Pathmos: or, A commentary on the Reuelation of Saint Iohn diuided into three seuerall prophecies. The first prophecie contained in the fourth, fift, sixt and seuenth chapters. By Mr. William Cowper, Bishop of Galloway.

VERSE. 8.

And the foure beasts had each of them six wings, and they were full of eyes within, and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God al∣mighty, who was, and is, and is to come.

THE last of their properties, they are said to haue sixe wings euery one of them. To what end wings are ascribed to them, Esay doth tell vs, With two they couer their face, with two they couer their feete, and with two they flye. The wings wherewith they co•…•…er their face, are first an humble estimati∣on of themselues, next, a reuerent, and great esti∣mation of the glorious maiestie of the Lord their GOD. They acknowledge his glory greater then that they can behold it, they are neerest the throne but fardest from pride. Among men we vse to say, that Familiaritie engendreth contempt: it is not so with the Lord, they who are most familiar vvith him, doe most of all reuerence and feare him. The onely cause why men are so bold to dishonor the Lord, and to vse his Name without any reuerence, is, for that they are strangers from him, they know him not, and are not acquainted with his Maie∣stie.

Hitherto tends that similitude of Saint Chryso∣stome, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c.

For euen as the quicker our sight is, the better we learne, and perceiue how farre wee are distant from the heauen; whereas to a dimme eye, the

heauen seemes to be neere-hand, and hard vpon it: euen so, the more we excell in vertue and ho∣linesse, the more we perceiue what a great diffe∣rence is betweene the Lord and vs; yea his best creatures are nothing in comparison of his glori∣ous Maiesty.

Let this serue for a warning to these presump∣tuous Pharisaicall spirits, Semipelagian Papists, who dare stand before the Lord, and glory of their fa∣stings, of their almes, of their merits, of their iu∣stification by their workes, and of their perfit ob∣seruance of the Law. The holy Angels couer their faces, and acknowledge their insufficiencie in comparison of the Diuine Maiestie, and thou vile worme of the earth, wilt glory of thy suffici∣encie. Vae generationi huic miserae, cui sufficere vide∣tur insufficientia sua: Wo be to this miserable sort of people, to whom their insufficiencie seemes sufficient.

It is not the least part of true Philosophy, for a man to knowe himselfe; and onely hee knoweth himselfe best, who esteemeth himselfe to be nothing. Abraham called himselfe dust & ashes: and Dauid esteemed himselfe to be but a vvorme, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, & all Saints, saith Saint Chrysostome, after this same manner, a∣base and cast downe themselues. But they vvho with the Apostat Angels will exalt themselues, wil contend with Michael, and presume aboue that which indeed they are, let them here see of what spirit they are.

The two wings wherewith they flye, note first their sublimitie, they are no creeping, but flying creatures. Vnder the Lawe, profane worldlings were figured by vncleane beasts, that creepe on the earth with all foure: they are cursed with the curse of the Serpent, they lick the dust of the earth: but Christians should be like vnto Angels, not creeping, but flying creatures. A bird, so long as it is flying aboue, is in no danger of the snare. Many snares hath Satan that crafty Hunter layd for vs: the best way to eschew them, is, that our hearts frequently flie vpward toward the Lord.

Next, their willing readinesse to execute the will of the Lord without delay. S. Bernard makes the two wings of these▪ Angels, to bee Know∣ledge and Deuotion; these are also good for vs to flie withall: Leuat cognitionis ala, sed sola non suffi∣cit, the wing of knowledge lifts vs vp, but it alone is not sufficient. As the bird that hath but one wing, the more it striues to flie, the more it fal∣leth, Ruit citius quae vna tantum ala volare conten∣dit: So he that hath knowledge without deuoti∣on, the more he seekes to ascend, the more he fai∣leth.

Naturall Philosophers may stand for an exam∣ple, who knowing God, did not glorifie him, but va∣nished in their owne cogitations, and became fooles. And let deuotion againe be neuer so zealous and feruent, yet without knowledge it cannot carry vs vpward: Zelus absque scienti•…•…, quo vehementius ir∣ruit, eo gra•…•…ius corruit, for zeale without know∣ledge,

the hotter it is, the more hindersome it is.

The two wings wherewith they couer their feete, figures their sanctity and modesty, they are conuersant with men according as God employes them, but communicate not with the sinnes of men, they defile not their feete with our polluti∣ons, but haue them alwaies couerd: As the Sun giueth his light to most filthy places, but parti∣cipates not of their vncleannesse, so is it with An∣gels. But alas, farre are we from this perfection, it is a difficill thing to liue in the company of pro∣fane men, and not be infected by them: If we be not burnt with their fire, hardly shall we escape vn∣blacked with their smoke.

The other wing for couering their feete, is their Modesty, whereby they dimit themselues to our capacity: they appeare with bodies and colours, white, sprickled, and red, hauing indeed neither bodies nor colours, yet are men astonished and confounded at their lowest apparitions: So farre are we degenerate from our first estate, that wee cannot now abide the most modest, and base ap∣parition of an Angell.

And they ceased not day nor night, saying;] In the last place wee haue their function described, which is a continuall and vncessant praysing of God; they are not weary, being alway delighted with new matter of ioy flowing from the sight of God; for as many eyes as they haue, they can ne∣uer comprehend that infinite goodnesse which is in him: new sights make them alway to renew

praises vnto God, and in this they stand as paterns vnto vs, teaching vs to practise these precepts, Re∣ioyce euermore, Pray continually, In all things giue thanks. We should alway pray, for we neuer want cause; we should alway giue thanks, for if we can obserue it, we neuer want matter. Prayer & praise are two excellent parts of Diuine worship, but of the two, praise is the most heauenly and Angelike vertue. In prayer a man respects himselfe, seeking from GOD, that which he cannot want; but in praise man respecteth God, giuing vnto the Lord that which is due to him. Againe, prayer pertaines to this life principally, et est eg•…•…ntium ac miserorum, praise pertaineth to the life to come, et est beatorū ac glori•…•…icatorum. Let vs therefore learne of Angels to praise the Lord, beginning that vpon earth, which shall be our continuall exercise in the hea∣uen.

The tenor of their song followes, wherein three things are attributed to God, 1. Holines, 2. Omni∣potencie, 3. Eternitie. The first of these hath one word thrise repeated, and that as Esay saith, with an Antiphonie, or answering of one Angel to ano∣ther, Vnum Iehouam celebrant repetendo vnum & idem (Sanctus) Trinum agnosc•…•…nt ter repetendo, quod vni tribuerunt: they acknowledge one GOD, whom they esteem onely holy, and repeating one thing thrice, a Trinitie they acknowledge in that blessed Vnitie of the Godhead; but this mysterie is better warranted by other, and more pla•…•…e te∣stimonies of holy Scripture. But to returne, the

Lord is so holy, that he is holinesse it selfe. As the Sunne is among the lights of the firmament, so is the holy Lord among his Saints or holy ones; what light they haue, is no light if it be compared with the Sunne, they hide themselues when the Sunne shineth, and all the holinesse of most holie creatures, is nothing in comparison of the thrice holy Lord. At his brightnesse Angels couer their faces; they are holy by creation, redeemed ones are holy by communication, other things are also holy by separation, as was Ierusalems Temple of old, and now are the elements in both the Sacra∣ments holy; but none, neither Angel, man, nor a∣ny other creature, holy like the Lord.

The next thing they ascribe vnto him, is Om∣nipotencie, which consists in these two; First, that he can doe whatsoeuer he will. Next, that against his owne nature and truth, he cannot do: for that were impotencie, and not omnipotencie: He can not lie, nor deny himselfe, nor come against his owne Word. The first of these renders instructi∣on for Atheists; the other for Papists. It is a com∣mon question of profane men, whereby they im∣pugne the truth of Gods promises, How can this be? The Samaritan Prince, when he heard Elize∣us prophecie of plentie of victuall, that should be in Samaria on the morrow, though the day be∣fore it was sore pinched with Famine, most dis∣dainefully answered him, Though the Lord would make windowes in heauen, can this thing come to passe? There the Lord sayes, This I will doe: and man by

the contrary, This the Lord cannot doe: but the Lord was and will be found true, and euery man a lyer.

Yea, the very deare children of God, out of the remanents of their infidelitie, oftentimes fall in∣to the like transgression. When the Angel promi∣sed Sara a child, she receiued it with the like answer, How can this be, sith I am waxed old? Yea, when the Lord promised to giue Israel flesh enough for a moneth, Moses distrusted it, Shall all the Sheepe and Beeues be slaine for them to find them? or shall all the fish of the Sea be gathered to suffice them? But they in effect receiued one answere, Is the hand of the Lord shortned, or is there any thing impossible to the Lord? Consider who he is that saith hee will doe, and all such doubts shal cease, which makes men enquire, How can this be done?

The other renders instruction for Papists; they vrge Gods omnipotencie, to prooue their new∣found, and fond transubstantiation, but to no pur∣pose; for in this they make his power to fight a∣gainst his will, and to reuerse his owne Word, & the plaine Articles of our faith. They inforce vp∣on vs that we deny Gods omnipotencie, but with∣out cause; this fault is their owne, and not ours, They limit the Holy One of Israel, and indeed deny his power, when they say, He cannot giue vs the body of Christ, except he create it of bread. We verily belieue, that in the holy Sacrament there is a real donation made of Iesus Christ to all reue∣rent and right Receiuers, that bread is the body of

Christ, that wine is the blood of Christ. God is al∣waies as good as his Word, and giues vs no lesse, then he saith he giues vs. But for all this, there is no reason why we should bind the Lord to transub∣stantiate the Bread, as if without transubstantiati∣on of the bread, hee were not able to giue vnto vs the body of Iesus.

Now the third and last thing for which they praise the Lord, is his Eternitie, and euerlasting Beeing, Who was, and who is, and who is to come. This is a circumlocution of his Name, I am, ex∣pounded more plainly in the next words, Hee li∣ueth for euermore. Solus verè est, qui nec à (fuit) praeciditur, nec ab (crit) expungitur. (crit) non tollit illi esse ab aeterno, nec (fuit) tollit illi esse in aeternum. Beeing is so proper vnto God, that when I say, He was, it takes not away that hee is, & will be: and when I say that He will be, it takes not away that he was and is. And this serues great∣ly for the comfort of the Church of God, One ge∣neration passeth, and another commeth, (said Salo∣mon,) The Heauens shall perish, but the Lord doth re∣maine. He that was with Noah in the Arke, vvith Israel in the Red-sea, with Daniel in the den, with the children in the fire, with Ioseph in the prison, with Elisha in Dothan, enclosed by Aramites with Ezechia in Ierusalem, besieged by Chaldees, he is still in his Church this day, and will be for euer.

Notes

• Six wings are ascrybed to e∣uery one of these Angils.
• Esay 6. 2.
• With two wings they co∣uer their fac•…•…: these are 1 An humble e∣stimation of themselues. 2 A reuerent e∣stimation of the Lord.
• Chrysost. in Mat. hom. 26.
• Heauenly creatures are most humble.
• Hereby are condemned Pharisaicall and Popish spirits, who dare stand vp with vncoue∣red face, and glory of their merits.
• Ber. Ser. cont. vi∣tium ingratitud.
• Gen. 18.
• Chrysost. in Mat. •…•…om 26.
• The two wings where∣with they flye.
• 1 Their sublime disposition, they are no creeping things.
• 2 Their willing readinesse to obey.
• By the two wings Bernard vnderstands knowledge and deuotion. Bern. de verbis Esaiae Serm. 4.
• To striue to flye with one wing, is the ready way to fall.
• Rom. 1.
• The wings wherewith they couer their feet, are sanctity, and modesty.
• zach. 1.
• In the last place they are described frō their functi∣on, they are not wea•…•…y in praysing God.
• 1. Thes. 5. 16, 16, 17, 18.
• Prayer and prayse are good parts of diuine wor∣ship, but praise the most ex∣cellent of the two.
• Three things in their song doe they as∣cribe to the Lord.
• Esay 6. Ang. de side ad Pet. cap. 1.
• 1 Holinesse, which is so proper to him, that there is none so holy, as the Lord.
• 2 Omnipotency consisting in these two: 1. That he can do what hewil. 2. That against his nature and truth hee can doe nothing.
• Mouthes of A∣theists who cal Gods power in question, bound vp.
• 2. King. 7. 2.
• Weakenesse of Saints helped by the consi∣deration of God his omni∣potency. Gen. 18.
• Numb. 11. 22.
• Esa. 50. 3.
• Papists abuse the omnipo∣tency of God, in making it militant a∣gainst his truth.
• Psal. 78. 41.
• 3 They ascribe to him the praise of eternity.
• Bern. in Cont. Scrm. 31.
• What great comfort com∣meth to the Church by the consideration of God his eternity. Eccles. 1. Heb. 1. 11.