A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 91
¶ That the worlde ſhall be renewed, the Saincts glorified and made bleſſed: and what that felicitie ſhall be, and howe certeyne. The .XCj. Sermon.
AND I ſawe a newe Heauen and a newe Earth. The .21. chapter.For the firſt Heauen and the firſt Earth were vaniſhed away, & there was no more Sea. AND I Ihon ſawe that holy Citie newe Hieruſalem, come downe from God oute of Heauen, prepared as a bryde garniſhed for her huſband. And I heard a great voice from the ſeat, ſayeng: beholde, the Tabernacle of God is with men, and he wil dwel with them. AND they ſhal be his people, and God himſelfe ſhall be with them, and ſhal be their God. And God ſhal wipe awai al teares from their eyes. And there ſhall be no more death, nother ſorrowe, nother ſhal ther be any more payne. For the ould thinges are gone. And he that ſat vponupon the ſeat, ſaide: behold, I make al things newe. And he ſaied vntounto me, wryte: for theſe wordes are faythfull and true. And he ſayed vntounto me, it is done.
I admoniſhed you aboute the begynning of the .15. The orderchap. of this boke, that the fifte parte of this worke began at the .15 chap. and treated of the iudgementes of God righteous and iuſte. And foraſmuch as the iudgementes of God are of two ſortes, in this that he requyteth the euyll according to their wickednes, and rewardeth the good with rewards: I ſayed howe this place conſiſted of two parts. For firſt I ſayed that S. Ihon moſt plentifully treated of torments to be inflicted to Antichriſt and all vngodly: ſecondly of rewardes, eſpecially in the end of the world, to be imployde vponupon al ſainctes. For ofte times hauehave we heard in this boke that the ſoules ſeperated from the body, are immediatly after the corporall death, taken vp in to lyfe euerlaking, but that the felicitie of al moſt complete, chaūceth to the faithfull in the ende of the worlde, what time the bodies now raiſed againe, receiue the rewards of glory euerlaſting. And this place is treated through oute al the .21. chap. & beginning of the .22. cha. And lyke as in the former parte he hath ſet hel in a maner wyde opē, & ſhewed ye euerlaſting torments as it were to be ſene preſently: ſo in this later part he vnlocketh after a fort, or openeth heauen it ſelfe, that with the eyes of faith, we ſhulde ſe what hope and glory abydeth for Sainctes. And with all is moſt clerely expoūded the article of our faith,¶ I beleue lyfe euerlaſting. I beleue lyfe auerlaſting. And agayne for the more perſpecuitie he declareth theſe things by a viſiō. Which others nōbre the ſeuēth & laſte. Therfore ar al things figured ſpiritually, not carnally to be vnderſtand and taken. Doubtles the matters are excellēt vnderſtand, euen after the letter: howbeit we muſt thinke of ſpiritual matters, and greater alwayes, than the ſpeach of man can atteine to. For we know as taught by the doctrine of the Prophets & Apoſtles, to be alwaies true that is ſaid: yt the eye hath not ſene, nor the eare hath not hearde, nor aſcended in to the hart of man, thoſe things which god hath prepared for them yt louelove him. 1. Cor. 2
The chiefe articles of this place of ye g…orye of the bleſſed.And the chefeſt poincts of this place be theſe. Firſt he ſheweth that ye world ſhalbe renewed. Secōdly he ſignifieth that the Saincts ſhalbe glorified & bleſſed. And declareth in general what that ſame fiticitie ſhal be. And incōtinētly he confirmeth theſe things by many reaſons, moreouer he deſcribeth the place, the courte & Palace of the bleſſed, and lykewiſe the glory and felicitie of Saincts. The which in the beginning of the .20. chap. he finiſheth vp excedingly wel, vnderunder the figure of a r…uer & …ree of lyfe. And lyke as he hath for the moſt part borowed al his things out of ye bokes of prophets, the which S. Ihon alſo with his reuelation lighteneth: ſo hath he alſo at this preſent borrowed theſe out of the .65. and .66. chapt. of Eſaye. And .37. of Ez…chiel, and the laſte chapters of the ſame.
Of the renewyng of the world he ſpeaketh plainely,Of the renewyng of ye world. as doeth alſo thapoſtle S. Peter in his later Epiſtle, the .3. chap. that al thinges verely ſhuld be purged by fire, & not wholy aboliſhed & adnichilated, but ſhould doubtles be purified from all corruptiō: for Aretas: he ſignifieth not, ſayeth he thextinguiſſhing of the creature, but a renewyng for the better. Therfore ſayeth S. Iohn expreſſely, that he ſawe a newe heauē, & a newe earth, wherunto he addeth by expoſition: that the firſt heauē, & the firſt earth are vaniſſhed awaye: to wit they are chaūged in their qualities: ſo yt the corruptible thinges are now gone, created for corruptible vſes. For euen ſo is the Sea no more, alſo doubtles ſubiecte to corruptiō, but chaūged into better. S. Auſten, and his ſcollar Primaſius ſuppoſe that the troubleſome ſtate of the world (ſignified not ſeldome in ye ſcriptures by the Sea) about thende of the world ſhal ceaſe. Reade ye .17. chap. of the .20. boke De ciuitate dei. Expoūding this place, he reaſoneth likewiſe at large of this innouatiō of the world, in the ſame .20. boke De ciuitate dei, & .18. chap. & other places. I thinke mere in this matter to put awaie al curioſitie: & if any hid thing appere therin, that it be reſerued vntounto yt daie, in the which we ſhal ſee al thinges euidently. And I ſuppoſe yt theſe things cōcerning the renewyng of heauē & earth ar not therfore ſpokē, yt ſo ther ſhuld any place be prepared for vsus, which we ſhuld inhabite again in theſe inferiours partes vnderunder heauē (for we beleue yt we ſhal flie vp into heauē, & go mete ye lord in the clowdes, according to the doctrine of thapoſtle. 1. Theſſ. 4.) but for ye our mindes are thus confirmed, that the faithful ſhal vndoubtedly be renewed & glorified. For if heauen and earth, made for man, be renewed & purefied: who wil doubte now, that men themſelues ſhal be moſte chiefely clarified?
For cōſequently now S. Iohn declareth,Sainctes muſte be glorified. that the Sainctes ſhall both be renewed & glorified, & placed in bleſſed ſeates: & ſignifieth yet generally what ye glory of ſaincts ſhal be. After he will declare more at large and ſeuerally all thoſe thinges moſte dilligently. For he heareth an Angel ſayeng: come I wil ſhewe thee the bryde the wife of the lambe, &c. The ſame now figuratiuely he nameth a citie, & that in dede holy, & new Hieruſalem. And a citie ſignifieth aſwel the place & habitatiō, as them that dwelle in the place, I meane the citezens themſelues. This citie therfore is not only the place of the bleſſed, but alſo the very cōmunion of ſainctes, in olde time prefigured in the citie of Hieruſalem. But he putteth a greate difference betwixte this of our newe, and that viſible and corporall Hieruſalem.Hieruſalē. For he calleth ours holy: that other in the lande of Paleſtine was prophane, polluted with the bloud of Chriſt, prophetes and Apoſtles, & for the ſame cauſe deſtroyed vtterly. Ours is alſo called newe. For the cōmunion of Sainctes ſhal be renewed at the ſame daye. And therefore by interpretation followeth, cōmyng downe from heauen: not that the habitation of Sainctes after iudgement ſhall againe be in earth: but that the glory and renewyng ſhal be graūted from heauen of the diuine maieſtie & power. As alſo S. Iames is red to hauehave ſayde, eueryevery good gifte and eueryevery perfit gifte is from aboue, commyng downe from the father of lightes. And S. Paule alſo in the .4. to the Galath. ſayde that the free church is the heauenly Hieruſalē. The ſame in the .1. Corinth. the .15. The firſte man, ſayeth he, of the earth earthly, the ſeconde man the lord himſelf from heauē. Such as that earthly was, ſuche are they alſo that be earthly: and ſuche as that heauenly was, ſuch are they alſo that be heauēly. And as we hauehave borne the Image of the earthly mā, ſo ſhal we beare alſo the Image of the heauenly. Therfore ſayed S. Iohn moſt rightly, that the churche of Sainctes commeth downe from heauen, to witte frō heauen receauing her glory. For againe by a demonſtration: prepared of God, ſayeth he, as a bryde garniſhed for her huſbande. For the Apoſtle in the .2. to the Corinth. the .5. We know, ſayeth he, that yf our earthly manſion of this tabernacle be deſtroied, we hauehave bildyng of god, a manſion not made with hande, euerlaſtyng in heauen. And anone: he that hath prepared vsus for the ſame is God. He remoueth from his ſainctes al corruptiō, but geueth and teacheth to be purified with al giftes of the body, that ſo they may be garniſſhed worthely, and maye dwell in the euerlaſtyng bryde chamber with their brydegrome Chriſte. Wherefore this garniſſhynge conſiſteth in the aboliſhinge of all corruption and mortalitie, and in the gifte of vncorruption, immortalitie, and glory. Of the purefying and deckyng of the bryde ſpeaketh the Apoſtle S. Paule alſo in the .5. chapter to the Epheſians. And in this worlde beginneth the purgyng and trimmyng, and finally at the ende is finiſſhed moſt perfitly. For than ſhal the church hauehave nother ſpotte nor wrincle, al corruption verely wiped awaie, and al glory receyued. And here learne by the waye, that the Sainctes are prepared of God: therefore ſaluation to be of mere grace.
And he procedeth to declare yet more playnely,What ſhal be the eternall felicitie. what the glory ſhal be: whereof in this worke he hath ben occaſioned to ſpeake oftener than ones. Bleſſednes chiefely conſiſteth in two thinges. For God will geue vntounto his Sainctes all that good is, and wil take from them al euill: and ſo ſhal theſe for euer inioye the ſouerayne good, and felicitie moſt perfit, and ſhal waunte al payne and miſerie. S. Auſten in thende of his boke De ciuit. dei: Howe great, ſayeth he, ſhal that felicitie be, where no euill ſhal be, no good ſhal waunt? and this declaration of eternal felicitie hath her partes, whereby ſhe is made manifeſt. For firſte a voyce, and that a great cried from the Trone: beholde the tabernacle of God with men. The coniunction of God with holy men, was in time paſte prefigured by the Tabernacle of witteneſſe, whereby God teſtified that he would be in the middes of his people. And the ſame ſhal he at thende after the iudgement verfourme moſt aboū dantly. And therefore that voyce annexeth:In ye preſence and fruition of god ſhal b… al good. &c. and he will dwell with them, and they ſhal be his people, and God himſelfe with them, and will be their God. The whiche S. Paule ſemeth to hauehave vttered more ſuccinctely and briefely, and God ſhall be all in all. For what ſo euer is good, what ſo euer is faire, what ſo euer is pleaſaunt and delectable, what ſo euer the minde of mā can imagine to be wiſſhed for, briefely what ſo euer apperteyneth to the true and perfit felicitie, and bleſſed life. That ſame ſhall that great God almightie be whole, and ſhal ſhewe in him ſelfe moſt fully. And like as al and ſingular menne do inioye vntounto a pleaſaunt ſatietie the amiable brightnes, and hol… ſome heate of the ſunne, that neue…theles the ſame loſeth nothing by the ſame: and albeit that al men vſe the ſunne in common, and eueryevery man…e neuertheleſſe inioyeth the ſame as proper and peculiar: right ſo in another world we ſhal vſe that eternal light, and ioye euerlaſting and vnſpeakeable. Whereof incontinently ſhal followe thinges more plentifull.
God will deliuer the Sainctes from all payne.And than, like as God in himſelf geueth to the glorified al goodnes, ſo wil he remoue al euil from the ſame: ſo that they be not only deliuered frō calamities, but the ſame ſhal neuer retourne, nor be feared more. The whiche in moſte plentifull wiſe he declareth, by wordes borrowed out of the oracles of the prophetes. God ſhal wipe awaye, ſayeth he, al teares frō their eyes. Which kinde of ſpeach he vſed alſo in the .7. chap. verely taken out of the .25. and .65. chap. of Eſaye. And Dauid alſo in .126. Pſalm. They that ſowe in teares, ſayeth he, ſhall reape in gladnes. He ſemeth to hauehave alluded to moothers, which wipe the eyes of their tender and dere childrē criyng, comforte the ſorrowfull, and cheriſhe them hurte or bruiſſed. Therfore if the Sainctes hauehave ſuffered any payne or grefe in this world, when they ſhal come into an other world, it ſhal be requited thē, and prouided, that they ſhal fele no more aduerſitie. The lord ſayde alſo in the goſpel: verely verely I ſaie vntounto you ye ſhal wepe and lamēt, but the world ſhal reioyce: and you ſhal be ſorowfull, but your ſorowe ſhall be tourned into ioye, &c. In the .16. of Iohn.
Conſequently he declareth yet more fully by nombryng of the calamities, that the ſainctes in an other life ſhall be deliuered at ones from al euill: and death ſhal be no more. For they ſhal be rewarded with life euerlaſtyng. Therefore ſhall there be no more feare of death, whiche is in a maner more bitter than death it ſelfe. The ſame affirmeth the Apoſtle in the firſt to the Corinth. the .15. alledgyng the teſtimony of the Prophete Oſee. There ſhall be no mournyng nor ſorrowe, whiche drieth vp the bones, although moſt ful of iuyce. For the ioye of Sainctes ſhal be perpetuall. There ſhal be no clamour, no complayncte, no expoſtulatyng or vmbraydyng. For whie, there ſhall be no iniurie, no mallice or enuie. This worlde ſowndeth and redoundeth full of the clamorous and cries of poore wretches. But in the bleſſed ſeates ſhal be no miſerie. There ſhal be no payne (foreign) labour, ſickenes, werines. The cauſe hereof, for the olde thinges are gone. There is nowe an other life, yea and that a moſte diuerſe maner of liuyng, from that whiche we liue nowe. Therefore what ſoeuer is of ſinne, and ſubiecte to corruption, ſhall there be taken awaye: as the Lorde ſayde in the Goſpell,Iohn. 5. the children of this worlde doe marrie, and are maried: but they that ſhal be accompted worthie to attayne to that other worlde, and reſurrection from the dead, ſhall nother marrie, nor be married. For they can dye no more: for they are egall with Aungelles, and be the children of God, ſins they are the children of reſurrection. Luke. 20. chapt. But of eternall life we hauehave ſpoken, more in our cōmentaries vpō the .12. of Matth. And the Lorde him ſelfe in Iohn collecteth the ſome of all, and ſayeth, howe he maketh all thinges newe. Therefore in the world to come we ſhal thinke of no carnal nor corrupt thing, but an heauenly.
But the mindes of the faythfull are greuouſely tempted in this matter, the Deuill ſuggeſtynge,A weightie cōfirmatiō yt all theſe things are vndoubted which are ſpoken of the bleſſed life. that the hope of the faythfull is vayne: and that is a thing moſte foliſſhe, to contemne good thinges preſente and certayne, for glory vncertayne. There be innumerable others of the ſame ſorte, which come to the minde of manne, and trouble and ſhake the faith of eternall life. The Lord therefore the faythfull Phiſition of his, leeſte they ſhould fele any hinderaunce in this behalf, cō firmeth theſe thinges g…auely and many wayes: declaryng the hope of the faythfull to be moſte certayne, and al thinges to be vndoubted, whiche are or ſhall be taught of eternal life, of the felicitie and glory of ſainctes. And he placeth this aſſertion as it were in bat…ayle raye, after he hath certenly collected the ſome of felicitie, whereunto by and by he will adde fuller thinges after the viſion exhibited.
And here is to be vnderſtand, that the certentie of the bleſſed life is ſhewed moſte expreſſely of al by theſe wordes: and he ſayde vntounto me, wryte, &c. And neuertheleſſe by the former wordes alſo no weake reaſons of the veritie be gathered.
And firſte in dede he ſayde: I Iohn ſawe. And we knowe Iohn to be an Apoſtle and witneſſe of the trewth, whoſe teſtimony it is vnlaweful to diſtruſte. Seyng therefore this godly mā, ſawe the thinges himſelfe, whiche he reherſeth, to doubte of the ſame were a wickednes.
Secondly he heareth a voice, & a great, moreouer pronounced out of the Trone, to wit of the .xxiiii. Elders & ſpretes angelicall, & of the whole heauenly hoſte. And who can doubte of their teſtimony, whiche already are in bleſſe euerlaſtyng? They know, and hauehave experiēce what the felicitie is, therfore they ſpeake and teſtifie that is tried and knowen.
Moreouer he him ſelfe that ſitteth in the Trone, ſpeaketh and teſtifieth, ſaying: beholde I make al thinges newe. God is true, and in him is no leaſyng. And ſeyng he teſtifieth ſo playnely, that life euerlaſting ſhal be: and we ſee him declare it alſo, of what ſorte it ſhal be: no place for doubtefulnes hereafter is relinquiſſhed.
And the thinges that he hath ſhewed and declared of the happie life, he cōmaundeth immediately to wryte. Thinges are written for a perpetuall memorial of the thing, which we knowe to be true and ſubſtantial. For wrytinges or teſtimonialles whiche are written or made and ſealed, by the lawe of nations, and common cuſtome of men, hauehave the force of an vndoubted teſtimony. But ſuch letters or teſtimonialles are made and ſealed at the commaundement of God. For God commaundeth S. Iohn to write thoſe ſame, which ar taught of the bleſſed life: and therefore they be true, vndoubted, and infallible. As he himſelf immediately annexeth and ſaieth: for theſe wordes are faythful & true, ſtable I ſaye, & immutable what can be ſpoken more euident than theſe? here is alſo the authoritie of holy Scripture eſtabliſſhed. But he addeth an other thing almoſt more vehement: and he ſayde vntounto me, it is done. By the which maner of ſpeaking is ſignified, eyther that the ende is commen, and all thinges accompliſſhed, like as it is vſed in the .16. chap. or els that the thing which is ſpoken, and beleued to come, to be ſo certaine as though it were done already. We Germanes ſo ofte as we will ſignifie, that the thing whiche we hauehave pourpoſed, or promiſed and ſayde, to be ſure, we are wonte to ſaye, Es iſt gemacht, it is done. Let vsus therefore beleue aſſuredly theſe and all Gods wordes. Moreouer let vsus geue our lorde God moſte hartie thankes, which with ſo great faith and dilligence ſuſteyneth & confirmeth our hope: and hath commaunded theſe miſteries of our ſaluation to be put in writyng, and publiſſhed to the whole world in all ages. To him be glory for euermore. Amen.