The Image of Both Churches in Revelation, Chapter 5
The fift Chapter.
THE TEXT.
1 And I sawe in the right hande of him that sate on the throne, a booke 2, written with in, and on the back syde. 3. sealed with seuen seales, 4. and I sawe a strong Angell preaching with a loude voyce. 5. Who is worthie to open the booke, and loose the seales thereof? 6. And no man in heauen nor in earth, neyther vnderunder the earth vvas able to open the booke, neyther to looke thereon. 7. And I wept much, bycause no man was found worthie to open & to read the booke, neither to looke thereon. 8. And one of the elders sayd vntounto me: Weepe not. 9. Beholde, the Lyon which is of the trybe of Iuda, 10, the roote of Dauid, hath obtayned to open the booke, and to loose the seuen seales thereof. 11. And I beheld, and lo, in the middest of the seat, and of the iiij. beastes, and in the middest of the elders, 12. stoode a Lambe as though he had ben killed, 13, which had seuen hornes, 14, and seuen eyes, which are the seuen spirits of God, sent vntounto all the worlde. 15. And hee came and tooke the booke out of the right hand of him that sate vponupon the seat.
The Paraphrase.
AFter the forsayde vysion I saw (saieth saint Iohn) in the right hande,Apoca. 4. 1. Pet. 5. Esa. 6. …. Peter. 1, Exod. 32. Esa. 8. Colo. 1. Apoca. 10. Rom. 1. Psalm. 117 or mighty power and wyll, of hym that sate on the throne with maiestye, a wonderfull Booke, in the which both man and Angell were desirous to looke.
This booke is Gods heauenly ordinance, contayning not onelyonly all, that hath bene created of God visible and inuisible, but also the vniuersall contents of the holy scripture. This boke hath the mercifull Lorde prouided, that men should know him, partly by his creatures, partly by his Scriptures. This booke he hath in his right hand. For heauen he measureth with his spanne, and the whole world he comprehendeth vnderunder his three …ingers.Esa. 48, Esa. 40. Psalm. 4… Io…. 32. Psalm. 118▪ In his hande or power is the vniuersal earth; bothe hills & valleyes. At his onelyonly wil & pleasure is the sincere vnderstanding of the scriptures, and true interpretacion of the same.
2 This booke is written within & without.Colo. 1. Rom. 1. Math. 10. Psalm. 99, 2. Tim 3. Luke. 8, Rom 13, Iohn. 6. Gala. 4. Iohn, 1. The world cōtayneth creatures visible and inuisible, powers open & hidden, that men in thē should reade and vnderstand that there is a liuing God, and that they should acknowledge him and worship him as the Lorde and creator of all. The holy scripture hath hir figure & history, hir mistery and veritie, hir parable & plaine doctrine, her night and day, her letter and sence, her voyce and word, her flesh and spirit, her shadow and cleare light, her death and lyfe, her law and gospell, her Moyses and Christ, to bring all men also vntounto the knowledge of God.Esa. 29. 1. Cor. 2. Roma. 8. 1. Cor. 1. Ioannes Bacāthorp. Nicolaus Lyranus. Albertus.
3 But that Booke is surely sealed with seauen stronge seales from the fleshlye vnderstanding of man, not hauinge the spirite of Christ, that he can neither vse the creatures of God a right, nor yet perceiue the Scriptures according to their true meanning. Muche hath the doctours fantasied of these seuen claspes or spearynges of thys booke, wythout the aucthoritie of Gods word,Liranus. Albertus. calling thē all maner of obscurities & darkenesses. Where as in verie déed they are nothing els but the strong and vnuariable decrée,Psal. 118. Prou. 8. Mat. 11. Rom. 8. Iacob. 1. Luke. 10. Mat. 13. Sapi. 1. or set diffinition of God, before the constitucion of the world, that none should be able to read rightly therin, nor know the iust meaning therof without the spirit of his sonne, and vnles it be méekly asked in faith. And this one decrée of god, so oft locketh vp these heauēly secrets frō mā, as it findeth hym carnall, couetous, wilfull, blinde, malicious, proude, and false, with such other lyke. The number of seuen doeth onelyonly respect the opening of the seales in all ages.Ioachim. Abbas. Gen. 4. Gen. 12. 1. Reg. 16. Luk. 3. Mala. 2. 1. Cor. 9. Act. 4. Mala. 2. Mat. 5. Luk. 6. For in eueryevery age hath God opened ye trueth vntounto some Godly men by his spirite, with Abell and Enoch, with Noe and Sem, with Abraham and Iob, with Moyses and Samuel, with Dauid and Helias, with Hieremie and Daniel, with Iohn Baptist & Peter.
4 And I sawe (sayeth S. Iohn) a strong Angell, which betokeneth euerie faithful minister of gods word, coueting all men to be taught of god, and sending them only vntounto Christ, for they are the Angels of the Lorde of hostes. Which Angell cryed with a loude voyce, with an earnest zeale of the glorie of God, and with a feruent desire of his neighbours health.
5 Who is worthie to opē this booke, and to vndoo the claspes thereof?Psal. 1…. Psal. 68. Mat. 15. Ioh. 9. 1. Cor. 3. Hier. 10. As though he should say, None but he alone. Séeke him therfore that he may open it vntounto you, els are yée lyke alwayes to be blynde, foolishe, and vnlearned lyers before the Lord, séeme ye neuer so wyse, eloquent, and well learned in the sight of men.
6 And in déede no man was founde able to doe it, neyther in heauen, nor in earth, nor vnderunder the earth,1. Esd. 4. Gen. 1…. Esay. 14. 2. Pet. 2. Act. 17. Iohn, 1. Act. 4. 2. Pet. 2. yet was there a diligent search made, & many did attempt it. The Angels that by apostasie fell from God, when they were in heauen wrought maistryes about it. And in the earth héere, the Philosophers among the Gentiles, the religious fathers amōg ye Iewes, the Pharisies and Scribes, the lawyers and priests, and amōg the Christians, ye false Apostles & Antichrists, the Sophisters and Papists, ye sectes, and scoole doctors with all the worldly wyse hath craftily compassed the thing. Yea the messēgers of Sathan (whose dampnation is certayne) subtily to perswade, and fraudelently to deceiue the innocent soules,1. Iohn. 4▪ Rom. 3. Psalm. 63, Hiere. 2…. Esa. 29. Prou. 25. 1. Cor. 1. Colo. 4. Rom. 11. Sapi. 9. hauehave also done their parte. But what hath folowed? After their vayne enterpryse, they hauehave bene so astonyed at the maiestie or sight of ye booke, that neyther were they able to open it, nor yet to looke thervpon. So high were the mysteries thereof, so vnserchable the iudgements, & so inuestigable the wayes therevnto.
Math. 5. Esa. 63. Apoca. 1… ▪ Eccle. 8. Iohn. 14.7 And I fell in sore wéeping (sayth Sainct Iohn) muche dolour was it to my heart to see that none was found worthie, no creature able, neyther Angell nor man, good spirit, nor diuil, to open, and to read the booke, which is cléerely to know the will of God therein, nor yet once to looke therevpon, that is sincerely to perceyue the least veritie cōtayned therin. No creature vnderstanding could attayn vntounto it. All were ignorant, all darke, all blynde.
8 And as I was thus mournyng one of ye elders, euen Iacob by name,Ose. 4. Sapi. 9. Isaie. 56, Gen. 49. Esa. 32. Mich. 5, 3. Esdre. 3. comforted mée with his prophecie of Iuda, Esay, Micheas, & Esdras, bearing witnesse to the same.
9 These with other ascertained me, that he was the Lyon of the Trybe of Iuda,Osee. 13, Iohn. 8. Heb. 11 Iohn. 12. Luke. 11. Esa. 11. Apoca. 22. Luke. 1. which should ouercome the world, & hauehave the victorie ouer death, and hell, for in déed they with Abraham sawe it a farre of, and much reioysed. He is the strong & inuincible Lyon that subdued the prince of this world, tooke from him the pray, and hathe deuyded the spoyle.
10 He is the verie roote of Dauid, the ground and originall cause of all godly promises made vntounto him of deliuerance, victorie, and raygne, and alone in him are they fulfilled. Only hath he obtayned by his death,Colo. 2. Matth. 28. Ma…ci. 16, resurrection, and ascension, to make open the hydden mysteries of thys booke, or whole ordinaunce of God, and to loose the seuen seales thereof,Luc. 24 2. Cor. 3. Iohn. 12. Ephe. 5. …. Tim. 4. Ezech. 36. Io…el. 2, or to take away the vniuersall impediments wherby the said booke could in no case be séene, as is carnalitie, ignorance, darkenesse, blindenesse, wilfulnesse, couetousnesse, malice, hypocrisie, lyes, with such lyke. So was it afore speared by the decrée of God, that none could reade in it till he remoued the vntowardnesse from their heartes.
11 All this I beheld (saieth S. Iohn) and as I looked further,Esa. 12. Psalm. 21. Apoca. 4. 1. Cor. 4. Psalm. 106 Eccle. 8. Esa. 53. Hiere. 11 Esaie. 53. Iohn. 1. Exod. 12. Esa. 16. I sawe yt in the midst of the seate (which is ye vniuersall congregation of God) & of the foure beasts (which are the constaunt ministers of his worde) & also in the middest of ye auncient elders) whych hath bene ye sincere witnesses of hys veritie since the beginning.)
12 There stood a fayre, méeke, & most innocent Lambe, as though he had bene newly slain. I knew that Christ was this Lambe, for he was wounded for our offences, & tooke away the sinnes of ye world. He was that méek Lambe prefigured in the law whom the faithfull fathers so earnestly desired. He was that gentle Lamb that was caried away to be slayne, and that opened not his mouth before the shearer.Acto. 8. 1. Iohn. 2. 1. Timo. …. Heb. 9. Math. 2…. Daniel. 7. Psalm. 74 This Lambe standeth vp euermore for vsus before God, as our onelyonly medyator, aduocate, peace maker, Sauiour, helper, counsellour, defender and teacher
13 This Lambe had seuen hornes, which betokeneth his stronge and infinit power, vertue, victory, kingdom, glory, bounteousnesse, and maiestie, with such lyke, and in the whole his vniuersall reigne.
14 He had also seauen eyes,Zacha. …. Esa. 11. Apoca. 1. 1. Cor. 12. Ma…ci. …6, Ephe. 4. Matth. 28. Esa. 11. Apoca. 22. Gala. 5. Ephe. 5. 1. Cor. 12. 1. Iohn. 4. whiche are all the powers, graces, & fruites of the holy ghost, called héere the seuē spirits of God, For so much as they are the singuler gifts of him whiche is his essenciall spirit. And them he hath sent by his apostles, & other godly preachers into ye seuen climates of the erth or vniuersal world, ye people wt them to be replenished. These are wisdome, vnderstandinge, counsell, strength, knowledge, pittie, & the fear of god. These are also louelove, ioy, peace, pacience, gentlenesse, goodnes, fayth, méekenesse, long suffering, cleannes, and temperance, with diuersitie of tongues, interpretacion, prophecie, cures, healings, miracles, and iudgement of spirits.
15 And the sayd Lambe came foorth as one through méekenesse,Phil. 2, Ose, 13, Luke, 10, Esa, 6, Math, 1…, hauyng victorie ouer sinne, death, & hell, & hée reuerently tooke the sayd booke from the right hand of him that sate vponupon the throne. Which made me anon to consider that the heauenly father had giuen vp vntounto him the whole admynistration of his spirituall kingdom, with all aucthoritie & power in heauen and earth,Iohn, 5, Math, 28, Iohn, 17, Phil, 2, Math. 25, Luke. 24, Iohn, 14, Iohn, 16, Act, 2. Mat. 25, Hebr, 10, to open or to speare, to choose or to reiect, to take or to refuse, to saue or to loose, to rewarde or to dampne. For he it was that first opened the vnderstanding of men, that they might perceyue the scriptures. He it was that sent the holy spirite of God to deduce them into all veritie, and gaue them grace to instructe all people. He it is also yt shall thorowe them into euerlasting fire, with the diuil & his Angels that resist ye same.
THE TEXT.
1 And when he had taken the booke, the liij. beastes and the .xxiiij. elders, 2. fel dovvn before the Lambe, hauing harpes, 3. & golden vialles full of odours (vvhichwhich are the prayers of the Saincts) 4. & they sung a nevv song saying, 5 Thou arte vvorthie to take the booke, 6. and to open the seales therof, 7. For thou wert killed, 8. and hast redemed vsus by thy bloud, out of all kinreds & tongs, and people, and nacions, 9. and hast made vsus vntounto our God, Kings, and priestes, 10. and vve shall reigne on the earth.
The Paraphrase.
1 And when he had receyued ye sayd booke of the hande of God, with full authoritie and power, the iiij. beasts, or the present protestours of the veritie, here liuing in the world,Iohn, …, Luk, 10, Heb, 11, Sapi, 5, Iohn, 8, Ephe, …. Iohn, 8, Heb, 11▪ and the xxiiij. Elders or auncient witnesses of the same, departed cleane from thys worlde, as were the olde fathers, the Patryarkes, Prophetes, and Apostles,Act. …. Apoca. 22. méekly submitted them selues before the Lamb, much reioysinge in his triumphant victorye for them.
2 They fell downe before him, they praysed hym,Act…. 3. Apoca. 2… they worshipped hym, they gaue thanks and recognised him for their mercifull Lorde and Sauiour, hauing in their handes harmonious harpes,Apoca. 15. Psalm. 150 Esaie. 66. Prou. 23 Luck. 10. 1. Cor. 10. Esaie. 53. Iohn. 8. Iohn. …. which there represented the melody of their faithfull soules, or the inward reioyce, that they had in faith of the eternal verytie of god. For that is the agréeable concord and swéet harmony yt he most delighteth in. And as well had they harpes that were long afore Christe, as had they that folowed hym, the effecte of hys death being equall to them both. So wel reioysed Abraham, which saw him a farre of, as did Iohn Baptist, which shewed him persent.
3 Each one of them had also in hys hand a golden viall full of swéete odours, whiche is a faithfull harte to God,Zach. 14. Daniel. 9. full of swéete desires and wholsome praiers, whiles they liued here. And these vessels of prayer, or harts of the faithfull beléeuers, couetinge mercy to themselues and all other, were very precious, pleasaunt,Psalm. 61. Math. 5. Prou. 17. Psalm. 140▪ Prou. 23. Apoca. 14. and beautifull in the sighte of the Lorde, which onelyonly desireth the harte.
4 They sang also with their instruments a new songe of reioyce recording the great benefit of God.Marci. 16 Aggei. 2. Iohn, 1. Marci. 1. 1. Cor. 1. Rom. 1. 1. Cor. 5. Colos. 3. Ephe. 4. They vttered the glad tidinges of peace. They published the Gospel of Christ. They told of his comming. They declared him present & past. This songe was euer new vntounto flesh & bloud. It séemed very strange, yea and folish to the children of this worlde, yet is it the power of God vntounto saluation for eueryevery one that beléeueth. Now it is also for so much as it nothing alloweth in our aged man of sinne, but alwayes calleth vponupon renouation in the spirite.
5 This was the conclusion of that song. Thou alone swéete Lord (sayde they) art founde worthye to take the Booke to receiue power and administration of the kingdome of God.Iohn. 17. Apoca. 3. Lucke. 24.
Esa. 42. Io…. 16. Esa 53. …. Cor. 15▪6 Thou only art able to opē ye seale… thereof, to take from vsus all impediments of darknesse, hypocrisie, lyes, ignoraunce, wilfulnesse, blindnesse, and sinne, and to deduce vsus into all godly knowledge.
7 For thou wert not only despised and wounded, but most cruelly slaine for our offences, whereby thou hast obtained our perpetuall peace, and attonement with god.
1. Iohn. 2, Titum. …, 1. Petri. 1. Esa. 56, Psalm. 105 Iohel..8 Thou hast clerely redéemed vsus out all spirituall bondage by ye price of thy bloude, and by the vertue of thy passion and death, thou hast gathered vsus together into one kingdom of God from all the nacions of the world, and hast chosen vsus out of all kinreds, languages, & peoples of the vniuersall earth.1. Peter. 2. Psalm 44. Acto. 11. Apoca 1, 1. Iohn. 5…, Thou hast made vsus also pertakers with thée in thy peculyer vnction, that we are now called Christians.
9 Thou hast annoynted vsus Kinges by the gift of true faith, to hauehave victory ouer sinne, death & the deuil, and cōsecrate vsus priests by ye grace of thy holy spirite,Hebr. 9. Rom. 12. Exod. 19, Deut. 17 Esa. 40 1. Pet. 2. to offer vp our selues and vndefiled sacrifice vntounto our euerlasting God. So that we are now the chosen kinred, the kingely pristhoode, the holy generation, the peculyer peple, that should manifest the workes of thée, which hast called vsus out of darknesse into the merueilous light.
10 And by the benifit of thy onelyonly grace and goodnesse we shall raigne prosperously on the earth,Apoca. 22, 1. Iohn, 2, 1. Cor. 15 Psalm. 141. Apoca. 21. not héere wher as is sorow, care, penury, scarsnesse, and death, but our porcion shal be in the pleasant land of the lyuing, where as is the peace, ioy, tranquilitie, comfort, and life euerlasting.
THE TEXT.
1 And I behelde, 2. And herde the voyce of many angelles about the throne, and about the beastes, and the elders. 3. And I harde thousand thousandes, saying with a loude voyce. 4. Worthye is the Lambe that was killed, to receaue power, and riches and wisdome, and strength, and honoure, and glorye, and blessinge, 5. And all creatures, vvhiche are in Heauen, 6. And on the earth, 7, And vnderunder the earth, 8, And in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I, saying, 9. Blessing, honour, glory and power, be vntounto him that sitteth vponupon the seate, 10. And vntounto the Lambe for euee more. 11. And the fowre beastes said amen. 12. And the .xiiii. elders fell vponupon their faces, 13. and vvorshipped hym that liueth for euer more.
The Paraphrase.
1 Furthermore saith Saint Iohn, I saw an infinit host of Angels beholding the face of the heauenly father.Daniel. 7, Math. 18. Psalm. 102. Luke. 2,
2 I heard also the voyce of a great number of them about the throne of God, geuing laude and prayse vntounto hym,Hebr. 1, Apoca. 19 Rom. 8. Tobie. 5. Iudith. 13▪ Psalm. 90 Daniel. 7, Hebre. 12▪ and about the beastes and auncient elders. For they are not onelyonly the immediate ministers of God, but also the seruantes of those men, which shall be the heyres of saluation. Where …ould they be els than? but about them that feare the Lord, to sée to them and preserue them in all their wayes, lyke as he hath geuen them in commaundement.
3 And the number of them was a thousande thousandes, or a number beyond our estimation. And they cryed with a loude voyce, signifiyng in their sort no corporall noyse, but for so much as they are but spirits, but a vehement zeale of most perfect louelove and reioyce for the glory of God,Psal. 103. Luke. 2, Iohn. 20. Luke. 15. Daniel. …, Math. 18. Esaie. 53, 1. Cor. 15. Iohn. 17, Apoca. 1 1. Tim. 6, Sap. 3, Apoca. 3. Psalm. 23. Math. 28, Ephe. 1▪ the victory of Christ, the redempcion, delyuerance, and helth of man. It betokeneth also their excéedinge gladnesse in the openinge of the veritie and conuertion of the sinner.
4 Worthy is the most méek Lamb (sayd they) which was cruelly done vntounto death, and by his death ouercame the worlde, hell, death, and the deuill, to take vponupon hym the title of all power, heritage, wisdom, strēgth, honour, glory, and blessing, and to be called of all creatures most mightye, most rich, most wise, most valiaunt, most worshipfull, most gloryous, and most blessed, conueniente names for the king ouer al. Yea finally to hauehave …he vniuersall aucthorytie in heauen and in the earth, to gouerne eueryevery where, and al to be subiect vntounto hym.
Gene. … Psalm. 8, Psalm. 148, Ba…ch 3. Daniel. 3, Gene. 1, Psalm. 148. Deut. 14 Hester. 1….5 I hard also (saith saint Iohn) all the creatures that God euer created as the angeles in heauen, the sunne, the Moone, the planites, the starres, the fyrmament, the fyre, the water, the ayre.
6 And all that was vppon the earth, as man, beast, foule, fish, mountaines, valleys, welsprings, floudes, windes, wethers, times, trées, herbs fruits.
7 And al that was vnderunder or within the earth, as rootes, wormes, serpentes, vermine.
8 And all that was in the sea, or that moued in the waters, with all that are conteined in these, eche one in his kinde saying.
Esa. 6. 1. Timo. 1 Apoca. 14. 1 Tim. 6. Apoca. 1.9 The euerlastinge God, whiche sytteth vppon the eternall throne, with power and maiestie, be euermore blessed, worshiptfull, gloryous, and almightie.
Rom. 8. 2. Cor. 5. Apoca. 2110 And vntounto the Lambe (which is his onelyonly sonne Iesus christ) be blessing, honour, glorye, and power from him for euermore. And in this al creatures desireth no longer to be subdued vntounto the vanitie of the wicked, nor yet to serue the same. But to be wholy deliuered from the bondage of corruption, and in libertie to serue the children of God, to the glorye of of hym that made them.
11 To this the fowre beastes or al the true seruants of God here liuing answered Amen,Hebre. 1. or so might it be in effect, as ye hauehave desired.
12 And the .xxiiij. elders, as,Psalm. 134▪ Ne…e. 8. Hebr. 11. Ephe 2. Apoca. …. the patriarks, the Prophetes, the Apostles, with other that hath passed this life, fell downe flat vponupon their faces, they submitted them selues.
13 They worshipped, lauded,Apoca. 4▪ Math▪ 3. 1. Iohn. 5, Esa. 65, and gloryfied him that lyueth for euer and euer, one God in thrée persons, the father, the sonne, and the holy ghost. This signified the Angels and Sainctes euermore to be ioyous as any thinge is done in the creatures to the manyfest glory of God.