Re 14:1
14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb {1} stood on the mount Sion,
     and with him {2} an hundred forty [and] four thousand,
     having his Father's {3} name written in their foreheads.

 (1) The history of the Church of Christ being finished for more
     than a 1300 years at which time Boniface the eighth lived
     as has been said: there remains the rest of the history of
     the conflicting or militant church, from there to the time
     of the last victory in three chapters. For first of all, as
     the foundation of the whole history, is described the
     standing of the Lamb with his army and retinue in five
     verses, after his worthy acts which he has done and yet
     does in most mighty manner, while he overthrows Antichrist
     with the spirit of his mouth, in the rest of this chapter
     and in the two following. To the description of the Lamb,
     are propounded three things: his situation, place and
     attendance: for the rest are expounded in the former
     visions, especially in the fifth chapter.
 (2) Prepared to do his office see @Ac 7:56, in the midst
     of the church, which mount Zion pictured before.
 (3) This retinue of the Lamb is described first by divine mark
     (as before in) @Re 7:2 in this verse. Then by divine
     occupation, in that every one in his retinue most earnestly
     and sweetly @Re 14:2 glorify the Lamb with a special
     song before God and his elect angels. Flesh and blood cannot
     hear this song, nor understand, @Re 14:3. Lastly by
     their deeds done before, and their sanctification in that
     they were virgins, pure from spiritual and bodily fornication,
     that is, from impiety and unrighteousness. They followed the
     Lamb as a guide to all goodness, cleaved to him and are holy
     to him, as by grace redeemed by him. In truth and simplicity
     of Christ they have exercised all these things, sanctimony of
     life, the guidance of the Lamb, a thankful remembrance of
     redemption by him and finally (to conclude in a word) they
     are blameless before the Lord, @Re 14:4,5.

Re 14:6
14:6 {4} And I saw {5} another angel fly in the midst of heaven,
     having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that
     dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and
     tongue, and people,

 (4) The other part (as I said in the first verse) \\see Geneva
     "Re 14:1"\\ is of the acts of the Lamb, the manner of
     which is delivered in two sorts, of his speech and of his
     facts. His speeches are set forth to @Re 14:7-13, and
     his facts to the sixteenth chapter. In the speech of the
     Lamb, which is the word of the Gospel, are taught in this
     place these things: The service of the godly consisting
     inwardly of reverence towards God, and outwardly of the
     glorifying of him: the visible sign of which is adoration
     @Re 14:7. The overthrowing of wicked Babylon,
     @Re 14:8 and the fall of every one of the ungodly
     who worship the beast, @Re 14:9,10,11. Finally the
     state of the holy servants of God both present,
     @Re 14:12 and to come, most blessed, according to
     the promise of God in @Re 14:13.
 (5) This angel is a type or figure of the good and faithful
     servants of God, whom God especially from the time of
     Boniface the eighth has raised up to the proclaiming of the
     gospel of Christ, both by preaching and by writing. So God
     first, near the time of the same Boniface, used Peter
     Cassiodorus an Italian: after, Arnold "de villa nova", a
     Frenchman, then Occam, dante, Petrarch, after the "Johannes
     de rupe casa", a Franciscan: after again, John Wycliff an
     Englishman, and so continually one or another to the
     restoring of the truth, and enlarging of his Church.

Re 14:7
14:7 {6} Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to
     him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him
     that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains
     of waters.

 (6) That is, Babylon is destroyed by the sentence and judgment
     of God: the execution of which John describes in chapter
     18.  This voice of the ministers of Christ has continued
     since the time that Babylon (which is Rome) has by
     deliberate counsel and malice questioned the light of the
     gospel offered from God.

Re 14:8
14:8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is
     fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all
     nations drink of the wine of the {a} wrath of her
     fornication.

     (a) Of her fornication, by which God was provoked to wrath.

Re 14:9
14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud
     voice, {7} If any man worship the beast and his image, and
     receive [his] mark in his forehead, or in his hand,

 (7) That is, will not worship God alone, but will transfer his
     divine honour to this beast, whether he do it with his
     heart, or counterfeiting in show. "For he (says Christ)
     that denies me before men, him will I deny before my Father
     and his angels" @Mt 10:32. This is the voice of the
     holy ministry, which at this time is used of the holy and
     faithful servants of God. For having now sufficiently found
     out the public obstinacy of Babylon, they no longer work to
     speak out against the same: but to save some particular
     members by terror (as Jude speaks) and to pluck them out of
     the flame: or else lead them away by vehement commiseration
     of their state, they set before them eternal death into
     which they rush unaware, unless they return to God in time,
     but the godly who are of their own flock, they exhort to
     patience, obedience and faith to others.

Re 14:12
14:12 {8} Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they
      that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

 (8) The patience, sanctification and justification by faith:
     the results of which are rest, happiness and eternal glory
     in the heavenly fellowship of God and his angels.

Re 14:13
14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write,
     Blessed [are] the dead which die {b} in the Lord from
     henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from
     their labours; and their {c} works do follow them.

     (b) That is, for the Lord.
     (c) By works, is meant the reward which follows good works.

Re 14:14
14:14 {9} And I looked, and behold a {10} white cloud, and upon
      the cloud [one] sat like unto the Son of man, {11} having
      on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a {12} sharp
      sickle.

 (9) The second part of this chapter as I said \\see Geneva
     "Re 14:1"\\, of the actions of Christ in overthrowing
     Antichrist and his church by the Spirit of his divine mouth.
     Seeing that having been called back by word both publicly
     and privately to his duty and admonished of his certain ruin,
     he does not cease to maintain and protect his own adherents,
     that they may serve him: and to afflict the godly with most
     barbarous persecutions.  Of those things which Christ does,
     there are two forms: one common or general in the rest of
     this chapter another specific against that savage and
     rebellious beast and his worshippers in chapter fifteen and
     sixteen. The common form is the calamity of wars, spread
     abroad through the whole earth, and filling all things with
     blood and without respect of any person. This is figured or
     shadowed in two types, of the harvest and vintage. Have you
     seen how since the time that the light of the gospel began
     to shine out, and since prophecy or preaching by the grace
     of God was raised up again, horrible wars have been kindled
     in the world? how much human flesh has been thrown to the
     earth by this divine reaping? how much blood (alas for woe)
     has overflown for these 100 years almost? all history cries
     out, and our age (if ever before) is now in horror by
     reason of the rage of the sickle which Antichrist calls
     for. In this place is the first type, that is of the
     harvest.
 (10) Declaring his fierceness by his colour, like that which is
      in the white or milk circle of heaven
 (11) As one that shall reign from God, and occupy the place of
      Christ in this miserable execution.
 (12) That is, a most fit and convenient instrument of
      execution, destroying all by showing and thrusting
      through: for who may stand against God?

Re 14:15
14:15 {13} And another angel came out of the temple, crying with
      a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy
      sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap;
      for the harvest of the earth is ripe.

 (13) Christ gives a commandment in this verse, and the angel
      executes it in @Re 14:16.

Re 14:17
14:17 {14} And another angel came out of the temple which is in
      heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.

 (14) The other type (as I said in) \\see Geneva "Re 14:14"\\
      is the vintage: the manner of which is the same as that
      which went before, except for this, that the grape
      gathering is more exact in seeking out everything, then is
      the harvest labour.  This is therefore a more grievous
      judgment, both because it succeeds the other, and because
      it is executed with great diligence.

Re 14:20
14:20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, {15} and
      blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse
      bridles, by the space of a thousand [and] six hundred
      furlongs.

 (15) That is, overflowed very deep, and very far and wide: the
      speech is exaggeration to signify the greatness of the
      slaughter. These are those pleasant fruits truly, of the
      contempt of Christ, and desiring of Antichrist rather than
      him, which the miserable, mad and blind world reaps at
      this time.



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