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

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A35689	The ruine of Rome, or, An exposition upon the whole Revelation wherein is plainly shewed and proved that the popish religion, together with all the power and authority of Rome, shall ebbe and decay ... written especially for the comfort of Protestants and the danting of papists ... / published by Authur Dent ; to which is added an epitome of Reverend Mr. Brightman his Exposition upon the Revelation.	Dent, Arthur, d. 1607.; Brightman, Thomas, 1562-1607. Exposition upon the Revelation.	1644 (1644)	Wing D1057; ESTC R29350	192,764	462

all Saints upon the golden Altars which is before the throne We heard before that when the course of the Gospell was stopt by the divell and his instruments yet God was very carefull for the safety and sealing up of his owne servants so likewise we are now to hear of the like care and providence for now that errours and heresies were to be sowne in the World whereby many were corrupted and that He himselfe from Heaven doth proclaime open enmitie against the despisers of his Gospell by giving them up to blindnesse and errour he doth double his care and providence to all his faithfull worshippers For heere we do plainely see that the Church hath a mediator and that he which keepeth Israel neither slumbereth nor sleepeth And therefore when the wrath of God doth most of all breake forth upon the world for the contempt of his graces yet the Church is remembred and set in safety with all her Children For her prayers come up before God and are accepted through the mediator And this is the sence and drift of this third verse By this Angell is meant Jesus Christ the Angell of the covenant as we have heard before who is not an Angell by nature but by office It is manifest that in the old law there was a golden Altar and a golden Censor on which the Priest did burne sweet incense before the Lord which did figure the mediation of Christ in whom the prayers of the Saints are accepted Now heere the holy Ghost alludeth to that sacrificing Priest-hood of the old Testament where incense was offered at the Altar which now is the sweet savour of the death of Christ through whom both we and all our sacrifices are seasoned and sweetned Who therefore is this Angell but Christ What are the sweet odours with the which the prayers of all Saints come before God but the most sweet mediation of the Lord Jesus What is meant by the smoake of the odours which with the prayers of the Saints went up before God out of the Angels hand Surely the sweet incense of Christ mediation wherewith our prayers are spiced and perfumed that they might be as sweet incense of Christs mediation wherewith our prayers are spiced and perfumed that they might be as sweet smelling sacrifices in the Nostrils of God For as water cast into a fire raiseth a smoake so the teares of the faithfull besprinkled in their prayers make them as sweet incense acceptable to God through Christ The summe of all is this that in the middest of all these heresies and those hellish troubles which should be raised up by the Pope and his Clergy the Turke and his armies as in the next Chapter we shall see the elect have their prayers heard for their preservation by the merits of CHRIST verse 5. And the Angell tooke the Censor and filled it with the fire of the Altar and cast it into the earth and there were voyces and Trumpets thundrings and lightnings and earthquakes Heere we see how Jesus Christ taketh the Censor and filleth it with the fire of the Altar that is the graces and gifts of the Spirit for so the fire of the Altas is taken in Esay In this sense it is sayd that our Lord Jesus should baptize with fire and the holy Ghost that is the gifts and graces of the holy Ghost In this sense also the holy Ghost did rest upon the Disciples in the likenesse of cloven tongues like fire whereupon they were all filled with gifts and graces The holy Ghost is compared to fire because he burneth out our drosse purgeth the hearts of the faithfull and setteth them on fire with the burning love and zeale of Gods glory So then it followeth that as before there was provision had for the safety of the Church by her Mediator so heere many heavenly gifts and graces are bestowed upon her For Christ casteth this fire of the Altar upon the earth that is upon his dwelling in the earth Hereupon it is sayd that there were voyces and thundrings c. that is all manner of broyles tumults uprores slaughters and divisions For after the Gospell was sounded forth in the Church by the power of the holy Ghost the divell is disturbed and the World molested And hence spring all these broyles and tumults thundring and lightning and we must looke for such stirres after the preaching of the Gospell whilest there is a world and a divell Therefore our Lord JESUS saith he came not to bring peace into the Earth Mat. 10.34 but fire and Sword and to set a man at variance against his Father and likewise the Daughter against her mother c. For divisions and civill dissensions do alwayes follow the preaching of the Gospell which thing is not yet simply in the nature of the Gospell of peace but accidently through the frowardnesse and corruption of mans nature which will not yeeld unto it but most stubbornely rebelleth against it Then the seven Angels which had the seven Trumpets verse 6. prepared themselves to blow Now beginneth this open warre to be proclaimed against the World for their great ungodlinesse and rebellion against the truth So the first Angell blew the Trumpet verse 7. and there was Haile and Fire mingled with blood and they were cast into the earth and the third part of trees was burnt and all greene grasse was burnt It were absurd to imagine that any thing in this Verse is to be taken literally seeing in the literall Sense there was never any such matter Therefore of necessitie it must be expounded mystically and allegorically Therefore by this Hayle and Fire mingled with blood is meant Errors and Heresies For as Hayle doth beate downe Corne and destroy the fruits of the Earth Fire doth consume and blood doth corrupt and putrifie So false doctrine and Heresie doth annoy consume and corrupt the soules of men For it is sayd that all these things mingled together were cast upon the earth that is the inhabitants of the earth and the third part of the trees that is the numbers of men or a very great part of the World was corrupted For trees in the Scripture signifie men and all greene grasse was burnt that is Esa 61. the fresh fruits of grace did wither apace and dry up for as error and heresie did prevaile so truth and godlinesse did decay All this hath relation to the Heresies of Sabellius Manicheus Marcion Fotinus Paulus Samosatenus Nestorius Novatus Diodorus Apolinaris Pelagius and many others which about this time being foure hundred yeares after Christ began to spring up and grow apace And the second Angell blew the Trumpet and as it were a great Mountaine burning with fire was cast into the Sea and the third part of the Sea became blood c. Upon the blowing of the second Trumpet by the second Angell heere appeareth a great Mountaine burning with fire whereby is meant some great and notable heresies as that of Arrius which

blessed for ever For otherwise the Angels of Heaven both Cherubins and Seraphins would not thus fall down and worship him ascribing unto him both deity and divine honour Consider then how great he is of whom it is said Let all the Angels of God worship him Psal 97.7 Moreover these Angels and Saints are sayd to have every one Harpes and golden Vials Verse 8. full of Odours which are the prayers of the Saints These Harpes doe signifie the sweet consent and harmony both of men and Angels in sounding forth the praises of the Lambe for herein the whole Church both militant and triumphant do accord and tune together as many harpers harping upon their harpes Apo. 14.2 as is written also in another place Hereby also they do plainly testifie that inward peace and spirituall joy which all the faithfull have through Christ which is more sweet and delightsome to the soule then any musick is unto the eares The Vialls full of Odours are expounded to be the prayers of the Saints which are therefore compared to odours because they smell sweet in the nostrils of God and are more fragrant then any nosegay or perfume whatsoever for he taketh great pleasure in the prayers of his people especially when they came out of golden vials that is sanctified hearts and consciences for every sanctified heart is a golden heart in the sight of God and every regenerate conscience is a Jewell of price guilt with gold and enameled with pearle For this cause the holy man David wisheth earnestly that his heart might be so renewed and cleansed inwardly that his prayer might be directed as incense in Gods sight Psal 14.1 and the lifting up of his hands as a sweet smelling sacrifice Furthermore these Saints and Angels do sing a new song That is they do sing to the prayses of the Lambe with renued affections and unwearied desires Their inward joy continueth alwaies fresh and greene as the Bay-tree They never wither or waxe weary of the service of God Their song is evermore new and therefore evermore delightsome For the more new any thing is the more pleasant and delactable for men are not affected with old but altogether with new things Now then Jesus Christ having taken this booke into his hand to open and expound is applauded unto by the generall consent and voyces of the whole Church for say they Thou art worthy to take the booke and to open the seales thereof Wherein they do all with common consent give their voyces unto Christ acknowledging him to be the onely fit person in Heaven or earth to take upon him the function of opening a booke so closed so clasped so shut so sealed and they do yeeld a reason of their proceedings because say they thou wast killed and hast redeemed us unto God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation Meaning hereby that he was put to death to pay the price of our redemption in whom all beleevers both Jewes and Gentiles are saved Their reason then is this he that hath died and risen againe and is now exalted farre above all principalities and powers c. is the most fit instrument to open and interpret this booke but thou O Christ the Lambe of God art such an one therefore thou of all others art most meete to take the matter upon thee and to enter into this businesse Further they amplifie their reason thus Verse 10. that he hath made us of slaves and servants Kings and of prophane persons Priests unto the most high God And last of all that we shall raigne upon the earth Not meaning hereby that we shall raigne as earthly Kings or onely enjoy an earthly Kingdome For out of all doubt the Saints shall raigne with Christ in the Heavens for evermore But heere is mention made of raigning in the earth because after this life Gods Children shall have the fruition and inheritance both of Heaven and earth that is to say that new Heaven and new Earth 2 Pet. 3.12 wherein dwelleth righteousnesse for the Heavens and the earth being redintegrated and purged from corruption shall be the portion of the Saints and the habitation of the Elect for evermore After all this Ver. 11. John heareth the voice of innumerable Angels besides the foure Beasts That is the Cherubines and Seraphins or chiefe Angels that is Angels deputed to chiefe offices round about the throne which all with a loud voice doe acknowledge the Lambe which was killed Ver. 12. to bee worthy of all honour glory and praise c. And not only these innumerable Angels being 20. thousand times ten thousand but also all other creatures both in Heaven and Earth As the Sun Moone and Starres the fishes in the Sea and the beasts in the earth do all in their kinde sing the same song acknowledging all honour and glory praise and power to belong unto him that sitteth upon the throne Ver. 13. and unto the Lambe for evermore For although the creature is as yet subject to the bondage of corruption and therefore groneth and travelleth in paine waiting when the Sonnes of God shall be revealed yet it standeth in assured expectation of restitution to liberty and incorruption and therefore here all the creatures do praise the Lambe for that restauration which they had so lovingly and wishly looked for And the foure beasts said Amen That is they do subscribe to those prayses which the creature yeeldeth to their Creator And not onely the Angels do subscribe and consent unto it but the foure and twenty Elders also that fall downe and worshp him that liveth for evermore So that the Lambe is praysed and worshipped of all hands both of men and Angels and all other creatures as God everlasting and blessed for evermore CHAP. VI. IN the fourth Chapter wee have heard the description of God the Father which holdeth the sealed booke in his right hand In the fift Chapter we have also had the description of Jesus Christ the opener and interpreter of this seven sealed Book Now in this sixth Chapter wee are to understand of the mattter and contents of this Booke and of the strange accidents and events which followed upon the opening of every severall Scale For in this Chapter sixe of the Seals are opened by the Sonne of God and the Mysteries thereof disclosed unto John that he might declare them to the Church for the comfort and instruction thereof This Chapter containeth sixe principall things arising from the severall opening of the sixe seales and they are these The spreading of the Gospell Great persecutions following therupon Famine Pestilence Complaints of the Martyrs Ver. 1.2.3.4 c. Fearefull revenge upon the world for shedding the blood of Gods Saints After Verse 1. I beheld when the Lambe had opened one of the seales and I heard one of the foure beasts say as it were the noise of thunder Come and see Now after all these former

presence of the Throne of God c. to hunger and thirst no more c. to have all teares wiped from their eyes and to bee led by the Lambe unto the Fountaines of living waters All which doth very plainely and plentifully expresse that infinite glory and endlesse felicity which is prepared for all the true and faithfull worshippers of God Many good lessons and observations might be gathered out of all this But I do of purpose omit them because in this work I do chiefly and almost altogether aime at interpretation therein also studying brevity soundnesse and plainenesse CHAP. VIII VVE have heard out of the seventh Chapter how the divels and their instruments the Romane Emperours did stoppe the course of the Gospell Now in this Chapter we are to heare the wofull effects of the stopping thereof which was the springing up and prevailing of manifold errours and heresies in the World So that the principall scope and drift of this Chapter is to shew that God for the contempt of his Gospell and great indignities offered to the true professors thereof did give up the World to blindnesse to errour to superstition and heresie and as the Apostle sayth Because they received not the love of the truth 2. Thes 2. therefore God sent them strong delusions that they should beleeve in lies For as before we have heard how the world was most fearfully punished with externall plagues and judgements So heere we are to understand how the same was punished with judgements spirituall and internall as formerly hath beene sayd upon the stopping of the foure winds For although that spirituall plague was very great yet these spirituall plagues which follow upon the opening of the seventh seale are far greater For now we are to heare and understand not onely of the errours and heresies whereby a way and passage was made by degrees as it were by certaine staires for Antichrist to climbe up into his cursed chaire and to take possession thereof but also we are to understand of his very tyranny and Kingdome it selfe and also of the Kingdome of the Turke and the last judgement For the things contained under the opening of the seventh Seale do reach unto the end of the world For the booke sealed with seven seales containeth all the whole matters which were to be revealed This Chapter containeth foure principall things as it were the foure parts thereof ver 1.2.3.4.5 6 c. First the reverent attention and silence with admiration which was in the Church at and upon the comming forth of this most horrible vengeance Secondly before the execution of these most execrable plagues the Church is remembred and set in safety with all her Children by her great Mediator Christ Jesus Thirdly the execution of this vengeance which commeth forth at the blowing of the seven trumpets by seven Angels Fourthly the vengeance it self contained in the prevailing of errour and heresie the falling away of the Pastors of the Church and the universall darkenesse that followed thereupon And when hee had opened the seventh Seale there was silence in Heaven above halfe an houre By Heaven in this place he meaneth not the Kingdome of glory after this life but by Heaven is meant the Church heere upon earth as it is so taken Chap. 12. Verse 1. and Chap. 14. Verse 2. There may be three reasons yeelded why the Church is called Heaven First 1. Joh. 5.1 because the birth thereof is from Heaven for it is borne of God Secondly because the inheritance thereof is from Heaven and therefore is called Col. 1.12 Phil. 3.20 The inheritance of the Saints Thirdly because the conversation thereof is in Heaven as the Apostle sayth To this may be added that our Lord Jesus in his Gospell doth so often call his visible Church the Kingdome of Heaven by a Trope Mat. 13. because CHRIST beginneth his raigne in the faithfull therein whom afterward he translateth actually into the very Kingdome of glory By silence here is meant the great attention of the Church because great things were now at hand For now upon the opening of the seventh Seale far greater matters are threatned then any before and therefore the Church doth listen unto them in deepe silence and as it were in horror and trembling through admiration for now there appeare such dreadfull judgements of God to be executed upon the earth that all the heavenly company are astonished and amazed to behold it and do as it were quake and tremble to thinke upon it For as when heavy newes commeth down from the Prince to be proclaimed in open markets all good subjects do listen and give eare with silence and trembling so it fareth in this case By halfe an houre he meaneth that short time wherin the minds of the godly were prepared fitted and disposed wisely to consider of these matters and to make good use of them I know right well that this Verse is far otherwise interpreted of some but I take this to be most sound and simple and best agreeing to all that followeth for the next Verse is joyned unto this by a conjunction copulative to note a coherence of the matter and to draw the sence together for he sayth And I saw seven Angels which stood before God verse 2. and to them were given seven Trumpets These seven Trumpets signifie that God would proceed against the World in fearefull hostility and come against it as an open enemy unto battell proclaiming open warre against it as it were with sound of Trumpet and Drumme setting up the flag of defiance against it And hereupon groweth this silence and trembling in the Church which only mooved with the signes of Gods wrath when as all others sit still in security as the Prophet Zachary saith in a like case To stand in this place signifieth to administer as it is said of the Priests and Levites that they stand before God and before the Altar that is minister So heere the Angels doe stand before God as ready to administer and execute these Judgements For they are ministring spirits and heere they do sound the alarum at the commandement of God These Angels are popounded as seven in number because it pleased God at once to powre down his wrath upon the rebellious World but at divers times and by piece-meale Whether these were good or bad Angels it is not materiall to dispute seeing God executeth his judgements both by the one and the other 2 Sa. 24.16 Moreover it is specially to be observed that the blowing of these seven Trumpets do all belong to the opening of the seventh seale are as it were the seven parts thereof for the things which fall out upon the blowing of these seven Trumpets do reach even unto the last Judgement as the Angell sweareth Chap. 10.6.7 Then another Angell came and stood before the Altar ver 3. having a golden Censor and much odours was given unto him that he should offer with the prayers of