gaue speciall authority vnto them commanding them to poure out their Vials That they came forth of the Temple it noteth their full authority and strength to doe that worke they were called vnto and also that the iudgements which they executed were irreuocable And whereas the Vials being giuen them before yet they would not poure them out before they were commanded more particularly it sheweth the great and singular obedience of the Angels One would haue thought that hauing the Vials once giuen them they should presently haue proceeded to execution but they would not till they had speciall commandement Teaching vs not to doe any thing without speciall authority commission and commandement from God Euen as a sword being committed into the hand of a Souldier by the Captaine generall hee is not to smite before he be commanded to fight and before the Trumpet be sounded to battaile so though a man haue excellent graces giuen him yet he is not to execute any function especially publiquely before he receiue a particular warrant and calling from God thereunto Sampson though hee had strength giuen him that he was able to haue defended the Israelites and reuenged them of their enemies yet he could not take vpon him the gouernement of the people before the Lord had called him vnto it In like manner the Ministers of the word albeit they haue neuer so notable gifts of Knowledge Vtterance c. yet they are not in any case to intrude themselues into the Ministery vnlesse they haue a particular calling from the Lord. These Angels are bidden first in generall to cast their Vials vpon the earth that is on the whole frame of all the Heauen Earth Sea and all in them in the execution yet some are more specially commanded to be poured on the earth because these iudgements are intended against the wicked on the earth The first Angell is said to haue poured his Viall vpon the earth whereupon there fell an exceeding great sore of Biles on them that had the marke of the Beast and which worshipped his Image The Plagues of this Chapter haue great agreement with the Plagues set downe in the eight and ninth Chapters they being like in the matter of the plagues so also in the number the difference is that these were headed with more fierce tokens of Gods wrath and with a more heauie indignation because those were executed on all the earth not on the Persons onely these on the Persons and that on the principall offenders onely namely on the worshippers of the Beast So that here wee see the Lord executes his iudgements by degrees first by Biles not killing them but vexing them outwardly if happily thereby they might be brought to repentance The second Angell poured his Viall on the Sea whereupon the colour of it was turned so that it looked like black blood of death So that God proceeded in iudgement they not profiting hee now goeth on forward to punish with death The third Angell poured his Viall on the fresh waters to declare that God left notes of his wrath on all the creatures of the world so that the earth and waters themselues being thus iudged did beare witnesse of their sinnes against them On these two latter executions the Angels of the Waters take occasion to acknowledge and confesse that Gods iudgements against the wicked are true and holy and iust as after followeth For as they had shed the bloud of Gods Saints so their bloud also was shed and they are faine as the Egyptians did to whom they were alluded to drinke of the bloud of the Riuers for so say they are they worthy as before hauing taken delight in the bloud of the Saints Another Angell that is the third Angell which was in the Sanctuary doth approue that which the other two had confessed for their office was ouer the Waters noting that the Angels of God haue their particular places of gouernment wherein they execute their functions enioyned them of God And lest the wicked should seeme to thinke that God was too sharpe and seuere in iudgement against them therefore not onely the Angels of the Waters that is of the fresh and salt waters doe acknowledge that the sinnes of those wicked men had deserued this and more and therefore the iudgement was iust insomuch as that they might see their very sinnes in the same as it were in capitall letters but euen also that other Angell out of the Sanctuary doth affirme that which these two had said and acknowledgeth Gods righteous iudgement herein The fourth Angell casts his Viall on the Sunne noting that the iudgement was not onely on the earth but in the heauen by the distemperature thereof through the intemperate weather as namely the extreame heat which should proceed from it which should scorch the earth and the men that were in it wheron should come dearth famine c. And here the Euangelist notes that these worshippers of the Beast whether they had receiued the marke of the Beast vpon the foreheads that is were open professors of the worship of the Beast or receiued it in their hands that is were priuate fauourers of the Beast and his Idolatries namely whether they did openly or priuately or any way yeeld to the Idolatry of the Beast of Rome yet they repented not signifying that whereas as yet Gods iudgements were in his hand to remoue them if they repented or to double them if they did not repent They notwithstanding for all these degrees of Plagues doe still continue obstinate yea they proceed to blaspheme God so farre are they from repenting and glorifying God And hitherto it seemes God began with the common people for as in his Plagues he vseth to begin first with his Church then with the wicked so in the wicked hee begins first with the lower and inferiour sort and then followes with the more grieuous and principall offenders The fift Angell poures out his Viall on the seate of the Beast which is to be vnderstood of the Church of Rome whereupon followes darkenesse to wit anguish and trouble and paine which appeared in that they are said to bite their tongues as the malignant and enuious persons vse to doe who being troubled or crossed any way will for anguish vexe themselues more The sixt Angell poures out his Viall on the Riuer Euphrates viz. that defence wherewith this spirituall Babilon is enuironed and compassed about for by Babilon is vnderstood Rome for as in Babilon the children of Israel were kept both in spirituall and bodly seruitude so by the sinnes and Idolatries of the Church of Rome it hath beene shewed that the Church of God should be tormented with spirituall bondage And this Riuer Euphrates was a riuer which compassed and defended Babilon from their enemies and therfore by Euphrates here seemeth to be meant the fort strenght and munition of the City and Church of Rome Whereas then he poureth his Viall vpon Euphrates whereby it was dried vp it noteth that the
all the people also of their Nations and all the inhabitants of the earth should also take part in her filthy abhominations and therefore Shee must needs be a notable Strumpet with whom all the Princes of the world with their people and subiects must commit adultery vncleanenesse and all kinde of villany In that Iohn was carried againe by the spirit into the Wildernesse is meant that albeit hee had receiued all these things which were reuealed to him before by the spirit yet for the further assurance of the things now to be deliuered he saith that he is carried againe in the spirit that is hee is lift vp by a more singular hand of God that he might the more notably vnderstand and attend by the speciall direction of Gods spirit to the things now to be reuealed And he saith he saw a woman sit vpon a Beast By the woman is meant the City of Rome the Beast signifieth first the Emperours only which were ciuill gouerners and secondly the Pope which tooke vpon him both ciuill and ecclesiasticall gouernement so that vpon this Beast shee is said to fit and therefore whereas he saith he sees the Harlot sitting on the Beast it is meant that the honour of the City and Church of Rome was to be maintained and vpheld by the Emperours the gouernours ciuill and by the Pope which had both Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall authority for both these are in this place set downe to be but one Beast The Beast is said to be coloured like Scarlet signifying either he was aduanced to great honour or else nothing his crueltie in murthering the Saints but this thing afterward Saint Iohn more notably setteth downe in that the Whore her selfe is said to be red with the bloud of the Saints noting that as this was her Liuery so the chiefest colour wherin this Church and this Beast delighteth is Scarlet as appeareth by their vsage for they vse to weare this that they might be knowne to be bloudy and cruell It is further said that this Beast is full of names of blasphemie it is meant that whereas before it was said that the first Beast had a name of blasphemy that is was very cruell very blasphemous when he first rose out of the Sea which was verified by the example of Caligula and others that tooke on them the honour of God yet this doth farre exceede him for he is full of the names of blasphemie viz. blasphemous throughout signifying an high degree of blasphemie He speakes also of the Harlot her selfe whom hee saith to be arrayed in Purple and Scarlet signifying that she was clad royally purple being a most costly and Princely apparell her Scarlet bedecked with gold precious stones and Pearles note the exceeding great riches of that Church of Rome Then followes that which shee did viz. Shee had a cup of Gold in her hand but within full of abhominations and filthy whoredomes and fornications noting that without she had a gorgeous shew was beautifull to behold but within full of al vncleanenes as our Sauiour Christ said of the Pharisies that they cleanse the out side of the cup but are all filthy within which we see in the Church of Rome that without they haue most faire shewes to looke to but looke into them and into their actions there is nothing but vncleanenesse Shee had in her forehead a name written a Mistery signifying that the chiefe thing shee professeth is a Mistery namely that shee hath the Misteries and secrets of God yea shee professeth that all knowledge and vnderstanding of Gods will is shut vp onely in her breasts as in a closet and therefore say they the Pope can change the Articles of the faith yea that he can alter the Scriptures and make them no Scriptures and that he can make the Euangelists to be no Euangelists and those that are not to be She is called great Babilon because of the resemblance of that Babilon in the East to this in the West principally in regard of her great cruelty against Gods Children The Mother of Harlots that is the chiefe Harlot of all setting out her abhominable fornications both spirituall and bodily After in that she is said to be drunke with the bloud of the Saints is set forth her cruelty and barbarousnesse against the witnesses of Gods truth in that she is defiled bespotted and embrued with the bloud of the Saints As Christ is said to come out of Edom coloured with the bloud of his enemies noting thereby the reuenge he should take of the Edomites euen so the Whore of Babilon is dyed with the bloud of Gods children yea she is said to be drunke with their bloud as with drinke shewing that she makes no more account of shedding the bloud of the seruants of God then the drunken man makes of pouring in drinke or the fishes water Iohn wonders at her to wit not after that sort which those doe which follow after whose names were not written in the Booke of life but hee wonders after another manner namely at the strangenesse of the thing and at the strangenesse of her abhominations But the Angell askes him wherefore marueilest thou at it I will saith hee tell thee the mistery viz. the meaning of the Harlot and of the Beast And taking in hand to handle and declare the mistery of them both hee begins after the manner and custome of the Hebrewes with that which hee named last viz. the Beast and saith that he was and is not It is said he is not which hath been declared by the wound he receiued accomplished in the time of Nero after whose time the manner of gouernement in regard of the familie which then ruled was no more all that family being worne out and therefore the gouernement was ceased and yet notwithstanding should rise againe out of the depth out of the bottomlesse pit viz. out of hell by the subtiltie and pollicie of Sathan and his craftie instruments and should goe to destruction that is should for all this suddenly be destroyed and not haue a continuall gouernement And it is said that at the Beast all should wonder not as Iohn did but with an admiration of it the reason is because it was and is not and yet is that is albeit it should haue so many changes and alterations in that the Emperours should be so often put downe and slaine as appeareth by the histories and others raised vp neuerthelesse the gouernement should continue still wherfore the men of the world not knowing Gods prouidence in the ordering of these things should hereby be drawne with admiration of the Beast to cleaue vnto it considering that albeit hee had receiued so many wounds and so great pushes as it were to destroy him and ouerthrow him and yet did continue and was able to stand and thinking that it was by his own power they should therefore say who is like to the Beast So that wee see that this Empire which is here vnderstood by the
it according as it is the vse of the Prophets who to expresse the exceeding desolations of any place say that those Birds which flye most farre from all resort of men as the Shrike-Owle and the Pelican c. should continue there To Diuels noting that those places that haue bin abused to the dishonour of God are giuen by Gods iust iudgement to be not onely desolate but euen haunted of Diuels themselues as wee see oft times it commeth to passe in Abbyes and such like superstitious houses The cause is set downe to wit by reason of the persecution of the Saints and her pride who vaunted of her riches and good estate saying that shee was Queene and should neuer be Widdow that is should neuer be desolate but should alway haue her louers and maintainers to take her part And a principall cause is this that she had played the Harlot through her Idolatrie with the Princes of the earth Then he setteth downe the markes of her destruction both which goe before and which come after Before that God would giue his children that were there warning before whereby they might know of it that so they might come forth lest they should fall in that great destruction as before we heard hee did to the Saints in Ierusalem by giuing them warning to auoide from thence which they did flying into the City of Pella in the wildernesse The markes following the destruction generally the lamentation of the friends of the City of Rome and principally the Kings of the earth when they shall see the smoake of her mount vp to heauen by smoake is meant the continuall remembrance of that destruction for albeit after it is said by the Angell that threw the stone into the Sea that it should neuer be remembred any more hee meaneth not that it should be cleane forgotten to haue beene but onely so forgotten as it should neuer haue place again by which it might be remembred like as it came to passe in Sodom howbeit the memory thereof should otherwise be perpetuall Afterward is reported more particularly the lamentation of the Merchants which had serued for the pleasure of her by Land and by Sea The Merchants by land which had serued her with sine meates purple silke gold siluer precious stones c. for their Vestiments namely for the apparell of their Priests Prelates Cardinals c. which vsed to be most gorgeous and costly And they should also bring to her soules of men that is bond-slaues meeting with that which should come to passe be performed of the Church of Rome as we see experience of Then the Merchants by Sea the Ship-masters and Ship-men also make their lamentation ouer her For the more certainty of this destruction of the City there is brought in an Angell taking a great stone and casting it into the bottome of the Sea saying that in like manner Babilon that great City should be throwne downe with violence and should be found no more noting that it should be so vtterly destroyed that it should neuer be recouered neither should it be built any more neither should the light of a Candle be seene in it neither the voice of a Bridegroome heard therein signifying that it should not be againe inhabited of any because shee had deceiued all nations and because in her was found the bloud of the Saints and Prophets Apoc. Cap. 19. 1. And after these things I heard a great voice of a great multitude in heauen saying Hallelu-iah saluation and glory and honour and power be to the Lord our God c. THe Apostle hauing spoken of the destruction of the City of Rome noted by the name of an Harlot he now comes to set forth the destruction of the Beast and of the false Prophet which are the vngodly Emperours and the Popes succeeding in that power hauing gotten not onely ciuill iurisdiction but Ecclesiasticall power also ioyned therewith And first of al before he handleth that he bringeth in all the children seruants of God praising magnifying God for the notable works he had shewed vpon the earth And herein especially doe the Angels Saints of God in heauen the Saints in earth magnifie and praise the Lord namely for the iudgement and destruction of the Whore which is the City of Rome The causes of her destruction are set downe to be first because she had made all the Kings of the earth and their people to goe a whoring after her filthy abhominations And secondly for that shee had murthered the Saints of God After that they had sung this song of thankesgiuing for that mercy receiued in the destruction of the City of Rome the Lord calleth them and citeth them as it were by a voice from the Throne to a further thankesgiuing for the mercies to come in the destruction of the Beast and of the false Prophet and for particular benefits which the Church it selfe was to be partaker of and therefore he doth call all the seruants of the Lord by name as it were which did feare the Lord both small and great to praise the Lord. Then he shewes how this voice was obeyed in that he saith there was a voice as of a great multitude and like the voice of many waters and like the noise of a thunder which signifie both the consent and zeale and earnestnesse of the Saints in praising God Which teacheth vs that we are so to beleeue and be assured of Gods promises and mercies to come as that wee doe praise him for them as for those which we haue receiued and as if wee had receiued them already The mercies for which they praise God are two first the marriage of the Church to the Lambe because the Church in this life being made the Spouse of Christ yet separated in part from him shall at length inioy and haue the full fruition of Christ and of his glorious presence And also for that she is arrayed with pure fine linnen noting either the righteousnesse of Christ wherewith she is cloathed or else that sanctification which being in part begun in this life in Gods children shall be perfected in Gods kingdome when that spirituall marriage of Christ with his Spouse shall be celebrated And further it is shewed that such is the happinesse of the Church of God in this marriage that not onely the Bride and the Bridegrome shall be partakers of his happinesse as vsually commeth to passe in our marriage feasts the married persons onely not the guests being counted happy but also those are blessed and happy that are bidden to this feast for by the Bride is to be vnderstood in generall the Church vniuersall by the persons called is meant the particular persons in the Church Another cause of thankesgiuing for the things to come is in regard of the iudgement vpon the wicked and the execution thereof And first he saith to execute this hee seeth Christ comming with his army hee being the chiefe for as the Beast gathers his
armies against Christ so in like manner he bringeth his hoast against them to destroy them And hee is described by his properties namely first in that he sitteth on a white Horse noting that he was a Iudge alluding to the manner of Iudges in those times as we see in the Booke of Iudges that in token of honour they did vse to ride on white Asses The sword which went out of his mouth signifieth that he would slay them onely by his will The Crownes on his head note that his will should preuaile against his enemies and that hee will haue the victory His eyes as a flame of fire signifying his infinite knowledge of all things that were done and his piercing sight into all the coasts and secrets of his enemies so that they could hide nothing from him With his feete he should tread and presse downe all his enemies in the Vine-presse of Gods wrath Then as by his properties so also he is described by his nature in that his name is called The word of God By his office in that he is the King of Kings His Garments dipt in bloud noting the sharpe reuenge he will take vpon his enemies in their destruction Further he is set downe by his company and traine that followed him to wit the Angels and Saints who are said to ride also on white Horses signifying that they were conquerours ouer all their enemies by Christ An Angell in the Sunne to wit which was able to order the Sunne by causing it to giue light vnto the seruants of Christ and withdrawing the light thereof and to depriue the enemies of the vse of it by casting darkenesse vpon them so as they could not see one another much lesse to fight against him which signifieth and setteth forth the glory and power of Christ that seeing one of his Angels was able to doe this how much more wonderfull was his power both in himselfe and in all the rest of his Angels to destroy those his enemies This Angell makes a proclamation of defiance against them before the battell as it is the vsuall custome in warres And here he doth not as in wars Princes vse to doe to their forraigne enemies by proclaiming open warre against them to warne challenge them vnto fight for hee needeth not neither will hee seeing they are not forreiners but his subiects and rebels against him being King of Kings and Lord of Lords But in stead of sending embassage or a Herauld of Armes vnto them in scorne of them hee makes proclamation vnto the Birds and bids them come to eate of the flesh of his enemies And here he shewes the certainty and surety of his victory in that before the battell he cals the Birds to deuoure as if they were already slaine Christ being thus described as hee is in himselfe and also by his retinue and attendants after followeth the euent and execution of the iudgements And first in that it is said the Beast and the false Prophet which went out from the Beast were taken it noteth that Christ as it were in a rage seemeth to lay hold on those his principall enemies the Beast and the false Prophet taking them in contempt as it were by the neckes euen as a strong man in his fury in scorne taketh his weake enemie with whom he disdaineth to fight by the Collar of the necke and casteth him away euen so Christ violently taketh them and casteth them quicke into a Lake of fire brimstone The remnant are slaine with the sword to wit the Kings and the People noting the difference of their iudgement from the iudgement of the Beast and the Prophet not that they were not also to be condemned as well as these but it is onely to shew that their condemnation should not be so terrible as the condemnation of the Beast and the false Prophet for as it is in earthly iudgements according to the heinousnesse and greatnesse of the fact such is the grieuousnesse of the punishment the more heinous offenders being to be burnt to death those that are lesse grieuous offenders to be slaine with the sword or with some lesse violent death euen so it shall be in this iudgement of Christ the Beast and false Prophet being chiefe offenders and ring-leaders in this rebellion shall haue a more terrible iudgement and deeper condemnation Which teacheth vs that according to the degrees of sinne so shall be the degrees of punishment to the wicked in hell In the midst of the Chapter there is set downe an accident which befell Iohn which hee here inserteth for the comfort and instruction of Gods Children which is that Iohn though an excellent man yet by the glory of the Angell and the excellencie of the things by him shewed was so amazed and ouertaken that hee fell downe to worship the Angell which sheweth the great weakenesse of men and their pronenesse to Idolatry for seeing that Iohn who was so excellent a seruant of God did thus forget himselfe much more others which are not indued with such graces The Angell as a faithfull seruant of God refuseth that honour and forbids him saying that hee himselfe was his fellow-Seruant and therefore not to be worshipped But saith hee worship God noting that all worship belongeth to God alone Apoc. Cap. 20. 1. And I saw an Angell come downe from heauen hauing the key of the bottomlesse pit and a great chaine in his hand c. IN this Chapter there is set forth vnto vs two victories that God and our Sauiour Christ haue against the Dragon the first and the last Then is set forth the latter iudgement that shall be in the day of the Lord the great day the day as it were of the great assize That which is contained in the first part of the Chapter is somewhat displaced belonging to the end of the twelfth Chapter but reserued to this place that there might be a better declaration of the story of the Dragon To the better vnderstanding of this we are to remember that which was before in the 12. Chapter where it is said that the Dragon persecuted the Woman which noteth as wee haue heard that great persecution which befell the Church of the Iewes that ancient Church of God For when as the Dragon saw that he was cast from heauen and that the woman had wings giuen her to flye from him into the Wildernesse and now hee could not haue his will against her hee after that rageth exceedingly against the seede of the woman to wit the Catholique Church of the Gentiles for the Church of the Gentiles being begotten by the preaching and doctrine of the Apostles are called their seed And hereupon it is said that he is faine to be bound after that he beganne thus to rage which was about sixe and thirty yeares after Christ being the time that Ierusalem was ouerthrowne about that time was the Diuell taken for hauing pursued the Church of the Iewes and hauing set himselfe fiercely against the