A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 63
¶ The Aungel preacheth the eternall goſpel of Chriſte. The .lxiij. Sermon.
ANd I ſawe an Aūgell fliyng in the middes of heauē, hauing an euerlaſtyng Goſpell to preache vntounto them that ſit & dwel on the earth, and to all nations, kinredes and tunges & people, ſaiyng with a lowde voice: feare God, and geue honour to him, for the houre of his Iudgement is come: and worſhippe him that made heauen and earth, and the See and the fountaines of water.
Antichriſt deſireth nothing ſo much to be oppreſſed, as the preaching of the Goſpell. For euen therfore hath he inſtituted the inquiſitours of hereticall prauitie for h… dare calle the Goſpel hereſie. Therfore he burneth the Goſpel bokes, and preachers of the goſpel, and eueryevery where reſtreyneth the readyng of the goſpel, and Euangelical bokes. Wherefore the ſimple ſuppoſe, that it can not be but that goſpel with all his adherentes ſhould periſh vtterly. Now therfore in the lordes conſolation is brought in a viſion of an Angel (for he is ſtil in the viſion) fliyng in the middes of heauen, hauing the euerlaſting goſpel, and preachyng to the world. Whereby is ſignified, that the goſpell ſhal be preached vntounto men, in deſpite of al the enemies therof. And he gathereth a briefe ſome of ſuch thinges as by the goſpell are preached to the worlde. Thoſe ſame appertaine alſo to the cōforte of the church, whiche vnderunder the olde beaſte ſuffered perſecutions for the Goſpel. We will briefly conſider eueryevery thing.
The angel is a figure of the preachers.Firſte it is euident euen by the fourmer thinges, that by thangel is ſignified the miniſters of the worde, and the very miniſterie of the goſpel. Certes ye ſcripture calleth preachers Angelles. For ſo is S. Iohn Baptiſte named of the prophet Malachie. Wherof is ſpokē before. And the miniſters by this honourable title are admoniſhed, of puretie, & of moſt ſincere faith. For Angels be gods miniſters: whō thei only regarde, louelove, and honour: whoſe cōmaundemētes thei execute moſt faithfully, ſincerely, and dilligētly. Such it beſemeth preachers to be in their kinde and office. And like as Angels cannot be hurte through the treaſons and iniuries of men: ſo God defendeth his miniſters, vntill the houre appointed. So is Peter deliuered out of priſon, in the .12. of thactes. So is Paul in Shippewreake, &c. And he ſayeth an other Angell, for that he hath brought in already ſondry viſiōs of diuerſe Angels. Notwithſtanding that, other, ſemeth to be put for the firſte. For he annexeth to this yet two angels moe. The firſt wherof he calleth an other, the later the thirde.
He flieth through ye middes of Heauen.And this Angell flieth in the middes of heauen. By this thinge is ſignified the lucky courſe and procedyng of the preachyng of the goſpell. It is alſo written in the prophetes, his worde runneth ſwiftely. Pſalm .19. Dauid compareth the runnyng of the preachyng of the goſpell, to the courſe of the ſunne, ioyefull as a giaunt he runneth his waye: i… the vttermoſt parte of heauens he arriſeth, and runneth againe to the ſame, neyther can any man ſtoppe him, nor hide him ſelf frō the heate thereof. The ſunne ſhineth in all places. Therefore ſhal the preaching be free. For as we cā nother plucke backe nor hinder, the thinges that are aboue vsus in thayre & ſkie: ſo ſhall we nother plucke downe, nor hinder him that flieth in the middes of heauen. The wordes and writinges flie, they flie farre & wide where. Nother can the veritie be oppreſſed. God hath geuen to the world Printyng, wherby the goſpel is preached and runneth farre, wide, and moſt ſwiftely.
And this Angell hath the euerlaſtyng goſpell.The goſpell euerlaſting. Wherin is the greateſt cōforte. For it ſignifieth, that the veritie ſhal be in the world inuincible. And for many cauſes is the Goſpell called euerlaſtyng. Firſte, becauſe the veritie is immortall, which can not be bounden, how ſo euer the miniſters are fettered & ſlayne .2. Timoth. 2. ſecondely the goſpel is eternal, for bicauſe it was ſhewed to our firſte fathers, prophecied in the lawe & prophetes, fulfilled of Chriſt, declared by thapoſtles, & by the grace of God brought vntounto vsus. Yea & before al times was predeſtinated. Reade the .1. to the Epheſ. For euē for this cauſe is it called euerlaſting, for aſmuch as it apperteineth to vsus & to our poſteritie vntounto the worldes ende, and not only to our elders. And becauſe it is euerlaſtyng, they lie whiche at this daye calle it a newe doctrine or learnyng. Papiſtrie is newe, whiche hath his originall, what time eueryevery thing was ordeyned. &c. Moreouer the Apoſtle ſayeth: yf I or an Angel from heauē ſhal preach any other goſpell, or beſides the ſame that ye hauehave receyued, let him be accurſed.
And we heare expreſſely, that the Aungel had not only the Goſpell, but that he had preached the goſpell.The angel preacheth. Many in dede hauehave the goſpel, but dumme, and written in bokes. The goſpel muſt be ſhewed forth and pronounced. He declareth alſo vntounto whom the goſpel muſt be vttered and preached: to the inhabiters of the earth: for it muſt be cried out to ſuch as are drowned in earthly matters, and they muſte be reyſed out of their ſlepe. And after his maner and imitation of bleſſed Daniel in the .7. chapt. He rekeneth vp nations, kinredes, tunges, and people: and thus ſignifieth that the goſpell ſhal be preached …ough out the whole worlde. Whiche thing the lord ſayde alſo ſhould come to paſſe in the .24. of Matth. and than that the ende ſhould come. And we ſee at this daye, that the goſpel hath in a maner thondered through out the whole world. And here I geue warning leeſte any diſceaue him ſelf. Thapoſtle in the .1. Timoth. 3. and .1. Coloſs. yt the goſpell was preached through out the whole world in his time. Howbeit al men had not than receyued it, but a fewe. Do not therfore Imagine with thy ſelfe, that the Goſpel is not preached, vnleſſe al receyue it.There ſhal no more be made one ſheperde & one ſhepefolde. They are abuſed, that promiſe to thēſelues before the iudgement a concorde of all nations, for that it is writtē, that there ſhould be ons one ſheperde, and one ſhepefolde. For the ſame was accōpliſſhed, whileſt of the Iewiſſhe Synagoge and diſperſion of the gentiles, the lord prepared to him ſelfe one church, wherof Chriſt is head, and paſtour, and Antichriſt ſhal at the length by his laſte comyng be aboliſhed. Therfore ſhall he alwayes reſiſte Chriſte.
He preacheth with a lowde voice.Furthermore where he ſeeth & heareth this Angell preach the goſpel with a lowde voice, he meaneth that the preachers ſhall with great conſtancie and frankenes, alſo with ſhrylle voices and moſt erneſtenes preach the goſpell agaynſt Antichriſt. And we ſee at this daye, that the more cruelly the faithful are greued and oppreſſed, the more feruently and lowder they crie, and that alſo they be called clamorouſe criers.
What the Aungell preacheth.Moreouer he compriſeth in a briefe ſome, what thinges are to be ſet forth in the preaching of the goſpel, chiefly in the laſte times. Firſt he ſayeth: feare God. The feare of God is the beginning of wiſedome: therfore not to feare God, is the beginnyng of fooliſhenes,The feare of God. & of al errours. The feare of God, hath nothing comon with the feare of the world. The godly man is not affrayed of God, as a gilty ſeruaunt feareth his maiſter, and that more punniſſhment, than his maiſter, whō he hateth rather. For the feare of God hath the reuerēce and louelove of God. It attributeth to God the ſupreme Maieſtie, imbraceth faith, and hath a faithful care, wherby it awayteth vponupon God, worſhippeth, prayſeth, and profeſſeth the ſame. Doubtles becauſe we more feare men, than God, we feare more the Pope, and the mallice and hatred of him and his, therefore do we not execute iuſtice vprightly, nor profeſſe the trewth frankely, nother yet ſet forth the goſpel. But the lord in the Goſpel ſayeth: feare ye not them, which maye kill the body & hauehave no power ouer the ſoule: rather feare ye him, which condemneth both body & ſoule to hell fire. Certes the feare of God is not only the beginnyng, but alſo the bonde of al vertue. Hereafter we ſhall heare that the feareful ſhal be caſte into hel, with the beaſte & with the falſe prophet. Therfore let God be our feare, like as Eſaye teacheth in the .8. cha. Let vsus feare God for our ſinnes committed. Here fewe are affraide: but many are affraide to ſpeake the trueth, to mainteyne godlines, and to rebuke wickednes.
Secondely the preachyng of the Goſpell comprehendeth the honour of God. For he ſayeth: and geue him honour.the honour of God. And thou doeſt not ſeperate the ſonne from the father. For he in the .5. of Iohn ſayeth thus: the father hath geuē al iudgement to the ſonne, that al ſhuld honour the ſonne, as thei honour the father. He that honoureth not the ſonne, honoureth not the father, which ſent him. And in very dede the father cā not be honoured, but by ye ſonne. For we honour him, when we beleue him to be true, & receyue Chriſt the ſonne of God, as the only rightuouſnes & perfection of al faithful. By faith therfore chiefly we honour God, than reuerēcyng him only by faithful obedience, & walking in his commaundementes. S. Iohn in his Canonic. he that beleueth not the ſonne, ſayeth he, maketh God a liar (ſee howe ye maye highly diſhonour God) which beleueth not the teſtimony which God hath teſtified of his ſonne. And this is the teſtimony, that God hath geuē to vsus eternal life: & this life is in his ſonne. He that hath the ſonne, hath life: he that hath not the ſonne, hath not life. We are therefore, forbidden, els where, than in Chriſt alone, to ſeke life & al goodnes. But the papiſtes honour the Pope, and his cōſtitutions, his Sainctes alſo, and honour not God alone. They in graue in theyr cuppes, Soli deo gloria: to God alone be glory: but yet in the meane ſeaſon thei perſecute thē, whiche will not aſcribe the glory dewe to God alone vntounto their foliſh trifles. But the Goſpell wil crie out, that to God alone al glory is dewe.
Hereunto is added a ſpurre,The iudgemēt of the ſonne of God. whiche maye pricke them to feare & glorifie God: for the houre of his iudgement is come. The Goſpel therefore in the latter dayes ſhal beate into men the laſt iudgement. This hath a wonderful effecte to obteine of men amendement of life. And it is pourpoſely ſayed, it is come: and not, the houre of his iudgement ſhal come. For ſo is the certentie of his iudgement expreſſed, and we are warned, to loke for that ſame daye eueryevery moment. The Apoſtle vſed the ſame argument in the .17. chapt. of the Actes to them of Athens, and to the Corinth. the .2. Epiſt. 5. chapt. Lette vsus remembre, O bretherne, that ſtrayte iudgement: let vsus amende our faith and maners, and al thinges that agree not with the goſpell. For certenly we ſhal die, certenly we ſhal be iudged. But then, when we ſhal promiſe our ſelues peace, ſhall come ſodayne deſtruction. Watche.
To worſhip God.Finally the Goſpell teacheth to worſhippe God alone. Than doe not the faithfull worſhippe Idolles, to whome ſo euer they be erected. They worſhip not the Pope ouerwhelmed with wickedneſſe: much leſſe doe they kiſſe, and by kiſſinge worſhippe his vngraciouſe and ſtinkyng fete. They worſhippe not the God Mauzim of the wafer makers,Daniel. 11. the God in the boxe, which is worſhipped in palaces & churches as ſhutte vp in the pixe. They worſhippe not Sainctes: but God alone. Therefore lifte vp your hartes vntounto heauen and worſhippe. We hauehave here in Earth wōderful workes, which maie moue vsus to worſhippe this God alone. He is maker of heauen and Earth, and of the See. Who is greater? who is mightier? Therefore worſhippe him, the trewe God? Matth. 4. He annexeth here fountaynes of water, for that the miracle and benefite of waters is greate. For if we conſider the originall ſprynge, ſubſtaunce, pleaſauntenes and commoditie of fountaynes we ſhal be compelled to wonder. God be prayſed.