Selected quad for the lemma: saint_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
saint_n	altar_n	angel_n	golden_a	2,087	5	10.8116	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07348	Ecclesiastica interpretatio: or The expositions vpon the difficult and doubtful passages of the seuen Epistles called catholike, and the Reuelation Collected out of the best esteemed, both old and new writers, together with the authors examinations, determinations, and short annotations. The texts in the seuen Epistles of Iames, Peter, Iohn and Iude are six and forty. The expositions vpon the Reuelation are set forth by way of question and answer. Here is also a briefe commentary vpon euery verse of each chapter, setting forth the coherence and sense, and the authors, and time of writing euery of these bookes. Hereunto is also annexed an antidot against popery. By Iohn Mayer, B. of D. and pastor of the Church of Little Wratting in Suffolke.	Mayer, John, 1583-1664.	1627 (1627)	STC 17731; ESTC S112551	448,008	564

the rest of this Chapter it hath no great difficulty in it if by the innumerable multitude in white robes and palmes in their hands wee vnderstand the Saints already glorified who though compared with the rest of the world they be but a little flocke yet simply considered they are a great multitude they haue palmes in their hands in token of victory And whereas in speaking of the wicked Chap. 6 hee concludeth with their misery in respect of the wrath of the Lambe here answerably it is concluded with the felicity of the godly washed in the bloud of the Lambe and euerlastingly comforted by him the phrases of leading forth to waters and wiping away all teares being adaptated to set forth the same CHAP. VIII THE whole compasse of time from the beginning of the Gospell to the last end of the world hauing beene set forth with the most remarkable accidents in one kinde of vision Chap. 6 7. here followeth another vpon the opening of the seuenth seale which yet remained in this eighth and the ninth tenth and eleuenth Chapters Wherein after preparation to attention and a preludium of Gods gracious acceptance of the prayers of the Saints and of his terriblenesse to the wicked seuen Angels sound their trumpets to call on the hosts of Gods iudgements to waste both land and sea to infect their waters whereof they dranke and the aire wherein they breathed his hosts of hurtfull beasts comming out of the bottomlesse pit and of men brought from afarre vpon horses for their destruction the last of the seuen summoning all to iudgement and making the very dead to come forth for then the trumpet shall blow 1 Cor. 15. and the dead shall rise In the particular opening of the seuerall passages there is very great difficulty Quest 1. And when he had opened the seuenth seale Vers 1. there was silence in heauen as it were halfe an houre What is meant by this silence Answ Some that will haue these visions to set forth things done successiuely Brightman assigne the opening of this seale to Constantines time when the Church had peace and quietnesse for a short time being broken off againe by the Arrians Some referre it to the time after Antichrists destruction when they say the Church shall bee quiet fiue and forty dayes before the dry of iudgement Rupertus Beda Anfelm Richard de Sancto Victore Pannonius c. grounding vpon that of Daniel 12.11 where 1290. dayes hauing beene spoken of for the censing of the daily sacrifice hee is pronounced blessed that attaineth to 1335. Some referre it to the time of Iulians persecution which was not by fire and sword but by other subtill meanes Blas Viegas nameth thi● exposition yet they were debarred from all publike seruice of God and so there was silence in the Church but it was a very short time he reign●ng but two yeeres Others vnderstand this silence of attention Bullinger Pareus Forbs Viegas F●x c. or a kinde of stupour making all silent for a time at the appearing of the seuen Angels with their trumpets the iudgements to come when they should blow being so great and strange as that the beholders were in some sort a stonied hereby and interrupted in their heauenly harmony as it is wont to be with vs when any strange thing happeneth and as it was with Iobs friends comming to visit him they sate downe in silence by him seuen dayes Lastly one addeth further Fox that the generall peace when Christ is borne is hereby signified To this of admiration and attention do I subscribe but I doe not thinke any other signification to bee in this silence The peace of the Chureh cannot be hereby meant for a time because the future troubles are not of the Church but of the wicked as is plainly expressed vnder the fift trumpet the Locusts hurt onely such as had not the marke of God in their forehead much lesse can it bee vnderstood of the quiet after Antichrist destroyed for then the day of iudgement should immediatly haue succeeded as it doth not but six trumpets first As for Iulians time it were too great a leape to come to that at the first of this vision all the time preceding being omitted Augustine Primasius Marlorat and whereas some expound it of the rest to come that being euerlasting it cannot be so taken Note that the iudgements against wicked persecutors of the Church and people of God are so stupendious that the very Saints and Angels in heauen stand amazed at them being but in figures represented vnto them Quest 2. And I saw the seuen Angels which stand before God Vers 2. Who are these Angels Answ There may seeme to be such an analogy betwixt this and that Chap. 1.4 Seuen spirits before the throne that these Angels and those spirits may seeme to be all one and that in the apocryphall book of Tobit soundeth likewise Tobit 12.15 I am Raphael one of the seuen Angels which present the prayers of the Saints c. But as I shewed there those seuen spirits are not Angels but them anifold gifts of the spirit and here by the seuen Angels wee are not to vnderstand such a number onely standing before God for thousand thousands stand before him and minister vnto him but seuen of them appointed now to this ministery and therefore they haue trumpets giuen vnto them It is contrary to plaine Scripture and derogatory from the Lord Iesus to hold that there are some Angels which haue an office as it were to receiue and present our prayers before God for Christ onely is our intercessour in heauen if the Angels and Saints doe any thing for vs it is out of their generall loue and affection to the Church a solliciting of the Lord for the good of vs all in common that aduersaries may be confounded the Gospell may enioy a free passage and the chosen of God may be gathered together till their number be made vp Quest 3. And another Angell came and stood by the Altar Vers 3. hauing a golden censer c. What Angell is this who is said so particularly to offer odours with the prayers of the Saints and what is meant by the thunders lightnings and voices following vpon his casting of fire vpon the earth from off the same Altar Answ Most Expositours agree that Christ is figured out by this Angell for he is called the Angell of the Testament Malac. 3. neither can it agree to any Angell as an high Priest thus alone to goe to the Altar and offer there for all the Saints the Altar some will haue also to be Christ as Bullinger and Pareus and Forbs Bullingers Pareus Forbs Beda Primasius Haimo some the Church of God well called an Altar because a spirituall sacrifice is herein daily offered to God as Beda Primasius Haimo c. The golden Censer some will haue to bee his humane nature wherein he offereth as both the same

ancients before named and Origen Hom. 6. in Numeros and August Serm. 98. de tem others vnderstand his precious passions as Bullinger c. The odours which were giuen vnto him they expound of the sights and groanes of Gods seruants or of his graciousnesse which is as sweet odours added to our prayers to make them the more acceptable One hath a strange conceit Brightman that Constantine is meant by this Angell who was the Author of gathering together that famous Councell of Nice wherein that confession of saith so acceptable to God was concluded vpon but it became an occasion of much contention by reason of Arrius and his sect Lyra. Another more strangely vnderstandeth Pope Damasus ann 384. who instituted Psalmodies and glory to the Father c. which were added to the common prayers Rupertus Ribera Some vnderstand it properly of an Angell such as he that was present to Iaacob in his iournying or Gabriel that appeared to Mary For mine owne part I see so much against the most common vnderstanding of this of Christ as that I cannot thinke him to bee meant here For first he appeareth still as a Lambe secondly this is said to be but another Angell thirdly Odours are giuen vnto him as Trumpets to the rest intimating an equality betwixt them fourthly that the Priest the Altar and the Censer should be all one it seemeth very improbable fiftly the prayers of the Saints are spoken of by the same phrase that Chap. 5. where the foure and twenty Elders are said to haue golaon Vials full of Odours which are the prayers of the Saints Where by the prayers of the Saints their praising of God in Heauen and praying for our good in generall being vnderstood and not the prayers of the godly vpon earth why should it not be vnderstood here likewise I thinke then that nothing else is here meant but as before any vision of future things a preparation was made thereunto by a representation of Gods Maiesty and of the Lambe delighted in the deuotions of his seruants as in a sweet persume but terrible to the wicked and therefore issued thunders lightnings and voices from before him so now the second particular vision being prepared vnto it is set forth in the figure of this Angell standing at the Altar and offering Odours with the prayers of the Saints which come vp before God how acceptable the seruice is which by the godly is done vnto God and in the fire taken and cast vpon the earth producing voices thunders c. how terrible he will be to the wicked of this world For the Altar and Censer it is beyond the intent of this place particularly to descant vpon them the seruice which is done vnto God being doubtlesse thus set forth in allusion to the old manner of worshipping In the former representation Prayers are called Odours here Odours are added vnto them Odours to Odours to shew yet further their extraordinary sweetnesse their voices and thunders c. issue forth here is shewed by what meanes viz. coales taken from the Altar signifying that howsoeuer the holy fire with sweet Odours maketh a pleasant smell yet without Odours it yeeldeth a thundring and terrifying noise the wicked that pray not can expect nothing but terrour and affrighting from the Lord who is most comfortable to the godly frequenting him with their prayers As for that exposition of some Beda Haimo Bullinger Pareus c. vnderstanding the sending downe of the holy Ghost in the likenesse of fiery tongues whereupon some were terrified as by thundring some instructed as by voices some conuerted as the earth is moued in an earthquake I cannot see how it agreeth to the terrible things following Fox some way whereunto is made in this passage I assent therefore to those rather who expound it of terrour as I haue already said neither is it strange that the prayers of the Saints comming vp before God the fire of his anger should be stirred vp against the wicked world occasioning so many sighs and grones to come from them Quest 3. And the first Angell sounded Vers 7 c. and there was haile and fire mingle with bloud c. Because there is a noted distance betwixt the foure first Trumpets and the other three and these foure doe immediatly follow one after another it will be fittest to handle these together What therefore is figured out by the things appearing at the sounding of these foure Answ Some will haue these seuen Angels to represent the Ministers of the Gospell at seuerall times and ages of the world for as they sounded forth the Word of truth aduersaries soone sprung vp who sought by their fierce oppositions to suppresse it Haime Caelius Pannonius Richard de Sancto Victore Zeger c. The first were the Apostles at whose preaching there was great tumult in the world to the shedding of the bloud of many set forth by haile and fire and bloud mingled with them the trees grasse burnt vp were such as for feare fell frō the Religion which they had imbraced or else by the haile c. they vnderstand a mixed company of good and bad Christians gathered together from the rest of the world of which the bad which are the third part are burnt vp that is perish by Gods iust iudgement and are called trees because of their instabilitie in times of winds and grasse for their frailtie The second ranke of Preachers set forth by the second Angell where the successours of the Apostles in the next age against whom the Deuill as a great burning mountaine falleth and the third part of the sea is turned into bloud by the destruction of the faithfull the fishes die by the reuolting of the wauering and many teachers who as ships had carried on others through the greatnesse of the persecution fall away The third ranke set forth by the third Angell are the Preachers of the next age to trouble whom Heretikes rise vp these are the Star falling from Heauen giuing light in times past but now making bitter by their hereticall doctrine the fountaines of holy Scriptures and the riuers of the Fathers by corrupting them to maintaine their heresies thereby The fourth ranke set forth by the fourth Angell are the Preachers of these last times who are troubled by Hypocrites and false Prophets that vnder a pretext of holinesse broach new opinions whereby it commeth to passe that a good part of the true knowledge of Christ is obscured which is the darkning of the Sunne to the third part and the true Church which is the Moone much distminished and the Doctors which are the Starres giue not so cleare light through this meanes as before Lyra. Bullinger Aretius Some vnderstand Heretikes and heresies of seuerall ages to encounter with whom the faithfull are stirred vp by these Trumpets sounded For first Arrius infected the third part of the world with his heresie Secondly Macedonius infected the Sea with

times being brought in speaking to tell of a Lion and of the root of Dauid according to the Prophesies that then went of him but when he appeareth to Iohn it is most fit that hee should appeare as a Lambe bearing a signe of being killed because he was so lately crucified and by the name of a Lambe he was spoken of by the Prophet of the new Testament Iohn the Baptist There are many reasons rendred why he was spoken of as a Lion and as a Lambe He was called a Lion first Ioh. 1.29 for his strength in ouercomming all his enemies secondly for his principality whereby he is King of all as the Lion is of the beasts thirdly for his courage whereby hee feareth nothing but maketh all afraid of him fourthly for his vnderstanding euen in his child-hood as the Lion alone of all beasts that haue clawes seeth as soone as he is whelped And whereas it may seeme strange that a Lion is spoken of for the opening of a Booke for which such a creature is vnfit one resolueth it well that sinne and the Deuill hindring from the sight of the mysteries of God Brightman a Lion of power to breake the force of these is fitly mentioned because this hindrance being taken away the seales that kept them fast in closed are as it were loosed The root of Dauid he is called according to Esay 53.2 whereas he is said to be a branch out of the root Esay 11.1 because although he be but a branch according to the flesh for so much as he came of Dauid yet hee is a root according to his Diuinity Rupertus Pannonius whereupon Dauid and all the godly are borne by faith partaking of his grace as of sap comming from him and consequently of saluation by him He is called a Lambe because he was offered vp in sacrifice for our sinnes at what time as a Lambe is dumbe and complaineth not so he opened not his mouth Orig. Hom. 24. in Num. He is in the midst of the Throne because taken vp to the same glory with God in his humane nature he standeth to set forth his resurrection Hee hath seuen hornes to shew his kingly power for hornes set forth strength and Kings seuen being a number of perfection that he hath the power of all Kingdomes Seuen eyes set forth the fulnesse of spirituall light comming from him as all Expositors agree If it shall seeme strange that Christ should appeare as a Lambe with seuen hornes to declare his kingly power seeing the Lambe is a weake creature and hath little strength in the hornes I answer that it was necessary he being set forth as a Sacrifice for our sinnes whereby they were taken away being otherwise an obstacle to the perception of diuine mysteries hornes in great number should be ascribed vnto him to declare his might yet remaining when hee had suffered lest his enemies should contemne him as a weakling And although two hornes which Lambs vsually haue were vnfit to set forth this yet seuen hornes doe fitly set forth an extraordinary Lambe mighty beyond the nature of that beast And the seuen eyes answer to the seuen Seales so that he hath eyes enow to see what is vnder euery seale Note that sinne hindreth from vnderstanding the mysteries of God they must be first expiated or else the Booke of God will still remaine sealed it is in vaine to diue into the knowledge of these things for an vnregenerate person that hath no part yet in the sacrifice of this Lambe whereby only his sinnes may be done away Quest 2. The Elders are said to haue Harpes and golden Vials full of odours which are the prayers of the Saints What Saints prayers are meant here the Saints in Heauen haue no need to offer prayers for themselues bee not these then our prayers and if they be is not here a ground to entreat them to further vs in our prayers seeing they must needs know what we pray otherwise they cannot offer the odours of our prayers And why doe they addresse themselues thus to celebrate the praises of the Lambe vpon the taking of this book to open it Ans The popish sort will haue their presenting of our prayers before God here vnderstood or at the least the prayings of the Saints in Heauen for vs which if it be so then they are Mediators of intercession and to be sought vnto by vs. Our Writers on the other side will haue nothing else but the praises of the Lambe which follow in this Chapter vnderstood because a thanksgiuing is a kinde of prayer It is most cleare that the prayers of Gods people vpon earth are not meant because they are odours in the golden Vials of these glorified Elders something proceeding from them and the ●est of the Saints in Heauen euen as the incense offered by the Priests vnder the Law was a sweet fume kindled by them that offered it But whether they were properly prayers petitioning for something or praises it is a question Forbs Brightman Some will haue this a representation of the Church vpon earth singing and offering vp the sweet odours of prayer but this cannot stand because things in earth are brought in praising the Lambe afterwards Neither can I see how the following praises should bee meant by the prayers of the Saints for that was the song which they sung to their Harpes from which the odours in their Vials are a distinct thing It must needs then be yeelded that Prayers are here properly to be vnderstood and the prayers of these foure and twenty together with all the rest of the Saints in Heauen for the Church vpon earth And so it cannot be denied but that they intercede for vs only their intercession is for vs all in generall not knowing the particular case of any seeing as the Prophet saith Abraham knoweth vs not Esa 63.16 Israel is ignorant of vs. And therefore to apply our selues to them in our praying that we may be holpen by their mediation as we are directed to doe vnto Christ is absurd and superstitious yea for so much as this honour belongeth to Christ only it is from him derogatory and so in a high degree impious It is comfort enough to vs in respect of the Saints in Heauen that they beare still an intire loue towards vs and by soliciting the Lord for vs seeke to further our happinesse and that their prayers in this kinde are gratefull as odours and so are all our owne godly prayers Also comming out of golden Vials that is hearts purified and made precious by Faith For their disposing of themselues to these praises after the taking of this sealed Booke to open the reason is plaine it is no small part of blessednesse to vnderstand the mysteries of God herein contained this blessednesse wee cannot attaine vnto but by the Lambe that hath died for vs wherefore when the Booke of these mysteries commeth to the opening there is great reason