A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 79
¶ A doleful ſong or mourning, and lamentation of Rome, which the Princes and Marchaunts make for her. The .lxxix. Sermon.
AND the Kynges of the earth ſhall be wepe her, and wayle ouer her, which hauehave committed fornication, and liued wantonly with her, when they ſhal ſe the ſmoke of her burning, and ſhal ſtand a farre of, for feare of her pūniſhmēt, ſaieng: alas, alas, that great citie Babilon, that mightye citie: for at one howre is thy iudgement come. And the marchauntes of the Earth ſhall wepe and wayle in themſelues, becauſe no man wyll by their ware any more, the ware of golde, and ſiluer, and of preciouſe ſtone, of pearle, and ſilke, and purple, and ſkarlet, and al thynen wood, and all maner veſſelles of Iuory: and all maner veſſels of moſte preciouſe wood, and of braſſe, and of Iron, and Synamon, and odours, and oyntmentes, and frankenſence, & wyne, and oyle, and fyne flowre, and wheate, and cattel, and ſhepe, and horſes, and charets, and bodies & ſoules of men. And the Apples that thy ſoule luſted after, are departed from the. And al things which wer deinty, and had in price, are departed from thee, and thou ſhalt fynde them nomore. The Marchauntes of theſe thinges, which were waxed rich by her, ſhall ſtande a farre of for feare of the punniſhment of her, weping, and waylinge, and ſaieng: alas, alas, that great Citie, that was clothed in ſilke and purple, and ſcarlet, and decked wt golde, and preciouſe ſtone, and pearles: for at one howre ſo great riches is come to naught. And euerye ſhyppe gouernour, and all theye that occupy ſhips, and ſhipmen which worke in in the ſea, ſtode a farre of and cryed, when they ſaw the ſmoke of her burning, and ſaid: what citie is lyke vntounto this great citie? And they caſte duſte on their heads, and cryed wepyng, and wayling, and ſaied: Alas, alas, the greate Citie, wherein were made rich al that had ſhyppes in the Sea, by the reaſon of her wares: for at one houre is ſhe made deſolate.
A lamentation & wayling ouer Rome.In the fourth place of this chapter, followeth the weping or waylinge, or lamentation of Rome, brent and deſtroyed. The coppie is plentifull and maruaylouſe, by an euident Hipotipoſis, ſettinge all thinges before our eyes. And our Lord God hath alwayes a familier manner, that what tyme he wyll euidentelye ſhewe before, and fixe in the heartes of all men the ouerthrowe or deſtruction of a nation, Kingdome, or Citie, he wyll commaunde his Prophetes to ſyng an elegie, or lamentable ſong. And in ſuch kynde of lamentations is ſhewed not onelyonly the ſubuerſion, but alſo the cauſes of deſtruction, and maner of deſolation are reherſed: the end alſo or vſe is declared, leeſt others be made lyke vntounto that nation, and become partakers of the deſtruction. We hauehave manifeſt examples in the wrytinges of the Prophetes, eſpeciallye the lamentations of Ieremye, and the whych agree better to this place the dolefull dittie of Tyrus ſonge of Ezechiell, in the .27. and .28. chapters. And verely it appeareth that S. Ihon hath borowed many thinges from thence.
Nother is there any matter here, to buſy our ſelues much aboute. The ſome of all is this. Rome ſhall fall, and periſh vtterlie, that there ſhoulde be nothing lefte, eyther of the Empyre, or of that See, much leſſe of the riches and pleaſures. The which was partlye fulfilled in oulde Rome, and partlye ſhall be fulfilled in the newe at the daye of iudgement.
Howbeit nother Chriſt himſelf,Kings and marchātes mourne. nor the Apoſtle is brought in, bewayling the ſubuerſion of Babilon: but wicked perſō nes are induced, which are firſte to be cōſidered. For they be Kynges and Princes of the Earth, marchauntes, or gouernours of ſhips or mariners, which hauehave all cōmitted whoredome with this ſtrumpet, and by her companye hauehave bene made rich. And verely ould Rome was furniſhed with the amities of Kynges: and agayne the preſidentes ſent of them to gouerne Prouinces, ſemed eueryevery one to be Kynges and Princes. And for aſmuche as the riches of Rome were great, and all ſtates were wonderfully ſet a ryot, the marchauntes there, gote exceading much gaigne. Moreouer ther was ſayling to Rome oute of the Eaſte, South, and Weſte, I meane out of Syria, and Aegipte or Affricke, and out of Spayne it ſelfe, and vttermoſte partes of the worlde. But what tyme Rome beyng deſtroyed lay ruinouſe, and the Empyre was rente in pieces, they coulde not but lamente, whoſe lucre and pleaſure was loſt.
Newe Rome hath alſo, beſydes thoſe temporal,The marchaunts of new Rome euen peculier marchauntes and Princes of her owne. For the prelates of the church be Princes. And in the church of Rome, all the Sainctes of God knowe, howe to occupie the traffique of marchaundyſe. For what holy thing is not to be boughte in that ſeat? Marchaūdiſe is practiſed in forgeuenes of ſinnes, in pardons and ſatiſfactōs, in eccleſiaſtical benefices, in worſhipping of Images and Sainctes, in maſſes, in burialles, in ſayeng diriges for the dead, and almoſte in all ſpirituall matters. Hereof cometh an vnmeaſurable gaigne, and the greateſte occaſion of pleaſures. Other marchaūtes bye their ware very dere: the Romiſh Cananites, pay not one denier or farthinge for their wares, but ſell the ſame for an vnreaſonable price. Nother ſuppoſe I that euer there was any marchaundiſe lyke vntounto this in all the worlde, nor yet a more gaynefull lucre of a thing of naught. Eraſmus hath alſo touched theſe thinges, in the prouerbe to aſke tribute of a deade man. And where as before the day of iudgement, the Lorde Chriſt ſhall deſtroy Antichriſt with the ſpirite of his mouth, and that gaigne begynneth to be miniſhed, we ſee howe eueryevery where emonges theſe ſpirituall marchaunts, complaints and grudgynges arryſe. Than what maner of lamentation and wayling thinke ye that wyll be, where the ſame Lorde by his coming, ſhal vtterly aboliſh the ſame Antichriſt, and they muſt go in to fyre euerlaſtinge? Agayne we muſte ſomewhat alſo conſider the mourning. To mourne of it ſelfe, is no ſin. For the beſte and holyeſt men hauehave lamēted their dead, and their calamities, & deſtructiō of cities and realmes. For Abraham mourned. The lamētations alſo of Ieremye remaine, ouer the citie of Hieruſalē. The faithful mourned with a great mourninge for Stephen in the Actes. Howebeit in the lamentation they kepte a meane, and referred all thinge to the glory of God, and ſaluatiō of foules. The vngodly and worldly men do not mourne after this ſort. They neuer remēber the ſines of men, for the whiche the righteouſe Lorde punniſheth the world, nother do they referre the euylles of them and theirs to the glory, veritie, and iuſtice of God, or amēdment of maners: therefore are they not ſory that God is offended, nor requyre forgeuenes of ſinnes: but it greueth them that occaſion of ſinninge is taken from them, that their pleaſures and lucre is paſt. And nowe wayle Princes, marchaūts and mariners, not for the fauoure of God loſte, not of true compaſſion, or louelove of their neighbour, but for louelove of themſelues, for the loſſe of earthly things, for the deſtruction of goodly, auncient, ſtrong and preciouſe things: but chiefly for their lucre loſte, and pleaſures taken away. The Apoſtle maketh mention of eyther grefe in the ſeconde to the Corrinthians the .7. chapter. And ſurely this ſorrowe and mourning is nothing els, but a deſcriptiō and a ſhaddowing of a moſte certen and greateſte deſtruction, and that of men vngodly. And ful well and pourpoſely doeth he ſet forth the wayling both in the behauiour of the mourners, & alſo by their woordes. To their geſture apperteyneth, that they wepe, wayle, crye oute, and caſte duſt on their heads. To their wordes are referred theſe thinges, wo, wo, alas, alas that great citie. &c. The whiche is repeted of the marchauntes and ſaylers.
Moreouer are touched here alſo the cauſes of deſtructiō,The riot, voluptuouſnes & pleaſures of Rome. the riot and voluptuouſnes, wherin Rome flowed. And likewiſe are reherſed the welth, riches, maieſtie, pride, and pleaſures of either Rome. And here by the way are warned, what all worldely men maye loke for, in caſe they addicte thēſelues to the pleaſures & voluptuouſenes of this world: which was at Rome, and is vnmeaſurable. Nother hauehave we red in any ſtories, that natiōs hauehave long continued, which hauehave ben geuen or vanquiſſhed of worldly pleaſures. To builde, to eate, to drinke, to be clothed, and to hauehave ſeruauntes men and wemen, is lawefull: but a meaſure muſte be kepte in theſe as in al other thinges: the benefites of God muſte be acknowledged, & thoſe may not be more ſet by than vertu: but at Rome, & in the world, paſſing ouer godlines & meane, theſe thinges are only regarded, deſired, and beloued. In buildinges and houſeholde ſtuffe al thinges were ſumptuouſe, & vnmeaſurable. They are of golde which might hauehave ben well of earth or tinne: of ſiluer, where wood or iron might hauehave ſerued. And when wood was choſen, it was not eueryevery wood, by foreign thynen, yt is to ſaie, moſt excellenſte was choſen. Thynen appereth to be named of Thyia, a tree, to the which Theophraſte attributeth great honour, reporting yt the famouſe bildinges of olde temples were made therof, & a certen immortalitie of mater incorrupt induring on houſes againſt all wethers, &c. Plinie hath this in ye .13. boke, the .16. cha. In ſeruice alſo they vſe men, like beaſtes: nother hauehave they any beaſtes for their owne vſe, but moſt choſē. Thei hauehave horſes & mules exceding fine. They hauehave their horſelitters, Cochees, & charettes right notable: al thinges gliſter with golde, preciouſe ſtones, & purple: and al thinges are wrought and diuiſed for pride & ſumptuouſnes. What ſhall we ſaie that the wholt bandes of their men go al in ſilkes & veluet, wearing their maiſters colours? The lord himſelf of al, ſitting on the ſhulders of his Belphouiers, is borne on high, and is caried on mens bodies as the moſt noble charette. In the meate and drinke of theſe menne all thinges are moſte delicate, exquiſite, and variable. Their drinke is coſtely, ſtraunge and immoderate. The apparell of their body is alſo ouerſumptuouſe. Their garmentes gliſter with golde, and are ſtiffe with pearle. Their cōmon garment is of Crimoſin ſatten. They vſe alſo oinctemētes and apples of deſire: which maye both be vnderſtande of the fruictes of trees, and alſo of Pomanders conteinyng muſche and ſmellyng ſwete, and of odoriferouſe ſauours.
Thende of pleaſures.Finally in al thinges is to be conſidered, what the ende or windyng vp is of riot, pride, and voluptuouſenes, and howe vnſtable is the fauour and frendeſhip of men. Here all things periſh ones, nothing remayneth ſafe. And they periſh verely in one houre, that hauehave ben prouided for many yeres. They flee from vsus in daunger, whiche hauehave receyued great gayne at our handes. Yea they ſtāde a farre of, and out of daunger, and lamente the dollefull chaunce: no man commeth nere to helpe or deliuer vsus. EueryEvery mā is afraide of his owne ſkinne. Let vsus learne therfore to truſte in God, to deſpiſe pleaſures, to put no confidence in fleſhe and frendeſhippe of men. For whileſt thou art fortunate, thou ſhalt hauehave many frendes: yf the world beginne to froune on thee, they wil al forſake thee, in whom thou putteſt thy truſt, and leaue thee in the breres. And this is the chiefe ende of all theſe thinges as I ſhewed at the firſt: Rome ſhall fall, and be made deſolate for euer. The lord our God reſtrayne al euill. Amen.