haue heard that is said to be a Booke noting that it was of a greater volume this is said to be a little Booke namely of a lesser volume Againe in that it is said to be in the hand of God the Father this is in the hand of God the Sonne The reason is for that there is a more vniuersall gouernment of the world by God the Father considered by himselfe alone then betweene Christ and the World as he is ioyned with the office of Mediation which concerneth the Church And againe there is a more simple and immediate gouernement of Christ in his Church then of the Father Another difference is this in that it is said this Booke is open the other was shut which sheweth vs that through Christ onely these things are made manifest vnto vs for without his mediation all things in the will of God are hid and shut vp from vs that wee cannot know them For as the Deitie of God is considered in the three Persons wee can haue no participation of any good thing from the same but as Christ is the Mediator betweene God and vs all things which concerne vs are opened vnto vs yea the knowledge of all things wee are to know and therefore if hee come betweene vs and God then the things of our God shall be opened and reuealed vnto vs. His feet like two pillars of fire this is to shew his strength and power The pillars declare his steadinesse fire signifieth piercing and therefore where his power setteth there it cleaueth hard Whereby is set downe the incomparable vertue and power of Christ And whereas one foot is set on the Sea and the other on the Land it setteth forth vnto vs his full authoritie ouer all and that he is in all places in regard of his Godhead This doth not proue the being of Christs naturall body in many places at once for he did not set his feet of his naturall body at this time on the Land and Sea neither can it be in diuers places for then it leeses the nature of a body The right foot on the Sea This is said after the vse of the Scripture by his right foot meaning a greater measure of his strength that seeing the Sea is a most vnruly and raging creature he sets his right foot vpon it noting vnto vs that Christ as he ruleth all so euen those things more especially which are most vnruly and that which needeth most power he vseth most to the subduing and gouerning of it This is to teach vs not to feare at the great rage of the troubles that are in the world but to know according as they are more grieuous and as they doe increase so the Lord will ad more helpe and encrease his strength the more to the asswaging of them and when the earth beginneth to turmoile then will he set his left foot on it and when the Sea beginneth to rage then will he set his right foot vpon it And as in generall so in particular troubles we are to receiue notable comfort for if more grieuous sorrowes and afflictions doe assaile vs yet the Lord hauing his right foot on them all shall bee quiet and still with vs againe After he is described by his voice whereby hee declareth his terriblenesse that howsoeuer otherwise he was described to be like a Man yet because mans voice was too weake to expresse the force of it hee compares it to the voyce of a Lyon to strike the more terror and feare into our hearts According as it is said If the Lyon roare shall not the Beasts of the field tremble How much more when Christ speakes and thunders out his iudgements shall not wee which are filly Lambs nay not so much in respect of Christ as Lambs to the Lyon be afraide and if our Sauiour Christ shew forth the tokens of his wrath against sinners by denouncing and threatning iudgements against them should not wee tremble and be terrified for our sinnes After that he had thus extended his voice S. Iohn saith he heard the voices of seauen thunders and those not such as were confused but there was a discerneable and plaine speech in the voice of the thunders Now Saint Iohn as he was before commanded being ready to write the things which were spoken by the thunders is notwithstanding bidden to Seale them vp that is to keepe them close as being matters of secrecie for God of his good will was content to shew them and make them knowne to him for his particular comfort which he will not haue be reuealed vnto others Herein wee see how God disposeth of his word viz. some he reuealeth vnto his Seruants some hee keepeth hid in his owne euerlasting counsell To teach vs that seeing God hath kept many things of his to himselfe which he hath not reuealed vnto vs that therefore we should not dispaire in our troubles but seeing hee hath reserued secret to his owne counsell euen many things which concerne the speciall good of his Church and the singular comfort of his children wee are therefore rather to be stirred vp by prayer to come vnto him to intreate him that he would gouerne all things to the good of his Church Againe that is here further to be considered which Iohn speaketh else-where that wee are not able by reason of our carelesnesse and dulnesse of vnderstanding to attaine in any measure to the true knowledge of the meaning of this Booke how much lesse if greater matters had beene written downe nay rather wee would haue beene quite driuen backe from it And therefore this is to teach vs to be diligent in the searching out of those things he hath already set downe leauing to meddle as many foolishly and madly doe with those things that God hath hidden in his secret will And seeing we are so backward slacke and dull in the seeking out of those things which wee haue wee should haue beene much more carelesse of them if all the other had beene set downe After it followeth what our Sauiour Christ said to wit that hee swore wherein is set downe first the manner of taking his oath and then the oath it selfe The manner of the oath of our Sauiour Christ is first in his gesture in that he lift vp his hands to heauen which was the manner of taking an oath in those times and therefore he is here after this sort represented Then is set downe the Person by whom hee sweareth viz. by God described by his owne nature that he liueth for euermore and of his effects viz. of creation of heauen earth and all things therein His oath it selfe is this that after those things which were to be done vnder the seauenth Trumpet and the seauenth Seale were fulfilled there should be time no more that is there should not be distinction of time by the day and yeare as we vse now to count according to the course of the Sunne and of the Heauens This is done first for the declaring vnto
A PLAINE EXPLANATION OF THE WHOLE REVELATION OF SAINT JOHN Very necessary and comfortable in these dayes of trouble and affliction in the Church Penned by a faithfull Preacher now with God for more priuate vse and now published for the further benefit of the people of GOD. There came a voyce from heauen saying Come away from her my people that ye be not partakers of her sinnes lest ye be partakers of her plagues Reu. 18. 4. Here are they that keepe the commandements of God and the Faith of Iesus Reuel 14. 12. Alas alas wat great City is in one houre come to desolation Reuel 18. 16. 17. The Beast and the false Prophets were aliue cast into a Lake of fire c. Reuel 19. 20. Printed at London by T. S. for Nathaniel Newbery 1622 To the Christian Reader WHatsoeuer things were written afore time were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope Rom. 15. 4. And the Reuelation of Iesus Christ which God gaue vnto him to shew vnto his Seruants Reu. 1. 1. was giuen and written for the comfort of the Church in her latest and greatest troubles and sharpest afflictions and persecutions wherein certes Gods loue and care of his Church is abundantly manifested For not any of the Primitiue persecutions or latter Antichristian Seducions and bloudy Combustions wherewith at this day the Church is turmoyled But they are foretold with their Issue and Euents in this Booke that so the chosen and elect of God might not be carried to euerlasting perdition or ouerwhelmed with sorrow and displeasure in their seeming inextricable temporary calamities Many Commentaries and Expositions of this Booke haue beene published by very Reuerend and excellent learned men no doubt to the great comfort of Gods people and therefore the lesse need there may be imagined to be of any more but besides that this is more briefe and plain vpon the whole Book then any other and so is more vsefull for the most that haue most vse of it if it shall serue but as a watch-word euen now to direct Gods people in their perplexities whether to haue recourse for comfort and consolation and so incite them to a more diligent reading and studious search of this holy Reuelation it will be a sufficient apollogy for this publication especially at this time when so many wauer betweene hope and dispaire of the good successe of the affaires of Christendome which so nearely concerne the welfare of the Church as that the Enemies begin to looke bigge againe daily expecting the ruine of it as if the hope of Gods people were vaine or as if by their wicked pollicy and power they made sure account to disappoint God of his purpose and decreed destruction of the Kingdome of Antichrist not considering that the more they extend their malicious practises against the desolate Woman the more and greater woes are due vnto them and the more horrible iudgements shall come vpon them and that happily by meanes of those weaklings whom they now so much scorne and trample vpon For vpon whom haue they gaped at whom haue they hissed but at the holy ones and the annointed of God Well I say no more but that God is wonderfull in all his workes and so will declare himselfe in the destruction of those his enemies and in the deliuerance of his faithfull ones out of the hands and from the rage of the Dragon and his Instruments the Beast and the false Prophet with all their Locusts and Frogs let them cast abroad neuer so great flouds of deceits and persecutions to ouerwhelme the Church and to extirpate true Religion onely it behooues the professors of truth in this expectation to arme themselues with faith and patience and to exercise themselues in obedience to Gods holy Commandements and then they may rest assured of the accomplishment in Gods good time of all the promises expressed in this Booke Wherein to helpe vs the Author a man of excellent gifts long since trauailed and now by the prouidence of God are his labours in this kinde published for our comfort I pray God that we may be directed to make good vse both of the holly Reuelation it selfe and of his labour in the Explanation of it Farewell A PLAINE AND FAMILIAR EXPLANATION of the whole Reuelation of Saint IOHN APOCALYPS CAP. 1. The Reuelation of IESVS CHRIST which God gaue vnto him to shew vnto his Seruants things which must shortly be done which he sent and shewed by his Angell vnto his seruant IOHN c. AS the Prophet Daniel in his time was raised vp of the Lord as an instrument to reueale to the Church of God in those dayes the difficulties to come vnto the Church of the Iewes that thereby the Church might be armed against those troubles as also to comfort them in the good issue thereof So here the Apostle is stirred vp as an Instrument of the same vnto the Church of the Christians which he doth by the prophecie contained in this Booke In the beginning of this Booke is first set downe the excellencie of the Prophecie herein contained and the instrument of the deliuery of it which is the Angell and of the penning of it which is Iohn himselfe The excellencie of the Booke is set downe by the diuers commendations to the inflaming of the mindes of the hearers to a diligent obseruation of the matter contained in it First in that it is called a Reuelation he noteth that it is such a thing as that the wit of no man or Angell can attaine vnto it without the speciall manifestation of God Secondly it is that which God giueth and therefore must be a most excellent thing and further as it is Gods gift so it was giuen by God the Father to Christ to giue vnto his seruants namely as hee was Mediator and in that regard onely it was reuealed to him for as he was God he was equall to his Father in knowledge now God the Father would giue nothing to Christ but that which was most excellent Thirdly it is commended in regard of the matter to be reuealed to wit that which was to come shortly or quickly namely in a short time before the end of the world both in regard that they should begin out of hand and especially in regard of God for though in regard of vs it should seeme to be long yet it is short vnto God The instrument by whom God declareth it to Iohn is said to be the Angell to wit the Angell of the couenant which is Christ the Sonne of God which is here said to be Alpha and Omega which is also a further commendation of the Booke Another argument of commendation is that it was giuen to Iohn a notable Minister Apostle and Witnesse of the Mistery of the Gospell of Christ Iesus to whom all the Scriptures are directed Another reason of the excellencie of it is drawne from the effects of it to wit that the knowledge
against them God was therefore with them on their side to defend them and take their part And to the end they might be the more confirmed hereof hee comforteth them with an argument drawne from the hope of their Resurrection that howsoeuer here in this life they should be persecuted and should suffer euen vntill death yet they perseuering vnto the end should not be hurt at all with the latter death And for this cause also he vseth in the Title an argument drawne from his owne person in that he is first and last and therefore able to deliuer them As also that he was dead and is aliue and therefore howsoeuer they might suffer temporary death yet they should rise againe as he did and liue with him eternally Verse 12. After followeth the Epistle to the Church of Pergamus where hee findeth some good things which hee commendeth namely their constancie in professing of religion and their patience which he commendeth by two circumstances both in regard of the place and of the time wherein they liued Verse 13. Concerning the place it was there where the Diuell erected his throne that is where hee seemed at his pleasure to raigne as Prince in his Subiects Neuerthelesse they were constant and kept their profession of the Gospell For the time it was when the faithfull man Antipas was put to death that is in such a time wherein persecution was very hot against the Children of God and yet notwithstanding they started not from their profession Verse 14. Yet for all this hee hath certaine things against them which he reprehendeth namely that they permitted certaine false Prophets amongst them and did not withstand them as the Church of Ephesus did but suffered them to teach dangerous doctrine of Balaam which taught and maintained bodily whordome and fornication whereby the people were brought to Idolatry of which sort were those amongst them which held the doctrine of the Nicolaitans to wit that spirituall and bodily whoredome The reformation whereof hee exhorts them to in bidding them repent and this hee doth by these reasons to wit first if they would repent they should be partakers of the hid that is spirituall Manna in the wildernesse which was hidden in the Arke in a pot By Manna is meant as Iosh 6. the grace righteousnesse and holinesse of Christ imputed vnto vs and that Iustification by him which came downe from heauen which none know but those which haue it Secondly another reason that he that did ouercome he would giue him a white stone Which phrase of speech is a similitude taken from the manner of the Gentiles as in times past the Prophets vsed to take borrowed speeches from the custome of the Iewes in the Law because now the Church was communicated with the Gentiles the Gospell being now spread among them This custome was especially amongst the Grecians The manner of it was that when any one was accused of some criminall matter he was straight-way put to his triall if hee were found cleare hee had a white stone giuen him if otherwise he was found guilty and was to be condemned hee had giuen him a blacke stone or some other colour So that now in that it is said that hee which ouercommeth should haue a white stone giuen him hee meaneth that hee shall haue nothing laide to his charge but shall be freed from all his sinnes Verse 18. Lastly hee commeth to the Church of Thyatira where he findeth many good things which he commendeth as their loue contrary to the Church of Ephesus and the fruits thereof their seruiceablenesse their faith also and their patience and their workes to haue beene more at the last then at the first Verse 20. Yet hee hath somewhat against them to wit that they suffered Iezabel albeit they themselues maintained her not whether one of that name or such a one as Iazabel was it is vncertaine yet such a one as calling her selfe a Prophetesse did seduce the people with her whordomes and Idolatries and therefore he chargeth the Church because they did let her alone for it is not enough for the Church of God to doe well themselues and to refraine from those that are euill-doers in the same but if it lye in them the Church of God is to refraine others from those euils and to punish the offenders so farre as they may Verse 22. Now therefore the Lord saith that hee wil execute iudgement vpon her by casting her into a Bed that is laying a most grieuous and heauie affliction vpon her and not onely vpon her but vpon all that committed fornication with her that is which were partakers with her in her sinnes of whoredome and idolatrie namely those that were her vpholders maintainers And not onely on them but this iudgement should also be manifested vpon her Children by Children meaning either her Schollers which learne of her or her posteritie and then he saith he will kill that is cleane roote them out of the earth And howsoeuer they would pretend great Misteries and Reuelations as to be guided by the spirit of Prophecie as the Anabaptists in our times also doe and to haue Reuelations yet seeing their manners and actions are filthie abhominable and detestable therefore the Lord will execute iudgement vpon them And hee will doe it vpon the transgressors themselues but as for the Church albeit they had thus suffered them yet he would not punish them after this sort but hee would hereby namely by the punishment inflicted on the euill doers be content to call them to repentance for that sinne of theirs in suffering them Verse 26. Lastly he saith to those that ouercome hee will giue authority first to be Kings ouer the Gentiles and to beare rule ouer the wicked and to subdue them being ioyned with Christ in his Kingdome And secondly he would make them partakers of his glory in making them Priests vnto God which hee sets downe by the morning Starre which Starie as it commeth next to the Sunne so it is next vnto it most glorious signifying that the righteous should come neare vnto Christ and be euen ioyned with him in his glory at his glorious comming Apoc. Cap. 3. l. And write vnto the Angell of the Church which is at Sardis These things saith he that hath the seauen Spirits of God and the seauen Starres I know thy workes for thou hast a name that thou liuest but thou art dead c. OF the things that were already done there remaineth onely that which is contained in this Chapter Where first he writeth to the fift Church to wit the Church of Sardis where he getteth authoritie by vsing the same title which he did to the Church of Ephesus addeth another to wit that it is hee which hath also the seauen Spirits wherby he noteth the fulnesse and exceeding measure of his spirit the abundance of his power and grace by the which hee doth also vphold and gouerne the Starres that is the Ministers of his Church
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
continuance of those yeares which in the next verses hee setteth downe particularly and seuerally And first he setteth downe the particular persecution of the Church of the Iewes in the thirteenth and fourteenth verses and then of the Gentiles in the seauenteenth Verse For the Church of the Iewes the persecution thereof is expressed in that it is said that he persecuted her that brought forth the man-childe but the Lord deliuered her from being deuoured of the Dragon In that it is said she being thus pursued hath for her deliuerance wings giuen her to flye away into a Desert for two times a time and halfe a time it notably describeth that strange deliuerance of the Children of God which were in Ierusalem before the ouerthrow of it who as the story witnesseth being warned by the voice of God from heauen did withdraw themselues for a time into a City called Pella beyond Iordan in the Wildernesse where they did continue for the space of three yeares and a halfe vntill Ierusalem were destroyed Whereas the Dragon is said to cast out waters against the Church it noteth the great multitudes of people for so it is often vsed in the Scriptures as also afterterwards Cap. 17. 1. 15. which afterwards the Diuell raised vp to deuoure and consume the Church of Christ in the infancie of it But in that the earth is said to helpe the woman it noteth that howsoeuer the Lord suffereth the Diuell to raise and stirre vp many enemies and aduersaries against his Church yet also hee hath his meanes for the deliuerance of his children by the ouerthrow of their enemies destroying them in the middest of their fury and casting them into their graues And lastly the Dragon hauing done the worst he could against the Church of the Iewes against Christ himselfe his Apostles and Disciples he followeth and proceedeth with mortall enuie and indignation to pursue their seed that is the Church of the Gentiles who were called by their ministery and are also of the seed of Abraham though not according to the flesh Apoc. Cap. 13. 1. And I saw a Beast rise out of the Sea hauing seauen heads and tenne hornes and vpon his hornes were tenne crownes and vpon his heads the name of blasphemie c. THe Prophet hauing spoken before that the seed of the woman to wit the Church of the Gentiles was persecuted of the Dragon hee now declares the manner and meanes of the persecutions and the troubles which befall the Church The instrumentall cause is here set out to be the Beast which is the Emperour of Rome who is set forth by him comming out of the Sea whereby is meant the great stormes troubles and tempests that the Beast should raise vp By which tempests are expressed and meant the great tumults which should arise both betweene the wicked themselues as it came to passe in the Empire of Rome for they had amongst themselues many and long warres and grieuous troubles and dissentions as appeareth in the histories as also it noteth the troubles and afflictions which the Church should receiue by them for the Church must needs be partaker of this misery though peraduenture it be not immediately alwaies tended against them yet they liuing vnder the Empire where these troubles were principally could not but needs also feele the smart thereof Afterwards the troubles are also immediately directed against the godly themselues particularly by the sword by fire and by sore persecutions which are declared to arise and come from the Beast A Beast so he is tearmed being here described and represented vnder the forme of a Beast because of the furiousnesse and madnesse of the Empire of Rome and the Emperors signifying that there was nothing almost of humanity in him but that hee was euen estranged from all courtesies of men Secondly hee is more particularly noted what manner of Beast he was like vnto to wit he was like a Leopard noting his marueilous swiftnesse and readinesse to doe mischiefe to the Church and to destroy it as also shewing his cruelty towards the people of God The Pawes of a Beare noting his rauenousnesse as being ready so able to catch to apprehend and lay hold of the things he desired The mouth of a Lyon shewing that he was cruell and strong to deuoure and to destroy He had the power of the Dragon giuen him that is of the Diuell signifying the greatnesse of his crueltie for as it is in the twentieth Chapter the Lord that he might saue his people being now in their cradle from being ouer-runne and deuoured of Sathan had first shut vp the Diuell into the bottomlesse pit that hee might not practise that hee would against the Church which thing the Diuell perceiuing and seeing himselfe thus shut vp that as it were in his owne person hee could not as hee desired be employed in the deuouring of the Church at his pleasure hee casts as much of his owne power as he can vpon an other to wit vpon the Romane Emperour who was as it were his deputy to the end he might doe that iniury he could in prosecuting the Christ Seauen heads signifying his exceeding wisedome and pollicie to doe hurt which should be very great according to his authority whereby hee ruled ouer the whole world His hornes signifie his power to doe that hurt And his Crownes signifie that great effect which that great wit and power of his should take in preuailing against men to wit that hee should vanquish and ouercome in his mischiefes Notwithstanding there is great difference betweene his Crownes and the Dragons for the Dragon had them on his heads that is the Diuell hath this power of himselfe properly to doe hurt exercising it as from himselfe the Beast hath them vpon his hornes that is the Emperour doth not exercise his authoritie and power against the Church immediately from himselfe but doth borrow his power from the Dragon Which is spoken after the custome and manner of those Kings and Princes which hauing absolute authority weare their Crownes on their bare heads those that be Viceroyes and haue an absolute authoritie weare Coronets indeed but on their Caps as it is vsed in forraine Countries and as it was the practise in those dayes After he is said to haue the name of Blasphemie declaring that the Emperours should be such as should blaspheme God in calling themselues Gods and taking the worship of God vnto themselues as Caligula and others most wretchedly and blasphemously did like to Alexander the great in the Monarchy of the Grecians which did arrogate this title to himselfe to be called God In that hee saith he had vpon his head the name of blasphemy written hee opposeth to that contrary custome of the Priest who had written vpon his head honor to the Lord so contrariwise this Beast had written on his head blasphemy against God And hee did not onely blaspheme the name of God but also his Tabernacle that is did speake euill of the Church of
some doe imagine any particular Country of Germany England c. saying that as the Gospell came out of the East into the West so it shall returne out of the West into the East and then say they these West Countries falling from the truth shall set themselues against the Church which thing can haue no allowance at all from hence But here onely is meant those most bitter enemies of the Church which being stirred vp by Sathan shall come with all might and malice that can be and shall fight against the Church compassing about it to destroy it But it is said the Church shall haue victory and that by Christ for fire that is the wrath of God shall come downe from heauen and consume them After he saith that the Diuell is taken for hauing spoken before of the Whore of the Beast and of the false Prophet he now sheweth what shall be done to the Diuell who was last to be destroyed and it is said that he was cast into a lake of fire and brimstone there to be tormented with the Beast and the false Prophet for euermore The second part of the Chapter is of the description of the last iudgement where first it is said there was a white Throne which of what matter it shall be no man knoweth yet seeing Christ is man as well as God he shall haue no doubt a royall and reall place wherein he shall sit most euidently His glory is further expressed in that the heauens and the earth shall flye away from before his face and shall passe away and shall burne with fire 2 Pet. 3. Then shall the dead be raised vp and all both great and small shall be summoned before God The Bookes were opened that is the Bookes of euery mans conscience shall be laid open and disclosed wherein is nothing but guiltinesse of conscience to condemne euery one Notwithstanding there is another Booke open which is the Booke of life to wit the Booke of Predestination which euery one shall be iudged by as he is elect or reprobate yet so as that election and reprobation doe not take away workes for it is said they shall be iustified or condemned according to their workes for they that are elected to life are also elected to sanctification the reprobate contrariwise The iust haue reward not for their good workes sake but according to their good workes wrought and that not before their calling conuersion and regeneration but which afterwards were done in faith and this onely for his owne mercie and promise sake in Christ The wicked are condemned according to their workes and for their workes sake their name being not found in the Booke of life Lastly it is said that death hell were cast into the lake that is were swallowed vp in immortality there being now no more danger of death hell Apoc. Cap. 21. 1 And I saw a new heauen and a new earth for the first heauen and the first earth were passed away and there was no more Sea c. VVEe haue heard heretofore of the straits of the Church militant being in warfare in this present world subject to many troubles and persecutions yet being defended and protected by God was not ouercome by any of them Now followes the state of the Church triumphant after this world And first here Saint Iohn sets forth the state of all the world then of the Church Euen as Moses in the Booke of Genesis describes first the beginning and creation of the whole world and then sets downe the condition and state of the Church The state of the world is declared in the first verse in that it is said there was a new heauen a new earth that is the heauens being partly corrupted and darkened by sinne and hauing lost somewhat of their glory they had before shall not onely haue that former but a better glory then the first so likewise should the earth and the sea also for in that it is said the Sea shall be no more it is not to be vnderstood that it should not afterwards be but that it should not then be the same that now it is namely raging tempestuous and disturbed as now wee see it to be but it should be still and quiet the waters and the fishes remaining still yet without roaring swelling and that distemperature which now it hath As for the Church it is described generally in the first seauen Verses particularly in the rest of the Chapter as also in some of the next In generall hee compares the Church to a braue Spouse prepared and trimmed for a King Christ being her Husband signifying the glory and beautie of the Church of God for as in the dayes of the solemnizing of marriage Brides vse to goe beyond their ordinary custome and kinde of apparell so the Church is now decked and beautified with full and perfect glory Secondly it is compared to a City comming downe from heauen that is a beautifull City hauing all her honour glory and good frame of building not from her selfe but from God not as the Cities which are builded by men but as one that is builded by God himselfe for as earthly Cities builded by men receiue their title from them so this City being built by God hath her name also from God Neither is here meant in that it comes downe from heauen that it should be in earth but onely that it is altogether heauenly Afterward the state and blessednesse of it is set forth in that God shall dwell in it continually as the Scripture testifieth that he shall more fully remaine and dwell with them then before for as it is said in the Scripture that in this life hee will Dine and Sup with them so now it is said he shall abide with them for euermore Then is set forth what they shall haue by the dwelling of God with them namely all happinesse first in that they shall drinke of the Well of life that is should receiue all pleasure and al comfortable good and desirable things Secondly God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes that is all things naught grieuous corrupt and painefull shall be taken from them And albeit to flesh and bloud this may seeme a strange thing and altogether impossible and incredible in regard of these miseries we now are in and of our sinfulnesse and wretchednesse yet to take away that infidelity of ours it is said that God himselfe speaketh it and bids Iohn write that all things shall be new for he will make all things new howsoeuer now they be troublesome and old And in that he biddeth Iohn for the further comfort of the Church of God to write that all old things are done and that new things are come and in that he saith that to him that thirsteth he will giue of the water of life and that he which ouercommeth shall inherite all things yet hee so saith it that none shall haue it without holinesse of life for as for
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