Commentary on Revelation, Lecture 3
LECTURE III.
Vers. 8.
And the fourth Angel poured out his vial upon the Sun, and power was given unto 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 repented not, to give him glory.
10.
And the fifth Angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast, and his kingdom was full of darknesse, 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.
ANtichrists begun ruine goeth on as his rise did, and by the same degrees. The fourth Angel (vers. 8.) poureth out his vial, and a further degree of darknesse cometh on that kingdom, and anxiety upon his followers. The object of this plague, is the Sun of Antichrists world, so that men were scorched with fire, that is the proper work of this Angel: his power is by that plague of affecting the Sun to scorch men, that is, the men mentioned, vers. 2. that have the beasts mark: for they are foreign in the plurall, and as relative to these formerly mentioned. Then (vers. 9.) follow three effects of this plague, 1. pain, 2. blasphemie, 3. impenitencie.
This plague is declared, 1. in the object of it, the Sun, 2. in the nature of it in generall, He had power given him to scorch men with fire. 3. This is more particularly cleared in the effects, vers. 9.
The Sun of the beasts kingdom, or world, we understand with a twofold respect, 1. to his Temporall state. 2. to his Ecclesiastick. 1. By Sun in the world, is understood somewhat eminent, glorious and shining, so Chap. 6. as the heaven is above the earth. Now, as the Sun is chief among the lights in that firmament, so here must be understood some eminent chief light in that world, as great ones, Kings and Princes, are glorious lights. It would seem the Emperour, as chief among them who uphold most that whore, as her first born (so is he called) The King of Spain and others may be meaned, it being the Sun that giveth light and also comfort and life to things here, as these temporall Monarchs do to the Pope, especially the Emperour and King of Spain; or, it may hold out the Lords withdrawing temporall powers from the beasts friendship, as it is Chap. 17. and seing they glory much in that, the making of such to hate her, cannot but darken that kingdom and gall them much: and indeed as the Word propagateth and defendeth Christs Kingdom, so almost doth externall force of inquisitions, and such like, uphold the Popish tyrannie; and seing these go before the fifth vial, wherein Babylon is to be pulled down by some Kings, this is not unlikely.
Looking again unto this beast as a whorish Church, by Sun we understand the complex doctrine, rules and canons of the Church of Rome, or, what is to them in place of the Scriptures, which we expounded to be that Sun in the fourth trumpet, Chap. 8. though this be not the Sun simply, yet to them it is so, and it is a Sun profitable to that kingdom, or heaven wherein it shineth, that we are to seek for here. This is done by Gods making the light of His Word to shine more clearly and convincingly to discover the prophesies about Antichrist, whereby his glory is stained, that darknesse and ignorance which they formerly called light, is abolished now in a great measure; and this cannot but burn and scorch these men, as very fire, when light cometh to an height, while-as the very prophesying of two witnesses, Chap. 11. so tormented them: for, the outbreaking of Gods light darkeneth their sun, as the rising of their errors darkened His Sun, Chap. 8. but not in the same manner. The effects will suit well with this also. Both, 1. the pain that men were scorched, that is, by this Word convinced and shamed, and by the Gospels thriving (which they could not impede) so fretted, as Isa. 26.11. The fire of enemies is their envie, which as fire consumeth them. This is a further addition unto and degree of the first plague, vers. 2. both these applications may agree with the scope and type, &c.
The second effect, is, They blasphemed God who had power over these plagues. Where is, 1. Gods soveraignty in ordering all judgements, saying to one, go and he goeth, to another, do this and he doth it, Matth. 8. It is marked here to aggrege their sin, which is the second thing, that they should have slighted God and not humbled themselves before Him who smote them, Isa. 9. which was their duty, but grew in blaspheming God, that maketh their sin the greater. By this blasphemy we would understand a more violent giddy following of their blasphemous errors, and idolatrous wayes, which they flee most unto in their straits, to wrong God more publickly: as their blasphemy was marked in their head, the beast, Chap. 13. thus light doth them no good, as the third …ffect cleareth; They repented not to give God glory: Where is holden out, 1. the use of a rod, repentance in taking with our sin and abandoning of it; 2. the way to remove a rod, repentance and not running on in sin; 3. a great use of repentance, or end of it, is, to give God glory when He smiteth. 1. This taketh with the justice of the stroak, Iosh. 7. My son (saith he to Achan) give God glory. 2. It yeeldeth to Him as the greater, and will not contest. 3. It glorifieth Him in accepting the chastisement and in bringing forth fruits before others, as acknowledging its being overcome. Antichrists followers, even by Gods judgements on him, will not be brought to repentance, so mad are they on their idols and so drunk with his delusions.
This fourth vial is at most but in the pouring forth, and the fifth certainly is to come, (yet is more plainly described than any of the former) and so we are to walk the more warily in the opening of it, seing events cannot afford such help.
In the fifth plague, which is in the 10. and 11. Verses, There is the object and the events. Here the object seemeth to be more clearly set down than formerly. It is the throne or seat of the beast: partly, to shew us it is something of the beasts Kingdom, that is plagued before, though it be not so plainly said the sun of the beast, as it is here the seat of the beast. 2. partly, because at this fifth vials pouring out, things will be so clear, that they will not be vailed with types; for, it bringeth a more sensible step of his ruine, as the fifth trumpet did of his rise. This fifth vial foretelleth the ruine of Rome, which will make Antichrist seek some other chair, or nest, to sit in. The object, is, the seat of the beast. The effects are four, not unsuitable to what went before; seing there is a further plague on the beasts Kingdom, there is also a further degree of pain and bitternesse amongst his followers.
The seat here, or throne, (as it is in the Originall foreign) is the same which was (Chap. 13. vers. 2.) spoken of the seat or throne of the Dragon, to wit, Rome. Rome was called the Dragons seat, or throne, because although his dominion and authority did extend far, yet there he especially kept his court, and from thence issued his commands. It is the most eminent part of his kingdom, where his Majesty, as it were, doth more manifest it self. And as Rome was the Dragons throne, so will it be found to be Antichrists also: and therefore the object of this plague. 1. Because the beast (Chap. 13.) getteth the same throne which the Dragon had, and is to emit his buls, mandats and orders from it, over all his dominions. 2. Because it agreeth well with the scope and gradation of these vials, which bring ever the judgement nearer Antichrist till it make him flee, as the vial following cleareth. 3. This is clear from the explicatory prophesie of this same vial, Chap. 17. and 18. where under the name of Babylon, the destruction of this seat is set down, as there will be clear. 4. It agreeth well also with the order of the trumpets: betwixt which and the vials there is a likenesse in method, as is said. By the fifth trumpet, Antichrist cometh to his throne to get some publick footing; by the fifth vial he is put from it: and supposing the Popish Kingdom to be the antichristian Kingdom, and the Pope to be Antichrist, there is no question but Rome is the throne, it being from the pretended infallibility and sanctity of that Sea that they derive their state, he is now put from it. The first four vials, as it were, took in the outwark, this fifth stormeth his castle and overturneth it, which is more largely described, Chap. 18.
There are four effects, 1. His kingdom was full of darknesse, when the splendor of his throne is destroyed, which they thought impossible. Now, there is confusion (by the influence of that stroak) on all his dominion: men think lesse of it, and it is now, as it were, fully darkened and contemptible in a greater degree than by any former vial: even as the fifth trumpet compleated the Churches darknesse, which was but partiall before it, yet is not this kingdom fully destroyed, though darkened, but there is a Pope, and he hath followers still and instruments and agents to do for him now when he is weak. The second effect, is, their pain, evidenced to be greater than before, in that they, like distracted mad men, gnaw their tongues for pain, it troubleth them so to be disappointed in the opinion they had of Romes standing. 2. The declining of their own grandour. And, 3. the enimity they had at the light they oppose, tormenteth them to see it thrive. These are more fully in the lamentation, Chap. 18. The third effect, they blaspheme against the God of heaven, ut supra: possibly breaking out now in open rage, as if he made not good his supposed promises to the Apostolick Sea, Christs Vicar and Mother Church. And therefore in this fury they run to any instrument for help, as under the sixth trumpet, like that blasphemous saying, flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo. Yet, 4. they amended nothing of their ill deeds that brought on that wrath. Repentance is difficile, especially to these in this delusion.