196 4Tevelat,on ofthe Apocalypfe. CA>'. q been comprifed in a narrow roome, but evenall the mofl fmall mat- ters alto, that fo there flaould be no need to fetch ought from any other place; and that alto we might know nothing herein at all to come to paffe withoat Gods fpeciall providence. The Complu- tcnfes, and force other copies reade Without, but the word on the back fide, is more often ufed in this matter, whence carne the name ofback-fide-Writings, as wee faid right now. To conclude, How precious are thefe myf}eries which God keepeth by himfelfe, fealed with fo many feales ? The creatures could not fo much as láok: ipon the Boae, verf. 4. So farce was it from needing feales for the concealing ofmatters from them. But thus he would declare with how great honour we ought to reverence his fecrets. a. AndIfawa f rong Anoell, Whichproclaimed : Great is the wor- thineffe of the Prophecie bymeanes of the certainty,prolixity,and the fealingof'it, but now it appeareeth to be farte greater, inas much as it exceeds the reach of all created underftanding. For it is not of filch a nature, that the wifer fort ofmen may be ablé by force quick- witted foreight to comprehend it, but filch as wherein all men mu11 ofneceffitie acknowledge their ignorance. For the better convincing whereof; here is an allufion made to the manner that `Princes ufe, who in matters of great difficulty, are wont to invite their Subjeé s with great rewards by the voyce of a Cryer, to make triall of their ftrength; neither is there any almoft, who will not thruft forth to make triall in loch a bufinetife, upon force fiinall hope ofachieving the reward ; fo that iftherebe no man that dare come forth, what is this clfe, but anopen confeffion of their weakneffe anddifability ? Even fo the Angell is here fent out to enquire, Who Jhould be Worthy to un- feale the Book,::. ? If no man offer himfelfe, let us acknowledge our owne impotencie, and the vertue ofthe Mediator : And withal!, let us admire with due reverence thefe holy my°ff_eries; for the which end, God doth in this fort bring us thus to feele our poverty and need, as ofold he dealt with Adam,before whom he let all the crea- tures ere he gave him a wife, that when as he law hecould findeout no fit helper for himfelfe among them all, he might make the more account of the wife that was after given him. who is Worthy : Hee enquires not of ftrength and might, but of merit and worthineffe. For even all the creatures, ifthey would con. fpire together, cannot availe one whit to wring matters fromGod by force. Whatfoeyer we obtaine from him, we enjoy it by our in- treaty, and at his'pleafure; And the right Lord in conferring and difpofing
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