A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 24
¶ Here is deſcribed the procedynge of the holye ſpirite, and operation, the almightie knoweledge of God, and howe the Throne of God is borne vp or ſuſteyned of the foure beaſtes, and what the beaſtes doe. The .xxiiij. Sermon.
ANd oute of the Seate proceded lightenynges and thonderinges and voices, and there were ſeuen lampes of fire, burnynge before the ſeate, whiche are the ſeuē ſpirites of God. And before the ſeate there was a Sea of glaſſe like vntounto Chriſtal. And in the middes of the ſeate, and rounde aboute the ſeate, were foure Beaſtes full of eyes before and behinde. And the firſt beaſt was like a Lion, the ſeconde beaſt like a calf, and the thirde beaſte had a face like a man, and the fourth beaſte was like a fliyng Egle. And the foure beaſtes had eche one of them ſixe wynges, and rounde about without and within, they were full of eyes. And they had no reſte daye nother night: ſaiyng, holy holy holy is the lord God almightie, whiche was, and is, and is to come.
The marke & ende of ye firſte parte of this viſion.Our Lorde Ieſus Chriſte, as the faithefull paſtour of his church, wil vtter the deſtenies and wōderful calamities that wil come vponupon the churche. Therfore to the intent he might ſtoppe the mouthes of ſuche as mutiue and be inquiſitiue of the iudgementes of God, and might perſwade al mē to hauehave patience in theſe ſtormes of euilles, he ſetteth forth a treatiſe before, wherein he ſheweth that all thinges are done or permitted to be done of God by his moſt iuſte prouidence, and are gouerned or ordered by the Lambe, with a iudgement moſt rightuouſe and holy. For who ſo beleueth and remembreth this, in what chaūces ſo euer he happen, he ſubmitteth him ſelf humbly and lowly and obediently to his God, and crieth alwayes, the Lorde is rightuouſe in all his mayes and holy in al his workes. And this is the moſte true ſtate of the firſt parte of this viſion, which is done in the 4. and 5. chapt. And is more ouer moſt elegaunt, moſte pleaſaunt, and moſte full of conſolation. Althinges are more liuely ſet forthe and perceyued in ſuche fitte and heauenly repreſentations, than they can be vnderſtande in bare wordes.
A recapitulatiō or brief reherſall.Firſt is recited a Throne, & that in dede a celeſtial throne, leeſte in the workes, in the prouidence and iudgementes of God, we ſhoulde Imagine any thynge carnall or corrupte. Secondly he that ſitteth on the throne is repreſented vntounto vsus by two coulours, Grene and red. For God is an eternal eſſence geuyng to al their greues or beyng. The ſame burneth in louelove towardes man kinde, and willeth wel vntounto man: but to the diſobedient and rebelles he is a conſumyng fire. And the throne is inuironed with a raynbow grener than graſſe, comfortyng vsus, that we ſhould not be diſmayed at the ſight of that Godly throne, but ſhould remembre alwaies, that he whiche ſitteth in the throne, iudge & gouernour of al, is moſt true and kepeth his promeſſes: & to be that ſame leage frende of oures .xxiiii. Elders ſitte rounde aboute the throne, which already are ſignified what they be, and as it were ſhadowed: ſtreight waye in the ende of the iiii. chapt. and in the fifte ſhal be declared, what they doe, or what they ſaye. Doubtles all the Sainctes in heauen are lokers on, of the iudgemētes and workes of God. For the iudgementes of God be not ſutch, that they ſhould flee the light and knoweledge of Sainctes.
Now followeth, out of the Throne proceded lightninges, &c. In the throne is he that ſitteth and the lambe, that is, the father and the ſonne, and frō them bothe procedeth the holy ghoſte. For by interpretatiō it followeth immediatly, which are the ſeuen ſpirites of God. For the lightenyngs,the ſignes of the holy ghoſte. thonderings, & other thinges rehearſed ſignifie, or be tokens of the holy ſpirite: whiche els where is red alſo to be ſhadowed by fire, & water, and winde, and by firie tounges. But no man wil thinke, that the holy ghoſt, whiche is one in ſubſtaunce and of the ſimple nature diuine, ſhould be plucked into ſeuen partes. For I tolde you in the firſt chapt. how the ſeuen ſpirites of God are put for the ſeuenthfolde, moſt ful, and moſt perfit ſpirite of God.
We hauehave in the beginning of this viſiō the whole miſterie of the bleſſed Trinitie, ſo much as is nedeful for vsus to know,The holy Trinitie. & beleue, & profeſſe. There is one Seate, in that one ſeate are conteined the ſitter lambe & ſpirite: therfore there is one diuine eſſence & nature, and thereof is one power and maieſtie, one rule, becauſe ther is one throne: briefly there is one god, true, & eternal, for euermore bleſſed: As Moſes alſo in the 6. of Deuter. and al the prophetes and Apoſtles hauehave eueryevery where taught. Howbeit in this only & vndiuided ſubſtaunce is ſene a moſt plaine diſtinction of perſones. For there is he that ſitteth in the throne, & the lambe, and from bothe procedeth the holy ghoſte. This miſterie of the Trinitie we profeſſe in the Crede. This appereth openly in the incarnation of our lord, whileſt the aungell ſayeth to the virgin, the holy ghoſte ſhal come vponupon thee, and the power of the hieſt ſhal ouerſhadow thee: And yt which ſhal be borne of thee, ſhal be called ye ſonne of God. Likewiſe in the baptiſme of Chriſt is hearde a voice from heauen vponupon the Lord: This is my wel beloued ſonne. The holy ghoſt alſo appereth in ye likenes of a doue. Wherupon the lord cōmaunded vsus alſo to be baptized in the name of the father & of the ſonne & of the holy ghoſt. This profeſſiō is certaine & true, and ſo ſet foorth by the moſt manifeſt ſcriptures & liuely preaching of ye apoſtles: like as Tertullian declareth againſt ye heretike Praxeas. We ought rather beleue & cleaue vntounto theſe things, than to the monſtrouſe & blaſphemouſe Spaniſh ſophiſtrie of Serue to a man moſt corrupte.
Of the holy ghoſt.But eſpecially here is declared vntounto vsus the whole miſterie of the holy ghoſt, and that in fewe wordes, which in ye goſpel of Iohn is vttered more at large. Firſt his procedīg is noted, which verely in times paſt mē affirmed raſhly to be ſet forth in no parte of the ſcripture.Procedīg. S. Iohn here, out of the throne ſayeth he, proceded lightninges, &c. And by & by: whiche are the ſeuen ſpirites of God. And this worde foreign in Greke doeth ſignifie a proceding or going out, but S. Iohn her ſaieth foreign, that is proceded or wente forth. And therfore that auncient coūſel of Conſtantinople decreed rightly: foreign that is & (I beleue) in the holy ghoſt the lord, that quickener, proceding of the father, &c. But becauſe ye Lord him ſelf in the goſpel ſpeaking of the holy ghoſt ſayeth, he ſhal glorifie me: for he ſhal take of mine, & ſhal ſhew vntounto you. Al things what ſo euer the father hath, are mine. Therefore I ſayed, yt he ſhal take of mine, & ſhal ſhewe it vntounto you: no man wil vnderſtād the ſpirite to procede of the father only, & not alſo of ye ſonne, wherof alſo was longe contention betwene the Grekes and Latines. For if he procede of the father, he procedeth of the ſonne alſo. For euen for ye ſame cauſe at this preſent he is red to procede out of the Throne. But in the Throne is not only he that ſitteth, but the lābe alſo, of whome in the 5. chapt. ſhal be added, that the lambe hath ſeuen eyes, which are the ſeuen ſpirites of God, ſent into the whole world. Albeit therfore yt in the 15. of Iohn, the holy ghoſt is ſayed to procede frō the father: yet there is ſet before: whō I (ſaieth the ſonne) wil ſende vntounto you frō my father. To be ſhort, if there be one ſubſtaūce and nature of the father & of the ſonne, I ſee not howe ye holy ghoſt ſhould procede frō the father, that he ſhuld not procede of ye ſonne alſo. Let vsus rather leaue thoſe ſcrupulouſe diſputatiōs to idle wits: let vsus beleue, yt ye ſpirite procedeth frō both.
Moreouer the vertue or effecte and operation of the holy ghoſt, is here alſo ſet forth & declared gallauntly.The effecte & operatiō of the holy ghoſt. For firſt he lighteneth, when he illumineth the obedient, and feareth the rebelles with ſore threatenings. Secōdly he thōdereth, what time he inueygheth againſt this vngraciouſe world, & reproueth the ſame of ſinnes, thonderinge out the terrible iudgementes of God. Two Apoſtles in Marke are called ye ſonnes of thonder, or thonderers. He vttereth moreouer holeſome voices of doctrine, exhortation and conſolation, by men, for the fauour of men. Finally where the operation of the holy ghoſt can not ſufficiently wel be expreſſed, yet by the ſeuenth nombre he compriſeth and accompliſſheth his fulnes, and ſayeth, that ſeuen firie lampes are burning before the Seate, burnyng I ſaye, not quenched, or ſmoking. For the grace of the holy ghoſte is bright and full of efficacitie, wherof is ſpoken alſo before: and where theſe thinges are founde in the Throne, howe ſhould any man thinke, that the iudgementes from thence procedyng ſhoulde be in any parte corrupte, defiled or to be blamed? by the holy ghoſt al thinges are preſerued, and by his prouidence al thinges are wrought.
Hereunto is added an other thing, a glaſſie Sea before the ſeate, in clerenes and brightnes repreſenting Chriſtal.The glaſſie Sea. Herby is ſignified this fraile worlde, whiche is ſubiecte to God, and as it were in his ſight. And alſo in other places of holy ſcripture, by reaſon of the vnſtablenes, toſſinge and tourmoyling thereof, it beareth the figure of this variable and moſte vnconſtante worlde. And certenly the ſtate of this worlde is more brickel than glaſſe. Some what hereof ſhal followe in the 15. chapt. But what things ſo euer are done in the world through a maruelous varietie, al the ſame ſhine as in a glaſſe before the Throne, ſo that God ſeeth them all as it were in a Chriſtall: whoſe eyes or knowledge the leeſte thinges that be can not eſcape. For we ſhal not thinke, that ſuch thinges as are done in the worlde, are done raſſhely, and by a certen fortune to happē or chaunce beſides the knowledge of God, or to be of God vnknowen.
A fuller deſcriptiō of the Seate.After this he retourneth againe to the throne, to the intent he might finally finiſhe, that whiche he had begonne ones to deſcribe: and might ſhewe alſo, all the workes of God, that are done by his creatures, to be moſt holy. And ye roial ſeats, chayres or Thrones of kinges are wonte to be borne vp and beautified with beaſtes, as Salomons ſeate was with lions: whiche is to be ſene in the 3. boke of Kinges the 10. chapt. In other places the moſte excellent beaſtes do drawe the triumphaunt chariotes of Princes. After the ſame maner therfore by a phraſe of men beaſtes are ſet to the throne of God. For God in his prophetes is caried vpō Cherubin,Cherubin. that is in his godly chariot. And Ezechiel in the .10. chapt. nameth openly Cherubin, beaſtes, and the whole text proueth, that the place muſt be vnderſtande of god his chariot, drawē by beaſtes, in the which he him ſelf was caried out of the citie of Ieruſalē. There is in poetes much mentiō of the chariot of the Gods, taken haply by the firſte writers out of the holy ſcriptures. For Sathan, the Ape of God, goeth aboute alwayes to diffame the worde of veritie. But we, omitting the triflinges of Poetes, wil conſider the ſober deſcription of this cariage, of God or rather of gods throne. Almightie God ſitteth in this ſeate. Sittyng in the Scriptures, is gouernement. Here is ſignified than ye God ſitteth in al his creatures:God ſitteth vponupon …eaſtes. that is to ſaie, gouerneth his creatures, and by his moſte wiſe prouidence worketh all in all, in vſinge eueryevery creature according to his good & iuſte pleaſure after the nature of eueryevery one. We ſhall ſaye than, that by thoſe beaſtes are vnderſtande all the creatures of God, diſperſed throughe out the foure quarters of the world: that is comprehended in the whole world.
And firſt is ſhewed in what place of the throne the beaſtes were:Where in the throne be the beaſtes. to witte in the middes of the Throne, and in the circuit of the ſame. You wil are, if they be in the throne, how ſhould they be about the Throne? if they be about the Throne, how be they in the middes of the Throne? The thynge muſte be ſo conceaued, as I admoniſſhed alſo before, that we ſhould vnderſtāde, that vnderunder the Throne the middes of the beaſtes doe with their hinder partes reache to the middes of the Throne inwardely, and ſo as it were to hauehave borne vp the Throne: And with their fore partes, I meane, with theyr breſtes, and heades and winges to hauehave ſtande forth, and ſo to hauehave compaſſed the Throne, and as it were inuironed it rounde about. For ſo mighte they ſeme to be in the middes of the ſame Throne, and rounde about the ſame.
After,What maner of beaſtes they were. what maner of beaſtes the ſame were is deſcribed dilligently, in numbre they were foure. For in times paſt alſo the nombre was expreſſed of Ezechiel: And the partes of the worlde are trimly ſignified by the fourth nombre, comprehending the vniuerſalitie of thinges. And ſome here hauehave forged the foure Monarchies of the worlde, &c. And eueryevery beaſte had his face, and his bodye, ſixe winges, and the ſame ful of eyes within, as alſo theyr bodies were ful of eyes. The firſte repreſented in ſhape and faſhion a Lion, the ſeconde a Calfe, the third a Man, & the fourth a fliyng Egle. By theſe appere to be ſignified all creatures, viſible and inuiſible, reaſonable and vnreaſonable, and that the moſte excellent. For after in the .v. chapter we ſhal heare, that al creatures ioynctly together doe worſhip the Lambe, and him that ſitteth on the Throne. And verely God vſeth them all, the Sunne, the Moone, the Starres, the ayre, the fire, and briefly all liuinge thinges. And ſuche creatures as he hath choſen, to the intent to worke any thing by them, he maketh the ſame to be of efficacitie, inſtructing eueryevery one after their ſtate and condiciō, that they ſhould want no wiſedom, reaſon, ſtrength, power, patience, labour, quickenes nor ſwiftenes. The face of man ſignifieth witte and wiſedom, as alſo the eyes ſignifie a foreſighte, watchefulnes, ſubtilties, and luckenes in doynge of thinges. The Lions face betokeneth force and ſtrength, and ſtoutenes or magnanimitie: As the ſighte of an oxe or a calfe betokeneth induring of labour: The Egle & the ſixe winges ſwiftnes. As for an example: God choſe vntounto him the Aſſirians or Babilonians, whiche ſhould diſtroye Niniue. Theſe therfore, as it is in Nahum, the lord prepared and furniſſhed, that they were ſwifter than Egles, and the reſte as you may reade in the 1. and .2. Chapt. of Nahum. And ſo be al creatures miniſters of the iudgemēts of God, cōming out of his iudiciall Throne.
What the beaſtes do.Than it is touched alſo, what thoſe beaſtes doe. They goe aboute the Throne, awaytynge alwayes for God his commaundement, that they may applie the ſame cherefully, ſpedely, and ſtoutely. Neither hauehave they any reſte (marke howe he ſaieth, hauehave, not ſhal hauehave, or hauehave had, but hauehave) any reſt: that is to witte, they be in cōtinewall doynges of God. But heare may we not vnderſtāde, that they be greued with any painefulnes. And alſo thei honour god with cōtinual praiſe. Aretas: it ſignifieth, ſayeth he, no laboriouſe thing. And they hauehave no reſt, but a continuall Tenure, aboute the ſingyng of godly prayſes, &c.
The ſonge of the beaſtes, & what we muſte learne therof.Finally here is ſet alſo the fourme of the himne and praiſe of al creatures. In olde time Dauid ſonge alſo: prayſe ye him Sunne and Moone, &c. The ſame himne is ſet in the 6. of Eſaye. And what do all creatures commende in God, whoſe ſeruice God vſeth, and whoſe force and operation they fele? chiefly holines. Theſe thinges do chiefly concerne the ſome of the matter. For they teache God to be holy, vnſpotted, iuſte, good, omnipotent, doyng althinges, eternal, the beginning of thinges, and preſeruer. For they ſaie, holy lord God omnipotent, whiche was, &c. Whiche wordes verely we did expounde in the firſt chapt. Who woulde not gather therof, the workes and iudgementes of him to be moſt holy & iuſte? who therefore ſhall hereafter reproue the iudgementes and workes of the Lorde? Iuſte is the Lorde in al his wayes, and holy in al his workes. This Teſtimony of all creatures maketh vsus willing, ready, chereful and careleſſe, that we ſhould willyngly quiet our ſelues in the iudgementes of God, and murmure at him in nothing, whīe he ſhould do this or that? But wholy ſubmitte our ſelues vntounto God, beleuing all his workes to be good, and to be done for the profit of the godly, and for the moſt iuſte puniſhment of the wicked. Holy is God the father, holy is God the ſonne, and holy is God the holy ghoſte, holy is one God in Trinitie, bleſſed for euermore. Holy are al his workes, and his wayes vndefiled. And we reade more rightly three times holy than niene times after the example of the complutenſian boke. For the fourmer lection the prophet Eſaye approueth. To God almightie be prayſe and glory.