The Resurrection Revealed, Book 3 · Chapter 2 · Section 41
SECT. XLI.
THe ſecond, and laſt place, we ſhall touch in this Prophet Joel, is Chap. 3. v. 1, &c. to the end of the Chapter.
For behold, in §. 1 thoſe days, and in that time, when I ſhall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jeruſalem.
2. I will alſo gather all Nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoſhaphat, and will plead with them there for my people, and for my heritage Iſrael, whom they have ſcattered among the Nations, and parted my Land,
3. And they have caſt lots for my people, and have given a Boy for a Harlot, and ſold a Girle for Wine, that they might drink.
4. Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coaſts of Paleſtine? will ye render me a recompence? and if ye recompence me, ſwiftly and ſpeedily, will I return your recompence upon your own head.
5. Becauſe ye have taken my ſilver and my gold, and have carried into your Temples my goodly pleaſant things.
6. The children alſo of Judah, and the children of Jeruſalem have ye ſold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border.
7. Behold, I will raiſe them …ut of the place, whither ye have ſold them, and will return your recompence upon your own head.
8. And I will ſell your ſons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they ſhall ſell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off, for the Lord hath ſpoken it.
9. Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles, prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up.
10. Beat your plough-ſhares into ſwords, and your pruning-hooks into ſpears; let the weak ſay, I am ſtrong.
11. Aſſemble your ſelves, and come all ye heathen, and gather your ſelves together, round about: Thither cauſe thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord.
12. Let the Heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoſhaphat; for there will I ſit to judge all the Heathen round about.
13. Put ye in the ſickle, for the harveſt is ripe: Come, get you down, for the oreſs is full, the fats overflow, for the wickedneſs is great.
14. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of deciſion; for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of deciſion.
15. The Sun and the Moon ſhall be darkned, and the Stars ſhall withdraw their ſhining.
16. The Lord ſhall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jeruſalem, and the Heavens and the Earth ſhall ſhake; but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the ſtrength of the children of Iſrael.
17. So ſhall ye know, that I am the Lord your God, dwelling in Zion, my holy Mountain; then ſhall Jeruſalem be holy, and here ſhall no ſtranger paſs thorough her any more.
18. And it ſhall come …o paſs in that day, that the mountains ſhall drop down new wine, and the hills ſhall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah ſhall flow with waters, and a fountain ſhall come forth of the houſe of the Lord, and ſhall water the valley of Shittim.
19. Egypt ſhall be a deſolation, and Edom ſhall be a deſolate wilderneſs, for the violence againſt the children of Judah, becauſe they have ſhed innocent blood in their Land.
20. But Judah ſhall dwell for ever, and Jeruſalem from generation to generation.
21. For I will cleanſe their blood, that I have not cleanſed, for the Lord dwelleth in Zion.
This as it follows cloſe at the heels of the former place, ſo (notwithſtanding mens chapter-diviſions) hath it a great coherence with it. Calvin upon this third Chapter, verſe 1, 2. tell us in the general, Confirmat his verb is Propheta, quod prius docuit de Eccleſiae RESTITUTIONE. i. e. The Prophet in theſe words confirms, what before he had taught concerning the RESTITUTION of the Church. More particularly, let me tell you, That the moſt (if not the all) of the former place in the ſecond Chapter, is again mentioned in this third Chapter; and with four great emphaſes of connexion, both ſounding of confirmation, and explanation of what had been ſaid before,
1. FOR (Hebrew foreign, Chalde foreign, Septuagint foreign) As if the Lord ſhould ſay, I bring this for a proof, that I will do as I have ſaid.
2. BEHOLD (Hebrew foreign, Chalde foreign, Septuagint foreign) As much as to ſay, There ſhall be ſome notable thing done, ſome grand event, as an eminent ſign, that I will be as good as my word.
3. IN THOSE DAYES, and AT THAT TIME (with great emphaſis of Pronouns and Articles, both in Hebrew, Chalde, and Septuagint: Hebrew foreign, Chalde foreign, Septuagint foreign) which ſound to this effect; That methodically, and in a juſt order, when I do the former things, I will do theſe following alſo; ſo that the plurality and magnificence of exploits ſhall force the eyes of men to ſee my truth, and true performance of all that I have ſpoken.
4. I will in purſuance of that deliverance of my people, mentioned in the former Chapter, Gather all Nations to the valley of Jehoſhaphat, and will plead with them there for my people; which amounts juſtly to thus much for our preſent obſervation, That the famous, remarkable circumſtances, as before of time, ſo here of place, ſhall be undeniable witneſſes of the ſubſtance of my true performance. For as the great Philoſopher ſaith, Many common accidents concurring, may amount to a proprium quarto modo, to an infallible property; and ſo to a demonſtration. And we know that circumſtances of time, and place, &c. beget in us great credence to a report, That ſuch a thing was done. Thus for the coherence of this place, with the former.
§. 2 Next for the ſubſtance of this place, in order to our point, take notice in the entrance, That the people that ſhall, according to this propheſie, be delivered, are named in the firſt verſe, Judah, and the Inhabitants of Jeruſalem, ſignifying the Two Tribes. In the ſecond verſe, and verſe ſixteen, they are called his heritage Iſrael, and the ſcattered among all Nations; which moſt aptly ſet forth the Ten Tribes, who, of the Kingdome of Iſrael, became the greateſt diſperſion among all Nations, far beyond thoſe of Iudah. And the deliverance of both, is ſo expreſſed in the Hebrew, Chalde, and Septuagint, that the words may well be extended to a ſpiritual converſion of their ſouls from infidelity; beſide the corporal deliverance of their perſons from captivity; as many Tranſlaters render it. And for confirmation, obſerve, That whereas in Hoſea, chap. 1. the Lord calls them (ſpeaking of both the ſaid Kingdoms of the Iews) Lo-ammi. NOT MY PEOPLE, and Lo-ruhamah, I WILL NOT HAVE MERCY, viz. Whiles they are to be in captivity (where, for the general, they loſt their piety, as well as their liberty, in not receiving Chriſt and his Goſpel, from thence, to this day.) Behold here in this Text of Joel, the Lord ſpeaking of their deliverance, expreſſeth it in relation, and to the effect, of receiving them at their return, as his people, and to be his heritage, v. 2. For ſurely, if God did juſtly, for their great wickedneſs, carry them away captive, he had little reaſon to receive them from thence, if they were no better, then when they went. Put now all together, and all plainly ſpells, that this firſt clauſe of the deliverance of Judah and Iſrael hath not been fulfilled to this day, according to the ſence before demonſtrated; which will clearly appear by the reſt that follows.
§. 3 For in the next place we are to obſerve, that this muſt not bee a meer ſtill and tacit deliverance of the Jewes, but withall a tumultuous deſtruction of their Enemies, that formerly cauſed their bondage, and with-held their deliverance, ver. 2. I will gather all Nations, and being them down into the Valley of Jehoſaphat, and plead with them there or my people &c. Which laſt clauſe the Chalde renders foreign &c. And I will take vengeance on them there for my people, which is much further amplified in ver. 9, 10, 11, 12. &c. The valley of Jehoſaphat is particularly named here, as the place where God will avenge his people.
1. Becauſe there Jehoſaphat overthrew the Ammonites and Moabites and their Confederates, that roſe up againſt the Jewes, 2 Chron. 20.22 &c.
2. Jehoſaphat ſignifies pleading or judging, viz. the thing that God will doe upon the incorrigible enemies that yet remaine, ver. 12.
3. Becauſe this is alſo called the valley of Beracha, that is, the valley of bleſsing; Becauſe there Jehoſaphat bleſſed and praiſed God, firſt in hope of the ſaid Victory; Secondly, for helpe in the ſaid Victory, 2 Chron. 20.22. compare ver. 16.
4. Becauſe this is called the valley of deciſion or threſhing, twice in this fourteenth verſe of this third of Joel, becauſe there God threſhed his Enemies (as the chaffe from the wheat) according to Iſai. 25.10. and thereby decided the controverſie between the Jewes and their Enemies; viz. that the Jewes ſhould have the maſtery, not their enemies.
But though the valley of Jehoſaphat be here named by theſe names, yet they are to be underſtood in intent and meaning appellatively in a larger ſence (as is moſt ſafe) to ſignifie and typifie any eminent place or places, where the Lord ſhall overthrow the incurable enemies of the beleeving Jewes. For firſt, Let any reaſonable Hebrician looke into the original, and he ſhall plainly perceive that the holy Ghoſt uſeth the name Jehoſaphat onelyonly as a Paranomaſia, I will bring them into the valley foreign and foreign &c. As if we ſhould ſay in Engliſh, I will bring them down to the valley of Jehoſaphat, and there I will Jehoſaphatize them, that is, overthrow them as Jehoſaphat did his enemies. Secondly, Let any rational man judge whether Jehoſaphat, as a proper name of a place in Judea, doth ſignifie that there and there onelyonly, God will judge the enemies of the beleeving Jewes, when as their enemies are ſcated in every place where the Jews are ſcattered; and thoſe enemies ſhall oppoſe them, and the beleeving Gentiles, that ſhall help in their returne, whereever they ſtirre to that end. Yet I contend not, but that that very place may be one where, of ſome notable overthrow of ſome cheife enemies of the Jewes: as of the Arabians, Saracens, and Turkes, that ſhall enter into the Holy Land to hinder the Jewes ſitting downe, and ſettling there. Now this clauſe of the Prophet Joel in this third chapter, was never yet fulfilled ſince the firſt Aſſyrio-Chaldean captivity of Iſrael or Iudah. For the Prophet gives us a ſign that this is to be done after the Jewes are ſold to the Grecians. The Hebrew foreign in its firſt originall ſence and uſe, ſignifies to yeeld up, and deliver up. And ſo the Septuagint renders it foreign which moſt commonly, as the compoſition of the word requires, ſignifies to yeeld up, or to deliver up into another mans juriſdiction and power. And this tranſmitting of the Jews from their Native Country, to Graecia, ſeems to be charged upon ſeveral Nations, who handed them from one to another, verſ. 2, 3, 4, 5. But the Greeks came not to any conſiderable repute, power, and juriſdiction, till above two hundred years after the beginning of the Second, viz. The Medo-Perſian Monarchy. Since which time, the Jews were never delivered, according to the character of the Text, viz. By a deſtruction of their enemies; and to ſuch an effect and degrees, as that no ſtranger ſhould paſs through Jeruſalem any more, verſe 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. For we know the contrary by Hiſtory, Experience, and ſight of our own eyes in our travells.
§. 4 The opening of this deſtruction of the Jews enemies at their deliverance, and the collation of their happy condition when delivered, will yet further demonſtrate, that this propheſie of Joel, in this third Chapter, is not yet in the main, to this very day fulfilled.
¶ 1. The deſtruction of their enemy muſt be very formidable, v. 14, 15, 16, 19. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of deciſion; for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of deciſion; the Sun and the Moon ſhall be darkned, and the Stars ſhall withdraw their ſhining. The Lord alſo ſhall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jeruſalem, and the Heavens and the Earth ſhall ſhake. Egypt ſhall be a deſolation, and Edom ſhall be a deſolate wilderneſs, &c.
¶ 2. On the otherſide, the happy condition of the Jews ſhall be as glorious, as their enemies deſtruction ſhall be miſerable; which is interchangably enterwoven within the ſame verſes, the better to minde us, that they both concur to the ſame time, and in that method, that the ruines of the enemy, is the riſe of the Jews, Verſ. 16. But the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the ſtrength of the children of ISRAEL. V. 17. So ſhall ye know, that I am the Lord your God, dwelling in Zion, my holy Mountain; then ſhall Jeruſalem be HOLY, and there SHALL NO STRANGERS PASS THROUGH HER ANY MORE. V. 18. And it ſhall come to paſs in that day, that the Mountains ſhall drop down new Wine, and the Hills ſhall flow with milk, &c. V. 20. Judah ſhall dwell FOR EVER, and Jeruſalem from GENERATION to GENERATION. You ſee here in this Chapter, a corporal deſtruction of all the Nations that irreconcileably oppoſe the Jews. You ſee the happy condition of the Jews following thereupon, to be expreſly both temporal and ſpiritual; and you ſee it ſet forth with moſt ample extenſion, both for latitude and length. Need I now upon things ſo plain ſpend ſix ſentences, to declare this was never yet fulfilled to the Jews, ſince their firſt captivity in Babylon to this day? Surely, if the ſucceeding Monarchy puniſhed the preceding, they did withal keep the Jews under their ſubjection; and ſo from Aſſyrians, to Medes and Perſians, from them to the Grecians, and thence to the Romans, and ſo to the Saracens and Turks to this time, the Jews have been more, or leſs under forreign power, and not a free people; much leſs ſo happy, or their enemies ſo miſerable as hath been deſcribed.
Laſtly, If we mark ſome references of this third of Joel, made §. 5 by the Apoſtles themſelves, in the New Teſtament, we ſhall beyond all diſpute of them that believe the New Teſtament, clear it, That the propheſies of this Chapter are not yet fulfilled.
¶ 1. Conſider how exactly the thirteenth verſe, &c. of this Chapter of Ioel, is repeated and applied, Rev. 14.15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. to the ruine of Antichriſt. Put ye in (ſaith Ioel in this third Chapter, v. 13.) the ſickle, for the Harveſt is ripe; come, get you down, for the preſs is full, the fats overflow, for their wickedneſs is great. And then follows expreſly the deſtruction of the enemies of the Jews, as we before repeated. Sutably, Saint Iohn ſaith, in the ſaid place of the Revelation; An Angel came out of the Temple, crying with a loud voice to him that ſate on the cloud, thruſt in thy ſickle, and reap, for the time is come for thee to reap, for the Harveſt of the Earth is ripe. And he that ſate on the cloud, thruſt in his ſickle on the Earth, and the Earth was reaped. And another Angel came out of the Temple, which is in Heaven, he alſo having a ſharp ſickle. And another Angel came out from the Altar, which had power over fire, and cryed with a loud voice, Cry to him that had the ſharp ſickle, ſaying, Thruſt in thy ſickle, and gather the cluſters of the Vine of the Earth, for her grapes are fully ripe. And the Angel thruſt in his ſickle into the Earth, and gathered the Vine of the Earth, and caſt it into the great Wine-preſs of the wrath of God; and the Wine-preſs was troden without the City, and blood came out of the Wine-preſs, even unto to the horſe-bridles, by the ſpace of one thouſand ſix hundred furlongs. In which parallel of Iohn and Ioel, you ſee how accurately Iohn extends that of Ioel to the ruine of the Antichriſtian enemy, and the raiſing of the Chriſtian Church, conſiſting of Iews and Gentiles, yet to come; as it will eaſily appear to him that will carefully read this fourteenth Chapter of the Revelation.
¶ 2. Compare this propheſie of Ioel, touching the valley of Iehoſhaphat, and Gods judging there, with Iſa. 66.24. Matth. 5.22. Rev. 16.16. It ſeems by that place of Iſaiah, that there ſhall be a ſlaughter of the enemy of the Church, at his great fall, in a more conſpicuous place above others (perhaps not the remoteſt from Ieruſalem) whither the Church (made up of Jews and Gentiles) ſhall (to keep Iſaiah his words) go forth and look upn the carcaſes of the men that had tranſgreſſed againſt God; for which they had been ſlain. For ſaith Iſaiah) their worm ſhall not die, neither ſhal their fire be quenched, and they ſhall be an abhoring to all fleſh. Upon which words our new Annotations ſay well, that apparent enough it is, that the execution of Gods wrath on the wicked, either on the Mountaines near unto Jeruſalem (as ſome of the Rabbins affirme) or in the valley of Jehoſaphat, according to Joel 3. or in Tophet in the vale of Gehinnom, Iſa. 30.33. Ierem. 7.31.33. is here deſcribed, by a reſemblance taken from dead bodies, that after great ſlaughter made of them, lie a long time above ground unburyed, either as deemed unworthy to be at all interred, or becauſe, in regard of the multitude of them, it cannot ſuddenly be effected. The WORM hath reference to ſuch Vermine as is wont to breed in, and feed on dead corpſes; on ſuch carcaſſes eſpecially as lie ſo long above ground, until they rot, and become as dung. The FIRE to the burning of ſuch bodies, not ſit now to be ſtirred, or removed, but to be conſumed by fire, in the place where they lie. And becauſe the putrifying carcaſſes long time crawle with worms and magots, ere the fleſh be conſumed; and it would be a long time of burning to conſume the remainder with fire; therefore it is ſaid, their worm never dyes, and their fire is never quenched; but a long time are an abhorring to all fleſh, viz. that ſhall behold them. The Lord Chriſt, as St. Matthew chap. 5.22. gives it us, ſpeaks of ſuch a place of common execution of malefactors, Whoſoever ſhall ſay to his brother, thou foole, ſhall be in danger of hell fire; foreign here, as Broughton learnedly diſputes, doth not of it ſelfe ſignifie Hell. And I adde, that it cannot poſſibly ſignifie here an eternall puniſhment in the Hell of the damned; for then it would follow from this Text, that ſome ſins are veniall, and only ſome are mortall or damnable; becauſe our Saviour ſaith, he that is ANGRY with his brother without a cauſe, ſhall he in danger of the JUDGEMENT; and whoſoever ſhall ſay to his brother, RACHA, ſhall be in danger of the COUNCIL; and he only that ſhall ſay, THOU FOOLE, ſhall be in danger of HELL FIRE. But this diſtinction is croſſe to all the Scripture, and therefore, eternall hell fire, or the place of the damned cannot be here meant. But (to keep to the order and nature of the Greeke words) foreign is the Gehinnom of fire, that is the valley of Hinnom, or the valley of the ſon of Hinnom, taking its name from the firſt poſſeſſor. Of the name and ſituation of this place, ſee Ioſh. 15.8. where it is deſcribed to be in the borders of the lot of the Tribe of Judah; and therefore not far from Ieruſalem, even near the Eaſt-gate, Ier. 19.2. And the ſacred hiſtory tels us further in the 2 Kings 23.10. and 2 Chron. chap. 28. v. 3. and chap. 33. ver. 6. Ier. 32.35, That in this valley of Hinnom was Tophet: And that there they burnt their children in the fire, as a ſacrifice to the Idoll Moloch, after the manner of the Heathens. Tophet ſignifies a drum, becauſe they beat a drum to drown the noiſe of the cry of their children, when they were caſt into the fire. And further, in Ier. 7.33. we have it ſet forth as a place of the execution of Gods vengeances Behold the daies come, ſaith the Lord, that it ſhall be no more called TOPHET, nor the VALLEY OF THE SON OF HINNOM. butthe VALLEY OF SLAUGHTER; For they ſhall burie in Tophet, till there be no place. Rabby David Kimchi on Pſal. 27. v. 13. on theſe words [The land of the living] ſaith thus, Even as the judgement of the wicked is called GEHENNA, which was a valley near Jeruſalem whereinto they did caſt forth every uncleanneſſe, and dead carkaſes, and there the fire did perpetually burn them even into bones, &c. And unto this (ſaith Beza) will ſome have it, that Chriſt alludes in that Matth. 5.22. afore quoted. This name Geennua, or Gehenna is a compound Hebrew word compounded of foreign Gi, which ſignifies a valley, and foreign Hinnom, the name of the ancient poſſeſſor of the place (as we touched afore) and ſuitably (as Tremelius notes and pronounceth) the Syriacke writes and ſpeakes it, Gihanna. Doubtleſſe as foreign JUDGEMENT ſignified a leſſer civill puniſhment, viz. that inflicted by the JUDGES; and foreign the COUNCIL ſignified a greater, viz. that which the SANHEDRIM, or great Council inflicted; ſo this Gehinnom of fire muſt ſignifie the greateſt. Not but that our Saviour, by way of parallel, may intend, and leaves the learned Phariſees ſo to apply it, that if men did thus gradually puniſh ſuch faults according to their degrees; how much more will the moſt righteous holy God? But this by the way. Our buſineſſe now is, to explain by way of parallel the meaning of this third of Ioel, touching the corporall ruining of the Churches enemies, more eſpecially in ſome ſuch eminent place as the valley of Iehoſaphat, yet to come. For which purpoſe we muſt touch one place more (afore quoted) viz. Rev. 16.12. &c. And the ſixt Angel poured out his viall upon the great river Euphrates, and the waters thereof were dryed up, that the way of the Kings of the Eaſt might be prepared. And I ſaw three unclean ſpirits like Frogs come out of the mouth of the Dragon, and out of the mouth of the Beaſt, and out of the mouth of the falſe Prophet. For they are the ſpirits of devils, working miracles, which goe forth unto the KINGS OF THE EARTH, and of he WHOLE WORLD, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold I come as a theefe in the night, &c. And he gathered them into a place called in the Hebrew tongue, ARMAGEDDON. This, touching the River Euphrates, and the Kings of the Earth, would be a little explained, and then wee ſhall the better underſtand this Armageddon, and the ſuitableneſſe of it to our purpoſe. The ſixt viall (ſaith Mr. Mede) ſhall be poured out upon the great River Euphrates, that being dryed up, a paſſage may be prepared for new Enemies of the Beaſt to come from the Eaſt; that is, for the Iſraelites to bee wonderfully converted to the pure faith, and worſhip of Chriſt, and now ſeekers for the Kingdom promiſed many ages ſince. That I may take theſe Kings to come from the Eaſt to bee the Jewes, two things ſerve for it. Firſt, That this is the laſt viall ſave one; in the time whereof therefore the Jewes muſt be converted, if at all; or elſe muſt be deſtroyed with the reſt of the enemies of Chriſt, among whom they remaine, in that great day of univerſall Revenge and Judgement, which the next viall ſhall bring upon them. (Both which, viz. of non-converſion, or generall deſtruction are flat againſt all the tenour of Scripture.) Secondly, That place of Iſaiah chap. 11. ver. 15, 16. whence this of the ſixt viall is borrowed, moveth mee thereunto. And the Lord will deſtroy (or rather render the Hebrew foreign like as the Lord hath deſtroyed) the tongue of the Egyptian Sea: And (rather ſo) he ſhall lift up his hand upon the river (Targum, the River Euphrates) in the ſtrength of his ſpirit, and ſhall ſmite it in the ſeven ſtreams, ſo that men may paſſe over dry-ſhod. And there ſhall be a way for the remnant of my people, which ſhall be left by the Aſſyrians (a plaine marke Euphrates is underſtood) as it was in that day wherein he aſcended up from the Land of Egypt (a good juſtification of that tranſlation of the words in the firſt clauſe,) Parallel to which place is that of Zech. 10.10, 11. Which the Chalde renders thus foreign &c. i. e. And even as I brought them out of the land of Egypt, ſo will I gather together their captivity from Aſſyria, and I will bring them backe to the land of Gilead and of my ſanctuary, and it ſhall not be ſufficient for them: And miracles, and the marvelous great workes of God ſhall be wrought for them, even as they were wrought for their fathers when they paſſed through the ſea: and they ſhall ſee the vengeance on their enemies, &c. So the Chal. But what ſhal we ſay that Euphrates is, whoſe waters ſhal be dried up? myſtical Babylon ſhal alſo have her Euphrates, as wel as☞ that ancient Babylon, the Turkiſh Empire, which ſhal be the obſtacle of thoſe new enemies from the Eaſt, and on that part the ONLY DEFENCE OF THE BEAST. Neither will ſuch underſtanding of Euphrates be without example of Iſaiah himſelfe, who chap. 8.7. by the like parable of Euphrates, hath expreſſed the Army of the Aſſyrians bordering upon the ſame River. The Lord ſhall bring upon them, or cauſe to come againſt them (that is, againſt the Syrians and the Iſraelites) the waters of THE or THAT River (ſo Euphrates foreign by way of eminency, or emphaſie, is wont to be called) ſtrong and many, the Kings of Aſſyria, and all his glory (Targum, his army) &c. compare Jer. 47.2, 3. Behold waters riſe up out of the North, and ſhall be an overflowing flood, & ſhal overflow the land and all that is therein; the City and them that dwel therein; then the men ſhall cry, and all the Inhabitants of the land ſhal howle, at the noiſe of the ſtamping of the hoofes of his ſtrong horſes, at the ruſhing of his chariots &c. where evidently by the waters of the north are underſtood the Armies of the north. Why therfore ſhould not this Euphrates, of the vials, by the ſame reaſon be underſtood of the Turks; being no leſs borderers upon Euphrates before their over-flowing, then the Aſſyrians, the Inhabitants of the ſame Tract? To this it maketh not a little, that the loſing of that great Army of Horſe-men, long ſtayed at that GREAT RIVER EUPHRATES, Rev. 9.15. ſignifies the Turks thence to over-run the Roman Empire, as the ſeries of the Trumpets, and the apt truth of the matter demonſtrate. Therefore by the ſixt viall this Euphrataean deluge ſhall be dried up: Plainly according to that which is ſaid Revel. chap. 11. that next after that overthrow of the City, which ſhall come to paſſe in a great Earth-quake (agreeing to the fift viall) the ſecond woe ſhall be paſt, that is the plague of the ſixt Trumpet. But by what meanes that's to come to paſſe, and by what Authors, whether by the Jewes themſelves (which haply Ezekiel intimateth chapter 38. and 39.) who ſhall poſſeſſe the holy Land again; or by ſome inteſtine diſcord, fitly to goe before the returne of theſe; or haply both, but in order, and one after another, or by ſome other cauſe, we cannot certainly ſay. What ever it bee, this let being removed, it is ſaid A WAY of going to ſome place, is prepared for theſe new Chriſtians from the Eaſt; and that (as it ſeemeth) to make an expedition againſt the Beaſt; to the ruine of whom, all the Vials ſerve.
From whence otherwiſe, or wherefore, from this drying up, ſhould ſo great a trembling and fear, at an inſtant, aſſail the worſhippers of the Beaſt, yea, even the Devils themſelves, as it ſeemeth; that it ſhould miniſter occaſion for ſo horrible, and unheard-of a preparation for war, as is here deſcribed; unleſs they, with their whole diabolical band, ſhould fear all extremity, by the coming of theſe new Kings of the Eaſt? Now this Armageddon, mentioned in this 16. of Revel. v. 16. (of the Hebrew foreign HAR MEGIDDON, that is, The mountain, mountainous places, or downs, as we ſaid of Megiddon) was the place where good King Joſiah was ſlain, whence Jeremiah takes the riſe and beginning of his Lamentations, as the ante-ſcene to the enſuing captivity, 2 Chro. 35.22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27. Where, though it be written foreign MEGIDDO, yet becauſe in Zach. 12.11. it is written in the Hebrew, as above, viz. foreign HAR MEGIDDON, and ſo in the Greek, even in that 2 Chron. 35.22. foreign, therefore the Apoſtle writes it Armageddon; The mountainous part adjoyning to the valley. By all, Saint John intimating, That God will yet before the ultimate general judgement, give the Churches enemies, as they come forth to oppoſe her, a notable overthrow in ſome notorious eminent place. For it is moſt incongruous with the laſt general judgement, to ſpeak of a particular place wherein the grand enemies of the Church ſhall be deſtroyed for her deliverance; even as it is not diſagreeable to Joels cloſe, who concludes upon that deſtruction at the valley of Jehoſhaphat, that Judah and Jeruſalem may have a quiet and laſting habitation. Thus of the places in Joel.