downe their drinkes so also by the Tree of life is expressed their meat not that there shall be in the Kingdome of heauen any corporall meate or drinke but onely noting a sufficiency and fulnesse of all good things which there Gods Children should haue In that the Tree of life bringeth forth fruit euery moneth to wit twelue times in the yeare and it bringeth forth also seuerall kindes of fruit it noteth all measure and kindes of delight being not onely plentifull but also full of all variety Euen as men vse to doe which making a feast will not content themselues with one sort of meat but will labour to haue what variety they can of most dainty meates that it may bring more delight vnto the guests so here it is noted that in Christ there should be all sufficiency and variety of pleasures and delights Saint Iohn here chooseth to set forth the ioyes of heauen by fruits rather then by Oxen and Fatlings as our Sauiour Christ expresseth it Matthew 22. because our Sauiour hath regard to vsuall marriages of Kings and Princes who vse against their Marriage-feasts to kill great store of Beeues and such like prouision the holy Ghost here in this place hath relation to that first kinde of liuing in the beginning in mans innocencie when he onely liued of the fruits of the earth The leaues of it are to heale the sores signifying that there could be no sicknesse there seeing they had health at their doores and that of the same tree whereof they had their meat They had no neede of light because God himselfe and Christ was their light which doth adde to that felicitie for as darkenesse in hell aggrauates the miserie of the wicked so contrariwise the fulnesse of light the godly shall haue doth augment their happinesse and more in that that light shall exceede the light of the Sunne And further to shut vp their ioy he saith one singular and notable comfort and felicity to Gods Children is to serue and worship God for howsoeuer now by reason of our corrupt nature it seemes a burthen and a trouble to worship God yet then it shall be one of our chiefest ioyes They stand in Gods presence that is haue most excellent priuiledges of Gods sauour and bee principall seruants vnto God as those are in most honour with Princes which are said to stand in their presence and attend vpon them in their Courts As Daniel is said to stand in the presence of the King so these shall stand in the Courts of God and haue the full fruition of his comfortable presence and therefore on the contrarie side the vngodly are herein accursed 2. Thessalonians 1. 9 in that they are shut from the presence of God to wit his gracious presence for otherwise all things whatsoeuer are in his presence Lastly they shall raigne and rule for euermore being ioyned with Christ the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Thus much of their comforts in the Kingdome of God Now followes the close of the Booke to giue more credit to it and to stirre vp others to looke more diligently into it and to regard to meditate and practise it more carefully Here then is set downe first the testimony of the Angell then of Iohn lastly of Christ himselfe Of the Angell who saith that all these things are faithfull and true which he proueth by the efficient cause which is God by the instrument to deliuer it to Iohn which was himselfe being sent of God and by the time which is that they shall shortly come to passe And therefore heauen and earth shall sooner passe then one of these shall fall to the ground By the testimony of Iohn which saith that it was hee which saw and heard these things and therefore could testifie of them whereupon hee taketh occasion to repeat his former fall for saith he such were the strangenesse of these things that when I saw them I fell downe and worshipped the Angell where hee confesseth his grieuous fault in worshipping the creature in stead of the Creator for which hee is reprehended of the Angell for drawing this vision to a wrong end and making a contrary vse of the same namely by worshipping him which was a Minister of God to wit an Angell who was his fellow Seruant and therefore not to be worshipped and hauing reprehended him for the abuse hee teacheth him the right vse and end of the same namely first that hee should hereby be stirred vp to worship God and secondly to manifest and testifie it to others And therefore hee biddeth him not to seale the words of this Prophecie noting that hee should shew and manifest it to the Church of God To the end that first they might keepe and practise the things therein contained Secondly that they might vnderstand the certainty of the things therein contained wherein hee meeteth with an obiection that might be made For might some say if they must come certainely why then should men trouble themselues about it in studying for the knowledge of the vnderstanding of that Booke especially seeing it is so hard and darkely spoken and that many would abuse the things of this Prophecie and wrest them to another end then the Apostle meant them being giuen in a stile so vnwonted as Peter 2. Pauls sayings are said to be hard But the Angell answeres that it must not be sealed vp but published And howsoeuer it may be some may take occasion to be wicked and carelesse by it yet Saint Iohn saith it makes no matter for that for though the wicked stumble at it yet it is giuen for the comfort of the righteous and for the Children of Gods sake and they shall profit and be bettered by it and made more iust by taking heed of these iudgements herein contained And for the wicked hee said if any will be euill let him be euill still And last of all hee saith that though it should not make either for the furthering of the wicked in their wickednesse or to further the godly in their godlinesse yet it is to be left vnsealed for the glory of God to manifest him to be true and his word true when all these things shall come to passe Then is Christ himselfe brought in speaking saying Behold I come quickly c. In which words of our Sauiour hee confirmeth also to vs the truth of this Prophecie and the testimony of the Angell his titles whereby hee is described are spoken of before Lastly hee shutteth vp the Booke with an execration against the wicked and a promise of blessing towards the godly And because Iohn was the last writer of the Scriptures and word of God it may well be referred vnto the whole new Testament and the old And hee saith Whosoeuer doth adde or take away let him be accursed For Saint Iohn seeing wicked men labour to corrupt the writings of the Apostles and holy men of God by adding detracting and changing as is the common practise in other writings of men of fame hee doth therefore meet with that corruption and addeth this curse vnto them that either adde any thing vnto it or diminish any thing here-from But some will obiect seeing Gods word cannot be corrupted wherfore then doth he goe about to forbid the corrupting of it It is answered howsoeuer the word of God cannot in any point be corrupted yet God would also haue the meanes vsed whereby hee would haue the same preserued by setting downe the threatnings of curse to the corrupters of it and promises of blessing to the keepers and preseruers of it FINIS
reuerence and partly in feare But the Lord raiseth him vp and vpholdeth him bidding him not to feare And in a word interpreteth all the mistery and setteth downe briefly the summe of the whole Booke following which was then to be reuealed vnto him namely that it was either of things present or of things to come The things present were those which were then done though Iohn knew not of them which are contained in the three first Chapters of the Booke The things to come are those which afterwards should be done vnto the end of the world and doe follow in the rest of the Booke Apoc. Cap. 2. v. 1. Vnto the Angell of the Church of Ephesus write These things saith he that holdeth the seauen starres in his right hand and walketh in the middes of the seauen golden Candlestickes c. THe Prophet hauing set downe the diuision of his Booke which is into two parts concerning things present and things to come He now commeth to the first namely concerning those things that were then done where first hee sets downe the Epistles which Christ sends to the Churches In the Epistles we are to consider those things that are common to them all those things that are proper to euery one The things common to all are first that they containe titles in them fit for the matter whereunto euery Epistle driueth In the titles it is common to all that it is directed first and principally to the Angell that is to the Minister as being principall in the Church Yet so as that it belongeth also to the whole Church as appeareth by the Exhortation in the end of euery Epistle Let him that hath eares heare c. Secondly this is common to all in that hee either commendeth their good things they haue or discommendeth their euill exhorting them to the good and dehorting them from the euill adioyning promises vnto their good things and threatning iudgements against their euill Lastly the attention vnto the promises which hee stirreth them vp vnto and this hee moueth diuersly In the three first Epistles he seemeth more especially to moue them with care by threatnings in the foure latter he more expresly sets downe their reward and thereupon hee sets downe this exhortation vnto attention Let him that hath an eare heare what the spirit saith to the Churches To come to the Epistles particularly In the first he writeth to the Church of Ephesus Christ describeth himselfe by that by which he is set downe Chap. 1. 13. 16. namely to be hee which hath the seauen Starres in his hand noting that all good things whatsoeuer are in the Ministers they come from him and the praise thereof is due vnto him And secondly in that hee walketh in the midst of the Candlestickes hee noteth that hee seeth all their doings and therefore he knoweth their workes and their labours And here he commends in them first their Patience then their Impatience the latter he handles first as is the manner of the Scripture namely that they could not forbeare those that fained themselues to be Apostles and yet were not and therefore they proued them and tried and found them to be lyars Secondly their Patience that they had borne much affliction and many troubles for the truths sake and did still beare in the maintenance thereof and were not weary which is required in true patience And hauing commended the good in them hee comes to the reproofe where hee teacheth those that are to reprehend others that they set downe in the first place the things that are praise-worthy in the parties to be reprehended and then to set downe the reproofe Which condemneth those which vse to rell the faults leauing out the remembrance of the good but the holy Ghost here contrariwise doth nominate and commend their vertues that the better they might be are the reproofe of their vices Verse 4. The reproofe is that hee saith they had fallen from their first loue Where hee reprehendeth their want of zeale shewing that the feruencie of their loue which first they had was now decayed and cooled therefore hee exhorteth them to a change first in their iudgement that they should reforme it which appeareth in that he saith Verse 5. Remember Then in their will and affections in that hee bids them repent Lastly in their actions in that hee commandeth them to doe their first workes So that he requireth of them a good and full reformation of all things that were amisse both inwardly and outwardly And hee sheweth further if they will not be reformed according as he exhorteth them that hee will remoue their Candlestickes that is either cast them into banishment and suffer them to be led into captiuity or remoue his Gospell from them And lest they should be too much discouraged and cast downe by this seuere and sharpe reprehension hee doth after mollifie the reproofe by praising them againe Verse 6. And hee saith that they haue this good thing that they hate the sinne of the Nicolaitans which he also hated to wit both spirituall and corporall fornication And lastly he shutteth vp the Epistle adding a promise if they returne and ouercome they shall eate of the tree of life that is be partakers of Christ who was represented and figured by the tree of life in Paradise of whom whosoeuer eateth shal neuer die Ioh. 6. Verse 8. The next is the Epistle to the Church of Smirna and amongst them hee findeth nothing but matter of commendation Verse 9. And here first hee praiseth them for their patient suffering of afflictions through which they were become poore yet so as that by the blessing of God that pouertie was turned to their further spirituall riches After hee comes to shew wherein their affliction consisted and was more grieuous vnto them namely in that they had such among them which professed themselues Iewes that is children of God that is Christians but yet were not but would maintaine the ceremonies of the Law and preferre them before the substance of the Gospell and would mingle the ceremonies of the Law with the Gospell Verse 10. And because they were afraide of future euils hee fore-telleth them of such troubles which should befall them that they might be the better prepared against them and the more comforted in them And hee telleth them that some of them should be cast into prison and that they should haue tribulation that is grieuous afflictions and persecution ten daies that is tenne yeares euery day being counted for a yeare according as that phrase is vsed and expounded in Daniel as afterward it came to passe from halfe the raigne of Traian to the time of Adrian for which space the Church suffered extreame persecution And howsoeuer their Persecutors might seeme to doe it in the seruice of God yet he sheweth them that it should be the onely hand of the Diuell and through his malice therfore they should not be discouraged but should rather be comforted for seeing the Diuell was
victory to wit noting that the Lord wil ouercome a farre off because men with a Bow vse to strike a farre off their enemies without any labour euen so would the Lord doe in the execution of his iudgements In the opening of the second Seale there appeareth a red Horse which together with the sword that was giuen him that sat thereon signifieth the great bloudshed that should come on the world by fighting of one nation with another or of nations within themselues as oft times it commeth to passe Then the third Seale is opened whereupon appeareth a black Horse which noteth great famine to come vpon the earth because that famine vseth to make men looke blacke as the holy Ghost interpreteth and declareth it afterward namely when he saith that the man that sat on that Horse had Ballances in his hand noting that they should not eate and drinke as much as they listed but they should haue their meate and drinke giuen by measure as it commeth to passe in the time of dearth A measure of Wheate The word vsed in the originall signifieth such a measure as containeth the eight part of a Strike of Corne the price is said here should be a penny to wit of Romane money being between foure and fiue pence with vs which then was the stipend of a dayes labour signifying that a man should be constrained to bestow that in bread alone which should serue him and his houshold both for bread and all other kinde of sustenance noting thereby the grieuousnesse of the dearth Whereas it is said that they should not hurt the Wine or Oyle It signifieth that it should be as deare as the bread should be and therefore hee counselleth them to take heede that they vse it not ill either by mispending it wastfully or else selling it ouer-deare and therfore would not haue them to set too great a price of it thereby to oppresse the poore buyers but that they should sell as they might noting therby a dearth of all other things as well as of bread After is set forth the opening of the fourth Seale where there comes a pale Horse noting Death which is he that sits vpon him and this shall befall to the wicked And Hell is said to follow him not Purgatory as the Papists dreame signifying that Hell accompanieth the death of the wicked to wit those that disobey Gods commandements And this death commeth not onely by the meanes of famine alone and the sword alone as in the former Seales hath appeared but by them ioyned together and other meanes ioyned with them as namely the euill Beasts Which teacheth vs as we may also see in the fourteenth of Ezechiel that when particular afflictions profit vs Ezech. 14. 13. 15. 17. 19. 21. nothing at all and when by particular iudgements we cannot be brought to repentance then the Lord must needs send manifold iudgements yea hee will ioyne them all together as in that place of Ezechiel and he will adde more vnto them as here he addeth the wilde beasts vnto the famine and sword Afterward followeth the fift Seale where there is no mention of any voice calling vnto him to stirre him vp as before for no doubt the Apostle was well prepared to heare whatsoeuer And here it seemeth the Apostle rendreth a reason of the iudgements to come namely that it was by reason of the cry of the soules of the Saints which were slaine for the truth on the face of the earth And these hee saith are vnder the hollow of the Altar which Heb. 13. is interpreted to be Christ and therefore they are in the custody of Christ These Soules cry for vengeance saying How long Lord holy and true c. Which teacheth vs what is the exercise of the soules departed being slaine for the truth to wit they cry for vengeance and iudgement not that they doe it for desire of reuenge for their owne deaths nor hauing any regard to themselues and the iniuries they haue receiued as our corrupt nature being vnregenerate vseth But as their owne words declare it is for the glory of God which appeareth in that they call him Lord which is as if they should say as thou art Lord ouer all so shew thy selfe to be and be not Lorded by them but manifest thy selfe to haue power ouer all and shew thy selfe one that will repay their rebellion against thee In that they say holy and true they desire that herein he will expresse himselfe to be holy and true in doing that which is right concerning reuenge against the wicked as hauing promised reuenge In that they say how long This they doe in regard of the care not onely of themselues but that they haue of the oppressed children of God on earth Not that there is any such care that hindreth their felicity but onely a desire of the helpe and deliuerance of those on earth as also of the consummation of their felicity This doth not confirme that opinion of the Papists that the Saints in heauen doe know the particular estate of men on the earth but this onely they haue remaining of that generall knowledge of the will of God which they had euen before their dissolution which they loose not thereby yet they see no further into mens actions then by that knowledge they did before Now these are bidden to stay till their fellow seruants should be accomplished that is till the number of the Elect be fulfilled and accomplished and then should their glory be perfected Lastly it is spoken of the sixt Seale therein are contained terrible things of Earth-quakes the rowling of the heauens the falling of the Starres like Figs from the Fig-trees when they are full ripe the Sunne darkened c. This sheweth the execution of the vengeance of God on the wicked at the prayers of the Saints departed So that wee see that the children of God did not take it as a full execution of iudgement vntill the last day when the Sunne should thus be changed c. And then by reason of the wrath of the Lambe the wicked should be glad to hide themselues from the sight of God and the Lambe and desire the mountaines to fall vpon them where the Lord teacheth vs that at the cry of the Children of God all this should be executed on the wicked Apoc. Cap. 7. 1. And after that I saw foure Angels stand on the foure corners of the earth holding the foure windes of the earth that the windes should not blow on the earth neither on the Sea neither on any tree c. BEtweene the declaration and manner of the execution of the iudgements to come on the world as a snare to betrap them here is this story interlaced containing the argument of the mercies of God in sauing the Godly as before in the former Chapter were set downe the arguments of his iudgement and iustice on the wicked First Iohn saith that he saw foure Angels holding the foure windes They are