Commentary on Revelation, Lecture 1
LECTURE I.
CHAP. XVI.
Vers. 1.
ANd I heard a great voice out of the Temple, saying to the seven Angels, Go your wayes and poure out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
2.
And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth, and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.
IN this 16. Chapter is prosecuted the execution of these last plagues from vers. 2. In the 1. vers. there is the last step of preparation for it, by commissionating these Angels who were instruments presently to fall about it. The voice seemeth to be Christs, called a great voice out of the Temple: partly, to shew Authority in Him that calleth; partly, to shew His earnestnesse in the thing He calleth unto. Whether this be immediately from Christ, or mediately by His Ministers in His Church, (which is most like) it is all one, seing it is Christs Word and hath his warrand. The commission is limited, to poure them out on the earth, that is, such a part of the world as is contradistinguished from the Church, which is called heaven; for, afterward some are poured on the Sea, some in the Air, &c. for, though the antichristian world be a compleat world in it self; yet, being compared with the Church, it is but the earth: Out of the Temple, because there of old God gave Oracles; it is in allusion to that. Before we speak particularly of these vials, we shall premit some generall considerations usefull for understanding of them, or some generall observations concerning them.
1. As all these vials speak wrath, and the last wrath, so do they all speak wrath principally against the beast as the object of it, with his kingdom and followers, as these who have his name, mark, character, &c. The first vial is poured on the earth of that kingdom, and of the second, 5. and 7. it is clear; His wrath is perfected against the whore by these, therefore that Song (Chap. 18. and 19.) is as the result of these judgements; for, they are such judgements as are not common to others, but peculiarly affect Him and His. Therefore in the fourth vial, it is said, the men (foreign) particularly relating to men mentioned before, to wit, these that were marked with his mark, which will afterward be more clear: Yet let this have three caveats, 1. The Church wanteth not her exercises, even in the time of these vials, as was clear from Chap. 14.11. she hath her enemies and battels there, but they all end in and tend to her inlargement in the close. 2. Though they aim principally at Antichrist as the chief enemie, yet other enemies do not escape unpunished, but are made sharers in the judgement also, under them, especially in the 6. and 7. vials, which are more generall, as will appear, and take in moe enemies. 3. It is not to be understood, that they so carry on the beasts ruine, as that it is alway sensible; he still sighteth and may have his own seeming advantages to harden him, as if he might recover, which yet shall never be, but by this God hath the more glory in renewing his battels against him, as He had against …raoh by multiplying his judgements against him, unto which there is an allusion here.
2. It would be Observed, that the kingdom of the beast, when it is spoken of as the object of these judgements, is spoken of as a world having a Heaven, Earth, Sea, Rivers, Sun, &c. as parts of it, even as it was observed before in the destruction of the Heathen world in the sixth seal, Chap. 6. and of the Christian world, Chap. 8. Which observation is usefull, 1. To help us to find out what thing in Popery, or, in that dominion, is meaned by some analogie from Earth, Sea, &c. in the naturall body and frame of the world, to such things made use of in that antichristian world: which, in that respect, are Earth, Sea, &c. to it. 2. It is usefull, to let us see what weight Religion and its change hath upon a people; it maketh it appear as another world, and therefore the speciall changes, in all these three periods, are to be sought in the change that is on the outward frame and face of Religion. 3. It is usefull for clearing one thing by another, as what was Sea in the Christian world, will help to shew what supplieth that room in the antichristian, &c.
3. Observe that in these vials, respect is sundry times had in the expression of the effects to the plagues of Egypt, Exod. 6.7, 8. yet so that as Romish Babylon, is spiritually called Egypt and Sodom, Chap. 11. So these effects, are not litterally, but spiritually to be understood, at least, in a great part.
4. Take this consideration also, that as Antichrist hath a double notion and consideration, Chap. 13. as Civil or Ecclesiasticall; So these parts of him, Rivers, Sun, &c. and the effects on them, may have that twofold consideration, some of them on his temporall grandour bringing temporall plagues; some of them on his Ecclesiastick frame, by spirituall judgements overturning that: therefore is it that some of them are certainly spiritually, others literally, foreign, to be understood, some of them have respect to both as we will see.
5. Observe, that in the order of the pouring forth of these vials, there is a speciall likenesse and reference to that same order and method which was followed in the trumpets, Chap. 8. The first vial is on the earth, as the first trumpet, and so it is with the rest: but as the worlds are different, so are the effects. This letteth us see, First, that as we are to look on Antichrists fall by the vials, so we are to look to his rise under the trumpets, seing the Spirit holdeth forth in these two, 1. a suitablenesse and equality in Gods justice, bringing him down as he rose, 2. a spreading and counterfeiting nature in his errors, making a whole body, as it were, a world, in opposition to Christs world before. Secondly, it helpeth, by comparing the trumpets and vials together, to win at some clearnesse in the effects threatened. And, 3. that the ruine is as certain as the rise of the beast; and is the three last woes in the trumpets were greatest, so are the three last vials.
6. Consider the time to which these vials relate: and although it be not easie or possible to determine the distance of time between them, or the precise beginning of every one of them; yet may something be laid as certain for the rise and close of this vision in generall… which in short we take to be that same of the seventh trumpets sounding, Chap. 11. after the begun change of Reformation, especially when Reformation and Religion came to be established by civil Authority, which will be about Anno 1560. as was then more fully cleared: this is after the beasts kingdom is discovered and a change and decay in his grandour begun. The pouring out of the seventh vial, cleareth that the close is the consummating of Gods wrath, as their titles bear, Chap. 15. vers. 2. and so endeth with time.
7. Concerning the instruments, called Angels, Observe, That though one Angel only be named to every one, yet it will not exclude moe agents, but that God though He make use of men, Ministers or Magistrates (both having hand therein, Chap. 14. compared with 17.) yet He hath it over-ruled by Angels, that it be not disappointed, and that it should not fail.
8. Observe, That though there be order in the rise of these judgements, and all are not poured out together; yet, as in the seals and trumpets, so here it will not follow, that the former judgement is ended, before another come, but that there is an order in rising: yet, the first and second plague, which are the effects of the first two vials, they go alongst to the end, and have but these new plagues superadded to them.
To come nearer, there are two things in all these vials observable, 1. The object plagued, or that whereon the vial is poured; which is … it were) the cause. 2. The effect following, to wit, the affecting or plaguing that object, whether that be primary or secundary; for, one plague may have sundry effects following upon or going alongst with one another. Concerning which take these rules, 1. That the object denoteth some speciall part of the antichristian frame or fabrick of his kingdom, complexly taken. The judgement is primarily there; the effect again reflecteth on the persons who are supporters of that Kingdom, and affecteth them, as the Earth, Sea, Sun, Seat, &c. is still somewhat of that antichristian state, which, being affected, affecteth his worshippers, as the bringing down of a house, hazardeth these that are in it; or, somewhat wrong in a ship, these who sail in her.
2. That this thing plagued, or on which the vial is poured, cannot be any thing meerly active in this judgement, as for instance, by the Sun, under the fourth vial, cannot be meaned here the Scriptures, because they, as such, are not proper parts of the antichristian frame, but some other thing accounted Scripture as to them: Nor doth the affecting of the Scriptures, by any violent handling of them, grieve them who are excessive in that: but it must be something that can suffer by these vials, the suffering whereof may have such suitable effects on the subjects of that Kingdom, as the rejecting of their traditions may probably grieve the abettors of them.
3. In application either of the things plagued, or of their effects to particulars, speciall respect would be had to these three or four things, 1. to the analogie between such a thing (suppose the earth) in the naturall world, and what is called earth in this antichristian universe; that by the similitude of the one to the other, somewhat may be gathered. 2. What is applied, would suit well with the effect; for, one of them hath influence on the other, and a suitablenesse to the other, as such a cause may have upon such an effect. 3. That there be an agreeance and resemblance with these same things mentioned under the trumpets: the one (to wit, earth, here) being to this antichristian world in place of that which was earth there to the Christian world. 4. Special respect would be had to the story of events; (so far as they are already fulfilled) for some length certainly they are fulfilled, that the application may agree with the series of the event, which otherwise cannot be sure.
To come particularly then to the first vial, according to these rules the object of that plague is the earth. 2. The effect is, a grievous and noisome sore fell upon the men who had the beasts mark, and worshipped his image. By the earth is understood that which is most firm (it is the most firm part of the universe, Psal. 104. the earth He established, &c.) and most essentiall and necessary for entertaining of life. By the earth of the antichristian world then, we understand such Doctrines as they lay for surest, and upon which all the rest stand, and without which that building cannot stand and be a world, such as it is, more than this world without the earth. Such is the Popes Supremacy, absolute to dispose of all things as he pleaseth (and others mentioned, Chap. 13. as characteristicall to him) Hence did we expound the earth (Chap. 8.) to be the fundamentall Doctrines of the Christian Religion. The pouring the viall on this, is the discovering the unsoundnesse of such grounds, the rejecting and abhorring them in practice, and mens betaking themselves to more solid and better principles to walk by, especially when done by publickly authorized preaching.
The effects suit with this. 1. These plagued are such as are inslaved to the beast, and stood and fell with him in the largest extent of his tenents and Doctrines. 2. The plague it self is a boyl and sore, but such as is occasioned by the former discovery, alluding to the plague, (Exod. 9.8.11.) of boyls especially on the Magicians. Hereby is holden out a plague, 1. painfull; 2. shamefull and loathsome before others: by which may be understood that inward envie and fretting, and outward contempt and shame that fell on all Antichrists devouted slaves, when God brought to light the vanity, blasphemy, and hypocrisie of their devised Religion, and tyranny, whereby the world had long been deluded. They now come to be accounted as unsavory salt, and false Teachers, who once swayed all. In sum, this saith, that when the seventh Angel shall sound, and God shall begin His quarrell with the beast, He shall at the entry so discover and shake the prime foundations of that antichristian Kingdom, that it shall procure much inward fretting and vexing grief (compared to pricking in the reins, Psal. 73.21.) to the prime supporters thereof, and shall make them loathsome and abominable to the world, as were the Magicians (opposers of Moses and of the peoples delivery from Egypt, and instrumentall in hardening Pharaoh and the Egyptians) by the plague of boyls, Exod. 9.11. so as they could not stand.
In the event, this is sure, 1. that the fundamentals of the popish Kingdom were stricken at, such as the Popes Supremacy and absolutenesse, the opinion of indulgences, merits, soul-masses, purgatory, &c. which two, Erasmus (merrily) said, were the two unpardonable faults of Luther, that he had medled with the Popes crown and the Monks bellies, meaning that they would never digest it, to be touched in these, but it would gall them. 2. The contempt that followed upon that discovery, and the vexation, anxiety, terrour, trouble and grief that it put that Roman Clergie unto, the events and story of these times do sufficiently witnesse.