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 they cryed with a lowd voice, saying, Saluation commeth of our God, that sitteth on the Throne, and of the Lambe.

THeir thankesgiuing now is subioyned, where∣in* 1.1 we haue to consider two things; first, the manner; next, the matter thereof: for the man∣ner, it is said that they cryed with a lowd voyce, no∣ting how Saints praise the Lord with a feruent af∣fection;* 1.2 and this feruencie of their affection pro∣ceeds from the sense of their great deliuerance. Alas, the onely cause of our coldnesse in praysing, and praying vnto God, is our senslesenesse; wee feele not our bondage, we know not that great de∣liuerance, and glorious liberty of the sonnes of GOD, into which wee looke to bee aduanced; therefore is it, that we mourne not for the one,

and cry not, as we should, for the other.

Let vs learne at them, that in praying, and* 1.3 praysing of God there should be a lowd Voice: not for the vocall sound, but in respect of the in∣tended affection. Oratio multa debet esse, loquntio* 1.4 pauca: Our prayer should be much, and our talke little; and then is our prayer much, when our heart is enlarged to desire much: Et hoc lachrymis* 1.5 magis, quàm verbis, sletu{que} magis, quàm affatu agen∣dum est: and that by teares, rather then talke. Vti∣liores sunt lachrymarum preces, quàm sermonum: ser∣mo non totum pro•…•…ert negotium, lachryma totum pro∣dit affectum: Better are the prayers of teares, then* 1.6 of speech: The speech cannot declare the whole matter, but the teares may bewray the whole af∣fection. No Incense, or sweet Odour, smelleth without fire: and no praise nor prayer auaileth, if it be not seruent. The fire that burnt Incense on the golden Altar, was brought from the brazen Altar of Burnt Offering, wherein was fire conti∣nually.* 1.7 If there bee not a contrition in our heart* 1.8 for sinne, what feruent praysing of God can bee for our deliuerance from sinne? The heart must first be the Altar of Burnt Offering; or else it can∣not be the golden Altar for offering Sweete In∣cense. But these Saints are said to haue come out of tribulation, ver. 14. They know what dangers they haue past, they see to what dignity they are aduanced, and therefore prayse God with fer∣uency, Crying alowd.

Saying.] We heard before of their multitude,

and varietie, now we may see their vnitie; they* 1.9 all sing one Song: they are euerie one of them, as I said, by themselues, beautifull and glorious; but so much the more beautifull, as they are many and diuers agreeing all in one vnitie. As in a Mu∣sicall Instrument the sound is sweeter, if the strings be many, yet concordant. Nam s•…•…nus s•…•…auissimus* 1.10 •…•…it ex diuersis, non aduersis sonis ita & sancti ha∣bebunt tune differentias suas: consonantes, non dissonantes: So is it with Saints, howsoeuer different in regard of many sorts of people, whereof they consist; yet agree they all in one sweete consonance and harmonie among them∣selues.

Saluation.] In this one word of saluation, they* 1.11 comprise the whole benefits of our Redemption: the greatnesse of this saluation will best be knowne by looking to that three-fold condemnation from which God hath deliuered vs, and whereof wee haue spoken, Rom. 8. ver. 1. All the glory of our saluation they ascribe to the Lord, and to none other: they look neither to Angell nor man, but giue the glorie of saluation to the mercies of God, and merites of the Lamb. The discordance* 1.12 of Popish Hymnes from this Song of Saints, shewes them to be Antichristian; for in all their songs & prayers, there soundeth an vncouth voice of the merits of men; yea, in their Masse-booke they are not ashamed to pray, that they may come to heauen by another bloud, then the bloud of the Lambe. Their distinction of principally,

and secondarily, will not free them of blasphemy. Our saluation, say they, principally is from God, and the Lambe, but secondarily it must be helped by our owne merites, and the merites of others. No such word haue we in this heauenly Song: If they would sing this Song with vs, and say Amen to it, as Angels do in the next verse, Controuer∣sies betweene Christian Catholiques, and them that will be called Catholiques Romane, were the more easily ended: But heresies must be, that such as* 1.13 are approued, may be tryed.

Notes

• * 1.1

  In their thankesgiuing see; first, the manner; next, the matter.
• * 1.2

  Praises of God should be with feruencie.
• * 1.3

  Prayers lowd, not for the voice, but the affection.
• * 1.4

  Aug. ad Probā.
• * 1.5

  Amb. s•…•…r. 46. de poenit. Pet.
• * 1.6

  In prayer, teares ate bet∣ter then talk.
• * 1.7

  Leuit. 6.
• * 1.8

  The heart must bee the Altar of Burnt Offering, be∣fore it can be the Altar of Incense.
• * 1.9

  3 Their variety with vnity makes a plea∣sant harmonie.
• * 1.10

  Aug. in Psal. 148.
• * 1.11

  All the glory of saluation, Saints ascribe to the Lord.
• * 1.12

  Popish Hymns are discordant from the song of Saints.
• * 1.13

  1. Cor. 11. 19.