C A II .: ./frevelationofthe Apòcalypfe, 119 goe on couragioufly in that courfe which thou haft begun, hold fait Godly thy holine{fe-of manners, thy purity of wholfome doaríne,thy leve- l'hila- rity of heavenly Difcipline , left if thou releafe , and let loofe any delphia. thinghere , another man take away thy CroWn. But what is this Crown? That honour which íhe fhall receive from her enemies, that [hall be put under her,and that fhall fall down before her feet, ver.9. Which kind of rewards depend upon the duties of godlineffe, to which they are promifed, and they are taken away from the Saints oftentimes, to punifh their floathfülncílè. Wherefore they bewray their unskilfulneffe, that refer thefe things to eternal! lifer as if that could betaken away from the elegy , or at leaft as if they fhould al- wayes flagger, as in a doubtfull, and uncertain matter, whereof they could have no fore hope, as long as they live upon earth. It may be, and it comethcommonly to paffe,that the wicked may deceive them- felves with a falfe perfwafion, but the elea have the Spirit,which te- f}ifieth that they are thefans of Cod ; neither can this Author of all truth,either deceive, or be deceived,Rom.8. i 6. And yetifone should think,that there is the fame reafon of the earthly , and heavenly re- ward, of which theywill have that to be the Type; that famemay be truly and rightly anfwered, which before we fpake of the Book of life,verfe 5. That manyare called , hut fe* are chafers. Now thofe which are called not perfevering,mayhave their crown, which for a time they hoped for,taken away from them, in which regard it is not without caufe called their CroWn. But how do they trifle , that wrefl this to the ele(t which belongeth to thofe that areonly called ; and that becaufe they envieunto others that certaintyof falvation, which they feele notthemfelves. For the word take here, is all one with taking away , Mat. 5.4o.. Let him take thy coat alfo , that is, take away. I 2. Fie that overcemeth, IWill make hima Pillar. For,.IWill make him that overconeeth. Or asfor him that overcometh,IWill make him. It is an Hebraifme of a Nominative cafe put.abfolutely , filch as wee obferved , Chapter 2. 26. The reward is, that bee fhall bee like a Pillar in the Temple of gee! ; that is , hee (hall remaine firm and (table in : the Church, neither [hall hee feare any ruine, or fliding; howföever the rempeffnoate raine fall fall, the floods fall arife, the Winds fall blow, and all things (hall rufh- together upon him with one affault. Hee altudeth to thofe two brafen Pillars placed in the Temple by Salomon, which did re- femble the liability of the funs of God, i King. 7.15. And fois this
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