A Revelation of the Holy Apocalypse, Part 2 · Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
How Chriſt helpeth his Church, by ruling warre & guile: not to paſſe boundes: which notably appeared in our Albion: for the Spanniſh nauy 1588. And in thoſe home-bred Diuels, in the Gunpowder plott 1605. both ſtirred vp, by the Dragon, and falſe prophet.
Of Angell.
CHRIST is an Angell, the Glory of the Father, his Character, Exod. chap. 23. Eb. chap. 1. ſo Chap. 8. MIGHTIE, Iſa. 9. and there in the 70. the Angell of great Counſell.
Comming downe from heauen, Eſai 64.
Oh that thou wouldſt breake the heauens: wouldſt come downe that the Mountaines might melt at thy preſence; as fire burneth fewell, and maketh waters boile: the people would melt at thy praeſence; when thou commeſt downe; the Mountaines would melt at thy praeſence, Iſai. 64. So heere Chriſt comming downe: the Mountaine of Rome and Turke melteth.
Of the Cloude, Iſai. 19.
Behold the Eternall, rideth vponupon a ſwift cloude: and ſhall come into Egipt: and the Idols of Egipt ſhall quake at his preſence; and the heart of Egipt ſhall melt within him; This Ancient ſpeach, Iohn expoundeth for ſpirituall Egipt, chap. xi. and her Idols cap. 9. So when Iſrael commeth from Egipt; God one day, went before them in a Cloude, &c.
And the Rainebow was about his head.
The Rainebow is Geneſ. 9. 13. a token that the deluge ſhall not drowne the world againe: and Iſai 54. Thus GOD ſpeaketh: This is vntounto me as the waters of Noah. For as I hauehave ſworne that the waters of Noë, ſhould no more goe ouer the earth: So I hauehave ſworne, that I will not be angrie with thee, nor rebuke thee; the reaſon is in the verſ. 5. For the Eternall would become a houſband, to vsus Gentiles: and he would defend, as verſ. 17. In this place compared with Chap. 12. where the Dragon caſteth out waters, to ſinke the Church: this Rainebow drieth vp thoſe waters.
Of the face, like the Sunne.
When Daniel was taught the fulneſſe of Christ, by the Angel Gabriel, Dan. 9. in Chap. 10. he ſeeth his face as lightning: as the Doctrine was: ſo Saint Steuen handling the ſame matter, matter moſt cleare; had his face like the face of an Angell, Actor. 7. So Chriſt, Apoc. 1. had his face like the Sun in his greateſt brightneſſe. That place telleth who this Angel is.
Of the feete, like a pillar of fire.
When the Angell of the Lord went before Iſraell, hee remoued and ſtood behinde them: and ſo did the pillar of fire: which went before them; and remoued and ſtood behinde them: and came betweene the Campe of the Aegyptians, & the campe of Iſraell. So heere CHRIST, will ſtande betwixt Romes Egypt, and his Church.
Of the litle Booke opened.
The ſumme of the Bible is ſhort: How of Gods eternall counſell, the world was made forman: Becauſe the ſonne of GOD by whom he made the world, woud be a man to giuegive life to them that reſted in this wiſedome. And the ſtory of 4000. yer. to Ieruſalems fall, by Rome hath no more: and all ſhould gladly heare of this, all their life: and ſee CHRIST his bright face ſtill to this ſumme. The booke is open, and eaſie to be vnderſtood: This ſumme I prefixed to Eccleſiaſtes: for ſuch as will not ſitt in the ſeat of the ſcornefull. This Booke is oppoſite to Idoles: that can teach nothing but baſeneſſe of the King of glory; & crucifie him againe: and make him an open ſpectacle. The firſt crucifying of Chriſt, coſt Rome one vtter deſtruction: that Rome ſtandeth not where it ſtood. And the Crucifying of him againe, hath ſent millions to eternall deſtruction. The litle booke open in the hand of Chriſt, commanded no making of ſuch crucifix: and it cōmandeth to doe no more, then is commanded: They wander wickedly, from the mothers wombe, that will aduenture their eternall ſtate, vponupon mans inuentions, which all know, may be ſpared.
Of the right foote, ſet vponupon the ſea: and the left, vponupon the Land.
Waters, or ſea ſignifie warre toyles: Land, quieter profaneneſſe: CHRIST, Dan. 12. ſtood ouer the waters of ſharp ſwift Tygris, and lift vp his right hande and his left hande; & ſware by him that liued for euer; what tyme ſhould be for Antiochus rage: ſo heere he telleth for Turke and Pope; that when the 7. Trumpet hath his blaſtes ended, the world ſhall end. Antiochi loſt all, by the firſt comming of CHRIST: and the Pope ſhall waſt, vntill the ſecond comming: and till then keepe ſome ſtroke.
Of the litle Bookes eating.
The voyce, like a trumpets, chap. 1. and 4. biddeth gracious Iohn goe, & take the litle booke from the hand of CHRIST: ſo he asketh Chriſt for it: and he biddeth him take it, & eat it. And telleth, that it will be ſweete in the mouth; for ſtudie: but bitter in the belly, for them that ſhall heare of it: as the rowle that Ezechiel aete, it told the Idolatrous Ieruſalem of a fall, which haſtened vponupon them. So Iohn by his booke, ſweet for Gods Counſell, is bitter for them which ſhall digeſt it: when he preacheth now to manie people, nations, & tongues, and Kinges.
The roaring of the Lion, and ſeauen thunders, ſhall be handled at the laſt woe.