Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	life_n	open_v	work_n	2,866	5	5.7385	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A73707	A plaine explanation of the vvhole Revelation of Saint John Very necessary and comfortable in these dayes of trouble and affliction in the church. Penned by a faithfull preacher, now with God, for more priuate vse, and now published for the further benefit of the people of God.	Cartwright, Thomas, 1535-1603.	1622 (1622)	STC 4710.5; ESTC S124379	79,172	144

some doe imagine any particular Country of Germany England c. saying that as the Gospell came out of the East into the West so it shall returne out of the West into the East and then say they these West Countries falling from the truth shall set themselues against the Church which thing can haue no allowance at all from hence But here onely is meant those most bitter enemies of the Church which being stirred vp by Sathan shall come with all might and malice that can be and shall fight against the Church compassing about it to destroy it But it is said the Church shall haue victory and that by Christ for fire that is the wrath of God shall come downe from heauen and consume them After he saith that the Diuell is taken for hauing spoken before of the Whore of the Beast and of the false Prophet he now sheweth what shall be done to the Diuell who was last to be destroyed and it is said that he was cast into a lake of fire and brimstone there to be tormented with the Beast and the false Prophet for euermore The second part of the Chapter is of the description of the last iudgement where first it is said there was a white Throne which of what matter it shall be no man knoweth yet seeing Christ is man as well as God he shall haue no doubt a royall and reall place wherein he shall sit most euidently His glory is further expressed in that the heauens and the earth shall flye away from before his face and shall passe away and shall burne with fire 2 Pet. 3. Then shall the dead be raised vp and all both great and small shall be summoned before God The Bookes were opened that is the Bookes of euery mans conscience shall be laid open and disclosed wherein is nothing but guiltinesse of conscience to condemne euery one Notwithstanding there is another Booke open which is the Booke of life to wit the Booke of Predestination which euery one shall be iudged by as he is elect or reprobate yet so as that election and reprobation doe not take away workes for it is said they shall be iustified or condemned according to their workes for they that are elected to life are also elected to sanctification the reprobate contrariwise The iust haue reward not for their good workes sake but according to their good workes wrought and that not before their calling conuersion and regeneration but which afterwards were done in faith and this onely for his owne mercie and promise sake in Christ The wicked are condemned according to their workes and for their workes sake their name being not found in the Booke of life Lastly it is said that death hell were cast into the lake that is were swallowed vp in immortality there being now no more danger of death hell Apoc. Cap. 21. 1 And I saw a new heauen and a new earth for the first heauen and the first earth were passed away and there was no more Sea c. VVEe haue heard heretofore of the straits of the Church militant being in warfare in this present world subject to many troubles and persecutions yet being defended and protected by God was not ouercome by any of them Now followes the state of the Church triumphant after this world And first here Saint Iohn sets forth the state of all the world then of the Church Euen as Moses in the Booke of Genesis describes first the beginning and creation of the whole world and then sets downe the condition and state of the Church The state of the world is declared in the first verse in that it is said there was a new heauen a new earth that is the heauens being partly corrupted and darkened by sinne and hauing lost somewhat of their glory they had before shall not onely haue that former but a better glory then the first so likewise should the earth and the sea also for in that it is said the Sea shall be no more it is not to be vnderstood that it should not afterwards be but that it should not then be the same that now it is namely raging tempestuous and disturbed as now wee see it to be but it should be still and quiet the waters and the fishes remaining still yet without roaring swelling and that distemperature which now it hath As for the Church it is described generally in the first seauen Verses particularly in the rest of the Chapter as also in some of the next In generall hee compares the Church to a braue Spouse prepared and trimmed for a King Christ being her Husband signifying the glory and beautie of the Church of God for as in the dayes of the solemnizing of marriage Brides vse to goe beyond their ordinary custome and kinde of apparell so the Church is now decked and beautified with full and perfect glory Secondly it is compared to a City comming downe from heauen that is a beautifull City hauing all her honour glory and good frame of building not from her selfe but from God not as the Cities which are builded by men but as one that is builded by God himselfe for as earthly Cities builded by men receiue their title from them so this City being built by God hath her name also from God Neither is here meant in that it comes downe from heauen that it should be in earth but onely that it is altogether heauenly Afterward the state and blessednesse of it is set forth in that God shall dwell in it continually as the Scripture testifieth that he shall more fully remaine and dwell with them then before for as it is said in the Scripture that in this life hee will Dine and Sup with them so now it is said he shall abide with them for euermore Then is set forth what they shall haue by the dwelling of God with them namely all happinesse first in that they shall drinke of the Well of life that is should receiue all pleasure and al comfortable good and desirable things Secondly God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes that is all things naught grieuous corrupt and painefull shall be taken from them And albeit to flesh and bloud this may seeme a strange thing and altogether impossible and incredible in regard of these miseries we now are in and of our sinfulnesse and wretchednesse yet to take away that infidelity of ours it is said that God himselfe speaketh it and bids Iohn write that all things shall be new for he will make all things new howsoeuer now they be troublesome and old And in that he biddeth Iohn for the further comfort of the Church of God to write that all old things are done and that new things are come and in that he saith that to him that thirsteth he will giue of the water of life and that he which ouercommeth shall inherite all things yet hee so saith it that none shall haue it without holinesse of life for as for

God and contemned it And whereas it is said he blasphemed those that dwell in heauen it noteth that not onely in generall hee did speake euill of Gods Church but he did euen maligne the particular persons which make profession of the truth of God as appeareth in the histories After this Beast is said to haue a wound in one of his heads that is thought to be accomplished in the time of Nero who was the last of the chiefe Emperours of that race which was wounded being euen cut off by their euill and wicked liuing and especially by the cruelty of Nero insomuch that they thought their Empire was like to come to confusion which indeed had come to passe if it had not beene vpheld and maintained by the discreet counsell of those that followed which were more wise politique and subtill then the other notwithstanding they were wicked men So that by these it was restored againe yea though it were euen almost past hope yet it was suddenly reuiued and that in such sort that all men wondred at it and hereby they attained such credit as they did for it was maruellous in the iudgement of men that a Kingdome so neere the fall was so soone and so strongly fortified wherupon they are moued to worship the Beast and to say who is like the Beast And these that wondred are drawne away to follow the Beast which are described to be those which were liuing in that time whose names were not written in the Booke of life of the Lambe which was slaine which Booke is from the beginning of the world not that it is here meant of Christ to be slaine from the beginning for that cannot be so directly gathered out of this place These things thus described hee warneth them of the issue and first hee moueth attention If any man saith he hath an eare to heare let him heare willing them thereby to take heed to that which is spoken and which after he is to speake to the terror of the wicked and the comfort and good of the Saints and of the godly And he saith if any leade into captiuity he shall be led into captiuity c. to shew that what measure they haue meted to others the same should be measured to them and as they haue dealt with others so they should be dealt withall themselues And in this point saith he standeth the faith and patience of the Saints faith to beleeue that God will bring this iudgement on the wicked their patience in that vpon this assurance of this iustice of God vpon the wicked they should patiently beare those corrections and troubles which shall befall them and patiently also wait for the accomplishment of those iudgements of God vpon their oppressors And thus farre of the iudgements which the Church of the Gentiles should suffer by the crueltie of the Roman Empire Afterward follow the troubles that befall the Church by the Bishop of Rome who is hereby noted and set forth vnto vs namely in that it is said there appeared another Beast like a Lambe signifying that howsoeuer this other Beast of Rome be most brutish and voide of humanity and vertue And this is to be vnderstood of the Pope for he professeth himselfe to be the seruant of seruants but in deed and practise he maketh himselfe Lord of Lords and this is not onely to be vnderstood of one in that seat but of all that succeed him and that take his part and which are of his Hierarchy His effects doe follow to wit first that hee spake like a Dragon noting that the chiefe mischiefe which should come to the Church by him should be by his teaching and instructing them in that false doctrine which hee should receiue from the Dragon which sheweth that he is a false and lying Prophet as receiuing his office and doctrine from the father of lyes which is the Diuell In that hee caused the earth to worship the first Beast is meant that subiection which he did pretend to the Empire in outward shew and so farre forth onely as his profit would serue albeit indeed he doth exalt himselfe aboue the Emperours And he did all that the first Beast could doe before his face signifying that he makes but a iest and mocke at the Romane Empire for towards the end the Romane Empire should fall before him and decay so that albeit in shew they would pretend to giue subiection to it yet the Emperour had onely the name and title of authority to be called Lord which we see indeed is and was but of small reckoning for the Pope seemed rather to be Lord to himselfe as wee see in the Histories that the Emperours tooke many reproaches and abuses of the Pope yea the Pope did tread on the necke of the Emperours vsurping that saying of the Psalmist Thou shalt tread on the Ader and the Aspe c. yea the Pope and those that were vnder him did as it were make an Anatomy of the Empire for as the Anatomists doe first take away their flesh and then ioyne the bones and the other parts of the body together so make him like a man againe euen so did the Pope deale with the Empire This Beast also made an Image in fauour of the first Beast to which hee put a spirit and the dead image did speake As it hath appeared to haue beene done by them that the Diuell sometimes did speake in their images to the illuding of the wicked sometimes by other deceits and illusions to beguile the simple He also brought fire from heauen alluding as it were to the two good Prophets before who are said to haue caused fire to come downe from heauen which is verrified of this false Prophet who did and doth for the confirming of their false doctrine worke many counterfeit and fained miracles in the world And lastly it is said he should so preuaile in the world that none should traffique but such as should haue the marke of the Beast which seemeth to be the signing in the forehead at their Sacrament of confirmation which the Papists doe so esteeme of as that they preferre it before the Lords Sacrament or else they should haue the name of the Beast which is thought to be their confession which they make to their Bishops and Priests The singlest thing is the number of the Beast wherein is the speciall wisedome of Popery and it is said to be the number of a man that is hee must be a learned man among them that must come to the knowledge of it Of which diuers are of diuers opinions as namely that it signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 latinus but that is too Caballisticall the meaning whereof being not as certainely yet attained vnto though very probably guessed at by many is to be pretermitted Apoc. Cap. 14. 1. Then I looked and lo a Lambe stood on mount Sion and with him an hundreth fortie and foure thousand hauing his fathers Name written in their foreheads c.