A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 3
OF THE BEGINNING OF THIS boke, and the Apoſtles ſalutation: wherin are declared the miſteries chiefly of Chriſt, ſecondly of our whole faith & redemption. The third Sermon.
IOhn to the ſeuen cōgregatiōs Aſia. Grace be with you & pea… from him whiche is, and whic… was, & whiche is to come, and … the ſeuen ſpirites which are pr… ſent before his throne. And frō Ieſus Chri… which is a faithful witnes, and firſt begot… of the dead: And Lord ouer the kinges of t… earth. VntoUnto hym that loued vsus, and waſſh… vsus from ſinnes in his own bloud: And ma… vsus kynges and prieſtes, vntounto God his fathe… be glory and dominion for euermore. Ame… Behold he cometh with cloudes: And al ey… ſhal ſe him: And thei alſo which pearſed hi… & al kinredes of ye earth ſhal wayle ouer him Euen ſo. Amē. I am Alpha & Omega, the beginning & thending, ſaith ye Lord almight… which is, & which was, & which is to come.
The beginning or preface of the w…rke.Another pece of the firſt part of this boke, conteineth t… beginning or preface, wherin is the Apoſtles ſalutation, … the whiche he diſcribeth firſt the whole miſtery of Chriſt, … condly of our faith & redemption. For ſo were the Apoſtles wont in the beginning of their writinges to compriſe a brief ſome of ſalutation: Which thing in Paules Epiſtles is eueryevery where to be ſene. By the ſame deſcription he getteth the beneuolence and attentiuenes of al men.
The Apoſtles ſalutation or greting is nothing els,What is ye Apoſtles ſalutation. but a bleſſing. Bleſſing is an old accuſtomed order, by the whiche the Patriarkes wiſhed of God to their children al maner of good thinges, both of body & ſoul. Which verely in Geneſis is deſcribed at large. And alſo the high prieſt had cōmaundement geuen to bleſſe the people: As we reade in ye ſixt of Nū bres, eſpecially he commaundeth to put his name vponupon the people. Therfore it is a ſuperſticion to ſay God verely, from whome eueryevery good gifte deſcendeth frō aboue, bleſſeth, that is geueth good thinges: but miniſters or men wiſhe only. And the Lord in dede in ye lawe promiſeth, that he will graūt thoſe thinges to the people, whiche the high prieſtes ſhoulde wiſhe them. Therfore nother wordes nor ſhauen crownes: but ye truth & power of God geue the giftes. We ought not therfore to doubt, but yt God wil graūt to vsus alſo thapoſtolical bleſſing, yt being reconciled & accepted of God we might hauehave peace. And firſt S. Ihō repeteth his name, left we ſhuld any thing doubt of thautour,Iohn interpretour of Chriſt towardes the congregations. whō we ſee Chriſt to hauehave vſed as ſcribe & interpretour vntounto al cōgregatiōs. But he repeteth not himſelf to be yt ſeruaūt of god, & witneſſe or Apoſtle of Ieſu Chriſt. It ſufficed to hauehave heard yt at ye firſt beginnīg. Therfore he teacheth thē modeſtie & humilitie alſo, which hauehave obteined great giftes. Afterward he ſignifieth, to whō he wryteth, & to whō this boke apperteineth, to ye ſeuen churches of Aſia, ye names wherof he will vtter ſhortly after. And Aretas biſhop of Ceſaria, by ye .vii. churches, ſaith he, & by the .vii. nū bre, he ſignified ye multitude of churches yt be in al places. So alſo Primaſius biſh. of Vtica in Affrick, expoūdeth ye .vii. nū ber. Therfor this ſalutatiō, this boke, & the whole doctrine of Ieſu Chriſt, writtē by ſ. Ihō,To whom this booke apperteineth. apperteineth to ye whole vniuerſal church of Chriſt throughout al ye world, & in all times & ages. Wherupō it belōgeth to all vsus alſo as many as be of vsus in ye church of Chriſt. For albeit thepiſtles be intitled to ye Romains & Galath. yet followeth it not therfore, yt they be not ours. And he wryteth expreſſely to the churches of Aſia, not to t… churches of Hieruſalem or Iewery: that he might ſo ſhew… that the kingdome of Chriſt, is comen alſo already to the g… tiles. And as God from the beginning choſe Iſraell, in whi… he myght ſet forth a perfit example of the church, and cōm… wealth: ſo frō ye beginning of ye new Teſtamēt, he choſe thoſ… ſeuen churches of Aſia, which he might ſet forth to ye wh… Chriſten world. But in caſe Rome had ben ſet in ye firſt pla… amongeſt the churches, as Epheſus is, good God, ho… much wold the Romiſh ſort make of it, for the eſtabiſhing… their ſupremacie.
The forme of the Apoſtles beſſing.And the maner of the Apoſtles ſaluting wyſheth gran… peace. Grace is the fauour of the deitie, and the reconc… ment, wherby God the father for Chriſt his ſake is made… one with vsus, our ſinnes pardoned, & we adopted for his chi… dren. Therof arriſeth the peace and tranquillitie of mynd… and the deſire of concorde with all men.
And here he ſheweth aboundantly, who geueth ye churc… his bleſſing, that is to witte, grace, reconcilement, & pea… God, and God thre in perſons, the father, the ſonne, and th… holy ghoſt, one God in eſſence. But here he diſcerneth th… perſones very well. From him that is, to witte, the fathe… And from the ſeuē ſpirites yt is, from ye holy ghoſt: And fro… Ieſu Chriſt, this is ye diuerſitie of perſons. And the ſignification of the vnitie is, when after the proprieties of perſons d… clared,The holy goſt is placed in the middes. he addeth: I am Alpha & omega. &c. And that the ho… ghoſt is ſet here in the middes, it diſordereth not the miſte… of the Trinitie: but appeareth to be an argument that he … the ſpirite as well of the father, as of the ſonne, and that h… procedeth from both. As it is alſo proued by the wordes … our lord, the .xiiii.xv. and .xvi. of Iohn. Here is alſo deſcribe… the whole holſome miſtery firſt of Chriſt, than of the catholike faith, and of our redemptiō, ſo that herein you may find… the chiefeſt articles of the Apoſtles crede, & hauehave here a moſ… goodly deſcriptiō of Chriſt our Lord. Hereof al mē ſhall iudg… how truly ſome men ſay,The father whiche is which was &c. that this boke, contrary to the … ſtome of thapoſtles, maketh litle mentiō of Chriſt & of faith
The father as fountain & original, of whom the ſon is ingendred, is firſt deſcribed: for that it is he whiche is, which was, and which is to come. Thoſe wordes toke Iohn out of Moyſes in the .iii. and .xxxiiii. chap. of Exod. & out of many teſtimonies of Eſay. And he ſaith nothing, but that God the father is an eternall enſence, which cōſiſteth by and of it ſelf, and is and geueth life to all, and in all preſerueth the ſame. And that this eſſence is ſuche, that it hath bene always with out beginning. For this is it, that he ioyneth to being, or exiſting, was. He addeth, and he that ſhall come (foreign) which ſhalbe, and ſhal remaine euen to the ende, and to euerlaſtingnes without end. The Grekes deriue foreign of running, for that conning and running, he medleth with all matters: is eueryevery where preſent, bringing help to the godly, or reſtreining and puniſhing the wycked.
And the holy ghoſt where he is but one,Seuen ſpirites. for the ſeuenfolde that is all maner of grace and giftes manifold, is here called, as I may ſay, Septenarie or of the ſeuenth numbre: And from the ſeuen ſpirites ſayth Iohn, that is from that ſpirite, whiche is indewed with the ſeuenfolde grace. Thoſe diuerſe giftes are after a ſorte declared of Eſay in the .xi. Chapt. and els where in the ſcriptures. He is ſayd to be in the ſight of the throne that is before the throne of God, ioyned verely in gouernement with the father and the ſonne. For the throne is many tymes vſurped for the kingdom. The holy ghoſt therfore is of the ſame glory, power, and maieſtie with God.
Now is he commen to Chriſt,The deſcription of Chriſt. whom by his properties he deſcribeth moſte aboundantly. You know, that Ieſus is the proper name of Chriſt: which Matthew expoundeth, a Sauiour, Chriſt is the ſurname of his office and dignitie: as you would ſay, annoynted, that is, byſhop and kyng.
1 Firſt he calleth Chriſt our Lord, a faithfull wytnes,Chriſt a faithfull witnes. and that out of the .xlix. and .l. chapter of Eſay. For he was ſent of the father to the world out of heauen, an Apoſtle, whiche ſhould teſtifie the wil of God, what he wold hauehave done with men. To witte that he would ſaue the worlde by his ſonne,Math. 18. 2 Petr. 3 Iohn. 3 Math. 7.1 & by faith in him, which is obedient to the law of God. For he muſt do the will of his father. This Chriſt is a faithfull witnes, that is ſure, conſtaunt and trewe: Of whoſe doctrine no man ought to doubt. No man hath ſeene God at any tyme: The only begotten whiche is in the boſome of the father,Math. 17. 2 Pet. 1 he hath reuealed. This therfore is the byſhop and catholick d… tour of the church. Who ſo euer diſſent from him, are to … eſchewed. Heare him, ſaith the father.
Chriſt is ye firſt fruits of thē that ryſe.2 He is the firſt begotten of the dead. For he died for o… ſinnes verely: and roſe again from the dead, & was made t… firſt begotten of the dead, Lorde & conquerour of death: I… whom we ſe that we ſhall alſo ryſe again, & in what ſorte. … whom the firſt of the Corinth. xv. And like as in the firſt pr… pertie he ſhaddoweth the humanitie of Chriſte, wherin h… taught alſo his deitie, in that he was the faithfull, true, & … tholique byſhop, and is yet at this day: So in the ſecond, th… articles of our belefe concerning the death of Chriſt, and h… reſurrection are confirmed. To theſe alſo may be added t… article of the reſurrection of the dead.
Chriſt is Prince of kynges.3 Chriſt is prince ouer the kinges of the earth, a monar… verely, and Lord of all rulers: Whiche hath taken a name … boue all names, the Lord of aungels, and of all creatures, … whom al things be ſubiect: As thapoſtle expoūdeth. Coloſ… Philip. 2. And he doeth not aboliſhe lawes & Magiſtrat… which wil be king of kinges, and Lord of lordes. For if tha… wer no kings, how ſhuld Chriſt be king of kings? The mo… ſacred Emperours, Conſtance, Conſtantine, Theodoſe, an… Iuſtinian, knew them ſelues to be clientes of Chriſt: Tha… kingdom was Chriſtes, & they to be ſubiectes. Theſe Chri… acknowledgeth for his, by whō he gouerneth thoſe he ha… redemed with his bloud. They that proudly rule ouer ye people, boaſt thē ſelues to be lordes of althings, & acknowled… not Chriſt to be monarch ouer all, be ſtarke mad. And her… are comprehended ſuch thinges as we confeſſe in tharticles of our faith, that Chriſt aſcended into heauen, & ſitteth on th… right hand of the father: that is, that he hath receiued high p… wer of al things in heauen and earth. Ephe. 1. Act. 2.
Chriſt loued vsus.4 Chriſt hath loued vsus with incōparable louelove. For he hi… ſelf ſaith: greater louelove hath no man, than that a man ſhoul… leaue his life for his frēdes. This louelove the Apoſtle amplefiet… in the fift to the Romains. And it was exceading great louelove … moued Chriſt to come downe from heauen and be incarna… and to redeme vsus by his death. With a free louelove he louelove… vsus, prouoked by no deſert of ours. For as this ſame Iohn in his Epiſtle canonicall ſpeaketh the ſame of the father. In this is charitie, not yt we hauehave loued God, but yt he hath loued vsus, & ſent his ſon a propiciation for our ſinnes: So is it to be vnderſtād of the ſon, ye he hath & doth bear vsus great good will, not moued thereto through our louelove, wherewith we hauehave imbraced him. And of ye fre louelove to mankinde, he gaue him ſelf vntounto death, & waſhed vsus frō our ſinnes. For ſtreight waies is added, by his bloud.Chriſt waſheth. Where thre thinges ſeme of vsus to be obſerued. Firſt that Chriſt waſheth, purgeth, purifieth or clēſeth ye faithful: & that moſt fully, not partly. He alluded to the waſhings of the law, which he expoūded alſo. For Dauid ſaith: Pourge me with Hyſope, & I ſhalbe made cleane, waſhe me, & I ſhalbe whiter than ſnow. The ſame phraſe of ſpeache repeteth Eſay in the firſt chap. Micheas alſo ſayth:Miche. 7. The Lord wil returne & wil hauehave mercy on vsus, he wil treade vnderunder fete our iniquities: And thou ſhalt throw into ye depth of the Sea al their ſinnes. And the Lord ſaith,Ezech. 36 I wil caſt vponupon you cleane waters, and you ſhall be mundified from al your filthines. The Lord Chriſt theſe thinges accompliſhing, waſheth vsus, purgeth and clenſeth throughly, aſwell from the falte as the paine. He clenſeth vsus from our ſinnes,Chriſt waſheth all ſynnes. not from one, but from al. The which thing is proued both by former teſtimonies, & again in the firſt & ſecond Epiſtle of S. Iohn. Laſt, the maner alſo of purifiyng is ſet forth, by bloud. For without the ſheding of bloud no remiſſion was made. Therfore through the mediation of death and bloudſheding there was full remiſſiō of all ſinnes obteined for the faithfull.He waſheth by bloud. Hebr. 9 They that bring forth any other maner of forgeuenes of ſynnes, ar iniurious to the death and bloud of the ſonne of God. And here we may ſe plainly ſet forth an article of the Apoſtolicall crede. I beleue the forgeuenes of ſynnes.
In the fift place is ſhewed theffect of our redēption & purifiyng. For Chriſt hath brought to paſſe,Theffect of Chriſts redemptiō in ye faithfull. yt as many of vsus as beleue in the father by ye ſon of God, ſhuld be kinges & priſts to God & to his father. Aretas & the copie of complute reade not kinges but foreign, that is kyngdome: the which is not red amiſſe. For we be ye kingdō of God, for bicauſe God by his ſpirit, not the fleſh nor the worlde, ought to reigne in vsus: And when we permitte the gouernment to the ſpirit, we be ye kingdō of God: The which thing S. Paul handleth at large in the ſixt chap. to ye Romains. Moreouer we be made kings that is free,We be kinges. by Chriſt, that we ſhould not ſerue the deuill, th… fleſh, and the world, according to that ſaying of Zacharie, … being deliuered from the handes of our enemies, we migh… ſerue him without feare in holines and rightuouſnes befo… hym al the daies of our life.We be prieſts. And Chriſte hath conſecrated v… prieſtes with his ſpirite and bloud, that we ſhould offer vp t… God ſpirituall ſacrifices, our ſelues pure, prayers and pra… ſes,1 Pet. 2 Ro. 12.15. Philip. 4. Hebr. 13 Exod. 19 and almoſdedes. For that theſe be ſpirituall oblation… Peter and Paul do teſtifie. And theſe thinges toke S. Ioh… out of Exodus: For we of the Gentils that hauehave beleue… hauehave ſucceded in the place of the people of Iſraell reiecti… Chriſt through incredulitie. And theſe thinges geue a lyg… to that article of the Crede, I beleue ye holy catholick church the communion of ſainctes. For we be as many of vsus as b… leue, ye fellowſhip of Gods people, ſanctified through Chriſ… to the ſeruice of God. Of whome be theſe thinges hitherto.
In the ſixt place, in the diſcriptiō of Chriſt he ſheweth the glory and rule is dewe vntounto God alone through Chriſt … the churche for euermore:The glory and kingdome is of God. We geue glory vntounto God, wh… we aſcribe to his goodnes our ſaluation, and all goodne… not to our own ſtrength and merites. We geue hym ru… when we acknowledge hym to be Lord & head in the churc… workyng by hym ſelfe, not by the ſainctes in heauen, to wh… he hath graunted power: Not by the Pope, whom he ha… conſtitute Vicar in earth. The whole glory & rule is Chriſts
Seuenthly in the deſcription followeth the commyng … Chriſt vntounto iudgemēt,Chriſt will com to iudgement. and the maner of his comming. F… as a cloude toke him vp from the eyes of the Apoſtles, e… ſo ſhall he come in cloudes to iudge the quicke and the dea… The ſcripture witneſſing. And he addeth, that the eyes of a… men ſhal ſe the iudge,Math. 24 Act. 1 1 Teſſa. 4. euen of thoſe which hauehave peaſed hym Wherof we gather two thinges, firſt, that the iudgemēt ſha… be vniuerſall. Wherin men arriſing ſhall ſe Chriſt with th… owne eies. An other thing, that Chriſt ſhall come to iudg… ment in the ſame fleſhe,Iob. 19 in the whiche he was wounded and ſticked, honge vponupon the Croſſe, was buried and roſe again This place is taken out of Zacharie, and is cited alſo in S. Iohns Goſpel.zacha. 13 Iohn. 19 And it behoueth that his body be ſhewed to the whole world full of printes and markes, that herof may be iudged the Godly and alſo the vngodly: They that then hauehave beleued in ſuch a redemer: Theſe, that then hauehave reiected and contemned ſuche a one. Of theſe we vnderſtande that is added: And they ſhall wayle, for that in dede thei hauehave neglected their owne ſaluation: Which the wiſe man diſcourſeth at large.Sap. 3.5 Moreouer leſt any may ſhould doubt of thoſe thinges that are ſpoken of the iudgement, and of the lamentation of the wycked (as S. Peter ſaid,Thinges ſpoken of ye iudgement are certain 2 Pet. 3 the contemners and mockers of the iudgement ſhould be) he addeth a kynde of a confirmation, euen ſo. Amen.
In them alſo is expoūded the article of the crede of Chriſt that ſhall iudge the quicke and the dead. He concludeth this place with theſe wordes: I am Alpha & Omega, that whiche followeth (the beginning and end) is omitted in ſome copies: As though that interpretation of that ſame, I am Alpha and Omega, crept in out of the margent. It is a prouerbe of S. Iohn the Apoſtle, I am Alpha and Omega. Heretickes, as Baſilides and Valentine, were wonderfully delighted in letters. But againſt thoſe lettered Heretickes Iohn ſpeaketh plainly by the mouth of Chriſt. I am Alpha and Omega. If any thing ought to be aſcribed to letters, I am al this whole that euerlaſting vertue, eſſence, and eternitie. For the ſenſe is, that God is the beginning and ende, that is eternall, vnſpeakeable, beſt and greateſt. Thoſe things are repeted: He yt is, which was. &c. Which were expoūded before: There is added, almightie. For hereby is declared the vnitie and maieſtie of God, of whom the Trinitie was opened alſo before. Hereby alſo the authoritie of this boke is confirmed, the authour wherof is ſhewed to be that God eternal and almighty. To whom be glory.