f k)elattaii of the Apocalypfe. CAP.Z. Sigh and fo asfrom thence the firfl part of the comparifon may be gathered. haughty Now thispoifonofthe Nicolaitans had without doubt infectedPer - Pcrgannts. gamtu. WhichIhate. As before, the vulgar likeWife do thou repent. And fo he beginneth the next verfe to this effect ; As I have admonifhed the Churchof Ephefiu, fo do I admonifh thee. But this is more weake, then ifhe fhouldamply command, faying Repent. 16 /willcome quickly againß thee, andWill fight With them. Hee threatneth a double punilhmant; one againft the Church, againft which he faith he will come quickly ; another againft the corrupters of it, with whom heWillfight-With thefiord, of his mouth. For it is not to be thought, that he would come againft that Church only to take away thofe plagues and deftroyers ofmankind (this fhould not have ought in it to be afraid of; but that which should be above all tobe wished for) but even the Church her felfe fhouldfm art for her negli- gence, as they should for their wickedneff2. This invafion then into the Church, was fome chaftifement bywar, or fome fuch calamitie, as is moremanifeft in the Counterpaine, the times whereof were very lamentable., partly by the breaking in of the Northerne Bar- barians, partly by the Saracens, whom the Devill armed againfl the feed of the Woman, after fhee fled into the wilderneffe, as wee fha11 thew, Chapter 12. To which time thefe things belong, onely theyare here generally and darkly,pointed at, becaufe here was no place to give further light. The other punifhment is of the Bal.ta- mite.s, againft whom he will draw the fword of his mouth. For we mutt marke how he doth diftinguifh thefe men from the Church; of this he Paid, I Will come againfl thee; and then tur- ning his fpeech againft the Balaamites. eAnd I Will fight (faith he ) With them. But what is it to fight with the tWo-edged f ord of hi' mouth ? Is it not to infliEt filchpunishmentsas he bath threat- ned in his Word ? Indeed Paul faith that bee ,bath in rcadinefre WhereWith to revenge all contumacie, 2 Cor. to. 6. And Ieremy is fet up by God over Nations and Kingdomes to root up and to throw dotane, Chapter t, to. For there is no weapon in all the Armory of the world fo effeftuall and forcible on either part. Wherefore feeing according to this meaning all whoredome and Idolatry are rewarded, a jolt and proportionable punifhment, he may very well fay he will fight with that (word, by whole prefcript the judge- ment that is there denounced is executed. But now feeing elfe- where it is faid of Antichrift, that Chriffbeth defroy himWith the Spirit
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=