fully waken them from their deadnesse and pull perfitly the vaile from their hearts pouring on them the spirit of mercy and compassion and taking from them their stony hearts that they may see him whom they pearced And this is called peculiarly the voice from the Throne to note God his powerfull working of their illumination and full conuersion at this point whereto their hearts by the victory of the Christian Church and praise offered to God therefore were in some good degrees before prepared and mollified So as now all the seruants af God all that feare him both small and great shall raise vp a song to God for multitude maiesty and noise admirable for exceeding great power and motion of spirit full of thundering for newnesse of matter passing ioyfull For raising of this great Halleluiah a strange order of working as would appeare is heere set downe For where it might seeme that according to the ordinary dispensation of all grace the voice should from the Throne haue gone first to the Beasts and Elders and from them to the multitude in a heauenly wisdome the first motion is from the multitude next from Beasts and Elders and lastlie from the Throne to shew this great worke as I haue shewed at last by God his owne power fully effectuall The order is from I say A voice soundeth from the City a voice from the Temple the voice of the Lord who recompenseth his enemies Then Sion before she trauelled brought foorth her children and before her paine shee was deliuered of a man childe Then The earth was brought foorth in a day and a Nation was borne at once Conferre diligently and espie deepe wisdome This voice is to all Gods his seruant to all that feare him both small and great the time of whose reward is now come when God destroieth them who destroied the earth Chapter 11. Now Rachel barren while Lea bare children shall breake foorth in the thousands of Manasse and tenne thousands of Ephraim So by this voice from the Citie from the Temple and lastly from the Throne euen from him Who fully recompenseth his enemies is raised for multitude of singers for manner and matter of song an Helleluiah of a wonderfull note While not onely a great multitude euen all the sernants of God small and great Iew and Gentile doe sing it but also their song is like the voice of many Waters and as the noise of great thunders not as these Cha. 14. which none heard but the sealed ones but such as shall fill the world with astonishment and make the heauens resound So sweetely and mightily shall the Harpes of them whose receiuing shall bee life from the dead bee tuned vp with vs Gentiles to praiseour common Sauiour 5 Thus for cleering the mystery heere implied hauing shewed the forme in the singers vncouth manner order and course of this whole song Now let vs returne and first consider the matter of all and then the euent in Iohn 6 The matter of the song in the first three Halleluiah and two degrees of singers is all one In the last Halleluiah last singers when all small great sing it is larger The song of the first singers hath two parts and accordingly to shew the rising of their affection the word Halleluiah is doubled The first part hath the speciall points of praise and reasons thereof The speciall points are Saluation glory honour and power c. Thus in ioyfull song professing that the onely praise of their saluation the onely glory that is the estimation and high account they haue God in as onely author of all their good all the honour that is all dutifull worship which according to that estimation and account they owe are due to him onely Lastly they acknowledge his onely power and strength in all their deliuerance and ouerthrow of their foes This song is the same in argument with that Chap. 7. Saluation is of our God and of the Lambe The reasons of this their praise are first generally giuen and next specially accommodare to the present matter The generall is that his iudgements are true and iust in relation to his promises and nature and accordingly in the speciall case heere meaned the truth of his iudgements is cleere in that the Whoore is iudged and destroied as he promised not onely to destroy her but also all that doe euill to the Sanctuary The iustice and equity is manifest in her sinne who was a great Whoore and therewithal the corrupter of the whole earth being both her selfe extremely sinnfull and inducing others to sinne next extremely cruell as in whom all the blood of the earth was found and who specially was drunken with the blood of Saints Now God is a requirer of blood and singulary of his holy ones whose death is precious in his eies This both truth and iustice of God in this speciall act of the Whoores damnation is yet more cleered in the second part of their song whereto they are stirred by the consideration of her euerlasting fall so as they neuer feare her deceit or cruelty any more And this raiseth their affection to a new Halleluiab so vpon the more cleare sense of the greatnesse of the benefit doubling the praise The foolish knoweth it not and the vnwise man vnderstandeth not that the wicked flourisheth as the grasse but hee shall bee destroied for euer 7 The second order of singers affirme the same matter in the word Amen and sing the same praise in Halleluiah 8 In the third order as the singers are moe and the note higher so is the matter of their song somewhat larger as which hath not onely relation to the iudgement of the Whoore as the former parts of the song but also to the subsequent story both of the enemies ouerthrow and gracefull state of the Bride thereupon both which are heere summarily celebrate and largely after through the booke exponed The first in this that now the Lord raigneth for they are destroied who vsurped the Kingdome The other in that the Bride is prepared The destruction of the vsurpers is hencefoorth in this and the next Chapter the Bride prepared Chapters 21. and 22. Heereupon all are of other mutually exhorttd to ioy and gladnesse aswell as to the praising of God for that The Lambe his marriage is come c. Wherein as there is huge matter of Gods praise so of exceeding ioy to themselues in their owne good from him This marriage contracted of old was come in a great degree when the Bridegrome came into the world but they who were bidden refused to come and amongst those who were brought in to the wedding one wanted a wedding garment and thereupon is cast out into vtter darkenesse euen the lake of fire and Brimestone But now at this point heere celebrated the marriage shall come in a nobler degree when God by a voice from the Throne shall turne their hearts who refused now to come in that as their casting of
most deare It is a booke for the certainety of things registred in God his booke Psal 139. according to the manner of men who carefully put in Register that whereof they would haue the record abide sure For properly God hath no booke but is his owne booke It is copiously written in that the inside of the roll for bookes must bee vnderstood according to the manner of that time not suffising to containe the whole it is written also on the backe and this sheweth besides the certainety of the matter so carefully and amply recorded the speciall prouidence of God in al the particular cases of his Saints as whose wandrings are counted teares are registred and haires are numbred It is sealed with seuen seales to shew the abstruse secresie as perfectly closed vp which the number of seuen implyeth 3 Now besides this condition of the matter in it selfe the retired eminency thereof is declared also by the imbecility of all creatures to attaine thereto proued by a most sure argument euen experience which is heere set out after the manner of men in that all beeing by publike edict prouoked to the opening of the booke all come short of it Which first euent of imbecility of all Creatures is more cleared by a second euent in the Apostle who thereupon mourneth a sore mourning Here then are to bee obserued the Herauld the tenor of the Proclamation and the double euent aforesaid The Herauld is a strong Angell hauing a strong voice such as becommeth the Herauld of a great King for making all Creatures heare him And euen herein is implyed an amplification of the imbecility of creatures as which all are prouoked and haue lawfull warning The tenor of the Proclamation is Who is worthy to open the booke loose the seuen Seales thereof shewing as a free essay offered to all yet that to atchieue it was required great worthinesse The first euent is the insufficiencie of all creatures whereof according to the ordinary maner of Scripture is put a perfit enumeration of those in heauen in earth and vnder the earth neither Saint nor Angel being found worthy of this work And their weaknes is amplified in that al were so far from the worthines of taking and opening the booke as none were able to looke vpon it The iudgements of God are so great a depth Vpon this first euent followeth a second in Iohn who hauing beene called vp to heauen to see such things as afterwards were to be fall the Church hee is at the first brought almost to despaire of seeing ought whereupon in a holy albeit infirme affection hauing forgot on whose breast hee had leaned as zealous of the Church her good and hartely sorry she should remaine depriued of so great benefit hee mourneth and mourneth much an affection now rarely found in any And certainely so long as for obtaining ought out of God his hand for our comfort wee looke to any creature wee shall reape but mourning till wee see him who onely is worthy to bring vs grace from the father 4 The second great argument of the dignity of this reuelation is the worthy personage by whom it is reuealed to whom God gaue it Chap. 1. And of him are to bee obserued two things First his performing of that wherein all creatures had succumbed and secondly the euent and effect following thereupon In the performer are first Iohn his knowledge of him and next the fact performed Iohn his knowledge is first by information and secondly by sight In the information are the occasion the informer and what he informeth The occasion is Iohn his mourning whereof the informer would comfort him For it is most true that as holding our eies on creatures we can reape but sorrow so till in conscience of our owne wants and felt experience of the vanity of all refuge to any creature wee learne to mourne and mourne much we finde no solid ioy either for peace of conscience or light of reuelation Our diuels are not cast out but by praier and fasting Daniel had then greatest reuelation when he had bene in heauinesse three weekes of daies The informer is one of the elders Now wee must consider whereof these twenty foure elders are the type and what personage Iohn heere beareth which duly weighed wee shall not maruell how this sonne of thunder is informed of one of the elders Iohn heere is the type of one entring in heauen to know God his secrets Now heauen and the twenty foure elders are the type of God his true Church as hath beene cleared As then the true Church is the pillar and stable seat of truth so without it is neither saluation nor any true knowledge for God is knowne in Iuda Hereby then is signified that all true knowledge of Christ is in his Church The information hath first a dehortation from mourning secondly a designation of the singular personage and thirdly his prerogatiue to performe the dehortation as it is grounded on the comfort hee was to shew him so hath it this vse that true light bringeth euer true ioy The designation of the person performer is by two titles 1 That Lion of the Tribe of Iuda 2 That root or syour of Dauid In these are to be obserued first the titles and next whence they are brought He is a Lion but with this note that he is of Iuda Satan is a Lion and a roaring Lion that Lion whom Sampson rent out of whose mouth Dauid pulling his sheepe killed him but this Lion of Iuda taketh the prey and none is able to rescue it whom when he lyeth downe who dare stirre him vp Hee is the root or syour of Dauid by Iuda and Dauid to shew the true Messias promised of their seed These titles are brought the one from Genes 49. the other from the 11. of Isaiah the one from Moses the other from the Prophets They haue Moses and the Prophets saith Abraham in Parable thither Christ sendeth the Iewes for true knowledge of himselfe So then the elders informe but out of Moses and the Prophets to shew that as onely in the Church true knowledge is to bee had so no voice should there be heard but of the Scriptures Search the Scriptures for they beare witnesse of mee The third point whereof the elder informeth Iohn is the prerogatiue of this great personage to performe And it is set downe in this one word hee hath obtained to open the booke c. of which more heereafter in the song This farre knowledge Iohn getteth by information the other degree of knowledge is by sight wherein the ordinary degrees of true illumination for stablishing of a soule in certainty of truth heere in great wisdome set downe are carefully to be marked The first is the information of the Church and authority thereof as Augustine calleth it Opportunum inquirendi exordium In which respect hee saith in another place and in the person of one ignorant
that with them truly is found all the bloud shed vpon the earth Chap. 18. 24 CHAP. X. AS the sixth Seale besides the own proper effect gaue a preparation to the seuenth by a summary view of the whole effect thereof in the seuenth Chapter so here the sixt Trumpet besides the proper woe of it in the four destroying Angels from Euphrates and their Armies of desolation in the end of the last Chapter maketh way now in this and a good part of the next Chapter to the effect of the seuenth Trumpet and last woe which impenitency now iustly bringeth on Now all this preparation euen to the blowing of the seuenth Trumpet Chapter 11. 15. albeit it be to cleare the way yea and hath some no small beginnings of that great woe which by the seuenth Trumpet is fulfilled yet it is comprehended vnder the second great woe according to their distinction by Trumpets because euen in the height of this second great woe these degrees towards the last were working So wisely and artificially is the course of this Prophesie led forward and parts thereof clearely coupled together This preparation then for Antichrist his iust and full ouerthrow vpon obstinate impenitency against the punâ—shment from Euphrates is by a magnifike description of that great partie who foileth him and of the meanes of his victory The party is Iesus Christ heere typically setforth as alwaies throughout this Prophesie not according to the veriry of his person but to expresse his operation in this worke His meanes of victory are the little booke opened and the bold and powerfull preaching thereof and that for Finishing the mystery in the full ouerthrow of the enemies and perfecting the Church in all grace heere as a prepared Bride for her husband whereto hee fitteth â—pt instruments who by diuine motion studying diligently the Scriptures preach euery where the Gospell So as by the true rule rightly applied the true Church of God is discerned from the false and light growing Antichrist his kingdome is in a degree shaken and beginneth to fall and in the seuenth Trumpet is vtterly and for euer destroied 2 Wee haue then in this Chapter the comming of the great personnage performer of this worke and the end of his comming For effectuating wherof prophecy is restored This great persoâ—nage is that stronger one then Satan who foiled him and now after a sort returneth to ouerthrow the beast of his power the Angell of the bottomlesse pit king Apollyon In this personage are to be obserued whence he commeth the forme of his person and his actions Hee commeth from heauen as the aduersary came out of the bottomlesse pit not in propriety of speech as if he personally descended but that he who through antichrist his darkenesse was not seene now againe sheweth himselfe As God is said often in Scripture to depart or hide and againe to shew himselfe The glorious and magnifike forme of his person is shewed in a note of diuine maiesty that he is clâ—athed with a cloude Luke 2â— At the erecting of the tabernacle a cloud filled it So also Salomon his Temple The Lord hath said he will dwell in the cloud Hee gaue his presence to Israel in the wildernesse in a pillar of a cloud Hee maketh the cloudes his Chariot and he went vp in a cloude Secondlie he hath the Rainebow about his head as he whose presence bringeth peace the raies of his face imprinting the seale of peace in the darkest soâ—le and most clowdy conscience The shining of the Sunne against a cloud maketh the Rainbow So Christ whose face shineth like the Sun in his strength Chap. 1 being clothed with a cloud hath conueniently a Rainebow about his head His flesh is the vaile couering his Deity whereof the manefestation therin maketh our peace But heere specially hath hee the Rainebow about his head as comming now to dispel the great deluge of Antichristian darkenesse which shall neuer againe ouerspread the face of the Church more then the waters of Noah shall the earth giuing thus a sure pledge of serenity Chapter 9. Section 5. Thirdly his feet haue two notes They are pillers and they are fire The first for stable firmnesse and solide strength wherein hee now commeth both to stablish his Church in peace and to tread downe all his enemies The fire sheweth with light and purity dispelling darkenesse and purging all vncleannesse yet fiery affliction conioined in this conflict with Antichrist against all which notwithstanding his Church should stand stable as the Pillar of truth He hath fourthly in his hand a little booke open This is the weapon of his victory It is little in comparison to Antichrist his great booke of humane Traditions vnwritten Verities Apocriphe Scriptures Decretals Canons and manifold Legends all ioined and equalled by them in their practise at lest with this booke It is open for that cleere vnderstanding of holy Scripture which now Christ should bring whereas in Antichrist his darkenesse the same was buried in ignorance which with them is the mother of deuotion it being held capitall for common laicke men to read Scripture in vulgar tongue 3 The actions of this great personnage thus furnished are in his gesture and in his voice His gesture is that he set his right foot on the Sea and his left foot on the Land as he who hath power ouer all creatures Who stablisheth the mountaines by his power and appeaseth the noise of the Seas the noise of the waues thereof and the tumults of people Psal 65. His right foot is set on the Sea as whose rage is most terrible and the left on the earth to shew that he is sufficiently furnished with all strength and accordingly vttereth it as for the party opponer is requisit In the 13. Chapter to expresse Antichrist his estate two beasts arrise the one out of the Sea the other out of the Earth These he commeth to vndoe and conueniently therefore setteth his feet in this manner So is his gesture His voice is a loud cry Wherein as the little booke is the weapon of his warfare so the vse and welding of it is heere expressed to wit Preaching Whereof to shew the boldnesse his voice is compared to the reoaring of a Lion And to expresse the power and that perfect accompanying the bold Preaching of the Gospell now restored seuen thunders are said to speake As at the going out of the Gospel in the first seale the first beast hauing the face of a Lion Spake like thunder So now at reuiuing of the Gospel to Antichrist his ouerthrow it shall be accompanied with boldnesse and perfection of of power The great Angell comming downe to fight for Sion and the hill thereof Isai 31 4. Now consider that Christ is heere described according to his vertue working in his seruants whose voice if it be his is bold and powerfull If their voice be as it ought the eccho of his cry it will be like thunder For thunders
which it is that the world feeleth all this wrath That story therefore was in the 12. 13. and thus farre in this 14. Chapters Wherein is no idle repetition of what appeareth before set downe For the consideration is much diuers in that whatsoeuer before the 12. Chapter was spoken of the enemies or their dealing was to shew how by them the world and worldly sort in God his iustice were punished The case of the Church sparingly touched so farre as might shew her to bee free from these euils euen in the midst of them which were poured on the world for her hard intertainement And what in the eleuenth Chapter seemeth wholly agreeable for time and condition with that which hithertils in this Chapter is said of the Church in her two declared states yet hath a farre distinct consideration from this In that there the witnesses first in the Temple next in their warre with the Beast slaughter rising againe going vp to heauen and terrour of their enemies thereupon with the fall in a part of the Antichristian kingdome are put as plagues on the world and men thereof whom they first plagued next tormented and vexed after terrified and in part ouerthrew For the Gospell to whom it is not the sauour of life is the greatest iudgement that commeth on the world But from the beginning of the 12. Chapter to this place the enemies are handled as by them the Church is exercised First fighting and preuailing to Satan his deiection and exaltation of the first seede Yet so as through Satan his rage but aided thereto with the two wings of that great Eagle the true Church at length fleeth to the wildernesse and there lurketh Wherethrough the Beast comming in place obtaineth and deceiueth all except these who on mount Sion inioy the presence of the Lambe Who at length by degrees breake foorth and albeis in much suffering yet still fight till at length by him who sitteth on the white cloude the iudgemeuts of God are made manifest The story of the eleuenth Chapter and of this are for time and matter the same but the consideration and respect of handling much different Which is yet for course and order in so diuine an artifice led on as heere the story falling in againe to the same point from which for inserting this narration it was since the eleuenth Chapter broken off of that which from the 15. verse of 11. the Chapter at the sound of the seuenth Trumpet was vpon preconceiued ioy denounced heere from the foureteenth verse of this Chapter to the ende the execution is summarily proponed Exceeding fitly so falling in to the large explication of the seuenth trumpet in the subsequent Chapters 11 This summary execution is declared by two comparisons One of the Haruest the other of the Vintage From Ioel 3. In both are to be considered the Actors and their actions The Haruest hath two actors and so hath the Vintage The actiōs of both Actors both in haruest vintage are that the one worketh furnished with conuenient instrument the other stirreth to the work Which in the Haruest is reaping the haruest of the earth in the Vintage the cutting downe of the Grapes casting them in the winepresse treading c. The arguments whereby the inciters stirre the executers is the readinesse of both for reaping and cutting downe Thus by similitudes familiar in the Prophets for such iudgements the destruction of the enemies of the Church is expressed who in God his wrath as an vncleane thing without the Citie are destroied with so huge a slaughter as all the earth is filled farre and deepe with their blood by Hyperbolike speech expressing the greatnesse of the plague and as to the holy City so also alluding to the Land of Canaan which is in length 160. furlongs as witnesseth Rabbi Menahen vpon Genesis fol. 60. For clearing heereof the Actors and their distinct actions must be diligently aduerted so much the more as to the obscuring of all the Prophesie this place is widely mistaken In them are to bee noted their properties their doing and their order of doing for course of time to be carefully obserued In the haruest hee that worketh being accordingly furnished with fit instrument by all hi◠notes is vndoubtedly Christ the Lord of the haruest For he is one like the sonne of man which in all this Prophesie is put but in one other place and that for Christ he fitteth as a Iudge on a white cloude both for eminency and maiesty as also by the whitenesse to shew the clearenesse purenesse of his iudgements which Now were to be made manifest Chap. 15. 4. The first flying Angell foretold that they were neere now Christ is cleerely to shew himselfe by shewing hence The signe of the sonne of Man in heauen The speech is from Isai 19. 1. Behold the Lord rideth on a swift cloude Hee hath with a sharpe sikle a crowne to shew him to be the Lord both of Haruest and Vintage For he not onely gathereth the Saints but also the Tares in bundles and treadeth the Winepresse of God his wrath and in both he conquereth ouercometh Chap. 6. The other comming out of the temple is the type of Saints faithfull ones whose habitation is in the Temple out of which they are now bold to step out and be seene and perceiuing the ripenes of the Haruest whereto it was not yet come in the fifth Seale and therefore this execution craued of them then was delaied and yet not being able in that weake estate of the Gospell reuiuing for so great a worke therefore it is that this Angell hath no sikle they beseech the Lord of the haruest to put too his hand and Haue mercy on Sion For the time to haue mercy for euen the ful time is come The haruest of the earth is ripe and the rest of the Saints slaine Neither is this thus expressed as if euen then or at any time Christ did not worke by instruments but to shew the beginnings such as in respect of the greatnesse of the worke and little humane aide it was in a sort Christ his owne arme which helped him But in processe of time by the powerfull progresse of the Gospell hee getteth to himselfe ministers of executing his wrath euen out of the Temple furnished with conuenient weapons And to expresse this in the Vintage the Actor commeth out of the Temple hauing a sharpe sikle as Christ betime got himselfe and daily raiseth of his owne faithfull ones fit instruments inabled and furnished with power to execute his iust iudgements against the enemies To doe to her as shee hath done to vs and to render her double For this it is that this second Actor hath these different notes from the first He sitteth not he is not crowned and he commeth out of the Temple So then this Angell is the generall type in this summary proposition of that same whereof the seuen Angels are in the
and the sight whereof men most abhorre The speech is from common sense whereby wee esteeme these desolate and foreleited places to be full of foule spirits which resort most in filthy roomes as the damoniake of alegion abode amongst the graues Whether their delight bee in such places or if God in his iustice so confine them or if in such places they appeare most to mooue the more terrour 4 The equity of this great fall is for bringing all the earth into the sin of spirituall fornication so making it guilty of wrath and that so farre as the greatest Kings were besotted with her While shee by couetousnesse and deceitfull efficacy of errour so maketh merchandize of all men as the ministers of her abominations waxed Kings fellowes swimming in all aboundance of wealth and carnall pleasure And therefore it is a iust thing with God that shee who with false semblance drew all the earth after her should bee now no lesse abhorred then is hell the dwelling of Diuels that she who was the darling of Kings committing filthinesse with them should now bee a receptacle of foule and filthie spirits and shee who for frequent resort and multitude of trade was not only her selfe the Lady of Kingdomes but also made all her merchants rich through her superfluous luxury should nowe become so desolate and forsaken as to bee the nesting place of all vncleane and hatefull birds 5 The second voice from heauen amplifieth and cleareth these same points of certaine and instant performance equity and greatnesse of her iudgement that so in the mouthes of two or three witnesses and from heauen the matter may be stable And this is by a threefold exhortation to the Saints 1. To forsake and come out of her proper to such as at this time shall yet be within her So little reason hath she at any time to glory in the number of the Beast his name 2. To repay her with iust recompence And. To reioice of her fall The first are stirred first to come out of her by argument of a manifest perill to the remainers of being infected with the contagion of her sinne and consequently inuolued with her in the same iudgement For society in sinne bringeth fellowship in wrath Secondly they are stirred to do it with diligence both for the greatnesse of the iudgement and present effusion of wrath which can haue no delay in respect her sinne is come to the height shee hauing so still heaped sinne on sinne that her iniquity hath mounted to the heauens so as God who for his patience and long-suffering appeareth often to forget the waies of men is now to poure out on her such a full cup of wrath as shall well witnesse him to remember her sinnes and to bee a iust repayer of iniquitie Thus as the exhortation to come out by a voice from heauen sheweth the certainty of a present fall like that of Sodom when Lot was bid of the Angels to come out of her and that of Babel properly when by the Prophets the people of Israel were exhorted to come out of her and bee as the hee-goats of the flocke so is both the greatnesse of her destruction heerein implyed like that of Sodom where was no remnant and the equity of it is cleare in the degree of her sinne The Angel whose voice Chapt. 14. succeeded the denouncer there of Babels fall gaue sharpe warning not to worshippe the Beast or receiue his character But now absolute deserting of Babel is needfull and euen the name and number are now dangerous Wherefore come out of her and remember Lot his wife 6 The second point whereto the second heauenly voice exhorteth the faithfull specially the ministers of Babels fall is to doe the worke of the Lord diligently for negligence therein is accursed in all which the equity greatnesse and certainety of her fall is shewed For what is more equall then retribution and that euery one receiue according to their worke then as they haue measured that so it bee measured to them againe what more iust then who exalteth her selfe that she bee brought low and that shee who hath wallowed in pleasures and carnall delights receiue torment and sorrow what more equall then who presumptuously glorying in her greatnesse and strength securely promised to her selfe perpetuall stability she finde againe vnexpected destruction Now how great againe shall the fall of Babel be if shee receiue double for her waies and that so much the more as by the hands of these whome shee hath highly wronged therupon stirred in iust disdaine against her if shee be al 's farre pressed downe as shee hath exalted her selfe whose fall shall be like her fall if she receiue torment and sorrow according to her pleasures what torment and griefe shall bee comparable to hers That this her iudgement is ineuitable al 's wel as iust and great is cleare in this that it is God euen that great Lord of heauen and earth that condemneth her and who then shall absolue her wherein as the ineuitable certainety of her iudgement is euident so is implyed the equity For shall the Iudge of the world iudge vnrighteously the greatnesse also for it is a hard thing to fall into the hands of the Lord before whom all Nations are but as the droppe of a Bucket or as the dust of a Trebuschet 7 For more clearing of her presumption and confident glorifying her selfe it is expressed in her owne speeches and her iudgement accordingly set downe I sit being a Queene and am no widdow neither shall I see mourning The word Sit is Emphatike Steuchus against Valla pleading the priuiledge of the Romane seate affirmeth stoutly that all Kings haue by her left vnto them but the vse and administration of their Kingdomes and that the right in property belongeth to her and shee will be holden domina regina Thus while they know not what they speake the tongues and pennes of these Parasites are led to verifie against themselues the truth of this prophesie 8 Her iudgements here specified are such as befall the most distressed in strightest sieges of Townes when mortalitie doole and famine all iointly consume as it may perhaps fall that thus shee bee sacked And these iudgements are amplified as by the measure so also by their manner of comming on as which come inexpected in one day Not that in one instant shee shall fall which were a great relaxation to her griefe but to shew two things One that her fall shall haue no turning but from the time it beginne shee shall fall still till vtter ruine The other is that euen her last and ful destruction shall come farre against her expectation in a day whereof shee shall not know the morning For albeit shee feele already her iudgement begunne and in good degrees aduanced so as they are gnawing their tongues for sorrow yet she is still as Iezabel who vpon the very point of her last fall
painted her face and looked as a Queene and like Baltazar and Babel properly who although they were straitely besieged yet imagined nothing lesse then the surprise of their City in so farre as that same night of their finall ouerthrow they had giuen themselues to all manner of prophane ryot So Rome amidst her plague growing on yet dreameth to her selfe a perpâ—uity But when shee sayeth Peace Peace then shall come vpon her sodaine destruction 9 That God stirreth his children to recompence her according to her worke and to render her double Wee must not imagine that either God louseth the raines to carnall appetite of reuenge or yet is vniust in his iudgements For first wee must consider that their doing is warranted by commandement of God in execution whereof as hee will haue no man remisse so will he that we haue him and his honor single before our eyes which euen in our persons as his seruants may be interressed in that respect should moue vs with such motions as in Moses Dauid Elias Elisha and other Saints wee see are approued In which as all carnall and priuate respects are damnable so is negligence in God his worke accursed Saul his pitty of Agag was not onely preposterous but prophane and brought the declaration of his reprobation Ahab his foolish pitty of Benhadad bred him heauinesse Next euery man his calling must bee eyed to the rule whereof God restraineth all our actions for extraordinary deedes warranted by extraordinary motions are not ordinary or to be drawn into example the Magistrate hath another part then a priuate man Therefore euery man ought to keepe his Station and all concurre so to the downe-bringing of Babell as Israel had commandement to inuade Iericho who were not onely to attend the Trumpet and Shoute but to go vp also each straight before him from his own station no where diuerting Moreouer there is a diuers consideration of that state ordained for destruction and of euery particular member in it of whom particularly wee know not the counsell of God In the donble acquitall is no iniustice for the double measure is in relation to the wrong done to the Saints and not to the merite of their sinne against God which is infinite and the honour of God and due consolation of God his Saints require that shee bee recompensed to the full for assurance whereof wee must not looke to the apparant possibility or impossibility of meanes but to God the righteous Iudge who is a strong Lord. 10 This great iudgement of the Whore is yet amplified by a liuely representation of the mourning of her adherents vpon the sight of her fall As by the contrary thereupon the godly are stirred to ioy The lamenters are of three rankes Kings Marchants and Seamen who all haue these things common Astonishment Feare and Sorrow so much the greater for the sodaine and vnexpected fal of the Whore whose greatnesse might riches and magnificence were so conioyned with the pleasure and delight of Kings gaine of Merchants trade and vphold of Sea-men as the world standing who euer could haue imagined the fall thereof and in one howre Thus the sodain and strange case breedeth astonishment The smoake of her burning and terrour of her torment bringeth feare so as how grieued soeuer with her fall yet they stand backe not daring to helpe her Their sorrow ariseth to each order vpon the speciall consideration of their seuerall interests Kings sorrow for losse of their darling and their pleasures For these commonly delight in an easie worshippe of mans inuention and of any can least submit their neckes to the yoake of Christ which might restraine licentiousnesse Ahab had hundrethes of Prophets but he could not abide Micheas and held Elias for his enemy and troubler of Israel The two witnesses Chapter 11. vexed the earth Princes most part are much giuen also to fleshly liberty whereof vnder the Popedome they had no restraint so being otherwaies they shewed themselues fauourers of that state Merchants sorrow for that through her fall none buy their wares any more and they waxed rich onely by the abundance of her pleasures To amplifie this occasion of their griefe the sorts of wares are recounted thereby shewing the wonderfull greatnes of her trade by which her Merchants behoued to bee enriched as hauing the trade of all nations and of all manner goods from all parts All that serueth for glorious and princely attire as gold siluer pretious stones pearles fine linnen silke purple scarlet or for delightfull and sumptuous plenishing and fabricke as Thymwood vessels of Iuorie all vessels of most precious wood brasse yron and marble or for pampering the person and dainty faire as Cinamon odours ointments incense wine oyle floure wheat Cattell sheepe or for royall and princely Port as horses chariots seruants The decay of all which from her and so the matter of her Merchants sorrow is closed vp with a generall of all that her soule lusted after all fat and all pleasant thing vttered in a sarcastik apostrophe to her selfe for amplifying her fall and argument of their sorrow so much the greater as shee should neuer recouer her losses 11 Now albeit it bee true that Rome through her greatnesse and luxurie maketh great change to all Merchants of these same wares properly taken and that her fall shall endammage many who now liue by ministring to her delights yet this is not here chiefly meaned For neither are the great men of the earth properly Merchants of these things neither can her fall stay the sale of such wares in the rest of the world But all this Allegory is by allusion to the prophesie of Ezechiel against Tyrus VVhereto as to the most noble Merchant City in wares corporall Rome is compared for spiritual marchandize wherein as a glorious deceiuing Whore she tradeth with such gaine amongst all Nations that her Merchants haue gotten the riches of the world by selling of Pardons Indulgences Reliques Soule-Masses Buls Remissions Dispensations Confirmations and infinite other trash wherewith they haue now long time so bewitched the foolish world as in each Country they had and somewhere yet haue the halfe of the Kingdom For their Locusts stinging like Scorpions with a paine lesse tollerable then death made mad men search with losse of all things to redeeme that peace which they neuer shewed them The recent story of the state of Venice forced to contest with these Merchantes before they should deuoure all giueth hereto a cleare Testimony What the Pope gained by Episcopall Palles annates and extraordinary imposts is well knowne Besides the dayly great Market of al which things at Rome and thousands liuing thereby for their greater commodity Iubilies are to the contumely of Christ instituted but that all their Market is much fallen through the drying vp of her waters already in such measure as they are gnawing their tongues for sorrow And that wee may take vp what sort of wares and
Christ began this second time sitting on a white cloude Chap. 14. 14. to make his iudgements manifest Cha. 15. 4. And from the time he began to erect this his great white Throne by the reuiued light of the Gospell when the time of the dead commeth to bee iudged Chap 11. The seuenth Trumpet sounding to the finishing of the mystery of God in full accomplishment of all which the Prophets foretold for deliuerance of the Church and her goodly state in grace So as the signe of the sonne of man shall bee seene in heauen the victory ouer her enemies shall still hold on and the enemies still fall as did Haman before Mordecay till by all the degrees of destruction they at last in the generall iudgement receiue finall sentence when death and the Diuell who hath dominion thereof shall be abolished And for this purpose onely it is that heere so liuely an hypotyposis of the last iudgement is set downe In the person of the iudge the maner and order of iudging and the execution so farre foorth as for the present purpose was needfull The person of the Iudge is described in his office administration thereof and his dreadfull maiesty and power In office hee is a Iudge a royall and a great Iudge as hauing a Throne and a great Throne He is also faithfull true vpright and glorious and whose iudgements are cleare and manifest by his white Throne As he rode before Chap. 19. on a white horse and did sit Chapt. 14. on a white cloude His administration is in that hee sitteth His dreadfull maiesty and power is expressed in a wonderfull forme of ishing before his presence Heauen and Earth depart and so as their place is not found To shew a perfit departing as that which in Scripture is saide of the wicked that he perisheth so as his place is not knowen 21 The order of iudgement is in the persons iudged and manner of processe The persons are all the deade great and small cleared by enumeration of these who are dead in the Sea who by any other kind of mortality or who were in their graues And herein clearely is implyed the power of the Iudge For no question can bee of the liuing when all the dead are forced to giue presence The manner of processe is set downe after the forme of well ordered humane iudicatories In that bookes were opened euen the records of mens actions and another booke the booke of life The iudgement of earth is of these things which were in the bookes according to their workes The forme of speech is to be noted in that it saith not of things written in the bookes and according to their workes To shew that heere are not two rules of iudging But that so men are iudged according to their works as yet the iudgement is led and ordered by the bookes For the ground and cause of the iudgement is the booke of life according as in it mens names are written or are passed by beeing either giuen to Christ of the Father or left Now whom the Father giueth him none is able to take out of his hand but he raiseth them vp at the last day And whom he electeth them hee predestinateth to bee made conformable to the image of his sonne whom he predestinateth he calleth effectually whom he calleth he iustifieth and sanctifieth heere by his spirit to bring foorth fruits of righteousnesse and so at length glorifieth These fruits of faith confirme vs in the assurance of our election and that wee are in Christ Iesus that which further strengthneth our peace as writing it in our owne consciences which are the one sort of bookes and whose testimonie must accord with the other booke of life Now then in the iudgement so are workes lookt on as collation alwaies must be of the bookes to see if our names be written in the booke of life as assurance of life and ioyfull peace are written in our consciences Otherwaies in it selfe all our righteousnesse is but as a menstruous clout But yet what Israel will not obtaine seeking to establish their owne righteousnesse which is by the Law the election will obtaine 22 Such are the person of the Iudge and the order and manner of processe Now the execution followeth Which agreeably to the purpose of the holy Ghost for which onely mention of the last iudgement is heere made is all in wrath against death hell and such as are not written in the booke of life who are adiudged to euerlasting fire which is the second death And this is to shew as I touched before that this last victory ouer the Dragon and his instruments shall bee full and perfect holding course from the first degree of their foile therein till death and the graue which are the last enemies be subdued And this execution of enemies was sufficient to record in this place where this matter is not handled as though now at this point of time and incident case the last iudgement were to fall out As many heereupon haue imagined that the ouerthrow of Antichrist and these huge Armies of opponents should bee conioined with Christ his last comming But the spirit hath no such meaning But handling the victory of the Church ouer her enemies to shew that it should bee perfect he letteth vs see that it shall hold on till all enemies being subdued to Christ his feet at last death be swallowed vp of victorie and that the Dragons foile should not bee now as at the first binding from which after a space hee got loose againe But it should bee to finall destruction And in this sense the Apostle in the second to the Thess 2. telleth that Antichrist shall bee abolished with the brightnesse of the Lord his comming Not as though he shall raigne till then but that he shall be so consumed heere with the power of the word of truth as without recouering strength he shall be destroied for euer the full and perfect point whereof is in the Lord his last comming and finall sentence against him Therefore Cha. 17 the Beast is said to goe to destruction In the vsuall manner of Scripture when God will confirme his Saints against dangers and in hope of deliuerance for their full setling he leadeth them to the consideration of that finall deliuerance whereto euer our hearts should bend themselues and in like manner in denouncing destruction to the enemies in the measure whereof as it falleth out here we neuer are satisfied he leadeth vs to their last and finall sentence Thus the Lord calleth the Prophet and other faithfull in that promised deliuerance from the tyranny of Antiochus Epiphanes to the consolation of the resurrection So Christ in his sermons often Paul for all Christianity pleadeth the resurrection The Martyres suffered constantly vnder the Lawe looking for a better resurrection The Scripture teacheth vs that that day shall come as a thiefe vpon a peaceable and secure world marrying and taking in
Whoore. 181 The Eâ—â—s of Christ as a flame of fire 212 Elders Throne and Beasts 202 Romane Emperors bloody persecuters and how some were forced to honour the Saints 48 The Germaine Emperors 175. 179 The Graecian Emperors 178 The Enemies of the Church in the old and new Testament 104. 145 Example 193 F HOw to iudge of our Fathers in time of Antichrist 136 141 Fire from the Altar of a double effect 60 Fire of Gods spirit of loue and the fire of contention the different companions and effects of the two fires 62 The Fire of Ambition 63 Fire Brimstone and Iacinthe 83 The Fire of Christs feet 86 To haue power ouer Fire 146 How the Fire is mingled with the Sea 150 Christ his eies a flame of Fire 212 The Flood cast out of the Dragon his mouth 109 Flying through the middest of heauen 68. 134. 187 Frogges comming out of the mouthes of the Dragon Beast and false Prophet 161. 162 Their properties 164 Who they are 165 Fulminatrix legio 43 G CHrist his Garment dipt in Blood 214 His neme written on his Garment 216 Our Gate and onely doore to God is lesus Christ 259 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 254 God his seate in his Church his nature and Trinity of that one shadowed by three Iewels 12 His patience 82 Gog and Magog 233 That they are not particularly the Turkes who they are 242. 243. 244. 245 Golden Vials 27. 153 The three Graces of God towards his Church 15 Pope Gregory the seuenth 229 H THe mourning of Hadadrimon 167 Haile for cold preaching 62 For iudgement 99 Heretikes their disposition 66 Haleluiah 200 Harpes 27. 148 Haruest 145 Heauen in opposition to earth throughout this Prophecie is taken for the true Church in opposition to the worldly sort 10 Heauen put for the glory and honour of the great men of the earth 40 Amultitude in Heauen 200 The Heauens cast wide open 211 Hornes 26 Why the Beast is said to haue two hornes like the Lambs seeing to the Lambe are attributed seuen 115 Tenne hornes of the Dragon and of the Beast 123. 179 The difference betweene the tenne hornes Daniel 7. and the tenne hornes Reuel 13. and 17. 179 Why the hornes of the Beast haue crownes and not the hornes of the Dragon 113 Horses 33 The Host of heauen 215 I ALlusion to the fall of Iericho to the fal of Babel 100 Iesuits the origine their busie endeauours their date they are the last puffe of Satan his mouth and of the Vicar of his throne 165 The conuersion of the Iewes 80. 164. 167 But most euidently 168 139 Whether they shall inhabit their owne Landagaine 168 How great a way the Popes fall shall make to their conuersion 169 Their conuersion and ioy vpon his fall 201. 206 Iohn disposed the Canon before his death 269 The Impenitency and Induration of Papists 160. 161 The ordinary degrees of true Illumination 25 How we should looke on the condition of the Church of Israel in the old Testament 245 What is requisite to Iudge righteously 212 A description of the last Iudgement 234. 235 The manner of processe in the last Iudgement how it shall be ledde by that which is written in the bookes and yet according to our workes set foorth not for it selfe or time thereof but to shew the continuall recurelesse and finall destruction of the enemies and goodly state of the Church thereupon holding still one to the last Iudgement and so eternall 236. 237 The yeere or age of that day cannot determinatly bee gathered vpon any ground in Scripture 241 Iulian. 229 K KIngs 194 King of Kings and Lord of Lords 215 The Keies which the Popes haue to wit of the bottomlesse pit 70 Christ and his Ministers haue these same Keies in a farre different sense 221 L THe Lambe of God 27 In what respect the Lambe his slaughter is the reason of his worthinesse 28 The Lambe his mariage 206 Seuen burning Lamps 15 Legio fulminatrix 43 Lightnings thundrings and voices 14 True Light bringeth euer true ioy 24 White Linen apparel 153 Where our Church was before Luther 140 Lions Buls and Cherubins in Salomon his Temple types of the Ministers of the word 18 Two Lions of diuers qualities 24 M MAgeddon or Megiddon 165. 166 Mahomet his time of rising by what meanes he spred his doctrine the swift course of the victories of his successors 82 A Man 42 The face of a Man 17. 78 A Man-childe 106 The number of a Man 126 The measure of a Man 257 Of an Angel 258 The Marriage of the Lambe 206 The soules of the Martyrs cry 77 The Merchants and Merchandize of Rome 195 God euen in wrath remembreth Mercy 60 Ministers of God his word are necessary for begetting in vs the life of God 16 The properties requisite in them 17 The light and feeling that ought to be in them 88 They are the light of the world 188 The degrees of a true inward calling of a Minister 91 The type of the Ministers who were first open contesters with Antichrist in three rankes 133. 134. 135 How they were persecuted 141 True Ministers haue power ouer fire 146 Myracles 151 Christ is our Morning starre 267 Why the Church is called a Mountaine 166 Mourning must goe before ioy 23 The Mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Mageddon 167 The Mystery of God the finishing thereof 88 89 99. 155 What is requisite for the perception of Mysteries 173 A Mystery where of the Author in sobernesse confesses bee dare not determine 12. Another 232. Another 258. N ANtichrist his Name 79 Christ hath a Name which none knoweth but himselfe 213 His Name King of Kings 215 His Name the Word of God 214 To haue the Name written on the garment and one the thigh 216 A New World 241 How Christ reneweth the world 252 The Night for humane sciences 68 Noah his flood semblable to the euil of Antichrist 77 Number of the Elders twenty foure the reason thereof 13 The Number of foure 17. 49 In an other respect 81 The Number of twelue 120. 128 The Number of the name of the Beast 124 The Number of the name of God 125 O VVHat makes the Obduration of Papists 173 Odoacer King of the Heruls 17 Our praiers are Odours 27 How and in whom they are Odours 59 The Order of the Reuelation 32. 142. 153. 232 The great artifice thereof 48. 90. 94. 98. 100. 101 P HOw to iudge of Papists 136. 137. 141 The cause why Papists be so obdured 147 Their vnity 180 Papisticall seducers may be iustly punished by death yea and should be 159 Their impenitency 160. 161 Their desperate sorrow because of the light of the Gospel 161 Christ his feete are Pillars 86 Pharao a type of the Dragon 104 That the Pope is Vicar of Satan his throne 112 That he is the Beast that Antichrist 113 It is also proued by three infallible tokens 183 And by a plaine and forcible argument euinced 185