A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 37
¶ Whileſt the .vii. Seale is opened, and the Aungels with trompettes come forth, Chriſt the interceſſour of his church offereth vp before his father the praiers of his faithful. The .xxxvij. Sermon.
ANd when he had opened the .vii. The .8. chapt.ſeale, there was ſilēce in Heauen about the ſpace of half an houre. And I ſawe ſeuen Aungels ſtandyng before God, & to them were geuen ſeuen trompettes. And an other Aungell came and ſtoode before the Aultar, hauing a golden cenſer, & much of odoures was geuen vntounto him, that he ſhoulde offer of the prayers of al ſainctes vponupon the goldē aultar, whiche was before the ſeate. And the ſmoke of the odoures whiche came of the prayers of al ſainctes, aſcended vp before God out of the Aungels hand. And the Aungel toke the cenſer, and filled it with fire of the Aultar, and caſte it into the earth, and voices were made, and Thonderinges, and Lightninges, and Earthquake.
I ſuppoſe ther be no bokes in the world, of whomſoeuer,The excellency of ye bookes of holy ſcripture. or when ſoeuer they were written, which maye cōpare with the bokes of holy ſcripture, as concerning the ſincere veritie, pure ſimplecitie, and plaine order. Nother perauenture that maye ſeme any maruell to any man, knowing that the ſame are written in dede of men, but inſpired of the holy ghoſte. There be edifices moſt ſkilfully builded of men, and framed and cōtriued in a moſt goodly order. But what beaultie wil you iudge them to hauehave, in caſe ye compare them with the creation of the worlde, and with that moſt beaultifull order, whiche we ſee dayly in all thinges created, and chaungeable courſe of times? the moſte excellent workes of men hauehave nothyng in them, yea ſeme vile, in caſe you compare them with the workemanſhip of God the creatour.A recapitulation. But for the moſte bright order and moſt playne treatiſe this boke of the Apocalipſe hath emonges others moſte notable, an excellent and wonderfull prayſe. S. Iohn promiſed a ſome of the matter, ſignifiyng that he wold ſpeake of thoſe thinges, which ſhuld be done in the church from his time vntil the iudgemēt. And the faithfull doe knowe to what ende they ſhould take thoſe thinges, not to thintent their curioſitie might be mainteined or ſatiſfied: but that they ſufficiently warned before, ſhuld not fal, but take hede to themſelues & hold faſte the true ſaluatiō. And foraſmuch as there is muche talke emonges men; whie God doeth thus, or permitteth that, and whie he prohibiteth not theſe or thoſe thinges: S. Iohn hath exhibited to vsus a moſt holeſom viſiō, by ye which we may learne not to talke againſt God, & not to contende with him but to acknowledge, al his iudgments to be rightuouſe & iuſt. Which thing verely both al the Sainctes in heauen, and alſo angelicall ſpirites do acknowledge, and attribute to God al glory. And thus hauing prepared the mindes of the Auditours, he cometh to ye thing it ſelf, and declareth the fatall deſtenies of the church. VnderUnder the .vi. ſeale he toucheth generally the corruptiō of doctrine, which ſins it is more perillouſe & more peſtilent than al daū gers of mans body, or outwarde perilles, he reaſoneth yet more fully therof: and nowe particularly vnderunder the opening of the .vii. ſeale reciteth, howe farre the ſame ſtretcheth. For he declareth how many, how great, & what maner of ſectes, hereſies and troubles ſhall arriſe in the church, & howe hurtful they ſhal be to the churche. And this place conteyneth an Hiſtorie of the corrupte doctrine, of hereſies or ſectes and troubles euer ſins the time of S. Iohn vntounto the laſt iudgemēt: It is extended through out the .8.9.10.11. chapt.
A conſolation euen euāgelical.Neuertheleſſe before the trompettes come forth, for a conſolation as it were by a little digreſſion, is placed a remedy, which the faithful in al ages may vſe in that peſtiferouſe corruption to kepe ſafe their ſoules, & the integritie of the ſame. For many times in this boke are broughte in moſte ſtrong conſolatiōs in maters of moſt difficultie. For al the .10. chap. ſhall ſerue alſo to this Argument. And the remedy that he ſheweth, is this: that we muſte flee vntounto Chriſte redemer of of mankynde, interceſſour & propiciatour. And that we ſhall be ſafe vnderunder his defence, that we muſte offer vp to him our prayers continually. And verely the Lord in the Goſpel, reaſoninge of the greateſt daungers of the Deuill, prepared for the company of Apoſtles, and beyng at hand. Yet addeth he by and by, that whiche mighte comforte their ſorrowfull mindes: I hauehave prayed for thee Peter, that thy fayth ſhould not faile, &c. Beholde we are ſaued in greateſt diſtreſſe, thorow Chriſtes protection, that we ſhould not fainte in fayth. Howbeit, as eueryevery where the Euangelicall and Apoſtolicall letters do intimate, our continual prayers, which we offer to God through Chriſt, muſt be ioyned to our truſte in Chriſt. And in fewe wordes the interceſſion of Chriſt at the righte hande of God, and effecte and maner of the prayer of the faithfull are here ſet forth to beholde.
But we ſhal declare eueryevery thing in order. He ſpake in general vnderunder the .vi. ſeale of corrupt doctrine, in the ſeuenth he wil declare the ſame particularly and moſt aboūdantly. And whileſte the ſeuenth ſeale was opened, there was ſilence in heauen almoſt halfe an howre. Of this ſilēce the expoſitours write diuerſely. But as I thinke the hearers are excited by this ſilence to a diligent and attentiue hearyng. For ſilence hath an admiration and an expectation of matters moſte weightie. Salomon ſayeth in the .9. of Eccleſiaſt. the wordes of wiſe menne are hearde in ſilence. When weightie matters ſhould be proclaymed and ſet forth, the crier is woonte to proclayme ſilence. And in dede they be matters of great importaunce that followe, which vnleſſe we obſerue with great attentiuenes, we ſhal periſh in ſectes and ſeductions. Thoſe ſpirituall wickedneſſes be more daungerouſe than corporall perilles.
And nowe whileſt in ſilence they loke for with an admiraration what ſhould come, the laſt ſeale beyng opened, behold there appere ſeuen Aungelles trompetters, of theſe we ſhall ſpeake afterwarde.
Nowe is placed & ſet forth a remedy to be taken in ſo great euils, as I ſayed. The whiche,A remedie agaynſt all kinde of ſectes trō peries and troubles. to the intent it might be more liuely, and maye be printed more depely in our breſtes, is ſet forth to be ſene with a moſte godly viſion. Before the ſeate, and in the compaſſe almoſte of the ſeate, appereth a golden Aultar. And there came an Aungell and ſtandeth at this Aultar: the ſame hath in his hande a golden cenſer, into this the Sainctes put their offeringes. He offereth thē before the ſeate, and the ſmoke of the odoures aſcendeth vp from the hande of the Aungel before God.
Chriſte is the golden Aultar.We ſayed in an other place, that the golden Aultar of incenſe, was the Lord Chriſt him ſelfe, whiche is bothe Aultar and ſacrifice and prieſt: as S. Paule witneſſeth to the Hebre. The ſame is called an Aungell, to witte the ſame of whome both Eſaye maket mention in the .9.Malach. 3. Chapt. and alſo Malachie ſaying: beholde I ſende mine Aungel, which ſhal prepare the waye before me, and ſodenly the Lorde ſhall come vntounto his temple, whom you ſeke for, and the Aungel of the couenaūt, whō you deſire: beholde he cometh, ſaieth the lord of hoſtes. The fourmer Aungell, that is to ſaye meſſenger or Ambaſſadour, was Iohn Baptiſte, whiche prepared the waye for the Lord.Marke. 1. He, to witte the later Aungel, came immediately after the preachyng of Iohn, and made complete that euerlaſting couenaunt. The ſame nowe appereth on the right hande of God in Heauen.
what chriſt doeth at ye righthand of the father.And two thinges of him are vttered. Firſte, that he ſtode before, or in, or vponupon the Aultar. We may here Imagine nothing corporally: but we muſt thincke that by this maner of ſpeakyng is ſignified the prieſthood of Chriſt. He appereth alwayes in the ſighte of his father, for vsus: As S. Paull hath taught the .8. to the Romains, and .9. Chapter to the Hebrewes. He pleadeth therfore the cauſe of his church before God, and is aduocate for the faithfull. The ſame morouer ſtandeth before the Aultar, the ſame ſtandeth in the middes of the ſeate. For he is coequall with the father after his deitie, after the which he ſtandeth in the ſeate: and after his humanitie, is of the ſame ſubſtaunce with vsus, according to the which diſpenſation he is red as Biſhop and very man to ſtande before the Aultar. The latter, which is to be obſerued, is this, that chriſt holdeth in his hande a golden cenſer. For he hath taken our very nature without ſinne, that he might make interceſſion for vsus, and offer vp our prayers to God the father.
Chriſt offeceth vp our prayers.And leeſte any man ſhould doubte, that he receyueth our prayers, and offereth them to God, finally that the true office of the Church might alſo appere, offeryng vp al thinges by Chriſte, there is added, to him are geuen many odours. But to what ende? that he might geue them vpō the golden Aultar, and that before the ſeate, as though you ſhould ſaye, that he might bring them into the ſight of God.
And becauſe of a further declaration, leeſte we ſhould not know the trewe odours, whiche pleaſe God, and whiche the faithful offer vntounto God through Chriſt:The trewe odoures be the praiers of ſaintes. ones or twiſe he addeth, that thoſe odoures be the prayers of Sainctes. And he meaneth by Sainctes, not thoſe that dwel in heauen, but vsus in the earth, which are ſanctified with the ſpirit of our God, with the bloud of Chriſt, baptiſme, faith and worde. Iohn .13.Philip. 4. And the prayers be inuocatiōs, and geuyng of thankes. And he ſaieth expreſſely of al Sainctes, leeſt any ſhould feare that he and his prayers offered by Chriſt were excluded. Yf thou beleue, thou arte holy, and thy prayer is of God accepted. What the prayers of Sainctes be, it appereth in the Lordes prayer, which we offer vp to the father in the name & words of Chriſt: hallowed be thy name, thy kyngedome come, and the reſidewe, which all fight with thoſe ſectes and corruptiōs of trewe doctrine.
Ireneus alledgeth this place in the .31. and .32. chapt. of the .4. booke. And by this meane he calleth Euchariſtia whiche is geuing of thankes, the ſacrifice of Chriſtians. For the mainteyners of papiſtrie do corrupte that place, and vtter it ſo, as though it mente that the prieſte ſhould ſacrifice the real body of Chriſt for the quicke and the dead. But the holy Biſſhop of Lions knew this filthie errour. Away with them and their ſophiſtrie, whither they are worthie. I hauehave ſpoke alſo befor, ſomething of the ſame matter.
And that it might clerely appere vntounto all menne,the ſmoke of the odours aſcendeth. that the prayers of the faythfull, offered to God through Chriſt, are pleaſaunt and acceptable, ther is added: and the ſmoke of the odoures aſcendeth, that is to ſaie, the prayers of the faithful were of God accepted: Therfore let vsus offer dilligently our prayers vntounto God through Chriſt. For he heareth vsus, and deliuereth vsus from euill. And the ſcripture many times calleth our prayers an acceptable ſacrifice to God. The pla…es are in Oſee. 14. in the .50. Pſalme. And in many other places. In the .141. the prophet ſayeth. Let my prayer be directed as incenſe in thy ſight, the lifting vp of my handes an euenyng ſacrifice. Primaſius expoundyng this place, ſayed how Chriſt is ſayed to hauehave taken of the prayers of Sainctes. For bycauſe through him the praiers of al maye come ſwetely vntounto God.Hebrew. 13 Herof the Apoſtle: by him we offer vp alwayes a ſacrifice of prayſe vntounto God, that is to ſaye, the fruicte of lippes confeſſyng his name.
Agaynſte praiyng of Sainctes.Herby is cōfuted the opinion of them, which ſuppoſe that the Sainctes in heauen be the interceſſours of the faithfull, which ſhould cōmende their prayers vntounto God, & make the waye open to God. For what nede hauehave they to procure to thēſelues other interceſſours or aduocates? what lacke finde they in Chriſt? or whom maie they preferre or compare with Chriſt? what ſhal we ſay that euē at this, preſent the odours are offered vp by the hande of the Aungel? The celeſtial ſainctes were preſent with the Lorde, and were ſene aboute the ſeate: but which of them taking the cenſer, and gathering the prayers of the faithfull, offered them vntounto God? It tourned Ozias or Aſarias the king to diſpleaſure, that he toke in hand the cenſer minding to ſacrifice, and to execute the prieſtes office: the ſame would be worſe for the heauēly dwellers, naye they ſhould not remayne in Heauen, in caſe they toke vponupon them the office of the only Biſſhoppe. &c.
He filleth the cenſer with fire & ſendeth it into the Earth.After this we hauehave heard, that Chriſt filled the cenſer with fire taken from the Aultar, and ſent it downe into the Earth. By the whiche narration he retourneth agayne to finiſh the expoſition of the trompettes. This fire, is the grace of the holy ghoſte. That is put into the cenſer, is taken of the Aultar, is ſent doune into Earth. For Chriſte toke the fulnes of the ſpirite, as S. Iohn ſheweth in the .…. and .3. chapt. Chriſt is Aultar and cenſer. Of the Aultar here is takē fire. For the holy ghoſte, is the ſpirite of the Father and of the Sonne. Whom, ſayeth he, I will ſende you from my father. Him he ſente into earth, vnderunder the ſhape of firie tounges: he ſendeth him alſo at this daye into the hartes of the faithfull, that he maye inflame them. This is the ſame fire, which the Lord in the goſpell of Luke ſayeth,Luke .12. that he will ſende into the Earth, and would that it ſhould burne.
Moreouer the effecte of this fire followeth immediately. For there were made thonderinges, and voices, and lightninges, and Earthquake. By the voices of the Goſpell the woundes of ſinners are healed, and the hartes of men lighted by the illumination of the holy ſpirite, &c. Of the whiche thinges we hauehave ſpoken alſo in the .4. chapt. and .24. Sermō. Of the preaching of the Goſpell, as Haggeus alſo prophecied it ſhould come to paſſe, inſewed a wonderfull commotion of all nations, &c: Sathan alſo was ſtired, whiche reyſed vp his miniſters through out the worlde agaynſt holeſome preachyng of the Goſpell. For there ſprange vp ſectes, whome the mayneteyners of the veritie reſiſted, fightynge with them. Whereof nowe he wil reaſon at large. The Lord geue grace, that theſe thinges maye bothe be ſpoken and hearde with much fruicte.