A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 36
¶ Here is expounded who they be that are are clothed in white, from whence is ſaluation, and what is the trewe bleſſednes. The .xxxvi. Sermon.
ANd one of the elders aunſwered, ſaying vntounto me: what are theſe which are arayed in longe white garmentes, & whence came they? And I ſayed vntounto him, lorde thou woteſt. And he ſayed vntounto me: theſe are they whiche came out of greate tribulation, and made their garmentes large, and made them white in the bloud of the lambe: therfore are they in the preſence of the ſeate of God, and ſerue him daye and night in his temple, and he that ſitteth in the ſeate, will dwel emong thē. They ſhal honger no more, nother thirſt, nother ſhall the ſunne light on them, nother any heate: For the lambe whiche is in the middes of the ſeate, ſhall fede them, and ſhall leade them to fountaynes of liuyng water: And God ſhall wipe awaye all teares from theyr eyes.
The occaſion of this expoſition.S. Iohn ſaw the ſoules of Martirs reſting vnderunder the aultar, couered with white garmentes. The ſelfe ſame ſawe an infinite multitude of all nations and people, ſaued from the Idolatrie of the gentiles, and ſuperſtition of Antichriſt, couered alſo with white garmentes. VponUpon this occaſion three thinges ſhal now be expoūded vntounto vsus, what they are which are clothed in white garmēts? whence they hauehave that whitenes, purenes, and ſaluation? Finally what is the ſtate or felicitie of theſe, or what is the trewe bleſſednes?
The weaknes of mās vnderſtandinge is holpen by an expoſitiō diuine.What time S. Iohn had ſene them, he marueled without al doubte, what they were, neuertheleſſe he is red to hauehave inquired nothing. But of his owne accorde one of the .xxiiii. Elders, offereth him ſelfe to him an expoſitour, doubtles an excellent teacher, a Patriarche and prophet, finally a maiſter celeſtial, to whome we maye iuſtely geue credit. Here appereth the ignoraunce of mans witte. For like as the Eunuche of Aethiopia in the .8. Chapt. of the Actes of Apoſtles acknowledgeth his ignoraunce, excepte an interpretour and mete teacher were geuē him: ſo at this preſent alſo bleſſed S. Iohn him ſelfe beyng demaunded, whether he knewe them that were appareled in white, confeſſeth his want of knowledge: yet he aſcribeth to his teacher the knowledge therof, by this meane through a moſt humble modeſtie requiring a further declaration. Finally here appereth the vnmeaſurable goodnes of God, which taketh in hande to teache vsus that are rude and vnworthy. We hauehave many exāples herof eueryevery where in the prophetes, and in the holy goſpel of Chriſt.
And in the beginnyng ſtreyght wayes he declareth to S. Iohn, and to all the faithful in the world,What the… are, & from whēce thee come clothed in white what theſe are that are clothed in white: And expoundeth with all from whence they came. For with one & the ſame aunſwere he diſpatcheth both two. He ſayeth briefly, that the clothed with white in Heauen be the godly people of all times and ages, whiche at the length hauehave eſcaped (foreign) out of great tribulation. Tribulation is founde to be ſondry and diuerſe. For firſt it is tribulation, which cometh of laying wayte and perſecution of Tirauntes. This apperteineth to Martirs alone. Wherof we hauehave ſpoken in the .6. chapt. Whiche for aſmuch as in this worlde they were ouerwhelmed with reproches vnſpeakeable, for the worde of God, they hauehave in an other world receiued white garmentes. Than is there an other tribulation, which arriſeth of the feare of God, and is a care of obteyning ſaluation. This is ſory for the vnrightuouſenes and corruption of man. It is ſory for the greuouſe abominations of Antichriſt. And theſe alſo, albeit they be not made Martirs, yet are thei in an other life clothed with white. Finally they hauehave tribulatiōs and are moleſted after the fleſh, ſo many as mortifie their fleſhe with the concupiſcēces therof. And becauſe thei mourne here, in the world to come they ſhal receyue comforte and conſolation.
Agayne leeſte any man ſhould aſcribe life and ſaluation to martirdom as to our worke,Frō whēce is lyfe and ſaluation. and to repentaūce as to our deſerte, the Lord moreouer declareth by thelder expreſſely, frō whence that life and ſaluatiō procedeth, and how that whitenes and puretie chaunceth vntounto vsus. And they hauehave waſſhed their garmentes, ſayeth he, and made them white by the bloud of the lambe. And here is founde a diuerſe readyng. And foreign, that is, that they hauehave inlarged their garmentes, ſo that he might appere to hauehave alluded to the families of great Princes, which vſe, for the ſettyng forth of their renowne, to put on moſte wide and moſte ſumptuouſe garmentes. But in my opinion the complutenſian copie and Aretas ſeme to reade more rightly and more ſimply or plainly, and foreign, hauehave waſſhed, as alſo the olde interpretour hath tranſlated it. For by this expoſition by & by followeth, and hauehave made white. Primaſius readeth, and hauehave made their garments white in the bloud of the Lambe. And herby is ſignified, that the ſaluation and purification of the faythfull is of the bloud of Chriſt,how bloud ſpringled ſhould purifie. and of non other thing. Where verely bloud ſpringled whiteth not, but polluteth. Therfore muſt we vnderſtande theſe thinges ſpiritually, to witte that the very, natural and humane bloud of Chriſt, ſhed ones on the Croſſe, beyng ſprincled vponupon vsus ſpiritually (as S. Paull to the Hebrew. the .10. expoundeth) and receyued with fayth, although it touche vsus not naturally and corporally pourgeth vsus from al ſinnes. And therefore we reade in an other place, that Chriſt pourgeth vsus with his bloud. For bycauſe ſanctification is the only worke of God. Therfore where ye ſaintes are ſayed now to hauehave waſſhed, and whited their garments, by the bloud of the lambe. It ſignifieth that they hauehave receiued by faith the pourgatiō prepared by bloud. And this doctrine is catholicke and of the right faith, which hath ſo many and ſo great teſtimonies in the holy Scriptures. Finally we perceyue how thoſe whiche are ſaued from the kingdome of Antichriſt, are ſaued by the merite of Chriſt alone, & by none other thing, as I hauehave alſo ſhewed you before. Morouer by and by is inferred: therfore be they in the ſight of gods ſeate. For what cauſe I praye thee? bicauſe they hauehave waſhed and whited their garmentes in the bloud of the Lambe: therfore for the merite of Chriſt hauehave they entred into Heauen,What is the ſtate of ſainctes & the trewe bleſſednes. and there are inuironned or clothed with eternall light.
Finally the elder declareth moſte at large, what the ſtate of Sainctes is, and what is the trewe bleſſe of the faythfull. And theſe thinges are certen taſtes, ſet here for a cōſolation. Or els ſuch things as the eye hath not ſene, or ye eare hearde, that ſame hath God prepared for thoſe that louelove him. And he reciteth many thinges, of the which he wil hauehave vsus to gather the excellencie of eternal ſaluation, & what good thinges we obteyne in the ſame.
Firſt ſtand the Saincts before the Throne of God. In the Throne is the maieſtie of god to be worſhipped for euer and the bleſſed Trinitie. And the Sainctes ſtand before the ſeate, not as thei are wounte that tary before the gates. For as the moſt intier frendes of God, they are alwayes in the ſight of God, & hauehave the fruition of his deitie. Wherof the lord ſpeaking in the Goſpell: praye ye, ſayeth he, that ye maye eſcape theſe thinges, and ſtande before the ſonne of man. And alſo Dauid: the accompliſhment of ioyes is in thy ſight, and pleaſauntenes in thy right hande for euer. And there is annexed an other thing, which maye expoūde that ſtāding: they ſerue God in his Temple bothe day and night. That ſeruice hath pleaſure and no painefulnes. And thei ſerue God in the temple, as God is wonte to be ſerued in the Temple. For they kepe holy dayes, they are glad, reioyſe, be mery, prayſe: and ſo they offer vp ſacrifices, and are refreſſhed with heauenly repaſte. And this ioye ſhall be euerlaſtyng and perpetuall: which is ſignified by daie and night. Otherwiſe in the bleſſe euerlaſting there is no mighte at all, nor anye chaungeable courſe of time. Hereunto is added, that he that ſitteth in the ſeate, that is the diuine maieſtie, foreign, will dwell in them: that is to witte, God wil be al in al, or he wil leane ouer them, and as it were a tente or tabernacle, will ouerſhadowe them, defende and kepe them, and geue him ſelfe whole to be inioyed of them, as moſte familiar and frendely to them. Moreouer they ſhall honger no more, nother ſhall they thirſte. For all infirmitie and miſerie is taken awaye from the bleſſed ſoules, and bodies glorified. They are filled with al good thinges without any lothſomnes, with a moſt ioyeouſe fulfillynge. Nowe the ſunne falleth not vponupon them, nor the heate: whiche phraſe of ſpeache betokeneth, that they are put to no trauel nor paine, but are deliuered at ones from all diſpleaſure, and all paynefulnes, and to be at moſte pleaſaunt reſte.
Agayne is ſet in the cauſe of ſo greate felicitie, Chriſt the lambe, that is to ſaye Chriſt mediatour and redemer: in the middes of the ſeate, that is, very God. For he, as both Ezechiel. in .34. chapt. and the lord alſo him ſelfe in the .10. of Iohn. Witteneſſeth foreign that is to ſaie wil fede them,Chriſt fedeth and quikneth like a ſheperde, and as a Captaine of life will leade them to the fountaines of liuely water: that is to witte, will quicken them for euer, & preſerue all his in that felicitie. He vſeth in this treatiſe wordes of the prophetes moſt accuſtomed, and vſed eueryevery where, that climyng vntounto higher thinges, we might after ſome ſorte eſteme heauenly giftes. Hereunto he ioyneth as yet a notable benefite: and the Lord will wipe al teares from their eyes. Which wordes he hath borrowed of Eſaye. For Sainctes in this world tourmoyled with ſondry euils, hauehave ſhed moſt plentiful teares: but in the world to come, the Lord comforteth them, gladdyng them with ioye euerlaſting, nother geuyng thē at any time any occaſion of grefe.Iacob. 16 And therfore he ſayed in the Goſpel, verely I ſaye vntounto you, ye ſhall wepe and lament, but agayne the world ſhall reioyſe: and ye ſhal mourne, but your mournyng ſhal be tourned into ioye. And your harte ſhal reioyſe, and your ioye ſhal no man take from you. We ſhall heare the like thinges vntounto theſe alſo in 21. of the Apocalipſe. &c.
Againſt the cōtemners of ye bleſſed lyfe.Hereof they perceiue, howe ſhamefully they tranſgreſſe, which hauehave alwaies in their mouth, if I ſhould contene this life preſent for religiōs ſake, who ſhal tel me, what is yt other other life to come? perauenture if I neglecte this, in an other world I ſhal get nothing. For here we hauehave a moſt manifeſt teſtimony, that as moſt aſſured ſaluatiō is prepared of God in heauen for the faithful: ſo is it alſo moſte ample and great: in ſo much that the Apoſtle in an other place ſayeth, that th… afflictions of this time preſent are not egall, to ye glory which ſhal be reuealed to vsus. The Lord graunt vsus, that we maye acknowledge theſe thinges.