in deedes secrecie in thoughts beseeming a Secretary fidelity in seruice of your Soueraigne surety in friendship modesty in all your behauiour If education of your children in true Religion If good example in the obseruance of God his publike worship euery Sabboth If indefatigable paines in your Calling for the good of the publique State wherein nothing can bee seene all the dayes of the weeke but Catenati labores mutandi semper grauioribus so that iustly it may bee admired how in so weake a body such restlesse labor of mind may be sustained If all these I say may commend any man then hath your Lordshippe witnesses enow to speake for you and needes not the testimony of others Loe now what a heape of good things hath the Lord multiplied vpon you what remaines but that you consider with Dauid What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefites towards mee Hee himselfe will giue you the answere My well-doing extends not to the Lord but to the Saints that are in the earth and to the Excellent all my delight is in them Great cause had Dauid to loue Ionathan hee could not get himselfe to requite his kindnesse but hee enquired if any man were left of the house of Saul that hee might shew him mercy for Ionathans sake and when hee vnderstood that hee had a weake sonne Mephibosheth lame of both his feete he despised him not for his inability but aduanced him for Ionathans sake to eat at his owne table as one of the Kings sonnes My Lord our Ionathan is the Lord Iesus wee haue not himselfe but for his sake wee are bound to shew mercy to his Mephibosheths these are the Leuites the Widdow the Fatherlesse the Poore the Stranger and the Oppressed Let not the Leuite want the comfort of the Law in his righteous cause Look with a tender eye to the vpright action of weake and impotent men God is a righteous Iudge to all men but he hath taken these aboue others vnder his singular protection Thinke it your honour and happinesse also to be a Protector of them So shall your Lordship prosper still and God shall stablish blessings vpon you and your posterity I will pray to God for it and so rest Your Lordships to be commanded William B. of Galloway Of my Lord of Galloway his learned Commentary on the Reuelation TO this admir'd Discouerer giue place Yee who first tam'd the Sea the Windes outranne And match'd the Dayes bright Coach-man in your race Americus Columbus Magellan It is most true that your ingenious care And well-spent paines another world brought forth For Beasts Birds Trees for Gemmes and Metals rare Yet all being earth was but of earthly worth Hee a more precious World to vs descryes Rich in more Treasure then both Indes containe Faire in more beauty then mans witte can faine VVhose Sunne not sets whose people neuer dies Earth shuld your Brows deck with stil-verdant Bayes But Heauens crowne his with Stars immortall rayes Master William Drumond of Sawthorn-denne Another REapers not few did labour in this field And it to them great store of fruit did yeeld But heere comes one apace behinde them all To gather vp what by their hand did fall Peruse his stuffe and thou shalt for thy gaining Find more then others Harust to be his gleaning I. A. PATHMOS A COMMENTARY VPON THE FIRST Prophecie of the Reuelation of S. Iohn conteined in the fourth fift sixt and seuenth Chapters Mine Helpe is in the Name of the LORD THE whole bookes of holy Scripture are of three rankes Historicall Doctrinall Propheticall they being so denominate from the principall matter in them contained Of all these coniunctly arises vnto vs a three-fold fruite the first of Conuersion the second of Consolation the third of Confirmation The first once for all is touched by the Psalmist The Law of the Lord is perfect conuerting the soule The second by the Apostle Whatsoeuer things are written are written for our learning that wee through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope It is true indeed Many are the troubles of the righteous yet against euery crosse the Lord hath giuen vs in his Word sufficient consolation The third is set downe by our Sauiour These things haue I said vnto you that yee should not bee offended that when the houre shall come yee might remember that I told you of them And this fruite of confirmation wee haue especially by bookes Propheticall Of this nature is this booke as is cleere by the titles giuen vnto it for in the first verse of the first Chapter it is called an Apocalypse or Reuelation that is an opening or vncouering of things which were hid and secret before and in the fourth verse it is called A Prophecie Thus haue we it not onely a Prophecie or prediction of things to come but a prophecie reuealed and expounded partly by Christ and partly by the Angell And this is to be noted that where other books of holy Scripture are written to instruct vs in the faith and to teach vs what wee must doe if wee would be saued this booke is written not so much to instruct vs in the faith though in part it doe that also as to confirme vs in it that for no violent persecution following it for no fraudulent heresie by deceit impugning it for no externall change befalling the Church for no prosperous preuailing of the enemies thereof as for a time will appeare to the world we should forsake that faith which the Lord Iesus and his Apostles haue taught vs in the Gospell The Author of it is God the Father from him it commeth by this order the Father giues it to the Sonne the Sonne to an Angell the Angell giueth it to S. Iohn and S. Iohn sends it to the Church The matter whereof it entreates is comprised in this short summe In it God sheweth to his seruants things which must shortly be done namely concerning the Church her persecutions by enemies the changes and mutations of the visible state thereof defections of Apostates illusions of Heretikes fearefull eclypses of the light of the Gospell All these were to fall out in that houre of tentation to come vpon all the world for tryall of them that dwell vpon the earth And in this Prophecie are distinctly fore-told by the Lord that his Saints and seruants in all ages might be confirmed against them when they should see them come to passe knowing that they fall not out by accident nor by the will or power of man but according to the determinate counsell of God who hath also letten his Church see before-hand a comfortable out-gate and end of them all And as both for the Matter and Authour this booke should bee welcome to vs so the circumstance of the time doth greatly commend it It was sent vnto vs after the Ascension of our Lord and is
the last breath of the Spirit wherewith he inspired the Writers of holy Scripture No Scripture is to be expected after this It is the last Loue-token of our Lord and louing Husband after which he will write no more vnto vs but will come himselfe he hath sent it to vs with the Disciple whom he loued best and who was the last and longest liuer of all the Disciples Kinde children remember best the words spoken by their fathers on their death-bed and if it were possible that after death they could receiue any information from them O in what estimation would they haue it All the words of our Lord should be laid vp in our hearts but specially these which hee vttered in the time of his death and Passion and most of all these by which now after his Resurrection Ascension he speaketh vnto vs. There are many now a daies companions to the rich Glutton and his brethren they will not beleeue Moses and the Prophets but if one came from the dead then would they amend their liues This is a Prouerbe frequent in their mouthes but now this excuse also is taken from them Our Lord Iesus is risen from the dead and after his resurrection witnesses vnto vs what fearefull wrath is reserued for the wicked what vnspeakable ioy prepared for the godly if for all this they will not beleeue nor amend their liues are they not worthy of the greater condemnation In the eighteenth yeere of the Emperour Tyberius our Lord suffered for our sinnes hee rose againe from the dead ascended on high and led captiuity captiue About the foureteenth yeere of Domitian gaue he this Reuelation to S. Iohn in the I le Pathmos so witnesses Irenaeus Non multunâ—… ante temporis Apocalypsin vidit Ioannes sed poene sub nostro saeculo ad finem Domitiani imperii It is not long said he since S. Iohn saw this Reuelation but almost in our owne daies about the end of the Domitian Empire fiftie daies after his Ascension he sent downe that promised Spirit the Comforter So fiftie yeares and tenne after that he sent down this comfortable Booke of Prophecie containing a generall proiect and view of all the estates of his Church vntill the worlds end Doubtlesse this hath proceeded of his louing kindnesse toward his poore Church hee fore-saw the great and manifold troubles that were to befall her he knew it was to be a long time in respect of vs betweene his Ascension and second comming that therefore his Church should not faint our Lord and Loue hath sent vs this Present and Loue-letter that we may runne vnto it as Aaron and the Church of old did to the Oracle to know what shall be the end of all these battels of Saints militant heere on earth specially of these perturbations raised this day against the Church by Mahomet in the East and Antichrist in the West We are not then to suffer our selues to be spoiled and defrauded of the comfort contained in this book by these instruments of the Serpent who either disclaime the authority of this booke or then would scarre vs from it by a pretence of the obscurity thereof for these are the two scandals which offend many and make them if not vtterly to reiect at least too lightly mis-regard this heauenly Present As for the first albeit there need no testimonie of man where Diuine Authority giues out the decree Blessed is he who reads and they who heare the words of this prophecie yet man may very well be brought in against man and what hath beene said by any against it is easily disproued by that which others more ancient and more worthy credit haue spoken for it Iustinus Martyr Reuelationem hanc Ioanni qui vnus erat Apostolorum Christi factam esse testatur Iustine Martyr who wrote about an hundred and fiftie yeares after Christ witnesses that this Reuelation was made to S. Iohn who was one of Christ his Disciples Irenaeus ten yeares after him in the place cited before affirmeth the same With them S. Ambrose and S. Augustine do concurre Nec illud mediocre quod de throno Dei exire sluuium legimus sic enim habes dicente Ioanne Euangelista that which is written Reu. 22. of a riuer of the water of life flowing from the Throne Ambrose takes it vp plainely as written to S. Iohn the Euangelist Augustine as I haue said hath the like But this point I leaue as being sufficiently handled by the Writers of our time namely and at greatest length by Cotterius The other scandall of obscuritie is easily remoued if the exposition of the prophecie runne not before the execution thereof It was hard to the Fathers of the first ages to vnderstand this booke so cleerely as now by Gods grace his seruants may No maruaile though S. Ierome in his time said of it that the Apocalypse had tot Sacramenta quot verba as many mysteries as words for Prophecies before they be accomplished are Aenigmata that is riddles or darke and obscure sentences but when they are fulfilled Tunc liquidam habent certam expositionem then haue they a cleare and sure exposition Yet S. Augustine mitigates that difficulty alledged by S. Ierome and leaues vs some better hopes he grants this In Apocalypsi multa obscurè dicuntur vt mentem legentis exerceant that in the Reuelation many things are difficult whereby the mindes of those who reade it may be exercised yet to encourage vs hee subioyneth Pauca tamen in co sunt ex quorum manifestatione indagentur caetera cum labore that there are some things in it so plainly manifested as that they may leade vs to the vnderstanding of the rest if we take paines to learne them Victorinus Primasius and others who wrote aboue a thousand yeares since vpon this book are indeed to be praised for their paines Glory be to God out of all their labours some light ariseth to this prophecie but let the Reader remember that they are not alwaies to be followed in their sense Certius est sine periculo sustinere adimpletionem prophetiae quà m diuinare It is more sure to await the accomplishment of the prophecie then to diuine of it before-hand What made Iohn the Baptist a greater Prophet then Esay or any other that went before him Nothing but the difference of times for he saw that present and perfected which Prophets before told was to be done and would bee accomplished And the same is the reason why the meanest now in the Kingdome of God is greater then the Baptist And why men now in the holy Calling are able to shew more clearely the meaning of this prophecie then others more famous and worthy Lights could haue done before But to conclude this point In the entry of this booke as I said a blessing is pronounced vpon them that
hath reueiled out of this Booke to my Saints This is the summe of all The rage of man shall turne to the praise of GOD The LORD shall haue glory his Church victorie and the Enemies therof shame and confusion Three things haue we in this chapter first a description of this Booke of the Reuelation secondly a description of the Lambe of God who openeth it thirdly thankes giuing for it both of men and Angels And I saw Wee may perceiue heere in the entry how new sights and new Reuelations are multiplied vpon Saint Iohn the Lord beganne to be familiar with him and still he continues for whom he loueth he loueth to the end and causes them to encrease with the increasings of God like the Sunne ascending to the noonetyde of the day Balaam and Balac both may conspire to curse Israel but it cannot be Putiphar may imprison Ioseph but God shall be with him Domitian may banish S. Iohn vnto Pathmos from the fellowship of men but not from the fauour of God euen there shall the Lord be familiar with him What Isaac spake of Iacob stands as a sure decree to all the Saints of God I haue blessed him and he shall be blessed Of the manner of this sight wee haue spoken once for all in the beginning of the fourth chapter No doubt many of the Lords deare children wish they could see the like such a sight as S. Iohn saw or S. Paul saw when he was rauished into the third heauens The one tels vs what he saw for it was shewed vnto him that hee might shew it to the Church The other tels not what hee saw yea professes that the sight hee saw is more then euer man heard or saw or man his heart is able to vnderstand and this is to prouoke vs to long for that Day wherin we shall be capable of this sight In the meane time if we see not such sights as they saw let vs reuerence the Lords dispensation now we walke by faith not by sight the time when wee shall see is comming now happy are wee if we do beleeue A Booke We must still remember that in all this Prophecie the Lord dimits himselfe to vse such formes and representations as we are best able to conceiue Properly God hath no booke â—…e needs not any such help of memory but allusion here is made to Kings who haue beside them bookes containing Lawes whereby they rule their people or else the ancient Acts and Monuments of their Kingdom as was that booke out of which Ahasuerus learned what good seruice Mordecai had done vnto him The Lord hath his booke also but farre exceeding theirs for they haue onely a Register of things which'are done they cannot tell what is to be done and farre lesse can they preuent it but the Lord hath in his Booke a perfect record of all things which haue beene are or shal be to the worlds end they are all appointed by himselfe Now what is meant by this book is not agreed vpon by the Interpreters Victorine whom many follow calls it the old Testament Others more generally the whole Scripture But was not that Booke opened till now And is it not plainly told Saint Iohn by the Angel that the things foretold in this booke are such as were shortly to come to passe not such as had beene done before What Cotterius had for him by this booke to vnderstand vitam life and by the strong Angel to vnderstand Legem or the Law which none can fulfill we leaue it to himselfe and his opinion also The matter is so plaine out of the course of the Text that it is strange men will not take light out of Gods hand when he offers it vnto them for doth not the Sonâ—… take this booke from the Father Doth he not open the seales thereof and let Saint Iohn see what was written in it Is it not the very first and authentike volume of this Booke of the Reuelation the copy and transumpt whereof Saint Iohn drawes out as he is commanded and sends it to the Church al the whole circumstances of the Prophecie make it so cleere that it is strange how men too much enamored with their own coÌ„ceptions should not haue perceiued it But because in holy Scripture often mention occurres of sundry Bookes which are ascribed to God let vs once for all remember they are to be reduced to one of these two sorts they are either metaphoricall or materiall the first so called in respect of the metaphor or borrowed speech the other so called in respect of the matter The metaphorike bookes are either vniuersall or speciall vniuersall are two one mentioned by Dauid In thy booke were all things written which in continuance of time were fashioned And this booke is the most large as being a perfect register of all things all persons of all times and this is the Booke of Prescience The other is the booke of Conscience which albeit it be not so large as the first yet I call it Vniuersall because all men without exception haue it they write it with their owne hand haue it in their owne custodie and therefore shall not be able to speake any thing against the testimony thereof Speciall bookes againe are also two one called by Moses The booke of life contayning a roll of all Gods Elect the other called by Malachy A booke of remembrance wherein the Lord registers the words and workes of the wicked this booke God hath in his keeping and it is euery way conforme and varies not from the booke of conscience that the wicked haue The booke materiall is the Bible whereof this booke of the Reuelation is a part S. Iohn sees it first heere in this vision and then as I said extracts the iust copy of it and sends it to the Churches Written within and without For vnderstanding of this wee must know that the forme of bookes they vsed of old was not like ours they were long Roules euery sheet at the end of another extending in length folded and rouled vp about a peece of tree or some other such thing they might conueniently bee distinguished by seales for the seale of the first being opened all written in it might easily haue been read the rest not so vntill the remaining seales were opened also they were commonly written on the one side except where the aboundance of matter forced them to write on the backe then were they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the sixt chapter it is said that the heauens passed away like a scrole for a scrole of parchment beeing opened and spred out in length if it be let goe by him that holds it returns speedily into a round againe Ezekiel makes mention of the like Roule of a booke spred before him written within and without And as to Ezekiel the Lord presented a roule containing that which
he had to shew vnto Israel and was after written in the booke of Ezekiel It a hoc loco per librum Iohanni ostensum intelligitur scientia ◅orum quae Iohanni fuerant de futuro statu Ecclesiae reuelanda quae nunc in hoc Apocalypsis volumine sant descripta So heere by a booke shewed to S. Iohn is vnderstood the knowledge of these things which were to bee reuealed to Saint Iohn concerning the estate of the Church to come and which now are described in this booke of the Reuelation Alway that S. Iohn sees this book written within and without it is to declare vnto vs that it is a complete Prophesie there is no blanke paper in this booke to be filled vp by any other or if there were who is this in heauen or in earth that can reueale that vnto vs which Iesus Christ our blessed Sauiour hath not reuealed None at all wee are not to looke for any other Reuelation or Prophecie after this til the Day come wherein Christ our Lord shall be reuealed in his glory Sealed with seuen Seales The Seales declare first the surety next the secresie of this Prophecie Surety it is the manner of Kings to seale their decrees which they will haue executed so this book is sealed to shew that the Lord will surely accomplish that which is written in it It is a Decree more sure then any of the Medes and Persians Againe the Seales declare the secrecie thereof here are mysteries locked vp from the vnderstanding of Angels and men if the Lord had not opened them and reuealed them vnto vs. The Iesuite Viega carpeth aduantage heere to instifie that calumnie of the Church of Rome whereby they blot the Scripture with obscurity he brings many reasons to proue that it was expedient the holy Scripture should be penned in obscure māner But I pray you lis not this vnsure reasoning The book of the Reuelation is obscure therfore al the books of holy Scripture are obscure And sith they can looke to the Seales wherewith the book is closed complain of obscurity why will they not looke to the Lambe who openeth the booke giue him thankes who of a closed booke makes it an open booke and giues to it the name of a Reuelation Lastly as we haue said before this booke was written not so much to informe vs in the faith as to confirme vs in it that wee should not leaue the faith for these manifold troubles which in this book are foretold vs that were to follow our faith It is sufficient for vs that in these books wherin the Lord teaches vs the way of saluation hee speakes so plainely that the entrance into his Word sheweth light and giueth vnderstanding to the simple The waters thereof in some places are so shallow that a childe may goe thorow though in others so deepe that an Elephant may swimme In his quae aperte posita su◅t in Scriptura inueniuntur illa omnia quae continent fidem moresque viuendi spem scilicet charitatem What neede men carpe at these places which are obscure sith in these which are plainely written all things are to bee found that containe Faith and good manners to wit Hope and Charity said Augustine Num igitur Deus mentis vocis linguae Artifex diserte loqui non potest imo vero summa prouidentia carere voluit fuco ea quae diuina sunt vt omnes intelligerent quae ipse omnibus loquebatur Shall we think said Lactantius that God who is the Artificer and Maker both of the minde and voyce and of the tongue cannot speake plainely No but by the contrary hee hath most wisely prouided that his words should bee plaine without coloured deceit that all men may vnderstand these things which hee speaketh vnto all I will not therefore answere Viega and his associates with Chrysostome Praetextus iste pigritiae vetamen but rather will say it is malitiae velamen this pretext of the obscurity of Scripture is but a couering of their slothfulnes but rather it is a couering of their maliciousnesse because the Scripture rebukes them therefore they rebuke it they doe what they can to obscure it because it obscureth their kingdome VERSE 2. And I saw a strong Angell who preached with a loud voyce Who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seales thereof IN the first verse we haue seene the description of this booke now beginnes the second part of this chapter wherein we haue him described who openeth the booke first from his singular supereminence that none other was found able to open the booke this appeares by the Angell his proclamation Who is worthy to open the Booke The answer is subioyned in a negation None in heauen c. So this doth greatly magnifie the glory of Iesus that He and He onely hath done that vnto vs and for vs which none in heauen nor in earth were able to haue done The Offices of the Messias are three hee is the King the Priest and Prophet of his Church If these bee compared among themselues the Propheticall Office will bee found the least As our High Priest hee had to satisfie the iustice of God for vs and make atonement for our sinnes As our King hehath deliuered vs from the oppression of our enemies visible and inuisible and ruleth our hearts by the scepter of his Grace As our Prophet he hath reuealed to vs in his holy Scripture the whole counsell of God concerning our saluation and in this Prophecie hath forewarned his Church of such troubles as were imminent vnto her which none in heauen nor in earth was able to doe Now since the last and least of the three cannot be done by any creature what blasphemy is it to say that men may doe the greatest that is by their owne sufferings and doings make satisfaction to the iustice of God as the Romish Church vainly and wickedly doe affirme For they teach that Christ hath not reuealed the whole counsell of God that the Scriptures are imperfect and are to be supplyed by Traditions quas Ecclesia Catholica suscipit ac veneratur pari pietatis affectu reuerentia scilicet atqui ipsum verbum scriptum which the Catholike Church embraces and honoureth with the same affection of piety and reuerence which is due to the written Word it selfe But I pray them Who is able to teach that which the great Doctor of the Church hath not taught If there be any Seale of the Booke which Christ hath not opened who is this that is able to open it Either they must confesse none in heauen sarre lesse in earth can do it or else they must falsifie this Angell which is impossible or then manifest themselues to bee falsisiers which is euident All Antiquity pleads the perfection of holy Scripture against them Religio vera in scriptis Apostolorum Prophetarum continetur
dead childe and reserue nothing for the other Si melioricuncta dare nolueris diuide saltem ex aequo If thou wilt not giue all to the best and eldest at least diuide it equally between them Thy two children are thy two liues the one temporall the other eternall the eldest is life eternall it was ordained for vs before the foundations of the world were laid this childe is liuely neither subiect to death nor any kinde of disease the yonger childe is life temporall a languishing life deadly diseased is this childe and will not liue Shall wee therefore be so foolish as to care for that which cannot be conserued and neglect the other which endureth for euer and is able if it be ours to conserue vs also in a most happie and immortall fellowship with our God in Christ for euer and euer The Lord make vs wise in time to consider this that we may make choise of the best AMEN FINIS A Table of the principall points of Doctrine handled in this Treatise A ABsolute Authority due to God p. 281 Adam knew the creature by the Creator Now his sonnes are sent to the creature to learne the Creator 88 Eternity is God his proper praise and of the comfort by it cōming to the Church 106 Affliction makes a Christian stronger 302 Altars honoured with reliques of Martyrs 238. Altar vnder which soules rest what it is 239 Amen what it signifies and how vsed in the Primitiue Church Angels described 109. Why they are said to compasse the Throne 103. Their properties 105. their nature and number 104. 105. Why represented by Men Lyons Bullockes and Eagles 107. Their three-fold Eyes 105. Their sixe wings what they are 111. 112. Their function 112. Angels and men were at variance but now they sing one song 151. Angels stand and neuer fell Man fel and is raised vp to stand 180. How they praise God for Redemption 179. What benefit they haue by it Ibid. Their Order 181. Their Place 182. Their Song 183. They are our Patterns 249. Foure Angels at the foure corners of the earth what they signifie 271 Antichrist defended by Papists by such arguments as wherewith the Iewes impugned Christ. 10. He is not to come from Dan. 290. His name hated by Papists but himselfe honored 9. Then shall Iesuites get another Antichrist then the Pope when Iewes get another Christ then Iesus 290 Arrowes of iudgement and mercy 206. 207 Aire a necessary Element for all liuing creatures 273. Angustine his memory how it failed him in a Sermon 203 Atheists answered who cry for one from the dead 4. Their mouthes stopped 104. B BAnquet in heauen 334 Beasts foure signifie not Preachers nor yet the foure Euangelists 193. Two Beasts by which Satan ◅ights against the Church 50. Why the first Beast is described with seuen heads sith two of them onely persecuted the Church 51 Deuouring Beasts a plague and examples thereof 234. 235. The foure Beasts cannot be the foure Euangelists 103. 104. But are Types of principall Angels 103 Bloud of Christ medicinall ◅20 All bloud pollu◅ but the bloud of Iesus cleanseth 321. It hath a three-fold vertue 323 Bodie a burden depressing the soule 76 Booke two waies taken in holy Scripture 126. The opening thereof a ioy to Christians a griefe to Antichristians 136 Booke written within and without what it meanes 128 How God is said to haue a Booke 124. Strange opinions concerning it 125. What it is 126. Two scandals laid on the Booke of the Reuelation 6. Vse Author and time of it 2. 3. 4. 5 Booke of the Reuelation authentike 5. Obscurity thereof 6. A proper methode thereof taken out of it selfe 35. 36. 38 Bread of life 222 Brother-hood Christian. 248 C CAndlestick of gold what it sigureth 148 Catalogue of Writers on the Reuelation 13 Christ his name loued by the Iewes but himselfe hated 10 his Office◅ 133. From him commeth all comfort none from the creature 137. Why a Lyon and a Lamb. 138. 139. His description 137. Hee is the root of Iesse Iesse the roote of Christ. 139. He was made man of the seed of man once sinfull 140. Hee i◅ on the Throne with the Father 143. Christ was really slaine 194. yet liued againe Ibid. Hee hath seuen Eyes 146. Why he appeared with scarres of his wounds 145. No impotencie but power shewed therein Ibid. His Eyes of Prouidence and Eyes of Grace 147. His Diuinity 146. Hee receiued full grace that he might giue it 147. Hee is the great Doctor 149. Christ Angels and Saints redeemed are all in one fellowship 282. How he is an Angell 274 Christ keepes his Fathers priuy Seale 276. How hee commeth from the East 269. His feruent loue 281. Hee repaires euery losse that Satan hath inflicted by sinne 260. Hee is the Sacrifice the Sacrificer and the Altar 239 Christ many waies figured 205. A good Archer and what are his Bow and Arrowes 206. Two waies crowned 208 Christians by information not inspiration 142. None should ride on a Christian but Christ. 201. Hee should make sure his owne saluation 249 Christians are Lambes but Christ is a Lambe in another sense 320. They are Kings and Priests and should not serue sinne 174. 175 Church cannot be consumed by the Crosse. 215. nor hurt by her enemies Ibid. It is not bound to one place 296. 297. Churches professing Christianity in the world 298. The Church is a circle 92. Compared to the Moone 94. Prosperity thereof deare to true Christians 135. The true Church worships no creatures 119. Church on earth conserued from heauen 184 Come and see 192 Comforts and crosses intermixt 212 Corrections 229 Conscience corrupted dare not runne to God 265. 266 Condition of good and euill men contrary in this life and after it 270 Con◅ntine the Great made too great 274 Court of heauen encreaseth daily 313. The comely order of it 89. 314 Conuersion 1 Contrition 160 Concord by Christ made among creatures of most contrary kinds 152 Consolation 2. It followes mourning 137 Confirmation 2 Couenant temporall and common 86 Creatures declare that God is but define not what he is 87. They teach more then man can learne 88. What a voice the insensible creature hath 185. All creatures concurre to punish the wicked 256 Creation is a short Prouidence 120. Creation is common not so the comfort of Creation Ibid. How it bindes vs to serue God 121 Crosse a way to the Crowne 306 Crying sinnes 242 D DAN why omitted 291. 292 Day of Iudgement 247. 248. 264. Scorned by the wicked 266. Delayed vntill Saints be perfected 269. Terrible to the wicked 266 Death figured by an Horseman and why 228. His Page Ibid. 231. It is double Ibid. Comfort against it 236. It is compared to Nebuchadnezzars◅e ◅e ◅40 It ends our misery 331 Doctrine of Christ and Antichrist two Mysteries 10 Doctors of the reformed Church agree all in the matter differ onely in the Methode of the Reuelation 11 Dwelling of God
reade or heare the words of this prophecie and in the end of it a speciall command is giuen to S. Iohn Seale not the words of the Prophecie of this booke for the time is at hand wherein the Lord euidently declares that hee will not haue this booke conceiled and hid but handled and reueiled This is sufficient to stop the mouthes of all them who vnder whatsoeuer pretence giue out that this booke should not be meddled with at all What else is this but to close that which Christ hath opened to conceale that which God hath reuealed and in a word to seale vp the Prophecie which the Lord expresly hath commanded not to be sealed Yet is it to be obserued that many both of the ancient and moderne Writers expounding this booke do rather obscure it then open it forcing it violently to follow their conceits not submitting themselues humbly to follow it The Iesuites of Rhemes haue commented vpon it In like manner the Iesuites Franciscus Ribera and Blasius Viega but as none of them agree one with another so all of them are strangers from the right sense of this Prophecie Neither is it possible that such as are possessed with the spirit of Antichrist can see the true meaning of this Reuelation for our Lord sends it to bee reuealed to his seruants As the Iewes loued the name of Christ but hated himselfe not knowing him when he was among them For if they had knowne him they would not haue crucified the God of glory And euen vnto this day in reading Moses and the Prophets who beare witnes of Christ their most learned Rabbines cannot see Christ For as saith the Apostle their mindes are couered with a vaile So the Papists notwithstanding they hate the very name of Antichrist yet do they honour himselfe they reade and interprete this prophecie which pointeth out Antichrist plainely in all his markes and designeth his Chaire and Seate of Residence to bee Rome the Citie situate vpon seuen Hilles and ruler of the earth when S. Iohn wrote this Reuelation yet do not the most learned among them rightly conceiue it but labour all they can to couer and obscure it Yea by the same arguments Popish Doctors defend their Antichrist by which Rabbins or Iewish Doctors impugned Christ for was not this their great reason which they vsed against our Lord Do any of the Rulers or Pharises beleeue in him But this people who know not the Law are cursed And truely strange it is among all the Noble-men of the Iewes wee reade of none who did beleeue in him but Ioseph of Arimathea and of all their learned Pharises we reade of none who beleeued in him but Nicodemus Was this a good argument then that Christ could not be the Christ because Rulers and Pharises beleeued not in him What better I pray you is the argument of Papists now The Pope cannot be Antichrist Why Do Kings or great men do Doctors or learned men of their Church beleeue so But let not vs be deceiued with such shadowes Shall wee haue the faith of Christ in respect of persons Shall we iudge of truth and vntruth by the multitude greatnesse and learning of them who are with it or against it Or shall the naked name and vsurped title of a Church be sufficient to impugne the Church There are many great in the world of small account with the Lord there are many learned in Humanity meere ignorants in Diuinity The doctrine of Christ is called A mysterie of godlinesse the doctrine of Antichrist is also called A mysterie of iniquity Both are mysteries and great Doctors in respect of humane literature and reputation may be ignorant of both I thanke thee O Father that hast hid these things from wise men and hast reuealed them to babes and sucklings But to returne where these Romish Doctors in exposition of this booke fall vpon any point of truth we shall do with them as Primasius professeth he had done with Ticonius the Donatist who wrote vpon this booke of the Reuelation before him hee made choice of the good and reiected the euill for these are his words Sicut enim pretiosa in stercore gemma à prudente debet colligi curari dignitati ingenuae restitui ita vndecunque veritas clareat catholicae deferenda est vnitati huic enim soli competit quicquid veritas etiam foris personârit iustè namque fides à perfidis colligit quod sui iuris esse cognouerit For as a precious pearle in a dunghill if a wise man see it hee will take it vp purge it and restore it to the former beauty so verity wheresoeuer is to bee referred vnto catholike vnity for to the Church onely belongeth all that which truth hath sounded euen by these who are without and iustly may faith gather from Infidels any thing which shee knoweth to be her owne And this for Hereticall Writers vpon this booke As for other orthodoxe Writers concerning the faith I acknowledge that the Church hath beene greatly benefited by their godly labours Euery one of them brings by course some measure of light to cleare this Prophecie where they are miscarried it is for not perceiuing the method and order which the Spirit of God vseth in it but inforcing vpon it a method of their owne haue in many things rather expressed their owne minde then opened the meaning of this Prophecie as shall God willing be declared hereafter To whom lest I do any wrong I will in one view present to the Reader a short abridgement of euery one of their workes that haue come in mine hands and thereafter set downe that which it hath pleased God to communicate vnto me and in all humility will submit it to the iudgement and correction of the Church The greatest difference will bee about the method which as it seemes to me the very naturall course of the Prophecie and threed of the Text it selfe proposeth vnto vs. As for the matter it selfe and substance of the Prophecie all the Doctors of the Churches reformed agree in one sweet harmony All their pennes are like the Pitchers of Gâ—…deon his three hundred souldiers ratling sounding yea importing present terrour and destruction to their enemies the Midianites and Amalâ—…kites who were without number All their tongues are like the Trumpets of Rammes Hornes blowing with one consent the downefall of the walles of Iericho contemptible meanes in the eyes of their enemies yet the power of God was with them Some of their Trumpets are shriller and some of them softer but all sound out one thing The Pope is Antichrist Rome is Babel the Popish Church is the Whore of Babel whom the Lord shall make desolate euen by temporal iudgements here vpon earth The Writers vpon this Prophecie which I I haue seene are these THe eldest is Victorinus Episcopus Pictaniensis Bishop of Poytiers He liued after our
to men Who can patiently heare this that the Angel hauing the seale of the liuing God is Constantine the Great Or that the Angel who offers vp the prayers of all Saints is Constantine the Great This is as it seemes to put violent hands in the booke and force it to follow the phantasie of man as hereafter by this and many other more shall bee God willing at greater length declared I reserue â—…o the man that Christian loue and reuerence that becommeth in the Lord but hee must giue me leaue to pleade for this prophecie which as a most precious pearle our Lord in these last times hath presented in a Loue-token to his Church It is a griefe to see how the comfort giuen therein is empaired the maiestie and amplitude thereof restrained by binding it to particular persons and times Peter du Mouline Minister of the reformed Church in Paris his booke printed at Oxford in the yeere 1613. intreates and shewes the accomplishment of the Prophecie from the twelfth chapter to the eighteenth Piscator printed Herbornae in the yeere 1613. diuides this booke into three parts first a preface or preparation to the seuen Epistles in the first chapter Next a Narration of the estate of the Church first Militant present then and that was after to follow then Triumphant Thirdly a conclusion from the sixt verse of the two and twentieth chapter to the end Patrike Forbes Laird of Corse our Countrey-man a godly and learned Pastor his book printed at London in the yeere 1613. layes downe a plaine and easie method of this prophecie Beside the Inscription and conclusion the body of the booke consists for the most part saith hee of a propheticall Narration and it is two-fold First of things which then were Next of things to be done thereafter And this Prophecie of things to be done hath first a generall Introduction in the fourth and fifth chapters then a speciall Storie in the rest In the Seales are types of the first sorrowes wherewith God shall plague the world for reiecting the Gospell the sixe Trumpets denounce second sorrowes and the seuenth affoordeth seuen Vials of the last wrath for full and finall destruction of the enemies Piscator hath a short Analysis with Notes on euery chapter printed Herbornae Nassouiorum anno 1613. Cotterius a learned Writer his booke printed at Somer in the yeere 1615 makes this Reuelation threefold 1. Apocalypsis expansa 2. Contracta 3. Restricta A Reuelation extended contracted restrained The large or extended Reuelation containes a cleere Exposition of all things this continues from the fourth chapter to the ninth verse of the nineteenth and it is diuided into ten Classes The Reuelation contracted repeats these same things more shortly and is contained in the rest of the nineteenth chapter this he diuides into three Classes The Reuelation restricted is yet more narrow then the preceding this hee places in the one and twentieth and a part of the two and twentieth chapters and this containes but one singular Classe Petrus Artopaeus hath first a short Introduction for vnderstanding this Prophecie after a short explication of euery chapter in order The summe of all hee comprises in these few words Christus quia olim discedens in coelos promisit se semper Ecclesiae suae adfore consolabundus apparens reuelat ei suae Ecclesiae formam fortunam successionem ad finem mundi vsque Because Iesus Christ when hee ascended to heauen promised that hee would bee with his Church at all times in comfortable manner he appeares here vnto her and reueales her forme fortune or accidents to befall her her succession vnto the worlds end And this he doth vnder seuerall types images or representations partly particular as in the first second and third chapters partly generall as in the fourth fifth sixt and seuenth c. whereof some figureth heretiques some tyrants some the Church and some the Monarchie His booke is printed at Frankford in the yeere 1549. Ioannes Auentrotus a Gentleman as it seemes of good credit hath some discourses vpon this Prophecie by way of an Epistle sent to the King of Spaine and presented as he writes by the Duke of Lerma and graciously receiued of the King hee seemes to restraine it somewhat strictly to the Belgic Battell the blame whereof hee casts on the Pope not sparing to affirme that these wars shall hasten the end of Antichrist his grandeur Hee witnesseth of himselfe that hee liued a long time in the Canarie Iles plunged in the puddle of Papistry at length by reading the Councell of Trent and conferring it with holy Scripture he found a direct discordance of the one from the other and thereupon resolued to transport his house into the Low Countries By the way hee visited the Court of Spaine where he spared not to communicate his minde to the Duke of Lerma and Andreas de Prada the Kings Secretarie not onely concerning matters pertaining to State but Religion also these concerning Religion the Duke of Lerma willed him to communicate by himselfe to the King the King for that cause appointed Andreas de Prada to conferre with him for his better information As the Authour reports this Secretaric was a man who feared God loued truth and was not far from the knowledge thereof In the conference hee was twice moued to confesse By your Arguments saith he it is not impossible but that the Pope must be Antichrist yet did he counsell him rather to write his minde in his owne Countrey then there whereupon the Authour went forward in his iourney and hauing accomplished it he writes from England in the yeere 1610. Octob. 12. another pithic Epistle against the Kingdome of Antichrist which as he saith the fore-said Secretary according to his promise presented to the King of Spaine In it he boldly affirmes Romanam Religionem falsam esso doctrinam Papam Antichristum Bellum Belgicum regni Antichristi sinem suturum esse In this last point onely as I said he seemeth too strictly to restraine this Prophecie I haue written this at the greater length that we may remember how in all parts of all sorts of persons God hath his owne yea euen there where Satan hath his Throne and that it is not a difficill thing to the Lord to open a dore for the Reuelation of his Gospell among the most desperate enemies thereof when his appointed time shall come Let the Pope and his Tulipantic Frogges assure themselues that they who this day are their greatest friends shall ere it be long become their most fearefull foes for so long shall the Kings of the earth giue their Kingdome to the Beast vntill the words of God be fulfilled That being done They shall hate the Whore and make her desolate By the course of things to naturall men it may seeme to bee farre otherwise but let vs waite vpon the word of the Lord which is most sure and cannot faile His Epistle
many others also And thus as about the accommodation of publike Types to priuate persons they are miscarried so in binding this Prophecie to one interrupted and continuall course of time taking vp one chapter in time to be alway posterior to another they haue greatly erred also For the Reuelation is not one Prophecie but a Prophecie often repeated So S. Augustine takes it vp Siceadem multis modis repetit Ioannes in Apocalypsi vt alta atque alia dicere videatur cum aliter atque aliter haec ipsa dicere inuestigetur that in this Booke the same things are many waies repeated And Primasius if he was as Trithemius records disciple to S. Augustine seemes to haue learned it from him Howeuer it bee hee hath mostiudiciously obserued that S. Iohn Totum tempus ecclesiae diuersis figuris repetit enarrandum the whole time and state of the Church is repeated here by Saint Iohn vnder diuers Types and Figures Wee will ioyne both these that in this Prophecie we haue not onely alia atque alta but eadem aliter atque aliter Sundry times is the state of the Church here deducted from the daies of Christ to the day of Iudgement when one Prophecie is ended another beginnes one of them in order is after another but all of them are of like length concerning time For as I haue said euery one of them foretels the state of the Church from Christ his daies till his second Comming This is a maine point most needfull to bee obserued for the vnderstanding of this Booke the neglect or not obseruation of it hath bred vnto many Writers inextricable difficulties which may be tryed by this one Argument that they who go through this Prophecie by one continuall course of time making alway the former chapter prior in time to the subsequent when they come to the twelfth chapter there they find themselues straited they are forced there to interrupt their course and to come back againe vnto the daies of Christ and state of the Church Primitiue For as I haue said at the twelfth chapter beginnes a new Prophecie of the estate of the Church Let the iudicious Reader consider their Commentaries and he shall see it to be as I haue said The twelfth chapter beginneth as high as the first Seale their iudgement against it serues to confirme mine that the course of this Prophecy proceeds not by time interrupted as if one chapter contained the story of matters from such a yeere to such a yeere and the next in like manner as by some is particularly set downe The second Caution THe other extremetie to be eschewed is that we confound not these distinct Prophecies into one to make the seuen Seales the seuen Trumpets and the seuen Vials to be all one as Collado and some others do It is true they do all agree in this generall that they declare the estate of the Church God his working for it and against his enemies yet both for their matter and manner they are distinct Prophecies and haue as we haue said alia atque alia eadem aliter atque aliter So that we are not to thinke that no other matter is in the first Trumpet then was in the first Seale or that no other thing is in the first Vial then was in the first Trumpet and first Seale as shall now God willing be made more plaine The Method of this Booke as it is taken vp by the Authour TO shew then the naturall method of this Book that is a method not inforced vpon it but plainely laid open and giuen vnto vs by the Prophecie it selfe We passe by the first part containing a generall Preface of the whole Book in the first three verses of the first chapter and the last part containing the Conclusion of the book from the sixt verse of the last chapter to the end The body of the Booke it selfe containes a Prophecie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of things which are to wit when this Prophecie was giuen and of things which are to come This generall method is laid downe by the Lord himselfe Write saith hee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things which are and the things which shall be hereafter Let not this be thought strange for there is not onely a Prophecie of things to come as was that Prophecie of Esay Daniel and others in which sense the word of Prophecie is cōmonly taken but there is a Prophecie also of things past such was that Prophecie of Moses whereby hee plainely shewed forth the creation of the world which was done about two thousand three hundred and seuenty three yeeres before that himselfe came into the world and there is in like manner a prophecie of things present as that by which Ahiiah the Silonite discouered the wife of Ieroboam disguised and that of Elisha when his spirit went with Gehazi and saw him take the bribe from Naaman the Syrian Of this sort is this first prophecie of Saint Iohn contained in the first three chapters of this Booke for in it the present estate of the Church as it was in the daies of Saint Iohn is laid open not as it seemed to be but as it was in very deed for some of them who had a name that they were liuing are declared by this prophecie to be dead as the Church of Sardis But we are to remember that this prophecie is in such sort written for the Church at that time that it serues also for all other Churches to the worlds end And this prophecie hath before it a conuenient vision of preparation from the ninth verse of the first chapter to the end and then after the preparatorie Vision followes the prophecie it selfe contained in the second and third chapters This for the first Prophecie of this Booke which is Of things that are The other Prophecie of things which are to come continues from the fourth chapter vnto the sixth verse of the last chapter and this Prophecie hath first a Vision of Preparation secondly Visions of Prediction The Vision of Preparation is in the fourth and fifth chapter For this we lay for a ground that these two chapters containe no Vision of Prediction but onely of Preparation for prediction is not made before the opening of the Seales This method yee see maketh it selfe as the first Prophecie Of things which are had a conuenient Preparatorie Vision going before it so this second and great Prophecie of things which are to come hath a Preparatory Vision preceding it very fit and conuenient for the subsequent predictions as God willing we shall shew when we enter to the fourth chapter This second Prophecie then of things which are to come beginnes at the sixt chapter and it is two-fold first a prophecie of the estate of the Church Militant to the worlds end and this continues to the one and twentieth chapter The other is a prophecie of the victorie glory and
may be armed to resist them In the Vials againe the Lord commeth forth in araied battell against the enemies of his Church rendring plagues proportionall to these sins by which they impugned and corrupted true doctrine This not being considered hath moued many iudicious men to thinke that for time and matter the Trumpets and Vials are both one but in truth they are not For cleering this matter once for all let vs remember how in the most obscure Prophecies of this Booke the Lord hath secretly laid downe a key which if men can finde they shall bee the more able by it to open the Prophecie Reade the fifth and sixt verses of the sixteenth chapter Lord thou art iust because thou hast iudged these things for they shed the bloud of the Saints and Prophets and therefore hast thou giuen them bloud to drinke In the Trumpets the wicked giue battell to the Lord In the Vials the Lord iudges and repaies them with plagues proportionall and correspondent to their sinnes It shall bee made plaine to him that reades without preiudice compare euery Trumpet with the correspondent Viall and yee shall see in the one men impugning the Truth of God and in the other God plaguing them correspondently In the Trumpets Antichrist riseth by degrees till he come to his height in the Vials God casts him downe by degrees To leaue the rest and compare but one In the fifth Trumpet Antichrist following his fore-runners commeth forth like a fallen Starre openeth the bottomlesse pit and bringeth out a smoake which darkeneth both the Sunne and the Aire that is both the light of the Gospell and glory of the Church for which the righteous Iudge in the fifth Viall powreth out wrath on the Kingdome of the Beast and darkneth his Throne the like throughout all the attentiue Reader may obserue comparing euery Trumpet with the correspondent Viall Thus in the Trumpets and Vials haue we seuerall Prophecies of seuerall times and matters yet standing in a relation the one to the other the practices of the enemy against the Church being pointed out in the Trumpets their punishments proportionall comming from God expounded in the Vials I haue the oftner and more plainely repeated this because I know how difficill a thing it is to draw men from their fore-stalled and preconceiued opinions Now the parts of this Prophecie are two first we haue a Preface in the first fiue Verses of the eighth next we haue the Prophecie it selfe continuing to the end of the eleuenth The Prophecie hath two parts first a prediction of the darkning of the light of the Gospell and obscuring of the face of the Church visible by heresies this we haue in the eighth and ninth chapters Next a prediction of the restitution of the Gospell againe and of the Church to her former avowed liberty so I meane for it was neuer nor cannot vtterly be abolished This is comfortably represented by the commandement giuen to S. Iohn to eate the little booke and to go and prophecie againe as also by the measuring of the Temple figuring the building and restitution of the Church defaced before by Antichrist bereft and spoiled of holy Scripture contained in the little Booke and of these spirituall Ornaments which made her glorious in the eyes of God and comfortable to the hearts of men This restitution of the light and reformation of the Church after the horrible darkenesse wherein our Fathers before vs were plunged is a working in our daies praised bee God for it And this second part is contained in the tenth and eleuenth chapters in the end whereof this second Prophecie is concluded with a Propheticall Prefiguration of the day of Iudgement The third Prophâ—…ie which is Particular THE third Prophecie of this Booke beginneth at the twelfth chapter and continueth to the end of the twentieth It is more Particular then any of the former for in it the Spirit of God passing by all other enemies or then in it touching them very lightly insists at more length then hee hath done in any of the two preceding Prophecies to fore-warne his Church of the troubles she was to suffer vnder Antichrist And this the Aduersaries themselues are forced to confesse that this Prophecie from the twelfth chapter forward is a prophecie of Antichrist so Viega and Ribera doe affirme before their Commentarie on the twelfth and it is necessarily to bee obserued for that which God willing after we shall heare The order obserued in this Prophecie is this shortly first the Capitall and Arch-enemie of the Church to wit Satan the Serpent that old Dragon is at length described in the twelfth chapter His restlesse fighting against the Church figured there by a Woman without intermission or yeelding euen when he is ouercome is plainely set downe in fiue seuerall Battels Here let mee remember the Christian Reader for commendation and confirmation of our Methode that those Interpreters who follow on this Prophecie by one continuall course of time when they come to the twelfth chapter are forced to go back againe to the daies of Christ the Booke maketh so plaine and easie methode for it selfe that men cannot winne by it Next in the thirteenth chapter wee haue described Satan his two principall Instruments by whom he fighteth against the Church these are figured by two Beasts the one Beast hauing seuen Heads and ten Hornes described from the first verse to the eleuenth This Beast signifies the Whole State of Rome opposite vnto Christ vnder whatsoeuer Title Head or Name and this manner of way that whole State opposite to Christ being considered in one Incorporation as making vp one Beast the Apostate Pope is described in the first Beast and maketh vp the seuenth and the last Head thereof But here two things are to be considered that albeit the troubles of the Christian Church proceed from the two last heads of the first Beast to wit from persecuting Emperours and persecuting Popes for in the daies of S. Iohn the first fiue Heads of the Beast were gone and away as he witnesseth chapter 17. verse 10. Yet that the Beast might be the better knowne he is described with all his Heads whereof persecuting Emperours gouerning the State Romane opposite to Christ was the sixt Head and persecuting Popes comming in the Emperours place when he was turned away made vp the seuenth Head The other thing to be marked here is that albeit the Pope be described in the first Beast with seuen Heads and ten Hornes as being the seuenth Head of the Beast yea and the Mouth thereof yet because the Lord Iesus fore saw that the Papall Power was to be the last the longest the greatest most dangerous enemy of the Church vnder the shadow of a Christian profession it pleaseth the Lord for the greater comfort and confirmation of his Church to figure that Kingdome of Popes in a Vision by it selfe and that
the seuenth head of the first beast and yet the second beast also 51. His opposite is Christ. ibid. Q QVestion for Papists 168. R RAinebow 86 Redemption is maruellous and what benefits wee haue by it 170. 171. It 〈◊〉 vâ—… debtors to Christ in more then wee are worth 169. It is not vniuersall 171. wonderfull many waies 321 Religion bastard is alway cruell 204. wants not its owne Martyrs 241 Recusants rebuked 292 Righteousnesse imputed and inherent 319. 320 Romane Doctors cannot vnderstand the Reuelation and why 80. How they are to be handled in handling this booke 11. They are rauening Wolues 214 Roman state opposite to Christ vnder Emperours is the first beast vnder Popes the second 50. 51 S SAluation the glory thereof is the Lords 300 Sanctus the Martyr 280 Saints sealed in their harts and foreheads 280. 283. Particularly they are known to God 284. their stability in glory fauor with God 299. Felicity of Saints glorified 224. 328 329. They need no creature 339. Saints are both seruants and sonnes to God 333. How they shall know others in heauen 237. 238. Saints some neerer the Throne then others 93. Militant Saints how they are said to haue crowns 93. 94 Saints triumphant not yet perfected 161. 162. How they pray 158. How said to reigne vpon earth 177. 178. Al Saints are fellow-seruants 249. Their number ibid. Sanctification 326 Sacrifices of a Christian are three 175 Sardine stone 83 Satan a restlesse enemy 50. His predictions 72. None should consult with him ibid. Hee is a sore enemy to our Peace 213. He is a Lyon but chayned 216 Satan thirsts for bloud and bloud is his destruction 214 215 Seale what it is in generall 274. Seale of God what it is ibid. How Christ is sealed of the Father 278. He hath the seale of God two wayes ibid. How wee may know if God hath sealed vs. 279. 280. Such as want his Seale are not his 281. Seale internall Christ keepes it his seruants haue the externall 276 Seales seuen contain a generall prognostication of things to come 39. The first seale too narrowly limited by some 29. 31. It continues to the worlds end 30. None of al the seales but the sixt is bound to a particular time 40. Sixt seale how to be accoÌ„modated 40. 41. 251. 252. Summe of the seales 190. Fist sixt seales explaned in the seuenth chapter 43. Seales limited to seuen yeares 221 Seuenth chapter a pendicle of the sixt 43. 268 Seruice of God commended 329. 330 Seruants of Satan and sin how 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The profit of all seruice we doe to God redounds to our seluâ—… 335. Not to God ibid. Yet hee craues it that he may doe vs good for it 336 Scripture hath three sorts of bookes 1. Obscurity thereof 128. Why Papists call it obscure 129. Perfection of it 132 Sight three-fold 161. Naturall sight is no comfort without the spirituall 63. Sight which S. Iohn saw was internall imaginary and intellectuall 61. Sight of God what it doth 79. Who shall get it 178. Sight that Saints haue â—…ur of the body 237 â—…igne of the Crosse. 277 Similitudes of holy Scripture are from most excellent things in Nature 300 â—…inne an vncleanenesse 317 Song of Saints why called a new Song 165 Soules immortality 238 Spirit how S. Iohn was in the Spirit 75 Spanish Army handled not vnlike the Syrians of old 213 Starres falling like figges what they signifie 258 Sunne darkened 249. The heat thereof hurtfull to mâ—…ny 340 T THankesgiuing 160. 310 Throne of God 77. Court about it and before it 78 Threatnings most generall admit exceptions 292 Three things men would haue from God and hee will not giue them 235. Because men will not receiue one thing which God offereth to men Ibid. Tribulation in this life 315. It is Nebuchadnezzars fire Gods Flayle and Wine-presse 314. As it hath an in-gate so an out-gate 305. It is measured by God 307 Trinity in the God-head 84. 113 Types should be rightly accommodated 77. 78 V VAriety with vnity makes the sweeter Harmony 305 Victory cannot be without fighting 302. Figured by the Palme-tree 294 Victory is sure to Saints yer euer they fight 209. 210 Vision preparatory in the fourth and fifth chapter 57. Properly preparing for the Visions of Prediction 59. 79 Voice of God calleth men vpward Satans on the contrary 70. Voice of Gods mercy sounded to apostate man neuer to apostate Angell 71 Now it is a Trumpet and a Thunder 194. 68. The Voice which S. Iohn heard how it was vttored 67. Loud and liâ—…ely 69. Miserable are they who heare it not 67 Vials and Trumpets how they differ 46. 47 W WAlking here is by faith not by sight 1â—…4 Washing three-fold whereof we stand in need 317. How is it that Saints need washing sith Christ is their garment 319. And how Saints are said to wash themselues 318 White Rayment 95. 247. 299. 300 Wicked men why some of them are plagued now and some spared 233. They want the Creator now and shortly shall also want the creature 256. 257. In their trouble they runne to the creature 256 Words last of our Lord should be best remembred 4 Worke with God should we in the worke of our saluation 319 World figured by a glassic Sea and the Moone 98. 99. Best pleasures thereof like waters of the salt Sea 101. It shal fall yer it be ripâ—… â—…58 How all creatures in it shall bee changed in the lost Day 259 Worldlings called Inhabitants of the earth and why â—…46 Worship due to God onely 308 Wrath of God is a fire 227 FINIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hebr. 1. 3. Luk. 1. 78. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioseph Antiquit lib. 3. c. 12. Sigon de repub Heb. lib. 5. Psalm 127. 3. Psalm 116. 12. Psalm 16. 2. Sam. 9. 1. 2. Vers. 11. 13. The bookes of holy Scripture are of three rankes rendring a threefold fruit 1 Of Conuersion Psal. 19. 7. Rom. 15. 4. 2 Of Consolation Psal. 34. 19. 3 Of Confirmation Ioh. 16. 4. This booke of the Reuelation is Prophetical And it serues especially to confirme vs in the faith This book the Father giues to the Son the Son to an Angel and the Angel to Saint Iohn that hee might giue it to the Church Reuel 1. 1. The generall matter of this Prophecie Reu. 3. 10. The time wheÌ„ this book was written commends it greatly to vs. The last words of our Lord should be best remembred Luke 16. 31. An answer to Atheists who will haue one from the dead to teach them About threescore yeeres after his ascension our Lord sent this Reuelation Ephe. 4. 8. 〈◊〉 lib. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bucholâ—…er chronol To keepe his Church from fainting vnder trouble till he come himself By two scandals would satan scarre vs froÌ„ this book 1 By denying authority of it Reu. 1. 3. Iustin. Marâ—…n Dialog 〈◊〉 tryph cont Iudcos Iren. lib. 5. cont Valen. Ambros. lib. 3. de S. Sancto cap. 21. Aug. de
are called Elders 1. Ioh. 2. 1. Esay 65. 20. The white rayment of Saints is their two-fold righteousnesse 1 One imputed 2 Another inherent Their Crowns note their Royall Dignity 1. Cor. 9. 26. Rom. 8. A two-fold operation of God here is figured 1 One terrible to his enimies compared to lightning Psal. 18. 14. 2 To Thundring Psal. 18. 13. Exod. 20. Amos 1. 2. Mark 3. Psal. 29. 3. Suâ—… ca. 5. 3 To Voices Psal. 2. 5. The other gracious comfortable to his own children Mat. 3. 11. Acts 2. Esay 11. 2. 1. Cor. 12. 4. The glassie Sâ—…a is a figure of this world Reuel 17. 15. The world sometime figured by the Moone And sometime by the Sea which is euer waltring and neuer standeth in oâ—… estate Ester 7. 2. King 7. It is christalline transparent because all things in it are manifest to the Lord. Heb. 4. 13. Iob. 22. Psal. 139. A dehortation from the loue of this world 1. Cor. 7. 31. ☜ The best pleasures thereof are like the salt waters of the Sea Angels described 1. From their place 2. From their nature 3. FroÌ„ their number 4. From their properties 5. From their function How by the foure beasts some vnderstand the four Euangelists But in truth they figure the company and order of principall Angels This Vision coÌ„pared with the like in Ezechiel will be the more easily vnderstood Ezech. 1. The foure Beasts in the originall are foure liuing creatures And are expounded by the Spirit of God to be Cherubims Ezech. 10. 20. The place of these holy Angels they are in the midst of the Throne and round about it The Throne of God is coÌ„passed wâ—…th Angels not for any need but to shew his glory and to comfort his Church 1. King 10. 20. Esay 37. 36. What Angels are as concerning their nature Psal. 104. 4. Numb 16. 22. August Enchirid cap. 18. Of the number of Angels Dan. 7. 10. Psal. 68. Heb. 12. 22. The properties of Angels Nazian orat 2. de Thâ—…o How they are said to haue eyes before eyes behind and eyes within them ☞ Gregor Moral Lamentable is our estate for the want of this three-fold sight Why Angels are represented by Men Lyons Bullocks and Eagles Ezech. 1. The manifold wisedome of God appeares in the variety of his creatures Not in the great onely but in the smallest also What assurance we haue of good things prouided for vs hereafter Heb. 11. 3. Six wings are ascrybed to euery one of these Angils Esay 6. 2. With two wings they couer their facâ—… these are 1 An humble estimation of themselues 2 A reuerent estimation of the Lord. Chrysost. in Mat. hom 26. Heauenly creatures are most humble Hereby are condemned Pharisaicall and Popish spirits who dare stand vp with vncouered face and glory of their merits Ber. Ser. cont vitium ingratitud Gen. 18. Chrysost. in Mat. â—…om 26. The two wings wherewith they flye 1 Their sublime disposition they are no creeping things 2 Their willing readinesse to obey By the two wings Bernard vnderstands knowledge and deuotion Bern. de verbis Esaiae Serm. 4. To striue to flye with one wing is the ready way to fall Rom. 1. The wings wherewith they couer their feet are sanctity and modesty zach 1. In the last place they are described froÌ„ their function they are not weaâ—…y in praysing God 1. Thes. 5. 16 16 17 18. Prayer and prayse are good parts of diuine worship but praise the most excellent of the two Three things in their song doe they ascribe to the Lord. Esay 6. Ang. de side ad Pet. cap. 1. 1 Holinesse which is so proper to him that there is none so holy as the Lord. 2 Omnipotency consisting in these two 1. That he can do what hewil 2. That against his nature and truth hee can doe nothing Mouthes of Atheists who cal Gods power in question bound vp 2. King 7. 2. Weakenesse of Saints helped by the consideration of God his omnipotency Gen. 18. Numb 11. 22. Esa. 50. 3. Papists abuse the omnipotency of God in making it militant against his truth Psal. 78. 41. 3 They ascribe to him the praise of eternity Bern. in Cont. Scrm. 31. What great comfort commeth to the Church by the consideration of God his eternity Eccles. 1. Heb. 1. 11. The song of Angels is soconded by the song of redeemed Saints 2. Cor. 9. 2. Thus one of vs should prouoke another to plety In their song they giue three things to the Lord. Rom. 11. 35. Great difference betweene these two man his giuing to God Gods giuing to man Heb. 13. 1. Chro. 29. 14. No dishonour to the most honourable creatures to kneele to the Lord. Psal. 95. 6. The true Church worships no creature neither Angell not man Gal. 4. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But giueth to the Lord all the glory of their saluation Psal. 115. 1. Creation was a short Prouidence and Prouidence a long creation Heb. 1. 3. Creation coÌ„mon to all creatures not so the comfort of creation What reason we haue to serue God for our creation Ephes. 2. Loth should we be to displease the Lord who made vs for his owne pleasure Psal. 104. 31. Gen. 1. Gen. 6. The second part of the Preparatoâ—…ie Vision containing a description of God the Redeemer Reuealing things to come for the comfort of his Church Psal. 76. 10. The parts of this Chapter The familiarity of God with his Saints once begun stil encreases Numb 22. Gen. 39. Reu. 1. 9. Gen. 27. 33. We walke not here by sight but by saith 2. Cor. 5. 7. How the Lord is said to haue a Booke Ester 6. 1. In it allusion is made to the manner of Kings who haue their Registers This booke cannot be the old Testament Other strange opinions concerning this Booke But in truth the booke is this same book of the Reuelation Bookes in holy Scripture are of two sorts 1 Metaphorical and these are either vniuersall or special Psal. 139. 16. Vniuersall are two Speciall are al. so two Gen. 32. 32. Malach. 3. 16. 2 The other sort of bookes are materiall The forme of bookes vsed among the Ancients different froÌ„ ours Plin. lib. 3. epist. Ezech. 2. 9. Carthus What meanes the writing of this book without within The booke is sealed for surety and secrecie Dan. 6. 8. Obscurity of Scripture pretended by Papists They looke to the seales wherewith the book is closed but not to the Lambe who opened them Psal. 119. 130. In bookes of Scripture written for our instruction in the faith God speaks plainly Aug. de doct Chr. lib. 2. c. 9. Lactant. l. 6. c. 21. This pretext of obscurity of holy Scripture is but a couering of their misliking Chrysost. hom 3. de Lazaro It is Christ his singular glory none but hee can open this booke The offices of Christ are 3 Kingly Priestly and Propheticall The last and least of the 3. can be done by none but by himselfe Papists derogate from
PATHMOS OR A COMMENTARY ON THE REVELATION of Saint IOHN diuided into three seuerall Prophecies THE FIRST PROPHECIE contained in the fourth fift sixt and seuenth Chapters By Mr. WILLIAM COWPER Bishop of Galloway Abacuk 2. 3. The Vision is yet for an appointed time but at the last it shall speake and not lye though it tarry waite for it shall surely come and shall not stay LONDON Printed by George Purslow for Iohn Budge and are to be sold at the signe of the greene Dragon in Pauls Church-yard 1619. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE LORD my Lord of Binning President of the Colledge of IVSTICE Secretary to his Maiesty and one of his Highnesse most Honorable Priuy Councell in both the Kingdomes MY LORD THIS Prophesie was properly cōpared by Primasius to a precious Gemme or Orientall Pearle not found in the clifts of rockes or shels of fishes but sent from Heauen for a Present to the Church on Earth by Iesus the splendor of the glory of his Father and that bright Orient which hath visited vs from on high He giueth it in a Loue-token to his Church who for it gaue himselfe to the death Doubtlesse it must bee some great Present which is sent from so great a King by the hand of that Seruant whom he loued best in the world This Iewell hath come in the hands of many who being strangers not acquainted with Canaan from which it came haue out of wrong conception iudged it to bee adulterine But all the Lords Lapidaries who haue seene the precious stones wherwith the walls of Heauenly Ierusalem are garnished haue easily perceiued this to be from heauen also yea and among all the rest most admirable for it partakes with all these both in color and vertue and serueth Saints not for decoration onely but declaration also of many secrets which greatly concerne their state Of old Vrim and Thummim were placed by God in that Pectorall of the high Priest called by the Iewes Hosen by the Greekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but what it was or how by it God gaue answere to his people Israel many Diuines in that point are diuinators speaking more out of coniecture then certaine knowledge Iosephus records that these stones by change of their colour gaue signification of things to fall out eyther aduerse or prosperous Sigonius in his Treatise of the Hebrewes Republick seemes to haue followed him The report that Suidas brings from an vncertaine Author is as vncertaine as the Author that if battell was imminent the stones turned red if death was foretold they turned black if no change of estate was to ensue then the stones changed not their colour at all One thing is sure God by them gaue answere to his seruants that sought him as may bee cleared by many places of Scripture But of this booke wee may boldly affirme that it is indeed a heauenly Oracle foretelling in types the truth of things as they were to fall out to the worlds end at the first it sheweth a white colour importing comfortable grace by the Gospell now and immortall glory hereafter Incontinent it turneth to a red colour foreshewing bloudy persecutions which Saints must suffer before they enioy the Crown Then againe it appeareth with a blacke colour to declare that blackenesse of wrath temporall and eternall which abideth the enemies of the Church In some parts it looketh darke in others cleare like the Christall yet through all more or lesse transparent and therewith variable with sundry sheddes among which most apparant are three seuerall rankes of Seuens stretching themselues in most comely order through this Iewell and wherein the Lord hath secretly inclosed treasures of manifold wisedome In the Seales vnsealed secrets are disclosed In the Trumpets battels are denounced In the Uials plagues are powred out The purpose in these three is not one yet by a comely proportion and correspondence doe they answere one to another Many haue handled this Iewell not to finde it by their labour that were impossible but to finde themselues by the valew of it For that cause among others I haue also looked vpon it truely for none other end but that I might learne from it and now what I haue seene I shew submitting my selfe to the Church for whose profit I haue taken these paines If the light of the booke hereby be any way encreased and comfort arise to the good Christian the praise is the Lords and vnder God thankes is due to your Lordship for by your louing counsell care I haue beene relieued of many intricate matters of Law and found the greater leysure and liberty both to attend my studies Thus hath your Lordship beene a Mecaenas to me indeed Good men oftentimes are forced to expresse great affections by small meanes and so now it fareth with me yet I trust your Lordship will esteeme of mee not as I am but as I desire to be on your behalfe But it is no reason I should requite deeds with words I know your Lordship doth neyther like them nor need them Where Vertue giueth out her beames euen her enemies are forced to acknowledge her glory yet thus much out of duty must I speake that by many Coards of loue hath your God bound you to be thankefull to him Vertue is weake without some aduersity neither can that felicity bee found on earth that communicates not with some crosse Some are raised to wealth but the lesse regarded by reason of their base Linage Some Noble by parentage but depressed with pouerty many beautified both with Nobility and riches who want the delight of children others haue the comfort of children but with the turning of a few yeares they turne crosses vnto them there is no estate so prosperous against which there is not iust cause of complaint Thus runneth the common currant of worldly courses here on earth But will your Lordship turne your eyes a little from others and looke to your selfe you shall see what cause your Lordship hath aboue others to say with Dauid Many wayes hath the Lord beene beneficiall to his Seruant beeing for Linage descended of a wise and worthy Father of an Honourable Family famous among many others of that most flourishing Trybe of Hammilton Honourable also for the places of honour which you possesse but much more for the vertue whereby you haue worthily deserued them for it is a greater thing to deserue Honour then to haue it but where by Vertue it is obtained by Wisedome encreased and by good Gouernement reteined all which are euident in your Lordship What can be more Your children thankes be to God no crosses but comforts like branches of the Oliue promised to such as feare God they stretch out themselues from the sides of your Tabie and without disparagement are matched with the mighty Cedars of the Land For your selfe I haue nothing to say but that which I know no man can gaine-say If quickenesse of ingine vigour of ready witte wisedome in words discretion
Lord two hundred and seuentie yeeres I find him at the end of Theophilactus his Commentaries vpon the Epistles and some Prophets printed at Paris in the yeare 1548. He shortly paraphrases the Prophecie according to the order of the Chapters Primasius an Africane Bishop is next vnto him Some thinkes as Trithemius testifies that he was the disciple of S. Augustine Hee liued about the yeere of our Lord 440. and was Bishop of Vtica he diuides this Prophecie into two bookes one conteined in the first twelue Chapters the other in the rest to the end more particularly againe he parts the whole in fine bookes His booke is printed Coloniae anno 1535. Hugo Cardinalis liued about the yeere 1240. he diuides the booke into seuen visions as many other also doe The first vision is in the first three chapters the second from the fourth to the eight the third from the eight to the twelfth the fourth from it to the fifteenth the fift from it to the eighteenth the sixt in the eighteene nineteene and twenty the seuenth in the two last chapters An old Manuscript Folio expressing no certaine Author in most things it is consonant to Hugo Dionysius Carthusianus printed at Paris in the yeere 1555 handles this booke according to the order of the Chapters and warnes the Reader in his Prologue that it is Prophetalis liber a Propheticall booke yet not without good doctrine for albeit saith he in the new Testament some books be Legall namely the foure Euangelists others againe be Historicall as the Acts of the Apostles and others Sapientiall such as the Epistles and this onely Propheticall Certum tamen est in quolibet genere librorum istorum aliqua de aliorum librorum materia contineri yet it is most certaine that in anyone of these sort of books the matter of other bookes is also some-way conteined Lyra hath a short Paraphrase on the Reuelation D. Doctor Chytraeus his booke Printed at Viteberg in the yeere 1571. diuides this Prophecie into seuen Visions The first presents a cleere description of Christ supreme King and high Priest of his Church and openeth vp the state and forme of Church-gouernment in this life this Vision is contained in the first three Chapters The second is from the fourth Chapter to the eight The third from the eight to the twelfth wherein corruptions of doctrine and heresies which were to fall out are by sound of Trumpet fore-told vnto the Church The fourth from the twelfth to the fifteenth foresheweth the battell of the Church with the Dragon and with the new and old Romane Empire wherein we haue also a discouery of Antichrist The fift is in the fifteenth and sixteenth Chapters containing the vials of wrath powred out vpon the worshippers of the Beast The sixt Vision is from the seuenteenth Chapter to the one and twentieth and it intreates of the punishment of Antichrist The seuenth and last is a Vision of the Church Triumphant in the two last Chapters Bullingerus his booke printed at London in the yeere 1573. a iudicious and solid Writer agreeth with them who diuide this Prophecie into seuen Visions Alphonsus Conradus Mantuanus his booke printed Basileae in the yeere 1560. Hee dedicates it to the mightie Monarch of heauen and earth The Lord Iesus Christ and followes them who diuides this Prophecie in seuen Visions D. Guilielmus Fulco Anglus a learned and modest Writer his booke printed at London in the yeere 1573. diuides this Prophecie in three Visions The first is in the first three Chapters the second from the fourth to the twelfth the third from it to the end Aretius Bernensis in the yeere 1584. goeth also with them who parteth this booke into seuen Visions Collado printed Morgiis in the yeere 1584. will haue the Apocalypse to be a collection of threefold sort of signes tending all to one and the selfe-same purpose to wit Seales Trumpets and Vials these three signify al one thing so that in his iudgement the matter of the first Seale first Trumpet first Viall is all one so he thinks also of the rest Iames Brocard his iudgement is that in the Reuelation those things are handled and in distinct order set forth which Moses and the Prophets haue written of the state of the Gospell and of the latter times In a word he cals it a conclusion and summe of the holy Scripture in and about those things which concerne Prophecie and leades them to the end of the workes of God And he will haue this in such soâ—… a Prophecie of things to come that those which are past bee also vnderstood with other things not much pertinent to this Prophecie Leo Iude a Tigurine Preacher translated out of Dutch into English by Edmond Allen about this same time wrote a pretty and godly Paraphrase vpon this booke according to the order of the Chapters Iunius printed at Heidelberg in the yeere 1591. the Propheticall part of this booke saith he beginnes at the fourth Chapter and is distinguished into two Histories whereof the one hee makes to be common and generall pertaining to the whole world from the fourth to the tenth Chapter the other a speciall Prophecie containing the estate of the Church Militant from the tenth Chapter to the two and twentieth Carolus Gallus printed at Leiden in the yeere 1592. will haue the whole time from the daies of S. Iohn to the last Day diuided into seuen ages which by foure sundry pleasant pictures as hee cals them or representations are proposed vnto vs First in the seuen Epistles Next in the seuen Seales Thirdly in seuen Trumpets Lastly in seuen Vials By these foure pictures the liuely image of Diuine Prouidence gouerning his Church through all the seuen ages is figured vnto vs. The seuen ages he diuides this way the first is from S. Iohn his daies to Constantine the second from Constantine to Phocas the third from Phocas to Carolus Magnus the fourth from Carolus to Conradus the first the fift from that to Rodolphus the sixth from Rodolphus to Carolus Quintus the seuenth from him to the second comming of the great King The Lord Iesus Christ. Foxe an Englishman printed in the yeere 1596. contents him with this generall that nothing in time past hath or in time to come shall fall out in the Church whereof wee haue not a liuely delineation in this Booke plainely represented to the eyes and eares of them who look vpon it that it may most iustly be doubted whether this booke be a Prophecie or an Ecclesiasticall Historie wherein things to fall out are set downe as if they were already fallen out neither haue they otherwise fallen out then this Prophecie hath pronounced before-hand for according vnto it things come to passe George Gifford Englishman printed at London in the yeere 1596. he maketh this Booke to be a prophecie which openeth the state of things to
come from Christ his daies to his second comming From the fourth Chapter to the twelfth in his iudgement there is one Vision which from the twelfth againe to the end is more largely and cleerely explaned He is a modest and a godly Writer Forthaeus an Englishman also printed at London in the yeere 1597. maketh two parts of the Reuelation The first is a description of the present estate of the Church as it was in the daies of S. Iohn and this is contained in the first three Chapters The other is a Prophecie of the estate of the Church to come and it is two-fold First of the Church Militant to the one and twentieth Chapter then of the Church Triumphant in the two last Chapters The Prophecie of the Church Militant hath two parts first a Vision in the fourth and fift Chapters next a prediction of things to come distinguished into foure times the first from S. Iohn his daies to Constantine the Great these are declared in the six Seales The second from the daies of Constantine to the restitution of the Gospell these are contained in the six Trumpets whereof foure are lesse tentations the first of Arius the second of Constantius and Iulian the Apostate the third of Macedontus the fourth of Nestorius the other two proclaime greater troubles to come vpon the Church by the Pope in the fifth Trumpet and Mahomet in the sixt The third is from the restitution of the Gospell to the end of the world The fourth is at the end of the world in the seuenth Trumpet in the fifteenth verse of the eleuenth chapter and thus ends the first Prophecie of the Church Militant The second Prophecie of the Church Militant her estate is from the twelfth Chapter to the one and twentieth and it is of two times first from the birth of Christ to the yeere 1320 next from that yeere vnto this day This for the second Prophecie a plainer exposition whereof wee haue set down Chapters seuenteene eighteene nineteene Iesuites of Rhemes in their new Testament printed in the yeere 1601 haue some Marginal Notes and Obseruations on this booke whereof wee shall speake God-willing as they occurre Franciscus Ribera Iesuite printed at Antwerpe in the yeere 1603. in his Commentary vpon the tenth chapter at the end diuides this Prophecie into two parts the first is contained in the first eleuen chapters declaring such calamities as were to fall out vntill the comming of Antichrist the other is extended from the twelfth chapter to the end and is a particular Prophecie of Antichrist and of the troubles the Church was to suffer by him concluding with a prediction of the last Iudgement and of the blessed estate of Saints Blasius Viega Iesuite printed Coloniae Agrippinae in the yeere 1603. diuides this Prophecie into seuen Visions Dent Englishman printed at London in the yeere 1607. In this booke saith he for the generall matter of it we haue large and liuely descriptions of Christ his Person and Offices of the Church and Ministers thereof of the persecutions which it must sustaine and of God his mercifull prouidence deliuering it in all extremities William Symonds printed at London in the yeere 1606. intitulates his Commentary Pisgah Euangelica hee confesseth himselfe in his Epistle Dedicatory that the manner of his Exposition is somewhat new which will bee easily granted of any that reades it He protests in like maner that he hath fully satisfied himselfe whereof the lesse hope remaines that he shall satisfie others One thing I must say by his leaue it seemes strange hee hath not beene afraid to inuert the order not of chapters onely but verses also hee hath iumbled them one through another in most confused maner and beaten them as we say into an Hotch-Potch But God is the God of order and not of confusion Ioannes Winckelmannus printed at Francfort in the yeere 1609. followeth them who part this prophecie into seuen Visions Grasserus a Germane printed Tiguri in the yeere 1610. reduces this whole Booke vnto these three first the manifold meanes that Satan vseth to subuert the Church and stablish his owne Kingdome Secondly the great iudgements of God by which hee shall plague the world for opponing themselues to the Gospell Thirdly remedies giuen to Saints to comfort and confirme them against the difficulties of their pilgrimage Of these three saith he consists this booke Iohn Napeir Laird of Merchistoun our Countrey-man worthily renowmed as peerelesse indeed for many other his learned workes and specially for his great paines taken vpon this book out of rare learning and singular Ingene which are not commonly found in men of great ranke Cotterius giues him great praise but takes it backe againe too suddenly to himselfe Hee compares the Reuelation to a golden Mine Naiperus aurifodinam inuenit Vignerus ostendit Ego vero aurum inde erui Naiper found it Vigner hath shewed it but I saith he haue digged and wrought the gold out of it Hee hath resolued this booke by a marueilous Artifice that it is not vnlike a building standing vpon six and thirty proppes or pillars these are his propositions so ingenuously indented and combyned one with another that the fall of one imports the destruction of all Most certaine it is that his paines haue beene exceeding profitable for the discouering of many hard and obscure places of this Prophecie The Exemplar which I haue seene is printed at London in the yeere 1611. Mathias Hoe hath a large Commentarie on the Reuelation printed Lipsiae anno 1611. Raphael Eglinus Tigurinus printed also in the yeere 1611 parts this Prophecie into three according to Christ his three Offices his Propheticall office he expresses in the first three Chapters his Priestly Office from the fourth Chapter to the foureteenth his Kingly Office from that to the end But this Method with those of Dent and Grasserus are too generall and may convene almost to any other booke of holy Scripture as well as vnto this Brightmannus Anglus printed in the yeere 1612. diuides this booke into a Preface and an Epistle The Epistle containes first an Inscription secondly a Narration thirdly a Conclusion The Narration is first of particular Churches secondly of all Churches and that first by a generall Type of all the three periods in the fourth chapter next by an opened booke the dignity whereof is declared in the fifth chapter The euents foreshewed by the opening of the booke are of three rankes the first declared in the seuen Seales the second euents partly greater partly smaller are declared in the seuen Trumpets and the third euents are in the seuen Vials Hee intitulates his booke Apocalypsis Apocalypseos that is The Reuelation of the Reuelation a stately stile promising much which would to God he had performed but in very truth the right name of it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the obscuration of the Reuelation Types properly belonging to Christ are accommodate
is printed at Amsterdam in the yeere 1615. Richard Barnard Englishman his Treatise printed at London in the yeere 1617. containes some generals which he Intitulates A Key of Knowledge for the opening of the secret Mysteries of S. Iohns mysticall Reuelation The first of his Contents is that the Booke of the Reuelation is to be diligently studied of all sorts in these last times The second that it is an Apocalypsis and not an Apocrypsis but a Mysterie made manifest The third is what hath made this Booke till these latter times so obscure wherein the obscurity lyeth and to whom chiefly it becommeth so hard to bee vnderstood The fourth what is to be done to come to the vnderstanding thereof to remoue the obscurities and so rightly to expound the same Lastly he sets downe an interpretation of all the most difficult things in the chapter throughout the whole Prophecie Iohn Balâ—… Englishman in his Preface hath a short method and summe of the first ten chapters from the eleuenth to the end a larger Commentary which hee intulates The Image of both Churches Where and when his booke was printed is not expressed D. Broughton printed at London In the end of his learned Treatise intitulat Consent of Scripture hath a short discourse vpon this Prophecie wherein hee cleareth the chiefe doubts and difficulties thereof IAMES King of Great Britaine c. was the last of them that came in my hands but with all reason may be reckoned in among the first and the best Among many other his Highnesse workes no lesse Rare then Royall there is a learned Paraphrase vpon this booke of the Reuelation Beside that in his Praemonition to Christian Kings and Princes his Maiestie hath handled the Controuersies of this time concerning Religion like a profound and sound Theolog and by inuincible reasons hath proued out of this Prophecie that the Pope is Antichrist Thus stands his Highnesse in the fore-front of Iehoâ—…ah his battell fighting for Israel like another Dauid he hath giuen that Romish Goliah with Arguments like flinty stones slung out of the Word a deadly wound whereof he shall neuer recouer His Maiestie hath begunne to make naked the Whore and to discouer her filthinesse masked before with the veile of hypocriticall holinesse Hee hath sounded the Trumpet in the eares of the Emperour Kings Princes and Free Estates through all Christendome The Lord waken their hearts to execute the determinate iudgement fore-prophecied in this Booke vpon the Beast and his Babel Pareâ—…s his learned and iudicious Commentarie on the Reuelation came in my sight after that I had neerely absolued this first Prophecie Two Necessarie Cautions or Caueats to bee considered in the exposition of this Booke The first Caution VVEE must beware of two extremities in the handling of this Prophecie first that we limit not these Visions so particularly vnto times and persons as many doe whereby they haue greatly empaired the Maiestie and Amplitude of this Reuelation For example one among many is the first Seale which sheweth our Lord riding on his white Horse like a Conquerour no larger in respect of time then from the Baptisme of Christ to the destruction of Ierusalem I know Forthaeus and others extend it larger and will haue it reach from the daies of Christ to the daies of Constantine but this also is too narrow counting The Church should be depriued of great comfort if the Conquerour riding on the white horse were pinched and bounded within so short a time But the certaine truth is Our Lord Iesus mounted by the opening of the first Seale vpon his white horse shall so continue riding through the world at his owne pleasure till he haue gathered in his Saints till hee Ouercome and make his enemies his foote-stoole This will be manifest if we compare the end of this Prophecie with the beginning thereof In the entry of this Prophecie at the opening of the first Seale The Rider on the white Horse appeares in the end of it there he appeares againe I saw heauen opened and behold a white Horse and hee that sate vpon him was called Faithfull and True and in righteousnesse hee doth iudge and make warre c. Hee was clothed in a Vesture dipt in bloud and his Name is called The Word of God All the time of the battell hee is not knowne vnder this Type shall we therefore thinke he was not sighting nor shooting his Arrowes No his Vesture in the second apparition is a witnesse of his victorie and slaughter of his enemies This might haue told them that the Lord Iesus who comes out in the first Seale riding on a white horse and of whom it is so expresly said that Hee went forth conquering that he might ouercome was to continue so till hee had done the worke for which hee commeth forth that is perfected his Saints and subdued his enemies Wee must not limit so short a time to so great a worke they who do so defraud the Church as we haue said of a great and ample comfort For euen in our owne daies and among our selues blessed be his name for it this Conquerour is riding and shall so continue to the worlds end yet the time of the first Seale lasteth as also of the subsequent Seales following it which shall God willing hereafter be declared that the Seales openeth vp the generall course of things till the day of Iudgement and within narrower bounds should they not be restrained What shall I speake of other grosser interpretations whereunto many are driuen by binding this Prophecie to particular persons Can the foure Beasts be foure Euangelists Then S. Iohn behooued to be one of the foure or else yee must make them fiue Euangelists for euery one of the foure prepareth him Or shall the first Beast bee Quadratus Shall the second be Iustinus c. Shall the Angell comming from the East who hath the Seale of the liuing God be Constantine the Great Or shall the Angell that offers vp the prayers of all Saints be Constantine the Great also He was great indeed but this is to make him too great Shall the Angell comming out of the Temple be Thomas Cromwell Lord of Essex Or the Angell hauing power ouer the fire be Thomas Cranmer Or shall the type of the Haruest and Vintage bee appropriate to England Why hath Brightman broached such opinions without all hope or help of verity I know the persons whom he hath named are famous and honourable and that the Lord hath a flourishing Church in England his name bee praised therefore But I am assured the reuerend Bishops the learned Doctors and Diuines there will not vindicate that to themselues which is common to the whole Church It were tedious to repeat all of this sort whereby common types are accomodate vnto priuate persons which is not the fault of Brightman onely though most part of them be forged in his owne braine but of
eternall felicity of the Church Triumphant in the one and twentieth and beginning of the two and twentieth chapters In this all the Interpreters agree and make no question except that some will haue the fourth and fifth chapters to containe Visions of Prediction as well as the rest which as we haue said cannot be for the opening of the Seales out of which comes the discouery of things to come beginneth at the sixt chapter Now to take vp rightly the Method of the Prophecy of the estate of the Church Militant let vs keepe in minde that ground laid by S. Augustine and Primasius that it is Prophetia saepius repetita not one continuall Prophecie but a Prophecie repeated and that not doubled onely as was the dreame of Pharaoh to shew the certainety of the Vision but tripled all the three Visions foretelling the estate of the Church in a different manner yea and of a different matter one from another except that the last Vision or third Prophecie which is of Antichrist is doubled the one not much different from the other in matter but in the manner of handling The whole Visions of this Prophecie concerning things to come in the Church Militant are three euery one of them diducing in a diuerse manner the state of the Church from the daies of Christ to his second Comming The light that led me to this order did breake out of the bosome of the Book it selfe and the attentiue Reader may easily perceiue that which by diligent reading was conceiued by me that euery one of these three Prophecies is concluded with a propheticall description of the day of Iudgement vnder such Types as it was represented to S. Iohn I would therefore warne the Reader who desires to vnderstand this Booke that when he commeth to the description of the day of Iudgement hee stand there and resolue with himselfe that the Prophecie which followeth it beginneth againe as wee say ab Oâ—…o to shew out the estate of the Church in matter as I said or then in manner different from the former The first Prophecie is Generall and ends in the sixt chapter with a propheticall prediction of the day of Iudgement in the sixt Seale all the difficultie will be about this but we will shew our reasons when we come to it The second Prophecie beginning at the eighth chapter is more Speciall and is concluded in the end of the eleuenth chapter with a propheticall Narration againe of the day of Iudgement which no man can deny The third Prophecie beginning at the twelfth chapter is Particular for it leaueth all other enemies and pointeth at Antichrist and at the end of the twentieth chapter ver 11. it is concluded with a Propheticall Representation of the day of Iudgment so cleerely that I hope it shall haue no contradictor The first Prophecie which is Generall THe first Prophecie in effect is a generall Prognostication proposing a short and summary view of the state of the Church specially vnder violent persecution to the worlds end which is this In the first Seale is declared how Christ shall go through the world riding vpon the Ministerie of the Word preaching the Gospell by his seruants where and when it pleaseth him In the second Seale we are fore-warned that this shall not be without trouble for Satan and his instruments shadowed by the Rider on the red Horse shall in bloudy manner persecute the Preachers and Professors of the Gospell Yet are we told in the third and fourth Seale that they shall not escape vnpunished for thereupon followes the blacke and the pale Horse with their Riders figuring famine pestilence and other horrible plagues of God that shall come on the world for contempt of the Gospell And because the sword famine pestilence do not so go through the world that the godly are exempted from them In the fifth Seale the estate of Saints troubled on earth for the testimony of Iesus is set downe in most comfortable manner and then as they tryed in the fifth Seale for the day of reuenge and iudgement so at the opening of the sixt Seale the horrible day of Doome appeareth to the terrour of the wicked We are not then to binde any of these Seales except the sixt to a determinate time but take them vp as extended to all times during the worlds endurance Farre lesse to expound these Riders on the Horses of Roman Emperours other particular persons as we haue shewed before In this first Prophecie there is no difficultie except about the sixt seale whether or not it doth fore-shew the day of Iudgement and about the seuenth chapter how it followeth and dependeth on the sixt and how it is a pendicle of the first Prophecie Concerning the first we hold thus that the sixt seale containes a propheticall prediction of the last Day Against this there are two opinions Some thinke that it is a Prophecie of heresies apostasies and defections from the faith Others that it is a prophecy of some fearefull temporall iudgement but neither of these are to bee receiued The Text it selfe militats directly against the first opinion that the darkening of the Sunne and Moone the falling of the Starres admitteth not any Allegoricall interpretation of any darkenesse to come by Heresie and Apostasie for it is plainly said in the fifteenth verse that Kings Great Men and Captaines were afraid when they saw the fearefull change of the creatures they hid themselues in dennes Shall we thinke here that it was Apostasie and Heresie obscuring the light of the Gospell that made them to cry out Mountaines fall vpon vs and couer vs. No so farre were they from all feare for that matter that by the contrarie they reioyced in it Emperours I meane great men and Captaines being themselues chiefe Authors Actors and Allowers of these Heresies which darkened the Sunne Yea it is very well knowne that they either by allurements entised others or by violence forced them to make Apostasie and Defection from the Truth Neither is it to be vnderstood to bee a denuntiation of any temporall or externall iudgement for these reasons First there is here an vniuersall change made of all creatures in heauen and in earth Next all the persons of the wicked not of one Nation or Kingdome but of all are vniuersally here iudged and that vnder seuen rankes Thirdly it is expresly called in the Text The great Day of the Lord his wrath The like stile I know is also giuen to daies of temporall iudgement yet conioyne this with the rest of the Reasons and compare it with other places where wee finde the like phrase the matter shall be cleere Sith the seuen Vials are the seuen last plagues of force we must grant that the last Viall powreth out the last wrath of that great Day which concludeth all wrath in this life and beginnes that endlesse wrath in the life to
this I saw seuen golden Candlestickes and in the middest of the seuen golden Candlestickes one like the Sonne of man c. This serued to prepare both S. Iohn and the Church to receiue this Reuelation reuerently and certainely to beleeue it considering that hee receiued this Vision not from one who knew not the state of the Church for hee who giues the warning walkes in the middest of the seuen Candlestickes and hath eyes like vnto flames of fire which by no couering can bee holden out from looking and piercing into the heart of euery man And no lesse conuenient is this Preparatory Vision premitted before the second Prophecie if we consider both the parts thereof For in the fourth chapter there is a Vision of the Maiestie of God the Creator who as he made the world so is he heere described sitting vpon his Throne and the glassie Sea figuring the world before him which hee rules and gouerneth at his good pleasure directing all the changes and troubles thereof to his owne determinate end for which the whole Church giues vnto him the praise of a powerfull faithfull and prouident Creator and Conseruer Angels go before and Saints redeemed follow after Thou aâ—… worthy O Lord to receiue glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are aâ—…d were created Againe in the fifth chapter there is a Vision of the Maiesty of Christ the Redeemer exercising his Propheticall Office to the comfort of the Church for hee takes the sealed Booke out of the hand of him who sits on the Throne hee opens it and reueales to his Church such things as in the wise counsell and prouidence of God were concluded to be done concerning her for which the whole Church both of Angels and Men renders vnto him the praise of a glorious Redeemer Thou art worthy to take the Booke and open the Seales thereof for thou wast slaine and hast redeemed vs to God by thy Bloud In the first Song which is sung to the praise of God the Creator Angels begin and Saints redeemed follow In the second which is sung to the praise of God the Redeemer Saints redeemed go before and their Song is seconded by Angels and all creatures Now these two being ioyned together it shall appeare easily how this preparatorie Vision prepares a way to the Prophecie and renders a complete comfort to the Church He is to speake in the Prophecie following of fearefull troubles tentations and battels by violent Persecutors and fraudulent Heretiques but that the Church should not be discouraged therewith this Vision is permitted wherein first is declared that howsoeuer the world be a turbulent Sea yet all the waltrings and mutations thereof are gouerned by him that sits vpon the Throne Nothing fals out by accident or by the will of man and all these as they are ruled by the Father so are they reuealed to the Church by the Sonne and we are told of them before-hand that when they come to passe wee should not be offended The iudicious and indifferent Reader may cleerely perceiue this to bee the very naturall order and method of these two chapters they containe an Introduction to the Prophecie but they are farre mistaken who seeke a propheticall prediction in them VERSE 1. After this I looked and behold a dore was opened in heauen and the first Voice which I heard was as it were of a Trumpet talking with me which said Come vp hither and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter AFTER this This is to be referred to the order of the Visions not to the interuall or long distance of time for all these Visions S. Iohn saw them in one day I was in the Spirit on the Lords Day and I heard behind me a great Voice and yet Quaelibet visio suam habuit morulam euery Vision had the owne space of time by order one after another are they reuealed vnto him yet so that vpon one day and in one trance he saw all and this hee signifies in the entry As to the manner of his sight what way S. Iohn saw these Visions because frequent mention is made of it in this Prophecie it is expedient that once for all we speake of it There is a three-fold sight 1. Naturall 2. Propheticall 3. Spirituall The Naturall sight is common both to good and euill this is that sight we haue by the eye of God seene in his workes For the inuisible things of God that is his eternall Power and God-head are seene and vnderstood by the things he hath made The second sight is Propheticall yet common also both to good and euill I meane not to all but some of euery one of them for Balaam had it this is a sight of things to come made by Reuelation Representation or both A sight of things to come by Representation was offered to Pharaoh and to Nabuchadnezzar but they wanted the reuelation of it they could tell what they saw but could not tell what it signified till it was declared to the one by Ioseph to the other by Daniel Sometime againe there is a sight of things to come shewed to the seruants of God by Reuelation without Representation such a sight many of the Prophets had But here to Saint Iohn things to come are shewed both the waies first by Representation next by Reuelation In the manner of his Vision three things must be obserued that it was Interna Imaginaria Intellectualis It was first Internall by the minde for his bodily senses were now asleepe his spirit for a time hauing after a sort derelinquished his body Next it was Imaginary for by types similitudes resemblances and figures of corporall and materiall things formed in his minde were they represented to him Thirdly it was Intellectuall for by heauenly illumination S. Iohn was taught and informed to vnderstand truely what these Types Similitudes and Figures did represent and signifie otherwise hee had not beene a Prophet nor able to shew to the Church that which hee vnderstood not himselfe I marke this to stop the blasphemous mouthes of some Atheists who in disgrace of this Prophecie haue beene bold to say that S. Iohn vnderstood not what he wrote to the Churches The third sight is Spirituall and singular pertaining to Saints onely called and chosen This is a sight of Gods fatherly and mercifull Face shining vpon vs in Christ bringing with it to our foules ioy vnspeakeable and glorious And this sight we haue in this life but in the least degree for now wee see that glory of God but in a mirrour through a vaile darkely so that in comparison of that sight which we shall haue hereafter the Spirit of God accounts this sight to be no sight We walke not by sight but by faith And S. Peter affirmes Wee haue not yet seene him but S. Iohn
vs and bids vs come but causes vs to come Blessed is the man whom thou chusest and causest to come to thee Now blessed bee the Lord who hath giuen vs mercy after wee had sinned which hee hath denyed to reprobate Angels and men and after we had fallen hath raised vs vp againe to inherite heauenly places where hee hath condemned them vnto vtter darkenesse And the Lord who euery day cals vs to come to him draw vs vpward and cause vs to come according as he cals And I will shew thee things which must be c. Prediction of things to come made by God are vndoubted arguments that they fall not out by hap but as they are ruled by his Prouidence who fore-tels them therefore the Lord vendicates this praise to himselfe that hee onely can tell things which are to come Shew the things that are to come hereafter that we may knew that yee are gods thereby also declaring that none but the Lord can truely fore-tell things to come As for Satans Predictions they are either out of experience which hath taught him by the collection of naturall causes to fore-see the effects arising of them or else he hath them by reuelation from God It was easie for Satan to fore-tell the death of Achab in the battell against the Aramites for he heard the decree of his destruction giuen out in the Court of heauen and himselfe was directed as a Burrio to execute it They are miserably blinded who consult with Satan to know things to come from so cursed and wicked a spirit as he is good tydings came neuer vnto any nor neuer shall When his Responses are peremptory then are they deadly like that which he gaue vnto Saul To morrow at this time thou shalt bee with mee Otherwise they are deceitfull like that which he gaue Heraclius Gentem circumcisam ipsius Imperium vastaturam That a circumcised Nation should destroy his Empire Wherupon Heraclius persecuted Iewes and Christians but had no minde that Mahumetists were circumcised also who were indeed the destruction of the Empire But to returne it is not so with the Lord his knowledge is not acquired by experience nor deriued from any other For who was his counsellour In the volume of his booke are all things written that euer tooke fashion hee knowes with one looke all his creatures what and when they were are or will bee what they can do or what shall bee done with them He is all Vnderstanding and of himselfe and by himselfe Hee sees all things as they are hath beene or shall bee Which must be done This is for our comfort that the things prophecied in this Booke must bee done Scornefull men thinke it impossible the power of Antichrist and his Confederates is so great and they aske how it can be But where the Lord sayes that hee will do a thing it sets not man to enquire How shall it bee done O but now saith the mocking and faithlesse Papist God workes no miracles this was the word of one of that sort when the Spanish Armado approached to our Coasts not content to triumph ouer men but ouer the very heauens as though the Lords Arme were shortned The Lord now a daies said he workes no miracles But how then was that Armado destroyed Inuincible marrowlesse matchlesse in their iudgement was it in respect of man Who did it then Was it not the hand of God from heauen which ouerthrew them Be silent therefore O yee blasphemous mouthes aske not how can these things be done It is sufficient the Lord hath said They must be done None of the words of the Lord shall fall to the ground As himselfe is vnchangeable so are his decrees figured therefore to Zacharie by Mountaines of Brasse Babylon assuredly shall fall Rome shall bee ruined the Whore shall be condemned the Kings of the earth which now giue their Kingdomes to the Beast shall ere it be long hate the Whore and strip her naked God shall put it in their hearts to do so This is fore-told in this Prophecie and here the Lord saies They must be done Here then we haue the generall matter of this Prophecie it is a prediction from this fourth chapter of things which shortly must bee done hereafter here we haue Persecutiones tribulationes Ecclesiae postea consolationes remunerationes maiores first the persecutions and tribulations of the Church afterward consolations and large remunerations thereof They are farre mistaken therefore who expound this Prophecie of the foure Monarchies and referre it to things done in the old Testament VERSE 2. And immediately I was in the Spirit and behold a Throne was set in heauen and One sate on the Throne AS the Lord called vpon his seruant S. Iohn 〈◊〉 him come vp namely to the sight of greater Visions then bad bene reuealed to him in the first Vision so now he carries him vp and the calling of God is effectuall in him Thus the Lord worketh that in his children which he craues of them and what he commands he causeth them do it How this was done hee declares when hee saith I was in the Spirit that is Alienatus ab omni exteriorum sensuum vsu atque ecstasi mentis raptus in intensissimam eorum quae mihi ostendebantur considerationem diuorced from the vse of the externall senses I was rauished to an inward consideration of these things which were shewed vnto mee Hee saies he was in the Spirit Non quod esset absque corpore sed quia nihil per corpus vidit audiuit sensit Not that hee wanted a body but because in all these Visions he heard and he saw and he felt nothing by the body Spiritus eius docendus à spiritu docente assumptus est vt alta mystica posset intueri his spirit that was to bee taught is assumed and carried vp by the Spirit of the Lord that taught him to the contemplation of higher and more diuine Mysteries then could be learned by bodily sense In a word his body being relinquished for a time and left senselesse the Visions are presented to his spirit it being vnable at one time both to animate the earthly and inferiour body and to conceaue heauenly and superiour mysteries reuealed vnto it This hee meanes when he saith I was in the Spirit not that the soule as yet was dissolued from the body but because in respect of operation it did not animate the body after the wonted manner The body is a great impediment to the familiar conuersation of the soule with the Lord. The soule cannot at one time exercise her ordinarie office in the body and feele the Lords extraordinary presence also and therefore the Lord when he would reueale his secrets to his seruants in most familiar manner hath beene accustomed to cast them for a time into a trance as we speake to
and are neuer at rest So is it with men in this world vncertaine and vnstable is thâ—…ir estate rich this day poore to morrow now a King incontinent a captiue highest in the Court this day like Haman highest to morrow on the gallowes This day the King leanes on the shoulder of the Samaritane Prince the next day the people tramples him vnder their feet Neither is it simply represented by a sea of which type see more chap. 16. verse 3. but by a glassie sea to declare the fragilitie thereof it hath a faire splendent shew but no solidity the best thing in it is man yet is he but like a vessell of glasse most easily broken as daily experience declares And thirdly it is said to be like vnto Christall which is transparent so that a man looking into it sees through it and euery moâ—…e therein is manifest vnto him This doth properly expresse that cleere and liuely sight which the Lord hath of most secret things done in the world All things are naked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and manifest vnto his sight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 opened vp and as it were spelled out Naturall men may restraine his prouidence within the heauen This is the voice of Atheists The Lord walks in the circle of heauen the cloudes hide him that hee cannot see They are like vnto foolish children who if they hide their owne face that they see not doc thinke that none sees them But they haue an answere from the Psalmist The Lord hath his dwelling on high yet he abases himselfe to behold things in hoauen and in earth the darknes is no darknesse but to him darknes and the light are both alike This also should waken vs to the practise of that Apostolike precept Vse this world as if 〈◊〉 vsed it not Sith the world is resembled to a sea let vs coÌ„sider how the sea is a good element for nauigation and transportation of men from one Countrey to another but euill for habitation Men are gladdest when their course is shortest on the sea and their hearts are at their hauening place long before their Barks can carry their bodies vnto it Wee should so liue in this world as passing through it to our heauenly harbour soiourning in it but not dwelling in it The greatest pleasures of this world are like the waters of the sea salt bitter and vnwholsome to drinke Hee is in the worst estate that hath his belly most full of them Let vs looke to them with lothsomnesse but aboue all beware we drinke not of them with greedines for they will proue deadly at the length And in the midds of the Throne and c. Followes a description of the third and most excellent sort of creatures pertayning to the Court of the great King these are holy Angels in whom and by whom God ruleth and they are described first from their place next from their nature which is to be taken out of their name thirdly from their number fourthly from their properties and lastly from their function Some by these foure beasts vnderstand the four Euangelists It were easie to shew whom they follow in this opinion but needlesse It was hard for the first Fathers such as Victorine and others who wrote vpon this booke to vnderstand it so long before the accomplishment thereof And as for others in the middle Age wherin the Church was darkned with Popery they are not much to be regarded for no man indued with the spirit of error shall vnderstand this booke yet all these trot on in this common Commentary and will haue these foure beasts foure Euangelists But this is to be lamented that now in so cleare a light so many worthy men should haue been miscarried by them out of the way But leauing them we haue first to cleere that these creatures figure Angels and such Angels as in precellencie of dignity and prerogatiâ—…e of place are neerer vnto the Throne then other Angels be for in the fifth chapter ver 11. after the song of the foure liuing creatures followes the song of many Angels that are said to be there in a circle without them and in the 15. chapter ver 7. one of the foure giueth vnto the seuen Angels their Vials full of the wrath of God their first testimony proueth that the foure being namely put for the whole order haue the precellencie of place the other proues they haue the prerogatiâ—…e of dignitie Yet to come neerer many of the Interpreters do agree that in this Vision allusion is made to that which Ezechiel in his first chapter setteth downe for in this Prophecie the Spirit of God euery where followeth the phrase and alludes to the Visions of Prophecies in the old Testament and of this iudgement are Iunius Foxus Merchiston Grasserus Ribera with many others Now in that Vision is shewed to Ezechiel how hee that sits on the Throne ruleth all by the ministerie of his holy Angels there they are figured the same manner of way to wit by the Lyon a Man a Bullock and an Eagle except that there euery one of them is figured all these foure waies these that here are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 liuing creatures and that in all the English Translations whatsoeuer they are translated Beasts the cause seemes to be in the penury of our Language that hath not any proper word to distinguish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alway that these are Angels Ezechiel expounds himselfe chap. 10. ver 20. And the Beast that I saw vnder the God of Israel I vnderstood that they were Cherubims Ezechiel saw his Vision in the captiuity of Babel at the Riuer Chebar and S. Iohn saw his Vision being banished by Domitian into the I le Pathmos one truth by the same types is represented to both so the one very well may serue for a Commentarie to the other to let vs see that these creatures are indeed neither Beasts nor men but Cherubims or Angels Now to come to their description we haue first to consider the place wherein S. Iohn sees them In the midst of the Throne and round about the Throne For vnderstanding of this take vp the Throne to appeare a little lifted vp from the earth in the midst vnder it are the bodies of these creatures and at euery corner looke out their faces so are they both in the midst of the Throne and round about it This glorious Ruler hath his Throne compassed with holy Angels not that he needs any of them but for the greater comfort of his Church as also to shew the great glory of his Maiestie Many Aramites came against Elisha in Dothan his seruant was discouraged so was not himselfe There are more said he with vs then are against vs. And many may we say are our enemies visible and inuisible
with such sacrifices God is pleased This is also a giuing vnto God but as Dauid calls it is a giuing to God of that vvhich God his owne hand hath giuen to thee for what hast thou that thou hast not receiued The first of these sacrifices men of this age can willingly giue to the Lord that is the praise of all the goods they haue but in the second they are more sparing They will not giue backe to the Lord the vse of that which his hand hath giuen them faire profession like the shew that Fig-tree made a farre off but no fruite whereof it comes to passe that the glorious Gospell of Christ is euill spoken of by our enemies because we doe not adorne it with our good works Now concerning the difference between glorie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 honor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thanks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is plainely shewed by Musculus and others I insist not in it VERSE 10. The foure and twenty Elders fell downe before him that sate on the Throne and worshipped him who liueth for euermore and cast their Crownes before the Throne saying THeir behauiour in praysing God is noted to be three-fold first they fall downe and humble themselues before God teaching vs by their example to do the like It is no dishonour for the most honourable men of the world to kneele yea to prostrate themselues before the Lord. Come let vs worship and fall downe and kneele before the Lord our Maker Next they worship him that liueth for euermore the true Church worships no creature neither Angell nor man in themselues nor in their Image neither the worship of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sith the Galathians are conuinced by Saint Paul for giuing the worship of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to such as by nature are no Gods how can Papists bee excused Sith all their defence for the worship of creatures is this that they worship them not with the seruice of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which say they is due to God but onely of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may bee giuen to creatures How weake a distinction this is appeares by that I haue said Papists affirme that they may doe lawfully that which Saint Paul rebuked as vnlawfull in the Galathians And last of all they are said to cast their Crownes before the Throne they empty themselues of all glory merite and worthinesse whatsoeuer that they may giue the praise thereof vnto the Lord. This is in effect the song of all Saints Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but to thy Name be the praise VERSE 11. Saying Thou art worthy O Lord to receiue glory and honour for thou hast created all things and for thy wils sake they are and haue beene created AFter he hath spoken of their behauiour hee subioynes their Song wherein they acknowledge the Lord onely worthy to receiue glory and honour and power and that for two causes first for the benefite of creation by which all things were made next of prouident conseruation by which all things are still conserued for so are their words They are and they haue beene created Creation was a short Prouidence producing all things in their kinds Prouidence againe is a perpetuall Creation conseruing all things in their kindes as he gaue vnto all their first being so hee beareth vp all things by his mighty word Creation is a benefite common to all creatures but the comfort of it is not common for they who haue lost the dignity of their first estate shall wish one day that they had neuer beene created or that they could againe be turned into nothing But as here these Seniors praise him for their creation so in the next chapter they praise him for their Redemption And indeed they onely finde comfort in creation who with the benefite of creation haue also receiued the benefite of Redemption for then Creation is a step to Glorification and a meane of the execution of the decree of their Predestination to life for if first we had not beene created how should we haue beene redeemed and glorified Againe sith he is the Creator of all according to his owne will when we looke vnto beasts and other creatures inferiour to vs let vs praise him for that it was his will to make vs vnderstanding men And again whē we look to many men whose conuersation is beastly they being strangers from the life of God let vs much more praise him who hath made vs new men sith all is of his will what matter of vnspeakeable comfort haue we that hee hath made vs children of his good will that is to whom hee is well willed in Christ And because our weakenesse is great let this serue vs for a spur to sanctification sith the Lord hath made vs for his owne pleasure how loth should we be to displease him It is said of the Lord Let the Lord reioyce in all his workes so when hee looked to his workes he saw that they were all good but when he considered man It repents me said the Lord that I made man for hee is but flesh and the imaginations of his heart are onely euill continually Oh! how should this humble vs that where the Lord hath ioy in all the rest of his creatures hee is grieued at man by reason of his transgression and how loth should we be to displease the Lord our God who for his pleasure and good will hath made vs and out of his aboundant loue hath also redeemed vs CHAP. V. VERSE 1. And I saw in the right hand of him that sate vpon the Throne a Booke written within and on the backe-side sealed with seuen Seales THE first part of the Preparatorie Vision preceding the Prophecies which are to follow wee haue heard in the former chapter wherein S. Iohn sees the Maiestie of God the Creator sitting on his Throne ruling the world according to his holy will Nothing therein fals out by fortune or accident but all comes according to his Decree written and registred in his Booke Now followes the other part of the Preparatorie Vision wherein S. Iohn sees the Maiesty of God the Redeemer take the Booke out of the hand of him that sits on the Throne and open it that he might reueale to his Church her troubles and battels that were abiding her vnto the end of the world The Vision Preparatory is very proportionall to the Prophecie following As if the Lord this way did prepare his seruant I am to let thee see fearefull changes sore troubles by fraudulent and violent enemies that shall persecute my poore Church but warne thou them that they be not discouraged Thou seest who sits at the Rudder of the world and ruleth all the tumultuous waues of the glassie Sea therein Nothing fals out but according as I haue decreed and the euent of things shall bee according as my Sonne
a soueraigne preseruatiue against all poyson The Beasts of the field as they record attend till the Vnicorne dip his horne in the water then come they and drink Properly therefore is the Kingdome of Christ expressed by the Vnicornes Horne of all other the most firme and durable the most beautifull the most profitable Hee hath changed the bitter waters of Marah and made them sweete neither is there any thing so deadly which his Horne healeth not and makes it to serue for the saluation of his owne And seuen eyes As in his seuen Hornes his complete power is signified so in his seuen Eyes his complete Wisedome These two do greatly commend the royall authority of our King Hee is wise and will do nothing that he should not for hee sees all and knowes perfectly the quality of euery creature the estate of euery cause Againe he is strong and able to do whatsoeuer he will His Eyes are of two sorts Eyes of Prouidence and Eyes of Grace by his eyes of Prouidence hee lookes vnto all things and there is no place nor people in the world to whom these Eyes are not extended but by the Eyes of his Grace hee lookes to his owne as hee did to Ierusalem restored and sends them this blessing Grace Grace be vnto it And heerein hath the Lord magnified his mercy toward vs aboue many other more mighty Kingdomes in the world that where by the Eyes of his Prouidence hee lookes vnto the rest he hath cast the Eyes of his Mercy and Grace vpon vs The Lord hath not dealt so with euery Nation Yet more plainely In the Text these seuen Eyes are expounded to be the seuen Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth Seuen is the number of perfection noting that fulnesse of grace which is in the Lambe for hee receiued not the Spirit by measure and what hee hath receiued hee retaines not to himselfe but as here is said hee sends it out that of his fulnesse we might all receiue grace for grace And hereof commeth the continuance and conseruation of the Church vpon earth because it is continually furnished with grace frō the Lamb hee hath the seuen Starres in his hand and holds them out to such parts of the world as pleaseth him he furnishes graces of his Spirit to his seruants the Preachers according to the times wherein they liue yea and to euery one of his Saints in particular This same Lord who once according to his promise sent downe the holy Spirit in a visible manner vpon his Apostles in the similitude of fierie clouen Tongues doth daily send him from the Throne of Grace in an inuisible manner And this was properly figured in a Vision to Zacharie wherein hee saw a golden Candlestick with seuen Lampes euery Lampe hauing a seuerall pipe through the which Oyle for intertainement of the light in euery Lampe is conueied from the two Oliues which stand before the Ruler of the world Let therefore Satan and his instruments rage as they list let them labour what they can to put out the light of the Candlestick yea let them presume that it is possible for them to roote out the very name of Israel from vnder heauen yet it cannot be for the stability and continuance of the holy Ministerie in the Church with light and grace in it stands in this that it is furnished from heauen the Eyes of the Lamb looke on his Saints and he sends downe his Spirit vpon them and from the Ruler of the world the oyle of Grace is by secret pipes and conduits conueied to his Candlesticke on earth And who is able to interrupt the course thereof VERSE 7. And he came and tooke the Booke out of the right hand of him that sitteth vpon the Trone HEre in effect no other thing is represented then that which was openly proclaimed from heauen first at Iordan next vpon Mount Tab◅ This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him For by this Type the Lord Iesus is declared to bee the onely Doctor of his Church who receiues the Booke from the Father and out of it reueales to his Church the counsell of God which neither Angell nor man was able to doe As Moses went vp to the Mount and receiued the Tables of the Law and gaue them to Israel so our Mediator who came from the bosome of the Father hath brought downe to vs the knowledge of his Will Let vs not presume to go vp to the Mountaine to enquire any thing which our Moses hath not taught vs left wee die let vs remember our place and stand low wee are disciples bound by diuine Proclamation to heare him whom the Father hath sent vnto vs if we would be saued VERSE 8. And when hee had taken the Booke the foure liuing creatures and the foure and twenty Elders fell downe before the Lambe hauing euery one harps golden vials full of odours which are the prayers of the Saints NOw followes the third part of this Chapter containing a three-fold thanksgiuing for the benefit of this Reuelation The first song is sung by Angels and redeemed Saints coniunctly in the eight ninth and tenth verses The second is sung by Angels seuerally in the eleuenth and twelfth verses The third by all creatures in their kind in the thirteenth verse whereunto Angels againe and redeemed Saints say Amen in the last verse Cotterius confesseth that this place did trouble him greatly and no maruell for the foure beastes he expounds to be Veritas Euangelit quadri◅ormis the fourefold verity of the Gospell No maruell therefore as I haue said that both he and others who expound the foure and twentie Elders to be foure and twenty bookes find themselues straited with this place wherin the Spirit of God plainly expoundeth himselfe that the foure and twenty Elders are they whom God hath redeemed by his bloud out of euery kindred tongue people and Nation But leauing them this comes heere first to bee obserued that as before they fell downe and worshipped the Ruler of the World that sits vpon the Throne so now they fall downe and worship the Lambe Saint Paul vseth this as an argument to proue the diuinitie of Christ Iesus taken out of the 97. Psalme Consider how great is hee of whom it is said Let all the Angels of heauen worship him Let Heretiques therefore be silent sith the vvhole Congregation of Angels and Saints redeemed worship him as GOD. In this thanksgiuing these foure circumstances are to be considered First who are the Musicians that sing Next with what gesture Thirdly what are their musicall instruments And lastly vvhat is their song The Musicians are foure liuing creatures representing the principall order of Angels neerest vnto the Throne and foure and twenty Elders representing the whole Church and companie of Saints redeemed By nature Angels and men were at
ciuit Dei lib. 20. cap. 17. Cotter prolegom in Apoc. 2 By pretending the obscurity of it Ierom. epist. ad Paulin. Iren. lib. 4. ca. 43. Aug. de ciuit Dei lib. 20. cap. 17. It was hard for Fathers of the first age to vnderstand this booke Iren. lib. 5. cont Valent. More easie now in respect that in a great part it i◅ accomplished Math. 11. 11. God will haue this book read and reuealed and not concealed Reuel 22. 10. Popish Doctors cannot vnderstand this Prophecie As the Iewes loued the name of Christ but hated himselfe 1. Cor. 2. 8. 2. Cor. 3. 15. So Papists hate the name of Antichrist but honour himselfe Yea they defend Antichrist by the same Arguments by which Iewes impugned Christ. Iohn 7. 48 49. The doctrine of Christ and Antichrist are two Mysteries which many learned vnderstand not 1. Tim. 3. 16. 2. Thess. 2. 7. Math. 11. 25. Romish Doctors should be handled as Primasius did the heretike Ticonius Primas Prolegō in Apoc. Difference among Doctors of the reformed Church is onely about the method of the booke Otherwise for the matter they all sound out one voice Iudg. 7. 19. Iosh. 6. Reu. 17. 16. A Catalogue of Writers on the Reuelation seene by the Author and a short abridgement of their Commentaries 1 Liued yeere 270. after our Lord. 2 Liued yeere 440. 3 Liued yeere 1240. 4 Authour and time vncertaine 5 Printed yeere 1555. 6 Printed time not expressed 7 Printed yeere 1571. 8 Printed yeere 1573. 9 Printed yeere 1560. 10 Printed yeere 1573. 11 Printed yeere 1584. 12 Printed yeere 1584. 13 Vncertaine 14 The time not set downe 15 Printed yeere 1591. 16 Printed yeere 1592. 17 Printed yeere 1596. 18 Printed yeere 1596. 19 Printed yeere 1597. 20 Printed yeere 1601. 21 Printed yeere 1603. 22 Printed yeere 1603. 23 Printed yeere 1607. 24 Printed yeere 1606. 25 Printed yeere 1609. 26 Printed yeere 1610. 27 Printed yeere 1611. 28 Printed yeere 1611. 29 Printed yeere 1611. 30 Printed yeere 1612. 31 Printed yeere 1613. 32 Printed yeere 1613. 33 Printed yeere 1613. 34 Printed yeere 1613. 35 Printed yeere 1615. 36 Printed yeere 1549. 37 Printed yeere 1615. Reuel Reu. 17. 17. Ver. 16. 38 Printed yeere 1617. 39 Printed but time place not exprest 40 Printed at London 41 Printed at London 1616. 42 Printed anno 1618. That the Prophecie be not limited to particular persons and times The first Seale by some restrained for time too narrowly The time of the first Seale continues to the worlds end Reu. 19. 11 12 13. As the Rider on the white appeares in the beginning so also in the end of the battell Reu. 6. 2. The white Horse this same day is still riding among vs. How this Prophecie by some in ridiculous maner is restrained to particular persons No reasonable men will appropriate to themselues that which is common to the Church This Prophecie goeth not on by one cōtinuall course of time interrupted Aug. de Ciuit. Dei ca. 20. lib. 17 Primas in Apoc. But is a Prophecie sundry times and sundry wares repeated This is proued by the iudgement of Interpreters contrary minded When they come to the twelfth chapter they are forced to begin againe These three Prophecies must not bee confounded into one which some Writers do This book is a Prophecie of things which are and are to come Reu. 1. 19. Prophecie in Generall is not onely of things to come but of things both past and present Gen. 1. 1. King 14. 6. 2. King 5. 27. In the first three chapters is a Prophecie of things present when S. Iohn liued The Prophecie of things to come is frō the fourth chapter to the sixt verse of the last Before it there is a Preparatorie Vision chapter 4. 5. After it begins the Visions of Prediction at the sixth chapter The Visions of Prediction are three the state of the Church being foretold three times Gen. 41. 32. A reason of this method taken out of the Prophecie it selfe The first Prophecie is Generall c. 6. 7. The second is Speciall chap. 8 9 10 11. The third is Particular frō the 12. chap. to the 22. How the first Prophecie in effect is a Generall Prognostication telling 1 That Christ wil go through the world with his Gospell 2 The world wil persecute Preachers and Professors of it 3 For the which God will plague the world by temporall iudgements 4 But will secure his Saints frō wrath to come 5 In which at last the wicked shal perish desperately No Seale except the sixt should bee restrained to a particular time In this Method no difficulty is but about the sixth Seale Which some will haue to be a Prophecie of Apostacie others of a tēporall iudgement but neither can be That it is not a Prophecy of Apostasie is proued out of the Text. Reu. 6. 16. A three-fold reason prouing that the sixth Seale imports not a denunciation of iudgement temporall Proued also by similitude of phrases vsed in the seuenth Viall importing the last Wrath. Reu. 16. 15. Ver. 20. Reu. 20. 11. But most of all cleerely proued by comparing this with the like Prophecie of our Sauiour Math. 24. 29. Ver. 30. 31. How the seuenth chapter is a pendicle of the sixt Reu. 6. 11. Containing a larger explanation of the fift and sixt Seales The second Prophecy reacheth from the eighth chapter to the twelfth It denounceth battell to the Church by fraudulent heretiques Yet the first violent persecution was not without heresie and the second fraudulent not without heresie The first Trūpet for time goeth as high as the first Seale In the Trumpets God comes not out in hostility against his enemies but warnes his Church of enemies comming against her How the Trūpets and Vials differ In the one wicked men fight against the Church in the other God fights against the wicked And renders to them iudgement proportional to their sinnes Reu. 16. 5 6. This will bee made plaine by comparing euery Trumpet with the correspondent Viall The Prophecie hath before it a Preface And hath in it selfe two parts 1 A Prophecie of the darkening of the light by heresie 2 A Prophecie of the restitution of the Gospell and Church to her former beauty Reuel 10. 10. Reuel 11. 1. The third Prophecie is Particular In it troubles of the Church by Antichrist are particularly fore-told For this Satan in his restlesse opposition to the Church is first described in the twelfth chapter Then his two instruments figured by two Beasts in the 13. chapter Whereof the first is Rome vnder Emperours The other is Rome vnder Popes Why the Beast is described with seuen Heads seeing two of them onely troubled the Christian Church The Pope is the seuenth Head of the first Beast and yet described in the second Beast by himselfe The Pope in the second Beast is described in the last part of the 13. chapter Reuel 13. 16. At the foureteenth a party appeares to the Pope whereupon followes the Popes
the perfection of Christ his prophetical office Concil Trident. Ses. 2. But let them tell who can 〈◊〉 that which Iesus hath not 〈◊〉 Iustin. â—…xord in Tryph. Irâ—…n lib. 2. c. 47. Antiquitie pleads the perfection of holy Scripture Ibid. Basil. in Ser. de Fidei consâ—…nsit But most blasphemous are they in affirming that he hath not perfectly done the Office of an High Priest The negatiue answer excludes all creatures Iesuits contrary to their own doctrine expound this of Limbus patrum And no lesse ridiculous are they in expounding these vnder the earth of their Purgatorie How all kinde Christians are affected with the least losse and troubles which befall the Church Pro. 11. 14. Examples hereof in old Eli. 1. Sam. 4 18. In his daughter 1. Sam. 4. 20 21 In Nehemiah Nehem. 1. 2. Nehem. 2. 1. Amos 6. 1 6. To Christians the opening of the Bible is a ioy to Antichristians a griefe Consolation commeth to the godly after their mourning Math. 9. 17. Cant. 1. 1. Psal. 126. 6. All comfort is in Christ none without him in the creature The description of Christ is taken out of holy Scriptures Tertul. de praescrip 〈◊〉 Aug. de ciuit Dei lib. 2. cap. 2. Hilar. lib. 7. de trinit â—…om Why Christ is called a Lion 1. Pet. 5. 8. Rom. 16. 20. Iosua 5. 9 10. And yet such a Lyon as is also a Lambe Why Christ is called the Roote of Dauid Esa. 11. 1. 10. How the Messia was the roote of Iesse and Iesse the roote of the Messia Math. 22. 43. Psal. 110. 1. What comfort we haue that our Lord was made man of the seede of man once sinfull Theodoret. dialog 1. cap. 26. Cap. 25. It assures vs that at length he shall separate our nature from all sinne Ephes. 5. 27. Papists not vnderstanding this do foolishly affirme that the Virgin Mary was without all sinne Bern. 〈◊〉 174. Ibid. A new doctrin and a false flatly conuinced by antiquity Psal. 51. 5. Iohn 14. Aug. tract in Ioan. 41. cap. 8. Anselm lib. 2. cap. 16. Iob 14. 4. Many Christians by information not by inspiration 1. Cor. 1. 6. Great coÌ„fort that our elder brother clothed with our nature is in the midst of the throne Christ figured by a Lambe to expresse his meekenesse patience in suffering Esa. 53. 7. And next to expresse the great benefit that from him redounds to vs. Christ was indeed and really slaine The manner of speech as if he had beene slaine imports that hee was surely slaine Ioh. 1. 14. â—… Cor. 3. 18. Christ was slaine but so that hee liued againe Rom. 1. 4. Why hee appeared after his resurrection with the scarres of his wounds This is no argument of impotency in him but rather prooues his mighty power Macar hom 11. Bern. de passione Domini Hornes in Scripture signisie power For these seâ—… Hornes are ascribed to Christ. Zach. 1. Sometime one Horne is attributed vnto Christ. Psal. 92. 10. Three properties of the Vnicorne his Horne Seuen Eyes ascribed to Christ to shew his most perfect wisedome He hath Eyes of Prouidece these looke to all and Eyes of Grace these looke to his own children Zach. 4. 7. Psal. 147. 20. Christ receiued fulnesse of grace that he might giue to his Church Ioh. 3. 34. Hereof commeth the conseruation of the Church on earth because It is furnished from the heauen Reu. 1. 16. â—…ach 4. 2 3. This is figured in Zachary his Vision of the Golden Candlesâ—…lcke Psal. 83. 4. Christ onely authorized to bee the great and publike Doctor of his Church Math. 17. Exod. 32. The third part of the chapter contayning a threefold thanksgiuing 1 Of Angels 2 Of Saints redeemed 3 Of all creatures This verse vexeâ—…h them who expound the some and twenty Elders to be foure and twenty bookes The diuinitie of Christ proued in that Angels doe worship him Heb. 1. 5. Foure circumstances to bee considered in this song of Angels 1 Who are the Musicians figured by foure beasts Gen. 3. 24. Angels and men at variance before now sing one song Colos. 1. 20. Yea creatures of most contrary kind by Christ are made to concord This is that wonderfull peace foretold by Esaiah fulfilled by Messia Esa. 11. 6. Clemens Alex. in exbor ad Gâ—…es Miserable are they who now vnder the Kingdome of Christ cannot be moued to peace 2 The second circumstance notes their gesture in praysing God as it was represented to Saint Iohn 2. Cor. 6. 20. Rom. 6. Bodily humiliation required in the seruice of our God how it is comfortable for our selues so to doe 1. Sam. 2. 30. 1. Cor. 15. 43. Rom. 8. 11. 3 The instruments wherewith they praise God 1. Harpes 2. Vials Euery Angel hath his instrument for Gods praise learning euery man to do the like Ioh. 1. Gen. 8. 21. Psal. 18. Psal. 125. 5. Their harpes doe note two things 1 The great ioy they haue in praysing God Mat. 17. 1. Sam. 16. 23. 2 The sweet harmony concent that is among them Psal. 133. 1. Act. 1. 1. Cor. 1. Sinne of this age that the bond of loue is broken by them who prosesse one faith The right Harpe of a Christian is his Heart Psal. 57. Then is the Heart well tuned when it answers the Lord in obedience to his Law This a Christian doth in perfection of parts not of degrees Bastard Professors reproued Iam. 2. 10. They answer the Lord as the Eccho doth a mans voice With their Harpes they haue also golden Vials The heart should be like a Viall and wherein Cant. 4. 12. It should bee golden that is holy and pure 2. Tim. 2. 8. 2. Tim. 2. 20. Prayers of Saints figured by sweete Odours Psal. 141. 2. Gen. 8. 21. Both the Bride and Bridegroome haue their owne Odours Reuel 8. 3. Christ hath two-fold Odours One that ascends to God his Father Cant. 1. Another that descends to his brethren How the smell of these Odours should allure vs. Bernard How the Church hath also two-fold Odours 1 Odours of Contrition and what are the ingredients thereof 2 Odours of Thankesgiuing and what are the ingredients thereof This place abused by Papists to defend prayer vnto Saints departed Rhemists Foure sorts of prayer mentioned in holy Scripture 1. Tim. 2. Of these foure two only are ascribed to Saints triumphant Saints triumphant want two things for which they pray 1 They want their bodyes 2 They want their brethren Heb. 11. 40. Without these they cannot be perfected Reue. 6. They cannot pray for our particular necessities This same place by three arguments improues praier to Saints Exod. 30. 1 Incense might be made no other way then God commanded so prayer c. Psalm 50. Math. 6. 9. Rom. 8. 2 Incense might not be burnt but vpon the golden Altar so prayer may not be offred to God in the name of any but Iesus Math. 17. 5. 3 Incense made for the Lord might not be applyed to any but to the
with his Saints in earth and in heauen 334 E EArthquake 255 Elders twenty foure cannot signifio Bookes 90. 91. 150. What they are 90. Primasius iudgment concerning them 92. Why they are so called 90. 91. Their Crownes 93. 94 Ephraim why omitted 292. 293 Examples of deuouring Beasts 235 Executors of wrath haue all a limited Commission 232 F FAmine 229. 220. 221. Horrible examples of it 226 Fathers not to be followed in all thingâ—… 92. The Fathers of the first age could hardly vnderstand the Reuelation 7. They are falsly charged for Heretiques by Iesuites 244. Feare a bulwarke against it 80. What good and what euill men seare most 265 Free-will 172 G GOD workes in his children that which hee craues of them 77. Why sometimes hee is put without a name 182. His Eternity Iustice and Mercy 84. 85. His operation terrible 96. Gracious 97. His manifold wisedome seene in the variety of his workes 107 God giueth to man and man to God but in different manners 118. Hee is a liuing Lord. 188. How he is said to demand any thing 310. Hee iudgeth and hee auengeth 245 God how hee speakes vnto soules 247. 310. 311. Hee workes both by good and euill Angels 271. Hee doth what he saith 283 Go to God we cannot except we go out of our selues 69 Gospell hath a speedy course 199. It is a ioyfull message 205. Wrongfully blamed by the world 222 Good men and euill vnder the like crosses the one vnlike the other 223. Good euill temporall is common to good and euill men 234. But good things are to come to good men which the wicked shall neuer see Ibid. Glory of Saints how increased 296 Glorified Saints are Kings indeed 312 H HAnds linked and hearts locked in this age 175 Harpe of a Christian is his heart 154. 156. when is it well tuned 155. 156 Hardnesse of heart 345 Heart resembled by a golden Viall 158. Heart disposed to pray a fore-runner of grace 246. It must be the Altar of Burnt-offering before it can be the Altar of Incense 304 Helim after Marah what it is 315 Hell 231 Heauen three waies taken in holy Scripture 65. Heauenly things how to be learned 64. Heauen departing like a scroll 259 Holinesse proper to God 114 Hornes what they signifie in Scripture 145. 146 Horse white a type of Preachers 204. The white Horse continueth to the end of the Battell 209 Humility 109. 110 Hymnes of Papists discordant from songs of Saints 305 Hiding from God cannot bee 265 Hearing of God must go before seeing 77 Heauy wrath abides the wicked 233. 234. 256 I IAsper stone 83. 84 Idolatry destroyes Kingdomes and houses 297 Iewes first in the Couenant 284 Their Tribes not alway reckoned in order 286. 287 Iesuites do well to enquire for a new Seat for their Pope 55 Image of God is our first and last glory 279 Ioy of heauen how exprest 166 Iudge and reuenge belong to God 245 Iudgements of God righteous 224 K KIngs earthly not like the Lord. 87. 88 Kneeling due to God 119. And comfortable for our selues 153. Kneeling in prayer recommended by S. Iames his example 308 Knowledge that Saints haue in heauen 247. Conceite of knowledge is a sore enemy to true knowledge 312 L LEui his comfort 288 Liberty of conscience 217 218 Liberty Christian abused by Libertines 170 Limbus patrum â—…lumbat 134 Linnen of a rare sort 300 Loue broken by them who professe one faith 155. 156 Life to come affoords good things 108. Life threefold giues the Lord. 188. Life of good and euill men haue different courses and ends 325. Life present vaine 338. and miserable Ibid. Life to come 325. Happy state of Saints there 334. Felicity of it 336. How God shall leade vs in it 342. How wee shall be changed 343 How to be preferred to this life 346. M MAN vncleane both for conception and conuersation 316. He hath proud Propositions weake Assumptions vaine and fruitlesse Conclusions 80. How weake he is in his strongest estate 258. Man cannot consist without Gods creatures how can hee then want himselfe 220 Marie not without sinne 141. 142 Mercy first offered yer iudgement be executed 227. Contempt of mercy a sore sinne 292. Mercy of God to this I le 275 Meriting vertue is personall and proper to Christ. 164 Mirrour for man to looke into 262 Ministers of the Word should be farre from timidity as farre from timerity 198. 199 Millinaries errour 176 Mourning is good now 347. Iust causes thereof Ibid. N NEw Song 150. 151. 165 Number of elect 286 O OBedience of bastard Christians iâ—…perfect 157. compaâ—…d 〈◊〉 Echo Ibid. 〈◊〉 the Bride Bridegroome and sundry sorts which both of them haue 158. 159 Omnipotencie of God wherein it consists 114. Great help of our faith 106 abused by Papists Ibid. P PAtience 316 Papists admonished 55. Reproued by Angels 110. Their prayer to creatures well warranted 264. They count vs Heretiques for singing with Angels and Saints 309. Papall Purgations are possutions 314 Palme-tree a signe of victorie 301 Peace maruellous in our time 213. 222. 152. 153 Persecutors may take away peaâ—… 〈◊〉 not internall 217. They are profitable to Saints but pernicious to themselues 218. and foolish 248 Persecution followes Preaching 210 Perfection of parts wee haue not of degrees 156 Pestilence 228 Prayer and praise compared 113. Prayers are sweete Odours 158. 159. They should not be made vnto Saints 160 161. Foure sorts of prayer Ibid. Comfort against weake prayer 164. What stiles to God should be vsed in prayer 244. Force of prayer 255. In prayer teares are better then talke 304. Babbling in prayer reproued 310 Praises of God should bee feruent 185. Coldnesse in praysing God rebuked â—…bid In praysing of God euery Christian should haue his part 153. 154 Preachers grace how it groweth 63. A warning to Preachers 70. They are compared to horses sadled and bridled by Christ 202. can doe nothing without Christ 202. 203. The vertue of their touÌ„g 200. They need both bridle and spur 202. How they are transported by Christ both in respect of place and preaching 202. 203. Christ worketh by them that which themselues know not 204 Preachers should be holy 204. Their comfort 288 Preaching and â—…all Peace seldome goe together 210 Predictions diuine arguments of diuine prouidence 72 Presence of God is threefold in goodnesse in grace in glory 326. terible to the wicked 261 Prophecie is of things past present and to come 35. Prophecie of the Reuelation not to bee limited to particular times and persons 29. It goeth not by one interrupted course of time 32. but is sundry times sundry waies repeated 33. It consists of three prophecies which cannot be confounded 34. 37. 38 39. 44. 48. 49. it is not to be vnderstood of things past in the old Testament 71 Professors not to bee discouraged for that they are not Preachers 209. Presumptuous professors warned 325 Prerogatiues carnall not to be respected in heauen 287 Pope is