A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 96
¶ He continueth yet in deſcribyng the bleſſed ſeates. The .xcvi. Sermon.
AND he ſhewed me a pure riuer of water of life, cleare as Chryſtall,The .22. chapt. proceding out of the ſeate of God, and of the Lambe. In the middes of the ſtrete of it, & of eyther ſide of the riuer was there wood of life, whiche bare twelue maner of fruictes, & gaue fruicte eueryevery monethmonth: & the leaues of the wood ſerued to heale the people withal. And ther ſhal be nomore curſe, but the ſeate of God and the lambe ſhal be in it, and his ſeruauntes ſhall ſerue him. And they ſhal ſee his face, and his name ſhal be in their foreheades. And there ſhal be no night there: and they nede no candle, nor light of Sunne: for the lorde God geueth them light and they ſhall raygne for euermore.
In the twelfth place is deſcribed of Iohn the pleaſauntnes,The pleaſauntenes of the citie of God. trymnes, the plentuouſenes and aboūdance of foode in the Citie of God. Riuers make cities pleaſaunt and delectable. Without fountaynes, ſprynges and holeſome waters cities decaye, and are ſcarſely worthy the names of Cities. But in caſe they waunte victualles, they are wholy loſte. Therefore this our heauēly Citie excelleth, and is moſt noble in al theſe thinges: nother hath it vitayle only, but geueth the ſame vntounto vsus with greate pleaſure, and fineſſe moſte pleaſaunt. For trees in this Citie doe not only beare fruicte, but geue alſo a pleaſaūtnes vnſpeakable & ineſtimable. The riuer moreouer runneth through the middes of the ſtretes: on the bankes of eyther ſide are trees moſte beautiful to beholde, bearing the fruictes of life. And as I hauehave many times in this deſcription intimated, ſo I repete now the ſame againe that thoſe things are not to be vnderſtande after the letter as the Millenaries take them. For the Lord talketh with vsus and euen liſpeth, to the ende we might after the imbecillitie of our witte cōceaue theſe thinges. Yf any ſhuld wiſſhe for earthly things, I wene he could couet no greater thinges, thā be here deſcribed. We ſhall thinke therefore, if the Lorde coulde geue theſe earthly thinges, yf he woulde, whie can he not geue greater to the ſoules of the godly and bodies glorified? yea the Lorde will that beyng withdrawen from the contemplation of earthly thinges, we ſhoulde loke altogether for celeſtiall and diuine, worthie of bleſſed ſoules and bodies clarified. Whiche verely howe greate, and what they ſhall be, no tunge of manne can expreſſe to vsus, be it neuer ſo eloquente. For the Lord hath prepared greater thinges for his ſeruauntes, than here we can comprehende. Therefore he bringeth forth here matter… moſte ample, that after a certen maner we mightie conceaue heauenly thinges muche more excellent than they be. Therfore the ſenſe and meanyng of all thoſe thinges, whiche are ſpoken here of the riuer of life, and wood of life, by an amplification right excellent, is none other, but that the bleſſed in the heauenly countrie ſhall be quickened of God, and preſerued in that happie life with highe delectation for euermore. And there is no doubte, but ye S. Iohn hath borrowed theſe thinges, as he doeth all the reſte, (ſins he is the expoſitour of the Prophetes) out of the Scriptures. And therefore hath he alluded to Paradiſe, whoſe deſcription ſet forth in the ſeconde of Geneſis, doeth with this deſcription of Heauen very well agree. For there ſpringeth alſo a riuer in Paradiſe, whiche immediately is diuided into foure heades and watereth the garden of pleaſure moſte pleaſauntly.The very paradiſe of ye faithfull is heauē it ſelfe. In the ſame Paradiſe is the wood, that is the tree of life, bryngyng forth liuely fruicte to the eaters: as it is expounded of S. Auſten in the .13. booke De ciuitate dei. The .20. chapter. But for the ſinne of our firſte parente we were caſte out of that Paradiſe: and Chriſte is come, to the ende he mighte brynge vsus agayne into Paradiſe, that is to ſaye into high felicitie. Now therefore that trewe paradiſe, prepared for vsus of Chriſte, is ſhewed in heauen, and is here deſcribed, into this Paradiſe entred the Lorde after death, and brought with him into the ſame alſo the faythfull thiefe, to whome he ſayed: verely I ſaye vntounto thee, this daye ſhalte thou be with me in paradiſe. Therefore ought we not here to forge to our ſelues the gardens of Aleinous in Earth, or in the ayre aboue the globe of the Mone, and reaſon of Paradiſe terreſtriall. Our Paradiſe is celeſtiall, whiche is prepared for vsus in heauen: as S. Paule hath ſayde in the thirde to the Philipp. And Paradiſe is called a garden of pleaſure, as at this preſente it is called a golden Citie or of preciouſe ſtones, verely by a trope on eyther ſide. Hereunto apperteyneth alſo a place of Zacharie in the .14. chapter. There is alſo an other place of Scripture in the .47. chapt. of Ezechiel. Whiche is this, and tranſlated or written out by S. Iohn into this place in a maner worde for worde: by the riuer ſayeth he, on eyther ſide of it ſhall growe vp all maner trees that beare fruicte, whoſe leaues ſhall not falle, nor the fruictes fayle, but eueryevery monethmonth ſhal they bring forth newe fruictes. For their waters flowe out of the ſanctuarie, and their fruictes ſhal be meate, and their leaues medicinable. And Ezechiel vnderunder a figure ſeeth that ſame bleſſed life, and happie ſeates, whiche S. Iohn at this preſent ſeeth, by the ſhewyng of the Angell. And eyther of them both ſeeth the happie ſeates after the ſame ſorte, & vnderunder the like figure. For there is one only bleſſednes, common to al the faythfull of the whole world. The Patriarches, Prophetes, Apoſtles, and Martirs atchieue all one felicitie. They ſee the Riuer on eyther ſide, and the ſame runnyng out of the Sanctuarie, or ſeate of God. They ſee on eyther ſide the riuer, trees planted that bryng forth the fruictes of life. They bring forth fruictes eueryevery monethmonth freſſhe and newe: and the leaues of eyther do heale. I ſuppoſe the olde Poetes borrowed out of the Scriptures ſuche thinges as they wrote in verſes concerning Ambroſia and Nectar, the meate and drinke of the Goddes.the meates & drinkes of goddes. That ſhorte verſe of Martiall is knowen.
Ambroſia is the meate, and Nectar drynke of Ioue.
And Grammarians deriue thoſe vocables of immortalitie. But our S. Iohn here reaſonyng more elegantly & better of theſe matters, ſayeth, how the Aungel ſhewed him a riuer, which he commendeth vntounto him by ſuch properties, as water is wonte to be cōmended: of the purenes, brightnes, and clearenes. He addeth a parable, whiche geueth light to that he hath ſayde, and ſayeth, cleare as a chriſtal. After he addeth, that this riuer is the riuer of the water of life, to witte liuely water, which preſerueth the drinkers therof in life. Finally he ſheweth alſo the originall or ſpringe head of this riuer, deriuyng the ſame from the ſeate of God, of the whiche ſeate or Trone I hauehave ſpoken in the .4. and .5. chapter of this booke. And by all theſe thinges is ſignified nothing els, but that life procedeth of God alone, which he geueth to thē that ſerue him in that bleſſed countrie pure, cleare, bright, moſte tried and moſt perfit, and altogether diuine. Touchyng the liuely ſpringes and fountaynes of waters, we hauehave touched ſome what in the ende of the .7. chapt. of this boke. Marke againe, that God & the lambe are ſo ioyned together againe, that no man vnleſſe he be madde, wil denie the ſonne to be of the ſame ſubſtaunce with the father.
The vitaile of this citie.Now followeth the victual of this diuine citie. The meate in the coūtrie euerlaſtyng, is the tree of life. And it is the Hebrewe phraſe the woode of life, for the tree of life, or liuely meate. For there is added bearing fruicte. And whether you vnderſtande that S. Iohn ſawe one only tree, as alſo in paradiſe was one tree only: or mo, as in Ezechiel, ſo that by the general word we maye vnderſtande the particular kindes of trees, it ſhal be all one. The Situation of the tree he ſheweth dilligently, to be ſette in the middes of the ſtrete of the Citie, and on eyther ſide the riuer (whereby doubtles is gathered that there were many trees) to witte on the bankes of the riuer, that they maye ſucke vp liuely iuyce out of the riuer, which floweth frō the Trone. And hereby I ſuppoſe is ſignified, that the heauenly fode is common and free for all, not locked vp, or kepte for a fewe. It is founde in the middes of the ſtrete of the citie: than doeth the meate ſtande opē, and is not hidde. And it draweth a liuely force out of ye riuer, whiche ſpringeth out of the ſeate. For that heauenly life is … God, & floweth to al his electe. Moreouer it is alſo declared moſte dilligently, what maner of fruicte this ſhal be: the tree of life ſayeth he,The fruic… doeth fructifie or bring forth fruicte twelue times in the yere, ſo that eueryevery monethmonth it beareth fruicte freſhe and newe. The firſt fruictes to men are deintie: and they that doe cōmonly abhorre olde fruicte, had rather hauehave newe. Therefore in that bleſſed coūtrie of oures ſhal nothing be tediouſe, vnpleaſaunt, lotheſome, or in any wiſe to be reiected, but all thinges ſhal be moſt pleaſaunt, moſt delicate or deintie, freſh and delectable.
Nowe alſo he neglecteth not the leaues, &, as Ezechiel did,The le… ues. ſheweth ſome vſe of the ſame. They ſerue, ſaieth he, for a medicine to heale ye people. Not yt ther ſhal be diſeaſes or ſores in yt heauēly coūtrie: but yt the bleſſed ſhal hauehave continual & perpetual helth. Theſe people he calleth gētiles: not yt the gētiles are yet vncleane, but for that thei were ones ſuche, but nowe beyng purged by Chriſte, liue hoale & ſounde for euer more.
And by thoſe allegories hath he hitherto figured by partes thoſe bleſſed ſeates,To what ende theſe are writtē. prepared for the faithfull in that euerlaſting countrie, vnderunder the Image of a moſte noble citie: which after he hath ſhewed vsus, he ſemeth as it were to hauehave opened heauen it ſelfe, and ſet forth the eternall felicitie to be ſene in a maner with mortall eyes, and euē to hauehave poincted with the fingar, to no other ende, than that we ſhould be ſtronge and conſtant in the fayth of our lord Ieſus Chriſt: & ſhould neuer thinke ones, who hath euer ſene thoſe bleſſed ſeates, whereunto we are called by the deniyng of all pleaſures? what yf thou ſhouldeſt diſpiſe the pleaſures preſente, and ſhuldeſt obteyne none in time to come? This thought is wicked. Faith teacheth thee otherwiſe. But what ſayeſt thou more? deſireſt thou to know and ſee ſuch things as God hath ſhewed thee? Thou haſt ſene enough and aboūdantly at this preſent. The lord hath ſheweth thee aboundantly enough of life and pleaſure celeſtial at this preſent. Indeuour now only, that the deuill, the world & Antichriſt troden vnderunder, thou mayeſt aſpire and be lifted vp into thoſe heauēly ſeates. Moreouer beware thou be not more curiouſe, than is mete or requiſite: and that thou ſekeſt not to knowe mo, and more exacte thinges of the heauenly towre, and perpetuall ioyes, than the Lord himſelf, which only knoweth theſe things, hath to thee reuealed. Let this euident demonſtration of eternal life ſuffice vsus. I beleue neuer none hath diſputed better or more rightly, more elegantly and more euidently of the bleſſed life, thā here S. Iohn hath done. Let vsus therefore repoſe our ſelues in God, let vsus beleue his wordes, let his reuelation ſuffice vsus, and let vsus deſire to be ioyned with him in this heauenly courte, in all felicitie and eternal life moſt perfit.
A …ome collected of ye doctrine of the bleſſed life.And now S. Iohn recollectyng the chiefeſt poinctes of this matter, and concludynge this place of eternall life, he finiſſheth this euerlaſtyng felicitie in ſeuen membres: whiche we will but touche only, for that many thinke we hauehave ſpoken hereof already ſufficiently, and plentifully enough. And to beginne with al, there ſhal be no curſe, no execration, no malediction, nother warre, nor famine, nor diſeaſes, nor yet any ſuche thing,There ſhal be no more curſe. as is recited of Moſes emonges the curſes in the 27. and .28. of Deuter. Not that all are accurſed, whiche are ſubiecte to the ſame. For Iob and other holy menne, were tormented with ſickenes: but that commonly the accurſed, vnbeleuers and wicked are plaged there with. Not that they ſhould be exerciſed and profit in godlines, but that thei ſhuld firſt be afflicted here, & ſo by certen degrees paſſe vntounto greater tormentes. What than?
The ſeate of God in the citie.The ſecond membre inſeweth: but the Trone of God and of the Lambe ſhal be in that citie. To witte the kingdome of God ſhal be there, and God ſhal raygne and al bleſſyng, no malediction, in the choſen. Therefore what ioyefull thinges ſo euer the Prophetes Chriſt and the Apoſtles hauehave ſpokē of the kingedome of God, the ſame ſhal be in heauen, and the bleſſed ſhal hauehave the fruition thereof. And agayne are ioyned together inſeperablely the father and the ſonne in the vnitie of eſſence, which neuertheleſſe in the diſtaūce of perſones are excedingly wel not diuided, but diſcerned. Theſe miſteries of the bleſſed Trinitie are knowen vntounto the faythful.
His ſeruātes ſhall ſerue him.Here followeth the third membre. Some may maruaile, what the bleſſed ſhal do in the world euerlaſtyng. Therefore S. Iohn ſayeth, and his ſ…uauntes, foreign, ſhall ſerue him, God I ſaye and the Lambe, they ſhall worſhippe him in honouryng, prayſing, & magnifiyng him for euer. Therefore ſhal they wholy addicte themſelues to godly worſhippyng. Whiche thing ſhall in dede be to him great pleaſure. As alſo S. Auſten ſheweth in an other place.
Fourthly, they ſhal ſee the face of God.They ſhall ſee ye face of God. S. Auſten treateth much of ſeyng of God, to Paulina: and warneth godly, that we ſhoulde not here Imagine to our ſelues carnall thinges. Moſes in the .33. of Exodus. And Philippe the Apoſtle in the .14. of Iohn hauehave accompted it for the highe felicitie to ſee God, as he is, and as it is commonly ſayde, face to face. And there is vndoubtedly in this ſighte and fruition, highe felicitie and ioye euerlaſtyng and moſte complete: howebeit in this preſent world, as the lorde ſayde to Moſes, it chaunceth to no mā. The holy fathers hauehave in dede ſene God, but by a ſhape, and ſo farre forth as he hath voucheſaued to reueale and ſhewe himſelfe to them to be ſene. Like as Tertullian ſheweth in the boke agaynſte Praxeas: but with full eye, to ſee the full glory of God with ioye ineſtimable, is than firſte graunted vsus, what time beyng deliuered from miſerie, and purged frō corruption, we ſhal alſo in body be clarified: than at the laſte, as S. Iohn ſayde alſo in the .1. of Iohn the .3. we ſhall ſee him as he is. Iob moſte rightuouſe ſpeakyng of this viſion of God,Iob. 19. ſayde: when they ſhal hauehave put aboute or clothed (to wit the father, ſonne, & holy ghoſte) this (namely my body) with my fleſhe: I ſhall beholde God out of my fleſſhe: whome I ſhall ſee to my ſelfe, and mine eyes ſhall loke vponupon, and no other. The which is my only deſire. Of this ſeyng ſpake Paule alſo the Doctour of Gentiles, and ſayde: nowe we ſee in a glaſſe,1. Corinth. 13. euen in a darke ſpeaking: but then ſhall we ſee face to face, &c. And of this viſion S. Auſten hath alſo diſputed in his booke De ciuitate dei. aboute the ende.
Fiftely, they ſhal hauehave ye name of God in their foreheads:The name of God written in their foreheades. eyther becauſe they ſhal be the children of God, as we hauehave hearde in the Epiſtle to the Philadelphians, in the .3. chapter of this boke. And verely in the coūtrie celeſtiall it ſhal be manifeſtly knowen to all, who be the children of God: In this world they are commonly taken for the children of the deuill which in very dede are the childrē of god. But this ſhal clerely appere in an other world, to ye great glory of ye choſen. And verely the brightnes of God ſhal ſhine from the foreheades, or countenances of the electe: as in times paſt the brightnes of the lord ſhone from the face of Moſes & Chriſte. Or becauſe al Sainctes ſhal knowe one an other, ſins the vertue of God reſteth in their countenaunces: which ſenſe I perceyue hath pleaſed Primaſius. Or for that they ſhal be prieſtes before the Lord for euermore: as the prophetes hauehave taught of the choſen. In olde time the high prieſte bare the very name of God in his forehead in a plate of golde, bounden to his head with a laſe. Vndoubtedly in the heauenly countrie the glory of the children of God ſhal be wonderfull greate, of thoſe chiefely that hauehave confeſſed the name of Chriſt in earth: for theſe the celeſtial father ſhal glorifie.
God lightneth the choſen.In the ſixte mēbre is repeted agayne, which hath ones or twiſe ben ſpokē before, that the electe in heauē are illumined with the glory diuine, wherof hath ben ſpokē enough before.
In the laſt and ſeuenth membre compriſyng as it were all thinges of life and felicitie, and vttering with one word: they ſhal raygne,They ſhal raigne. ſayeth he, for euer more. The lord Ieſus graunt to vsus his faithful, that ſuche thinges as we hauehave now hearde plentifully of his mouth, we may ſhortely experience in our ſoules and bodies, and may crie with ioye, to God the father moſt mercifull, and to Ieſu Chriſt the redemer moſt mightie and benigne, and to the holy ghoſt the moſt ſwete comforter be prayſe and glory for euer more. Amen.