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. 10.

And hath made vs vnto our God, Kings, and Priests, and we shall raigne vpon earth.

THE benefites we haue by our Redemption, are two-fold; for not onely are we deliuered from that euill and miserable estate, wherein wee were, but are also aduanced to an high, and glo∣rious estate, whereof here is mention made: hee hath saued vs from wrath we iustly deserued, and

hath aduanced vs to grace, and glory, which we could neuer deserue. Pharaoh his Baker would haue thought it great fauour, if the King had but spared his life; but the Butler was not onely de∣liuered from death, but aduanced to the seruice of his King. Not vnlike is our case, God make vs thankfull for it.

And hath made vs.] What we are in goodnesse, the Lord hath made vs, Wee made not our selues, wee helped nothing to our first creation, farre lesse to our second. It is folly to dreame of a power in Nature, by which man of his owne free-will is able to do good, and make himselfe congruous for the receiuing of grace. Noli te extollere supra Deum: Confitere illi, qui fecit te: Extoll not thy selfe aboue God, but giue glory to him that made thee. Nam si ille nos fecit homines, nos au∣tem ipsi nos fecimus saluos, aliquid maius illo feci∣mus: For if hee made vs men, and we haue made our selues righteous men, then haue wee done somewhat more then hee. N•…•…mo recreat, nisi qui & creat; nemo reficit, nisi qui & fecit: None can create ouer againe, but hee who created vs first; none can renew vs, but he who made vs. Deus est qui operatur in nobis velle & perficere: It is God who worketh in vs the will and the deed, that thou mightst haue a will inclined to good; his Calling went before thee to worke it, and his Mercy did preuent thee. To thinke otherwise, is, as Augustine said, Superbus error, A proud errour. Firmiter rene n•…•…llam tibi facultatem inesse posse vo∣luntatis

a•…•…t operis, nisi id gratuitò munere diuinae mi∣serationis accipias. Hold this for certaine, that there can be in thee no power either to will, or worke any thing that good is, vnlesse thou receiue it freely of the mercy of God. I conclude all with the testimony of that famous Councell: Si quis per naturae vigorem bonum aliquod, quod ad salutem pertinet vitae aeternae, cogitare aut eligere se posse con∣firmat, abs{que} illuminatione & inspiratione Sp. Sancti, haeretic•…•… fallitur spiritu. If any man affirme, that by the strength of Nature he is able to thinke or chuse any good pertaining to eternall saluation, without the illumination and inspiration of the holy Spirit, he is deceiued with an hereticall spirit. Ab eo quod formauit Deus mutauit Adam, sed in peius, per iniquitatem suam: Adam changed himselfe from that which God made him, but he changed himselfe to the worse by his iniquity. Ab •…•…o quod operatur, iniquitas mutatur fidelis, sed in mel•…•…s per gratiam Dei: from that which iniquity worketh, the Christian is changed, but to the better by the grace of God. Illa mutatio fuit prae∣uaricatoris primi, haec secundum Psalmistam muta∣tio dexterae Excelsi: The first change from good to euill was made by the first Transgressor: the se∣cond change, as the Psalmist saith, from euill to good, is made by the right hand of the most High. And so in this Hymne redeemed Saints confesse it; Thou hast made vs.

Kings and Priests.] There is the dignity where∣unto we are called, inclosed in two the most hono∣rable

Offices that euer were in the world, to wit, the Kingdome and Priest-hood: S. Peter ioynes them both in one, when he cals vs, A Royall Priest∣hood. As Kings we should fight the battels of the Lord against Satan and Sinne. And here fortitude especially is required, with spirituall wisedome. Non enim viribus, sed prudenti•…•… Diuina vincitur serpens: So long as we are wise in God to beleeue his Word, we are strong to resist Satan, and he is not able to ouercome vs; but if we forget the counsell of his Word, we easily become a prey to our Aduersarie. If we consider that we are cal∣led to be Kings to our God, and hope to raigne for euer with him in heauen, we will thinke shame to render our selues captiues to Satan. Let vs looke backe to our first creation; Animal es, O ho∣mo, principatu decoratum, vt quid seruis affectibus? Princeps creaturarum constitutus es, & dignitatem tuam abiicis: Thou art a creature, O man, in thy first creation decored with Princely power, why seruest thou thy affections? Thou wast made the Lord of all creatures, and castest away thy owne dignity. Will we againe looke forward to our future glorification: Non sperare potest coeleste reg∣num, cui supra propria membra regnare non datur: What hope can he haue to enioy the Kingdome of heauen, who reigneth not ouer his owne members vpon earth? Thus our first creation, our present vocation, our future glorification, all of them require of vs, that like spirituall Kings, wee should subdue and ouercome the Deuill, the

world, and the flesh; Hee that ouercommeth, shall sit with me in my Throne.

Our Priesthood againe consists in offering vp sacrifices to God: and these may be reduced to three sorts; first, that we offer vp our hearts to the Lord; this is the great sacrifice, without which the Lord will accept nothing from vs: My sonne, giue me thy heart. Next, that we offer vp our bodies vnto him, I beseech you brethren, by the mercies of God, that yee giue vp your bodies a liuing sacrifice, holy, and acceptable vnto God, which is your reasona∣ble seruing of God: and this is done, when we make the members of our bodie weapons of righteous∣nesse to God. These are two then, Cor & Corpus, the heart and the body: the Lord will haue the ser∣uice of them both. Thirdly, that we offer our goods vnto him, as his glory and the necessity of his Saints do require it; and this third sacrifice willingly followeth, where the other two go be∣fore: My sonne, honour God with the first fruits of all thy encrease. To do good, and to distribute forget not, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. But now the hearts of men are locked vp, and their hands are linked; they feare to giue, lest they haue not enough for themselues, and the poore also; but it is farre otherwise, thy portion shall neuer pe∣rish by giuing out in ordinary charitie to the poore: Quic quid in pauperes contuleris, in coeli the∣sauris reconditum in•…•…enies; what-euer thou bestow∣est on the poore, thou shalt finde it laid vp in the heauenly Treasures. Clementia, dum licet, clemen∣tiam

acquire, by shewing mercy, when thou mayst, purchase mercy to thy selfe. These are all agree∣able to holy Scripture; Make thee friends of the riches of iniquity, that they may receiue you into the euerlasting Tabernacles, said our Sauiour. So also the Apostle, that by distributing and giuing to the poore, men lay vp in store for themselues a good foundation for the time to come.

And we shall raigne vpon earth.] Vpon this place the Chiliasts ground their errour, that after the Day of Iudgement, the Saints shall dwell on earth a thousand yeeres, at which time that Pro∣phecie, and others like it, shall bee sulfilled, The meeke shall possesse the earth. And with this opini∣on, many worthy Fathers in the Primitiue Church were ouertaken. The Turkes also dreame of an earthly Paradise: But let them passe.

For vnderstanding the true sense and meaning of this place, we are to know, that the earth in ho∣ly Scripture is sometime taken for the men that are in it. Dauid cals them the men of this world: these are they who (as our Sauiour saith) haue their portion in this life: Saint Iohn commonly cals them in this Booke, The Inhabitants of the earth. These men are enemies to the children of God, and per∣secute them with all their power; they account them the Off-scourings of the earth, and vnworthy to dwell in it: But the Lord at length shall exalt his Saints, and their enemies shall be made their foot-stoole: Yea, the soles of their feet the Lord

shall lift vp aboue the heads of their greatest ene∣mies; for the wicked shall stand still vpon the earth, when the godly shall be rauished and caught vp into the Aire: yea, the wicked them∣selues shall see it, and shall be vexed with horrible feare, when they see the man honoured, whom they despised, and shall say within themselues, This is he whom sometime wee had in derision, wee sooles thought his life madnesse, and his end without honour; how is hee counted among the children of God! and his portion is among Saints. Now for this benefite, which the Saints are sure to enioy, to wit, their finall victory, and glorious exaltation a∣boue all their enemies, they here praise the Lord: and so hath his Maiestie most iudiciously expoun∣ded this difficult place; Wee shall raigne ouer the earth, at the last and generall Iudgement. And this exposition is both very comfortable for Saints now lying vnder the oppression of their enemies, and agreeth well with the Analogie of faith.

Otherwise, if we take the word properly for this same earth wherein we soiourne, then S. Peter tels vs, that we haue to looke for new heauens, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousnesse: They lost their originall vertue and beautie by our trans∣gression, and shall receiue it againe, and more, at our restitution: So are we taught by S. Paul, The feruent desire of the creature waiteth when the sonnes of God shall be reucaled; for then, The creature al∣so shall be deliuered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God; and

then both heauen and earth renewed, shall bee the proper possession of Saints renewed. Where if any man demand, To what vse shall this earth and visible heauens serue in that Kingdome of glorie? The answer is, We shall know it, when we shall see it; for if the Lord will restore them to stand as monuments and witnesses of that first goodnesse which hee shewed vs in the Creation, and we lost in the Transgression, and he hath re∣stored againe, with much more, in our Redempti∣on, who can say against it? But lest we seeme to pry within the Arke, let our care be rather to pre∣pare our selues, then before-hand curiously to enquire of it, that which now we cannot vnder∣stand: and let vs remember that answer which Photinus, the predecessor of Irenaeus, gaue to the Proconsull, when he demanded of him who God was? He answered, Et tu, si dignus •…•…ueris, videbis; Euen thou, if thou be worthy, or meet for it, shalt see him. So we, if we be renewed men, shall know to what vse in that Day, these new heauens and new earth shall serue vnto vs.

Now there remaines one doubt to be cleared here, how is this Canticle conuenient for Angels, seeing they fell not? how can they praise God for Redemption by his bloud? The answer is; first, in the Song, the Thankes-giuing may be distingui∣shed from the reason of the Thankes: Thou art worthy to take the Booke, and open the Scales thereof: there the thankes-giuing, which is fitting both for Angels and redeemed Saints to giue vnto the

Lambe: but the reason, Because thou wast killed, more proper for redeemed Saints. Secondly, the Angels are also members of the Church, they call themselues our brethren, I am thy fellow ser∣uant, and one of thy brethren which haue the testimo∣nie of Iesus. And againe, by the Apostle to the Hebrewes they are reckoned to be of one body, and one fellowship with vs: Wee are come to the coelestiall Ierusalem, and companie of innumerable Angels.

Now as in the naturall body all the members haue their owne mutuall compassion; when one is wounded, the rest mourne with it and for it: and againe, all of them haue their owne mutuall con∣tentment and congratulation in the good of o∣thers; so that if one member be restored which was hurt, the rest (albeit they were not hurt) re∣ioyce with it: So may we thinke that it is in the Mysticall Bodie, and that the Angels, being of one fellowship with vs, glorifie God for our re∣stitution; for sith our Sauiour teacheth vs, that they haue ioy in the conuersion of one sinner, much more may we think they haue ioy in the Redemp∣tion of the whole company of Gods Elect.

Thirdly, the Angels haue their owne interest in the benefite of Redemption: As all things were created by him, which are in heauen and in earth, visible and inuisible, whether they be Thrones, or Do∣minions, or Principalities, or Powers: so by him are all things reconciled and set at peace by the bloud of his Crosse, both the things in earth, and things in

heauen. Caluin expounds this both of Angels and Men: let the iudicious Reader wisely consider his words, and hee shall see, that albeit there was no enmitie betweene Angels and the Lord, because they sinned not; yet for the setting of them at a perfect peace, it was needfull they should bee made sure of their perseuerance in the state of in∣nocencie, which benefite they had not by their creation; for the fall of some of them proues, that of their owne nature they are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, mutable by will, but that same grace of Iesus, which raised vp Elect Men, when they had fallen, con∣firmes Elect Angels, that now they cannot fall: Qui erexit hominem lapsum, dedit Angelo stanti ne laberetur. I leaue that of Cyrillus: Dicimus nos ex parte quadam de Deierga nos bonitate, sed nescimus quanta ille, & Angelis condonauerit, indulget enim & illis quandoquidem ipse tantùm vnus est, qui pec∣care non possit: who thinkes that the Lord vseth his owne indulgence toward Angels, it being his owne onely and proper glory that hee cannot sinne. Fulgentius agrees with Bernard, none other keepes the Angels that they fall not, but the same grace which restored man when he had fallen. Vna in vtro{que} gratia operata est, in hoc vt surgeret, in Angelo ne caderet: One grace wrought in both, in Man that he might rise, and in the Angell that hee did not fall. Thus are Angels benefited by the death of Iesus Christ.

Notes

• By Christ we are not onely deliuered frō euill, but ad∣uanced to vn∣deserued good.
• Gen. 40.
• What we are in goodnesse, the Lord hath made vs.
• Aug. de verb. Apos. Scr. 10.
• Popish pre∣sumption of man his free∣will by nature to doe good, confuted by Fathers and Councels.
• Aug. de temp. Ser. 123.
• Fulgent. ad Gal∣lam, epist. 2.
• Concil. Aurisia. ca•…•… in Gallia cont. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. cap. 7.
• Papists by this Decree discer∣ned heretikes.
• Ibid.
• The good e∣state where∣unto wee are aduanced by Christ, is com∣prised in two benefits.
• 1. Pet. 2. 9.
• 1 In this, that we are made Kings vnto our God.
• Basil. hexam. •…•…om. 10.
• Our first Cre∣tion, our pre∣sent Vocati∣on, our future Glorification, tels vs wee should not be seruants to sinne, &c.
• Bern. de perse∣q•…•…t. sustinenda. cap. 11.
• Reu. 3. 21.
• 2 In this, that we are made Priests vnto our God.
• Pro. 23. 26. Three sacrifi∣ces offer we to God.
• Ro•…•…. 12. 1. Cor, Corpus, & Bona: Heart, Body▪ and Goods.
• Rom. 6. 13.
• Pro. 3. 9.
• Heb. 13.
• But locked hearts, and linked hands, haue the men of this Gene∣•…•…ation.
• Greg•…•…. Nysse•…•…. orat. de pa•…•…peri∣bus 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• Nazian. orat. 43. in nou•…•… domi∣nicam.
• 1. Tim. 6. 19.
• The errour of the Millena∣ries hath no warrant here.
• Psal. 37. 11.
• Math. 5. 5.
• By the earth here, we may vnderstand the wicked dwellers on earth.
• Psal. 17. 14.
• They now ac∣count Saints the off-scou∣rings of the earth, but Saints at last shall raigne ouer them.
• 1. Thess. 4. 17.
• Wisd. 5. 2, 3, 4, 5.
• Orby the earth we may vnder∣stand this same earthly ele∣ment.
• 2. Pet. 3.
• Rom. 8.
• How Saints may be said to raigne in it, or to what vse can it serue in that Day.
• A pretty an∣swer of Pho∣tinus to the Proconsull.
• A doubt mo∣ued, how An∣gels praise God for Re∣demption, & answered,
• 1 By distingui∣shing the Thankes∣giuing from the Reason.
• Reuel. 19. 10.
• Heb. 12. 21.
• 2 Angels & wee are of one in∣corporation, and for our Redemption th•…•… giue thankes to God.
• Luke 15. 7.
• 3 They haue their owne be∣nefite by Re∣demption.
• Col. 1. 16. & 20.
• For that grace of Christ, which raised man when he fell, kept An∣gels that they fell not.
• Ber. in Cant.
• Ser. 22.
• Cyril. Catech. 2.
• Fulgent. ad Tra∣sim. lib. 2.