Apokalypsis apokalypseos, or, The revelation revealed being a practical exposition on the revelation of St. John : whereunto is annexed a small essay, entituled Quinto-Monarchiæ, cum Quarto Omologia, or, A friendly complyance between Christ's monarchy, and the magistrates / by William Hicks ...

Vers. 19. I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works, and the last to be more then the first.

All those graces here mentioned by the Spirit and found in the church of Thyatira, are to be understood of true ••eal graces, not only so in appearance and opinion, but in truth and sincerity; and therefore Christ before he fals on the charge against her, first he gives an approbation and an encouragement to her graces, and in effect tels her: 'Tis true O church of Thyatira, I must acknow∣ledg thy works of grace, as thy true love towards me, which hath produced and brought forth in thee the happy fruits of thy zea∣lous service, and thy faith enlivened by love, together with thy constant patience under sufferings for my names sake; and by this it appeareth that thou hast received the truth in the love there∣of; and withal I must add unto thy praise, that there is a growth and improvment in those gracious works, and the last to be more then the first: That is Though thy first works were done out of much zeal, yet the latter were done on more certain and sober grounds of knowledg and sincerer ends then the first; and therefore as thou hast made an improvement of thy graces, so thou art more in esteem and thy works also, then at the first. By the way here,

Observ. We may Observe, Though the Church of Thyatira be never so blame-worthy, yet Christ will give her her due, and set too his Seal of approbation to all that is sound and righteous in her:

It seems there were graces sufficient in Thyatira to denominate her a golden candlestick and a church of Christ, notwithstanding Christ had a few things to say against her; it savors not of the Dove-like spirit of Christ and love, when any shall be so rigid as will not acknowledg such societies to be churches of Christ be∣cause some imperfections in them either in doctrine or manners, though otherwise abounding in works of holiness; as love to God and his Saints, and faith towards Jesus Christ▪ zeal towards God's worship and service, and in suffering for Christ's sake: Doubtless with some rigid persons in these days the churches of Pergamus and Thyatira would be unchurched and anathematized by them, had they but authority over them, though Christ had set his Seal upon them, and marked them as golden candlesticks. As in a natural body some members may be rotten and dead, and

yet a lively body: So in those spiritual bodies politiques, there may be som members rotten and dead at the root, yet the body still an organical body, and no great hinderance to the whole. And again, in a natural body there may be a catholique disease seasing upon every part and member of the body, which may render it very uncapable for its seruices, and yet still a lively bo∣dy. So it may be in a church, a body politique; it may be ca∣tholiquely sick and infected with some venomous disease, some pestifferous doctrine or other; and yet a church still, though a decrepid, infirm, and lame one; but when the disease comes to be mortal, leaprous, or incurable, it is time then to cry out, Sum impurus, sum impurus; Procul hinc, procul ite.

For the words, I know thy works, and thy loue &c.] Here we see the good works that God does approve of in his people, and does also render them as approved Saints, both unto themselves and the whole world. Christ alone is the publique approved per∣son in the room of all his members in the sight of God, as unto justification and perfect righteousness: yet before these graces does appear in the Saints to evidence their calling, they are but the children of wrath as well as others. Election does secure our eternal estate; but before the spirit of grace comes to evidence it by faith that worketh by love, sin and death hath dominion over us: And though we are heirs of all in God's predetermination; yet differ we not at all from servants in the state of unregeneracy, yea therein we are slaves and captives to sin and Satan.

These gracious works are called thy works though they are the gifts of God, and wrought by his spirit in us, yet God's good∣ness does call them ours, because they are acted by the instrumen∣tality of our souls, as passing through our wils, affections and un∣derstandings; and here love or charity is put in the first place a∣mong all the graces of the Spirit: Whether love in order of nature is before faith, I shall not here dispute, only thus much I say that all generally grant, that faith's first act is an assent to the truth, as unto a proposition; now unless love come in to ingrediate the affection unto the truth proposed, it will only be but a bare opi∣nion, and never come to a lively faith, Secondly, I say, love is here proposed as first in order, as being the most excellent Go∣spel grace, 1 Cor. 13. throughout. Now abideth faith, hope and charity, but the greatest of them is charity; its precedency lies in this,

1. In that it perfumes and enlivens all the other graces; faith it self is dead without it; And to suppose a faith without love, is to suppose a man without a soul: The gifts of prophesies, tongues, and miracles, are but barren and usless things without this.

2. This hath for its object both God and Man; we exercise our faith and hope only towards God and his promises, but our charity is extended both towards God and Man: And therefore

love is called, Rom. 13.10. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the fulfilling of the Law; it is the whole sum and hinge on which the commande∣ments turn: In this one word charity, both the Tables of the de∣calogue are abridged.

3. It excells in that it is the greatest note of our interest in God and Christ: Faith is that giveth right unto the promises, but love is that giveth life to faith: It is the very soul of all our graces; If we gave our bodies to be burnt for Christ and had not charity, it will profit nothing, 1 Cor. 13.3. By this we know that we are passed from death to life, because we love the Brethren, 1 John 3.14. and Ia. 1.12. The Crown of life is promised to them that love God, and Rom. 8.28. Love is made the very discovery of effectual calling and election.

4. Love excells in that it is the perfection of the Law; it is the very end of the Commandments, 1 Tim. 1.5. and were Love but perfect in us, it would make us perfect Keepers and Observers of the Law both towards God and Man. Love knits the Members of Christs Body together, and so perfects his Bo∣dy: It unites us to God, and so maketh the perfecting of divine love in us, 1 John 4.12, 17. and here it is we are commanded twice to put on love above all things, 1 Pet. 4.8. and Col. 3.14. but once above all things to take the shield of faith.

5. And lastly, when faith, hope patience, and all other graces ceases, charity abideth. Love is not only a portion for the Saints in this life, but in the other also; then we shall love God and Christ when faith and hope ceaseth; therefore justly did Christ in this place, and the Apostle in 1 Cor. 13.13. give it the precedency above al other Graces of the Spirit.

2. Love brings forth another grace, service, external wor∣ship and obedience; him whom we love we obey, we serve, we honour and worship: The service of love is most intense and effectual. When Christ communed with Simon Peter, John 21. and asked him thrice, Simon Son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Yea Lord thou knowest it, saith Peter; Christ answered feed my sheep: The more love that Peter manifested, the more service and duty was put upon him. Services that we perform to God, not out of love, but formality or custome, are but as scabbed or lame Sacrifices under the Law, which the Lord hated. Right ends in our services are,

• First, Love and zeal to God's glory.
• Secondly, Love to the obedience of God's commandments.
• Thirdly, Love to the edification of others.

These ends makes us a true and sincere worship, love goeth through all, and is the fulfilling of the Law.

3. Thyatira is approved for her faith, made lively and effectu∣al by love. True faith is never seperated from love, they go hand in hand together; but love hath the precedency for the rea∣sons

aforesaid, though faith is first in order of nature; for faith is that grace that gives the first being unto a christian, but love is the perfection of that being: There must be first a knowledge of God, and assent unto his truths, which is the first act of faith, before we can love that God or his Truths; but withal I say, there is so inseperable union between these two graces, no soon∣er hath faith a being and a body, but love comes to animate it, to make it sound, lively and perfect.

Observ. hence Note, That it is not a bare opinion or entertain∣ment of the truth, that is a true lively faith, but that that worketh by love.

Many will one day say, we have prophesied in thy Name, taught in thy Name, cast out devils in thy Name, professed and beleiv∣ed thy truths; and yet the Lord will say unto them, I know you not; and all for want of this grace of love towards God and his Saints. A sound and true faith contains in it these three princi∣pal ingredients, that gives the very form and being to it.

First, A sound distinct knowledge of the thing believed: I know and am perswaded, saith Paul, Rom. 14.14. Persons that are ignorant of Gods promises, and of the word of eternal life, can never believe aright.

Secondly, A firm perswasion strongly assuming the heart. As a sound believer must not be an ignorant soul, so must he not be a wavering-minded man, but must have an undeceivable certain∣ty and truth in that he does believe.

Thirdly, A confident resting and rejoycing with satis∣faction unto the Soul, surely looking to enjoy that it does beleive.

True faith hath these four acts and degrees in it, 1. Knowledge, 2. Assent. 3. Adherence. and 4. Assurance. A believer may have the three first acts, and want the latter; and a sound beleiver and a justified person. Though God for causes to himself known may never give the grace of Assurance, yet that faith that only knows God distinctly to be a God of salvation in his promises, to repentant sinners through Christ, and so takes him and adheres unto him in the love and truth thereof, doubtless that soul shall never be a cast-away, though God's presence of assurance and joyful satisfaction be never manifested unto him. If we be sa∣ved it is enough, though God reserves his comfortable presence and inward love for us unto another world.

4. Thyatira hath another excellent grace, and that is Patience, or sufferance with patience, as the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 carries it in the Greek. A wicked man may suffer affliction, but not suffer with patience, without murmuring, swearing, or blaspheming as the godly doth. The wicked may haue patience perforce and un∣willingly, when he cannot help it, the afliction being above his reach to remedy; but the godly is patient as it is an effect of love;

because he loveth much, he is ready to suffer much with constancy and patience, as Jacob served two seven years hardship for his beloved Rachel; so a faithful soul is ready to suffer all afflictions, chearfully, and with much patience all the years of his life, be∣cause he loves God and Christ, and so accounts the afflictions of this life not to be valued with the glory that shall hereafter be re∣vealed to all those that love God.

5. Thyatira was a growing fruitful church, her latter works were more then her first, done upon better grounds, and better prin∣ciples. From whence Note,

Observ. That the gracious works of the more grown Christians doe exceed those of the younger sort in soundness.

The Neophites or young Christians may be more zealous then the approved Presbiters of a church, but the latter zeal is better ••egulated and more sober then the former: When I was a child (saith Paul) I spake as a child, I did as a child, I understood as a child; but when I became a man I put away childish things: So it is in our spi∣ritual growth, in our first birth; we are very childish, and zealous of small things; external circumstances in worship, we then look upon as great things; and if a painted window, a cross, a su••pless, a cope, &c. stand in our way we presently stumble at them, and think it the most acceptable service we can perform to God, either to burn them, or break them to peices as Antichri∣stian trumperies. Again, if we come a little higher, then we spend most or all our strength about the defence of external forms of worship; as whether Presbitery, Independency, or the way of the Anabaptists so called, be the righter way. This humour too is most prevalent in the Neophites; but the waightier things of God and his Law, is for the elder and stronger sort: The one thinks to catch Heaven by Tything Mint and Anniss, by being very intense about the smaller things of the Law; but the other ••ot leaving the first undone, falls upon the kernel and substance of Religion, which is fit meat for stronger men▪ The grown christian's graces excels the younger, as his love is more sound; he loves not for interest or opinion sake, as many young ones does, but he loves the brethren, on this ground as being members of one body, being made partakers of the same divine truth with himself.

Secondly, His service is more cordial in respect of the larger experience of the goodness of God to his Soul, he hath often met God's presence in his ordinances, then the younger christian hath; and therefore needs must his desires and affections excell unto God's Ordinances and worships, seeing he hath of••ner met God therein, as in a special habitation of his glory.

Thirdly, An old christian's faith is sounder then the younger; he believes not because he hath heard only with the ear, but he be∣lieves because he hath seen, tasted, and experienced the truth and

faithfulness of God and his promises to his soul, which the other it may be as yet has not attained too.

Fourthly, His patience is more tryed, more refined then the younger.

Fifthly, and lastly, In effect all his graces are sounder and bet∣ter circumstantiated then those of the younger christians, for ends, for grounds, for manners, for time, and in all other circumstan∣ces whatsoever: Therefore it is our duty to strive, that our last works may be more then our first; otherwise shame unto us as unprofitable servants.