fourth Trumpet only a Third part of the Sun was Darkned Now there is a total Eclipse and a thick Mist upon the Face of the whole Earth the petty Antichrists that preceded did only Corrupt and Adulterate some Truths and Ordinances Thus all His Smoak is as the Smoak of a great Furnace a complex Body a Flood and Inundation of all manner of Errors and Heresies He calls all that endeavour a Reformation in Doctrine Worship and Discipline Hereticks and Schismaticks but indeed he is the great Heretick 2. Out of this Smoak came out Locusts Verse 3. i. e. the Romish and Antichristian Clergy called Locusts 1. Because there are such numerous swarms of them that were never of Divine Institution Popes Cardinals Patriarchs Metropolitans Arch-Bishops Lord-Prelates c. some do reckon 35 orders of that Hierarchy to which Alsted says do belong 225044 Monastaries 2. Because of their hurtfulness to Souls as Locusts to Trees and Grass They are further described from verse 4. to the end of this Trumpet the Spirit of God hereby pointing to us That this Romish Hierarchy is one of the greatest Pillars of Antichrists Kingdom where you may mark these properties in them 1. They have power to String i. e. to torment the Souls and Consciences of Men and Women Verse 3 5 6. They shall so put them on the Rack That in those days Men shall seek Death and shall not find it they shall desire Death and it shall flee away They Preach that they must believe as the Church believeth that they must perfectly keep the Law of God otherwise they are Damned and having thus wounded the Remedy is worse than the Disease they put Men upon satisfying God's Justice at least for some sins and procuring Peace of Conscience by their own good Works and Merits that no Man can be assured of his Salvation in this Life that after Death their Souls go into Purgatory out of which they are to be redeemed by saying so many Soul-Masses for them for which they must endow the Church with a good part of their Estates This their Stinging was like unto a Scorpion a dangerous kind of Serpent that goes waywardly and Stings when it seems not to do so Their Power thus to torment was but for five Months this is in allusion to the Locusts who continue from April to September to destroy Trees and Grass Verse 5.2 As to their shape they were like unto Horses prepared unto Battle i. e. they are swift nimble and active strong and well fed meer belly-Gods 3. On their Heads they have Crowns as it were like unto Gold i. e. they live in such State Pomp and Grandure that they are more like Monarchs than Gospel-Ministers though indeed they are neither for their Crowns are not Gold but like unto it they plead that their Church Government is of Divine Right their Authority is from Jesus Christ but all is not Gold that glisters pretend what they will they came out of the bottomless Pit 4. Their faces were as the faces of Men. Verse 7. i. e. They shew themselves very sociable and affable meerly to insinuate into the Affections of others or they plead its reason by which they are regulated in all their Administrations is it not reason that all things should be done decently and in order that the Church should have a Power in Ceremonies and Matters indifferent to determine the Practices of People how can their be any peace without Uniformity Non conformists can be no other but a company of proud Persons that affect Novelty and Singularity 5. Their hair is like the hair of Women Verse 8. i. e. They are Spiritually Effeminate and with their whorish Deckings and Attire they allure others to commit Spiritual Fornication 6. Their teeth are as the teeth of Lions Verse 8 i. e. They are very cruel but cunning the teeth lie hid in this they are distinguished from the Turks in the following Trumpet Whose heads are as lions i. e. They openly profess their Cruelty 7. They had breast-plates as it were of iron i. e. They arm themselves so that none can do them hurt either they get Magstirates to be on their side or to be privileged with immunities from the jurisdiction of Magistrates 8. The sound of their wings is as the sound of Chariets of many horses running to battle i. e. Their Church Censures Bulls and Excommunications is with great noise horror and dread by which Emperors and Kings themselves have been greatly awed 9. They have stings in their tails Verse 10. i. e. With their flattering Speeches and plausible Pretences they captivate poor simple ones Lastly They have a King over them which is the Angel of the bottomless Pit whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon destroyer i. e. Though they have many several orders and degrees amongst themselves yet they are all of them subordinate to one supream Head the Pope though some may pretend very fair yet their Offices Orders and Degrees came Originally from him that is the Angel of the bottomless Pit The goodness of God under this trumpet is in the 9th Verse Though their Commission was very extensive in having power to hurt all yet it did not reach the Sealed Ones and to say no more but this the greater the judgment was the more did the goodness of God appear in securing his hidden Ones from it And thus of the 5th Trumpet The Scope of the sixth Trumpet is to show that Idolatry and Superstition being now so rife amongst those that were called Christians the Righteous God was resolved to raise up the Sarazens and Turks as a scourge for the same the judgment of this Trumpet not being a Spiritual but a Temporal one Most Expressions may be understood literally I will cursorily run over the whole Upon the sounding of the sixth Angel a voice was heard from the 4 Horns of the Golden Altar which is before God saying Loose the four Angels which are bound in the great River Euphrates which was accordingly done Verse 14.15 i. e. Whereas the forementioned barbarous People were hereto by God's Providence restrained from breaking in upon the Western part of the World and kept on the other side of Euphrates now they are commissioned from Jesus Christ to come against the Christians for their Idolatry The number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand i. e. Of all People in the World none comparable to the Turks for Horses they are infinitely numerous v. 16. And the riders that sat on them have breast-plates of fire of jacinct and of brimstone and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions i. e. they are terrible and cruel and profess themselves to be so and out of their mouths issued fire and smoak and brimstone Some understand hereby their great Guns and Cannons which Instruments of War were first invented by them v. 17. And by the fire smoak and brimstone which issued out of their mouths the third part
Night is far spent the day is at hand let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and lets us put on the armour of light let us walk honestly as in the day not in rioting and drunkenness not in strife and envying not in Chambering and wantonness but put ye on the Lord Jesus 4. Take all in good part that comes from the Hands of a good God Learn Contentation with a suffering Condition and a persecuted State Live by Faith on the promises made to persons in such a Condition John 16.33 In the World ye shall have tribulation but be of good chear I have overcome the World Mark 10.29 30. Jesus saith unto them verily I say unto you there is no Man that hath left house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake and the gospels but he shall receive an hundred-fold in this time houses and brethren and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecutions and in the world to come eternal life Matth. 5.10 11. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven blessed are ye when Men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil of you falsely for my sake Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven so persecuted they the prophets which were before you 1 Pet. 4.14 If ye are reproached for the Name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of Glory and of God resteth upon you on their part he is evil spoken of but on your part he is glorified And 16 17 18. If any Man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God on this behalf for the time is come that judgment must begin at the House of God and if it first begin at us what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God wherefore let them that suffer according to the Will of God commit the keeping of their Souls to him in well-doing as unto a faithful Creator And 5.10 But the God of all grace who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Jesus Christ after that ye have suffered a while make ye perfect stablish strengthen settle you 2 Tim. 1.12 For the Gospel of Chist I suffer these things nevertheless I am not ashamed for I know whom I have believed and I perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day And 2.10 11 12. Therefore I endure all for the elects sake that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory It is a faithful saying If we be dead with him we shall also live with him if we suffer with him we shall also reign with him Rom. 8.17 18 35 36. 2 Cor. 4.17 18. Lastly Study a thankfull improvement of your privileges for all God's goodness towards your 1. Seeing it cost Christ no less than his precious Blood to purchase a liberty for you from the Mosaical Ceremonies which were once of Divine Institution and consequently much more from such as are of meer humane institution whether Heathenish or Antichristian you ought not upon any pretence whatsoever suffer your selves to be intangled again with that Yoak of Bondage There 's a great noise about the Churches Power to impose Ceremonies in matters indifferent but I dare be bold to say if there be such a thing in the World as Christian Liberty in any thing it is not to be imposed upon in Ceremonies and if any thing be a lording it over the Lord's heritage it is in not leaving those things indifferent which Christ hath left indifferent Christian Liberty is not easily to be parted with because it cost Christ so dear 2. All that mediatory fulness of Grace and Spirit that 's in Jesus Christ is freely made over to us let 's therefore improve this privilege so as every moment upon all occasions to be still fetching supplies for our Soul-wants From this overflowing Fountain say thus Lord I want Wisdom Faith Patience Power against Corruptions Temptations Enemies in my Flesh dwells no good thing but oh is there not Goodness and Grace enough in thee and is not this Goodness of thine communicable Out of thy Son's fulness let me receive grace for grace Joh. 1.16 3. Through that new and living way we have liberty of access to the throne of Grace Let us accordingly improve this Privilege in coming with a full assurance of Faith to find grace and help in time of need Let 's come with a Child like confidence with a holy and humble boldness Heb. 2. end and 4. end and 10.22 23 24. 4. Through God's gracious Goodness we are made joint heirs with Christ his Blessings Benefits Death and Intercession are all ours improve this Privilege to a deliverance from slavish fears If Christ hath triumphed over Principalities and Powers Sin and Satan Death and the World what is Man O Gospel Saint that thou art afraid of him if he has purchased pardon of Sin peace of Conscience the Joys of the Holy Ghost Grace here and Heaven's Glory hereafter thou need'st not fear that the Powers of Hell shall be able to deprive thee thereof Fifthly God was very good to the primitive Church in the days of Christ and the Apostles and that in these respects 1. He did as it were from Heaven give an immediate Call and extraordinary Commission to John Baptist to be the Harbinger and For-runner of the Son of God and Saviour of the World It was he that first brought into the World the good news of the near approach of the Kingdom of Heaven which did call aloud upon them to Repent Matth. 3.2 The aggravation of the Mercy was in the seasonableness of it he was sent at such a time when the Church was so deeply corrupted that there was hardly the face of a visible Church to be seen upon them See further of him Is 40.3 Mal. 4.5 6. Matth. 3.7 8,9 Mark 1.8 Luke 3.16 Joh. 1.26 Matth. 3.11 12. Matth. 11.14 Luke 1.15 16 17. 2. The primitive Church was honour'd with Christ's own corporal Presence amongst them hence they were called the Children of the Bridegroom and it could not but be a day of rejoycing to them to hear the Bridgroom's voice Joh. 3.29 Mark 2.19 When that good Woman Elizabeth heard of the Salutation of Mary the Babe leaped in her Womb and the was filled with the Holy Ghost Luke 1.41 Mary her self broke forth into a Doxology and Song of praises which you may see Luke 1.46 to 55. Zacharias also was filled with the Holy Ghost and Prophesied saying Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people he hath raised up a born of Salvation for us in the house of David as he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been since the world began The very Angels in Heaven thought it
Princeps Optimus insomuch that it afterwards became Proverbial in Congratulating new Emperors with this Salutation Foelicior Augusto melior Trajano so also under Antoninus Pius and Severus Morality without Grace is sometimes a greater Enemy to the Gospel and Kingdom of Christ than open Atheism and Prophaneness However let the Persons and Instruments under whom they had respite be what they will all was still to be attributed to the goodness of God who did accomplish and bring it to pass by such wonderful means some whereof are these 1. Antoninus Pius was taken off from Persecuting them by that extraordinary act of Providence in hearing the Prayers of a Legion of Soldiers that were Christians whereby his whole Army in a great strait for Rain were abundantly refreshed and his Enemies miraculously defeated God from Heaven fighting with Thunder and Lightning against them for which that Legion was called Legio fulminatrix the Thundring Legion This wrought so upon the Emperor that presently he commanded the Christians should neither be sought for nor punished if presented but that their Accusers should be punished For saith he my own safety and the safety of my Empire dependeth upon their Prayers 2. Aurelianus having issued forth an Edict against the Christians was so terrified with Thunder that he recalled it 3. Alexander Severus was perswaded by his Mother Mammea to shew them favour she hearing of the Learning of Origin sent for him and was instructed by him 4. Hadrian's Persecution was something mitigated by the Apologies which were presented to him by Aristides and Quadratus 5. Antoninus Pius was made to relent by Justin Martyr's Apologetick 6. Under Trajan the Persecution was staid by Plinius Secundus who writ to the Emperor concerning their Innocence That they were not Guilty of the Crimes charged upon them in regard the Law of their God was very strict against such Sins and that they used to meet before Day to Sing Psalms and to Worship one call'd JESUS 5. God's goodness to them was in respect of the remarkable Judgments which he brought upon most if not all of their greatest Persecutors I 'll give you a Summary Survey of the Tragical ends of all of them throughout the Ten Persecutions The First was under Nero Anno 67. Who being hated of Men and persued by the Senate of Rome killed himself Second under Domitian Anno 90. His wife and Friends finding a Roll of the Names of Christians which he had marked out for suffering and their own amongst the rest they killed him Third under Trajan Anno. 100. who was all his Life time vexed with great troubles and commotions and at last cut off by a strange Disease Fourth under Hadrian and Antoninus Pius Anno 126. Hadrian Died in great horrour of Conscience it was he that cryed out O animula vagula blandula Pius Died of a Fever in three Days after he Sickned Fifth under Antoninus Philosophus and Verus I find nothing recorded of their Death but Antoninus knew much trouble in his Life-time from the Germans Samaritans Avidius Cassius and others Sixth under Severus Anno 208. He was slain at York by the Northern Men and Scots and in his time a certain Judge that pronounced Sentence against Agapetus a holy Martyr fell from the Bench and Died suddenly Seventh under Maximinus Anno 236. He was killed by his own Son and Soldiers in his Tent at the Seige of Aquileia Eighth under Decius Anno 251. Being overcome by the Scythians or Gothes he threw himself into a Pit where he ended his Life and his Body could never be found Ninth under Gallus and Volusianus Anno 258. A sad Pestilence in his time was slain by Aemilianus one of his own Captains together with his Son Valerianus being overcome by the Persians Sopor trod upon him while he took Horse The last was under Dioclesian and Maximinian Anno 300. Both of them in one Day divested themselves of the imperial dignity and chused to live in Dens and Caves Dioclesian afterwards Poisoned himself rather than he would see Constantine and Maximinianus hanged himself 6. God was good in giving them a glorious deliverance from this their persecuted State and that by the Hands of Constantine where these passages of Providence are remarkable 1. He had a kind of immediate Call from Heaven both to embrace the Christian Religion as also to go against that Persecuting Tyrant Maxentius witness the voice which he heard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Christ thou shalt overcome Eusebius that lived in his time tells us That he heard himself relate this confirming it with an Oath 2. God preserved him for this Service from the treacherous Design of his Father in Law Maximinianus his Wife having discovered it to him 3. Maxentius had made a device to drown him and his Men when he passed over a Bridge by which Maxentius himself was afterward drowned and he escaped for which the Christians sung Psal 9.16 And 7.15 4. Having giving himself to Fasting and Prayer he obtained Victory over Maximinus and Licinius and though Licinius had once greatly reproached Christ and Christianity yet being brought to condign Punishment he was made to confess that great was the Christians God and great was Constantine's God Let 's make some Application of the Premises in these few Particulars 1. This calls upon us highly to esteem of the glorious Truths of Christ in regard they have been Sealed and Witnessed to with the Blood of so many Millions of Martyrs O how wonderful are the Ways of God that would take such a Course to commend the Gospel of the Son of God to us who knows but they of that Age suffered that we and others might at least in a great measure be excused 2. Though they excused us so far that the Church is never like to be in a Persecuted State for Three hundred Years together yet there is no Age in which this or t'other particular Person can promise an exemption from Persecution to himself and therefore it sounds an Alarm to us in the times of our greatest Peace and Prosperity to prepare for Persecution Lay in a stock of Suffering Graces before that so it may never surprize you unawares but come when it will you may be ready for it Take special notice of these three things 1. Persecution has been in all Ages an inseparable Concomitant of the plain and faithful Preaching of the Gospel Matth. 10.34 35. 2. It was never better with the Church and People of God than in times of Persecution there was never a more glorious Lustre and Beauty upon Ordinances Ministers never more Lively and Spiritual the Conversation of Christians never more in Heaven and the number of Converts never more encreased 3. Be confirmed in this That the speciality of God's Love in Christ to his People may very well stand with their being in a Persecuted Condition so that it may be always said Truly God is good to Israel 3. In all your Sufferings set the Martyrs of
preach the Everlasting Gospel but more particularly to prophesie Babylon's Downfall which tho' it be a very delightful and pleasing piece of service in the doing of it yet afterwards it exposes them to sore Persecutions that prove bitter Chap. Eleven The former Chapter having Prophesied of Rome's ruine of the Discovery and Destruction of the Mystery of Iniquity and Son of Perdition and that by the preaching of the Everlasting Gospel a doubt now arises concerning the fulfilling of this how can there be any Prophesying or Preaching where there is no Church and if there be no Church there can be no Prophets Antichrist has now possessed himself of the Temple of God and so Corrupted all under the foregoing Trumpets as has been already cleared that it 's hardly visible whether Christ have any Church or Kingdom in the World This Chap. solves this Scruple and affords some grounds of sweet comfort against this Discouragement The substance of the Chap. so much as concerns the Slaying and Resurrection of the witnesses take in some few Doctrinal Propositions 1. When Antichrist is at his height then does the Work of Reformation begin There was given me a Reed like unto a Rod commanding me to measure the Temple the Altar and them that Worship therein Verse 1. A Metaphor taken from Masons or such Artificers who in building a New House or repairing an Old do use a measuring Line Now is the time come that God will have Antichrist's Church-state Worship Ordinances and all to be tried and examined by the Rule of God's Word 2. When Antichristianism is at its height Reformation cannot be without separation The Court which is without the Temple leave out i. e. Let it now be known by the measuring Line that their Temple Altar Worship and Worshippers are none of mine 3. Antichristian Worship weighed in the balance of the Sanctuary is in God's Account Gentilism The outer Court is given to the Gentiles i. e. To such who though they profess Christianity and that highly too glorying that they are the only true Church yet their Practice pure Gentilism Antichristian Rites and Ceremonies are most of them borrowed from Heathens 4. Antichrists treading under the holy City shall not be for ever it shall be for an appointed time to wit 42 Months Verse 2. 5. In the height of Antichristianism Christ shall have a competent number of such as shall give a faithful Testimony against him I will give power unto my two witnesses and they shall prophesie a thousand two hundred and threescore days cloathed in sackcloath Verse 3. The Sackcloath notes the meanness and lowness of their Condition their number two their paucity or fewness yet competent out of the Mouth of two or three witnesses shall every Truth be established If this one thousand two hundred and threescore Days be the same with the Forty two Months the time of Antichrists Reign as it 's very probable reckoning Thirty Days to every Month then by the two witnesses cannot be meant Magistracy and Ministry because there have not been during the whole time of Antichrist's Reign always some Magistrates who as such have given a Testimony for Christ against him only that Christ and in all Ages and Countries a competent number as in England Wickliff in Italy Marsilius Patavinus in Bohemid John Husse and Jerom of Prague in Saxony Luther and Melanchton in Helvetia Zwingliâ—â— in Basil Oecolampadius 6. They that have been called to witnessing-work have had a special Anointing for the Work of their Day These are the two Olive-Trees and the two Candlesticks standing before the God of the Earth vers 4. In allusion to the Lamps of the Candlestick in the Temple under the Old Testament which were kept burning by two Olive-Trees continually emptying themselves into them so did Christ out of his Fulness continually communicae abundant supplies of Grace and Gifts to his Servants 7. Of all Men in the World Christs Martyrs or Witnesses have the greatest interest in Heaven If any Man hurteth them fire proceedeth out of their Mouth and devoureth their Enemies An allusion to what Elias did 2 Kings 1.10 They have power to shut Heaven that it Rain not in the Days of their Prophecy To what Elias did 1 Kings 17.1 Jam. 5.17 They have power over Waters to turn them into Blood and to smite the Earth with all Plagues as often as they will This alludes to what Moses and Aaron did in Aegypt vers 5 6. i. e. They did denounce Wrath and Prophesied of sore judgments that would befall their Persecutors and accordingly it came to pass God made good their word they were Wrestlers and Israes indeed prevailers with God Luther was so mighty in Prayer that quicquid voluit potuit he could do what he would with God From vers 7. to 11. you have a particular narrative of the slaying of the Witnesses from thence to 15 of their Resurrection The time of the slaying of the Witnesses is 1. Set down when they shall have finished their Testimony or according to the Original when they are about to finish their Testimony verse 7. i. e. towards the end of the 1260 Days and towards the end of the Beasts 42 Months which is not so to be understood according to the great mistake of many as if they should never after this witness any more nor Antichrist Reign any more but only thus They shall finish their Testimony in Sackcloath and their Wilderness-State and he shall never Reign again so as when he trod under the holy City while the Church was in the Wilderness 2. The person by whom they are slain to wit the Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless Pit vers 7. i. e. The Pope and those that derive their Authority from him as was shewn Chap. 9.2 3. Whether this slaying of them be the taking away their Natural lives only or a Civil and Spiritual Death depriving them of all privileges which they enjoyed both as Men and Christians in silencing Ministers not giving them the liberty of their Consciences in matters of Religion according to the word or something that comprehends both I shall not curiously enquire nor positively determine only the latter I most incline to for many were slain in their Bodies and others suffered a Civil and Ecclesiastical Death by Banishments Excomunications and otherwise 2. The â—â—ace where is in the Street of the great City which Spiritually is called Sodom and Aegypt vers 8. i. e. In some places of the World which do professedly own themselves to be of the Popes Dominions whose City is a second Sodom for fulness of Bread Idleness and all manner of Uncleanness and never did Old Aegypt abound in heathenish Idolatries and oppress the People of God more than it I like will enough of that conjecture that speaks of Germany for it may be fitly called the Street of the great City as being a principal part of the Roman Empire The first thing that follows upon their being slain is the