it is the prefent earth that will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord; the kingdoms of this world, that will become Chrift's, when his dominion fhall be from fea to fea, and from the river to the ends of the earth", as now fituated: whereas the feat of the perfonal reign will be the new heaven, and new earth, in which no fea will be feen: for at the perfonal appearance of Chrift, the earth and the heaven, that now are, will flee away. This fpiritual reign of Christ will take place upon the rifing, and afcending, of the witneffes into heaven, which denotes a more pure, fpiritual, and heavenly state of the church; it will be introduced upon the blowing of the seventh trumpet, when the kingdoms of this world fhall be fubjected to Christ, through the power of his fpirit, and grace accompanying his word; when the four and twenty elders, the representatives of gofpel-churches, fhall give him thanks, because he has taken to himself his great power and has reigned: this ftate is no other than the Philadelphian churchftate; all that is said of that church perfectly agrees with this, and which will follow the Sardian church-ftate, in which we now are; fo that we may upon hope it is at hand: and whereas the Laodicean church-state is between this and the perfonal reign of Chrift; it appears that they are two diftinct things, very different, and at fome distance from each other. But to proceed, and take notice of the glorious things which shall be during this interval, or period of time. And, st, The destruction of antichrift is the grand leading event to the glories of this state. This is hinted at in the epiftle to the church at Philadelphia, the emblem of the fpiritual reign; it will be the laft ftruggle of the beast that will cause that bour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world to try the inhabitants of it: when the seventh trumpet will be founded, which will bring on the spiritual kingdom of Christ throughout the world, he will deftroy them which deftroy the earth; meaning the Papists, who have destroyed the inhabitants of the earth with their false doctrines, fuperftitious worship, and with those bloody wars, murders, and maffacres, they have been at the bottom of. And till this is done, the spiritual reign cannot take place, especially in its full compass, and in all its branches; for so long as antichrift reigns, the church will be more or lefs in an afflicted state: the dates of the church's troubles, and of the reign of antichrift, are alike, and will expire together: the power given to the beaft, is to continue forty and two months; and fo long the holy city, or church, is to be trodden under foot; and fo long the witneffes will prophefy in fackcloth, even one thousand two hundred and threefcore days, which are equal to forty-two months; wherefore there can be no truly good and happy days, till these dates are ended. Ifai. xi. 9. Rev. xi. 15. Pfal. lxxii. 8. P Rev, xi. 15-17• . • Rev. xxi. 1. 1 Rev. iii. 10. Rev. xi. 18. The The destruction of antichrift will be by the fpirit of Christ's mouth, and the brightness of his coming'; that is, by his coming in a spiritual way; or through the word of his mouth, his gospel, attended by his fpirit and power; which will shine out with fo much luftre, fplendor, light and glory, as will chase away the darkness of popery, and enlighten the minds of people, to fee into all the fopperies, abfurdities, and wickedness of that religion, and cause them to caft it off; yea even to open the eyes of the kings and princes of the earth, to behold and lothe the abominations of the whore of Rome, they have committed fornication with; and fill them with wrath and indignation against her; as to hate her, make her bare and defolate, and burn her with fire'. This work will be greatly effected by the pouring out the feven vials of God's wrath, or the inflicting the feven laft plagues upon the antichristian states, upon the western and eastern antichrift, the Pope and Turk; who must be both removed to make way for the spiritual reign of Christ. These seven vials will be poured out, or those plagues inflicted by Angels; by whom we are to underitand proteftant kings, and princes, and generals of armies; and thefe will be given them by one or the first of the four beafts, or living creatures, the emblems of gofpel-minifters; who having fome notice of the time of antichrift's deftruction being at hand, will stir up and animate the chriftian princes and potentates to take this work in hand; and who are therefore faid to go forth from the temple, the church, the place of divine and spiritual worship, and where they themselves are worshippers; and from thence they have orders to go forth and. do their work". The first five of thefe vial's concern the western antichrift, and his dominions; between which, and the trumpets, there is a great correfpondence, though they refpect different times and perfons. The first vial will be poured out upon the earth, and defigns thofe popish countries which are upon the continent, as France and Germany, efpecially the latter; and as the first trumpet brought the Goths into Germany, fo the first vial will bring great diftrefs upon the popish party in the empire, and iffue in a reformation from popery. The fecond vial will be poured out upon the fea, and may intend the maritime powers belong ing to the fee of Rome, particularly Spain and Portugal; and as the fecond trumpet brought the Vandals into thefe places, fo this vial will effect the fame, and bring wars and defolations into them, and make a change in their religion. The third vial will be poured out upon the rivers, and fountains of water, which may point to those places adjacent to Rome, as Italy and Savoy; and as the third trumpet brought the Huns into thofe parts, fo this vial will bring in large armies hither, which will cause much bloodshed, and a great revolution in church VOL. I. and I' Rev. xv. 1, 6, 7. and chap. xvi. 1. and ftate. The fourth vial will be poured out upon the fun, which must denote fome perfon, or perfons of great dignity and influence; and as the fourth trumpet brought deftruction upon the emperor of Rome, the fun of the empire, and upon governors under him, fignified the moon and stars; this vial will bring on the ruin of the pope of Rome, the fun of the antichriftian empire, with all his cardinals, bishops, priests, &c. The fifth vial will be poured out upon the feat of the beast, which is Rome, the feat that the dragon, the devil, gave to the beaft, and will produce great darkness in his kingdom; though as yet it will not be utterly deftroyed, which is referved to the feventh vial. Now thefe feveral vials, as they will be fo many plagues on the western antichrift, and make fo many breaches and ruins upon his ftates and dominions, fo they will be fo many gradual steps to the advancement of the glory and kingdom of Christ, and iffue in the reformation of thefe places from popery. The fixth vial will be poured out on the river Euphrates, which designs the Turkish empire, in the midst of which that river is; and as the fixth trumpet let loose the four angels, or heads of the Ottoman family into Europe, fo this vial affects the fame empire, and brings deftruction on it, fignified by the drying up the waters of that river, as Babylon's destruction is expreffed by the drying up of her fea, Jer. li. 36. which will make way for the kings, or kingdoms of the eaft; the kingdoms of Perfia and Tartary, and others, to receive and embrace the Christian religion: This is the fecond or Turkish woe, which shall pass away; when the kingdoms of this world will become Christ's, and his dominion will be from fea to sea, from the Mediterranean fea to the Perfian fea; and from the river Euphrates to the ends of the earth. The feventh vial will be poured out upon the air, the whole kingdom of Satan, in all the branches of it, who is the prince of the power of the air; and this vial will clear the whole world of all the remains of Christ's enemies, Pagan, Papal, and Mahometan, which the other vials left or did not reach"; and now will Chrift's kingdom be in its full glory. Now the Heathens, Papifts, Pagans, and Mahometans, will perish out of his land, and thefe forts of finners will be confumed out of the earth, and fuch wicked -ones will be no more *. It may be observed, that there is a great likeness between these vials and the plagues of Egypt; the noisome fore on men under the first vial, agrees with the plague of boils and blains on man and beast; the sea, rivers, and fountains of waters, being turned into blood, under the fecond and third vials, are the fame with the plague, which in like manner affected the waters of Egypt; the beast's kingdom being full of darkness, under the fourth vial, much resembles the grofs and * See more of these vials in my Expofition of the xyth and xvith chapters of the Revelation; and Bedford's notes on Kidder's Demonftration of the Meffiah, part 3. p. 41, 42. * Pfal. x. 18. and civ. 36. and thick darkness the Egyptians were in for fome days; and under the fifth vial there is a manifeft reference to the frogs that plagued Pharaoh, and his court; and the great hail-ftorm under the feventh vial, bears fome refemblance to the plague of hail. And this obfervation may confirm the application of these vials or plagues, to the great city, which is fpiritually called Egypt and Sodom and it may be also observed, that as the plagues of Egypt were very quick. one upon another, fo it may be thought that thofe vials, when once they begin pouring, will foon be poured out; God will make a fhort work in righteousnefs, upon the enemies of his church: as yet I take it, none of them are poured out, though fome great and learned men have fo thought; as yet there have been no fuch devastations on the continent, as in France and Germany, as to produce the above effects; nor in the countries of Spain and Portugal; nor in Italy and Savoy, and the like places near Rome; nor in the feat of the beast, Rome itself; nor on the pope and his cardinals; the river Euphrates is not dried up; the Ottoman empire is yet in being; the Turkifh woe is not paffed away; and much lefs the world cleared of all the enemies of Chrift and his church; no, before this work is done, the outer court must be given to the Gentiles, and the witneffes must be flain. Had they begun to be poured out at the time of the reformation, as fome have thought, in all likelihood they would have been finished before now; and antichrift would have been deftroyed, and better times. than we are now in, would have fucceeded: but, however, this we may be affured of, that as the plagues in Egypt iffued in the deftruction of Pharaoh, and in the deliverance of the Ifraelites, fo thefe vials will end in the ruin of antichrift, and in the falvation of the church of Chrift. As foon as these things will take place, nay, as foon as you hear of those seven plagues, immediately you hear of perfons on a fea of glass, triumphing over antichrift, having the harps. of God, and finging the fong of Mofes and the Lamb'; and no fooner is it faid, that Babylon is fallen, but voices are heard in heaven, afcribing falvation,, glory, honour, and power to God, for his judgments on the great whore; declaring that the Lord God omnipotent reigneth; that the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his bride made ready; and proclaiming them happy that are called to the marriage-fupper of the Lamb"; all which refpect the fpiritual reign of Chrift, now introduced by the ruin of antichrist. 2dly, There will follow upon this a general spread of the gofpel; for which, way will be made into the feveral nations of the world by the pouring out of the vials. The gospel had a very great fpread in the first times of it. The apostles having a commiffion to go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature; accordingly carried it not only into the feveral parts of Judea, Galilee, Rev. xv. 13. I 2 2 Rev, xix. 1, 2, 6, 7, 9. Galilee, and Samaria, but into neighbouring countries and islands, Phenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, and even into all the Gentile nations; the apostle Paul himself went from Jerufalem round about to Illyricum, preaching the gospel of Christ, which he fays was come into all the world, and preached to every creature under heaven; and by one or other of the apostles it was carried into all the then known parts of the habitable world; as it feems it was to be before the destruction of Jerufalem; for our Lord fays, the gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come; the end of the world to the Jews, the end of their civil and church-state, when their temple should be deftroyed, and not one ftone left upon another. And ever fince it has been preached in one place or another; and fometimes has had a greater spread, and sometimes a leffer; but now it is brought into a very narrow compass, and lies in a very few hands; there are but few perfons that preach it in the purity of it; the times are now, or near at hand, which Dr Owen feems to have had in view; of whom it is reported he should say, that "the time is coming when a faithful minifter would be more precious than fine "gold, even than the golden wedge of Ophir ;" meaning, they would be scarce and rare; referring to the paffage in Ifai. xiii. 12. and few there are that receive the gospel in the power of it, cordially embrace it, and fincerely profess it, and walk according to it: it looks like the time our Lord speaks of when he should come, and would not be able to find faith, the doctrine of faith, on the earth. But though the gospel is now within fuch narrow limits, ere long it will have a free course, and run and be glorified. The earth, the inhabitants of it, will be filled with a fpiritual and faving knowledge of God and Chrift, communicated by it, and of the truth of it; and that not in a fuperficial way and manner, but even as the waters cover the fea, which are very deep, and large, and fpreading; and which knowledge will be communicated to a large number of perfons. This will be, when the angel, not any particular minister, as Luther, or any other, but a fet of gofpel-minifters in the latter day, fo called from their office, fball flee in the midst of heaven; difcharge their office with great readiness and swiftnefs, and in the most public manner, in the church of God; having the everlasting gofpel; not a little dry morality, but the gospel of the grace of God, the good news of life and falvation by Jefus Chrift; which confifts of everlasting things, of everlasting love, an everlasting covenant, an everlasting Saviour, and everlasting falvation; and which was ordained before the world, as well as will continue to the end of it; having this not in their heads only, but in their hearts, and in their mouths, and a commiffion to preach it to them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. These will d.Ifai. xi. 9. b Matt. xxiv. 14. a Vid. Fabricii Lux Evangelii, p. 83. be |