The Pouring Out of the Seven Vials

p. 1Viall I. The powring out of the SEVEN VIALS: OR AN EXPOSITION, with an Application, of the 16th. Chapter of the REVELATION.

And J heard a great voyce out of the Temple, saying to the Seven Angels; Goe your wayes, and poure out the Vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.

And the first went and poured out his Viall upon the Earth, and there fell a noysome, and grievous sore upon the men which had the Marke of the Beast, and upon them which Worshipped the Image.

YOu have heard in the former Chapter, of the Preparation of the Seven Angels, to poure out the seven last Plagues of God upon the Antichristian State. In this Chapter, you read a large Description of their Execution of that worke, which is,

First, Commanded, Verse 1.

p. 2Secondly, Performed, in the sequell of the Chapter.

Commanded, wherein observe that Commandement set forth, First, by the Jnstrumentall efficient Promulger of it, a great voice [I heard a great Voice.]

Secondly, By the Subject-place, whence this Voice came forth, out of the Temple. [A great voice out of the Temple]

Thirdly, By the matter commanded by the voice, [Goe your waies and poure out the Vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.]

This Commandement thus given, was accordingly performed by all the seven Angels, in this whole Chapter.

The first Angel poureth out his Viall, ver 2. and that is, first set forth by the subject upon which he poured it, [upon the earth.]

Secondly, It is amplified by the effect it wrought [There fell a noysome and grievous sore upon the men] What men? They are of two sorts:

First [Such as had the Marke of the Breast.]

Secondly, [Such as worshipped his Image.]

The words are somewhat darke, and there is much variety in the Interpretation of them: I shall shortly open to you, what (by the comparing of this, and other Scriptures together) I take to be the meaning of the Words.

First, when he saith [I heard a great voice] It is a voice of Authority, and Power. And whose can that be, but his, that hath power over all these Plagues, even God himselfe, and the Lord Iesus Christ, who also have power in the Temple: It is not the voyce of one of the foure Beasts, the Officers of the Church alone, but a further power doth concur with this voice, such as carried Majestie, and authority with it.

p. 2Secondly, [Out of the Temple] It implieth it was a voyce delivered not by one of the foure Officers in private, but came out of Publike Administration, where onely the Lord speaking, did with Authority set forward these Angels upon this work. And it may further Imply, that it sprung upon some Prayers of the Church in the Temple: for all the voices in the Temple, are either, the voice of the Church unto Christ, or of Christ unto the Church: And if the Lord speake graciously in the Temple. It is commonly obtained in the Praiers of the Church, craving answer from him,

[To the seven Angels] That is to say, Seven sorts of Gods p. 3Messengers, whether Magistrates or Ministers, or whosoever they be that poure out these Vials, they are Angels of God, as being the Messengers of his wrath. Neither is it meant of seven Individuall persons, but seven sorts of Persons, that set forward this worke. And withall I doe accord with those that say, that in all these administrations, there is some presence of the heavenly Angels accompaning the men in the worke.

Goe your waies] [your waies] is not in the Originall, but [Goe] poure out the Vials.] The Vials are vessels of large content, but of narrow mouthes, they poure out slowly, but drench deepely, and distill effectually the wrath of God: Vessels they are of full and just measure, as all these judgements are dispensed in weight and measure.

Of the wrath of God] That argueth, that upon what subject soever these Vials fell, the wrath of God fell together with them, upon the same. And that helpeth not a little to open the place, and to shew the danger of some interpretations, which doe expound the Sunne vers. 8. to be the Scriptures. If these Vials be the Vials of Gods wrath, how shall any of them be conceived to be poured out upon the Scripture, is the wrath of God kindled against the Scripture? And for the Earth, vers. 2. Some conceive it to be meant of the common sort of godly Christians; but though some soare plagues might befall some of them, yet how can the wrath of God be conceived to be powred upon them? It cannot therefore be meant (as some of good note say) of the Waldenses, and Albugenses, Hugonets, and Lollards; but the wrath of God falleth upon such, as worship the Beast and his Image: And therefore take that for certaine, that what things soever the Vials of Gods wrath are poured upon, they are such as God is deepely displeased withall.

p. 3Vpon the earth] They thought right, that thought it to bee meant of the common sort of Catholikes: but let us further consider how it commeth to passe that the first of these Angels poureth out his Viall upon the earth, and the rest upon other things, yet they a◊l have a Commission to poure out the Vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. For the opening of this difficulty (which else might exercise some) we must know, that in this Prophecie sometimes [earth] is opposed to Heaven, and then as by Heaven is meant the pure Church, as Revel. 4.1. & 12.1. So by Earth is meant an earthly and corrupt Church. Sometimes p. 4also by Heaven is meant, a corrupt state of Religion, wherein heavenly and divine honour is given to Satan, or Idols, as Revel. 12.3.7. …