not carrying themselues insolently towards them when they are worthy of blame whereby they may thinke that they are contemned but by reason perswading them seeing otherwise there will be nothing but strife and brawling in which case no acceptable prayers can be offered vp vnto God And this seemeth to be the most genuine exposition because hee addeth something of a parity betwixt a married couple in respect of the best things as heires together of the grace of life so that as wiues ought according to that which was taught before to obey and reuerence their husbands so husbands ought to giue respect to their wiues they being in some respect equall one vnto another This honouring of the wife is by forbearing to deale with her by checkes and stripes as with a seruant and likewise by putting her to any base office which doth not sure with the condition of such an husband and by louing and respectiue termes to speake vnto her and in place preferring her and for food and apparell maintaining her according to his degree and quality and for his vnderstanding the vse of that is in wisely admonishing her of such things as be amisse that by the force of reason being conuinced she may reforme theÌ„ That there should be such a mutuall striuing betwixt man and wife in reuerencing and respecting each other the word likewise doth imply Likewise ye husbands dwell c. that is as I haue hitherto exhorted women to imitate Sarah in reuerencing their husbands so doe yee giue honour to them also because howsoeuer they are subiect vnto you yet there is an honour and respect from you againe due vnto them Note Note that a woman is not so much set forth by apparell as by vertue and euery wise man will esteeme better of her that is modest and doth her duty well towards her husband than of her that is outwardly most gorgeous and beautifull So that if any woman doth desire to winne the heart of her husband if he be out of the way to conuert him into the right way let her not attempt it by such meanes as may make her seeme outwardly more beautifull but by such Matron-like vertue as is required in a Christian woman Note againe that he is a foole and no wise man Note that vseth his wise as his vnderling or seruant A wise man will giue that honour to his wife as whereby her affection may bee drawne more towards him to doe her duty the more cheerefully She is his vessell but she is tender and weake therefore that she may be the more commodious for him he must not be harsh towards her nor proudly dominere ouer her but he must intreat her gently as she is able to beare To vse the comparison of Luther here Iâ—â—â—â—r as a man vseth any instrument for any purpose as his knifeto cut withall to the end that he may keepe it sharpe he will not dash it against hard stones He then that beateth and misuseth his wife as his cholericke passions sway him is a foole and wanteth the reason of a man whereby to gouerne a woman and there is such a barre put in the way of his prayers that they are hindred from euer comming vp and preuailing before the Lord. Lastly note 〈◊〉 that it is the mans duty to dwell together with his wife and not hauing a wife to keepe abroad and to company with other women nor hauing married a wife to liue separate any long time from her but for a certaine space onely as the necessity of his affaires doth require and that by mutuall consent as 1 Cor. 7.5 CHAP. 3. VERS 13. And who will hurt you if yee be followers of that which is good Vers 14 But if ye suffer for righteousnesse yee are blessed feare not their feare c. Vers 15 Being ready alwaies for apologie to euery one that asketh you c. 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 Because none can doe any thing against any man without God who will neuer doe any ill to such as liue righteously hee moueth this question Who will hurt you that is no hurt can be done vnto you and if it shall seeme an hurt which is offered to the godly euen for religions sake yee must know that this is a matter of blessednesse and if it were an hurt God would not suffer it to be thus Feare nothing therefore that persecutors can doe against you but sanctifie the Lord in your hearts that is by separating from the wickednesse wherewith they are polluted And be ready that is be so studied in the faith which yee professe that ye may haue in a readinesse a sufficient reason hereof to be rendred when ye are required thereunto because in this case if a man should come to speake vnpreparedly he might haply by making a weake answer wrong his most iust cause but when with holinesse of life a sound answer to confirme the truth concurreth the aduersary is put to shame and oft-times brought to glorifie God by an happy conuersion thus wrought in him The Lord biddeth that wee should not take thought what to answer when we are brought before Rulers and Gouernours but it is to be vnderstood that that was in the case of suffering this is in the case of Apology concerning the Christian doctrine Who can hurt you Tho. Aquinas in 1 Pet. 3. either man or deuill for none can pull him backe from good vnto euill that is resolutely bent to doe well and if they doe any hurt to such a one they benefit him more than they hurt him by the exercise of his patience Feare not their feare that is such things as in them may seeme to be able to strike terrour into the minde as their outward greatnesse and power to punish they be the words of Esa 8.12 Sanctifie the Lord in your hearts that is holding fast the faith of the Lord Iesus and both in word and suffering for the Gospell being ready to make apologie by word when any out of a desire to learne doe aske you otherwise to speake of the mysteries of saluation is but to cast Pearles before Swine and by suffering most notably do we shew our hope when we expose our selues to any torments for the ioy that we hope afterwards to possesse He that suffereth in his body Luther in 1 Pet. 3. or by the losse of goods for the Gospell is not hurt because these outward things are nothing worth in comparison of the reward to come Feare not though they make themselues terrible vnto you but sanctifie the Lord in your hearts that is whatsoeuer befalleth you whether to the outward sense it be grieuous or pleasant acknowledge that it commeth iustly vpon you and that it is good and for which ye ought to giue God thanks for he that is impatient and murmureth vnder sufferings prophaneth God but the patient and thankfull sanctifie giue glory to him See an example of one sanctifying God in his heart Psal 144. and
persons preserued are said to be saued by the water because when all others perished in the water they were borne in the Arke vpon the waters and escaped drowning So likewise by Baptisme whatsoeuer is carnall naturall is destroyed and we are made spirituall when we are hereby receiued into the Church as into the Arke depending vpon Christ by faith But it is nothing outward in baptisme that saueth vs but the couenant whereupon a good conscience doth comfortably rest being able to say This thou hast promised Lord vnto me and therefore wilt performe it By the resurrection of Christ that is it being by faith apprehended not onely that Christ died for vs but that he rose againe to make his death effectuall vnto vs. Luther acknowledgeth this place to be so obscure Mayer as that he is not fully satisfied about the sense of it but preferreth this as seeming to him the best that yet could be found out Caietan saith that Christ went and preached to the spirits in hell and that not vnfruitfully But this is worthily reiected by Luther because there is no comming out of that place Gagneus And Gagneus a Papist also derideth it asking who told him of any that were there conuerted He also confesseth that he cannot attaine to any satisfying resolution of this place Some he saith expound it of Christs comming once before his comming in the flesh euen in Noahs time to preach whilest the Arke was in building but as they disobeying not flying into the Arke were drowned so now that Christ hath come in the flesh if any obey not to fly to the Sacrament of Baptisme they cannot but perish The Greekes reade that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the spirits in hell which we read in prison holding that he went to preach vnto them not to saue them but to vpbraid them with their infidelity and sinnes notwithstanding the long warning which they had by Noah Beda Beda is altogether for preaching to men in this world and therefore readeth it either in prison that is to such as were shut vp in the body as in a prison or in the flesh that is such as were greatly oppressed with fleshly desires But to examine and determine in order the doubts or this place first what is meant by being put to death or mortified in the flesh and quickened in the spirit The old Latine translation followed by Tho. Aquinas and Gorraâ— readeth it Mortificatos carne c. as I haue shewed already and it is expounded by them accordingly of our being mortified and quickened But the Latine translation hath beene amended according to the Greeke as Lorinus acknowledgeth being by the fault of the Writer corrupted according to Gagneus and Augustine Ierom and Cyprian and Ruffin follow this reading He being quickened c. But it being agreed about this reading yet there is a question what is meant by Christs being quickened in the spirit 〈◊〉 An answer to certaine obiections against Christs descent Some contend that his soule was preserued aliue when he was bodily dead and that nothing else is meant And one taketh great paines in alleaging other places of Scripture where to quicken doth signifie to keepe aliue as Luke 17.33 Luke 9.24 Marke 8.33 Iohn 12.25 Exod 1.22 1 Sam. 27.9 c. And the Syrian Interpreter who readeth these words here Gecumen August Thâ— Aquin. Euther He died in body but liued in spirit Some would haue his diuine power meant quickening others that were dead who came out of their graues Some vnderstand his reuiuing againe to a spirituall life after his bodily death the quickening spirit comming againe into his dead body Some lastly vnderstand his diuinity wherein he liued â—â—â—d ras 〈◊〉 and alwaies liueth because the Godhead is a spirit expounding his being quickened in the spirit of his being restored to life by the power of his diuinity Beda citeth Athanasius taking the spirit here for the holy Ghost Athanesues as if it were meant that he was quickened in the faithfull his members in the spirit comming into them I subscribe to that of Augustine and Luther as seeming to me most genuine he died the naturall death but liued againe the spirituall life in soule and body For although the word here vsed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be often put for preserued aliue yet here it being opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it agreeth better to vnderstand it of that which is opposite to being put to death that is being raised to life againe in the spirit that is by the power of the Deity his very body is now become spirituall as ours shall also be And thus it agreeth excellently with that which went before that we should patiently suffer any wrongs because as the Lord Iesus did not so neither shall we lose any thing no not though we should be put to death for we shall but exchange as Christ did a naturall life for a spirituall and heauenly which is for euer Secondly What is meant by Christs going in the spirit to preach to the spirits in prison c. To this it is answered diuersly by diuers some of which answers I haue shewed already First It was a generall receiued opinion amongst most that Christ descended into hell there in person to preach to such spirits as were departed out of this world before his comming Clemens Alexandrinus Strom. 6. Athanasius Epist ad Epâ—ctet Epiphan Haeres 77. Cyrillus Alex. in Iohan. cap. 36. lib. 12. Hillar in Psal 118. Ieronym in cap. 54. Esa Ambros in Rom. 10. Iustin in tryphon Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. 23. And the last of these two alleageth a place out of Esay the former of Ieremy in these words The holy Lord of Israel was mindfull of his dead which slept in the earth and descended to preach saluation to them that he might saue them Which words are not now extant any where but are thought by Irenaeus through the hatred of Christianity to haue beene put out by the Iewes yet they that agree in the generall of Christ his descent doe greatly differ about the effect thereof Some holding that hee saued all that were in hell before by his preaching as Hilary and Hermes in his booke entituled Pastor but the disobedient in Noahs time are named onely because they were the greatest number that perished together This is mentioned and reiected as an heresie by Augustine August lib. de Hares cap. 79. and that worthily because so contrary to the holy Scriptures Esa 66.24 Matth. 18.8 Luke 16.26 Some agaâ—ne hold that hee saued onely those that were worthy who led a good life and would haue beleeued if he had before come amongst them but vpbraided the rest by their disobedience and infidelity as Occum Gregory Nazianzen c. or that there were some penitent amongst them that were drowned by the floud whom he had saued as Lyra teacheth And it is a thing generally held amongst the Papists that there were
forth to be as it were burning in a furnace which maketh more for the brightnesse of their splendour than any thing else Some vnderstand his humanitie which through the furnace of passions was aduanced to glorie Others apply it to an inferiour ranke of the faithfull Gorran which are not so perfectly purified or to Christians that shall suffer for Christ towards the end of the world Brightman Others apply it to the afflicted estate of the Church then in Smyrna and Pergamus His voice like as of many waters Pareus sheweth further his terriblenesse to his enemies as the voice of God is described by thunder Psal 29. and the maruellous operation of it none being able to restraine the sound of it Brightman Some vnderstand the voice of the Christian Religion sounding verie loud yet nothing being distinctly perceiued hereby by the Infidels which counted it a fond superstition The seuen starres in his right hand Marlor are expounded by the Lord himselfe to be the seuen Angels of the seuen Churches that is the chiefe Ministers or as some will haue it the Ministrie in these seuen Churches whereby as by starres the people are enlightned and the will of God is as it were by Angels from Heauen declared The Lord is said to hold them in his right hand to shew how deare and in what account they are with him Hereto most consent but Mr. Foxe hath a singular conceit here that by the Angels of the Churches are meant the Churches because they only are called to repentance This doth no whit arride mee because the Churches and Angels are expressely distinguished by the type of Candle-stickes and Starres And who knoweth not that the sinne of the Congregation against which warning is not giuen by the Minister is his sinne as Ezech. 3. and therefore to call him to repentance is to call them all because he will no longer suffer them to rest secure in their sinnes Thomas Aquinas hath elegantly and briefly set forth here the analogie betwixt Angels and Ministers Tho. Aquin. in Apocal. 1. Ratione charitatis sollicitudinis in diligendo 2. Prudentiae in eligendo 3. Sanctitatis in viuendo 4. Scientiae in cognoscendo 5. Informationis in instruendo 6. Medicationis in curando 7. Velocitatis in discurrendo 8. Officij in ministrando 9. Deuotionis in contemplando 10. Zeli in suffragando Pareus The sword with two edges going out of his mouth is afterwards expounded to bee that whereby he smiteth the Gentiles Reuel 19.15 and ruleth them with a rod of iron So fierce and terrible is he to vnbeleeuers as that with the very breath of his mouth he destroyeth them as with the sharpest sword Ephe 6.17 Heb. 4.12 Others commonly expound it of the Word of God which is called the Sword of the Spirit and is said to bee sharper than any two edged sword but seeing all this vision tendeth to the terrour of Christs enemies I preferre the first sense His faces shining like the Sunne is vnderstood by all of his exceeding great glory in respect of his humane nature now in Heauen to which we shall afterwards be conformed for so the Lord hath promised The iust shall shine as the Sunne Mat. 13. Vers 43. And all this glory and parts arguing power greatnesse and maiesty are here thus particularly described to procure reuerence to the Author of the things here contained for though hee were meane and base in this world yet now he doth excell in glory Quest Whereunto hath this command of writing Vers 19. the things which he had seene which are and which shall be hereafter relation whether only to the Epistles or to the whole body of the Prophesie Answ Some restraine them only to the Epistles Brightman wherein are things to come set forth as well as things then in being but this cannot be because so a superfluous iteration should bee made of a precept already giuen vers 11. and howsoeuer some things which he had seene are there mentioned and some things to come yet not all as he is here directed nor in that order so that if these Epistles onely had beene meant the diuine man had not fully done as was appointed him Others therefore vnderstand things past which Iohn had seene vnder Neroes Empire and Domitians Pareus and things present which now were exhibited to his sight and things to come which he should afterwards see and so they make the Reuelation to consist of three parts the one setting forth things past from the beginning of the Gospell the other the present state of things when these visions were had and the third the future to the end of the world For mine owne part mee thinkes it is plaine that the things which he had seene were nothing but the present type of the glory of Christ The things which are the present state of those seuen Churches and the Lords will concerning them The things to come what representations and passages propheticall of things to come hee should afterwards see for although the things to come bee thus taken yet this maketh not against the representing of some things past for more orderly proceeding and the full declaring of the whole matter together CHAP. II. and III. THese Chapters containe nothing but Epistles to the seuen Churches wherein are commended diuers good things and a finall reward is promised to such as ouercome and sundry vices are taxed and iudgements threatned or in a propheticall manner foretold to come vpon them therefore Forbs Brightman Some vnderstand these Churches as typicall figuring out the seuerall conditions of the Church of God in diuers ages of the world The Church of Ephesus figureth out the state of the Church in the daies of the Apostles and Apostolike men liuing next after them at what time there remained such a presence of Christ so painfull powerfull zealous watchfull patient and constant a ministery that albeit the mystery of iniquity was then working yet they were so watchfully marked and mightily resisted that sought to bring in error that it was borne downe and truth held the place but yet so as that by some declining a step was made to that next heauier degree in the Church of Smyrna The Church of Smyrna figureth out the state of the Church when heretikes got the vpper hand as in the daies of the Arrians and whereas hee comforteth them without any threaning hee hath respect vnto his poore persecuted people whom only he taketh for his Church omitting the rest as desperate but he reproued the declining in the age before as curable and not so hainous but that yet he made reckoning of them as of his Church Pergamus setteth forth that time wherein error had so much preuailed that Antichrist was in his Throne maintaining idolatry and spirituall fornication yet there was a Church then that kept it selfe pure though for want of strength and courage shee did not make such resistance
hereafter CHAP. XIV AND behold a Lambe standing vpon mount Zion Quest 1 Vers 1. and with him an hundred forty and foure thousand hauing his Fathers name written on their foreheads c. Who are these and to what time is this to be referred What is that musicall voyce which commeth from heauen and the new song sung there which none could learne but these one hundred forty and foure thousand And what is meant by saying that they are virgins and follow the Lambe and that they are the first fruits vnto God and that no guile is found in their mouth c. Answ I will not delay the Reader much here with diuersity of expositions for this place as I take it is parallel to that in the seuenth Chapter so that as there after much violence and bloud-shed of the seruants of God spoken of before it is added as a comfort that of euery tribe were sealed twelue thousand making vp all together this number of one hundred forty and foure thousand In calling him the Lambe he taketh vp the speech vsed Chap. 7.8 All worship the beast whose names were not written in the booke of life of the Lambe which stood fast vnto the truth of God notwithstanding the danger of those persecuting times solikewise here after the beasts bloudy proceedings against all that would not worship him spoken of in the fore-going chapter this comfort is added that the Lambe Christ Iesus all the time of Antichrists reigne standeth vpon mount Zion that is is vigilant ouer his Church to preserue it from perishing and hee hath still with him euen in these times of greatest streights and hundred forty and foure thousand followers that is many thousands thorowout the twelue tribes of his whole Church dispersed ouer the world set forth thus in allusion to the old Church of God vnder the Law And these followers of his are vnmoueable as mount Zion that is most fixedly adhering to his truth for so the firme standing of the faithfull is described by the Psalmist saying Psal 125.1 They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion that can neuer be remoued And they haue Gods name in their forehead to set forth their constant confident professing of the truth of God all superstitions of Popery which are a marke vpon the forehead of those that follow the beast being vtterly abandoned And as after the sealing there an infinite multitude are brought in with white robes and palmes praising God with whom the Angels ioyne making a most sweet consent it being a representation of the ioyfull condition in heauen of such as haue suffered for Christ in this world but now are triumphing there that the languishing spirits of such as are yet militant vpon earth might be recreated the more cheerefully to beare the terrible brunts of hottest persecutions who were before set forth by the sealed ones so here is an intimation of an infinite multitude already reioycing in heauen in that he saith that hee heard the voyce as it were of many waters and of a great thunder and of harpers which sung a new song for these speeches may well set forth an infinite multitude whose noise is as the noise of great waters and great thunders but this seemeth to be spoken of their congregating together to this heauenly harmony which is performed as it were by harpes and singing of a new song that is a most rare and excellent song of the praise of God and of the Lord Iesus Christ which song the faithfull here doe learne but none else because none but they doe praise God all others magnifie the beast but these by their praising of God from honest and sincere hearts sanctified by the truth begin euen now to come into the quite of heauen to which they and none but they shall be vndoubtedly ioyned at the last praising God for their deliuerance perfected as now they doe for the fountaine and beginnings hereof the Lord Iesus Christ and his spirituall graces and the ioy of the holy Ghost resulting here-from whereby they doe euen now as it were sit together in heauenly places And as there an Angell is brought in questioning with Iohn and telling him who these were and of their perfect holinesse through the bloud of the Lambe set forth by white robes washed therein and of the Lambes being in the midst of them and leading them forth to the waters of life so here Iohn is directly informed that these one hundred forty and foure thousand of the Church militant are most excellent and worthy persons all immaculate and vnspotted before God both for that he imputeth no sinne vnto them being iustified by faith in the bloud of the Lambe and for that they haue kept themselues virgins vnto God not hauing committed fornication with the beast by idolatry who is afterwards called also the great whore and haue a simple honest heart like Nathaneel who is said to be without guile so that they could not be blamed either for the common vice of others by fornicating in such manner nor for hypocrisie and double dealing in professing the truth as aiming at some sinister end or by yeelding in shew vnto those idolatries thinking that as long as their hearts were right they might in shew be such for the safeguard of their liues These were not too blame any of these wayes for they were ready in giuing witnesse to the truth to lay downe their liues And they are said to be redeemed from the earth and from amongst men to note the power from whence they were inabled vnto this in what a most happy condition different from other men they are when others as men of the earth perish at the destruction of the earth and earthly things these are by the Lambe deliuered and made partakers of that fulnesse of ioy that makes their fellow seruants who went into heauen before to play and sing in such an admirable harmony And these are led forth by the Lambe for they follow him whither soeuer he goeth they follow him in suffering and they follow him into glory that where he is they may alwayes be Napier Pareus Brightman Fox c. That this is parallel to that in Chap. 7. most consent and it setteth forth the number of such as were not carried away with the common streame of corruptions preuailing in the time of Popery and the Lord Iesus appeareth most significantly as a Lambe because he yet suffered his enemies in their persecuting but he standeth to shew his vigilant care ouer his Church Arethas Some thinke that this is a diuers thing from that in Chap. 7. there being set forth the sealed amongst the Iewes here the sealed amongst the Gentiles some hold Alcasar that the faithfull vnder the persecuting Emperours are set forth but all things so fitly agreeing and this comming immediatly after the description of the beast as a thing contemporanean with him I can see no ground of such opinion It is
it is to be noted that it is spoken in the plurall number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 righteousnesses intimating as one hath well obserued Brightman Vers 8. both the righteousnesse that is by faith imputatiuely and that holinesse which by the spirit of grace is wrought in the Saints for inherent holinesse is imperfect in the best and therefore cannot iustifie and faith where this is wanting is feeble and dead and so vnable to iustifie That we may therefore be fully iustified both are necessary faith to lay hold vpon the perfect righteousnesse of Christ who is our iustification and inherent holinesse to make this garment of righteousnesse shine before men Nothing is more vsuall in this booke than by white and pure cloathing to set forth the sanctity and innocency of Gods seruants see Chap. 3. vers 4. vers 18. Here some in Sardis are commended for that they had not defiled their garments and they of Laodicea are counselled to get them white garments by reforming their wickednesse in respect of which they were said before to be naked yet wee are not here with the Iesuice to conceiue Ribera that the Saints are iust before God by their owne righteousnesse for this is contrary to the whole course of Scripture whereby euery one yea the best is concluded to be a sinner But by the Spirit of God wee are sanctified and so prepared for the Bride groome so many as beleeue and by beleeuing lay hold vpon the bloud of Christ without which our garment of sanctity is spoâ—ted but with which it is washed white as is said of the martyred Saints They washed their robes white in the bloud of the Lambe Reuel 7.14 Let no man then trust to his owne righteousnesse nor yet to the righteousnesse of Christ which he thinketh is imputatiuely made his if there be in him a naked and bare faith onely but consider that the cloathing of the Bride is righteousnes and therefore let him so rest vpon the one as that he neglect not the other relie onely vpon Christs righteousnesse to saluation but vnto this get sanctity of heart and life because otherwise it is dead and profiteth not vnto saluation In that Iohn falling downe and worshipping the Angell that talked with him is reproued and bidden to worship God onely Vers â— it is plaine that all religions falling downe before any creature how excellent soeuer is vnlawfull and by all meanes to be auoided The reason why hee would not be worshipped of Iohn is because he was his fellow seruant and of them that haue the testimony of Iesus for the testimony of Iesus is the Spirit of prophecie If because hee was a Spirit comming from the Lord with this reuelation he were conceiued to be worthy of worship it must be vnderstood that euen in this hee was the fellow of Iohn and the rest of the Apostles to whom the secrets of God were reuealed also and so they had that within them which was as excellent as an Angell for in that they had the testimony of Iesus they had the spirit of prophecy and hauing such a spirit they were no vnderlings that ought a duty to the Angels in heauen but euen fellowes vnto them And if they be fellow seruants to the Apostles then to all the faithfull also seeing they all make but one body in Christ That which followeth touching one sitting vpon a white horse Vers 11. who appeared vnto Iohn the heauen being opened it is generally agreed that he is Christ Iesus Hee doth not now appeare in this manner Bullinger as if according to the order of this vision he did not begin till now to fight against the enemies of his truth for how should Babylon then haue fallen and the beast haue beene destroyed But this fall and destruction hauing beene hitherto set forth in the proper place vnder the figure of Angels powring out their vials and cutting downe with sharpe sickles and by a voyce calling vpon the kings of the earth to be reuenged which they act accordingly now as was needfull the Captaine of these armies imployed in these warres commeth at the last to be described both by the place of his residence heauen the forme wherein he goeth to the warres vpon a white horse the name by which hee is called faithfull and true iudging the word of God the Lord of lords and King of kings his parts and apparell eyes like flames of fire a mouth out of which went a two-edged sword many crownes vpon his head a vesture dipt in bloud and also by his traine the armies of heauen following him vpon white horses and his dominion he ruleth all nations with a rod of iron Whereas his name is said to be such Pareus that no man knew it but himselfe and yet by and by it is said that his name is the word of God it is to be vnderstood that no man could know Christ to be the Word and God but by reuelation The last iudgement hath beene often mentioned before but the Iudge hath neuer beene described wherefore it was necessary now at the last to set downe this ample description of him The Angell that standeth in the Sunne Vers 7. crying to the fowles to gather themselues together to the Supper of the great God doth set forth nothing else Bullinger but how open and manifest a destruction of Antichrist and his adherents shall be made when the time of their finall ouerthrow shall come it shall be as manifest to all the world as the Sunne in the firmament That whereunto the fowles are inuited is the supper of God Vers 18. consisting of the flesh of Kings and Captaines and of mighty men and horses c. this is altogether allegoricall being taken out of Ezechiel the meaning is Ezech. 39.17 Bullinger Pareus c. that as when men are destroyed in the warres their cakasses of all estates and degrees lie as a prey to the fowles of the aire theirs and their horses and retinues and when it falleth out to be thus it is a signe of their vtter destruction so the Lord would hereby haue it vnderstood that Antichrist and his followers the Kings and others that shall still obstinately cleaue to him when by others repenting and reuolting from him he shall be impugned and weakened shall haue a day when as re-uniting their forces to repaire the broken state they shall be vtterly destroyed neuer being able to make head againe till the comming of the Lord to iudgement at what time they shall be taken and cast into euerlasting fire Bullinger Pareus Brightman So that here the end of the gathering together of the kings into Harmageddon vnder the Angell with the sixt viall seemeth to bee fully set forth which was but intimated there Whereas in the next place Vers 20. the beast and false prophet are said to be taken and cast aliue into the lake burning with fire and brimstone and then the remnant
that is he stirreth vp the Pope a secret enemy in the West and the Turke an open enemy in the East by fire and sword to destroy the company of those that stand for the truth which howsoeuer it hath beene in a great part fulfilled already yet the most remarkable time is to come wherein being gathered together in greatest multitudes they shall be by the immediate hand of God destroyed as with fire from Heauen so that they shall neuer be able to make head againe as was before set forth vnder the sixt Viall Chap. 16.16 by the place called Harmageddon into which they should bee gathered Which time the Deuill being concluded in hell should not in such manner seduce any more till the comming of the Lord to iudgement which is next set forth And I hold with those that say the phrase here is borrowed from Ezâ—echiel because of the similitude of that which was then done and now Then the people of God being returned from the captiuity were assaulted by Seleucus and Nicanor and Antiochus c. out of Asia Minor and Syria but were mightily deliuered by Iudas Machabeus and his brethren being extraordinarily stirred vp and assisted from Heauen Ezech. 38.22 Ezech. 29.6 and therefore their ouerthrow that came against them is set forth by fire and brimstone and againe by a fire which the Lord threatneth to send vpon Magog For in like manner the people of God in these latter daies being come out of the captiuity of Popery are assaulted with innumerable enemies but the Lord doth mightily preserue them and disappoint their enemies of their purpose and will we doubt not when greatest need shall be at the last yet more miraculously saue his by destroying their enemies both Turkes and Papists when they shall be in an highest attempt against them That the Scythians came of Magog who are the present Tukes and Tartars is agreed by all Writers and that Meshech and Tubal ouer which Gog is said to be the chiefe Prince are Iberia that is Spaine and Cappadocia Ieron de inter Heb. nom Ierome sheweth De interpr nominum Hebr. Touching other exposiâ—ions and first for that of enemies in generall it is too large and taketh away from the light giuen here to see more particularly into this matter for that which restreineth it to the Turkes onely seeing two names are here vsed I see no reason why both should be referred to one sort of enemies especially there being two that continually infest the Church of God so aptly figured out by them Touching the fire and the casting of the Deuill into the lake of fire and brimstone I cannot thinke it is to bee meant of the last iudgement and of the fire of that great day of the Lord because when that day shall come there shall be a generall security eating and drinking marrying and giuing in marriage and not warring and sighting for if an end of these warres should be made by the Lords comming to iudgement how should the faithfull haue time here to reioyce and to giue thankes vnto to God for their greatest enemies ouerthrowne It is true there may be some relikes of the Antichristian Sect after this 2 Thess 2.8 in regard of which it is said that Antichrist shall bee abolished by the brightnesse of the Lords comming but that hee shall stand to be able to make so great a power as is here described is most improbable The Turkes haue had hitherto great successe in their warres against Christians but they whom they haue fought against haue beene as bad as themselues or worse and therefore they haue beene armed to become a scourge vnto them as was shewed chap. 9. But when they shall come in their greatest power against the true Christians of the Reformed Religion though the Papists shall ioyne with them to make their Armies innumerable God will from Heauen fight against them and confound them In confidence whereof let vs be resolute and comfort our selues if we should see greater preparations of warre made by all our enemies for we shall vndoubtedly triumph ouer them all at the last Quest Vers 11. 4. What is meant by the appearance of a great white Throne and the comming together of all before him that sate vpon it and the fleeting away of Heauen and Earth from before him what are the Bookes and the other booke called The Booke of life according to the contents whereof all were iudged and according to their workes and how are death and hell cast into the lake of fire Answ Brightman There is no great difference amongst Expositors here onely some turne all that is said into an allegory of the conuersion of the Iewes holding that by the dead here set forth to rise together they are meant who haue beene all this time dead as it were in infidelity But the place is so plainly of the generall resurrection at the last day and the arguments so sleighty to cause vs to vary from the common receiued exposition which is of the generall resurrection and the exposition which applyeth it to the Iewes in the particular passages here is so wrested and forced Pareus as one a learned Writer hath well noted as that this may by no meanes be admitted The chiefe reason of this interpretation is drawne from that which followeth Chap. 21.22 because the Authour of it conceiueth that the description of the new Ierusalem with the circumstances cannot agree to the state of the Church triumphant in heauen and therefore a famous Church to come vpon earth must needs be pointed at there but how these may be applied to the state of the Church triumphant in heauen shall appeare in their proper place In the meane season I follow the common exposition of all Writers holding that the generall resurrection and proceedings which shall bee at the last day are here set forth for euery place of Scripture is properly to be vnderstood vnlesse there be a necessity of admitting a figure because otherwise either some absurdity will follow or it will not agree with the analogy of faith neither of which can be iustly said here He that sitteth vpon a great white Throne is the Lord Iesus who appeareth thus to shew his glory for white is a signe of glory Mat. 17.1 the heauen and earth are said to fly away from before him to declare the fiercenesse and intolerablenesse of his anger at that day which is such that neither earth nor heauen are able to beare it a circumstance very vnfit to bee applied to that most notable worke of grace in bringing the Iewes home to the faith They shall fly away in regard of their externall forme and figure for they shall be changed as a vesture the heauens melting with heat and the earth flaming with fire but their substance shall still remaine after this called a new heauen and a new earth as most hold The dead that stand before the Iudge are both great and small