and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs. And the execution was wonderfully great and fearful; insomuch as the blood of the slain was so deep, as that it reached up to the very bridles of the horses, for the space of two hundred miles in length: so great and general was the destruction of those, who did wilfully follow the enemies of Christ. XV. 1. And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seren angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God. And I saw another wonder in heaven, great and marvellous: for, in way of preparation to that Last Judgment and Execution, I saw Seven Angels, which had power to inflict the Seven Last Plagues upon the enemies of Christ; in which is the accomplishment of all those judgments, which he meant to bring upon the kingdom of Antichrist, before his utmost confusion. XV. 2. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And I saw, as it were, a sea of crystal, mixed with some tincture of redness, as of the colour of fire; by reason of the persecutions attending the profession of Christ: and I saw them, that had courageously and constantly stood out, both against the impious edicts for idolatry which proceeded from the heathenish emperors, and against the wicked and sinful decrees of their successors and the tyranny usurped by them, standing joyfully upon that glassy sea, as having escaped all the billows of their late persecutions, and testifying their joy in outward expressions of a melodious thanksgiving. XV. 3. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of Saints. And they, in acknowledgment of the benefit of their deliverance from these fiery waves of persecution, sung the same song, that Moses, the servant of God, uttered upon his deliverance from the Red Sea; Let us sing to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously; and, together with it, sung a most sweet and pleasant ditty, which was taught them by the Lamb himself, Christ their Redeemer. XV. 5. And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: And, after this, I looked, and beheld the very inward part of heaven, (which was as the Holy of Holies, wherein the Ark of the Testimony was placed,) having been formerly shut, was now opened: XV. 6. And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles. And from thence, even from that more inward and reserved place of glory, came those seven angels, which had the Seven Last Plagues to inflict; and they, to signify their purity and faithful diligence in their executions, were clothed in pure and white linen, and had their breasts girded with golden girdles. XV. 7. And one of the four beasts gare unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. And one of those prime Angels, which were next to the Throne, delivered unto the Seven Messengers of God's Wrath, Seven Golden Vials, wherein were contained those deadly liquors of just vengeance, which the Everliving God had decreed and appointed to be poured out severally upon his enemies, on earth. XV. 8. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled. And, as it was of old in the material Temple, that, when God would shew his presence therein the smoke filled the room, so as the ministers of that holy place could not stand in it; so it was now, in the giving of this commission for these Seven Last Plagues: the glory of God did so shew itself, as that no man was able to comprehend the majesty thereof, until this so important a business was dispatched. XVI. 1. And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. And I heard a great voice, as proceeding from God, out of his Temple in heaven, saying to those Seven Angels, which were designed to be the executioners of this vengeance of God, Go your ways, and pour out the several plagues upon the people of the earth. XVI. 2. And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. And the First Angel went and poured out his vial upon those regions of the Earth, which are under the Roman Empire; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore and botch, like to the sixth plague of Egypt, upon the idolatrous clients of that bestial government, and the successors therein; and, spiritually, great exasperation of mind, through envy and malice, against those which preached the sincere Gospel of Christ. XVI. 3. And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man, and every living soul died in the sea. And, that no part might be free, the Second Angel poured his appointed plagues upon the Sea, to the effusion of the blood of those that dwelt by or upon it; in so large quantity, as that the waters seemed as the congealed blood of a dead man; so as the corrupted moisture thereof could not but kill all that lived therein: which was literally fulfilled, in those bloody battles, betwixt the Turks and Christians: and those of hostilely affected Christians among themselves. XVI. 4. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. Yea, that nothing might remain pure and wholesome, as the earth and the sea were smitten with plagues, so the Rivers and Fountains also were by the vial of the Third Angel turned into blood; as it was done in the first plague of Egypt; through that extreme bloodshed, which the avenging hand of God should justly cause amongst men, by their own cruel divisions. XVI. 5. And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. And I heard that angel, which had special charge given him over the waters, confess, how just the proceedings of God were in this vengeance of his; saying, O thou Eternal God, who art of thyself, and hadst thy being from thyself before all beginning of time, and shalt be everlastingly, thou art just and righteous in thus plaguing these wicked persecutors of thy servants. XVI. 6. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. For they have not stuck to shed the blood of thy Saints, in their horrible and frequent massacres; and now thou hast given them blood to drink: neither are they worthy of any other portion, who took delight to spill it. XVI. 7. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments. And I heard a voice of one of those martyrs, which had cried formerly for revenge from under the altar, (Chapter vi.) now applauding the justice of this vengeance; saying, Even Lord God Almighty, thou hast heard our prayers, and hast approved thy judgments to be most true and righteous. SO XVI. 8. And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And yet further, that even the very heavens, whose influence had wont to be wholesome and beneficial to mankind, might now be turned harmful and deadly to wicked men; the Fourth Angel poured out his vial upon the Sun; and, thereupon, that goodly planet, which was wont to bring comfort, by the light thereof, to the inhabitants of the earth, became so fiery and scorching, that the beams thereof were intolerable; breeding extreme plagues and calentures, and other deadly maladies amongst men. XVI. 9. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory. And men, being broiled as it were with the extremity of heat, and tormented with the diseases which followed thereupon, instead of humbling themselves under the just and powerful hand of God, wickedly blasphemed his Name; who had the power to inflict these plagues: and they repented not of their sins, nor gave him the glory of his justice. XVI. 10. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain; And the Fifth Angel poured out his vial on the Prime Seat and Metropolis of the Empire; and the power and government thereof, both spiritual and temporal, began to be obscured and abased; and the followers and abettors thereof gnawed their very tongues for indignation; XVI. 11. And they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds. And, instead of acknowledging their error, they blasphemed the God of Heaven, because of their deep discontent and vexation, and repented not of their wickedness. XVI. 12. And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. And the Sixth Angel poured out his vial upon the great River Euphrates, which was the defence of the Eastern Babylon; and, as Cyrus, when he went about to take that city, first drained the channel of the Euphrates and derived the streams another way, so shall it be now ordered, by the Providence of God, that this great river shall be made passable to the kings of the East, that so those of the Turkish Empire may have way and opportunity for their armies against the West. XVI. 13. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. And I saw a resolute conspiracy and combination of Satan, and his two powerful instruments, the secular and spiritual powers; who agreed to send forth their most forcible agents, for the making of a strong party on their behalf. XVI. 14. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. For they are the emissaries of Satan; and, for the effecting of their purpose, do and pretend strange miracles; stirring up the kings of the earth, to arm all their powers, and to bring them forth to that great battle, wherein Almighty God hath determined to give that notorious foil unto the enemies of his Church. XVI. 15. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. Behold, this, which I intend to do, I will do it suddenly and unexpectedly. Blessed is he, that abideth in prayer and watching, keeping about him the garments of true righteousness and innocence; lest, being stripped thereof, he be put to just shame and confusion. XVI. 16. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. And these people were gathered together by the Providence of the Almighty, through the instigation of their emissaries, into a place designed by God for their destruction; as Sisera and his army were brought into the valley of Megiddo for their overthrow. XVI. 17. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And the Seventh Angel poured out his last and most universal plague, into the very Air, wherein the enemies of his Church do breathe; and there came a great voice out of the heavenly Temple, even from the throne of the Almighty, saying the overthrow of mine enemies is now come to a very speedy execution. XVI. 18. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And, in a kind of heavenly applause to this sentence and decree of the Almighty, and as an effect of those plagues which were poured out of the seventh vial for the confusion of the enemies of God, there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, and strange commotions, and alterations of the states of the world; such as were never formerly seen, or known. XVI. 19. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And the great city, which was the Empress of the World, by the force of that commotion was divided into three parts: |