511 The Lamb is represented as standing on mount Sion ; all human opposition, yet at his appearance, they shall melt away SECT. as snow before the sun, when the time to remember Sion, yea, the set time is come. (Psal. cii. 13.) xvi. 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 worship him. Rev. XIV. 1, throughout. REV. XIV. 1. AND I looked, and on the mount Sion, and forcheads. the voice of many wa REVELATION XIV. 1. And 12 SECT. Rev. XIV. 1. lo, a Lamb stood AND, while these terrible objects were be- xvii. fore me, I looked, and beheld another ob with him an hundred ject, which animated my heart under the alarm forty and four thousand, and distress they gave me for behold, the Lamb having his Father's name written in their was standing upon mount Sion, which was represented to me also in my vision, as the place on which the temple, that had been opened in 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 subAnd I heard a mission, and entire dedication to him. voice from heaven, as heard a voice out of heaven, which was loud as the ters, and as the voice sound of many waters, when tossing themselves of a great thunder; and in the ocean, and like the sound of great thunI heard the voice of der; and, loud and awful as it was, it was acharpers harping with their harps: companied with a most delightful harmony; for I heard the voice of harpers playing upon their harps, aiding their instruments with the 3 And they sung as melody of their voices. And they sung, as it 3 fore the throne, and were, a new song, before the throne, and before before the four beasts, the four living creatures, and the twenty-four and the elders: and no elders, who in this vision still appeared to be song, but the hundred present; and none could learn the song, unless and forty and four thou- the one hundred and forty-four thousand, who sand, which were re- are redeemed from the earth, and are as repredeemed from the earth. sentatives of the whole body of the redeemed. 4 These are they These are pure and unspotted souls, free from 4 which were not defiled the idolatries and other abominations which with women; for they have been so prevalent in the age in which they are virgins: these are they live; or to speak in the prophetic language, these are they who have not been polluted with it were a new song be inan could learn that women: 512 xvii. Rev. Surrounded with the redeemed. be goeth: these were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God, and to the Lamb. Lamb whithersoever SECT. women: for they are chaste virgins: these are they which follow the they who follow the Lamb whithersoever he go eth; and having humbly traced his footsteps XIV. 4. 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 ho5 nour of God, and of their Redeemer. And 5 And in their no deceit, or evil of any kind, was found in their mouth was found no guile for they are mouth, for they are entirely blameless before the without fault before throne of God, and exalted to that world, where the throne of God. he reigns in perfect purity, as well as Divine glory, nor can any thing unclean be admitted in his presence. 6 € And I saw another kindred, and tongue, and people. to every nation, and 7 Saying, with a loud voice, Fear God, and worship him that made And I saw another glorious angel, flying with strength and rapidity, through the midst of hea- angel fly in the midst ven, having in his hand the volume of a book, everlasting gospel to of heaven, having the which he displayed, as with an air of compla- preach unto them that cency and triumph, even the everlasting gospel, dwell on the earth, and to preach to the inhabitants of the earth, even to every nation, and tribe, and tongue, and people, 7 dispersed over the world. And as he passed, I heard him making proclamation of its import- give glory to him, for ant contents, and saying with a loud voice, Fear the hour of his judg God, and give glory to him, with becoming re- ment is come: and verence and submission, for the hour of his judg- heaven and earth, and ment his come, when he shall execute vengeance the sea, and the fouron his enemies, and worship him who made hea- tains of waters. ven and earth, and sea, and the limpid fountains of waters, which are derived from it, and flow 8 back into it. And another great angel followed him, crying out, as with the voice of exulta- ing, Babylon is fallen, tion and triumph, saying, It is fallen, it is is fallen, that great cifallen, [even] Babylon, the great city, a city ty, because she made famous as Babylon of old, when it was at the all nations drink of the height of its power and glory. God in his righteous vengeance hath brought it down, because it made all the nations drink of the wine of its a 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. b 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; raging 8 And there followed another angel, say Deut. xviii. 4; Exod. i. 18. wine xxii. 29; Numb. Compare James her fornication. 9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive kis mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the wrath of God, An angel denounces the fall of Babylon. 513 xvii. wine of the wrath of raging fornication, till they were stimulated SECT. thereby to the most scandalous and furious excesses. And a third angel followed them both, Rev. saying, with a loud voice, If any one, how strong XIV. 9. soever the temptation may have been, worship the beast, and his image, and receive the mark on his forehead, or on his hand; if he subject himself to this wicked and idolatrous form of religion, and obstinately persist in it, notwithstanding the light which God is giving to dis10 The same shall cover its errors and superstition; He also 10 drink of the wine of shall himself, drink of the wine of the indignawhich is poured out tion of God, which is tempered with various inwithout mixture into gredients of wrath, without any mixture of merthe cup of his indignation; and he shall be cy, in the cup of his wrath; and he shall be tortormented with fire mented with fire and brimstone, in the day and brimstone, in the of God's future vengeance, in the presence presence of the holy of the holy angels and in the presence of the angels, and in the pre- Lamb; whose religion has so shamefully been perverted and dishonoured, even by those who 11 And the smoke pretend entirely to have engrossed it: And the 11 of their torment as smoke of their torment ascendeth for ever and ever, and ever; and they without any period; and they have no rest day have no rest day nor nor night, who worship the beast and his image, night, who worship the and whoever, in contempt of the authority and testimony of God, receive the mark of his name, as the badge of their devotedness to him. In the mean time, these deceivers shall have their day, when all the terrors of secular power shall inforce their impious and iniquitous decrees. And here is the patience of the saints; here [are] 12 the triumphs of those who keep the command sence of the Lamb; cendeth up for ever beast and his image, and whosoever receiv. eth the mark of his name. 12 Here is the patience of the saints: here d On his hand.] note m. are Compare sect. xvi, e 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. f 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 death, even Christ, that merciful and compassionate High-Priest. Clarke's Posth. Serm. Vol. I. p. 341. g The smoke of their torment-who wor ship the beast, &c.] When I seriously re ments flect on this text, and how directly the h Hence 514 - Rev. They who die in the Lord are blessed. are they that keep the God, and the faith of Jesus. commandments of 13 And I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, saith the Spirit, that from henceforth: Yea, SECT. ments of God, and the faith of Jesus, and are dexvii. termined to maintain the purity of the gospel amidst these formidable efforts to corrupt it. XIV. 13. And I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, Write this for the instruction of mankind in the most distant ages: henceforth blessed [are] the dead, that die in the Lord: so numerous, and so various are the calamities which the persecuting powers shall bring upon the saints, that there is they may rest from abundant reason to congratulate those who are their labours, and their taken out of this vexatious, oppressive, and af- works do follow them. flictive world, whether by a natural, or by a violent death: yea, saith the Spirit, by whose inspiration and command I recorded it, they are assuredly blessed; for they are removed, that they may for ever rest from their labours, and their sorrows; and their works of piety and goodness, though so ill requited here, shall not be forgotten, but shall follow them into the presence of God, shall be acknowledged there in the most condescending manner, and through the riches of Divine mercy, recompensed with eternal glory. Accordingly, let this remembrance of their faith and patience, in connection with this transcendent reward, encourage and animate their surviving brethren to imitate their examples. 14 And I looked, and behold, a white cloud; sat like unto the Son of man, having on his and in his hand a sharp sickle. and upon the cloud one head a golden crown, 14 And I saw, and behold, another remarkable appearance offered itself to my view; a white cloud, shining with wonderful lustre and beauty; and on the cloud one sitting, who seemed by the majesty of his form, to be like the Son of man, as represented in Daniel; having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand, instead of a sceptre, a sharp sickle: so that he seemed to be going forth, as to some wonderful harvest. 15 And as soon as I had viewed him, another angel came out of the temple of God, crying, with a temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sate upon the cloud, Put loud voice to him that forth thy sickle, and reap, for the season of thy sat on the cloud, Thrust reaping 15 And another angel came out of the in 'h Henceforth.] The learned Witsins doubt, are included. But I think the i Die in the Lord.] Archbishop Tillotson interprets this chiefly of those who die martyrs in the cause of Christ; who, no in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for harvest of the earth is thee to reap; for the ripe. One with a sharp sickle reaps the earth. 515 reaping is come because the harvest of the earth SECT. Rev. is now fully ripe. (Compare Joel iii. 13,) Ex- xvii. ecute therefore this judgment, O thou mighty Messenger of God, which the wickedness of the XIV.15. 16 And he that sat world hath righteously deserved. And, ac- 16 in his sickle on the cordingly, he that sate upon the cloud, put forth earth; and the earth his sickle on the earth, with strength and rapidiwas reaped. on the cloud thrust in 17 And another angel came out of the heaven, he also having temple which is in a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the ty; and the harvest of the earth was presently reaped; signifying, that the execution of the threatened vengeance should be very speedy. But it seemed that the vintage yet remained to be gathered in. And, in reference to this, 17 another angel came out of the temple, that was in heaven: and he also was armed as the other, like the Son of man, and had a sharp sickle in his hand. And another angel, just at that in- 18 altar, which had pow- stant, came from the altar, having, as it seemed, er over fire; and cri- power over the fire of it; and he called out ed with a loud cry to with a great cry to him who had the sharp sickle, sickle, saying, Thrust saying, Put forth thy sharp sickle, and lop off the in thy sharp sickle, and clusters of the vine, which grows upon, and exgather the clusters of tends itself almost over the earth, for its grapes for her grapes are fully are ripe; and the persons represented by it have ripe. so abused the Divine long suffering, that it is proper the season of their destruction should 19 And the angel commence. And accordingly the angel, with 19 into the earth, and ga- celerity and vigour, thrust out his sickle upon the thered the vine of the earth, and lopped off the grapes from the vine of earth, and cast it into the earth; and he threw [them] into the great the wrath of God. wine-press, of the wrath of God, which seemed him that had the sharp the vine of the earth; thrust in his sickle, the great wine-press of the space of a thousand 20 And the wine- to stand ready to receive them. And the 20 press was trodden with wine-press [which stood out of the city, was out the city, and blood came out of the trodden with great violence; and the blood of the wine-press, even upto grape, which I knew betokened the blood of the horses bridles, by those who were enemies to God and his people, and six hundred fur- came out of the wine-press in such abundance, that it made a kind of inundation, like a vast river, or sea, and reached up even to the bridles of the horses, which attempted to pass the channel through which it flowed, at the distance of one thousand six hundred furlongs *. In such an amazing. longs. k One thousand six hundred furlongs.] As a furlong is one eight of a mile, this would amount to 200 miles. This representation, like the dimensions of that temple, which Ezekiel saw, may seem extravagantly large, and such as the eye, in Vision could not possibly judge of. VOL. X. I look upon it, therefore, as only an hyperbolical expression, to signify its exceeding greatness; unless possibly it may point out the dimension of that country over which the judgment should extend, which is here prophetically referred to. Though perhaps it may only intimate in general 3 T that |