the will and the deed And hereby may yee know that the Lord in mercy is working your saluation when hee worketh in you both a will and a deed to doe all that yee can that yee may be saued sorrowing for sins past euer fearefull for sinnes to come continuall in prayer feruent in thanksgiuing and euery way carefull to keepe your selues in your spirit and so to be at peace vvith GOD and vnder the sence of his loue Their garments or their robes here come to be considered Seeing the garments of Saints is the righteousnesse of Christ according to that Put ye on the Lord Iesus and againe Christ is made vnto vs righteousnes how is it that their garments neede washing Truth it is indeed the righteousnesse of Iesus imputed to vs by which wee are iustified is perfit holy like vnto himselfe without all spot or blemish but our inherent righteousnes which by his Spirit he worketh in vs and whereby we are sanctified in this life is imperfit not without spot but all the defects thereof are destroyed in death by the clensing vertue of the bloud of Iesus and we then shall bee presented blamelesse to the Lord. Our Lord hath fulfilled the righteousnesse of the Law for vs but he shall also fulfill it in vs and this is it which heere is to bee vnderstood by the washing of their garments And made them white in the bloud of c. The Lambe as we haue spoken before is the Lord Iesus who takes away the sinnes of the world his Disciples are also called Lambs Behold I send you forth as Lambs in the middest of Wolues yea all Christians are so called Peter louest thou mee feede my Lambs they are also called the Light of the world but not that true Light which lighteth euery maÌ„ that commeth into the world and so he is called a Lamb in a speciall respect Agnus singulariter solus sine macula non cuius maculae abstersae sunt sed cuius macula nulla fuerit onely without spot not because they are washt away but because he had none to wash away Agnus quem lupi timent qui lâ—…onem occisus occidit a Lambe of whom Wolues are afraid and who being slaine slew the Lyon But of him we haue spoken before As to his bloud the efficacy thereof appeares in this that it is medicinall to them who shed it the same Iewes of whom S. Peter saith that they crucisied Christ by the preaching of his Crosse were conuerted to the faith of Christ three thousand of them at one Sermon Ipsoredempti sanguine quem fuderunt redeemed by the same bloud which theÌ„selues shedde Sic enim Christi sanguis in remissionem peccatorum Iesus est vt ipsum etiam peccatum delâ—…re possit quofusus est For the bloud of Christ was in such sort shed for the remission of sinnes that it is able to put away that same sinne by which it was shed What a wonder is this the Physician comes to cure a frantique patient the frantique slayes the Physician and yet the Phisician of his bloud makes a sufficient medicine to cure the frantique qualis insania eius qui medicum occidit quanta verò bonitas potentia medici qui de sanguine suo insano interfectori suo medicamentum fecit O how great was his madnesse who slewe his mediciner and how great is the goodnes and power of the mediciner who of his owne bloud hath made a healing medicament to him that shed it Yea the very manner of phrase vsed by the Seignior or Elder le ts vs see how the worke of our redemption wrought by the bloud of Iesus is full of miracles for is not this strange that where all other bloud defiles and pollutes that wherevpon it lights this bloud purifies and cleanses them on whom it lighteth Other bloud maketh the whitest linnen vgly vnpleasant and lothsome to behold but this bloud makes a menstruous cloth pleasant white Though your sinnes were as crimson they shal be made white as snow though they were red as scarlet they shall be made white as wooll But to this cleansing of vs there is no need of the naturall or corporall sprinkling of that bloud vpon vs No the sprinkling of that bloud that purifies vs is spirituall Let vs drawe neere with a true heart in assurance of faith sprinkled in our hearts from an euill conscience No word here is as we see of any Papall purgations Indulgences or fire of Purgatorie or holy Water these are the Merchandize and wares of whoorish Babel such trumperie is not knowne in heauenly Ierusalem onely the bloud of Iesus must wash thee All other washing pollutes and defiles thee Though thou wash thee with â—…itre and take thee much Sope yet thine iniquity is marked before me saith the Lord God But the bloud of Iesus cleanseth vs from all sinne With Scripture Fathers are consonant to cry out against this blasphemous purgation of sin by any infernall fire Piorum animâ—… recta in beatas seâ—…es impiorum in gehennam abeunt the soules of godly men goe the high way into heauen the wicked straight vnto hell Anima vbicunque eâ—…olauerit è corpore aut à daemonibus in infernum aut ab Angelis in coelum abripâ—…tur the soule so soone as it fleeth out of the body is either reft and carried to hell by Diuels or to heauen by Angels Sinne they grant is forgiuen here but the punishment of it must be sustained there Against this let them mark what S. Cyprian saies Quando istine excessum fuerit nullus iam poenitentiâ—… locus nullus satisfactionis effectus vita hic aut tenetur aut amittitur from the time we go out of this life there is no more place of repentance nor effect of satisfactioÌ„ by suffering here life is either kept or lost Qualem te inuenit Deus cum vocat talem pariter indicat such as God findes thee when by death he cals on thee such he iudges thee Vnusquisque cum causa sua dormit cum causa sua resurget euery man sleepeth with his cause and with his cause shall he rise againe there is no changing nor bettering of it betweene his death and his resurrection PostquaÌ„ discesserimus non est in nobis situm poenitere neque commissadiluere From time we goe out of this life wee are not able to repent nor to wash away the sinnes which we haue done It were tedious to rehearse all And therfore I returne conclude this point In the bloud of Christ there is a threefold vertue First a purging vertue next a protecting vertue thirdly a pacifying vertue What need haue we theÌ„ of any other thing or to seeke any other merit or bloud beside his Of his purging vertue we haue spoken already His protecting
to men Who can patiently heare this that the Angel hauing the seale of the liuing God is Constantine the Great Or that the Angel who offers vp the prayers of all Saints is Constantine the Great This is as it seemes to put violent hands in the booke and force it to follow the phantasie of man as hereafter by this and many other more shall bee God willing at greater length declared I reserue â—…o the man that Christian loue and reuerence that becommeth in the Lord but hee must giue me leaue to pleade for this prophecie which as a most precious pearle our Lord in these last times hath presented in a Loue-token to his Church It is a griefe to see how the comfort giuen therein is empaired the maiestie and amplitude thereof restrained by binding it to particular persons and times Peter du Mouline Minister of the reformed Church in Paris his booke printed at Oxford in the yeere 1613. intreates and shewes the accomplishment of the Prophecie from the twelfth chapter to the eighteenth Piscator printed Herbornae in the yeere 1613. diuides this booke into three parts first a preface or preparation to the seuen Epistles in the first chapter Next a Narration of the estate of the Church first Militant present then and that was after to follow then Triumphant Thirdly a conclusion from the sixt verse of the two and twentieth chapter to the end Patrike Forbes Laird of Corse our Countrey-man a godly and learned Pastor his book printed at London in the yeere 1613. layes downe a plaine and easie method of this prophecie Beside the Inscription and conclusion the body of the booke consists for the most part saith hee of a propheticall Narration and it is two-fold First of things which then were Next of things to be done thereafter And this Prophecie of things to be done hath first a generall Introduction in the fourth and fifth chapters then a speciall Storie in the rest In the Seales are types of the first sorrowes wherewith God shall plague the world for reiecting the Gospell the sixe Trumpets denounce second sorrowes and the seuenth affoordeth seuen Vials of the last wrath for full and finall destruction of the enemies Piscator hath a short Analysis with Notes on euery chapter printed Herbornae Nassouiorum anno 1613. Cotterius a learned Writer his booke printed at Somer in the yeere 1615 makes this Reuelation threefold 1. Apocalypsis expansa 2. Contracta 3. Restricta A Reuelation extended contracted restrained The large or extended Reuelation containes a cleere Exposition of all things this continues from the fourth chapter to the ninth verse of the nineteenth and it is diuided into ten Classes The Reuelation contracted repeats these same things more shortly and is contained in the rest of the nineteenth chapter this he diuides into three Classes The Reuelation restricted is yet more narrow then the preceding this hee places in the one and twentieth and a part of the two and twentieth chapters and this containes but one singular Classe Petrus Artopaeus hath first a short Introduction for vnderstanding this Prophecie after a short explication of euery chapter in order The summe of all hee comprises in these few words Christus quia olim discedens in coelos promisit se semper Ecclesiae suae adfore consolabundus apparens reuelat ei suae Ecclesiae formam fortunam successionem ad finem mundi vsque Because Iesus Christ when hee ascended to heauen promised that hee would bee with his Church at all times in comfortable manner he appeares here vnto her and reueales her forme fortune or accidents to befall her her succession vnto the worlds end And this he doth vnder seuerall types images or representations partly particular as in the first second and third chapters partly generall as in the fourth fifth sixt and seuenth c. whereof some figureth heretiques some tyrants some the Church and some the Monarchie His booke is printed at Frankford in the yeere 1549. Ioannes Auentrotus a Gentleman as it seemes of good credit hath some discourses vpon this Prophecie by way of an Epistle sent to the King of Spaine and presented as he writes by the Duke of Lerma and graciously receiued of the King hee seemes to restraine it somewhat strictly to the Belgic Battell the blame whereof hee casts on the Pope not sparing to affirme that these wars shall hasten the end of Antichrist his grandeur Hee witnesseth of himselfe that hee liued a long time in the Canarie Iles plunged in the puddle of Papistry at length by reading the Councell of Trent and conferring it with holy Scripture he found a direct discordance of the one from the other and thereupon resolued to transport his house into the Low Countries By the way hee visited the Court of Spaine where he spared not to communicate his minde to the Duke of Lerma and Andreas de Prada the Kings Secretarie not onely concerning matters pertaining to State but Religion also these concerning Religion the Duke of Lerma willed him to communicate by himselfe to the King the King for that cause appointed Andreas de Prada to conferre with him for his better information As the Authour reports this Secretaric was a man who feared God loued truth and was not far from the knowledge thereof In the conference hee was twice moued to confesse By your Arguments saith he it is not impossible but that the Pope must be Antichrist yet did he counsell him rather to write his minde in his owne Countrey then there whereupon the Authour went forward in his iourney and hauing accomplished it he writes from England in the yeere 1610. Octob. 12. another pithic Epistle against the Kingdome of Antichrist which as he saith the fore-said Secretary according to his promise presented to the King of Spaine In it he boldly affirmes Romanam Religionem falsam esso doctrinam Papam Antichristum Bellum Belgicum regni Antichristi sinem suturum esse In this last point onely as I said he seemeth too strictly to restraine this Prophecie I haue written this at the greater length that we may remember how in all parts of all sorts of persons God hath his owne yea euen there where Satan hath his Throne and that it is not a difficill thing to the Lord to open a dore for the Reuelation of his Gospell among the most desperate enemies thereof when his appointed time shall come Let the Pope and his Tulipantic Frogges assure themselues that they who this day are their greatest friends shall ere it be long become their most fearefull foes for so long shall the Kings of the earth giue their Kingdome to the Beast vntill the words of God be fulfilled That being done They shall hate the Whore and make her desolate By the course of things to naturall men it may seeme to bee farre otherwise but let vs waite vpon the word of the Lord which is most sure and cannot faile His Epistle
is printed at Amsterdam in the yeere 1615. Richard Barnard Englishman his Treatise printed at London in the yeere 1617. containes some generals which he Intitulates A Key of Knowledge for the opening of the secret Mysteries of S. Iohns mysticall Reuelation The first of his Contents is that the Booke of the Reuelation is to be diligently studied of all sorts in these last times The second that it is an Apocalypsis and not an Apocrypsis but a Mysterie made manifest The third is what hath made this Booke till these latter times so obscure wherein the obscurity lyeth and to whom chiefly it becommeth so hard to bee vnderstood The fourth what is to be done to come to the vnderstanding thereof to remoue the obscurities and so rightly to expound the same Lastly he sets downe an interpretation of all the most difficult things in the chapter throughout the whole Prophecie Iohn Balâ—… Englishman in his Preface hath a short method and summe of the first ten chapters from the eleuenth to the end a larger Commentary which hee intulates The Image of both Churches Where and when his booke was printed is not expressed D. Broughton printed at London In the end of his learned Treatise intitulat Consent of Scripture hath a short discourse vpon this Prophecie wherein hee cleareth the chiefe doubts and difficulties thereof IAMES King of Great Britaine c. was the last of them that came in my hands but with all reason may be reckoned in among the first and the best Among many other his Highnesse workes no lesse Rare then Royall there is a learned Paraphrase vpon this booke of the Reuelation Beside that in his Praemonition to Christian Kings and Princes his Maiestie hath handled the Controuersies of this time concerning Religion like a profound and sound Theolog and by inuincible reasons hath proued out of this Prophecie that the Pope is Antichrist Thus stands his Highnesse in the fore-front of Iehoâ—…ah his battell fighting for Israel like another Dauid he hath giuen that Romish Goliah with Arguments like flinty stones slung out of the Word a deadly wound whereof he shall neuer recouer His Maiestie hath begunne to make naked the Whore and to discouer her filthinesse masked before with the veile of hypocriticall holinesse Hee hath sounded the Trumpet in the eares of the Emperour Kings Princes and Free Estates through all Christendome The Lord waken their hearts to execute the determinate iudgement fore-prophecied in this Booke vpon the Beast and his Babel Pareâ—…s his learned and iudicious Commentarie on the Reuelation came in my sight after that I had neerely absolued this first Prophecie Two Necessarie Cautions or Caueats to bee considered in the exposition of this Booke The first Caution VVEE must beware of two extremities in the handling of this Prophecie first that we limit not these Visions so particularly vnto times and persons as many doe whereby they haue greatly empaired the Maiestie and Amplitude of this Reuelation For example one among many is the first Seale which sheweth our Lord riding on his white Horse like a Conquerour no larger in respect of time then from the Baptisme of Christ to the destruction of Ierusalem I know Forthaeus and others extend it larger and will haue it reach from the daies of Christ to the daies of Constantine but this also is too narrow counting The Church should be depriued of great comfort if the Conquerour riding on the white horse were pinched and bounded within so short a time But the certaine truth is Our Lord Iesus mounted by the opening of the first Seale vpon his white horse shall so continue riding through the world at his owne pleasure till he haue gathered in his Saints till hee Ouercome and make his enemies his foote-stoole This will be manifest if we compare the end of this Prophecie with the beginning thereof In the entry of this Prophecie at the opening of the first Seale The Rider on the white Horse appeares in the end of it there he appeares againe I saw heauen opened and behold a white Horse and hee that sate vpon him was called Faithfull and True and in righteousnesse hee doth iudge and make warre c. Hee was clothed in a Vesture dipt in bloud and his Name is called The Word of God All the time of the battell hee is not knowne vnder this Type shall we therefore thinke he was not sighting nor shooting his Arrowes No his Vesture in the second apparition is a witnesse of his victorie and slaughter of his enemies This might haue told them that the Lord Iesus who comes out in the first Seale riding on a white horse and of whom it is so expresly said that Hee went forth conquering that he might ouercome was to continue so till hee had done the worke for which hee commeth forth that is perfected his Saints and subdued his enemies Wee must not limit so short a time to so great a worke they who do so defraud the Church as we haue said of a great and ample comfort For euen in our owne daies and among our selues blessed be his name for it this Conquerour is riding and shall so continue to the worlds end yet the time of the first Seale lasteth as also of the subsequent Seales following it which shall God willing hereafter be declared that the Seales openeth vp the generall course of things till the day of Iudgement and within narrower bounds should they not be restrained What shall I speake of other grosser interpretations whereunto many are driuen by binding this Prophecie to particular persons Can the foure Beasts be foure Euangelists Then S. Iohn behooued to be one of the foure or else yee must make them fiue Euangelists for euery one of the foure prepareth him Or shall the first Beast bee Quadratus Shall the second be Iustinus c. Shall the Angell comming from the East who hath the Seale of the liuing God be Constantine the Great Or shall the Angell that offers vp the prayers of all Saints be Constantine the Great also He was great indeed but this is to make him too great Shall the Angell comming out of the Temple be Thomas Cromwell Lord of Essex Or the Angell hauing power ouer the fire be Thomas Cranmer Or shall the type of the Haruest and Vintage bee appropriate to England Why hath Brightman broached such opinions without all hope or help of verity I know the persons whom he hath named are famous and honourable and that the Lord hath a flourishing Church in England his name bee praised therefore But I am assured the reuerend Bishops the learned Doctors and Diuines there will not vindicate that to themselues which is common to the whole Church It were tedious to repeat all of this sort whereby common types are accomodate vnto priuate persons which is not the fault of Brightman onely though most part of them be forged in his owne braine but of
onely but here a Voice speaking with S. Iohn quo non obscurè innuitur verbi quod personam suam habet nostri communio whereby the communion of the Word with vs is not obscurely declared Both these are good points of Diuinity but too hardly picked out of this place The more soberly wee handle the Prophecie we shall vnderstand it the better S. Iohn heere tels vs no more but that by a Voice sounding lowdly in his hearing hee was prepared to behold these things which God was to shew him How God did vtter this Voice to him it were but curiosity for vs to enquire Deo namque qui nostris loquendi legibus astrictus non est liberum est loqui quomodocunque voluerit The Lord is not bound to our manner of speaking as Cotterius hath well obserued it is free to the Lord to speake what manner of way hee will This we may be sure of and it should content vs that his seruant vnderstood very well what the Voice said to him which we may perceiue by his owne declaring of it vnto vs. And now out of this the lesson ariseth The Apostle looked vp to God in the beginning of this Verse desirous to see more and now the Lord offers not onely new sight to his eye but new information to his care Wee neuer turne our hearts truely to the Lord but hee is readie to meete vs All his children finde this in experience Certainely if wee would be more homely with our God we should soone finde him more familiar with vs. But alas our sinne is we wait not vpon him and intertaine not a spirituall fellowship with him How shall wee see that delight not in the light And how shall we bee replenished with that grace which ouerflowes in him so long as we are carelesse and negligent to come to him This is the ground of all our euill neglect of the spirituall worship neglect to waite vpon the Lord. God giue vs eyes to see it and hearts to mend it As it were of a Trumpet The Voice soundeth said one like a Trumpet Quia inuitabat Ioannem ad praelium contra diaboli temptamenta contra mundi blandimenta contra carnis oblectamenta because it inuites S. Iohn to battell against the tentations of the deuill the allurements of the world the pleasures of the flesh No question S. Iohn was a good Souldier of Iesus and had fought these battels couragiously but this goes further hee is stirred vp by this Trumpet to heare a Proclamation made in heauen of such battels as his Saints had to fight vpon earth to the worlds end that hee might fore-warne the Church of them The lesson here arising is that the Voice whereby God speakes to his owne is loud liuely and powerfull to waken them out of the dead sleepe of their sinne That same Word of the Lord preached which to a naturall man is but foolishnesse and a dead letter which he vnderstands not to the childe of God is the power of God it is liuely and mighty in operation The houre shall come and now is when the dead shall heare the voice of the Sonne of God and they that heare it shall liue O how miserable are they to whom this Voice sounds and they heare it not and the Trumpet of the liuely Word wakneth them not For if they continue in this estate and their sleepe bee vnto death what remaines but a fearefull Trumpet of doome which whether they will or not they shall be forced to heare denouncing to them the iudgement of endlesse condemnation But to returne our ground is God in his mercifull dealing with his seruants what euer hee haue to doe with them speakes to them in such sort that hee causes them both to vnderstand and also to obey him This S. Iohn declares when hee saith the Voice was like the voice of a Trumpet because by it hee was wakened moued and stirred vp to heare attentiuely and with reuerence Saying Come vp hither Non corporis motu sed mentis intuitu Come vp not by motion of the body but attention of the mind Here then Saint Iohn his calling is renewed to him againe he must be a separate man and after a sort go out of himselfe and go vp vnto God to bee familiar with him who would see the things of God This is required of euery Christian if hee would be the Spouse of Christ ioyned in marriage with him Forget thy owne people and thy fathers house so shall the King haue pleasure in thy beauty How much more then is it requisite in Christian Preachers Did Moses see the patterne of the Tabernacle till he went vp to the Mount Or did the Lord talke familiarly with Ioshua and Moses till first they put off their shooes And shall any Preacher now thinke to be familiar with God and powerfull with his people vnlesse he learne this lesson first that here first is giuen to S. Iohn Come vp hither Againe the voice of God when he talkes to his people is Come vp Satans voice on the contrary Fall downe Cast thy selfe downe That presumptuous Beast durst speake so to our Sauiour what maruell then he dare speake so to his seruants The Lord would haue thee to come vp and enioy all the good which hee hath to communicate to thee Satan would haue thee to go downe that thou mayst be partaker of his remedilesse condemnation He himselfe for his sinne was cast out of heauen He is now reserued in chaines vnder darkenesse to the iudgement of the great Day And he knowes that when the time of his complete iudgement shall come he will bee cast into vtter darkenesse and all his care is to draw man downe-ward with him into the same condemnation There is no restitution for him mercy neuer was neuer will be preached to him neither can he seeke it neither will he get The most that euer he craued was a Supersedere Why wilt thou torment vs before the time he is condemned in his own conscience and knowes that intolerable ineuitable torment abides him We reade that the Lord talked with Satan but neuer called vpon him to come vp since that first he fell down But blessed be the Lord it is his voice to his owne Come to me notwithstanding yee haue fallen from me yet Come to me yee haue sinned but if yee be weary of sinne I will refresh you It was the answer of Christ to the Disciples of Iohn Baptist when they asked Master where dwellest thou Come and see said our Lord and still hee speaketh vnto all his beloued as here hee doth to one of his beloued Come vp hither not to get new reuelations to be shewed vnto others but Come vp hither to get a new and a full sight of my promised glory to your selfe Yea such is the goodnesse of our God that not onely hee cals vpon
followes a larger description of them who sit on the Seats they are called Elders they are said to be clothed in white Rayment and to haue Crownes of gold vpon their heads See what a glorious Court the Court of Heauen is all the Courtiers there are Seniors Kings and Priests first they are said to be Seniors not for their number of yeeres but for the ripenesse of their iudgement Here we are Infants and the little Babes of Iesus but his grace makes vs to grow till we become Seniors by this grace children now die as if they were an hundred yeeres old and the efficacie of his blessing shall complete vs there none ignorant through yong age none impotent through old age shall be there all shall attaine to the fulnesse of Christs age and be perfect in him Clothed in white rayment Their garments declare them to be Priests also This white Rayment is afterward called Finelynnen and is there expounded to be the Righteousnesse of Saints and this is two-fold one imputed by which Saints are iustified and this is perfect for it is the righteousnesse of Christ giuen vnto Saints by the free gift of God and apprehended of them by faith and in this sense it is not aliena as Papists tauntingly and ignorantly call it but propria sanctorum iustitia it is not the righteousnesse of another but their owne by as good right as any other good they haue may be called their owne namely by the free donation of God The other righteousnesse is inherent in Saints and this in such as are Triumphant is perfect as concerning their soules wherein no spot nor wrinkle remaines but in such as are Militant is imperfect yet growing and encreasing daily to perfection More concerning this white linnen and where from the similitude seemes to be borrowed see chap. 15. ver 6. And on their heads Crownes of gold This betokeneth their Royall or Kingly dignity all the Saints are Kings to their God Such as haue foughten the battell do now enioy the Crowne such whose war-fare is not yet accomplished are sure of the victorie for we runne not as vncertaine but certaine and we know that through him who loued vs we are more then Conquerors VERSE 5. And out of the Throne proceeded lightnings and thundrings and Voices and there were seuen Lampes of fire burning before the Throne which are the seuen Spirits of God HEre is shadowed to vs a two-fold operation of the Maiestie of God sitting on the Throne the one terrible to his enemies the other gracious and comfortable to his Saints his iudgements vpon the aduersaries are exprest by three names Lightnings Thundrings Voices they are compared to Lightnings because they are speedy and incuitable for this same cause also they are compared to Arrowes â—…ee sâ—… out his â—…rrowes and scattered them and hee sent out Lightnings and discoâ—…sited them Next they are compared to Thundrings because they terrifie and afray men The Lord thundred in the heauens and the Highest gaue his voice haiâ—…e-stones and coales of fire Hee proclaimed his Law with Thunder and Israel was afraid yea Moses trembled for feare If the Proclamation be so terrible what will the execution thereof be For this cause Amos speaking of God comming to iudgement vseth these words The Lord shall reare from Sion and vtter his voice from Ierusalem The two sonnes of Zebedeus Iames and Iohn were called Boanerges the sonnes of Thunder for their dreadfull and powerfull deliuery of the fearefull iudgements of God It is a beastly stupidity in man not to humble himselfe when the God of glory thundreth It is recorded of Caligula albeit he despised all Diuinity yet was hee afraid of the Thunder and that hee was wont Ad minima fulgura caput obuoluere ad maiora vero proripere se ex strato sub lectum se condere at the least Thunder to couer his head and at the noise of the greater to hurle out of his resting place and hide himselfe vnder his bed but the wrath figured heere by Thunder is much more to be feared Thirdly they are called Voices namely such voices whereby hee speakes to the wicked in displeasure Then shall hee speake to them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure The other operation is figured by seuen burning Lampes of fire expounded to be the seuen Spirits of God Thus are represented the working of God in communicating by his seuenfold Spirit grace to his Saints to illuminate to quicken and to purge them That grace is compared to fire is plaine in holy Scripture One commeth after mee who shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire At the feast of Pentecost the holy Ghost descended vpon the Apostles in the similitude of firie clouen tongues And this Spirit beeing one is said to bee seuen or seuen-fold to expresse that fulnesse and perfection of grace which is in him to Saints communicat by him And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest vpon him the spirit of wisedome and vnderstanding the spirit of counsel and of might the spirit of knowledge and of the feare of the Lord. There are diuersity of graces but flowing all from one Spirit Againe they are expressed by seuen to note the continuall influence and communication of grace by the Spirit vnto Saints VERSE 6. And before the Throne there was a Sea of glasse like vnto Christall and in the midds of the Throne and round about the Throne wâ—…re foure beasts full of eyes before and behind HItherto we haue heard a description of those creatures ouer whom and in whom GOD ruleth as King of Saints Now followes a description of another sort of creatures ouer whom hee rules for this Glassie sea figureth not Angels as saith Arethas nor yet Baptisme as Victorine Beda and Haymo say nor yet the holy Scripture as thinks Ioachimus Which two last opinions are followed by many late Writers but it figures this World all creatures therein who like a round Christall Globe are before the Throne That waters in this Prophecie figure people see in that place The waters which thou sawest are people Nations multitudes and tongues Sometime the Lord figureth the world by the Moone which is subiect to continuall changes The woman representing the Church is clothed with the Sunne but hath the Moone vnder her feete to shadow vnto vs how all true-hearted Christians are contemners of the world they trample vpon it contenting themselues with Iesus Christ and resting in him as in their glory Sometime also the world is figured by the Sea as here and in the fourteenth chapter the sea is alway tumbling and waltring it stands neuer stable in one estate the waues thereof which now are highest are incontinent lowest ouercome as it were with the force and furie of others thus they dash one against another
mundi veniet in me nihil invenâ—…et de sâ—…o dici poterat qui non nouerat peccatum Onely Iesus could say Behold the Prince of this vvorld commeth and findeth nothing in mee It could bee said of none but of him vvho knevv no sinne Againe Licet Christi conceptio sit munda absque carnalis delectationis peccato Virgo tamen ipsa vnde assumptus est in iniquitatibus concâ—…pta est quia ipsa in Adamo peccauit in quo omnes peccauerunt Albeit the conception of Christ was cleane and without all sinne of carnall delectation yet the Virgin of whom he came was herselfe conceiued in sinne begotten and borne a sinfull woman of sinfull Parents And who can bring a cleane thing out of silthinesse there is not one to wit among men This is the onely prerogatiue of Iesus that he was conceiued of the holy Ghost VERSE 6. Then I beheld and loe in the midst of the Throne and of the foure liuing creatures and in the midst of the Elders stood a Lambe as if hee had beene killed which had seuen hornes and seuen eyes which are the seuen Spirits of God sent into all the world AS before S. Iohn heard of Christ by the eare so now he sees him by the eye Information of the Church by the Word is necessary to goe before but then get we sure comfort when God openeth our heart and our eyes to see to feele those things which we haue heard but in this age there are many Christians by outward information who as yet haue not beene taught of God by by inward inspiration these heare the Testimony of God but it is not confirmed in them Now the place where S. Iohn sees the Lord Iesus is the midst of the throne O what a comfort is heere for vs that our Sauiour and elder brother clothed with our nature sitteth now in the midst of the throne Hee hath sent his Spirit downe into the earth and carried our flesh vp into heauen and thereby hath possessed vs in our heauenly inheritance And againe since wee haue him there an Aduocate an Agent for vs what should we feare or what neede is there to seeke any other to intreate for vs A Lambe Vnder the Law was our Sauiour figured oftentimes by a Lambe and the Paschall Lambe and the Lambe offered in the daily sacrifice morning and euening these were types of Christ Iesus and according thereunto is He heere represented to S. Iohn and by this type first his meekenesse in patient suffering is expressed vnto vs for as a Lambe he was dumbe before the shearer And next the great profit and vtility redounding to vs by him is declared vnto vs for all the good that is in him is imparted and communicate vnto vs Lacte eius pascimur vellere tegimur sanguine purgamur By his milke we are nourished by his bloud wee are purged by the fleece of his wooll we are couered wee put him on as the garment of our righteousnesse Sith Iason and his Argonautâ—…e endured such trauailes for obtaining that golden fleece at Colchis so did fabulous writers call it what shame is it for vs to refuse greater paines that wee may be made partakers of this golden and indeede most precious fleece of the Lambe in whom we may haue all good things whereof we stand in need As if hee had beene slaine This speech renders no patrocinie to those phantastick men who thinke Christ was not slaine but some other for him for in the ninth verse following the chiefe reason why Saints acknowledge praise to be due to the Lambe is Because thou wast killed We are therefore to obserue that these articles do not alway import a similitude but the very certainety and truth of the thing it selfe as when Saint Iohn saith We saw his glory as the glory of the onely begotten Sonne of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The meaning is we saw him shining in such glory as is competent to the onely begotten Sonne of God And againe when the Apostle saith Wee are changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is according to the powerfull operation of the Spirit of the Lord. And so here when he saith I saw 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lambe as if hee had beene killed the meaning is I saw a Lambe who indeed and verily was killed And this manner of speech imports these things first that albeit our Lord was slaine and that Satan and his Instruments thought that by death they had vtterly vndone him yet was it far otherwise for by his resurrection on the third day Hee was declared mightily to bee the Sonne of God and not vnder the power of death and therefore in this Vision hee is represented rather like vnto one that was slaine then vtterly slaine indeed Next as our Sauiour after his resurrection appeared to S. Thomas with the scarres of his wounds in his blessed Body so may wee religiously thinke he appeareth in this Vision to S. Iohn yea euen in the last Day hee shall shew his Body which was pierced to the great terrour of his enemies and comfort of his owne Neither is this to bee thought any dishonour to Christ or impotency that hee appeares in the similitude of a wounded man but rather the high praise of his loue in that for his Church her sake hee was content to be wounded to the death And no lesse great commendation of his power who ouercame his enemies by that same death by which they thought to ouercome him Serpens mortuus viâ—…os Serpentes superabat Christus mortuus Serpentem in corde viuentem superauit That Serpent which had no life ouercame those liuing Serpents which stung the Israelites and Christ by dying ouercame that Serpent the deuill who liued in our heart Magna quidem infirmitas mori sed planè sic mori virtus immensa est It is indeed a great infirmity to die but so to die as by dying to destroy death is an exceeding great power Which had seuen Hornes Hornes in holy Scripture oftentimes signifie power fortitude and Empyring they are taken both in good and in cuill part for to the wicked are ascribed Hornes whereby they push the Saints and here seuen Hornes are ascribed to Christ figuring the perfection of his strength and power and absolute authority whereby he protects his Saints Sometime there is attributed to him onely one Horne for so the Kingdome of the Messia and his exaltation to it is compared by Dauid to the lifting vp of the Horne of the Vnicorne Thou shalt exalt my Horne like the Vnicornes and I shall be anointed with fresh oile Naturalists write of the Vnicornes Horne that of all other it is the most firme and solid secondly the most pleasant and thirdly the most profitable as being
righteousnesse c. So the Horse whereupon this Conquerour is carryed through the world is the Ministerie of the Word Primasius by the Horse vnderstands Apostles and Preachers Ministers without the Word are not to be receiued and the Word without a Minister able to preach it is not profitable These two the Lord in his most wise dispensation hath ioyned together For it hath pleased God by the foolishnesse of Preaching to saue them who beleeue The Horse then is the Ministerie of the Word The Gospell preached is the Chariot and Horses whereby this King is carried through the world As in the gouernement of the world hee vseth the Ministerie of Angels so in the gathering and gouerning of his Church hee vseth the Ministery of Preachers Who can heare but by Preaching and who can preach except they be sent These are figured by Horses first for the courage wherewith they are endued This is obserued by the Lord himselfe as a speciall property of the Horse He mocketh at feare and is not afraid hee turneth not back from the sword And doubtlesse Preachers in whom Christ is and vpon whom hee rides are valiant and couragious men Their fore-head is like the Adamant and harder then the Flint They feare no death they faint for no trouble that can follow them in the seruice of Christ. Notable was that answer of Andrew the Apostle when Egeas Gouernour of Patris vpbraided him with the death of the Crosse hee answered that he would neuer haue preached the honour and glory of the Crosse if he had feared it And as the seruants of God are farre from that timiditie which makes men vnfaithfull in the cause of God so are they as farre from temerity whereby men ignorantly zealous are precipitate and carried head-long to accelerate for euery light conceite of their braine trouble on themselues Their zeale is like a fire kindled of stubble or straw which makes a faire blaze for the time but because it hath no matter to maintaine it vanisheth incontinent and endeth in vngracious smoaking I wish we had no example of any such among vs it is a shame to the Gospell to speake the one day and retreate the other A wrong cause will neuer furnish strength in trouble wisedom requires that men before-hand should ponder and consider well the cause for which they will resolue to suffer affliction Againe Preachers are figured by Horses and Christ going forth to conquer appeares riding on a Horse to note the speed and celerity which hee was to vse in propagation of the Gospell And indeed it is wonderfull to see how in a short time the Lord Iesus ranne through the world by the Ministerie of his Word ouercomming and subduing to his obedience most mighty Kingdomes by most weake Instruments This is well obserued by Cyprian Bishop of Carthage and Martyr Ecce à Domini Redemptâ—…ris temporibus anni effluxerunt plus minùs 240. iamque huius vitis palmites latiùs se sparserunt quà m Romanum Imperium It is little more or lesse saith he of two hundred and forty yeares since the daies of Christ the Redeemer and yet in this time the Church hath spred out her Branches larger then the Romane Empire Et quâ—…s nulla ferri vis domare potuit emollit sanguis Agni candidi and they whom no power of the sword was able to daunt are made peaceable and tame by the bloud of the vnspotted Lambe Among many of that sort how the Lord hath beene mercifull to Scotland in that about sixteene hundred yeares this Conquerour with his white Horse entred in among vs and subiected vs to himselfe whom the Romanes could neuer subiect to their Empire I haue at large declared in that Treatise Intituled Six daies conference betweene a Catholike Christian and a Catholike Romane And againe as the Horse is bridled and ruled and turned here or there by him that rides vpon it and is not left to himselfe to wander where-away he will so is it with Preachers of the Gospell they are directed to Countries Kingdomes and Cities at the good pleasure of Christ they neither come nor go by accident but by the prouidence of God A notable example hereof we haue in S. Paul hee was of purpose to go to Bithinia but the Spirit suffered him not yea commanded him to go to Macedonia And albeit now the Lord doth not informe his seruants by such extraordinary reuelations yet doth he still worke with them in the same manner appointing them to such places and people as in his Wisedome hee thinkes most expedient Take heed to the flocke ouer which the Holy Ghost hath made you Ouerseers and they are as starres in the right hand of Iesus they shine not but where hee holds out his hand and sends them This is a warning to Preachers if they looke to haue their Ministry blessed of the Lord let them not goe where the calling of God leades them not Other riders are helped by their horses but heer the horse is helped by the rider for what is a Preacher if Christ bee not with him and worke in him he is like a Pen without a hand it can write nothing a tongue without a heart it can speake nothing a musicall instrument without one to touch it can make no sound at all We are not able of our selues sufficiently to thinke a good thought all our sufficiency is of God Sith it is so our care should be to carry our Lord alway in our Conscience how should we wait vpon him how should wee most carefully keepe him sith without him wee are able to doe nothing It is written of Bucephalus the horse of Alexander that hee would suffer none to ride vpon him but his owne master whether that be true or not sure it is this is most true Preachers should not be Asses like Issachar couching downe to receiue euery burden that any man will lay vpon them but they are horses for Christ onely to ride vpon Yea all other Christians in their callings are also to looke vnto this that the commandement and direction of their waies bee reserued onely to Iesus Christ Beatae animae quae dorsum suum curâ—…arunt vt suscipiant SessoreÌ„ verbum Dei fraenacius patiuntur vt quocunque ipse voluerit flectat eas quia non iam propria voluntate incedunt sed ad omnia ducuntur reducuntur voluntate Sessoris Blessed are the soules which bow their backes to receiue The Word of God to ride vpon them who are content to be bridled by him and turned where-away hee will these walke not after their owne will but are turned hither and thither at the good pleasure of him who rides vpon them But to returne and conclude this second point As there is no horse which needeth not the spurre and the bridle the one to stirre him forward the other to gouerne him in
Tertullian and by the fourth Cyprian Martyr and Bishop of Carthage But we haue shewed before that as these foure liuing creatures cannot be the foure Euangelists because Saint Iohn himselfe was one of the foure Euangelists so no more can they be Preachers for Saint Iohn is here sent to waken vp both Preachers and Professors to the patient suffering of troubles which here are foretold vnto them We adhere therefore to our former exposition that these liuing creatures are Angels adding this vnto it that this first Prophecy beeing generall should neither be bound to particular times nor persons for euen in our owne dayes the rider on the white horse rideth still and the redde horse followes the vvhite to persecute him as the bloudy murthers and treasonable plots in France Germanie England and other parts of Christendome may witnes VERSE 4. And there vvent out another horse that was red and power was giuen to him that sate thereon to take peace from the earth and that they should kill one another and there was giuen vnto him a great sword AT the opening of the second seale Saint Iohn sees a sight farre different from the first the first sight was comfortable but dolefull are these which follow Our coÌ„forts on earth are not without crosses nor yet our crosses thanks be to God without comforts Alway we are forewarned here that persecution will follow preaching we must not alway promise to our selues prosperous and pleasant things When Dauid was anointed King all the Philistims came out in battell to seeke him hee was a type of our Lord. When Iesus was borne in Bethleem Herod and all Ierusalem were agast and so soone as he was baptized Satan tempted him It warnes vs saith S. Chrysostome that wee also will giue our names vnto Christ we must prepare our selues both to be persecuted of men and tempted of Satan Ab ipsis vitae initiis ad tentationes praeparamur cùm cernimus ab ipsis Christs incunabilis istud effectum c. Long and maruelous peace haue we had great hath been the Lords mercie tovvards vs vvhere shall wee find that the White Horse hath ridden so long and the red horse not following him as here in this Countrey vvhere hath there been so long preaching without heresie or persecution as among vs Satan a farre off hath shaken his bloudy sword at vs but the Lord hath restrained him and bridled his bloudy beasts that they could not come neere vs. The Spanish Army threatned to execute vpon vs the bloudy decree of the Councell of Trent but the Lord drowned them before our eyes as he drowned the Egyptians in the sight of Israel The remanent of them hee humbled also before vs and brought them into our streets that they who purposed to make vs prooue their mercilesse crueltie might prooue our Christian pitie and compassion as the Syrians vvho came to destroy Samaria by the maruelous working of God were brought within the Ports therof they were refreshed with meat and drinke and sent home againe so moued the Lord our hearts to doe vnto them God make vs thankfull for it and giue vs grace to prepare our selues the more carefully for the day of affliction because the Lord hitherto hath so long and louingly spared vs. As the vvhite horse signifies Preachers by whose ministrie Iesus is carried through the world so the red horse signifies bloudy Persecuters and he who rides vpon them is Satan a lyer and murtherer euer from the beginning The type tells vs that bastard religion is alway cruell examples of all ages proue it Cain a bastard and false vvorshipper he slew Abel a true sacrificer Ismael mocked Isaac and Esau persecuted Iacob Verberari Christianorum proprium est slagâ—…llare autem Pilati Caiaphae sunt officia To suffer is the property of Christians To you it is giuen not onely to belieue but to suffer also but to persecute and scourge are the practices of Pilate and Caiaphas The Iesuit Coster in the Preface of his Encheridion testifies that albeit the Christians of the Primitiue Church were of a sufficient number to giue battel to the persecuting Emperors yet they chose rather to propagate the Gospell by patient suffering the shedding of their own bloud theÌ„by shedding the bloud of their Persecuters Ita Catholicos pia quaedam tenuit misericordia Such was then the tender mercy of Catholiques But I pray him tell mee where was this tender mercy in pretended Catholiques Romane at the murther of Paris Is it not cleare by his own confession that the Church of Rome present is farre degenerate from Rome primitiue If there were not any other argument against them their bloudy teeth may testifie that they are not the Sheepe of Iesus but rauening Wolues But of this we haue spoken elswhere Satan thirsts for bloud and when hee hath gotten it bloud is his destruction Hee thought all should goe well and his kingdome should be in peace if once he had Iesus Christ crucified but Christ by death destroyed him who had the power of death and hee thinks by shedding the bloud of Saints to raze the Christian name out of the earth but he is farre deceiued for it hath proued true in all times which Tertullian by experience marked in his time Sanguis Martyrum semen est Ecclesiae the bloud of Martyrs is the seed of the Church This is the bush that burnes but cannot be consumed by fire it is the Arke tossed by water but still preuailes against the water Continuall were the persecutions of the Church Primitiue yet Christians increased daily deeply rooted in the doctrine of the Apostles and watred plentiously with the bloud of Saints And againe The more cruelty said Iustine is vsed against vs the more the number of Belieuers is increased No otherwise then if a man cut the Vine tree the better the branches thereof growe for the Vine tree planted by God and Christ is his people And power was giuen him This is for the comfort of the Church that howsoeuer her enemies be many and most malicious yet they can do no more then according to the power GOD giues them Yea and all the haires of your head are numbred not one of them can fall to the ground but by the will of your heauenly Father Times ne pereas cuius capillus non peribit Art thou afraid lest thou perish sith a haire of thine head cannot perish When Pilat had bragged of his power to Iesus our Lord gaue him this answere Thou couldest haue no power ouer me at all if it were not giuen thee from aboue Yea Satan himselfe confessed that albeit many times he assaied to haue harmed Iob yet hee could not because the Lord was an hedge vnto him He is indeed a roring Lyon going about seeking whom hee may deuoure but he cannot so much as enter
the assembly of his Saints according to his promise but this presence is not perceiued but of his owne secret ones who seeke his face The presence of his glory is giuen to Saints triumphant in the heauen The Lord giueth grace and glory but first grace and then glory from grace in earth yea and by it he leades them vp to glory in heauen Of this presence of glory this place is to be vnderstood according to that In thy face is the fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand are pleasures for euermore And againe O how excellent is they mercy O God! therefore the children of men trust vnder the shadow of thy wings they shall bee satisfied with the fatnesse of thine house and thou shalt giue them drinke out of the riuers of thy pleasure Here not onely haue we pleasure but riuers of pleasures yet such as can neuer be exhausted for it is subioyned With thee is the well of life So long as the fountaine or spring lasteth the riuer cannot decay God is that great fountaine or bottomlesse deepe from him comes the riuers of pleasures to all that stand about him The Queene of Sheba said of Salomon his seruants Happy are thy men happy are these thy seruants which stand euer before thee and heare thy wisedome but much more truly may it bee spoken of the seruants of our God who stand about his Throne Blessed are they who dwell in thine house Now followes They serue him night and day in his Temple We haue heard of the place wherein they are the second part of the verse shortly describes their exercise They serue God and that without all fainting wearying or intermission night and day This imports no vicissitude but a continuance and perpetuitie Dies nox vicissitudâ—…nem sed perpetuitatem significant Because all our time turneth vpon day and night therefore many a time vseth the Spirit of God this phrase Day and night to expresse as much as for euer and euer In the heauens there is nothing but a Day no change of their glorious and lightsome estate by time In the Hell there is nothing but a Night perpetuall darkenesse no change of their horrible and comfortlesse estate by time In the Earth there is a day and a night and a vicissitude and change of euery estate by time That mention is made of a Temple wee are not to thinke there is any materiall Temple in heauen but an allusion is made to the Temple of Ierusalem wherein his seruants serued him day and night And this word of seruice noteth that they are now fully become the Lords they haue resigned themselues altogether to do his will there is not now in them any deed nor desire of any thing that may offend him they waite vpon him they looke stedfastly to him they delight in him they praise him without ceasing this is their seruice Non est laborâ—…osa sed amabilis optanda haec seruitus It is not a painefull seruice or laborious but to be loued and longed for Seruitus hâ—…c dulcissima merces est seruitutis praesentis laboriosae this seruice is a most sweet reward of our present laborious seruice Among men the name of a seruant is counted vnhonorable and a base thing thinke they it to serue another but sith the most honourable creatures elect Angels and Men delight to serue him let vs not be ashamed to professe ourselues his seruants Dauid was a great King yet hee counteth more and reioyces oftner in it that hee was a seruant of God then a King ouer his people And S. Paul was a Chosen vessel vnto God yet his ordinarie stile is Paul the seruant of Iesus Christ. And indeed it is more honorable to be a seruant of Christ then to be a Monarch of the world without him Seruire Deo est regnare In very deed hee is a free-man yea and a King who is Gods seruant Hee trampleth vnder feete the deuill the world and the flesh hee is Lord of his affections yea and of all creatures hee can vse them but will not come vnder the power of any of them and yet so blind are worldlings that they account Christ his seruice to be bondage his Law a yoke whereas in truth it is the Law of Liberty and men without it not subiect to it are in most miserable bondage For he that will not serue the Lord shall bee like cursed Cham a seruant of seruants He shall serue many masters instead of one O quam multos Dominos habet qui vnum non habet and that in a seruice wherein there is no comfort for which there is no reward and after which no time set for manumission or liberty Any other seruant that hath an euill Master sometime may bee sold to another and he will be glad of it But the seruant of sin is so blinded that albeit of all slauâ—… he be the most miserable yet he is content with it and desires not to change his Master And againe any other seruant oppressed with the tyrannie of a Master sometime will deliuer himselfe by flying from him But the seruant of sinne where-away shall hee flee Secum trahit Dominum suum quocunque fugerit non fugit seipsam mala conscientia hee draweth his oppressor with him flee where hee will an euill conscience cannot flee from it selfe And as for a reward of his seruice where is it Voluptas transitâ—… peccatum manet praeterit quod delectabat remansit quod pungat the pleasure passeth the sinne abideth still that is gone which delighted him and for which hee sinned that remaines which disquiets him and torments him to wit guiltinesse the fruit of his sinne that is the worme which gâ—…aweth his conscience what shall we then do but cry out and confesse with the same Father O miserabilis seruitus peccatâ—… O miserable and vnprofitable and euery way comfortlesse seruice of sinne And on the contrarie O happy ioyfull fruitfull and euery way most comfortable the seruice of Iesus Christ our Sauiour Yet concerning this point there is but one question to be moued Said not our Sauiour to his Disciples Henceforth I call you not seruants but friends How then are redeemed and glorified Saints called seruants I answer This noteth their aduancement to a new and high dignity but derogates not from their old debt-bound duetie Familiarity with God takes not away reuerence It it engenders not as our Prouerbe is contempt no there is none who reuerenceth him more then they with whom hee is most familiar and noâ—…e more readie to serue him then they who haue found him most mercifull to them so these two stiles Friends and Seruants are not repugnant the one to the other And againe if it be demanded How serue they him for euer in his Temple Said not our Sauiour The seruant abides not in the