A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 31
¶ Here is opened the .iii. and .iiii. Seale, and is declared what the world ſhall ſuffer of honger and Peſtilence. The .xxxi. Sermon.
ANd when he opened the thirde Seale, I hearde the thirde beaſte ſaie: come and ſee. And I behelde and lo, a black horſe: and he that ſate on him, had a paire of Balaunces in his hande. And I hearde a voyce in the middes of the foure beaſtes ſay: A meaſure of wheate for a penny, and three meaſures of barley for a peny: and oyle and wine ſee thou hurte not.
And when he opened the fourth Seale, I hearde the voice of the fourth beaſt ſaye: come and ſee. And I loked, and beholde a pale Horſe, and his name that ſate on him was Death, and Hell followed after him, and power was geuen vntounto them ouer the fourth parte of the Earth, to kyll with ſworde, and with honger, and with death of the beaſtes of the Earth.
Chriſt exalted aboue all thinges,A repetitiō and Lord of all in heauen and in earth, openeth the ſeales of the boke diuine, that is to witte diſpoſeth and gouerneth with great rightuouſnes the ordenaunces and iudgementes of God: and firſte in dede he geueth a proſperouſe courſe to the preaching of the goſpell, ſendyng alwayes faythefull miniſters preachyng the Goſpel of the kyngdome of God, peace, and concorde. But for aſmuche as euyll men do contemne the Euangelical peace, they are certenly worthy to be moleſted with cruell warres. Therfore the lambe openeth the ſecond ſeale, and there ruſhe out cruel warres, ſlaughters, ſeditions and robberies.
Attention.But before the thirde Seale is opened, the thirde beaſt reſemblyng ye countenaunce of man, exhorteth vsus to take moſt diligent hede: that when we ſee theſe thinges come to paſſe whiche are here ſpoken of before, we ſhoulde conſider from whence they come, and for what cauſes they are ſente, and that they maye be tourned away by dewe repentaunce. Certen referre theſe thinges abſolutely to chaunce and fortune, ſome agayne to the naturall cauſes, of God, and the diuine operation no reſpect had at al: Where we knowe that God vſeth natural cauſes after his good wil and pleaſure. Let vsus watch therfore, loke and conſider, and know that the rightuouſe God worketh al thinges for the ſaluation of the choſen, and the ouerthrowe of his enemies. That blacke horſe with his rider, ſhewyng a balaunce in his hande, ſignifieth the vnfortunate or ſorrowfull time of ſcarſetie, famine and penurie of al thinges.The thirde ſeale is opened. For it is a worthie and a cōdigne puniſhment, that they that do nothing eſteme ye bread of life, nor hauehave no conſideration of the foode of ſoules, but both reiect it themſelues, and by their tirannical proclamations bringe to paſſe that it is not receiued of others, finally whiche for the bread of life do ſpoyle the godly of their goodes, and moſt wickedly waſte the ſame in all kinde of riot, ſhould be driuen to bie thinges neceſſary at exceſſiue prices: yea and can not finde things neceſſarie, but ſhould pine for honger. We know that the black colour is vſed in mourning and heuineſſe:The black horſe. and that when the fleſhe and bloud are conſumed for wante of meate, the ſkinne groweth blacke and euill fauoured: and therefore this horſe is blacke.
The rider of this horſe holdeth in his hande a balaunce? foreign,What zygon is. with two ſcales hanging at either ende of the beame, which we cal a paire of weightes. Aretas ſayeth that a balaunce is a token of right and equitie. For thou haſt ſitten, ſayeth Dauid vpō thy Throne which iudgeſt rightuouſnes: therfore is a balaunce the iudgement of the iuſt iudgment of God. Aretas hath not alledged theſe things amiſſe, howbeit we ought rather to preferre the expoſition of S. Iohn him ſelfe. For a voice is hearde from the middes of the beaſtes, which expoundeth to vsus the ballaunce. For it ſoundeth, a meaſureA meaſure. of wheate for a peny, and thre meaſures of barly for a peny. And this meaſured called Choinix, ſignifieth a diet or dayly meate: as Eraſmus hath in his prouerbe, ſitte not vponupon thy meaſure. The ſame in his annotations vponupon this place: Choinix, ſayeth he, is a meaſure of wheate, or other breadcorne, which is ſufficient for one dayes meate. Budaeus thinketh that it wayeth .iiii. pounde, Pollux. iii. The worde therfore ſignifieth, that a very little meate ſhal coſte a great price, and yet not to be gotten for monie. Which chaū ceth in the time of famine. What the Romane peny is worth Budaeus ſheweth: we vnderſtande by it playnly a great price. Therfore two things are ſignified, ſcarſitie or derth of corne, and famine. Dearth reiſeth the price beyond reaſon. Famin hath nothing to bie, though he hath neuer ſo muche monye liyng by him: but hongreth, waunteth, pineth, and at the laſt miſerably, conſumeth to naught: wherin verely dearth and famine do differ. The Germanes diſcerne them by ſeuerall wordes calling dearth ſcarſetie, and famine, honger. Yet are they for the moſt parte indiuiſible.
And we reade in the olde ſtorie of the Bible,Darth and famine. that for the contempte of the preaching of Gods lawe, and the bringing in of a ſtraunge kinde of worſhipping God, the Iſraelites in the times of Helias and Heliſaeus were moſt greuouſely puniſhed with honger and penurie. Theſe things be plentifully declared in the .3. boke of Kinges the .17. and .18. Chapt. Alſo in the .4. of Kinges, the .6. and .7. Chapt. Moreouer in the time of the Emperour Claudius, whileſt the Apoſtles preached the Goſpel faithfully, and the Iewes and Gentiles ſtoutely repulſing it, famine moſte greuouſely afflicted the Romane Empire: whiche thing S. Luke reherſeth in the Actes of the Apoſtles .11. chapt. Which thinges were done in dede before this reuelatiō was to S. Iohn exhibited. Sins that time the Hiſtoriographers recite ſondry and innumerable famines, dearthes and penuries, in diuerſe countries, ſent of God for contempte of the trueth. Nauclerus mentioneth of a famine in the yere of our lord. D.xxxix. wherin mothers alſo deuoured their owne children. What hath chaunced in our memory in thoſe warres of Millan and els where, it is no nede to reherſe. They be yet freſſhe in memory, and written in the ſtories of Galeacius Capella. We felt ſome parte herof alſo in the yere of our Lorde. M.D.XXIX. and the yeres followyng. The iuſte Lord puniſſheth, and more will puniſſhe the greate ingratitude, and contempte of his Godly worde: as he did in the deſtruction of Ieruſalem, woulde God it would pleaſe the worlde moſte blinde, through repentaunce to conuerte vntounto God when he puniſheth and with free and willing mindes imbrace the worde of veritie: for ſo ſhould ther be more felicitie and leſſe miſerie.
God forgetteth not his mercy in puniſſhyng.Howebeit for a comforte at the ende of this Seale is added, and Oyle and Wine ſee thou hurte not. He nameth the kindes moſte neceſſarie for the vſe of manne, and meaneth, that God doeth mercifully reſerue ſome thinges, that be chiefly neceſſarie for mans vſe, eſpecially for the electes ſake, that all ſhould not periſhe and pine in generall. Wherby we vnderſtande that the lorde forgetteth not his mercy, euen in the middes of afflictiō and plagues that he ſendeth. Thus in times paſte mindyng to puniſh Aegipte and other nations with famine, he ſent before Ioſeph, by whome he might preſerue the houſe of Iacob, and other people innumerable. You ſee herein moſt clerely, that it is of God, that ſometime the corne is blaſted, and the vines and oliues periſh: and to be of him, that the corne increaſeth, and wine alſo. So hath he alſo before proteſted in the lawe, Leuitic. 26. And Deuteron. 28.
the fourth ſeale is opened.We are comen nowe to the fourth Seale, at the opening whereof, and to beholde the operation, we are excited of the Egle, the fourth beaſte. Of whome we hauehave ſpoken before ones or twiſe. And the pale HorſeThe pale horſe. commeth forth, in Greke foreign, whyche coulour reſembleth withered graſſe and Herbes. Salomon in the .12. Chapt. of Eccleſ. calleth the coulour apperyng in dead bodies, and their countenaunces, Golden licour. All Poetes call death Pale. And the rider in dede is expreſſely called Death. We vnderſtande the courſe of the plage and of all diſeaſes, and euen of death it ſelfe: whome Hell followeth, that is to ſaye a pitte or a graue. For Scheol in Hebrewe ſignifieth a pitte or a graue. But if you will nedes vnderſtande it of the place of them that be damned, doubtles they be caried headlong into Hel, ſo many as here with ſickenes conſumed, die with out fayth and repentaūce. Therfore hell followeth death rightly. But if thou hadſt rather by hel vnderſtande, a graue: it ſignifieth that all ſhal be ful of coarſes and ſepulchres.
And that in dede plagues and peſtilēces moſt mortal hauehave ſore afflicted the Romane Empire,Plague & diſeaſes. Oroſius is wittenes in his ſeuenth boke in the Actes of L. Aurel. Verus and Decius Emperours, the moſt cruell perſecutours of our fayth. Euagrius in the .29 Chapter, of the .4. Boke of the Eccleſiaſt. ſtory telleth of a maruelouſe plague that laſted about .50. yeres. And all men knowe with what a peſtilence and ſoden death Italy was waſted in the time of Maurice Emperour. And Gregory biſhoppe of Rome. The time would fayle me, in caſe I would recite out of Hiſtories al the plagues and calamities of all times. What is done at this daye, and hath ben done in our memorie, you your ſelues knowe beſte. There are ſpronge vp newe diſeaſes, whoſe names to our elders were neuer knowen. With theſe euilles and calamities God waſteth the worlde, and euer hath done to the intente that by plagues he might call vsus agayne to repentaunce. Thus verely we ſhall iudge alwayes of calamities. Yf any iudge otherwiſe, they are not amended, therfore are they puniſhed here, and after this ſhal burne in perpetual tourmentes.
To theſe moreouer is added an other thinge alſo,Foure ſcourges againſt the incurable. and power was geuen them, &c. For when menne will not amende with ſimple Calamities, the euilles or plagues of God are doubled. The ſame are raccompted in the lyke order and nombre with the Prophetes, Ieremie the .15. Chapt. and Ezechiel in the .14. Chapter. For they be theſe, Sworde, Famine, Death or Peſtilence, and beaſtes: ſo are they recited in the Lawe alſo. With theſe as it were ſent in from the iiii. partes of the world, God moſt rightuouſe executeth his iudgementes.
And let vsus obſerue this chiefly, that power is geuen thē of God to kil, and that ouer the fourth parte of the Earth. For we learne, that God alone is he that quickeneth, and ſleyeth, and that he worketh the ſame moſte iuſtely by his inſtrumentes, finally that al his thinges are numbred and done in order. Wherupon he powreth out his furie vponupon the thirde parte of the world. For he knoweth, whom he ſhuld puniſh, and whom he ſhould nurriſhe tenderly.
A… miſery.Certenly ſtories teſtifie, how in deſperate matters, when all thinges are brought to an extremitie of miſchiefe, God hath brought in ſworde, peſtilence, famine, & beaſtes, which hauehave plaged men. And ful aptly here doeth Aretas recite the wordes of his predeceſſour S. Andrew, Biſſhop of Ceſaria out of the Eccleſ. ſtory of Euſebius, in the .9. boke .8. chapt. And verely with in the fiue hōdreth laſt yeres, Hiſtoriographers tel of many ſuche like thinges, and we hauehave ſene ſome.
Therfore if we couet to be quitte of ſo great euilles, let vsus ſerue God in trueth, annd make muche of his worde, which he hath ſent to heale vsus. And reaſon it is that ſuch as reiecte ſoūde doctrine, ſhould be vexed with ſondry diſeaſes of ſoule and body, &c.
The good are alſo ſubiecte to theſe euils.You wil ſaye, but theſe euilles inuade alſo the beſt that is. So they doe in dede. Whie God permitteth this S. Auſten ſheweth at large in the firſt boke of the citie of God. Certenly to the godly al thinges tourne to the beſt. The theues ſuffered the ſame death of the croſſe, that Chriſt did, and he as they: but the conſideration of them is farre diuerſe. The apoſtles and innumerable Martirs dye of the ſworde, likewiſe do ſoldiours in the warres, but with vnlike lot. The Godly are made pertakers of the paſſion of the ſonne of God. The vngodly are puniſſhed for their wickednes, and their ſufferyng is without glory: yea rather this is the begynning, vnleſſe thei acknowledge him that ſtriketh them, of euerlaſting tourmentes, The Lorde preſerue vsus from euyll.