the fourth universal Empire it was the City to which all Nations were subject and whither they were wont continually to resort Vers 16. And the ten Horns which thou sawest upon the Beast these shall hate the Whore and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn her with Fire 17. For God hath put in their Hearts to fulfill his Will and to agree and give their Kingdom unto the Beast until the Words of God shall be fulfilled Here the Angel declareth what the ten Kings aforesaid should do to Rome namely that they should sack and burn it with fire But for as much as that City is here described according to the manner of the Scripture as an Harlot it is therefore suitably said that they shall make her naked and eat her flesh both which are done by pillaging the place and slaying the Inhabitants thereof Thus God saith of Jerusalem under the name of Aholibah the Harlot Ezek. 23.29 They shall deal with thee hatefully and shall take away all thy labour and shall leave thee naked and bare And David saith of his enemies that they came upon him to eat up his flesh namely with the mouth of the Sword Psal 27.2 But the reason why so many Kings otherwise at variance amongst themselves should yet agree herein and give their Kingdom to the Beast which two things here concurring to the destruction of Rome do by the way clearly intimate that it is the Beast who setteth the Kings upon this Work is because God putteth the same into their hearts to the end he may accomplish his words that he to wit had spoken touching the fall of Rome Chap. 14.8 wherefore in as much as the Angels words are so perspicuous concerning this matter they must needs be exceedingly mistaken who expect that Rome shall be destroyed either by other persons than the ten Kings aforesaid or at another time than after the seven Vials of Gods wrath have been poured out upon the Earth during the space of three years and an half that the Tyranny of the Beast over the Saints shall continue But neither is the Beast yet risen nor the ten Kings his Confederates nor those prodigious things come to pass that are mentioned in the 13. Chapter nor so much as one of the Vials poured out as will easily appear to any man who being acquainted with the Histories of former Times and finding no such occurrences there recorded had rather adhere to the plainness of the Scripture it self than follow the obscure and uncertain imaginations of men Vers 18. And the Woman which thou sawest is that great City which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth This is the Close of the Interpretation which the Angel vouchsafeth unto John wherein he discovereth who the Woman is whom John saw in the Wilderness namely the great City that reigned over the Kings of the Earth which all that are skilled in the History of those Times wherein John wrote this Prophecy know to be Rome For she commanding over the whole World must needs reign over those Kings that governed in any part of the same A Proof confirming the Truth of this matter may be seen in Tacitus who in the second Book and twenty third Chapter of his History saith Accessere cum regno Sohemus haud spernendis viribus Antiochus vetustis opibus ingens inservientium regum ditissimus Mox per occultos suorum nuncios excitus ab urbe Agrippa ignaro adhuc Vitellio celeri navigatione properaverat That is Sohemus who was a King of considerable Forces and Antiochus who was mighty for his ancient wealth and of all the subject Kings the richest sided with that party namely to make Vespasian Emperour Agrippa also upon secret Messages of his Friends quitted the City unawares to Vitellius and speedily sailed thither Thus much for the Key here given by the Angel to unlock the Mystery of the Beast which if our men had rather chosen to use than vainly attempted to break up this divine Cabinet with their own forced Interpretations neither had they so much wrested this excellent Prophecy of John nor exposed the Religion of Protestants to the contempt and scorn of her Adversaries who in likelihood measure what Protestants speak in other Points of Religion by the Standard of their Expositions concerning the Beast I should now proceed to the Explication of the eighteenth Chapter But that being onely a Relation touching the manner how Rome shall be destroyed and containing in it self little or no difficulty I judge it better to pass it by and hasten to the nineteenth Chapter wherewith the History of the Beast endeth Chap. 19. Vers 1. And after these things I heard a great Voice of much People in Heaven saying Alleluja Salvation and Glory and Honour and Power unto the Lord our God Vers 2. For true and righteous are his Judgements for he hath judged the great Whore which did corrupt the Earth with her Fornication and hath avenged the Blood of his Servants at her hand Vers 3. And again they said Alleluja And her smoke rose up for ever and ever The Exposition NO sooner is Rome sackt and burnt by the ten Kings aforesaid but this Judgement is entertained with a great shout from Heaven where a vast multitude cry Alleluja ascribing Salvation and glory and honour and power unto the Lord their God Of what persons this Multitude consisteth whither of Angels or of Men though it be not here expressed yet may it by a diligent disquisition be found out For first of all they cannot be Angels because the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be rendred here in English a Multitude is never used in the Scripture to design a great company of Angels but is on the contrary peculiar to Men as may be seen Chap. 17.15 where Multitudes in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are ranked with Peoples and Nations But all will confess that Peoples and Nations consist of Men onely Secondly this Multitude doth attribute Salvation unto God which the Angels are not any where found to do For they being by the perfection of their nature exempted from death or any other tribulation whatsoever are thereby also incapable of sharing in the salvation of God and accordingly use no such form of praising him Whence it followeth that they be men Not holy men upon the earth for they are denoted by the four and twenty elders and the four living creatures mentioned afterwards in the fourth verse of this Chapter it remaineth therefore that the multitude aforesaid consists of holy men already raised from the dead and glorified in the Kingdom of heaven when Rome is destroyed and so differ from them who after that destruction shall be made partakers of the same anticipated resurrection as may be seen in the twentieth Chapter of this prophecy and consequently are that great multitude of Saints afore mentioned in the seventh Chapter verse 9. For that those Saints are such as being risen from
heaven before which the glorified Saints shall come and adore him For it doth of necessity follow from thence that they shall see his face Neither do those words of Paul 1 Tim. 6.16 where speaking of God he saith Whom none of men hath seen nor can see a whit derogate from the truth of that which we assert For he himself elsewhere comparing the condition of men in this life with that which shall be in the life to come saith Now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face now I know in part but then shall I know even as I am known I Cor. 13.12 Wherefore in that fore quoted passage of Tim. he speaketh of men conversing in this world between whom and God there is not only a vast distance of place forasmuch as he is in heaven and they on earth Eccles 5.2 but also sundry bodies interposed obstructing their sight of him Yea were they now admitted to the very person of God their eyes were not fit of themselves to behold so spiritual and glorious an object Whereupon the Apostle John concludeth 1 Epist 3.2 That in the world to come We shall be like unto God because we shall see him as he is And this passage which we have last cited together with that other of the Corinthians gives clear attestation to our opinion as also doth that saying of Christ Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God So that we have no need to dwell longer on this subject we pass therefore to the second thing here mentioned which is The inscribing of Gods name upon the forehead of the Saints This is performed by Christ as he himself testifieth Chap. 3.12 where speaking to the Angel of the Church in Philadelphia he saith Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the Temple of my God and he shall go no more out and I will write upon him the name of my God and it denoteth that they are the ministers of God and so are continually to serve him in his Temple Thus as we have above discoursed the name of the Beast was set upon the foreheads of men to signifie that they were such as served and worshipped him Neither can any man alledge a sufficient reason why this also shall not be fulfilled according to the letter of the holy Text. Vers 5 And there shall be no night there and they need no candle neither light of the sun for the Lord God giveth them light and they shall reign for ever and ever John here repeateth what he had before spoken in the one and twentieth Chapter concerning this that there shall be no night in the heavenly Jerusalem nor need either of the sun or of a candle because God is the luminary thereof For inasmuch as God dwelleth in light 1 Tim. 6.16 and covereth himself with light as with a garment Psalm 104.2 Yea is light it self having no darkness at all in him 1 John 1.5 and shall abide with the Saints continually 1 Thes 4.17 It cannot otherwise be but that he should by his presence make perpetual day in the New Jerusalem As for the Reign of the Saints mentioned in the close of this verse it cannot be understood of ruling over the Nations for that ceaseth after the day of judgement wherefore it is meant of their Reigning in life as the Apostle Paul phraseth it Rom. 5.17 and so of reigning over death for ever as death had for some time reigned over them Vers 6. And he said unto me These sayings are faithful and true And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his Angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done This is the third time that either God himself or the Angels confirm the plain literal and down right meaning of those things that are spoken concerning the New Jerusalem and the happiness of such as are to dwell therein For I have before proved Chap. 21.5 that when it is said These sayings are faithful and true it is all one as if it had been said These sayings are evident and certain and such as do of themselves leave no place for dispute To establish which exposition of mine consider further that the Apostle Paul doth in four several places namely 1 Tim. 1.15 and Chap. 3.1 and Chap. 4.9 and Titus 3.8 tell us that such a point is a faithful saying when the thing whereof he speaketh conteineth in it self no hard and mystical sence but is to be understood according to the plain purpose of the words Why then should we prefer the imaginations of men before the express language of the Scripture and adhere to such interpretations of this prophecy as have no other ground but the bare word of those that obtrude them When the Angel further addeth that the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his Angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done this ought not to be understood of the same Angel that here talketh with John otherwise he would rather have said The Lord God of the holy prophets hath sent me Again the things which this Angel shewed to John are so far from being done shortly after that they are not as yet come to pass Wherefore this saying as will easily appear from the same words used in both places hath relation to that other Angel which is mentioned in the very entrance of the Revelation and who shewed such things to John as began a little after to be put in execution Set Chap. 3.10 where it is said Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the wold to try them that dwell upon the earth See also the opening of the Seals whereof we read in the sixth Chapter Vers 7. Behold I come quickly blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book Here the Angel speaking in the person of Christ saith Behold I come quickly which is not meant of that notable coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven to judge the quick and the dead for the event sheweth it to be otherwise inasmuch as to this very day he is not come in that manner wherefore he speaketh of some nearer and more improper Coming namely when he would visit the lnhabitants of the World for their wickedness by bringing a great calamity upon them And such a Coming of Christ hapned in the days of Domitian the Emperour not long after the Penning of this Prophecy which I have before proved in the Exposition of the 17. Chapter to have been written in the Reign of Vespasian the Emperour of Rome Which Judgement to be inflicted on the whole World in the Reign and by the Hands of that cruel Monster Domitian when Christ had foretold to the Angel of the Church in Philadelphia Chap. 3.10 He useth the same words in the following Verse that he doth here For thus the whole passage soundeth Because
and let us serve them Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that Prophet or that dreamer of dreams for the Lord your God proveth you to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul Neither can any one justly say that the Wonders to be performed by the false Prophet are onely seeming Miracles and not real ones For besides that neither the Scripture nor the common use of speaking doth by great Wonders understand meer Illusions and Deceptions of the sight the particular Wonder that John allegeth for an instance putteth the matter out of all question for he saith that the false Prophet causeth fire to come down from Heaven before men But if fire coming down from Heaven be not a true Miracle I would fain learn what is Vers 15. And he had power to give life unto the Image of the Beast that the Image of the Beast should both speak and cause that as many as would not worship the Image of the Beast should be killed The false Prophet who had done sundry Miracles to make Men erect an Image to the Beast doth at length cause the Image it self to speak with words tending to this purpose that whosoever refuseth to worship the Image of the Beast shall be put to death Of such a Miracle as this we sometimes read in the Scripture as namely Zech. 10.2 The Idols or Images for so the Hebrew word Teraphim is rendred 1 Sam. 19.13 have spoken vanity Wherefore there is the less reason why any man should in the explication of this place betake himself to a figurative sense and so impose upon the words an uncouth and uncertain Interpretation as men love to do when they comment upon this Book of the Revelation Vers 16. And he causeth all both small and great rich and poor free and bond to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads Vers 17. And that no man might buy or sell save he that had the Mark or the Name of the Beast or the Number of his Name The false Prophet thinketh he can never sufficiently engage Men to the impious Worship of the Beast and his Image which he hath undertaken to settle to which end he addeth another device causing them of what rank or quality soever they be to receive a Mark upon their right hand or their forehead and permitting none to buy or sell that hath it not Now what this Mark is were it not here set down would easily appear to us by comparing two other passages of this Book the one Chap. 14.11 Whosoever receiveth the Mark of his Name The other Chap. 15.2 over his Mark over the word and set in the English before this second over is not in the Greek the number of his Name Whence it is manifest that by the Mark of the Beast is meant either his Name or the Number of his Name and accordingly those words Chap. 13.17 are to be rendred thus Save he that hath the Mark either not or the Name of the Beast or the Number of his Name Neither is it a new thing in the Scripture that a Mark should be set on the Bodies of Men for Protection Thus God is said to have set a Mark on Cain lest any one finding him should kill him Gen. 4.15 He also caused a Mark to be set on the foreheads of them that sighed and cryed for all the Abominations that were done in Jerusalem that the Destroyers might not come near them when they in the Vision slew all the rest of the Inhabitants of that City Ezek. 9.4 6. Finally we read in this very Book of the Revelation Chap. 7.3 that the Servants of God are by an Angel sealed or marked on the forehead to secure them from the Plague of the Locusts Chap. 9.4 and this Mark is the Name of the Lambs Father Chap. 14 1. We see then by these Allegations out of the Scripture that there is no need to fly to a mystical Interpretation in explaining the Mark of the Beast set upon Men that they may be thereby licensed to buy and sell without molestation especially because this Mark is said to be imprinted upon certain parts of their Body and that as the Devil is wont to be God's Ape in imitation of the Name of God set upon the foreheads of his servants for their security Of which thing no man shall ever be able to render a good account if he once depart from the Letter of the Text. Vers 18. Here is Wisdom Let him that hath understanding count the Number of the Beast for it is the Number of a Man and his Number is is six hundred threescore and six As touching the Number of the Beast that is of the first Beast as this Expression doth in the Revelation perpetually signifie or of his Name to such as are not acquainted with the Greek Tongue wherein the Revelation was written this seemeth very difficult but to those who know that the Greeks in Numbring make not use of Figures but reckon by the Letters of the Alphabet putting the first Letter for one the second for two c. the thing is obvious and easie For when it is said that the Number of the Beast by whom as John himself expounded it a Man is understood is six hundred sixty six it is all one as if it were said Write the Name of this Man in Greek the Language of this Book and then calculate the Letters thereof according to the custome of the Greeks and it will amount to the Number of Six hundred sixty six And this very thing is hinted by expressing the Number of six hundred sixty six in Greek not by words but letters Thus much then God is pleased to make known to us but what the Name it self is he hath concealed reserving the knowledge thereof for them that shall live in the time of the Beast So that besides Irreverence towards God it is also lost labour for us in these times to spend our conjectures upon it Chap. 14 Vers 1. And I looked and so a Lamb slood on the Mount Sion and with him an hundred forty and four thousand having his Fathers Name written in their foreheads The Exposition BY the Lamb here standing on Mount Sion is meant Christ Jesus the Son of God both because the Name of his Father is writ upon the foreheads of the Saints here mentioned and because he is brought in as their Leader and finally because no other person besides him is wont to be designed by the Name of a Lamb. By Mount Sion it self is under slood Jerusalem For though Mount Sion if you speak strictly and properly was but a Castle in Jerusalem taken by David in the beginning of his Reign over all Israel 1 Chron. 11.4,5 yet is it as being the chiefest part of that City frequently in Scripture put for Jerusalem it self as Isai 33.29 Look on Sion the City of our solemnities thine eys shall see Jerusalem a quiet
Judgements causeth fear so doth the righteousness of them induce Men to glorifie and praise his Name An instance whereof we have Revel 19.1 2. where it is said Glory and honour be to our God because his Judgements are true and just The second part of this Message which is therefore termed everlasting because it relateth to such Duties as are not peculiar to any certain time but to be performed for ever is to exhort Men to the Worship of God the Creatour of Heaven and Earth And this Exhortation is the more seasonable because of the general Apostacy of the Times here spoken of wherein partly by the force and partly by the fraud of the false Prophet it is grown a common practice to worship the Beast to the greatest dishonour of God that can be imagined Vers 8. And there followed another Angel saying Babylon is fallen is fallen that great city because she made all Nations drink of the Wine of the Wrath of her Fornication Babylon by which Rome is meant as will appear by the exposition of the 17. Chap. shall length be utterly destroyed namely by the ten Kings that are confederate with the Beast to shew the certainty of which mine the Angel speaketh of it as already past redoubling the Expression and Saying Babylon is fallen is fallen Now the reason why he speaketh of Rome under a borrowed name is partly that he might not bring danger upon John by causing him to describe in plain terms the Destruction of that City under the Dominion whereof he lived for Jeremy in that he openly foretold the ruine of Jerusalem was very likely to have been put to death Chap. 26.11 and partly that none but the wise might attain to the knowledge of so excellent a Prophecy as is sufficiently hinted by those words of the Angel Chap. 17.9 where he saith Here is the minde that hath wisdom The seven Heads are the seven Mountains on which the Woman sitteth c. And this mystical name of Babylon is very aptly and elegantly given to Rome because of the great congruity that was between those two Cities For first Babylon was an exceeding large City and therefore called great Babylon Dan. 4.30 So also was Rome which is therefore hyperbolically said by the Poet Lucan lib. 1. ver 511. to have been a sufficient Receptacle for all Mankinde but by more sober Writers that have inquired into the greatness thereof to have been fifty Miles within the Walls Secondly Babylon was the Seat of the first universal Kingdom and Rome of the fourth Thirdly Babylon was exceedingly addicted to Sorceries and Inchantments Isai 47.9 12. So also was Rome for though Laws were made at Rome against Astrologers and Sorcerers yet were they under hand still cherished there which gave Tacitus an occasion to say of them Hist lib. 1. cap. 7. that they were Genus hominum quod in civitate nostra vetabitur semper retinebitur That is A kinde of men that in our state will be always both forbidden and retained Fourthly Babylon exercised great rage and cruelty upon the People of God Isai 47.6 So also did Rome of which it is said Chap. 18.24 of this Prophecy that in her was found the Blood of Prophets and Saints and of all that were slain in the Earth And this last Branch of the Comparison bringeth us to the cause of Rome's Destruction assigned in this place by the Angel when he saith that all Nations had drunk the Wine of the Wrath of her Fornication For to drink the Wine of her Wrath according to the Language of the Scripture taken from the custome of administring bitter Potions whereby Men become disturbed and ill at ease is to feel her Anger and so to be vanquished by her with the Sword See Jer. 25.15 16. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel unto me Take the Wine-cup of this fury at my hand and cause all the Nations to whom I send thee to drink it And they shall drink and be moved and be mad because of the Sword that I will send among them And Chap. 51.7 Babylon hath been a golden Cup in the Lords hand that made all the Earth drunken The Nations have drunken of her Wine therefore the Nations are mad Neither ought the Fornication or Whoredom of Rome here annexed to turn us aside from this Interpretation seeing the subtil Devices that great Cities have used to ruine other States are in the Scripture called Whoredoms Thus the Prophet Nahum saith of Nineveh Chap. 2.3 4. There is a multitude of slain and a great number of carcases they stumble upon their corpses because of the multitude of the Whoredoms of the well-favoured Harlot the Mistress of Witchcrafts that selleth Nations through her Whoredoms and Families through her Witchcrafts You see by this passage that Nineveh was to be ruined for her whorlsh slights whereby she drew in other Nations and made a Prey of them as Harlots are wont to do with their Lovers But never was there any City that did so over-reach and prey upon other Nations as Rome did what by making them Confederates but upon unequal terms what by shewing a marvellous readiness in protecting their Confederates thereby to have a fair pretext to make an Invasion upon others what by pretending out of meer gallantry to deliver Free States from the Oppressors of their Liberty but under-hand reserving to themselves the sovereign Command over those States after they had subdued their Enemies All which and sundry other whorish tricks of Rome far exceeding in queintness those of any other City we read of may be seen at large in the History of Livy and the notable Discourses of Machiavel thereupon Vers 9. And the third angel followed them saying with a loud voice If any man worship the beast and his image and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand Vers 10. The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into 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. Vers 11. And the smoke 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 mark of his name This third Angel seemeth to make application of what the first Angel said For if men ought to worship God as that Angel in his everlasting message did declare certainly it is very great impiety to worship the Beast who is the professed enemy of God openly blaspheming his Name And lest any one should imagine it to be a small sin to worship the Beast and his Image or to receive his mark he denounceth with a loud voice That whosoever doth so shall drink of the wine of Gods wrath that is poured without mixture and so not allayed with any thing to abate the force thereof into the cup of his anger and
be tormented with fire and brimstone before the holy Angels and before the Lamb and that to all eternity for if the smoke of their torment shall ascend for ever and ever as the Angel plainly affirmeth it is necessary that the torment it self from whence the smoke ariseth should also continue as long and if the torment then also the tormented So that it ought at no hand to be denyed that the worshippers of the Beast shall live for ever in the torments of hell fire Neither is it to be feared least any one should thence argue that by this account they may be truly said to have Eternal life For Eternal life according to the true and usual notion of the Scripture doth not signifie a bare living for ever but a living for ever in joy and in the favour of God And therefore Eternal life Matth. 25.46 is opposed to Eternal punishment when it is said These shall go away into everlasting punishment which implyeth that they remain alive for ever otherwise how are they capable of being punished for ever all punishment supposing the existence of the subject that is punished But the righteous into life eternal And to the abiding of Gods wrath upon men John 3.36 When it is said He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him and to damnation John 5.29 when it is said They that have done good shall come forth to the resurrection of life but they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation These things being so such interpreters are not to be heard as go about to impose a figurative sense upon what is here in the Revelation clearly spoken concerning the everlasting torment prepared for the worshippers of the Beast for they not onely weaken the force of the Angels commination which all must needs confess to be far more efficacious to deterr men from committing so great wickedness if the words be plainly and properly taken but also open a way to evacuate all other passages of the Scripture where mention is made of the everlasting torment of Hell fire But perhaps some one will object that these tormented ones are said to have no rest day and night and consequently their torment is to be restrained to such a duration where there is a vicissitude of day and night which ceaseth together with the world and so is not properly and truly everlasting To which I answer that this expression of having no rest day and night inasmuch as it followeth those words wherein it is said that the smoak of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever is used to shew that they shall at no time have any respiration from their torment and not that there shall be an end thereof namely when day and night shall cease For seeing all the time of men in this world is part either of the day or of the night that which cometh not to pass in either of them is not at all hence it is that the Angel intending to shew that the worshippers of the Beast shall be tormented without intermission saith that they have no rest day and night Thus is it said of the four living creatures in Heaven with six wings apeice Chap. 4.8 That they have no rest day and night saying Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty though there be no vicissitude of day and night in Heaven namely to signifie that they never cease at any time whatsoever to praise God in that maner To conclude therefore As those words He shall be tormented for ever and ever import that there shall be no end of their torment so these They have no rest day and night imply that there shall be no intermission of them Vers 12. Here is the patience of the saints here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus This acclamation of the Angel doth intimate that during the tyranny of the Beast the patience of the Saints will have a most ample occasion to shew it self there having never been before so furious a monster that did so openly set his mouth against the Heavens and bend all his forces to extirpate the Religion of Christ So that then it will appear more then in any former age how admirable the constancy of the Saints is who notwithstanding all the Machinations whether of force or fraud that Satan and his instruments can contrive to wrest the crown of piety out of their hands do in the midst of a general Apostacy still adhere to the Commandments of God and firmly believe in Jesus Christ Vers 13. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me Write Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth Yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works do follow them Here John relates a certain voice which he heard out of Heaven pronouncing them happy in particular that should from thenceforth die namely under the tyranny of the Beast which particular happiness of them as we are taught Chap. 20.4 consists herein that they shall be partakers of the first Resurrection For that resurrection is there appropriated to them that suffer death for the testimony of Christ and for the word of God in the time of the Beast And the more to incourage the Saints to die for the truth of Christ in those perillous times the holy spirit doth second that voice from Heaven and render the reason thereof namely because they rest from their labors and their works follow them and therefore since their works have been more eminent then those of former times no marvel if their reward be so also Vers 14. And I looked and behold a white cloud and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man having on his head a golden crown and in his hand a sharp sickle This vision together with that other in the 17 18. verses do like the two dreams of Pharaoh Gen. 41.25 26. tend to the same effect and so are indeed but one intimating that the time was now at hand when Christ should execute judgement on the inhabitants of the earth because their sins denoted by the ripe fruits of the earth were come to maturity And that this interpretation is true and certain appeareth from that passage Joel 3.12 13. from whence these two visions of John seem to be modelled where it is said Let the Heathen be wakened and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat For there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about put ye in the sickle for the harvest is ripe come get you down for the press is full the fats overflow for their wickedness is great Now forasmuch as Christ is to be a principal agent in the execution of this judgement he is therefore brought in sitting upon a cloud as God in like cases was wont to be in the Old Testament See Isay 19.1 Behold the Lord
the fifth Kingdom upon the defeat of the Beast and all the Kings of the earth that side with him For in this sense is the like removal understood Chap. 6.14 After this earthquake and the dire effects thereof cometh another Judgement very terrible namely that of Hail which is wont to be bred in the Air the place into which this seventh vial is poured and thereof God himself saith to Job Hast thou seen the treasures of the hail which I have reserved against the time of trouble against the day of battel and war Job 38.22 23. Accordingly we read not onely that this was one of the ten plagues of Egypt Exod. 9.23 24 25. but also that God did cast down great Hailstones from Heaven upon the Amorites at the battel of Gibeon so that more died with the Hail-stones then they whom the Children of Israel slew with the sword Josh 10.5 11. Nevertheless it is likely that neither the Hail-stones of Egypt nor those of Canaan were equal in bigness to them that fall down from Heaven upon the worshippers of the Beast For they are said to be about a talent apiece Now though we cannot certainly tell how much a talent weighed yet are we sure that the weight thereof was very great inasmuch as the branched Candlestick of the tabernacle and all the vessels thereof are by the appointment of God to be made of one talent of Gold Exod. 25.31 39. But this plague worketh no better effect upon men then the former ones did For they are so enraged with the greatness thereof that they cannot forbear to vent Blasphemies against God himself Which sheweth that the end of these Plagues is not to reform those on whom they are sent for undoubtedly such as are come to that height of impiety as to worship the Beast yea the Dragon himself are altogether incurable but onely to punish and torment them for their wickedness and so to set off the Riches of Gods grace towards the Righteous whom he hath appointed to Salvation Chap. 17. Vers 1 2. And there came one of the seven Angels which had the seven Vials and talked with me saying unto me Come hither I will shew unto thee the Judgement of the great Whore that sitteth upon many Waters 2. With whom the Kings of the Earth have committed Fornication and the Inhabiters of the Earth have been made drunk with the Wine of her Fornication The Exposition FOr as much as upon the pouring out of the seventh Vial Great Babylon is said to come in remembrance before God that he might give her the Cup of the Wine of his fierce Wrath and this was a thing of great importance to be clearly known for we finde by experience how much hurt the inadvertency of the time and persons appointed of God for the inflicting of this punishment hath done to Christians one of the seven Angels aforesaid cometh to John profering to shew him the Judgement of that great City which according to the usage of the Scripture elsewhere as Isai 1.21 23.15 16 17. Ezek. 16.2 3 35 he calleth an Harlot with whom the Kings of the Earth have had to do and been intoxicated with the Wine of her Fornication The meaning of which Allegory I will unfold when I come to the fourth Verse Vers 3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the Wilderness and I saw a Woman sit upon a Scarlet coloured Beast full of Names of Blasphemy having seven Heads and ten Horns When the Angel is here said to carry John away in the Spirit into the Wilderness this argueth that his Body continued where he was before and that he was onely in the Spirit of his minde hurried away Thus Paul writing to the Colossians Chap. 2.5 saith Though I he absent in the flesh yet I am with you in the spirit joying and beholding your order and the stedfastness of four Faith in Christ Not that in the substance of his Spirit he was not as well absent from them as in his body otherwise how could he indite that Epistle but because that in the cogitation of his Spirit he was present with them and beheld their Christian behaviour God revealing the same unto him as it here hapned to John to see this wonderful Vision in the Wilderness where as it seemeth the Judgement of Rome was represented unto him rather than in the place of his personal abode because that City is described both in this and also in the following Chapter as ready to become a Wilderness and Habitation of Devils and an Hold of every unclean Spirit and a Cage of every unclean and hateful Bird. All which Creatures are noted in the Scripture to haunt desolate places See Isai 13.20 21 22. 34.13 14. Jer. 50.39 Matth. 12.43 It is further very suitable to represent this City by the name and feature of a Woman because in the Prophets of old whose Language and Descriptions the Revelation every where followeth nothing is more usual Thus Samaria and Jerusalem are brought in as two Women Ezek. 23.1 2 3 4 Who the Scarlet Beast is on whom the Woman sitteth and which is depainted with that colour either for the abundance of Blood which he was to shed or for his kingly Dignity or for both is afterwards declared by the Angel together with the meaning of his seven Heads and ten Horns But for the names of Blasphemy whereof he is full it is neither here nor elsewhere so much as intimated what they be wherefore it would be no less than impudency in us to undertake a description of them Vers 4. And the Woman was arayed in Purple and Scarlet colour and decked with Gold and precious Stone and Pearls having a golden Cup in her Hand full of Abominations and filthiness of her Fornication No marvel if this Woman which sitteth on the Scarlet Beast be so richly and royally attired for Rome decyphered by her being the Seat of the Empire and receiving both the Spoils and Tributes of all the Nations in the World must needs be infinitely rich which was indeed the cause of her corruption in point of manners making her now reach out the golden Cup of her Abominations and whorish filthiness as she had done that of her whorish wrath before Chap. 14.8 For whereas she had in the times of her strict Discipline by her valour and marvellous cunning brought all Nations under her yoke being now on the contrary grown extremely loose and vicious all manner of debauchery and lewdness did distill from her as from the Head into the Body of the whole Universe so that she is in the following Verse styled The Mother of the Abominations of the Earth Vers 5. And upon her Forehead was a Name written Mystery Babylon the Great the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth As the Servants of God had his Name written on their Foreheads and the Inhabitants of the Earth that of the Beast so also hath the stately Woman that John saw in the
will afford us very evident Instances thereof By the cunning of which two prevailing Factions the Light of the Gospel was for many Ages together since the Reign of Constantine almost extinguished but that now in latter times God taking pity on the miserable condition of his Church hath raised up sundry Reformers who have detected many of those Errours wherewith the Truth had before been obscured and so given a good Essay to the restoring of our holy Faith to its primitive lustre The reason why Satan is cast by the Angel into the bottomless Pit rather than into another place is because many of the evil Spirits have ever since their Fall lain there bound in Chains of Darkness as both the words of Peter Epist 2. Chap. 2.4 where it is said God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down to Hell and delivered them into Chains of Darkness to be reserved unto Judgement And also of Jude Verse 6. where it is said The Angels which kept not their first Estate but left their own Habitation he hath reserved in everlasting Chains under Darkness unto the Judgement of the great Day do perspicuously intimate And therefore certain of them who were permitted to range up and down the Earth for the executing of Gods Judgements having entred into a Man of Gadara and being commanded by Christ to come out of him besought Christ that he would not send him into the bottomless Pit for so the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by Luke in the Relation of this Story and which is translated in English the Deep ought to be rendred as it is in this 20. Chapter of the Revelation Vers 4. And I saw Thrones and they sat upon them and Judgement was given unto them and I saw the Souls of them that were beheaded for the Witness of Jesus and for the Word of God and which had not worshipped the Beast neither his Image neither had received his Mark upon their Foreheads or in their Hands and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand Years 5. But the rest of the Dead lived not again until the thousand Years were finished This is the first Resurrection 6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second Death hath no power but they shall be Priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand Years That Thrones are the Seats of Kings is evident enough but who they are that shall sit upon the Thrones here mentioned and have Judgement given into their hands is neither of it self evident nor here expressed so that we should be at a great loss to finde it out were it not that Daniel speaking of this matter as I have before in the Exposition of the 17. Chapter of this Prophecy evinced saith that Judgement was given to the Saints of the most High Chap. 7.22 It is the Saints therefore that are invested with the Right of Judicature and placed on the Thrones after the Defeat of the Beast and the Binding of Satan Neither ought this Kingdom to be expected till these two miraculous Events have made way for it Wherefore as they are exceedingly mistaken and fear not to gainsay the plain Words of the Scripture who hold that there shall be no fifth Kingdom or Kingdom of the Saints here on Earth when in the mean time an Angel expresly telleth Daniel Chap. 7.27 that the Kingdom and Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the People of the Saints of the most High So are they no less out of the way who dream of any humane Force to be used in the Erection of this Kingdom For this would be to transform the People of the Saints into a Company of Thieves and Robbers But as the rise and fall of the Beast the binding of Satan and setting up of the Kingdom of the Saints here on Earth are great and marvellous Works falling out in the Age here spoken of so also is the first Resurrection whereof all they shall be Partakers and so reign with Christ in heaven who being either Prophets for none but such have the Testimony of Jesus or meer Saints do suffer Death for refusing to worship the Beast For John plainly testifieth that onely such are raised up from the Dead to reign with Christ the thousand Years as were for their Piety in the Reign of the Beast beheaded or smitten with the Ax as the Greek word signifieth Which Expression doth either intimate that the Beast shall both in Judicature as the Romans his Ancestors were wont to do also in War make use of such a Weapon as an Ax to kill the Saints as we find in the Scripture that Nebuchadnezzar did to slay the Egyptians Jer. 40.22 where it is said The voice thereof that is of Egypt shall go like a Serpent for they shall march with an Army and come against her with Axes as Hewers of Wood or else under the most frequent and noted kinde of slaughter that shall be in use at that time all other ways of inflicting Death upon the Saints are comprehended For what reason can be imagined why those Saints that are put to Death with the Ax should share in the first Resurrection rather than such as are dispatched with some other Instrument of cruelty But lest any one should think this Doctrine of the first Resurrection taken according to the Letter of the holy Text to be strange though to me it seemeth more strange that Christians should scruple at a thing so plainly and punctually set down in the Scripture for they may as well call into question whatsoever is here spoken concerning the Resurrection that is to be afterwards at the last Day and to which this Resurrection is opposed go to let us confirm this precious Truth so much encouraging Christians to lay down their Lives for the Gospel by other passages taken out of this Book of the Revelation where such an anticipated Resurrection is held forth as belonging both to those Saints that suffer Death under the Reign of the Beast and also to those that dy for Christ and the Gospel at any time whatsoever First therefore it is in the 11. Chapter said of the two Witnesses who are expresly there called Prophets and so must needs be two Men since none but Men are in the Scripture termed Prophets that after they had been slain by the Beast and their dead Bodyes lyen unburied three Days and an half in the Streets of Jerusalem for not Rome but Jerusalem is the great City where Christ was slain The Spirit of Life from God entred into them and they stood upon their feet From which words it is undeniably manifest that the two Witnesses are raised from the Dead whilest the Beast reigneth What hinders then but that the other Prophets and Saints put to Death by him may likewise be restored to Life presently after his Defeat as this 20. Chapter doth in