A Key of Knowledge to Open Revelation, Part 4 · Chapter 6 · Notes 5
Notes vponupon Chap. 8.
Verſ. 2. Seuen trumpets: theſe are the euents of the opening of the ſeuenth ſeale, theſe bee the ſecond euils vponupon the worldly ſort, as the 6. ſeales were the firſt. They are called trumpets, as ſounding out Gods diſpleaſure to the earthly minded, to awake them; as alſo to note, that theſe plagues ſhould not bee without open hoſtility, a proclaiming of open defiance, and prouoking to warre, gathering troopes together, to make aſſaults, and to encounter one another, as deadly enemies in battell. Theſe ſeuen trumpets and alarmes, vponupon the worldly-minded Chriſtians, ſhall ſhake them, and the laſt ſound ſhall bring down their ſtrength, as at the ſound of the ſeuen trumpets the walles of Iericho fell, Ioſh. 6. 20. to which is the alluſion.
Verſ. 3. The Angell. Heere by all probable arguments is the ſame, that is in chap. 7. 2. there ſealing the godly, here praying for their ſafety; it is an alluſion to the miniſtery of the high Prieſt vnderunderExod. 30. 1. 7. 8 the Law; noting that at the going forth of wrath, God remembreth mercy, and receiueth by Christ, an attonement for his people.
Verſ. 5. For the fire of the Altar, it is an alluſion to Leuit. 16. 12. 13. and the caſting of it to Ezech. 10. 2. 7. a type of Gods wrath. It is heere caſt into the earth, among the earthly Chriſtians, whereupon follow voices, &c. of which in chap. 4.
Verſ. 7. An alluſion to the plague, in Exod. 9. 24. Pſal. 105. and 18. 13. 14. as waters bee put for the graces of Gods ſpirit, and holy Scriptures, Pſalm. 46. 4. Eſa. 12. 5. and 55. 1. and 44. 3. Ier. 2. 13. and 17. 13. Zach. 14. 8. Ioh. 4. 10. 14. and 7. 38. 39. 1. Cor. 36. So haile, of a waterie nature, is corruption of Scripture, and falſe doctrine, and may well be called haile. 1. becauſe it is not of pure water, but of a vapour from the earth; ſo falſe doctrine cannot ariſe from the pure fountaine of Scriptures, but as a vapour from earthly minds. Secondly, haile is neither in extremity of heate, nor cold, but betweene both: ſo falſe doctrine commonly is hatched in a ſtate of luke-warmeneſſe. Thirdly, it is of droppes of raine congealed, and by ſtaying aboue, and turning in the fall, becommeth round: ſo falſe doctrine is of parcels of Scriptures abuſed, turned vp and downe in mans vaine heart, without the heate of Gods ſpirit, and becommeth hurtful haileſtones, being not ſquare and ſtable as truth, but round, vnſtable, reſting grounded ſollidly vponupon no place of Scripture, but verie eaſie to bee toſt too and fro. Fourthly, becauſe haile is hurtfull to corne and fruit: ſo is falſe doctrine hurtfull to them vponupon whom it falleth, deſtroying the graces and fruits of the ſpirit.
Fire mingled with blood: Thus is the heate of contention▪ like fire not without blood-ſhead. Trees are men, (Luk. 23. 31.) as before is noted. Greene graſſe, young and tender plants in religion, weake and fading, as graſſe; ſo weake perſons are compared, Eſa. 37. 27. This is the firſt plague, and ſtep to the generall Apoſtaſie of Antichriſt.
Verſ. 8. An alluſion to Exod. 7. 20. 21. by earth before is noted the viſible Church; now a mountaine is that which is of height out of the earth; ſo it muſt be a proud aſpiring aboue others, in ambitious eminencie, ſhewing it ſelfe aloft an the viſible Church, wherupon it is called great; which inflameth mens hearts, as fire burning with the heate thereof. For vnlawfull authority aboue others, both in the getting and maintaining of the ſame, is not without burning and the fire of contention: men eagerly and hotly purſue their deſires therein. Now that here is meant an vnlawfull getting vp aboue others, is euident. Firſt, becauſe this, as well as the former trumpet is a plague. Againe, it is (as it were) a great mountain, not one indeed truly ariſing out of the earth, as a true mountaine doth. Moreouer it is of an ill effect, working deſtructiō, which lawfull authoritie doth not, but as it is abuſed. Laſtly it keepeth not the proper place on the earth, but is caſt into the ſea, that is, into the ordinary worſhip of God, and ſo is where it ſhould not be, vſurping power in ſpirituall things.
The third part: It is vſuall in the Prophets to ſpeake of a third part, Ezech. 5. 11. Zach. 13. 8. 9. So heere Saint Iohn, verſ. 7. 10. 11. 12. and cap. 12. 4. and 16. 19. which is to bee taken for a great part. Became blood: that is, deadly corrupted bringing death, as the next verſe ſheweth, the like phraſe is, chap. 16. 3.
Verſ. 9. Creatures in the ſea: are the ſort of Church-men, which exerciſed about the ſeruice of God. Ships are the principall and chiefe offices, in and about the publike worſhip. Of ſuch ſhips mention is alſo made, cap. 18. 19.
Verſ. 10. A great ſtarre: Here is ſome one miniſter of ſpeciall note typed out, yet ſo, as other declining with him bee heerein alſo vnderſtood. Starres, cap. 1. 20. are Angels of Churches. Heauen is the true Church: Burning as it were a lampe. Such a one was this ſtarre in his fall, not ſhining with a cleere, gentle, and comfortable light, as a ſtarre; but flaming as a torch, with great heate of ſpirit, making his falling moſt apparent. Fountaines and riuers, are the Scriptures and interpretation thereof.
Verſ. 11. Wormewood, is a bitter herbe, Prou.Deut. 29. 18. 5. 4. the Lord expreſſeth a heauie plague by this, Ier. 8. 14. and 9. 15. and 23. 15. And heereby the afflicted Church of God ſetteth out her affliction and miſery, Lam. 3. 15. 19. This ſtarre hath the name from the effect vponupon theſe ſpirituall waters, as the words of the text it ſelfe doe ſhew: and this is the plague, the lord giuing-ouer ſome to drinke of theſe bitter waters, to make them die.
Verſ. 12. A type of great darkneſſe, for heere ſmiting of the Sunne, Moone, and ſtarres, is plainly interpreted darkening of them. By Sunne, Moone, and ſtarres, is noted all meanes of ſpirituall lights in the higheſt, middle, and loweſt degree; all is to aggrauate in theſe ſpeeches, the groſſe ignorance, darkening all true knowledge in eueryevery degree.
Note heere, that in all theſe foure there bee degrees, according to the letter, from the loweſt to the higheſt, as firſt, earth, the Sea, then riuers and fountaines, then Sunne, Moone, and ſtarres, ſpiritually, giuing vsus the degrees of euill, and corruptions in religion. Firſt, corruption and decay of religion in mens hearts and liues, verſ. 7. then in Gods worſhip, verſ. 8. 9. after this the abuſe, and corrupting of Scripture, verſ. 10. And then laſtly great ignorance: for that darkneſſe had come vponupon the lights of truth, noted in this verſ. 12. all in courſe of time, following one vponupon another in order, as notable ſteps and degrees of that generall Apoſtaſie, noted in the blowing of the next trumpet, cap. 9. 1. And as the other were corporall plagues, ſo theſe are for the moſt part, ſpirituall plagues, therfore need there trumpets to awake men to take notice of them, for ſpirituall plagues are more hardly taken notice of, then corporall.
Verſ. 13. A type of godly learned men, among which, ſome of moſt ſpeciall note, foreſeeing the miſchiefes enſuing vponupon theſe former euils, giueth warning. Flying: noteth an exceeding forwadneſſe, and earneſt endeauour with all ſpeedineſſe to doe a thing. Through the middeſt of heauen, the like phraſe is, chap. 14. 6. and 19. 17. which noteth a beeing in the open view and hearing among others: Thus is (in the middeſt) taken. Act. 2. 22. Heb. 2. 12. Phil. 2. 15. It may imply ſome of ſpecial eſteeme aboue the reſt in the Church, whom God had qualified with excellent gifts, and endued with heauenly wiſdome, to fore-warne the true people of God, of the things which ſhould after fall out.