The Text. Reuel. CHAP. 20. VERS. 7.8.9.10.

AND quhen the thousand ȝeiris at expyrit, Satan sall be lowsed out of his presone.

8 And sall go out to deceaue the people quhilk ar in the four quarters of the earth, euin Gog and Magog, to gather them togither to battell, quhois number ar as the sand of the sea.

9 And they went vp into the plane of the earth, quhilk compassed ye tentis of the Saintis about, and the belouit citie: bot fyre come doun from God out of the heauin, and deuoured them.

10 And ye deuill that deceauit them, was cast into a lake of fyre and brintstone, quhair that beast and that false prophete ar, and sall be tormented euin day and nycht for euer more.

The Meditatione.

The access [...]le of the knowledge [...] Revel [...] AS of all buikis the holie Scripture is maist ne­cessarie for the instructioun of ane Christiane, and of all the scriptures, the buik of the Reuelatioun is maist meit for this our last age, as ane prophe­cie of the letter tyme: Sa haue I selected this [Page]place thair of as maist propre for the actioun we haue in hand presentlie: For efter that the Apostle Iohne had prophecy it of the letter tymes in the nyntene chaptouris preceding, he now in this 20 gatheris vp ane summe of the haill, quhairin ar ex­pressed thrie heidis. First the happie estait of the Kirk, from Christis dayis to the dayis of the defectioun & of ye Antichrist, in the first sex versis of this 20 chap. Nixt the defectioun it self, in this place that I haue in hand, to wit, the seuint, aucht, nynt, and tent versis. Thridlie the generall punishment of the wickit in ye greit day of Iudgement, from the tent vers to the end of the chaptour. The Apostles meaning in this place then is this, that efter that Sathan had bene bound ane thousand ȝeiris, quhilk did appeir by his preceding dis­cours of the saintis triumphing in the earth, he sall at last brek furth agaue lows, and for ane space rage in the earth mair then euer befoir: bot ȝit sall in the end be ouercome and confoundit for euer. It restis now, knawing the summe, that we come to ye expositioun of thir versis. And first we will expone or paraphrase the hardnes of the wordis, nixt in­terpreit ye meaning of them, and thridlie note quhat we sould learne of all.

The first part.

AS to the wordis, in them for ordouris caus we man note, first Sathanis lowsing, nixt his doing efter that he is lowsit, and last his vnhappie succes. Then for ye first. Be Sathan is meanit nocht onlie the Dragone enemie to Christ and his Kirk, bot also with him all ye instrumentis in quhom he rewlis, Satan i [...] his instrumentis is lowsed to trouble the Kirk. and be quhom he vtteris his cruell and craftie intentioums, specialie ye Antichrist and his clergie: ioynit with ye Dragone befoir in the sextene chap. vers. 17. and callit the beast and ye false prophete. For as Christ and his Kirk ar callit efter ane name Christ, be ressoun of thair maist aret vnioun, and heuinlie effectis flowing thairfra. 1, Cor. 12.12. sa Sathan and his synagoge ar heir richtlie callit Sathan be ressoun of thair vnioun and cursit effectis flowing thairfra. Thir thousand ȝeiris ar bot ane number [Page]certane for ane vncertane, quhilk phrase is oft vsit be the Spirit of God in the scriptures, meaning ane greit number of ȝeiris. Mair ouer the presone quhairout of he is lowsit is ye hellis quhilk by ye Spirit of God ar callit his presone for twa causes. Ane becaus during the tyme of this warld at tymes ap­pointit be God he is debarrit from walking in the earth and send thair, greatlie to his torment, 2. Pet. 2. [...]. Iude verse [...]. as was testifeit be ye mira­cle at Genesareth amangis the Gadarenis. Math. 8.28. Nixt becaus efter ye consummatioun of ye warld he sall be perpetu­allie impresonit thairin as is writtin mye same chap. vers. 10. Finalie he is lowsit be interruptioun, and for ye maist part, to ye iudgement of men, abolitioun of the synceir preaching of ye Gospell, ye trew vse of ye Sacramentis quhilkis ar ye sealis & pledgis of ye promisis contenit thairin, and lawfull exercise of christiane discipline, quhairby baith word and sacramentis ar mantenit in puritie, callit in ye first vers, The greit chaine quhairby ye Dragone is bound, and signifeit be ye quhyte horse gouernit be ye Lamb. chap. 6. ver. 2. Swa ye meaning of all yis 7 vers is this: The deuill, hauing bene bound, & his power in his instrumentis hauing bene restrainit for a lang space be ye prea­ching of ye gospell, at last he is lowsed out of hell by ye rai­sing vp of samony new errouris and notable euill instrumen­tis, especialie ye Antichrist and his clergie, quha not onlie infectit ye earth of new, bot impyrit also ouer ye haill, through the decresse of trew doctrine and ye number of ye faithfull following it, and ye daylie incres of errouris, and natiounis following them, beleuing lies, haiting ye treuth, and tak­ing pleasour in vnrichteousnes. 2. Thess. 2.11.12. And this far for Sathanis lowsing. Now to the nixt, his doing efter that he is lowsit. First he gois ont to seduce ye na­tiounis that a [...] into ye four corneris of ye earth, Satan first deceiuis, then allures to fol­low him, and in end makis all his to tak armour a­gainst the Kirk. and they be­come his, thocht in certaine degreis his tirannie and trauell appearis, and birstis out in some mair then in vtheris. For as all that do guid ar inspyrit be God thairto, and vtteris the same in certane degreis, according to the measour of grace grantit vnto them. Sa all that do euill ar inspyred be Sa­than, and vtteris the same in diuerse degreis, according as [Page]that ducleue spirit takis possessioun in them, and be diuerse ob­iectis alluris them to do his will, sum be ambitioun, sum be inuie, sum be malice, and sum be feir, and so furth, and this is his first wark. Secundlie he gatheris Gog and Magog to battell in number lyke the sand of the sea, and so he and his inclynit to battell and bludeshed, haue michtie armies, and in number mony, inflammed with crueltie. The speciall heidis and rewlaris of thir armies, or rather rankis of confederatis to go to battell and to fecht ar twa heir named, Gog and Ma­gog. Gog in Hebrew is callit hid and Magog reueled, to sig­nifie that in twa sortis of men cheiflie Sathan sall vtter him self, to wit, hypocritis and awowit enemers to God. It is said then that Sathan sall in the letter tymes impyre of new ouer the Warld, quho sall steir vp the nationis vnder the baneris of thir twa enemeis to God, the hypocriticall and awowit, to sprid them selfis in greit multitudes vpon the earth. Thridlie they sall ascend vpon the plane of the earth, presumpteouslie and proudlie bragging of thair number and force, and thin­king nane sall be abill to resist thair rage. They sall com­passe and besiege the campis of the saintis, and the belouit ei­tie, that is, the handfull of the faithfull belouit of the Lord, quhome agams, confyding in thair vntellable number lyke the sand of the sea, they sall mak a cruell and vnceassabill weir. The elect ar callit saintis and belouit. The ele [...] at the Sain [...]es, and the belo­ued citie of GOD. becaus they ar in the lufe of God selectit, and be grace ingrauit in Christ, in quhome they ar comptit and fund iustifeit, sanctifeit, worthie of loue and endles glorie. Thair faithfull fellowship is comparit to tentis, and to a citie belouit, to signifie thair continuall weir­fair in the earth aganis Sathan and sinne, with all his instru­mentis: thair mutuall amitie and freindlie coniunctioun in loue amangis them selfis: and concurrence to mancene the guid caus that thair God hes cled them with: bot cheiflie to signifie the michtie and all sufficient protectioun in prosperitie and aduersitie, flowing from God for thair iust defence aganis all powers that can persew, quhairby they also become fair as the Mone, pure as the Sone, terrible as ane armie with ba­ueris, Cant. 1.6, 9. ȝea as a defencit citie: ane irne pillair: and [Page]wallis of bras against ye haill earth. Ier. 1.18. The s [...]mne then of Sathanis doingis efter he is lowsit is this: He sall deceiue ye natiounis: he sall gather ane infinit number of hypocritis and a­wowit enemeis togidder inflammed with crueltie, and thir sall in prydefull presumptioun fearcelie bend them felfis against ye chosm of God, and his treuth professit be them. Bot quhat at last sall ye succes be? Suirlie maist vnhappy. For fyre sall cum doun from heauin, and deuour them, and ye deuill yat deceauit them and all his instrumentis, cheiflie ye beast and fals prophet sall be cast in ane laik of fyre and brintstone, and sall be tormented day and nycht incessantlie for euer and euer: that is, how greit that euer thair braggis be, how neir yat euer they sall appeir to be at thair intent, God from heuin as the palace and throne quhairfra he geuis pruife of his mercie towardis his awin, and of his iustice towardis his enemeis, sall send plagues and de­structioun, asweist ordinar, as extraordinar, vpon them. Ordi­nar be reueiling thair wickitnes be ye thundering mouthes of trew pastouris, quhilk is oft callit fyre in the scriptures. Ex­traordinar by all corporall plagues to thair vtter destructioun and vntellable torment for euer in the hellis. This far for the expolitioun or paraphrase of the wordes.

The secund part.

NOW followis the interpretatioun of the sentence ac­cording to the ordour vsit in the first part. And first we man knaw quhat time thir thousand or mony ȝeiris was in, and quhen and how was Sathan lowsit. The puritie of the Gos­pell in during st [...]yes the Ant [...]h [...]isti [...] ry [...]i [...]g. This time is to be found in the saxt chaptour, in the opening of the first thrie seales of ye secreit buik of Gods prouidence beye Lamb: To wit, ye time quhen the quhyte, read, and black horses had their course in the warld. And to speak mair plainely, ye De­uils power did lurk, quhilk is callit his binding, and ye Euan­gell did floreish in ane ressonable puritie mony hundreth ȝeiris efter Christ, as ye Ecclesiasticall histories beir witnes. For in greit puritie the Gospell did continue lang, quhilk is sig­nifeit by the course of the quhyt hors, albeit ye professouris [Page]wee vnder ye croce signifyit by ye reid hors, and traublit wonderfullie be heretickis, signifeit by ye blak hors, by worme­wod that fell in ye fontainis of wateris in ye thrid trumpet, and by wateris that ye Oragone spewit out of his mouth in ye visioun of ye Dragone and ye woman. chap. 12. This tyme did indure from Christ, ane space efter Augustinis duy is, quhen ye bloodie sword of persecutioun ceassing, ye haill Kirk began to be defylit with diuerse heresies, quhilk cumming to ane ma­ture & rype heip did produce ye Antichrist, signifeit be ye paill hors in ye fourt seall, [...]o Gospel [...] be [...]. by ye king of ye locustis in ye 5 trumpet, by Babylon in ye 11 & 18 chap. by ye secund beast rysing out of ye sea in ye 13 chap. and by ye woman cled with scarlet in ye 17. The arysing of ye hereseis and ye Antichrist breading of thair smok is in this place callit ye lowsing of Sathan. Now fol­lowis efter this his lowsing quhat he dois: He deceiuis ye na­tiounis vniuersallie: he gatheris Gog and Magog with intella­ble armies to fecht: he leuies vp vpon ye plane of ye earth: he compassis ye tentis of ye saintis, and ye belouit citie about. Thir ar his doingis. Now becaus thir actiounis ar maist viuelie de­clarit in vther placis of ye same buik, I will shortlie alleage them to mak ye mater cleir be conference of places expomng euery ane ane vther. It is said in ye 9 chap. that ye Antichrist sall hound out his locustis or ecclesiastick ordouris be fair al­lurementis to intyse ye warld to ȝeild to his & thair abominable hereseis, and sall preuaill ouer ye maist part. It is said in ye 11 chap. that he sall persecute ye saintis, kill ye twa witnessis, and sall reioyce with ye kingis of ye earth for thair killing, as ha­uing bene ye onlie lettis to his full glorie. It is said in ye 13 chap. that he sall blaspheme God in vsurping his power: that be ye aduise and assistance of ye fals prophet or fals kirk he sall send out his imagis or ambassadouris throw ye warld per­secuting and destroying them that will nocht obey him and them, and acknawledge his supremacie: ȝea nane sall be sufferit to by or sell or vse ciuill societie that acknawledgis not his supreme power and dignitie. It is said in ye 16 chap. that God plaguing him for thir forsaidis abusis, he sall be sa far from repentance, as be ye coutrair he sall find out ane [Page]new sort of vermine, that is, are new ecclesiastick ordour, quhilk at callit thair froggis, quha sall moue and entyse ye princes of the earth to ioyne with him and mak weir against ye faithfull, preissing vtterlie to destroy them: and of that battell and the end thairof dois this place mak mentioun. Now shortlie ioyne all this togidder, and sa obtene the meaning. Thair sall aryse ane Antichrist and enemie to God & his Kirk: he sall be hew of ane fals and hypocriticall Kirk: he sall clame ane supreme power in earth: he sall vsurpe the power of God: he sall deceiue men with abusing locustis: he sall persecute ye faithfull: nane sall be fund that dar awowedlie resist him: in end, feiling his kingdome de­cay, and the trew kirk beginning to kyith, he sall by ane new sort of deceiuing spiritis gather togidder the kingis of the earth in greit multitudis lyke the sandis of the sea, and by concurrence, or at leist the tollerance of that vther greit awowit enemie he sall with thir numbers compasse the oampis of the faithfull, beseage the belouit citie, mak weir against the saintis: bot vic­torie sall he not haue, The Pape [...] Antichrist, & Paperie ye lowsing of Satan, s [...] quhom pro­ceidis f [...] doctrine, and crueltie to subuert ye kingdome of Christ. and shame and confusioun sall be his and all his partakeris end. Now quhither the Pape beiris thir mar­kis or not, let ony indifferent man iudge: I think surelie it ex­ponis the self: Dois he not vsurpe Christis office calling him self vniuersall bishop, & heid of the kirk: Playis he not ye part of Apollyon and Abaddon the king of the locustis and destroyer or sone of perditioun, in chopping and changing saulis betuixt hewin, hell, & fantastick purgatorie at his pleasour: Blasphemis he not in denying vs to be saiff by ye imputatioun of Christis iustice. Mairouer hes he not send furth and abusie ye warld with innumerable ordouris of locustis and shaue lingis. Hes he not sa fullie impyrit ouer ye warld thir mony hundreth ȝeiris as to ye fyre ȝeid he, quhat sumeuer he was, yat durst deny ony part of his vsurpit supremacie: And hes he not of lait dayis seing his kingdome going to decay, send out the Iesuitis, his last and maist pernicious vermine, to steir vp the Princes of the earth his slauis, to gather and league them selfis togidder for his defence, and rooting out of all them that profess [...]s Christ trew­lie. And quhairas ye awowed enemie of God ye Turke was vn­der bloodie weiris with him euer befoir, is their not of sait ane [Page]trewis amaugis them, that the faithfull may be mair easilie rooted out. And ar nocht presentlie ye armies amassit, ȝea vpon ye verie point of thair executioun: In France against the saintis thair: In Flanders for the lyke: and in Germanie, be quhom alreddie ye Bischop of Colley ne is displacit: And quhat is preparit and cum fordwart against this Ile: Do we not daylie heir: and be all appearance shortlie sall see: Now may ȝe iudge gif this be not ye tyme quhairof this place that I haue maid chois of doeth meane, and sa ye dew tyme for the reueiling of this prophecie. This far for ye interpreta­tioun of the sentence.

The thrid part.

NOW I cum to the last part, quhat we may learne of this place, quhilk I will shortlie tuiche in few pointis and sa mak end. And first of ye deuillis lowsing be ye rysing of ye Antichrist, for ye iust punishment of ye vnthank­full warld haiting ye treuth and delyting in lies, and mani­festing of his awin chosin that stak to ye treuth: we haue twa thingis to note. Mannis sinne p [...] Gods iustice to lows Satan. Ane for instructioun, that ye iustice of God in respect of mannis falling wilfullie from ye treuth (as Paull sayis) iustlie did send to ye warld the greit abuser with effi­cacie of lies, asweill to tyrannize spirituallie ouer ye conscience be heresie, as corporallie ouer thair bodyis be ye ciuill sworde. And thairfoir we man feir to fall from ye treuth reuiled, and professed be vs, that we may be frie from ye lyke punishment. The vther for our comfort, Apostates sall p [...]r [...]lie, constant christi­anes sall be crouned. that yis tyrannie of ye Antichrist sifting out ye caffe from ye corne, as our Maister sayis, sall tend to ye double condemnatioun of ye falleris bak, and to ye double croun of glorie to ye perseueireris. Blissit thairfoir ar they that perseueir to ye end, Math. 10. [...] for they sall be saiff.

The defecti­oun vnder ye Antichrist sall be vni­uersall.Nixt of ye number of natiounis in the four quarteris of ye earth deceaued, and companies gatherit togidder to fecht lyke the sand of ye sea: we ar teachit that ye defectioun vnder ye Antichrist was generall, and sa na visible Kirk was thair: Quhairof twa thingis followis. Ane, the Kirk may be cor­ruptit and erre: Ane vther, the Kirk may lurk and be vn­knawin [Page]for ane certane space.

Thridlie of that that Sathan is not coutentit onlie to de­ceaue, except he also gather to ye battell his instrumentis: Satans chil­dren baith deceiue and perse [...]. we ar informit of ye implacable malice borne be Sathan in his instrumentis against God in his members, quha neuer reassis lyke ane roring lyoun (as Peter sayis) to go about assailleing to deuour. This his malice is notablie descriuit in ye 12 and 13 chap. of this buik: for it is said that quhen he had spewed out greit riueris of wateris, yat is, infinit heresies and lies to swallow vp ye woman, and notwithstanding sho was delyuerit thairfra: ȝit agane he raisit vp ane beast out of ye sea, ye bloodie Romane impyre be ye sworde, to deuour hir and hir seid: and that being woundit deidlie, ȝit he raisis ane vther beast furth of ye earth, quhilk is ye Antichrist, be heresie and sworde toynit togidder to do his turnis. Saye Deuill seing that na mist of heresies can obscure ye euangell in ye hartis of ye faithfull, nather ye cruell sworde of persecuteris can stay ye prosperous succes of Christis kingdome he raisis vp ye Antichrist with baith his swordis, to the effect that, as ane of them sayis, that quhilk Peters keyis culd nocht, Pauls sword sould. And so hes he done at this tyme: For sen ye trew Kirk will not be abusit with ye absurde heresies, for last refuge, now rooted out most they be by ye ciuill sword.

Ferdlie of thair greit numberis abill to compasse about ye tentis of ye saintis, and to beseage ye halie cities: The wickit i [...] numbers e­uer ouerpasse ye godlie. we ar infor­med that ye wickit ar euer ye greitest part of ye warld. And thair foir our Maister sayis, Many ar callit, few chosin: and agane, Vyde is ye way that leidis to destructioun, and many enter thairat: Bot narrow is ye way that leidis to lyfe, and few enter thairat. Also he callis them ye warld, and the De­uill the Prince of ye same,

Fyftlie ye agreance of Gog and Magog, the Turke ye awowit enemie, and ye Pape ye couered enemie, The wickit at variance amangis thē self, can we ll agrie in an [...] against Christ. to this per­secutioun: declaris ye rooted haitred of ye wickit against ye faithfull: quha thocht they be vtherwayis in enimitie amangis them selfis, ȝit greis in that respect, in odium tertij, as did Herode and Pilate.

Sextlie the compassing of ye saintis, and beseaging of ye belouit citie, The fals Kirk ouer perse­ [...]tes. declaris to vs ane certane note af ane fals Kirk to be persecutioun. For they cum to seik ye faithfull: the faith­full ar thes that ar socht. The wickit ar ye beseageris: the faithfull ye beseagit.

Scripture be scripture fuld be exponed.Seuintlie in ye forme of language and phrase of speaking of fyre cumming doun from heauin heir vsit, and takin out of ye buik of ye Kingis, [...]. Reg. 1.10, 11 quhair at Elias prayeris with fyre from heauin wer destroyit Achazias souldiouris: as ye greitest part of all ye wordis, versis, and sentences of this buik ar takin and borrowit out of vther partis of ye scripture: We ar teachit to vse onlie scripture for iuterpretatioun of scripture, gif we wald be suir and neuer wauer from ye analogie of faith in ex­positioun: sence it repeitis sa oft ye awin phrases, and yair [...]y exponis thame.

The wickit preuaile not for euer, bot perishe in ye top of their [...]ourse.Auchtlie of the last part of ye confusioun of ye wickit, euin at ye top of their heicht and quheill, we haue twa thingis to note. Ane, that God althocht he suffer ye wickit to rinne on quhisl thair coupe be full: ȝit in end strykis he them, first in this warld, and nixt in ye warld to cum, to ye delyuerance of his Kirk in this warld, and perpetuall glorie of ye samur in ye warld to cum. The vther note is, that efter ye greit perse­cutioun and destructioun of ye perseweris sall ye day of iudge­ment follow. For sa declaris ye 11 vers of ye same chaptour. Bot in how short space it fall follow, that is onlie knawin vnto God. Onlie this far ar we certane, that in that last estait without ony ma generall mutatiounis ye warld sall remane till ye consummatioun.

To conclude then with exhortatioun: It is all our dew­ties in this Ile at yis tyme to do twa thingis. All men suld be lawfullie ina [...]med spi­ritualite and bodelie to seekt against ye Antichrist and his su [...] ­ [...]ostes. Ane, to consid­der our estait: Another, to conforme our actiounis according thairunto. Our estait is, we ar thrtefaldlie beseagit, First spirituallie be ye heresies of ye Antichrist. Secundlie corpo­rallie and generallie, as memberis of that Kirk ye quhilk in haill they persecute. Thridlie corporallie & particularlie be yis present armse. Our [...]ctiounis then conformed to our estait at shes: First to call for help at Goddis handis: Nixt to assure [Page]vs of ye same, seing we haue ane sufficient warrand, his constant promeis expressed in his word. Thridlie sence. with guid consci­ence we may, being in ye tentis of ye saintis & belouit citie, stand in our defence Incourage ane another to vse lawfull resistance, and concur ane with another as warriouris in ane camp and citizenis of ane belouit citie, for mantenance of ye guid caus God hes cled vs with, and defence of our liberties, natiue countrie, and lyfes. For sence we see God hes promisit not onlie in ye warld to cum, bot also in this warld to giue vs vic­torie ouer them, Let vs in assurance heir of stronglie trust in our God, Ceasse tomistrust his promeis, and fall through in­credulitie. For then ar we worthie of double punishment. For the stronger they wax, and ye neirer they cum to thair hicht, the faster approchls thair wrak, and the day of our dely­uerie. For kynd and louing, trew and constant, cair­full and walkryfe, michtie and reuenging is he that promisis it: quhom to be praise and glorie for euer.

AMEN.