A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 93
¶ Here is ſet foorth a goodly picture, a diſcription or figure of the bleſſed ſeate, and of the heauē ly lyfe and glory euerlaſting. The .xciij. Sermon.
AND there came vntounto me one of the ſeuen Angelles, which had the ſeuen vyalles full of the ſeuen laſte plagues: and talked with me ſayeng: come hither, I wil ſhew the the bryde, the lambes wyfe. And he caried me away in ſpirite to a great, and an high moū tayne, and he ſhewed me the greate Citie, holy Hieruſalem, deſcēding out of heauen from God, hauing the brightneſſe of God. And her ſhyning was lyke to a ſtone moſt preciouſe, euē a Iaſpar clere as a Criſtal: and had great and high walles, and had twelue gates, and at the gates twelue Angels: & names writtē, which ar the twelue tribes of the children of Iſraell: on the Eaſt part three gates, and on the North ſyde three gates, and towarde the South three gates, and on the weſt ſyde thre gates: and the walle of the Citie had twelue foundations, and in them the names of the Lambes twelue Apoſtles.
S. Iohn retourneth to the deſcription of the citie celeſtial,A deſcription of the heauenly citie. whiche in the beginnyng of this chapter he had attempted. He hath inferred certen thinges in place righte neceſſarie, touchyng the certayne hope of the faythfull: whiche after he hath finiſſhed, he ſemeth afterwarde to vnlocke and ſet open Heauen, that the godly, with the eyes of fayth, mighte as it were loke herein, and ſee clerely what is the hope and glory of Sainctes to come. For vnderunder the tipe of a moſte beautiful citie, he ſetteth forth a picture or deſcription moſte euident of the bleſſed ſeate, or palace & citie of God or of the euerlaſting countrie and church triumphant. We ſhal not here faine and forge to our ſelues thinges earthly and corporall, but ſpirituall and celeſtiall. For the ſprete of God will hauehave vsus by occaſion of temporall thinges, with our mindes to aſcende to eternal, and by temporal thinges, more excellent. Therefore are al thinges figured, with amplifications, Hiperbolies, and ful of other figures. We ſhall therefore imagine in theſe farre greater thinges: as we are wonte to do, what time we reade or heare ſuch thinges as our lorde hath taught vnderunder the parables of weddynges and feaſtes.
And firſte is declared vntounto vsus,The ſhewer of ye heauēly viſiō. who is the ſhewer of this godly and wonderfull viſion: that is to ſaye, who is the opener of the miſteries, verely an Aungell of God, and the very ſame, whiche before in the .17. chapter to the ſame Iohn ſayde, come, I will ſhewe thee the damnation of the greate whore, &c. For it is the ſame God, whiche punniſſheth the vngodly, and geueth rewardes to the godly, and denounceth vntounto menne by his miniſters thoſe his rightuouſe iudgementes. Moreouer ſins we ſee them to be moſte certen, and partely alſo accompliſſhed, whiche he ſhewed before of the iudgemente of Rome: who would not gather, that the ſame ſhall be alſo moſte certayne whiche the ſame nowe vttereth and ſheweth of the euerlaſtynge glory of the faythfull? And gatheryng a ſome of the thinges whiche he will ſhew him, he ſetteth before and exhorteth him, to follow him, ſayeng: come, I wil ſhewe thee the bryde the wife of the lābe. Of her hath ben ofte times ſpoken before. He ſignifieth the congregation of Sainctes, coupled by fayth to our Sauiour Chriſte. And not only ſheweth to Iohn (and in the ſame to vsus al) the ſpowſe: but the glory alſo geuē her of God. The meanyng therefore is this: come, I will ſhewe thee, what ſhal be the glory of the church of Chriſt in the life to come, what ſhal be the ſtate of the life euerlaſting. Certes he ſpeaketh alſo very many thinges of the churche, but chiefely of her glory in the world to come.
The maner of the reuelatiō.Thā toucheth he alſo brefely the maner of reuealyng. For he addeth, and he toke me vp in ſprete into a greate and high mountayne. Therefore like as in the fourmer viſions he was caried awaie in ſprete, his body remayning in Pathmos: and as we hauehave red and admoniſſhed before, that ſuche maner of viſions and rauiſhmentes happened to Ezechiel: euen ſo ſayeth he nowe alſo that he is caried awaye in ſprete, & in minde to hauehave ſene the thinges which the Angel ſhewed. Wherfore if we will alſo reade or heare theſe thinges to any profit, we muſt lifte vp our mindes, and be caried vp in our ſprete, and thinke, that al theſe thinges muſt ſpiritually be vnderſtande. Aretas: rightly, ſayeth he, in the mountayne was ſhewed the heauenly life & conuerſation of the Sainctes. For with them is nothing earthly, lowe or abiecte: but all thinges loftie and high. This he. Certenly what time in the Goſpell the Lorde Chriſte would exhibite to his diſciples a certen taſte and ſaye of the glory to come, he conueyed them vp into a Mounte, and was tranſfigured before them: which thing S. Matthewe affirmeth in the .17. chapt. to hauehave chaunced to Peter, Iames, and Iohn.
And now he annexeth the viſion it ſelfe, and generally and briefely deſcribeth or ſhaddoweth the bleſſed ſeate and glory of the life to come: afterwarde he amplifieth the ſame more largely, particularly, and as it were by partes, and ſo enlarged and beaultified he ſetteth it forth as it were to be ſene of the godly.The citie of God ye great citie. And he calleth the heauenly countrie, and habitation of ſainctes, the great Citie. For it is the citie of the great king, and in it ſhal dwell an innumerable nombre of the bleſſed, and of Aungelles thouſandes infinite, and ſhal hauehave the fruition of greate glory: nother is there any feare, leefte the place ſhould not ſuffice ſo great an hoſte of men and ſpretes, or that it ſhal be ouer ſtrayte. Great is ye citie of God, which is verely able to receyue all good men aboundantly. In the goſpel of Iohn the Lord ſayeth: in my fathers houſe are many manſions, and ſo forth. the .14. chapt. The ſelfe ſame place is called holy Hieruſalem. For like as no filthines ſhal there be eſpied, ſo ſhal there no vncleane perſone there appere. Of the heauenly Hieruſalem is ſpoken before. Thomas of Aquine: ſayeth: She is ſayde to hauehave deſcended from heauen, for that what goodnes ſo euer the holy church hath, ſhe acknoweledgeth her ſelfe to hauehave receyued it of the grace of God. But of this matter I hauehave ſpoken in the laſte Sermon.Hauyng ye glory of God. And the citie of God, I meane heauē, hath the ſeates of God and the bleſſed, the glory of God, that is to ſaye the diuine maieſtie and brightnes, and what great thing ſo euer the minde of manne can thinke or imagine, or in all thinges the vnſpeakeable excellēcie of God, ſuch as nother the eye hath ſene, nor the eare hath hearde, nor yet hath aſcended into the harte of manne, 1. Corintb. the .2. chapt. Theſe thinges hath he ſommarely, and generally touched hitherto.
And cōſequently he declareth by particulars and at large that celeſt…all glory, and bleſſed ſeates.The citie of God moſt ample & large. For what thinges ſo euer are …mple, what ſo euer are in cities commendable, the ſame a… playnely founde in this our citie moſte excellent, as the largenes, ſtrength, maieſtie, ſurenes, excellencie, beaultie, pleaſauntnes and plentie of thinges. Theſe thinges I ſaye, and al other like do wōderfully excelle in the citie of our god, and in our fathers houſe: and where as theſe thinges are on this wiſe ſet forth and amplified moſte liberally, yet ſemeth there nothing at al ſayde, in caſe a mā conſider the vnſpeakeable maieſtie of the glory celeſtial.To what ende theſe things are ſpoken. But al theſe things are alledged of the lorde by S. Iohn to this ende verely, that we ſhould be taken with the deſire of ſo worthie a life, and ſhuld thinke in our tribulations, and troubles, that the afflictions of this preſent worlde are nothing, beyng compared with ſo excellent & ſouerayne glory: finally that al are madd…, which beginne to doubte of the eternal hope of the faythfull. V…ry many thinges of this ſorte are red alſo in Ezechiel in …t. 40. chapt. and after. We will touche eueryevery parte of this treatiſe, vſyng neuertheleſſe a ſuccincte breuitie, leeſt we ſhould be tediouſe to any man. And verely he toucheth the principal and moſte commendable thinges of Cities, and in them ſheweth that the citie of God excelleth.
The light of this Citie.In cities and houſes the chiefeſt prayſe is, if all thinges be light and clere: for darkenes is horrible & vnpleaſaunt. Therfore is an excellent light declared to be in the citie or houſe of the lord. There is added a parable, whereby is ſhewed the excellēcie of this light. It is like a moſt preciouſe ſtone, ſuppoſe a Iaſpar, as it is cōmonly called, or a Chryſolithe, or ſome like ſtone moſte brighte. And S. Iohn him ſelfe addeth more, as it were a Iaſpar ſtone like a Chriſtal. This is a newe maner of ſpeakyng, but it hath a maruelouſe grace, if we vnderſtāde it rightly. For a Iaſpar is grene, a chriſtal is bright. He ſemeth therefore to ſaye, howe that celeſtial brightnes is continually grene, & whithereth neuer: that is to witte that the heauenly light is euerlaſting, & in it ſelf after a ſorte waryng grene, and in growyng grene wareth bright and reioyceth all heauenly dwellers. For herafter followeth: for the glory of God hath lightened her, & the Lambe is her light. This brightnes and moſt ioyeful light the Lord in the goſpel of Iohn promiſeth in ſondry places: and the whole bleſſed life, of this not the leſte parte, is called cōmonly bleſſed light, & light euerlaſtyng, or light of heauen. It ſemeth to hauehave ben prefigured in the golden cādelſticke of the tabernacle, &c. For if it were not harde for our Lord God to geue vntounto precious ſtones wonderfull colours & brightnes: yf he illumine this world full of naughtie men wyth moſte goodly lyghtes, the Sunne Moone & Starres, what a lighte I praye thee, maye we thinke to hauehave in heauē, where no man ſhal dwell but the beſte, and of God moſt derely beloued? Of this light muche mention is made with Eſaye and in the Pſalmiſt.
the walles of ye citie.Walles in Cities are moſte notable and excellent, in caſe they be high, thicke, and ſtrong, able to abide all force of enemies, and defende the Citezens from al iniuries and to kepe them in peace and ſecuritie. The heauēly walles therfore, are both great or ſtrong, and alſo high or vnpregnable. Hereby is ſignified, that the protection of Sainctes in heauen ſhal of God be moſt ſafe and ſure, ſo that the Saintes ſhal be inperfit ſecuritie, and exempte from all feare. There ſhall no man trouble or take awaye their ioyes: as the lord in the .16. of S. Iohns goſpel hath affirmed. For there ſhal be perpetual ſecuritie, and gladnes in heauen moſte perfit and euerlaſtyng.
Moreouer in the walles are placed gates,The gates of the citie. by the whiche mē go into the citie. In the wall therfore of the heauēly coū trie ſhal be twelue gates, that is to ſaye, a moſt large entryng into eternal life ſhal be opē on eueryevery ſide. And we beleue, that there is no other waie to heauē, no other porte or gate, or any other dore or poſterne to remaine, than the only & ſole Chriſt Ieſus our lord: as he himſelf hath taught in Iohn the .10. & .14. chapt, But for aſmuch as he hath appoincted Angels or prophetes, & Apoſtles alſo, porters of heauen, to whō he hath cō mitted the keyes of the kingdome of heauen: & theſe do bring the choſen, and lette them into the heauenly countrie, many gates verely are red to hauehave ben and be. And for a further declaration is added, that in eueryevery gate was an Angel,Twelue Angels in the gates. in nōbre twelue. And we hauehave hearde in the beginnyng of this boke, that Angelles, are gods miniſters, and paſtours of churches, ſent of God for the ſaluation of mē, I meane that thei might bring them by the worde of veritie, and holy miniſterie, through fayth into life euerlaſtyng. Morouer we reade how the ſoule of pore Lazarus diyng was caried by Angelles into the boſome of Abraham. Whie than ſhould we maruell that Angelles ſtande at the gates? For by the true and only gate Chriſt, they bring in the faithfull into the heauenly countrie.
And agayne for a further declaration is annexed,In ye gates are writtē the names of ye childrē of Iſraell. and in the gates were names written, whiche are the names of the twelue tribes of the children of Iſraell. For the Lord would ſignifie, that he vſed the induſtrie of Patriarches and Prophetes of all tribes, in openyng heauen vntounto mē: and againe that all the choſen of al tribes appertayne to the felloweſhip of felicitie. We ſhal ſee therfore in heauē the Patriarches and Prophetes, and all the Sainctes, whiche before the cōmyng of Chriſt are written in the regiſters of the heauenly: like as the Apoſtles alſo ſawe Moſes and Helias talking with Chriſt in the Mounte. Wherfore not without great cauſe wrote the Apoſtle to the Hebrewes: you are cōmen to the moūte Sion, and to the citie of the liuing God, to the celeſtiall Hieruſalē, and to the multitude of many thouſande Angelles, and vntounto the congregation of the firſt borne, which are written in heauen. And the reſte which is red in the .12. chapt.
The ſituation of the gates.And he toucheth alſo the ſituation of the gates. For he aſſigneth three vntounto eueryevery parte of the ſkie. Nother doeth he this without conſideration. For our ſauiour himſelfe ſayeth in the goſpel, that they ſhal come from the Eaſt and from the Weſte, and ſhal reſte with Abraham, Iſaac and Iacob, in the kingdome of heauen. Aretas alſo ſearcheth here the miſterie more dilligently, and ſuppoſeth that no man ſhal enter in by theſe gates, ſaue he, whiche both acknowledgeth the eternal trinitie of God, and alſo vnderſtandeth the miſterie of the croſſe of Chriſt. For he ſayeth howe the twelue tribes are diuided by the Trinitie of the fourefolde figure of the worlde, &c. Wherupon Aquinas alſo: who ſo euer are ſaued, ſaieth he, they are iuſtified by the fayth of the holy Trinitie publiſſhed in the foure quartes of the world by the Apoſtles preachyng.
The foundations of the Citie.Now ſheweth he alſo, that the foundations of this citie are moſt ſure and vnmouable. For the walle of the Citie, ſayeth he, hath twelue foundations. Touchyng the foundation of the churche and our ſaluation hauehave ſpoken expreſſely Dauid in the Pſalmes. Eſaye alſo in the .28. chapt. our Lord and ſauiour in ſondry places of the Goſpell. Peter moreouer in the Actes, and firſt epiſtle: likewiſe the Apoſtle S. Paule, whiche ſayde, any other foundation can not be layde, thā that which is layde, whiche is Chriſt Ieſus, 1. Corinth. 3. Howe than are layde here twelue foundations? doubtles Chriſt remayneth one and a ſure foundation. Howebeit in as muche as in placyng and reuealyng him, the Lord hath vſed the miniſterie of the twelue Apoſtles, for this cauſe the citie is ſayde to hauehave twelue foūdations. Not that the Apoſtles are in dede the foū dations of the church and our ſaluatiō, but in this that Chriſt that trewe foundation, was by the twelue Apoſtles made knowen to the faithfull, and as it were layde vnderunder, whereupon the beleuers hauehave buylded themſelues by the Apoſtles fayth. Whereupon he ſayeth pourpoſely, & in thoſe twelue, the names of the lambes twelue Apoſtles. For the goſpel alſo, whiche is bothe in very dede and vnchaungeably Ieſus Chriſtes alone, is called alſo of Iohn, Matthew, Marke & Luke, of Peter and Paule bicauſe it hath ben preached by them. And we vnderſtande hereby not only the church, whiche was before the commyng of Chriſt of Patriarches and Prophetes, beyng receyued into heauen to reioyce in God: but alſo the church Apoſtolical, I meane that al men in the whole world, whiche hauehave beleued the Apoſtolicall doctrine, ſhal liue with al the Sainctes in that heauenly countrie: all the whiche we ſhall bothe ſee, and with them alſo ſhall glorifie God for euermore.
Primaſius Biſſhop of Vtica diſſenteth not much from this our expoſition,Whether thapoſtles be foundatiōs of the church. expounding how the Apoſtles are called foū datiōs. For thus hath he lefte written: where we know, that the church hath one only foundation, that is to ſaye Chriſte, we ought not to be moued, yt here he ſayeth ſhe hath twelue. For in Chriſt hauehave thapoſtles deſerued to be the foūdations of the Churche: of whome the Apoſtle an other foundation, ſaieth he, can not be layde, beſides that which is layde Chriſt Ieſus. In him are alſo the Apoſtles ſayed to be light, ſins he ſayeth vntounto thē, you are the light of the world: where Chriſt alone is the true light, which lighteth eueryevery man commyng into this world. Chriſt therefore is the light illuminyng, and they the light illumined. And after a fewe wordes the ſame Authour. Here it behoueth, ſayeth he, to acknoweledge the twelue Apoſtles to be foundatiōs, yet called in the only foū dation Chriſt Ieſu. Hereunto apperteineth alſo, that he hath not concealed the name of the Lambe. The Apoſtles therfore be foundations, but in one foūdation Ieſu Chriſt. And chriſt alone without the Apoſtles is rightly called the foundation: but the Apoſtles without Chriſt, could by no meanes be called the foundations of the churche. Theſe thinges Primaſius. Which Aretas Biſſhop of Ceſaria declareth more briefly and playnely, and ſayeth: they are in dede called foundations, for that thei hauehave layde the foundations of the chriſten faith: and gates, for that by them that is to witte by their preachyng, there maye be founde nowe, that maye bring them to the chriſten fayth. Thus much he. Doubtles the Apoſtle S. Paule in the .2. to the Epheſ. calleth Chriſte the foundation of Apoſtles and Prophetes, whiche verely in preachyng they hauehave layde, and to the whiche they hauehave leaned, and by the which alſo they are ſaued. To him be glory.