sonne, chap. 5. he cometh to the works of God, which are predictions, cha. 6. obsignations, chap. 7. indignations, chap. 8. 9. Predictions of things to come, obsignations of such as must be saued, & indignation on things to be destroyed. And for the more particular estate of the Church, hauing (chap. 10.) shewed his warrant to write, he cometh to her actions: first, in her Prophets: secondly, in her bodie. In her Prophets, their fighting, falling, rising, chap. 11. In her bodie, comparing her to a woman clothed with the Sunne, chap. 12. and describing her by her combats, conquests, triumphs: her combats defensiue, chap. 13. and offensiue in Christ, by words, chap. 14. threatnings, chap. 15. and iudgements, chap. 16. her victories gotten against thatcThe Church of Rome. whore, chap. 17. and 18. thedThe Romane Empire. Beast, chap. 19. and theeThe diuell. Dragon, chap. 20. And all that glorie which she shall hauehave in the kingdome of God, is vnderunder the type of Ierusalem most comfortably set downe, chap. 21. 22.
The things in this booke were (I grant) very darke to them that liued in the dayes of Iohn, as the Prophecie of Daniel was to them who liued in the time of Daniel. But as that Prophecie being fulfilled, we can now tell what was foretold in it: so many things being fulfilled which were foretold in this booke, we may easily see what is meant by it: and the posteritie to come shall better vnderstand this booke then we do, because it may be, all things are not yet fulfilled. Neither is this booke like the cities of theaNum. 13. Anakims, or thebGen. 3. tree of knowledge which may not be reached to: forcReuel. 1. 3. blessed is he that readeth the words of this booke. But to come to these three Chapters written by Iohn surnamed the Diuine, & expounded by one a most worthie Diuine. The first Chapter is a Proeme or Preface to the booke: the two latter are Epistles dedicating this booke. The dedication is made todReu. 2. 1. seuen seuerall Churches, and by name to the Ministers which are called Angels. In the word of God Ministers hauehave many excellent titles giuē them, (though now they are scarcely graced with titles) they are called eGen. 20.Prophets, f1. Sam. 9. 9.Seers, g2. Pet. 1. 13.Remembrancers, hIsa. 58▪ 1.Trumpets, iEz 3. 1.Watchmen, kCor. 3.Husbandmen, lLuk. 12. 24.Stewards, mPro 9. 4.Maydens, nEzec. 47.Fishers, oMat. 23. 24.Leaders, p1. Pet. 5. 1.Elders, qMar. 9. 50.Salt, rDan. 12. 2.Starres, s1. Cor. 11 10Angels andtExec. 34. 2. Shepheards. Prophets to teach, Seers to foretell, Remembrancers to put in mind, Trumpets to sound, Watchmen to admonish, Husbandmen to plow vp, Stewards to distribute, Maydens to keepe pure the doctrine of truth, Fishers to catch men, Leaders to go before, Elders to gouerne, Salt to season, Starres to giuegive light, Angels to declare, and Shepheards to feed: to feed (I say) soundly by doctrine, liberally by charitie, and religiously by life. By doctrine: for Sacerdos sine doctrina, est nauis sine velis, a Priest without knowledge, is a ship without sailes. By liberalitie: foruNaz. in era. de pauper. Nihil habet homo adeò diuinum quàm benefacere, man is in nothing more like God, then in doing good. By life: for cuius vita despicitur, eius oratio contemnitur: his words are not esteemed, whose life is not approued. And that it may be said of them as it was of Origen: Quale habuit verbū, talem habuit vitam: as his words were, so were his workes. They must not be barren like mounta2. Sam. 1. 21. Gilboah, butb1. Sa. 1. 24. weaned as Samuel was, before they be offered vntounto the Lord. They must be pure water if they will cleanse others, and more then whetstones, if they will sharpen others. They must be incGen. 19. integritie Abrahams, dNum. 12. 3.in meekenesse Moses, eExod. 4. 14.in knowledge Arons, f2. Cor. 11. 23.in pains Paules, g1. Sam. 12.and in praying Samuels, and remēber, that as Augustine said: Manus pauperū sunt gazophylaciū Christi. The hands of the poore are the treasurie of Christ. I need not speake much of the dutie of a Minister: for eueryevery one wil teach him his duty, that wil not be ranged within any dutie himselfe.
These Churches were then likeh1. Chr. 12. 14. Dauids Worthies, excellent aboue all the Churches of the world: but because they lost their first iReuel. 2. 4.louelove, kVers. 10.were not faithfull to the death, lVers. 14.maintained the doctrine of Balaam, mVers 20.suffered women to teach, nCap. 3. 1.bare a name onelyonly to liue, oVers. 8.had but a litle strength, pVers. 16.were neither hote nor cold, andqCap. 2. 21. repented not as they should hauehave done, of all their sins, 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 vsus hearken: are they threatened? let vsus feare: are they fallen? let vsus labour to continue.Seneca. From Iohns reprehension we see, that (as one said) hereof our Elders hauehave complained, hereof do we complaine, and hereof they which liue after vsus 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,yDeut. 20. 10. who first offereth peace before he fight against vsus▪ that we being forewarned, might be forearmed. And by the wofull downefall of these seuen Churches, let z1. Cor. 10. 12.vsus that stand take heed that we fall not: for if God spared not thea2. Pet. 2. old world who despised Noah, the Sodomites who vexed Lot, bMat 23. 38.Ierusalem which abused the Prophets,cOrosius saith that these cities for this cause, fell by an earthquake. Colossa, Hierapolis, and Laodicea, who reiected Paule, and these Asian Churches who did not grow in righteousnesse as they did in riches, how shall we escape dHeb. 2. 3.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 vsus noweRom. 13. consider this season: fRom. 12. 11.redeeme the oportunitie, gHeb. 3 & Psal. 95.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.hHeb. 3. 13. Whilst it is called to day let vsus heare his voice: iProu. 10. 5.He that laboureth in Sommer is the sonne of Wisedom, but he that sleepeth in haruest is the son of confusiō.
All things in the world do take their time, the bird to build her nest, the husbandman to sow his seed, the mariner to go to sea, the gardener to set his trees, the sicke patient to take physicke, the cooke to season meates, and the dresser of the vineyard to gather his fruite. It will be too late to build in Sommer, to sow in haruest, to go to sea when the ship is lanched, to transplant trees when they are old, to take phisicke when we are dying, to season meates when they are vnsauorie, & when winter is come to gather fruite. ThekMat. 25. 10. fiue foolish virgins came too late, Diues lLuk. 16.in hell repenteth too late, the time present is only ours. Is the fig-tree fruitlesse? it shall heare that sentence, mLuk. 13. Solum tempus presens est nostrum. Seneca.Neuer fruite grow on thee any more. nEccl. 18. 18.Get thee then righteousnesse before thou come to iudgement: vse Physicke before thou be sicke, and whilst thou maist yet sinne, shew thy conuersion, as the wise man exhorteth eueryevery man. But alas, whereunto shall I liken this generation? we are like the Ephesians, we hauehaveaApoc. 2. lost our first louelove; or the Laodiceans, we arebApoc. 3. neither hote nor cold: or the twilight, neither day nor night: or the Autumne, neither faire nor fowle: 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 foreign, which liue in water or on land: or the Lionesse, which the oftener she breedeth; the fewer cubs she beareth: or the Mariner, who is onelyonly good in a storme: or the Marigold, that shutteth and openeth with the Sunne: or the Mermaides, which are halfe flesh half fish. I would to God we 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 be best at their ending. But is it so? no: the more we are taught, the more ignorant are many; and the older we are, the colder in religion. We hauehave indeed many of vsus, as it was said of Aristogîton, Marte…, or rather religionem in lingua, religion in tong: but when trial is made of vsus, eueryeverycPlutarch. in Phocion. Phocion can espie our halting: and then withdTheatrum Philos. lib. 5. cap. 30. Archilochus we thinke it better clypeum abjicere quàm interire, euen to cast off all religion, then to vndergo the least disgrace for religion.
eTreatise of Apostacie. c. 2.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 be feared, that since we tread aApoc. 12. 1. that is, all earthly vanities.not the Moone vnderunder our feet, we shall neuer be clothed as the Church was, with thebApoc. 12. 1. that is, Christ the Sunne of righteousnes. Sunne. Who is wise, cHos. 14. 10.and he shall vnderstand these things; and prudent, & he shall know them. Let vsus therefore labour tod2. Pet. 3. 19. 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 weeSee Reu. ca. 2. 13. eate of the tree of life, not be hurt of the second death, tast of the hidden Manna, hauehave power ouer nations, be clothed in white, made pillars in Gods temple, and sit with Christ Iesus in the throne of his Father. And though thef1. Sam. 22. 7. sonne of Ishai cannot make vsus Captains of thousands, yet that Sonne of Dauid willgGal. 3. 27. make vsus the sonnes of God. That we may do so, we must beleeue the Gospell, put on Christ Iesus, and be 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 he that hJoh. 3. 18.beleeueth not, is condemned alreadie, he is condemned in the counsell of God, in the ministerie of the word, and in his owne conscience, and he shall be condemned in the day of iudgement; foriJoh. 3. 38. the wrath of God abideth vponupon him. The more I consider the fruites of faith, the more I see the necessitie of faith.kEph. 2. 8. Through it we are saued: lRom. 5. 1.by it we are iustified: mHab. 2. 4.in it we liue. We are saued from Satan, iustified before God, and liue in the Church. In the Church? nay, by it we liue in heauen: fornIoh. 3. 16. he that beleeueth in the Sonne of God, hath euerlasting life. Faith is that whichoAct. 15. 9. purifieth the heart, maketh the whole man topPsal. 119. 32. runne the wayes of Gods commandements, qRom. 5. 2.giueth entrance to grace, rHeb. 10 3.accesse to God in prayer, sHeb. 11.made the Elders well reported of, and each Christian tot2. Cor. 1. 24. stand to the profession of Christ. It is thatuEph. 3. 17. hand by which we must apprehend Christ: thatwEph. 6. 16. shield by which we resist all the fierie darts of the diuell: and thataMat. 8. 13. meanes by which we do good to others.bGal. 3. 7. By faith we receiue the spirit: cRom. 8. 1.are members of Christ: dCol 3. 12.we are risen with him: eEph. 3 17.he dwelleth in our hearts: fJoh. 6 35.we feed on him continually: g1. Pet. 5. 8.resist Satan: hIoh. 1. 13.are the children of God: iHeb. 4. 2.and the word which we heare becometh profitable. And what shall I say? faith is of such a qualitie, that itkColos. 2. 7. vniteth vsus to Christ,l2. Cor. 13. 5. Rom. 8. maketh vsus certaine of our saluation,m1. Ti. 3. 13. bold in our profession, ministrethnPhil. 3. 28. true ioy, oMat 15. 28.giueth temporall blessings, pLuk. 17. 19.sanctifieth our gifts, and maketh vsus refuse theqHeb. 11. 24 pleasures of this present world. In a word, no sinne can condemne him who hath this true faith, and no vertue can saue him who wanteth it.
To come to the second, which is Christ, the obiect of faith. The most comely garment that euer we can weare, it is to be couered with therRom. 13. 13 robes of Christs righteousnesse. sGen. 27. 15.Iacob was blessed by Esaus garments; & we are blessed by Christs garments. What we see through a greene glasse, seemeth all to be greene: and what God seeth thorough Christ it is al amiable. We must put on this aparel, not as the Church in the Canticles:tCant. 5. 3. How Christ is to be put on. I hauehave put off my clothes, how shall I put them on againe? or as a gowne, that we cast off when we come to our home: but we must so put him on, that we neuer put him off againe. We must put him on by imputation, imitation, infusion, and profession: by imputation of his righteousnesse, imitation of his vertues, infusion of his Spirit, and profession of his name. Thus we must labour to get Christ: for what though a man could commaund the earth with Alexander, theuExod. 14. sea with Moses, thew2. Kin. 1. fire with Eliah, and the xJos. 10.Sunne with Iosuah? What though he were as rich asy1. King. 4. Salomon, as wise asz2. Sa. 16. 23 Achitophel, as strong asaIud. 16. Sampson, as swift asb2. Sa. 18. 19. Ahimaaz, as beautifull asc2. Sam. 18. Absolon, as fortunate asaTheatrum Philos. lib. 2. cap. 33. Metellus, & descended asbPhil 3. 8. Paul was of the bloud royal of Princes, yet hauing not Christ he hath nothing. Yea say a man had the abstinence of Aristydes, the innocencie of Phocion, the holinesse of Socrates, the almes deedes of Cimon, the moderation of Camillus, the honestie, iustice, and faithfulnesse of both Catoes, all these out of Christ, were butcAugustine. splendida peccata, and to be esteemed asdPhil. 3. 10. dung in regard of Christ. For hauehave him and hauehave all things, want him and want all things: he is in, at, and after death aduantage. I come to the last, it is profitable to repent: for if weeIer. 4. 1. Reasons of repentance. turne to the Lord, he will turne to vsus: and that we may turne, consider hisfRom. 2. mercies in forgiuing, hisgGen. 39. 9. benefites in giuing, hishRom. 2. 5. patience in forbearing, and hisiIsa. 26. 9. iudgments in punishing.kAct. 17. 30. The word preached,l1. Pet. 4. 3. sinnes committed, and thatmLuk 13. 24. few shall be saued:nEccles. 12. 1 the shortnesse of life, oPsal. 90. 12.the vncertaintie of life,pHeb 9. 26. and the certaintie of death:q1. Cor. 2. 9. the ioyes of heauen,rMat. 25. 46. the torments of hell, thesLuk. 15. 10. comfort of the elect, and that else we can hauehave notEccles. 41. 1 comfort in death: uJer. 7.pray we cannot vnlesse we repent, andwLuk. 13. 2. perish we shall vnlesse we repent: but blessed shall we be if we do repent. But manum de tabula Magister adest: this discourse following will teach vsus these things: and it am I bold to present to your Worships. Iohn sent his Reuelation to many Churches, and I present his Epistles to many worthie personages:xAct. 2. 40. and to whom may I better present them thē to you. Iohn was a disciple full of louelove, and you are breethrē full of louelove. The Preacher of these Lectures was well knowne to many, but to none better then to many of you, especially to those who were in my time worthie members of that most worthieyChrists colledge. Colledge with him. And the rather I do it, that times to come may reioyce in the Lord, that from one honorable root hauehave issued so many profitable branches to the Church.foreign: Menander. You are sixe brethren as pillars of your house, there were three sisters as fruitfull vines of the same:The Lady Wray. one is not, but is with the Lord, and her I knew a Ladie of admirable vertues: the other two are, and long may they be so. You are all brethren by nature of one venter, nation of one countrie, grace of one spirit, affection of one heart, fortune in great fauour, and of one hope by your holy behauiour. Anda1. Thes. 4. 9. concerning brotherly louelove, I need not to write vntounto you: for you are taught of God to louelove one another. YourbVVhichWhich had eightie sonnes. Plutarke. Scilurus at his death need not teach you concord, by giuing to each of you a sheafe of arrowes, which cannot well be broken whilst they are conioyned: for you by your amitie make your selues inuincible. IfcTheatrum Philos. pag. 294 Chilo the Lacedaemonian died for ioy to see one sonne crowned at Olympus, anddAul. Gel. lib. 3. Nat. At. Diagoras Rhodius did the like, when his three children got the garland at a wrestling: andeGen. 45. 28. Iacob so reioyced to heare of his one Ioseph, to be aduanced greatly in the kingdome of Egypt: how might that happie father of yours reioyce, to see at one time, one sonne sitting as high Sheriffe of the shire, another preaching before the Iudges of Assize, and the third pleading as Councellor at the barre, and all the rest of great expectation in the kingdome? ThusfPro. 10. 1. wise sons are a ioy to their parents, and all maygPsal. 133. 1. behold how good and comely a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in vnitie. Aristotle could say,Lib. 10. Ethni. 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.hGenes 4. Adams two sonnes could not agree in one field,aGen. 21. 9. Abrahams in one house,bGen. 25. Fratrum gratia rarum. Isaaks in one wombe,c2. King. 1. Dauids in one pallace, nor thosedLuk. 12. 13. 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)eforeign. 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 hauehave 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 louelove and hatred,fSee French Academ pag. 542. &c. and others hauehave 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, giuegive you also one inheritance in the kingdome of heauen. Thus right worshipfull I am bold to speake vntounto 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 louelove, be setled in the truth, and labour to honor him who thus honoureth you. Be not caried away with theg… shew of this world, but thinke religion the best nobilitie, and that as h…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,Hist. Eccles. 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,M. Dector Montagu. and by him, being a Minister, the despised Ministry is not a litle graced: so for him I pray, that he may be anaGen. 20. Abraham to our Abimelech, ab2. Sam. 12. Nathan to our Dauid, ac2. Kin. 11. Iehoida to our Ioash, dIer. 38.an Ebedmelech to Ieremiah, ane2. King. 4. 1. Elisha to the widow of this Prophet deceased, a light in the Court, a trumpet in the Church, and thatfEsther 5. 2. Ahashuerosh may long hold out his golden scepter vntounto him: that by his meanesgDictū regis, deest regibus qui verum dicat. great men may not want such as will tell them the truth: nohPlu. in vita Alex. reports, that Iupiters Priests called Alexander by the name of Jupiters son. earthly Alexander accounted a sonne of Iupiter, and that no man may be more respected then a goodiforeign. pag 42. Pastor: and that he may euer remember that saying of wise Salomon: kProu. 22. 11He 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 foreign, 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 hauehave bene of this nation: and whose humilitie is such, that he will hauehave his sonne to remember,lforeign. pag. 95. Odictum verè regium. 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 hisaProblema Theologicum. Posthume, dedicated to his excellent Maiestie, bybMaster Samuel VVard, Fellow of Immanuel Colledge. an excellent Diuine. In a word therefore, whatsoeuer this man did, he desired to profite others by it: he thought (as it is writtencAutor vitae Ber. lib. 2. cap. 4. & 7. of Bernard in his life) that he was not his owne man, but deputed to the seruice of others. He was neuer idle, but asdHieron. ad Marcellam. 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 theeAliis inseruiens meipsam consum…. 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 giuegive a testimonie, what witnesse had they who often heard him themselues? I hauehave published of his now two Discourses, and I onelyonly did it, that these his labours might not perish: I hauehave 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 hauehave the benefit of the future impressions of this booke: the which, how faithfully I hauehave 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 hauehave as you see, published this exposition of seuen Epistles vnderunder your eight names, nothing doubting but it will be as welcome to you, as by your countenance it may be profitable to the Church. The God of heauen giuegive you all that blessing of blessings,Epist. ad Iulianum. which (if Ierome say true) few men hauehave, that you may transire à deliciis ad delicias, go on from grace to grace, and be a long time happie in this life, and for euer happie in the life to come. London:
Saint Martins in the fields, from my worshipful friend Master Oldisworths house,2. Tim. 1. 16. by which familie (as Paul was by the house of Onesiphorus) in the time of this late (and I wish I may say) the last visitation, I hauehave receiued no small refreshing. March 12. 1604.
Your VVorships to command, Robert Hill: Fellow of S. Iohns Colledge in Cambridge.