Exposition of the Festival Epistles and Gospels, Explication of epistles and gospels 1 · Part 11

Exposition of the Festival Epistles and Gospels · Explication of epistles and gospels 1 · Part 11

The Epistle

APOCAL. 14.1.

I looked and loe, a Lambe stood on the mount Sion, &c.

THis text is nothing else but a description of

Christ, a Lambe sitting on mount Sion.

The Church, in

quantitie, an hundreth fortie and foure thousand.

qualitative, for

Faith in that her cōfession, is

Open, hauing his name and his fathers name written in their foreheads, & a voice like the sound of many waters, and great thunder.

Harmonicall, singing a new song of diuerse parts, and yet all agreeing as the voice of harpers harping with their harps.

Good workes, in that her children are not defiled with women, and in their mouthes is no guile, for they follow the Lambe whithersoeuer he goeth: and the reason of all is, because they were redeemed from the earth, and from men, that they might be the first fruits vntounto God and to the Lambe.

A Lambe stood on the mount Sion.] Christ the Sonne of God is the ccIohn 1.29.John 1:29Lambe of God, euen the Lambe ddRupert. Bullinger. A…etius.here mentioned, as it is apparant by his correlatiue father. For so the text, hauing his name and his fathers: a eeArdens.Lambe in figure, and a Lambe in fact. In figure, for Christ Iesus is our Pascall Lambe, 1. Cor. 5.7. slaine from the beginning of the world, Apocal. 13.8. prefigured in the sacrifices of the Law, so well as now presented in the Sacraments of the Gospell. As one pithily, Prius profuit quàm fuit: A Lambe indeed, so meeke as a Lambe, ffAct. 8.32.Acts 8:32Like a Lambe d…be before his shearer. A Lambe, for that hee feedeth all his with his ggIob. 6.54.55Job 6:54Job 6:55flesh, and clotheth all his with his hhApoc. 7.9.Rev 7:9white robe of ii2. Cor. 5.21.2 Cor 5:21righteousnesse, whereby wee stand (as it is in our text) without spot before the throne of God. And this Lambe sits not idle, nor lieth asleepe: but standeth, alwaies in a kkArdens. Bu…inger. Aretius.readinesse to protect his followers. He that keepeth Israel, shall neither slumber nor sleepe, Psalm. 121.4. Hee standeth not as the beast in fickle sand or llApoc. 13.1.Rev 13:1sea; but on mount Sion, which cannot be remoued, Psal. 125 1. In the middest of his inheritance the mmNapier.Church, against which nnMatt. 16.18Matt 16:18hell gates shall not preuaile: For Sion is a type of Christs Kingdome, called often in ooGalat. 4.26.Gal 4:26holy Scripture, Ierusalem aboue, ppIsay 2.2.Isa 2:2prepared in the top of the mountaines, and exalted aboue the hils. He stands on a mount, qqMarl…rat.higher then either earth or sea, from whence the two beasts his opposites arise So that he is willing to defend his followers, as standing; and able, for that he stands on a mount. and left any should doubt of this, our Apostle saith, I looked, and loe. Two words of rrAretius.attention, assuring vsus hereby that the woman persecuted in the wildernesse, that is, the Church afflicted in the world, shall at the last hauehave the victorie, though all the red Dragons on earth, and al the blacke deuils in hel furiously rage together against the Lord, and against his anointed. And here giuegive mee leaue to remember an ssApud Io…n. Ra…in …er. 1. in … Ioan. …u…ngelist.obseruable note touching the writings of S. Iohn, how that in his Gospell he teacheth especially faith: in his Epistles, especially louelove: in his Apocalyps, especially hope. This booke being (as reuerend ttIn Apoc. con. 61.Bellinger censure h) Euangeli…ssine…ss liber, of all holy Scripture the fullest of consolation.

And with him an hundred fortie and foure thousand.] This affoords uuBullinger.comfort, that the Lambe stands not alone, but hath on his side xxMatt. 8.11.Matt 8:11many from East and West, as well Gentiles as Iewes, hauing his fathers name written in their foreheads. It is thought by yyArdens. Rupert. Marl…rat.some that this number is mysticall, insinuating the perfection of Gods elect, because both the duodenarie number and millinarie are numbers of perfection. It is a zzAr…tius.certaine number because the Lord knoweth who are his, 2. Tim 2.19. as hauing their aaLuk. 10.10. Apocal. 3.5.Luke 10:10Rev 3:5names written in his booke: yet a definite for an infinite (as almost all hauehave noted) in that the number of such as are with the Lambe is a multitude which no man is able to number, Apocalyps 7.9. it is in it selfe a very great number, but in comparison of the company fauouring lies and following Antichrist, it is a bbLuk. 12.32.Luke 12:32little flocke, a ccMatt. 7.14.Matt 7:14few people which are redeemed from the earth, selected out of those innumerable troops of small and great, rich and poore, bond and free, whose names are not written in the booke of life of the Lambe, Apoc. 13.8 16.

Hauing his name and his fathers name written in their foreheads.] The vulgar Latine, Aretas, Ardens, and ddDeusius & Brightman in loc.other reade (as the translation of Hen. 8 and our Communion booke) His name, and his fathers name: the which is more significant then that in other copies, hauing only his fathers name. And the eeArdens.meaning is, that they professe themselues openly to be Christians, acknowledging aperto fronte, that God is their father in his sonne lesu…, in their ffMarl…rat.deeds and doctrine appearing outwardly to the world, what they are inwardly to themselues, according to that of gg2 Cor. 4.13.2 Cor 4:13Paul, We beleeue, and therefore speake. hhBu…inger.Faith in the soule breaking forth into iiR…m. 10.9.confession with the mouth, is the note whereby the friends of Christ are distinguished from the followers of Antichrist. He that dependeth vponupon Saints as much as vponupon his Sauiour, and trusleth in the pardon of the Pope more then in the merits of Christ, hath in his forehead the kkApoc 13 16.Rev 13:16marke of the beast, and not the llApoc. 7.2.Rev 7:2seale of God. If Christ once dwell in our hearts by faith, his name will instantly be written in our forehead.

And I heard a voice from heauen.] The militant Church on earth is called often in holy writ, mmMat. 22.2. See Gospell 20. Sund. after Trinit.Matt 22:2heauen, as being the way to the kingdome of heauen, and as hauing her nnPhil. 3.20.Phil 3:20conuersation in heauen, and her affections set on things ooColoss. 3.2.Col 3:2aboue. This heauen hath a voice, ppBullinger.for the Church is not mute, but vocall, openly professing her faith, and praising God before the seat, and the foure beasts, and the elders. Hauing a voice like the sound of many waters, and of great thunder, and of harpers harping with their harpes. qqBrightman. in loc.Some by these three kindes of voices vnderstand three degrees of the Churches progresse persecuted by the Dragon in the wildernesse. First in the daies of Athenasu…s, Basile, Chrysostome, Ambrose, Hierome, Augustine, &c. Her voice (say they, but how truly iudge yee) was indistinct and confused. For albeit the learned writings of these most accurate Doctors in their age made a great noise in the world, like the sound of many waters, yet many points of doctrine were not so well explicated vntounto the common people then, as afterwards they were. Secondly, in the daies of Wickliffe and Husse, and other Bo…ges, her voice resembled the voice of great thunder. But now since her deliuerance from the wildernesse, and her comming out of Babylon; her voice in the harmony of confessions is like the consent of harpers harping with their h…rpes.

rrRupert in loc.Other say that the Scriptures voice speaking by the Church, is like to waters, in that it refresheth all such as hunger and ss…s.…. 55.1. Mat. 5.6.Matt 5:6th…rst after righteousnesse: and like to great thunder, in being ttB…g…r. A…us. M…r…r….terrible to the …icked: and like to the m…i…ke of h…rpers, in being d…le…table to the godly. The Preachers of the word are vntounto God the s…reet sau…ur of Christ, is th… n… that are s…ed, and in them that perish: to the ou… the sauour of death vntounto death, and to the other the sauour of lif… vntounto life, 2. Cor. 2 15 16.

uuX…pier.Other thinke that many …sers are m…ny nations, as in the 17. chapter of this b…oke, vers. 15. The … which thou …w…st are people, and mu…udes, and nations, and tongues. And the great thunder is nothing else, but the thundring voices of zealous and holy Preacher…. And the harpers h…m… doth intimate spirituall reioicing together in the Lord. The Church then h…th a voice which is much a being of m…ny: yet mu…icall, in that those many concord in the maine, lik… h…rpers h…r…ing with their …r…s. It is xxArdens.M…av…xex p…all…ntium mul…tudine, sed del…ct…b…l… exco…son …su…it…te.

And they sung as it w…re a new song] In regard of the matter a new song: yyBrigh. ma….it was Adams old song before his fall, to praise God for his creation in holinesse and righteousnesse; but meeting a new song to the Lord for our redemption and regeneration, whereby Gods image lo…t by sinne is restored in vsus againe. O… in regard of the manner, a new song: zzR…r…. N…ier.for whereas the lewe… in …he old Testament H…gg i… S L… 1 25. 1. P… 1.10.exp…cting the consolation of Israel, sung praises vntounto God …or that their Messias & Sauiour sho…ld come: Christians in the new Testament magnife the Lo…d for that Christ i… come: Bl…ssed …e the Lord God of I…ra…l, for he hath v…ed and r…de…m…d h… people; for that the…r bbI… … 30.eies hauehave seene his saluation, and their cc1. …h. 1.1.hands hauehave h…ndled the word of life. Or in regard of the men, a n…w song, dd…. 18 in A… al.being sung by such as hauehave put off the old man, and are new creatures in Christ, 2. Cor. 5.17 a new song eeA …for that it makes the partie who sings it a new man. Or a new song, ffA… …s. Bu…ger in….in that it seemeth vntounto the world new; for Christ crucified the chiefe subiect of their new song seemeth vntounto the worldly wise meere foolishnesse,g 1 Cor. 1.23.1 Cor 1:23 as it followeth in our text. No man could learue the song, but the hundred fortie foure thousand which were redeemed from the earth. As our Popish aduersaries hauing the hhApoc. 13.16.Rev 13:16beasts marke both in their forehead, and in their right hand, impudently call our most ancient and apostolike faith a new Gospell, and our diuines iiIurgiuiciu….Euangelij quinti professores. But as learned Scaliger answered them acutely, Nos nouatores non sumus, kkResponsad Serar.sed vos estie veteratores: A Monke devoted to his superstitious order, and trusting in his owne merits is neuer able to learne how faith only iustifieth. A carnall man addicted onelyonly to naturall reason, is not able to discerne the things of God. A lew relying altogether vponupon his Circumcision, is not able to sing another note. No maruell then if the song of Sion seemes new to them all.

These ar… they which were not defiled with women] llAreta….This clause makes not any thing against honourable marriage, for how can that be truly called a defiling, when as the bed is vndefiled. Hebr. 13.4. and therefore mmHist. Tripart lib. 2. cap. 14.Paphnutius openly pronounced in the Councell of Nice, Cast…tatem esse cum vxore propria concubitum: And nnHom. de inuent. crucis.Chrysostome (though a great admirour of Virginitie) saith also primus graaus castitatis, est syncera virgimt as: secundus, fidele coniugium. And ooD' Fulk. in l…c.so married couples are virgins as well as single persons, and ordinarily more chaste in hauing Gods appointed remedie for pp1 Cor. 7.2.1 Cor 7:2auoyding fornication. Before the Law the Patriarkes had wiues: vnderunder the Law the Priest… had wiues: after the Law, to wit, in the daies of the Gospell (as qqIn 2 Cor. 11.2 Cor 11Ambrose peremptorily writes) all the twelue Apostles (except Saint Iohn) had wiues.rrBaleus in vita N…c. 1. And it was euer thought commendable for the Preachers of the word to marrie at their owne discretion, as they did iudge the same to serue better vntounto godlinesse, vntill Pope Nicholas the first, ssIdem iu vita …rig 7.Hildebrand alias Hel-…rand and Innocentius the third forbad Priests marriage. Whe… upon a ttAp…d …de…m in v…ta …noc…nt. 3.witty fellow made this od old time:

Pri ci…nire gula penu…s cassatur,

Sac…rdos per hic & hec ol…n decli…atur:

Sed perhi… solu…m…do … articulatur,

Cum per nostrum …ra…lens … amo …eat…r,

Non est In…censius i…o…oc…rs …

Qui q…od f…cto doc…, verbo …:

E… quo … o…m iu…e…is …l…t habere,

Mo… …tus po…fex stu… …prohibere.

What kind of Virgins Popes and popish Priests hauehave been, you may read enough Epistle …. Sand…y in …ent. Happily more than enough in …l… his Treatiseconcern…ng English votaries. A profession of virginitie wi…h. out true chastitie, is no be…ter than an apple growing in the lake of Sodome. … …e De….N…m est prorsus religionis ge…, lic…ta n…n facunt, & …, …qu am…is nec hee fac… m…alu… & n…n temperant a ra…in…. If the notation p…a …u… … be good: and the r…le true xxH…r nV…nter …era… …ro tac… … : I would not with many Popes to b…t of their puritie.

Paphia … …'e…, Veneris pr…l…s qusque Papaest.

We…l, yyNe…r.such as follow the Lambe, are neither def…led carnally with …o…en … zz1 Te…. 4.4…o… no… yet spiritually with idols. In which respect the Church i… called a aa2 C…r. 11.2p…re …, for that shee run… no… a bbP…l 1.….33who…ing with he… owne in…ntions, committing cc… 6.36.fornica…ion with … her louers: but i, prepared for …us…ad …ach w…ch is Christ. ddF…e. …. …a…i…s.In this sense to worship idols and to serue strange Gods is to be defiled …ith wom…n, a… our Apostle do…h insin…e in the 17. th…er of th…s booke, vers. 4. And therefore the Papists (…beit vn maried) de…nding vponupon many Sain…s, …re not so good vi…gins a… mar…d Pro…est…nes wholly trusting in one Sauiour, and … hee … obeying his w…, and in their best en…eauo…rs euer ready to ke…e …he word… of h… …aw, neuer fo…sak…ng him or his in w…nt, in…on, in sicknesse in de…h. And this he will acknowledge at the last day; saying to them openly, Come yee blessed of my Father, inherit ye the kingdome prepared for you, for yee hauehave followed me whithersoeuer I went. I was an hungred, and ye gaue me meat: I thirsted, and ye gaue me drinke: I was a stranger, and yee lodged me: I was naked, and ye clothed me: sicke, and ye visited me: in prison, and ye came vntounto me: whithersoeuer I went I had your companie.

In their mouthes was found no guile.] As they were chaste in minde, ee1. Ioh. 5.21.1 John 5:21keeping themselues from idols; and chaste in bodie, not defiled with women: so likewise chaste in ffArdens.tongue; for they did not gg2. Cor. 4.2. adulterantes verbum, vti vulgar. Latin.2 Cor 4:2adulterate the word, or professe the faith in hhMarlorat.hypocrisie; but hauing their iiEccles. 21.26.Sir 21:26mouth in their heart, they kkPsal 116.10Ps 116:10spake because they beleeued, embracing the Gospell in simplicitie, being also studious of truth in their carriage toward men; Louing without dissimulation, Rom. 12.9. Casting off lying, Ephes. 4.25. and all guile, 1. Pet. 2.1. Iust in their promise, not disappointing a neighbour though it were to their owne hinderance, Psalm. 15.5. Before men in respect of any scandalous offences or open crimes llLuk. 1.6.Luke 1:6vnblameable, saying with the Lambe whom they follow, mmIch. 8.46. See Gospe… 5. Sund. in Lent.which of you can rebuke me of sinne? Indeed their secret faults onelyonly knowne to God are many, while they be clogged with flesh and bloud, who can tell how oft he offendeth? and yet in the world to come they shall appeare without spot before the throne of God, as hauing all their spots couered with long white robes of the Lambe, yea nn1. Iohn 1.7.1 John 1:7cleansed and made no spots by the blood of the Lambe, redeemed from earth and from men, to be the first fruits vntounto God.

The blessed Innocents on this day murthered by cruell H…rod, were witnesses to the Lambe, non loquendo, sed m…riendo, (saith ooSer. 11. de sanc…is.Augustine) not by speaking, but by suffering for Christ, and so both his name and his Fathers name were written in their fort heads, and their voice was li…e the sound of many waters, and as the voice of great thunder, as it is in the Gospell allotted for this Festiuall, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, weeping, and great mourning: and their crying was a song, a dolefull dittie to their parents eare, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, &c. yet ppPsa 116.13.Ps 116:13pretious in Gods eie, so sweet as the voice of harpers harping with their harpes. And this their sighing was a new singing, because they were qqA…gust. … supra.Primitie ma…tyrum, euen the first fruits of martyrs vntounto God. And they followed the Lambe whithersoeuer he went: the Lambe was white and ruddie, Cant. 5.10. that is (as Rup…rtus vponupon the place) candidus sanct…tate, rubisunius passions: rr1 …ephon gir…. c…n. 1. in fest S. In…cent.So they were white in their innocencie being virgins in their chastitie, without any guile in their mouth, or guilt in their life; but in respect of their blood shed for the Lambe, ruddie. So that (as Dauid sings in the ssPsal 8.2. Mat. 21.16.Ps 8:2Matt 21:16Psalme) out of the mouthes of very babes and sucklings he hath made perfect his praise. Christ assuredly got great praise by that hymne which Angels sung, Glorie be to God on high, and great praise by S. Steuen his protomartyr, and by S. Iohn the Disciple whom hee loued, as you hauehave heard in their seuerall holy daies: but his praise was made perfect by the mouthes of babes and Innocents, of whom he saith in the Gospell, ttMat. 19.14.Matt 19:14Suffer the little children, and forbid them not to come to mee, for of such is the kingdome of heauen. O blessed babe…, uuO…orius…on in se…t. I…nocent.who came to the wished hauen without any tempest, xxVide did…s. de …e…gu…. c…n. d… …uga Chr…st.enioiing the comforts of another life, before ye knew the miseries of this life: yyGir…n …b… s…p.Qui prius in …apitibus caronas, qu…m capistos accepisti…, hauing your heads crowned with happinesse, before they were couered with haire. Hero… could neuer hauehave pleasured you so much in his kindnes, as hee did in his crueltie; for where his impietie did abound, there Christs pitie did superabound, translating you from your earthly mothers armes in this zzPsal 84.6.Ps 84:6valley of te…res, vntounto your heauenly fathers bosome in his kingdome of glorie.

aaP…u…e…ius …y…. i… Le…ph.Saluete flores martyrum,

Quos lucis …pso i… lumine

Christi insecutor sustulit,

Seu turbo nascentes rosas.

Vos prima Christi victima,

Grex immolatorum tener,

Aram ante cuius simplices

Palma & coronis luditis.