A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 83
¶ Of the certētie of the ſaluation of Sainctes, and what bleſſe or Saluation is. The .lxxxiij. Sermon.
AND he ſayed vntounto me: wryte, bleſſed are they which are called vntounto the lambes ſupper. And he ſaid vntounto me: theſe are the true ſayenges of God.
Of the certētie of the ſaluatiō of ye faithfull.The ſecond place of this chapter is, of the certentie of the ſaluation of the faithful: where is ſignified in the meane ſeaſon, what and of what maner, is the bleſſe of the faithful. For ther is ſaied enough already of the mariage of the lamb, and that is to ſay, of the glory and bleſſe of the choſen: but many thinges are ſuggeſted to man in this lyfe, which bring ſaluation in doubt, and go aboute as it wer to make it vncertaine, and therefore waueryng myndes are here nowe confyrmed. This doctrine is profitable for afflicted and troubled cōſciences, and ouerthroweth and beateth downe the doctrine of ſophiſters, affirming that man is neuer aſſured of his ſaluatiō, for that in an other place the wiſe man ſaieth: man knoweth not, whether he be worthy of louelove or hatred. Where he hath ſpoken that vponupon an other occaſion, and to an other ende, as I hauehave declared in my booke of the grace of God, &c.
¶ Ihon is cōmaūded to wryte.At this preſent therfore is ſhewed, that the ſaluation of the faythfull is moſt certayne. For firſt the Angell comaundeth the Euangeliſt to wryte. This is taken of the maner of men, which put in writing their Teſtamentes, conuenauntes, and bargaines, & than ſeale the ſame, for the cauſe of credit and for a perpetual memorial of the thing. And they that hauehave ſuche kinde of writinges, are of a quiet minde, & thinke themſelues ſafe and aſſured, agaynſt al craftes, and ſubtill practiſes. And therfore to the intent that the minde of mā might be quieted in the matter of ſaluation, he cauſeth as it were an inſtrumēt to be written, wherby al ye godly might be aſſured of certaine ſaluation. The ſame maner of writyng our lord in other places followeth in weightie matters. As we maye ſee in the .8. and .30. chapt. of Eſaye, and in the .2. of Abacuke. Wherefore it is leſſe to be marueled, whie the Apoſtle S. Pvule ſo ofte alledged that ſame out of Abacuke: yt rightuouſe ſhal liue by faith. For this only teſtimony of God, as that whiche is cited out of the godly inſtrument, might be in ſtead of all.
And where God cōmaunded openly Moſes and Ieremie to write (whereof we maye doubtles iudge,The authoritie of holy Scripture. and certenly gather that other Prophetes alſo, Apoſtles and Euāgeliſtes, wrote not without commaundement) we ſee, of what authoritie the bokes of tholde & newe Teſtament be with al the godly. For they be diuine, autenticall, they be the inſtrument and teſtament of God, the bokes of God himſelfe, which are rightly beleued, without any other helpe or cōfirmation. We beleue the teſtamentes and ſealed writinges of mē: how much more ought we beleue the bokes of the Scripture canonicall?
Againe is manifeſtly declared to S. Iohn, what he ſhould wryte:The called are bleſſed. bleſſed are they which are called to the mariage of the Lambe. Therefore it is euident, that nowe it is cōfirmed both by the diuine oracle & lawefull inſtrument, that thoſe whiche are called to the Lambes ſupper be and ſhall be bleſſ…d. This ſame was pronounced by oracle diuine, and written Autentically. What place than of doubtefulnes is lefte? vndoubtedly bleſſed are the faythfull, greffed in Chriſte. For they be nowe called, vntounto whome the goſpell is preached, by the which thei are called to the participatiō of the giftes of God, but chiefely to eternal life through Chriſt: and thei which not only heare the ver…e of the goſpel, but that alſo receyue it, & beleue it with their har…e. For many be called, and fewe choſen. For ye goſpel is preached to many, & the grace of God is offered in chriſt, but they receyue it not. But ſuch as through the grace of God doe receyue it with true fayth, are bleſſed. For they are not only called to the Mariage, but alſo come vntounto the mariage, and inioye that weddyng ſupper. Theſe thinges ſeme to be taken out of the doctrine of our ſauiour which he taught in the .14. of Luke, of them that were bidden to the mariage. Reade that ſame place.
What that bleſſe is.Neuertheleſſe by the waye is declared, what that bleſſednes of the faithfull is: nothing els verely, than the fruition of the ſupper of the lambes mariage. A ſupper is made whē the daye draweth towardes an ende. So is full ſaluation geuen to the godly about the ende of the worlde, at the reſurrection of the dead: as in the fourmer ſermon is expounded. And verely all thoſe thinges be altogether allegoricall, which repreſente vntounto vsus a certen ſignification of eternall life and glory. Otherwiſe we hauehave learned of the doctrine of the Prophetes and Apoſtles, whiche the eare hath not hearde, nor the eye hath ſene, nor hauehave entred into the hart of mā, the ſame hath God himſelfe prepared for them that louelove him.
Theſe ſaiynges of God be trewe.Finally is annexed agayne a moſte weightie aſſertion, or confirmation hereof. For he heareth it vttered by an oracle from heauen, foreign. Theſe wordes or ſaiynges of God be true. They be verely true, and be of God. Or els, they be trewe, for thei be of God. Eraſmus hath tranſlated: theſe wordes of God are true. And ſo hath the vulgare tranſlation: theſe ſayenges of God are true. By a double reaſon therefore are theſe thinges confirmed, whiche are here propounded: both for that they be true, and becauſe they be of God. Although they come bothe to one poincte. For ſins they be of God, whiche is veritie, they can not but be true. Therefore let vsus beleue theſe thinges, and leaue no place vntounto doubtefulnes.
The ſcripture is gods wordHere is cutte of the occaſion of ſubtile reaſonyng, that the ſcriptures and preachynges ſet forth of men out of the ſcriptures, are not the worde of God: for that they be written on Paper with Inke, and pronounced with mans voice, & with a ſounde paſſyng awaye: where the worde of God is nother humane, nor corruptible, nor paſſyng awaye. For the celeſtiall oracle doeth here pronounce manifeſtly, that the ſaiynges were written into the boke of S. Iohn, and pronounced of the Aungell, and to be true, and to be gods worde. So Paule affirmeth alſo in the .1. Theſſ. 2. chapt. that the worde that he preached of him, was the very worde of God. Likewiſe S. Peter, in the .1. Peter. 1. Therfore let curiouſe men leaue bringyng forth of theſe Paradoxes, & ceaſe from their diſputing, that the word of God written, and preached, is not the word of God. Than is not verely the worde of God, what time ſuch thinges are written or ſpoken agree not with the holy Scripture of God. The mindes of the faithfull are rather to be allured to this poincte, that thei beleue, and cleane vntounto al wordes of the ſcripture declared in their righte ſenſe, as the moſt certen wordes of God. For els, to what thing ſhall we truſt? what thing after this ſhal we hauehave vndoubted and certayne. To God be glory.