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
Lord shall descend from heaven and come to judgement 1 Thess 4.16 and when he soundeth the inhabitants of heaven shall sing a song of triumph and the dead shall be called forth to judgement Chap. 11.15.18 3 And another Angel came This is the second part of the preparation unto the vision An Angel casteth the golden censer with the fire of the altar upon the earth All interpreters say something touching this Angel who he was what he effected But wherefore he prevented the sounding of the others and how this sight doth cohere with that which followes I finde it not sufficiently expounded by any of them the which thing notwithstanding is necessarily to be considered First I will rehearse the opinion of others Andreas acknowledgeth Andreas opinion touching the Angel with the censer howbeit very darkely that it is Christ the high-Priest of the Church who also is the Altar thereof He offers the prayers of the saintes to God desiring saith he that the scourge here inflicted upon the wicked may lessen their eternal torments c. by lightnings voyces thunders and earthquakes he understands the terrours and threanings which shal goe before the consummation of the world Lyra doting as his usuall manner is applies this to Pope Damasus The doting opinion of Lyra. the successor of Liberius about the yeere 384. who as he saith had the golden censer that is puritie of hart zeale towards God He offered the prayers of the Saintes to God that is he composed the mattins and evening songs and glorie be to the Father and to the Son c causing them to be sung by all the Churches He sent forth the censer fire on the earth by stirring up the inhabitāts therof to fervent charity After which followed thunders of preaching voyces of praysing of God lightnings of miracles earthquackes of conversion of mens hearts to God But these things are to foolish Rupertus understands this Angel to be him that was present with the Fathers Rupertus opinion by whose ministery the law was given and the priest-hood instituted But what use was there here that a cleare and known historie should be represented unto Iohn by oscure types wherefore they erre from the scope who in expounding the Revelation keep not themselves within the limits of the New Testament seeing it is certaine that onely the condition of the Church under the Gospel is revealed unto Iohn Ribera denies this Angel to be Christ Ribera denies this Angel to be Christ both because Christ is no where absolutely called an Angel as also because it is said And another Angel which shewes that he was one like to the other seven as Chap. 1. I saw four Angels and a little after I saw another Angel ascending Now he supposeth that it was Gabriel who appeared to Daniel Marie or Michael Dan. 9.21 Luk. 1.26 to whom the whole Church is committed The Altar he makes to be Christ The Censer by a strained metaphor he applies to the bodie of Christ full of holes like a censer by the woundes he received at his passion Therefore he imagineth that the Angel offers up the prayers of the Saintes The thunders wyces earthquakes c. he takes literally for the signes prognosticating the future calamities of the ungodly Alcasar understands it of an imaginarie person Alcasars opinion shadowing out Christian charitie My Anonymus saith wel This other Angel is Christ Anonymus doth rightly applie it to Christ who is present with his elect to defend them from the deceit of hereticks unto the end of the world he offereth the prayers of the Saintes upon the golden Altar that is upon himself who is both God and man and also interceeds for his Church before the Father he sends forth the censer and fire upon the earth that is by sending the holie Ghost upon his Apostles And there were thundrings c. that is the threatning of Gods ministers against Antichrist And earthquakes that is through the preachers of the Gospell Christianity was devided against it self some favouring Antichrists super stirions some impugning the same This interpretation both I my self and most of our writers approve of as most true For this Angel standeth and performeth in heaven the work of the Churches high priest in offering up the prayers of the Saintes and making them acceptable to God as a sweet smelling sacrifice Now the Church hath no other high-priest but Christ alone therefore Ribera in applying this not to Christ but unto a created Angel robs him of the honour of his priesthood and makes the Saints in heaven as mediatours to be praied unto But this wicked invention is contrarie both to this vision and the whole drift and scope of the Revelation His objection that Christ is no where in scripture absolutely called an Angel is false for he who delivered the Patriarch Jacob out of all his troubles is absolutely called an Angel Gen. 48.16 which must be understood of Christ Iehovah the Sonne of God as appears by Gen. 32.9.11 28.15 in Mala. 3.1 Christ is called the Angel of the covenant Neyther is it true that John makes him like one of the seven Angels here spoken of For he calls him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 another Angel the which must be understood not onely of another individual but of another kinde of Angel as plainly appears by the office of priesthood attributed to this Angel to be short we have already shewed that what is alleadged in Chap. 7. v. 1.2 is to be referred unto Christ our Lord. Thus we have the meaning of the preparation Before the seven Angels should stirr up the world by sounding their trumpets Christ steps in as the high-priest for to offer up to God the prayers and groanes of the Church militant against tyrants Antichrist to teach us that the complaints of the faithfull vanish not away in the ayre but are received by Christ our mercifull highpriest by him effectually offered presented before God thereby to procure deliverance for them This is the lively comfort of the Church that she hath an highpriest to fly unto in all her troubles But as yet it doth not sufficiently appear how these things agree with what followeth therefore we will more narrowlie consider the matter That which the seven Angels shall afterward more distinctly set forth by sounding their trumpets The mystery of the Angel with the golden censer explained This Angel as I before said as a certaine forerunner in a general way shadowes out the same For as Iohn in the beginning of the foregoing vision saw Christ riding and crowned as king of the Church and conquerour of al enemies first on a white horse afterward on a red thirdlie on a black at last on a pale so now he sees Christ standing at the altar as the highpriest of the Church offering to God the prayers of the Saintes and sending into the earth the fire of the
spirit preachers of the Gospel at the sound of whose trumpets arise voyces thundrings and lightnings prefiguring the same thing which in the former vision was typed out by the white red black pale horse viz. the diverse state condition of the Church and at last followeth a great earthquake Christ therfore the high priest of the Church the heavenlie author directour of the ministery is here represented unto us that wee may be assured that while the preachers on earth doe sound the trumpet of the word Christ performeth for them and for the whole Church the part of an highpriest in heaven Now let us consider the words themselves in which is propounded I. What this Angel did in heaven II. With what successe he did it III. What followed thereupon in the earth All what he did in heaven is accommodated to the types of the Old Testament For as the priest beeing to pray and offer for the people went to the golden perfumatorie altar on which was preserved the continual fire and taking a golden censer put incense thereon the which beeing kindled by the fire of the altar was resolved into an odoriferous smoake acceptable to God So John sees Christ standing in the heavens at the Altar But in heaven there is no Altar except Christ himself see Chap. 6.9 Having a golden censer what is this but the precious passion death of Christ by the powerfull effacie whereof he himself for ever appears in heaven as an high-priest for us Hebrew 9.24 Much incense that is the prayers and sighs of the Church militant They are given to Christ when as the prayers and groanes of the Saintes ascend upward unto God in the name of Iesus Christ The word giving here used doth not argue that this Angel is not Christ for he himself professeth that all things are given unto him of his Father to wit as man and mediatour And indeed in him are hid all the treasures of grace the which he distributeth according to the necessity of all his members so that he needs not to take any incense other where But incense is given him not that he standeth in need thereof but as beeing our mediatour to offer the same unto the Father To give that is to offer it with the prayers of all Saintes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all Saintes the which expression sheweth that no Saint is neglected but al their sighs groanes are received and offered up to God by our high-priest in heaven In Gr. it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he should give or offer it to the prayers in the dative case and it seems there is a defect of the praeposition of or with The Latine renders it of the prayers materially as Abel was said to offer the first fruites of his sheep and Prov. 3.9 we are commanded to honour God by or with our substance So this incense should note the prayers themselves or part of their prayers because saith Rupertus he offered not all but that which they lawfully pray for many times the Saintes know not what to ask or ask amisse but this seems to be to subtill Beza and so our translation with the prayers of the Saintes as if their prayers were given to Christ to be offered together with the incense in which sence the incense and the prayers should be distinct as the signe and the thing signified But it may also be wel understood without such an Ellipsis or defect What is meant by the incense because the incense is given to Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he should give that is add and confer the same unto the prayers of the Saintes and thus this incense should signifie the applying of the precious merit of Christ by which onely the Saintes themselves their prayers also are acceptable and well pleasing to God Ephes 1.6 1 Pet. 2.5 Eph. 5.2 4. And the smoake of the incense ascended The effect of the former oblation here followes which is that the prayers of the Saintes beeing sprinkled with the sweet perfume of Christs merits they doe ascend as it were out of his hand in a gracious acceptance before God for even as the sweet odour of the incense of old pleased the Lord even so our prayers through the merit intercession of Christ are acceptable to him and obtaine the promise To ascend up before God is a phrase much used in scripture speaking of sacrifices it signifies that God is wel pleased with them and hears them so the Angel said to Cornelius thy prayers Act. 10.4 Exod. 3.9 and thine alms are come up for a memoriall before God The cry of the children of Israel is come unto mee c. Again he saith the smoake of the incense ascended which came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is eyther of with or to the prayers for this fragrancy commeth to our prayers by Christs oblation who makes them worthy to ascend up before God Thus we have heard what Christ doth in heaven as also the successe thereof And in this consisteth the Churches comfort It remayneth to consider What the casting of the censer on the earth signifies what the effect thereof was in the earth in which the first Act of this vision is summarily shadowed out with wonderfull analogie and brevitie 5. And the Angel tooke Two things remaine to be spoken of in this verse 1. What the Angel did further 2. with what effect He filled the golden censer with the fire of the Altar and cast it into the earth Many take this in the evill part viz. of the fire of punishment by which God will consume the wicked But it is rather to be taken in the better part for what agreement is there betwixt the censer and punishment The filling therefore of the censer with fire and the casting of it into the earth if it be properly taken happily may signifie the fulfilling and abrogation of the types of the Law made by the oblation and intercession of Christ But for my part I take it that hereby two benefits of Christ are shadowed out First the wonderfull shedding forth of the holy Ghost upon the Apostles in the likenes of fiery tongues And this I take to be the casting of the fire of the Altar into the earth I know that some understand it of the fire of division which should follow the preaching of the Gospel wherof Christ speaketh I am come to send fire on the earth Luk. 12.49 and what will I if it were already kindled But so it can not be because the high-priest with this fire had formerly kindled his incense The second benefit is the casting of the censer upon the earth which signifyeth as I have shewed the pretious death and passion of Christ This he sent into the earth when the whole world was filled with the knowledge of Christ crucified by the preaching of the Apostles The casting therefore of this censer c. is the same with that of Christs riding
have little solidity in them for I judge that this habit Imports nothing else but to set forth the Angelicall decencie Angells have no bodies but are spirits yet they take corporall formes for our sakes neither is it meet they should appear naked but some clothing was requisite for them howbeit not common but holy garments such as God of old prescribed to the Priests Levites which were of linnen long white and girded with a girdle In such habit the Angells commonly appeared so Ezech. 9. verse 2. the sealing Angell appears clothed with linnen so the two Angells at Christs resurrection Luke ◠24 Ioh. 20.11 which appeared to Mary were clothed in white and shining garments And againe at his ascention Acts 1.10 Let this suffice 7. And one of the foure beasts Of these beast we heard Chap. 4.6 5.6 6.1 7.11 14.3 One of them gives to the seven Angells the seven golden Vialls We need not enquire whether it were the first or second or why one and not rather two or all four Also in Chap. 5.8 the Elders and beasts had seven vialls but full of odours which were the prayers and thansgivings of the Saints here they are full of Gods wrath The former I leave and retaine the dramaticall Allegory The plagues of Gods judgements are metaphorically called the wine of the wrath of God Chap. 14.10 Wine is drunke out of cups pots and vialls In Chap. 14.10 the third Angell threatned to the worshippers of the beast a mixt cup and full with the wine of Gods fury here hee sheweth how God will dispense the same unto them That great cup he devideth into seven Vialls that is into divers kinds of punishments to be poured out by these Angells A Viall the Greek phiala as it were piala from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to drinke as Athenaeus will have it containes so much as a man can drinke at a draught and saith it is greater then a cup which agrees not with the place here for out of this cup the seven vialls are filled with the wine of Gods wrath And therefore the Vialls were lesse then the cup. It is needlesse I suppose to seek a mystery in that they are said to be golden ones for they are so called according to the customary use because Vialls are not wont to be made but of gold or of silver The Epithite of GOD living for ever and ever doth amplifie the heavinesse of his wrath as if he should say This shall be a terrible wrath because it shall endure for ever and ever Thus he signifieth that both temporall and eternall punishment doth wait for the wicked 8. And the Temple was filled with smoake John saw moreover two things which put an end to the preparation First The temple was filled with smoak proceeding from the Majesty and power of God And secondly no man could enter into the temple untill the seven plagues were fullfilled Here he manifestly alludes to the History of the tabernacle Ex. 40.33 which in the dedication thereof was wholly filled with a cloud of the glory of the Lord so as Moses could not enter into it And to the history of the Temple 1 King 8.10 which likewise at the dedication was filled with the cloud of the glory of God so as the Priests could not stand to minister so long as the glory of Jehovah filled the house That cloud was undoubtedly a signe of Gods gratious presence in the Temple and Tabernacle Whether the cloud be a signe of grace or wrath of his approving the worship therein and his hearing the prayers there poured out to God But this smoake cannot be any such signe seeing here is not treated of the worship and prayers of the Saints made in the heavenly Temple But of the plagues of the wrath of God to be hence poured forth upon the adversaries Interpreters therefore are of divers opinions and much troubled about it Most will have it to signifie in the thesis that Gods judgements are unsearchable and however they are most righteous yet are they not so acknowledged untill they are accomplished because this smoake hinders the knowledge thereof the which indeed is true but too generall Others confesse that the smoake is a signe not of grace but of the wrath of God because of the disparatie between the cloud and smoake But yet they do not sufficiently expound wherefore the wrath of God filled the Temple in Heaven and who were kept out of the same and how long Ambrose and Arethas expound this latter as Ribera saith that no man in body and soule shall enter into heavenly blessednesse untill the seven plagues are ended that is untill the Day of Iudgement But what is this to the present matter I acknowledge the allusion of the Histories but I gather another sense from the scope viz that the whole serves for the terrour of Gods adversaries The smoake therefore is a symbole of Gods anger in his Temple The authors opinion and ready to inflict smoake that is horrible blindnesse on Antichristians yea even on their quicke-sighted and most acute Doctors and Sophisters The smoake of Gods wrath Psa 18 9. so as none of them could enter into the Heavenly Temple that is understand the just judgements of God and that these plagues were inflicted on them by God in wrath because of their wicked Idolatry and so cannot repent untill the seven plagues were fullfilled that is never For in Psal 73. ver 17 by entring into Gods Sanctuary is signified the acknowledging of his judgements This sense the events of the Vialls and plagues in the following Chapter will make good unto us This smoake therefore denotes the blindnesse of Antichristians under their punishment It comes not out of the bottomlesse pit but from the glory and from the power of God because it shall be inflicted by his most righteous and powerfull judgement according to the threatning of the Apostle 2. Thes 2.11 Therefore God will send them c. for seeing the Pope raised a smoake out of the bottomlesse pit of hell Chap. 9. verse 2. therefore also he shall be punished with smoak for ever and ever The universall No man I restraine to the Antichristian adversaries who onely shall be kept from entring into the Temple that is from the acknowledging of Gods judgements and from repentance as will appeare in the following Chapter The particle Vntill I understand of eternity as in the saying Thou shalt not go out untill thou hast paid that is never He knew her not untill for never And indeed the plagues shall never be ended because they shall proceed from the glory of the living God and from his anger against the Devill and his instruments for ever and ever The obstinacy and finall blindnesse of Antichristians is signified of which we shall heare Chap. 16.9 They repented not to give glory to God And verse 11. They blasphemed the God of heaven and repented not of their deeds
other on a Camel which two are the Angels that in the Revelation denounce the ruine of Babylon before whose feet Iohn fell downe to worship and other strange mysteries which he having first found out doth now flatteringly applie to the Pope being lift up with incredible joy if not madnesse and folly or to say truely with blasphemous impiety and sacrilegious boldnesse I know not whither thou hast seen D. N. I suppose you have seene and read him forasmuch as hee adorneth Commentaries on that prophesie It s the worke of a Spanish Divine of Granata fairly printed at Antwerp An. 1614. the Author also being an eloquent Interpreter of his owne mind and sense One thing I know that of mad men he will make them more mad by his glozing Exposition of Aenigmaes such flatterers are the Iesuites of their Antichrist being void of truth full of deceit and wanting no words The sum is a two-fold warre of the primitive Church the first against Iudaisme in the two first Chapters the other against Paganisme in the eight following the Citie and world being converted to the Faith of Christ and hence a four-fold Hallelujah Lastly a long during peace to the Church Antichrist being to bee overcome under the names of Gog and Magog and in the last place the most glorious triumph of the Romane Church in the Heavens at the day of Iudgement a worthy cover to the pot March 10. 1615. Yours to command N. N. Behold a lively Idea of the Inquirie the which being communicated unto me by a friend I thought good here to rehearse it least happily the beautifulnesse of the new worke might deceive any one For he coyneth new Oracles hence I call him an upstart his worke otherwise being of much labour and more then vulgar wit and not unpolished which I could wish the Author had more rightly placed Enough both of the true and the false Argument of the Apocalyps Wee come to the Parts CHAPTER VII Touching the parts of the Revelation THe Booke ordinarily is variously divided I shall not much differ from the common partition but distribute the same into a Preface Prophesie or Visions and a Conclusion I. The Preface containes the Title and Dedication of the Booke Chapter 1. unto verse 9. II. The Prophesie I distinguish into seven Visions clearly enough and distinctly shewed by Christ unto Iohn in the Spirit in the I le Patmos from thence unto ver 6. of Chap. 22. But those that suppose and urge that the Booke consists of one continued Vision do wholly stray from the Scope and in vaine wearie the Reader as I shall shew by and by The first Vision is of Christ gloriously walking among the seven golden Candlestickes and commanding John to write certaine Commandements unto the seven Churches of Asia and also the following Visions for the perpetuall doctrine instruction and consolation of the Faithfull from ver 9. Chap. 1.2.3 This Vision is not propheticall of future things as the six following but wholly doctrinall confirming Iohn in the function of teaching and commending his Apostolicall authority unto the seven Churches of Asia The second is touching Gods majesty sitting in the Throne and of the Lamb standing in the Throne and of the Booke sealed with seven Seales and of the opening of the Seale and of the Book by the Lamb and diverse wonders thence proceeding Chap. 4.5.6.7 The third is of the seven Trumpets of the Angels and wonderfull apparitions following thereupon Chap. 8.9.10.11 The fourth is of the woman in travell of a Man-Child and of the Dragon persecuting the Man-Child and woman of the womans flight into the wildernesse and of the rage of the two Beasts against the Saints Chap. 12.13.14 The fift is of the seven Angels pouring forth the Seven Vials of the last plagues upon the adversaries and throne of the Beast Chap. 15.16 The sixt is of the Iudgement of the great whore and ruine of Babylon and of the casting of the Beast and False-prophet with all his followers into the Lake of fire and brimstone Chap. 17.18.19 The seventh and last is of the binding and loosing of the Dragon at the end of a thousand yeers and lastly of the Iudgement of the Divell Death Hell and all reprobates that were not written in the Booke of Life and of the figure and glorious state of the Heavenly Ierusalem Chap. 20.21.22 unto ver 6. III. The conclusion of the Booke commends the profitablenesse of the Prophesie and by an Anathema establisheth the divine authority thereof from verse 6. unto the end CHAPTER VIII Touching the Forme of the Revelation THe things hitherto praemised have beene treated of by many Interpreters That which remaines touching the forme and method of the Revelation hath as yet beene observed but by few nay to speake it with modesty I scarcely find the same explicated by any one The forme indeed seemes to be Epistolarie having an Epistolarie Inscription and Subscription and is shut up with an Epistolarie wish common to the Apostles all the Acts also of the first Vision are Epistle-wise But that which beginneth at the fourth Chapter which is the first propheticall Vision and the following unto the end if you well observe them have plainly a Dramaticall forme The Apocalyps a prophetical interlude hence the Revelation may truely be called a Propheticall Drama show or representation For as in humane Tragedies diverse persons one after another come upon the Theater to represent things done and so again depart diverse Chores also or Companies of Musitians and Harpers distinguish the diversity of the Acts and while the Actors hold up do with musicall accord sweeten the wearinesse of the Spectators and keepe them in attention so verily the thing it selfe speaketh that in this Heavenly Interlude by diverse shewes and apparitions are represented diverse or rather as we shall see the same things touching the Church not past but to come and that their diverse Acts are renewed by diverse Chores or Companies one while of 24. Elders and four Beast another while of Angels sometimes of Sealed ones in their foreheads and sometimes of Harpers c. with new Songs and worthy Hymmes not so much to lessen the wearisomnesse of the Spectators as to infuse holy meditations into the mindes of the Readers and to lift them up to Heavenly matters The which thing not having been hitherto observed by most Interpreters they have wondred what was meant by so many Songs Hymmes and change of Angels and Personages renewed in diverse Visions and what by the often iterated Representations of the Beast Babylon and the last judgement which caused them to seeke and imagine Anticipations Recapitulations and unnecessary Mysteries in those things which either served onely to the Dramaticall decorum or else had a manifest respect to the method of the Visions concerning which I will speak by and by What Origen therefore wrote touching the SONG OF SONGS In Prologo Cant. Homil. 1. that it seemed to him Solomon wrote a
Because in order of justice al evil workes whatsoever deserve punishment for the soule that sinneth shall dy But good workes how great-soever beeing debts duties can-not merit at the hands of God 5. He that overcommeth the same shall be cloathed Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he but the old translator reads it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so shall he be cloathed The conclusion containes a promise with an Epiphonema as formerly The promise is extended not onely to those few in Sardis spoken of but to all who overcome the world Satan c. se chap. 2. v. 7.11.12.26 Thus by a threefold promise all are stirred up to hope for victorie the two former are metaphorically propounded the third properlie yet all seem to signifie one thing for what can be given to them that overcome more then the crowne of life eternal however in the reward promised we may note a certain gradation First He shall be cloathed with white raiments This by a metaphor signifies the heavenly glorie with which we shall be cloathed as with a royal garment What more I wil not blot out his name out of the booke of life This further notes the eternitie of glorie for not to have our names blotted out of the booke of life is to have them allwayes remaine therein that is to enioy eternal glorie What more I wil confesse his name A further degree promising to make knowen the constancie and faith of every one by name even before the throne of the blessed trinitie and in the presence of the holy Angels A glorie indeed surpassing mans opprehension For what is more honourable then when a general doth by name before the whole armie declare the valiant exploites of this or that souldiour But this Christ promiseth here to doe and in Mat. 10.32 Whosoever therfore shall confesse me before men him will I confesse also before my father which is in heaven but whosoever shall denie me before men him will I also denie before my father which is in heaven And before his Angels As beeing the most holie ministers of God and witnesses of our glorie Hence we note first that the saintes are said to have a two fould cloathing for as we heard before some in Sardis were commended for not defiling of their garments and yet promised besides to have other white garments given unto them the former are said to be ours not as proceeding from our selves but because we are enioyned to have them meaning both morall endowments of bodie and mind as also the grace of faith and love and other spiritual gifts which we must have and preserve cleane and undefiled 2. Cor. 5.3 that so we may be cloathed hereafter in white According to that of the Apostle If so be that being cloathed we shall not be found naked For no man shall be cloathed in white in the heavens who hath not been indued with faith and true repentance in this life Secondlie we are to take notice that in scripture God is said metaphorically to have a threefold booke The first is the booke of his providence which is the knowledge and counsel of God concerning the actions and events of all things first and last of this the prophet speaketh Psa 139.6.16 c. all things are written in thy booke The other is the booke of Gods universal judgment which is his knowledge concerning all those things which everie one hath don whither it be good or evil and to be judged accordingly in the last day as in cha 20.12 and the bookes were opened The third is the booke of life that is Gods praedestinating both of the elect and reprobates Ps 69.29 Isai 4.5 Dan. 12.2 Phili. 4.3 Reve. 18.8 17.8 22.19 the first are said to be written in this booke the other not but blotted out of this the scripture speakes in many places yet that in Rev. 20.12 then the bookes were opened may be understood of them all for in the same verse the booke of life is expresly mentioned Thus God is said to have bookes metaphoricallie Not as if eyther he hath or stood in need thereof for so it cannot bee but by an Anthropopatheia he speaketh to our capasitie For God doth all things without such help or meanes even by his eternal foreknowledge counsel government and judgment But thus men cannot doe for whatsoever is don in their counsels cities families contracts c. for memory sake is set down in writing that so as there is occasion they may looke it over and call to mind such things as they desire Now concerning the elect Luk. 10.20 two things here are spoken of them First that their names are written in the booke of life Phil. 4.3 or in heaven as Luk. 10.20 by which manner of speech we are taught that true beleevers doe not obtaine salvation by chance but were elected of God to life in Christ before the foundations of the world and known from them that perish Secondly their names are never blotted out of this booke as it is here testified J will not blot out his name out of the booke of life By which phrase is signifyed that the salvation of the Elect is certaine and sure and that they shall never perish according to the promise no man shall plucke my sheep of my hand It is impossible the elect should be seduced All which serves not for curiositie but for our comfort that we being certaine of our salvation might joyfullie persevere in weldoeing unto the end Of infidels and reprobates two things are also spoken First that their names are not written in the booke of life as appeares Rev. 13.8 Rev. 13.8 17.8 20.15 Secondly they are blotted out of the booke of life Ps 69.28 and cast into the lake of fire Let them be blotted out of the booke of the living and not be written with the righteous And whosoever was not found written in the booke of life was cast into the lake of fire by which is signified that they who are not predestinated shall certainlie perish But this seems to imply a contradiction as not to be written yet to be blotted out I answer that this is taken in a double sence 1 Eyther of such who in the Eternal counsell of God are thus written and so are never blotted out Or 2 according to the appearance and boasting of hypocrites For thus they are said to be blotted out that is declared never to have been written therein we see there are many hypocrites in the Church who are taken for a while to be the elect of God whereas in truth they are not Therfore when their hypocrisie is discovered and they justlie cast out of the church then they are said to be blotted out As Ambrose Augustine have wel observed Matt. 24.24 Io. 10.28 Not withstanding it followeth not that any of the Elect shal be blotted out For this is contrarie to that promise of God It is impossible the Elect should perish none
And secondly the companie of the foure beasts with the thanksgiving of them both 4 And round about the Throne were foure and twenty seates and upon the seats I saw foure and twenty Elders sitting clothed in white raiment and they had on their heads crownes of gold 5 And out of the Throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voyces and there were seuen lampes of fire burning before the Throne which are the seven spirits of God 6 And before the Throne there was a sea of glasse like unto Crystall in the midst of the Throne and round about the Throne were foure beasts full of eyes before and behinde 7 And the first beast was like a Lyon and the second beast like a calfe and the third beast had a face as a man and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle 8 And the foure beasts had each of them sixe vvings about him they were full of eyes within they rest not day and night saying Holy holy holy Lord God Allmighty which was is and is to come 9 And when those beasts give glory and honour thankes to him that sate on the Throne vvho liveth for ever and ever 10 The foure and twentie Elders fall down before him that sate on the Throne worship him that liveth for ever and ever and cast their crownes before the Throne saying 11 Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and povver for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are were created THE COMMENTARIE ANd about the Throne After he had described the majestie of him that sate on the Throne that is eyther God absolutely or Christ the glorious Iudge about which we need not to contend For the sence is all one because God sitteth and judgeth in Christ Now he comes to describe the attendance he saw about the throne And this second part of the Chapter is a description of the foure and twenty Elders sitting about the same and of the lightnings proceeding out of the throne c. And of the foure beasts in the midst and round about it with the thanksgiving of them all In which diverse men seek diverse mysteries Lyra understands by the seates the Cathedral Churches Lyraes mysteries concerning the seats and their Elders and by the foure twenty Elders all Bishops alluding to so manie orders of Priests whom David ordained weekly for the service of the tabernacle 1 Chro. 24. But what need of Cathedrals in heaven Hierome understands by them the foure twentie bookes of the Old Testament but how fitly I will not here dispute of Others will have so many Angels to bee noted out therby But Chap. 7. v. 11. the Angels are differe need from the Elders Others suppose more probablie that hereby is represented the companie of the Patriarks Prophets godly Iudges Kings and to be short of all the saintes under the law who excelled in faith and piety and now triumph with Christ in heaven They are said to be foure and twentie a finite number beeing put for an indefinite Some understand it of twelve Patriarcks and twelve Apostles but that cannot bee for what then should become of the rest of the Patriarcks Prophets Iudges and other godly governours and kings We therefore doe rather Iudge that by this number is noted a perfect Senate or assemblie which ordinarily is accounted entire if it consist of 24 persons They are said to be Elders because age teacheth wisdom and skill in judgement And indeed Senatus a Senate comes from senium olde age They sit on thrones 1 Cor. 6.2 because they rest from their labours and shall with Christ judge the world Angels not as if Christ could not judge the world without them for the Father hath given unto him all power and all judgement both in heaven and in earth but 1 Matt. 28.18 Ioh. 5.22 because he is pleased to communicate this honour unto the saintes according unto the promise Chap. 3.21 And 2 because his judgement is righteous which all the saintes acknowledge and assent unto This exposition to let passe what others say is undoubtedlie agreable unto the analogie of faith in case any mysterie be hereby typified out unto us But because these Elders doe not alwayes remaine sitting on their thrones for sometimes they rise up sometimes they fall downe and worship and sing Halelujah to God and to the Lambe as v. 10. Chap. 5.8 Chap. 11.16 Chap. 19.4 beeing the chiefe actors in setting forth the prayses of God I hence observe that in the Revelation where diverse persons are brought in some tarying and others departing this first apparition or company is brought in before the amplification of the vision not under the forme of young men but of Elders for reverence and gravitie sake neither doth this any way contradict our former exposition for in an honourable assembly is peace and honour by the gratulatorie harmonie is figured out the office of the prophetical Church in heaven And indeed I see not how we should otherwise understand what is meant by the often signing of these Elders except we understand it as alluding to the custome and manner of enterludes Clothed in white raiment and had on their heads crownes c. By this twofold ornament the priestly and kingly dignitie of the saintes is shadowed out white garments that is pure bright and undefiled robes such as become priests of righteousnes And with all the puritie of the saintes in heaven and the integritie of the divine judgement is hereby â—â—gnifyed Now whence the saintes have this puritie we are taught Chap. 7.14 namely by washing their garments in the blood of the Lambe that is perfectly putting on the Lord Christ Iesus who is this white robe wherewith we delight to be cloathed and by which we are acceptable to God Crownes of gold on their heads That is most pretious crownes for what is more pretious then gold they have them on their heads both because they reigne as kings with Christ Reve. 1.6 who hath made us kings and priests to God and his Father as also because they have overcome sin satan and the world This is that crowne of life promised to the Angel of Smyrna Chap. 2.10 and unto all who love the Lord. Jam. 2 Tim. 4.8 1.12 This is that crowne of righteousnes wherein Paul rejoyced and which is laid up for all them that love the appearing of Christ This is that crowne of glorie 1 Pet. 5.4 which fadeth not away but shall certainely be enjoyed by all the faithfull servants of Christ And out of the throne proceeded This second apparition shewes the majestie of him that sate on the throne out of which proceeded lightnings thunders voyces here we need not seek for any other mysteries but onely to take notice that these things are proofes of the omnipotencie and divine majestie of Christ who sends forth such judgements from his throne against the wicked as
are our bookes consisting of diverse leaves and so folded together but it was one volume of parchment written within and without according to the custome of the ancients who wrote in rolles and hence volumen a volume comes from convolvendo rolling Like as the Iewes to this day at Wormes Franck ford c. have their Torah written out in one volume of parchment These parchments because they were rolled up were commonly writ on the inside onely Wheras this on the contrarie was written within on the backside also which manner of rols were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is writings within and without of which see Plinie lib. 3. Epist 5. and Iuvenal Sat. 2. I therefore judge that this writing within and without signifies nothing els but the multitude of matters that is all such things as were exhibited unto John in this Revelation Origen saith that within were written the promises made to the Church and without or on the backside the punishments of the wicked But this to me seems frivolous A like booke written within and without was seen by Ezechiel Chap. 2.9 but it differs from the other both in matter and forme In that were written the lamentations because of the calamities to befal the people of Israel in their captivity wheras this booke containes the secret counsels of God concerning the last times That of Ezechiel was spread open before him but this was seen of Iohn rolled up Ierom understandeth that by both these bookes which were written within and without is signified the litterall mysticall sence of the scriptures But there is no solidity in it for neyther of these bookes doe signify the booke of holy writ neither doth every part of the scriptures admit a mysticall interpretation Sealed with seven seales This is the third circumstance touching the booke The number seven is not here put for many but is to be taken properly for after these there were no more seales opened We need not search what manner of seales they were it sufficeth to know that the booke was closely kept shut by them For there is a twofold use of seales first to keep things secret from the vew of others as letters doores cabinets chiests and the like and secondlie for the confirmation of writings as for example to authorise the edicts of princes sentences of magistrates and wills of the dead the seales of seven witnesses make these things altogether authentick Now this booke was not sealed in this latter respect but in the former as beeing shut or kept close from the understanding of men And therefore it could not be opened or read before the seales were taken away which was not don until the seventh seale was removed Let this suffice for the present that the contents of this booke so fast sealed were most obscure hid untill the seales beeing opened they were revealed unto Iohn by Christ The second part of the Chapter The difficulty about the opening of the Booke and of the seales 2 And I saw a strong Angel proclaiming with a loud voyce Who is worthy to open the booke and to loose the seales thereof 3 And no man in heaven nor in earth neither under the earth was able to open the Booke neither to looke thereon 4 And I wept much because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book neither to looke thereon 5 And one of the Elders saith unto mee Weepe not behold the Lyon of the tribe of Iuda the root of David hath prevailed to open the booke and to loose the seven seales thereof 6 And I beheld and loe in the middest of the Throne and of the foure beasts and in the middest of the Elders stood a Lambe as it had beene slaine having seven hornes and seven eyes which are the seven spirits of God sent foorth into all the earth 7 And he came tooke the booke out of the right hand of him that sate upon the Throne THE COMMENTARIE 2. ANd I saw a strong Angel The difficulty in opening of the sealed Booke now followeth The circumstances thereof are five First an Angel proclaimeth with a loud voyce if any one be worthy to open the booke and to loose the seales by which this Angel both stirs up a desire in Iohn and others of the heavenly inhabitants after the knowledge of these secrets as also gives them to understand as hereupon it presently appeared that no creature could find out the hidden and secret counsels and judgements of God concerning things to come but it was in the power of the Lamb onely to reveale the same Lyra affirmes that this was the Angel Gabriel who is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strong from the Hebrew geber hence God is called Elâ—gibbor Isal 9. But this to Ribera is ridiculous seeing the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strong is put without an article but how then would he have wondred at Alcasars opinion had he seen it who makes him to bee Hosea In Chap. 10.1 a mighty Angel stands upon the sea and upon the earth sweareth by him that liveth for ever ever And Chap. 18.21 a mighty Angel casts a milstone into the sea Which some understand to be Christ others a created Angel and indeed it appeareth he was not Christ seeing he was not worthy to open the Booke Besides all the Angels of God are called Gibborei choach mighty in strength Psal 103.20 This therefore was a created Angel called mighty because he cryed mightily so as he was heard throwout the heaven Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 preaching with a great voyce because with a mighty courage he proclaimed the questioÌ„ about the opening of the booke before the whole company in heaven Who is worthy he saith not who can but who is worthy signifying that not skill or strength onely but worthines is also required For men out of curiositie may violently howbeit unrightly break open that which is sealed What is meant by opening the booke But this booke could not be opened eyther by violence or for curiosity sake but onely by worthinesse or merit He that opens it must bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worthy that is indued with authority and divine power Now to open the booke is to make knowen the secret counsell of God about things to come 3. And no man Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 none in heaven c. This is the second circumstance Vpon the proclaiming of the Angel there is a deep silence in heaven For all creatures are dumbe as unable and unworthy to open this booke In heaven that is Angels and glorifyed saintes In earth men and beasts Vnder the earth Fishes or sea monsters Some also foolishly imagine that the divels in hell the soules in purgatory are here called upon But the scriptures by things under the earth meane that which is in the sea according to the second commandement or that is in the water under the earth c. Thus all created things are altogether
endure but for a moment neyther shall Antichrist rage according to his full desire but he shal be be limited according to the decree and purpose of God who hath determined the number of martyrs which number beeing once accomplished not one drop of blood shall more be spilt by him And last of all their fellow servants and bretheren which should be killed shall also be gathered under the same Altar to pertake with them of the same blessednes Now Antichrists time is said to be short or for a little season after the maner of the scripture which speaking of the last times compare them as it were unto an houre in comparison eyther of eternitie or the age of the world alreadie past We are taught therefore in the first place that God doth alwayes heare the prayers of his children although touching their deliverance hee reserve the time and manner thereof unto himselfe as best knowing when and how to dispose of all things for their good Secondlie the blasphemies outragious cruelties of the wicked are never forgotten of God but vengeance certainlie is prepared for them however he forbeares them for a time Thirdly the goodnesse of God is the cause of this forbearance Rom. 2.4 As to lead men unto repentance so also that the full number of martyrs may be accomplished And for this cause no doubt the Lord suffered the Romanes Vandales Gothes and other tyrants by the space of six hundred years to shed much blood though no more then was appointed of the saintes for the confirmation of the Christian religion And no otherwise he decreed but from that time unto the end of the world many should suffer under Antichrist for the same causet that so the judgement of the whore might be the more intollerable Hence we may not thinke that either the Churches sufferings under Antichrist were unknown unto the Lord or happened against his will but rather came to passe by his most wise counsell in which we ought to rest never to be scandalised at his fury nor rage of any of his instruments but to rest in the worke of God if so be he have appointed eyther thee or mee to be among the number of the martyrs To be short here we see that there is a communion between the saints in heaven those on earth For we are brethren fellow servants neyther are they our lords Chap. 19.10 22.9 and patrones as Idolaters imagine And beeing fellow servants they no lesse refuse divine worship then did the Angel who forbade Iohn to worship him saying See thou doe it not for I am thy fellow servant Worship God But say they they pray for us therfore we may pray to them I answer were this true yet it would not follow The reason is because there is a great difference betwixt praying for others and to be prayed unto To pray one for an other is a dutie of charity and common unto all the faithfull But to be religiouslie invocated upon is a worship due to God alone according unto the commandement Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God Mat. 4.10 him onely shalt thou serve And the reason is because God alone is omniscient omnipotēt present in al places hearing understanding onely able to fulfil the desires of his people But now the heavely Angels glorified spirits are neyther omniscient to behold all our actions nor omnipotent as able to helpe us nor can they be present with us in all places Besides it is uncertaine The intercession of saintes is here not proved but condemned yea false that the saintes doe at al intercede for us neyther can any such thing be proved from this place For the soules of these martyrs pray not for their fellow servants but to have their owne blood avenged nay they knew not who they were for else they would not have desired a hastening of divine wrath neyther at the instant was their request granted but deferred to the time appointed of God To all which we may adde that from visions allegories no doctrines can or ought to be drawen repugnant to the word of God as this is concerning praying to the saintes 1 Tim. 26. 1 Ioh. 2.2 Rom. 8.34 for it is derogatory unto the honour of Christ who according to the scriptures is our onely advocate in heaven There is one mediatour betwixt God Man the Man Christ Jesus And we have an advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the Iust And he maketh request for us Now if the saintes were also our advocates then should not Christ be the onelie mediatour betwixt God Man In deed we doubt not but the soules of the saintes in a general way doe know the afflicted condition of the Church here and desire her deliverance But in speciall to know our affaires they doe not nor cannot They see say they in God as in a glasse or by a reflection all our affaires here but this is a mere fiction Isai 63.16 contrarie to the scriptures Abraham knowes us not Israel is ignorant of us But thou Jehovah art our God and Father But they further object They love us therefore they pray for us I answer It is true yet they love Christ more then us and therfore they will not intercede for us to derogate from Christ as if his intercession were insufficient or that he were asleep while he is called upon But say they the saints in praying for us derogate not frō Christ seeing the prayer of the saintes each for other on earth is no way derogatorie unto him I answer the reason is not alike for the glorified saints cannot intercede in Christs presence without great dishonour to him but the others beeing yet in the bodie are bound having a commandement to pray one for an other Iam. 5.16 which the saintes in heaven have not yea say they they have for Paul bids the Hebrewes to pray for him Heb. 12.28 I answer The Hebrewes of whom this duty of love is required were not in heaven but here in an earthly warfare Besides if this commandement did tie the saintes in heaven then also are they bound to pray each for other which is absurd and false To be short who doth not understand that those whom the Pope canonizeth for saintes are as they say spokesmen before God for others and howsoever they may not be worshipped as Gods yet as Advocates that is with a lesse kinde of worship Now who I say doth not see that all this is taken from Apuleius and the followers of Plato who fained that their daemons whom they called Gods were Lib. 8. de civit Dei cap. 22. Ibid. cap. 23. as it were messengers between the upper Gods and men carying up their petitions to them and bringing downe aide and succour from them to men So that they pretended not to worship them as Gods which subtilty of theirs Augustine thus refuteth Apuleius saith he denies them to be Gods But in
death then with such a dreadfull distraction feare of present punishment enjoy the light any more Three times in scripture we finde these expressions Once in Hosea 10.8 concerning the overthrow of Israel by the Assyrians Secondly in Luke 23.30 touching the destruction of Ierusalem and thirdly in this place about the final punishment of reprobates And this here is rightlie applied to the like miseries because in their causes they are all alike For of old this exclamation was fulfilled in the wicked Israelites beeing cast both into temporal eternal punishment Afterward it was also verified in the destruction of the city and the utter overthrow of the Iewish nation and shall most fullie be accomplished at the day of judgement when the wicked shal hear that fearfull sentence pronounced Goe ye cursed into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devill and his angels Then shall they burst forth into these words of despaire Mountaines fall on us as thinking it better for them once to be crushed by the mountains and brought to nothing then for ever to be tormented in flames of hell fire But here I cannot sufficiently wonder at the false and impious interpretation of Lyra Gagnaeus and others who are not ashamed to applie that unto the martyrs saintes in heaven thereby to establish their blasphemous invocation on saintes departed which the scripture plainly attributes unto reprobates despairing of salvation These cryes they wil have to be made by the martyrs under the Diocletian persecution The mountaines the rockes to be the Saintes called mountaines because of their exaltation unto heavenly things Vnto them the godlie in their straights and anguishes shall cry fall on us that is come to us and help us in our persecution Hide us that is protect us by praying unto God for us But what a horrible depravation of scripture is this We know that the godly martyrs in their persecution by prayer fled unto God sitting on the throne unto the Lambe standing in the midst thereof that is Christ the onely saviour But for any worship to be rendred unto fained saintes the martyrs and others of the faithful were altogether ignorant of For what can be imagined more wicked then that the martyrs in their greatest anguishes leaving God Christ should implore the help of the creature against the expresse commandement of God call upon me in the day of trouble c. From the face of him that sits There are three causes of this their great fear and desperation The sight of God the Lamb the day of judgement and an evill conscience Touching the first no marvaile seeing God is a consuming fire the wicked are as stubble which the fire easely consumeth brings to nothing And from the wrath of the Lamb No where in scripture is wrath attributed unto the Lamb but in this place here it noteth that revēging justice proper to God alone XXXII Argum. of Christs deity which the wicked shall tremble at when the Lamb shall pronounce the sentence go yee cursed c. Now here the Godhead of the Lamb is evidently proved seeing Antichrist and his wicked instruments doe and shall stand in fear of none but of God onely omnipotent as is confirmed by the following reason 17 For the great day of his wrath is come This is the second cause of the wickeds horror This great day of God and the Lamb is the day of judgement For in the day of judgement being asked a reason of their ungodlinesse cruelty cōmitted they shal be mute stand ashamed They who understand this great day otherwise then of the last judgment doe groslie deceive themselves But Alcasar applying this to the Iewish people is more ridiculous who would mingle an historie knowen unto the whole world with these propheticall types In the mean while let the reader observe the relative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his anger evidentlie proving as before we shewed the deitie of Christ For that great day of wrath or of judgements especially of the last judgement is every where in the scriptures called the great day of Jehovah Ier. 30.7 Ioel 2.11.31 Zepha 1.14 Mal. 4.5 Act. 2.20 Now here this day is called The great day of the Lambs wrath And who shall be able to stand The third cause of their trembling is an evil conscience against God Men the spouse of the Lamb. The words are taken out of Ioel 2.11 For the day of Jehovah is great and terrible and who can abide it Even the godlie themselves break forth into the like speeches when they looke upon the rigour of Gods judgements If thou shouldest observe iniquitie O Iehovah who shall stand but this they speake with a filial fear and humbling of themselves and not with horror despairing as doe the wicked To stand in judgement is to rely on the confidence of a good cause and to be absolved or quitted as Cicero saith in his epistles Yesterday we stood well in the Senate Not to stand is to loose ones cause and to be condemned according to the Psalmist the wicked shall not stand in judgement Ps 1.5 so againe the foolish shall not stand in thy sight Psa 5.5 Hence they here cry out Who that is none of Gods enemyes the Lambs shall be able to stand Thus we have heard the Acts of Antichrists tragical end now followes the happie and joyful change of the church the sealed holy ones shal stand before the throne singing to God and the Lamb Salvation bee to our God c. The Argument Parts and Analysis of Chapter VII THe wonders of the sixt seale belonging to the third and fourth Act of vision 2. are continued in this Chapter After the prodigious earth-quake of Antichrists kingdom and the horrible cryes of his supporters under their punishments Now further things are exhibited unto Iohn some to come to passe in heaven and others in the earth In the earth he saw four Angels labouring to hinder the blowing of the windes And another Angel reproving them and sealing of the twelve tribes of Israel a hundred fourty and four thousand saintes in their foreheads In heaven he saw an innumerable multitude before the throne shouting with prayses unto God and to the Lambe one of the four and twentie Elders shewing unto Iohn who they were and their happie condition And thus the second vision is ended The parts are two THe first touching the indeavour of the four Angels and their restraint in the first 8 verses The other containes the harmonious thanksgiving of the heavenly inhabitants and of their felicity from v. 9. unto the end In the former part is set forth the state of the godly under Antichrists kingdome that is howsoever Satan and Antichrist shall labour by all means possible to suppresse the Gospell and tread all things under foot yet some winds shall blow that is some witnesses of the truth shal strongly oppose Antichrist the Lord still preserving certaine
preserve them safe unto himself and hath done so these thousand years Parallel of Act fourth Chap. 6. v. 14.15.16.17 The Antichristian adversaries trembling for fear of Gods judgements shall cry with a horrible howling Mountaines fall on us who can stand because of the wrath of God the Lamb Chap. 7. v. 9. unto the end The martyrs all the blessed sealed ones formerly afflicted in the world now enjoy eternall felicity and stand before God the Lamb singing with joyfull harmonie salvation to our God for God will protect them and the Lamb will feed them By which double antithesis or contrarie position the coherence doth appeare as also hereby we understand both the consolation of the Church militant under Antichrist as of the Church triumphant in the heavens After this I saw The transitory particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shewes that this is a different Act from the former therefore these words After this doe denote not onely the order of the vision but also the future time in which it was done Before indeed he saw a great companie which were sealed but afterward he sees this innumerable multitude Moreover the former were sealed viz. during the persecutions of Antichrist on earth but these latter sung a hymne to wit after the enemies were cast into utter darkenesse and the Church taken up into glory Furthermore five things are recorded concerning this multitude 1. Who how great where what manner of multitude it was v. 2.2 What they did they prayse God and the Lamb. v. 10.11.12 3. Who they were The martyrs faithfull before sealed v. 13.14 4. What their happinesse was ver 15.16 5. The cause of this their great felicitie v. 17. A great multitude which no man c. This multitude is a figure of the new triumphant Church so that it consisted both of the soules which Iohn erewhile saw under the altar namely who in this world had fought the good fight of faith from the time of the Apostles for the space of 600 yeeres as also the hundred fourty and four thousand sealed ones preserved by Christ during the troubles and commotions of THAT MAN OF SIN from the sixhundreth yeere unto the end of the world This multitude is great innumerable as consisting of all the forenamed persons viz. both of the martyrs under the altar and of the hundred fourty and foure thousand sealed ones with all other of the faithfull from the Apostles time unto the last day 2 Tim. 2.19 The which number although it be small in comparison of them that perish and certaine and defined in respect of God who knowes who are his yet in it self it is great cannot bee reckoned by any creature Howsoever therefore the greater part shall follow the devill and cleave to Antichrist yet the Lord will have a great multitude and by such he will bee praysed for ever Of all nations Thus also the Church in Chap. 5.9 singeth unto the Lord Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred tongue people and nation Hence we see that the sealed of the twelve tribes of Israel belong to this multitude otherwise they could not bee of every tribe nation So that here is represented the whole triumphant Church of the new Testament Stood before the Throne This shewes that they were in heaven and not on earth for this standing denotes their coelestiall happinesse which consisteth in the perpetuall vision of God the Lambe The queen of Sheba counted Solomons servants happie in that they alwayes stood before Solomon and heard his wisdome but how much greater is the happines of the Saintes in heaven who continually behold the majesty and glory of God and Christ Now this standing of the Saintes is opposed to the dreadfull cry of reprobates who can stand Clothed with white robes Their heavenlie purity brightnesse and glorie is here set forth For the just shall shine as the stars of heaven Hence againe it appeareth that the soules of the Martyrs to whom white robes were given Chap. 6.11 and to whom it was said that they should rest for a little season are joyned to this multitude beeing commanded to come forth from under the altar and placed before the Throne Moreover palms were given into their hands in signe of victorie For as Gregorie observeth these palms which the multitude held in their hands are nothing els but the reward of victorie following the workes of Martyrs Yet God forbid we should with Ribera attribute this reward to any meritorious worke seeing a far other meritious cause thereof is noted unto us ver 14. 17. 10. And cryed with a loude voyce Now followes what this multitude did they together with the Angels Elders Beasts that is with the whole assembly of the heavenly inhabitants sing joyfullie to God the Lambe This joy of the Saintes as I even now said is opposed to the howling of the ungodly under their plagues Mountaines fall on us Here therfore is signified the most certaine change of things as now they are joyfull indeed and desirable unto the godlie now under affliction but dolefull and cursed to the wicked now lifting up their hornes For it is a righteous thing with God saith Paul to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you 2 Thes 1.6 and to you who are troubled rest with us c. According as Abraham said to the glutton crying in hell Luk. 16.25 Son remember that thou in thy life time receivedst good things likewise Lazarus evill things but now he is comforted thou art tormented Salvation to our God This acclamation is not a wishing salvation as is the manner of subjects desiring prosperity to their prince to cry Let the king live but a shouting for joy a blessing of God and the Lambe for mans salvation or blessed immortality and happinesse It is I say no wish but an action of thanksgiving attributing to God that which is dew unto him namely the prayse and glorie of their salvation and the sence is we ascribe not our salvation received to our owne power but to the grace of God merits of the Lambe Therefore Beza to expresse this sence hath rendred the words thus salvation from our God and from the Lambe to wit is given unto us And thus Austin in his 11 sermon concerning the Saintes They sing with a loud voyce salvation to God who acknowledge with much thanksgiving that they have overcome in battle all fierie trials not by their owne power but by his assistance c. The joy therefore blessednesse of the Saintes in heaven shal be an eternal celebration of God of Christ 11. And all the Angels The rest also of the coelestial companie as the Angels Elders and beasts spoken of Chap. 4. doe joyne in singing with the blessed soules of the Martyrs sealed ones And fell before the throne on their faces A gesture of suppliants who humble themselves before the most
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.
and seven trumpets The fourth Vision followeth touching the Woman the Beasts The fourth Vision Touching the Woman in travaile and flying into the wildernes from the dragon and of the two Beasts c. THE PRAEFACE THey who thinke that in the prophesie of the Revelation a continued historie of the Church is linked together even from Christs first comming unto the second begin the same from this Chapter in which it seems the new birth of the Church is represented But at the verie first they run into a great inconvenience For they are forced to bring in such an hyperbaton and confused order of the history as cannot be defended For that which was first ought not to have been omitted til now but to have been described in the first place Wherefore their opinion is farr better who observe that in this booke the condition of the Church on earth is sundry times shewed unto Iohn in certaine distinct Visions as in the beginning we noted Neither is the iteration to be thought needlesse for however in the nature and kinde of the events most of the visions are alike yet in the species and indiviaduals they represent unto us histories much different in somuch that what is in the former was more darke obscure is in the later clearer fuller set down And hence by diligent comparing of the Visions each with other aman shall have a singular helpe to remove that obscurity which appeares in this prophesie After the three Visions therefore formerly expounded The first wherof specially concernes Christs walking in the midst of the candelsticks and his admonishing the teachers of the Churches in Asia touching their duty The other two generally respect the booke sealed with seven seales The summe of the fourth Vision and opened by the Lambe with the seven trumpets of the Angels Now the fourth is exhibited to Iohn touching the woman in travaile the dragon standing to devour her childe and persecuting her and of the two Beasts warring against the Saintes as also of the Lambe overcomming them and of the Angels preaching at the last harvest and vintage Chap. 12.13.14 In which types the future condition of the Church in this world is much more evidently shadowed out then before even from the first beginning thereof under Christ and the ministerie of the Apostles untill the end For the Church shall have to doe with the Dragon the Beasts be miserablie afflicted and tryed by them yet she sufficiently armed from heaven for so grievous combats at last shall gloriously triumph over all her adversaries This Vision is also universal manifestly consisting of four Acts The four Acts thereof like the two former general visions The first Act containes the proposition of the Churches calamities at her birth and growth under the Iewish and Romane tyrants persecuting the woman as also under hereticks labouring through the instinct of the Dragon to devoure her with the floodes of errours and heresies Chap. 12. It answereth to the four former seales of the second Vision and to the first four trumpets of the third Vision representing the historie of the Church for the space of 606 yeeres viz. from the birth of Christ untill the rising of Antichrist The second Act is opposed to the former containes comfort for the Church against the wrath of the Dragon and floodes of heresies sent forth against her because the childe of the Woman is caught up into heaven and Michael the Archangel fighteth for her against the Dragon The woman with Eagles wings is caried into the wildernes hiding herself from the sight of men The earth swalloweth up the Dragons vomit This Act is mingled with the former in the same Chapter it answereth to the fift seale of the second Vision and to the tenth chapter treating of the mighty Angel standing upon the earth and sea Vision the third The third Act hath two parts The first part is of the Antichristian persecution representing the amplification of the Churches calamities or the new and more grievous conflicts which shee sustained during her abode in the wildernes against Antichrist whose kingdome power crueltie and subtiltie is set forth under the image of Beasts Chap. 13. This part answereth to the sixt seale of Vision the second and to the fift trumpet of Vision the third The latter part is opposed to the former in way of a parallel beeing consolatory to the godly prefiguring Christs presence in his deserted Church and his preserving of the same against the Beasts as also the reformation that should be in the latter times through the Angels that is new teachers of truth and godlinesse who by their preaching should oppose the Babylonish Antichrist and bring men back againe into the right way of salvation chap. 14. unto ver 14. This part answereth to the former part of chap. 7. touching the 144000 that were sealed by the Angel in Vision second and to the former part of chapt 11. of the meting of the temple and prophesie of the two witnesses in Vision third And this whole Act appertaines unto the historie of the Church which now from Antichrists rising hath continued 1035 yeeres and shal perhaps remaine unto the end of the 1260 dayes or yet for the space of 225 yeeres but this is onely known unto the Lord. To be short the fourth Act from v. 14. unto the end of chap. 14. under the type of an Angel gathering in the harvest and vintage of the earth represents the last judgement in which the Church at length beeing freed from all trouble shal be blest with eternal glorie But Antichrist with all his followers cast into the lake of Gods eternal wrath This part answereth to the latter member of Chapter the seventh touching the melody of the Church triumphant in Vision second as also to the latter part of Chapter 11 concerning the joyfull song of the Elders in Vision third Thus we have the whole distribution of this Vision The Argument Parts and Analysis of CHAPTER XII THis Chapter in which as we have said is shadowed out the first and second Act of Vision fourth under the type of a woman in travel and a Dragon opposing of her and of Michael fighting for the woman against the Dragon doth represent the state of the Church even from her infancy with the changes of her after age for at the very first she was cruelly set upon by Satan yet powerfully defended from heaven by Christ so as neither the devils cruelty nor tyrants rage nor the deceits of wicked hereticks could overcome her although she were forced to flee into the wildernes and to withdraw herself from the sight of men The parts of the Chapter are two I. Two great signes are shewed unto Iohn in heaven of a woman in travel and a Dragon standing before her to devoure her child v. 1.2.3.4 II. The history and event of both these signes unto the end In the former part is described the first signe 1. From the
from the Dragons fury would also adde something touching the womans preservation from the same Hee by beeing caught into heaven The woman by flight into the wildernesse howbeit not together at one time for betwixt these things there happened a cruel battel in heaven betwixt Michael and the Dragon as also the Dragons new enterprise against the woman on earth upon this John returns unto the flight and persecution of the woman Therfore we will reserve the interpretation of this verse till we come to v. 14. Now onely let us take notice of the summe and drift FIRST the flight of the woman into the wildernes signifies the invisibility of the Apostolical Church after she had fought many battels with tyrants hereticks and hypocrites For as the Moon comming so low as the shadow of the earth gives noe light neither for the present is more seen then if it were not in the skie so the Church that chast mother through the shadow of worldly ambition The Church vanished as the moon covetousnes luxurie power of prelates and carnal priests lost her light by little and little and at length vanished away insomuch as she never appeared any where in the world in her primitive beauty The Papists affirme that their Church never fled or vanished away contend that she allwayes shined in her full light by which they deny that their Church is this chast mother Histories indeed shew that Rome of old was a chast mother but ceased so to be by changing the government of Christ instituted by his Apostles into the Ecclesiastical and secular kingdom of the Pope the which when and how it came to passe hath already been shewed several times shall further be spoken of afterward Secondly in that there is a place prepared for her in the wildernesse where she is nourished it signifies that however the puritie of the Church shall then fade away and the outward face thereof appear wholy discrepant from the primitive state yet God will reserve and feed some remnants Of the rest in verse 14. 7. And there was warre in heaven Which happened not after the womans flight into the wildernesse but after the manchild was caught up into heaven For the Dragon beeing disappointed of one prey he thirsted after the other that is seeing he could not destroy the child he attempts to devoure the mother But Michael is present in her behalfe provoking the Dragon to combat and thrusting him beeing overcom with his followers out of heaven whence arose a shout among the heavenly spirits What is meant by this battel and when it was is not easie to be expounded What the war was between Michael and the Dragon Riberas fiction There are some who refer it to the first fall of the devill when Lucifer with his Angels was cast down out of heaven This Ribera rightly rejects yet puts in the place thereof a strange fiction of his own viz. of a battel that shal be betwixt Antichrist and the Saintes about the last four yeers before the end of the world But without all doubt this battel is already fought and the Dragon cast into the earth because the woman long agone is fled into the wildernesse Others take it as an allusion to the battel of Michael with satan about the bodie of Moses mentioned in Jude vers 9. But the cause of the war there is other then here Brightman thinkes that Constantines victory over Maxentius Maximinus and Licinius heads of the Dragon is here set forth But the effects of the victorie celebrated with songs by them in heaven vers 10.11 Seem to be more glorious then can possiblie be restrained to Constantines temporall victorie As therefore in the signe of the woman her deliverie and the child there was a double sense One Historicall fulfilled in the person of Marie and Christ The other Allegoricall in the Church and members of Christ so we may rightlie interpret this combat in a twofold sense first spiritually of the conflict of Christ and Satan the which went before in order of time Secondly Historicallie of Constantines and the enemies battles which happened afterward For as Christ caught up into the throne of God thrust Satan out of his kingdome and brought eternal peace and saftie unto the Saintes by his intercession So Constantine beeing advanced on the throne of the empire did manfullie suppresse all enemies of Christianitie and brought in a breathing time unto the Church after her former long continued afflictions This is the summe Now let us consider the battell of which 1. the place 2. the Captaines and armies 3. the event lastly the effect and benefit therof is explained The place of the war was heaven But heaven is a place of peace not of war of quietnesse not of dissention The war in heaven is visional not reall It is so indeed This is therefore to bee attributed onelie unto the Vision the which Iohn saw in the heaven above The Captaine and armie fighting on the one side were Michael and his Angels On the other side the Dragon with his Angels As the Dragon is Satan So Michael is Christ the Manchild caught up into heaven MICHAEI beeing interpreted is Who is like God Now who is like God save Christ his onely begotten son So Daniel also brings in Christ under the name of Michael Chap. 11. and 12. Propheticallie pointing at this battel At that time Michael the great prince shal stand up for the children of his people viz. having finished the worke of our redemption in the flesh But what manner of battel is it The first conflict consisted in Satans temptations The first conflict of this war the which Christ did offten most stronglie sustaine and suppresse The soorest conflict was his bloodie sweating in the garden that which hee suffered in the high priests hall and on the crosse at his death Then Michael indeed seemed to have bin overthrown but a while after the adversaries power was broken for by death Michael overcame and rising again he bruised the Dragons heades and beeing lift up unto the throne of his father he triumphed over all principallities and powers Col. 2 15 Then as a conquerour hee ascended with his bodie on which he had born and by his blood purged the sins of men into heaven and by the efficacie of his eternall intercession repressing the accusations of the adversarie hath made up our everlasting peace with God This mysterie of our salvation is shadowed out under the type of this battel as plainlie appeares from vers 10.11 The which typicall representation did verie much serve for the consolation of the Church seeing she should be shaken with most cruell stormes of persecutions for the space of three hundred yeers least the faithfull beeing unmindful both of this fight victorie might faint under the long continuance of the crosse But how are the Angels joyned with Michael in the fight Why the Angels are joyned with Christ and who they are
bruise the Serpents head 3. in beliefe of the fathers which was the substance of things hoped for 4. in the sacrifices of the fathers which sacramentally were the Lamb himself 5. and lastly in his members as suffering in their sufferings Thus Christ was slaine in Abel because saith Lyra the slaying of innocent Abel was a figure of the Lambs slaughter 9. If any one hath an eare Here the Vision of the first Beast is shut up with an acclamatory conclusion many times before used in the Epistles by which the holy Ghost doth again raise us up to attention that by the due contemplation of the Beast we might know who is the Antichrist lest unawares we might be circumvented by his subtiltie Here is signified that his impostures shall be so subtile as not easily to be discerned but as a Wolfe lies hid under a sheeps skin so Antichrist under Christs title shall deceive the world comming in a mysterie with all deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse 2 Thes 2.10 10. He that leadeth into captivitie By this condemning commination he doth not terrifie but raise up the godly lest they should faint being offended with the cruelty and successe of the Beast It is true he shall lead into captivity and destroy the miserable soules of them that worship him yea he shall also take away the estates of the Saints and kill their bodies with the sword But he shall suffer the like things for he shall be led into captivity and slaine with the sword because he shall be cast into the lake of fire Rev. 19.20 Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints He shews the antidotes by which these great evils may be borne and overcome Here saith he is need of patience which faints not under afflictions And faith of the Saints the which overcomes the world As also it is a promise of Gods presence The Beast indeed shall endeavour to break the patience of the Saints and extinguish their faith but God will turne it to their good so as in suffering they shall not be conquered but their faith tried being much more pretious then gold The second part of the Chapter Touching the Beast rising out of the earth 11 And I beheld another Beast comming up out of the earth and he had two hornes like a lamb and he spake as a dragon 12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first Beast before him and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first Beast whose deadly wound was healed 13 And he doth great wonders so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men 14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the meanes of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the Beast saying to them that dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the Beast which had the wound by a sword and did live 15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the Beast that the image of the beast should both speake and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed 16 And he causeth all both small and great rich and poor free and bond to receive a marke in their right hand or in their foreheads 17 And that no man might buy or sell save he that had the marke or the name of the beast or the number of his name 18 Here is wisdom Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast for it is the number of a man and his number is six hundred threescore and six THE COMMENTARY ANd I saw another Beast Touching this Beast Interpreters are as diversly minded as of the former To repeat all their opinions is needlesse They who understand the former Beast to be the old Romane Empire take this other to be meant of Antichrist But such who interpret the former of Antichrist take this later to be his armour-bearer or gardian Now both these in my opinion are not unfitly applied provided the Armourbearer be not childishly understood of one carrying the shield but by a synecdoche of the whole and primarie order of the Antichristian officers together with their head for here Antichrist is represented not as Lord but as one acting or putting in execution his full power as the workes of this Beast do plainly shew Gregory applies it to Antichrists preachers Lib 33. Moral cap. 26. Vestigat pag. 693. Lib. 3. de P. R. c. 15. who glorie in their earthly power But saith Alcasar whose new found opinion deserves not to be rehearsed They who understand the Sea-beast of Antichrist are repugnant to themselves if they also apply this beast of the earth unto him But good sir if so then thy companion Bellarmine is no lesse contradictory to himself who thus writeth The same Antichrist is expressed by two Beasts by one in regard of his kingly power and tyranny by which he violently forceth the sonnes of men by the other in regard of his magicall art by which he subtilly seduceth thē But herein there is no repugnancy or inconveniency for it is not unusual in this Revelation It is not inconvenient that Antichrist be figured out by a double Beast that one and the same person have divers formes in different respects be represented under sundry types For so Christ in the first vision walked amongst the Candlesticks as a man or the son of man In the second vision he sate on the throne as God The Lamb stood before the throne as a sacrifice Again as a conquerour he is called a Lion An Altar as the receiver of the blessed soules The Angel of the East as the sealer of the Elect In the third Vision an Angel making perfume as the Priest of the Church So also Antichrist in the said third Vision is the Starre fallen from heaven as he is an Apostate The angel of the bottomlesse pit Abaddon Apollyon as he is king of the Locusts The Beast ascending out of the bottomlesse pit as the persecutor of the witnesses Again in this fourth Vision he is the Sea-beast as a tyrant and persecutor of the Saints so also he is the earthly Beast as an hypocrite and seducer of the inhabitants of the world Againe in the fift Vision he is in the same respect a Beast and false prophet as king and deceiver Lastly in the sixt Vision he is the Beast and Woman riding on the Beast as a king and Church that beareth sway The whole Revelation I say represents Antichrist under divers formes not simply as one person but as divers having a twofold life and original out of the sea and earth a double body a twofold shape and person viz. as being a secular and ecclesiasticall person a tyrant and a false prophet an Emperour and high Priest And indeed after this manner the Pope hath shewed himselfe more then once One while as Caesar in his warlike armour another while as
of his name to be 888. Hence he infers seeing the greatest controversie that is See Abbot demonst ca. 2. p. 34. sect 17. is touching Antichrists name therefore Antichrist is not as yet come and so consequently the Pope is not Antichrist This he calleth an insoluble argument but there is no waight at all in it for the things he feineth are all false I. It is false that Antichrist being come his name shall then be clearely known by all for his comming shall be with all deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse 2 Thes 2. Therefore he shall not come openly but by a feined and fraudulent name he shall deceive the world so that it shall be a very hard thing to know him for he will transforme himselfe into an Angel of light Contr Auxent lib. 2. Contra advers leg cap. 12. and come under a feined shew viz. under the name of Christ as Hilarie and Austin affirmed long agoe Therefore his name shall not be openly known unto all men but as the Devill came to sow tares in the Lords field not openly but when men were asleep so Antichrist shall creep in while the world is not aware there of II. It is false that the Prophets foretold any thing of the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And to thinke that God should foretell that by the idolatrous Sybills the which he spake not of by his own Prophets let him beleeve that listeth III. It is also false that after Christ was come his name was most certainely known to all for Iohn expresly speaketh of the Iewes living in the time of his comming Ioh. 1 10. that the world knew him not And that he came unto his owne and his own received him not However therefore they were not ignorant of the name Iesus yet they knew that it was common to many other men but they did not know nor beleeve that it was the name of Christ the Messias therefore the name Iesus who should be the Christ was not known unto the Iewes To this day also the name Iesus who is the Christ is no way known unto the Iewes Turkes and Pagans for however they know indeed the name Iesus yet they neither know nor beleeve that it is the name of Christ the Messias By the like reason we may conclude that although Antichrist is come yet to the Papists and many others Antichrists name is not certainely known for the Papists take not their Pope to be Antichrist for although they well know the number of the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Romanus yet they neither know nor beleeve that it is the name of Antichrist But as the ignorance and obstinate deniall of the Iewes could not hinder the name of Iesus to be the true name of Christ so the ignorance and obstinate deniall of the Papists lets not but that the name Lateinos and Romanus is truely the name of Antichrist IV. That is also false which he affirmeth touching the great controversie about Antichrists name For howsoever the Papists raise a controversie about it yet to us who know Antichrist as being revealed by the Spirit of Christs mouth to sit in the Latine Church his name is no way controvertible for there is none of us but easily assents to the opinion of Jrenaeus that his name is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or RoMANUS which are names of the same number demonstrating the Pope of Rome V. The conclusion of Bellarmine is false that if Antichrist were come there should be no question about his name For this is sufficiently apparent to all who doe not purposely shut their eyes against the light of the Sun And hence the insoluble argument of the Papists is turned upon themselves for as much as the number of the name of Antichrist is generally known so as all do point as with the finger at the Latine Pope It being certaine that Antichrist is now come and that he is the chiefe Priest at Rome VI. And lastly that is false which he gathereth out of Marlorate touching the obscurity of this place viz. that this oracle being most obscure and aenigmaticall is not as yet fulfilled for all prophesies saith he when they are fulfilled are most cleare But O Bellarmine are not the prophesies touching Christs comming in the flesh fulfilled and are they now most cleare unto the Iewes nay they remaine most obscure and aenigmaticall unto them even after their full accomplishment because their mindes were blinded and the vaile of Moses remaines upon their heart even unto this day not to speak of us Christians unto whom many visions of this Revelation undoubtedly fulfilled doe neverthelesse remaine obscure in regard of our negligence like as many oracles touching the abolition of the ceremoniall and judicial Law of Moses about the difference of meats and peoples which were taken away and fulfilled in Christ remained obscure and controvertible even to the Apostles themselves as the Acts Epistles of the Apostles witnes Prophesies therfore become most cleare by the fulfilling of them to wit not to them who maliciously shut their eyes or open them not to receive the light but to them alone who diligently attend unto the accomplishment of them This is the cause that this prophesie touching Antichrist after the fulfilling thereof in some measure for yet it is not fully accomplished remains most obscure unto the Papists who seeing wil not see although an egge is not more like to an egge then the Pope of Rome unto the Beast CHAPTER XIV The Argument Uses Parts Analysis AFter the Beast or Antichrist the seducer of the world appeareth the LAMB standing on mount Sion with 144000 sealed ones singing to God with melody a new song before his throne three Angels in order goe forth to reveale Antichrist Of which the first bad the everlasting Gospell by which men received light to call upon God in the name of Iesus Christ and not in the name of Saints The second threatneth the fall of Babylon that is he shewes that Antichrist sits in Babylon or the Church of Rome The third exhorteth all men to take heed that they worship not the Beast neither his image upon paine of eternall damnation And lastly the harvest and vintage of the earth is gathered in by the Angel sitting on the cloud In which types is shadowed out first Christs presence with his Church oppressed by Antichrist Secondly the purging of doctrine corrupted by Antichrist by the preachers of the Gospel with their combats against Antichrist raised up in our times by the singular mercy of God And thirdly the last judgement is signified in which Antichrist with all other enemies being cast into the lake of Gods wrath shall be eternally punished for their perfidiousnesse and tyranny This whole Chapter therefore is diverse wayes consolatory First howsoever the whole earth for these thousand years hath followed the Beast yet Christ still will have a Church and people because even in the midst of the Beasts reigne the Lamb reserveth unto
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
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.
the just but the excision of the unjust and all iniquity that transitory and unstable things might have an end and that which is stable and eternal appeare Thrust thy sickle It is no commanding but a supplicating voice for the Angels command not Christ but worship him The words are taken out of Joel 3.13 where Iehovah saith I will sit in the valley of Jehosaphat to judge all the heathen round about Put yee in the sickle for the harvest is ripe The Angell knew that the day of judgement was neare and intreateth therefore that the judge would stay no longer but thrust the sickle into the harvest Thy sickle saith he to wit which is thine by office But how doth the Angell bid Christ to reap seeing Christ calls the Angels reapers Mat. 13.39 I answer In all Allegories circumstances doe often varie Christ is here said to doe that which there is applyed to the Angels because Christ reapes by the Angels his ministers yea the Angell here offers himselfe to the Lord to reape Because the time is come for thee Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy houre c. The Angell addes a twofold reason of his petition The former from the first cause for saith he the terme of judgement prefixed in the counsell of God is at hand But whence doth the Angell know this seeing that day and houre is not manifested to any creature Mar. 13.9 I answer by revelation from God Or else by the signes which he saw were either all past or at hand In saying for thee he acknowledgeth him to be appointed by the Father the onely Iudge of the world Ioh. 5.12 as he saith himselfe The Father judgeth no man but hath given all judgement to the Sonne Here by the phrase we have no obscure argument that Iohn the Evangelist is the Authour of the Revelation with whom we finde nothing more familiar then to expresse a defined time by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 houre as Cha. 2.4 My houre is not yet come Chap. 5.25 My houre is come and now is Chap. 7.30 No man laid hands on him because his houre was not yet come Chap. 13.1 Jesus knowing that his houre was come Chap. 17.1 Father the houre is come glorifie thy Sonne c. To reap That is to take away men from the earth by gathering the good as wheat into the barne but the tares into bundles to be burnt as is declared Mat. 13.30 For the harvest is ripe This is the second reason from the next cause or order of nature requiring harvest when the corne is white Ioh. 4.35 Lift up your eyes saith Christ and looke on the fields for they are already white to harvest Therefore being ripe the time of harvest is at hand This ripenesse signifies that the measure of the Churches calamities Antichrists tyranny and the iniquity of the wicked was now full as God in Gen. 18.21 saith touching the sinnes of the Sodomites that he was come to see whither they were come to the full height or not And Christ of the Pharisees Mat. 23.32 Fill yee up then the measure of your fathers 2 Pet. 3.9 Rom. 2.4 This also commendeth both the patience and justice of God The Lord is not slack in his judgement but is patient towards us not willing that any should perish but by long-suffering leadeth us to repentance So then he will execute judgement most justly because he will not doe it till there be no hope of the worlds recovery and that the sinnes of men are come to that height as none shall have cause to complaine either of the overmuch haste or severity of the Iudge 16 And he that sate on the cloude thrust in his sickle Christ readily yeelds to the request of the Saints for it s no sooner desired but he thrusts the sickle into the earth for into the ripe fruits of the earth by a Synecdoche that is on men themselves When therefore the houre of judgement shall come Christ will finish the harvest of the earth without any delay labour or hinderance for he is a most carefull and powerfull Iudge And the earth was reaped that is both the living and the dead being cited before the tribunall seat of judgement received rewards according to that in Joh. 5.29 Mat. 25.46 The declaration of this parabolicall harvest is best expounded by Christ himselfe Mat. 13.39 The harvest is the end of the world The reapers are the Angels then the Sonne of man shall send forth and say gather yee together first the tares and binde them in bundles to burne them but gather the wheat into my barne The tares are the seed of the wicked one the good seed are the children of the Kingdome Then therefore the Angels shall gather out of his kingdome all things that offend and them which doe iniquity and shall cast them into a furnace of fire there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth but the righteous shall shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdome of their Father c. This is that harvest which John saw by us indeed who walke in faith longed after but it shall be dreadfull unto the worshippers of the Beast for we shall be gathered into Gods barne but as many as have not repented of their Antichristian idolatry being threshed with the eternall scourges of Gods wrath shall be burnt in hell fire If thou demaund how Christ himself is said to thrust the sickle into the earth seeing this charge was committed before to the reaping Angels we have even now answered that Christ is said to have done that which the Angels are to doe by his commandement as in Ioh. 4.2 Christ is said to have made and baptized more Disciples then John yet it is added he baptized not but his Disciples did to wit by his authority and commandement 17. And another Angell came out of the Temple Another type of the foresaid judgement properly representing the horrible punishments of the wickedunder the forme of a vintage First Christ doth againe come forth in the likenesse of an Angell with a sharpe sickle not to reap as before but to cut downe the vine which again represents Christs judicatory power Some by this Angell understand the Saints who in that great Day as assistants to Christ shall judge the world according to that in 1 Cor. 6.2 But I dare not attribute this sickle to the Saints Perhaps this Angell is one of the chiefe ministers of Christ the Iudge Or it is an Enallage of the singular for the plurall because as the Angells shall be Reapers so also Vintagers in the end of the world Yet I see nothing to hinder why Christ the Iudge may not here be understood who alone holdeth the Iudicatory Sickle because he onely hath received all power from the Father For often Christ is said to be an Angell as in Chap. 7.2 8.3 10.1 To wit the Angell of the Covenant and great Counsell neither is it unusuall that Christ in respect of his divers
functions in divers Visions should also be represented under divers Types as sometimes being called the Son of man otherwhile a Lambe a Lyon an Angell c. He is said to come out of the Temple the which Iohn in Chap. 11.19 saw open in Heaven for the Temple especially the Sanctuary was a figure of Heaven Heb. 9.2 so then he came out of Heaven from whence the Iudge shall come We see that all things are dramatically acted in this Revelation for as in Comoedies among men divers persons comming out of divers Scenes do act their parts on the Theatre so it is in these Visions to the end we might more easily perceive Heavenly things by a certain similitude of things done amongst us 18. And another Angell came out from the Altar Seeing the former Angell having the Sickle was Christ the Iudge We therefore do rightly understand this Angell to be some chiefe Minister of Christ whose Cry Thrust thy Sickle is not a commanding voyce or admonitory as if the Iudge were slack in his Office but supplicatory desiring him not to deferre the Iudgement any longer but to execute the same because of the inveterate malice of the world as in verse 15. He comes out of the Altar Or from the Altar that is from Christ who is the Heavenly Altar namely as a Herauld who in the name of all the rest proclaimes the time of the last Iudgement testifies the desire of all the Heavenly Powers for the vindication of the Church and punishment of the adversaries and offers as it were his most ready ministery to the Iudge Having power over fire Hence we learne saith Andreas that God hath set the angelicall powers as administrators of things created by him One over Water another over Fire Dan. 10.13.20 another over another part of the world This exposition I do not altogether reject seeing the Scripture other where testifies that some Angells were set over particular Kingdomes Yet I neither will affirme nor deny whether some are set over one Element others over another because afterward in Chap. 16.5 What is meant by this fire mention is made of the Angell of the waters Neverthelesse it is clear God useth them to execute some one judgement some another Furthermore what this Fire is over which he is said to have power is diversly disputed some understand the fire of the holy Ghost But no created Angell can have power over the holy Ghost who is the eternall God Others the fire which shall consume the world as if this Angell who is said to have power over fire should set the whole world on fire But God shall need no Incendiaties to burne the World Ribera hereby understands the fire of the heavenly Altar by which the Sacrifices of the Saints were burn'd probably indeed but by an allegory not safe enough for seeing the sacrifices of the Saints in Heaven are their prayers and thanksgivings by which they allwayes praise the Lord I see not how it agrees to Christian beleife that any created Angell should have power over this fire But I wonder that none have applyed it to the fire of Purgatory Bede applyes it to the fire of Punishment which Ribera approves not because the punishment of the wicked is here Metaphorically figured not by fire but by the Wine-Presse of Gods wrath yet a little before we heard that the ungodly should be tormented with fire and brimstone the smoake whereof should ascend up for ever and ever This interpretation Bullinger followeth and we also approve of for fire in the Psalmes and generally through the whole Scripture denotes Gods plagues and punishment on the wicked the which he executeth by his Angells This Angell therefore hath power to wit ministerially over Hell fire because by this Angell or by these Angells for it may be an Enallage of the singular for the plurall Christ the Iudge will cast the tares into eternall fire which agrees with the Parable of Christ Mat. 13.42 They shall cast them into a Furnace of Fire And gather the Clusters of the Vine of the earth A Vine doth sometimes denote the Church Isa 5.1 Mat. 20.1 Into which the Lord sends divers labourers to dresse the same But here it signifies other the Church of malignants or the world of ungodly men therefore he calls it the Vine of the earth for the whole multitude of the wicked who are not those ripe grapes which the Lord looked for and found not in his Vineyard Isa 5.2 but it is taken in the evill part for the wild unripe and sowre grapes which God in wrath threatens to cut off And they are said to be ripe not for new Wine but Verjuyce because when the wickednesse of the ungodly is grown to its full ripenesse destruction ruine necessarily followes 19. And the Angell thrust in his Sickle The execution will be short for the Iudge when the houre is come shall without any let cut downe the Vintage of the earth that is execute wrath on the wicked by casting them into the great Lake of Gods wrath The lake of Gods Wrath is great Hell metaphorically is called the lake of Gods wrath or the place of infernal torments for as the clusters of the Vine are troden in the Wine-presse so the Reprobates shall be punished in bell It is great that is large enough to containe all the multitude of the wicked that perish A large Vintage requires a spatious place now this Vontage shall be the greatest to wit of all the wicked even from Cain the first parricide 〈◊〉 the last 〈◊〉 which shall be death And therefore the lake must be great 20. And the Wine-presse wa◠troden without the City This shall be the thrusting of the wicked into eternall torments Without the City viz. the Heavenly Ierusalem which is described Chap. 22.15 Without shall be dogs and sorcerers and whoremongers and murtherers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie which is the proper description of the Grapes of the Vine of the earth to be troden in the great lake of hell and to be cast forth into utter darknesse where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth And blood came out of the Wine-presse The Scripture is wont to call red wine the blood of the grape of the like rednesse thereof Here he calls the liquor flowing out of the lake Blood not by reason of the colour but to denote the bloody and horrible kinde of punishment that is to befall the wicked for seeing they could not be satiated with the blood and slaughter of Saints therefore hell also being made red with their blood shall not be satiated for ever and ever Vnto the Horse-Bridles He aggravates the horriblenesse of their plagues from the great abundance of blood flowing out of the Wine-presse both by the space of a thousand and sixe hundred furlongs and the depth so great that it reacheth even to the horse bridles For there shall be an innumerable multitude of the clusters of the earth
This is my opinion touching the smoake untill I understand that something more agreeable is alleadged CHAPTER XVI The Argument Parts and Analysis The Preparation of the Vision we heard viz Seven Angells stand in the Theatre of Heaven with seven Vialls full of the wrath of God ready to poure out the same Now followeth the vision or the pouring of them out with the events namely horrible plagues and the effects thereof for the Angells having received commandement in order poure out the Vialls upon divers elements and places whence followes the joy of the godly the misery of the Antichristian adversaries and at last their rage and destruction THe Parts of the Chapter are two The former containes the commandement of God verse 1. The second the execution in the rest of the Chapter distinct in their pourings out according to the number of the Angells and seven Vialls The first on the earth with the effects thereof A noisome sore fell on the worshippers of the beast verse 2. The second on the Sea with its twofold effect The corrupting of the Sea and death of all living creatures in it verse 3. The third on the Rivers the effect whereof is first internall the waters are turned into blood ver 4. secondly externall a twofold gratulation 1. of the Angell of the waters praysing the righteousnesse of God ve 5. in rendring like for like ve 6.2 Of a voyce out of the Altar assenting to the former ver 7. The fourth on the sun the effect whereof is threefold 1. The scorching of men ver 89.2 Their blasphemies 3. Their impenitency ibid. The fift on the throne of the beast the internall effect whereof is the darkning of the Antichristian Kingdome ver 10. and a twofold externall effect 1. blasphemies against God and the moving cause viz. their paines and sores 2. Their obstinacie in sin ver 11. The sixt on Euphrates the internall effect whereof is the drying up of the waters thereof and the end of it to prepare the way for the Kings of the East The externall three unclean spirits who are described 1. by their originall out of the mouth of the Dragon the Beast and the false Prophet ver 13. 2. By their figure or shape they are like to frogs ibid. 3. by their disposition it is divelish ver 14. 4. By their cunning and impostures working miracles ibid. 5. By their function or office to raise up warre against God ibid. here an exhortation to the Saints is inserted in these troubles to be watchfull ver 15. 6. By the execution of their charge the gathering of the enemies into Harmageddon ver 16. The seventh on the aire the event whereof is the last judgement or consummation of all things This is proclaimed 1. By voyce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is done ver 17. 2. It is figured in foure types 1. By horrible tempests verse 18. 2. By the division of Babylon and the ruine of the cities of the Nations And the efficient cause hereof Gods remembrance of Babylon ver 19. 3. The flight of the Islands and Mountaines ver 20. 4. Haile of a talent weight fals on the wicked the effects whereof are blasphemies against God v. 21. Thus we have the Argument and Order of the Chapter to the understanding whereof it seemes requisite in a generall way to premise a few things 1. Of the scope and of the seven Vialls whether they be the same with the seven Seales and seven Trumpets 2. Of the seven Angells pouring out the same 3. Of the last Plagues following thereupon I. Of the Scope and Vse of the Plagues and of the seven Vialls whether they be the same with the seven Seales and seven Trumpets COnsidering that I spake in the Preface of the Scope of the Vision I will now onely adde that the consideration of the Order makes very much for the comfort of the godly and terrour of the adversaries In the former Vision indeed are contained the plagues by which the beast with his associates afflicted the Saints In the third Vision the beast fought against and killed the two witnesses contumeliously abused their Carkasses and the inhabiters of the earth triumphed over them being slaine In the fourth Vision the Dragon persecuted the woman and made war with the remnant of her seed The beast also molested the Saints by Warre and overcame them to the great applause of his worshippers and to them onely it was permitted to buy and sell such as refused to worship the beast were slain Thus the tyranny of the beast stood in its vigour and his kingdom flourished and was greatly admired at Here on the contrary we shall heare of the Plagues by which the beast and his followers shall be tormented Now in the end indeed of the foregoing vision Babylon and the worshippers of the beast were vexed by the preaching of the Angells But in this Vision the Saints begin to sing in triumph over the beast and the Angells are joyned to them pouring out seven Vials c. Touching these it may be demaunded whether they agree with the seven Seales and seven Trumpets It is answered although there be some likenesse of effects in the six Trumpets and six latter Vialls yet the seven Vials do not altogether answer to the seven Seales and seven Trumpets The reason is plaine by verse 2. both of this and the foregoing Chapter from the time because the vialls begin to be poured out on the marked ones of the beast Chap. 16.2 long after the beasts rising even when he was already in part overcome Chap. 15.2 But the originall of the beast is first treated of in the sixt Seale and fift Trumpet as we noted on ver 1. of Chap. 13. The pouring out therefore of the vialls followed after the opening of five Seales and the sounding of foure Trumpets the sixt Seale and fift trumpet being almost ended and the fourth period of the Christian Church begun which as we noted on Chap. 15.1 tooke its beginning from the measuring of the Temple or Reformation of Evangelicall Doctrine in the West and is to endure unto the end II Of the seven Angells pouring out the Vialls Who they are and what the pouring out of the Vialls is THese seven Angells are thought by most to be such preachers whom Christ in the last times will raise up against Antichrist and according to their threatning inflict these plagues on Antichristians If so then these Angells of the fift Vision should analogically answer to the two witnesses of the third Vision and to the three angels of the fourth Vision because all these are publishers of the Gospell against Antichriste unlesse perhaps they so differ in time as what at first was done by two that is a few afterwards was done by three that is more and at last by seven that is very many were raised up to oppose Popery If we take this sense then the golden Vialls given to the Angels should be that golden and eternall gospell which
councels by whose authority chiefly after the sixt age the Monarchicall power of the Romish chaire was established thus it should be the same Therefore Brightman doth not unfitly as it seemes determine that this sea is the Councell of Trent into which from the yeer 1545. unto 1563. under five Popes viz. Paulus 3. Julius 3 Marcellus 2. Paulus 4. and Pius 4. the Rivers and Fountaines out of all parts of the Antichristian world did unburthen themselves as it were into a Sea that is thither were gathered 9. Cardinalls 3. Patriarchs 33. Archbishops 233. Bishops 7. Abbats 8. Generalls 4. Counsellours at Law 149. Divines 11. Vicars of Bishops in all 467. together with an infinite number of servants Pages and Scullions out of every Nation Tribe and tongue For the Angells going forward to pour out Gods Vialls that former grievous ulcer compelled the Antichristians to flow to the Latine Sea to get remedy for their disease But what was done The waters of the sea became as the blood of a dead man that is corrupted and mortall hence every soule living in the sea dyed for the Decrees of Trent were bloody that is written and so indeed generally they were with the blood of hereticks But being false and destructive by their filthy and deadly savour they killed the soules of all living creatures swimming or seeking for life in this sea CHAP XVI The pouring out of the Third Viall on the Rivers and Fountaines of Waters 4 And the third Angell poured out his Viall upon the Rivers and Fountaines of waters and they became blood 5 And I heard the Angell of the waters say Thou art righteous O Lord which art and wast and shalt be because thou hast judged thus 6 For they have shed the blood of Saints and Prophets and thou hast given them blood to drinke for they are worthy 7 And I heard another out of the Altar say Even so Lord God Almighty true and righteous are thy judgements THE COMMENTARY 4. ANd the third Angell poured out This Angell poures out the wrath of God on the Rivers and Fountaines of Waters which became blood Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the old version renders and blood was made but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to bee referred to the Rivers and Fountaines of Waters They to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Waters became blood The sense of this effect the Angel will declare verse 6. Thou gavest them blood to drinke for thou didst shed their blood because they shed the blood of thy servants The turning therefore of the waters into blood denotes a bloodie vengeance on bloodthirsty adversaries Hence it appeareth that this plague is divers from the former although in both there be an allusion unto the first Egyptian plague Now we are to see who these wicked are here signified by the Rivers and Fountaines Lyra thinkes Charles the Great to be this Angell Lyras opinion who poured out the Viall that is the vengeance of God upon the Rivers and Fountaines of Waters that is on the Moores or Hunni who anciently inhabited neer the Poole Maeotis where there are many bublings of waters after the manner of fountaines And they became blood because Charles his army killed many of the Hunni But he erres from the scope Ribera also here urgeth the letter but absurdly For have ever the Rivers and Fountaines shed the blood of the Saints according to the Letter Rib. opinion Or hath God given blood to drinke to the Fountaines Gagnaeus therefore doth more rightly apply it metaphorically to the persecutors of the godly Gagnaeus opinion because rivers and flouds of waters do often in Scripture denote grievous persecutions Now it may bee demaunded who these Persecutours are Foxe understands it of the Romane tyrants Foxe his opinion who by Ten persecutions shed the blood of Saints in abundance to whom likewise God gave blood to drinke because scarcely one of them dyed a naturall death But neither is this to the scope for it is certaine this place intends not the punishment of the adversaries of the primitive Church but the last plagues of Antichristians Others of our Interpreters come neerer to the scope understanding the rivers and fountaines of Waters the fâ—â—se Prophets and false teachers of Antichrist Bullinger Marlorate because Peter calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fountaines or wells without water that is deceivers for as dry wells frustrate the hope of the Traveller 2. Pet. 2.17 who thinkes to find water in them and doth not so false Prophets deceive such who looke for sound doctrine and consolations from them whatsoever they promise or make shew of Notwithstanding these also shew not who are here meant nor do they sufficiently unfold the kind of the plague here signified but keep for the most part to the thesis that to Antichristians the waters become blood that is unprofitable yea deadly to drinke of for as to the godly all things yea even their sinnes do work â—â—gether for their salvation so to the ungodly the good creatures of God â—â—come a curse and are turned to their destruction This indeed is true but expresseth not the meaning of the prophesie because that which followeth Thou gavest them blood to drinke doth not cohere with this sense for God gave not blood to drinke to these rivers and fountaines that is layd not a cruell punishment on them in regard they had shed the blood of the godly Therefore such false Prophets are not here simply to be understood who onely by their false doctrine kill the soules which the Sea of Trent did by its filthy and corrupt blood killing all that tooke in the same which was the second plague But such cruell false prophets who either with their owne hands or by their bloody counsells and condemnatory sentences shed the blood of innocent Christians But who are they We must keep to the Allegory of the Sea Rivers and Fountaines The sea hath its continuall course and is nourished by the flowing waters of rivers and fountaines so likewise the fountaines and rivers have their moistnesse from the vapour of the Sea hence they are rightly called the breasts of the Sea because they both suck for themselves and give nourishment to the Sea The Sea was the gathering together of Bishops and Doctors in Councill The Rivers therefore and fountaines of Waters who are they but Bishops and Doctors not indeed belonging to the Councell yet chief Antichristian Pillars and Champions for Popery Thus also in Chap. 8.10 the Rivers and Fountaines were Bishops and Doctors of the Church viz. the successours of Pope Sylvester whom he being corrupted through the favour and liberality of Constantine drew with himselfe from Heaven into the Earth and made bitter the wholsome and sweet Doctrine of Christ by the wormewood of humane traditions as there I declared Therefore here also the Rivers and Fountaines are Bishops and Teachers but in time diverse from them Those were made bitter before Antichrists
rising These here exercise their cruelty after Antichrists declining These therefore became blood that is they shall pay their own blood for the blood which they shed of the Saints The time and manner whereof the Lord knoweth 1. Pet 2.17 whom I beseech to bring these rivers and fountaines to repentance Therefore I thinke that the event of this Viall is propheticall which as yet wee have not seene and perhaps understand not 5. And I heard the Angell of the waters In Chap. 14. ver 18 This Angell is said to have power over the fire here he is called the Angell of the waters hence arose the opinion that sundry Angells are set over severall elements The Papists also hence have feined that their tutelar Saints are appointed over diseases Arts Handi-crafts Cities Countries and every member of man But hence nothing can solidly be gathered for the Angell of the waters is not a Neptune set over the waters but it is the same Angell pouring the Viall on the Rivers and Fountaines so called because God by his ministery turned the waters into blood after the same manner the first Angell might be called the Angell of the earth the second the Angell of the sea the fourth the Angell of the Sun c. because they poured out the Vialls on the earth sea sunne c. Because thou hast judged thus He declares God to be just in judging these things that is because he turned these cruell and cursed Rivers and Fountaines into blood to vindicate Gods judgement from the slaunders of the wicked for it might seem that the Plagues of Antichristians were not altogether righteous but rather too cruell Now the Angell ascribes them not to men but God affirming them to be most just in regard they singularly agree to the rule of distributive justice which renders rewards to the just and punishments to the wicked O Lord which art Sundry times before the true God yea Christ is thus described See Bezas annotations on this place save that in stead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to come before used here it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who shalt be as Beza hath brought to light out of an ancient maniscript though it commonly be read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and holy as cohering with the foregoing word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 righteous as if he should say Thou art righteous holy that is pure from all unrighteousnesse Let us learn therefore ratherto adore Gods holy judgements although we do not fully comprehend the causes of them then to repine and murmurre against them as being unrighteous For they have shed the blood of Saints By the Law of requitall they celebrate the justice of God because they shed blood therefore with blood shall they be punished For hee that sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed Gen. 9.6 Thou gavest them blood to drinke Bloody waters are not to be drunke yet such shall be the drinke of the adversaries The history of Cyrus is knowne whose head being thrown into a great Tub full of blood Tomyris queen of Scythia upbraiding his cruelty said Drink thou blood who couldest not be satiated with blood But thou wilt say whose blood either of the Saints or Prophets have they shed For answer to this not to speake of the secret Plots Conspiracies and poysonings ordinary to Monkes and their Confederates read Foxe his booke of Martyrs and thou shalt see who they were that put to death even in England alone multitude of Saints and Prophets many Bishops Doctors and Teachers very holy learned and innocenr persons As Cranmer Ridley Latimer Hooper with other Martyrs who in Queen Maryes dayes for their constant profession of Evangelicall Doctrine and opposition of Idolatry were condemned some to the fire others to other torments Who I pray have been the architects of all Conspiracies Plots and Commotions in the neighbouring Nations Let Histories speake Rightly therefore the innocent blood of the Saints is imputed unto them by the Angell For they are worthy Their cruelty is the reason why they justly drinke blood The Angell rejoyceth not simply over the plagues of the wicked but declares the justice of God by the law of requitall Every one shall be rewarded according to what he hath done for this is the judgement of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death Rom. 1. verse 32. God therefore is righteous and so are his judgements on blood-thirsty men Before in Chap. The merits of workes hence not established 3.5 it is said of them that overcame they shall be clothed in white for they are worthy hence the merit of good workes seemes to be confirmed for if these of right are punished for their cruelty because they are worthy that is because they have merited the same Then also the other must of right be clothed in white because they are worthy that is because they have merited the same As cruelty therefore is the meritorious cause of punishment so innocency should be the meritorious cause of reward I answer The consequence will not hold from a contrary dissimilitude Evill workes in order of justice do merit punishment but good workes doe not merit life eternall because in order of justice the creatures good workes are due debts to the Creator now nothing that we do can possiblie merit considering we are obliged unto it by duty But to merit is a worke not due making a reward due by the work done which before was not due 7. And I heard another out of the Altar The old Version I heard another omitting the words out of the Altar some Copies also have it And I heard the Altar which is a manifest errour as Ribera himself cannot deny Iohn therefore heard another to wit Angell comming out from the Altar undoubtedly being the same spoken of in Chapter 14. verse 18. Even so Lord God Almighty see ver 5. The pouring out of the fourth Viall on the Sunne 8 And the fourth Angell poured out his Viall upon the Sunne and power was given to him to Scorch men with fire 9 And men were scorched with great heat and blasphemed the name of God which hath power over these plagues and they repented not to give him glory THE COMMENTARY 8. AND the fourth Angell poured out The two former Vialls were Historicall to us the events whereof we have and do yet see The third as I said is propheticall such also are the four following the events of them being yet to come therefore the searching into them is the more obscure and difficult the last excepted which containes the finall punishments of the adversaries the ruine of Babylon and the World Yet I will speake of each of them that which shall seeme to bee most probable The fourth Viall is poured out on the Sunne the events whereof are 1. Ascorching heat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a most violent and burning Feaver engendring intollerable paine 2. Blasphemies of men against God 3.
serve to his judgements and ends which he intends most holily not only by a generall influence but alwayes by a speciall Hence the wise man she also reacheth from one end unto another Wisd 8.1 mightily and comely doth she order all things These things no man will deny unlesse an Athiest who makes God the governour of the world no other then to be a slothfull or brutish Idol of Fortune See Luther touching the slavish will Chap. 143. III. How these Kings in eating the flesh of the whore and burning her did that which was pleasing to God This Question in regard of our interpretation is of no weight for we have proved that the Kings who before had given their power unto the Beast and all their assistance to the whore did afterward by a certain divine metamorphosis or change repent of the same As therefore they hated the whore according to the revealed will of God so they shall rightly and in obedience to God forsake make naked eat her flesh and burn her with fire according to the commandement of the heavenly voice Goe out of her my people Render unto her double thou shalt overthrow their Idols burne their Images with fire But put case they did not repent and so were not without sin in spoiling burning the whore yet herein they did the good pleasure of God not as it was their act but accidentally for in committing the manifest wickednes which they intended they together executed the secret judgement of God which they intended not Like as the Jews Herod Pontius Pilate in condemning Christ did together Act. 4.8 howbeit wickedly that which the hand and counsell of God had well decreed should be done by them But the former opinion is the better And thus much touching the Questions propounded Now let us return to the Prophesie CHAPTER XVIII The Preface touching the Coherence WE now take in hand to expound the second Act of the sixt Vision touching the lamentable destruction of Babylon the royall Seat of Antichrist that is of Rome The which God is my witnesse I speake not of humane or evill affection against the Pope of Rome or as being lead by a darke conjecture but induced by this divine Prophesie and the clear Demonstration of the foregoing Chapter The Angell did shew unto Iohn in the wildernesse in stead of the woman the chast Mother of the Man-child that is the true Church of Christ a Scarlet-coloured woman a whore drunken with the blood of the Saints sitting on the Beast that is the adulterous Antichristian Church For Ribera though he deny it on Chapter XVII is forced Chap. XIX and XX. where the casting of the Beast into the Lake of fire is described to confesse that this Beast denotes Antichrist Now the Angell had plainly said before that the woman was the great City which in Iohns time had dominion over the Kings of the Earth the which could not be any other City but Rome Of the same it was said that the Ten Kings sworn-unto the Beast who before had imployed their power in defence of his kingdome at length his abominations being discovered and hating his fornication God so governing their hearts should detest the whore forsake uncover eat her flesh and burn her with fire All which considered these things do evidently follow First that Rome is the Seat of Antichrist Secondly that the Pope of Rome is Antichrist Thirdly that Papall Rome before the last judgement shall be miserably burnt and utterly overthrown The First thus Where the purpled woman sits there is Antichrists Seat because shee sits on the Beast which is Antichrist The purple-coloured woman sits at Rome because shee sits on the Seven heads of the Beast which are the Seven Mountaines of Rome Rome therefore is the Seat of Antichrist This deduction the adversaries can no longer deny Onely they dally as if Rome were not yet but should hereafter bee the Seat of Antichrist viz. when Antichrist shall come who thrusting out the Pope shall possesse Rome Which fiction hath often before bin refuted and overthrowes it selfe neither doe the fictions consist That Rome should be the seat of Antichrist and that Rome before Antichrists comming should be burnt by the Ten Kings and that Antichrist is to have his Seat in the Temple at Ierusalem The Second thus He which in the last times possesseth Rome the Seat of Antichrist he is Antichrist The Romish Pope doth now possesse Rome Antichrists Seat Therefore he is Antichrist The third thus Babylon the great City shall be destroyed before the last judgement because after its desolation there shall be godly and ungodly rejoycing and lamenting at the destruction thereof Popish Rome is Babylon the great City Therefore Popish Rome shall be destroyed before the last judgement The Iesuites seeing they cannot deny the assumption would shift it off by their fiction that Rome as yee is not but shall be Babylon hereafter but in vaine as hath appeared The Proposition the XVIII Chapter will illustrate Thus much of the Coherence Now after our wonted manner wee will first lay downe the Argument Parts and Analysis of the Chapter as the Basis or ground of our following Interpretation The Argument Parts and Analysis THis Chapter is an exposition of verse 1. and 16. of the foregoing Chapter touching the judgement and burning of the great whore viz. of the great Seven-hild City Antichrists royall Seat or Rome For the fatall judgement and lamentable ruine hereof is solemnly published from heaven and tragically figured out by an Angell And the godly are commanded speedily to depart from her Afterward the lamentation and mourning of Kings Merchants and Mariners of the Earth because of the losse of their traficke by the ruine of the city is represented by a propheticall Hypotyposis or illustration The Saints on the contrary are commanded to rejoyce because of the divine vengeance Lastly the judgement is confirmed by the Symbole of a milstone cast into the Sea These things are done in order by three Angells Therefore the parts of the Chapter are three The first is the voyce of the first Angell touching the ruine of Babylon ver 3. The second voyce is of the departure of the Godly out of Babylon the mourning of the wicked and joy of the Saints unto ver 21. The third voyce is of the third Angell casting a milstone into the Sea unto the end In the first voyce is first the description of the crying Angell set forth by three adjuncts 1. From of his originall he descends from heaven 2. From of his power which is said to be great 3. From of his forme the earth was lightned with his glory ver 1. Secondly the thing published by the Angell both whose crying is noted as also the two-fold Argument of the cry 1. A sentence touching the destruction of Babylon It is fallen c. which is amplified by three horrible consequences that it is become the habitation of devills the hold of unclean spirits and
denounced the ruine of Babylon Therfore those Angels were preachers of the Gospell But these here come down from heaven long after viz. when now the destruction of Babylon was at hand and they declare onely prophesies revealed unto them in speciall by God touching particular future events Therefore they signifie not ordinary Preachers who now know not nor foretell things to come but are reall Angells publishing new Oracles in the Name of God Yea the middlemost seems to have bin either God himselfe or Christ ver 4. Having great power What he was is shewed by two Epithites by which generally the Angells in Scripture are commended viz. strength and glory The Angells indeed are not omnipotent Spirits yet they have great power insomuch as One was able in one night to destroy an Hundred and Eighty Thousand of the Assyrian Army Hence they are called strong mighty Psal 103.20 Blesse the Lord ye his Angells mighty in strength c. The third also of these Angells is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mighty ver 21. as before Chap. 5. ver 2. and Chap. 10.1 which we there interpreted of Christ because of the circumstances which are not here Great power therefore is attributed to this Angell for the comfort of the Godly that they might not thinke that the power and glory of Babylon should be invincible The power of one Angell shall suffice to overthrow the same Notwithstanding in the Greek it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Great power by which the greatnesse of the businesse committed by God to this Angell seems to be noted And indeed the overthrowing of Babylon shall be a work more then ordinary And the Earth was lightned with his glory This Majesty shews that he was a heavenly Ambassadour of God to terrifie the Adversaries and strengthen the Godly The Angells have not allwayes appeared with such glory but onely when there was occasion as at the publishing of the Birth of Christ The Angell of the Lord came on the shepheards Luk. 2.9 Act. 12.7 and the glory of the Lord shone round about them At Peters deliverance the glory of the Angell that delivered him filled the prison So here With the glory of this Angell the Earth was lightned that men should the more carefully receive his Message I like well what Ribera addeth that hereby is noted that the judgement of Romes desolation should not be secret but manifest to all He confesseth therfore that here is treated of Romes destruction 2. And he cryed with a great voyce Now follows what he did Hee cryed mightily Most Greek Copies have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He cryed in a strong great voyce The Old Version Cryed in strongth The sense is the same The voyce of this heavenly Herauld was vehement and most strong so as he might be heard of all that none through ignorance of the judgement at hand should remaine in Babylon The stupidity also and deep security of Babylon is noted which shall so lie drowned in pleasure that while her judgement shall sound thorow the whole world she alone shall not be able nor willing to hear the same Babylon is fallen is fallen He proclaimes the ruine of Babylon as did the second Angell Chap. 14.8 Now it is an Enallage and propheticall Anadiplosis for it shall fall it shall certainly shortly utterly perish the Proclamation of the former hath bin and still is dayly published for the Preachers of the Gospell have above an hundred years denounced ruine to Babylon And not altogether without effect for Babylon is fallen in many Provinces of Europe Popery being overthrown and dissipated by the preaching of the Gospell But the words here Babylon is fallen is fallen are not yet fulfilled because she is not as yet wholly brought to nothing And therefore the time of this Angell is not yet come but shall be a little before the desolation of Rome Now the forme of the Exclamation as before we said on Chap. 14. ver 8. is taken out of Isai 21.9 Ierem. 51.8 speaking of the Typicall ruine of Babylon In the like forme Isaiah foretold the destruction of old Assyrian Babylon which had oppressed Gods ancient people about an hundred years before it happened After the same manner perhaps an Angell now may foretel an hundred years before it come to passe the ruine of the new Italian Babylon which hath suppressed the Church of Christ Now who this Babylon is there is no question about it for before on Chap. 14.8 we have shewed it to be Rome And Chap. 17. the Angell makes the seven Mountaines of Rome to be Antichrists Seat Lastly the adversaries themselves confesse it And therefore the desolation of the Roman City is here proclaimed and it is indeed to happen before the last judgement as the whole following matter sheweth And is become the habitation of divells From the horrible consequences he aggravates the desolation of new Babylon by such as of old the Prophets described the overthrow of ancient Babylon They are also taken out of Isai 13.21 14. 21. Ier. 50.51 Ezechiel also Chap. 26.27 describeth the desolation of Tyrus almost by the same threatnings Now three things are threatned It is made or become For it shall be the habitation of devils Isa 34.14 Isaias names these devills SEGNIRIM that is rough and rugged as hairy Goats because in such shapes they sometime appeared likes the Satyres of which the Poets speak The Germanes call them FELD-TEVFEL Field Devills unto whom the Heathens of old sacrificed and is forbidden by God Levit. 17.7 They shall not offer their sacrifices any more to SEGNIRIM rough or hairy devills And the hold of every foule Spirit Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 custody that is receptacle Before he noted a speciall kind of devils hanting the deserts called Fayries or Satyres unto whom he now joyneth other devills or by every foule Spirit he meanes diabolicall apparitions Night-spirits and the like terrours such as often appeared unto Antony the Hermit in the deserts of Egypt Hieron in vitae Antonij and yet to this day are wont to appeare in desert places And Gage of every uncleane and hatefull bird Not only such as by the Law were unclean and might not be eaten Lev. 11. But dreadfull to the sight of men or which in nature are hatefull and hurtfull to men as Scrich-Owels Kites Vulturs Gripes Ravens c. All these denote horrible desolation for experience teacheth that old Castles Townes and unhabited places are for the most part the abode of Devills Ghosts Beasts Harpies and hatefull birds for such kind of creatures delight in deserts and desolate places remote from the company of men so that the Angell proclaimeth a horrible change of the Babylonish state For where before stood the stately walles Royall places high towers and Chappels of Romish Saints there shall lie broken walls rubbish and ashes where before the most holy Father the Pope with his Purple
the wedding guests ver 9. Blessed are they that are called c. The certainty whereof is ratined 1. by the Angels command to write it Write Blessed are c. 2. By asserting the truth of the sayings of God Ibid. In the second what both Iohn and the Angell did Iohn doth two things 1. he falls downe 2. with intention to worship the Angell verse 10. The Angell forbids it See thou do it not with a twofold reason 1. From the person to whom worship is not dew I am thy fellow servant 2. From Gods peculiar property Worship God Ibid. In the third What he saw 1. CHRIST comming with his Elect to Iudgement 2. The casting of Antichrist and his followers into hell under the Type of two warlike Armies Of which Type there are two parts 1. A description of each Army from ver 11. unto 20. 2. The event of the Battle ver 20. 21. Touching the former army is noted 1. The originall place whence it came from heaven being opened ver 11. 2. Christ the Captaine of these Forces and the Forces themselves The description of the Captaine is magnificall and divine I. By the placing of his body Sitting on a white horse II. His nature or disposition True and faithfull III. Office He judgeth and makes war in righteousnesse ver 11. IIII. His fiery eyes seeing all things His eyes weke as a flame of fire v. 11. V. The Royall Ornaments of his head Many Crownes ver 12. VI. The Majesty of his Name ver 12. 13. 16. VII His bloody Vesture verse 13. VIII His armour A two-edged sword proceeds out of his mouth ver 14. IX A reason both of his Vesture and Armour by changing the order The latter because he rules the Nations with an iron red the former because he treadeth the Wine-presse of the fiercenesse and wrath of Almighty God Of which Chapter 14.20 His Armies are noted to bee two First His Attendants of honour who follow the Captaine on white horses not to fight but for office sake Therefore they are not armed but clothed in fine linnen verse 14. Secondly His ministring servants whom God will send against the adversaries Of these is noted 1. By whom they are to be enrolled and called ver 17. I saw an Angell 2. Who they are All the foules flying in the midst of Heaven Ibid. 3. Their assembling Come and gather your selves together c. Ibid. 4. To what first figuratively Vnto the Supper of the great God ver 17. secondly properly That ye may eat the flesh of Kings as if he should say not to beat downe the adversaries for that Christ will doe by the word of his omnipotencie but to eat up the slaine Of whom he reckons up divers orders verse 18. Hitherto of the former Army Of the hostile army is noted 1. the Captain the Beast-Antichrist 2. His auxiliarie Vassalls the Kings of the Earth with their forces 3. Their Counsell to suppresse Christ and his Army ver 19. Lastly the Event of the Battle the adversaries are overthrowne which is aggravated by certaine degrees 1. By apprehending or taking of the Beast the False-prophet and them that were sealed with his Character and all his worshippers 2. The casting of them all into the lake of fire that is into hell ver 20 3. Slaying the rest viz. all that fought for Antichrist The Authour of this slaughter is Christ mounted on a white horse The Instrument his sword The Ministers the Foules filled with the flesh of the Adversaries Verse 21. The first part of the Chapter The Gratulation of the heavenly Inhabitants for the righteous Judgements of GOD and the marriage of the LAMBE drawing neere 1. And after these things I heard a great voyce of much people in heaven saying Alleluia salvation and glory and honour and power unto the Lord our God 2. For true and righteous are his judgements for hee hath judged the great whore which did corrupt the Earth with her fornication and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand 3. And again they said Alleluia and her smoak rose up for ever ever 4. And the four and twenty Elders and the four Beasts fell down and worshipped God that sate on the throne saying Amen Alleluia 5. And a voyce came out of the throne saying praise our God all ye his servants and ye that feare him both small and great 6. And I heard as it were the voyce of a great multitude and as the voyce of many waters and as the voyce of mighty thunderings saying Alleluia for the Lord our God omnipotent reigneth 7. Let us be glad and rejoyce and giâ—â— boâ—â—ur to him for the marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made her selfe ready 8. And to her was granted that shee should bee arrayed in sine linnen clean and white for the fine linnen is the righteousnesse of Saints 9. And he saith unto mee Write Blessed are they that are called unto the Marriage Supper of the Lambe And hee saith unto mee These are the true sayings of God THE COMMENTARY 1. ANd after these things I heard a great voyce Now comes forth the joyfull Company which celebrate the righteous Iudgements of God and as other things so in speciall such plagues as before were mentioned to be inflicted on the Romish Babylon In the words is no difficulty therefore we passe them over and come to the Coherence The use of this rejoycing in the thesis and hypothesis They who say in the Hypothesis that the ruine of Babylon shall affoard unto the Saints a most delightfull argument of rejoycing and praising God and in the Thesis that the Saints however they bee many times offended in regard of the prosperity of the wicked in this life and complaine as if God dealt hardly with them yet at length they shall perfectly know and openly confesse that the Iudgements of God are true and righteous in the whole government of the world They draw indeed a true and profitable doctrine from this place which is worthy of observation Notwithstanding in my opinion they doe not sufficiently touch the occasion and cause of the renewing of the Vision by this Chore or Company The occasion indeed Gagnaeus and Brightman do rightlie observe in their notes The occasion of the rejoycing from ver 20. Chap. 18. where the Angell exhorted the Saints to rejoyce over the judgement of Babylon Rejoyce over her thou Heaven and ye holy Apostles c. whereupon Heaven and all the Saints do now rejoyce and joyfully applaud the Iudgement of God But what is the reason that not here onely but formerly also the Company of Rejoycers are so often brought in For the Company of the foure and twenty Elders and foure Beasts singing to God sitting on the Throne and to the Lamb made entrance to the second Vision touching the Booke sealed with seven Seales Chap. 4. 5. The said Company of Elders closed up the third Vision with praising God and his
Kingdome Chap. 11. In the fourth Vision after the Antichristian persecution the Company of 144000. sealed ones sang a new song before the Throne Chap. 14. Againe the Company of Harpers began the fift Vision with the Song of Moses and of the Lambe Chap. 15. Now here the Company of Rejoycers conclude the sixt Vision with rejoycing and triumphing because of the judgements of God and the Marriage of the Lambe The cause I say of this often iteration of thanksgiving and praysings The cause of the often iteration of Gods praises to me such seeme not to touch who observe not that the Revelation is a Propheticall and dramaticall representation distinguished into certaine visions and subdivided into certaine visionall Acts which ever and anon as we have often observed are renewed with Chores of singers both for a dramaticall decencie as also for a sacred pleasantnesse and delectation In the first Act of this vision Iohn saw the beast and the woman sitting on her the Angell shewing the mistery thereof and her destraction Chap. 17. In the second Act Three Angels proclaimed the burning of Rome commanding the saints to go out of her heaven to rejoyce There was heard also mourning wailing by kings merchants shipmasters and saylers for Romes desolation by fire Now in the Third Act appeares on the scene the company of Saints rejoycing in heaven who first being divided sing artificially by course one after the other Haleluiah The third Act of the second vision Praising the judgement of God Afterward all together with one consent celebrate the marriage of the Lambe The fourth Act will at length represent unto us the last battle of the beast kings of the earth gathered in Harmageddon against Christ the which in Chap. 16. v. 26. was broken off and the event of that battle These things for the help of the reader I have briefly repeated by which the matter of this whole vision may be the more clearely understood Now let us hear the Companies singing After these things that is after the burning of Babylon and the mourning of the merchants Of much people instead whereof The old version corruptly hath it of many trumpets both here and v. 6. This company is no other save that innumerable multitude Chap. 7.9 which were clothed in robes with Palms in their hands standing before the throne and singing salvation to our God viz. The company of saints triumphing with Christ in heaven Therefore he heard a voyce in heaven Neither doe I here seeke an allegory as some understanding by heaven the Church For Iohn heard the multitude visionally singing not on earth but in heaven Haleluiah The summe of the Hymne we shewed in the analysis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Haleluiah with the Hebrewes is Praise ye the Lord with an aspiration from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in Piel and hithpael is to praise in Kal and Poel tobe mad and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one of the ten proper names of God taken off from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iehovah With this David begins many of his psalms And therefore it is a word by which not onely the Iewes but Greekes and Latines also yea the Germaines and many other nations stir up themselves to praise and celebrate God so that the mystery which some say lies hid under this word in my understanding is of little Validitie Ierom to Marcella asking why Iohn writing in Greeke useth Hebrew words Epist 137. answereth because the first Church was gathered of Iewes the Apostles would not for fear of offending the beleevers innovate any thing but so deliver things as they had received them from the Cradle afterward the word being to be spread among all nations they could not alter what once they had taken up But this doth not touch the cause why these heavenly inhabitants praise God in the Hebrew tongue Perhaps it may be to signifie the conjunction of the new Church with the old for which cause also certaine other Hebrew termes as Hosanna Amen Abba c. Seem to have been commonly used among Christians Brightmans reason If true were plausible viz. that hereby after the overthrow of Rome the Church of the Gentiles shall provoke the Jewes unto the faith The said Author before on Chap. 16. touching the sixt vial powred out on Euphrates affirmeth that by the Kings of the East who should passe Euphrates being dryed up are meant the Jewes who then in great number shall be converted to Christ according to the prophesie of the Apostle Rom 11. which conjecture is indeed pious but of little certainty as we there shewed Salvation and honour All Greeke copies have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Lord our God The kings copie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of our God Vnderstand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Is or bee the sense almost being the same But in stead of the four atributes salvation and glory and honour and power to the Lord our God the old version hath onely three Praise and Glory and Power to our God Omitting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Honour and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Lord. Observe O Papists the manifest defects of your version These same attributes the heavenly inhabitants sang to God Chap. 5. v. 13. 7. v. 12. Where we expounded every of them Here onely we observe two things First that this is no wish by which the glorifyed Saints and Angels pray that God might obteine these good things as if he had them not for he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The God of sufficiencie possessing all salvation glory honour and power in himself and abundantly powring the same forth on his creatures But it is a confession of praise in which the saints of heaven celebrate and professe that God hath all these good things and that all creatures ought to ascribe the same to God The second that this rejoycing over Babylons destruction is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a rejoycing in evill For they rejoyce not over the afliction and torments of the whore which were contrarie to charity but that the glory of God is vindicated from her blasphemies the which is very good Wee therefore after the example of this multitude ought to ascribe our salvation all honour glory and power to the Lord our God that is with all our hearts and soules to blesse the Lord for his incomprehensible mercies unto us in Christ Iesus 2. Because true and righteous are his judgements This cause of the saints rejoycing shewes more clearely what I erewhile said that they insult not over the torments of the wicked out of an evill affection but are wholy bent in celebrating the righteousnesse and glory of God The first cause that the judgements are true and righteous is generall and before expounded on Chap. 16. v. 7. and Chap. 15. v. 4. The wicked under their punishments like dogs barke against God as if he were a tyrant The saints on the contrary
silence their blasphemous mouthes by confessing that the Lord in punishing of them is not tyrannicall in the least but a most righteous Iudge For it is just to give every one his own but in order of justice punishment for wickednesse is due to the ungodly When therefore God punisheth them his judgements are righteous And true that is certainely to be accomplished for though God doth a long while delay the punishments threatned against the wicked yet at length he truly executes the same So Psal 9 v. 9. Jehovah judgeth the world in righteousnesse he ministers judgement to the people in uprightnesse For he hath judged the great whore Specially they celebrate two examples of Gods righteousnesse as it were the neerest matter of their joy the condemnation of the great whore and the vindicating of the servants of God Both being manifestly worthy to be celebrated For that Great whore hath corrupted the earth by her fornication Now what is more agreeable to justice then that such a pest which hath defiled the inhabitants of the earth with her most filthy whoredome should be adjudged unto eternall damnation Moreover with her hand that is tyranically with fire and sword she hath oppressed killed the servants of God Now it is a righteous thing to avenge the innocent blood and such as are uniustly oppressed But God hath avenged the blood of his servants on the whore by rendring unto her such like punishments as she had before exercised For the destruction of the adversaries is the vindicating of the Saints Furthermore who this great whore is what her whoredoms what earth and how she hath corrupted the same need not on this place to be repeated Let us learne to acknowledge and celebrate Gods righteous judgements in destroying the adversaries And continuallie labour to walk with fear and trembling intreating the Lord that the like judgements fal not upon us 3. And again they said They conclude the thankesgiving by repeating the exhortation of Halleluiah to testifie the greatnesse of their joy They adde further And her smoake AND hath here an adversative sense as if he had said Yee praise God But the whore shall burne for ever and Ever Ribera interpreteth the smoake more coldly of the remembrance of the burning which saith he is alwaies to remaine and shall never be forgotten But they amplifie Gods judgement on the whore because the smoake of her burning and torment shall have no end but remaine for ever from Chap. 14. v. 11. And the smoak of their torment shall ascend up for ever and Ever signifying the everlasting torments that attend Antichrist and his followers in hell fire If perhaps the miserable Romanists by feare thereof might bee deterred from their Idolatrie Rose up for ever The present flame of her burning which they shall see with their eyes yeelds matter of joy Now the smoake ascendeth up Therefore Babylons condition is altogether deplorable 4 And the foure and twentie Elders The former Chore desisting another comes in singing that so God might be praised with a most sacred Symphonie of all the heavenly dwellers This was the company of Elders and Beasts often before mentioned Chap. 4.14 and Chap. 5.8 and Chap. 7. 11. and 11. 16. Here they serve as it were for a heavenly senate reverend in gravitie and majesty unto the former promiscuous multitude of the heavenly inhabitants whose joy and celebration of Gods judgements they approue of by their most grave acclamation closing up and as it were sealing the same in two words Amen Halleluiah as if they should say It is so as ye have before sung salvation and glory is truely due to our God His judgements are truely righteous Iust indeed is the condemnation of the whore and the vindicating of the innocent blood of the saints for Amen with the Hebrews is a particle confirming the truth and signifies Truely certainly God therefore is to be truely celebrated with praises Now who these Elders and Beasts are hath been largely declared on Chap. 4. and Chap. 5. The Elders represented the Company or Chore of Patriarchs and Prophets The Beasts the Apostles although as hath bin before shewed these may also be understood of the stationary Angels before the throne of God Whoever they bee certaine it is they are a more honourable company of the Church triumphant what the adoration of the heavenly inhabitants is For the Elders weare golden crownes on their heads and are clothed in white raiment holding harpes and golden vials in their hands c. And they sit upon foure and twenty thrones being as it were honorable administrators of the judgements and counsels of God But for reverence sake in this solemne assemblie they fall downe from their thrones on their faces before the feete of the divine Majesty casting off undoubtedly their crowns also as before Chap. 4.10 and religiously worship and adore God togither with the Beasts This adoration was an admiration of the powers of God a celebration of his judgments and workes a ready publishing of his mercies and lastly a testimony of their religious subjection In which they afford us an example of religious worship and thankesgiving For if the Saintes in heaven who are come to their journeyes end praise God incessantly how much more ought wee poore traveillers to worship the Lord without intermission Neither doe they adore one another but God sitting on the throne And therefore such as direct their worship unto others shall never come to this Chore of which thing the Angell will by and by instruct us 5 And a voyce came out of the throne Both companies had finished their Halleluiah notwithstanding the song of praises was not as yet ended Therefore another Chore is invited unto a new gratulation by another voyce A new voice out of the throne not of God sitting on the throne as before Chap. 14.13 A voyce from heaven and Chap. 16.17 A voyce out of the Temple The author of this voyce is not shewed being uncertaine yet we may easily gather that it was divine because it proceeds out of the throne yet not of God sitting but of the Lambe standing on the throne because he saith Praise our God Now Christ acknowledged God to be his and ours because he is the Lamb and Mediatour as if he should say The prayses of God touching his righteous judgements are not yet ended There remaine other works and benefits farre exceeding these judgements to be celebrated What these are the following Hymne shall teach us Now whom doth he invite All ye his servants The servants of God are all that are and shall be saved both Angels men For also the good Angels are preserved by grace in their integrity hence throughout the Scripturs they are named the servants of God as being spirits most ready to execute the ministries of God But as for men they are Gods servants both such who continually serve him with praises in heaven viz the saints triumphing with Christ as also who yet
are here on earth serving him with seare in faith and true piety viz. all the Elect and faithfull of the Church militant here below Whereas therefore the heavenly Herauld doth stir up in generall all the servants of God to praise him and in speciall all his fearers he sheweth that not only God is to be celebrated by the companies of the heavenly inhabitants apart but with ioynt wishes and voyces of all Gods servants together as wel of Angels as men as wel of the Saints triumphant in heaven as of the militant on earth that is by the vniversall consent or accord of the whole Catholick Church This exposition is not obscurely confirmed by the Vniversal particle All ye his servants No one therefore of Gods servants is to be silent The distribution also prooves the same small and great Therefore both children and old men men and Angels are invited to this duty of prayse Hence now may easily be understood what is meant by that great multitude whose loud and terrible sound Iohn did erewhile hear Moreover we see this voyce belongs to us also For if God be our God we must wholie imploy our selves in his service we must not be the servants of men and slaves of sinne but if we be Gods servants him we must feare above all things and onely worship If we feare God then let us joyne our selves to this Chore and gladly celebrate the Lord with all his servants 6 And I heard as it were a voyce Behold the essicacie of the heavenly voyce the willing obedience of Gods servants being commanded to prayse the Lord they all readily lift up their voyce to his praise Of a great multitude The old version corruptly renders it a great Trumpet This great multitude is the Vniversall Church of Gods servants in heaven and earth as we see by the voice comming out of the throne Therefore this voyce accord is great divers and weighty as it were of many waters running swiftly through uneven places so as a man cannot heare himselfe speake or of many thunders with whose eccho heaven and earth is filled Thus the holy Ghost aggravates this voyce not that it was terrible saue to the ungodly but so vehement and weightie that the Beast and Dragon with all his fornicators might yea were forced to hear the same By such like metaphors the voice of the 144000 sealed ones is amplified Chap. 14. 2. See the exposition on that place And they are taken out of Ierem. 51.55 This song of prayses belongs to the last times Now it will appeare from the following Hymne that this whole praysing song belonges to the last times not long before Christs comming to judgement in which undoubtedly we now live and therefore we are bound to joyn our voyce with the same the Church triumphant sings in heaven the church militant hath with joynt desires almost these hundred yeers since which the Church began to be purged from the dregs of Antichrist sung praised the Lord because he hath set up among us the kingdome of his Son and freed us from the tyranny of Popery intreating him at length to deliver that great whore to condemnation and avenge the blood of his servants on her Halleluiah for the Lord reigneth They begin the hymne as before with Halleluiah But the argumentes of their joy are more magnificent then before And they are two One properly concernes the glorie of God the other of the Church Of the former they say Because the Lord God omnipotent hath reignea that is hath now at length declared that he is truely king omnipotent God indeed alwaies reigneth How God now reigneth and is to reign afterward and did never cease governing the world and Church But now his kingdome is obscure because of Antichrist and wicked mens cruelty who hitherto have as it were without punishment tumultuously raged in his kingdome But at length God shall reigne alone and manifestly having subdued all adversaries and abolished all powers in this life Then he shall be said truely to reigne when he shall appeare so to reigne as that in regard of his following glory he seemed not to have reigned before For many things are then said to bee when they begin to be manifested Therefore he is said then to reign not according to the essence but forme of his kingdome in which respect also Paul saith 1. Cor. 15. That then Christ is to deliver up the Kingdome to God his Father 7. Let us bee glad and rejoyce By another more effectuall argument they stirre up to gladnesse and praysing of God from the circumstance of time At joyfull times we are to rejoyce But weddings are times of gladnes then the bridegroom and the bride with great applause of kindred and friends goe to embrace each other But least they might seeme to rejoyce for their owne good onely they adde And let us give honour to God Not by conferring on him that which he hath not but by acknowledging and celebrating his infinite justice and power in punishing the wicked his goodnesse and mercy in vindicating his servants the which he hath from and by himselfe So that they shew unto us the fountaine and manner of true rejoycing in God For then we truely rejoyce when we give honour to God when we acknowledg and confesse with a willing mind that God is the author of that good we enjoy so saith the Apostle I rejoyced greatly in the Lord Philip. 4.10 and bids us to rejoyce in the Lord our God that is to attribute the glory of all good to God Hitherto the exhortation Now let us consider the reason Because the marriage of the Lambe is come The Lamb is Christ as before we shewed His wedding or marriage is the solemne and most joyfull copulation of the bride and bridegroom Christ is the bridegroom so he calleth himself Marc. 2. 19.20 1. Tim. 2.6 Ephe 5.27.26 and so the Baptist cals him Iohn 3.29 But who is the bride The holy Catholick Church 2. Cor. 11.2 Ephes 5.26 whom Christ hath espoused by giving himselfe a ransome for her sanctifying and cleansing her with the washing of water by the word to present her to himselfe a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing c According to the promise I will betroth thee unto mee for ever in righteousnesse Hosea 2.19 and in judgement and in loving kindnesse and in mercies J will even betroth thee unto mee in faithfulnesse and thou shalt know the Lord. Now although this betrothing between Christ and the Church be in this life so that wee are Christs and Christ ours and dwels by faith in our hearts neverthelesse the marriage is not yet Now is the espousal time the marriage being differred to the end of the world For the bridegroom is yet as it were in a farre countrey viz. in the heavens neither is the bride as yet prepared because all the Elect that are to be gathered are not yet gathered
do it not I am thy fellow-servant and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Iesus Worship God for the testimony of Iesus is the spirit of Prophecie THE COMMENTARY 10 AND I fell Thus farre of the things which Iohn heard Now followes what was done both by himself and the Angel Antichrists kingdome must be forsaken He fell at the feet of the Angel to worship him The Angel forbids it because it is an abominable thing that a servant should be worshipped by his fellow servant God alone must bee worshipped A remarkeable place of the Saintes infirmities and the pronenesse of mans nature to idolatrie of the office of Angels and of religious adoration which is due to God alone refuting most clearly both the blasphemous madnesse of the Romane Antichrist why Iohn would worship the Angel who not onely suffereth but commandeth and forceth Emperours and Princes to fall downe and kisse his feet and worship him as a God on earth as also the horrible idolatrie of Papists who not onely worship and adore Angels but dead men beeing by the Pope mustered among his Saints and their bruit images also which one thing sufficiently sheweth that the Papacie is Antichrists kingdome and must be wholie left by the Saints Touching this fact of the Apostle it may be demanded Why now he would worship the Angel and not before with what kind of worship and whether rightlie Some say it was because he knew him to bee greater then himself but this is no satisfactorie answer For not every one excelling others is to be worshipped Iohn knew that the Elders diverse Angels before spoken of were greater then himself and yet he fell not downe to worship them Perhaps the most sweete prophesie of the certaine blessednes of the wedding guests of the Lamb so delighted him as for joy he fel at his feet would have worshipped him in way of thanksgiving Perhaps he thought the Angel to be Christ and therefore would reverence him with religious worship But all what is spoken on this place touching Iohns intention is uncertaine Therefore I passe it by It was no civil kind of adoration as we read that Abraham and Lot civillie worshipped Angels It was no civill adovation taking them for travellers but religious as evidently appears by the Angels refusall neither doe the Papists denie it but say there is a twofold religious worship One due to God alone which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latreia the other due to Angels and saints called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Douleia But they are at variance which of these two Iohn ascribed to the Angel Lib. 1. de Beat. sanct Cap. 1. Bellarmin holds it was the worship of Latreia for he saith Iohn was reprooved not for the errour of worship but for the errour of the person because he thought him to be God to whom Latreia is onely due In Apoc. 19. sect 16. and not an Angel to whom Douleia doth appertaine Ribera on the contrarie denies that it was the worship of Latreia or that Iohn erred in the kind of worship or in the person but that he would have worshipped him as an Angel and with a worship due to Angels Behold how well these worshippers of Angels doe agree whom the Apostle most plainlie condemneth Collos The difference about this adoration 2.18 Besides if Ribera speake truely Why then would not the Angell admit thereof he would not saith he be worshipped by Iohn in honour of Christ as shewing how highlie he esteemed of Christ seeing he so much honoured his faithfull friends ALCASAR to reconcile his companions and flatter the Pope Vestig Pag. 856. saith it is in vaine to be troubled about rendring a reason why the Angel refused to be worshipped because he was not an Angel but the Apostle PETER before whom as chief Priest and Christs Vicar Iohn prostrated himself to kisse his feet But passing by this fopperie FIRST the distinction of religious worship into Latreia and Douleia is denyed because there is no such thing For both are one and the same worship due to God alone neither doe the words Latreia and Douleia more differ among Grecians then the words GLADIVS and ENSIS with the Latines Latreia Douleia signifie one thing which all know who understand the Greek or have read the Greek Bible SECONDLY it is false that the religious worship of Douleia is sutable to creatures and so much to let passe other things the Angell here refusing it and Riberas confession doe sufficiently evince They alledge Austin as author of the distinction but they deprave his minde and words Lib. 10. de C. D. cap. 1 It is true indeed he saith that the worship due to God alone is to be called Latreia although there be little weight in it Forasmuch as Latreia also is rendred to men It is true also that he so distinguisheth Latreia from Douleia as he makes the former due to God onely the latter to creatures also although this likewise is not very sound Augustines opinion vindicated for in scripture Douleuein and Latreuein signifie to serve whether God or creatures But it is false that Austin makes Douleia to be a religious worship due to Angels or Saints But saith that Douleia is onely a civill worship by which we honour men of worth they being alive but denyes that a religious Douleia is to be rendred to saintes departed Let us not saith he maintaine the worship of dead men De vera relig Cap. 55. because if they have lived godlie we may not judge of them that they seek such honours but they would have that GOD he worshipped by us c. They are therefore to be honoured for imitation Not worshipped for religion sake And afterwards Wherefore we honour them in Charity not with DVLEIA service neither do we build temples unto them For thus they wil not be honoured of us because they know that we our selves if we be upright are the temples of the most High God This very thing also doth the said Author affirme De civitat Dei Lib. 8. Cap. 27. and Lib. 22. Contra Faustum Cap. 21. But the Papists doe build temples to saints departed and worship them with religious Douleia both which Austin denies to be lawfull but granteth that the dead are to be honoured only in charity and imitation Thus Austin whom they would make their Patron openly refutes them Thirdly Riberas fiction is false that Iohn would have worshipped the Angel with the worship of Douleia only For so from their Hypothosis he ought not to have bin reprooved Besides this foolish glosse is contradicted by the commandement of the Angel Worship God For the worship Iohn would have rendred to him he commandeth to ascribe the same to God But he commandeth to render to God the worship of Latreia Therefore Iohn would have rendred that to the Angel But granting the thing which Ribera would
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
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
For vivifying conferring and preserving life unto them that eat thereof such a tree stood in the midst of Paradise but might not be touched This stands in the midst of the street of the Citie kept from none but all have free accesse unto the same For though it be but one O wonder yet it stands on either side of the river therfore some do think there were more trees of this kind standing here and there because in Ezech. Chap. 47.7 unto which he apparently alludeth mention is made of many trees planted on the side of the streame There is but one tree of life But this tree is one standing in the midst of the street and on either side of the River because the River runneth through the midst of the street and because this one tree with his leaves and roots is on both sides of the River so as there is no want on either side And that it is to be understood of one Tree the type teacheth for there was but one Tree of Life in the midst of Paradise Rev. 2.7 which shadowed out the tree here Hence Christ said before To him that overcommeth I will give to eat of the tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God Hence also it followeth that this tree is onely one and that the street of the Heavenly City is the Paradise of God Furthermore this tree of life is Christ himselfe the Fountain and Author of our life for he is the bread of life Ioh. 6.51 the water of life Ioh. 4.7 the Resurrection and Life it selfe Ioh. 11. 14. He stands by the River because he never withereth or is fruitlesse For a tree planted by the Rivers of waters is alwayes green and fructifies Psal 1.3 Now Christ alone is sufficient for life unto all for all the Elect he immediatly doth quicken for ever and ever Therefore the Tree is one Ezechiel saw more trees on the sides of the stream of the Church-Militant because howsoever Christ onely vivifies the same in this life also notwithstanding hee worketh and communicates life unto the Elect by manifold wayes or means Bearing twelve manner of fruits That is alwayes plentifull whether of one sort of fruit or diverse so as there shall bee no want at any time therefore hee addeth Every moneth yeelding fruit A yeere hath twelve months This tree therefore brings forth twelve times a yeere yeelding fresh fruit every moneth The like tree was never seene Poets commend the Gardens of Alcinous Homer lib. 7. Odyss Lib. 18. c. 17 and Semiramis c. For yeelding fruit twice a yeere and Plinie the Countrey of Babylon where were two harvests in one yeer but under heaven there is no place yeelding monethly fruit Now this continuall fruit is nothing else but that perpetual joy What this perpetuall fruit is Ioh. 15.16 by which as by a most delightfull fruit of faith the Elect are fed in eternall glory through the continuall presence of God and the Lambe The first fruits and tast whereof we indeed have in this life according to the promise of Christ I have ordained you that ye should goe and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remaine but these fruits are shaken by divers tentations and tempests of failings yea and sometime do fade and are again renewed and increased But then our fruit shall alwayes remain from the first month unto the last that is eternally viz. when we shal eat bread with Christ in the Kingdom of his Father But let us remember that this fruit is prepared for such onely as conquer as in Chap. 2.7 To him that overcommeth will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God Wherefore untill wee fully enjoy this fruit we must fight couragiously and overcome in this life And the leaves were for the healing The leaves also have a medicinall use for to preserve the health of the Nations whereas the leaves of other trees fade fall and perish but this tree is alwayes green with leaves Thou mayst say to what end seeing in Heaven is no disease no sicknesse He saith not to recover health but to preserve health Not as if the Saints should feed on these leaves the fruits are sufficient unto a blessed life but the Metaphor signifies that nothing of this tree shall be un-usefull but wholly serve to the preservation of life and happinesse This also is taken out of Ezech. 47.12 Whose leafe shall not fade neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed it shall bring forth new fruit according to his moneths because their waters issued out of the Sanctuary and the fruit thereof shal be for meat and the leafe thereof for medicine Notwithstanding it doth not hence follow that these leaves serve to cure the diseases of the Nations or repaire their health For it is manifest that Ezechiel speaketh of the state of the Church-Militant yet subject to many diseases and troubles Wherefore by the leaves he understandeth the Gospell under which as it were is covered a healing fruit The leaves of the tree of life what they are satiating all Nations But here hee describeth the state of the Church-Triumphant in which neither sicknesse nor medicine have any place BRIGHTMAN urgeth that of the Nations whereas in the life to come there shal be no difference betwixt Iewes and Gentiles But neither doth the Angell make this difference but hee calleth the Elect Saints the Nations because formerly they were Gentiles alluding unto what he had said Chap. 21.24 The Nations of them which were saved shall walke in the light of it and ver 26. They shall bring the glory and honour of the Nations unto it 3. AND THERE SHAL BE NO MORE CVRSE He further amplifies the majesty of the Citie and happinesse of the Citizens The contrary whereof he removeth There shall be no curse Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And opposeth the formall cause But the Seat of God and the Lambe shal be in it The Copulative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Beza renders by the Adversitive But but it seems rather to be put for the causall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because the throne of God is in her not suffering any curse And amplifies it from the Correlate and his servants serve him unto which he annexeth the happinesse of the servants And they shall see his face c. This is the summe of the things remaining Curse Greek The exposition of Anathema 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as some Copies read it is two-fold saith Andreas FIRST it is taken for that which is consecrated to God alone and might not be medled with by the promiscuous multitude as being things devoted to God SECONDLY for that which is not lawfull to be put to holy services or touched by any creature as being devoted to the devill and it is called a cursed or execrable thing Hebr. 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The latter is understood in this place of a thing devoted to the devill and with him subject to condemnation as being prophane and to be troad under foot Such kind of Curse or Katanathema shall bee no more to wit as formerly it had been He understandeth the Dragon Beast Whore False-Prophet Locusts Sinne Death Sorrow Torment and whatsoever is adverse to Gods majesty and the felicity of the Church Indeed all kinde of Curse shall be in the Lake of fire with the Dragon Beast False-Prophet and all other reprobates but no curse shall be in the Coelestiall Citie or any thing to oppose the majesty of God or disturbe the joy of the Saints There I say shall be full freedome from all evill BEZA expresseth the Emphasis of the compound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Katanathema thus Neither shal there be any more anathema 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against any man making the sense that then the Church shall be without all spot or wrinkle from which it cannot in this life be wholly purged Thus it should note the absolute puritie of the Church in glorie of which also before Nothing that defileth shall in any wise enter into it Both senses do agree and lead us to understand these things of the state of the Church-Triumphant For of the Church in this life it cannot yet be said that no curse or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in it It is true that Zacharie in Chap. 14. ver 11. saith that in the Church of the New Testament there should be no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Curse or devoted thing but he understands it finally or of the consummated state of the Church in Heavenly glory But the Throne of God and of the Lambe shall be in it This shall bee the removing cause of all curse from the Citie because it shall be filled with the majesty of God and of the Lambe which consumeth all pollution and averse power as fire doth the stubble For our God is a consuming fire to wit Deutr. 4.8 consuming all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things cursed devoted Therefore he saith The Seat or Throne of God shall be in it that is God will dwell reigne and reside there as it were in his Royall Pallace which is spoken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the manner of men For by the Seat is noted either the place of abode or government Before he had said Chap. 21.3 He shall have his tabernacle with them Seeing therefore the King of kings shall fill the Citie with majesty certainly neither defilement nor hostilitie shall have any place there Thus we see that this most holy Citie of God shall be contrary to the Great Citie where the Whore Beast Dragon and all ungodly men had their Seat In that again he placeth God and the Lamb on the same throne XLIV Argument of Christs Deity he manifestly confirmeth that the divinity and majesty of both is alike For two Vnaequals cannot sit in the same Seat He confirms also the unity of both by what followes And his servants shall serve him for the Relative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 HIS and HIM is referred neither to GOD alone nor to the LAMBE alone but to both as one By the servants of God and the Lambe he understands the Holy Angels and blessed Saints who standing before the throne do serve him day and night as in Chap. 7.15 that is are ready with all reverence alacrity and joy to doe his Commandements and performe most acceptable services according to his will not that God needs their service but that they may partake of his majesty This shall be a part of our glory and happinesse 1. Kin. 10.8 2. Chr. 9.7 for if the Queene of the South said truely of Solomons servants Blessed are thy men and blessed are thy servants who stand before thee alwayes hearing thy wisedome c. then much more ought wee to count the servants of God blessed who stand before the throne beholding his face without ceasing Therefore it followeth 4. And they shall see his face Christ speaking of the Angels blessednesse saith The happinesse of the Citizens Mat. 18.10 They alwayes behold the face of my father in Heaven The same thing the Holy Ghost attributes to all Gods servants namely to be alwayes before God By the face of God is meant by an Anthropopatheia the majesty and glory of God Now how we shall see him whither with our minds onely being most fully enlightned with the knowledge of God or whither also with our corporall eyes we shall behold the invisible majesty of God in the glorious face of Christ it is not for us to determine It sufficeth to know the thing it selfe that we shall see God and the Lambe and that this shall be our unspeakable blessednesse Mat. 5.8 1. Ioh. 3.2 Heb. 12.14 according as it is said Blessed are the pure in heart because they shall see God And When he shall appeare we shall be like him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because we shall see him as hee is And follow peace and holinesse without which no man shall see God that is no man shall obtaine Heavenly blessednesse without the same Let us willingly bee ignorant of the manner of seeing him untill we know it by experience Thom. 4. qu. 92. wherefore we passe by these Questions of School-men Whither we shall see God through his essence whither with the bodily eye whither by seeing God we shall see all things which God seeth and the like as too curious and high for us And his Name shall be in their foreheads The Relative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His is againe referred to God and the Lambe Therefore the Name of both is the same Before also Christ writing to the Churches of Pergamus and Philadelphia promised that this should be a part of their happinesse Rev. 2.17 3.12 to have his Name written on them that overcome and of this John saith Chap. 19.12 No man knew it but himselfe This Name saith he shall be written in their foreheads by which some doe understand the publicke profession wherewith we shall alwayes praise God and the Lambe Others take it to be the Saints participating of the divine nature wisdome life power joy and glory It seemes to be an allusion unto the Character of the Beast imprinted on the right hand and fore-head of Reprobates Now that what was it but a note of propriety that they did properly belong to the Beast On the contrary therefore the Name written in the fore-heads of the Saints what shall it be but a marke of propriety that we shal be consecrated to the service and praising of God and the Lamb for ever and ever 5. And there shall no be night there What before he said of the light of the Citie he now applies to the happinesse of the Inhabitants The darknesse of the night is sad and though it in some measure be supplied by lights and Candles yet
of the same thing asserting to us the certainty of the Prophesie by the testimonie of his senses because he heard and saw al things to be so Now an Eye-witnesse is worthy of credit especially he being a good man yea an Apostle whom the Character also here doth not obscurely shew to be the Writer for thus also he confirmeth the truth of his Gospell by professing himselfe to be an Eye-witnesse and Faithfull Disciple of Iesus Christ And he that saw it Ioh. 19.35 21.24 bare record and his record is true And afterward This is that Disciple which testifieth of these things and wrote these things and we know because his testimony is true And when I had heard and seene Againe hee recordeth his failing about worshipping of the Angell and that the Angell reproved him for the same commanding him to worship God onely The same thing fell out Chapter 19.10 see the Exposition there Some may wonder how an Holy Apostle should so suddenly twice stumble at the same stone For a little before he heard that the Angell was his fellow servant unto whom to ascribe the honour of adoration due unto God alone was sacriledge notwithstanding forgetting both his failing and reproofe he againe falleth into the same errour of vitious worship Now what should this teach us but that such is the infirmitie and inconsideratenesse of the Saints oftentimes in this life that except they bee sustained by God they fall not once but many times even into the same error In speciall it sheweth the pronenesse of our nature unto Idolatry For if it happened unto the Apostle Iohn that he could not as it were abstaine from unlawfull worshipping of the creature what wonder though the Christian world be wholly fallen to worship Angels and Saints yet least the world should abuse Johns example to maintaine their Idolatry he not onely ingenuously confesseth his failing but also sets downe the Angels reproofe attributing adoration to God onely that such as fall into the same sin might likewise repent 9. Worship God By this thunder-bolt the whole Idol-worship of Papists is dash't who not content after Iohns evill example to worship Angels fall down also before dumbe Idols Religious adoration is simply demed unto creatures and religiously adore the creature As for the frivolous cavil of Idolaters that the Angell refused not the worship of Duleia but only of Latreia it is altogether false for absolutely without any distinction hee removeth religious adoration from himself saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adore God Brightman thinkes that John did not fall downe againe to worship the Angell but telleth what happened before Chap. 19. ver 10. But the order of the narration argues the contrary For John seemeth as it were to bid the Angell now farewell and so in a way of thankfullnes would againe thus reverence him The words also of the Angell ver 9. somewhat differing from his former do argue that Iohn would have worshipped him the second time For before hee said I am thy fellow servant and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Iesus But here I am thy fellow servant and of thy brethren the Prophets and of them which keep the sayings of this Booke However it be it is observeable that he saith I fell downe to worship him therefore he did not yet worship him but composed his bodie to do it wherefore also his unseemly gesture is by the Angell reproved Whence it appears that Idolaters falling down before Idols sin grievously not onely in adoration but also in their idolatrous gesture it selfe 10. And he saith unto me Seale not Before Chap. 10.4 he was commanded to Seale the voyces of the thunders here hee is forbid by the Angell for the word SAITH belongs to the Angell to seale the words of this Prophesie which commands seeme to be repugnant but are not because they respect divers times and objects He was commanded to Seale the voyces of the thunders and not to write them to signifie that the Gospell should bee despised in Antichrists Kingdome as there we expounded Here he is forbid to Seale that is conceale this Prophesie but to publish the same that it might be read and known of all least any man under pretence of ignorance should not beware of Antichrist Now it is a metaphor taken from Notaries who seale Letters that every one may not read them Or from Book-sellers who keepe such Bookes shut with claspes as they will not have read as above wee said touching the Booke that was shut and sealed For Letters and Books that are sealed and shut cannot bee read and understood Now God used to command the Prophets to Seale their Prophesies when the accomplishment of them should be a long while after so as it was not so needfull for the present to be read Thus Isaias is commanded to Seale the Testimony Isa 8.16 Dan. 8.26 Dan. 12.4 And Daniel to shut up the Vision but thou saith he shut up the Vision because it shall bee for many dayes And afterward But thou Daniel shut up the words and seale the Booke even to the time of the end signifying that the Iewish people should not see those things which were a long while after to come to passe under Antichrist Iohn on the contrary is forbid to shut up his Prophesie because the time is at hand to wit in which the Prophesie shall begin to be fullfilled touching the persecutions of the Christian Church and the remedies thereof as wee observed ver 6. and therefore this Prophesie was to be spread abroad that all men might know the same If then the Angell commandeth that this Book be published and made known to all it followeth that it ought to be read understood and observed by us and that we in the diligent reading and meditating on the same doe obey the Angels praecept But Antichrist on the contrary commandeth that this Prophesie The reading of holy Scripture ought not to be prohited and all the rest of Holy Scriptures remaine sealed and shut up saying that they cannot be understood and forbids all excepting a few of his Clergy the reading thereof that hee may the more securely impose his vile impostures upon the common people 11. He that is unjust let him be unjust still Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that doth injury c. He alludes unto the words of the Angell Dan. 12.10 Many shall be purified but the wicked shall do wickedly c. some take the words as a free permission unto every one to doe and live according to his liking as if he should say Let every one do what pleaseth him best I will force the will of no man Andreas Ribera In the meane while let every one expect an issue according to his deeds the latter indeed of which is agreeable to the scope but the former brought in to establish free will is altogether contrary to the scope and to the nature of God who doth not freely permit but
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