like The Cup which is in her hand whereby shee causeth all Nations to drink and swallow down these abominations is her pretended Autoritie as the unerring Church having power to binde and loose all things in Heaven and on Earth in order to men's Consciences and to manage all the reasons of State and publick affairs of the world with supreme Jurisdiction in ordine ad spiritualia And the Fornication which the Kings of the Earth have committed with her hath been their compliance and correspondence with her to make use of her power and influence towards their neighbors and Subjects to gain credit thereby unto themselvs together with the studie of her Policies to learn from her the maximes of deceit which are the reasons of State-advantages to get power by which means shee hath intelligence of all the Counsels of Princes becaus they are brought to drink them out of her Cup and make use of her embraces and favors to bring them to pass and her whorish studie is onely to keep them all at variance one with another and to make them severally depend on her Love that shee may alwayes arbitrate their affairs and their interests may bee subject onely to her favor and so far as anie Hierarchie on Earth or Church-constitution doth make it self by these waies considerable in a State or by waies like unto these seek's to bee respected by the meaner or higher sort of people they all drink of the same Cup of her fornications Let not therefore anie form of outward worship recommend it self to the followers of the Lamb by anie interests of State nor let anie sort of men who pretend to Religious administrations applie themselvs to the practices of this natrue nor anie true Christian Magistrates intend the compliances and correspondencies of this kinde and for such ends with anie Masters of formalities who go a whoring after the appearances of outward things in matters of worship and of State which take either onely or most with sensual imaginations who may bee rid upon like beasts As for the Bride wee exspect her from Heaven for it is apparent that as yet wee have no permanent Citie here on Earth such as the Apostle hath described the Lamb's wife to bee in Revelation Chap. 22. vers 10. till the end wee therefore seek this Citie which hath foundations and if wee walk by faith to get an entrance into her Let us wait through the Spirit for the Hope of Righteousness which is promised to the Saints and walking after the Spirit and not after the flesh so far as wee are advanced in the new Creature so far are wee fitted and prepared for the Bridegroom 's comming to enter with him into his wedding-Chamber How far anie Societies of Churches or single Church-Congregations have received the favor to bee arraied in fine linnen clean and white which is the righteousness of Saints is to mee as yet not apparent for I must confess that I have not seen anie perfection in anie of them and I know that I have made it a good part of my work to visit them all and to consider them in their waies aswel abroad as at home in respect of their several associations and truly the Laodicean temper is over us all and if wee repent not and becom zealous in the waie of Righteousness and of holie Communion without partialitie and without Hypocrisie no-doubt Christ will spue us all out of his mouth and call unto him another people which shall bee made readie for the Marriage-Supper of the Lamb and although this seem's to bee a sad sentence over the Churches which are now counted wise Virgins yet there is neither want of Charitie in it towards them as if I did not wish them well nor want of Hope for them as if I did not exspect their Reformation but in both these respects I do bear witness that none of them all are the Bride whose comming out of the wilderness is exspected but that all their visible estates are the outward Court which is given to the Gentiles wherein to this daie they tread the Holie Citie under foot and are in the wilderness of spiritual desolation and confusion but that out of their invisible state which is the inner Court and Temple wherein they have Communion with God and one with another a Citie at last will rise up and appear is my confident exspectation and that this may com to pass speedily it shall bee my constant praier but to bring this to pass I finde by the Revelation that not onely Babylon is to bee destroied with mightie Judgments from Heaven and that the Beast is to bee plagued and punished but that the armies of Saints under Christ's conduct shall from Heaven com in Battel-array and war against the Beast and fals Prophet and the Kings of the earth now how far this battel is carried on in these our daies and to what parties wee are engaged and in what waie wee put forth our strength to fight and what interest wee fight for whether for Christ's purely or for our own also as it is mixed with that of the King 's of the earth and in them with the beast's will bee our wisedom seriously to consider and I wish that my Countrie-men in Scotland who have fixed so strong an interest upon the terms of the Covenant and are counted a wise Nation in the world might bee made so spiritually wise as to discern their own station and what help they give unto the Beast by their present proceedings and it is my heartie desire that the Brethren here who for the sake of Scotland in reference to the Covenant keep themselvs at a distance from the main work and obstruct by their non-concurrence in things good and lawful the progress of our Reformation might bee wakened to see the posture wherein they stand in this their warfare and if this plain discoverie of the state of the Quarrel between the Beast and the Lamb between the fals Prophet and the two Witnesses and between the Whore and the Bride that is now comming out of the Wilderness may bee a means to open the eies and undeceiv anie of them I should rejoice at it however I have herein discharged my Conscience and born witness without partialitie to the Truth so far as it is reveled unto mee which I hope I shall never refuse to seal with my death if need bee and this I conceiv is the onely waie of our warfare who pretend to bee followers of the Lamb in the work of the Ministerie that was should have none other weapons of our warfare but one Sword amongst us all which is that which proceedeth out of his mouth and that our waie to fight with this weapon against our adversaries should bee none other but to follow Christ in our lawful Calling which is our white hors and with an holie blameless personal conversation towards all men which is our fine linnen white and clean for herein doth lie our whole strength
administration which is revealed In the first as a Man in dealing with men in the second as a Lamb offered up to God in dealing with God and in the third as a mightie Angel in dealing with Satan and his Angels and with the powers of darkness in the world Secondly for the opening of the matter of this vision I observ that the summe of all is to shew when and how the Mysterie of God which hee hath spoken by the Prophets should bee finished and to shew this First two means are used to lead John to the knowledg thereof then secondly the thing it self is summarily related by word of mouth unto him and afterward thirdly it is represented in several visions The means leading to the knowledg of the finishing of the Mysterie are two First an open little Book inable's him to prophesie Chap. 10. Secondly a Reed given him like unto a Rod to measure the Temple the Altar and those that worship therein The summarie relation of the whole business by word of mouth doth concern the time of the treading of the utter court under foot the power of prophesiing given to the two Witnesses during that time the war which the Beast shall make with them while 's they prophesie and the issue of that war set forth in the circumstances of their death and resurrection and that which immediately doth follow thereupon both in earth and in Heaven In earth there was an earthquake which made the tenth part of the Citie to fall and killed seven thousand men and frighted the rest The second wo doth pass and the seventh Angel doth sound his Trumpet In Heaven there is great joie and and thanksgiving offered unto God becaus hee hath taken the Kingdom to himself and doth reign over the Kingdoms of the world to give rewards unto his servants chap. 11. Hitherto the whole Series of matters concerning the Mysterie of God hath been related in plain terms to shew the things by which it should bee accomplished now followeth the description of the visions by which the particulars of the things summarily mentioned in this Narrative are more at large reveled whereby the Prophet is made to understand concerning the Mysterie of God which is Christ in the Church Ephes 5. 32. or which is all one Christ in us the hope of glorie Colos 1. 27. what the state of the Church was in Heaven at that time and what it should afterward bee on earth during the time of the Churche's abode in the Wilderness during the time of her comming out of the wilderness and during the time of her Reign over the earth as the Spous of the Lamb with her bridegroom At that time the temple of God in Heaven beeing opened and the Ark of the Testament therein beeing seen the Church as shee was constituted by the Apostles appeared and brought forth a Man-child against whom the Dragon did set himself to devour it but the child was to bee caught up to Heaven and the Dragon to bee cast out of Heaven upon the earth where hee set's himself to persecute the woman which fled into the Wilderness and to make war with the remnant of her seed chap. 12. During the time of the Churche's abode in the Wilderness the mysterie of iniquitie is set up and come's to it's perfection in the earth God send 's his judgments upon it when it is com to it's height c. 13 till 19 This Mysterie of Iniquitie hath two parts the Mysterie of the Beast and the Mysterie of the Woman riding upon the Beast The Mysterie of the Beast ruling over the earth is seen in one Beast coming out of the Sea with ten horns and another coming out of the earth with two horns Chap. 13. during the time of the rising and reigning of these Beasts over the earth the state of the Church upon Mount Sion and God's administrations for the knowledg of his will thereby unto the world concerning the everlasting Gospel concerning the future fall of Babylon and concerning the punishment of those that adhere unto the Beast and for the waie of gathering up the harvest and vintage of the earth are revealed chap. 14. God's Judgments upon the Beast are poured out in the Phials of his last wrath whereunto seven Angels are appointed and prepared Chap. 15. and commanded to put the Judgments in execution Chap. 16. The Mysterie of the Whore of Babylon riding upon the Beast is shewed to the Prophet chap. 17. and the Judgment which befalleth unto her for her destruction is described chap. 18. The state of the Church in her comming out of the Wilderness is described in the congratulatorie acclamations given to God in Heaven at the destruction of Babylon and at the preparations of the wife of the Lamb for the Marriage-Supper and in the war which the Armies of Heaven under Christ's conduct do make against the Beast the fals Prophet and the Kings of the Earth For by this means the power of all her adversaries beeing destroied shee is fitted to appear visibly upon the stage of the world Chap. 19. The state of the Church during her Reign with Christ on earth is before the last Judgment a thousand years and after the universal Resurrection both in Heaven and earth for ever and ever Chap. 20. 21. and 22. till vers 6. Thus wee see the contexture and coherence of the matter and parts of the whole Book if then wee should consider how these particulars relate unto the main scope of the Prophesie which is to reveal Jesus Christ unto us in the Mysterie of his Kingdom wee see that everie thing is most directly subordinate thereunto and that the whole doth most completely reach a full discoverie of the accomplishment of the Mysterie whereof the brief summe is this That the professors of the name of Jesus Christ by their sufferings for his sake by their testimonie of him in opposition to the Dragon to the Beasts and to the Whore by the Judgments of God against all these to destroie their power by the war of the Saints against them by the setling of the Kingdom of Christ in the hands of his Saints and by the Manifestation of the Glorie of the heavenlie Jerusalem comming unto them from Heaven to earth whereinto the Kings of the earth shall bring their glorie shall get the full victorie over the world and with the purchase of the Inheritance of all things in the New Heavens and the New earth they shall have the enjoiment of the presence of God for ever In all which at this time as to our present condition the opposition which the Beast hath to the Lamb the fals Prophet to the two Witnesses and the Whore to the Bride and the manner of their warfare is most considerable for in the opposite properties of their Natures and waies the Mysteries of Iniquitie and of Godliness are most completely revealed and by the manner of the war which is between them and the issue thereof the state and
and what application soëver wee make to other weapons which the powers of darkness can make use of aswel as wee they will but weaken us and in the encountring with the Inhabitants of the earth wee shall finde them stronger at those weapons them wee can bee so that by such means I exspect not that they shall fall before us although our victories bee never so great therefore as for mine own part till I can perceiv that wee who pretend to bee in the first rank of the Lamb's followers can make better use of these spiritual weapons then hitherto wee have don and can in the Communion of Saints join our forces together otherwise then now wee do to imitate the Captain of our Salvation I shall bee a man of no great exspectation yet becaus I believ that these things shall com to pass and that by the armor of light the Children of light will at last prevail therefore I do speak and becaus I both believ and speak therefore I am not inclined to make haste as som who take the shadows of their own conceits for the substance of Christ's Kingdom are inclined to do for this caus although I will not contradict the appearances of Hopes which the autor of this Treatise doth give unto the Protestant Caus to rife within a few years in a considerable Posture against Poperie yet I must take leav to confess that although the splendor of the Whore and her influence upon the Kings of the Earth and the power of the Papal Sea as it is Hierarchical were utterly consumed and abolished by the brightness of Christ's appearing in the Spirit on the one hand and by the hatred of the whore's Lovers and the turning of their hearts against her on the other hand yet that the war with the beast aud with the fals Prophet and with the Kings of the Earth shall continue and that the beast and the fals Prophet with the Kings of the earth will bee found to have their friends not onely amongst those who are called Papists but even amongst those that are most fierce enemies to Poperie and count themselvs the best of Christians and reformed Protestants It is one thing to bee no friend to the State and predominant power and craftiness of the Whore as shee appear's from without and in another place at a distance from us and another thing it is to renounce the beastlie nature and the deceitfulness by which wee are led to embrace the Image the mark the name and the number of the name of the Beast within our selvs that is for our own interest and the concernments of flesh and blood I do not finde in the last battel the Whore named at all I finde onely as leaders of the partie opposite to Christ the Beast and the Kings of the earth which I take to bee the Beast with his horns for the Horns which are in the heads of the Beast are the Kings of the Earth which make use of the Bodie of the Beast and of her strength and are made use of by the heads of the Beast to war against the Lamb and I finde that these horns although they fight against the Lamb yet that they are not alwayes friends with the Whore and for their own interest 's sake not onely rob her of her ornaments but feed upon her flesh although for a season whiles it was their supposed advantage they suffered her to ride upon them aud govern them with the bridle of her autoritie but when shee is cast off from the beast's back the Beast and his horns are as strong as ever and more fit to fight in their brutal waie against the Lamb then before I believ therefore that the Whore as shee is alreadie little considerable in comparison of what shee hath been may vanish and bee made desolate by her own beastlie complices before the last battel but I believ not that wee shall have anie great earthlie Potentates at all ever to appear for the Lamb in this battel but that they shall all join alwayes with the beastlie nature of men against the Lamb-like holie nature of the Saints to discountenance to oppose and to destroie it but wee have a promise that although the two Witnesses of the Lamb shall bee killed by the Beast when they have finished their prophesying in Sackcloth yet that the Lamb when hee shall com in his own appearance with more witnesses then two or three even with a whole armie of witnesses not in Sackcloth upon earth but in their fine linnen white and clean and upon their white horses in their spiritual emploiments as Citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven following their leader against the powers of the earth when I saie the Lamb shall com thus attended the promise is that the Beast and all his horns shall bee overcom by him for there is no power in the world able to resist the united strength of the holie ones and the dints of the sword which hath two edges which beeing able to divide between the soul and the Spirit and to discern the subtilest thoughts and the deceitfullest intents of the beastlie heart of man it shall undoubted slaie them therefore although I finde not the fals Prophet here mentioned as active in leading on the war whereunto certainly for the contrivance of it on the Beast's part hee cannot bee wanting yet hee is found to bee taken prisoner with the Beast and with him cast into the Lake which burneth with fire and Brimstone The Whore and the fals Prophet are cleerly distinct Mysteries and have their several waies of Acting though with a concurrence for so long as the Mysterie of the Whore doth last which the fals Prophet who is the intellectual subtiltie of the Serpent's nature in man as the Beast is his brutish sensualitie and strength fed with prosperitie and delicacies did beget and set upon the beast's back the said fals Prophet doth make use of her that by her baits and allurements hee may draw the Inhabitants of the earth to drink out of the cup of her fornications but when prosperitie and delicacies ceas by reason of the Phials of God's wrath upon the Beast and the distress of Nations then shee is not of use any more but the fals Prophet which begat her will to serv the Beast's interest destroie her also and will bee active in another waie against the Lamb without her And thus I conceiv the battel will bee or is alreadie formed on the side of the beastlie partie which fight 's onely to maintein the interest of flesh and blood which is self-greatness and the conveniences of pleasure with all outward force and deceit against the interest of the Spirit which is self-denial and the conveniences of serving others in the Kingdom of Christ through love and by the other side the battel is formed in the spirits of the Saints to maintein the interest of the Lamb of God who having taken away the sins of the world will now appear
vers 16. John 8. vers 17. 2 Cor. 13. vers 15. The Angel saith Unto my two Witnesses whereby it doth appear that hee that speaketh here unto Iohn is the Son of God himself They shall prophesie clothed with sackcloth The whore of Babylon is araied in purple and scarlet color and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls Revelations 17. vers 4. But the witnesses of Christ are clothed with sackcloth that is their cloths are but poor and despicable as those were of the Prophets of God in times of old who wore also sackcloth Isaiah 20. v. 2. a rough garment Zechar. 13. vers 4. Elijah was girt with a girdle of leather 2 Kings 1. vers 8. preaching repentance and the suffering of the Cross and persecutions and were exposed to all manner of tribulations and persecutions A thousand two hundred and threescore daies that is as manie years from the three hundred ninetie fifth year of our Lord until the one thousand six hundred fiftie fifth year as it doth appear in Clavi Apocalypt Vers 4. These are the two Olive-trees and the two Candlesticks standing before the God of the earth Thus are the High-Priest Ioshua and the Prince Zerubbabel described Zach. 4. vers 14. Vers 5. And if anie man will hurt them fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies and if anie man will hurt them hee must in this manner bee killed This is taken out of the historie of the Prophet Elijah when at his request fire came down from Heaven and consumed the Captain with his fiftie men 2 King 1. vers 10. 12. Which likewise the Disciples of Christ would have don when the Samaritans would not receiv Christ and them Luke 9. vers 54. Vers 6. These have power to shut Heaven that it rain not in the daies of their Prophesie which is also taken out of the historie of Elijah 1 Kings 1◠V. 1. And have power over the waters to turn them to blood and to smite the earth with all plagues as often as they will which is out of Moses's and Aaron's expedition in Egypt applied and referred hereto whereof wee read in Exodus 7. vers 20. and in the 8 9 10 11 12. chapters By this description of the two Witnesses God doth declare that what mercies in times of old hee hath shewed unto his people the Children of Israël the same hee will also shew in the New Testament unto them that believ Hee will give them Ioshuas and Zerubbabels faithful Teachers and religious Rulers and Governors who shall fit and edifie them unto the Temple of God and as Candlesticks give light unto them with their pure doctrine and as Olive-trees assist them with powerful consolation Hee will give them zealous Elijahs and Elishahs who shall fight against the whore Jezabel the Priests of Baal and other persecutors Hee will also at length send them his Moses's and Aarons who shall deliver them and bring them forth out of the Antichristian bondage Vers 7. And when they have or shall have finished their Testimonie cùm finierint vel peregerint Thus the versions do render it either in the perfect or future perfect tens whereby the Teachers and Expositors have been mistaken to think that this last war should not begin till then when the determined one thousand two hundred sixtie years of the two Witnesses should bee exspired But becaus by this means the two Witnesses should remain in sackcloth and the Woman in the wilderness beyond the time appointed and also the fourth beast should continue to blaspheme longer then 3½ times or fortie two moneths To all which not onely the plain text but also the swearing of the Angel Daniel 12. vers 7. and the great Oath of the Son of God Revelations 10. vers 6. are contradictorie therefore wee must look upon the propertie of the text in the original tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the indefinitum primum which indeed may bee rendred in the perfect tens when they have finished or in the future perfect tens when they shall have finished But this exposition beeing also repugnant and contrarie to this and other texts in the Revelation wee must reject it and render the words in futuro simplici cùm finituri sunt When they shall finish namely when the one thousand two hundred sixtie years shall draw to an end as Ioannes Cloverius in primo diluculo Apocalyptico prop. 14. p. 124. and in Comment posthumo Tom. 3. page 28. doth observ Likewise Iosephus Medeus in Comment in Apocalypsin In the one thousand two hundred sixtie years first the one thousand years do expire in the year one thousand three hundred ninetie five Then the two hundred years expire in the year one thousand five hundred ninetie five whereupon do follow the sixtie years as the end So that these words when they shall finish their testimonie are to have this sens when in the one thousand five hundred ninetie fith year of our Lord the sixtie years shall begin Then the Beaest that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them and shall overcom them and kill them By the Beast here is meant the Beast with ten horns which Chapter 13. vers 1. riseth up out of the Sea whereof the Angel in the 17. Chapter vers 8. saith to Iohn The Beast that thou sawest was and is not and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit And vers 11. The Beast that was and is not even hee is the eighth and is of the seven c. That is the Empire or Government hath been under the Heathenish Romane Emperors where the Dragon did reign and was openly worshipped in Paganism And is not The Dragon was thrown from his seat and is not any more worshipped openly becaus Christian Emperors and Governors are com to the Imperial dignitie who have destroied heathenism And ascendeth again out of the bottomless pit When the Dragon's government was destroied and the Heathenish Idolatrie abolished the Dragon creep's in again by the means of the Beast with ten horns when the Romane Empire is divided into manie Kingdoms give 's him his power and his seat and great autoritie and bring 's it to this that a new and more holie form of Idolatrie is established and that hee the Dragon together with the Beast is worshipped again Revelations 13. vers 2 3 4. This Beast is the eighth and is of the seven that is the Rider the woman sitting upon the Beast which John seeth in a vision Chapter 13. vers 3. doth govern the civil State in the divided Romane Empire as the Beast with ten horns and this is the seventh sort of Government and withal the Ecclesiastical Popish Government also which is the eighth sort But becaus the Woman sit's up on the Beast and both doth make one Complexum or a Rider And the Woman doth after her pleasure ride and govern the Beast therefore both the last forms of the Romane Common-wealth the Ecclesiastical and Political
is that Apostolical Testimonie of the Mysterie of Godliness which hee cal's great and without all Controversie in 1 Tim. 3. 16. That God was manifest in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world received up into glorie to these heads then of the knowledg of Christ which in plain proper and significant words express the summe of all that is to bee known of him our sens of this whole Prophesie and of all the parts thereof must bee proportionate so that when wee look upon the visions wee must cast our eie at the same time to observ how both in the whole and parts that which is offered therein is all along relative hereunto If therefore you will first look upon the whole in the bulk of the matter and scope of the Prophesie and in the general contexture and tenor of the visions thereof you shall finde nothing els mentioned therein but what is directly tending to make out the heads of this mysterie of God in Christ that hee may bee known more and more fully unto the world till hee bee so fully revealed that all the earth shall bee filled with the knowledg of his name even as the waters that cover the Sea For by the contexture of the Apocalyptical visions it is not onely demonstrable that this promise shall bee accomplished but moreover the waie how it shall bee brought about is plainly discoverable Now the Bulk of the matter and scope of everie book rationally written may bee gathered ordinarily from the Title the Preface the Conclusion and the main heads of matters hand led therein if their contexture and coherence bee observed with a respect unto their main scope Let us then look briefly upon these things in this book to see what light they will afford us The Title tell 's us vers 1. that the book contein's a Revelation of Jesus Christ Jesus Christ then is the subject-matter whereof it speak's and to make him manifest is the scope of the book for it is called a Revealing of him and that this matter and scope may bee the more heeded to this title of the book three things are further added who the Autor of this Revelation of Christ is to what use it is given him and by what means it is put forth to this use The autor of it is God which God gave him which add's to the matter and scope an obligation of belief upon a discoverie of divine properties to bee seen therein The use for which God gave it to Christ is to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly com to pass which is a neerer scope relating to us as wee are obliged to respect the knowledg of the glorie of Christ The means by which the manifestation of Christ is put forth to this use are that hee sent and signified it by his Angel unto his Servant John by all which wee see that here nothing is aimed at but the Mysterie of godlines spoken of by Paul and our Salvation in partaking of the knowledg thereof Next to the Title the Preface is observable it extend's from vers 2. till 8. and doth address the book either generally to all or particularly to the seven Churches The general preface tell 's us First what John did in declaring this Revelation viz. hee bare record of the word of God and of the Testimonie of Jesus and of the things which hee saw vers 2. for the word of God brought with it to the ears of his minde the Testimonie of Jesus and that Testimonie was clothed and represented to his eies by the things which hee saw and of these as an ear and eie-witness of the Manifestation of Christ hee did bear record Secondly it tell 's us of what use and Importance this record of John is to all that read and hear and keep the things declared therein viz. it will make them blessed v. 3. all which is again fully relative to the fore-mentioned Mysterie of Godliness and our Salvation thereby The particular Preface to the seven Churches tell 's us that this book was peculiarly inscribed and sent unto them by John in the name of the Father of his seven Spirits vers 4. and of Jesus Christ who is described First by the properties and effects of his comming into the flesh which were to bee First the faithful VVitness viz. of the Father's wisdom Truth Power and love Secondly the first begotten of the dead and Prince of the Kings of the earth viz. by suffering and rising again and receiving the Kingdom in that nature which suffered and â—ose again Thirdly to shew his love to us who loved us by redeeming us and washed us from our sins in his own blood v. 5. and by exalting us to a glorious estate and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father for which wee are bound to give him glorie and prais to him bee glorie and honor for ever and ever Amen vers 6. Secondly hee is described by the properties and effects of his comming again from heaven to judgment wherein hee shall manifest himself as man to all men even to those who have pierced him vers 7. and as God blessed for ever and almightie Vers 8. Upon this Preface and address of the book wherein wee see nothing but what is most fully consonant to the fore-named Mysterie doth follow the Narrative of the visions from vers 9. of chap. 1. till vers 6. of chap. 22. 8. and thereupon the conclusion of the book doth shut up the visions declaring in chap. 22. First the certaintie of the things conteined therein vers 6. with the importance and use thereof vers 7. Secondly the effect which the manifestation thereof wrought upon John viz. that it moved him to such admiration that hee was inclined to worship the Angel vers 8. but that the Angel forbad him to do so becaus hee acknowledged himself to bee nothing more then they who should keep the sayings of this book v. 9. Thirdly the command which hee received not to seal the Prophesies of this book and the reasons wherefore v. 10. till 16. Fourthly the Autoritie of this Prophesie is held forth in the conclusion 1. By the Autor thereof who is Christ vers 16. 2. By the Approbation of the intent thereof which it hath from the Spirit from the Bride from all believers and from all that desire the good things promised therein v. 17. 3. By the perfection thereof which is such that nothing may bee added to it nor taken from it vers 18 19 20 21. By all which wee see that the matter and scope of this Prophesie as to the Bulk thereof is none other but to set forth the glorie of Christ as manifested in the flesh and justified in the Spirit as seen of Angels and preached unto the Gentiles as believed on in the world and exalted by the perfection of his Church which hee filleth with his glorie unto the fulness
of the Woman in the wilderness chap. 12. vers 6. The fortie two moneths of the Beast and of his blasphemies chap. 13. vers 5. The time of the Image of King Nebuchadnezzar Dan. chap. 2. The determined time of the four Monarchies Dan. chapter 17. vers 12. 25. The one thousand two hundred ninetie daies of Dan. chap. 12. vers 11. c. The spirit of life from God entered into them In the chapter 37. vers 14. of Ezekiel God in the behalf of the Jews in the Captivitie of Babylon doth use such an expression saying I will put my spirit in you and yee shall live and I shall place you in your own Land c. The same will befal to the exiled and oppressed Evangelical Professors God will send them an unexspected help by such means which never entred into anie man's thoughts God will revive them again bring them into their own Land re-establish them in their dignities and publick functions and give them greater and higher Privileges and Liberties then they ever had before And they stood upon their feet The Exiled Evangelical Professors do appear again and take possession of their Land and places The oppressed also com forth again and are delivered from their heavie yoak And great fear fell upon them which saw them As now there is great joie and exsultation amongst the Papists about the issue of this war so there will bee great terror when they shall see the Exiled return into the hereditarie Provinces again and the Oppressed take possession of their former dignities and honorable functions Then will bee a livelie example set before us of that which is written in the book of Wisdom chap. 5. Vers 12. And they heard a great voice from Heaven saying unto them Com up hither c. By the Heaven the Church is understood By the great voice is signified that after the end of three years and an half a great and chief Instrument an high Potentate amongst the Evangelical Professors shall rise and bee exalted who to the great fear and terror of Papists shall open again a free cours to the Gospel and Call with a great voice upon the exiled and oppressed re-establish them into their publick imployments and possessions and saie unto them Com up hither This is the Divine Diploma or Letters Patents the vocation or calling which is published by that High Potentate The exiled do obeie They ascend up to Heaven that is they enter into their charges again and perform that in the Church which is committed to their trust In a Cloud that is with great autoritie respect power and glorie Isa 14. vers 13. 14. And their enemies beheld them namely those that formerly did rejoice at their afflictions and miseries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie contemplari ludos spectare vel celebrare to see a Comedie or plaie The Papists had hitherto acted as it were a Comedie with the Euangelical Professors and tormented them with all sorts of plagues Now they see the event and issue thereof wherin doth befal unto them what is threatned Jer. 50. vers 10 11 12 13. Vers 13. And the same hour was there a great Earth-quake All the Peace which the Papists do imagine to themselvs is now at an end For immediately the reformation of this Evangelical Potentate causeth an exceeding great insurrection and combustion in the Romane Empire And the tenth part of the Citie fell By the Citie is here meant 1. Either the whole Papacie and thus one of the ten streets hath its fall Namely the Germane Empire which is the street where the dead bodies of the two Witnesses had lien who are now standing again upon their feet 2. Or the Citie of Rome it self which in regard of the old Citie of Rome when shee was in her florishing condition is counted this daie but the tenth part As the same is proved by Lipsius lib. 3. admirand And there were slain That is cut off and destroid In the Earthquake That is in this war Seven thousand That is a great number or multitude Of men That is high and great persons chief heads and noble families And the remnant were affrighted and gave glorie to the God of Heaven The rest of the Papists stand amazed and do acknowledg the just judgments of God which hee poured out over them Vers 14. The second wo is past These words do not import that by the destruction of the Citie of Rome and the other things which have been set down in the aforegoing words the second wo is brought to an end but the overthrow of the Turkish Empire is thereby especially intimated Revelations 8. vers 13. St John beheld and heard an Angel flying thorough the midst of Heaven saying with a loud voice Wo wo wo to the inhabitants of the Earth by reason of the other voices of the Trumpet of the three Angels which are yet to sound The first Wo hapned by the Saracens and Arabians whereof in Revel 9. vers first till the twelfth The second Wo hapned by the Turks Revelations 9 vers 13. till the 19. Hereunto do agree almost all the Expositors and refer this second Wo unanimously to the Turkish Empire And do infer from thence becaus it is said here the second Wo is past that immediately after the destruction of the Citie of Rome and these Revolutions in the Germane Empire the Turkish Empire shall have it's fall Vers 14. Behold the third Wo cometh quickly All the three Woes are poured over the Popish Romane Empire But the third Wo is the last and beginneth at the sound of the seventh Trumpet Wherefore these words do immediately follow Vers 15. And the seventh Angel sounded Wherewith beginneth the seventh and last plague poured out over Babel And withal is briefly described 1. The great joie which ariseth in the Evangelical Church 1. Becaus they have gotten an Evangelical head Vers 11. 2. Becaus the Citie of Rome is destroied and Germanie is fallen away from the Papal State vers 13. 3. Becaus the Turkish Empire is com to an end Vers 14. 4. Becaus the Son of God hath taken possession of the Kingdoms of this world and useth his great power and reigneth vers 15 16 17. This joie is also described in the 19. chapter vers 17. And upon this joie did David in the spirit reflect In the 93. Psal The Lord reigneth and is cloathed with Majestie c. In the 97. Psal The Lord reigneth let the earth rejoice And in the 99. Psal The Lord reigneth bee the people never so impatient 2. The wrath of the Heathen That is the furie and rage of the Papists against these the Lord riseth becaus the daie of his wrath is com utterly cutting them off and destroying them vers 18. This Act is with a double sign confirmed 1. The Temple of God is opened and there was seen in his Temple the ark of his Testament 2. There were lightnings and voices and thunderings and an Earth-quake and great