Commentary on the Epistles and Revelation of John, Commentary 22 · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. Verſe 1. Come down from heaven]
NOt from the bottomleſſe pit, as Antichriſt that oppoſite to Chriſts unction and function.
Clothed with a cloud] Not yet ſo clearly to be ſeen and enjoyed by his, as when he ſhall come in the clouds.
A rain-bow upon his head] The effect of the Sun ſhining againſt a cloud, and is, Nuncius foederis & ſerenitatis, the Angel of Gods Covenant, and of fair weather.
His feet as pillars of fire] His meaneſt members ſtand out the hoteſt perſecutions.
Verſe 2. A little book open] The Bible tranſlated and explained. It is called a great roul, written with the pen of a man, that is,Iſa. 8 1. Deu… 30.11. clearly, that the ſimpleſt of men may conceive it. But it is little in compariſon of the volumes of School-Doctours and Popiſh-Decretals, wherewith the world was peſtered, when the Bible lay locked up and obſcured. We may well ſay of it as S. Bartholomew (quoted by Dionyſius) ſaid of Divinity, foreign, that in ſundry reſpects it is both a little and a great Book.
He ſet his right-foot upon the ſea] As Lord of ſea and land, ma…gre all heretikes and Antichriſts, that ſought to throw him out of poſſeſſion. Neither the beaſt that ariſeth out of the ſea,Chap. 13. nor the other that ariſeth out of the earth ſhall be able to do it.foreign.
Verſe 3. As when a lion roareth] Gr. Loweth like an Oxe, mugit for rugit. See here an oxe in a lion, mildeneſſe mixt with fierceneſſe. Satis eſt proſtraſſe leoni. This lion preys not upon the proſtrate. Non mihi placet vindicta ſed victoria, ſaid Caeſar. So may Chriſt ſay, I ſeek not revenge but victory.
Seven thunders uttered their voices] As the eccho of Chriſts loud voice. No ſooner had he ſpoken, but great was the company of preachers, ſons of thunder, who ſhould ſpeak powerfully,Pſal. 68.11. propheſie and cry down ſuperſtitious worſhips and hereticall doctrines before peoples, Nations, tongues and Kings, verſ. 11. of this Chapter. This was fulfilled in Wicliffe, Huſſe, Luther, Lambert, and other heroicall Reformers. Conter Amos 3.7, 8.
Verſe 4. Had uttered their voices] Not audible only,Di…ſtiu…. but articulate: ſo as that John heard and was much affected. Neſcio quid divinum in auſcultatione eſt: there is no ſmall efficacy in a lively voice to work upon the heart. In Demoſthene aliquid d…est Demosthenis, quandò legitur non auditur.Val. Max.
Seal up theſe things] viz. Till the time appointed. See Dan. 8.26. and 12.9. Or, for that the things were the ſecrets of Gods kingdom, Math. 13. not fit or poſſible to be revealed, 2 Cor. 12.4.
Verſe 5. Lifted up his hand] And ſo ſwore ſolemnly, Gen. 14 22. Numb. 14.30. Ezek. 20 5. Becauſe it ſeemed improbable (if not impoſſible) that ever Babylon ſhould down, Rome be ruined. But all the judgements in the Revelation (thoſe of the ſeven ſeals, ſeven trumpets and ſeven vials) are ſtill upon Rome Pagan, Chriſtian, and Antichriſtian. We may therefore conclude with that Emperour of Germany, Frederike 2.
Roma diu titubans, varijs erroribus acta
C…rruet & mundi deſinet eſſe caput.
Rome tottering long, ſhall once be ſhattered,
And of the world ſhall ceaſe to be the head.
Verſe 6. That there ſhould be time no longer] i. e. The Beaſts time ſhall be no longer, but till the daies of the ſeventh trumpet, which were ſhortly then approaching. Or there ſhall be now no longer delay and protraction of time.
Verſe 7. The myſtery of God] The converſion of the Jews called a myſtery, Rom. 11.25. the bringing in of the Gentiles fulneſſe, Epheſ. 3 3,4,6. the kingdome of the Saints of the moſt high, Dan. 7.18. then when all the kingdoms of the world ſhall become the kingdoms of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, Chap. 11.15.
Verſe 8. In the hand of the Angel which standeth] This deſcription of Chriſt is here purpoſely repeated, that we may learn to truſt in his power, and flie to his wiſdome, as Agur did, Pro. 30.1, 2. for the underſtanding of divine myſteries.
Verſe 9. Give me the little book] Let Preachers ply the throne of grace, if ever they will preach to purpoſe. Bene oraſſe, est bent ſtuduiſſe, ſaid Luther. Three things make a Preacher, Reading, Praier and Temptation. He that will underſtand Gods riddles muſt plough with his heifer the Spirit, which is not given, but to them that ask it.Alſted. Ch…on. 450 Ibid 267. Vide parcum in Gen. pro…g.
And eat it up] By reading and meditation: Miniſters muſt ſo devour and digeſt the holy Scriptures, that as good Scribes they may draw out new and old for the uſe of the Church upon all occaſions. Jacobus de Voragin… was ſo called, Quod eſſet veluti vorago bibliorum, becauſe he had as it were devoured the Bible. So Petrus Comeſtor for the ſame reaſon. Joannes Gati…s a Sicilian, was ſo well verſed in the Scriptures, and ſo great a Divine, that he once ſaid, Si libri ſacri perirent, ſe per Dei gratiam restititurum, That if the Bible were loſt out of the world, he could reſtore it. Some thinke that Ezra did ſo after the Babyloniſh captivity: but I cannot think ſo.
Verſe 10. Sweet as honey] The word is ſo to the ſpirituall palate; whereas to the carnall it reliſheth no better then the white of an egg, or a dry chip. Luther ſaid, He would not live in Paradiſe without the word: At cum verbo etiam in inferno facile eſt vivere, but with the word he could live even in hell it ſelf. See Pſ. 19.10. & 119.103. Jer. 15.16.Tom. 4. ….
My belly was bitter] By reaſon of the trials and tribulations that uſually follow upon the faithfull preaching of the Word. Oppoſition is Evangelij genius, ſaith Calvin. And, Praedicare eſt nihil aliud quam derivare in ſe furorem mundi, ſaith Luther. To preach is to get the ill will of the world.
Verſe 11. Thou must prophecy] For all the ſorrow, thou and thy ſucceſſours muſt ſet cloſe to the Lords work, for the regaining of thoſe peoples, nations, &c. whom Antichriſt hath enſlaved.