The Seven Vials, Explication 2 · Part 4
The Fourth Vial powred out.
Our Country-man M. Brightman in his Commentary, comming to this fourth vial, saith, Hactenus …c ipsa temp…ra, in quibus praes…tes v…mus. Ad …an… enim … que … nostra s…cula process…runt▪ reliqu… quatuor sunt nobis expectand…, … diff…ci…r est indagatio▪ Hitherto (saith he) come these t…mes, wherein we n…w liue. For even vntounto this Vial hauehave our ages reached the other foure behind … to expect, whereof … disquisition will be more difficult. So he. Yet himselfe not only attempts the ope…ing of the subsequent vials, but …imates and excites … faithfull Ministers to imploy their best paines and studies therin▪ as in a work most beho…full for the Church of God in these l…st times.
But that he should say, he lived not to see this fourth Viall powred out, … somewhat strange. Was it, because living … the Cataracts of N…bis, … could not heare the noyse of it? Or, because his eye was so neare the object, as he could the worse discerne it? Or, as Paules eyes at his conversion were so … with the glorious light, that for a time his sight was wholly suspended? So haply Mr. Brightmans eyes, overcome with the Sunnes bright beames shining so full vponupon him, whereon this fourth Viall is powred, could no… discerne what it meant▪ or transported with the beauty and glory thereof (as Peter was with that excellent glory in the Mount) in saying, Thus farre are our times come:Luke▪ 9▪ wist not what he said. And (as it is vsuall) we can better and more safely behold the Sun wi…h ou… backes towards it, in a vessell of cleare settled water, then by daring to looke or sta…e vponupon that goodly glorious body with opposite and open …ace▪ And many times for want of due consideration in making a right vse of the resplendent prosperity of things present, either by too much doting vponupon it, or by vnkindly envying of it, or by some discontented humour in a fickle affectation of change, …e come to loose the due estimate, and so the true fruit…on of them. But to our fourth Viall.
Indeed, I must acknowledge, that for a few dayes I was not a little puzzeled, and amazed about the …eaning of this Viall poured out vponupon the Sunne. I could find no satisfaction in many Interpreters, which I had seene; but after much contending with the only Author and Revealer of all secrets, by prayer, I began with an Eagle eye to pierce … this Sunne, and the my … of it, even to a strong assurance. Afterwards this … resolution gathered the more strength, being seconded by some learned Authors, whom I had not seene,Mr. Patricke Fo…es. … consulted with before, whose judgement concu…ring, gaue me comfort, that my opinion was not singular. But that which most of all sealed my warran…, was the royall Paraphrast King Iames of happy memory, whose excellent judgement vponupon this Viall seemeth to me a cleare ray and beame of this Sunne; and a… whose sacred and luminous torch we may be bold to light our candle. Only I hauehave adventured to point out the powring out of this Viall to the particular times, which this surviving generation hath in a great part beene so happy, is to see it accomplished;King Iames wrote his Paraphrase vponupon▪ the Revelation, before hee was twenty yeares of age. and in which time also the Royall Paraphrast did write his peerelesse exposition.
And the fourth Angel poured forth his Viall vponupon the Sunne, & power was given him to scorch men with f…re; and men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power ouer these plagues, and they repented not to giuegive him glory.
I doubted a long time, how the Sunne here might be meant of the Gospell of Christ, because thereupon the Viall is powred, and we find in the rest, that every Viall poures out a plague on the object where it lighteth: as, the first, vponupon the earth; the second, vponupon the Sea; the third, vponupon the Rivers, and so in the rest. But I find the Sun to be exempt from the like plague, in sundry respects. First, because the Sunne is a heavenly body, but the plagues are all powred out vponupon the earth: ver: 1. Secondly, it sufficeth, that the Sun is hereby made an instrument of Gods wrath, vponupon the wicked; whereupon it is added here: And power was giuen vntounto him to scorch men with fire. Thirdly, the Sunne scorcheth most in his highest elevation, when it shines clearest, and is least eclipsed with clowds, or the like. Now in all these respects, the Sunne is an Embleme and resemblance of Christ, the *Mal. 4.2.Sunne of righteousnesse, displaying his beams and rayes in the preaching of the Gospell, which the clearer and brighter it shineth, the more it scorcheth those, that either openly oppose it, or privily seeke to suppr…sse it, or set their face against it: while hee hath healing vnderunder his wings for all them, that wisely and timely betake themselues vnderunder the shady refreshing of Gods Mercy-seat. Besides, in the time of the fifth Trumpet we read, that the smoke out of the bottomlesse Pit did darken the Sunne and Ayre. Chap. 9.….Where, by the Sunne is clearely meant the light of the Gospell, obscured by Papall Aegyptian Mysts. Nor is it vnusuall in Scripture to compare the knowledge of Gods word to the Sunne, Mic. 3.6. Therefore night shall be vntounto you, that ye shall not hauehave a vision, and it shall be darke vntounto you, that ye shall not diuine, and the Sunne shall goe downe ouer the Prophe…s, and the day shalbe darke ouer them. Meaning, that the knowledge▪ and light of Gods word should be res…rained, which in Amos 8:11: is called, a famine of the word of God. So Esay 30.26: speaking of the restitution of the Church, specially in the time of the Gospell, saith, The light of the Moone shalbe as the light of the Sunne, and the light of the Sunne shall be seuenfold, as the light of seuen dayes, in the day that the Lord bindeth vp the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound. Here by this sevenfold brightnesse of the Sunne, is plainly meant the great light and prosperity of the Church, which commeth by the preaching of the Gospell. So also Cant. 6.9. the Church is likened to the Sunne, for her excellent brightnesse. And Psal. 19, the Prophet vnderunder the glorious lights of heaven, but especially the Sunne, in his admirable motion, and glorious light, and comfortable, by inlightening all places of the world, nothing hid from the heate thereof; doth set forth the glory of the Gospell, vniversally shining over the earth and heaven, as both the Apostle applies it (Rom. 10▪ 18▪) and the Prophet himselfe in the 2. pa…t of the Psa. at the 7. verse, & so forwards. So that no place is left for doubting, that by the po…ing out of this Viall vponupon the Sunne, to which power was given to scortch men with fire, is meant nothing else, but a speciall time and state of the Church of Christ, wherein the Gospell should flourish in a most resplendent brightnesse, even as the Sunne at high noone in the height of summer, bringing forth also an outward state of prosperity, peace and plenty, as attendants vponupon it, or as a plentifull harvest followeth the Summer-sunne.
But where, or when (will some say) began this Viall to be poured out? Surely, if we begin at the first Viall, and so come along downeward to this, it will (as the star that pointed the Wise men to Christ, the Sunne of righteousnesse, gloriously risen vponupon our Horizon) lead vsus directly not only to the time, but in a manner, to the very place, where we hauehave seene this verified. Although we may not goe about strictly and precisely to restraine it to any particular point of time, or place, sith this Viall is poured vponupon the Sunne, which signifieth the generall happy estate of the Church since the …ime of that eximious Reformation, by the preaching of the Gospell. Notwithstanding, if we can pitch vponupon and point out any speciall place and time, where, and when this hath beene most eminently and completely verefied, we may boldly conclude, that there, and then began this Viall to be poured out vponupon the Sunne, according to our former generall note of direction. Indeed the Sunne of the Gospell, when first it began to display his more glorious beames from vnderunder the du…kie clowds of Popery, as in the beginning of the Reformation (though still in all ages before Luther, even in the thickest Aegyptian Sun-darkening foggs, there was some light in Goshen, which the Starres, Gods witnesses and Ministers, ministred vntounto it) it was as the Morning Sunne, not shining so clearly at the first, through the interposition of vaporous errours, and not fully dispelled, but for a good space waded vnderunder some c…owds, now breaking forth, as in King … ward 6. his raigne; now eclipsed againe, and withdrawing his light,Sangui… Martyrum semen Ecclesiae. as in Queene Maries raigne; only the fires of the Martyrs yeelding light to Gods hidden people, during that sad Eclipse: but no sooner was this clowd blowne over,Nubecula orat, & pertransibat. the blessed and glorious Queene Elizabeth succeeding; but now eftsoone began the pouring out of this Viall to manifest it selfe. For the first Viall discovers Romes grievous and noysome sores, beginning at Luther: the second Viall shewes the Sea of Romes doctrines to be all become as the blood of a dead man, which fell out vponupon the Councell of Trent, and not before: The third shewes all their writers, and brochers of Romes doctrines, as Rivers flowing from that Sea, to runne all with blood; this was after the Councell of Trent: and now comes the fourth Viall poured vponupon the Sunne, which falls pat vponupon the blessed raigne of Queene Elizabeth, when now the Sunne of the Gospell begins to be mounted towards his Summer Meridian, his direct beames growing more and more poten…, dispelling the clowds of Popish superstition, growing withall so hot, as they which beare the Beasts marke, are no lesse impatient of it, then beasts are of the Suns heat in the height of summer. And when the Popes Bulls came bellowing against her, his … here in England, as so many Ince…diaries, labouring not onelyonly to kindle an vnkindly division betweene the Head and Members, the Prince and her subjects, but often times to attempt her sacred Person: the good Queene was forced by Act of Parliament to make strong and wholesome Lawes against such a bloody brood, while they grew more and more mad at the bright sun-shine of the Gospell in her glorious and prosperous raigne. In that time it was, when King Iames of happy memory writing his noble Paraphrase, wherein he shewes this Sunne in the fourth Viall to be meant of the flourishing state of the Gospell, did as it were with his finger point to that glorious state of the Church, wherein … Princely paire of peerlesse Potentates did raigne. And it is added, And men were scortched with great heat, & blasphemed the name of God, which hath power ouer these Plagues. Now in what age or state of the Church hath the whole hierarchy of Rome beene so nettled and stung, so inflamed and fired with envy and rage, then in the blessed raigne of that Queene, where in with exceeding heart-burning they saw the Gospe…l so gloriously to flourish and shine, and withall both the Church and state interchangeably and equally partaking of those admirable blessings, which began to be so multiplied vponupon this land from that time forward. Yea what clowd, either of any discomfiture, or of the least dishonour, amidst such numerous and potent enemies of hers, did once so much as shadow the glorious beauty of her royall Crowne, or of Christs cause maintained by her? Notwithstanding all opposition, the Sunne hol…s on his glorious shining to the amazement of the world, to the impatient torment of the Sunnes enemies. How did their impotent malice vent it selfe in sundry attempts both open and secret, abroad and at home, by sea, and by land, against her sacred person and state, to have dimmed and darkened, yea quite to hauehave extinguished the glory of all, as if they would Giant-like hauehave pulled the Sunne from his sphere? But through his power and protection, that giues power to this Sunne to shine, and hath power over these Plagues, all their proud attempts proved but as arrowes shot against the Sunne, and retorted back againe vponupon their owne heads.
They also blaspheme the name of God, who causeth his blessed Sun so powerfully to sl…ine. Did they not say vponupon that miraculous discomfiture of the Spanish invincible Armado in 88, that God was now turned a Lutheran ▪ Was not this to blaspheme the name of God? Yea besides, what vile and ignominious aspersions did they cast vponupon the sacred person and illustrious name of that Excellent Queene, and her Religion; calling her at the best an Hereticke, and her religion heresie▪ Was not thi… also a blaspheming o… the name of God, of his truth, of his Gospell, of his annoynted Vicegerent, and whatsoever thing sacred Gods name is stamped vponupon?
It is added, And they repented not to giuegive him glory: even him, whose miraculous power they could not but see and acknowledge, not only in preserving, but in prospering, that renowned Queene throughout her whole happy Raigne, in all her braue and princely designes for the maintenance of the Gospell, and the professors of it, at home and abroad, for rooting out of Popery and Idolatry, (but especially of Seminaryes and Iesuits, those ring-leaders and incendiaries) as neither meet to roost in the sunshine, but to be cast out to the … and ba…ts, those birds of darknes, as Esay prophecied of those Idols, Esa, 2.20: nor yet safe to be harboured in the pure Church of God, to provoke the eyes of his glory, whose iealosie is there most inflamed, where Dagon dare perk vp by Gods Arke. For the eyes of the Lord runne to and fro throughout the whole earth, 2 Chron. 16.9to shew himselfe strong in the behalfe of them, whose heart is perfect towards him. How then could her religious raigne but become the obiect of envy to all hers and Gods enemyes? How could it but prosper on every side, while her maine care and study was, with an vpright, and vnhalting heart, to maintaine the two maine pillars of every well settled Christian state, to wit *Edw. 6▪ at his Corona…ion being presented with 3. swords, told them, those wer not enough hee must hauehave one more: wherat they marvailing, he told thē hee meant the holy Bible, the sword of Gods Spirit, without which, quoth he, we are nothing, nor can doe any thing. Remains. Vis vnita f…rtior. To turne the hearts of the Fathers to the Children, & the hearts of the Children to the Fathers lest I come, & smite the earth with a curse, Mal. 4. If God be with us, who can be against us, Ro. 8.true Re…igion, and the Lawes of the Kingdome, being the strong sinewes, which not only combine and fasten vsus to Gods protection and favour, but vnite the Head and Members, Prince and people, in one intire body, whereby the whole becomes invincible? This made her enemyes even madd withall; when they saw, ioyned with her z…ale, and her semper eadem for religion, her wisdome in a graue and wise Counsel, like that of *1. King. 12.6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, &c.Salomons, who for all his wisdome,*Hen. 8. would vse to wish that when his Counsellers came to sit in Councell, they would commit simulation, and dissimulation and partiality, to the Porters lodge. Remains. Like I…l…oes Iudges M…n of courage, fearing God, dealing vprightly, & ha…ing covetousnesse: Exo. 18. Like Davids Worthies, & I…hoshaphats men of valour. yet had his Kingdome governed▪ by his sage and old Counsellers, whose faithfull and mature advise, if his sonne Rehoboam had followed, he had not hastily lost the greatest part of his kingdome: When they saw her equity in her learned and religious Iudges, whom not their moneys in buying and selling of Iustice, but their better merits advanced to those sacred seats of iudgment: when they saw her masculine magnanimity in her captaines and martiall men both for Land and Sea-service, being persons picked of purpose for their worth, valor, long experience, religion, and loyalty to God, their Prince and Countrey: When they saw, that all their inchantments, and Iesuiticall plotts delibe…ated vponupon in their set and solemne Conclaues, whereby they would hauehave all the world swayed and steered, and which cannot work, but by Serpentine insinuations into impotent and *As Iezabel, & Athaliah.feminine passions, could not once worke or impose vponupon her masculine spirit, but that it was constantly guided by the Pole-starre of right judgement and wisedome in all her affaires,; when they saw they could not by all their subtile wiles worke any vnkindly division or disaffection betweene her Majesty and her subjects, but that they contended in a sweet emulation,Hoc Reges hab… magnificum et in g…s, nulla quod …ap…d…es, prodessemiseris, supplices fido lare, protegere S…nec. Traged. 7. her Majesty in a truly majestick, and motherly affection to her loyall children, they in a sincere and pious obsequiousnesse, as well to louelove, as to obey her: when they saw they could not by any magicke spells, so worke vponupon the time of that virgin-raigne, as to beget some sprightfull all-daring sparke,Esto mihi solu… arbiter verum, iure, ac nomine …egio. … de Rege, lib. 4. Aliquid hi… laxa…? totum ami…tis E… est imp…ran…: ratio, vt non aliter …, quam si vni reddatur Tacit. …. Annal Communis custodia Principatus, neminem vnum magnum facere. Ar…st. 5. Polit. Sēper periculosū privati hominis nomen supra (imo iuxta) Principis attolli. Tacit. who like some Phaeton, or fresh-water Pilot, durst aspire to vndertake the sole guidance of the Chariot of the Sunne, or Sterne of State, to the hazarding, or certaine hastening of the combustion, or shipwrack of all in one bottome: When they saw they could not by any purchase vnderunder hand for toleration of their execrable curse-causing Idolls, restraine or darken the beames of that Sunne shining vponupon all her government: when they saw they could not with all their Indian gold, be…ot the more noble English braines, and loyall hearts of her most indeered and intrusted Attendants,Pau…i, Reges, non R…gna colunt. Coli… hic Reges, cal…et vt omnes: Perdai que aliquos, nullumque levet. Tantum vt noceat, cupi…. esse potens. Senec. Traged. 10. S…are omnes debemus, tanquam in orbe aliquo Reip. qui cum iam versatur, eam diligere partem debemus, ad quaem nos idius vtilit…s, salus que converterit. Cu. pro Plan…. semper officio fungitur, vtilitati hominū consulens, & societati. Cic. Offic. lib. 3. I…psius. The hearts and riches of the people are the Kings greatest treasure. King Iames in his speech 1609. but that they preferred the honour of their loyalty to their Prince and Country, before their private ends, were they never so profitable, if withall dishonest: when they saw, that her Maiesty had a richer Mine of gold and silver in England, caused by the influence of her sun-like gratious religious and righteous gouernment, in the bowells of her free-borne English subiects true hearts and affections, while in one Parliament time they would sweat her more subsidiary treasure, then all the American slaues can force from the Indian Mines to supply their gold-thirsty Master in a whole voyage: when they saw it was in vaine to goe about to perswade her religious heart to admit of *Hen. 3. King of England, his vsuall practise.any Papall dispensation from all those sacred oathes, which shee had solemnly taken for the maintenance of the Lawes of her Kingdome, the only bond to secure it from invasion: when they saw, that they could not work the noble frame of her goverment to the mould and conformity of their Mystery of Iniquity, but that all her counsells and actions were fairely and squarely carried,Ne quid insidiose, ne quid simulate, ne quid falla…ter. Cic. Offic 3. I…psius Polic. li. 4. Nam per fraudem & dolum regna evertuntur. Aristot. Polit. lib 5. Presertim, si publicus vsus, salus que suadea…; quae semper cum Principis vsus…, ac s…lute co…iuncta. Communis vtilitatis derelictio contra naturam est, non solum rationem. Lipsius. ibid. the Mysteries of State standing most sound, while vponupon most opposite tearmes with the Mysterie of Iniquity: When they saw, they could not cause a iarre in that sweet harmony betweene her *Nero stulte verebor; esse cum faciam, D…os? Sen. Hoc plu… verere, quod licet tantum tibi. N. Inertis est, nescire quod liceat sibi. Sen. Id facere l…u… est, quod decet, non quod licet. N. Ferrum tuetur Principem: se. Melius …ides.Prerogatiue royall, and the fundamentall Lawes of her Realme, but that still *Violenta nunquam imperi… r…tinentur diu: moderata durāt. Sen. Troas.they went hand in hand together, to the contentment of all her friends, but terror of her enemyes, which (…s her enemyes knew full well) if they should stand vponupon termes of opposition, would hurt and hinder each other; *Ne. D…cut tinuri Casarem. Se. A… melius dilig…. Ne. Iussis que nostris pareant Se. Iusta impera.the Prerogatiue Royall being like a tall gallant ship, which cannot sayle, without plenty of waters, nor against the winde and tyde, but with extreame difficulty and toyle of the Master or his Mate, and their Marriners, forced to fetch about for this poynt, & that poynt, *Et errat long… mea quidem sententia, Qui imperiū credat graviu…, aut stabili…esse: vi quod fit quam illud quod benficio adiungitur. Terent. Hea…ton.and yet hardly make any way; good Lawes established being as the Seas, wherein the Prerogatiue Royall may sayle at pleasure, and that most steddily, while through a iust Ballasse, or ballance it passeth as well lowly vnderunder, *Po…entia medio…riter exercita, omnia …aesita conservat. Casaris dictum apud Dion, li 43 Contra, Qui impudenter, et passim in omnibus potentia abutitur, is ne que veram benevolentiam, … que firmam securitatem invenit. Ibid. Lipsius. lib. 4.as loftily aboue water, so that going a long with the wind and tyde of the Lawes, it is wafted so much the more both sweetly and swiftly by the easie and gentle motion of the Pilots hand, being thus every way helped, no way hindred by the current of the streame, while the Lawes runne in the full tyde of good execution; whereas, if it will make head against the streame of Lawes, and the kindly gayle of good affections, breathing forth from the Lawes vnviolated, it can make but small speed, and that to the great inco…brance and toyle of the steerer and his Marriners about him: when (I say) they saw all this, and much more, as so many beames streaming from that Gospell-sun whereon in her raigne this Vial began more eminently and remarkably to be poured? No marvail, if such power were given to this Sun to scortch men with fire; no marvaile, If the envious man did fume and rage, and though they saw with open eyes the mighty hand of Divine protection and blessing vponupon her sacred Person and, State though the light of the Gospell shined never so cleare, round about, yet had they not the grace to repent of all their Antichristian heresies, grosse Idolatry, their often and miraculously frustrated treasons and trecheryes, frauds, and forces, to giuegive God the glory. But as the Aegyptian Magitians, though they confessed of the fourth miracle, and the third plague of lice, Digitus Dei est hic; This is the finger of God: And as Iulian the Apostate, pulling the mortall dart out of his bowels,Exo. 8.9. though therein he saw and felt the hand of Divine revenge, yet he vttered his confession thereof with the voyce of blasphemy, Vicisti Galilaee: and so breathed out his blasphemous spirit in a desperat impenitency: So here the Magitian Apostates, or spirituall Aegyptian Priests, though they could no… but confesse the power of God in his perpetuall protecting of that royall Personage, and prospering her in all her affaires of Statee, which they had vainely sought so many wayes to defeat and deface: to this day hauehave they obstinatly persisted in their blasphemy and impenitency. Then which, what can be a more fearefull signe and marke of a reprobate minde, and of a conscience ceared and sealed vp to condemnation, when men wilfully resist the manifest and knowne truth? Even as Iannes and lambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the Truth, men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the Faith. But they shall proceed no further, for their folly shall be manifest vntounto all men, as theirs also was. 2. Tim. 3.8.9.