A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 66
¶ The Iudgement of the Lorde is deſcribed vnderunder the paraboles of harueſt and vintage. The .lxvi. Sermon.
ANd I loked, and beholde, a white clowde, and vponupon the clowde one ſittyng, like vntounto the Sonne of man, hauing on his head a golden crowne, and in his hande a ſharpe ſickle. And an other Aungell came out of the Temple, criyng with a lowde voyce to him that ſat on the clowde. Thruſte in the ſickle and reape, for the corne of the Earth is ripe. And he that ſate on the clowde thruſte in his ſickle on the Earth, and the Earth was reaped. And an other Aungell came out of the Temple, whiche is in Heauen, hauyng alſo a ſharpe ſickle. And an other Angell came out from the Aultar, whiche had power ouer fire, and cried with a lowde voyce vntounto him that had the ſharpe ſickle, and ſayde: thruſte in thy ſharpe ſickle, and gather the cluſters of the Earth, for hyr grapes are rype. And the Angell thruſte in his ſickle on the earth, and cutte downe the grapes of the vineyarde of the Earth, and caſte them into the greate wine fatte of the wrath of God: and the wine fat was troden without the citie. And the bloud came out of the fatte, euē vntounto the horſe bridelles, by the ſpace of a thouſande and ſixe hondreth furlonges.
The vengeaunce of god agaīſt ye Antichriſtians.Now goeth he to ye deſcription of gods iudgement, eſpecially agaynſt the Antichriſtians, and agaynſt al the vngodly. This parte might be ioyned with the matter followyng, and chapters followyng, as that which is of the ſame argument. And it apperteyneth to the conſolation and confirmation of the faithfull, perſecuted of Antichriſt. There be that thinke, how there ſhal neuer be any iudgement. Howe ſo euer therefore thei oppreſſe their neighbours, they thinke neuer to fele any diſpleaſure of that matter. Moreouer the faythfull are tēpted alſo, whileſt they ſee the wicked floriſh, and thēſelues to wither dayly. Therefore they thinke alſo that the lorde carieth ouerlong. Ye more they expoſtulate with the lorde, and ſaye: whā ſhal there be an ende of iniuries? if Chriſt wil come to iudgement, whie doeth he differ it ſo longe, and to ſo great moleſtyng of his? The lord therefore ſheweth nowe, that the iudgement ſhal certenly be: and ſhall be than, what time all thinges ſhal be ripe: to witte whē the iniquities of the Amorrheans ſhall be complete, and the meaſure of iniquitie filled. When wicked menne therefore are waxed ripe, the Lord will come to iudge. In the meane time we muſte abide in cōſtancie and patience. As huſbande men tary for harueſt and vintage. If any through impatiencie reuolte, he is not allowed of the Lorde: as the Apoſtle alledgeth out of the Prophete in the .10. chapt. to the Hebrewes. And as we maye hauehave a deſire and a longyng after harueſt and vintage, ſo maye we not expoſtulate with God, becauſe he tarieth longer thā our wiſhe is: likewiſe we ought not to contende with the ſame, whie he cometh ſo late vntounto iudgement. And like as harueſt and vintage are certenly loked for, and come, ſo without all doubte God will punniſh the wicked, and ſaue the godly. And theſe are verely as it were taſtes of all that followe plentifully and are more expreſſely declared: and are annexed to the fourmer matters, for that they apperteyne to the conſolation of the godly.
And to the intent al thinges might be more manifeſte, by parables brought in, be ſetteth forth al thinges to be ſene before our eyes. And he vſeth in dede two parables borrowed out of the Prophetes and doctrine of the Goſpell. For the prophetes ful oft do figure the iudgemēt of God by harueſt and vintage. Certes in the .3. of Ioel the lorde ſayeth: I will ſitte in the vale of Ioſaphat to iudge al natiōs. Thruſte in the ſickle, for harueſt is ripe, &c. And it is alſo moſt knowē, what is red touchyng the ſame matter in the ſtory of the Goſpell. We muſte therefore wryte out theſe thinges more inwardely into our hartes, and feare God, and abide his redemption in patience.
Firſt is treated the parable of harueſt, than the parable of vintage:Harueſt. bothe two ſhewe that the Lord wil be iudge and that in his moſte dewe time, agaynſte all thoſe, whiche eyther thinke there ſhall be no iudgemente, or expoſtulate with the Lorde that he commeth ſo ſlowely and late, &c. And firſte in dede is deſcribed the owner of the harueſt, the Lord him ſelfe and iudge Ieſus Chriſt. He is ſayde to be like vntounto the ſonne of manne: not for that he is not now the very ſonne of man, and for that he ſhall not come vntounto iudgement in the very humane nature, whiche he hath ones taken of vsus, and neuer put it of (for he is verely the ſonne of manne,The deſcription of ye Iudge Ieſus chriſt. and remayneth on the right hande of the father: and ſhall verely come in the humane nature to iudge the quicke and the dead) but he ſemeth to hauehave alluded to Daniel, & to hauehave expreſſed his phraſe of ſpeach, ſaiyng: I loked in the mightly viſion, and lo, there came one in the clowdes as it were the ſonne of manne, &c. Where we reade alſo the deſcription of the iudgemente agaynſt the beaſte. And therefore he hath here made mention alſo of a clowde: and I ſawe a white clowde, and one ſitting on the clowde, &c. Moreouer the Aungelles in the actes ſaie, ſo he ſhal come, as ye hauehave ſene him goe vp into heauen. And they ſawe him taken vp, and a clowde to receyue him, and conueye hym out of theyr ſight. Therefore ſhall he come agayne in a clowde vntounto iudgement. We reade oftentimes in the Pſalmes, that God ſitteth on a white clowde. By the waye therefore is ſignified the deitie of the iudge. Therefore is this iudge very God and very manne, the Sauiour of the faythful, the reuenger and iudge of the infideles. We are ſent therefore by S. Iohn to the .7. chapt. of Daniel.
A golden crowne on his head.Then he weareth a Golden crowne on his head: not that there is any corruptible golde in Heauen, but for corruptible men ſo he ſpeaketh, that they maye vnderſtande their iudge to be the hygh kynge: and maye gather thereof, that no man is able to reſiſte the power of this kyng. For otherwiſe our Lord hath no nede of any corruptible golde.A ſharpe ſickle. Finally our lord here hath a ſickle, and that right ſharpe. Wherby is ſignified his iudgement excedyng ſtrayte, and diſtruction of the wicked. In the .3. of Matth. The iudgemente of the Lord is cōpared to a fanne, of bleſſed Iohn. He addeth, that the axe is layde at the roote of the tree: wherby he ſignified that certaine iudgement was at hande or rather deſtruction.
Corne ripe to ye ſickle.Now followeth an expoſitiō of the proceding of the iudgement, & he perſeuereth in the parable. For he ſpeaketh as if a ſeruaunt retournyng home out of the feldes, did ſhewe vntounto his Maiſter whiche loked for the houre of harueſt, that the Corne was now ripe (the hardenes of the grayne is a token of rypenes) and that it is time to be reaped. For els it is no nede to admoniſh him yt knoweth al thing of any thing, that he remēbreth not: much leſſe of the howre of iudgemēt which none of thaungels knoweth, but the father alone. Therefore we aſcribe this wholy to the parable: and we vnderſtād that a certen houre of iudgemente is appoincted, whiche when it ſhal come, the godly with out delaye ſhall be deliuered, & the vngodly condemned. An other Angel, ſayeth he, came forth. For before we hearde how diuerſe came forth. This crieth wt a lowde voice, as one that wil tel of a matter moſt greate and certayne, & to be declared in the church with excedyng great out cries, to the cōforte of the faithfull, which ought nothing to doubt of the iudgemēt, & to the terrour of ye wicked, which ſeme to contēne the ſame. And this criyng angel cometh out of the tēple. For we hearde before, that S. Iohn ſawe a temple in heauen. And where the crier of the iudgement cometh out of the temple, it ſignifieth, that no vnrightuouſnes of ye iudge is here to be imagined. For the temple is cōſecrated to holines & rightuouſenes, and is called the houſe of God. Iuſtely therfore he iudgeth, & in iuſte time he iudgeth, & iuſtely executeth al things. Thangel biddeth ye iudge do that thing, which he of himſelf was aboute to do. Thruſt in the ſickle, ſaieth he, and reape. Two cauſes are alleaged. Firſte, for the howre is come, that thou ſhuldeſt reape. Therfore a certeine howre of iudgemēt is appointed, which when it cometh, the iudgemēt ſhalbe moſt certenly. And it is commen for thee, ſaieth he, for all iudgimēt is geuen to the ſonne. Than, for the corne of the earth is ripe. As though he ſhulde ſay: the iniquitie of earthly men is growen vp to the higheſt, therfore is it reaſon that it ſhulde be cut downe. And God alone knoweth, when the iniquitie of the Earth is fulfilled, &c.❀ A moſte quicke iudgement. But when it ſhal come thereunto, there ſhall nede no great preparation, deciding or pondering of cauſes. At one word he finiſheth the iudgemēt, and the execution of the ſame, and as it were ſwalloweth vp and deuoureth the whole earth in a momēt, ſaieng: herewith he thruſt in his ſickle, which ſate vponupon the clowde, on ye earth, and the earth was reaped. The reſt of the things which ſeme to belong here vntounto, take out of the .13. chapt. of Math. And that which he hath ſaied hitherto, he repeteth, and beateth in by an other parable. For bi this he ſhadoweth ye ſame, which the other parable did commend. That plentie maketh for the playner euidence, and beateth in moſt dilligently the certentie and veritie of the iudgement, leeſt herin we ſhulde doubte anything, and wauer with the vnfaithful world. The parable is takē of vintage. The ſame is vſed very oft of the prophets, ſpeaking of the deſtruction of any nation. And the Lord alſo in the goſpel compareth his people to a vyne. And the Angel holdeth in his hand a ſharpe ſickle. He repreſenteth a fygure of Chriſt, which hath al power of iudgement alone. A ſharpe ſickle, is the ſtraight iudgement, as was ſpoken of the ſickle before. This Angell cometh oute of the temple alſo, to witte a iudge moſte rightuouſe. VntoUnto him crieth an other Angell, which had power ouer fyer, which cometh out from the Aulter. For before we heard, that ther is an aulter in the temple, and that vnderunder this Aulter do reſte the ſoules of the bleſſed Martirs. Here therefore is fygured,Vēgeance vpō the vngodly. that God doth nowe remembre the bludſhed of his ſeruauntes, which for the profeſſion of the onelyonly Aulter (that is Chriſt the prieſt & onelyonly ſacrifice) were ſlaine, and nowe to procede to take vengeaūce,The angel hauing power ouer fyer. hytherto long delayed. Therfore this Aungell is ſayed to hauehave power ouer fier. Fier many times in the Pſalmes fignifieth Gods vengeaunce. This Aungell therfore is here, as it were Maiſter of execution, and captayne of vengeaunce. For Angels in Daniell alſo, as Gods miniſters, ar ſaied to hauehave rule ouer thinges: not that we ſhulde worſhip and honour theſe miniſters, but the Lorde that worketh by them. The ſun and moone are the lightes of the world: but therfore no wiſeman wil worſhip them. Here is ſignified playnely, that vēgeance is certainely prepared for them which ſhed innocent blud on the earth, and that this vengeance ſhal chiefly be executed in the end of this worlde. Albeit that he punnyſh neuertheleſſe greuouſely before the end alſo here in earth, namely parricides: in ſo moch that the Pſalmograph ſayeth, men of bloud ſhall not lyue halfe their tyme. &c.
And as in the parable of harueſte, harueſte was finiſhed with a ſhorte ſentence: So is here alſo vintage ended at few wordes. For ſo ſoone as the vngodly ſhall ſee Chriſte in the clowdes, with the printes of his woundes, and his Sainctes with him, whom thei hauehave contemned, hated, perſecuted and ſlayne: they wyll gather ſtreight wayes, that they by their iuſt deſert muſt be alotted with Deuylles, whome they hauehave folowed and ſerued. Therfore ſhal there nede no long diſcuſſing of the matter. EueryEvery mans conſcience ſhall accuſe him, and the ſinnes of eueryevery man ſhalbe manifeſt to al creatures: The vngodly ſhall ſtand before the iudge with great confuſion, in vtter contempte, in payne and feare, and ſorrowes not to be expreſſed, and ſhall go ſtreight wayes into paynes and tourmentes that ſhall neuer hauehave end.See the .3. & .5. chapt. of the boke of wiſdom Hereof I ſay, it behoueth ofte tymes to make mention, hereof it becometh many tymes to warne all men, that they may beware in tyme, and take hede to themſelues.
Howe beit S. Ihon himſelfe at fewe wordes fygureth the euerlaſting dānation and vengeaūce, which God executeth vponupon his enemies.A wyne fat wythoute the Citie. And he fameth a wine preſſe or a winefat, that he may ſo tary in the allegory, and that made withoute the citee. And by expoſition he calleth it, the great wynefat of Gods wrath. For the ſame is hel, or the place of pūniſhment and condemnation. Into this wynefat, ſhall be gathered the cluſters of the Earth, or grapes of the earth, I mean the earthly, and vngodly men. And the citie of God, is heauē it ſelf, the ſeate of the bleſſed, which ſhall afterwarde be deſcrybed moſte aboundauntly in the .21. chapter. But that wine preſſe is ſet without the Citie. For in an other place of the Goſpell the Lorde ſayeth alſo, that the wicked muſte be caſte oute, into the vttermoſt darkeneſſe, where is weping and gnaſhing of teth.
But this wynefat is rightlie called the wynefat of Gods yre. For the wrath of God is executed therin: and they with whome God is angrie for their ſinnes, are ſhutte vp therin, that there they may according to their demerits, be tormented and vexed for euer, and withoute ende. And he calleth it great, for that the place is wyde enough to receiue all the vngodlie. As alſo Eſaye hath admoniſhed in the end of the .xxx. chapter. Others reade of the great wrath of God.
There is added, that out of the fatte or wyne preſſe there runneth no wyne, but blud, and that in moſt plentie. Which he ſhadoweth by a maruelouſe and horrible Hypperbole. The bloud flowed far and broad, by the ſpace of a thouſand and ſixe hūdreth furlongs. Againe it was very depe. For it came vp to the brydles of the horſes, of them I meane, which went and wraſtled in the bloud, to wit in their owne bloud. By the which Hyperbolical ſpeach is ſignified, that the multitude of the vngodlie ſhalbe greateſt, and that God wil moſt aboundauntly reuenge that vnmeaſurable blud, which the wicked hauehave ſpilte in earth. They were delighted whileſt they lyued in earth, with warres, ſlaughter, perſecutiōs & martirdomes: Therfore will God moſte iuſt, powre vntounto them in an other worlde blud enough,Thou haſt thurſted for bloud, drīke blud in ſo moch that being drowned in their owne blud vp to the chin, thei may ſeme to bath them in their owne bloud. And here we muſt remēbre, the horſes prepared to battaile of whō we ſpake in the .9. chap. ſhalbe drowned in euerlaſting tormēts. Thus, thus at ye laſt wil the lord auenge himſelfe vponupon his enemies. Let vsus call vponupon him, and abyde patiently and valeauntly. The Lorde graunte vsus his grace.