CHAP. XVI.

. 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.

1. I heard a great Voice out of the Temple, sending these angels to pour out the Vials, and execute God's Wrath.

2. And the first went and poured out his vial upon the earth: and there fell a noi∣som and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

2. Of the great Plague in wicked Commodus's Reign (that killed, in Rome alone, two thousand a day;) and of the like, in the Reign of several Persecutors, even till Constantine's Reign; and of the Blood-shed and Fire, and the resemblance of this; to the Plagues of Egypt: See Dr. H. on the Text, and Grotius before him. Others say, It is the Papists Torment of Conscience, when Po∣pery is fallen.

3. And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea, and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea. 4. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters, and they became blood.

3, 4. That these signifie a progress of the same Judg∣ment on the Idolaters, is clear: But whether, by the Sea, and the Rivers and Fountains, signifie things so di∣stinct, as many think; and which, of their many conjectu∣red Significations, are right, I cannot say.

5. And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus:

5. The Angel that executed God's Judgments on the Idolatrous Nations, performed it with Praise and Glory to God, for his Justice on persecuting Idolaters.

Note; The Angels in Heaven were not ignorant of what God thus did on Earth: And as God's Mercy hin∣dred not his Execution of Justice so their pity kept them not from triumphing over these destroyed Sinners, and giving God the Glory of their Punishment.

6. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink, for they are worthy. 7. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

6, 7. Na. God and Angels will rejoyce in the terrible Revenge of the Blood of Saints. 2. The Angel from the Altar signifieth, the Consent of the Souls under the Al∣tar, and of the Church of holy Worshippers on Earth, who pray for Deliverance. 3. Were it never so cer∣tain, that it is Idolatrous, Heathen Rome that is here meant, it consequently inferreth that, if Papal Rome have equalled, yea far exceeded them, in shedding the Blood of Saints▪ their punishment shall be as great, or greater. It is no small Aggravation of Pap•l Blood-shed (by Massacres, Inquisitions, Burnings, &c.) that they father all on Christ himself, and do it as Christians; yea and, in so many Ages, make it the necessary Defence of their Kingdom: And they shall find, that God knoweth a Saint when Men call him a Heretick; and will not be so mocked, as to dis-own Christ's Sheep, for such for¦ged Marks.

8. And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun, and power was given un∣to him to scorch men with fire. 9. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repen∣ted not, to give him glory.

8, 9. Some take this to signifie a great Drought, and Dearth, that came in the days of Commodus; and after, of Maximinus. Many take the Sun here, for Antichrist, that calleth himself so: Others, for Governors: Some, for the King of Spain; some, for the German Emperor; or some such Papal Luminary: Some, for the Scripture, as tormenting Papists: Some, for Christ, as sending forth his Word and Judgments. I can go no further than the general sure sense; That a greater Plague, that fell on the Idolatrous Empire, made them lay all the blame on the Christians, and rage the more; but cured not their Ido∣latry, or Persecution.

10. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast, and his kingdom was full of darkness, and they gnawed their tongues for pain, 11. And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

10, 11. The plain, general sense of all this is, to liken Idolatrous, persecuting Rome, and the suffering Christians, to Pharaoh, and the Israelites; and liken God's Plagues on Rome, to the Egyptian Plagues: And to tell us that, as Pharaoh's heart was hardned till Destruction fell on him and his, so will be the Idolatrous Romans.

By the Seal of the Beast is meant, Rome, with the Im∣perial Power (or Papal, say many:) and by Darkness, the Confusions there, and Diminutions of their Glory▪ In Heathen Rome these were many and great; the Sol∣diers setting up, and pulling down, and killing, Empe∣rors, till they set the Empire to Sale; Emperors set up, and warring against each other; few dying a natural death: Valerian taken, captivated, and made his Foot-stool, by Sap•es, and flead. To be an Emperor, was the next way to Murder, or some odious disgrace and death, by him that could overcome and kill him.

And Papal Rome was subdued by the Barbarians. Other Expositions are many.

Page  [unnumbered]12. And the sixth angel▪ poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates, and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be pre∣pared.

12. That this signifieth a further progress towards Ido∣latrous, persecuting Rome's destruction, and the Churches deliverance, is clear; but what Euphrates signifieth, and what its drying up, and what, The Way of the Kings of the East, Expositors greatly differ in. Some take Eu∣phrates literally; some, mystically; some, for the Turk; some, for the chief Champions of Antichrist; some, for the chief Strength and Garrison of Babylon; some, for the Pope's Riches, and great Tributes and Revenues; and some for the River Tibris, in Rome, and so, for Rome it self. And these take the drying of it up to be, the ruin of Maxentius, by Constantine, destroyed in Tiber: Others think, the drying up, to be the destruction of the Turks: And so they vary in the rest. But some think, that this is but a further Assimilation of the Case to the Israelites, when the Red Sea was dryed up for their escape, and to prepare the way for Pharaoh's ruin: and signifieth, that the danger and impediments of the Christians delive∣rance were removed, by the Overthrow of all the Ido∣later's Forces, the Ruin of Dioclesian, Maxim. Herculius, Galer. Maxim. Maxentius, Licinius; that so the Christians, by and with Constantine, might triumph. And some think, it is a weakning the Roman Power, toward Euphrates, to let in the Persians, and others, to afflict them.

13. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14. For they are the spirits of the devils, working mi∣racles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth, and of the whole world, to ga∣ther them to the battel of that great day of God Almighty.

13, 14. As, when Ahab was to be destroyed, the De∣vil was a lying Spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets, and bid him, Go and prosper; and Zidkiah made Horns, to signifie his Victory; so I saw, as it were, three Devils, like the Frogs of Egypt; or three lying Spirits, sent by Satan, and encouraged by the Idolatrous, persecuting Emperors, and by his flattering Oracles, Augurs, Ora∣tors, &c. to persuade all the foresaid Princes to fight against Constantine; especially, Maxentius and Licinius; that they might fall, as Abab and Pharaoh did.

Or, say others, They were Popish Missionaries, and Priests, and Friers, sent out by Antichristian, Civil Powers, and Antichristian Ecclesiastical Powers, to draw men to Popery and Idolatry, that they may be destroyed when God shall judge them. The day of God, some take, as before, for Constantine's Victories against Idola∣ters; others, for the day of the Pope's Fall; and others, for the last day of Judgment.

15. Behold, I come as a thief; Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his gar∣ments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

15. My coming will be, when men expect me not▪ Blessed is he that prepareth not for Shame and Confu∣sion, when his Sin and Hypocrisie shall, by my Judg∣ment, be brought to light, by complying with the higher Powers in sin, as thinking that I will be long in coming, to take down Sinners, and see up Saints.

16. And he gathered them together in∣to a place called in the Hebrew tongue, Ar∣mageddon.

16. The Devil's Prophets provoked them to gather, and fight to their destruction.

Note, Here the Dragon is expounded to be Devils: And this word, Devils, in this Book, usually signifieth, those Idols (Jupiter, Mars, Apollo, &c.) which the Romans worshipped instead of God: (For Paul tells us, It was Devils that they worshipped.) And it being the spirits of these Devils, or Heathen Idols, that are sent out, it seemeth most probable, that it is the War with the Hea∣then Idolaters that is here meant. Dr. H. after Grotius, noteth that, in the Fight at Rome, Maxentius had a hun∣dred and seventy thousand Foot, and eighteen thousand Horse, of Romans, Italians, &c. and Constantine had nine∣ty thousand Foot, and eight thousand Horse, of Germans, Gauls and Britains: and that the Victory was of such con∣sequence that, from that day, the Account of Years, by Indictions, began to commemorate the deliverance of City and Church; (which since, is turned into accoun∣ting from the Birth of Christ)

But others say, It is the day of the Fall of Antichrist: And some say, Of the destruction of the Turks: And some say, He that gathered them together, is Christ, or God, by his permitting Providence, for their destru∣ction.

17. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air, and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

17. The Angel, that poured his Vial into the Air, sig∣nifieth, the coming down of God's Plagues from Heaven, on the Generality of the Enemies. And the Voice out of the Temple signifieth, that it is done by God's De∣cree, for the Vindication of his holy Worship, and his Ch•••h.

[It is done.] That is, The last Plague on the Roman Pharaoh is now pouring out, and he is to be drowned in the Red Sea. God's Judgments are accomplished for the Extirption of the Heathen Roman Empire, and the revenging the Blood of the Saints, shed by them. As Pharaoh's Cruel•ies increased, before the Isra•lites were delivered, so Dioclesian made the cru•••st Slaughters▪ be∣fore the Heathen Beast was to be destroyed: and then they were ripe, and the time was come. Or, a• others say, The time of the Fall of Pop•ry An••christ. Or, as others, The end of the World.

18. And there were voices, and thun∣ders, 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.

Page  [unnumbered]18. The great commotions which went to these great changes, and subversion of the Heathen Powers, was re∣presented to me, as by Thundrings, Lightnings, and the greatest Earthquake. Say some, it is the changes by the Ostrog•ths, and such others: Say others, there were literally such dreadful Earthquakes before Totilas took Rome: Say others, it is yet to come before Antichrists fall: And say others, before the day of Judgment.

19. 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.

19. And Rome was then divided between Heathens, Christians, and worldly men, that were indifferent for Religion: Or, say others, Heathens, Orthodox and He∣reticks: It's taken from Ezek. 5. Others say, that literal∣ly the third part was destroyed by Totilas; and say others, by Alaricus; others say, it is three in relation to the three Princes, the Dragon, the Beasts, and the false Prophet; others, that Antichrist's Kingdom was falling by being divided in it self.

20. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.

20. As Earthquakes shake Mountains and Islands; so all the Dependents of Rome fell with it.

21. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

21. God's Executions bruised and broke them, as great Hail would do the tender Plants, and yet they did but blaspheme God the more. A Talent is threscore pound. God's Judgments pursued the scattered Roman Citizens, say some; the Papists, say others; and all wicked Chri∣stians, say others.