A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 2
OF THE TITLE OF THE whole worke, and expoſition therof. The ſecond Sermon. ☞ I ſaid the whole boke was conteined in ſixe partes.Thre membres of the firſt part. Now muſt we loke on the firſt part: Which hath chiefly three members: The title, beginning, and brief narration. For this preſent we wyll only ſpeake of the Title, whiche is thus.
THe reuelatiō of Ieſu Chriſt, The firſt Chapter.whiche God gaue vntounto him, for to ſhew vntounto his ſeruauntes, thinges whiche muſt ſhortly come to paſſe: And he ſent and ſhewed by his aungell vntounto his ſeruaunt Iohn, which bare recorde of the word af God, and of the teſtimony of Ieſus Chriſt, and of all thinges that he ſawe. Happy is he that readeth, and they that heare the wordes of the prophecie, & kepe thoſe thinges which are written therin. For the time is at hand.
This title is plentifull,The title of the worke. and vttereth all profitable circumſtaunces, that are to be declared in the beginnings of bokes.
Firſt is ſet the Title, or inſcription of the whole worke, that is, the Apocalipſe, or reuelation of Ieſus Chriſt, whiche verely was opened or reuealed by Chriſt Ieſus him ſelfe.
This title ſtreightway proueth,The reuelation of Ieſu Chriſt. that this worke is no mans inuention, but a godly doctrine: As that whiche was opened by our Lord, kyng, and prieſt Ieſus Chriſt, out of heauen, from the right hand of the father, executing there the office of the high Byſhop, & as yet teaching vsus profitable thinges. and albeit it be called alſo the reuelatiō of Iohn, yet is it chalenged to hym for none other cauſe, than for that as ſcribe he wrote and ſet it forth.
Frō whēce is that reuelation?Againe it is yet more playnly declared, from whence this Reuelation is: Euen of God hym ſelfe. For he ſaieth, which God, namely the Father, gaue vntounto hym, to wytte, to Chriſt. For in the holy and bleſſed Trinitie, there is a diſtinction of perſones. And albeit that all thinges of the father, be the ſonnes alſo: And all thynges of the ſonne, the fathers lykewyſe: Yet the ſcripture mentioneth the father to geue vntounto the Sonne, and the Sonne to receyue of the Father.
Whiche thynge all the auncient wryters, hauehave full Godly expounded, to be done by the miſtery of diſpenſation. For the Sonne receyued ſomewhat of the Father, as man whiche otherwyſe as the very Sonne of God ſayeth Father,Iohn. 17 glorifie thou me with the glory which I had with thee, before this worlde was.
Moreouer the Sonne is the wyſdome, word, and mouth of the Father, by whome God in tymes paſte and nowe, ſpake and ſpeaketh to the Fathers, Prophetes, Apoſtles, and to the vniuerſall churche. The Father by diſpenſation gaue to his Sonne this office, that he ſhould be Byſhop. For no man hath ſene God at any tyme: The only begotten whiche is in the boſome of the Father, he hath reuealed vntounto vsus. Let vsus knowe therfore, this ſame to be a Reuelation Diuine, whiche God the Father, louynge mankynde, hath reuealed by the only Byſhop Chriſt vntounto hys Churche. And ſo it ioyneth together the Father and the Sonne, that neuertheleſſe the holy diſtinction of perſones remayneth ſafe.
To what vſe and to whom it is reuealed.Nowe alſo is added, to what ende God the Father hath reuealed, or geuen the gyft of reuealing, to wytte, the office of prieſthod, to his Sonne, our Lorde Ieſus Chriſt: to the intent verely that the ſame beyng reuealed, he myght ſhewe it, and as it were ſet it before the eyes of his ſeruauntes, to wytte, his worſhippers, and Chriſtians, which are called the ſeruauntes of God for theyr wyllyng obedience. And as the ſeruaunt of a Lorde is a ſeruaunt, and oweth to his Lord all that he hath, or is worth: So we owe vntounto God our ſelues whole, and all ours, or els we be free, and not bounde.
Here is alſo declared, vntounto whom this reuelation is opened:Iohn. 8 To all the ſeruauntes of God. If therfore thou be glad to be called the ſeruaunt of God, heare this boke, and remember it: And knowe that this boke is prepared for thee of God.
After he compryſeth in fewe wordes,What thinges are reuealed. what Chriſte reuealed to Iohn, thynges that muſt ſhortly come to paſſe. The deſtenies therfore of the Churche are recited, what good and euyll thynges ſhall happen to the Godly, and lykewyſe what punyſſhementes muſt be inflicted to the wicked.
And let no man gather of this woorde, muſt, neceſſitie, as though God wrought not freely:How good and euyll thīgs muſt be done. Or that the wycked dyd euyll, not through their owne faulte, but by Gods compulſion. Good thynges muſt be done, bycauſe God wyllyngly byndyng hym ſelfe to vsus by hys promeſſe, can not but doe that he doeth and promyſeth: Neuertheleſſe he worketh frely.
Good thynges muſt be done in the Godly, for bycauſe the nature of grace and faith is ſuche, lyke as the propertie of vngodlines is to contemne and tranſgreſſe. Wherfore they muſt alſo be punyſſhed. And bycauſe the worlde is ſuche, as it is, there muſt needes bee Hereſies and calamities innumerable. And he ſayeth theſe thynges muſt ſhortly be done that are reuealed, for bycauſe certen thynges began in the very tyme of S. Iohn. And although many thynges are founde to be doone a thouſande yeares after,2 Pet. 3 yet ſayeth the Apoſtle ſaynt Peter. A thouſande yeares before the Lorde, be as it were yeſterday. Therfore this Reuelation apperteyneth to the tymes of the primatiue and laſt Churche: And declareth what thynges ſo euer ſhal happen vntounto it tyll the laſt iudgement. Yea and howe it ſhall reigne for euer.
Moreouer the maner of reuealyng is alſo touched.The maner of reuealing. For Chriſt reuealed thoſe thynges, ſendyng by hys Aungell, or his Aungell ſent forth, vntounto whome he gaue in commaundement what he ſhould ſaye and doe. Whereupon thys Aungell is after alſo called Chriſte, bycauſe he repreſented the perſone of Chriſte. Therfore muſt not the Aungell in this booke, but Chriſt alwayes be conſidered, the trewe Authour of all theſe thynges. And in dede the Diuinitie of Chriſt is here commended vntounto vsus, what tyme we hea… that Chriſt is the Lord of aungels. Wherof S. Paul to the Hebrues hath reaſoned more at large.Hebre. 1 Moyſes in the .xii.… Numbres ſetteth forth chiefly thre maners of propheciyn… or reuelation.Thre kyndes of propheciyng. Act. 16. Firſt by viſion, of the which ſorte many are … ſcribed to Daniell, one notable to S. Peter in the .x. of th… Actes, and likewyſe to S. Paul. And into this forme Inferre alſo the Apocalipſe. Secondly by dreame: of the whic… ſorte were thoſe of Pharao and Nabuchodonozer kynges wherof Ioſeph and Daniel were interpretours.Gen. 41 Daniel. 4. The Prophet Ioel in the ſecond chapter, mentioneth of viſions and dreames. For in the newe Teſtament alſo there be very many holy and prophetical dreames. Laſt of all Moyſes rehe… ſeth a ſkylfull expoſition, as many were made to Moyſes▪ to the Apoſtles. Into whoſe fellowſhip the Apocalipſe commeth after a ſorte alſo, where viſions are openly expounde… Here appereth the vnſpekeable goodnes of God, whiche … many wayes procureth and worketh our ſaluation, and ſ… pleaſauntly prepared offereth it vntounto vsus to inioye. Vnhappy is he, that knoweth not theſe thinges.
To whom it was reuealed, and by whom it was writtēBeſides this, much mencion is made vntounto whome Chriſ… hath opened this diuine and moſt excellent reuelation, eu… to Iohn. He commendeth hym, that is himſelf (for ſo was i… expedient for the confuting of his aduerſaries, ſeing yt Pau… alſo many tymes mainteined his authoritie againſt the fal… Apoſtles) by foure Epithetes. For firſt he calleth himſelf th… ſeruaunt of Chriſt. This is the eldeſt and nobleſt title, whic… the fathers, Prophetes, and Apoſtles hauehave vſed. For they b… addicte and conſecrate to God. Secondly Iohn teſtified th… worde of God amongſt the Apoſtles, moſt expreſſely declaring ye diuinitie of Chriſt, eſpecially where he teſtified & ſaid In the beginning was the worde.Iohn. 1 &c. Moreouer he teſtifie… the witnes of Ieſu Chriſt: VnderUnder the which name the Lord… himſelf in the Goſpell, and S. Iohn in the .xii. chapt. of his Goſpel, cōpriſed the whole Euangelicall doctrine. And was a ſeing witneſſe of all theſe thinges. For in the firſt Chapter we hauehave ſene, ſayth he, his glory. And in the .xix. Chapter he ſawe water and bloud guſſe out of the Lordes ſyde. In his Epiſtle,1 Iohn. 1 that we hauehave ſene, ſayth he, and hauehave heard. &c.
Aretas noteth, that in certen Greke copies is added, that whiche is had alſo in the Greke copie of Spayne. And what thinges ſoeuer he hath heard, and what ſo euer be, and what ſo euer muſt be done after this.
That ſame Iohn therfore is authour of this boke,The cōmē dation of Iohn. whiche as he ſawe the Lorde in fleſh vponupon earth, ſo he ſawe the ſame in ſpirite reuealing theſe thinges in heauen: and propoundeth to the churche ſightes moſt certen and ſure. This Iohn was that beloued diſciple of the Lord, whiche in the laſt ſupper, reſted vponupon his breſte, vntounto whom in his laſt will he bequeathed his mother on the croſſe, one virgin to another.
He alone ſtode by at the aultar of the croſſe whē Chriſt died: witnes of the true death, and of our purification. He lyued til the tyme of the Emperour Traiane, which thing Euſebius in his cronicles citeth out of Ireney, in the noting of ye yeare from the birth of Chriſt an hondreth and thre. Dorotheus a moſt aūcient wryter, affirmeth ye Iohn liued .vi. ſcore yeares.
Laſt is touched alſo the profit of this godly worke or reuelation,The cōmodite of this reuelation that hereby the readers and hearers might be prouoked to diligence. Where this boke is called alſo a prophecie. For this boke by reaſon of the telling before of thinges to come, is the prophecie, of the newe Teſtament: Moreouer a prophecie, that is an expoſition,This boke is a prophecie. whiche openeth and and expoundeth the olde Prophetes. And promiſeth bleſſednes to the readers, hearers, and kepers of the things that are wrytten in this boke. Bleſſednes comprehendeth the benefites of the life preſent, ſo farre forth as the Lorde permitteth them to the godly: but chiefly of the lyfe to come. If the profit of this boke hath bene alſo ſpoken before in the firſt Sermon. And marke, that it is not enough to reade or heare this boke. It muſt be perfourmed in dede, and kept dilligently.
For the Lord ſayd alſo in the Goſpell: Bleſſed are they that heare the word of God and kepe it. They therfore that ſhall frame their lyfe after this boke, are happie. For both they flie the ſeducing of Antichriſte, abide in the faith of Chriſt, & liue for euer more. &c.
And he finiſheth the Title with an acclamation, by the whiche he moueth the hearers exceadingly: For the tyme is at hande, as thouge he ſhould ſaie: Let no man thinke here, that ſtraunge thinges, and the which concerne him noth… are tolde here, which ſhal come to paſſe at length after ma… worldes, they belong to eueryevery one of vsus. For they be wr… ten of matters that chiefly concerne vsus, and euen of our o… affaires. So ſheweth he that this booke is profitable for a worldes, men, & ages. God the father by his ſonne teach… profitable thinges, and admoniſhing tyme enough and dewe ſeaſon, be prayſed worlde without end. Amen.