the time shall not be distinguished by it we shall not be directed by the light of it for God himselfe shall be our Sunne God shall be our light for euermore Apoc. Cap. 12. l. And there appeared a great wonder in heauen A woman cloathed with the Sunne and the Moone was vnder her feete and vpon her head a crowne of twelue Starres c. HEre in this Chapter is set downe a description of the Church of which it is said there was a great signe noting the great estimation that God hath of his Church which his great estimation of it is set forth in that shee is said to be cloathed with the Sunne which is the most glorious creature declaring and expressing her exceeding glory in the sight of God Shee had the Moone vnder her feete signifying her rule and authority ouer all the things below that are subiect to change in that she onely hath receiued of God power to subdue them and shee doth of right possesse them the wicked are vsurpers Vpon her head shee had a Crowne of twelue Starres shewing her Queenely Maiestie shee being the Spouse of Christ as also her victory ouer all her enemies It is said shee trauelled her trauell is meant of the Church of the Iewes of whom this is testified in the Euangelists the 9. of the Acts of the Apostles how great resistance there was against our Sauiour Christ against the Apostles the rest what great and grieuous persecutions they then sustained for the Gospell-sake in the beginning of the primitiue Church because they went about to beget to bring and to draw Children vnto God out of the seede of Abraham Afterward another great wonder is seene to wit a great Dragon namely the Diuell compared to a Dragon and called the great Dragon because of his great strength and exceeding fiercenesse for such is the strenght of a Dragon as that he is able to gripe with an Elephant He is described to haue seauen heads and ten hornes by seauen heads noting his great wisedome knowledge and vnderstanding of things as also it signifieth his wit and subtiltie to resist the Church and to make more mischiefe against the seauen Churches that is all the Churches of God And his tenne hornes signifieth his will and power to doe much hurt to them His Crownes signifie his victory in preuailing against the world to wit ouer those whom God hath not ordained to saue whose names are not written in the Booke of life and for this cause he is called the Prince of the world because he hath the greater part of the world vnder his obedience What his tayle he ouerthroweth many Starres noting that there are many like vnto Starres in outward shew being graced with notable gifts and being as it were lifted vp to heauen by the knowledge they had and the notable profession they made of God hauing some feeling also being yet not Sealed are by the tayle of the Dragon that is by small power and light temptations pulled backe from the same and fall from the faith After he saith He stood before the Woman noting that he setteth himselfe very fiercely and sharpely against the woman that is the Church and Children of God whose names were written in the Booke of life And therefore hee is said to wait on the woman first to hinder her that shee should not bring forth and then to deuoure them at the least when they were brought forth that is when they haue beene called and made profession of the truth and are made members of Christ by faith euen then is hee ready most strongly to assault them to ouerthrow if it were possible the foundation of their faith Where hee compareth the Diuell to an enuious Mid-wife opposing him to a good Mid-wife for as she is carefull to helpe the woman in trauell and to saue the Childe so the Diuell contrariwise is ready to hinder and hurt the Church and to destroy her seede Whereas the Church is said to bring forth a Man-Childe it is first meant of Christ and then of his members and seruants in the beginning of the Church whom now hee hath ioyned vnto him in his kingdome but principally it is to be vnderstood of Christ that valiant one who albeit hee was stung on the Crosse by the Serpent yet euen thereby hee ouercame and after was taken vp to heauen and had victory triumphing ouer the diuell ouer sinne and ouer all his enemies and the enemies of the Church Then it is said there was a battell in heauen by heauen he meaneth the militant Church of God vnder the Gospell which is the part of Gods kingdome for the kingdome of God which is begun euen in earth The principall in this battell is first Michael to wit Christ and with him his Angels namely the godly Saints with the good Angels on the one side and on the other side the Dragon with his Angels namely the wicked spirits and wicked men But the godly ouercome the Dragon and his Angels the meanes whereby they ouercome is through the bloud of the Lambe which is their principall armour being such as that albeit they themselues were killed notwithstanding by reason hereof they were made conquerours and were now receiued into the kingdome of heauen and Sathan is throwne out of the kingdome Which thing when Sathan saw as namely that now he had lost all his aduantage as it were and that hee could haue nought to doe with them any more they being now triumphing in the kingdome of God hee waxeth mad as it were and rageth against the earth more fiercely then before And hereupon the Elders and the rest of Gods Children in heauen are brought in reioycing at this victory and saying peace in the heauen that is to the Children of God that were then deliuered but woe to the earth that is to the inhabitants of the earth because that they should haue much to doe and suffer great trouble for seeing Sathan by the constant induring of those that had giuen their liues in the defence of the truth perceiued that hee had got such a foile he therefore rageth against those that remaine and for this cause it is said woe to them on the earth not that they should perish but onely should bee greatly afflicted through the malice of Sathan and his instruments Now then it is said that hee persecuted the woman that is the Church in persecuting the Church she hath a place appointed her in the Wildernesse whither she flyeth for one thousand two hundred and sixty dayes the time we haue heard before to haue beene during the space of the hard dealing with the two Prophets wherein they prophecied which wee shewed to containe so many yeares By this flight of the woman into the Wildernesse for one thousand two hundred and sixty dayes set downe in the sixt verse and the persecution whereby the Dragon pursued her that space is meant those persecutions in generall which followed against the whole Church during the
1. the worke of the God-head in fashioning of all the Creatures as it is there meant but here it is rather to be vnderstood of his worke of redemption as hee is Mediator That which he reprehendeth in them is this namely that they are neither hot nor colde that is they halt betweene two Religions swimming as it were betweene two waters and this he setteth out to be a very desperate case and therefore saith hee I would for thine owne sake thou werest either hot or colde for because thou art neither but onely luke-warme it shall come to thee as vseth to befall the luke-warme water in a mans stomacke which will not abide but must be spued out euen so saith he because thou art neither hot nor colde it will come to passe that I shall euen spue thee out of my mouth that is I shall vtterly abandon thee out of my fauour and cast thee cleane from mee so that I shall haue nothing to doe with thee any more Then to declare vnto them the grieuousnesse of this sinne of theirs hee telleth them the cause of that their luke-warmenesse in religion to wit because saith hee thou saiest thou art rich that is thou thinkest thy selfe to be perfect and in good estate but indeed thou art poore naked destitute of all grace and hast nothing at all yea thou art blinde and canst not see thy want and therefore thou art so much the more miserable and thy case more dangerous and desperate And therefore saith he I aduise thee to looke to thy selfe quickly and to addresse thy wants And he telleth the meanes how they may doe it namely come saith hee and buy of mee gold c. But may some say how can the Church buy any thing of Christ seeing she hath nothing at all but is altogether poore and destitute The Prophet Esay answereth come and buy but he addeth for nothing And therefore our Sauiour saith here come and buy of me gold that is onely if thou wilt come and enrich thy selfe with the riches of my graces come and buy white apparell that is cloath thee with my Righteousnesse and so couer thy shame and get a Collirium an Ointment to annoint thy blinde eyes that thou maist see better and know more perfectly what a grieuous case thou art in and what a fault thou hast committed Like vnto this Church is the estate of many that professe the Gospell among vs who thinke they are well and that they haue great knowledge whereas indeed they haue nothing at all as their liues doe testifie Lastly that they should not take in euill part this his sharpe reprehension he saith as many as hee loueth he rebuketh and chasteneth and therefore they should take his reproofe in good part and be brought to repentance by it for it was a manifest token of his loue and fatherly kindnesse towards them if they would profit by it And he bids them also be zealous where he noteth another cause of their former sinne to be want of zeale which he wisheth them to reforme And he saith though he be a King yea the King of Kings yet he standeth at the doore and knocketh that is calleth them to repentance and promiseth if they will let him in that is turne from their sinne and yeeld to his will he will come vnto them and Sup with them signifying what exceeding ioy and comfort they should receiue by him yea they should be made partakers of the ioyes of heauen where he alludeth to the comfort that friends haue one of another when they meete together at their Dinners Suppers and Feasts which thing if it be comfortable to men much more comfort shall it minister vnto vs to be partakers of the company of Christ Iesus himselfe in his heauenly banquet A second benefit he noteth in that those that doe thus receiue him and ouercome shall not onely receiue comfort but glory also and honour in his Kingdome and that hee will set them vpon his Throne and they should raigne with his Father in his Kingdome Apoc. Cap. 4. 1. After this I looked and behold a doore was open in heauen and the first voyce which I heard was as it were of a Trumpet talking with me saying Come vp hither and I will shew thee things which must be done hereafter c. HItherto wee haue heard of the first part of the Reuelation concerning the things that were then done Now it remaineth to speake of the things to come which is giuen vs to vnderstand in the beginning of this Chapter in that it is said I will shew thee things which must be done hereafter And first here are set forth those things generally which are afterwards to come vnto the whole world and this is from this Chapter to the beginning of the tenth Chapter Afterwards the things that befall particularly to the Church of God from the tenth Chapter to the end of the Booke According as Daniel in his Prophecie did first manifest vnto the Church the things which should befall vnto the Monarchs and then vnto the Church it selfe also The which iudgements it pleaseth the Lord to reueale vnto his Church because they being in the world though they be not of the world as our Sauiour Christ speaketh are yet interessed in those outward troubles which come vpon the world First then it is said there was a dore open in heauen Which teacheth vs that vnlesse God open a doore vnto vs all things are hid in his Counsell and shut vp so that none can see into them and especially those things which concerne the saluation of Man Againe it is said he heard another voice like a Trumpet which was to waken him better for albeit hee was wakened before yet he was not sufficiently wakened and stirred vp to behold the things afterward to be deliuered The like wee see in Daniel and Ezechiel to shew that we had need of new calling on and new attention of new stirring vp and preparation whensoeuer wee are to learne any new thing out of the word of God euen as Iohn had a new preparation because of this new matter to be reuealed for new things require new attention After hee was bidden to come vp Which teacheth vs that vnlesse wee be lifted vp aboue our selues by Gods power to the beholding of heauenly things and of those things especially which belong to our saluation we can haue no power to vnderstand them And whereas hee is here bidden to come vp and not before in the other place it sheweth vs that the matters following which were afterwards to come to passe are more difficult and haue the more need with greater diligence to be obserued and that we are with more care to labour for the vnderstanding of them then of those things that were before And whereas he is said to be rauished in the spirit it meaneth that he was as it were cast asleepe and in a trance and his senses being with-held from all manner of obiects which might
hinder him hauing for a time set aside all worldly things and cogitations to the end all the powers of his soule might be lifted vp and be more intent and that so hee might hearken more diligently to those things that were ready to be told him Which teacheth vs when wee goe about holy and heauenly matters wee must be as it were in a new world and we must separate our selues from all worldly things and worldly cogitations though otherwise at other times lawfull and addict and addresse our selues wholly to those holy things of our God Then he commeth to the vision it selfe Where first is set down the preparation and preface of that which is to come contained in this and in the next Chapter In the preface is described and set forth vnto vs the person of God the Father and that diuersly first by a Throne and one sitting thereon comparing him in likenesse to a Iasper and Sardy Stone that is very glorious to behold and of most exceeding valour not describing him by any forme or portraicture but by the glory which those most precious Iewels that can be doe represent This glory is declared by the reflection which was so great that it made all that was round about the Throne to be like a Rainbow that is glorious and excellent for as the brightnesse of the Sunne causeth those notable colours which wee see in the Rainbow so the glory of God maketh all round about him glorious After he is described by his Assistants to wit foure and twentie Elders that is the Church of God the chiefe whereof are in the Scripture twelue Patriarches in the old Testament and the twelue Apostles in the New vnder which number all the rest are comprehended These are said to haue white Robes and Crownes and to sit vpon Thrones in forme of Kings for all these are things belonging properly vnto Princes signifying that in Christ we are all Kings being made partakers of his Kingdome Afterward God is described by the effects which proceeded from the Throne to wit thunders and lightnings and voices and their immediate cause in that they came from the seauen Lamps which are the seauen spirits of God namely the holy Ghost whereby God doth all things that he doth This teacheth that seeing the thunders lightenings c. come from the Throne of God that therefore nothing can come by chance or fortune as men vainely suppose but onely by the direction and counsell of God and from him who is the Ruler and Disposer of all things in the world By lightnings thunders and voices seemeth to be meant the iudgements and anger of God to be executed on the wicked which doe follow in the next Chapters viz. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. for it is not vnmeet that in these the iudgements should be set forth seeing they are the fearefull workes of God And here God the Father is described to be a Iudge and to fit like a Iudge as being Iudge of all the world as he is called Gen. 18. 25. Then he is described by foure Beasts in the middes of the Throne and round about to wit the chiefe Angels of God wayting for to execute Gods will at all times And as Sargeants attend on their Iudge so are they being alwaies ready to receiue any commandement he enioyneth them So also our Sauiour Christ in Iohn is said to waite still on the will of his Father namely as he is Mediator In that these are said to be foure it is not to be thought that there were no more in number but hee vnderstandeth by foure a competent and sufficient number able to execute any thing which God will haue fulfilled in all the world in the East West South and North. These Beasts are also described to be full of eyes signifying their prouidence and singular direction they goe withall Then they are seuerally described the first of them is like a Lyon declaring their courage the second like an Oxe signifying their strength the third like a Man noting their wisedome the fourth like an Eagle shewing their swiftnesse and speedinesse in doing Gods will Their sixe wings expresseth their readinesse to goe to all places their wings full of eyes shew that they goe not at all aduentures These were about the Throne Vnder it was a Sea of Christall whereby seemeth to be meant the earthly creatures and all things in this present world compared to a Sea because of the vnconstancie of them likened to Christall because God seeth clearely into them and through them for as one may see easily into Glasse and Christall so these are euidently seene and discerned of God as being continually in his sight and presence hauing beene made by him and being gouerned by him After the foure Beasts are said to fall downe and praise him day and night for all his Power Glory and Maiestie and especially as it seemeth for those thunders that is for those iudgements to bee executed on the world acknowledging that they were iust and right And albeit they were sealed vp as appeareth in the next Chapter yet by these thunder-claps of Gods anger they could vnderstand that there were iudgements to come The like is in Esay the sixth Chapter where the Angels also glorifie God for his iudgements And albeit it may seeme to man to be a very hard and grieuous thing that God should harden the hearts of the people to the end hee may more fully expresse his iudgements on them yet neuerthelesse the Angels cease not to magnifie him for the same and so they doe here in this place And not onely they but the Elders the Church and Children of God do also ioyn with the Angels to praise the Lord as for all other his works in his Creatures so also for his iudgements they doe pronounce that God is worthy to haue glory in his iudgements as vnto whom alone all fulnesse of Honour Glory and Power doth belong and therefore they themselues fall downe and cast their Crownes before him acknowledging thereby that all their glory is due vnto the Lord and is his as hauing receiued it by him alone and that they themselues are altogether vnworthy of any such dignity Apoc. Cap. 5. 1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sate vpon the Throne a Booke written within and on the backside sealed with seauen Seales c. IN the former Chapter is set forth the person of God the Father in his Maiesty as principall from whom all things come Here in this Chapter is set downe God the Sonne the second Person who is Mediator and meane betweene God and man of the manifestation of these iudgements to follow Which teacheth vs that through Christs intercession alone all good knowledge commeth to Gods children First in that Iohn saith he saw a Booke in the right hand of him that sate on the Throne that is of God the Father by his right hand is meant his Strength Power and Force whereby he so keepeth it that no
it according as it is the vse of the Prophets who to expresse the exceeding desolations of any place say that those Birds which flye most farre from all resort of men as the Shrike-Owle and the Pelican c. should continue there To Diuels noting that those places that haue bin abused to the dishonour of God are giuen by Gods iust iudgement to be not onely desolate but euen haunted of Diuels themselues as wee see oft times it commeth to passe in Abbyes and such like superstitious houses The cause is set downe to wit by reason of the persecution of the Saints and her pride who vaunted of her riches and good estate saying that shee was Queene and should neuer be Widdow that is should neuer be desolate but should alway haue her louers and maintainers to take her part And a principall cause is this that she had played the Harlot through her Idolatrie with the Princes of the earth Then he setteth downe the markes of her destruction both which goe before and which come after Before that God would giue his children that were there warning before whereby they might know of it that so they might come forth lest they should fall in that great destruction as before we heard hee did to the Saints in Ierusalem by giuing them warning to auoide from thence which they did flying into the City of Pella in the wildernesse The markes following the destruction generally the lamentation of the friends of the City of Rome and principally the Kings of the earth when they shall see the smoake of her mount vp to heauen by smoake is meant the continuall remembrance of that destruction for albeit after it is said by the Angell that threw the stone into the Sea that it should neuer be remembred any more hee meaneth not that it should be cleane forgotten to haue beene but onely so forgotten as it should neuer haue place again by which it might be remembred like as it came to passe in Sodom howbeit the memory thereof should otherwise be perpetuall Afterward is reported more particularly the lamentation of the Merchants which had serued for the pleasure of her by Land and by Sea The Merchants by land which had serued her with sine meates purple silke gold siluer precious stones c. for their Vestiments namely for the apparell of their Priests Prelates Cardinals c. which vsed to be most gorgeous and costly And they should also bring to her soules of men that is bond-slaues meeting with that which should come to passe be performed of the Church of Rome as we see experience of Then the Merchants by Sea the Ship-masters and Ship-men also make their lamentation ouer her For the more certainty of this destruction of the City there is brought in an Angell taking a great stone and casting it into the bottome of the Sea saying that in like manner Babilon that great City should be throwne downe with violence and should be found no more noting that it should be so vtterly destroyed that it should neuer be recouered neither should it be built any more neither should the light of a Candle be seene in it neither the voice of a Bridegroome heard therein signifying that it should not be againe inhabited of any because shee had deceiued all nations and because in her was found the bloud of the Saints and Prophets Apoc. Cap. 19. 1. And after these things I heard a great voice of a great multitude in heauen saying Hallelu-iah saluation and glory and honour and power be to the Lord our God c. THe Apostle hauing spoken of the destruction of the City of Rome noted by the name of an Harlot he now comes to set forth the destruction of the Beast and of the false Prophet which are the vngodly Emperours and the Popes succeeding in that power hauing gotten not onely ciuill iurisdiction but Ecclesiasticall power also ioyned therewith And first of al before he handleth that he bringeth in all the children seruants of God praising magnifying God for the notable works he had shewed vpon the earth And herein especially doe the Angels Saints of God in heauen the Saints in earth magnifie and praise the Lord namely for the iudgement and destruction of the Whore which is the City of Rome The causes of her destruction are set downe to be first because she had made all the Kings of the earth and their people to goe a whoring after her filthy abhominations And secondly for that shee had murthered the Saints of God After that they had sung this song of thankesgiuing for that mercy receiued in the destruction of the City of Rome the Lord calleth them and citeth them as it were by a voice from the Throne to a further thankesgiuing for the mercies to come in the destruction of the Beast and of the false Prophet and for particular benefits which the Church it selfe was to be partaker of and therefore he doth call all the seruants of the Lord by name as it were which did feare the Lord both small and great to praise the Lord. Then he shewes how this voice was obeyed in that he saith there was a voice as of a great multitude and like the voice of many waters and like the noise of a thunder which signifie both the consent and zeale and earnestnesse of the Saints in praising God Which teacheth vs that we are so to beleeue and be assured of Gods promises and mercies to come as that wee doe praise him for them as for those which we haue receiued and as if wee had receiued them already The mercies for which they praise God are two first the marriage of the Church to the Lambe because the Church in this life being made the Spouse of Christ yet separated in part from him shall at length inioy and haue the full fruition of Christ and of his glorious presence And also for that she is arrayed with pure fine linnen noting either the righteousnesse of Christ wherewith she is cloathed or else that sanctification which being in part begun in this life in Gods children shall be perfected in Gods kingdome when that spirituall marriage of Christ with his Spouse shall be celebrated And further it is shewed that such is the happinesse of the Church of God in this marriage that not onely the Bride and the Bridegrome shall be partakers of his happinesse as vsually commeth to passe in our marriage feasts the married persons onely not the guests being counted happy but also those are blessed and happy that are bidden to this feast for by the Bride is to be vnderstood in generall the Church vniuersall by the persons called is meant the particular persons in the Church Another cause of thankesgiuing for the things to come is in regard of the iudgement vpon the wicked and the execution thereof And first he saith to execute this hee seeth Christ comming with his army hee being the chiefe for as the Beast gathers his