The Whole Revelation of John in Two Treatises, Treatise 2 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
THE ARGVMENT
Theſe three firſt Chapters, being in way of Epiſtle, particularlie directed to the ſeuē Churches of ASIA minor: he declareth in this firſt Chapter (in maner of preface) who is the director of this meſſage, who are the bearers thereof, and thirdlie, to whome the meſſage is directed: confirming the verity of al by an heauenlie viſion, wherof in the end of the Chapter he yeeldeth the interpretation.
The Text.
1 THe reuelation of Ieſus Chriſt which GOD gaue vntounto him, to ſhew vntounto his ſeruāts things which muſt ſhortly be done which he ſent, & and ſhewed by his Angell vntounto his ſeruaunt Iohn.
2 Who bare record of the word of God, & of the teſtimony of Ieſus Chriſte, and of all thinges that he ſawe.
3 Bleſſed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecie, and keepe thoſe things which ar written therein: for the time is at hand.
4 Iohn, to the ſeuen Churches which ar in Aſia, Grace bee with you, & peace frō him, Which is, and Which was, and Which is to come, & from the ſeuē Spirits, wich ar before his Throne,
5 And from Ieſus Chriſt, which is a faith full witnes, & the firſt begotten of the dead, & Prince of the kings of the earth, vntounto him that loued vsus, and waſhed vsus from our ſins in his blood,
6 And made vsus kings and Prieſts vntounto God, euē his Father, to him be glorie and dominion for euermore, Amē
7 Behold, he cōmeth with cloudes, & euerie eie ſhal ſee him: yea, euē they which perced him through: and all kindreds of the earth, ſhal waile before him, euen ſo, Amen.
8 I am Alpha & Omega, the beginning and the ending, ſaieth the Lord, Which is, and Which was, & Which is to come, euen the Almightie.
9 I Iohn, euen your brother, & companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom & patience of Ieſus Chriſt, was in the yle called Pathmos, for the word of God, & for the witneſſing of Ieſus Chriſt.
10 And I was rauished in ſpirit on the Lordes day, and heard behind me a great voice, as it had bin of a trumpet,
11 Saying, I am Alpha & Omega, the firſt and the laſt: and that which thou ſeeſt, write in a booke, and ſend it to the ſeuen Churches which are in Aſia, vntounto Epheſus, & vntounto Smyrna, & vntounto Pergamus, & vntounto Thyatira, & vntounto Sardi, & vntounto Philadelphia, and vntounto Laodicea.
12 Thē I turned back to ſee the voice, that ſpake with me: & when I was turned, I ſaw ſeuen golden candleſticks,
13 And in the midds of the ſeuen candleſticks, one lik vntounto the Sonn of man, clothed with a garment down to the feet, and gird about the pappes with a golden girdle.
14 His head & haires vvere white as white wool, & as ſnow, & his eies vver as a flame of fire.
15 And his feet like vntounto fine braſſe, burning as in a fornace, and his voice as the ſound of many waters.
16 And hee had in his right hande ſeuen ſtarres: and out of his mouth went a ſharpe two edged ſword: and his face shone, as the Sunne ſhineth in his ſtrength.
17 And when I ſawe him, I fell at his feet as dead: then he laide his right hand vponupon mee, ſaying vntounto me, Feare not: I am the firſt and the laſt,
18 And am aliue, but I was dead: & beholde, I am aliue for euermore, Amen: and I hauehave the keies of hel, and of death.
19 Write the things which thou haſt ſeen, and the thinges which are, and the thinges which ſhal come hereafter.
20 The myſterie of the ſeuen ſtars, which thou ſaweſt in my right hand, and the ſeuen golden candleſtickes, is this, The ſeuen ſtarres ar the Angels of the ſeuen Churches: and the ſeuen candleſtickes which thou ſaweſt, are the ſeuen Churches.
The paraphraſtical Expoſition.
1 THis is a book a reuealed by Ieſus Chriſt, whereby God appointed him, to ſhew forth and open vntounto his ſervants, thinges that muſt ſhortly be performed in the laſt daies, the which Chriſte hath ſent his b Angelles to ſhew and reveal to his beloued Apoſtle c Iohn.
2 Who alſo is an Evangeliſt, & therby beareth the record of the word of God, & of the hiſtory of our ſaluation in Ieſus Chriſt, & of al thinges that he hath ſeene, both then, and at this time.
3 Bleſſed is he, that reading & hearing the words of this Prophecie, doeth obſerue and keep trulie the meaning & contents thereof: for ſhortlie, and in this laſt age of the world, muſt the ſame be performed.
4 I Iohn, vntounto the ſeuē Churches which ar in litle Aſia, wiſh grace & peace frō God the Father, who is, and euer was, and who ſhal come and abide for euer: and from that holie, andd one Spirite of God, whoſe ſeuen fold vertues and perfections appeare, euer miniſtring before the throne of God.
5 And from Ieſus Chriſt, God and Man, who in his own perſon, hath born a faithful teſtimonie of the reſurrection of the dead, & of all that euer died, he is the e firſt born, and begottē before al eternity, & is the firſt fruits of the reſurrection, euen the firſt among the dead that aroſe vntounto heauen: and he is king & Lord ouer al the princes of the earth: VntoUnto him therfore, that ſo hath loued vsus, that he hath waſhed vsus from our ſinnes, by ſhedding his blood to the death for vsus,
6 And thereby hath made vsus as Kinges, to raigne with God his Father, and as Prieſtes, to offer vp our dailie praiers and laudings; to him, euen vntounto that Lord Ieſus (I ſay) be glorie and dominion for euermore, So be it.
7 Beholde, hee ſhall come to judgment in the f cloudes, and all men ſhall ſee him with their eies, yea, euen they which wounded and crucified him, and the wicked of all the kindreds of the earth, ſhall quake and mourne before him, euen verilie, ſo ſhall it be.
8 I am the g firſt, I am the laſt, euen the firſt without any beginning, and the laſt without any ending, ſaith the Lord God, who preſent lie is, hitherto euer hath bene, and ſhal come and abide in all time hereafrer, euen for euer and euer, for I am the Almightie.
9 And I Iohn, your brother in Apoſtleſhip, and a partaker of tribulation with you for the kingdom of heauen, through patience in Ieſus Chriſt, was fugitiue in one of the yles of the Sporades, called h Pathmos, for profeſsing the worde of God, and for bearing the true teſtimonie of Chriſt Ieſus.
10 And there I was rauiſhed in ſpirite, vponupon that day of the weeke that our Lord roſe from death, which is the i Sunday: then heard I behind me a mighty voice, terrible and loud as a trumpet.
11 Saying, I am the beginning, and the ending, yea, the firſte before all beginninge, and the laſte after all endinge: All therefore, that I let thee ſee, write in a booke, and ſende the ſame to the ſeuen Chriſtian Churches, which are in litle Aſia, to wit, to the Churches of Epheſus, of Smyrna, of Pergamus, of Thyatira, of Sardis, of Philadelphia, and of Laodicea.
12 Then I turned backe to ſee him, whoſe voice I had heard ſpeaking to me: and when I had turned, I ſawe ſeuen ſhining Candleſtickes, bearing the type and figure of thoſe ſeuenk Churches.
13 And in the middeſt of theſe ſeuen, Chriſt himſelfe in his Deitie, vnderunder the l likeneſſe of his Humanitie, arrayed as in m long garmentes, betokening grauitie and wiſedome: and in ſigne of ndiligence and readines, he was girded with the golden and pretious girdle of veritie, juſtice, and power.
14 His head and white haires, whiter thā wooll or ſnowe, importeth his o honourable and reuerent antiquitie and age from all beginning: his fierie eies do pearce the ſecrets of al heartes, and terrifie his enemies.
15 His feet are firme and ſtable to ſtand, as braſen pillers in defence of his Elect, and are ſwift and terrible as a conſuming fire, againſt the wicked, and his voice by his preachers is loud and open, as of a multitude of p people and waters.
16 And he preſerued & keeped in his migh the hand of protection, the holy q teachers & inſtructers of theſe ſeuen Churches, who as ſtarres of heauen, yeelded the light of Gods trueth among them, & out of his mouth, by his teachers, proceded the ſword of r true doctrine two edged, conquering in his elect on the one ſide, & ſubdewing & deſtroying his enemies on the other ſide, and in the beautie of his face ſhined (brighter than the Sun) the bright light of aeternall life.
17 And when I ſaw his heauenlie majeſty, I (lacking ſtrength) fell at his ſ feet as dead: then extended hee his mercifull hand, and gentle protection ouer me, comfortably ſaying vntounto me, be not affraied of me, I am thy Lord, without beginning, & without ending.
18 I roſe to life, and doe liue, though I t was ſlaine to redeem you, yea, now behold, I liue for euermore, Amen: and I hauehave power ouer death and hell, to open and cloſe the ſame at my will.
19 Write vp therefore, theſe things which thou haſt ſeene by viſion, both concerning theſe things that u ar, and theſe things which ſhal come to paſſe hereafter.
20 And be ſure, the ſeuē ſtarres, which by viſion thou didſt ſee in my right hand, & the ſeuen golden candleſticks, are myſticallie to be vnderſtood (as before is ſaid) euen the ſeuen ſtarres do meane the x ſeuen meſſengers or miniſters, which God hath ſent to inſtruct theſe ſeuen Churches: and the ſeuen candleſtickes, which appeared to thee, doth meane thoſe ſame ſeuen Churches.
Notes, Reaſons, and amplifications.
a As God hitherto neuer left his Church deſtitute of doctrine, to inſtruct them, and of prophecies to forewarne them: So here hath his Majeſtie prouided, al the former bookes hitherto of the new Teſtament, to containe the Chriſtian doctrine: and this book of Reuelation, to containe the whole Chriſtian Prophecie to the worlds end. Apocalyps then is a Reuelation, and therefore, is this book ſo intituled; for, that by the will & ordinance of God, Chriſt hath reueiled the ſame, word by word, as it is written in the text, to his Diſciple Iohn, and now doth daylie by his holy Spirit, reueile more and more the meaning thereof, to vsus in this our age, for the which it hath bene chieflie inſtituted.
b Here is this booke deſcribed to proceed from God, and come to the ſeuen Churches by foure degrees: Firſte, God giueth the ſame to Chriſt: Secondlie, Chriſt ſendeth his Angell, or Angelles bearing commiſsion: Thirdlie, the Angel inſtructeth Iohn: Fourthlie, Iohn wrireth the ſame to the ſeuen Churches. Not meaning hereby, that the Angelles onelie are appearers to Iohn: but ſometime the Father, as chap. 4. ſometime the Sonne, as in this chapter: ſometime the holie Spirit, as chap. 14. 15. and other places: at which times, for confirmation of the ſmaller viſions; the Trinitie in theſe great viſions, ſheweth his vnſpeakable glorie, but in other ſmaller viſions, concerning thinges to come, the Angels (as ſayeth this text) are made reporters, ſhewers, and expoſiters, as chap. 17. 1. 7. and diuers other partes, as plainlie appeareth chap. 22. 8. 16. For, he ſaieth not here, the Angels are ſent to ſhewe all the viſions, or viſions of Gods glorie, for it was the Trinitie it ſelfe that ſhewed it ſelfe, and appeared in his owne viſions, and not the Angels, as hereafter [note l] ſhall be ſhewed: But he ſpeaks here, of propheticall viſions, which Chriſt ſaieth here, hee ſent his Angels to ſhewe.
c Some hauehave vnaduiſedly impugned the authoritie of this book, by diuers friuolous conjectures: and among the reſt, becauſe Iohn hath ſo often herein named his name, thinking it not agreeable to the Apoſtolique grauitie, to caſte vp ſo oft his owne name: and therefore, eſteeme they rather this booke to bee ſette out in his name by others than by himſelfe, for that hee doeth not the like in his Euangell. But contrary to their opinion, in all the ſcriptures, the writers of doctrin, do not ſo often expreſſe their names, as the writers of prophecie doe: for the doctrine receiues the authoritie of the owne preſent veritie, and of the Spirite of God, but the Prophecy receiues the authority by the author, who is known to be a Prophet, wheras otherwiſe, the booke could not be known to be true before the perfourming thereof. Conſider hereupon, Daniels prophecie, where ye ſhall finde his name more than threeſcore times repeated: yea, in the firſt perſon, ye ſhal find [I Daniel] repeated about nine times, in the 7.8.9. and 10. chapters: wheras Iohn repeateth his name but fiue times in all this booke. Hereby then no man can gather, but that this booke was written by that ſelfe ſame Iohn, who was both Chriſtes beloued Diſciple, and an Euangeliſt. And therefore, ſtileth hee himſelfe here the ſeruant of Chriſt, who hath borne witneſſe of Chriſt Ieſus, of theſe thinges which he ſaw, as being one of the foure Euangeliſts that wrote the hiſtorie of Chriſt, which with his eies he ſawe.
d There is but one holie Spirite, whoſe chiefe functions & graces are deuided into ſeuen: wherof read the note[e] of the fourth chapter. For the better comfort therefore of the ſeuen Churches, to ſupplie their beleefe and weake faith, hee letteth them vnderſtand, that there is ſuch a compleat perfection in Gods Spirit, that it hath as manie functions and graces to conſerue them with, as are agreeable to their number of ſeuen.
e For two cauſes is Chriſt called the firſt born of all that died: Firſt, becauſe in the Leuitical Law, the firſt borne, and firſt fruites, or primices, were conſecrated and offered vp vntounto the Lorde, and becauſe of al men that euer took life and died, onlie Chriſt is that firſt fruite, that is offred vp an acceptable Sacrifice to God the Father, as Paule teſtifieth, 1. Cor. 15.20. Therfore, he is called the firſt borne, euen in his humanitie figuratiuelie, although reallie manie others were borne neere foure thouſand yeares before him. Secondlie, in conſideration of his Deitie, euen of that worde, that is God, and long after took fleſh: euen in conſideration (I ſay) of the aeternitie thereof, becauſe it was before all beginning: Therfore, is Chriſt (who is that word) called the firſt borne among the dead, Col. 1.15.17.18. Althogh not the worde or Deitie that took fleſh, but the fleſh it ſelf died: and ſo in this ſenſe, the being firſt begotten is imputed to Chriſts Deitie, and aeternall word; and to die, is imputed to his fleſhlie humanitie; and ſo to Chriſt, as hee is fullie both God and man, both theſe properties of being the firſt born, and of dying, are juſtlie appropriate, according to the diuers reſpects aforeſaid.
f Euen in the clouds he aſcended from hence into heauen, Act. 1.9.10.11. and that way ſhall he returne to judgment: read hereupon cap. 14. note m thereof.
g Of the greeke A, B, C, (in which language this book was written) Alpha is the firſt letter, and Omega is the laſt: & ſo God ſtiling himſelfe the firſt letter & the laſt of that A, B, C, hee both thereby meaneth, as alſo incontinentlie ſubjoyneth the meaning thereof, ſaying, I am the beginning and the ending.
h Pathmos is one of the yles, that are called Sporades or Cyclades, lying in Mare Aegeo, by Eaſt the coaſt of Aſia minor: Herein hid S. Iohn himſelf from the great tyrannie and perſecution of Domitian, where he abode vntil Domitian died, and that yeare Anno Chriſti, 97. or 99. hee wrote this booke in that yle: as appeareth by Irenaeus and Euſebius.
i The day of reſt and godlie exerciſes, while Chriſte his death was celebrated vponupon the Saterday, which of olde was the Iewiſh Sabboth day, but in memorie of Chriſts reſurrection, and victorie ouer death, the Apoſtolique Church tranſported the exerciſes of that day to the Sunday, which was the day of the week, that Chriſt aroſe vponupon, & therfore is called the Lords day: the which day, the people (appearingly conuening to ſerue God) are deſired by Paul 1. Cor. 16.2. to giuegive contributions to the poore, and there he calleth it the firſt day of the week: And ſo indeed, where the Saterday is the ſeuenth and laſt day of the week, the Sunday falles to be the firſt, and is vſed for our Chriſtian Sabboth and day of the Lord.
k That theſe ſeven Candleſtickes doe meane theſe ſeuen Churches of litle Aſia, is plaine by the end of this ſame chapter. Further, how the olde Leuiticall Candleſtick was alſo a figure hereof, is to be ſaid in the fourth chapter, note ethereof.
l Becauſe the text calleth this midmoſt not the Son of man, but like vntounto the Son of man: Therfore, ſome may think this not to be Chriſt, but an Angell bearing the type and figure of Chriſt, whom Chriſt had deputed verſ. 1. to ſignifie and repreſent theſe thinges duplicate page duplicate page to Iohn, and ſo this Angell, not to be the Sonn of man, but like vntounto the Sonne of man: But (after mine opinion) God, who in his ſecond commandement, wil hauehave vsus to repreſent him by no forme, wil alſo repreſent himſelfe to vsus by none other, but by himſelfe, leſt we otherwaies being abuſed, ſhuld giuegive the honour of God to Angels. And certain it is, that neither will God be the author, nor good Angels the inſtruments, ſo to illude mankind: And for confirmation then, that this midmoſt is Chriſt, and no Angell, nor other bearing the type of Chriſt: it is euident, that hereafter he calleth himſelf by the ſtiles of Chriſt, the firſt and the laſt, who liueth & vvas dead: and finallie (cap, 2.18) he calleth himſelfe the Sonne of God: And theſe titles (I am ſure) none in heauen will accept nor vſurpe, except Chriſt onelie, to whome they appertaine. But then may you demaund, why doeth not Chriſt call himſelfe reallie the Sonne of man, but like vntounto the Sonne of man? The anſwere hereof, making much againſt Tranſubſtantiation, is therfore to be deduced at lēgth. I ſay then, that ſo long as Chriſt was in this world, appearing corporallie to man, he ſtiled himſelf the Son of man, as hauing his fleſh & humane body conuerſant with vsus: but contrarily, both before his incarnation, as alſo ſince his aſcenſion, when euer in all the Scriptures he did viſibly appear to his Saints, his viſible ſhape & appearance, is not called the Son of man, but the liknes of the Son of man, quaſi Filius hominis, or ſimilis filio hominis, as in Dan. 7.13. & Dan. 10. Reu. 14.14. and in this place, or whereſoeuer els: and yet by the whole properties of theſe ſelf ſame textes, that ſame that appeared in viſion, is knowne to be Chriſt, as this ſame, who here is called the likenes of the Son of man, or like vntounto the Son of man, is hereafter in expreſſe terms, called the Son of God: neither maketh this anie repugnance or cōtradiction, to the eſſential nature of Chriſt, who is really both the Son of God, & the Son of man, being ſpokē of Chriſt, either before his incarnatiō, or ſince his aſcēſion: for firſt, becaus his humanity could not be really ſeen of Daniel, before it was conceiued of the Virgin; therefore, Daniel ſaw Chriſts Godhead, euen that Word that is God, ſaw he tranſfigured (for his capacity) into the likenes of a man, or likenes of the Son of man, but not in a man, nor in the Son of man, till he tooke fleſh of the Virgin. The like tranſfiguration is oft read to be alſo of Angels in the likeneſſe of men, but not in men. Alſo, ſecondlie, ſince Chriſt his aſcenſion into heauen, his humanitie hauing reſidence only ther, his Deitie being both there, & alſo eueryevery where: that Deitie (I ſay) euen after Chriſts aſcenſion, as before his incarnation, is ſaid here to appeare, not in his humanitie, as the Son of man, but in the likenes of the Son of man, for that his humanitie, whereby he is the Sonne of man, is not here, but in heauen, and his Godhead which is here, taketh not the fleſh of the Sonne of man, but the viſible likeneſſe of the fleſh of man, by ſuch a notable difference, either in the viſion, or in the Spirit of the Prophet, that he knew it to be Chriſt in his Deitie, and not in his humanitie, but bearing the figure and likenes of his humanitie. Some vnaduiſedlie will thinke this, to meane a ſeparation of Chriſtes Deitie from his humanitie: But contrarilie, we ſay, that Chriſt his Deitie, conjunct in heauen with his humanitie, doth both make his chiefe reſidence with the ſame, and doeth alſo flowe therefrom ouer all the whole world infinitlie; as in compariſon, the light beams and ſpirituall vertues of the Sun, are conjunct in heauen with the corporall and viſible bodie of the Sun, wherein they hauehave their chiefe reſidence, & doe alſo flow from thence vntounto euerie place: Alſo, the ſpiritual vertue & ſight is in the body of the eie, as his chiefe ſeat, and doth likewiſe flow from thence toward all things viſible: Can any man ſay, that the beame ſubſiſteth it ſelf alone, and is ſeparate from the Sun, or that the ſight ſubſiſts it ſelfe alone, and is ſeparat from the eie, ſeeing the bodie of the Sunne is the verie locall ſeat of light, & the eie of the ſight? No more mak we Chriſts Deity alone to be ſeparate from his humanitie: the more that the Deitie is vniuerſall and euerie where, and the humanitie locallie in heauen; for, the Deity (being eueryevery where) is alſo in heauē with the humanitie, though it likewiſe from thence extendeth it ſelfe, & floweth ouer eueryevery place. So that, for concluſiō, the Diuinitie of Chriſt, that here appeared to S. Iohn, brought not down his humanity frō heauen, for then hee had called that humanity that appeared, the Son of man, as (cap. 2.18) he calleth his Diuinitie the Son of God: but that Diuinitie took onlie, in preſence of the Prophete, and for his inſtruction, a ſhape like a man, which therefore, he calleth not the Son of mā, but the likenes of the Son of man. Hereof thē followeth, that ſeing chriſt cōmeth no otherwiſe into the world ſince his aſcenſiō, thā he cam before his incarnatiō, that is to ſay, by his duplicate page duplicate page Deitie, & that his Deitie ſheweth not his humanity, here on earth to his Saints, but onlie the likenes thereof (as ſaith the text) and ſo brings not down his real & naturall bodie from heauen while the latter day; therefore, his real bodie can neuer be in the Hoſte, nor tranſubſtantiate therein. Further hereof, reade note ſ following, and note d of the ſecond chapter.
m Long garments or gowns were of old, & to this day ar worne of Doctors and Senators, to repreſent grauitie and wiſedome, as may be ſeene, that euen in thoſe daies the Scribes, Phariſies, and Doctors of the Law did vſe, or rather abuſe them: and therefore, are reproched of Chriſt, Mar. 12.38. But here by the right vſe and wearing thereof, Chriſt doeth typicallie repreſent, his wiſedome and perfect grauitie.
n Girding is a ſigne of readineſſe: read Luke. 12.35. and Luke. 17.8. ſpeciallie, readines in execution of juſtice, Eſa. 11.5. Iuſtitia cingulum lumborum eius: Iuſtice ſhal be the girdle of his loynes, conjoined with power and ſtrength, as Pſal. 17.33.40. The girdle therfore, that repreſenteth theſe excellent properties, is ſaid to be of golde; that is to ſay, precious, and honorable, as likewiſe is to be ſaide, Reuel. 15.6. note e.
o White haires importe alſo grauitie, wiſedome, and age, worthie and due of all reuerence, as ſaieth the Poet,
Magna fuit quondam capit is reuerentia cani:
In old times men much honored, The old and graue white-haired head.
And ſeeing theſe properties of grauitie, wiſedome, and honour, as alſo of antiquitie, belong to Chriſt, he therefore, for our capacitie, is deſcribed with white haires.
p Waters here may either bee literallie taken, or propheticallie, as Reuelat. 17.15. for people: alwaies meaning here the voice of God to be loude, open and publique.
q Theſe ſeuen ſtarres are in the end of the chapter, interpreted to be ſeuen Angels or meſſengers, which are the Miniſters of the ſeuen Churches.
r As the tongue and euill ſpeaking of the wicked, is called the ſword of their mouth, Iob. 5.15. Pſal. 56.5. & Pſal. 58.8. and Prou. 5.4. whereby the Godlie are trapped, deceiued, and oftentimes deſtroyed: So alſo à contrariis, this two edged ſworde of Chriſt, in his teachers mouthes, is the doctrine of trueth and true diſcipline whereby the wicked are confounded, and the godlie are conquered, and brought in into Chriſts kingdome, Apoc. 19.15. And for further confirmation, that this two edged ſworde is the true doctrine of God, read Paule to the Hebrewes, 4.12. ſaying, The vvord of God is liuelie & mightie in operation, & ſharper than any two edgd ſword and Pſal. 148.6. And a two edged ſword in the hands of the Saints.
ſ This viſion is agreeable in this, and almoſt in all points with the viſion of the man that was ſeene by Daniel, cap. 10.5. & therfore, as this is Chriſt, ſo is alſo he whome there Daniel ſawe: but where he calles him a man, according to the ſhape he did beare, he againe incontinently interpreteth him, neither to bee a man, neither the Sonne of man, but like to the ſimilitude of the Sonne of man. ver. 16. and like to the viſion or figure of a man. ver. 18. & this example of Daniel, confirmes our former note l, where wee prooued Chriſt, neither before his incarnation, nor after his aſcenſion, to appeare in his humanitie to his Saints, but euer in his Deitie vnderunder a figure, like to his humanitie: his humane bodie ſince his aſcenſion, abiding in heauen vntil the latter day: read herupon l aboue written, and the note d chap. 2. following.
t Here may ſome, contrarie to the foreſaide notes l and ſ, induce a ſophiſme, ſaying, hee who was dead, and reuiued aeternally appeared to Iohn: But Chriſt in his humanitie died, and reuiued againe aeternallie: Therefore, Chriſt in his humanitie appeared vntounto Iohn. For opening the deceit of this caption: the ſubiect of the aſſumption is Chriſt alone, his attributum is to die in his humanity, and to reuiue againe eternallie, and therefore neither this humanitie, nor any part of this attributum ought to be repeated in the concluſion, but onlie the ſubiectum Chriſt, with the attributum, propoſitions after this forme: He was dead and liueth aeternallie appeared vntounto Iohn: But Chriſt died in his humanitie, and reuiued againe aeternallie: Therefore, Chriſt appeared vntounto Iohn. And to the effect that the vulgar capacities may vnderſtand theſe fraudes: This is (as one would ſay, in a familiar example) He who caried this booke to you, wrote the ſame: But on horſeback I caried this book to you: Therfore, on horsback I wrote this book: Wheras the right argument ſhuld be this waies diſpoſed: He who caried this book to you wrote the ſame: But I caried this book to you on horſeback; or rather only ſimply: But I caried this book to you: therefore, I wrote this book. Praying therfore, the ſimple to beware of theſe and the like ſophiſmes, I thought good in this due place, to yeeld this one by way of example.
u Hereby, & by the writing of the book within & without, mentioned cap. 5.1. appeares plainlie, that not only there are prophecies of things to come, written in this Reuelation, but alſo hiſtories of ſuch things paſt, as may be a briefe introduction to the prophecie, as ye ſhal find (chap. 6.) of the ſeven ſeales, which were al perfourmed, before they were written.
x Seing in the greek, al meſſengers of God ar termed by Angels, therfore, muſt theſe Angels of the ſeuen Churches without al queſtion, mean theſe miniſters or meſſengers, that God hath ſent to teach them, as is prooued immediately by the next chap. where S. Iohn is commanded to write to the Angel of the Church of Epheſus, of Smyrna, &c. This neceſſarilie, is to the miniſters of the Churches, and not to the Angels that S. Iohn ſhould write.