the Congregation because the Cloud abode thereupon and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle And the Priests at the Dedication of Solomon's Temple are said To be unable to enter into the House of the Lord because the glory of the Lord had silled the Lords house 2 Chron. 7.2 So that we ought not to hunt after Mysteries when the Scripture giveth us no intimation of them Chap. 16. Vers 1. And I heard a great Voice out of the Temple saying to the seven Angels Go your ways and pour out the Vials of the Wrath of God upon the Earth The Exposition THe heavenly Priests aforesaid being now furnished by means of the Saints on Earth with the Vials of Gods wrath are commanded by a loud voice out of the Temple in Heaven to pour them out upon the Earth Not that the greatest part of them are not to be poured out upon other parts of the World but by a Figure of Deficiency that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Greeks are wont to phrase it the Earth onely is named both because the first is expresly said to be poured out upon the Earth it self and also all the rest of the Vials though poured out upon other places yet have relation to the Earth and the Inhabitants thereof Vers 2. And the first went and poured out his Vial upon the Earth and there fell a noisom and grievous sore upon the Men which had the Mark of the Beast and upon them which worshipped his Image The first Vial as we said before is poured out upon the Earth and the effect thereof is a sore and evil Boil arising on them that had the Mark of the Beast and worshipped his Image In the explaining of which Vial as well as of the rest I see no need of betaking our selves to an Allegory For if Moses and Aaron by sprinkling Ashes of the Furnace towards Heaven caused it to become a Boil breaking out with Blains upon the Egyptians Exod. 9.8 9 10. Why may we not as well conceive that the pouring out of a Vial on the Earth by an Angel may produce the same effect upon the Worshippers of the Beast And how then is this plain Interpretation not to be embraced when we finde in the Scripture that the same Plague did formerly happen to such as had been great Oppressours of Gods people Vers 3. And the second Angel poured out his Vial upon the Sea and it became as the Blood of a dead man and every living soul died in the Sea The wickedness of the Beast and his Worshippers is exceeding great No marvel therefore if their Plagues be not onely the same with those that happened to the wicked of former times but also exceeding them as being purposely suited by God to their impiety Of which sort is this Plague of the second Vial the pouring out of which into the Sea turneth not the third part thereof onely as Chap. 8.8 but all its Waters into Blood so that every living Soul therein perisheth By this means they are debarred of fishing in the Sea which must needs draw with it the ruine of many thousands that depend thereon for their livelihood The same may also be said of their traffiquing by Sea For the Waters thereof becoming Blood like that of a dead man they are not onely unserviceable to those many uses wherein Mariners are wont to imploy them but also by reason of their stench and thickness are altogether unfit to be sailed in this Plague therefore is very great Vers 4. And the third Angel poured out his Vial upon the Rivers and Fountains of Waters and they became Blood 5. And I heard the Angel of the Waters say Thou art righteous O Lord which wast art and shalt be because thou hast judged thus 6. For they have shed the Blood of Saints and Prophets and thou hast given them Blood to drink for they are worthy 7. And I heard another out of the Altar say Even so Lord God Almighty true and righteous are thy Judgements The turning of the Sea into Blood though it be a great Plague is yet insufficient to punish so outragious sinners as the Worshippers of the Beast wherefore the vengeance of God cometh yet closer to them by the pouring out of this third Vial into the Rivers and Fountains of Waters whereby they also become Blood So that now these Wretches can hardly with digging about the Rivers and Fountains get Water for their necessary uses For neither is it suitable to conceive that they were supplied any other way than the Egyptians their Predecessours in cruelty had been in the like calamity See Exod. 7.24 And that they had some such supply is evident by their surviving to undergo the other following Plagues which could not have come to pass had they been deprived of all means to get Water And this Plague is so agreeable to their sin as it had been in former times to that of the Egyptians that the Angel of the Waters who had power to turn them into Blood doth extoll the signal Justice of God herein pronouncing them worthy to have Blood given them to drink who had not spared to shed the Blood of Saints and Prophets And not onely he but also that other Angel which attendeth at the Altar in Heaven For he having formerly desired the Sickle-bearing Angel to make a clean riddance of the wicked whose sin was now ripe Chap. 14.18 must needs rejoyce at the equity of Gods dealing in the pouring out of this Vial which could not but cause many of them to perish But it is not to be passed over without animadversion that when the Worshippers of the Beast are here said to have Blood given them to drink because they had shed the Blood of Saints and Prophets this argueth that the pouring out of this Vial and consequently of the rest there being the same reason of them all happeneth within the compass of the three years and an half that the Tyranny of the Beast lasteth yea towards the latter end of that space in as much as these Plagues have relation to the cruelty that had been before exercised towards the Saints and Prophets and therefore it is likely that the pouring out of these seven Vials taketh not up more time than the smiting of Egypt with the ten Plagues did which were all accomplished within the space of one Year For Moses was eighty years old when he began to speak unto Pharaoh Exod. 7.7 and but an hundred and twenty when he died Deut. 34.7 the last forty years of which term he had spent in leading the Israelites in the Wilderness Deut. 29.5 so that there remaineth but the eightieth year of his Life wherein to inflict those ten Plagues upon Egypt Vers 8. And the fourth Angel poured out his Vial upon the Sun and Power was given unto him to scorch Men with Fire 9. And Men were scorched with great Heat and blasphemed the Name of God which hath Power over these Plagues and
habitation And Chap. 37.32 For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant and they that escape out of Mount Sion And Chap. 52.1 Awake awake put on thy strength O Sion put on thy beautiful garments O Jerusalem Howbeit this standing of Christ upon Mount Sion with so great a company attending him doth not argue that he shall ever reign there by his personal presence no more than his standing by Paul in Jerusalem Acts 23.11 doth evince that he did then reign there after such a manner but onely intimate that those Saints shall perfectly follow the direction of Christ no otherwise than if he were personally present with them in Jerusalem as the fourth Verse of this Chapter explaineth it saying These are they that follow the Lamb whither soever he goeth Finally by the hundred forty four thousand upon whose forehead the name of the Lambs Father was imprinted are meant those Servants of God that were sealed out of all the Tribes of Israel Chap. 7.4 For both their number and their abode and the place of their body wherein they are sealed or marked exactly agree Whence by the way it appeareth that the Sealing mentioned in the said seventh Chapter shall happen in the Age wherein the Beast shall arise and consequently the general conversion of the Jews shall precede his coming otherwise those sealed ones would not thus be inserted into the History of the Beast Vers 2. And I heard a voice from Heaven as the voice of many Waters and as the voice of a great thunder and I heard the voice of Harpers harping with their Harps Vers 3. And they sung as it were a new Song before the Throne and before the four Beasts and the Elders and no Man could learn that Song but the hundred and forty and four thousand which were redeemed from the Earth Vers 4. These are they which were not defiled with Women for they are Virgins these are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth these were redeemed from among Men being the first-fruits unto God and to the Lamb. Vers 5. And in their Mouth was found no Guile for they are without Fault before the Throne of God Whether the voice out of Heaven resembling the noise of many Waters and the noise of great Thunder did utter any words and what those words are is not expressed or hinted so that we must of necessity remain ignorant thereof neither is it said who those Harpers are onely it is likely they are the Saints in Heaven who are thus brought in speaking aloud from thence Chap. 12.10 As little is it told us what the new Song is which they play upon their Harps yea we are on the contrary assured that none but those hundred forty four thousand can learn it and therefore the knowledge thereof belongeth not to us or any others but is reserved for them onely which argueth that there is something extraordinary in those godly persons of the Jewish Nation above those of any other Nation whatsoever For though it be common to them with other Saints to be redeemed or rather bought as the Greek word signifieth See Chap. 5.8 9. from among men namely with the Blood of the Lamb and so to be a first-fruits unto God and the Lamb as being theirs in a special manner no otherwise than the first-fruits were the Lord 's under the Law See Num. 18.12 13. yet is it peculiar to them above the multitude of Believers in any other Nation First to be the Servants of God that is Prophets for so this Appellation is expounded Chap. 11.18 And to give a Reward to thy Servants the Prophets And therefore no marvel if these persons being endued with the Spirit of Prophecy know the new Song that is sung in Heaven whilest other godly persons in the mean time are ignorant of the same Secondly to be Virgins and therefore such as have not been defiled with Women For it evidently follows that if they be Virgins and so never had to do with Women they could not possibly be defiled with them Thirdly to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth which implyeth that they strayed not from the way wherein Christ Jesus did lead them but yielded up themselves to his guidance in all things Fourthly to have no Guile in their Mouth and therefore to be without Fault before the Throne of God which last words before the Throne of God are emphatical for it is all one as if it had been said before the Judgement-Seat of God because as David testifieth Psalm 9.7 the Lord hath prepared his Throne for Judgement Behold then the Dignity of the Jerwish Nation to which the Lord will advance them in the time of the Beast above any other Nation under the whole Heaven namely that there shall be of the People of the Jews at the same time an hundred forty four thousand Prophets all of them Virgins perfectly following the guidance of Christ and having no guile or blame before God Wherefore I may truly say with Moses when he reflected on the peculiar favour that God had vouchsafed to Israel in another kinde Ask now of the days that are past which were before thee since the day that God created Man upon the Earth and ask from one side of the Heaven to the other whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is or hath been heard like it Deut. 4.32 Vers 6. And I saw another Angel fly in the midst of Heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the Earth and to every Nation and Kindred and Tongue and People Vers 7. Saying with a loud voice Fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his judgement is come and worship him that made Heaven and Earth and the Sea and the Fountains of Waters The first part of the Angels Message for so the Greek word ought no be rendred See 2 Sam. 18.20 in Greek neither is the Article prefixt as it is wont to be when the Gospel is meant is to excite men to fear God and give glory to his Name because the time of his Judgement is come namely when he will judge both the Beast and his Worshippers partly by the Vials of Gods wrath to be poured out upon them whereof see Chap. 16. partly by the utter Defeat of them at the great Battel of Armageddon Chap. 19. For indeed the Judgements of God are so terrible that even the Prophets when they only denounced them were wont to be seized with a great horrour Thus Esay after a grievous Vision had been declared to him Chap. 21.2 presently cryeth out in the following Verse Therefore are my loins filled with pain pangs have taken hold upon me as the pangs of a woman that travaileth I was bowed down at the hearing of it I was dismayed at the hearing of it How much more then ought they to breed a fear of God in the hearts of such as see them put in execution But as the terrour of Gods
rideth upon a swift cloud and shall come into Egypt and the Idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it Moreover the cloud that Christ sitteth upon is said to be white to set forth the glorious honour of his Majesty like as God intending to make that vision Matth. 17.5 to be the more Illustrious causeth a bright cloud to over-shadow the three Apostles that were with Christ at his transfiguration As for the golden crown upon Christs head it sheweth the Kingly power wherof he is possessed as the sharp sickle doth the severity of his anger against the wicked whom he is ready armed to cut off Vers 15. And another Angel came out of the Temple crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the Cloud Thrust in thy Sickle and reap for the time is come for thee to reap for the Harvest of the Earth is ripe Vers 16. And he that sat on the Cloud thrust in his Sickle on the Earth and the Earth was reaped An Angel longing to see the vengeance of Christ fall upon the Inhabitants of the Earth that had so openly and outragiously dishonoured God cometh out of the Temple in Heaven for there is the place of that Temple from whence the Angels are wont to issue forth as is apparent from the 17. Verse and cryeth to him aloud desiring him to destroy the wicked whose iniquity was now full with the sharp Sickle of his Wrath which is accordingly performed Vers 17. And another Angel came out of the Temple which is in Heaven he also having a sharp Sickle Vers 18. And another Angel came out from the Altar which had Power over the Fire and cried with a loud Cry to him that had the sharp Sickle saying Thrust in thy sharp Sickle and gather the Clusters of the Vine of the Earth for her Grapes are fully ripe For as much as Christ in executing this great Judgement is not onely himself an Agent but useth also the Ministry of Angels both which things are plainly set forth Chap. 16. 19. where this business is again repeated a Sickle bearing Angel is likewise introduced to whom another Angel cryeth aloud that he should put his Sickle in ure and gather the Vine of the Earth Neither is it without a Mystery that this Angel which cryeth is said to issue forth from the Altar and to have power over the fire thereof For this implyeth that he as being wont to attend at the Altar did perceive that the Prayers of the Saints with which he burned Incense before God were now heard and that God was accordingly resolved to avenge his People of their Enemies wherefore it is evident from this Passage that there is in Heaven a Temple and therein an Altar which Chap. 8.3 is said to be of Gold and to stand before the Throne of God and to have as here an Angel for Priest to burn Incense thereon that the smoke thereof may ascend up together with the Prayers of the Saints Neither can it with reason be affirmed that this Angel is Christ not onely because it is very hard if not altogether impossible to allege any passage of the Scripture where the appellation of an Angel is undoubtedly given unto Christ but also for that this Angel is here plainly differenced from Christ for Christ is said to sit upon a white Cloud having a sharp Sickle in his hand whereas this Angel is said to come out from the Altar which is in Heaven Again this Angel is said to be another Angel and therefore if the two precedent Angels which are also both of them distinguished from Christ be of necessity meer Angels so must this Angel also Which Reason is of force likewise in the 8. Chapter where this Angel is called another Angel in relation to the seven Angels that stand before God and so are meer Angels or ministring Spirits and consequently he being of their Rank is not Christ but a ministring Spirit also Vers 19. And the Angel thrust in his Sickle into the Earth and gathered the Vine of the Earth and cast it into the great Wine-press of the Wrath of God Vers 20. And the Wine-press was trodden without the City and Blood came out of the Winepress even unto the Horse bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred Furlongs These two Verses shew the accomplishment of what the Angel who came out from the Altar in Heaven did desire For the Vine of the Earth is gathered and the Clusters cast into the great Wine-press of Gods wrath and trodden without the City Which figurative Description doth intimate the quashing and utter ruine of the Inhabitants of the Earth that joyn their Forces with the Beast that they may cut off all the Saints at once The fulfilling whereof is set down at large Chap. 19. Now this Wine-press is said to be trodden without the City because this terrible execution shall be made without Megiddo a City belonging to the Tribe of Manasseh Josh 17.11 For thither shall the Kings of the Earth draw their Armies together to make war with Christ and his Saints as is related Chap. 16.16 Of which City I will discourse more largely in my Exposition of that Chapter Now the greatness of the slaughter that Christ shall then make slaying his Enemies with the Sword of his Mouth and so shedding their Blood is notably declared both by the depth of that bloody Stream that issueth out of the Wine-press of Gods wrath which is said to reach up to the Bridles of the Horses and so to be above a Yard from the Ground and also by the length thereof running out for the space of one thousand six hundred Furlongs which is by computation at eight Furlongs to the Mile two hundred Miles Neither will this seem so strange if we consider that all the Kings of the whole World together with their Armies shall then assemble themselves towards the City of Megiddo and there be slain Chap. 15 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 The Exposition THis Chapter containeth in it self a Preparative to the pouring out of the Vials of Gods wrath upon the Beast and his Worshippers For John here seeth a great and wonderful Sign of seven Angels having seven Plagues which are therefore called the last Plagues because the Anger of God is accomplished by them so that after them succeedeth the chaining up of Satan and the uninterrupted prosperity of a thousand years through all the World as appeareth from the 20. Chapter Now the reason why the Angels are here sent to plague the Beast and his Worshippers is because all humane means did fail For the Saints who had adventured to oppose him with Arms though they fought in a just Cause were yet subdued and crushed by him as we saw Chap. 13.7 So that now was
they repented not to give him glory The sin of them that worship the Beast and receive his Mark as it is greater than that of evil Men in former times so is it also of a new kince and unheard of in the World before And therefore God provideth here for it a new Plague the like whereof is not to be found in all the Scripture For the fourth Vial being poured out upon the Sun causeth it to scorch Men with fire and that in a very grievous manner But it any one here object that should the Sun the common Luminary of the World but destitute of life and understanding have such a Power given to it the Saints also would not be untouched I answer that the words of the Text imply the contrary saying that such as were scorched by the Sun blasphemed the Name of God and repented not to give him glory whereby it appeareth that none but impenitent sinners do feel this Plague the Sun by the marvellous direction of God sending down fire upon them but casting out a chearing light upon the righteous Thus we read Exod. 14.20 that the cloudy Pillar did at the same time cause darkness to the Egyptians and light to the Israelites We read also Dan. 3.22 27. that the fiery Furnace which killed the Caldeans that did but approach thereunto did not so much as singe an Hair of the three pious Jews that were thrown into the midst thereof And let this consideration be taken along with us in reading the story of all these Plagues that they are so ordered as that no hurt redoundeth to the righteous from them God making a way for their escape As we see it did happen to the Israelites who though dwelling in Egypt were yet untouched with any of the ten Plagues thereof For albeit their immunity be not mentioned till the fourth Plague which was that of Flyes concerning which God saith I will sever in that day the Land of Goshen in which my People dwell that no Swarms of Flies shall be there to the end thou maist know that I am the Lord in the midst of the Earth Exod. 8.22 yet reason sheweth that the same is to be understood in all the foregoing Plagues for as much as they were sent of purpose to punish the Egyptians for their cruelty towards Gods people In like manner though it be not here expresly said that the Sun did not scorch the Saints but onely the wicked yet must it in reason be supposed to have so fallen out and the aforesaid intimation out of the Text sheweth as much Vers 10. And the fifth Angel poured out his Vial upon the Seat of the Beast and his kingdom was full of darkness and they gnawed their Tongues for pain 11. And blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their pains and their sores and repented not of their deeds As some other of the Plagues that God inflicted upon the Beast and his Worshippers are the same with those that he formerly inflicted upon Pharaoh and his People so also is this For the fifth Angel pouring out his Vial upon the Throne of the Beast which is without question as suitable a means to procure darkness as the stretching out of Moses hand towards Heaven his Kingdom that extendeth it self over the face of the whole Earth is thereupon darkned The extremity of which Plague is such that it causeth Men to gnaw their Tongues for pain For consider how grievous a thing it is to be bound for several days together in chains of thick and palpable darkness for it would be unreasonable to think that this darkness of the Beasts Kingdom should be inferiour either in duration or grosness to that of Egypt so as neither to see one another nor to arise out of their places Howbeit we are not to imagine that the Saints of this time as well as the Israelites heretofore during this dismal Fog that bespreads the face of all the Earth have not light in their dwellings seeing this Plague together with the rest is ordained of God for the punishment of their Adversaries and so ought not to involve both alike And this is sufficiently hinted according to the observation on the pouring out of the fourth Vial by the blasphemies that these Prisoners of darkness are said to vent against God the Authour of this and the other Plagues whereas to blaspheme God is so enormous a crime that it is impossible it should be incident to the Saints Wherefore I may truly bespeak the People of God that shall be in the Reign of the Beast with the words of Isaiah Chap. 60.2 of his Prophecy Behold the Darkness shall cover the Earth and gross Darkness the People but the Lord shall arise upon thee and his glory shall be seen upon thee Vers 12. And the sixth Angel poured out his Vial upon the great River Euphrates and the Water thereof was dried up that the way of the Kings of the East might be prepared Vers 13. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet Vers 14. For they are the spirits of devils working miracles which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battel of that great day of God Almighty Vers 15. Behold I come as a thief Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments lest he walk naked and they see his shame Vers 16. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Ar-mageddon By Euphrates must needs here be meant that River which runneth by Babylon properly so called and emptieth it self into the Persian Gulph For this River rising in Armenia and traversing all Mesopotamia and Caldea lyeth as a bar in their way that come out of the eastern Countreyes of Persia Tartaria India and China towards the land of Israel whither the kings here spoken of are to march with their Armies Neither is it a new thing that a river should be dryed up to give way to Princes and their hosts For we read in the scripture that Jordane was turned back to the end Joshua and the Israelites might in a terrible manner go over without interruption into the land aforesaid Jos 3.17 But as the River Euphrates is miraculously dryed up by the Angel for the speedier passage of the eastern Kings so cometh not it to pass without a miracle that they are drawn to undertake so desperate a design as to fight against Christ and his Saints for three unclean spirits do by working miracles incite not onely the foresaid Eastern Kings but also all the Kings of the world to the performance of this exploit And for as much as these are seen to proceed out of the mouth of the Dragon and of the Beast and of the false prophet this argueth that not onely the Dragon but also the Beast to whom the Dragon is said
the fourth universal Empire it was the City to which all Nations were subject and whither they were wont continually to resort Vers 16. And the ten Horns which thou sawest upon the Beast these shall hate the Whore and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn her with Fire 17. For God hath put in their Hearts to fulfill his Will and to agree and give their Kingdom unto the Beast until the Words of God shall be fulfilled Here the Angel declareth what the ten Kings aforesaid should do to Rome namely that they should sack and burn it with fire But for as much as that City is here described according to the manner of the Scripture as an Harlot it is therefore suitably said that they shall make her naked and eat her flesh both which are done by pillaging the place and slaying the Inhabitants thereof Thus God saith of Jerusalem under the name of Aholibah the Harlot Ezek. 23.29 They shall deal with thee hatefully and shall take away all thy labour and shall leave thee naked and bare And David saith of his enemies that they came upon him to eat up his flesh namely with the mouth of the Sword Psal 27.2 But the reason why so many Kings otherwise at variance amongst themselves should yet agree herein and give their Kingdom to the Beast which two things here concurring to the destruction of Rome do by the way clearly intimate that it is the Beast who setteth the Kings upon this Work is because God putteth the same into their hearts to the end he may accomplish his words that he to wit had spoken touching the fall of Rome Chap. 14.8 wherefore in as much as the Angels words are so perspicuous concerning this matter they must needs be exceedingly mistaken who expect that Rome shall be destroyed either by other persons than the ten Kings aforesaid or at another time than after the seven Vials of Gods wrath have been poured out upon the Earth during the space of three years and an half that the Tyranny of the Beast over the Saints shall continue But neither is the Beast yet risen nor the ten Kings his Confederates nor those prodigious things come to pass that are mentioned in the 13. Chapter nor so much as one of the Vials poured out as will easily appear to any man who being acquainted with the Histories of former Times and finding no such occurrences there recorded had rather adhere to the plainness of the Scripture it self than follow the obscure and uncertain imaginations of men Vers 18. And the Woman which thou sawest is that great City which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth This is the Close of the Interpretation which the Angel vouchsafeth unto John wherein he discovereth who the Woman is whom John saw in the Wilderness namely the great City that reigned over the Kings of the Earth which all that are skilled in the History of those Times wherein John wrote this Prophecy know to be Rome For she commanding over the whole World must needs reign over those Kings that governed in any part of the same A Proof confirming the Truth of this matter may be seen in Tacitus who in the second Book and twenty third Chapter of his History saith Accessere cum regno Sohemus haud spernendis viribus Antiochus vetustis opibus ingens inservientium regum ditissimus Mox per occultos suorum nuncios excitus ab urbe Agrippa ignaro adhuc Vitellio celeri navigatione properaverat That is Sohemus who was a King of considerable Forces and Antiochus who was mighty for his ancient wealth and of all the subject Kings the richest sided with that party namely to make Vespasian Emperour Agrippa also upon secret Messages of his Friends quitted the City unawares to Vitellius and speedily sailed thither Thus much for the Key here given by the Angel to unlock the Mystery of the Beast which if our men had rather chosen to use than vainly attempted to break up this divine Cabinet with their own forced Interpretations neither had they so much wrested this excellent Prophecy of John nor exposed the Religion of Protestants to the contempt and scorn of her Adversaries who in likelihood measure what Protestants speak in other Points of Religion by the Standard of their Expositions concerning the Beast I should now proceed to the Explication of the eighteenth Chapter But that being onely a Relation touching the manner how Rome shall be destroyed and containing in it self little or no difficulty I judge it better to pass it by and hasten to the nineteenth Chapter wherewith the History of the Beast endeth Chap. 19. Vers 1. And after these things I heard a great Voice of much People in Heaven saying Alleluja Salvation and Glory and Honour and Power unto the Lord our God Vers 2. For true and righteous are his Judgements for he hath judged the great Whore which did corrupt the Earth with her Fornication and hath avenged the Blood of his Servants at her hand Vers 3. And again they said Alleluja And her smoke rose up for ever and ever The Exposition NO sooner is Rome sackt and burnt by the ten Kings aforesaid but this Judgement is entertained with a great shout from Heaven where a vast multitude cry Alleluja ascribing Salvation and glory and honour and power unto the Lord their God Of what persons this Multitude consisteth whither of Angels or of Men though it be not here expressed yet may it by a diligent disquisition be found out For first of all they cannot be Angels because the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be rendred here in English a Multitude is never used in the Scripture to design a great company of Angels but is on the contrary peculiar to Men as may be seen Chap. 17.15 where Multitudes in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are ranked with Peoples and Nations But all will confess that Peoples and Nations consist of Men onely Secondly this Multitude doth attribute Salvation unto God which the Angels are not any where found to do For they being by the perfection of their nature exempted from death or any other tribulation whatsoever are thereby also incapable of sharing in the salvation of God and accordingly use no such form of praising him Whence it followeth that they be men Not holy men upon the earth for they are denoted by the four and twenty elders and the four living creatures mentioned afterwards in the fourth verse of this Chapter it remaineth therefore that the multitude aforesaid consists of holy men already raised from the dead and glorified in the Kingdom of heaven when Rome is destroyed and so differ from them who after that destruction shall be made partakers of the same anticipated resurrection as may be seen in the twentieth Chapter of this prophecy and consequently are that great multitude of Saints afore mentioned in the seventh Chapter verse 9. For that those Saints are such as being risen from
that when in the 7. Verse of the 19. Chapter mention had been made of the Lambs Wife it is in the following Verse subjoyned that it was to her granted that she should be arrayed in fine Linen clean and white For the fine Linen is the Righteousness of the Saints So that the Scripture it self thereby directeth us by the Lambs Wife in the said place to understand the Church howbeit not the Church abiding on the Earth of which the Adversaries speak but reigning with Christ in Heaven whereas when in the ninth Verse of this 21. Chapter the Angel promiseth to shew unto John the Lambs Wife he presently after presents to his view a great City descending out of Heaven from God Which doth sufficiently teach us that by the Lambs Wife here is not as formerly meant the Church but a very City wherein the Saints shall hereafter dwell For though the Wife of Christ doth by a more exact Metaphor signifie the Church yet doth not this hinder but that by a less exact one the City also to which the Church hath relation may be signified by the same yea nothing is more usual in the Scripture as I have before proved than to represent Cities under the notion of Women Thus we saw that the polluted and foul City of Rome was called an Harlot Chap. 17. why then may not that holy and undefiled City the new Jerusalem be styled the Lambs Wife By this means we come to the right understanding of that passage Gal. 4.26 The Jerusalem that is above is free which is the Mother of us all For in as much as the heavenly Jerusalem is not onely inseparably annexed to Christ but also at his disposal and so elegantly called his Wife she must needs be the Mother of all Christians who are both regenerated by the proposal thereof and designed to be the Inhabitants of the same In the next place he saith that the Angel carried him away in the spirit to a great and high Mountain from whence a fairer Prospect might be had and shewed him that great City the holy Jerusalem descending out of Heaven from God The beauty and excellency whereof he doth describe first in saying that it had the glory of God And lest any one should think that the glory of God which doth enlighten the new Jerusalem was like to the dazzling and offensive splendour of the Sun upon whom neither are Men able to look nor endure his heat John telleth us that the Luminary thereof so the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth is like unto a stone most precious even a Jasper-stone clear as Crystall which casteth a most chearing light on such as behold it 2. He saith that it hath a great and high Wall wherein are twelve Gates and at the Gates twelve Angels and names written thereon which are those of the twelve Tribes of the Children of Israel Three of which Gates look towards the East and three towards the North three towards the South and three towards the West All which is so plain that it needeth no Interpretation Onely let it be observed how God vouchsafeth to the Israelites especial honour above any other Nation under Heaven as having inscribed the names of the twelve Patriarchs from whom their several Tribes are denominated upon the Gates of the heavenly Jerusalem From whence it may be collected that God ordained those Patriarchs to Salvation from the beginning For it would be ridiculous to imagine that God would write the names of such men on the Gates of the heavenly Jerusalem as were not to have any portion therein And this affordeth another collection whereby that is confirmed which we formerly discoursed upon the 8. Verse of the 17. Chapter that all who are to inherit the heavenly Jerusalem were by name appointed thereunto from the Foundation of the World For what reason is conceivable why God should in this manner design the twelve Patriarchs and not likewise all the rest of the Citizens By such an account all would not be alike beholding to God for their Salvation which is absurd 3. He saith that the Wall of the City hath twelve Foundations whereon are written the names of the Lambs twelve Apostles Here therefore what I even now noted touching the Inscription of mens names upon the Gates of the heavenly Jerusalem doth not onely recurre but is also very much confirmed seeing the Scripture doth elsewhere plainly teach that the Apostles are to be saved For Christ saith unto them Luke 22.28 29. Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations and I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me So that the Doctrine touching the Ordination of a certain number of men by name to eternal life from the Foundation of the World seemeth by these two Instances to be clearly proved Vers 15. And he that talked with me had a golden Reed to measure the City and the Gates thereof and the Wall thereof 16. And the City lieth four-square and the length is as large as the breadth and he measured the City with the Reed twelve thousand Furlongs the length and the breadth and the height of it are equal The Description of the City still goeth on for to the end we might know the dimensions thereof the Angel that here talks with John having a golden Reed in his hand doth measure both the City it self and also the Gates together with the Wall thereof But for as much as the highness of the Gates is not afterwards set down we must needs remain ignorant thereof and ought to content our selves with the measure of the Wall wherein it is contained The City therefore lying four-square for that is the fittest Figure for rest as Roundness best agreeth with Motion is twelve thousand Furlongs broad twelve thousand long and twelve thousand high which after the proportion of eight Furlongs to a Mile maketh fifteen hundred Miles every way and therefore it might well above be called the great City And indeed the compass thereof ought to be very large in that it is to contain all the Faithful that ever were from the beginning of the World to the end thereof As for the Wall it is a hundred forty four Cubits after the Cubit of a Man in whose similitude the Angel here appeareth But the Cubit of an ordinary man from the elbow to the top of the middle finger is accounted half a yard and so the Wall is seventy two yards But in as much as it is not here expressed whether this measure pertaineth to the height or to the thickness thereof for as for the length it must needs be greater than that of the City it self which the Wall doth encompass it will be best to refer it unto both and so to reckon the Wall seventy two yards high and as many broad By which means that will be verified which was before spoken of it namely that it was great and high The matter whereof this Wall is made
same person with the Goat himself as the Angel there shews it doth Vers 21. namely Alexander the King of Greece and the first King thereof who subdued Darius the King of the Medes and Persians and so was the Goat that trampled on the Ram with two Horns there spoken of Vers 4. And they worshipped the Dragon which gave Power unto the Beast and they worshipped the Beast saying Who is like unto the Beast who is able to make war with him In this Verse is set forth the marvellous impiety of the whole World in the Reign of the Beast for they shall not stick to worship the Devil for investing the Beast with so vast Authority and also the Beast that is set up by him as judging no King in all the World like to him for greatness nor able to wage war with him Neither is this Worship of the Devil to be esteemed such a sin as that the Nature of Man cannot possibly be induced to commit it otherwise the Devil would not have sollicited our Saviour Christ thereunto telling him that if he would fall down and worship the Devil all the Kingdoms of the World together with the glory thereof should become his Luk. 4 6 7. For certainly the Devil is too subtil to propose such a thing to our Saviour the wisest and strongest Saint that ever was or shall be which is so enormous that no Man though never so gross and wicked is capable of being drawn thereunto I conclude therefore that this detestable wickedness of Worshipping the Devil will be put in practise according to the very Letter during the Reign of the Beast Vers 5. And there was given unto him a Mouth speaking great things and blasphemies and power was given unto him to continue forty and two Moneths These words imply that the Beast though otherwise of himself most impious yet could not utter so great things and blasphemies were he not animated by an extraordinary Power For as it is elsewhere said in the Scripture that none can do such or such an act of Piety unless it be given to him and consequently God doth in mercy enable him by the Power of his Holy Spirit as Christ saith that none could come unto him except it were given him of the Father Joh. 6.65 And Paul saith Phil. 1.29 To you it is given in the behalf of Christ not onely to believe in him but also to suffer for him So the outragious blaspheming of the Name of God here spoken of is so high a strain of impiety that were not the Beast incited and spirited thereunto by the working of Satan he could in no wise reach unto it The same is said of his making war namely with the Saints as you have it Vers 7. and Dan. 7 25. for the space of forty two Moneths For this being a more than ordinary act of Tyranny requireth the assistance of the Devil to stir up and strengthen the Beast to perform it As for the duration of this War with the Saints which the Beast is said to wage for the space of forty two Moneths seeing I have already proved that by the Beast is meant a King neither can any place be alledged out of the Scripture where by Moneths are meant Moneths of Years and not of Days onely I collect that the said War shall last but three Years and an half Vers 6. And he opened his mouth in Blasphemy against God to blaspheme his Name and his Tabernacle and them that dwelt in Heaven What the Beast had by the permission of God received a Power to do he here putteth in execution blaspheming the Name of God and his Tabernacle By which Tabernacle is meant the heavenly Jerusalem the place of Gods abode as appeareth from Chap 21.2 3. For there when that holy City descendeth out of Heaven upon the new Earth a voice is heard from Heaven saying Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he shall dwell with them Which implyeth that the heavenly Jerusalem is the Tabernacle of God wherein he will dwell with men And this City is therefore called a Tabernacle because contrary to the guize of other Cities it removeth from place to place as Tabernacles or Tents are wont to do Neither is the Blasphemy of the Beast terminated in God and his Tabernacle but extendeth it self to all those dwelling in Heaven namely Christ and the holy Angels which fully verifieth what Paul saith of this Beast under the name of the Man of Sin and Son of Perdition namely that he shall exalt himself above every one that is called God 2 Thess 2.4 For this Appellation of God is in the Scripture given both to the Father and to his Son Christ Jesus and also to the holy Angels See Ephes 1.17 The God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory John 20.28 Thomas answered and said unto him namely Jesus Christ My Lord and my God Zech. 12.8 The house of David shall be as God as the Angel of the Lord before them Vers 7. And it was given unto him to make war with the Saints and to overcome them and Power was given him over all Kindreds and Tongues and Nations The Beast hath Power given to him not onely to make war with the Saints which by the way implyeth that the Saints oppose him with Arms for it is then rightly termed War when Hostility is openly used on both sides See Chap. 12.7 but also to vanquish them in fight And this is a thing very remarkable giving us to understand that the Saints though fighting in a just Cause against the Beast yet cannot prevail by force of Arms in as much as the Beast is to be defeated by the divine Power of Christ their Captain who will at length appear in the Heaven riding upon a white Horse and by the Sword of his Mouth dissipate the Beast and his Complices See Chap. 19.11 15 20 21. What is here further said of the universal Monarchy of the Beast is of it self very plain and hath been touched before in the Exposition of the first Verse so that I need not add any thing thereunto Vers 8. And all that dwell upon the Earth shall worship him whose Names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World As the Kingdom of the Beast is universal so is the Worship also none amongst all the Inhabitants of the Earth refusing it save they whose Names are written in the Book of Life For they being appointed of God unto Salvation are accordingly preserved by him from committing so great impiety as to worship a King that openly blasphemeth God and was set up by the Devil Furthermore when the Book of Life is here said to be the Lambs it is because God hath prepared it for him for Moses of old testified that God hath written such a Book Exod. 32.32 that he might know on whom to bestow eternal Life For seeing it was the will of God that none should
Judgements causeth fear so doth the righteousness of them induce Men to glorifie and praise his Name An instance whereof we have Revel 19.1 2. where it is said Glory and honour be to our God because his Judgements are true and just The second part of this Message which is therefore termed everlasting because it relateth to such Duties as are not peculiar to any certain time but to be performed for ever is to exhort Men to the Worship of God the Creatour of Heaven and Earth And this Exhortation is the more seasonable because of the general Apostacy of the Times here spoken of wherein partly by the force and partly by the fraud of the false Prophet it is grown a common practice to worship the Beast to the greatest dishonour of God that can be imagined Vers 8. And there followed another Angel saying Babylon is fallen is fallen that great city because she made all Nations drink of the Wine of the Wrath of her Fornication Babylon by which Rome is meant as will appear by the exposition of the 17. Chap. shall length be utterly destroyed namely by the ten Kings that are confederate with the Beast to shew the certainty of which mine the Angel speaketh of it as already past redoubling the Expression and Saying Babylon is fallen is fallen Now the reason why he speaketh of Rome under a borrowed name is partly that he might not bring danger upon John by causing him to describe in plain terms the Destruction of that City under the Dominion whereof he lived for Jeremy in that he openly foretold the ruine of Jerusalem was very likely to have been put to death Chap. 26.11 and partly that none but the wise might attain to the knowledge of so excellent a Prophecy as is sufficiently hinted by those words of the Angel Chap. 17.9 where he saith Here is the minde that hath wisdom The seven Heads are the seven Mountains on which the Woman sitteth c. And this mystical name of Babylon is very aptly and elegantly given to Rome because of the great congruity that was between those two Cities For first Babylon was an exceeding large City and therefore called great Babylon Dan. 4.30 So also was Rome which is therefore hyperbolically said by the Poet Lucan lib. 1. ver 511. to have been a sufficient Receptacle for all Mankinde but by more sober Writers that have inquired into the greatness thereof to have been fifty Miles within the Walls Secondly Babylon was the Seat of the first universal Kingdom and Rome of the fourth Thirdly Babylon was exceedingly addicted to Sorceries and Inchantments Isai 47.9 12. So also was Rome for though Laws were made at Rome against Astrologers and Sorcerers yet were they under hand still cherished there which gave Tacitus an occasion to say of them Hist lib. 1. cap. 7. that they were Genus hominum quod in civitate nostra vetabitur semper retinebitur That is A kinde of men that in our state will be always both forbidden and retained Fourthly Babylon exercised great rage and cruelty upon the People of God Isai 47.6 So also did Rome of which it is said Chap. 18.24 of this Prophecy that in her was found the Blood of Prophets and Saints and of all that were slain in the Earth And this last Branch of the Comparison bringeth us to the cause of Rome's Destruction assigned in this place by the Angel when he saith that all Nations had drunk the Wine of the Wrath of her Fornication For to drink the Wine of her Wrath according to the Language of the Scripture taken from the custome of administring bitter Potions whereby Men become disturbed and ill at ease is to feel her Anger and so to be vanquished by her with the Sword See Jer. 25.15 16. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel unto me Take the Wine-cup of this fury at my hand and cause all the Nations to whom I send thee to drink it And they shall drink and be moved and be mad because of the Sword that I will send among them And Chap. 51.7 Babylon hath been a golden Cup in the Lords hand that made all the Earth drunken The Nations have drunken of her Wine therefore the Nations are mad Neither ought the Fornication or Whoredom of Rome here annexed to turn us aside from this Interpretation seeing the subtil Devices that great Cities have used to ruine other States are in the Scripture called Whoredoms Thus the Prophet Nahum saith of Nineveh Chap. 2.3 4. There is a multitude of slain and a great number of carcases they stumble upon their corpses because of the multitude of the Whoredoms of the well-favoured Harlot the Mistress of Witchcrafts that selleth Nations through her Whoredoms and Families through her Witchcrafts You see by this passage that Nineveh was to be ruined for her whorlsh slights whereby she drew in other Nations and made a Prey of them as Harlots are wont to do with their Lovers But never was there any City that did so over-reach and prey upon other Nations as Rome did what by making them Confederates but upon unequal terms what by shewing a marvellous readiness in protecting their Confederates thereby to have a fair pretext to make an Invasion upon others what by pretending out of meer gallantry to deliver Free States from the Oppressors of their Liberty but under-hand reserving to themselves the sovereign Command over those States after they had subdued their Enemies All which and sundry other whorish tricks of Rome far exceeding in queintness those of any other City we read of may be seen at large in the History of Livy and the notable Discourses of Machiavel thereupon Vers 9. And the third angel followed them saying with a loud voice If any man worship the beast and his image and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand Vers 10. The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. Vers 11. And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever and they have no rest day nor night who worship the beast and his image and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name This third Angel seemeth to make application of what the first Angel said For if men ought to worship God as that Angel in his everlasting message did declare certainly it is very great impiety to worship the Beast who is the professed enemy of God openly blaspheming his Name And lest any one should imagine it to be a small sin to worship the Beast and his Image or to receive his mark he denounceth with a loud voice That whosoever doth so shall drink of the wine of Gods wrath that is poured without mixture and so not allayed with any thing to abate the force thereof into the cup of his anger and
to give his throne Chap. 13.2 together with the False Prophet who is said to exercise all the power of the Beast before him Chap. 13.11 12. have dominion over the evil spirits to send them to and fro in the earth This so great an expedition of all the Kings in the world combining to cut off the people of God at a blow is in it self very apt to strike a terrour into the Saints were no river dried up to give way to any of the Kings aforesaid and so to make them flinch from their faith and Piety wherefore the admonition here given by Christ is very seasonable who comparing his coming to that of a thief because of the suddenness thereof for when his Enemies shall say Peace and safety then sudden destruction shall seize upon them pronounceth them happy who in so perillous a time hold fast the garments of their righteousness whereby the nakedness of their sins committed in the time of Ignorance is kept from appearing to their shame As for the place which these Kings aforesaid make their Randezvouz it is here called Armageddon that is the mount of Megiddo For Har in Hebâ—ew signifieth a mount and Mageddon is the same with Megiddo a City belonging to Manasseh Jos 17.11 which is there written by the Greek interpreters Mageddo and hath here the letter N added thereunto by John Thus the City which Luke Chap. 9.10 calleth Bethsaida is by Matthew with the addition of an N termed in Greek Bethsaidan Chap. 11.21 But as the letter N is added to the end of the Hebrew word aforesaid so is the letter or rather aspiration of h taken away from the beginning thereof whilest it is written Armageddon as it fareth with the Hebrew word Hallelujah Psal 146.1 which in Greek is written both there and also in the Revelation Chap. 19.1 Allelujah without the letter or aspiration H. Now the mount of Megiddo seemeth to be chosen of God rather then another place towards which all the Kings of the earth must draw their Armies against that of the Saints because this City had been of old renowned for the wonderful defeat that Barak with ten thousand men at his feet gave to the potent host of Jabin King of Canaan who was a mighty oppresser of the Israelites Judg. 4.2 6. compared with chap. 5.19 20. where in Deborahs song of victory it is said the Kings came and fought then fought the Kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo they took no gain of money They fought from heaven the stars in their courses fought against Sisera For the memory of the miraculous discomfiture that hapned to Sisera the Captain General of Jabins Army and to the Kings of Canaan that sided with him against Gods people is of great influence upon the hearts of the Saints to make them expect the like overthrow to be given to the Beast and the Kings his followers in the same place Vers 17. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven from the throne saying It is done Vers 18. And there were voices and thunders and lightnings and there was a great earthquake such as was not since men were upon the earth so mighty an earthquake and so great Vers 19. And die great city was divided into three parts and the cities of the nations fell and great Babylon came in remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath Vers 20. And every island fled away and the mountains were not found Vers 21. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven every stone about the weight of a talent and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail for the plague thereof was exceeding great God had already plagued the Beast and his worshippers in the other three Elements of Earth Water and Fire as appeareth by the history of the first third and fourth vials Wherefore that all nature may be armed against so out-ragious offenders this last vial is poured out into the Air. Which is no sooner done but a loud voice is heard out of the temple in Heaven from the Throne saying It is done This voyce is rightly ascribed to God himself that sitteth upon the throne rather then to any other person about or under the Throne as we see it come to pass Chap 19.5 because we find him speaking after the same maner Chap. 21.5 6. 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 faithful And he said unto me It is done As therefore in that place it signifieth that there is a period set to the duration of the world so doth it here intimate that no more vials of wrath are to be poured out forasmuch as the wrath of God is accomplished by this last The voyces thunders and lightnings that follow hereupon are all fore-runners of the great and sore Judgements that God is about to bring upon the inhabitants of the earth For thus we see the plagues pertaining to the seven trumpets ushered in Chap. 8.5 6. Among those Judgements an Earthquake is one affirmed here to be the greatest that ever hapned since God created man upon the earth the truth whereof will appear to us if we consider the several effects of this Earthquake For first it sundreth Jerusalem into three parts to wit by the sinking of the intermediate buildings into the ground for no other division is wont to be the effects of an Earthquake And of this Cities shaking about this time we have a more ample relation Chap 11.13 For that Jerusalem is here meant by the great City is evident in that it is distinguished from great Babylon and the other Cities of the nations or Gentiles Wherefore there remaineth no other City to be understood but that of the Jews Jerusalem which hath this very appellation of a great City given to it Chap. 11.8 Another effect of this unusual Earthquake is the falling of the Cities of the Heathen many of which seem to be overturned thereby as it is wont to happen in such shakings A third effect or at least a consequent thereof is the coming of great Babylon into remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of his fierce wrath Not that God had before forgotten her but because he did not then so remember her as to execute his fierce wrath upon her that business being reserved for this time The maner of which execution you may read at large in the 18. Chapter The fourth effect is the removal of every Island and the sinking of the mountains which afterwards ceased to appear These two things shall either come to pass as they are here related for so the others that go before are undoubtedly to be fulfilled or else they onely denote the great alteration that shall happen over all the world by the erecting of
the fifth Kingdom upon the defeat of the Beast and all the Kings of the earth that side with him For in this sense is the like removal understood Chap. 6.14 After this earthquake and the dire effects thereof cometh another Judgement very terrible namely that of Hail which is wont to be bred in the Air the place into which this seventh vial is poured and thereof God himself saith to Job Hast thou seen the treasures of the hail which I have reserved against the time of trouble against the day of battel and war Job 38.22 23. Accordingly we read not onely that this was one of the ten plagues of Egypt Exod. 9.23 24 25. but also that God did cast down great Hailstones from Heaven upon the Amorites at the battel of Gibeon so that more died with the Hail-stones then they whom the Children of Israel slew with the sword Josh 10.5 11. Nevertheless it is likely that neither the Hail-stones of Egypt nor those of Canaan were equal in bigness to them that fall down from Heaven upon the worshippers of the Beast For they are said to be about a talent apiece Now though we cannot certainly tell how much a talent weighed yet are we sure that the weight thereof was very great inasmuch as the branched Candlestick of the tabernacle and all the vessels thereof are by the appointment of God to be made of one talent of Gold Exod. 25.31 39. But this plague worketh no better effect upon men then the former ones did For they are so enraged with the greatness thereof that they cannot forbear to vent Blasphemies against God himself Which sheweth that the end of these Plagues is not to reform those on whom they are sent for undoubtedly such as are come to that height of impiety as to worship the Beast yea the Dragon himself are altogether incurable but onely to punish and torment them for their wickedness and so to set off the Riches of Gods grace towards the Righteous whom he hath appointed to Salvation Chap. 17. Vers 1 2. And there came one of the seven Angels which had the seven Vials and talked with me saying unto me Come hither I will shew unto thee the Judgement of the great Whore that sitteth upon many Waters 2. With whom the Kings of the Earth have committed Fornication and the Inhabiters of the Earth have been made drunk with the Wine of her Fornication The Exposition FOr as much as upon the pouring out of the seventh Vial Great Babylon is said to come in remembrance before God that he might give her the Cup of the Wine of his fierce Wrath and this was a thing of great importance to be clearly known for we finde by experience how much hurt the inadvertency of the time and persons appointed of God for the inflicting of this punishment hath done to Christians one of the seven Angels aforesaid cometh to John profering to shew him the Judgement of that great City which according to the usage of the Scripture elsewhere as Isai 1.21 23.15 16 17. Ezek. 16.2 3 35 he calleth an Harlot with whom the Kings of the Earth have had to do and been intoxicated with the Wine of her Fornication The meaning of which Allegory I will unfold when I come to the fourth Verse Vers 3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the Wilderness and I saw a Woman sit upon a Scarlet coloured Beast full of Names of Blasphemy having seven Heads and ten Horns When the Angel is here said to carry John away in the Spirit into the Wilderness this argueth that his Body continued where he was before and that he was onely in the Spirit of his minde hurried away Thus Paul writing to the Colossians Chap. 2.5 saith Though I he absent in the flesh yet I am with you in the spirit joying and beholding your order and the stedfastness of four Faith in Christ Not that in the substance of his Spirit he was not as well absent from them as in his body otherwise how could he indite that Epistle but because that in the cogitation of his Spirit he was present with them and beheld their Christian behaviour God revealing the same unto him as it here hapned to John to see this wonderful Vision in the Wilderness where as it seemeth the Judgement of Rome was represented unto him rather than in the place of his personal abode because that City is described both in this and also in the following Chapter as ready to become a Wilderness and Habitation of Devils and an Hold of every unclean Spirit and a Cage of every unclean and hateful Bird. All which Creatures are noted in the Scripture to haunt desolate places See Isai 13.20 21 22. 34.13 14. Jer. 50.39 Matth. 12.43 It is further very suitable to represent this City by the name and feature of a Woman because in the Prophets of old whose Language and Descriptions the Revelation every where followeth nothing is more usual Thus Samaria and Jerusalem are brought in as two Women Ezek. 23.1 2 3 4 Who the Scarlet Beast is on whom the Woman sitteth and which is depainted with that colour either for the abundance of Blood which he was to shed or for his kingly Dignity or for both is afterwards declared by the Angel together with the meaning of his seven Heads and ten Horns But for the names of Blasphemy whereof he is full it is neither here nor elsewhere so much as intimated what they be wherefore it would be no less than impudency in us to undertake a description of them Vers 4. And the Woman was arayed in Purple and Scarlet colour and decked with Gold and precious Stone and Pearls having a golden Cup in her Hand full of Abominations and filthiness of her Fornication No marvel if this Woman which sitteth on the Scarlet Beast be so richly and royally attired for Rome decyphered by her being the Seat of the Empire and receiving both the Spoils and Tributes of all the Nations in the World must needs be infinitely rich which was indeed the cause of her corruption in point of manners making her now reach out the golden Cup of her Abominations and whorish filthiness as she had done that of her whorish wrath before Chap. 14.8 For whereas she had in the times of her strict Discipline by her valour and marvellous cunning brought all Nations under her yoke being now on the contrary grown extremely loose and vicious all manner of debauchery and lewdness did distill from her as from the Head into the Body of the whole Universe so that she is in the following Verse styled The Mother of the Abominations of the Earth Vers 5. And upon her Forehead was a Name written Mystery Babylon the Great the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth As the Servants of God had his Name written on their Foreheads and the Inhabitants of the Earth that of the Beast so also hath the stately Woman that John saw in the
this Notion of Reigning is true and grounded on the Scripture is manifest in that God is then said never to have born rule over the Heathen the Adversaries of his People Isai 63.18 19. which can be no otherwise true than because he had not prescribed them Laws Whereas the Jews on the contrary own God for their King because he had been their Law-giver as may be seen in those Words of the same Prophet Chap. 33.22 The Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King he will save us But when upon the Defeat of the Beast who as I have shewed before is the same with the little Horn in the seventh of Daniel The Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the Saints of the most High the World shall be ruled by them according to the Laws of God which he hath given by Christ Jesus and the Laws of all Nations shall for the common good be conformed unto that Standard whereas now they are for the most part subservient to the Lusts and Interests of a certain sort of Men. So that God to whom the Saints are subservient in the Kingdom will then of right be said to reign more perfectly and truly than he had ever done since the World began The second ground here alleged for this Triumphing of the Saints is Because the Marriage of the Lamb was come and his Wife had made her self ready By which Wife of Christ now ready to be married is neither to be understood the Multitude of those Saints that shall be raised in glory at the Judgement of the great Day for that Judgement shaâ—l happen above a thousand Years after this Marriage as appeareth from the following Chapter nor of those Saints that shall be found alive on the Earth when the great things mentioned in this Chapter shall be accomplished for the Saints are not in this World married to Christ but onely espoused as the Words of Paul 2 Cor. 11.2 do intimate who saith of the Corinthian Church I have espoused you to one Husband that I may present you a chaste Virgin unto Christ nor of those Saints that are here brought in shouting rejoycing for they openly distinguish themselves from this Wife of Christ it remaineth therefore that by Her must of necessity be understood those Saints who having suffered Death in the time of the Beast for not worshipping his Image nor receiving his Mark have this Privilege vouchsafed to them above others that being restored to Life they reign with Christ a thousand Years before the rest of the Dead are raised as is expresly declared in the following Chapter And this is sufficiently implyed by the fine Linen wherewith they are arayed for though it be an Emblem of their Righteousness to which they attained in this World as the Words of the Text affirm yet is it indeed the Habit of such as are risen from the Dead and glorified as is evident from Chap. 3.4 where Christ saith to the Angel of the Church in Sardis Thou hast a few Names even in Sardis which have not defiled their Garments and they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy And also from Chap. 7.9 where John saith I beheld and lo a great Multitude which no man could number of all Nations and kindreds and peoples and tongues stood before the Throne and before the Lamb clothed with white Robes and palms in their hands For that these here mentioned are such as had been raised from the dead and glorified I have before proved in the beginning of mine exposition upon this Chapter Vers 9. And he saith unto me Write Blessed are they which are called unto the Marriage-Supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me These are the true Sayings of God Seeing the Angel doth here command John to set down in Writing what he himself was about to deliver this argueth that it was a thing very remarkable and therefore not to be trusted to the memory which is so slippery and fleeting but to remain upon record for ever And this Injunction is like to that of the fourteenth Chap. Verse 13. and conversant about something of the same import For as they are there pronounced happy who should thenceforth die in the Lord namely under the Reign of the Beast and for the confirmation of the Truth as I have in mine Exposition of that place evinced so are such here reckoned to be in the sâ—me blessed condition who have the honour to be invited to the Wedding Supper of the Lamb who is to be inseparably united in the most intimate and sweet familiarity of love to those very persons when raised from the Dead and glorified For as Marriages are wont to be solemnized with a Feast so also is this of the Lamb and therefore mention is made here of a Wedding Supper which Supper if we consider what Christ himself speaketh of eating and drinking at his Table in his Kingdom Luke 22.30 And how in the 22 Chapter of this Prophecy Verse 14. they are by an Angel termed happy who keep the Commandments of Christ that they may have a right to the Tree of Life will be found to have more literal truth in it than is commonly believed especially if you add what the Angel saith to John in the Close of this Verse namely that these are the true Sayings of God For this as I intend more largely to discourse in mine Exposition on Chap. 21.5 is all one as if it had been said These are the plain and perspicuous Sayings of God which are to be understood as the words sound As for the Guests invited to this Wedding Supper of the Lamb for as much as they cannot be either the Angels who being meer Servants are no where in the Scripture admitted to such familiarity with Christ nor the married persons themselves who would absurdly be said to be invited to their own Marriage they must needs be the Saints that are here brought in exceedingly rejoycing at this Marriage and consequently such as had formerly been raised from the Dead and then reigned with Christ in the Kingdom of Heaven and so were capable of having a part in the Delicacies of this Feast Vers 10. And I fell at his Feet to worship him And he said unto me See thou do it not I am thy fellow Servant and of thy Brethren that have the Testimony of Jesus Worship God for the Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy John is so transported with the favour that the Angel had done him in revealing these sublime Mysteries unto him that he is not able to contain himself but falleth down before his feet and worshippeth him Thus Cornelius being admonished in a Vision to send for Peter who should speak such things unto him whereby both he and his House should be saved is ravisht with the sight of Peter coming to him and adores him Which Instances do teach us thus much that we should hold in high esteem
will afford us very evident Instances thereof By the cunning of which two prevailing Factions the Light of the Gospel was for many Ages together since the Reign of Constantine almost extinguished but that now in latter times God taking pity on the miserable condition of his Church hath raised up sundry Reformers who have detected many of those Errours wherewith the Truth had before been obscured and so given a good Essay to the restoring of our holy Faith to its primitive lustre The reason why Satan is cast by the Angel into the bottomless Pit rather than into another place is because many of the evil Spirits have ever since their Fall lain there bound in Chains of Darkness as both the words of Peter Epist 2. Chap. 2.4 where it is said God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down to Hell and delivered them into Chains of Darkness to be reserved unto Judgement And also of Jude Verse 6. where it is said The Angels which kept not their first Estate but left their own Habitation he hath reserved in everlasting Chains under Darkness unto the Judgement of the great Day do perspicuously intimate And therefore certain of them who were permitted to range up and down the Earth for the executing of Gods Judgements having entred into a Man of Gadara and being commanded by Christ to come out of him besought Christ that he would not send him into the bottomless Pit for so the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by Luke in the Relation of this Story and which is translated in English the Deep ought to be rendred as it is in this 20. Chapter of the Revelation Vers 4. And I saw Thrones and they sat upon them and Judgement was given unto them and I saw the Souls of them that were beheaded for the Witness of Jesus and for the Word of God and which had not worshipped the Beast neither his Image neither had received his Mark upon their Foreheads or in their Hands and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand Years 5. But the rest of the Dead lived not again until the thousand Years were finished This is the first Resurrection 6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second Death hath no power but they shall be Priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand Years That Thrones are the Seats of Kings is evident enough but who they are that shall sit upon the Thrones here mentioned and have Judgement given into their hands is neither of it self evident nor here expressed so that we should be at a great loss to finde it out were it not that Daniel speaking of this matter as I have before in the Exposition of the 17. Chapter of this Prophecy evinced saith that Judgement was given to the Saints of the most High Chap. 7.22 It is the Saints therefore that are invested with the Right of Judicature and placed on the Thrones after the Defeat of the Beast and the Binding of Satan Neither ought this Kingdom to be expected till these two miraculous Events have made way for it Wherefore as they are exceedingly mistaken and fear not to gainsay the plain Words of the Scripture who hold that there shall be no fifth Kingdom or Kingdom of the Saints here on Earth when in the mean time an Angel expresly telleth Daniel Chap. 7.27 that the Kingdom and Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the People of the Saints of the most High So are they no less out of the way who dream of any humane Force to be used in the Erection of this Kingdom For this would be to transform the People of the Saints into a Company of Thieves and Robbers But as the rise and fall of the Beast the binding of Satan and setting up of the Kingdom of the Saints here on Earth are great and marvellous Works falling out in the Age here spoken of so also is the first Resurrection whereof all they shall be Partakers and so reign with Christ in heaven who being either Prophets for none but such have the Testimony of Jesus or meer Saints do suffer Death for refusing to worship the Beast For John plainly testifieth that onely such are raised up from the Dead to reign with Christ the thousand Years as were for their Piety in the Reign of the Beast beheaded or smitten with the Ax as the Greek word signifieth Which Expression doth either intimate that the Beast shall both in Judicature as the Romans his Ancestors were wont to do also in War make use of such a Weapon as an Ax to kill the Saints as we find in the Scripture that Nebuchadnezzar did to slay the Egyptians Jer. 40.22 where it is said The voice thereof that is of Egypt shall go like a Serpent for they shall march with an Army and come against her with Axes as Hewers of Wood or else under the most frequent and noted kinde of slaughter that shall be in use at that time all other ways of inflicting Death upon the Saints are comprehended For what reason can be imagined why those Saints that are put to Death with the Ax should share in the first Resurrection rather than such as are dispatched with some other Instrument of cruelty But lest any one should think this Doctrine of the first Resurrection taken according to the Letter of the holy Text to be strange though to me it seemeth more strange that Christians should scruple at a thing so plainly and punctually set down in the Scripture for they may as well call into question whatsoever is here spoken concerning the Resurrection that is to be afterwards at the last Day and to which this Resurrection is opposed go to let us confirm this precious Truth so much encouraging Christians to lay down their Lives for the Gospel by other passages taken out of this Book of the Revelation where such an anticipated Resurrection is held forth as belonging both to those Saints that suffer Death under the Reign of the Beast and also to those that dy for Christ and the Gospel at any time whatsoever First therefore it is in the 11. Chapter said of the two Witnesses who are expresly there called Prophets and so must needs be two Men since none but Men are in the Scripture termed Prophets that after they had been slain by the Beast and their dead Bodyes lyen unburied three Days and an half in the Streets of Jerusalem for not Rome but Jerusalem is the great City where Christ was slain The Spirit of Life from God entred into them and they stood upon their feet From which words it is undeniably manifest that the two Witnesses are raised from the Dead whilest the Beast reigneth What hinders then but that the other Prophets and Saints put to Death by him may likewise be restored to Life presently after his Defeat as this 20. Chapter doth in
to be there detained for a certain time but into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone to be there tormented for ever and ever From whence it may be gathered 1. That Satan after this time shall not tempt the Sons of Men any more and consequently as we have before discoursed they shall have no other inward sollicitation to sin then what issueth from the natural pravity of their own hearts which is nothing in comparison of that malignity which is infused into them by the artifice of Satan 2. That the reason why the Beast was formerly thrown into Hell-fire and not Satan also that stirred him up is this because God intended to make no further use of the Beast whereas Satan was a thousand Years after to seduce Gog and Magog Which being done and so the wrathfull Ministery of Satan accomplished he likewise is flung into Hell-fire to be there for ever tormented together with the Beast 3. That Hell-fire for that is the same with the Lake of Fire and Brimstone is already in being and not to be created at the Day of Judgement otherwise how should Satan be thrown thereinto before the coming of that Day 4. That Satan though a Spirit yet is not therefore immaterial otherwise how should a true real and material fire as that of the Lake is seeing the smoke of men therein tormented is said to ascend for ever and ever Chap. 14.11 be capable of working on him For he is no less said to be tormented therein than the Beast and the false Prophet who being both Men as I before proved must needs consist of matter as all will grant As for the place where Hell-fire is we shall see concerning that towards the end of this Chapter Vers 11. And I saw a great white Throne and him that sat on it from whose Face the Earth and the Heaven fled away and there was found no Place for them Vers 12. And I saw the Dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of Life and the Dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their Works Vers 13. And the Sea gave up the Dead which were in it and Death and Hell delivered up the Dead which were in them and they were judged every Man according to their Works The Prophecies of the Revelation if we look rightly on them considering them in their own plainness and not as they are disguized and tangled with the far-fetcht Opinions of Men will be found to have been set down in an orderly manner those things being usually delivered first that are first to be accomplished Hence the casting of the Devil into Hell-fire being once dispatcht the universal judgement which was to follow whether in a little or a large distance of time is uncertain cometh here in its own place very fitly to be described God therefore is the supreme Judge is said to sit upon a great white Throne By which words the colour of his Throne which had been hitherto concealed seemeth to be here made known unto us For seeing God as David testifieth hath prepared his Throne in the Heavens for Judgement Psalm 9.7 103.19 and whiteness therein doth for its purity and lustre as well comport with the glory of God if not better than any other colour why should we not believe that the Throne of Judgement whereon God sitteth in the Heavens is as it is here described white But as the glory of God is set out in some measure by the greatness and colour of his Throne so is it infinitely more by the action that is here ascribed to him namely the Annihilation of the heaven and earth For to make them so fly away from before his face as that there is no more place found for them is indeed to reduce them into nothing Otherwise had they any being they would also have a place and be somewhere This reduction of the world into nothing leadeth us to believe the more easily that it was at first created out of nothing For had the matter thereof been from all eternity coexisting with God it would like him be ens necessarium and so likewise of necessity continue for ever with him John having seen the sovereign judge sitting on his throne doth in the next place see them also that stand before him in judgement and they are the dead of all sorts whether they be of high or low degree For that this expression of great and small doth so signifie is evident from Deuteronomy 1.17 Where Moses saith to the Judges of Israel Ye shall not respect persons but ye shall hear the small as well as the great And also from the nineteenth Chapter of this book verse 18. Where an Angel inviteth all the fowls of the heaven to come that they may eat the flesh of all men both free and bond both small and great For the trial of the persons aforesaid are opened certain books containing not their actions for the words import the contrary but the laws by which God proceedeth in judging them and consequently they are the books of the Old and New Testament For Paul plainly telleth us that as many as have sinned in or under the law shall be judged by the law Rom. 2.12 And Christ saith John 12.48 He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day These therefore must needs be the books and out of the things written in them the dead shall be judged according to their works For the inspection of these books doth presently discover both of what kind the works themselves are and what reward is appointed to them From whence it may be collected that they to whom God never made known his will nor imparted any of those laws recorded in the Old and New Testament but suffered them to walk in their own waies albeit they shall perish for their wickedness yet shall they not undergo any trial And thus much are we taught by the Apostle Paul who saith 2 Thes 1.7 8. That the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that knew not God And Rom. 2.12 As many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law That is without having any law proposed whereby they should be tried and cast Moreover that we might have a more full knowledge of the foresaid judgement both the resurrection of the dead which is a preparative thereunto and also the several places from whence the dead come forth are here described For the Sea giveth up the bodies of them that were drowned therein and the Grave giveth up the bodies of them that were buried in the earth For that the Grave is here to be understood by death is evident in that it is a place of the dead distinguished both from the Sea and also from Hell But there is
and meer notion The same divine Author further saith Chap. 12.22 23. Ye are come unto mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerablt company of Angels To the general assembly and Church of the first born which are written in heaven and to God the judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect In which words the heavenly Jerusalem is not only distinguished but also parted from the Church by the interposal of another thing to which we have access in the Gospel to wit the myriads of Angels so that there remaineth no tergiversation but that the New Jerusalem and the Church of God must of necessity be acknowledged for two different things Finally he saith Chap. 13.13.14 Let us go forth unto him that is Christ Jesus without the camp bearing his reproach For here we have no continuing City but we seek one to come Here also the City is distinguished from the Church for none can deny that they which seek for that City to come are the Church whereas the City it self is the thing sought for It further appeareth from the first clause of this fourteenth verse to which the second hath relation that a City truly and properly so called is here meant But were all these Testimonies laid aside the very descent of the New Jerusalem out of heaven whereby the New heaven is to be understood as the foregoing verse doth shew sufficiently argueth that not the Church but a City is thereby intended For the Church consisting of faithful men and women that were both generated and regenerated on the earth and there have their continual abode cannot without great absurdity be said to descend out of heaven much less out of the New heaven which is not yet in being Moreover the description of the New Jerusalem set down in this and the following Chapter will fully evidence to us both how truly I affirm it to be a very City and also how aptly John compareth it to a Bride that is dressed and adorned for her husband Vers 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 Vers 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 The voice that is here heard out of heaven and which in likelyhood proceedeth from Angels for God is brought in speaking immediately after and Angels are elsewhere found to congratulate the salvation of men Luke 2.10 11 13 14. confirmeth what I before asserted that by the New Jerusalem is meant a place and not the Church or people of God for it is stiled upon the descent thereof out of heaven the Tabernacle of God that is with men and so is a thing different from the men themselves of whom the Church consisteth Again though the Church be sometimes in the Scripture known by the name of a Temple yet have I not met with any instance where it is called a Tabernacle Nor is it absurd that the New Jerusalem though a City that hath foundations should here be termed a Tabernacle for being described as descending down from God out of heaven it doth contrary to other Cities remove from place to place as Tabernacles or Tents are wont to do The priviledge that they enjoy who are admitted into this Tabernacle is to have the very person of God among them For so much is signified by those words wherein it is said God himself shall be with them which also intimate that during the state of this life God himself is not with his people however his favour and assistance be with them Neither let any one check at that expression of mine touching the person of God for it is borrowed from Heb. 1.3 Where Christ is called the express Image of his person When God shall thus be present with the Saints in the New Jerusalem he shall thereby become their God or Sovereign benefactour in the most perfect manner For if according to the intimation of the divine Author to the Hebrews Chap. 11.16 God be called the God of Abraham of Isaac and of Jacob because he hath prepared for them a City how much better may he be called their God when he vouchsafeth to them the enjoyment both of that City and also of his own personal presence therein For seeing that in his presence there is fulness of joy as David testifieth Psalm 16.11 it must needs come to pass that the Saints shall by the means thereof be exempted from all misery whatsoever and as it is here expressed neither weep nor sorrow nor cry nor suffer either death or pain any more because the former state and condition of men wherein all these things had place is now quite done away Where let it by the way be marked that when it is in the Text said There shall be no more death this doth of it self put it out of doubt that what is here spoken of men concerneth not this life but that which is to come according to the testimony of Christ himself who telleth us in the Gospel according to Luke Chap. 20.35 36. That they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that other world and the resurrection from the dead are also the persons that cannot die any more Vers 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 faithful Vers 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 Vers 7. He that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my son Vers 8. But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers 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 The making of all things new is altogether necessary to the happiness of the Saints yet seeing this was a thing which for the greatness thereof was likely to finde but little credit amongst men as we by experience finde it come to pass God is not content with what others from heaven had spoken of it but doth himself say to John Behold I make all things new and not only so but commandeth John to write the same that it may remain upon Record for ever alledging this as the reason namely because the words which both he himself and others had uttered concerning this matter were true and faithful Which Epithets are not therefore used by God that he might only signifie that there was no falshood in the words aforesaid for then
as to the main Body thereof is said to consist of Jasper which is a stone most precious and casting a most delicate lustre otherwise the Luminary of the City would not have been like to it The Foundations of the Wall being in number twelve consist of twelve different precious Stones which are here particularly named But seeing it is hard if not impossible for us exactly to distinguish and describe the same as the jarring of those that have written of them doth imply nor would the right distinction of them if attained advance our spiritual edification in that it appeareth not from the Text that any Mystery lyeth couched under them I will omit any longer discourse of them and hasten to that which is further related concerning the glory of the heavenly Jerusalem The twelve Gates thereof are said to consist of one intire Pearl a piece and the City it self together with the Street thereof to be of pure Gold transparent as Glass which is of such rarity as neither Nature nor Art is able to effect Otherwise the Vessels that are made of Gold would be of far greater beauty than now they are And though Temples are wont exceedingly to grace the Cities wherein they stand yet is the heavenly Jerusalem so ordered as that having no Temple it is not a whit defective in beauty for that in as much as the Lord God Almighty together with the Lamb supplyeth the place of a Temple adorning the City with his illustrious presence infinitely more than any Temple could do For there is no comparison between the beauty of any Temple though built by God and that of God himself which made the Prophet Zechary to cry out How great is his beauty Chap. 9.17 Accordingly the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 recorded among the proper names of God is by interpretation the beautiful one as being most aptly derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to be beautiful agreeable and comely Moreover as for the beauty of Christ the Lamb of God that is amply set forth in the first Chapter of this Prophecy to which I refer the Reader for further satisfaction herein But as God and Christ supply the place of a Temple in adorning the heavenly Jerusalem so also do they of the Sun and Moon in enlightning of it and so render such kindes of Luminaries altogether useless to that City In which light of the new Jerusalem that streameth from God and Christ and is of a more pure and exhilarating nature than that of the Sun and Moon shall the Nations and Multitudes of them that are saved converse For that the word Nation here used doth elsewhere also in the Scripture sometimes denote no other than a Company or Multitude and not all the People dwelling in the compass of such a Countrey or derived from such an Ancestour is evident from that passage of Peter 1 Epist 2.9 where writing to the believing Jews of the dispersion of Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithynia he saith Ye are a chosen Generation a royal Priesthood an holy Nation And this passage of John wherein he saith that the Nations of them that are saved shall walk in the light of the new Jerusalem doth plainly put a difference between the Church and her For the Nations of them that are saved are the Church and therefore the new Jerusalem in whose light they walk is the place of their abode and so a City as it is here again and again entituled To render which City yet more glorious it is said that the Kings of the Earth shall bring their glory and honour thereinto For in as much as the virtue of pious Kings both for the difficulty that there is in attaining and exercising the same because of the extraordinary Temptations to which their condition doth expose them and also for the great influence it hath upon the World doth far exceed that of other men hence it is that God who renders to all men according to their Works will at the last Day confer a greater measure of glory and honour upon such Kings and therefore their lustre will in a signal manner adorn the new Jerusalem Howbeit the glory and honour of the Nations that are saved when it also as it is here written shall be brought into the new Jerusalem will add no little splendour thereunto Moreover the Gates of this City shall never be shut For seeing the Gates of Cities are wont to be shut at night onely and here shall be perpetual Day in that the glory of God doth enlighten it without intermission there is no place left for the shutting of the Gates belonging to the new Jerusalem But though the Gates ly continually open yet shall not all persons whatsoever enter thereinto For whosoever having been of a vicious life and addicted either to Debauchery or Lying would by his abode defile that holy place he is debarred entrance thereinto and such onely admitted who have been pure and undefiled in their ways which Purity is here intimated by saying that they are written in the Lambs Book of Life and consequently the Cause why any man attaineth Holiness of Life is the enrolling of his name in the Book of Life to which agreeth that of the Apostle Paul Ephes 1.4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World that we should be holy and unblameable before him in love The Apostle doth not here say that they were chosen because God foresaw they would be holy but to the end they might be so He also speaketh to the same purpose 2 Tim. 1.9 where he saith God hath saved us and called us with an holy Calling not according to our Works and therefore not of foreseen good Works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the World began Chap. 22 Vers 1. And he shewed me a pure River of Water of Life clear as Crystall proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb. The Exposition JOhn going forward in the description of the new Jerusalem and the things thereto pertaining doth here speak of the Water of Life which God had before promised to give freely unto such as thirsted after it and which causeth eternal Life in the Drinkers of it This Water must needs be properly taken in that all the Circumstances of the place evince the same For first the Angel sheweth to John the River thereof But if it fall under the sight it cannot be mystical Water which is exposed to the apprehension of the understanding onely 2. It is said of this Water that it is clear or shining so the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used signifieth like unto Crystall Wherefore seeing the very colour thereof is here set down it must needs be Water literally so taken 3. It proceedeth out of the Throne of God and the Lamb. But Water mystically understood though it may proceed from him that sitteth on the Throne yet can