A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 28
¶ Here is deſcribed adoration and prayſe geuyng or an Himne ſonge vntounto Chriſt of the beaſts and Elders. The .xxviij. Sermon.
ANd when he had taken the boke, the foure beaſtes, and .xxiiii. Elders fel downe before the lambe, hauynge Harpes and golden Vialles ful of odours (which are the prayers of Sainctes) and they ſange a newe ſonge, ſaiyng: Thou arte worthy to take the boke, and to open the Seales therof: for thou waſte killed, & haſte redemed vsus by thy bloud, out of all kinredes and tongues, and people and natiōs, and haſte made vsus vntounto our God, Kinges and Prieſtes, and we ſhall reigne on the earth.
We hauehave hearde,Chriſt is ye true & only monarche. that the lambe hath receyued the boke of the hande of him that ſitteth in the Throne, that he might open it, and lowſe the ſeales of the ſame: that is we hauehave vnderſtande, that Chriſt is the only and eternall Sauiour and Lorde, vntounto whome all power is geuen in heauen and earth: that he than only and euermore ſaueth, that he reuealeth to vsus the miſteries and iudgementes of God, that he finally gouerneth and diſpoſeth al thinges in the worlde. It followeth moreouer how al the creatures of God behaued them ſelues towardes this ſonne of God, the monarche and gouernour of al thinges. This thing is ſet forth with a maruelouſe figuratiue and plentiful ſpeache in the Tipe of the .iiii. beaſts, and xxiiii. Elders, &c. Certenly that we might of their geſtures, wordes, and workes vnderſtande, what it is mete for vsus to do in the iudgementes of God.
For this example is verely manifolde, and euen of ſixe partes, ſuche as you ſhall hardely finde propounded in any other matter.An exāple manifolde whereby we learne how to behaue oure ſelues towardes ye gouernour of al thīgs. And in this matter is of very greate force. Firſt in dede we hauehave hearde in the .iiii. chapt. that the foure beaſtes cried out before the Throne of him that ſate: holy, holy, holy, lord God omnipotent. Seconde we vnderſtande that the .xxiiii. Elders fel doune, worſhipped, caſt away their crownes, and ſange an Himne. Nowe followeth the thirde degree of this example. For as firſte the beaſtes and Elders did theſe thinges ſeuerally, ſo now ioyntly with one accorde the beaſtes and Elders fal downe together before the lābe. Let vsus therefore fall downe alſo in all the iudgementes and workes of God, before the lambe gouernour of al, and let vsus worſhip. For although it be not here added, and they worſhipped: yet are they to be vnderſtand for this intent to hauehave fallen downe, that they might worſhip. For to fal downe, is to worſhip. Whiche thing is alſo perceiued by this that foloweth.The lābe is worſhipped. For they offer praiers to the lambe, that is to witte, ſinge an Himne, whiche is a parte of godly worſhippinge. Morouer it foloweth immediately, that eueryevery creature ſang an Himne to him that ſetteth in the Throne, and to the lābe, &c. And verely two thinges eſpecially and diligently S. Iohn treateth in this example. For firſt he painteth out gallauntly the behauiour of the beaſtes and elders. After he annexeth the Himne, prayſe geuyng, or ſonge. And ſo much as apperteyneth their behauiour. Afore al thinges they fal downe before the lambe: as euen nowe I ſayed.
Chriſte is very God to be worſhipped wt the father in the ſame glory.And this place is of efficacitie enough to proue the deitie of our Sauiour Chriſte. For theſe thinges ought to be conferred with thoſe whiche are written vponupon the ſame wordes in the .iiii. chapt. The .xxiiii. Elders fell downe before him that ſitteth in the Throne, and worſhippe him that liueth for euer and euer: And now it is ſayed, that the ſelfe ſame elders hauehave fallen downe before the lambe: wherupon it followeth that he that liueth for euer and the lambe be worſhipped with like glory, culte, and honour: And that the ſonne is coequall with the father, to be worſhipped for euer. Wherby now is opēly perceyued the abominable and deteſtable errour of Arius and Seruetus,Seruetus renewed ye blaſphemy of Arrius. confuted at this preſent not only of the beaſtes, but alſo of the whole cōgregation of Sainctes in heauē. Idle men reaſon ſubtilly, and peruerte & wraſte gods worde after their wonted giantly boldenes, at their pleaſure: we wil rather followe the examples of all ſainctes and creatures in the worlde, and will worſhip the lambe with hym that ſitteth in the throne bleſſed for euermore.
Agayne there are obiecte to vsus the Elders liyng proſtrate on the pauement, holding in their hādes harpes and vialles.Harpes & vialles. An harpe in the Pſalmes and holy hiſtorie is an inſtrument of muſicke, cōſecrate to prayſes diuine. Of the vialle, of what ſhape or faſhion the cuppe was, the writers of veſſelles treate muche: I vnderſtande it to be ſimply a cuppe or a bolle, ſuche as we reade there were many in the tabernacle and temple, appoincted bothe for drinke offeringes, and alſo for ſwete odours and incenſe. Neuertheleſſe theſe thinges in the holy heauenly dwellers be not to be taken corporally, but ſpiritually, after a ſuffiguration. For what the ſpirite of God vnderſtode, the reuealer of ſecrettes, S. Iohn him ſelfe addeth which be the prayers of Sainctes. Therfore is ſignified, that Sainctes offer prayers to God: whiche are muche more acceptable to him,Muſicke & incenſe prayer. than the ſwete melodie of Muſicall inſtrumentes is to man, or pleaſaunt ſauour of ſwete gumes or of incenſe. Aretas the expoſitour, in that they hauehave Harpes, ſayeth he, it ſheweth a concorde and agrement in geuynge God thankes. And herof we learne agayne, what we ſhould do in the contemplation & vnderſtanding of the iudgementes and workes of God. The lord is to be prayſed & bleſſed, becauſe he is good, and his mercy indureth for euer. But if thankes muſt be geuen to God, if his workes and iudgmentes are to be prayſed, why do certen men expoſtulate with God, blamyng, or bringing in ſuſpicion his iudgemētes? let vsus learne moreouer, that Organes and thoſe corporall incenſes do no longer become the churche of God.
Of this place S. Ireney in the 4. boke agaynſte hereſies,The true ſacrifice of Chriſtiās. in the .33. and .34. chapt. ſheweth, that the prayers and thankes geuyng of Sainctes be the ſame oblation whiche Malachie prophecied to be offered vp through out the whole worlde. And ſhortely after Tertullian followed the ſame expoſition agyynſt the Iewes, and in the iiii. boke agaynſte Marcion: whom other doctours of the Churche hauehave followed. But thoſe pleaſaunt ſophiſticall triflers, I meane the popiſſhe diuines, do as it were triumph in thoſe thinges, yet leade they in the meane time a ſhadowyng and a moſt vaine triumphe. For they applie theſe thinges to their ſacrifice, wherin they fayne them ſelues vnderunder the ſome of bread & wine to offer vp to God the father the body & bloud of Chriſt, a propiciatory ſacrifice for the quicke and the dead. But Ireney and Tertullian ſpeake not of ſuch a ſacrifice, but of the oblation of prayers, which the maſſemonging Prieſte offereth not vp alone, but the whole cōgregation of Chriſt ſanctified in his bloud, geuynge thankes in the lordes ſupper to God the father for theyr free redemption. Theſe holy fathers neuer knewe the ſale Maſſes of theſe Chananites.
Againſte praying to ſainctes in Heauen.Of this ſame place of S. Iohn the ſelfe ſame Papiſtes go aboute to proue and to eſtabliſhe the praying to Sainctes in heauen. Beholde, ſaye they, the Sainctes are ſayed to praye openly in heauē. But they nede not to praye for them ſelues, and therefore as interceſſours and Patrones they praye for their clientes and worſhippers in Earth. I aunſwer, that the Sainctes in dede praye in heauen, but that you addyng the kinde and maner of praying, do expounde it to be interceſſion, patchyng to a piece of your owne, do forge and coūtrefet the ſame, and maliciouſly and falſely do belye it. S. Iohn here expoundeth him ſelfe, ſo that he nedeth not your patchyng. For he addeth, and they ſinge a newe ſonge. Yea and he reciteth the whole fourme of this ſong, leeſte any mā ſhould corrupte that whiche he had ſayed of prayers. And that ſame fourme conteyneth prayſe and bleſſing or thankes geuyng, and not interceſſion, or inuocation. For certayne it is euen by the doctrine of the Apoſtle. 1. Timoth. 2. and to the Philipp. 4. that there be two chiefe kindes of prayer: inuocation and prayſe or thankes geuyng. But the thing it ſelfe playnly proueth, that S. Iohn ſpeaketh here of the latter, and not of the firſt.The ſhadowes of ye lawe are expoūded. And where as this place expoundeth certen Tipes, ſhadowes or miſteries of Gods lawe, by the ſame we maye rather confute the interceſſion of Sainctes in Heauen, for their worſhippers. For in the lawe is permitted one onlye golden Aultar of incenſe. And the ſame repreſented a figure of Chriſt. For one Chriſte is the mediatour and interceſſour betwixt God and man. It was not laweful for the people of God, to burne incenſe, but vponupon this Aultar only. It was not laweful for any man, to prepare or make for him ſelfe an odour of thoſe kinde of gumes, whereof the diuine incenſe conſiſted, and to ſmell to it: as appereth in the .30. of Exodus. Whie than doe not theſe vnderſtande, that prayers belonge to God alone, and that the Sainctes in Heauen woulde not ſmell of ſuche incenſe? Dauid in the .141. pſalm. ſayeth, let my prayer be directed as incenſe in thy ſighte, the liſtynge vp of my handes an euening ſacrifice. The Deuill deſireth to hauehave ſuche maner of incenſes to be made vntounto him: As appereth in the .4. of Matth. and in S. Auſten of the Citie of God. But our heauenly Sainctes, are not Deuilles. Whie vnderſtonde they not that this Aultar of incenſe ſtandeth nowe in Heauen on the ryght hande of the father, and there maketh interceſſion for vsus: and that for his ſake the father is reconciled to vsus, and we are accepted of God, and that by him alone we muſte offer vp our prayers vntounto God, whiche are els abominable? Whie ſee they not the heauenly Sainctes at this preſent to attribute al things to the only lambe alone, and to chalenge nothyng to them ſelues? Finally that they make no mention of their worſhippers: but plainely teſtifie, that the only lambe was and is worthie, whiche ſhould take the boke, &c.
And the praiſe or thankes geuing of the heauenly ſainctes he hath called a newe ſonge,What is a newe ſong. whiche in the Scriptures is no newe thynge. For the Sainctes ſaye, that they will ſinge in Earth vntounto God a newe ſonge, Pſalm .xxxiii.xcvi.xcviii.cxliiii. Eſaye .xlij. And newe ſonges be called theſe newe balades or verſes in meter, whyche are made of ſome newe benefite or noble acte done. And becauſe the minde of manne is delighted greately with newe benefites, they ſynge a newe ſonge, whyche with a ioyefull mynde prayſe GOD, and geue him thankes with theyr inwarde affections. Finallye they ſynge a newe ſonge, whiche wyth purified myndes and renewed with the Spirite doe laude GOD: whiche thynge was chiefely geuen to thoſe heauenly Sainctes. Whereof we learne agayne howe it behoueth our mindes to be affected and furniſſhed in the prayers and prayſes of GOD. This ſame, ſayeth Aretas, I cal a new ſonge, by whoſe benefite we, whiche beyng lighted in al partes of the earth, departing from the antiquitie of the lawe written, and walkynge in the newnes of life, are taught by the holy ghoſt to ſinge a geuing of thankes.
The himne or prayſe geuing of ye ſainctes in heauen.To theſe thynges nowe is added the Himne of Sainctes that we might alſo hauehave a fourme howe to prayſe God. And in the Hymne they ſinge, that al things are ſubiecte to chriſt, and al thinges ordered by his gouernment, that he humbled him ſelfe to the deathe, and was therefore exalted aboue all thinges. Now are alſo the vertues or effectes and wonderful benefites of his death cōmended vntounto vsus, that eſtemyng the gouernour of his benefites done to vsus, we maye beleue alſo that his gouernement ſhal be holeſome for vsus, and therefore maye ſubmitte our ſelues to him willingly in faythe and patience. Whiche verely is the chiefeſt ende of thoſe thinges whiche here are treated with ſo great diligence.
Chriſte alone is worthy to open the boke.Firſte they cōmende the Maieſtie and dignitie of Chriſt, that he alone is founde in the whole vniuerſal world, whiche hath rule ouer al, which is the only ſauiour of the world, the reuealer alſo of godly miſteries, and gouernour of all. For this is to take and to open the boke: whiche we hauehave nowe oft times repeted. Secondly they annexe the cauſe, why this glory ſhould be only of the lambe or ſonne of God: becauſe, ſaye they, thou waſte killed. And they vnderſtande by the leſſe the more, to witte his whole incarnation, and the whole miſterie of our redemption, death, reſurrection and aſcenſiō into heauen, and the reſidewe. He therefore is the true and only mediatour of God and men, he is the only ſauiour, as he that alone was incarnate & crucified for vsus: he is the only gouernour, whiche by his humilitie deſerued to be exalted, Philipp. 2. And he is a moſt fitte gouernour of al thinges, as of whome al men maye, as of their moſt faithful ſauiour, and euen their brother, hope well, what thinges ſo euer chaunce vntounto them through his gouernement, &c.
The vertu & effecte of the death of Chriſte.In the meane time they cōmende moſt highly the vertue or effecte of Chriſtes death. For this beynge rightly vnderſtande we are more ready to ſubmitte our ſelues to that gouernour, whom we knowe to be our ſauiour, whiche loueth vsus derely, and would hauehave al ſaued. And the chiefeſt effect of Chriſtes death is redemption,Redēption redeminge includeth captiuitie. We were priſoners and ſeruauntes of ſinne, of death, and very bondeſlaues of the deuil and hel. And the ſonne of God came and toke fleſh, and ſhed his bloud (for ſo alſo is the maner of redemyng vsus expreſſed of the elders) and he hath waſſhed vsus from our ſinnes, and beyng purified he hath raunſomed vsus from the power of death, hel, ſinne and Sathan, that nowe we be of God. Therfore they ſaye expreſſely, thou haſt redemed vsus to God. We be therfore of God: the deuil hath no more power ouer vsus: we are the freemen of Chriſt, deliuered through his bloud. 1. Peter. 1. Hebrewes. 9. And for aſmuch as we be nowe of God, to witte iuſtified frely, by his grace, through the bloud of Chriſt, as the apoſtle ſayeth alſo in the 3. chapt. to the Romanes, we ought to ſerue God verely in the newnes of ſpirite, not the fleſh and the deuill, in the oldenes of the letter and of our fleſhe. Whiche the ſame Apoſtle diſcourſeth more at large in the 6. to the Romanes.
Whome alſo he hath redemed, they declare by the waye,Who are redemed. men verely of eueryevery tribe, &c. In the which reherſal he doeth Imitate Daniel in the 7. chap. and ſignifieth an vniuerſalitie. For the lord hath died for al: but that al are not made pertakers of this redemptiō, it is through their owne faulte. For the lord excludeth no man, but him only whiche through his owne incredulitie, and miſbelefe excludeth him ſelfe.
Of redēption followeth an other effect of Chriſtes death,Righteouſnes foloweth iuſtification and redemptiō. for that it maketh men iuſtified to God kinges and prieſtes. For they that be iuſtified, worke rightuouſnes. I hauehave expounded this place concerning the prieſthood and kingdom of Chriſtians in the firſte chapter where you maye hauehave it.
The Sainctes adde moreouer that they ſhal reygne vponupon earth, to wit through the vertue of Chriſt: not corporally,How ſainctes raigne vponupon earth as the Millenaries do imagine, and the Turkes followyng the ſame, imaginyng corporal thinges in this worlde, and ioyes in Paradiſe terreſtriall. For the whole ſcripture promiſeth better thinges. Neither muſt the godly be ſo geuen to corporal thinges, that they ſhould hope for nothing aboue corporal matters. The Sainctes ſpeake here of the laſt iudgement wherin it ſhal appere to the whole world, and to al that dwel vponupon the earth, that the Sainctes, which ſome time ſemed to the world to hauehave ben wicked, vngodly, peacebreakers, heretickes, and parricides, and for the ſame cauſe hauehave ben ſlaine, be iuſt, holy kinges and prieſtes of God. So I ſaie they ſhal reigne vpō earth. The which thing is declared more at large in the .iii. and .v. chapt. of the boke of wiſedome.
Let the Sainctes, I ſaie, conſider theſe thinges, when they be oppreſſed of the wicked for the veritie and rightuouſnes, through ye permiſſiō of Chriſt gouernour of al, in this world, let them neuertheleſſe glorifie the Lord God, and praiſe him without ceaſyng. To him be glory for euer.