A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 92
¶ It is furthermore declared, that the hope of the euerlaſtyng and bleſſed felicitie and glory to be certayne and vndoubted. The .xcij. Sermon.
I Am Alpha and Omega, the beginnyng and the ende. I wil geue to him that is a thirſte of the wel of the water of life freely. He that ouercommeth, ſhall inherite all thinges. I will be his God, and he ſhal be my ſunne. But the feareful and vnbeleuing, and the abominable, and murtherers, & whoremongers, and ſorcerers, & idolaters and liars ſhall hauehave their parte in the lake, that burneth with fire and brimſtone, whiche is the ſeconde death.
VntoUnto all the former commeth nowe the ſixte teſtimony of the certentie of the true felicitie of the faythfull,God is beginnyng & ende. taken of the very nature of God. For he pronoūceth of himſelf and ſayeth, I am α and ω: And immediately by expoſition, the beginnyng and ende. This he toke out of Eſaye, with whō the lord ſayeth oftener than ones, I am firſte and laſte. And here let no man imagine that God is firſte in order, referryng the beginnyng to the conſequences, as though he had a beginnyng: or that he is called the laſte or ende, as though he ſhuld ones hauehave an ende: but the contrary rather in this fourme of ſpeakyng is to be vnderſtand, to witte that God hath no beginnyng, no ende, but to be euerlaſtyng, of whom al thinges hauehave their beyng, & by whoſe decree al things hauehave an ende: where he himſelf indureth for euer, and his yeres neuer fade: like as in an other place the prophet ſayeth, and the Apoſtle alſo. And for aſmuche as he is eternall, without beginnyng and without ende, which liueth alwayes, and al thinges that liue he quickeneth, and preſerueth in life: howe I praye you ſhould not he quicken the faithfull? So certayne therefore is the life, ſaluation and felicitie of the faythfull, as it is certaine that God is life, and that in dede life euerlaſtyng. For he is euerlaſtyng, & the life of the faithful. Of the phraſe of ſpeach, I am α and ω, I hauehave ſpoken in the firſt chapt. and third Concion or Sermon.
God hath promiſed euerlaſtīg ſaluation.The ſeuenth teſtimony of our vndoubted ſaluation is taken of the veritie of God, and his promeſſes, & hath a certen coſygnage with the former. For that which God hath promiſed, the ſame alſo cā he perfourme with no paine. He hath promiſed, a bleſſed life, moſte aſſuredly therefore will he perfourme the ſame to the faithful. And he alledgeth the promiſe of God in dede at this preſent, & bringeth in God ſpeakyng to Iohn and to vsus alſo in theſe wordes: to him that thirſteth I will geue of the wel of liuely water: that is to ſaye, I, that am life and eternal, and euen eternal life, will geue the faithful to drynke the water of life, that is to ſaye I will quicken him, preſerue him in life, and deliuer him from death and al euils, and wil rewarde him with al heauenly giftes. Who can here doubte of the veritie of him that promiſeth, eſpecially ſins this place or this promiſe is red in mo places than one. Dauid in the .36. Pſalme ſingeth plaine: thy mercy, O lord, reacheth vntounto the very Heauens: and thy faythfulneſſe vntounto the clowdes: thy rightuouſenes is like the ſtrong mountaynes, thy iudgementes are like the great deepe. Thou lorde ſaueſt both manne and beaſt. How excellent is thy mercy O God? And the children of menne ſhal put their truſte vnderunder the ſhadowe of thy winges. Thei ſhal be ſatiſfied with the plētuouſnes of thy houſe: and thou ſhalt geue them drynke out of the riuer of thy pleaſures. For with thee is the wel of life, and in thy light ſhal we ſee light. Full many of theſe thinges are in the Prophetes, and are expounded of our ſauiour him ſelfe in the .4.6. and .7. chapter of S. Iohn. Where he ſheweth, that he geueth water, and holeſome drynke to the faythfull, whiche at the length ſhoulde ſprynge vp into life euerlaſtynge. Moſte certayne it is therefore, that the faythfull are quickened by Chriſte: and therefore, the bleſſed lyfe of the faithful is, and ſhal be moſte aſſured and certayne, as promiſed by ſo many expreſſe promeſſes of God. Of this water of life we had ſome things in the .7. chapt. of this boke towarde the ende, and ſhall hauehave certen playne matters in the beginnyng of the .22. chapt.
But in the meane while and by the waye,How e…e… nall l…fe is cōmunicated to vsus. he ſheweth and declareth vntounto vsus, after the Apoſtolicke maner, who willingly and ofte declare vntounto vsus the maner of our ſaluation, howe eternall life is communicated to vsus, to witte free, foreign, freely whiche notwithſtandyng for the doubtefulnes of ſpeach, or vnderſtandyng of wordes we expreſſe not properly the force of the greke worde foreign. They are iuſtified ſayeth the Apoſtle in the .3. to the Romanes. foreign, freely through his grace: that is to ſaye, by the mere mercy of God, by no merite of manne. For the ſame Apoſtle in the ſame Epiſtle to the Rom. the .6. chapter. The rewarde, ſayeth he, of ſinne is death: and where on the contrary ſide he ſhoulde hauehave ſette, and the merite of rightuouſenes eternal life, for this membre he placeth rather, and the gifte of God is life euerlaſtyng. And addeth incontinently, through Chriſt Ieſus our Lorde. Therefore S. Iohn ſayeth rightly, that eternall life happeneth to the faithfull frely: that is, by the very grace of God,Saluatiō cōmeth to vsus freely. And of this vocable freely. through the merite of Chriſt, and by no deſerte of man. For if we coulde by our workes & rightuouſenes deſerue eternall life, than Chriſt had died in vaine, foreign, for naught. There was no cauſe why he ſhuld die, ſeyng we might of our ſelues hauehave bē ſaued. There is no effecte, nor merite of Chriſtes paſſion: ſuch effecte verely as it is in very dede, yt by the bloud of Chriſt alone we be purified. For if there were or had ben an other meane of ſaluatiō, Chriſt neded not to hauehave ben incarnated & hauehave ſuffered. And that this vocable foreign, ought after this waye and maner to be expoūded, many other places of Scripture proue. In the .10. of Matth. the lord ſaieth: frely, foreign, hauehave you receiued, freely geue. The lord wil not hauehave his Apoſtles to receiue any recōpence for the gifte of healing. But ſpeaking of the miniſterie, he ſayeth: the workeman is worthie his hire. In the .15. of Iohn the lord ſayeth: they hauehave hated me without cauſe foreign, doubtles without my deſert, or vndeſerued of my parte. In ye .2. Corint. 11. thapoſtle ſaieth, that he preached the goſpel to the Corinthiās frely, foreign, for he toke no rewarde or recōpēce therfore. And in the .2. to the Theſſal. the .3. chapt. nother hauehave I taken, ſayeth he, bread of any man for naught, foreign, to be ſhorte, where S. Iohn ſayeth, that life is geuen to the faithfull free foreign he claymeth al things of our ſaluation to the grace of God, and merite of Chriſtes paſſion and plucketh it from mans merittes. And the ſame affirmeth Eſaye alſo in the .55. chapt. rebukyng foliſh menne, ſpending their monie aboute thinges of naught. Here ought therefore to ceaſe the faires of indulgences and pardons, and holy thinges in the church. Let the Pelagians kepe ſilence.
Wh…t is required of them that be iuſtified frely.Howbeit leeſt any by the free preachyng of the grace and merite of Chriſt, agaynſte the deſerte of man, ſhould gather, that the bleſſed life chaūceth to Idle folkes, ſlepers, and ceaſing frō all good workes: and that God alone worketh, and we worke nothing: but only to ſuffer the operation of God in vsus, and for the ſame cauſe nothing to be required of vsus: he preuenteth, and firſt the lord ſayeth that he will geue to them that are a thirſte to drinke of the water of life. There is required of vsus therfore fayth, and a feruēt deſire of godly thinges: not that faith is oures but is geuen of God. For by thirſte to ſignifie the faythful deſire of a godly mā, the Lord himſelfe is authour in the .5. of Matthewe pronouncyng them bleſſed, which honger and thirſte for rightuouſenes. And alſo in the 6. of Iohn the Lorde him ſelfe vnderſtandeth by drinkyng to beleue. Faith therfore is required of vsus, that is that we ſhuld thirſte for the water of life. The which ſelf thing alſo the lord graunteth by his ſpirite and word, as els where we hauehave declared. And he ſayeth howe he yt is freely iuſtified muſt fight alſo: nor fight only, but muſt ouercome. Therfore the dueties of charitie be required, wherof is ſpokē in the .2. and .3. chapt. of this boke. Wherein is moſt frequent mentiō made of this fight and victorie. And God will than acknoweledge ſuch as labour thus valeauntly for his childrē, to them will he ſhewe him ſelfe a father, and take them for the heyres of all their fathers poſſeſſions. They are baſtardely childrē, which beyng idle bragge of faith, prayſe God with their mouth & wordes, and deme him with their dedes. Ye ſee therefore that bothe muſte be preached in the church: that we be iuſtified and beautified frely: & ſo beyng iuſtified muſt worke good workes wherunto notwithſtandyng, as to their merites they aſcribe not ſaluation, but to the mere grace of God through Chriſt.
Whereupō conſequently and on the contrary parte he reciteth, who be excluded from the felowſhippe of the bleſſed life and of the bleſſed, compilyng a regiſter of ſinnes and of wicked men, ſuch as he hath compiled alſo about the ende of the .9.21. and .22. chapt. And ſuch as the Apoſtle hath in a maner recited to the Corinthians.
And we ſuppoſe that in S. Iohn his time theſe ſinnes were moſte common, nor ſufficiently knowen,Who are excluded frō ye true felicitie. as apperteyned. Many alſo at this daye iudge more lightly therof, than trewe godlines permitteth. And we doubte not but that in this regiſter, whiche in eight kindes or membres is compriſed, are conteined al other like ſinnes and wickedneſſes. But we vnderſtande that helle fire is aſſuredly dewe vntounto them for their ſinnes committed, whiche nother hauehave any faith at all, nother can by any meanes be perſwaded to repente, and tourne vntounto God. For in the firſte Epiſtle to the Corinth. the 6. chapt. Ye were, ſayeth he, ſuche, but ye are purged by the bloud of Chriſte, and with the ſprete of our God. Therefore yf we hauehave ben ſuche at any tyme, lette vsus repente: or in caſe we be fallen into theſe ſinnes agayne, lette vsus riſe vp, and tourne to the Lord, which calleth vntounto him ſinners, and promiſeth pardone and grace. But wo be to the vncurable, walkyng alwayes and without repentaunce in the waye of iniquitie.
And we ſhal touche ſeuerally eight partes of this regiſter.Fearefull. Firſte are placed the fearefull. But the Lorde him ſelfe was affrayde, and euen quaked for feare of death: the Sainctes of God hauehave feared alſo, and often fled for feare: yet are they not for this cauſe condemned in the Scriptures. Therefore an other feare is ment, to witte that ſame immoderate feare, by the which compelled, we do for feare of menne, that thing whiche God hath prohibited: and we our ſelues conuicte in our owne conſciences, vnderſtāde that we ſinne in ſo doyng: or what time through carnall feare we leaue vndone that thing whiche God hath commaunded vsus: briefely, when we more feare men, as princes or leagefellowes, or enemies, or any other men what ſo euer they be, than our lord God him ſelf. And therfore the Lord himſelfe in the goſpel ſayde: feare ye not them which kille the body, and can not kill the ſoule, &c. Matth. 10. The ſame in an other place ſayeth: he that denieth me before that aduouterouſe generation, I will denie him alſo before my father in heauen. Doubtles it is a fowle ſhame to feare more a moſte wicked manne, than moſte holy God. But men offende in this behalfe at theſe dayes moſt greuouſely. For ſome attribute ſo muche to wicked and cruell perſecutours, that euen for them they will commaunde to peruerte the preachyng of the Goſpell, or to kepe ſilence al together. There is that will ſette more by the Kinge, Prince, Erle, Baron, Citezen, or plowmā, Biſhop or Abbot, or ſome flatteryng Frere, or vile maſſemongyng Prieſte, and will fayne and diſſemble for his fauour, rather than he will frely confeſſe the trewth, and feare and glorifie God to be feared only. VntoUnto them ſayeth Eſaye: ſaye ye not conſpiracie, and be not affrayde of terrour of the enemies, nother be you diſcouraged. But rather ſanctifie the lord of hoſtes: let him be your terrour, let him be your feare. He ſhal be the ſanctuarie, and ſtumblyng ſtone, and the reſte in the .8. chapt. of Eſaye. For vnleſſe we put awaye this vayne and wicked feare, and goe about to funiſſhe vp the Lordes worke valeaūtly, conſtauntly, and without feare, we ſhall ſurely be caſte downe to helle. Let timorouſe menne thinke hereof, and calle vponupon the Lord, and take vntounto them the ſprete of ſtrength, and of wiſe and godly boldenes: and do the worke of the Lord not negligently, but dilligently, valeauntly, and conſtantely. He is greater that is in vsus, ſayeth S. Iohn in his Canonicall, thā is he that is in the worlde.
VnbeleuersVnbeleuers. are not weake in the fayth, modeſte, & fearing God: but ſuch as beleue not gods word, promiſing, cōmaū ding threatening, nother follow God, nor his Chriſt: but rather follow ſtraunge Gods, had rather beleue fables, & hauehave withdrawen their hartes from God. And of theſe is there a great multitude at this day which notwithſtāding hauehave al in their mouth, yt they beleue God & his worde, but they beleue not the preachers: thinking verely yt their incredulitie is thus ſufficiently excuſed. But where the preachers ſhewe nothing els but the word of God, thei cānot but contēne gods word, whileſt they diſpiſe the Sermons of the preachers.
In the thirde place followeth,Abominable. that the tourmentes of Hell are dewe foreign, to the abominable, & deteſtable. For foreign ſignifieth abomination and ſtench. He noteth therfore abominable and deteſtable men, to whom al religion is a mockerie, which deride God, and his word, and blaſpheme all holy thinges, the children of Beliall, vncurable, and ſpurners. Theſe although thei knowe the truth, yet thei knowe it to their owne condemnation, ſeing thei contemne it knowē, and with dogs and hogs returne to their vomite and wallowyng in the myre. Whom alſo the Apoſtles hauehave noted. Peter in ye ſecond epiſtle the .2. &: 3. cha. S. Paule in the .3. to Titus. and .12. to the Hebrewes. Iudas Thaddeus through out the chefeſt parte of his epiſtle: S. Ihon himſelfe about the end of the .22. chapt. reciting in a maner the ſame regiſter, calleth them dogges. And would God we wanted examples at this daye of abominable men, and ſuch kynde of dogges. But there is no cawſe why we ſhoulde maruayle hereat, conſidering that we liue in the time of all other moſt corrupt of Noe and Loth: Mathew the .24.
Of Homicides ther be ſondry kyndes.Murtherers or Homicides. For we kil with the hart, mouth & worke. Whereof you may ſe thexpoſitours of the .x. cōmaūdemēts, chieflie D. Muſculus. But I thinke the world had neuer a more notable, mor cruel, and more ſhameles murderer, yea paricide moſt verely, according to ye word of Chriſt in the .8. of Iohn, the firſte begotten child of the Deuyll, than the Byſſhoppe of Rome. For he in a maner at all times, for theſe fyue hondreth yeares and more, hath blowen the trumpet to all the greuouſe warres of Europe or Chriſtē dome: and agayne hath graunted to murderers, eſpeciallie warring for the See of Rome, moſt large & ample pardons, and promiſed heauen to them that die in that warfare: al the which, being many of them excellent men, had not the great mercy of God ben, he had deſtroyed bothe body and ſoule.
Than S. Ihon raccompteth whoremōgers.Whoremongers. And he nameth the loweſt kynd, to the end we ſhulde vnderſtand the higher and vyler as rape, adultrie, inceſt, and Sodomitical: nother that we ſhoulde exclude here glottonie, dronkennes, and all kynde of riorouſenes, and nourryſhing of voluptuouſenes. Where doubteles we ſee that S. Paule vnderunder the vocable of whoredome, cōprehendeth all filthy luſt and riot. But in our dayes whorehūting is made ſo cōmon, yt eueryevery moſt ſhamefull whoremonger is admitted to the aulter: a maried prieſt that kepeth holy matrimonie is expelled from the ſame. For the which we may thanke Syricius, and other Popes: whom the Apoſtle hath greuouſly noted, in the firſt to Timothe. 4.
SorcerersOf Sorcerers is ſpoken in the .9. chap. of this boke. S. Ihon hath foreign, and he meaneth magiciēs, inchaūters, ſothſayers, witches, and by deuilliſh craftes louelove makers. The latin men vnderſtand them alſo, that geue poyſon to drinke.
IdolatersIdolaters. be worſhippers of Idolles. And maruayle it is, that the Papiſts at this day, deny thēſelues to be Idolaters. For what other thing is an Idol, but a ſhape or image made of any matter viſible, repreſenting the fourme of God or a Saincte, but without ſpirite? An Idoll therfore is an Image of wood, ſtone, or metall, repreſenting the ſhape of God the father, of God the ſonne, or of S. Peter, &c. Dauid deſcribeth an Idoll, & ſayeth: the Idolles of the heythen are ſiluer and golde, euen the worke of mennes handes. They hauehave mouth and ſpeake not: eyes hauehave they and ſee not, &c. Pſal. 113. And I wolde fayne knowe what the Idolles of the Papiſtes differ from theſe? Concerning worſhippinge of them, they can not denye, but that they worſhip thoſe Idolles of wood and clay. For thei attribute to them holy names, and euen the ſacred name of God, to be cōmunicated to none other, ſaieng: this is (pointing to ſtone or wood, that is, an Idol of wood) God ye father, this is God ye ſon, this is S. Peter. I tremble in my minde, whyleſt I report theſe things: eſpecially ſins the lord himſelf hath ſaid, whom wil ye make me like? Eſay. 40. And S. Paule calleth this plainly, coūterfeting foliſhnes: and expreſly denieth ye godhead to be like a ſtone artificially poliſhed: Ro. 1. Act. 17. Againe theſe Images, which thei call their gods & ſaincts, made wt mens hands, thei bring into the churches, namely a place of worſhipping, and ſet them vponupon the altars: vntounto theſe they go on pilgrimage, fall downe before them and worſhip, ſence them, offer oblations to them, and hang Iewels on them. And moreouer attribute to them alſo a parte of the heauenly doctrine and inſtruction, ſayeng that the vnlearned ſort are taught and admoniſhed by theſe. And what is to worſhip, yf this be not? Let them ſe therfore, whether thei can herein excuſe themſelues before God and men: and prouyde rather to ſaue their ſoules. How be it all theſe thinges thei wype away as it were with one word, and ſay: we worſhip not the ſignes, but the things ſignified. Than yf the ſignes were taken away, wold ye returne to the Idolles on pilgrimage? do ye not thinke it done in a maner to God himſelfe, that you ſe done to the Idolles? do ye not punniſh am Image breaker, as a traitour againſte ye diuine maieſtie? For he ſhal not ſeme to hauehave cut a ſunder wood, but to hauehave defiled God himſelfe. Therfore ye acknowledge ſomewhat more in this wood, than wood alone. For you thinke yt ſome diuine thing is hid therin: and therfore is this wood accompted of you no comōwood. Which thing you declare alſo by ſundry tokens otherwiſe. Moreouer ye gētiles excuſed themſelues after the ſame maner, ſaieng, that thei worſhipped the thinges, and not the ſignes. But this ſemed not a ſufficiēt excuſe vntounto godly men: as it is to be red in Lactancius and Athanaſius in their bokes againſte the gentiles. But God hath at one word cofuted you and ſaied, who hath requyred theſe thinges at your handes? yf any will exhibite to me worſhip, let him worſhip after the preſcripte of my moſte Holy lawe. They worſhippe me in vaine, teaching the doctrines of men. Theſe things hauehave I declared ſomwhat more at large, to the intent that ſuch as wil yet hear any reaſon, and in whom the word and lawe of God hath any place, might know & auoide that groſſe and mortall ſinne of Idolatrie.
And lyars comprehend men that are lighte of their tung,Lyars. ſclaunderers, taletellers, whiſperers, deceauers, couetouſe perſons, theues, vſurers, bribers, and al maner of hypocrites and ſlipperie perſons. For as God is veritie, ſo loueth he veritie, ſimplicitie, conſtancie, integritie. This vice of lyeng reigneth at this daie farre and wyde. For there is the leeſte, or rather no faith at al in the earth. The Lord be merciful to vsus.
And touchynge the lake or ponde, burnyng with fyre and brimeſtone, and of the ſecond death, I hauehave ſpoken before in the nynetene and twentie chapters. And els where. And he ſignifieth, that all theſe and the lyke ſhall be caſte downe of the Lorde into the euerlaſtinge fyre of Hell. For he putteth here part for inheritaunce, as alſo in the eleuenth Pſalme: he ſhall rayne vponupon the vngodlye fyre and brymſtone, and this is part of their cuppe: And in the .24. of Mathew. And ſhall put his part with hipocrites. And we ſay alſo, he hath no…e obtayned his righte: or he is pūniſhed as he is worthy. Like as Sainctes therfore obteyne the Kyngdome of Heauen by inheritaunce: ſo are euerlaſting tourments in ſteade of inheritaunce to the vngodlie. To the Lorde the righteouſe Iudge be prayſe and glorie. Amen.