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. 9.

And when hee had opened the fift seale, I saw vnder the Altar the soules of them, that were killed for the Word of God, and for the testimony which they maintained.

BEcause both good men and euill are inuolued* 1.1 in the same externall calamities, & the sword, famine, and pestilence, which are sent vpon the wicked, ouertakes also many a time the children of God, therefore for their comfort, their happy state after this life is here discouered, by the ope∣ning of this seale; and a difference is declared between their death, and the death of the wicked, euen when their death to the iudgement of man seemeth to be one; for where Hell followes the death of the one, the other by the same death, are transported to a blessed fellowship with Christ in heauen.

I saw the soules.] Hee saw not this sight with his* 1.2 naturall eyes, his bodily senses at this time were suspended, and he was rauished in the Spirit, and by it he saw this sight. A strange maner of speech, that a soule should see soules; yet comparing this sight, with the sight vvhich Saint Paul saw, vvhen he was rauished to the third Heauen, it teacheth vs, that there is a sight vvhich Saints out of the bo∣die haue of GOD, and a mutuall sight also, vvhereby soules know one another, which wee are not able to conceiue, nor know, till we learne it by experience.

It is commonly asked by many, vvhether if or* 1.3 not, vve shall know one another in heauen; but it were better for vs all carefully to purge our hearts in time, and prepare them for that sight. Blessed are the pure in spirit, for they shall see God: and Whosoeuer* 1.4 hath this hope in him, purges himselfe, as God is pure. Let it be an answer to vs all, which Photinus Bi∣shop of Lyons gaue to the Proconsull, when hee demaunded who God was: the other answered, Et tu si dignus fueris, videbis. Thou; if thou bee* 1.5 meet for it, shalt see who he is. Adam was sleeping when God formed Euah of a ribbe of his side, hee knew it not, but when he wakened, incontinent he knew her, albeit none informed him, what she was: This is now bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh: and* 1.6 in the transfiguration, wherein our Lord gaue to his disciples a glance of the glory to come, Peter, Iames, and Iohn, knew Moses and Elias, whom they* 1.7 had neuer seene before.

By these examples, learned Diuines haue beene induced to thinke, that Saints shall know other in Heauen; yea Adam, Abraham, and that blessed fellowship of Patriarchs and Prophets, shall not* 1.8 be vnknowne to vs. The Lord shall let vs want no∣thing that may increase our ioy, yet so, that our knowledge shall be without all carnall affection, and all our ioy shall euer be in God, the fountaine, and Father of mercy to them and vs also.

Alway here we haue an euident argument for* 1.9 the immortality of the soule; it dyes not with the body, it sleepes not, but liues without the body a blessed life, albeit not perfit without it. Yea euen when it is in the body to giue life vnto it, we may perceiue by experience, that it hath a life of it owne without it: for when the body is asleep, and lyes vnder the shadow of death, and all the senses thereof are suspended from their naturall functi∣ons, the soule hath its owne liuely operation, me∣ditation, and discoursing. And sith so is that Con∣nexa* 1.10 corpori extra corpus viuit, when it is knit to the body, it liueth without the body, why shall we doubt, but that when it is dissolued, and separate from the body, it shall still liue by it selfe?

The place wherein he sees them, is noted to be* 1.11 Vnder the Altar; by which the Iesuit Viega wan∣dring cleane frō the truth, vnderstands the places, where the bodies of Martyrs lye buried. It con∣tents him not to haue their superstitious Altars honoured with the bones, or reliques of Mar∣tyrs; he will haue their soules there also: at least,

comming to it, when they are inuocated, and cal∣led vpon. But this Altar is called in the next verse,* 1.12 A place of their rest, or residence, from which they haue not a going, nor a returning againe vnto it. But to leaue such Doctors with their doting dreams, this altar signifies the Lord Iesus, in whose happy fellowship and societie now they liue sub* 1.13 Altari, id est, in secretario laudis aeternae, quod est sub∣lime Altare triumphantis Ecclesiae, vel sub Christi cu∣stodia, et quiete. This Altar is in heauen, not in earth, it is the high Altar of the Church trium∣phant, their soules are in custody and quiet rest with Christ.

Againe, another of their owne so expounds it, Sub Altari, id est, sub protectione, et confortio Christi,* 1.14 Vnder the Altar, that is, vnder the protection and fellowship of Christ. This Altar is otherwise cal∣led* 1.15 Paradise, This day shalt thou be with me in Para∣dise:* 1.16 and The bosome of Abraham; and the hands of the Lord, Into thine hands, O Lord, I commend my* 1.17 spirit. It is also called A place before the Throne, where the Lord, and the Lambe, and the seuenfold* 1.18 Spirit is. Of it speakes our Sauiour, Father, I will that those whom thou hast giuen mee, be where I am. This is the place of glorified soules.

Neither doe those Diuines reason very diuine∣ly,* 1.19 who say, Christ cannot be this Altar, because he is the Sacrifice; for he is both the Sacrifice, the Sacrificer, and the Altar: For he offred himselfe by* 1.20 his eternall Spirit. There it is plaine, that hee is the Sacrifice, or thing offred, and the Sacrificer also.

The Altar in like manner hee must be, for the Altar sanctifies the Sacrifice. Now by none other was our Sauiour sanctified but by himselfe: none other Altar could commend him, or make him acceptable to his Father; his Diuinitie sanctified his humanity, and his humanity was offred by his Diuinitie, and vpon it. Therefore to say that ano∣ther, not himselfe can sacrifice him, or that he can be sacrificed vpon any other Altar, but vpon him∣selfe, is as great blasphemy, as to bring in another sacrifice, whereby the iustice of God may be sa∣tisfied. Let presumptuous blinded Masse Priests consider this.

That were killed.] that is, he sawe the soules of* 1.21 those bodies that were killed for the Word of God. Death then (wee see) strikes but the body: Feare not them who kill the body, and can do no more.* 1.22 It is like to Nebuchadnezzar his fire, which burnt the cords wherewith the three children were* 1.23 bound, but burnt not their bodies: so death can do no more but loose our bands, and set our soules at liberty. What shall separate vs from the loue of* 1.24 Christ? shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or perill, or sword? No, in all these things wee are more then Conquerors, through him that loued vs. For I am perswaded, neither death, nor life can separate vs from the loue of God, which is in Christ. Let it come, and disioyne the soule from the body, that it may* 1.25 conioyne vs with Christ.

For the Word of God.] There is no Religion so false, but it hath its own Patrones who will defend

it, yea, and dare die for it. Satan, as he hath his owne Apostles, so hath he also his owne Martyrs; Martyres Satanicae virtutis; wee must alway take heed to the cause of suffering. Non poena, sed cau∣sa facit Martyrem: therefore he ioynes these two, For the Word, and testimonie which they maintained. It is nothing to stand to a testimonie, nay, though thou shouldst die for it, vnlesse thou iustifie by the Word, that thy testimony is true.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Comfort to Saints suffe∣ring death, is brought in by the fift seale.
• * 1.2

  A sight which Saints out of the body haue of God and of themselues.
• * 1.3

  An answere to them, who ask if Saints shall know one ano∣ther in heauen Mat. 5. 8.
• * 1.4

  1. Iohn 3. 3.
• * 1.5

  Two examples prouing pro∣bably, that it will be so.
• * 1.6

  Gen. 2. 23.
• * 1.7

  Mat. 17.
• * 1.8

  But our know∣ledge there shall be far dif∣ferent from that which we haue now.
• * 1.9

  An argument for the immor∣tality of the Soule.
• * 1.10

  Athanas.
• * 1.11

  Altars hono∣red with re∣likes of Mar∣tyrs, haue no warrant here.
• * 1.12

  This Altar, vn∣der which soules rest, is the Lord Iesus.
• * 1.13

  Carthus, in hunc locum.
• * 1.14

  Hugo Cardinal.
• * 1.15

  Luke 23.
• * 1.16

  Luke 16.
• * 1.17

  Psal. 30. Reuel. 7.
• * 1.18

  Iohn 17. 24.
• * 1.19

  How Christ is both the sacri∣fice, the sacri∣ficer, and the Altar.
• * 1.20

  Heb. 9. 14.
• * 1.21

  Death compa∣red to Nebu∣chadnezzars fire.
• * 1.22

  Mat. 10. 28.
• * 1.23

  It burnes our bands, but hurts not our selues.
• * 1.24

  Rom. 8. 35. 36.
• * 1.25

  No religion so false, but it hath some to defend it, and dye for it.