whereof is in the beginning of that verse affirmed but that John would have them to persist in the belief of Christ It is also said in the 22 Chapter of this Prophecy verse the 3. that the Throne of God shall be in the New Jerusalem when nevertheless the ministery of Christ in the heavenly Tabernacle which I have before proved to be the same with the New Jerusalem as he sitteth at the right hand of the Throne of God doth undeniably shew that the Throne of God is already in that City and consequently that the aforesaid passage doth onely imply the continuance of it there Thus have I asserted the doctrine of the first resurrection and shown that the Saints who are raised from the dead after the binding of Satan do reign with Christ in heaven a thousand years From whence it doth necessarily follow that they have knowledge of all the things in the world as Christ hath otherwise how could they be partakers with him in ordering and disposing them But as they are Kings so also Priests of God and Christ and accordingly do serve them both in heaven what by giving honour and glory to them what by interceding with them for the Saints who are in the mean time reigning on the earth For so the pattern of Christ the high priest who doth himself appear before the face of God and make intercession for the Saints seemeth to require Nor need we to fear least the Papists should take any advantage from this doctrine to palliate their superstitious conceits about the Saints for I do not suppose that the Saints who are dead and as Isaiah testifieth are ignorant of us Chap. 63.16 and as Solomon Eccles 9.5 6. averreth know not any thing nor have any more a portion for ever in that which is done under the Sun do pray for them that are here abiding on the earth but only such Saints as are raised from the dead and translated into heaven becoming there not only kings but also Priests of God and Christ No marvel therefore if these persons who thus rise a thousand Years before the rest of the Dead are here pronounced both holy and happy holy for that without holiness it would have been impossible for them to have seen God much less to appear before his face for others and happy because all of them are endued with eternal Life whereas many of them that are raised after the thousand Years are expired are under the Power of the second Death as the sequel of this Chapter will shew I may add as a further accession to their happiness that they have the Privilege of Reigning with Christ over the Nations whereas they that are not raised up till the last Day thereby become incapable of such a Kingdom for as much as Christ shall then put down all Rule and all Authority and Power 1 Cor. 15.24 Vers 7. And when the thousand Years are expired Satan shall be loosed out of his Prison 8. And shall go out to deceive the Nations which are in the four Quarters of the Earth Gog and Magog to gather them together to Battel the Number of whom is as the Sand of the Sea 9. And they went up on the Breadth of the Earth and compassed the Camp of the Saints about and the beloved City and Fire came down from God out of Heaven and devoured them No sooner is Satan loosed out of Prison upon the Expiration of the thousand Years but that profound Tranquillity wherein the World had so long been husht is presently disturbed and Men again embroiled in new Troubles and Commotions For Satan by his cunning Suggestions inciteth the Nations abiding in the four Corners of the World and here comprised under the name of Gog and Magog to levy a great and terrible War Of which Expedition there are two Chapters in the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel namely the 38. and 39. that do discourse at large so as that what is wanting in the Revelation to the full description thereof may from thence be supplyed It appeareth therefore from the Relation of Ezekiel that Gog of which name we finde also a certain Reubenite to have sometimes been 1 Chron. 5.4 is a Prince that shall be in those Times when Satan is loosed out of his Prison and who shall issue out of the Northern parts bringing with him an innumerable Multitude of armed Men into the Land of Israel in hope of a great Booty the Israelites by reason of their former long prosperity being grown exceeding wealthy and dwelling securely without Walls Bars or Gates and having passed through the rest of the Countrey they at length sit down before Jerusalem which is therefore styled the beloved City because the City of the great King and more dear to him than all the dwellings of Jacob so encompass both her and the Army of the Saints there encamped But as it happened formerly at the Battel of Armageddon that the Saints when set in aray against the Enemies had no need to fight it being their strength to sit still and wait for the Salvation of the Lord so fareth it with them here for after a great Earthquake which is wont to be a forerunner of such miraculous Defeats See 1 Sam. 14.15 God causeth the Enemies to smite one another and not only so but also raineth Fire and Brimstone upon them out of Heaven and devoureth them The greatness of which Northern Army doth appear by two notable effects that ensue upon the destruction thereof For the House of Israel is seven Moneths burying them and seven Years burning up the Weapons wherewith they were armed so that they have no need to take any Fewel either out of the Wood or out of the Field during that time But who did ever hear or read that so prodigious an Invasion hath been made by the Northern Nations upon the Land of Israel or indeed by any Nation upon any Land whatsoever since the Book of Ezekiel was written to this very day wherefore the accomplishment of this Prophecy touching Gog and Magog is yet to be expected and consequently when it is said in the beginning of the Revelation that the time is at hand we must not thereupon conclude that whatsoever is related afterwards in that Book was shortly to be performed for this very Chapter of it whereon we now comment containeth the History of above a thousand Years but onely that they should ere long begin to be fulfilled as will easily appear to him that rightly apprehends what the opening of the Seals that are mentioned in the sixth Chapter doth intimate Vers 10. And the Devil that deceived them was call into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone where the Beast and the false Prophet are and shall be tormented Day and Night for ever and ever When Gog and Magog are once destroyed Satan who had deceived and incited them to make so terrible a War upon the Saints without just cause is for his labour cast not into the bottomless Pit
thou hast kept the Word of my Patience I also will keep thee from the Hour of Temptation which shall come upon all the World to try them that dwell upon the Earth Behold I come quickly Now that Christ is said to come when he executeth Judgement on any persons for their Faults is manifest from his own words in sundry places of the Revelation See Chap. 2.5 where he saith to the Angel of the Ephesine Church Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and do the first Works or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove the Candlestick out of its place except thou repent And Verse 16. of the same Chapter where he saith to the Angel of the Church in Pergamus Repent or else I will come unto thee quickly and will fight against them with the Sword of my Mouth And Chap. 3.3 where he saith to the Angel of the Church in Sardis Remember how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and repent If therefore thou shalt not watch I will come on thee as a Thief and thou shalt not know what Hour I will come upon thee By this we see how appositely Christ subjoyneth after the mention of his speedy Coming that he is happy who keepeth the Sayings of the Prophecy of this Book For whosoever did so should be hid in the Day of Christ's Anger when he executed Judgement upon the Disobedient and Wicked as he promiseth to the Angel of the Church in Philadelphia in the fore-quoted place Revel 3.10 Vers 8. And I John saw these things and heard them And when I had heard and seen I fell down to worship before the Feet of the Angel which shewed me these things 9. Then saith he unto me See thou do it not for I am thy Fellow-servant and of thy Brethren the Prophets and of them which keep the Sayings of this Book worship God The things which John had heard and seen by means of this Angel were so superlatively great and glorious and John himself was withall so interessed in them for being one of the Lambs twelve Apostles he saw his own name written on the Wall of the new Jerusalem that being ravished therewith he forgets himself falling down before the feet of the Angel to worship him although he had formerly been checkt for doing so Which action of John though not free from blame hath yet something in it very laudable namely the setting of so high a value on the knowledge of excellent things and consequently on those persons that discover them When I consider this in my minde and withall observe how far Christians generally are from having any certain notion of that happiness which God hath prepared for them that love him embracing meer fancies in the stead thereof I conclude that some respect is likewise due to such as vindicate the holy Scripture where it treateth of this matter from those false Glosses that men have so long imposed on them For the right understanding of the Text in this point is of sovereign use and tendeth much to encourage Christians onto piety as filling their mindes with a more firm and lively apprehension of that glory which they through so many difficulties do aspire unto And therefore Paul doth very wisely intercede with God in the behalf of the Saints at Ephesus that they might know what is the hope of his calling Ephes 1.18 lest having an uncertain knowledge of the Prize they should but faintly run that Race which God had set before them But as we learn from the carriage of John to esteem highly of them that do in a true and accurate manner represent to us the glory of the World to come so should the Example of the Angel direct us to refuse all excessive Honours though given by those whom we have by special favours obliged to us For by this means we shall preserve the Prerogative of God entire which we ought to have continually in our Eye Vers 10. And he saith unto me Seal not the Sayings of the Prophecy of this Book for the time is at hand When the Prophet Daniel had seen certain Visions concerning that which was a long time after to be performed he is commanded to shut them up and seal the Book wherein they should be written Dan. 8.26 Ch. 12.4 But here the Angel doth on the contrary charge John that he seal not the words of the Prophecy of this Book alleging this as the reason thereof Because the time was at hand For the case being so it much concerned the People of God to be acquainted with the Revelation that they might in time prepare themselves by that means avoid a surprisal Yet must we not therefore imagine that all the things foretold in this Book were in a short time to be fulfilled for the very 20. Chapter doth abundantly refute such a conceit there being in it the History of above a thousand years but onely that they should ere long begin to be accomplished as we have before demonstrated in the Exposition of the sixth Verse Vers 11. He that is unjust let him be unjust still and he which is filthy let him be filthy still and he that is righteous let him be righteous still and he that is holy let him be holy still When Christ saith Let him that is unrighteous be unrighteous still and let him that is filthy be filthy This is not a Command otherwise these unjust and filthy persons should do well whilest they went on in their wickedness but a Commination For seeing the means that had already been used for the reclaiming of them from their unjust and filthy courses had taken no effect Christ was now resolved to deliver them over to their own hearts lusts whereby it would come to pass that they would afterwards proceed to a further degree of Injustice and Uncleanness Suitable hereunto is that saying of the Angel to Daniel in the 12. Chapter of his Prophecy Verse 10. The wicked shall do wickedly In like manner when it is said on the contrary Let him that is righteous be righteous still or be jet justified and let him that is holy be holy still or be yet sanctified it is a Promise whereby Christ sheweth that it is his intention to bring those who hearkning to his Word were become righteous and holy unto a greater measure of Justice and Sanctity agreeable to that Oracle of his delivered in the Gospel according to Matthew Chap. 25.29 Unto every one that hath shall be given and he shall have abundance Vers 12. And behold I come quickly and my Reward is with me to give every man according as his Work shall be It was before shewn in the Exposition of the 7. Verse that when Christ saith Behold I come quickly this must not be understood of his coming at the last Day Suitably hereunto neither can the Reward that he here speaketh of be meant of such a Recompense as shall then be rendred unto men but which hath place
so far from being a Divine by way of excellency for so John of right is styled as that he would not deserve a rank among sober Writers Neither am I a little troubled when I see men thus to dally with the Word of God and make choice of no fitter a subject whereon to vent their follies than this incomparable Prophecy I have the more largely insisted upon the History of the two Witnesses because of the frequent injury offered to that part above all the rest of the Revelation For if some Christian State or Potentate crush any party whatsoever pretending to Religion or some eminent persons of the same then it is presently given out by the favourers of that party that now the the Beast is risen hath slain the Witnesses Thus the sacred Word of God that was given to a far better purpose must interess it self in our private Quarrels and be forced to speak as we stand affected But it will perhaps be here objected that I who am so ready to observe the strange glosses that other men impose on the History of the two Witnesses seem not in the mean time to take notice how uncouth mine own opinion is concerning the Beast that slayeth them whilest I hold him as appeareth by the following Treatise to be such a man as shall arise from the Dead to reign before he embrueth his Hands in the Blood of the said Witnesses To which I answer that though my Tenet be strange as to the Apprehensions that Men generally have touching the Beast yet is it very facile and obvious if you respect the words of the Text it self For seeing the Angel explaining the Mystery of the Beast Chap. 17.9 10 11. plainly telleth us that he is a King when John saith of the two Witnesses Chap. 11.7 that the Beast which ascendeth out of the bottomless Pit shall slay them what other sense can rationally be put upon the words than that the King which is decyphered by the Beast and ariseth from the Dead shall kill the Witnesses And into what Absurdities must he plunge himself that goeth about to fasten another meaning on the place But of this matter I discourse at large in the ensuing Exposition to which I refer the Reader for further satisfaction therein Having thus given a taste of the exotick Interpretations that are usually forced upon the Reve ation I will now open the original Causes from whence they proceed reducing them to three Heads namely that men think the whole Book to be an Allegory and to contain a Prediction of that which shall happen to the Churches in all Ages of the World and to have for its principal scope the discovery of Antichrist To the first of which three Particulars I answer that the Revelation cannot be a meer Allegory seeing it is fraught with Evangelical Precepts Promises and Threats and also with sundry clear and evident passages touching the Exaltation and Government of the Christ the Universal Judgement and the Glorification of the Saints in the new Jerusalem which last being the chiefest point of all the Gospel is no less than three times confirmed by the testimony partly of Angels and partly of God himself which assureth us that the sayings recorded concerning the same are faithful and true Which as I afterwards evince in mine Exposition is no other than if it had been said They are perspicuous and plain and to be taken as the words sound To the second I say that it is presumption for us to devise with our selves how much it is meet for God to discover touching things to come and so to change days into years and years into ages and particular men into a succession of men continued throughout many generations as it hath been the custom of interpreters to do we ought rather to content our selves with what is recorded in the Scripture and to follow the plain doctrine thereof as knowing that if God vouchsafed to foretell but one remarkable event which was to happen in all the intermediate space between the penning of this book and the consummation of the world it was a great favour and which we could not have required of him How much more then doth it become us to rest satisfied and thank Almighty God who hath been pleased to reveal so many choice secrets as are contained in this book touching the state of future times whosever therefore shall consider well the sixth Chapter where the prediction of things to happen after the days of Domitian whose Tyranny had been hinted Chap. 3.10 doth begin and compare it with History shall finde that it reacheth no further than Constantine the great Likewise the things foretold from the beginning of the seventh Chapter to the end of the nineteenth are all save somewhat that shall happen before the death of the Beast and whereof mention is made in the tenth verse of the seventeenth Chapter to be accomplished within the compass of that age wherein he shall rise again from the dead And of this I give a touch in the following exposition So that from the Reign of Constantine unto the age aforesaid is a vast gap without the intimation of any thing that shall intervene To the third I answer that if John in penning the Revelation had intended to detect Antichrist he would no doubt have named him else how could he expect that any man should ever be able to fathome his meaning as to this matter Which reason is the more forceible in that we see him so frequently make mention of Antichrist in his Epistles And would there think ye have been so deep silence concerning him throughout the Revelation had John there designed to paint him out more fully then before But as men have been too quick sighted in spying Antichrist where he was not indeed to be found so have they on the contrary been very purblinde when they came to those places wherein he was exposed to open view Wherefore that we may at length attain to the right notion of Antichrist let us mark in the first place that John did not by Antichrist intend any particular person but many deceivers to which purpose let us hear what he saith 1 Epistle 4.3 4. This is that spirit of Antichrist whereof ye have heard that it should come and even now already is it in the world Ye are of God little children and have overcome them The word them as will easily appear by examining the circumstances of the place hath no other antecedent but Antichrist and therefore no single person was meant by him But if this allegation should seem to any one to carry some doubt and uncertainty with it the seventh verse of the second Epistle will soon remove all scruple and clearly prove our assertion For it is there said Many deceivers are come into the world who confess not that Jesus Christ is come into the world who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh This is the deceiver so the Greek hath it
to be there detained for a certain time but into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone to be there tormented for ever and ever From whence it may be gathered 1. That Satan after this time shall not tempt the Sons of Men any more and consequently as we have before discoursed they shall have no other inward sollicitation to sin then what issueth from the natural pravity of their own hearts which is nothing in comparison of that malignity which is infused into them by the artifice of Satan 2. That the reason why the Beast was formerly thrown into Hell-fire and not Satan also that stirred him up is this because God intended to make no further use of the Beast whereas Satan was a thousand Years after to seduce Gog and Magog Which being done and so the wrathfull Ministery of Satan accomplished he likewise is flung into Hell-fire to be there for ever tormented together with the Beast 3. That Hell-fire for that is the same with the Lake of Fire and Brimstone is already in being and not to be created at the Day of Judgement otherwise how should Satan be thrown thereinto before the coming of that Day 4. That Satan though a Spirit yet is not therefore immaterial otherwise how should a true real and material fire as that of the Lake is seeing the smoke of men therein tormented is said to ascend for ever and ever Chap. 14.11 be capable of working on him For he is no less said to be tormented therein than the Beast and the false Prophet who being both Men as I before proved must needs consist of matter as all will grant As for the place where Hell-fire is we shall see concerning that towards the end of this Chapter Vers 11. And I saw a great white Throne and him that sat on it from whose Face the Earth and the Heaven fled away and there was found no Place for them Vers 12. And I saw the Dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of Life and the Dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their Works Vers 13. And the Sea gave up the Dead which were in it and Death and Hell delivered up the Dead which were in them and they were judged every Man according to their Works The Prophecies of the Revelation if we look rightly on them considering them in their own plainness and not as they are disguized and tangled with the far-fetcht Opinions of Men will be found to have been set down in an orderly manner those things being usually delivered first that are first to be accomplished Hence the casting of the Devil into Hell-fire being once dispatcht the universal judgement which was to follow whether in a little or a large distance of time is uncertain cometh here in its own place very fitly to be described God therefore is the supreme Judge is said to sit upon a great white Throne By which words the colour of his Throne which had been hitherto concealed seemeth to be here made known unto us For seeing God as David testifieth hath prepared his Throne in the Heavens for Judgement Psalm 9.7 103.19 and whiteness therein doth for its purity and lustre as well comport with the glory of God if not better than any other colour why should we not believe that the Throne of Judgement whereon God sitteth in the Heavens is as it is here described white But as the glory of God is set out in some measure by the greatness and colour of his Throne so is it infinitely more by the action that is here ascribed to him namely the Annihilation of the heaven and earth For to make them so fly away from before his face as that there is no more place found for them is indeed to reduce them into nothing Otherwise had they any being they would also have a place and be somewhere This reduction of the world into nothing leadeth us to believe the more easily that it was at first created out of nothing For had the matter thereof been from all eternity coexisting with God it would like him be ens necessarium and so likewise of necessity continue for ever with him John having seen the sovereign judge sitting on his throne doth in the next place see them also that stand before him in judgement and they are the dead of all sorts whether they be of high or low degree For that this expression of great and small doth so signifie is evident from Deuteronomy 1.17 Where Moses saith to the Judges of Israel Ye shall not respect persons but ye shall hear the small as well as the great And also from the nineteenth Chapter of this book verse 18. Where an Angel inviteth all the fowls of the heaven to come that they may eat the flesh of all men both free and bond both small and great For the trial of the persons aforesaid are opened certain books containing not their actions for the words import the contrary but the laws by which God proceedeth in judging them and consequently they are the books of the Old and New Testament For Paul plainly telleth us that as many as have sinned in or under the law shall be judged by the law Rom. 2.12 And Christ saith John 12.48 He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day These therefore must needs be the books and out of the things written in them the dead shall be judged according to their works For the inspection of these books doth presently discover both of what kind the works themselves are and what reward is appointed to them From whence it may be collected that they to whom God never made known his will nor imparted any of those laws recorded in the Old and New Testament but suffered them to walk in their own waies albeit they shall perish for their wickedness yet shall they not undergo any trial And thus much are we taught by the Apostle Paul who saith 2 Thes 1.7 8. That the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that knew not God And Rom. 2.12 As many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law That is without having any law proposed whereby they should be tried and cast Moreover that we might have a more full knowledge of the foresaid judgement both the resurrection of the dead which is a preparative thereunto and also the several places from whence the dead come forth are here described For the Sea giveth up the bodies of them that were drowned therein and the Grave giveth up the bodies of them that were buried in the earth For that the Grave is here to be understood by death is evident in that it is a place of the dead distinguished both from the Sea and also from Hell But there is
Vers 17. And the Spirit and the bride say Come And let him that heareth say Come And let him that is a thirst Come And whosoever will let him take the water of life freely In this verse there are three things remarkable the first whereof is the desire that both the holy Spirit and the Church had to see the coming of Christ before promised inasmuch as it would openly shew both his severity towards the wicked and his goodness towards those that had walked closely with him The second is the command here imposed upon every one that should hear of this coming to wish for it The third is the invitation made to every one that is athirst and earnestly aspireth unto happiness to come and drink of the water of life freely All which are of themselves plain and need no further interpretation Vers 18. For I testifie unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book If any man shall adde unto these things God shall adde unto him all the plagues that are written in this book Vers 19. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy God shall take away his part out of the book of life and out of the holy city and from the things which are written in this book Moses in the law enjoyned the children of Israel that they should neither adde to the word which he had commanded nor diminish from it Deut. 4.2 So doth Christ here deal with Christians in relation to the book of this excellent prophecy ratifying his injunction with the greatest penalty that can be imagined Now to add to the words of this book or to diminish from them if perhaps any man be ignorant of so easy a matter is to insert something thereunto which was not written by John or to race out something that was there written by him This being so what will become of them at the last day who have rejected this whole book from the Canon of holy scripture pretending it was written not by that holy Apostle John but by some vile person when in the mean time the name of John is often there expressed as the penman thereof and the divine excellency of the things contained in the book sufficiently demonstrateth that it came originally from God what likewise shall we think of those who have so shamefully abused the book of this prophecy as that they durst to make it subservient to their own passions and worldly interests imposing such glosses on the same as have no hint or footstep in the holy Text and that on purpose to blacken some either person or party with whom they are angry and render them odious in the sight of all men Certainly this is little less then adding to the prophecy and argueth so small reverence to the pure and undefiled word of God at which we ought to tremble and withal bewraieth so great malice towards men as that the fifteenth verse of this very Chapter sheweth that such interpreters will at length be excluded out of the Kingdom of heaven Vers 20. He which testifieth these things saith Surely I come quickly Amen Even so come Lord Jesus The Lord Jesus doth here the third time mention his speedy coming of which we have sufficiently treated and John following the direction that was before given him in the seventeenth verse doth beseech the Lord Jesus that according to his promise he would come Which passage is diligently to be observed as strongly pressing them who dare to deny the invocation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ For it can with no forehead be denied that here is a direct prayer adderssed to him since his ascent into heaven and sitting at the right hand of God Vers 21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen As the foregoing verse yielded us a direct prayer made to Christ so this affordeth an oblique one For John here requesteth that the favour of the Lord Jesus might still be put forth towards the Saints that were in Asia to whom he directed the book of this prophecy Wherefore let us after the example of so holy a person pray earnestly that the same Lord Jesus would continue and multiply his favor towards all his Saints that are dispersed through the whole world that he would shelter them under the shadow of his wings against the rage of their enemies and supply them as their several necessities shall require and finally so fill them with the Spirit of grace that they may abound in love towards one another and towards all men FINIS