As if he had sayed thou wilte grante me that hauing runne ouer the race of this fleeting and fraile life I shall enioy that most ioyfull moste pleasante eternal life in thine heauenlye kingdom Augustine sayeth that in heauen shall bee the euerlasting Sabbath which noe Eueninge shall end There wee shall rest and wee shall see wee shall see and wee shall loue wee shall loue and wee shall prayse Behoulde saith hee that which is in the ende is withoute end Nam quis alius noster est finis nisi peruenire ad regnum cuius nullus est finis For what other end is there ordained for the Godly but to attaine to that Kingedome which hath none end Sibyll sayeth Aug de Ciu dei lib 22 c 30 that it shall not bee sayed in heauen The nighte is come or to morrowe shall come or yesterday is paste neither shall there bee that daye that is wearied with cares nor spring nor summer nor Autumne nor winter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There shall be noe mariage nor death no selling nor buying nor sunne rysing nor Sunsetting for God shall make that longe daye which shall bee endlesse Sibill Oracâ— lib 7 There shall bâ—e so many and such ioys as al the Arithmeticians of this world are not able to number them 〈◊〉 the Geometritians are not able to weigh them all the Grammarians Logitians Rhetoritians are not able to expresse them in fit terms For as the Apostle Saint Paule doth witnesse the thinges which God hath prepaâ—ed for them that loue him are such as eye hath not seene neither eare hath heard neither came into any mans heart There shall be ioy aboue vs 1 Cor 2 9 for the vision which wee shall see there likewise shall bee ioye vnder vs for the beawtie of the heauens and other corporall creatures there shall be ioy within and about vs for the felowshippe and companye of Saintes and Angeles There Salomons wisedome shall be reputed but foolishnesse Absoloms beautie but deformity Azaels swiftnesse but slownesse SampsoÌ„s might but weaknesse â—hom Aquin. â—e uer Theol. â—h 7. chap. 6 Mathuselaes loÌ„g life but frailty the kingdome of Augustus Caesar but beggery The saints would not so earnestly haue longed after heauen had they not beene assured of the surpassinge ioyes thereof Dauid being hindred by his persecuters that he could not bee present amonge gods people in the temple of Ierusalem he shewes his feruent desire towardes that place in which hee mighte serue the Lorde saying as the hart brayeth for the ryuers of water so panteth my soul after thee O god my soul thirsteth for god euen for the liuing god wheÌ„ shal I com appear befor the preseÌ„ce of god And wheÌ„ he was exiled driueÌ„ out of his couÌ„try Psal 42.1.2 and could not come to the tabernacle of the Lorde and the assembly of the saints to prayse god how vehemently doth hee bewraye how hee was affectioned thitherwarde O Lorde of hoastes saith hee how amiable are thy tabernacles My soule longeth yea and fainteth for the Courtes of the lorde Blessed are they that dwell in thine house they will euer prayse thee For a day in thy courts is better theÌ„ a thousaÌ„d otherwher I had rather bee a doorekeeper in the house of my god Psal 84.1.2.4.10 then to dwell in the tabernacles of wickednesse If the Prophet did so long thirst pante and faynte after the materiall and transitory temple of Hierusalem on earth how was hee enflamed with a desire to come to the spirituall and eternall temple of the Lord in heauen When our Sauiour was transfigured on the mountaine and his face did shine as the sunn and his clothes were as white as the lighte and there appeared Moses and Elias talking with him Peter rauished with this celestiall apparition sayd to Iesus Master it is good for vs to be heere if thou wilt let vs make here three Tabernacles one for thee and one for Moses and one for Elias Mat. 17.1.8 If the Apostle were so transported with a slender view and small taste of heauenly felicity as that hee desired alwaye to adhere and cleaue vnto it what would he haue donne if he had beene fully entered into his masters ioy Hierom notes vpon these words of Peter that Christ is that alone way to go to the glory and ioyes of heauen that wee must build pitch a tabernacle for him only in our heartes and that we must hear obey him only as the voyce from heauen taught Peter â—at 17 5 and in Peter the rest of the Apostles and all beleeuers and therefore he is bold to say to Peter erras Petre sicut alias euangelista testatur â—e eidos he â—gei â—uke 9 33 nescis quid dicas thou art deceiued Peter as another Euangelist witnesseth thou knowest not what thou sayst seeke not three Tabernacles â—ieron in comâ—ent in cap 17 â—â—att when there is but one tabernacle of the Gospell in which Moses and Elias the law and the prophets are comprised and briefely repeated This ioyfull inheritaÌ„ce of heauen made Paul to say I counte that the afflictions of this presente time are not worthy of the glory which shal be shewed vnto vs and againe our light affliction which is but for a moment â—om 8.18 causeth vnto vs a far more excellent and an eternall weight of glory while we looke not on the things which are seen but on the things which are not seene for the things which are seene are temporall but the things which are not seen are eternall Cor. 4.17.18 and againe Christ is to mee both in life and in death aduantage whither to liue in the flesh were profitable for me and what to chuse I know not for I am distressed betweene both and though to abide in the flesh is more needefull for the Church of christ J desire to be loosed Phil. 1 21 22 23 24. and to be with christ which is best of all And therefore the militant Church and spouse of Christ alwaies seekes Christ her beloued in the night and troubles of this life and in the streets and open places and wartes and labours euery where to apprehend all opportunities to imbrace him and doth neuer suffer him to depart from her till the day breake Can. 3 1 2 3 and the shadowes flee away that is Nec cum inâ— tus fuerit ceâ— bitur a quarâ— do non pedâ— passibus sed â—sideriis quaeriâ—tur Deus Ec vtique non ext dit desideriuâ— fanctum foelâ— inuentio sed tendit NuÌ„qâ— consummatiâ— gaudu dâ—fidâ— consumptio 〈◊〉 Oleum magiâ— illi nam ipsâ— flamma Bâ— in Can ser. 8 Heb. 11 36. till the darkesome and yrksom life bee ended and that glorious appearing of Christ come when the Church shal be perfectly taken into the communion of Christ and shall gloriously enioy all good things For when the faithfull soule
wipe away all teares from their eys The state of the godly in this life and in the life to come SVch and so greate is the loue of god towards his choseÌ„ people that he doth not only giue them warning of dangers ensuing but doth oftentimes deliuer them from manifold calamities wher with others are ouerwhelmed Gen. chap. 6.7.8 Gen. 19. So Noah had warning of the coming of the flood was deliuered from the violence thereof So Lot had warning of the destruction of Sodome and escaped the fury of the fire and brimstone So the Israelits had warning of the killing of al the first born amoÌ„g the Egiptians Exodus 12. by the blood of the paschal lamb wer preserued froÌ„ the veÌ„geance of the destroier So againe the Israelites passed through the red sea Exoduâ— 14. as through dry grouÌ„d but the waters closed on their enimies the EgiptiaÌ„s So before the captiuity the Iews that mourned sighed for the abominations which were committed in Hierusalem Ezech. 9. had a marke set on theyr foreheades and were exempted from the desolation and other which had not the marke were not spared but smitten without pitty And as the lord in the seuen trumpets had prouided diuerse miseries to be inflicted vppon men of all sorts cap. 8. 7. c. so in this chapter there is a caution and prouiso for the godly for before the fowr angels by holding the 4. winds do hurt the earth with haile and fire or that a burning mountaine kill the creatures of the sea or the fallen starre turneth the liuing waters into mortall wormewood or the sonne and moone bee smitten till the seruants of God were sealed in their foreheads Iohn saw the vision of those which were numbred and sealed Iewes of all the tribes of Israel an hundred and forty and fowr thousand and after a numberles number of the gentiles of all nations â— Mare 13.51 and kindreds and people and tongues who stoode before the throne of god to worshippe him and prayse him and were clothed in long white robes that is were couered with the vnspotted righteousnes of Christ and had palms in their hands in token of the victory obtained by Christ against the flesh the world and Satan After this Iohn heard the congratulation and thanksgiuing of those which were sealed for that they were saued and preserued for they cried with a loud voice saying Saluation commeth from our God v. 10.12 that sitteth vpon the throne and from the Lamb. Vnto which crye all the angells applaude and worship God saying Amen Praise and glory and wisedome and thanks and honor and power and might be vnto our god for euermore Amen Now these words which I haue read containe the expounding of the vision that Iohn sawe Iunius in Apâ—calyps In which exposition three things are to be noted 1 The question of the Elder to stir vp Iohn to deeper consideration in the 13 verse 2 Iohns answer to the Elder in the first part of the 14. verse 3 The reply of the Elder in the rest of the 14 verse and vnto the end of the 17 verse In which reply the Elder declares those which were numbred and sealed to be the saints whom he describes first by their acts that is their suffrings and work of faith in Iesus Christ donne in the former persecutions and to be continued in the future tentations in the 14 verse Secondly by their glory both present in the 15 v. and to come partly in their ful deliuerance from all calamities and annoyances in the 16. verse and partly in participation and fruition of all good things which the remembraunce of woonted myseries shall neuer abolish or diminishe in the 17. v. And this is begun in this life but accomplished afterwards In that the Elder doth aske a question of Iohn â—nterpretatioÌ„â—f the text whether he knew who those were which were arrayed in long white robes and whence they came he behaueth himselfe like a diligent teacher who being desirous to enstruct his scholler in that hee knows not he preuenteth him by enquiring whither he know it or not Whereby the Elder signifieth how prompt and ready they that are led by the spirite of God and are endued with knowledge and vnderstanding should bee to informe the ignorant And in that John yeelds a modest aunswer to the Elder acknowledging his ignorance by attributing knowledge to the Elder for in that he sayth Lord thou knowst he sayth thus Lord I knowe not Lord thou knowst lord teache me he doth aduertize vs to be wise with sobriety and not to bee puffed vp with an ouerweening opinion of our learning but to recken it no shame and disparagement to be taught the certaynty of those good thinges which we neuer learned Marlor Sebast Meyer in Apocal. Whereas the Saints are sayed to come out of great tribulation although the Elder spake this chiefelye touching the former persecutions by the heathen Empires and may also bee vnderstoode of the persecution which Antichrist shoulde raise against the Church yet generally it may be vnderstood of the vniuersall troubles and afflictions of this life in that all the children of God come from greate affliction vnto greate reste from mysery vnto glory from prison vnto a kingdom from thraldom vnto freedom from death vnto life The long robes of the saints which were washed is the holinesse righteousnesse and innocency of Christ wherewith the godly being cloathed they do walke boldly and are found iust and vnblameable before the Lord. And the making white of the long robes in the Lambs hlood is when the godly do walk in the fayth of christ and do suffer the cros patiently after his example But howe can blood make white The faithfull are washed white with the Lambes bloude in that they are purged in conscience from deade workes to serue the liuing GOD Hebr. 9 13. Reuel 1.5 â— Pet. 1.19 by the blood of CHRISTE who thorough the eternall spirite offered himselfe vnto god an vnspotted sacrifice And here falls to ground the Romish doctrine of indulgences Acts 10.3 1 Iohn 1.7 â— Cor. 5.21 â— Cor. 1.15 Acts 20.28 Hebr 10 14. and dispensation of the superabounding merits of Saints for if the faithfull are sufficiently purged and clensed by the blood of the lamb where is the treasure of supererogation of Saintes Where it is sayd that the godly are in the presence of the throne of god this may be taken not only for that blessed and quiet worship which the godly departed out of the body yeeld to the lorde in heauen without externall and laborsome seruice but also for their worshipping of God while they liue in this mortall body and while they in this life are so deuoted to the seruing of god Ephes 2 6. Col. 3 1. 2. Cor 3 6. and do so frame theyr whole life after his will and do so seeke to glorifie god and to edify their neighbor as if
blesse god and affliction makes the vngodly to blaspheme god Besides this tribulation breeds patience and exerciseth patience Iames 1.3 4 that it may haue her perfect working and may be intire and lack nothing Tribulation works humility in vs and knowledge of our selues and a learning of obedience as Paul sayes of Christ that though he were sonne yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered Heb 5.8 Tribulation causeth vs to long for heauen and to loathe the world and not to loue the things of the world and not to repose confidence in the loue of the world 1 Iohn 2 15 for as the world hated Christ so it hateth the godly that beleeue in christ and because the godlye are not of the worlde therefore the world hateth them Tribulation makes vs the members Iohn 13 18 19 conformeable to christ our head that we may fulfill the rest of the afflictions of Christ in the flesh Col. 1.29 and that he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified may be all of one Tribulation makes for the honour Heb 2.10 and praise and glory of god in that god workes deliuerance out of affliction and though hee kill yet he makes aliue and though hee bring downe to the graue 1. Sam. 2 6 yet hee rayseth vp and though the godly are afflicted on euery side yet they are not in distresse though they are in doubte yet they despayre not though they are persecuted yet they are not forsaken though they are cast downe yet they perish not 2. Cor 4.8 9 Lastly tribulation is a testimony and demonstration of the iudgemente to come and of euerlasting life for the iustice and trueth of GOD require that at length the good should be comforted and the wicked punished but for that this is not alwayes doon in this life therefore it shall be perfourmed when the Lord Iesus shall shew himself from heauen with his mighty Angells 2. Thess 1.7 And the tribulation of the faithfull should excite and prouoke the wicked to shake off their sins that stick so fast vnto him For if the time be come that iudgement must begin at the house of god what shall the end bee of them that obeye not the Gospell of God and if the righteous scarcely be saued where shall the vngodly and the sinner appeer and if this be done in the green tre 1 Pe 4 17 18 Luke 23 31 what shal be done in the dry tree for if christ the green floriâ—hing tree of righteousnesse and the godly that are braunches of the same tree did and doe suffer great tribulation what shoulde the vnrepentant and wicked expect that are dry withered and fruitles trees but consuming fire and the declaration of the iust iudgement of God Yea but doth not the prouidence of god sleep will some say when the godly are greatly afflicted and how doth god accoÌ„plish this promise that hee will shrowde them and couer them and protect them and pitch a tent about them and dwell among them certainly he that keeps Israel doth neither slumber nor sleep the lord is the keeper of his children â—sal 121.4.5 and their shaddow at their right hand he ayds them by the power of his grace and he giues them that comforter that shal abide with them for euer â—oh 14. v. 16 he wil not leaue theÌ„ as destitute Orphanes but he wil come to them and assist them â— 18. â— 23 he will lodge with them and make continuall abode with them he encreaseth their fayth that they may neuer doubt of his loue but still depend vppon him Can a woman forget her childe and not haue compassion on the sonne of her wombe though she should forget her sons yet the Lorde will not forgette his children Esai 49 15 Many are the troubles of the righteous true Psal 34.20 but the Lorde deliuers them out of all The godlye are much pressed true but they flourishe as the Palme tree Psal 92.12 which the more it is pressed downe the more it sprouteth vp The rayne falls and the floodes come and the windes blowe on the faythfull true but theyr house falls not Mat. 7.24 because it is builte on a rocke poiesei teâ—ekbasin God suffers his children to be tempted true but he is faithfull and will not suffer them to be tempted aboue that they are able 1. Cor. 10 1â— but will euen with the tentation giue the issue and way out that they may be able to beare it Mat. 20 22 Christ calls affliction and tribulation Baptism for that as in Baptisme wee are dipped downe into the water but not drowned or choaked in the water so though wee bee washed with the water of tribulation yet wee are not ouerwhelmed therein And as Noah was preserued from the greate daunger of the flood when hee and his familye were inclosed in the Arke and the rest did perish that were out of the Arke 1. Pet. 3.20 so whosoeuer in the church of God doe adhere and cleaue to Christ though they bee loaden with calamities yet at length in due season they are deliuered whereas others that are out of the church are swalowed vp by the flood of sinne and of punishmentes that accompanye sinne How greeuously was Job vexed by the Sabeans 1 15.16.17 2.7 〈◊〉 42.12 c â—es 5 11 by fire from heauen by the Chaldaeans by Sathan by his wife yet how gloriouslie was he at last deliuered And as round bodies that are in all parts equally circular may rest and be setled on eache parte and side so the godly are constant in whatsoeuer estate for the Lord puts his hand vnder them to make their resting place easie and commodious as the Prophet sayes â—m 37 24 Though they fall they shall not bee cast off for the Lord putteth vnder his hand When the staie and strength is taken froÌ„ the vngodly when they shal bee oppressed one of another when woe shall be to the wicked and euill shall be with them and the rewarde of their hands shall be giuen them â— 10 then then surelie it shall be wel with the iust For all thinges worke together for the best vnto them that loue God â— 8.28 â—c in tribulation and anguishe in famyne and nakednesse in perill and sworde they are more then conquerours through him that loued them For wee are perswaded that neither deathe nor life nor Angells nor principalities nor powers nor thinges present nor thinges to come nor heighth nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Wherefore since god is ready to help in tribulation and hath promised to bee with vs in trouble and to deliuer vs Psalm 91 â— that wee may glorifie him and hath commanded vs to call vppon him in the day of aduersitie let vs submit our selues vnto god and drawe neere vnto God
and the god of Iaacob He sayth Exod 3 6 I am not I was to shew that hee is continually their God and as this prooues the resurrectioÌ„ of the body against the Saduces For if Abraham Izhak Matt 22 32 Quomod foelices si ex parte perituri Tertuâ— de resurrec carnis and Iaacob bee gods they are altogether his and they cannot be throughlie blessed if one parte of them should perish decay so it fortifieth the immortality of the Soule after death For if the faithfull are alway gods people and god is alwaye their God and Lorde they must needs liue in soule euen before the general resurrectioÌ„ for god is not the god of the dead but of the liuinge Euident is the eternity of the Soule out of that of patient Iob who in his extream affliction expressed notwithstanding his coÌ„fideÌ„ce of immortality thogh god slay me sayth he with death of body yet will I trust in him that I shall inherit the light of euerlasting glorie And he confidently professeth his beleef touching life euerlasting the resurrectioÌ„ saying Iob 13 15 I am sure my redeemer liueth thogh after my skin worms destroy this body yet shall J se god in my flesh whome I my self shal see and mine eies shal behold and none other for me though my vaynes are nowe consumed within mee Iob. 19.25 Which wordes of his bicause of theire infallible crueth and certaintie he wisheth that all men mighte knowe And that therefore they mighte be written Iob 19 23 yea written euen in a booke and grauen with an yron penne in leade or in stone for euer When Dauid saies to God thou wilte not leaue my soule in graue neyther wilte thou suffer thine holy on to see corruption thou wilt shew me the path of life Psal 16 10.11 in thy presence is the fulnesse of ioye and at thy righte hand there are pleasures for euermore Hee declares two benefites of which both himselfe and all the Godlye should be made partakers through christ to witte the resurrection of the flesh and that moste ioyfull moste pleasaunt and eternall life And though the vngodlye ar inclosed in their own fat speak proudly with their mouthes think but of their portion in this life hauing their bellies filled with hid treasure leauing the rest of their substaÌ„ce for their children yet he is vndoubtedly perswaded that after hee was deliuered out of the greate and infinite troubles of this worlde hee shoulde beholde in heauen the comfortable face countenance of god according to his promise and should perfectly bee vnited vnto God and see him as he is Psal 17.10 14 What plainer then that of Salomon who sayes that when man dyeth dust returneth to the earth as it was and the spirite then returneth to god that gaue it Eccles 12.7 As though the royall Preacher should say although the body and soule ar conioyned coupled together yet they are of dislike nature for the bodie is grosse and may be seene handled and the body is made of the earth a ponderous and corruptible elemeÌ„t and is as it were the vessell that containes the soule but the soule is subtile and not to be seene or handled and the soule hath no earthy mixture in it but beeing endewed with such skill such force and such nimblenesse shee must needes haue her beginning from heaueÌ„ and although they are so neeerely conioyned in this world that the destruction of the on may seeme to be the disuÌ„pation of the other yet when death makes a diuorce separation betweene them Lucretius obitus quid assere â—et eâ— quod dog â—ma defendereâ—â—os versus posuâ—it Cedit item â—etro de terra quod fuit ante â—n terras quod missuÌ„ est â—ex atheris â—ris Id rursum â—oeli rellatum â—templa receptant Lact diu inst lib 7 cap 12. then eyther of them retourne into their owne nature the body which was of the earth is resolued into earth and that which was from the heauenly spirite alway endureth and flourisheth becaus the spirit of God is euerlasting The truth wherof is so powerful it caused the foresayde Epicurean Lucretius euen in despight of his hellish Prophanenesse to confesse it What plainer to confirme the eternall life of the soule then where Isaiah bringes in other potentates that were dead before deriding the insolency of the King of Babylon that though hee sayed in harte that hee woulde ascend into heauen and exhalt his throne aboue the starres of God and ascend aboue the height of the clouds and bee like the moste high yet he was become weak by death aswell as they and his pompe and the sounde of the violes was broughte downe to the graue and the worme was spreadd vnder him and the wormes did couer him Isai 14 9. For hee woulde not attribute this scorninge to the deade if ther were the same ende both to man beast What plainer for to stop the mouths of Atheists the contradict the immortality of the soul then the saying of Christ our Lord in the Gospel Fear you not theÌ„ saith be which kill the body but ar not able to kil the soul but rather feare him which is able to destroy both soule body in Hell If the soul caÌ„not be slain Mat 10 28 and if it may bee punished in hell after this life it is euerlasting can neuer dy And therfore excellently spake the Martyr that sayed thus to the tormenter thou blody tyrant thou art deceiued if thou suppose to destroy me by renting my body which is subiect to deth Erras cruente meam Te rerâ— poenam sume re quum membra morti obnoxia Dilancinata interficis Est alter hic intriâ— secuâ— violare quem nullus pâ—test Liber qui etus integer Expers doloruâ— tristium Prudent peristâ— phan de vinceÌ„tio Gen 5 24 ther is on within thou canst not wrong which is free quiet intire and not to be payned with torturs this body which thou endeuourest to destroy with such force and furie is but a brittle and earthen vessell which maye be easily broken into shiuers but assaye now to cut and punish him that is within and that regardes not thy rage prouoke him and search him thou shalte find him inuincible vncoÌ„querable an vnderling to no calamities and subiected to God alone Could Enoch walk with god after this life if soul body dyeâ— together Could Saul desire the Pithones to raise vp the prophet Samuel vnto him 1 Sam. 28 11 if the soule and body dyed together Coulde Dauid mourn so bitterly for his rebellious soun Absolom when hee cryed out O my sonn Absolom 2. Sam 18 33 my sonne my sonne Absolom woulde God I had dyed for thee O Absolom my sonne my sonne Would he haue so bitterly lamented his death if the soule and body dyed together For Augustine saith De doctrina Christi Non