Commentary on the Gospels and Acts, Commentary 1 · Chapter 7 · Verse 22
Verse 22. Many will say to me in that day, &c.]
That day of judgement by an appellative proper, called that day; or at the day of death; for every mans deaths-day is his …, Heb. 9. Then they shall come bouncing at heaven gates, with Lord, Lord, … unto us: and make no other reckoning but to enrer with the …. Which shews, that an hypocrite may live and die in …; and misse of heaven, in the height of his hopes. He hanged them upon nothing (as God hath hang'd the earth) they prove unto him therefore as the giving up of the ghost, which is but coldJob 1 …. 10. comfort: and serve him no better then Absoloms mule did her … master in his greatest need. What, saith Iob., is the hope of the Job 27. 89.…, though he hath gained much, when … shall take away his soul? will God hear his cry when trouble … upon him? Will his crying Lord, Lord, rescue him in the day of wrath? No, no: God will pour upon him and not spare, fire and brimstone, storm and tempest: this shall be the portion of his cup. The just execution of that terrible commination, Rev. 3. 16. shall certainly crush his heart, with everlasting horrour, confusion and woe. Oh that this truth were throughly thought on and believed! but men are wondrous apt to deceive themselves in point of salvation. Therefore doth the Apostle so oft premise, Be not deceived, when … reckoneth up reprobates, 1 Cor. 6, 9. Ephes. 5. 6, &c. Themselves they may deceive and others, but God is not mocked. … seems, by his words and wishes, a friend to Israel: yet is he so … from inheriting with them, that he is destroyed by them: this will be the portion of hypocrites from the Lord. If their hearts be not upright with him, he will never give them his hand, no though they follow him, as close as Iehonadab did Iehu. Their hopes … 2 …. 16. 15.fail them, when at highest; as Esaus did, returning with his venison,
Have we not prophecied in thy Name]
A man may preach profitably to others and yet himself be a cast-away, 1 Cor. 9. vlt. … Act and …. …. ….confirmed Saunders, and afterward turned tippet himself. Harding a little afore King Edward 6. died, was heard openly in his Sermons in London to exhort the people with great vehemency after this sort; that if trouble came, they should never shrink from the true Doctrine of the Gospel which they had received, but take it rather for a triall sent of God, to prove them whether they would abide by it or no. All which to be true, saith Mr Fox, they can … that heard him, and be yet alive: who also fore-seeing the plague to come, were then much confirmed by his words. In Q. Maries daies he turned Apostate and so continued, notwithstanding an excellent letter of the Lady Jane Dudley written to him, while he was prisoner: wherein she stirrs him up to remember the horrible history of Julian of old, and the lamentable case of Spira a late, and so to returne to Christ; who now stretcheth out (saith she) his armes to receive you, ready to fall upon your neck and kisse you, and last of all to feast you with the dainties and delicacies of his own precious blood: which undoubtedly, if it might stand with his determinate purpose, heAct. and Mon. fol 1292. would not let to shed again rather then you should be lost. And so she goes on most sweetly: sed surdo fabulam, she lost her sweetIbid 1557. words: as likewise did William wolsey the Martyr upon … Ibid ….the Smith of Wells in Cambridge-shire, and some others, upon Mr West Chaplain to Bishop Ridley: who refusing to die in Christs cause with his Master, said Masse against his conscience. B. Latimer, in a Sermon afore K. Edward, tells of one who fell away from the known truth, and became a scorner of it, yet was afterward touched in conscience for the same. Beware of this sinne, saith he, for I have known no more but this that …. Joannes Speiserus, Doctor of Divinity and preacher at Ausborough in Germany, Anno 1523. began to teach the truth of the Gospel, and did it so effectually that diverse common harlots were converted, and betook themselves to a better course of life. But he afterwardScultet Anual. pag. …. revolted again to the Papists, and came to a miserable end.Ibid. The like is reported of Brisonettus Bishop of Melda, a town of France ten miles from Paris. And who doubts but Iudas the traytour was a great preacher, a caster out of devils, and doer of many great works in Christ Name, as well as other of the disciples? Nicodemus was nothing to him. He, (saith one) was a night-professour only, but Iudas in the sight of all. He was a slowDike of …. …. …, Iudas a forward preacher. Yet at last when Iudas betrayed Christ in the night, Nicodemus faithfully profest him in the day. Therefore will Christ confesse him before God, Angels and men, when Iudas shall hear, avaunt, thou worker of iniquity, I know thee not. Neronis (Quantus artifex pereo?) quadrabit in te peritum et periturum. … in labris Suada, sed et fibris Gratia; quae sola verè flexanima Suada, et medulla Suadae penetrantissima. D. … ep ad ….Summoperè cavendum divino praeconi, ne dicta, …, erubescant. Let not the preacher give … the lie, by a life unsutable to his Sermons.
And in thy name have done many wonderfull works]
By a faith of miracles, whereby a man may remove mountains, and yet miscarry, 1 Cor. 13. 2. And here such as work wonders may deceive themselves in the main point of their own salvation: how much more may they deceive others in this or that particular point of doctrine? The coming of Antichrist is after the working of Satan with all power, and signes, and lying wonders, and with 2 Thes. ….all deceavablenesse of unrighteousnesse in them that perish. Lying wonders they are called in regard not onelyonly of the end, which is to deceave, but of the substance. For the devil cannot do a true miracle, which is ever beside and against nature and second causes; … as whereof there can be no naturall reason possibly rendred, no though it be hid from us. The devil I say, cannot do a …. He may juggle and cast a mist. St Hierom writes that a certain damosell was brought to Macarius by her father, who complained that his daughter was, by witch-craft turned into a mare, Macarius answered that he could see no such thing in her, nothing but humane shape; and that their eies, that thought and said so, were blinded by Satan, wherefore turning himself to prayer, he obtained, that the mist might be removed from the parents eies, and … they saw their mistake. The like is reported of Mr Tindall the Martyr, that being at Antwerp among a company of merchants, he hindred, by his presence and prayers, a certain jugler, that he could not play his feats: so that he was compelled openly to confesse,…., 85. that there was some man there at supper, that disturbed and … all his doings. So that a man even in the Martyrs of these daies (saith Mr Fox) cannot lack the miracles of true faith, if they were to be desired. Oye Papists (said Bainham, in the midst… of the flame) …, you look for miracles: here now you may see a miracle: for in this fire I feel no more pain then if I were in a bed of …, it is to me as a bed of roses. But the devil is ashamed, (saith Gretser the Jesuite) to confirm Luthers doctrine with miracles. We could tell him and his fellows, of … recovered out of a desperate disease by Luthers prayers, which Myconius acknowledged for a miracle to his dying day. And of another young man of Wittenberg that had sold himself to the devil,Act and … sol 788. body and soul, for mony, and sealed the obligation with his own blood: But was delivered by Luthers prayers, out of the… danger of the …, who was compelled (saith Mr Fox) at last to throw in the … at the window, and bad the young man take it unto him again. But he that now requireth miracles for the confirmation of his faith, is himself a great miracle, saith Austin. … when they came into Canaan; as if it would…. …, ye need no miracles now you have means. The wonderfull … of Luther, that man of God, amidst so many … enemies, the publishing and carrying of his doctrine, in the space of a monethmonth, throughout all Germany and some forraine …, as it were upon Angels wings, the establishing of the Reformation to be done by so weak and simple means, yea by casuall and crosse means, against the force of so puissant and publike an …, this is that miracle which we are in these times to look for.