A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 68
¶ The ſeuen Angelles are deſcribed, coming forth to execute the ſeuen plagues. The .lxviij. Sermon.
ANd after that I loked, & beholde, the Temple of the Tabernacle of teſtimony was open in Heauen, and the ſeuen Angelles came out of the Temple, whiche had the ſeuen plagues, clothed on pure and bright linnen, and hauynge their breſtes gyrded with golden girdels. And one of the foure beaſtes gaue vntounto the ſeuen Aungelles, ſeuen golden vialles ful of the wrath of God, which liueth for euermore. And the tēple was ful of ſmoke, for the glory of God, and for his power: and no man was able to enter into the Temple, till the ſeuen plagues of the ſeuen Angelles were fulfilled.
The fruictes of the treatiſe of Gods iudgementes.He retourneth now to the deſcription of the iudgementes of God, from the which he had made a little digreſſiō. This treatiſe hath much fruicte. For the iudgementes of God, be the punniſhmentes or paynes of the wicked, the teſtimonies of Gods rightuouſenes and veritie. Againe the godly are herwith confirmed in their hope. For they ſee that one Iote doeth not fall from the wordes and threateninges of God, although he be of longe ſuffering, winketh at them long, and euen ſemeth to fauour and to ſpare the vngodly. The godly therefore perceyue that their hope is not vayne. They learne alſo to feare God, and to praye continually, leeſte beyng dronken with the pleaſures and felicities of this world, they reuolte frō God to vngodlines. Finally the wicked are feared with paynes, are prouoked to repetaunce which whileſt they refuſe, they fele vndoubtedly plagues, as Pharao felte.
The deſcription of ye ſeuen Aungelles.But before the Angelles powre out the cuppes of plages receyued, they are moſt gallaūtly and dilligently deſcribed. And is ſhewed, from whence they came out: that is what is the originall of the iudgementes of God. They come out of the temple ſet open, and that out of the temple of the Tabernacle of witnes, which is in heauē. For Moſes ſawe a temple on the mounte, and that alſo in heauen, after the ſimilitude whereof he was commaunded of God to make the tabernacle of witnes. Therefore was the tabernacle of witnes facioned and builte after the ſhape exhibited and ſene in heauen, which the bleſſed Apoſtle to the Hebrewes calleth foreign to wit the very example or patron. For it was ſayed to Moſes, ſee that thou makeſt eueryevery thinge accordyng to the Patron, which was ſhewed thee on the Mounte. Which thing Moſes did accordingly. But ſuch thinges as came forth of the Tabernacle of witnes made in earth, ſemed to the Iſraelites iuſte and holy. Herof were ared the oracles and aunſwers of God, which it was not lawefull to ſpeake agaynſt. Therfore when we heare nowe that the very iudgementes of God agaynſt the wicked world,Thangels come forth of ye tēple. paynes and punniſhmentes come out of the trewe temple it ſelfe, the patron I meane and that celeſtial, who ſhould herafter doubte that al the iudgemētes of God, wherwith he plageth the vngodly, be ſacred & holy? And whileſt ye vngodly are plaged, that we muſte thinke nothing els, but that a ſentence as it were an oracle is comen or pronounced from heauen, whiche it is vnlawefull to gayne ſaye? to conclude, the diuine iudgementes do procede out of the very tr…ne of God, wherefore they can not but be moſte holy. Otherwiſe we ſhal heare in the .21. chapt. that there is no temple in heauē. Theſe be therfore Tipes and figures, not matters trewe and permanent: but after they hauehave ſignified this, for the which they were inſtituted, paſſyng and fadyng awaye.
Hereunto alſo apperteyneth the apparell of Angelles,Aungelles clothed in brighte white linē. that hereof …oe maye alſo eſteme the iudgementes of God. They are ſayed to be clothed in pure lynen, or cleane and white, or bright (foreign) wherby is ſignified, that the iudgementes of God, are vnſpotted and bright. For we hauehave hearde that theſe thinges which S. Iohn ſawe were ſignes. Therfore we maye not Imagine carnal thinges in heauenly matters, but ſpiritually to expounde, ſuche thinges as in the ſigne ſeme to be as it were corporall. The garment in this worlde is chaunged with the ſtate of thinges. For they vſe white garmentes in victories and triumphes, blacke at burialles and mourninges, red in battel. Here is ſignified therfore that the iudgementes of God are moſt pure, & that God ouercometh and triumpheth ouer the vngodly. At the reſurrection and aſcention of our lord Angelles appered in white garmentes, & ſhyning bright, to ſignifie the glory of Chriſt: Now is the very breſte girded with a girdel, and that in dede with a golden girdell. Golde is a token of purenes. In the breſte is the ſeate of affections. The girdell byndeth, moreouer prepareth for the iourney. Therefore it betokeneth, that the iudgementes of God are prepared, and in a readines: the ſame to waunt affections, that is to ſaye, not to be pronounced or done of enuie or mallice, louelove or fauour, but to be iuſte, moderate and vpright.
One of the beaſtes geueth vials.And one of the beaſtes gaue vntounto the ſeuen Angels reuengers & punniſhers ſeuen bolles, & the ſame ful of gods wrath. Now although God nedeth not ye helpe of creatures, nother receiueth any thing of them, as waūting any thing: yet ſins he made not his creatures in vaine, & doeth thinges in order, al creatures doubtles (for I ſayed in the .4. chapt. how by the beaſtes the vniuerſalitie of creatures is ſignified) beſtowe their labour agaynſt the wicked, and what ſo euer they hauehave of God (and they hauehave al thinges) at his wil and cōmaundement, they imploye willyngly and franckely to execute the iudgementes of God. Thus fire fallyng from heauen vponupon Sodome and the cities aboute it, did miniſter the plage or cup of Gods wrath to the Aungel reuenger. So the water ouerwhelmed Pharao and his hoſte. So the Earth opening ſwallowed vp the company of Chore, Dathan and Abyron. &c. Thus the Armies of the gentiles imploye themſelues to take punniſhement of the vngodly. The walles of Iericho fall, the hayle diſtroyeth the Chananites. Thus God without any difficultie punniſheth his enemies, ſeyng al creatures are ready to ayde and aſſiſte. And the viall or cuppe is of golde. For againe is ſignified the iuſtice & equitie of Gods iudgementes. And where God is called a reuēger liuyng for euer: his eternitie and maieſtie is ſignified, whiche neuer the tranſitorie thinges of this worlde, and humane infirmities ſhall ouercome. In the ſight of the liuyng God, all the wicked ſhal fall, and periſh euerlaſtingly.
After this the Apoſtle ſeeth,The temple ful of ſmoke. the temple filled with ſmoke for the maieſtie of God, and for his power. That ſmoke is a ſigne of Gods preſence, it appereth by many places of the Scripture, but chiefly in the .8. chap. of the .3. boke of Kinges. Than is it alſo a token of Gods wrath. For Aretas: ſmoke, ſayeth he, is a tokē of Gods wrath: according as it is ſayed, ſmoke aſcended in his wrath. And nother is ſmoke with out fire, nor fire without ſmoke, &c. Morouer ſmoke hurteth the eyes, and maketh them blinde. So in Eſaye the .6. The temple of God, which Eſaye ſeeth, is filled with ſmoke. And at this preſent not only apeareth the preſence of god, and of his wrath to be ſignified: but alſo to be figured, that the iudgementes of God be vnſearchable, ſo that the things which he him ſelfe reuealeth not to vsus, we can not atteyne to. For his maieſtie is infinite, and his power paſſeth al thinges. Primaſiu, Biſſhoppe of Vtica in Affricke expoundyng this place: Thinke, ſayeth he, that ſame to be ſignified by ſmoke, that all menne can not penetrate the ſecrettes of Gods iudgemētes, and that the eyes and mindes of mortall men ſhal at the contemplation of the plagues inflicted daſel, gropyng in darkenes: which nowe he determineth to vtter, and vntounto the finall ende of the ſame, he affirmeth, the ſmoke to abide ſtill in the temple. Thus ſayeth he.
Now followeth that ſemeth to expounde the ſame:No man could enter into the temple. and no man coulde enter into the Temple, &c. But certayne it is by the veritie of the euangelicall & Apoſtolical doctrine, that the ſoules paſſing out of the body before thende & laſt iudgemēt, go right into the bleſſed ſeates, and hauehave there the fruition of the ioyes promiſed of god ſo true. Therfore is an other thing ſignified, to wit that before thende of all thinges the ſaincces can not clerely ſee al the iudgemēts of God. For here we ſee by a glaſſe, there face to face, & ſhal know God him ſelf, & the veritie & maner of his iudgementes. Primaſius, nother coulde any man enter into the tēple: that is could penetrate ye ſecret, til the ſeuen plages of the ſeuen Angels were finiſhed. Wherfore the Pſalmographer: This, ſayeth he, is labour before me, til I may enter into the ſanctuarie of God, & may vnderſtande the cōcluſion of matters, &c. Here is ſignified therfore, that Sainctes before the iudgemente ſhall not knowe the ſecret miſteries of Gods iudgementes. Let it than ſuffice vsus, that he him ſelfe hath vouchſafed to open to vsus: for the reſte let vsus beleue, that the lorde is iuſte in all his wayes, and holy in al his workes. To him be glory.