becomming earthly princes imitating the pompe of courtiers and wholie giving themselves to worldlie affaires as to wars hauking huntings all other vanities pleasures in princes courts yea far exceeding them in pride pompe and luxurie This fall of the stars is amplifyed by the similitude of a strong wind blowing untimelie figs from the tree By these figs are meant carnal bishops and by the mightie wind the Papal authority unto which all of them eyther for fear of excommunication or for promotion sake readilie submitted 14. And the heaven departed as a scroll The sift wonder is taken out of Isai 34.4 Heaven Hebr. rakiagh is that outspread firmament which God created on the second day and adorned with lights on the fourth day This heaven the lights failing and falling downe departed But after what manner as a scroll rolled together In old time they bound not up their bookes as we doe now but rolled them up as upon a rolling instrument The heaven rolled up is the Church falling away from Christ so beeing shut they could not be read But what heaven is here meant to be thus rolled up Interpreters understand hereby the Church spread over all the face of the earth which to Iohn did seem to depart like a scrol not as ceasing to bee but as ceasing to bee seen The which indeed is true of the Church of the Elect. For however Antichrist shall cover his kingdome with the title of the Church take those things that are proper unto her causing the word Sacraments though horribly depraved to be administred by his clergie neverthelesse they shall not be Christs Church but a synagogue of Satan The true Church of Christ shall depart beeing hid not seen to the world to whom belonged all the martyrs and professors witnessing against Antichrist But thou wilt say these were not hid It is true indeed they were seen as they were men could not be hid as they were martyrs but hid as a Church or the members thereof for they were condemned accounted by Antichrist not as Christs faithful ones but as wicked hereticks This heaven or out spread firmament The heaven departing is the closing of scriptures in popery may also be rightly understood of the opened booke of holy scriptures which by Antichrist his instrumēts was shut or rolled up yea cast under foot using in the mean time with great reverēce the Fathers Scolasticks Sentenciaries Canonists Legends c. Moreover since this booke of God began againe to be opened how have the Iesuits laboured to rolle it up questioning the authority thereof not accounting the same to be divine but as it is confirmed by the judgment of the Church Andrad defens concil Staplet contr Witak that is of the Pope For thus they expresly write That in it there is so much of the deity as the Popes Church attributes unto it neyther ought God to bee beleeved but because of the Church And all the mountaines were moved This is the sixt wonder which Andreas doth rightly understand of those who excell others in wordlie power For in Rev. 17.10 by mountains kings are understood in which sence I judge it is here also taken neither doth it any way crosse this exposition that kings are expresly nominated in the following verse seeing that place concernes the following Act is to be understood of their punishment But how have kings been moved by Antichrist The histories of the Popes declare this diverse wayes First by their ecclesiastical authoritie fraud threatnings constraining Emperours and kings not onely to maintain by fire and sword their ordinances and decrees but even to cast themselves downe kisse the feet of their holinesse The Popes tyrannie against Emperours and kings And secondlie civily for Antichrist spared neither King nor Keisar but whoever would not doe all things according to his pleasure those he oppressed deposed and thrust out of their places Gregorie II. having excommunicated Leo the Emperour deprived him of his revenues Pope Zacharie deposed Childerick king of France Leo III deprived the Graecian Emperours of the Western Empire Alexander III. first proudlie trampled with his feet upon Frederick I. before he would receive him into favour Gregorie VII displaced Henrie IV. Innocent III. thrust out Otho IV. Innocent IV. took the Empire from Frederick II. Clement VI. excommunicated Ludowick IV. Iulius II. deprived the great grandfather of Henry IV king of France of his kingdome of Navarre Sixtus V. sought to depose Charles IX king of France Elizabeth queene of England c. To be short Antichrist powerfully moved the mountaines against Emperours kings Christian princes through his Sophisters councils usurping to himself authority over whole councils boasting that by him kings doe reigne that it is in his power to cast them downe when he pleaseth lastly that no councils are authentick without his approbation This is a true plain interpretation And the Ilands were moved out of their places This is the seventh wonder Ilands are invironed with waters The waters signifie peoples Chap. 17.15 and therefore by the Ilands here are meant nations or the subjects of princes these also are moved for all are necessitated upon pain of salvation to subject themselves unto the Romish Bishop neither can any buy nor sel nor make any bargaine but according to his pleasure as appeares by the extravagant of Boniface VIII We define we say we pronounce we appoint that it is of necessitie unto salvation for every humane creature to beleeve that he is subject unto the chiefe priest of Rome Thus the Ilands peoples communaltie beeing deprived of their Christian libertie which they enjoyed under the Apostles were brought under Antichrists yoke under which they serve and groan even unto this day The fourth Act of the second vision concerning the final punishment of the wicked 15 And the Kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the chiefe captaines the mighty men every bond-man and every free-man hid themselves in the dens and in the rockes of the mountaines 16 And said to the mountaines and rocks Fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe 17 For the great day of his wrath is come who shall be able to stand THE COMMENTARIE 15 ANd the kings of the earth Many with Lyra referre these things unto the times of Diocletian Maximianus whose cruelty against the Christians Eusebius treateth of Histor lib. 8. 9. because in those dayes men of all conditions estates both great and small not beeing able to endure the extremitie of tyrants sought to hide themselves in caves mountaines and woodes But they erre from the scope in my opinion offer violence to the text for undoubtedly by kings c. are not meant the vulgar but men in place and authority Now in those times there were no Christian
rage of Satan Antichrist against the preachers of the Gospell is livelie set forth Chap. 11. unto 15 ver The fourth last Act represents the victory of the triumphant Church and the last judgement in which the militant Church shal be at length freed from all troubles but the wicked who have caused destruction to the world shall now perish for ever from v. 15. of Chap. XI unto the end The Argument and parts of Chapter VIII THe seventh seal beeing opened after halfe an houres silence in heaven there appear seven Angels with seven trumpets But before they sound Christ comes forth with a golden censer offering the prayers of the Saintes upon the golden altar and then he casts the censer filled with fire upon the earth whence arise thundrings voyces lightnings and earthquakes Moreover four Angels sounding in order one after another many wonderfull and fearfull things come to passe At the first trumpet haile fire mingled with blood is cast on the earth whereby the third part of trees is burnt At the second a great mountain burning with fire is cast into the sea turning the third part of the sea into blood At the third a great star burning as a Lamp falleth from heaven upon the third part of the rivers and fountaines of water turning the third part of the waters into wormwood of which manie men died At the fourth the third part of the Sun is smitten of the Moon and of the Stars that they should not give light night nor day After these things an Angel flying through the midst of heaven denounceth wo wo wo to the inhabitants of the earth because of the three other trumpets following THe Chapter therefore containeth 1. The preparation to the third vision 2. Four parts of the vision it self or four soundings of the trumpets with their events unto the end of the Chapter The opening of the seventh seal And a preparation to the third vision 1 And when he had opened the seventh seale there was silence in heaven about the space of halfe an houre 2 And I saw the seven Angels which stood before God and to them were given seven trumpets 3 And another Angel came and stood at the Altar having a golden censer and there was given unto him much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the golden Altar which was before the Throne 4 And the smoake of the incense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand 5 And the Angel tooke the censer and filled it with fire of the Altar and cast it into the earth and there were voyces thunderings lightnings an earthquake 6 And the seven Angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound THE COMMENTARIE 1. ANd when he to wit the Lamb had opened the seavouth seal Rupertus and some others will have this verse to belong to the former vision What is meant by the silence of half an hour understanding the silence here mentioned to be the tranquillity which followeth in heaven after the day of judgement to wit when the soules of the martyrs shal cease to cry for vengeance and the enemies shall no more afflict the Church But that tranquillity shall not bee as here it is said for half an hour but perpetually Others there was silence in heaven that is the Church had a little breathing or freedom from persecution for after Constantine suddenly followed the Arian persecution against the orthodox verity under Constans Iulian Valens c. Anselmus some others applie the silence for the space of half an hour to the time that shal be between the death of Antichrist and the day of judgement which as they say shal be five and fourty dayes To which purpose Ierome seemeth to speake somwhat in his commentarie on Dan. Chap. 12. But this fiction Ribera justly disapproves of albeit there is little waight in his reason Because saith hee that time shal be so quiet as that the wicked casting of all fear of evils to befall them shall live securely say peace peace according to that of Matt. 24.28 1 Thessa 5.1 but this is rather to confirme then any way to confute their opinion for this silence doth note tranquillity according to these interpreters Others suppose that the silence was in regard of the astonishment of the assembly in heaven admiring the weightinesse of Gods judgements set forth in this vision But considering that as yet they had neither seen nor known them how could they be astonished thereat For my part I seek for no mysterie in this silence but take it historically for a short space The Authors opinion in which the former vision beeing fully acted there was a cessation for a little while from further apparitions permission beeing graunted unto Iohn in the mean while to desist from contemplation of these high mysteries For the opening of the sixt seal concluded the foregoing vision of the last judgement After which at the opening of the seventh feal begins a new vision the which that it might plainely be differenced from the former there is silence for the space as it were of half an hour during which time the heavenly assembly ceased from their hymnes John prepared himself for to contemplate on new visions This stilnesse therfore is to bee referred to the order or decency of this apparitional Act and to mee there seemes to be no other mysterie in it 2. And I saw those seven Angels here begins the preparation it is twofold First appear seven Angels for to sound with seven trunpets v. 2. and 6. But before they sound comes forth an Angel with a golden censer casting the same upon the earth as acting the prologue and setting forth the argument of these trumpetters And I saw He sees againe seven Angels shewing themselves on the theatre to whom are given by him that sate on the Throne or by the Lamb Seven trumpets to sound withall And here we are to take notice of the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those seven to wit whom before he saw Chap. 4.5 5.6 Who stood that is their office was to stand before God as heraulds speedily to performe his commandements Or standing that is ministring and ready to sound with their trumpets For as the edicts of princes are published their festival dayes proclaimed and people or armies gathered together by the sound of the trumpet so these Angels by sounding doe publish the secret judgements of God set forth admirable events and provoke the adversaries to wrath and tumult Most interpreters understand by these Angels Who these sounding Angels are the preachers of the word whose office it is like trumpetters to proclaim the will of God unto men now indeed this may not unfitly bee applied to the first six of them but not to the seventh For without all doubt thereby is signified the Archangel with whose voice and trump the
committed fornication with the whore Vntill the words of God that is his decree touching the rising of Antichrist revealed in the words of the Prophets and Apostles be fulfilled After the fullfilling whereof God put into their hearts to hate the Romish Strumpet that is detest Popish Idolatry embrace the Gospell of Christ forsake yea and oppose the Whore Why therefore should we wonder that so many great Emperours so many religious Kings of Germany France Spaine England c. have with such zeale defended Popish Idolatry the Romish Church and Antichrist the Pope almost these 800. years in defence of whose magnificence and glory they have made so great wars and shed so much Christian blood We hear that God did put it into their hearts that they should do so and not otherwise so that the Angell wills us to rise from the events and secondary means unto the secret yet just judgement of God Here againe we have cause greatly to admire that after so long fornication some of the Kings as of England Scotland Denmarke Sweethland Many powerfull Princes also of Germany Bohemia France Poland and Hungary having laid down their armes against the Lambe and embraced the heavenly Doctrine of salvation brought to light by the Two Witnesses in the ages of our predecessours do at this day hate the Romish Adultresse and make her naked We have cause I say to admire the Fact and extoll Gods judgement to Heaven Certainly the Kings did not repent either rashly or by their own understanding God put it into their hearts that they should repent of their whoredome hate the whore and make her desolate The LORD is to be intreated that he will put the same into the hearts of the rest of the KINGS that is to take knowledge shun and hate the Whore and to give their power no longer unto the Beast but unto the Lambe Some Textuall scruples do here offer themselves which I shall explain after I have opened what yet remains in the Text. 18 The woman which thou sawest is the City The Angell openeth the whole mysterie of the whore This woman is popish Rome see chap. 11.8 14.8 16.19 that we might not think the woman sitting upon the waters to be an Asian or Vtopian Nymph It is saith he that great City before he often calls it Babylon Now he sets it forth by a more remarkeable note Having dominion over the Kings of the Earth Now what is this Is it the whole multitude of ungodly men in the world as some of the fathers wanting the experience which we have now have thought Nay it is Rome yea Popish Rome For the Writers saith Ribera In cha 17 sec 20.22 who have otherwise interpreted it are forced by the truth it selfe to yeeld unto us that Rome is that whorish City to be destroyed and overthrowne Again The foregoing words God put it into their hearts belong to the desolation and burning of Rome for they shew the cause of so great desolation effected by them who rather were thought should have proved friends With this sense which is certainly true c. Thus we have the interpretation of one sworn Iesuite Let us hear another Lib. de P. R. cap. 2 Babylon saith BELLARMIN that great City standing on Seven Mountaines and having dominion over the Kings of the Earth is ROME Neither was there any other City which in Johns time had dominion over the Kings of the Earth then ROME and it is most notorious that ROME is built upon seven Mountaines Let us hear a third Vest pag. 817 This Verse saith ALCASAR causeth no small difficulty to them who expound it otherwise then of ANGIENT ROME But in our exposition nothing is more cleare What can we desire more The great City is Rome both because the same is built upon seven Mountaines As also because it onely in Iohns time had dominion over the Kings of the Earth But now perhaps it hath not yea but it hath For whatsoever it possesseth not by force Quicquid non possidet armis Relligione tenet it holds by Religion Wherefore the two latter Iesuites do in vain seek an evasion that not Popish but Heathenish Rome is this City for they are confuted by Ribera their own companion ingeniously confessing that Heathenish Rome long agoe burnt to ashes by the Gothes and Vandalls hath no place here but that it is Popish Rome that now is yet notwithstanding he saith that it is to be burnt before Antichrists comming which latter refutes the former It remains therefore that the whore sitting on the Beast is Papast Rome O Rome hearken to Clemanges De corrup Eccle statu Cap 26 What saith he dost thou thinke of thy Prophesie to wit of John in the Revelation Dost thou not beleeve that it belongs at least in some measure unto thee Thou hast not so lost shame and sense to deny these things Wherefore looke on it and read the damnation of the great whore sitting upon many Waters and there contemplate thy worthy actions and what shall befall thee Again therefore we gather this argument Babylon that Great City standing on seven Mountaines is the Seat of Antichrist Popish Rome is Babylon that Great City standing on seven hills Therefore Popish Rome is the Seat of Antichrist Furthermore He which ruleth in the Seat of Antichrist is Antichrist The Pope of Rome ruleth in Antichrists Seat Therefore the Pope of Rome is ANTICHRIST There remains three scruples to be discussed from ver 17. I. How God puts into the hearts of Kings that is worketh in the hearts of men without impeachment of their liberty II. Seeing God is said to put three things into the hearts of the Kings One in its owne nature good viz. The hatred of the Whore Two things in themselves evill viz. Their agreement with the Beast and fight with the Lambe Whither he puts this after the same manner into their hearts and whither it will not hence follow that hee is the Authour of sinne III. In granting which thing some maintaine that these Kings were not converted how then are they said in spoiling of the whore to doe the will of God seeing they were ignorant of it Neither spoiled they her so much out of affection to piety as of desire to the prey Now first how God workes in the hearts of men the liberty of their will remaining Of this Question both in the Hypothesis and in the Thesis the explication is the same being not a little difficult For if God workes in the hearts of men he seemeth to determinate or limit their wills to one thing Now if God limit the wil then man seems not to act freely seeing that is said to be free which is unlimited in respect of a thing Furthermore God seems to move and bend the wills of men according to his own will or pleasure But that which is moved and bent by anothers will seems not to act freely Now the Scripture on the
written for the understanding of all But the my steries of the Visions although he revealed them to his servants and Prophets yet hee kept them secret from all other men namely that indeed prophane men might alwayes set light by things so obscure but the godly even by the obscurity thereof be the more stirred up to the searching out of divine mysteries The obscurity ought not to keepe us from searthing And although we can scarcely and with much difficultie come unto the understanding of all the secrets of this Booke notwithstanding the difficultie ought not to affright or to keep us from searching but rather stir up a more diligent enquiry into the same Many things in the Booke are without any shadowes of darke Types as speaking plainely of the punishments of the ungodly of the blessednesse and reward of the Saints c. in which lies no obscurity In many Types also the signification is plaine and the Analogie with the things signified not obscure as the Analogie of the seven Candlestickes with the seven Churches of the Lamb with Christ of the woman with the Church of the Dragon with Satan of the Beast and False-Prophet with Antichrist of the Locusts with the devouring Monkes of Babylon and the Great Whore with Rome of the seven heads of the Beast with the seven hils of Rome In the other more obscure Visions we have three helps by whch in some measure wee may dive into the understanding of them viz. the Propheticall Scripture Historie and experience For first after we have compared the Types of the Revelation with the Visions and Phrases of the ancient Prophets Remedies of the darknes in speciall with Ezechiel Daniel and Zacharie we shall find a great likenesse in them and thence receive much light for example In Chap. 4.5 it is said there were seven Lamps of fire burning before the throne which plainly appeareth to be taken out of Zach. 4.10 where the seven Lampes are said to be the seven eyes of Iehovah running too and fro through the whole Earth By which undoubtedly is signified the ubiquitie of Gods power and providence Out of the same Chapter is taken that in Chap. 11.4 two witnesses are said to be two Olive trees and two Candlesticks standing before the face of the Lord of the Earth Examples of which kinde we shall observe many more in the course of our Interpretation If from Johns time we diligently run over the History of the Empire and Romane Church and precisely compare the principall events with the Types of the Revelation certainly we shall see much light to come unto these Visions The Romane and Ecclesiasticall Historie testifies that diverse storms of persecutions were raised against the Christians by Romane Tyrants Eusebius recordeth out of EGESIPPUS Lib. 3. hist cap. 32. that the Church did not long after the Apostles time remain an undefiled Virgine but by little and little through the ambition and contention of Priests declined from Apostolicall sincerity But after CONSTANTINES time In vita Malchi saith JEROM shee became greater indeed in wealth but lesse in vertues After-Histories also testifie that the Romane Bishops by pride and subtiltie namely under a pretence of the primacy left by the Apostle Peter as also of Christs Vicar-ship bequeathed unto them they through the connivency or neglect of the Emperours not onely usurped power over the City of Rome but also took into their owne hands the very spoile of the Empire and at last established this Sacred Empire of the West the direct or indirect power whereof should wholly be in the Popes Holinesse All which things do not obscurely teach us what is meant by the opening of the Seales The arrogance and subtilty of Romish Bishops by the stars falling from heaven to the earth by the Beast speaking great and blasphemous things what is intended by the Beast False-Prophet and Image of the Beast what lastly by the whorish woman sitting on the Beast and ruling over the Kings of the Earth in the great Citie upon seven Mountaines Lastly if we rightly consider the experience of the present times two nuts are not more alike then is the Beast and Purpled Whore to the Papacy then the Locusts unto the Popish Clergy then the impure Frogs proceeding out of the mouth of the Dragon Beast and False-Prophet unto the Popes Messengers being hooded like to Frogs viz the Iesuites cracking miracles and running too and fro by Sea and Land unto the Kings of the Earth Rev. 16 13 14 to gather them unto the Battell of that great Day of God Almighty These things I say will in some measure bee remedies against the darkenesse of the Booke Vnto which in the last place wee must adde diligent meditation and ardent prayer that the Spirit of God who revealed these mysteries to Iohn do enlighten the eyes of our mindes with heavenly knowledge to finde out the wisedome of this Booke For blessed is hee that readeth Rev. 1.3 22.7.14 and blessed are they that heare the words of this Prophesie and keepe them that is which diligently meditate and labour exactly to weigh these oracles in an equall ballance with the events past present and to come CHAPTFR IV. Touching Ancient and Moderne Interpreters of the Revelation and of the manner of Interpreting observed by them I Have spoken of the Authour and Canonicall Authority and obscurity of the Revelation and shewed that in these things is nothing to hinder us from the interpretation thereof The objection about the Interpreters is of no weight I confesse that not a few Divines of great account as Luther Melanchthon Bucer Martyr Calvin Beza and others have abstained from the Interpretation of the Revelation But this neither doth lessen the authority of the Booke neither doth it prejudice other Interpreters for who knowes whither the darkenesse of the Book or their other waighty labours or want of time did occasion the same certaine it is they no way questioned the authority of the Booke In the meane while in all Ages there have beene excellent Teachers of the Church who have laboured to illustrate the secrets of this Booke by their Commentaries The Ancientest that have written upon the Revelation are Iustine Martyr In vita Iohannu and Irenaeus Bishop of Lyons and Melito of Sardis as Ierome and Eusebius record But their Commentaries have not been preserved untill our times Eus lib. 5. hist. ca. 25. save onely that some few fragments of this nature touching the ten hornes of the Beast the two horned Beast of the image Character Number and Name of the Beast arising out of the Sea are found in IRENAEUS Lib. 5. Cap. 21.23.25 Among Augustins workes wee finde a few Homilies upon the Revelation which notwithstanding are ascribed to Ticonius by Bede who himselfe also hath commented some things upon the Apocalyps But Austine in that divine Commentary de Civitate Dei endeavours to search not a few mysteries of this Booke touching
waters became Wormewood and many men died of the waters because they were made bitter THE COMMENTARIE ANd the third Angel sounded Andrea◠howbeit unfitly takes this falling starre to be Lucifer thrown down headlong out of heaven the Wormwood the torments of the wicked in hell Andreas opinion Lyra conceives it to be Pelagius the third Archeretick Lyraes interpretation who in the dayes of Arcadius Honorius denied original sin pleaded for free will and overthrew the grace of Christ He fell from heaven that is fell away from the Church militant And is called a great Starre because he was a learned and religious Monke Burning as it were a Lampe by shew of holines and learning deceiving many his name is Wormwood because contrarie to the sweet doctrine of true grace he taught that men by the meer help of natural faculties setting grace aside might bee converted and saved with which pestilent doctrine he made bitter and destroyed many Churches with their teachers Ribera desirous to be singular in interpreting the trumpets literally doth verie foolishly apply this to some fiery exhalation falling from heaven and takes all these signes historically Riberaes frivolous exposition But we know that such fierie mixtures doe often happen in the ayre Besides the name of this Starre and the making of the waters bitter doe sufficiently manifest that these things cannot bee properly or literally taken But Ribera perhaps durst not doe otherwise least he should have been forced to applie it to the apostasie of the Romish Antichrist All other interpreters for the most part understand this falling starre to be some certaine eminent heretike Diverse interpretations concerning this falling star one or more But they differ in the persons For some referre it to Simon Magus Others to Samosatenus Manichaeus Arius c. Others againe to Pelagius Novatus Montanus Manichaeus And some unto Origen Now howsoever all these differ and erre in the hypothesis or speciall application yet they all agree in the thesis or generall position neyther as I judge doe they herein erre from the scope For the third trumpes with its apparitions answereth to the third seal and black horse that went out at the opening thereof which signifies as we have before shewed the state of the Church spotted with black and foul heresies from the Apostles time unto the rising of Antichrist and howsoever the Church were thus defiled Christ with the ballance of his word was still present reproving condemning their haeresies by his faithfull teachers yet in the mean time a great famine of sound doctrine much afflicted the Christian world forasmuch as almost all Churches with their teachers were drawne aside to the pestilent errour of Arius Others referre this to Mahomet but they little observe the circumstances of the trumpet For Mahomet beeing a most wicked villaine cannot bee called a starre muchlesse a great starre shining like a Lampe neither fell hee from heaven that is the Church in which hee never was although I confesse hee hath occasioned much bitternes unto Christians My opinion therefore touching the third trumpet is that this great starre burning like a lampe falling from heaven and turning the third part of the waters into wormewood in a generall way denoteth all apostated Arch-hereticks spoken of Chap. 6. Who at the opening of the third seale for the space of six hundred yeeres after the time of the Apostles deformed the Church of Christ by their foul heresies and brought destruction upon the four corners of the earth by their blasphemies errours and tumults as we have before declared For it is plain that by starres the teachers of Churches are signifyed and by falling from heaven their apostasy from the true faith But specially by this starre and his fall from heaven is undoubtedly signifyed the apostasie of the Bishop of Rome not indeed that universall departure The apostafie of the Church of Rome which followed afterward at the full rising of Antichrist but that first defect which three hundred yeers before forcibly occasioned led the Churches both of the East and West by little and little to submit to Antichrist namely from the time of Constantine unto Phocas the intruder For the Bishops of Rome in regard of the great renowne and chiefe honour of that citie it being the seat of the Romane Empire were eminent lights among their fellow bishops hence the starre is called great burning like a torch or lampe Hee fell from heaven not at one instant but by degrees therefore it is said in the Preterimperfect tense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee did fall Hee saw him here not quite fallen as in Chap. 9.1 but falling for as yet the Romane sea was onely declining or in the motion of its Apostasie Before Siluester thirtie and one Bishops of Rome for the most part like stars in the firmament brightly shined both in learning faith Pietie and constancie yea they all suffered Martyrdome under the Romane tyrants But after that Constantine had graunted peace unto Christians and enriched the Churches by his too much liberallity heaping wealth and honour exceedingly upon bishops then began this star swelling with pride and ambition like Lucifer to lift up himselfe above his fellow ministers to bee wholy given to voluptuousnesse to fill and burthen the Churches with Iewish and heathenish rites and ordinances so by forsaking the truth of the Gospell altogether to embrace humane traditions Sylyester was the first if histories may bee credited who gave himselfe wholy to the institution of their Masse-priests orders ornaments temples singing-men sacrifices sanctuaries vestments ointments surplises miters embroidered garments and the like Babylonish stuffe bringing all these idle rites into the Church under this pretence partly least Christian religion should seem inferiour in outward lustre and pompe to heathenisme partly that the Pagans by the likenesse of these rites with theirs might bee the more easily drawen to Christianity And this verie thing was afterward pretended by the following Bishops as Gregories Epistle to Serenus testifies Now this Silvester was he on whom Constantine as Platina recordeth in the life of this Bishop imposed an embroidered mitre beset with Gold and Pearles in stead of a Diadem And then this great starre began to fall from heaven unto the earth And upon the third part of the rivers that is as I understand on the Romane Bishops the successours of this Sylvester and others for rivers doe note the teachers of Churches by whom divine doctrines ought to flow and be derived unto others Of these the third part not all for many remained faithfull and sincere but a great number or the third part of them that lived in Europe leaving heaven gave themselves wholie to worldly cares pleasures pompe and foolish ceremonies defiling the Church with many abuses superstitions errours yea grosse heresies also For as Ierom and the Ecclesiasticall history both testifie Liberius was indeed a great starre beeing at the first a great opposer of
Constantius but overcome by banishment at length he yeelded to Valens and Vrsacius Arians to the end he might by this apostasie regaine the Romish chaire His successour Felix II. was a professed Arian Yea all the Bishops of the East except Athanasius and Paulinus as the said Ierom witnesseth against the errours of John were infected with the Arian pest Besides how the following Romane Bishops have behaved themselves may be seen by the histories of Platina Balaeus and others who have recorded their lives and Acts. By the Fountaines I understand the holy scriptures namely the living fountaines of Israel Psal 68.27 By the waters the doctrines and comforts contained in them Now how far this falling starre infected the rivers fountains waters here followes 11. And the name of the starre is Wormwood He describeth the apostasie of this siarre by the effects it is called Wormwood not by a proper name but from the events For by pestilent institutions he did make bitter the third part of the waters that is of the doctrines and comforts of the scriptures turning the same into a deadly wormwood not indeed naturally for howsoever in this respect wormwood bee a bitter herbe yet it is medicinal causeth digestion but theologically it beeing a scripture phrase signifies a vile depravation of justice and equity as Amos 5.7 Yee who turn justice to Wormwood Ier. 9.15 23.15 And sometimes Gods grievous plagues and judgements I will feed them even this people with wormwood The sence then seemes to be thus that these Apostates should make the waters of the holy scriptures so bitter that whosoever drinketh thereof should hazard their eternall salvation Hee alludes undoubtedly to the bitter waters of Marah which the Israelites could not drinke Exod. 15.25 To this bitternes appertaine the horrible confusions of the Eastern and Western Churches by the Arians the contentions of Bishops the oppositions of Councils each to other condemning rejecting and persecuting one the other to the great scandall of the heathens disturbance and destruction of Christian Churches The which Emperours sometimes occasioned otherwhile connived at and sometimes wanted power to suppresse the pride of Bishops beeing lifted up with ambition and envie one against the other they having before put to much power into their hands Of which read the Ecclesiasticall histories of Socrates Sozomenus Theodoretus Evagrius Nicephorus even from the time of Sylvester untill Leo Gregorie For so long I judge that the sound of this trumpet continued Howbeit wee are to take notice that the Church was not destitute of comfort in these evill times For not all the rivers nor all the waters were made bitter neyther were all men killed with Wormwood but a third part onely For Christ even in the midst of all this bitternes and ruin of Bishops did still preserve a Church unto himself And indeed histories aboundantly testifie that there were many faithfull and sound professours of the faith of Christ who resisted the pride and arrogancie of the Romish Bishops as for example the Councill of Carthage of which Augustine was president openly reproved and suppressed the affected tyranny of three Popes viz. Sozimus Boniface Caelestinus over the Affrican Churches The sound of the fourth trumpet 12. And the fourth Angel sounded and the third part of the Sunne was smitten and the third part of the Moone and the third part of the stars so as the third part of them was darkened and the day shone not for a third part of it and the night likewise 13. And I beheld and heard an Angell flying thorow the middest of heaven saying with a loud voyce Woe woe woe to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voyces of the trumpets of the three Angels which are yet to sound THE COMMENTARIE ANd the fourth Angel sounded This Angel sounding the third part of the Sun and Moon and stars was darkned so as the day shone not for a third part of it and the night likewise The former wonders happened here below in the earth sea and waters but these things following are above in the heaven coelestiall signes Riberas Andreas opinion and stars Andreas Ribera and some others understand this trumpet to denote the wonders foretold in Ioel. 2. and Matth. 24. There shall bee signes in the Sun Moon and Starres c. the which should happen alittle before the day of judgement But as yet we are not come to the trumpet praefiguring the end of the world as we shall see by that which followeth Neyther is it probable that these things should be represented unto Iohn in obscure types seeing he well knew they should come to passe as beeing foretold by the Prophets Christ the Apostles Neither doth the praediction of Christ agree with what is here said touching the defect of the third part of the lights Indeed there may bee some allusion in this trumpet to the last signes But without doubt other events are noted by the same Lyra understands the fourth Angel of Eutyches Lyraes opinion who confounding the two natures of Christ said that the divinity was first changed into the humanity the humanity again into the divinity By which pestilent heresie he darkened the third part of the Sun that is of the divinity the third part of the Moon that is of the Church the third part of the stars that is of Bishops of whō many were infected with this heresy a third part of the day Bullingers interpretation Francis Lamberts opinion of the night that is the scriptures of the old new testament Bullinger interprets this allegorie after the same manner yet applies it not to the heresie of Eutyches but of Pelagius Franciscus Lambertus expounds it in a generall way Christ the Sunne shall be smitten when the light of his truth shall be hid then also the Moon the Church and stars the teachers shall faile but he shewes not when and how this was accomplished For my part howbeit the apparitions of this trumpet doe much agree with the events of the sixt seale for as here so there the light of the Sunne Moone and Starres are said to be darkened yet I judge there is a manifest difference For here onely the third part of lights is darkened but there a total defect is spoken of besides the Analogie of the seales and trumpets is to be kept unto what possibly we can Whether the fourth trumpet doth agree with the sixt seale Now there the total Apostasie from the faith by the darkening of true doctrine under Antichrist is denoted but here the beginning and growth thereof onely certain therfore it is that the total obscuration of the Sunne shal be at the sounding of the fift trumpet following So that I doe here again follow the Ecclesiasticall Glosse that the wonders of this fourth trumpet agree with that which happened at the opening of the fourth seale As therefore we saw there a pale horse with
with his hellish Locusts upholding his tyrannie by the favours of the great men and kings of the earth but it sufficeth that these witnesses enjoy the favour and blessed presence of God the King of kings Lord of the whole earth The Epithite of the earth doth not lessen but augment the authority of God therfore by and by in ver 13. he is called also the God of heaven Fire proceedeth out of their mouth The third title sets forth the power and effect of their ministerie against the adversaries Fire proceeding out of their mouth against the enemies Iere. 5.14 Ier. 23.29 as the former shewed their dignitie efficacie in respect of the godlie It is an allusion partly to the ministerie of Jeremie partlie to that of Moses and Elias Of Jeremies preachings God saith Behold I put my wordes in thy mouth as fire but this people I will give for chaffe which the fire shall consume Againe My word is as fire like the hammer that breaks the rock in pieces Thus fire shall proceed out of the mouth of the witnesses But they that would understand it according to the letter should be more absurd then Pollodorus faining that a monstre called chimera vomits flames out of her mouth and destroyes all what comes neer her and infecteth the cattle Now howsoever perhaps it may be credited that fire should proceed out of a beastes mouth yet that a man should spit fire without hurt except it were a jugler hath not been seen neither can it be This fire therefore proceeding out of their mouth is to be spiritually understood of the word of God proceeding out of the mouth of the witnesses as it is clear by the fore alledged scripture in Ieremie Neither are the other titles of the witnesses to be taken otherwise then by certaine allegorical phrases applied to the things signified thereby as plainlie appeares by the word SPIRITVALLY in v. 8. The which thing unlesse it be well observed we shall be as absurd in urging the letter touching the killing of the witnesses the casting of their carkeises in the streetes their resurrection and ascention into heaven as in the sackcloth Olive-trees candlesticks and ascention of the Beast out of the bottomlesse pit c. But against whom shall the fire proceed Against them that will hurt them that is against their adversaries called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enemies namely the Beast with the Locusts proceeding out of the infernal smoke with all other their complices favorites adherents These wil hurt them By opposing their preaching both by sophistical disputations cruell proscriptions But it shal be in vain For fire proceeding out of the mouth of the witnesses shall devoure them But thou wilt say The Beast shall destroy the other for he shall kill and overcome them How then shall they devour the adversaries this must again be spiritually understood The fire of the witnesses shall devour the adversaries not by killing them corporally for in this sence they rather shal be devoured but spiritually because by the fire of the word they shal lay open to the world the abominations impostures of Antichrist confound his idols refute his lies by which his kingdom shal greatly diminish the kitchings of Locusts begin to grow cold This fire therfore proceeding out of the mouth of the witnesses devouring the enemies is nothing els but that spirit of Christs mouth 2. Thes 2.8 by which as the Apostle foretold Antichrist shal be consumed because the preaching of the Gospel shal utterly consume Antichristian lies like as the fire consumes the stubble But he alludes as I said to the two histories of Moses and Elias Numb 16.35 For at the prayer of Moses there came out a fire from Iehovah consumed two hundred and fiftie sworn rebels At the prayer of Elias fire fell from heaven and consumed the captaines with their fifties beeing sent to take the prophet 2 King 1 9 After their example these witnesses shall devour their enemies by the fire of their mouth not by any externall miracle Luk. 9.54 which the disciples in a preposterous zeal desirous to imitate were reproved for it by Christ but by a spirituall effect not unlike the other because the fierie preaching of the Gospel shall prevaile against the enemies labouring by all meanes to hinder the same For Gr. and if any man will hurt them This serves for the confirmation of the efficacie before spoken of Many shall rise against the Gospell Antichrist indeed shall indeavour to suppresse the witnesses but to his own destruction He must thus be killed The particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thus or so doth limit the destruction of the enemies he shall not be so killed by the sword or outward force as to cease from hurting but he shall be consumed by the fire of Gods word in so much that his opposition against the Gospel shal be in vain What I pray you can be spoken more plainly concerning the events of our age God raysed up his two witnesses Luther Zwinglius Bucer Musculus a few other weak Monkes out of whose mouth the fire of Gods word hath so devoured their opposites as that they could not resist them by any forces plots thundrings or punishments For by how much they cruelly opposed themselves against the Gospel by so much the more it was spread over diverse kingdomes provinces in the Christian world devouring and confounding the sophistries subtilties armes plots of all Sophisters and enemies fighting for Antichrist To be short this whole effect of the preaching of the Gospell may be declared in these words of the Apostle The weapons of our warfare are not carnall 2 Cor. 10.4 2 Cor. 2.16 but mightie through God to the pulling down of strong holds c. Again We are to God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish to the one we are the savour of death unto death to the other the savour of life unto life For the ministery of the word is powerfull to the salvation of the elect through faith destruction of the ungodlie through their own perfidiousnes 6. These have power to shut The fourth title is their power to shut heaven that it rain not in the dayes of their prophesie Power to shut heavē This is a manifest allusion to the historie of Elias who shut the heavens by his prayer that it rained not on Ahabs kingdom for three yeers and six moneths whence arose a grievous famin 1. King 17.1 Iam. 5.16 by which God punished the wickednes of the Israelites And from this verie place it appeares that whatsoever is said of the 42 moneths and 1260 dayes is not litterally to be understood of three yeeres and an half commonly attributed to Antichrist For then heaven should be shut during the whole time of his kingdom and this must needs be so because the heavens shall give no raine
in the dayes of the prophesy of these witnesses But would not this be verie false and absurd according to the letter For how should Antichrist in so great and continual a famine lead such mightie armies and obtaine so many great victories over most potent Monarchs Therfore this also is here to be understood as in ver The foure yeers standing of Antichrist refuted 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shewing that these witnesses have power to shut heaven that it rain not in the dayes of their prophesie spiritually This they shal doe by the power of the keyes shuting the kingdom of heaven that the grace of God raine not upon the contemners of the Gospell because they condemn the preaching of the witnesses as a most pestilent heresie The heavenlie raine therefore moistening the drie harts shall not fall upon them for they shall not be any whit the better by the preaching of the Gospell but shall seek for eternal life in their own merits Popish pardons and paenal satisfactions whatsoever they shall pretend touching Christ or his free grace These wordes therefore It shall not rain in the dayes of their prophesie doth wholy concern the Antichristian adversaries on whom the rain of the Gospell as we said before shall not come but onely plentifully moisten the Church of Christ Hence also we may understand that the time of the witnesses prophesying was not before properly defined by 1260 dayes but by a certain allusion unto the historie of Elias 1 King 17 Iam. 5.17 For the three yeeres and six moneths in which it rained not in his time doe make just so many dayes And they have power over the waters The fift title is their power of turning the waters into blood To turn water into blood and smiting the earth with plagues as often as they will by a manifest allusion unto the historie of Moses and Aaron who turned the Aegyptian waters into blood smote Aegypt with tenplagues untill at last Pharaoh being drowned in the red sea the people were brought out of the house of bondage Thus we see these things must also be spiritually understood For when the Church shall be held captive under the Romish Pharaoh and sigh to God under her oppression then shall the two witnesses Moses and Aaron come that is God will raise up one or more faithfull teachers of the Gospell who by the preaching of Christs free grace shall indeavour to set free the Church out of bondage But Pharaoh shall not hear them therefore these shall turn the waters into blood and smite the adversaries with plagues as often as they will that is not once but many times like as Moses of old smote Aegypt ten times Now this they shall doe by threatning plagues against these spiritual Aegyptians on whom God will take vengeance because of their contemning of the Gospell by sending wars seditions droughts famines pestilence and such like evills which have since the rising of the Gospell been spread over the Christian world as the complaintes of the common people doe testifie who impute these miseries to the doctrine of the Gospel And indeed not altogether without ground for the Gospel is the occasion thereof yet onely by accident for not the word but the contempt of the word drawes down plagues from heaven upon the sons of men Now the witnesses are said to smite the earth How the witnesses shall smite the earth God smiting the same upon their threatnings and sighes which the Lord hearing doth punish the malepertnes of the world with plagues We need not therefore make any matter of their calumnies who impute the fault of these evils unto the Gospell We confesse indeed that it is the cause but how not by any fault of the Gospell in it self and therefore unjustly imputed but by accident For the cause in it self is the idolatrie of Antichrist and his rage against the doctrine of Christ Iesus We have heard what the witnesses shall doe and effect both in the Church and touching the faithfull as also in and against the adversaries Now followes on the contrarie what the enemies shall doe and effect 7. Moreover when they have finished Hitherto we have spoken of the general and special prophesie of the measuring of the temple or the power and ministery of the two witnesses Now followes the martyrdom of the witnesses For Antichrist will not sit still while these doe prophesie but prepare himself to warre against the witnesses overcome and kill them cast their carkeises with contempt into the streets so rejoyce with his followers over the slaine But however the witnesses be put to death yet prophesie shal not be extinguished but a tenth part of the great citie shall fall by an earthquake the martyrs shall again live be taken up into heavenly glory This therfore is the amplification of the Third Act or Antichristian persecution which in a diverse event shall continue unto the end But that which followeth seemes to be contrary to what we heard before touching the power of the witnesses in that it is sayd they shall devour their adversaries with the fire of their mouth smite the earth with plagues as often as they will Now here they are killed overcome by the Beast This is already answered on ver 5. For it doth well agree that the witnesses shall overcome bee overcome They overcome in the goodnesse of their cause by their spiritual power warre victory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spiritually as it is v. 8. because the doctrine of the Gospell notwithstanding all Antichristian opposition shall break forth confound the lyes of the Beast weaken his kingdom On the contrarie the Beast shall imploy his spiritual secular weapons against the witnesses by tyranny overcome kill them The Beast overcoming the witnesses is Antichrist This Beast ascending out of the pit is that self same Angel of the bottomlesse pit Abaddon the king of Locusts spoken of in Chap. 9.11 that is Antichrist as Ribera also Gagnaeus Anonymus confesse For this Beast hath his seat in the great city Babylon Rome as shall appear Chap. 17. v. 9.18 which in the following verses is called Sodome Aegypt Jerusalem spiritually For Antichrist shall rage more cruelly then any beast against Christ but touching the Beast more largely on Chap. 13. Now let us see when with what successe the Beast maketh war against the witnesses When they have finished their testimony Before it was called a prophesie here a testimony by which name John familiarly notes the doctrine of the Gospell This being ended the Beast shal make war against them but they shall finish the same as the Papists say after they have preached 1260 dayes or three yeeres an half The fable of the four yeeres refuted But this fable we have before refuted here it is apparent that it cannot consist For after 1260 dayes the Beast shal slay them triumph thereat Therfore they shal
remain after the witnesses are slain But according to their supposition the Beast shal be no more but killed after three yeeres an half Now we have shewed that the 1260 dayes of their prophesie is put indefinitely by an allusion unto the historie of Elias who by prayer shut heaven from raining for so many dayes Therfore also the end of their testimonie is to be taken indefinitely for the time appointed by God therein to fulfill their ministerie And so the sence seemes thus The Beast indeed shal raise up war so soon as they begin to prophesie yet he shal not overcome them before they have finished their testimonie according to the will of God The which serves for the great comfort of the witnesses For as the high-priests could not hurt Christ before his houre was come although they never ceased to lay wait for his life so likewise Antichrist shall not be able to overcome Christs witnesses before the course of their ministery be finished Therfore the words when they have finished are not to be referred to Antichrists rage against them spoken of in the first place but to the two latter hee shal overcome kill them For he shall alwayes war against the witnesses but shal not kill and overcome them before they have finished their testimony This also serves to prove that Antichrist shall have power indeed to kill overcome the witnesses but not their testimony in the least for it is said they shall accomplish their testimonie And therfore the preaching of the Gospel shal endure unto the end Thus we see who the Beast is what time is to bee understood It remaines now to be handled what manner of warre it is what the effect therof shal be Touching the war it is said He shall make war against them Before he had sufficiently declared what the witnesses should doe and effect against the Beast now on the contrarie he shewes what the Beast shall doe and effect against the witnesses for Antichrist will not sit still and suffer his kingdome to be destroyed but with all his power wil fight for the same And therefore as soon as the witnesses shal begin to prophesie against his kingdom he wil prepare himself to war against them and by how much their prophesie is powerfull by so much the warr shall be the greater But what manner of war and victorie shall this bee Rupertus saith such as is usually betwixt truth and falshood The war shal be both ecclesiasticall and civill and therefore such also shall the victorie be His Ecclesiastical war shal be three manner of wayes The manner of the beasts war against the witnesses First by the seditious sermons of the Locusts their venemous writings and sophistical disputations in the behalfe of Apollyon against the witnesses of Christ branding them for most pestilent hereticks They shall preach with great applause to the multitude that the Beast is head of the Church Christs Vicar and armed as with the key of Peter so with the sword of Paul and Caesar crying out with full mouths that his kingdom is the Catholick Church Secondly through the Councils of Locusts by whose decrees the Beast shall establish his kingdom and anathematize as heretical the truth of Christ For it is true Aene. Syl. in histor concil Basil pag. 79. as Julian the Cardinal freely wrote from the Council of Basil unto Pope Eugenius that by the meanes of Councils the libertie and power of Ecclesiastical persons hath alwayes been strengthened and augmented To be short by the bulles and excommunications of the Romish court by which he shall condemne Christes witnesses with their testimony for heresie and delivering them over to the secular power destroy them by fire and sword to wit as unworthy to breath or live in the world Moreover the beast will raise up civill warres and by his subtiltie cause the kingdomes and provinces of the Christian world to fight against the Gospell that so the witnesses of Christ may bee overcom and killed Therfore it followeth The beast shall overcome them and kill them The latter declares the former This very thing doth sufficientlie shew that these witnesses cannot be literallie taken for Enoch and Elias For what godly man will beleeve that those holy prophets whome the scriptures testifie to have been tranflated from death to life eternal should again return into the earth to be cruelly killed by Antichrist Furthermore the Beast shall kill the witnesses in the like manner he overcame them partly by ecclesiastical censure partly by the secular sword so then not by the goodnesse of his cause nor by the holie scriptures for by these the witnesses shall overcome and consume Antichrist but he shall overcome them by outward force and tyranny by the authority of Councils by thundring out his bulles by cruel warre and his hangmen Thus I say he warreth against the Saintes overcoms kills them not by arguments scriptures but by sword fire excommunications So also my Anonymus 260 yeers past wrot concerning the Popes victorie He shall overcome them in reputation of his friendes kill them some corporally eyther by burning or murdering them with the sword other kinds of death others civilly by adjudging them to perpetuall imprisonment against these whom he cannot torment in this manner he will at least thunder out his excommunications insomuch as they shall not be accounted otherwise then dead men in the Church so far as concerneth a spiritual life What would not this author have written had he seen the histories of our time the foregoing age when the Beast anathematized the two witnesses of England John Wickleffe that excellent teacher and opposer of Poperie and his protectour John Earl of Leicestre whose carkeise not long after being taken up out of the grave he caused to be burnt When he overcame burnt contrarie to the publick faith of the Empire the two witnesses of Bohemia John Husse and Ierom of Prage prophesying that the Ecclesiasticall court of priests should he cast forth When by the bloodie inquisition he delivered unto death many thousand martyrs in Italie Spain France England Belgia when he enwrapt almost all the provinces of Europe in cruell warres to suppresse the Gospell when at length in Germanie God restored the slaine witnesses unto life The Iesuites I doubt not may find this litle commentarie of Anonymus in their publick libraries speaking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 plainely impartially not respecting persons And thence let them judge whither the Pope of Rome were by us of late first accounted that Beast and Antichrist as Bellarmin falsly affirmeth Lib. 3. de P. R. cap. 21. And their carkeises The particle spirituallie here mentioned shewes that this also is not literallie to be understood as we shall further see by that which followes The cruelty therefore of the Beast against the witnesses falsly condemned for heresie is hereby noted forasmuch as they shall not be satiated by cursing and putting of
which Alcasar justly reproveth For what probable cause can there be imagined of an anticipation or reason that Iohn by by should return again by a regression unto the warr of Antichrist This inconvenience they al run into who observe not the order and method of these Apocalypticall visions the which being neglected we must needs wander as in a wood So then here is described the fourth and last Act of the third Vision The fourth Act of the third Vision containing the third Woe that is Gods horrible judgments which shall be powred out in the last day universally upon all wicked men adversaries tyrants hereticks hypocrites Antichrist and his locusts the which indeed shall be an happie change of the Churches calamities Now touching the seventh Angel he is no other but that Archangel Who is the seventh Angel and what the seventh trumpet the publisher of Christs comming with a shout and great voice The seventh trumpet is that last trumpet of God with which Christ shal descend from heaven and call both living and dead unto judgement 1. Thes 4.16 and 1. Cor. 15.52 The members of this Act as we shewed in the analysis are three The first is the heavenly triumph because the kingdoms of the world are become Gods and Christs v. 15. The second is a triumphing song of the four and twenty elders rendring thanks and praises to Christ for the deliverance of the Church and intreating him to bridle the wrath of the adversaries by his judgement and render rewards unto the godly and due punishments unto the wicked ver 16.17 18. The third is the execution of judgement on both ver 19. The scope is to set forth the consolation of the godly at last for howsoever the Church on earth be in warr against Antichrist yet she shall at length triumph with Christ in heaven And there were great voyces in heaven These are not the voyces of mourners Great voyces of rejoycings but of them that rejoyce tow it of the blessed Angels and soules of the Saintes in heaven as appeareth by the subject of the matter But did not John threaten the third Woe Yea he did so but not to the heavenly inhabitants nor unto the servants of God but to the adversaries not in heaven but upon the earth Before the Woes therefore of the enemies called in other places of scripture gnashing of the teeth the worme that dies not unquencheable fire tribulation and anguish and here are named lightnings voyces thunders earthquakes and haile c. Iohn heard the joy of them that were in heaven celebrating with songs the equity and righteousnes of the judgement to come So then the third Woe shal fall not upon the godlie as the two former woes did on both Antichrists but upon the adversaries whom Christ will cast into the lake of fire and brimstone And thus the first apparition or companie of the 24 Elders shall with songs of triumph put an end unto this third Vision The kingdomes of this world are become Montanus in the kings edition hath it in the singular number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the kingdome of this world is made or become but al other bookes have it in the plural according to our translation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sense beeing all one Now it is as I said the triumph and joy of Angels and Saintes in heaven because the mysterie of God was finished according to the praediction in Chap. 10.7 that is because at last Christs kingdome was delivered out of all danger and the power of the adversaries troden under foot The sense is thus The adversaries had violently taken into their possession the kingdomes of the world thrusting out as much as lay in them Christ But now the kingdomes are returned unto Christ who henceforward all enemies beeing destroyed shall reigne alone Of our Lord and of Christ And here is declarative for of our Lord who is Christ So often the Apostle God and the Father for God who is the Father But doth not Christ even now also reigne Psa 2.6 Heb. 2.8 Phil. 2.9 Yea verily for he sits at the right hand of God God hath set his king upon his holy hill of Sion And put all things under his feet And unto him is given a name above every name But then at length he truely shall reigne that is declare that he reigneth when having thrown down the Pope Turke and all other tyrants and adversaries from their thrones he shall alone with the Father and holy Ghost rule the elect Angels and Men. The best interpreter of this place is Paul 1 Cor. 15. ver 24. Then commeth the end when CHRIST shall have delivered up the kingdome to God the Father shall have put downe all rule all authoritie power For he must reigne till he hath put all enemies under his feet and when all things shal be subdued unto him then shall the son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him that God may be all in all But thou wilt say How Christ shal deliver up the kingdome to the Father yet reigne for ever how shal Christ reigne for ever and ever if as it is there said he shall deliver the kingdome to God and the Father I answer he shal deliver the kingdom to God not by resigning up the kingdome but by ceasing to reigne after that manner as hitherto he had done Now he reignes by the meanes of his word sacraments and ministers gathering to himself and sanctifying the Church here on earth Then he shall reigne by immediate illumination and glorification of the Saintes in heaven Now he ruleth in the midst of his enemies Psal 110.2 1 Cor. 15.25 Then he shall reigne alone without enemies Now Antichrist Christs corrival with all deceiveablenes of unrighteousnesse and by the power of Satan doth subject the kingdoms of the world unto himself Then he shal be thrown down and abolished by the brightnes of Christs comming Now God and Christ have a divided empire so to speake with Satan the Pope and other tyrants who chalenge much unto themselves But then all enemies shall be abolished God and Christ shall have a full and entire kingdome over all because they shal be all in all things Christ the Son therfore shal reigne with the Father and holy Ghost for ever and ever and not for a thousand yeeres onely as the Chiliasts dreame of which afterward 16. Then those four and twenty Elders The company of the four and twentie Elders doe also with the other heavenly inhabitants give thankes to God for the vindication and deliverance of the Church and kingdome of Christ beseeching him to execute his last judgement Touching the Elders we have heard Chap. 4.4 One of them Chap. 7.23 concluded the second Vision and expounded to John the glory of the blessed Martyrs Here all of them shut up this third Vision with a song of triumph not much unlike unto that in Chap. 4.
Testament is the multitude of them that professe the faith of Christ in every place In the former sense the Woman or Church is and alwayes shal be the onely spouse of Christ and never so degenerate as to become Antichrists strumpet neither did this Church appeare unto John 2 Tim. 2.19 for God knowes who are his But she appeared in the latter sense here indeed in this place like unto a chast matrone but in Chapter 17 as a great whore But how then is she the same I answer she is the same in name but not in deed in profession but not in faith in appearance but not in truth In the same sense that Ierusalem is called a holie city as in Psal 122.3 and a harlot as Isai 1.21 At the first in the Apostles time a while after the whole Christianity of the East and West was as a chast matrone clothed with faith holinesse as with the starres just so as she here appeared But after the decease of the Apostles and Apostolical men she keept not long the chastitie of an undefiled matron Lib. 3. hist cap. 32. as in Eusebius is testifyed by Egesippus a most ancient writer untill at length possessing the mountaines of Rome changing her starlike habit into scarlet she sate on the Beast and degenerated into a common strumpet as she appeared Chap. 17. Indeed the Romish parasites stronglie cry out to the contrary that the true Church of Christ such as was Rome according to the Apostles testimonie cannot fall away that the spouse of Christ cannot degenerate The which is true of the Church of the first borne the onely and true spouse of Christ but of every Church of the called or of every particular Church it is false as besides very manie testimonies the particular Churches of Corinth Galatia Ephesus Philippi c. confirme for howsoever every one of them of old was a true Apostolicall Church and spouse of Christ Yet at this day where are they or what manner of Churches are they become Now what wonder is it though the same hath happined to Rome although in a different condition but let us return to the text The woman therefore or Church appeares as a chast mother in heaven although she warreth here on earth Phil. 3.20 yet her conversation Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 administration is through faith with Christ in heaven Clothed with the sun For by faith and baptisme she puts on Christ the sun of righteousnes as a wedding garment Gal. 3.17 The brightnes of the sun is now indeed darkned with the cloudes of the infirmities and calamities unto which the Church is subject during her warfare in this life but at last this clothing of hers shall fullie shine as it is in Matt. 13.43 The righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdome of the Father Ephes 5.27 and the Church shal be presented to Christ her husband glorious in the heavens and purged from every spot and wrinkle Having the moon under her feet This denotes the variable state of the Church in this world Heca lib. 4. c. 8. Aug. Epist 48. ad Vincent as also her high mindednesse For the Church saith AMBROSE hath her often defects and risings like the moon having not her own brightnes but borrowes her light from Christ as the moon doth from the sun So AVSTIN The Church is sometimes darkned and as it were clothed with the multitude of scandals sometimes she appeares quiet and free by the tranquillity of the time otherwhile shee is covered and troubled with the floods of tribulations and temptations In Psal 10 And againe The moon increasing decreasing signifies the Church because so far as the Church is spirituall she shineth but so far as she is carnal she is obscure As therefore the moon appeares in diverse formes in the firmament The condition of the Church is variable in this world so is the Churches condition diverse in this life sometimes shining in ful light otherwhile she is scarcely to be seen and sometimes not at all untill again her light break forth as out of darknes This serves for the confutation of that Popish fiction which is that the Church shall alwayes be as visible in the world as is the kingdome of Naples or the like Moreover in that the Woman hath the moon under her feet what is it but that she despiseth all sublunary earthlie things as vaine and perishing The moon under the feet of the woman seekes after possesseth in Christ the thinges that are above And a crown of twelve stars on her head This denotes the faith of the Apostolicall Church the profession whereof was as a crown unto her head For the Apostles being twelve in number did like bright shining stars spread forth the light of Gods truth over the world 1 Cor. 5.11 Ephes 2.10 For however Paul and Barnabas were afterward added unto them yet the number of 12 remained even after Iudas fell away These by their ministery did set a crown upon the Church by laying the foundation upon which she is builded Or in the head that is in the beginning of the Church they did shine like stars and principal members thereof And thus a certaine interpreter expounds it Others make the twelve stars to be the heads of the Creed because faith is the crown of the Church and in them are contained the cheife points of Christian religion Thus much of her clothing Hence we are to observe while the woman did shine clothed with the Sun The church hath changed her sun like clothing into purple had the Moon under her feet and a crown of stars on her head so long she remained the undefiled spouse of Christ but after she put on in stead of the Sun purple and scarlet then she left off from trampling the moon under her feet begane to follow after earthly things changed her crown of stars into a crown of gold pearls precious stones In a word then she played the harlot sate on the Beast and became the mother of fornications which things are afterward described in Chap. 17. Let the reader diligently compare the description And she being with child cryed Most Greek copies have it in the present tense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cryeth so also Andreas and the greater lesser copies of Robert Stephanus But Montanus and the old version have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cryed and so Beza in his latter edition The sense is one But I rather take it in the present tense because the proprietie of the stile denotes the Evangelist John to be author of this booke unto whom this kind of Enallage or change of tenses is verie familiar both in his Gospel and Epistles For paine Our Wafer-worshippers cannot tell how to applie this to the Virgine mother for they hold that Marie was delivered without paine grounding this on another false opinion viz. that she was free from the stain
of original sin but neither of these opinions can be of faith because neither of them are grounded on the word of God The virgins conceiving indeed was miraculous But her bringing forth was natural for by the opening of the wombe she brought forth her first born son Luk. 2.23 But whither a natural delivery can be without paine I leave to naturalists Neither is it needfull to define that with danger August Enchirid. cap. 59. the which without any danger a man may bee ignorant of The type represents the usuall order of nature wherby women being in labour to be delivered are commonly pained the which Christ confirmes John 16.21 And indeed the sorrow of child bearing at first was imposed on the woman by God as a punishment of her sin Gen. 3.16 I will multiply thy sorrowes c. Hence the scripture compares vehement and inevitable anguishes unto the paine of a woman in travel which the Greekes call by a peculiar word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sorrowes and to be in sorrow If therfore the scripture hath defined childbearing to be with paine then we cannot without danger bee ignorant thereof So then this type signifies that the Woman or Church shall not bring forth her fruite without labour sorrow and much crying The which is to be referred partlie to the labour and care of the ministrie and partly to the troubles and calamities of persecutions hence the Apostle traveling in birth of the Corinthians cryes out not without griefe Even unto this present hour we both hunger and thirst 1 Cor. 4.11 and are naked and are buffeted and have no certaine dwelling place we are made the filth of this world and are the of scouring of all things unto this day In stripes 2 Cor 6.5 7.5 in imprinsonments in tumults in labours and watchings on every side we are troubled without were fightings within were feares So likewise he speakes of the declining Galatians My little children saith he Gala. 4.19 of whom againe I travel in birth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 untill Christ be formed in you So then we se that the birth and propagation of the Church shal be with great troubles cares sorrowes and crying the which thing Christ foretold us saying The world shall rejoyce but yee shall mourn And the Apostle Ioh. 16.20 2 Tim. 3.12 All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution Now by that which followeth it will appear that by this sorrowfull travel of the woman are chiefly prefigured the miseries persecutions punishments and martyrdomes which Christians should afterwards suffer under tyrants yet not to terrify but to comfort them for wheras the world thought by these things to suppresse the Church she should though with paine most fruitfully bring forth and bejond all expectation increase far and nere 3. And there appeared another signe The first signe or wonder was a woman The second followes viz. a Dragon is seen by Iohn in heaven of a terrible shape not in that starrie heaven where Astronomers place the Dragon with the signe Ophiuchus or Esculapius but in that heaven which the Apostle speakes of where principallities powers and spirituall wickednesse doe rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in the regions of the aire above us as the Apostle himself declares it Ephes 2.2 unlesse perhaps this signe appeared in the utmost heaven beeing opened A great Dragon Of an huge bignesse and strength for a Dragon is an old Serpent who by devouring of many serpents at last becomes a Dragon according to the saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If a serpent doth not eat a serpent he shall never be a Dragon He is said to be a red Dragon to denote his cruel blood thirstie nature as beeing wholie red with the blood of the Saints Others thinke he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fierie for it may either way be translated to denote his fierie and hellish condition but I rather approve the former Having seven heads Hence Ribera saith it is manifest that these things belong unto the time of his fained Antichrist But he deceiveth and is deceived as thinking Dan. 7.8 that these are the heads and the hornes of the fourth Beast mentioned in Daniel whose little horne tipeth out Antichrist As if the Beast with his heads hornes there spoken of were yet to be expected and not already come long agoe The Dragon here hath nothing common with the Beast in Daniel besides the ten hornes yet it shal neither be this Dragon nor the Beast in Daniel but passing by this let us more narrowly consider the monstre Poets have fained a terrible monstre called Hydra Lernaea not much unlike unto this Dragon in shape having a huge body and nine heads Hydra Lernaea vide Apollod Bibl. lib. 2. eight whereof were mortal the middlemost immortal the killing whereof they ascribe to the second labour of Hercules Now the monstre here spoken off How the Dragon Beast differ differs from the following Beast in that the Dragon hath crownes on his head the Beast on his hornes so that the heads and hornes in this place doe not signifie the same thing there as we shall see herafter Thus there is some difference betwixt the Dragon and the Beast yet their likenesse is great for the Dragon begate the Beast even as like begets its like Who this Dragon should be is very plain by the epithites for he is called that Old Serpent the Devil Satan ver 9. Chap. 20.2 who is known of all to be that enemy of mankind He is represented in the form of a serpent both because in likenesse of a serpent he seduced our first parents as also because of his rage cruelty against the Church and lastly because of his poyson wherwith he infecteth the world The heads and hornes of the Dragon are the devils instruments ministers of his furie against the Woman In that the crownes are said to be on his heads not on his hornes it argues that the heads denote the chiefe instruments of the Dragon armed with regal authority But the hornes inferiour and vulgar yet armed The crowned heads therfore of the Dragon are kings and tyrants persecuting the woman The hornes Who are the heads and hornes of the Dragon are officers under them as governours captaines soldiours hang-men and the like by whom they exercise their crueltie like as the head of a beast doth push with his hornes Seven heads indefinitely for many as before the seven spirits seven lampes c. For a sevenfold number is allwayes indefinite except it bee restrained as afterward it is where it is said that the seven heads of the beast are the seven mountaines of the woman or Rome SO THE TEN HORNES indefinitelie are verie many because there are more inferiour executioners and murtherers then kings Among the heads of the Dragon Herod the Ascalonite is worthelie reckoned in the first place as first labouring to
destroy the womans seed Who are the heads of the Dragon for whose cause almost as soon as he was borne hee wickedlie caused all the infants of Bethlehem to be murthered Next was Herod Antipas his son the murtherer of John The third Herod Agrippa who killed James and persecuted Peter After these the Romane tyrants persecuting Christians are to be numbred among the seven heads as Nero Domitian Trajan Hadrian Antoninus Verus Commodus Severus Decius Diocletian and other most cruell Serpents who wholy imbrued themselves in the blood of the saintes most miserable afflicted the Church until Constantines time Of the Dragons hornes Pilate the Romane Governour was chiefe Who are the Dragons hornes who with the Scribes and Pharisees crucified the Lord of life also his successours as Felix Lysias Festus with all such as afterwards were assistants unto the Romane heads in persecuting the saintes Thus of necessitie these things must bee interpreted onlesse we would grope in darkenesse for they altogether belong to demonstrate the calamities of the primitive Church 4. And his taile drew the third part of the stars Hitherto we have spoken of the Dragons form now followes what he did viz. his twofould crueltie is here noted the first against the Stars the second against the woman He drew the third part of the stars c. This Andreas but little to the purpose interprets of Lucifer drawing with him verie many Angels into destruction It is a Metaphoricall allusion unto that in Dan. 8.10 touching Epiphanes The stars cast down to the earth who in the type of Antichrist cast down the stars to the ground and stamped upon them The Stars in Chap. 1.10 signifie the teachers of Churches Their casting down from heaven to the earth signifies their falling away from the faith and heavenlie function unto humane traditions and the cares of this life as before we heard on Chap. 6.13 8.10 9.1 This the Dragon did by his taile The fail of the Dragon signifying as some thinke his fraudulent subtiltie for as dogs with their tailes faune upon their masters so Satan drew by flaterie and lying promises many teachers from seeking after heavenlie things and dasht them against the rocks of wordly honour Now this indeed he hath don and yet dayly doth to the destruction of many not withstanding this is not al for the Dragon begane his battel by open violence I therefore rather interpret the Dragons taile in which his chiefest strength consists of the crueltie and long continued persecutions by which many professours of the name of Christ who ought like stars to shine before others partlie through torments and partlie through feare have fallen from the faith and worshipped devils This happened under the cruel stormes of former persecutions as histories testifie principally under Domitian Diocletian Decius For Diocletian to alledge the words of Eusebius concerning his time onely by a tyrannicall edict commanded the meeting houses of Christians to be laid even with the ground then to burne the holy Scriptures Lib. 8. hist c. 3. that the leaders of Christians should be apprehended fettered and by torments constrained to sacrifice unto Idols Then many indeed beeing constant suffered Martyrdom but an infinite number of others saith he beeing overcom by fear soon after the first brunt gave over wholy the combat But what way soever we take it it is an anticipation that is the thinges are before related which the Dragon did afterward Primasius saith that the taile are the false prophets through whom the enemie fulfils his wickednes As in Isay 9.15 The prophet that teacheth lies is the taile namelie because of their smooth and flattering sermons Now the Dragon did both And therefore we may take both the senses making the summe to be thus The Devil both by the lies of deceivers as also by the cruelty of tyrants drew many away from the faith c. Of which seducement mention is made in vers 9. So then he casts from heaven to the earth because he seduceth from the faith unto perfidiousnes by the love of the earth some by lies others by torments Not withstanding when I compare the Visions I see that here the spirit pointes at the third fourth fift trumpet of the foregoing Vision to give us to understand that the great Star called wormwood Cha. 8.10 with the third part of the stars Ibid. v. 12. and that great Star fallen from heaven Chap. 9.1 were drawen and cast to the earth by the fall of this Dragon that is fell away from the sinceritie of the faith and Christian pietie to worldlie mindednes and Antichristianisme And the Dragon stood Another enterprise of the Dragon against the woman he stands before her to devoure her child like as an hungrie wolfe stands before the fowld 1. Pet. 5.8 to destroy the sheep that come forth Satans ravenous appetite is insatiable the which he desires to fill with our blood therfore Peter describes him under the type of a hungrie and roaring Lyon But this is generall Let us therfore applie it more nerely to the purpose First the dragon endeavoured what he could to devoure Christ in his owne person that is when Herod the first head of the Dragon beeing troubled at the hearing of Christ birth most wickedlie murthered all the children of two yeers that so he might not misse to devour the womans child Also when Pilate the first horn of the Dragon condemned and crucified the son of God Afterward he mightelie laboured to destroy him in his members when Herod Antipas beheaded the Baptist Herod Agrippa tooke away the life of James Againe when the other heades as Nero Domitian and the following tyrants by cruel edicts punishments rackings and persecutions throughout the whole empire indeavoured by all meanes to swallow up what ever the Church brought forth that so they might destroy all Christians and utterly blot out the faith of Christ Neither is Brightmans note to be disapproved viz. that the Dragon by tyrants did diligentlie watch that there might not be born any defender of the Christian religion And if any Emperour or Governour seemed but to favour Christians he was soon devoured by the Serpent The enterprise we have heard now let see the event The Second part of the Chapter The historie and event of both signes 5. And shee brought foorth a man childe who was to rule all the nations with a rod of iron and her childe was caught up unto God and to his throne 6. And the woman fled into the wildernes where she hath a place prepared of God that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes 7. And there was warre in heaven Michael and his Angels fought against the dragon and the dragon fought and his Angels 8. And prevailed not neither was their place found any more in heaven 9. And the great dragon was cast out that old serpent called the devill and Satan which deceiveth the whole world
hee was cast out into the earth and his angels were cast out with him 10. And I heard a loud voyce saying in heaven Now is come salvation and strength and the kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ for the accuser of our brethren is cast downe which accused them before our God day and night 11. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lambe and by the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto the death 12. Therefore rejoyce yee heavens and yee that dwell in them Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea for the devill is come downe unto you having great wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short time 13. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth hee persecuted the woman which brought forth the man childe 14. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle that shee might flee into the wildernesse into her place where she is nouris hed for a time and times and halfe a time from the face of the Serpent 15. And the Serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman that hee might cause her to be carried away of the flood 16. And the earth helped the woman and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth 17. And the dragon was wroth with the woman and went to make warre with the remnant of her seed which keepe the commandements of God and have the Testimony of Iesus Christ 18. And I stood upon the sand of the Sea THE COMMENTARIE ANd she brought forth a man child The woman brings forth and a man child is born he is set upon by the dragon but caught up to the throne of God so the Dragon is frustrated of his prey This whole type may bee applyed to Christ literallie For in the head the lot or portion of the members is represented A man child is born which notes his sex strength and power This is meant of Christ who is the mightie God and the following attribute is also proper to him Hee shall feed or rule all nations with a rod of iron out of Psal 2. for hee is appointed by the father to be the feeder or ruler of all nations ruling them with an iron rod that is a most powerfull scepter for iron is not fraile yet in a diverse or different way some he quickneth by the scepter of his word and spirit and directeth them as his sheep into his sheep fowld of glorie Others by the same scepter hee breakes in pieces as a potters vessel and casts them as goates into hel fire Christ therfore doth nothing feare the Dragons open mouth because he is a manchild he cares not for his diadems nor feareth his hornes because he can beate down all things with his rod of iron And here it is closely answered to what might be objected Why the Dragon did not devoure the man-child viz Why did the Dragon cease wherefore did he not devoure the child so soon as he was born two or three reasons are shewed how his endeavours were frustrated The magnanimity that is the divine power of the manchild did terrify him his iron scepter made him afraid wherewith he bruiseth his heads and hornes But did he not swallow him up beeing dead not in the least for though he bruised his heele yet he could not hurt him because beeing delivered from the power of death satan he was taken up into heaven sate down at the right of God For this also which is added and he was caught up c. may bee literallie applyed to Christ However the prophetical sense of this type is here chieflie to be considered The Woman that is the Church brought forth a Son collective for many children of God by the seed of the word For even in the beginning by the Apostolicall preaching many thousands of Christians were begotten to Christ and the elect of God dispersed throughout the whole earth were gathered by little little This generation is sayd to be male-children because the elect beeing strong in faith doe manfully resist Satan Io. 11 52. Act. 2.39 They also in Christ their head shall rule the nations with a rod of iron Revel 2.17 seeing the head communicates what is his unto his members hence the Saintes shall judge the world and Angels 1 Cor. 6.2 They shal be caught up to God also on his throne because beeing supported by the power of God they shall not fall under their temptations but finishing their warfare with courage shall obtain as conquerours a crown of glorie with Christ For to him that overcommeth he will graunt to sit with him in his throne even as he also overcame and was set with his Father on his throne Chap. 3.21 This consolation did chiefly belong to the times of the martyrs while Christ rode on the red horse even from Neroes persecution unto that of Diocletian as may plainly be gathered from v. 11. Now this allegoricall sense by me expounded would have been the more obscure as touching the members but that the historicall sense before was very plaine and cleare in Christ the head and therfore it was necessarilie to be set down in the first place Brightman takes this man child to be Constantine the great who at length was brought forth by the Church as a patron and defender of the faith against Maxentius Licinius and other enemies But I know not whither with more shew of reason then Lyra who understands it as meant of Heraclius who reigned Phocas beeing taken away very unprosperously For here the womans seed doth certainly denote the ryse and first state of the primitive Church 6. And the woman fled into the wildernesse Vnlesse here we take notice of the anticipation The anticipation of the womans flight reason thereof mentioned in the Analysis and which our Tossanus hath rightly observed many intricate questions will arise as how in this verse the woman is said to flie into the wildernesse and again in v. 14 whither she once returned fled twise fled thither before the battel how she flue before she received wings c. Therfore her flight is put by an anticipation but came to passe afterward when the Dragon was cast into the earth and after a new persecution was raised against her v. 13. For she fled not so soon as she was delivered indeed bow could she flie having newly brought forth but some while after First Michael thrust the Dragon out of heaven Hereupon the heavenly inhabitants sang their triumphant song The Dragon then to revenge the losse of his prey and his own ruin began to follow after the woman She then hath wings given her so flies into the wildernesse And this is the order of the Vision Thus her flight is here brought in by an anticipation because the spirit having shewed how the child was delivered
celebrated viz. The joy of the Church and the mourning of the adversaries with the causes of both The great voyce that Iohn heard signifies the multitude of rejoycers and the greatnes of their joy because of the victorie From vers 11. it may be gathered that they were the saintes in heaven who acknowledge the Church militant for their brethren Therfore all the heavenlie companies sing togither excepting the third companie of Angels and the fourth of other creatures The proposition of their song is in vers 12. rejoyce yee heavens and yee that dwell in them In calling upon the heavens themselves to rejoyce they amplifie the excellencie of the benefit for great joy is caused by great mercies This Prosopopoeja is often used as afterward in Chap. 19.20 so in Isa 1.2 heare ye heavens And yee that dwell in them that is the Angels of heaven whom they invite to rejoyce with them The arguments of their joy are the worthie benefits of the victorie which are three in number as we shewed in the analysis The first is that by this victorie comes salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ The like benefits were set forth in the foregoing vision at the sounding of the seventh Angel Cha. 11.15 but arising from a different cause There the dwellers in heaven rejoyced for the finall judgement and destruction of Antichrist and other adversaries here they exult for the first victorie of Michael against the Dragon by which is come salvation and strength c Now howsoever God and Christ had this evermore before yet the same appeared not so fullie because of the wickeds rage and tumult the which they seemed to winke at But then they openlie declared their power c. When Michael that is Christ by his death resurrection and exaltation brake the power of the Dragon and cast him to the earth Besides they had it not alwayes for us that is for our help and consolation But at last it came to bee ours and for us through the victorie of Michael For it is to be observed that they say not these things came to God and to Christ but that now the salvation and power of God and of Christ was come that is was gotten given and communicated to us For through Christs victorie the salvation of our God is come viz. unto us from our God Then the power of our God did manifest it self when it drew us as a lost prey out of the Dragons jawes Then Gods kingdom became ours when we beeing delivered out of the power of darkenesse Colos 1.13 Rom. 1.4 were translated into the kingdome of his beloved Son Then Christs power became ours when he having over come death and Satan was declared to be the son of God powerfullie according to the spirit of sanctification by the resurrection from the dead This is the first argument of joy to the heavenlie spirits and to us in regard that our salvation is founded in the victorie of Michael and that the power and kingdome of our God is vindicated from the violence of the Dragon Our God so they call him that we might confidentlie trust that by this victorie God is reconciled unto us Ioh. 16.33 for so Christ bids us saying bee of good cheere I have overcome the world To this spiritual joy may also be added that outward rejoycing of Christians when Constantine the Emperour had driven the foresaid Dragons out of heaven to the earth Thus I say salvation strength kingdome and power of God and Christ did seeme to come when a Christian Emperour was set on the throne glorifyed God publickly maintained Christs power and freed the Church from tyrannie For the kingdome of God is visiblie seen as it were saith Brightman when godlie princes are placed at the stern The which indeed is true But here it is a secondarie sense For the accuser of our bretheren is cast down The second benefit of the victorie and argument of joy is the immunitie of the Godly from satans accusations Whom before he called a slaunderer adversarie and deceiver he now cals him our accuser It is an allusion to the court where the judge sitteth on the tribunal Satans Iudiciall action against sinners before whom is brought a guilty person with his accuser demanding his life This judge is God For he will judge the world in righteousnes and shall minister judgment to the people in uprightnes Before his tribunal we all stood guiltie of eternal death through sin Gods revenging justice stood against us requiring that we should suffer temporal and eternal punishments For what was committed by us against his infinite majesty Rom. 1.32 For it is the judgement of God that they who commit such things are worthie of death Against us stood the law of God pronouncing cursings against the transgressours thereof Our own evill conscience also arguing and convincing us of eternall guiltinesse But Christ our Michael pleaded our cause before God and by suffering death for our sakes most fullie satisfyed his justice and healed our wounded consciences from the sting of sin purging and sanctifying our harts through faith by his spirit Act. 15.9 Rom. 8.1 and therefore there is no condemnation to us who are in Christ Notwithstanding satan left not off to prosecute his action to accuse and blame us to stirre up God against us and to rage against the faithfull In that he is said to accuse us day and night before God it doth emphaticallie set forth satans malice he knowes God is ours that is reconciled unto us in Christ yet he impudently blameth us to make him if he could not to be ours But thankes be to God Michael hath cast this impudent railer out of heaven that hence forward he might no more molest the Lord with his lying accusations If this great benefit gave occasion of so great joy to the heavenly inhabiters then much more to us For the Dragon was not an accuser of them in heaven but of us who as yet walk in the slipperie pathes of this world Therefore they say The accuser of our bretheren to wit they who as yet have their warfare here on earth This is a worthie thing that the Church triumphant acknowledgeth us to be bretheren And indeed the Catholick or universall Church is a communion of all the Saintes both in heaven and in earth So Chap. 6.11 Hence first the doctrine of the Gospel touching free justification by faith is here confirmed For if our accuser bee cast out then certainlie Free justification by faith here established no man accusing us God the judge will not condemn but acquit and justifie them who by faith are in Christ Iesus It confirmes also the doctrine of the full assurance of our faith and salvation The full assurance of faith touching our salvation Rom. 8.33 For if Christ hath satisfyed Gods judgement for us and silenced our accuser then verely henceforward we may fullie perswade
inquisitours all men to worship the first Beast But thou wilt say how is this Beast said to cause the inhabitants of the earth to do that thing now He causeth all to worship the first Beast which they did before and that of their own accord The reason hereof is intimated in the following words Whose former wound was healed that is howsoever the Beasts authority began not a little to be lessened by that wound Neverthelesse by the unwearied endeavours of this Beast which here the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 causeth or doth signifies together by his subtilty eloquence and violence it was effected that all men remained constant in adoring the Apostolicall sea But who are these worshippers The earth and the inhabitants thereof Now who and what these are see v. 8. We need not to envie this worship of the Beast seeing that not the salvation of the Elect but only of reprobates shal be in jeoperdy thereby But are al in the Papacy reprobates damned God forbid for even in the midst of Babylon God hath his people Rev. 18. v. 4. The spirit therefore speaketh this onely of those who persevere to worship the Beast and do not renounce his blasphemies 13. And doth great wonders Another effect of his power are Great signes or wonders He doth great wonders by which he shall perswade and induce the inhabitants of the earth to worship the Beast For as the devill is Gods Ape so is Antichrist Christs as God and Christ therefore confirmed the doctrine of Moses the Prophets and Apostles by many wonders and miracles so Satan shall establish the Beasts great words and Antichrist his great power by wonderfull signes Signes that is miracles or workes either really or in appearance surpassing the strength of nature Great that is wonderfull and terrible These he shall both do himself as also cause his agents to do the like as Bellarmin well observes Not onely Antichrist saith he Lib 3. de P. R c 15. but also his ministers shall do wonders The same thing Christ foretold us Mat. 24. vers 24. There shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders in so much as if it were possible they shall seduce the very elect Now what signes they are the Apostle tells us 2 Thes 2.9 What Antichrists miracles are with all the causes thereof Whose comming is after the effectuall working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders and with all deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse in them that perish c. The efficient cause is Satans efficatious working The materiall the prodigious events beyond nature The formall the deceits and subtill illusions of the devill by which the sences of men are bewitched The small How they differ from true miracles his lies and deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse that the world may be seduced And indeed in all these causes false miracles differ from the true which are works truely surpassing the order and strength of nature and are done by the power of God to the manifesting of his omnipotency and confirmation of doctrine divinely revealed such the Lord sometimes wrought by the Prophets under the Law Yet not by all nor at all times lest they might have been little regarded or else that the world should depend upon them In the New Testament also Christ and his Apostles with many other of the faithfull wrought great miracles for the confirmation of the Gospell of Christ De vera relig c. 5. de util cred lib. 6. in 1 Cor. 2. Hom. 6. ca. 49. in mat But these as Augustine and Chrysostome in many places witnesse ceased in the third age after Christ And therefore Austin admonisheth that we are not rashly to beleeve miracles because Christ foretold such things of deceivers and bids us to beware of them Whereby we see how soundly the Jesuites quit themselves and their Pope from the impostures of Antichristianisine in glorying of the many signes and wonders that every where are to be seen in the Papacy Not perceiving in the mean time that in this very thing they discover Antichrist seeing the Scriptures do make great wonders and miracles to be the proper marks of him So that he maketh fire come down he rehearseth one of the great signes of the Beast namely that he makes fire to fall down from heaven in the sight of men Antichrists miracles according to the Iesuites The Iesuites reckon up three miracles of Antichrist One is that he shall feine himself to be dead and rise againe But in ver 3. we have shewed how this fable is without all probability The second that he shall bring down fire from heaven The third that he shall put life into the image of the Beast and cause it to speak 1 King 13 38. 2 King 1.10 of this we shall treat on vers 15. The second he shall do by a certaine imitation of Elias who by fire from heaven consumed the sacrifice and also devoured the Captaines with their fifties to shew that he was a man of God To which it is probable the spirit here alludeth for Antichrist will be accounted a man of God But it seems rather to allude to that wicked action of Satan who with fire from heaven consumed the sheep and servants of Job For whatsoever he doth Iob. 1 16 he shal do by the effectuall working of Satan unto the destruction of men Now hence it followeth saith Bellarmin that the Pope is not Antichrist for neither any Pope himselfe or any of his ministers did ever make fire to come down from heaven The consequence is not good for it is apparent the species or one great wonder is put for the whole genus But the species being denied the genus is not denied As therefore it will not follow that none of Christs Disciples were true Apostles Mat. 17.20 because none of them removed mountaines according to the letter of the text the which notwithstanding Christ promised unto his Disciples for it was enough that they did other great miracles so neither doth it follow that the Pope is not Antichrist although he hath not according to the letter brought down fire from heaven For it is enough that many Popes of which Bellarmin boasteth have been renowned for working great signes and wonders and that the whole Papacy is full of miracles to wit false and lying ones such as the holy Ghost here and in 2 Thes 2. do ascribe to Antichrist and of which Christ himself forewarned us Mat. 24.24 beleeve them not Now the spirit rather attributes this species of wonders unto him then any other as respecting the manner of speech then common to the Hebrews and still is to this day for the Iews say If a man cause fire to descend from heaven for if any one with a heavenly miracle would prove himself to be a man of God and deny the Law of Moses let him be accursed Vestigat pag. 701. Because
royall Priesthood to God and Christ c. 5. And in their mouth was found no guile The sixt title is their integrity they are without hypocrisie both in faith Their integrity word and manners This indeed is truely said of Christ alone Isay 53.9 But attributed to the sealed by participation with Christ their head August hom 11 in Apoc. and by imputed righteousnesse He saith not saith Austine there hath not been but there is no guile found c. for such as the Lord findes a man when he cals him hence such also he judgeth him to be c. For they are without fault before the throne of God These words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Kings bible hath not Innocency yet the old Latine and the other Greeke copies have them The last commendation is their innocency and full perfection before God The cause both of this and the former commendation is shewed before viz. because they have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb Therefore they all are without guile and spot The which if it be referred to the state of this life we must againe understand it that they are such by imputation and and inchoation And then the words before the throne of God signifie not the place but their esteem in Gods judgement as if he should say They are without fault not in themselves and before men but in the eyes judgement of God freely absolving the faithful from all pollution and accounting them as without fault because of the blood of the Lamb If unto the state of the life to come then before the throne not onely signifies the place but also the cause of the blessednes of the sealed ones in heaven for being without fault they shal enjoy the perpetual sight of God which shall be their persect blessednesse And this is that which he said Chap. 7.15 Therefore they are before the throne of God and serve them day and night The second Part of the Chapter Of the three Angels publishing the everlasting Cospell against Antichrist 6 And I saw another Angell flee in the midst of heaven having the everlasting Gospell to preach unto them that dwell on the earth and to every nation and kindred and tongue and people 7 Saying with a loud voice Feare God and give glory to him for the houre of his judgement is come and worship him that made heaven and earth and the sea and the fountaines of waters 8 And there followed another Angell saying Babylon is fallen is fallen that great citie because she made all nations drinke of the wine of the wrath of her fornication 9 And the third Angell followed them saying with a loud voice if any man worship the Beast and his image and receive his marke in his forehead or in his hand 10 The same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God which is powred out without mixture in the cup of his indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoake of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever And they have no rest day nor night who worship the beast and his image and whosoever receiveth the marke of his name 12 Here is the patience of the Saints Here are they which keep the Commandements of God and the faith of Iesus 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 workes doe follow them THE COMMENTARY ANd I saw another Angel Here followes the second part touching the Angels preaching against Antichrists kingdome Who these are and to what times the prophesie appertaines is much questioned All agree in this that these Angels represent the Preachers of the Gospell in the times of Antichrist But Popish expositours referre the same to the last foure years of the world in which time they absurdly imagine that Antichrist shall beare the sway For how should all those things which are treated of touching the Beast and the Whore from the 13. Chap. unto the end almost of the whole Book be accomplished in so short a space Ribera supposeth they are three renowned Preachers of the Gospell in the time of Antichrist But Alcasar by his consequence is forced to reject this interpretation of the Papists And therefore he feineth that these are the three principall writers of holy Scripture Peter Paul and John The which foolish fiction is refuted by the very naming of it Our interpreters doe generally acknowledge that these things appertain to the times of the reformation of the Church but by what occasion this vision is here againe demonstrated seeing it was before foretold in Chap. 11. touching the measuring of the temple they expound not By our Method it is plaine seeing here we handle the Third Act of this vision that these things are to be compared with the Third Act of the foregoing vision In the second vision indeed there was nothing answering to this because there onely the preservation of the sealed or elect under Antichrist was manifested to Iohn the which is here also treated of in the first part of this Chapter But in the third vision we have the measuring of the temple and the prophesie of the two witnesses Chapter 11. representing unto us the reformation of the Church that should be in the last times unto which therefore we are to returne for the two that is a few prophesying witnesses there mentioned are here said to be three preaching Angels that is they are more then before And this very thing Anselmus as Ribera reports acknowledgeth taking the first Angell to be Elias the second another Prophet and companion of him rightly indeed according to the scope but he erres in the persons But as before we shewed that the measuring of the temple began about the time of the Councell of Constance or a little before so without doubt these three Angels began to preach from that time forward whose ministery no sooner shall be ended but the Beast shall be thrust into utter destruction I saw another Angell flying No Angell had gone before Therefore he was not one of the Harpers or of the multitude of sealed ones Which signifies that from this time another state of the Church was to be looked for An Angell that is a Preacher of the Gospell as before in Vision first the singular number by an enallage being put for the plurall for there should not be one onely but more although at the first but few should zealously set themselves upon the worke of reformation The first Angell is Wickleffe One therefore is named because one should excell and with an heroicall spirit begin the worke This Angell is John Wickleffe Professour of the Vniversity of Oxford a man noted throughout the whole world For when the whole West admired and followed
7.15 They serve God day and night But in a contrary sence for there is noted the continuance of the Saints their joy in heaven here the perpetuall torment of the damned In the meane while it appeares that by the phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 day and night is signified alwaies perpetually and without intermission for however there be no light or day in hell but a perpetuall night or darknesse yet the holy Ghost speaketh after the manner of men who have dayes and nights interchangeably Who worship the Beast That the worshippers of the Beast might leave of to say that these torments are prepared for hereticks whom they so terme the holy Ghost doth expresly repeat that they are prepared for them that worship the Beast and his image Touching whom we have before treated And whosoever receiveth the marke of his name This is that large and Catholick symbole of the Romanists for as we heard Chap. 13. the Beasts name in Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lateinos in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Romanus 12. Here is the patience of the Saints An hortatory and consolatory exclamation unto the Saints to stir them up to patience under the trials of Antichrist not to decrease in faith and obedience under the crosse but looke up to the promised reward in heaven This is the summe of the two following verses The first member here is the patience of the Saints is taken out of Chap. 13.10 yet the scope is something different For there it was spoken in respect of Antichrists tyranny the sence therefore was thus seeing Antichrists tyranny is so great the Saints ought to prepare themselves patiently to endure lest falling from their constancy they make shipwrack of salvatiō Here it is spoken with respect unto the torments of the Antichristians Hence therefore the holy Ghost suggesteth an argument of patience to the Saints that seeing so tragicall an end is certainely to befall Antichrist and his followers therefore they ought quietly to endure his tyranny knowing the other are to suffer eternall punishment for the same which horrible destruction of the adversaries ought to provoke the Saints to constancy Here are they that keep A periphrasis of the Saints for they are called Saints not who are canonized in Antichrists Calender but the observers of the commandements of God and faith of Jesus and both is opposed to the false worship of the Beast The faith of Jesus is our confidence in Christ the alone Saviour The keeping of the commandements of God is obedience to the Gospell not according to Antichrists decrees but according to Gods Commandements Both these cohere for without obedience faith is hypocrisie here saith he are they that keep for henceforward they shall or let them keep that is we are exhorted to persevere constantly in the faith of Iesus and obedience of Gods commandements that we may be free from Antichrists punishments 13. And I heard a voice Thus much of the exhortation The consolation of the Saints followeth It is an argument stirring up to constancy taken from the reward of heavenly felicity for to use Brightmans words the last evill which the wicked could bring upon them is the meanes of the present felicity of the faithfull It is opposed to the temptation of anathemaes by which the Pope shall strike the three Angels accusing them as broaching a new Gospell That they were enemies of the Catholick Church and damnable hereticks On the contrary the heavenly voice pronounceth them Blessed c. this is the connexion and scope let us now see the words The particle and is continuative for Then as Beza renders it or causall for therefore be constant in the faith of Jesus and obey God against the Beast because or for I heard a voice The words are Johns declaring with what comfort the Saints should raise up themselves to constancy And whence he hath it I heard a voice from heaven Therefore being proclaimed from heaven it is certaine and true he saith not whither it were a voice of God or an Angell But it is the voice of Christ Ioh. 5.24 Ioh. 8.51 who published the same in the Gospell He that heareth my word and beleeveth in him that sent me hath life eternall and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life And If a man keep my word he shall never see death The heads of the voice are three I. a commandement to write II. The argument of the writing III. The proofe and declaration of the argument Write Before in Ch. 1.19 he had a general commandement to write the Revelation This is a speciall commandement to write the heavenly voice Bel l. 4. de verb. c. 4. touching the blessednesse of such as die in the Lord. Both places teach against the Iesuites that the Apostles were commanded by Christ not onely to preach but to write their doctrine Now wherefore is he bid to write That we might understand the dignity of this doctrine the which the holy Ghost would not have to vanish in the aire but to be set down in tables that it might perpetually serve for the consolation of the Church and that Antichrist might not in any wise be able to deny deprave or suppresse the same Write to wit to comfort the Saints and refute the monstrous judgement of Antichrist touching the godly that they are damnable hereticks to refute also the wicked fiction of Purgatory in which they say that the soules of them that die in the Lord are first to be tormented before they can enjoy felicity Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord from henceforward By the second argument of this most comfortable writing the dead in the Lord are declared to be blessed by which is refuted the prophanenesse of Epicures who say that death is the end of things and that the dead are wholly brought to nothing And the wicked opinion of Antichrist touching the unhappy estate of the godly by him accursed as hereticks But the heavenly voice pronounceth them blessed in death Therefore Antichrists beastly thunder-bolts should not terrifie us But let us see who are said to be blessed and when Of the former it is said Who being dead are said to be blessed Mat. 5.11 What it is to die in the Lord. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the dead who die in the Lord. Beza renders it which die for the sake of the Lord or because of the Lord according to the saying Blessed are ye when men shall say all evill against you falsly for my sake The which Ribera also approves And so indeed the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Lord do sometimes signifie as Rom. 16.1 Receive Phebe our fister in the Lord as becommeth Saints that is for the sake of the Lord. Salure Amplius my beloved in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis which laboureth much in the Lord that is for the cause of Christ Thus taken the consolation should onely belong to Martyrs that die in the
doe-tumultuously rage without let or punishment promising to themselves perpetuall prosperity Lest therefore the faithfull should be discouraged seeing the sonne of perdition thus to rage and themselves overwhelmed with divers sorrows and calamities here the last judgement is propounded to John in which shall follow a wonderfull change of things For then the Wheat shall be gathered into the heavenly Barne and the chaffe burned with unquenchable fire This I say is the scope and use of the remaining matter in the Chapter But in the coherence of these things with the foregoing I finde all equally at a stay as not perceiving wherefore the last judgement is here againe represented Touching the Coherence interpreters are troubled seing it was before shewed unto John Chap. 6. towards the end Chap. 11. towards the end and afterward againe in Chap. 16. and most clearely in the end of Chapters 19. 20. Ribera as before Chap. 11 hath nothing to say save that the day of judgement is here described by an anticipation because the context of the things themselves requires that the punishment of the wicked be here described But no reason can be given why these judgements should be so often described and that indeed at the end of every Vision except our method be observed in which we have noted that all the generall visions consist of foure Acts answering each to other This therefore is the true cause why the last judgement is here againe represented because the last Act of the fourth Vision now followeth Let us see the words And I saw This is the last part of the vision The last Iugdement figured out by the Harvest and Vintage The day of judgement is figured out by two types The Harvest and Vintage because there shall be two acts of the same The gathering of the godly into heaven and the casting of the wicked into hell fire The former is set forth by the Harvest in which the wheat shall be gathered into the barne according to the parable of Christ Mat. 13.30 The latter by the Vintage because the wicked shall be troaden downe in the lake of Gods wrath that is be tormented with eternall paines of hell So these types may not unfitly be distinguished Notwithstanding it is not amisse to difference them as the whole and part For the Harvest shall not onely gather the wheat out of the Lords field into the garner but also burne the tares that are gathered as we see in the said parable Mat. 13. Thus the Harvest should represent the whole judgement But the vintage shall cast and tread all the grapes in the lake of Gods wrath Now the godly shall not be cast into this lake for they shall not come into condemnation Ioh. 5.24 But the ungodly onely And therefore by the vintage the punishment of the wicked seemes onely to be represented Thus much of the parables in generall And behold a white cloud The person of Christ the Iudge is gloriously discribed in this verse by foure adjuncts 1. by his forme that he is like to the Son of man 2. by the gesture of body he sits on a white cloud 3. by his habit he hath on his head a Crown of Gold 4. By the Instrument He holds in his hand a sharpe Sicle In these words is no obscurity therefore I will not dwell on them They who deny or doubt as Ribera and Brightman that the Son of man doth here denote Christ because it is not said the Son of man but like to the Son of man Neither with an article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seeme in my opinion to ground it on a very slight conjecture For in Dan. 7.13 It is plain Christ is said to be like to the Son of man I saw in the clouds of Heaven as it were the Son of man And Paul Philip 2.7 Being made in the likenesse of men he was found in fashion or habit as a man And Rom. 8. He sent his son in the likenesse of sinfull flesh And Heb. 2.14 He likewise tooke part of flesh and blood and Verse 17. It behoved him to bee made like his brethren In which Phrases the verity of Christs humane nature is not denyed but the priviledge of the Man-Christ is noted that though he bee like unto us in all things yet is he not like us man onely but God also neither as man is he borne a sinner of mans seed but conceived and begotten of a Virgin by the operation of the Holy Ghost being not defiled with any staine of sinne That which they say of the Article is infirme For before also in Chap. 1.13 Iohn saw CHRIST 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like to the Son of man without an Article standing in the middest of the seven Candlestickes Here he sees him sitting as a Iudge on his Tribunall On a white cloud Noting his divine Majesty For God in the Psalms is often said to be carried and ride on the clouds because of his heavenly power This white cloud is that throne of glory whereon Christ saith he will sit Mat. 25.31 The which throne he himselfe interprets of the clouds of heaven Mat. 26.64 Hereafter yee shall see the Sonne of man sitting on the right hand of power and comming in the clouds of heaven according to that in Dan. 7.13 The crown of gold on his head is the ensigne of his Kingly Majesty In Chap. 19.12 he hath many Diadems on his head and on his thigh a name written The King of kings and Lord of lords The Beast also had crownes on his hornes but not of gold and ten onely This Iudge therefore is more powerfull then Antichrist and all tyrants for with an iron rod he will crush all adversaries as a potters vessell in the day of judgement The sharp sickle of a reaper which is in his hand to wit in his right hand denotes Christs judicary and divine power to whom it is as easle to execute his judgement on the whole earth as for reapers with a sharp sickle to cut down the ripe corne ANDREAS the sickle saith he is a symbole of consummation for Christ himself cals the end of the world a harvest Mat. 13. 15. Another Angell came out of the temple This Angell and the other two comming forth out of the temple and altar vers 17.18 are not preachers of the Gospell as Brightman supposeth for at the harvest and vintage of the last judgement preaching shall cease but it is one of the chiefe Ministers of Christ by whom he will execute the judgement He comes out of the Temple to wit of heaven as vers 17. before Chap. 11.19 By and by another comes forth from the Altar of Heaven which is visionally to be taken because properly there is no Temple nor Altar in heaven but formerly in Ierusalem it was fashioned and made according to the heavenly patterne The great cry of the Angell saith ANDREAS denotes the common supplication of all vertues desiring to see the glory indeed of
Temple of Heaven from the Throne saying It is done 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 19 And the 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 fiercenesse of his wrath 20 And every Island fled away and the mountaines were not found 21 And there fell upon men a great haile out of Heaven every stone about the weight of a talent and men blasphemed God because of the Plague of the haile for the Plague thereof was exceeding great THE COMMENTARY ANd the seventh Angel poured out Now the Battle is expected but yet it is intercepted by the seventh Angell pouring out the seventh Viall and last plague the which respecteth the last judgement and the casting the Fighting Adversaries into eternall punishment It is so apparent that this is a true description of the last judgement that almost all Interpreters acknowledge the same Yet none of them give a sufficient reason why it is here again repeated seeing it hath so often before been described save onely they say it is done by way of anticipation But what cause is there that this Anticipation should be so often iterated certainely none at all except it be because this is the last Act of the fift Vision Now every of the Visions as hitherto wee have seene doe end with the last Judgement So that this part of the Vision is to be compared with the former Analogies of Chap. The latter Act of Vision 5. 7. towards the end of the second Vision and Chap. 11. towards the end of the third Vision and Chap. 14. towards the end of the fourth Vision Now in this they differ that in Chap. 7. the last judgement is onely described by the deliverance of the godly On the contrary in Chap. 11. 14. and here also it is only figured out by the destruction of the Antichristians This also is to be observed That the seventh Viall doth answer to the seventh Trumpet in Chap. 11. but not to the seventh Seale in Chap. 8. the opening whereof did not shut up the foregoing Vision but made way for the following Now to the words The last Viall is poured out into the Ayre which is the common receptacle of all living creatures The ayre therefore being smitten with the fury of Gods wrath and infected with pestilence what should follow but the common destruction of the creatures and end of other things of which that we might not doubt there came a great voyce saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is done It is a great voyce because with marveilous earnestnesse it proclaimeth the judgement of the last Day It came out of the Temple of heaven from the Throne that we might understand it was the voice of God or Christ the Iudge sitting on the Throne The voice It is done is as it were abrupt or suddenly broken off because in a moment it shall put an end to the fatall battle of the wicked against God The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is expounded It hath bin or It is done in both which senses is proclaimed the end of the world Beza limits it It hath bin to wit Babylon as it is in the Poet Troja fuit fuimus Troes But it is better to take it absolutely It is done that is now is the end of all wordly matters for it is a dramaticall clause As when the Comoedie is ended one cryeth out in dissmissing the Spectators Acta est fabula Plaudite So then the fashion of this world shall passe away and come to an end when it shall be proclaimed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is done as Christ dying on the Crosse cryed out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is finished signifying that the mysterie of our redemption was now accomplished by his death that we might not seeke or exspect any thing otherwhere as necessary to salvation In a word by this voyce we are sent backe to what was before spoken by the Angell sounding the seventh Trumpet Chap. 10.7 That the mysterie of God should be finished As before therefore at the sounding of the Trumpet so now at the pouring out of the seventh Viall the Angell cryeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is done or It is finished 18 And there were voyces and lightnings and thunders These horrible effects of the last Viall do figuratively signifie the comming of Christ the Iudge the end of the world and the destruction of the ungodly as Chap. 11.19 Now the effects are Four 1. Respects the Aire 2. The Earth 3. The Sea 4. Men. First there are voyces and lightnings and thunders in the Aire 1. Signes in the aire These are not such lightnings as came forth from the throne Chap. 4.5 Neither such as happened at the casting of the censer upon the earth Chap. 8.5 for they were effects of the preaching of the word but such as concluded the third Vision Chap. 11.19 Beeing Signes I say of Christs comming to judgement and taking vengeance in flaming fire on them that know not God who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power to wit 1 Thess 1.8 those shakings of the powers of Heaven the melting of the elements and horrible tempests spoken of by Christ and Peter Mat. 2429 Pet 3.10 with these things the Lord will at last come to judgement and take away the furious weapons out of the hands of all such as fight against God Secondly In the earth is an earthquake such as was not since men were upon the earth And no wonder for this shall be no naturall earthquake Signes in the earth but the earth being smitten with lightning from Heaven shall be shaken and rent into a thousand pieces and be burnt with fire with all the workes that are therein Now the Antichristian earthquake before mentioned in Chap. 6.12 and 8.5 differs from it 2. Pet 3.10 19. And the great City was divided Or rather broken c. Now he expoundeth what in this common destruction happened in particular to Antichrists Seat and Cities of other adversaries that is their kingdomes Forts Armies and Palaces The great City was broken that it rent asunder by the earthquake into three parts that is It fell being broken to pieces for here three parts denote the destruction and the threefold number the perfect full and utter ruine thereof for a Citie being divided by an earthquake into divers parts cannot remaine entire but must of necessity perish Thus I understand this rupture not of a light sha king or rent but of a totall subversion of the great City The which sense the following word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fell doth necessarily import for the Great City shall suffer no lesse overthrow then
by the Kings a long time or many years but be suddenly taken because of her security like as in one night Cyrus suddenly tooke carelesse Babylon being forsaken of her friends and driven to despair having no power to defend her self The grievousnesse of the punishment is aggravated by enumeration of four Plagues Death Mourning Famine Fire every one of which shall answer to her sins she promised her self perpetuall happinesse but Death shall cut her off she delighted in all kind of pleasures therefore sorrow shall overthrow her She continually gave her self to gluttony riot c. Therefore Famine shall kill her she burnt the godly Martyrs as Heretickes therefore with Fire shall she be utterly consumed by the Kings sometimes her lovers who shall fall from her and turne their swords which they formerly imployed for her against the Godly into her own bowels See Chap. 17. ver 17. For strong is the Lord He prooves that her lot and portion shall be irrecoverable from the omnipotencie of the Iudge the which he opposeth to the Romane power that we might not think the thing foretold impossible the which immagination hath beguilded many even to this day Stapleton hath writ a Booke of the admirable greatnesse of the Romane Church which he saith shall so remaine for ever Lipsius also had no other end then to flatter Rome in his Book which he published about the same time touching the admirable greatnesse of the Romane City Iohan. Paul Windek About this time also a certaine Parasite of the Romish Seat spread abroad a Prognostication about the future state of the Church wherein he affirmed that the Evangelicall Doctrine and Christian Churches should shortly perish The Romane Seat remaine stable and constant so is this opinion settled in the mindes of Papists that it is impossible the Romane Power should be overcome through any Plots or devices or the Romish Hierarchy linked and fastned together with iron bonds as it were should ever be overthrown by any But 2. Strong is the Lord which judgeth her Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Judging in the present tence Andreas and Montanus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who hath judged because in his unchangeable decree he hath devoted her to condemnation some thinke because this shall happen in one day and suddenly that like Sodom she shall be burnt with fire from Heaven but because it was said before that the Kings should burne her it seems rather to be meant of fire suddenly thrown into the City by the Victorious army Hitherto the Exhortation the Lamentation followes 9. And the Kings of the Earth shall bewaile her The wicked lament the wretched condition of Rome First Kings then Merchants Lastly Shipmasters Now what and how great their mourning shall be and the cause thereof common to them all is shewed to be the losse of their former riot and gaine And therefore there is the lesse difficulty and reason to insist upon it This generally is to be noted from the lamentation that a temporall judgement on Rome is here described not the last judgement in the end of the World for wicked Kings Merchants and Shipmasters shall see and bewaile the same In the first place the Kings of the Earth are brought in mourning as being more worthy and powerfull who were chiefe in committing filthines with the Romish Strumpet They shall bewaile and lament for her That is because of her sudden and miserable destruction who these are is noted by two Epithites they are Kings of the Earth committing fornication and living deliciously with her By both we may understand that they shall be enemies of the Gospell Vassalls Sonnes Spirituall Lovers of the Romish Seat For the first Epithite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Earth is allwayes in this Prophesie taken in an evill sense for Kings Nations and worldly men given to earthlie worship By the latter Epithite the cause also of their mourning is shewed they shall lament excessively because they are deprived of their sweet converse with the whore by means of her unexcepted destruction What that converse was we have opened on verse 3. and divers times before It may be demanded who these Kings of the Earth shall be Ribera feineth that they shall be the same Ten Kings who burned her with fire who these Kings of the Earth are repenting and bewailing the destruction of the most renowned City like as Titus is said to have mourned for the burning of Ierusalem and the Temple But it is a vaine Fiction for those Kings shall be converted unto the faith These shall be Kings of the Earth Enemies of the Gospell Ioseph lib 7 de bell Iud. c. 24. The cause also of the mourning is different These shall lament because they can no longer commit fornication and riot with her But the former Kings after they had once by the divine mercie of God repented of their sinne refused any longer to commit fornication with her for it is said They shall hate the Whore and make her desolate Therefore we affirme that these Kings of the Earth shall be such of the Ten as still remaine with the Pope 10. Standing a farre off for feare The gesture and voice of these Mourners is noted standing a farre off and crying Alas alas In which he prevents an objection Why shall they not rather take up Armes and succour the distressed Citie Feare and trembling shall hinder them signifying that the Lord will so astonish them as that they shall not so much as thinke upon armes or succour for the feare of the divine judgement will make them to seeke shelter for themselves For in one houre Before In one day Her judgement shall be so sudden that before the report of her Siege be far spread the Citie shall lie in ashes Thus high things are on a sudden brought to nothing Trees of great height are long in growing but rooted up in one houre They call it judgement to wit of God the just Iudge whose vengeance shall be so manifest that the very enemies shall be forced to confesse that so great a Citie was thus suddenly overthrowne not by humane force but by the judgement of God being angry 11. And the Merchants of the Earth shall weepe Merchants succeed the Kings in mourning the Merchants I say of the Earth whom we have shewed to be spirituall Traders Treasurers of the Popish Court Paenitentiaries and Granters of Pardons c. The which plainely appeares by the adjunct cause of their sorrow and kind of Merchandize Because no man buyeth her merchandize any more But gold silver and pretious stones shall not be out of esteem because of the destruction of one Citie For by the overthrow of one Mart-Towne trading is not taken away from other places but the fall of one is rather the rising of another as not long ago in the low Countries Antwerpe sometime a noble Mart-Towne decaying was the flourishing of Amsterdam Therefore it is manifest that here properlie merchandable wares are not
alas that great City The Merchants shall imitate the howling of the Kings but speak of their merchandize of fine linnen purple scarlet gold pearles and pretious stones the which they be waile not onely as being now consumed in this fire but also because they should never trafficke any more with such like wares 17. And every Shipmaster After the Kings and Merchants of the earth Seamen also shall mourne who are divided into four rankes first Masters or Governours of Ships signifying Cardinals Patriarchs Archbishops of the greater Nations 2. Pilotes or Masters mates being in company and fellowship with the former as the familiars and domestickes of Cardinalls have partners in profit and losse 3. Sailers Bishops of inferiour note and Abbates Gardians Priors Rowers in Peters boate 4. As many as trade or gaine by Sea the whole Clergie as Canonists Regulars Monkes Jesuites Capuzines who helpe forward and live upon the profits of the Romish Court. Shall stand afarre off Not daring to approach for feare like the Kings and Merchants Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Cryed by a propheticall certaintie he rehearseth the thing as if it were done Now they shall testifie their feare and astonishment First in words by crying What City is like to this City from Ezech. 27.32 Till now they boasted that the gates of hell should not prevail against Rome But they shall grievously bee astonished by her unexpected destruction Experience therefore shall be the Mistresse of these fooles Secondly they testifie their feare by gesture of which it followeth 19. And they cast dust on their heads Like unto sad Mourners as Joshua 7. the Israelites mourning for the sacriledge of Achan threw dust upon their heads so did the messenger that brought tidings of the Israelites overthrow 1. Sam. 4. And Iobs friends Chap. 1. But the mourning of these shall be more grievous then the other because the destruction of Babylon will more grievously touch their Kitchings Therefore lamenting they shall sing the same Funerall-Song with the Kings and Merchants bewailing not the sins and abominations of Rome neither their own offences against God but the losse of their riches all occasion of encreasing their treasures being taken away and because they shall no longer furnish the Clergy with their merchandize but be faine to feed on brown bread as the saying is This is a Judas-like repentance for they mourne not because they have sinned but because they may sin no longer The Songs of the righteous sound otherwise Just art thou O Lord and righteous are thy judgements Is made desolate This desolation is again and again inculcated that Rome may not question but that it shall certainly come to passe though she now securely mockes at the same In one hour Suddenly and in a moment so said the Kings ver 10. and in one day ver 8. 20. Rejoyce over her thou Heaven We have heard the wickeds lamentation on earth Now followes the Saints rejoycing in Heaven unto which the second heavenly voyce exhorts them It is an Apostrophe unto the Heaven the holy Apostles and Prophets to Rejoyce over her that is over her destruction Some by Heaven understand the Church By the Apostles and Prophets the Publishers of the Gospell that then shall be But it appeares to be a Propheticall Prosopopoeia as Isa 1 2. Heare O Heavens to testifie the greatnesse of their joy Before Heaven mourned because of Babylons sins heaped up to Heaven ver 5. Now it is bid to rejoyce because so great filthinesse is taken away Or it is a Synecdoche Rejoyce O Heaven for Ye Angels and other heavenly inhabitants Thus I rather take it because of that which followes Chap. 19. ver 1. By the name of Apostles and Prophets are meant the soules of the holy Martyrs slaine by the Romane Tyrants and Antichrist for professing the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets which we may gather from ver 24. In her is found the blood of the Prophets and yet we read not that any of the old Prophets were slaine at Rome which I mention because of Riberas starting-hole on Chap. 14. verse 8. where he denies that Papall Rome is Babylon because not Popish but Heathenish Rome killed the Apostles Peter and Paul but in vaine saith he should the Apostles and Prophets be commanded to rejoyce over the vengeance of Popish Rome by whom they were not killed but it is false for Heaven and the Prophets also are bid to rejoyce over her although neither Heaven nor the Prophets were slaine by her The soules therefore of the ancient and latter Martyrs to whom requiring God to avenge them before the time were given White robes that they might in the meane while rest content with their felicity are now at length bid to rejoyce because the time of vengeance is at hand yea because God had now avenged their blood and abundantly answered their desire This cause of joy is added For God hath avenged you on her In the Greeke the Hebraisme is very Emphaticall Because God hath judged your judgement on her For both the cause of their Martyrdome is approved that it was a judgement that is righteous and pleasing to God as also the punishment of Babylon is wholly attributed to God the Iudge and the avengement of the innocent blood of the Saints is made the most righteous cause thereof But he seems to command rejoycing over evill not in the least But bids them to rejoyce because the riot and tyrannie of Babylon is repressed and the Church freed from the same as also because Gods glorie is vindicated from the blasphemies of the ungodly Now the deliverance of the Church the suppressing of the wicked the vindicating of Gods glorie and Declaration of Gods righteousnesse in punishing the ungodly are not evill things but excellent and the most just judgements of the Lord. So that the Heavenly Inhabitants are bid to rejoyce not over evill but good things And this is the meaning Psal 58.10 whensoever in Scripture the Saints are commanded to rejoyce over the enemies The righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked where straightway a reason is added A man shall say Verily there is a reward for the righteous Doubtlesse there is a God that judgeth in the Earth Whence it appeareth that this rejoycing of the Godly is opposed to two weightie Tentations I. Least it might bee thought Godlinesse should want its fruit II. Least the Godly might seeme to be quite forsaken of God under the Crosse If therefore thou object To rejoyce over anothers harme is prohibited otherwhere but here the Saints are bid to rejoyce over other mens harmes Therefore they are commanded to doe that which is forbidden in other places The Assumption is false Or there are four termes for to rejoyce over evils as they are evils and torments not as they are a righteous avengement and an illustration of Gods glory is
have yet the worship of Angels is thereby overthrowne For they themselves denie that Latreia is to be rendred to Angels Now Duleia the Angel refuseth by his owne supposition Therefore neither the worship of Latreia nor of Duleia is due to Angels Moreover the cause Ribera feineth of the Angels refusal is false and frivolous False because the Angel makes his owne person not the reverence of Christ the reason thereof I am thy fellow servant It is also frivolous For so the Angel ought to have worshipped Iohn that he might honour Christ in his Minister or servant But the Angll was not ignorant that he also was Christs Minister and indeed greater then Iohn as shall appeare Chap. 22. Therefore he ought not to have refused this worship that in him Christ might have been honoured Behold what shifts idolaters are put too and how they are ensnared by themselves Now whether Iohn did well or not Whether Iohn did well in worshipping the Angel is no great question Rightly saith Ribera he adoreth the messenger of the most High God declaring most joyful things unto him But this is false because not Gods nessenger but God himselfe must be adored otherwise all the Iesuites who call themselves messengers of the most High God and companions of Iesus ought religiously to be worshipped by us and so much perhaps they desire But the Angel forbids the thing Therefore Iohn did erre either through humane frailtie or by mistaking the person Otherwise the Angel should have reprooved him vnjustly For that which is rightly done is unjustly reprooved And therefore Bellarmin contradicts himself in affirming so boldlie Lib 1. Adorson Cap. 14. That Angels in respect of themselves are to be worshipped and yet they doe well in refusing to be worshipped This Italian supposeth that they may sport with Angels in religious worship as they use to doe in their complements where one servilely bowing himself is ambitiously restrained by the other And thus also Alcasar the spaniard toyeth See thou doe it no He simply forbideth al manner of religious worship not this or that kinde as Idolaters feine In the Greek the words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See to Least breaking of his speech as it were for haste the sooner to lay hold on Iohn and hinder him from worshipping of him To worship the creature an abom inable wickednes to signify how great an abomination it is religiously to worship an Angel or any creature Therefore the Angel refuseth the honour of worship simply whether we respect the kind of honour or Iohns intention For the honour was unlawfull because no religious worship is due to the creature but onely to God Iohns intention also was erronious for he erred either in the fact or in the person intending to worship him whom he might not or thinking him to be who he was not But undoubtedly his errour was not in the person but in the Fact I am thy fellow servant The reasons why the Angel refuseth this strange honour are two The first is taken from his person I am thy fellow servant and of thy brethren as if he had said It is no way lawfull to worship fellow servants because hereby we should make our selves servants of servants But the Angels are our fellow servants Therefore it is not lawfull to worship Angels This argument of the Angel cannot by any destinction of worship be shifted of in the least For the Sophisters themselves confesse that the worship of Latreia is not to be rendred to Angels neither doth the worship of Duleia by the Angels reasoning belong to them because they are our fellow servants the which Peresius a Popish writer De tradit Part. 3. Consid 7 hath well observed Now they are our fellow servants because they serve with us the same Lord who is God and Christ And of thy brethren The rest of the Apostles and ministers of Christ That haue the testimony of Iesus For who preach the Gospel revealed by Iesus Christ The phrase shewes that the Evangelist Iohn was the writer of this prophesie who familiarlie cals the Gospel the testimony of Iesus as we have observed before Worship God The second reason is taken from that which is proper to God The proper worship of God is not agreeable to Angels but God alone But all religious adoration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Gods proper worship Therefore it belongs not to mee but to God alone Let Popish sophisters studie what they can they shall never avoyd the Angels argument vnlesse they say Either that the Angels are more ambitious now adayes then this Angel was Or they must obtrude on them against their wils strange worship and make them sacrilegious supplanters For the Angel saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Worship God with Latreia nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worship him with Donleia But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adore him referring the whole kind of religious adoration to God alone The testimony of Jesus A reason why he cals himself Iohns fellow servant and of his brethren because the same testimony of Iesus committed to Iohn and the rest of the Apostles was committed to him also to wit the spirit of revealing the prophesie to Iohn It is a synecdoche The reason is thus Vnto whom the same testimony of Iesus is committed they are fellow servants To me and to you is commited the same testimony of Iesus The reason because the testimonie of Iesus is the Spirit of prophesie But it is committed to mee to reveale this prophesie to thee Therefore c. The third part of the CHAPTER Christ prepares himself to the judgement of the Beast and kings of the earth with the casting of these into the Lake of fire 11 And I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse and he that sate upon him was called faithfull and true and in righteousnesse he doth judge and make war 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire and on his head were many crownes and he had a name written that no man knew but he himself 13 And he was clothed with a vesture diptin 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 linnen white and cleane 15 And out of his mouth goeth a charp sword that with it he should smite the nations and he shall rule them with a rod of iron and he treadeth the winepresse of the fiercenesse 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 17 And I saw an Angel standing in the Sun and he cryed with a loud voyce saying to all the fowls that fly in the middest of heaven Come and gather your selves together unto the Supper of the great God 18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of captaines 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 19 And I saw the Beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against him that sate on the horse and against his army 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 21 And the remnant were slaine with the sword of him that sate upon the horse which sword proceeded out of his mouth and all the sowles were filled with their flesh THE COMMENTARIE ANd I saw heaven opened Thus farre of what Iohn heard and did Now what he saw remains to be treated of being the fourth Act of the Last vision save one In which is represented Christ the Iudge under the type of a glorious captain coming with a great army from heaven Here is proved that the last judg ement is discribed in this place 2 Thes 2.8 against the forces of the Beast and the kings of the earth gathered together in Harmageddon before spoken of in Chap. 16.16 And I see no reason why any should doubt that the last judgement is here described For it is certaine by the testimony of the Apostle that Antichrist shall not be consumed but by the brightnesse of Christs comming in the end of the world But here the glorious comming of Christ and the destruction of Antichrist is evidently prefigured Adde to this that the present vision is closed up in this type as it were by the last Act. For the following vision is new altogether diverse from this But all the former visions the first excepted which was special had this common that they ended in the last judgement as we clearely shewed in every one of them Therefore we may not doubt but the same thing is here represented also Neither doth Ribera deny this if his words be well weighed Notwithstanding he feineth that here is described I know not what for an invisible descention of Christ from heaven before the last judgement to succour the saintes wrestling and striving with Antichrist and his ministers But what is his reason Because saith he Antichrist shall not then be in the last judgement But this is false and against that of the Apostle even now alledged For Antichrist shall be destroyed by the last comming of Christ 2. Thes 2.8 Therefore he shall remaine till then Now Riberas fiction depends upon another viz that Antichrist shall be killed fourty five dayes before the day of judgement which we have before refuted besides it is manifestly repugnant to the saying of Christ But of that day and houre no man knoweth no not the Angels The which Ribera acknowledgeth in the following Chapter v 8. and thereby not unwittingly rejects the fiction of 45 dayes The said Ribera doth here also not obscurely confirme our opinion namely that this comming of Christ proves that which before the heavenly chore had said For the marriage of the Lamb is come Now the marriage shal not be til the end of the world and full accomplishment of the punishments of the wicked But here he commeth to be avenged on the adversaries Therefore this shall be Christs last comming in which both his enemies shall be abolished and the marriage of the Lambe celebrated For the adversaries destruction and the Saints glorification shall be both together To this Last Act therefore of the sixt vision doth answer in way of Parrallel the Last Act of the third vision in the end of Chap. 11. and the Last Act of the fourth vision in the end of Chap. 14. touching the harvest and vintage and lastly the last Viall of the fift vision in the end of Chap. 16. For this Act doth cohere with the history of the sixt Viall touching the kings of the earth gathered together in Hermageddon to the battle of that Great day of God Almighty the which battle was there broken off by the last voice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is done and is here at length represented Whence we haue a fourth argument for our opinion for that great day of God Almighty shall be no other but the day of judgement Whatever Ribera feineth to the contrary in Chap. 16. Num. 11. For the seventh plague shall not be powred forth before the day of judgement as he pretendeth but in the very day of judgement and consummation of all things But this battle shall be in that great day of God Almighty Therefore this battle shall be in the last day of judgement Which things thus laid downe the historie of this type is not obscure For what we shall here see touching Christs comming from heaven with an army of horsemen to fight against the Beast and kings of the earth to take and cast all of them into the lake of fire and brimstone is indeed the very thing which Christ saith in the Gospels Matth. 2◠30 and 25.30 Then shall ye sie the Sonne of man comming in the cloudes of hearen with power and great glory c. Again When the Son of man shall come in his glorie and all his holy Angels with him then shall be sit upon the throne of his glory and all nations shal be gathered before him c. And what Iude speaketh from the prophesie of Enoch Behold the Lord commeth with thousands of his saintes Iude v. 14. to execute judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him And that of Paul 1. Thes 4.16 2. Thes 1.17 The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voyce of the Archangel with the trump of God And the dead in Christ shall rise first AND The Lord Iesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ. Who shall be punished with overlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Lastly the best and briefest interpreter of all this warlike preparation is the same Apostle where he saith 2. Thes 2.8 And then shall that wicked one be revealed whom the Lord will consume with the brightnesse of his comming This I say shal be that bright day of Christs comming when this glorious Emperour shall come from heaven with innumerable companies This shall be the destruction of that wicked one when the Beast Antichrist and his followers shall be taken and cast into the Lake of fire Now let us consider both armies going forth to battle with the event thereof I saw heaven opened In this there is no allegorie But Iohn doth historicallie set down what he law
corporally raised Therefore these also Answ I. The Antecedent is denyed for neither doth that type speake of a corporall Resurrection according to the Letter but of a successive living againe as was there shewed II. They who confound them with these shew that they are but strangers to the Revelation for these Martyrs and Confessours belong to the first ten Ages from Christs birth The other two unto our last times in which the Temple was to be measured or the Church purged from Popery Objec VIII The Prophets and many Martyrs came forth out of their Sepulchres at Christs death on the Crosse Mat. 27.53 according to the Prophesie of Daniel Chap. 12.2 Neither was that corporall Resurrection any way derogatorie to the Article of Faith touching the future universall Resurrection Therefore also these Martyrs lived againe corporally neither is it any way derogatorie to the universall Resurrection of the dead Answ Whether those Saints whose bodies came out of the Sepulchres and appeared to many after Christs Resurrection to testifie the efficacie of his Death were Prophets or Martyrs appeares not from the Text neither is it a point of Faith to know the same However the Prophesie of Daniel cannot without wresting bee applied to these which expresly speaketh not onely of the Resurrection of such as shall be saved but of the damned also that is of the last Vniversall Resurrection But that speciall and corporall Resurrection of those Saints is certainly to be believed because it is written neither can it be derogatorie to our beleefe of the universall Resurrection seeing the Scripture doth plainely except this from that But this Resurrection of the Martyrs a thousand yeers before that is not to be beleeved because it is not written but onely as we have shewed sought to be maintained by wresting the words of this Prophesie yea it derogates from the Faith because he that beleeveth this cannot beleeve the other viz. that there shall be a universall Resurrection at the last day Objec IX Christ promised it should be so Mat. 19.28 Luk. 22.28 In the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory ye shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel c. Answ These indeed are most sweet promises of our Saviour touching the singular rewards of the Apostles in Heavenly Glory and touching the large recompence of their labours and losse of all things which here they sustained for the sake of Christ But it is erroneous to beleeve that here any thing is promised touching a corporall resurrection of the Martyrs that shall be before the rest of the dead and of a golden Age to continue a thousand yeeres before the last day in which the Martyrs reigning with Christ in Heaven the Iewes beeing joyned to Christians and freed from the yoke of all adversaries shall as the opinion of some is serve Christ in all manner of prosperity and peace Let such I say see too least they erre and diligently consider Act. 3.21 that those rewards are promised to be fulfilled in the regeneration or restitution of all things at the last day promised also Mark 10.30 with persecutions which things are plainely repugnant unto the Millenary Resurrection and peace before the last day Lastly they pretend that it were greatly for the comfort of the Martyrs if they knew that a little after their martyrdome the thousand yeers being near at hand they should rise againe and ascend both in soule and body into Heaven and reign with Christ a thousand yeers before the rest of the Faithfull Answ To seek for comfort in a doubtfull thing is to feed upon the wind in a false thing to mock with ones selfe and with God neither is it without impiety how pleasing soever it seems to humane wit forasmuch as faith cannot be had in a doubtfull or false matter such as is this Corporall Resurrection and so no solid consolation But this is solid and double comfort to the Martyrs if from the sure word of God they do beleeve that their Soules as soone as they goe out of their bodies shall live and reigne with Christ in Heaven and that at the last day when their brethren and fellow servants who are to be slaine on earth shall be fulfilled their bodies also being raised up by the Son of God Rev. 20.4 Ioh. 6.40 Rev. 6 11. Rev. 22.5 they shall reigne with him for ever and ever in Heaven TOVCHING THE OPINION OF THE OLD CHILIASTS HAving expounded and vindicated the true meaning of this Prophesie it remaineth in the last place to lay downe and weaken the false opinion of the Old Chiliasts who understanding this Prophesie corruptly according to the Letter and not according to the Analogie of Faith did thence invent this Jewish Fable which Austin hath set forth in these words Lib. 20. de C. D. C. 7. That as the world was created in sixe dayes and the seventh was a Sabbathisme so the world should continue sixe thousand yeers and afterward should follow a Sabbathisme in the last thousand yeers namely by the Saints that shall rise and celebrate the same which opinion he saith might be somewhat tollerable if it were beleeved in that Sabbathisme some spirituall delights should come to the Saints through the presence of the Lord. For we also were sometime of this opinion but seeing they affirme that such who should rise againe shall enjoy carnall Feasts and eat and drinke beyond measure and modesty these things cannot be beleeved but by carnall men and therefore such as were spirituall called them that believed these things CHILIASTS being a Greek word and by us may be rendred MILLENARIES The first Author of this opinion Papias author of the Chiliasts opinion as Eusebius recordeth Lib. 3. Hist Cap. 33. was Papias whom Irenaeus and Hierom at which I wonder make to be a hearer of the Apostle Iohn where as Papias himselfe in the Preface of his worke confesseth that he never heard or saw the Holy Apostles but saith that he received this tradition from the Elders of the Apostles Now Eusebius also writeth of this Papias that being pious yet too credulous and of little soliditie he tooke up many Fables for Apostolicall truths because he understood the Apostolicall Interpretations amisse and that he became ringleader of the Chiliasts error unto many who followed his traditions among whom also was Irenaeus Hence almost all the Elder fathers Many of the fathers held the opinion of the Chiliasts following the antiquity of the tradition and authority of so great a man who was accounted a Disciple of the Apostles became Chiliasts IUSTINUS Martyr dial cum Tryphon Judaeo IRENAEVS Lib. 5. Cap. quinque extremis not long since published at Paris and annexed as a filthie clout to his workes but it had bin better they had buried the same in eternall oblivion then to uncover the secret shame of so worthy a Father NEPOS a Bishop of Aegypt whom DIONYSIUS ALEXANDRINVS
be seven months much lesse seven yeers but XLV dayes onely Therefore either this latter Fiction of theirs or else the former is false This difficulty by which they see their Fable overthrowne Ribera seeks to shift off one way Bellarmine another Ribera saith In apoc 20. N. 70. the words of Ezechiel signifie power not the Act not as if they shall spend seven months in burying the carkeises But the number of the carkeises shall be so great that if all should be buried there would be need of seven months time for the doing of it Bellarmin understands it that the Prophet speaks not properly but figuratively putting seven yeers for a very long time But by these slights they take not away the difficultie in the least Riberas glosse de potentia is by the Text there refuted ver 1.3 All the people of the Land shall bury them Therefore they shall bury all the carkeises ipso actu because the Land must be cleansed of the carkeises and therefore they shall spend seven months actually in burying of them This Ribera saw therefore at last he was forced contrary to Bellarmine and the common opinion to grant not onely XLV dayes but seven yeeres after Antichrists slaughter unto the day of Iudgement As for Bellarmines shift it makes the difficultie yet greater for whither the Prophet understands properly and definitely seven moneths and yeers or figuratively and indefinitely a very long time it appeareth the Fiction is false which Bellarmine there affirmeth That after Antichrists death Ribera refuteth Bellarmines Fiction there shall be no more then XLV dayes unto the end of the world the falsitie whereof Ribera himselfe doth solidly confute by two places of Scripture both because those things which in Mat 24.38 are spoken touching the security and riot of the world at Christs comming cannot in the least be done in XLV dayes as also because then as soon as Antichrist should begin to reigne it might certainely be knowne when the day of Iudgement should be which to thinke saith he is absurd 1. Thes 5.2 because the day of the Lord shall come as a thiefe in the night But he pretends Mat. 24.36 that perhaps it cannot be knowne by the unlearned No nor by the learned for it is said Of that Day and Houre no man knoweth no not the Angels of Heaven Therefore beeing convinced by the truth he at length ingenuously confesseth that no man can know how long time shall remaine from Antichrist Therefore O Ribera thou seest that time to be foolishly defined of thee by the space of seven yeeres and more foolishly by Bellarmines XLV dayes Behold the power of the trueth and the Iesuites discord Now however it belong not to this place Whether Ezechiel Iohns Prophesie touching Gog be the same to shew whither the Prophesie of Ezechiel and this here in the Revelation be the same or not yet contrary to the Iesuites affirmation we are to hold that here indeed is an allusion unto the Prophesie of Ezechiel both in the name of the adversaries and in likenesse of punishment yet this Prophesie is diverse from that For that did belong unto the times going before Christs comming and indeed hath been fulfilled already but this is to be referred to our and the following Ages in case there shall be any more What I said of the accomplishment is manifest from the Argument of the prophesie which is directed unto the people in the Captivity of Babylon for first God promiseth to bring them againe into their countrey Ez. 39.25 Now will I bring againe the captivity of Jacob c. When I brought them againe from the people c. Secondly he foretels new calamities which afterward shall befall them by their Adversaries Gog and Magog c. of whose horrible slaughter he prophesieth Lastly he promiseth a Spirituall reformation of the Church by the benefits of the Messias shortly after to come in the flesh Ibid ve 29. Neither will I hide my face any more from them when I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel saith the Lord Jehovah Now it is certaine the first and third part of the Prophesie was fulfilled And therefore without all doubt the middlemost also it being the chief It is objected that Gog was to come in the latter or last of yeeres that is Eze. 38.8 in the end of the world But the Glosse is infirme It is also said ver 16. that he shall come in the latter or last of dayes Now nothing is more frequent to the Prophets then by this phrase to denote the term of some certaine time Ierem. 49.39 In the latter dayes I will bring againe the Captivity of Elam that is at length or after much affliction Ierem 30.24 In the latter dayes yee shall consider it that is after your deliverance out of Babylon Ezech. 38.8 After many dayes thou shalt be visited in the latter yeers thou shalt come And afterward In the latter dayes I will bring thee c. that is after I have brought backe my people Therefore here also by the latter yeers an indefinite term may be understood Hence Theodoretus wrote Nehem. 4. 6. that these very Nations did straightway invade the Iewes after their returne to hinder them from building the Temple and City But our Interpreters Tremellius and Junius do in my understanding more rightly according to the circumstances of the name and time applie the Oracle of Ezechiel to the cruell warres raised up against the Iewes by the Macedonians Antiochus c. but often put to the worst not without a divine miracle by the Macchabees for they learnedly shew that Gog and Magog do denote the Nations of the lesser Asia and Syria so called after Gyges King of the Lydians with the Kings Antiochi Seleuci Demetrij and Nicanors mighty Oppressours of the Iewes which happened not presently upon their returne out of Babylon but long after in the end of yeers or dayes that is about two hundred yeeres after the Prophesie To these Ribera doth frivously object In Apoc. 20 S. 57. that Josephus and the Iewes write nothing of the accomplishment thereof which had it bin fulfilled they would have mentioned the same neither would they any longer expect the Messias As if forsooth so manifest or at least so probable a truth were to be called into question because of the blindnesse of the Iews Therefore in a word this I do hold That Ezechiels Prophesie touching Gog and Magog grievous enemies and wasters of the Holy Land was not indeed then fulfilled litterally for it clearly appeareth that part of the Prophesie is an Allegory of a Slaughter from Heaven but Analogically or with reference when the Tyrants of Syria and Asia were repressed by the valour of the Macchabees The old new Goggish war But that there by a certain allusion unto the Prophesie of Ezechiel and the accomplishment there of like as the Revelation is full of such Allusions
SAINTS or of the Beloved-City I answer The occasion of the warre is distinguished from the warre it selfe The occasion indeed of the Holy Warre begun by the Christians is in this Prophesie silently passed over and touching this it is true what is objected but false of the warre following thereupon For it cannot be denyed that the Easterne People being first provoked by the Christians have by Satans impulsion compassed about the Campe of the Saints above these five hundred yeeres not ceasing to trouble the same unto this day Secondly it is objected That the Gogish warre shall not begin till the end of the thousand fatall yeeers But these thousand yeers are not as yet begun Answer The former is true the latter is false for as we have shewed in the foregoing consideration those thousand yeers are expired long agoe Thirdly they object That this Gogish warre shall continue but a little while because in ver 3. Satan shall be let loose but for a short season I Answer It s a fallacie figurae dictionis as it is termed for the time of Satans loosing is called a short or little season not that it shall be but for few yeers for so great a warre cannot be undertaken and finished in a little time but in respect of the thousand yeeres then which it shall be shorter because God for the Elects sake will shorten those dayes of which see more ver 3. Wherefore the Gogish warre as undoubtedly it seems is not indeed that very same Holy Warre raised in Syria by Hildebrand and Turbanus Romish Pontifes but the TVRKISH WARRE against Christendome which arose a while after out of the other and continueth unto this day The Catastrophe or issue whereof now followeth The Third Part of the CHAPTER Declaring the issue of the Gogish war the wonderfull slaughter of the adversaries and the casting of the devill himselfe into the Lake of Fire With a Type of the last Iudgement 9. And fire came downe from God out of Heaven and devoured them 10. And the devill that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the Beast and the false Prophet are and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever 11. And I saw a great white Throne and him that sate on it from whose face the Earth and the Heaven fled away and there was found no place for them 12. And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the Bookes were opened and another was opened which is the booke of Life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the bookes according to their workes 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 workes 14. And death and hell were cast into the Lake of fire This is the Second Death 15. And whosoever was not found written in the Booke of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire THE COMMENTARY AND fire came downe Here begins the last Act. The event of the Gogish Warre shall bee joyned with the last Iudgement at Christs comming the which is set forth by a most evident Type First specially briefly shewing what was done to Gog and Magog with their Army and what to the devill in this and the following vers Afterward generally what unto all in the last Iudgement unto the end of the Chapter The Gogish Army was at length consumed by fire It is an allusion unto the Oracle of Ezechiel 38.22 against Gog of old I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood and I will raine upon him and upon his hands an overflowing raine and great hailestones fire and brimstone So here against the new Gog Fire came downe from God out of Heaven and devoured them by which Phrase the Scripture usually sets forth the wonderfull and horrible Iudgements of God upon the Adversaries by which at length the wicked are so suddenly destroyed and the Church delivered out of distresse and oppression as the Victory cannot be ascribed but to the Divine Power as in Psal 11.6 Vpon the wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest shall be the portion of their cup. This serves greatly to comfort the Church for although our sinnes doe too too much fight against us this Oracle notwithstanding sheweth Gods benignity to bee so great as wee may undoubtedly believe that the Turkish power shall sooner bee overthrowne by the most powerfull hand of God from Heaven then that the Church of Christ should be extinguished by the same There are some who thinke that this kinde of destruction by fire from Heaven shall litterally be accomplished upon the Adversaries But I rest in the allusion mentioned for as God himselfe overthrew the enemies from Heaven when as the strength of the Iewish people was nothing to resist the Asian Tyrants so when the power of Christians shall be no way able to chase away or overthrow the Gogish Armies of the East God will suddenly as it were reach out his arme from Heaven to fight for the Church and extinguish the adversaries if not before yet certainly at the brightnesse of Christs coming to Iudgement for untill then this Gogish war as likewise that other of Antichrist shall continue This fire therefore comming from Heaven and devouring the adversaries what shall it be but that sharpe sword proceeding out of the mouth of Christ the Iudge and killing all the wicked Chap. 19.15.21 that is that flame of fire 2. Thes 18. Lib. 20. de in which the Lord Jesus shall bee revealed from Heaven to take vengeance on them that know not God 10. And the devill that deceived them AVGVSTINE confesseth that in this description are certaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is C. D. c. 14 some things are before repeated that were done after Among these the first seemes to be that the Enemies being devoured with fire from Heaven by and by the devill also is said to be cast into the Lake of fire For it seemeth that this shall not be till the last Iudgement be past which followeth after This verse therefore by a certaine Anticipation cohereth with ver 14. where Iohn saw Death and Hell to be cast into the Lake of fire Now he joyneth the casting of the devill next with the slaughter of the wicked aversaries to teach us that the devill shall not goe free for seducing the Nations and raising Gog and Magog to battle against the Church but at last bee punished for his great malice together with other adversaries See also 1. Cor. 15.24.25.26 By the devill wee cannot with reason understand any other then that wicked Spirit himselfe for he is the same here who verse 2. is called the Dragon the old Serpent and Satan But the Emperour of the Turks whom BRIGHTMAN here understandeth by the devill belongs in my Iudgement unto the Gogish army devoured with fire
from Heaven Satans punishment therefore is described by the place companions and eternity of his torments The place of his punishment shall not bee simply the Pit in which he was before shut up a thousand yeers but the very sinke of the bottomlesse Pit the Lake of fire and brimstome into which he shall be cast by Christ the Iudge It is a Periphrasis of hell which the Scripture sets forth by the place of torments unquencheable fire the worme that dies not utter darkenesse weeping and gnashing of teeth and such like horrible Epithites to terrifie the wicked signifying that the torments of Satan and the ungodly in hell shall be unutterable like as the glory of Christ and the Saints in Heaven shall bee unspeakeable Now of the Lake of Fire and Brimstone hath beene spoken Chap. 19 20. unto which place Iohn sends us backe saying Where the Beast and the False-prophet are For hee there saith that these were cast into this Lake The devill therefore shall find them there as his companions in torments The Romane Antichrist I say with his Cardinals Vassals and Followers These shall bee cast into the Lake before the devill for he shall finde them there yet both shall be done in the last Iudgement as Christ expounds it in the Gospell depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire which is prepared for the devill and his Angels Mat. 25.41 And they shall bee tormented To wit the devill the Beast and False-Prophet for they shall all alike suffer everlasting torments of which see Chap. 14.11 Chap. 19.20 Night and day Not as if there should be an enterchange of dayes and nights in Hell for in utter daakenesse it is alwayes night but thus he sheweth the eternall continuation of their torments for that which is continued day and night is perpetuall The same he saith Chap. 14. of the torments of all the worshippers of the Beast and his Image By the same phrase Chap. 7.15 he sheweth the continuall joy of the Saints in Heaven Who are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple Now that the punishment of the devill and wicked men shall be perpetuall Lib. 21. de C. D. c. 23. Ps 77.10 The punishment of the damned eternall Augustine doth largely prove against such as pretending Gods mercifullnes from the Psalme Will God forget to be gracious will he in anger shut up his tender mercies did imagine that the devill and wicked men after most grievous and long during punishments should be purged and pardoned thereby to patronize their owne and other mens wickednesses But he demonstrates from this and such like places that the torments of Satan and the ungodly shall simply be eternall First because here it s expresly said The devill which deceived them was cast into the Lake of fire and brimstone there to bee tormented with the Beast and the False-Prophet day and night for ever and ever which altogether signifies eternitie But it were false if at sometime or other they should be redeemed out of their torments Secondly Mat. 72.3 Mat. 25 4â— What is meant by Eternall because the divine sentence cannot bee made voide or weakened which Christ will pronounce at the day of Iudgement depart from mee ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devill and his Angels what here is said to be for ever and ever in the place alledged is said to be eternall or everlasting by which the Scripture denotes time without end Lastly because the life and glory of the blessed Saints shall simply be eternall Therefore on the contrary the death and torments of the damned shall also bee eternall for Christ in the same sentence pronounceth to the wicked eternall torments Mat. 25.46 and to the godly life everlasting And these shall goe into everlasting punishment but the righteous into eternall life 11. AND I SAW A THRONE The Type of the universall Iudgement followeth in which all the wicked being cast into eternall torments the Church shall bee crowned with everlasting glory and joy Now that this is a description of the last Iudgement is so manifest from the words that I judge it needlesse to demonstrate the same It is proved that here the last judgement is typically set forth Mat. 25.46 1. Cor. 15.16 Dan. 7.10 Mat. 25 41 Iohn saw the Iudge on a Throne he saw the dead to be judged before the Throne and them that were judged out of the books being opened according to the phrase of the Prophet Dan. Chap. 7.10 where without all controversie the Type of the last Iudgement is described Lastly he saw the Devill Death and Hell which are the last Enemies to be cast with all reprobates into the Lake of Fire which certainely shall not come to passe but in the last Iudgement when the Iudge shall say unto all these Goe ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devill and his Angels Neither ought we to seek an Allegorie in circumstances so manifestly agreeing with the Evangelicall History because it cannot here have place forasmuch as all things are sutable unto the proper description of the last Iudgement expressed in both Testaments Besides our method confirmes the same by which it hath hitherto bin shewed that every one of the Visions the first excepted which was speciall doth end in the description of the last Iudgement either openly or covertly the which why it should so often be iterated in this Booke cannot be explicated by them who give no heed unto the distinct Acts of the severall Visions Adde to this that all Interpreters whom I have seen both old and new are unnanimously minded that here is figured out the casting of all the adversaries into eternall punishment and the placing of the godly in everlasting glory which shall be accomplished in the last Iudgement Brightman alone leaving this exposition interprets the whole Brightmans Allegorie Allegorically of the full restitution of the Iewish Nation which he thinkes shall come to passe after the Dragon is cast into the Lake of fire that is after the destruction of the Turkish Emperour and Empire This hee supposeth shall be about the yeere 1690. moved hereunto by a conjecture too obscure and uncertaine from a place in Dan. 12.12 the which how far different a sense it beareth I shall not at this time for brevity sake stand to demonstrate But the reasons which he opposeth to the received and manifest trueth to me indeed seem to have little or no waight in them He saith that the following description agrees not unto the New Jerusalem in Heaven but to that on Earth only in that the Holy City is said to descend from Heaven that the Bride is prepared and adorned for her Husband not yet delivered that in ver 7. the reward is put off till afterward Whether the description of the new Ierusalem agrees to the Church Militant that one of the seven Angels sheweth all these things to Iohn whereas
City 1. It came not from the Sun or Moon 2. But from the glory of God and the Lamb ver 23. IV. The Citizens of the Citie 1. who they were The Nations that were saved and the Kings of the Earth that bring their glory unto it 2. The security and peace of the City from a signe The gates are not shut at all ver 25. 3. The glory of the Citie ver 26. 4. The puritie and holinesse of the City It shall consist of Elect onely no Reprobates enter therein ver 27. The Former Part of the CHAPTER The New Heaven and New Earth The Heavenly Ierusalem and its building 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 2. And I Iohn saw the Holy Citie new Ierusalem comming downe from God out of Heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her husband 3. And I heard a great voyce out of Heaven saying Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall bee his people and God himselfe shall be with them and bee their God 4. And God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes and there shal be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more paine for the former things are passed away 5. And he that sate upon the Throne said Behold I make all things new And he said unto me Write for these words are true and faithfull 6. And hee said unto mee It is done I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end I will give unto him that is a thirst of the Fountaine of the water of Life freely 7. He that overcommeth shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall he my sonne 8. But the fearefull and unbeleeving and the abominable and murtherers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all lyars shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the Second Death THE COMMENTARY ANd I saw a new Heaven We have heard of one part of the lāst Iudgement viz. the casting of the Adversaries into torments Lib. 20. de C. D. c. 16. In which saith AVSTIN he declared what was briefly spoken by the LORD And these shall go into everlasting punishment Now followes the second part the placing of the Elect in glory in which also is expounded what Christ there addeth And the just into life everlasting As the former did serve to strike a terrour into the ungodly so the latter to lessen the fear and sorrow of the godly and stir them up to alacrity and joy For seeing the Saints in this life are compassed about with innumerable calamities miseries no wonder though they should weare away with continuall sorrow and mourning But in this part of the Vision they are strengthned in their hope For at last there shal be a change of all things an end of all adversitie abundance of all good as Christ said Ioh. 16.20 Yee shall lament and mourn but your mourning shal be turned into joy The new Ierusalem is not the Church militant much lesse the Church of Rome How farre Alcasars opinion is approvable Wherefore after the wicked were judged Iohn saw a new Heaven and a new Earth Afterward a new Ierusalem glistering with gold and pretious stones That this latter is wholly allegoricall cannot be questioned by any although it be diversly expounded For some say it shadows out the magnificence of the Church Militant much spoken of by the Prophets yea there are some who specially applie it to the glory of the Romane Church in this world But Alcasar reproves both justly and giveth reasons that the Vision of the two Chapters is proper to the Church Triumphant Notwithstanding afterward foolishly contendeth that it is to be applied in speciall unto the glory of the Romane Church in Heaven Now this he doth not because hee thought it to bee true but to flatter the Pope it may be for the Cardinals hat sake and vex the hereticks as he pretendeth Which now I passe by Now to returne to the former againe Touching the new heaven and the new earth 2. Cor. 5.17 touching the new Heaven and the new Earth whither it be allegorically or properly to be understood Some understand it allegorically of the renewing of the world by Christ touching which the Apostle If any one be in Christ he is a new creature Old things are past away Behold I make all things new This Spirituall renovation began even from the preaching of the Apostles and is undoubtedly an allusion unto the Prophesie of Isaias Isa 65.17 Behold I create new heavens and a new earth c. which seems to be spoken of the new state of the Church in the Kingdom of Christ on earth and so BRIGHTMAN as I have shewed interprets it metaphorically of the renewed state of the Church through the conversion of the Iewes shortly to be accomplished But all these things cannot without violence be applied unto the state of the Church on earth The Chiliasts indeed applied it unto that golden age in which they dreamt they should voluptuously reigne a thousand yeeres with Christ on earth But this opinion is repugnant to the praedictions of Christ and the Apostles that the state of the Church in the last times shall not bee voluptuous or joyfull at all but sad and mournfull as above we shewed Therefore we are rather to understand the former touching the new heaven and the new earth properly What is meane by the new heaven the new earth for it is so evident that here is treated of the last Iudgement and the consequents thereof as it can scarcely be doubted of So that this new heaven and this new earth which Iohn saw after the judgement of the adversaries is that new heaven and that new earth which as the Apostle Peter expresly foretold 2. Pet. 3 10 is to be expected after the burning of the world For these heavens shall passe away with a great noyse and the Elements shall melt with servent heat the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up But we according to the promise looke for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse By which plainly we gather that a new heaven and a new earth is to bee looked for Historically and properly and here likewise it is so to be understood Hence also it followeth that the Oracle of Isaias touching the new heaven and the new earth is to be understood not onely metaphorically of the renewed state of the Church on earth but litterally also of the renovation of the world which shall be at the last day For Peter saith that wee looke for a new heaven and a new earth according to the promise Now this promise is no where else but in Isa 65.17 66.22 Therefore undoubtedly God by the Prophet speakes not
at Euphrates 187. the four Angels at the four corners of the earth who they be 136. 137. The Four Acts of the second vision 84. The Fourty two moneths designe the time of Antichristian persecution 216. diverse opinions about them 217. 218. 219. 220. The Foure yeeres reigne of Antichrist refuted 231. Franciscus Petrarcha against the Romish Sea 235. 319. 320. The Full assurance of faith and perseverance proved against Popish Sophisters 46. 47. 71. 269. The Full sight of God and of Christ shall be at the last day 120. G. GAbriel its signification 98. Gagnaeus refuted 20. 133. Garments not defiled Metaphorically denote sincerity and purity of the body 58. The Gesture and habit of the Beast what it denotes 102. The Gesture and voice of mourners 465. Glory how ascribed to God 93. how given to him 480. Glorification of the witnesses 243. Glory and honour of the nations 571. The Godhead of Christ demonstrated and proved against Hereticks 3. 4. 5. 12. 15. 16. 26. 27. 31. 37. 40. 42. 43. 47. 50. 54. 62. 64. 65. 75. 78. 80. 88. 99. 100. 102. 103. 104. 133. 149. 369. 437. 492. 493. 542. 543. 568. 577. 581. 586. 587. 592. GOD. His names are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 9. His benignity the cause of forbearance 121. God and Satan do the same thing after a diverse manner and end 41. He detesteth pollutions 50. Will have Chast and holy worshippers ibid. He is holy and loveth holynesse he is true and loveth truth 64. How he reigneth and shall reigne 479. He never neglects the prayers of his servants 121. How he worketh in the hearts of men 444. He is not the authour of sin 446. 447. How he puts good and evill into the hearts of Kings ibid. and 448. His ordination is not that we should obtain life eternall by the Merits of works 250. God alone is to be worshipped 342 God hath a people in Babylon 459. God forgets not the blasphemies of the wicked 121. Godfrey of Bullen Generall of the Holy warr 190. 537. Gog and Magog who with the Papists 533. 534. Their fiction refuted ibid. They are the four Angels of Euphrates 536. Gogish warre how occasioned and when it began 537. Gold tried in the fire what it signifies 78. The Golden censer what it noteth 154. it is cast into the earth 155. The Golden girdle what it noteth 371. The Gospel preached is the sword wounding the beasts head 296. this sword accidentally takes away peace from the earth raiseth cruell persecutions 111. The Gospel is the word of the Crosse 32. Good works how great soever merit no reward because they are debts 59. They merit not life Eternall 545. Good men stand in need of often admonishings 33. Gratianus a Popish parasite 52. The Great Dragon described 260. How he differs from the Beast ibid. Why he devoured not the Man-child 264. The Great city is Rome 233. 234. The Great day of wrath is the last day 134. The Great number of sealed ones 142. the Great multitude represents the Church Triumphant 146. The Great Star falling from heaven whom it denoteth 170. Grecian Empire overthrown by the Turks 192. Green grasse trees what they signify 178 Gregorie II. bereaved the Emperor Leo of his revenewes 130. Gregorie VII an exquisite instrument of Satan 532. He was the first Antichrist ibid. He affirmed that married Priests were Nicolaitans ibid. He deposed the Emperor Henry IV. 532. 533. Gregorie the Great perceiving Antichrist to be at hand pointed as with the finger at his successor Boniface the III. 318. The Greek reading vindicated from the insultation of Gagnaeus and Ribera 12. H. HArpers how they overcame the beast 366. whither they be martyrs or professors 367. Harpes of God are by an Heâ—â—aisme put for Excellent harpes 368. Hailstones of a Talent waight 401. Happinesse of the Celestiall Citizens 135 577. To Have part in the first resurrection 526 Heads and hornes of the dragon whom they denote 260. 261. The Healing of the beasts wound 294. 296. The heaven rolled up is the Church apostating 130. Heaven departing is the closing of the scriptures in Poperie 130. Hereticks in several ages 112. 113. Hesperus and Lucifer that is the morning and the evening star is one 593. Hieroms observation of the titles of the Revelation 3. His opinion of the seats of the four and twenty Elders 89. He approues not the Iesuiticall fiction 431 Hierom refuted ibid. Hieracites heresie 334. refuted ibid. Hierusalem is not the Great Citie 236. The Holy Citie troden down by the Gentiles is the church 215. The Holy war was the occasion of the Gogish warre 537. Hoe his consequence against the Calvenists refuted 36. Homicide of the Papists 193. Hornes what they denote 100. Hornes of the Golden Altar 187. Hornes like the Lambs 307. The ten Hornes springing out of the seventh head 432. They denote Christian kingdoms 435. Hour of temptation 69. The profit and end of temptation 69. 70. How it stands with pietie and Charitie to stir up the saints to revenge 461. 462. Husse burnt at Constance 226. his prophesie of Luther ibid. Humane traditions a burden imposed by Satan 51. How much is to attributed vnto the antiquitie of traditions 524. The Hyacinth 565. its colour 189. Hypocrisie what it is 55. Hypocrites deceive not God but men ibid. Hypocrisie must be avoyded as a pest ibid. Hypocrites are mixt among the saints 71. are compared to lukewarme water 77. Many of the Clergie are Hypocriteâ— ibid. They imagine that they are just and holy ibid. are very quick-sighted in outward things 78. They put not on Christ by baptisme and the supper ibid. Hydra Lernea a strange Monster 260. I. IAsper a precious stone 87. 564. Idoles described 193. Idolatrie of the Eastern-nations 192. Of the Papists 193. who in Idolatry exceed the Egyptians 234. why Idolatry is compared to wine 350. Iehovah the sacred name of God distinguishing him from all false Gods 203. What it signifies 8. Iesuites affirme that Iohn did not evill in falling down before the Angel 484. 485. Iesuites bafling 420. They againe roll up the open book of the scripture 130. Iezabell a false prophetesse 48. Her doctrine 49. Ignatius his Epistle to the Philadelphians 62. Ilands denote peoples and nations 130 how they were moved out of their places ibid. Image of the beast 310. 311. hath life put into it by the dragon 312. Image of babylon 311. the beasts Image excels that of babylon 312. Images of Christ and the saintes are not to be set up in temple 23. Impatience and desire of revenge how it can be in the souls of the saints in heaven 120. Impotencie of all creatures 99. Imprinting of the Charactar on the right hand 312. 313. Impure spirits 394. Incompassing what it signifies 537. The Infirmities of the saints Gods clemencie passeth by 44. Incense what it is 155. The Inflicting of punishment on impostors belongs to God alone 50. The Individuall communion of the Saints with the Lamb 3â—6
Popish Rome is the woman sitting upon many waters 443. And the seat of Antichrist 444. Popish idolatry is fornication 456. The Powring of the first Viall on the earth 378. Of the second Viall 380. Diverse opinions about it 381. Of the third viall and divers opinions about it 382. Of the fourth Viall 385. Of the fift Viall 388. Of the sixt Viall 390. Of the seventh Viall 398. Power received from the Dragon 298. Six effects of the Beasts power 308. 309. Preachers of Gods word how they inflict plagues 376. Praedestination must be taught though many abuse this doctrine 584 The Praerogative of being the first fruits to God is an allusion unto the first fruits of the Law 336. Praetence of Antichristian tyranny is false 241. The vain pretence of Idolaters 242. Priesthood common to all the faithfull 14. Priscilla a false Prophetesse 49. Priscillian declared an heretick by the Pope 129. The Prison is put for all kinde of torments 40. Priviledges of Antichrists marked ones expressed in the Bull of Pope Martin V. 314. Promises how far they become debts 250. The Prophets and Apostles wrought not miracles by their own power 50. To Prophesie again 208. To Prophesie is to Preach Propheticall and Apostolicall Doctrine 224. A Prophesie of the future condition of the Godly under Antichrist 121. A prophesie found in the house of the Governour Salezianus 440. The Prophesie why sealed 583. A Proverbiall description of the ungodly despairing 133. Punishments of the wicked 251. 252. Purgatory 357. Puritie of the Saints whence it cometh 90. Q. QVadratus a disciple of the Apostles 64. A Question concerning the order of the Revelation 365. Quintilla a false Prophetesse 49. R. REligious worship of Angels expresly condemned in Scripture 9. Religious worship unto the Creature simply denied 582. It being a most horrible unpiety 486. The Reasons of the Angel against the worship of Angels cannot be taken away by Idolaters 486. The Red horse is the Church of Martyrs 110. On whom Christ is said to ride 111. To Render the double to Antichrist how it agrees with Equitie and Justice 461. 462. Remedie of pride 77. 78. Repentance described 34. 49. If true comes never to late 79. Why it is necessary 387. Representation of the state of the Primitive Church 106. Reprobates divided into Eight rancks 555. 556. The Rest of the dead who 517. The Rest of the womens seed who they are 279. Their Epithetes ibid. The Revealing of future things is proper to God alone 3. The Revelation It treateth of future things 5. How Iohn received it ibid. It was written by the Evangelist John ibid. It is an holy canonicall book of divine scripture 6. Containing excellent doctrines precepts and promises of the Churches deliverance and of the marriage of the Lamb 6.7 It hath many phrases proper to it self and excelling 8. Where John saw and wrote the same how and on what day 18. 19. Whither the whole was revealed in one Lords day 20. Revenge in the Saints how it can stand with piety and charitie 461. 462. Reward due and not due 586. Reward of the just is blessednes of the unjust exclusion out of the heavenly city 591. 592. Reward in heaven or degrees of glory may be different seeing there shall be degrees of punishment in hell 71. Rewards propounded unto them that overcome 72. Of whom there are three rancks 249. Ribera taxed 14. 20. His opinion of the four Angels 137. His argument not solid 138. His litterall exposition cannot stand ibid. His opinion of the Angel with the Censer 153. His reasons answered 154. His salving of Papall Rome 346. His eschappatories answered ibid. His new fiction in the Popes behalf refuted 347. His reasons touching Romes falling away examined 348. He commits crimen laesae majestatis against the Pope ibid. Contradicts himself and actuseth the Pope of extreme negligence ibid. His fiction refuted 409. 410. 411 c. His false opinion of the beast refuted 416. With the common opinion of expositors about the same ibid. His quaere why evill spirits rather frequent the deserts then populous places 455. The true cause thereof laid down by the Author ibid. Ribera refuted 514. He refuteth Bellarmins fiction 535. He confesseth the Pope shall be thrust out of Rome 441. A Ridiculous Etymologie of the word Apocalyps 3. The true Etymologie thereof ibid. Rivers and fountains are the breasts of the Sea 383. Romane Legions of how many soldiers they consisted 132. Romane Merchants buy and sell the souls of men 456. 457. Rome had no Epistle sent her from Christ and why 22. She is the calamity and destruction of the Christian Church 215. Her relapse to Paganisme 347. She must be burnt not before but after Antichrists comming 441. Whether Antichrist shall be abolished at Romes burning ibid. The Ruine of Old and New Babylon set forth by the same type 470. Ruine of the tenth part of the great city 245. The Rule of Articles with the Greeks is not alwayes observed 100. 307. 406. 410. 437. The Rule of finall causes 448. Rupertus opinion of the four Angels 136. He by winds understandeth teachers of Christian belief 138. His opinion of the Angel with the Censer 153. S. SAbinian a proud Bishop 127. Sackcloth of hair 127. Signifies Romane traditions 128. The Saints weaknesse at the beholding of the Divine Majestie 25. How farr the Saints may fall away how not 34. The Saints shall with Christ judge the world 104. How they require vengeance on the wicked 120. They may not be called upon neither do intercede for us 122. nor pray for the Church Militant 147. The Papists transform them into tutelar Idols ibid. How the Saints have right to Christ 591. Saladin Emperor of Egypt 190. Saphyr a Gemme of India 564. Saracens invading the provinces of the Romane Empire 186. Sardica a city of Illyria 54. The Sardine its colour and vertue 87. 565. Sardonix 565. Satan His proper domicile 44. He dwelleth in the children of disobedience ibid. His casting down into the earth is mysticall 266. 267. His Epithetes ibid. His action against the Saints 269. Why he was bound 502. 503. How he must be let loose again 505. 531. His twofold attempt 531. The Scripture must be read of all 583. It s twofold effect 584. The Scriptures are authentick and perfect 596. The Sea of Chrystall is the world 90. Diverse opinions about it 91. Why a third part of the sea was turned into blood 160. The Sea swalloweth up the great mountain 161. The Sea out of which the Beast ascended 288. The Sea of glasse is the world of wicked men 368. Why said to be of glasse ibid. The Sea into which the second viall was powred 381. The Sea renewed 551. The Sea-beast who it is according to Pareus 287. Seales their twofold use 97. The generall signification of the seales 107. The Seal of the living God 140. imprinted on the Elect 141. 142. The Sealed ones distribution according to the severall tribes of
4.5 it is said out of the throne proceeded lightnings thunders voyces with seven lampes of fire burning In Chap. 8.5 Christ casting his censer of fire into the earth there were voyces and thundrings and lightnings and an earthquake But in these places the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thundrings hath no article set before it but here it is read with an article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The thundrings as having reference to the former thunders The thunders in Chap. 8. we applied to the calamities under the red horse The thunders in Chap. 4. to the terrible threatnings of the Law by which Christ doth strike and terrifie the consciences of Antichrist other adversaries as to be self convicted however they furiously rage against Christ for my part therefore I doubt not but this place is to be expounded by the others and that these thunders figuratively doe denote undanted teachers who shall thunder out the word of God against tyrants hereticks Antichrist as thereby they shall be made altogether inexcusable Seven A definite number for an indefinite that is many shall thunder out their voyces against Antichrist It is verie emphatically said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their voyces as dictated to them by the spirit of God and divinely commanded so to doe For without doubt these heroick teachers who opposed themselves against Antichrist were stirred up by the speciall instinct of the spirit of God Some understand it of seven that is of diverse gifts graces of the holy Ghost bestowed upon the teachers of the Gospell which comes all to one in case the scope be minded namelie that this also serves for the comfort of the godly For Antichrist shal not alwayes have a quiet and peaceable kingdome because Christ both by his roaring voyce and by the thundrings of his faithfull ministers will many times disturbe him to the end he may not seduce all Brightman makes the seven thunders to be the seven Angels spoken of Chap. 14.6 But there onely six are mentioned besides it seems not to agree because the voyces of these thunders are commanded to be sealed whereas the others were writen by Iohn And when the seven thunders uttered Gr. spake their voyces Iohn would have written the voyces of these thunders that we also might have had the knowledge thereof in this Revelation But he is forbidden and commanded to seal them up that is to keep them secret And write them not The kings Bible reads it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Andreas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and after these things write as if he were not altogether prohibited but onely at this time in this place beeing afterward commanded to write the same viz. in Chap. 14. where the same seems to be set downe But other copies as also the greater lesser of Robert Stephanus have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and these things thou shalt not write Besides in Chap. 14. there is no mention made of thunders but however it bee Iohn is forbidden to write but to seale that is to close or keep secret like as the booke that was sealed Chap. 6. could not be read Now this seems to be taken out of Dan. 8.26 12.4 where the Prophet is commanded to seal the words he had heard But what will the Lord be angrie with men if they understand not the voyces of the thunders seeing in the mean time hee will have the booke to be shut that is the doctrine or meaning thereof not to bee understood I answer the command is not to be taken absolutely of hiding the doctrine but onely to comfort Iohn and the faithfull against the contempt of the Gospell for the future event is foretold viz. that the wicked shall not hear but despise the voyces of the thunders thereby causing the same to be secret unto themselves by their owne default that is the greater part of men will not hear the thundrings of the Law neither the voyces of the Gospell but neglect and contemne the same Thus they shall remaine sealed unto them Or but thou seal that is doe not thou therefore esteem lightly of them but lay them up as a most precious treasure because verie shortly thou must again prophesie A voyce from heaven Vndoubtedly of God sitting on the throne who both foresees and by his providence directs all future events The question which Ribera takes up with so much scrupulosity is needlesse viz. whither this Revelation be entire and whither these voyces be not the same with them written in this booke For not the defect of this Revelation is signified but Antichrists contempt of the word preached is here foretold 5 And the Angel which I saw stand This is a fourth gesture of the Angel he lifted up his hand and sware by the living God c. in which againe there is an allusion unto the last vision in Daniel who saw an Angel swearing by him that liveth for ever yet there is some difference both in the manner and in the thing it self He in Dan held up his right and his left hand sware c. this lifts up onely his right hand c. He in Dan sweareth that after the accomplishment of a time times halfe a time the prophesies there foretold should bee finished This sweareth that there shal be no more time but that the mysterie of God should be finished in dayes of the sound of the seventh trumpet Now we will briefly consider Who how what and wherefore he sweareth The Angel swearing and standing on the earth and sea is undoubtedly Christ who often as we read in the Gospell confirmed his doctrine by oath Verely verely I say unto you And God himselfe many times is said to sweare Psa 110.4 Heb. 6.13 The Lord hath sworn God sware by himselfe c. neyther is this contrary to the precept of Christ Sweare not at all For there is forbidden not a lawfull oath taken in the name of God in doubtfull hard cases whether before the magistrate or otherwhere for an oath is a divine ordinance instituted to end controversies and strife among men but rash oathes eyther by God or the creature Heb. 6.16 to which the Iewes as the circumstances of the place shew were much given for otherwise Christ should condemne both himself God Angels and men for swearing An oath therefore in it self is lawfull touching the conditions whereof wee have largely handled otherwhere Lifted up his hand viz. his right hand for so they that sware were wont to doe as Abraham swearing that he would not receive any thing of the spoile of the Sodomites I have saith he lift up my hand unto Jehovah c. Hence to lift up the hand generally in scripture is put for swearing Ezech. 20 5. Numb 14.30 In the day that I lifted up my hand to bring them forth of Aegypt yee shall not enter into the land concerning or for which I lift up my hand c. And the reason hereof is not obscure
For heaven is the throne of God wherefore they that sweare lift up their hands to heaven as calling upon God to bee a witnesse and judge of the truth Hence also comes the received custome amongs us to lift up the right hand and put forth the three first fingers in signe of the blessed trinity whom we call for a record upon our souls 6 And sware by Gr In him that liveth by two adjunctes he denotes the true God The first internall that liveth for ever and ever The other externall who created heaven earth sea and the things that are therein The former is a most proper note of the true God because he alone is of himself and shal be from eternitie unto all eternitie not receiving life from any but giving unto all life moving and beeing Hence with the Hebrewes the Lord is called Jehovah that is subsisting living of himself And by this Epithite generally in scripture he is distinguished from the false gods or idols of the Gentiles In him that is by him that liveth beeing an Hebraisme for they that take an oath are to sweare in that is by Jehovah as Jonathan said to David 1. Sam. 24.22 What it is to sweare by the living God sweare unto me in Jehovah Now to swear by Johovah or by the living God is to require and cal him who is the alone searcher of the hart to give testimony unto the truth and to punish him that sweareth in case he wittingly take his name in vaine Here then we see in the first place that an Oath is a kind of invocation upon God and therefore often in scripture swearing is put for invocating and so againe invocation for the other As Isa 19.18 The nations shall sweare by Iehovah It is lawfull for Christians to sweare in some cases that is shall call upon the true God and 2. Cor. 1.23 I call God saith Paul to record upon my soule so that an Oath is a kinde of worship and therfore lawfull and acceptable to God no way prohibited unto Christians as some phantasticall men have affirmed Secondly that no Oath is laflul except it bee taken in the name of God For hee alone knowes the hart and only i◠able to reveale secrets to punish hidden perjurie to resolve doubtfull things confirme the whole truth for he is above all and in him alone in the last place all faith is setled Thirdly hence we see that to sweare by Angels It is a great wickednesse to sweare by the creature Saintes or any other creature is a horrible wickednesse both because they cannot search the hart reines in which regard they are vainly called upon as also because religious invocation is a worship onely proper to God cannot without sacriledge bee given unto any other They therefore who sweare by Mary the Saintes doe as much offend the Lord deceive themselves and others as SOCRATES who was wont to sweare by his dog or any stone whatsoever But here it may bee demanded if this Angel be Christ himself how then doth he sweare by him that liveth for ever For hereby it seems either that he is not Christ or els that Christ is not true God but inferiour unto him because he sweares by the living God as by one greater then himself To this I have given somewhat in answer before and sufficiently shewed that Christ is this Angel He sweareth by him that liveth for ever as hee is man and the mediatour so he acknowledgeth God to be above him according as he speaketh Io. 14.28 The Father is greater then I. Or els as he is God and then he sweareth by him who liveth for ever not as by a superiour or by another but by himself according to that in Heb. 6.13 because God could sweare by no greater he sware by himself But that Christ is he that liveth for ever appeares by his owne testimony Chap. 1.18 I live saith he was dead VIII Arg of Christs deity confirmed to wit as man and behold I live for ever and ever This therefore as we have before noted yeeldeth us a worthy argument to prove the deity of Christ Who created heaven By this other Epithite he also distinguisheth the true God from idols as beeing the onely creatour of all things in heaven in earth c. gave them I say at first a beeing of nothing the which was a worke of omnipotencie not to be effected by false gods or any creature Therefore the true God every-where in scripture as also in the common creed is celebrated as the creatour of all things Ier. 10.11 but the gods that have not made the heavens and the earth even they shall perish from the earth from under these heavens Neither doth this make any thing to the contrarie but that this Angel is Christ for he sweareth by the creatour of all things Ioh. 1.3 Heb. 1.2 that is by himself For by him all these things were made and without him was not any thing made that was made By whom also God the Father made the worlds This Epithite therefore doth also confirme the truth of Christs divinity That there should be time no longer Now followes what Christ sware and to what end Both which are to the same purpose for the latter adversitively expounds the former viz. that there should bee no more time but that the accomplishment of the mystery of God was at hand under the seventh trumpet The former is taken diverse wayes ANDREAS he sweareth there should bee no time after or in the world to come or not long after the sixt trumpet the latter part of whose opinion is agreable to the scope but not the former notwithstāding Ribera foolishly approves therof there shal be no time saith he because this variety of time as dayes nightes moneths yeeres shal be no more but an unchangable eternity shall follow in the dayes of the seventh Angel But what use was there to confirme that with an Oath which no man is ignorant of viz. that after the consummation of this world time shall be swallowed up by eternity Alcasar wresteth it unto the Iewes to whom there shal be no more time as beeing threatned of God to be forsaken But what need was there that Christ should signifie a thing by vision and Oath which long before was clearly declared Behold your house is left unto you desolate Matt. 23.28 BRIGHTMAN there shal be no more time that is no longer delay but a verie little time shal be remaining untill the consummation of the mysterie the which is agreable unto the scope of the place for Christ by a fift consolation would encourage the faithfull taken from the brevity of the time remaining least they beeing dishartned in regard of the long continued calamities of the six trumpets should be out of hope as if there should never be an end of their miseries but that Antichrists rage should allwayes continue in the world But
to fill drinke to the poore So that to drinke out of the mixt cup for so the words may be translated is to drinke out of a cup filled with the wine of Gods wrath and this wine is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not allaied with water to denote its strength and efficacy to make drunke Brightman understands this pure wine said to be mixt of divers kindes of wines mingled together which mixture saith he doth much sooner beget drunkennesse The sense is all one Of his indignation and anger The Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies furie or great indignation and is more then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 anger The words seeme to be taken out of Psal 75.9 A cup is in Jehovahs hand and the wine is red it is full of mixture And Ier. 25.15 Take the wine-cup of his furie at my hand and cause all the nations to whom I send thee to drinke it This Cup of his anger the Lord in the following Chapter divides into seven vials the which being full of his wrath he will powre forth on the Antichristian idolaters six of them in this life but the last in the end of the world Therefore he threatneth temporall and eternall punishments The temporall he expoundeth specially in Chap. 16. here the eternall are more clearly described And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone This is a declaration and an amplification of their punishment He shall drinke of the wine of wrath that is he shall be tormented for as he drunke the wine of pleasure so likewise he shall drinke the wine of torment and that eternally He addes the matter of the torment With fire and brimstone Brimstone is soon set on fire burnes strongly is not easily extinguished and causeth a filthy smoak and deadly stinke Fire is nourished by brimstone it devoures and destroyes combustible things the burning therof is intollerable torment to the body Not as if there were materiall fire or brimstone in hell but the grievousnesse of the torment is hereby noted It seemes to be an allusion unto Psal 11.6 Vpon the wicked he shall raine snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest shall be the portion of their cup. This is expounded in Chap. 19.20 where the Beast and they that worship him are to be cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone This is the torment of hell Luk. 16.24 Isai 66.24 Mark 9.43 Luk. 3.17 in which the glutton being to this day crieth Father Abraham have mercy upon me for I am tormented in this flame The Scripture doth not finde words as it were sufficiently to expresse the unspeakable torments of the wicked Isaiah saith The worme of transgressours shall not die neither shall their fire be quenched and they shall be an abhorring to all flesh Christ Math. 8.12 calls it utter darknesse where is weeping and gnashing of teeth 5.22 hell fire 25.41 everlasting and unquenchable fire Paul saith Rom. 2.9 2 Thes 1.8 Tribulation and anguish shall be on every soule that doth evill and againe The Lord will take vengeance in flaming fire on them that obey not the Gospell IN THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY ANGELS AND IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LAMBE The Lambe shall be the Iudge of the ungodly who despised him and as much as in them lay exposed him to be torne by the Beast The Angels are added to the Lambe as sumners by whose ministery all men shall be gathered from the foure corners of the earth and presented before the tribunall seat of Christ to be judged The word therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before which is attributed as well to the Angels as to the Lambe signifies that the Angels shall not onely be beholders of the torments of the wicked but also executioners of the same So the Apostle They shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord 2 Thes 1.9 and from the glory of his power Holy to distinguish them from evill angels concerning whom Paul saith Know ye not that we shall judge the Angels 1 Cor. 6.3 11. And the smoke of their torment He further amplifies the torments of the wicked if happily the kings and inhabitants of the earth might be restrained from worshipping the Beast by the horrour of cruell torments The smoake of their torment by an hebraisme he calleth it a tormenting smoak Or by a metonymia of the signe the fire tormenting them But I rather approve the former because he had before spoken of their torment by fire Now what is more bitter then to be tormented broyled and stifled with smoak Before in Chap. 9. the smoak of the bottomlesse pit did denote in a sence somewhat different the darknesse of doctrine brought into the Church by the Pope of Rome through the operation of Satan And this belongs to the matter of the infernall torment What smoak is whether it be in hell not that there is a reall smoak in hell for properly smoak is an exhalation or fume arising out of a materiall fire which is not in hell otherwise the smoak must cease when the matter is wholly consumed but the Scripture doth metaphorically shadow out the grievousnesse of the torments in hell from things known unto us and very hurtfull as calling the same smoake fire brimstone the worme c. Ascended for ever and ever Smoak by its lightnesse ascends upward and so the smoak of eternall fire shall ascend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into ages of ages that is for ever and ever for it is an unquenchable fire Isai 66.24 Hence we see that the torments of the wicked in hell shall be everlasting and without end Before in Chap. 8.4 The prayers of the Saints are called a smoak ascending up before God by a more noble metaphor That smoake was sweet and pleasing to God as being the smoake of incense But this here is stinking and pestilent unto the wicked as being the smoak of brimstome The verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to ascend argues that the place and fire of hell is beneath but where it is they shall feele who too curiously seek it And they have no rest day nor night He signifies their continuall torments without any intermission they shall not now and then have rest but shall be perpetually tormented Thus hitherto the Glutton cryeth in hell without intermission I am tormented in this flame For as hell fire shall not be extinguished no not for a moment so the wicked shall not have so much as a moments respite from torment but in this unquenchable fire they shall be like incorruptible firebrands never to be consumed O most miserable men whom the cogitation and perhaps horrour also of so great tormenrs hath not hitherto moved to repent and forsake the worship of the Beast Before Chap. 4.8 this same phrase is applyed to the foure Beasts And they rest not day and night saying holy holy holy Lord God Almighty And to the sealed in their foreheads Chap.
But by that war God will root them both out together It is called a great Day because the judgement of that day shall be great and wonderfull by the slaughter of all adversaries of which in Chap. 19. 15. Behold I come as a thiefe By a prophetical Parenthesis he exhorts us unto watchfullnesse And it is inserted by the occasion of that great Day in which the enemies shall come to fight against Christ Christ then on the contrary shall come to cut off the adversaries Now this his comming shall be sudden and unexpected like a thiefe in the night as Mat. 24.43 Luke 12.39 1. Thessa 5.2 Reve. 3.3 We must watch therefore least being brought asleepe by the cares of the World we be on a sudden oppressed by that great day of the Lord. And keepe his garments That they be not polluted with the defilements of the flesh and of this World or rather that they be not secretly stollen away for if their garments be taken from them they shall be forced to goe naked having nothing wherewithall to cover their shame 2 Cor. 92 This exhortation agrees with the doctrine of the Apostle We desire to be clothed upon with our house which is from Heaven if so be that being clothed we be not found naked And with that of Christ unto the Bishop of Laodicea Chap. 3.18 I counsell thee to buy white raiment that thou mayst be clothed and that the shame of thy nakednesse do not appeare See the exposition on that place And indeed Beza supposeth that this Parenthesis is for some reason from thence here inserted but there is no cause of such suspicion seeing the occasion of the Parenthesis is manifest and that the metaphor taken from garments is familiar to this Booke 16. And gathered them The old Version And he shall gather them as if it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza in his latter Edition he gathered them according also as it is in our English Translation to wit Christ or God referring it to the foregoing Verse But in his former more rightly And they gathered them viz. the three uncleane Spirits for the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do cohere as if he had said The spirits went forth to gather the Kings of the world and they gathered them the 14. verse as we have shewed being inserted by a parenthesis It is true the Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being in the singular number may carry both senses notwithstanding it plainely appeares from the end of the Spirits going forth that in the Text by an Atticisme usuall to the Greekes the Noune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spirits being plurall is joyned with a verbe of the singular number Now the end of the Ambassage of the uncleane Spirits was to gather the Kings least therefore it should seeme they had bin slacke in their office their endeavour is added And they gathered them viz. to the Battell for by their importunitie subtilty and jugling they perswaded the kings to take up this warre The Kings therefore of the earth and of the whole world are in readinesse with their armies for to defend the Beast against God Almighty O detestable madnesse The whole world will be up in armes no corner shall be in quiet or free from the warre of these frogs And indeed it seemeth that towards the end of the world it shall come to passe that not onely Popish kings who then shall be but few but also forraine and barbarous nations as of India Asia Africa being induced by the craft and deceit of the frogs shall joyne their forces against the professours of the Gospell for to restore the authority of the Pope What a confusion shall there then be in all places And how great shall the feare and trembling of the godlie bee Now what shall be the event of this unhappy expedition This is reserved to the following Vision onely the place where the battell shall be fought is set forth by the Hebrew word Armageddon Of Armageddon the place of the battell concerning which if I should alleadge the severall guesses of Interpreters seeing it seemes not to be manifested either by Scripture or Histories time would faile me In the writing of the word copies do differ generally it is writen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Harmageddon with two dd some have it Harmagedon with one d some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hermagedon with E divers significations are also alleadged Jerome expounds it The mountain of thieves Others A cursed Troup from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Others The army of malediction or destruction Others The deceit of destruction Others The ruine of the River or streame Others The mountaine of the Gospell Others The mountaine of apples or fruit Two of these opinions I like best First theirs who render it The deceit or guile of destruction from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subtle and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies cutting off or ruinating that the very place of the battle it selfe might discover the imposture of the Frogs who having put the Kings in hope of a great prey should deceitfully bring them into the place of their destruction where they shall be slain in a horrible manner not by the sword of men but by the sword of Almighty God for while they tumultously rage and fiercely fight against the Gospell in a moment they shall all be oppressed by the last judgement and be cast into the Lake of brimstone with the Beast false Prophet and the Frogs as it is in Chapter 19. verse 19. The other opinion of Beza I rather approve that Armageddon is that place where Josias unhappily fighting with Necho king of Egypt was slaine as we read 2. Chron. 35.22 Zechar. 12.11 where it called the field or valley of Megiddon here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The mountaine Megiddon for at the foot of the mountaine was a valley or large field for Combat but Megiddo was not the name of the mountaine or field but of a citie after which the field and the mountaine called Gilboe neer unto the same took their denomination Neither doth it hinder that the field Megiddo was tragicall not unto the adversaries but to good Iosias for it may be answered that two things are here aimed at The opportunity of the place as being most fit for battle and the mourning which there was of old for the death of Iosias the which at last shal be here in regard of the destruction of the adversaries The summe is this This cursed armie here treated of shall bee gathered into the place of its destruction which is not meant of one certaine place but wherever it be that these unblessed Troupes shall then gather themselves and rage against God there the day of judgement shall come upon them The pouring out of the seventh Viall into the Ayre 17 And the seventh Angell poured out his Viall into the ayre and there came a great voice out of the