A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 51
¶ The thankes geuyng of the Elders is expounded, the Temple is opened in heauen, the arcke appereth, and there were made lightenynges, &c. The .li. Sermon.
ANd the heythen were angrie, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead that they ſhoulde be iudged, & that thou ſhouldeſt geue rewarde vntounto thy ſeruauntes the Prophetes and Sainctes, and to them that feare thy name, ſmal and great: and ſhouldeſt diſtroye them which diſtroye the Earth. And the Temple of God was opened in Heauen. and there was ſene in his tēple the Arche of his Teſtament: & there followed lightnings, and voices, and thonderinges, & earthquake, and a great hayle.
I ſhewed you,Of the laſt iudgemēt. howe the Elders did ſo geue thankes vntounto God for their ſaluation, that withall they extolled Gods rightuouſenes, and excellēt veritie, which he ſheweth in his iudgement moſt rightuouſe, wherein he rewardeth the godly with iuſt rewardes, and plageth the wicked with deſerued punniſhmentes. And vnderunder this figure of ſpeache they teach vsus, that both the iudgemēt ſhall aſſuredly come, and that the ſame in al thinges ſhalbe moſt holy and iuſte. Would God they would dilligently conſider theſe thinges with thēſelues which iudge them to talke of tryfles, that make mention of that horryble and moſt dreadfull day of iudgement. For we loke for thinges more terrible, than any toung beit neuer ſo eloquent is able to expreſſe.
The tyme of wrath is come.He rehearſeth the wrath or tyranny of infidelles, againſte the faythfull cruelly and continually executed, and ſo verely, that God ſemed to many to be a blocke, and nother coulde nor wolde be angrie. But the iudgement ones made, the elders extoll Gods veritie, and ſay the wrath is come. Doubtles the holy Prophetes of God hauehave alwayes threatned puniſhmentes, teſtifieng that God is angrie, both with the ſinners and with ſinnes: but where the wrath of god appeared not immediately, the Prophets appeared to feare men with vayne terrours, and as it were, make them affrayde of their ſhadowes, but now, ſay the elders, the veritie hath appeared, and the wrath of God is come. And the wrath of God, ſheweth it ſelfe in the iuſte vengeaunce of God.
The tyme of the dead is come.Moreouer they extoll in that alſo the veritie and iuſtice of God, for that the tyme of the dead is commen, that they be iudged. Hitherto whyleſt the worlde floriſhed, they ſemed to tel fables, and grandames tales, which ſpake of the reſurrection of the dead, and the lyfe to come. For the reſurrection of the dead was contemned of Philoſophers, and men of this worlde. But the elders reioyce alſo, that the ſame tyme is come, and that the dead are reuiued, that is, that the bodies of the dead are ryſen agayne, and cummen to iudgement. Whereof the Apoſtle ſpeakynge: we muſte all ſayth he, appeare openly before the iudgement ſeate of God, that eueryevery one may receiue ſuch things as are done by the body according as it hath done, whether it be good or euyll .2. Corrinthi. the .5. chapter.
God in the iudgement wel requyre the hyreFurthermore they moſte highly commend Gods iuſtice and veritie, when alſo they declare exactely, howe God by his iuſt iudgement, rendreſh to eueryevery one that is his. He declareth therfore what he rewardeth, & whome he rewardeth. Firſt he payeth wages or hyre. For rewarde is promyſed of God vntounto good workes. For in the .13. of Ieremy the Lorde ſaith: refrayne thy voice from weping, for there is a reward for thy worke. And the Lorde ſayth alſo in the goſpel, be glad & reioice, for your reward is great in heauē. And agayne: the ſonne of manne ſhal come in the glory of his father with his Angelles, and than ſhall he render to eueryevery one after his doinges. So the Apoſtle ſayed, that eueryevery one muſte ryſe in his owne body, that eueryevery one may receiue ſuch thinges as are done by the body, whether it be good or euill. Whyleſt this world floriſheth, and the wicked reioice in their voluptuouſnes, and the godly are afflicted, and afflicte themſelues with continuall mortifieng, the fleſſh iudgeth, that theſe loſe both labour and coſt: but ye other to be very happie. Which thing is alſo declared in the third & fourth chapt. of Malachie. But at the laſte iudgement it ſhall finally appeare, that the godly hauehave not laboured in vaine, nother that the wicked hauehave contemned God vnpuniſhed, and diſpyſed godlines. For God rewardeth eueryevery one, after ye qualitie of his worke: the which he calleth wages. Neuertheleſſe, the godly abuſe not in the meane time this ſayeng, acknowledgeing it, to be of fre merciemercy, that they hauehave beleued, and wroughte with good fayth: & that good worke of theirs therfore, to be accepted of God, becauſe they be in Chriſt. Whereof I hauehave written in the .3. boke the .10. chapt. Of the grace of God iuſtifieng, ſhewing that of reward, deſert cannot be proued.
Secondly thei declare, to whome he geueth reward,To whome rewarde is geuen. I ſay to two ſortes of men: to good I mean, & euil. Againe he raccompteth many kyndes of good men. Firſt he calleth theſe the ſeruaūts of god, as thei that be ſubiecte to the empyre of god alone, and obey him in al things. By and by he nameth thē prophets, techers of churches. Of whoſe ſtate mo things ar ſpoken in the .11. chap. Theſe ſome to be more vnfortunate than any others in this world, and ar accompted of many as great offēders, which being taken out of yt way, all clearenes ſhuld ſeme to come againe. Therfore be thei iuſtlie raccompted in the rigiſter of them, which receiue a reward of ye lord, to wit in recōpence of their trauell. Now into this accompte come alſo ye ſaints. that is to ſai, al godly which being ſanctified through fayth wt the ſpirit & bloud of god, hauehave lyued an holy life, keping thēſelues from al worldly pollutiō. Moreouer in ye godly reward & nōbre of holy ſaincts are reckened ſuch as fear ye name of the lord: that is, thei that be very holy and religiouſe in dede. Finally leeſte any man ſhould thinke any of the faithfull excluded, he addeth, to ſmall and greate: that is to ſaye, vntounto men of al ages, ſtate, and ſexe, &c.
The lorde diſtroyeth thē whiche diſtroyed the Earth.After he cometh to the euill, and addeth: and ſhouldeſt diſtroy them that diſtroyed the earth. Theſe thinges ſeme borrowed of the prophetes, with whom is much mention of the diſtroyers of the earth, whom the lord ſhould diſtroye at the length. And vnderunder the name of diſtroyers S. Iohn vnderſtandeth firſt Tirauntes, Kinges, and Princes, that be perſecutours of the church. Alſo menne of warre and ſouldiours, whiche by vniuſte warres diſtroye all thinges with ſworde and fire. Secondely he vnderſtandeth vniuſte iudges, moreouer oppreſſours of the poore, which afflicte widowes, and the fatherles: more ouer whiche in vſurie, thefte, diſceiptefulnes, extorſion, and euill meanes are hurteful to all men, and by their vnſatiable couetouſenes brede a darth of al thinges. Finally, which by whoredome and aduoutrie defile & breake holy matrimony. Laſte heretikes diſtroye the earth, & ſuche as infecte men with corrupte doctrine, that dwell vponupon the Earth: into the which numbre come alſo ſeditiouſe perſons and traitours, and other wicked men.
Perdition is not to aboliſh.Theſe ſhall the Lord diſtroye with euerlaſtyng perdition, wherby they ceaſe not to be, that periſh: but become muche more miſerable, whileſt they are vexed with tourmētes that neuer ſhall hauehave ende. Vnthriftes and prodigall perſons are ſayed to be loſte, yet in periſſhyng thus they ceaſe not to be: but procede dayly to be more miſerable, which is perdition it ſelfe.
God openeth Heauen to his that they loke vp to him.Furthermore S. Iohn doubteth this doctrine of the re…arde of the godly: & that whiche before he treated vnderunder the fourme of a thankeful prayſe and a ioyouſe triumphyng, he propoundeth now conſequētly the ſame as it were to be ſene with the eyes by a viſion celeſtiall. And gallauntly he endeth this viſion with the opening of the Temple, which he began with the opening of Heauen. For the louing lorde openeth to his ſeruauntes heauen it ſelfe to be ſene of the eyes of our minde, to the ende we ſhould no where doubte of the glory prepared for vsus in Heauen: nother ſhould ſaie, who hath ſene thoſe celeſtiall thinges that are promiſed vsus? For like as the bleſſed fathers, the Prophetes and Apoſtles hauehave had very many viſions of this ſorte, effectuall, trewe, and godly: So maye eueryevery one of vsus with the eyes of our minde through trewe fayth loke into Heauen it ſelfe. I knowe well that the worldely men paſſe nothing vponupon ſuch viſions, as of whom the Lord in the Goſpell hath ſayed: the world can not receiue ye ſpirite of trueth, for that he ſeeth him not, nother knoweth him. Let not vsus care for their contempt.
Let vsus ſee therfore,The temple of god open in heauen. what is prepared for the ſeruauntes of God in an other worlde. Firſte S. Iohn ſawe heauen open: now, in heauen it ſelf he ſeeth alſo the very temple of god, open to witte to all the godly. By the Temple of God, he vnderſtandeth the ſecretes of God, the inwarde & priuie partes of Heauen, whereinto he will receyue to the fruition of him ſelfe al beleuers. But in that diuine temple of heauē was ſene the Arche of his Teſtamente.Arcke in ye Temple. For God made a conuenaunte or leage with the faythful, that he would be theyr God, their fulnes, and a moſt plētiful Sea of al goodnes, a moſt aboundaunt, and moſte ſufficient plentie of all thinges. The confirmation, teſtimony, and declaration wherof is the Arke of cō uenaunte, the very ſonne of God, in whome dwelleth all fulnes of deitie, and in whom we be made perfit. For he is the Arke, in whom are layde vp al celeſtial treaſours, ful of grace and veritie. This Arke of good thinges, and of eternal felicitie, appereth in heauē. For the ſonne of God is in the throne of God. The liberall and bountiful father celeſtial wil powre out this Arke vponupon his children, graunting to them through Chriſt his only ſonne all heauenly giftes, that we mighte be partakers of al Chriſtes benefites, euen to the deitie, wherin he excelleth his bretherne. Hereby it appereth, howe Moſes prepared the Arke, after the example of the ſame whiche he ſawe in Heauen: and the figure whereof was the Arke of the conuenaunt, &c. Otherwiſe we ſhal heare in the .21. chapt. of this boke, that there is no temple in heauen, &c.
Theſe moſte beautiful thinges to be ſene, and moſte pleaſaunt to be hearde, the ſonne of God hath ſet forth to be ſene and hearde of vsus. Conſequently he addeth, that punniſhementes are prepared for the wicked: and expoūdeth the ſame alſo diuerſely, and propoūdeth the ſame to be ſene. Hitherto were made in the worlde lighteninges,And lightninges were made voices, and thonderinges, &c. The holy ghoſt ſhining to the world, and drawing through the doctrine of the veritie, mouing, and fearing: but the madde worlde would not vnderſtande, no nor ſo muche as heare the maner and waye of ſaluatiō: therfore the diuine iuſtice requireth, that they ſhould be talked with all in an other langage, and therefore by the iuſte iudgemente of God are made now lightenings, &c. And by this heape of wordes he ſignifieth, the horrible punniſhement, that God will take of the wicked. And he appereth to hauehave alluded to the burnyng of Sodome, alſo to the wordes of the godly Prophet, it ſhall raygne vponupon ſinners ſnares, of fyre, brimeſtone, and ſpirite of tempeſte, in the .11. Pſalm. Therefore is this viſion concluded, as the ſtory of S. Matthewes Goſpell: and theſe ſhall goe into euerlaſtyng punniſhement, and the iuſte into life euerlaſtyng.
We hauehave in theſe eight laſte chapters, the thirde parte of this boke, and an notable abridgement of the Eccleſiaſticall ſtorie, frō the time of S. Iohn vntounto the worldes ende: wherwith we are inſtructed in the trewe fayth, and are admoniſſhed of all perilles and trayſons, whereby the trewe fayth is aſſailed, to the intent that beyng watcheful we maye beware of all corruption and craftie ſeducing, and may be made ſafe. To God be praiſe and glory.