particulars: with a shout, with a voice, and with a trumpet; some think this to be one and the same set out in variety of expressions; but I am of another mind. It is agreed by most that the transactions at the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai, were a re∣presentation of the proceedings which shall be at the great day of Judgment; now in that transaction we read of a three-fold voice, The voice of God, the voice of Thunder, and the voice of a Trumpet, (Exod. 19.16. compared with Exod. 20.1.) and according∣ly we find the Apostle speaking of a three-fold voice, Of the voice of Christ, of the voice of Thunder, and of the voice of a Trumpet.
1. The Lord himself shall descend with a shout: Arius Montanus, and the vulgar translate it with a command; Lyra and others think this to be the voice of Christ him∣self, saying, with a loud voice, Arise ye dead, and come to Judgment. Thus Jesus cry∣ed with a loud voice, Lazarus come forth; and with such a voice will he call on the dead at the last day. So much Christ himself hath taught us; The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. The hour is, because by his voice he raised some at his first coming: and the hour is coming, because in the like manner he will raise up all men at the last day; Mar∣vel not at this (saith Christ) for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and they shall come forth. As at the creation of the World, he said, Let there be light, and there was light; so at the dissolution of the World, he will say, Let the dead arise, let the Sea give up the dead that are in it, and Death and Hell deliver up the dead which are in them; and it will be so.
2. The Lord shall descend with the voice of the Archangel. Two questions here; 1. Who is this Archangel? 2. What is this voice?
For the first, some argue this Archangel to be Gabriel, others Raphael, others Mi∣chael. The Jews have an antient tradition, that there are seven principal Angels that mi∣nister before the throne of God, and therefore called Archangels. The Scriptures seem to speak much that way, calling them, seven Lamps of fire burning before the throne: and seven hornes, and seven eyes of the Lamb; and the seven spirits of God sent for••h into all the earth; and seven eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth; and yet more plainly, seven Angels that stand before God. Now which of these Seven is the Archangel, here spoken of, is hard to determine; only probable it is, that all the Archangels, and all the angels are hereby understood, as comprehended under that one; to which agrees, Matth. 24.31. Mr. Aynsworth observes, that when things are done by a multitude; where one is chief, that the action is frequently ascribed either to the multitude, or to him that is chief indifferently; as Jehoiadah brought forth the Kings Son, and he put the Crown upon him, 2 Kings 11.12. or they brought forth the Kings son, and they put upon him the Crown, 2 Chron. 23.11. so David offered burnt-offerings, 2 Sam. 6.17. or they offered burnt offerings, 1 Chron. 16.1. and so he shall descend with the voice of the Archangel; or he shall scend his Angels with a great sound, Matth 24.3.
That there are seven principal Angels, Master Mede affirms; and that there is one which yet eminently, is called the Archangel; some others affirm, as among Devils, there is one chief Devil, called the Prince of Devils; and therefore the fire is said to be prepared for the Devil and his Angels; so from this Text of 1 Thess. 4.16. and of Dan. 10.13. and of Jude v. 9. Some probably conclude that the good Angels have a Prince, even Michael, whom Jude calls the Archangel. But of this no more; the Lord keep me from intruding into those things which I have not seen. The day it self will discover it, and so I leave it, as having said enough to satisfie the sober minded.
For the second, what is this voice of the Archangel? I conceive that thereby we are to understand thunder: here is (as we have said) a manifest allusion to the proceed∣ings at the giving of the Law, now the voice there mentioned, besides the voice of God, and the voice of a trumpet, is the voice of Thunder; And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, there were thunders. In this sense some expound these words of the Apostle, where the Law is said to be spoken by Angels, because the Angels did raise up those extraordinary thunders, which happily were the matters of the ar∣ticulate voice, in which the Lord spake to Israel: or if the Law was spoken by Christ (as I have delivered my opinion elsewhere) he being the Angel of the Cove∣nant, Mal. 3 1, And the Angel of his presence, Isa. 63.9. Yet this hinders not, but that created Angels might speak the Law too, if not in respect of the articulate voyce,