exhibited only in a Play or Show and need no more to be fulfill'd than the Vision of the strong Angel we are speaking of The other thing which makes the literal sense of opening the Book in St. John's time impossible to be the ultimate sense of that Phrase is that which is said Rev. v. 13. where St. John says he heard every Creature in Heaven in Earth in the Sea and under the Earth saying Blessing and Glory and Honour and Power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever In which Hymn since every Creature was to be concern'd if it had been said in St. John's time we should certainly have had some footsteps of it in History But there is no such Passage any where to be found and yet it was to be before the Lamb 's opening of the Seals as plainly appears from the uninterrupted order of Relation Rev. v. 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 c. Therefore the true opening of the Seals was not in St. John's time To this the Doctor answers as strangely as to the former Par. Proph. Chap. xxxiv Resp ad 10. not resolving whether it was to have any Completion or not as being Dramatical too but if it ought to be fulfill'd at all he says it is not to be till the Millennium as neither that before it at ver 9 10. where the Beasts and Elders say they shall reign upon the Earth Reply 1. The Text it self says That that Hymn of the Beasts and Elders was sung upon the Lamb's taking of the Book which Dr. M. makes to be in St. John's time Rev. v. 8. And when the Lamb had taken the Book they sung c. according to which account it should have been past these 1600 Years Likewise the Hymn sounded forth by every Creature is put before the Lamb's opening any one of the Seals as is evident to any one that reads And is it not very strange that in the same uninterrupted Series of Relation the Lamb 's taking the Book Rev. v. 7. should have been done 1600 Years ago but that the Song said in the next Verse to have been sung thereupon should not be fulfill'd till the Millennium as neither the Gratulation of the Angels ver 11 12. nor the Hymn said by every Creature ver 13 14. And that in the very next Verse viz. Chap. vi 1. there should be a regression to things past 1600 Years ago as the opening of the Book is said by Dr. M. to be 2. Whereas the Doctor makes it an Argument that the Song of the Beasts and Elders Chap. v. 8 9 10. shall not be fulfill'd till the Millennium because they say they shall reign upon the Earth it is plain from those words shall reign that their Reign was not then begun and consequently that the Hymn was to be sung before the Millennium 3. The â—octor himself on Rev. xi 16. makes these Elders to be our noble Reformers who are already dead and gone Also upon Rov xv 7 c. he expounds the seven Angels to whom one of the 〈◊〉 Beasts is said there to give seven Vials to be half path 〈…〉 Wherefore the Beast that gave them their Vials must 〈…〉 something before the Millennium which is not yet come 4. â—ow arbitrary is it to make in the same Vision the Beasts and Elders Chap. v. 8. to sigure something to come but the strong Angel proclaiming ver 2. to figure nothing at all altho in all the Epistles and in many other places the Angels of the Churches are by the current of Interpreters expounded Men and ought to be so in all places of the Prophecy for ought I see yet to the contrary nor the opening of the Seals to sigure any thing here tho it be never us'd but figuratively in any other place But lastly If the Hymn said by every Creature Rev. v. 13. and that by the Beasts and Elders ver 9 10. be not to be sung till the Millennium it is certain from the unquestionable Order of the Relation that the Seals are not to be open'd till then neither For when that is soon after the Lamb had taken the Book that Hymn which was sung by the Beasts and Elders is expresly said to have been sung ver 8. And the Seals were not opened by the Lamb till he had taken the Book therefore the opening of the Bock was to be much about the same time with the Song sung by the Beasts and Elders and cannot by any means be thought to have been fulfill'd 1600 Years before it Whence it follows That that Phrase of opening the Book cannot be understood literally i. e. it can't be understood to signify no more than what was done in the Vision presented to St. John 1600 Years ago And thus much to prove that by opening the Sealed Book Rev. v. is meant explaining it As to the other Point viz. That by the Throne in the Vision I am upon is meant a Throne of God upon Earth because I cannot bring the proof of it within the compass of this Sheet of Paper I reserve it to another if God permit Tho it may seem to be prov'd already in that 1. The Throne is plainly one of those things which the Spirit expresly calls things future Rev. iv 1 2 c. Come up hither says the Voice and I will shew thee things that must be hercaster i.e. things which are not yet in being much less things which have been the same from all Eternity And immediately says the Prophet as the result of the Voice's calling to him I was in the Spirit and behold a Throne was set in Heaven and one sat upon it Wherefore since it is evident that this Throne was not in being at the time of the exhibiting of this Vision to St. John what can be more plain than that it is not the Throne of God in the highest Heaven 2. If by opening the Seals be meant explaining the Book to the People of God as I have prov'd it is then it must needs follow that the Lamb with seven Horns and seven Eyes that opens the Book is not Christ himself in Person but the Church of Christ as the Lamb Rev. xvii 14. is expounded Rev. xiii 7. and even by reason it self For since the time of his conversing with us in the Flesh we are not to expect that he should come in Person to explain any Book to us And consequently the Throne in the middle of which the Lamb is represented is some earthly Throne A Corollary If by opening the Book Rev. v. be meant explaining it then most certain it is That the time of the Church prefigur'd in that Chapter is that wherein the Book we speak of has been or shall be first explain'd For whereas it is said That upon Proclamation made no Man in the World could explain it ver 2 3. and when St. John wept because no body was found able ver 4. Presently thereupon an Elder is
when it shall be thought fit by those that are the Judges of what is fit in such cases I shall now only endeavour to prepare the way by shewing that which the Reverend and Learned Dr. M. is forced to deny at any rate as being utterly inconsistent with his own and the common Hypothesis viz. That the Vision of the fourth and fifth Chapters of the Revelation is properly a Prophecy and consequently that the design of the fifth Chapter is not to represent God's giving to his Son the Revelation That the fourth and fifth Chapters of the Revelation are a Prophecy This appears so plainly from the Preface that the Spirit himself has prefixt to them that one would think it impossible for any Man to be mistaken in this Point After this I looked says St. John Chap. iv 1. and behold a Door was opened in Heaven And the first Voice which I heard was as it were of a Trumpet talking with me saying Come up hither and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter Is not this as plain an Indication as can be desired that the things which St. John was now about to see were things to come and consequently that the seeing of those things is prophesying But what were those things which the Voice shewed him What can they be if not those which immediately follow of which St. John gives this Relation ver 2 3 c. And immediately says he I was in the Spirit and behold a Throne was set in Heaven and one sat on the Throne c. And round about the Throne were four and twenty Elders sitting c. and out of the Throne proceeded Lightnings and Thundrings and Voices And there were seven Lamps of Fire burning before the Throne c. And in the midst of the Throne and round about the Throne were four Beasts c. who rest not day and night saying Holy Holy Holy c. And when those Beasts magnify him that sate on the Throne the four and twenty Elders with profound humility give God the Glory of the Works of his Creation Then in the fifth Chapter he proceeds to tell us how that the Sitter on the Throne had a Book in his right-hand written within and on the back-side sealed with seven Seals Whereupon a strong Angel is seen proclaiming with a loud Voice Who is worthy to open the Book c. vers 1 2. None in the whole World is found worthy vers 3. Wherefore St. John weeps ver 4. One of the Elders comforts him ver 5. Whereupon St. John espies in the midst of the Throne a Lamb standing as if it had been slain c. ver 6. who came and took the Book out of the right-hand of him that sate on the Throne ver 7. Upon which the said Beasts and Elders fall down before the Lamb and sing a Song to him congratulating his taking the Book and opening the Seals ver 8 9 10. Then the Prophet hears the Voice of many Angels round about the Throne and the Beasts and the Elders applauding the Lamb ver 11 12. And next he hears no less than every Creature in Heaven Earth Sea and under the Earth giving Blessing Honour Glory and Power to him that sitteth on the Throne and to the Lamb. The four Beasts saying Amen and the Elders doing most profound reverence also ver 12 13. Then he proceeds in Chap. vi 1 2 c. to tell us what he saw in the Book when the Lamb had opened it And I saw says St. John when the Lamb opened one of the Seals and I heard as it were the noise of Thunder one of the four Beasts saying Come and see And I saw and behold a white Horse and he that sat on him had a Bow c. And in like manner he goes on describing what he saw at the opening of each Sea. Now the thing which I affirm is this That whether the things which St. John saw in the Book be a Prophecy of future things or not yet it must needs be that the many other things which he saw and heard before the opening of the Book are a Prophecy The reason is plain because those words of the Voice Chap. 4.1 I will shew thee things that must be hereafter do most plainly and immediately affect the things which he saw in the fourth and fifth Chapters but not those things which he saw in the Book Chap. 6. Nor does this only appear from the order of Narration but also from the reason and nature of the the thing it self For those words of the Voice Come up hither and I will shew thee things that must be hereafter must necessarily refer to the things which the Voice shew'd him viz. those things which he saw by virtue of his being call'd up into Heaven which things are plainly the Throne with the Sitter on it together with the other things afore-spoken of But as for the things that were contained in the Book he was not shew'd them by the Voice but by the Lamb that opened the Book and the Beasts that called him to see them as appears most evidently from Rev. 6.1 2 c. Besides the Title of things that must be hereafter is not adequate to the Visions of the sealed Book whose Events even according to Dr. M's own Exposition begin as soon as those of the Epistolar Prophecy As therefore the Title to the Epistolar Prophecy is things that are and things that must be hereafter Rev. 1.19 because as the Doctor truly affirms the Epistles concern the state of the Church then present as well as that which was to come why should not the Prophecy of the sealed Book have the same Title since the reason in all points is the same So plain is it every way that those words of the Voice Come up hither and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter respect not the Visions of the Book Chap. 6. but those that immediately follow the said words in Chap. 4.2 3 c. viz. the Vision of the Throne and the rest that follow If therefore the Vision of the Throne with the Sitter on it the Elders and Beasts praising him the Book in the Sitter's Right-hand the strong Angels proclaiming c. I say if these things be not some of those which the Voice points at Vers 1. telling the Prophet he would shew him things that must come to pass hereafter it will be impossible to prove that any part of the Revelation is a Prophecy Come up hither says the Voice and I will shew thee things that must be hereafter And immediately says the Prophet I was in the Spirit and saw such and such things And are not they the things then which the Voice said he would shew him Which things since the Voice says they are future things or things that must be hereafter it is plain the Vision of them is a Prophecy But notwithstanding this mighty Evidence of Truth the Reverend Dr. M. is pleased to express his
represented as comforting him with the joyful News of the unfolding of it in these words Weep not Behold the Lion of the Tribe of Judah the Root of David hath prevailed to open the Book v. 5. As who should say Behold through the assistance of Christ whose Merits are ever prevalent with God for the good of his Church I have set forth an Explication of it Whence it undeniably follows That the time of the Church presigur'd in that Chapter is the very time wherein it would please that Lion of the Tribe of Judah to impart the first true Exposition of that Book to his People And the Book is the same which the Lamb takes Chap. v. 7. and opens Chap. vi where also the Contents of it are particularly rehearsed If therefore that Book be truly expounded as no doubt it is already then is the time prefigur'd in Rev. v. 5. past And the Person that has done it being one of the four and twenty Elders was a Member of that glorious Church describ'd Chap. iv 4 c. So that that Church or state of the Church must needs be come also which Observation will be of great use to us when we come to the particular Explication of the Prophecy FINIS III. More Arguments to shew That by the Throne Rev. iv v. is meant a Throne of God on Earth and not in the highest Heaven With Answers to Objections TO the two Arguments made use of in the former Sheet to prove that by the Throne Rev. iv v. is meant some Throne of God on Earth and not in the highest Heaven I now add Thirdly That it is certain and confest by all Interpreters that by Heaven in some places of the Revelation as also in other Prophecies of Scripture is meant an Heaven upon Earth As in Rev. xii where we have mention of a Woman in Heaven and of a great Red Dragon there also persecuting her which Dragon is call'd at ver 9. the Devil and Satan and the Woman afterwards flying into the Wilderness c. Who can be so sensless as to interpret this Heaven otherwise than of an Heaven upon Earth where the Woman the Church is persecuted by her profest Enemy the Devil Since therefore it is so demonstrably certain that in this Prophecy Heaven is sometimes taken for an Heaven upon Earth and it cannot be made out clearly that Heaven where it is spoken of as the Scene of any Action is ever used there in any other sense it follows that the Heaven we speak of Rev. iv v. is an Heaven upon Earth too and consequently the Throne there spoken of an Earthly Throne But Fourthly If it could be made appear that Heaven where it is made the Scene of Action is any where us'd in this Prophecy for the highest Heaven Yet here it were a most unreasonable thing to take it in that sense For then the Sitter on the Throne with the Book sealed in his Right Hand Rev. v. 1. must be God Almighty And whereas it is said in the next Verse that Proclamation was made by a strong Angel Who is worthy to open the Book c. In the 3d Verse it is return'd thereupon That no Man in Heaven nor in Earth neither under the Earth was able to open the Book neither to look thereon The meaning of which if by Heaven be meant the highest Heaven must be That Christ himself was not able to open the Book neither to look thereon which were most absurd And the more because it is certain that God had given his Son the Revelation whereof the Book we speak of is confest to be a part before ever this Vision was exhibited to St. John. For Christ would not have sent his Angel to signify it to his Servant John Rev. i. 1. if God had not signified it to Christ before Wherefore when it is said That no Man in Heaven was able to open the Book the meaning cannot be that no Man in the highest Heaven where Christ sitteth at the Right Hand of God was able but it must be expounded as it is certain that it ought in other places of an Heaven upon Earth To this the Doctor answers That Christ is excepted according as is answered by St. Paul in a like Case 1 Cor. xv 27. But I reply That let the Doctor understand it how he pleases it is certain that St. John did not understand it with exception of Christ viz. as if it had been said No Man in Heaven but Christ was able to open the Book And this appears from what follows in the iv ver where St. John tells us He wept much because no Man was found worthy to open and read the Book neither to look thereon For if the Sitter on the Throne were God Almighty on the Throne of Glory with a Book in his Right Hand sealed how odly would it have look'd in St. John to weep and that much because no Man but Christ was found worthy to open it For whom could he expect or desire should do it besides But the Doctor adds Par. Proph. Chap. xxxiv resp ad 5. That St. John did not know as yet that Christ was worthy to open the Book and read it nor so much as to look upon it Repl. I wonder the Doctor should venture to say so For this is to make that great Apostle and beloved Disciple a very ignorant Man indeed For did not St. John know the Worthiness and Abilities of Christ as well as any Man The Prophet had cause to weep then indeed if he were so weak as to think that Christ himself was not worthy to read the Book But how could he be ignorant of that which every Christian is suppos'd to know Besides St. John must needs have known what the Book was or else he would not have wept that no Man could open it But it is confest on all hands that the Book was part of the Revelation So that St. John of all Men could not be ignorant of Christ's Worthiness to open the Book when he knew that Christ had call'd him on purpose to communicate it to him Object But if St. John's ignorance of Christ's Worthiness had not been the cause of his Weeping how comes the Elder ver v. to comfort him in these words Weep not behold the Lion of the Tribe of Judah the Root of David hath prevailed to open the Book c. For by this it should seem that St. John did not know that Christ could do it Answ I have before prov'd this Vision to be a Prophecy and that by Opening the Book is prefigur'd the Explaining of it So that the meaning of the Elder 's words is plainly this Not that Christ in his own Person hath given out an Exposition of the Book but that some Member of his Church on Earth hath done it through the prevalence of his Intercession As if the Elder had said Behold I through the Merits of Christ have been enabled to Expound the Book So
no real thing And as to the Completion of it we must not think that the Prophecy is to be understood in that gross manner as if it were never to be fulfill'd till the Persons signified by the Living Creatures and Elders should get together about a Throne paying their most profound Devotions to one looking like a Jasper and a Sardine Stone sitting in the midst of it But the meaning is only to shew the Order of the Hierarchy the Person sitting in the midst of the Throne being the Supreme Visible Governour the Living Creatures in the midst of the Throne and round about the Throne next under him and the 24 Elders under them In which Order not Local but Political or Subordination one to another the Inferiours pay their duties to their Superiour and all of them to that good God who invisibly presides in the midst of them Object But the Doxology we speak of Rev. iv 11. is addrest to the Sitter on the Throne for his Creating of all things and how then could any Mortal have an hand with him Answ In the Language of the Prophets any notable alteration of Affairs is call'd a New Creation And as for the term of all things it is very often said not of * 〈◊〉 which â—he Reaâ—â— observe 〈◊〉 the Oriâ—â— is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the 〈◊〉 know 〈◊〉 easily 〈◊〉 to this â—an to aâ—â— as if â—â—en said â—ou hast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all these 〈◊〉 Vid. 〈◊〉 in parâ—â— all things Uniâ—ersally but of those things only which had been the subject of the foregoing Discourse Which Points being confest by all Interpreters of Scripture so far as I know will need no further proof And thus have I vindicated the Sitter on the Throne to be a Man and consequently the Throne to be an Earthly Throne I proceed 6. The Throne appears to be an Earthly Throne also by the Company that are gather'd about it For these are call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Living Creatures and Elders which are Names we never find given to any but Mortals And it is a very dangerous thing for the sake of an Hypothesis and to serve a Turn to depart from the constant and unquestionable use of Words by affixing private and unwarrantable Interpretations to them These Persons are also prov'd to be Mortals by the Incense they are represented with Rev. v. 8. which is a Type of the ascending up of the Prayers of the Church from Earth to Heaven From whence Dr. Hammond upon the place infers that the Persons using it are the Church on Earth And he infers the like from what they say of themselves ver 10. that they were made to God Kings and Priests and that they should reign upon the Earth For this description can neither agree to Angels nor to Souls departed But if the Company about the Throne be Mortals the Throne must needs be an Earthly Throne And since mention has been made of the Famous and Learned Dr. Hammond I crave leave to add That he is so far from scrupling to interpret the Sitter on the Throne to be a Man that he makes him not so much as a King but only a Bishop For which see his Annotations on Rev. iv 2. and I look upon Dr. Hammand to be as good a Judg as any Man of what Interpretations are safe tho' not so always of what are sound But to return to our purpose 7. The New Jerusalem is a City that was to be on Earth as appears from Rev. xxi 2. where it is said to come down from God out of Heaven The same is said of it again at ver 10. where also St. John is carried up but to an high Mountain to see it so that it must needs be an Earthly City And if it came down from God out of Heaven as is said of it whither could it come but to the Earth Accordingly we find it said at ver 24. That the Kings of the Earth do bring their Glory and Honour into it And at ver 26. They shall bring the Glory and Honour of the Nations into it From whence it is very plain that the New Jerusalem was to be a City on Earth But now in Rev. xxii 3. The Throne of God and the Lamb is said to be in the New Jerusalem which Throne of God and the Lamb is the same with that we are speaking of as will appear from Rev. v. 6. where the Lamb is represented in the midst of it And therefore the Throne we speak of is an Earthly Throne as being in an Earthly City 8. Lastly For fail Dr. M. himself against whom I unwillingly dispute all this while confesses the 24 Elders to be a Type of our Noble Reformers i.e. of Mortals See his Apoc. Apocalypseos upon Rev. xi 16. whence it follows That the Throne about which they are represented in the Vision must be a Type of an Earthly Throne Nay and even this the Doctor has asserted too tho he now seem to have forgotten it or else what mean those words of his upon Rev. vii 9. After this I beheld and lo a great multitude which no Man could number of all Nations and Kindreds and People and Tongues stood before the Throne and before the Lamb. Namely says the Doctor before the Throne above viz. in Chap. iv v. described in Heaven For John he adds is supposed to see all these Visions in Heaven tho they concern things here on Earth Of which words the plain meaning is That altho the Vision represents these things in Heaven yet they are to be fulfill'd in things on Earth And what is this but to grant that the Throne seen in Heaven in the Type is in the Antitype an Earthly Throne And so much for proof that by the Throne Rev. iv v. is meant an Earthly Throne I shall therefore conclude this Point with a further Illustration of it taken from that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is easie to be observ'd between the Sitter on the Throne we speak of and the Dragon with Seven Heads and Ten Horns described Rev. xii Concerning which Dragon it is confest by Mr. Mede Dr. More and all the best Interpreters that thereby are meant the Pagan Persecuting Emperours of Rome the profest Enemies and Opposers of the Church of Christ Notwithstanding which consent of Interpreters the Holy Spirit himself tells us at ver 9. that this Dragon is the Devil and Satan And yet the Prophecy mentions but one such Seven-headed Dragon neither So that it must necessarily follow according to them and indeed according to the truth it self that by the Dragon is represented both the Pagan Emperours as Instruments and Satan as the prime mover of them by whose Instigation and Assistance they became so active in endeavouring the Churches Ruine The Emperours were the visible Dragon actuated and set on work by Satan the invisible The Reddition or Application of this to the Sitter on the Throne is obvious For by Interpreting the Sitter on the Throne to be a King notwithstanding that the Prophecy sets him forth as God I do no more make two Sitters on the Throne then they who expound the Dragon to be a King notwithstanding that he is said to be the Devil make two Dragons And as the things spoken of the Dragon there are applicable to Satan as the prime Mover but to the Emperours as his Instruments so the things spoken of the Sitter on the Throne are applicable to God as the first and principal Cause of all and to Men employed by him in the Service only as Instruments and second Causes And I would fain know whether the nature of the opposite Relation that there is between two Princes the one a violent Persecutor and profest Enemy of the Church and the other as zealous a Defender of it do not oblige that as the one is represented like the Devil and Satan whose work he does so the other should be represented like God whose Image Instrument and Representative on Earth he is According as we find Interpreters to agree in the Exposition of the Man-child said to be caught up to God and to his Throne Rev. xii 5. for they expound it generally of Constantine the Great as I took notice before And if other Scriptures are found to flie so high in the setting forth of Kings as to call them Gods much more may we expect them to be describ'd as such in this Book of the Revelation which must be confest for loftiness of Expression to exceed all others in the Sacred Volume FINIS