of God that certainly the Popish State is going fast to perdition and the great lights of that State both the lights of that State great like the Sun in the firmament be they Civil Magistrates in their sphaere in highest place or take it as the Popish Prelacie do they will be highest in both kindes be it as it will be as the common people have been visited with judgement their Religion corrupt and Priests and Jesuits plagued and the Lord hath begun to plague their lights in this world and Church lights too So make account of this forasmuch as they repent not to give God glory but break forth to greater wrath and outrage against the Lord and his Church and servants and secret ones what will the end of all this be Never did any man strive against God and prospered what under the mighty hand of God under the Vials of Gods wrath and still blaspheme the name of God and still hope to prosper Verily you may write upon it God wil wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such as go on still in their wickednesse Psal 68.21 Let them look to it the Lord hath begun to pour out his wrath and one Vial hath not done when another begins to work but they are pouring upon the common people and upon Priests and Jesuits and will be more and more and so shall both the house of Austria and the Pope himself in their supremacie and lordly authority and howsoever they may have some refreshing and succour and supply in their declining state yet as their apostacies and backslidings are perpetuall as the Text saith they are seeing they repent not to give God glory the Lord hath set it down and the Scripture must be fulfilled they will go on in their rage and blasphemie against the God of Israel and what will the issue of that be Truly if men prosper in hardnesse of heart and blasphemy then let Pharaoh prosper of old and let all wicked States prosper but the Lord sent judgement upon judgement upon Pharaoh first upon the waters and then upon the fruits of the field at length he came to Murrain of the Beasts and then a plague upon their first-born and when that served not then the wrath of God came upon the red Sea and over-whelmed them all This is Gods manner of dealing and let the Imperiall State and all blasphemers know it that they shall not prosper in stouting it out against the Lord but believe it as they have begun to fall before reformed Churches so they shall surely fall As it was told Haman in Ester 6.13 If this Mordecai be of the seed of the Iews before whom thou hast begun to fall thou shalt not prevail but shalt surely fall before him So fall they will and in falling they shall fall and yet more and more fall till the Lord hath cut them off root branch there is more judgments you shall read of a further Vial upon the throne of the Beast and upon the air and then Babilon is fallen it is not long till then there is but three Vials more and whether some of them be not yet begun to be poured out it is not yet so cleer Let them know it for their terrour and we for our comfort the Lord will go on in destroying to destroy them It is a speech the Lord often useth in Isaiah 9.12 13 14. Yet for all this his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still Why For the people turn not to him that smites them neither do they seek the Lord of hoasts and when they do not turn to him then the hand of the Lord is not drawn back but stretched out still that is the constant course of Gods providence as the people turn not to him that smites them so the Lord will go on and cut off head and tail branch and rush in one day ancient honorable he is the head and the Prophet that teacheth lyes hee is the tail c. For a second Use of this Point This may serve to teach us that the Lord is the chief Governour Vse 2 and hath the chief power of all the plagues and judgements that do fall upon men And that aggravates the impenitencie of these wicked men that they do not fall under his hand that hath power over these plagues but still go on hardning themselves against him whose plague is upon them Therefore he hath power over them and he will maintain it and the judgements shall go on destroying to destroy till like Vials of quick-silver they have rooted them out from the land of the living Is there any evil in the City which the Lord hath not done Amos 3.6 If a man were to speak to Christian Princes in other parts how might a man call upon them to beware of timerousnesse and fear in provoking the displeasure of the house of Austria or of the Pope For the wrath of God is gone out against that State and the Pope and the Lord hath power over these plagues Why should we fear all the power of the house of Austria or Papall thunderbolts when the Lord hath you under his hand when he means to go on plaguing to plague Shall men underprop this rotten building which the Lord intends to destroy This cursed fabrick which the Lord will ruinate Do you think to strengthen your selves by them when they are not able to help themselves No it is a time of Gods plague and therefore it is a warning and Trumpet to all Christian nations and to us do not think if we shall not yield to this and that of Antichrist then Churches and Magistrates shall never subsist fear it not I tell you all the States that cleave to Popery shall fall with Popery if they continue in it Indeed if the Lord rescue and redeem them with a mighty hand and bow their power and Crown to comply with the Lord Jesus and his people they may save themselves and their Kingdoms but otherwise it is not possible for them to prosper in maintaining this ruinous Babylon that hastens to destruction The Lords plagues they are and it is not all the power of men or Princes no nor of Angels in heaven nor devils in hell that can take off the plagues that God hath set on Thirdly it teacheth us what is the duty of all the sons of men Vse 3 under Gods hand namely to repent of sin which hath brought Gods hand for this is an aggravation of the wickednesse of these lights that they repented not to give God glory when the vials of Gods wrath was upon them but stil grew more wicked even to blaspheme What saith the Apostle Peter Humble your selves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time 1 Pet. 5.6 Hath the Lord begun to smite the common state and it may be the body of the countrey in that which is the sinewes of trading in the scarcities of
giving him glory let all run in that streame that we acknowledge his justice and truth and mercy and grace and look up to him for receiving from him whatever is of his mercy and grace needfull for us and then we shall avoid those plagues and judgements which are threatned or gone forth against us and shall recover from under Gods hand like gold out of the fire THE FIFT VIALL REVEL 16.10 11. And the fifth Angell poured out his Viall upon the seat of the Beast or as the word is in the Originall the Thrones and his Kingdome was full of darkenesse and they gnawed their Tongues for paine And blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their paines and their sores and repented not of their deeds IN these words you have described the powring out of the Viall of the fifth Angell and described it is First by the subject on which it was powred On the throne of the Beast Secondly by the effect of it which is double 1. Proper and primary His Kingdome was thereby darkened 2. The secondary and accidentall events were three 1. Anguish and indignationâ— They gnawed their Tounges for paine 2. Blasphemy They blasphemed the God of Heaven 3. Impenitency They repented not of their deeds This Scripture and the interpretation of it is the more difficult because it is generally conceived that the execution of Gods judgements upon the Beast hath not yet gone beyond the powring out of the fourth Viall therefore conjectures about it will be the more difficult and it may be more uncertaine yet because the Scripture in it selfe is not darke how darke so ever we may be in our apprehensions The Kingdome of the Beast is darke but not the Kingdome of Christ And the Lord hath promised a gracious blessing upon all that read and heare the words of this prophecy Chap. 1. verse 3. so that by the comparing of one part of this prophecy with another and observing the due poise of every word in his place with holy feare and reverence the Lord is wont to lead his people into truth according to the promise made to the Apostle Iohn 16.13 which is fulfilled to every successour of theirs in some measure Let us therefore goe on in the feare of God to consider of these things First the difficulty chiefely lyeth in opening the subject whereon this Viall will be powred for open that and the rest will be cleare The seat of the Beast is generally taken for the City of Rome and it is confirmed from the like speech Rev. 13.2 Where the Dragon gave the Beast his power and his seat or throne and great authority and therefore they gather from hence the ruine of Rome applying also hereunto some prophecies of the Sibills who in their Language tell us thus much that Rome shall then be desolate and be as if it had never been a state Now though we have much cause to glorifie God for the labours of such of his servants as have giveÌ„ that exposition yet I must confesse I cannot rest satisfied with that interpretation for I finde it cleare in the sequell of this Chapter that Babilon which is doubtlesse meant of Rome As throughout the seventeenth Chapter it is also is said to come up into Remembrance before God in the 19. verse of this Chapter And that is in the powring out the seventh Viall which implyeth that before it came not up in remembrance before God in point of actuall punishment for things are said to come up into â—â—â—â—â—brance before God when he taketh in hand either to shew mercy to them or to powre out wrath upon them a signe that the Viall and fiercenesse of his wrath was not yet powred out upon Rome besides it is expressed in this Text that upon the powring out of this Viall the Kingdome of the beast was darkened but there is a great difference betweene darkning and destroying Egypt was darkened before Pharoh was destroyed or the body of Egypt overwhelmed in the red Sea Upon these grounds therefore I cannot conceive that it is meant of Rome but of something else which in Scripture is to be understood by Throne sometimes it is put for that forme of government and authority which any person or state sitting on that throne doth administer as it is said of Christ that his throne is a throne of Righteousnesse and that is not so much spoken of the place where he governeth as of the government it selfe so in the 89 Psalme 29. 36 37. I will make his throne as the dayes of Heaven and againe his throne shall be as the Sunne before me It shall be established for ever as the Moone and in Psalme 122.5 Thrones of judgement are distinguished from the thrones of the house of David to wit such as David hath erected so by the like proposition it is here meant of that forme of government which the beast exerciseth in the Church both subjectively that which himselfe doth occupy over the Churches subject to him and effectively that which proceedeth from him and is exercised by others in other Churches according to the frame and forme of government received from him and that is such a peerelesse kind of government as wherein one alone doth rule for a throne is such a kind of seate wherein one of peerelesse authority doth governe as a Monarch in his owne Dominion Indeed the universall supremacy of the Pope both in spirituall and temporall things whereby he challengeth transcendent authority over all Kings and Princes that was violated by the fourth Viall of these Angels but yet still here is another throne which yet hitherto remaineth unplagued and that is his singular sole authority and monarchicall government whereby he sitteth chiefe and onely Judge in Ecclesiasticall causes in his own jurisdiction and like unto which he hath established the government of all National Provinciall and Diocesan Churches and so this interpretation doth very fitly suit with the proper effect of the powring out of this Viall expressed in the Text his Kingdome was darkened 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and what kinde of government is that such as wherein one doth raigne as they are wont to say there must be but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One Prince in a state this forme of government himselfe doth exercise still in his owne jurisdiction inviolately and this he hath brought into all national and Provinciall and Diocesan Churches in the world where popery hath prevailed and which still continueth in some Protestant Churches where though the Doctrine and worship of Popery be abolished and the transcendent supremacy of his government yet the forme of his government monarchicall or sole and singular government by one that is Episcopacy is still continued Who is then the fifth Angel that hath powred out his Viall upon this peerelesse government the Episcopacy Though it be said this Viall is not yet powred out and though it haply was not powred out with the writings of such men who so conceived were under their hands
they that begin they also make an end and send away the people with a blessing Num. 6.24 25 26. Power they have to direct to admonish privately publickly to rebuke with all authority Tit. 2.15 And sundry branches of rule may be deduced out of these yet as true it is also that the Lord hath given power to the Church over their Rulers as first to choose them they ordained them Elders by lifting up their hands Acts 14.23 And when there was an Apostle to be chosen in Iudas his roome they out of an 120 persons chose two men and presented them to the Lord Acts 1.23 Secondly they have power to send them forth about the Churches service as they sent Paul and Barnabas to Ierusalem Acts 15.2 And without controversie he that sendeth is greater then he whom he sendeth Ioh 13.16 Secondly they have power to admonish them if they doe offend say to Archippus take heed to they Ministery c. Col. 4.17 And the Church contended with Peter for eating with the heathen Acts 11.2 3. And had he not given them the better answer they would have proceeded against him These things then laid together what a beastly power is that of the Church of Rome and of such as imitate them as usurpe authority and judgement over so many Churches and will be judged by none Vse 1 For use in the first place this may be a ground unto us of just acknowledgement of the Lords faithfulnesse and truth who is not unmindfull of all that he hath spoken by his servants the Prophets but in due season doth fulfill his word The Apostle Iohn hath beene dead above 1500 years he dyed with the end of the first hundred yeares after Christ but the word spoken by him dyed not with him according to what we read Zach. 1.5 6. Your fathers where are they and the Prophets doe they live for ever but my words and my statutes which I commanded my servants the prophets did they not take hold of your Fathers So though Iohn be dead whatsoever Iohn hath spoken with his mouth he will fulfill with his hand and will not leave till he hath finished all the words that are written in this booke And what marveilous stay in this to the soules of those that build their faith upon the word of God He will ever be mindfull of his Covenant Psalme 111.5 He did let none of the words of Samuel fall to the ground 1 Sam. 3.19 He will not leave fulfilling to fulfill untill he hath fulfilled all and then Christ wil come to gather his people to himselfe therefore let not your hearts faile because God remaineth faithful and whether Zachary believe or no the Lord wil fulfil his Word Luke 1.20 The second use may be to take off that amazement which hath Vse 2 been found in the hearts of some concerning the undertakings of the Scots in our native Country since the world began was it never known for there are no Histories of note but are commonly known such a patterne as this that ever a whole Nation did rise to take up such a quarrell with so much justice wisdome and piety a thing to be wondred at that a whole Nation should carry such a matter in such a way many things have been done in Holland in Geneva for reformation but with much more tumult which when the Papists have objected our Divines have been wont to answer that they doe not excuse mens thrusting in their own weaknesses into Gods Worke but wonder not overmuch if you finde it otherwise in this matter for the Angels of God are their guides so that their foote shall not swell but they shal keepe their ranks and places and remember that they are subjects through they carry their swords in their hands Just care is taken that there be no robbery nor pilfering no oppressions no violation of any mans bed nothing taken up but it shall be duely paid for and yet the proceeding made with such constancy that in a way of humility the end must be attained or else there wil be no place in the conclusion These are great things but if men take them in hand that are girded with golden girdles when their Bibles goe along with them when Fasting and Prayers steere along their course you need not much wonder in such a Case Thirdly this may serve to teach us that surely this worke will Vse 3 prosper because the Lords Angel is in it and the Viall of Gods wrath in his Hand and he will not be beaten off though some instruments may quaile yet will he stil raise up more in their stead till those plantations be rooted out according to the word of Christ Mat. 15.15 Every plant which mine heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up In vaine therefore is it for men to uphold such sandy buildings which wil in the end be shaken down whatsoever dammes men may make to uphold the Episcopacy it will befall unto them as when men make dammes to stop water courses others come and cast in some small quantity of quick-silver or Aquafortis which eates such holes through the stones that it will soone issue out the water so this Aqua omnipotentis the vialls of the wrath of God wil at last consume and wast all things whatsoever stand up against them Vse 4 Fourthly let it teach us to praise the Lord for our gracious deliverance from the power of this Government brought in by the beast unto the government of Christ in his Church let those that count it new Wine refuse it it is old Wine unto us let us therefore in the name of the Lord rejoyce with trembling for our great liberties and pray that God will never leave untill he have rooted out not only the throne of the Beast but the Beast himselfe that the world may never more be pestered with them Now from the effects that follow upon the powring out of this Viall we may observe this second note Doct. 2 That upon the powring out of the Viall of Gods wrath upon the throne of the Beast their place the Pope himselfe and the rest of their Prelates and all their favourites and followers have not turned to God by Repentance but have broken forth against him in indignation and blasphemy His Kingdome was full of darkenesse but what profit have they made of it they gnawed their tongues through vexation rage and malignity of spirit against the Lords holy providence and the succesfull proceedings of these holy Angels they blasphemed the God of Heaven and looke at reformation as Rebellion as if it were the dissolution of al goodnesse and at length they wil say that they feare Christ himselfe is become a Puritan and have they repented of their tyrannies and usurpations over Ministers and over Churches but they have broken forth still more and more against the Lord his servants and Churches and what more may come forth I know not judge you what they speake in secret when they
of heaven from the Throne And that Throne is set in the Church Rev. 4.2 3. Behold a Throne was set in heaven and one sate on the Throne which is the Lord himselfe who is resembled by three pretious stones holding forth the three persons in Trinity A Jasper having as they say a white circle round about it representing the Eternity of the Father a Sardine stone of a fleshy colour representing Jesus Christ who took our flesh upon him An Emerauld being of a green colour refreshing the eyes of those that looke upon it representing the Spirit who is as the Rainbow a token of faire weather and is a comfortable refresher wheresoever he commeth Now this voice comming from heaven and from the Throne it commeth also apparently from God saying It is done that so all men may see it to be the revealed and holy will of God that all these things should be thus accomplished 3. It is done what is done for here is no nominative case before the verb. But this is that which is done the mystery of iniquity is abolished And the mystery of God is fulfilled For of this it was spoken which you read Rev. 10.7 where the Angel that stood upon the Sea and upon the earth telleth us That in the dayes of the seventh Angel when he shall sound whose Trumpet is sounding to this day the mystery of God should be fulfilled And that standeth chiefly in two things 1. In the destruction of all his enemies 2. In the accomplishment of all his gracious promises to the conversion of the Jewes and both these shall be accomplished in the pouring out of this Vial as we may reade at large Ezek. 39.17 to the end of the Chapter where the holy Prophet speaketh of this very time when the enemies of the Church shall come out against them there will be a finall accomplishment of all the mysteries of iniquity and of all the hostility of the Lords enemies against his Church It is also the accomplishment of all his gracious promises and therefore he saith Rev. 21.6 When once the new Jerusalem commeth downe from God out of heaven then Christ himselfe saith It is done All his promises are now performed and his great workes now fulfilled this is meant when it is here said It is done And the Lords voice it is for had it been the voice of some Church-Officers alone it might have reached to the Church but not to the ends of the world but when the Lord himselfe speaketh whose voice is like the voice of thunder then is it heard from one end of the earth unto another All men shall see the great workes that he hath done upon the face of the earth Popery and all false Religion abolished the Kingdome of Christ established from the rising of the Sun to the going down thereof This is the Adjunct Now for the Effect There is an Effect of Terrour and of agitations and changes and an effect of destroying calamities for I cannot well gather the notes that arise unlesse these things be all opened then I conceive they may be handled with brevity 4. For the effect of terrour the thunderings and lightenings and the voices are the same with those that are said to come out of the Throne Rev. 4.5 Like unto that dispensation of old Exod. 20.18 Wherein were thunderings and lightenings and in stead of voices there is put in the noise of the Trumpet and these held forth the terrour of the Lord in giving of the Law in so much that Moses himselfe said I exceedingly feare and quake and much more did the people feare and tremble for such is the convincing dreadfull power of the Law of God that let a man but heare it and have it effectually applyed and it will make the meekest and most innocent of the servants of God to tremble It will make the mountaines and hils to tremble The voice of Gods servants is like the voice of a trumpet Esay 58.1 piercing deep into the eares and hearts of men but the voice of himselfe exceedeth So the meaning is That upon the pouring out of this Vial upon the ayre there shall be terrible thunderings and lightenings and voices like founds of Trumpets upon the hearts of men that shall make them tremble and quake The Lord will so terribly affright and amaze the sons of men with the power of his holy word and will as that it shall suddenly break forth all the world over for in this manner doth the Lord begin his saving dispensations towards men even with terrible lightenings and thunderings and earthquakes thereby partly convincing men of sin and subduing their hearts and confounding their malicious enemies For the next Effect 5. There was great earthquake c. And that importeth agitatations and changes and not terrour onely they are such as will not cease untill they have removed the things that are shaken that the things which cannot be shaken may remain so doth the Apostle Heb. 12.26.27 Interprete the Prophesie of Haggai 2.6 It argueth saith he the removing of those things that are shaken and he interprets it concerning the Church estate in that place and he will also shake all the Kingdomes of the world as the same Prophet Haggai told Zerubbabel Chap. 2.21 22. saying I will shake the heavens and the earth and I will overthrow the throne of Kingdomes and I will destroy the strength of the Kingdomes of the Heathen c. And so the Lord did overthrow the great Persian Monarchy by the Grecian and the Grecian Monarchy by the Romane and the Romane by barbarous Nations and the Lord hath bin shaking them eversince and will shake them hereafter with such a shaking as never was the like you reade of a great earthquake when as Rome of Pagan became Christian Rev. 6.12 But that was a small shaking unto this earthquake for still the Persians are Idolaters and many Pagans in the world that shaking brought in a forme of Christianity but the saving knowledge of Christ was yet in a great measure wanting that forme of Christianity which then came in made way for Popery to creepe in fast into the Churches but this will shakeout Popery and when by it the Popish aire is smitten the Lord will also shake all the world by it and the time doth hasten 6. Now for the third effect which is a distracting and destroying calamity upon Cities upon Islands and Mountaines and upon men Among cities here is the great Citie and the cities of the Nations and Babylon Some good Interpreters looke at Babylon to be Constantinople For my part I dare not think but one of these is put expositively for the other Babylon for the great city Now that great city which is spiritiually called Sodome and Aegypt Rev. 11.8 is that great city which reigneth over the Kings of the earth and that is Rome as all confesse and that Babylon Chap. 17.18 and this is the same city which the Kings of the earth and the
THE POWRING OVT OF THE SEVEN VIALS OR AN EXPOSITION OF THE 16. Chapter of the REVELATION with an Application of it to our Times Wherein is revealed Gods powring out the full Vials of his fierce wrath 1. Upon the lowest and basest sort of Catholicks 2. Their Worship and Religion 3. Their Priests and Ministers 4. The House of Austria and Popes Supremacy 5. Episcopall Government 6. Their Euphrates or the streame of their supportments 7. Their grosse Ignorance and blind Superstitions Very fit and necessary for this Present Age. Preached in sundry Sermons at Boston in New-England By the Learned and Reverend IOHN COTTON BB. of Divinity and Teacher to the Church there LONDON Printed for R. S. and are to sold at Henry Overtons shop in Popes-head Alley 1642. To the Christian Reader CHristian Reader Thou hast here presented to thy view a taste of the ordinary Weeke-daies exercise of that Reverend man taken from his owne mouth whose Pen would have more fully answered thy greatest expectations could his time drunke up with continuall waighty and various imployments afforded him more liberty and leisure to have fyled over his owne notions It is hoped they may be of great use unto thee and the rather because of the excellency and seasonablenesse of the Subject to erect thy hopes and to put an edge upon thy Prayers and desires for the more spedier bringing forth of those great workes which this and the following Age are to produce The good that may accrue to thy selfe and the common cause produced this Worke into the light which was not intended when first delivered for any more publike use then of his owne private Auditotie Now the Father of lights and God of all grace fill our hearts with the life and power of faith and zeale to pray for long for speed and write for the most desired ruine and speedy begunne-downefall of that most cursed Kingdome of Antichrist according to the scope and drift of that Prophesie expressed in the powring out of these Seven Vials Thine in the Lord I. H. Viall I. The powring out of the SEVEN VIALS OR AN EXPOSITION with an Application of the 16th Chapter of the REVELATION REVELATION 16.1.2 And J heard a great voyce out of the Temple saying to the Seven Angels Goe your wayes and poure out the Vials of the wrath of God upon the earth And the first went and poured out his Viall upon the Earth and there fell a noysome and grievous sore upon the men which had the Marke of the Beast and upon them which Worshipped the Image YOu have heard in the former Chapter of the Preparation of the Seven Angels to poure out the seven last Plagues of God upon the Antichristian State In this Chapter you read a large Description of their Execution of that worke which is First Commanded Verse 1. Secondly Performed in the sequell of the Chapter Commanded wherein observe that Commandement set forth First by the Jnstrumentall efficient Promulger of it a great voice I heard a great Voice Secondly By the Subject-place whence this Voice came forth out of the Temple A great voice out of the Temple Thirdly By the matter commanded by the voice Goe your waies and poure out the Vials of the wrath of God upon the earth This Commandement thus given was accordingly performed by all the seven Angels in this whole Chapter The first Angel poureth out his Viall ver 2. and that is first set forth by the subject upon which he poured it upon the earth Secondly It is amplified by the effect it wrought There fell a noysome and grievous sore upon the men What men They are of two sorts First Such as had the Marke of the Breast Secondly Such as worshipped his Image The words are somewhat darke and there is much variety in the Interpretation of them I shall shortly open to you what by the comparing of this and other Scriptures together I take to be the meaning of the Words First when he saith I heard a great voice It is a voice of Authority and Power And whose can that be but his that hath power over all these Plagues even God himselfe and the Lord Iesus Christ who also have power in the Temple It is not the voyce of one of the foure Beasts the Officers of the Church alone but a further power doth concur with this voice such as carried Majestie and authority with it Secondly Out of the Temple It implieth it was a voyce delivered not by one of the foure Officers in private but came out of Publike Administration where onely the Lord speaking did with Authority set forward these Angels upon this work And it may further Imply that it sprung upon some Prayers of the Church in the Temple for all the voices in the Temple are either the voice of the Church unto Christ or of Christ unto the Church And if the Lord speake graciously in the Temple It is commonly obtained in the Praiers of the Church craving answer from him To the seven Angels That is to say Seven sorts of Gods Messengers whether Magistrates or Ministers or whosoever they be that poure out these Vials they are Angels of God as being the Messengers of his wrath Neither is it meant of seven Individuall persons but seven sorts of Persons that set forward this worke And withall I doe accord with those that say that in all these administrations there is some presence of the heavenly Angels accompaning the men in the worke Goe your waies your waies is not in the Originall but Goe poure out the Vials The Vials are vessels of large content but of narrow mouthes they poure out slowly but drench deepely and distill effectually the wrath of God Vessels they are of full and just measure as all these judgements are dispensed in weight and measure Of the wrath of God That argueth that upon what subject soever these Vials fell the wrath of God fell together with them upon the same And that helpeth not a little to open the place and to shew the danger of some interpretations which doe expound the Sunne vers 8. to be the Scriptures If these Vials be the Vials of Gods wrath how shall any of them be conceived to be poured out upon the Scripture is the wrath of God kindled against the Scripture And for the Earth vers 2. Some conceive it to be meant of the common sort of godly Christians but though some soare plagues might befall some of them yet how can the wrath of God be conceived to be powred upon them It cannot therefore be meant as some of good note say of the Waldenses and Albugenses Hugonets and Lollards but the wrath of God falleth upon such as worship the Beast and his Image And therefore take that for certaine that what things soever the Vials of Gods wrath are poured upon they are such as God is deepely displeased withall Vpon the earth They thought right that thought it to bee meant of the common sort of Catholikes
And therefore we may feare the righteous hand of God in disturbing the Countrey whereto wee owe so much love and faithfulnesse if there be a suspending of the holy and righteous Law of God that these rivers and fountaines should drinke of bloud for they are worthy Thirdly this may serve to teach all Magistrates and Governours Vse 3 in every Common-wealth to looke that all your Lawes be righteous lawes If you will act any thing justly the Lord takes it as his act he is the actor of it And therefore though this Law was made by Queene Elizabeth with the consent of the whole body of the Parliament and though her Secretary by her direction and consent published the justice of the Law the Text saith it is the Lord Thou art just and righteous just and true are thy wayes because thou hast judged thus They have shed the bloud of Saints and Prothets they have given them bloud and thou hast given them bloud to drinke for they are worthy Even so saith another Angel Lord God Almighty true and righteous are thy judgements If there be any wholsome and just Law in a Kingdome the Lord ownes it as his owne and it is to be obeyed as a righteous Law of God if it be unjust it is not Gods for his law is just an adequate rule of righteousnesse So that what ever is lesse then the Law of God if it suit not with the Law of God and keep correspondencie therewith you cannot say it is a Law of God Therefore Law givers and Law makers should ever have respect what doth the Lord our God say If it be Gods Law and Gods will let it be established if not let it be antiquiated But if you can finde a hint from the Law of God for it then let it stand Vse 4 And fourthly this must teach confederate States or such States whether neere for co-habitation or farther off if they heare of others proceedings it is good to confirme what they have justly done Queene Elizabeth makes a Law in the yeere 84. against Priests and Jesuites the Decree is righteous when others heare of this righteous section they make it also a capitall crime for any such persons to be found amongst them if it be capitall in England it is so in Holland they will require it of the necks of them that shall be found delinquent What then This is Even so one State must say Even so upon the just act of another and they must record it in their Statutes unlesse there be some apparent dissimilitude which is not in case of this nature for there is the same equity in all Ages and all Nations and therefore it is for them to say Amen or Even so to it And what is that It is no more but this If you enact a Law which is in another Countrey you say Amen to Gods justice in your own Countrey as others doe in theirs Vse 5 The fift Use that you may make of this Point is to teach you a tender respect in all lawes to the judicials of Moses to all the judiciall laws of Moses that are built upon moral equity that is where the reason of a Law holds in one Nation as well as in another in the New Testament as in the Old There are sundry Laws particular to that Polity which had peculiar reasons for them as to marry in their kindred to keep their inheritance to their Tribe we have not that reason But where the Laws are of like morall reason as will hold in all Ages and in all Countreys as it is in all the capitall Laws of Moses there is no reason why a Jew should be put to death for point of Adultery or Incest or for stealling a man and selling him to a Pagan more then a Christian I say therefore look what was the Law of God by Moses if it were of perpetuall reason and equity it lyes on every Common-wealth to establish the same and to take your selves as much bound to it as the Jews why for the Text tels us the very righteousnesse of God is in it And looke as he was then a hater ofall wickednes with a perfect hatred and as he was just so he is still heresie is no more pleasing to him nor blasphemy nor seducing nor to change the way of his worship and to draw men to wayes wherein they cannot enjoy the Lord in peace murder of soules is no more welcome to him now then of old And therefore if there were a Law to punish such with capitall punishment it is a like justice of God to enjoyne such Laws in every Christian Common-wealth And therefore if we look at Gods justice as unchangeable we may not prevaricate judiciall laws setting aside some typicall considerations or some peculiar consideration in regard of their Polity But such as were to punish men by death or were received on morall equity and ground looke what was for them to doe there is the same proportion for us put the same case and you will finde the like reason for the same punishment It is true some ceremonies were there punished with death and so the like kind of profaning the Sabbath is as justly punishable with us if profaned with an high hand to gather sticks with an high hand in contempt of the Sabbath of the Lord is as justly punishable with death now as then And so you may say of any other law justly punishable by death and that are built on perpetuall moral equity Our God is the same God that he was and so you shall have him count that righteous whiles the world stands For a sixt This may serve to take off a corrupt interpretation Vse 6 which some have made of this place or a collection that they have gathered from hence that the Angels of God are deputed to severall offices here is one Angel of the waters and some are deputed to governe the earth some fire some the waters and sea as I might tell you if it were meet to trouble you with humane inventions and collections of mens braines the collection is chiefly grounded on this place but it is wholly mistaken for the Angel of the waters here is not any particular Angel of God any of those heavenly spirits but the Angels and Ministers of Gods justice upon metaphoricall seas and waters It is true those here were Governours of the narrow seas and the that gave commission to execute the righteous judgement of God upon those rivers she was Admirall of the narrow seas but that is not the meaning But the Angel that poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters it is he or she that did execute the righteous judgment of God upon the Popish Priests and Jesuites and that did both Queene Elizabeth and he that had a great hand in executing that judgement and the Angel from under the Altar they ratified that Law and justified it when they had done Now it is true the Angels of
neither would I wholly wave that Interpretation of the Imperiall state because the matter is not what Papists will acknowledge or what the Church of Rome will own Whether they will own the Emperour to bee the primest and chiefesf light or others for the holy Ghost speaks of things as they be as well as how they are conceived to be Now in Scripture Interpretation the greatest lights are Magistrates that hold forth the greatest lustre and splendor but yet in the Churches and when you speak of spirituall Administrations they that are to derive light from CHRIST to the Church they are the greatest lights for spirituall things But wee come to speak therefore of the great light they set up they set up him as the chiefest and greatest light which derives light to the very Scriptures for they conceive that they should not bee Authenticall unlesse the B of Rome count them so and if he do count them authenticall then they shall be so though they be Apocrypha and no sence of Scripture allowed for the light of truth unlesse it be acknowledged by him nor no Decrees go for currant unlesse he ratifie them So that that which they take for the light of their world is chiefly the Bishop of Rome If then he be their greatest light then this Angel pours his Vial of Gods wrath upon the Pope his transcendent light whereby he gives authority to the Scriptures to Doctrine to Worship to Government to Councels and whereby he gives power to all his Officers to administer Discipline and Church-power in all Christendom as they call it all Christian Churches over Then they are the Angels that pour out the Vial upon that Sun that take from him that transcendent Prerogative of the Sun which is to rule by day 136 Psal 8. Take then from him his rule by day for you must speak of things metaphorically in this place though in the Psalm is meant another Sun but in this Sun take from the Pope from this Sun Popish rule of Religion the rule of all Churches the Soveraign power in all Ecclesiasticall affairs and what then Then you will pour out a Vial of wrath upon him And so did Queen Elizabeth in her time and the Parliament then by making the Popes Supremacie and the defence of it high Treason against her person and the State of the Kingdom and against the Lord Iesus It poured forth such a Vial of Gods wrath upon this great Light the Antichristian State that it rules no more by day neither in England nor Scotland nor Ireland nor divers other neighbour Nations who by her precedent example did abandon the like usurpation the supreme rule of the Pope in Ecclesiasticall affairs which is the very Rule of the Churches of Christ Thus you see take the one or the other both will stand together Let the house of Austria be the Sun as it is in his kinde and Sphaere the greatest light of all their created Civil power and hath been a great light indeed and both an ornament and nourishment to the See of Rome Or take the Pope himself who will be the greatest Church-light and claims to himself Supreme power not onely in Ecclesiasticall causes but Civil too It is no unusuall thing in Scripture to make a graduall Interpretation of dark Scriptures as in the 17 Chapter The seven beads saith the Text are seven mountains upon which the woman sitteth and in the 10 verse they are also seven Kings the same that represent seven mountains doth represent seven Kings And so both these are great lights of that state the Imperiall and the Spanish power combined in that house by bloud and affinitie and the Pope himself in his sphaere are both the great lights of that state and it hath pleased â—od to pour out his Vial of wrath upon them both and both the one and the other suffer and they shall suffer more and more because they do not repent to give God glory of their due and deserved punishment but continue still in their blaspheming against the Lord and his people and when men grow worse and worse both civil state and Ecclesiastical state both growing worse and worse doubtles their plagues will be multiplied Sweden began with one and hath been followed Queen Elizabeth in England and others elsewhere have begun with the other the Lord by sundry instruments in one kinde or other hath gone forth and will go on stil to let them know that the most high hath power over all the earth and will not be driven out When once he begins to execute judgement he will go on destroying to destroy and though the ministers of this wrath may conflict with doubtfull and various events yet the issue will be blessed and Popish Princes and States shall stand a far off and cry Alas alas that great city Babilon that mighty city for in one hour is thy judgement come That will be the finall issue of the great wrath of God upon it and how far both these have proceeded you cannot chuse but know How far queen Elizabeth scorched that Antichristian state with fiery indignation it is universally known which provoked Catholick Princes so much that what with pouring out the former Vials upon the Rivers and Fountains when she decreed it Treason for any to carry Popish Religion to England and to reconcile men to that See the pouring out of that Vial there and this here so far provoked them that they brought in their whole power against her in 88 and would have swallowed her up quick they were so exasperated with heat and fury and had not the Lord by his out-â—â—retched arm and wisdom prevented there had been no hope of preservation but desolation of her and her Kingdom Thus have I shewed you as shortly and plainly as I could what should be the meaning of this fourth Vial and the Angel by whom it was poured out Let us shortly come to gather a note or two from the words and very briefly First this Doctr. 1 When the wrath of GOD is kindled against a State for corruption of Religion he pours out his judgements against them by degrees first upon the common sort of people then upon Church Officers and then upon the principall Rulers and lights of that State That is the first note This is evident in the Gradation of the Text here is the wrath of the Lord kindled against the Antichristian state called here the earth an earthly Kingdom an earthly state brought forth of the earth and minding earthly things and all their Ordinances savouring of the earth of humane inventions and wisdom and power The Lord then when his wrath is kindled and sends forth Messengers of his wrath on that State how begin they They begin first with the earth the lowest Element they begin not with the Sea nor with the Sun nor with the Air but first the Vial fals upon the Earth Common Catholicks they first feel the shame and confusion thereof as you have
antichristian state and such things therein against which Gods wrath is kindled Now the anger of God is not kindled against the river Euphrates more then against any other river his wrath falles not upon rivers though sometimes for mans sake it may but Euphrates lieth not neere to the Romane antichrist nor to any state subject to him What thē would you say is it not most likely to hould forth the Turkish Dominion which God is angry with Shall not Christian Princes powre out the wrath of God upon the Turkish Dominions I would by no meanes say so But let us consider what is the Fountaine and what are the streames of this river which did and doe still wash upon the Turkish Dominion and which are indeed as Walles and Bulwarks to the Turkish state For this Euphrates though it be not here the Turkish Dominion yet it is of the same use to them and unto the Pope as Euphrates was unto old Babylon which made glad the same and conveyed maintenance unto it Let us therefore consider what was the Originall of the Turkish Dominion and you shall finde that it sprung from five severall streames Rev. 9.20.21 where having described the loosing of the foure Angels which were bound by the great river Euphrates ver 14. and those were the foure Families of the Turkes which at length were swallowed up by the house of Othoman He saith the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the workes of their hands that they should not worship Divels and Idolls of Gold and Silver and Brasse and Stone and of Wood which neither can see nor heare nor walke this was their Idolatry neither repented they of their murthers nor of their Sorceries nor of their Fornications nor of their thefts So these were the five streames of this river Euphrates that gave power to the Turkish Dominion to wit the Idolatries Murthers Sorceries Fornications and Thefts of Christendome for by reason of these barbarous wickednesse of Popish Churches and states cloaked under a face of Religion God brought upon them a barbarous Nation that hath a Face of government and yet knoweth not well what it meaneth yet did not the Papists whose sinnes these were repent of their Idolatries nor of their Murthers which they committed upon the soules of men and upon the bodies of Gods faithfull servants nor of their Sorceries of which many of the Popes themselves were guilty nor of their Whoredomes their stewes and beastly uncleannesses nor of thei◠Thefts Indulgences and pardons for money by which they dreyned Christendome of their substance Now if these were the sinnes which the Lord upbraideth Christian Churches for not repenting of though this barbarous nation did prevaile against them yet doubtlesse these are the walles of the Turkish Dominion even those streames of corruption of Religion which are the maintenance of the Sea of Rome to this day thus by admirable wisdome the Lord hath expressed his holy Counsell that his instruments by drying up these streames of Euphrates these corruptions of Religion shall prevaile at once both against the Turkes and the Pope together 2. Who then shall be the Angell that shall power out this sixt Viall if they shall not be the Iewes as before we prooved then it must needs be some Christian states and these are no other then the 10 Christian Kings spoken of Rev. 17.16 17. That shall hate the whore and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burne her with fire and so you have all these expositions fall in together they will runne in the right channell and fully reach all that interpreters have sought after 3. These Christian Kings shall so farre fall off from Rome as that they shall dry up all her revenewes when as they shall see and abhorre the vanity of their Images and Temples and Monasteries and the unprofitablenesse of their expences when they shall see the wickednesse of their bloudy inquisitions the unnaturalnesse of all those murders of Gods blessed servants and shall see their witchcrafts and sorceries the horrible fornications and whoredomes of their stewes and when they shall see that all their devises to get mony are so many thefts and robberies as it is the complaint of Pareus a German interpreter that two parts of the revenewes of the Empire did goe to the Bishop of Rome and but one third to the Christian Princes and a world of worke would be to tell you of all their Theeveries in England of old and other Christian Kingdomes Now when these Christian Kings are so far converted unto God as that they shall see the wickednesse of all these abuses of Religion they will then dry up all these revenewes then will they suffer no more Image worship no more sorceries nor murders and when these things are thus remooved then is Euphrates dryed up that maintaineth old Babylon then is the Fountaine of the Turkish maintenance cut off also For their rise was by these corruptions and they stand and wil stand whilst these corruptions stand but if these fall then is the river Euphrates dryed up and a ready way made indeed for the Kings of the East 4. Whom the most judicious Interpreters doe understand to be the Iewes 1. Because they are so by Gods calling Exodus 19.6 Yea shall be to me a Kingdome of Priests And Daniel foretelleth that when the Roman Monarchies are broken in peeces by the stone cut out of the Mountaines without handes Daniel 2.45 which is the Lord Jesus then the Dominion shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most high Daniel 7.27 Therefore they are called Kings of the East in the Greeke Testament Kings from the rising of the Sunne they shall have great power and place when God shall bring them to it Neither can any man tell but that some of these Easterne Kings in the East Judges may be of the Families of the House of Israel Sure I am when Ioseph was lost though his Father thought him to have beene utterly cast away yet when he was found he was found to be a great man in Egypt and the Prophet Ezekel understandeth by Ioseph all the 10 Tribes Ezech. 37.16 And who can tell whether some of these 10 Tribes may not be found to be great men of the East And I remember Iunius an exact Translator and commentor upon the Bible saith that which is called the Land of Sinim Isay 49.12 May more probably be meant of China and that the Greeke Geographers doe call them Sinea'es not China'es which if it be the meaning there may be there many of them and indeed he that readeth their story shall finde sundry memorable things in them that may agree to such as have sometimes beene Gods people for though they worship other Gods yet they have records that their fathers did not so in ancient times and it is reported of them that they make account that those are the best bookes that
will doe it for he hath promised it and hath begun to power out this Viall and will not cease untill he have left the Pope neither roote nor branch Vse 2 Secondly this may serve to teach us the ready way to subdue the Tyrants of the World and to take away all their supportance their walles and Bullworkes How should you take Babylon dry up Euphrates and Babylon is taken with a wet finger as when they dryed up Euphrates they found it but a worke of burning of Reedes to take old Babylon And how shall you overcome the Turkes dry up but the Fountaines of the Corruptions of Religion and you remoove Antichrist and make the Turkes easily Conquerable he will not be defenceable then whereas now he standeth like a wall of brasse and so will doe untill these streames of corruption be dryed up It was a notable practise that which the Lord directed his people unto Iudges 10. When they cried unto the Lord to deliver them from their enemies that oppressed them The Lord recounteth the gratious deliverances which he had shewed them yet saith he Verse 13. you have forsaken me and served other Gods wherefore I will deliver you no more goe and cry unto the Gods which you have chosen and let them deliver you in the time of your Tribulation When they heard that they confessed their sin and put away the strange Gods from among them and served the Lord and his soule was grieved for the misery of Israel then the Lord stirreth up the people to thinke upon Iephthah and they easily goe through the worke of vanquishing the oppressing Enemies In like manner bring but in false Doctrine worship and government into the Church and you bring in monsters of men among you the grand seigniours of the World will oppresse and rule over you On the other side let the Churches be reformed in France in England in Scotland c. Whatsoever other nations there be by that have defiled themselves with Popish doctrine worship and government let them but fall to this worke of reformation and verily the Lords Soule will be grieved for their misery that they are so oppressed with a base Priest and his Clergy who is in the meane while nothing else but a dunghill of corruption and what need have we earnestly to strive in prayer with God for these things and as great Nations are healed so are particular persons also by being purged from their Idolatries Fornications Thefts and Murders they are preserved from those personall evills which by Sea or Land might prevails against them And the Lord is able to doe it for great Nations as well as for particular persons for as he puts it into the hearts of Princes to agree and give their Kingdomes unto the Beast so he can as easily withdraw their hearts from him and cause them to see the vanity of their subjection to him Let us therefore give the Lord no rest untill he have fulfilled his word and overturned all his Enemies That the powring out of the wrath of God upon the Romish Doct. 2 Superstition and Tyranny as it will be the drying up of the Popish and Turkish Tyranny so it will prepare a ready way for the conversion of the Iewes When they shall see Christ riding upon a white horse and going forth conquering to conquer then shall they be gathered unto him Rev. 19. Because popish delusions Idolatry and Superstitions are the Reason greatest impediments of their conversion No man is acquainted with their writings but knoweth that these things stand in their way when the streames of Idolatry Sorcery Martyrdome of the Saints of God Fornication and robbery be dryed up then will there be a prepared way for the glorious conversion of the Iewes together with the rest of the Nations which cannot enter into the Temple untill the seven plagues of the seven Angels are fulfilled and then will they come in as honourable maides attending upon the Queene it will be like unto the resurrection from the dead unto them many devises there are in the mindes of some to thinke that Jesus Christ shall come from Heaven againe and reigne here upon Earth a thousand yeares but they are but the mistakes of some high expressions in Scripture which describe the judgements powred out upon Gods enemies in making a way for their conversion by the patterne of the last judgement Vse This may serve to provoke us and all the Churches of Christ to hold fast the purity of Doctrine worship and government in the Church of Christ let no streames of Idolatry nor love of the world run in our hearts If our Cowes be our Gods the Lord will power out a Viall upon them that from 25l. they shall fall to 5l. price the Lord hath sometimes threatned that he will famish all the Gods of the Earth Zeph. 2.11 So that all the Gods of the Gentiles shall not be able to provide any more offerings to be brought unto their Altars neither Apollo nor Iupiter nor Hercules can have any victuals and so will God deale with our Cattell if they be our Gods they shall either be worth little or else he will deny us todder for them if they devoure our spirits and take off our mindes from the Ordinances of God he will rend away any thing that standeth between him and our soules Therefore as ever we desire that we may prosper and that their may be a ready way prepared for our comfort let no streames of Idolatry be found among us then will the Lord make way for many of his deserved ones to come in among us or else wil make us wel without them For all the silver and gold in the world is his as the Cattell are his on a 1000 Hills Only let us take part with this Angell in powring out Vialls upon the corruptions that are found in our own hearts looke that their be no corruptions in us but such as are stil drying and drying up and see if God be not faithfull and gratious to us aboundantly stir we up our selves therefore and one another hereunto and pray that God would stir up other Nations and People hereunto then shall we see Gods ancient people brought home and the Lord shall be one over al the Earth and his name one which wil prove a Resurrection unto all the Churches of the Saints The second part of the sixth Viall VIALL 16. REVEL 12 Ver. to 14. XII And the sixth Angell powred out his Viall upon the great River Euphrates and the water thereof was dryed up that the way of the Kings of the East might be prepared 13. And I saw three uncleane spirits like Frogs come out of the mouth of the Dragon out of the mouth of the Beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet 14. For they are the spirits of Devills working miracles which goe forth unto the Kings of the Earth and of the whole World to gather them to the battell of that great day of
Merchants of the earth doe mourne for when she is destroyed and say Chap. 18.10 Alas alas that great city Babylon that mighty city c. and that also by their confession is Rome And so this Latter mention of it doth but shew the reason why it commeth to be divided into three parts and why the cities of the Nations fell for Babylon came up into remembrance c. The great city then is Babylon and that is divided into three parts I should not thinke that it is spoken of the breach of the naturall walls of the city by the earthquake but it will be divided into three factions some will sticke fast unto Popery and others of the people of God that before durst not openly professe Religion will now renounce Popery for such there shall be in Rome when it is neere to be destroyed unto whom it shall be said Rev. 18.4 Come out of her my people c. and what the third part may be there is not light for in this place what light other places may give we shall if God please see hereafter meane while it is sufficient to understand that it will be divided into three parts and what if the third part be a Neutrall betweene both the other 7. What were the cities of the Nations Those are they that trod the Church of God under foote Rev. 11.2 such they were who did subject themselves to Popish Government the cities of those Nations shall fall whosoever they be that are found adoring Rome they shall fall for Babylon her selfe shall come up into remembrance before God to give unto her the Cup of the wine of the fiercenesse of his wrath which shall infatuate her untill she be utterly destroyed by those ten Kings that shall hate her and eate her flesh and burne her with fire 8. And every Island fled away and the mountaines were not found He speaketh not of earthly Islands but you must understand that he speaketh of the mountaines and Islands of the Antichristian state what are the mountaines They are the places where they went a whoring after their Gods in old time Jer. 3.6 She is gone upon every hight mountaine and under every greene tree and there hath played the harlot there they had built them Chappell 's and there they had placed their confidence in respect of which when they come to repent they shall returne and say ver 23. Truely in vaine is salvation hoped for from the hills and from the multitudes of mountaines answerable unto which are the great temples built unto false Gods they shall flee away In the new Jerusalem Rev. 21.22 there was no Temple seene no Temple consecrated to this or that Saint shall be found therein What are the Islands They are grounds separated from the earth by the Sea The Sea is the corruption of Religion upon which the second Viall was poured Therefore such places as are consecrated by Popish Devotions as Church yards and such other Popish grounds they are these Islands that shall flee away you shall no more heare tell of consecrated Church-yard or any such matter all the world over Then will fall to the ground all your Cathedrall Churches and all those high Places that over-toppe the people of God and hinder the growth of the things of God neere about them though those things that be superstitiously set apart for holy ends be never so glorious they shall be all banished and vanish away there will be no more noise of them 9. And upon men there fell a great haile out of heaven The Allusion by some is thought to be unto the hayle spoken of Josh 10.11 which the Lord cast downe from heaven upon the Cananites so that moâ—e died with hailestones then they which the children of Israel slew with the Sword but I cannot say that haile storme is here alluded unto for here men did not die upon it but blasphemed onely unlesse it should be spoken of their everlasting death in hell but that were a common judgement to all the wicked but I rather thinke it is an allusion to the haile storme in Aegypt whereof the effect was that they sinned and hardened their hearts yet more Exod. 9.34 Well then if it be such an hayle as doth not kill men but provoke them to blaspheme what kinde of judgement might it be Interpreters doe not tell us So that we can take no better course to know it then to see what allegoricall haile stones meane in Scripture for by comparing Scriptures together you shall have the full meaning of every part of Gods Counsell For this end let us look in Esay 28.17 where the Prophet telleth us that the haile shall sweep away the refuge of lies when once Christ is laid in the foundation ver 16. then all the rest of the refuges of the sons of men that are lying refuges shall be swept away There is also another allusion suting hereunto in Ezek. 13.11.13 where the Lord threateneth against the wall that is dawbed with untempered morter there shall be an over-flowing shower and ye O great haile stones shall fall and a stormy winde shall rent it So then this kinde of haile storme is such a plague of God upon men as shall destroy all their lying refuges and men shall then insult over them and say where is the dawbing wherewith you have dawbed it So then at this time the Lord will send an haile storme that shall discover all the counterfeit Religions in the world all the juggelings of their Miracles all the faire seeming pretences of Popery or any other Religion all their doctrines of merits and confidences in their prayers to Saints and Angels and superstitious Devotions an haile storme shall fall upon them all in such sort that you shall see the vanity of them And all the world shall see that all Relgions besides Christianity are but a refuge of lies and in the end their jugglelings and sophistry shall be blowne up and blasted Some shall be shaken out of them setled upon better bottoms others will be provoked to blaspheme they will so vex themselves with extremity of anguish for that they are thus bereaved of their old comfortable good dayes and oh the joyfull festivals that they were wont for to keep in their Abbies and superstitious places for the losse of which they shall blaspheme the Lord and true Religion and all the instruments of the Gospels propagation Such a thing as this we reade of Rev. 11.15 When as the seventh Angel sounded there were great voices in heaven saying The Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ c. There it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thing was then in doing but now it is done Then the Nations were angry saith the Text ver 18. and a great haile there fell when they began to become the Kingdomes of Jesus Christ and there was an earthquake ver 19. but never