A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 53
¶ The deſcription of the conflicte of Chriſte and the Church with the Dragon: the dragō is ouercome, the heauenly dwellers ſing prayſes. The .liij. Sermon.
ANd there was a great battell in heauē, Michaell & his Angels fought wt the dragon, & the dragō fought & his Angels, & preuailed not, nother was their place foūde any more in heauē. And the dragon that olde ſerpent called the deuil and Sathanas, was caſt out. Which deceaued all the world. And he was caſt into the Earth, & his Angels were caſt out with him alſo. And I hearde a lowde voice, which ſayed in Heauen: nowe is ſaluation and ſtrength and the kingdome become our Gods, & the power is Chriſtes: for he is caſte downe, which accuſed them before God daie & night. And thei ouercame him by the bloud of the Lambe, and by the worde of their teſtimony, and they loued not their liues vntounto the death. Therfore reioyce ye heauens, and ye that dwell therin. Wo vntounto the inhabiters of the earth, and the ſea: for the deuill is comen doune vntounto you, which hath great wrath, becauſe he knoweth, that he hath but a ſhort time.
Thapoſtle hath ſpoken of the partes of the notable fight & worthie battel: he hath ſpoken alſo of attēptes & pourpos of the dragō, which verely applieth al his coūſels to this intēt, that he may deuoure al godlines, that is, might diſtroy it vtterly: he hath ſhewed how he began to moue warre agaynſt the church, which fled into ye wildernes: & now as it were leauing the womā in the wildernes, he ſemeth to bring forth other ſoldiours, whiche geue battel to the dragon, & moſt valeauntly do impugne & alſo diſcōfit him & al his power. S. Iohn therfore deſcribeth the ſingular fight of one moſt excellent, to witte Michaell, which ouercame the Dragon: and deſcribeth the general fight annexed with yt particular. For he addeth, yt al the Angels of Michael fought agaynſt the dragon.
And firſt is heauē ſhewed to be the place of the fight or cō flicte. For in heauen, ſayeth he, was fought a great battaile.The place of conflict. And it is euidēt, yt Sathan was at the beginning of al things caſt out of heauē into the earth, and therfore that he moueth no warre in heauē, nor reiſeth any tumulte there. For heauē is a place of reſt & ioye, not of debate and contention. Therefore this muſt be attributed to the viſiō. For the lord hath in heauen by ſignes repreſented this battaile to be ſene, whiche in dede is fought in earth in the middes of the church.
But here is ſet forth an image of a notable fight, wherby is ſhewed what hath ben, & what is yet done in earth. I ſaied euen now, that this cōbat was in dede particular, but to hauehave a general fight annexed. For Michael fighteth whiche is as captaine of this warre: and Michaelles Angelles fight alſo:Who fight. which muſt be wel diſcerned, although that Michaell & his Angels make but one parte only. On the other ſide fighteth the dragō, as emperour of this warre, & his angels fight alſo. And theſe verely make non other partes, thā we hauehave heard before in the beginning of this chapt. That the partie of this fight were ye church & the deuil. Neuertheles leeſt the victory ſhould be attributed to the church, & not rather to Chriſt, the womā muſt now be omitted, and Michael brought in fighting. Whereupon there is in theſe thinges ſome difficultie: but it ſhal be eaſie enough for him, that will marke eueryevery thing in order.
Who is yt Michaell captaine of the warre againſt the Dragon.Firſt we muſt ſee, what that Michael is, & there is in dede no doubte, but that the Angel Michell appered in the viſion, with an Army of Angels fighting. And that on the contrary parte againſt thē fought the Dragon with an hoſte of deuils. But for aſmuch as we hearde in the beginning, yt theſe were tokens, they muſt nedes ſignifie & betoken other thinges. I ſuppoſe here therefore to be ſignified, Chriſt the head of his church, king & protectour, with his mēbres, Apoſtles, Martirs & faithful. Nother is it a rare thing, that Chriſt ſhould be figured to vsus by Angels: but is euen moſte accuſtomed, that Angelles are called the ambaſſadours of God, & the faithful ſeruaūtes of Ieſus Chriſt. Chriſt therfore head of the church & the faithfull membres of Chriſt, fight againſt the Dragon, yet after a diuerſe ſort. For chriſt ouercame him alone in the cōbat with out helpe of any creature, whileſt in temptations he diſcomfited him at the laſt, & alſo by diyng on the croſſe, & riſing agayne from the dead,How chriſt hath fought wt the dragō. he al to brake his head. This is the only, trewe & ſingular victory: wherby afterwardes are obteyned the victories of Chriſtes mēbres, goten of that general fight, wherein Chriſt fighteth not now only hande to hande with the Deuill, but all the membres of Chriſte at all times vnderunder Chriſt their Captayne fight againſt the Deuill, and in the vertue or victory of Chriſt, fight and ouercome: as we ſhal heare by and by in the ſonge of prayſe.
Why Michael is Chriſt.But for great and ſondry cauſes we affirme Chriſte to be figured and ſignified to vsus vnderunder the tipe of Michaell. We know by the ſcriptures as many of vsus as be learned, yt Michael, as alſo Gabriel, be the names of good Angels of god. Michael ſignifieth, who as God? And who I praye you is ſuch, as God, but in whome thexpreſſe Image of the fathers ſubſtaunce, & which is the Image inuiſible, and worde of the father from the beginnyng, I meane the very ſonne of God Ieſus Chriſt? Michael in the .10. & .12. chapt. of Daniel, is preſident, protectour & Patrone of the Iewiſh nation. And it is plaine, that the people of Iſrael had from the beginning non other tutour and patrone, but Meſſias him ſelfe, the bleſſed ſede. This appereth in the .7. of Eſaye, were we reade, that the lord ſpared the people of Iuda, and the princelicke Citie for Chriſt. In an other place he ſayeth moſte openly, I will defende that citie for my ſelfe, and for my ſeruaunt Dauid. And Dauid is called Chriſt, in the .34. of Ezechiel. Chriſt is therefore in very dede gouernour of his people, whiche neuertheleſſe in defendyng and deliueryng his, vſeth the miniſterie of Angelles: who alſo attribute nothing to themſelues, but all glory to God alone. Morouer that excellent victory, cā not with out offence of godlines be aſcribed to Michael the archangel. For ſo omitting our Meſſias Chriſt, we ſhould cō mende Angels being made & worthie to be called Angelical, rather than Chriſtians. In the lawe was written, the ſede of the womā ſhal breake the ſerpentes head. But the lord neuer toke the nature of an Angel, but the ſede of Abraham, and by ſinne hath condemned ſinne. There ſhal followe anone in the ſonge. Now is ſaluation and power, &c. And there is added: for the Deuil is caſt out. And this ſaluatiō hath Chriſt alone accompliſſhed, wherfore it is neceſſary, that Chriſt the conquerour of Sathan be ſignified by Michael.
And the Dragon fought hande to hande agaynſt the lord,The dragō & his Angels fight. not only matched with him in the deſerte, but alſo neuer ceaſed to tempte and aſſayle him, ſo longe as he liued here on earth: he ſtired vp alſo agaynſt him the Phariſeis & Princes of the people, kinges and the Romane gouernour, and ſo at the laſte brake the lordes heele. This was the greateſt fight of the Dragon. The ſame Dragon inſpireth now kinges and Princes, wicked Prieſtes and cruel men, his Angelles which maye warre vponupon the churche. And all theſe verely do perſecute and vexe the churche in the power of the red Dragon. Stories declare ye ſame to be done before Chriſtes time: the ſame teſtifie, and experiēce proueth, the like to be done from the aſcenſion of Chriſt into Heauen, vntounto this preſent daye, and vntounto the worldes ende.
Now is alſo declared with what lucke they foughtwith what lucke they ſought. on eyther ſide: to witte moſt luckely concernyng Chriſt, moſt vnluckely as touchyng the Deuill or red Dragon. And in this fight, as alſo in the ſonge immediately following, is cōteined the whole fruicte of this diſputatiō. For herof al godly may learne that Sathan our enemie is vnarmed: and that Chriſt in this conflict is on our ſyde, as our Emperour & captayne at all tymes, by whome all the godly maie eaſely in all conflictes ouercome. Therfore this matter of battel and victory is ſet by and by after the beginning of the moſte daūgerouſe battaile wyth Antichriſte, and Antichriſtians, whych are the broode or tailes, and ſcales of the ſerpent, and champions of the Dragon, for a comfort and conſolation. And the naturall order is here altered, which treateth nothyng of the ſucceſſe of the battaile, til he hath ſet forth al the conflicte before. But this battaile ſhall be continewed hereafter in the reſte of the 12. and all the .13. chapter.
Chriſt ouer commeth, and chriſtianes ouercome alſo.He declareth at thre wordes, firſt the victorie of Chryſte, ſecondly of al chriſtians. The firſt is foreign, they preuayled not, they had no ſtrength. Doubtles the force of the deuyll is greate if God permitte, and clerely greateſt, in conſideration of the iuſte iudgement of God, as alſo appeareth in Iob, that he is able to ſlake & breake the ſtrongeſt thinges. But the Lorde ſayth in the goſpel.Ihon .14 Math. 16 The Prince of this world came, and againſt me he hath nothing. Again in the goſpel: The gates of Hell ſhall not preuayle againg her, the rocke I meane, and ſecondly againſte the church. Although therfore the Deuyl make an horrible vprore, and cruelly rage againſt Chriſt and his church, yet is he without force. For the vertue of Chriſte preuayleth.
The ſeconde parte is, nother was theyr place any more founde in heauen, which maner of ſpeach ſignifieth no other thing, than that the reprobate Angell is put from al dignitie, glory & power: moreouer that he hath no more any place in the church, or emonges the electe of God: not that the deuil ſhould not retourne, or ſhould not tempte, or renewe warre, but becauſe he hath no place parmanent. Herunto apperteyneth that the Lord ſo ofte repeateth in the Goſpel, and now the Prince of this worlde is caſte oute, in the .12.14. and .16. chapters of Sainct Ihon. Moreouer, by other places of the Scripture it is manifeſte, that the Deuyll is ſhut out of heauen. And it ſhall be eaſie for vsus to ſhutte him oute, which being caſt out by the ſonne of God, hath no place in vsus, vnleſſe we our ſelues geue place to him. Which we ſhoulde not do, the Lord admoniſheth vsus dilligently, that we ſhould watch. The ſtory is knowen in the .12. of Matth. of the Deuill, pourpoſing to retourne, and therfore toke vntounto him ſeuen worſe ſpirites. But wherefore doeſt thou heare him, whie doeſt thou obeye him, whome thou ſeeſt ſhut out of Heauen? Notwithſtanding that herby is ſignified alſo, that the Deuil was ſo fully vanquiſhed of Chriſt, that he was alſo driuen to forſake the place of the battayle.
For the thirde membre,Sathan caſt downe to ye earth. as it were expoundyng the ſeconde addeth: and he was caſte to the Earth. For they that are throwen to the groūde, are iudged to be ouercome. Therfore a full victory and perfit conqueſte is ſignified. Howbeit he was ones moſt valeauntly throwen to the Earth. Of our lord Ieſus Chriſt, in the miſterie of our redemption, and in the vertue of the ſame is dayly caſt to the Earth, of the faithfull. And like as the Deuill hath no place permanent in heauen nor in the choſen: ſo verely doeth he inhabite all earthly, that is to ſaye menne ſauouring the earth, and contemnyng heauenly thinges. Yea and we heare that his Angels are caſt out with him. For the Lord in the goſpel of S. Iohn the .16. chapt. ſayeth: In the world you hauehave afflictiō: but be of good there, I hauehave ouercome the worlde. And S. Iohn in his Canonical epiſtle: you are of God little children, ſayeth he,1. Iohn .4. 2. Iohn .5. and you hauehave ouercome them: for he is greater that is in you, thā he is that is in the worlde. And this is the victory that ouercame the world, euen your fayth.
And by the waye he expoundeth,The nature of the deuil is figured by certen wordes. what we ſhoulde vnderſtande by the dragon, of whō he hath ſpoken hitherto, to wit the olde enemie of man kinde. He ſetteth him foorth with his titles, attributinge to him foure names, that hereby alſo we may vnderſtande his nature the better, and maye beware of that wicked murtherer. Firſte he calleth him the olde Serpent. For at the beginnyng by the Serpent he infected with the poyſon of death and ſinne our firſt Parentes, and by thē the whole vniuerſal world: as is to be ſene in the .3. of Geneſ. and the .5. to the Romains. Therfore I ſayed in the beginning of this chapt. that he is called a Dragon. After he calleth him the Deuill, that is to ſaye a ſclaunderer, or a falſe accuſer. For by and by it followeth, which may expoūde this word, for the accuſer of our bretherne is caſte out, &c. A goodly exā ple of this thing is declared in the .1. and .2. chapt. of Iob. foreign ſignifieth to accuſe or blame, and foreign is an accuſation, and foreign a crime or complaincte.
Thirdly he calleth him Sathanas, in the Hebrewe word, to witte an aduerſarie, for that he is in al things againſt god, and obiecteth him ſelfe and reſiſteth men in holy matters, yf happely he might hinder or corrupte them. Laſte he is called foreign ſeducer, diſceauer, or he that ſupplāteth and betrayeth the whole world. For this the Lord attributeth to him in the .8. of Iohn, for that he hath ben a lier from the beginning, and is the father, that is the foūtaine and original of al liyng, diſceipte, of errours and ſeducyng, and of al euill. For all errours and hereſies, al deceiptes, and all leaſinges, finally all kinde of euils, hauehave flowed out of this moſt filthy welſpring And who is he that heareth theſe thinges, which wil not abhorre that vile beaſt? they muſt nedes be ſtarke madde, that ſeke by al meanes to be in fauour with that wicked ſpirite.
He ſhould now here conſequently annexe the reſidewe of this fight, to witte how the Dragon perſecuteth & aſſaulteth the woman, and ſhe agayne by fliyng reſiſteth, and ouercometh through Chriſt. But he ſuſpendeth the ſame narration yet a little while,A ſonge of victory. & placeth now a ſonge of victory, and triū phe of ſainctes in heauen, of the Angelles and bleſſed ſoules. The ſome wherof is, that Chriſt hath ouercomen, & that the faithful do ouercome in Chriſt: and therfore muſte heauens themſelues, and al that dwel therin, reioyce and ſinge. And I repete that theſe things are interlaſed in the daūgerous Antichriſtian and Romiſh ſight, for a cōſolation, leeſt the ſaincts ſhould in thoſe great daungers by reaſon of their natural infirmitie be diſcouraged: but callyng vpō the name of Chriſt, ſhould fight manfully, when they vnderſtande vnderunder whoſe banner they fight, and with whome they fight: verely wyth one ouercomen vnderunder Chriſtes ſtādart. And when we heare that the Dragons force is broken, we ſhal thinke that the furies of eyther beaſt, aſwell the ten horned as the two horned, are weakened in the faith of chriſt. This geueth alſo no ſmal courage in this conflicte, that we ſee that the Dragon hath no power ouer them that are ſprinkled and purified with the bloud of Chriſt, but ouer earthly and worldly men. And this triumphe is heauenly. For voices are hearde out of heauen, ſingyng a mery note, to the intent that the reioycing of the bleſſed ſpirites might hauehave more authoritie, grace, and efficacitie emonges the pore afflicted.
Thei al with one voice ſinge merely, that ſaluatiō & power is now made perfit, for by the Lordes death and reſurrectiō,Perfit ſaluation by Chriſt. God hath wrought power, and made perfit the ſaluatiō promiſed to the fathers, to witte whileſt he trode downe the ſerpentes head, aboliſſhed ſinne & death, and reſtored life. Thus is the kingedome of God in this worlde eſtabliſſhed in the electe, whileſt euen by the power of Chriſt the Prince of this worlde is caſte out and ouercome. For the cauſe followeth, wherfore we muſt ſo reioyce, and what vertue and power of Chriſt hath ſhewed it ſelfe, or howe ſaluation is made perfit: becauſe, ſayeth he, through Chriſt, the Deuill is caſt downe, that is to ſaye ouercome and vāquiſſhed, that he can no more accuſe mankinde before the iudgement ſeate of God. Hereunto belongeth that S. Paule wrote.Rom. 8. Who ſhall accuſe the electe of God? It is God that iuſtifieth, who is he that condemneth? It is Chriſt, whiche died, yea whiche roſe agayne, which is alſo on the right hande of God which maketh interceſſion for vsus.
Moreouer the heauenly dwellers do not only preach the victory of Chriſt, but of all the faythfull,Chriſt hath made alſo ye faithfull victours. which they obteyne agaynſt Sathan in the fayth of Ieſu Chriſt: that it maye herof at the leeſt appere, what we ſhould vnderſtande before by Michael, and by his Angelles. And he beateth in dilligently, that Chriſtians ouercome not Sathan by their owne merites, force, or ſtrēgth, but by the merite and grace of Chriſte. And they ſayeth he, to witte the Angelles of Michael, ouercame the Dragon by the bloud of the Lambe. For in aſmuch as the faythful are purified by the bloud of Chriſte, Sathan hath nothing againſt them: but ſins they hauehave the ſpirite and fayth of Chriſt, they ouercome the Deuill alſo. So in times paſte the diſtroyer had no power ouer thoſe houſes, whiche were marked with the bloud of the Lambe: Exod. 12. And he addeth an other thinge, for the which the faithful ouercame: for the worde of the teſtimony of Chriſt, which is the goſpel. Which becauſe it is inuincible & eternal, they ouercome all thinges of this worlde, who ſo euer abide in the liuely and eternal word of the veritie. And euen in the goſpel moſt trewe the lorde himſelfe hath promiſed that he wil not forſake his, and wil fight for thē. Therfore muſt the faithful nedes ouercome. To theſe thinges is added more the effecte of Chriſtes purifiyng. They loued not their life more than Chriſte: and therfore hauehave thei geuen it for Chriſt vntounto death, and ſo hauehave ouercomen. For many are vanquiſſhed by this one thing, that they wil not haſarde their life for Chriſt.
For theſe great benefites of God they exhorte nowe heauens themſelues, and all the inhabiters of Heauen, that is to ſaye they exhorte one an other, to ſinge a ioyeful ſonge. And that which the heauēly ſainctes ſaye they do here, they teach the ſainctes in Earth to doe alſo, and inſtructe, of what maner and ſorte they ought to be, which ſhal ouercome Sathan in battaile, to witte purified by the bloud of Chriſt, cleauing to the teſtimonie of Ieſu Chriſte, and contemners of their own life, to whom it ſemeth not greuouſe to dye for Chriſtes ſake.
In whome the Deu…ll hath place.Finally aboute the ſonges ende they declare, in whome the Deuill ſhal raigne and take place: to witte in earthly and fleſhely menne: who verely mocke at godly thinges, and only ſet by theſe worldly thinges, and ſuche as ſhall periſſhe: for the getting and keping whereof, they will not ſticke to doe any thing be it neuer ſo harde, where for Chriſtes cauſe they will abide to do or ſuffer nothing. VntoUnto theſe they denounce an horrible wo, to wit the curſe of this preſent and of the life to come.
But in whome the Deuill poſſeſſeth his kingdome, in the ſame alſo he vttereth his mallice againſt the elect, & that his great mallice. For he rageth moſt cruelly againſt the godly, and againſt godlines. He rageth alſo moſt extremely againſt thoſe his worſhippers, whom he polluteth with all kinde of filthines, and with al ſhame and reproche defileth.
Agayne I ſuppoſe that ſame to apperteyne to the comfort of the godly, that is ſpoken of a ſhorte time. For Sathan in dede through Antichriſt ſhall moſte cruelly rage agaynſt the church, but thoſe dayes ſhalbe ſhortened for the electes ſake. By the way is noted alſo the wicked nature of ſathā, which knowing that the laſt iudgemēt is at hande, wherin he muſt be throwen headlong into hell, thinketh to requite & recompence the ſhortnes of time with the crueltie of his wrath and deueliſh furie.
And hitherto of the victory of Chriſt and his Sainctes: nowe followe with leſſe terrour, yet horrible thinges of the warre, which the dragon moſte gredely and fierſely moueth againſt the Matrone of God. The lord Ieſus bryng him in ſubiection vnderunder our fete. Amen. Amen.