turned to mee how soone would I haue humbled their enemies His second action is a signe giuen to his trumpeters who stand attending it from him to set too to particular execution The signe is Hee filleth the Censer with fire c. In token of burning wrath and with fire of the Altar For as the acceptation and sanctification of all the Samts and their offerings is of him who is the true golden Altar so all his wrath on the world is from him in whom all men in God his predestination are ordered to their diuers ends according as they are either giuen to him and builded on him or passed by and stumble at him This fire is also from the Altar for the spiritual iudgements that it worketh For the fire of this Altar hath double effects It is gracious nourishing purging renuing and strengthning to the elect Isai 6. And it is a fire deuouring the aduersaries burning vp the world as stubble for our God euen a consuming fire Christ comming into the world brought both the one and the other though the one improperly Thus from one and the same Censer and one and the same Altar one and the same fire both sendeth vp a sweete perfume and downe a consuming wrath As the praier of Elias brought both fruitfull raine and deuouring fire and as the two witnesses Chapter 11. are to the godly candlestickes and refreshing oliues but with fire out of their mouthes slay their aduersaries If I bee the man of God saith Eliah let fire come downe from heauen c. Vpon this fire cast on the earth follow Lightnings Thundrings Voices and Earthquakes euident types of horrible iudgements and commotions Chapter 4. And so heereby the attending Trumpeters get signe to blow the alarum and denounce particularly the iudgements whereby God was now to plague the blind and obstinate world And vpon the signe thus giuen them they set too in order to blow See Ezech. 10 for this casting of fire in signe of wrath and God his departing from his sanctuarie 5 Thus farre is the generall preparation The particular execution hath in each the denunciation by the trumpet and the effect insuing And are diuided in lighter or lesse woes and heauier and greater The first soure in degree of comparison are lighter and are in this Chapter The three other are heauie whereof two are thorowout the 9 10. and a good part of the 11. Chapt. The last holdeth to the end of the whole narration The first foure are al 's many degrees of the mystery of iniquity working on to that fearefull height which is in the fifth trumpet accompanied with a no lesse deadly euill for iust punishment thereof in the sixt trumpet which being ineffectuall to worke repentance commeth on the last wrath in the seuenth trumpet 6 Vpon the first sound are seene haile and fire mingled with blood which cast on the earth that is in the visible Church Chap. 7 Section 2. Produce then a terrible effect That all greene grasse c. The iudgements of God in Scripture are ordinarily expressed by haile fire and stormy tempest God borrowing speeches from naturall things to set foorth his terror But this speech heere hath a speciall allusion to that plague on Egypt Exod. 9. and Psal 105. Now then to finde the analogy as heere the burning vp of grasse and trees is to expresse the decay of spirituall life and moisture in all true Christianity and that not onely in weake ones as grasse but in the strong as trees so heere we are to search agreeably to this effect what is answerable to haile and fire It is the fire of God his spirit begetting in vs faith and loue which maketh vs Christians weaker or stronger according to the measure of grace giuen vs and our grouth therein and that by the watering moistening of sweet showers of grace as dew vpon the mowne grasse or raine on the thirsty ground For of heate and moisture commeth all flourishing greennesse Hereof it is that so often in Scripture we are exhorted to edifie on another in loue This burning heat did eat vp our Lord and in it the Apostle burnt this fire of loue is the band of perfection whereby we grow vp as one man in Christ And hereupon are in Scripture so many attestations to be like minded and detestations of debate and diuision Now when this fire of loue is turned into the fire of contention then they from whose mouthes should droppe wisdome and refreshing showers send out the could haile of their owne affections and frosty showers of selfe-loue which in place of comforting and nourishing the hearbes and trees by wholesome word and sound example of life in contrary burne them quite vp as doth haile and fire This was the first euill which entred into the Church for the first degree whereof the Church of Ephesus was taxed Which degree betime growing not only to coldnesse in loue but also to fiery contention and mixed with frosty haile wrought this fearefull effect and first step to antichristianisme euen want of true religion and of the life of God in a great part This fire and haile is said to haue beene mixed with blood for that not onely this euill of firie debate beganne euen while as yet hot persecutioÌ„ lasted against the Church by heathen Emperours but also for that it entred in the Church in such degree as proceeded to cruelty and bloodshed This euill Satan laboured to bring in from the first times of the Gospell but that the fire of loue sweet showers held things greene The first that greatly kindled this flame was Victor Bishop of Rome whose fiâ—ie headines in a friuolous matter had it not beene repressed by the graue rebukes of Irenaeus Bishoppe of Lions and Policrates of Ephesus had made a great burning Eusebius recordeth Lib. 8. of the persecution by Dioclesian that it was a necessary correction of the Church which had fallen to ouer great a custome of sin see how greennesse was burnt vp whose pastors were begun to sauor of pride and tyranny see the step to the next euill Thus wee see how the fire was euen mixed with bloud but soone after how farre this fire brake out vpon the first relaxation vnder Constantine it is wonderfull so as if the prudent care of that Prince had not bene the greater that first and famous Councell of Nice had beene a miserable proofe of this fire which beeing but restrained there for the time how vehemently to the disgrace of christianity and burning vp of all true religion in the hearts of men it brake out thereafter is manifest in the story So as Constantine in his Epistle to the Synod of Tyrus exprobrateth to them that he saw nothing in Bishops dealings but an ouerthrow of all religion This made Nazianzen to vtter that hard speech That hee neuer did see a good effect of any Synod because in steade of the fire of loue mixed with the
in such height as the former in comparison is not so much felt the first is said to bee gone and that wee may take vp this course and reason of God his working the sixt Trumpet hath this singular in it that vpon the sounding thereof commandement is giuen to loose the foure Angels c. and accordingly the Ministrie of the fixt Trumpet performeth onely to shew that the plague therein was in God his iust indignation the punishment of Antichristian Idolatry if so be therby men could haue been moued to repent before effuâ—ion of the last wrath but they persisting notwithstanding in obstinate impenitency the great Angell in the next Chapter sweareth finall ouerthrow And this is the reason of that which this sixt Trumpet hath in it singular from the former so wisely is this prophesie penned 9 In this sixt Trumpet then are the euill and the euent In the euill are noted how it is brought on and the particular description of the mischiefe It is brought on by commandement from Christ who is the golden Altar to the Angell of the sixt Trumpet the tenor wherof is to loose the Ministers of this woe for working of it The reason hereof we touched The Ministers of the woe are the heades and the destroying armie In the heades are noted their number condition place and end of loosing In number they are foure as a number competent yet not for that respect which is of the foure Chapter 7. for the foure corners of the earth for this plague goeth not so wide being but against the third part of men a cleare distinguishing note of Mahometisme from Antichrist but here they are foure for all occasions as the other were for all places and therfore foure times are put an howre a day a moneth a yeere not to designe the space of this woes durance but to shew that these were ordained and in number competenr to execute God his wrath at all occasions short or long as God should bee stirred to indignation and send them forth Agreeable hereto the commandement commeth from the foure hornes of the Altar to shew Christ his sufficiencie of power to raise vp instruments of his iustice according as by the sinnes of men he is prouoked For from this Altar both the prayers of Saints goe vp before God and the fire of vengeance is powred downe on the world Chapter 8. this maketh the allusion and conueniency in number of foure Angels foure hornes foure times 10 The condition of these heades is that they are bound whereupon is the commandement of loosing this sheweth the seuerity of these foure Angels of wrath in that they are bound vp as ragefull beasts and giueth certaine expectation of cruell effects they being loosed God his patience is here also noted restraining his iudgements till the wickednesse of men extort them from him These foure Angels are the heades of the Mahometane and Turkish Armies Not for so many heades in proprietie as many vainely vexe themselues to finde out but for the reason aboue touched who how they were tied vp at Euphrates that is restrained in the East parts about Babell and Persia partly by their owne intestine discords wars partly by some great victories of Christians from working this horrible desolation which now vpon this their loosing ensueth is cleare in the story Mahomet arose soone after the open and auowed beginnings of Antichrist and spred his poyson aduancing it so with fire and sword that in short yeers his Successors ouerranne all Arabia Egypt Africa Spain and Persia This swift course was after tied vp as the commandement of loosing them from their binding necessarily implyeth shewing that both before this they were and from raging tied vp for a good space till at length Turkes ioyned with Saracens and becomming one people and of one poisonous religion vpon huge encrease of Antichristian impiety they gotte free scope from Euphrates in God his iustice to slay the third part of men from which kind of working the Locusts were restrained 11 Thus are the heades their army is described from their number kind disposition horrible effects and power of working their number is huge to shew their innumerable forces wherein the Story is cleare Their kind is that they are horsemen both because their chiefe forces consist of such as also to shew their fiercenes and irresistable inuasion Their cruell disposition is expressed in that their habergeons were of fire brimstone Iacinth For when the Scripture describeth horrible executions it is ordinarily by fire and brimstome and ascending smoake as in the Psalmes and Prophets often Now brimstone inflamed yeeldeth both a flame and a smoake of a Iacinth colour and accordingly they are here put to shew in these a bloudy disposition to worke vtter desolation like that of Sodome For this their horses also are said to haue heads of Lions to designe open rage and professed cruelty whereas the Locusts couered their Lions teeth with faces of men and haire of women Fire smoake and brimstone are said to come out of their mouths not onely to amplifie this their cruell disposition as breathing nothing but vtter desolation but also to shew their facility of destroying all thinges as with a breath or word The third part of men are said to be destroyed by them to shew according to the Phrase aboue in the first foure Trumpets that this plague should not ouergoe al as did that of the Locusts but yet should worke a horrible and great vastation conueniently to their cruell disposition set forth in three things this effect is most euident for neuer any conquering people before them wrought such desolation as they in the parts which they haue ouerrunne so as in the most plentifull and best peopled parts of the earth they haue scarse left so many villages as were sometime famous Republikes These are their effects Their power of working is both in their heads tails for they haue also tails like Serpents stinging all the power of the Locusts was in their tailes at least by them they wrought all that is by poisonable doctrine therefore they pretended no power of open murthering men of the world but these haue power both in heades and tailes that is both by their policy and gouernement they vse and professe plaine hostility and practise of the Sword and also by their false Prophets they sting as did the Locusts poisoning also with false doctrine so manifest a note of distinction is put here betwixt these woes as they could not haue beene mistaken if forelaid preiudices had not forced the wresting of cleare things to wrong accommodations 12 Thus hath beene the euill the euent is obstinate impenitency and induration of men in Antichristian workes which are here so plainely set downe as any hauing eyes may see whose impietie hath loosed these Angels and whose obstinacy still maketh them to preuaile and so by iust consequence albeit to them directlie was not permitted to bee open murtherers of men yet
opposed to things aboue earthly or vnstable things to things heauenly and permanent so in this place as also in the first Trumpet it must bee taken as the order of arising degrees in comparison requireth for the first and lightest degree of iudgement as the earth is the lowest and lourdest of elements as the earth is taken in the first verse all the Vials are powred on the earth because all are on the earthly Antichristian Kingdome in this other sense of the earth the first particularly is powred thereon The effect thereof is that the filthinesse loose life hypocrisie auarice pride symony and other vices of the Clergy and Church of Antichrist breake out to the view of the world long blinded as filthy boiles The allusion is to the sixth plague of Egypt where-thorow the Enchanters were no more able to stand before Moses This was the first degree of the fall of Rome when God to make them detestable discouered their sores so as these enchanting bewitchers were confounded and could no longer abide the light The accommodation of Story is most cleare where by numbers their auarice pride and hypocrisie is highly exclamed against Few daring yet challenge their doctrine and worshippe yet their persons thus falling first in contempt it made way to the next Cup. Now as in the first Trumpet contention and selfe loue ioyned with cruelty like fire and haile mixed with bloud cast on the earth made the first great degree to Antichrist his rising by burning vp all true loue life and holy zeale of religion so the first open degree of his fall is by the cup of wrath powred on the earth euen the discouery of their hypocrisie and filthinesse whereby they were seen to bee void of all true Religion 4 The second Viall maketh a higher degree in that not onely the persons who worshipped the Beast and receiued his Gharacter are for their silthinesse odious but now euen their common doctrine and ordinary worshippe becommeth vile and corrupted as bloody worsum deadly to all that drinke thereof and abhorred of men who in the cleare glassie Sea before the throne perceine the stinking rottennesse of this Asphaltites How after the contempt of the persons for their abhominable filthinesse next all their worshippe and doctrine of pardons reliques indulgences holy water crossings soul-Masses pilgrimages processions inuocation of Saintes baptizing of bels magicall coniurations forged miracles foolish Legends of lies and the rest of that sea of rotten bloud beganne to stinke in the noses of men is more then euident their whole worshippe and common schoole Diuinity now standing as the Sea of Sodom Compare this Viall for kind and degree to the second Trumpet 5 By the third Viall their riuers and fountaines of waters are turned into bloud When by Moses the floud and al stanks ponds of Egypt were turned into bloud for thereto in this and the former Viall the spirit alludeth the Egyptians digged to themselues wels to drink of When in the dayes of Ahab through parching drought all other waters failed hee and Obadiah seeke to the riuers and fountaines So the common Sea of Popish worshippe and doctrine becommeth vile the last refuge for preseruing the liues of their Beasts is their riuers and fountaines whereby their Sea is inriched and which by kind should bee more cleare and sweet But these are also made bloud that in two respects Their riuers fountains are their great and learned Doctors and grounds whence these as riuers carry waters as frō springs to sweeten if it were possible that rotten sea But howsoeuer in some outward degree they apeare to haue some more freshnesse yet they are but bloud and to drinke of them it is deadly They labour much to excuse and maske the grosse rottennesse of their sea and to sweeten it with eloquence aide of Arts and Philosophy and yet all is bloud They busie themselues to bring warrands from the Fathers but almost all from that third part of that ancient sea which in the second Trumpet was made bloud and from these fountaines riuers which in the third Trumpet were for the third part made bitter and mortall And what cleare sweet water might both from Scripture Fathers be brought for cure of their Sea they by false glosses wrested interpretations cuttings and caruings turne all into bloud The second respect in which their riuers and fountaines are said to become bloud that wee should not misse to take vp the Angell executer praiseth God his iustice therein and another from the Altar a sure testimonie from Christ himselfe confirmeth his saying And this double testimony both of the executers and ministers of the Altar true Pastors encouraging to execution so warranteth the equity of this point that men need not bee remisse or stayed with any faint doubts from executing this iust worke And certainely the Spirit in this double proclamation of God his iustice herein seemeth in diuine wisdome to haue foreseene and foreshewed the faintnes of men in this so approued an errand The point is because their riuers and fountaines euen their head-Clergie men entertainers nourishers and vpholders of all that stinking sea haue beene bloody murtherers of the Saints and Prophets and occasioners of all bloud-shed in the earth the Whore Chapter 17. being drunke with the bloud of Saints and all the bloud of the earth being found in her Chapter 18. Therefore the Lord in his iustice now giueth them bloud to drinke euen measure for measure And the Cuppe that shee filled to vs shee now tasteth in her course Wherein is performed what for consolation was spoken Chapter 13. If any kill with a sword he must be killedby a sword The performance of this wee haue in some measure seene and dayly see in such Countries wherein the Lord hath raised the light of his Gospell while their continuall conspiracies and tteasons against the states and liues of Princes compell men otherwise but preposterouflie pittifull and for all this double denounced warrant of the equity of the worke but too slow to giue them the due recompence of their bloudy practises But the effect hereof will bee still more and more perceiued For there will be no end of their tragicall attempts till that bloudy state be destroyed for euer These are the Martyrs the Church of Rome can glorie of Here a diuiue artifice of the spirit is not vnworthy the marking that as in expressing the first suffetings of the church by the dragon Chapter 12. who giueth his power throne authority to the Beast allusion was to the condition of the olde Church in Egypt so here in the first degrees of finall wrath allusion is to the plagues there Like as in the Chapter 15. vpon preception of the last degree the song of Moses was sung at the glassie sea 6 The fourth Viall is on the sunne whereby the beast his marked ones are plagued the cleare light of the Gospell shewing Christ the sun of
close the count of these thousand yeeres the end heere mentioned and degrees of the Dragon his restraint doe clearely lead vs. Wee must not thinke that Sathan in an instant was eyther tyed vp from his rage or againe in a precise point of time let loose But both fell out by degrees From the first out going of the Gospell hee beganne in some degree to bee bound as hee complaineth of Christ that hee had come to torment him before the time And as the Gospell preuailed hee was still the more made fast But seeing the end here specified of his binding and the condition of the Church heere described vpon his restraint Make euident that this his Captiuity is not absolute but in some speciall consideration and the degrees here mentioned shew that then his vptying is to bee counted when in that consideration he is perfectly made fast as taken shut vp locked on sealed we haue to take vp that point of time when according to this end he was fully fastned I shewed before on the 12. Chapter that the Dragon his proper rage is taken for open and cruell persecuting of Christians from which he was then fully tyed vp when by Constantine his conuersion to the faith open persecution ceased and Christianity was by lawes established the Church became glorious in the eyes of all men the soules of Martyres got long white robes and seates were set vp and the Saints did sit on them c hauing iudgement giuen them For both the commemoration of Martyrs was honourable and the estate of the Church flourishing in peaceable and goodly condition and glorious account And albeit in the meane time Sathan was working by his Lieutenant the Beast whom vpon this his restraint from open rage hee sent forth then in the first sensible degrees to deceiue by false semblance and who from this point of time mightily preuailed though at first by slow scarse perceptible degrees as rising out of the earth in bringing Nations to make vp the image of the Beast which at the end of these thousand yeeres came to the top of impiety yet they liued and raigned all the while who receiued not his Character The end then here mentioned of the Dragons restraint that hee should not seduce c. must not bee taken absolutely for hee was neuer busier seducing nor with greater successe then during these thousand yeeres but seducing here must be vnderstood according as wee see hee worketh vpon his lousing againe when hee falleth to that same kinde of seduction from which first hee was bound vp that is to seduce Nations to compasse the Tents of Saints and the beloued City Euen to set them againe vpon violent and furious persecution by sword and fire as he was a murtherer from the beginning and as in that men most bewray themselues to bee the children of their father the Diuell From this rage hee was bound vp when by the two wings of that great Eagle the woman escaped to her place from the presence of the Dragon he beeing chained from comming at her now extolled with wings And the degrees here set downe of binding inclosing shutting vpon and sealing shew euidently that the count is to be taken vp from the full and perfect point of his Captiuity For from that time hee had no louse chain for open rage In Iulian he was not so much loused as biting the chain Who besides his short abode neuer durst fall directly to murthering of Christians the persecutions of Constantius and Valens were partiall heates vnder profession euen that bloud that was mingled with haile and fire Chapter 8. 10 Now as wee haue the point of time of his perfect fermance which is the 300. yeere of Christ or therby so this leadeth vs to the point of his loosing the 1300. yeere or thereby and the conueniency of story is cleare for although as by degrees hee was fastned so by degres hee was loosed againe yet wee shall find as at the first point the full degree of his binding so at this time him fully loosed In the Pontificality of Gregory the seuenth he had a long chaine which yet was further raxed in that of Vrban the second and his Successors kindlers of that tragicall and superstitious warre for recouery of Ierusalem But for the end here spoken of open cruelty against Saints hee was fully loused in the Pontificality of Boniface the eighth and his successors from whose times haue beene bloudy persecutions and cruell rage Then the woman beganne to returne from the wildernes the witnesses to steppe out of the Temple the little booke eaten to giue hearts and eyes to apply the reede and so to discerne the Temple from the Court then the first of these three Angels Chapter 14. beganne to breake out through the midst of Heauen and the other two in course followed so as then they were blessed who died in the Lord and then was the patience of Saints The Beast his mouth then being perceiued and so the semblance of the Lambs horns no more able to beare him out the Dragon behooued come againe in roome to maintaine his owne throne to represse by rage what by hypocrisie could not be kept downe Then the two witnesses lay slaine in the streetes of the great City all Nations being seduced to slay them and reioyce ouer them Then the Beast which was carst spotted like a Pard becommeth of the Dragons colour and the Whore born vp by him is drunke with the bloud of Saints from that time what cruell murther of Christians was vnder the odious names of Waldenses Albingenses Fraterculi Beghardi c. And since what fiers what bloud sheds what monstrous complots for extirpation of the truth haue beene practised is too well known 11 In this rage though for a time the Dragon deborded yet praised bee God by successe of the Gospell and fire from heauen hee is in making fast the second time in an euerlasting chaine Therefore it is said that hee should be loused but a short space For they are faine to relent of their open murthering and burning are now in God his iustice getting measure for measure 12 The time then of these thousand yeeres is from the first open and sensible steppes of the mystery of iniquity working on to the quickning of the Beast which fell together with this binding vp of the Dragon to the toppe of that impiety when it came to the highest degree And this is the onely time in all this prophesie to bee taken definitely because of Antichrist his whole working which was in way euen from the Apostolike times first by hid and insensible and next by open steppes towards the height from which height againe as by degrees it arose so by degrees it must vanish no precise or exact time could be set downe but yet to giue vs sufficient clearenesse the holy Ghost putteth the time from the first beginning of open working to the