A Fruitfull Meditation

A FRVITFVLL MEDI-

T A T I O N, Q 0 3S(T A 1 3S(J 3S(J} *Ji TLAI^S

AND E A S I E EXPOSITION, OR

laying open of the VII. VIII. IX. andX.Veries of the lo.Chapter of the Revelation, in forme and maner of a Sermon.

THE TEXT.

7 And when the thoufandyeeres are expired , or ended , Satan JbaU be loofedoutof

hisprifon.

8 And Jball goe out to deceiue the people^ , Ifhich are in the four e quarters of the

earth >euen Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battade, T^hoje number are as the land of the Sea.,.

9 And they "bent <vp to the plaine of the earth , which compared the tents of the

Saints about , andthebelouedCitie: but fire came doume from God out of the heauen, and deuoured them. i o And the diuelthat decerned tbem&as cafl into a lake of fire and hrimflonejvhere that beafl and that falfe prophet are , andfbalbe tormented euen day and night for euermore-j.

The Meditation.

S of ail Bookes the holy Scripture is molt neceflary for the inftrudtion of a Chriftian, and of all the Scriptures , the Booke of the Revelation is moll meete for this our laft aage , as a Prophefie of the latter times : Co haue I fele&ed or chofen out this place thereof, as moft proper for the action we haue in hand prelently. For after the Apoftle I o h n had prophefied of the latter times, in die nineteenth Chapter afore-going, he now in this twentieth Chapter gathered vp a fumme of the whole, wherein are expreiled three heads or pnncipall points.

i . Firft , the happie e( tate of the Church , from Chrifts dayes, to the dayes of the defection or falling away of the Antichrift, in the firft fixe verfes of this io. Chapter.

a Next, the defe&ion or falling away it felfe, in this place that I haue in handle TM,the feuenth, eight,ninth,and tenth verfes.

3 Thirdly, the generall punifhment of the wicked in the great day of Iudgement, from the tenth verfe vnto the end of the Chapter.

1 he Apoltle his meaning in this place then is this , That after that Sa^ tan then had bene bound a thoufand yeeres, which did appeare by his dif courfe afore-going, of the Saints triumphing intheearth,heefhallatlaft breake forth againe loofe,and forafpace rage#in the earth more then euer before : but yet {hall in the end be ouercome and confounded for euer.

It refteth now, knowing the fumme, that we come to the expofition or meaning of the Verfes j and firft expound or lay open by way of a Paraphrafe the hardnefle of the words , next declare the meaning of them, and thirdly note what we mould learne of all.

THE FIRST PART.

S touching the wordes in them for order fake, wee may

note • ' Firft Satan his looting : l next his doing, after he is

loofed : * and laft his vnhappie fucceffe.

Then for the firft , by Satan is meant not onely the Dra-

gon,enemie to Chriftand his Church, but alio with him all the inftruments in whom he ruleth,and by whom he ruleth,and by whom he vttereth his cruell and crafty intentions, fpecially the Antichrilt and his Clergie, ioyned with the Dragon before in the id. Chap. verfe 17. and called the beaft, and the falfe prophet. For as Chrift and nis Church are called after one Name , Chrift , by reafbn of their moft ftrait and neere vnion,and heauenly effe&s flowing therefrom, i.for.iz.iz.So Satan and his finagogue are here rightly callcdSatan,by reafbn of their vnion,and curfed efTeds flowing thererrom.Thefe thoufand yeeres,are but a number certaine for an vncertaine,which phrafe or maner of fpeaking,is often vfed by the Spirit of God in the Scriptures , meaning a great number of yeeres.

Moreouer, the prifbn whereout he is loofed, is thehels, which by the Spirit of God are called his prifon , for two caufes : ' One, becaufe during the time of this world, at times appointed by God, he is debarred from walking on the earth , and fent thither, greatly to his torment, as was teftified or witneffed by the miracle at Gene^areth among the Gadarens , Matth. 8.1 8. 2 Next, becaufe that after the confummation or end of the world, he fhall be perpetually or for euer imprifbned therein, as is written in the fame Chapter, ver. 1 o. Finally, he is loofed by interruption or hindering, and for the moft part, to the iudgement of men, abolition or ouerthrow of the fincere preaching of the Gofpel, the true vfe of the Sacraments, which arefeales and pledges of thepromifes contained therein, and lawfull exercife of Chriftian difcipline, whereby both Word and Sacraments are maintained in purity, called in the firft verfe the great chainc, whereby the di-

iiell is bound and fignified by the white horfe, gouerned by the Lambe. Chap. 6. <vsrft z. So the meaning of all this 7. verie is this : The diuel,hauing bene bound, and his power in his inilruments hauing bene reftrained for a long fpace,by the preaching of the Gofpel , at the laft he is looted out of hell by the railing vp of fo many new errors and notable euill initruments, elpccially the Antichrist and his Clergie, who not onely infect the earth a new,buc rule alio ouer the whole, through the decreafe of trew doctrine, and the number of the faithfull following it, and the dayly increafe of errours , and nations following them, and bclceuing lies hating the trewth, and taking pleafure in vnrighteoufhes, z.TheJf.z.i 1,1 z. And thus farre for Satan his loofing.

Now to the next, his doing after he is loofed. Firfthegoethouttofeduce or beguile the nations that arc into the foure corners of the earth, and they become his , though in ccrtaine degrees his tyrannic and trauaile appcareth,and burltcth out in fome more then in others : For as all that doe good, are infpircd of God thereto , anddoevtter thefameincertaine degrees, according vn to themeafure of grace granted vnto them: foall that doe euill , are infpired by Satan , and doe vtter the fame in diuers degrees, according as that vncleane f pirit takethpofTefifoninthem, and by diuers obiects and meanes, ailureth them to doe his will, fome byambition,fome by enuie,{bmc by malice, and fome by feare,and fo forth : and this isthefirft worke.

Secondly, he gathereth Gog and Magog to battell,in number like the fand of the Sea,and fo he and his inclined to battell and bloodlhed, haue mightic armics,and in number many,inflamed with cruekie. The fpecial heads and rulers of their armies, or rather rankes of their confederate, togoeto battel and to fight,aretwaine,here named Gog and Magog; Gog in Hebrew is called Hid,and Magog Reuealed,to fignificthat in two forts of men chiefly Satan mail vtter himlelfe, to $fc, hypocrites, and auowed or open enemies to God : It is laid then that Satan (hall in the latter times rule a new ouer the world, who fhall itirre vp the nations vnder the banners of thefe two enemies to God , the hypocriticall and open,to fprcad themfelues in great multitudes vpon the earth.

Thirdly, they iTiall afcend vpon the plaine of the earthy prefumptuoufly and proudly, bragging of their number andforce,and thinking none (hall be able to refill their rage : They mall compafTe and befiegediecampesof the Saints, and beloued Citie, that is, the handfull of the faithfull beloued of the Lord, againft whome, truffing in their vntellable number,like the fand of thefea, they fhall make a cruell and vncefTable warre.

The elect are called Saints and beloued, becaufe they are in theloueof God {elected and fouered out,and by grace engrafTed in Chrift, in whom they are counted and found iuftificdjfan&ifk'd, worthy ofloucandendlefTc glorie : Their faithfull fcllowfhip is compared to Tents, and to a Citie beloued, to figniric their continuall warfare in the earth againit Satan

G 2 and

76

^A Meditation vpon cert a ine verfes

Thefumme of Satan hi? doing after he is looted.

and finne, with all his inftruments : their mutual amitic,and friendly coniun&ion in loue among themfelues,and ioyning together to maintainc the good caufc that their God hath clad them with : but chiefly to fignifie the mightie and al-lufficient protection or defence in profperity.and aduerfiry, flowing from God for their iult aide againft all powers that can purfue, whereby they alfb become faire as the Moone , pure as the Sunne, terrible as an armie with banners, Cant. 1.6,9. Yea as a defenced Citie, and yron pillar • and wals of BrafTe againft the whole earth,7<?m».i.i 8.

The fumme then of Satan his doing after he is loofed , is this : hee mall deceiuethe nations : he mall gather an infinite number of hypocrites and open enemies together, inflamed with crueltie, and theft mall in pridefull preemption fiercely bend themfclucs againft the chofen of God , and his trewth profefled by them. But what at laft fhall the fuccefle be? furely moft vnhappy : for fire mall come downefrom hcauen and deuoure them, and the diuell that decerned them, and all his inf truments,chiefly the Bealtand falfe Prophet fhall be call: in a lake of fire and brimftone, and fhall bee tormented day and night inceflantly for euer and euer : that is, how greatly foeuer their brags be, how neerefbeuer they fhall appeare to be to obtaine their purpofe, God from heauen, as the pallace and throne, wherefrom hee giuethproofeofhismercie towards his owne, and of hisiuftice toward his enemies, mall fend plagues and deftruc~tion, as well ordinary, as extraordinarie vpon them : Ordinarie, by reuealing their wicked nefle by the thundring mouthes of trewpaftors,whichisoft called fire in the Scriptures: Extraordinarie, by all corporall plagues to their vtter dcltrudion, and vntellable torment for euer in the hels. Thus farre for the expo fition or paraphrafe of the words.

The vnhappy fuccefle of Satan.

Thcpiiriticof the Gofpcl induringjftayeth ihe Antechrifl his ri. ling.

THE SECOND PART.

oftl

Ow followeth the interpretation ot the fentence according to the order vfed in the firlt part. Andriritwemuft know what time thde thoufand or many yeres was in, and when,and how Satan was loofed. This time is to be found „ in the fixt Chapter, in the opening of the fir ft three feales fecret bookeof God his prouidenceby the Lambe , to ypit, the time when the white, red, and blacke horf es had their courfe in the world : And to fpeake more plainely , the Diuell his power did lurke, which is called his binding, and the Gofpel did flourifh in a reafbnable purine many hundreth yeeres after Chrift,as theEcclefiafticallhiftories beare witneflc : For in great puritie the Gofpel did continue long, which is fignified by the courfe of the white horfe, albeit the profeffors were vnder the croffe f ignified by the red horfe, and troubled wonderfully by heretickes, fignified by the blacke horie, by wormewood that fell in the Fountaines of waters in the third trumpet,and by waters that the dragon fpewed out of his mouth, in thevifion oftheDragon and the woman/^j).ii. This timedid endure

from

rom Chrilt a fpace after Mguft'mc^ his dayes, when the bloodic Sword of perfecution ceafing, the whole Church began to be defiled with diuers herefies , which comming vnto a mature and ripe heape , did produce or bring foorth the Antechrift, fignified by the pale horf e in the fourth feale, by the king of the Locufts in the fift trumpet, by Babylon in the 1 1 .and 1 8. Chapter, by the fecond Bcaft rifing out ofthefeain the 1 3 . Chapter, and by the woman clad with fcarlet in the 1 y.chapter. The arif Ings of the hcrefies, and the Antichrilt breeding of their fmoake, is in this place called the looting of Satan.

Now folio weth after this his loofing, what he docth : He deceiueth the nations vnmcrfally : he gathereth Gog and Magog with vntellable armies to fight,he climeth vpon the plaineofthe earth,hecompalTeth the tents of the Saints, and thebeloued Citie about: Thefe are his doings.

Nowbecaufe thefe a&ions are moftliuely declared in other places of the fame booke, I will fhortly alleadge them to make the matter cleere by conference of places, expounding euery one another. Itisfaid in the ninth chapter, that the Anticnrift fhali fend out his locufts or Ecclefiafticall orders, by faire allurements to entice the world , to yeeld to his and their abominable hereiies,and Ihall preuaile ouer the molt part. It is {aid in the 1 1 . chapter, that he (hall perfecute the Saints , kill the two witnefles , and (hall reioyce with the kings of the earth, for their killing , as hauing beene the onely lets to his full glory. It is (aid in the 1 3 . chapter, that he (hall blaf pheme God in vfurping his power , that by the aduice and aflif tance of the ralfe Prophet, or falfe Church , hee (hall fend out his Images or EmbafTadours through the world , perfecuting and deftroying them that will not obey him and them, and acknowledge his fupremacie ,• yea, none (hall be fufTered to buy or fell, or vfeciuill (bcietie , that acknowledged not his (upreme power and dignity. It is (aid in the 1 6. chapter, that God plaguing him for thefe forefaid abufes, he (hall be Ibfarre from repentance^s by the contrarie he (hall finde out a new fort of vermin, that is, a new Ecclefiafticall order, which are called their frogges, who (hall mooue and entice the Princes of the earth to ioyne with him, and make warre againit the faithfull, prefling vtterly todeftroy them : and of that battell, and the end therofdoeth this place make mention.

Now fhortly ioyne all thefe together, and fb obtaine the meaning.There (hall arifean Antichrirtand enemieto God and his Church : hee (hall bee head of a falfe and hypocriticall Church: hee fhall claime a fupreme power inearth: he (hall vfurpe the power of God: he fhall deceiuemen withabufing locufts • he (hall perfecute the faithfull ; none (hall bee found that dare openly refill him: In the end, feeling his kingdomcdecay,andthe trew Church beginning to prolper, he (hall by a new fort of decerning spirits, gather together the Kings of the earth in great multitudes like the (ands oftheSca,and by ioyning or at leaftfuffering of that other great open enemy, he (hall with thefe numbers compafTe thecampes of the faithfull,

G z befleee

befiesc the bcloued Citie, make warre asainil the Saints : but vittone fhal he not haue, and friame and conhif ion ihalbe his,and all his partakers end. Now whether the Pope beareth thefe markes or not, let any indifferent man ludge -} I thinke lurely it expounds it felfe : Doeth he not vfurpe Chnlt his office, calling himielfe vniuerfall Bifhop and head of the Church ? Playeth he not the part or. ApoUyon, and Abaddon the king of the Locuits and deltroyer, or fbnne of perdition, in chopping and changing of foules betwixt heauen, hell, and his fantafticke or imaginedpurgatoneathis pleaiure? Blafphemeth he not,in denying vs to be fauedby the imputation of Chriithis righteoufnelTe? Moreouer, hath hee not lent forth and abufed the world with innumerable orders of locuits and fhauelings ? Hath hee not Co fully ruled ouer the world thefe many hundreth y ceres, as to the fire went hee, whofoeuer hee was, that durlt deny any pai t of his vfurped fupremacie ? And hath he not of late dayes, feeing his kingdome going to decay, fent out the Iefuites, his laft and molt pernicious vermin, toltirre vp the Princes of the earth his flaues, to gather and league themlelues to gether for his defence, and rooting out of all them thatprofeiTe Chriir, truely ? And whereas the open enemie of God,the Turke was vndcr bloody warres with him euer before, is there not of late a truce among them, that the faithfull may be the more eafily rooted out? And are not the armies prefenrly alTembled, yea vpon the very point of their execution in France^ a^ainit the Saints there ? In Flanders for the like ■> and in Otrmawe_*, by whom already the Bifhop of (ollein is difplaced ? And what is prepared and come forward againfr. this He ? Doc we not daily heare, and by all appearance and likelihood fhall (hortly fee ? Now may we ludge if this be not the time, whereof this place that 1 haue made choice doeth meane, and Co the due time for the reuealing of this Prophecie. Thus farre for the interpretation of the fentence or meaning.

The Iefuites

pernicious

verminc.

Man his finne proeureth God his iuPicetoloofe Satan.

THE THIRD PART.

Ow I come to the lait part, what we may learne of this place, which I will fhortly touch in few points, andfo make an end.

And firltof thedeuill his loofing by the rifingof Antichriit, for the iuft punifhment of the vnthankefull world hating thetrewth, and delighting inlies,andmanifeif.ing of his owne chofen thatftucke to the trewth ; we haue two things to norer One for initrucfion, that the iufticeof God inrefpect of man his falling wilfully fro the trewth, (as Paul faith) lull ly did fend to the world the great abuierwith efficacie of lies j as well to tyrannize fpintuallyouer the conference by herefie, as corporally ouer their bodies by the ciuill fword. And therefore we muff feare to fall from the trewth reuealed and pro felled by vs, that we may be free from the like punifhment. The other for our comfort, that this ryrannie of the Antichrift, lifting out the chaffe from the corne,

corne, as our Ma Iter (ay th, fhall tend to the double condemnation of the tellers backe, and to the double crowneot glory,to the perfeuerers or lenders out to the end. BlefTed therefore are they that perleuere or Hand out to the end, for they (hall be faued.

Next, of the number of nations in the foure quarters of the earth decciued, and companies gathered together to fight like the fand of the fca , Wee are taught, thai; the defection or railing awayvnder the Antichrilt, was generall,and f o no vidble Church was there : whereof two things doe follow : One, the Church may be corrupted and erre : another,the Church may lurke, and be vnknowen for a certaine fpace.

Thirdly, of that that Satan is not content onely to deceiue , except hee alfo gadier to the battellhis initruments ,• we are informed of the implacable or vnappeafeable malice,borne by Satan in his initruments againf t God in his members, who neuer ccafeth like a roaring Lyon (as Teter fay th) to goe about affailing to deuoure. This his malice is notably laid foorth in the 12.. and 1 3. Chap, of this Booke : For it is faid, that when he had fpewed outgreatriuersofwaters,thatis, infinite herefies and lies to f wallow vp the woman, and notwithstanding fhee was deliuered therefro , yet againe hee railed vp a beait out of the lea, the bloody Romane Empire by the fword,to deuoure her, and her feed ± and that being wounded deadly, yet hee raifeth another bealt roorth of -the earth, .which is the Antichrilt, by herefie and fword ioyned together to feme his turne ! So the deuill,feeing that no mift of herefies can obfeure or darken the Gofpel in the hearts of the faithfull , and that the cruell fw6rd of perfecutors cannot ftay the profperous fucceffeof Chriithis kingdbme, hee raifeth vp the Antichrift with both his (words, to the effecT that as one of them fayth , That which Teter his keyes could not, Paul his fword fhould : And fb hath hee done at this time j For feeing the true Church will not be abufed with theabfurd herefies, tor lalt refuge, now rooted outmuit they be by theciuill Sword.

Fourthlv,of their great numbers,able to compaffe about the tents of the Saints, and to befiege the holy Cities , we are enformed that the wicked are euer the greatelt part of the world: And therfore our Mailer fay th,M^«> are called, f.w chofen: And againe, Wide is the -way that ladeth to deUruflion, and many enter thereat t hut narrow is the way that leadeth to life, and f elk enter thereat. A lfb hee calleth them the world, and the D euill the pn nee of the fame!

Fiftly, the agreeance of Gog and Magog, the Turke the open enemy .and the Pope the couered enemie, to this perfecution , declareth the rooted hatred of the wicked again It the faithfull : who though they be otherwife in enmitie among themfelues, yet agree in this refpecl:, in odium terry , as did Herod and PiUte.

Sixtly, the comparing of the Saints, and befieging of the belouedCity, declareth vnto vs a certaine note of a falfe Church, to be perfecution : tor they come to feeke the faithfull ; the faithfull are thofe that are fought:T he wicked are the befiegers j the faithfull the befieged.

Seuenthly,

Seuenthly, in the forme oflanguage,and phrafe or maner of fpeaking, of fire comming downe from heauen here vied, and taken out or the Booke of the Kings, where, at Elias his prayers, with fire from heauen were deitroyed Acba^ias his fouldiers : as the greatelt. part of all the words , verles, and fentences of this booke arc taken and borrowed of other parts of the Scripture, we are taught to vie onely Scripture for interpretation of Scripture, if we would be lure, and neuerlwarue from the analogieof faith in expounding , feeing it repeateth lb oft the owne phrafes, and thereby expoundeth them.

Eightly, of the laft part of the confufion of the wicked , euen at the top of their height and wheele, we haue two things to note : One that God although he iiiffereth the wicked to run on while their cup be full, yet in the end he Itriketh them, firlt in this world,and next in the world to come; to the deliuerance of his Church in this world,and the perpetuall glory of the lame in the world to come : The other note is,that after the great periecution and the deitru&ion of the purluers , (hall the day of Iudgement follow : For Co declareth the 1 1 .verfe of this fame Chapter 5 but in how Ihort Ipace it lhall follow, that is onely knowne vnto God -y Onely this farre are wc ertaine , that in the lall eltate , without any moe generall mutations, the'world lhall remaine till the contamination and end of the lame.

To conclude then with exhortation : It is al our duties in this Iile at this time, to do two things : One,to confider our eltate : An other to conforme our actions according thereunto : Our eltate is, we are threefold belieged' Firlt,lpiritually by the herefies of the antichrilt: Secondly,corporally & generally,as members of that Church, the which in the whole they perlecute: Thirdly, corporally and particularly by this prefent armie. Ouradtions then conformed to our eltate are thele : Firft, to call for helpeat God his hands: Next,to allure vs of thelame,leeing we hauealufficientwarrantjhis conltant promife exprelTed in his word ; Thirdly, fince with good conlcience we may,beingin the tents of the Saints, & beloued City,ltand in our derence , encourage one another to vfe lawtull refilfance, and concurre or ioyne one with another as warriors in one Campe, and citizens of one beloued City, for maintenance of the good caufe God hath clad vs with,and in defence ofourliberties,natiuecountrey,and hues: For fince we lee God hath promiled not only in the world to come,but alio in this world,to ^iue vs vidory ouer them, let vs in alfurance hereof llrongly truft in our God, ceafe to miltruft his promife,and fall through incredulitie or vnbeliefe: For then are we worthy of double punilhment : For the ftronger they waxe, and the neerer they come to their light,thefalterapprocheth their wracke, and the day of our deliuery : For kind,and Iouii >g,true,and conltant, carefull,and watchfull,mighty ,and reuenging is he that promiieth it : To whom be praife and glory for euer. Amen.