I was for some time unresolved of a Subject to write upon but seeking to the Lord in Prayer God set the sence of the old Dragons and the Whore of Babylons long-continued Tyranny over the Saints much upon my soul and I judged it was now a time seasonable and a Work necessary afresh to take a view of this old World under Monarchical Tyranny in States and under mystical Babylons usurpations over the Church of Christ. In the time of the Jewish Church-state and for some time after the New-Testament-church-state was begun Daniels four parted terrible Image and his four monstrous Beasts had all their answerable times and terms that with Christs Incarnation Johns Serpent or Dragon with seven Heads and ten Horns the Heathen Roman Empire was entered the stage of this World and acted like himself But as this Beast grew weak and fell in power the great Whore Mystery Babylon took her opportunity to get up and rides that Scarlet-coloured Beast to this day Since the Pope or Papacy hath ridden the Dragon or earthly Monarchy the Whore hath made great use of the Kings of the Earth to exercise her bloudy cruelty upon the Saints that have owned and sought those priviledges where-with the Lord Jesus Christ hath made them free What the Dragons and the Whores time and Tyranny hath been is not unknown to many Saints and light will break forth more and more to the perfect day Large and vast are those Volumes which have been written upon these four great Empires of the World and the Papacy of Rome but these for the greatest part have been written in strange Tongues and are in the studies of great Scholars to little Spiritual use When Nebuchadnezzar had taken Jerusalem and setled the Empire of Babylon in himself his desires were to know what after should come to passe in the latter daies His mind being thus busied he had a Vision of a great and terrible Image whose head was of Gold his brest and arms of Silver his belly and his thighes of Brasse his leggs of Iron his feet part of Iron and part of Clay a stone cut out without hands smote the Image upon his feet and brake them to peeces that no place was found for them and the stone that smote the Image became a great Mountain and filled the whole earth This Vision was revealed from the Lord to Daniel and by Daniel to King Nebuchadnezzar wherein is presented the future state of the world from that time to the Kingdom of Christ or Kingdom of the Stone and end of this old World From that time the world was to bee under the successive government of four Kingdoms of which Babylon was the first And in the days of these Kings shall the God of Heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed but it shall break in pieces and consume all these Kingdoms and it shall stand for ever The Lords revealing this dream and the interpretation of it to Nebuchadnezzar caused that Heathen King to give glory to God as God of gods and greatly honoured Daniel as honoured of the Lord to reveal the secret I may hence infer it s now a work becoming the Lords people to be inquiring after light in this Prophecie and be saying to the Lords Watch-men as those of Sier Watch-man what of the night watch-man what of the night that is how much of the time of these four Kingdoms are run out or what remains yet to be fulfilled of them when the fifth Kingdom is to begin and the watch-men may answer The morning cometh also the night that is the morning for Saints and the night for sinners It was a mercy that the Lord should have this Prophecie as a ground for faith and prayer to his people but God hath abundantly fore-told the suffering state of his Church under these four Kingdoms hath by his Prophets and Apostles which are now so plain that Saints doe run and â—ead them God Omniscient fore-seeing the need saints would have of support under so long â—â—me of sufferings gives a further discovery of these four Kingdoms to the Prophet Daniel in the first year of Belshazzer King of Babylon In this Vision these â—â—ur Kings or Kingdoms are represented â—nder four monstrous Beasts and these â—â—eat Beasts which are four are interâ—â—eted of four Kings which should arise â—â—t of the earth and for a support to the â—â—rds people the Angel also further adds â—â—at the Saints of the most High shall â—â—ke the Kingdom and possess the Kingdom for ever even for ever and ever The Babylonian Monarchy the Median and Persian Monarchy and the Grecian Monarchy are three of these four Kingdoms expresly sonamed by and to Daniel And the fourth Beast which was dreadful and terrible and strong exceedingly can be no other than the Empire of Rome Time hath now interpreted who the fourth Beast is but Daniels fourth Beast and the Apostle Johns Dragon arâ— one and the same and generally understood to represent the Roman Monarchy Earth and Sea Corruption and Confusion was the original of these Kingdoms and I may as truly say Pride and Contention are the support of earthly Kings and Crowns For the sake of Saints I have gathered this Compendium of these four Kingdoms of Babylon Media and Persia Greece and Rome out of large anâ— vast Volumes to give light into Daniel Visions and Johns Revelations They that with serious thoughts shall read these few pages and run down the line of Monarchy in the several Beasts reigns do noâ— need Spiritual light to discover what implacable enmity hath at all times run the veins of Kings against King Jesuâ— and his Saints The Popes and Prelacy had the same original with earthly Monarchy and no less an enemy to the intrest of Christ and his Saints the Papacy is a Beast arising out of the earth as well as Monarchy yet hath Horns like a Lamb but speaks as a Dragon This Whore hath not only drunk but hath been drunken with the bloud of Saints and the Martyrs of Jesus as well as Monarchy and the time is now near that the Saints shall have commission from the Lord Jesus Christ King of Kings and Lord of Lords not only to give Babylon bloud to drink but to reward her double according to her works in the Cup which she hath filled fill to her double I say this time is near in the whole and in part begun in England I say again and again this is my faith That the hour of Gods Judgements is come to turn the waters of his indignation upon his Churches enemies Beleevers have the Word Covenant and Oath of the erernal God for all this they have the ingagement of the faithful Almighty God that cannot Iye and why should we not expect it Surely the work is upon the wheel that turns fast and nothing but Voyces and Thunders and Earth-quakes nothing but shakings
A LITTLE VIEW OF THIS OLD VVORLD IN TVVO BOOKS I. A Map of Monarchy Wherein the state of the World is represented under Kings with their entrance Reign and Ends from King Saul to King Charls II. An Epitomy of Papacy VVherein is discovered the rise of Anti-christ with the Entrance Reign and Ends of the Popes of Rome for 740 years till the Pope was fully declared to be the Anti-christ A Work fitted for the Press Five years agone and now published by Tho. Palmer Pastor of a Church of Christ in Nottingham LONDON Printed for Livewell Chapman and are to bee sold at his Shop at the Sign of the Crown in Popes-head Alley 1659. To the Council of State of the Common-Wealth of England Honourable Worthies THe Lord God Almighty is the original of all Created beings and his glory is the great end he is carrying on both in Earth and Heaven Wisdome Grace and Power are the Essence of God and from himself he made and governs the whole Creation independently and none can say Why hast thou done thus There is some parity between a Saints Soul-state and the true Church-state Darkness and bondage precedes light and comfort sufferings goe before rest Abrahams true Seed are in AEgypt they pass the red Sea and wander in a houling Wilderness before they can possess the promised Land of Canaan and all these former dealings of God with his people in Covenant were written for examples and types for us upon whom the ends of the world are come Jehovab hath not usually made great promises to his people and inriched them with his Free Grace but he hath brought them to live upon him by faith for the performance of the word that went out of his mouth yet as God saw the state of future times he was pleased still to discover and fore-tell to his suffering Saints the enemies fall and the Churches advance and glory in this world The state both of the Jewish and Christian Church as to their sufferings union and glory were fully represented in Daniels Visions and Johns Revelations When Jesus Christ was in the Flesh hee was frequently Preaching and in Parables representing the Churches suffering and raised estate and after him the Apostles taught the same things The Prophets and Apostles spake not only of the Churches future sufferings under the Beasts false Prophet the Dragon and the Whore but God was pleased also to compute and measure the time of Saints sufferings to their promised Redemption In Christs fore-telling the events of time after his Resurrection hee gives not his Disciples the number of years but leaves with them several fore-going signs of their promised Redemption that both by computation of time and by signs the Saints might the better finde the time of the Beasts reigns and the appearing and Kingdome of Jesus Christ. Indeed Chronologies are imperfect and I judge the very year of the Beasts fall and Churches deliverance cannot be asserted by man yet I humbly conceive that both from computations and signs God hath begun his Churches deliverance in these Nations The Churches Restoration is as fully promised as her afflicted state fore-told and when the Dragon and the Whore have had their time of tyranny over the Saints why should we not certainly beleeve and look for promised rest If you please here to take a view of the Kings of the Earth and examine Antichrists plots and practices they have fulfilled the Word of God by the mouthes of his Prophets and answer them exactly as face answers face in a Glasse Great Senators I may be bold to say God hath honoured England above all the Nations of the earth and you above many Sons of men in making use of you to begin and prosess your resolutions for the establishment of Truth and Holiness in these Lands it was only the Lords free mercy that brought and hath continued the Gospel in England above any Country and Kingdom in Europe and may we not upon that ground beleeve that appearing and kingdom of the Son of Man promised shall here begin and from hence run from Nation to Nation till all the Vials of Gods Wrath be poured out upon the Churches enemies that great voyce out of the Temple in Heaven be fulfilled saying The Kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever Truely the night is not yet past and the Lords work in your hands is attended with great difficulty yet you shall ever have a Pillar and a Cloud to guide and defend if you keep your eye upon them I think I may say God now calls you to an unwonted work the bringing in of the New Heavens and New Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness which is the Kingdom of Saints in this World Carnal Counsellours and worldly Politicians know little of the Lords designs at this day and will doe as little in his work God is now staining worldly glory God is now fulfilling promises to his Son and his Saints and none but the Spiritual-wise understand the work before you I beseech you look much to God hearken after the teaching and light of the Spirit in the Churches of Christ and so act that you may render up your account with joy not with fear This is the end and all of my desires in this little peice I humbly present you with who shall rejoyce to bee found serviceable in his generation to promote the great design of Jesus Christ and shall abide Your Honours real and faithful Servant in my Lords Work Tho. Palmer From my Lodging upon London Bridge the 4th Mon. 1659. To all that beleeve and look for the Kingdom of Christ and glory of the New-Testamen-Church in this World Precious souls IT was the providence of my dear Father when he took me from more rough imployment in the Warrs of England to call me to preach the Gospel of Light in a dark corner which was not without success and comfort to my soul and refreshing to many at home and abroad but after a little time Satan raised so great opposition against some few painful Servants of the Lord who with my self joyned freely to preach the Gospel on week-days from Town to Town where we were invited by any of the Lords people that after the continuance of this course for about two years and some light especially in the order of the Gospel brake forth the Parish Ministers shut the doors of the Comman Meeting-places against us and by degrees put an end to those fruitful and blessed exercises My more publick Ministration of the Gospel being so prevented and my preaching in my Parish-relation by the same spirit of Antichrist made very ineffectual that young Converts were staggered about Church-order and many Christians drew back It was upon my heart to imploy my spare hours to prepare something for the Presse and preach in Print when I could not preach in other mens Pulpits
reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab King of Israel he walked in all the waies of Asa his father and took out of the land those Sodomites that remained in his fathers daies In his time he made peace with Israel by matching his son with Ahabs daughter and by that neer affinity to that wicked King joyned with him to fight his battles which sin of his was deeply threatend and soundly reproved from the Lord. This good man had great infirmities yet did more in reforming his people then any King after Solomon to his time and reigned 25. years about Ann. mund 3045. Nevertheless the High places were not taken away Jehoram succeeded his father Jehoshaphat in the Kingdom but not in his piety when he was settled in the Throne he murdered his six brethren the sons of his father and divers Princes This was a woful beginning and yet the holy Pen-man gives this account of him that he walked in the waies of the Kings of Israel like as did the house of Ahab for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife Marriage with Idolatrous wives hath been the ruine of many men and Nations And to all the rest of this wickedness Jehoram set up Idols and compelled Judah to worship them I shall omit some things but I may not pass the miseries God brought upon his people and this vild person as the just reward of his sin yet less then he deserved though eternity may pay for all In his time the Edomites revolted and set up a King amongst themselves at the same time also Libnah revolted because Jehoram had forsaken the Lord. But Jehorams sad doom was sent to him in writing from the Prophet Elijah possibly it might be in this extraordinary way either to give the full certainty of the sad judgements determined against him or rather to prevent some bloudy design of of this wicked King against the Prophet for the discharge of his duty But soon after the Lord stirred up the Philistines and Arabians who came to judah and carryed away all the substance that was Jound in the Kings house and his sons and his wives so that Jehoahaz the yongest son was saved And after all this the Lord smote Jehoram with an incurable disease in his bowels of which he languished for the space of two years and in the end his bowels fell out and so died but Judah buried him not in the Sepulchres of their Kings Thus he lived wickedly dyed miserably and was buried shamefully when he had reigned or rather raged 8. years About Ann. mun 3053. In the 12. year of Joram King of Israel the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Azariah the youngest son of Jehoram who was lest alive King of Judah This is the general account the Holy Ghost gives of him That he walked in the waies of the house of Ahab for his mother Athaliah the daughter of Omri King of Israel was his Counsellor to do wickedly In 2 King 8. 26. it's said Azariah was 22. years old when he began to reign but 2 Chron. 22. 2. it 's said he was 42. years old when he began to reign This deserves further thoughts to reconcile yet in both places it is said he reigned but one year Azariah had but a short reign and the Holy Ghost adds this as a further reason which is worth observing he did evil in the sight of the Lord like the house of Ahab for they were his Counsellors to his distruction About Anno mund 3054. Ahaziah going to visit Joram King of Israel son of his grand-father Ahab when Jehu came to execute judgement upon Ahabs house he found Ahaziah King of Judah hid in Samaria and put him to death with the rest this news being brought to Athaliah his mother she set up her self Queen of Judah and at first she murthered the seed Royal of her own son to sit quietly in the Throne Yet to make good his word to David the Lord preserved Joash who was secretly stole away from amongst the Kings children by Jehosheba Ahaziahs sister and hid five years with his Nurse in the house of the Lord. Jehosheba was wife to Jehoiada the Priest by whose Counsel and help Joash was saved alive In the seventh year Jehoiada made Joash known to the Captaines of the Army and taking an Oath of them Guards were appointed the Kings son was brought forth and Crowned at which there was great rejoycing when Athaliah heard the great noise in the Temple she came forth to know the matter But seeing the King stand by the Pillar according to the usual manner of the Kings of Judah at their Coronation she rent her cloaths and cryed Treason Treason But Jehoiada commanded to lay hold on her and to have her out of the range of the Temple and to kill her which they did when she had reigned 7. years about Anno 3061. Joash or Jehoash was seven years old when he began to reign which was the seventh year of Jehu so soon as Joash was Crowned King Jehoiada caused a Covenant to be made between the King and the people and between the King people and the Lord and presently all the people went into the house of Baal and they destroyed it thoroughly Joash reigned well while Jehoiada lived yet the High places were not taken away but after the death of Jehoiada the Princes of Judah had full recourse to the King and by their flatteries the King was drawn to Idolatry that both the King and his Courtiers left off to worship God in the Temple and served Groves and Idols The Lord in mercy sent Prophets to reprove their sin and bring them back again but they would not harken to these then the Lord sent Zachariah the son of Jehoiada the Priest who dealt plainly both with the King and people he told them Because yea have forsaken the Lord the Lord also hath forsaken you and that was the reason they could not prosper This home preaching they could not digest and by the command of the King the good man was stoned to death in the Court of the Lords house though he was an extraordinary Prophet sent by God and the son of Jehoiada It 's a known truth Tyranny can know no relations when they are not any thing yet Zachariah left his bloud at their doors and appealing to the righteous God and Judge of all the earth who upon his death said The Lord look upon it and require it And the Lord did so For about the end of the year the Syrians came to Jerusalem with a small company and the Lord delivered a very great Host into their hand because they had forsaken the Lord God thus God executed his judgement against