A Christian Dictionary, Dictionary 2 · Part 65 – Part 66
L. I.
Lies. sig.
Errour in doctrine, Haeresies, dissimulation in Religion, and counterfeit manners. Reuel. 22, 15. And such as louelove and make Lies.
Liars. sig:
Hypocrites, dissemblers, and all which delight in error and false doctrine. Reuel. 21, 8. And Liars.
Light of a Candle. sig.
The very least commodity of this life, as a Candle lighted in the night, which the poorest will not be without. So great shall be the fall of that Cittie, wherein the least good thing shall be wanting, and cannot be had. Reu. 18, 23. And the Light of a Candle shall shine no more in it.
to lighten the earth with his glory. sig:
To illuminate mens mindes by the brightnesse of the pure word of God, expelling darknesse of ignorance, and damnable Haeresies, which had long couered the face of the World. Reuel. 18, 1. And he lightned the Earth with his glory.
Lightnings sig:
The terrible and vnauoydable punnishments, which God from Heauen shall send vppon the persecutours of his Church. Reuel. 4, 5. Out of that Throne came Lightnings.
linnen pure and bright. sig:
Angelicall purity, by the alone imputation of Christ his holinesse to the Saints, who be al Priests to God, all now entring into Gods Temple whereinto the Leuitical Priests only were wont to come. Reuel. 15, 6. Cloathed in pure and bright Linnen. He alludeth heerein, to the Cloathing of the Priests vnderunder the Law. Exod. 28, 42. Some vnderstand by this pure Linnen, the Equity and Integrity of Gods iudgment vponupon his Enemies. Iunius writeth, that this kind of Cloathing with fine pure Linnen, it was of olde time, a signe of royall and Priestlie Dignitie.
to lift vp the hand to heauen. sig:
To sweare, or by oath to confirme a thing. It was a gesture of old, vsed by such as did swear, and at this day is in vse with the Aethiopians. Reuel. 10, 5. He Lift vp his hand to Heauen. Very often in the Old Testament, Lifting vp the hand is put, to signifie swearing. Gene. 14, 22. Numb. 14, 30. Ezek. 20, 5. To these Texts doth Iohn allude.
little booke. sig:
A speciall Booke, concerning the affaires of Gods Church, which is kept with Christ the Redeemer, out of which he took this Apocalipse. Thus Maister Iunius. Reuel. 10, 2. And he had in his hand a little Booke open.
2 The holy Byble, which, though a large booke considered by it selfe, yet if it bee compared with the huge volumes of Popish ordinances and decrees, it is but little. Maister Gifford takes it thus.
3 All Diuine Mysteries, which to reueale, is in Christs power. Claudius doth thus interpret it.
4 All consolatarie Scripture, or Euangelicall promises, which are written in a Booke, that they might be extant to comfort Christians in all Ages; And because they lead as directly, a readie way to the Throne of grace, (through one Mediator▪) and not by long windlesses and circuits; therefore it is saide to be a little Booke. Maister Fulke expoundes it thus.
5 An vncertaine woorke, or Booke, written very anciently, touching the estate of latter times; affirming, that as the doctrine of grace was preached, first to the Iewes; then to the Greekes; and lastly, to the Latines: so contrariwise, it should returne, from Latines to the Greekes, and so backe againe to the Haebrewes, whence it first came; saith an vnknowne Authour.
6 The slender, meane and weake knowledge of diuine truth giuen to some one certaine Age, whereof Iohn speakes. Maister Bright-man takes it thus. Let godly Readers take what sense of these they shall thinke meetest, I most encline to Maister Giffords Exposition. That the holy Byble, which long had been shut vp from the people, by the craft and malice of Antichrist, should at length be cleerly knowne to the people.
little season sig:
A short space of time, wherein the tyranny of Antichrist should last, which of the learned, is accounted to be about 390. years, or foure hundred. In which time the Deuill let loose, did deceiue the World with abhominable superstition, Idolatry, wicked errours, and such strong delusions, as was wonderfull. Reue. 20, 3. And afterward he must bee loosed a little season.
Liuely fountaines. sig:
All good thinges (which the memory of former euils cannot diminish) and to be led to these Fountaines, signifies to bee partakers of all those good thinges; and that by the Lambe Christ, his Mediation onelyonly. Reuel. 7, 17. And shall leade them to the liuely Fountaines. These wordes, containe the cause of the felicity described in the former verses. Sée Iohn 7, ver. 33, 39. What is meant by the Waters of Life. All spirituall good thinges, or graces of the spirit, aboundantly shed vppon the thirsty Soules which desire them, and feele an extreame need of them.
eueryevery liuing thing. sig:
All the worshippers of the Beast, as well the Cleargy and Popish Teachers (signified by the Sea) as the Laicall Papistes (signified by the earth) one and other shall bee horribly slaughtered in the great day of Gods vengeance vppon them (for which, God is praised in the next verse) euen as Fishes dyed in the Sea, turned into blood in Aegipt, and men were driuen to drinke blood when the fresh Waters were smitten. Reuel. 16, 3. And eueryevery liuing thing dyed in the Sea.
L. O.
Locuste. sig:
The false Prophets, and all the worshippers of Mahomet in the East, arising out of grosse errours and ignorance, flying (as it were) by companies, & feeding, not vponupon their owne, but the thinges of others, like Locusts, till they had in a maner, deuoured, and miserably wasted, both the East Regions of the World, and the West Countries of Europe. Also, by these Locustes, are meant, especially the great swames of Popish Priests, Fryars, Monkes, and Cardinals, euen the whole Popish Hirarchie, & pontificall Cleargy in the West. These are fitly likened vntounto Locustes, which are a little and vile vermine, springing (as some say) out of Smoake, flying together by great heapes and swarmes, eating vp and destroying greene things and fruites of the Earth, beeing a very sloathfull and idle Creature: Euen such for all the World, are the Popish Clergymen. They are bred out of the Smoake and darkenesse of Hellish ignorance; they are slow-bellies, liuing vppon the Sweate of other mens browes: whatsoeuer in any Region or Country is most pleasant, they draw it vntounto them, and eate it vp, laying wast all the green things in the Church, * ouerspreading the Earth in great heaps and rablements,(a) V…a secta minoritarum quadraginta prouincias obtinebat Sabel. …neid. 9. lib. 6. V…a haec Franciscanorum familia totum terrarum orbem imple…it Polid… Virgil. de Inuent. lib. 7. cap. 4. …tinging thousand thousands with their damnable deuises, and diuellish inuentions. Reuel. 9, 3. And there came out of the Smoake Locusts, vponupon the Earth, which hauehave power, as the Scorpions of the Earth hauehave power. The Popish Writers themselues do acknowledge, by these Locusts, to be meant the Maysters of errors, Hereticall Teachers, such as should giuegive heede to spirits of errour, and doctrines of Deuils, bringing in dangerous errours, and denying the Lorde; as Franciscus Claudius, a Carmelite Fryar hath expounded this place. The Rhemists also vponupon this Text, confesseth thus much in their Marginall Notes.
Long white Robes. Sée Robes.
to Loose. sig.
To giuegive liberty and power, more fully to execute his rage and cruelty against the truth, and professors of it, to vex them by all the meanes he can. Reu. 20, 3. He must be Loosed.
Lord of Lordes. sig:
A Soueraigne Lord, to whom belongs all power and Domination, ouer all Emperours and Kinges of the Earth. Reu. 17, 14. For he is the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings.
strong Lord sig:
Christ Iesus, infinite in power, which no earthly or hellish power is able to resist; therefore, howsoeuer it seeme vnpossible, that Rome, being proped vp with the might and riches of many great friends and confederats, should bee destroyed; yet it must be so, sithence he that executeth the iudgement is so strong a Lord. Reu. 18, 8. For be that condemneth her is a strong Lord.
not to LoueLove their liues. sig:
To preferre the truth of the Gospell and faith in Christ, before their owne liues; being prodigall, to spend euen their blood, rather then by any torments to be remoued from the Gospell. Reu. 12, 11. And they Loued not their liues vntounto death; that is, not their Liues more then Christ. A comparatiue speech, like that in 1 Cor. 1, 17. Christ sent mee not to Baptise, but to Preach; that is, rather, and more sent to Preach, then to Baptise.
to lust after. sig:
Wantonly, to desire thinges delicate and pleasant. Reuel. 18, 14. That thy Soule Lusted after.