The Image of Both Churches in Revelation, Chapter 14
The xiiij. Chapter..
IN this present chapter declareth the Lord vntounto Iohn, and vntounto his faithfull seruants by him, the degrée, estate, & cōdiciō of his true beléeuing church, now after he hath afore lyuely described the beastiall churche of Antichrist & of his horned spiritualitye by ye afore named ii. mōstrous beastes. And this is that his louers should know what they be which are of his houshold, & what an helper they hauehave of him in the midst of their aduersities, to the comfort of their soules. And though they bee heere amonge those raging tirantes in tirrible agonies & paines, persecutions & troubles, he is neuer absent from thē, nor will not be till he hath rewarded them wt vnspeakeable Ioyes.
THE TEXT.
1 And I looked and lo, a Lambe stoode in the mount Sion, 2. and with him an C. and xliiij. thousand, 3. hauing his fathers name written in their foreheads. 4. And I hearde a voice from heauen, 5. as the sound of many waters, 6. and as the voice of a great thūder. 7. And the voice that I hearde, was 8. as the harpers that playe vponupon their harpes. 9. And they sang as it were a nevve song, 10. before the seat, 11. and before the foure beasts, 12. and the Elders, 13. And no man could learn that songe, 14. but the hundereth and xliiij. thousand, 15. vvhichwhich vvere redeemed from the earth. 16. These are they vvhichwhich vvere not defiled vvith vvomen, 17. for they are Virgynes. 18. These follovve the Lambe vvhither so euer he goeth.
19. These were redeemed from men, 20. being the first fruites vntounto God and to the Lambe, 21. and in their mouthes was found no guile, 22. for they are without spotte before the trone of God.
The Paraphrase.
1 I looked (saith Sainct Iohn) on the other side, & in a thought as it were, I behelde that a Lambe stoode vponupon mount Sion. Euen ye Lambe of God Iesus Christ, that alone tooke away the sinnes of the world. Alone doeth he gouerne his faythfull church, as the onelyonly and immediate head therof, hauing none other to assist him in that office. For who is the King ouer Siō but he? Who shall reduce Israell again to his folde but he? Only is hée with his congregation, to ayde them with his word, to bolden them with his spirite, & to strengthen them with his grace.
2 And with him were presente an hundreth and .xliiij. thousand, hauing his fathers name written in theyr foreheads. So many as hauehave in hart receiued his word, and in faith digested his verity, are ye very children of Abraham, and are marked vp for the sonnes of god by the seale of the holy Ghost.
3 For power hauehave they geuen thē to be Gods children yt beleue in his name. And this is it to hauehave his name written in thir foreheads. For their faith declareth thē Gods sonnes. Let this set number be none impedimēt to the reader, to be taken here for ye vniuersall multitude of the faithful, as well of ye gentiles as of ye Iewes that beleueth, though it otherwise appeareth in the viii. Chapter of this booke. For so well is the gentle that hath faith, a perfecte Israeltie, as is the Christen Iew. Yea, much rather was Zachius for his faith iudged Abrahams childe, thā was Simon for fulfilling the workes of ye lawe. For God is not parciall. Whatsoeuer he be y• feareth him & worketh rightuousenesse, is accepted with him. And so is it ment heare. And therefor is not the difference written here as in ye other place, but al is ioyned in one, to comprehende all vnderunder one. And as touching ye equall certaintie in nū ber both here and there. Like as it is there certainly knowne vntounto God, euen so is it here thoughe it be vntounto vsus both innumerable & vncertaine. Not as concerninge the number it selfe, but ye common vnderstanding thereof in ye scriptures. For if ye number of one seuenth be an infinit nūber ther, much more of many seuenthes.
4 And I harde a voyce frō heauen (saith S. Iohn) which is all one with the aforesaid Sion, & is the vniuersal cōgregacion of Christ, all cleare frō … supersticions of men. For, from Sion commith the lawe of the Lord after Esay, and the word of God from Ierusalem.
5 This worde is as the noise of many waters, whan it is in ye mouthes of many diuers peoples, of diuers nacions & lāguages, one not vnderstanding an other, & yet knowing it eche people among them selues.
6 Uery like is it also to a great thū der cracke, mighty, fearful, and terrible to the fleshe. Uery harde is thy word Lord (sayde Christes disciples) who is able to abide it.
7 And ye voice yt I hard (sayth Iohn) was much after ye noyse yt ye harpers make whē they play vpō their harps. Ful of agremēt are ye holi scriptures, yea, ful of swéet hermony & concord, more precious are ye verities of the Lord than is golde, and their melody more swéet than hony.
8 With thē reioysed Dauid before the arke of the Lorde. In them tooke Paule a stomake, and cōfounded the Iewes at Damascus.
9 And swéetly they vttered wt their voyces a song that séemed all newe, before ye seat of ye Lord, before ye foure beastes, & before the auncient elders. This song is the word of the Lorde, all new both to the good and to the il. The faythfull it renueth in the spirit of their mynds, prouoking them to do on a new man in Christ. The hartes of ye vnfaithfull is so hardened yt they in disdayn and spight doth call it new learning, as did ye ignorāt multitude at Caparnaum, and the worldly wise men of Athens.
10 Before ye seate of the Lord was this song vttered, which is the godly disposed multitude. For like as ye hart of an hipocrite is the very seate of sathan, so is ye harte of a faithfull man the seate of god and habytacle of the holy ghost.
11 Before the iiii. beasts was it opened also by this number of godly teachers, which beasts ar ye priuat cōgregatiōs of ye Lord, remaining here yet in ye flesh, in ye iiii. quarters of ye world
12 Finally before the elders was it songe also. For none other doctrine is it, nor Gospell of glad tidinges, than hath bin since ye beginning, nor than hath bene thankfully receiued of our old auncitors Patriarkes, ye Prophets, ye Apostles, & ye faithful fathers.
13 And no man could learne ye new song, but the aforesaide hundred and xliiij. thousand, which were redéemed from ye earth. Oh mighty, wonderful, yea & tirrible sentence of the Lorde. None that take them selues for the people of God, can be accepted afore hym for the true féede of Abraham, nor for ye iust ministers of his worde, vnlesse they be tokened afore with the holy spirit of his promise, and so predestinate to the lyfe euerlasting.
14 None can sincerely do that godly office to the profit of other, vnlesse he be wholly taken from all fleshlye and worldly affects. No man cā come vntounto me (saith Christ) vnlesse it bée giuen him of my father.
15 The wilfull Iewes beleued not bicause they were not the shéepe of his marke. Neither is it of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of the onelyonly mercy of the Lord. Necessarie is it therfore yt his spirit draweth, moueth, & inclineth the hart. Els cā not ye sōg be swéet, neither in him ye singeth, nor yet in ye herer. The notes of this new sōg are gods heuēly verities, registred in the faithfull hartes.
16 And they that dyd signe them to the prayse of the Lord, were not defiled with women. With no straunge doctrines, nor yet prophane worshippings is theyr faith cōtaminate, that vnfainedly hauehave don on Iesus Christ. Not the spousage of their soules hauehave they broken by no filthy traditions of men. OnelyOnly hauehave they with Dauyd sought the testimonyes of God, and thought none lyke vntounto them. OnelyOnly dyd they cleaue to hys precyous lawes, estéeming all other but chaffe, and very whoredome in the spirite.
17 Therfore are they vyrgines maryed vntounto Christ in faith, as were the Corinthians by Paules preachinge, whō he wished to cōtinue a chast virgin vntounto Christ. Neuer is ye maydenhead of ye soule lost, till erronious doctrine be receiued frō ye messengers of Antichrist, ye Bishops & Hipocrites.
18 The virgins, or vncorrupted beleuers doth folow ye lambe whersoeuer he becōmeth. They go after Christ, ye beleuing his word, doth fashion their liues vntounto it. Like as they folow Antichrist, ye fashion their workes to his doctrine. They walk in his steps, that forsake thē selues wt him, yt beareth the crosse of persecutiōs wt him, or ye suffreth deth for ye truth wt him. And not they yt séeke them selues, lyuing héere in all pompe, voluptuousnesse, and Tiranny. From this place fetch the blinde papists, a great argument for their wiuelesse castity, & yt none foloweth christ but they in this muster, bicause they are vnmaried. Neyther may, Abrahā, Moises, nor Dauid, Zachary, Peter, nor Philip, walk in this number bicause they had wyues. So perillous a thing it is to hauehave a wife. It is greate meruayle they admit Mary Christs mother to it, bicause she had a husband. Oh ignorāt asses, & very beastly Idiotes. I think you follow Iudas which had neyther wyfe nor childe, vnlesse he had thē sitting by other mēs fyers, as many of you hauehave yet at this same day. What is vyrginitie before god more thā is mariage? No more thā is circumcision in comparison to vncircumcision. And yt is nothing. No more maketh ye one thā the other, to a Christian life. Only is it …aith effectually working by louelove, yt the Lord requireth of vsus.
Only respected he the faith of Mary, and not hyr virginity. They which liue in matrimony after the word of god, ar accepted afore hī for virgins, & so are named of S. Paule. An other cauillatiō they hauehave, that none which hath offēded afore, can be of this number. But they consider not what is spokē here afore, yt they wer redemed from the earth, & that ye spirit of ye lord hath purified their hartes throughe faith. Neither hauehave they grace to remember ye Christes innocency is reckened for an whole & perfecte rightuousnesse vntounto them yt beléeue in him, but they must bring in such trifles, as are their owne beggerly merites.
19 And therefore it followeth also. These faithfull beléeuers (saith sainct Iohn) were redéemed frō men, being the first fruites to God & to ye lambe. By none other were they redemed, than by Christ. For of all ye elect nū ber, he is ye only rightuousnesse, wisdom, holinesse, & redemption. From ye corrupt, blinde, & froward multitude hath he called them, taken them, and cleared them. And of deformed sinners, hath he made thē, faire, of vile pure, of wretched, gloryous, of blinde perfectly séeing, of lyars, true sayers, of obstinate, gentle, of yll good, and of vnfruitfull, profitable. For he it is that taketh away the stony hart, and geueth a soft hart for it, so making vsus Abrahams children. Thus are we redéemed from men, whan we are taken by his goodnesse from such corrupt vsages as mans nature is inclined vntounto.
20 And for none other purpose but to be ye first fruits vntounto god, as were the aulter offrings in the old lawe, in the hands of the high priestes. For so much as ye elect number ar but a few or a certaine taken out from the vniuersall multitude, and are ye porcion of the Lord (as were the said offerings) perteyning vntounto Christ ye only bishop of our soules, they are his first fruits. Yea, & his owne very mistical members, and al but one offring vntounto God ye father by him. For he is ye onelyonly lambe that died for them, his owne bodye, beinge the only oblacion and sacrefice.
21 And in their mouthes was found no gile. For none other wordes vttered they but his p…er testimonies. None other taught thei but his vndefiled lawes. None other perswaded they to be obserued of other, but his immaculate Gospel or easy burthen of Christ. No importable yokes laied they vponupon mens shoulders▪ neither of cerimonies, fastīgs nor masse hearings.
22 For they are without spot before the throne of god. Both before them yt are faythfull and hauehave right iudgment in the spyrite (whiche are the very seats of God) apereth their doctrine pure, and also their life innocēt before god hīselfe. Neyther are they spotted with filthy tradicions nor yet wt vncūly examples, & as cōcerning their former sinnes, they shal not be imputed vntounto them. They are remitted in Christ, and so forgotten afore god. Though this that here hath bin spoken be concerning ye whole christen multitude and her preachers, yet doth it most specially touche the Iewes or Israelyts that shal in this latter age be conuerted vntounto Christ. And so doe I counsell the reader to vnderstand it. For the mount Syon after the flesh was theirs. Not defiled are they with vnmaried women, which are the whorishe lawes and vncleane supersticions of the Gentiles, vpō none other harp hauehave they commonly harped but vponupon ye scriptures, though it hath not bin to the pleasure of God, tyll nowe in this latter age, wherin they shall wholye turne vntounto Christ.
THE TEXT.
1 And I savv an Angell, 2. Fly in the midst of heauen. 3. Hauing an euerlasting gospell to preach vntounto them that sit and dvvell on the earth. 4. And to all nacions, kinreds and …ongs, and people▪ 5. sayinge vvith a loude voyce. 6. Feare God. 7. And geue honour to him. 8. For the houre of his iudgemente is come. 9. and worship him that made heuen & earth. 10. And the sea & the fountaines of vvater.
The Paraphrase.
1 An other Angell sawe I (sayeth sainct Iohn) flye in the midst of heauen. For Christ was the first angell or messenger of the euerlastinge couenaunt of the father. This angell here mencioned is none other than he that had ye seale of the lyuing god in the .vii. Chapter, and he that was clothed with a cloude in the tenth chap. And he betokneth those feruent ministers whō god hath sent in this latter time to admonishe his people to flye from the errours of antichrist, & returne to his heauenlye verities.
2 He flyeth in the midst of heauen. An earnest, feruent, & faithful course take they in the middest of gods congregacion (which is his heauenly kingedom here, to whom this reuelation is written) lyke as dyd Paulus, Sylas, and Barnabas, Timotheus, Titus, and Clemens, with other of the Apostles sincerely to declare his worde. Mighty stomaked are they in gods cause, both in their wordes and wrytings.
3 An euerlastinge Gospell had this Angel to preach vntounto them that sit, & dwell vponupon the earth, and to al nations, kynreds and people. His eternal testamēt and couenant of peace hath the Lorde giuen vntounto them, to preach deliuerance to the captiue, health to the wounded, lyfe to the dead, and remission to ye sinfull. Yea, to vtter that word that is stronger thā is heauen, or earth, and that shall neuer fayle hym that truely beléeueth.
4 The sound of this gospell muste go the world ouer, as in the apostles time. Eueri wher must it be spred to ye increase of faith. Amōg al natiōs of ye earth, among al kinreds of the Isralyts, among all languages of the world, and among all kinds of people, of what sort so euer they be, whether they sit vponupon the earth or dwell vponupon the earth, whether they be high or lowe, gouernours or subiects, masters or seruāts, owners or fermers. So that they sit not nor dwell not within the earth, or hauehave theyr felicitie here. For that is holy should not be geuen vntounto dogs, nor yet pearels layed before swyne.
5 And he cryed with a loude voyce, with a mighty feruent spirit do they beat it into the heades of men, both by wordes, writings, and al they can make to hauehave the feare of God, and to geue him his due honour. And this is the doctrine they teache & the counsell they geue.
6 Feare ye God in all that ye doe, for the first poynt of godly wisdome▪ is to dread least we offende him. Be constant in the worde, and feare no displeasure of men. For no more can they do in their anger but slea ye body, and bring it to the rest of god. No power hauehave thei ouer the soule, feare him only therfore, yt whē he hath destroied both, may throw thē into▪ he….
7 Geue honor vntounto hī, worship him & serue him alone, praise him, & glorifie him aboue al. But yet after … other sort thā he hath apoīted, which is in faith, spirite, & veritie, & not … outward shadowes wt obseruation of tymes. He truely honoureth him that trusteth in him, ye beleueth his word, and yt in spight of all antichrists▪ cō fesseth it afore al men, after this sort therfore feare him, & worship hym nothīg douting ye assalts of enimies.
8 For the houre of his iudgemēt is come. At hand is it that all the antichristes and hipocrits shal by the inuincible word of god be iudged, condemned, and destroyed. From heauē shall hys wrath be declared vponupon al their vngodlynes. With the spirite of his mouth shall the lorde consume them, and not longe after wyll the great day of his indignatiō toward them light sodenly vponupon them.
9 With al faithful obsequi worship him therfore that created heauen & earth in wonderfull strēgth & beuty.
10 That made the sea & the fountaines of water with all that in thē doth anone, whose power is eternall, knowledge none other god but him. None other helper, redemer, nor sauior but christ: for al other christs not sēt of hī, ar but antichrists, only bow your knées vntounto him, for only is hys strength euerlasting, onelyonly obey his lawes, for only are his lawes clean.
THE TEXT.
1 And there folovved an other Angel saying. 2. She is fallen, she is fallen, euen Babylon that great citie. 3. For she made al nations drink of the vvine of her vvhordome.
The Paraphrase.
1 And there folowed an other Angell (saith S. Iohn) which betokneth an other sort of preachers, whose office is here appointed them of the holy Ghost to declare vntounto the people ye certenty of the fall of the aduoutrus, cursed and malignant church of hipocrits, here figured by wretched Babilō. For though al the true prophets and preachers hauehave but one worde of God in their mouth, yet passeth it diuersly from them. Unto each of thē is geuen a diuers vtteraunce of the spirit to edifie. One is soft, méeke & gentle, as was Dauid, Iohn & Peter an other is boysteous, harde & vehement as was Helias, Esay & Paule, And all this worketh the selfe same one spirit. This diuersitie of techers was neuer more plentuous in the world than now in our time, figured here by these two angels. Praysed be the Lord therefore.
2 And the tenour or ground of this latter sort of preachers is this. She is fallen, she is fallen, euen miserable Babylon ye great citie of whoredom, bicause she made all nacions to drink of the wrathful wyne of hir fornication. So sure is it that the execrable church of Antichrist shalbe ouerthrowen, and vtterly destroyed, as it wer now perfourmed in déede. Nothinge shalbe vnrooted out that the heauenly father hath not planted. Sooner shall heauen & earth perish, than this promisse be vnfulfilled.
3 For with the stinking whorishnes of hir supersticious worshippinges, hath she poysoned all nacions & peoples, vnderunder heauen. The great gouernours, & lerned lawiers of ye world, hathe she made in maner of beastly dronkerds, wytlesse, faythlesse, and gracelesse, by theyr prostibulous doctrine. And this shal be declared more at large in ye .xvij. cha. folowing. wheras she is more plētuously described.
The texte.
1 And the third Angell followed them. 2. saying with a loude voyce. 3. If any worship the beast and his Image. 4. and receiue his marke in his forehead or on his hand. 5. the same shall drinke of the wyne of the vvrath of god. 6. vvhichwhich is povvred in the cup of his vvrath. 7 and he shall be punished in fyre & brimstone. 8. before the holy Angels. 9. and before the Lambe.
The Paraphrase.
1 The thyrd Angel also (saith saint Iohn) followed thē in ye thyrd kinde of preaching of ye same selfe message, that in ye mouth of two or thrée faithful witnesses all veritie might stand.
2 And by this Angell are they signified that by the word of God stifly impugne theyr wicked lawes & vngodly ordinaunces, whose maner of earnest preaching is this.
3 If any man worship ye beast, which is ye great antichrist. And his Image which are those gouernours that taketh vponupon them his blasphemous titles, names, authoritie, or defence. If any man also receiue his mark in his forehead, beléeuing theyr lawes to be a christen doctrine, or hauehave the print of his seale vpō his right hand which is to fashion his outward workes after the same. The same man shall drinke of the wine of Gods wrath, which are the dregs of ye pure wyne poured in the cup of his high displeasure. He shall taste of the euerlasting damnation, that is reserued in the latter cursse or fearefull sentence of their moste terrible iudge. To worship the beast and his Image, is to accept them in conscience, and in the outward obedience, with ful consent of the hearte. For that they blasphemously pretend, without Gods authority. As the Pope for Gods vicar or forgeuer of sinnes. Mahomet for the greate Prophet of the Lord, the rulers of the earth, for the Popes elder or yonger sonnes, for moste christian Kinges, and defenders of the fayth of that holy church.
4 To receiue the beastes marke in their forheads and hands, is to agrée to such decrées, traditious, lawes, duplicate page duplicate page constitucions, actes, & proclamations, as they vnderunder those titles hauehave made onelyonly for theyr owne couetousnesse & pomp, and neither for the glory of god nor yet for the right maintenance of the christen common wealthe, as I hauehave declared afore. And also to be sworne to the same, to subscribe to it, to geue counsel or ayde to it, to maintayn it by learning, to minister in it, to execute vnderunder it, to accuse, punish, and put to death for it, or to think it lawfull and godly, with such lyke.
5 These marked worshippers that tast of the cuppe of gods indignation, of calamitie, sorow, & wretchednesse in the dayes of theyr fal here, & after the last iudgement of vnspeakeable paines and most gréeuous torments, in euerlasting fyre prepared for the diuell and his angels.
6 The dregges that the Lord hath powred out (sayth Dauid) shall the wicked of the earth drynke. Cleane cōtrary are these Angels to ye horned ministers of antichrist. For they maintaine ye Popes errours, these ye onelyonly verities of christ. They labor for the glory of their pope, these séeketh ye only honor of god. They prate yt their holy Church shall continue, th…se say it shall downe with shame. They require worship to the beast and his Image, these will report it blasphemous, & ye reward therof damnation. Marke in these two sortes the preachers of our time, and iudge whiche are of god. Against both beastes in Christes quarell shall these Angels contende. Against the Pope and his bishops, Mahomet and his doctours, wyll these godlye ministers replye (whom the Lorde hath sent in this latter age for yt purpose) condemnīg by the scriptures their auctoryty, iurisdiction, & power declaring also the plagues that wyl fall vponupon them for witholding the truth of God in vnrightuousnes.
7 For these Antichristes and their worshippers wt so many as beareth their token shall be punished in fire and brimstone, before the holy Angels, and before the Lamb. Fyre shal be kindled (saith Moyses) in the anger of the Lorde, & shall burne vntounto the bottome of Hell. Upon the vngodly (sayeth Dauid) shall he raine snares. Fyre, brimstone, storme, and tempest shall be their porcyon to drynke. The vehement indignation and mighty iudgement of God, shall light vponupon them, as vponupon Sodome and Egipt, and shall both deuoure them and consume them.
8 And this shalbe in the sighte of Aungels, which are not onelyonly the spirites of heauē, but also the church of the faythfull. Yea, the righteous shall reioyce when he séeth the destruction, and shall washe his handes it the bloud of the wicked.
9 In the presence of the lambe shal it be also. For he is euermore with his flock, & shalbe vntounto the end of the world, wherin he shal sit & cōdem thē
The Texte.
1 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth vp euermore. 2. And they hauehave no rest day nor night. 3. vvhichwhich worship the beaste and his Image. 4. and vvhosoeuer receyueth the prynt of his name 5. here is the pacience of sayntes. 6. Here are they that keepe the commaundements. 7. and the fayth of Iesu…
The Paraprhase.
1 And the smoke of their tormēt ascendeth vp euermore, as the flame of a fornace with most horible stinke for a perpetual signe of their punishmēt, like as it dyd frō Sodome & Gomor, when the Lorde ouerthrew them.
2 So yt they hauehave no rest neyther day nor night, so mani as worship ye beast & his image, receuīg ye prīt of his nam
3 Both in this lyfe are they cruciate with a troublous and doubtfull conscience, and also after this life wt vnspekeable paynes. For neither shal their worm dye, nor yet their fyre be quēched, all flesh abhorring thē.
4 Thus shal they be with the beast tormēted, which hauehave the spirite of ye beast. For like as al ye faithful (which hath ben from the beginning) belongeth to one misticall body in Christe, and shalbe preserued by him so doeth the wicked perteine to one misticall Antichrist, hauing al one spirit with him, and so shall with him perish.
5 Here is the pacience of the saynts. In this life ar their troubles no plesure is for them in this world, but hate, rebukes, slaunders, lies, persecutions, and death of their bodyes. Their life vponupon earth is continuall affliction, but gloryous is the fruite of their labours. Manifold are the misfortunes of the rightuous, but the Lord cleareth them of all.
6 Here are they vexed that kepe the commaundements & the fayth of Iesu. Here are they had in derision, yt behaue thēselues as ye ministrs of god in much patiēce, afflictiōs, néede, anguish, labour, stryps, imprisonment, and such lyke..
7 Here are they chastened of the LORDE with many sore storms, that they should not be damned with this world. Much hauehave they héere to suffer of enemies, that onelyonly cleueth to ye word of god in life & doctrine.
THE TEXT.
1. And I heard a voyce from heauen saying vntounto me. 2. Write. 3. Blessed are the dead, which hereafter dye in the Lord, 4 (euen so saith the spirit) that they may rest frō their labours. 5. But their vvorkes shall follovve them.
The Paraphrase.
1 And I heard a voyce from heauē (saith S. Iohn) saying vntounto me.
2 Wryte with penne, or marke suerly this sentence following for them that here suffer in the truthes quarell.
3 Blessed are ye dead, or they which are already departed, and yt also shal heereafter depart in ye Lorde. This voyce from heauen are the infallible scriptures▪ ascertaining the faith of Iohn, of the swéete rest of the saintes in the hands of God. And that their ende is not without honour, as the vain sort supposeth, but they are coū ted among the dere children of God. Let thē therefore yt suffer in this age be earnestly sprited, & not feare ye tormēts of ye enimies in Christes cause.
4 For from hence forth (the spirit saith) that they rest frō their labours. In a wōderfull quietnesse dwel they, by the very sentence of ye holy Ghost, & shall neuer more féele of any woo. God hath clean wiped away al tears frō their eyes, all sorrowes & paynes from their bodies, the first daungers being …ast. Happy are they therefore and moste godly fortunate, that are slaine for Christ, bicause they wil not worship the beast & his Image, nor corrupt their faith with their wicked lawes, but in a pure christian beleue departeth frō hence to ye Lord. Theyr portion is in ye land of the liuing, and their lot among the holy ones.
5 For certainly their works doth folow them. The promised rewarde of God for constantly standing by ye veritie, for the fruites of their christian patience, & for other exercise of theyr fayth, is euermore to their glory present with thē. Not as deserued of thē, but of Christe, in whose fayth they wrought here, & for the promise sake, that they should be gods heyres togither wt Christ. The lyuely word also which they earnestly receyued héere and so rooted in their faith, wil neuer suffer them to perishe, nor to be hurte of the second death.
THE TEXT.
1 And I looked, and beholde, 2. a vvhyte cloude, 3. and vponupon the cloude one sitting, lyke vntounto the sonne of man, 4. hauyng on his head a golden crovvn, 5. and in his hand a sharpe sickle.
The Paraphrase.
1 I looked yet further (saith S. Iohn) and euidently before me appeared a whyte cloude, which betokeneth the true ministers of Gods word. Whom the holy ghost calleth clouds by Esay, Dauid, Peter, & Iudas. For from thē falleth vponupon the people the swéete droppes of his verities.
2 White they are as milk for their faith in the word, and for their christian conuersation not blotted with hipocrisie of mēs corrupted customes.
3 Upon this cloude was one sittyng lyke vntounto ye sonne of man, whiche is verely Christ, in his glorified māhood. For euermore is he among hys true preachers, gyuyng them suche vtteraunce and wisedome, as all theyr enymies are not able to withstande. Alwayes walketh he among the vij. candelstickes, which are his congregations as we had afore.
4 He had vponupon his heade a golden crowne, in token of his eternall and vncorrupte kingdome, and in hys hand a sharpe sickle, which is ye sharp iudgement or rightuousnesse of hys worde, for there with shall hée reape his latter haruest. According to hys worde and promyse shall hee iudge good and euill.
5 This sickle receyued he of hys euerlasting father, suche tyme as hée gaue ouer vntounto hym hys vniuersall iudgements. By the order of this vision should ye preachers séeme in the last age of the church, much to admonish the people of the latter day, with the commyng of Christe agayne to iudge both the quicke and the deade as is in their créede, or beléeue.
THE TEXT.
1 And an other Angell came out of the temple, 2. crying with a loude voyce to hym that satte on the cloude. 3. Thrust in thy sikle, and reape, 4. for the tyme is come to reape. 5. For the corne of the earth is rype. 6. And he that satte on the cloude, 7. thrust in his sickle on the earth, 8. and the earth vvas reaped.
The Paraphrase.
1 And an other Angell (sayth sainct Iohn) came out of the temple, which is the congregation of fayth, consecrated as an holy temple vntounto God in the bloud of the vndefiled Lambe Iesus. This Angell betokeneth those iust men, that with Symeon and Anna the doughter of Phanuell, in thys latter age are desirous of the glory of God, and of the finall redemption of man from bodily corruption.
2 These shal cry with a loude voice, with a feruent spirite shall they call vntounto Christ, which sitteth vponupon the cloude.
3 And thys shall bée theyr saying. Thrust in the sickle and reape. Send foorth thy lyuing word. And lyke as it hath created all things, so let it now trye and iudge all things.
4 For the tyme is at hand to reape. For we are those vponupon whō the ends of the world are come.
5 And doutlesse the corne of the earth is ripe, the worlde is at the best that it wil be. As it hath bene euer, so is it stil, altogether set vponupon mischief. Let thy word therfore finish all, as it hath begon all. With ye breath of thy mouth, consume ye great Antichriste, the man of sinne, the sonne of perdicion, & the aduersarye yt hath exalted him selfe aboue God. Powre out thy indignation vponupon ye kingdoms that wil neyther know thée, worship thée, nor alone call vponupon thy name. Thou haste called thy haruest the end of ye world, let it now finish al in déed. Diuide ye chaffe from the corn, ye wicked from the rightuous. Gather ye wheat into thy garner, and burne the chaffe in vnquenchable fyer.
6 And he that sat on ye cloude thrust in his sickle on the earth, and anon the earth was reaped.
7 He hath sent hys mightie word, so quick in operation as fyre. Which shal not onelyonly cōsume ye wicked generation of ye beast, but also reserue thē to eternall dampnation.
8 The earth shal be cleared of them as of all other filthy corruptions, and hell replenished with them, to their perpetuall care.
THE TEXT.
1 And an other Angell came out of the temple, 2. vvhichwhich is in heauen, 3. hauing also a sharpe sickle.
The Paraphrase.
1 And an other Angel (saith S. Iohn) came out of the temple which is in heauen, or from the great number of Angels, hauing also a sharpe sickle in his hande.
2 This Angel betokeneth those heauenly spirites that the Lord shal send foorth to gather togyther hys chosen from the iiij. wyndes whan his tokē shall appeare in heauen. These are the reapers of the Lordes harueste. These are they that shall go foorth too gather all nations, & to seperate the goates from the Lambes, the il from the good, and shall caste them into a furnace of fire, where as shal be waylyng and gnashing of téeth.
3 And therefore is their sickle héere named sharpe. None other is theyr sickle, but this appointed office. None other is their haruest, but this gathering togither. But these messengers shal not foorth til they hauehave commaū dement. And therefore saith Saynct Iohn consequently.
THE TEXT.
1 And an other Angell came out from the aulter, 2. vvhichwhich had povver ouer fyre, 3. and cryed vvith a loude crye vntounto him that had the sharpe sickle, and sayde. 4. Thrust in thy sharpe sickle, 5. and gather the clusters of the earth, 6. for hir grapes are rype. 7. And the Angel thrust in his sickle on the earth, 8. and cut dovvn the grapes of the vineyard of the earth, 9. and cast them into the great vvynefat of the wrath of God. 10. And the vvynefat vvas troden vvithout the citie, 11, and bloud came out of the fatte, 12. euen vntounto the horse bridles, 13. by the space of a thousande and sixe hundred furlongs.
The Paraphrase.
1 And an other Angell came out frō the aulter which had power ouer fire. This is the Lord Iesus Christ, whō Malachias calleth the Angel of the couenaunt that was longed for. Hée is the aulter of the rightuous, & by him are they a swéet sacrifice vntounto God. Els could they be but very abhomination. Till the iudgement day shall he be an Aulter of meanes making to God the father for vsus. But that day once come, no longer shall he be an aulter or an aduocate, but go clean from it. He shall then become a iudge ouer al ye world, rewardyng eueryevery one accordynge to their workes. Hitherto hath he méekly sitten vponupon the cloude, and not cut with his sickle. He hath had in his hād the iudgement, and not iudged.
2 But now hath he power ouer fyre. By fire (which is vnderunder his obediēce, as are all other creatures els) shall he at that day iudge the vnyuersall worlde. And more sharpe, vehement, quicke, fierce, mighty, & tirrible shall hys sentēce be to ye wicked, thā is any fearful, flaming, or consuming wilde fire.
3 For with a loude voyce shal he cry vntounto him yt hath the sharpe sickle. An earnest charge & cōmandement shal he giuegive at ye day to ye ministers of his ire, for to cast thē into exteriour darkenes, after this sort here vttered in mistery.
4 Thrust in thy sharpe sickle, & gather the cluster of the earthli vinyard, for the grapes thereof are ripe.
5 Execute the vengeaunce committed vntounto you, & roote out this ranke riotous generatiō of ye rauenous epicures▪
6 For now are their mischiefes at the full. Now are they moste curious in their facions & feadinges, most couetous in their cōpassings, most vaine in their studies, & most cruell in their do…inges. For with thē shal it be (saith Christ) as it was in the daies of Noe and Loth. They shal builde and bāket, ruffle and riote, bye and sell, and plant for their pleasures. And sodainly as a snare shall that terrible day light vpō thē vnbewares, as did death on the couetous iourer.
7 And the Angel (saith S. Iohn) thrust in his sickle on ye earth, he cutt downe the grapes of ye vineyard of the earth, and so did cast them into ye great wyne fatte of the wrath of God.
8 According to their commission they shall plage ye earthly minded, for here is ye time past for ye tyme cōming vsed, for the certaintie of it. With sodayne death shal they perce thē in this world that cōtemning Christs doctrine hauehave folowed ye corse therof in al cōcupicēce.
9 And finally they shal throwe them into ye lake of misery, ye pit without water, into the stinking dregges of hell, wher as fyre and brimstone shalbe rewarded to drinke. For ye vineyarde of the earth is the carnal sinagoge of hypocrites, & the grapes therof are ye glorious glottons, & franke fedde porkelinges of ye gredy gulfe, euē ye enemies of Christes crosse, whose God is their beally, whose glory is their cōfusion, & whose end is their dānatiō for they are earthly minded. This winefat of the wrath of God is none other then his great vengaunce, to be powred vpō the vnfaithful. Or els hell prepared for ye deuill & his angels. Great, not onelyonly for ye innumerable multitud yt it hath & shal reciue but also in yt it is insaciable.
10 And this winefat was trodē without ye citie. Nothing perteyneth it to ye citie (of whō famous thing are spokē) which is ye congregatiō of god, nor yet to ye good creatures of god. No, not vntounto this world, which shall at that day… be tried & purged by fyre. But vnderunder the earth shal it be, & far without thys world, secluded from the face of heauē in filthy & vnspeakeable darknesse.
11 For bloud wil come out of thys fate, euen vntounto ye horse bridles. Wherin is expressed not only the terrour of the place, but also of ye paines therein contained. For bloud shedding & murther are things very horryble & feareful to beholde, containing in them depriuatiō of life, which is most terrible of all. The aboundance thereof betokeneth the greatnesse of the griefe in the sufferance of them. The treading downe also signifieth, that no raise towardes any reliefe is to be looked for of them yt be there. Unto them which at that day shall be in the cittie, wil be that sitteth in ye thron make all things now. All dolour, afflictiō, sorow, paine, penury, wrath, cōdempnatiō, & death, shal be past with them. Only shal they be trodē down in this winefat of gods wrath, that lyued héere lyke beastes without reason, and that wandered here lyke horses and mules in theyr owne filthy lustes.
12 All shalbe punished there, yt was here vnbrideled, vnordred, & vngouerned after the worde & pleasure of God And therefore it is here sayd, vntounto the horse bridles. EueryEvery man shal receiue in body according to that he hath don. whether it be good or euell. They that hauehave wrought ye work of God in faith, shall reape according vntounto it. The bridles also betokeneth ye mesure of gods iudgement, not as concerning ye tyme which is euerlasting, but concerning ye payne rightly mesured according to ye iniquity. For ye lord hath set his iudgments ouer the wicked in weight and mesure, ye stripes agreing in quātiti to ye exces of sin, so much tormēt to hauehave as their reioice hath ben in wikednes
13 The space of these terible tormēts or punishmentes of hel, is a M. and .vj. hundred furlongs. A furlong of ye Grekes is called the runne of Hercules, & it is in length an C. & .xxv. paces or steppes. And cōmōly they vsed accordīg to ye length to measure their playing places. Of whome Paule maketh mēcion to ye Corinthiās being Gréekes, by thē yt rūneth in a course, & yt proueth masteries. In this thousande and vi. hundred furlonges here, is comprehended the whol & vniuersal course of ye wicked for ye iiii. quartars of ye world. The number of an hundred is euermore an whole complete & perfect number. And …iij. hūdred .iiij. times nūbred is .xvj. hū dred which maketh this number of a thousand & vj. hūdred, ye number of iiij. respecting alwayes ye iiij. clymates of the world, which are ye common habitaciōs of sinners. In thē course they, in all wantan kindes of liuing. In thē worke they their masteris of all vngodly obseruaciōs and false worshippinges, walking in ye large or opē way which leadeth vntounto death. According to ye number & mesure of this course, hath God here measured the place & punishment. Notwithstanding neuer is he without mercy. Maruelous he is in his workes & iudgemēts, which are vnsercheable. Blessed is he yt shal hauehave his part in the citie or congregation of the rightuous, and that shal sée ye peace vponupon Israel, when the Lord shal lead forth them with the euil doers, yt hath … them selues with their lawes. The Lord graunt vsus once to tast the prosperitye of Hierusalem. Amen.