A godly and learned exposition or commentary upon the three first chapters of the…A godly and learned exposition or commentarie vpon the three first chapters of the…

The second part of Christs counsel is his prophecy: which is a prediction of that particular afflictions which this church of Smyrna should suffer▪ and first he prefixeth this note of attention, behold: then he setteth down the prophecy it self, The devil shall cast some of you into prison. Behold, hereby he would teach us an excellent lesson: that we must often consider before •and of the day of our visitation, wherein God will try v•, lest we perish therein: our Saviour Christ coming towards Jerusalem ^(b)wept over it, and when he came to it he foretold the final destruction of that city which therefore came upon them, because they considered not the day of their visitation, neither the things therein foretold that did concern their peace. And the like destruction will come upon us in this land, if we consider not the days of our visitation: let us therefore now in the days of peace forecast what is to come, and prepare our selves against the day of the Lords trial; and so shall we escape the fearful and final destruction that shall come upon the wicked. It shall come to pass that the devil shall cast some of you into prison that ye may be tried: and ye shall have tribulation ten days. These words contain Christs prophecy, wherein he showeth himself to be true God: for as Isay in many places showeth, it is a property of God alone to ^(c)foretell a particular affliction that is contingent. But some will say, others can foretell certain things to come; as the Physician, the sick mans death; and the Astronomer the time of the eclipse; how then is this proper to God? Answ. The Physician foretelleth the sick mans death, only by virtue of causes present, in which the future death is to him apparent: And the Astronomers foretelleth the eclipse by the consideration of the natural and ordinary course of the heavens in present, and by that can come to foretell it in time to come. So that simply none can foretell a thing contingent, except he see it present in the causes: but Christ foretelleth things to come simply of himself, though no cause be present, as appeareth in this place.

The second part of Christs counsell is his prophesie: which is a prediction of that particular afflictions which this church of Smirna should suffer and first he prefixeth this note of attention, behold: then he setteth downe the prophesie it selfe, The diuell shall cast some of you into prison. Behold, hereby he would teach vs an excellent lesson: that wee must often consider before and of the day of our visitation, wherein God will try v, lest we perish therin: our Sauior Christ comming towards Ierusalem