habitation And Chap. 37.32 For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant and they that escape out of Mount Sion And Chap. 52.1 Awake awake put on thy strength O Sion put on thy beautiful garments O Jerusalem Howbeit this standing of Christ upon Mount Sion with so great a company attending him doth not argue that he shall ever reign there by his personal presence no more than his standing by Paul in Jerusalem Acts 23.11 doth evince that he did then reign there after such a manner but onely intimate that those Saints shall perfectly follow the direction of Christ no otherwise than if he were personally present with them in Jerusalem as the fourth Verse of this Chapter explaineth it saying These are they that follow the Lamb whither soever he goeth Finally by the hundred forty four thousand upon whose forehead the name of the Lambs Father was imprinted are meant those Servants of God that were sealed out of all the Tribes of Israel Chap. 7.4 For both their number and their abode and the place of their body wherein they are sealed or marked exactly agree Whence by the way it appeareth that the Sealing mentioned in the said seventh Chapter shall happen in the Age wherein the Beast shall arise and consequently the general conversion of the Jews shall precede his coming otherwise those sealed ones would not thus be inserted into the History of the Beast Vers 2. And I heard a voice from Heaven as the voice of many Waters and as the voice of a great thunder and I heard the voice of Harpers harping with their Harps Vers 3. And they sung as it were a new Song before the Throne and before the four Beasts and the Elders and no Man could learn that Song but the hundred and forty and four thousand which were redeemed from the Earth Vers 4. These are they which were not defiled with Women for they are Virgins these are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth these were redeemed from among Men being the first-fruits unto God and to the Lamb. Vers 5. And in their Mouth was found no Guile for they are without Fault before the Throne of God Whether the voice out of Heaven resembling the noise of many Waters and the noise of great Thunder did utter any words and what those words are is not expressed or hinted so that we must of necessity remain ignorant thereof neither is it said who those Harpers are onely it is likely they are the Saints in Heaven who are thus brought in speaking aloud from thence Chap. 12.10 As little is it told us what the new Song is which they play upon their Harps yea we are on the contrary assured that none but those hundred forty four thousand can learn it and therefore the knowledge thereof belongeth not to us or any others but is reserved for them onely which argueth that there is something extraordinary in those godly persons of the Jewish Nation above those of any other Nation whatsoever For though it be common to them with other Saints to be redeemed or rather bought as the Greek word signifieth See Chap. 5.8 9. from among men namely with the Blood of the Lamb and so to be a first-fruits unto God and the Lamb as being theirs in a special manner no otherwise than the first-fruits were the Lord 's under the Law See Num. 18.12 13. yet is it peculiar to them above the multitude of Believers in any other Nation First to be the Servants of God that is Prophets for so this Appellation is expounded Chap. 11.18 And to give a Reward to thy Servants the Prophets And therefore no marvel if these persons being endued with the Spirit of Prophecy know the new Song that is sung in Heaven whilest other godly persons in the mean time are ignorant of the same Secondly to be Virgins and therefore such as have not been defiled with Women For it evidently follows that if they be Virgins and so never had to do with Women they could not possibly be defiled with them Thirdly to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth which implyeth that they strayed not from the way wherein Christ Jesus did lead them but yielded up themselves to his guidance in all things Fourthly to have no Guile in their Mouth and therefore to be without Fault before the Throne of God which last words before the Throne of God are emphatical for it is all one as if it had been said before the Judgement-Seat of God because as David testifieth Psalm 9.7 the Lord hath prepared his Throne for Judgement Behold then the Dignity of the Jerwish Nation to which the Lord will advance them in the time of the Beast above any other Nation under the whole Heaven namely that there shall be of the People of the Jews at the same time an hundred forty four thousand Prophets all of them Virgins perfectly following the guidance of Christ and having no guile or blame before God Wherefore I may truly say with Moses when he reflected on the peculiar favour that God had vouchsafed to Israel in another kinde Ask now of the days that are past which were before thee since the day that God created Man upon the Earth and ask from one side of the Heaven to the other whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is or hath been heard like it Deut. 4.32 Vers 6. And I saw another Angel fly in the midst of Heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the Earth and to every Nation and Kindred and Tongue and People Vers 7. Saying with a loud voice Fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his judgement is come and worship him that made Heaven and Earth and the Sea and the Fountains of Waters The first part of the Angels Message for so the Greek word ought no be rendred See 2 Sam. 18.20 in Greek neither is the Article prefixt as it is wont to be when the Gospel is meant is to excite men to fear God and give glory to his Name because the time of his Judgement is come namely when he will judge both the Beast and his Worshippers partly by the Vials of Gods wrath to be poured out upon them whereof see Chap. 16. partly by the utter Defeat of them at the great Battel of Armageddon Chap. 19. For indeed the Judgements of God are so terrible that even the Prophets when they only denounced them were wont to be seized with a great horrour Thus Esay after a grievous Vision had been declared to him Chap. 21.2 presently cryeth out in the following Verse Therefore are my loins filled with pain pangs have taken hold upon me as the pangs of a woman that travaileth I was bowed down at the hearing of it I was dismayed at the hearing of it How much more then ought they to breed a fear of God in the hearts of such as see them put in execution But as the terrour of Gods
and meer notion The same divine Author further saith Chap. 12.22 23. Ye are come unto mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerablt company of Angels To the general assembly and Church of the first born which are written in heaven and to God the judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect In which words the heavenly Jerusalem is not only distinguished but also parted from the Church by the interposal of another thing to which we have access in the Gospel to wit the myriads of Angels so that there remaineth no tergiversation but that the New Jerusalem and the Church of God must of necessity be acknowledged for two different things Finally he saith Chap. 13.13.14 Let us go forth unto him that is Christ Jesus without the camp bearing his reproach For here we have no continuing City but we seek one to come Here also the City is distinguished from the Church for none can deny that they which seek for that City to come are the Church whereas the City it self is the thing sought for It further appeareth from the first clause of this fourteenth verse to which the second hath relation that a City truly and properly so called is here meant But were all these Testimonies laid aside the very descent of the New Jerusalem out of heaven whereby the New heaven is to be understood as the foregoing verse doth shew sufficiently argueth that not the Church but a City is thereby intended For the Church consisting of faithful men and women that were both generated and regenerated on the earth and there have their continual abode cannot without great absurdity be said to descend out of heaven much less out of the New heaven which is not yet in being Moreover the description of the New Jerusalem set down in this and the following Chapter will fully evidence to us both how truly I affirm it to be a very City and also how aptly John compareth it to a Bride that is dressed and adorned for her husband Vers 3. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying Behold the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God Vers 4. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away The voice that is here heard out of heaven and which in likelyhood proceedeth from Angels for God is brought in speaking immediately after and Angels are elsewhere found to congratulate the salvation of men Luke 2.10 11 13 14. confirmeth what I before asserted that by the New Jerusalem is meant a place and not the Church or people of God for it is stiled upon the descent thereof out of heaven the Tabernacle of God that is with men and so is a thing different from the men themselves of whom the Church consisteth Again though the Church be sometimes in the Scripture known by the name of a Temple yet have I not met with any instance where it is called a Tabernacle Nor is it absurd that the New Jerusalem though a City that hath foundations should here be termed a Tabernacle for being described as descending down from God out of heaven it doth contrary to other Cities remove from place to place as Tabernacles or Tents are wont to do The priviledge that they enjoy who are admitted into this Tabernacle is to have the very person of God among them For so much is signified by those words wherein it is said God himself shall be with them which also intimate that during the state of this life God himself is not with his people however his favour and assistance be with them Neither let any one check at that expression of mine touching the person of God for it is borrowed from Heb. 1.3 Where Christ is called the express Image of his person When God shall thus be present with the Saints in the New Jerusalem he shall thereby become their God or Sovereign benefactour in the most perfect manner For if according to the intimation of the divine Author to the Hebrews Chap. 11.16 God be called the God of Abraham of Isaac and of Jacob because he hath prepared for them a City how much better may he be called their God when he vouchsafeth to them the enjoyment both of that City and also of his own personal presence therein For seeing that in his presence there is fulness of joy as David testifieth Psalm 16.11 it must needs come to pass that the Saints shall by the means thereof be exempted from all misery whatsoever and as it is here expressed neither weep nor sorrow nor cry nor suffer either death or pain any more because the former state and condition of men wherein all these things had place is now quite done away Where let it by the way be marked that when it is in the Text said There shall be no more death this doth of it self put it out of doubt that what is here spoken of men concerneth not this life but that which is to come according to the testimony of Christ himself who telleth us in the Gospel according to Luke Chap. 20.35 36. That they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that other world and the resurrection from the dead are also the persons that cannot die any more Vers 5. And he that sat upon the throne said Behold I make all things new And he said unto me Write for these words are true and faithful Vers 6. And he said unto me It is done I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the Water of life freely Vers 7. He that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my son Vers 8. But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death The making of all things new is altogether necessary to the happiness of the Saints yet seeing this was a thing which for the greatness thereof was likely to finde but little credit amongst men as we by experience finde it come to pass God is not content with what others from heaven had spoken of it but doth himself say to John Behold I make all things new and not only so but commandeth John to write the same that it may remain upon Record for ever alledging this as the reason namely because the words which both he himself and others had uttered concerning this matter were true and faithful Which Epithets are not therefore used by God that he might only signifie that there was no falshood in the words aforesaid for then
have eternal Life but they whom he had given unto Christ as Christ himself witnesseth John 17.2 saying of himself to the Father As thou hast given him Power over all Flesh that he should give eternal Life to as many as thou hast given him and it was necessary that God should by some means reveal to him who they were that had been given to him he chose this way of Discovery providing a Book of Life wherein all their Names are written by the inspection whereof Christ might understand who were to be saved Thus Christ attaineth to the knowledge of the Decrees of God touching sundry other matters by opening a Book sealed with seven Seals that was in the Hand of God Chap. 5.1 8 9. And lest any one should think that this is to be taken in a figurative sense let him consult the Prophecy of Daniel where he shall finde an Angel plainly signifying that the Decrees of God are set down in writing for thus he saith to Daniel Chap. 19.21 being about to declare the purpose of God touching the Kingdoms of the World I will shew thee that which is noted in the Scripture of Truth It is further said in that passage of the Revelation that is now under discussion that the Lamb Christ Jesus was slain from the Foundation of the World which must of necessity be understood of the purpose of God touching the Death of Christ for Christ was actually slain in the Reign of Tiberius Caesar as the Scripture elsewhere testifieth Vers 9. If any Man have an Ear let him hear This Acclamation is never added in the Scripture but when there hath preceded some notable thing that requireth a more diligent reflexion to be made upon it But what is more remarkable than this that the constancy of the Saints and their resolute denial to worship the Beast when all the World doth the contrary is at no hand to be ascribed to the Saints themselves as men are apt to do but onely to the Decree of God who had before chosen them to Salvation without which they also as well as others would have committed that great transgression Vers 10. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity He that killeth with the Sword must be killed with the Sword Here is the patience and the Faith of the Saints The equal Judgement of God is here set forth who usually plagueth Men in the same kinde wherein they had offended so that the punishment carrieth the footsteps and resemblance of their sin For the Beast who had brought many of the Saints into captivity is himself at length taken captive and thrown alive into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone Chap. 19.20 and the ten Kings who had assisted him in killing the Saints Chap. 17.12 13. are themselves slain with the Sword proceeding out of the Mouth of Christ Chap. 19.20 21. And hereby is the Faith and Patience of the Saints made conspicuous whilest they believe and patiently wait for the vengeance of God to be poured forth upon the Enemy in the time appointed Vers 11. And I beheld another Beast coming up out of the Earth and he had two Horns like a Lamb and he spake as a Dragon Now John cometh to the Description of the second Beast whereby is understood a false Prophet for so is he expresly called Chap. 16.13 and Chap. 19.20 And he is seen to ascend up out of the Earth because he ariseth from the Dead who have their place in the lower parts of the Earth Thus when the Witch of Endor had raised up Samuel she said to Saul I saw gods or rather a god as appeareth from the following Verse ascend out of the Earth 1 Sam. 28.13 Now that the Dead are placed in the lower parts of the Earth is evident from sundry Texts of Scripture See Psal 63.9 10. But those that seek my soul to destroy it shall go into the lower parts of the Earth They shall fall by the Sword they shall be a Portion for Foxes See also Ezek. 32. from Verse 18. to the end of the Chapter And this is the reason why the false Prophet together with the Beast who as I shall clearly prove in my Exposition of the 17. Chapter ought also to be raised from the Dead to act all those horrid things that are spoken of him in this Book of the Revelation are not slain in the Battel of Armageddon as all the rest are but taken alive and thrown into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone as having been once dead already When this second Beast is said to have two Horns as a Lamb this argueth that he maketh a shew of Lamb-like meekness and innocency in his outward garb but in his Doctrine hisseth like a Dragon uttering such things as tend to the ruine and destruction of Men as appeareth by the sequel of this Chapter Vers 12. And he exerciseth all the Power of the first Beast before him and causeth the Earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first Beast whose deadly Wound was healed See how this second Beast which in shape of Horns resembleth a Lamb begins to act like a Dragon in exercising all the Power of the first Beast in his presence that he may thereby force the Inhabitants of the Earth to worship the first Beast whose deadly wound was healed Thus Nebuchadnezzer brought all Peoples Nations and Languages to fall down and worship the golden Image which he had set up by threatning to cast Refusers into the midst of a burning fiery Furnace Dan. 3.6 9. Vers 13. And he doth great wonders so that he maketh Fire come down from Heaven on the Earth in the sight of Men Vers 14. And deceiveth them that dwell on the Earth by the means of those Miracles which he had Power to do in the sight of the Beast saying to them that dwell on the Earth that they should make an Image to the Beast which had the Wound by a Sword and did live As the false Prophet made use of Power to drive Men to the Worship of the Beast so doth he also of subtilty t odraw then to a further degree of impiety inciting them by great Wonders which it is given him to do to erect an Image to the Beast which received a deadly Wound by the Sword but afterward recovered of the same For of all Impostures whereby Men are wont to be seduced to a false Worship there is none so powerful as that of working Miracles Hence Christ saith in the Gospel Matth. 24.24 There shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signs and wonders in so much that if it were possible they shall deceive the very elect And Moses long before in the Law Deut. 13.1 2 3 If there arise among you a Prophet or a dreamer of dreams and giveth thee a sign or a wonder and the sign or the wonder come to pass whereof he spake unto thee saying Let us go after other gods which thou hast not known
on the right hand of the Majesty in the Heavens A minister of the Sanctuary and of the true Tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man And Chap. 9.11.12 but Christ being come an High Priest of future good things by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle not made with hands that is to say not of this building Neither by the blood of goats and Calves but by his own blood he entred in for once so it is in the Greek into the holy place or Sanctuary having obtained everlasting redemption And verse 24. Christ is not entred into the holy places or Sanctuary made with hands which are the figures of the true but into Heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us Which passages if we take in the plain and literal sense of them as the circumstances if well weighed will inforce us to do then shall we easily perceive how aptly the same Divine Author Chap. 8.5 speaking of the Levitical Priests that ministred in the Tabernacle saith Who serve unto the example and shadow of Heavenly things Whereas if we turn aside to figurative interpretations neither will that nor sundry other places of the Divine Author aforesaid be ever rightly understood nor shall we be able to render a sufficient reason why we may not at the same rate allegorize upon whatsoever is delivered in the Scripture whereby it will at length come to pass that we shall be certain of nothing that is contained therein being lyable to be carried about with every fansie that curious wits can invent and impose upon the letter of the Holy text Having thus asserted the truth and reality of an Heavenly Tabernacle and Temple the consequence of which Doctrine will further appear when we come to the 21. 22. Chap we ought to pass the same sentence upon the Testimony that is said to be therein For if the tabernacle that Moses made was a type of a greater and more perfect one in Heaven may not the tables of the Testimony also which were contained therein especially seeing that John himself saith in another place of this Prophecie that the temple of God was opened in heaven and there was seen in his temple the ark of his Testament or covenant Chap. 11.19 Vers 6. And the seven angels came out of the temple having the seven plagues clothed in pure and white linen and having their breasts girded with golden girdles The temple being opened for the seven Angels that had the seven plagues they accordingly issue out accoutred like Priests in white linen and golden girdles Thus we find that the Priests under the Law were wont to wear fine linen Exod. 28.39 Thou shalt imbroider the coat of fine linen and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen and thou shalt make the girdle of needle-work And Levit. 16.11 He shall put on the holy linen coat and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh and shall be girded with the linen girdle and with the linen mitre shall he be attired And the curious girdle of the Ephod belonging to the High Priest was made as of other things so also of gold Exod. 28.8 The curious girdle of the Ephod which is upon it shall be of the same according to the work thereof even of gold of blew and of purple and scarlet and fine twined linen Now that this habit of the Levitical Priests was also a type of heavenly things is evident from the description of the Angel an inhabitant of Heaven that appeared to Daniel Chap. 10.5 of his Prophecy For there Daniel saith I lifted up mine eyes and looked and behold a certain man clothed in linen whose loyns were girded with fine gold of Uphaz In like maner are the seven Angels attired that here appear to John But why labor I to prove the Angels to be priests from their Attire when to omit what I observed in the Chapter immediately foregoing namely that one of the Angels is said to have power over the fire of the Altar in Heaven there needs no other Argument to evince this than that which I hinted at the first rise of mine Exposition upon this sixth Verse namely that they are conversant in the Temple of Heaven for it belongeth unto none but Priests to converse in Temples See 2 Chron. 26.11 17 18. Vers 7. And one of the four Beasts gave unto the seven Angels seven golden Vials full of the wrath of God who liveth for ever and ever It is not without a Mystery that one of the four living Creatures giveth to the seven Angels seven Vials full of the Wrath of God For those four living Creatures being indeed the multitude of Believers in the four Quarters of the World as appeareth by their own words Chaps 5.9 where in their new Song to the Lamb they say Thou hast redeemed us by thy Blood to God out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall reign on the Earth and it being altogether impossible for them reigning upon the Earth if you speak properly to reach out Vials to the Angels in Heaven when one of them is said to give the Vials to the Angels it onely implyeth that by their procurement whilest they cry day and night unto God it came to pass that these Angels had the Vials of Gods wrath put into their hands to the end they might pour them out upon the Inhabitants of the Earth But here again we meet with another proof of the Angels being Priests in that they are said to have golden Vials given to them whereas a Vial is not an ordinary Bowl but onely such an one as is used in consecrated Places Thus when it is said 2 Chron. 4.8 that Solomon made for the ten Tables of the Temple an hundred Basons or Bowls of Gold the Greek Interpreters render it Vials Neither is it to be omitted that when the seven Vials are said to be fuâ—l of the Wrath of God that liveth for ever and ever this Description of God is very emphatical intimating that God for as much as he liveth for ever and ever can certainly accomplish his Wrath so that his Enemies cannot possibly escape whereas Men having their Breath in their Nostrils and being â—iable to Death every moment they may indeed make great Threats but perhaps will not survive to perform what they have threatned Vers 8. And the Temple was filled with Smoke from the glory of God and from his power and no man was able to enter into the Temple till the seven Plagues of the seven Angels were fulfilled The filling of the heavenly Temple with Smoke so that none was able to enter thereinto for a time doth not intimate any abstruse and mysterious business but onely set off the awfull Majesty of God as will appear by the collation of other like passages of the Scripture For thus Moses Exod. 40.35 is said To be unable to enter into the Tent of
the fourth universal Empire it was the City to which all Nations were subject and whither they were wont continually to resort Vers 16. And the ten Horns which thou sawest upon the Beast these shall hate the Whore and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn her with Fire 17. For God hath put in their Hearts to fulfill his Will and to agree and give their Kingdom unto the Beast until the Words of God shall be fulfilled Here the Angel declareth what the ten Kings aforesaid should do to Rome namely that they should sack and burn it with fire But for as much as that City is here described according to the manner of the Scripture as an Harlot it is therefore suitably said that they shall make her naked and eat her flesh both which are done by pillaging the place and slaying the Inhabitants thereof Thus God saith of Jerusalem under the name of Aholibah the Harlot Ezek. 23.29 They shall deal with thee hatefully and shall take away all thy labour and shall leave thee naked and bare And David saith of his enemies that they came upon him to eat up his flesh namely with the mouth of the Sword Psal 27.2 But the reason why so many Kings otherwise at variance amongst themselves should yet agree herein and give their Kingdom to the Beast which two things here concurring to the destruction of Rome do by the way clearly intimate that it is the Beast who setteth the Kings upon this Work is because God putteth the same into their hearts to the end he may accomplish his words that he to wit had spoken touching the fall of Rome Chap. 14.8 wherefore in as much as the Angels words are so perspicuous concerning this matter they must needs be exceedingly mistaken who expect that Rome shall be destroyed either by other persons than the ten Kings aforesaid or at another time than after the seven Vials of Gods wrath have been poured out upon the Earth during the space of three years and an half that the Tyranny of the Beast over the Saints shall continue But neither is the Beast yet risen nor the ten Kings his Confederates nor those prodigious things come to pass that are mentioned in the 13. Chapter nor so much as one of the Vials poured out as will easily appear to any man who being acquainted with the Histories of former Times and finding no such occurrences there recorded had rather adhere to the plainness of the Scripture it self than follow the obscure and uncertain imaginations of men Vers 18. And the Woman which thou sawest is that great City which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth This is the Close of the Interpretation which the Angel vouchsafeth unto John wherein he discovereth who the Woman is whom John saw in the Wilderness namely the great City that reigned over the Kings of the Earth which all that are skilled in the History of those Times wherein John wrote this Prophecy know to be Rome For she commanding over the whole World must needs reign over those Kings that governed in any part of the same A Proof confirming the Truth of this matter may be seen in Tacitus who in the second Book and twenty third Chapter of his History saith Accessere cum regno Sohemus haud spernendis viribus Antiochus vetustis opibus ingens inservientium regum ditissimus Mox per occultos suorum nuncios excitus ab urbe Agrippa ignaro adhuc Vitellio celeri navigatione properaverat That is Sohemus who was a King of considerable Forces and Antiochus who was mighty for his ancient wealth and of all the subject Kings the richest sided with that party namely to make Vespasian Emperour Agrippa also upon secret Messages of his Friends quitted the City unawares to Vitellius and speedily sailed thither Thus much for the Key here given by the Angel to unlock the Mystery of the Beast which if our men had rather chosen to use than vainly attempted to break up this divine Cabinet with their own forced Interpretations neither had they so much wrested this excellent Prophecy of John nor exposed the Religion of Protestants to the contempt and scorn of her Adversaries who in likelihood measure what Protestants speak in other Points of Religion by the Standard of their Expositions concerning the Beast I should now proceed to the Explication of the eighteenth Chapter But that being onely a Relation touching the manner how Rome shall be destroyed and containing in it self little or no difficulty I judge it better to pass it by and hasten to the nineteenth Chapter wherewith the History of the Beast endeth Chap. 19. Vers 1. And after these things I heard a great Voice of much People in Heaven saying Alleluja Salvation and Glory and Honour and Power unto the Lord our God Vers 2. For true and righteous are his Judgements for he hath judged the great Whore which did corrupt the Earth with her Fornication and hath avenged the Blood of his Servants at her hand Vers 3. And again they said Alleluja And her smoke rose up for ever and ever The Exposition NO sooner is Rome sackt and burnt by the ten Kings aforesaid but this Judgement is entertained with a great shout from Heaven where a vast multitude cry Alleluja ascribing Salvation and glory and honour and power unto the Lord their God Of what persons this Multitude consisteth whither of Angels or of Men though it be not here expressed yet may it by a diligent disquisition be found out For first of all they cannot be Angels because the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be rendred here in English a Multitude is never used in the Scripture to design a great company of Angels but is on the contrary peculiar to Men as may be seen Chap. 17.15 where Multitudes in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are ranked with Peoples and Nations But all will confess that Peoples and Nations consist of Men onely Secondly this Multitude doth attribute Salvation unto God which the Angels are not any where found to do For they being by the perfection of their nature exempted from death or any other tribulation whatsoever are thereby also incapable of sharing in the salvation of God and accordingly use no such form of praising him Whence it followeth that they be men Not holy men upon the earth for they are denoted by the four and twenty elders and the four living creatures mentioned afterwards in the fourth verse of this Chapter it remaineth therefore that the multitude aforesaid consists of holy men already raised from the dead and glorified in the Kingdom of heaven when Rome is destroyed and so differ from them who after that destruction shall be made partakers of the same anticipated resurrection as may be seen in the twentieth Chapter of this prophecy and consequently are that great multitude of Saints afore mentioned in the seventh Chapter verse 9. For that those Saints are such as being risen from
the plain and obvious sence thereof clearly testifie Again we have in the Exposition of the nineteenth Chapter verse 1. proved that there is a great multitude of Saints even before the destruction of Rome recalled to life and triumphing in the kingdom of heaven Finally it appeareth from that notable passage Chap. 2.26.27 where Christ saith He that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end to him will I give power over the Nations and he shall rule them with a rod of iron as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers even as I have received of my Father that whosoever performeth the duty of a Christian to the end of his life and undergoeth a violent death for the name of Christ for I have elsewhere collected that the notion of overcoming when applied to the Saints in the Revelation doth intimate such a death shall be raised up from the dead before the day of judgement to reign over the Nations For can there any such reign be expected after that judgement is once past or did not Christ to whom these Saints are in this respect to be made conformable so come to reign over the Nations Neither doth that passage of Christ John 6.40 This is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him should have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day Nor that of Paul 1 Cor. 15.22 As in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive but every man in his own order Christ the first fruits afterwards they that are Christs at his coming These passages I say do not a whit withstand the doctrine of an anticipated resurrection which we endeavor to evince out of the book of the Revelation For Christ speaketh of men only as believing on him and Paul of them as dying in the faith and not for the same as the forecited places of the Revelation plainly do Moreover that the Lord Christ Jesus doth now in very deed reign in heaven and so hath done ever since he sat down at the right hand of God and consequently the Saints who are partakers of the first resurrection shall there reign with him is evident from that notable passage or Paul Ephes 1.19 20 21 22. According to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places far above all principalities and powers and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come And hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the Church And from that of Peter 1 Epist 3.21 22. The like figure whereunto even Baptism doth also now save us not the putting away the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ who is gon into heaven and is on the right hand of God Angels and Authorities and Powers being made subject unto him And also from those of John Rev. 1.5 and Chap. 17.14 In the former of which he saith and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness the first begotten from the dead and the Prince or Ruler of the Kings of the earth And in the latter These shall make war with the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcome them for he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings he doth not say he shall be King of Kings But what need have I to accumulate texts of Scripture for the proof of this matter when the second and third Chapters of the Revelation are of themselves abundantly sufficient to convince all that are not obstinately bent against the truth that Christ doth now in his own person govern the Church and take care of it for you shall there have clear and undeniable arguments both of the cognisance that he taketh of mens actions and of the protection he affordeth unto such as walk uprightly with him and also of the judgements he executeth on them that either turn aside out of the right way or at least slacken their first love so that I am not a little moved when I perceive many who otherwise seem to own the Gospel so easily giving ear to such a doctrine as asserteth that Christ is not yet in the possession and exercise of his kingdom but shall hereafter reign and that upon the Earth which opinion thwarteth the whole tenor of the New Testament where Christ since his ascension is usually called Lord and annulleth the faith we repose in Christ for to what purpose is it to rely on him for help and assistance if he be not yet in his kingdome and restraineth prayer and worship before him and in a word ushereth in Judaism for there at length this pernicious conceit is wont to center Wherefore seeing I have irrefragably proved that Jesus Christ doth now reign in heaven neither is there so much as one passage in all the Scripture that saith he shall ever reign upon the earth but he himself on the contrary plainly testifieth John 18.36 That his kingdom is not of this world which could not be true were he to reign personally on the earth as worldly Kings are wont to do I conclude that whatsoever Saints are raised up from the dead to reign with Christ during the space of a thousand years before the last judgement must of necessity ascend up into heaven where he is And this is plainly taught us in that forequoted instance of the twowitnesses who being recalled to life go up into heaven in a cloud Chap. 11.12 T is true indeed that the Saints mentioned in the fifth Chapter verse 10. say That they were made Kings and Priests to their God and should reign on the earth But here is no hint of any resurrection and therefore such Saints are to be understood as having not yet been dead did and should reign upon the earth Thus John saith both of himself and the Saints in the seven Churches of Asia Chap. 1. That Christ had made them Kings and Priests to God And consequently it might have been truly affirmed of them that they should reign upon the earth where they were already Kings For whereas it is usually objected that those Saints in the fifth Chapter say of themselves we shall reign upon the earth and therefore did not already reign this is frivolous for inasmuch as they were already Kings as they themselves affirm and some of them sat with their crowns upon their heads it must needs be that they did already reign and so those words we shall reign upon the earth do not intimate the beginning but the continuance of their reign Thus John writeth to certain Christians of his time 1 Epist 5.13 To the end that they should believe on the name of the Son of God which doth not argue that they did not yet believe the contrary
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
no other receptacle of the dead besides these twain save only the Grave Thus we finde that Job doth by death understand the Grave Chap. 27.15 When he saith of the wicked man that those that remain of him shall be buried in death and his widows shall not weep Finally Hell not Hell-fire giveth up the souls both of them that were drowned in the Sea under which name all waters are comprehended and also of them that were buried in the earth For that Hell is designed to be the mansion of separated Souls appeareth from the words of Peter Acts 2.31 Who speaking out of the Psalms concerning the resurrection of Christ saith that his soul was not left in hell neither did his flesh see corruption And also from that passage of David Psalm 30.3 O Lord thou hast brought up my soul from Hell thou hast kept me alive that I should not go down into the pit For that I have rightly rendred the words in saying from hell and not from the Grave is manifest both from the Greek version which here hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and also from the Hebrew original not using the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is proper to denote a Grave or Sepulchre See Gen. 23.6 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby Hell is wont to be expressed and which lieth in the lower parts of the earth See the Hebrew context of Numb 16.30.33 Besides it is apparent to common sense that not the souls but only the bodies of men are laid in the grave Vers 14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire This is the second death Vers 15. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire What the second death is and consequently those words mean which we read in the second clause of the sixth verse foregoing as also those Chap. 2.11 where it is said He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death is here by John explained for he expresly telleth us that the lake of fire and brimstone is the second death So that to be cast into that lake and to be under the power of the second death or hurt of it are expressions of the same import Thus had we the testimony of Jesus expounded to us in the nineteenth Chapter Nevertheless how Death and Hell being both of them places and receptacles of the dead should be cast into the said lake is hard to comprehend Yea were it not for a certain passage in the sixth Chapter of this prophecy I should be inclineable to think that this was a mystery which God would not have us pry into as we have above shewn that sundry such mysteries are to be met withal in the Book of the Revelation But forasmuch as in the Chapter aforesaid verse 8. Death is brought in riding upon a pale horse and Hell following him and consequently both of them are represented in the similitude of persons we may from thence rationally collect that in the passage here under debate the Holy Ghost intending to intimate that after the universal Judgement there shall be neither burial nor separation of the soul from the body doth exhibit two persons representing Death and Hell which are thrown into the lake of fire as resigning up their Office to it and being swallowed up therein according to that of the Prophet Hosea Chap. 15.14 O death I will be thy plague O Hell so it is in the Hebrew and not Grave I will be thy destruction Besides the books of the Old and New Testament which are the rule by which the actions of men that have had some form of Religion delivered by God shall at length be examined there is yet another Book opened in the day of judgement to wit the Book of life wherein whosoever have not their names written are said to be cast into the Lake of fire From whence it may be rightly concluded that as the want of being enrolled in that Book was above in the thirteenth and also in the seventeenth Chapters alleged as the Cause why so many erred most grosly in admiring and worshipping the Beast so is it here why so many are thrown into the Lake of Fire in that it is altogether impossible for such persons to attain that piety to which the Promise of eternal Life is annexed As for the place of the Lake of Fire that is here so much spoken of were it part of the World it would of necessity perish with the World which as we have before evinced is to be abolished Wherefore seeing it abideth for ever we ought in reason to conceive that it is without the compass of the World in the Description of which the Scripture doth perpetually omit it And hence it seemeth to be called by Christ the outer Darkness Matth. 22.13 as being without the Verge of Heaven and Earth Chap. 21. Vers 1. And I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth for the first Heaven and the first Earth were passed away and there was no more Sea The Exposition WHat I before said touching the orderly course held by John in setting down his Prophecies is here worthy again to be observed For having in the precedent Chapter described the abolition of Heaven and Earth he now mentioneth the new Heaven and the new Earth that are to succeed in their place And he therefore affirmeth that he had seen this new Heaven and this new Earth though to this very day the old ones still continue because they were represented to him in a Vision Thus Christ saith to his Disciples Matth. 16.28 There be some of them that are standing here who shall not taste of Death till they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom Not that any of them were to remain alive to the end of the World for both the Scripture and the Ecclesiastical History testifie the contrary but because about eight days after he vouchsafed to three of them a sight of that glory wherein he shall come as King to judge the World Luke 9.27 28 29 30. But for as much as many endeavour to obscure this passage of the Revelation with their forced Allegories let us confirm the plain and literal meaning thereof by what the Scripture elsewhere speaketh concerning this matter The Apostle Peter describing the Day of Judgement and the alteration that shall happen to the World thereby telleth the pious Jews to whom he directeth his Letters that the Day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the Night in the which the Heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat the Earth also and the Works therein shall be burnt up Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness looking for and hasting unto the coming of the Day of God wherein the Heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the Elements shall melt with fervent
that when in the 7. Verse of the 19. Chapter mention had been made of the Lambs Wife it is in the following Verse subjoyned that it was to her granted that she should be arrayed in fine Linen clean and white For the fine Linen is the Righteousness of the Saints So that the Scripture it self thereby directeth us by the Lambs Wife in the said place to understand the Church howbeit not the Church abiding on the Earth of which the Adversaries speak but reigning with Christ in Heaven whereas when in the ninth Verse of this 21. Chapter the Angel promiseth to shew unto John the Lambs Wife he presently after presents to his view a great City descending out of Heaven from God Which doth sufficiently teach us that by the Lambs Wife here is not as formerly meant the Church but a very City wherein the Saints shall hereafter dwell For though the Wife of Christ doth by a more exact Metaphor signifie the Church yet doth not this hinder but that by a less exact one the City also to which the Church hath relation may be signified by the same yea nothing is more usual in the Scripture as I have before proved than to represent Cities under the notion of Women Thus we saw that the polluted and foul City of Rome was called an Harlot Chap. 17. why then may not that holy and undefiled City the new Jerusalem be styled the Lambs Wife By this means we come to the right understanding of that passage Gal. 4.26 The Jerusalem that is above is free which is the Mother of us all For in as much as the heavenly Jerusalem is not onely inseparably annexed to Christ but also at his disposal and so elegantly called his Wife she must needs be the Mother of all Christians who are both regenerated by the proposal thereof and designed to be the Inhabitants of the same In the next place he saith that the Angel carried him away in the spirit to a great and high Mountain from whence a fairer Prospect might be had and shewed him that great City the holy Jerusalem descending out of Heaven from God The beauty and excellency whereof he doth describe first in saying that it had the glory of God And lest any one should think that the glory of God which doth enlighten the new Jerusalem was like to the dazzling and offensive splendour of the Sun upon whom neither are Men able to look nor endure his heat John telleth us that the Luminary thereof so the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth is like unto a stone most precious even a Jasper-stone clear as Crystall which casteth a most chearing light on such as behold it 2. He saith that it hath a great and high Wall wherein are twelve Gates and at the Gates twelve Angels and names written thereon which are those of the twelve Tribes of the Children of Israel Three of which Gates look towards the East and three towards the North three towards the South and three towards the West All which is so plain that it needeth no Interpretation Onely let it be observed how God vouchsafeth to the Israelites especial honour above any other Nation under Heaven as having inscribed the names of the twelve Patriarchs from whom their several Tribes are denominated upon the Gates of the heavenly Jerusalem From whence it may be collected that God ordained those Patriarchs to Salvation from the beginning For it would be ridiculous to imagine that God would write the names of such men on the Gates of the heavenly Jerusalem as were not to have any portion therein And this affordeth another collection whereby that is confirmed which we formerly discoursed upon the 8. Verse of the 17. Chapter that all who are to inherit the heavenly Jerusalem were by name appointed thereunto from the Foundation of the World For what reason is conceivable why God should in this manner design the twelve Patriarchs and not likewise all the rest of the Citizens By such an account all would not be alike beholding to God for their Salvation which is absurd 3. He saith that the Wall of the City hath twelve Foundations whereon are written the names of the Lambs twelve Apostles Here therefore what I even now noted touching the Inscription of mens names upon the Gates of the heavenly Jerusalem doth not onely recurre but is also very much confirmed seeing the Scripture doth elsewhere plainly teach that the Apostles are to be saved For Christ saith unto them Luke 22.28 29. Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations and I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me So that the Doctrine touching the Ordination of a certain number of men by name to eternal life from the Foundation of the World seemeth by these two Instances to be clearly proved Vers 15. And he that talked with me had a golden Reed to measure the City and the Gates thereof and the Wall thereof 16. And the City lieth four-square and the length is as large as the breadth and he measured the City with the Reed twelve thousand Furlongs the length and the breadth and the height of it are equal The Description of the City still goeth on for to the end we might know the dimensions thereof the Angel that here talks with John having a golden Reed in his hand doth measure both the City it self and also the Gates together with the Wall thereof But for as much as the highness of the Gates is not afterwards set down we must needs remain ignorant thereof and ought to content our selves with the measure of the Wall wherein it is contained The City therefore lying four-square for that is the fittest Figure for rest as Roundness best agreeth with Motion is twelve thousand Furlongs broad twelve thousand long and twelve thousand high which after the proportion of eight Furlongs to a Mile maketh fifteen hundred Miles every way and therefore it might well above be called the great City And indeed the compass thereof ought to be very large in that it is to contain all the Faithful that ever were from the beginning of the World to the end thereof As for the Wall it is a hundred forty four Cubits after the Cubit of a Man in whose similitude the Angel here appeareth But the Cubit of an ordinary man from the elbow to the top of the middle finger is accounted half a yard and so the Wall is seventy two yards But in as much as it is not here expressed whether this measure pertaineth to the height or to the thickness thereof for as for the length it must needs be greater than that of the City it self which the Wall doth encompass it will be best to refer it unto both and so to reckon the Wall seventy two yards high and as many broad By which means that will be verified which was before spoken of it namely that it was great and high The matter whereof this Wall is made
pressed out of the grapes into the cup is the most rich and delicate wine that can be imagined but the tree of life affordeth to the Nations of them that are saved for only such Nations are here understood as appeareth from the four and twentieth verse of the precedent Chapter it doth I say afford not only meat and drink but medicine also For when any distemper beginneth to creep on the Citizens of the New Jerusalem the leaves of this tree being used do discharge the same By which means they remain for ever free from sickness and death Howbeit the manner how these leaves are used whether they be inwardly taken which is the more probable opinion or outwardly applied is uncertain and so ought to be passed over as also the business of evacuation For there is no mention thereof in the Scripture much less of the maner wherein it should be performed So that it becometh not us to make any further inquiry thereinto But if any shall yet reply and say that what hath been spoken of meat and drink and medicine to be in the New Jerusalem doth make the future happiness of the Saints to appear somewhat gross I answer it is not for us to devise what is suitable for the condition of them that shal inherit the Kingdom of heaven but to restin that which God hath prepared for them He could no doubt have given them such an immortality as needed no outward supply but could have sustained it self upon its own inward principles without either meat or drink or medicine but he hath thought it fit to order the matter otherwise as appeareth by the declaration that he himself hath made thereof in the Scripture And shall we presume to be wiser than he and accuse him as not knowing how to make his people happy in the compleatest manner by imagining such a felicity as is not recorded in his word and wresting that which is there described by our exotick interpretations Certainly seeing the Scripture testifieth that the foolishness of God is wiser then men it becometh us to assent to that which he hath revealed though seeming foolish to us rather then affecting to be wise above what is written to follow the groundless imaginations of our own heart Vers 3. And there shall be no more curse but the Throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it and his servants shall serve him How truly I said even now that the leaves of the tree of life shall keep the Nations of them that are saved free from sickness and death for ever appeareth from the beginning of this verse For when it is there said There shall be no more curse it is the same as if it had been said There shall be no more utter destruction for so the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifieth a curse is wont in the Scripture to be taken See Zech. 14.11 from whence these words in the Revelation seem to be borrowed For whereas it is there read in English There shall be no more utter destruction the Greek hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is There shall be no more curse And lest any one should perhaps imagine that there may possibly be a difference in the signification between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which latter is the word used in the Revelation the collation of Matth. 26.74 with Mark 14.71 in the Greek will soon remove that scruple Though the tree of life be a great benefit to the inhabitants of the New Jerusalem yet is the presence of God a greater as being better then life it self without which indeed life is not lively and therefore it is said that the Throne of God and the Lamb shall be in the New Jerusalem namely that the Saints may enjoy his presence and be thereby inflamed to serve and honour him with the greatest affection But least any one should turn that which is here delivered concerning the Throne of God into an allegory because a Throne is sometimes put for Royal power let us evince both out of the circumstances of the place and also from other passages of the Scripture that God hath in very deed a throne in heaven For first if by the Throne of God should here be only meant Royal power the words would carry no emphasis with them when it is said that the Throne of God shall be in the New Jerusalem seeing the Royal power of God extendeth it self to all places alike 2 The Throne of God is here as properly taken as that of Christ whilest it is said The Throne of God and the Lamb. But Christ being the son of man cannot be denied to sit as a King upon a throne properly so taken Wherefore neither can God likewise Both which are confirmed by that passage of the divine Author to the Hebrews Chap. 12.2 Where it is said That Jesus sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God 3. The throne of God hath been seen and so is properly to be understood as those things that fall under the sence are wont to be This is manifest from the first verse of this Chapter where John saith I saw a River of water of life proceeding out of the Throne of God and the Lamb. And also from the eleventh verse of the twentieth Chapter where the very colour of his Throne is also expressed for so John saith I saw a great white Throne and him that sat on it from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away And finally from that notable vision of Micajah 1 Kings 22.19 who saith to Ahab King of Israel Hear thou the word of the Lord I saw the Lord sitting on his Throne and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left 4. It is said of Christ as we before cited it out of the Epistle of the Hebrews Chap. 12.2 that Christ sat down on the right hand of the Throne of God which could not be true were the Throne of God any other then a seat 5. God is in the Book of the Revelation frequently known by the appellation of him that sitteth upon the throne See Chap. 5.13 and 6.16 and 7.15 But this would be an impertinent description of God were there in very deed no Throne in heaven whereon he sitteth 6. God is said to have prepared his Throne in the heavens Psalm 103.19 which will not admit any other sence but that he hath made there a Royal seat for himself By all these arguments it appeareth that to say God doth not in very deed sit on a Throne in heaven is to contradict both the Scripture and our very senses Vers 4. And they shall see his face and his name shall be in their foreheads That these words They shall see the face of God are to be taken as they sound I have in effect already proved by evincing out of the Scripture that God doth in very deed sit upon a Throne in
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
and let us serve them Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that Prophet or that dreamer of dreams for the Lord your God proveth you to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul Neither can any one justly say that the Wonders to be performed by the false Prophet are onely seeming Miracles and not real ones For besides that neither the Scripture nor the common use of speaking doth by great Wonders understand meer Illusions and Deceptions of the sight the particular Wonder that John allegeth for an instance putteth the matter out of all question for he saith that the false Prophet causeth fire to come down from Heaven before men But if fire coming down from Heaven be not a true Miracle I would fain learn what is Vers 15. And he had power to give life unto the Image of the Beast that the Image of the Beast should both speak and cause that as many as would not worship the Image of the Beast should be killed The false Prophet who had done sundry Miracles to make Men erect an Image to the Beast doth at length cause the Image it self to speak with words tending to this purpose that whosoever refuseth to worship the Image of the Beast shall be put to death Of such a Miracle as this we sometimes read in the Scripture as namely Zech. 10.2 The Idols or Images for so the Hebrew word Teraphim is rendred 1 Sam. 19.13 have spoken vanity Wherefore there is the less reason why any man should in the explication of this place betake himself to a figurative sense and so impose upon the words an uncouth and uncertain Interpretation as men love to do when they comment upon this Book of the Revelation Vers 16. And he causeth all both small and great rich and poor free and bond to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads Vers 17. And that no man might buy or sell save he that had the Mark or the Name of the Beast or the Number of his Name The false Prophet thinketh he can never sufficiently engage Men to the impious Worship of the Beast and his Image which he hath undertaken to settle to which end he addeth another device causing them of what rank or quality soever they be to receive a Mark upon their right hand or their forehead and permitting none to buy or sell that hath it not Now what this Mark is were it not here set down would easily appear to us by comparing two other passages of this Book the one Chap. 14.11 Whosoever receiveth the Mark of his Name The other Chap. 15.2 over his Mark over the word and set in the English before this second over is not in the Greek the number of his Name Whence it is manifest that by the Mark of the Beast is meant either his Name or the Number of his Name and accordingly those words Chap. 13.17 are to be rendred thus Save he that hath the Mark either not or the Name of the Beast or the Number of his Name Neither is it a new thing in the Scripture that a Mark should be set on the Bodies of Men for Protection Thus God is said to have set a Mark on Cain lest any one finding him should kill him Gen. 4.15 He also caused a Mark to be set on the foreheads of them that sighed and cryed for all the Abominations that were done in Jerusalem that the Destroyers might not come near them when they in the Vision slew all the rest of the Inhabitants of that City Ezek. 9.4 6. Finally we read in this very Book of the Revelation Chap. 7.3 that the Servants of God are by an Angel sealed or marked on the forehead to secure them from the Plague of the Locusts Chap. 9.4 and this Mark is the Name of the Lambs Father Chap. 14 1. We see then by these Allegations out of the Scripture that there is no need to fly to a mystical Interpretation in explaining the Mark of the Beast set upon Men that they may be thereby licensed to buy and sell without molestation especially because this Mark is said to be imprinted upon certain parts of their Body and that as the Devil is wont to be God's Ape in imitation of the Name of God set upon the foreheads of his servants for their security Of which thing no man shall ever be able to render a good account if he once depart from the Letter of the Text. Vers 18. Here is Wisdom Let him that hath understanding count the Number of the Beast for it is the Number of a Man and his Number is is six hundred threescore and six As touching the Number of the Beast that is of the first Beast as this Expression doth in the Revelation perpetually signifie or of his Name to such as are not acquainted with the Greek Tongue wherein the Revelation was written this seemeth very difficult but to those who know that the Greeks in Numbring make not use of Figures but reckon by the Letters of the Alphabet putting the first Letter for one the second for two c. the thing is obvious and easie For when it is said that the Number of the Beast by whom as John himself expounded it a Man is understood is six hundred sixty six it is all one as if it were said Write the Name of this Man in Greek the Language of this Book and then calculate the Letters thereof according to the custome of the Greeks and it will amount to the Number of Six hundred sixty six And this very thing is hinted by expressing the Number of six hundred sixty six in Greek not by words but letters Thus much then God is pleased to make known to us but what the Name it self is he hath concealed reserving the knowledge thereof for them that shall live in the time of the Beast So that besides Irreverence towards God it is also lost labour for us in these times to spend our conjectures upon it Chap. 14 Vers 1. And I looked and so a Lamb slood on the Mount Sion and with him an hundred forty and four thousand having his Fathers Name written in their foreheads The Exposition BY the Lamb here standing on Mount Sion is meant Christ Jesus the Son of God both because the Name of his Father is writ upon the foreheads of the Saints here mentioned and because he is brought in as their Leader and finally because no other person besides him is wont to be designed by the Name of a Lamb. By Mount Sion it self is under slood Jerusalem For though Mount Sion if you speak strictly and properly was but a Castle in Jerusalem taken by David in the beginning of his Reign over all Israel 1 Chron. 11.4,5 yet is it as being the chiefest part of that City frequently in Scripture put for Jerusalem it self as Isai 33.29 Look on Sion the City of our solemnities thine eys shall see Jerusalem a quiet
be tormented with fire and brimstone before the holy Angels and before the Lamb and that to all eternity for if the smoke of their torment shall ascend for ever and ever as the Angel plainly affirmeth it is necessary that the torment it self from whence the smoke ariseth should also continue as long and if the torment then also the tormented So that it ought at no hand to be denyed that the worshippers of the Beast shall live for ever in the torments of hell fire Neither is it to be feared least any one should thence argue that by this account they may be truly said to have Eternal life For Eternal life according to the true and usual notion of the Scripture doth not signifie a bare living for ever but a living for ever in joy and in the favour of God And therefore Eternal life Matth. 25.46 is opposed to Eternal punishment when it is said These shall go away into everlasting punishment which implyeth that they remain alive for ever otherwise how are they capable of being punished for ever all punishment supposing the existence of the subject that is punished But the righteous into life eternal And to the abiding of Gods wrath upon men John 3.36 When it is said He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him and to damnation John 5.29 when it is said They that have done good shall come forth to the resurrection of life but they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation These things being so such interpreters are not to be heard as go about to impose a figurative sense upon what is here in the Revelation clearly spoken concerning the everlasting torment prepared for the worshippers of the Beast for they not onely weaken the force of the Angels commination which all must needs confess to be far more efficacious to deterr men from committing so great wickedness if the words be plainly and properly taken but also open a way to evacuate all other passages of the Scripture where mention is made of the everlasting torment of Hell fire But perhaps some one will object that these tormented ones are said to have no rest day and night and consequently their torment is to be restrained to such a duration where there is a vicissitude of day and night which ceaseth together with the world and so is not properly and truly everlasting To which I answer that this expression of having no rest day and night inasmuch as it followeth those words wherein it is said that the smoak of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever is used to shew that they shall at no time have any respiration from their torment and not that there shall be an end thereof namely when day and night shall cease For seeing all the time of men in this world is part either of the day or of the night that which cometh not to pass in either of them is not at all hence it is that the Angel intending to shew that the worshippers of the Beast shall be tormented without intermission saith that they have no rest day and night Thus is it said of the four living creatures in Heaven with six wings apeice Chap. 4.8 That they have no rest day and night saying Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty though there be no vicissitude of day and night in Heaven namely to signifie that they never cease at any time whatsoever to praise God in that maner To conclude therefore As those words He shall be tormented for ever and ever import that there shall be no end of their torment so these They have no rest day and night imply that there shall be no intermission of them Vers 12. Here is the patience of the saints here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus This acclamation of the Angel doth intimate that during the tyranny of the Beast the patience of the Saints will have a most ample occasion to shew it self there having never been before so furious a monster that did so openly set his mouth against the Heavens and bend all his forces to extirpate the Religion of Christ So that then it will appear more then in any former age how admirable the constancy of the Saints is who notwithstanding all the Machinations whether of force or fraud that Satan and his instruments can contrive to wrest the crown of piety out of their hands do in the midst of a general Apostacy still adhere to the Commandments of God and firmly believe in Jesus Christ Vers 13. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me Write Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth Yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works do follow them Here John relates a certain voice which he heard out of Heaven pronouncing them happy in particular that should from thenceforth die namely under the tyranny of the Beast which particular happiness of them as we are taught Chap. 20.4 consists herein that they shall be partakers of the first Resurrection For that resurrection is there appropriated to them that suffer death for the testimony of Christ and for the word of God in the time of the Beast And the more to incourage the Saints to die for the truth of Christ in those perillous times the holy spirit doth second that voice from Heaven and render the reason thereof namely because they rest from their labors and their works follow them and therefore since their works have been more eminent then those of former times no marvel if their reward be so also Vers 14. And I looked and behold a white cloud and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man having on his head a golden crown and in his hand a sharp sickle This vision together with that other in the 17 18. verses do like the two dreams of Pharaoh Gen. 41.25 26. tend to the same effect and so are indeed but one intimating that the time was now at hand when Christ should execute judgement on the inhabitants of the earth because their sins denoted by the ripe fruits of the earth were come to maturity And that this interpretation is true and certain appeareth from that passage Joel 3.12 13. from whence these two visions of John seem to be modelled where it is said Let the Heathen be wakened and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat For there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about put ye in the sickle for the harvest is ripe come get you down for the press is full the fats overflow for their wickedness is great Now forasmuch as Christ is to be a principal agent in the execution of this judgement he is therefore brought in sitting upon a cloud as God in like cases was wont to be in the Old Testament See Isay 19.1 Behold the Lord
rideth upon a swift cloud and shall come into Egypt and the Idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it Moreover the cloud that Christ sitteth upon is said to be white to set forth the glorious honour of his Majesty like as God intending to make that vision Matth. 17.5 to be the more Illustrious causeth a bright cloud to over-shadow the three Apostles that were with Christ at his transfiguration As for the golden crown upon Christs head it sheweth the Kingly power wherof he is possessed as the sharp sickle doth the severity of his anger against the wicked whom he is ready armed to cut off Vers 15. And another Angel came out of the Temple crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the Cloud Thrust in thy Sickle and reap for the time is come for thee to reap for the Harvest of the Earth is ripe Vers 16. And he that sat on the Cloud thrust in his Sickle on the Earth and the Earth was reaped An Angel longing to see the vengeance of Christ fall upon the Inhabitants of the Earth that had so openly and outragiously dishonoured God cometh out of the Temple in Heaven for there is the place of that Temple from whence the Angels are wont to issue forth as is apparent from the 17. Verse and cryeth to him aloud desiring him to destroy the wicked whose iniquity was now full with the sharp Sickle of his Wrath which is accordingly performed Vers 17. And another Angel came out of the Temple which is in Heaven he also having a sharp Sickle Vers 18. And another Angel came out from the Altar which had Power over the Fire and cried with a loud Cry to him that had the sharp Sickle saying Thrust in thy sharp Sickle and gather the Clusters of the Vine of the Earth for her Grapes are fully ripe For as much as Christ in executing this great Judgement is not onely himself an Agent but useth also the Ministry of Angels both which things are plainly set forth Chap. 16. 19. where this business is again repeated a Sickle bearing Angel is likewise introduced to whom another Angel cryeth aloud that he should put his Sickle in ure and gather the Vine of the Earth Neither is it without a Mystery that this Angel which cryeth is said to issue forth from the Altar and to have power over the fire thereof For this implyeth that he as being wont to attend at the Altar did perceive that the Prayers of the Saints with which he burned Incense before God were now heard and that God was accordingly resolved to avenge his People of their Enemies wherefore it is evident from this Passage that there is in Heaven a Temple and therein an Altar which Chap. 8.3 is said to be of Gold and to stand before the Throne of God and to have as here an Angel for Priest to burn Incense thereon that the smoke thereof may ascend up together with the Prayers of the Saints Neither can it with reason be affirmed that this Angel is Christ not onely because it is very hard if not altogether impossible to allege any passage of the Scripture where the appellation of an Angel is undoubtedly given unto Christ but also for that this Angel is here plainly differenced from Christ for Christ is said to sit upon a white Cloud having a sharp Sickle in his hand whereas this Angel is said to come out from the Altar which is in Heaven Again this Angel is said to be another Angel and therefore if the two precedent Angels which are also both of them distinguished from Christ be of necessity meer Angels so must this Angel also Which Reason is of force likewise in the 8. Chapter where this Angel is called another Angel in relation to the seven Angels that stand before God and so are meer Angels or ministring Spirits and consequently he being of their Rank is not Christ but a ministring Spirit also Vers 19. And the Angel thrust in his Sickle into the Earth and gathered the Vine of the Earth and cast it into the great Wine-press of the Wrath of God Vers 20. And the Wine-press was trodden without the City and Blood came out of the Winepress even unto the Horse bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred Furlongs These two Verses shew the accomplishment of what the Angel who came out from the Altar in Heaven did desire For the Vine of the Earth is gathered and the Clusters cast into the great Wine-press of Gods wrath and trodden without the City Which figurative Description doth intimate the quashing and utter ruine of the Inhabitants of the Earth that joyn their Forces with the Beast that they may cut off all the Saints at once The fulfilling whereof is set down at large Chap. 19. Now this Wine-press is said to be trodden without the City because this terrible execution shall be made without Megiddo a City belonging to the Tribe of Manasseh Josh 17.11 For thither shall the Kings of the Earth draw their Armies together to make war with Christ and his Saints as is related Chap. 16.16 Of which City I will discourse more largely in my Exposition of that Chapter Now the greatness of the slaughter that Christ shall then make slaying his Enemies with the Sword of his Mouth and so shedding their Blood is notably declared both by the depth of that bloody Stream that issueth out of the Wine-press of Gods wrath which is said to reach up to the Bridles of the Horses and so to be above a Yard from the Ground and also by the length thereof running out for the space of one thousand six hundred Furlongs which is by computation at eight Furlongs to the Mile two hundred Miles Neither will this seem so strange if we consider that all the Kings of the whole World together with their Armies shall then assemble themselves towards the City of Megiddo and there be slain Chap. 15 Vers 1. And I saw another Sign in Heaven great and marvellous seven Angels having the seven last Plagues for in them is filled up the wrath of God The Exposition THis Chapter containeth in it self a Preparative to the pouring out of the Vials of Gods wrath upon the Beast and his Worshippers For John here seeth a great and wonderful Sign of seven Angels having seven Plagues which are therefore called the last Plagues because the Anger of God is accomplished by them so that after them succeedeth the chaining up of Satan and the uninterrupted prosperity of a thousand years through all the World as appeareth from the 20. Chapter Now the reason why the Angels are here sent to plague the Beast and his Worshippers is because all humane means did fail For the Saints who had adventured to oppose him with Arms though they fought in a just Cause were yet subdued and crushed by him as we saw Chap. 13.7 So that now was
to give his throne Chap. 13.2 together with the False Prophet who is said to exercise all the power of the Beast before him Chap. 13.11 12. have dominion over the evil spirits to send them to and fro in the earth This so great an expedition of all the Kings in the world combining to cut off the people of God at a blow is in it self very apt to strike a terrour into the Saints were no river dried up to give way to any of the Kings aforesaid and so to make them flinch from their faith and Piety wherefore the admonition here given by Christ is very seasonable who comparing his coming to that of a thief because of the suddenness thereof for when his Enemies shall say Peace and safety then sudden destruction shall seize upon them pronounceth them happy who in so perillous a time hold fast the garments of their righteousness whereby the nakedness of their sins committed in the time of Ignorance is kept from appearing to their shame As for the place which these Kings aforesaid make their Randezvouz it is here called Armageddon that is the mount of Megiddo For Har in Hebâ—ew signifieth a mount and Mageddon is the same with Megiddo a City belonging to Manasseh Jos 17.11 which is there written by the Greek interpreters Mageddo and hath here the letter N added thereunto by John Thus the City which Luke Chap. 9.10 calleth Bethsaida is by Matthew with the addition of an N termed in Greek Bethsaidan Chap. 11.21 But as the letter N is added to the end of the Hebrew word aforesaid so is the letter or rather aspiration of h taken away from the beginning thereof whilest it is written Armageddon as it fareth with the Hebrew word Hallelujah Psal 146.1 which in Greek is written both there and also in the Revelation Chap. 19.1 Allelujah without the letter or aspiration H. Now the mount of Megiddo seemeth to be chosen of God rather then another place towards which all the Kings of the earth must draw their Armies against that of the Saints because this City had been of old renowned for the wonderful defeat that Barak with ten thousand men at his feet gave to the potent host of Jabin King of Canaan who was a mighty oppresser of the Israelites Judg. 4.2 6. compared with chap. 5.19 20. where in Deborahs song of victory it is said the Kings came and fought then fought the Kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo they took no gain of money They fought from heaven the stars in their courses fought against Sisera For the memory of the miraculous discomfiture that hapned to Sisera the Captain General of Jabins Army and to the Kings of Canaan that sided with him against Gods people is of great influence upon the hearts of the Saints to make them expect the like overthrow to be given to the Beast and the Kings his followers in the same place Vers 17. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven from the throne saying It is done Vers 18. And there were voices and thunders and lightnings and there was a great earthquake such as was not since men were upon the earth so mighty an earthquake and so great Vers 19. And die great city was divided into three parts and the cities of the nations fell and great Babylon came in remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath Vers 20. And every island fled away and the mountains were not found Vers 21. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven every stone about the weight of a talent and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail for the plague thereof was exceeding great God had already plagued the Beast and his worshippers in the other three Elements of Earth Water and Fire as appeareth by the history of the first third and fourth vials Wherefore that all nature may be armed against so out-ragious offenders this last vial is poured out into the Air. Which is no sooner done but a loud voice is heard out of the temple in Heaven from the Throne saying It is done This voyce is rightly ascribed to God himself that sitteth upon the throne rather then to any other person about or under the Throne as we see it come to pass Chap 19.5 because we find him speaking after the same maner Chap. 21.5 6. He that sat upon the throne said Behold I make all things new And he said unto me Write for these words are true and faithful And he said unto me It is done As therefore in that place it signifieth that there is a period set to the duration of the world so doth it here intimate that no more vials of wrath are to be poured out forasmuch as the wrath of God is accomplished by this last The voyces thunders and lightnings that follow hereupon are all fore-runners of the great and sore Judgements that God is about to bring upon the inhabitants of the earth For thus we see the plagues pertaining to the seven trumpets ushered in Chap. 8.5 6. Among those Judgements an Earthquake is one affirmed here to be the greatest that ever hapned since God created man upon the earth the truth whereof will appear to us if we consider the several effects of this Earthquake For first it sundreth Jerusalem into three parts to wit by the sinking of the intermediate buildings into the ground for no other division is wont to be the effects of an Earthquake And of this Cities shaking about this time we have a more ample relation Chap 11.13 For that Jerusalem is here meant by the great City is evident in that it is distinguished from great Babylon and the other Cities of the nations or Gentiles Wherefore there remaineth no other City to be understood but that of the Jews Jerusalem which hath this very appellation of a great City given to it Chap. 11.8 Another effect of this unusual Earthquake is the falling of the Cities of the Heathen many of which seem to be overturned thereby as it is wont to happen in such shakings A third effect or at least a consequent thereof is the coming of great Babylon into remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of his fierce wrath Not that God had before forgotten her but because he did not then so remember her as to execute his fierce wrath upon her that business being reserved for this time The maner of which execution you may read at large in the 18. Chapter The fourth effect is the removal of every Island and the sinking of the mountains which afterwards ceased to appear These two things shall either come to pass as they are here related for so the others that go before are undoubtedly to be fulfilled or else they onely denote the great alteration that shall happen over all the world by the erecting of
ten Horns that are upon him which be expresly telleth us as you see here that they are ten Kings who did not yet reign but should receive Authority together with the Beast Nevertheless out of what particular parts of the World these Kings shall arise he doth not shew or intimate So that we must of necessity be ignorant of that circumstance either till the thing it self be accomplished or at least till God be pleased to make a Revelation thereof Onely it appeareth out of Daniel Chap. 7.24 25. that they shall start up out of the fourth universal Kingdom that is the Roman For that this Prophecy of the Beast and his ten Horns is the same with that of Daniel in the Chapter aforesaid will easily appear if you diligently compare both the passages together By so doing you will finde that the Beast in the Revelation is in Daniel called the little Horn in as much as the Actions the Confederates and the time of their Tyranny are exactly the same in both Howbeit the time is but short that these ten Kings shall reign together with the Beast for the Angel saith it shall be one hour which Expression of one hour though it be not strictly and properly taken for the twelfth part of a Day it being impossible for the ten Kings to perform all that is here foretold of them in the space of such an hour yet doth it confessedly signifie a short period of time as other like passages of the Scripture will inform us Thus Paul 1 Thess 2.17 saith We Brethren being taken from you for a short time time Greek for the time of an hour in presence not in heart endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire And Philemon 15. Perhaps he therefore departed for a season Greek an hour that thou mightest receive him for ever Now for as much as I have before evinced that the Beast doth personate Domitian the Roman Emperour and no such thing as the starting up of ten new Kings and their Confederacy with him is said in History to have yet happened to him I judge I may firmly and undoubtedly conclude that this must hereafter be fulfilled when he shall arise from the Dead to rule again The next thing that the Angel mentioneth is the agreement of the ten Kings not whereby they stand well affected towards one another but whereby they all give their Power and Authority to the Beast who setteth himself against Gods people For as to any good correspondence between them in relation to their particular estates they are so far from it that they can no more cleave together than Iron be mixed with Clay Yea though an union be endeavoured by Alliance yet can it not be effected as we are taught by the famous Vision of Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 2.43.44 For that these Kings mentioned in this second Chapter are the same with those of the seventh is apparent as from other circumstances so from the Universal Kingdom out of which they rise and also from their very number in that they are designed by ten horns in the one Chapter and by ten toes in the other Lastly he saith of these Kings that they shall make war with the Lamb Not that they use hostility against the very person of Christ for he being glorified with his Father in the heavens is altogether uncapable of having violence offered to him but because they are armed against the Saints of whom Christ is the head and Captain Thus Abijah the King or Judah exhorteh Jeroboam and the house of Israel from fighting against God when they were about to assail his people 2 Chron. 13.12 Behold saith he God himself is with us for our Captain and his Priests with sounding Trumpets to cry alarm against you O children of Israel fight ye not against the Lord God of your Fathers for ye shall not prosper Moreover that the Saints also put themselves in aray against those Kings appeareth not only from what is plainly affirmed hereof Chap. 19.19 where it is said I saw the Beast and the Kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war with him that sat on the horse and against his army but may sufficiently be deduced from that very expression of making war which is here simply and without limitation used by the Angel as I have before proved in mine exposition on Chaep 13.7 But in vain is hostility used by those Kings against Christ for he being as the angel further saith a King of Kings and Lord of Lords can easily subdue them as we see it come to pass in the foresaid nineteenth Chapter Again they that are with him that is on his side as this form of speech doth elsewhere sometimes signifie see Luke 11.23 He that is not with me is against me are called to the Communion of the son of God 1 Cor. 1.9 and chosen to salvation 2 Thes 2.13 and faithful in Christ Jesus Ephes 1.1 and therefore such as the fidelity and goodness of Christ will not suffer so cruelly to be cut off at a blow by these Kings who gather their forces to Armageddon to that purpose But these words aswell as that of warring before used imply that the Saints do muster and imbody themselves in an army namely that they may when their Captain Christ Jesus hath defeated the Beast and all the Kings of the earth with the sword of his mouth erect the fifth Kingdom according to that of Daniel Chap. 7.21 22. I beheld and the same horn that is the little horn whom I before proved to be the same with the Beast in the Revelation made war with the Saints and prevailed against them until the antient of days came and Judgement was given to the Saints of the most high and the time came that the Saints possessed the Kingdom Vers 15 And he saith unto me The waters which thou sawest where the whore sitteth are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues The waters where the harlot sitteth are not only with truth but also with great fitness and elegancy said by the Angel to be Peoples and Nations both because of the violent rushing of men when they are once stirred and likewise of the noise which they make resembling that of waters when they dash against the rocks Thus. Isa Chap 17.12 saith Wo to the multitude of peoples which make a noise like the noise of the Sea and to the rushing of Nations that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters And Jeremiah saith of old Babylon the Type of Rome as it seemeth by the Revelation Chap. 51.55 The Lord hath spoiled Babylon and destroyed out of her the great voice when her waves do roar like great Waters a noise of their voice is uttered Whence it is that the stilling of the Tumult of the People is well ranked by the Psalmist with the quieting of the noise of the Seas Psalm 65 7. Now Rome is said to sit upon these Waters because being the Seat of
this Notion of Reigning is true and grounded on the Scripture is manifest in that God is then said never to have born rule over the Heathen the Adversaries of his People Isai 63.18 19. which can be no otherwise true than because he had not prescribed them Laws Whereas the Jews on the contrary own God for their King because he had been their Law-giver as may be seen in those Words of the same Prophet Chap. 33.22 The Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King he will save us But when upon the Defeat of the Beast who as I have shewed before is the same with the little Horn in the seventh of Daniel The Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the Saints of the most High the World shall be ruled by them according to the Laws of God which he hath given by Christ Jesus and the Laws of all Nations shall for the common good be conformed unto that Standard whereas now they are for the most part subservient to the Lusts and Interests of a certain sort of Men. So that God to whom the Saints are subservient in the Kingdom will then of right be said to reign more perfectly and truly than he had ever done since the World began The second ground here alleged for this Triumphing of the Saints is Because the Marriage of the Lamb was come and his Wife had made her self ready By which Wife of Christ now ready to be married is neither to be understood the Multitude of those Saints that shall be raised in glory at the Judgement of the great Day for that Judgement shaâ—l happen above a thousand Years after this Marriage as appeareth from the following Chapter nor of those Saints that shall be found alive on the Earth when the great things mentioned in this Chapter shall be accomplished for the Saints are not in this World married to Christ but onely espoused as the Words of Paul 2 Cor. 11.2 do intimate who saith of the Corinthian Church I have espoused you to one Husband that I may present you a chaste Virgin unto Christ nor of those Saints that are here brought in shouting rejoycing for they openly distinguish themselves from this Wife of Christ it remaineth therefore that by Her must of necessity be understood those Saints who having suffered Death in the time of the Beast for not worshipping his Image nor receiving his Mark have this Privilege vouchsafed to them above others that being restored to Life they reign with Christ a thousand Years before the rest of the Dead are raised as is expresly declared in the following Chapter And this is sufficiently implyed by the fine Linen wherewith they are arayed for though it be an Emblem of their Righteousness to which they attained in this World as the Words of the Text affirm yet is it indeed the Habit of such as are risen from the Dead and glorified as is evident from Chap. 3.4 where Christ saith to the Angel of the Church in Sardis Thou hast a few Names even in Sardis which have not defiled their Garments and they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy And also from Chap. 7.9 where John saith I beheld and lo a great Multitude which no man could number of all Nations and kindreds and peoples and tongues stood before the Throne and before the Lamb clothed with white Robes and palms in their hands For that these here mentioned are such as had been raised from the dead and glorified I have before proved in the beginning of mine exposition upon this Chapter Vers 9. And he saith unto me Write Blessed are they which are called unto the Marriage-Supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me These are the true Sayings of God Seeing the Angel doth here command John to set down in Writing what he himself was about to deliver this argueth that it was a thing very remarkable and therefore not to be trusted to the memory which is so slippery and fleeting but to remain upon record for ever And this Injunction is like to that of the fourteenth Chap. Verse 13. and conversant about something of the same import For as they are there pronounced happy who should thenceforth die in the Lord namely under the Reign of the Beast and for the confirmation of the Truth as I have in mine Exposition of that place evinced so are such here reckoned to be in the sâ—me blessed condition who have the honour to be invited to the Wedding Supper of the Lamb who is to be inseparably united in the most intimate and sweet familiarity of love to those very persons when raised from the Dead and glorified For as Marriages are wont to be solemnized with a Feast so also is this of the Lamb and therefore mention is made here of a Wedding Supper which Supper if we consider what Christ himself speaketh of eating and drinking at his Table in his Kingdom Luke 22.30 And how in the 22 Chapter of this Prophecy Verse 14. they are by an Angel termed happy who keep the Commandments of Christ that they may have a right to the Tree of Life will be found to have more literal truth in it than is commonly believed especially if you add what the Angel saith to John in the Close of this Verse namely that these are the true Sayings of God For this as I intend more largely to discourse in mine Exposition on Chap. 21.5 is all one as if it had been said These are the plain and perspicuous Sayings of God which are to be understood as the words sound As for the Guests invited to this Wedding Supper of the Lamb for as much as they cannot be either the Angels who being meer Servants are no where in the Scripture admitted to such familiarity with Christ nor the married persons themselves who would absurdly be said to be invited to their own Marriage they must needs be the Saints that are here brought in exceedingly rejoycing at this Marriage and consequently such as had formerly been raised from the Dead and then reigned with Christ in the Kingdom of Heaven and so were capable of having a part in the Delicacies of this Feast Vers 10. And I fell at his Feet to worship him And he said unto me See thou do it not I am thy fellow Servant and of thy Brethren that have the Testimony of Jesus Worship God for the Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy John is so transported with the favour that the Angel had done him in revealing these sublime Mysteries unto him that he is not able to contain himself but falleth down before his feet and worshippeth him Thus Cornelius being admonished in a Vision to send for Peter who should speak such things unto him whereby both he and his House should be saved is ravisht with the sight of Peter coming to him and adores him Which Instances do teach us thus much that we should hold in high esteem
those persons that are imployed by God to convey unto us the knowledge of divine secrets whereas contrariwise we see it come to pass through the stupidity and wickedness of men who love Darkness rather than Light that such rare Discoverers are in stead of Veneration usually rewarded with envy and reproach yea with Death it self Nevertheless though the Reverence that we give to such as instruct us in the abstruse things of God ought to be great yet must it be kept within its bounds and not intrench upon the Prerogative of God wherefore we see the Angel here forbiddeth John to worship him for that he was his fellow Servant and indeed fellow Servants are not wont to give such Honour one to another and willeth him to worship God their common Master to whom Veneration is one And Peter also in the History aforesaid raiseth up Cornelius who was fallen at this Feer and worshipped him which by the way is sufficient to fill that Man of Rome with confusion of face for ever who pretending to be the Successour of Peter though otherwise as he himself is wont to acknowledge inferiour in gifts and personal excellency doth yet suffer himself to be adored of the People as he is carried in a Throne upon mens shoulders through the Streets yea when he is initiated into his Office is set upon the very Altar to be solemnly worshipped which none can with any color deny to be religious and divine Worship especially if he consider that this Honour is given to him as supposed to be the Vicar of Christ But whereas it is objected that contrary to the practice of this Angel appearing to John in the Revelation we finde that other Angels in the Old Testament when they shewed themselves to the Servants of God permitted themselves to be worshipped as the Angel that exhibited himself to the view of Joshuah as may be seen in the fifth Chapter of his History Verses 13 14 15. I answer that when the Angels received Worship they either represented God having his Name in them as that Angel which with two Companions appeared to Abraham Gen. 18.2 who is therefore called the Lord Verse 13. as also that Angel which went before the Israelites in the Pillar of a Cloud Exod. 14.19 Who hath also the Name of the Lord given to him Verse 24. or at least were endued with singular Authority as that Angel whom Joshua worshipped for he telleth Joshua that he was sent a Captain of the Lord's host Whereas the Angel that here cometh to John doth not appear with Authority much less represent God or Christ but onely in his private capacity and therefore styleth himself no other than a fellow Servant of John and of his Brethren that had the Testimony of Jesus This last Expression wherein certain Men are said to have the Testimony of Jesus and which is also used Chap. 12.17 where it is said The Dragon was wroth with the Woman and men to make War with the Remnant of her Seed which keep the Commandments of God and have the Testimony of Jesus Christ would have had some difficulty though such as might by a diligent inquiry been overcome but that the Angel is here pleased to explain it openly affirming that the Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy and consequently as we touched before in the Exposition on the 17. Chapter where we shewed the difference between a Saint and a Martyr none is a Witness or Martyr of Christ Jesus but he that is a Prophet which is further confirmed by the 11. Chapter where the two Witnesses are expresly called two Prophets Verse 10. Vers 11. And I saw Heaven opened and behold a white Horse and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True and in Righteousness he doth judge and make War 12. His Eys were as a Flame of Fire and on his Head were many Crowns and he had a Name written that no Man knew but he himself 13. And he was clothed with a Vesture dipt in Blood and his Name is called The Word of God 14. And the Armies which were in Heaven followed him upon white Horses clothed in fine Linen white and clean 15. And out of his Mouth goeth a sharp Sword that with it he should smite the Nations and he shall rule them with a Rod of Iron and he treadeth the Wine-press of the Fierceness and Wrath of Almighty God 16. And he hath on his Vesture and on his Thigh a Name written King of kings and Lord of lords The opening of the Heaven is a necessary Preparative to the seeing of Christ who residing there cannot otherwise be perceived Thus we finde it to have happened when Christ was pleased to afford a sight of himself to his Martyr Stephen Acts 7.56 who accordingly there cryeth out Behold I see the Heavens opened and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God But inasmuch as Christ doth here intend to shew himself as the Captain of his people he appeareth not as he did to Stephen standing in the heaven but riding on a Horse as Commanders are wont to do And this Horse is said to be white a colour much used in time of joy and triumph to denote the success and victory of Christ over his Enemies according to what we read Chap. 6.2 where it is said I saw and behold a white Horse and he that sat on him had a bow and a crown was given to him and he went forth conquering and to conquer But the victories and triumphs of Christ are not procured by such arts of treachery and falshood as Earthly Commanders too often put in ure little regarding unjust the means be so they may attain the end they have proposed to themselves even the conquest of their Enemies For Christ on the contrary is faithful and true neither making use of a wrong sentence in his Judicature nor of an unjust conflict in his warfare but in both behaving himself according to the exact rules of righteousness as will appear by the judgement that he is about to execute upon the Beast and his followers at the battel of Armageddon Nor marvel therefore if so great uprightness be accompanied with suitable glory and power For the eyes of Christ are said to be like a flame of fire and so able to strike a terrour in all them that look upon his face and on his head are many crowns which implieth the greatness of his dominion extending it self over many kingdoms Yea for his greater dignity he hath a name written to wit upon the crowns for it is absurd to imagine it written upon his head inasmuch as it is covered with his crowns which none knoweth but he himself Wherefore it would be presumption in us to use any means for the finding out of this name For besides the reading after that which cannot be attained we should thereby discover an ambition in us to intrench upon the prerogative of Christ which argueth little reverence towards him If
it be her demanded how it hapneth that this name should be inscribed on the crowns encompassing the head of Christ and also be seen of John as his words imply in that he is a witness of it and yet neither he nor any other should attain the knowledge thereof I answer this cometh to pass because they cannot read it As it hapned to the wise men of Babylon in the time of Belshazzar none of whom was able to read what the part of the hand sent from God had written upon the Palace-wall Dan. 5.5 8. For whosoever readeth any name doth thereby know it although he arrive not at the sense and signâ—fication thereof But Christ is further said to be clothed with a vesture dipt in blood which is very agreeable to the business in hand For he appearing as the Captain of his people and intending to shed the blood of his and their enemies is aptly represented with a bloody garment Neither is it impertinent hereunto that his name is called the Word of God as will appear when we have made a discussion thereupon For when Christ is stiled the word or rather the speech of God so the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used doth truly signifie as Aristotle in the fourth Chapter of his book de interpretatione doth teach us this appellation is given to him either properly or improperly and figuratively not properly for then he would be but an accident seeing the same Aristotle in his Treatise of the Predicaments Chapter the sixth rangeth a speech called by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word here under debate among the species of discrete quantity which is an accident But Christ by the confession of all is a substance and no accident Wherefore he is called the word or speech of God improperly and figuratively but if so then there must be some resemblance between the speech of God properly so called and Christ Jesus which by searching the Scripture we shall finde to consist in these two respects first because the speech of God properly so taken doth immediately flow from the divine understanding so also did Christ come immediately from the divine Majesty in heaven to publish the Gospel to the world and so was the speech or immediate interpreter of God This is confirmed by that notable passage of John who having in the entrance of the first Chapter of his Gospel given the appellation of the word or speech to Christ seemeth to explain the same in the eighteenth verse thereof saying No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is or rather was in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him Christ himself also saith in the sixth Chapter of that Gospel verse 38. I came down from heaven not to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me And Chap. 8.42 If God were your Father ye would love me for I proceeded forth and came from God And Chap. 16.27 28. The Father himself loveth you because ye have loved me and have believed that I came out from God I came forth from the Father and am come into the world again I leave the world and go to the Father Secondly because as the speech of God properly so named hath power to effect whatsoever he pleaseth for so God himself testifieth of it Isa 55.10 11. where he saith as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth it shall not return unto me void but it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing whither to I sent it In like manner Christ had full power to do whatsoever miracles he pleased as he himself witnesseth John 5.19 20 21. where he saith The Son can do nothing of himself but what he seeth the Father do for what things soever he doth these also doth the Son likewise For the Father loveth the Son and sheweth him all things that he himself doth and he will shew him greater works then these that ye may marvel For as the Father raiseth up the dead and quickneth them even so the Son quickneth whom he will These things being so Christ can easily dissipate all his enemies as the event will shew in the close of this 19. Chapter of the Revelation You see then how aptly John saith that the name of Christ is called the word or speech of God when he is brought in as a Captain ready to encounter with the Beast and his complices For this argueth that he can do what mighty works he pleaseth Howbeit the Angels for they are elsewhere in the Scripture meant by the heavenly Armies or Hosts as appeareth from the words of the Prophet Micajah 1 Kings 22.29 I saw the Lord sitting upon his Throne and all the Host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left And also from the words of Luke Chap. 2.13 14 15. And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek of the heavenly Host praising God and saying Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men And it came to pass as the Angels were gon away from them into heaven c. the Angels I say that here follow Christ though they also ride upon horses because they are Armies and their equipage ought to be some waies answerable to that of Christ their Captain are yet clothed only in fine linen white and clean their usual Priestly weeds as I have before proved in the exposition of the fifteenth Chapter because Christ intendeth not at this time to make use of their ministery in shedding the blood of his enemies but to do it by himself as appeareth from the one and twentieth Verse of this Chapter Whereas Christ on the contrary hath not only a bloody vesture but also a sharp sword not indeed hanging by his side nor held in his hand but as it befitteth the word or speech of God coming out of his mouth wherewith he may smite the Nations and slay them The accomplishment whereof may be seen in the sequel of this Chapter Neither is this disagreeable to what we read elsewhere in the Scripture For if Moses could with the rod in his hand do miracles and plague the land of Egypt See Exod 4.17 why may not Christ aswel smite the Nations with the sword of his mouth For as the rod did not contain in it self the power whereby the miracles were wrought but was only a sign thereof so neither doth the sword which nevertheless is altogether as apt to signifie the divine efficacy of Christ who by meerly speaking the word will slay so many Nations assembled together to fight against him and his people But there is not yet an end of
describing the warlike power of Christ for there remain three other particu ars belonging thereunto The first whereof is the ruling of the Nations with a rod of Iron Which though it may with congruity to the tenor of the Scripture be taken only for the irresistible power of Christ whereby he is able to crush all his Enemies yet seeing we ought not to depart from the letter of the Scripture when it yieldeth a fair and commodious construction I propose it to the wise and learned to judge whether it may not with probability be thought that the Saints into whose hands Christ will at length miraculously deliver all the Kingdoms of the world and so rule over the Nations by them as subordinate to himself shall both in their judicature and warfare the latter of which is likely to continue till that generation be extinct use such an instrument as an Iron rod to break implacable enemies and capital offenders in pieces Neither is this sence contrary to the other but doth include the same shewing how that irresistible power of Christ shall at length put forth it self The second point is the treading of the wine-press of the wrath of God Almighty which I cannot sufficiently wonder to see how it is so often applied to the sufferings that Christ himself did undergo when the Text speaketh of the time present saying he treadeth the winepress and not of the time past But Christ by the confession of all is now exempted for ever from any further sufferings Again when any one treadeth a winepress he himself doth not thereby suffer any thing nor is bruised but maketh the grapes to suffer bruising And therefore if Christ tread the winepress of Gods wrath he himself must not be considered as enduring the wrath of God but as inflicting it upon others And indeed the words of the prophet Isaiah Chap 63. to which this passage seemeth to allude do plainly evince this interpretation of mine to be true and genuine For he that is there seen coming from Edom Red in his apparel and like to one that treadeth in the winefat sheweth the reason of this strange attire verse 3. saying I have trodden the winepress alone and of the people there was none with me For I will tread them in mine anger and trample them in my fury and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments and I will stain all my raiment Doth not this demonstrate beyond all gainsaying that to tread the winepress of Gods wrath is to execute his judgements upon others and not to feel the same himself The third thing is the name King of Kings and Lord of Lords that is written both on the vesture and also on the thigh of Christ which likewise apparently belongeth to the warlike power of Christ because he that is a King is wont also to command the sword for the defence of his people and the destruction of his Enemies whence it was before Chap. 14.17 rendred as the reason why Christ should vanquish the ten Kings confederate with the Beast who together with all the rest of the Kings in the world do here make war against Christ namely because he was Lord of Lords and King of Kings For this implieth that Christ hath dominion over all the Kings in the world and so is stronger then they and therefore no wonder if he doth subdue and crush them Thus Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 2.37 is called a King of Kings because God had given into his hand all the Earth and the Kings thereof Thus also Artaxerxes Ezra 7.12 is stiled a King of Kings in the beginning of the gracious Commission he granteth to Ezra because he had now gotten into his hands the Kingdom whereof Nebuchadnezzar was sometime seized Vers 17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun and he cried with a loud voice saying to all the fows that flie in the midst of heaven Come and gather your selves together unto the supper of the great God Vers 18. That ye may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of Captains and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of them that sit on them and the flesh of all men both free and bond both small and great Christ as we have already said is about to make a slaughter of his enemies Wherefore an Angel crieth with a loud voice to all the fowls of heaven to betake themselves to this supper of the great God that Christ is preparing for them and which will be furnished suitably to the Majesty of the great God with all sorts of flesh both of men and horses for their entertainment This invitation seemeth unlikely to have been made by an Angel were it not that God intendeth to use his ministery in drawing all his guests together which must needs appear to the Nations very ominous when they behold Eagles Ravens Uultures and other birds of prey flying in shoals towards the land of Israel where this great supper is to be made for that it shall so come to pass is evident from the close of the Chapter wherein it is said that all the fowls were filled with the flesh of the slain nor will the darkning of the Sun less amaze them which seemeth also likely to happen at this time and hath been known to be a forerunner of great slaughters For seeing the Angel is said to stand in the Sun which cannot be done without obscuring the light thereof nor is here put for nothing to me it is probable that this denoteth a miraculous Eclipse of that luminary by the interposal of the same Angel that draweth all the fowls of heaven together Vers 19. And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse and against his army Vers 20. And the beast was taken and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast and them that worshipped his image These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone Vers 21. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse which sword proceeded out of his mouth and all the fowls were filled with their flesh We are now at length arrived at that battel for which so much preparation hath been made which is the greatest that ever was struck since the world began putting a period both to the Tyranny of the Beast the forest enemy of all righteousness that ever was raised up and also to the sufferings of the Saints The place where it is fought is here indeed omitted but was in the sixteenth Chapter said to be called in Hebrew Armageddon which I in the Exposition of that Chapter have accordingly proved to belong to the Countrey of the Hebrews The persons that shall fight it are here said to be the Beast and the Kings of the earth with their Armies on the one side
and he that sitteth upon the horse with his Army on the other side Which last clause clearly sheweth that there shall be an Army in the field siding with Christ and having him for their Captain against which the Kings of the earth do directly bend their force as being capable of hurt For it is inconceiveable that all the kings of the earth should draw their Armies together into the land of Israel to fight against the person of Christ in heaven which should it descend from thence as nevertheless it shall not do until the day of the universal judgement would be altogether impassible Neither can it be said that this Army of Christ consisteth of Angels for to omit the difficulty even now mentioned and which hath place in Angels as well as in Christ the Angels are ranged in several Armies as the fourteenth verse of this Chapter signifieth whereas the Army of Christ here mentioned is but one Again the Angels are in the place aforesaid called the Armies in heaven that followed Christ But his implieth that there is some other Army of his upon the earth even that whereof I now dispute and which must needs consist of the Saints as was also before hinted Chap. 17.14 The Issue of the Battel is here set down in this manner namely that the Kings and their Armies are all slain with the Sword of Christs mouth but the Beast and the false Prophet are taken and thrown alive into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone All which is so plain that it needeth no Interpretation Onely let it by the way be observed that from hence it undeniably followeth that the Beast and the false Prophet are two particular Men otherwise how should they be present at the Battel of Armageddon and there be taken and thrown alive into Hell fire Certainly this doth intimate that they are Men who might as well have been slain as others but were not because as I have before evinced they had been once dead already and were restored again to life to act the things in this Book related of them Which if any one should chance to scrupleat as a thing very uncouth although it be altogether unreasonable so to do for as much as I have before out of the Scripture demonstrated the same let him on the contrary confider with himself how suitable it is that they whose actions are prodigiously wicked and such as were never practised in the World before should likewise in an unusual way be raised up to perform them As for those words in the very Close of this Chapter where it is said that all the Fowls were filled with the Flesh of the slain this argueth that a true and real Battel is here to be understood and that the Exposition which I gave upon the 17. and 18. Verses affirming that all manner of ravenous Birds should flock to the Land of Israel to feed upon the Corpses of slaughtered men is firm and certain so that it would be ridiculous to fasten another sense upon the place Chap. 20. Vers 1 2 3. And I saw an Angel come down from Heaven having the Key of the bottomless Pit and a great Chain in his Hand And he laid hold on the Dragon that old Serpent which is the Devil and Satan and bound him a thousand Years And cast him into the bottomless Pit and shut him up and set a Seal upon him that he should deceive the Nations no more till the thousand Years should be fulfilled and after that he must be loosed a little season The Exposition SAtan that old Serpent so called and here represented because of his subtilty for the Serpent is in the Scripture noted to be the wisest of all the Beasts that God created Gen. 3.1 had now for many thousand Years abused the World at his pleasure and of late knowing his time to be short had vented more than ordinary malice against the Saints in stirring up the Beast to persecute and kill many of them Yea in conclusion he had with his wiles so inveigled the Kings of the Earth that at his instigation they attempted with joint Forces to cut off the remainder of the Saints from being a People Wherefore to prevent the like mischief in the future and to the end that the Saints may enjoy a long Tranquillity after so hot a Persecution an Angel here descendeth from Heaven and with the Chain that is in his Hand bindeth Satan for a thousand Years that he may no more deceive the Nations till the said term be expired At which time though he be again let loose to seduce and instigate the Nations against the Saints yet shall that seduction continue but a little while as the sequel of this Chapter doth declare Certainly the binding of Satan must needs cause so happy a revolution over all the World that we may rather guess at it than comprehend it For consider how peaceable and glorious the Times must needs prove when Satan the great Incendiary of all those Dissentions Outrages and Cruelties wherewith the World is so much infested shall be kept in Prison for a thousand Years together and Men after the Extinction of that Generation in whom Satan had sown the Seeds of Discord shall have no other inward Incentive to sin than the Disposition of their own Heart which though it be naturally evil from their youth yet may it being alone more easily be resisted nor will without the concurrence of Satan produce so grievous Disorders as now it doth This therefore is the time when that shall truly be fulfilled which God so long ago foretold by the Prophet Micah Chap. 4.3 4. where he saith of the Nations that they shall beat their Swords into Plough-shares and their Spears into Pruning-hooks Nation shall not rise against Nation neither shall they learn War any more But they shall sit every man under his Vine and under his Fig-tree and none shall make them afraid for the mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it But the World now is and hath hither to been so far from enjoying such felicity that I cannot sufficiently wonder how any man who is neither a stranger to the Records of Antiquity nor to the condition of the present times should ever imagine that Satan hath already been bound namely in the Reign of Constantine the Great and so withheld from deceiving the Nations For it is apparent that since the said Emperour ruled as notorious Impostures have been set on foot to delude and blinde the World as are reported to have been hatched in any former Ages Which Impostures we must either confess to have proceeded from Satan and consequently that he hath not yet been bound or most absurdly hold that Men may be as shamefully gulled when Satan hath ceased to seduce them as they were before and so that his labor in this kinde hath hitherto been superfluous Nor need I any difficult reasoning to prove what I even now asserted For to omit others the Mahumetans and Papists
heat Nevertheless we according to his Promise look for new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness 2 Epist 3.10 11 12 13. Is it possible that any thing should more plainly and positively be delivered to shew that the Heavens and the Earth which now are shall be dissolved by Fire and abolished and new Heavens together with a new Earth be created of God in their room Yea was not this Doctrine long before taught by two sacred Writers of the Old Testament to the latter of which the words of Peter whilest he speaketh of Gods Promise touching a new Heaven and a new Earth seem to relate For the divine Authour of the 102. Psalm directing his speech to God saith in the 25. and 26. Verses thereof Of old thou hast laid the Foundation of the Earth and the Heavens are the Work of thine Hands They shall perish but thou shalt endure yea all of them shall wax old like a Garment as a Vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed Which passage doth not onely tell us in plain words that the Heavens and the Earth shall perish but with all intimate that new Heavens and a new Earth shall be created whilest it saith that God shall change the Heavens and the Earth when grown old as a Vesture For in the change of an old Vesture a new one is taken in its stead Likewise the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 65.17 bringeth in God saying Behold I create new Heavens and a new Earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into minde and Chap. 66.22 God to comfort the Jews speaketh thus As the new Heavens and the new Earth which I will make shall remain before me so shall your seed and your name remain Are not three such Witnesses as these sufficient to confirm the Exposition that we have given on the foresaid passage of the Revelation yea doth not the very close of the Verse evince it when it is said The Sea is no more For seeing in the World to come there is no place for Commerce and Traffique to what purpose should there be any Sea which serveth for a more easie and compendious passage from one Countrey to another that so Men may be supplyed with such Commodities as they want But if any one here object that he cannot imagine any more need of a new Heaven and a new Earth than of a new Sea I answer that it doth not therefore follow that they are all alike in that it is expresly denyed that there shall be any more Sea but on the contrrary it is plainly affirmed that there shall be a new Heaven and a new Earth Neither hath God left us wholly ignorant concerning the use of the new Earth and consequently of the new Heaven which will in likelihood be subservient thereunto as the old Heaven is to the old Earth as appeareth from the words of the Apostle Paul Rom. 8.19 20 21 22. where he saith The earnest expectation of the Creature waiteth for the Manifestation of the Sons of God For the Creature was made subject to vanity not willingly but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope Because the Creature it self also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Children of God For we know that the whole Creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now Now seeing the Creatures that here expect so earnestly and groan to be delivered from vanity are twice plainly distinguished from the Saints and Children of God is it not thereby manifest that the other living Creatures which God created shall after the Saints are once clothed with immortality be though not in their former Individuals yet in others of the same kinde made immortal as well as they and consequently live upon the new Earth or can any other sense be put upon the words of Paul without running into Absurdities Vers 2. And I John saw the holy City new Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband In the same manner that John had before seen the new Heaven and the new Earth doth he here see the new Jerusalem onely this Jerusalem is already in being and therefore called New because it is so to the Saints when admitted thereinto in the life to come Thus Paul before Ananias was in very deed come to him had already seen him in a vision entring in and laying his hand upon him that he might receive his sight Acts 9.11 12. But forasmuch as the knowledge or the New Jerusalem is of so great importance without which neither can the happiness of the saints be rightly apprehended nor their faith as wanting a solid foundation be firm and stable we will evince out of the Scripture that by the New Jerusalem is not meant the Church but as it is here expresly termed a City which God hath reserved in heaven for the Saints To omit therefore the observation that may to this effect be rightly deduced from the very name of Jerusalem which being in the Hebrew of the dual number sign fieth that there are two Cities known by that appellation the Testimonies taken out of the divine Author to the Hebrews will abundantly confirm our assertion For he saith Chap. 11.9 10. By faith Abraham sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange countrey dwelling in Tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob heirs with him of the same promise For he looked for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God Certainly a City that is opposed to Tabernacles as having foundations whereof they are destitute and whose builder and maker is God himself is a City truly and properly so called Again in the 13.14 15. and 16. verses of the same Chapter he speaketh thus All these namely Abraham Isaac and Jacob died in faith not having received the promises but having seen them a far of and were perswaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a countrey And truly if they had been mindful of that countrey from whence they came out they might have had opportunity to have returned but now they desire abetter countrey that is an heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God For he hath prepared for them a City You see by this that God hath provided for the Saints a City which is their heavenly Countrey and that the Patriarchs believed and longed for the same although they had received no promises of it but only seen them a far off and that they shewed their faith and longing by confessing themselves to be strangers and pilgrims on the earth How much then doth their practice condem many Christians who having received express promises of such a City and Kingdome are so far from longing after it as that they deny that there is any such place turning it into an allegory
it not without manifest absudity be said to issue out of the Throne it self 4. The River of this Water hath Trees growing on both sides thereof which agreeth not to Water figuratively so taken Thus have we asserted the Doctrine touching the Water of Life plainly and properly so called which doth not onely give light to that passage of David Psal 36.8 9. but receive attestation from it for it is there said Thou shalt make them drink of the River of thy pleasures for with thee is the Fountain of Life But this River of pleasures is here in the Revelation said to have two Springs the one rising out of the Throne of God the other out of the Throne of the Lamb that we might acknowledge our selves indebted not onely to God but also to Christ whom God hath exalted to be a Prince and Saviour Acts 5.31 For the benefit of eternal Life Suitable whereunto is that acclamation of the Saints glorified in the Kingdom of Heaven Chap. 7.10 Salvation to our God that sitteth upon the Throne and to the Lamb. Vers 2. In the midst of the Street of it and of either side of the River was there the Tree of Life which bare twelve manner of Fruits and yielded her Fruit every Moneth and the Leaves of the Tree were for the healing of the Nations As in the former Verse the Water of Life was shewn unto John so also is the Tree of Life in this Verse which Circumstance as I before reasoned sufficiently argueth that it is a Tree plainly and properly so called otherwise it could not have been presented to his view Again this Tree is said to grow in a certain place namely in the midst of the Street pertaining to the new Jerusalem and on each side of the River that runneth through the same But this never cometh to pass when the Tree of Life is to be figuratively understood See Prov. 3.18 Wisdom is a Tree of Life to them that lay hold upon her And Chap. 11.30 The Fruit of the Righteous is a Tree of Life And Chap. 13.12 When the Desire cometh it is a Tree of Life And Chap. 15.4 A wholesom Tongue is a Tree of Life In all which Texts the Tree of Life being confessedly taken after a figurative manner there is no place mentioned where it groweth Whereas in the Revelation the place of its growth is also expressed as appeareth both from the passage under discussion and from the 14. Verse of the same Chap. where it is said Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have right to the Tree of Life and may enter in tâ—â—ough the Gates into the City And also from the 7. Vers of the 2. Chap. where Christ saith to the Angel of the Ephesine Church To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God Which last passage doth further confirm our assertion in that it stileth the heavenly Jerusalem for that we were even now taught to be the place where the tree of life groweth by the name of the paradise of God For the true signification of a Paradise is an Orchard or Garden set with fruit trees as appeareth from Eccles 2.5 Where the Greek version runneth thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is I made me Gardens and Orchards and planted trees in them of all kinds of fruits Thus that Garden or Orchard which God planted in Eden for Adam is described in this manner Gen. 2.9 Out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food the tree of life also in the midst of the garden Where the Greek version hath the same words that are used by Christ in the second Chapter of the Revelation namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that none can with reason deny that there was a tree of life plainly and properly so called which grew in the earthly Paradise or Orchard where God placed Adam no more may he deny that there is such a Tree in the heavenly Paradise or Orchard the New Jerusalem It is further here told us to the end we should rest in the plain and obvious sence of the place that the Tree of life beareth a different kinde of fruit every moneth which must needs tend to the great delight of them that shall eat thereof in that men are much taken with the variety of their food where by the way let it be observed that the Tree of life is the measure of time in the world to come for putting forth twelve sorts of fruits successively it maketh the twelve moneths and consequenrly the year that consisteth of them But it will perhaps be objected in opposition to what I affirm out of this Chapter about eating and drinking in the New Jerusalem that Paul 1 Cor. 6.13 saith Meats for the belly and the belly for meats but God shall destroy both it and them To which I answer that Paul speaketh of worldly meats and that vessel which God hath made in the natural body to receive them so that this pertaineth not to the spiritual body whereof mention is made in the same Epistle Chap. 15.44 nor to those heavenly cates whereof John here discourseth For certainly that there shall be eating and drinking in the kingdom of heaven is elsewhere so plainly delivered that interpreters shew themselves ridiculous whilst they go about to impose another sence upon the words Hear therefore what Christ himself saith Luke 22.15.16 17 18. I have exceedingly desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer For I say unto you I will not any more eat thereof until it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God And he took the cup and gave thanks and said take this and divide it among your selves For I say unto you I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the Kingdom of God shall come Doth not this place signifie that Christ shall eat of an heavenly passover with his Disciples as he did of an earthly one a little before his death and shall also drink wine with them To the same purpose he speaketh to them afterwards in the 28.29 and 30. verses of the same Chapter saying Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations And I appoint unto yon a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me That ye may eat and drink with me in my Kingdom And also Math. 26.29 saying I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Fathers Kingdom Doth not this shew as I before argued out of Luke that Christ shall drink with his Disciples new wine in the kingdom of God as formerly he drank old wine with them at his last supper before his death and consequently the tree of life is for one moneth a vine yielding a liquor so excellent that it needeth not age to bring it to perfection but being only
heaven before which the glorified Saints shall come and adore him For it doth of necessity follow from thence that they shall see his face Neither do those words of Paul 1 Tim. 6.16 where speaking of God he saith Whom none of men hath seen nor can see a whit derogate from the truth of that which we assert For he himself elsewhere comparing the condition of men in this life with that which shall be in the life to come saith Now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face now I know in part but then shall I know even as I am known I Cor. 13.12 Wherefore in that fore quoted passage of Tim. he speaketh of men conversing in this world between whom and God there is not only a vast distance of place forasmuch as he is in heaven and they on earth Eccles 5.2 but also sundry bodies interposed obstructing their sight of him Yea were they now admitted to the very person of God their eyes were not fit of themselves to behold so spiritual and glorious an object Whereupon the Apostle John concludeth 1 Epist 3.2 That in the world to come We shall be like unto God because we shall see him as he is And this passage which we have last cited together with that other of the Corinthians gives clear attestation to our opinion as also doth that saying of Christ Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God So that we have no need to dwell longer on this subject we pass therefore to the second thing here mentioned which is The inscribing of Gods name upon the forehead of the Saints This is performed by Christ as he himself testifieth Chap. 3.12 where speaking to the Angel of the Church in Philadelphia he saith Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the Temple of my God and he shall go no more out and I will write upon him the name of my God and it denoteth that they are the ministers of God and so are continually to serve him in his Temple Thus as we have above discoursed the name of the Beast was set upon the foreheads of men to signifie that they were such as served and worshipped him Neither can any man alledge a sufficient reason why this also shall not be fulfilled according to the letter of the holy Text. Vers 5 And there shall be no night there and they need no candle neither light of the sun for the Lord God giveth them light and they shall reign for ever and ever John here repeateth what he had before spoken in the one and twentieth Chapter concerning this that there shall be no night in the heavenly Jerusalem nor need either of the sun or of a candle because God is the luminary thereof For inasmuch as God dwelleth in light 1 Tim. 6.16 and covereth himself with light as with a garment Psalm 104.2 Yea is light it self having no darkness at all in him 1 John 1.5 and shall abide with the Saints continually 1 Thes 4.17 It cannot otherwise be but that he should by his presence make perpetual day in the New Jerusalem As for the Reign of the Saints mentioned in the close of this verse it cannot be understood of ruling over the Nations for that ceaseth after the day of judgement wherefore it is meant of their Reigning in life as the Apostle Paul phraseth it Rom. 5.17 and so of reigning over death for ever as death had for some time reigned over them Vers 6. And he said unto me These sayings are faithful and true And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his Angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done This is the third time that either God himself or the Angels confirm the plain literal and down right meaning of those things that are spoken concerning the New Jerusalem and the happiness of such as are to dwell therein For I have before proved Chap. 21.5 that when it is said These sayings are faithful and true it is all one as if it had been said These sayings are evident and certain and such as do of themselves leave no place for dispute To establish which exposition of mine consider further that the Apostle Paul doth in four several places namely 1 Tim. 1.15 and Chap. 3.1 and Chap. 4.9 and Titus 3.8 tell us that such a point is a faithful saying when the thing whereof he speaketh conteineth in it self no hard and mystical sence but is to be understood according to the plain purpose of the words Why then should we prefer the imaginations of men before the express language of the Scripture and adhere to such interpretations of this prophecy as have no other ground but the bare word of those that obtrude them When the Angel further addeth that the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his Angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done this ought not to be understood of the same Angel that here talketh with John otherwise he would rather have said The Lord God of the holy prophets hath sent me Again the things which this Angel shewed to John are so far from being done shortly after that they are not as yet come to pass Wherefore this saying as will easily appear from the same words used in both places hath relation to that other Angel which is mentioned in the very entrance of the Revelation and who shewed such things to John as began a little after to be put in execution Set Chap. 3.10 where it is said Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the wold to try them that dwell upon the earth See also the opening of the Seals whereof we read in the sixth Chapter Vers 7. Behold I come quickly blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book Here the Angel speaking in the person of Christ saith Behold I come quickly which is not meant of that notable coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven to judge the quick and the dead for the event sheweth it to be otherwise inasmuch as to this very day he is not come in that manner wherefore he speaketh of some nearer and more improper Coming namely when he would visit the lnhabitants of the World for their wickedness by bringing a great calamity upon them And such a Coming of Christ hapned in the days of Domitian the Emperour not long after the Penning of this Prophecy which I have before proved in the Exposition of the 17. Chapter to have been written in the Reign of Vespasian the Emperour of Rome Which Judgement to be inflicted on the whole World in the Reign and by the Hands of that cruel Monster Domitian when Christ had foretold to the Angel of the Church in Philadelphia Chap. 3.10 He useth the same words in the following Verse that he doth here For thus the whole passage soundeth Because
the dead triumph in the Kingdom of heaven is evident from the description there given of them For it is said that they were come out of the great tribulation so it is emphatically expressed in the Greek and therefore intimateth that they weee set free from death the chiefest of all tribulations and also were clothed in white Robes and stood before the throne of God being put into such a condition that they should no more hunger nor thirst because the Lamb should feed them and lead them unto living fountains of water No one of which things agreeth either to men here living on the earth or to the souls of such as are departed this life Now the reason that inciteth these Saints in heaven with loud and redoubled voices to cry Allelujah that is Praise the Lord for so this word originally Hebrew doth signifie see Psal 146.1 is the justice of God who as it is here said had both judged that great Harlot which with the lewdness of her whoredome corrupted the earth whereof we have before spoken in our exposition on the seventeenth Chapter and also had avenged the blood of his servants at her hand and this vengeance is taken in so strange a maner that it is not to be parrallelled in all the holy scripture save in the prediction concerning the judgement of God against Bozrah and the land of Idumea whereof we read Isa 34.6 7 8 9 10. and which is not yet come to pass for though many Cities have been burned with the fire of men yea Sodom and Gomorrah with the fire of God from heaven yet hath it not been known that any City after it was once fired did send up the smoak of her burning for ever and ever as it is here affirmed of Rome Which circumstance alone doth sufficiently prove that the prophecy held forth in this book concerning the destruction of Rome is not yet fulfilled forasmuch as she notwithstanding all the sackings and firings that have since hapned to her is yet standing and that in great state and splendor so far is she from being made a desolation and perpetual burnings Vers 4. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne saying Amen Alleluja The action of the Saints in heaven who give honour and glory to God for executing judgement upon Rome is seconded by the Saints on earth who prostrating themselves before God declare their approbation of what the others had done by saying Amen Alleluja For though the Saints here spoken of are in the vision introduced as being in heaven yet this hinders not but that the true place of their abode is the earth no more then the ascent of John into heaven in a vision and his viewing the things therein contained Chap. 4.1.2 make him in the mean time cease from being a true and real inhabitant of the Isle Patmos for these four and twenty Elders together with the four living creatures I have already proved in mine exposition of the fifteenth Chapter to be the Disciples of Christ in the four quarters of the world Howbeit the four and twenty are both here and else where in the Revelation distinguished from the rest because as the very name of Elders given to them doth import the Pastours of the Church are by them signified And this number of the Elders seemeth to be modelled from the four and twenty Orders of the Priests under the Law 1 Chron. 24.7 8. into whose room the Ministers of the Gospel are come that the people of God might never want some to watch over them in relation to the good of their souls Vers 5. And a voice came out of the throne saying Praise our God all ye his servants and ye that fear him both small and great The praising of God is a thing so comely in the Saints that they are here though upon a new accompt as will appear from that which followeth incited by a voice from the throne to do it again which voice is not to be ascribed to God himself although it proceedeth from his throne but to some other person that is under or about the same and hath him that sitteth on the throne for his God as the voice it self doth intimate when it saith Praise our God all ye his servants If it be further demanded what maner of person the author of the voice should be whether a glorified Saint or an Angel I answer that it rather seemeth to be an Angel because we finde the like exhortation used by an Angel Chap. 14.6 7. As for the Servants of God whom the voice speaketh unto seeing they are distinguished from those that fear God this sufficiently hinteth that they are not meerly pious men but such as besides their piety are imployed by God in the work of the Ministery and in particular bear the office of prophets in the Church for so the servants of God when differenced from them that fear God are elsewhere understood in this book of the Revelation see Chap. 11.18 where it is said That thou shouldest give the reward unto thy servants the Prophets and to the Saints and them that fear thy name small and great Now that many Prophets will then exist when these things are to be accomplished I have before shewed in the exposition of the fourteenth Chapter Vers 6. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude and as the voice of many waters and as the voice of mighty thundrings saying Alleluja for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth Vers 7. Let us be glad and rejoyce and give honour to him for the marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made her self ready Vers 8. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen clean and white for the fine linen is the righteousness of Saints Though the destruction of the wicked be an inducement to praise the name of God and to rejoyce yet is the salvation of the righteous as being in it self a work more excellent and glorious of far greater efficacy to stir up the Saints to the performance of these two things Hence it is that the acclamation here made is more loud and solemn then the others that went before For John saith That he heard as it were the voice of a great multitude and as the voice of many waters and as the voice of mighty thundrings saying Alleluja The reason of which unusual Exultation that I may confirm what I even now asserted is in the first place said to be the Reign of God namely upon the Delivery of the Kingdom into the Hands of the Saints For though God was long before said in the Scripture to be the King of all the Earth Psal 47.7 yet in as much as to reign if you speak properly is to rule and govern by Laws the Reign of God over all the World may in this sense be rightly said to commence with the Kingdom of the Saints And that
will afford us very evident Instances thereof By the cunning of which two prevailing Factions the Light of the Gospel was for many Ages together since the Reign of Constantine almost extinguished but that now in latter times God taking pity on the miserable condition of his Church hath raised up sundry Reformers who have detected many of those Errours wherewith the Truth had before been obscured and so given a good Essay to the restoring of our holy Faith to its primitive lustre The reason why Satan is cast by the Angel into the bottomless Pit rather than into another place is because many of the evil Spirits have ever since their Fall lain there bound in Chains of Darkness as both the words of Peter Epist 2. Chap. 2.4 where it is said God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down to Hell and delivered them into Chains of Darkness to be reserved unto Judgement And also of Jude Verse 6. where it is said The Angels which kept not their first Estate but left their own Habitation he hath reserved in everlasting Chains under Darkness unto the Judgement of the great Day do perspicuously intimate And therefore certain of them who were permitted to range up and down the Earth for the executing of Gods Judgements having entred into a Man of Gadara and being commanded by Christ to come out of him besought Christ that he would not send him into the bottomless Pit for so the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by Luke in the Relation of this Story and which is translated in English the Deep ought to be rendred as it is in this 20. Chapter of the Revelation Vers 4. And I saw Thrones and they sat upon them and Judgement was given unto them and I saw the Souls of them that were beheaded for the Witness of Jesus and for the Word of God and which had not worshipped the Beast neither his Image neither had received his Mark upon their Foreheads or in their Hands and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand Years 5. But the rest of the Dead lived not again until the thousand Years were finished This is the first Resurrection 6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second Death hath no power but they shall be Priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand Years That Thrones are the Seats of Kings is evident enough but who they are that shall sit upon the Thrones here mentioned and have Judgement given into their hands is neither of it self evident nor here expressed so that we should be at a great loss to finde it out were it not that Daniel speaking of this matter as I have before in the Exposition of the 17. Chapter of this Prophecy evinced saith that Judgement was given to the Saints of the most High Chap. 7.22 It is the Saints therefore that are invested with the Right of Judicature and placed on the Thrones after the Defeat of the Beast and the Binding of Satan Neither ought this Kingdom to be expected till these two miraculous Events have made way for it Wherefore as they are exceedingly mistaken and fear not to gainsay the plain Words of the Scripture who hold that there shall be no fifth Kingdom or Kingdom of the Saints here on Earth when in the mean time an Angel expresly telleth Daniel Chap. 7.27 that the Kingdom and Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the People of the Saints of the most High So are they no less out of the way who dream of any humane Force to be used in the Erection of this Kingdom For this would be to transform the People of the Saints into a Company of Thieves and Robbers But as the rise and fall of the Beast the binding of Satan and setting up of the Kingdom of the Saints here on Earth are great and marvellous Works falling out in the Age here spoken of so also is the first Resurrection whereof all they shall be Partakers and so reign with Christ in heaven who being either Prophets for none but such have the Testimony of Jesus or meer Saints do suffer Death for refusing to worship the Beast For John plainly testifieth that onely such are raised up from the Dead to reign with Christ the thousand Years as were for their Piety in the Reign of the Beast beheaded or smitten with the Ax as the Greek word signifieth Which Expression doth either intimate that the Beast shall both in Judicature as the Romans his Ancestors were wont to do also in War make use of such a Weapon as an Ax to kill the Saints as we find in the Scripture that Nebuchadnezzar did to slay the Egyptians Jer. 40.22 where it is said The voice thereof that is of Egypt shall go like a Serpent for they shall march with an Army and come against her with Axes as Hewers of Wood or else under the most frequent and noted kinde of slaughter that shall be in use at that time all other ways of inflicting Death upon the Saints are comprehended For what reason can be imagined why those Saints that are put to Death with the Ax should share in the first Resurrection rather than such as are dispatched with some other Instrument of cruelty But lest any one should think this Doctrine of the first Resurrection taken according to the Letter of the holy Text to be strange though to me it seemeth more strange that Christians should scruple at a thing so plainly and punctually set down in the Scripture for they may as well call into question whatsoever is here spoken concerning the Resurrection that is to be afterwards at the last Day and to which this Resurrection is opposed go to let us confirm this precious Truth so much encouraging Christians to lay down their Lives for the Gospel by other passages taken out of this Book of the Revelation where such an anticipated Resurrection is held forth as belonging both to those Saints that suffer Death under the Reign of the Beast and also to those that dy for Christ and the Gospel at any time whatsoever First therefore it is in the 11. Chapter said of the two Witnesses who are expresly there called Prophets and so must needs be two Men since none but Men are in the Scripture termed Prophets that after they had been slain by the Beast and their dead Bodyes lyen unburied three Days and an half in the Streets of Jerusalem for not Rome but Jerusalem is the great City where Christ was slain The Spirit of Life from God entred into them and they stood upon their feet From which words it is undeniably manifest that the two Witnesses are raised from the Dead whilest the Beast reigneth What hinders then but that the other Prophets and Saints put to Death by him may likewise be restored to Life presently after his Defeat as this 20. Chapter doth in