It is then said, that this good Angel cometh and bindeth him with a great chain; to wit, not with a material Chain; for the Devil, being a spirit, cannot be bound with any such Chain, but speaking to our capacity, he noteth by the Chain, that the Devil was tied strongly & safely. And he is cast into the bottomless pit; namely, Hell, where the Devil and his Angels shall be thrown for evermore. And he sealed the door; that is, he made him sure, as we see in the Scripture, the custom of those times, that when they would keep any in fast hold, they would set a Seal on the door, that so it might be seen whether any came to the parties closed up: as namely, when Christ was buried, the Tomb wherein he lay was sealed up: noting, that he was so surely sealed, and so fast tied up, as that no strength, power, or policy of his whatsoever, was able to loose or deliver him. The space he was shut up in hell, was a thousand years. The reason of his shutting up is, that he should not devour the Church of the Gentiles, nor have his will in hurting the nations, which were called to the knowledge of the truth, at that time in the beginning ⟨p. 122⟩of the Church: for seeing he began so fiercely to storm and rage, he would have devoured and consumed the Church, if he had not been restrained. So that we see in this restraint of his, howsoever he had still power to do hurt, and to deceive, yet he could not do it in his own person, and therefore not so dangerously, nor so vehemently, as otherwise he would, neither yet so craftily, effectually, & mightily as he did before; and yet notwithstanding he did it as maliciously as then he could, but this was only by his deputy the Beast. After, it is said, that when those thousand years are ended, he must be loosed; which howsoever it was a heavy prophecy, and a great threat of God, and grievous to the Church, that the Devil should be loosed, yet it is somewhat lessened, in that it is said, it should be but for a little season.
It is then said, that this good Angell commeth and bindeth him with a great chaine; to wit, not with a materiall Chaine; for the Diuell, being a spirit, cannot be bound with any such Chaine, but speaking to our capacitie, hee noteth by the Chaine, that the Diuell was tied strongly & safely. And hee is cast into the bottomlesse pit; namely, Hell, where the Diuell and his Angels shall be throwne for euermore. And he sealed the doore; that is, he made him sure, as wee see in the Scripture, the custome of those times, that when they would keepe any in fast hold, they would set a Seale on the doore, that so it might be seene whether any came to the parties closed vp: as namely, when Christ was buried, the Tombe wherein hee lay was sealed vp: noting, that he was so surely sealed, and so fast tied vp, as that no strength, power, or pollicie of his whatsoeuer, was able to loose or deliuer him. The space hee was shut vp in hell, was a thousand yeares. The reason of his shutting vp is, that he should not deuoure the Church of the Gentiles, nor haue his will in hurting the nations, which were called to the knowledge of the truth, at that time in the beginning ⟨p. 122⟩of the Church: for seeing hee began so fiercely to storme and rage, hee would haue deuoured and consumed the Church, if hee had not beene restrained. So that we see in this restraint of his, howsoeuer he had still power to doe hurt, and to deceiue, yet he could not doe it in his owne person, and therefore not so dangerously, nor so vehemently, as otherwise he would, neither yet so craftily, effectually, & mightily as hee did before; and yet notwithstanding hee did it as maliciously as then hee could, but this was onely by his deputie the Beast. After, it is said, that when those thousand yeares are ended, hee must be loosed; which howsoeuer it was a heauie prophecie, and a great threat of God, and grieuous to the Church, that the Diuell should be loosed, yet it is somewhat lessened, in that it is said, it should be but for a little season.
