Pathmos: or, A commentary on the Reuelation of Saint Iohn diuided into three seuerall prophecies. The first prophecie contained in the fourth, fift, sixt and seuenth chapters. By Mr. William Cowper, Bishop of Galloway.

VERSE 1.

And after that, I saw foure Angels stand on the foure corners of the earth, holding the foure windes of the earth, that the winds should not blow on Earth, nor Sea, nor any Tree.

THIS Chapter is a pendicle of the precedent, and apper∣taines to the first Prophecie of this Booke, which we cal∣led Generall. In it, per Ana∣basin, we haue a larger expli∣cation of the fifth and sixth Seales; with a notable consolation for the godly, presently subioyned after the Prediction of that most fearefull, desperate, and comfortlesse end of the wicked, which shortly will come vpon them. For there we heard all manner of reprobate men sorrowfully lamenting and crying, that Moun∣taines might couer them. Here we are all told,

that the godly shall not be inuolued with them in their desperate estate, the Lord by his owne Seale separates them from the wicked, and fore∣shewes that happy estate wherein they shall liue for euer, and euer.

The Chapter hath two parts: the first enlarges that which hath beene briefly set downe in the fift and sixt Seale; for in the fift Seale, Saints cry for a dissolution of the world, and for finall iudgement, to auenge their bloud on them who dwell on earth: there they are desired to rest, vntill their fellow-seruants were fulfilled. In the sixt Seale, that dissolution of the world, and iudgement on the wicked, craued by Saints, and promised by the Lord, is represented to S. Iohn. Both these, in the first part of this seuenth Chapter are more cleere∣ly expounded. For first, S. Iohn sees foure Angels standing at the foure corners of the earth, ready to ouerturne the world, and to fold it vp like an old Vesture, as was figured in the sixt Seale: and this we haue, ver. 1. Next, these Angels are inhi∣bited and forbidden to destroy the world, vntill the seruants of God be first sealed, and secured, as was promised in the fift Seale: and this we haue, ver. 2. 3. together with the number of them that are sealed, till we come to the thirteenth verse. From that to the end, is described the happie condition of Saints, set downe in plaine termes, and directly opposite to that wofull condition of Reprobates, mentioned in the sixt Seale: so this, from ver. 15. to the end, makes vp the second

part of this Chapter: The first part letting vs see, how the world is conserued, till Saints be fulfilled and sealed: the other part shewing vs their ioyfull and happy estate.

Wherein it is very comfortable to obserue the opposition which is made betweene the misera∣ble estate of the wicked, in the end of the sixt chapter, and happy estate of Saints, in the end of this seuenth: They had shed the bloud of the ser∣uants of God, and therefore the Moone with a bloudie face lookes vpon them, and all creatures concurre to bee auenged of them. Heere the Saints come safe through all these tribulations, and make their Robes white in the bloud of the Lambe: There the Sunne waxed black, and with∣drew his light from the wicked; heere Saints haue no need of the light of the Sunne, for the Lamb gouernes them, ver. 16. 17. And the glory of God, and the Lamb is their light. Againe, there the wic∣ked flie from the presence of God, and may not abide it; but here Saints are in the presence of the Throne of God, ver. 15. There the wicked cry, that Mountaines might hide them from him that sits on the Throne: but here, hee that sitteth on the Throne, dwelleth among his Saints, and they serue him for euer, ver. 15.

These things thus compared together, may let the iudicious Reader see, how this Chapter is a proper pendicle of the sixt, explaining at length some things shortly, and obscurely set downe in the former. So that in these two Chapters we haue

the first Prophecie of this Booke, which I call generall, absolued; and in the beginning of the eighth Chapter, we are to looke for a second Pro∣phecie, which continues to the twelfth.

And I saw foure Angels.] This Verse, as I haue said, lets vs see, how the Angels standing at the foure corners of the earth, are ready to ouerturne the world, and to fold it vp like an old Vesture, if the Lord did not stay them. That they are said to be foure, is a certaine number for an vncertaine, yet imports it that they are sufficient; for one, at euery corner of a sheet, or vesture, as the Psalmist termeth this Vniuerse, are able enough to fold it vp.

What these Angels are, whether good or euill, is disputed among the Diuines, but without a cause: for sometime by good Angels the Lord punisheth euill men, as was done to the Egypti∣ans, Sodomites and Assyrians: sometime by euill Angels hee exerciseth good men: so S. Paul was buffeted with an Angell of Satan; for maruellous is the Lord in working with his Saints: Satan in his fighting against them, fights for them, and de∣stroies himselfe into them.

But that these are good Angels, appeares by the speech which Christ vseth vnto them, ver. 2. Hurt not the earth, till wee haue sealed the seruants of our God in their fore-head: hee speakes to Angels, hee speakes of Saints redeemed, and inuolueth them both in the fellowship of one God with him∣selfe. Beside this, the execution of that last Iudge∣ment

is commonly ascribed to the holy Angels; The Lord shall descend from heauen with a showt, and with the Voice of the Arch-Angell, and with the Trumpet of God. And againe, When the Sonne of man shall come in his glory, the holy Angels shall al∣so come with him, then shall the sheepe bee separated from the Goates. That this shall be done by An∣gels, is euident in the Parable of the Haruest; The Haruest is the end of the world, the Reapers are the Angels. And to this same purpose Angels here are brought in, as executors of the last Iudgement, to ouer-turne the world.

Holding the foure windes of the earth.] I leaue here those allegoricall interpretations, whereby this is expounded to be the restraint of the Gos∣pell, which is the breathing of the holy Spirit for the saluation of the Elect. This agrees to the A∣nalogie of faith, but comes not in pertinently here; for these spirituall plagues are seuerally and distinctly fore-told by themselues in the second Prophecy beginning at the eighth chapter, where∣as this first generall Prophecie denounceth plagues corporall, or externall, sword, famine, pestilence, beasts, whereby the Lord punishes the contempt of his Gospell, Preached to the world by him who rideth vpon the White Horse.

We still keep our former ground, that by the holding of the winds, that they blow not, a disso∣lution of the world, and destruction of all crea∣tures therein is here declared: for if we shall com∣pare the foure Elements among themselues, al∣beit

at all we can want none of them, yet the most necessarie, at least, which wee may want shortest space, is the Aire, for it is by respiration that eue∣ry thing liueth, which is endued with sense: take breath away from man, and beast, they perish in∣continent; and such as haue the vegetatiue life, as trees, or plants, without motion of the Aire, they wither and decay: yea, without it, the fire burneth not, the Sea moues not, but putrifies and stinkes, and the creatures which are therein die. So much worth to man and the creature, is this one, among the smallest of Gods benefites, euen the benefite of the Aire; which Pisida properly called a gift, that could not be gotten for siluer: But man, not considering what he hath, cannot bee thankefull. Alway, this with-holding of the winds, that they blow not, which the Angels are ready to doe, if they were not stayed by a superiour power, imports (as we haue said) the destruction of the world, and all creatures therein contained, which shall stand no longer, then the Saints of God be once accom∣plished.

Notes

• The depen∣dance of the seuenth Chap∣ter vpon the sixt.
• It hath a lar∣ger explicati∣on of the fift and sixt Seales
• Two parts of this chapter.
• 1 In the first is declared, how the last Iudge∣ment is delay∣ed, till Saints be sealed:
• 2 In the second, the happy condition of Saints is de∣clared, direct∣ly contrary to the miserable condition of the wicked, in the sixt Seale.
• A short oppo∣sition marked of these two, for the greater comfort of Saints.
• Reu. 21. 23.
• This euident∣ly shewes the seuenth Chap∣ter to bee a pendicle of the sixt.
• What the foure Angels at the foure corners of the earth doe sig∣nifie.
• Psal. 102. 26.
• God doth his worke, both by good and euill Angels.
• But that these are good Angels, may appeare out of the Text.
• 1. Thess. 4. 16.
• Math. 25. 32.
• Math. 13. 39.
• This verse is not to be ex∣pounded alle∣gorically.
• The restrai∣ning of the winde, is a type of the dissolution of the world.
• No liuing thing can en∣dure, without motion of the Aire.