habitation And Chap. 37.32 For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant and they that escape out of Mount Sion And Chap. 52.1 Awake awake put on thy strength O Sion put on thy beautiful garments O Jerusalem Howbeit this standing of Christ upon Mount Sion with so great a company attending him doth not argue that he shall ever reign there by his personal presence no more than his standing by Paul in Jerusalem Acts 23.11 doth evince that he did then reign there after such a manner but onely intimate that those Saints shall perfectly follow the direction of Christ no otherwise than if he were personally present with them in Jerusalem as the fourth Verse of this Chapter explaineth it saying These are they that follow the Lamb whither soever he goeth Finally by the hundred forty four thousand upon whose forehead the name of the Lambs Father was imprinted are meant those Servants of God that were sealed out of all the Tribes of Israel Chap. 7.4 For both their number and their abode and the place of their body wherein they are sealed or marked exactly agree Whence by the way it appeareth that the Sealing mentioned in the said seventh Chapter shall happen in the Age wherein the Beast shall arise and consequently the general conversion of the Jews shall precede his coming otherwise those sealed ones would not thus be inserted into the History of the Beast Vers 2. And I heard a voice from Heaven as the voice of many Waters and as the voice of a great thunder and I heard the voice of Harpers harping with their Harps Vers 3. And they sung as it were a new Song before the Throne and before the four Beasts and the Elders and no Man could learn that Song but the hundred and forty and four thousand which were redeemed from the Earth Vers 4. These are they which were not defiled with Women for they are Virgins these are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth these were redeemed from among Men being the first-fruits unto God and to the Lamb. Vers 5. And in their Mouth was found no Guile for they are without Fault before the Throne of God Whether the voice out of Heaven resembling the noise of many Waters and the noise of great Thunder did utter any words and what those words are is not expressed or hinted so that we must of necessity remain ignorant thereof neither is it said who those Harpers are onely it is likely they are the Saints in Heaven who are thus brought in speaking aloud from thence Chap. 12.10 As little is it told us what the new Song is which they play upon their Harps yea we are on the contrary assured that none but those hundred forty four thousand can learn it and therefore the knowledge thereof belongeth not to us or any others but is reserved for them onely which argueth that there is something extraordinary in those godly persons of the Jewish Nation above those of any other Nation whatsoever For though it be common to them with other Saints to be redeemed or rather bought as the Greek word signifieth See Chap. 5.8 9. from among men namely with the Blood of the Lamb and so to be a first-fruits unto God and the Lamb as being theirs in a special manner no otherwise than the first-fruits were the Lord 's under the Law See Num. 18.12 13. yet is it peculiar to them above the multitude of Believers in any other Nation First to be the Servants of God that is Prophets for so this Appellation is expounded Chap. 11.18 And to give a Reward to thy Servants the Prophets And therefore no marvel if these persons being endued with the Spirit of Prophecy know the new Song that is sung in Heaven whilest other godly persons in the mean time are ignorant of the same Secondly to be Virgins and therefore such as have not been defiled with Women For it evidently follows that if they be Virgins and so never had to do with Women they could not possibly be defiled with them Thirdly to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth which implyeth that they strayed not from the way wherein Christ Jesus did lead them but yielded up themselves to his guidance in all things Fourthly to have no Guile in their Mouth and therefore to be without Fault before the Throne of God which last words before the Throne of God are emphatical for it is all one as if it had been said before the Judgement-Seat of God because as David testifieth Psalm 9.7 the Lord hath prepared his Throne for Judgement Behold then the Dignity of the Jerwish Nation to which the Lord will advance them in the time of the Beast above any other Nation under the whole Heaven namely that there shall be of the People of the Jews at the same time an hundred forty four thousand Prophets all of them Virgins perfectly following the guidance of Christ and having no guile or blame before God Wherefore I may truly say with Moses when he reflected on the peculiar favour that God had vouchsafed to Israel in another kinde Ask now of the days that are past which were before thee since the day that God created Man upon the Earth and ask from one side of the Heaven to the other whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is or hath been heard like it Deut. 4.32 Vers 6. And I saw another Angel fly in the midst of Heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the Earth and to every Nation and Kindred and Tongue and People Vers 7. Saying with a loud voice Fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his judgement is come and worship him that made Heaven and Earth and the Sea and the Fountains of Waters The first part of the Angels Message for so the Greek word ought no be rendred See 2 Sam. 18.20 in Greek neither is the Article prefixt as it is wont to be when the Gospel is meant is to excite men to fear God and give glory to his Name because the time of his Judgement is come namely when he will judge both the Beast and his Worshippers partly by the Vials of Gods wrath to be poured out upon them whereof see Chap. 16. partly by the utter Defeat of them at the great Battel of Armageddon Chap. 19. For indeed the Judgements of God are so terrible that even the Prophets when they only denounced them were wont to be seized with a great horrour Thus Esay after a grievous Vision had been declared to him Chap. 21.2 presently cryeth out in the following Verse Therefore are my loins filled with pain pangs have taken hold upon me as the pangs of a woman that travaileth I was bowed down at the hearing of it I was dismayed at the hearing of it How much more then ought they to breed a fear of God in the hearts of such as see them put in execution But as the terrour of Gods
no other receptacle of the dead besides these twain save only the Grave Thus we finde that Job doth by death understand the Grave Chap. 27.15 When he saith of the wicked man that those that remain of him shall be buried in death and his widows shall not weep Finally Hell not Hell-fire giveth up the souls both of them that were drowned in the Sea under which name all waters are comprehended and also of them that were buried in the earth For that Hell is designed to be the mansion of separated Souls appeareth from the words of Peter Acts 2.31 Who speaking out of the Psalms concerning the resurrection of Christ saith that his soul was not left in hell neither did his flesh see corruption And also from that passage of David Psalm 30.3 O Lord thou hast brought up my soul from Hell thou hast kept me alive that I should not go down into the pit For that I have rightly rendred the words in saying from hell and not from the Grave is manifest both from the Greek version which here hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and also from the Hebrew original not using the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is proper to denote a Grave or Sepulchre See Gen. 23.6 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby Hell is wont to be expressed and which lieth in the lower parts of the earth See the Hebrew context of Numb 16.30.33 Besides it is apparent to common sense that not the souls but only the bodies of men are laid in the grave Vers 14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire This is the second death Vers 15. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire What the second death is and consequently those words mean which we read in the second clause of the sixth verse foregoing as also those Chap. 2.11 where it is said He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death is here by John explained for he expresly telleth us that the lake of fire and brimstone is the second death So that to be cast into that lake and to be under the power of the second death or hurt of it are expressions of the same import Thus had we the testimony of Jesus expounded to us in the nineteenth Chapter Nevertheless how Death and Hell being both of them places and receptacles of the dead should be cast into the said lake is hard to comprehend Yea were it not for a certain passage in the sixth Chapter of this prophecy I should be inclineable to think that this was a mystery which God would not have us pry into as we have above shewn that sundry such mysteries are to be met withal in the Book of the Revelation But forasmuch as in the Chapter aforesaid verse 8. Death is brought in riding upon a pale horse and Hell following him and consequently both of them are represented in the similitude of persons we may from thence rationally collect that in the passage here under debate the Holy Ghost intending to intimate that after the universal Judgement there shall be neither burial nor separation of the soul from the body doth exhibit two persons representing Death and Hell which are thrown into the lake of fire as resigning up their Office to it and being swallowed up therein according to that of the Prophet Hosea Chap. 15.14 O death I will be thy plague O Hell so it is in the Hebrew and not Grave I will be thy destruction Besides the books of the Old and New Testament which are the rule by which the actions of men that have had some form of Religion delivered by God shall at length be examined there is yet another Book opened in the day of judgement to wit the Book of life wherein whosoever have not their names written are said to be cast into the Lake of fire From whence it may be rightly concluded that as the want of being enrolled in that Book was above in the thirteenth and also in the seventeenth Chapters alleged as the Cause why so many erred most grosly in admiring and worshipping the Beast so is it here why so many are thrown into the Lake of Fire in that it is altogether impossible for such persons to attain that piety to which the Promise of eternal Life is annexed As for the place of the Lake of Fire that is here so much spoken of were it part of the World it would of necessity perish with the World which as we have before evinced is to be abolished Wherefore seeing it abideth for ever we ought in reason to conceive that it is without the compass of the World in the Description of which the Scripture doth perpetually omit it And hence it seemeth to be called by Christ the outer Darkness Matth. 22.13 as being without the Verge of Heaven and Earth Chap. 21. Vers 1. And I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth for the first Heaven and the first Earth were passed away and there was no more Sea The Exposition WHat I before said touching the orderly course held by John in setting down his Prophecies is here worthy again to be observed For having in the precedent Chapter described the abolition of Heaven and Earth he now mentioneth the new Heaven and the new Earth that are to succeed in their place And he therefore affirmeth that he had seen this new Heaven and this new Earth though to this very day the old ones still continue because they were represented to him in a Vision Thus Christ saith to his Disciples Matth. 16.28 There be some of them that are standing here who shall not taste of Death till they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom Not that any of them were to remain alive to the end of the World for both the Scripture and the Ecclesiastical History testifie the contrary but because about eight days after he vouchsafed to three of them a sight of that glory wherein he shall come as King to judge the World Luke 9.27 28 29 30. But for as much as many endeavour to obscure this passage of the Revelation with their forced Allegories let us confirm the plain and literal meaning thereof by what the Scripture elsewhere speaketh concerning this matter The Apostle Peter describing the Day of Judgement and the alteration that shall happen to the World thereby telleth the pious Jews to whom he directeth his Letters that the Day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the Night in the which the Heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat the Earth also and the Works therein shall be burnt up Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness looking for and hasting unto the coming of the Day of God wherein the Heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the Elements shall melt with fervent
Judgements causeth fear so doth the righteousness of them induce Men to glorifie and praise his Name An instance whereof we have Revel 19.1 2. where it is said Glory and honour be to our God because his Judgements are true and just The second part of this Message which is therefore termed everlasting because it relateth to such Duties as are not peculiar to any certain time but to be performed for ever is to exhort Men to the Worship of God the Creatour of Heaven and Earth And this Exhortation is the more seasonable because of the general Apostacy of the Times here spoken of wherein partly by the force and partly by the fraud of the false Prophet it is grown a common practice to worship the Beast to the greatest dishonour of God that can be imagined Vers 8. And there followed another Angel saying Babylon is fallen is fallen that great city because she made all Nations drink of the Wine of the Wrath of her Fornication Babylon by which Rome is meant as will appear by the exposition of the 17. Chap. shall length be utterly destroyed namely by the ten Kings that are confederate with the Beast to shew the certainty of which mine the Angel speaketh of it as already past redoubling the Expression and Saying Babylon is fallen is fallen Now the reason why he speaketh of Rome under a borrowed name is partly that he might not bring danger upon John by causing him to describe in plain terms the Destruction of that City under the Dominion whereof he lived for Jeremy in that he openly foretold the ruine of Jerusalem was very likely to have been put to death Chap. 26.11 and partly that none but the wise might attain to the knowledge of so excellent a Prophecy as is sufficiently hinted by those words of the Angel Chap. 17.9 where he saith Here is the minde that hath wisdom The seven Heads are the seven Mountains on which the Woman sitteth c. And this mystical name of Babylon is very aptly and elegantly given to Rome because of the great congruity that was between those two Cities For first Babylon was an exceeding large City and therefore called great Babylon Dan. 4.30 So also was Rome which is therefore hyperbolically said by the Poet Lucan lib. 1. ver 511. to have been a sufficient Receptacle for all Mankinde but by more sober Writers that have inquired into the greatness thereof to have been fifty Miles within the Walls Secondly Babylon was the Seat of the first universal Kingdom and Rome of the fourth Thirdly Babylon was exceedingly addicted to Sorceries and Inchantments Isai 47.9 12. So also was Rome for though Laws were made at Rome against Astrologers and Sorcerers yet were they under hand still cherished there which gave Tacitus an occasion to say of them Hist lib. 1. cap. 7. that they were Genus hominum quod in civitate nostra vetabitur semper retinebitur That is A kinde of men that in our state will be always both forbidden and retained Fourthly Babylon exercised great rage and cruelty upon the People of God Isai 47.6 So also did Rome of which it is said Chap. 18.24 of this Prophecy that in her was found the Blood of Prophets and Saints and of all that were slain in the Earth And this last Branch of the Comparison bringeth us to the cause of Rome's Destruction assigned in this place by the Angel when he saith that all Nations had drunk the Wine of the Wrath of her Fornication For to drink the Wine of her Wrath according to the Language of the Scripture taken from the custome of administring bitter Potions whereby Men become disturbed and ill at ease is to feel her Anger and so to be vanquished by her with the Sword See Jer. 25.15 16. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel unto me Take the Wine-cup of this fury at my hand and cause all the Nations to whom I send thee to drink it And they shall drink and be moved and be mad because of the Sword that I will send among them And Chap. 51.7 Babylon hath been a golden Cup in the Lords hand that made all the Earth drunken The Nations have drunken of her Wine therefore the Nations are mad Neither ought the Fornication or Whoredom of Rome here annexed to turn us aside from this Interpretation seeing the subtil Devices that great Cities have used to ruine other States are in the Scripture called Whoredoms Thus the Prophet Nahum saith of Nineveh Chap. 2.3 4. There is a multitude of slain and a great number of carcases they stumble upon their corpses because of the multitude of the Whoredoms of the well-favoured Harlot the Mistress of Witchcrafts that selleth Nations through her Whoredoms and Families through her Witchcrafts You see by this passage that Nineveh was to be ruined for her whorlsh slights whereby she drew in other Nations and made a Prey of them as Harlots are wont to do with their Lovers But never was there any City that did so over-reach and prey upon other Nations as Rome did what by making them Confederates but upon unequal terms what by shewing a marvellous readiness in protecting their Confederates thereby to have a fair pretext to make an Invasion upon others what by pretending out of meer gallantry to deliver Free States from the Oppressors of their Liberty but under-hand reserving to themselves the sovereign Command over those States after they had subdued their Enemies All which and sundry other whorish tricks of Rome far exceeding in queintness those of any other City we read of may be seen at large in the History of Livy and the notable Discourses of Machiavel thereupon Vers 9. And the third angel followed them saying with a loud voice If any man worship the beast and his image and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand Vers 10. The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. Vers 11. And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever and they have no rest day nor night who worship the beast and his image and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name This third Angel seemeth to make application of what the first Angel said For if men ought to worship God as that Angel in his everlasting message did declare certainly it is very great impiety to worship the Beast who is the professed enemy of God openly blaspheming his Name And lest any one should imagine it to be a small sin to worship the Beast and his Image or to receive his mark he denounceth with a loud voice That whosoever doth so shall drink of the wine of Gods wrath that is poured without mixture and so not allayed with any thing to abate the force thereof into the cup of his anger and
rideth upon a swift cloud and shall come into Egypt and the Idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it Moreover the cloud that Christ sitteth upon is said to be white to set forth the glorious honour of his Majesty like as God intending to make that vision Matth. 17.5 to be the more Illustrious causeth a bright cloud to over-shadow the three Apostles that were with Christ at his transfiguration As for the golden crown upon Christs head it sheweth the Kingly power wherof he is possessed as the sharp sickle doth the severity of his anger against the wicked whom he is ready armed to cut off Vers 15. And another Angel came out of the Temple crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the Cloud Thrust in thy Sickle and reap for the time is come for thee to reap for the Harvest of the Earth is ripe Vers 16. And he that sat on the Cloud thrust in his Sickle on the Earth and the Earth was reaped An Angel longing to see the vengeance of Christ fall upon the Inhabitants of the Earth that had so openly and outragiously dishonoured God cometh out of the Temple in Heaven for there is the place of that Temple from whence the Angels are wont to issue forth as is apparent from the 17. Verse and cryeth to him aloud desiring him to destroy the wicked whose iniquity was now full with the sharp Sickle of his Wrath which is accordingly performed Vers 17. And another Angel came out of the Temple which is in Heaven he also having a sharp Sickle Vers 18. And another Angel came out from the Altar which had Power over the Fire and cried with a loud Cry to him that had the sharp Sickle saying Thrust in thy sharp Sickle and gather the Clusters of the Vine of the Earth for her Grapes are fully ripe For as much as Christ in executing this great Judgement is not onely himself an Agent but useth also the Ministry of Angels both which things are plainly set forth Chap. 16. 19. where this business is again repeated a Sickle bearing Angel is likewise introduced to whom another Angel cryeth aloud that he should put his Sickle in ure and gather the Vine of the Earth Neither is it without a Mystery that this Angel which cryeth is said to issue forth from the Altar and to have power over the fire thereof For this implyeth that he as being wont to attend at the Altar did perceive that the Prayers of the Saints with which he burned Incense before God were now heard and that God was accordingly resolved to avenge his People of their Enemies wherefore it is evident from this Passage that there is in Heaven a Temple and therein an Altar which Chap. 8.3 is said to be of Gold and to stand before the Throne of God and to have as here an Angel for Priest to burn Incense thereon that the smoke thereof may ascend up together with the Prayers of the Saints Neither can it with reason be affirmed that this Angel is Christ not onely because it is very hard if not altogether impossible to allege any passage of the Scripture where the appellation of an Angel is undoubtedly given unto Christ but also for that this Angel is here plainly differenced from Christ for Christ is said to sit upon a white Cloud having a sharp Sickle in his hand whereas this Angel is said to come out from the Altar which is in Heaven Again this Angel is said to be another Angel and therefore if the two precedent Angels which are also both of them distinguished from Christ be of necessity meer Angels so must this Angel also Which Reason is of force likewise in the 8. Chapter where this Angel is called another Angel in relation to the seven Angels that stand before God and so are meer Angels or ministring Spirits and consequently he being of their Rank is not Christ but a ministring Spirit also Vers 19. And the Angel thrust in his Sickle into the Earth and gathered the Vine of the Earth and cast it into the great Wine-press of the Wrath of God Vers 20. And the Wine-press was trodden without the City and Blood came out of the Winepress even unto the Horse bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred Furlongs These two Verses shew the accomplishment of what the Angel who came out from the Altar in Heaven did desire For the Vine of the Earth is gathered and the Clusters cast into the great Wine-press of Gods wrath and trodden without the City Which figurative Description doth intimate the quashing and utter ruine of the Inhabitants of the Earth that joyn their Forces with the Beast that they may cut off all the Saints at once The fulfilling whereof is set down at large Chap. 19. Now this Wine-press is said to be trodden without the City because this terrible execution shall be made without Megiddo a City belonging to the Tribe of Manasseh Josh 17.11 For thither shall the Kings of the Earth draw their Armies together to make war with Christ and his Saints as is related Chap. 16.16 Of which City I will discourse more largely in my Exposition of that Chapter Now the greatness of the slaughter that Christ shall then make slaying his Enemies with the Sword of his Mouth and so shedding their Blood is notably declared both by the depth of that bloody Stream that issueth out of the Wine-press of Gods wrath which is said to reach up to the Bridles of the Horses and so to be above a Yard from the Ground and also by the length thereof running out for the space of one thousand six hundred Furlongs which is by computation at eight Furlongs to the Mile two hundred Miles Neither will this seem so strange if we consider that all the Kings of the whole World together with their Armies shall then assemble themselves towards the City of Megiddo and there be slain Chap. 15 Vers 1. And I saw another Sign in Heaven great and marvellous seven Angels having the seven last Plagues for in them is filled up the wrath of God The Exposition THis Chapter containeth in it self a Preparative to the pouring out of the Vials of Gods wrath upon the Beast and his Worshippers For John here seeth a great and wonderful Sign of seven Angels having seven Plagues which are therefore called the last Plagues because the Anger of God is accomplished by them so that after them succeedeth the chaining up of Satan and the uninterrupted prosperity of a thousand years through all the World as appeareth from the 20. Chapter Now the reason why the Angels are here sent to plague the Beast and his Worshippers is because all humane means did fail For the Saints who had adventured to oppose him with Arms though they fought in a just Cause were yet subdued and crushed by him as we saw Chap. 13.7 So that now was
the time for God to take the business into his own hands and to put forth the power of his Wrath by heavenly Instruments for as much as the earthly ones had proved ineffectual Which Observation is of good use teaching us to depend upon God for the avenging of his People even when all humane ability to perform it is quite vanished Vers 2. And I saw as it were a Sea of Glass mingled with Fire and them that had gotten the victory over the Beast and over his Image and over his Mark and over the Number of his Name stand on the Sea of Glass having the Harps of God The prosecution of the Preparative aforesaid is interrupted by a Representation of their glorious Estate who chose rather to suffer Death than to worship the Beast and his Image and to receive his Mark. For all that so suffer shall have a part in the first Resurrection as I have before touched in the Exposition of the 14. Chapter Now the place where the glorified Saints do stand to praise God is said to be a glassy Sea mingled that is filled with fire Of which Sea we read Chap. 4.6 Where John saith that before the Throne was a Sea of Glass like to Crystall Wherefore the Sea here mentioned is a large transparent Vessel made of a glassie or crystalline matter and set before the Throne of God in Heaven not having Water in it as that of Solomon's Temple 2 Chron. 4.6 which was made after the Patern of this Sea in Heaven but filled with fire And the Use is that the glorified Saints standing not upon as the English Translation hath it but by it may sing the Praises of God with Harps And in likelihood it is filled with fire to set off the terrible Majesty of God and the fire of his Jealousie wherewith he is wont to consume his Enemies according to that Description of him Psalm 50.3 Our God shall come and shall not keep silence a fire shall devour before him and burnup his Enemies round about Finally that they which are said to have gotten the victory of the Beast are rightly by me interpreted to be such as suffered death rather than they would yield to him is evident from the notion of overcoming or getting the victory elsewhere found in the Revelation Thus is it said by the Saints triumphant in Heaven concerning their deceased Brethren Chap. 12.11 that they overcame him that is Satan by the Blood of the Lamb and by the Word of their Testimony and loved not their Lives unto Death And Christ himself saith Chap. 3.21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne But it is certain that our Lord Christ overcame by suffering Death for the Truth Vers 3. And they sing the Song of Moses the Servant of God and the Song of the Lamb saying Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints Vers 4. Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name for thou onely art holy for all Nations shall come and worship before thee for thy Judgements are made manifest The Song which these heavenly Harpers sing is called the song of Moses and of the Lamb not that they ever used the very words thereof as far as we can judge by what is recorded of them in the Scripture but because it is conformable to the doctrine of them both Howbeit were the Hymn extant with Christ according to the prophecie that went before concerning him did sing in the midst of the Church Heb. 2.12 as well as the song of Moses Exod. 15. we should no doubt perceive that the song here set down was in effect the same with that of Christ as it apparently is with that of Moses Now the contents of this song are first the great and wonderful works of God shewing themselves in nothing more then in the preservation of these Saints from the worship of the Beast when all the world ran headlong to that impiety Secondly the righteousness and truth of his ways in making these Saints according to his promise partakers of the first resurrection because they had for him and his Gospel hated their lives in this world And this God whose ways are so righteous and so true is very significantly here stiled the King of the saints because to reign is properly to govern by Laws But there not are any that submit to the laws of God given by the hands of Christ and so are governed by them but the Saints all others being either ignorant of them or disobedient to them Thirdly It is intimated that it would be altogether unreasonable for any particular man to refuse to fear God and glorifie his name when there are so many notable arguments compelling thereunto as in the first place the unparallelled holiness of God For seeing he is holy of himself and all others by the participation of his holiness he is rightly here said to be holy alone Again the example of all Nations who come and worship before God is another inducement to the performance of the duties aforesaid Lastly the righteous deeds of God are alledged to this purpose partly shewed forth in the glorification of his Saints that died for his sake of which we spake before and partly in the destruction of the Beast and his followers Vers 5. And after that I looked and behold the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened After that notable digression touching the Saints that are to be partakers of the first resurrection John returneth to the great wonderful sign aforesaid which is ushered in with the opening of the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in Heaven By which words it appeareth not only that there is a temple in Heaven whereof mention was made formerly Chap. 14.17 but also a tabernacle containing it and a testimony therein This tabernacle I have already proved in the exposition of Chap. 13.6 to be the holy City the Heavenly Jerusalem Wherefore the temple belonging to it must needs be a more Sacred portion thereof where the glorified Saints do serve God according to that passage Chap. 7.15 Therefore are they before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple Now lest any one should put off what is here said concerning a Tabernacle and Temple in Heaven by turning it into an allegory as men are too apt to do when they expound the book of the Revelation we ought to consider that even the Author to the Hebrews who uttereth neither Prophecies nor Parables but plainly delivereth the Doctrine of the Gospel doth also make mention of a tabernacle in Heaven stiling it The true tabernacle yea of a Sanctuary or Holy of Holyes which he in like maner calleth the true Sanctuary For thus he saith Chap. 8.1 2. We have such an high Priest who is set down
the Congregation because the Cloud abode thereupon and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle And the Priests at the Dedication of Solomon's Temple are said To be unable to enter into the House of the Lord because the glory of the Lord had silled the Lords house 2 Chron. 7.2 So that we ought not to hunt after Mysteries when the Scripture giveth us no intimation of them Chap. 16. Vers 1. And I heard a great Voice out of the Temple saying to the seven Angels Go your ways and pour out the Vials of the Wrath of God upon the Earth The Exposition THe heavenly Priests aforesaid being now furnished by means of the Saints on Earth with the Vials of Gods wrath are commanded by a loud voice out of the Temple in Heaven to pour them out upon the Earth Not that the greatest part of them are not to be poured out upon other parts of the World but by a Figure of Deficiency that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Greeks are wont to phrase it the Earth onely is named both because the first is expresly said to be poured out upon the Earth it self and also all the rest of the Vials though poured out upon other places yet have relation to the Earth and the Inhabitants thereof Vers 2. And the first went and poured out his Vial upon the Earth and there fell a noisom and grievous sore upon the Men which had the Mark of the Beast and upon them which worshipped his Image The first Vial as we said before is poured out upon the Earth and the effect thereof is a sore and evil Boil arising on them that had the Mark of the Beast and worshipped his Image In the explaining of which Vial as well as of the rest I see no need of betaking our selves to an Allegory For if Moses and Aaron by sprinkling Ashes of the Furnace towards Heaven caused it to become a Boil breaking out with Blains upon the Egyptians Exod. 9.8 9 10. Why may we not as well conceive that the pouring out of a Vial on the Earth by an Angel may produce the same effect upon the Worshippers of the Beast And how then is this plain Interpretation not to be embraced when we finde in the Scripture that the same Plague did formerly happen to such as had been great Oppressours of Gods people Vers 3. And the second Angel poured out his Vial upon the Sea and it became as the Blood of a dead man and every living soul died in the Sea The wickedness of the Beast and his Worshippers is exceeding great No marvel therefore if their Plagues be not onely the same with those that happened to the wicked of former times but also exceeding them as being purposely suited by God to their impiety Of which sort is this Plague of the second Vial the pouring out of which into the Sea turneth not the third part thereof onely as Chap. 8.8 but all its Waters into Blood so that every living Soul therein perisheth By this means they are debarred of fishing in the Sea which must needs draw with it the ruine of many thousands that depend thereon for their livelihood The same may also be said of their traffiquing by Sea For the Waters thereof becoming Blood like that of a dead man they are not onely unserviceable to those many uses wherein Mariners are wont to imploy them but also by reason of their stench and thickness are altogether unfit to be sailed in this Plague therefore is very great Vers 4. And the third Angel poured out his Vial upon the Rivers and Fountains of Waters and they became Blood 5. And I heard the Angel of the Waters say Thou art righteous O Lord which wast art and shalt be because thou hast judged thus 6. For they have shed the Blood of Saints and Prophets and thou hast given them Blood to drink for they are worthy 7. And I heard another out of the Altar say Even so Lord God Almighty true and righteous are thy Judgements The turning of the Sea into Blood though it be a great Plague is yet insufficient to punish so outragious sinners as the Worshippers of the Beast wherefore the vengeance of God cometh yet closer to them by the pouring out of this third Vial into the Rivers and Fountains of Waters whereby they also become Blood So that now these Wretches can hardly with digging about the Rivers and Fountains get Water for their necessary uses For neither is it suitable to conceive that they were supplied any other way than the Egyptians their Predecessours in cruelty had been in the like calamity See Exod. 7.24 And that they had some such supply is evident by their surviving to undergo the other following Plagues which could not have come to pass had they been deprived of all means to get Water And this Plague is so agreeable to their sin as it had been in former times to that of the Egyptians that the Angel of the Waters who had power to turn them into Blood doth extoll the signal Justice of God herein pronouncing them worthy to have Blood given them to drink who had not spared to shed the Blood of Saints and Prophets And not onely he but also that other Angel which attendeth at the Altar in Heaven For he having formerly desired the Sickle-bearing Angel to make a clean riddance of the wicked whose sin was now ripe Chap. 14.18 must needs rejoyce at the equity of Gods dealing in the pouring out of this Vial which could not but cause many of them to perish But it is not to be passed over without animadversion that when the Worshippers of the Beast are here said to have Blood given them to drink because they had shed the Blood of Saints and Prophets this argueth that the pouring out of this Vial and consequently of the rest there being the same reason of them all happeneth within the compass of the three years and an half that the Tyranny of the Beast lasteth yea towards the latter end of that space in as much as these Plagues have relation to the cruelty that had been before exercised towards the Saints and Prophets and therefore it is likely that the pouring out of these seven Vials taketh not up more time than the smiting of Egypt with the ten Plagues did which were all accomplished within the space of one Year For Moses was eighty years old when he began to speak unto Pharaoh Exod. 7.7 and but an hundred and twenty when he died Deut. 34.7 the last forty years of which term he had spent in leading the Israelites in the Wilderness Deut. 29.5 so that there remaineth but the eightieth year of his Life wherein to inflict those ten Plagues upon Egypt Vers 8. And the fourth Angel poured out his Vial upon the Sun and Power was given unto him to scorch Men with Fire 9. And Men were scorched with great Heat and blasphemed the Name of God which hath Power over these Plagues and
to give his throne Chap. 13.2 together with the False Prophet who is said to exercise all the power of the Beast before him Chap. 13.11 12. have dominion over the evil spirits to send them to and fro in the earth This so great an expedition of all the Kings in the world combining to cut off the people of God at a blow is in it self very apt to strike a terrour into the Saints were no river dried up to give way to any of the Kings aforesaid and so to make them flinch from their faith and Piety wherefore the admonition here given by Christ is very seasonable who comparing his coming to that of a thief because of the suddenness thereof for when his Enemies shall say Peace and safety then sudden destruction shall seize upon them pronounceth them happy who in so perillous a time hold fast the garments of their righteousness whereby the nakedness of their sins committed in the time of Ignorance is kept from appearing to their shame As for the place which these Kings aforesaid make their Randezvouz it is here called Armageddon that is the mount of Megiddo For Har in Hebâ—ew signifieth a mount and Mageddon is the same with Megiddo a City belonging to Manasseh Jos 17.11 which is there written by the Greek interpreters Mageddo and hath here the letter N added thereunto by John Thus the City which Luke Chap. 9.10 calleth Bethsaida is by Matthew with the addition of an N termed in Greek Bethsaidan Chap. 11.21 But as the letter N is added to the end of the Hebrew word aforesaid so is the letter or rather aspiration of h taken away from the beginning thereof whilest it is written Armageddon as it fareth with the Hebrew word Hallelujah Psal 146.1 which in Greek is written both there and also in the Revelation Chap. 19.1 Allelujah without the letter or aspiration H. Now the mount of Megiddo seemeth to be chosen of God rather then another place towards which all the Kings of the earth must draw their Armies against that of the Saints because this City had been of old renowned for the wonderful defeat that Barak with ten thousand men at his feet gave to the potent host of Jabin King of Canaan who was a mighty oppresser of the Israelites Judg. 4.2 6. compared with chap. 5.19 20. where in Deborahs song of victory it is said the Kings came and fought then fought the Kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo they took no gain of money They fought from heaven the stars in their courses fought against Sisera For the memory of the miraculous discomfiture that hapned to Sisera the Captain General of Jabins Army and to the Kings of Canaan that sided with him against Gods people is of great influence upon the hearts of the Saints to make them expect the like overthrow to be given to the Beast and the Kings his followers in the same place Vers 17. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven from the throne saying It is done Vers 18. And there were voices and thunders and lightnings and there was a great earthquake such as was not since men were upon the earth so mighty an earthquake and so great Vers 19. And die great city was divided into three parts and the cities of the nations fell and great Babylon came in remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath Vers 20. And every island fled away and the mountains were not found Vers 21. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven every stone about the weight of a talent and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail for the plague thereof was exceeding great God had already plagued the Beast and his worshippers in the other three Elements of Earth Water and Fire as appeareth by the history of the first third and fourth vials Wherefore that all nature may be armed against so out-ragious offenders this last vial is poured out into the Air. Which is no sooner done but a loud voice is heard out of the temple in Heaven from the Throne saying It is done This voyce is rightly ascribed to God himself that sitteth upon the throne rather then to any other person about or under the Throne as we see it come to pass Chap 19.5 because we find him speaking after the same maner Chap. 21.5 6. He that sat upon the throne said Behold I make all things new And he said unto me Write for these words are true and faithful And he said unto me It is done As therefore in that place it signifieth that there is a period set to the duration of the world so doth it here intimate that no more vials of wrath are to be poured out forasmuch as the wrath of God is accomplished by this last The voyces thunders and lightnings that follow hereupon are all fore-runners of the great and sore Judgements that God is about to bring upon the inhabitants of the earth For thus we see the plagues pertaining to the seven trumpets ushered in Chap. 8.5 6. Among those Judgements an Earthquake is one affirmed here to be the greatest that ever hapned since God created man upon the earth the truth whereof will appear to us if we consider the several effects of this Earthquake For first it sundreth Jerusalem into three parts to wit by the sinking of the intermediate buildings into the ground for no other division is wont to be the effects of an Earthquake And of this Cities shaking about this time we have a more ample relation Chap 11.13 For that Jerusalem is here meant by the great City is evident in that it is distinguished from great Babylon and the other Cities of the nations or Gentiles Wherefore there remaineth no other City to be understood but that of the Jews Jerusalem which hath this very appellation of a great City given to it Chap. 11.8 Another effect of this unusual Earthquake is the falling of the Cities of the Heathen many of which seem to be overturned thereby as it is wont to happen in such shakings A third effect or at least a consequent thereof is the coming of great Babylon into remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of his fierce wrath Not that God had before forgotten her but because he did not then so remember her as to execute his fierce wrath upon her that business being reserved for this time The maner of which execution you may read at large in the 18. Chapter The fourth effect is the removal of every Island and the sinking of the mountains which afterwards ceased to appear These two things shall either come to pass as they are here related for so the others that go before are undoubtedly to be fulfilled or else they onely denote the great alteration that shall happen over all the world by the erecting of
the fifth Kingdom upon the defeat of the Beast and all the Kings of the earth that side with him For in this sense is the like removal understood Chap. 6.14 After this earthquake and the dire effects thereof cometh another Judgement very terrible namely that of Hail which is wont to be bred in the Air the place into which this seventh vial is poured and thereof God himself saith to Job Hast thou seen the treasures of the hail which I have reserved against the time of trouble against the day of battel and war Job 38.22 23. Accordingly we read not onely that this was one of the ten plagues of Egypt Exod. 9.23 24 25. but also that God did cast down great Hailstones from Heaven upon the Amorites at the battel of Gibeon so that more died with the Hail-stones then they whom the Children of Israel slew with the sword Josh 10.5 11. Nevertheless it is likely that neither the Hail-stones of Egypt nor those of Canaan were equal in bigness to them that fall down from Heaven upon the worshippers of the Beast For they are said to be about a talent apiece Now though we cannot certainly tell how much a talent weighed yet are we sure that the weight thereof was very great inasmuch as the branched Candlestick of the tabernacle and all the vessels thereof are by the appointment of God to be made of one talent of Gold Exod. 25.31 39. But this plague worketh no better effect upon men then the former ones did For they are so enraged with the greatness thereof that they cannot forbear to vent Blasphemies against God himself Which sheweth that the end of these Plagues is not to reform those on whom they are sent for undoubtedly such as are come to that height of impiety as to worship the Beast yea the Dragon himself are altogether incurable but onely to punish and torment them for their wickedness and so to set off the Riches of Gods grace towards the Righteous whom he hath appointed to Salvation Chap. 17. Vers 1 2. And there came one of the seven Angels which had the seven Vials and talked with me saying unto me Come hither I will shew unto thee the Judgement of the great Whore that sitteth upon many Waters 2. With whom the Kings of the Earth have committed Fornication and the Inhabiters of the Earth have been made drunk with the Wine of her Fornication The Exposition FOr as much as upon the pouring out of the seventh Vial Great Babylon is said to come in remembrance before God that he might give her the Cup of the Wine of his fierce Wrath and this was a thing of great importance to be clearly known for we finde by experience how much hurt the inadvertency of the time and persons appointed of God for the inflicting of this punishment hath done to Christians one of the seven Angels aforesaid cometh to John profering to shew him the Judgement of that great City which according to the usage of the Scripture elsewhere as Isai 1.21 23.15 16 17. Ezek. 16.2 3 35 he calleth an Harlot with whom the Kings of the Earth have had to do and been intoxicated with the Wine of her Fornication The meaning of which Allegory I will unfold when I come to the fourth Verse Vers 3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the Wilderness and I saw a Woman sit upon a Scarlet coloured Beast full of Names of Blasphemy having seven Heads and ten Horns When the Angel is here said to carry John away in the Spirit into the Wilderness this argueth that his Body continued where he was before and that he was onely in the Spirit of his minde hurried away Thus Paul writing to the Colossians Chap. 2.5 saith Though I he absent in the flesh yet I am with you in the spirit joying and beholding your order and the stedfastness of four Faith in Christ Not that in the substance of his Spirit he was not as well absent from them as in his body otherwise how could he indite that Epistle but because that in the cogitation of his Spirit he was present with them and beheld their Christian behaviour God revealing the same unto him as it here hapned to John to see this wonderful Vision in the Wilderness where as it seemeth the Judgement of Rome was represented unto him rather than in the place of his personal abode because that City is described both in this and also in the following Chapter as ready to become a Wilderness and Habitation of Devils and an Hold of every unclean Spirit and a Cage of every unclean and hateful Bird. All which Creatures are noted in the Scripture to haunt desolate places See Isai 13.20 21 22. 34.13 14. Jer. 50.39 Matth. 12.43 It is further very suitable to represent this City by the name and feature of a Woman because in the Prophets of old whose Language and Descriptions the Revelation every where followeth nothing is more usual Thus Samaria and Jerusalem are brought in as two Women Ezek. 23.1 2 3 4 Who the Scarlet Beast is on whom the Woman sitteth and which is depainted with that colour either for the abundance of Blood which he was to shed or for his kingly Dignity or for both is afterwards declared by the Angel together with the meaning of his seven Heads and ten Horns But for the names of Blasphemy whereof he is full it is neither here nor elsewhere so much as intimated what they be wherefore it would be no less than impudency in us to undertake a description of them Vers 4. And the Woman was arayed in Purple and Scarlet colour and decked with Gold and precious Stone and Pearls having a golden Cup in her Hand full of Abominations and filthiness of her Fornication No marvel if this Woman which sitteth on the Scarlet Beast be so richly and royally attired for Rome decyphered by her being the Seat of the Empire and receiving both the Spoils and Tributes of all the Nations in the World must needs be infinitely rich which was indeed the cause of her corruption in point of manners making her now reach out the golden Cup of her Abominations and whorish filthiness as she had done that of her whorish wrath before Chap. 14.8 For whereas she had in the times of her strict Discipline by her valour and marvellous cunning brought all Nations under her yoke being now on the contrary grown extremely loose and vicious all manner of debauchery and lewdness did distill from her as from the Head into the Body of the whole Universe so that she is in the following Verse styled The Mother of the Abominations of the Earth Vers 5. And upon her Forehead was a Name written Mystery Babylon the Great the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth As the Servants of God had his Name written on their Foreheads and the Inhabitants of the Earth that of the Beast so also hath the stately Woman that John saw in the
the fourth universal Empire it was the City to which all Nations were subject and whither they were wont continually to resort Vers 16. And the ten Horns which thou sawest upon the Beast these shall hate the Whore and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn her with Fire 17. For God hath put in their Hearts to fulfill his Will and to agree and give their Kingdom unto the Beast until the Words of God shall be fulfilled Here the Angel declareth what the ten Kings aforesaid should do to Rome namely that they should sack and burn it with fire But for as much as that City is here described according to the manner of the Scripture as an Harlot it is therefore suitably said that they shall make her naked and eat her flesh both which are done by pillaging the place and slaying the Inhabitants thereof Thus God saith of Jerusalem under the name of Aholibah the Harlot Ezek. 23.29 They shall deal with thee hatefully and shall take away all thy labour and shall leave thee naked and bare And David saith of his enemies that they came upon him to eat up his flesh namely with the mouth of the Sword Psal 27.2 But the reason why so many Kings otherwise at variance amongst themselves should yet agree herein and give their Kingdom to the Beast which two things here concurring to the destruction of Rome do by the way clearly intimate that it is the Beast who setteth the Kings upon this Work is because God putteth the same into their hearts to the end he may accomplish his words that he to wit had spoken touching the fall of Rome Chap. 14.8 wherefore in as much as the Angels words are so perspicuous concerning this matter they must needs be exceedingly mistaken who expect that Rome shall be destroyed either by other persons than the ten Kings aforesaid or at another time than after the seven Vials of Gods wrath have been poured out upon the Earth during the space of three years and an half that the Tyranny of the Beast over the Saints shall continue But neither is the Beast yet risen nor the ten Kings his Confederates nor those prodigious things come to pass that are mentioned in the 13. Chapter nor so much as one of the Vials poured out as will easily appear to any man who being acquainted with the Histories of former Times and finding no such occurrences there recorded had rather adhere to the plainness of the Scripture it self than follow the obscure and uncertain imaginations of men Vers 18. And the Woman which thou sawest is that great City which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth This is the Close of the Interpretation which the Angel vouchsafeth unto John wherein he discovereth who the Woman is whom John saw in the Wilderness namely the great City that reigned over the Kings of the Earth which all that are skilled in the History of those Times wherein John wrote this Prophecy know to be Rome For she commanding over the whole World must needs reign over those Kings that governed in any part of the same A Proof confirming the Truth of this matter may be seen in Tacitus who in the second Book and twenty third Chapter of his History saith Accessere cum regno Sohemus haud spernendis viribus Antiochus vetustis opibus ingens inservientium regum ditissimus Mox per occultos suorum nuncios excitus ab urbe Agrippa ignaro adhuc Vitellio celeri navigatione properaverat That is Sohemus who was a King of considerable Forces and Antiochus who was mighty for his ancient wealth and of all the subject Kings the richest sided with that party namely to make Vespasian Emperour Agrippa also upon secret Messages of his Friends quitted the City unawares to Vitellius and speedily sailed thither Thus much for the Key here given by the Angel to unlock the Mystery of the Beast which if our men had rather chosen to use than vainly attempted to break up this divine Cabinet with their own forced Interpretations neither had they so much wrested this excellent Prophecy of John nor exposed the Religion of Protestants to the contempt and scorn of her Adversaries who in likelihood measure what Protestants speak in other Points of Religion by the Standard of their Expositions concerning the Beast I should now proceed to the Explication of the eighteenth Chapter But that being onely a Relation touching the manner how Rome shall be destroyed and containing in it self little or no difficulty I judge it better to pass it by and hasten to the nineteenth Chapter wherewith the History of the Beast endeth Chap. 19. Vers 1. And after these things I heard a great Voice of much People in Heaven saying Alleluja Salvation and Glory and Honour and Power unto the Lord our God Vers 2. For true and righteous are his Judgements for he hath judged the great Whore which did corrupt the Earth with her Fornication and hath avenged the Blood of his Servants at her hand Vers 3. And again they said Alleluja And her smoke rose up for ever and ever The Exposition NO sooner is Rome sackt and burnt by the ten Kings aforesaid but this Judgement is entertained with a great shout from Heaven where a vast multitude cry Alleluja ascribing Salvation and glory and honour and power unto the Lord their God Of what persons this Multitude consisteth whither of Angels or of Men though it be not here expressed yet may it by a diligent disquisition be found out For first of all they cannot be Angels because the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be rendred here in English a Multitude is never used in the Scripture to design a great company of Angels but is on the contrary peculiar to Men as may be seen Chap. 17.15 where Multitudes in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are ranked with Peoples and Nations But all will confess that Peoples and Nations consist of Men onely Secondly this Multitude doth attribute Salvation unto God which the Angels are not any where found to do For they being by the perfection of their nature exempted from death or any other tribulation whatsoever are thereby also incapable of sharing in the salvation of God and accordingly use no such form of praising him Whence it followeth that they be men Not holy men upon the earth for they are denoted by the four and twenty elders and the four living creatures mentioned afterwards in the fourth verse of this Chapter it remaineth therefore that the multitude aforesaid consists of holy men already raised from the dead and glorified in the Kingdom of heaven when Rome is destroyed and so differ from them who after that destruction shall be made partakers of the same anticipated resurrection as may be seen in the twentieth Chapter of this prophecy and consequently are that great multitude of Saints afore mentioned in the seventh Chapter verse 9. For that those Saints are such as being risen from
the dead triumph in the Kingdom of heaven is evident from the description there given of them For it is said that they were come out of the great tribulation so it is emphatically expressed in the Greek and therefore intimateth that they weee set free from death the chiefest of all tribulations and also were clothed in white Robes and stood before the throne of God being put into such a condition that they should no more hunger nor thirst because the Lamb should feed them and lead them unto living fountains of water No one of which things agreeth either to men here living on the earth or to the souls of such as are departed this life Now the reason that inciteth these Saints in heaven with loud and redoubled voices to cry Allelujah that is Praise the Lord for so this word originally Hebrew doth signifie see Psal 146.1 is the justice of God who as it is here said had both judged that great Harlot which with the lewdness of her whoredome corrupted the earth whereof we have before spoken in our exposition on the seventeenth Chapter and also had avenged the blood of his servants at her hand and this vengeance is taken in so strange a maner that it is not to be parrallelled in all the holy scripture save in the prediction concerning the judgement of God against Bozrah and the land of Idumea whereof we read Isa 34.6 7 8 9 10. and which is not yet come to pass for though many Cities have been burned with the fire of men yea Sodom and Gomorrah with the fire of God from heaven yet hath it not been known that any City after it was once fired did send up the smoak of her burning for ever and ever as it is here affirmed of Rome Which circumstance alone doth sufficiently prove that the prophecy held forth in this book concerning the destruction of Rome is not yet fulfilled forasmuch as she notwithstanding all the sackings and firings that have since hapned to her is yet standing and that in great state and splendor so far is she from being made a desolation and perpetual burnings Vers 4. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne saying Amen Alleluja The action of the Saints in heaven who give honour and glory to God for executing judgement upon Rome is seconded by the Saints on earth who prostrating themselves before God declare their approbation of what the others had done by saying Amen Alleluja For though the Saints here spoken of are in the vision introduced as being in heaven yet this hinders not but that the true place of their abode is the earth no more then the ascent of John into heaven in a vision and his viewing the things therein contained Chap. 4.1.2 make him in the mean time cease from being a true and real inhabitant of the Isle Patmos for these four and twenty Elders together with the four living creatures I have already proved in mine exposition of the fifteenth Chapter to be the Disciples of Christ in the four quarters of the world Howbeit the four and twenty are both here and else where in the Revelation distinguished from the rest because as the very name of Elders given to them doth import the Pastours of the Church are by them signified And this number of the Elders seemeth to be modelled from the four and twenty Orders of the Priests under the Law 1 Chron. 24.7 8. into whose room the Ministers of the Gospel are come that the people of God might never want some to watch over them in relation to the good of their souls Vers 5. And a voice came out of the throne saying Praise our God all ye his servants and ye that fear him both small and great The praising of God is a thing so comely in the Saints that they are here though upon a new accompt as will appear from that which followeth incited by a voice from the throne to do it again which voice is not to be ascribed to God himself although it proceedeth from his throne but to some other person that is under or about the same and hath him that sitteth on the throne for his God as the voice it self doth intimate when it saith Praise our God all ye his servants If it be further demanded what maner of person the author of the voice should be whether a glorified Saint or an Angel I answer that it rather seemeth to be an Angel because we finde the like exhortation used by an Angel Chap. 14.6 7. As for the Servants of God whom the voice speaketh unto seeing they are distinguished from those that fear God this sufficiently hinteth that they are not meerly pious men but such as besides their piety are imployed by God in the work of the Ministery and in particular bear the office of prophets in the Church for so the servants of God when differenced from them that fear God are elsewhere understood in this book of the Revelation see Chap. 11.18 where it is said That thou shouldest give the reward unto thy servants the Prophets and to the Saints and them that fear thy name small and great Now that many Prophets will then exist when these things are to be accomplished I have before shewed in the exposition of the fourteenth Chapter Vers 6. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude and as the voice of many waters and as the voice of mighty thundrings saying Alleluja for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth Vers 7. Let us be glad and rejoyce and give honour to him for the marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made her self ready Vers 8. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen clean and white for the fine linen is the righteousness of Saints Though the destruction of the wicked be an inducement to praise the name of God and to rejoyce yet is the salvation of the righteous as being in it self a work more excellent and glorious of far greater efficacy to stir up the Saints to the performance of these two things Hence it is that the acclamation here made is more loud and solemn then the others that went before For John saith That he heard as it were the voice of a great multitude and as the voice of many waters and as the voice of mighty thundrings saying Alleluja The reason of which unusual Exultation that I may confirm what I even now asserted is in the first place said to be the Reign of God namely upon the Delivery of the Kingdom into the Hands of the Saints For though God was long before said in the Scripture to be the King of all the Earth Psal 47.7 yet in as much as to reign if you speak properly is to rule and govern by Laws the Reign of God over all the World may in this sense be rightly said to commence with the Kingdom of the Saints And that
and meer notion The same divine Author further saith Chap. 12.22 23. Ye are come unto mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerablt company of Angels To the general assembly and Church of the first born which are written in heaven and to God the judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect In which words the heavenly Jerusalem is not only distinguished but also parted from the Church by the interposal of another thing to which we have access in the Gospel to wit the myriads of Angels so that there remaineth no tergiversation but that the New Jerusalem and the Church of God must of necessity be acknowledged for two different things Finally he saith Chap. 13.13.14 Let us go forth unto him that is Christ Jesus without the camp bearing his reproach For here we have no continuing City but we seek one to come Here also the City is distinguished from the Church for none can deny that they which seek for that City to come are the Church whereas the City it self is the thing sought for It further appeareth from the first clause of this fourteenth verse to which the second hath relation that a City truly and properly so called is here meant But were all these Testimonies laid aside the very descent of the New Jerusalem out of heaven whereby the New heaven is to be understood as the foregoing verse doth shew sufficiently argueth that not the Church but a City is thereby intended For the Church consisting of faithful men and women that were both generated and regenerated on the earth and there have their continual abode cannot without great absurdity be said to descend out of heaven much less out of the New heaven which is not yet in being Moreover the description of the New Jerusalem set down in this and the following Chapter will fully evidence to us both how truly I affirm it to be a very City and also how aptly John compareth it to a Bride that is dressed and adorned for her husband Vers 3. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying Behold the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God Vers 4. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away The voice that is here heard out of heaven and which in likelyhood proceedeth from Angels for God is brought in speaking immediately after and Angels are elsewhere found to congratulate the salvation of men Luke 2.10 11 13 14. confirmeth what I before asserted that by the New Jerusalem is meant a place and not the Church or people of God for it is stiled upon the descent thereof out of heaven the Tabernacle of God that is with men and so is a thing different from the men themselves of whom the Church consisteth Again though the Church be sometimes in the Scripture known by the name of a Temple yet have I not met with any instance where it is called a Tabernacle Nor is it absurd that the New Jerusalem though a City that hath foundations should here be termed a Tabernacle for being described as descending down from God out of heaven it doth contrary to other Cities remove from place to place as Tabernacles or Tents are wont to do The priviledge that they enjoy who are admitted into this Tabernacle is to have the very person of God among them For so much is signified by those words wherein it is said God himself shall be with them which also intimate that during the state of this life God himself is not with his people however his favour and assistance be with them Neither let any one check at that expression of mine touching the person of God for it is borrowed from Heb. 1.3 Where Christ is called the express Image of his person When God shall thus be present with the Saints in the New Jerusalem he shall thereby become their God or Sovereign benefactour in the most perfect manner For if according to the intimation of the divine Author to the Hebrews Chap. 11.16 God be called the God of Abraham of Isaac and of Jacob because he hath prepared for them a City how much better may he be called their God when he vouchsafeth to them the enjoyment both of that City and also of his own personal presence therein For seeing that in his presence there is fulness of joy as David testifieth Psalm 16.11 it must needs come to pass that the Saints shall by the means thereof be exempted from all misery whatsoever and as it is here expressed neither weep nor sorrow nor cry nor suffer either death or pain any more because the former state and condition of men wherein all these things had place is now quite done away Where let it by the way be marked that when it is in the Text said There shall be no more death this doth of it self put it out of doubt that what is here spoken of men concerneth not this life but that which is to come according to the testimony of Christ himself who telleth us in the Gospel according to Luke Chap. 20.35 36. That they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that other world and the resurrection from the dead are also the persons that cannot die any more Vers 5. And he that sat upon the throne said Behold I make all things new And he said unto me Write for these words are true and faithful Vers 6. And he said unto me It is done I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the Water of life freely Vers 7. He that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my son Vers 8. But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death The making of all things new is altogether necessary to the happiness of the Saints yet seeing this was a thing which for the greatness thereof was likely to finde but little credit amongst men as we by experience finde it come to pass God is not content with what others from heaven had spoken of it but doth himself say to John Behold I make all things new and not only so but commandeth John to write the same that it may remain upon Record for ever alledging this as the reason namely because the words which both he himself and others had uttered concerning this matter were true and faithful Which Epithets are not therefore used by God that he might only signifie that there was no falshood in the words aforesaid for then
AN ESSAY To the Explaining of the REVELATION WHEREIN Amongst other things of great moment is clearly proved that by the Beast is meant an Universal Monarch which shall hereafter arise out of the Roman Empire That there shall be a Fifth Kingdom upon the Earth namely that of the Saints together with the manner thereof And that the New Jerusalem is a City properly so called which God hath reserved in Heaven for the Saints Revel 1.3 Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this Prophecy and keep those things which are written therein Prov. 30.5 6. Every word of God is pure Add thou not unto his words lest he reprove thee and thou be found a Liar LONDON Printed by Henry Hills and are to be sold by George Sawbridge dwelling on Ludgate-hill at the Sign of the Bible 1661. A PREFACE TO THE READER THe Revelation is the most excellent of the P rophetick Books contained in the Scripture as being the Abstract of them all and therefore as the best things are most liable to abuse it hath been shamefully intreated by the greatest part of those that have undertaken to explain the same For it seemeth by their Expositions that they imagine this to be such a Portion of holy Writ whereon men are onely to exercise their Fancies and to suspend the use of Reason whilest they inquire into the sense thereof Neither did I ever finde such monstrous Interpretations imposed on any other Book whether sacred or profane For instance when John doth in the first Chapter wish Grace and Peace to the seven Churches of Asia from the seven Spirits that are before the Throne of God by these say they is meant the holy Spirit who is said to be seven either because of his manifold operations or because he wrought in the seven Churches But by what instance taken out of any Authour either sacred or profane can they avouch such an Interpretation Who ever heard that a single person as the holy Spirit is should either for his many Works or for his working in sundry places be termed Seven And how should any man ever reach the meaning of our word if took to our selves the liberty of speaking thus Again when it is in the 11. Chapter spoken of two Witnesses these say they are the Old and New Testament or Magistracy and Ministry But where in the Scripture are two Witnesses that prophesie or two Prophets for so the Witnesses are there in the 10. Verse expresly styled put otherwise than for two men endued with a prophâ—tick spirit Yea can it without the greatest absurdity be said of any but two men that they prophesie clad in Sackcloth that if any one goeth about to hurt them Fire issueth out of their Mouths and devoureth their Adversaries that they have Power to shut Heaven and turn the Waters into Blood and smite the Earth with every Plague as often as they please that when they have finished their Testimony they are killed and their dead Bodies lie three Days and an half in the Street of a certain City In fine that after the three Days and an half the Spirit of Life from God enters into them so that they stand upon their Feet and afterwards ascend up into Heaven in a Cloud whilest their Adversaries stand looking on them Is it possible for the wit of man with any congruity to Reason and to the words of the Text to draw these things either to the Old and New Testament or to the Magistracy and Ministry Grant once that we may with our mystical Interpretations evade the literal Truth of things so plainly delivered in the Scripture I would fain know what certainty is to be had there or how any thing should ever be proved from thence Likewise we are told in the History of the two Witnesses that they shall prophesie a thousand two hundred and sixty Days This term of time say they signifieth a thousand two hundred and sixty Years a Day according to the usage of the Prophets being put for a Year to which purpose they allege Numb 14.3 34. where it is said Your Children shall wander in the Wilderness forty Years and bear your Whoredoms untill your Carcases be wasted in the Wilderness After the number of the Days in the which ye searched the Land even forty Days each Day for a Year shall ye bear your iniqu ties even forty Years And Ezek. 4.5 6. where it is said I have laid upon thee the Years of their iniquity according to the number of the Days three hundred and ninety Days so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the House of Israel And when thou hast accomplished them lie again on thy right side and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the House of Judah forty Days I have appointed thee each Day for a Year But in neither of these two places are Days to be drawn out into Years Otherwise when it is said in Numbers that the Israelites were forty Days a searching the Land of Canaan we must understand that they spent forty Years about it which every one seeth to be absurd Likewise when Ezekiel lay upon his left side three hundred and ninety Days for the iniquity of Israel and on his right side forty Days for the iniquity of Judah by this reckoning he would have lien on his sides four hundred and thirty Years Wherefore the words in Numbers import no more than that whereas the Israelites had spent forty Days in searching the Land their Children should answerably thereunto wander forty Years in the Wilderness So also doth the passage in Ezekiel signifie that forasmuch as Israel and Judah had now gone a whoring from God for the space of four hundred and thirty Years the Prophet should accordingly lie four hundred and thirty Days upon his sides to bear their iniquity I conclude therefore that it is contrary both to Scripture and Reason to understand by the thousand two hundred and sixty Days that the Witnesses shall prophesie any other than such Days as are properly so called consisting of four and twenty Hours a piece Finally it is said of the Carcases of the two Witnesses that they shall he unburied three Days and an half in the Street of the great City where our Lord was slain which is the most evident description of Jerusalem that can be given this City say they is meant of Rome because our Lord was put to death by the Roman Power 'T is true indeed that a Deputy of the Roman Emperour did crucifie our Saviour Christ but may it therefore be affirmed that he was crucified at Rome Are we wont to say that a thing is done at such a place when it is done onely by the Authority of him that hath his imperial Seat there What man that was in his wits did ever express things in this manner Certainly did the Revelation speak at such a rate as these men imagine it would be the most ridiculous piece that ever was penned and the Authour thereof
same person with the Goat himself as the Angel there shews it doth Vers 21. namely Alexander the King of Greece and the first King thereof who subdued Darius the King of the Medes and Persians and so was the Goat that trampled on the Ram with two Horns there spoken of Vers 4. And they worshipped the Dragon which gave Power unto the Beast and they worshipped the Beast saying Who is like unto the Beast who is able to make war with him In this Verse is set forth the marvellous impiety of the whole World in the Reign of the Beast for they shall not stick to worship the Devil for investing the Beast with so vast Authority and also the Beast that is set up by him as judging no King in all the World like to him for greatness nor able to wage war with him Neither is this Worship of the Devil to be esteemed such a sin as that the Nature of Man cannot possibly be induced to commit it otherwise the Devil would not have sollicited our Saviour Christ thereunto telling him that if he would fall down and worship the Devil all the Kingdoms of the World together with the glory thereof should become his Luk. 4 6 7. For certainly the Devil is too subtil to propose such a thing to our Saviour the wisest and strongest Saint that ever was or shall be which is so enormous that no Man though never so gross and wicked is capable of being drawn thereunto I conclude therefore that this detestable wickedness of Worshipping the Devil will be put in practise according to the very Letter during the Reign of the Beast Vers 5. And there was given unto him a Mouth speaking great things and blasphemies and power was given unto him to continue forty and two Moneths These words imply that the Beast though otherwise of himself most impious yet could not utter so great things and blasphemies were he not animated by an extraordinary Power For as it is elsewhere said in the Scripture that none can do such or such an act of Piety unless it be given to him and consequently God doth in mercy enable him by the Power of his Holy Spirit as Christ saith that none could come unto him except it were given him of the Father Joh. 6.65 And Paul saith Phil. 1.29 To you it is given in the behalf of Christ not onely to believe in him but also to suffer for him So the outragious blaspheming of the Name of God here spoken of is so high a strain of impiety that were not the Beast incited and spirited thereunto by the working of Satan he could in no wise reach unto it The same is said of his making war namely with the Saints as you have it Vers 7. and Dan. 7 25. for the space of forty two Moneths For this being a more than ordinary act of Tyranny requireth the assistance of the Devil to stir up and strengthen the Beast to perform it As for the duration of this War with the Saints which the Beast is said to wage for the space of forty two Moneths seeing I have already proved that by the Beast is meant a King neither can any place be alledged out of the Scripture where by Moneths are meant Moneths of Years and not of Days onely I collect that the said War shall last but three Years and an half Vers 6. And he opened his mouth in Blasphemy against God to blaspheme his Name and his Tabernacle and them that dwelt in Heaven What the Beast had by the permission of God received a Power to do he here putteth in execution blaspheming the Name of God and his Tabernacle By which Tabernacle is meant the heavenly Jerusalem the place of Gods abode as appeareth from Chap 21.2 3. For there when that holy City descendeth out of Heaven upon the new Earth a voice is heard from Heaven saying Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he shall dwell with them Which implyeth that the heavenly Jerusalem is the Tabernacle of God wherein he will dwell with men And this City is therefore called a Tabernacle because contrary to the guize of other Cities it removeth from place to place as Tabernacles or Tents are wont to do Neither is the Blasphemy of the Beast terminated in God and his Tabernacle but extendeth it self to all those dwelling in Heaven namely Christ and the holy Angels which fully verifieth what Paul saith of this Beast under the name of the Man of Sin and Son of Perdition namely that he shall exalt himself above every one that is called God 2 Thess 2.4 For this Appellation of God is in the Scripture given both to the Father and to his Son Christ Jesus and also to the holy Angels See Ephes 1.17 The God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory John 20.28 Thomas answered and said unto him namely Jesus Christ My Lord and my God Zech. 12.8 The house of David shall be as God as the Angel of the Lord before them Vers 7. And it was given unto him to make war with the Saints and to overcome them and Power was given him over all Kindreds and Tongues and Nations The Beast hath Power given to him not onely to make war with the Saints which by the way implyeth that the Saints oppose him with Arms for it is then rightly termed War when Hostility is openly used on both sides See Chap. 12.7 but also to vanquish them in fight And this is a thing very remarkable giving us to understand that the Saints though fighting in a just Cause against the Beast yet cannot prevail by force of Arms in as much as the Beast is to be defeated by the divine Power of Christ their Captain who will at length appear in the Heaven riding upon a white Horse and by the Sword of his Mouth dissipate the Beast and his Complices See Chap. 19.11 15 20 21. What is here further said of the universal Monarchy of the Beast is of it self very plain and hath been touched before in the Exposition of the first Verse so that I need not add any thing thereunto Vers 8. And all that dwell upon the Earth shall worship him whose Names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World As the Kingdom of the Beast is universal so is the Worship also none amongst all the Inhabitants of the Earth refusing it save they whose Names are written in the Book of Life For they being appointed of God unto Salvation are accordingly preserved by him from committing so great impiety as to worship a King that openly blasphemeth God and was set up by the Devil Furthermore when the Book of Life is here said to be the Lambs it is because God hath prepared it for him for Moses of old testified that God hath written such a Book Exod. 32.32 that he might know on whom to bestow eternal Life For seeing it was the will of God that none should
be tormented with fire and brimstone before the holy Angels and before the Lamb and that to all eternity for if the smoke of their torment shall ascend for ever and ever as the Angel plainly affirmeth it is necessary that the torment it self from whence the smoke ariseth should also continue as long and if the torment then also the tormented So that it ought at no hand to be denyed that the worshippers of the Beast shall live for ever in the torments of hell fire Neither is it to be feared least any one should thence argue that by this account they may be truly said to have Eternal life For Eternal life according to the true and usual notion of the Scripture doth not signifie a bare living for ever but a living for ever in joy and in the favour of God And therefore Eternal life Matth. 25.46 is opposed to Eternal punishment when it is said These shall go away into everlasting punishment which implyeth that they remain alive for ever otherwise how are they capable of being punished for ever all punishment supposing the existence of the subject that is punished But the righteous into life eternal And to the abiding of Gods wrath upon men John 3.36 When it is said He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him and to damnation John 5.29 when it is said They that have done good shall come forth to the resurrection of life but they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation These things being so such interpreters are not to be heard as go about to impose a figurative sense upon what is here in the Revelation clearly spoken concerning the everlasting torment prepared for the worshippers of the Beast for they not onely weaken the force of the Angels commination which all must needs confess to be far more efficacious to deterr men from committing so great wickedness if the words be plainly and properly taken but also open a way to evacuate all other passages of the Scripture where mention is made of the everlasting torment of Hell fire But perhaps some one will object that these tormented ones are said to have no rest day and night and consequently their torment is to be restrained to such a duration where there is a vicissitude of day and night which ceaseth together with the world and so is not properly and truly everlasting To which I answer that this expression of having no rest day and night inasmuch as it followeth those words wherein it is said that the smoak of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever is used to shew that they shall at no time have any respiration from their torment and not that there shall be an end thereof namely when day and night shall cease For seeing all the time of men in this world is part either of the day or of the night that which cometh not to pass in either of them is not at all hence it is that the Angel intending to shew that the worshippers of the Beast shall be tormented without intermission saith that they have no rest day and night Thus is it said of the four living creatures in Heaven with six wings apeice Chap. 4.8 That they have no rest day and night saying Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty though there be no vicissitude of day and night in Heaven namely to signifie that they never cease at any time whatsoever to praise God in that maner To conclude therefore As those words He shall be tormented for ever and ever import that there shall be no end of their torment so these They have no rest day and night imply that there shall be no intermission of them Vers 12. Here is the patience of the saints here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus This acclamation of the Angel doth intimate that during the tyranny of the Beast the patience of the Saints will have a most ample occasion to shew it self there having never been before so furious a monster that did so openly set his mouth against the Heavens and bend all his forces to extirpate the Religion of Christ So that then it will appear more then in any former age how admirable the constancy of the Saints is who notwithstanding all the Machinations whether of force or fraud that Satan and his instruments can contrive to wrest the crown of piety out of their hands do in the midst of a general Apostacy still adhere to the Commandments of God and firmly believe in Jesus Christ Vers 13. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me Write Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth Yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works do follow them Here John relates a certain voice which he heard out of Heaven pronouncing them happy in particular that should from thenceforth die namely under the tyranny of the Beast which particular happiness of them as we are taught Chap. 20.4 consists herein that they shall be partakers of the first Resurrection For that resurrection is there appropriated to them that suffer death for the testimony of Christ and for the word of God in the time of the Beast And the more to incourage the Saints to die for the truth of Christ in those perillous times the holy spirit doth second that voice from Heaven and render the reason thereof namely because they rest from their labors and their works follow them and therefore since their works have been more eminent then those of former times no marvel if their reward be so also Vers 14. And I looked and behold a white cloud and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man having on his head a golden crown and in his hand a sharp sickle This vision together with that other in the 17 18. verses do like the two dreams of Pharaoh Gen. 41.25 26. tend to the same effect and so are indeed but one intimating that the time was now at hand when Christ should execute judgement on the inhabitants of the earth because their sins denoted by the ripe fruits of the earth were come to maturity And that this interpretation is true and certain appeareth from that passage Joel 3.12 13. from whence these two visions of John seem to be modelled where it is said Let the Heathen be wakened and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat For there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about put ye in the sickle for the harvest is ripe come get you down for the press is full the fats overflow for their wickedness is great Now forasmuch as Christ is to be a principal agent in the execution of this judgement he is therefore brought in sitting upon a cloud as God in like cases was wont to be in the Old Testament See Isay 19.1 Behold the Lord
on the right hand of the Majesty in the Heavens A minister of the Sanctuary and of the true Tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man And Chap. 9.11.12 but Christ being come an High Priest of future good things by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle not made with hands that is to say not of this building Neither by the blood of goats and Calves but by his own blood he entred in for once so it is in the Greek into the holy place or Sanctuary having obtained everlasting redemption And verse 24. Christ is not entred into the holy places or Sanctuary made with hands which are the figures of the true but into Heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us Which passages if we take in the plain and literal sense of them as the circumstances if well weighed will inforce us to do then shall we easily perceive how aptly the same Divine Author Chap. 8.5 speaking of the Levitical Priests that ministred in the Tabernacle saith Who serve unto the example and shadow of Heavenly things Whereas if we turn aside to figurative interpretations neither will that nor sundry other places of the Divine Author aforesaid be ever rightly understood nor shall we be able to render a sufficient reason why we may not at the same rate allegorize upon whatsoever is delivered in the Scripture whereby it will at length come to pass that we shall be certain of nothing that is contained therein being lyable to be carried about with every fansie that curious wits can invent and impose upon the letter of the Holy text Having thus asserted the truth and reality of an Heavenly Tabernacle and Temple the consequence of which Doctrine will further appear when we come to the 21. 22. Chap we ought to pass the same sentence upon the Testimony that is said to be therein For if the tabernacle that Moses made was a type of a greater and more perfect one in Heaven may not the tables of the Testimony also which were contained therein especially seeing that John himself saith in another place of this Prophecie that the temple of God was opened in heaven and there was seen in his temple the ark of his Testament or covenant Chap. 11.19 Vers 6. And the seven angels came out of the temple having the seven plagues clothed in pure and white linen and having their breasts girded with golden girdles The temple being opened for the seven Angels that had the seven plagues they accordingly issue out accoutred like Priests in white linen and golden girdles Thus we find that the Priests under the Law were wont to wear fine linen Exod. 28.39 Thou shalt imbroider the coat of fine linen and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen and thou shalt make the girdle of needle-work And Levit. 16.11 He shall put on the holy linen coat and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh and shall be girded with the linen girdle and with the linen mitre shall he be attired And the curious girdle of the Ephod belonging to the High Priest was made as of other things so also of gold Exod. 28.8 The curious girdle of the Ephod which is upon it shall be of the same according to the work thereof even of gold of blew and of purple and scarlet and fine twined linen Now that this habit of the Levitical Priests was also a type of heavenly things is evident from the description of the Angel an inhabitant of Heaven that appeared to Daniel Chap. 10.5 of his Prophecy For there Daniel saith I lifted up mine eyes and looked and behold a certain man clothed in linen whose loyns were girded with fine gold of Uphaz In like maner are the seven Angels attired that here appear to John But why labor I to prove the Angels to be priests from their Attire when to omit what I observed in the Chapter immediately foregoing namely that one of the Angels is said to have power over the fire of the Altar in Heaven there needs no other Argument to evince this than that which I hinted at the first rise of mine Exposition upon this sixth Verse namely that they are conversant in the Temple of Heaven for it belongeth unto none but Priests to converse in Temples See 2 Chron. 26.11 17 18. Vers 7. And one of the four Beasts gave unto the seven Angels seven golden Vials full of the wrath of God who liveth for ever and ever It is not without a Mystery that one of the four living Creatures giveth to the seven Angels seven Vials full of the Wrath of God For those four living Creatures being indeed the multitude of Believers in the four Quarters of the World as appeareth by their own words Chaps 5.9 where in their new Song to the Lamb they say Thou hast redeemed us by thy Blood to God out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall reign on the Earth and it being altogether impossible for them reigning upon the Earth if you speak properly to reach out Vials to the Angels in Heaven when one of them is said to give the Vials to the Angels it onely implyeth that by their procurement whilest they cry day and night unto God it came to pass that these Angels had the Vials of Gods wrath put into their hands to the end they might pour them out upon the Inhabitants of the Earth But here again we meet with another proof of the Angels being Priests in that they are said to have golden Vials given to them whereas a Vial is not an ordinary Bowl but onely such an one as is used in consecrated Places Thus when it is said 2 Chron. 4.8 that Solomon made for the ten Tables of the Temple an hundred Basons or Bowls of Gold the Greek Interpreters render it Vials Neither is it to be omitted that when the seven Vials are said to be fuâ—l of the Wrath of God that liveth for ever and ever this Description of God is very emphatical intimating that God for as much as he liveth for ever and ever can certainly accomplish his Wrath so that his Enemies cannot possibly escape whereas Men having their Breath in their Nostrils and being â—iable to Death every moment they may indeed make great Threats but perhaps will not survive to perform what they have threatned Vers 8. And the Temple was filled with Smoke from the glory of God and from his power and no man was able to enter into the Temple till the seven Plagues of the seven Angels were fulfilled The filling of the heavenly Temple with Smoke so that none was able to enter thereinto for a time doth not intimate any abstruse and mysterious business but onely set off the awfull Majesty of God as will appear by the collation of other like passages of the Scripture For thus Moses Exod. 40.35 is said To be unable to enter into the Tent of
describing the warlike power of Christ for there remain three other particu ars belonging thereunto The first whereof is the ruling of the Nations with a rod of Iron Which though it may with congruity to the tenor of the Scripture be taken only for the irresistible power of Christ whereby he is able to crush all his Enemies yet seeing we ought not to depart from the letter of the Scripture when it yieldeth a fair and commodious construction I propose it to the wise and learned to judge whether it may not with probability be thought that the Saints into whose hands Christ will at length miraculously deliver all the Kingdoms of the world and so rule over the Nations by them as subordinate to himself shall both in their judicature and warfare the latter of which is likely to continue till that generation be extinct use such an instrument as an Iron rod to break implacable enemies and capital offenders in pieces Neither is this sence contrary to the other but doth include the same shewing how that irresistible power of Christ shall at length put forth it self The second point is the treading of the wine-press of the wrath of God Almighty which I cannot sufficiently wonder to see how it is so often applied to the sufferings that Christ himself did undergo when the Text speaketh of the time present saying he treadeth the winepress and not of the time past But Christ by the confession of all is now exempted for ever from any further sufferings Again when any one treadeth a winepress he himself doth not thereby suffer any thing nor is bruised but maketh the grapes to suffer bruising And therefore if Christ tread the winepress of Gods wrath he himself must not be considered as enduring the wrath of God but as inflicting it upon others And indeed the words of the prophet Isaiah Chap 63. to which this passage seemeth to allude do plainly evince this interpretation of mine to be true and genuine For he that is there seen coming from Edom Red in his apparel and like to one that treadeth in the winefat sheweth the reason of this strange attire verse 3. saying I have trodden the winepress alone and of the people there was none with me For I will tread them in mine anger and trample them in my fury and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments and I will stain all my raiment Doth not this demonstrate beyond all gainsaying that to tread the winepress of Gods wrath is to execute his judgements upon others and not to feel the same himself The third thing is the name King of Kings and Lord of Lords that is written both on the vesture and also on the thigh of Christ which likewise apparently belongeth to the warlike power of Christ because he that is a King is wont also to command the sword for the defence of his people and the destruction of his Enemies whence it was before Chap. 14.17 rendred as the reason why Christ should vanquish the ten Kings confederate with the Beast who together with all the rest of the Kings in the world do here make war against Christ namely because he was Lord of Lords and King of Kings For this implieth that Christ hath dominion over all the Kings in the world and so is stronger then they and therefore no wonder if he doth subdue and crush them Thus Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 2.37 is called a King of Kings because God had given into his hand all the Earth and the Kings thereof Thus also Artaxerxes Ezra 7.12 is stiled a King of Kings in the beginning of the gracious Commission he granteth to Ezra because he had now gotten into his hands the Kingdom whereof Nebuchadnezzar was sometime seized Vers 17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun and he cried with a loud voice saying to all the fows that flie in the midst of heaven Come and gather your selves together unto the supper of the great God Vers 18. That ye may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of Captains and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of them that sit on them and the flesh of all men both free and bond both small and great Christ as we have already said is about to make a slaughter of his enemies Wherefore an Angel crieth with a loud voice to all the fowls of heaven to betake themselves to this supper of the great God that Christ is preparing for them and which will be furnished suitably to the Majesty of the great God with all sorts of flesh both of men and horses for their entertainment This invitation seemeth unlikely to have been made by an Angel were it not that God intendeth to use his ministery in drawing all his guests together which must needs appear to the Nations very ominous when they behold Eagles Ravens Uultures and other birds of prey flying in shoals towards the land of Israel where this great supper is to be made for that it shall so come to pass is evident from the close of the Chapter wherein it is said that all the fowls were filled with the flesh of the slain nor will the darkning of the Sun less amaze them which seemeth also likely to happen at this time and hath been known to be a forerunner of great slaughters For seeing the Angel is said to stand in the Sun which cannot be done without obscuring the light thereof nor is here put for nothing to me it is probable that this denoteth a miraculous Eclipse of that luminary by the interposal of the same Angel that draweth all the fowls of heaven together Vers 19. And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse and against his army Vers 20. And the beast was taken and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast and them that worshipped his image These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone Vers 21. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse which sword proceeded out of his mouth and all the fowls were filled with their flesh We are now at length arrived at that battel for which so much preparation hath been made which is the greatest that ever was struck since the world began putting a period both to the Tyranny of the Beast the forest enemy of all righteousness that ever was raised up and also to the sufferings of the Saints The place where it is fought is here indeed omitted but was in the sixteenth Chapter said to be called in Hebrew Armageddon which I in the Exposition of that Chapter have accordingly proved to belong to the Countrey of the Hebrews The persons that shall fight it are here said to be the Beast and the Kings of the earth with their Armies on the one side
and he that sitteth upon the horse with his Army on the other side Which last clause clearly sheweth that there shall be an Army in the field siding with Christ and having him for their Captain against which the Kings of the earth do directly bend their force as being capable of hurt For it is inconceiveable that all the kings of the earth should draw their Armies together into the land of Israel to fight against the person of Christ in heaven which should it descend from thence as nevertheless it shall not do until the day of the universal judgement would be altogether impassible Neither can it be said that this Army of Christ consisteth of Angels for to omit the difficulty even now mentioned and which hath place in Angels as well as in Christ the Angels are ranged in several Armies as the fourteenth verse of this Chapter signifieth whereas the Army of Christ here mentioned is but one Again the Angels are in the place aforesaid called the Armies in heaven that followed Christ But his implieth that there is some other Army of his upon the earth even that whereof I now dispute and which must needs consist of the Saints as was also before hinted Chap. 17.14 The Issue of the Battel is here set down in this manner namely that the Kings and their Armies are all slain with the Sword of Christs mouth but the Beast and the false Prophet are taken and thrown alive into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone All which is so plain that it needeth no Interpretation Onely let it by the way be observed that from hence it undeniably followeth that the Beast and the false Prophet are two particular Men otherwise how should they be present at the Battel of Armageddon and there be taken and thrown alive into Hell fire Certainly this doth intimate that they are Men who might as well have been slain as others but were not because as I have before evinced they had been once dead already and were restored again to life to act the things in this Book related of them Which if any one should chance to scrupleat as a thing very uncouth although it be altogether unreasonable so to do for as much as I have before out of the Scripture demonstrated the same let him on the contrary confider with himself how suitable it is that they whose actions are prodigiously wicked and such as were never practised in the World before should likewise in an unusual way be raised up to perform them As for those words in the very Close of this Chapter where it is said that all the Fowls were filled with the Flesh of the slain this argueth that a true and real Battel is here to be understood and that the Exposition which I gave upon the 17. and 18. Verses affirming that all manner of ravenous Birds should flock to the Land of Israel to feed upon the Corpses of slaughtered men is firm and certain so that it would be ridiculous to fasten another sense upon the place Chap. 20. Vers 1 2 3. And I saw an Angel come down from Heaven having the Key of the bottomless Pit and a great Chain in his Hand And he laid hold on the Dragon that old Serpent which is the Devil and Satan and bound him a thousand Years And cast him into the bottomless Pit and shut him up and set a Seal upon him that he should deceive the Nations no more till the thousand Years should be fulfilled and after that he must be loosed a little season The Exposition SAtan that old Serpent so called and here represented because of his subtilty for the Serpent is in the Scripture noted to be the wisest of all the Beasts that God created Gen. 3.1 had now for many thousand Years abused the World at his pleasure and of late knowing his time to be short had vented more than ordinary malice against the Saints in stirring up the Beast to persecute and kill many of them Yea in conclusion he had with his wiles so inveigled the Kings of the Earth that at his instigation they attempted with joint Forces to cut off the remainder of the Saints from being a People Wherefore to prevent the like mischief in the future and to the end that the Saints may enjoy a long Tranquillity after so hot a Persecution an Angel here descendeth from Heaven and with the Chain that is in his Hand bindeth Satan for a thousand Years that he may no more deceive the Nations till the said term be expired At which time though he be again let loose to seduce and instigate the Nations against the Saints yet shall that seduction continue but a little while as the sequel of this Chapter doth declare Certainly the binding of Satan must needs cause so happy a revolution over all the World that we may rather guess at it than comprehend it For consider how peaceable and glorious the Times must needs prove when Satan the great Incendiary of all those Dissentions Outrages and Cruelties wherewith the World is so much infested shall be kept in Prison for a thousand Years together and Men after the Extinction of that Generation in whom Satan had sown the Seeds of Discord shall have no other inward Incentive to sin than the Disposition of their own Heart which though it be naturally evil from their youth yet may it being alone more easily be resisted nor will without the concurrence of Satan produce so grievous Disorders as now it doth This therefore is the time when that shall truly be fulfilled which God so long ago foretold by the Prophet Micah Chap. 4.3 4. where he saith of the Nations that they shall beat their Swords into Plough-shares and their Spears into Pruning-hooks Nation shall not rise against Nation neither shall they learn War any more But they shall sit every man under his Vine and under his Fig-tree and none shall make them afraid for the mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it But the World now is and hath hither to been so far from enjoying such felicity that I cannot sufficiently wonder how any man who is neither a stranger to the Records of Antiquity nor to the condition of the present times should ever imagine that Satan hath already been bound namely in the Reign of Constantine the Great and so withheld from deceiving the Nations For it is apparent that since the said Emperour ruled as notorious Impostures have been set on foot to delude and blinde the World as are reported to have been hatched in any former Ages Which Impostures we must either confess to have proceeded from Satan and consequently that he hath not yet been bound or most absurdly hold that Men may be as shamefully gulled when Satan hath ceased to seduce them as they were before and so that his labor in this kinde hath hitherto been superfluous Nor need I any difficult reasoning to prove what I even now asserted For to omit others the Mahumetans and Papists
to be there detained for a certain time but into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone to be there tormented for ever and ever From whence it may be gathered 1. That Satan after this time shall not tempt the Sons of Men any more and consequently as we have before discoursed they shall have no other inward sollicitation to sin then what issueth from the natural pravity of their own hearts which is nothing in comparison of that malignity which is infused into them by the artifice of Satan 2. That the reason why the Beast was formerly thrown into Hell-fire and not Satan also that stirred him up is this because God intended to make no further use of the Beast whereas Satan was a thousand Years after to seduce Gog and Magog Which being done and so the wrathfull Ministery of Satan accomplished he likewise is flung into Hell-fire to be there for ever tormented together with the Beast 3. That Hell-fire for that is the same with the Lake of Fire and Brimstone is already in being and not to be created at the Day of Judgement otherwise how should Satan be thrown thereinto before the coming of that Day 4. That Satan though a Spirit yet is not therefore immaterial otherwise how should a true real and material fire as that of the Lake is seeing the smoke of men therein tormented is said to ascend for ever and ever Chap. 14.11 be capable of working on him For he is no less said to be tormented therein than the Beast and the false Prophet who being both Men as I before proved must needs consist of matter as all will grant As for the place where Hell-fire is we shall see concerning that towards the end of this Chapter Vers 11. And I saw a great white Throne and him that sat on it from whose Face the Earth and the Heaven fled away and there was found no Place for them Vers 12. And I saw the Dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of Life and the Dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their Works Vers 13. And the Sea gave up the Dead which were in it and Death and Hell delivered up the Dead which were in them and they were judged every Man according to their Works The Prophecies of the Revelation if we look rightly on them considering them in their own plainness and not as they are disguized and tangled with the far-fetcht Opinions of Men will be found to have been set down in an orderly manner those things being usually delivered first that are first to be accomplished Hence the casting of the Devil into Hell-fire being once dispatcht the universal judgement which was to follow whether in a little or a large distance of time is uncertain cometh here in its own place very fitly to be described God therefore is the supreme Judge is said to sit upon a great white Throne By which words the colour of his Throne which had been hitherto concealed seemeth to be here made known unto us For seeing God as David testifieth hath prepared his Throne in the Heavens for Judgement Psalm 9.7 103.19 and whiteness therein doth for its purity and lustre as well comport with the glory of God if not better than any other colour why should we not believe that the Throne of Judgement whereon God sitteth in the Heavens is as it is here described white But as the glory of God is set out in some measure by the greatness and colour of his Throne so is it infinitely more by the action that is here ascribed to him namely the Annihilation of the heaven and earth For to make them so fly away from before his face as that there is no more place found for them is indeed to reduce them into nothing Otherwise had they any being they would also have a place and be somewhere This reduction of the world into nothing leadeth us to believe the more easily that it was at first created out of nothing For had the matter thereof been from all eternity coexisting with God it would like him be ens necessarium and so likewise of necessity continue for ever with him John having seen the sovereign judge sitting on his throne doth in the next place see them also that stand before him in judgement and they are the dead of all sorts whether they be of high or low degree For that this expression of great and small doth so signifie is evident from Deuteronomy 1.17 Where Moses saith to the Judges of Israel Ye shall not respect persons but ye shall hear the small as well as the great And also from the nineteenth Chapter of this book verse 18. Where an Angel inviteth all the fowls of the heaven to come that they may eat the flesh of all men both free and bond both small and great For the trial of the persons aforesaid are opened certain books containing not their actions for the words import the contrary but the laws by which God proceedeth in judging them and consequently they are the books of the Old and New Testament For Paul plainly telleth us that as many as have sinned in or under the law shall be judged by the law Rom. 2.12 And Christ saith John 12.48 He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day These therefore must needs be the books and out of the things written in them the dead shall be judged according to their works For the inspection of these books doth presently discover both of what kind the works themselves are and what reward is appointed to them From whence it may be collected that they to whom God never made known his will nor imparted any of those laws recorded in the Old and New Testament but suffered them to walk in their own waies albeit they shall perish for their wickedness yet shall they not undergo any trial And thus much are we taught by the Apostle Paul who saith 2 Thes 1.7 8. That the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that knew not God And Rom. 2.12 As many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law That is without having any law proposed whereby they should be tried and cast Moreover that we might have a more full knowledge of the foresaid judgement both the resurrection of the dead which is a preparative thereunto and also the several places from whence the dead come forth are here described For the Sea giveth up the bodies of them that were drowned therein and the Grave giveth up the bodies of them that were buried in the earth For that the Grave is here to be understood by death is evident in that it is a place of the dead distinguished both from the Sea and also from Hell But there is
heat Nevertheless we according to his Promise look for new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness 2 Epist 3.10 11 12 13. Is it possible that any thing should more plainly and positively be delivered to shew that the Heavens and the Earth which now are shall be dissolved by Fire and abolished and new Heavens together with a new Earth be created of God in their room Yea was not this Doctrine long before taught by two sacred Writers of the Old Testament to the latter of which the words of Peter whilest he speaketh of Gods Promise touching a new Heaven and a new Earth seem to relate For the divine Authour of the 102. Psalm directing his speech to God saith in the 25. and 26. Verses thereof Of old thou hast laid the Foundation of the Earth and the Heavens are the Work of thine Hands They shall perish but thou shalt endure yea all of them shall wax old like a Garment as a Vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed Which passage doth not onely tell us in plain words that the Heavens and the Earth shall perish but with all intimate that new Heavens and a new Earth shall be created whilest it saith that God shall change the Heavens and the Earth when grown old as a Vesture For in the change of an old Vesture a new one is taken in its stead Likewise the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 65.17 bringeth in God saying Behold I create new Heavens and a new Earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into minde and Chap. 66.22 God to comfort the Jews speaketh thus As the new Heavens and the new Earth which I will make shall remain before me so shall your seed and your name remain Are not three such Witnesses as these sufficient to confirm the Exposition that we have given on the foresaid passage of the Revelation yea doth not the very close of the Verse evince it when it is said The Sea is no more For seeing in the World to come there is no place for Commerce and Traffique to what purpose should there be any Sea which serveth for a more easie and compendious passage from one Countrey to another that so Men may be supplyed with such Commodities as they want But if any one here object that he cannot imagine any more need of a new Heaven and a new Earth than of a new Sea I answer that it doth not therefore follow that they are all alike in that it is expresly denyed that there shall be any more Sea but on the contrrary it is plainly affirmed that there shall be a new Heaven and a new Earth Neither hath God left us wholly ignorant concerning the use of the new Earth and consequently of the new Heaven which will in likelihood be subservient thereunto as the old Heaven is to the old Earth as appeareth from the words of the Apostle Paul Rom. 8.19 20 21 22. where he saith The earnest expectation of the Creature waiteth for the Manifestation of the Sons of God For the Creature was made subject to vanity not willingly but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope Because the Creature it self also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Children of God For we know that the whole Creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now Now seeing the Creatures that here expect so earnestly and groan to be delivered from vanity are twice plainly distinguished from the Saints and Children of God is it not thereby manifest that the other living Creatures which God created shall after the Saints are once clothed with immortality be though not in their former Individuals yet in others of the same kinde made immortal as well as they and consequently live upon the new Earth or can any other sense be put upon the words of Paul without running into Absurdities Vers 2. And I John saw the holy City new Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband In the same manner that John had before seen the new Heaven and the new Earth doth he here see the new Jerusalem onely this Jerusalem is already in being and therefore called New because it is so to the Saints when admitted thereinto in the life to come Thus Paul before Ananias was in very deed come to him had already seen him in a vision entring in and laying his hand upon him that he might receive his sight Acts 9.11 12. But forasmuch as the knowledge or the New Jerusalem is of so great importance without which neither can the happiness of the saints be rightly apprehended nor their faith as wanting a solid foundation be firm and stable we will evince out of the Scripture that by the New Jerusalem is not meant the Church but as it is here expresly termed a City which God hath reserved in heaven for the Saints To omit therefore the observation that may to this effect be rightly deduced from the very name of Jerusalem which being in the Hebrew of the dual number sign fieth that there are two Cities known by that appellation the Testimonies taken out of the divine Author to the Hebrews will abundantly confirm our assertion For he saith Chap. 11.9 10. By faith Abraham sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange countrey dwelling in Tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob heirs with him of the same promise For he looked for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God Certainly a City that is opposed to Tabernacles as having foundations whereof they are destitute and whose builder and maker is God himself is a City truly and properly so called Again in the 13.14 15. and 16. verses of the same Chapter he speaketh thus All these namely Abraham Isaac and Jacob died in faith not having received the promises but having seen them a far of and were perswaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a countrey And truly if they had been mindful of that countrey from whence they came out they might have had opportunity to have returned but now they desire abetter countrey that is an heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God For he hath prepared for them a City You see by this that God hath provided for the Saints a City which is their heavenly Countrey and that the Patriarchs believed and longed for the same although they had received no promises of it but only seen them a far off and that they shewed their faith and longing by confessing themselves to be strangers and pilgrims on the earth How much then doth their practice condem many Christians who having received express promises of such a City and Kingdome are so far from longing after it as that they deny that there is any such place turning it into an allegory
that when in the 7. Verse of the 19. Chapter mention had been made of the Lambs Wife it is in the following Verse subjoyned that it was to her granted that she should be arrayed in fine Linen clean and white For the fine Linen is the Righteousness of the Saints So that the Scripture it self thereby directeth us by the Lambs Wife in the said place to understand the Church howbeit not the Church abiding on the Earth of which the Adversaries speak but reigning with Christ in Heaven whereas when in the ninth Verse of this 21. Chapter the Angel promiseth to shew unto John the Lambs Wife he presently after presents to his view a great City descending out of Heaven from God Which doth sufficiently teach us that by the Lambs Wife here is not as formerly meant the Church but a very City wherein the Saints shall hereafter dwell For though the Wife of Christ doth by a more exact Metaphor signifie the Church yet doth not this hinder but that by a less exact one the City also to which the Church hath relation may be signified by the same yea nothing is more usual in the Scripture as I have before proved than to represent Cities under the notion of Women Thus we saw that the polluted and foul City of Rome was called an Harlot Chap. 17. why then may not that holy and undefiled City the new Jerusalem be styled the Lambs Wife By this means we come to the right understanding of that passage Gal. 4.26 The Jerusalem that is above is free which is the Mother of us all For in as much as the heavenly Jerusalem is not onely inseparably annexed to Christ but also at his disposal and so elegantly called his Wife she must needs be the Mother of all Christians who are both regenerated by the proposal thereof and designed to be the Inhabitants of the same In the next place he saith that the Angel carried him away in the spirit to a great and high Mountain from whence a fairer Prospect might be had and shewed him that great City the holy Jerusalem descending out of Heaven from God The beauty and excellency whereof he doth describe first in saying that it had the glory of God And lest any one should think that the glory of God which doth enlighten the new Jerusalem was like to the dazzling and offensive splendour of the Sun upon whom neither are Men able to look nor endure his heat John telleth us that the Luminary thereof so the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth is like unto a stone most precious even a Jasper-stone clear as Crystall which casteth a most chearing light on such as behold it 2. He saith that it hath a great and high Wall wherein are twelve Gates and at the Gates twelve Angels and names written thereon which are those of the twelve Tribes of the Children of Israel Three of which Gates look towards the East and three towards the North three towards the South and three towards the West All which is so plain that it needeth no Interpretation Onely let it be observed how God vouchsafeth to the Israelites especial honour above any other Nation under Heaven as having inscribed the names of the twelve Patriarchs from whom their several Tribes are denominated upon the Gates of the heavenly Jerusalem From whence it may be collected that God ordained those Patriarchs to Salvation from the beginning For it would be ridiculous to imagine that God would write the names of such men on the Gates of the heavenly Jerusalem as were not to have any portion therein And this affordeth another collection whereby that is confirmed which we formerly discoursed upon the 8. Verse of the 17. Chapter that all who are to inherit the heavenly Jerusalem were by name appointed thereunto from the Foundation of the World For what reason is conceivable why God should in this manner design the twelve Patriarchs and not likewise all the rest of the Citizens By such an account all would not be alike beholding to God for their Salvation which is absurd 3. He saith that the Wall of the City hath twelve Foundations whereon are written the names of the Lambs twelve Apostles Here therefore what I even now noted touching the Inscription of mens names upon the Gates of the heavenly Jerusalem doth not onely recurre but is also very much confirmed seeing the Scripture doth elsewhere plainly teach that the Apostles are to be saved For Christ saith unto them Luke 22.28 29. Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations and I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me So that the Doctrine touching the Ordination of a certain number of men by name to eternal life from the Foundation of the World seemeth by these two Instances to be clearly proved Vers 15. And he that talked with me had a golden Reed to measure the City and the Gates thereof and the Wall thereof 16. And the City lieth four-square and the length is as large as the breadth and he measured the City with the Reed twelve thousand Furlongs the length and the breadth and the height of it are equal The Description of the City still goeth on for to the end we might know the dimensions thereof the Angel that here talks with John having a golden Reed in his hand doth measure both the City it self and also the Gates together with the Wall thereof But for as much as the highness of the Gates is not afterwards set down we must needs remain ignorant thereof and ought to content our selves with the measure of the Wall wherein it is contained The City therefore lying four-square for that is the fittest Figure for rest as Roundness best agreeth with Motion is twelve thousand Furlongs broad twelve thousand long and twelve thousand high which after the proportion of eight Furlongs to a Mile maketh fifteen hundred Miles every way and therefore it might well above be called the great City And indeed the compass thereof ought to be very large in that it is to contain all the Faithful that ever were from the beginning of the World to the end thereof As for the Wall it is a hundred forty four Cubits after the Cubit of a Man in whose similitude the Angel here appeareth But the Cubit of an ordinary man from the elbow to the top of the middle finger is accounted half a yard and so the Wall is seventy two yards But in as much as it is not here expressed whether this measure pertaineth to the height or to the thickness thereof for as for the length it must needs be greater than that of the City it self which the Wall doth encompass it will be best to refer it unto both and so to reckon the Wall seventy two yards high and as many broad By which means that will be verified which was before spoken of it namely that it was great and high The matter whereof this Wall is made