86 ~nExPOSITION ~ P A R T 11. [n the fecond place comes the Time of the Reformation, after Lutber ; the ~ fiate of which is prefented to us under a double Vtl'ion ; .the one of a Harvefl, the other of a Jlintage, (which ufeth to come after Harvefi ). The fir!! betokens that glorious Peace and Sun!hine of the Gofpel which fol. !owed after thofe Perfecutions in Germany, England, &c. for fixty Years and upwards, and this from verJ 14, to 17. By an Harvejl, in Scripture, is meant the Converfion and gathering in of the Elect by the Preaching of the Gofpel. So in the Old Tejlament, lfoiah prophe!}ing of the Converfion of the Jews in Egypt and AJ!jria, Chap. 27. 12, 13. he ufeth this Exprefiion, That God would threfh or beat off all along from the River E11phrates unto Egypt, thofe ·his Elect People, that, as Corn, !hould grow upon the Shores thereof; and that he would thre!h fo clean, that they !hould be gathered one by one ; not leaving one grain of Election behind, nor one Ear of Corn £landing unreaped. It is an Allufion to an Harvefi, and having in of Corn, and thre!hing it. Like unto which, is that Speech of Chrifi, when he fent out his Difciples. Lo, the Regions are White, and ripe for tke Harveft, and the Harveii i1 great. Which he fpake when there were multitudes of People ripe, and ready to receive the Gofpel. And fince the preaching of the Gofpel by the Third Angel, what multitudes of fuch hun– gry Souls have there been in thefe Kingdoms ? And what a glorious Time of Summer and Harvert have we had ? And this preaching of the Gofpel, that bath reaped this Corn, bath been authorized by t~e chief Magirtrates, and by King– ly Power, even whole Kingdoms profeffing tt. And therefore he who in this Vifion bath the SicAJe given him, to Reap, is prefented crowned witb a Golden Crown : which according to the Analogy with the other Contents of this Book, Cbap. 12. 5· is when Jefus Chrifi, the Son of Man, is vifibly fet in the Throne, ruling by Chrirtian Magirtrates, they ufing their Power for him ; as when the Emperors turned Chrillians, you find the like Exprefiion ufed, Chap. ro. The other Vilion is of a Vintage, from verJ 17, to the end; which, as a Vintage comes after Harvert, fo this falls out in the end of this Summer, and af– ter the Harvert of the Reformation, and fo !huts up the Story of it. Wherein God, after he bath had in his Corl!, falls upon the Grapes, the Wild Grapes, and cuts them down; but with another ma·nner of Sickle, than he had done his own Corn : He had reaped them with a Sickle of Converfion, but thefe he cuts down with the fbarp Sic/i!e (twice fo called) of vengeance3 and therefore it is (aid, that the.y are ufl into the Wine-prefs of God's Wrath. And thefe Grapes; are thofe Carnal Protefiants and Profe!fors of Religion, who, together with the Elect, have enjoyed the Heat of this fair long Summer, and hung like to Grapes in the Sun, but retaining their Sowrnefs, have been ripened indeed, but only for Wratll and Vengeance.. And lo, how this !harp Sickle bath g~ne up and down mGermany for well mg~ thefetwenty Years, bemi! fuch a Wme·prds of fierce Wrath, and fuch a treadmg down to an overflowmg of Blood and Mife– ry, as bath fcarce been parallel'd in any Age. For it is the Vengeance of the Temple, not fo much defiroyed, as defiled and di!honoured by their Mixture; which as much provokes God unto Wrath, as the ~erfecution ~f his Temple wouid have done. And therefore the Angel that IS the Execuuoner of it is provoked unto it by the Cries of an Angel that comes from the Altar as ~ne who 'is zealous of God's Wor!hip,. and difdains as much that the Te~ple and Altar (the Ordmances of Wor!htp) !hould be pefiered and defiled with fuch as call themfelves the Church, faying, We- are the Temple of God, and lO caufe -God's Nam!! to be blafphemed; as that the Idolatrous Papifts, (whom this Book calls the Gentilu, Chap. I I.· I.) Jhould tread down this Holy City and Sanctua· ry. For even thefe are no better than Gentilesalfo, who fay they are Jews, but are not. · And that this V'~ngeance !hould be meant '?f this execution of it upon the Prot-efiant Party, feems evtdent unto me by thiS, that the Wine·pref is faid to be troden without the City; that is, without the Jurifdictioo or Reach of the Power of the City of Rome; (for fo that word [City J according to the Stile of this Book,
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