A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 42
¶ What ſhould be done to the reſide we of impenitentes, in this meane while felyng none euill, of the Locuſtes and Horſes. The .xlij. Sermon.
ANd the remnaunte of the menne, which were not killed with theſe plagues, repēted not of the dedes of theyr handes, that they ſhould not worſhip deuilles, and images of golde, and ſiluer, and braſſe, and ſtone, and of wood, which nother can ſee, nother heare, nother goe. Alſo they repented not of theyr murther, and of theyr witchcrafte, nother of theyr whoredome, nother of theyr thefte.
The waūt muſt be fulfilled in ye reaſon.It is ſpoken aboūdantly, how greate calamitie ſhal come vntounto the world of the locuſtes and horſes vnderunder the fifte and ſixte trumpet: & where it is ſufficiently knowē, that al are not ſubiecte to the locuſtes and horſes, neyther to be punniſſhed of them, which neuertheleſſe committe thinges alſo worthie of punniſhment, ſome man might maruel, whether theſe beyng free and exempted from theſe plagues, may ſafely leade an impenitent life? he preuēteth and ſayeth, and the reſidewe of men, which alſo committe ſhameful things againſt God, and yet are not ſlayne with theſe plagues ſet forth, maye not thinke to eſcape vnpunniſhed. For euen they ſhal be punniſſhed alſo of God moſt iuſt. For the ſpeache is defectiue, and therfore to be made vp, both by the tenure herof, and alſo by the catholike ſenſe of the whole Scripture, which is that all impenitent perſones are punniſſhed of God: & that ſo much more greuouſely, the more careleſſely that they hauehave abuſed gods longanimitie, beyng nothing moued with any examples of Gods iudgemētes. Yet ſayeth he not this by expreſſe wordes. It was enough for him to reherſe the wickednes, wherin they were drowned. For herof maye eueryevery man gather, what is dewe to ſuch offenders. Aretas a Greke expoſitour, expounding this place. This ſpeache ſaieth he, ſheweth an excellencie of inſenſibilitie, that is of the wantonnes and laſciuiouſenes of them, which hauehave ſpent the time graunted them of God to repente in, aboute vanity, that euen for the worthines of their ſlougthfulnes they might receyue theyr rewarde: yea euen before the eyes of the vngodly the very rewarde is put in effecte: yet theſe men not only by the ſight of theſe terrible thinges, which they had preſent before theyr eyes, were made neuer a whit better, but alſo worſe, & more and more wrapped in ſinne, hauehave fulfilled theyr courſe, &c. Thus farre he.
Hereof we maye gather that it is not ſufficient to a godly and bleſſed life, that a man be not a papiſte,What is requ…red of the very godly. or a Mahometane: but that of eueryevery one of vsus is required a trewe faith, which maye make vsus to walke in al the commaundementes of God: and that we ſhould know, that al muſt be greuouſly punniſſhed of God, ſo many as tranſgreſſe the lawe of God, of what religion condition, age, ſtate or degree ſo euer they men be of. For God moſt iuſte hath no reſpecte of perſons. Who ſo euer hauehave ſinned without a law, ſayeth the Apoſtle, ſhal periſhe with out lawe: and who ſo euer hauehave ſinned in the lawe, by the law ſhall be iudged. Certēly S. Iohn ſemeth here now to bring forth both the tables of the lawe, & therby to reproue the ſinnes and wickednes of the vngodly men, of who …he will alſo that iudgemēt be gathered. The firſt table ſetteth forth the ſeruice of God, cōmaunding to worſhip one God, not to worſhippe Idolles, &c. The ſeconde geueth preceptes of liuing, and teacheth the louelove of our neighbour, forbiddyng murther, adulterie, thefte and like miſchiefes. S. Iohn bringeth forth two ſinnes, done againſt the firſt table: and three or foure cōmitted agaynſt the ſeconde. Neyther is there any doubte, but that he compriſeth vnderunder theſe all like or not vnlike, more or leſſe offences agaynſt God, and his will. Who ſo euer therfore thou arte, yf thou offende againſt the diuine law, thou ſhalt be punniſhed. Yf thou ſeme in this world to eſcape free, and to flitte from hence happy, the ſame maye chaunce vntounto thee, that happened to the riche glutton: whoſe iudgement is deſcribed in the .16. of Luke. Briefly he ſhal be punniſſhed, who ſo ſhal offende God. God knoweth the maner, whether he ſhal punniſh here and in the world to come, or in the world to come only: and graunt here a voluptuouſe life.
They are dāned that repent not.And we muſt chiefly obſerue in this treatiſe, that ſinners be not here condemned. For we are all ſinners: ſo ſhould no man be ſaued. They are damned that doe not repente, which verely die in their ſinnes, without repentaūce: Thapoſtle denieth that Idolaters, aduouterers, theues, couetouſe perſōs, extorcioners, &c. ſhal poſſeſſe ye kingdome of God, but he addeth: but ſuch were you verely, but you are waſſhed, but you are ſanctified, but you are iuſtified by ye name of our lord Ieſus, & by the ſpirite of our god. And in caſe thou doeſt doubt whether thou mayeſt come againe into fauour with God, if thou beyng ones lighted and iuſtified, doeſt fall agayne into ſinne, learne of the fall and ſinne of S. Peter, that thou maiſt be reſtored: and the ſame that we reade written, howe ſeuen times falleth the iuſt, and riſeth againe, &c. Therefore lette vsus learne herof, how effectuall is repentaunce, and howe peſtilent lacke of repentaunce. Yf thou be, or haſt ben an idolater, thou oughteſt not to diſpayre, tourne vntounto the lorde, and doe penaunce. Yf thou fall againe, abide not ſtill in thy wickednes. Whereof I hauehave ſpoken more in an other place. But if thou wilt not retourne vntounto God, nor leaue the euill cuſtome of ſinne, neuer loke for any grace of God. Thou ſhalt periſh in thy ſinnes.
It remayneth that we declare in fewe words the fourmes of ſinnes, ſet forth here of S. Iohn, vnderunder the which as I ſayed before, he hath doubtles compriſed like offences, that of like thinges the ſame iudgemēt be had. Firſt he ſayeth as it were generally,The works of mens handes. neither hauehave thei repented frō the workes of their handes. For albeit that with this note or marke idolatrie is condēned in the prophetes, yet do I extende it vntounto all other dedes proceding of the force of mē. For our worke is verely ſinne: & the good worke is of the grace of God and of regeneration. And this generall thinge ones ſetforth, he addeth diuerſe partes kindes, and fourmes, two agaynſt the firſte table, and foure or three agaynſt the ſeconde.
It is agaynſt the firſte commaundement,To worſhip the deuill. to worſhip Deuilles. For our very God will hauehave him ſelfe alone taken for God, honoured and worſhipped. And who is ſo madde, ſayeſt thou, that will worſhippe Deuilles? Verely ther be certen people in the Eaſt, which are ſayed to worſhip Deuilles, for none other ende, but that they ſhould not hurte thē. This is a barbarouſe and foliſſhe people, whie doe they not rather worſhippe him, whiche is only able to reſtreyne the Deuill, that he can not hurte? Howebeit this wickednes ſtretcheth farre. For they in dede worſhippe the Deuill, whiche will ſeme to worſhippe Gods. For this matter is eſtemed not of the opinion, or intente of the worſhipper, but of the lawe maker. For the gentiles would not ſeme, that they ſacrificed to Deuilles: but would hauehave taken it moſt diſpleaſaūtly, if any ſhould hauehave ſayed that they worſhipped the Deuill. Thou arte a moſt vile and moſte impudent varlet and ſclaunderer, they would hauehave ſayed, which dareſt ſo reproche the goddes and vsus. But S. Paule neuertheleſſe, I ſaye not, ſayeth he, that an Idolle, or that is offered vntounto Idolles is any thing: but this I ſaye, that the thinges which the gentiles offer vp,2. Cori. 10. they offer them to Deuilles, & not to God. For where there is one only God, & he alloweth only theſe ſacrifices, whiche are offered to him, calleth ſtraunge Goddes deuils, & Idolle offeringes ſacrificed to the deuil: of this iudgemēt is the thing eſtemed, & not of the fonde intente of men. King Saul would hauehave offered to God ye burnte offering of Samuel: but Samuel tolde him, that he ſhould cōmit idolatrie, & magicke, &c. This is an harde ſaiyng, but yet trewe. Wherof I hauehave ſpoken in an other place more at large. The worſhippyng of Images of God and of the Sainctes is againſt the precept of the firſt table.To worſhi… images. For al Idolatrie is prohibited. S. Iohn here with couler defineth Idolles, and taunteth them alſo, alludyng to the wordes of the prophet in the Pſalme .114. The Idolles of the gentiles, are ſiluer and golde, the worke of mens handes: a mouth they hauehave and ſpeake not, &c. Therfore it appereth of the matter, that Images hauehave nothing of religion. For they be of earth, of golde, braſſe, ſtone, timbre, &c. Agayne of the fourme and ſhape it appereth, that Images are vayne. For the fourme reſembleth a moſte groſſe ſhape, and euen a leaſing. For nother God, nor the Sainctes were of that ſhape, whiche the Idolles repreſent. And now there is no vertue in them. They ſee not, they heare not, &c. Ho… than do they repreſent God or the ſainctes? I hauehave ſpoken of Idolles els where. They that thinke how ther is a diuerſitie betwixt the Idolles of Chriſtiās and thoſe of the gētiles, let them ſhewe that theyrs are not of wood, or that thoſe other doe ſee, heare, &c.
Murther.The ſinnes that follow, are againſt the ſecōde table, which commaundeth, thou ſhalt do no murther, thou ſhalt cōmitte none adulterie, thou ſhalt not ſteale. There be many kindes of murthers. For they ſleye moſte cruelly, whiche hauehave no ſworde, but a venemouſe tongue. Many kill with corrupte doctrine. There be māquellers, and parricides, and murtherers, &c. Except theſe repēt, they ſhal not enter into the kingdome of God. And they that ſwell with enuie and mallice, are homicides, as S. Iohn ſaied in his canonicall Epiſtle. 1. and .3. chapt.
Witchcrafte, or poiſoning.foreign, Poyſun, Witchcrafte or ſorcerie, or inchaunting, apperteyneth to murther. Poyſoning, louecuppes, and inchauntmentes, were in the time of S. Iohn moſt frequented, through out the Romane Empire: at this daie thoſe wicked artes are renewed. But they ſhal be punniſhed of God, ſo many as applye themſelues to the ſame.
Fornication.Fornication hath alſo diuerſe partes. To the ſame belong whoredom, inceſte, adultery, and if any other thing be more abominable than theſe. The gentiles ſuppoſed, that ſimple fornication, that is to witte, betwene two ſingle perſones, was no ſinne. But the Apoſtle defineth the contrary in the 1. to the Corinth. 6. and .15. of the Actes. This peſtilent opinion at this daye is reuiued in many. But ſure it is, that a whoremonger entreth not into the kingdome of God. Epheſ. 5.
Finally is ſet thefte with all his partes.Thefte. Wherof I ſpake ones in the expoſition of the .x. cōmaundementes. The Lord Ieſus preſerue vsus from all defilyng of ſinnes, &c. Amen.