A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 17
¶ The Lord cōmendeth the vertues, namely the conſtancie of the congregation of Philadelphia. &c. The .xvij. Sermon.
ANd write vntounto the Aungel of the congregation of Philadelphia: this ſayeth he that is holye and true, which hath the keye of Dauid, whiche openeth and no man ſhutteth: And ſhutteth and no man openeth. I knowe thy workes. Beholde I hauehave ſette before thee an open dore, and no manne can ſhutte it: for thou haſt a little ſtrength: And haſte kepte my worde, and haſte not denied my name. Beholde I ſhall geue ſome of the congregation of Sathan, whiche call them Iewes, and are not, but do lie: Behold, I wil make them, that they ſhal come and worſhip before thy feete.
the church is not blamed, but yet is it not therefore perfit. 1. Iohn. 1. Rom. 3.In al other congregations the Lord at the leeſt foūd ſome faulte, in the only churche of Philadelphia he blame…h nothing: not that any man is founde in this fleſh ſo perfit, that he hath not nede of the grace of God. For Dauid crieth out: enter not Lord, into iudgement with thy ſeruaunt, for no mā liuing ſhall be iuſtified in thy ſighte. But S. Iohn and S. Paull alſo make all mē ſubiect to ſinne: which thing alſo S. Auſten diſcourſeth learnedly agaynſt the Pelagians. Therfore that blameth nothing in this congregation, it is not to be vnderſtand, as though it were not defiled with dayly faultes: but therfore he imputeth nothinge, for becauſe the ſinceritie and integritie of faithe couereth & hideth what vice ſo euer there be. For there is no cōdemnation to them that are graffed in Chriſte Ieſu. And albeit that other churches hauehave alſo the right faith, yet this excelleth eſpecially, &c. It might be referred chiefly to the Biſſhop of the ſame Churche.
In this ſixte epiſtle he cōmendeth the ſincere faith, and cō ſtancie of faith, and admoniſſheth to perſeuer, propounding ample rewardes. And it hath muche learning and diuerſe: whiche ſhall appere in the treatiſe therof.
And the lord herin followeth the ſame order, which we ſee he hath followed in others. For it is one & the ſame kinde of doctrine with all churches and in al times. Firſte therfore is ſhewed, vntounto whom the epiſtle is written or dedicated: to the paſtour and whole cōgregation of Philadelphia.Philadelphia. Philadelphia was a citie of Lydia, neither very famouſe, nor yet obſcure. We reade how it hath bē oft ſhakē with earthquakes, and repared againe. Strabo mentioneth therof in the 12. boke of Geographie, and ſo hauehave other authours alſo. Yet it made it ſelf famouſe by vertues. After is the Lorde Chriſt ſignified to be Authour of this epiſtle, who at other times alſo hath tolde S. Iohn what he ſhould write.
And to Chriſt are attributed three things or rather Chriſt attributeth three things to him ſelfe, yt he is holy, true, & hath the keye of Dauid: The which he hath borrowed of ye Image of the firſt Chapt. Chriſte is holy,Chriſte holy. becauſe he is pure & cleane from al filthines, & from al vnrightuouſnes, very God, a cō ſuming fire, doyng no man any wrōg, hauing nothing at all that may be blamed. For to him ye Seraphin ſayng rightly, holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth: Eſaye. 7.Chriſte the Saincte of Sainctes. Chriſt is alſo the holy one of the Sainctes, a ſanctification I ſaye that ſanctifieth all, that be ſanctified. The ſame loueth holines in ſainctes. Chriſt therfore is moſte truely called. Antichriſt the Pope hath taken vponupon him this title, and ſo filthy ſitteth on this beaſte, as if you ſhould call a priuie or a Iakes a Roſier. Spitte vponupon that vile and filthy beaſt, whiche ſuffereth him ſelf to be called the moſt holy father, and worſhip Chriſt the holy one of all holy, vnleſſe you had rather vnderſtande by that holines not eueryevery holines, but pope holines that is to witte, ſtinking & ſwimming full of al abominations. Chriſte is like wiſe called trewe,Chriſte is true. becauſe he is eternall and faithfull, euermore conſtaunt and incorrupte. He can neyther diſceiue nor be diſceiued. The ſame moſte conſtantly kepeth his promeſſes. All his wordes be vndoubted and trewe: Albeit that fleſhe, that can abide no delaye, begin many times to doubt, yet no one poincte or iote of them falleth awaye. The trueth of the Lorde indureth for euer. Thou ſtandeſt vponupon a moſte ſure foundation, if thou leane vntounto Chriſte, whiche in the 14. of Iohn alſo calleth him ſelfe the veritie.
The keye of Dauid.Laſte he addeth, whiche hath the keye of Dauid. I ſpake of the keye in the firſte chapter. He alludeth to the 22. Chapt. of Eſaye. Wherby is ſignified the diuine & almightie power of Chriſt, by the which he bringeth vsus purified into the kingdome of heauen: whiche worke verely nother deuilles, nor any power can let. The ſame caſteth doune the vncleane into hel, nother is there that can deliuer or differ the ſame. He ſayeth therfore aptely and expreſſely, he hath, not had or ſhal hauehave, but he hath now. For he alone hath this power, which he cōmunicateth with no man els. The Pope of Rome lieth, whiche ſayeth that he hathe this power. The only ſonne of God excelleth in this prerogatiue.Keyes geuen to the Apoſtles. Thapoſtles as miniſters and preachers, hauehave receyued the keyes of knoweledge and of vtteraunce, of learning, inſtruction and introduction, by the whiche alſo in threatening they exclude infidels out of the kingdome of God, binde them in their ſinnes: almightie God whiche hath the highe power ratifiyng the iudgement of the miniſter, whiche he pronounced not of him ſelf, but of Chriſtes wordes. But theſe thinges agree righte well with thoſe that follow of the opened dore, which no man can ſhut, and ſo to the whole matter.
For now the Lorde procedeth to tell, what he would: And as he hathe ſayed in all epiſtles, he repeteth in this alſo, that he knoweth al things of this and of al other congregations.
And he commendeth ſo the perſeueraunce in faithe in this congregation,Thou haſt no power. that he ſignifieth with all, that the ſame alſo did procede of the grace of Chriſt. Thou haſte, ſayeth he, litle power, and as it were no force and ſtrēgth, which this world regardeth, as power, riches, wordly wiſedom, lucky ſucceſſe, plentie of frendes, and ſuch other like things. Therfore thou canſte attribute nothing to thy ſelfe, nothinge to thine owne ſtrength, not ſo much as this that thou arte a churche, & that the veritie of the goſpell is freely preached with thee.I hauehave ſet before thee an open dore. For I ſet opē this dore. And by my ſtrength I kepe open the ſame, that no man can ſhut the ſame dore: to witte the preachinge and grace ones graunted, by any meanes to prohibite, let, or take away. To open the dore, is a cōmon phraſe of ſpeaking, vſed of thapoſtle, in the 1. to the Corinth. 16. and the 2. Corinth. the 2. He openeth the dore, whiche geueth an occaſion, and prepareth the waye to enter in. By the worde therefore was opened the dore of life. The faithful might enter in: the infidels coulde not ſtoppe this waye. For the hande of Chriſte helde the dore open. And theſe thinges in dede do declare,No mā cā ſhut ye dore whereof it is that in cities, townes, and villages not greatly furniſhed with any force or power, ye courſe of the goſpel procedeth with ſo lucky ſucceſſe: And where many go about by layng waite, craftes and policies, threateninges and perſecutions to ſhut the dore, they cā not. Theſe things are not done through our cunning & wiſedome, but of the grace of God.
Howbeit if any man liſt to vnderſtand thoſe thinges and ſuch as follow herafter peculiarly of the paſtour or biſhop of the church, I wil not be againſt it. For where he was hūble, and inſtruct with no worldly wiſedome, yet furniſhed with God his grace, he opened the waye of ſaluation, which now they coulde not ſhut vp, as many as ſoughte to abrogate the preaching of the goſpel. The vertue of Chriſt kept him.
And nowe more expreſſely he preacheth or cōmendeth the faithfull conſtauncie in faithe of the paſtour & congregation:The commendation of perſeueraunce in faythe. Thou haſt kept, ſaieth he, my worde, and haſt not denied my name. When the Lorde opened the dore, lighted the candel, & gaue heauenly giftes, the paſtour with the congregation receiued them, and receiued kepte thē, and ſo kept denied them not, nother trode thē vnderunder foote. This is an excellent praiſe. Would God there were many ſuch churches founde at this daie. Here mayeſt thou learne alſo, O thou church of Chriſt, here maye you learne all and ſingular, what is the duty of paſtours, of the churche, and of all and ſingular godly men and women. Thy merite was none at all, God of his grace ſhone vntounto thee. Thy worthines was non, thy deſert, power nor authoritie: Chriſte of his mercy hath reuealed him ſelfe vntounto thee. Imbrace him therefore that offereth him ſelfe to thee, holde faſt and neuer at any time let him go. &c.
The word of Chriſt is to be kepte.And note that the Lord ſayeth, my worde, not eueryevery mans worde, but mine. What the worde of Chriſt is, it is knowen to al men. For that which is written in the Goſpel, and firſt in dede by the Prophetes, and after by the Apoſtles was ſet forth in holy writte, is the worde of chriſt. It is not Chriſtes worde that ſtriueth with the ſame, although it be ſet forth by Counſels and holy fathers. Chriſte doeth not acknowledge that worde: he acknowledgeth his for his owne. And this muſt be obſerued and kept. The word of Chriſt is obſerued, what time it is not corrupted with additions,The word of Chriſt is kepte howe. detractions, and wraſtinges, but in caſe it be kepte ſincere in his naturall ſenſe. It is not kepte, when it is corrupted or depraued with mens inuentions, and peruerſe interpretations. The worde of Chriſt is kepte, when it is cōmended not with the mouth alone, but is alſo expreſſed with godly workes in the whole life, & beautified with holines. It is not obſerued, when with out repentaunce men liue moſt filthily. Finally the word of Chriſt is obſerued & kept, when it is not with any lotheſomneſſe of ours or impatiēce caſt awaye, denied & forſaken. And therfore he annereth incōtinently, and thou haſt not denied my name. I hauehave ſpoken els where largely of confeſſing and deniyng of Chriſtes name. Theſe things verely did the Philadelphiās, & with theſe vertues through faith pleaſed ye lord. By theſe alſo maye we cōmende our ſelues to our Sauiour.
The Lord conuerteth thenemies vntounto the churche.Furthermore the Lord ſheweth, with how great a reward he would honour that conſtauncie of the godly in faithe. Ye hauehave nowe, ſayeth he, many enemies by reaſon of your pure religion: but in caſe ye thus holde one, I wil cauſe that thoſe ſame enemies ſhal become your frēdes, and finally fellowes of your religion: In ſo muche that they that hauehave hitherto condemned you for wicked doers and heretikes, ſhal come vntounto you with great humilitie, to axe you forgeuenes, ready to receiue your religion, & to worſhip him whome they hauehave blaſphemed. And they ſhall come in moſte humble wiſe, and with the greateſt humilitie that maye be. For ſo ſayed Eſaye before that it ſhoulde ſo come to paſſe in 49. chap. wherunto the Lord alluded at this preſent.
In the meane ſeaſon he toucheth the Iewes the ſingular enemies of the ſayth,Falſe Iewes. whom he calleth the Sinagoge of Sathan. For their teacher was none other but the Deuill, as in dede they hauehave no better at this daye. He calleth them falſe Iewes and liars. For neyther they confeſſed the Lorde, nor glorified god, nor beleued in Chriſt their Meſſias. But they that are Iewes in dede, be not ſuche: as the Apoſtle S. Paull ſaied in the 2. Chapter to the Romans. The power of God cō ſtreyned many of them, forſaking their Iewiſheneſſe, to goe to the Chriſten religion.
Therefore if we couet or goe about to reteyne alſo in our Churches the pure worde of God,Howe congregatiōs maye be kepte. & to receiue our enemies humble, we ſhall not atteyne to theſe thinges by warres or wronges, by raylyng and approbriouſe wordes, but by conſtaunte faith. But if eyther we profeſſe our faith not purely, or beautifie not the ſame with vertues, what maruell is it, though enemies abide enemies ſtill, and continewe to hate vsus eueryevery daie more haynouſly than other, and at length oppreſſe vsus, and extinguiſhe the lighte of God his worde with many? let vsus learne dere bretherne, by godlynes, conſtancie and holines to winne our bretherne. The Lord Ieſus graunt vsus his grace to perfourme the ſame.