seuocate their mindes from their bodies the function of the soule being suspended toward the body that she might intend all her powers toward the Lord. So did hee with Ezechiel and Daniel Yea euen in our daily Christian conuersation we find that as the fish Remora when it cleaues to the side of the ship vnder saile retardeth the course thereof so is it with the body when the soule would ascend and mount vp to the Lord the body drawes it backe and holds it downe therefore Caro animae est Remora said Nazianzen flesh is the stay and hinderance of the soule And this may be best seene in the exercise of prayer when the spirituall life is strongest then is the naturall weake If the desires of the soule be feruently intended toward God the eye sees not those obiects the eare heares not those sounds which are neere vnto them But when againe naturall necessity forces the soule to returne to a familiarity with the body then her familiarity with the Lord relents and is interrupted This lets vs see first that heauenly Mysteries transcend the capacity of man till God make vs able to conceiue them aboue any ability that is in nature if S. Iohn had not beene rauished in the spirit after a diuine manner he could not haue vnderstood these diuine things And againe we may perceiue the truth of that No man can see the Lord and liue This should make vs well content in the day of death to lay aside our bodies that we may ascend to the Lord for as S. Luke said of the death of Christ it is true of all Christians The day of our death is the day of our assumption vp into heauen And behold a Throne Before Godspake to the eare of S. Iohn now hee offers a Vision to his eye This is the Lords order and we must obserue it Wouldst thou see the Lord bee content first to heare him Auditus gradus est ad visum hearing is a step to seeing As we haue heard so haue wee seene If first we heare as we should no doubt but next we shall see what we would They who delight not now to heare the Lord shall not be delighted hereafter with the sight of his ioyfull face And this for the order now to the matter We haue here in a Vision represented the glorious Maiestie of the Ruler of the world gouerning all things therein according to his gracious pleasure And first S. Iohn sees a Throne figuring Kingly Power and Authority Next a Throne in heauen expressing the supremacy and height of his Gouernment his Throne is aboue all the Thrones of Kings in the world By him the decrees of men are established hee ratifies or reuokes them at his pleasure and is countable vnto none His Holinesse also hereby is expressed God will not do wickedly neither will hee peruert iudgement hee renders the worke of a man vnto him and causes euery man to finde according to his wayes said Elihu The Iudge of all the world cannot do vnrighteously said Abraham Thirdly aboue the Throne is a Raine-bow like a stately seeling Fourthly about the Throne are twenty and foure Elders figuring the Church of the liuing God a glorious Court wherein there are none but Seniors and Kings farre surmounting in glory all the Courts of the world Fiftly between the Throne and the circle of Seniors in the midst of the Throne and round about the Throne were foure liuing creatures full of eyes all hauing wings shadowing the company of innumerable Angels Salomon his Throne was of Iuory vnderpropped with carued Lyons but nothing comparable to these liuing vnderstanding and speedily flying Cherubims which execute the will of this great and euerliuing King Sixthly before the Throne there is a glassie Sea like Christall representing this sragill and waltring world which as it was made by the Lord so also is it ruled and gouerned by him hee sees all things in it and gouerneth all the incident mutations and changes thereof vnto his owne determinate end This is the summe of the Vision Which as I said is a preparatoire vision for the subsequent visions of prediction wherein because the Lord is to foreshew sore troubles many changes greâ—…uous accidents that were to fal out in the world for the exercise of his poore Church In the entry he drawes vs vp to looke to himselfe as vnto a glorious King sitting on his Throne ruling the world which is before him with great power and wisedom so that nothing falls out in it by chance but according to his prouidence neither is it satans malice nor man his vvit that carries sway in the world to drawe the euent of things which way they wil. No no satan and men in all their purposes plots are ouer-ruled by the Lord and he worketh all things according to the good pleasure of his owne will for his owne glory and comfort of his Church Thus in the beginning haue wee a strong confirmation of our faith and are conueniently prepared to receiue the Prophecie following vvith faith and reuerence assuring our selues that according to it the euent of things will be because it comes and is reuealed from him who rules the world And doubtlesse if our eyes were opened to see that glorious sight of the supreme Maiesty ruling all things at his will as here saint Iohn saw it or at least if we will looke into it with the eyes of faith it would dissipate all these doubtings and feares which come in our minds arising from the greatnesse of Mahomet the power of the Pope and of blinded Princes enemies to the Gospel of Christ banding and confederating themselues against the Lord and his anointed When the seruant of Elisha was afraid at the huge Army of Aramites which compassed Dothan his Master comforted him Feare not said he there are moe with vs then are against vs. And when according to the prayer of Elisha the Lord opened his eyes then hee saw that the Mountaines were full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha stronger to defend him then the Aramites were to pursue him No lesse should wee be comforted against all terror of flesh if our eyes were opened to see this glorious Maiestie that saint Iohn saw for what are all Kings of the earth compared with him When he pleases he cuts off the spirit of Princes and is terrible vnto them Let vs rest in him God is our hope and strength and helpe in trouble ready to be found Wee will not feare though the earth should be mooued and Mountaines fall in the middes of the Sea For the Throne of our God stands stable It is a pittifull blindnes that wormes of the earth should take vp a banner against him whose Throne is in heauen Their Propositions are proud Let vs cast off the yoke of the Lord. And againe Let vs build a
hath reueiled out of this Booke to my Saints This is the summe of all The rage of man shall turne to the praise of GOD The LORD shall haue glory his Church victorie and the Enemies therof shame and confusion Three things haue we in this chapter first a description of this Booke of the Reuelation secondly a description of the Lambe of God who openeth it thirdly thankes giuing for it both of men and Angels And I saw Wee may perceiue heere in the entry how new sights and new Reuelations are multiplied vpon Saint Iohn the Lord beganne to be familiar with him and still he continues for whom he loueth he loueth to the end and causes them to encrease with the increasings of God like the Sunne ascending to the noonetyde of the day Balaam and Balac both may conspire to curse Israel but it cannot be Putiphar may imprison Ioseph but God shall be with him Domitian may banish S. Iohn vnto Pathmos from the fellowship of men but not from the fauour of God euen there shall the Lord be familiar with him What Isaac spake of Iacob stands as a sure decree to all the Saints of God I haue blessed him and he shall be blessed Of the manner of this sight wee haue spoken once for all in the beginning of the fourth chapter No doubt many of the Lords deare children wish they could see the like such a sight as S. Iohn saw or S. Paul saw when he was rauished into the third heauens The one tels vs what he saw for it was shewed vnto him that hee might shew it to the Church The other tels not what hee saw yea professes that the sight hee saw is more then euer man heard or saw or man his heart is able to vnderstand and this is to prouoke vs to long for that Day wherin we shall be capable of this sight In the meane time if we see not such sights as they saw let vs reuerence the Lords dispensation now we walke by faith not by sight the time when wee shall see is comming now happy are wee if we do beleeue A Booke We must still remember that in all this Prophecie the Lord dimits himselfe to vse such formes and representations as we are best able to conceiue Properly God hath no booke â—…e needs not any such help of memory but allusion here is made to Kings who haue beside them bookes containing Lawes whereby they rule their people or else the ancient Acts and Monuments of their Kingdom as was that booke out of which Ahasuerus learned what good seruice Mordecai had done vnto him The Lord hath his booke also but farre exceeding theirs for they haue onely a Register of things which'are done they cannot tell what is to be done and farre lesse can they preuent it but the Lord hath in his Booke a perfect record of all things which haue beene are or shal be to the worlds end they are all appointed by himselfe Now what is meant by this book is not agreed vpon by the Interpreters Victorine whom many follow calls it the old Testament Others more generally the whole Scripture But was not that Booke opened till now And is it not plainly told Saint Iohn by the Angel that the things foretold in this booke are such as were shortly to come to passe not such as had beene done before What Cotterius had for him by this booke to vnderstand vitam life and by the strong Angel to vnderstand Legem or the Law which none can fulfill we leaue it to himselfe and his opinion also The matter is so plaine out of the course of the Text that it is strange men will not take light out of Gods hand when he offers it vnto them for doth not the Sonâ—… take this booke from the Father Doth he not open the seales thereof and let Saint Iohn see what was written in it Is it not the very first and authentike volume of this Booke of the Reuelation the copy and transumpt whereof Saint Iohn drawes out as he is commanded and sends it to the Church al the whole circumstances of the Prophecie make it so cleere that it is strange how men too much enamored with their own coÌ„ceptions should not haue perceiued it But because in holy Scripture often mention occurres of sundry Bookes which are ascribed to God let vs once for all remember they are to be reduced to one of these two sorts they are either metaphoricall or materiall the first so called in respect of the metaphor or borrowed speech the other so called in respect of the matter The metaphorike bookes are either vniuersall or speciall vniuersall are two one mentioned by Dauid In thy booke were all things written which in continuance of time were fashioned And this booke is the most large as being a perfect register of all things all persons of all times and this is the Booke of Prescience The other is the booke of Conscience which albeit it be not so large as the first yet I call it Vniuersall because all men without exception haue it they write it with their owne hand haue it in their owne custodie and therefore shall not be able to speake any thing against the testimony thereof Speciall bookes againe are also two one called by Moses The booke of life contayning a roll of all Gods Elect the other called by Malachy A booke of remembrance wherein the Lord registers the words and workes of the wicked this booke God hath in his keeping and it is euery way conforme and varies not from the booke of conscience that the wicked haue The booke materiall is the Bible whereof this booke of the Reuelation is a part S. Iohn sees it first heere in this vision and then as I said extracts the iust copy of it and sends it to the Churches Written within and without For vnderstanding of this wee must know that the forme of bookes they vsed of old was not like ours they were long Roules euery sheet at the end of another extending in length folded and rouled vp about a peece of tree or some other such thing they might conueniently bee distinguished by seales for the seale of the first being opened all written in it might easily haue been read the rest not so vntill the remaining seales were opened also they were commonly written on the one side except where the aboundance of matter forced them to write on the backe then were they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the sixt chapter it is said that the heauens passed away like a scrole for a scrole of parchment beeing opened and spred out in length if it be let goe by him that holds it returns speedily into a round againe Ezekiel makes mention of the like Roule of a booke spred before him written within and without And as to Ezekiel the Lord presented a roule containing that which
may be armed to resist them In the Vials againe the Lord commeth forth in araied battell against the enemies of his Church rendring plagues proportionall to these sins by which they impugned and corrupted true doctrine This not being considered hath moued many iudicious men to thinke that for time and matter the Trumpets and Vials are both one but in truth they are not For cleering this matter once for all let vs remember how in the most obscure Prophecies of this Booke the Lord hath secretly laid downe a key which if men can finde they shall bee the more able by it to open the Prophecie Reade the fifth and sixt verses of the sixteenth chapter Lord thou art iust because thou hast iudged these things for they shed the bloud of the Saints and Prophets and therefore hast thou giuen them bloud to drinke In the Trumpets the wicked giue battell to the Lord In the Vials the Lord iudges and repaies them with plagues proportionall and correspondent to their sinnes It shall bee made plaine to him that reades without preiudice compare euery Trumpet with the correspondent Viall and yee shall see in the one men impugning the Truth of God and in the other God plaguing them correspondently In the Trumpets Antichrist riseth by degrees till he come to his height in the Vials God casts him downe by degrees To leaue the rest and compare but one In the fifth Trumpet Antichrist following his fore-runners commeth forth like a fallen Starre openeth the bottomlesse pit and bringeth out a smoake which darkeneth both the Sunne and the Aire that is both the light of the Gospell and glory of the Church for which the righteous Iudge in the fifth Viall powreth out wrath on the Kingdome of the Beast and darkneth his Throne the like throughout all the attentiue Reader may obserue comparing euery Trumpet with the correspondent Viall Thus in the Trumpets and Vials haue we seuerall Prophecies of seuerall times and matters yet standing in a relation the one to the other the practices of the enemy against the Church being pointed out in the Trumpets their punishments proportionall comming from God expounded in the Vials I haue the oftner and more plainely repeated this because I know how difficill a thing it is to draw men from their fore-stalled and preconceiued opinions Now the parts of this Prophecie are two first we haue a Preface in the first fiue Verses of the eighth next we haue the Prophecie it selfe continuing to the end of the eleuenth The Prophecie hath two parts first a prediction of the darkning of the light of the Gospell and obscuring of the face of the Church visible by heresies this we haue in the eighth and ninth chapters Next a prediction of the restitution of the Gospell againe and of the Church to her former avowed liberty so I meane for it was neuer nor cannot vtterly be abolished This is comfortably represented by the commandement giuen to S. Iohn to eate the little booke and to go and prophecie againe as also by the measuring of the Temple figuring the building and restitution of the Church defaced before by Antichrist bereft and spoiled of holy Scripture contained in the little Booke and of these spirituall Ornaments which made her glorious in the eyes of God and comfortable to the hearts of men This restitution of the light and reformation of the Church after the horrible darkenesse wherein our Fathers before vs were plunged is a working in our daies praised bee God for it And this second part is contained in the tenth and eleuenth chapters in the end whereof this second Prophecie is concluded with a Propheticall Prefiguration of the day of Iudgement The third Prophâ—…ie which is Particular THE third Prophecie of this Booke beginneth at the twelfth chapter and continueth to the end of the twentieth It is more Particular then any of the former for in it the Spirit of God passing by all other enemies or then in it touching them very lightly insists at more length then hee hath done in any of the two preceding Prophecies to fore-warne his Church of the troubles she was to suffer vnder Antichrist And this the Aduersaries themselues are forced to confesse that this Prophecie from the twelfth chapter forward is a prophecie of Antichrist so Viega and Ribera doe affirme before their Commentarie on the twelfth and it is necessarily to bee obserued for that which God willing after we shall heare The order obserued in this Prophecie is this shortly first the Capitall and Arch-enemie of the Church to wit Satan the Serpent that old Dragon is at length described in the twelfth chapter His restlesse fighting against the Church figured there by a Woman without intermission or yeelding euen when he is ouercome is plainely set downe in fiue seuerall Battels Here let mee remember the Christian Reader for commendation and confirmation of our Methode that those Interpreters who follow on this Prophecie by one continuall course of time when they come to the twelfth chapter are forced to go back againe to the daies of Christ the Booke maketh so plaine and easie methode for it selfe that men cannot winne by it Next in the thirteenth chapter wee haue described Satan his two principall Instruments by whom he fighteth against the Church these are figured by two Beasts the one Beast hauing seuen Heads and ten Hornes described from the first verse to the eleuenth This Beast signifies the Whole State of Rome opposite vnto Christ vnder whatsoeuer Title Head or Name and this manner of way that whole State opposite to Christ being considered in one Incorporation as making vp one Beast the Apostate Pope is described in the first Beast and maketh vp the seuenth and the last Head thereof But here two things are to be considered that albeit the troubles of the Christian Church proceed from the two last heads of the first Beast to wit from persecuting Emperours and persecuting Popes for in the daies of S. Iohn the first fiue Heads of the Beast were gone and away as he witnesseth chapter 17. verse 10. Yet that the Beast might be the better knowne he is described with all his Heads whereof persecuting Emperours gouerning the State Romane opposite to Christ was the sixt Head and persecuting Popes comming in the Emperours place when he was turned away made vp the seuenth Head The other thing to be marked here is that albeit the Pope be described in the first Beast with seuen Heads and ten Hornes as being the seuenth Head of the Beast yea and the Mouth thereof yet because the Lord Iesus fore saw that the Papall Power was to be the last the longest the greatest most dangerous enemy of the Church vnder the shadow of a Christian profession it pleaseth the Lord for the greater comfort and confirmation of his Church to figure that Kingdome of Popes in a Vision by it selfe and that
vnder the type of another Beast hauing two Hornes like the Lambe but speaking like the Dragon The plaine and particular Prophecie of Antichrist or Apostate Popes in their Kingdome opponing themselues coueredly and by a consequent for hee as a Mysticall enemy is described from the thirteenth verse of the eleuenth chapter to the end thereof hee is described from his originall from his qualities from his working power from his great successe and from his mysticall name His beginning was base but by degrees he grew to that heighth that He caused all both small and great rich and poore free and bond to receiue his marke in their right hand or in their forehead And that vnder no lesse paine then the losse of life or liberty Here the Pope is at his heighth and in the very top and ruâ—…fe of his pride But from the end of the thirteenth chapter to the end of the twentieth commeth in a Prophecie of the fall and destruction of the Pope In the thirteenth chapter the Beast looking like a Lambe with his two Hornes seemed to ouer-rule all a few excepted whose Names are written in the Lambs booke of Life there wee saw him in such grandeur that all the world followed him wondered at him and worshipped him But in the foureteenth there appeares a party against that counterfeit Lambe to wit the true Lambe of God The Lord Iesus standing on Mount Sâ—…on with his Warriours fewer by many then the followers of the two horned Beast but more worthy And this Prophecie of the Pope his destruction we haue it first in typicall or figuratiue speech to the end of the sixteenth chapter Next in more plaine and simple speeches from the end of the twentieth to the one and twentieth inclusiue for the first the true Lambe enters into battell with the counterfeit and ouercomes him Before the battell there goe first foure Proclamations made by heauenly Heraulds in the foureteenth chapter After them in the foureteenth verse hee who before appeared like a Lamb commeth out a crowned King armed with iudiciarie power against his enemies Then in the fifteenth chapter before hee proceed to iudgement Saints in most comfortable manner are secured first and Angels Messengers and Executors of Gods wrath vpon the Beast are called prepared and furnished for that worke All this preparation being made before then in the sixeteenth followes the execution the Vials of Gods wrath according to the tenour of his proclamation are powred out vpon the Beast and them that worship him There by degrees a man may see the Kingdome of Antichrist to decay as he grew by degrees The seuenth Trumpet brings with it the consummation of all and concludes the first Prophecie of Antichrist his destruction fore-told vnder typicall and figuratiue speeches The other Prophecie of his destruction is in speeches more simple plaine and more pungent then the other and this reacheth from the seuenteenth chapter to the end of the one twentieth It pleaseth the Lord Iesus to double this Prophecie because it concernes vs most in these last times that hee might leaue this comfort with his Church and assure his seruants that Babylon shall fall yea is fallen Rome the Seat and Throne of the Beast shall be ouer-turned and made desolate euen in this present life Naturall men and blinded Papists make a scorne of this when they heare it yea they thinke it impossible considering that the Whore of Babel hath so many confederates euen the mighty Kings and Monarches of the earth who haue deuoted themselues to defend and maintaine the Church of Rome Vpon these hopes the Church of Rome is confident and contemneth this Prophecie In her owne minde she sitteth as her Grand-mother in the East Old Babel did like a Queene and thinks with her selfe I shall neuer be moued But the Lord â—…re hath said the contrarie and not onely hath said it but confirmes it for a mighty Angel taketh vp a stone like a great Milstone and casteth it into the Sea saying Thus with violence shall the great Citie Babylon be throwne downe and shall bee sound no more at all When they raise that Milstone againe out of the Sea then shall I thinke it possible that they may repaire the ruines of their Babel but that can neuer be If they will consider how within these hundred yeeres the Waters of their Euphrates haue beene dryed and how the Lord hath darkened the Throne of the Beast they might learne of that which is past what they may looke for in the time to come Their Dagon is fallen before the Arke they do what they can to set him vp againe but he shall fall more and more and his last fall shall be the greatest Certaine it is that this Babel spoken of in the Reuelation is Rome which the greatest Doctors of the Romish Church are forced to acknowledge and themselues see it will be made desolate and the Pope cast out of it but this Babel is the whoorish Church of Rome which God willing shall be made plaine hereafter They glory in their new conquest of Romane Catholiques among the Indians and our Antipodes they do well in time to prouide a Temple for their Dagon and a new Palace for their Pope sith Rome cannot retaine him If Wickednesse should haue a house it is meetest she build in Shinar not in Sion Their Pope will be most honoured where he is least knowne Not in these parts where the light of the Gospell hath discoured his hypocrisie and declared him to bee a rauening Woolfe vnder Sheeps clothing Let not them therefore flatter themselues in their riches in the multitude of their friends and blind followers or in their confederate Kings and Princes Let them not vpon these motiues put the euill day farre from them For her plague shall come in one day death mourning and famine and she shall bee vtterly burnt with fire Let Papists priding themselues in the power of flesh marke what followeth Strong is the Lord who iudges her Where the Lord pursues is the strength of man able to protect or defend This is the summe of the third Prophecie which wee pray the Lord hasten to performe for the glory of his Name and comfort of his poore afflicted Church THE FOVRTH AND FIFT CHAPTERS HAVE A TWO FOLD Vision of Preparation The sixt and seuenth haue the first Vision of Prediction CHAP. IIII. LEAVING the Interpretation of the first three chapters which are plaine we begin at this fourth and in the entry lay this for a ground that in the fourth and fifth chapters there is no Vision of Prediction but onely a Vision of Preparation for the subsequent Predictions As the first Prophecie of the present estate of the Church described in the seuen Epistles had a conuenient Preparatorie Vision going before it so hath the second in like manner The Preparatorie Vision going before the first Prophecie was
followes a larger description of them who sit on the Seats they are called Elders they are said to be clothed in white Rayment and to haue Crownes of gold vpon their heads See what a glorious Court the Court of Heauen is all the Courtiers there are Seniors Kings and Priests first they are said to be Seniors not for their number of yeeres but for the ripenesse of their iudgement Here we are Infants and the little Babes of Iesus but his grace makes vs to grow till we become Seniors by this grace children now die as if they were an hundred yeeres old and the efficacie of his blessing shall complete vs there none ignorant through yong age none impotent through old age shall be there all shall attaine to the fulnesse of Christs age and be perfect in him Clothed in white rayment Their garments declare them to be Priests also This white Rayment is afterward called Finelynnen and is there expounded to be the Righteousnesse of Saints and this is two-fold one imputed by which Saints are iustified and this is perfect for it is the righteousnesse of Christ giuen vnto Saints by the free gift of God and apprehended of them by faith and in this sense it is not aliena as Papists tauntingly and ignorantly call it but propria sanctorum iustitia it is not the righteousnesse of another but their owne by as good right as any other good they haue may be called their owne namely by the free donation of God The other righteousnesse is inherent in Saints and this in such as are Triumphant is perfect as concerning their soules wherein no spot nor wrinkle remaines but in such as are Militant is imperfect yet growing and encreasing daily to perfection More concerning this white linnen and where from the similitude seemes to be borrowed see chap. 15. ver 6. And on their heads Crownes of gold This betokeneth their Royall or Kingly dignity all the Saints are Kings to their God Such as haue foughten the battell do now enioy the Crowne such whose war-fare is not yet accomplished are sure of the victorie for we runne not as vncertaine but certaine and we know that through him who loued vs we are more then Conquerors VERSE 5. And out of the Throne proceeded lightnings and thundrings and Voices and there were seuen Lampes of fire burning before the Throne which are the seuen Spirits of God HEre is shadowed to vs a two-fold operation of the Maiestie of God sitting on the Throne the one terrible to his enemies the other gracious and comfortable to his Saints his iudgements vpon the aduersaries are exprest by three names Lightnings Thundrings Voices they are compared to Lightnings because they are speedy and incuitable for this same cause also they are compared to Arrowes â—…ee sâ—… out his â—…rrowes and scattered them and hee sent out Lightnings and discoâ—…sited them Next they are compared to Thundrings because they terrifie and afray men The Lord thundred in the heauens and the Highest gaue his voice haiâ—…e-stones and coales of fire Hee proclaimed his Law with Thunder and Israel was afraid yea Moses trembled for feare If the Proclamation be so terrible what will the execution thereof be For this cause Amos speaking of God comming to iudgement vseth these words The Lord shall reare from Sion and vtter his voice from Ierusalem The two sonnes of Zebedeus Iames and Iohn were called Boanerges the sonnes of Thunder for their dreadfull and powerfull deliuery of the fearefull iudgements of God It is a beastly stupidity in man not to humble himselfe when the God of glory thundreth It is recorded of Caligula albeit he despised all Diuinity yet was hee afraid of the Thunder and that hee was wont Ad minima fulgura caput obuoluere ad maiora vero proripere se ex strato sub lectum se condere at the least Thunder to couer his head and at the noise of the greater to hurle out of his resting place and hide himselfe vnder his bed but the wrath figured heere by Thunder is much more to be feared Thirdly they are called Voices namely such voices whereby hee speakes to the wicked in displeasure Then shall hee speake to them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure The other operation is figured by seuen burning Lampes of fire expounded to be the seuen Spirits of God Thus are represented the working of God in communicating by his seuenfold Spirit grace to his Saints to illuminate to quicken and to purge them That grace is compared to fire is plaine in holy Scripture One commeth after mee who shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire At the feast of Pentecost the holy Ghost descended vpon the Apostles in the similitude of firie clouen tongues And this Spirit beeing one is said to bee seuen or seuen-fold to expresse that fulnesse and perfection of grace which is in him to Saints communicat by him And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest vpon him the spirit of wisedome and vnderstanding the spirit of counsel and of might the spirit of knowledge and of the feare of the Lord. There are diuersity of graces but flowing all from one Spirit Againe they are expressed by seuen to note the continuall influence and communication of grace by the Spirit vnto Saints VERSE 6. And before the Throne there was a Sea of glasse like vnto Christall and in the midds of the Throne and round about the Throne wâ—…re foure beasts full of eyes before and behind HItherto we haue heard a description of those creatures ouer whom and in whom GOD ruleth as King of Saints Now followes a description of another sort of creatures ouer whom hee rules for this Glassie sea figureth not Angels as saith Arethas nor yet Baptisme as Victorine Beda and Haymo say nor yet the holy Scripture as thinks Ioachimus Which two last opinions are followed by many late Writers but it figures this World all creatures therein who like a round Christall Globe are before the Throne That waters in this Prophecie figure people see in that place The waters which thou sawest are people Nations multitudes and tongues Sometime the Lord figureth the world by the Moone which is subiect to continuall changes The woman representing the Church is clothed with the Sunne but hath the Moone vnder her feete to shadow vnto vs how all true-hearted Christians are contemners of the world they trample vpon it contenting themselues with Iesus Christ and resting in him as in their glory Sometime also the world is figured by the Sea as here and in the fourteenth chapter the sea is alway tumbling and waltring it stands neuer stable in one estate the waues thereof which now are highest are incontinent lowest ouercome as it were with the force and furie of others thus they dash one against another
praise the Lord beginning that vpon earth which shall be our continuall exercise in the heauen The tenor of their song followes wherein three things are attributed to God 1. Holines 2. Omnipotencie 3. Eternitie The first of these hath one word thrise repeated and that as Esay saith with an Antiphonie or answering of one Angel to another Vnum Iehouam celebrant repetendo vnum idem Sanctus Trinum agnoscâ—…nt ter repetendo quod vni tribuerunt they acknowledge one GOD whom they esteem onely holy and repeating one thing thrice a Trinitie they acknowledge in that blessed Vnitie of the Godhead but this mysterie is better warranted by other and more plaâ—…e testimonies of holy Scripture But to returne the Lord is so holy that he is holinesse it selfe As the Sunne is among the lights of the firmament so is the holy Lord among his Saints or holy ones what light they haue is no light if it be compared with the Sunne they hide themselues when the Sunne shineth and all the holinesse of most holie creatures is nothing in comparison of the thrice holy Lord. At his brightnesse Angels couer their faces they are holy by creation redeemed ones are holy by communication other things are also holy by separation as was Ierusalems Temple of old and now are the elements in both the Sacraments holy but none neither Angel man nor any other creature holy like the Lord. The next thing they ascribe vnto him is Omnipotencie which consists in these two First that he can doe whatsoeuer he will Next that against his owne nature and truth he cannot do for that were impotencie and not omnipotencie He can not lie nor deny himselfe nor come against his owne Word The first of these renders instruction for Atheists the other for Papists It is a common question of profane men whereby they impugne the truth of Gods promises How can this be The Samaritan Prince when he heard Elizeus prophecie of plentie of victuall that should be in Samaria on the morrow though the day before it was sore pinched with Famine most disdainefully answered him Though the Lord would make windowes in heauen can this thing come to passe There the Lord sayes This I will doe and man by the contrary This the Lord cannot doe but the Lord was and will be found true and euery man a lyer Yea the very deare children of God out of the remanents of their infidelitie oftentimes fall into the like transgression When the Angel promised Sara a child she receiued it with the like answer How can this be sith I am waxed old Yea when the Lord promised to giue Israel flesh enough for a moneth Moses distrusted it Shall all the Sheepe and Beeues be slaine for them to find them or shall all the fish of the Sea be gathered to suffice them But they in effect receiued one answere Is the hand of the Lord shortned or is there any thing impossible to the Lord Consider who he is that saith hee will doe and all such doubts shal cease which makes men enquire How can this be done The other renders instruction for Papists they vrge Gods omnipotencie to prooue their new-found and fond transubstantiation but to no purpose for in this they make his power to fight against his will and to reuerse his owne Word the plaine Articles of our faith They inforce vpon vs that we deny Gods omnipotencie but without cause this fault is their owne and not ours They limit the Holy One of Israel and indeed deny his power when they say He cannot giue vs the body of Christ except he create it of bread We verily belieue that in the holy Sacrament there is a real donation made of Iesus Christ to all reuerent and right Receiuers that bread is the body of Christ that wine is the blood of Christ. God is alwaies as good as his Word and giues vs no lesse then he saith he giues vs. But for all this there is no reason why we should bind the Lord to transubstantiate the Bread as if without transubstantiation of the bread hee were not able to giue vnto vs the body of Iesus Now the third and last thing for which they praise the Lord is his Eternitie and euerlasting Beeing Who was and who is and who is to come This is a circumlocution of his Name I am expounded more plainly in the next words Hee liueth for euermore Solus verè est qui nec à fuit praeciditur nec ab crit expungitur crit non tollit illi esse ab aeterno nec fuit tollit illi esse in aeternum Beeing is so proper vnto God that when I say He was it takes not away that hee is will be and when I say that He will be it takes not away that he was and is And this serues greatly for the comfort of the Church of God One generation passeth and another commeth said Salomon The Heauens shall perish but the Lord doth remaine He that was with Noah in the Arke vvith Israel in the Red-sea with Daniel in the den with the children in the fire with Ioseph in the prison with Elisha in Dothan enclosed by Aramites with Ezechia in Ierusalem besieged by Chaldees he is still in his Church this day and will be for euer VERSE 9. And vvhen these liuing creatures gaue glory and honour and thanks to him that sate on the Thronâ—… which liueth for euer-more THe song of Angels is seconded by the song of redeemed Saints one of them prouokes another to praise GOD. It should be with vs on earth as it is with them in heauen euery Christian should prouoke another to pietie so Saint Paul praises the Corinthians that their zeale had prouoked many But now most part of men liue as if they were set in the world to bee censurers of all men examples to none they will neither prouoke others to good nor be prouoked by them yea euen in the holy assemblies there they are silent if not worse exercised when others beside them are praysing the Lord. Three things these liuing creatures are said to giue vnto the Lord Glory honour thanks Where first it comes to be considered how is it that any creature either Angel or man can giue vnto the Lord Who hath giuen to him first and it shall be recompenced But there is a great difference between these two God giuing to the creature and the creature giuing to God When God giueth hee giueth to the creature that which it had not Angels men and all creatures haue their beeing of him but the creatures giuing to God is an acknowledging of that in Him which Hee hath already and this is the sacrifice of praise or then if it be a sacrifice of distribution either to the poore or any good worke wherein the Lord may haue glory as we are commaunded To doe good and to distribute forget not for
righteousnesse c. So the Horse whereupon this Conquerour is carryed through the world is the Ministerie of the Word Primasius by the Horse vnderstands Apostles and Preachers Ministers without the Word are not to be receiued and the Word without a Minister able to preach it is not profitable These two the Lord in his most wise dispensation hath ioyned together For it hath pleased God by the foolishnesse of Preaching to saue them who beleeue The Horse then is the Ministerie of the Word The Gospell preached is the Chariot and Horses whereby this King is carried through the world As in the gouernement of the world hee vseth the Ministerie of Angels so in the gathering and gouerning of his Church hee vseth the Ministery of Preachers Who can heare but by Preaching and who can preach except they be sent These are figured by Horses first for the courage wherewith they are endued This is obserued by the Lord himselfe as a speciall property of the Horse He mocketh at feare and is not afraid hee turneth not back from the sword And doubtlesse Preachers in whom Christ is and vpon whom hee rides are valiant and couragious men Their fore-head is like the Adamant and harder then the Flint They feare no death they faint for no trouble that can follow them in the seruice of Christ. Notable was that answer of Andrew the Apostle when Egeas Gouernour of Patris vpbraided him with the death of the Crosse hee answered that he would neuer haue preached the honour and glory of the Crosse if he had feared it And as the seruants of God are farre from that timiditie which makes men vnfaithfull in the cause of God so are they as farre from temerity whereby men ignorantly zealous are precipitate and carried head-long to accelerate for euery light conceite of their braine trouble on themselues Their zeale is like a fire kindled of stubble or straw which makes a faire blaze for the time but because it hath no matter to maintaine it vanisheth incontinent and endeth in vngracious smoaking I wish we had no example of any such among vs it is a shame to the Gospell to speake the one day and retreate the other A wrong cause will neuer furnish strength in trouble wisedom requires that men before-hand should ponder and consider well the cause for which they will resolue to suffer affliction Againe Preachers are figured by Horses and Christ going forth to conquer appeares riding on a Horse to note the speed and celerity which hee was to vse in propagation of the Gospell And indeed it is wonderfull to see how in a short time the Lord Iesus ranne through the world by the Ministerie of his Word ouercomming and subduing to his obedience most mighty Kingdomes by most weake Instruments This is well obserued by Cyprian Bishop of Carthage and Martyr Ecce à Domini Redemptâ—…ris temporibus anni effluxerunt plus minùs 240. iamque huius vitis palmites latiùs se sparserunt quà m Romanum Imperium It is little more or lesse saith he of two hundred and forty yeares since the daies of Christ the Redeemer and yet in this time the Church hath spred out her Branches larger then the Romane Empire Et quâ—…s nulla ferri vis domare potuit emollit sanguis Agni candidi and they whom no power of the sword was able to daunt are made peaceable and tame by the bloud of the vnspotted Lambe Among many of that sort how the Lord hath beene mercifull to Scotland in that about sixteene hundred yeares this Conquerour with his white Horse entred in among vs and subiected vs to himselfe whom the Romanes could neuer subiect to their Empire I haue at large declared in that Treatise Intituled Six daies conference betweene a Catholike Christian and a Catholike Romane And againe as the Horse is bridled and ruled and turned here or there by him that rides vpon it and is not left to himselfe to wander where-away he will so is it with Preachers of the Gospell they are directed to Countries Kingdomes and Cities at the good pleasure of Christ they neither come nor go by accident but by the prouidence of God A notable example hereof we haue in S. Paul hee was of purpose to go to Bithinia but the Spirit suffered him not yea commanded him to go to Macedonia And albeit now the Lord doth not informe his seruants by such extraordinary reuelations yet doth he still worke with them in the same manner appointing them to such places and people as in his Wisedome hee thinkes most expedient Take heed to the flocke ouer which the Holy Ghost hath made you Ouerseers and they are as starres in the right hand of Iesus they shine not but where hee holds out his hand and sends them This is a warning to Preachers if they looke to haue their Ministry blessed of the Lord let them not goe where the calling of God leades them not Other riders are helped by their horses but heer the horse is helped by the rider for what is a Preacher if Christ bee not with him and worke in him he is like a Pen without a hand it can write nothing a tongue without a heart it can speake nothing a musicall instrument without one to touch it can make no sound at all We are not able of our selues sufficiently to thinke a good thought all our sufficiency is of God Sith it is so our care should be to carry our Lord alway in our Conscience how should we wait vpon him how should wee most carefully keepe him sith without him wee are able to doe nothing It is written of Bucephalus the horse of Alexander that hee would suffer none to ride vpon him but his owne master whether that be true or not sure it is this is most true Preachers should not be Asses like Issachar couching downe to receiue euery burden that any man will lay vpon them but they are horses for Christ onely to ride vpon Yea all other Christians in their callings are also to looke vnto this that the commandement and direction of their waies bee reserued onely to Iesus Christ Beatae animae quae dorsum suum curâ—…arunt vt suscipiant SessoreÌ„ verbum Dei fraenacius patiuntur vt quocunque ipse voluerit flectat eas quia non iam propria voluntate incedunt sed ad omnia ducuntur reducuntur voluntate Sessoris Blessed are the soules which bow their backes to receiue The Word of God to ride vpon them who are content to be bridled by him and turned where-away hee will these walke not after their owne will but are turned hither and thither at the good pleasure of him who rides vpon them But to returne and conclude this second point As there is no horse which needeth not the spurre and the bridle the one to stirre him forward the other to gouerne him in
into swine till the Lord giue him licence he is reserued in chaines which hinders and restraines his malice There are two chaines vpon him which bind him and other two which torment him but of these we haue spoken Rom. 8. To take peace from the earth I maruell vvhat moued Brightman to say that in the second seale Non agitur de persecutione Ecclesiae sed de tempestate bellorum qua orbis terrarum concutietur There is no mention of the persecution of the Church but of troublesome warres wherewith the world shall be shaken His reason is from this word The Rider on the red horse hath power to take peace from the earth that is frō the men of the world figured by the earth not from the Church which is figured by heauen as if commotions of Kingdomes imported not a disturbance of the peace of the Church yet in few lines after hee cleane forgets himselfe for thus he writes Marcus Aurelius Antoninus grauem in Christianos persecutionem mouit quam vt compesceret secundum Animal Iustinus scilicet vocem suam edidit that Marcus Aurelius Antoninus mooued a heauy persecution against the Christians to pacifie and stay it Iustine Martyr vttered his voice but it was the bullocks voice it preuailed not as did the first Voice to wit of the Lyon It is a pittie to see learned men miscarried with such idle speculations and Commentaries which neither agree with the Text nor with their owne words but leauing him This peace which the first executor of Gods wrath takes from the earth is peace externall and the Spirit of God purposely so speakes that most cruell persecutors can do no more but take peace from the earth that is peace externall for as for that inward peace of God worldly men neuer had it and so it cannot be taken from them Our Lord hath left it in Legacie to his Church My peace I leaue you and that with assurance that none can take it from them Yet the breaking of peace externall brings in with it persecution of the externall estate of Christians so our Sauiour witnesseth himselfe I came not to bring peace but the sword What shall ensue hereof See of that which he subioynes Brother shall betray the brother to the death and the father the son and children shall rise against their parents and cause them to die Of this it is cleere how the disturbance of externall peace by the sword imports a persecution of the Church As true Religion binds vs to God so it diuorces vs from them were they neuer so neerly bound to vs in respect of nature who are enemies to the Truth of God therefore is Leui praised that in the cause of God he said to his father and mother I know you not And of this it is euident that to procure externall peace in a Kingdome by granting as they call it liberty of conscience is an vnwise policie the Arke of God and Dagon will not both stand in one Temple Iacob and Esau will not agree in one wombe Diuersitie of Religion puts Fathers Brethren and Children by the eares euery one of them against others How then can it make peace And that they should kill one another Persecuters are profitable to them whom they persecute but indeed pernicious to themselues They are as the coales which melteth and sineth the gold but consume themselues they are compared by the Psalmist to a Rasor Nouacula quae non admittitur nisi ad supers◅ua nostra which onely cuts away our superfluities but euen in so doing they are hurtfull and pernicious to themselues which our Sauiour properly expressed when hee said to S. Paul a Persecutor It is hard for thee to kick against the prick Durum calcitranti non stimulo by persecuting my Saints thou procurest hurt to thy selfe Stories of all ages proue this that the wicked drawing their sword against Saints haue turned it in the end either on themselues for the cruelty of the wicked shall fall vpon his owne pate or else one of them against another So Eusebius witnesseth of Pilate Factus est suiipsius iudex vindex he was made both his owne Iudge and his owne Burrio Nero after he had persecuted many Christians to the death is pursued by Galba and sticketh himselfe Galba is slaine by Otho and shortly after Otho is slaine by Vitellius Domitian who banished S. Iohn and employed his seruants and subiects to persecute Christians was murthered by two of his owne Domesticks not without the counsell of his wife Maximinus and his sonne rent asunder by his owne suddarts they all crying with one voice Ex pess◅mo genere ne catu◅um quidem esse seruandum Looke to Valerian and Dioclesian and all the rest of that sort and yee shall see the sword of persecuters in Gods righteous iudgements turned vpon themselues VERSE 5. And when he had opened the third Seale I heard the third liuing creature say Come and see Then I beheld and loe a Black Horse and he that sate on him had Ballances in his hand IN the opening of the third Seale we haue first the Preparation the same which was premitted before the opening of the former two then wee haue the Vision it selfe wherein the Lord threatneth the world with the plague of famine for contempt of the Gospel This plague is first propounded in a type ver 5. next expounded in a plaine speech ver 6. In the Type there is a black Horse and the Rider thereupon hauing Ballances in his hand This is a Vision farre different from the first the white Horse commeth into the world and a crowned Conquerour riding vpon him hee is not receiued but on the contrary persecuted to punish their sinne now comes in the black Horse for sure it is black and dolefull tydings are abiding them who will not receiue the ioyfull tydings of the Gospell This plague of famine is figured by a blacke Horse from the effect thereof for it blackneth the most beautifull countenances of men The Nazarites of Ierusalem which were purer then the snow whiter then the milke their visage is blacker then the coales If the Lord with-draw from man the comfort of his creatures his courage strength countenance and all failes him Alas that foolish man cannot consider this Sith he cannot endure to want the comfort of the least of God creatures how is he able to endure the want of God his own fauourable face If the Sunne refuse to shine vnto thee if the Aire deny thee respiration or breathing if the Earth deny thee her fruits doth not vaine man turne into nothing How then can he be but vtterly confounded if the Lord shall cast downe his countenance vpon him according to that of the Psalmist When thou with rebukes dost chastise man for iniquitie thou as a moth makest his beauty to consume Yea the comfort of all creatures
though thou hadst them were not able to vphold thee if the Lord in his anger look downe vpon thee A fearfull example hereof we haue in Baltasar the last of the Assyrian Monarches who hauing about him all worldly comforts that the heart of man could craue yet when the Lord wakened his conscience and wrote his doome with three fingers of an hand vpon the wall ouer against him his countenance changed his flesh trembled his knees smote one against the other his spirit was perturbed and none of his comforts could comfort him Sith it is so that we cannot endure to want his creatures farre lesse can we liue if wee want himselfe will we still prouoke the Lord to wrath by our sinnes Are we stronger then hee that any way we should be able to beare the force of his indignation Why then are we not more carefull to make peace with him Thou canst not resist him why wilt thou not bee reconciled with him God giue vs wise and vnderstanding hearts that in time wee may consider of it This plague of famine comes in into the third roome and is not to be limited within any definite time for as the course of the white Horse shall continue to the worlds end so where he is reiected the Black and the Pale shall follow ac-according as it pleaseth the Lord to appoint them Cotterius who assigneth seuen yeares and no more to euery Seale confesseth hee cannot proue that this plague of famine threatned heere should be restrained to seuen yeares onely and so it is indeed for where the red Horse followes the White to persecute the Preachers and Professors of the Gospell it is a righteous thing with God to send in the Blacke and the Pale Horses to plague them They who despise the Bread of Life are iustly punished when bread needfull for the body is taken from them Seek first the Kingdome of heauen all other things shall be ministred vnto you And on the contrary where men will not receiue the Kingdome of God offered vnto them all other things which they would haue shall be taken from them They shall not enioy the comforts of the earth who despise the pleasures of heauen proclaimed and preached by the Gospell The blind world blameth the Gospell most wrongfully as if it were the cause why men are plagued with famine and pestilence but we see the true cause is the persecution and contempt of the Gospell So the Iewes of old ignorantly gloried as the Papists do now that there was wealth enough when they worshipped the Queene of heauen And Infidels in the Primitiue Church imputed Famine Pest and such like to the Christians But heere the true causes of wealth and of want are discouered to vs. And yet still they obiect that Famine and Pestilence cannot be plagues sent vpon the world for contempt of the Gospell because Preachers and Professors of the Gospell are not exempted from them But this is easily answered for good men and euill as in one and the selfe-fame action so also in one and the selfe-fame passion are farre different one from another Cain and Abel sacrificed yet was the one accepted the other reiected their hands wrought alike but not their hearts Iudas said I haue sinned in betraying Christ Peter I haue sinned in denying Christ Alike in confession but not in contrition and confidence Two Malefactors crucified with Christ the one continuing in his sinne blasphemed him the other by grace conuerted from his sinne blessed him There yee haue in like action and like passion an vnlike disposition Quicunque boni malique pariter afflictâ—… sunt non ideo ipsi distincti non sunt quia distinctum non est quod vtrique perpessi sunt manet tamen dissimilitudo passorum etiam in similitudine passionum licet sub eodem tormento non est idem virtus vitium Good and euill men are not therefore not distinguished because it is not distinguished which they suffer There is a great dissimilitude of the sufferers euen in the similitude of suffering and vnder one and the selfe-fame torment yet are not vertue and vice one and the same The same answer before him gaue Cyprian to the Ethnickes when they obiected the like to Christians Thinke not saith he that yee and wee because we both suffer in the like afflictions are therefore alike when we are stricken like you yet are we not like Ne putes participem esse poenae tuae quem non vides participem doloris tui thinke him not partaker of thy punishment whom thou seest not partaker of thy paine Now the Rider on this blacke Horse is said to haue a Ballance in his hand first in token of penurie and scarcity he giues bread vnto men not by measure but by weight which is according to the curse threatned in the Law When I shall break the staffe of your bread then ten women shall bake your bread in one Ouen and they shall deliuer your bread againe by weight and yee shall eate and not bee satisfied A token of great scarcity when in one Ouen as much bread is baked as must serue seuen Families and which yet is worse They shall eat and not be satisfied Secondly the Ballance in the hand of him who brings this plague of Famine notes the equity of God in the execution of his Iudgements hee makes his plagues proportionall to the sinnes of men and in punishing them doth nothing vnrighteously Hitherto tend these borrowed speeches of Lines Measures and Cups vsed in holy Scripture to expresse the moderation and equity of God euen in punishing hee keeps a measure a rule and order But in the execution of mercy it is farre otherwise for our best seruice is not worth the least of his mercies our recompence is not by lines nor measures but as our Sauiour speaketh A good measure pressed downe and shaken together and running ouer shall bee giuen vnto you The Lord shall doe to vs aboundantly aboue all wee can aske or thinke Much more aboue all that we haue done VERSE 6. And I heard a Voice in the midst of the foure liuing creatures say A measure of Wheate for a peny and three measures of Barly for a peny and Oile and Wine hurt thou not NOW followes the exposition of the former Type wherein by a Proclamation from the Throne or the Lamb that sits thereon the plague threatned here is declared to be famine dearth The Choenix in the iudgement of all Interpreters is such a measure of dry corne as might serue to be bread for a day vnto one man The penie againe was the ordinary wages of a common Labourer for a day as is cleere out of the Parable of the Vineyard and those who laboured in it So great then shall the Dearth be that a man labouring all the day long shall be able to gaine no more bread
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
senectute labentibus ruinam proximam minaretur nonne omni celeritate migrares If in thy habitation the vvalles through age vvere nodding dovvneward the rooffe aboue thee vvere trembling and the whole house now wearie and vvorne with length of time vvere presently like to fall vpon thee vvouldest thou not without delay remooue and flitte out of it and in time seeke for a better Such a building is this World all the powers thereof shortly vvill be shaken let vs striue for that Kingdome vvhich cannot be shaken and let vs haue grace vvhereby wee may so serue GOD that vvee may please him vvith reuerence and feare But to come to the point the falling of the Starres is illustrated by a similitude They fall as a a figge-tree casteth her greene figges when it is shaken with a mighty wind Noting to vs two things first the absolute and dreadfull power of God ouer all his creatures the Starres sixed by the hand of God in the firmament how easily are they shaken out by the same hand Oh foolish is that man who thinks to stablish to himselfe a state on earth without the Lord sith Starres in the heauen and Mountaines of the earth are remoued out of their places at his displeasure What is the strength of a man if the Lord lay his hand on him but like a fig shaken with a mighty wind The like hath Nahum in his Prophecie against the Assyrians All thy strong Cities shall be like the first ripe figges of the fig-tree if they be shaken they fall in the mouth of the eater The other thing here pointed out is that where it is said the Stars shall fall like greene Figges it noteth vnto vs that the world shal not fall through maturitie or ripe age as though it were not able to continue longer if the Lord would let it but it shall fall like fruit vnripe violently cast downe And this is it which our Sauiour signifies vnto vs when he saith that for the Elects sake these dayes shal be shortned VERSE 14. And Heauen departed away as a scrole vvhen it is rolled and euery Mountaine and I le were moued out of their place THe lights of these visible Heauens Sunne Moone and Starres which are principall ornaments thereof being remooued it is now said that the Heauens thēselues departed like a scrole which once rolled vp and then extended if it be remitted and let goe runnes againe together It is now spred out like a curtaine couering the earth but shall then be drawne by that the angry face of God against the wicked may be discouered For the better vnderstanding of this wee are to know that these creatures shall not be destroyed in respect of their substance but changed as concerning their quality The Apostle S. Paul makes this cleere The creature shall be deliuered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God Now they are subiect to vanity then shall they be deliuered from vanity and bondage vnto the which our sins subdued them and be restored vnto liberty A new Liuery shall be giuen them in that day wherin the Son of the great King shal marry his Spouse and the sonnes of God shal be possessed in their Fathers promised inheritance They as seruants shall be changed into a better estate then this is wherein now they are And this exposition is confirmed also by the Psalmist Thou hast laid the foundations of the earth and the heauens are the works of thine hands they shall perish but thou shalt endure they shall wax old as doth a garment as a vesture shalt thou change them they shall be changed In like manner Saint Peter when he hath said that The heauens shall passe away with a noyse and the elements shall melt with heat and the earth with the works that are therein shall be burnt vp incontinent after subioynes by way of an exposition But vvee looke for new heauens and a new earth according to his promise wherein dwelleth righteousnes All these make it cleere that a change shall be of their qualitie not a destruction of their substance GOD made them of nothing to shew his glorious power and will not suffer them to be annihilate or turned into nothing but still will haue them reserued and renued for declaration of his greater glory For sure it is that euery losse which by Satan and sinne hath befallen vnto man or to the creature by Gods ordinance appointed to serue man shall be restored by Iesus the Sauiour hee shall cure euery vvound that our Aduersarie hath giuen vnto vs or to them vvhich are ours so shall the power and vvisedome of our GOD bee magnified and the impotencie and malice of the Deuill bee manifested I speake not here of Reprobates nor of the curses and excrements of the earth to these the promised deliuerance appertaines not But of this he who pleaseth may see more in our Treatise on the eighth to the Romans where that question To what vse can heauen and earth serue vs in that day is also someway touched VERSE 15. And the Kings of the earth and great men and the rich men and the chiefe Captaines and the mighty men and euery bondman and euery freeman hid themselues in dennes and among the rocks of the Mountaines VVE haue here the terrible effects which the last Day will produce vpon the creatures vnsensible and vnreasonable now it followes how it shall affect the reasonable creature also yet such onely as are reprobate with terrible horror and feare Seuen ranks are here reckoned out contayning all the combinations wherein flesh can haue any confidence for first here are Kings GOD will iudge them before others whom now he hath set aboue others vvith the Lord there is no exception of persons Kings haue with thē their great men or Princes these also are not without rich men yet more is required to resist a pursuing power they haue also with them chiefe Captaines or Captaines ouer thousands but because Captaines cannot do much without souldiers there is heere also following them bands of mighty men with these all sorts of common people both bond and free Here is all that flesh can afford to defend themselues against the power of any who would pursue them But how weake man is in his best estate when he hath gathered all his strength and combined all his forces may be seene here What do they what resistance make they when the Lord comes to iudge them they are but like Modiwarts or beasts of the earth running to hide themselues in holes in dennes and rocks of the Mountaines In the ruffe of their pride they seeme to themselues to be matchlesse Pharaoh dare aske Who is the Lord and Rabsache will blaspheme Is your God able to deliuer you Iezabel Antiochus Iulian and such like thinke it nothing to wage battell with the
the Lambe be turned to them in the terrible face of a Lyon and as I said mercy despised shall torment them more then iudgement inflicted The other thing that perturbes the wicked is within them a sensible infirmity in themselues through the guiltie conscience that makes them vnable to stand before the Lord Who can stand The wicked are as the chaffe which the winde driueth away they shall not stand in iudgement Let vs beware of both these see wee despise not mercy offered let vs carefully purge our conscience Who shall ascend into the Mountaine of the Lord Who shall stand in his holy place He that hath innocent hands and a pure heart So shall that Day of the Lord fearefull to the wicked be vnto vs a ioyfull day of Redemption and of sweet Refreshment The Lord grant we may so finde it CHAP. VII VERSE 1. And after that I saw foure Angels stand on the foure corners of the earth holding the foure windes of the earth that the winds should not blow on Earth nor Sea nor any Tree THIS Chapter is a pendicle of the precedent and appertaines to the first Prophecie of this Booke which we called Generall In it per Anabasin we haue a larger explication of the fifth and sixth Seales with a notable consolation for the godly presently subioyned after the Prediction of that most fearefull desperate and comfortlesse end of the wicked which shortly will come vpon them For there we heard all manner of reprobate men sorrowfully lamenting and crying that Mountaines might couer them Here we are all told that the godly shall not be inuolued with them in their desperate estate the Lord by his owne Seale separates them from the wicked and foreshewes that happy estate wherein they shall liue for euer and euer The Chapter hath two parts the first enlarges that which hath beene briefly set downe in the fift and sixt Seale for in the fift Seale Saints cry for a dissolution of the world and for finall iudgement to auenge their bloud on them who dwell on earth there they are desired to rest vntill their fellow-seruants were fulfilled In the sixt Seale that dissolution of the world and iudgement on the wicked craued by Saints and promised by the Lord is represented to S. Iohn Both these in the first part of this seuenth Chapter are more cleerely expounded For first S. Iohn sees foure Angels standing at the foure corners of the earth ready to ouerturne the world and to fold it vp like an old Vesture as was figured in the sixt Seale and this we haue ver 1. Next these Angels are inhibited and forbidden to destroy the world vntill the seruants of God be first sealed and secured as was promised in the fift Seale and this we haue ver 2. 3. together with the number of them that are sealed till we come to the thirteenth verse From that to the end is described the happie condition of Saints set downe in plaine termes and directly opposite to that wofull condition of Reprobates mentioned in the sixt Seale so this from ver 15. to the end makes vp the second part of this Chapter The first part letting vs see how the world is conserued till Saints be fulfilled and sealed the other part shewing vs their ioyfull and happy estate Wherein it is very comfortable to obserue the opposition which is made betweene the miserable estate of the wicked in the end of the sixt chapter and happy estate of Saints in the end of this seuenth They had shed the bloud of the seruants of God and therefore the Moone with a bloudie face lookes vpon them and all creatures concurre to bee auenged of them Heere the Saints come safe through all these tribulations and make their Robes white in the bloud of the Lambe There the Sunne waxed black and withdrew his light from the wicked heere Saints haue no need of the light of the Sunne for the Lamb gouernes them ver 16. 17. And the glory of God and the Lamb is their light Againe there the wicked flie from the presence of God and may not abide it but here Saints are in the presence of the Throne of God ver 15. There the wicked cry that Mountaines might hide them from him that sits on the Throne but here hee that sitteth on the Throne dwelleth among his Saints and they serue him for euer ver 15. These things thus compared together may let the iudicious Reader see how this Chapter is a proper pendicle of the sixt explaining at length some things shortly and obscurely set downe in the former So that in these two Chapters we haue the first Prophecie of this Booke which I call generall absolued and in the beginning of the eighth Chapter we are to looke for a second Prophecie which continues to the twelfth And I saw foure Angels This Verse as I haue said lets vs see how the Angels standing at the foure corners of the earth are ready to ouerturne the world and to fold it vp like an old Vesture if the Lord did not stay them That they are said to be foure is a certaine number for an vncertaine yet imports it that they are sufficient for one at euery corner of a sheet or vesture as the Psalmist termeth this Vniuerse are able enough to fold it vp What these Angels are whether good or euill is disputed among the Diuines but without a cause for sometime by good Angels the Lord punisheth euill men as was done to the Egyptians Sodomites and Assyrians sometime by euill Angels hee exerciseth good men so S. Paul was buffeted with an Angell of Satan for maruellous is the Lord in working with his Saints Satan in his fighting against them fights for them and destroies himselfe into them But that these are good Angels appeares by the speech which Christ vseth vnto them ver 2. Hurt not the earth till wee haue sealed the seruants of our God in their fore-head hee speakes to Angels hee speakes of Saints redeemed and inuolueth them both in the fellowship of one God with himselfe Beside this the execution of that last Iudgement is commonly ascribed to the holy Angels The Lord shall descend from heauen with a showt and with the Voice of the Arch-Angell and with the Trumpet of God And againe When the Sonne of man shall come in his glory the holy Angels shall also come with him then shall the sheepe bee separated from the Goates That this shall be done by Angels is euident in the Parable of the Haruest The Haruest is the end of the world the Reapers are the Angels And to this same purpose Angels here are brought in as executors of the last Iudgement to ouer-turne the world Holding the foure windes of the earth I leaue here those allegoricall interpretations whereby this is expounded to be the restraint of the Gospell which is the breathing of the holy Spirit
house for euer Hee had said immediately before He that committeth sinne is the seruant of sinne and then terrible is that which followeth The seruant abides not in the house for euer What then shall the Lambe who is without sinne be in the house himselfe alone Shall no sinners come there Shall hee be a King and Lord without Subiects Cui haerebit caput si non erit corpus Where shall the head be if it haue not a bodie Oh but marke what immediately he subioynes Filius autem manebit in aeternum the Son shall abide in the house for euer Non sine causa terruit spem dedit It is not without cause said S. Augustine that in one sentence hee hath both terrified vs and comforted vs hee hath terrified vs that we should not loue sinne hee hath comforted vs that we should not despaire for sinne If yee demand then where is our hope sith we are sinners and the Lord hath said The seruant abides not in the house for euer for he is a seruant that commits sinne Here is your hope and hearken vnto it The Sonne abideth in the house for euer If we were but seruants and not sonnes wee had cause of discouragement but here is our comfort wee were seruants but now are become sonnes If the Sonne make you free yee shall be free indeed such seruants are wee now as are free-men also And he that sitteth on the Throne will dwell c. This is the third and last part of this verse as they serue him so hee most graciously recompenseth them noted here by this speech that hee dwels among them The phrase imports the communication of all good For among men where Kings haue their dwelling there is the aboundance of euery good thing that can be had in the Kingdome but much more is here signified yea infinitely more Ahasuerus one of the momentanean Monarchs of the earth made a feast to his Princes of an hundred and seuen and twenty Prouinces the feast lasted an hundred and foure score daies and seuen daies againe for the common people all this he did that hee might shew the riches and glory of his Kingdome and honour of his great Maiestie and his Maiesty shortly after turned into dust and ashes Why then do I bring him in To make a comparison No way What is the light of a halfe-peny candle to the Sunne Yet haue I spoken of him that if we can from small things we may ascend to the consideration of greater What a great feast must this bee which the Lord shall make in heauen to his Saints Hee dwelleth among them hee flitteth not hee is their King for euer and they are not gathered out of an hundred and seuen twenty Prouinces but out of all Nations Tongues and Languages This Feast is not for an hundred foure score and seuen daies but for euer and euer O happie habitation O dwelling full of delight The word which the Spirit of God here vseth imports all this and much more then we can conceiue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee shall bee as a Tent or Tabernacle to spread ouer them to obumbrate them and protect them The like is promised in other places I will dwell among them and walke there I will be their God and they shall bee my people In this life the Lord dwelleth in his Saints and with them dâ—…rigendo ad finem adipiscendum guiding and directing them to the end whereunto he hath ordained them but in heauen he dwelleth with his Saints Conseruandoeos in fine adepto conseruing them in that end and happy estate whereunto his grace hath brought them But as I said what great glorie and ioy Saints haue by the Lord hsi dwelling among them cannot now be vnderstood Moses was but forty dayes with the Lord on Mount Sinai and his face when hee came downe shined so brightly that his people might not behold him How then shall the glory of the Lord his lightsome countenance illuminate them with whom he shall dwell for euer Alway the vse of all is they serue him and hee dwels among them to satiate and replenish them with his ioyes and pleasures their seruice wants not the owne recompence yea all the benefite of their seruice redounds to themselues where we must obserue a great difference between the seruice of God and of man other Masters seeke and entertaine seruants for some vantage to themselues for who will maintaine seruants but for their owne ease and commodity It is not so with the Lord his seruants can profite him nothing all the benefite redounds to himselfe This Dauid humbly doth acknowledge My goodnesse extends not to thee And againe when he had offered liberally for the building of the Temple then said hee Who am I and what are my people that we should bee able to offer willingly after this sort for all things come of thee and of thine owne hand haue we giuen thee The like of this hath Iob May a man be profitable to the Lord Is it any thing to the Almighty that thou art righteous or is it prâ—…fitable to him that thou makest thy waies vpright But yet more cleerely explaines hee the same in another place If thou sinne what dost thou against him If thou be righteous what dost thou to him Or what receiues hee at thine hand Thy wickednesse may hurt a man as thou art and thy righteousnesse may profit the sonne of man But the All-sufficient Maiestie of God is neither encreased by thy good nor empaired by thine euill Why then will yee demand doth hee seek seruice Onely that of his superaboundant goodnesse hee may haue occasion to blesse thee If hee craue any thing from thee it is not because hee needeth thee but because thou needest him hee seeketh to the end that hee may giue Oh that we would consider this and so be encouraged to serue our God! Euen in this life the wages which he hath already payed vs in hand should encourage vs to serue him Hee may iustly demand of vs Who among you all doth open the doore of my Temple for nothing Wee can neuer serue him sufficiently for that which hee hath giuen vs already but the wages payed are nothing in comparison of those which are promised VERSE 16. They shall hunger no more nor thirst any more neither shall the Sunne light on them nor yet any heate THE description of the felicitie of Saints in heauen hauing finished their warrefare on earth still continueth They shall hunger and thirst no more In that he saith no no more hee tells vs he is comparing that life which is to come with this which we haue now In this life the dearest Saints of God are oftentimes most hardly handled So S. Paul professes of himselfe that he was oft times in wearinesse and painefulnesse in hunger and thirst in cold and
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
then may suffice his owne belly And yet it is to be marked that the famine threatned here is not in the highest degree wherwith afterward the sins of men prouoked the Lord to punish them For here Wine and Oile are spared which in greater famines haue been altogether taken away for except smaller iudgements be contemned the Lord proceedeth not vnto grèater Mercie pleaseth him rather then iudgement but if mercy be despised the iudgement is doubled according to that threatning If ye will not for all these things obey me I will punish you seuen times more according to your sinnes and if yee walke stubbornely against me and will not obey mee then will I walk stubbornely against you in mine anger and yee shall eate the flesh of your sonnes and daughters Such was the famine inflicted vpon Samaria and Ierusalem that tender women haue beene forced for hunger to eate their children not of a span long A horrible thing to heare that the Infant new come out of the wombe should bee deuoured at the mouth and sent into the wombe againe yet as I said Ieremie records it to haue beene done at the first destruction of Ierusalem by the Caldeans and Iosephus records the same at the second destruction thereof by the Romanes But since this Prophecy and the time thereof this plague hath increased aboue that which here is denounced Among many others fearefull was that Famine which fell out in the daies of Iustinian hunger ouercomming humane affection forced man to feed vpon the flesh of man It is recorded that two women were found to haue slaine and eaten seuenteene men and men debilitat weakened with famine bowing themselues to creep on their knees and armes that with their teeth they might pull any greene fruit of the earth after the maner of beasts fell downe and tumbled ouer for lack of strength and so died there being none to bury them When we reade of the like of these fearefull iudgements it should stirre vs vp to praise the Lord for his great indulgence and patience toward vs who notwithstanding our great sinnes against his Maiestie yet hath hee not visited vs with the like plagues his holy Name be praised therefore and the Lord giue vs grace that his patience may leade vs to repentance VERSE 7. 8. And when he had opened the fourth Seale I heard the Voice of the fourth liuing creature say Come and see And I looked and behold a Pale Horse and his name that sate on him was Death and Hell followed after him and power was giuen vnto him ouer the fourth part of the earth to kill with Sword and with Hunger and with Beasts of the earth AS the sound of the Trumpet when the Lord by it proclaimed his Law on Mount Sinai waxed louder and louder so here the denunciation of his iudgements waxeth greater and greater for his wrath increaseth like a fire where it is not slackned and quenched with the teares of repentance Hitherto the plague of the sword and famine hath bene threatned to take vengeance on man for contempt of the Gospell now followes the plague of pestilence and deuouring Beasts Yet is it to be marked that mercy is first offered before iudgement the Rider on the White Horse comes with the message of mercy grace peace if men receiue it not then the Lord proceedeth to iudgement Vnder the Law as the people passed ouer Iordan there were six of their Tribes or principal men chosen out of theÌ„ appointed to stand on Mount Gerizzim to blesse the people if they shuld obey other sixe againe to stand vpon Mount Ebal to curse them if they should rebell Vnder the Gospell our Sauior began his preaching first with blessings but after proceeded to denuntiation of woes The Apostle to the same purpose saith We are not come to the Mount that might not be touched But we are come to Mount Sion c. As the Lord allures by mercy so he terrifies by iudgement if mercy cannot moue vs iudgement shall confound vs and that so much the more because mercy was first offered and we refused it In the opening of this Seale we haue first the Preparation Secondly the Vision it selfe and Thirdly an exposition both of this Vision and the proceeding The preparation contained in the seuenth verse is coincedent with the former and I passe it In the Vision it selfe we haue three things first the Horse his colour is pale next the Rider his name is Death thirdly his Page or foot-man following him is called Hell The Pale Horse is a Type of Pestilence and all other strange and vncouth diseases so is it expounded in the vvords following vvhich giue vs a sufficient vvarrant to exclude all other interpretations Pestilence is one of the Lords ordinary iudgements wherby he huÌ„bleth the pride of man When I send my foure sore iudgements vpon Ierusalem the Sword Famine the noisome beast and Pestilence Heere it is threatned afterwards at diuers times executed as the Historie records which iustifies this Prophecie In the yeere of our Lord foure score Vespasian being Emperour such a Pest plagued Rome that for many daies ten thousand people died in a day In the yeere two hundred three fifty Decius a vile Persecuter there was no Prouince in all the Romane Empire no Citie no House which Pestilence pursued not In the yeere two hundred six and fifty Valerian another bloudy Persecuter being Emperour such a Pest inuaded Alexandria that famous Citie of Egypt that in so populous a Towne there were not so many Citizens to be found as before the Pest it had Canos senes ancient men of white haires It were tedious to repeate all we want not domestick warnings the Light of the Gospell hath come among vs but for our vnthankefulnesse the Red Horse the Black and the Pale now and then haue visited vs though we must confesse to the glory of God his mercy that in most gentle manner the Lord hath chastised vs yet haue we need to remember that warning of the Gospell Behold thou art made whole sin no more lest a worse thing come vnto thee for certainely our forgetfulnesse of the Lords by-past gentle corrections our vnthankfulnesse for his present mercies may iustly feare vs that the Lord is to enter in a sharper course against vs if we amend not And this for the Pale Horse Now he who rides vpon him is named Death we haue here then Death brought in riding on Horseback to signifie the celerity and speed wherewith hee posteth vpon the wicked howsoeuer they sleep in carelesse security and put the euill day fâ—…r from them yea and thinke with themselues that they are in couenant with death and hell yet goe where they will ride where they will go and ride as they please Death goes and rides with them he posteth after them and
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