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'fhouldeft give reward unto thy fervants the prophets, and to the faints, and to them that fear thy name, and to small and great, and fhouldeft deftroy them which deftroy the earth.' Rev. xi. 18.

Now he mentioneth the wrath and vengeance which is to be poured forth upon 'all the wicked at the last day, and also the reward of the godly. For whereas he faith, The Gentiles were angry, and thy • wrath is come, and the time of the dead, 'that they should be judged:' the fense and meaning is, that all the profane enemies of the church, which had their time in which they were angry with God's people, and in their wrath did afflict and vex them very fore, fhould now be judged and condemned in God's wrath: for now the day of his wrath and vengeance is come, wherein he will deftroy them that destroyed the earth,. and feemed to carry all before them; and where also he will give a full recompence of reward to all his faithful worshippers, both small and great, both preachers and profeffors of his gofpel.

Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was feen in the temple the ark of his covenant, and there was lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and earthquakes, and much hail.' Rev. xi. 19.

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This is a further amplification of that which is fet down in this former verfe. For now he faith, that the temple of God 'fhould be opened in heaven:' that is, an open door and paffage fhould be made through Chrift, for all the elect to enter into God's everlasting kingdom, and reign ́ with him and his angels for evermore. By

the ark of the covenant,' is meant Chrift, who is faid here to be feen in the temple, or kingdom of glory, because through his mediation only (in whom the covenant of peace is established with his church), the twenty-four elders are made partakers of their crowns, and enter in, with him and his angels into the everlafting temple made without hands, and eternal in the heavens. But on the contrary, here is faid, that there were lightnings, thunderings,' &c. that is, moft horrible vengeance and wrath poured down upon all reprobates in hellfire for evermore. For when it fhall be faid to all the faithful, Come ye bleffed,' &c. then alfo fhall it be faid unto all unbelievers, Go ye curfed into hell-fire,' &c.

Now for warrant of this expofition of the last verse, that the temple in heaven is to be understood of the kingdom of glory, look Rev. xv. 5, 6, 8.-xvi. 1. The rea fon hereof is, that as the doors of the tem ple of Jerufalem being fet open, God's.

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people entered in and worfhipped: fo the everlafting gates of the new Jerufalem, and celeftial temple being fet open by Christ, all the elect do enter in and worship God without wearinefs, even as the angels, for

evermore.

The ark of the covenant is taken for Christ, 2 Sam. vi. 2. Pfal. lxxviii. 61, 62. This ark of the covenant, that is Chrift, ishere feen in the temple, because Chrift hath already taken poffeffion of heaven as mediator and head of the church, and now doth fet open the kingdom of heaven to all believers, that through him they may have free accefs thereunto, as it is written, that through him only we have an entrance` unto the Father,' Eph. ii. 28.

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That by thunderings and lightnings, earthquakes and hail,' is meant that horrible vengeance and wrath which is poured forth upon all the ungodly, Pfalm xi. 6.-— Let this briefly fuffice to fatisfy the confcience of the reader. And thus much concerning the fecond vifion contained in thefe eight chapters going before: wherein we have heard all things expounded that do belong unto the opening of the feven feals, and the blowing of the feven trumpets, that is, all notable things which were to fall out from the apoftles times unto the end of the whole world.

Now

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OW having finished the second vifion, we are come unto the third, contained in all the chapters following, even unto the end of this book. Wherein divers things which were obfcurely and darkly fet down in the former vifion, are more plainly opened and expounded: fo that this third vifion is as it were a commentary or more clear expofition of fundry things contained in the fecond vifion. But efpecially of the perfecuting Roman empire mentioned in the opening of the fecond feal, and alfo of the Papacy mentioned at the blowing of the first trumpet. But the general fum of this third vifion is a lively pointing out of the malignant church, and the great upholders thereof, the devil, the Roman emperor and the Pope. It fheweth alfo the rifing and falling of the Roman empire, the rifing and falling of Papacy. It fheweth alfo the utter overthrow of both together, with the eternal condemnation of the devil which fet them all a-work to fight against the church. Laft of all, it fheweth the eternal felicity of the church, and the inconceivable happiness of all God's chofen in the heavens for evermore. The princi ple aim of this twelfth chapter is to fet forth the nature of the true, vifible, and mili

tant church here on earth, whose head is Chrift Jefus; and alfo the falfe malignant church, whofe head is the devil; together with the continual enmity and war which is always betwixt them.

This chapter may very fitly be divided into five parts:

First, A defcription of the church. Secondly, A defcription of the devil, the church's enemy.

Thirdly, Containing the church's battle with the devil, and her victory.

Fourthly, Shewing the joy and triumphs of the godly in the church's victory over Satani

Fifthly, Shewing the fury and malice of Satan, who, although he was foiled in battle by the church, yet would not give over, but continued perfecuting the church in her members, and making war against the remnant of her feed.

"And there appeared a great wonder in heaven: A woman clothed with the fun, and the moon was under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.' Rev. xii. 1.

First, The Holy Ghoft calleth the matters of this chapter a great wonder, to stir us up to attention; for men are much moved with wonders: and a wonder indeed it is in the literal fenfe, to fee a woman

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