456 The Lamb is represented as standing on mount Sion; SECT. they are also foretold, will be fulfilled with the like punctuality. xvi. And O, may the church of God be secured from their artifices, and fortified against their terrors; and in his own due time, may 13, 14 he break the jaw bone of the wicked! May he utterly disarm all verse the power and policy of those who take counsel together against 12 the Lord and his anointed; and though their confederacies may seem to mock all human opposition, yet, at his appearance, they shall melt away as snow before the sun, when the time to remem. ber Sion, yea, the set time is come. (Psal. cii. 13.) SECT. xvii. Rev. SECT. XVII. The vision of the Lamb standing upon mount Sion, surrounded with those whom he had redeemed; and of several mighty angels, proclaiming his vengeance upon the beast, and upon those that wor ship him. Rev. XIV. throughout. AND, REVELATION XIV. 1. Rev. XIV. 1. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, while these terrible objects were be- And lo, a Lamb fore me, I looked, and beheld another ob- stood on the mount ject, which animated my heart under the alarm Sion, and with him xiv. 1 and distress they gave me : for behold, the Lamb an hundred forty and four thousand, havwas standing upon mount Sion, which was rep- ing his Father's resented to me also in my vision, as the place name written in on which the temple, that had been opened in their foreheads. heaven stood; and with him were one hundred forty four thousand, who, in opposition to the name of the beast, which was so rigorously imposed, and by many received with so base a submission, had the name of God his Father written on their foreheads, in token of their inviolable submission, and entire dedication to 2 him. And I heard a voice out of heaven, which as the voice of many was loud as the sound of many waters, when waters, and as the tossing themselves in the ocean, and like the voice of a great sound of great thunder; and, loud and awful as heard the voice of it was, it was accompanied with a most de- harpers harping with lightful harmony; for I heard the voice of harp. their harps 3 And they sung ers playing upon their harps, aiding their in- as it were a new struments with the melody of their voices. song before the 3 And they sung, as it were, a new song, before the throne, and before throne, and before the four living creatures, and the four beasts, and, the twenty four elders, who in this vision still man could learn that appeared to be present; and none could learn song, but the hunthe song, unless the one hundred and forty four dred and forty and four thousand, which thousand, who are redeemed from the earth, and were redeemed from are as representatives of the whole body of the the earth. thunder: and I the elders; and no Surrounded with the redeemed. 457 4 These are they redeemed. These are pure and unspotted SECT. which were not defil- souls, free from the idolatries and other abomi- xvii. ed with women; for they are virgins: nations which have been so prevalent in the Rev. these are they which age in which they live; or, to speak in the pro- xiv. 4 follow the Lamb phetic language, these are they who have not whithersoever he and to the Lamb. goeth these were been polluted with women: for they are chaste redeemed from a- virgins: these are they who follow the Lamb mong men, being the whither soever he goeth; and, having humbly first fruits unto God, traced his footsteps upon earth, shall be led by him to the possession of various and ever new delights in the celestial world. These are they, who were redeemed from among men, [as] the first fruits, consecrated to God, and to the Lamb; most excellent in their kind, and separate from every unclean or profane use, to the immediate honour of God, and of their 5 And in their Redeemer.b And no deceit, or evil of any 5 mouth was found no kind, was found in their mouth, for they are enguile for they are without fault before tirely blameless before the throne of God, and exthe throne of God, alted to that world, where he reigns in perfect purity, as well as Divine glory, nor can any midst of heaven, on the earth, and to And 7 thing unclean be admitted in his presence. 6 And I saw an- And I saw another glorious angel, flying with 6 other angel fly in the strength and rapidity, through the midst of having the everlast. heaven, having in his hand the volume of a - ing gospel to preach book, which he displayed, as with an air of unto them that dwell complacency and triumph, even the everlastevery nation, and ing gospel, to preach to the inhabitants of the kindred, and tongue, earth, even to every nation, and tribe, and tongue, and people, and people, dispersed over the world. 7 Saying, with a as he passed, I heard him making proclamaloud voice, Fear God, and give glory tion of its important contents, and saying with to him, for the hour a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him, of his judgment is with becoming reverence and submission, come and worship him that made heav- for the hour of his judgment is come, when he en and earth, and the shall execute vengeance on his enemies, sea, and the fountains and worship him who made heaven and earth, and sea, and the limpid fountains of waters, which are derived from it, and flow back of waters. They are virgins.] This probably signifies their freedom from idolatry, which is, in a spiritual sense, fornication; nor can it, with any reason, be urged against marriage. First fruits, most excellent in their kind, &c. That the Jewish first fruits had this property, will appear from comparing the following texts relating to them; с Deut. xviii. 4; Exod. xxii. 29; Numb. xviii. 12; Micah vii. 1. Compare James i. 18. Angel flying, &c.] The flight of ar angel admirably represents the swiftness o that progress by which the gospel dispersed itself over the whole world, as Archbish op Tillotson well observes. See his Works, Vol. II. p. 144. 458 Rev. 8 An angel denounces the fall of Babylon. SECT. into it. And another great angel followed him, 8 And there fol xvii. crying out, as with the voice of exultation and lowed another angel, triumph, saying, It is fallen, it is fallen, [even] saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that iv. Babylon, the great city, a city famous as Baby- great city, because lon of old, when it was at the height of its she made all nations power and glory: God in his righteous ven- drink of the wine of geance, hath brought it down, because it made the wrath of her for all the nations drink of the wine of its raging fornication, till they were stimulated thereby to nication. the most scandalous and furious excesses. 9 And the third an. 9 And a third angel followed them both, saying gel followed them, with a loud voice, If any one, how strong soever saying with a loud voice, if any man the temptation may have been, worship the worship the beast beast, and his image, and receive the mark on his and his image, and forehead, or on his hand, if he subject himself receive his mark in to this wicked and idolatrous form of religion, his hand, his forehead, or in and obstinately persist in it, notwithstanding 10 The same shall the light which God is giving to discover its drink of the wine of 10 errors and superstitions; He also shall, him- the wrath of God, which is poured out self, drink of the wine of the indignation of God, without mixture inwhich is tempered with various ingredients of to the cup of his inwrath, without any mixture of mercy, in the cup dignation; and he shall be tormented of his wrath; and he shall be tormented with fire with fire and brimand brimstone, in the day of God's future ven- stone, in the presgeance, in the presence of the holy angels, and ence of the holy anin the presence of the Lamb, whose religion has gels, and in the presso shamefully been perverted and dishonoured, 11 And the smoke even by those, who pretend entirely to have of their torment as11 engrossed it : And the smoke of their torment cendeth up for ever and ever and they ascendeth for ever and ever, without any period; have no rest day nor and they have no rest day nor night, who wor- night, who worship ship the beast and his image, and whoever, the beast and his image, and whosoin contempt of the authority and testimony ever receiveth the of God, receive the mark of his name, as mark of his name. • Presence of the holy angels.] From hence Mr. Reynolds conjectures, that possibly the torments of the damned may, at certain seasons, through eternal ages, become a spectacle to the inhabitants of the blessed world above. See his Queries concerning angels, p. 305. Presence of the Lamb.] This signifies, (as Dr. Clarke well observes,) that it shall not only be appointed by the infinite Majesty of God, the righteous Judge of all, but approved moreover by men and angels, and by him also, who loved us unto ence of the Lamb; death, even Christ, that merciful and compassionate High Priest. Clarke's Posth. Serm. Vol. I. p. 341. 8 The smoke of their torment-who wor ship the beast, &c.] When I seriously reflect on this text, and how directly the force of it lies against those, who, contrary to the light of their consciences, continue in the communion of the church of Rome, for secular advantage, or to avoid the terror of persecution, it almost makes me tremble; and I heartily wish, that all others, who connive at those things in the discipline and worship of protestant churches, which they, in their conscience, They who die in the Lord are blessed. 459 the badge of their devotedness to him. In SECT. the mean time, these deceivers shall have xvii. their day, when all the terrors of secular pow- Rev. er shall enforce their impious and iniquitous xiv. 12 Here is the pa- decrees. And here is the patience of the 12 tience of the saints: saints; here [are] the triumphs of those who here are they that keep the commaud- keep the commandments of God, and the faith of ments of God, and Jesus, and are determined to maintain the puthe faith of Jesus. rity of the gospel amidst these formidable ef13 And I heard a forts to corrupt it. And I heard a voice from 13 voice from heaven, heaven saying to me, Write this for the inWrite, Blessed are struction of mankind in the most distant ages: the dead which die henceforth blessed [are] the dead, that die in in the Lord, from the Lord: so numerous, and so. various are henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that the calamities which persecuting powers shall they may rest from bring upon the saints, that there is abundant their labours, and reason to congratulate those who are taken out their works do fol- of this vexatious, oppressive, and afflictive saying unto me, low them. world, whether by a natural, or by a violent are said to follow with them, per aulav, not to come many thousand years after them. Die in the Lord.] Archbishop Tillotson interprets this chiefly of those who die martyrs in the cause of Christ; who, no doubt, are included. But I think the phrase more extensive. There is, perhaps, an allusion to the words of Solomon, Eccl. iv. 2, I praised the dead already dead, rather than the living, yet alive, in time of extreme degeneracy, and bitter persecution. See his Works, Vol II. page 183. Bishop Burnet, (on the Articles, p. 200,) and many other protestant writers, have justly urged this text, as demonstrative against the popish doctrine of purgatory. 460 xvii. Rev. One with a sharp sickle reaps the earth. SECT. And I saw, and behold, another remarkable 14 And I looked, appearance offered itself to my view; a white and behold, a white cloud; and upon the cloud, shining with wonderful lustre and beauty; cloud one sat like unxiv. and on the cloud one sitting, who seemed by to the Son of man, 14 the majesty of his form, to be like the Son of having on his head man, as represented in Daniel; having on his a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp head a golden crown, and in his hand, instead sickle. of a sceptre, a sharp sickle: so that he seemed to be going forth, as to some wonderful har on the earth; and 17 And another angel came out of 15 vest. And as soon as I had viewed him, 15 And another another angel came out of the temple of God, angel came out of crying, with a loud voice, to him that sate upon with a loud voice to the temple, crying the cloud, Put forth thy sickle, and reap, for the him that sat on the season of thy reaping is come, because the har- cloud, Thrust in thy vest of the earth is now fully ripe. (Compare sickle, and reap: for Joel iii. 13.) Execute therefore this judg- thee to reap; for the ment, O thou mighty Messenger of God, harvest of the earth which the wickedness of the world hath right- is ripe. 16 eously deserved. And, accordingly, he that 16 And he that sate upon the cloud, put forth his sickle on the sat on the cloud earth, with strength and rapidity; and the har- thrust in his sickle vest of the earth was presently reaped; signi- the earth was reapfying, that the execution of the threatened ed. vengeance should be very speedy. But it seemed that the vintage yet remained to be 17 gathered in. And, in reference to this, another angel came out of the temple, that was in the temple which is heaven; and he also was armed as the other, in heaven, he also like the Son of man, and had a sharp sickle in having a sharp sic18 his hand. And another angel, just at that in- 18 And another stant, came from the altar, having, as it seemed, angel came out from power over the fire of it; and he called out the altar, which had with a great cry to him who had the sharp sickle, cried with a loud power over fire; and saying, Put forth thy sharp sickle, and lop off cry to him that had the clusters of the vine, which grows upon, and the sharpsickle, say extends itself almost over the earth, for its ing, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and grapes are ripe; and the persons represented gather the clusters by it have so abused the Divine long suffer- of the vine of the ing, that it is proper the season of their de- earth; for her grapes 19 struction should commence. And accord are fully ripe. 19 And the angel ingly the angel, with celerity and vigour, thrust in his sickle, thrust ut his sickle upon the earth, and lop into the earth, and ped off the grapes from the vine of the earth; the earth, and cast it gathered the vine of and he threw [them] into the great wine press into the great wine of the wrath of God, which seemed to stand press of the wrath of 20 ready to receive them. And the wine press God. [which stood] out of the city, was trodden with great violence: and the blood of the without the city, and kle. 20 And the wine press was trodden |