the same Soveraign Power which before was in the Emperors though under another 〈◊〉 name the deadly wound i. e. the blow given by the Goths Vandals and Hunns to the Roman Empire was healed not but that there is another sense in which this may be understood of which afterwards And to shew how 't was He gain'd this it follows v. 13. And He doth great wonders so that He maketh fire to come down from Heaven on the Earth in the sight of Men which what can that relate to but to that foremention'd Excommunication thundred out against the Emperor called Fire from Heaven because 't was from the Church or under the pretence of that Spiritual Power therein lodged called Heaven in this Book this Fire proceeded and on the Emperor called Earth because of that Earthly or Secular Power committed to him it came down And having advanced so far which as I likewise have before remarkt falls in with the Year 666. it follows v. 14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the Earth i. e. the Inhabitants of the Roman Empire by the means of those Miracles which He had power to do in the sight of the Beast saying to them that dwell on the Earth that they should make an Image to the Beast which had the wound by a Sword and did live i. e. having thus prevail'd against the Beast the Roman Empire He sets up a Power like it in Himself making the People who were thus deceived by the means of those Miracles which He had power to do in the sight of the Beast those Excommunications and other Methods I mean by which He had so much lessen'd his Soverainty to assist in setting up his Image in that shew or rather real representation of Soverain Power He had transferred to Himself Whereupon 't is added v. 15. that He had power to give life unto the Beast Breath saith the Margin of the English 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Original a Spirit or Spiritual Being unto the Image of the Beast For 't is by Spiritual or Ecclesiastical Censures the Beast thus recover'd exercises his Jurisdiction that the Image of the Beast should both speak as He doth with a Witness in these Anathema's Thunderbolts of Excommunications as they are called or Fire from Heaven and cause that as many as would not Worship the Image of the Beast should be killed which de facto happen'd in the Persecutions rais'd on those who could not submit to the Novelties introduced And He causeth all both small and great rich and poor free and bond to receive a mark in their Right hand or in their Foreheads and that no man might buy or sell save He that had the mark or the name of the Beast or the number of his name None to hope for any Preferment in the Church no nor yet for any Temporal Advantage to be so much as permitted the benefit of common Traffick and Commerce that did not by receiving his mark either in hand or forehead by his having the name of the Beast profess himself entirely to be his For that is done by receiving name from any other or the Number of his name i. e. after such a time at least that the Beast should have attain'd such a Number wholly resign to His Will which Number is set down in the next Verse and a Note prefixt to shew that 't will concern us to know when He arriv'd at this usurpt Power which the Holy Ghost had been describing And that as I before observed must be by looking back to the taking of Rome Anno 410 and from thence reckoning to 1076 the very point when as it hath been said Fire came down from Heaven on the Earth in the sight of Men i. e. Gregory the 7th who presided in the Church or Heaven thundred out his Excommunication on the Earth or the Emperor and that in the most publick and solemn manner i. e. in the sight of men I could not well say less than I have on these Points and being by the discourse brought again to mention this great Epocha in the Reign of Antichrist I cannot but take notice that as the Holy Ghost here so manifestly directs us to it so other Writers and among them Baronius however in the dark as to this light that is here given us in it are not sparing to talk of the Power and Prevalency of Antichrist about this time The place in Baronius is Anno 1106 Quod vero pertinet ad Antichristum fuit quidem Opinio non vulgarium Virorum eum hoc fore saeculo revelandum inter alios Norberti viri temporis hujus fama Celeberrimi à quo id se audivisse testatur S. Bernardus Epistolâ ad Gausredum Carnotensem Episcopum The Report was so strong that Paschalis stopt his Journey upon it saith Baronius ibid. Paschalis Papa rogatus à Conventu Moguntino in Galliam Cisalpinam properare itineri se committens ob sparsam famam de proximo Antichristi Adventu Florentiae substitit And before Anno Christi nongentisimo Indictione tertia novum inchoatur saeculum quod sui Asperitate ac boni sterilitate ferreum malique exundantis deformitate plumbeum atque inopia Scriptorum appellari consuevit Obscurum And again 1001. Anno Christi millesimo primo quo novum saeculum inchoatum est c. 'T was the Opinion of some that Antichristus adveniret non longo post tempore Universale Judicium succederet and He saith the many Prodigies which happen'd the year before seemed to foretel it and then which I rather take notice of adds Sed ad ista credenda de Adventu Antichristi Fine mundi satis esse videbantur Romanae Ecclesiae tot saepe iterata a naufragia necnon Corruptio morum quam magnam valde in hoc tempore fuisse in hominibus praesertim Ecclesiasticis Glaber ea videns deplorat Insuper quod ferreum hoc Saeculum ob malorum excrescentiam Auctore Ditmaro diceretur revera esset quod videlicet ut ait Glaber deficeret Religiositas Pontificum marcesceret districtio regularis Abbatum simulque Monasterialis Disciplinae vigor tepesceret ac per illorum Exempla caetera plebs Mandatorum Dei praevaricatrix existeret And if not to depart from the Explication that is before given of those words in Rev. 13. 13. But only farther to illustrate the matter in hand we may understand the coming down of Fire from Heaven on the Earth in the sight of men in the sense our Lord speaks Luke 12. 49. of his coming to send fire on the Earth never was any Age in which it was so much kindled no time wherein what by the intemperate Heats between the Popes themselves as well as between them and the Emperors the World was in a greater Flame And if those of the Romish Church will give others leave to speak after them in this cause can there be any more memorable testimony than what we find to this purpose
and nothing certainly more fit to do this than those Excommunications which were so frequent with them and made use of upon every occasion to support Antichrist and his Cause And Mens blaspheming the name of God which hath Power over these plagues upon their being scorched with great Heat i. e. fretted and vexed with these Darts but withal not repenting to give him Glory may very aptly be explained by the great regret and deep resentments they had against the Papal Tyranny but yet so that whatever their prejudices against the Pope were and his Usurpations they continued still in the profession of that corrupt Religion he taught For this is not to give Glory to God to let the punishment lose the end for which it was sent by not being amended by it which being the condition of those who had the Mark of the Beast and worshipped his Image 't is no wonder the Judgment is still continued on them and that by the means of the Beast himself it being but righteous with God thus to avenge himself on those who are so stupid as not to take his former warnings Nor indeed could it well be otherwise it being by such Exorbitances that Antichrist was to rise to that heighth of Impiety which was at last to be punished with the final ruin of himself and all his wicked and incorrigible Adherents But then a little to see how it was this Sun under this Vial had power given him to scorch Men with Fire and what the great Heat was with which Men were scorched How Fire was brought down from Heaven by Hildebrand or Gregory the seventh we have above touched it ch 5. p. 19. With relation to the Excommunications by him thundered out against the Emperor and shall now for the farther explication of it only add that there 's nothing more familiar with the Popes themselves than to express such their Censures by Thunder and Lightning which in the propriety of Speech is Fire from Heaven and if we consider these in the end to which they pretended to make them serve was it not to signifie the fire of Gods Wrath and Indignation they hereby taking upon themselves to denounce his displeasure towards Offenders 'T is true indeed applying this to Hildebrand there was something in that Insolent Usurper that seemed literally to explain this for so Cardinal Benno in his Book Entituled Vita gesta Hildibrandi c. relates it cum vellet manicas suas discutiebat in modum scintillarum ignis dissiliebat eis miraculis oculos simplicium veluti signo sanctitatis ludificabat when he list he used to shake his Sleeves and Fire did fly out in mannner of Sparks and by those Miracles as by a sign of Holiness he deluded the Eyes of the simple And the Patern Hildebrand gave in his Excommunicating as Henry Emperor of the West so Nicephonus Emperor of the East for him likewise he pretended to excommunicate Anno 1078 his Followers have not been wanting to transcribe thus Calixtus the 2d Anno 1119 Excommunicates the Emperor at Rhemes Adrian the 4th doth the same to Frederic 1159 Innocent the 3d to Philip 1201 and to Raimond Earl of Tholouse 1208 and again to Otho twice viz. 1210 and 1211 and Honorius the 3d to Frederic 1221 which Innocent the 4th renews Anno 1242 and Anno 1245 deposes him sends some to kill Frederi c. 1247 Excommunicates Conrad 1251 sends Forces against Conrad and offers Sicily to Richard Earl of Cornwal who refuseth it Urban 4 th Excommunicates Manfred 1262. Nicolas the 3d altered the form of Government in Rome and took away the Title of Vicar of the Empire from Chharles 1278. Martin the 4th Excommunicates and deposes Peter of Arragon and gives it to Charles Valois youngest Son to the King of France 1283. Honorius the 5th continueth the Excommunication All this excepting what was done by Gregory the 7th in the time of the Expeditions to the Holy Land And if we look farther though I make it not necessary that every Vial must just suceed one another but as I have before noted it it is no inconsistency to suppose them to be contemporary or in the same Age and time but I say if we look farther we shall see this great Heat which scorched Men to be still continued if not encreased most frequent indeed and almost upon every occasion was this Fire Heaven or Excommunications made use of Thus Anno 1297 Boniface the 8th deposeth John and Peter of Columna Cardinals and prosecuteth their Families and that we may see what their Opinion was of the extent of their Power at the Jubilee 1300. He stiles himself Lord in Spirituals and Temporals and Anno 1301. He excommunicates the French King for burning his Bull by which he commanded him to acknowledge himself his Vassal and 1302 giveth France to the Emperor this is that Baniface of whom it was said a form of Speech Baronius applies to several others of the Popes quòd intrarit ut Vulpes regnaverit ut Leo mortuus sit ut Canis That he came in as a Fox reigned as a Lion and died like a Dog Anno 1317. John the 22d boasts that he had Power to depose Kings but was opposed herein by Ockham and de facto first excommunicates Viscount Milan and after great contests with Lewis of Bavaria or Lewis the 4 th chosen Emperor he Excommunicates him Anno 1324 and that which incensed him to it is supposed to be the offence he took at the Stile Ulric the Emperor's Secretary though without his knowledge had given him in his Letters of the Beast rising out of the Sea And Anno 1329 the Pope publishes his Excommunication against the Emperor the second time which Bennet the 12th Anno 1335 likewise continues and makes King Edward the 3 d of England Vicar of the Empire The said Excommunication is also continued afterward by Clement the 6 th Anno 1343 and Absolution denied to the Emperor unless he would resign the Empire to the Pope which he refusing Anno 1346. He causes some of the Electors to chuse a new Emperor and to depose Lewis whom he had branded with the Stile of Heretic and Schismatick And here I shall put a stop to what I have to say on this head the Princes of the Empire upon the occasion of the Treatment Lewis met with for so many years together from several of the Popes having as I may say put their stop too to this Exorbitant Power the Popes had for several Ages tyrannized over them with For so it was deereed at Franckfort Anno 1347. That the Yoak of the Pope should be cast off quòd servus servorum fastu libidineque dominandi ita insaniat in preceps abeat Because he who was the Servant of Servants out of an Haughtiness and Lust of Ruling did so rage and run headlong into such rash and precipitate things And as for Charles the 4 th whom the aforesaid Clement had caused to be
Reign what he now hath it is as He is Jesus who was Crucified that He is made both Lord and Christ Acts 2. 36. And 't is the same thing for Him nay it may be more effectual to sit as King in his Throne in Heaven and from thence influence his Subjects by encouraging strengthning comforting and giving Success to what they undertake as if in Person He were to appear at Jerusalem and there begin his Kingdom to march at the Head of his Armies and so go on Conquering and to Conquer No his personal Reign in the Sense those who are so much for it would have it to be would be rather to lessen his Kingdom to confine the Glory of it to his Presence as Man i. e. Where he should chuse to reside on Earth for every where He could not be if He were so to Reign no we know when He was here Place and Time He was subject to which whilst He sits in Heaven at the Right-hand of his Father can be no more restrained than that Power and Majesty to which he is there admitted But I may not digress What manner of Kingdom soever it shall be that it shall be introduced with the Confusion of Antichrist that it shall bring Freedom and Deliverance to his People that it shall be ushered in with binding Satan for 1000 Years is no doubt Revel 20. 1 2 c. Happy Age of the Church when she shall be so set free from the heavy Yoak of Babylon as never to be in danger to come under it again For so likewise the Apostle assures us 2 Thess 2. 8. He shall consume him by the Spirit of his Mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming But then are there no other degrees of the fall of Babylon Is there nothing more particular whereon in the long tract of time Antichrist is to Reign and before he comes so near his Fall the true Believer may exercise his Faith and see that what is promised to be at last thus fully accomplished hath its Beginning in the mean time at least some certain Prognosticks of His final Ruin in its due Season Yes for that Reason it hath pleased Him who was found worthy to open the Book with seven Seals to give us a double Account hereof one more general the other more particular in the 14th and 16th Chapters of the Revelation And for the better satisfaction of the Author of Nubes Testium and all others who are under the same Cloud with him I shall not think it tedious to say something on both and then leave it to Them and all Mankind to judge where the charge of Novelty lies and how great their danger is on whom the Scandal rests The more general Account of this is what we read Revel 14. Where having provided for the security of true Believers by the Mark of his Father's Name written in their Foreheads vers 1. Thereby directing us to the pure Profession of the Faith maintained by them amidst the Corruptions embraced by those who worshipped the Beast and his Image and had received his Mark in their Forehead or their Hand vers 9. Exprest by their not being defiled with Women for they are Virgins by their following the Lamb whithersoever he goeth by their having no guile in their Mouth and being without Fault before the Throne of God vers 4 5. He proceeds vers 6. to shew what it was by which he would advance his Kingdom and that was the Everlasting Gospel to be Preached unto them that dwell on the Earth and to every Nation and Kindred and Tongue and People the effect whereof on Antichrist should be to declare his certain Ruin in these Words Babylon is fallen is fallen that great City because She made all Nations drink of the Wine of the Wrath or poison of her Fornication vers 8. This as the general Fate that should attend her which with respect to the several Advances towards it is farther described vers 9 10 11. By that constant Succession of God's Judgments on those who should worship the Beast and his Image and receive his Mark in their Forehead or their Hand for the smoak of their Torment was to ascend for Ever and Ever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one Age after another and they to have no rest Day nor Night never to be in any fixed state of Ease and Prosperity till the Divine Judgment the Hour whereof is said to be come ver 7. Shall be fully executed on them in their final Ruin And that again exprest in the two great Parts of it when He who sat on the white Cloud all things clear and serene about Him like unto the Son of Man having on his Head a golden Crown and in his Hand a sharp sickle shall first thrust in his Sickle to reap the Harvest and then to gather the Clusters of the Vine of the Earth The more particular is what we read Revel 16. And that too ushered in with the great Care God in his Providence hath for those who should have resisted the Corruptions of Antichrist who though they stand on the Sea of Glass mingled with Fire to signifie the sharp Tryals and Persecutions of the true Church yet 't was so as to be assured of Victory over the Beast and over his Image and over his Mark and over the number of his Name ch 15. 2. They had it all the time of their Sufferings as they were born up against these Corruptions should have it at last as they were to triumph over those their Enemies which had thus beset them which being presented to St. John in his Vision he is farther made to hear 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 chap. 16. 1. Which are what are now to be spoken to in their order Only before that can be done with that clearness such a Discourse as this should carry with it 't will be necessary we premise some previous Remarks CHAP. VIII Some Remarks necessary to be premised for the clearing up what will afterwards be said of the several Vials 1. THat as to the time of pouring out the Vials it cannot be till Antichrist should be so far advanced as to have made an Image to the Beast that had the wound by the Sword and did live Revel 13 14. And to have imposed his Mark though his name and number of his name were not then compleated for 't is on those who had received the Mark of his Name and worshipped his Image that the first Vial was to be poured out Rev. 16. 2. 2. That it is not necessary the Trumpets and Vials it being their several Objects and the distinct Capacities of those on whom they were to take place in which they chiefly differ should be all of them restrained to distinct times Some of the Trumpets undoubtedly had sounded before any of the Vials were to be poured
Franckford under Carolus Magnus Anno 794 wherein the aforesaid Council was condemned and the Worship of Images rejected which joined with what is above observed of the Iconoclastae i. e. the West herein as well as the East thus far at least witnessing against this so gross Corruption leaves it to be considered whether what occurrs Revel 14. 6 7. may not be referr'd to this Matter the words are 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 saying with a loud Voice Fear God and give Glory to Him for the hour of his Judgment is come and Worship Him that made Heaven and Earth and the Sea and the fountains of Waters Now what will better resemble an Angel flying in the midst of Heaven than such eminent Preachers as the Emperors were What so much make against the Worship of Images as the Everlasting Gospel the Angel is here said to Preach For is not the design of this Doctrine as to fix all Worship to God alone as he is the Almighty Creator of all things So to shew what 't is that brings on the Vials of his Wrath exprest by the Hour of Judgments being come And the certainty of their Ruin who embrace any other Worship For so we read vers 8. And there followed another Angel saying Babylon is fallen is fallen When once given up to Idolatry there 's nothing can prevent her Ruin She may for a while propagate her Corruptions and Persecute those who will not drink of the Wine of the Wrath or Poison for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes rendred of her Fornication but for all that the Decree is past and the Wine of Gods Wrath too is poured out into the Cup of his Indignation vers 10. The Saints may have a time for their Patience vers 12. As it afterwards happened in the furious Persecutions of the Waldenses and Albigenses and whoever would not worship the Beast and his Image and receive his Mark in his Forehead or in his hand vers 9. But 't is a Patience that shall at last be Crowned when the Idol-monger shall be destroyed for this the One is marked with the name of God written in his Forehead ver 1. As the Other is with the name of the Beast vers 9 10 11. I come now to the Vials themselves and first of the general introduction to them Revel 16. 1. which I shall treat of in a distinct Chapter viz. CHAP. X. Of the general Introduction to the Vials Revelations 16. 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 Voice out of the Temple speaks it to be from God and to respect the Affairs of the Church and its being said to be a great Voice shews the Terrour it brings with it and the certain Success the things it speaks are to have and that 't is a Voice that will be heard The Angels being bid to go their ways and pour out the Vials makes it evident that it is not the Church in its Purity the Temple from whence this Voice comes that is to be the Subject of these Plagues The Angels not going on this Errand till bid demonstrates as their Obedience to the Commands of their great Master so their unwillingness to be the Executioners of Vengeance till expresly sent Their being called Vials is in allusion to Vessels so called to fignifie the definite measure of Divine Judgments and the manner in which they are poured out Their being Vials of the Wrath of God shews them to be the Effects of his Justice on impenitent Sinners that Justice of his which he executes not till provoked to it but such as when executed there 's no avoiding The Vials full of the Wrath of God being given unto them by one of the four Beasts ch 15. ver 7. for this too is here to be taken in discovers the high regard God hath to his Ministers and the Prayers of his People for of those may be understood the four Beasts ch 4. 6 7 8. it being the same Beast that gives the Seven Vials unto the seven Angels which had Golden Vials full of Odours which are Prayers of Saints for of each of them is this affirmed ch 5. 8. By Earth in this Book I take generally to be signified what is opposite to Heaven so that if Heaven signifie the Church or the Ecclesiastical State Earth will signifie what is Secular and properly of this World i. e. The Earthly and Temporal Power and its Subjects as these stand in opposition to the other But something more seems to be meant by Earth in this Verse viz. as 't is taken for every thing in this Lower Material World and so not only the grosser part of this great System of Nature which we call Earth in distinction from the other parts of it but the Sea Rivers Sun it self with the Circumambient Air are by a Synecdoche of this more eminent part taken for the whole hereby to be understood This I cannot but observe here because the Seven Vials which are afterwards said to be pour'd out on these several parts of the Universe as things are here metaphorically thereby signified are all said here to be poured out upon the Earth CHAP. XI Of the first VIAL AND the first Angel 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 Revel 16. 2. By Earth here as is just now observed is signified what is opposite to Heaven so that if Heaven signifies the Church or Ecclesiestical State Earth will signifie what is Secular and Properly of this World and if so it will intimate this Vial to concern in the first place the whole Roman Empire the Secular Earthly and Temporal Power there in Being but so that as it follows it shall in particular fall on those of its Subjects which had the mark of the Beast and which worshipped his Image And that requires that we consider here 1. what is meant by the Beast 2. What it is we are to understand by his Mark 3. What by his Image And 1. What is meant by the Beast Now 't is evident that by the Beast is to be understood that Power which rose up in the place of what was Imperial For so 't is prophesied 2 Thess 2. 7 8. And so it was represented to St. John in his Vision Revel 13. 11. And I beheld another Beast coming up out of the Earth another in distinction from what was before but a Beast still to shew that 't is the same Power that is still continued though with respect to him who exercises it it is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Image of the former for
which must be that wherein they are said to be bound for loosing them can have no relation but to their being bound and That seems to be about the end of the eleventh Century when they were driven back by the Romans towards Euphrates the place where they were said to be bound Paulus Jovius relates it to have happened under Soliman their Captain in the time of Godfrey of Bulloign about which time they divided into four Tetrarchies Dynasties or Governments viz. Of Lesser Asia of Aleppo Damascus and Antioch or rather Bagdat for that of Antioch continued but fourteen Years the three first on this side the last beyond Euphrates 'T is true indeed that this division of Sultanies or distinct Governments lasted not till the time they are said to be let loose but that no way hinders why they being the same People under whatever Government they should be called back again to serve the Purposes of Divine Povidence should be called by the same Names or notified under the same distinction that was then amongst them when they were first said to be bound in the great River Euphrates They who were to be loosed and prepared for it for an Hour and a Day and a Month and a Year Rev. 9. 15. are the same with those who before were bound and therefore but reasonable they should have the same Appellation whatever changes or vicissitudes had otherwise happened to them in that long tract of time no less than 396 Years with some other fractions of time intervening for so much a Year viz. 365 Days a Month 30 a Day 1. a Day being taken for a Year and an Hour will contain between the time of this Division if we date it from the erecting the Dynasty or Government of Bagdat which was 1057 for then 't was Tognulbecus General of the Turks was by the Caliph Cajim Biamrilla invested with Royal Robes and inaugurated in the Royal City of Bagdat which falls in with the 449th year of the Turkish Hegira in which Elmachinus the Arabian Historian p. 272 relates it to have been thus performed Now add to 1057 the aforsaid 396 it produces 1453 when the Turks took Constantinople abolished the Eastern Empire and made their Irruptions again into Europe with that success as scarce to find any thing to withstand them What their Progress then was the narrow limits of the present Empire and the Mediterranean Isles sufficiently declare and where it will end only be that commanded them to be loosed can foretel And by this time we are able in some measure to judge when this Vial was to begin viz. When the four Angels whom I have shewed to be meant of the Turks that were bound in the River Euphrates were loosed which we have placed Anno 1453. As to the time when this Vial shall end that must be judged as by the Events here foretold so by what is to succed in the next Vial. CHAP. XVII Of the seventh Vial Rev. 16. ver 17 18 19 20 21. 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 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 And the 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. And every Island fled away and the Mountains were not found 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 This Vial as by the Air into which it is said to be poured we understand the vast Circumference of the great System of the World to the more eminent parts whereof viz. the Earth the Sea the Rivers and Fountains of Waters the Sun c. the other Vials refer seems to be the most general of all the Seven and as the Air is common to all that wherein all good and bad breathe and live so will the Events of this Vial respectively affect them For if with respect to the One i. e. the Bed or Enemies of Christ it be said it is done all that was to be executed on them being now fulfilled the same seems applicable to the others i. e. the Good with respect to the end that is now to be put to their Sufferings and the Glory of the Gospel which is thereon to succeed and the manner of expressing it viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is done seems to speak as the full Completion of all so the suddenness of these Events upon the Angel's pouring out this Vial as we use to say dictum factum no sooner said than done Every thing before was prepared as for the Ruin of the Enemies of our Lord so for the advancement of his Church He who is said to come as a Thief in the former Vial for the sudden and surprizing manner of his coming hath no farther delay to make in this for the Angel doth but pour out his Vial into the Air and a great Voice comes out of the Temple of Heaven from the Throne saying it is done Which I take the more notice of that if the expiring of the 1260 Years for the Reign of Antichrist should appear to be at or near the end of the sixth Vial the seventh being still to be poured out should not put us to a long expectation of having it fulfilled Christ comes as a Thief to gather them together viz. all his Enemies into a Place called in the Hebrew Tongue Armageddon being there what should hinder but that like the executing the Sentence upon the Conviction and Judgment given on the Offender the utter excision of them should forthwith Succeed And the seventh Trumpet with which I take this Vial to syncronize seems to speak the same For if with respect to that it is said that the Mystery of God should be finished which he had graciously declared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had declared it as the very good Tydings of the Gospel it self for so what concerns the Ruin of their Enemies must be it is here said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is done all is fulfilled that was there declared And that these syncronize i. e. fall in together and are to be fulfilled at the same time will not the manner in which they are exprest farther instruct us Thus if in this Vial it is said There came a great Voice out of the Temple of Heaven from the Throne it is said in the other the Temple of God was opened in Heaven and there was seen in his Temple the Ark of his Covenant both as to signifie from whence they came for it is added in the one And there were
Lightnings and Voices and Thunderings and an Earthquake and great Hail in the other And there were Voices and Thunderings and Lightnings and there was a great Earthquake c. And there fell upon Men a great Hail c. So that it is the same thing they in the main aim at the chief difference there seems to be is that in the one it is said the Temple of God was opened in Heaven which in the other is exprest only by a great Voice coming thence without restraining its opening to the time of the Vial but then is not that supplied by what weread Rev. 15. 8. where 't is said And the Temple was filled with Smoak 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 If none were able to enter in till then then certainly it was not open till then i. e. Opened it was in neither in the Sense I give of it as relating to the free publication of the Gospel i. e. The Word of God or his Testament which in the times of Antichrist was lockt up but now to be seen and perused of all And to this Opening of the Temple seems to agree what we have Rev. 11. 1. Where St. Iohn is bid to rise and measure the Temple of God but to leave out the Court which is without the Temple and measure it not for it is given unto the Gentiles who should tread down the holy City for forty two Months Measuring is the setting certain bounds to any thing accordingly what Iohn is bid to do may be understood of definite and certain Bounds set to the Church in its Purity so that it was not to appear as such again till the Interval that was to Intervene should expire viz. the 42 Months there spoken of that being expired the Limits and Boundaries so set are again removed i. e. The Temple is again opened Religion in its purity professed the Ark of the Testament seen in the Temple the Law which was deposited there so it was commanded Exod. 25. 16. 21. published and to be obeyed by all And its being poured into the Air methinks very plainly speaks this to us for what is the Air but the whole Medium or Vehicle of Light and so may denote all who are capable of being enlightned by the Truth to be the subjects of that clearer or more universal Revelation which is now to be made of it Before which I take to be at the first breaking forth as it were of this Light whether at the Reformation or whatever other time that be applied to 't is said Rev. 14. 6. I saw another Angel fly in the midst of Heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach to them that dwell on the Earth c. To signifie that it was but a part of the great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or transparent Orb was then enlightned it was but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the middle part or half of Heaven but now it is the whole Orb is made lucid the Gospel every where so shining in its Purity that they must be very much in Love with darkness who shall not now receive the Light the Air will be full of it and it s being so with respect to its Enemies who are to be destroyed by the brightness of our Lord 's coming 2 Thes 2. 8. is sufficient to denominate it one of the Vials of Gods Wrath on them 't is but opening the Eye and all will be clear and transparent no Clouds now to interpose no Storms to divert the Beholders And this possibly is what we are farther directed to by the Voices Thunders and Lightnings in allusion to what was done at the first publishing of the Law Exod. 19. 16. to declare that now the Gospel should be the Law of the World published as by the Voice of God he appearing in the defence of his Truth so by that of his Ministers which may be the reason why it is Voices in the Plural carried on with that Power and Evidence so clear so irresistible in all its Truths that like Thunder and Lightning there should be no stopping the Ears no shutting the Eyes against it no opposing it but at the peril of falling under the immediate stroke of Heaven The Thunder doth not so loudly proclaim the Gospel but that it will as loudly revenge if neglected the Lightning can as well blast the Gainsayers as discover the Truths they ought to receive such will be the Terror and Conviction that will now go along with the Gospel And is it any wonder when this shall be that a great Earthquake should follow saith the Text it shall be such as was not since Men were upon the Earth so mighty an Earthquake and so great An Earthquake we know shakes and unsettles all Houses Villages Towns Cities Hills Valleys Forrests whole Countries with the Inhabitants have felt the Effects thereof This is to be such an Earthquake so mighty and so great as was not since Men were upon Earth I will not say it is to be a meer natural Earthquake though such often have been observed to forerun or accompany great Iudgments and I am apt to think this sort of Earthquakes may usher in or accompany this Vial there have great and extraordinary things of that nature happened in our own times But to such prodigious Events only I do not imagine this to be confined but rather I believe it to direct to something like what God speaks by his Prophet Haggai 2. 6 7. Yet once it is a little while and I will shake the Heavens and the Earth and the Sea and dry Land and I will shake all Nations which St. Paul thus refers to Heb. 12. 26 27. whose Voice then shook the Earth he speaks of the Earthquake that accompanied the giving of the Law of Moses but now he hath promised saying Yet once more I shall shake not the Earth only but also Heaven and this Word yet once more signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken The business of this Earthquake will be utterly to remove what in the times of Antichrist prevailed quite to change the whole Face of things and bring in that Evangelical State which to follow the Apostles Expression in the next verse will be a Kingdom which cannot be moved Would we see what were to be the effects of this Earthquake It follows v. 19 20. And the 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. And every Island fled away and the Mountains were not found The great City what it is is sufficiently described in the next Chapter ver 18. where it is said and the Woman which thou sawest is the great City which Reigneth over the Kings of the Earth 'T is Rome that in that Chapter is 1.