the same shall be saved Mat. 24.13 And I will give thee He propoundeth the reward for their greater incouragement unto constancie Souldiers will fight unto the death for a corruptible crowne much more ought we to doe the like for an heavenly crowne which fadeth not away The crown of life here as also in Jam. 1.12 2. Timot. 4.8 1. Pet. 4.5 noteth eternal life and happines It is otherwhere called the crown of justice the crown of glorie by a metaphor taken from runners in a race where there is a crown proposed as a reward to the conquerours Hence let us observe in the first place that the crowne of life is promised onely to such as are faythfull to the death 2. That one the same crowne is promised to all that are faythful no mention being made of any diversitie of reward 3. That the crown is promised not of desert but of grace as a reward freely bestowed on them that are constant in the faith 4. That Christ is the giver therof Which is the fourteenth argument proving his Godhead XIV Argu. of Chr. deity Io. 10.28 For God alone gives eternall life Now Christ saith I give unto my sheep eternall life therfore Christ is God 11. He which hath an eare The acclamatorie conclusion is again repeated He that overcommeth shall not be hurt of the second death The sence is one with the former promises though different in words What is meant by the second death is explained chap. 20.14 Death and hell were cast into the lake of fire this is the second death 21.8 Murtherers c. shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Which is the second death The first death is a separation of the soule from God through sin and was the cause of corporall death Hebr. 9.27 which is common to all as the Apostle speaketh It is appointed unto all men once to dy but after this the Jugement The second death is the casting of soule body into the lake of everlasting fire wherein the wicked onely shall be tormented for to the godly Christ hath promised deliverance for he that overcommeth shall not be hurt c. Some take the first death to bâ—â—neant of the dissolution of the soule from the body and then the meaning is thus he that continues faithful unto the first death needs not to fear the second for he shall not be hurt therewith but enioy eternall filicity but of this more hereafter This great and gracious promise should stir us up with courage to persevere in the fight untill we overcom for then we shall be free from the second death and be partakers of life eternall through Christ Jesus our Lord to whome be glorie for ever and ever Amen The third Epistle to the Bishop of the Church of Pergamus 12. And to the Angel of the Church in Pergamus write These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges 13. I know thy workes and where thou dwellest even where Satans seat is and thou houldest fast my Name and hast not denyed my faith even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr who was slain among you where Satan dwelleth 14. But I have a few things against thee because thou hast there them that hold the doctrin of Balaam who taught Balac to cast a stombling block before the children of Israel to eat things sacrificed unto Idols and to commit fornication 15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans which thing I hate 16 Repent or else I will come unto thee quickly and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth 17. He that hath eare let him heare what the spirit saith unto the Churches To him that overcommeth will I give to eate of the hidden Manna and will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it THE COMMENTARIE TO the Angel in Pergamus The third Epistle to the Pastor of Pergamus or Troy containes two things first they are commended for their constancie in the faith Secondlie reproved for maintaining amongst them the inpure Balaamites and Nicolaitans by threatning are exhorted to amendment of life It consisteth of an inscription narration and conclusion The inscription describeth Christ by an Epithite taken from chap. 1.16 that he hath viz. in his mouth the sharpe-sword with two edges The reason of this attribute appeares from vers 16. where he threatneth to destroye the sinners of the Church of Pergamus with the sword of his mouth that is by the power of his divine word For this sword is the word of God sharper then any two edged sword piercing and dividing asunder of soule and spirit c. Heb. 4.12 Here we have the fifteenth argument of Christs Godhead XV Argu. of Chr. deity For the word of God doth properly proceed out of his mouth and therefore he is God Because the word of God proceedeth from Christ not as the word of another or as it was in the mouth of the Apostles Prophets and other teachers but in speciall as his owne hence he saith v. 16. I will fight with them with the sword of my mouth 13. I know thy workes and where thou dwellest In the narration are three things he commendeth what is prayse-worthy reproveth what is amisse and lasty exhorteth them unto repentance First he saith in Generall that he knew their workes to the end they might take notice that they had to doe with him who trieth and searcheth the hearts and reynes of which se v. 2.2 In particular he commends their constancie in the faith which with courage they maintained and confidently trusting on Christ overcame all such tentations as might any way occasion them to forsake him The prayse whereof is amplified from the danger of their abode I know where thou dwellest namely in a most vicious and wicked city being ful of cruel enemies both Iewes and Gentiles and where Christians like sheep are continually exposed to the danger of devouring wolves Now to live Godly in such a place and constantlie to cleave unto the profession of Christs name is a verie hard thing though it be not so where the condition of the place affords us freedom and libertie the which benefit God of his exceeding mercie hath hitherto granted unto us Where Satans seat is A further amplifying of their constancie is taken from the infamie of the place Pergamus is the throne of the Divel Who in Hebr. is called Satan that is an adversarie so that this citie was full of naughtie and vile persons haters of Christ and his members among whom Satan raigned both in the pallace for it was the abode of king Attalus and in their senate temples forcibly drawing the magistrates and cityzens to horrible Idolatrie and to commit all manner of outrage and wickednes against the Christians Nevertheles Christ had a Church in this evill citie And could
not corporall Therefore it is spirituall The assumption is proved If this Resurrection should be corporall then it could not be called the First because many Corporall Resurrections are spoken of in Scripture before I. The Resurrection of the Son of the Widow of Sarepta corporally raised up by Elias 1. King 17.22 which is the first resurrection mentioned in Scripture II. The Resurrection of the son of the Shunammite raised up by Elisha 2. King 4.35 III. The Resurrection of one put into the grave by touching the bones of Elisha 2. King 13.21 IIII. The Resurrection of a Widows son raised by Christ Luk. 7.15 V. Of the daughter of Jairus Luk. 8.55 VI. Of Lazarus Iohn 11.44 VII The Resurrection of many of those Saints who came forth out of the Sepulchre when Christ suffered on the Crosse Mat. 27.52 VIII The Resurrection of Tabitha raised by Peter Act. 9.41 IX The Resurrection of Eutychus brought from death to life by Paul Act. 20.10 c. And therfore if the Resurrection here spoken of were corporall it should not be called the first but at least the tenth Neither helps it to object that the foresaid Resurrections were onely of a few but that this shall be of very many for the Question is not touching the number of them that are to be raised up but of the Qualitie and Order of the Resurrection and it followeth seeing that is not the first of the same Genus which hath many other before it either that this cannot be called the First Resurrection before which there were many other or else that it is not of the same kind with the other Resurrections that is it is not corporall Secondly This Resurrection being taken corporally and properly must be understood either of the Soules of the Martyrs or of the rest of the dead or of none Of the soules of the Martyrs it cannot be understood both because it is not said of them that they were raised or lived againe But that they sate on thrones lived and reigned with Christ as before was shewed As also because properly a corporall Resurrection is not agreeable to Soules seeing Soules properly die not as not being bodies neither of the nature thereof nor can it be understood of the rest of the dead because of these it is expresly said that they lived not againe Therefore this first corporall Resurrection cannot be true of any at all Thirdly The whole Scripture testifies that ALL I say ALL the dead shall in one Resurrection at the last day be raised by the Trumpet and Voyce of the Archangell some indeed unto eternall Life others unto eternall shame Iohn 5.28 The houre commeth in which ALL that are in the Graves shall hear his voyce and shall come forth they that have done good unto the Resurrection of Life and they that have done evill unto the Resurrection of damnation Iohn 11.24 I know that my brother shall rise againe in the Resurrection at the last day Iohn 6.48 This is the will of him that sent mee that every one that seeth the Sonne and beleeveth in him should have Eternall Life And I will raise him up at the last day From this universall the Martyrs cannot be excepted because they beleeved on the Sonne of God 1. Cor. 15.52 We shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last Trumpe for the Trumpet shall sound and the dead shall bee raised 1. Thess 4.16 At the comming of the Lord they that dyed in Christ shall rise first Therefore the Martyrs also who dyed in Christ shall rise at the comming of the Lord. Iohn also toward the end of this very Chapter describeth the Second Resurrection which shall bee at the last day so universall as that all the Elements shall give up their dead a great part whereof shall bee Martyrs being destroyed by Fire and Water By all which I suppose that no Godly man can or ought to gather any other thing then that all the dead shall be raised together in one Resurrection at the last day but that many millions of Saints should be raised before the last day cannot without errour be beleeved Fourthly the Apostle Paul most exactly describing the whole History and what we ought to beleeve of the Resurrection opens indeed a Mysterie unto us 1. Cor. 15.51 viz. That all shall not die but in a moment in the twinkling of an eye all shal be changed Yet not a word touching the mysterie of the Millinarie Resurrection of the Martyrs before others If thou say that it was not revealed unto him Consider that the Apostle was caught up into the third heaven 2. Cor. 12.4 and heard unspeakable words that is all kind of mysteries especially such as were to bee revealed unto the Church And therefore undoubtedly hee should have heard that also for to reveale the same unto us and would have revealed it if it were true Fiftly from the nature of Opposites So as is the first death so on the contrary is the first Resurrection to be understood For I suppose none will deny but that these two are privatively opposites as being contrary-wise affected about the same subject But the first death was not of the body or corporall The first death what it is but the death of the Soule or Spirituall through fin by which man was first separated from God made mortall and deprived of Life Eternall For by this death Adam was dead in Soule although in the body he lived nine hundred yeeres after But the death of the Soule drew with it corporall death as it were by a necessary consequence and so perpetually drawes the same with it on all the Posterity of Adam by the threatning of God Thou shalt die the death Of this first Spirituall death the Apostle speaketh Through sinne death entred into the world Rom. 5.12 and so death passed upon all men for all have sinned including indeed the Sequell of a corporall death but especially shewing the deliverance from spirituall death through the death and life of Christ Of this death also Austine The soules also saith he have their death in impietie and sinnes according to which death they are dead of whom the Lord saith Let the dead bury their dead and according to this first Death wee are all dead in sinnes no man excepted because it is said of all men when ye were dead in sinnes c. Seeing therefore the First Death was a Spirituall destruction and alienation of the Soule from God and eternall Life through sinne certainely the first Resurrection being an opposite medicine to the first death must bee a Spirituall conversion and restoring of the Soule from sin to God Sixtly If the First Resurrection were corporall and properly belonging to the Martyrs then onely the Martyrs should bee blessed but all others that rise at the last Day should be excluded from happinesse But this is very absurd And therefore the other also The reason of the consequence is because in
and is not communicable to any creature no not unto the Angels Which further confirmeth the X. and XVIII argument before mentioned Secondly we are taught that all who professe the truth and make a shew of holines are not truely faithful and regenerate persons but many of them are hypocrites and deceivers as being farre otherwise then they are accounted of for hypocrisie is an outward shew of inward holinesse or a profession of faith with the mouth beeing in the mean time destitute thereof in the heart And hence we may conclude that a bare profession argues not true faith as the patrones of hypocrites affirme whereby they oftentimes delude themselves others Act. 8.13 Simon Magus is said to beleeve Therfore say they some who professe have true faith may fall away and perish But this place shewes us that many are inwardly dead who outwardly seem to be alive being with Ananias the hie Priest whyted walls Act 23.3 Matt. 23.27 Mat. 8.22 1 Tim. 5.6 with the Pharises painted sepulchres spiritually dead as Christ spake to the yong man let the dead burie the dead And Paul speaketh of some wanton widowes who are dead while they live yea all men considered in their natural condition are dead in trespasses and sinnes To be short many have faith without love which is dead a faith which the Devils also have Thus we se in scripture how they are said not onely to be dead who are deprived of naturall life but also not beeing regenerated to a spirituall or who are sincere in appearance onely and not in truth Let us therfore take notice that all are not godly who seem so to be neyther shall all they who say Lord Lord enter into the kingdome of God for the Church consisteth of a mixture of saintes and hypocrites and this difference is not onely in the laitie but chiefly in the Clergie as they call it that is many who in sheeps cloathing seem to be true Pastors teachers are in truth but mercenarie wolves and howsoever these may deceive men yet Christ knowes them And therfore let not the Bishops of Antichrist thinke to blinde the eyes of Christ with their titles mitres and royal robes The consideration of this informeth us in the first place of the divers condition of the Church in this world For many are called to be members of the Church whereof some are good others bad some saintes others hypocrites like as the net takes in al manner of fishes But howsoever the faintes elected are not knowen of men yet God Christ doe discerne them For the Lord knoweth who are his Therefore let every one try and examine himself whether he be dead or alive for hypocrites deceive not God but man their owne soules Wherfore let us shun hypocrisie even as a pest remembring what Ambrose admonisheth not to rest contented with a bare name in the mean while to be greevously guilty or with the hight of honour while we abound in sins or with a profession of Godlinesse while our actions are devilish For otherwise we should onely have a name to live when in deed we are but dead Lastly observe that the efficacie of the ministry doth not depend upon the goodnes of the minister For God doth sometime vivifie and governe his Church by dead officers as we have here an example which serves to confute the Donalists and Popish Sophisters who maintaine that there was not any Church of the elect untill the time of Luther in the Papacie but themselves except we wil acknowledge their Bishops for other there were none to have been approved of by the Lord. 2. Bee watchfull The second part of the narration is an exhortation admonishing the Angel in Sardis of divers things to the end he might purge himself from the crime of hypocrisie and withal he is threatned to be punished except he doe repent First he is commanded to shake of that hypocritical drowsines into which he was fallen Be watchful that is stirre thy self up for he is not onely required to be more faithfull and careful over the Church then formerly he had been but also called upon as it were to live againe for so faith Christ but thou art dead Now death in scripture is frequently compared to a sleep so that this place and that of the Apostle speaking unto men fallen into a deep sleep of sin is of the like interpretation Ephe. 14 A wake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light Not as if wee could of our selves arise from the death of sin for this is a worke of Grace but because the Lord by his precept powerfully worketh in us that which he requireth of us and by the operation of his owne spirit rayseth us up beeing asleep in sin unto newnes of life And strengthen the things Or rather strengthen the rest that is such dying members of the Church as are committed unto thy charge who because of thy negligence decay both in faith and holinesse For it is no wonder that a Church should fal into a deadnesse and securitie while the officers therof are asleep Christ therfore commâ—ndeth him to strengthen them that is to labour by a holie life and doctrine to bring them againe into the way of life That are ready to dy in Gre. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that shall dy that is which are near unto death like as in Luk. 7.2 it is said of the centurions servant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he should dy that is was ready to dy So these here were near unto death though not altogither dead and therfore the Pastor is exhorted carefully and speedily to put to his helping hand for their recoverie This care the Apostle recommendeth unto all the faithful Rom. 14.2 namely to receive them that are weake in the faith And therfore it is a speciall dutie of the ministers of God who are spirituall physitians to applie to Christs weaklings the holesome medicines of Gods word 1 Tim. 2.9 for otherwise God saith unto them by the prophet forasmuch as ye have not strengthened the diseased Ezec. 34.4 nor healed that which was sick nor bound up that which was broken nor sought that which was lost c. Behold I am against the shepheards and I will require my flock at their hand and cause them to cease from feeding my flock Montanus reads it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which thou art ready to lose that is destroy by thy negligence which is a more heavie expression For I have not found thy workes perfect These words containe a reason wherfore God requires him to be watchfull But it may seem that this reproofe is not equal just 1 Cor. 13.9 considering that no mans workes on earth are perfect before God if he should enter into Iudgment with us for we know but in part we prophesie in part and there is not a just man on earth that doth good Eccle. 7.20 and
God with censers but these with vials Which are the prayers of the saintes Their prayers are called vials by a twofold trope First by a Synechdoche for the odours in the vials And secondly by a metonymical denomination or els a metaphorical translation as signifying the prayers of the saintes For as persumes ascend upward and give forth a sweet smell so the saints in prayer seeke after heavenly things and the same is acceptable unto God They are golden vials because as gold excels in puritie so prayers proceeding from a pure hart are precious to the Lord what their prayers are now followes 9. And they sung a new song Both Companies of the Church triumphant with a most sweet accord prayse the Lamb the redeemer which proveth that these beasts and Elders are not Angels but men redeemed by the blood of Christ It shewes also unto us the consent of both covenants in the point of salvation For all the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles together acknowledge the Lamb their redeemer Act. 10.43 According to that of the Apostle To him give all the Prophets witnesse that through his name whosoever beleeveth in him shall receive remission of sins And againe Act. 15.11 we beleeve that through the grace of the Lord Iesus Christ we shall be saved as the fathers For in him all the promises are yea and Amen 2 Corinth 1.20 Furthermore those prayers of the saintes Psal 40.4 96.1 97.1 144.9 149.1 caried here by the Elders in their golden vials are to be understood as their owne and not the prayers of others It is called a new song that is most singularly setting forth the great rare and excellent benefits of the Lambe For generally in the Psalmes a new song is taken in this sence The former Hymne Chap. 4.8 was sung unto him that sate on the throne but this is a song unto the Lamb. So Chap. 14.1 the saintes in heaven sing a new song unto the Lamb which none could learn but these hundred fourty and four thousand which had his fathers name written in their foreheads The argument therefore of this song is new because it is most excellent and containes the new benefits of Christ Thou art worthy They acknowledge him alone worthy to take the booke and to open the seales because they both know and confesse with all reverence that he is the onely mediatour of the Church and that the cause of this his great worthinesse is in the preciousnes of his blood For thou wast slaine that is by dying for the sins of the world thou declarest thy self to be the Messias Chap. 53. whoÌ„ Isaiah foretold should be led as a sheep to the slaughter to take away the sins of the world Here we are taught that the mediatour ought both to be slaine for us that is to merit and also to take the booke that is meritoriously to bestow life and righteousnes upon others Seeing therefore he onely merited by his sacrifice it must necessarily follow that none else could take the booke that is reveale the counsell of God to the Church and by his power give salvation unto her And thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood Now the Church triumphant prayseth the Lambe and applyeth the price of her redemption with the effects thereof unto her self Thus we ought so to acknowledge the benefits of Christ as to make them our owne not onelie in beleeving that he hath redeemed others by his blood and made them kings and priests to God but our selves also for true justifying faith is accompanied with a certaine perswasion of our own salvation I live saith the Apostle by the faith of the son of God who loved me Gal. 2.24 and gave himself for me Hence we observe two things First that the death of Christ is truly a ransome satisfactorie for our sins and that our redemption by it is not metaphorical as the new Samosatenians blasphemouslie affirme but proper for the redemption which is made by a price is proper But such is ours by Christ because by the shedding of his blood he hath paid a full ransome and satisfied the justice of God as the scripture witnesseth Matt. 20.28 and 1 Tim. 2.6 beeing the same with what is here said thou hast redeemed us by thy blood and â—hap 1.5 who hath washed us in his blood and Heb. 1.3 purged our sins by himself unlesse that by the word redemption is properly signified the whole worke of our salvation by washing and purging a part thereof viz. our justification or sanctification This place therefore and many others proving Christs satisfactorie ransome are to be opposed against Socinian blasphemies Secondlie that the redemption made by Christs blood is truely universal as sufficient and propounded not onely to one nation or a few but to all nations tongues and peoples yet not so as if all promiscuously should be saved but those of everie tribe people and language who beleeve in Christ And thus much the Elders teach us Thou hast redeemed us out of every tribe We adde in the third place XXX Argument of Christs deity that this redemption proves the Lamb to be God omnipotent For to redeem the Church from sin death and satan is a worke of divine power Psal 130.8 Hence the Apostle Act. 20.28 saith that God hath redeemed the Church by his owne blood 10 And made us to God They magnifie the Lambe for three other benefits 1. That he hath made us kings 2. priests 3. given us a kingdome on the earth The two former we have expounded Chap. 1.6 beeing meant of our spiritual kingdome and priesthood See Rom. 14.17 1 Pet. 2.5 But how shall we raigne on the earth seeing Christs kingdome is not of this world besides earthly things perish in their use and lastly the Church in this life is to expect nothing but tribulation Andreas saith that the Church shall reigne not in this present thick and cloudie world but in that new one which is promised unto the meek Matth. 5.5 But the saints may truly be said to reigne here on earth diverse wayes First by mortifying their earthly desires and trampling them under their feet Secondly as Christ raignes on the earth not by a secular but spirituall power by which he forceth the adversarie unto obedience Even so the faithfull doe raigne with Christ in the earth For the head raigning the members raigne also to be short the saintes with Christ shall judge the world and therefore shall rule the same however we are to understand this not of an earthlie but a spirituall dominion 2 Cor. 10.4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mightie through God c. But thou wilt say how shall the saints who now triumph in heaven raigne on the earth I answer after the same manner as they shall judge the world and the Angels 11. And I beheld and round about the throne The third apparition is of Angels who sing the new
persecutions yet the Gospell was spread with happie successe far and neere But I rather extend it to the whole time in which Christ by the successors of the Apostles namelie many syncere Bishops and faithfull teachers victoriously set up his kingdome throughout the whole Romane Empire not withstanding the tyrannie of persecutors the wickednesse of hereticks and Apostates untill by little and little the Church decayed in this her puritie And this I take containes the space of almost six hundred years The white horse therefore first comming out of the seales is the primitive Church white and bright in puritie of doctrine and discipline The Apostles were like horses running strongly and with great speed propagating the faith of Christ in the whole earth as their Acts and Epistles testifie after them God raised up Apostolicall men Bishops teachers and Fathers both Greek Latine who firmlie maintained propagated the purity of doctrine delivered unto them against tyrants apostates and hypocrites untill the time of Gregorie the first although even before his dayes the whitenesse of this horse was somwhat changed black spots began to appeare that is corruptions in doctrine discipline and worship The which Egesippus in Eusebius complaines of in these words Lib 3. hist cap. 32. that soon after the death of the Apostles and them which had received the word at their mouth the Church remained not long a pure and unspotted virgine notwitstanding the godly held the foundation of faith and salvation entire viz. Christ the head And he which sate on him This rider is Christ He that sate on the white horse is Christ Act. 9.15 see Chap. 19.11 This rider was caried to and fro in the ministerie of the Apostles and other faithfull pastors and teachers who suffered for the truth this metaphor Christ himselfe useth to Ananias concerning Paul he is a chosen vessell unto me to beare my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel On these Christ rode gloriously entring through their sincere preaching into the verie hart of the faithfull propagating and defending his owne kingdome according to that of the Psalmist And in thy comely honour prosper Psal 45.4 ride on word of truth and of meeknes of justice And he had a bow Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a bow arrowes and somtimes a quiver The word of God is Christ bow The Law and Gospell is Christ bow from whence he sends forth arrowes that is the efficacie of his spirit wounding the harts and minds of the Elect that he may heale and restore them to life but to terrifie and kill the wicked as it is in the same Psalm thy arrowes are sharp peoples shall fall under thee in the hart of the kings enemies And a crowne was given unto him to wit Christs crowne a regal crowne For he is a king crowned with glorie and honour at the right hand of God in the heavens or rather a crowne of triumph because it followeth And he went forth conquering and to conquer The doubling of the words notes his present and future victorie His victory By his death he overcame sin and by his resurrection death hell and satan yea the world also according as he saith in the Gospel be of good cheere Ioh. 16.33 I have overcome the world This is the first victorie with which he went forth conquering It is true indeed he was crucified as he was meere man but he lived againe and overcame by the power of his Godhead Now he went forth to overcome the world and the tyrants thereof diverse wayes His second victorie was in converting the gentiles by the preaching of the Apostles for in that he drew all nations and brought them unto the faith of the Gospel he conquered the world And tyrants in his Apostles confessours martyrs convincing them by the power of the truth For the death of the martyrs is Christs victory seeing in their blood the truth was sealed and the Church propagated The destruction of tyrants was Christs victorie As Julian the apostate blaspheming in his extreme madnesse confessed Thou hast overcome O Galilean Christ overcame when Nero Domitian Diocletian Trajan Maximinus Lycinius Valens and others who had put to death many thousands of Christians thinking thereby to take away the name of Christ were destroyed and brought to miserable perdition while Christ raigned and his Church increased Christ went forth as a conquerour when by the preaching of the Gospel the Idol gods of the gentiles were rejected their worship and temples abolished and overthrowen all men beeing drawen after Christ He overcame when the swarmes of hereticks as Valentinus Basilides Praxeas Manes Martion Photinus Samosatenus and other most bitter enemies of Christ were beaten downe overcome and destroyed by the sword of the spirit To be short Christ overcame when all the East and Westerne Churches were in danger to perish and come to nothing by the pestilent doctrine of Arius two sound ministers beeing then hardlie found in the whole Christian world no not in Rome except Paulinus Hilarius and Athanasius And indeed he that would understand the victories of Christ here intimated must have as in a table before his eyes the histories of the Apostles and the Churches after them written by Irenaeus Clemens Tertullian Eusebius Hierom Theodoret Socrates Sozomenus Evagrius Nicephorus and others for no better commentarie then their histories can be given upon the opening of the first seale And herein I thinke not to passe this by in silence we are more happie then Iohn himself for those events which he saw a far of in types we now by the helpe of former histories and our own experience doe clearely see them written out livelie expressed before our eyes And thus much concerning the first seale Now here perhaps a question will be moved seeing Christ is the Lamb opening the booke how also he can be sayd to goe forth out of the seale For the answere hereof we are to minde what I have already spoken viz. that oftentimes one and the same thing is represented in differing types in a diverse respect Now as Christ sits reignes gloriously with the Father and holy Spirit as God so he is the Lion of the tribe of Iudah beeing the offpring of Iudah according to the flesh He is the immaculate Lamb as he is man and as he was slaine and put to death for us He stands in the midst of the Throne as he is the mediatour he opens the booke and the seales as he is the chiefe Prophet and teacher of the Church the revealer and author of all heavenlie doctrine And to be short he also sits on the white horse as king and conquerour propagating his kingdome by the preaching of his word through the whole earth by which also he reigneth even unto this day in the midst of his enemies Psa 110.2 The opening of the second seale The red horse and his rider having a
Lord that is who lay downe their life for the glory of Christ But undoubtedly the consolation is more largely to be extended even unto all whosoever die godly who as they are said to be and abide in Christ so also they are said to die in the Lord that is To be and to die in Christ to depart out of this life in true faith and invocation on the Lord and so to goe unto him For to be in Christ is to cleave unto Christ by true faith Rom. 8.1 16.7 Who were before me in Christ To abide in Christ is to persevere in the faith of Christ unto the end Ioh. 15.4.7 Abide in me c. If yee abide in me c. So to die in Christ is to fall asleep in the faith 1 Cor. 15.18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished The consolation belongs as wel to professors as to martyrs that is in the faith of Christ and in the hope of the blessed resurrection unto eternall glory In this sence the consolation belongs not onely to the Martyrs but to all true professours also which exposition in my judgement doth best agree with the drift of the place For here he speakes not of those sad times of Antichrist when he raged in his full furie against the Saints but of the more happy age of reformation when the power of Antichrist shall in many places be broken neither shall the martyrdoms of the Saints be so frequent as before Hence therefore we are taught who after this life are translated from death into eternall happinesse Not such as die in the faith of the Beast Act. 4.12 Ioh. 14.6 Antichrist the Pope or Mahumet c. But that die in the Lord. For there is no salvation in any other neither is there given any other name whereby we must be saved c. He is the way truth and life no man commeth to the Father but by Christ. All that goe out of him are deprived of blessednesse and shall be tormented with the plagues beforeâ— described But when shall they be blessed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from henceforward This particle in all Greek copies save in that of Montanus closeth up the sentence But the old Latine makes it to cohere with the following words a modo jam dicit spiritus rendring the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also or yea viciously and sencelesly jam now as Ribera confesseth For what sence is it to say from this time now saith the spirit that they may rest Beza joynes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 henceforward with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blessed henceforward But it matters not where it be put in the sentence so that it be not taken from it Commonly it is understood of the terme or beginning of happinesse and the question is what that terme is Some referre it to the time when this voice was heard What is the terme or beginning of happinesse as if he should say from the very instant of this revelation the dead in the Lord are blessed But the question will be whether the dead in the Lord were not blessed before the time of the revelation It is cleare that all the Apostles and many of the Saints were departed in the Lord before this time Now Christ extends blessednesse unto all the faithful Mat. 5.11 Ioh. 5.24 And seeing in this place is treated of the last times of the Church to be reformed by the three Angels I see not by what way he should goe back to those former times of John Others therefore referre henceforward to the houre of every ones death in a sence I confesse true and godly but scarcely native or proper It is true they that depart hence in the faith doe presently passe from death to life for so Christ teacheth Ioh. 5.24 This opinion also is pious and becomming charity not to deny that blessednesse to them that die in the Lord which is promised them in Gospell Ioh. 3.36 Ioh. 5.14 He that beleeveth in the Sonne of God hath everlasting life He that beleeveth in me comes not into judgement but is passed from death to life The which also the carrying of Lazarus soule into the bosome of Abraham doth plainely confirme Yet I know not whether henceforward can here properly be understood of the houre of every ones death And this indeed the Papists deny The Papists Glosse to confirme their fiction about Purgatory in which as they feine even they that die in the Lord are first to be tormented and purged both from the pollution of veniall sins as also from the guilt of temporall punishment in which they died before they can obtaine blessednesse in heaven And they will have henceforward to denote the time of the last judgement making the sence thus Blessed are the dead c. a modo jam from the time now that is from the end of the last judgement they shall eternally rest from their labours So Anselmus and Lyra Lâ—b 1. de purg c. 13. The Glosse refuted the which BELLARMIN confirmes because saith he this whole Chapter treats of the last judgement But first this last is false for the last judgement being the fourth Act of this vision is not handled through the whole Chapter but in the end onely viz. from the 14. verse for undoubtedly the three Angels publishing the everlasting Gospell with the ruine of Babylon future torments of idolaters go before the last judgement And therefore henceforward cannot be applyed to the time of judgement Secondly it is false that men dying in the Lord carry with them any pollution to be purged thereof Ioh. 3.36 Rom. 8.1 1 Ioh. 1.7 Act. 15.9 for this crosseth the Gospell He that beleeveth in the Sonne of God hath everlasting life There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus The blood of Christ purgeth us from all sinne Purifying their hearts by faith Therefore whosoever die in the Lord are without any mortall sinne cleaving unto them much lesse veniall and so being purged through faith in the blood of Christ from the guilt both of eternall and temporall punishment they are translated into everlasting happinesse Neither is this their wicked fiction confirmed by Austins authority he saith rightly Lib. 3. con duas epist. Pelag. c. 3. that the faithfull in this life are partly the children of God partly the children of this world for so the Apostle affirmeth Rom. 7.15 Gal. 5.17 for all of us are spirit and flesh in part But he saith not that we die such for before we depart by faith in the blood of Iesus Christ we are purged from all sin I know that the 110. Chap. of Austins Enchiridion is objected touching the threefold condition of the soules departing Augustine vinaicated that some goe hence very evill some very good but others betwixt both and so according to their merits are kept in hidden receptacles either in rest or paine unto the resurrection But I
by this place or any other This we must leave to God and to time The same was said before in the last Act of the Fift Vision Rev. 16.20 Rev. 6.14 Every Iland fled and the Mountaines were not found Also in the last Act of the Second Vision And the Heaven departed as a Scrowle rolled together and every Mountaine and Iland were mooved out of their places Which place notwithstanding we interpreted somewhat otherwise because of the circumstances But I see not by what shew of reason this change of Heaven and Earth here can be darkened by an Allegory Now it shall not be till towards the last Iudgement and therefore it remains firme that the same is here described The dead corporally are here understood 12. And I saw the dead small and great He had seen the Iudge girded about with Iudgement Now he seeth the guilty standing before the Iudgement Seat whom hee describeth First from their former state by calling them The dead after the common Law of nature but then raised from death to life by the power of God he speaks not of men dead in sins as in ver 5. but of such as dyed corporally and now were raised up to Iudgement But shall not the living also then be judged Yea verily 2. Cor. 5.10 Rom. 14.9 10. for we must all appeare before the Iudgement Seat of Christ That he may be Iudge of the quicke and the dead and be Lord both of the dead and the living By the dead therefore are understood the living also by an Argument from the lesser If the dead shall appeare before the Iudgement Seat how much more the living But the dead alone are named either because the number of the dead from Adam till the last day 1 Cor. 15.52 shall be far greater then such as live on Earth when that day commeth Or because those that remain living shal be accounted as dead because they shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye Secondly he describes them from their age and condition for the words may be understood of both Great and Small That is as well the powerfull Tyrants of the world Emperours Kings Princes and Great men as Subjects and men of low condition Or properly Great in Age and stature that is growne men and women Small also that is dying in their child-hood by this partition he sheweth that all and every one without any exception are to be judged for the Iudgement shall be universall no man shall bee so Great as to escape the same none so small as to be excluded 2 Cor. 5.10 but every one shall have right without respect of persons as the Apostle witnesseth We must all appeare before the Iudgement Seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad Lumb lib. dist 44. SCHOOL-MEN suppose that in the Resurrection all shal be as if they were about 33. yeers old which was Christs age but we leave it as uncertain What they speake of the stature that every one shall receive his owne measure of body is more agreeable to this place Thirdly he describes them from their future state Standing in the sight of God or before God to wit to bee judged as guiltie To stand before God signifies sometimes in this Booke as above the Heavenly Ministery of the Saints and Angels Here it signifies to be brought to Iudgement as appeares by what followeth By the dead standing he meaneth them that were raised from death to life XLI Argument of Christs deitie Before God The Iudge hee absolutely calleth God but CHRIST is the Iudge Therefore Christ is God absolutely And the Bookes were opened The judiciall processe is noted by imitation of humane Courts in which the whole processe is wont to be drawn into Protocols from whence the Iudge at length determineth and pronounceth sentence according to the Acts and Proofes not that it shall bee so really for God from whose eyes nothing is hid will not make use of long examination but the equity of the Iudge is noted by a Metaphor taken from humane Courts where the Iudge pronounceth sentence according to the written Law and the Acts and Proofes agreeing thereunto It is an Allusion unto the words of Daniel speaking thus of this IVDGEMENT Dan. 7.10 The Iudgement was set and the Bookes were opened Origene understands it of the books of conscience Comm. ad Rom. 14. which now are hid not to God but to men For the hidden things of the heart are not now known But then they shall be Opened that is manifested to the consciences of all and every one so as there shall be no place left of excuse or withdrawing Thus no man shall be injured because every one shall either be accused or discharged by his own conscience Augustine takes it a little otherwise Lib. 20. de C. D. c. 14 of the bookes of the Old and New Testament in which God hath prescribed unto all what is to bee done or Omitted in this life which shall then be opened because according to them the Iudge will pronounce sentence Rom. 2.16 When God shall judge the secrets of men Marke 16.16 Io. 12.48 Lib. 20. de C. D. c. 14 by Iesus Christ according to my Gospel He that beleeveth and is baptised shall be saved but he that beleeveth not shall be damned The word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day And another Booke was opened This Austine understands of every mans Booke of Life what he hath done or not done according to those former Books But the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of every one is not in the Text but simply which is the Booke of Life to wit in which God hath written from all eternitie the names of them that shall be saved through Christ of which often mention is made in this Revelation Chap. 3.5 13.8 17.8 c. Not that God hath neede of a Booke but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or by humane affection is noted the certainty of Praedestination viz. that God knowes all and every of the Elect even as men know a thing which for memory sake they set downe in writing This Booke therefore shall also be opened because then it shall appear who were Elect who Reprobates who truely beleeved in Christ who not who truely worshipped God Mat. 25.32 who were hypocrites for then Christ will sever the sheep from the goats who in this life were mixt one amongst another And the dead were judged This shall be the denouncing of the sentence the equity whereof is commended by a two-fold reason both because every one shall be judged out of the things written in the Bookes As also because he shall receive according to his workes For what concernes the Bookes whither we take them for the scriptures which are now the rules of our Faith and actions Or the inward working
Heavenly glory The same thing the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doe import not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for her husband not for her spouse Then therefore she shall bee delivered unto her Husband for before the Marriage-Feast the Bride is preparing for her Bridegroome but the Feast being ended for her Husband For he who was before the Bridegroom is then a Husband 3. And I heard a great voyce Thus much touching the things he saw a new heaven and a new earth and the Heavenly Ierusalem adorned like a Bride Now he recordeth what he heard a two-fold voyce one unknowne the other of one that sate on the Throne both confirme the happinesse of the Bride The former voyce comes from heaven Therefore it sheweth joyfull and true tidings unto the Bride It was GREAT vehemently piercing Iohns eares that he might give good heed because the matter delivered is weighty But what was it Behold the Tabernacle of God with men As if he should say the Marriage-Feast is ended Hence forward the Bridegroom and Bride shall dwel together under one roofe for ever And he wil dwell with them An allusion unto the Bridegroomes abode with the Bride after the Marriage-Feast Now he fully comprehends the happinesse of the Bride as above Chap. 7.15.16 in two parts the fruition of all manner of good things and freedom from all evill The chiefe good is God To enjoy his presence and the sight of his face is the chiefest felicitie This hee seems to describe by a two-fold reason his presence and his communion with men Touching his presence he saith the Tabernacle of God is with men The which Tabernacle least it might be thought to be emptie and transitorie he addes And he will dwell with them Rev. 7.15 intimately and unseparably as above 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which seemeth to sound His Tabernacle shall be upon them namely thereby to refresh and preserve them from the heat of the Sunne By an allusion unto places subject to the Sun where men in respect of the heat hide themselves in Tabernacles or Caves under the Earth But here he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he will dwell with them be in one house as it were constantly and perpetually with them Therefore they shall enjoy the perpetuall sight and presence of God By Men he understandeth not al The habitation of Gods grace and glory but the Elect acquitted in Iudgement Now he speaketh of no personall habitation like as God the Word dwelleth in the temple of his flesh but of grace and glory But doth not God now also dwell with his Church Yea verily according to the promise in Levitic 26.11 whence this whole place seems to be taken and is repeated by Paul 2. Cor. 6. but he shall then dwell with us after another manner then now hee doth For here he hath dwelt with us 1. Personally in Christ 2. By his gratious presence in the Church bestowing on her the benefits of the Gospell and first fruits of the Spirit Then he will dwell with us through his glorious presence fully enriching the Saints with Heavenly brightnesse and glory and he shall be all in all and we shall see him as he is face to face Touching his communion with us it is added And they shall be his people and God himselfe shall be with them and be their God Now also he is our God and we are his people but this communion is onely by inchoated grace for now he bestoweth grace upon every one of us but in part 1. Cor. 13.9 Eph. 4.7 1. Cor. 12.11 2. Cor. 3.18 Phil. 3.21 Mat 13.43 1. Ioh. 3.2 according to the measure of the gift of Christ as he will Then shall be the consummated communication of glory when with open face we shall all behold the glory of the Lord and be changed into the same image from glory to glory when he shall change our vile bodie that it may be fashioned like unto the glorious bodie of his Sonne they shall shine as the sunne we shall be like unto â—im the proportion notwithstanding being kept that is between the head and the members The summe is Then the promise made unto the Church Lev. 26.11 shall be most fully perfected I will set my tabernacle amongst you and my soule shall not abhorre you I will walke in the midst of you and ye shall be my people and I will be your God Now God dwelleth with us by communication of grace then hee shall dwell in us by communication of glory the which eye hath not seen nor eare heard 1. Cor. 2.4 neither hath it entred into the heart of man 4. And God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes The second part of felicity is that we shall be subject to no miseries vexation or troubles of this life To be free from evill is a great happinesse of which also God is Author For he will free his people from all evill Now he reckons up five kinds of evill making this life bitter under which the opposite good things are to be understood The evils accompaning this life Teares Teares are expressed by the feeling of evill Now this life what is it but a vale of teares But then God will wipe away all teares from our eyes that is he will make it that we shall weepe no more by taking away all cause of teares turning our teares into joy according to the promise They which sow in teares Ps 126.6 shall reape in joy The phrase is taken out of Isa 25.8 and is an allusion unto the naturall affection of a mother to her child which useth to flatter the crying babe and wipe away the teares thereof And death shall be no more Neither the first nor second Isa 25.8 for it shall bee cast into the Lake of fire and utterly abolished according to the promise Hee will swallow up death in victory But hath not Christ by his death overcome death long agoe True but not as yet swallowed it up Notwithstanding although we now remaine subject unto corporall death yet whatsoever in it belongs to punishment that Christ hath taken away But then he shall abolish death wholly In the meane while he converteth the corporall death of the Saints into a resting from sinne and a passage to life for whither we live Rom. 14.8 Col. 3.4 Rom. 8.38 or whither we die wee are the Lords Christ is the life of the dead neither can death separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus Now death being taken away what shal then follow but life everlasting Neither mourning As now we do for the death of friends and losse of such as are deare unto us This shall not bee then because there shall bee no death Our friends departed shal be restored unto us to see salute and rejoyce for ever with them Nor cry Which ariseth out of the evills turmoyles disturbances of this life For there shall bee everlasting peace and tranquilitie all tumults
VI. excommunicated Ludovick IV. 130. The Colour of the Beast and the woman is one 411. Purple colour proper to the Romane court ibid. Communion of the Saints in heaven with us on earth 122. Comfort of the faithfull under Antichrist 121. Of the Saints under the Altar 106. Of the professours and Martyrs 355. Conquerers are such as keep faith and a good conscience 52. Consent of Interpreters about the last judgement 358. Condition of the Godly under Antichrist 134. 135. Constant profession of the truth the cause of Johns banishment 17. The Constestation or protestation in the last chapter of the Revelation belongs to the whole body of the Scripture 596. Conversion of the Iewes described 67 conversion of the adversaries is the worke of grace ibid. Conversion of many unto the faith 245. Conversion why commanded and attributed to us 82. Council of constance caused wickleffe to be digged out of his graue and burnt 241. Condemned Iohn Husse and Iâ—rome of Prague to the fire 226. 241. Former councils for the most part condemned by the latter 273. Corporal resurrections in scripture 518. Corrupters of the trueth shal be grievouslie punished 50. Court within to be cast forth 214. Coveteousnesse in bishops abominable the root of all evill 33. Crowne crowne of life 41. promised not of merit but grace 42. It signifies life and eternal glory 72. A greater degree shall be given to such as have converted many 71. Crownes of gold why worne by the saints 90. Crown of life and righteousnesse ibid. Proposed unto all the faithfull 250. The crowne of Christ 108. Crowns of gold an ensigne of royall majesty 360. How far the crown may be taken from the elect and how it can not be taken 72. Cubit common and royall of what greatnesse 562. Cup of Gods wrath 352. Cyprians excellent simile declaring the word of God to be the onely rule of faith 57. D. THe Darkning of the sun 127. Death compared in scripture to sleep 56. Christs death a full satisfactorie price for sin 103. Death of the martyrs is Christ victorie 108. The first death why so called 519. 557. Death of the soule 519. The second death eternall 528. The dead shall all rise together 518. 519. To die in Christ 355. Dead faith uncapable to obtaine spirituall riches 77. Demonstration against Alcasars dream 481. The Description and nature of Locusts 175. Description of the new Ierusalem whither it agree to the church militant 549. The Desert or wildernesse is Rome and the Papacie 408. Description of the beast 290. denoteing the old Romane Empire 291. 292. Description of the heavenly Ierusalem 560. c. Description of the last Iudgement 488. Description of Gods maiesty and glory on the throne 87. Determination whither repugnant to the will 446. Dignitie proceeds not alwayes from vertue 59. Difficultie about the thousands years 506. Difference of a gemme and a pearl 566. Dionysius Alexandrinus refuted 18. Distribution of the second vision 84. The Dragon Beast and false Prophet authours of the Ambassage of the unclean spirits 394. Drying up of Euphrates 390. diverse opinions about it 391. Dutie of the Church and her officers to notorious sectaries 44. E. EArth Sea trees what they signifie 139. Earth swallowing down the flood of the Dragon 279. Earth-quakes proper and figurative 126. 127. A great earth-quake at the opening of the sixt seal 244. an earth-quake shaking the papacie after the councill of constance 245. Easterne people girded up their long garments in travelling 24. Eberhardus Salisburgensis invectives against the Pope 318. Effect of the word of God 207. Of the Gospel in the latter times 370. Egyptian Idolatry darkenesse and bondage 234. 235. The Elder comforting Iohn 99. The Emerauld a most pleasant gemme 87. 565. The End of Gods punishment 50. The Eight king not like unto the other 429. 430. Eniedinus the Samosatenian refuted 17. 21. 26 27. 28. 39. 50. 51. 437. 587. Who shall Enter into the Caelestial city 571. Ephesus the head citie of Ionia 21. Epiphanius refutes the Alogians 47. Epiphanius corrected touching Iohn 19. The Eternall Gospell cannot be suppressed 339. the Eternall Gospell of the Monster Cyrillus 340. Events contingent in themselves how changed 4. Event of the Gogish war 536 c. The Evils accompaning this life shall be no more in the life to come 553. Euphrates a great river 187. The Eyes of IEHOVAH signifie Angels 90. The eyes of the Lamb his all seeing providence â—00 Eye-salve what it is â—9â— Ezechiels Prophesie of the measuring of the Spirituall Temple 212. His and Iohns Prophesie of Gog and Magog 535. F. FAlse distinctions of worship 484. 485 The Fable of Enoch and Elias refuted 226. the Fable of Antichrists foure yeares reigne refuted 231. 240. Fable of Maries assumption 256. The False Prophet 394. He and the two horned Beasts are the same 495. Famine thirst and heat what they note by a Synecdoche 149. Famine of Samaria 114. Mysticall famine when proclaimed ibid. The Fathers why they termed not the Pope Antichrist 167. The Father how he judgeth no man 7. 8. The Feare and amazement of the Churches adversaries 244. The fearing of Antichrist hath troubled the whole world The First Vision not universall 361. 362. it belongs unto the last times ibid. Its scope and use of comfort ibid. Free-will not simply denied but in respect of spirituall good 68. Diverse interpretations of the same 444. 445. Figs signifie carnall Bishops 129. Figure of he city just four-square 562. Finall punishment of the wicked 131. Fine linnen how clothing both for the Bride and the Whore 482. how it is righteousnesse ibid. Fire proceeding out of the mouth of the witnesses 228. The fire on which the Angel had power 362. Fiery eyes signifie heroicall motions 24. Fire from heaven consuming Gog and Magog 539. First death 42. 519. Why so called ibid. First resurrection is not corporall but spirituall 518. It is opposed unto the first death 519. It s profitablenesse and necessitie 526. Objections about the same cleared 518. 520. First trumpet answereth to the first seale 158. What is meant by the hayle fire and blood that fell at the sounding thereof ibid. First viall chieflie poured out upon Germanie 380. Fight of the woman when it began and how long it dured 277. Floud of waters what it is 277. Foxe his opinion about it 278. Forme or shape of the beasts diverse and why 92. Forgetfullnesse and memory how said to be in God 460. Foundation of the Church how but one and twelve 561. 562. Fountaines what they denote in the Revelation 163. the fountaines of Waters are to be reckoned among the chief works of God 342. The fountain of true joy is in the Lord 480. The Four Beasts whither they type out the four Evangelists 91. They represent the Apostolicall Church 92. Why they are full of eyes ibid. The Four and twenty Elders are the first Chore 89. The Four periods of the Church of the Gospel 365. The Four Angels
of Gods providence namely his vertue charity justice wisdom patience threatnings and wrath Which is a mysterie bringing along with it an inconvenience which he desireth to avoid for he makes question whither sound divinitie wil admit that grace and peace be asked from the seven vertues rather then from the seven created angels yea how grace and peace can be prayed for from menacings and wrath so he And from Jesus Christ In that he wisheth grace and peace from Christ in the the third and last place is neither against the former exposition nor any way derogateth from the dignity of Christ for as the Apostle 2 Cor. 13.14 doth not derogate from the order of the persons in the trinitie though he put Christ in the first place so here our Apostle for waighty causes sets downe the holy Ghost before Christ because he treateth of him not simply as being the son of God but also as he is the mediatour redeemer and revealer of this prophesie Notwithstanding great reason it is that he should pray for grace and peace from Christ Ephes 2.14 because it cometh by him Iohn 1.17 and he is our peace Who is the faithfull witnesse The following titles are so many reasons wherefore grace and peace is prayed for from Christ and they set forth as hath been shewed in the analysis both his threefold office with the benefit thereof as also declare his eternall Godhead The first title respects his propheticall office that faithfull witnesse which seemeth to be taken from Psal 89.38 witnesse because he hath brought forth out of the bosome of his father the testimonie that is the glad tydings of the redemption of man through his death and from heaven hath opened to us the true knowledge of God and way of salvation faithfull Because he not onely confirmed the heavenly truth by preaching by miracles meekly calling of sinners to repentance to the faith of the Gospel but also sealed the same by suffering on the crosse and by instituting the ministry he gave to the churches Apostles prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers who perpetually should be his witnesses Eph. 4.12 preach the Gospell to after ages for the perfecting of the saincts for the edifying of the body of Christ according to these scriptures Ioh. 17 6. I have manifested thy name to the men thou gavest me out of the world and 18 37. For this cause came I into the world that I should bear witnes unto the truth Io. 1.18 the son which is in the bosome of the father he hath revealed God unto us Who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession The father and holy Ghost are also said to be witnesses 1. Io. 5.7 Ioh. 5.37 there are three that bear record in heaven the father the word and the holy Ghost The father saith Christ himself hath borne witnes of me And of the holy Ghost he saith when the comforter is come c. He shall testifie of mee the Apostles are called witnesses Act. 1.18 And Antipas Rev 2.12 and two witnesses are mentioned called Martyrs for sheadding of their blood for the testimonie of Christ Revel 11.3 But Christ onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of prerogative is called that faithfull witnesse because he first brought with him the witnesse of the truth downe from heaven he first and he onely hath shead his blood for his owne testimonie whereas all other martyrs suffered not for their owne but for the testimonie of Jesus Christ Yea also the witnesse which the father and the holy Ghost gave of him was declared by himself and therefore Christ as by a speciall and proper right is called the faithfull witnes that is the true and constant revealer of the doctrine of our salvation whoever therefore hearkens not to him Deuteron 18.19 can not be saved but who so heareth him shall have life eternall This also confirmeth the authoritie of the revelation because it was revealed to John by Jesus Christ that faithfull witnesse who can notly nor deceive therefore this booke is trulie divine and we may safely trust and beleeve all things contained in it It serveth also to instruct us that if Christ onely be the true witnesse then those are not to be heard but avoyded as Liars which teach the Church such things as dissent from the testimonie of Christ It may also comfort us because Christ the faithfull witnesse will not forsake them who suffer for the cause of his truth but will at length reward them faithfully according to his promise The first begotten of the dead This title concernes Christ his priestly office who died for our sins and was raised again for our justification Rom. 4.25 For the word dead shewes that he died and being the first begotten of the dead it teacheth us that he was raysed from the dead And the whole scripture testifies that the end and use of his death and resurrection was not a bare witnesse as Socinus blasphemeth but chiefly a propitiation to purge us from our sins and to justifie us before God Paul calleth him likewise the first begotten of the dead 1 Collo 1.18 1 Corinth 15.20 and sheweth that Christ is become the first fruits of them that sleep But how can Christ be the first fruits of the dead seeing the scriptures testifie that Elias and Elisha raysed up two persons from the dead before the time of Christs manifestation in the flesh Lazarus also with the widows son and Centurions servant were restored from death to life Answer First Christ is the first begotten or first fruites of the dead because he was the first that raysed up himself from the dead by his owne power whereas all before Christ were raysed not by their owne power but Christs alone Secondly Christ was raysed up to an immortall life not to dy any more but the other to an earthly life and became subject to death again He is said to be the first begotten or the first that did rise again Matt. 19.28 Act. 13.13 Rom. 1 4. because the resurrection is a kinde of new birth and so Christ calleth the last resurrection a regeneration And Paul applieth that in Psal 2. of the father eternally begetting the son to his resurrection from the dead and hence he is declared to be the eternall and omnipotent son of God This should greatly comfort us that though we are borne and brought forth in a corruptible condition yet when we rise again we shall be regenerated unto a state incorruptible even while we are in this life we are regenerated but it is spiritually onely and in part but when we shall by the spirit of God be restored to eternall life then we shall be regenerated both corporally and fully to wit when our mortall bodies shall be made conformable to the glorious body of Christ let us not fear therefore though we should suffer death for the testimony of Christ because he who is the first begotten of the dead
Ioh. 17.24 will free us from death according to that promise Father I will also that they whom thou hast given me be with mee where I am and that they may behold my glory which thou hast given mee Ioh. 16.11 Againe if wee be dead with him wee shall also live with him And the prince of the kings of the earth The third title of Christ declareth his kingly office that he is farr more powerfull then kings tyrants and all other adversaries whatsoever and by his power can easilie subdue them for as much as he sitteth at the right hand of God and powerfully governeth all things both in heaven and in earth and hence in Chapt. 19.16 hee is called the king of kings and Lord of Lords which serveth for the comfort of the Church for if Christ be Lord over all the kings of the earth why should we fear their rage against us Christ is chiefe of all and stronger then all and therefore can easily stoppe their rage Christ is the prince of all and so hath the purposes and counsels of them all in his hand 2 Timoth 2 11. and will order and direct them for the good of his chosen Satan is called the prince of the world not by way of right but of fact because by Christs permission hee hath taken into his hand the principallity of the world for a season that hee might powerfully worke in the children of disobedience to their destruction He falsly said Eph. 2.2 Luk 4 6. all the kingdoms of the earth are mine for the father hath appointed not Satan but the son to be the heir and king of all He calleth them kings of the earth that are powerfull in this world who for the most part oppose Christ and but few of them receive him yet Christ is the prince of them all the rebellious he will break with a rod of iron as the potters vessel Psal 2. whose fury therefore is not to bee feared for they are the kings of the earth not of heaven earthly power is but fraile and of no force against God Afterwards the kings of the earth more restrictivelie are called the vassals of Antichrist Rupertus understandeth it allegorically that is kings of the earth to bee such as subdue their earthly mindednesse avoyd sinne and are the servants of righteousnesse of such onely saith hee Christ is prince and all who will be Christs must be such but the former exposition is more agreable to the text Furthermore by these titles we have a fourth argument of the deity of Christ 4 Argument of the deity of Christ he is the faithfull witnesse the author and revealer of the heavenly doctrine he was raysed again from the dead by his owne power he is the prince of the kings of the earth all which confirmes his omniscience and omnipotencie that is that hee is true God Who loved us in the Greeke to him that loved us and washed us Here something is to be noted about the construction of the words in the originall Gagneus a Papist insulting against the Greeke copies saith the Greeke reading is ful of soloecismes for these datives to him that loved c. can not be referred to any thing in the text Ribera the Iesuite also applauding the Latine version above the Greeke saith by this it is manifest that the Latine is much purer then the Greeke that is now extant And afterward the Greeke copies that now are are corrupt and our interpreter hath according to his usuall manner followed the true and amended ones And there seemes to be some thing in their exception if the words unto him that loved us c. be referred to what goeth before But Alcasar although a Iesuite yet doth justly reprove them for the false construction they speak of is not in the text but proceedeth from their owne fancy there is no reason saith hee we should suspect that the Greeke copies are corrupted for the vulgar Latine admitteth the same construction otherwhere as appeareth in their translation on chap. 6.4 he which sate on the red horse to him it was given that he should take peace from the earth in like manner the words here who loved us are not to be construed with the foregoing matter but with that followeth to him be glorie c. This he taketh out of Andreas and Aretas who from these words to him that loved us understand the beginning of the following thanksgiving And indeed the construction is plain if a period be made and the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who be put before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath made so the whole thanksgiving would thus bee read To him who loved us and washed us from our sinnes in his owne blood and made us priests and kings to God his father to him be glorie and dominion for ever and ever Amen Thus much about the construction And who loved us He concludeth the dedication with a thanksgiving in which the threefold office of Christ being before spoken of hee now sheweth a threefold benefit flowing from the same to us First he giveth thanks that he loved us who is the fountaine of our salvation for seeing the son of God loved us therefore hee tooke our flesh and laid down his life for us Rom. 5 8. delivered us from death to life God saith the Apostle commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us Againe who shall separate us from the love of Christ Rom. 8 35. 1 Ioh. 3 16. Ioh 15 3. hereby perceive wee the love of God because hee laid downe his life for us So saith Christ himself Greater love hath no man then this that a man lay downe his life for his friends c. The scripture setteth forth the love of the father also in this thing that he gave his son up to the death for us The love indeed of the son seemeth to be greater because he loveth more that will give his owne life for others then hee that giveth the life of another to the death but in this the father and the son have manifested one and the same philanthropie or fulnesse of love to us-ward the father in that hee gave the son and the son in that hee became obedient unto the father The consideration of whose love ought to take away from us all opinion of merit and selfe-trust For the father and Christ loved us not because wee were worthy of it but when wee were enemies and dead in trespasses It should also stir up our thankfulnesse to love him again who first loved us and to consecrate our selves wholy to him And in the last place it is for our comfort for those whom he hath thus freely loved hee will love unto the end and not leave them in the hower of death And hath wushed us from our sinnes by his owne blood Here followes another benefit being an effect of the former for seeing hee loved us therefore
hee shed his blood and gave his life for us a golden sentence containing the summe of the Gospel and a principall fruit of the death of Christ Besides it yeeldeth us an argument who was the writer of this booke Ioh. 5.8 for this is the phrase of Iohn the Euangelist the blood of Iesus Christ the son of God doth purge us from all sinne that which there he calleth purging here it is called washing by a like metaphor taken from water which purgeth away foulnesse Now Christ cleanseth us froÌ„ our sinnes two maner of waies First by his merit because by the shedding of his blood he hath taken away the guilt of our sins and justified us before the judgement seat of God Secondly by the efficacie of his sufferings for by the vertue of his merit he also giveth us the holy Ghost and regenerateth us to newnesse of life that being dead to sin we might live unto righteousnes So that Iohn in fewwords doth comprehend many great mysteries of the Gospel Christ hath washed us from our sinnes So then wee were defiled with sinnes we were guilty in tâ—e sight of God but hee hath washed us by his owne blood And therefore the shedding of his blood is a price fullie satisfying the justice of God for all our sinnes Contrarie to the blasphemous falshood of Socinus affirming that the blood and death of Christ is nothing but a martyrdom whereby he merited his owne exaltation He hath washed us from our sinnes so then wee are justified before God by the merit of his blood Therefore it is false that we are washed and justified by the merit of works To be short he hath washed us being therefore once purged let us not returne to the wallowing again in the myre but rather seriously indeavor to be righteous and acceptable to Christ our Saviour 6. And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his father in the Greeke there is a defect of the relative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who common to the Hebrewes and hath made is put for who hath made For the word kings the old interpreter rendreth it kingdom and the reason of it may be because two greeke copies have the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a kingdom but all other copies yea the kings bible reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is kings which also is repeated chap. 5 10. Alcasar defendeth the vulgar translation with many words but the generall agreement of all copies is against him and though the sence may be the same yet it is more probable that persons with persons rather then persons with things should be joyned together besides the one is a proper speech the other figurative This then is the third benefit we receive from Christ viz. that he hath made us priests and kings kings not onely in adopting us to be heirs of his kingdom but also through the power of the holy Ghost hath made us conquerors over sinne Rom. 8.37 Rom. 16 20. 1 Cor. 15 57. 1 Ioh. 5 4. death satan and all other enemies as it is written in all these things wee are more then conquerors through him that loved us And the God of peace shall bruise satan under your feet shortly Thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through Iesus Christ. And this is our victory that overcometh the world even our faith Lastly Christ hath made us kings hereby to shew that he will at length crowne all his members with glory and honor And priests to offer spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God through Christ and to consecrate our selves as a living sacrifice pleasing unto him Iohn heere hath reference to that in Exod. Exo. 19 6 1 Pet. 2.5.9 19 6 and yee shall bee unto mee a kingdom of priests and an holy nation Which words the Apostle Peter thus explaineth yee also as living stones are built up a spirituall house an holy Priesthood to offer up spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God through Iesus Christ And again yee are a royall Priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people that yee should shew forth the prayses of him who hath called you out of darknesse into his marveillous light To God and his father Whether we understand this of the trinitie or else as generally it is taken of the person of the father the sence is one that is that we being reconciled to God by Christ should therefore labour to give up our selves to him as an acceptable sacrifice Indeed this our reconciliation is a singular dignitie which God forbid we should stain with any spots of unthankfulnes The papists chalenge the Priesthood as proper to their clergie but Christ on the contrarie hath made it common to all the faithfull They confesse indeed that spiritually all may be said to be priests yet properly they onely who are anointed with the holy Christme but it may easily be proved that their hierarchie and order of Clarkes priests and monkes were not instituted by Christ or his Apostles but were brought into the Church by a preposterous imitation of Iewish and heathenish rites Ribera on the contrarie pleads that the Priesthood here spoken of is not to be taken properly but metaphorically Now who doth deny it therefore seeing himself striving herein with his owne shadow he changeth his stile and affirmeth that the Priesthood in this place is properly spoken of and pretendeth a rule that offentimes that which in holy writ seemeth to be spoken of all in generall is not to be applied to all in particular but onely to some of the number whom it concerneth And he alledgeth for this Exod. 19 6. yee shall bee to mee a kingdom of priests an holy nation Ioh. 3 16. 20 28. Exo. 19.6 c. The rule wee acknowledge yet doe denie that it appertaineth unto this place For the words of the text compared with the place of Peter cannot bee understood of some of the faithfull onely but of all in generall for as not a few of the faithfull but all are made kings to God by Christ so also not a few but all are made priests It is likewise plain that the speech in Exodus respected all the people for as they were an holy nation so they were a royall Priesthood though afterward by a special priviledge God granted the ceremonial Priesthood to one tribe alone which priviledge if it belong to the Romish clergie also let Ribera shew it from the holy scriptures To him be glorie the relative to him doth plainly cohere with the foregoing datives 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that loved and washed And therefore glorie and thanks is properly ascribed to Christ Luk. 23 3. Isay 2 19. for he giveth thanks and teacheth us to give immortall praise to him because he hath washed us and made us kings and priests to God and his father He giveth to Christ that which he already hath that we should acknowledge that he hath it and that it is his will we should ascribe the same to him and
and eat of his mean and cuntry fare Christ sups with us when he delighteth in our faith and conversion like as frindes at meale rejoyce togither Now this is spoken by an allegory not as if Christ needed our supper but we make ready for him and he is said to sup with us when in faith and â—bedience we performe acceptable service and wholie consecrate our selves unto him And he with me to wit he shall sup with me For Christ will not come emptie but loaden with blessings to inrich and replenish them with the food of heaven and communicate unto them the good things of the Gospell as righteousnes holines peace the joy of the holy Ghost and to be short life and eternall happinesse And thus much for the allegoricall promise propounded unto us in this place But this allegorie is abused by Libertines Pelagians and Jesuites The abuse of this allegorie is shewed and resuted whom the Lutherans also begin to imitate to establish bence contrarie to the scriptures universal grace to the injuring of the free grace of Christ For seeing it is said I stand and knock Jf any man heare and open c. They inferre that God hath made universally unto all this promise and as all are counselled to open to Christ so it is in their free-will eyther to admit or exclude him For saith Bellarmin they at whose heart the Lord knocketh eyther have sufficient power to open or els they have not If they have then the thing we plead for is granted If they have not then why I pray you doth the Lord knock or is be ignorant that they cannot open Would we not account him vnwise who should knock at his neighbours door knowing in the mean time that there is no man within to open unto him First I answer with Ierom that parables and the exposition of darke sentences are not to be brought for the confirmation of doctrines Now all this is spoken allegorically and by an anthropopatheia and not properly for wheras Christ is said to knocke like a traveller at the doore and to sup with them that open The Iesuites argument retorted upon him If this should be taken according to the letter of the text he should not be God omnipotent For eyther he can open or els he can not If he can not doe it except we open unto him how then is he omnipotent but if he can why then doth he knocke or what use is there that we should open to him Would not he seem to be unwise who should knock at his neighbours door having in the mean time the key in his owne hand Secondly the consequence will not hold from what is conditional to the thing categorically required As If any man heare and open therefore it should follow that it is in our free-will to doe the same For conditionals prove nothing but what ought to be don by us and what if don will follow thereupon Thus Erasmus disputed against Luther If yee will yee shall eat the good things of the earth therefore saith he men have a free-will to doe good and repent But this the scripture wholie denies Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots Ier. 13 23. Matt. 7.18 Philip. 2.13 then may yee also doe good that are accustomed to doe evill A corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to doe according to his good pleasure Luther therefore answâ—â—â—ng to Erasmus saith that oftentimes these conditionals doe signifie an impossibility 〈◊〉 If one should say Jf thou thinkest O Maevus to equal Virgil in singing Jt behoveth thee to sing better then as yet thou hast don If thou thinkest to surpasse Cicero O Scotus then thou must in sted of thy subtilties manifest more eloquence If thou wilt compare with David then compose such psalmes as he hath don which manner of speech signifies things which are not possible in regard of our owne strength though to God all things are possible And indeed the scriptures by such expressions doe declare unto us not what we can do of our selves but what the Lord may worke in us by his owne power Thirdlie concerning universall grace and power to open of our selves First it is false that the same is bestowed on all in the state of nature considering that the meanes of conversion and salvation is not alike offered unto all But allwayes as it hath pleased the Lord where when and to whom he would We see that the Turkes Jewes and Pagans to this day have not the meanes of salvation which we Christians enjoy by the singular mercie of God 2. we doe not deny but such at whose door Christ knockes by his special grace have sufficient helpe to open so farre as concerneth the outward means and indeed this were enough for all but that all by nature are deafe and dead in sins not withstanding it is sufficient for their conversion who inwardlie are wrought upon by the spirit of God But it is untrue that this sufficiencie is made effectuall and operative through a free-will in us because while Christ outwardlie knocketh we inwardlie are dead in our sins beeing deafe and blinde blacke Ethiopians spotted Leopards evill trees which of themselves cannot bring forth good fruit And therfore the greatest outward meanes are of no force untill there be an inward and powerfull motion raising us up from the death of sin illuminating the minde opening the hart and changing the whole man neyther is Christ ignorant that we cannot open at his knocke much lesse unwise in knocking but doth it because he knowes we are inwardly deafe and dead in sin and unable of our selves to open besides hereby to convince us of our miserable estate by nature and to rayse us up from the death of sin and to give unto us both will and power to open unto him And lastly the scripture speaks in a twofold manner of our conversion Sometimes the Lord attributes to us and requires of us the whole worke therof as if it depended altogether on our will Isai 1.19 Zach. 1.3 Ezech. 18.31 Mar. 1.15 Why God requireth and attributeth conversion to man Chap. 6. de Grat. lib. arbit De correp grat Chap. 3. Esech 36.26 Ier. 31.18 Ioh. 6.44 Ioh. 15.6 If yee bee willing and obedient yee shall eat the good things of the land Turne yee unto mee and I will turne unto you make you a new heart and a new spirit for why will yee die O house of Israel repent yee and beleeve the Gospel not as if it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or in our power to doe these things For how can they spiritually move who are dead in sins But the scripture thus speaketh 1. To teach us that wee neither will nor can doe any thing of our selves but are bound to ask it of God And 2. because God by such exhortations threatnings promises and conditions doth please effectually to raise
insufficient to reveale these heavenly secrets there is I say no wisedome in the creature to apprehend the counsels of God much lesse to make them known unto others This honour appertaines to the Lambe onely 4. And I wept much The third circumstance is Iohns weeping griefe occasioned from his desire to know what was written in the booke He saw it made fast with many seales he heard the Angel proclaiming the opening thereof Whence he concludes that therin was contained many worthy things necessarie to be known but seeing all creatures were silent as unable to open it he weeps much and good cause too Now his weeping was not in vaine for by his prayers teares he hath his desire granted him to the ful And here we are taught that the mysteries contained in Gods word whither in this or other places are not to be understood without weeping that is desire study labour and ardent prayers unto God The which shall not bee in vaine for though we may be ignorant of somethings yet what soever is necessarie to salvation shal be revealed unto every one that truely seekes for it at the hands of God 5 Then one of the Elders The fourth circumstance concerneth the Elder comforting John whom some wil have to be Jacob the patriarch others John the Baptist others Matthew but Lyra will have it to be Peter the porter of heaven but I passe by these fooleries He was one of the heavenlie companie and in likelihood one who sate next to him wishing him to desist from weeping for howbeit all creatures fayled yet there was one viz. Christ worthy to open the booke loose the seales Shewing us that all ought to direct their prayers unto Christ not unto the saintes He cals him the Lyon of the tribe of Judah alluding to the words of Iacobs blessing Judah is a Lyons whelpe viz. in dignity strength kinglie power Gen. 49 9. Of the tribe of Judah For Christs mother was of this tribe The root of David comming of the progeny of David for Marie the mother of Christ was the daughter of David Christ therfore as he is man is of the seed of David as again he himself witnesseth Cha. 22.16 I am the root and the off-spring of David He also is the Lyon of the tribe of Iudah conquering by his divine power satan death hell Hath prevailed Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath overcome which is eyther absolutly put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was found worthy Beza hath obtained or transitivelie for XXVII Argum of Chr. deity he hath excelled all creatures in dignity power Which is an excellent argument of the person and office of Christ Of his person both that he is true man beeing of the root of David and true God because he hath overcome Of his office that he is the onely mediatour revealer of the secrets of God and not onely the Doctor of the Church but also the redeemer therof as we shall heare by by Thus we see how he admits of no creature with him into the society of this function whosoever therfore substitutes any other mediatours together with the Lamb herein they make this mighty Angel a liar who proclaimeth that neither in heaven nor in earth or under the earth any creature is found worthy to open the booke of God 6 And I beheld and lo in the midst of the throne This is the fift circumstance touching the Lamb. His seat gesture forme is described in this verse his action in the following Now without doubt Christ is represented by this Lambe Before he was called a Lion because of his dignity and power here a Lamb noting his innocencie and oblation For he was brought as a Lamb to the slaughter Isai 53 7. as a sheep before her shearers is dumbe so he openeth not his mouth And indeed nothing els was typed out by the two Lambs daylie offered under the Law Ioh. 1.29.36 1 Pet. 1.19 but Christs perpetual and effectuall sacrifice For he is the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world And by whose pretious blood we are redeemed By the way we may take notice that Christ is here called a Lamb Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without an article And yet not any Lamb but onely Christ is to be understood hereby Which confutes their opinion who thinke because in Chap. 13.12 Antichrist is said to have two hornes like a Lamb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without an article that therefore not Christ but indefinitely any Lamb is there spoken of Neither is the rule among Graecians always true viz. Whensoever any certaine individual is noted that then an article is allwayes required For we see here the contrary as also in Chap. 14 1. where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lambe is put without an article which cannot be understood of any but of Christ This Lamb he saw in the midst of the throne and of the beasts that is between God and the Church triumphant shewing that he is the mediatour betwixt God and man In Chap. 7.17 he is said to stand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the midst of the throne whereby is signified his exaltation at the right hand of God For howsoever in the state of his humiliation he was lower then the throne yet now beeing glorified he hath obtained to sit on the throne of the Father And therefore he saith Chap. 3.24 To him that overcometh I will grant to sit with me in my throne even as I also overcame and am sit downe with my Father in his throne In the middest of the beasts See Chap. 4. v. 3.6 Stood as it had been slaine The gesture of the Lamb is twofold He stood and as it were slain By the latter his death is signified by the former his resurrection He appeares not slain but as if he had been slain not dead but living having the markes of his death in his side hands feet Wherefore he stood as a conquerour revived from death to life having like a Lion overcome the same Therefore he saith Chap. 1.18 I am hee that liveth and was dead and behold I live for evermore Wherefore we must not looke upon him simply as a Lamb but respectivelie as a Lamb slain for our sins and raised againe to life for our justification Furthermore his appearing in the forme of a Lamb doth not contradict what we spake before touching his sitting on the throne for he is a Lamb in regard of his humiliation and office and he is God and sits with the Father in the throne in respect of his deity Having seven hornes An admirable forme for who ever saw a Lamb with seven hornes having eyes in or under every one of thē But is seven here to be taken indefinitely for many No but properly answering to the number of the sevē seales To teach us that the Lamb wanted neyther power nor wisedome to unloose the same His hornes denote
and 5. It containes a thanksgiving a prayer They give thankes to the Lord God almighty which is which was and which is to come that is either to Christ or unto the holy Trinity as before on Chap. 1.8 But for what benefit Because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast reigned But what good comes hereby unto the Elders indeed they have great cause to rejoyce for these benefits considering that they serve to the eternal felicity of the Church triumphant Hitherto the Lord in suffering the fury of the adversaries did seem not to exercise his great power that is his omnipotencie and Christ to be overcome by Antichrist but at length by taking that is by exercising and shewing forth his power in casting down the adversaries he delivered the afflicted Church out of all her trouble and by reigning blesseth her with eternal happinesse Rom. 14.17 The kingdome of God is righteousnes peace and joy in the holy Ghost And God shall then perfectly reigne when as he shall give to his elect eternal righteousnesse peace and the joy of the spirit Of this see the description in the end of the second Vision Chap. 7. v. 15.16.17 18. And the nations were angry Now followes their wish or prayer For by putting God and Christ as it were in minde of the time of judgment they humbly beseech him that he would most justly execute the same according to the prophesies of the scripture The nations were angry This is as it were a former reason Because the nations are angrie as if he should say they have bin angry that is raged long enough against Christ and the Church It is time therefore that thou also be angrie that is represse the angrie nations Thus he calleth all adversaries whatsoever whither Jewes Turkes or Christians falsly so named Thy wrath That is thy vengeance and judgement or wrath for punishments by a metalepsis as Rom. 2.5 Is come For let it come And the time namely is come the which thou hast defined in ty eternal counsel Vnknown indeed unto mortal men but then revealed by Christ unto them in heaven For without a speciall revelation no man knoweth that day save God alone But what time Of the dead That is to be raised Some take it of the wicked onely dead in sins But the following distribution of them which are to be judged comprehends all both good and bad For it is added That they should be judged But the godlie shall not come into judgement Jo. 5.24 He that beleeveth on him that sent mee hath eternal life and shall not come into judgement But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 judgement is there put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condemnation and therfore Beza hath so rendred it So then the elect shall come to judgment for all must stand before the tribunall seat of Christ however they shall come to be absolved and not condemned And therefore the Elders further adde Two companies of them that are to be judged That thou shouldest give reward They make two sorts of people of such as shal be judged some to be rewarded the other to be destroyed as Christ in Matth. 25. Joh. 5. The reward of their faith shal be given them and of their obedience constancie patience labours and miseries What reward eternal life glorie Vnto whom They make three sorts of such as shal be rewarded Three rankes of such as are to be rewarded First they place Gods servants the prophets thereby comprehending the faithfull of more special note whither under the Law or Gospel as Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Evangelists c. who were Gods servants by a more then orninary vocation Secondly the Saintes to wit confessours and martyrs who eyther by sincere preaching or constant martyrdome have held forth the glory of Christ against Antichrist Vnder whom are comprehended all faithfull teachers and preachers of the word called Saints by an Hebraisme as separated to some special work In the third place they add the fearers of Gods name that is all other faithful ones besides the two former companies who from the beginning of the world unto the end therof have worshipped the Lord in sinceritie What it is to feare the name of God For to fear the name of God is to worship him sincerely to call upon him and love him above all because the feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisdome godlinesse Great and small They shew that the reward is common unto all without any difference of merit either of greater or lesser condition and state to the end that neyther the great ones should promise unto themselves a greater reward or the others despaire of the same recompence Popish Sophisters dispute much touching the degrees of glorie which rather proceedeth out of their own braine from a false supposed foundation of humane merits then from the Scriptures of God But whither the Lord wil crown his servants with equal or unequal glorie it shal not be according to their merit but merely of his own grace And this is all Jovinian against whom Jerom wrote pleaded for except I be deceived viz. that unto all who kept their baptisme there should be one recompence in the kingdome of God For he seems not to disapprove of a degree of reward but of merit The crown of righteousnes propounded unto all the faithfull Paul the Apostle who was taken up into the third heaven and inferiour to none of the Saintes shewes us that for him was laid up a crown of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous judge would give him at that day and not unto him onely but unto all that love his appearing This same crown of righteousnesse the Elders doe promise unto the Prophets and Saintes and all the fearers of the name of God This sufficeth for our faith and consolation Let us leave disputing in this life touching the differences of the crowne and rather indeavour so to walke as that we may be made partakers therof in the life to come That thou shouldest give reward Here fals in a question For a reward is given of merit and debt Therfore say some the reward of eternall life is given unto the Saintes as a due debt otherwise it would not be called a reward Now it is not onely here so called Mat. 5.12 20.8 1 Cor. 3.8 Rom. 4.4 but in many other places Great is your reward in heaven Give unto them their reward or hire Every one shall receive his own reward according to his own labour But to him that worketh the reward is not given of grace but of debt Thus the mercenarie adversaries of grace dispute But how eternal life is said to be a reward appeares by the words of the Apostle The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is life eternal Rom. 6.23 Ephes 2.9 It is the gift of God not of workes least any man should glorie Now all gifts are gratis and not due debts Forasmuch
seeing Christ alone hath troaden the Wine-presse of Gods wrath and overcom the Dragon This is to be referred to the decencie of the Vision For a captain doth not use to fight without an armie And all though Christ alone hath fought the battell hand to hand as it were with Satan yet hath he also left occasion of combatting unto his Angels that so they might not stand still and onely behold their captaine fighting but couragiouslie imitate him in the same The Angels of Michael were the Apostles who next unto the captaine suffered the adversaries rage Togither with all other faithfull and elect ones standing continuallie in battel aray under Christ their leader So also the Dragon hath his Angels joyned with him the which are his heades and hornes viz. all instruments of the devill whither high or low by whom he exerciseth his violence against Christ and the Church This is the spirituall combat betwixt Christ and Satan 8. And prevailed not The event of the war is that the Dragon with his followers stood not in battell but fleeing were cast downe to the earth Great indeed and cruel is the Dragon but Michael is greater and more powerfull Satan is that strong armed man Math. 12.29 Luk. XI 21. Heb. 2.14 possessing his house in peace and vexing the Church but Christ stronger then hee beeing come takes away his palace overcomes him and divides his spoiles For by death he destroyed him that had the power of death that is the devill and delivered them who through the feare of death were all their life time subject to bondage Now as Christ sits triumphing at the right hand of God so there was no place found for Satan in heaven but hee was cast to the earth like a champion broken and overcome whom then we clearely judge to be conquered when we see him lie groveling on the ground This thrusting down of Satan out of heaven was mysticall not historical of which also Christ speakes in the Gospel I beheld satan as lightning fall from heaven And again Now is the judgement of this world now shall the prince of this world be cast out Ioh. 12.31 For the spreading of the Gospell through the world was Satans overthrow the destruction of his kingdom So Christ beeing neere his death saith The Prince of this world is Judged That is beeing shortlie to be Judged he saith he is Iudged like as a dying man is said to be dead or the like For in his death he threw down Satan by merit In his resurrection and ascention by efficacie viz sending down the holy Ghost from heaven throw whose grace Satan is thrust forth out of the harts of the faithfull Andreas also gives a touch of the mysticall sense of this war and victorie of Michael applying the casting down of the Dragon here Andreas opinion Vnto the second fall of Satan by which he was overcome and thrown down through the crosse of Christ Namelie when the Prince of this world was judged and thrust from that tyrannie which he before exercised 9. That old Serpent Now that we might not imagine this to be a naturall Dragon he sets him forth by his proper names or surnames whence we may know both his naturall disposition and who he is He calls him that old Serpent as afterward in Chap. 20 vers 2.10 To wit 1. The old serpent who of old by infusing into our first parents the venome of pride was the cause of their and our fall and ruin This Dragon therfore is the same who in Gen. 3. Is that subtil serpent and may be called that old deceiver De exhort mart in proem He is therfore that proper adversary the Devill saith Cyprian and the old enemie with whom we wage war who almost for the space of six thousand yeeres hath fought against mankind And therefore through length of time hath fullie learned all kindes of temptations and how to lie in wait for to destroy the soule If he find a soldiour of Christ unprepared unskilful carelesse and not vigilant with his whole hart he circumvents him before he knowes it he beguiles him unawares and deceiveth him as beeing not skilfull But if any one keeping the commandements of the Lord and stronglie cleaving to Christ resist him he must needs be overcome because Christ whom we confesse is invincible He cals him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Devill that is a slanderour or false accuser 2. The Devill For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a calumnie is whē a thing wel spokē is wrested unto a malicious sense and this is the proper worke of the Devill beeing the first most impious calumniatour There seem to be two causes why hee is so called First he slaunderously perverted Gods prohibition to our first parents concerning the forbidden fruit by accusing God of falsehood and envie as though man should not die by eating of the forbidden fruit but become like unto God Secondly because he ceaseth not to cry out against Christ who died was raised up for our sakes denying his satisfaction scoffing at our redemption and not ceasing to accuse the saintes before the judgment of God as guiltie of death for their sinnes He cals him also Satan that is adversarie 3. Satan for the Hebrue Satan signifies to resist Because from the beginning he was a rebell to God and Christ and yet ceaseth not to oppugne the childeren of God who are Christs members Lastlie he calleth him the seducer of the whole earth 4. Seducer or a most vile impostor through long and continued wickednesse For at the beginning with his lies he seduced our Mother Eve through his impostures he caused the old world to be drowned by the flood and soon after again he drew aside the sonnes of men from the true worship of God unro idolatrie and alwayes hath bin the first inventer and deviser of heresies and deceits by most wicked instruments Brightman as I said expounds it historicallie making Michael with his Angels to be Constantine with his legions The Dragon with his Angels Maxentius Maximinus and Licinius by whose tyrannie Satan did vomit out his last hatred against Christians against whom Constantine warred Maxentius flieing over a certaine bridge was drowned in tyber Maximinus perished in miserable exile And Licinius at last was also put to death So the Dragon was then cast down from heaven to the earth these tyrants beeing driven out of the borders of the Church Now whither this be the meaning of the type I dare not affirme seeing the proper and expresse description of the Dragon seems verie much to condradict the same as here so also afterward Chap. 20.2 Where the same apprehending of Satan is figured out in another type and to another end 10. And I heard a great voyce The warre and victorie of Michael and the overthrow of the Dragon have bin spoken of Now followeth the Song of the Church triumphant in which two fruites of the victorie are
celebrated viz. The joy of the Church and the mourning of the adversaries with the causes of both The great voyce that Iohn heard signifies the multitude of rejoycers and the greatnes of their joy because of the victorie From vers 11. it may be gathered that they were the saintes in heaven who acknowledge the Church militant for their brethren Therfore all the heavenlie companies sing togither excepting the third companie of Angels and the fourth of other creatures The proposition of their song is in vers 12. rejoyce yee heavens and yee that dwell in them In calling upon the heavens themselves to rejoyce they amplifie the excellencie of the benefit for great joy is caused by great mercies This Prosopopoeja is often used as afterward in Chap. 19.20 so in Isa 1.2 heare ye heavens And yee that dwell in them that is the Angels of heaven whom they invite to rejoyce with them The arguments of their joy are the worthie benefits of the victorie which are three in number as we shewed in the analysis The first is that by this victorie comes salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ The like benefits were set forth in the foregoing vision at the sounding of the seventh Angel Cha. 11.15 but arising from a different cause There the dwellers in heaven rejoyced for the finall judgement and destruction of Antichrist and other adversaries here they exult for the first victorie of Michael against the Dragon by which is come salvation and strength c Now howsoever God and Christ had this evermore before yet the same appeared not so fullie because of the wickeds rage and tumult the which they seemed to winke at But then they openlie declared their power c. When Michael that is Christ by his death resurrection and exaltation brake the power of the Dragon and cast him to the earth Besides they had it not alwayes for us that is for our help and consolation But at last it came to bee ours and for us through the victorie of Michael For it is to be observed that they say not these things came to God and to Christ but that now the salvation and power of God and of Christ was come that is was gotten given and communicated to us For through Christs victorie the salvation of our God is come viz. unto us from our God Then the power of our God did manifest it self when it drew us as a lost prey out of the Dragons jawes Then Gods kingdom became ours when we beeing delivered out of the power of darkenesse Colos 1.13 Rom. 1.4 were translated into the kingdome of his beloved Son Then Christs power became ours when he having over come death and Satan was declared to be the son of God powerfullie according to the spirit of sanctification by the resurrection from the dead This is the first argument of joy to the heavenlie spirits and to us in regard that our salvation is founded in the victorie of Michael and that the power and kingdome of our God is vindicated from the violence of the Dragon Our God so they call him that we might confidentlie trust that by this victorie God is reconciled unto us Ioh. 16.33 for so Christ bids us saying bee of good cheere I have overcome the world To this spiritual joy may also be added that outward rejoycing of Christians when Constantine the Emperour had driven the foresaid Dragons out of heaven to the earth Thus I say salvation strength kingdome and power of God and Christ did seeme to come when a Christian Emperour was set on the throne glorifyed God publickly maintained Christs power and freed the Church from tyrannie For the kingdome of God is visiblie seen as it were saith Brightman when godlie princes are placed at the stern The which indeed is true But here it is a secondarie sense For the accuser of our bretheren is cast down The second benefit of the victorie and argument of joy is the immunitie of the Godly from satans accusations Whom before he called a slaunderer adversarie and deceiver he now cals him our accuser It is an allusion to the court where the judge sitteth on the tribunal Satans Iudiciall action against sinners before whom is brought a guilty person with his accuser demanding his life This judge is God For he will judge the world in righteousnes and shall minister judgment to the people in uprightnes Before his tribunal we all stood guiltie of eternal death through sin Gods revenging justice stood against us requiring that we should suffer temporal and eternal punishments For what was committed by us against his infinite majesty Rom. 1.32 For it is the judgement of God that they who commit such things are worthie of death Against us stood the law of God pronouncing cursings against the transgressours thereof Our own evill conscience also arguing and convincing us of eternall guiltinesse But Christ our Michael pleaded our cause before God and by suffering death for our sakes most fullie satisfyed his justice and healed our wounded consciences from the sting of sin purging and sanctifying our harts through faith by his spirit Act. 15.9 Rom. 8.1 and therefore there is no condemnation to us who are in Christ Notwithstanding satan left not off to prosecute his action to accuse and blame us to stirre up God against us and to rage against the faithfull In that he is said to accuse us day and night before God it doth emphaticallie set forth satans malice he knowes God is ours that is reconciled unto us in Christ yet he impudently blameth us to make him if he could not to be ours But thankes be to God Michael hath cast this impudent railer out of heaven that hence forward he might no more molest the Lord with his lying accusations If this great benefit gave occasion of so great joy to the heavenly inhabiters then much more to us For the Dragon was not an accuser of them in heaven but of us who as yet walk in the slipperie pathes of this world Therefore they say The accuser of our bretheren to wit they who as yet have their warfare here on earth This is a worthie thing that the Church triumphant acknowledgeth us to be bretheren And indeed the Catholick or universall Church is a communion of all the Saintes both in heaven and in earth So Chap. 6.11 Hence first the doctrine of the Gospel touching free justification by faith is here confirmed For if our accuser bee cast out then certainlie Free justification by faith here established no man accusing us God the judge will not condemn but acquit and justifie them who by faith are in Christ Iesus It confirmes also the doctrine of the full assurance of our faith and salvation The full assurance of faith touching our salvation Rom. 8.33 For if Christ hath satisfyed Gods judgement for us and silenced our accuser then verely henceforward we may fullie perswade
that of the Apostle In all these things we are more then conquerours through him who loved us This victory in overcomming the world and the Beast is the faith of the Saints against which the Beast shall never prevaile The same thing speaks Daniel touching the little horne and the issue of the war made with the Saints He prevailed against them saith he untill the Ancient of daies came and judgement was given to the Saints of the most high And therefore the Beast shall not alwaies prevaile against the Saints but at length they shall judge the Beast for his power shall endure no longer then XLII moneths which serves for the comfort of the godly lest fainting under their long-during calamities they should cast away their hope of victory If thou enquire after the time of the warre When the war began it began to be made of old when the Beast first trod down the holy city and tyrannically persecuted al opposers by fire and sword In speciall the warre was at the height after the measuring of the temple which through the great mercy of God was effected in these last times By this warre the Councill of Constance tooke away the two witnesses Iohn Husse and Jerome of Prague and was afterward strongly prosecuted against the Saints by the Councill of Trent and yet is to this day And power was given him over all kindreds and tongues We have heard the declaration and usurpation of the power The universal power of the Beast Now he addes the largenesse and greatnesse thereof for that which in vers 3. was generally spoken The whole earth wondred after the Beast is now distributively spoken Power is given him over every tribe and tongue and nation It is therefore an amplification of his power from the largenesse of the territories in subjection to the Beast His power is universall so as none whither high or low in the Christian world but do either desire or are forced to submit to the Romish yoke Behold here again whither the spirit of God doth not point at the Catholike state of Rome that so Antichrist Christs adversary might be known even by the largenesse of his kingdom Psal 2.6 Psal 72.8 Hebr. 1.2 Rev. 5.9 For as CHRIST is appointed by the Father to be heire of all things from sea to sea He it is that hath redeemed us to God by his blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation so on the contrary the DRAGON hath given power to the Beast over every tongue and kinred and nation c. Yet lest we should think that Christ was wholly thrust out of his possession by Antichrist a limitation is annexed 8. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him He much amplifies the dignity and worship of the Beast but withall limits the same He shall be worshipped as God in vers 4. it is said in preterperfect tense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have worshipped Here in the future 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall worship So that the Beasts maiestie shall not be for a short time but shall long endure untill it be fully manifested Notwithstanding the holy Ghost comforts the godly by a twofold restriction first in that he calleth the worshippers of the Beast inhabitants of the earth And therefore none but earthly men shall worship him for the Elect are not the inhabitants of the earth Phil. 3.20 but Citizens of Heaven in regard that their conversation is there So that Gods chosen shall not adore the Beast neither shall their salvation or Christs Kingdom be in jeoperdie but theirs onely who follow the Beast for they shall all of them be cast with him into the lake Chap. 19.20 The other restriction is more expressely set downe viz. that they onely shall worship the Beast Whose names are not written in the Book of life c. that is who were not elected in Christ unto salvation but reprobated unto death before the foundations of the world THEREFORE NO MAN CAN BE SAVED IN THE ANTICHRISTIAN CHURCH because all who are not written in the Book of life shall be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone Chap. 20.15 Let all therefore who love their salvation forsake the Popish Church The names of the Elect are said to be written in the Book of life The Booke of life by an usuall metaphor for we commonly write down the names of such who are deare unto us that we may continually remember them so God having in his eternall counsell elected some to salvation hath written their names in the Book of life so saith Christ Rejoyce because your names are written in Heaven The metaphor also may be understood of the Sonship of the Elect so that to be written in the Book of life shews that they are heires of glory for we know that such are to inherit whose names are written in the last will or testament of men The Booke of life is Christ for in him God hath elected us Therefore it is called the Booke of life of the Lamb that is of Christ because election is made in Christ hence none shall obteine eternall salvation but such who are ingrafted in him through faith the Lamb also is said to be slaine because election includes the blood and death of Christ for the sins of all true beleevers for God hath so decreed to save the Elect as that Christs satisfaction comming in as a ransome for their sinnes his justice might stand with his mercy From the foundation of the world This may be referred either to the next foregoing word slaine or else to the words before who are not written And so Aretas How the Lamb is slaine from the beginning of the world Ephes 1.3 Rupertus and some others take it because of another place not unlike to this Cha. 17.8 They that dwell on the earth shall wonder at the Beast whose names are not written in the Booke of life from the foundation of the world And Paul saith that we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the World Notwitstanding the spirit doth not without cause immediately joyne the words from the foundation of the world with the Lamb slaine For he would commend unto us the sufficiencie and largenesse of Christs sacrifice in as much as the efficacie of his death and passion is extended to the very first beginning of the world and so unto all the faithfull from Adam untill the end thereof to shew that no man living shall obtaine eternall life except he be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. But how could the Lamb be slaine before he was I answer 1. Pet. 1.19.20 Gen. 3.15 Heb. 11.1 Act. 9.4 It is true he was onely slaine once on the Crosse some sixteen hundred yeares ago by a reall suffering yet he is in divers respects said to be slaine before 1. in Gods eternall preordination viz. that he should be slaine in the appointed time 2. by promise that the seed of the woman should
the first of the three angels flying through the midst of heaven evangelized to the inhabitants of the earth saying with a great voyce Fear God c. Chap. 14. ver 6. And the pouring out of the vials should be the preaching of the Gospell which worketh indeed in the elect the fear of God joy and life 2 Cor 2.15 but to the marked ones of the Beast it occasioneth sores diseases and death as the Apostle foretold That the Gospell should be a savour of death unto death to them that perish This sense Ribera the Iesuite likes not of Because it is not the worke of Preachers to inflict plagues but to foretell and denounce them Riberas opinion examined and to deterre men from their evills But these Angells saith he do not foretell the plagues but inflict them Therefore they are true Angells by whom the Lord inflicts plagues with he doth not by the Ministers of the Gospell But these things are not solid For first these Angells are not said to cause the plagues but to poure out the vialls of Gods fury Therefore properly the plagues were caused by the wrath of God The angels were onely ministers of the pouring out which lets not but that it may metaphorically be understood of the publishing and denouncing of the wrath of God As God therefore by his ministers saves some and condemnes others so also he inflicts these plagues by their preaching Secondly How farre ministers of the word are said to cause plagues it is not absurd to say that the Preachers of the Word do inflict plagues because they communicate in the worke of God which he executes by them Therefore they are said to beget and to save them that heare them because in this worke they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Co-workers with God They are said to forgive sinnes because in the name of God they declare and confirme the remission of sinnes to them that repent 1 Cor. 4.15 1 Tim 2.16 1. Cor. 3.9 Ioh. 20.21 Why then may they not also be said to strike the wicked with plagues and condemne them as being Co-workers with God that doth the same certainly in Chap. 11. ver 5. the two witnesses slew their enemies with fire that came out of their mouth and they had power to smite the earth with all manner of plagues as often as they would And therefore the Iesuites reason doth not weaken the former opinion that they are preachers of the word neither doth he solidly prove the contrary that they should be reall Angells forasmuch as God doth equally dispense his judgements as well by the preachers of the Gospell as by Angels although in a divers manner What then Who the Angells of the seven trumpets of the seven vialls are I so judge touching these seven Angells of the Vialls as of the seven Angells of the trumpets The six former might denote preachers because at the sounding of their Trumpets the temporall events there described did happen But the seventh could not because he openly denounced the last judgement as present Chap. 10.7 Chap. 11.15 he therefore was that Archangell by whose voice and Trumpet the dead shall rise up at the comming of Christ 1. Thes 4.16 1. Cor. 15.52 now this no preacher can do So likewise these six former may signifie ministers of the Word because during their Vialls the marked ones of the beast shall be smitten with these plagues in this life But the seventh proclaiming the consummation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is done cannot be any other but that Archangell the chief Herauld of Christ the judge neverthelesse as before I noted there is no necessity to fasten on this exposition for the angells which Iohn saw were so in appearance and ministers of the plagues in a Vision by which representations God shewed to Iohn what he was about to doe what kinde of plagues he would inflict on antichristians towards the time of the measuring of the Temple and Reformation of the Church But there is no necessity urging us to affirme that he precisely shewed unto him the manner and persons that is how and by whom he would accomplish the same III. Touching the Plagues that followed the pouring out of the VIALS LAstly touching the plagues it is demaunded whether they are properly or allegorically to be understood and whether they are to fall universally on all antichristians or on some onely and in what time every one of them is to be inflicted and after how long time one is to follow the other The two latter of these questions touching the time are more curious then profitable seeing they can hardly be defined by the understanding of man further then hath been formerly spoken of the beginning and end of the vialls Whence it is most certaine that Antichrist shall reigne much longer then foure Yeeres For the other question on whom they are to be inflicted whether universally on all or on some onely we shall learn by the severall vialls Lastly it were in vaine generally to dispute touching the quality of the plagues seeing we shall more rightly understand every of them apart in their places Ribera indeed thinkes that all of them are to be taken litterally because these plagues are like to those of the Aegyptians which happened not metaphoricallie but litterally him Alcasar refutes and interprets the plagues mystically yet however it sufficiently appears there is an allusion unto the plagues of Aegypt notwithstanding neither are they all alike nor would a litterall sense hence follow for the history it self is one thing and a Vision alluding to the history another In the History all those things happened really to the sense in the Vision all these things are aenigmaticall as the Angells Vials pouring out c. And therefore wee may not doubt that the plagues also are aenigmatically set forth Now we will speake of every of them in order CHAP. XVI The first Part of the Chapter A Command touching the pouring out of the Vialls 1 And I heard a great voice out of the Temple saying to the seven Angels Go your vvayes and poure out the seven Vials of the vvrath of God upon the earth THE COMMENTARY I. ANd I heard a great voyce The Angells having received the Vialls full of Gods wrath in Heaven do not hasten to poure them out but wait for a heavenly Commandement to doe the same for the ministers of God neither do nor indeed may do any thing against the wicked of private affection but in all things are to containe themselves within the limits of their vocation that so they may righteously execute the judgements of God John therefore heard A great voyce that is vehement and terrible like as he heard Chap. 1. ver 10. and Chap. 6. ver 1. Chap. 11. ver 12. and doubtlesse it was the Lamb or of God sitting on the throne as chiefe moderator of the plagues Out of the temple which ere while was filled with the smoake of the
owne Bride in faithfullnesse righteousnesse and judgement and will shortly consummate the mariage at his last comming as we shall heare Chap. 19.7 in the mean while enjoyning her to remaine pure and chast unto him And thus the Apostle laboured to present the Churches of Rome Corinth c. as chast Virgins to Christ that is free from the leaven of Superstition idolatrie and humane traditions such a Church I say was at Rome in the Apostles dayes and some while after and here is represented in her apostacy by this woman the same Church as shall appear by that which followes Isa 1.21 But how is she now become a harlot Because as of old Ierusalem that holy City casting off the worship of God and polluting her selfe with traditions superstitions and idolatrie is therefore called an Harlot So the Christian Church as Egesippus witnesseth in Eusebius remained not long after the Apostles death a chast Virgin But touching the declining condition of the Church and especially that of Rome enough hath bin spoken in the foregoing Visions and more shall bee said hereafter The fornication of kings with the Romish whore 2. With whom the Kings committed fornication The cause of her judgement is more expresly signified viz. her Fornication with the Kings of the Earth for this is a noble Strumpet enticing Monarchs and Kings of the Earth to lie with her But how by perswading the kings her lovers under the Title of the Catholicke Faith to receive her Superstitions Idol-worship Decrees and Decretalls and so bewitching all of them by her faire shew of holinesse that as Samson was enslaved to Dalilah and Hercules to Omphala so these willingly serve dedicate and give themselves and their kingdomes as Tributaries to the Apostolicall Sea Christs Vicar and Peters Successour that avaricious Strumpet Now who these Kings of the Earth are we shall see in the opening of the hornes To the Kings are joyned the Inhavitants of the Earth that is Earthly men Idolaters and sworne enemies of the Gospell for with these also shee playeth the Harlot as despising no sorts of people but with an unsatiable lust doth promiscuously prostitute her selfe unto all both rich and poore bond and free Imprinting the Character of her Idolatry on them all Recogn lib. 9 and giving them power to buy and sell her spirituall wares herein imitating those women of Susia who anointing themselves as Clemens writeth with costly ointments and adorned with Ornaments and precious Stones like unto this Whore verse 4. used to goe abroad with great Pompe accompanied with hand-maids indifferently alluring whosoever would whither strangers or servants to commit follie with them This being permitted them by their owne Husbands By the wine of her Fornication hee understands the glorious Superstitions and Magnificence of the Apostolicall Sea and Vizard of the Catholicke Church The wine of fornication the which earthly men have as greedily embraced as thirsty lovers drink the wine offered them by their beloved ones Therefore they are said to be made drunke because being bewitched with a blind love of Superstitions they stand for their Idols beyond all sense and reason furiously hating and persecuting the Gospell of CHRIST If thou kill a man it s a finne with them to bee bought off with a little money Romes idolatry But if thou uncover not thy head to the Idol Image of Marie or turne thy backe upon it it s a wickednesse to bee punished by death as having committed Crimen lesae Majestatis against her Behold the mad drunkennesse of Idolaters occasioned by this wine of Fornication The second Part of the CHAPTER The Vision of the Whore upon the Beast 3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wildernesse And I saw a woman sit vpon a scarlet coloured Beast full of names of blasphemy having seven heads and ten hornes 4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour and decked with gold and precious stones and pearles having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthinesse of her fornication 5 And upon her forehead was a Name written Mystery Babylon the Great The Mother of Harlots And abominations of the Earth 6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the Saints and with the blood of the Martyrs of Iesus and when I saw her I wondred with great admiration THE COMMENTARY AND he led me in the Spirit Thus much of the Preface Now followes the first Act of the Vision Where first we are to observe the motion unto the same and the place In that Iohn doth againe say he was led by the spirit as Chapter 1.10 and Chapter 4.2 it shewes that hee was not in a continuall Extasie of Visions The motion unto the Vision was not of the body but the minde for bodily he remained in Patmos beholding there the wildernesse and the sights with the eyes of his mind like as Ezechiell bodily remaining in Chaldea was in spirit in the Temple of Ierusalem The place where he saw this was the wildernesse But what Is the Woman the Beast Rome and Antichrist in the Wildernesse Do they not inhabit the largest possessions and most sumptuous palaces I do not dislike that some understand by wildernesse Gentlilisme which Antichrist under the name of Christ hath brought into the Church hence in Chapter 11.1 the Antichristian Clergy is signified by the name of Gentiles And indeed the Antichristians imitating the Paganes do fall downe before Idols of wood and stone made with hands And as Paganes so Antichristians make God beholding to them by the merit of workes save onely that these abuse the holy Name of Christ as a pretence for their Idolatry which the other know not of Notwithstanding in my opinion there is an higher mysterie in it Before Chap. 12. the chast Woman Mother or Church being persecuted by the Dragon fled into the wildernesse when as after Constantines time being shaken with the floodes of Heresies and Superstitions she withdrew her selfe by degrees out of the sight of men Now here Iohn sheweth what he saw in the wildernesse in stead of that woman He saw indeed a Woman also or Church but a whorisâ—â— woman or adulterous Church riding on a beast that is being Antichristian There I say where before he saw the Woman clothed with the Sun the chast spouse of Christ viz. at Rome he now finds a whorish woman This forsooth is that continuall succession of the Romish Popes This is the venerable antiquity of the Popish Church The succession of the Romish Chur. to wit like as in the wildernesse the whorish woman succeeded the chast woman and banished matrone so at Rome the whorish Apostaticall succeeded the true Apostolicall Church and in place of Bishops holy Martyrs and Confessours excelling in faith and godlinesse are come in the great high Priests of Rome terming themselves universall Monarchs being indeed proud and wicked Idolaters who as Genebrard confesseth are altogether fallen away from the
the profits and delights of Babylon had rather remaine in her and perish then obey the commandement of God Yea such also who being ensnared by her baites fall from Christ to Antichrist returning with the dog unto their former Vomit Like to the Israelites who loathing the Heavenly Manna in the Wildernesse desired to returne to the onions and flesh-pots in Egypt but remembred not their former miserable bondage Taskmasters Scourges Brick-ovens c. So these indeed greedily embrace the fat Kitching of the Papacy but thinke not upon the miserable slavery of the Conscience and Tyranny of Antichrist But as they lusting after their flesh-pots and onions at last miserably perished in the wildernesse and entred not into the promised Land So let these looke to it how in regard of their Apostacy they will satisfie their wounded consciences at the hour of death and what answer they will give Christ the Iudge at the last day Least ye be partakers Some weighty causes of the Commandement are added The first is least they be defiled with her sins for he which dwels near a cripple learns to halt and he that rubs a scabby person may easily be infected Our admirers of Rome plead indeed that they can without wounding of the conscience be conversant there and behold the Masse Idols and Pompe of Babylon But their pretence is false because God forbids the same and experience proves the contrary for they are forced at the least to uncover the head bow the knee to the Masse Idols Pope and by outward shews to give approbation to Babylons Idolatry except they would endanger themselves But that this is to participate in their sins cannot be denyed by any sound reason for to shun sinne is to avoid the occasion thereof Let such therefore call to mind that true saying Esto procul Roma qui cupis esse pius And of her Plagues Another cause Lib. 8. cap. 28. least being overthrowne by the fall of Babylon we suffer justly for our rashnesse and backwardnes Mice as Plinie writeth depart out of the house when it is ready to fall and the Spiders first fall downe with their webs A little before the Siege of Jerusalem by Titus there was heard a voice in the aire Let us depart hence whereby the Christians were induced to go over Iordan to Pella Having therefore these examples why should not the Godly depart from Rome being near to destruction that they be not partakers of her plagues for when a house falls all that are under the roofe must of necessity perish 5. For her sinnes have reached A third reason is taken from the revenging justice of God which although it sometimes deferre yet at length it requires the punishment of wicked deeds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God hath a revenging eye This reason is amplified two wayes First in respect of the sins which are said to have reached unto Heaven Generally all greek Copies have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They followed each other one begetting another so that like chaines fastned together with many rings What is meant by sins to reach to Heaven they reached as it were up to Heaven Andreas and Montanus have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 glued together or as it were with lime or morter raised up to so great an heape as it reached even to Heaven This signifies the abominable heaping up and filthinesse of sins which is said to reach up to Heaven that is by excessive guilt to draw down vengeance from God By a like metaphor God makes Kains parricide detestable Gen. 4 10. The voice of thy brothers blood cryeth to me from the earth And the filthinesse of Sodom Gen. 18 20.21 The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great the cry of their sinne is very grievous which is come unto mee RIBERA on this place saith well That there is no sinne though never so little but it comes even to Heaven that is unto the knowledge of God although the scripture useth so to speake onely of greatest sinnes ripe for punishment Now hence is refuted the distinction of veniall and mortall sins for to reach to heaven is not onely to come unto the knowledge of God seeing he takes knowledge even of the least that are committed but so to take knowledge of them as being a sinfull violation of the Law and therefore deserving the punishment prescribed in the Law If therefore all even the least of sins do reach and come unto the knowledge of God it followeth that all deserve the punishment of the Law namely death eternall and that none in their kind are veniall that is do deserve pardon not punishment yet indeed by accident they become veniall to the faithfull through the mercy of God Secondly the grievousnesse of her sins are aggravated on Gods behalfe who is said to have remembered them by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or humane affection often in Scripture applyed to God by which is signified not any forgetfullnesse but Gods goodnesse and lenity he is said to forget sinners when he differs their punishment and affords time of repentance and wholly forgiveth them that repent And he is said to remember when the time of punishment is at hand Thus in Chap. 16. ver 19. Babylon is said to come in remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the fury of his wrath which is repeated in this place Hence three things are briefly to be noted the consideration whereof ought to recall us from sin and stir us up to repentance First that all our sins even the least are taken notice of by God and deserve to be fearfully punished especially if they be heaped up without repentance Let no man therfore think to escape unpunished as if his evills were forgotten or hid from the eyes of the Lord for all the actions of men as well evill as good are open and bare unto him with whom we have to do Secondly If we have a long time gone on in sin without punishment it is to be ascribed to the patience of God by which he leads us to repentance Let us therfore take heed that we abuse not his long suffering and forbearance unto security Rom. 2.3 Lastly that at last sins being heaped up God doth call them to remembrance and will certainly punish them the more grievously by how much he hath forborn the same Let us therefore not persevere in sin in hope to go allwayes unpunished but while God calls not our sins as yet to remembrance let us forsake them Now it may be demanded what is that chain of sin reaching to Heaven Ribera here is silent being conscious to himself that they are the abominations of Papall Rome for either they are of Old Rome or else of Popish Rome Of Ierusalem they cannot be forasmuch as this Babylon by the Iesuits own confession is Rome not Jerusalem though before he falsly and against his knowledge so seined in Chap. 16.19 Neither can they be sins of Old Rome seeing the chaine
by the Kings a long time or many years but be suddenly taken because of her security like as in one night Cyrus suddenly tooke carelesse Babylon being forsaken of her friends and driven to despair having no power to defend her self The grievousnesse of the punishment is aggravated by enumeration of four Plagues Death Mourning Famine Fire every one of which shall answer to her sins she promised her self perpetuall happinesse but Death shall cut her off she delighted in all kind of pleasures therefore sorrow shall overthrow her She continually gave her self to gluttony riot c. Therefore Famine shall kill her she burnt the godly Martyrs as Heretickes therefore with Fire shall she be utterly consumed by the Kings sometimes her lovers who shall fall from her and turne their swords which they formerly imployed for her against the Godly into her own bowels See Chap. 17. ver 17. For strong is the Lord He prooves that her lot and portion shall be irrecoverable from the omnipotencie of the Iudge the which he opposeth to the Romane power that we might not think the thing foretold impossible the which immagination hath beguilded many even to this day Stapleton hath writ a Booke of the admirable greatnesse of the Romane Church which he saith shall so remaine for ever Lipsius also had no other end then to flatter Rome in his Book which he published about the same time touching the admirable greatnesse of the Romane City Iohan. Paul Windek About this time also a certaine Parasite of the Romish Seat spread abroad a Prognostication about the future state of the Church wherein he affirmed that the Evangelicall Doctrine and Christian Churches should shortly perish The Romane Seat remaine stable and constant so is this opinion settled in the mindes of Papists that it is impossible the Romane Power should be overcome through any Plots or devices or the Romish Hierarchy linked and fastned together with iron bonds as it were should ever be overthrown by any But 2. Strong is the Lord which judgeth her Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Judging in the present tence Andreas and Montanus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who hath judged because in his unchangeable decree he hath devoted her to condemnation some thinke because this shall happen in one day and suddenly that like Sodom she shall be burnt with fire from Heaven but because it was said before that the Kings should burne her it seems rather to be meant of fire suddenly thrown into the City by the Victorious army Hitherto the Exhortation the Lamentation followes 9. And the Kings of the Earth shall bewaile her The wicked lament the wretched condition of Rome First Kings then Merchants Lastly Shipmasters Now what and how great their mourning shall be and the cause thereof common to them all is shewed to be the losse of their former riot and gaine And therefore there is the lesse difficulty and reason to insist upon it This generally is to be noted from the lamentation that a temporall judgement on Rome is here described not the last judgement in the end of the World for wicked Kings Merchants and Shipmasters shall see and bewaile the same In the first place the Kings of the Earth are brought in mourning as being more worthy and powerfull who were chiefe in committing filthines with the Romish Strumpet They shall bewaile and lament for her That is because of her sudden and miserable destruction who these are is noted by two Epithites they are Kings of the Earth committing fornication and living deliciously with her By both we may understand that they shall be enemies of the Gospell Vassalls Sonnes Spirituall Lovers of the Romish Seat For the first Epithite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Earth is allwayes in this Prophesie taken in an evill sense for Kings Nations and worldly men given to earthlie worship By the latter Epithite the cause also of their mourning is shewed they shall lament excessively because they are deprived of their sweet converse with the whore by means of her unexcepted destruction What that converse was we have opened on verse 3. and divers times before It may be demanded who these Kings of the Earth shall be Ribera feineth that they shall be the same Ten Kings who burned her with fire who these Kings of the Earth are repenting and bewailing the destruction of the most renowned City like as Titus is said to have mourned for the burning of Ierusalem and the Temple But it is a vaine Fiction for those Kings shall be converted unto the faith These shall be Kings of the Earth Enemies of the Gospell Ioseph lib 7 de bell Iud. c. 24. The cause also of the mourning is different These shall lament because they can no longer commit fornication and riot with her But the former Kings after they had once by the divine mercie of God repented of their sinne refused any longer to commit fornication with her for it is said They shall hate the Whore and make her desolate Therefore we affirme that these Kings of the Earth shall be such of the Ten as still remaine with the Pope 10. Standing a farre off for feare The gesture and voice of these Mourners is noted standing a farre off and crying Alas alas In which he prevents an objection Why shall they not rather take up Armes and succour the distressed Citie Feare and trembling shall hinder them signifying that the Lord will so astonish them as that they shall not so much as thinke upon armes or succour for the feare of the divine judgement will make them to seeke shelter for themselves For in one houre Before In one day Her judgement shall be so sudden that before the report of her Siege be far spread the Citie shall lie in ashes Thus high things are on a sudden brought to nothing Trees of great height are long in growing but rooted up in one houre They call it judgement to wit of God the just Iudge whose vengeance shall be so manifest that the very enemies shall be forced to confesse that so great a Citie was thus suddenly overthrowne not by humane force but by the judgement of God being angry 11. And the Merchants of the Earth shall weepe Merchants succeed the Kings in mourning the Merchants I say of the Earth whom we have shewed to be spirituall Traders Treasurers of the Popish Court Paenitentiaries and Granters of Pardons c. The which plainely appeares by the adjunct cause of their sorrow and kind of Merchandize Because no man buyeth her merchandize any more But gold silver and pretious stones shall not be out of esteem because of the destruction of one Citie For by the overthrow of one Mart-Towne trading is not taken away from other places but the fall of one is rather the rising of another as not long ago in the low Countries Antwerpe sometime a noble Mart-Towne decaying was the flourishing of Amsterdam Therefore it is manifest that here properlie merchandable wares are not
forceable falling on the Dragon Hee layed hold on him The Dragons Surname and binding and the time of thousand yeers ver 2. The place also and the manner of the imprisonment He cast him into the bottomlesse Pit and shut him up c. and the end that he should deceive the Nations no more and the time of his loosing Afterward he must be loosed a little season ver 3. 3. By a certaine Prolepsis or prevention whither in the meane while the affaires of the Church should be in peace and whither the Dragon being bound Tyrants should not persecute the godly and the Beast rage and invade the kingdome John seeth the soules of them that were beheaded for the testimony of Iesus and them that have not worshipped the Beast sitting on thrones living and reigning with Christ those thousand years ver 4. Whose happines is figured out by the Antithesis of the wicked who lived not againe during those thousand yeares but remained in the death of sin ver 5. And it is amplified by an Exclamation ver 6. In the second part touching the loosing of the Dragon is shewed 1. when and whence the Dragon was loosed Ver. 7.2 What he attempted being loosed to seduce againe the Nations and to gather Gog and Magog to battel Ver. 8.3 What was the successe of the attempt They compasse the campe of the Saints about and the beloved City this attempt is broken off in the former part of verse 9. In the third part which is the Catastrophe of the Gogish battell the destruction of the adversaries is described 1. Specially both the overthrow of Gog and Magog in the latter part of Verse 9. as also the punishment of the devill himselfe verse 10.2 Generally the last judgement of all In which type is noted 1. the majesty and preparation of the Iudge ver 11.2 The guilty to be judged all the dead and the sentence taken out of the Books ver 12. 3. A prevention touching such as were swallowed up of the Sea Death and Hell that they were all delivered up ver 13. 4. The execution of the Sentence both on the last adversaries Death and Hell Verse 14. as all others Verse 15. CHAPTER XX. The First part of the CHAPTER Of the DRAGONS binding a thousand Yeeres 1. And I saw an Angell come downe from Heaven having the Key of the bottomlesse pit and a great chaine in his hand 2. And he laid hold on the Dragon that old Serpent which is the devill and Satan and bound him a thousand years 3. And cast him into the bottomlesse pit and shut him up and set a seale upon him that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand yeers should be fulfilled and after that he must be loosed a little season 4. And I saw thrones and they sate upon them and judgement was given unto them and I saw the soules of them that were beheaded for the witnesse of Jesus and for the word of God and which had not worshipped the Beast neither his image neither had received his marke upon their foreheads or in their hands and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand yeers 5. But the rest of the dead lived not again untill the thousand yeers were finished This is the first resurrection 6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second death hath no power but they shall be Priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years THE COMMENTARY ANd I saw Beza Then I saw which must be understood of the order of the Visions for this he saw after the former not of the order of the events as if this taking of the Dragon The order observeable and these thousand yeers should in time follow the damnation of the Beast For seeing the Beast is Antichrist certainly his destruction and casting into hell shall not be but by the brightnesse of Christs coming and in the last Iudgement as was shewed in the foregoing Vision 2. Thes 2 8 But after the last judgement there shall not be a thousand yeeres in which Satan shall be bound and these things be done which Iohn now seeth And therefore the Events of this Vision shall not follow but in time goe before the events of the foregoing Vision This is a certaine Argument that this Vision is diverse from the former and is no particular Vision which supplies the former and that in the Visions a continuated order of History or Times is not to be observed as most Interpreters imagine Wherefore after all other apparitions This last Vision is a recapitulation of all the foregoing visions this last Vision as it were in place of a conclusion is exhibited unto Iohn in which under new types and the wonderfull binding loosing and condemnation of the Dragon and of the description of the Heavenly Ierusalem is set forth unto Iohn the entire face of the Church prefiguring the History from the first gathering thereof among the Gentiles untill its last glorification in Heaven not indeed by a vaine repetition of the same things but a most profitable revealing of things divers from the former mysteries viz. touching the overthrow of Paganisme among the Gentiles through the coming of Christ of the tempests and distractions of the last thousand years with which besides the cruelty of the Beast the Church shal be exercised and of the most joyfull end of all the calamities of the Church For touching the First Iohn till now had seen nothing Of the Second he had seen somewhat but obscurely under the sixt Trumpet Of the third also he had heard but very little by one of the foure and twenty Elders towards the end of the second Vision Now it was very much for Iohns and ours instruction and consolation that none of these things should be hid from him Therefore there was weighty reasons why after the other Visions this also at last should be exhibited Thus much briefly touching the Order An Angell come downe from Heaven This Angell figures out CHRIST as the adjuncts and effects do prove For he hath the Key of the bottomlesse Pit that is the power of hell and death which Christ before attributes to himselfe Gen. 3 15. Heb. 2.14 Luk. 11.22 Chap. 18. ver 18. and he bindeth Satan which is proper to Christ for hee it is that bruised the head of the old Serpent Who through death destroyed him that had the power of death that is the devill He I say is that Stronger taking the house and dividing the spoile of the strong armed man Neither is it new that Christ should be represented by an Angell in this REVELATION as we see Chap. 7.2 Chap. 8.3 Chap. 10.1 c. But that it should be some ministeriall Angell who while Christ was suffering on the Crosse coming from Heaven bound the devill in the bottomlesse Pit is a fiction of Ribera's contrary to the truth of the Gospell Tob. 8.3 and is not
thousand yeers in the mean while not denying that both they and other Martyrs should further live and reign with Christ But thou wilt say Why the thousand â—â—ers are â—â—fined to what end was it to define a thousand yeers if the Martyrs were to reign longer I answer It was meet they should be defined because of the wonderfull events that were to come to passe in those first thousand yeeres bringing as it were a new face on the whole Earth for Ierusalem being destroyed Iudaisme was to be overtâ—â—owne Satan being bound Paganisme was to decay and on the contrary Christianisme established in the whole Romane Empire not without shedding of very much blood lastly in the midst of Christianisme Antichristianisme was to bee erected and toward the end of the thousand yeeres confirmed and brought to its height with no lesse spilling of Christian blood in Gregory VII that cruell Beast 5. But the rest of the dead lived not againe Having expounded the state of the Godly what it was in those thousand yeers first on Earth afterward in Heaven now he addeth the state of the wicked during the said time on Earth that they lived not againe in the first Resurrection that by this Antithesis he might the more set forth the happinesse of the Martyrs and withall teach us that Satan was not so bound but that he still held very many even all the time of the said yeers in Paganisme and Antichristianisme who would not embrace the testimony of Iesus and live againe or be raised from the death of sin least we should imagine that the thousand yeers should be altogether a Golden-Age or that the Church were to expect the applause of the whole world This is the summe By the Rest therefore are understood all others the Martyrs and Confessours excepted who embraced not the Testimony of Iesus in all this time but were either professed enemies of Christ as Iewes and Pagans without the Church or false Christians or Antichristians in the Church These hee saith are DEAD not by a corporall but a spirituall death in sin of which death the Apostle speaketh Ephe. 2.1 1. Tim. 5.6 Mat. 8.22 Ioh. 5.25 When ye were dead in sinnes And she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth so Christ Let the dead bury the dead The dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of man for he speaketh of the state of the ungodly living on Earth whom he opposeth to the Martyrs not as then living with Christ in Heaven but as formerly embracing and professing the witnesse of Iesus on Earth Therefore in the words The rest of the dead the distinction is not betwixt the dead but after the Greeke Phrase the Genitive is put for the Nominative The rest of the dead for the rest being dead so in Chap. 9.20 the rest of men that is other men or at least it is a distinction of such as of old were living on Earth but dead spiritually for of old the Martyrs also before they repented and embraced the Testimony of Iesus were dead spiritually as the rest but because they lived againe spiritually on Earth therefore after death they lived and reigned gloriously with Christ in Heaven But the rest lived not again To wit from the death of sin through Faith and Repentance but despising the Testimony of Iesus remained in Paganisme Or repented not of their Idolatry Hypocrisie and other sinnes in Antichristianisme as in Chap. 9.20 The rest of men which were not killed by these plagues repented not of the workes of their hands that they should not worship devils and Idols of gold c. which place doth excellently interpret this But that he speaketh not of a corporall living againe as the Chiliasts did interpret it shall by and by appeare by Iohns Declaration Vntill the thousand yeers were finished That is during the whole thousand yeers wherein Satan was bound for againe he addes the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These thousand yeers But did they live againe afterward no certainly for they which live not againe in this life shall never live againe in the life to come Therefore the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vntill limits not a time of living again but simplie denyeth the same they lived not againe untill for never As Thou shalt not come forth untill thou hast paid the very last mite for never Hee knew her not untill shee had brought forth her first borne for never The Chiliasts said They lived not within but after the thousand yeeres but by the same reason they should say that the Soules of the Martyrs lived in but not after those thousand yeers Both is false for the Martyrs have never ceased to live and reigne neither have the rest of the dead ever lived againe It therefore noteth their voluntary contumacie in Paganisme and Antichristianisme that however Satan was bound in a speciall manner and could not deteine them in Infidelity yet they would not after the example of the Martyrs repent and embrace the witnesse of Iesus so as the fault of their destruction was onely in themselves The fourth thing followeth touching the first Resurrection This is the first Resurrection In the Greeke IS is left out but the Ellipsis is expressed ver 6. This is the second death By this Addition Iohn doth expresly declare what kind of living againe he meant that the rest of the dead lived not namely in that which is the first Resurrection as if he should say they lived not again in the first Resurrection the meaning is thus This is the first Resurrection for This living again in which I said the rest of the dead lived not is to be understood of the first Resurrection for the monstrative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is not to be referred to the soules of the Martyrs which he said LIVED but onely to the rest of the dead who he said lived not again which the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lived againe and repeated in the Noun 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Resurrection doth intimate The Declarat oâ— also of the contrary sheweth the same ver 14. This is the Second Death where likewise the Demonstrative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is not to be referred unto all that were judged ver 13. but only to them that were cast into the Lake of Fire and were not found written in the booke of Life Now it followeth to speake of the manner of this Resurrection and what it is The Chiliasts said it was corporall but here is solidly demonstrated that a corporall raising up of the Martyrs out of their Sepulchres is not proper unto the Martyrs but that it must be understood of a Spirituall living again from the death of sin in all that shall be saved THE DEMONSTRATION That the first Resurrection is not to be understood corporally but spiritually First from the differences dividing the whole Subject This first Resurrection is either corporall or spirituall But it is
the following verse onely such are said to be blessed who have part in the first Resurrection of which we shall there speak Seventhly from the same verse If the First Resurrection were corporall and proper to Martyrs then all the dead at the last Day should bee raised unto the second death or unto eternall damnation none of them unto life eternall But the latter is false and contrary to Scripture Ioh. 5.24 Dan. 12.2 c. Therefore the former also The consequence of the Major is grounded on the following Verse where the Second or Eternall Death is said to have power onely over them that have no part in the First Resurrection as there wee shall see Lastly in the same Verse it is said that they onely shall be Priests of God and of Christ which have part in the first Resurrection as shall be shewed Whence againe it would follow that the Martyrs onely should be the Priests of God and of Christ in case that the first Resurrection were corporall and proper to Martyrs But Peter teacheth the contrary 1. Pet. 2.5.9 And Iohn Rev. 1.6 c. These things I suppose may satisfie the Godlie minded and such as are not contentious unto which I will onely adde this one thing touching the Etymologie of the First Resurrection that as the first death is so called because it first seazed on man Why the first Resurrection is so called according to the soule as soon as he had sinned so the first Resurrection is so called because it first vivified man according to the Soule as soone as he repented by hearing the promise in Paradise Or also which comes all to one thing because it is the vivification of the first or more noble part that is of the soule as also because it is wrought in the First that is in this naturall life and lastly because it must goe before the Second resurrection which shall be the resurrection of the bodyes to glory or if the first went not before unto condemnation Here I could adde the Authorities of ancient Divines But it 's needlesse Let Augustine suffice for all the rest who most diligently searched into this prophesie The first Resurrection saith he most truely is to Grace the second to Glorie Lib. 20. de Civ Dei C. 7.18 Him Ribera unjustly reproveth restraining the First Resurrection unto the immortality of soules that the Martyrs though esteemed as if they had utterly perished yet according to their better part they live Then which nothing is more unsavoury for in this hee attributes nothing more to Martyrs then to the worshippers of the Beast who themselves also after the death of their bodies lived in their better part and yet never lived in the first Resurrection Objections against the First Spirituall Resurrection cleared IT remaineth that I briefly answer the Objections of the Chiliasts about their Corporall Resurrection of the Martyrs OBJECT I. That which falleth not neither dyeth is not raised again The soules fall not neither dye but the bodies Therefore the First Resurrection is not of soules but of bodies Austine moving this cavill denyes the minor Lib. 20. de C. D. cap. 10. Rom 14.4 1. Cor. 10.4 Ephe. 2.2 Mat. 8.22 that soules fall not nor rise againe dye not nor live againe For it is said He standeth or falleth to his own Master When ye were dead in sinnes Let the dead bury their dead which things are certainely spoken not of the fall or death of the body but of the soule The soule of man therefore fell through sinne and lies dead in sinne liveth againe through Faith and riseth againe by repentance Therefore there is a Resurrection of the Soules also but not the Second for this shall be of the Bodie Therefore the First Object II. The Soules of Martyrs lived againe either in respect of themselves or in respect of their bodies or in respect of other men who professed the same Doctrine But they lived not againe in respect of themselves because they were never dead Neither in respect of other men because it would follow that the rest of the dead should likewise live againe which is false Therefore they lived againe in respect of their owne bodies I answer I do not well understand whether this be in earnest or in jest The whole is so frivolous and hangs no more together then if they should say The Soules flie either in respect of themselves or in respect of their bodies or in respect of other men c. Not in respect of themselves because they have no wings neither in respect of other men because they also should flie which is false Therefore in respect of their bodies The Hypothesis is false the distribution vaine and lame the consequence nothing for this is wanting or they flie in no respect So here the consequence is to be denyed because they take up a falsehood viz. that the soules did live again for in the Text it is said they lived not that they lived againe Hence the distribution is vaine and imperfect for a fourth is wanting viz. that the Soules lived not againe in any respect to wit corporally which is the Question here in hand For a false attribute divideth not but overthrowes the subject by its falsitie neither is it truely affirmed of the same but denyed Adde that the first clause with the reason thereof is ambiguous for howsoever soules dye not neither live againe in respect of themselves that is in respect of their essence yet they do dye and live againe in respect of themselves that is in respect of Grace and Salvation as hath been shewed The other is superfluous and figurative For no man liveth againe in respect of others except metaphorically as for example A father liveth again in his children in likenesse of nature and manners The two Witnesses Chap. 11.11 lived againe in their Successours in likenesse of doctrine And therefore in this also is an aequivocation or ambiguitie The third which is concluded is also a figurative Synecdoche or is false For as properly not the Soules but the Martyrs were dead in respect of their bodies so properly not the soules but Martyrs shall live againe in respect of their bodies at the last day Therefore ingeniously and without Sophistrie the Object should thus have bin formed The Martyrs lived againe either in respect of their soules or in respect of their bodies Not in regard of their soules therefore in respect of their bodies But thus also the whole major is false the minor ambiguous the Consequence nothing for then the Martyrs lived not againe but lived according to their Soules but they shall live at the last day according to their bodies Therefore properly there are as many faults as words Ob. III. From the Antithesis ver 4. ver 5. If the word LIVED in the former part of the Antithesis must be understood of a Spirituall Resurrection then by the like reason the words LIVED AGAINE in the latter clause must be understood
Resurrection To have part in a thing is to become partaker of that thing as appeares from the contrary Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter saith Peter to Simon the hypocrite And Christ to Peter refusing to be washed by him If I wash thee not thou bast no part with me for thou shalt not have no communion with me Therefore to have part in the first Resurrection is to be partaker of the first Resurrection that is through faith and repentance to rise from the death of sinne unto newnesse of Life with Christ For we clearly shewed erewhile that this first Resurrection is not of the body but of the soule By which we see the great benefit and excellency of the first Resurrection because in it consisteth true blessednesse and holinesse The necessity also because no man shall bee blessed and holy without the same But is it the cause of blessednesse yea verily not indeed the meritorious for that Christ onely is for he hath merited blessednesse for us but causa sine qua non a cause without which it is not for without holinesse which the first Resurrection bringeth Heb. 12.14 no man shall see God yea it is also the formall cause inchoated or begun For the first Resurrection is inchoated holinesse and part of the future blessednesse which shall be perfected in heaven Hence first it followeth that all having part in the first Resurrection that is being truly born again in this life shal be blessed and holy with Christ in the other Life and on the contrary that none which rise not againe with Christ unto newnesse and holinesse of life on Earth shall be blessed and holy with Christ in Heaven Lib. 20. de C. D. ca. 6. For none can belong unto this first Resurrection but such as shal be blessed for ever saith Austin They therefore which have no part in the first Resurrection shall not bee partakers of blessednesse for wee shall bee clothed upon with our house if so bee that beeing clothed we shall not bee found naked 2. Corinth 5.3 Secondly it followeth as before we proved that the First Resurrection is not corporall but spirituall for if it were corporall then by this Exclamation all that shall be raised at the last day should be excluded from blessednesse because none of them should have part in the first Corporall Resurrection But this is absurd because in the last day some shall rise unto blessednesse others unto eternall death The reason of the consequence is because all and they onely that have part in the First Resurrection shall be blessed All indeed thou wilt say but not they onely Yea because all therefore onely for in an enunciation of the property touching the subject or of the effect touching the cause without which it is not or else an Antistrophe such as this is not only a simple conversion and contraposition will hold but a contrary sense also which begets exclusives Blessed are they that have part in the first Resurrection therefore they that have no part in the first Resurrection are not blessed which is of like force with the exclusive Onely they that have part in the first Resurrection are blessed Ps 119.1 Psal 32 1. Rom. 4.7 Rev. 12.14 Rev. 19.9 like as it followeth Blessed are the pure therefore the impure are not blessed Blessed are they whose sinnes are forgiven They therefore are not blessed whose sins are not forgiven Blessed are they that keep his Commandements They therefore that do not keep them are not blessed Blessed are they that are called to the marriage Supper of the Lambe therefore they who are not called are not happy and a thousand such like places are found in Scripture But perhaps thou wilt say it will not hold because as in Chap. 1.3 a speciall blessednesse is promised to the keepers of the words of this Booke so here also some speciall and eminent felicity of the Martyrs is commended by which notwithstanding other beleevers are no way deprived of their blessednesse THIS is nothing for they that keep not the words of this Booke shall be deprived both of speciall and common blessednesse Therefore they onely who keepe the words and Commandements of this Booke are blessed and so are they alone who have part in the First Resurrection Lastly either they onely that have part in the first Resurrection shall be blessed or not they onely If they onely it confirmes what we sayd If not onely then Blessednesse shall not be a speciall priviledge of the Martyrs agreeable to the justice of God viz. that they who have suffered more then others for the Confession of Christ should bee longer in joy and glory as before they said For either there shall be some other Martâ—â—rs on earth in these thousand yeers who shall suffer as much or more also for the Gospell at the hands of Antichrist regaining as they say his strength or of other enemies then the former suffered by Romane Tyrants for the witnesse of Jesus or else there shall be none If some then either these shal enjoy shorter happinesse and glory in Heaven which stands not according to their opinion with Gods justice Or else it was not agreeable to his Iustice that those other should enjoy longer happinesse and glory If there shal be no Martyrs but that the Church Militant during the THOVSAND YEERS shall be free from all hostile invasion of the ungodly living in peace and security as they promise then it followes 1. Cor 2.18 that the Gospell shall cease to be the word of the Crosse and the true Oracles of Christ and his Apostles touching the difficulties of the last times Luk. 18.8 Mat. 10.34 Act. 14.22 2. Tim. 3.1 c. shall cease Thirdly we learne the certainty of the Salvation of all that are borne againe for if all and they onely that have part in the First Resurrection are blessed and that none can belong unto the First Resurrection but such as shall be blessed for ever then certainely all and they onely that are borne againe shall infallibly obtain eternall blessednesse Ribera objects that very many rise againe from sinne and yet die againe In cap. 20. N. 49.50 by their relapse into sinne and so depart out of this life in their sinne Answ This is true of dogs and swine returning to their vomit and wallowing in filthinesse that is of hypocrites who in appearance indeed rise againe from sinne and seem to others to be truly purged from the defilements of the world but yet are not truly purged before God which for the most part the event sheweth but of such as are truly regenerate and rise againe from sinne it is said 1. Ioh. 3.9 Ps 37.24 Whosoever is borne of God commits not sinne for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is borne of God And Though the righteous fall he shall not be utterly cast downe for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand On such the second
death He addes three causes or parts of their blessednesse that have part in the first Resurrection 1. Because the second death hath no power on them 2. Because they shall be Priests of God and Christ 3. Because they shall reigne with Christ a thousand yeers These are either the effects or consequents of the first Resurrection and as it were the priviledges of the regenerate first indeed they are to be referred to the Martyrs but secondly also unto all others that are partakers of the first Resurrection or spirituall living againe For least we should say shall the Martyrs alone live and reigne with Christ in blessednesse he extends the blessed life the Priesthood and Kingdome of Christ unto us also pronouncing us blessed and that indeed by a three-fold name not the Martyrs I say alone but whosoever have part in the first Resurrection that by so many spurs as it were he might stirre up all men unto the desire and studie of the First Resurrection Therefore the first blessednesse of them that live againe shall be an immunitie or security from the second death for they that have part in the First Resurrection on such the second death hath no power that is they can never perish For the second death is the casting of the wicked both in soule and body into hell fire which shall be at the last day as appeares ver 14. Of which our Saviour in the the Gospell Mat. 10.28 Feare him that can destroy both soule and body in hell This otherwhere is called Eternall death because it shall be an eternall losse of life eternall and an everlasting torment in everlasting fire Here it is called the Second to difference it from the First because as the second doth next and certainly follow the first so the second death shall follow the first in order and certainly unlesse the First Resurrection come in between and that deliverance from the First death be obtained by Christ Now before we shewed that the first death is a spirituall perdition of the Soule in sinne drawing with it temporall death as its necessary sequell Rom. 5.12 This death entred into the world through sin and passed upon all men for that all have sinned Therefore it hath power over all men and it is universall yet mutable through the First Resurrection that is true repentance and faith in Christ But the second death shall not have power over all but them only whom it findes lying in the First death for these shall be throwne head-long from death into death or rather the Second death shall be unto them an everlasting continuation of the First death and a horrible increasing in eternall fire But such as through faith and true repentance have risen with Christ from the First death on them the second death shall have no power because according to promise of the Gospell Ioh. 3.36 Ioh. 5.24 they that beleeve on the Sonne of God do not come into condemnation but are passed from death to life Therefore the second death shall not be universall because the First resurrection shall make the particularitie yet it shall be immutable for ever because there can be no redemption from hell but the smoake of their torment shall ascend up for ever and ever Psal 49.8 Rev. 14.11 Cont Demetr For after the departure out of this life there shall be no more place of repentance no effect of satisfaction Here life is either lost or kept saith Cyprian These things ought to awaken and raise up such as lie in the death of sinne And on the contrarie to confirme the assurance of their salvation that are risen with Christ For if the second death hath no power over them that have part in the First resurrection then certainly they need not fear condemnation but may and ought to be certainlie perswaded of their salvation But some may say It is uncertaine who truely have and alwayes unto the end shall have part in the First Resurrection Answ If it be uncertain to thee who hast not tasted hony whether it be sweet or not it is not therefore uncertaine to them who have tasted the same So likewise If the First Resurrection be uncertaine to them which neither have nor know the same it is not therefore uncertaine to them which have it and feele it in their hearts for some apprehend not faith in their hearts Lib. 13. de Trin. C. 2. but others do which have the same saith Austin And how should such be uncertaine of their new birth who dayly endeavour and desire to die unto sin and to live unto Christ They certainely who run on in all wickednesse and as Peter saith walke in laciviousnesse lusts excesse of wine revellings banquettings and abominable Idolatry know that they doe such things yet out of an evill conscience commit the same with great delight And therefore why should not such who by an earnest desire of minde resist the concupiscence of the flesh and labour by good workes to make their election sure know feele and be perswaded the Holy Ghost witnessing the same to their Spirits that they are children of God and have part in the first Resurrection Furthermore they which now have part in the First Resurrection shall allwayes have part of the same unto the end because To him that hath shall bee given Luke 8.18 Otherwise Iohn should have done ill in saying that they are blessed who have part in the first Resurrection which to thinke were blasphemy from the part therefore of the new birth which we have in this life we may and ought certainly to beleeve we shall have part in the life to come that is be eternally blessed Here again by this first priviledge of them that rise againe is ouerthrowne the Chiliasts opinion touching the first Corporall Resurrection as before wee touched For if it should be Corporall and proper to the Martyrs it would follow that the Martyrs alone should bee free from the second death and that all the rest in the Second Resurrection should remaine subject to the same for as much as by this priviledge they alone are exempted from the power of the Second death who have part in the First Resurrection But this is wholly contrary to Faith and Charity But shall be Priests of God and of Christ The second part of blessednesse and the second priviledge of the regenerate is that they shal be Priests of God and Christ XLI Argument of Christs deity Beza in the DATIVE To God and to Christ as it is Chap. 1.6 5.10 in the same sense He distinguisheth God and Christ not to seperate Christ from God or to deny that he is God but because Christ the Mediatour hath made us Priests to God the father Chap. 16. 5.10 Yea hereby he plainely affirmeth Christ to be God in that hee saith wee shall bee Priests both to God and to Christ Now we shall be Priests to none but to God But what manner of Priests Of this
death In my judgement this Prosopopoeia serves to the dramaticall Vision neither is it to be pressed according to the Letter according to which neither Hell can bee cast into the Lake seeing the Lake is in Hell nor Death seeing death is a meere privation of Entitie or Being as Albertus M. calleth it The summe is whatsoever was deadly noisome hurtfull and contrary to happinesse shall all be cast into the lake of fire so as nothing shall remaine to hurt the New Ierusalem Which is the Second Death That is Eternall of which Christ And the wicked shall goe into Everlasting Fire This shal be the last separating of man from God through eternall damnation as the first death was the seperation of him from God through sinne See verse 5. CHAPTER XXI The Argument Parts and Analysis AFter the Capitall adversaries with the rest of the ungodly were judged and cast into the Lake of fire here is exhibited unto John the renovation of the world that shall bee as also the Heavenly glory of the godly under a two-fold Type viz. of a Bride gloriously attired and of a most magnificent City The illustration of which Type this whole Chapter so sets forth as that the wit art hand or tongue of man is able to expresse nothing more beautifull more magnificent more glorious and sumptuous then this structure For whatsoever may seem to conduce to the glory and comlinesse of an Earthly City in respect of wals gates foundation figure streets Temples Air and lastly wealth of the Citizens ornament and pleasantnesse of life all this Iohn sees here to be most eminent and glorious in this Heavenly Ierusalem By which allegorie the holy Ghost would in some measure shadow out that unspeakable glory and felicity which the Church now militant on Earth shall after the end of her wearisome labours in this warfare receive in the Heavens the which eye hath not seene eare hath not heard nor hath entred into the heart of man This Allegory is continued unto the 6. vers of the following Chapter The Chapter may not unfitly be divided into two parts in the former of which Iohn recordeth what he saw and heard in a generall way after the judgement of the ungodly in 8. verses In the latter what he saw in particular thence unto the end In the former hee generally rehearseth FIrst what he saw two things 1. The renovation of Heaven and Earth and overthrow of the former world ver 1. 2. The New Jerusalem which he sets forth from the adjunct holinesse and its heavenly originall comming downe from Heaven and the adjunct ornament which he amplifies by a metaphor of a Bride adorned for her Bridegroome ver 2. Secondly what he heard both a great unknown voyce from Heaven As also him that sate on the Throne speaking The great voyce proclaimes the heavenly blessednesse of the godlie Behold c. consisting in two things I. the abundance of good things which God will bestow upon the Godlie The tabernacle of God is with men c. v. 3. II. The absence of things evill all which God will remove He shall wipe away all tears v. 4 The sitter on the throne 1 testifies the renovation of the world wrought by himself v. 5. Behold I make all things new II. He confirmes the blessednesse of the Godlie erewhile proclaimed I. By a command of writing Write II. By a serious asseveration that the words of the great voyce are true v. 5. III. By an asseveration of a thing so certain as if it were alreadie done It is done IIII. From his nature that he is eternall and cannot lie I am Alpha and Omega 5. By a promise taken out of the Gospel I will give to him that is a thirst III. He sheweth to whom the blessednesse belongs and what it shall be Ioh. 7.3 7. He that overcommeth v. 7. IIII. By an Antithesis he amplifies what punishment is laid up for the ungodly whom he sets forth by eight fowle Epethites v. 8. But the fearefull c. In the latter part he expoundeth what he saw particularlie I. The occasion by which he saw the same the speech of the Angel Come hither I will shew thee v. 9. II. The manner and place of the Vision He carried me to a great Mountaine c. ver 10. III. The Vision it selfe He shewed me a great City ver 10. the magnificence whereof he againe declareth first generally secondly specially Generally 1. From the greatnesse A great City 2. From the Sanctitie Holy 3. From the originall and architect Descending out of Heaven from God ver 10.4 From its glory Having the glory of God ver 11.5 From the splendor or light which he illustrates by comparing it to a Jasper cleare as Chrystall v. 11. Specially he describeth 1. The magnificence of the structure both outwardly and inwardly ver 12 c. 2. The excellency of the light v. 23. 3. The felicity of the inhabitants v. 24 c. In the externall structure he commends chiefly the wall gates form and matter The wall he commends from the greatnesse and height vers 12. And had a wall The gates 1. From the number There were twelve 2. From the keepers At the gates were twelve Angels 3. From the inscriptions Which are the names of the twelve tribes c. Ibid. 4. From the situation or coast On the East three ver 13. The greatnesse and strength of the wall he commendeth from the number and excellency of the foundations upon which it is built It hath twelve foundations and in them the names c. vers 14. Touching the form of the citie he sheweth 1. Whence he learned the same from the Angel measuring Whose instrument A golden Reed and purpose he sheweth To measure the Citie ver 15. 2. The Figure it is four square equall in length and breadth ver 16. 3. The distance on every side 12000. Furlongs The whole Citie containing 56000. furlongs verse 16. The height of the wall he sheweth by the measure to be 144. Cubits ver 17. and the matter of Iasper ver 18. The matter or substance of the City was pure gold like unto clear glasse ibid. Returning to the foundations of the wall he sets forth every thing by the excellency and variety of the matter that is of precious stones which he saith are twelve The 1. Iasper 2. Saphir 3. Chalcedonie 4. An Emerauld 5. Sardonyx 6. Sardius 7. Chrysolite 8. Beril 9. A Topas 10. Chrysoprasus 11. A Iacinct 12. An Amethyst ver 20. The gates also he commendeth from the like matter being cut out of so many pretious stones ver 21. Thus much of the outward building Touching the internall structure hee commendeth 1. the street or Market-place from the matter and clearnesse thereof Pure gold c. ver 21. II. The Temple which 1. he denyes to be externally materiall Neither saw I a Temple therein 2. What kind of Temple it was The Lord God himselfe verse 22. III. The light of the
and quarrels shall be farre from thence but on the contrary we shall sing to God everlasting Songs of joy Nor paine Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Labour which may be taken for any kind of trouble and metaphorically for Griefe as BEZA renders it after the Greeke Phrase Sophocl in Antig. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 griefe by griefe brings griefe But then there shall be no labour trouble paine or griefe of body or mind occasioning teares death sorrow or crying There shal be no cause of evill but on the contrary everlasting joy and pleasure at Gods right hand For the former or first things are passed away That is the miserable state of this present life in which all those evils doe abound because of sinne Then they shall passe or vanish away There shal bee a new heaven and a new earth A new state full of joy and happinesse Vnto the illustration of this place that in Chap. 7.15 helps very much where in the end of the second Vision one of the foure and twenty Elders explicated the Heavenly felicity of the Saints almost in the same words They are saith he before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them they shall hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shall the Sunne light on them nor any heat for the Lambe that is in the midst of the throne shall feed them and shall lead them unto living fountaines of waters and God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes This place doth plainly confute their opinion who hold that here is treated of the state of the Church Militant in this world for it is certaine that this removall of all evils from the Church neither is nor shall be in this world neither is any such happinesse to be hoped for in this life but it is reserved for the Church in the world to come These things therefore cannot be applied unto the state of the Church on earth gathered of Iewes and Gentiles Neither do the Futures will dwell will take away contradict what wee say For these are retained emphatically out of the Prophesie as if he should say the things which Isaias foretold should come to passe shall bee then fulfilled the which the Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are passed away in the Praeter Tense doth easily evince 5. And he that sate upon the throne Here followeth the voyce of the Sitter on the Throne of whom above Chap. 4. where wee shewed it was either the Holy Trinitie or the Son of God gloriously reigning at the right hand of God in Heaven because he saith I am Alpha and Omega which above in Chap. 1 8. was the voyce of Christ I am Alpha and Omega the First and the Last Now he confirmeth unto Iohn the things before seen and heard All things were new a New Heaven a New Earth a New Ierusalem Least we should doubt or aske whence this innovation should come Behold saith hee I make all things new This innovation of things shal be effected by the divine power Neither speaketh he of the spirituall renovation of the Church which began long agoe by the grace and power of Christ but of the super-naturall change of the whole universe which shal be at Christs last coming 2. Pet. 3.13 as Peter sheweth And hee saith to mee write The Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith in the present Tense being the proper stile of the Evangelist Iohn argues that he was Authour of this Booke He is commanded to write this Vision of the future renovation and in speciall the most sweet voyce of Gods eternall abode with men and the future blessednesse of the godlie that it might allwayes remaine extant to future times for the Churches consolation for Christ knew that the Churches condition should unto the end be mournefull by teares death sadnesse paines c. Least therefore she might faint in her warfare the Lord would have this most joyfull Catastrophe of all evils to be set down in Holy Writ For these words are true and faithfull Above Chap. 19.9 after a like Commandement of writing Write blessed c. He annexed a like reason These words are true Here he addeth faithfull that none should doubt of the future happinesse Hee understands by WORDS here Gods future dwelling with men as also the eternall rewards of the faithfull and everlasting punishments of the wicked 6. And he said to mee It is done Above Chap. 16.17 the Angell of the seventh Viall in the same phrase proclaimed the end of Babylon and the whole world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IT IS DONE It is a weighty asseveration that the thing is as certaine as if it were already accomplished I am Alpha and Omega As above Chap. 1.8.11 I will give unto him that is a thirst Hee confirmes eternall rewards unto the faithfull out of the Gospell For this is the voyce of Christ Ioh. 7.37 whence he that sate on the throne is knowne to bee Christ the Author of this Prophesie To them that thirst he promiseth the water of life freely that is everlasting joy without any desert of ours But then no man shall thirst any more But these Future Verbes I will give shall inherit and as before shall wipe away seeme to make against our opinion but they doe not as erewhile I shewed For because it is a Prophesie of future things he rightly useth Verbes of the future Tense He therefore that thirsteth to wit after righteousnesse in this life to him Christ will give the water of Life now in a beginning onely then fully as if hee should say then I will truely fulfill the Evangelicall promise of which I now grant a tast to the faithfull He that overcommeth shall inherit all things Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 receive it by inheritance Not therefore of merit but freely All things As it were an only Heire that possesseth all the substance of his Parents But all the Elect are heires and yet every one shall receive the whole inheritance Therefore this shall not be after the manner of other inheritances Now the inheritance is promised to him that overcommeth to wit the world the Beast and Satan because before the victory there must needs be a fight Therefore the Faithfull are here exhorted to fight couragiously against all their Adversaries See Chap. 2.10 And I will bee his God From 2. Sam. 7.14 He then at last promiseth to them that overcome the fulfilling of the promise of adoption which now by faith they possesse in hope Now are wee the sonnes of God but it doth not yet appeare what we shall bee but we know that when he shall appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as hee is This is Johns owne most true interpretation of this divine voyce 1. Ioh. 3.2 8. But the fearfull and unbeleeving From the contrary he extols the felicity of the Godly because contraries being set one by another
part of the world or things it shall be is I think known to no man Ludovicus his jest on Sophisters disputing of this fire On which place Ludovicus Dives pleasantly jesting and deriding the vanitie of Sophisters what saith he to no man O Augustine thou hast not heard our Scholasticall Swash-bucklers of whom the least in degree is not ignorant that it shall be that Elementary fire whose abode is between the Ayr and the Globe of the Moone namely it being to descend But if thou approve not this there will not some be wanting to swear religiously that this fire shall proceed from the heat of the beams of the Sunne raised in the middle Climate of the Aire most thicke and ardent beames closing there together as it were into an hollow glasse or mirrour But it is no wonder In thy time O Austine there was no such use of fire as now seeing not to speake of Divines our Philosophers whither it be in the middle of December or in the middle of July they with mouth hands and feet handle and treat of nothing but fire Of Philosophers they become Divines and so transferre this kind of Philosophy into the more sacred Schooles They therefore can more casily define the fire then either Thou thy equals or Praedecessours Thus hee These delights therefore we leave unto incendiary Monkes who from the fire of Purgatory and Hell doe daily warme their Kitchins and daily threaten the Evangelicall Heretickes with fire and fagots The Holy Ghost himselfe interprets this Lake and this Fire not by the place or matter but by the miserable condition thereof Which is the Second Death Of which Chap 20.6 The first death They that have part in the First Resurrection on such the Second that is Eternall Death hath no power which shall be the casting of the damned with the devill and the Beast into everlasting torments For the first death is the falling away of the Soul from God The remedie whereof is the First Resurrection which is a raising of the Soule from the death of sinne through Faith and Repentance in this Life These are not in danger of the Second death because they shall have part in the Second Resurrection which is a raising up unto life and eternall glory See what was said before Chap. 20.5.6 The Second Part of the CHAPTER Beeing a Speciall VISION and Type of the Heavenly Jerusalem 9. And there came unto mee one of the seven Angels which had the seven Vials full of the seven last plagues and talked with me saying Come hither I will shew thee the Bride the Lambes wife 10. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high Mountaine and shewed me that great City the Holy Ierusalem descending out of Heaven from God 11. Having the glory of God and her light was like unto a stone most pretious even like a Iasper stone cleare as Chrystall 12. And had a wall great and high and had twelve gates and at the gates twelve Angels and names written thereon which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel 13. On the East three gates on the North three gates on the South three gates and on the West three gates 14. And the wall of the Citie had twelve foundations and in them the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. 15. And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the City and the gates thereof and the wals thereof 16. And the City lyeth foure square and the length is as large as the breadth and he measured the Citie with the reed twelve thousand furlongs the length and the breadth and the height of it are equall 17. And he measured the wall thereof an hundred and fourty and four cubits according to the measure of a man that is of the Angell 18. And the building of the wall of it was of Iasper and the Citie was pure gold like unto cleare glasse 19. And the foundations of the wall of the Citie were garnished with all manner of pretious stones The first foundation was Iasper the second Saphir the third a Chalcedony the fourth an Emerauld 20. The fifth Sardonix the sixt Sardius the seventh Chrysolite the eight Beryl the ninth a Topas the tenth a Crysoprasus the eleventh a Iacinct the twelfth an Amethyst 21. And the twelve gates were twelve Pearles every severall gate was of one Pearle and the street of the City was pure gold as it were transparent glasse 22. And I saw no Temple therein For the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it 23. And the City had no need of the Sun neither of the Moone to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it and the Lambe is the light thereof 24. And the Nations of them which are saved shall walke in the light of it and the Kings of the Earth doe bring their glory and honour unto it 25. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day for there shall bee no night there 26. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it 27. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie but they which are written in the Lambes booke of life THE COMMENTARY 9. AND there came unto me one of the seven Angels Hitherto of what John saw and heard generally Now followes a speciall Vision and Type of the Heavenly Ierusalem in which is allegorically shadowed out not so much the pleasantnesse and magnificence of the place in which we shall bee in blessednesse in the highest Heaven as our future unspeakable blessednesse it selfe For this Citie is not Heaven it selfe but the glorified Church in Heaven for bee calleth the Citie here described the Bride and Wife of the Lambe But the Bride and Wife of the LAMBE is not Heaven but the glorified Church Now he recordeth as we shewed in the Analysis first the occasion of the Vision secondly the manner and place of the Vision lastly the Vision it selfe The occasion is in this verse Hitherto Iohn stood in the desert where he was carried in the spirit by one of the seven Angels pouring forth the Vials Chap. 17.3 to see the judgement of the great whore sitting upon the Beast What things he there saw and heard he hath declared at large Now that same Angell being one of the seven Pourers forth of the Vials for I understand it of the selfe same who seemed as above I said to be the seventh pouring out the last Viall into the Aire and proclaiming the end of the world comes unto Iohn that is returnes unto him for undoubtedly he had turned aside and as before he had said Come hither Chap. 17.1 I will shew thee the judgement of the great whore So now he saith I will shew thee the Bride the Lambes wife A wonderfull affabilitie of the Angell touching which above without being
of the Angell to discover the mysteries of them For mine owne part I confesse my ignorance in the same Therfore leaving these hidden mysteries I will onely shew the opinion of some Authors touching these gemmes Diverse vertues of the Iasper are recorded by Writers saith FRANCISCVS RVEVS Rueus lib. 2. c. 1. de gemnis But that which by the Indians is called Grammatias by others Polygrammos and which is somewhat like to the Emerauld in its green brightnesse is the most excellent By this saith Andreas in probability the Apostle Peter is signified because he bore Christs death in his bodie and alwayes shewed a lively and flourishing love towards him c. But this undoubtedly the rest of the Apostles had also aswell as Peter and were crowned with Martyrdome for the sake of Christ being full of lively and flourishing love towards him unto the end The second Saphir This is a gemme of the East Indies The Medes also have excellent ones Saphir Ex. 24.10 Eze. 1.26 Lib. 37. c. 7 It is in colour like the clearest skie blue and as it were representing transfused clouds It asswageth lust and therefore is chiefly used by such as love chastitie which makes me to wonder why Interpreters do not attribute it to Iohn who onely as it is thought was unmarried But Ribera appropriates the same to Andrew CAESARIENSIS to Paul because of its bluish colour like to the Heaven for Paul was rapt up into the third Heaven The third a Chalcedony PLINIE cals it Carchedony Andreas noteth that for the Chalcedonie A Chalcedony there was a Carbuncle in the Breast-plate and that perhaps it is here to be understood And Plinie testifies that Carchedonie is a kind of Carbuncle It is said to be engendred of the Heavenly showres falling at Thebae in Aegypt They affirme also that they are found betwixt Basilea and Argentina It 's of the colour between the Beryl and Iacinct or a purple colour and out of Loraine comes red ones also They say it is good against the symptoms of the blacke choller that is sadnesse and feare And being made warme it drawes out splinters This Ribera ascribes to the Apostle Iames CAESARIENSIS unto Andrew The fourth an Emerauld Of all pretious stones which are of a greene colour An Emerauld the Emerauld is the most pleasant for no colour is so delightfull to the eye The best grow in the highest Mountaines of Scythia and in Golden Mines They write that it is of singular vertue against all kinde of poyson as also the Falling-sickenesse which it driveth away if it bee hung about the necke or worne in a Ring It is thought also to preserve chastitie And they adde that it strengthens the memory refresheth the sight and encreaseth wealth c. This therefore Ribera and Andreas attribute to Iohn 20. The fift Sardonix Of this stone there are divers sorts Sardonix Those in the Indies are the most famous the next the Arabian in colour resembling a mans naile and hence it takes its name for Onyx signifies a naile Now the Sardonyx in the upper part resembles the colour of a mans nayle in the nether part the colour of a Fish called Sarda see more of this Rueus lib. 2. cap. 5. de gem It is thought to drive away pride of mind and other hurtfull affections RIBERA attributes this stone to Philip ANDREAS to Iames. The sixt Sardius This is of a dark red colour They say it expels fear Sardius emboldens them that weare it and frees them from poyson and charmes stencheth the blood at the nose rejoyceth the minde and sharpens the wit Ribera attributes this to Bartholomew Andreas to Philip. The seventh Chrysolite It growes in Arabia Chrysolite and also in Germany in the Mines of Misnia The best are in India glistering somewhat like the Sea-speakles They say it much helpeth the shortnes of breath RIBERA appropriates this stone to Mathew ANDREAS to Bartholomew The eight a Beryl It is one of the green and bright gemmes Beryl such are the best which do resemble the greennesse of a calme and clear Sea They grow almost no where but in India they are wrought into a forme of sixe corners by reflex whereof the colour otherwise dimme is raised For else though polished they scarcely shine It is good they say for waterie eyes sighes and illnesse of the liver Andreas because of its Sea-like colour and place where it grows appropriates it to Thomas who by Sea journeyed even unto the Indians being sent thither by God to bring that people to life and salvation The which Ribera also approveth The ninth a Topas The Topas is of a golden colour A Topas mingled also with a kind of whitish greene tending to graynesse Andreas saith it is not unlike to the red Carbuncle casting forth a liquor like milk which as some Authors affirm helps the diseases of the eyes and is medicinable against the irruption of blood and presently if laid to a wound stops its bleeding It gaineth and looseth vertue according to the encrease and decrease of the Moone whence they say it helpeth lunatick persons This stone they ascribe to the Apostle Mathew The tenth a Chrysoprasus Or as PLINIE calleth it Chrysoprasius A Chrysoprasus signifying gold and greennesse For this stone is green like a Leeke inclining to the colour of gold It refresheth the powers of the heart and helpeth the weaknesse of the sight This Caesariensis ascribes to Iudas Thaddaeus who as he saith preached to Abgarus King of Edessa that Christs Kingdome is denoted by gold and his death by greennesse which indeed Eusebius recordeth Hist. Lib. 1. Cap. 13. extremo The eleventh a Iacinct This stone is named after a flower of the same name A Iacinct whose violet colour resembles the purple though they make a threefold difference thereof For some do incline more to red being of a fiery purple colour which they say are most esteemed Others yellow resembling Saffron and are more darke then fire Thirdly others are yellow and inclining to blew and thence are called Saphirins being the most pretious as some affirm because this stone by its colour seemeth to comprehend the nature both of the Jacinct and of the Saphir It causeth sleep by its coldnesse preserves the powers of the heart and such as wear it are kept as they say from the raging pestilence And therfore it is hung about the necke for a preservative as neer the heart as may be some affirme that the Iacinct encreaseth wealth the which thing I do beleeve it will effect in such as have abundance of these stones Andreas appropriates it to Simon The twelfth an Amethyst Among the violet coloured stones An Amethyst the Amethyst is of chiefe reckoning of which indeed there are divers sorts Those of India challenge the supremest majestie resembling the most absolute Purple After these the Arabian Armenian Egyptian and those of Galatia the worst grow in Cyprus