supposing of it to be instituted and at his injoyning of a positive dutie of Charity meet for that day And it 's observable that though the Saints had meetings on other dayes yet is it never said they did meet the second third or fourth dayes c. but on the first which certainly is done to shew a pecullarnesse in that day and the meetings on it yea few or none deny this denomination to signifie the first day on this account it being so clear from Antiquity and no other day being here to compet with it and that can lay such claim to this denomination as this day doth and was by the most Ancient still so named For the second thing to be cleared What it is to be in the spirit on the Lords day To be in the spirit is First to be Spirituall to have the habits of Grace and a new Nature and thus it taketh-in the ordinary walk of Believers Gal. 5.16 25. Secondly More especially it is for these who are habitually in the Spirit to be actually and in a more eminent measure in the Spirit as Eph. 5.18 to be filled with the spirit to be in a holy rapture and ecstasie is warranted and allowed to Believers in a more speciall frame and at more speciall times to be in a spiritualnesse abstracted from eâ—â—nalnesse and lawfull things more than ordinary Thirdly It is to be in the Spirit in an extraordinary manner and measure or to be in an extraordinary rapture the Spirit revealing something extraordinarily and this is to be in the Spirit in a sense different from the former albeit consisting with them We cannot seclude any of these in this place for Iohn was regenerated and was habitually Spirituall and Gracious but we especially include the last two As if he said though I was absent from company and Christian fellowship and had not a Congregation to Preach in on the Lords day yet I was in the Spirit exercising the habits of Grace and I was in an eminent Spirituall and Holy Frame the Spirit elevating my spirit which is that spoken of Isa. 58.13 If thou cast the Sabbath a delight the Holy of the Lord c. and the Lord taketh him in this spirituall frame and strain and ravisheth him in the Spirit and from the second step He brings him up to the third to be in Spirit as an extraordinary Prophet as we take Peter to have been Act. 10. when he went up to Pray that is to the second step and fell in a Trance and saw Heaven opened which is the third We think the same hath been Iohn's case here The words give occasion to speak of severall Doctrines as 1. The good that is to be gotten on the Lords day when folks are in a spirituall frame 2. That when folks are separated from the publick Ordinances they would be making it up in private by giving themselves to spirituall exercises 3. And that God not only can but doth make up the good to be gotten by the publick by private and secret fellowship with Himself when Believers in Him are banished from or denuded of the publick Ordinances But nor to insist on these they give occasion to speak a little of these three things 1. The institution of he Lords day 2. The name that the Lords day gets 3. Of the sanctification of it or of a speciall part wherein the sanctification of it consists For the First To wit for the institution of this Day severall Arguments are here or we may argue severall wayes to prove it 1. If in the Apostles time this day was set apart for the Lords Worship and Service and in a speciall manner called His as being kept to Him on a morall ground Then we have warrand and it 's our duty to keep it for the same end and use for the practice of extraordinary men grounded on morall and perpetuall Reasons and that were not peculiar to them as extraordinary but are common to them and us as the Grounds and Reasons of the setting apart this day are it being for the remembrance of His Resurrection and the bringing in of a new World and therefore all did from the beginning keep that day are binding to us as is clear But the first day of the Week was appointed to be the Lord's day in the Apostles times and singled out and set apart for His Service on a morall ground for no ground peculiar to them can be given Therefore certainly it must be our dutie to keep it 2. If the first day of the Week was singled out from other dayes and counted the Lords day Then there behoved to be an institution for it or a supposed institution that is it must be the Lords day either because He instituted it when He spoke many things to His Apostles after His Resurrection concerning the right ordering of His House and Worship and by His practice observed and sanctified it for His speciall Service or because these that were infallibly guided and led by His Spirit instituted and gave warrand to keep it for without an institution and command it is not to be kept or named so more than another day But this first day was in practice singled out beside all other dayes and is accounted the Lords in a speciall manner as is said Therefore there must be some institution of it 3. Comparing this Text with 1 Cor. 11.20 If the first day of the Week be the Lords day as the Sacrament of the Supper is the Lords Supper then it must be by His appointment and institution Hiâ— But so the phrase in both places is to be understood Ergo by comparing these two places the peculiarnesse of the phrase is such that there being no other phrase like them in Scripture it seemeth the holy Ghost warrands us to gather the reasons of this denomination of the one from the other though the institution of this day be not so clearly expressed as the institution of the Lords Supper For it 's a received Rule for expounding Scripture to expound more dark places by places that are more full and clear And therefore conclude we that the Lord's day is to be called the Lords because of its institution though we know not where because for the same reason the Supper is called His there being no solid ground to conclude upon And they who give reasons to the contrary must make it appear that there are other reasons more pregnant or else the language of the holy Ghost must have weight with us 4. This first day is the Lords as the seventh day is called His or any other thing in the Old Testament but that is ever because of His setting apart that day or that thing for His own from others of that kind Therefore it must be so here There are some exceptions made by some worthy men which we shall speak a word to As 1. If it be so it will follow that all dayes are not alike contrary to Rom. 14.14 Gal. 4.10
Col. 2.16 where the Scripture seems to say plainly that all dayes are alike Therefore the Lords day cannot be so understood Answ. This doth indeed directly contradict the letter of the Text for either this Text pointeth at one day by another or else it doth nothing 2. The Apostles scope in the places that seem to be contrary to this is clear when he casts the Jewish Sabbath and holy dayes he casts them alike in respect of Jewish observation only or in so far as they were Jewish and Typical for Christ had taken them away in that respect even as He casteth meats also yet without prejudice of the Sacraments and this confirmeth our Argument For if Jewish Dayes and Sabbaths were taken away fourtie years and more as is clear by Paul before Iohn wrote this Revelation in as far as they were Jewish and yet Iohn speaks of a Lords day as differenced from other dayes it sayes it continued when they were abolished There is a great odds betwixt laying-aside of Jewish dayes and the Lords day and when Iohn speaks of the Lords day he speaks of it in the singular number in opposition to those many dayes the Jews had under the ceremonial Law And even that learned Doctor granteth this place to speak of the first day and the Churches practice to meet on it also and in several respects to be priviledged beyond other dayes A second exception is If this day be so counted of it will bring in the sanctifying of it in as eminent a measure as the Jews Sabbath was And is not that to judaize Answ. Distinguish betwixt things Ceremoniall or Typicall and things Morall and Perpetuall We bring back nothing that was Ceremoniall and Typicall as their Sabbaths of Weeks Sacrifices and many other things were but for Morall duties they become us as well as the Iews and bind Christians to the end of the World And this brings not back Judaisme neither leads us to Sacrifices and the like which pointed at Christ to come but contrarily this day and the duties of it hold out Christ already come which destroyeth all these Ceremonies and Sacrifices and declareth them to be gone A third exception It cannot be compared with the Lords Supper for 1. The Lords Supper is clearly instituted but this is not clear in the institution thereof 2. The Lords Supper is a Sacrament this is not and dayes may be changed as Sacraments cannot Answ. 1. To the last part It is a begging of the Question if it be the Lords day set apart for His Service all the world cannot change it except He who can change Sacraments also 2. To the first part That the institution of this day is not so clear as the institution of the Supper Answ. We do not paralel them in respect of clearnesse of institution but in respect of the ground or reason why they get this name which suppones an institution If the Sacrament of the Supper be called the Lords Supper because instituted by Him for a speciall use so must the Lords day get this name on this reason or some better or clearer reason from Scripture must be given For the second Seing it gets this name to be called the Lords day It may be questioned here concerning our manner of speaking of dayes calling the Lords day Sunday the next day after it Monday c. which hath the first rise from Superstition if not from Idolatry some of them being attributed to Planets as Sunday and Monday some of them to Idols as Thursday c. But to speak to the thing it self look to the Primitive times we will find Sunday called the Lords day and the dayes of the Week by the first second third c. But the names of dayes being like the names of places and moneths folks must speak of them as they are in use and Scripture warrands us so to do Acts 17.22 Paul is said to stand in the midst of Mars hill Acts 28.11 speaketh of a Ship whose signe was Castor and Pollux So March Ianuary Iuly and August are from the Idols Mars and Ianus or derived from men that appropriate more than ordinary to themselves And though it was ordinary to Christians in the primitive times to call this day the Lords day among themselves yet when they had dealing with the Iews they called it the Sabbath and when they had dealing with the heathen they called it the Sunday And so though it be best to speak of days as Scripture nameth them yet it is agreeable with Scripture to design or denominate them as they are in use among a people especially where no superstitions use is in naming of them For the third The Sanctification of this day It is pointed out in Iohn his saying he was in the Spirit on the Lords day to point out this that this day requireth a special Sanctification and setting apart to Worship God And there are four steps of it mentioned in the Scripture The 1. is negative abstinence not only from sin but from our civil and ordinary affairs which are lawful on other dayes but not on this day Isa. 58.13 The 2. is positive in devoting it to God and spending the whole day in duties of Worship in reading hearing praying singing breaking of bread or celebrating the Communion Acts 20.7 And that not only in private duties but in publick and in private when the publick is interrupted except in cases of necessity 3. It should be spent in the duties of charity though the sanctification of this day cannot consist with working yet it may stand well with giving of almes and seeing to the necessities of others 1 Cor. 16.1 2. A fourth step is in the Text to have a holy and sanctified frame a divine stamp a heavenly conversation more than ordinarly taken up with God and Christ and the things of another Life that day This is the main thing wherein the Sabbath is to be Sanctified and wherein it represents heaven to be abstracted from the world and to be living above in our Spirits eminently ravished in Spirit as abstracted from things we are to be taken up with on other days The frame of a Sabbath should be a kind of ravishment wherein not only we are not taken up with working our ordinary callings but we do go about Prayer and other Spiritual duties in a more heavenly way than on other dayes and that with a difference in our frame being more elevated and Spiritual we should be other men in more divine contemplation This is the main thing called for in sanctifying the Sabbath and therefore Heb. 4. heaven is set out by the Sabbath wherein there ought not only to be a ceasing from our own works but an entering into our rest Heb. 4.10 as it is Isa. 58.13 a delighting in God calling the Sabbath our delight the holy of the Lord and honourable the heart being taken up with it Remember from all that hath been said this day is the Lords day and it saith
creep with his wiles which follows after for his spewing out heresies after the woman and his reigning as it were by his lieutenant saith he was not cast out of the Church simplie but in respect of what he was formerly after this he is necessitated to take a more indirect under-hand way 4. The Dragon is described by some properties expressed in his names 1. That old Serpent for subtilty a Serpent Gen. 3. yea old as not having begun to deceive then but now of great experience in that trade he is an old deceiver 2. Devil a calumniator tearing folks with reproaches and slanders whereof that time was full thus he slandereth Christians before others 3. Satan that is an adversary or accuser this looketh mainly to him as an accuser and traducer of the Godly before Gods bar and justice as he did Iob Chap. 1. This expresseth his serpentine nature who is in himself deceitfull and the miserable effect of it to them who trust him as our first parents did they are deceived Thus is the devil described as a Serpent to tempt and beguile the world a devil to slander and pierce through innocents with calumnies and Satan to traduce men to God and God to men Zech. 3. all agree well to him Again his angels were cast out with him wo to them that stand and fall with the devil In a word his speciall instruments idolatrous Priests and cruell Heathen persecuters all they are cast down together as he wanteth the supream honour in Civil and Ecclesiastick dignity so as he formerly enjoyed it so do they want their inferiour dignities and places when wicked great men are cast down many under-instruments ruine with them The allusion is as we said to Satans casting from Heaven that keeped not his first habitation Iudâ— 6. and to Lucifer Isa. 14. holding forth that now by this victory not only the great agent the devil the supream commander but his under-officers were also pinched and brought low The Song followeth in a congratulatory way expressing the same thing in plain terms without figures 1. The victory is laid down vers 10. 2. The mean or way whereby they attained it or their weapons vers 11. 3. The use or effects of it both to heaven and earth This delivery is so notable that it is and shall be the ground of a Song in the Church whereby both the greatnesse of it and the certainty of it is expressed and the Churches duty also the former events are two wayes expressed the first vers 5. The childes exalting is expounded to be the coming of Salvation that is deliverance from that persecuted condition which they had been so long praying for 2. Strength that is the evidencing of Gods strength in bringing the Church through and giving her who was weak strength to bring forth 3. The Kingdom of our God as Chap. 11.15 It is the magnifying of His Kingdom and declaring Him to be King which though really it was alway yet was it not so known in the world before 4. The power of His Christ that is His taking to Himself power and reigning as Chap. 11.15.17 which is called Chap. 6. The day of His wrath Christ who in the worlds eyes was thought little of and weak before this now His power kytheth and enemies are made to say He is a great God as was cleared on Chap. 6. ult The second effect of the devils casting to the earth from Heaven is expressed in that he is cast down that is dethroned put from the visible Kingdom and Authority which he had when the worlds authority countenanced him Now these are upon the Lords side and the Kingdom is His when this accuser whereof formerly we spoke vers 9. who uncessantly pursued the Godly is put quite out of respect be what he was in and Christianity brought in request Psal. 22.28 These words being plain and the scope being to resume the former delivery in a ground of praise there is a clear key here to open all this vision for what was casting from heaven is here casting down or degrading This 11. vers holdeth forth the weapons 1. Faith in Christs bloud whereby all these accusations were repelled as with a shield Eph. 6. and seing He died who can lay any thing to their charge Rom. 8.34 They are saved before God through His righteousnesse that is the ground of their victory He is called the Lamb in reference to the Sacrifices and so it pointeth out this to be the effect of His own offering up of Himself all the Saints victories flow from this 2. The word of their testimonie is their stedfast adherance to their profession and their confession of that Truth as Chap. 6.9 called Rom. 10. confâ—ssion unto righteousnesse with the mouth which testimonie in despight of torments exceâ—dingly defeateth the devil A clear and full testimonie is an excellent ornament to Christianity and giveth a special charge and defeat to the devil What a testimonie is we shew in the fifth seal Chap. 6. which is contemporary with this this is not only really to be found within but in appearance and profession to be so also before men The third weapon is suffering They loved not their lives that is when a testimonie was called for they cared not for their life as Paul said Acts 21. It was not dear to them and they were not swayed with the consideration of suffering This may appear 1. by their joyfull suffering of the most cruell death 2. By their refusing deliverance at the most seeming easie rate as was marked before Chap. 6. 5. seal so that as it is in Plinius secundus they thought it needlesse to seek to punish these who more willingly offered themselves and more chearfully suffered than any could pursue them The last part of the Song vers 12. hath two things in it poetically setting out 1. The happy condition of the Godly who are called dwellers in heaven because their conversation is there 2. The miserable condition of earthly-minded Professors or these who were without the Church the one might rejoyce for they had a present delivery the other hath a wo coming to them or a lamentation or alace pronounced for them because this succeeding triall would destroy moe souls than the other did bodies from two reasons 1. The devil was come down to them having no hopes of successe against the stedfast seed he was now to take another way that would prevail against many rottâ—n Professors or being driven from the Authority of the Empire he would rage more amongst and against other heathenish people both within and without the Empire 2. He hath great wrath though his power was broken yet his enimity was no whit abated but rather irritated and stirred up and the reason is added because he saw his kingdom in the world wherein for a long time he had keeped preheminence was begun to fall which would by this party be brought to nought He took this for an alarm of his finall ruine and
and spread what is unsound as Philip. 3.2 Beware of dogs c. speaking of these teachers that did mix the righteousnesse of the Law with the righteousnesse of Christ in justification These also are without that is are in the second death Chap. 21.8 From Vers. 16. and forward followeth the Lord Jesus His own close to the same purpose to confirm and commend the truth of the words of this Prophesie In the 16. verse it is commended from the fountain it cometh from I Iesus have sent mine Angel to testifie these things in the Churches These are not Iohns inventions nor the sayings of an Angel out of his own head but they are from Me I own them all I Iesiu taking His proper name to Himself have sent mine Angel in more than an ordinary way to reveal these things to My servant Iohn and by him to the Churches to the end of the world And that this may have the more weight He taketh to Himself such stiles as He took to Himself before Chap. 2 and 3. I am the root and off-spring of David the bright and morning star to bring souls in love with Him He setteth out Himself as the very Messiah come of David as Chap. 5.5 The Lion of the tribe of Iudah and the root of David and the off-spring of David as man because as man He came of David and so is the promised Messiah as Isa. 11.1 There shall come a rod out of the stem of Iesse and a branch shall grow out of his roots c. Or take the words differently I am the roâ—t of David that is David God and David is as a branch and I gave him a being And I am the off-spring of David that is as man I am a branch come of David And thus he answereth the question the Pharisees could not understand Matth. 22.43 If David call Him Lord how is He then his son He is Davids Lord as God and Davids son as man so is He his root and off-spring 2. He calleth Himself the bright and morning-star He is called a star by Balaam Numb 24.17 There shall a star come out of Iacob and this relateth to that but to shew that He is not a common star but a singular one He is called the bright and morning star or day-star that bringeth the light of the day with it holding Himself out as the fountain of all light and consolation as Ioh. 1.9 He is that true light that lighteneth every one that cometh into the world This is He that sendeth this message to the Churches and that now we read of He that brought life and immortality to light c. These titles are foolishly applied to say no more to the Virgin Marie as many others are by Bernardine de Busco De denominationibus Mariae The second commendation is in a twofold Come ver 17. the Spirit and the Bride say Come And let him that heareth say Come This is such a word so excellent and true a word and so comfortable a saying that all that have the Spirit in them when they hear it will say Come and wish a performance of it and the Bride the Lambs wife all the Glorified in heaven and all the Regenerate on earth concur in it And not only the Church universal for that time but all that shall hear this word and have the faith of it in their heart shall say Come We conceive the scope is 1. to commend this word from the desirablenesse of it to all Believers especially that word vers 12. Behold I come quickly 2. To let the Church know that He is to send no more new Scripture or Messages of this sort and that they have no more to expect but the coming of the Lord on the back of the fulfilling of this Prophesie And so as Malachy in his last Chapter closes the Canon of the old Testament with a promise of Christs first coming and putteth the People of God to the Law of Moses and the Prophets till then so Christ here closeth the Canon of the New Testament with a promise of His second coming to which He knitteth the longing desires of His Church The second Come that commendeth the excellency of this Book Let him that is athirst come And whosoever will let him take the water of life freely Is there yet any body that is not clear in their interest let them come and take this word before Christ come for he will not get another word as if He said I have made many fair and free offers and now I close My last offer with a good word Who ever will take Christ and life through Him freely on the terms of free grace let him come and take Him without money and without price Isa. 55.1 This is our Lords farewell that He may presse the offer of the Gospel and leave that impression as it were upon record amongst the last words of the Scripture and His scope is to commend this Book and the offers He hath made in it as most free and on the tearms of grace wherein Christ aimeth much to draw souls to accept it And teacheth us that all that would expect comfort of His coming and pray for it with a well-grounded confidence they would first come to Him and close with Him and make use of His offer This maketh a comfortable meeting with Him and who cannot say the first come to Christ that he may come let themselves come to Him and hear and answer His call to them that so they may turn over their request to Him The third way how He commendeth this word is by putting a testimony to the perfection of it ver 18. telling that nothing can be added to it and nothing can be diminished from it as superfluous and both these are set down by way of commination and it is given as a reason why folks should expect no more Scripture after this 1. Let any man beware of adding to these things Adding may be considered formally as denoting the enjoyning of any thing for Scripture or to be accounted as such which is not contained in this Book or declared by God immediatly to be such as this is Or 2. as adding upon the matter by putting or imposing a meaning on that which is written that God never intended or which the words will not bear Therefore deceivers and wresters of the Word are called Impostours as imposing the curse that is threatned on them that add any of thir wayes is God shall add to him the plagues that are writen in this Book that is He shall bring upon him all the curses threatned to come on the openly profane and secret hypocrites or Antichrists followers And that it may be known that it is no lesse fault to diminish than to add he telleth ver 19. If any shall take away from the words of this Prophesie that is either by taking away something that is canonick and derogating from the authority of the Scripture or by hyding or detracting
filthinesse 2. That this filthinesse is not easily washen away 3. That there is a great efficacie and real vertue in the blood of Christ to wash the soul and cleanse it from sin as if it had never sinned as there is efficacie and vertue in a fountain of water to wash a filthie thing And this was typified in those ceremonial and legal washings under the Law 4. That that wherewith Christ washeth Believers is His own blood not the blood of Bulls and Goats but the blood of the first begotten from the dead the blood of the true and faithful witnesse the blood of the Prince of the Kings of the earth yea the blood of Him which is which was and which is to come the blood of Him who was and is God Therefore Act. 20.28 it 's said Feed the Church of God which He hath purchased with His own blood It holds out not only the efficacie and satisfactorinesse of the blood of Christ but also the end of His death that it was not a meer Testimony and Witnesse-bearing nor only to leave an example to others as profane men derogating from our blessed Lords death affirm but to wash His own from their sins in His blood to take away the guilt of sin in Justification and to make the Power of His death come in and slay sin and to sanctifie as it is 1 Cor. 6. Such were some of you but now you are washed that is Justified and Sanctified There is not a Name that Christ hath but it hath some priviledge and benefit in it to Believers it holds out love on His side and consolation on ours and every benefit which comes to us is a Name and Commendation to Him and may be so used by us Vers. 6. In the description He sets out how Christ not only takes away what is ill from us but how He abounds in conferring priviledges on us He not only takes away sin but He hath made us Kings and Priests to God His Father First Kings 1. In delivering us from the slavery of sin that the most part of the world lives in and in making us masters over sin and sinful lusts masters over the Devil and the World and the Flesh in some measure And this is a Princely thing so the Church is set out Rev. 12. as having the Moon that is to say the transitorie world under her feet 2. Kings in respect of a Spiritual reigning in our spirits with God by an heavenly conversation having our conversations in Heaven Philip. 3.20 Col. 3.1 in an holy and heavenly pride and in a sort of kingly majesty disdaining the ups and downs in the world 3. Kings also in title and right being set as Kings on the Throne with Him to execute the judgment written Psal. 149.9 This honour have all His Saints in a spiritual way and some way to judge the world in their practice and they shall be Kings in possession when that which is here shall have the full accomplishment and all the Saints as so many crowned Kings shall follow Him in the clouds Secondly Priests to offer their bodies a living Sacrifice holy and acceptable to God Rom. 12.1 to offer Prayers and Praises the calves of their lips and this is no small priviledge to have accesse to God as Priests The Iews held these two as great dignities the Kingly and Priestly offices and Believers are called by Christ to both so that they may come with boldnesse to the Throne of Grace and enter within the Holiest through the Vail by that new and living way being freed from the spirit of bondage and fear which in a great part accompanied the Iews ceremonial Worship 1. How many excellent consolations are here to Believers and grounds of directions to them What grounds of consolation comparable to these to be washen in that bloud of the Lamb to be made Kings and Priests to God and Christs Father that is to no Idole but to Hâ—m to whom Christ is a Priest Here is life and immortality brought to light by the Gospel priviledges and benefits of an exceeding passing worth and excellency 1. Comparing this verse with vers 1. Here Kings and Priests and there His Servants Observe That there is no such royalty and dignity in the World as to be our Lord Jesus his Servant it is truely to be a King to reign and a Priest to be consecrated to God It consists not in loosnesse and carnall liberty but in new obedience and the more obedient circumspect and strict in Holinesse the greater liberty majesty and kingly statelinesse All our Lords Servants are Kings so great a King is He and so happy are they 2. These Priviledges lay an obligation on Believers to carry themselves as such 1. If Christs bloud be given as a fountain to wash at then make use of it for pardon of sin Mortification and Sanctification 2. Let us carry our selves Kingly It s a beastly thing to be a servant of sin but it 's a Kingly thing and stately to be minding the Throne we are called to the faith and hope of to have our hearts and conversation suitable to that holy and heavenly place to have royall spirits disdaining and trampling on the things of a present world as unworthy of our hearts and affections 3. Comparing this with the former when he speaks of Christ his affections warms and when he speaks of the benefits which come by Him it leades him to the love they came from and by that again he is led to praise Him and he cannot get Jesus-Christ set high enough Observe Believers hearts should warm and be often warming themselves with thoughts of Christ and ventâ—â—g their warmnesse of affection to Him in praâ—se It 's a sweet thing when Believers hearts cannot part with Christ but when ever He comes in their mind or mouth still to give Him a word of praise and come to their purpose again as Iohn doth here And it 's often thus with Paul as 1 Tim. 1.17 Eph. 3.20 LECTURE III. Vers. 7. Behold he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him and they also which peirâ—ed him and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him even so Amen 8. I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending saith the Lord which is and which was and which is to come the Almighty 9. I Iohn who also am your brother and companion in tribulation and in the kingdom and pâ—tience of Iesus Christ was in the Isle that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Iesus Christ. IT 's a concerning message that Christ is now sending to His Church therefore there is the larger preface to stir them up he writs to to make that which he sends welcome We heard from the 4. verse the particular Inscription or direction of this Book as an Epistle and when he hath wished grace and peace and set down the partieâ— from whom the grace and peace is wished and the Epistle
people as distinguished from the Stars But the last cannot be Therefore of necessity the first must be understood We conceive then as by Church or Candlestick is understood many Professors or Churches for under Church here such who thus plead will grant moe particular Churches to be comprehended for say they they are Diocesian Churches in an united way of worshipping or Government So by Angel many Church-guids in an united way of Governing may be understood Ministers are called Stars for these reasons 1. To signifie and point out the eminence and dignity of the Office that it is a glorious and shineing Office 2. To point out what is the especiall end of this Office It is to give light as the use of Stars is to give light to the world so it's Ministers main imployment to shine and give light to others to make the world which is a dark night to be lightsome In which sense Mat. 5.14 It 's said They are the light of the world 3. It is to signifie that they are but subservient lights Our Lord Jesus is the Sun of Righteousnesse that Light that great Light and Ministers are lesser lights 4. It is to point out the way how Ministers become lightsome Stars receive their light from the Sun and by vertue of that borrowed light are made lightsome so Ministers are made lightsome and shine to give others light by vertue of the light that they receive from Christ they are lights but their light is Star light a borrowed light and ecclipses betwixt Jesus Christ and them will darken them seeing they have no light but what they receive from Him This would learn Ministers and People a right uptaking of the nature of this Office and keep off contrary extremes that both respectively are subject unto The second part is expounded the seven Candlesticks are the seven Churches as before he expounded the seven Stars to be the Angels of the seven Churches The Churches are called Candlesticks for these Reasons 1. Because the Candlestick is that which properly the light is set into and it 's fitted for receiving of light though it have none of its own so the visible Church is that wherein Christ Jesus sets His lights 1 Cor. 12.28 God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondly Prophets c. The Church is as it were the Candlestick to the Candle the proper seat of the Apostles Prophets and Ministers after them 2. Though the Candlestick give no light yet it makes the light set on it to be the more usefull to others as Mat. 5.14 Ye are the light of the world a city set on a hill cannot be hid neither do men light a candle to put it under a bushell but on a Candlestick that it may give light to all that are in the house So Ministers are set in the Church and their setting in the Church is the way whereby God preserves light ordinarily and makes it shine And so the excellent comely order of the visible Church kyths in this that it is like a City set on a hill And hence the Church is called the pillar and ground of the truth 1 Tim. 3.15 The light of the Truth being set in the Church as on a pillar to make it kyth the more and be seen the further that others may fall in love with it And laying both these together the Ministers being Lights and the Churches Candlesticks it holdeth out a near and sib relation betwixt Ministers and People as if the People were dark without Ministers and the Ministers would not shine far nor be usefull if they had not Churches to bear them up We ought not to strain this similitude too far as if Churches might be Churches without Ministers much lesse before Ministers be set in them as a Candlestick still is a Candlestick without a light but certainly very dark That is not the scope but it is to shew that in Constitute Churches what is Christs esteem both of Ministers and People and what is the mutuall relation that stands betwixt them each to other We know that the Church organized is but one body whereof the Pastors are a principall part and that these derogate not to the other relations betwixt Ministers and People as to be Fathers to them to beget them to nourish them as a Nurse doth in giving suck to be Mothers travelling in birth with them in which respect particular Churches and Christians have their being from Ministers as such instruments who hath begotten them by the immortall seed of the Word 2. Golden Candlesticks 1. To point out comparatively the excellency of the Visible Church above all other Societies in the World and positively the excellency that is among the Churches as gold is the most excellent mettall so the Church is the choice and waill of all the World beside it 's Gods Garden 2. To let us see what is Believers duty and what all the members of the Church are obliged to they ought to be as gold that will abide the tryall and hath no drosse The Church of Christ should be throughly sincere as gold to be like every sort of mettall will not be enough Quest. How can these Churches be called gold seing many of them are of so little worth that they could scarce abide the tryall as Pergamos Thyatira Sardis c. and Laodicea is so corrupt that she hath no commendation at all Answ. Our Lord Jesus designes the Visible Church or Churches not according to the plurality but according to the better part and when there is any gold He counts by it even as one may call an heap a heap of corn though the greatest part be chaffe 3. There is something essentiall to the Church as Visible which makes them get this denomination for the Visible Church hath a comparative excellency beyond others that are without and Jesus Christ looking not to what they were but to the nature of a Visible Church He calls them golden Candlesticks even as He calls the Ministers Stars though there were some among them of little worth as that Angel of Laodicea because by vertue of their Office they were so So the Churches written to by the Apostles are called Saints and Holy in so far as by vertue of their profession and Church-state-relation that they stood in to God they were so 3. He designes them so by vertue of their obligation to let them see what they should be and were obliged to be This is a main reason why the Church of the Iews is called a Holy people not for any great holinesse that often was amongst them all but because they were separated from other People to be a peculiar People to Him in which respect the children of Believers are called holy 1 Cor. 7. which is not to be understood of any personall holinesse but of a holinesse in respect of a federall or Covenant relation in which respect they are separated from the rest of the world who have not an externall right to
neither of these is to be secluded but both may be well included for to consider God as manifested in His Glory in heaven agreeth well with the scope as aiming thereby to impresse the reverence and awe of the Majesty of God upon hearts yet we say that this is not only intended nor is the other to be excluded because 1. it also agreeth well with the scope which is to set forth events concerning the Militant Church and for that end to represent as it were a Theater and actors for bringing about these events whereof the Majesty of God is Supream Governour c. Now it conduceth more to the scope and cometh nearer what is intended to conceive this representation as holding forth Gods Glory and Way in His Militant Church 2. It is also usuall in this Book to expresse the Visible Church under the Title of Heaven and things done in it by similitudes of things set forth as acted in heaven as in the progresse we will see 3. This preparation being consolatory against the coming trials of the Church for which cause the Lord appeareth with His bow about His Throne it will agree best to that part of the scope to apply it to the Militant Church by which His glorious presence therein His nearnesse thereto His care and protection thereof c. will most manifestly and comfortably be set forth 4. There is a resemblance between the Lords glorious presence in His Church and that which is in heaven for He hath a glorious Throne of Grace in His Church as He hath one of Glory in heaven and what is more immediately manifested in Heaven doth someway shine by His Ordinances amongst His people 5. If we consider all the attendants mentioned in this and in the following Chapter particularly vers 10. we will find it necessary to understand this as respecting the Church Militant because some are spoken of who are redeemed and are to reigne upon the earth Whence we conceive it is not unsuitable to look upon this representation as expressing Gods glory in His Militant Church which is represented by Heaven and the practice of perfected Saints there to shew unto them while here a copy of their duty in praising and thanksgiving and in doing the will of God in earth as it is done in Heaven We come then to consider more particularly this description of the Lords excellent train and attendants First vers 4. there are round about the throne four and twenty seats and upon the seats I saw four and twenty Elders sitting and they had on their heads crowns of gold By Elders here we conceive are understood the true professors of the Militant Church in the dayes of the Gospel for in the Song Chap. 5. vers 9. and 10. we will find that they are such as are redeemed such as by that Redemption are made Kings and Priests as all Believers are Chap. 1. vers 6. and to reign upon earth which sheweth that they are Members in the Church Militant and they being followers of the four beasts and priviledged but with such priviledges as are common to all Saints it appeareth they are not Officers or Guides but private Professors They are called Elders for the dignity which they are advanced unto beyond others to be as it were Elders and Governours in Gods House in a spirituall sense in which respect they are called Kings and Priests Chap. 5. vers 10. or as the Word is usually taken in the New Testament they are accounted for speciall Ministers and Servants having a nearnesse to God and to share of His Glory which none else in the world had and thus the Lords People are called His Ancients or Elders Isa. 24. vers 23. They are said to be twenty four in number which we conceive to be a definite number for an indefinite it may be there is an allusion to the twenty four courses that David appointed for the service of the Tabernacle 1 Chron. 25 26 28 c. to shew that the ministration of the New Testament is no lesse Glorious Also seing the Church in old was reckoned by twelve Tribes who it is like had their twelve Princes as Elders and Governours answerable to that number so twenty four is mentioned here to shew that the Church in the dayes of the Gospel shall be extended to a double and greater number of Saints than was at this time but on these we shall not insist seing the general may be safely rested in Again they are said to be clothed in white raiment which sheweth that their innocency is their greatest glory or their most stately robe and the greatest badge of their dominion for white raiment signifieth either Christs imputed Righteousnesse or their begun Sanctification as we heard Chap. 3. vers 4. and is often elsewhere in this Prophesie The last thing spoken of these Elders is they have four and twenty seats or thrones upon which they sit and on their heads crowns of gold Both which are to shew 1. The settled and secure happinesse that these possesse beyond all others in the world 2. The spirituall Dominion that they have begun in them here over their lusts and spirituall enemies in which respect they reign even on the earth Chap. 5.10 And 3. it is to give a type of the glorious Dominion that is laid up for them in Heaven when they having been Assessors at the judging of the world shall be set down upon one Throne with Jesus Christ as was promised Chap. 3. vers 21. In vers 5. We have the second thing whereby this statelinesse is expressed and out of the throne proceeded thunderings and lightenings and voices It is like there is an allusion to Gods manner of giving the Law Exod. 19. whereby He appeared so terrible that even Moses did exceedingly fear and quake And Deut. 33.2 it is said that from His right hand went a fiery Law the scope is to shew that though God appear without great outward splendor and terrour in His Ordinances in the dayes of the Gospel yet is there in His Church Power and Glory whereby the mightiest may be terrified and confounded in which respect the Church is terrible as an Army with Banners Song 6.4 and 10. and the witnesses Chap. 11. vers 3. and 5. though prophecying in sackcloath are said to have fire proceeding out of their mouths and to bring on many other dreadfull plagues By this He would teach men to approach to Him with fear for He is a great God and to be bad in reverence of all that are about him Psal. 89.7 There is also a third thing observed in that fifth vers And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the thronâ— which are the seven spirits of God by these we understand the holy Ghost in His manifold and various operations as we heard Chap. 1. vers 4. and by comparing Chap. 5. vers 6. it is clear for these seven Spirits are the hornes and eyes of the Lamb that sheweth both the
disown them If it be said that in that place our Lord Jesus doth only pray for these who did actually believe The very contrary will be found in the Text for Ioh. 17.20 He intercedeth for all who should after believe and through the Chapter for all these whom God had given Him Beside it were hard to say that our Lord Jesus did comprehend all that were unrenewed under the title World for so many unrenewed Elect would have been excluded Seing therefore Christ excludeth the Reprobate world from His intercession even when He includeth many unrenewed Elect then lying in profanity and nature The former Argument doth bind the more strongly From which also we may remove a second exception to wit that by World there are understood such as Christ foresaw should reject the Gospel and continue members of this world notwithstanding of His death and call or such as did for that time violently reject the same To this we say that if Christ meaned by World present contemners and rejecters then would many Elect be excluded as is said Again if he understood such as He foresaw would continue in opposition and unbelief to to the end Can it be reasonably thought that He would immediatly offer Himself in their room upon condition of their believing in Him whom He did not only foresee to continue in unbelief and never to perform that condition but also whom He had instantly in expresse terms excluded from His prayers and intercession as having nothing to do with them and so according to the former ground to wit that His intercession and satisfaction are of equal extent they cannot be understood any way to come in under either of them If it be said that His intercession respecteth only the efficacie of His death and therefore must be bounded with the Elect This will say that this satisfaction also must respect that only seing they are of equal extent Again why prayeth He only in reference to the efficacie It is because He hath ground to own no moe as Gods or His and that will say that He will not satisfie for them either Lastly He boundeth His dying and praying in these words vers 19. of the forcited Chapter for their akes sanctifie I my self to wit for their sakes for whom He prayed in their room alâ—anerly did He devote Himself to be a Sacrifice Secondly In the first ground laid down we said That Christs satisfaction as to the object thereof was to be regulated by the Fathers proposall to Him so that He died and satisfied for such and such only as was proposed to Him It being cleared there that all were not proposed therefore there is no warrant to say that Christ in any respect did beâ—â— the iniquity of any other Neither can there be any end of His undertaking to pay for moe than was proposed to Him neither can it be thought that any other was proposed to Christ but such as were given to Him absolutely to be redeemed because there is no word in Scripture that speaketh of proposing any to Christ to be bought but the Elect who for that cause are peculiarly named by this title those that were Christs own and given to Him c. If any should say that they were conditionally given and proposed which indeed must be supposed in this conditional Redemption Then beside what was said it may be asked If the Father by proposing such did intend their Redemption and their obtaining of any benefit by Christs death If He did Why is it not effectuall If He did not To what end was such a proposall made by the only wise God Again we may conceive this conditionall proposall to be thus upon the Fathers side I do propose and give such and such persons to Thee that are not Elected to be redeemed and to partake of Thâ— Redemption providing they shall believe and I will absolutely exact the price from Thee which yet is not to be imputed to them till they believe and yet they cannot believe except God give the same freely according to the first opinion or till Christ purchase the same according to the second yet might He say neither do I mind to give it to them nor mind I to propose it to be bought by Thee for their use This certainly would not loâ—â— like the Wisdom Soveraignty and Grace that do shine in the bargain of Redemption yet such a conditionall proposall must be supposed as in these terms And so they are proposed to the Mediator to be redeemed by Him when yet the necessary mids and supposed condition of their Redemption is never so much as proposed to be purchased but the contrary is included And so at the most the Father proposeth but one part of their Redemption to the Market to wit the end without the mids and therefore consequently the Mediator must undertake for paying for the end when He hath not the mids by which it is attained made to speak so redeemable because it is never offered to the market and what wise man would make such a bargain Thirdly It seemeth not consistent with reason and equity to say that such as are by Gods Soveraign decree absolutely reprobated and decerned to be made to reckon for their own sins and yet to say that our blessed Lord Jesus should have that debt imputed to Him and thereby conditionally to purchase for them a freedom from that curse which is already determined to be executed justly upon them for the decree of Reprobation must be even in order of nature as soon as the decree of Election Now it being clear that the Work of Redemption doth presuppose Election to have preceded so that in the order of nature and according to our uptaking of things we must conceive Gods absolute Electing of some to Eternal life to be prior to the Covenant of Redemption because these who are given to Christ in that Covenant are said to be Gods own by vertue of that decree before that Ioh. 17.6 which will infer that Gods absolute decree of Reprobation must be so also seing the decree of Election doth necessarily infer the decree of Reprobation for where there is an Election of some there is a pretirition of others And therefore we must say that Christ conditionally had proposed to Him and did conditionally pay according to that proposal the debt of many that by a prior decree were absolutely reprobated And as to the last opinion hinted there being but one decree of Reprobation It will follow that either all these must be under a conditional Redemption which yet cannot be said so confidently as to such who are without the conditionall Covenant or all must be excluded therefrom Fourthly From the grounds of this opinion it may be thus argued If Christ redeemed any Reprobate conditionally Then the performing of this condition is either in their own power or it is a singular gift of God procured by Christs death The first they will not assert who own this opinion as
connexion may be called occasionall that is when the light of the Gospel with power cometh into the world where sin hath had the dominion and by it mens corruptions begin to be restrained and their liberty in sinning marred corruption and malice in men take occasion thereby to rage as being the more provoked and therefore leaveth no mean unessayed to have that Gospel out of the world which disturbeth their sinfull peace This doth not properly flow from the Gospel but from the devils malice and mens corruptions which are imbittered thereby and now rageth to be disturbed in that dominion and possession which for a long time he hath possessed like a strong man keeping all in peace within his bounds till this stronger come to cast him out This maketh many who lived quietly before light came amongst them to appear quite another thing More particularly we will find these Primitive persecutions to have been raised upon these occasions which went along with the Gospel 1. The Gospel drew men from the old Heathenish way of serving Idols and by force of reason did evidence the nothingnesse of Idolatry and vanity of that worship which was used by these Emperours and almost all the world Upon this Satan took occasion to charge Christians with singularity in taking up a Religion of their own and with pride in counting themselves wiser then their Predecessors and to be insufferable as untractable men who would not follow the rest of the world nay not their own Emperors nor Predecessors in the matter of their Religion but took them to a new way of their own all which was exceedingly heightened by the devil to make Christians and Christianity odious This pretext is frequent 2. A second was The devil striving to make Christianity suspected unto the great men of the world as inconsistent with civil Authority and tending to the ecclipsing and diminishing of temporall greatnesse dominion and power of Kings which was confirmed by these things 1. Ministers freedom in reproving the faults of all and their not sparing nor flattering of any often occasioned the enimity of great men who thought that derogatory to their honour and unbecoming inferiours Therefore to suppresse that often the most faithfull men were persecuted as we see in that instance of Herod in Iohn the Baptist Matth. 14. 2. This suspicion was confirmed by the multiplying of Christians and the mistake of the nature of Christs Kingdom as if His Kingdom had been inconsistent with theirs therefore fearing lest the multiplying of Christians should have tended to the setting up of Christs power and the overturning of theirs they endeavoured to bear them down This made Domitian in a speciall manner to search for and put to death all the naturall kindred of our Lord Jesus lest any of them in the abounding of Christians should have pleaded title to his Kingdom 3. The many slanders that were vented against Christians especially by Magicians Idolatrous Priests Iews Apostate Christians and such like who crying out on them as enemies to mankind and guilty of the vilest sins as of Adultery Incest Drunkeness c. at their meetings and so to be the causes of all the plagues that came upon the world which calumnies are fully refuted by Iustin Martyr Tertullian and Cyprian in their Apologies Wherein these two things are asserted 1. That Christians were innocent of these scandals 2. That it was not the Gospel but the worlds rejecting of the Gospel that brought these judgements on 4. This occasion rose from Christians strictnesse who would not flatter their Emperours by worshipping of them and calling them gods as others did 5. Nothing more was mistaken than Church-men in their exercising of Discipline and censuring of others without dependence on civil Power especially when they exceeded in any particular as that law of Euaristus ordaining that no accusation of a Layâ—man or laick against a Pastor should be admitted This is recorded to have provoked Trajan to persecute all the Christians 3. The failings and practices of some Christians and their unwarrantable carriage made Christians odious in the world especially these 1. The many differences and divisions that were amongst themselves and the many sects contrary to truth and one to another that sprung up with the Gospel and the great bitternesse wherewith these differences were followed 2. Outbreakings of Professors in any grosse sin made all others to be so accounted yea practices of the Saturnians Nicolaitans and other grosse Hereticks though disclaimed by true Christians yet were imputed to them 3. Unfaithfulnesse in some few of them in reference to their trust provoked persecution against all It is particularly recorded that Philip who was the first Christian Emperour his killing of the Emperour Gordianus by which deed he came to the Empire did not only stir up Decius afterward to kill him but also to raise a most hard persecution against all Christians as become odious by that fact Obs. 6. The persecutions of the Church of God are particularly ordered as well as the preaching of the Gospel and the thriving and flourishing of the Church This horse hath a rider that hath his armour and a sword given to him and it is told what he shall do he shall take peace from the earth go so far and no further yea there is a more particular commissionating of this nor the former to point out that there is a particular hand guiding the sufferings of the Church and People of God See it in Ioh how in all the commissions Satan getteth he is straitly bounded and limited If the world rage at Christ and His followers and persecute yet that horse is not without a rider and a bridle and the sword he carrieth is limited it cannot hurt a hair of the head of any but as it is commissionated Mat. 10. The hairs of your head are all numbred Persecution cometh not without a particular Commission more than one is converted without the influence of His Spirit He that guideth the one guideth the other and our Lord Jesus reigneth now as before 7. The restraint mentioned here to take peace from the Earth sheweth that no persecution can marre spiritual and eternall peace they reach but the outward condition as to hurt the name to plunder the goods and to kill the body but can reach no further Ioh. 14.27 Christs peace is given not as the world giveth it uncertainly but surely which should make us esteem the more of it 8. An earthly condition or peace is never settled any trouble may quickly disturbe that 9. The world is much in Gods reverence for their outward peace at one word He can take peace from the earth and turn order into confusion and imbitter the spirits of most familiar friends and near relations one against another Did not He prevent it our life would be soon miserable It is He that we should depend on and acknowledge even in outward things for when He giveth quietnesse who then can make trouble and when He
in their tops owning the despised Church and making it known that their Idols which they worshipped had not the absolute and soveraign government of affairs but the God whom the Christians worshipped 3. This judgement falleth especially and in a peculiar way upon the enemies of Christ as the expressions bear But judgements executed by Heathens particularly and especially these brought on by the Goths Vandals c. lay as heavy if not more heavy upon the soundest and best Christians as upon any other 4. The mutation brought on by this judgement is so universall upon all things and so suddain being contained under one seal that it can hardly be paralleled by any particular event of such an invasion and therefore is not to be applied to them Upon these grounds it is why we conceive this seal to differ from the first four in these two 1. The type is not a horse and a rider 1. Because the object is not the same These first four concern the Church immediately this concerneth its enemies 2. Because though the Lord ordereth judgements upon the most wicked men by His providence yet this type holdeth forth judgement in a more boundlesse way without such limitations and restrictions as the former dispensations towards the Church typified by horse and riders with their severall commissions did admit 2. In this seal there is no word of advertisement to come and see as was in the former four The reason is because God sendeth not Ministers unto not alloweth warnings upon His enemies as He doth upon His people To conclude then we say this seal relateth not first to the end of the world Nor 2. to the persecution of the Church under Antichrist And 3. nor to the invasion of the Empire by Goths Vandals c. and other Heathen Nations these invasions were not stated palpably on Christs account as manifestly owning His interest such as this seal importeth It remaineth then to be understood of some singular and extraordinary change on the Romans Empire and its Heathen Emperours whereby it becometh quite another thing persecution put to an end persecuters brought unto judgement and that by such instruments as maintained Christs quarrell against them and with such successe as should extort the acknowledgement thereof from the persecuters themselves All which characters as they are now clearly implied in this seal so will we find them remarkably fulfilled in that great change of the world in the dayes of Constantine the great about the year 310. and afterwards which came immediately upon the back of the last persecution and so agreeth well to the time by which the whole face of the Heathenish Empire was changed and as Heathenish was overturned So that in effect the world became another thing than it was which agreeth well with the type persecuters were visibly punished and taken with their hands hot in the bloud of the Saints and by such instruments as particularly stated the quarrell upon Christs account and therefore carried the crosse in their Ensign many Emperours and great Men were brought to acknowledge Christs hand and indignation against them The Church had freedom from outward persecutions Christianity became in request in the world so that Christians seemed now to enjoy in part the return of the prayers of these that had gone before them All which being so evidently fulfilled in that time and being so agreeable to this type in all its circumstances we conceive that the foretelling of this very event is the main scope of this seal for clearing and confirming whereof we shall adde further these considerations If we consider 1. the usuall manner of the Prophets their expressing of horrible judgements as we observed at the entry it will be agreeable to them and to Iohn who followeth them to understand this of some temporall thing especially upon enemies 2. Consider that it is ordinary in the Scriptures of the New Testament and agreeable to this prophesie to speak of the Romane Empire as of all the world and of things befalling it as of changes and events befalling all the world So Luke 2.1 It is said that Augustus decreed that all the world should be taxed that is all the Empire Rev. 3.10 And therefore it will not be unreasonable to a strict these expressions to changes within this Empire 3. Consider that the change of Religion in the Empire in its Nature Ordinances Customes Ceremonies c. and the bringing in of a different Religion in its room is ordinarily expressed in such terms as hold forth an universall change upon all the world upon Heaven Earth Sun Moon Seas c. as if all were overturned and yet the change is not upon the world in it self but upon Religion if we may speak so in the world because that change hath such alterations with it as if the world became another thing and because Religion being the most precious thing in the world the great and remarkable changes are reckoned accordingly as it goeth with it Hence we will find three eminent changes and periods in respect of Religion spoken of in this Book and all of them in such expressions as bear forth at the first view a totall and universall change upon all the world The first is the change of the world from Heathenish Idolatry to Christianity this change is set out as a new world in this seal because as it were that Heathenish world wherein Heathens bare rule and Idolatry was publickly countenanced and authorized is overturned and another world come in its room This change of the world is from Heathenish to Christian. The second great change of Religion is from the simplicity of Christianity unto the darknesse and doctrines of Antichrist This change under the trumpets is set forth by smiting of the Earth and Seas by darkening of the Sun and Moon c. when the mutation is upon the state of Religion in the world This change is of a Christian world into an Antichristian The third great change is under the vials when Antichrists kingdom again is brought down Chap. 16. It is expressed by a mutation upon the Eearth Sea Sun c. when yet the judgement falleth but on the beast his worshippers and the pendicles and superstitions of his kingdom which may be called the Antichristian world and this mutation is the overturning of the Antichristian and the inbringing of a Christian world again in the place of it And this way being keeped in expressing all the other changes of Religion in the world we may the more warrantably apply this here as is said Only there is this difference the other changes of Religion under the trumpets and vials are brought about by steps under severall trumpets and vials This change is set out by one seal together because that alteration was instantly and universally at one time brought to passe which in the other change is not so sudden 4. The considering of that event more particularly in its severall circumstances doth so fully answer this
prophesie and not to the preceeding 1. Because the seals hold forth especially temporall judgements the trumpets hold forth Spirituall plagues Now the Elect not being exempted from the former but from the latter This prophesie then to call it so of peculiar exemption must belong to the trumpets which contain judgements of a Spirituall nature 2. If we look to Chap. 9.4 which comprehendeth the prophesie of the first wo brought upon the world by the fifth trumpet there these who are sealed are peculiarly exempted from that wo. The inserting therefore that limitation in the commission of that wo that it should not hurt these who had the seal of God doth evidently knit this sealing unto that trumpet as peculiarly belonging to it and intended for that storm 3. We find Chap. 13.8 only the Elect excepted from the worshipping of the beast and Chap. 14.1 4. we find the same number who are said to be sealed here observed to be keeped clean according as was designed here these places shewing the effect of Gods sealing here to have been answerable in the event that as He had sealed them to be keeped clean so were they by vertue thereof actually preserved Now that preservation in respect of the event in these places doth manifestly look to their being keeped free of Antichrists corruptions which contemporateth with the trumpets and therefore this sealing which holdeth forth Gods purpose of bringing about that event must belong to that time also The scope then is shortly this Iohn being commissionated to reveal the second great storm which was to come upon the Church by the breaking out of Heresie and rising of Antichrist to a height by which many moe of the Visible Church should be carried away than under the former persecutions so that in effect the whole world should wonder after the beast and the Elect be in great hazard lest the Lords people should faint as if there were no Church during that time the Lord comforteth them by shewing the security of the Elect and immutability of Election in the most declining times and that He would preserve them from being carried away or hurt by that storm as if they were by some visible Character distinguished from the rest of the world for that end To come more particularly to this first part of the Chapter There are two things represented in it 1. A sad judgement to the Church this is implied vers 1. 2. Christs care in preparing for and guarding His Church from it In the first we have these four things to consider 1. Wherein this judgement or trial consisteth 2. The instruments intrusted with the oversight thereof are set down 3. Their Postour is described 4. The object of this judgement is pointed at 1. The trial is in the blowing of winds even four winds by which we understand Spirituall dangers of Heresies Divisions Schisms c. as is before said which are compared to winds 1. To shew the violence and force of Error which impetuously carrieth many away with it therefore it is compared to a floud Chap. 12. and is called strong delusion 1 Thess. 2. which place relateth to the same event 2. They are compared to winds to shew the effects of Error amongst unstable souls which drive them from former received Truths to Error and from one Error to another to and fro even as winds tosse any light matter therefore Iud. 12. they that are given to Error are said to be carried about of winds as Clouds or Weather-cocks are from one side to another according as the wind bloweth 3. Again they are called four winds to shew 1. The plurality of Errors which come one with another and one after another when once these winds begin to blow 2. To shew the opposition of one Errour to another and the inconsistency of them together as well as with truth In this Errour differeth from ordinary winds these blow but from one airth at once but this setteth upon-all corners together the devil aiming to break in upon one side when he is repelled at another and to catch one by one Errour who hath not been taken with an other 2. The instruments are described I saw four Angels standing c. 1. They are called Angels And 2. four Angels We need not dispute much whether they be good or bad seing God who is the Creator and Soveraign of both may and often hath made use of either of them in executing of His judgments upon the wicked world it would seem these mentioned here are good Angels 1. Because for a time they restrained these winds ready before this to have broken out but were keeped up as in prison by them till Christ should give orders It is true the winds are from evil spirits and prime Ministers of Satan but the holding of these winds and the timeing of the blowing of them so as might further Gods design most are good and seem to be acts of Christs Kingly Office executed by good Angels who have that committed to them for the Churches sake and therefore it may be said of them that power was given them to hurt the earth because that cannot come to passe but by their leave who have the oversight of that deluge of Errour entrusted to them 2. The Angel who speaketh to them taketh them in as joynt servants of God with him and as employed in the same work as it is vers 3. which maketh it appear to be Elect Angels employed in that work for the good of Elect Saints They are called four because there were four winds and there being hazard from so many airths God will have His care and Soveraignity seen in having one Angel for every danger 3. We are to consider their postour which is set down First In their standing on the four corners of the earth which importeth two things 1. The imminency of the judgement it was ready to break in on all corners 2. It sheweth the vigilancy and activenesse of these instruments in executing what was committed to them with a readinesse to advert to Christs orders and to obey them Secondly As they are standing so they are holding the four winds of the earth which confirmeth what is formerly said and beside implyeth a degree of force in the winds and of activity in the instruments forcibly as it were holding them Thirdly The end why they hold the winds is that the winds should not blow on the earth which is not simply to restrain them from hurting the earth but for a time untill the Elect should be prepared and provided for it as the Verses following will clear The fourth thing in the Verse is the object on which these winds do blow it is implyed in this Verse to be the earth the sea and trees for the restraining of these winds from blowing on them for a time supposeth them to be the object of that storm as is clearly expressed vers 2 3. It was given to them to hurt the earth c. These three are
Secondly In our addresses to God Faith would be exercised on Jesus Christ even in respect to this part of His Office that is that as there is a resting by Faith on Christs satisfaction for attaining of pardon or what else is needfull so there ought to be a resting on Christ as intercessor for the obtaining of what we are petitioning for before the Throne This putteth the obtaining of what we seek off our selves and giveth the credit and glory thereof unto Him Thirdly Faith would not only respect Christ simply as an intercessor but as an intercessor who is man in our nature who hath experience of infirmities and tender humane sympathie towards us The neglect of this maketh Christ look like a stranger and maketh the soul anxious even in its addresses to Him Fourthly Upon this consideration there ought to be accesse with holy boldnesse the heart exulting in its approach to God that it hath such a new and living way as the vail of his flesh to approach to God by It is often not only spoken of but commended in the Scripture especially in the Epistle to the Hebrews upon this ground as Chap. 4. verse last and 10. vers 19 c. Were this considered it would banish the drouping heartlesse approaches that Believers make to God through Christ as if they were coming to stranger whereas they approach to a brother to a brother really and sunsibly touched with their infirmities and affected with them as any brother on earth is with the infirmities of another Fifthly The heart would keep confidence on this account as to the event however it be for the time can it be but well with one with whom Christ so sympathizeth and ought not they then to comfort themselves in the hope of an outgate Paul triumpheth upon this consideration Rom. 8. that though there should be persecution nakednesse sword c. yet they should not hurt him nor separate him from the love of God in Christ Jesus but that over all he should be a conquerour yea more than a conquerour This were well becoming a Believer in straits and were suitable to this ground of strong consolation and this confidence is to be humbly extended unto all sorts of things which may mar the Believers consolation here Sixthly It is even requisite to have the exercise of Spiritual senses for the right improving of this consolation so that Believers would carry upon themselves a little copie of that sympathie that is in Jesus Christ and have still upon their spirits an impression of the reality thereof that by meditating thereon in lying down rising up or walking c. the heart may be refreshed and that excellent box of ointment may cast a savour neither can it be that poor believing sinners should without unspeakable refreshment and consolation conceive Christ Jesus the blessed Mediator to have such thoughts of them such care of them in their straits such a touch of an fellow feeling with them in their infirmities as that a reproach upon them a crosse or strait a hazard to sin or an actuall fall doth touch and affect Him as the fall or strait of the child doth affect a tender mother and that we may with as great boldnesse approach to Him and have as con̄fident expectation of a hearing with Him as children may to their most dearly loving mother who can think of these things and not be affected and were Believers more in the thoughts of these there would certainly be more comfort Seventhly This would be to the Believer the last refuge and whatever come it is never to be loused or reteired from but when all looketh dark about He is here to anchour and on this intercession and sympathie to cast himself and that not without hope that He who is a compassionate high Priest will give proof thereof and even in the same particular In a word this consolation might be improven against want and private straits against publick difficulties for He sympathizeth with His Church and every member of it it is most fresh in straits because then His bowels are awake most stirred and warmed and it is a fortresse against the terror of death seing He died and therefore hath the fresher sympathie in that choke It were even good believers were acknowledging themselves defective in this and would endeavour the amending of it wherein there is hopes that this compassionate high Priest would further them and furnish them with other sort of helps and directions To Him be praise for ever LECTURE II. Vers. 5. And the Angel took the censer and filled it with fire of the altar and cast it into the earth and there were voices and thundrings and lightnings and an earthquake 6. And the seven Angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound 7. The first Angel sounded and there followed hail and fire mingled with bloud and they were cast upon the earth and the third part of trees was burnt up and all green grasse was burnt up IN the beginning of this Chapter we find our Lord Jesus taking off the suspension and restraint and making way for the breaking loose of that Judgement which in the former Chapter He had restrained Our Lord Jesus Christ the great Angel of the Covenant hath a double end in these three Verses to wit the 3 4 and 5. 1. To provide for His people and to make them and their prayers acceptable to God as the best guard against the coming storm and this is past in the former two Verses to wit the 3. and the 4. 2. To give the word and signe for the Angels to sound the alarm that these Judgements restrained by the four Angels Chap. 7. might fall on this is performed in this fifth Verse wherein are two things 1. The signe given 2. The effects 1. The signe is that he filleth the censer with fire of the altar and casteth it into the earth whereby both the signe is given as if he had now done that for which he had inhibited them to hurt the earth till it was performed Chap. 7. and the nature of that Judgement pointed at in three things 1. In the object of it it is cast into the earth by the earth we understand the visible Church here or that part of the earth where the visible Church sojourneth called Mat. 13. the field or world because as the world containeth all creatures so it containeth all professours good and bad It is the same earth the winds were not to blow upon Chap. 7.1 now they are let loose and it is such a Earth as hath trees grasse and green herbs growing in it some whereof do wither and are hurt and carried away with this storm some are still lively and keeped safe under Gods seal from it as Chap. 9.4 whereby it is clear that by trees are meaned men sealed and unsealed which are no where but in the visible Church and this is to be remembered in application of the trumpets afterward 2. The signe
to be as a city set on a mountain or hill Matth. 5. these being mountains for eminencie in the Church as civil Governours or Governments are in the State 2. This mountain is said to be burning which we conceive to be kindled with pride and contention flowing therefrom as Christ saith He came to send fire on the earth and it was already kindled which is to be expounded variances amongst these in nearest relations so also fire it is taken for contention in Iothams parable Iudg. 9. compare vers 20. with vers 23. which is the more clear here that it followeth upon the former trumpet as taking fire from it and it seemeth to be the Church-Governours that were kindled by it This fire having kindled within their bowels breaketh out and infecteth others and spreadeth this division under this trumpet at the back of the former heresie and sad state which the Church was in having to do not only with open Hereticks but with pride and contention amongst Church-men themselves whereby exceedingly the Church was wronged and way was made for the in-bringing of more corruption and Antichrists rising 2. The object it is cast into the sea 1. By the sea in Scripture among the Prophets is understood a numerous people as to fit on many waters Revel 17.15 By this then we are to understand that though this infection began among the Church-men yet was it cast in the sea that is spread far off amongst the people So it was in this time and so it useth to be 2. By sea is understood in Scripture Nations beyond seas often the west part of the world because they were by the sea divided from Iudea as by the earth or land is understood the east parâ— Isa. 60.5 c. and thus it may well here look to Rome Africk and the west upon which this storm mainly did fall as the first did fall on the Church in the east chieâ—ly which was called the earth 3. By sea in this prophesie is understood the Ordinances in Discipline Worship and Government of the Church and exercises of Religion because in these and by these Christians in this World of the Church do converse together traffique one with another communicate one with another as men do by seas and ships who otherwayes are at a distance So Chap. 18. in the Antichristian world their Church-men are compared to men in ships or Merchants who amongst other things trade for mens souls which can be meaned of no other but their Church-men vers 15. and their going about their superstitions is compared to trading in Ships and Seas Whereby it would appear that here especially a storm upon Ordinances Worship and Discipline is signified as in the former the Doctrine was set upon yet Discipline and Councels were in some vigour both having some Authority from without by Constantine unity and respect from within as at Nice foundnesse and solidity in proceeding but in the succeeding ages all was changed First Emperours became Arians Councels became heterodox unity was broken partly by Schisms amongst themselves partly by the Pelagians and Donatists which at this time came to a height separation from Churches flowing from pride under the pretext of the unholinesse of the Churches Members began and continued long troubling especially the west part of the world which formerly was free and the preaching of the Word was foisted with humane inventions by men who were not Hereticks the government of the Church spoiled broken dissolved and burnt pride consumeth all and maketh it contemptible So it is said of Babylon Jer. 21.25 I will make thee a burnt mountain when the dissolution of her authority is prophesied of 3. The effects of this mountains casting in the sea recorded here are two the one the effect of the other 1. The waters are turned into bloud shewing they were corrupted that being the great evidence of corruption in them alluding to the plague of Egypt Exod. 7.19 which sheweth that by that foregoing rent Discipline was weakened Ordinances corrupted and the nature of them altered they were before usefull now they are hurtfull as being abused by this firy mountains falling into them So the Synods Councels and Ministrie in many places became such as were rather for destruction than edification and Churches were rent and divided and stumblings laid before poor people whereby the second effect followed that is as in waters turned to bloud fishes cannot live so by these errors in Doctrine and Worship which both now continue together poor souls are destroyed simplicity of Worship corrupted with ceremonies and traditions and all Church men almost who trade in these ships are undone and destroyed with this ambition for bloud signifieth any death even spiritual death Ezek. 3.18 His bloud will I require of thee c. which is His spiritual killing of them and here we are to understand their being killed with self-seeking and pride and so to be dead while they were alive 1 Tim. 5.6 and deadly to others also In sum then by the second trumpet we are to understand the corruption of the Government and Governours who heightening their places beyond Christs order and exercising that power not for edification but for destruction contrary to its nature in fiery contentions flowing from their pride and ambition by which the eminency of the Church in that respect was dissolved in its Authority and became low as a mountain doth which is consumed by fire from within whereby many dreadfull effects tending both to the wronging of the Ordinances of Jesus Christ and exceeding hurtfull to all the members of the Church who lived under them were brought to passe and so the Churches life as it were brought into greater hazard than under open Hereticks For application of this we will find it suit well with the contentions that followed on the Councel of Nice and then burst out amongst Church-men exceeding hurtfully unto the Church for clearing whereof we may observe these things from the story of that time 1. Divisions and contentions abounded as is clear from the many complaints of Emperours and Fathers especially Gregoriâ—â— Nax who therefore took a prejudice at Councels because so much contention followed that of Nice As also by the many contrary Synods and contests for precedency in them among Church-men who continued till the Bishop of Rome carried away the title of Vniversal Bishop as will appear more under the fifth trumpet 2. The time of these contentions will agree to this for this fire of pride was kindled and the foundation laid for carrying on these contests to that height from the former heresie some acts were made whereby some Bishops especially they of Rome were preferred to others because they were more free of that infection and were more able to help the truth and these who were persecuted for it in the East as particularly that seventh canon at Sardica overtured by Osius for that end from which Rome took advantage afterward 3. In these Councels upon this occasion
of it anâ— the night likewise because the Sun that giveth light by day and the Moon and Stars that give light by night they were all darkned and â—mitten There is no word of any particular cause or mean wherâ— by the Sun was smitten as under the former trumpets wasmentioned By Sun Moon and Stars we understand and comprehend under them light of all sorts such as is the purity of Doctrine in the Word compared to light Psal. 119.105 And 2 Pet. 1.19 the word of prophesie is called a light that shineth in a dark place and so it may be seing Christ who is the Sun of Righteousnesse shineth therein Mal. 4. And by the spreading of the Gospel is said to arise for the direction and comfort of His people See also Matth. 4.16 Or also the light of order comlinesse and a good conversation in the power of Godlinesse as Phil. 2.15 and Matth. 5.17 So the Church Cant. 6. is called fair as the Moon and the Ministers compared to Stars and the generall beauty of the Church is prophesied of in these terms Isa. 30.26 The light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun as the light of seven dayes and consequently the diminishing and contracting of these lights must be the declining and decaying of light in the Church both in respect of purity of Doctrine when it is daâ—kened and simplicity of Worship and Power in practice these by humane traditions and ceremonies and superstitions are quite dimned ecclipsed and darkened A third part is but smitten and darkened and shineth not which is in comparison of the totall ecclipse following under the fifth trumpet when the Sun is wholly darkened Chap. 9 vers 1. This is higher and of larger extent than the former yet lesse than these that follow in degree but little odds in kind from the fifth It differeth from the former as being of larger extent affecting the Sun and light in a greater degree also in respect there is no particular instrument named the reason is because it relateth to no particular heresie or defection different from the former or that which followeth nor to no particular Heretick but is a further and higher degree and step of that same declining â—lowing not from without but from within insensiblie growing by a generall declining till it come to the top in the following trumpets The reasons why we apply it to the sixth Century are from considering of the story where it is clear that in that age light was exceedingly though not fully darkened and many things remarkable suit this type As 1. that there was no particular heresie nor prime heretick in all that Century though former heresies as that of Arius Eutyches c. spread more yet there was no particular heretick that arose to be instrumentall in this darkening as in the formeâ— there was to wit Pelagius Nestorius Bishop of Constantinople and Eutyches See Cent. 6. Preface and Cap. 1. 2. That though there was no heretick yet there was a great and generall decay of simple purity both in Doctrine Worship Government and practice as in that Century may be seen and in 〈…〉 Gregorius 〈…〉 his life by Platina monasteries superstitious dayes doctrine of works and traditions encreased c. See Cent. 6. cap. 1. 7. where the building of Abbacies deserting of Marriages even by Kings and Queens for devotion is mentioned 3. That light and knowledge was very low now in the Church few able men are marked to have lived in this Century which certainly sheweth great decay of light they being lights to the world There are but two eminently marked Fulgentius and Gregorius Magnus who though in some things against the Arians and Eutycheans c. they do well yet in many things their infirmity and declining from purity especially of the last appeareth and yet never was there in Rome be far such a Bishop after him in any respect he is called the worst of these who went before him and the best of these who followed 4. That old heresies by that occasion did thrive well the Eutycheans especially 5. Anastasius the Emperour he countenanced this heresie and though before his coronation he subscribed to the Nicean and Chalcedon faith whereby this heresie was condemned yet after he retracted and became a great persecuter banishing and cutting off many able honest Ministers especially Euphâ—mius who crowned him because he refused to give back his subscription and would not admit him to Communicate as infected with heresie and also Macedonius his successour and sundry others for not admitting the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he had appointed some acriter impugnantes alii imprudentius defendentes Concilium Nicaenum saith the story He would not have had that Councel mentioned because it condemned his tenent 6. This age is remarkable from the pride and practice of Iohn Bishop of Constantinople who by the consent as it seemeth of Mauritius the Emperour and the Bishops of the East took on him the name of Vniversal Bishop and Patriarch and what folâ— lowed upon that may be seen at large in the writings of Gregorius Bishop of Rome Where these things are clear 1. That there was a decay of zeal and humility amongst Bishops by their bussying themselves in things of the world 2. That the title of Vniversal Bishop was accounted a sure mark of Antichrist derogating from all other Bishops as if one only were a Bishop and a stile that no Apostle even Peter did ever assume 3. He concluded that Antichrist was neer seing a Priest so exalted himself and which is hard to be said he should have an Army of Priests ready to advance him for saith he what is Antichrists exalting himself above all that is called god in this world and sitting in his Temple as God but a Priest lifting up himself above all his fellow-priests which is to take Christs Chaire as by considering these places is manifest 4 Epist. 32 34 36 38. ad Iohanneâ—â— Constant. where these words are Rex superbia prope est quod dici nefas est Sacerdotum praeparatus est exercitus quia cervici militant superbia c. And again lib. 7. Epist 30. ad Mauritium Aug. Ego autem fidenter dico quia quisque se universaleâ— Episcopum aut Sacerdotem vocat vel vocari desiderat in elatione suâ Antichristum praecurrit qui superbiendo se caeteris praeponit And as he said Epist. 34. lib. 4. ad Constantiam Augustam he imitateth the devil in seeking to be above his Collegues These things belonging to the same time that the series of the prophesie falleth into and agreeing so well to the type in the Text and to the succeeding trumpet It seemeth clearly applicable to it especially considering that these debates made way exceedingly for the Bishop of Rome and his stepping up where the Bishop of Constantinople would have been and endeavoured to be In the 13. vers before the fifth Angel sound there is a
said to rise again and their death must be such a death as is consistent with that and with the manner of their rising 3. It is not three years for dayes for 1. no considerable application can be given that agreeth with it That which interveeneth between Charles the fifth his taking and imprisoning the Elector of Saxon and Landgrave of Hessen and Mauritius Duke of Saxon his making him again to flee and the peace which was concluded at Paussow with Ferdinand will in strict account be about five years and odds to wit from April 1547. to August 1552. The third circumstance is vers 10. their exceeding great mirth and jollity which is aggreged from the reason of it in the end of the vers all that dwell on the earth that is all carnall Professors of that antichristian Kingdom for the earth here is opposed to the true Church which is called Heaven shall make such feasts and chearfulnesse and use all signs of joy which men do in their greatest mirth and upon obtaining greatest victories See Esther 9.18 after their delivery and Nehem. 8.10 c. These are the greatest tokens of mirth Let us consider the victory which is the cause These two Prophets that before tormented them now they are rid of them and at ease We shall enquire in the reasons of these 1. Why faithfull Preachers are often a torment and torture to the men of the world who neither can abide their consciences to be stirred their faults touched their designs marred or lusts restrained c. such Moses and Aaron were to Pharaoh the prophet to Ieroboam Elias and Micajah to Ahab and Iezebel Iohn Baptist to Herod c. 2. Why a profane people will be so glad to be rid of honest Ministers and yet well pleased with hirâ—lings Ahab could abide four hundred Prophets of Iezebel but could not endure one Micajab that spoke the truth The world is now swarming with the supporters of Antichrist who live delicately on the fat of the earth uncontrolled yet two poor witnesses of Christ are unsufferable And 3. Why the Lord often upon the back of a begun rise of the Gospel will suffer an exceeding nipping storm to arise against it For the first faithfull Ministers especially in times of declining may be said to torment the earth these six wayes 1. Their word and testimonie hath influence on the conscience when it forcibly discovereth and reproveth the ill which a hearer is guilty of it is said Acts. 7.54 that Stephens free witnessing cut the hearers that were guilty to the heaâ— that is when they cannot get leave to quench all challenges and to sleep on but these witnesses by the power and evidence of the Word and Spirit do condemn their deeds and consequently themselves That galleth them and wanteth not ifluence upon profane consciences though they stop it as Stephens hearers did their ears 2. It tormenteth their will and affection that when they would sleep on and delight themselves in these wayes of their own free preaching marreth their quietnesse even as when Elias cometh to Ahab with this word Hast thou killed and gotten possession and so proceedeth in the threatning 1 King 21. he goeth home sad and all the pleasure that he expected in his new garden evanished so saith the same King of Micajab that he hated him because he never prophesied good to him he was alway thorturing him as Elijah did and as Moses and Aaron did to Pharaoh 3. It tormenteth their corruptions and lighteth upon their Idols by discovering and reproving them and so stirreth up their enimity as Iohn's free preaching did to Herod and Herodias they touch folks sores and that tormenteth them though it be tenderly done yea some good men as Asa 1 King 16.10 have been tormented with this and could not abide it and when enimity and envie are wakened they have a cruell torment as we may see in Haman at Mordecai There is no greater torment to a malignant heart swollen with enimity against the power of Godlinesse in the Godly than to have a faithfull testimonie against it and this pain proceedeth not from any unskilfulnesse and untendernesse in the Minister but from the desperatnesse of their corruption which is like some grievous sore that cannot abide to be cleansed or purged by the most tender Physician 4. It affecteth and tormenteth their credit and pride when their Religion is called superstition idolatry and no Religion they cannot away with that to be called guilty of such and such crimes men in nature and as such cannot digest it and faithfull witnesses must tell them when they go to the left hand yea and to the right also and lift up their voice for that end like a trumpet hence the Pharisees say they will bring this mans bloud upon our heads Acts. 4.5 and that tormenteth them to call the Pope Antichrist and Rome Babylon must be pricking This hath ofen made faithfull Ministers appear untolerable when proud humours disdained to have them meddling with their actions much lesse to condemn them 5. Their testimonie affecteth the ease and outward quietnesse of the world for men naturally love so much Religion as never putteth them to trouble but where faithfull witnessing cometh it will not be content with a form but it casteth their old wayes and bringeth in new as they suppose and that ordinarily meeting with Satans opposition in the world and mens corruption bringeth changes contests wars and judgements for abusing this Word which judgement the witnesses threaten in this sense Ahab calleth Elijah the troubler of Israel 1 King 18.17 And the Apostles are said to turn the world upside down and from this many say it was a good world before but since these Ministers arose there is no peace hence some places of the world yea some Pharisees have more outward peace with formall Ministers yea with Idolatrie than when Christ is preached therefore Christ saith He came not to send peace but a sword and thus the world thinketh if they were quit of some heady Ministers all would be quiet It is no marvell then that worldly men rage at this and that it torment these who have their portion here only 6. Men in darknesse have accesse to their private designs but light crosseth their interest and so tormenteth them for the keeping of a good conscience which Ministers that are faithfull must presse maketh folks inflexible to these crooked ends which the world cannot abide to have obstructed or crossed thus the Prophet that testified against Ieroboam's worship crossed his intent and so marred the securing of the Kingdom to him as Ieroboam thought and this made him hate thâ—t freedom This may in part vexe all sorts but especially it is intolerable to great men who fret to be bounded either in reference to end or midses and cannot abide to be reproved which was in Asa's case formerly hinted we may see it also in the three Children Dan. 3. It galleth the King that a pretext of
most probable some extraordinary instinct and impulse of the Spirit constraining the Preachers and Professors of the Gospel now to a publick separation from Rome more than formerly was 3. And they heard it whereby is shown that though God had given many commands of separating from Antichrist and of coming out of Babel in the former ages yet were they not heard nor understood even by many Godly then living in that fellowship and burdened with their superstitions but now God giveth these revived witnesses at the beginning of Reformation to heat and distinctly to understand His mind in this particular and it doth imply also that though many saw their practice yet was not their call cleared to all possibly alluding to that of Paul Acts 9. where though many saw a glimpse of the light about him yet he only heard the voice that spake to him 4. The great thing in the call is the duty called-for Come up hither that is to Heaven as the words following do clear That the term from which is the antichristian Church and World and the low condition that Christs Servants had by her means is evident The term to which to wit Heaven we conceive is not properly to be understood of the glorious seat of the blessed but of a glorious visible Church-state upon earth it being ordinary especially in this Book to set forth the visible Church under this name and so the meaning is they shall not continue in their former sackcloth-condition but God shall erect a visible Church distinct from Antichrist which shall be as to the purity and beauty of Ordinances and to freedom from Antichrists tyrannie and persecution in comparison of what formerly the Saints were obnoxious unto like an ascending to Heaven That thus it must be understood beside what was said at the entry appeareth 1. It is a Heaven in opposition to the world formerly mentioned which was that of Antichrist 2. It is an happinesse opposit to their former low estate now when they are revived they are not permitted to live within the precincts of Antichrists dominion and under his tyrannie as before but are called up from without his reach 3. It is the same Heaven mentioned under the seventh trumpet vers 19. that is where the Temple Ark and Covenant is and their ascending is the opening of that Temple c. 4. It is such a Heaven as that Chap. 12. that Satan is cast down from as that the Man-child is taken up into vers 5. and 8. and such an Heaven as the everlasting Gospel is preached into Chap. 14.6 and that after the beasts begun ruine but all these are to be understood of a visible Church-state Therefore this must be so also especially considering that these witnesses are called Stars they are now fixed to shine in this Heaven of a visible Church-state as put on a candlestick that they may give light to the world more than formerly they were in capacity to do Their obedience followeth they ascend up to Heaven c. meaning their taking on them that publick owning of the Gospel which they were called to and the certainty of the effect following the former call such a condition followed indeed as they were called to 2. The manner of their ascending was in a cloud that is gloriously and safely as the Lord is said to be clothed with a cloud their glory and safety is by divine Power it is like with allusion to Christs ascension Acts 1. both these Resurrections being by one Power It is said also to be in a cloud because though it were discernable to onlookers yet was it mysterious and dark to them who could not discern through the many reproaches and imputations put upon the first Reformers the beauty of the work in their hand and the glory of Gods dispensation to His Church in them 3. It is marked that their enemies beheld them they saw them dead they saw them raised to their feet and now they behold them ascending which sheweth still a visible and remarkable change in the steps and progresse of His Church and the reality and greatnesse of it which could not be marred by their opposers though they beheld it which certainly would provoke their enimity and increase their envy the more They are called their enemies not for any particular wrong these witnesses had done to them but for the work in their hands these witnesses should still have enemies retaining their enimity yet were restrained from marring their exaltation which sheweth that the reviving of the Gospel and down-bringing of Antichrist will be by degrees In short these two verses say that the Gospel shall again flourish and the witnesses thereof shall be placed in a honourable condition suitable to their profession in despight of all their opposers In the 13. vers this glorious condition of the witnesses is set out by four glorious concomitants going alongst with it or consequents following upon it 1. And the same hour was there a great earth-quake By earth-quake Chap. 6.12 and vers 19. of this same Chapter is understood great and sudden temporall mutations By this we understand the great commotions which usually accompanie Reformation whereby Kingdoms are put in an uproar Satan and his instruments wakening up enimity against the Gospel and the Lord powerfully carrying on His design maketh the earth as it were to shake till He accomplish it This did really fall out and it may well be thought to be the fulfilling of this prophesie in Germanie France Holland England Scotland c. when at first the witnesses were brought to a visible Church-state separated from Rome The second effect following upon the former is a tenth part of the city fell It hath no name here and therefore must be understood to relate to that called the great city vers 8. that is the city having dominion over the Kings of the earth Chap. 17. vers 18. that is Rome to be taken not strictly in respect of that particular Town but more largely in respect of its Empire and Dominion as was formerly said It is said a tenth part of this Dominion falleth because by this publick preaching of the Gospel and the witnesses separating of themselves from her a great and considerable part of that Dominion is diminished and brought down or as Chap. 14. by that expression Babylon is fallen is fallen is set forth not the destruction of a City alone but the ruine of Antichrists Kingdom so here by the fall of a part of that City we are to understand the begun ruine and destruction of that Kingdom which was to accompanie the reviving of light in the world as is said and was actually fulfilled in the withdrawing of England Scotland Denmark Sweden and a great part of Germanie France Helvetia Polland Low Countries c. from their former dependance upon the beast The third effect following on this is a great number of men even seven thousand men were slain In the Original it is Names of men pointing at
his finall overthrow but is immediately to follow that time when all Nations worship him See further Chap. 6. Lect. 1. The second objection is that before the seventh trumpet blow the beasts Kingdom is said to be shaken with a considerable ruine which say some must belong to the vials some whereof therefore must contemporate with the sixth trumpet Answ. What we have said in the exposition will abundantly clear this in a word the sixth trumpet hinteth the turn which the seventh doth consummate and it sheweth that immediately upon the back of the witnesses killing there succeeded a glorious face of a Church in comparison of what was which being compared with the application formerly given will bear out this that the Lord turned Antichrists highest fury against His Church and witnesses to be the occasion and mean of furthering his own ruine and bringing of His Church to some footing which we acknowledge to belong to the sixth trumpet and maketh way for the opening of the Temple in heaven which was before shut out of which the Angels with the seven vials do proceed which sheweth that there is some shaking of Antichrists kingdom antecedent to the vials as well as to the seventh trumpet even as much as belongeth to the sixth trumpet for the first of them supponeth a visible Church-state and some victory over Antichrist to be begun From all which the contemporating of this seventh trumpet with these seven vials doth the more evidently appear which we have insisted the larglier upon because it is a main pillar that supporteth the series laid down Chap. 6. and doth make the connexion clear here although we professedly spoke of it before To come particularly to the words then the sum and scope of these following Verses is by anticipation to give a little view what the vials expresse more fully from Antichrists begun ruine to its close and this is brought in here for the confirmation and consolation of Gods people that before he insist in the particular explicatory prophesie of the Churches trials from the beast in the Chapters following they may have a hint of the happy outgate following it and it doth lay open a full view of the Churches militant condition to her close before he again begin to deduce it from its beginning This happy outgate is three wayes expressed 1. by a heavenly proclamation of good news vers 15. 2. by an excellent song of thanksgiving vers 16 17 18. 3. by a type or vision vers 19. All which are but generally hinted without mentioning any particular because that is reserved to be done by the prophesie of the vials The general proclamation is There were great voices in heaven saying The kingdoms of this world are become the Lords and his Christs and he shall reign for ever where we have to consider 1. the news 2. whence they come The news have two branches one is concerning the present happy change The kingdoms are become the Lords and the other is concerning the continuance thereof He shall reign for ever By Kingdoms of this world we understand not all Kingdoms but some or many called Kingdoms in opposition to persons or families or parts of Nations Now the body of Kingdoms and Nations are brought in as is expresly said Chap. 15.4 parallel to this All Nations shall come and worship before thee They are called Kingdoms of this World to shew that such Nations as formerly did not acknowledge God should now submit to Him The scope is to shew the increase of the Gospel after Antichrists begun ruine in opposition to the former paucity that was in the true Church They are said to become the Lords and His Christs in opposition to what formerly they were they were His by creation but were not of His Church nor did not acknowledge His Christ as Head but owned another master now they become the Lords by speciall acknowledging of Him and they become His Christs by the profession of faith in Him alone In a word this their becoming His now is to be a pure Church to Him such as no Nation formerly were and as once the Iews were His in a peculiar manner Beside this is expounded Chap. 15.4 All Nations shall come and worship before Him by giving their professed subiection to Him It is said He shall reign for ever this is not only to shew the perpetuity and eternity of Christs Kingdom in it self as it is expressed Dan. 2. That of His Kingdom there shall be no end for even under Antichrists height of tyrannie this was true our Lord Jesus had a Kingdom then but this reigning relateth to His visible continuing of a Kingdom in the world such as he seemed not to have immediatly before this as may be gathered from vers 17. In a word Christ hath now taken on Him to have a visible Kingdom in the world and that shall continue without such an universal eclipse by Antichrist or any other to the end These news are proclaimed by great voices from Heaven which may be understood either properly of the joy in Heaven and praise which God getteth there for the conversion of one sinner much more for the conversion of Nations or which especially we rest in figuratively of the visible Church which is just now constituted and the witnesses set therein they before this spoke silently now with confidence and boldnesse they cry and praise the rather we conceive this to be the voice of the witnesses and faithfull Ministers because in the Song following we find only mention made of the Elders and yet it is not like that the Ministers or beasts were silent who Chap. 4. and 5. use in their thanksgiving to go before the Elders this therefore is like to be from them it being one of the delightsomest messages of the Ministers of the Gospel Isa. 52.7 to say unto Sion thy God reigneth 2. The event of this trumpet is set forth in the thanksgiving Song of the four and twenty Elders where 1. their posture is set down next their praise By Elders as on Chap. 4. was shown are represented the Believers who now also having got to seats again and a visible profession which was not heard-of during Antichrists reign and the Temples measuring and the womans being in the wildernesse they do also publickly acknowledge this mercy and praise for it and by falling down before Him acknowledging their having that settled condition from Him and that humility and reverence is no lesse requisit for praise in a prosperous condition than it is for prayer under adversity The subject of this Song pointeth at two particulars in the event of this trumpet 1. Gods taking to Himself a Kingdom for His peoples good 2. His pleading against His enemies and executing justice upon them In the first vers 17. they begin with Gods title Lord God Almighty which art and wast and art to come it was spoken of before and is here applyed to shew 1. that God rightly taken-up is the ground of
praise for deliverances as well as the ground of Faith and Prayer under straits And 2. to shew a suitablnesse in Gods work to Himself this being a proof that He was indeed God Almighty c. And 3. this sheweth the right way of thanksgiving which is to be led in by the consideration of Gods works to have right impressions of His own excellencie and also suitable expressions of these This word we give Thee thanks implyeth not only the duty of a people for spirituall mercies But 1. it supponeth an excellencie in the work 2. A majestie in the Worker 3. An acknowledgement of His Hand and Grace in the performing of it 4. A reckoning of themselves obliged to Him for it 5. A heartinesse and chearfulnesse in the expression of this The first ground of their praise is because thou hast taken to Thee Thy great Power and hast reigned which doth imply 1. that in the time of Antichrists full domineering the Lord seemed not to reign having had His Power obscured by that tyrannie 2. That the Lords having a Church in the world especially in any flourishing condition is the great evidence of His Power and Government in the world and a notable effect thereof and that it ought to be exceeding refreshfull to Gods people when He exerciseth His Power for having of a Church in the dayes wherein they live that they may see Him glorified in the flourishing of His Ordinances The second part of their praise relateth to the work of Justice against enemies vers 18. This work of Justice is five wayes amplified and set forth 1. In the nature and height of it and thy wrath is come God sometimes seemeth to oversee wrongs but He hath a time of calling to a reckoning when wrath will not be delayed as is threatened by the Angel Chap. 10. 2. It is amplified in respect of these on whom it came and the Nations were angry the world was in tops with Christs Church having hatred against His people even then seasonably God trysteth the vengeance and that not on particular persons only but on Nations 3. The greatnesse of this work is set forth by the low condition of these that were to be delivered they are called dead as being appointed to death and so accounted amongst the men of the world which looketh to the reviving of the Prophets formerly spoken of and to that Resurrection of the Professors Chap. 20. as impossible and improbable it being no lesse Power to bring the Church through that desperate-like condition she was under than to raise the dead The last two amplifications of this judgement are the universality and equity of it It s universality is expressed in that it is called the time of judgement wherein small and great shall be called to a reckoning It is said the time is come to shew Gods appointing of times and periods even before they come and that every event is beautifull in its season and ought to be welcomed by Gods people in His time The equity and justice of His proceeding is two wayes expressed 1. His keeping promise to His own That thou shouldest give reward to thy Servants the Prophets and to the Saints and to them that fear thy name small and great This recompense of Grace is called a reward 1. Because God hath knit it to His promise and tied Himself by Grace to the performing of it 2. Because He accounteth Himself bound by the right He hath given them to it 3. Because He alloweth it in liew of the former sufferings and afflictions which they lay under the Prophets are first named to be recompensed because both their work and suffering is greatest Then all His Saints follow even small and great there are none who endeavour faithfully to keep their garments clean how mean soever their parts be and obscure their place be that shall misse of the recompense when Gods time of rewarding cometh and this looketh particularly to the suffering Prophets formerly mentioned vers 4 5 c who are now vindicated when God maketh it appear there is a reward for the righteous and a God that judgeth in the earth as Psal. 58. and it is this judgement which principally is related unto 2. It is expressed in the equity of His proceeding toward His enemies they destroyed or corrupted the earth here God meeteth them in their own measure which is particularly marked in the powring out of the vials Chap. 16.5 6. This work of Justice doth not principally relate to the last judgement as the scope doth clear but to the Lords vindicating His people from Antichrists tyrannie thus expressed for the reasons given Chap. 6. where His vengeance on the heathenish persecuters is set down In sum it is as if they had said We thank Thee for this dispensation whereby thy wrath is manifested upon Antichrist and Thy goodnesse to Thy people and as Moses sang to the praise of God Exod. 15. after the delivery from Egypt so now do we for Thy deliverance from spirituall Egypt vers 8. on which consideration Chap. 15. their Song is called the Song of Moses and of the Lamb also which doth confirm the co-incidencie of this trumpet with these vials The third way whereby this event is expressed is by signs vers 19. pointing at the same scope to wit the spreading of Reformation increase of knowledge and wrath against enemies The first is expressed in two one of them being the effect of the other 1. And the Temple of God was opened in Heaven there is no Temple properly in Heaven Chap. 21 22. but here is meaned the visible Church the allusion is to the manner under the Old Testament in times of universal corruption and defection such as that of Ahaz was to whom in severall things Antichrist may well be paralleled then the Temple was shut and the Ark was not seen Again in the time of Reformation such as the dayes of Hezekiah were the first step was the opening of the Temple 2 Chron. 29.3 and the people had again accesse to the publick service so here in Antichrists time the Temple is shut the service of God is dishaunted and in Gods secret way the Temple is measured by for a few and the testimonie is sealed up to the Disciples now the dayes after the witnesses reviving shall be as the dayes of Hezekiah the Temple shall be opened and there shall be a publick pure profession of the Gospel The second expression is And there was seen in His Temple the Ark of His testament the Ark was in the most holy and the seeing of it importeth a greater increase of knowledge We may consider it two wayes which will agree in one either 1. as it was typicall of Christ so it signifieth that Jesus Christ who under Popery was obscured by superstitions multitude of Mediators merit of works c. and was scarce discernable to people now not only is the Temple door opened but as it is Isa. 25.6 the vail is drawn by
corrupt these and would neither amend them themselves nor suffer others to do so and this separation is necessary and called for by that command Come out of her my people Chap. 18 and without this there had been no communion kept with that which was the true Church of God who although for a time she did live in that Babylonish captivity was yet never of that communion and both these to wit that there were ever some such who kept the foundation and did reject the Popish inventions and that they in so far joyned not with them and so had not fellowship with Antichrist and his works of darknesse but did reprove them we suppose is clear from what is already said Neither ought the Papists to think this strange that we apply such distinctions to the Church under the true Antichrist considering that they use the same in reference to the time of their forged Antichrist who say they shall overrun the Church and by Idolatries and violence cover the face thereof yet shall there be a true Church who shall not be locally seperated from Him and His followers but in respect of their adhereing to the former purity and so by them the question where the true Church during that time is to be is answered thus It is under Antichrist but not of that defection His Church is the company of these that shall not decline from their former purity the true Church are the few here and there that shall retain it And thus generally they expound the woman fleeing Chap. 12. which to them also belongeth to that time to be no locall mutation of the Church but a decay of her conspicuousnesse and beauty by the defection of the great part and the overspreading of Antichristianisme and the Remists do illustrate it thus that as now in England the Church may be said to be fled in respect of what it was and the publick face of things yet as there are in it many true professors who are not of that Church but adhere to the Romish So say they will it be in Antichrists time and may not now that same be more rationally said of the true Church even in these times and places where Popery hath covered the publick face of all The second objection may be cleared also from what is said That we have not our Ministrie and Ordination from Antichrist more than we have the Word and Sacraments from him although through their hands the Lord did conveigh them to us but we have these from the Lord whose Ordinances they are and to whom we are obliged for purging them from antichristian corruptions and transmitting them pure to us which Antichrist would never have done Neither can it be thought strange that we should have Ordination and Ordinances transmitted to us through Antichrists reign considering that there were such even in his time Now we must either deny that any such were during that long time which is absurd and contrary the scope here or we must say that it is more impossible for us to continue Ordination and Ordinances in a distinct separate way from Antichrist as we through Gods goodnesse have them now and not to be obliged to him for them or not to have them derived from him Than it was to the Ministers and Church that lived while he was in his height For if we say that their Ordination and Ordinances were antichristian then shall we have no Christian Church if we say they were Christian though sometimes coming through impure hands because they separated what was antichristian from them so that may be said here also and so it is We therefore apply these distinctions here and say that we may consider our Ordination materially in it self or complexly in respect of its additionals and the former Church in respect of the multitude who declined or the few that keeped their garments and were not antichristian If we consider Ordination and Ordinances materially so we have them from the true Church and Prophets that were during Antichrists reign and our Church succeedeth them and although it descend by the Church under Antichrist yet is not antichristian more than she was antichristian as is said Again if we consider Ordination complexly in which sense only it is antichristian so we have not Ordination derived to us from her because we have none such at all It is not enough to make Ordination and Ordinances antichristian that they be so or by such transmitted as the former instance of the Church in that time and what is formerly said doth clear but that they be transmitted as such complexly Now these are not as such transmitted to us Therefore cannot be called antichristian Beside this we may draw some conclusions from this Song the first whereof is this That a National Church is not only not inconsistent with the flourishing estate of the Gospel in the world but is concomitant with it yea is a manifest proof of it and a great ground of rejoycing to Gods people and of praise to Him For clearing and confirming whereof we may consider 1. That by Nations and Kingdoms here is meaned the generality and body of such Kingdoms and Nations 2. That by being the Lords here is meaned a speciall Church-state and relation which two being made out it will consequently appear that what we call a Nationall Church which is the combination of a Nation as one unto God doth well suit the time of Antichrists fall and of the Gospels flourishing The first to wit that by Kingdoms here or Nations Chap. 15.4 are not to be understood some few of a Kingdom or Nation but the generality and body of them may appear 1. From the scope which clearly is this to set out the largenesse of the extent of the flourishing of the Gospel or the inlargement or wonderfull extent of the Church after Antichrists begun ruine If it were but some few there would be no such ground of praise nor no such difference from what was before even then some of Nations and Kingdoms were the Lords 2. Kingdoms becoming His is to be understood as the like phrases used of Cities and Families their becoming His but that doth import not only some of such a Family or City but the whole or generality of them as instances will clear See what is said of Lydda and Saron Acts 9.35 which certainly is more than can be said of other Cities where yet He might have many therefore it must be so here 3. These Kingdoms become His as once the Kingdom and Nation of the Iews were His in a peculiar manner for this seemeth to relate to the Lords manner of calling the Jewish Nation and as they were His so shall these Nations be His seing no other so clear parallel can be given of expounding here a Kingdom becoming the Lords so Israel is called His Nation Isa. 51.4 It is true this will not hold in typicall and ceremoniall things but in things common and essentiall to a Nationall
Church it will as we may conclude the relation of a particular person to God now by paralleling it with the particular relation between God and one of the Iews though it could not be extended to what is typicall and ceremoniall in that respect 4. The opposition maketh it clear Nations now become the Lords as formerly they were Antichrists that is they give now the profession of purity by a publick acknowledgement as formerly they gave it to the beast now they reject him and take Christ in his room but the first was done nationally 5. Nations become now the Lords as they were not His before for thus the opposition is to be understood also but that was in respect of the complex body the generality of them and if now the phrase be such a Nation is not the Lords because the generality and complex body do not publickly acknowledge Him Then oâ— the contrary a Nations becoming His must import His having His publick worship nâ—tionally among them 6. Nations now are to become His and to be admitted to the Church under the Gospel as they were formerly secluded before Christ came in the flesh Ps. 147. Thou hast not dealt so with every Nation c. but that which was peculiar to the Iews then from which other Nations were excluded was not in respect of particular persons of Nations for even many Gentiles were admitted with Israel to the Church but the difference was in respect of the collective body of other Nations none whereof were so admitted 7. We may consider this phrase of Nations and Kingdoms their becoming Christs here as it clearly respecteth the many promises and prophesies that went before of calling Nations to Him this is marked as the fulfilling of these promises whereby great things have been expected by the people of God and they cannot be looked on but as holding forth more ground of joy than can be gathered from the conversion of parts of Kingdoms Consider these two places the first is Rom. 10.19 cited out of Deut. 32.21 I will provoke them to jealousie by them that are no people and by a foolish Nation will I anger you Where two things are observable 1. That this provoking of Israel by a Nation is somewhat penall punishing them for their contempt when as it is Matth. 21.43 they shall see the Kingdom of God and their Nationall Church-state translated from them to another people and given unto a Nation who shall nationally be invested with their priviledges as ingrafted in their room 2. That the end thereof is to provoke them to jealousie when they shall see a whole Nation nationally owned of God which they esteemed to be their peculiar priviledge and acknowledged by Him in their room the calling of particular persons of Nations could not be so effectuall either to anger or provoke them seing that hath been common to all times The second place is Isa. 19. vers 18 19 23 24 25. where Egypt and Assyria are called the Lords people even as Israel is and that must be nationally considered 8. Take this place as including the re-ingrafting again of the Iews as no question it doth seing their incoming belongeth to the same time It is most probable-like that their Church will be nationall in the former respect 1. If we consider these expressions Rom. 11.26 All Israel shall be saved which is certainly in opposition to the parcels of them and singular persons whom God called and continued in His Church even when the body of them is broken off 2. They may be expected to be ingrafted into that estate they fell from for saith He Rom. 11. They shall be grafted in again but that estate was their nationall Church-state-relation and apparently had they received the Gospel they had continued a nationall Church to God and not lost their former priviledge though it had not continued to be typâ—call or peculiar to them Now this which they fell from was not from being priviledged with particular Churches for we may see by the Epistle to the Hebrews and Historie of the Acts that after their rejection there were particular Churches among them It would seem therefore that their ingrafting must be as broad as and of the same nature with their breaking off 9. This phrase The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lords is to be understood with respect to the commission given to the Apostles for calling in Nations and Kingdoms so that this is marked as the fruit and successe of that but that commission Matth. 28. Go disciple all Nations c. looketh to the body and generality of Nations it being a warrant to invit disciple and gather in a whole Nation and although sometimes in the event but some of Kingdoms and Nations are gathered in yet it cannot be said that upon supposition that a whole Kingdom or Nation should yeeld but they might be by this warrant received and admitted even as by this warrant indefinitly the call and offer is made to all the Nation in common And although not one should yeeld yet this commission and warrant sheweth it is neither inconsistent with the Gospel to call a Nation nor to admit them upon the former supposition 10. This phrase Kingdoms or Nations are the Lords must differ and seemeth expresly to be contradistinguished from that Chap. 5. Thou hast redeemed us out of all Nations Tongues Kindreds and yet that will take in some of Nations distributively this therefore must include more and considering that this speaketh of a visible Church-state and that of the Elect and Redeemed only there is reason that the expression should be more broad and apparently it relateth to that so that as our Lord will have His Redeemed gathered out of Nations and will take none universally for such yet to be a Church in which He will erect His Ordinances He will call Nations collectively considered For the second that by being the Lords here is meaned a speciall Church-state and relation to Him by visible profession and consequently that which we call a nationall Church doth belong to this time of the Gospels rising and Antichrists fall will be clear if we consider these particulars 1. that to be the Lords here is not to be His as all the world is for so were they alway this is some peculiar thing Nor 2. to be the Lords here is it to be His by saving Faith That will not agree to a whole Nation neither to the scope which is to shew a visible and publick Church-state and condition It is then to be His 1. by visible profession of Faith in Him and a publick Church-relation between Christ and them as Israel is often called His Nation Isa. 51.4 though all in it were not converts Now it is not only Israel but other Nations also that are ingrafted and come in their place Rom. 11.24 Again 2. to be the Lords it is to be His as once they were not His but Antichrists bearing his mark worshipping
immediately after their birth as it were and in their very infancy even as Pharaoh sought to destroy the Iews male children Exod. 1.23 3. As Christ was born and preserved till He had finished the work committed to Him notwithstanding of all the enemies malice and craft so shall it be with the Churches seed 4. As He immediately after His birth was pursued made to flee and carried to Egypt so shall it be with the Gospel-church who should be made to flee immediately after the first delivery This allusion is the more probable if we consider that the time of Christs being in Egypt will be found to be about three years and an half which is here the time of the Churches wildernesse-condition for He was born in the thirty year of Herods reign He did not flee immediately as appeareth by Maries continuing till her purification Luk. 2. and by Herods killing the young children of about two years old Mat. 2. and He returned from Egypt immediately after Herods death who reigned full thirty four years whereby the suitablenesse of this time may be gathered and lastly as Herod vented his malice upon the Children of Bethlehem where Christ was born after His escape so doth the devil here vent his malice upon the Churches seed after her deliverance We come to speak of the first part of the Chapter which containeth the Churches first war with the Dragon not but the Dragon fighteth also under Antichrist but more covertly and in another shape here more palpably which is first summarily proposed to vers 7. Then 2. prosecuted more particularly Vers. 1. In this first part the parties are described 1. The defender is set out in three things 1. She is a Woman that is the Church as she is ordinarily called partly 1. for infirmity and being obnoxious to wrongs 2. As in subordination to Christ as her Husband 3. As the Mother of Believers and she is one Woman though here the whole Gospel-church be represented to shew an unity in the Catholick visible Church which is the only object of persecution and that she is but one Church Woman Mother or Wife and there cannot be moe 2. She is described by her adorning or statelinesse in three things 1. She is clothed with the Sun setting out the pure Doctrine that she professed and the shining conversation of Believers in that primitive time who had put on the Lord Rom. 13. and owned His Word and Testimonie which is called the Sun in the eight Chapter especially what concerned His imputed righteousnesse and satisfaction 2. The Moon is under her feet whether by the Moon here we understand earthly temporall things which are mutable and spotted like the Moon or Jewish feasts new Moons c. called the rudiments of the World Col. 2. it cometh to one to wit to set out the deniednesse and mortifiednesse of the Church at that time despising worldly things and adhering to Christ and having a conversation heavenly which the Apostle exhorteth unto Col. 3.1 in opposition directly to the resting on these new Moons and other elements of the world as well as is in opposition to worldly things 3. She hath a crown of twelve Stars that is faithfull Ministers carrying the Doctrine of the twelve Apostles and following it so the Church is builded upon that Eph. 2.20 22. and Revel 21.14 the names of the Lambs twelve Apostles are written on the twelve foundations this is a Crown that is it is her glory and credit to have faithfull Ministers and to be following and avowing their Doctrine as Paul calleth the Thessalonians his Crown This is a well adorned Church in a suffering time We take these three more particularly to be expressed vers 11. The first by the bloud of the Lamb that is the Garment The second the word of the testimonie that is the Crown Thirdly They cared not for their lives and loved them not unto death that is the trampling of the Moon under their feet or undervaluing temporall things for the life is most cared for as Iob 2. Skin for skin yea all that a man hath will he give for his life The third part of the description is vers 2. in her travailing and crying expressing two things 1. A fruitfull condition of the Church in this beauty so travailing and bringing forth doth signifie in Scripture and is well applied to the Gospel-church which is a Mother Isa. 54.1 Gal. 4.19 with 26 27. 2. And although it doth signifie a fruitfull condition yet also it is a sorrowfull and afflicted condition as ye know the travailing of a woman ordinarily holdeth forth and Christ calleth it Ioh. 16.21 sorrow or pain till the childe be brought forth In a word this primitive Church is pure fruitfull and afflicted as her crying importeth with great pains do Ministers beget Gal. 4.19 and with great hazard is the profession of Christianity owned and great wrestling hath she in Prayer to God and sufferings from men to be rid of this sorrowfull condition ere she get free of it The enemie pursuing is described vers 3 and 4. in four or five particulars and it is called as the former a great sign or wonder represented to Iohn in Heaven because great things were signified by these here the parties are exceeding unequal she a woman the enemie is a Dragon some say there is an utter antipathy between Men and Dragons whereas other ravenous creatures for meat destroy men these for delight do it and whereas men can endure to look on other creatures yet not so well on the Dragons and Serpents however it is a most ravenous beast by which is represented in Scripture sometimes the devil sometimes some great persecuter acted by the devil the supream commander so was Pharaoh called and as he was the first oppressor of the Jewish Church so this representeth the first oppressors of the Christian Church both come in here the devil first that is clear vers 9. then the Roman Empire primely instrumentall in persecuting Christians that appeareth by the description of the Dragons shape he hath seven heads and ten horns which seven heads Chap. 17 are clearly to be expounded seven Hills and seven Kings or sorts of Governments and these ten horns to be ten Kings which were to arise out of the ruines of the Empire they had not then received power Chap. 17. Therefore they have not here Crowns as Chap. 13. and expresly she is vers 18. of that Chapter called the City which reigned over the Kings of the earth at that time the devil is chief and the Roman Empire or Emperour his Depute in this for the devil acteth not immediately yet what he doth by instruments is attributed to him as Chap. 2.10 This is a great Dragon to shew his power Red to expresse his cruelty and having seven heads and ten horns to expresse him who especially is instrumentall in exercising that cruelty the Roman Emperour like Pharaoh who is called a Dragon Psal. 74.15 Isai. 27.1 Ezek 29.3
Vers. 4. His carriage is set out in two things 1. He hath a tail that is power and flatteries to perswade with temporall allurements and by these two he prevaileth to draw Ministers and others who ought to be lights from their heavenly posture to an earthly subjection This alludeth also to Dan. 8.10 where the casting down of the Saints is expressed so 2. His other practice is to wait for the childe to devour it in a word he leaveth no mean unassayed to destroy all professing Christians that bear Christs name and to keep them that they should never win to any outgate or comfortable condition as Pharaoh did to the children of Israel and Herod to Christ seeking to destroy them immediately at their birth so that none should sooner be a professed Christian but he was liable to the hazard of the Dragons Laws This now is an unequal encounter yet behold the event is happy the childe is born and keeped safe and the woman fleeth how this came to passe that a weak woman and a childe are keeped from a watching cruell Dragon is afterward cleared to wit by Michaels fighting and taking her part Vers. 5. The event hath three steps 1. The womans delivery and the childs description 2. The childs exaltation 3. The womans fleeing vers 6. By this delivery in generall is set out not only her bringing forth of Believers or Professors but such a delivery as one bringing forth a man-childe is said to have Ioh. 6.21 a comfortable delivery and which in place of crying giveth her a Song afterward as vers 10. for she had children before but had not her pains taken from her and was not at freedom to bring forth without the enemies watching The childe is described most for her comfort and with respect to our Lord Jesus Christ. It is mysticall Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 who in His Members is brought to a flourishing condition and His Church set at liberty from persecution and some of her sons exalted to Heaven to an honourable condition from which Lucifer is said to fall Isa. 14.12 This shortly is fulfilled when after Heathenish persecution for three hundred years had prevailed Christians were advanced Constantine being made Emperour and Christianity was established by a Law That thus the delivery Childe and Heaven to which he is taken are to be understood will appear in these 1. This is the delivery which is the ground and subject of this Song vers 10. Now is Salvation and the Kingdom of our God c. that is a full evidence of Gods reigning delivering them from these persecutions and giving them liberty But that is this delivery 2. Such is the childes taking to Heaven as is the devils casting from Heaven for these are opposed But that is the spoiling of him of the Authority of the Emperours which he abused before now he hath not the Throne as in the Church of Pergamos Chap. 2. vers 13. but Laws and Authority are for Christians 3. It is as the witnesses were taken to Heaven Chap. 11.12 that was by a publick authorized Church-condition and state after Antichrists persecution so here Religion authoritatively is established which never was before and Christians countenanced after Heathen persecution is over and seing it is usuall to the Scripture to call Magistrates gods it is not unsuitable to expresse their station and state above others by Heaven The property of the male childe His ruling c. we shew how it is to be understood Chap. 2.27 of Christ in His Members and it may be here to shew the great Dominion that our Lord Jesus should have in the world in Constantin's time when His Members should be exalted to a honourable condition called vers 10. the Kingdom of our God and the Power of His Christ in opposition to the usurpation of Satan in the seven headed-beast before and as was Chap. 11.15 in opposition to Antichrists Dominion for when the Church is up Christ exerciseth and manifesteth His Power in them so by this childe is not meaned Christ personally but such as keeped His testimonie vers 11. and ult Nor particularly Constantine but Christ mysticall whereof Constantine was but a Member and that outward Government of his but a little shaddow type evidence and effect of this great Dominion of the Lords and made use of by God to be the externall mean and cause of His Churches peace However this sheweth the case to be exceeding joyfull and different from what it was which being before the Churches flight to the wildernesse can be applied to no other time but that delivery aforesaid from under heathenish persecution and she being brought now to a glorious settled and quiet condition like a Heaven in comparison of the former The last part of the event the womans flight is set down vers 6. by way of anticipation as is clear the place of it being properly vers 14. It is so soon subjoyned for these reasons 1. To let see how soon on strait is on the back of another to the Church and specially to shew that Antichrists rise and the Churches decay in their beginning are contemporary with the outgate from the former trials and is as it were â—arked as a consequent of the former delivery for then as Platina writeth of a voice was poison sown in the Church and prosperity being abused to pride sooner defaced the Church than persecution 3. It is subjoyned to give a little view of the case of mother and childe together that the children of the Church readily are no sooner promoted but she is in a wildernesse-condition as it were decaying and declining much from that beauty and pure glory and visibility she was into before a sad thing that the childrens prosperity often banisheth the mother and obscureth her beauty seldom hath greatnesse and temporall prosperity zeal and self-denying singlenesse dwelt long together and it is the last and not the first wherein her native beauty doth consist This consideration of this Verse we leave till vers 14. Only now by fleeing we are not to understand a locall mutation of this Church from one place to another but from this forth a decay of the former beauty of it that whereas there was in Rome and other places glorious Churches before and the Bishops were Martyrs as all in Rome were before Sylvester and Constantin's time now that is by degrees vailed by pride pomp hypocrisie heathenish and antichristian dressings that the few that remained the true Church are as it were Chap. 11.1 closed up in a secret corner of the Temple while the multitude possessed the Court that to wit the Temple is called the place prepared of God and there is she fed by the witnesses with the true Word of God while the world are swollen with pride traditions and superstitious inventions And so the Pâ—â—â—phets prophesying and the Churches staying in the wildernesse to be fed are of equal duration 1260. dayes which Verse being so near subjoyned to the former giveth a
clear hint at the sum of the second state of the Church to wit that which was â—atent and when it beginneth even when the other endeth Two things remain to be cleared 1. Why this beast here under the Dragon hath the Crowns on his heads and on his horns and that beast Chap. 13.1 hath the Crowns on his horns not on the heads The reason is because when the Roman Empire was heathen and under that notion persecuted the Church the seat of the beast Rome had the royal emperiall dignity and these ten Kingdoms were then Provinces subject to her as appeareth Chap. 17. These ten then were but to get royal independent dignity but when the Empire turned slaves to Antichrist about the year 606. and after the case is altered Rome is denuded of the royal Authority which she had and these Provinces are now by the Empires decay turned to be Kingdoms though in this condition depending still on Antichrist as formerly they were united under the Dragon 2. Why doth the Dragon now but pursue the womans seed and after in the second onset he setteth on the woman the mother to drown her Answ. In these three wars of the Dragon ye will find a difference 1. He seeketh to destroy all the seed 2. He sendeth out a flood against the mother and his anger is turned against her when the childe escapeth 3. When the woman escapeth though she cede which the childe did not which maketh it appear that this fleeing rather holdeth out a change upon the Churches qualifications than of her locall residence then vers ult he setteth himself not against the mother simply nor against all the seed indifferently as in the first but against such as keeped the Commandments of God The reasons are 1. Because open persecuters look to all sorts of professors indifferently and do vent cruelty on them Hence Arians would sometimes be put to suffer with Orthodox Christians and by Arians the Novatians as well as others they know not to make difference they so hated the very name 2. Because the heathen persecuters thought that the readiest way of destroying the Church was to destroy her members in whom she subsisted and that they being undone consequently so would she be Therefore 1. the devil beginneth with murthering bodies to undo the Church in her members and when that faileth he setteth on the mother to poison the members or children by corrupting her as one intending the destruction of a childe would poison the Nurse This is done not by direct hatred at the name and profession of Christianity now in request but by counterfeiting and corrupting Christianity that he may once alter the face beauty and wholsomenesse of the Ordinances of the Church which is the Mother and he is sure the children which suck these breasts will not be lively To effectuate this he maketh use not of open Heathens but corrupt Teachers that he speweth out not to taint this or that person but the fountains as was seen in the first four trumpets in which he spareth particular children of the Church possibly allureing them with rich benefits sumptuous buildings honours and preferments but in the mean while carrying on his design against the Church as a Church even under and by these which by the former voice in Sylvesters time if it be truth is hinted at and that word of Ierom's in vita Matthai when Emperours became Christians the Church indeed encreased in worldly pompe but decreased in spirituall beauty Ecclesiam Christianam post quam ad Christianos venit principatus potentià guidem divitiis majorem esse factam sed virtutibus minorem Lastly in the third battell he putteth at some of the seed only because here he maketh use of Antichrist a counterfeit enemy who will not purposely and down-right set on all Christians as such for his quarrell and the devils is but with these that are faithfull and hate his pride and hypocrisie 2. In this last he joyneth violence and deceit together and by deceit he overcometh many they have drunken up the fioud but these that will not drink of these fornications he pursueth them with violence by the following beast and not all Christians simply but these who kept themselves from these growing corruptions and these are called the womans seed LECTURE II. Vers. 7. And there was war in heaven Michael and his Angels fought against the dragon and the dragon fought and his angels 8. And prevailed not neither was their place found any more in heaven 9. And the great dragon was cast out that old serpent called the devil and Satan which deceiveth the whole world he was cast out into the earth and his angels were cast out with him 10. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven Now is come salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ for the accuser of our brethren is cast down which accused them before our God day and night 11. And they overcame him by the bloud of the Lamb and by the word of their testimonie and they loved not their lives unto the death 12. Therefore rejoyce ye heavens and ye that dwell in them wo to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea for the devil is come down unto you having great wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short time HAving given a little touch of the Churches first battell and the event thereof untill her fleeing to the wildernesse he returneth from this 7. vers unto the 13. more fully to explicate that war that the strangenesse of the event of a womans victory and her childe against a Dragon may appear not to be from her strength but from a good Captain who sideth with her and fighteth for her The story is resumed in these words There was war in heaven By heaven we understand the Church not as if one part of it were divided against the other but that the Church was the seat and object of it the devil invading her by open proclaimed war against all Christians He overruneth her by massacres and persecutions as invaders overrun invaded Kingdoms She again by Michael and her members resisteth that fury so the war is here By war we understand not secret enmity as alwayes there is nor peculiar incursions such as come now and then by starts as in Iulian his time and some others but open professed and avowed universall war such as the heathenish persecuters maintained both in their decrees and in the execution of them for three hundred years such war as professedly the Church did not meet with since The parties are more insisted on than formerly 1. In their leaders 2. In their followers or souldiers Michael is generall on the womans side we take it to be Christ who is Commander and Leader Isa. 55.4 and Captain Heb. 2. It is like he is also intended Dan. 12. to which this alludeth His souldiers are both his Angels properly taken for Heb. 1. they are
he seeketh to corrupt the Church indirectly that by overturning the Ordinances in her he might mar her former beauty that she appeared in vers 1. as a woman clothed with the Sâ—n that so she being no woman might be no mother whereby indirectly he might gain his point in poisoning the seed this is done by the awakening and spreading of schismes and heresies in the Church which though they do not directly strike against the being of Christians or particular Professours yet do they no lesse strike against the life of Christianity in the purity and power of its Ordinances without which there can be no Church although men as men continue to live Hence we may gather the second and third difference to wit in the instruments that he maketh use of and in the manner of his pursuing this new design which is not violently and openly by Heathen men who were without as formerly he had done but more subtilly and covertly by professing Christians he endeavoureth this He is now said to persecute not as if he had not formerly persecuted but to shew that although he had altered his way in the former respects yet was his design no lesse malicious in respect of himself nor hurtfull in respect of the Church than the former was 2. The occasion of this his new heat against the Church and the change of his former way is set down And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth which â—â—porteth 1. the ground of his irritation to wit the former foil which he had gotten â—he is so indefatigable an enemie that having gotten one defeat he doth and that the more uncessantly endeavour to recover what was lost which ought to make men most vigilant even then when they seem to have most advantage 2. It sheweth the reason why now he seeketh the corrupting of the Church the Mother in this new subtile way and doth not directly pursue the Childe as he had done because now by his former overthrow he found himself cast unto the earth so that he could not have men directly to owâ— his designs and to give him obedience as formerly when the supream Magistrates were for him 3. It sheweth the immediate connexion of this his design and what followed thereupon with the Churches former deliverance so that no sooner doth he find himself disappointed of one mean but he doth assay another If it be asked how the former deliverance could be such ground of joy to the Church seing this doth immediately follow upon it Answ. 1. It was certainly great ground of praise and honour to God and great ground of joy and rejoycing to the Saints in it self what ever effect accidentally through Satans malice and mens corruption might follow upon it for by it the Lord eminently vindicated His name Truth and Servants from former reproaches and oppressions and gave unto His Church great freedom if it had been well improven 2. Although the devil instantly began this new design yet it was not at once brought to a height and therefore it might be matter of rejoycing to the Church to have that intervall which followed between the height of Heathenish persecution and that of Antichrists which was to come beside other reasons given in the close of the former Lecture Vers. 14. The Churches safety is set forth in these circumstances 1. In the mean by which she was preserved To the woman were given two wings of a great eagle this alludeth to the manner of Gods bringing Israel out of Egypt which is said to be as upon Eagles wings Exod. 19.4 that is a wonderfull and speedy delivery so that the means used by the devil to hurt were not able to reach his end We take it to be that same which is mentioned Chap. 7.1 2 c. of the Lords sealing His Elect against that coming storm and that same Chap. 11.1 of His commanding to measure the Temple Because 1. both these relate to the same persons to wit the true Church And 2. to the same time to wit immediately after Heathenish persecution And 3. to the same scope to wit the preservation of the Lords own from these tempestuous storms or flouds which by the trumpets were to come upon the visible Church 2. The place whereto the woman is to flee is mentioned that she might flee into the wildernesse It is called her place because vers 6. it was prepared of God for her and doth set forth the Lords soveraignty in ordering her safety and by speciall providences carying out the place of her security as having appointed it for her long before the trial came By wildernesse we are not to conceive any such particular place in any desert but hereby is meant that the Lord seeth to the safety of His Church in the midst of the confusions of the world as if she were locally removed from all fellowship with them to a desert More particularly it alludeth to the Lords way of bringing the people of Israel out of Egypt who immediately after their great and joyful delivery from Pharaoh out of Egypt were not brought unto the land of Canaan but for a long time lived in the wildernesse where though they were freed from their former oppression and had much liberty to worship God publickly which they had not in Egypt yet wanted they not many trials and through their corruptions many sins so here is holden forth a wildernesse-state of the Church contemporary with and suitable unto the Prophets prophesying in sackcloth which we may take up particularly to consist in these 1. in a condition that is safe as being now out of the way of hazard 2. As in a great part latent and not discernable to the men of the world as if she had been removed to some desert 3. A comfortlesse and solitary outward condition with which although the true Church was not immediately pinched after Heathenish persecution yet were the most faithfull ever liable thereto in all the Churches trials and it came to an height under Antichrist with whom this wildernesse-state doth contemporate 4. It holdeth forth an eclipse of the visible and spirituall lustre and beauty of the Church which doth not now shine amongst men as formerly it did no more than if she were removed to a wildernesse 3. In this verse we have the Lords care of her and provision for her during this time she is not to starve there though now the world about her be become a wildernesse yet she is nourished that is 1. hath spirituall food provided for her and blessed of God to her so that when tradition superstition idolatry and that which cannot nourish do abound amongst the generality of them who are called Christians even then she hath the sincere milk of the Word appointed for her and that in such a way as the world knew not whence it came in which there is an allusion to Gods way of feeding the Israelites extraordinarily in the wildernesse and to His providing for Elias by
to such a height 3. This rise is palpable I saw him rise not that he was not working and rising before but that he who insensibly under the great confusions of the Empire had been settling his own throne now he bringeth his power from the sea to land as a settled thing owning it and appearing in it Secondly After the rise is described there is given a generall character of him vers 1. in three things 1. He had seven heads not together but successively seven kinds of Governments though the seventh was not come Chap. 17. in Iohn's time that is the Roman Empire having in all seven sundry Governments to wit 1. Kings 2. Consuls 3. Tribuni 4. Dictators 5. Decemviri 6. Cesars or Emperours who were then present This seventh who is called the eighth was not then come This will be more clear on Chap. 17. 1. He hath ten horns that is so many or possibly indefinitly many Kings who when Iohn wrote this had not received their power but now at this beasts rise had obtained it so Antichrists appearing goeth alongst with or after the Empire is discerped in severall Kingdoms The red Dragon hath these two characters Chap. 12.3 yet with these two differences 1. He looketh more red-like and appeareth cruell This beast was not so bloudy at the first but Chap. 17. it hath a scarlet colour 2. There the heads were crowned here the horns and not the heads This is to shew that now these ten Kings had gotten their power Chap. 17. but withall were made use of by this head as the other made use of them before they got their Crowns whereby it is clear that the Roman civil Empire as under this beast is considered as different from it self under the Dragon Compare this with vers 12. Chap. 17. The third character is that all the heads have the name or names of blasphemie on them Blasphemie is three wayes fallen into 1. When something derogatory to the holy and excellent Nature of God is ascribed to Him suppose to say He repented lied or when there is any sinful apprehension that He was weary sickly faint finit c. 2. When some of His excellencies belonging to Him are denied as to say He is not omnipotent just infinit c. 3. When something proper and peculiar to the infinit God is ascribed to a creature which is not God as when an Angel is said to be omnipotent so said the Iews when they mistook Christ He blasphemed because He forgave sins which none can do but God only and so did make himself God A name of blasphemie is any usurped title inferring one of these three especially the last many of their Emperours did foolishly require divine honour and what businesse Caius made to get his Image put in the Temple at Ierusalem Iosephus reporteth Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 11. In a word all these heads were Idolaters blaspheming the true God worshipping Idols giving what is due to Him to creatures yea taking it to themselves to Heathen Idolatry so did the six former heads so shall the seventh do the Idolatry whereof was spoken to Chap. 9.20 None taketh on him and hath attributed to him what is due to God in Titles power of Dispensations religious Worship obeying of His Commands more than he who exalteth himself above all that is called God For the Titles and Scriptures peculiar to God and Christ arrogated by him and attributed to him see Bell. de Conciliis and praef ad libros de pontif By which it appeareth that this seventh head of papacy is immediately linked with the Dragons fall there being no head thus characterized till his rise This beast is further described vers 2. in his parts and commission His parts are described in three similitudes 1. His likenesse was as a leopard that was his shape A Leopard or Panther is called loving and a friend to all creatures save the Dragon so saith Isodorus Franzius joyneth the Hyaena and the Cock and calleth him animal ferocissimum astutum Hist. animal cap. 9. pag. 60. Beside that he is bountifull and not terrible as the Dragon By this the devil sheweth his subtilty choosing that shape to appear in wherein folks would least suspect him This beast is famous for these three 1. Swiftnesse Habak 1.8 for this the Grecian was compared to him 2. Cruelty Hos. 5.14 3. Subtilty Ier. 5.6 All agree here 2. His feet are like a bears Thus was the Persian Dan. 7. with three ribbs in his teeth By this cruelty is holden forth and strength or the exercising of cruelty by force not unagreeable to this Antichrist as cruell as ever the Persian was against the people of God 3. His mouth as a lyons mouth partly to shew his capacity towards others partly to shew his insolencie and audacity against God in wicked bold decrees in which respect the Babylonian Monarchy is compared to a Lion Dan. 7. This Lions mouth is indeed vers 11. the Dragons mouth and there is allusion to these three beasts in this one to shew that one could not set forth such a monster and that this which is meaned here is some monstrous brood partaking of something of the cruell nature of all other tyrants and in some things going beyond and differing from them all 4. The beast is set forth in his predecessor and author that is the Dragon who loveth this beast so well and layeth so much weight on his greatnesse that now the power which he usurped in the world by Heathen Emperours being ranversed and removed he constituteth this beast his universal vicar as he is called Chap. 9. the Angel and prime Deputy of the bottomlesse pit and accordingly he authorizeth and invests him in that office by his gift and donation in three steps 1. He gave him that is as he offered to Christ all the world or so far as he could reach he streacheth himself to advance him by giving him his power partly furnishing him with lying miracles so he cometh after the working of Satan 2 Thess. 2 9. partly committing to him and employing for him all his forces and armies his might to the uttermost was engaged to support Antichrist his Deputy 2. He gave him his seat that is Rome where he before by the Heathen Emperour held his throne The Emperour now is laid by as such and this seat made vacant for the Pope This is the seat as is clear Chap. 17. ult this is called Satans throne in an eminent way because from it he gave out his orders c. as is spoken in part of Pergamos Chap. 2. 3. He gave him great authority that is not as if ever his dominion on that seat by any prescription of time could be lawfull seing it riseth from this ground of the devils grant who hath none to give But it implieth two things 1. That by the devils instigation he should venditate and give out himself to have a large authority and power committed to him even such ample
had more light by what hath past 4. More wickednesse hath fallen in their hand notwithstanding and out over the belly of that light especially perfection and now the number of the Witnesses or Martyrs seemeth to be nigh compleat and therefore the sin is riper now than it was Chap. 6. or yet under the former similitude Thus as it were heaven and earth concur to pull down Antichrist The execution followeth vers 19. and 20. in which the◠〈◊〉 are considerable 1. There is no longer delay but judgement is immediately 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sin and a sinning people hasten wrath See Psal. 119.126 It is time for thee 〈◊〉 to work for they make void thy Law And no sooner is the execution begun but in its due order and time it is finished And the vine is gathered Judgement never misseth its end 2. The vine is not only cut down and gathered but it is cast in the winepresse of Gods wrath that is brought or put in the place where God executeth His judgements on them which as it is temporall is Chap. 19 called Armageddon and as it is eternall it s the lake Chap. 19.20 which certainly is the last result 3. This wine-presse is trod vers 20. following the similitude and it sheweth that Christs wrath who is the treader shall pursue them terribly 4. It is troden without the city It is like so was their presses in their wine-yards for to be near them It signifieth here 1. a fit place set apart for executing wrath on them 2. a shutting them out as polluted from His Church here and heaven hereafter so the lake is opposed Chap. 20. to entering into the holy Ierusalem a separating of them from His people in that judgement that the City should have no hurt by it 5. The terriblnesse of the effect and judgement is described in three things 1. That bloud came out that sheweth that a proper judgement on men is to be understood here 2. It was to the horse-bridles so very deep which would be compared with Chap. 19. 15 c. where Christ there erodeth this presse and His followers are mounted on horseback for pursuing this victory the bloud is so deep on the fields and the slaughter so great that it choaketh up to the horse-bridles of these who pursue 3. This deepnesse of the bloud its running was not a furlong or two but 1600. furlongs counting eight furlongs to a mile It is two hundred miles a long way a definit space for an indefinit but great and setting out great slaughter of enemies so that all the fowles are invited to a feast Chap. 19. In a word it is a dreadfull judgement on the beast and his followers most certainly to come LECTURE I. CHAP. XV. Vers. 1. ANd I saw another sign in heaven great and marvellous seven Angels having the seven last plagues for in them is filled up the wrath of God 2. And I saw as it were a sea of glasse mingled with fire and them that had gotten the victory over the beast and over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name stand on the sea of glasse having the harps of God 3. And they sung the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb saying Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints 4. Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy name for thou only art holy for all nations shall come and worship before thee for thy judgements are made manifest AT the close of the 11. Chapter when the seventh trumpet did sound we told you that the order and series of the story of the events would have required a present entering into the particular description of the last wo which here is called the last plagues but that it might be the clearer the explicatory prophesie and vision is cast in Chap. 12 13 and 14. as the first great sign that was seen after the sounding of the seventh trumpet ◠and when that is sufficiently done he returneth in the fifth vision to set down the third and last principall prophesie which is as the other two set down in seven types and hath its preparation making way to it as they had So it is formally in the series knit to the 11. Chap. at the close where the Temple is opened then followeth thunders generally intimating judgements Now it is set down what judgements and this vision declareth these by bringing seven Angels out of the Temple thus opened with wrath which is the same hinted at there and Chap. 14. from vers 15. See Chap. 11. vers 15. This principall prophesie is contained Chap. 15. and 16. in the fifth vision it hath its preparation and execution The preparation hath three steps 1. more generally giving a little view and sum of it vers 1 2 3 4. of this Chapter 2. More particularly describing its instruments and concomitants vers 5 6 7 8. The third is a plain giving of the word to these instruments thus made ready Chapter 16. vers 1. The more generall proposition of this vision is set down in two things or is two wayes expressed first vers 1. that now Iohn saw after much delay these who had the last plagues to execute making for it The verse containeth three things 1. Iohn's designing this vision to make men the more attentive I saw saith he another sign that is somewhat appearing not accidentally or from naturall causes but purposly appointed to signifie something It is another that is different both in type and signification from what was Chap. 12. 1. It is called great and marvellous in respect of the events especially which it foretelleth to wit Gods wrath upon the Beast and his kingdom to their very overturning and erecting of a Church and Kingdom unto Jesus Christ on his ruins Which considering the beasts grandour in the world and the way of Gods bringing that destruction about will be a very wonderfull thing 2. The thing is hinted at in generall seven Angels having the seven last plagues where is summed the last wrath and judgements of Antichrist in that respect they are called the last plagues The instruments are Angels it may be God will make use of Angels yet not only or immediately Therefore by Angels may be understood whomsoever God shall make Ministers of His wrath probably Members of His Church as Kings Chap. 17. that are made to hate the whore and do his pleasure on her See Chap. 14. vers 13. and 19.14 They are seven to shew different judgements or severall degrees to be poured out The last thing in the verse is the reason why they are called the last plagues because in them is filled up the wrath of God that is not only is there wrath in them but such wrath as will consummate what wrath here-away God determineth for the beast till he be cast into the lake there will be no judgement here after these come
neither will there be place for them These plagues will make a full end Vers. 2. The second generall way whereby he giveth a foretast of what these vials bring is a little hint at the flourishing and gladsome condition of the Church as well as of the hard things which were to come on her enemies which two ordinarily go together and usually by anticipation are set down in a Song It is in allusion to Moses and Israels way of coming out of Egypt who when they past the Sea wherein their enemies were destroyed did sing so the redeemed when they shall be delivered out of spirituall Egypt and be put on the shore beyond their trials they shall sing and have no lesse cause to sing and shall do it as surely as ever Moses did Exod. 15. The one delivery shall be as certain great and welcome as the other Particularly in it consider 1. who do sing they are they who have gotten the victory over the beast and his image his mark and number by these are understood not only such as were ever keeped from Antichrist his pollution but all that shall be under the seventh trumpet as brought out from under that tyrannie as the allusion to the people of Israels coming out of Egypt cleareth They are thus described particularly to shew they are such whom neither the Popes flatterers nor terrors nor Church threatenings could prevail over but through Grace they prevailed over all though for a time they fought These four things over which they get the victory signifie the same corruption of Antichrist that in no respect its deadly poison did stick to them After he hath described these singers by their victory as fully renouncing and abhorring Popery in all the branches of it They are Secondly set out in that postour they were in They were standing on a sea of glasse mingled with fire Three things are to be enquired here 1. What this sea of glasse is 2. What it is to stand on it 3. What it is to be mingled with fire First By this â—â—a or great vessell of glasse we shew Chap. 4. was understood the efficacy of the bloud of Jesus Christ by which only His people and their sacrifices can be washen and sanctified and of this we gave the reasons there and here also it may be confirmed For first this standing upon the sea of glasse denoteth the excellencie and firmnesse of the foundation upon which they stand 2. If we consider parallel places it is in expresse terms expounded Chap. 7.14 when this same company and their victory are described this is given as the ground thereof they are come out of great tribulation and have washen their robes and made them white in the bloud of the Lamb so Chap. 12.11 it is said that they overcame by the bloud of the Lamb c. And this being marked as the ground which secureth these redeemed ones it must be for this purpose to shew that the way and manner of their getting victory over the beast and their security against him did consist in their fleeing to and resting upon Christ Jesus His satisfaction and Righteousnesse while the rest of the Antichristian world were blindfolded in ignorance and errour going about to establish their own righteousnesse as it were by the works of the Law 3. It is confirmed from that Chap. 4. where this sea of glasse is described to be before the Throne which signifieth their abiding near unto God in these times of defections when all generally went a whoring from Him wondering after the beast Secondly Standing upon this sea of glasse doth import 1. A confidence in them in their betaking them to that shore as it were the Believer never halteth till he be on Christ but is ever fleeing toward Him and then he standeth 2. It importeth a confidence that they have as now defying Antichrist through the vertue of that bloud and an exulting in God who had brought them to that land and this hath some allusion to the peoples practice Exod. 15. 3. It implyeth an efficacy and vertuousnesse to say so in this sea of glasse that being for excellency like glasse is yet able to support all the redeemed and to keep them from drowning Lastly which is clear from the scope it importeth their publick owning of the truth of God which was contradicted and opposed by Antichrist and his followers whereas they had not appeared so openly to bear testimony to it before By this sea of glasse cannot be understood the world Because 1. this sea of glasse is mentioned as that which supporteth them and the basis upon which they are builded which will not agree to this uncertain world 2. It is spoken of as a piece of their adorning and that which seperateth them from Antichrist and keepeth them as contradistinct from his company which will not be so clear from the other interpretation 3. This sea of glasse upon which they stand is said to be mingled with fire By fire must be understood somewhat suitable to this sea Now Chap. 4. where this sea is spoken of v. 6. lamps of fire are spoken of as burning before the Throne which are the seven spirits of God hence it will follow that by fire here is understood a sanctifying efficacy of the spirit of Jesus which is often compared in Scripture to fire I will baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire And so this is the meaning I saw the redeemed put beyond the difficulties of Antichrist and out of the hazard of his curse by the vertue of Christs bloud justifying them and by the vertue of His spirit sanctifying them and I saw them publickly appearing and confidently giving testimony to the truth as not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ and this is added to distinguish these truly redeemed from carnall and presumptuous hypocrites who boast of faith and their standing upon the sea of glasse but do evidence that that sea is not mingled with fire and the spirit of Sanctification and therefore is not that foundation which will give them ground to tone their harps and sing before God further it may signifie Christs making use of the crosse to promove His Peoples Sanctification which is subordinate and subservient to the former In the last part of the Verse they are said to have the harps of God while they stand upon the sea of glasse this sheweth that the former ground must be something which giveth them very great chearfulnesse and agreeth well with their having palms in their hands who are spoken of Chap. 7.14 and are said to have washen their cloaths in the bloud of the Lamb. And this phrase importeth 1. that their harps were excellent so the phrase in Scripture is often when it would commend the excellency of things to call them things of God that is most excellent 2. It importeth it to be of Gods giving not a harp put in their hand or a song put in their mouth by Antichrist or the world but
by God Himself and this is their advantage that their songs and mirth is communicate to them by God and so cannot be interrupted by the world Then he cometh vers 3. and 4. to describe the Song 1. It is generally the song of Moses that is having the like occasion and subject which he had Exod. 15. 2. It is the song of the Lamb that is such a Song as Christ hath given the occasion of the most cheerfull Song He hath put in our mouth that ever was His Song first because He by furnishing the occasion putteth it in our mouths Psal. 40.3 And secondly by His Spirit He helpeth to sing it Thirdly He is the great subject of it 2. The matter of the Song is more particularly set forth in it self which expresseth three things or three wayes speaketh to the scope 1. By commending these Works of Gods justice and Him the author 2. By shewing the glorious effects of them 3. The speciall cause having influence to produce these effects in all which there is a speciall likenesse to their Song Chap. 11. as was noted there 1. Gods works that is these specially that are hinted at in this type of the vials are called by them great and marvellous 1. Great because no mean power could overturn such an established Kingdom so easily as He did the beasts that is indeed a great work 2. Marvellous breeding admiration even such as should make men and angels admire Gods Wisdom Patience Power Justice c. that suffered this beast to thrive so long and now in his height taketh such order with him Therefore an epithete suitable to this work is given to God Lord God Almighty because in this great work omnipotencie manifesteth it self and that it was done by Him who could do whatsoever He pleaseth So in this they ascribe the Power to God and commend His works They add just and true are thy wayes two other epithetes 1. Iust for it was well deserved there was no wrong done to the beast by any of these vials 2. True i.e. conform in all things to Thy promises made to Thy people and threatnings against Thy enemies It is not works in particular but wayes that are commended that is all the strain of Thy proceeding since the beginning is just and true even as this so they take occasion from the particular to blesse God for all the way of His providence in all things Thus these who pray for Antichrists ruine Chap. 14. do now praise The name they ascribe to God is suitable Thou King of Saints who by Thy just way deserveth to be called so He is King of Saints 1. Because He loveth holinesse and these that are so 2. Because He defendeth them and opposeth their enemies and the enemies of holinesse as here He hath made it appear so that though He be King over all the world yet He hath a speciall dominion over and singular care of Saints and these who are Godly Psal. 4. He setteth them apart for Himself and this title hath a kindly claim unto God in the bosome of it as well as it sheweth what a holy King He is who in His Soveraignty will acknowledge no proper subjects but Saints Hence here He is King of Saints whereas Ier. 10.7 He is King of Nations because there it is a fruit of common providence that He is commended from as the giving of rain here it is a peculiar appearing for and owning of His Church expressing not only power but holinesse in His way and that in a speciall manner This commendation is amplified in the effects vers 4. setting out wonderfully their heightening of these wonderfull works of God in two expressions having every one of them their reasons First Who will not or shall not fear thee were Thou and Thy works well known are there any so brutish or stupid but they must needs praise and fear Thee and glorifie Thy Name and think much of Thee they do not declare the event that every one de facto shall do so but de jure they say there is reason it should be so and hope that now much more of this should be than ever before The reason is for Thou only art holy that is Thou art essentially infinitly and unchangeably holy which no creature is and now by Thy owning of Thy people and executing judgement so justly Thou declareth Thy self to be so yea only so None in all the world could have guided things in such a great confusion so and brought them to such an holy end as we see now Thou hast done before we were in hazard of mistaking Thee who art holy and true Chap. 6. as if Thou had too long delayed it yet now we see that in purest holinesse Thou hast ordered all without any wrong The second expression amplifying the effect is All nations shall worship before thee the reason is for thy judgements are made manifest In a word this glorious work will make way for bringing in Nations to the Church seing by this expression of Thy holinesse Thou hast manifested Thy self a just God and publickly made it appear Thou wilt be avenged upon Antichrist for all his wrongs which hath been formerly obscured but now by taking to Thee Thy great Power as Chap. 11. it is evident And so from such manifestations of the Holinesse and Justice of God in His judgements they argue to the greatnesse of His praise and the enlargement of His Kingdom which cannot but follow on such rare works of Justice seing God is known by the judgements which He executeth Psal. 9. In sum the Song saith God wonderfully judgeth the whore whereupon shall follow enlargement increase and joy to the Church which shall be a ground to them of rendering praise to this purpose though not in these very words to God Which Song would be considered in the matter of it and in the manner wherein exceeding high and heavenly thoughts of God appear in a heart that cannot satisfie it self in praising Him LECTURE II. Vers. 5. And after that I looked and behold the Temple of the Tabernacle of the testimonie in heaven was opened 6. And the seven Angels came out of the Temple having the seven plagues clothed in pure and white linen and having their breasts girded with golden girdles 7. And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven Angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God who liveth for ever and ever 8. And the Temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power and no man was able to enter into the Temple till the seven plagues of the seven Angels were fulfilled THis Chapter as was said containeth the preparation to the prophesie of the seven vials whereby the last wrath of God is fulfilled on the beast and his kingdom The more generall part of this is past in the preceeding verses These verses do more particularly set forth the preparation in these four 1. in the rise of all which is the
to exercise His power for comfort to His people and terror to His enemies And so the effect agreeth to this There was no man that was able to enter into the Temple till the seven plagues were fulfilled which sheweth the degree or measure of that glory of Gods appearing It was extraordinary as was in these times Exod. 40. and 1 King 8. before mentioned it is not to be understood as if none now were in the Temple the Church hath her own indwellers then but that amongst them without against whom these plagues were directed none of them or few of them got Repentance to flee in for making peace with God in Christ. But these plagues being against obstinate contemners of the light of the Word now such a spiritual smoke of ignorance and hardnesse of heart was on them and possibly of darknesse and contention in the Church so that through Gods judgement on them they fretted under these plagues and perished but repented not as we will see particularly observed Chap. 16. or none could enter c. that is God would admit none to make intercession for preventing these plagues as Moses and the Priests in such cases entered the Tabernacle to intercede untill the wrath threatened was executed and so none could enter till then will be this they could never enter for that purpose as the word is taken 2 Sam. 6. vers last LECTURE I. CHAP. XVI Vers. 1. ANd I heard a great voice out of the Temple saying to the seven Angels Go your wayes and poure out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth 2. And the first went and poured out his vial upon the earth and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast and upon them which worshipped his image IN this 16. Chapter is prosecuted the execution of these last plagues from vers 2. In the 1. vers there is the last step of preparation for it by commissionating these Angels who were instruments presently to fall about it The voice seemeth to be Christs called a great voice out of the Temple partly to shew Authority in Him that calleth partly to shew His earnestnesse in the thing He calleth unto Whether this be immediately from Christ or mediately by His Ministers in His Church which is most like it is all one seing it is Christs Word and hath his warrand The commission is limited to poure them out on the earth that is such a part of the world as is contradistinguished from the Church which is called heaven for afterward some are poured on the Sea some in the Air c. for though the antichristian world be a compleat world in it self yet being compared with the Church it is but the earth Out of the Temple because there of old God gave Oracles it is in allusion to that Before we speak particularly of these vials we shall premit some generall considerations usefull for understanding of them or some generall observations concerning them 1. As all these vials speak wrath and the last wrath so do they all speak wrath principally against the beast as the object of it with his kingdom and followers as these who have his name mark character c. The first vial is poured on the earth of that kingdom and of the second 5. and 7. it is clear His wrath is perfected against the whore by these therefore that Song Chap. 18. and 19. is as the result of these judgements for they are such judgements as are not common to others but peculiarly affect Him and His. Therefore in the fourth vial it is said the men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 particularly relating to men mentioned before to wit these that were marked with his mark which will afterward be more clear Yet let this have three caveats 1. The Church wanteth not her exercises even in the time of these vials as was clear from Chap. 14.11 she hath her enemies and battels there but they all end in and tend to her inlargement in the close 2. Though they aim principally at Antichrist as the chief enemie yet other enemies do not escape unpunished but are made sharers in the judgement also under them especially in the 6. and 7. vials which are more generall as will appear and take in moe enemies 3. It is not to be understood that they so carry on the beasts ruine as that it is alway sensible he still sighteth and may have his own seeming advantages to harden him as if he might recover which yet shall never be but by this God hath the more glory in renewing his battels against him as He had against â—â—â—raoh by multiplying his judgements against him unto which there is an allusion here 2. It would be Observed that the kingdom of the beast when it is spoken of as the object of these judgements is spoken of as a world having a Heaven Earth Sea Rivers Sun c. as parts of it even as it was observed before in the destruction of the Heathen world in the sixth seal Chap. 6. and of the Christian world Chap. 8. Which observation is usefull 1. To help us to find out what thing in Popery or in that dominion is meaned by some analogie from Earth Sea c. in the naturall body and frame of the world to such things made use of in that antichristian world which in that respect are Earth Sea c. to it 2. It is usefull to let us see what weight Religion and its change hath upon a people it maketh it appear as another world and therefore the speciall changes in all these three periods are to be sought in the change that is on the outward frame and face of Religion 3. It is usefull for clearing one thing by another as what was Sea in the Christian world will help to shew what supplieth that room in the antichristian c. 3. Observe that in these vials respect is sundry times had in the expression of the effects to the plagues of Egypt Exod. 6.7 8. yet so that as Romish Babylon is spiritually called Egypt and Sodom Chap. 11. So these effects are not litterally but spiritually to be understood at least in a great part 4. Take this consideration also that as Antichrist hath a double notion and consideration Chap. 13. as Civil or Ecclesiasticall So these parts of him Rivers Sun c. and the effects on them may have that twofold consideration some of them on his temporall grandour bringing temporall plagues some of them on his Ecclesiastick frame by spirituall judgements overturning that therefore is it that some of them are certainly spiritually others literally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be understood some of them have respect to both as we will see 5. Observe that in the order of the pouring forth of these vials there is a speciall likenesse and reference to that same order and method which was followed in the trumpets Chap. 8. The first vial is on the earth as the
not set down till Chap. 19. when the contrary party against this gathering is expressed and that it is the same gathering appeareth that it is here the day of God there the supper of the great King denoting one singular and eminent overthrow of Gods enemies 3. also that the enemies destroyed there are the same mentioned here to wit Kings and their Armies the beast and false Prophet who are mentioned under the same names in both places to shew the reference of the one to the other and therefore comparing the events with the 19. Chapter it appeareth that the first four Verses contain a desirable event having an accession to the Church in it answerable to which is the praise in the beginning of Chap. 19. the other expresseth a speciall designe of the beast which God disappointeth Chap. 19. last part Who these Kings of the East are by which such an accession is made and ground of joy given to the Church will appear afterward In the words we have 1. the object of this plague the great river Euphrates 2. The effects are more summarily and generally set down in two 1. the effect And 2. the end or use of it vers 12. Then more particularly from vers 13. to 17. In a word there are three notable events holden forth here 1. the Iews conversion under that expression The preparing of the way of the Kings of the East 2. the diminishing of the Turks greatnesse by drying up Euphrates 3. the last expedition of the beast for support of his tottering Kingdom in the rest of the words with its event Chap. 19. This last expedition is either occasioned by the Iews conversion who taking him to be Antichrist joyne with his opposers whereby he is put to see for new friends Or these words may more fully explicate what by anticipation was set down before namely how this river of Euphrates was dried to wit Antichrist being put from Rome by the Western Kings who now hate him he hath recourse to the Turk and possibly by alluring him from what prejudice he may suffer from the Iews rising and greatnesse he getteth him engaged to concur with him and many others also on whom God taketh vengeance when they are gathered together that what concerneth the Iews be not impeded The object is the great river Euphrates which is great and because of that it is often called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Scripture the river simply Of this Euphrates we heard chap. 9. It runneth through Mesopotamia by or through Babylon it divided Solomons Kingdom from Syria and was a great strength to Babylon and when the Iews were carried captive they were carried beyond the river that is Euphrates therefore it stands now in the way of their returning this here is an impediment of their entry to the Church and of their accesse to help down with Babylon and as once Iordan was dried to make way for them so that impediment is to be removed as if it were by the drying of a river out of their way To take Euphrates literally here will not suit much with the Analogie used in the rest of the vials nor with the scope here that river standeth little in the way of the Iews conversion and the drying of it will be little usefull to the Church it must then be figuratively understood By waters ordinarily in Scripture are understood much people and by Euphrates in particular these people that dwelt about it as Isa. 8.7 the King of Assyria and his Army are called the waters of the river that is of Euphrates because they dwelt about it By the same reason then Euphrates here must be understood the people for the time inhabiting there and because not only in verity of the thing the Turks now possesse that part of the world but also Chap. 9.14 c. of this Book these same people were marked as bound about that river and the loosing of them noted as it were the overflowing of that peoples Dominion like a flood from these parts So there is no people that can be so reasonably understood here as the Turks who were also understood there Chap. 9.14 And this sixth vial mentioning that river hath a speciall relation to the sixth trumpet where it was mentioned before for so the agreement betwixt the trumpets and the vials requireth Beside Euphrates was both the border of the Roman Empire and also of Davids Kingdom though of and within neither but rather an impediment to both so it would seem that no people within the Empire or Church are meaned though such enemies as border with both may be understood The effect is the waters thereof were dried up that is as their Dominion increased by their overflowing under the sixth trumpet so now they decay and diminish and their Empire is abridged by what mean the Lord knoweth But these who before seemed a great river that none could passe now people may crosse it they are brought low for if overflowing signifie victory as Isai. 8.7 then drying up must signifie diminishing as is said The second part of the event setteth forth the end of this to wit that the way of the Kings of the East might be prepared where we are to enquire 1. what these Kings are 2. what this is to prepare their way 3. how the diminishing of the Turkish power doth it By these kings in the East we understand the Iews who being converted unto the faith of Christ are not only Kings as all other Christians are Chap. 1.7 but it seemeth that especially they when the Scripture speaketh of their conversion are called Kings If we will compare vers 21 22 and 23. of Isa. 24. we will find these things clear 1. That when Israel is to be chastened and thereafter restored they are called Kings Vers. 21. for it is they that are after many dayes visited and that is the Iews for no other people are capable of the comfort intended in the promise as Calvin in locum asserteth for it supposeth them once to have been Gods people And 2. for a long time to have been forgotten and what is added of Gods reigning in Sion before his ancients confirmeth this also 2. It is clear that that visitation seemeth to relate to their last calling for it is after many dayes while the whole face of their land is overrun 2. The erecting again of Christs Kingdom amongst them in so glorious a reigne looketh to that time when it shall be most glorious and so at their conversion though in some part it may be fulfilled already under the Gospel as all do grant yet it s higher degree of the Iews re-ingrafting followeth and why may not that ancient priviledged people get names importing a singular respect to them especially considering that God may at their conversion furnish them generally with such spirituall and royall induements that the feeble amongst them may be as David and give also unto them a large outward Dominion Zech. 12. They are called Kings
successe they are brought together in Armageddon vers 16. and before this after the preparation in parenthesis there is cast in a word both of warning and of comfort Behold I come as a thief Blessed is he c. vers 15. 1. The Author is designed by three names yet is the same party under diverse considerations The Dragon is the same mentioned Chap. 12.8 9. to wit the devil here acting not immediately but for supporting his lieutenant the beast to whom he gave his power Chap. 13. leaving nothing that hell can do for that end The beast is the first beast named Chap. 13. to wit the Pope as he is head to the civil State of Rome The false prophet is the two horned beast Chap. 13.11 for Chap. 19 20. the false prophet worketh miracles before the first beast which is the very work of that two horned beast Chap. 13. and his place only He is called here the false prophets because that vizorn of respect to the Lamb which formerly he pretended is now taken away and he that pretended to be Christs Vicar is now discovered to be the great deceiver and false prophet which was to come and as these two beasts are one Chap. 13. as was there cleared so is the beast and false prophet one here for Chap. 19. vers 19. the beast is distinct from the Kings of the earth so vers 14. of this Chapter yet it would seem that all Civil powers under the name of Kings as Châ—p 17. are contradâ—stinguished from the beast and whore as they that shall once support her and afterward hate her neither can the Emperour be secluded from that reckoning and therefore it is no supream Civil power 2. They are both cast into the lake together vers 20. and the now-Roman Empire likely was either dâ—stroyed or turned from the Pope to hate him under the fourth and fifth vial 3. They boâ—h end together and it will be hard to think that there will be no succession of Emperors or Civil states representing these parts or powers after the Popes overthrow yet are they all three named dâ—stinctly to shew what concurreth for supporting papacy devilish subtillity temporall power and deep hypocrisie In a word all unlawfull and carnall shifts and that both Civil and Ecclesiastick are made use of Secondly These inferiour agents are severall wayes described 1. In their nature they are spirits not propeâ—ly for spirits as such cannot be seen neither is it such that can treat with Kings and perswade them to war as sent out of the mouth of the beast and false prophet But spirits 1. for their activity and nimblnesse in compassing their designs 2. Because they call themselves spirituall men in opposition to Laicks such as the Popes Negotiators are as Nuncios Legats Jesuits c. are exceeding meetly taken in here for their institution oath and way of proceeding answereth well to that of these frâ—gs as singularly commissionated to spread themselves through the world to engage all Kings against Christs followers who may also have lying spirits waiting on them to make their embassage effectuall as Ahab's false prophets had 1 King 22. to which this may allude 2. They are described by their qualities they are unclean spirits like frogs 1. In their rise not of God but the devil for they are called so vers 14. as all their orders are not of Christs plâ—nting therefore compared to locusts Châ—p 9. 2. In their ends devilish opposit to the Lord Christ as the devil is 3. In their manner of proceeding by all means devilish instruments c. as murders treasons lies equivocations c. they care not what if they may effectuate their designs for supporting the beast 4. In their life filthy and loathsome like frogs that use marishes which in Reformations are not cleansed Ezek. 47.11 so that brood continue in these places which remaineth unhealed and haunteth such company 3. In their number they are three that is a considerable number In the 11. Chap. when Christs cause was low he had but two witnesses Antichrist hath three as it wereâ— moe do back him to his last than Christ had so tenâ—cious and constant are men in evil rather than good Three also to suit with the nature of him that commissionateth them So some act devilishâ—y and subtiâ—ly as from the Dragon representing him Others by mâ—ght and civil negotiations carrying the businesse as servants to Princes A third sort counterfeiting Religion either by pretending many miracles to have been done by their party or strengthened by the devil to do great wonders themselves for covering their hypocrisie and strengthening their cause and according to this threefold commission they act 3. This design of the beasts by these agents is more particularly holden forth in four things 1. To whom they are sent to the Kings of the earth and of the whole world that is to all Nations and Powers whether Christian or Heathen that would joyn against the true Church Therefore if the Emperor were one of the Popes followers the commission must be sent to him and he not be a sender but as the naming of the Dragon distinctly supponeth no distinct visible power so neither doth it in the other likewise by the Dragon cannot be meaned heathen persecuters for they are sent unâ—o by the beast also and do not send but it is the beast now appearing both lâ—ke a Dragon and a false Prophet 2. Their errand is to gather them to the battell of that great day of God Almighty that iâ— to an eminent appearing of Gods in taking vengeance on them not that this is their intentention to fight against God as it is expounded Chap. 19. or to meet his vengeance but that in Gods providence thiâ— is made the result of all and though they think its fighting for Christs Vicar yet he expoundeth it otherwise as it is upon the matter a fighting against God Almighty for it was to oppose His Churches rising and in that battell God was partie 3. The instruments are more clearly designed spirits not of God but of the devil suiting well with such a commission 4. The means how they prevail it is by working miracles such as the devil by his naturall and experimentall knowledge of things and speciall dexterity to do and compasse things can out of naturall causes easily and really bring forth which may be wonderfull to men who can act nothing like these or by his deceit making men believe he doth things of themselves beyond the power of nature which he doth not really perform but deludeth men to believe that they are performed such are the beasts miracles Chap. 13.12 Or by making men believe that all their legends of counterfeit miracles are true which they make a mark of the true Church and thus perswade men to support their Babylon Before he set down the successe of this negotiation which is vers 16. he casteth in vers 15. a word of warning and comfort It should be in parenthesis as
seven hills and to have dominion over the Kings of the earth Neither was there any other which in Iohn's time had power over the Kings of the earth besides Rome And it is a most known thing that Rome was builded upon seven hills See also his 3. Book Cap. â— The same is the judgement of Estiâ—s in 4. Sent. Dist. 47. S. 9. and of Ribera upon the place The Rhâ—mistâ— also acknowledge that Rome heathen may be understood herâ— and Alcasar confirmeth it Also Cornelius â— lapide Blasius Viegas and others Reasons in the Text do constrain it so to be understood 1. It s locall situation This whore is a City sitting on seven hills in Iohns time whereof afterward 2. It is an Empire or City which had before that changed five sorts of Governments had then the â—â—xth unto which one other was to succeed as Popes have done who were not come in Iohns times 3. It is vers 18 clear from its Dominion she is that city that great city which then commanded all the Kings and great men of the earth which grounds I say make even the adversaries apply it to Rome but they fall in two foolish shiftâ— â—ome applying it to Rome heathen others to Rome under the Antichrist who they say is yet to come Of these we shall speak particularly in the close of the Chapter and â—ow premit 1. That this beast that beareth or carrieth the woman is the same mentioned Chap. 11. that cometh out of the bottomlesse pit and killeth the witnesses and the same with that beast Chap. 13. their rise is one with this out of the pit vers â— Their description in heads horns and exercise in persecuting the Saints and maintaining blasphemies and the time that they belong unto will be one that beast Chap. 13. riseth after the wounding of the sixth head This when that Government which then was is expired yet fall they under diverse considerations as the two beasts formerly Chap. 13. The beast is as the Husband or rather Adulterer the woman the wife or whore the woman representeth an apostate Church or the body the beast here suppoâ—â—ing her pointeth at the head or mungrell power sustaining her and acting her which in respect of absolutnesse tyranny and persecution though in a kind distinct from the former yeâ—â— become they one as we will hear 2. Observe that there is a great propinquity betwixt the woman or whore and this beast they belong to one time for the beast carrieth her and they 〈◊〉 together They â—re of one colour scurâ—â—â— They have both blasphemies on them and fornications the same upon the matter they both are up together the woman is great when the Kings give the beast their power when they withdraw iâ— then she cometh down his throne which was the Dragons Chap. 13. is her seat to wit the seven hills from which neernesse 〈◊〉 evident they must dwell together 3. This beast then must signifie such an Empire and Dominion as doth not only support Rome the city but Rome a whore and that not as a temporall head meerly by force keeping down men under it as did the old Roman Empire but such a head as the world wondereth at as is Chap 13. and here also vers 8. and such a head as when ten Kings out of the ruins of the old temporall Empire shall assume Dominion and soveraignity to themselves and withdraw from him yet willingly they shall yeeld their power to be disposed of by this beast and so long as they reverence him the whore is in no fear by them but when they cast him off then she is burnt By which it appeareth that as by the woman the Roman Church is described in opposition to the true Church Chap. 12.1 called a woman there so by the beast must be meaned the Roman sea or the Papall power by which this whore is supported and to whom the Kings of the earth give their power and after whom the whole world hath long wondered as was cleared Chap. 13. of this same beast and the propositions laid down there are also to be applied here 4. We would consider at what time this which is spoken of the beast and whore is to be applied to Rome and the powers which govern Rome which is the beast as the other is the woman There are these characters to find it out by which now at the entry we shall but in generall propound 1. It is the time when the beast should appear as he riseth from the bottomlesse pit vers 8. to wit in the last state of the Empire before his utter ruine and so it is not that which was in Iohns time any lawfull succeeding power which cometh not from the pit but it is that which the Dragon gave Chap. 13. an authority and soveraignity invented by the devil and not warranted by the Word such as is Vniversall Bishop Prince of Pastors and Vicar of Christ so it is no meer civill power though persecuting for then as it was in Iohns time it might have been said to have ascended from the pit and it had not been peculiar to the future state of the Empire which is a forreign Government of an other rise than these which went before such as that of the Popes who are distinct and different from Emperours 2. It is Rome under the last head of seven whereof five were but past in Iohn's time and Caesars were the sixth the seventh called the eighth for his twofold consideration as Chap. 13. then was not come for this last head is expresly called the beast vers 11. Therefore Rome under none of the first six Governments is the beast here but under the seventh or eighth which in Rome succeeded to Emperours or Caesars for this last is to have none after it A third character is to try the time by the horns That Government of Rome is to be the beast which shall have with it ten Kings reigning which had not recieved their Kingdom in Iohn's time vers 12. Again it agreeth to that state of Rome when other Kings that have withdrawn their temporall subjection from the Emperours shall yet unanimously and harmoniously of their own good wills give their power unto and be at the devotion of this beast 3. These Kings shall be especially employed by this beast in making wars against the Saints till God discover the whores rottennesse to them or some of them vers 14. compared with vers 16 17. It must then be applicable to that time when persecutions abounded through all the Christian world by the Laws of all Kings and Kingdoms which was when the Prophets prophesied in sackcloth and were killed Chap. 11. and 13. A fourth character we take from that that the woman is called a Whore therefore it cannot agree to Heathen Rome for she was not then married nor ever called a whore 5. The last thing we premit is concerning the times mentioned as past present and to come when they are particularly differenced
state that then was It may also mean an active perdition in respect of destroying others in which respect Chap. 9. he is called Apollyon and 2 Thess. 2. the son of perdition for this describeth him best in his nature and is like one who cometh from that fountain from which he hath his rise 3. He is described by the welcome he should have in the world when he arose or the effect he should have on the world They that dwell on the earth shall wonder whose names are not written in the Lambs book This setteth out the absolutenesse of his reception or the obedience that should be given him in four 1. in extent the whole world almost all the Roman Empire except some Elect ones by God keeped from that impurity as also Chap. 13. it is as broad as ever it was in any form before 2. There is the kind of subjection expressed by wondering a superstitious subjection to him as to some Deity and not meerly as to a civill Governour as in the former heads for such subjection many Elect children gave but this is an Idolatrous adoration such as Papists give to their Popes 3. It setteth out the degree of subjection this of admiration is more nor ordinary and is to be wholly at the beck and command of this beast under this consideration it is a superstitious devotednesse to him 4. There is the motive of all this it is willingly they admire him not by constraint of arms but by a mistaken devotion they of themselves give up and enslave themselves to him as is said of the Kings vers 13. they shall give their power to the beast and vers 17. they agree to do it They were now out of temporall subjection the Empire having become weak and they upon that had got their Kingdom yet this admiration had such influence on them as to make them universally yeeld to this beast upon this account more willingly than Armies had made them do to the former The exception put in a parenthesis whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world not only holdeth forth that compliance to be an exceeding sinfull defection even such as the Elect should not yea to the end cannot continue in it But 1. It sheweth there is a difference made by Jesus Christ of Elect and Reprobate as if by name they were written in distinct Books 2. It sheweth it is eternall and so without dependance on our free wills it is before the world 3. It sheweth that our standing and being keeped clean is a fruit of Election and not our Election a fruit of our foreseen faith or works It is they admire not because they are written in the Lambs book and not they are written because they admire not 4. It sheweth a suitablenesse in the end and midses these Elected to glory are brought to it by Holinesse Eph. 1.4 and Sanctification 2 Thess. 2. vers 13. in being keeped from such filthinesse as others fall in and which otherwise they would have fallen in and on the contrary they go to destruction falling in sins which are the causes of their damnation though not of their reprobation yet the decrees in respect of their ends are not without respect to these midses although not grounded on them 4. And lastly he is in this last consideration described by the ground of this admiration which pointeth at the state it agreeth unto This is proposed by way of ridle When they behold the beast that was and is not and yet is This is to be understood with respect to the time of the beasts actuall existing under the last consideration wherein he is admired and seen by the inhabitants of the earth and so not only was and is not as in the former part of the Verse when this state was to come but now it is so it differeth in the notion of timing it from what it was formerly and is thus to be understood They see now an Empire which being before that time was exceeding different from this 1. in form 2. in nature or kind ut supra the heads then were crowned Chap. 12. now the horns 2. It is not that is it is a Dominion but it is not the former which was it is spirituall and so admired 2. It lordeth and ruleth over ten Crowned Kings the former did over ten Legats Proconsuls or Governours of Provinces 3. It useth not arms directly but Excommunications Censures c. 4. It was openly heathenish and idolatrous now it is secret under pretext of Christs Vicar so that old forme is away For this beast may be two wayes conceived 1. in its generall complex consideration 2. more particularly in its heads and horns In the generall consideration he compareth the whole beast in its Ecclesiastick nature complexly with the whole beast considered as a temporall Empire considered also complexly as under any of its first six heads so this last beast which supporteth the whore upon an Ecclesiastick account is opposed to its civil consideration as a civill power which went before In this sense there are but two states of this beast one that was present and to passe when this last succeeded another to come But when he considereth again the beast more particularly in respect of its heads and horns and compareth the Governments among themselves vers 10 11. there are seven forms whereof five were past one present and one to come Hence it is that he calleth this Ecclesiastick state of this beast the eighth looking to its distinct nature from the former and also the seventh as it is upon the matter the same power continuing the Dominion of Rome in one series with the former forms even as the two beasts were distinguished Chap. 13. upon that diverse account though upon the matter one So this first was and is not is no contradiction for the beast i. e. the Empire then was yet was not this power come as the supporter of the whore but was to come in which respect he is looked upon as distinct from all the other heads The third step is and yet is that is though it now differ much from what it was yet it is really that same Dominion upon the matter by other spirituall weapons 1. ruling as amply as ever their predecessors did 2. having as full and absolute rule as ever it had See for this two sayings of Bellar. lib. 3. de Pontif. cap. 21. pag. 301. cited Chap. 13. 3. It ruleth as tyrannously as any of the former encroaching on others liberties till it bring them under and when it hath done that it exerciseth its power also cruelly especially against the Saints as vers 14. and Chap. 13. 4. It keepeth the former throne and seat though under another form it getteth the Dragons seat and Authority Chap. 13. and these people Nations and Languages and Kings that formerly had the former beast for their temporall lord they have Papacy for their spirituall 5. in respect
By woman we told was understood Rome it is called a city Verse ult and it must be such a city as may serve particularly to discover these mountains from other mountains they are such saith he as the chief city of the world sitteth on And then this city cannot be the multitude of the wicked for that could be no mark for Iohn or others to discern on seven mountains from any other seven mountains Beside this city is not the world or complex body of Kings but that city that ruleth over them under seven several Governments as the following words clear And the mountains are such as this woman sitteth on now her sitting is two wayes understood in this Chapter 1. she sitteth on many waters vers 1. that is many peoples and Kingdoms vers 15. over whom vers 18. she ruleth Thus to sit on is to rule 2. she sitteth in a peculiar way in one place of these peoples whom she commandeth beyond other places and she sitteth not so on the peoples or waters but on the seven mountains that is she hath her residence pompe court throne and abode there which reacheth over many people And this agreeth well with the Angels scope which being to open the events of the fifth vial he insisteth on the object of it which is the seat or throne of the beast Chap. 16. These seven mountains then will be such as the Imperiall city of the world not only commands over but is placed upon and so that city will be found to be the whore that dwelleth on seven mountains and this Empire to be the beast that upholdeth and supporteth these and governeth them ut supra From which it is clear that Rome is designed by the Angel to be this city For 1. Rome is famous for its situation on seven hills that is a peculiar paraphrase of it both among Greeks and Latins The seven hilled city or the city on the seven hills and Rome were still taken as one for at first by Romulus it comprehended four he was the first founder of it after by the sixth King Servius Tullius were three more added hence was that yearly feast 3. id Decemb. called festum septimontium and these sayings of the Poets confirm this Virg. Septem quae una sibi muro circumdedit arces And Ovid. trist Sed quae dâ— septem totum circumspicit orbem Montibus Imperii Roma DeuÌ„mque locus c. which made it to receive these names septiceps urbs septicollis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. and they are thus particularly named 1. Palatinus 2. Caliâ—s 3. Capitolius or Ianiculus 4. Aventinus 5. Qairinaliâ— 6. Viminalis 7. Aesquiâ—inus which maketh Bellar. lib. 2. de Pont. cap. 2. say notissimum est supra septem colles urbem Romam â—edificatam esse Corn. à lapide in locum citeth many to confirm this and if Rome be the seat the Roman Church is the whore and the Pope Antichrist who keepeth his Court there in a speciall manner though he command otherwise all the world at his pleasure yet his chair is nailed to that seven hilled city and cannot be removed That which is objected may be answered from what is said Say some this city meaneth no particular city but the company of the wicked in generall which is clearly contrary to the Angels scope which is to discover one state and city and to the Text which distinguisheth this city from people and Nations over which it commandeth and from Kings that gave their power to the beast yet are they no small part of the wicked in the world Beside it is such a city as is situated on seven hills peculiarly distinguished from others which cannot be the wicked 2. Say some seven are to be taken indefinitely which is also answered from the scope that pointeth out seven hills on which the woman sitteth beside others to satisfie Iohn in this as in other interpretations 3. Say Some as Bellar. though Rome then sat on seven mountains yet it is not so now but standeth saith he in campo martio Answ. It is granted by Bellarmine that Rome was then the city signified to Iohn for it then bare rule it must then be understood of it also now or this one type must signifie one city or place to Iohn in his time and another to us which is absurd 2. It is enough that it was built so in Iohns time for it is the same city Empire and series of Dominion still and though as he saith it standeth most in campo martio yet it is the same Rome which before that in Iohns time had these seven hills in it or else the Pope sitteth in some other Rome than Peter sat on in Iohns time 3. Though some of these hills be without the walls now yet they are still linked to the rest by speciall priviledges all of them being seats of the Popes Pallaces Abbacies c. yet on an other occasion Bellar. saith notissimum est cam supra septem colles adificatam esse that is It is a thing most known that Rome is builded upon seven hills as is said The Angel having in the first exposition of these seven heads discovered Rome in its locall situation by fixed hills he goeth on in a second application to do it by its fleeting and successive Governments ver 10. and 11. In it 1. he sheweth what further these heads hold forth to wit seven Kings it may be read they are or signifie seven Kings as before seven Hills And although one might think it hard that one type should set forth a Hill and a King yet the Angels particular explication leaveth no room for that debate Then 2. he discovereth or characterizeth these Kings in respect of time and being that so Iohn and others might the more easily discern what he proponed Five are fallen saith he one is and the other is not yet come 3. Because the shot of all is to discover the beast under the last head therefore in severall characters here the seventh is described in the end of the 10. and 11. verses For understanding this we shall 1. clear the words 2. Then apply them 3. Remove some doubts or objections 1. By Kings is not strictly to be understood Governours under that name only but in Scripture all Governours ordinarily passe under that name So Moses is called Deut. 33.5 And when Israel wanted all Government Iudg. 17. ult it is said In these dayes they had no King in Israel signifying no Governour or order every one did what he listed And here in Iohns time that Governour of the Empire bare not this name of King though he be called the sixth 2. Neither by Kings are understood Governours personally or individuall men but a series or succession under one forme of Government in a line as Dan. 7.17 the four Monarchies which were not any of them save it be the third in an individuall person yet they are called four Kings and it must meane so here for
Rome and to whom these Kings have given their power Ergo he is Antichrist and this far it is fulfilled in him A third conclusion is that Rome under the Pope is the whorish Church here meaned and set out thus That Rome which is supported by the beast with the ten horns crowned or to whom ten Kings that arise out of the Roman Empire give their power after the Emperours cease to be an head to them That Rome or Rome so considered is the whore for the beast and the horns are contemporary as the head out of which they grow and the beast and the whore are contemporary as the ryder and beast which carrieth her if therefore the horns and beast be contemporary so must the whore be with them also for quae conveniunt uni tertio conveniunt inter se But Rome or the Romish Church for these thousand years past is the Rome governed and supported by that power or beast to whom these Kings have given and for a great part do yet give their power Therefore this Romish Church is the whorish antichristian Church described here And that which Bellar. saith de pontif lib. 3. cap. 5. confirmeth this That these ten Kings which to him are yet to arise shall hate Rome and burn her c. for what Rome shall they burn Is it not Rome the whore called so vers 17 Therefore it is not heathen Rome but Popish Rome that is the whore for she is the whore whom they shall destroy and when they shall destroy her to wit her to whom for a time they have given their power after they have withdrawn it from the Emperour who formerly had it A fourth conclusion is that Antichrist is no singular person and is to continue longer than three years and an half thus If that beast or power to which the Kings that have received power and Kingdoms out of these Provinces which were once subject to the Roman Empire shall give their power be Antichrist Then he is no single person or of short continuance the connexion is clear from this because that Power or Government which hath these Kings for horns hath already descended for many ages and through many generations and there remaineth yet some things to be fulfilled before the finall overthrow thereof But the former is truth that beast is Antichrist Ergo. Or thus If the seventh head that succeeded to that Government of the Roman Empire which was in Ioâ—n's time and acteth the Kings that have since gotten power be for moe generations than one or two Then Antichrist is not of so short continuance Neither is that defection whereof he is head so soon to passe for Antichrist is that last Government But experience telleth the former is true that another power than what was in Iohn's time hath sitten at Rome and ruleth it and acteth these Kings that once were of it for moe ages than one Ergo c. A second sort of uses are to retort or wipe away some objections of Bellar. against this whereby he would prove that Antichrist is not yet come and therefore that the Pope is not to be accounted this head for this is the surest way for them to guard him for no other can be imagined to be here understood but he if he be come 1. He doth therefore lay down six demonstrations as he calleth them to make out this that Antichrist is not yet come The first lib. 3. de pontif cap. 4 5 c. is this The Gospel hath not as yet been preached through all the world which saith he must be before Antichrist come Therefore he is not come the place cited is Matth. 24.14 Answ. This goeth upon a twofold wrong supposition 1. That all the world is to be taken there collectively i.e. for every Nation and not distributively i.e. for many or most of Nations as is usuall So Rom. 11. their sound is gone out to the ends of the earth The second is that it supponeth that whatever it be to be spoken in reference to Antichrists coming which is expresly spoken of in reference to Christs second coming which is long after Antichrists or before the end of Ierusalem which two ends are only spoken of there His second demonstration which is the main is taken from that that the Roman Empire by Antichrist or before him is utterly to be abolished 2 Thess. 2. so he that letteth must be taken out of the way but saith he this is not done Ans. ut supra conclusion 1. The Roman Emperour must be taken from sitting at Rome and from governing over the Provinces as an head of that Empire that is granted that is the sixth head must be removed out of the way before Antichrist the seventh come But that is done long since There is no Emperour at Rome nor that hath any dominion there nor hath any horns or Kingdoms now under him he is therefore no head to this beast Therefore this will not prove that he is not come for it is one thing to be called a Roman Emperour another to be indeed a head to this Empire as it is represented by this beast this must head the seven hilled city govern over the Provinces as having so many horns to serve him and have names of blasphemy upon them whoever sitteth at Rome thus qualified whatever his name be he is head for we try the changes of these heads neither by name only nor by the seat only but by the thing that is by power and dominion over these Provinces exerced from Rome as the principall seat of that Government and although the want of Rome will not prove one not to be an Emperour which is Bellarmin's argument yet the want of it will prove him to be none of the heads here represented even as the having of Rome will not infer it except there be also Dominion over the Provinces for which cause we did formerly deny the application of this to the Gothish Kings Now it being clear in it self that the Emperours power extendeth neither to Rome the head nor to the Provinces the body of that Empire and it being clear also that both these agree to the Pope though upon a different account as the place formerly cited from Bellar. de Con. lib. 1. cap. 12. confirmeth It must therefore follow that the Emperour notwithstanding of the name is not to be accounted head but the Pope who possesseth the thing His third demonstration is that the two witnesses Enoch and Elias are not come who must prophesie under Antichrist and be killed by him as Chap. 11. Ans. Beside what is said there to that fable it is confuted here thus These are the witnesses that restifie against Antichrist and suffer by him all the time of his reigne as vers 6. they are Martyres c. But many since his appearing have testified against him and suffered under him Therefore they and not Enoch and Elias are the witnesses intended and so they are not to be looked for His
it would look otherwise exceeding mad and irrational-like to consider what slavery many Kings Emperours c. have been put unto by Popes if the Lords righteous judgment be not considered which sheweth the rise of this delusion 4. That the Lord hath a special hand in executing spiritual plagues as well as bodily This as here it is set down is sinfull and the Elect are keeped from it vers 8. and it is called committing fornication spiritually yet the Lord putteth it in their hearts There is more here than a bare permission He giveth up to a reprobate mind Rom. 1.26 those that abuse natures light and so to delusion 2 Thess. 2. those who abuse the light of the Gospel which is as a plague inflicted by His justice and till it be at an end there is no off-bringing of these Kings untill He do it who putteth them on This His will is fulfilled 1. In punishing the world by this Antichristian whore till she be at an height 2. In punishing her in both which these Kings are instrumental and He over-ruleth them in both but diversly in the last which is good He formally inclineth them to it and effecteth it In the former which is evill 1. in His providence He not only suffereth such objects and temptations as induce to that slavery to occur but actively bringeth about many things in outward dispensations which being of themselves good are yet stumbled on by them in their corruption so as they are furthered thereby in this enterprize 2. He withdraweth grace courage or means to oppose that tentation and so they yeeld 3. He over-ruleth their blindnesse and corruption so as to accept of and follow this tentation rather than another and suffereth it to come to such an height and at such a time and not at any other 4. As they would not be subject to Him so He giveth them up and judicially as that slavery is a punishment hardneth them and dementeth them in that subjection as Nebuchadnezar was put to live with beasts and giveth them up to the hand of that delusion as to an executioner of His justice till what He intended be accomplished If it be objected that this to give their power to the beast is sinfull and therefore cannot be attributed to God Hugo Card. answereth That it is pleasing to God not of it self but by reason of its consequents to wit the many advantages that He bringeth out of their malice The last thing whereby the woman or whore is described is by her present dominion It is saith the Angel that great city that beareth rule over the Kings of the earth Where 1. this woman is that is representeth a City or Town literally and properly so even as in the Angels exposition borus are Kings heads are Hills and Candlesticks are Churches Chap. 1. c. for the Angel being now to close the characters he giveth the clearest last thereby to difference this city from all others which is the scope 2. It is that great city that city which for greatnesse power splendor and dominion was then eminent amongst all the cities of the earth from which others in all places thought it a priviledge to be called citizens especially in Iudea to wit Rome stiled alway with the epithet Great or that Great c. pointing out a singular city known for eminency to be so 3. It is more particularly characterized by its present condition It is the city that ruleth in the present time not only over Provinces and common subjects as vers 15. but over Kings deposeing forfeiting making and unmaking at their pleasure Kings and Tetrarchs and that not any great city but that city which most singularly was acknowledged to be so which words set out some city eminent for a present large ample and soveraign dominion beyond ordinary in this time when Iohn wrote which by these characters joyned with the former and the Angels scope which is to make this whore known to Iohn maketh evident that Rome is hereby designed being that city which in its Governours and by its Authority then ruled over all the world aâ—t was called for its greatnesse orbu Romanus See Luk. 2.1 2. Augustus commanded all the world to be taxed At this time sent they Armies through Europe almost all and a great part of Asia and Africa as they did their Proconsuls Governours and Legats in their name for the Empire after Augustus untill Trajan was in its greatest height during which time to wit in Domitians dayes that pieceeded Trajan Iohn saw this vision At that time they used to put up Kings and transfer Kingdoms as they did Herod the great Math. â— and Herod the Tetrarch Luk. 3. Agrippa Act. 24. beside what is recorded in humane histories So that no King about them durst declare an heir or successor but by their consent or prosecute any war but as they permitted But sometimes they would make a word make the greatest Kings desist as C. Popilius Laenas his word to Antiochus lying at Alexandria when he had required him to cease from that war in name of the Romans and when Antiochus said he would advise he drew a line about him and commanded him to answer before he passed it which he did and removed From what is said we conceive it clear that all these characters do evidence Rome to be this city and that it cannot be a city figuratively taken for a multitude of wicked The adversaries ut supra have confessed it Lect. 1. For it is called a city in the Angels interpretation which must be properly taken it is qualified by such circumstances as difference it from other cities and pointeth it out to be properly applyed as a distinct city from other Nations of the wicked over whom she commandeth and so must be Rome 2. That by this apostasie or whore causing others to drink of her fornications also is understood the grand apostasie or falling away under Antichrist 2 Thess. 2. or the antichristian Kingdom at least the chief seat thereof cannot be denied seing it is the most singular defection that was then to come such as Antichrists is and such a defection as is supported by this beast whom all adversaries acknowledge to be Antichrist Therefore that defection is corruptly applied by Bellar. to the Iews rejecting of Christ which preceeded Paul's writing of that for 1. he speaketh of it as a falling away yet then to come otherwise his argument that the day of Judgement was not so near because that was not come would be of no force 2. He speaketh of it as a falling away which supponeth them once to have had the profession of Christianity 3. He extendeth it to be universall upon all that received not the profession of the Truth but received not the love of the Truth 4. That it hath speciall relation to Rome his expressing the Roman Empire as that which then letted and that under an obscure name doth evince and what can that delusion then else be but
and 18.9 But there is no other such apostasie that is universall spoken of in Scripture but Antichrists which singularly is the falling away 2. All the characters of Antichrists defection agree to this Rome 1. She commandeth over Nations so doth he 2. Both spread far and wide 3. Both are guilty of the bloud of Saints and great persecution 4. These who give their power to him commit fornication with her 5. They belong to one time and the beast Antichrist supporteth this city while it is a whore and therefore he must be thought to strengthen her in her whoredoms Beside what was said that Rome is Antichrists seat doth clear this also And wherefore should Rome perish in Antichrists ruine which is carried on principally by the vials Chap. 16. or be lamented by his friends Chap. 18. if she did not partake deeply of his sin neither could she be called the mother of abominations in the earth if yet she should have no hand in Antichrists abominations whereof the world will be guilty at the time of her ruine as the most learned of themselves grant And to what end should there be still such connexion betwixt Rome and Antichrist all alongst if an especiall relation between Rome and that defection were not demonstrated by it 3. We say that this defection whereof Antichrist and Rome are found guilty is not a totall falling from Christianity in the profession of it but such as failing in the matter and corrupting the principal Truths of Christianity shall yet stick boldly to a proud profession of Christianity as claiming a speciall relation to Christ above others for 1. Antichrists defection is such as we shew Chap. 13. and they are one 2. This great Antichrist is some way proportionable to the petty Antichrists that were in Iohn's time and were his fore-runners but these were not simply Heathens but such as under the name of Christianity and pretending to be eminently for it so as to cry down true Apostles did wrong Christ. 3. It is that defection spoken of 2 Thess. 2. which is a giving up to believe lies even while he sitteth in the Temple of God and boasteth of being a prime instrument in the Church 4. His defection is such as was letted by the standing of the heathen Emperours whereas if heathenish Idolatry were his sin Antichrists design had not then been working under ground but had been palpable in them 4. It is observable that when-ever the Scripture speaketh of Antichrists defection it distinguisheth it alway from heathenish idolatry and speaketh of it as of another thing so 2 Thess. 2. Antichrists mysterie of iniquity is opposed to that that was then among Heathens for the time and by comparing the last part of Chap. 12. of this Book with Chap. 13. it will appear that Antichristianity succeedeth to Paganism as a new design of the devils to recover what he lost by the fall of the former Add that here it is called whoredom which supponeth it to be against a marriage-tye Ezek. 16.36 38. which could not otherwise be Again If Antichrists or Romes defection were thus grosse why should it be called a mysterie 2 Thess. 2. and here ver 5 and what need were there of so many marks to discover Rome under that state what deceiveablenesse would there be there The Scriptures insisting so much in this is certainly to make Believers warie and to shew there will be need of spiritual wisdom to discern her or him Lastly It is said that all the World except the Elect wondered after this beast and can it be thought that all Christians shall turn Pagans except the Elect and that there shall be no hypocrites in the Church yet this contradistinguishing of Antichrists followers not from the Church visible but from the Elect who invisibly are so saith that this defection will make a narrower search in the Church than Paganism can do We do therefore take this assertion for truth that Romes defection under Antichrist is a spreading of lies under the pretext of Christianity not simply striking against God but against Christ in his Offices as Mediator and the end of them and derogating from them in the spreading of which the city of Rome as a mother hath a speciall influence and claim 4. We would say concerning the continuing of Antichrist or this defection and the time of its close that it is not to be confined to one person and that within three years and in half and to finish but fourty five dayes before the end of the world but is to take up a longer time Of this we spoke somewhat Chap. 11. and Chap. 13. and also before on this And now we further add that Antichrist hath a proportionablnesse in his continuance to the great effects which his dominion hath on the world But that cannot be within three years and an half 2. Antichrist is one as the series of the heathen Emperours was one for he is the head next succeeding and he is opposed to him 2 Thess. 2. He that letteth must be removed before he that is Antichrist should come Now seing he that letted was not an Emperour personally but the series and time of them in their continuance Therefore Antichrist who succeedeth as the other was removed is not one person but a succession and would the Scripture so frequently and pressingly speak of Antichrists kingdom and that defection if it belonged only to the case of the Church for three years and an half immediately before the end of the world certainly many other trials of the Church had been of greater concernment beside Antichrists hurt being principally to souls it cannot be effectuated so in such a time which can have influence at most but upon some of one generation For that part of their opinion that faith that Antichrists coming is but to preceed the end of the world three years and seven or eight moneths and Romes destruction to be within that time of his reign there is for this no probable shew for 1. Are there not many that lament Babylons ruine and rejoyce over her and will that be but for a year or such a time 2. Is not the battel of Armageddon Chap. 19. posterior to this where the beast is taken Again Is not that overthrow of Gog and Magog posterior to that Chap. 20. when they are cast in the lake where the beast is before they come there Beside Is it probable that in the end of the world when all especially the Jews shall give themselves to Christ that universally they shall again make defection And doth it not appear that a glorious Church shall be on the earth after Antichrists height I desire it may be considered that the Jews are in the body of that Nation generally to be converted after their blinded estate which is yet to be fulfilled Now when shall that conversion be It must either be before this Antichrist or after his destruction But neither can be said It cannot be before his destruction
Pallace and the first-born shall be gathered together By Called here are understood 1. those who are effectually so for they are blessed and glorified Rom. 8.30 Yea 2. called even outwardly Now they of the Jews that shall be called to the Supper are more happy than those who were called at the first to the Dinner for God shall make them generally more obedient and the iron sinew shall be taken out of their neck and the vail from off their eyes and they shall generally yeeld to this Call and flow like doves to their windows to this Gospel therefore are they blessed and happy Thus these who are called by this happinesse are not only opposed to these who are not called at all or only to such who are called and not chosen Matth. 20. But this second Call of the Jews is opposed thus to the first Mat. 22. which is in a word that the Jews after their re-ingrafting shall be generally more blessed by being made to yeeld to the call of the Gospel than those who did live under the first offer thereof So the things prophetically confirmed are two 1. That there is a second calling of the Jews or feast of Christs Marriage to come beside what was at first at the Dinner a new offer to be made to the Jews before the end of the world and a new and most beautifull lustre to be put upon the Church 2. That they shall be blessed and happy beyond the former Jews that shall be called to this as is said This truth is confirmed two wayes 1. by a speciall command to write Write saith he as Chap. 14.13 importing a singular excellency in the thing 2. A great certainty in it that it may be recorded ad futuram râ—i memoriam as Paul signifieth in expressing that of the Jews calling Rom. 11. 3. A difficulty in believing or receiving the truth so pressed And a second way he confirmeth this is These are the true sayings of God it is from the Author of them and His nature and the nature of all His sayings they are saith he not Mens nor Angels words for there might be a lie in both these but they are Gods all whose words are Truth He Himself being Truth He Himself being God who cannot lie and yet as in these sayings concerning the happinesse of these called there is as it were a singular eminency of His faithfulnesse so in speciall these are His true sayings and will take effect The 10. ver is notable by expressing the infirmity of an eminent Saint and the Angels rejecting of that worship intended to him by Iohn with severall reasons as if purposly he would rectifie men in that point of will-worship in giving that religious adoration to creatures though most excellent which alone is due to God Iohn's infirmity is set down in these words And I fell at his feet to worship him Worship implyeth three things 1. An act in the judgement taking up an excellency in the object worshipped 2. An act of the will yeelding it conformly to that apprehended excellency 3. An externall act of the body This may be common to all sorts of worship Further we may consider a twofold adoration or worship mentioned in Scripture that is allowable one is Religious and is a speciall duty due to God and commanded in the first Table of the Law the other is Civil which is due to creatures and commanded in the second Table Again this second sort is twofold the first is that which proceedeth from a reverencing of men for their stations or relations whatever their qualifications be as Magistrats Ministers Parents great Men c. The second is a reverentiall worshipping of men for their qualifications of wisdom and holinesse so we respect good men though they be not great as Act. 2.47 Such living Saints get and in a greater measure Angels may have when they appear such was that which Abraham and Lot gave to the Angels Gen. 18. and 19. supposing them to be men All these are lawfull There is also an idolatrous and sinfull worship and that is when what is due to the Creator is given to any creature and that either more grosly to Idols Images c. called worshipping of devils or more subtil to Saints as that of Cornelius to Peter Act. 10. and that to Paul and Barnabas Act. 14. and is also of diverse sorts This here is not of the first two sorts for it is not condemnable to worship God nor to give holy Men and Angels due reverence But it is this third sort an unlawfull worship as appeareth by the Angels rejecting it with so much zeal and earnestnesse these two wayes expressed 1. By a vehement prohibition See thou do it not there is no more in the Originall but See no an abrupt cutted expression such as is used when men hasten to prevent something they abhor and would fain prevent 2. It is expressed by the pressing arguments he useth which are two 1. This is not my due to be so worshipped I am saith the Angel thy fellow-servant not thy Lord and the fellow-servant of thy brethren that have the testimony of Iesus and are imployed in his Ministery we have but one Ministery 1. The Angels to the Prophets then the Prophets to the Church Therefore are Ministers called Angels and Angels Ministers The second argument is taken from Gods prerogative to whom only such worship is due Wâ—rship God saith he I am not God and that is alone due to Him therefore give it not to me but to Him allowing by the one argument no such worship to creatures and by the other appropriating it all to God He confirmeth in the close his arguments especially the first thus For the testimony of Iesus is the Spirit of Prophesie which may be thus understood the Spirit of Prophesie and revealing of these things is not mine but it is Jesus Christs hence it may be called the testimony of Iesus as belonging peculiarly to Him therefore worship is not due to me who am but a servant with thee Or to the same purpose reading the words as they lye I am thy fellow-servant for the testimony of Jesus or the ministery of the Gospel called so for its bearing witness to Christ in which respect Ministers are often called Witnesses See Chap. 22.8 is the Spirit of prophesie that is is also His gift and way of revealing secrets and edifying of others as this more immediat message which I bear is they are of the same nature and kind of service and therefore from these who are imployed in one of them religious worship is not due to the other they being fellow-servants For more clear opening the doctrine contained in the words it may be asked 1. If Iohn sinned 2. What sort of sin 3. How he being such an eminent servant of Christ and in the midst of such revelations fell into it First That he sinned we suppose is clear 1. in that he never fell to worship an Angel before
still the greatest His first dominion we may call personall when he keeped all the world in grosse darknesse worshipping him directly in temples and he giving responses and answers in them possessing men personally and corporally as he did in Christs time leading the world at his will He is bound in this respect by Christs birth preaching miracles death ascension and sending forth the Apostles and the Gospel like a white horse conquering Chap. 6. whereby the prince of this world was judged Satan casten from heaven like lightening many corporally possessed were dispossessed and freed from his dominion and the devil chased from his audible answering in oracles as formerly he had done His known answer given at Delphos to Augustus his Legats who were sent to him to enquire concerning his successor about the time of Christs birth is by many cited to this purpose Me puer Hebraeus superum Rex linquere tecta Haec jubet ditis cacas remeare sub umbras Ergo silens aris tu nunc abscedito nostris An Hebrew childe King of the heavens high To leave these Temples hath commanded me And to be gone to darknesse and to wo Thou therefore silent from our altars go After this no audible answer was given at these Oracles Thus Satan is bound from the beginning of the Gospel to the end of the world for Christ shall have a Church even among the Nations and Gentiles and thus Christ hath overcome him and so spoiled him that he shall never prevail against the Catholick Church Matth. 16. This is not the binding here because this is a binding that is eminently applicable and agreeable to one particular time so as it cannot agree to any other before nor after And it would seem that as it is clear that Satan is loosed after it before Christs second coming so it is clear that Satan hath been as to this binding loose before it after Christs first coming except we say that all the time between Christs first coming and His second shall be taken up in these two to wit 1. a thousand years restraint upon Satan and then a little times liberty upon the back whereof cometh the judgement but the length of time interveening and the various and frequent ups and downs of the Church shew that there are moe periods in her case and the great liberty of the Church and so the binding of Satan which is still contemporary with it spoken of to be in the latter dayes of the Gospel at least after the first thousand years will not admit that These thousand years therefore must not begin either at Christs birth or death or yet at the destruction of Ierusalem or sending of the Gospel to the Gentiles beside that it presupponeth Martyrs as antecedaneous to it and therefore it must begin after these periods There is a second dominion Satan hath yet even when the Gospel is preached and that is by his guiding the publick magistracy of the world whereby he condemned Christians persecuted and destroyed them and obstructed the publick and avowed profession of Christ in an united Church-way at least in a great part and keeped up still Temples and idol-worship and that as countenanced by Authority Satan is put from this Chap. 12. where we have the story of his casting from the throne before which time he is seen as loose in heaven that is in person of the Emperours as a bloudy Dragon ready to devour the childe as formerly Chap. 6. he rideth as it were on the red pale and black horses till by the sixth seal answerable to and contemporary with Chap. 12. he is in all these respects defeated the publick and avowed worshipping of idols overturned and the publick profession of Christianity countenanced by Authority in which respect Chap. 12. ver 10. it is called the Kingdom of our God and power of His Christ which certainly inferreth a good condition to the Saints with it His third storm and loosing after he cometh to the earth is by more subtil means prosecuted in the first six trumpets by the beast Chap. 13. and in the end of Chap. 12. which is contemporary with the first six trumpets His restraint as to that loosing is by the seventh trumpet wherein his dominion by the beast such as formerly he had by the heathen Emperour is overturned and answerably to that liberty of his spoken of Chap. 12. and 13. here is set down in this third explicatory prophesie Satans third restraint in opposition to that dominion of his by Antichrist and this prophesie will be found contemporary with the seventh trumpet and the vials from their beginning which succeed immediately to the witnesses ascending up to heaven and to the end of the womans flight and abode in the wildernesse and to the fourty two moneths of the beasts reign The fourth and last liberty and dominion of the devil mentioned is this of his stirring up Gog and Magog and his restraint in reference to this is the last judgement Now seing his binding here cannot be the first as is said nor the second Chap. 12. this presupposing the beast in being as appeareth by these who reign in this time nor yet the last It must necessarily follow therefore that it is the binding spoken of in the third place which is contemporary with the beasts overthrow in whom he was formerly worshipped and fain would have sustained that worship but was bound up from it and could not help himself as Chap. 18. Taking this then to be the binding of Satan following upon that rage of his Chap. 12. ver 13 and 17. the scope will be to shew what came of the devil after he had brought that design to a great height Chap. 13. So that if it be asked what became of him after he had raged fourty two moneths against the woman having made her flee to the wildernesse and against the witnesses having made them prophesie all that time in sackcloth It is answered here I saw saith Iohn him again taken and bound up from his liberty as the beast was from his and I saw that Church which by and under the beast he had persecuted and made despicable in the world brought again to an honourable condition wherein he could not impede them having again an honourable publick and avowed profession of the Gospel in greater number of professors purity of doctrine holinesse of life spirituality of worship and vigor of discipline with much lesse outward disturbance than formerly which restraint of his and kingdom to them continued a long time till God in his secret justice permitted him to make a new onset before the last judgement by Gog which followeth that assault of the devils by the beast thereafter the Lord pursueth and overturneth him and his designs everlastingly after which he shall never have a link of his chain loosed to the disturbance of Christs Church This is the sum which will be more clear in the particular explication of the words and in that which
Prophets were in sackcloth and the Church forced to flee It 's like it holdeth out a temporal freedom suiting with these ends and freeing them from the bondage they lay under before for if in suffering times Saints still reign spiritually Then that new engagement of Gog and Magog would not interrupt it and so it would be a reign not for a thousand years only but for the length of the world for so they still did reign Therefore it is not purely and only spirituall We shall more particularly speak of it according to these grounds in the Lecture following Only now from what is said we may gather as to the events that these cannot be expected from the text which both of old and of late men have been fathering wrongfully on this place as 1. That Christ should come to the earth personally and that all the Martyrs and Saints should reign a thousand years before the Resurrection and have all sorts of pleasure even unlawfull as drinking polygamie c. This was invented by Cerinthus and still counted an heresie by the Fathers even by these called Chiliasts or Millenaries by August de civit Dei lib. 20. cap. 5 6. Concerning the Millenaries errors about the thousand years see Euseb. Eccles. hist. lib. 3. cap. 22. where he sheweth Cerinthus his heresie who added sacrifices and ceremonies also A second error different from the former is That some professe to expect such a reign with Christ on earth yet so as not to enjoy carnal sinfull pleasures but lawfull delights wherewith they say the earth shall then abound of such an oppinion was Iraeneus Iustin Martyr Lactantius and many of the Fathers This flowed from Papias supposed to be an hearer of Iohn the Disciple which made his opinion the more to be received but he was not See Euseb. lib. 3. cap. ult He also fell into other faults by following tradition contrary to the Word which is a native consequent of that principle 3. There was another opinion allowing the Saints Resurrection and Kingdom before the last day on earth but abounding only in spiritual delights of such Augustin professeth himself once to have been and so it is like also were many of these Fathers called Chiliasts This was still accounted an error rather than an heresie but yet there is no such kingdom here Again neither do these opinions spring from this text As 1. that before the Resurrection which shall be general the Martyrs the text saith all Saints shall arise a thousand years and reign with Christ but in heaven This is Piscator's opinion on the place 2. Some bring not Christ down personally yet plead for a resurrection of the Martyrs and a reigning of them with the Saints on earth a thousand years before the end of the world as Alstedius doth in his Diatriba de mille annis Apoc. 3. Some go on more grosly and add to that that Christ in His personal presence which is not spoken of in the text is to reign with them on earth Thus Henry Archer and some others of late All these thwart with and are contrary unto the grounds formerly laid down 4. Others also that begin these years too soon or expect too great a temporal kingdom or an absolute universal freedom to come may see the groundlesnesse thereof from what is said LECTURE II. Vers. 1. And I saw an angel come down from heaven having the key of the bottomlesse pit and a great chain in his hand c. IT would follow that we should lay down somewhat more particularly to shew wherein this good and excellent condition of the Saints here spoken of consisteth as it is holden forth according to the preceeding grounds by which we may see it is no uncouth nor strange thing that is here spoken of though as the manner of this Book is the expressions be strange-like and this prejudice being once admitted that some peculiar mysterie and unheard off in any other place of the Scripture is contained here it hath occasioned the many mistakes about the meaning thereof In sum then we conceive this place to hold out a flourishing and good condition for some time of the Church-militant in the dayes of the Gospel in these six peculiarly agreeing to that time and going together opposit to six things wherein the low condition of the Saints consisteth 1. In pure Ordinances and an abundance of the knowledge of the Gospel for if that be a speciall thing wherein and whereby Christ doth reign on earth Himself this being the rod of His power Psal. 110. vers 2. It is suitable that this be the first thing of the Saints reign who reign with Him when He reigneth even as the Church is made to flee when the purity of Ordinances is obscured 2. It consisteth in the power of Ordinances upon Professors by bringing them out of the bondage of sin to the liberty of the sons of God which is to reign and to be free indeed And it would appear that much of this good condition must certainly be in that dominion over sin opposit to that naturall slavery and death by it under which the most part of the world lyeth Therefore is the word blessed and holy is he that is partaker of this resurrection ver 6. and for this they are called Priests unto God and opposed to the dead world ver 5. 3. It consisteth in the plurality and abundance of Professors their embracing this Gospel many Nations setting their face toward Zion and joyning themselves to the Lord. This Chap. 11. is given as a speciall evidence of Christs reign when the Nations become His and thus their reigning is opposed in respect of their multitude to the fewnesse of the sealed ones who were before Chap. 7. the two last parts being compared together when they were shut up in the Temple Chap. 11. ver 1. and 2. Then neither Christ nor they seemed to reign but when the Temple is again opened at the end of that Chapter then beginneth their dominion even as their former purity and light is opposed to the darknesse and errors that went before as Iudah is said to rule with God Hos. 11. ult in respect of Ephraims bondage in error 4. It consisteth in a visible bold publick profession of these Saints by a Church-state not only worshipping privately as when the woman fled to the wildernesse but openly as when the Prophets put off their sackcloth and are taken up to heaven when there are Nations together and the Temple open and Religion avowed and Discipline exercised Then they reign this is opposed to their former lurking 5. It is in outward freedom sometimes they are persecuted and are not free to bear office in military or civil imployments under heathens to buy and fell under the beast Chap. 13. Now either God giveth them favour in the eyes of Rulers or restraineth their malice by some counterballancing thing or turneth them to be worshippers of Him as He did Constantine Thus they reign when they
not mentioned And therefore if this last be absurd and so to have no ground from this place we must account the former to be such also LECTURE III. Vers. 1. And I saw an angel come down from heaven having the key of the bottomlesse pit and a great chain in his hand THe second thing questioned concerning the parties reigning is whether they that reign thus be such as have formerly lived and died and after death are made to reign Or whether they be such as have not yet seen death Answ. We say these that reign with Christ here are not Saints departed but such as never yet died living Saints members of the militant Church We shall first confirm the negative to wit that they are not dead Saints that is such as once lived and died and thereafter are brought to this life again which is three wayes expressed by severall Authors 1. not such as have been Martyred and brought again to live on earth with their bodies as the old Millenaries conceited For 1. that maketh all this literally to be understood of the resurrection which we shew to be spirituall and if this be a spirituall resurrection Then it is not corporall But that it is spirituall may be thus made out It is a resurrection that agreeth to Saints that never died bodily Therefore it is spirituall The antecedent is thus proven This resurrection agreeth to all who are then living with Christ But the living Saints must at that time be living with Christ or else they must be comprehended under the common reckoning with the dead world which cannot be or we must say there are no Saints in the militant Church then which is false this being certain that the end is not yet come 2. This cleareth it that it maketh folks free of the second death and only that doth it as is said 3. It crosseth the scope which is to shew the state of the militant Church on earth whereof dead Saints are not members 4. It is such Saints as may be in their dominion encompassed and straitned by Gog and Magog But it were hard to bring Saints from heaven to that condition 5. How should they live on earth a spirituall life not eating nor drinking or a naturall life again in these both which are absurd 6. This would make a resurrection and judgement beside the one universall judgement and resurrection against the Scripture that 1 Thess. 4. speaketh of all living then and the dead that die before to go together to meet Christ. 7. What cometh of them after the thousand years reign expireth it is they who did reign who are encompassed But that cannot be said of Saints raised again For 1. then they would be longer on the earth than a thousand years 2. They would be interrupted in their reign this lasteth but a thousand years Therefore it is not such who reign 8. If it be of such it must either be before or after the day of Judgement neither of which can be as is cleared 2. Again others say that it is Martyrs rising again a thousand years before the general resurrection but enjoying a dominion in heaven not on earth as is Piscators opinion This cannot be For 1. It is against the scope as the former 2. This dominion is of all Saints then in being as we shall hear Therefore it is not peculiar to Martyrs 3. This dominion and these who reign here are interrupted in their dominion which can be said of none in heaven 4. It is shown before to be on earth 5. It would be also more than an thousand years reign before the generall resurrection or else they must be again suspended in it which is absurd 3. Neither can it be applied to Martyrs and Saints living under Antichrist and other persecuters who being dead are said to reign by their souls enjoying of Christ in glory as Paraeus and ordinarily Interpreters do apply it which is a truth that these Saints do reign even after their death But it cannot be applied to these who reign here 1. because that reign is in heaven this meaned here is on earth 2. That reigning of Saints departed is continuall in all times this is peculiar to these thousand years 3. That of Saints in heaven cannot be interrupted this may be 4. It agreeth to Saints in their most suffering condition even that of Gog and Magog for even then they overcome and reign so this is a peculiar good condition and contradistinguished from the Churches former hard straits and is interrupted as it is afterward vers 7. by that of Gog and Magog It must necessarily follow then that they are living Saints on earth and then in some more than an ordinary flourishing condition Concerning whom we are to enquire 1. If it be all Saints then living or some few only 2. What these contradistinguished one from another are who these Martyrs and who these others are 3. How they continue for a thousand years to reign if in their own persons or in their successors And we say 1. they are living Saints who never yet did see death not Martyrs formerly killed but who then shall be followers of the Martyrs faith and practice and keep themselves from pollutions such as are Chap. 14. called virgins who are here meaned For 1. it is on earth as is said 2. It is of all Saints then living thus contradistinguished from the rest of the dead world 3. It is not the same individual persons who live and reign all these thousand years but they in their successors The Church being one body dieth never even as the witnesses continued all the space of one thousand two hundred and sixty dayes and died and rose again in their successors so it is here one generation succeedeth to another Now if it were Martyrs restored to life Then 1. it would be peculiar to them which is here common to all 2. Then they would live still and be in new hazard by Satans loosing which is impossible for it is the same Saints that are encompassed by Gog and Magog who formerly did reign when Satan was bound Therefore it is living Saints continuing in a succession for many years They who in their life did reign suffering after death in their successors by Gog and Magog even as their predecessors who suffered in their life yet after death reign in their posterity The one expoundeth the other and sheweth that both the reigning of Martyrs and suffering of these Saints must be verified in their successors for all who live and reign are partakers of this resurrection but many living Saints who never died must either be partakers of it or they must be among the dead Therefore it is a spiritual resurrection to living Saints Again the Martyrs reign here would be then either alone or with others and none of these can be said without absurdity Therefore it is the living who are understood Add they must live and reign who did not so reign before Therefore it is
which he is overthrown at or a very little before the end of the world Now the question will be to which of these overthrows we may apply these thousand years of his binding and so whether it contemporateth with the seals or trumpets or vials for to one of these or some part of them certainly it relateth and so may we know whether it be past presently current or to come For clearing whereof we shall 1. see what light this place giveth of it self to the timing of it 2. We shall shew it is neither fully past nor yet to come fully 3. That it is current under the vials beginning with them at the binding of Satan after his third loose 4. We shall give the scope and co-herence of this Chapter on it And first here concerning the close or expiring of these thousand years we may gather 1. that it is a little how long none can tell before the end of the world for Satan's loosing ver 7. goeth before the end and these thousand years expire before that therefore these thousand years are not to be expected after the day of judgment neither at it or immediately before it 2. It is clear that it is the last great binding before the last interval of Satan's last loosing which preceedeth his finall binding for after this immediately Gog is loose and Satan is not again restrained but finally judged Hence we may gather 1. That this good condition of the Saints is the last they are to have on earth seing nothing followeth it but Satans loosing and final judgment 2. That when this must end Gog and Magog succeeds and so hardly can we say that these thousand years are expired Except we say 1. Gog and Magog is come 2. and that be applyed to such an enemy as continueth for a little season in comparison of the good condition that the Church hath had for a long time before that 3. If so we must say there is no freedom to the Church to be expected after this such as she hath had before for nothing cometh after Gog and Magog which seemeth contrary to the nature and tenour of this prophesie especially of the vials which encreaseth Satan's binding and overthrow and their reign still to the last Again for the beginning of these thousand years it is clear here 1. That it cannot begin at the entry of the Gospel except we say there is but one interval of the Churches peace under it contrary to experience and so divide all the time of the Gospel in these thousand years and the little persecution of Gog and Magog which cannot be granted for the former grounds 2. The binding supposeth a loosing to go before it and what loosing it seemeth clear by the raising of some Martyrs for the testimony of Jesus Christs whereby it appeareth that the great persecution of the Church even by Antichrists is to interveen betwixt Christs first coming and this good condition of the Saints it being ordinary that their suffering condition goeth first and that their reigning condition and Satans binding cometh thereafter Beside 3. It is the last good condition before the end contradistinguished from her hard condition going before From this second we may proceed then and say that it is not fully past Not only from the former considerations but also 1. because that would make the Churches low condition and her good condition to be confounded which yet are expresly distinguished if that reign fall either contemporary with Antichrists or heathenish persecution 2. It presupposeth the Antichristian tyranny before its beginning which cannot be if all the thousand years shall be past already See ver 4. 3. That which belongeth to the Churches best condition on earth is not yet come to wit 1. Antichrists ruine 2. the fulnesse of the Gentiles 3. the incoming of the Jews which are certainly to be looked for and to make this good condition which relateth to her best condition on earth as hath been said to be already past would separate it from all these excellent events which cannot be done See Rom. 11. ver 12 13. where the Iews in-coming is called the riches of the Christian world and life from the death which not upon the matter only but in expressions also suit well with this place From all which then we conclude 1. that these thousand years are not nor cannot be contemporary with the seals or trumpets in the first two special periods of the Churches condition she being in both these low therefore must it belong to the time of the vials which followeth the other 2. We may conclude then that this binding of Satan or good condition of the Saints is not that victory of the Gospel meerly spirituall by the white horse Chap. 6. Nor that over Satan in Constantin's dayes Chap. 12. both which agree either with seals or trumpets much lesse is it that of Gog and Magog at the end yet to come It must needs follow then that it is the third binding of the devil by the witnesses rising Chap. 11. the Gospels spreading after Antichrists begun ruine Chap. 14. that is understood here there being but four in all This then we take for certain that it belongeth to the prophesie of the vials God having shown in them the down-bringing of her enemies expresly but leaving the Churches condition to be gathered by consequence here expresly he sheweth the Churches good condition contemporary with that which may further be made out 1. The Churches good condition must be contemporary with the lowest estate of her enemies for their falling and her rising contra are still knit together But the vials hold out the longest series of judgements against her enemies and the most full Therefore it belongeth to them for during the seals she is persecuted by heathens during the trumpets by Antichrist in the vials the Lamb and these that were with Him prevaile Secondly The great things belonging to the Churches good condition as 1. the removing or restraining open enemies 2. The fulnesse of the Gentiles 3. The in-calling of the Jews belong all unto and fall under the vials as may be seen by the exposition of Chap. 16 17 18 19. preceeding Ergo this good condition being the Churches best estate falleth under them also Thirdly This good estate of the Saints and this binding of Satan contemporary with it is the last freedom and greatest that the Church hath before the last day But that is under the vials Ergo. It remaineth now therefore only to enquire if the beginning of these thousand years be to be reckoned from the beginning of the vials or to be restricted unto the seventh after Antichrists fall as the learned Mede doth We say it cannot be restricted to the last but must take in moe even them all We shall first confirm the negative part then the affirmative 1. It is not to be restricted to the seventh vial for then it would make this reign to be a very short time or it
in it I shall not insist on all leaving particulars to their proper place but say however this be applied it is certainly not literally to be taken and therefore that the Kings bring their glory to it c. is not to be understood of temporall glory more than by gold or precious stones we must conceive a materiall building because such matter is mentioned If therefore the expressions must be figuratively taken and may as pertinently be applicable to heaven as to the Church-militant we are to consider to which they are to be applied by the scope and other arguments in it self whereof we have spoken and by which we are content that it be determined And therefore we say that the like expressions in the Prophets are not to be made equipollent to these here except it be clear that they aim at one scope for it is not words and expressions that we conclude from but from many things put together as is said for although the Prophets here and there dropped some such expressions to hold forth the excellency of the Gospel-administration before it came beyond what then was Yet is there in any of them such a full and heavenly description put together as this or can any future estate of the Gospel-church beyond what was in Iohn's time be looked-for which will exceed it as far as the Gospel-church doth the Jewish that Iohn should go so far beyond their manner in the describing of it and we are sure that the application thereof to heaven hath with it a far more convincing impression on the hearts of the Readers as finding therein a comfortable rellish for their refreshing which another application would mâ—r beside that straining of it will hardly be eschewed by so carrying on the application thereof We come now to speak of the first generall description of heaven that is set down in more general steps yet exceeding significant to ver 9. 1. What Iohn saw ver 1. and 2. Then what he heard and was told of for confirmation of the first in the rest of the verse Both tend to set out this happinesse of the Saints eternall condition The 1. thing he saw is a new heaven and a new earth 2. A proof that it is so or a reason why it is new is given because the former was passed away 3. It is particularly noted there was no more sea That this relateth to the great change that shall be by fire on all the world we take for granted as being a thing following the great judgement and making way for the Saints eternall blessednesse It is the very former change mentioned Chap. 20. vers 11. which sheweth that this is the continuation of that narration as if one asked what followed then when the heavens and the earth passed away I saw saith he a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth c. are passed away whereby the succeeding of this to the former is clear There are three particulars here to be enquired in 1. What this passing away of the heaven and earth is succeeding to the former and therefore not contemporary with it which is here called the first heaven in respect of that which followed 2. What this new heaven and earth is 3. How it said there was no more sea Of these we are not curiously to enquire but seing it is a part of Gods Word given for consolation to Believers we shall soberly assert what we think truth in this Therefore we say 1. that these words speak of a change even on the universe itself literally so to be taken and that same which is mentioned by Peter 1 Epist. 3.13 where when he hath spoken of the dissolution of the world by fire which by the Schoolmen is called ignis conflagrationis he addeth as a consolation But we look for a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse of this doth the present place speak where oâ—the by we say It is wonderfull to us how learned men as Mede in his treatise de 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should apply that place of Peter to a condition of the Church on earth seing there this new heaven and new earth is expresly said to follow the earth that now is and that after it is dissolved by fire Is there a Church to be in the world after that dissolution And wereas he fasteneth that exposition upon that place of Peter from Isa. 65. and 66. we conceive it were fitter to expound that place of Isaiah as the obscurer by that place of Peter as that which is more clear and so both to speak of the Churches eternall condition properly after these elements shall be dissolved if it be necessary to apply both to one thing 2. This supposeth a great change such as shall put all in a far other shape and frame than now they are in this cannot be questioned how far and in what manner is only disputed for that all must be destroyed and burnt with fire is granted by all and therefore justly what remaineth is called new 3. We take this for certain also that this passing away looketh but to the visible heavens air earth and water and doth neither extend to that blessed mansion of the Elect souls called Coelum Empyreum or Kingdom prepared for them nor yet to the place of torment where damned spirits and reprobates are for ever to ly under the wrath of God for 1. that place of joy it is said to be prepared from the foundation of the world for them Matth. 25. Which expression prepared being compared with Heb. 11. ver 10. doth not only hold forth a most excellent glory and singular exquisit workmanship for which cause God is said to be the builder and maker thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not elsewhere applied to Him in reference to any other piece of His work as having given a speciall proof of His admirable art and skill in that but also doth ascribe the same to its first creation which admitteth not of any interveening change Again this being the mansion of glorified Saints and the same heaven unto which all the Elect will be gathered at the resurrection and still spoken of in Scripture as one and the same and it being fully glorious for their satisfying happinesse in the enjoying of Gods presence therein We can apprehend no change incident thereunto beside that it is called eternall 2 Corinth 5. ver 1. in opposition to other things that are called temporall Neither can there be any effect of sin or of the curse supposed to have any influence on that blessed mansion And therefore it not being as other creatures made subject to vanity no unclean thing entering there there can be no necessity of purifying it or making such a change on it as on the rest 2. For hell it is also said to be prepared for the devil and his angels wherein also many Reprobates are before this last judgement as by the parable of the rich
glutton is clear Luk. 16. Therefore it is not a new hell they go unto that day more than a new heaven Neither can any end of renewing hell be given it being no way to be bettered as other creatures are by this change except we say as Aquinas and the Schoolmen that this consummation putteth every thing in its perfection and doth so to hell also by transmitting the drosse of all the creation devils reprobates death c. unto it But this confirmeth what we said 4. We take it for granted that there is not a full annihilation of this universe by this change so that there should be nothing after it but heaven and hell but a change only it must be though a wonderfull great change This all the places that speak of a new heaven and a new earth do confirm as succeeding in the room of the former Beside the phrases holding forth this change will import but a change and no annihilation as will appear yea this exception that there shall be no more sea confirmeth it for it supponeth somewhat more to befall it than the heaven and the earth which could not be if the annihilation of all were absolute 5. The question therefore lieth mainly in this whether that change be substantial so that these heavens and this earth being removed there are new heavens and new earth again created or if that change be but in respect of qualities as it is with the body of man which is raised the same as to its substance yet so as to its qualities it may be called another for its spiritualnesse purity glory incorruptiblnesse c. I mean of the bodies of the Elect even as in that comparison used 1 Corinth 15. The corn that groweth up is called another grain than that which was sown in respect of its accidents and appearance so may this earth be called a new earth in these respects We conceive this last to be truth that as the heavens and earth are not substantially changed nor annihilated so the new earth and heaven succeeding are the same for substance but for nature more stable for beauty more glorious for use free from the abuses sinfull men put them unto and from the effects of the curse put upon them for mans sin they are altogether freed and set at liberty from these Therefore Acts 3.21 it is called the time of restitution of all things For confirmation whereof we may consider 1. These places wherein this change is most expresly mentioned as Psal. 102.8.16 with Heb. 1.10 They shall perish but thou shalt endure yea all of them shall wax old like a garment as a vesture shalt thou fold them up and they shall be changed Which words bear out 1. a totall overturning of heaven and earth as to its outward frame Yet 2. that upon the matter in its substance it is but a change but so universall and great as maketh it not to be then what it is now A second expression is 1 Cor. 7. The fashion of this world passeth away the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used to set out the change on our bodies Philip. 3.21 whereby he would seem to hint that this change is more on its outward appearance than on its substance A third place most plain and full is 2 Pet. 3. ver 10.12 and 13. The heavens shall passe away with a noise and the elements shall 〈◊〉 with fervent heat c. See also vers 5 6 7. where the destruction by fire is compared with that which went before by water Where 1. It is to be gathered that that fire melteth the elements and consumeth them not even as a goldsmyth doth with meâ—tal that he hath a mind to put a new form or mould upon 2. That out of this resulteth the new heaven and earth as a refined â—ump from which the drosse is taken away 3. That as there was no substantial change by water so neither by fire though in that respect it is called the old world and the other the world that now is only that made the change to the worse this of fire to the better For a second confirmation we would consider that famous place Rom. 8.19 20 21 2â— where the scope purposly is to prove the glorious condition the Saints have to expect after this and that such that even senslesse creatures wait and long for as being to be made partakers of it at the generall manifestation of the sons of God Where observe 1. That by creature in the singular number ver 19 and 20 is understood the universe as contradistinguished from the Elect and such a creature as by the sin of man is made subject to vanity and so is not to be understood of the whole creation simply as certainly neither of Angels nor of the seat of the blâ—ssed 2. That mans sin had had much influence on the cursing of this creature partly with barrennesse tempests c. contrary to its first nature partly by making it the theater where much sin and many changes have been acted partly by abusing it against the end appointed by God to our vain ends 3. That there is a time of delivering Gods sons from the bondage of sin they ly under fully 4. That the creature here mentioned is to be fully delivered from the â—ffâ—cts of sin and the cursâ— also Therefore 1. it is said to be subâ—uâ—â—â—â—dâ—r hope not for ever 2. It expecteth that and groâ—neth for it not as if it were sensible but by a naturall inclination to it and this is so sure as if it had knowledge it would groan so it is said the high wayes mourn Lam. 1. 3. Because ver 21. it is expresly said that it is to be delivered from bondage and to share of that liberty of the sons of God and as their change is not substantiall but qualitative from the worse to the better so shall it in some proportionable suitable manner be freed from changes corruption c. and be in an other way glorious These excellent priviledges waited for by the creature cannot consist either with annihilation or substantiall change but with a qualitative mutation far to the better though we cannot in everything satisfie our curiosity about it neither should we aim at that If any ask what can be the use of this earth or to what end it is seing Peter saith righteousnesse is to dwell in it Answ. It is enough that God maketh it for His own glory which was the end He made all things for Prov. 16. 2. Are there not many things now made whereof we cannot give the use possibly many parts of the world never yet inhabited Or may there not be many reasons which we cannot now tell though we will know in that day His design in that Again are there not many members in mans body who is raised with difference of sex and yet who can tell the use of them only God thinks it meet there being then no marrying nor eating men living
her husband 3. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying Behold the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God 4. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away 5. And he that sat upon the throne said Behold I make all things new And he said unto me Write for these words are true and faithâ—ull 6. And he said unto me It is done I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely 7. He that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my son 8. But the fearfull and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whâ—remongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death THis is the first thing Iohn saw as an antecedent to the discourse following of the glory of the Elect for if all the earth be new and glorious much more they Now followeth more particularly the change that is made on the Church of the Elect when they are gathered together and the world now is new and another thing than it was so is the glorified Church new and an other thing as to her qualities and glory than before After I had seen the new earth saith he I saw also the new Church exceeding beautifull no city no Bride so adorned on her marriage-day as she is she is so glorious when He getteth but a little view of her Concerning the glorious description we would premit 1. That it is almost all one whomsoever or whatsoever we understand as the party described 1. Whether it be heaven the place of blessednesse or 2. the glorified Elect who are blessed and adorned in this place or 3. the happinesse and blessedness of the enjoyment of God by these elect Saints in this place of glory Certainly none of these can be excluded this being clearly the scope to shew the good condition of all those who are written in the Lambs Book of life opposit to the misery of those who are not written all must be taken in both who are thus adorned where and with what they are made thus happy We shall not therefore be curious to distinguish them the scope being to shew that the Elect are in a most happy condition 2. That this happinesse is figuratively set out two wayes 1. By such things as are most precious unto men and of greatest value as of gold precious stones and excellent building a bride c. though the things themselves infinitly exceed any thing they can be represented by 2. By these things that are most precious even to the people of God as the tabernacle outward ordinances Gods presence with them c. which being to them of more worth than the former do serve notably to illustrate and to commend this happinesse unto them 3. That the manner also is figurative holding forth these things in such a manner and by such expressions as may make them most intelligible unto men who here are strangers to these mysteries and therefore we are to conceive of the expressions as they conduce to this scope 4. Hence it is not needfull to enquire in every particular part of the allegory or similitude as if it did set forth some different thing it is enough they all concur to set out one generall to wit the excellency of this good condition therefore are we not to understand one thing by this stone another thing by that one thing by the City another thing by the Bride though in a good sense it may be it is enough that they together shew that it is glorious so that this city cometh down from heaven that it hath twelve gates and that the tree of life hath twelve manner of fruits c. They are but expressions accommodated to our uptaking of them and so discovered to Iohn in the vision that they may be known to be more than a common city tree c. that are here They are heavenly even as the taking of Iohn to a great high mountain ver 10. is set down to make our the coherence of the allegory It is marked that the City came down and he was taken up whereby the more conveniently he might see it which yet is not locally done but in vision Particularly there is here a City 1. named 2. described 3. commended Iohn putteth to his name here I Iohn saw it to confirm it by such a witnesse whose testimony is true Ioh. 21. and to make it passe with credit he feigned it not but saw it in vision though far short of the thing it self 1. The City is named the new Ierusalem That by Ierusalem is signified the Church is clear in Scripture for the special priviledges Ierusalem had in her There is a threefold Ierusalem in the Scripture 1. Legall Ierusalem which long since in destroyed and as to its ceremonies is in bondage Gal. 4. 2. A Ierusalem that now in i.e. the Gospel-church called the mother of us all Gal. 4. 3. It is taken for the heavenly Ierusalem or the glorified triumphant Church where God immediately dweâ—â—etâ— with His people whereof that earthly Ierusalem was but a type Heb. 12 22. so we understand Ierusalem there as including heaven where Angels and just men made perfect are and the Church militant as it is the first step to this and by which we have right to it through the Covenant of Grace in the Church It taketh in the Elect glorified and militant for there is but one family Eph. 3.15 This is called Ierusalem 1. Because typified by the first Ierusalem 2. Because it is the same Church glorified that was before even as it is the same world now which shall be then Only it is called new Ierusalem not only to distinguish it from the Jewish Ierusalem but even from the evangelick which is called the holy City before Chap. 11. but not the new City It is new Ierusalem as the earth is new in the words before that is fully freed from all corruption and by its qualifications another thing than it was though as to the persons the same yet now perfectly glorified and glorious another sort of Church then nor now though the same Church yet now presented without spot or wrinkle or any such thing Eph. 5.27 The second part is its description It is said to be coming down from heaven This supponeth no locall mutation of the place described but the excellent nature and quality of it whether place or person that such a City was never on the earth it was a thing that was of a heavenly original therefore Heb. 12.22 called heavenly â— for
God did begin to be their God which to His own was true in all ages But 1. that now God is manifestly known to be their God 2. That now they reap fully the enjoyments and advantages of their right to have Him their God 3. They get now the possession of Him who in right and title was their portion before they know what it is to have God their God when He becometh all in all to them and they are filled with His fulnesse and see Him as He is It saith that the fruit and substance of that great Covenant-promise I will be their God and they shall be my People is never well known nor taken up till they be in heaven that being the place wherein the fulnesse of this promise streameth out to Believers It is a word that setteth forth the height of happinesse to be in the enjoying of God the promise whereof is the great substance of the Covenant here that is given to His People in these words Lev. 26.10 11. and Ezek. 37. Gen. 17.2 Gor. 6.18 There is more happinesse in having God to be our God than we can believe yet this in right may be here and the right improving and use-making of this would in a great measure be heaven upon earth Vers. 4. The happinesse of their estate as it is free from all the contraries and opposits of blessednesse is set forth 1. generally in wiping away all tears 2. More particularly in removing the causes of these as death sorrow crying c. 3. In the proof of it for all former things are gone therefore these are done away and the face of the Church and her condition is now new Some of these expressions are Chap. 7. borrowed from the Prophets that point at an excellent condition of the Church on earth because the true beauty of the Church on earth is of the same nature with that in heaven as the former promises do clear that beauty of heaven is but that begun glory compleated and perfected which is not at perfection here till it come there But the scope differeth in this that there the glory of the Gospel-church is holden forth principally after Antichrists begun ruine but here the perfecting of the same Church in heaven after the finall and full overturning of all enemies as is clear before The generall freedom of this happy condition is That God shall wipe away all tear from their eyes which is spoken not only comparatively with their former estate as it is used by Isa. 60. and possibly Chap. 7. but here it is simply to be understood There shall not be in them or any of them then any sorrow or cause of sorrow or weeping but though there be tears on their cheeks all their journey over which is here supposed yet when they come to the gates of heaven no tear shall enter with them God Himself as it were with a napkin by His tendernesse to them and the fulnesse of His love shall put an end to their weeping there shall never be any more a tear amongst them all and that it is God who wipeth c. addeth to the consolation More particularly their freedom is set down in four things ordinarily accompanying all living 1. Death there shall be no death there which alludeth unto or rather is the fulfilling of that Isa. 25. which 1 Cor. 15. the Apostle maketh clearly a qualification of heaven and to be fulfilled after the Resurrection There and there only shall be immortallity and eternal life neither first nor second death enter there but both are cast into the lake as Chap. 20. or are without this city to which this doth especially relate 2. There is no sorrow nor grief there it is properly such a sorrow as is for the losse of friends or such a crosse when some good thing is taken away there is none such there no Wife in heaven bewails her Husband or Mother her Child Rachel will not weep for her children there nor is friend separated from friend there Ionathan is not heavy to sunder with David there nor any man mourning for the losse of a Crown or Kingdom or House or estate or for any losse whatsoever 3. There is no crying there there are no violent or hasty surprizings which taketh in all crosses that bring hurt upon any there is no invading of Kingdoms storming of Towns killing or slaughter or roaring of violent enemies activly doing wrong or of poor souls crying out under and passivly suffering wrongs or oppressions neither of these are in heaven 4. In that city there is no paiâ— nor suffering whether from externall causes of violence or inward infirmities of body or challenges of the mind the inhabitants of that land will not say they are sick Isa. 33. In a word the body is so freed from corruption as there is no externall cause to hurt it neither any internall tendency to any disease but absolute freedom from all effects of sin no sicknesse is there more than death no gout nor gravell all these are removed And for aggravation of this happinesse we are to understand these expressions set down 1. as taking-in all these things conducing to happinesse 2. Not only is there a removing of these but the contrary priviledges follow to wit quietnesse life comfort joy c. 3. That these are eminently there in heaven and only there in this degree 4. That these enjoy this happinesse and life eternally and unchangably for now no more death or pain or any thing of that kind is to trouble them The confirmation is added in a word for the former things are passed away that is all the former dispensations toward the Church its crosses and sufferings and the manner of its fighting or being militant these now are passed and changed which must certainly be understood of the Churches finall and externall change 1. because so these things called the former in opposition to the Churches now glorified condition are passed away as the old heavens are then this change being universall in all things relateth to the full change on the world 2. Because these former things of death pain c. are never away till the end for if they were supposed contemporary with the estate of the Church during these thousand years then certainly Gog and Magog are to follow that with death and crying It must therefore be after all the Churches trials and so after Gog and Magog who not long preceed the end of the world So this renewing of all maketh an excellent change to the Godly and no more can it be understood what the happinesse of their lot is than that which eye never saw nor ear heard nor yet could enter into mans heart to consider This being every way new to men The second voice which cometh in to confirm the same things is ver 5. of him that sat on the throne that is the Lamb who was Judge Chap. 20. stiled here by the name He taketh to Himself Chap. 1. to
prophesie Chap. 12. where this bloudinesse is set out by the red Dragons waiting to devour the man childe new brought forth 4. The event and Christs prediction Mat. 10.34 35. and Luk. 12.51 c. that He came not to send peace but a sword and to kindle a fire already almost begun confirm it and we cannot more warrantably expound these sad things which follow and accompany the Gospel of any particular event than of that which agreeth with His plain Word by which Word also we may be helped to understand what taking peace from the earth is to wit confusions and troubles that come on the Church after the manifestation of the Gospel The meaning then of this type as a prophesie in short is to foretell that that Church which should at first shine by the spreading light of the Gospel and should be captivated unto Jesus Christ by His triumphing in His Ordinances throughout the world that Church should be suddenly set upon by persecuters and a bloudy and a terrible-like dispensation should immediatly follow the conquest of the Gospel so that in no part of the world the Professors thereof should have externall peace but being hated of all men should be betrayed killed massacred and cruelly and universally put to death in so far that the former dispensations to the Church should seem quite to be altered in their outward face and she changed from her former whitenesse to a bloudy colour in respect of her many sufferings The preparation here to this type is the same as under the former to wit a voice saying Come and see whereby all are again and again stirred up by all the Ministers of Christ whatever be their qualifications to consider the opened seals Only it differeth in these two 1. That this is the second beast formerly described Chap. 4.7 2. That though he speaketh the same thing yet doth he it in a different manner as a Calf or Oxe differeth in their sound from a Lion The reason why the second beast so qualified as a Calf is made use of to invite to come and see the events of this seal is because that beast being most famous for patient enduring and hard labouring suiteth best with such a suffering condition of the Church and so sad news as were to be revealed by this type and also because it representeth best the qualifications of a Ministrie fit for such a dispensation and so also setteth forth Gods wisdom most in fitting men for and trysting them with such a sad condition of His Church It is therefore to good purpose observed at the opening of each seal whether it be the first second or third beast that calleth for they are not ranked by guesse but purposly to point out a suitablnesse and conformity between such an event or condition of the Church and the persons made use of in reference thereunto according as they are represented by the saids beasts and as this exposition agreeth with the scope of the prophesie so with the type and with the word of explication that is added 1. It agreeth with the type for it is said There went out another horse that was red and there was given unto his rider a sword c. This red horse signifieth a bloudy dispensation for which cause the Dragon Chap. 12. in the prophesie contemporary to this is called red and the beast that was drunk with the bloud of the Saints is described as scarlet-coloured for that same cause to wit their bloudy effects upon the Church The Sword also which was given him importeth persecution as Matth. 10.34 Luke 12.49 I came not to send peace but a sword Also Rom. 8.35 Who shall separate us from the love of God Shall tribulation or persecution or sword c. The meaning then of this type we clearly take to be the same persecution signified by the red Dragon Chap. 12. which persecution immediately followed and waited upon the Church flourishing by the Gospel which was typified by the woman cloathed with the Sun c. even as this doth follow upon the conquest of the white horse The word of explication also which is added doth confirm this it is said Power was given him to take peace from the earth Wherein we have 1. his earrand to wit to take peace from the earth and put all in confusion 2. The mean or weapon suitable to that end to wit a Sword signifying the marring of that peace by persecution 3. It is marked in both that that power and that great sword was given him to signifie Gods soveraignity over pesecuters and his absolute ordering of persecutions even the most cruel which is signified by a great Sword and most confused which is signified by killing one another Yet in all the Commission is particularly given by God none can move it till He give power yea all the weapons are furnished by Him which is a great proof of His Soveraignity and contributeth much to the comforting of Gods People under such trials There is one objection against this exposition necessarily to be removed for clearing this and other passages of this prophesie That is say some This Commission is expresse to take peace from the earth But through this prophesie the Church is ordinarily understood by Heaven and these that are without by the Earth For answer We say 1. It is true by the Earth often is understood the unconverted world yet it is not alwayes so even in this prophesie as is clear by these places Chap. 3.10 The men on the earth which are to be tried are members of the Church otherwise it had been no peculiar priviledge to Philadelphia to have been exempted from it so Chap. 7.1 Chap. 12.9 Chap. 13.14 Chap. 14.16 c. where the exposition of the several places will make this clear For as sometimes the Church is distinguished from the World and in that respect called Heaven so sometimes the Church Militant is distinguished from that which is Triumphant in Heaven and in that respect it is called the Earth and that is especially when its trials or sufferings are spoken of which reach only to that part which is on earth 2. We answer That by Earth is understood the visible Church here Militant which is so called 1. Because it seemeth this prophesie relateth to that of Christs Matth. 10.34 and therefore is expressed almost in the same words 2. By persecution of the Church peace may be said to be taken from the earth because by it all the earth is so put through other it having so many troubles divisions treacheries and tumults c. going alongst with it 3. Because it pointeth here at the outward and earthly peace which by persecution could only be taken from them and that it reacheth not to marre their spiritual and eternal peace according to Christs word Ioh. 16. last vers In the world ye shall have tribulation but in me ye shall have peace 4. The Church may be called the Earth here because it is
usuall to the Prophets whose expressions Iohn often followeth to set out the Church and her troubles under that name because she is the most excellent part of all the World Therefore do they account it sad to all the earth which is sad to her contra See Isa. 24.1 4 5 6 c. where yet the Church is understood as appeareth from vers 5. and therefore the former exposition doth agree well with this expression We take it then for granted that this exposition agreeth well with the scope which is to shew the Churches condition immediately after the Gospel came into the world and her sufferings then that it agreeth well also with the description of the horse in his colour rider commission and weapons We are therefore 3. to consider how it doth agree unto the event which in every thing we will find answerable None that know any thing but know how soon persecution especially killing with the sword followed after the Gospel The Scripture mentioneth it of Stephen Act. 7. of Iames Act. 12. The History of the Acts Paul's frequent reckoning of persecutions and particularly by the sword Rom. 8.35 c. 1 Cor. 1.4 2 Cor. 4 and Chap. 12. 2 Tim. 3.10 c. and the former Epistles to the Churches of Asia make it evident This also is in general made out by the ten severall persecutions which are for their cruelty and universality famous if we may speak so in all Church-History beside what particular murthers were committed in severall places at all times so that the event answereth well both to the type and to the exposition of it More particularly we think this part of the prophesie looketh especially unto the first two persecutions to wit the first raised by Nero which began neer or about the year 66. of our Lord. The second followed with some intervall under Domitian whose persecution began Anno. 97. These were the first who by publick Edicts stirred up the Heathens and all the enemies of the Christians against them to kill murther and torture at their pleasure By those persecutions suffered almost all the Apostles as the History of the Church cleaâ—eth and many other famous Champions of Christ and it came to that height that Christians were accounted all the day long as sheep for the slaughter Rom. 8.36 and could have no certain dwelling place in the world though it was not worthy of them We apply it especially to these two first persecutions Because 1. It agreeth best with the order of time formerly laid down to wit that the second seal is next immediatly unto the first 2. Because the nature of these persecutions and the effects of them which were in a bloudy cruel and open manner driven on by these two beasts one of whom Paul calleth the Liâ—u 2 Tim. 4 17. do suit best with the type formerly expounded though proportionally the following persecutions in their nature are described here as they were bloudy in which respect we will find killing with the sword again to be mentioned vers 8. under the fourth seal This being the exposition of this type as it is propheticall we shall now lay down some generall Doctrines which may be drawn from what is said and further confirm it 1. From renewing this exhortation Come and see Observe That every passage revealed by God for the good of His Church should be taken notice of by them 2. That it is the second beast which is now made use of when the Church is suffering Obs. That our Lord Jesus hath Ministers fitted for suffering as well as for action He hath them who are like Lions to spread the Gospel and therefore the first Preachers or Reformers in a Land are eminently furnished ordinarily with boldnesse and zeal daringly to undertake such a difficult task Again He hath them who are patient like calfes when He calleth for suffering Obs. 3. That fitnesse for patient suffering is a gift necessary and profitable for the edification of the Church and a qualification becoming a Minister of the Gospel no lesse than the former boldnesse and hath work and use in the Church as well as the former hath though it be not alway so shining yet is it not to be despised by any Obs. 4. That our Lord Jesus Christ timeth and trysteth Ministers qualifications according to the task which He hath to do with them whether it be for doing or suffering He hath them accordingly qualified 1. He sendeth out as it were Lions because then He is to triumph over difficulties then come as it were calfes after them because their great work is not so much to gain new ground as to maintain what the former have gained and as it were calfes to endure suffering yet both sorts are employed for one end to preach one Gospel for the edification of the Church â— More particularly from that which is holden forth in the type being compared with the former seal we may Observe That a flourishing Gospel in the World or in a Land is not long without a persecuting sword on the back of it Or ordinarily there is a certain connexion betwixt a conquering Gospel and sad trials upon the Professors thereof Luk. 12.49 50 51. I came to send fire on the earth and what will I if it be already kindled c. Scripture and experience do abundantly confirm this We may only ask How it cometh that persecution followeth so at the heels of the Gospel and what sort of connexion this may be Answ. We will find a threefold connexion between these The first is meritorious procured by the Churches walking unworthy of the Gospel for many despise and reject it others walk unworthy of it the most part sit down under a formall and lukewarm profession and so by not welcoming kindly the white horse they do procure this red horse to be sent out upon them for punishing their hypocrisie This is given for a cause of these first persecutions by some of the blessed Martyrs particularly by Cyprian who laying out the causes of the persecution doth name worldlinesse emulations divisions c. as sins amongst Christians justly provoking God so to exercise them accounting that a chastisement as from God which was persecution as from men See Cyprian in his fourth Epist. of his fourth Book wich is the 8. Epist. pag. 15. Edit Pamelii and frequently See Euseb. lib. 8. cap. 1. The second connexion is finall in respect of Gods purpose who by these persecutions intendeth the bringing about of good ends as to make His truth more manifest to discover the rottennesse of some professors to evidence the honesty of others Many will rejoyce for a time under the profession of the Gospel who when persecution cometh like the seed sown in stony ground Mat. 13. by and by will stumble therefore the Lord in His wisdom letteth a sword pierce through many of His most precious Servants that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed which reason is given Luk. 2.34 35. The third
of the East 1. because in respect of the part of the world we live in who before them injoy the Gospel they are East to us and so they are distinguished from the native Western Kingdoms and Kings made also now to hate the whore 2. Because many of them living there it is like since the first captivity and last dispersion when they may be made to joyn against Antichrist in the West which maketh him so afraid their expedition will look as coming from the East and so the Turks will be in their way as Euphrates was in Cyrus way impeding the intaking of Babylon till it was dried so this of mysticall Babylon 3. Because possibly if not probably after the Turks destruction God may give them great possessions and Dominions in the East and make them much instrumentall for spreading of the Gospel to other Kings in these parts besides ordinarily any rise of light to the Church and of Christs coming is spoken as from the East so Chap. 7.2 and Mat. 24. it is like lightning as it were a new day or morning breaking up in the Church 2. For the next thing what this way of the Iews is It seemeth to be one or all of these three 1. It is to the Church 2. to help down the Pope 3. to their own possession The Turks standing marreth all and his removing will further all these To clear it That their way may be prepared taketh in this generall the removing of any thing which may hinder them in their way towards the Church or in the former expeditions For 1. not only are they to be looked on here as coming to the true Church now separated from Antichrist but 2. as concurring to have a main hand in his overthrow Hence he is so afraid at their conversion for it seemeth that now all true converts are to be imployed in ruining him and he hath an Hebrew name Abaddon to shew their abhorrency of him as others do and the place of his ruine and the praise for the same is in Hebrew Chap. 19. pointing at a speciall hand which they are to have in his last overthrow And in reference to these two ends of the Iews conversion to wit of joyning to the Church and of going against Antichrist there is to them a twofold lett in their way to forbear now their going to their own land there is a great stumbling from the superstitious worship of Papists who are called Christians and a stumbling at the long prevailing of the enemy of Christians the Turk wondering that if Christ be God how He suffereth such blasphemy and blasphemers The first in a great part is removed by Gods judgement on the Pope and Rome in the fifth vial The second is to be removed now by this that no stumbling or lett remain for though they would do something and possibly now having the Pope discovered to them their zeal is more hot against him than others because by his means they have been much hardened yet the Turk becoming their enemy and being engaged to that whores support they are impeded while the Turkish Empire standeth This vial removeth that impediment his power is weakened whether by themselves or by others or by drawing of many to Christianity from him we are not to determine but accesse is given to them both to pull Antichrist down and probably to win to their own possession by his ruine And this leadeth to the third thing proposed to wit how the ruine of the Turks or their weakning may be called the preparing of their way Which is clear 1. whether we look to the Iews conversion it strengthens them that Christ is God and giveth them hopes of coming home on which they lay great weight Or 2. whether we look to their undertaking against Antichrist Or 3. their return to their own land all which three as we said seem to be pointed at here The standing of the Turk obstructeth all these three and the overturning of him will strengthen all and give them liberty without fear in the professing of Christ. For further clearing of this That these two events to wit the Iews conversion and the Turks downfall are prophesied of here we shall confirm both severally from these reasons That the Iews conversion must be understood here appeareth for 1. It is certain their conversion in the last dayes is spoken of and to be expected and it can suit with no time better than of this sixth vial which is after the Popes overthrow in respect of his seat at Rome and before the seventh vial which bringeth the end Neither is it like that so great and concerning a businesse of the Church would be omitted in this prophesie and it can be brought in no where so clearly that of the Iews mentioned Chap. 7. being nothing to this purpose as was said there 2. The Prophets seem to foretell their restoring in these same terms See Isa. 11.15 and 16. which Chapter speaketh of the dayes of the Gospel and the Iews restoring suiting with that time as cannot be denied The expressions in sum are that as God when He brought them out of Egypt dried up the sea and Iordan so when He bringeth them from Assyria which was beyond this Euphrates from Iudea He shall smite that river and the removing of all impediments is set out under that expression Neither is it for nought that drying of waters is a peculiar mercy shown to Israel in their first deliverances and that allusion is made to that in their following restitution to be a confirmation to their faith therein as Isa. 44.27 Thus saith the Lord that drieth up the rivers and saith to the deep be drie c. when yet no particular river was to be dried up but thereby to mind them of what He had done 3. If we look further to the explication of this Chap. 19. there is much joy in the Church praising God that He reigneth and that in an eminent way that His Wife hath made her self ready and the marriage is come c. And can these agree so well to any event as to the conversion of the Iews which Rom. 11. shall be as a resurrection from the dead Or can the joy be so great or the Marriage be made ready without them especially considering if now they be not amongst Christs friends when in the words following He is on His march against all His enemies and could the Church of the Gentiles be merry if the Iews were amongst these enemies But from Chap. 19. it is clear that there is here a notable and singular accession to the Church and what one can have these effects so as this 4. It is not unworthy the observing that here so many Hebrew expressions and phrases are used and not so any where else which seemeth to plead a speciall interest that the Hebrews have in the event of this vial 1. The place is named in the Hebrew Tongue Armageddon Why Hebrews are there to put on that name
Luke wrote the Acts yet is it not for nought that the Lord hath left it unrecorded that we might thereby know it was not necessary to be believed and therefore any conclusion which supposeth it to be necessary to be believed is not necessary except we rub on the wisdom of God who recordeth lesser things than this And therefore a thing may be truth and yet not being writen is not necessarily to be believed but with a humane faith as other histories at the most whereas no article of faith is thus grounded because the object of our Faith or the ratio why we believe such a thing is not simply because such a thing is truth for many facts are truth which we are not obliged to believe but because God hath revealed such a thing and testifieth it to be Truth Faith resting on that testimony and giving credit to Him that testifieth The other Conclusion to wit That the Church of Rome for these many years past and presently is the whore intended here the same argument will make it out If the Rome that is present be the Rome unto which all the properties here mentioned do agree and at this time Then this Rome is that whorish Church But unto the Rome that now is and hath been these many generations past agree both the properties and time in which it is to be fulfilled Ergo. The properties given to this whorish Church are four That she hath her Court at Rome and sitteth on the seven-hilled City yet also exercising dominion over many other Nations vers 15. but differently so as Rome is here peculiar in another other manner the fountain and splendour of that Kingdom 2. That it is Rome turned a whore and fallen from the simplicity she had and to such an apostasie of which Rome is the head and chief seat 3. That it is Rome claiming a superiority over all those of her association or apostasie and deriving her errors to them and they keeping a dependance on her she is and it is when she is Mother and Metropolis of all vers 5. 4. It is Rome then when the Emperour hath ceased to command it and another Government or Governour hath succeeded him there 5. It is when ten Kings are withdrawn from the Empire and have given their subjection to Rome on a spiritual account She that is Rome in that case is the Whore But all these properties agree to Rome not as heathenish but as popish and to the Pope as head thereof And therefore this is neither to be applyed to Rome heathenish nor to an Antichrist to come but to that which is And it is not unobservable in Gods providence that considering the speciall sibnesse that is holden forth here both betwixt this city Rome the Woman Whore and Beast that yet the Popish Church should glory in that title of the Roman Church and many of them dispute that it is impossible to separate their Pope from that very City or that elsewhere he might choose to sit and continue Pope and those who in this grant most do affirm that he must and would still be Roman Bishop and that the Church would still be the Church of Rome although that city were possessed by Turks By this all may the more easily discern what Church or defection they are who have such relation to and dependance on Rome at this time when this prophesie is fulfilled ut supra Before we leave this Chapter it may possibly not be unmeet that coronidis vice we consider how the Popish Writers do interpret and apply it wherein they are wonderfully straitned and perplexed It was their common opinion to understand by this City or whore the city or multitude of the wicked generally This is followed by Thomas Aquinas Hugo Card. Lyranus Haymo and many others but the latter Writers since Reformation brake forth have been constrained to cast that opinion because this City is so particularly circumstantiated as to point at an individuall City to speak so and she is contradistinguished from many Nations and Kings who yet are certainly a great part of the wicked in the world and also Chap. 18. when she is destroyed there are many wicked living and lamenting her destruction and standing at a distance from her Upon these and the like grounds the most learned of them are generally since that time brought to expound it of Rome and as Viegas saith impellimur aliam interpretationem excogitare and Ribera saith Interpretes coguntur c. Alcasar in locum all whom with others we cited before at the beginning of the Chapter interpreteth it so and citeth twentie Authors of their most eminent men for it Also Corn. à Lapide who addeth many to these cited by Alcasar amongst whom are Suarez in 3. part tom 2. disp 5. Sixtus Senensis lib. 2. pag. 88. Pererius Salmeron and others All which take Babylon in all this prophesie to hold out Rome and in this they and we agree as to the generall 2. There is again difference amongst themselves how to conceive Rome here so as to save their Pope and the present Rome from this application Hence some which is most received apply it to heathen Rome Others as Ribera Blasius Viegas and Cornelius à Lapide apply it to Rome under Antichrist who therefore say that at or before his coming Rome shall turn heathen and desert the Pope and be destroyed by Antichrist or by the Kings before his coming Their reasons are because it looketh to such a state of Rome as then was to be fulfilled in Iohn's time and therefore cannot be understood of heathenish Rome but because this opinion supposeth Rome to be involved in defection which cannot stand with her infallibility and would shake all seing some plead so much for Romes eternity and make all suspicious for if Rome fall then may it not be fallen already Therfore others cast it as Alcasar and those named by him applying it to what heathenish Rome suffered at or before Constantines time or after by the Goths And Bellarmine seemeth to favour this lib. 2. cap. 2. de Pont. Rom. Those who take it thus expound the seven hills literally but in other things the differ 1. Some take the beast for the devil but others considering that the devil and the beast are differenced and that this beast is cast into the lake long before the devil and that the scope is to point out some eminent opposer of the Church for some particular time therefore they do in generall apply it to Antichrist as also that first beast Chap. 13. and some make the last a false prophet that maketh way for him so do they of that beast Chap. 11.7 and expresly say he is one of the seven heads here mentioned and also called the eight because his nature differeth from them and his hurt to the Church exceedeth them 2. Concerning the seven heads they differ some applying it to the seven tyrannous Kingdoms or Empires Egypt Assyria Babylon c.
or to the seven Ages of the world Others do cast that as Bellar. c. and do understand by the seven Kings all the Emperours indefinitly The reasons that do cast the first opinion are 1. These Kings here are such as command Rome they being Governours of that City therefore the seven hills and the seven Kings are set out by one and the same type and it is brought in as a character to difference and discern this City mentioned here from others and the applying of it to the seven Monarchies agreeth to none of these nor to the Angel's scope which is to point out something to come and to help to discern this City by its heads when he expoundeth them to be Kings as well as when he expoundeth them to be Hills there is but the same scope If they say they are heads of the beast not of the woman Ans. It is true but the beast being the Empire that supporteth Rome they must be heads of that Empire and seing they are all heads of the same beast and it being certain that the 6. and 7. are of Rome the rest must be so also Beside how can either tyrannous Kingdoms or such ages of the world be called heads to the beast If the devil be the beast he rather headeth them if Antichrist be the beast he was not then in being to be headed by them if the multitude of the wicked be the beast which yet their former reasons will cast how will these ages or Kingdoms of the world differ from them This conceit then is justly casten Beside the heathen Emperours being to them the sixth head and Antichrist to come but three or four years before the end of the world to be the seventh there would be a too great intervall here and the beast would be without a head so long which agreeth not 1. with the scope here which is to shew the succession of one to another nor 2. with the proportion of time that is among the first six heads nor 3. with reason as if the Church were to want oppressors for so many hundred years Beside this application being so generall cannot agree with the particularnesse that is in the rest of the interpretation especially to the other of the same type to wit of seven hills and there can no reason be given for making the number of the ages of the world or tyrannous Kingdoms seven more than five eight nine or eleven c. except as men shall be pleased to name them and can such an uncertain rule be the ground of such an application Therefore they must be Kings that relate to that body for it is of that and not of all the wicked that ever were that the Angel is speaking The other interpretation that thinketh to evite these considerations by understanding all the Caesars and Emperours of Rome indefinitly or all the persecuting Emperours as Alcasar doth will not be consistent either for 1. these Kings are such as five had preceeded and one was but to come but that cannot be said of the Emperours either way considered 2. They are Kings the first five whereof had fallen which must be understood not of personall death but of a politick change of Government 3. They are such Kings as in that ones time that was to come Rome was to be the whore and to be otherwise supported than by that King which then was or by those that had gone before him But that cannot be said of heathen Emperours or any of the Caesars or persecuters It is therefore some power of greater sibnesse to Rome after its defection And so it must remain as we interpreted that by them are understood diverse changes of Government whereof the last should be Antichrist the same with the beast considered as he was to come And from both these constrained interpretations we may gather this concession That Antichrist needeth be no individual person without a succession for according to the first these first six persecuting Kingdoms were not in one person therefore neither ought the seventh which they apply to Antichrist be restricted to one If according to the second by the one head or King that was to come after Iohns time be understood all the following Emperours Then by one beast or King may there not be as well understood a succession of Popes Concerning the destruction of Rome they that consider Rome here as under Antichrist do agree 1. That it is yet to come and that this part of the prophesie is to be fulfilled Alcasar and others who affirm it to be fulfilled say otherwayes but the nature of the destruction and overthrow threatened to Rome here will not admit of that application 2. That it shall be a great destruction But here they differ whether the Pope shall be necessitated to flee from it or not but the exposition of the sixth vial and of the 19. Chap. will clear us Beside when Chap. 18. Rome after this becometh only a cage for unclean birds they may consider if they will place him amongst these That which occasioneth this debate is that they think the supremacy so linked to Rome that they cannot be separated but by an immediate warrant from Heaven and yet Gods People are called to come out of her Chap. 18.4 If then the Pope be not capable to give obedience he is not to be understood among that number It is true Domin à Soto and Anton. Card. Gasper Câ—sal Valdensis and Alphon. Mendoza whom Cornelius à Lapide citeth as of one judgment and any other who hold the supremacy to be due to Rome but jure humano they are not prest with this consequent yet the generality of them who maintain these to be inseparable jure divino or such as Corn. a Lap. who say What-ever may be disputed de jure of the Popes removal yet they are sure de facto it shall never be these will find more difficulty in this case 3. They expound these Kings to be the Kings that shall be in the world at Antichrist's coming and that these shall be instrumentall in Romes destruction as also that this destruction shall be causally procured to Rome for the old bloudshed of the former Emperours which is then to be repaid with her late guilt of forsaking the Pope But in these they differ 1. that some say the Kings shall destroy it before Antichrist come because there are ten Kings at the destruction of it others say by Antichrist after these Kings have submitted to him The occasion of this difference is the confounding of this Chap. with that of Dan. 7. where it is said that the little horâ— applyed by them to Antichrist shall subdue three Kings and therefore there will be but seven that yeeld to him but of this is somewhat said before that these Prophesies are distinct and this cleareth it the Kings here willingly give their power to the beast and continue to reigne with him contemporally there the standing and rising of one