Revelation 6:9

Here we have the fifth seal opened; under which Christ represents to St. John the condition of those precious souls of the holy martyrs who died for the testimony of Christ, by the bloody hands of tyrants; the design whereof is to support and encourage all that were to come after in the same bloody path.

Observe here, 1. The vision which St. John saw, namely, the souls of the martyrs.

But how could they be seen?

Ans. Not by the external senses, being immaterial substances, but in spirit they were seen by him; he had. spiritual representation of them made to his mind.

Observe, 2. The place where he saw them, under the altar; that is, lying at the foot of the altar, as sacrifices slain, and presented unto God.

Where note, That however men look upon the death of the martyrs, yet in God's account they die as sacrifices: and their blood is no other than. drink-offering poured out to God, which he highly prizeth, and graciously accepteth.

Observe, 3. The cause of their sufferings and death described, it was for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held; as one of the martyrs in the Marian days held up his Bible at the stake, saying, "This is that hath brought me hither."

They die not as malefactors, but as martyrs, giving. threefold testimony of the truth,. lip-testimony,. life-testimony, and. death or blood-testimony: they held the profession of their faith faster than they held their own lives.

Observe, 4. What St. John heard, a loud cry, saying, How long?

Note, 1. That souls can speak audibly, to the ears of men;

Note, 2. That they have sense of sufferings when they are in glory: it doth not imply that souls there are in. restless state, or that they want true satisfaction and repose when they are out of the body; much less,

3. doth this cry suppose that they carried with them to heaven any angry resentments, or revengeful dispositions, towards their murderers: but this cry supposes in them. vehement zeal for the glory of God,. flagrant desire that God would clear their innocency, and make known his justice among men, that he would abolish the kingdom of Satan, and consummate the kingdom of Christ, making all his enemies to become his footstool; so that they pray for what Christ waits in glory, Hebrews 10:13 all the revenge here desired was only. vindication of God's holiness and truth, which he himself had promised.

Observe, 5. The gracious answer which God gave to the cry of these gracious souls, in which he speaks satisfaction to them these two ways,

1. By somewhat given them for the present,

2. By somewhat promised them hereafter.

First, white robes were given at present to every one of them, that is, large measures of heavenly glory, as the reward of their sufferings and services, beyond other saints; as if God had said, "Though the time be not yet come to satisfy your desires in the final ruin of Satan's kingdom, yet it shall by well with you in the mean time, you shall walk with me in white, and enjoy my glory in heaven."

Secondly, That is not all, but the very things they cry for shall be given them after. little season, for God had more to call unto sufferings besides them, and they having conquered shall be crowned together; as if God had said, "You my faithful witnesses, wait. little while until your brethren be got through the Red sea of suffering as well as you, and then you shall see the feet of Christ upon the necks of all his enemies, and justice shall fully avenge the precious innocent blood of all the saints, which in all ages has been shed for the testimony of the gospel, from Abel the martyr to the last sufferer: Rest, for. little season, until your fellow-servants also, and your brethren, shall be killed as you were."

Now from the whole learn these lessons of instruction.

Learn, 1. That the souls of men perish not with their bodies, but do certainly outlive them, and subsist in. state of separation from them; the bodies of these martyrs were destroyed by divers sorts of torments, but their souls were out of the reach of danger, they were in safety under the altar, and in glory, clothed with their white robes, when their bodies were either turned to ashes, or torn to pieces by wild beasts; we shall not cease to be, when we cease to breathe; our souls do not vanish with our breath.

Learn, 2. That as the soul is alive in. state of separation from the body, so it is awake also, and doth not sleep with the body.

Mark, These souls cried with. loud voice; then they were not asleep, though their bodies were alseep in the dust; the opinion of the soul's sleeping with the body, until the resurrection, is. wicked dream; it is granted that the organical acts of the soul, that is, such acts as do depend upon the members of the body, must cease when the body ceases; but we find when we are asleep, that our soul can act of itself, without the assistance of the body; the soul grieves and rejoices, hopes and fears, chooses and refuses, therefore the soul is not only alive, but awake also, in its state of separation from the body.

Learn, 3. That there are not only praises, but prayers in heaven, and that for justice to be inflicted upon persecutors here on earth.. the miserable condition of bloody persecutors! when heaven and earth both pray against them.

Learn, 4. That there is no sin committed upon earth, which doth more loudly call for vengeance from God in heaven, and which he will more certainly and severely punish, than persecuting and wronging of his saints and servants.

Learn, 5. That one reason why the suffering servants of God are not presently delivered from their persecutions, is this, because more of their brethren must suffer besides them, before their persecutions are ripe and ready for signal vengeance.

Learn lastly, That the souls of God's martyrs shall by under the altar in heaven clothed in white, enjoying divine glory, before the fatal day of final vengeance come upon the persecuting world; for though the patience of God suffers long, yet the holiness of God cannot permit that innocency should always suffer, and violence with persecution go unpunished, but in the mean time they shall put on their crown and their robes.