The Fourteenth Chapter

As c. xiii. described the false Antichrist-church, whose head is the Pope, so here begins the description of the true church contemporary, (made up of” the seed of the woman,” c. xii. 17, persecuted by Satan through Antichrist’s power, during her hiding in the wilderness,) whose head is the Lamb, and whose condition from Antichrist’s time until this day, may be reduced to three heads. 1st, Her state in those darker times of Popery, when she was mingled with Papists, though preserved from much of their idolatrous worship and opinions, for seven centuries from the Pope’s first rising, until the gospel-light bursting forth more clearly, made an open separation between this confused company, v. 1 — 5. 2dly, Her state in three several degrees, rising higher and higher, presented under three several angels; when believers first separated from Rome, and created churches and assemblies by themselves, and preached the gospel, from A.D. 1 100, v. 6 — 13. 3rdly, Her state under the Reformation, since the times of Luther and Calvin, for the last three hundred years, v. 14 — 20.

First, The state of believers mixed up with Antichrist’s company, without any distinct worship, though opposed to his gross idolatries, is set forth characteristically, (v. 1,) as a scattered company of “a hundred forty and four thousand” united to the Lamb, having his Father’s name written on their foreheads, (i.e. professing sincere obedience and worship to the true God,) whilst a world of the rest went “a wondering after the beast,” having received his mark, c. xiii. 3, 17. These, and the Christians in the east under the Mahometan darkness and bondage of the fifth and sixth trumpets, arc set forth by the same number, both being companies of persons singly to be numbered, and scattered up and down, here and there, in the midst of the growing superstitions and corruptions of their two several eastern and western churches, until A.D. 1100. These “stand upon mount Zion” called David’s city, as not yet having a temple, or instituted churches distinct from Antichrist: and though, (v. 3,) “they suny as it were a new song” (the truth of the gospel they believed,) yut so confusedly and indistinctly as that “no man. could learn tlnil sonij” or understand that they differed from them; the other Papists still going on in their old way, while the voices of these were heard secretly “before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders” (the representative chorus, as a standing company viewing all the visions of this book,) but themselves were not cast into such order of worship as to have churches and officers to begin the song, (as the four beasts elsewhere do, the four and twenty elders following,) their voices being sometimes “as the voice of many waters” confusedly murmuring against superstitions daily arising in those times; and” UK the voice, of a great

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610 STATE OF THE CHURCH ON HER FIRST [REV. XIV. 6, 7.

thunder? thundering aloud against setting up of images, A.D. 707, both in France and Germany, and against transubstantiation; and sometimes as “harpers harping with their harps? in sweet melodious strains of true devotion, (which believers, and some writers in those times, were full of:) These kept themselves from the gross idolatries of the whore, being “not defiled with (the rest of those) women? living in the daughter-cities and kingdoms of Home, and allured to her and their spiritual fornication; v. 2, 4. Secondly, Having moulded this and the following chapters, according to the Introduction, the Second Part of my Exposition properly begins here with the story of the church’s first separation from Popery, before the Reformation, v. 6 — 13; the scope of the Holy Ghost to the end of the chapter being only to shew, by what degrees the gospel should break forth, and how churches should at first be erected, and a glorious reformation made; therefore v. 6 — 20, reaches only to the times of that prevailing again of the beast over those churches after this reformation, (‘more fully shewn forth, c. xi.) about the times of the fourth vial executed by” the angel that hath power over fire,” v. 18. Now when the Holy Ghost had here given the story of this first separation and reformation, as sufficient to shew the foundation and progress of this new temple and true church, erected in opposition to the false one; he breaks off, and presents the general and common condition and station of believers in this newly-erected temple-church, separated from the doctrine and worship of the beast; and also shews the judgments to be executed on the false church all that while, until the kingdom of Christ; and this entirely together in one view in c. xv. and xvi. The church’s breaking forth therefore from under Antichrist, and so coming out of Babylon and Egypt, unto Antichrist’s second prevailing in c. xi. hath three degrees orderly set forth, as light increased, from the olden times before Luther. The voice and cry of three angels, (all the great things done in the church and world throughout this book, are still said to be effected by the ministry of angels,) rise higher and higher, and louder and louder, against Antichrist and his company. The FIRST angel,wlao lays the foundation of all, is said to have “the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation and tongue and people? his voice reaching to all, as he is seen “flying in the midst of heaven? and calling on men to worship and “fear God, (and him only,) who made heaven and earth? v. 6, 7: So that the matter of his preaching is the gospel, which brings to light the free-grace of God in Christ for a sinner’s justification, and also the true worship of this God alone, (withdrawing men from idolatry, and false worship of saints and angels, then overwhelming the world;) and because this was then called “The new gospel,” the Holy Ghost in opposition to the calumny, calls it “The everlasting gospel,” which was now restored and brought to

REV. XIV 8. — 12.] SEPARATION FROM ANTICHRIST. 611

light: By the preaching of these two tilings, the foundation of the whole separation from the Pope that followed, was first laid. Now this first angel’s ministry is a lively description of the first proceedings of Waldus and his followers, who first began to separate from Popish doctrine and worship. He was an alderman of Lyons, in France, and about A.D. 1100, being converted on occasion of the sudden death of a friend, as they were walking together, (which mightily terrifying and amazing him, was a means of humbling him and bringing him to Christ,) he fell a preaching in that city, and converted many others to the saving knowledge of Christ. Being also a learned man he opened the scriptures, and turned them into vulgar French; and thinking it his duty, with his followers, like the apostles to preach the gospel to others also, some of their company went preaching abroad, but were prohibited by the Pope as being lay-men: but they, affirming “That it is better to obey God than men,” and that it was also an article of their faith, “That it is lawful for any man to preach the gospel,” went on their begun course amidst persecutions. Now as it was an occasion of further spreading the gospel to other nations, when persecution arose on the death of Stephen, and after the dispersion of the church of Jerusalem; thus Waldus, being excommunicated, came into Picardy, and so into the low countries, where he made many disciples, and then went into Germany, and last of all into Bohemia; and his followers were dispersed into Savoy, Lombardy, and the countries on this side of the Alps; and Arnoldus his companion went into Spain. “These Waldenses, (says Poplinerius, the historian,) maugre the power of all Christian princes, about A.D. 1100, did broach a doctrine little differing from what the Protestants now hold; and not only dispersed it through France, but over all the parts of Europe: “Thus they professedly” preached to all nations” the only gospel-doctrine which can draw men from, idolatry to worship God aright, as in v. 7: see the English history of the Waldenses, and Bishop Usher’s book “De Successione Ecclesia.” In an age or two following, their number increasing in all kingdoms, and their light growing clearer, there follows out of this company, (v. 8,) The SECOND angel, with open mouth proclaiming, That Rome was Babylon, and the Pope that beast and Antichrist described in the Revelation, and ordained to ruin: but Waldus at first merely muttered, That the Pope was only equal to all other bishops; his followers in the next ages asserting, That the church of Rome was the whore of Babylon, and making this au eminent article of their confession. But Wickliffe and his follow ers, about A.D. 1371, in England, and John Huss and Jerome of Prague, A.D. 1400, more fully exposed Rome and the Pope: whereupon appears The THIRD angel, (v. 9 — 12,) vehementer still: for Luther and his followers avowed, That all who cleave to the doctrine and superstition of Rome,” shall drink of the icraUi of

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612 STATE OF THE CHURCH [REV. XIV. 13. — 16.

God for ever” and be certainly damned and go to hell; for that her worship being “the image of the beast,’’ was so manifestly a lie, that under the clear light of the gospel in that age held forth, it could never stand with salvation to live therein: and thus he urged a separation from Rome under pain of damnation. In v. 12, 13, an intimation hereupon follows, (and that once for all,) concerning those martyrdoms and bloody persecutions of all the three angels and their followers, as the effect of their preaching, and as a trial of the truth of their doctrine, and of their own sincerity: “Here is (matter for the trial of) the patience of the saints” who are comforted by this encouraging acclamation, “Blessed are those that die in the Lord.” The book of Martyrs informs us what persecutions were raised upon the preaching of all these angels, (the church in the dark times of Popery, for eight centuries before, back to the times of the Pagan and Arian persecutions, having been unmolested;) whence followed the martyrdoms of the followers of Waldus, Wickliffe, Huss, and Luther, and of those that embraced their doctrine, especially upon and after this third angel’s preaching.

Thirdly, The state of the church at the time of the Reformation, since Luther, Calvin, &c. is presented under the double vision of a harvest, and of a vintage used to come after harvesting. The harvest betokens that glorious peace and sunshine of the gospel, following the persecutions in Germany, England, &c. for more than sixty years, v. 14 — 16. The conversion and gathering in of the elect by preaching, is called a harvesting of souls; as in Isa.xxvii. 12. 13, (compare John iv. 35 — 39,) where God threshes the corn growing by the shores, so clean as to be gatherered singly, not leaving one grain of the election, nor one car unreaped: and what glorious harvest-summers of grace has Great Britain had since the third angel’s gospel-voice, under the authority of kings and magistrates! Here the sickle-bearing reaper is represented “with a golden crown;” Christ “the Son of man” being visibly set in the throne, ruling Christian magistrates who use their influences for him: the like expressions are found when the emperors turned Christians; see c. vi. 2, with xii. 5. The Vintage, (v. 17 — 20,) after the harvest of the Reformation, at the end of summer, shuts up the story of the two visions; wherein after the gathering in of the corn, God falls upon the wild grapes and cuts them down with the sharp sickle of vengeance, casting them into “the wine-press of God’s wrath:” These arc carnal Protestants who have enjoyed the heat of this fair long summer, and hung like grapes in the sun; but retaining their sourness, have been ripened only for wrath and vengeance. This sharp sickle hath gone up and down in Germany for well nigh twenty years, from A.D. 1620, followed by such a wine-press of pure wrath, and such a treading down to such an overflow of blood and misery, as hath scarce been parallelled in any age; for it is “the vengeance of the temple” de-REV. 14. 17 — 20.] UNDER THE REFORMATION. 613

filed by a profane mixture, whereunto her executioner is provoked by the cries of “an angel that came from the altar,” zealous for the ordinances of God’s worship; and as indignant that his temple and altar should be pestered and defiled with such as call them selves the church, (saying, “The temple of the Lord,” &c. and so causing God’s name to be blasphemed,) as that idol-Papists (called Gentiles, c. xi. 1,) should tread down his holy city and sanctuary; for all are as bad as Gentiles “who say they are Jews and are not, but do lie,” c. iii. 9. Now that the vengeance here should be meant of this execution of it upon the Protestant party, (or enemies within the church,) seems evident from its wine-press being trodden “without the city,” or jurisdiction of Rome; and from its being mentioned apart from the vials on the Turkish and Popish party, that follow: and although, so far as there hath befallen, (through the German wars,) a plague on the Popish party, (the emperor and these Popish princes under him,) this wrath is to be reduced to one of the vials containing all the last plagues on the Papacy, specially the fourth; yet so far as these wars have brought miseries and desolation on the Protestant party, it is represented by this vintage: and therefore it is the angel “who had power overjire” (as the angel of the waters hath the third vial,) because he hath power “to scorch men with fire,” (c. xvi. 5 — 8,) it is he incites this angel here to cut down these grapes with his sharp sickle, and tread them: So that this vintage though contemporaneous, is a distinct execution from that of the fourth vial: these wars so far as they hurt the Popish party, being the fourth vial, and so far as they hurt the Protestant party, they are the famous vintage here meant, (as in Isa. lxiii. 1,) trodden by the famous German war-horses: and the “thousand six. hundred furlongs” may agree with the dimensions of the chief seat of these wars in the Protestant part of Germany: But God may bring this wine-press into other vineyards, as England, Scotland,&c. treading down our grapes, or theirs, by bloody wars, keeping still to the same proportion of furlongs, (as Brightman reckons the length of England,) and fulfilling it over and over in other several Protestant kingdoms and dominions: only this may be more confidently affirmed, That the rest of those carnal Protestants in England, and other places, shall yet, before the expiration of the beast’s kingdom and “number,” be more or less given up to the Papists, and to the jurisdiction of Rome; being trodden down and made to vail to them, if not all of them by bloody wars and conquests, yet by some base and unworthy yielding to them, as a just punishment of their carnal profession of the gospel: This we see they begin to do in England, as foretold, c. xi. 1; which chapter being a fore-running signal of the beast’s ruin, and the now approaching expiration of his twelve hundred and sixty years’ reign, presents the state of the church just before; and the setting down what should befall it, c. xi. 7 — 13, must belong to these

614 THE SEVEN ANGELS [REV. XV. 1.

times, as to be subjoined to this fourteenth chapter, (though coming in there as a common signal of the ending of both prophecies, and therefore standing between both,) to make the story of the church complete: and this I shall handle after opening the meaning of the first four vials especially, which though for order put by the Holy Ghost with the rest, (as in this book things of a sort use to be,) after this chapter; yet they have been a pouring forth upon the beast and his company, from that first preaching of the gospel until now: and these vials I would open before c. xi. as synchronizing with this chapter, and because four vials are poured out, (c. xi.) before the slaying of the witnesses; which cannot be understood till these be first explained.