Lord. But consider the end let all flesh looke into this Mirror and in time learne to embrace the counsell of God Be wise now therefore ye Kings be learned ye Iudges of the earth serue the Lord in feare and reioyce in trembling kisse the Sonne lest he be angry and ye perish in the way when his wrath shall suddenly burne Blessed are all that trust in him VERSE 16. And said to the Mountames and Rocks Fall on vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lambe TWo things here we haue first to whom doe the Reprobates runne in this desperate estate next what doe they craue They run to the creature Rocks and Mountaines But haue they eares to heare or can they protect when the Lord pursues This is their blindnesse they loued the creature more then the Creator In their necessitie they seeke comfort in the creature but can finde none a iust recompence of their error But why doe they not cry to the Lord Surely because they dare not they see nothing in him but vvrath vvhich their owne consciences tell them they haue most iustly deserued they find within themselues a condemnatorie sentence which they knowe cannot be recalled Let vs in time seeke mercy so long as it may be found the day before the Trumpet blowe mercie will be preached vnto men but they who receiue it not yet then shall neuer find it afterward By their folly let vs learne wisedome The onely rocke of our refuge is the Lord Iesus Christ if wee runne to him in time hee shall hide vs and saue vs from that fearefull vvrath which is to come The Romane Doctors vpon this place build vp as they thinke a sure ground for their inuocation of creatures they said to the Mountaines that is to the Saints and to the Rocks that is to the confirmed Angels Hide vs from the Lambe And hitherto they abuse that place of the Psalmist I lift mine eyes to the Mountaines from whence commeth mine helpe that is to the Saints VVhat a grosse ignorance is this Will Saints and Angels goe between the Lord and the wicked when they shall be iudged Shall they not rather assist the Lord in iudging them Know ye not that the Saints shall iudge the world Or what doe they meane to propose that vnto them for imitation vvich is here condemned in the wicked as vttered by them in their desperation These and such like are the sundry foundations vvhereupon stand the pillars of Papistry A twofold error in them is here manifest They lay another foundation then that vvhich is layd vvhich is Iesus Christ. And againe pretend of Christ what they will sure it is they build not vpon him gold and siluer but stubble and hay which will not abide the triall of the fire But now what craue they that the Rocks and Mountaines would fall vpon them and hide them from the presence of him that sits vpō the throne O desperate folly can Mountaines hide thee from the Lord Are they not a part of that Chrystall Globe which is before the Throne and is transparent to the Lord they liued all their dayes out of Gods presence not that his eye did not behold them and marke them in all their waies but their eyes looked not vp to him and therefore now may they not abide his presence Let vs leaue them and learne at Dauid when he had considered with himselfe that there was no flying from the Lord Whither shall I go from thy Spirit or whither shall I flee from thy Presence He betooke him to this resolution I set the Lord alway before me hee is at my right hand therefore I shall not slide Sith we cannot flee from the Lord let vs flee to him there is no defence against his vnsupportable wrath but to hide vs vnder the mantle of his mercy There are two feares which trouble two sorts of men the feare of Sin and the feare of Death which is the punishment of sinne the godly in their life feare nothing so much as sinne they fight continually against it they desire nothing more then to be quit of it O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death And therefore is it that hauing ouercome sinne they feare not death when it commeth more then a Serpent that wants a sting The wicked on the contrarie in their life feare nothing but death they flie it as the center of their sorrowes because they cannot eschew it all their care is to prolong it as for sinne they feare it not It is a pastime to a foole to doe wickedly But when their Terme-Day commeth and conscience wakens against them to pursue them for their sinnes and lets them see wrath due to their sinnes then seeke they Death as a remedy of their sorrowes but shall not find it yea they would vndergoe the most painefull death euen to bee pressed quicke to the death by the weight of Mountaines that they might bee freed of the heauie burthen of their sinnes VERSE 17. For the great Day of his wrath is come and who can stand THe day of Iudgement is called A great Day of wrath First because all the children of wrath shall be iudged in that Day none excepted Next because all the Vialls of Gods wrath shall then be powred vpon them an vniuersall deluge of all the plagues of God shall then ouerflow them The wicked put the euill day farre from them the vnfaithfull seruant thinkes his Master will not come Mockers will say Where is the promise of his comming As the kinsmen of Lot regarded not his praediction of Sodoms destruction ab vno dicebatur à multis ridebatur it was spoken by one and scorned by many but they felt the force and fury of that scorching fire shortly after so no lesse assuredly shall all the wicked who repent not feele the weight of that terrible wrath both on their soulos and bodies they shall confesse at length The great Day of his wrath is come that Day which wee despised that Day which we scorned that Day which we thought would neuer be That Day of the Lord is now come Two things perturbe and confound the wicked The one is without them the terrible presence of the Iudge or wrath of the Lambe Hee that is a Lambe to his owne lookes to the wicked like a deuouring Lyon And not without cause is the name of a Lambe here attributed to the Iudge for sure it is that iudgement iustly inflicted will not torment the wicked so much as mercy wilfully despised Terrible will it be to them when they looke to the Lambe who hath giuen mercy to so many and so many times offered mercy to themselues and now see him refuse all mercy to them because they despised it iustly shall the meek face of
saith When hee shall appeare wee shall see him as hee is Yet euen the sight that now we haue by faith sustaines vs that wee faint not yea makes vs to reioyce in him with ioy vnspeakeable and glorious The first sight is no comfort without the third For oh How pittifull is the estate of that man who hath an eye to see the Sunne and hath not an eye to see Him that made the Sunne Yea the second is not comfortable without the third What auailes it to fore-see and fore-tell things to come and not to fore-see that Wrath which is to come that thou maist eschew it Balaam was a great Prophet to point out Iesus Christ vnto others in whom he had no part himselfe Hee fore-saw that the death of righteous men was happy and wished it to himselfe but hee had not true Light to leade him in that life which might bring him to a happy death Thus in the third sight onely stands the comfort of Christians Simeons sight maketh Simeons Song and sendeth away Saints out of the body reioycing in the middest of the dolours of death All these three sights had Saint Iohn but here hee sees these Visions by the second sight Now this sight is relatiue to the sight hee saw before After this I looked and it renders this lesson S. Iohn hauing vsed well the Reuelation hee receiued in the first Vision and hauing deliuered it faithfully to the Church as he was commanded gets now another Vision reueiled to him Two things increase heauenly reuelations in a Preacher First if he vse well the talent receiued already Nec enim alimonia haec distribuendo minuitur sed potius augetur ministrando For heauenly food is not diminished by the distribution thereof but rather is augmented Next if hee looke vp to God by feruent prayer and seek more as here S. Iohn doth hee shall neuer want comfortable matter to deliuer in God his Name to the Church But alack where men come out Prompt◅ docere quod non didicerunt ready to teach that which they haue not learned looking downe to giue vnto people not first looking vp to seek from the Lord what hope of a blessing is there to such a Ministerie And behold a dore was opened By this Metaphoricall speech S. Iohn will signifie vnto vs that an entrance and cleere sight of these heauenly Mysteries was made vnto him by the calling of God which otherwise were hid and locked vp from him like excellent things in the Palace of a King whereof no sight is gotten till the dore be opened and men licensed to enter in So S. Paul by the Opening of a dore of faith to the Gentiles will expresse that entrance to the faith which Gentiles had gotten by his Ministerie and by the great doore and effectuall opened to him at Ephesus and at Troas and by the opened doore of vtterance to speak the Mysterie of Christ for which hee willes the Colossians to pray hee vnderstands that a cleere and easie entrance to these Mysteries may bee made to him by the Lord and a ready way prepared in the hearts of people to conuay these Mysteries as it were in by a doore vnto them In Heauen Hugo Carthusian and others of that sort by the Doore vnderstand Christ and by heauen the Church it is a truth that Christ and his Church sometime are so figured but it is not the truth of this place I maruell what should haue moued Cotterius a iudicious and learned Writer to follow them This Heauen saith hee is Ecclesia in qua Deus habitat the Church wherein God dwels and the Voice which spake vnto S. Iohn Verbum est quo vocamur in Ecclesiam It is the Word by which wee are called to the Church All by purpose for was S. Iohn now in Pathmos to bee called to the communion of the Church But leauing this when wee shall come if the Lord please to such places of this Prophecie where the Heauen is a type of the Church Militant or Triumphant we shall shew the reason thereof But here that we may vnderstand with sobriety let vs consider how Saint Iohn speakes as hee saw He saw not this Vision in the Earth nor in the Aire but in the heauen was it represented to him It is true most part of things prophesied here were to be performed on the earth but they are fore-shewed in the heauens to tell vs that the earth and all things which fall out therein are ruled by the Decree of Heauen To make this yet more cleere let vs be remembred that in holy Scripture Heauen is sundry waies taken First for the Church Triumphant their place and their persons are both exprest by the name of Heauen as when it is said the two Witnesses were taken vp into heauen Next for the Church Militant in the Gospell in this Reuelation cōmonly called Heauen But in this and many other places of this Prophecie Heauen is taken for that typicall representation of heauen made to him in this Prophecie For it is to bee noted and obserued as a necessary rule that in these Visions S. Iohn speakes of things according as hee saw them represented in types as we haue spoken before yet so that euery type hath a truth correspondent to it and it requires great discretion to accommodate euery Type to the owne truth Which is not done by them who in this place expound heauen to be the Church Militant for S. Iohn saw not nor learned not these Mysteries in the Church nor yet from the Church hee saw them represented to him in heauen to be reuealed to the Church In a word he got it indeed for the Church Militant but not from it Neither is there any more reason to say that heauen here is the Church Militant then to say that these things which S. Paul saw when hee was rauished to the third heauen hee saw them in the Church for at this time also was S. Iohn rauished and transported in Spirit Alway we learne here that wee can haue no knowledge of heauenly things vnlesse the Lord open the doore and discouer them vnto vs. The Iewes euery Saturday read in their Synagogues a part of Moses and the Prophets these point with the finger vnto Christ but they cannot see him for a Vaile couereth their mindes till the Lord illuminate them Wee doe therefore pray the Lord our God who opened the doore to S. Iohn through which hee saw these Visions to open a doore to vs also by which we may haue entrance to vnderstand them for the glory of his name and comfort of his Church And the first Voice which I heard c. Vpon this place Victorinus obserues that it was one Spirit which spake in the Prophets of old and in the Apostles now Cotterius in the first Vision saith hee Iohn heard a Voice speaking
towre whose top may reach into heauen But their assumption of means to make good their Proposition is but weake they haue but bricke and clay to mount vp their Fort against heauen They are flesh not spirit dust before the wind stubble before the fire Thus of a proud proposition and weake assumption nothing followes in all their intentions but a fals fectlesse conclusion God disappoints their thoughts and turnes all their deeds to the fulfilling of his owne will This Vision in the iudgement of Hugo Lyra whom some of the recents follow is expounded to be a representation of God his constant gracious administration of the Church militant these wil haue the Heauen here to signifie the church the Throne to be true Religion the glassie sea to be Baptisme or as others thinks Doctrine the four liuing creatures full of eyes to be Pastors vvhich hereafter God willing in the particular explanation shall be declared to be farre otherwise This will not bee found the right accommodation of this type we rest in that we haue spoken as being the very truth of this type For the further clearing whereof looke backe and call to minde that which hath been said on the first verse A doore opened in heauen We are not yet come to the Prophecie wherein the state of the Church both militant and triumphant is set downâ—… wee are but in the entry of the prophecie wherein the author of the prophecie God the Father and reuealâ—…r of it God the Sonne are in most glorious manner represented so farre forth as may prepare the Church to receiue and belieue this prophecie considering from whom it comes So that heauen in this place is neither the Church militant nor the Church triumphant nor yet the place thereof but it is that representatiue heauen made to Saint Iohn in his extasie wherein a glorious adumbration of the diuine Maiestie ruling all is made vnto him and from whom hee receiues reuelation in types of such truthes as hereafter were to be performed concerning the Church both militant and triumphant It is needfull for the Reader attentiuely to consider this that hee may vnderstand that which perhaps I haue not sufficiently explaned and yet is most needfull to be knowne Here there is no Vision of Prediction but of Preparation And one sate one the Throne He saies simply he saw one sitting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he tells not who he giues him no name God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without name at least his name is Maruelous no name can tell what he is He cannot said Arethas be defined as hee that is inuisible vnmeasurable and he sees him sitting as a Iudge of a quiet vnperturbed mind not mooued with affections as men are or passions that preiudge equitie These are far from the Lord he sitteth hearing all causes discerning decreeing and working all after his owne most holy will VERSE 3. And he that sate was to looke vpon like a Iasper and a Sardine stone and there was a rainebow round about the Throne in sight like vnto an Emerald VVE haue here first a description of the glorious Maiestie of GOD sitting on his Throne and ruling the world Next of the honorable court that attends him and compasseth his Throne Saint Iohn hath said before that one sate vpon the Throne this doubtlesse is the Lord of whom neither Saint Iohn nor any other creature Man nor Angel can speake as he is but is forced to shadow him vnto vs according to that representation wherby it pleases the Lord to shew himselfe Apparet Deus quibus vult et sicuti vult sed non sicuti est God appeares to whom hee will and as he will not as he is For if hee appeared as he is then should he appeare in one manner for GOD is one but we know that many manner of waies hath he beene represented Concerning the Iasper and the Sardine diuerse things are alleaged by the Interpreters Iaspidis color est aquae Sardii ignis the colour of the Iasper is the colour of water the colour of the Sardine is the colour of fire figuring two great iudgements of God quorum vnum in cataclysmo aliud consummabitur per ignem vvhereof the one vvas made by water in the Deluge the other shall be made by fire Others by these two stones vnderstand the two natures of Christ. Iaspis viridem habet colorem quae supra omnes colores sensus maxime comfortat diuinitatem notat the Iasper hath a greene colour which aboue all colours doth most comfort the senses and it signifies the diuinitie of Christ. Sardius rubrum habet colorem quia humanitas rubricata fuit sanguine passionis the Sardine hath a red colour figuring the humane nature of Christ which was made red and bloudy by the Passion Hitherto agrees that of Epiphanius that Sardius qui Babylonius etiam dicitur rusus lapis est qui sanguinis propemoduÌ„ colorem referat pellucidus est et tumoribus et vulneribus ferro inslictis medetur the Sardine which is also called the Babylonian is a red stone shewing the colour of bloud it is bright and helps tumors in wounds inflicted with vveapons of yron This might properly agree to Christ but he is not here described Yet there are some who will haue the whole three persons of the blessed Trinity shadowed here By the Iasper quae gemmarum est mater which is the mother of precious stones they will haue the Father represented by the Sardine quae carneo colore rubet carneolus dicitur which hath a red fleshie hiew the Sonne is represented and by the Emerald the holy Ghost All these are according to the analogie of faith and not against the truth of this Text. Vnto them we adde with other Diuines this also The Iasper beeing a precious stone of greene colour figureth his eternitie He is euer liuely and flourishing without fading or decaying he changes not yea no shadow of change is in him The heauens wax old as a garment but thou art the same And this liuing and refreshing vortue he communicates to his Saints Hee keepes their soules in life They who are planted in the courts of the Lords house flourish in their old dayes He renewes them then euen when they are decaying they cannot be vndone by death who by grace are in followshippe with him who liueth for euer The Sardine againe is a precious stone of a red colour representing another propertie of the Diuine nature which is his iustice in regard whereof he is vnto the wicked A consuming fire Yet the Naturalist hath obserued Sardium oleo hebetari sic iustitia Dei per misericordiaeoleum mitigatur that the Sardine is blunted by oyle it makes it relent of the rednes and so is the iustice of GOD mitigated with the oyle of his mercie for mercy reioyceth against iudgement therefore
write vpon it It is plaine here that the Saints in heauen offer vp the prayers of faithfull and holy persons on earth and that they haue knowledge of our affaires and desires But this Text offereth not any such thing as we shall shew at length These Saints represent the whole Church Militant and Triumphant euery one of them is said to haue their own Viall and no word here of any prayers made by any of them for others beside that the knowledge of our desires appertaineth to none but the Lord who searcheth the reines and the heart This doubt cannot be loosed by saying that the Saints departed offer vp thanksgiuing for the word vsed here is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some make this answere but indeed it taketh not away the doubt for vnderstanding therefore of this place we must know that there are foure sorts of prayer reckoned here by the Apostle the first is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a prayer for auerting of euill the second is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a prayer for some good that is lacking the third is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a prayer whereby one of vs prayes for another and the fourth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a prayer whereby we giue thanks to God All these foure sorts are vsed by Saints militant two of them onely are ascribed to Saints triumphant namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thanksgiuing and supplication for the good which they want Where if it be asked What good want they who are in heauen for which they haue need to pray The answer is They want a two-fold good which God hath promised and they long to enioy First they want their bodies without which the soules in heauen cannot haue full ioy for by their first creation they were ioyned together as inseparable companions not to be diuided if they had not fallen in the transgression therefore it is that the one cannot be fully contented wanting the other for which to fulfill their ioy they pray for restitution of their bodies Secondly they want their brethren the remanent mēbers of Christ his mysticall body requisite necessarily to their perfection for God hath so prouided that they vvithout vs should not be perfected Abraham Isaac Iacob haue great ioy in heauen but not full ioy because they will not be perfected without their brethren That therefore the mystical body of Christ may be cōplete and so their ioy fulfilled they pray for Christ his second comming which cannot be till the last and youngest of the sonnes of God be borne and brought to the fellowship of Iesus Christ. And this is made cleare heereafter when the soules vnder the Altar are brought in crying How long O Lord how long c For this is the voice of them who want something they would faine haue and yet are sure to enioy it Thus we see then that the prayers of Saints triumphant are generall they pray for their bodies and brethren but to gather of this that they know our necessitios our particular tentations farre lesse our secret desires is but a doting dreame and if we shall a little insist in this same metaplior of Odour or Incense it shall discouer their error more clearely For first Incense offred to God might not be made but in such a manner and with such ingredients as God himselfe commanded teaching vs that prayer vnto God should be made not as we fansie to our selues but as hee hath commaunded vs. Now if wee shall looke to this cōmandement it directs vs to pray vnto God and to none other there is the voice of God the Father Call vpon me in the day of thy trouble I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me There againe is the instruction of God the Sonne When yee pray pray in this manner Our Father which art in heauen and there is the direction of God the holy Ghost hee teacheth vs in our prayer to cry Abba Father No word heere of any prayer to Abraham Moses or Esay to Cherubim or Seraphim to Angels or Saints departed Secondly Incense might not be burnt but vpon the golden Altar onely whereof there was but one figuring the Lord Iesus teaching vs that our prayers may not be offered to God in the name of any other but Iesus Christ onely For there is not any other name vnder Heauen by which wee may be saued and In him onely is the Father well pleased Thirdly it was not lawfull for any man to make an odour for his owne pleasure or priuate vse of those gummes whereof the Lord commanded his Incense to be made and that vnder a most strait penaltie for so stands the Law Yee shall not make vnto you any composition like to this Perfume it shall be holy for the Lord whosoeuer shall make like vnto that to smell thereof euen hee shall be cut off from his people And this doth plainely teach vs that no creature should smell the sauour of our Prayer it is the Incense holy to the Lord and appertaines to our God onely Thus we see how Papists when they seeke patrocinie for their errors from holy Scripture doe it with no better successe then Ioab did when hee made his refuge to the hornes of the Altar hee fled vnto it to seeke the safety of his life but hee was pulled from it and executed to the death so they when they bring in Scripture to defend their errors doe in effect bring it to destory themselues But to leaue them let vs consider for our comfort how our prayer is compared to a perfume All the spices of Myrrhe Cynamon and what is most excellent on earth cannot make such a perfume from heauen it commeth and vnto heauen it returneth O what a great mercy is this wee are not yet able to ascend our selues and yet haue we this liberty and priuiledge as to send our Embassadors in our name before vs which are so welcome to the diuine Maiestie that hee accounts of them as of sweet odour and perfume sent vp vnto him Let vs marke this for many times the weake Christian faints and becomes remisse in prayer because he disesteemes of his own prayer This is a policie and tentation of the old Serpent to make thee neglect that which hee knowes to be most hurtfull to himselfe most helpfull to thee most acceptable to thy God but doe it not Noli vilipendere or ationem tuam quoniam ille ad quem or as non vilipendit Doe not vilipend thine own prayer for he to whom thou prayest vilipends it not it is a sweet odour vnto the Lord. VERSE 9. And they sung a new Song saying Thou art woorthy to take the Booke and to open the scales thereof because thou wast killed and hast redeemed vs to GOD by thy bloud out of euery kindred and tongue
are yet stand wee debt-bound to him in so much more as hee that died for vs is more then we are What then shall we talke of any worthinesse but his And hath redeemed vs. There is the effect of Christs death to wit our Redemption We were vnder a most fearefull seruitude and bondage of Satan and sinne we sold our selues to them most foolishly now hath our Lord bought vs againe and redeemed vs Not with any corruptible thing as gold or siluer but by the precious bloud of the Lambe of God vnspotted The greatnesse of the price giuen for vs may tell vs how great his loue was toward vs who hath redeemed vs as also how desperate our danger was from which wee could not bee any other way deliuered Other Kings make conquest by sheading the bloud of their people but Iesus Christ hath conquered for vs by the sheading of his own bloud A most rare and maruellous thing and such as hath not beene heard of before The Physician drinkes the bitter potion and the Patient is cured But of this and many notable maruels to bee marked in the worke of our Redemption wee haue spoken in that Treatise on the eighth to the Romanes and elsewhere Vnto God We are loosed from the bondage of Satan that wee should be bound seruants to our God So Zacharie in his Song God hath shewed mercy toward vs that wee being deliuered out of the hands of our enemies should serue him without feare Let Libertines marke it who turne the grace of God into wantonnesse liuing a loose and dissolute life in as much as they are not bound vnto God they manifestly declare that they are not as yet loosed from the Diuell Si Christianus es vt nominaris sicut particeps es nominis eris etiam particeps vnctionis If thou beest a Christian as thou art named one as thou art partaker of the name so wilt thou also be of the vnction If thou be a Christian then Put on the Lord Iesus and study to be like vnto him For Christianisâ—…nus imitatio est Diuinae Naturae True Christianity is an imitation of the Diuine Nature Out of euery kindred There is the amplitude of this Redemption it is not limited within any Kingdome not within Canaan Now of a truth I perceiue that God is no accepter of persons Yet vniuersality is here excluded They say not Hee hath redeemed euery Nation and Tribe but some out of euery Nation and Tribe The secret Decree of God his ElectioÌ„ is executed by his Calling wherby out of the whole lumpe and masse of lost mankinde hee separateth culleth and chuseth out to himselfe so many as in his secret counsell hee hath chosen to saluation But to eschew repetition the Reader who pleaseth may looke concerning this purpose that which is written of the golden Chaine on the eighth to the Romanes verse thirty VERSE 10. And hath made vs vnto our God Kings and Priests and we shall raigne vpon earth THE benefites we haue by our Redemption are two-fold for not onely are we deliuered from that euill and miserable estate wherein wee were but are also aduanced to an high and glorious estate whereof here is mention made hee hath saued vs from wrath we iustly deserued and hath aduanced vs to grace and glory which we could neuer deserue Pharaoh his Baker would haue thought it great fauour if the King had but spared his life but the Butler was not onely deliuered from death but aduanced to the seruice of his King Not vnlike is our case God make vs thankfull for it And hath made vs. What we are in goodnesse the Lord hath made vs Wee made not our selues wee helped nothing to our first creation farre lesse to our second It is folly to dreame of a power in Nature by which man of his owne free-will is able to do good and make himselfe congruous for the receiuing of grace Noli te extollere supra Deum Confitere illi qui fecit te Extoll not thy selfe aboue God but giue glory to him that made thee Nam si ille nos fecit homines nos autem ipsi nos fecimus saluos aliquid maius illo fecimus For if hee made vs men and we haue made our selues righteous men then haue wee done somewhat more then hee Nâ—…mo recreat nisi qui creat nemo reficit nisi qui fecit None can create ouer againe but hee who created vs first none can renew vs but he who made vs. Deus est qui operatur in nobis velle perficere It is God who worketh in vs the will and the deed that thou mightst haue a will inclined to good his Calling went before thee to worke it and his Mercy did preuent thee To thinke otherwise is as Augustine said Superbus error A proud errour Firmiter rene nâ—…llam tibi facultatem inesse posse voluntatis aâ—…t operis nisi id gratuitò munere diuinae miserationis accipias Hold this for certaine that there can be in thee no power either to will or worke any thing that good is vnlesse thou receiue it freely of the mercy of God I conclude all with the testimony of that famous Councell Si quis per naturae vigorem bonum aliquod quod ad salutem pertinet vitae aeternae cogitare aut eligere se posse confirmat absque illuminatione inspiratione Sp. Sancti haereticâ—… fallitur spiritu If any man affirme that by the strength of Nature he is able to thinke or chuse any good pertaining to eternall saluation without the illumination and inspiration of the holy Spirit he is deceiued with an hereticall spirit Ab eo quod formauit Deus mutauit Adam sed in peius per iniquitatem suam Adam changed himselfe from that which God made him but he changed himselfe to the worse by his iniquity Ab â—…o quod operatur iniquitas mutatur fidelis sed in melâ—…s per gratiam Dei from that which iniquity worketh the Christian is changed but to the better by the grace of God Illa mutatio fuit praeuaricatoris primi haec secundum Psalmistam mutatio dexterae Excelsi The first change from good to euill was made by the first Transgressor the second change as the Psalmist saith from euill to good is made by the right hand of the most High And so in this Hymne redeemed Saints confesse it Thou hast made vs. Kings and Priests There is the dignity whereunto we are called inclosed in two the most honorable Offices that euer were in the world to wit the Kingdome and Priest-hood S. Peter ioynes them both in one when he cals vs A Royall Priesthood As Kings we should fight the battels of the Lord against Satan and Sinne. And here fortitude especially is required with spirituall wisedome Non enim viribus sed prudentiâ—… Diuina vincitur serpens So long as we are wise in God
many a time hee spurreth before them and preuents them in the midst of their purposes and resolutions which they thinke without doubt to accomplish he cuts them away An example whereof we haue in that rich man who resolued with himselfe that hee would enlarge his Barnes foolishly conceiting hee had good enough for many yeeres but it was told him O foole this night they will take away thy soule from thee There is no remedie against this but to prepare our selues in time to preuent death leâ—…t he preuent vs. Let vs mount on Horse-backe in time go before him Our Conquerour and Captaine Christ Iesus rides on a White Horse all his followers walke in his colours for they are all said to ride vpon White Horses If we ride on the white Horses be in fellowship with Iesus the Rider on the Pale shall not be able to hurt vs for there is no condemnation to them who are in Christ Iesus he may bite our heele and lick the dust of our earth but the Lord shall preserue the soule of his seruants Let vs ascend in our affection let vs cast the anchor of our soules within the Vaile and fasten it vpon the Rocke Christ Iesus so shall we be sure that this Death which hath Hell following him shall not come neeâ—…e vs. For now this is the third point to be considered in the Type that this Rider on the Pale Horse named Death hath a Page following him called Hell The word Hades in the Greeke and Sheol in the Hebrew signifies sometime the Graue and sometime the place of the damned where there is vtter darkenesse and no light at all The learned Interpreter Beza retaineth the word Infernus or Hell it followes Death said Victorine waiting for the deuouring of many soules For if in this place the word should onely signifie the Graue the iudgement were not great sith the Graue followes the death both of good men and euill And sure it is nothing common to them both can be called the proper punishment of sin Here then is the greatnesse of this Plague that the contemners of the Gospell shall bee punished with such a Death as hath Hell following it For as there is a double Death first and second so there is a double Pit or Hell one for the body to wit the Graue this is Temporall another for the soule and body also most properly called Hell the place of the damned this is Eternall Of it speakes the Psalmist The wicked shall turne into Hell and all Nations that forget God Peccatorum mors mala est the death of sinners is euill said Bernard First for the losse of the world they loued it well and cannot without great sorrow want it but it is Peior in dissolutione carnis it is worse in regard of dissolution of soule and body yet is it Pessima in tormentis inserni worst of all in respect of the torments of hell which follow it But the soules of the righteous are in the hands of the Lord and no torment shall touch them This for the Type it selfe Now followes the exposition of it And power was giuen to them c The relatiue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is plurall shewing that we haue here an exposition not onely of the Pale but of the Red and Black also This is made plaine by the words following Power was giuen them to wit to the Red Horse and his Rider to kill with the Sword to the Black Horse and his Rider to kill with Famine to the Pale Horse and his Rider to kill with Pestilence and deuouring Beasts The Spirit of God so plainely expounds himselfe that it is a wonder how men out of their owne conceits can forge another exposition not taking heed to the Text which expoundeth it selfe All these Executors of wrath come out we see with a limited commission he who executes the plague of Famin is licenced to smite the wheate the Barley but not the Wine and Oile this Rider on the pale Horse is not permitted to smite all the wicked but onely a fourth part thus are all the temporall iudgements of God mitigated for as I haue said neither are all the wicked punished here neither yet is the ful measure of wrath executed on such as are punished NaÌ„ si nunc omne peccatuÌ„ manifesta plecteretur poena nihil vltimo iudicio reseruari putaretur rursus si nullum peccatum nunc puniret apertè Diuinitas nulla esse prouidentia Diuina crederetur Some iudgements God executes now to witnesse to the world that there is a God who iudges righteously in earth and some he spares now to tell vs that there is a iudgement to come But in the last Iudgement it shall not be so none of the wicked shall be spared there and none of their iudgements shall be mitigated there but the vials of full wrath due to their sinnes shall bee powred vpon them Now if it be so that in punishing the vvicked in this life the Lord vseth a mitigation how much more may wee be assured that in correcting his children with the same roddes the Lord will vse moderation and measure And this should serue for an answere to the wicked who thinke the lesse of these externall iudgements because godly men are subiect to the same Let them heare what the Prophet saith Hath the Lord smitten Israel as hee smote those who smote him in measure in the branches thereof will he contend with it after that he hath corrected his owne yet Iacob shall take roote and Israel shall flourish He onely cuts away the superstuitie of their branches but conserues themselues to immortalitie and life In death they renew their youth like the Eagle but he strikes the wicked at the roote and cuts them away from all hope of life light ioy Yea these same afflictions which the godly doe suffer at the hands of wicked men Deus summè bonus ad suorum redigens vtilitatem oportunitatem nobis praebet spiritualium triumphorum the Lord turnes them so to the good of his owne that they become to them the matter and causes of their spirituall tryumphes And to this same purpose notable is that speech of Augustine Placuit diuinae prouidentiae praeparare in posterum bona iustis quibus non frâ—…entur iniusti et mala impiis quibus non excruciabuntur boni It hath pleased the Diuine prouideÌ„ce to prepare for good men in the time to come good things whereof the wicked shall not be partakers as also to prepare euill things for the wicked with which the godly shall not be tormented Ista verò temporalia bona et mala vtrisque voluit esse coÌ„munia But concerning the good euill things of this temporal life God will haue them alike common both to good men and euill that such good as wicked men haue should
not be esteemed the greatest good and such euill as godly men suffer should not be esteemed the greatest euill That great good prepared for the godly wicked men shall neuer see it and that great euill prepared for the wicked shall neuer come vpon the godly The last plague threatned here is the plague of deuouring beasts one of God his ordinary iudgements wherby he punisheth the pride of man The creatures are appointed to serue vs yea al of them from the Angell to the creeping worme offers their seruice to vs if wee will serue the Lord our God so hath he promised I will make a couenant for them with the wilde beasts and with the fowle of the heauen and with that which creepeth vpon the earth Otherwise if we rebell against him they are all armed against vs to execute his vengeance vpon vs. This plague of deuouring beasts we shall find threatned in the Law executed also on the idolatrous Samaritans on the disobedient prophet on the two and forty children who mocked Elisha two Beares out of the wood deuoured them And since the time of this Prophecie how God hath punished men by most contemptible beasts see Plinius he records that a towne of Spayne was vndermined by the Conies another in Thessalia by the Modewart a towne in France oppressed with Paddocks they forced the inhabitants to forsake their own houses and in Gyaro a Citie in the I le of the Ciclades the inhabitants were so persecuted with the Mice that they were also faine to leaue it Thus can the Lord by his basest creatures abase the high and lofty conceits of men Now to conclude these first foure seales this is to be obserued there is one thing which God offreth and the world will not receiue it there are three things for this that the world would haue and God will not giue them The Lord offers by the ministery of his Gospel mercy and grace this is one thing and yet such a one as hath all needfull things following it but the worldly sort careth not for it Instead of it three things they seek 1. Outward peace 2. Worldly wealth 3. Bodily health But none of these three shall they enioy They will not accept of peace offred from heauen and the Lord takes from them the peace of the earth they disdaine and lothe the bread of life and God takes from them the bread of corne they care not for the health of their soule and the Lord takes from them the health of their bodies Let vs be wise and welcome the first message for they who despise it multiply sorrowes vpon themselues VERSE 9. And when hee had opened the fift seale I saw vnder the Altar the soules of them that were killed for the Word of God and for the testimony which they maintained BEcause both good men and euill are inuolued in the same externall calamities the sword famine and pestilence which are sent vpon the wicked ouertakes also many a time the children of God therefore for their comfort their happy state after this life is here discouered by the opening of this seale and a difference is declared between their death and the death of the wicked euen when their death to the iudgement of man seemeth to be one for where Hell followes the death of the one the other by the same death are transported to a blessed fellowship with Christ in heauen I saw the soules Hee saw not this sight with his naturall eyes his bodily senses at this time were suspended and he was rauished in the Spirit and by it he saw this sight A strange maner of speech that a soule should see soules yet comparing this sight with the sight vvhich Saint Paul saw vvhen he was rauished to the third Heauen it teacheth vs that there is a sight vvhich Saints out of the bodie haue of GOD and a mutuall sight also vvhereby soules know one another which wee are not able to conceiue nor know till we learne it by experience It is commonly asked by many vvhether if or not vve shall know one another in heauen but it were better for vs all carefully to purge our hearts in time and prepare them for that sight Blessed are the pure in spirit for they shall see God and Whosoeuer hath this hope in him purges himselfe as God is pure Let it be an answer to vs all which Photinus Bishop of Lyons gaue to the Proconsull when hee demaunded who God was the other answered Et tu si dignus fueris videbis Thou if thou bee meet for it shalt see who he is Adam was sleeping when God formed Euah of a ribbe of his side hee knew it not but when he wakened incontinent he knew her albeit none informed him what she was This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh and in the transfiguration wherein our Lord gaue to his disciples a glance of the glory to come Peter Iames and Iohn knew Moses and Elias whom they had neuer seene before By these examples learned Diuines haue beene induced to thinke that Saints shall know other in Heauen yea Adam Abraham and that blessed fellowship of Patriarchs and Prophets shall not be vnknowne to vs. The Lord shall let vs want nothing that may increase our ioy yet so that our knowledge shall be without all carnall affection and all our ioy shall euer be in God the fountaine and Father of mercy to them and vs also Alway here we haue an euident argument for the immortality of the soule it dyes not with the body it sleepes not but liues without the body a blessed life albeit not perfit without it Yea euen when it is in the body to giue life vnto it we may perceiue by experience that it hath a life of it owne without it for when the body is asleep and lyes vnder the shadow of death and all the senses thereof are suspended from their naturall functions the soule hath its owne liuely operation meditation and discoursing And sith so is that Connexa corpori extra corpus viuit when it is knit to the body it liueth without the body why shall we doubt but that when it is dissolued and separate from the body it shall still liue by it selfe The place wherein he sees them is noted to be Vnder the Altar by which the Iesuit Viega wandring cleane frō the truth vnderstands the places where the bodies of Martyrs lye buried It contents him not to haue their superstitious Altars honoured with the bones or reliques of Martyrs he will haue their soules there also at least comming to it when they are inuocated and called vpon But this Altar is called in the next verse A place of their rest or residence from which they haue not a going nor a returning againe vnto it But to leaue such Doctors with their doting dreams this altar
open their mouth to praise him themselues And further sith Angels reioyce and giue thankes to God for our saluation yea at the conuersion of one sinner they are said to reioyce how much more should we reioyce in our owne saluation They are ioyfull that we are adioyned to their fellowship from which many of their fellow-Angels in respect of creation fell away and shall not we reioyce that the Lord hath raised vs vp and made vs companions to the Angels The heap of words which they vse noteth againe their zeale and as it were insatiable delight in praising God there can neuer enough be said to his praise but we must beware of babbling and idle repetitions then are the words of our mouth acceptable vnto God when they are thrust out by the affections of our heart Otherwise let vs remember Salomon his warning Bee not rash with thy mouth nor let thine heart be hasty to vtter a thing before God for God is in the heauen and thou art on the earth therefore let thy words be few VERSE 13. And one of the Elders spake saying vnto me What are these who are arayed in long white Robes and whence come they IN the remanent of this Chapter wee haue the felicity of sealed Saints some-way described vnto vs The occasion hereof is offered by a question moued by one of the twenty foure Elders and S. Iohn his answer vnto it The Senior moues the question to S. Iohn Who are these not that he was ignorant who they were but that hee might teach S. Iohn as after followeth this is the end of all diuine Interrogatories The Lord demanded of Adam Where art thou And of Caâ—… What hast thou done Hee knew where Adam was and what Cain had done better then themselues but he asketh not to get knowledge but to giue it to them of whom he asketh Concerning the Senior let the Reader who pleaseth look backe to the fourth Chapter VERSE 14. And I said vnto him Lord thou knowest and hee said to me These are they which came out of great tribulation and haue washed their long Robes and haue made their long Robes white in the bloud of the Lambe IN S. Iohn his answer we haue two things his humility in acknowledging his own ignorance Lord thou knowest as for me I know not He was an Apostle best beloued of Iesus hee was excellent for the notable reuelations which he had from the Lord yet wee see glorified Saints doe farre exceed in knowledge the most excellent men that are vpon earth for we doe but know in part wee walke by faith not by sight but they behold the glory of the Lord with open face Let vs hasten and prepare our selues to be in that company whom the brightnesse of the Lord doth fully illuminate where no errour no darkenesse is no ignorance of any thing which is either needfull or comfortable for them to know In the meane time if we would grow in knowledge let vs with S. Iohn professe our ignorance It is for such onely who are meeke schollers to learne heauenly things Them that bee meeke will the Lord guide in iudgement and teach the humble his way Conceite of knowledge is a fore enemie vnto true knowledge Wisedome cannot enter into a proud heart We see none more emptie of heauenly knowledge then are they who in their owne conceite and opinion excell others in it Againe his reuerence may bee seene in the stile which hee giues him Lord thou knowest Hee knew hee was one of these Elders whom hee heard confesse before that they were redeemed by the bloud of the Lambe hee saw Crownes vpon euery one of their heads and therefore giues him a stile of honour properly competent vnto him Indeed glorified Saints are truely Kings and Lords They are freed from all seruitude and bondage they triumph victoriously and are more then Conquerours ouer the Deuill the World the Flesh and all their spirituall enemies And hee said vnto mee That is Ad animâ—… meae admirationem seu dispositionem conuenienter loquutus est hee spake conueniently to the disposition of my soule and I did cleerely vnderstand him Hee told mee that those whom I saw cloathed in white with Palmes in their hands were redeemed Saints who had come out of great tribulation This cannot as Ambrose hath obserued on these words be vnderstood of Saints Militant as some do expound it for so long as their warfare lasts they are still in tribulation and cannot be said in this life to come out of tribulation Man is borne vnto trauatle as the sparkes sâ—…ye vpward but vnto the godly death puts an end to all their troubles Neither can this bee meant of Martyrs onely as some will haue it but of all blessed Saints washed and cleansed in the bloud of the Lambe Qui etsi Martyrium non in publico actu habere videntur coram Deo tamen habere probantur in habitu who albeit in respect of the publique act they seeme not to haue the honour of Martyrdome yet in respect of the habit and their willing disposition to it they are approued before God to haue it as saith Primasius Which came The word being read as it may be in the present time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that come leades vs to consider that in all ages froÌ„ all parts of the world there is an ascending of soules vp into heauen that Court of the great King encreaseth continually till the number of his Saints be fulfilled the Mansions of our Fathers house be plenished Some Angels forsooke their first Habitation but we see the Lord wants not seruants to praise glorifie him His Court shall not be the thinner though reprobate men desperatly forsake him and comfortable is it to meditate heere what great ioy elect Angels and glorified Saints haue in the continuall comming and increasing of others their fellow-seruants to praise and serue the Lord with them Out of great tribulation There is the Lords working with his Owne from the crosse hee carries them to the Crowne from tribulation to the Throne hee intreates them most hardly on the earth whom hee intends to exalt most highly in the heauen Let vs not therefore feare nor be offended at our afflictions For by many tribulations must we enter into the kingdome of God Tribulation is like that furnace of Egypt wherin the Lord fined his Israelites and Nebuchadnezar his Ouen the fire whereof burnt their bands but not themselues It is the Lords Flayle whereby he beats away the chaffe from the wheat he threshes it that he may purge it prepare it make it meet to be layd vp in his Garner It is the Lords Wine-presse out of which hee presseth wine and oyle for himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sicut pondere praelorum adhibito oleum diligenticura conficitur et per trituram
the will and the deed And hereby may yee know that the Lord in mercy is working your saluation when hee worketh in you both a will and a deed to doe all that yee can that yee may be saued sorrowing for sins past euer fearefull for sinnes to come continuall in prayer feruent in thanksgiuing and euery way carefull to keepe your selues in your spirit and so to be at peace vvith GOD and vnder the sence of his loue Their garments or their robes here come to be considered Seeing the garments of Saints is the righteousnesse of Christ according to that Put ye on the Lord Iesus and againe Christ is made vnto vs righteousnes how is it that their garments neede washing Truth it is indeed the righteousnesse of Iesus imputed to vs by which wee are iustified is perfit holy like vnto himselfe without all spot or blemish but our inherent righteousnes which by his Spirit he worketh in vs and whereby we are sanctified in this life is imperfit not without spot but all the defects thereof are destroyed in death by the clensing vertue of the bloud of Iesus and we then shall bee presented blamelesse to the Lord. Our Lord hath fulfilled the righteousnesse of the Law for vs but he shall also fulfill it in vs and this is it which heere is to bee vnderstood by the washing of their garments And made them white in the bloud of c. The Lambe as we haue spoken before is the Lord Iesus who takes away the sinnes of the world his Disciples are also called Lambs Behold I send you forth as Lambs in the middest of Wolues yea all Christians are so called Peter louest thou mee feede my Lambs they are also called the Light of the world but not that true Light which lighteth euery maÌ„ that commeth into the world and so he is called a Lamb in a speciall respect Agnus singulariter solus sine macula non cuius maculae abstersae sunt sed cuius macula nulla fuerit onely without spot not because they are washt away but because he had none to wash away Agnus quem lupi timent qui lâ—…onem occisus occidit a Lambe of whom Wolues are afraid and who being slaine slew the Lyon But of him we haue spoken before As to his bloud the efficacy thereof appeares in this that it is medicinall to them who shed it the same Iewes of whom S. Peter saith that they crucisied Christ by the preaching of his Crosse were conuerted to the faith of Christ three thousand of them at one Sermon Ipsoredempti sanguine quem fuderunt redeemed by the same bloud which theÌ„selues shedde Sic enim Christi sanguis in remissionem peccatorum Iesus est vt ipsum etiam peccatum delâ—…re possit quofusus est For the bloud of Christ was in such sort shed for the remission of sinnes that it is able to put away that same sinne by which it was shed What a wonder is this the Physician comes to cure a frantique patient the frantique slayes the Physician and yet the Phisician of his bloud makes a sufficient medicine to cure the frantique qualis insania eius qui medicum occidit quanta verò bonitas potentia medici qui de sanguine suo insano interfectori suo medicamentum fecit O how great was his madnesse who slewe his mediciner and how great is the goodnes and power of the mediciner who of his owne bloud hath made a healing medicament to him that shed it Yea the very manner of phrase vsed by the Seignior or Elder le ts vs see how the worke of our redemption wrought by the bloud of Iesus is full of miracles for is not this strange that where all other bloud defiles and pollutes that wherevpon it lights this bloud purifies and cleanses them on whom it lighteth Other bloud maketh the whitest linnen vgly vnpleasant and lothsome to behold but this bloud makes a menstruous cloth pleasant white Though your sinnes were as crimson they shal be made white as snow though they were red as scarlet they shall be made white as wooll But to this cleansing of vs there is no need of the naturall or corporall sprinkling of that bloud vpon vs No the sprinkling of that bloud that purifies vs is spirituall Let vs drawe neere with a true heart in assurance of faith sprinkled in our hearts from an euill conscience No word here is as we see of any Papall purgations Indulgences or fire of Purgatorie or holy Water these are the Merchandize and wares of whoorish Babel such trumperie is not knowne in heauenly Ierusalem onely the bloud of Iesus must wash thee All other washing pollutes and defiles thee Though thou wash thee with â—…itre and take thee much Sope yet thine iniquity is marked before me saith the Lord God But the bloud of Iesus cleanseth vs from all sinne With Scripture Fathers are consonant to cry out against this blasphemous purgation of sin by any infernall fire Piorum animâ—… recta in beatas seâ—…es impiorum in gehennam abeunt the soules of godly men goe the high way into heauen the wicked straight vnto hell Anima vbicunque eâ—…olauerit è corpore aut à daemonibus in infernum aut ab Angelis in coelum abripâ—…tur the soule so soone as it fleeth out of the body is either reft and carried to hell by Diuels or to heauen by Angels Sinne they grant is forgiuen here but the punishment of it must be sustained there Against this let them mark what S. Cyprian saies Quando istine excessum fuerit nullus iam poenitentiâ—… locus nullus satisfactionis effectus vita hic aut tenetur aut amittitur from the time we go out of this life there is no more place of repentance nor effect of satisfactioÌ„ by suffering here life is either kept or lost Qualem te inuenit Deus cum vocat talem pariter indicat such as God findes thee when by death he cals on thee such he iudges thee Vnusquisque cum causa sua dormit cum causa sua resurget euery man sleepeth with his cause and with his cause shall he rise againe there is no changing nor bettering of it betweene his death and his resurrection PostquaÌ„ discesserimus non est in nobis situm poenitere neque commissadiluere From time we goe out of this life wee are not able to repent nor to wash away the sinnes which we haue done It were tedious to rehearse all And therfore I returne conclude this point In the bloud of Christ there is a threefold vertue First a purging vertue next a protecting vertue thirdly a pacifying vertue What need haue we theÌ„ of any other thing or to seeke any other merit or bloud beside his Of his purging vertue we haue spoken already His protecting
nakednesse And againe that in great necessities and distresses hee approued himselfe the Minister of God And in that notable gloriation that nothing is able to separate vs from the loue of God hee would not haue made mention of persecution famine nakednesse if in this life the Saints of GOD were not subiect vnto them But all these miseries end with our mortall life no relike of them shall remaine in the heauen Ibi non est paupertatis metus non â—…gritudinis imbecillitas no feare of famine no sense of sickenesse there nullum cibi desiderium no desire of meate there and how can there bee a want of that whereof there is not so much as a desire Ibi est vita sine morte ibi iuuentus sine senectute lux sine tenebris gaudium sine tristitia voluntas sine iâ—…iuria regnum sine commutatione There we shall haue life without death youth without olde age light without darkenesse ioy without sadnesse will without all wrong a kingdome without any kind of exchange In this life hunger and thirst commeth not of want onely but of wealth also let there bee giuen thee such abundance as thou desirest yet can it not keepe thee from hunger and thirst and in this appeares the vanity of our life present that it hath need of daily helpe and supply feed as thou wilt now thou becommest hungry ere it be long drinke as thou wilt thou shalt thirst againe yea the abundance of drinke rather increases then quenches thy thirst The same creatures which we daily vse for the helpe of our silly life tell vs if we would heare them that we cannot liue long such a life as they haue they must lose it before they can nourish ours if wee vse them not they putrifie and corrupt of their owne accord and when wee haue vsed them most abundantly yet as I said can they not keepe vs from hungring and thirsting againe Thus the helpes of our life proclaime to vs the vanity of our life it is a vanishing shadow and cannot continue All our life is but a course of exchanges for a time and be sure a very short time a man may say hee hath enough but comes short of that which here is spoken that hee willeth No more If vvcc looke to the Sea it ebbeth and floweth euery day If wee looke to the Moone it waxeth and waineth euery Moneth If wee looke to the Sunne it commeth and returneth euery yeare all creatures teach vs that in our life there is a flowing and an ebbing a waxing and a waining a comming and a going all by a continual change are turned in their course but after this life it shall not bee so any more They shall hunger and thirst no more Hic omnes morbâ—… laboramus qui tandem ad mortem diducit Wee haue in all estates heere a sickenesse which at length leadeth vnto death sanitas immortalitas erit our sanity or health shall be our immortality there we shall be sicke no more Yet should it warne vs so long as wee liue heere to walke circumspectly It is a point of true Wisedome and Valour inter transeuntia stare Neyther shall the Sunne light vpon them c. That is true which some of the Interpreters haue that the Sunne and heat thereof in holy Scripture is vsed many times to signifie the heat of persecution And it is indeede out of all question that Saints in heauen haue past all danger of persecution but because they expound this of the estate of the Church militant I do but remit them to their owne warrants The simple meaning is that Saints glorified in the heauen shall neither need the commodity of the creature nor feele the incommodity thereof The Sunne is a very excellent creature yea a Mother and Nurse of the creatures by the heate and warmenesse thereof but there wee shall haue no benefit by it we shall surmount the spheare of the Sunne and leaue it vnder our feet yea the face of euery Saint there shall shine like the Sunne in the noone-day That Citie hath no need of the Sunne nor of the Moone to shine into it for the glory of God doth light it and the Lambe is the light thereof Ibi iugis est splendor non is qui nunc est sed tantò clarior quanto foelicior In heauen there is a perpetuall splendor not such as we haue now but so much more bright then this as it is more happy then this Nor any heat They feele no incommodity of the creature the heat of the Sunne intended parches burnes them who are vnder Torrida Zona and to many other people extreme heate of the Sun engendreth many diseases for this cause the Lord prouided for Israel in the wildernesse not to guide them onely but to guard them also from the heate of the Sunne So also hee prouided a Gourd for Ionas to shadow him from the burning heate of the Sunne but no such thing shal be there to trouble vs. VERSE 17. For the Lambe which is in the midst of the Throne shall gouerne them and shall lead them to the liuely fountaines of waters and God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes HE proceedes in the description of their felicity sets downe the great cause thereof to wit that the Lord shal feed them illuminate them gouern coÌ„fort them not by his creatures as he doth now but by himselfe Now great coÌ„fort haue we by the creature we shall not need them there the Lord shall be all in all vnto vs he shall giue vs vitaÌ„ aternam non de his quae condidit sed de seipso life eternall not of things which hee hath made but of himselfe Qâ—…icunque hic varia quaeris ipse tibi vnus erit omnia whosoeuer thou art that here seekes many and diuers things remember that there thou shalt haue one for all who shall aboundantly satisfie and content thee The Lambe shall gouerne them The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports that hee shall do the duty of a Sheepe-heard vnto them and gouerne them as a Sheepe-heard gouerneth his Flock Strange is the manner of speech but comfortable is the matter itselfe that the Lord is here brought in to be a Sheepe-heard or Pastor of Lambes for our Lord hath none in his Flocke but Lambs indeed Feed my Lambes Hee tameth and maketh meek all that are his were they before fierce and cruell like Lyons were they rauening Wolues such as S. Paul was answerable to the bloudy badge of his Tribe Beniamin A rauening Wolfe Before his conuersion it was said of him that he breathed out threatnings and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord yet from the time that hee became one of Christs he laid aside his cruell nature and became meeke peaceable and patient like a Lambe Take heed aboue all things that we be partakers of
dead childe and reserue nothing for the other Si melioricuncta dare nolueris diuide saltem ex aequo If thou wilt not giue all to the best and eldest at least diuide it equally between them Thy two children are thy two liues the one temporall the other eternall the eldest is life eternall it was ordained for vs before the foundations of the world were laid this childe is liuely neither subiect to death nor any kinde of disease the yonger childe is life temporall a languishing life deadly diseased is this childe and will not liue Shall wee therefore be so foolish as to care for that which cannot be conserued and neglect the other which endureth for euer and is able if it be ours to conserue vs also in a most happie and immortall fellowship with our God in Christ for euer and euer The Lord make vs wise in time to consider this that we may make choise of the best AMEN FINIS A Table of the principall points of Doctrine handled in this Treatise A ABsolute Authority due to God p. 281 Adam knew the creature by the Creator Now his sonnes are sent to the creature to learne the Creator 88 Eternity is God his proper praise and of the comfort by it cōming to the Church 106 Affliction makes a Christian stronger 302 Altars honoured with reliques of Martyrs 238. Altar vnder which soules rest what it is 239 Amen what it signifies and how vsed in the Primitiue Church Angels described 109. Why they are said to compasse the Throne 103. Their properties 105. their nature and number 104. 105. Why represented by Men Lyons Bullockes and Eagles 107. Their three-fold Eyes 105. Their sixe wings what they are 111. 112. Their function 112. Angels and men were at variance but now they sing one song 151. Angels stand and neuer fell Man fel and is raised vp to stand 180. How they praise God for Redemption 179. What benefit they haue by it Ibid. Their Order 181. Their Place 182. Their Song 183. They are our Patterns 249. Foure Angels at the foure corners of the earth what they signifie 271 Antichrist defended by Papists by such arguments as wherewith the Iewes impugned Christ. 10. He is not to come from Dan. 290. His name hated by Papists but himselfe honored 9. Then shall Iesuites get another Antichrist then the Pope when Iewes get another Christ then Iesus 290 Arrowes of iudgement and mercy 206. 207 Aire a necessary Element for all liuing creatures 273. Angustine his memory how it failed him in a Sermon 203 Atheists answered who cry for one from the dead 4. Their mouthes stopped 104. B BAnquet in heauen 334 Beasts foure signifie not Preachers nor yet the foure Euangelists 193. Two Beasts by which Satan ◅ights against the Church 50. Why the first Beast is described with seuen heads sith two of them onely persecuted the Church 51 Deuouring Beasts a plague and examples thereof 234. 235. The foure Beasts cannot be the foure Euangelists 103. 104. But are Types of principall Angels 103 Bloud of Christ medicinall ◅20 All bloud pollu◅ but the bloud of Iesus cleanseth 321. It hath a three-fold vertue 323 Bodie a burden depressing the soule 76 Booke two waies taken in holy Scripture 126. The opening thereof a ioy to Christians a griefe to Antichristians 136 Booke written within and without what it meanes 128 How God is said to haue a Booke 124. Strange opinions concerning it 125. What it is 126. Two scandals laid on the Booke of the Reuelation 6. Vse Author and time of it 2. 3. 4. 5 Booke of the Reuelation authentike 5. Obscurity thereof 6. A proper methode thereof taken out of it selfe 35. 36. 38 Bread of life 222 Brother-hood Christian. 248 C CAndlestick of gold what it sigureth 148 Catalogue of Writers on the Reuelation 13 Christ his name loued by the Iewes but himselfe hated 10 his Office◅ 133. From him commeth all comfort none from the creature 137. Why a Lyon and a Lamb. 138. 139. His description 137. Hee is the root of Iesse Iesse the roote of Christ. 139. He was made man of the seed of man once sinfull 140. Hee i◅ on the Throne with the Father 143. Christ was really slaine 194. yet liued againe Ibid. Hee hath seuen Eyes 146. Why he appeared with scarres of his wounds 145. No impotencie but power shewed therein Ibid. His Eyes of Prouidence and Eyes of Grace 147. His Diuinity 146. Hee receiued full grace that he might giue it 147. Hee is the great Doctor 149. Christ Angels and Saints redeemed are all in one fellowship 282. How he is an Angell 274 Christ keepes his Fathers priuy Seale 276. How hee commeth from the East 269. His feruent loue 281. Hee repaires euery losse that Satan hath inflicted by sinne 260. Hee is the Sacrifice the Sacrificer and the Altar 239 Christ many waies figured 205. A good Archer and what are his Bow and Arrowes 206. Two waies crowned 208 Christians by information not inspiration 142. None should ride on a Christian but Christ. 201. Hee should make sure his owne saluation 249 Christians are Lambes but Christ is a Lambe in another sense 320. They are Kings and Priests and should not serue sinne 174. 175 Church cannot be consumed by the Crosse. 215. nor hurt by her enemies Ibid. It is not bound to one place 296. 297. Churches professing Christianity in the world 298. The Church is a circle 92. Compared to the Moone 94. Prosperity thereof deare to true Christians 135. The true Church worships no creatures 119. Church on earth conserued from heauen 184 Come and see 192 Comforts and crosses intermixt 212 Corrections 229 Conscience corrupted dare not runne to God 265. 266 Condition of good and euill men contrary in this life and after it 270 Con◅ntine the Great made too great 274 Court of heauen encreaseth daily 313. The comely order of it 89. 314 Conuersion 1 Contrition 160 Concord by Christ made among creatures of most contrary kinds 152 Consolation 2. It followes mourning 137 Confirmation 2 Couenant temporall and common 86 Creatures declare that God is but define not what he is 87. They teach more then man can learne 88. What a voice the insensible creature hath 185. All creatures concurre to punish the wicked 256 Creation is a short Prouidence 120. Creation is common not so the comfort of Creation Ibid. How it bindes vs to serue God 121 Crosse a way to the Crowne 306 Crying sinnes 242 D DAN why omitted 291. 292 Day of Iudgement 247. 248. 264. Scorned by the wicked 266. Delayed vntill Saints be perfected 269. Terrible to the wicked 266 Death figured by an Horseman and why 228. His Page Ibid. 231. It is double Ibid. Comfort against it 236. It is compared to Nebuchadnezzars◅e ◅e ◅40 It ends our misery 331 Doctrine of Christ and Antichrist two Mysteries 10 Doctors of the reformed Church agree all in the matter differ onely in the Methode of the Reuelation 11 Dwelling of God
Corn 〈◊〉 Bitâ—…n in 〈◊〉 Trident. The South Church a famous Church albeit no Romane Christian Churches in the North East such like The reformed Churches of Europe are not Romane yet neither new nor Hereticall See Fulke on the Reuel c. 17 Standing of Saints noteth two things 1 Their stability in glory 2 Their gracious acceptance and fauour which they haue of God Esay 28. 5. The white Robe noreth first their purity Ephe. 5. 25 26 27. Reâ—… 14. 5. Secondly their immortality and glory Gregor in Psal. Aug. scr 11. de Saâ—…ct Godâ—… Spirit borrowes similitudes from most excellent things in Nature Linum asbestiâ—…um A rare sort of linnen recorded by Panâ—…irol Pancirol And by Plinius also Plin. lib. 19. c. 1. Palme Tree a signe of victorie Gregor hom 17. in Ezech. Aul. Gell. nâ—…ct Attic. li. 3. ca. 6. Plin. lib. 13. c. 4. lib. 16. c. 24. Christians are made stronger by afflictions Rom. 8. An. bâ—…os epist. lib. 2. epist. 7. ad Sâ—…plicianum The Palme is not without the white garment 2. Tim. 2. 5. And victorie comes not without fighâ—… in a good conscience Ver. 6. Reu. 21. 27. In their thankesgiuing see first the manner next the matter Praises of God should be with feruencie Prayers lowd not for the voice but the affection Aug. ad ProbaÌ„ Amb. sâ—…r 46. de poenit Pet. In prayer teares ate better then talk Leuit. 6. The heart must bee the Altar of Burnt Offering before it can be the Altar of Incense 3 Their variety with vnity makes a pleasant harmonie Aug. in Psal. 148. All the glory of saluation Saints ascribe to the Lord. Popish Hymns are discordant from the song of Saints 1. Cor. 11. 19. Song of Saints is seconded by Angels The comely comfortable order of the Court of heauen Angels stand and neuer fell Man fell and of mercy irraised vp againe to stand Iude 6. 2. Pet. 2. 4. Ephes. 1. 6. Bodily humiliation required in Diuine worship The practice of S. Iames in prayer Chrysost. in Mat. hom 5. Worship belongs to God onely Angels approue the Song of Saints Papists account vs heretiques for singing with Angels and Saints Not enough to heare God praised by others thou must also by thy selfe praise him Sith Angels giue God thankes for our saluation much more should we giue thankes for our owne Luke 15. 7. Babbling in prayer reproued Eccles. 5. 1. How and why God is said to demand any thing Gen. 3. 9. Gen. 4. 10. Most heauenly and holy creatures are most humble 2. Cor. 5. 7. 2. Cor. 3. 18. Psal. 25. 9. Conceite of knowledge a sore enemie to knowledge Glorified Saints are indeed Kings and Lords Rom. 8. How the Lord speakes to a soule Carthus This cannot be vnderstood of Militant Saints they are not yet come out of tribulation Iob. 5. 7. Neither can it be meant of Martyrs onely Primas in Apoc. How the Court of heauen encreases continually Ioh. 14. By the crosse God brings his children to the crowne Tribulation coÌ„pared to the surâ—…ace of Aegypt and Nebuchadnezzar his ouen How it is the Lords Flayle and his Wine-presse Primas in Apoc. Tribulation as it hath an ingate so it hath an outgate Psal. 34. 19. After the bitter station of Marah commeth a sweetâ—… station in Helim Tribulation of Saints is measured by the Lord. Iob. 28. 25. Psal. 89. 9. Patience in in affliction recommended Man by nature two waies is vncleane 1 In respect of conception Psal. 51. 5. Iob 14. 4. Ezec. 16. 6 8 9. 2 In respect of conuersation Prou. 20. 9. Zach. 12. Sin is a lothsome vncleannesse Leuit. 13. 27. 39 Esay 64. 6. Delicate men can abide no vncleannesse in any thing that serues them And yet are not gricued to carry an vncleane soule Reuel 21. 27. Ioh. 13. 8 9. Threefold washing needfull for vs 1. of the feet 2. of the head 3. of the hands Felicity of man beginnes at the forgiuenesse of sinnes Nazi orat 26. in plagam grandâ—…s Psal. 32. 1. How Saints are said to wash themselues Psal. 51. 2. Phil. 2. 12. In all the work of saluation we must be doers Acts 3. Acts 16. God is the principall worker of our saluation Phil. 2. 13. Hereby wee know that he is working our saluation when he worketh in vs both the will and the deede Mal. 2. 15. What neede haue the robes of Saints of washing sith Christ is their garmenâ—… Rom. 13. Our impured righteousnesse needes no washing but the inherent onely Rom. â—… 3. Christians are all Lambes Mat. 10. Ioh. 1. 9. But Christ is a Lambe in another sense Aug. in Ioan. tract 7. Ibid. The bloud of Christ is medicinall to them who shed it Act. 2. 36 4. Aug. in Ioan. tract 92. How all the workes of our redemption are wonderful Aug. de verb. Apostoli Ser. 8. Other bloud desiles the bloud of Christ cleanseth Esay 1. 18. Thâ—… sprinkling of his bloud is spirituall Heb. 10. Papall purgations are filthy pollutions Ier. 2. 22. 1. Iohn 1. 7. Purgatorie expurgat out of the Bible by the Fathers Optat. Milcuiâ—…inus Macar hom 22. Cyprian ad Deâ—… Câ—…p-Ser de immort Aug. in Ioan. Tract 49. Chrysost. hom 2. de â—…azaro Christs bloud hath a threefold vertue 1 A purging vertue 2 A protecting vertue 3 A pacifying vertue Rom. 5. Heb. 12. 24. Felicitie of Saints glorified is two waies described 1 They haue aboundance of all good 2 They haue deliuerance from all euill Three things touched concerning Saints glorified Why this can not bee vnderstood of any state of the Church here on earth Mat. 5. 6. A warning to presumptuous professors Life of the godly and wicked haue different courses and different ends Psal. 1. Without sanctification we cannot stand before the Lord. Gen. 41. 14. Hest. 2. 12. A threefold presence of God 1 A presence of his goodnesse this is granted to all men Mat. 5. 45. Rom. 1. 20. Aug. de ciu Dei lib. 8. ca. 6. Rom. 1. â—…1 â—… A presence of his grace this is granted to none but his Saints Psal. 85. 9. Ezech. 11. 16. And that especially in the holy asseâ—…blies Psal. 42. 2 4. 3 A presence of his glory granted to Saints in heauen Psal. 84. 11. Psal. 16. 10 11. Psal. 36. 7 8 9. There are riuers of pleasure flowing from an euerlasting fountaine 1. Kings 10. 8. Psal. 84. 4. Exercise of Saints glorified is to serue God without intermission Aug. ser. 11. dâ—… Sanct. No change neither of time nor state in heauen Their seruice is sweet no way laborious Aug. Ibid. Carthus Seruants of God are most honorable creâ—…turos Act. 9. 15. For hee is a King a freeman who is Gods seruant Psal. â—… A seruant of seruants is he who is not a seruant of God Ambros. The seruant of sin desires not to change his Master He gets no leaue to rest him Aug. in Ioan. tract 41. And hee may look for a miserable reward Familiarity with God encreases a reuerence of God Ioh. 15. 15. Ioh. 8. 25. How are Saints said to serue God for euer seeing Christ said that seruants abides not in the house for euer Aug. in Ioan. tract 41. They are in such sort seruants that they are also sonnes Ibid. Ioh. 8. 36. The reward of Saints is that God dwels among them Where Kings dwell there is aboundance of all good that is in the Kingdome Est. 1. 4 5. The Banquet made by King Ahasuerus was very glorious But not comparable to the Banquet which the Lord shall make to his Saints How God dwelleth with his Saints on earth 2. Cor. 6. 16. Carthus How he dwelleth with his Saints in heauen The good of all seruice that Saints make to God redoundeth to themselues Psal. 16. 1. 1. Chro. 29. 14 Iob 22. Our seruice is not profitable to the Lord and can doâ—… him no good Iob 35. 6. Yet hee seekes it that hee may doe vs good for it Mal. 1. 10. Felicity of Saints still described Many are the wants and miseries of this life 2. Cor. 11. 37. â—… Cor. 6. 4. Rom. 8. 35. But they all take an end at death Aug. in fesâ—…o â—…mnium Sanct. ser. 37. Aug. ad frat in eâ—…mo ser. 49. The vanity of this present life wherein may it be perceiued All our life is but a course of exchaÌ„ges like the Sea and Sunne Aug. dâ—… temp sâ—… 74. The life to come is not so Ephes. 5. 15. Sun here signifies not heat of persecutioÌ„ Saints glorified feele neyther the commodity nor incommodity of the creature Reuel 21. 23. Aug. in sesto omniâ—… Sanct. sâ—…r 37 Heat of the Sun hurtfull to many people In that life we shall need no helpe of the creature for God shall be al in all vnto vs. Aug. 〈◊〉 Dei lib. 10. 〈◊〉 28. Aug. Sâ—… 4. What a Pastor Christ Iesus is He hath none in his Flocke but Lambes Gen. 50. Act. 9. 1. Yea hee turneth Wolues and Lyons makes them Lambes Ioyes of heauen figured by water Ioh. 4. 14. Ioh. 10. 10. Psal. 36. Reuel 22. 1. How God shall leade vs in heauen we cannot now vnderstand Psal. 43. 3. Ber. in Cant. sâ—…r 47. A comfortable change of our state from misery to immortall glory 2. Cor. 1. 15. The glorious change of Saints in the life to come illustrated by similitudes Ber. Ser. de diligendo Deum Mourning here is meetest for Saints Math. 5. 4. Mourning for sin pleases the Lord. Psalm 6. What great cause of mourning haue we Ber. in cap. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Hardnes of heart the Mother-sinne of this age Gen. 4. The heart of man would be laboured continually Life to come should be longed for Psal. 137. Folly to neglect the life to come for loue of this Basil. Ser. 3. in diuitâ—…s auaros