A Revelation of the Apocalypse, Chapter 5
Chap. 5.
AFTER I ſawe in the right hande of him that ſate upon the Throne a booke written within and on the backe ſide, ſealed with ſeaven ſeales.
2 And J ſaw a ſtronge Angell preaching with a lowde voice, who is worthy to open the booke and looſe the ſeales thereof?
3 And noe man was able neither in heaven, nor in earth, nor under the earth, to open the booke, nor to looke theron.
4 Therfore I wept much, becauſe none was founde worthy to open, and reade the booke, neither to looke thereon.
5 Then one of the Elders ſayd unto mee: weepe not, beholde that Lion of the tribe of Juda, that roote of David, hath obtained to open the booke, and to looſe the ſeaven ſeales thereof.
6 Then J behelde and loe betweene the Throne and thoſe Beaſts, and betweene thoſe Elders, a Lambe ſtanding as though he had ben killed, having ſeaven hornes & ſeaven eyes, which are thoſe ſeaven ſpirits of God, ſent forth into all the world.
7 He came and tooke the booke out of the right hande of him that ſate upon the Throne.
8 And when he had taken the booke, thoſe foure Beaſts and thoſe foure and twenty Elders fell downe before the Lambe, having every one harpes and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of the ſaints.
9 And they ſung a newe ſong, ſaying, thou art worthy to take the booke, and to open the ſeales thereof: becauſe thou waſt killed, and haſt redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kinred, and tongue, and people, and nation.
10 And haſt made us to our God, Kings, and Prieſts, and wee ſhall reigne on the earth.
11 Then J behelde and I heard rounde about the Throne, and of the Beaſts, and Elders, the voice of many Angels, and the number of them was a thouſande hundred thouſands, and ten hundred thouſandes.
12 Saying with a lowde voice, worthy is that Lambe, that was killed, to receive power, and riches, and wiſdome, and ſtrength, and honour, and glory, and bleſſing.
13 And every creature which is in heaven, and which is on the earth, in the ſea, and all thinges that are in them, I heard, ſaying, unto him that ſitteth on the Throne, and to the Lambe, be prayſe, and honour, and glory, and power for ever more.
14 And thoſe foure beaſts ſayed, Amen. And thoſe foure and twenty Elders fell downe on their faces and worſhipped him that liveth for ever more.
The Analyſis.
I have ſpoken ſummarily of the common type: the ſpeciall Prophecy cō prehendeth both the excellent dignity of this Revelation in this chapter, and alſo the ev…nts themſelves in the reſt of the booke. That thinge is declared firſt, in reſpect of the Creature; ſecondly, of the Lambe: In reſpect of the Creature it is altogither unſearcheable, as appeareth, partly from the ſigning of ſeaven ſeales, ver. 1; partly from the teſtimony of all creatures, which after the inquiry proclamed, and the thing was cauſed to be cryed by the voyce of the Angell, as it were of a common cryer, ver. 2. then alſo after tryall made at laſt, ver. 3. all doe acknowledge their owne unablenes. Of which laſtly there is a ſorowfull conſequente, the weeping of John, which this imbecility, and deſpaire to enioye ſo excellent a good thing did wring out from him, ver. 4. In reſpect of the Lambe onelyonly it is able to be ſearched out as firſt an Elder sheweth, who conforteth Iohn, ver. 5. Secondly the Lā be comming at the ſame inſtant and taking the booke, ver. 6.7; from whence at length aryſeth the ſingular ioy and thankeſgiving of the whole Creature, but apart firſt of the Church, ver. 8.9.10. and of the Angels, ver. 11.12. After of the reſt of the Creature, ver. 13. Laſt of all the Church togither ſubſcribing to the common ioy & reioycing of all thinges, ver, 14.
Scholions.
Afterward I ſaw at the right hand: the cōmon tranſlation hath In the right hande, as alſo the Interpreter of Aretas; but all the Greeke copies with one conſent have at the right hande. They peradventure have put it in the ablative caſe, becauſe it followeth after in the ſeavēth verſe, that the Lambe tooke the booke from the right hand. But this is noe ſufficient cauſe to departe from the naturall property of the wordes, when it may be that the weaknes of the creatures might be made to appeare the more, the booke at the firſt was not in the right hande, but at the right hande: from whence if there were noe power to open it being offered and layd before without asking, much leſſe would there have ben any if he had held it in his handes. Afterward when the debility of the Creatures was found out, the booke was taken into his handes, that the dignity of the Lambe might be the better knowne, not taking it up haſtily lying at his ſide, but receaving it from hande to hande. As touching the intent of this viſion, it ſeemeth good to the Spirit, after the lively repreſentation of the true Church in the former chapter, (which was to be layd as the fundamēt of all the building following, before that he should come to the particular Propheſyes) to put men in minde of the incomprehenſible excellency of this Prophecy, For wee are wont, ſuch is our ſlouthfulnes, to paſſe by very greate and excellent thinges careleſly and ſleepingly, unleſſe peradventure ſome body pull us by the eare, and require inſtantly diligence, mentioning the greatnes of the thing. Leaſt perchance the ſame thing should fall out in this place, he ſetteth before our eyes, that this is a Prophecy of that kinde, which conteineth in it all the dāgers that at to be undergone of the Church through her whole race on earth, yet wrapped in ſo great obſcurity, that no created minde can beholde it a farre off, much leſſe unfolde the ſame to others. An argument in deede moſt worthy to be knowen, and farre moſt pleaſant of all thinges, opening to us the hidden Myſteries, with exceeding great deſyre whereof men are inflamed: or otherwiſe in ſearching out of them, they torment themſelves rashly and in vayne. And yet nevertheleſſe it is not to be deſyred onelyonly for this cauſe to knowe it, but becauſe alſo it conteyneth events of that moment, that it would be very hurtfull and for rowfull to the Church, if they should wholy be concealed. Therefore Iohn wept, being privy to the dangers, and togither therewith alſo minding the lacke of a guide.
And in deede the Church hardly holdeth on her courſe, though this lampe be given her: Howe miſerable had shee ben, left utterly in darknes, and not perceiving ſufficiently eyther which waye shee should goe forward, or where to ſet her foote ſafely? Iohn therefore had had iuſt cauſe to weepe, if there had ben hope noe where of opening the ſealed booke. But the ſudden aſſault of griefe, bereft the holy man of underſtanding, and ſuffered him not to thinke in whom there was ability, while at length he knewe by the putting in minde of an other. Therefore this Prophecy is famous for the worthynes of the argument, excellency of the Myſtery, plē ty of fruict, but farre way moſt excellent, becauſe he alone was founde worthy to open the ſame, who by his death founde out a redemption for the elect.
This is that thing for which the Church on earth, the Angels in Heaven, laſtly the univerſall Creature reioyceth greatly, and that not for a glorious shewe without the trueth of the thinge, as the manner is in humane writinges, in which the thinges are amplifyed for to adorne and ſet them forth, but from a true feeling and iuſt cauſe of reioycing, as hereafter wee ſhall ſee through Gods his helpe. In the meane time shall not this exceeding great ioye of Heaven and Earth kindle in men a diligence to reade, a deſyre to underſtand, and an endevoure to obſerve? It is in deede a thing worthy of our ſerious meditation, into which I have digreſſed and diſcourſed in many wordes, becauſe I ſee that the Interpreters, eyther not to have marked the intendement of this chapter, or at the leaſt, otherwiſe then was meete, to have ſpoken nothing at all, of a matter very needfull and neceſſary.
¶ A Booke written within and on the backeſide: The firſt commendation of the Prophecy is from a Booke, a copious writting, and Seaven Seales in this verſe. That which is recorded in a Booke, muſt without all controverſy be certē, being a faithfull helper of the memory: whereas that which is noe otherwiſe grounded then onelyonly upon the memory, may eaſily in continuance of time, eyther be utterly extinguiſhed, or at the leaſt wiſe corrupted. Whereupon GOD biddeth Ieremy, for the greater credit of that Prophecy, to write all the wordes that he ſpake unto him in a Booke, in the thirty chapter of Ieremy and in the 2. verſe. So carefull is he to provide againſt our doubting, that wee should not thinke otherwiſe of the things, then of ſuch as are written in publike bookes, & graven as it were in braſſe, ſo as they can neyther be altered nor forgotten. The plenteous writing is shewed, in that the booke was written within and on the backe ſide, on both ſides of the leafe. And he ſpeaketh after the olde māner of writing in ſomewhat lōge parchments, which afterward were wounde about ſome rounde ſmooth peece of wood, frō whence they were called volumes, & Chriſt is ſayd to have unrolled the booke, and rolled it up againe, as in Luke chapter 4 verſe 17. And the outſide (that I may uſe the wordes of the moſt learned Theod. Beza) alway remayned cleane, unleſſe the inſide was not able to containe the whole writing, for then they wrote on the outward part; which ſorte of writinges were called exteriour writings, as being written on the backe ſide. This ſo great prolixitie therefore, did containe not onelyonly the chiefe points which peradventure might be included in ſome narrow place, but alſo every moſt ſmall thinges: ſo that neither is there any neede to ſeeke and fetch ought from any other place, which perteineth to the knowledge of future thinges: and that wee knowe alſo that nothing can be done without the will of God. The Complutent edition and ſome others read without, but on the backe ſide, is more often uſed: from whence is written on the backe ſide, as wee have shewed a little before. Finally, howe pretious are theſe Myſteryes, which God hath with himſelfe, ſealed up with ſo many ſeales?. The creatures could not ſo much as to looke on the BOOKE, as is in the fourth verſe, much leſſe was there neede of ſeales for to hidde from them. But by theſe meanes he will declare and manifeſt, howe greatly wee ought to reverence his ſecrets.
2 And J ſaw a ſtrong Angell publiſhing; There is a great dignity of the Propheſy, from the certenty, largenes, & ſcaling up; but nowe a greater appeareth, ſeeing the highnes thereof ſurmounteth every created Spirit. For it is not of that kinde, which the more prudent ſorte of men can comprehende by any skilfull foreknowledg, but wherein all muſt needes confeſſe their ignorance. The which for to shewe, he alludeth to the manner of Princes, who in difficult thinges are wont by great rewards to provoke their ſubiects by the voyce of a Cryer to try their ſtrength, and there is almoſt none, whō in ſuch buſineſſe, ſome ſmall hope will not thruſt forward to make tryall. If ſo be that noe man cometh forth, what is this elſe, than an open confeſsion of their imbecillity. So the Angell is ſent to enquire, who is worthy to opē the booke? If noe man offereth himſelfe, let us acknowledge our owne impotency, and the power of our Mediatour: and togither alſo let us honour with due reverence theſe holy myſteryes: for which cauſe God cauſeth in us this feeling of our owne want of power, as of old in Adam, before whō ere he gave him a wife, he ſet all creatures, that noe fit helper being found, he might make the more accounte of the wife given him.
¶ Who is worthy: He maketh not inquiry of the power and ſtrength, but of the deſerte and worthynes. For even all the creatures if they should cō ſpire togither, are able to doe nothing, to wringe out perforce the things from God. Whatſoever wee obtayne, wee enioye it at his will and pleaſure, and by entreaty, and the Lord being iuſt in giving his thinges, regardeth their worthynes, upon whom he beſtoweth his benefits: whom unleſſe either their owne, or an others iuſt dignity shall commende, they can hope for noe good thinge from him. But if a bare foreknowledge of future thinges, shalbe of ſo greate importance, in what eſtimation is the knowledge of ſalvation to be had?
3 And noe man was able: A free confeſsion of the creature, that it is able to doe nothing herein. Let them therefore looke to it, who doe make her a patroneſſe for thēſelves in matters of greater moment. Why then should wee mervayle if noe man underſtandeth any of theſe thinges, not onelyonly among the Gentiles, although the moſt quickwitted of them, but alſo not in the whole Kingdome of the Papiſts, noe not that blaſphemouſly unerring Pope himſelfe, with all his Seraphicall Doctours, arrogating to them ſelves the victory of all knowledge, learning, prudence, and wiſdome? Theſe thinges ſurmount all humane sharpenes of witte, leaſt peradventure thou reiect rashly that which shall not pleaſe thoſe our maiſters. And the diſtribution of thinges in heaven, in earth, and which are under the earth, may be underſtood frō the proclaiming of the Angell; he made enquiry who was worthy? Therfore the inquiſition perteined not to the Devils, and ſoules puniſhed for ſinnes. For what hope or shewe of worthynes could be here? Therfore the thinges in Heaven, are the Angels; they in the earth, Men living: they which are under the earth, are the Saints ſleeping in their graves. Whom he ſignifyeth in this manner by that one part, which cometh neerer to our ſenſe. In which reſpect Iacob ſayeth, and I ſhall goe downe to my ſonne mourning into the grave, Gen. 37.35. In theſe alone their might be ſome queſtion. Therfore that place is to colde for to kindle a Purgatory.
¶ Nor looke thereon: for ſo hath Theod. Beza: the common tranſlation hath looke upon: I should rather turne, looke in. For ſo the ſentence encreaſeth: ſeeing this is greater, then not to open. The booke could not be looked in, ſo long as it did remaine ſealed: whereupon the addition would be ſuperfluous in this ſenſe.
4 J wept therefore:) It is a lamentable thing in deede, that the Church should wante the gift of Prophecy. But Iohn bewrayed his infirmity, having forgot, or at leaſt wiſe not minding, that nothing is ſo hidden that could be unknowne to our chiefe Prophet, & of which he would not teach his Church, ſo farre as should be expedient for his. Wherefore one of the Elders warning him that he ſhould not weepe, doth togither with gentlely reprove his ignorance, or rather forgetfulnes: as though it were a shamefull thinge for a teacher not to knowe that, which the common ſorte of the faithfull should not be ignorant of.
5 Beholde he hath obtayned:) Many as it were contending, but one obtayning the victory before the reſt. He ſeemeth to ſpeake after the manner of the former proclamation, wherby the thing was put as it were to a publike ſtrife and tryall, and in which Chriſt bare away the chiefe prayſe, yea the whole.
¶ That Lyon of t…e: A circumlocution of Chriſt the King, fetched from Gen. 49.9. But what hath the Lyon to doe with ſeales? Our ſinnes did remove farre frō us, all the myſteries of God: Which when Chriſt hath by his mighty power abolished, and conquered for ever the enemyes the Devill and death, worthyly with this name as a badge of the victory, he cometh forth to obtayne that for us, which our enemyes kept away.
¶ The roote of David; So hath Th. Beza tranſlated rightly the Hebrewe word, to which the Greke worde anſwereth, and is ſome time taken for a roote, as is in Iſaiah: He groweth up as a tender plante before him, and as a roote out of a dry ground, chap. 53.2. But a roote properly groweth not out of the ground, but that which ſpringeth from the roote, nevertheleſſe this in deede is ſuch a roote, that alſo togither it is the roote of David, that is, the fountayne and welſpring from whence ſalvation and life flowe unto David: ſo that nothing can be more ſignificant then this word, neither hath there bene at any time any roote beſides of this kinde; See Pſalm. 101.1. Mat. 22.43. &c.
6 Then J looked and beholde betweene the Throne:: Word for word in the Greeke is in the middes of the Throne, as before in chap. 4.4. &c. The Lambe is in the middes of the Beaſts and Elders, to wit, in the aſſembly of the faithfull, in the middes of the Church.
¶ A Lambe ſtanding, as though he had ben killed: The Lambe is deſcribed by his triple off…e: Theſe wordes as th…gh he hath ben ſlame, perteine to his Prieſthood, being eternall through the eternall power of his death: Seaven hornes, declare him to be a Kinge: Seaven eyes (which are ſo many Spirits) and the taking of the booke, shewe him to be the chiefe Prophete. The skarre of a deadly wound is a token that he once dyed, and teacheth that the Father doth give all things to his Church for the merite and through the beholding of it. For this is it wherby our Prieſt once entring into the holy place, hath obtained eternall redemption: Heb. 9.12. And in that he hath once gat redemption for the elect, shall he not alſo obtayne all things for us, that may avayle any way for our good? The ſeaven hornes is that ſupreame power, wherby the man Chriſt ſitting at the right hande of the Father, ruleth and governeth all things according to that, which Chriſt being rayſed frō the dead, ſayd to his diſciples, all power is given mee in heaven and in earth. Mat. 28.18. Therefore that moſt meeke Lambe wanteth not thoſe weapons, wherby he chaſeth away his enemyes, althoug by his great patience he ſeemeth not to regarde the iniuries which they doe. And thou mayeſt obſerve, that it is not needfull that the parables and ſimilitudes should agree in all thinges, ſeeing here to the Lambe contrary to nature are attributed ſeaven hornes and as many eyes, that is, gifts of the Spirit wherewith Chriſt endueth the faithfull. They are ſent from him, ſeeing noe man can be partaker even of the leaſt gift, unleſſe he beſtowe it on them. For God heareth not ſinners: but from his fulnes wee all receive: and he being gone to his Father, ſendeth the Conforter unto his, which leadeth them into all trueth, as in the Goſpell of Iohn chapter ſixteene ver. ſeaventh and thirteene. A viſible token whereof were once the cloven tongues like fire ſitting upon the Apoſtles, and that miraculous gift of ſpeaking ſuddenly with other tongues Act. 2.3. &c.
With which faculty not onelyonly the Apoſtles were endued, but afterward alſo others embracing the faith. Neither are they onelyonly ſente into all the world, that they may conferre the comfortable knowledge of ſalvation to the Elect: But that CHRIST may ſearch out all thinges that are done in his Church, yea which are done in any other place of the world. Wherefore howe great impudency is it to thruſt upon the Church a viſible head, ſeeing the LAMBE is furnished with ſo many eyes, neither hath them idle and unoccupied, but ſendeth them forth with all diligence into the whole world? The care of Chriſt taketh not indede away the Miniſters, eyther Eccleſiaſticall or Politicall, which he hath ordained: But to faine and invent a newe kinde and degree, and that under a pretence that CHRIST is abſent, is proper onelyonly to that man, who is directly oppoſite to Chriſt.
As touching the wordes; ſome Copies reade, as is noted in the Greeke Bibles lately ſet forth at Frankeford, which are, that the relative may be referred as well to the hornes, as to the eyes. After which manner alſo Aretas readeth this verſe. And the Hornes may be ſayd to be ſent into the whole world, when CHRIST putteth forth his power in ſuccouring his owne ſervantes, and deſtroying his enemyes.
But it agreeth more properly to the eyes, which when wee turne toward any thinge, wee are ſayd to caſt them upon the ſame.
7 He came and tooke the booke out of the right hand of him that ſat on the throne: There is a double conſideration of Chriſt, one ſo farre as of the eternall God ſitting togither in the Throne with the Father, chap. 4. ver. 3. The other ſo farre as he is of the Mediatour attending on the throne and prepared and ready to performe thoſe things which make for the ſalvatiō of his people. There is the like regard of the Spirit, who as he is the Eternall God partaker of the Throne, compaſsing the ſame about, as in the fourth chap. and third verſe. But according as he ſanctifyeth the Church with created giftes, there are ſeaven Spirits before the Throne, ſeaven burning Lampes, ſeaven Hornes, and ſeaven eyes.
8 Having every one Harpes and vials: A reioicing and thankeſgiving of the Church for this greate benefite of taking and unſealing the Booke. Therefore they take unto themſelves fit and proper inſtruments for this purpoſe, Harpes and Vials, that is to ſay, Prayſes and thankeſgiving. For Vials full of odours are the harts of the Saints, which the Spirit hath filled with a fervent deſyre of calling upon GOD: the Harpes perteine to gladnes of minde: and reioicing in prayers is the very thankeſgiving.
But he alludeth to the manner of the Temple, where the LEVITES prayſed GOD with Muſicall Inſtruments, and the PRIESTES had their Pottes and Bowles ſet before the Altar, full of odours, as wee reade in the Prophete Zachary chap. 14. ver. 20.
¶ Which are the prayers of the Saints: He ſpeaketh not of the offerring of prayers for the dead, which are made of them that are alive on the earth, but as I have shewed in the former chapter, all that which is attributed to the Beaſts & Elders declareth what exerciſes the Saints goe about with all diligence in the militant Church. So alſo after in verſe 10. And wee ſhall raigne, ſay the Elders, upon the earth, not preaching, doubtleſſe, the Kingdome of the ſoules departed, but of the holy men on earth. The heartes of theſe as golden vials doe breath out and yeeld up prayſes and thankes for thoſe greate benefites, which are obtained for us by Chriſt. If the Elders of…er onelyonly the prayers of other men, as the Ieſuite interpreteth, they should be dumbe in the common ioy of all things. Nay rather the benefite is theirs: for they themſelves ſhall raigne, ſay they: therefore they offer not other mēs, but their owne prayers.
9 And they ſung a newe ſunge: It is called a newe ſonge, in reſpect of more plentifull grace miniſtred nowe ſince Chriſt hath ben exhibited, then was in olde time under the shadowes of the Lawe. The auncient people did not prayſe the man Chriſt ſo openly and clearly, before he had taken unto him our flesh, as at this day the faithfull doe prayſe him clothed with o…r nature; from whence not without cauſe this more manifeſt prayſing is called a newe ſung. But he alludeth unto the manner of the Lawe, where newe & greater benefites are celebrated in newe formes of prayſes, conceaved of purpoſe; whereupon there is ſo often mention of a newe ſonge in the booke of Pſalmes.
¶ And haſt redeemed us; Therefore the Beaſts and Elders are men redeemed by the blood of Chriſt: neither in deede ſome twelve chiefe men of the Iewes, and as many Chriſtian twelve Apoſtles, with the foure Evangeliſts. (For this whole company was not choſen out of every Tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, but out of the nation of the Iewes onelyonly) but of all the faithfull in every place: all which this holy company and bande muſtered indifferently from all places of the world, doe worthyly note out, as wee have obſerved upon the fourth verſe of the 4. chapter. And it is ſayd ſignificantly, out of every Tribe &c. not all Tribes &c. becauſe all men are not redeemed by the blood of Chriſt, but onelyonly the elect, as Aretas hath well obſerved. 10 And haſt made us to our God Kinges; Some copies doe reade them, & ſo this whole verſe in the third perſon: but Aretas, and the common Latine tranſlation, doe reade in the firſt perſon: wee have expounded theſe thinges before. But why doe they mention this benefite in the cauſe of taking the booke? Becauſe it is proper in deede to a Kingly power, to prevayle with God, and to beare away thoſe thinges from him, wherof lately they had noe power nor ability. Wherfore they ſing that they are made Kings to God, as though they should ſay, that they not onelyonly are Kinges, becauſe they have ſubdued Death, Sinne, and the Devill, but chiefly becauſe they have God regarding their commodityes, & keeping nothing from them, which any way may make for their good. This is that Kingly power, moſt noble in deede and alway to be praiſed. But where they ſay, they shall raigne on earth, from hence that is evident, which even nowe wee ſaid at the eight verſe, that this is the company of the militant Church reigning on earth. For why should the Saints in Heaven having attayned heavenly glory reioyce in an earthly dominion?
11 And I heard round about the Throne and the Beaſts: The glorifying of the Angels, who apart from the Church prayſe God, of whom there is another cōſideration thē of men redeemed by the blood of Chriſt: for theſe being fallen are reſtored, and they, are upheld that they fall not. And therefore are placed without the circuit of the Throne & the Elders: to whom yet they are next, on every ſide garding the Church, both that they may watch for her ſafety, and alſo may reioyce in her behalfe, for her proſperity. From whence in the ſeconde place is rehearſed their gratulation, as though they would learne every day more and more from the Church, the incomprehenſible myſtery of redemption, in which they behold with ſuch earneſt deſire, 1 Pet. 1.12.
¶ A thouſande hundred thouſand. The common tranſlation hath not theſe wordes a thouſande hundred thouſand: but Aretas, the Complutent edition, and other copies read them. And ſo in Daniel 7.10. from whence this place ſeemeth to have ben taken, albeit the Ieſuite will have nothing to be added in the common tranſlation, of ſuch purity is it. But where ought to be a greater number, then where every kinde of Creature which is in Heaven and beneath, with one conſent agree to prayſe the Lambe, ver. 13? Therefore he had better covered his shame, if he would rather confeſſe freely the defect, then to defende a manifeſt fault.
12 To receave power: Worthy is the Lambe that was killed, that nothing should be ſo heard, which his power may not overcome: for he hath deſerved by his death in ſuch ſorte that he should have power over all things. Therefore by right all prayſe is given unto him as to the moſt mighty, moſt rich, moſt wiſe &c. the common tranſlation for riches readeth Godhead, without the authority of any Greeke copyes. Notwithſtanding it muſt be ſoo, becauſe ſo it ſeemeth to the Ieſuites, that the olde Jnterpreter hath followed alwayes the more corrected copies. I would paſſe by ſuch things, if the impudency of the adverſaryes did not compell mee to make them manifeſt, at leaſt in a word.
13 And the whole creature: All the Creature reioyce at this Prophecy, evē they alſo which are void of reaſon, becauſe from thence they may perceive plainly, that there shalbe an ende at length to their labours. Which time they expect with earneſt affection, much deſyring to be freed from this yoke of vanity, Rom. 8.21.
¶ And which are on earth: in the Greeke it is and which are in the earth, that is to ſay, which live in the overmoſt part of the earth, and under the earth, which ly hid in the moſt inward bowels. The whole creature expecteth a renovation, not onelyonly that which sheweth it ſelfe abroade & is to be ſeen, but alſo which lyeth hid within in ſecret. But ſeeing here he ſpeaketh of creatures voide of reaſon (for it was ſpoken before of the whole kinde of reaſonable creatures) who would had from hence built and erected Purgatory, but men voyd of reaſon? But for wante of other gueſts, they are compelled to ſtuffe their Popiſh banqueting chamber with bruit beaſts.
¶ And which are in the Sea, and all things which are in them: The common tranſlation corruptly hath it thus, And which are in the Sea, and which are in it: foreign, by a chāge of gender, wherby figuratively perſons are attributed to the thinges created: See Theod. Beza.
14 And the foure Beaſts; The beginning & the end of the thankeſgiving is attributed to the Church, becauſe this benefite doth moſt of all belonge to her. Therefore her glorifying is double, one wherby shee goeth before all the reſt in prayſing: the other wherby shee accordeth with the reioycing creature. But the foure & twenty Elders follow the leading of the Beaſts, as it is wont to be done in the Church, where the people ſpeaketh to God, not ſo much in their owne, as in the Miniſters wordes, and yeeld themſelves wholy to his government to be ruled, as touching religions and manner of worshippe, as wee have obſerved in chap. 4.9.10.