most deare It is a booke for the certainety of things registred in God his booke Psal 139. according to the manner of men who carefully put in Register that whereof they would haue the record abide sure For properly God hath no booke but is his owne booke It is copiously written in that the inside of the roll for bookes must bee vnderstood according to the manner of that time not suffising to containe the whole it is written also on the backe and this sheweth besides the certainety of the matter so carefully and amply recorded the speciall prouidence of God in al the particular cases of his Saints as whose wandrings are counted teares are registred and haires are numbred It is sealed with seuen seales to shew the abstruse secresie as perfectly closed vp which the number of seuen implyeth 3 Now besides this condition of the matter in it selfe the retired eminency thereof is declared also by the imbecility of all creatures to attaine thereto proued by a most sure argument euen experience which is heere set out after the manner of men in that all beeing by publike edict prouoked to the opening of the booke all come short of it Which first euent of imbecility of all Creatures is more cleared by a second euent in the Apostle who thereupon mourneth a sore mourning Here then are to bee obserued the Herauld the tenor of the Proclamation and the double euent aforesaid The Herauld is a strong Angell hauing a strong voice such as becommeth the Herauld of a great King for making all Creatures heare him And euen herein is implyed an amplification of the imbecility of creatures as which all are prouoked and haue lawfull warning The tenor of the Proclamation is Who is worthy to open the booke loose the seuen Seales thereof shewing as a free essay offered to all yet that to atchieue it was required great worthinesse The first euent is the insufficiencie of all creatures whereof according to the ordinary maner of Scripture is put a perfit enumeration of those in heauen in earth and vnder the earth neither Saint nor Angel being found worthy of this work And their weaknes is amplified in that al were so far from the worthines of taking and opening the booke as none were able to looke vpon it The iudgements of God are so great a depth Vpon this first euent followeth a second in Iohn who hauing beene called vp to heauen to see such things as afterwards were to be fall the Church hee is at the first brought almost to despaire of seeing ought whereupon in a holy albeit infirme affection hauing forgot on whose breast hee had leaned as zealous of the Church her good and hartely sorry she should remaine depriued of so great benefit hee mourneth and mourneth much an affection now rarely found in any And certainely so long as for obtaining ought out of God his hand for our comfort wee looke to any creature wee shall reape but mourning till wee see him who onely is worthy to bring vs grace from the father 4 The second great argument of the dignity of this reuelation is the worthy personage by whom it is reuealed to whom God gaue it Chap. 1. And of him are to bee obserued two things First his performing of that wherein all creatures had succumbed and secondly the euent and effect following thereupon In the performer are first Iohn his knowledge of him and next the fact performed Iohn his knowledge is first by information and secondly by sight In the information are the occasion the informer and what he informeth The occasion is Iohn his mourning whereof the informer would comfort him For it is most true that as holding our eies on creatures we can reape but sorrow so till in conscience of our owne wants and felt experience of the vanity of all refuge to any creature wee learne to mourne and mourne much we finde no solid ioy either for peace of conscience or light of reuelation Our diuels are not cast out but by praier and fasting Daniel had then greatest reuelation when he had bene in heauinesse three weekes of daies The informer is one of the elders Now wee must consider whereof these twenty foure elders are the type and what personage Iohn heere beareth which duly weighed wee shall not maruell how this sonne of thunder is informed of one of the elders Iohn heere is the type of one entring in heauen to know God his secrets Now heauen and the twenty foure elders are the type of God his true Church as hath beene cleared As then the true Church is the pillar and stable seat of truth so without it is neither saluation nor any true knowledge for God is knowne in Iuda Hereby then is signified that all true knowledge of Christ is in his Church The information hath first a dehortation from mourning secondly a designation of the singular personage and thirdly his prerogatiue to performe the dehortation as it is grounded on the comfort hee was to shew him so hath it this vse that true light bringeth euer true ioy The designation of the person performer is by two titles 1 That Lion of the Tribe of Iuda 2 That root or syour of Dauid In these are to be obserued first the titles and next whence they are brought He is a Lion but with this note that he is of Iuda Satan is a Lion and a roaring Lion that Lion whom Sampson rent out of whose mouth Dauid pulling his sheepe killed him but this Lion of Iuda taketh the prey and none is able to rescue it whom when he lyeth downe who dare stirre him vp Hee is the root or syour of Dauid by Iuda and Dauid to shew the true Messias promised of their seed These titles are brought the one from Genes 49. the other from the 11. of Isaiah the one from Moses the other from the Prophets They haue Moses and the Prophets saith Abraham in Parable thither Christ sendeth the Iewes for true knowledge of himselfe So then the elders informe but out of Moses and the Prophets to shew that as onely in the Church true knowledge is to bee had so no voice should there be heard but of the Scriptures Search the Scriptures for they beare witnesse of mee The third point whereof the elder informeth Iohn is the prerogatiue of this great personage to performe And it is set downe in this one word hee hath obtained to open the booke c. of which more heereafter in the song This farre knowledge Iohn getteth by information the other degree of knowledge is by sight wherein the ordinary degrees of true illumination for stablishing of a soule in certainty of truth heere in great wisdome set downe are carefully to be marked The first is the information of the Church and authority thereof as Augustine calleth it Opportunum inquirendi exordium In which respect hee saith in another place and in the person of one ignorant
frō the Prophets with whō it is ordinarily in this sense 7 Now against this woman according to the old warre proclaimed in Paradise is set in apparance a very vnequall match but that Michael fighteth the battell This aduersary is Satan for so the spirit interpreteth verse 9. Hee is a great Dragon for great malice force and subtilty He is red for his cruell and bloudy disposition as who was a murtherer from the beginning Hee hath seuen heades and tenne hornes the armes of Rome because of this the Diuell his fury against the Primitiue Church the Emperours of Rome were the instruments and executors And therefore to shew Rome in that state of persecuting Emperours the heades are crowned for an euident distinction of Rome then from Rome thereafter in the beast The heads and hornes are put in both that we may know what state the spirit designeth but by the different note of these heades and hornes To take vp the different time and condition in time Against the Primitiue Church the Diuell albeit working by Rome is made the direct enemie because then Christianity was directly oppugned and open rage practised against the name of Christ Heathenisme and worship of Diuels plainely maintained From which open dealing and licentious murthering Satan being tyed vp afterwards by power of the Gospell hee dealt more couertly by the beast of his authority vnder name and profession of Christianity and pretence of Christ his power deceiuing men of the world till after a thousand yeeres the reuiued light of the Gospell breaking out a fresh and discouering the deceit of the beast hee is so chafed as hee falleth to murthering of Saints In which respect the Dragon is said to be loosed the second time Chap 20. and thereby the beast falling to open murther becommeth of his colour Chapter 17. Of these heades and hornes see vpon the 13. and 17. Chapters 8 This Dragon then imployeth head and taile that is cruelty and lies for hee was a lier and murtherer from the beginning By his taile that is by his alluring deceit whether effectuall error or deceitfulnesse of honours riches and worldly lusts hee insinuateth himselfe amongst these who seeme shining starres of heauen and draweth them to fall from light and grace and to become earthly such as goe out of the Church that is heauen but were not of it Marke alwaies that Satan his first attempt against the Church is with his taile amongst the starres Thus he stirreth his taile With his heads that is his power and force hee setteth himselfe first against the childe to deuoure him in the bearing Whereby the fury and rage of Satan by the Romane Emperours to keepe the Church of Christ from rising is signified notwithstanding whose malice and cruelty the childe and a man childe alluding to the story of Aegypt and also for that as Christ was in person and as the paschall Lambe and other expiatory sacrifices of the flocke so all Christians in Christ Iesus are consecrated as males for perfection of strength and spirituall vigor is borne that is the Church is brought foorth to the partaking of the honour first proper to Christ and in him to all his members To rule all Nations with a rod of iron Chapt. 2. 27. And not onely thus brought foorth but in euident presence and power of God ruling in and amongst them established here in earth against all Satan his fury and visibly separated to God from the rest of the world becomming Kings and Priests to God in Christ so as according to Christ his owne prediction the sonne of man was seene come in his Kingdome with power by his Church raised in the world The throne as the iron rod is first and properly Christ his right but it is also the honour of the Saints in him to whom hee giueth a Kingdome as he hath receiued one of the father and to whom he giueth to sit in his throne as he ouercame and sitteth in his fathers throne For euen here we sit with him in the highest places So the taking vp of the childe is the erection of the Church amongst men visibly in that same sense that the two Witnesses were bid come vp hither Chap. 11. And the casting of the Dragon from heauen is all one thing with this For the exalting of the childe is the deiecting of the Dragon from heauen and the deiection of the Dragon is the vptaking of the child Satan is said to be in heauen when so by lies and error he hath preuailed in the visible Church as no apparant or very small face thereof is seene Like as the Church is in the earth euen where Satan his throne is when it is so compassed with error and ignorance as it appeareth not till it be said come vp hither that is till God by purity of worship and open profession thereof make his true Church visibly separated from the contagion of the worldy sort And euen in this case Satan is deiected from heauen and sent amongst his owne earthly ones He is said to fight in heauen when by slight and might he laboreth to keepe downe so the true Church as it can not bee discerned from his company and is deiected thence when truth openly in the Church is maintained so as he can haue no place for dominion but amongst the children of disobedience For beeing cast out of men hee goeth madlings in the swine of the world and shut out of God his house he furiously mistrāmeth his owne putting forth his rage where hee may seeing hee cannot where hee would Woe to the Inhabitants of the earth This is it which maketh that where euer the Gospell is purely preached there immediately by Sathan are raised stirres and tempests For while hee brooketh all peaceably hee is at ease but when that stronger commeth who spoileth his house then hee chafeth and becommeth mad in his Instruments This euent Christ in these same words foretelleth so as we need not doubt of the right sense Now is the iudgement of this world now shall the Prince of this world bee cast out And in another place speaking of the effect of the Gospell truely preached I saw Sathan fall from the heauen like lightning 9 This victory is by Michael and his Angels fighting in heauen that is by Christ who is Michael our Prince and the Angels of the Churches Apostles and faithfull Pastors fighting by the powerfull preaching of the Gospell against Sathan his Ministers of darkenes heathen Philosophers heretikes and all such for Christianity is a warfare against Principalities and powers against beasts wherin we must all fight the good fight of faith and striue for that victory which standeth in saluation of the elect from God in Christ and in the foile of Sathan and that by the bloud of the Lambe apprehended by true faith in the word of Iesus his Testimony with perseuerance and a ready offering of liues for his
for discerning the kingdome fiue hauing ere then fallen and two not as yet risen The second beast is put onely for cleare explication of the condition nature quality and working of this last head considered a part and by it selfe and how this great worke of quickning that mortally wounded kingdome or beast is wrought by it so as vnder it the Beastreuiueth and now howsoeuer for discerning the kingdome all the heads be mentioned commeth only to bee considered in that state and respect in which for great diuersity from the former condition before the wound yea and before the the cure this head is in a sort a different beast as hauing this singular in shape that it is like the Lambe in working that it doth by signes and wonders in condition that the beast vnder it is rather an image of the former then the same and yet a liuely image therefore called the eight head and one of the seuen In which respect but seuen heads are attributed to the beast albeit in number there be eight That the first riseth out of the sea and the second out of the earth it is but to note the different manner of rising of the last head and state vnder it from the rising of the Beast in all his former conditions and heades They both in their distinct manner of rising haue this common that they are from below For albeit the earth and sea in degree of account with other creatures as the fountaines sunne moone starres Chap. 9. and. 16. according to the effects wrought in them and that wherof they in these degrees are the types are to bee taken so as agreeth with the course of the mystery as in these places is declared Yet when Sea and Earth are set in opposition to heauen as heer and Chapter 10. when the Angell descending from heauen for ouerthrow of this beast setteth his feet on the sea and earth whence in distinct consideration the beast ariseth And Chapter 12. reioyce O heauens woe to the Inhabitants of sea and earth then things arising from sea and earth must bee taken as Christ speaketh to the Iewes Yee are from below I am from aboue And euen the foure beasts in Daniel whose whole ferity cruelty fraud and destroying power is in this one whom in the beginning of his seuenth Chapter hee seeth rise out of the sea are said in that same chapter verse 17. to arise out of the earth as all one thing except that as the earth sheweth the origine to be earthly and from below so the sea sheweth their rising to bee of the troubles tossings and alterations of the earth whose commotions are compared to the stormy sea and according to this to shew the peaceable and calme estate of the Church vpon vtter destruction of this Beast it is saide Chapter 21. that there was no more sea Then this second Beast is said to rise out of the earth not onely for that it was from below for so is the whole beast first last throught the star falling from the heauen chap. 9 But because this last head howsoeuer the beast or kingdome of Rome considered absolutely riseth out of the sea in the particular consideration thereof by it selfe and apart arose in a farre different manner from all the former which all arose by great commotions and sensible alterations but this last head arose slily subtlely and almost insensibly by slow degrees as things that grow through the earth and so became head of that Kingdome which vnder it is the beast going to destruction See Steuchus against Valla. Paulatim imperare incipiebat religio habenas imperij caperâ— ius suum acquirere nihil subitum nihil tumultuarium Where the second beast is said to worke before the first beast it is not to bee taken for impudent or violent vsurpation but according to the Phrase of Scripture as Iohn Baptist to goe before Christ And this is onely for clearenesse of explication of him and his manner who maketh the Image as trauelling with all sedulous endeauour by lying signes to conciliate authority honour and submission to that state vnder himselfe as head thereof Neither hereupon must wee thinke the second beast working to bee an other from him before whom hee worketh except so farre as the spirit so will distinguish betwixt the Kingdome wholly and absolutely and this last head peculiarly considered in comparison to the former and as after a deadly wound hee quickneth so that state again as hee procureth to it worship of Nations In one word the first beast is the Kingdom of Rome vnder the Pontificality the second beast is the Pontificality wonderfully quickning the wounded beast to that estate therfore Chapter 17 but one beast euen this first is put and called the eighth head so euidently telling vs that both are one and the same except in consideration as I haue said According to this it is that hereafter the beast is distinguished from the false Prophet not that they are two as many fondly imagine but onely to take vp so the State and Kingdome as the false Prophet is heade therof so the false Prophet as he is head of that state See vpon Chapter 17. Sect. 11. 18. and 19. Sect. 27. These two beasts then are to expresse one and the same state euen Antichrist in his Kingdome and in himselfe head thereof both for condition and time For from the Pope his first degree of rising hee neuer got any such crossing as for which it might bee said of him that hee should abide a short space Chapter 17. For euen in the most miserable times of Rome by the Gothes hee not onely retained his old got account but was still labouring to aduance the credite of his Chaire as his supercilious dealings in these selfe times with forrain Churches sufficiently proueth And whatsoeuer hinderance bee had by Gothik tiranny from rising to the height hee after attained to it is too weake a ground to say of him that hee abode a short space thus to make him both the seuenth and eight head against cleare Text which maketh the seuenth to bee soone gone and if such had beene the meaning of the holy Ghost he might much both clearelier and easier haue called him the eight and seuenth then the eight and one of the seuen thus clearely implying which of the seuen hee meaned to wit that whose deadly wound by his arising hee cuâ—ed and made vppe thus so liuely an Image of the beast as hee may iustly therefore be counted one and the same with it that is with the sixth whome for glory account worship of Nations and Monarchike state hee resembleth liuely and the Kingdome vnder him the Kingdome then The mistaking of the seuenth head maketh all the errour and in such light of Storie agreeing fitly with this Prophesie it is wonder that all should haue erred This is certaine that Caesars are the sixth head that which then was and before which fiue Kings Consuls Dictators Decemuirs
first two For the voice of the Lord is mighty the voice of the Lord is glorious it breaketh the Cedars and maketh the wildernesse to tremble But in his Temple only men speake of his glory Psalm 29. This gracious dispensation incredible and vnseene to the world which could not therefore learne the song of praise thereupon was in the 11. Chap. expressed by two witnesses which for dispensing grace and light were two oliue Trees and two Candlestickes in the Temple while it seemed impossible that any such could bee Antichrist brooking City and Court and for force and power fire went out at their mouths and they did strike the earth with all manner of plagues Now these comparisons of the voice of waters thunder and harping as they expresse fitly what I haue told so in them is implyed a sure prognostick and argument of the next insuing estate in the Angels breaking forth and crying For albeit this sound of water thunder and harping the world in this lurking condition of the Church perceiued not yet they could not still remaine vnheard Who can restraine the breach of great waters what congealed cloude can keepe in thunder and excessiue ioy a heart of any thing can least hold vp Forth therefore this hid Church behoued to come The bellies made bitter with eating the little booke behoued to burst or breake out according as we see in the three Angels following who come forth like the swelling of Iorden like sonnes of thunder according as Christ Chapt. 10. preparing for this outbreake his roaring voice was seconded with seuen thunders and like the bursting out of a blythe heart which cannot hold vp a surfet of ioy 4 This second condition of the Church breaking forth hath the velitation or skirmish and a coincident case with it The velitation I call it so in comparison to the great battell in the seuenth trumpet and seuen vials thereof summarily proponed in the end of this Chap. and exponed largely thenceforth according to the first degrees of the light of the Gospell reuiuing is set downe in three Angels types of these Ministers whom God stirred vp to bee the first open contesters with Antichrist to the 12. verse The coincident case is in the 12. and 13. verses 5 The first ranke of Preachers are expressed by an Angel fleeing thorow the mids of heauen c. for open and swift course which notwithstanding was yet farre remoued aboue the perception of men of the earth whereof few vnderstood or imbraced the first warnings and light arrising it being but yet obscurely preached like as few vnderstood the warning of Antichristian darknesse comming on Chap. 8. and in respect of that Angel there it is that this is called an other Angel as who is the next vsing his forme See a contrarie dispensation to this which cleareth this sense Chap. 18. His doctrine is set downe first in generall and to whom he preached and secondly the speciall points thereof In generall it is an euerlasting Gospell euen that truth which was from the beginning and which when heauen and earth passeth away shall abide for euer the immortall seede and begetting to immortality So it is called against the calumnies of nouelty and in opposition to the doctrine of men Hee preacheth to them who dwell on the earth euen in Antichrist his darkenesse aboue whose reach it is lesse maruell that this first light was yet farre remoued as a fleeing flash thorow the mids of heauen He preacheth to all Nations Kinreds Tongues and Peoples who had worshipped the Beast and of whom by restored light of the Gospell an infinite number was now to be brought out of great tribulation to sing with Palmes in hand and hauing washed their garments in the bloud of the Lambe Saluation is of our God and of the Lambe and to be made partakers of the first resurrection the thousand yeeres being expired Chap. 20. Now the hid ones beginne to breake out and the song vnheard to bee tuned vp loudlie in the eares of all the earth therefore this Angel is said to cry loude In his speciall doctrine is the substance thereof and his manner of teaching The substance is that all feare glory and worship bee giuen to God onely and that both for auoiding his iudgements neere to bee executed and because he is creator of all things A doctrine exceeding fite for that time His manner is to bee marked in that hee vrgeth onely true worshippe not bold yet to challenge directly the Antichrist as the succeeding Angell doth roundly but more the third so wisely and plainely as the Spirit sheweth the course and the accommodation of Story is euident Now as this was the first degree of the conflict with Antichrist so accordingly in the song of victory God is praised for these same points Chapter 15. 3. 6 The second Angell roundly denounceth the fall of Rome that spirituall Babell Sodome and Egypt and that because shee had not onely beene an Idolatresse her selfe but as Ieroboam made Israel to sinne shee is the mother of Whoredomes through the world making men drinke vp superstitious worshippe greedily as wine and so to be besotted therewith To the which God both gaue ouer the world iustly in his wrath that they who would not beleeue the truth should be taken with deceiueable illusions and for which now againe the world iustly feeleth the cuppes of the last wrath As hee gaue to Israel Kings in his wrath and tooke them away in his displeasure 7 The third Angell yet more vehemently toucheth neerer Warning all to leaue the Beast his worshippe and character either in worke or profession vnder paine of eternall damnation Wherein they against whome the iudgement is denounced are exactlie noted and twise set downe in the beginning and in the end of the denunciation for speciall purpose and the quality durance and continuance of their iudgement expressed In the quality of iudgement are two First as they dranke greedily the Whores Wine so get they to drinke the pure vnmixed wine of God his wrath and next they get it in the cup of his wrath God sometimes giueth a bitter cuppe to his owne children but as strong wine for mitigation is tempered with water or sugar so are all God his chasticements to his owne mixed with mercy but to the wicked is powred out mercilesse iudgement Next the Cuppe propined to the Saints is not the Cup of wrath but of loue and medicinall but the wicked drinke out of the cuppe of wrath Lord reproue mee not in thy wrath Psal 6. 8 Now this iudgement is denounced against such as worshippe the Beast and receiue his Character c. And they are twice repeated as I haue said wherein is no Tautologie but diuine wisdome for to make vs take vp a great point In the 13. Chapter all the Beast his followers haue his Character or his name or his number whereof as I shewed there the difference is ill obserued For many haue his
image of the Beast 18 The third proper note and token is this Beast goeth to destruction For vnder this last head that state and Kingdome must be vndone for euer and shall not bee as in the fall of the former heads when in the next succeeding it held place but this head shall so fall as with him he shall draw that state to eternall ruine In which respect it is said Chapter 19. that the Beast and false Prophet are both taken and cast into the fire Thus for a most cleare opening of all this Prophesie the Holy Ghost heere in this Chapter hath ioined the Beast Head and Whoore and exponed so euidently in a huge wisdome To make vs see that what Chapter 13. hee spake of two beasts what through the booke hee speaketh distinctly of the Beast and the VVhoore Babylon of the Beast and false Prophet is all but for cleare explication of Antichrist VVhat a King hee is of what Kingdome of what time and manner of working cleering the Kingdome by the head and both Kingdome and head by the head City of their power with euident and infallible notes to take vp the right time and condition of all So as the Romans mocking our incertainety as they thinke whether the Beast the VVhoore or the falfe Prophet bee Antichrist bewray but their owne ignorance or malice or both For the Beast is Antichrist but so and then as and when the head is a false Prophet vnder presence of the Lambe his power making Rome the VVhoore and bewitcher of the world In which respect the false Prophet is the Beast the eight head and one of the seuen And thus the Beast is onelie Antichrist as the Beast is the eight head euen the false Prophet And the false Prophet is Antichrist but as he is the Beast that is head of the kingdome of Rome And Rome is the VVhore but as she is borne vp by this Beast the false Prophet How plainely the holy Ghost telleth this take vp in this argument 19 That soueraigne policy ruling in and ouer the City situated one seuen hils and in Iohn his daies bearing rule ouer Nations which in number and order is the eighth head or soueraigne policie after the fiue fallen before Iohn the sixth then ruling and a seuenth to come but soone to euanish which eight head recouereth to the state hee ruleth the luffâ—e estimation and subiection of Prouinces which by a deadly wound in one of the former heades it had losed thus reerecting if not the same properly yet a liuely image of the decaied state and for this respect as he is the eight in course so is hee in a sort one of the seuen heads and is peculiatlie the Beast and which soueraigne pollicie and eight head peculiarly the Beast worketh all as a Porphet and vnder pretence of Christ his power and thus induceth the Kings of the earth voluntary and with free and vnanime consent to submit their Crownes vnto him so procuring to his seat such account and credit as the whole earth drinketh her superstitious and idolarrous worship wherethrough shee becommeth a great and mother harlot And which eight soueragne policy or head shall bee the last head of that kingdome for that in the fall thereof that state shall be destroied for euer That souerainge policy oâ— head is the Antichrist 20 But the Pontificality is the soueraigne policy or head thus for place order and number in succession manner and effect of working heere peculiarly called the Beast and which as hee is from the bottomlesse pit and angell thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so he and with him that state goeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ergo c. Wee speeke not of coniecture but as it is written I beleeued and therefore I spake Wee beleeue and therefore speake 2. Cor. 4. 13. CHAP. XVIII THe great Whore was described in the former Chapter Her iudgement followeth in this shewed by three heauenly voices in each whereof the same is magnifickly amplyfied by the certainty the instant performance greatnesse and equity thereof And peculiarlie in the last by that her ruine is irreparable The first voice is to the 4. verse The second to the 21. And the third to the end 2 In the first voice are the person denouncer and the point denounced The denouncer is an Angell remarkeable for gesture and dignity His gesture is that hee commeth downe from heauen His dignity in that hee hath great authority which is cleared by the effect in that all the earth was lightened with his glorie At the second degree of the out-breake of the light of the Gospell from vnder Antichristian darkenesse Chapt. 14. an Angel denounced the same which this doth but that did flee thorow the midst of heauen that is albeit swiftlie and in the publike view of men yet the cleare perception of what he denounced was farre remoued aboue their reach the preaching of the Gospell not hauing then for cleare euidence the authority which since it hath and daily more and more shall obtaine through the Angel no more fleeing farre aboue as these Chap. 14. in the reuerting and that Chapt. 8 in the last degree of decay of light but now in plenty of glorious light as it were comming downe from the heauen and lightning the earth with a neer and euident sight of that which before was reuealed but farre oft This Angel then is the type of the cleare light and powerfull ministery of the Gospell now in a neere degree both shewing clearely and working powerfully Antichrist his fall The ministers of lightâ— are of Christ the true light called the light of the world and their ministerie is glorious euen glorified as concerning the exceeding glory For how beautifull on the Mountaines are the feete of them that preach good tidings c. The description of this denouncing Angel implyeth not only the certainty of what hee proclaimeth as from heauen and with great authority and euidence but also the instant performance thereof in that he commeth downe in such aboundance of glorious light as Babel can stand no longer no more then could Sodome after the Angel his downe-comming to see iâ— For Babel the glory of Kingdomes shall bee as the destruction of God in Sodome and Gomorrha Therefore the point denounced albeit it bee the same in substance which Chap 14. was threatned yet here it commeth in another degree of cleare manifestation certaine performance in the perswasion of hearers and neere approaching execution God now beeing to passe by her no more for shee is come in remambrance before him 3 Of this denounced point is shewed also the greatnesse and equity The greatnesse in these words and she is become c. So to shew a horrible desolation such as should not onely make her waste and solitarie but also detestable and abominable as are ghostly and Elphrish places full of Panike terror and the ordinarie retrait of all these things which both flee humane society
any bloud in the third part of the sea would haue liued become dead in hereticall prauity The verity and accommodation hereof is more then cleare as principally in Arrius so in all the other Arch-heretikes of that time men more learned then holy and more quicke then modest like blazing Comets corrupting the truth of doctrine in a great part And therefore for the full perfection of euill in this kind when not onely the third part but wholy al both earth Sea fountaines shal be burnt turned into bloud and made bitter and al light eclipsed the like type is vsed in the fift Trumpet but with this notable difference that that starre falleth to the earth and so breedeth the mischiefe 9 The fourth Trumpet bringeth a darkenesse in part vpon Sunne Moone Starres day and night A kindlie degree of euill to follow on the former and there withal noting yet a higher degree of Apostasie and aduancement of the mystery of iniquitie as the heauenly lightes are aboue fountaines and riuers This is the type of darke ignorance comming on the world first in a great part The former euils arose more vpon contention pride and bitter despite then vpon ignorance while men either not aduerting or maliciouslie miscarried they tooke place but now together with these commeth also grosse ignorance in a great part darkening all true knowledge Christ is our sunne whom wee behold in the true light of his Gospell whereof when the third part is darkened so farre is our sunne darkened to vs. The Moone and starres are they in whose hearts God so shineth as they are able to make the light of the knowledge of God to shine in the hearts of others in the face of Iesus The day is that light thus ministred from our sunne by these starres wherein we walke who are children of the day and not of the night For starres here must bee considered more as receiuing light from the sunne they dispense it to vs then for that they shine in the night And here the night signifieth that light which naturall men who are not children of the day but of the night yet haue in humane sciences liberall arts in comparison to the light of the Gospell but a night of darkenesse whereof now by this Trumpet came a great decay as in story is more then manifest Now as these euils are said to worke but on the thirde part in each kind to shew that the first degrees came on but in part so as first the loue and life of God abode in the most part of the Church as in the second degree yet the most part worshipped purely and in the third held still the Orthodox faith like as now in the fourth yet continued great measure of learning both in diuine and humane sciences Whereas in the next Trumpet al falleth to the height of euill and a totall and common Apostasie is set downe And therefore for preparation to it a heauie warning is giuen of a triple woe But this warning is by an Angell flying through the middest of heauen and so farre remoued from the perception of earthly men it being so farre and obscurely deliuered as few were capable thereof or aduerted it see Chapter 14. and 18. 1. Diuers learned and godly men of whome this Angell is the type saw the mischiefe comming on through these euils more and more preuailing and gaue warning of it euen Gregory Bishop of Rome saw so much and made him say Rex superbia prope est quod dicinefas est Sacerdotum est paratus exercitus and vbi est ille Antichristus qui appellationem vindicabit vniuersalis Episcopi cui Sacerdotum exercitus paratus est ad assectandum cum prope est in foribus Hee did hit very right for within little more then three yeeres after him his owne successor Boniface the third tooke to himselfe the title of Vniuersalis Episcopus which all the succeeding Bishops retaine and so by sufftage of a most famous Bishop of Rome they are that Antichrist CHAP. IX FOllow the heauier woes denounced in the fourth Trumpet to fall on the earthly sort on whome are all these iudgements from which the sealed ones are exempted Of these three the first is in this fift Trumpet euen that huge mischiefe of Antichrist to which height of iniquity the former euils were al 's many steppes The other two woes following in the 6. and 7. Trumpets are the consequences in God his iust indignation of this great woe the one for punishment to prouoke repentance in the 6. Trumpet which being ineffectuall to conuersion vpon obstinate impenitency verse 20. 21. the seuenth Trumpet bringeth the third great woe and last wrath to Antichrists vtter destruction 2 In this euill are the origine whence it ariseth and the euill it selfe the origine is first and secundarie arising of the first The first is the fall of a great star from heauen to the earth the type of Pastors of great marke falling from being heauenly to becom earthly from the true state of Saints to the state of the world and to the loue thereof from light to darkenesse from the keyes of the kingdome of heauen to the keyes of the bottomlesse pit Now as this fall was not in one instant or point of time nemo repente fit turpissimus but by degrees so is it not to be taken of one man personally but is the generall type of that euill wherein Pastors falling they became ignorant and ministers of darke ignorance out of which arose the mischiefe of Antichrist and his poysonable Armie the euill is the loue of the earth where through cometh this change of Keyes by an Apostasie and falling away of these who had beene starres of heauen and ministers of light as hauing the keyes of the kingdome of heauen to bee the ministers of other Keyes euen these of Gehenna This is that succession and these are the Keyes the Church of Rome and Bishoppes thereof so much bragge of as this whole prophesie euinceth clearely The secundary origine of the euill is darkenesse arising through this fall and change of Keyes and that in a strange degree for this darkenes is not in part as that of the fourth trumpet but it eclipseth all light actiue and passiue sunne and aire Christ is our sunne whose beames lighten our spirituall aire whereby wee both walke in light and draw in a pure breath for intertainement of our spirituall life This by this darkenesse of the bottomlesse pitte which arose through that pastors falling to the loue of earthly things lost the key of knowledge and became Ministers of darkenesse is wholy eclipsed so as all the face of the visible Church is darkened and common life in it corrupted The euill of the third Trumpet was by fall of a great starre but that fell in the fountaines and riuers so making them in a part bitter but here the desire of riches and loue of the earth maketh all erre from the faith 3
that with them truly is found all the bloud shed vpon the earth Chap. 18. 24 CHAP. X. AS the sixth Seale besides the own proper effect gaue a preparation to the seuenth by a summary view of the whole effect thereof in the seuenth Chapter so here the sixt Trumpet besides the proper woe of it in the four destroying Angels from Euphrates and their Armies of desolation in the end of the last Chapter maketh way now in this and a good part of the next Chapter to the effect of the seuenth Trumpet and last woe which impenitency now iustly bringeth on Now all this preparation euen to the blowing of the seuenth Trumpet Chapter 11. 15. albeit it be to cleare the way yea and hath some no small beginnings of that great woe which by the seuenth Trumpet is fulfilled yet it is comprehended vnder the second great woe according to their distinction by Trumpets because euen in the height of this second great woe these degrees towards the last were working So wisely and artificially is the course of this Prophesie led forward and parts thereof clearely coupled together This preparation then for Antichrist his iust and full ouerthrow vpon obstinate impenitency against the punâ—shment from Euphrates is by a magnifike description of that great partie who foileth him and of the meanes of his victory The party is Iesus Christ heere typically setforth as alwaies throughout this Prophesie not according to the veriry of his person but to expresse his operation in this worke His meanes of victory are the little booke opened and the bold and powerfull preaching thereof and that for Finishing the mystery in the full ouerthrow of the enemies and perfecting the Church in all grace heere as a prepared Bride for her husband whereto hee fitteth â—pt instruments who by diuine motion studying diligently the Scriptures preach euery where the Gospell So as by the true rule rightly applied the true Church of God is discerned from the false and light growing Antichrist his kingdome is in a degree shaken and beginneth to fall and in the seuenth Trumpet is vtterly and for euer destroied 2 Wee haue then in this Chapter the comming of the great personnage performer of this worke and the end of his comming For effectuating wherof prophecy is restored This great persoâ—nage is that stronger one then Satan who foiled him and now after a sort returneth to ouerthrow the beast of his power the Angell of the bottomlesse pit king Apollyon In this personage are to be obserued whence he commeth the forme of his person and his actions Hee commeth from heauen as the aduersary came out of the bottomlesse pit not in propriety of speech as if he personally descended but that he who through antichrist his darkenesse was not seene now againe sheweth himselfe As God is said often in Scripture to depart or hide and againe to shew himselfe The glorious and magnifike forme of his person is shewed in a note of diuine maiesty that he is clâ—athed with a cloude Luke 2â— At the erecting of the tabernacle a cloud filled it So also Salomon his Temple The Lord hath said he will dwell in the cloud Hee gaue his presence to Israel in the wildernesse in a pillar of a cloud Hee maketh the cloudes his Chariot and he went vp in a cloude Secondlie he hath the Rainebow about his head as he whose presence bringeth peace the raies of his face imprinting the seale of peace in the darkest soâ—le and most clowdy conscience The shining of the Sunne against a cloud maketh the Rainbow So Christ whose face shineth like the Sun in his strength Chap. 1 being clothed with a cloud hath conueniently a Rainebow about his head His flesh is the vaile couering his Deity whereof the manefestation therin maketh our peace But heere specially hath hee the Rainebow about his head as comming now to dispel the great deluge of Antichristian darkenesse which shall neuer againe ouerspread the face of the Church more then the waters of Noah shall the earth giuing thus a sure pledge of serenity Chapter 9. Section 5. Thirdly his feet haue two notes They are pillers and they are fire The first for stable firmnesse and solide strength wherein hee now commeth both to stablish his Church in peace and to tread downe all his enemies The fire sheweth with light and purity dispelling darkenesse and purging all vncleannesse yet fiery affliction conioined in this conflict with Antichrist against all which notwithstanding his Church should stand stable as the Pillar of truth He hath fourthly in his hand a little booke open This is the weapon of his victory It is little in comparison to Antichrist his great booke of humane Traditions vnwritten Verities Apocriphe Scriptures Decretals Canons and manifold Legends all ioined and equalled by them in their practise at lest with this booke It is open for that cleere vnderstanding of holy Scripture which now Christ should bring whereas in Antichrist his darkenesse the same was buried in ignorance which with them is the mother of deuotion it being held capitall for common laicke men to read Scripture in vulgar tongue 3 The actions of this great personnage thus furnished are in his gesture and in his voice His gesture is that he set his right foot on the Sea and his left foot on the Land as he who hath power ouer all creatures Who stablisheth the mountaines by his power and appeaseth the noise of the Seas the noise of the waues thereof and the tumults of people Psal 65. His right foot is set on the Sea as whose rage is most terrible and the left on the earth to shew that he is sufficiently furnished with all strength and accordingly vttereth it as for the party opponer is requisit In the 13. Chapter to expresse Antichrist his estate two beasts arrise the one out of the Sea the other out of the Earth These he commeth to vndoe and conueniently therefore setteth his feet in this manner So is his gesture His voice is a loud cry Wherein as the little booke is the weapon of his warfare so the vse and welding of it is heere expressed to wit Preaching Whereof to shew the boldnesse his voice is compared to the reoaring of a Lion And to expresse the power and that perfect accompanying the bold Preaching of the Gospell now restored seuen thunders are said to speake As at the going out of the Gospel in the first seale the first beast hauing the face of a Lion Spake like thunder So now at reuiuing of the Gospel to Antichrist his ouerthrow it shall be accompanied with boldnesse and perfection of of power The great Angell comming downe to fight for Sion and the hill thereof Isai 31 4. Now consider that Christ is heere described according to his vertue working in his seruants whose voice if it be his is bold and powerfull If their voice be as it ought the eccho of his cry it will be like thunder For thunders
Whoore. 181 The Eâ—â—s of Christ as a flame of fire 212 Elders Throne and Beasts 202 Romane Emperors bloody persecuters and how some were forced to honour the Saints 48 The Germaine Emperors 175. 179 The Graecian Emperors 178 The Enemies of the Church in the old and new Testament 104. 145 Example 193 F HOw to iudge of our Fathers in time of Antichrist 136 141 Fire from the Altar of a double effect 60 Fire of Gods spirit of loue and the fire of contention the different companions and effects of the two fires 62 The Fire of Ambition 63 Fire Brimstone and Iacinthe 83 The Fire of Christs feet 86 To haue power ouer Fire 146 How the Fire is mingled with the Sea 150 Christ his eies a flame of Fire 212 The Flood cast out of the Dragon his mouth 109 Flying through the middest of heauen 68. 134. 187 Frogges comming out of the mouthes of the Dragon Beast and false Prophet 161. 162 Their properties 164 Who they are 165 Fulminatrix legio 43 G CHrist his Garment dipt in Blood 214 His neme written on his Garment 216 Our Gate and onely doore to God is lesus Christ 259 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 254 God his seate in his Church his nature and Trinity of that one shadowed by three Iewels 12 His patience 82 Gog and Magog 233 That they are not particularly the Turkes who they are 242. 243. 244. 245 Golden Vials 27. 153 The three Graces of God towards his Church 15 Pope Gregory the seuenth 229 H THe mourning of Hadadrimon 167 Haile for cold preaching 62 For iudgement 99 Heretikes their disposition 66 Haleluiah 200 Harpes 27. 148 Haruest 145 Heauen in opposition to earth throughout this Prophecie is taken for the true Church in opposition to the worldly sort 10 Heauen put for the glory and honour of the great men of the earth 40 Amultitude in Heauen 200 The Heauens cast wide open 211 Hornes 26 Why the Beast is said to haue two hornes like the Lambs seeing to the Lambe are attributed seuen 115 Tenne hornes of the Dragon and of the Beast 123. 179 The difference betweene the tenne hornes Daniel 7. and the tenne hornes Reuel 13. and 17. 179 Why the hornes of the Beast haue crownes and not the hornes of the Dragon 113 Horses 33 The Host of heauen 215 I ALlusion to the fall of Iericho to the fal of Babel 100 Iesuits the origine their busie endeauours their date they are the last puffe of Satan his mouth and of the Vicar of his throne 165 The conuersion of the Iewes 80. 164. 167 But most euidently 168 139 Whether they shall inhabit their owne Landagaine 168 How great a way the Popes fall shall make to their conuersion 169 Their conuersion and ioy vpon his fall 201. 206 Iohn disposed the Canon before his death 269 The Impenitency and Induration of Papists 160. 161 The ordinary degrees of true Illumination 25 How we should looke on the condition of the Church of Israel in the old Testament 245 What is requisite to Iudge righteously 212 A description of the last Iudgement 234. 235 The manner of processe in the last Iudgement how it shall be ledde by that which is written in the bookes and yet according to our workes set foorth not for it selfe or time thereof but to shew the continuall recurelesse and finall destruction of the enemies and goodly state of the Church thereupon holding still one to the last Iudgement and so eternall 236. 237 The yeere or age of that day cannot determinatly bee gathered vpon any ground in Scripture 241 Iulian. 229 K KIngs 194 King of Kings and Lord of Lords 215 The Keies which the Popes haue to wit of the bottomlesse pit 70 Christ and his Ministers haue these same Keies in a farre different sense 221 L THe Lambe of God 27 In what respect the Lambe his slaughter is the reason of his worthinesse 28 The Lambe his mariage 206 Seuen burning Lamps 15 Legio fulminatrix 43 Lightnings thundrings and voices 14 True Light bringeth euer true ioy 24 White Linen apparel 153 Where our Church was before Luther 140 Lions Buls and Cherubins in Salomon his Temple types of the Ministers of the word 18 Two Lions of diuers qualities 24 M MAgeddon or Megiddon 165. 166 Mahomet his time of rising by what meanes he spred his doctrine the swift course of the victories of his successors 82 A Man 42 The face of a Man 17. 78 A Man-childe 106 The number of a Man 126 The measure of a Man 257 Of an Angel 258 The Marriage of the Lambe 206 The soules of the Martyrs cry 77 The Merchants and Merchandize of Rome 195 God euen in wrath remembreth Mercy 60 Ministers of God his word are necessary for begetting in vs the life of God 16 The properties requisite in them 17 The light and feeling that ought to be in them 88 They are the light of the world 188 The degrees of a true inward calling of a Minister 91 The type of the Ministers who were first open contesters with Antichrist in three rankes 133. 134. 135 How they were persecuted 141 True Ministers haue power ouer fire 146 Myracles 151 Christ is our Morning starre 267 Why the Church is called a Mountaine 166 Mourning must goe before ioy 23 The Mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Mageddon 167 The Mystery of God the finishing thereof 88 89 99. 155 What is requisite for the perception of Mysteries 173 A Mystery where of the Author in sobernesse confesses bee dare not determine 12. Another 232. Another 258. N ANtichrist his Name 79 Christ hath a Name which none knoweth but himselfe 213 His Name King of Kings 215 His Name the Word of God 214 To haue the Name written on the garment and one the thigh 216 A New World 241 How Christ reneweth the world 252 The Night for humane sciences 68 Noah his flood semblable to the euil of Antichrist 77 Number of the Elders twenty foure the reason thereof 13 The Number of foure 17. 49 In an other respect 81 The Number of twelue 120. 128 The Number of the name of the Beast 124 The Number of the name of God 125 O VVHat makes the Obduration of Papists 173 Odoacer King of the Heruls 17 Our praiers are Odours 27 How and in whom they are Odours 59 The Order of the Reuelation 32. 142. 153. 232 The great artifice thereof 48. 90. 94. 98. 100. 101 P HOw to iudge of Papists 136. 137. 141 The cause why Papists be so obdured 147 Their vnity 180 Papisticall seducers may be iustly punished by death yea and should be 159 Their impenitency 160. 161 Their desperate sorrow because of the light of the Gospel 161 Christ his feete are Pillars 86 Pharao a type of the Dragon 104 That the Pope is Vicar of Satan his throne 112 That he is the Beast that Antichrist 113 It is also proued by three infallible tokens 183 And by a plaine and forcible argument euinced 185
and becomming Ministers of the Keyes of darkenesse and of Gehenna so great a smoake ouergoeth the whole face of the visible Church as all light therein is eclipsed And out of this darkenesse ariseth that huge mischief of Antichrist in the abominable army hellish head thereof for punishment whereof if so be they could haue beene cured the Mahometan armies are loosed from the East after they had beene a space in God his patience tied vp from their first ranging now againe with Turkish furie to make desolate both by sword and poysonable doctrine the third part of the Earth This sixth euill and second great woe working no repentance but rather further induration in Antichristian workes Chap. 9. A preparation is for Antichrist his full recurelesse certaine and neere approaching ouerthrow Christ in a sort returning with the weapon of his warfare the little booke now open and the bold and powerfull preaching thereof setting thereto fit instruments who by diligent study of scriptures are inablâ—d to preach the Gospell widelie Chap. 10. And being instructed with faculty thereto by assistance of Christ they apply the right rule of examination and thereby find that Antichrist hath long obteined the place and title of the visible Church The true Church all the while larking within the compasse thereof and being secretly intertained with a hid but powerfull dispensation of grace by few vnknowne and albeit afflicted Ministers yet preaching long without great bloodshed till at â—ength Antichrist perceiuing them to apply the rule they are for a space cruelly murthered and barbarously intreated euen with applause thorowout all Antichrist his domination but God stirring vp others in the same spirit who vigorously oppose themselues a visible separation by diuine warrant is made from Antichrist his fellowship and contagion feare taketh him and his followers great commotions ensue thereupon and his Kingdome is in a part weakened This farre preparation and beginnings of his fall hauing wrought on euen in the height of the sixth euill and second great woe vpon men of the Earth then the seuenth Trumpet soundeth to his vtter fall by seuen Vials which it yeeldeth of the last Wrath. The summary effect whereof in a preconceiued ioy vpon the signe giuen is in a gratulatory song of the Church denounced in the end of the 11. Chapter Before the particular explication whereof for more cleering the reason of so huge a ioy of the Church and the equitie of so determinate a iudgement against the enemies according to that cleere sight which the Tabernacle of Testimony now opened in Heauen yeeldeth to God his seruants of the enemies and their dealings a large narration thereof is incerted and thereafter their great and iust destruction summarily aboue denounced is exponed at length Both which parts of story the holy Ghost setteth forth vnder the names of two great signes seene in Heauen The first in the 12. 13. and 14. Chapters the other to the end of the narration The first signe is double in the party assailed and the assailer the assailed party is the Church in her first seed and in her seed of succeeding times The assailing enemy against boâ—h is the Diuell that old Serpent but in different manner Against the Primitiue Church or first seed directly in open rage by his instruments thereof the Roman Emperors first labouring to keepe downe the Church from rising next cruelly persecuting her being raised thirdâ— being restrained from open persecution through that protection the Church got by Constantine the Great Whereby as by wings she was freed from his open rage labouring to drowne her by that inundation of barbarous Nations which neuerthelesse in God his wise disposing prouidence turned to the defacing of that persecuting Empire Yet so as in the time the true Church by degrees passed to the Wildernesse whereto the wings gaue occasion and lurking there was fed as was Israel and Elias no more any true visible face thereof appearing then those three yeeres and an halfe of famin in the daies of Elias or the same space when Antiochus Epiphanes abolished the daily sacrifice and set vp the abomination of desolatioÌ„ in place therof Ch. 12. Satan highly incensed for his misgiuing endeuors against the first seed tak th occasion of this flight of the Church to the Wildernes to bring in roome the Beast of his working and authority by him to make warre against the Church in her seed of succeeding times This Beast is the same kingdom of Rome but vnder the pontificality by lying signes wonders and false pretence of Christ his power so bewitching the world as through voluntary submission of the â—en of the earth thus deceiued the kingdome of Rome vnder it recouereth that ancient glory lustre estimation subiection of Prouinces which it had lost in the deadly wound it got in the fall of Caesars all the earth wondering and following the Beast Chap. 13. All the time of this preuailing euill euen in the greatest height thereof Christ had still his true Church first lurking and albeit not perceptible to the world yet inioying the presence of her head hauing powerfull and plentifull dispensation of grace from him and worshipping him heartily and truly Secondly by degrees breaking out and contesting with Antichrist in great suffering and much bloodshed to the 14. verse of the 14. Chapter Where the Story falling in againe to the same point of time and matter whereat for incerting this interiected narration at blowing of the seuenth Trumpet Chap. 11. it had left off what there in a gratulatory song was summarily denounced the summary execution thereof is here propounded so to bring in the large narration of the effect of the seuenth Trumpet in the seuen Vials thereof to the end of the 14 Chapter This summary proposition is at length handled in the 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. and 20. Chapters and thereupon the gracefull estate of the Church shewed Chap. 21. and 22. And this whole matter is that other great signe seene in heauen hauing the greatnesse of the errand and the disposing of the instruments for execution thereof Chap. 15. The execution in seuen degrees first by discouerie of the filthinesse and hypocrisie of the Beast his characterized followers their persons are despised Secondly their common worship becommeth ahominable Thirdly euen their grounds and chiefe Doctors are seen corrupted deadly and therewith in God his iustice because they had been bloudy murtherers of the Saints they in their course get bloud to drinke Fourthly the still waxing light of the Gospell as the Sunne discouering their darke works burneth them vp with indignation and despite 5. Thus Antichrist his kingdome becommeth contemptible losing much of the wonted lustre and magnificence to the great torment of their minds they euen gnawing their tongues for sorrow Sixthly Peoples tongues and Nations falling from the obedience thereof it is left naked and weake whereby a way is prepared for the Esterne kingdomes and most specially the Iewes sparsed amongst them
were happy but vpon defect hereof they are taxed that hauing a name that they liue they are dead that their works are not perfect in Christ his sight Howsoeuer among them God hath his number whose hearts and liues are answerable to their profession To whom is promised that they shall walke with Christ in white And the rest are warned to repent and watch least he come vpon them in an howre that they know not 10 Philadelphia hath an open dore set before her into which to enter for any humane aide shee is of little strength but what Christ openeth none shal be able to shut and what he shutteth none shall be able to open so that at the feet of this Church notwithstanding her little strength yet the enemies are faine to bow and giue their names And hereupon shee hath the promise to be established as a pillar not to goe out any more and that on her Christ will write his name c. So as to haue this honour permanent to bee Christ his true Church that new Ierusalem from heauen which shall neuer be moued 11 In Laodicea they thinke themselues so setled gifted and strengthned as they become secure and vainely presumptuous This bringeth in a cold indifferency in matters of God his worship men becoÌ„ming Luke warme and neither cold nor hot the very next sexe to plaine Atheisme Christ for soueraigne medicine against this euill calleth vp to his true riches wisdome banquet and hope of his throne whereto we attaine by fighting and ouercomming as did our Head CHAP. IIII. THe second part of this propheticall narration is henceforth to the 6. of the last Chapter of things to fall out after the time wherein Iohn had this reuelation and concerning first and properly the whole militant Church 2 In this is first the preparation of the Apostle to the perception of these mysteries and then the things reuealed The preparation is in the first and beginning of the 2. vers of this Chap. and is by sight by inuiting voice and the euent of both in Iohn 3 In the first besides the thing which he seeth are two circumstances of time and the seer his disposition The time is after the perception of the former things wherein no intermission is to be imagined but onely the order of manifestation noted all being but one continuall trance vpon one and the same Lord his day The seer his disposition is that he yet looked shewing a holy desire and earnestnesse not resting in things already seene but intending still his eies to see more Which disposition beeing in sobriety and sincere affection is neuer fruitlesse in any That which for preparation Iohn seeth is an open doore in heauen a signe of an entrie opened vnto him to the sight of heauenly things which neither are earthly nor of earthly mindes comprehended Thus Iohn Baptist saw the heauens opened so did Stephen the first Martyr Iacob vpon such a sight called Lâ—z Bethel the house of God and gate of heauen and the Lord most plainely shewing what by this frame of speech is meant when hee would tell of a more plentifull dispensation and sight of heauenly things hereafter saith he yee shall see the heauens open 4 In the inuiting voice are two what the voice was euen one and the same of a trumpet which first spake to him Chap. 1. And next what the voice vttered wherein is the commandement and end thereof The commandement is Come vp hither whereby is required in Iohn and all hearers and readers hereof a rising aboue themselues from the earth and all earthly affections to enter at the doore opened by God to see his secrets For as God his true Church consisteth of such as are not of the world so neither is God his dispensation towards them neither their gracefull state thereby to naturall and worldly men perceptible And heereof it is that throughout this Prophesie heauen in opposition to the earth is taken for the state of the true Church as the earth is for the worldly sort The end of the commandement is that he might shew him things which must bee done heereafter which sort of things are most difficile to know and yet we must desire to vnderstand But the Lord doth nothing but that he reuealeth to his seruants the Prophets 5 The euent in Iohn cleereth the end of the commandement This euent is he is rauished in spirit not as if this were an other trance the former being past but to shew a further intending of spirit and degree of rauishment now requisite for perception of more hidde and retired matters then were the former which were first properly of things then in earth existeÌ„t concerned particular and visible Churches whereas the things following are not only future but concern first and properly the whole militant which with the eies of faith we must behold as also her condition And this is to all flesh impossible to whom God openeth not heauen yea and whom he bringeth not vp and to whom he sheweth not the same when they are come thither For in these matters before we enter in the Lord his Sanctuary wee are but beasts Psalm 73. 17. 22. 6 This is the preparation The things offered to Iohn his perception follow thorow the rest of the booke and haue two parts For as the whole concerneth chiefly the state of God his Church and God his administration in grace towards her and wrath against her troublers so before the story of speciall euents is put in this and the next Chapter a goodly vision of the generall condition of God his Church and his administration for and towards her As we see in the beginning of the prophesie of Ezechiel the like vision of God his generall administration in the world and as before the first part of this propheticall narration a vision was put to shew the operation of Christ in his Church The first part then of the two is in this and the next Chapter and may well be called a generall introduction to the speciall story The other part hath the story of speciall euents to the 6. of the last Chapter 7 In the introduction are first a goodly type of the Church militant as in and against all troubles it hath and euer shall stand stable through God her King in the midst of her resident and his generall dispensation towards her gratious and for her terrible in this Chapter And next his particular dispensation of this present reuelation and things therein for her instruction and comfort the excellent dignity of which particular benefit is by many arguments shewed in the 5. Chap. And both these are here for great vse The first for stablishing the heart of Iohn and all Christians against the manifold dangers wrestlings decaies and apparent eclipses of the Church in the course of the subsequent story by setting downe in type such a state thereof as whereto alwaies at least with the eie of faith wee
this is that prerogatiue which the Lambe hath the third point which I shewed was to bee obserued in the Elder his information in these words Hee hath obtained c. And great reason is there why his slaughter should bee of such merite For the onely begotten sonne of God died and none tooke his life from him but hee willingly gaue it as who had power to lay it downe and take it againe The effect and fruit of his slaughter is our Redemption which is amplified first by that which buying implyeth albeit not put here expresly that is our wretched state from which hee redeemed vs for Redemption of necessity presumeth bondage and miserable was our bondage Secondly to whom wee are redeemed to God Thirdly by what price neither gold nor siluer nor any corruptible thing no bloud of Goates or Bullockes but by his owne that is God his bloud Fourthly is the large extension of his benefit euen to all peoples kindreds tongues and nations not as that of the Paschall Lambe in Egypt to Israel onelie Neither thus for that all of all peoples c find the fruit but the elected of all Therefore it is said thou hast redeemed vs out of all c. The fift and last point amplyfying the effect of the slaughter is to what condition estate wee are redeemed euen to be Kings and Priests to raigne euen here vpon earth where we haue the kingdome of grace vnder hope of that of glory Now by all these consider if his slaughter be not of great worth why hee onely should obtaine to take the booke c. and therefore alone to haue the praise of it In all this song and tenor of it are diuers infallible Arguments that these foure beasts bee no Angels but Saints redeemed as this whole type is euidently of the Church militant and not of any state in heauen 7 Thus was the song of the foure beasts and twenty foure Elders the Angels in course sing the next part in whom are notable three things Their place their number and their song Their place is about the throne beasts and elders for two respects one of protection and defence The Angels of the Lord pitch round about them who feare him as ministring Spirits for the good of the Elect. The other respect is in the Church and by the Church to behold and learne the manifold wisdome of God For they desire to looke in these thinges And this is one maine point of the mysterie of godlines that God in the flesh is seene of Angels To whome the Church for God his wonderfull dispensation in and towards her is the clearest looking glasse of God his infinite wisdome Whereupon that reason is brought by Paul for women their modest carriage in the church For the Angels This should much stirre vs to a carefull beholding of that whereby euen the Angels are made wise and to a deepe consideration of our dignity and care of our wayes whom God hath made looking Glasses to the Angels Their number first is set downe indefinite in the word many Next in a definite but huge number to shew innumerable Angels and God the onely Lord of hostes all set for defence of his Church for both their place and number consider the story of Elisha and his seruant In their Song is shewed their earnest affection to the Lambes praise as which they sing with a loud voice Next is the Lambe his worthinesse to receiue all praise whereof they giue him seuen points as he hath seuen horns and eyes First power or authority for hee hath all in heauen and earth With authority are requisite riches These hee hath as who is abundantly rich towards all that beleeue is the riches of God in vs and onely hath gold tried by fire to enrich the poore Now authority and riches without wisdome are but the weapons of mischiefe in the hands of a foole But hee hath also all wisdome with wisdome strength so as nothing is lacking to him or can let him to performe what him pleaseth therefore of all to bee honoured in all things to haue the glory of all things to report the praise Next to the Angels all Creatures sing their part of whom a perfect enumeration is put as verse 3. and in their song they affirme what the Angels had sung before them This they haue singular that to the Lambe they ioyne him who sitteth on the throne to shew that they are one and their praise one That singing of praise is attributed to vnreasonable and insensible Creatures it is the ordinarie frame of Scripture speech to shew that all things in their owne kind praise God and that not onely for that the glory of God Creator and Administrator of all is in them set forth but also for that after a sort they reioice for the redemption of the sonnes of God hoping therby to bee freede from the vanity whereto they are subiect through the sin of man and vnder which they groan together with vs. The last passage is sung by these who first raised the song wherin as the angels ioined him who sitteth on the throâ—e with the Lambe so these to shew the vnity and that in praising both they praise but that one eternall liuing God they giue all praise to him who liueth for euermore Now in this course and order of singing wee haue to obserue that as the benâ—fite belongeth first and properly to the beasts and elders that is the Church so they beginne the song The Angels who gather matter of praise out of beholding the church succeed in singing Hereupon all Creatures in their kind reioyce for certainely this type hath a true relation the Church lastly closeth the song to shew that as from them it ought to be ginne whereby all the rest may magnifie God so the singing of the rest should serue the Church for a new vpstirring to insist in his praise And truely it is a great shame that all both Angels and other Creatures should ioy at our good and wee remaine senselesse and that the very senslesse creatures should groane vnder the burden of our sinne longing for our full redemption and wee bee nothing moued And a huge sinne is it in place of raising the song of God his praise and stirring all both Angels and other Creatures to the same duty when we marre all that heauenly melody grieue the good spirit of God contrist the Angels who ioy at the conuersion of one sinner and in place of gladnesse make all both senselesse and sâ—ikelesse Creatures to groane for griefe of ingratitude CHAP. VI. THe generall introduction was in the two preceding Chapters hence is the story of speciall euents prophetically foretold and that by proponing the same vnder goodly and conuenient types of all which as they are closed vp from the knowledge of all creatures the sealed book in the right hand of God was the type like as the reuelation
the true Church of God worshipping him in truth 9 Thus is the victory now their gracefull state hereupon is shewed in a freedome from all euill and affluence of all good and that through God his presence and protection and the Lambe his gracious dispensation set out in so goodly a manner as many thinke the things here promised to bee of the Kingdome of glory but here in magnifike termes the goodly state of the Church is expressed according as for plenty of light peace shee shall bee vpon the destruction of Antichrist and all open enemies heâ—e in the Kingdome of grace no description of the glory to 〈◊〉 reuealed in heauen which neither the eye can see nor the eare heare nor heart of man conceiue and in heauen is no such dispensation of the Lambe as here is noted who then shall surrender the Kingdome to his Father that God may bo all in all As in Antichrist his preuailing the state of God his Church was shewed in the 144000. and the Church victorious ouer him now discouered and going to destruction in the number innumerable and their victorious gesture so here the goodly state of the Church now free of all inuasion or bondage and hauing plenty of light and quiet state is magnifickly expressed and yet but in such frame of speech as is ordinary in the Prophets for such cases This state of the Church is largely handled in the end of this booke as the first in the hid and sealed ones is in the sixe trumpets and the victory in the seuenth and seuen Vials thereof Now as I haue said according to the phrase of the Prophets these blessings are set forth vnder things corporall and amplisied each by remouing the contrarie euill They shall not hunger for the Lambe shall feed them they shall not thirst for hee shall leade them to the fonntaines of waters they shall feele no burning for God shall ouershadow them c. the ouershadowing is from the cloud in the wildernesse for the leading and feeding see and weigh Psal 23. a profession of these graces which the man of God felt See Iohn 4. 13. and 6. 27. c. It is maruaile how men acquainted with the ordinary stile of Scripture should haue drawne this to any other sense but hereof more vpon the 21. and 22. Chapters This state is in these few words expressed Chapter 19. The Bride is prepared And accordingly in all her goodly ornaments shewed to Iohn Chap. 21. CHAP. VIII THe sixth seale being opened first was exhibited the proper euent thereof in the end of the sixth Chapter and in the seuenth Chapter a summarie view giuen for strengthning hearts against the terrour thereof of the whole matter of the seuenth seale which heere now is opened and speciall euents thereof declared through the rest of all this propheticall narration Of these wee haue first a generall preparation and next the perticular execution The preparation hath an incident effect immediatly following vpon the opening of the seale which is Silence about halfe an houre To shew an attent expectation of great things whereto well the portending of them in the former Chapter might haue erected the mindes And the waiting for rare or fearefull euents worketh a silent attendance When the wise speake then all keepe silence and when the Lion roareth all the beasts of the forrest hold their peace Besides this great things commonly come foorth with processe and preparation And truly God who is slow to wrath is in a sort forced to poure out heauie indignation 2 After this incident effect is the preparation in the ministers and in the orderer of the whole errand The ministers are described by their nature Angels Quality ministering Spirits as who stand before God Luke 1. And instruments of ministration Trumpets In the instruments are noted two things First that they are trumpets and secondly that they are giuen to them That the instruments are trumpets it sheweth that their ministry in this ensuing matter is to be sounders of the alarume and giuers of the figne for inuasion of the world by each woe as al 's many armies of him who is Lord of hosts as also that they are denouncers that of great and weighty matter For Trumpeters are messengers of great things and but for great personages In this also is implied that the end of their ministry and of these iudgements denounced and executed is to waken vp the dead world to repentance or make it inexcusable against finall wrath See the end of Chapter 9. Therefore when the world is not wakened with Trumpets it feeleth iustly full cups of wrath tumbled out That these Trumpets are giuen to the Angels it sheweth them to doe nothing without special warrant and mandate 3 Thus are the ministers the master and orderer of the errand is described by his office and his actions His office that he is an Angell for that is heere the name of office and not of nature And this angell differeth farre from the other seuen for he is the Angell of the couenant cleerely by all his notes He standeth as the other seuen for hee also in some respect is a minister but hee hath a particular stand which is at the Altar as High Priest He is furnished also with an instrument but which is proper to the Priest and belonging to the most holy place to wit the golden Censer He hath also somewhat giuen to him but a rare gift that is Many odors whereby all the praiers and of all Saints is acceptable For by him we offer vp sacrifices to God In the fifth Chapter the praiers of Saints are called Odors and heere the odours are distingushed from the praiers onely to shew how it is and in whom that they are odors that is acceptable to God These odours are said to be giuen him according as he acknowledgeth all things to be giuen him of the Father as he who is both sealed and sanctified and as mediator hath receiued the spirit without measure This is by allusion to the Leuiticall ministrie and not to the Masse 4 His actions are two one of gracious dispensatioÌ„ another of wrath as hee who is both the propitiation for Saints trcader of the winepresse of Gods indignation both an elect precious stone and a stone of offence And our consolation heerein is great that to him all iudgement is committed His action of grace is the offering vp of the Saints praiers and making the gratefull smoke of them goe vp before God through his odors and this hath a double consolation first that God alwaies in the midst of wrath remembreth mercy and is neuer so carried in wrath to poure out heauy indignation on the sinful world but that the louing care of his elect commeth first in place secondly that the praiers of Saints haste on indgement on the world while they send vp sighes and groanes for God his dishonour a great incouragement to prav If Israel had
the Gospell and by the powerfull and wide preaching thereof gathering of his Church and defeating darkenesse hee will raise first in mens harts a loue of knowledge and of the booke of God who thereupon by his motion shall study the same most diligently as eating it with appetite and shall finde in studying it exceeding sweetnesse and spirituall ioy to their soules and letting it as it were downe in their stomachs and filling their bellies with it they shall bee so filled as not able to containe it they must burst foorth though the preaching thereof beget them of the world great trouble and many teares For all this frame of speech see Ezech. 2. and 3. and Ierem. 15. and 20. and withall obserue herein the distinct degrees of a true inward calling whereof none can be lacking in the true minister of Christ First a loue of God and of the knowledge of his word begotten in the heart by diuine motion 2 A heart to pray for light 3 A diligent and carefull study of Scripture 4 A sweet delight and taste found therein of spirituall ioy to their owne soules Now all these any good Christian may haue but to make a Pastor thou must also find the last that is bitternesse of belly The accommodation of this is so cleare in story of these whom God thus first stirred vppe to the loue of learning and by whom the true light both of diuine and humane sciences was restored so as Antichrist was discouered and noted for the man of sinne that it needeth not here to be inlarged Reade the story and accommodations of Writers on this place CHAP. XI HEere the effect in some degree is shewed of that which typically was spoken of Iohn in the last verse of the former Chapt. in that the little booke being eaten giueth to the eaters a faculty to discern the true Church from the false by assistance and instigation of the great Angel who giueth it And this is by applying the rule and measure thereof sound and straight as a reede strong apt and maniable as a rod and as Aaron his rod which deuoured the rods of the Inchanters whereby the body of the true Church is found to bee small as the Temple in comparison of the Court and City and hid as the Temple wherein none entred but the Priests as a small center in the midst of a large circumference and closed vp within it The Ministers in number few beeing but two the smallest of numbers and yet sufficient for witnessing of a truth In calling witnesses and of diuine things being Prophets and standing before God In condition afflicted as doing it in sackecloth in much heauinesse and many teares In this condition yet hauing great and diuine power towards the Temple dispersing plentie of grace as oliues and true light as candlestickes and outward hauing vengeance in readinesse against all disobedience as Elias and Moses hauing nor vsing against their enemies no armour but spirituall and that for the space of a 1260. daies al the while the Gentils occupy the Court and holy City and tread them vnder foot that is all the time Antichrist possesseth the name and title of the visible Church defacing and downe treading therein true worshippe which therefore is cast out and hath not with God the account of his true Church now-onely closed vp within the Temple The frame of speech is from the Iewes Temple thereby to expresse the condition of the Christian Church vnder and within the compasse of Antichrist vsurping the title and glorying in multitude and visibility who therefore after the same frame of speech hath with his false Church the name of Gentiles obtaining a good space the whole City Court of the Temple euen that beast who worketh 42. moneths Chapt. 13. All which time God had his owne Church albeit small and not seene of men euen within the bowels of the Antichristian vsurpation as the Temple is within the City and Court. Which true Church hee intertained in the life of God by a hidde but powerfull dispensation of grace of a secret vnknowne and small number of true Ministers Whose state and condition in course of time and Antichrist his opposition is threefold First they prophesie long and powerfully and albeit in sackcloth yet without bloudshed beeing hid in the Temple Secondly the Angel of the bottomelesse pit King Abaddon smelling them out they are openly murthered and cruelly and barbarouslie intreated euen with applause and congratulation of the world in all parts of the Antichrist his power the great City so as they seemed to bee vtterly vndone and extinguished and the earth and earthly men thereupon reioysed as freed of them who by the light reprooued their darke workes and thus tormented them not as the Locusts tormented men Chap. 9. But as Elias and Micheas did Ahab Ieremias the Land and Amos Israel Thirdly the spirit of life from God which neuer can be killed for the truth can neuer be bound raiseth them that is others hauing the same spirit and power who stand vp on their feet that is stoutly and vigorously set themselues to fight against Antichrist so as hee shall then beginne to be affraid and his former great mirth shall be troubled and that so much the more when hee and his sectators shall see to their great both griefe and feare these few hid afflicted slaine mocked ones of whom they thought they had beene rid for euer by diuine calling called vp to heauen that is separated from the fellowship and all communion with Antichrist and his earthly sort to bee with account protection acknowledged and seene the true Ministers of God his true Church which now from vnder Antichrist his darkenesse vnder which it lay vailed as the Temple within the Court shall become visible in a degree euen to the enemies Whereupon immediately ensueth a great commotion and stirre so as a part of Antichrist his kingdome falleth and the power thereof is much impaired by ouerthrow of a great number and conuersion of others And thus way is made to the seuenth trumpet wherein not a part but all Babel falleth an eternall fall 2 Consider now how distinctly and clearly â—heere Antichrist his whole dealing in the diuers degrees thereof and the true Church her case all the while is euen painted out before the eies of any that is not blinde So great light commeth by the little booke eaten and rod applied The first of the three conditions was of the Church before this time of application of the rod but the measuring and finding it out is of this time The other two conditions come now vpon this applying of the rod by such as through eating the little booke were inabled thereto which Antichrist perceiuing they are killed and lie dead c. And as for course of time and story this Chapter is orderly put so also exceeding pertinently for order of matter For where by the restoring of prophesie in the last Chapt.
it might bee presumed that no true Church could bee before seeing that where no prophesie is the people perish and this doubt might greatly trouble the resolution of a godly soule for clearing this doubt and shewing how alwaies euen in the midst of Antichristian darkenesse when no such thing appeared to the eies of men yet the rodde rightly applyed made the applyers to see that God alwaies had a true Church in which was a dispensation of grace though vnseene And this Church breaking out first in few and outwardly weake persons albeit it receiued so hard entertainement by Antichrist as it seemed euen vtterly extinguished in the rising yet still it preuailed by euident degrees till manifestly at last the Temple was opened in heauen and the Arke of the Testimony seene The accommodation hereof sheweth it self and the two last cases are so much the more cleare as they were seen and are of recent memory To cleare the first state and secret dispensation of grace and light when it appeared impossible a speech is taken from Zacharie and hauing allusion to the Temple of Ierusalem as hath all this Allegory For as light in the Temple by burning lampes of the Candlesticke was ordinarily entertained through bringing in oyle dayly to keepe them burning so the Temple being closed and not onely the City but euen the Court of the Temple except through which no passage was thereto being possessed and trod downe so long of the Gentiles it might appeare impossible that any light could hee preserued in the Temple thus closed and compassed Therefore in this estate God compareth the Ministers of grace to two oliue trees growing vp by the sides of the Candlesticke within the Temple and letting drop from their branches oile in the lamps Oh how sweetly the spirit expresseth that which the foolish world can neuer learne while still they cry where was your Church Neither by an Armie neither by strength but by my spirit saith the Lord. 3 For more clearing of this matter as before Chapter 9. in the time of fiue Monethes the state of the Locusts and their working was much cleared so here to the whole rage of Antichrist during which the Lord had still his owne witnesses a time is attributed that by comparing the places and cases from which this time is taken and to which the holy Ghost here purposely allâ—â—â—th wee may learue great wisdome And to leade vs hereto wee haue not onely the like time but also the like speeches the spirit as it were pointing to vs whither hee will haue vs to goe The time then attributed to Antichrist his whole rage is forty two monethes all one with the 1260. dayes of the two Witnesses prophesying to shew that all that time God had them and continually therefore is the time counted by dayes and all one with the time times and halfe a time of the woman her abode in the wildernesse Chapter 12 all alike making vp halfe a weeke of yeeres or three yeeres and a halfe And thus the spirit counting one and the same time by all the spaces of time yeeres monethes and dayes to shew euidently that the yeeres are of monethes and both yeeres and monethes are of dayes as also that the dayes are properly to be taken it is wonder how learned men could haue so farre mistaken them Now in all the Scripture wee shall not find a condition of the Church with any circumscription of time answerable in condition and points of Antichrist his dealing here pointed at that is wherin the true worship is so defaced as in place thereof a false worshippe is erected and truth trod vnder foot but the two here alluded to as in the speeches brought hither from both is more then manifest of treading vnder the holy City prophesying in sacke killing with fire shutting of heauen that it raine not c. The one is of the time of Elias his lurking and famine vpon Israel three yeeres a halfe when God his worshippe was ouerthrowne his Prophets killed and worshippe of Baall erected no true Church appearing to bee left in Israel euen to the Prophet who yet all the while tormented the aduersaries no rain comming but at his word The other is that of remouing the dayly sacrifice by Antiochus Epiphanes and the abhomination of desolation set vp in place thereof for a time times and halfe a time Dan. 7. 25. so long our Sauiour vnder great affliction and contempt preached in the dayes of his flesh euen halfe a weeke and was â—ast out of the Synagogue the Priests Scribes and Pharisees all the while obtaining the name and account of the true Church To the second condition of these witnesses in this whole rage of Antichrist are attributed three dayes and a halfe that is halfe a weeke of dayes as the whole is of yeeres onely to keepe thus the allusion to the halfe weeke but so as therein to imply this consolation that howsoeuer the whole time of Antichrist were long which yet should haue an end as had these miserable times of Iezâ—bel and Antiochus and that all that long time the true witnesses should bee in affliction and heauinesse yet that time of cruell and open murthering and barbarous ferity should bee but short as is halfe a weeke of dayes in comparison to half a week of yeeres And this in story is most cleare For as their cruell and open murthering beganne with the reuiuing and new breaking out of the Gospell what time Sathan was loosed the second time Chapter 20. And the beast became of his colour Chapter 17. So as the truth preuaileth by increase of light they are faine to relent though nothing in malice and rage which groweth more and more they euen blaspheming and gnawing their tongues for sorrow yet from vnbrideled libertie in murthering the Saints in this degree To the last condition is attributed no circumscription of time because it is the beginning of that victory to the Saints fall to Babell which shall haue no end of time For right vnderstanding of these times see more Chapt. 9. Sect. 5. as likewise for this that here is said The second woe is past see there Sect. 8. Now here is well to bee considered that what in this Chapter is shewed of Antichrist his rage against the Church and her suffering by him is here handled but by the way and not of purpose to shew that Story which commeth in the 12. 13. and 14. Chapters but onely so farre as was requisite for clearing the story of the witnesses how the world is plagued by them which is here the scope of the spirit See vpon Chap. 14 Sect. 10. 4 Thus was the sixth Trumpet and the second great woe followeth the seuenth to which we see how faire a way is made in the sixth to make vs vnderstand that euen in time of the second woe and greatest height thereof by the Mahometanes let loose againe from their binding this last woe was working in such
degrees as haue beene shewed as in like manner in the sixth seale was giuen a view of the mischiefe of the Trumpets to learne vs that euen then before the ouerthrow and shaking of the Empire the mystery of iniquity was working And in all God sheweth his power and prouidence that euen with the sinne and wickednesse of men hath his iudgements preparing long before for their due punishment in time Now maruaile not that here that which is to the Saints chiefe ioy is a woe to the World for our victory is the worldes ruine 5 Vpon the blowing of the seuenth Trumpet the effect thereof is in the rest of this Chapter summarily denounced by a gratulatory song of praise of the Church to God for the ioyfull effect to them though wofull to the world which now they preconceiue is to ensue And this effect summarily here denounced is through the rest of all the Propheticall narration exponed at large The summe and matter of their fong which stirreth them to thanksgiuing is in this that God now raigneth And this raigne is cleared by two great effects the one is the destruction of all enemies the other is a sequell hereof the good estate of God his children the time of whose reward now is come The Iustice of God in the destruction is shewed in that these enemies were angrie and had in their fury destroyed the earth and murthered the Saints so as now God had iust reason to be angry in his course and to iudge and reuenge his dead fully on the world by prosecuting still his now begunne wrath and iudgements against the aduersaries till they be closed vp in euerlasting torment and redressing the estate of his Church in continuall deliuerance and encrease of grace till as a Bride fully prepared shee be receiued to glorie all being here performed now in the dayes of this Trumpet whatsoeuer by the Prophets was foretold either of the Church her perfection in grace and peaceable state or of the enemies destruction And this is that finishing of the mysterie sworne Chapter 10. this is that vengeance promised to the slaine soules in the 5. Seale but which they were to attend till the rest of Saints were slaine and this the Gentiles in their anger hauing performed hauing trod downe the holy City euen that beast that worketh forty two monethes making warre with the Saints and ouercomming them Chapter 13. Now the Lord commeth in great indignation to repay the world their cruelty This double euent thus denounced is by figne also forshewed to signifie the rising of the Church in great light and deepe sight of the most hid mysteries the Tabernacle is open in heauen and the Arke which stood in the most holy place is openly seene Here is a great degree of knowledge In the end of the sixt Trumpet was a great measure euen that first visible separatiō from Babel and her earthly ones when to the witnesses it was said Come vp hither but her clearenesse of light is aduanced greatly and the truth hereof is euident All praise to him who hath taken his Kingdome for since the seuenth Trumpet began to blow the Antichristian kingdome thinketh light of the sixt Trumpet and now this is their heauiest woe as wil appeare in the effects of the Vials but it is our song The signe of the other effect in the destruction of the enemies and God his horrible iudgements to that end are thunderings lightnings voices earthquake and much haile See vpon Chapter 4. Sect. 10. thus Babel whereof but the tenth part fell at the first essayes in the time of the sixth Trumpet now at the sound of the seuenth taketh a totall ruine as did Ierico at the seuenth Trumpet for to that is the allusion CHAP. XII THe seuenth Trumpet sounding the effect thereof was summarily foreshewed in a congratulatorie song signes expressing the maine points of the euent to ensue in the end of the last Chapter Now hence through this Booke to the generall conclusion of al that is largely and particularly exponed in the story of two great wonders or signes in Heauen The first in the 12. 13. and 14. Chapters the other thence to the end The first signe or wonder hath the story of the enemies and condition of God his Church oppressed by them in some degrees comming out vnder that bondage The second hath the story of full victory in the perfect ouerthrow of the aduersaries and the Church her goodly and gracefull state thereupon The first in the 12. 13 and 14. Chapters is of one time with that story which in the fixe seales and sixe trumpets of the seuenth hath beene shewed but yet is not the same And where it would appeare to haue but one and the same matter yet the purpose and respect of handling is much different wherof see more vpon Chapter 14. Sect. 10. And here this Narration commeth exceeding fitly both for time and matter For time because albeit it be of things fallen out before the seuenth Trumpet yet so cleare a sight of them was not got till vpon the blast of it the Tabernacle of testimony opened in heauen afforded to God his children a more plaine sight of the enemies their course successe of working For matter because that vpon the souuding of the seuenth Trumpet so great a ioy of the Church vttered in such a song vpon preception of so great a deliuerance to her selfe and destruction of her enemies requireth for cleare vnderstanding thereof and how great the worke is that these enemies be knowne and their dealings and to endeare the more to the Church her owne deliuerance that her troubles and wrestlings with these enemies bee also seene that so both the equity of the former iudgements and specially of this last and finall wrath to come on them may bee cleare Till now the Story hath beene of wrath vpon the world from which the sealed ones were free the Church her sufferings nothing or but sparingly touched the Story of the Witnesses Chapter 11. being deliuered but as they were a Woe vpon the world but now in these three subsequent Chapters the Story of the Church her sufferings and of the parties by whom vpon whome and for which came all the former woes and now finall wrath is denounced is most pertinently both for time and matter inserted The not aduerting of this purpose of the holy Ghost hath bredde to many in reading this Booke great obscurity while they tooke not vppe the sweet and plaine way thereof so ledde as falling in againe in the end of the soureteenth Chapter to the point where it left in the end of the eleuenth for inserting of this necessary Story the summary execution is their preponed of that which in the end of the eleuenth Chapter was summarily denounced And so in the second great Wonder or Signe seene in Heauen throughout the fifteene sixeteene seuenteene eighteene nineteene and twenty Chapters this effect of the seuenth Trumpet as touching the
destruction of enemies and Church her victory is largely exponed and in the twenty one and twenty two as touching her gracefull and peaceable state thereupon 2 The first wonder or signe is double according as therein the enemies inuaders and partie assailed are expressed The party assailed is the woman and her seed first and last The assailing enemy is the Dragon by himselfe openly and by his Lieutenant the beast of his power couertly Against the woman and her first seede is set the Dragon directly in this Chapter Against her in her other seed the beast of his power throne and authority in the next Chapter This is that warre proclaimed in Paradise In this Chapter are first the description of the parties by their habit and disposition to doe Secondly the euent which maketh way to the next enemy in the next Chapter The party assailed is the woman in habit clothed with the Sunne treading the Moone crowned with twelue Starres In disposition of present endeuour big with child trauelling pained and crying through paine The assailing party for habit is a great redde Dragon hauing seuen heads crowned tenne hornes and a taile His endeauour to doe is he casteth stars from heauen with his taile and standeth before the woman to deuoure her child with his heads 3 The euent hereof is according to the ordinary forme of Scripture first Summarilie proponed in the 5. and 6. verses And next thenceforth more largely cleered And this euent is double The childe is borne and exalted and the woman flieth In the summarie proposition of this double euent the childe his quality dignity and exaltation to high estate is proponed and the womans flght by the place whither her condition in it and time of this her condition is described 4 Hauing thus summarily in the 5. and 6. verses proponed this double euent he sheweth after how it fell out and by what meanes And first how it came that the childe so narrowly watched and by so strong an enemie yet not onely escapeth but is exalted to great honour This of the childe commeth by a great battell in heauen wherein are the Captaines of either side their Armies and the euent of the conflict The Generall Captaine of the one side is Michael his Armie are his Angels The Captaine and Army opposite are the Dragon and his Angels The euent of their conflict is the Dragon is foild and the degree of the foile is that he and his Angels are so deiected as they haue no more place in heauen This is cleared by two contrary effects The one in the heauenlie Citizens of ioy the other in the Dragon of rage The ioy of the heauenly Citizens is set foorth in their song of victory which victorie is amplified by the greatnesse cruelty subtiltie maliciousnesse enmity and peruerse diligence of the Dragon who is ouercome by the noblenesse of the victorie for the price of it by the Souldiers constant suffering to attaine it which endeareth it the more and lastly by the miserable condition of the earthlie sort through this his foile Thus is declared how the child escaped and was exalted Next is shewed how the second part of the generall euent that is the womans flight did come The Dragon his rage for his foile and misgiuing endeauour against the Childe stirreth him to peisecute the woman Thereupon shee flieth being healped thereto by the meanes giuen her of two winges Of that great Eagle And her flight heere as before in the summarie proposition is cleered by the place of her retrait her condition there and the time thereof This rage of the Dragon against the woman hath two degrees The first is hee persecuteth her wherethrough shee is brought to flie by the meanes giuen her of the winges The second degree is his endeuour for her ouerthrow in her flight the floud cast out against her This double rage is eluded the first by the wings the second by the helpe of the earth which swalloweth the flood This generall euent of all this misgiuing endeauour against childe and woman worketh in the Dragon increase of rage whereby he is stirred to make warre against the rest of her Seede Against these hauing misgiuen in his open dealing against her first seede he stirreth vp that beast whose rising and working to behold Iohn standeth on the Sea shoare 5 I haue ioined together and at length the resolution of this Chapter the mistaking whereof in my iudgement hath marred all the accommodation heere and much obscured all the rest of this Prophesie The right accommodation shall yet bee the more cleare if wee obserue after what manner in this Prophesie the holy Ghost describeth the enemies of the Church and whence the whole frame of speech in this Chapter is taken First then the course of the Church her sufferings and her enemies by whom is framed to the course of the old Testement wherein the first great enemie was Phaaro The second great foe was Babel and these Beastes in Daniel Of which the last extreme enemy was Gog and Magog euen the Kings of Syria and of them most of all Antiochus Epiphanes To these their enemies and the old Churches sufferings by them that heere in the story of the Christian Church her foes and sufferings the Spirit alludeth it is most cleare To moue vs to compare and finde not onely light heere but to see also that these former were stamps of greater things to come Now all the speech of this Chapter is from the state of the Church in Egypt which in her infancy there was as a woman big with childe and crying through cruell burdens Pharao that great Dragon euen that great Leniathan first wrought wisely with them as with his taile and next stood cruelly ready to deuoure all her Male Children But Michael fought for them and in the blood of the lambe they ouercame and all the first borne of Egypt are slaine The Church flieth as carried vpon Eagles winges to the wildernesse where she is fed with Manna In her flight the Dragon Pharao minded to haue drowned her in the redde Sea but the earth helped her for earthlie Pharao and his earthly Army dranke vp that floud And all this is to make vs vnderstand by conformity of case that here the first great enemie and sufferings of the Christian Church in her infancy are set forth 6 The woman is the Primitiue Apostolike Church glorious in the cleare light of the sunne of righteousnesse whom she put on for her wisdome and iustification Treading all borrowed spotted changeable transitory and light things vnder foot glorying onely in the light ministred by the twelue Apostles which is her crowne Shee is big with childe of all peoples whom she was begetting to God through obedience of faith in Christ For her great troubles and sufferings she is said to be in trauelling and to cry of paine trauelling in birth of all nations till Christ should be formed in thē The speech is
efsectuateth this great point To wit by signes and wonders which were permitted him to doe and thereby to deceiue the earth wherein he seemed to match Moses and Elias in master points That whereto by all this deceite hee induceth the earth and men thereof is to make vp the image of the Beast which had the deadly wound and liued Which he worketh so luckily that hee giueth spirit and speech to the Image and obtaineth thereto worship of Nations vnder paine of death and subiection to receiue the Beast his marke in worke or profession as his proper good and and vnder paine of confiscation of goods and interdiction of all humane commerce that all of all estates rankes and conditions should receiue his marke or beare his name or at least be accounted of his number so making vp the whole body and frame of his Kingdome Which in respect of the number of his name comprehending all the sorts of his followers will appeare to any who is not indued with heauenly wisdome to count it so large so faire so perfectly and proportionably builded and stablished as he will vndoubtedly bee ouercome thereby And yet who is wise to count it will find it to be but a man his number and none of God his building And the number to be counted is 666. 4 That these beasts are the state of Rome all sound Interpreters agree But in what time and of what policy there is great disagreement That which hath bred greatest difficulty in accommodation is because that the two Beasts heere set foorth are taken of all men to bee diuers or at least of diuers time and condition whereas they are both one And are heere distinctly and diuersly set downe by the spirit onely for cleere explication as in the deduction shall be made plaine The common opinion that the first Beast is the heathen state of Rome vnder persecuting Emperours and the second the Popedome cannot consist with the cleare notes of this first Beast proper to Popedome The first note is the attire of his heads and hornes Rome in the persecuting Emperours as they were the ministers of Satan his open wrath is noted by seuen heads and tenne hornes of the Dragon but so as the heads onely are crowned The hornes that is the Prouinciall gouernments vnder them and wherein was their strength hauing no Crownes because the roiall and soueraigne gouernment was then onely in the heads of the state so designing the Emperours of that time But this Beast heere hath his hornes Crowned to shew that the proppes of his power are crowned Kings as Chapter 17. is exponed plainely that they are Kings which had not as then receiued a Kingdome Whereby is manifest that the tenne hornes as they are crowned were not in Iohn his time neither this beast as it hath crowned hornes The beast indeed was before in the fiue heads who were fallen he was not in the state heere described for he was to rise out of the bottomlesse pit and yet euen then he was in the state of the sixth head that is the Caesars by curing of whose deadly wound in the Pontificalitie erected the Popedome afterward became the liuely image that is the state of Rome vnder the Popes a liuely image of the state of Rome before And therefore in distinct consideration The Pontificality is the eight head of the Beast and yet one of the seuen And whereas the former heads were crowned now the heads arise to a higher presumption hauing hornes crowned to attire themselues with the name of blasphemy 2. Thess 2. 5 The next note heere proper to the Popedome is that the Dragon hath giuen him his power throne and authority The Dragon in his openrage vsed Emperours but for the Ministers of his furie but the Popes are the Vicars of his power and therefore are properlie the Sonne of perdition King Apollyon and the Angell of the bottomlesse pit whose comming is in all effectuall working of Satan For albeit the Dragon bequeateth not vtterly his Kingdome yet finding that his open rage had not the desteined successe hee substracteth himselfe in a sort and substituteth this viceroy of his kingdome the most effectuall promoouer of darkenesse that euer was Satan offered to Christ this bargen but was repulsed heere he findeth his Merchant who accepteth of it and both himselfe worshippeth and maketh all the world to worshippe the Dragon That the Popes haue Satan his throne in a peculiar manner is plaine by their practise and by their challenge Their practise for that it is not onely as of all the former heads or other tyrants whatsoeuer instruments of Satan his rage to subdue to themselues bodies goods and states of men to dispose thereof at their pleasure but hee further will impire ouer the conscience and all his administration as the proper angell of the bottomlesse pit is to plunge men in darkenesse Wherein the Dragon as almost in all things is an Ape of God his dealing For as God hath giuen to Christ his throne and authority all power in heauen and earth for conquering a kingdome to him so hath the Dragon giuen all his power to his annointed Antichrist the man of sinne for setting forward his kingdome of darkenesse Their challendge also argueth this For albeit great Monarches for the largenesse of their dominion are said to haue the kingdomes of the earth and the Romans to magnifie their Empire would call it Imperium orbis terrarum yet neuer King or Monarch challenged euer any further right then either by apparent iust title hee might claime or by Armes he had subdued But the Pope challengeth right ouer all as whereof hee may dispose at his pleasure And that yee may cleerely discerne the Dragons mouth he onely of all men since the beginning of the world stoutly affirmeth All the Kingdomes of the world are mine and I giue them to whom I will 6 The third note here put is the time of his working 42. mouethes The very time of Antichrist his obtaining place in the visible Church Chap. 11. of the Temple closed and witnesses preaching in Sackcloath and of the womans abode in the wildernesse Chap. 12. An infallible argument that heere Antichrist is described 7 The fourth note is clearest of all For as the description of the Beast his heades and hornes sheweth him to be the Romane state or Kingdome so heere a speciall note is giuen whereby to discerne of what time policy state and condition of Rome this Beast is to bee taken namely in the state of the wounded head cured againe And because this beingshortly touched might be obscure therefore to make it plaine a speciall vision is giuen of the curer and manner of the cure whereby this Beast in this state is made vp so as if it may not be esteemed absolutely the fame which it was before the deadly stroke yet at least it is a liuely image thereof The Curer is a Beast like the Lambe and simply pretending his power in
which it is that the world feeleth all this wrath That story therefore was in the 12. 13. and thus farre in this 14. Chapters Wherein is no idle repetition of what appeareth before set downe For the consideration is much diuers in that whatsoeuer before the 12. Chapter was spoken of the enemies or their dealing was to shew how by them the world and worldly sort in God his iustice were punished The case of the Church sparingly touched so farre as might shew her to bee free from these euils euen in the midst of them which were poured on the world for her hard intertainement And what in the eleuenth Chapter seemeth wholly agreeable for time and condition with that which hithertils in this Chapter is said of the Church in her two declared states yet hath a farre distinct consideration from this In that there the witnesses first in the Temple next in their warre with the Beast slaughter rising againe going vp to heauen and terrour of their enemies thereupon with the fall in a part of the Antichristian kingdome are put as plagues on the world and men thereof whom they first plagued next tormented and vexed after terrified and in part ouerthrew For the Gospell to whom it is not the sauour of life is the greatest iudgement that commeth on the world But from the beginning of the 12. Chapter to this place the enemies are handled as by them the Church is exercised First fighting and preuailing to Satan his deiection and exaltation of the first seede Yet so as through Satan his rage but aided thereto with the two wings of that great Eagle the true Church at length fleeth to the wildernesse and there lurketh Wherethrough the Beast comming in place obtaineth and deceiueth all except these who on mount Sion inioy the presence of the Lambe Who at length by degrees breake foorth and albeis in much suffering yet still fight till at length by him who sitteth on the white cloude the iudgemeuts of God are made manifest The story of the eleuenth Chapter and of this are for time and matter the same but the consideration and respect of handling much different Which is yet for course and order in so diuine an artifice led on as heere the story falling in againe to the same point from which for inserting this narration it was since the eleuenth Chapter broken off of that which from the 15. verse of 11. the Chapter at the sound of the seuenth Trumpet was vpon preconceiued ioy denounced heere from the foureteenth verse of this Chapter to the ende the execution is summarily proponed Exceeding fitly so falling in to the large explication of the seuenth trumpet in the subsequent Chapters 11 This summary execution is declared by two comparisons One of the Haruest the other of the Vintage From Ioel 3. In both are to be considered the Actors and their actions The Haruest hath two actors and so hath the Vintage The actiōs of both Actors both in haruest vintage are that the one worketh furnished with conuenient instrument the other stirreth to the work Which in the Haruest is reaping the haruest of the earth in the Vintage the cutting downe of the Grapes casting them in the winepresse treading c. The arguments whereby the inciters stirre the executers is the readinesse of both for reaping and cutting downe Thus by similitudes familiar in the Prophets for such iudgements the destruction of the enemies of the Church is expressed who in God his wrath as an vncleane thing without the Citie are destroied with so huge a slaughter as all the earth is filled farre and deepe with their blood by Hyperbolike speech expressing the greatnesse of the plague and as to the holy City so also alluding to the Land of Canaan which is in length 160. furlongs as witnesseth Rabbi Menahen vpon Genesis fol. 60. For clearing heereof the Actors and their distinct actions must be diligently aduerted so much the more as to the obscuring of all the Prophesie this place is widely mistaken In them are to bee noted their properties their doing and their order of doing for course of time to be carefully obserued In the haruest hee that worketh being accordingly furnished with fit instrument by all hi◠notes is vndoubtedly Christ the Lord of the haruest For he is one like the sonne of man which in all this Prophesie is put but in one other place and that for Christ he fitteth as a Iudge on a white cloude both for eminency and maiesty as also by the whitenesse to shew the clearenesse purenesse of his iudgements which Now were to be made manifest Chap. 15. 4. The first flying Angell foretold that they were neere now Christ is cleerely to shew himselfe by shewing hence The signe of the sonne of Man in heauen The speech is from Isai 19. 1. Behold the Lord rideth on a swift cloude Hee hath with a sharpe sikle a crowne to shew him to be the Lord both of Haruest and Vintage For he not onely gathereth the Saints but also the Tares in bundles and treadeth the Winepresse of God his wrath and in both he conquereth ouercometh Chap. 6. The other comming out of the temple is the type of Saints faithfull ones whose habitation is in the Temple out of which they are now bold to step out and be seene and perceiuing the ripenes of the Haruest whereto it was not yet come in the fifth Seale and therefore this execution craued of them then was delaied and yet not being able in that weake estate of the Gospell reuiuing for so great a worke therefore it is that this Angell hath no sikle they beseech the Lord of the haruest to put too his hand and Haue mercy on Sion For the time to haue mercy for euen the ful time is come The haruest of the earth is ripe and the rest of the Saints slaine Neither is this thus expressed as if euen then or at any time Christ did not worke by instruments but to shew the beginnings such as in respect of the greatnesse of the worke and little humane aide it was in a sort Christ his owne arme which helped him But in processe of time by the powerfull progresse of the Gospell hee getteth to himselfe ministers of executing his wrath euen out of the Temple furnished with conuenient weapons And to expresse this in the Vintage the Actor commeth out of the Temple hauing a sharpe sikle as Christ betime got himselfe and daily raiseth of his owne faithfull ones fit instruments inabled and furnished with power to execute his iust iudgements against the enemies To doe to her as shee hath done to vs and to render her double For this it is that this second Actor hath these different notes from the first He sitteth not he is not crowned and he commeth out of the Temple So then this Angell is the generall type in this summary proposition of that same whereof the seuen Angels are in the
with excessiue ioy of so good newes that hee was for a notable document of humane infirmity in so great an Apostle about to haue worshipped this Angell Which attempt how vnlawfull it is in it selfe and how vnpleasant to the Angell First his interdiction well sheweth in such haste and concise forme of speech as commonly men vse vpon care to preuent some instant and detestable euill When feare and solicitude â—uffer not to speake at length or a full sentence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Next hee strengthneth his interdiction with strong reasons one taken from his owne condition to whom this worship was offered as which was not capable thereof being but a seruant and not onely his left some prerogatiue might be imagined in the Apostle to stay that which of an other mighthaue bin offered but euen a fellow seruant of his brethren who had the testimony of Iesus his greatest honour and chiefe scope of al his seruice being Christ and his knowledge to minister the same without which he were nothing and therefore albeit of different nature from Iohn and other Christians yet in condition and end of calling but their fellow-seruant they hauing the spirit of Prophesie as he had The other reason is from the person of him who onely is to bee worshipped and serued according to the law alleadged by our Lord against Sathan Now it might probably appeare that herein yet some further thing were implyed For this Angell being the type of these ministers who shall bee the shewâ—◠〈…〉 paâ—sators of this huge meaâ—ure of powerfull lig◠〈…〉 〈◊〉 for so wonderfull effects and Iohn here baâ—â—â—g the person of common Christians of that time 〈◊〉 may seeme that the rare and excellent graces of the Ministers who shal then bee furnished with a golden 〈◊〉 would so farre miscarrie weake Christians in admiâ—â—tion of their gifts and working as to attribute 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnto them if their owne fidelity and holinesse 〈◊〉 not lâ—t it And as this giueth vs to expect yet goodly things so herein is a close warning of humility in the one and circumspectnesse in the other to giue all glory to God But hereof I dare determine nothing fearing still to bee curious in so diuine an Argument wherein I haue choosed rather to hold vp coniecturall suggestions then appeare vnreuerently to handle such mysteries 12 Thus wee haue heard the song of Saints first vpon the Whoreâ— destruction and next more mightily and of moe intended higher vpon preception of full victorie ouer the other enemies and the Church her graceful state thereupon which so rauished the Apostle as hee had almost miscarried Now are the other victories shewed and goodly state of the Bride thereupon And first through the rest of this Chapter is the foile of the Beasâ—bearer vp of the Whore and no question but now highly chafed with her fall 13 In the victory ouer the beast are the description of the parties and the euent of the battell The party victorious is magnifickly described first in his person army weapons of war and his working by them and next in his Herauld His person by great properties and many agreeable to his many and great names First his comming forth declareth him a heauenly personage for hee is from thence Of great maiesty comming forth in abundance of light as to whose outmarching the heauens are cast wide open A greater degree of light then hitherto hath been mentioned so as the signe of the son of man is clearly seen in heauen Oh that thou woldest breake the heauens and come downe His administration at this time in Antichrist his full ouerthrow shall bee in exceeding great euidency of light and power 14 Hee sitteth on a white horse for fidelity and truth and namely for these points of his administration wherin his fidelity and truth are now specially to bee shewed in iudging and fighting for all which respects he rideth and on a white horse according to the state of a Iudge and triumphing glory of a victorious VVarrious He is also a faithfull and true witnesse Chapter 1. And a faithful High Priest Hebr. 3. But here hee is to shew his fidelity and truth in iudging and fighting Now the time of his redeemed is come and the time of the dead that they bee iudged and such destroyed who destroy the earth In all which hee both iudgeth and fighteth righteously for he is pure when hee iudgeth and iust when hee speaketh This indgement is not that last and generall but here the speciall of these enemies of his Church is meaned whom he is now to ouerthrow so as they shall neuer bee any more able to trouble Sion but their ruine shall hold on till at last they be for euer adiudged to endlesse torment Hee rode on a white horse from the first outgoing of the Gospell to conquere Chapter 〈◊〉 and to deiect the Dragon from heauen Chapter 12. when hee and his Armie fought to that effect but this is the last and noblest act of his riding for the Dragon and his Vicars vtter destruction 15 Now to iudge righteously is requisite not onely a righteous disposition but also a wise heart to discerne for often Iudges who are in mind set to doe righteously yet ignorantly giue wrong iudgement But no such thing can befall him whose eyes are as a flame of fire Pure piercing purging and searching hearts and reines from whom nothing can bee hid for euen the darkenesse is light before him And as for iudging so also for fighting as Rabsace though prophane yet pertinently sayeth in that Counsell and strength are for the warre This Captaine then who seeth the thoughts of his enemies before they bee hatched in their hearts hath no perill to bee deluded or circumuented with stratagems or as often befalleth otherwise expert warriours through want of intelligence to slippe opportunities If Elisha by a ray of the light of this Captaines flaming eies was able to discouer and so disappoint what the King of Aram consulted in his secret Cabinet what may this Lord doe who formeth the heart 16 With wisdome hee hath also great authority as hauing on his head many Crownes Both for that hee is King of Kings and also for his many victories specially in this his last warre Which how peculiarly is respected his Crownes are all on his head For hee standeth not by crowned hornes as the Beast but all his authority and strength is in himselfe and of himselfe and hee in this his strength power now commeth to take the Crowne from the head of the King of Ammon to set it on Dauid his head The Beast now must forgoe his Triple Crowne Christ his proper honour wherewith hee hath blasphemously attired his head 17 Being thus able to see all and of authority to conquere all hee hath yet a name written which none knoweth but himselfe And this name is so much the more maruailous and hath the more cleare note of his
and the light of the Sunne seuenfold 23 The tenour of the proclamation in a figuratiue speech from Ezechiel sheweth so certaine and an exceeding great destruction of the Beast and his aiders as they their states great roomes rents and substance should bee a prey and that in such degree of hauocke as all giuen to reiffe or seeking after prey should bee filled I shewed Chapt. 17. what it is to eat the flesh of the Whore but heere is such a strange ranuersing of the state of the world as no doubt falleth by that earth-quake of the seuenth Viall And out of all question the totall ruine of that state must change the face of the world in so great endeauors of hell and heauen for it and against it 24 Thus is the party victorious Followeth the aduersary and his foile The aduersary to any that seeth not him who iudgeth and fighteth righteously will appeare great Euen that wonderfull Beast Chapt. 13. bearing vp the Whore Chapt. 17. and now in great chafe at her fall by his frogges gathering the Kings of the earth Armageddon The first party was from heauen and his host heauenly Heere the leader is the Beast of the bottomlesse pit which was opened for his out-comming as were the heauens for the others and his hosts are all earthly For albeit many of his hornes haue fallen away from him ere now and ioyned to the host of heauen yet hee is euen at this point through the diligence of his frogges strengthened with many Kings 25 So are the parties The euent of the battell in the Beast his foile is declared in few words without any mention of a conflict but of a proud and obstinate purpose to fight against the rider on the white horse For they shall be blind and obdured to the end as is cleare by the effects in them of the Vials Chapt. 16. And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee was intrapped or snared Implyeth in it as an easie victory for the part of him that rideth the white horse so a sudden and vnexpected foile to the Beast and his followers For he dreameth of perpetuity as also staying vpon him the Whore I sit beeing a Queene and am no widdow and shall see no mourning Chap. 18. 7. 26 Their iudgement is distinct according to the diuers qualitie of the parties The Head Beast and false Prophet are cast in the lake of fire and brimstone and that a liue to shew a most horrible and recurelesse iudgement by allusion to that of Sodome and of Core Dathan and Abiram who went downe aliue in the pit Euen eternall destruction and torment The followers are slaine by the sword of the Lord his mouth to the losse of all their glory and worldly state which is made a prey to others Onely by this difference to shew how this great Captaine iudgeth and fighteth righteously giuing to each according to the degree of their sinne For no doubt but euen at this point many shall follow the Beast and fall from their estates by his fall whom yet by destruction of their flesh the Lord may reclaime from the full degree of his punishment in lightning them to see the truth As many also shall drinke with him of the cup of endlesse wrath 27 That the Beast and false Prophet are heere made two is only to shew the ruine of the Head and State with him For as the false Prophet ruling ouer the State is the Beast so being distinctly considered from the State he is the false Prophet As the first and second Beast are Cha. 13 distinguished but for explication So this is put to shew in such sort the fall of the false Prophet the eight heade and one of the seuen the beast with hornes like the lambe making the image of the Beast by cure of his deadly wound as state and all shall perish eternally For as this Beast hath some note from all the foure in Daniel so in the destruction of this the spirit alludeth to that of these Who all so fell as yet in the destruction of the last which was burnt with fire the finall ouerthrow was of thē all the state of the former in some sort remaining in the succeeding Beast as this Beast here falling in the first heads yet still continued in the subsequent till in this last head the Beast going to destruction it vtterly perished In Babels fall by Persia and Media yet in them the Kingdome in a sort continued Darius of the Medes taking the Kingdome Dan. 5. 31. And in their ouerthrow by Alexander who despising Macedon setled both in their places and to their fashions as also in his successors after his fall the domination of the former beasts in some sort abode But the fourth Beast falling al vtterly perished See and weigh Dan. 7. 11. 12. for there is the allusion One thing here is worth the marking that in the false Prophets working which maketh his guiltinesse and is heere recorded both to know the party and his iust punishment his deceit in making men receiue the Beast his character and to worship him is only mentioned and no word of his name or number as neither are they euer spoken of in his iudgement either denounced or spoken of The reason see vpon Chap. 14. Sect. 8. Now we must not imagine here one certaine place or one point of time of all this the Beast his endeauor and foile as neither in the next Chapter of the Dragons For their we see how Gog and Magog are from the foure quarters of the earth all Satan his instruments of his last fury and in all places As for the name attributed to the place of foile Chapt. 16. Armageddon wee shewed the reason there And it is wheresoeuer the Lambe fighteth and ouercommeth Albeit out of doubt their last endeauors shall be strange and their fall conioined with such wonderfull broiles and alterations of the State of the world as was not since men inhabited the earth And then the fattest karkasse shal be the finest prey Blessed are they who come to the supper of the Lambe his marriage For who come not are made a supper And who will not feede on the Lambe are iustly made foode to the fowels of heauen CHAP. XX. WEe haue heard the iudgement of the Whore and the Beast her aduancer but for a perfit victory is requisite also the destruction of the Dragon that great and Master enemie as of whose Kingdome and authority the Beast who made all the Whores credit was onely the suffragant That is in this Chapter set foorth in two degrees of his captiuity whereof the last is absolute to eternall destruction Now as captiuity implyeth euer a fore-going liberty whereof it is the priuation so heere a twofold liberty or loosing is to bee taken vp according to the two degrees of restraint The first liberty it was not needfull that heere it should be recorded beeing largely declared in the 12. Chapter From which liberty
his restraint albeit of that time as by substituting the Beast of his authority by deceitfull hypocrisie and efficacie of error to worke that from performing whereof in open rage hee was then bound vp might well bee presumed yet hath beene reserued to this place to giue vs in one view his whole story Which consisteth in that rage Chap. 12. From which beeing heere in some consideration bound vp for a time he is againe let loose and his endeauours thereupon are here declared so farre from his intended successe as he is taken the second time and destroied for euer 2 In his first restraint come to bee considered the surenesse end and degree thereof The surenesse is cleered in the person apprehender and manner of fermance The apprehender is God â—â—s minister an Angell instructed with authority as comming from heauen with power to execute as hauing the key of the bottomlesse pit and a great chaine All spoken after the manner of men This Angell falleth not from heauen to earth as that great starre Chapter 9. but commeth downe as he Chapters 10. and 18. And accordingly hath the key of the bottomlesse pit for a farre different end from that this comming to inclose the Prince of darkenesse being himselfe the minister of light whereas that great starre falling from the ministrie of light to become the minister of darknesse he openeth the botomlesse pit to let out darkenesse The Dragon is heere described by these same names and property of seducing Nations which are giuen him in the 12. Chapter in the first degree of this his first foile towards this first captiuity when by Michael his valour hee was cast from heauen Which the holy Ghost doth of purpose to leade vs know that this first binding is from that rage So wisely and plainely the spirit teacheth vs to couple together the parts of this prophesie Now Christ is hee properly who treadeth downe the head of that serpent who onely is that stronger then the strong one comming in binding him and spoiling his house as who onely hath come to lose the workes of Satan and onely hath the keies of hell and death But according as he giueth gifts to men and worketh by his ministers of whatsoeuer calling who in his light and strength aduance the Kingdome of light and bring downe that of darkenesse his ministers thus instructed by him and to this ende are also binders of the Dragon Of whom this Angell is the generall type 3 The manner of fermance to shew the surenes thereof is after the manner of men set forth in inclosing shutting and sealing as was the caues mouth on Daniel and the Sepulchre of Christ 4 The end of his restraint is That he seduce not the Nations c Which ende how it is and how farre to be vnderstood the degree of his restraint now and his endeauour vpon his next loosing will make cleare 5 Thus we haue the surenesse and end of the Dragons restraint Now followeth the degree thereof cleering the end as I haue said The degree is that this his captiuity is not absolute but in a speciall consideration This is shewed by the time thereof state of men in that time and what this state is The time is not for euer as in his next taking but for a thousand yeeres which being expired he was to bee losed againe The denunciation of which sad euent is mitigated with a consolation that it should be but for a short space euen that three daies and a halfe wherein the witnesses were killed and lay vnburied Chapter 11. For thencefoorth by degrees the Dragon is againe comprehended till he be made fully fast in eternall chaines 6 The state of men during this first restraint sheweth it also not to be absolute in so farre as hee shall bee bound but to a few being still loose towards the most part This is cleered by declaration of the seuerall condition of both and first of these to whom hee is bound Wherein are two their condition in this his restraint and who they are that haue this condition Their condion is expressed first in figuratiue speech of Thrones and Sitters hauing iudgement accordingly giuen them and next in proper termes that they liued and raigned with Christ these thousand yeeres Who they are that are in this estate and condition is shewed in two sorts First The soules of them who were beheaded for the word of God c. Secondly They who worshipped not the Beast c. The state and condition of the contrarie sort is that during these thousand yeeres they lay dead and liued not Now how great this number is and how small in comparison thereto is the former is cleere by the 13 Chapter where all the earth follow the Beast and receiue his Character name or number except these 144000. sealed ones Chap. 7. in mount Sion with the Lambe Chap. 14. And consequently in what respect and to whom the Dragon is said during this space to bee bound 7 The third point shewing yet further the strict consideration of Satan his restraint is the explication of this state and condition of both sorts of men what this life and raigne of the one is and what is the death of the other To wit that this life and raigne are not to bee taken for this naturall life or any wordly dominion neither yet for that euerlasting and glorious state which the Saints in Soule and body after the last indgement inioy in heauen this being their state during the thonsand yeeres and called the first resurrection As neither is the death of the other to be vnderstood of the naturall death of the body by seperation of the soule therefrom or of the eternall death of both in Gehenna as wherein the world lying dead a thousand yeeres thereafter riseth from it to haue part in the first resurrection and consequently of blessednesse But this life and raigne in respect of the soules beheaded is their honourable commemoration and rising from vnder these horrible slanders calumnies whereby the honour of their sufferings was maliciously by Satan eclipsed euen that same thing which by long white robes was signified Chapter 6. In respect of these who Worshipped not the Beast c. This life and raigne is the first resurrection whereby men here by the word and spirit are begotten to the life of God in Christ and freed from the bondage and death of Satan and sinne being vindicare in the liberty of the sonnes of God and so made Kings and Priests to God in Christ Iesus And the death of the rest who rise not this first resurrection is that death in sinne ignorance idolatrie and induration wherein all men lye naturally depriued of the life of God like those widowes who being aliue yet were dead and like Ephraim who was dead in Baal From which death who so riseth not to be pertaker of the first resurrection shall be accursed foreuer and subiect to the power of the
close the count of these thousand yeeres the end heere mentioned and degrees of the Dragon his restraint doe clearely lead vs. Wee must not thinke that Sathan in an instant was eyther tyed vp from his rage or againe in a precise point of time let loose But both fell out by degrees From the first out going of the Gospell hee beganne in some degree to bee bound as hee complaineth of Christ that hee had come to torment him before the time And as the Gospell preuailed hee was still the more made fast But seeing the end here specified of his binding and the condition of the Church heere described vpon his restraint Make euident that this his Captiuity is not absolute but in some speciall consideration and the degrees here mentioned shew that then his vptying is to bee counted when in that consideration he is perfectly made fast as taken shut vp locked on sealed we haue to take vp that point of time when according to this end he was fully fastned I shewed before on the 12. Chapter that the Dragon his proper rage is taken for open and cruell persecuting of Christians from which he was then fully tyed vp when by Constantine his conuersion to the faith open persecution ceased and Christianity was by lawes established the Church became glorious in the eyes of all men the soules of Martyres got long white robes and seates were set vp and the Saints did sit on them c hauing iudgement giuen them For both the commemoration of Martyrs was honourable and the estate of the Church flourishing in peaceable and goodly condition and glorious account And albeit in the meane time Sathan was working by his Lieutenant the Beast whom vpon this his restraint from open rage hee sent forth then in the first sensible degrees to deceiue by false semblance and who from this point of time mightily preuailed though at first by slow scarse perceptible degrees as rising out of the earth in bringing Nations to make vp the image of the Beast which at the end of these thousand yeeres came to the top of impiety yet they liued and raigned all the while who receiued not his Character The end then here mentioned of the Dragons restraint that hee should not seduce c. must not bee taken absolutely for hee was neuer busier seducing nor with greater successe then during these thousand yeeres but seducing here must be vnderstood according as wee see hee worketh vpon his lousing againe when hee falleth to that same kinde of seduction from which first hee was bound vp that is to seduce Nations to compasse the Tents of Saints and the beloued City Euen to set them againe vpon violent and furious persecution by sword and fire as he was a murtherer from the beginning and as in that men most bewray themselues to bee the children of their father the Diuell From this rage hee was bound vp when by the two wings of that great Eagle the woman escaped to her place from the presence of the Dragon he beeing chained from comming at her now extolled with wings And the degrees here set downe of binding inclosing shutting vpon and sealing shew euidently that the count is to be taken vp from the full and perfect point of his Captiuity For from that time hee had no louse chain for open rage In Iulian he was not so much loused as biting the chain Who besides his short abode neuer durst fall directly to murthering of Christians the persecutions of Constantius and Valens were partiall heates vnder profession euen that bloud that was mingled with haile and fire Chapter 8. 10 Now as wee haue the point of time of his perfect fermance which is the 300. yeere of Christ or therby so this leadeth vs to the point of his loosing the 1300. yeere or thereby and the conueniency of story is cleare for although as by degrees hee was fastned so by degres hee was loosed againe yet wee shall find as at the first point the full degree of his binding so at this time him fully loosed In the Pontificality of Gregory the seuenth he had a long chaine which yet was further raxed in that of Vrban the second and his Successors kindlers of that tragicall and superstitious warre for recouery of Ierusalem But for the end here spoken of open cruelty against Saints hee was fully loused in the Pontificality of Boniface the eighth and his successors from whose times haue beene bloudy persecutions and cruell rage Then the woman beganne to returne from the wildernes the witnesses to steppe out of the Temple the little booke eaten to giue hearts and eyes to apply the reede and so to discerne the Temple from the Court then the first of these three Angels Chapter 14. beganne to breake out through the midst of Heauen and the other two in course followed so as then they were blessed who died in the Lord and then was the patience of Saints The Beast his mouth then being perceiued and so the semblance of the Lambs horns no more able to beare him out the Dragon behooued come againe in roome to maintaine his owne throne to represse by rage what by hypocrisie could not be kept downe Then the two witnesses lay slaine in the streetes of the great City all Nations being seduced to slay them and reioyce ouer them Then the Beast which was carst spotted like a Pard becommeth of the Dragons colour and the Whore born vp by him is drunke with the bloud of Saints from that time what cruell murther of Christians was vnder the odious names of Waldenses Albingenses Fraterculi Beghardi c. And since what fiers what bloud sheds what monstrous complots for extirpation of the truth haue beene practised is too well known 11 In this rage though for a time the Dragon deborded yet praised bee God by successe of the Gospell and fire from heauen hee is in making fast the second time in an euerlasting chaine Therefore it is said that hee should be loused but a short space For they are faine to relent of their open murthering and burning are now in God his iustice getting measure for measure 12 The time then of these thousand yeeres is from the first open and sensible steppes of the mystery of iniquity working on to the quickning of the Beast which fell together with this binding vp of the Dragon to the toppe of that impiety when it came to the highest degree And this is the onely time in all this prophesie to bee taken definitely because of Antichrist his whole working which was in way euen from the Apostolike times first by hid and insensible and next by open steppes towards the height from which height againe as by degrees it arose so by degrees it must vanish no precise or exact time could be set downe but yet to giue vs sufficient clearenesse the holy Ghost putteth the time from the first beginning of open working to the
marriage c. Which vndoubtedlie will be when vpon destruction of all troublers the Church enioying quiet state shall fall in the sleepe of security For if the last iudgement and comming of Christ to it had so notable markes as the foile of Antichrist taking of the Dragon and so great tumults warres and commotions with the hauocke of so huge Armies besiedging the Church how could either that day comes as a thiese on a peaceable world or the Church in such cruell inuasion be at ease and sleeping This errour hath made the subsequent matter to be of most part mistaken as if therein the state of the triumphant Church in heuens were set foorth as it shall be after the last day 23 A learned man lately commenting and with high and iust commendation vpon this booke perceiuing well that the subsequent condition of the Church must be vnderstood of her state heere in grace and so being not seeing how this place could bee taken of the last iudgement turneth it to an allegory of the conuersion of the Iewes by allusion to the last iudgement their conuersion to the faith in respect of their present and long beegunne desperate estate both temporall and spirituall being as it were a rising from the dead According as by the Prophets in regard of the full point thereof it is called and by the Apostle a life from death But besides that where a plaine sense in proprietie is conuenient farre sought allegories are not meete albeit for the wonderfulnesse and inexpected falling out thereof the Iewes restitution be of the Prophets called a rising from their graues yet that thus the whole description so cleerely in all the circumstances of the last iudgement can be drawne thereto I see no reason specially where agreeably to the manner of the holy Ghost the descripton of the generall iudgement may bee taken properly and conueniently for the purpose in hand and no necessity for this to interpret the subsequent Chapters of any state of the Church in time thereafter Which doubt will nothing trouble the iudicious Reader considering the manner of the Propheticall descriptions much different from common historicall narrations in that they by Hypotyposeis represent to the view as present those things they prophesie Further to say in a resurrection whereby men rise from ignorance and in duration to the knowledge of God and imbracing of the faith that they rise to eternall destruction it is vtterly absurd And heere we see that all the execution is of enemies in torment and euerlasting fire The spirit euen heereby as it were pointing to vs his purpose of this narration in this place And this argument â—uinceth that place Daniel 〈◊〉 to bee of the last resurrection For none rise the first resurrection to euerlasting shame but all are blessed As for the word there put of Many as if therein an argument were implied of some other resurrection then the generall wherein All rise it helpeth nothing that opinion as being put but in common and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repeated according to the subsequent partiâ—ition of Many to glorie Many to shame And if thereon ought might be builded with al 's good reason heere the generall iudgement must bee vnderstood where All the dead small and great doe rise c. That the many and goodly Prophesies of the restoring of Israel haue not as yet their full accomplishment till by faith they be grafted in againe whence they were cut out through vnbeliefe it were either great ignorance or perhaps blasphemy to denie seeing the Apostle to that purpose citeth Prophesies which therfore but in that case cannot be fulfilled Againe that it seemeth necessarie so great a point not to bee ommitted in this Reuelation I hartilie yeeld but that therefore this place should from a proper and well consisting sense be drawne thereto I see no necessitie For that matter was not obscurely in the sixth Viall signified and more plainlie in the Church her song Chapter 19. and if more be requisite who may not be satisfied as such mysteries are heere deliuered with that which in the next Chapter is said of the new Ierusalem hauing vpon this full ouerthrow of her focs her ports cast open towards all the quarters of the earth and on them written the names of the twelue Tribes of Israel to whom then they are made patent that all Israel may bee saued 24 A Throne Daniel 7. is erected and one sitteth for iudging and destroying the Beasts there mentioned enemies and troublers of the Church then And Daniel 12. the faithfull for conception of a perfect deliuerance and full ouerthrow of their aduersaries are called to the meditation of the last and full degree thereof in the generall resurrection To that heere is the allusion euen as in the description of the enemies heere the allusion was to these To shew not onely the like and full ouerthrow of the troubles now of the Christian Church holding on to finall accomplishment in Christ his last comming as the other were abolished at his first but also that the first euen in the promise of God his dispensation were types of the latter The not aduerting whereof hath made many to misconceiue the minde of the holy Ghost in the Prophets While some in accommodation of the promises and denunciations so rest in the first state and time as they looke not how therein God looked further and others so interpret them of the last state and time as against the minde of the spirit they apply them not first and properly to the state then Whereof first and for speciall consolation against the euils then they are meaned albeit they had also typically a further signification as the wise and frequent allusion in this Prophesie prooueth and accommodation through all the new Testament no lesse clearely 25 This great white throne shadowed by that of Solomon albeit then in full and finall degree it shall be erected when our Lord returneth in the cloudes of heauen yet in some degree it is erected here in the cleare and euident preuailing light and power of the Gospell So as euen heere after a sort heauen and earth depart that is the whole state of the world is changed as vpon pouring out of the seuenth Viall was denounced and as for the like euent though not in so full measure was spoken of at the opening of the sixth scale For euen heere we shall haue new heauens and a new earth that is a new state of things by the enemies vtter fall and goodly gracefull and peaceable estate of the Church thereupon when there shall be no more Sea as by Isay is Prophesied often and magnifikly in the subsequent Chapters is declared Thus the state vnder the Gospell in collation to the former is called of the Apostle a new worlde and so the condition of the Christian Church vpon destruction of Whore Beast and Dragon and strange alteration of all the states in the earth enioying peace shal bee yet
Temple of God could no longer beare out the rod now being applyed to measure and his mouth found out whose it is by the Beast he maketh warre with the Saintâ— and ouercommeth them Falling to open and cruel murther the Dragon Beast and false Prophet all iointly bending their whole endeauours to seduce the Kings of the earth enemies of all sorts to compasse the tentes of Saints and beloued City The City and Court of the Temple trod vnder foot and occupied of the Beast albeit called holy for that the Temple was within them yet were cast out Here the Tents of Saints and beloued City are besieged The foure Angels from Euphrates were instruments of God his wrath against the world and for the sinnes specified Chapter 9. 20. 21. from which the sealed ones were free Here the endeauour of Gog and Magog is directly against the Saints Gog and Magog then are the instruments whatsomeuer of Sathan his last fury against the Church whom for vpholding of Antichrist or at least for keeping downe the full preuailing light oâ— the Gospell and gracefull state of the true Church he stirreth vppe of what Nation soeuer Turks or others 29 The whole course of this Prophesie framed to the dispensation in the old Testament and condition of the Church then openeth clearely the reason of the allusion This is certaine that in the condition of the Church of Israel as I haue said wee are not onely to looke vpon things in propriety but also to consider them as stampes of things to come Hereof it is that as all the deliuerances promised from their enemies and afflictions then had a further respect as the measure of their present deliuerances nothing answerable to the high promises easily brought the godly to consider and waite for better so also were their troubles and troublers types of other and more dangerous enemies and the destructions denounced against them which in the first properly taken were not seene fulfilled in the degree threatned raised the hearts of the faithfull to waite in the end for a more absolute victory and constant peace The first great affliction of Israel was in Egypt by Pharao that great dragon as Chapter 12. Itouched The next great affliction and captiuy was by Babel and these Beastes in Daniel Now after the peoples deliuery from Babel City and Temple being reedified the last cruell oppressing enemy and stayer of true worshippe before Christ his comming in the flesh was Gog and of Gog specially Antiochus Epiphanes as Daniel Ezechiel and bookes of Machabees shew clearely For the Romans were not long before Christ but drawne in as sequestres by the Iewes owne partialities whereto pride brought them after they had beene helped by a little helpe and albeit the stronger yet so farre suffered and maintained the liberty both of state and religion as at Christ his birth Herod was a mighty King and the state and religion for freedome from any forraine oppression flourishing Hence it is that as for expressing the first troubles and troubler of the Christian Church and her deliuery there from allusion is to Egypt c. And for expressing the next huge euill of Antichrist the allusion is to Babel and that in a Beast carrying a note of all the foure in Daniel so here to expresse the last enemies who after her comming out of Babel and Sion reedified shall be instruments of Sathan his last puft the holy Ghost alludeth to Gog and Magog For whose destruction as a great white throne was set vp that at the first comming of Christ the saints might get the Kingdome so here to shew that these last Ministers of Sathan his rage shall fall still to finall destruction in the Lord his last comming a great white throne is erected And as vpon the full ouerthrow of Gog and Magog Ezech. 38. and 39. Thereafter the state of City and Temple are set down most goodly so by allusion thereto here vpon the vtter foile ofher enemies the new Ierusalem is magnifickly described That of Ezechiel is of the state of the Church of Christ vnder the Gospell generally in relation to the Church before Christ and vnder the law This here in the subsequent Chapters is of the Church specially now victorious ouer these enemies and gracefull through the conuersion of the Iewes and Easterne Kingdomes to the faith enioying plenty of light and peace in relation to the Christian Church before in her wrestlings and sufferings by these enemies now ouerthrowne 30 By the course of this Prophesie it would appeare that first the Whore shall bee destroyed next that the Kingdome in the head thereof the false Prophet shall be done away and that thereafter Sathan for his last endeauour stirring vp Nations against the Church shall bee in these his instruments so absolutely foiled as the Church from thence shall enioy quiet state For whither things shall thus fall out in course or if thus by parte the ouerthrow of all the enemies be set downe to shew a perfect victory I dare not determine And if as possibly and very probably it may fall after the burning and sacke of the City of Rome by Christian Princes and next afteâ—â—he ruine of the Kingdome and head thereof the false Prophet that the Dragon by some residue of the Frogges shall stirre vp nations and perhaps of them the Turkes that so God may destroy all them who haue destroyed the Church yet wee see cleerely what shall be the euent For both the inward enemy and traitor the beast shall be destroied and all outward enemies who by Satan his instigation now madly furious that his time is so short shall rise against Sinn shall finde it a cup of poison The Turk hitherto hath been God his scourge against the world and false Christianity and therefore hath preuailed But if hee rise against the true Church fire from heauen shall deuoure him Yet that heere specially the Turkes are meaned I see no reason And as I can take vp the drift of the Holy Ghost in this Prophesie it would rather appeare and my heart inclineth so to thinke by the fall of the Beast and conuersion of Iewes thereupon to the faith that the Turkes and other states of the East shall bee brought to embrace the Gospel albeit perhaps first taught thereto by some noble foile For no question but as the euent of the seuenth Viall maketh cleere the whole estaâ—e of the earth shall suffer such alteration as was not since men first inhabited the same 31 Now for the different measure of iudgement vpon the Army and vpon their Captainâ— the Dragon whose iudgement is according to that of the Beast and false Prophet besides the reasons aboue touched vpon the end of the 19. Chapter wee must further consider that the Dragon is such an enemy as no foile of him can secure vs till he be sealed vp in euerlasting torment And for the Beast and false Prophet signifying a Kingdome and order of succeeding heads ouer it and