Chapter VI (continued, part 2)
ing and jeering of them than in killing them ; and studied snares for their
consciences, setting up his own image, with the idols of the heathen gods round about it, in the Forum or market-place
: that so in doing reverence to his image, they might seem to reverence the gods ; and refusing to bow to wards these false gods, they might be accused as denying reverence to the
emperor. Which course, in the end, was the cause of much bloodshed, though by no public edict of his made, as formerly by other emperors. And the people knowing his hate unto the Christians, they fell upon them in divers parts of the empire, and persecuted them even unto death.
Now for this prevailing to come, I think that through many temptations and snares laid, together with cruelties inflicted, it may prove worse than death and martyrdom itself. And it may perhaps be eminently rather an hour of temptation and trial, than of the blackness and darkness of martyrdom unto the generality of believers, though haply accompanied with the martyr dom of many ; and therefore the Gentiles are also said to kill these witnesses. These times are like to be (as Paul to Timothy hath it, 2 Epist. iii. 1) XO.IPOI
j/atexoi, difficult times, rather than bloody times, the apostle there speaking
of the last days, as in his first epistle, chap. iv. 1, he speaks of the latter
days of Popery. And these are called difficult times, because of the cunning and subtlety that shall be used to ensnare men, and the temptations laid for them ; and yet they may be stained with much blood also. Yet so as however this we may be sure of, that many shall survive this
war, and only be made white and tried, (as it is in Daniel.) Which is the rather to be hoped, because so sudden a resurrection of so great a multitude, as chap. xix. 1 are mentioned, who shall possess that glorious state of a church described in that chapter, ver. 1-10, after that three years and a half once
ended, is not likely to arise merely out of a succession of new converts ; but is probably to be made up of the same persons surviving and outriding that great storm.
SECTION VI.
Of that concomitant of the uitnesses killing : the nations seeing their dead
bodies, and not suffering them to be put in graves. Several senses given
CHAP. VI.] AN EXPOSITION OF THE EEVELATION. 171
of it : ivhether taken as an office of favour or an injury ; and whether
to be understood offriends or enemies, discussed. Now for that particular clause that follows, that those of the nations,
tongues, and kindreds, should see their dead bodies lie, and not suffer them
to be put in graves, which is interpreted in a way of favour to the witnesses ; although I think their lying dead to be meant in a metaphorical and allu
sive sense, yet it is exceedingly doubtful unto me whether or no this clause be not to be taken in malam partem, in the worser sense, as rather express ing inhumanity by this metaphor than kindness and love. And this seems to me to be the meaning of it, whether those of the nations, tongues, and
kindreds, be taken for friends or for enemies ; and so to have been here added further to represent unto us the extreme misery and desperate cala
mity into which these witnesses shall be brought, in this their time of trial.
1. If these nations, &c., be meant of enemies, this phrase, they saw, and
suffered not, &c., doth imply their feeding their eyes with this sight, and
making it a spectacle of delight and joy unto them. For to see or view a
thing, when the sights are of this nature, is in such a sense used in Scrip
ture, and implies that the thing seen is made a spectacle and gazingstoek ; and in the seers and beholders it imports derision and triumph. Thus in Christ s sufferings, unto which the allusion is, they are said to come out to
see him and to mock at him. And, Psalm xxii. 8, All they that see me do mock at me, says the prophet there in Christ s name. And in the 109th
Psalm, ver. 25, They saw me, says Christ there, for of him is that psalm made, and shaked their heads, &c. And thus seeing is usually mentioned in this sense, when any judgment is executed, to shew how the opposite party comes forth, and sees it, and
rejoiceth at it. Thus when judgments are executed on the wicked, the
righteous shall see and laugh at him, Psalm Hi. 6. So, Isa. Ixvi. 24, They shall look upon the carcases of them that have transgressed against God ; which shall become an abhorring unto all flesh.
And so that other phrase that follows, and they shall not suffer them to be put in graves, may also import a height of inhumanity. For, Psalm Ixxix.
3, when that like miserable desolation of the temple, and slaughter of the
saints, be it either that of Antiochus, the type of this, as some think it meant, or that of the Babylonish captivity, as others, this aggravation is there added unto their slaughter, that there was none to bury them. Yea, and that here it should rather be taken in such a bad sense, appears by this, that
their killing being an allusion unto Christ s passion, this circumstance is
therefore mentioned, as heightening the suffering of the witnesses above that of Christ s, in this respect. For though his lying in the grave, as endured by him, is accounted a part of his humiliation, yet it is noted as a work of humanity in Pilate, to suffer his body to be taken down from the
cross, and laid in a grave ; and especially in Joseph of Arimathea, who
begged it to that end, and afterward honourably entombed it. This was an
office of the greatest charity, and therefore recorded ; which this prophecy notes out as that which should be wanting in these nations and tongues here, whether they be friends or enemies. And
2. If they be taken for friends unto these witnesses, and as such among those nations, tongues, and kindreds as are in heart of the same religion with them, and who do in heart respect and love them, as the people did Christ ; the query then will be, Whether this their not suffering them to be buried be a friendly office 1 I confess, indeed, they seem to be some distinct company from those their enemies, who do so rejoice over them, ver. 14, and
172 AN EXPOSITION OP THE KEVELATION. [PART II.
some special company also of the nations, and tongues, and kindreds. For
it is not said that all nations, kindreds, and tongues, &c., as in the 13th
chapter, when Popery was in its first height undiscovered, it is said that Anti
christ had power over all nations and tongues, &c. Nor is it said the nations,
&c., but they of the nations, or some of the nations, IK ruv Xauv nut puXwp
jca/ yXwcvSi* xal sQvuv, &c., and not all in those kindreds, and peoples, and
nations, among whom these witnesses are. And so the phrase of speech serves fitly to note out a contradistinct, special party or company ; even the
Protestant party, who are not in all nations ; neither are they all universally Protestants in those nations where the gospel is preached and professed. But
only some nations are Protestants, and but some in and of those nations. And so the mention of them here may come in to shew what part they should
play in this tragedy.
For this killing the witnesses falling out in an age when so many among the nations do in heart still continue of the same religion with the witnesses, the inquiry would be, What will they do ? Will they endure it when it shall come to such extremity 1 Will they not put to their hand to help the wit
nesses of their own religion ? No, says the angel here ; they shall see their
dead bodies, and not suffer them to be put in graves.
1. It is said, They shall see their dead bodies lie in the street, or public
market-place, as the word may also signify. Which their so public lying in
such a place notes out the greatest scorn put upon them by their enemies
that may be. And yet these behold them as friends that have no heart to
help them, and so will not once stir to relieve them, but like standers-by and mere lookers-on are shy, and list not to intermeddle in their killing, one way nor other. They stand aloof off, as men use to do from malefactors executed,
although they be friends and well-will ers to them ; or as men that pass by and go on the other side of the street, when they see a dead carcase lying before them. Thus the phrase seeing them is also used in Scripture, and
particularly in this book. For thus when the wheel is turned about, and
after this Eome s turn comes to be burnt, her friends, the kings of the
earth, that shall in heart still cleave unto her, are described as standers
f see her smoke, as Abraham did the smoke of
aloof off, and spectators that
Sodom, so chap, xviii. 9, 10, 18. And thus, it may be, those of the peoples,
kindreds, tongues, and nations who have taken part with these witnesses
formerly, shall now not dare to do it, but stand afar off, as it were, and pass by and see them killed, and not have hearts to help them. This the phrase
seeing them may import.
Or further, it may be said, that those of the peoples, kindreds, &c., should
see them, in that these witnesses should be driven out among those peoples,
nations, &c., and should fly unto them for refuge and help.
2. And so, in the second place, that which follows may come in as a further
degree of inhumanity, which these, their false friends, should shew to them, which shall be added unto the indignities put upon them by their enemies, so to make the calamity and distress of these witnesses the more complete ;
namely, that these, their friends of the Protestant party, should be so far
overcome and prevailed upon by the power and dread of the Papists, that
they shall deny these witnesses all help and shelter which they shall seek for, and all those common offices of friendship and humanity which might be ex
pected from them. Those that are friends use to bury the dead bodies of
those whose lives they could not rescue out of the hands of their common enemies ; but these here shall be so far from helping the witnesses, that they
shall not suffer them to be buried among them, or to be laid in graves,
CHAP. VI.] AN EXPOSITION OF THE REVELATION. 173
which are here metaphorically put for resting-places, where they might be
sheltered from the shame, contempt, and indignities imposed on them by their insulting enemies, who now were complete victors over them.
And thus the allusion herein may be unto the sufferings of Christ, who, though he had a great party of the people for him, crying, Hosanna in the
! yet those very Jews were so far prevailed upon by the Pharisees, when they once had Christ down in their power, as to cry with the rest,
highest
Crucify him, crucify him ! and to run out in troops to see him executed. So Luke xxiii. 35 :
* The people, says the Evangelist, stood beholding him ; and the rulers also with them derided him. The people that before had
rejoiced in his ministry now take part with the Pharisees, his enemies. And even so, it is to be feared, shall the Protestant party, overawed with the
power and tyranny of Rome, which shall have power to tread down them
also, comply with her against the witnesses ; though not so far as to have
their hands in their blood, yet so far as not to suffer them to be put in
graves, and to be harboured amongst them or by them ; so far as thus nega
tively to be against the witnesses, as not to shew any office of kindness in
relieving them.
And so this their inhumanity is, after the manner of men, (who use to per form this as a common office of humanity, to put dead men s bodies into
graves,) expressed unto us by this contrary carriage of theirs, that they suf
fered not their bodies to be put in graves
: a metaphorical speech it is. And particularly ; the allusion here is made unto the putting the carcases
of dead men into graves ; which, you know, is an honour and a shelter to
them, and, indeed, all the office of kindness that lies in the power of friends
to afford them. And so kindness unto men in that dead condition is by this
here fitly expressed. Now therefore, when these witnesses are deposed from
their station, and haply banished from forth the nation in which they lived, which haply is their death here meant, and cast forth with the highest con
tempt, and persecuted with the greatest malice of their enemies ; and shall come to those of other peoples, nations, and tongues, who are of their own
religion and party, for succour and shelter from these indignities, and base
usages from their enemies, so to find rest to themselves, who are now, in re
spect of that active life of witnessing by prophecy, laid by the walls speech
less, and as dead, and to have only a harbour among them, (which unto those
that are among strangers of another language, is but of the nature of a grave,) and a place of rest, where, at best, they cannot so much be said to live, as
to lie still in quiet, as men dead ; when they shall seek but thus much, and
shall not obtain it, these nations and kindreds who refuse it them may justly be said not to suffer their dead bodies to be laid in graves. Which yet to
perform for them were but a common favour of humanity, and, by the law
of nations, to be imparted unto banished strangers, especially to those of
their own religion.
And we see it hath hitherto been allowed the witnesses flying out of Eng
land, by the Low Countries ; and to the Protestants flying out of Germany, by the English. And so, in Queen Mary s days, the English professors found
graves at least, some at Geneva, some in Germany, and others elsewhere ; where they lay quietly enjoying their consciences, though put by that active
life of prophesying which before that they lived in and enjoyed in King Edward s reign. But now such shall be the surpassing misery of these three
last years and a half, above what in former times, and so potent the prevalency of the Popish faction, and such their vigilancy to stop all holes of
refuge against these witnesses, that they seeking only for graves among these
174 AN EXPOSITION OF THE KEVELATION. [PART IT.
states of their own party and religion, which formerly they had permitted them, shall yet be refused it by these nations, tongues, and kindreds, who
shall so inhumanly be carried on against their own principles, as not to suf
fer them to have such graves among them ; namely, a condition of harbour,
rest, and quiet.
And further ; because this shall be done with a prohibition to the con
* they suffered not their dead bodies
trary, therefore it is thus expressed, that
to be laid in graves ; that is, by edicts prohibiting any of the banished wit
nesses to have harbour among them. And although this phrase, putting their dead bodies in graves, may seem improper to express oppressed men s flying for shelter, because to be put in a grave is a passive phrase in respect of them that are dead, and imports a thing done by others ; we must therefore
still remember that this is a metaphorical speech, and so a civil death, and
civilly lying dead, are here to be understood. For these witnesses, many of
them, are not to be killed with a death natural, as they are men, but with a
civil death, as they are witnesses ; and so may seek for shelter as men when
they are dead as witnesses, which shelter in this allusion is called a grave. And because dead men cannot bury themselves, therefore, according to the
metaphor of men dead, the Holy Ghost expresseth their seeking a place of
rest by their being put into graves ; so passively expressing it. For how
else, speaking of them under the notion of dead men, could it be expressed ?
It is but rb KPSXOV figurce ; the decorum of following the metaphor taken up required this, and no other kind of expression. The like unto which is usual in Scripture phrase, and in all other languages. Which putting the
witnesses into graves, in this sense taken, these their friends shall yet not
suffer or permit.
And thus, as it may be mentioned, to note out the inhumanity and cowardice of their friends ; so withal, the great misery and desperate calamity of the church in this their last being subdued : which will prove worse than
ever any before it, in that now they shall have no sanctuary, no safe retiring
place to rest in throughout all Europe, which shall in this respect univer
sally become the jurisdiction of the great city ; so some interpret that word
-rXarg/a, street. It shall not now be, as at other times it hath been, that when
they were persecuted in one city, they might flee to another, and there have
quiet and safety. But the jurisdiction of the Popish party shall so far now
prevail in Protestant states, if any such remain, as they shall not dare to
receive and protect the oppressed witnesses, seeking a refuge and a harbour
amongst them, but shall rather prohibit them so doing. Which in this allu
sion is spoken in opposition unto that humanity and charity in Joseph of
Arimathea, who honourably laid Christ s body in a grave, when yet he had not power to hinder his crucifying.
And that even the Protestant party may turn thus inhuman towards the
witnesses, the unfaithful carriage of many Protestant states towards their
neighbours and brethren, now whilst this war is but begun against the wit
nesses, may give us cause to fear and suspect, How hath the Lutheran party in Germany complied and took part with
the Popish for the ruin of the Calvinists 1 And it were happy for other
states, professing the Calvin religion, if they could wash their hands of the blood of the churches, not only not assisted, but even betrayed by them.
Thus I have proposed another different interpretation from that formerly
given, by way of mitigation of this extremity ; yet leaving both it and the other unto the event to determine, and to the reader to judge of.
CHAP. VI.] AN EXPOSITION OF THE EEVELATION. 175
SECTION VII.
Of the universality of this slaughter. Whether reaching to all churches re
formed, and in them to all professors^ or only to eminent witnesses. That some one may be more eminently designed. What is meant by the
street of the city, &c.
III. The next query may be concerning the generality or universality of
: hew far it may reach ; as
the extent of this slaughter
1. Whether to all sorts of professors of religion, or whether to eminent
persons in the church only ?
Now for that, it may seem principally to be of witnesses ; that isr those that are eminently such. It is probable that the purest and best
professors will be singled out to a duel or single combat, as it were. The
Gentiles before this had the outward court of carnal professors more easily
given up unto them ; but among these truly godly ones, they find serious and stiff opposers, that will never be brought to yield unto them. And this-
the Popish party themselves do both see and find namely, that the godly of the Protestants are their only real enemies, and those who still put the
great bars and impeachments to their plots, and that are the great stakes
in the hedge of the church, which stand in the gap against their irruptions. And these are they who only by their lives and profession do torment the-
ungodly, as you have it, ver. 10 ; who therefore rejoice for their victory over them. And therefore this is not like to be a massacre of all sorts of pro fessors at large, as was that in Paris, anno 1572; but a particular combat and set battle against the sincere witnesses only, whom their enemies have been taught to know and distinguish from others, by the fire they have shot
into their consciences, as ver. 5. Thus in Antiochus s three years and a half, the type of this, the persecution fell especially upon those that were teachersand instructors of others ; so Dan. xi. 35. And thus will this do.
Only let me add this : that these witnesses being the golden candlesticks
also, as may seem by ver. 4, therefore a scattering of them namely, of the
purer churches will be joined with it. And if their olive-trees be felled and removed, if their prophets and rulers be scattered, themselves then must needs be scattered. Smite the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, as Christ spake of himself and his disciples ; which smiting of his there
namely, at his passion is here alluded unto.
2. But a second query may be ; Whether this killing will be over all the reformed churches, and so generally of the witnesses in all Protestant states and kingdoms ? Graserus, a judicious Lutheran divine, thinks that it will be universal, and that this is the angel s very scope here, thus particularly to design out this last killing, as herein differing from all other former ones, that it should at once be a general and total eclipse of true churches for
three years and a half. And so, says he, quod hactenus per paries impleri nunquam desiit, jam plenarie et universaliter perficietur ; that is, that perse cution which in some place or other hath never ceased, and so by parts hath been fulfilled at several times, that shall now at once more fully and univer
sally be accomplished. And I must confess, that the treading down the outward court, and the sins of all churches, so great and so general in all, do universally threaten this. And it may be part of the drift of that speech w
rhich we have explained, that those of the peoples, kindreds, tongues, and
nations, should see their dead bodies lie in the street, or jurisdiction, of the
great city ; as importing, that generally, in all those nations where witnesses
176 AN EXPOSITION OF THE REVELATION. [PAST II.
are to be found, they shall be killed ; and so, by that means, they should all
have opportunity to view and see their dead bodies.
This I deny not, but think it may be the event, more or less. Yet, how
ever, I believe that some one kingdom or state will more eminently be made
sedes belli, the field of this battle, the shambles of this slaughter.
And one reason hereof is, because where the witnesses rise from this their
dead condition, there is an earthquake joined with it, which shakes the
tenth part of the city; that is, as I take it, and shall afterwards give my reason for it, one of those ten European kingdoms that have given up their
power unto the beast, shall now in this slaughter begin to fall from and
cease to be a part of the city, or to belong to the jurisdiction of Rome any
longer, under which, for the space of these three years and a half, it had been. Now that falling away of the tenth kingdom, being joined with these wit
nesses rising again, it would argue that accident of the earthquake to fall out
for the especial help and furtherance of the witnesses rising, who are in or do
belong unto that kingdom, or tenth part of the city. Some one particular state or kingdom shall assist the witnesses in it in their rising and ascend
ing into heaven ; and shall revenge their slaughter by killing seven thousand names of men, who were their enemies, and had been executioners of them
in their fore-passed slaughter. Now, if their resurrection and ascension be
in some one part of the ten kingdoms made more eminently glorious, and
so the special privilege of the witnesses belonging unto that tenth part ; then one would think, that the killing or slaughter of them should also be
in that tenth part of the city more conspicuous than in the rest. For in this
suffering, whereof Christ s passion is propounded the type, those that suffer most with him shall rise and enter into this their glory spoken of, which is
to be answerably proportioned to their suffering. If, therefore, the glory that follows seems to be more peculiar to one tenth part, the suffering fore
going it would also seem to have been more peculiar to that tenth part like
wise, and the main shock of the storm to have fallen there ; though haply
all the heavens may be covered with black, and all churches feel some drops arid sprinklings of it.
It hath also somewhat moved me, that the place where they are said to lie dead is called crXarg/a, the street, not streets, of the great city, as noting out some one eminent place or street of that city, or some state belonging to the
jurisdiction of Rome ; so comparing the jurisdiction and power of Rome
through and over all Europe unto a city, and the kingdoms and states of it unto several streets. And so some one state or kingdom is this same <rXarg/a
TTJS voXeuc, this same street of that city. I know what critics say, that this
is numerus singularis pro plurali street for streets; but the elegancy of the
allusion seems better made up by taking it for some one place of the city, by this slaughter made the market-place, and, as it were, the shambles therein, more eminently than the rest of the streets.
And thus also that former interpretation of those of the peoples, kindreds,
&c., they being taken as meant of the Protestant party of other nations round about ; and their seeing, &c., to be their knowing and taking notice of this
slaughter, as standers-by, aloof off; and their not suffering them to be put in graves, to be their prohibiting them a sanctuary and resting-place among them, when they fled unto them for help
: that interpretation, I say, is made more clear by this, that the slaughter falling more eminently upon some one part or kingdom, the rest of the kingdoms and nations about it do deny them of that kingdom shelter, and a grave to hide their heads in, when from thence they flee unto them and seek it at their hands.
CHAP. VI.] AN EXPOSITION OF THE REVELATION. 177
And if in this last combat the witnesses be singled out as the one party, and by witnesses be meant only such faithful Christians and professors as
do, in respect of their godliness and sincerity, hold forth an eminent testi mony and witness, above that which others of the crowd of common pro fessors do; and so not men of learning, but of holiness and zeal, are they who
are here said to be the real tormenters of these their enemies ; then surely in
that part of the reformed churches where such witnesses are chiefly found, who do continue eminently to hold forth such a kind of powerful testimony as
holy men, (for this is a testimony of holiness, not of learning,) their forefathers, who were killed before them for the same cause, have done, surely there
especially will be the seat of this war, and the field where this combat is to be fought. Now then, look generally over almost all the reformed churches, and how few of such witnesses, with difference from the common crowd, do appear amongst them ; the fire, the heat of those godly men, their first reformers, which is the thing that should torment those enemies at last, being gone, and the light only remaining, which gives but a faint, cold, and dull testi
mony, and which these enemies do therefore despise. Only in the witnesses of Great Britain both the light and heat of religion have been kept up and
increased j and among them only hath the profession of the power of godli ness been continued, with difference from the crowd of common professors. And, according to what appears in view, more of such true witnesses, now in
these last days, wherein this slaughter is to fall out, are to be found in it, -and belonging unto it, than in all the reformed churches besides ; and that
according to the testimony which they of those churches, who in these times
of scattering have come hither for refuge, have and do give.
And surely the place of this killing the witnesses must be where most
witnesses are. And so that kingdom may be designed more than any other ; as in which also more eminently are found those last sort of champions for
the beast, who receive only the number of his name, who yet shall be the
chief executioners of this last slaughter, and who are to be overcome last of
.all the beast s company, before the fifth vial on the seat of the beast, as chap,
xvi. tells us.
Add unto this, this conjecture upon Dan. xi. 45, which chapter, from ver.
36, hath Graserus excellently, and Mr Mede, in his Discourse of Demons, upon 1 Tim. iv. 1, 2, applied unto the Pope, who is that king there men
tioned, and whom Antiochus, whose story is contained in the former part of
the chapter, typified out. But the larger interpretation and application of
all, from ver. 36, I leave to be fetched from them, and shall only mention my own conjecture, as supposing their interpretation good, upon the last
verses, unto the purpose in hand. It is evident that the angel s scope there is, as I find others to acknowledge, to shew the issue of the beast s last expedi tion against the reformed churches, after their reformation and before his nd ; and so to denote out this last war here prophesied of namely, Anti
christ s accomplishing to scatter the power of the holy people/ as before hath been at large related.
Now, when he shall go forth in this his last war, in such fury and rage, with a purpose utterly to destroy, the main event and issue of that expedi tion of his is made to be this, that he shall plant the tabernacle of his
palace between the seas, in the glorious holy mountain : yet he shall come
to his end, and none shall help him.
The allusion in that phrase, the holy mountain, is to that of Sion, where
the temple stood ; which therefore, in the usual phrase of the prophets, is often
VOL. in. M
178 AX EXPOSITION OF THE KEVELATIOX. [?AHT II.
put to express the true church, which is the mountain of the Lord. This
mount, and the temple thereon, was erected in Europe by the northern
reformation mentioned ver. 44, which he shall prevail against, and tread
down, and place the tents of his throne upon it, or some part of it, again. This Alstedius and others acknowledge to be the meaning of the place. And so it agrees with what this angel, who came here to expound what he
had told Daniel, affirms, that the outward court, now at last, was to be given up unto the Gentiles.
That which to Graserus occasioned the greatest puzzle in the interpretation of this verse, was this phrase which is added, to describe the situation of this
mountain, biter maria, between the seas; that there the Pope should at
last replant his ancient throne. He stands wondering why to the mention
of Mount Sion, which nakedly, says he, without this addition, had been
enough, there should have been subjoined, between the seas; which, says he, hath puzzled all interpreters
: for Sion stood not between two seas. And
therefore, says he, those words must be added by way of difference and dis
tinction from the holy mountain, by the type and name of which the angel had yet expressed the state of the church. And if his scope had been thereby
to set forth the church universally throughout Europe, then the bare men
tion of the holy mountain, as, chap. xiv. 1, it is expressed by, had been
sufficient and suitable enough unto so general a scope. But it being with
this addition of difference concerning the situation, that it was between the
seas, or among the seas, it therefore must more particularly design out some
church or people of God, whose place and habitation is, for the situation of
it, thus between the seas, and thereby singled out from the rest.
Luther, he makes it to point out Rome, which is the seat of the beast, which stands in Italy, between the Adriatic and the Tirrhene seas. But
his ancient seat, Rome, cannot be here meant; for, ver. 44, he is said to go
forth as from that his old seat, and to plant, as noting out this to be a new-
gained seat, which was not the ordinary place of his residence, as Rome is.
Graserus gives a touch that Germany may be intended as that place which should again be subdued unto the Pope, as lying between the Baltic
and the German Oceans, which it does but very remotely, and only the north
ern parts of it being bounded with and touching upon those seas.
But I rather fear that these British islands are here intended, in that they
so eminently, above all other places of the churches reformed, and with dif
ference also from all others, do stand between the seas, even wholly among
seas, penitus toto divisos orbe Britannos, which islands likewise God hath made the eminent seat of the church in these latter days, and which
i he
hath loved above all the habitations of Jacob.
And in that the angel there calls this mountain, in a high and transcen
dent phrase, yet of further difference, the mountain of delights of holiness,
or, as Junius turns it, nums decoris sancti, the mountain of holy comeliness;
it seems in some way of peculiarity from others, even in that respect also, to
note out a place which for holiness should more eminently be God s delight, and comely in his eyes ; where he should have a most holy people, and which
he should make a land of uprightness, where his majesty and glory should
more eminently shine. Which place, notwithstanding, for the trial of the
witnesses in it, God shall again give up unto the power of Antichrist, there
to plant the tabernacle of his palace or throne, or his clergy, as Graserus
reads it; even as Nebuchadnezzar did his throne at Taph-hanues, when he had conquered Egypt, as a sign of that his victory. By the conquest of which
kingdoms and regaining them unto him., he shall seem so rooted in his an-
(Ji:.\r. VI.] AN EXPOSITION OF THE REVELATION. 179
cient power, that in hope of all the rest the whore shall sing, I am now no widow/ and that just before her fall. And yet this prevailing is but a pre paration to Antichrist s ruin ; for it follows there in Daniel,
i Yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. Which notes out, as that this
is to be done just before his end, so also that that regaining his power should seem so to strengthen him, that he should be, as it were, out of the danger of ruin, and as for ever secure.
But this his sudden victory is but as the planting of a tent or tabernacle
in a field, not to stand past three years and a half; though that party and
their abettors do in their hopes think they build for eternity. But it being of man s, not God s planting, it shall therefore come to nothing ; for
( every plant which the Father plants not shall be rooted up.
180 AN EXPOSITION OF THE REVELATION. [PART II.