A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 67
¶ The Angels of ſeuen plagues are brought forth. Moreouer the triumph and prayſe of Chriſtes holye Maritrs is deſcribed. The .lxvij. Sermon.
The .15. Chapter.AND I ſaw an other ſigne in heauen great and wonderful. Seuen Angels, hauing ye ſeuen laſte plagues. For in them is fulfylled the wrath of God. And I ſawe as it were a glaſſye ſea mingled wt fyer, and them that had gottē victory of the beaſt, and of his Image, and of his marke, and of the nombre of his name, ſtand on the glaſſy Sea, hauing the harpes of God: and they ſung the ſong of Moſes the ſeruaunt of God, and the ſong of the lambe, ſayeng: great and maruelouſe are thy works Lord God almightie, iuſt and true are thy wayes, thou King of Sainctee. Who ſhal not fear (O Lord) and glorifie thy name? For thou onelyonly art holy, for all gentiles ſhall come and worſhippe before the, for thy iudgementes are made manifeſte.
The argument of the fifte parte.VponUpon occaſion of harueſte and vintage expounded in the laſte parte of the fourmer viſion, is annexed the fifte parte of this godly worke, which repreſēteth vntounto vsus the fourth viſiō of this worke, whiche ſome make the fifte. The ſame is of the iudgemēts of God, it hath two parts: wherfore it might alſo be deuided into mo viſiōs, but we had rather vſe fewer. For firſt he diſcourſeth moſt largely of the paynes or tourments prepared of God, & to be executed vponupon Antichriſt his membres, and all the vngodlye: here is treated of the iudgement of the whore of Babilon, of the deſtinies and ruine of Rome, and the church of Rome, of the reioicing and ſong of ſaincts, of the comming of the iudge vntounto iudgement, of the payne and euerlaſting deſtruction of all wicked. And theſe are intreated in the .15.16.17.18.19. and .20. chap. Than alſo he reaſoneth moſt excellētly of the reward of ſaincts, and of the euerlaſting filicitie, thorow out ye whole .21. chap. and a good part of ye .22. eueryevery where is ſet open hel it ſelfe, and heauen it ſelfe: And is geuen vsus in maner to loke in this fleſhe mortall, euen into very hell it ſelf & into the very palace of Heauen. Nother ſhal you finde any where in all the Scriptures with a continual treatiſe ſo plenteouſe a diſputation of the iudgementes of God, of the tormentes of the wicked, & of the felicitie and ioyes of the godly, as in this preſente.
And ful neceſſarie is this treatiſe eſpecially in this our laſt and vngraciouſe world,A moſt plē tiful & dilligent treatiſe of the iudgemēts of God. wherein men neglectyng the ſpirite of God, are become like brute beaſtes altogether carnall, regarde the fleſh, and wholy depende thereof. Happy are al the victoriouſe, welthie, honorable and gloriouſe Antichriſtians: miſerable are the pore and diſpiſed trewe chriſtians, and ſubiecte to the iniuries & perſecutions of al men. Therfore do the carnall men eſteme al thinges of the preſent fortune, and crie it out that their religion and conuerſation pleaſeth God, and the Chriſtiās to diſpleaſe. The godly are here alſo greuouſly tempted, as they were alſo in times paſt, reade Pſalm. 73. and the .1. chapt. of Abacucke. The vngodly promiſe themſelues, that they ſhal reigne for euer: at the length alſo they contēne the iudgementes of God, nother thinke they that euer it wil come to paſſe that they ſhal be punniſſhed. The talke of punniſhementes to be diuiſed of melancholicke perſones, and to be vttered of mallice: and therfore they ſaye and thinke them not to be regarded: but to be mery in this worlde. Therefore it behoued the place of Gods iudgementes to be moſt largely and dilligently decided, and to be ſet as it were before the eyes of the hearers: to the ende al might rightly vnderſtāde, what ſhould be aſſuredly the ende of good and euill. But the punniſhmētes of the vngodly are diuerſe, to witte of this life preſent, and to come. And the punniſhmentes of this preſent life are almoſt innumerable: and the tourmentes of the life to come are eternall and vnſpeakeable: and as there is no compariſon betwixte the paincted and trewe fire: ſo is there none betwixte the punniſhementes of this preſent life and that to come. But in caſe men would erneſtly beleue, that vnſpeakeable ioyes and euerlaſtyng tormentes are prepared of God for good and euill: doubtles al would ſinne leſſe & ſerue God more dilligently. But let vsus ſee nowe, what is the treatyſe of S. Iohn concernyng the ſame.
The originall of the doctrine of the iudgementes of God.Firſt he ſheweth the original of al things that follow, not to be earthly, but heauenly. For he ſeeth an other token in heauen. He ſaieth an other, for that in the .12. chapt. we heard that mention was made of an other certen ſigne. And he calleth that a ſigne or token, which ſignifieth an other thing, and therefore not to be conſidered of it ſelfe: but in aſmuche as it bringeth into knoweledge an other certen thinge, and that much greater thā it ſheweth at the firſte ſight. He calleth this ſigne, that is to witte, that ſame viſiō, great and maruelouſe. For the iudgementes of God are greateſt, and moſte wonderful. Whileſt thei are executed, the vngodly maruel, which had thought ſuch thinges ſhould neuer hauehave comen to paſſe: the godly alſo maruell at the great power of God, his moſte iuſte rightuouſnes, and his ripenes and faythfulnes in deliuering and ſauing his people. Than he declareth, what ſigne was ſhewed him in Heauen, and by that celeſtiall viſion: he ſawe ſeuen Angels, hauyng in ſeuen cuppes, plages. That is, he perſeyued God prepared and furniſſhed with power diuine, wherewith he both might and would ſende plages and condigne punniſhementes, aſwell vponupon Antichriſt him ſelfe, as vponupon his membres, and all the vngodly men in Earth, for their wickednes committed agaynſt God.Seuen angelles & ſeuē plages. And as we hauehave many times warned you in this boke, the ſeuēth nombre, is the nōbre of fulnes. Wherefore God hath miniſters enough and enough, by whoſe ſeruice he maye plague and diſtroye the vngodly. And therefore ſeuen plagues, are all maner of plagues. Temporall plagues are aboundantly recited in the 26. of Leuit. and .28. of Deuter. Riche is the Lord, and in euerlaſtyng plagues of moſt diuerſe kindes alſo. For the Scripture in certen places reherſeth a gnawyng worme, a fyre vnquenchable, weping and gnaſſhing of teth, outwarde darkenes and many other of like ſorte. But theſe ſeuen plagues he calleth the laſte: and immediately ſheweth the reaſon, for in them is the wrathe of God fulfilled. For on thoſe laſte and moſt corrupte ages the Lorde wil powre out his plague, and that the plagues of his iuſte wrath, and ſhall powre them out moſt fully to the ende, and ſhall execute his ful wrath againſt the vngodly, for euermore.
Yet now he ſuſpendeth a while that narration begonne of the Angelles maſters of the plagues:The ioyes & triūphes of ye godly. and placeth or ſendeth before the greate ioyes of the bleſſed Martirs, triumphes, ſonge of praiſe reioycynge and thankes geuynge. And this Ioye is interlaſed here in the treatiſe of punniſhementes, for the conſolation of the faithful, that they ſhould knowe themſelues deliuered from punniſhmentes. And if it fortune, whileſt the wicked are punniſſhed, that any diſpleaſure touch thē alſo (as it can not be choſen, but the wicked beyng plaged, ſome diſcōmoditie muſt alſo arriſe vntounto the faithful) that thei maye vnderſtande yet, that the daungers of the diſcōmodities, muſt with the excellent aboūdaunce of ioyes be recompenſed. For hereby is ſignified, how the godly reioyce, whileſt the lord executeth his iuſtice. To be alſo the chaungeable courſe of thinges, that thoſe that hauehave ones wepte in the world, ſhould now be glad and ioyefull, accordyng to the ſaiyng of our ſauiour in the .16. of Iohn. Morouer it behoued by the teſtimony of all Sainctes to be declared to the Sainctes that dwell in Earth, that the iudgementes of God be rightouſe and true: whiche thing vnderſtande, queſtions and ſondry mutininges agaynſt God do ceaſe.
Firſt he ſeeth them which ouercame Antichriſt, and hauehave had nothing to doe with him: as we ſaye in dutch, for this I ſuppoſe be ſignified by that plentiful reherſal of certen membres (the declaration wherof is ſetforth before) in heauen, not in ſome dortour, or no where, as ſome men gather. He ſawe I ſaye, in heauen the bleſſed ſoules ſtande vponupon a glaſſy See,A glaſſy See mixed with fire. mixed with fire. And in an other place I hauehave tolde you, that the See figureth the worlde, by reaſon of the rage and vnſtablenes therof. Certenly Daniel ſo taketh in the .7. chapt. And it is called glaſſy becauſe of the frailetie and bricklenes. For worldely thinges ſhine, but they are ſoone broken. Whereupon it is ſayed that wordely things are as brickel as glaſſe: whiche whileſt they ſhine, breake. And not with out cauſe is fire mixed with worldely thinges. For the Sainctes, whileſt they be conuerſaunt in Earth, fele alwayes in a maner the fire of affliction. Whereof ſpake S. Peter. 1. Pet. 4. And they ſtande vponupon a glaſſy See mingled with fire. For cōquerours treade vponupon the worlde, and vponupon al the tourmentes & mockeries of the world, as triūphyng ouer all worldely thinges. The Prophet in the .66. Pſalm. bringeth in the Sainctes ſingyng a ioyeful ſonge vntounto God, and emonges other things ſaiyng, thou haſt brought vsus into ſnares, thou haſt layde tribulations vponupon our backe, thou haſte ſet men in our neckes. We hauehave paſſed through fire and water, & thou haſt brought vsus out into a place of reliefe. Therefore do there followe alterations in an other world. Wherfore Aretas expoūdyng this place: the glaſſy See, ſayeth he, ſemeth to intimace nothyng els, than by the Sea verely the multitude, and by the glaſſe the brightnes, by fire the puretie of them, which are worthie that bleſſed life. And certenly the ſame wordes in diuerſe reſpectes maye ſignifie diuerſe thinges, and make the ſenſe agreable.
Hitherto we hauehave hearde, that the ſainctes are in heauen, where they triumphe ouer the world vanquiſſhed: but nowe we ſhal heare more clerely, what they do in heauen, and how they ſinge vntounto the lord a ſonge of thankes & prayſes, which fully agreeth with the Pſalm. 66. The harps of God.And he attributeth to the bleſſed martirs harpes, as he did to the Elders. Theſe he calleth of God, as you would ſaye diuine and celeſtiall, mete to ſet forth the prayſes of God. For a celeſtial Iubeley is ſignified whereof is ſpoken in the .5. chapt. He addeth moreouer, to expreſſe the muſicke: and they ſinge. And declareth alſo the maner of their ſingyng,The ſonge of Moſes & the lābe. the ſonge of Moſes the ſeruaunt of God, and the ſonge of the Lambe: Therfore this ſonge of the Sainctes, is reioycyng ditty, triumphaunt and of thankes geuyng. For like as in times paſte Marie with the cōpany of virgins Iſraeliticall, at the appoinctement of Moſes ſange a ſonge, when the Iſraelites were deliuered out of the bondage of Aegypte, and Pharao was drowned in the red Sea with his whole armie: whereof you maye reade more in the 14. and .15. chapt. of Exod. So the bleſſed ſoules in Heauen prayſe God, whiche hath deliuered them from Sathan, Antichriſt, and the worlde. And the ſonge of the Lābe is the chriſtiane thankes geuing, by the which the vertue of Chriſt and his redemption, is prayſed of the Sainctes. For like as the olde fathers after the eatyng of the Paſchalle lambe made a iubiley, & gaue God thankes. So the bleſſed Sainctes nowe infraunchiſed with the full libertie of the children of God, geue thankes vntounto Chriſt theyr deliuerer.
Finally reciteth the order and fourme of their ſonge.Kinge of Sainctes. God is highly commended herein, which is called the Lord, God, almightie, Kynge of Sainctes, as for whome the Sainctes warre, by whome alſo they be gouerned, and whiche defendeth, mayneteyneth and kepeth the Sainctes. And he is called holy, in whome is no ſpotte, no iniquitie. And before all thinges they prayſe his workes, whiche they call greate and maruelouſe. Theſe are manifeſt in Heauen and in Earth. They declare the power, wiſedome, & iuſtice of God. Therefore they inferre by and by: that the wayes, that is the conſiderations of God, which he followeth in gouerning and doyng of thinges, be trewe and iuſte. For he diſceaueth not, he doeth no man wronge. Therfore God is iuſte in punniſhing the Antichriſtiās, and deliueryng his. For although he ſeme to neglecte his, yet kepeth he fayth to the godly: as a kynge that neuer neglecteth his.
Now they alledge, what it becometh all men in the Earth to do alſo: it is reoſon that al men feare thee, and glorifie thee in all thinges, nother to accuſe and murmure at thy iudgementes. There is added an other reaſon for he alone is holy, without ſinne, and with out ſpotte. None of all the creatures hath this. Although many gentiles nowe cōtemne God, yet ſhal they ones come and worſhip: ſhal knowe their owne filthines, and the holines and rightuouſenes of God. For the iuſtice, and iudgement of God, whiche are not yet reuealed, and therefore are contemned, ſhal be ones reuealed, that all the godly of al natiōs may attribute glory to the rightuouſe God. Theſe thinges verely prepare alſo the reader and hearer to the treatiſe nowe followynge concernynge the iudgementes of God, and pūniſhmentes of the vngodly. The lord open the eyes of our mindes, that we maye ſee theſe thinges with fruicte plentifull.