vertue may be learned froÌ„ the Paschal Lambe which was a type of Christ Iesus When God slew all the first-borne in euery house of Egypt by his destroying Angell such houses as had the posts of their doores sprinkled with bloud were spared The Lord Iesus shal be a couering to his Saints to saue them from that wrath wherein the wicked shall perish His pacifying vertue is touched by the Apostle Being iustified by faith wee haue peace with God And againe The bloud of Christ cryeth for better things then the bloud of Abel But let vs take heed vnto our selues vnlesse we feele his purging vertue who naturally are vnclean the comfort of his protecting and pacifying vertue cannot be ours VERSE 15. Therfore are they in the presence of the Throne of God and serue him day and night in his Temple and he that sits on the Throne will dwell among them THe Sâ—…ignior hauing declared to Saint Iohn what these were whom he saw clothed in white garments with palmes in their hands to wit redeemed Saints not militant but hauing ended their warrefare and gotten the victory not vnder tribulation but come out of tribulation Hee now proceedeth and shortly describes their felicitic and happy estate wherein now they are and that in two points First in the affluence aboundance which they haue of al good next in their freedom and exemption from all euill In this verse three things are set downe concerning them First where are they In the presence of the Throne of God Next what doe they there they serue him day and night Thirdly what get they for that He that sitteth on the Throne will dwell among them By this phrase the vnspeakeable ioy communicated to them by the Lord is figured This can not be vnderstood of any estate of the Church militant here on earth neither of Iewes conuerted nor other Christians deliuered from the tyrannic of Antichrist as some Interpreters will haue it These words are not competent to Saints militant they hunger no more they thirst no more God shall wipe away allteares from their eyes In this valley of teares when shall we when shuld we be without teares Blessed are they who hunger thirst now for righteousnesse they shall be satisfied Now we hunger are blessed there they hunger no more but are fully satisfied The Millenaries of old had an opinion somewhat like this that Saints after Christ his comming for a thousand yeeres should possesse the earth by themselues without all tribulation but neither before his comming nor after is any such quiet estate of the Church here vpon earth warranted by the holy Scripture Therefore This is relatiue to the words immediatly preceding They haue made their robes white in the bloud of the Lambe therefore are they in the presence of God There is no fellowship vvith God but by the Lord Iesus Euery man in this presumptuous age saith that he hath Iesus but Iesus is a Physician of great value If thou haue him he will cleanse thee from the filthy leprosie of thy sinnes Art thou not cleansed then hast thou not Iesus and without him thou canst not be admitted into the comfortable presence of God The last Chapter was concluded with the tragicall and fearfull end of the wicked The day of the Lords wrath is come who can stand said they The wicked shall not stand in iudgement but shall bee banished from the presence of his glory But here wee see how the godlystand before the Throne are in the presence of God As their courses in their life are coÌ„trary to other so shal their ends be God giue vs grace to make choice of the best For we see before vs the way wherein they walked and the order which they obserued who now are in the kingdome of heauen first they are washed in the blood of Christ and then they are in the presence of God if we would come where they are let vs keepe the course wherein they walked Before Ioseph was presented vnto Pharao his head was shauen his nailes were pared his garments changed and must not wee cut away from vs our superfluities before wee be admitted into the presence of God Esther was six moneths purified with oile of myrrhe and other six moneths with sweet odors before she was married with Ahasuerus And shall wee thinke to be where the Lord is without a similitude with him Or what similitude can wee haue with that holy One except that first we be washed and cleansed from our naturall vncleanenes In the presence of God There is a threefold presence of God First a presence of his goodnesse next a presence of his grace and thirdly a presence of his glory whereof here is spoken The presence of his goodnesse he grants vnto all men in the vtter Court of his Palace for he maketh the Sunne to shine and the raine to fall vpon the iust and the vniust Who may not see the goodnesse of the Lord in the manifold good creatures which hee hath created The earth is full of his goodnesse yea the inuisible things of God that is his eternall power and godhead are seene in the creation of the world The light of this presence hath learned natural men many things concerning God by it the Platonies saw Deum omnia ista fecisse à nullâ—… fieri potuisse that God had made all these things and could not be made of any other himselfe yea they ascended farre higher to vnderstand much more coÌ„cerning the nature of God as more at large is set down in that same place by Saint Augustine And yet all this knowledge gotten in the court or schoole of the creature did but make them to be without excuse because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God The presence of his grace hee giueth to his Saints specially in their holy assemblies there by the preaching of his Word and operation of his holy Spirit hee sheweth himselfe a gracious mercifull and reconciled God to them in Christ they seeke him and worship him in Spirit and truth and he speakes peace vnto them and secretly by his holy Spirit witnesses vnto their hearts that hee is their Father that is his little Sanctuarie I meane his Church narrower by much then the vtter great court as I haue called it in that wherein all men see his goodnesse in this hee is familiar with his Saints and they onely see and feele his grace Of this presence speaketh Dauid for in his banishment hee longed for it My soule thirsteth for GOD euen for the liuing God when shall I come and appeare before the presence of God and what presence he meanes of he expounds himselfe That he might goe with the multitude and lead them into the house of God with the voyce of singing and praise for God in a speciall manner appeares in
and are neuer at rest So is it with men in this world vncertaine and vnstable is thâ—…ir estate rich this day poore to morrow now a King incontinent a captiue highest in the Court this day like Haman highest to morrow on the gallowes This day the King leanes on the shoulder of the Samaritane Prince the next day the people tramples him vnder their feet Neither is it simply represented by a sea of which type see more chap. 16. verse 3. but by a glassie sea to declare the fragilitie thereof it hath a faire splendent shew but no solidity the best thing in it is man yet is he but like a vessell of glasse most easily broken as daily experience declares And thirdly it is said to be like vnto Christall which is transparent so that a man looking into it sees through it and euery moâ—…e therein is manifest vnto him This doth properly expresse that cleere and liuely sight which the Lord hath of most secret things done in the world All things are naked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and manifest vnto his sight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 opened vp and as it were spelled out Naturall men may restraine his prouidence within the heauen This is the voice of Atheists The Lord walks in the circle of heauen the cloudes hide him that hee cannot see They are like vnto foolish children who if they hide their owne face that they see not doc thinke that none sees them But they haue an answere from the Psalmist The Lord hath his dwelling on high yet he abases himselfe to behold things in hoauen and in earth the darknes is no darknesse but to him darknes and the light are both alike This also should waken vs to the practise of that Apostolike precept Vse this world as if 〈◊〉 vsed it not Sith the world is resembled to a sea let vs coÌ„sider how the sea is a good element for nauigation and transportation of men from one Countrey to another but euill for habitation Men are gladdest when their course is shortest on the sea and their hearts are at their hauening place long before their Barks can carry their bodies vnto it Wee should so liue in this world as passing through it to our heauenly harbour soiourning in it but not dwelling in it The greatest pleasures of this world are like the waters of the sea salt bitter and vnwholsome to drinke Hee is in the worst estate that hath his belly most full of them Let vs looke to them with lothsomnesse but aboue all beware we drinke not of them with greedines for they will proue deadly at the length And in the midds of the Throne and c. Followes a description of the third and most excellent sort of creatures pertayning to the Court of the great King these are holy Angels in whom and by whom God ruleth and they are described first from their place next from their nature which is to be taken out of their name thirdly from their number fourthly from their properties and lastly from their function Some by these foure beasts vnderstand the four Euangelists It were easie to shew whom they follow in this opinion but needlesse It was hard for the first Fathers such as Victorine and others who wrote vpon this booke to vnderstand it so long before the accomplishment thereof And as for others in the middle Age wherin the Church was darkned with Popery they are not much to be regarded for no man indued with the spirit of error shall vnderstand this booke yet all these trot on in this common Commentary and will haue these foure beasts foure Euangelists But this is to be lamented that now in so cleare a light so many worthy men should haue been miscarried by them out of the way But leauing them we haue first to cleere that these creatures figure Angels and such Angels as in precellencie of dignity and prerogatiâ—…e of place are neerer vnto the Throne then other Angels be for in the fifth chapter ver 11. after the song of the foure liuing creatures followes the song of many Angels that are said to be there in a circle without them and in the 15. chapter ver 7. one of the foure giueth vnto the seuen Angels their Vials full of the wrath of God their first testimony proueth that the foure being namely put for the whole order haue the precellencie of place the other proues they haue the prerogatiâ—…e of dignitie Yet to come neerer many of the Interpreters do agree that in this Vision allusion is made to that which Ezechiel in his first chapter setteth downe for in this Prophecie the Spirit of God euery where followeth the phrase and alludes to the Visions of Prophecies in the old Testament and of this iudgement are Iunius Foxus Merchiston Grasserus Ribera with many others Now in that Vision is shewed to Ezechiel how hee that sits on the Throne ruleth all by the ministerie of his holy Angels there they are figured the same manner of way to wit by the Lyon a Man a Bullock and an Eagle except that there euery one of them is figured all these foure waies these that here are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 liuing creatures and that in all the English Translations whatsoeuer they are translated Beasts the cause seemes to be in the penury of our Language that hath not any proper word to distinguish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alway that these are Angels Ezechiel expounds himselfe chap. 10. ver 20. And the Beast that I saw vnder the God of Israel I vnderstood that they were Cherubims Ezechiel saw his Vision in the captiuity of Babel at the Riuer Chebar and S. Iohn saw his Vision being banished by Domitian into the I le Pathmos one truth by the same types is represented to both so the one very well may serue for a Commentarie to the other to let vs see that these creatures are indeed neither Beasts nor men but Cherubims or Angels Now to come to their description we haue first to consider the place wherein S. Iohn sees them In the midst of the Throne and round about the Throne For vnderstanding of this take vp the Throne to appeare a little lifted vp from the earth in the midst vnder it are the bodies of these creatures and at euery corner looke out their faces so are they both in the midst of the Throne and round about it This glorious Ruler hath his Throne compassed with holy Angels not that he needs any of them but for the greater comfort of his Church as also to shew the great glory of his Maiestie Many Aramites came against Elisha in Dothan his seruant was discouraged so was not himselfe There are more said he with vs then are against vs. And many may we say are our enemies visible and inuisible
a soueraigne preseruatiue against all poyson The Beasts of the field as they record attend till the Vnicorne dip his horne in the water then come they and drink Properly therefore is the Kingdome of Christ expressed by the Vnicornes Horne of all other the most firme and durable the most beautifull the most profitable Hee hath changed the bitter waters of Marah and made them sweete neither is there any thing so deadly which his Horne healeth not and makes it to serue for the saluation of his owne And seuen eyes As in his seuen Hornes his complete power is signified so in his seuen Eyes his complete Wisedome These two do greatly commend the royall authority of our King Hee is wise and will do nothing that he should not for hee sees all and knowes perfectly the quality of euery creature the estate of euery cause Againe he is strong and able to do whatsoeuer he will His Eyes are of two sorts Eyes of Prouidence and Eyes of Grace by his eyes of Prouidence hee lookes vnto all things and there is no place nor people in the world to whom these Eyes are not extended but by the Eyes of his Grace hee lookes to his owne as hee did to Ierusalem restored and sends them this blessing Grace Grace be vnto it And heerein hath the Lord magnified his mercy toward vs aboue many other more mighty Kingdomes in the world that where by the Eyes of his Prouidence hee lookes vnto the rest he hath cast the Eyes of his Mercy and Grace vpon vs The Lord hath not dealt so with euery Nation Yet more plainely In the Text these seuen Eyes are expounded to be the seuen Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth Seuen is the number of perfection noting that fulnesse of grace which is in the Lambe for hee receiued not the Spirit by measure and what hee hath receiued hee retaines not to himselfe but as here is said hee sends it out that of his fulnesse we might all receiue grace for grace And hereof commeth the continuance and conseruation of the Church vpon earth because it is continually furnished with grace frō the Lamb hee hath the seuen Starres in his hand and holds them out to such parts of the world as pleaseth him he furnishes graces of his Spirit to his seruants the Preachers according to the times wherein they liue yea and to euery one of his Saints in particular This same Lord who once according to his promise sent downe the holy Spirit in a visible manner vpon his Apostles in the similitude of fierie clouen Tongues doth daily send him from the Throne of Grace in an inuisible manner And this was properly figured in a Vision to Zacharie wherein hee saw a golden Candlestick with seuen Lampes euery Lampe hauing a seuerall pipe through the which Oyle for intertainement of the light in euery Lampe is conueied from the two Oliues which stand before the Ruler of the world Let therefore Satan and his instruments rage as they list let them labour what they can to put out the light of the Candlestick yea let them presume that it is possible for them to roote out the very name of Israel from vnder heauen yet it cannot be for the stability and continuance of the holy Ministerie in the Church with light and grace in it stands in this that it is furnished from heauen the Eyes of the Lamb looke on his Saints and he sends downe his Spirit vpon them and from the Ruler of the world the oyle of Grace is by secret pipes and conduits conueied to his Candlesticke on earth And who is able to interrupt the course thereof VERSE 7. And he came and tooke the Booke out of the right hand of him that sitteth vpon the Trone HEre in effect no other thing is represented then that which was openly proclaimed from heauen first at Iordan next vpon Mount Tab◅ This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him For by this Type the Lord Iesus is declared to bee the onely Doctor of his Church who receiues the Booke from the Father and out of it reueales to his Church the counsell of God which neither Angell nor man was able to doe As Moses went vp to the Mount and receiued the Tables of the Law and gaue them to Israel so our Mediator who came from the bosome of the Father hath brought downe to vs the knowledge of his Will Let vs not presume to go vp to the Mountaine to enquire any thing which our Moses hath not taught vs left wee die let vs remember our place and stand low wee are disciples bound by diuine Proclamation to heare him whom the Father hath sent vnto vs if we would be saued VERSE 8. And when hee had taken the Booke the foure liuing creatures and the foure and twenty Elders fell downe before the Lambe hauing euery one harps golden vials full of odours which are the prayers of the Saints NOw followes the third part of this Chapter containing a three-fold thanksgiuing for the benefit of this Reuelation The first song is sung by Angels and redeemed Saints coniunctly in the eight ninth and tenth verses The second is sung by Angels seuerally in the eleuenth and twelfth verses The third by all creatures in their kind in the thirteenth verse whereunto Angels againe and redeemed Saints say Amen in the last verse Cotterius confesseth that this place did trouble him greatly and no maruell for the foure beastes he expounds to be Veritas Euangelit quadri◅ormis the fourefold verity of the Gospell No maruell therefore as I haue said that both he and others who expound the foure and twentie Elders to be foure and twenty bookes find themselues straited with this place wherin the Spirit of God plainly expoundeth himselfe that the foure and twenty Elders are they whom God hath redeemed by his bloud out of euery kindred tongue people and Nation But leauing them this comes heere first to bee obserued that as before they fell downe and worshipped the Ruler of the World that sits vpon the Throne so now they fall downe and worship the Lambe Saint Paul vseth this as an argument to proue the diuinitie of Christ Iesus taken out of the 97. Psalme Consider how great is hee of whom it is said Let all the Angels of heauen worship him Let Heretiques therefore be silent sith the vvhole Congregation of Angels and Saints redeemed worship him as GOD. In this thanksgiuing these foure circumstances are to be considered First who are the Musicians that sing Next with what gesture Thirdly what are their musicall instruments And lastly vvhat is their song The Musicians are foure liuing creatures representing the principall order of Angels neerest vnto the Throne and foure and twenty Elders representing the whole Church and companie of Saints redeemed By nature Angels and men were at
the earth But in so doing they are like Samson who pulled downe the house of Dagon vpon himselfe to his destruction by taking away the pillars that vpheld it For as Sodome was spared no longer but till Lot was out of it so if the Lots or Elect ones of the Lord were once fulfilled and gathered out of the world certainely it should continue and endure no longer Two stiles are giuen by this heauenly Oracle to Saints Militant here on earth both very comfortable We are called Brethren and fellow-seruants with them who are in heauen There is one Father of whom is named the whole Family both in heauen and earth All the seruants of that Family are the sonnes of God and all brethren among themselues and their Brother-hood is most excellent for first they are all quickened by one Spirit which cannot be said of any other brethren Among naturall brethren euery one hath his owne spirit but for Spirituall or Christian Brethren they are all quickned with one Spirit Secondly all Christians haue one Father and one Mother Ierusalem which is aboue And thirdly they haue all one inheritance naturall brethren cannot all be the heires of their father but Christians as they are all the sonnes of God so are they all the heires of God neither is the inheritance diminished by communication thereof vnto so many The other is that we are called their fellow-seruants so also doe they acknowledge themselues to be our fellow-seruants Conseruus tuus sum I am thy fellow seruant said the Angel to Saint Iohn Angels then and Saints glorified are not our Patroni sed Conserui they are not our Patrons that by our prayers to them wee should seek protection from them but they are our fellow-seruants and this should stirre vs vp in all carefulnesse to be answerable to our name that wee may serue and praise the Lord our God and euery way doe his holy will in earth as it is done by them in Heauen Againe it is here euident that the number of Saints elected and to be glorified is known vnto God as will appeare more plainely in the subsequent Chapter he hath them all in a roll and it is true of them all which our Sauiour said of his elect Disciples I haue lost none of those whō thou hast giuen me They are not known vnto vs onely the Lord knoweth who are his yet is euery particular Christian bound to make sure to himselfe that he is of that number Proue your selues whether ye are in the faith know yee not your owne selues how that Iesus Christ is in you except yee be reprobates The foundation and ground of our saluation is in God his vnchangeable loue and that remaines sure but the tokens of saluation are in vs this is the seale of his foundation Let euery one that calleth on the Name of the Lord depart from iniquitie And by these tokens are wee to examine our selues whether we be of that number or no According to that of Saint Peter Make sure your calling and election by wel-dooing VERSE 12. And I beheld when he had opened the sixt Seale and loc there was a great Earth-quake and the Sun was as blacke as sack-cloth and the Moone like bloud IN the first foure seales wee haue the generall course of things as they are to continue to the end foreshewed vnto vs. In the last two the generall end of all mankind and that two-fold according to their two ranks and estates the happy end of the godly discouered in the fist seale and at greater length explained in the seuenth Chapter the tragicall and dolefull end of the vvicked foreshewed in this sixt seale And this followes the former very properly In the fist seale the soules of Saints cry to God that he would auenge their bloud there the Lord promised to do it and now the number of Saints being fulfilled and sealed the Lord comes forth in terrible manner to performe it by executing his last full and finall wrath vpon the wicked which iudiciously hath beene obserued by his Maiestie The sixt seale is an accomplishment of that dissolution craued and promised in the fist seale The order lets vs see how the Lord is much mooued vvith the cry of his Saints If that vnrighteous Iudge who neither feared God nor man answered the widow because shee cryed instantly vpon him how much more will the Iudge of all the world who cannot doe vnrighteously heare his Saints who cry vnto him night and day Certainly he will be auenged of their enemies Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints This Vision by some Interpreters is expounded allegorically as if it foreshewed defections Apostasies darkning of the light of the Gospel and obscuring of the face of the Church visible this I confesse is analogall to faith but not to this Prophecie for two causes first because the darkning of the Gospel figured by the darkning of the Sun and the Apostasies of Preachers and Professors figured by the falling of starres is particularly foreshewed in the vision of the trūpets which contain the second Prophecie The other reason is more pungent for it is said here plainly that at the darkning of the Sunne and Moone at the departure of heauen falling of starres Kings Great men and Captaines were terribly afraid and therefore cannot it be vnderstood of Apostasie and defection whereof they themselues were both authors and actors Was it the obscuring of the light of the Gospel that made them to cry out Rocks and Mountaines fall vpon vs and couer vs It can stand with no sense for so farre were they from all feare for that matter that by the contrary they reioyced in it and did what they could to extinguish the Gospel and erect heresies to force Preachers and Professors vnto defection and in so doing they thought they did good seruice vnto God Others againe take it for a denuntiation of some externall and temporall iudgement such as vvas executed on Persecutors and specially vpon Dioclesian It is true that in the holy Scripture many of the phrases vsed here are vsed also to expresse fearefull temporall iudgements threatned against particular states and persons of wicked men Looke the denuntiation of iudgement against Babel and Egypt to expresse the horror of their plagues mention is made of the darkning of the Sunne and Moone c. And in the Prophecie of the destruction of Samaria idolatrous Apostates are brought in crying Hills and Mountains fall vpon vs and couer vs. The same phrases are also vsed to expresse the terror of the destruction of Ierusalem but these make nothing against our exposition for temporall iudgements beeing types and figures of the great and generall Iudgement properly doth the Spirit of GOD borrow the phrases of holy Scripture vsed in denuntiation of
fore-heads and for confirmation thereof they cite Augustine What vse the signe of the Crosse had among the Ancients wee are not now to dispute but to say that the signe of the Crosse is this Seale of the liuing God is a childish and ridiculous folly for the Seale of God here spoken of is proper to Gods Elect and so cannot be the signe of the Crosse wherewith many Reprobates may be marked Qui malè operatur si se emendare noluerit quando se signat peccatum illius non minuitur sed augetur He who liueth euill and amendeth not when he signeth himselfe his sinne is not diminished but augmented And againe Nesciunt miseri quod dum se signant de malo opere se non reuocant includunt in se daemones magis quà m excludunt Those miserable men who will not recall themselues from doing of euill and yet will signe themselues with the signe of the Crosse they know not that by so doing they rather include Deuils within them then exclude them So that the signe of the Crosse cannot bee this Seale of God wherewith none but the seruants of GOD are marked Now that we may know what it is let vs consider that a Seale is a note of appropriation whereby a man marketh that which is his own with his owne marke that it may bee discerned from that which is not his Thus Marchants put their marke on their owne Wares in a Ship and Sheepe-heards likewise put their marke on their owne sheepe to distinguish them from others of the Flock which are not theirs It imports also a conforming of the thing sealed vnto the scale wherewith it is sealed as we shall heare Hitherto tends that of Saint Augustine Signare quid est nisi proprium aliquid ponere Ideo rei ponis signum ne res cum aliis confusa à te non possit agnosci What is it to seale a thing but to put something or some note of thine owne vpon it whereby it may be discerned from others The Father is said to haue sealed the Sonne the Sonne againe is said to seale his Saints and Seruants by the holy Spirit The first is cleere for him hath the Father sealed that is Proprium quiddam dedit ne caeteris comparetur hominibus Hee gaue him something of his owne to distinguish him from other men It is true the Lord Iesus is a Man indeed yet such as hath an incomparable note of super-excellence aboue other men For this Seale of the liuing God Christ hath it first Essentially then Ministerially Essentially hee hath it for hee is the Image of the inuisible God and ingrauen character of his Person Hee hath life in himselfe as the Father hath life in himselfe Hee hath it also as Mediator ministerially to communicate it vnto others not in that degree whereby hee possesseth it himselfe that is impossible but in a certaine similitude for hee giueth life to whom hee will as the Father quickneth whom hee will And thus hee sealeth his owne by imprinting in them his owne similitude and image by the holy Spirit What then is the Seale of the liuing God but the Image of the liuing God which the Lord Iesus by his holy Spirit stampes and engraues in the soules of his Saints This the Apostle tels vs plainely It is God who stablisheth vs with you in Christ and hath anointed vs and hath sealed vs and hath giuen the earnest of his Spirit in our hearts And againe After that yee beleeued ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise And yet againe Grieue not the holy Spirit of God by whom yee are sealed vnto the day of Redemption Of all these it is cleere that as I haue said The Seale of God is the Image of God stamped in the soules of his children by the holy Spirit This was our first glorie that we were created to the Image of our God Satan and our selues did miserably deface it but now by the grace of Iesus in our Redemption it is againe graciously restored They who want this Seale the Lord will not acknowledge them to be his Away from mee yee workers of iniquitie I know you not And if wee our selues would know whether this Seale hath stamped vs or not let vs looke to our owne disposition for euery seale leaues such an imprinted forme in that which it sealeth as it hath in itselfe The Lord is holy hee is light hee is iust mercifull meeke long-suffering if hee hath communicated his Image to vs then will hee make vs some way to resemble our Father we shall become holy light in the Lord righteous toward all men mercifull meeke long-suffering and readie to forgiue for what else is Christianisinus but imitatio diuinae naturae Christianity but an imitation of the Diuine Nature In a word looke the fruits of the Spirit and of the flesh as they are reckoned out and opposed to other by the Apostle If the Lord haue sealed vs with his Seale then shall the fruits of the Spirit be manifest in vs if otherwise the fruits of the flesh be predominant sure it is thou are not sealed by the holy Spirit for such as are sealed by him hee maketh them like vnto himselfe Now this Seale they are said to haue it in their fore-heads because it emboldeneth them to stand to the publike confession of Christ First as I haue shewed hee sealeth them in their hearts and next in their fore-heads No terrour no intreatment can moue them to deny the Lord Iesus Hee that denyes me before men I shall deny him before my Father in heauen I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Iesus said S. Paul Innumerable proofes hereof we haue in Confessors and Martyrs of all times There is a notable example giuen hereof by Sanctus the Martyr in the persecution vnder Commodus when it was demanded of him what his name was Hee answered Christianus sum and to all questions demanded of him of his Countrey and Parents he gaue onely this answer Christianus sum Let vs try our selues whether we haue this seale or not where wee find a beginning thereof let vs carefully conserue it that the lineaments of that image be not defaced by the deepnesse of Satan and deceit of our owne sinfull corruption for the want of this seale will make the Lord deny his owne creature in that Day Depart from me ye workers of iniquity I know you not The siluer which is not strucken with the Kings stampe is counted adulterous and not receiued in his treasure Sic anima que imaginem Christi non habet in coelestes thesauros non ingredietur so the soule which hath not the image of Christ shall not be layd vp in the heauenly treasures And he cryed By his crying with a loud voice nothing else is noted
Song they are euerie one of them as I said by themselues beautifull and glorious but so much the more beautifull as they are many and diuers agreeing all in one vnitie As in a Musicall Instrument the sound is sweeter if the strings be many yet concordant Nam sâ—…nus sâ—…auissimus â—…it ex diuersis non aduersis sonis ita sancti habebunt tune differentias suas consonantes non dissonantes So is it with Saints howsoeuer different in regard of many sorts of people whereof they consist yet agree they all in one sweete consonance and harmonie among themselues Saluation In this one word of saluation they comprise the whole benefits of our Redemption the greatnesse of this saluation will best be knowne by looking to that three-fold condemnation from which God hath deliuered vs and whereof wee haue spoken Rom. 8. ver 1. All the glory of our saluation they ascribe to the Lord and to none other they look neither to Angell nor man but giue the glorie of saluation to the mercies of God and merites of the Lamb. The discordance of Popish Hymnes from this Song of Saints shewes them to be Antichristian for in all their songs prayers there soundeth an vncouth voice of the merits of men yea in their Masse-booke they are not ashamed to pray that they may come to heauen by another bloud then the bloud of the Lambe Their distinction of principally and secondarily will not free them of blasphemy Our saluation say they principally is from God and the Lambe but secondarily it must be helped by our owne merites and the merites of others No such word haue we in this heauenly Song If they would sing this Song with vs and say Amen to it as Angels do in the next verse Controuersies betweene Christian Catholiques and them that will be called Catholiques Romane were the more easily ended But heresies must be that such as are approued may be tryed VERSE 11. And all the Angels stood round about the Throne and about the Elders and the foure liuing creatures and they fell before the Throne on their faces and worshipped God THE former thankes-giuing of Saints is here seconded by Angels not onely saying Amen and so approuing that which redeemed Saints haue said before but also v. 12. subioyne to this same purpose a new Thankes-giuing of their own where first we haue to obserue the order of the heauenly Court first we haue the Throne vpon which sitteth the blessed Trinitie the Father the Sonne and the seuen-fold Spirit proceeding from both O what a coÌ„fort is it in the sight of Angels and Saints redeemed the Man Iesus Redeemer of Saints sitteth on the Throne with the Father next to the Throne are the soure liuing creatures representing the chiefe and principall order of Angels as we haue shewed chap. 4. Then about them stand the foure and twenty Elders representing the whole Church of Saints redeemed and then in a circle about them stands the whole companie of other Angels What great comfort wee haue of this hath beene declared in the 4. chapter Stood round about the Throne In the ninth verse it hath beene said that redeemed Saints stood before the Throne now Angels are also said to stand about the Throne They stand neuer fell grace preserued them wee fell and were in the transgression but grace raised vs vp againe and makes vs now to stand before the Throne O what a mercy hath the Lord shewed vpon vs If wee would know it let vs looke to the Reprobate Angels Of them so saith S. Iude The Angels who kept not their first estate but left their owne habitation hee hath reserued in euerlasting chaines vnder darkenesse vnto the iudgement of the great Day To this same purpose also saith Saint Peter God spared not the Angels that had sinned but cast them downe into hell and deliuered them into chaines of darkenesse to be keps vnto damnation yet man that sinned the Lord hath spared hee fell from his first estate as the Angels did yet did not the Lord cast him downe to hell nor deliuer him to Chaines of darkenesse as hee did them but mercifully hath raised him vp againe and made him to sit in the heauenly places in Christ Iesus And now hee stands before the Throne in the company of these blessed and elect Angels that stand and neuerfell Let vs meditate vpon this mercy which our narrow hearts can neuer sufficiently vnderstand Oh that we were as we should thankefull for it And they fell on their faces Before the Angels were said to couer their faces with wings now againe they fall on their faces noting no other thing then their humble reuerence in praysing God and recommending the reuerence of bodily humiliation to vs in the worshipping of God It is written of S. Iames the Apostle that his knees with frequent kneeling and his fore-head with often bowing it to the ground in the time of prayer obduruisse callo were become so hard vt nihil ferè à Cameli pedibus si duritiem spectes discreparent that they differed not in hardnesse from the knees or feete of a Camel But now men are become so delicate that they thinke it reuerence enough to discouer the head to fall on their face they will not yea scarse bow the knee to the ground to honour the Lord. Now when they fall on their face it is said They worshipped God In all this Court of heauen there is no worshipping of Angels Patriarches or Apostles all the sound of their voices is for to giue the Lord the glory of saluation and all the gesture they vse is to giue worship to the Lord onely and none other VERSE 12. Saying Amen Praise and glorie and wisedome and thankes and honour and power and might be to our God for euermore Amen THE former Song of Saints is now approued by Angels and they say Amen vnto it they will giue no part of the glorie of saluation to any man they will take none of it to themselues The consent of the Catholike Church consisting of Men and Angels we haue in the preceding confession Papists glory in their multitude and call this confession Hereticall which reserues the glory of saluation to God onely but there are more with vs then with them all the Angels of heauen say Amen vnto it Let vs keep the tenor of the heauenly Song choosing rather to be falsly named Heretiques with Saints and Angels then falsly named Catholiques with Papists who can neuer praise the Lord freely and fully but reserue a part of his glory to the creature Concerning the vse of the particle Amen we haue spoken before Praise and glory It contents them not by saying Amen to approue the Song of Saints but they will also praise God by theÌ„selues A warning to many of our cold Professors who will sit in the Church to heare God praised but not
Why some wicked mâ—… are plagued now and some spared Psal. 58. 11. Corrections of Gods children are with measure Esay 27. 6 7 8. He dealeth not so with the wicked Pâ—…imas in Apoc. Good thingâ—… prepared for good men whereof the wicked shall not be partakers Aug. de ciuit Dei lib. 1. c. 8. But the temporall good and euill of this life is common to both Deuouring beasts one of Gods ordinary plagues Hos. 2. 18. Leuit. 26. Deut. 28. Ezech. 14. 2. Kings 17. 25. Plin. lib 8. ca. 29. Examples of base beasts punishing the pride of man One thing God offers to men and men wil not haue it Three things that men would haue from God and God will not giue them A iust recompence Psal. 16. 4. Psal. 32. 10. Comfort to Saints suffering death is brought in by the fift seale A sight which Saints out of the body haue of God and of themselues An answere to them who ask if Saints shall know one another in heauen Mat. 5. 8. 1. Iohn 3. 3. Two examples prouing probably that it will be so Gen. 2. 23. Mat. 17. But our knowledge there shall be far different from that which we haue now An argument for the immortality of the Soule Athanas. Altars honored with relikes of Martyrs haue no warrant here This Altar vnder which soules rest is the Lord Iesus Carthus in hunc locum Hugo Cardinal Luke 23. Luke 16. Psal. 30. Reuel 7. Iohn 17. 24. How Christ is both the sacrifice the sacrificer and the Altar Heb. 9. 14. Death compared to Nebuchadnezzars fire Mat. 10. 28. It burnes our bands but hurts not our selues Rom. 8. 35. 36. No religion so false but it hath some to defend it and dye for it The crying of Saints notes their feruent desire Greg. lib. 2. Moral cap. 6. Ibid. Psal. 10. 17. How Saints cry for vengeance Foure sorts of crying sinnes Gen. 18. 20 21 Exod. 22. 22 23 Deut. 24. 14 15 Iam. 5. 4. Gen. 4. 10. They cry not out of passion or priuate reuenge but out of zeale vnto God his glory Primas in hunc locum Greg. Moral 2. cap. 6. Manuscript Saints are so conioyned to the Lord that to his will and not their own they conforme themselues Psal. 58. 10 11. In prayer Saints giue God such Stiles as may best mooue him and assure them of a good answer Psal. 94. 20. Felicity of Saints Triumphant is not yet complete and why Heb. 11. 40. Bern. in sesto omnium sanct ser. 2 3. Ribera in hunc locum Some worthy Fathers charged by Ribera for Hereticks falsly God first iudges then hee auenges In al his processe cognition goeth before execution Gen. 18. 25. Psal. 94. 1. To iudge and reuenge appertaines to the Lord. Math. 7. 1. Rom. 14. 4. Rom. 12. 19. Why worldly men are called Inhabitants of the earth 2. King 2. A heart set to pray is a forerunner of a fauourable answer Answer to Saints is giuen here first by a signe of white Robes secondly by Speech What their white Robe signifies Reu. 3. 5. Saints know that in heauen by sight and feeling which heere they know by faith God speakes vnto soules by inspiring them Aug. ser. 1. de Sanct. 1. Ioh. 2. 18. Last Day now is not farre off Last day delayed till Saints be accomplished Foolish are the wicked who persecute Saints Iudg. 16. 30. Gen. 19. Saints called brethren for three causes 1 They haue all one Father Ephes. 3. 15. 2 They are all quickned by one Spirit Galat. 4. 26. 3 They are all borne to one inheritance How all Saints are fellow-seruants Reuel 22. 9. Angels are not our patrons but our patterns of whom we should learne Number of Saints is known to God 2. Tim. 2. 19. 2. Cor. 13. 5. Yet should cuety Saint make sure to himselfe that he is of that number 2. Tim. 2. 19. 2. Pet. 1. 1. 10. The summe of the sixt seale In the fist seale 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for iudgement in the sixt God answereâ—… them Iaco. Rex â—…rit For the cry of Saints moueth the Lord much Luk. 18. Gen. 18. 25. Psal. 116. 15. The sixt seale should not bee expounded allegorically for two reasons 1 Because the prophecy of apostasy comes not in here but in the subsequent ptophecy 2 Apostasie could not terrify great men as here themselues being authors and actors of it Neither is this sixt seale to be vnderstood of a temporall iudgement Esay 13. 10. Ezech. 32. 7. Hos. 10. 7. Luke 23. 30. Arguments mouing some Interpreters to thinke that the sixt seale cannot import the Day of Iudgement are answered Arguments prouing that it is to be expounded of the Day of Iudgement 1 The seuenth seale for etels nothing as the rest doc but introduces seuen trumpets to foretell 2 The sixt seale brings an vniuersall change of al creatures 3 All the wicked vniuersally are iudged in it 4 It is plainly said to bee the great Day of the Lord. 5 Collation of this place with the words of our Sauiour proues that it is so Mat. 24. 29. Luke 21. 25. Marke 13. 24. Who can deny this to point out the Day of Iudgement Terrour of the last Day two wayes described 1 From the effects thereof on the insensible creature 2 Vpon reasonable creatures but reprobates of all sorts Earthquake is either ordinary or extraordinary Darkning of the Sunne likewise is either naturall or supernaturall Marke 15. 33. The bloudy Moone what it meanes All creatures conspire to serue the Lord in punishing his enemies Now the wicked are vnder wrath but hauing the comfort of the creature they feele it not Rom. 1. But at last the creature also shall forsake them Psal. 73. Sith comfort of creatures will faile all flesh let vs in time seeke the Creator Cypria de mortal Heb. 12. 28. Starres falling like figges Teaches vs that no state can stand when God shakes it Nahum 3. 12. The world shal fall yet it come to a ripe age Heauen departing like a scrole expounded These creatures shall not perish in their substance but be changed in their qualities Rom. 8. 21. They like seruants shall receiue a new liuery when the Kings sonne shall marry his Spouse Psal. 102. 25 26 This is cleared by the Psalmist and Saint Peter 2. Pet. 3. 10. 2. Pet. 3. 13. Euery losse which man hath receiued from sinne Satan shall be repaired by Iesus This is not to be extended to Reprobates and excrements of the earth The terrour which the last day shall work in the reasonable but reprobate creature Seuen ranks of men contayning all combinations wherein flesh can haue confidence Rom. 2. 11. Yet when they are all ioyned they cannot resist iudgement Exod. 5. 2. 2. Chro. 32. 14. A glasse for proud flesh to looke into Psal 2. 10 11 12 The wicked in their distresse crie to the creature For their conscience they dare not run to their Creator What a sure ground is here for Papists to build their inuocation of creatures