of this should make them blessed which did heare it and keepe the things herein contained Further it is commended in regard of the time wherein it was deliuered to Iohn to wit when he was exiled for the Gospell sake into the I le of Pathmos which argueth that it was a notable thing seeing it was to be a matter of great comfort to him in such a distresse And more particularly that it is said to be reuealed on the Lords day wherein God vseth to deliuer more excellent things concerning his will and counsell then at other times And as the Sabbath giueth commendations and credit and authority vnto the Reuelation so this Reuelation also giueth authoritie to the Sabbath And first Iohn beginneth with a Salutation that it might draw attention and be the more accepted of the hearers In the salutation hee wisheth Grace and peace from the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost The Father is set out to be Hee that was is shal be that is euerlasting The holy Ghost is set down next by the name of seauen Spirits as hauing relation vnto the seauen Churches making as it were a conformity of the Spirit with those seauen Churches hereafter mentioned wherein his Mistery most especially lay The cause wherefore he did chuse seauen Churches and no other number it is for the number of perfection for seauen is a perfect number and therefore he saith the holy Ghost is as seauen Spirits to poure out his grace effectually in all the Churches because he is as effectuall in all as in one for his strength is not diuided And by seauen Churches he also vnderstandeth all the rest Next the holy Ghost is set downe the Sonne of God The reason why the second Person is set after is first because the Scripture is wont to set that in the last place which it vseth to intreate longest of now therefore the Apostle Saint Iohn being here principally to speake of our Sauiour Christ setteth him in the last place In the Salutation he wisheth grace vnto the Churches with the fruit thereof which is peace which are set downe by their end to wit that God might be glorified Christ is here described by his offices first in that he is called the faithfull Witnesse signifying that hee is a Prophet to testifie the truth to his people Secondly he is described by his Priest-hood in that he is called the first begotten of the dead shewing thereby that he was offered vp in sacrifice for his Church and was risen from the dead Thirdly by his kingdome in that he is called Prince of the Kings of the earth that is he to whom all power belongeth and to whom all Princes are subiect as of whom they receiue their Scepters Afterward the Apostle shewes that he did not set downe this Reuelation by himselfe but by the calling of Christ and therefore bringeth in the author of his calling which was Christ whom he setteth downe by his comming in the clouds which he saith shall be so glorious that euery one shall see him and that this authority may be more effectuall he bringeth in Christ speaking in his owne person saying I am Alpha and Omega And lastly the Apostle bringeth in himselfe describing himselfe to be a Brother that is a member of Christ and one that waited for deliuerance by him And againe that hee was a Labourer in the Church and therefore was persecuted for the Truths-sake for which cause hee was now driuen into the Isle of Pathmos And heere hee saith hee was rauished in the spirit and heard a voice as of a Trumpet In that he saith he was rauished in the spirit he signifieth that his minde was withdrawne from all worldly cogitations and was addicted and bent vnto those holy meditations which it pleased the Lord to minister vnto him Where we see that hee with-held himselfe from all other things to the end hee might better attend vpon all good occasions to learne any thing concerning the will of God Which teacheth vs in holy exercises especially which concerne the will of God to separate our selues from any thing that may hinder vs or withdraw our mindes from the same and more principally ought the Ministers so to doe when they are to be occupied in the study of the word of God and in deliuering the will of God vnto the people And hee looked to see the Voice Not that the voice could be seene but he looked from whence it should come and who should speake it Then hee sheweth what hee saw which is the preparation of the two Chapters following that which he saw was seauen Candlestickes which note the seauen Churches for the Candlestickes are of Gold signifying the glory and puritie of them so that wee see that albeit the Church in the world seemeth to be contemptible yet with God it is most precious Afterward the Apostle doth notably describe Him whom he saw and first by his apparell in that hee had a long Garment noting that hee was a great Councellor for amongst the Iewes Councellors vsed to weare such manner of Garments This noteth that Christ is infinitely wise and therefore able to giue counsell to his Church Secondly his paps girded noting that as he is wise so he is ready to helpe his seruants speedily with his counsell A similitude taken from the custome of those Countries of the East who when they would make hast in doing any thing they would gird vp their Cloathes to their breasts lest they should be any hinderance vnto them that they might more speedily doe that they went about His head white declaritg his grauity as gray haires are signes of age His eyes flaming that is piercing and entring into the hearts of men laying open and seeing all things whatsoeuer though neuer so secret His feete Brasse shewing his power and maiestie as being able to tread his enemies and all that is contrary to his will or that opposeth it selfe to him in peeces vnder his feete After follow his effects and first by his voice which is said to be like the sound of many waters setting down thereby the maiestie of his voyce noting how terrible Christ is to his enemies Then hee is said to haue seauen Starres in his hand which signifieth the Ministers who are the lights of the Church And whereas they are said to be in his hand it noteth that the Ministers of the Word are in the custody of Christ being vpheld maintained and gouerned by him Out of his mouth went a sharpe two-edged sword Which is his Gospell And whereas it is said to haue two edges it declareth the double vertue of the word of God which either cutteth and healeth vnto life or woundeth to death His face shining as the Sunne either setting forth the fulnesse of his Maiestie or else his enlightning of the earth with the light of the Gospell like as the Sunne with his beames Afterward Iohn saith that he fell downe at the sight hereof which he did partly in
power whatsoeuer can winne it or wrest it out of his hand nor can be partaker of it vnlesse hee himselfe will giue it This Booke is written within and without signifying that the multitude of the plagues which were to come on the world were so many that the Booke could not containe them The subiect of these plagues vpon whom they should be executed is the world according as the Psalmist speaketh Lord poure out thy wrath vpon the Gentiles In that it is sealed it noteth that it is separate from all men and Angels so that none could attaine to the knowledge of it but God himselfe According to that which the Apostle speaketh who hath beene his Councellor Rom. 11. 34. that is who hath beene partaker of Gods counsell In the Gospell of Saint Iohn Christ answereth The Sonne hath reuealed it which came out of the bosome of his Father After hee heareth the voice of a strong Angell which saith Who can open the Booke Who is worthy to do it Which sheweth that the Angels themselues stoope to looke into these iudgements that is haue an earnest desire to behold the things of the Church and the misteries of God concerning the same as the Apostle Peter saith In that there was none found that could open the Booke no not so much as looke vpon it It sheweth that none can haue so much as the least measure of knowledge thereof Then Iohn wept for that none was found worthy It teacheth vs that when wee see our ignorance of those things which concerne vs wee are to weepe and be grieued at the same especially in those things which concerne our saluation After it is said one of the Elders comforted him bidding him not to weepe for the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah had performed this so called by reason of his courage through which hee had ouercome all lets which might hinder the reading of it namely sinne and this he had taken away by his death and so had obtained this fauour at Gods hand for vs. The root of Dauid That is the cause and creator of Dauid and the begetter of his faith in regard of his God-head as in other places hee is called the seed of Dauid in regard of his man-hood which proceeded of the linage of Dauid After he is represented in another forme that is to say of a Lamb that had been slain as it seemeth bloudy which appeared in the midst of the Throne And he is said to haue seauen horns seauen eyes which are the seauen spirits that is the holy Ghost which is his spirit proceeding from him By his eyes meaning his infinite knowledge wherby he seeth into all things By his seauen hornes is signified his infinite power And he commeth to his Father taketh the Booke of his Father to open it and to vnloose the seales who would giue it to none else Then followes the effect of this his taking the Booke to wit a Song of thankesgiuing First of the chiefe and principall Angels who say that the Lambe onely is worthy to receiue this honour as to haue the Booke and to open it And as the foure Beasts being principall of the Angels and the Archangels begin so also the Elders which were the principall of the Church doe ioyne with them in praysing Christ And after as the chiefe of the Angels and of the Saints begin so the rest of the Angels follow euen thousand thousands viz. all the other Angels And in their Song they praise the Lambe attributing to him all Power and Riches and Wisedome and Strength which are causes and then the effects thereof Honour and Glory and Praise that all these belong vnto him Then followeth the praise and thankesgiuing of the rest of the Church and of all the Creatures which praise first God the Father for vouchsafing to giue the Book vnto his Son secondly God the Sonne for obtaining it at his fathers hands Lastly the chiefe Angels the foure and twenty Elders are brought in saying Amen to the thankesgiuing of the inferiour Angels and of the rest of the Creatures As they began the Chapter so they as it were make an end and answere to the rest in prayses shewing vs that they neuer cease continually to sound forth the praises of God Apoc. Cap. 6. 1 After I beheld when the Lambe had opened one of the seales and I heard one of the foure beasts say as it were the noyse of thunder Come and see HAuing heard before in the former Chapters of the preparation to the declaring of the things to come he now speaketh of the things themselues that were to follow and he speaketh of them as of great Misteries And first it seemeth in this Chapter is shewed to the Apostle rather a warning what things are to befall then any declaration of the befalling of those Iudgements as the execution of the things themselues set downe in the eight and ninth Chapters doe manifestly declare And also it appeareth because in the seauenth Chapter as it is familiar with the Scripture before the things doe come he sheweth matter of comfort to the Children of God to prepare arme them against those iudgements to be executed So here in this Chapter is contained a denunciation of the iudgements to come to passe on the wicked vnlesse there were speedy repentance as in the next Chapter a consolation to arme and strengthen the godly in that they should not be touched nor hurt with these iudgements And then last of all followeth in the eight and ninth Chapters the declaration of the very execution of the iudgements themselues In that he saith he heard one of the foure Beasts speaking to him as it were with the noise of a thunder it sheweth that though it were in the same vision yet hee is faine to be raised vp by this mighty voice of the Angell so that one stirring vp was not sufficient Which teacheth vs that in the same Sermon we are often to be raised vp if not by the Angell that is by the Minister yet by our selues We are as it were to renew our attention to receiue instruction reproofe correction or any other thing which the Lord would haue vs to know Come and see that is attend diligently and carefully with greater attention Not onely exhorting him to continuance but also to heare more fruitfully and profitably After that the first Seale is opened by the Lambe Christ the Apostle Saint Iohn saith he saw a white horse and a man sitting thereon In that he is said to sit on a white horse and to haue a Crowne giuen him it noteth victory By the Man is vnderstood the Ministers of the Sonne of God Christ Iesus sent forth to declare the iudgements of God to come vpon the wicked for the neglect of the word And whereas it is said for victory it signifyeth that the iudgements which they threatned should haue euent vnlesse they repented speedily The Bow which he hath signifieth the easinesse of the
send them to the darknes of hel to their deeper condemnation So that here we see the Word hath a contrary effect in regard of the godly and the wicked And therefore it is compared in the first Chapter to a two edged Sword which on the one side cutteth and healeth to life and on the other side woundeth and killeth to death According as the Apostle saith in the Epistle to the Corinthians We are the sauour of God vnto your saluation that beleeue vnto others vnto condemnation By this deuouring then of their enemies is meant the destroying and conuincing of those that would not yeeld vnto their preaching to their further destruction and deeper condemnation Where wee see that the Prophet here setteth forth that howsoeuer the Ministers of God should haue great strife in those dayes and grieuous enemies yet they should not preuaile against the truth These should haue power to shut the heauens to make the heauens brasse that it should not raine in the dayes of their Prophecie to restraine the fruit of the earth to turne the waters into bloud c. Where hee alludeth partly to the Ministery of Elias at whose prayer the earth was barren and there 1 Kings 17. was no raine for the space of three yeares And partly to the Ministery of Moses who brought bloud in al the land Exod. 7. 17. of Egypt by turning the water into bloud signifying that where the Ministery of the word in the denouncing of iudgements was contemned there the Lord would send Plagues and Pestilence and Flouds and such like vpon them In that which remaineth of the sixt Plague there is first set forth that the two Prophets these two Oliues and Vines should make an end of their Ministery and the Beast should ouercome them Before it was said that at their pleasure and at their owne liking they ouercame others and restrained the dewe of heauen and did execute and bring to passe whatsoeuer they had to doe by the direction by the word and will of God Here now it is said that after the accomplishing of their worke and finishing of their testimony the Beast ouercommeth them To teach vs that the Lord doth so maintaine his Ministers and seruants that vntill they haue finished and accomplished the worke of their Ministery which he hath appointed them to execute they shall not be hurt by Sathan or any of his Ministers or wicked Instruments Which may be a singular comfort to the Ministers and children of God that howsoeuer they be hated of many men in the world yet they shall haue no power to hurt them till the time God hath limited them be expired And here wee are also to consider that in regard of their Ministery these two Prophets did ouercome but in regard of their liues onely they are ouercome herein had their enemies leaue to hurt them they were able to doe nothing else vnto them The time of this appeareth by limitation of this one thousand two hundred and sixty yeares to befall about the dayes of Boniface the eight who was a wretched and cruell persecuter of the Saints of God for by the account of the history it selfe it fals iustly on the one thousand two hundred and sixty yeare after Christ the very yeare of that Beast Boniface who after he had killed the Saints of God would not suffer their bodies to be buried which thing the history particularly witnesseth making mention that the bodies also of the Saints were carried about the City of Rome in triumph and might not be suffered to be buried After it is said that the wicked ones in the token of their ioy make great feasts and sent presents one to another which manner of speech seemeth to bee taken from the Booke of Hester wherein commandement is giuen that for their victory and deliuerance a Feast should be celebrated for euer And of this also the history maketh mention that in regard of their ioy and gladnesse for the destruction and death of Gods Seruants and faithfull Martyrs there was a Feast of Iubily celebrated which afterward they continued wherein also as much as in them lay they did annihilate the comming of Christ who gaue an end of all these ceremonies And this is said to be done in the great City spiritually called Sodome and Egypt where the Lord was crucified whereby the Apostle most plainely describeth Rome as being the greatest City then in the world there being none at that time for fame and greatnesse to be compared to it In that it is called Sodome and Egypt it is spiritually as he saith to be vnderstood It is called Sodome in regard of the filthinesse and abhominations therein by reason of their Sodomitrie their whoredomes and abhominable vncleannes of men with men and all manner of all other such like wretchednesses Egypt in regard of the persecutions of Gods Children alluding to the persecutions whereby the Egyptians kept the Children of Israel in bondage The place where Christ was Crucified to wit Ierusalem so called and attributed to Rome in that Rome brags of it selfe as Ierusalem did to be the most excellent professor of Christs religion the onely Sion the Church and beloued of the Lord albeit indeed it be nothing lesse nay it is rather hated of God as Ierusalem was crucifying the Lord Iesus So that these things doe notably agree with Rome the great City that Sodomiticall persecuting Church yet pretending to be the true Church of God After it is said that their bodies lying three dayes and an halfe that is three yeares and a halfe vnburied that is a mocking-stocke and triumphed-ouer by the wicked they are then raised vp by the Lord to wit not those that were slaine but others in their spirit As Iohn is said to be Elias because he came in the spirit of Elias as it is said to wit with the same boldnesse and zeale that Elias did They are taken into heauen that is separate themselues from the rest of the Sonnes of men which were wicked and worshipped the Beast going into such places where they might serue the Lord. Then followeth immediately a fearefull Earthquake by which the great City was shaken and the tenth part of it ouerthrowne The second Woe being past the third insueth which followeth after the blast of the next Agell The last Angell blew the Trumpet which shall be fulfilled at the dissolution of the world in the latter day when all shall be raised from the dead when all the Kingdomes of the world are committed into the hands of Christ then shall be the accomplishment of his Kingdome when hee shall giue reward vnto his seruants the Prophets to his Saints and to all that feare his name and shall render destruction vnto his enemies and then shall hee giue vp his power vnto his father and God shall be all in all And after this there shall be time no more Then we shall haue Sunne no more that is we shall haue no neede of the Sunne