of the Gospell committed to their charge This Gospell is the Pearl of great Price which when one had found he went his way and sold all that he had to purchase it This is the Treasure of which S. Paul speaks when he saith we have this treasure in Earthen vessels The Apostles with Evangelical truth in their Breasts are the 12 foundations the 12 Gates and the walls of the City They are Every thing with this for Truth is every thing and without it they are nothing V. 22. And I saw no Temple therin for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its Temple This must be understood as the words of another Prophet who speaking of the Church in this period saith Every man shall not teach his Neighbour for they shall be all taught of God which doth not import that the Ministry shall be abolisht but that the increase of Knowledg shall be so great that ordinary men might rather be Teachers than need to be taught doubtless there shall be Temples to the end of the world and places set a part for publick worship But it shall hardly be necessary to distinguish places for divine service because God shall be every where served in perfection The Lord and the Lamb shall be its Temple God shall dwell in them and they in God the union of holy souls with God shall be most intimate and reciprocal V. 23. And the City had no need of the sun nor of the moon to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the light therof Here the sun and the Moon do signifie created lights which cause a succession of day and night and these Luminaries are Emblems of the manner wherin the light of Grace is now dispenst There is now a mixture of Light and Darkness of Day and Night in the same Church and in the same soul It shall no more be thus in the Church of the seventh Period The air of that Church shal be always full of Light. God shall abundantly impart knowledge to the Souls of the Saints in a more immediate manner without any created Luminary V. 24. And the Nations of them which are saved shall walk in the Light of it and the Kings of the Earth do bring their glory and honour into it V. 25. And its Gates shall not at all be shut by day for there shall be no night there V. 26. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the Nations into it V. 27. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth or that worketh abomination and a lie but they who are written in the Lamb's book of Life Here is the perfect and compleat calling of the Gentiles who shall joyn themselves with the converted Iews to compose this glorious Church The Holy Ghost seems to intimate as if there should be none but the Elect and no Reprobates At least if there be any Hypocrites that their number shall be so small as not worthy to be counted Then he shewed me a pure River of water of life clear as Chrystal proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb. 'T is so well known that water in the Scripture stile signifies grace and the Divine Spirit that 't is needless to remark it Ho every one that thirsts come to the waters out of his belly shall flow living waters but he spake of the Spirit which they should receive who believed on him So that the River which proceeds out of the Throne of God is that vital Spring of Spirit and Grace which God will most plentifully dispense to this Church It is the same River which the Prophet Ezekiel saw coming out of the Temple Chap. 47. at first it was no higher then the anckels but by little and little the increase was such that you must be obliged to swim to pass over it 'T is the Emblem of that measure of Grace which is always progressive and in theses last and happy days shall flow as the Sea. V. 2. In the midst of the street of it and of either side of the River was there the Tree of Life which bare twelve manner of fruits and yielded her fruit every moneth and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the Nations This is almost copied from Ezekiel so that we may see it describes the same thing Ezekiel said that on the bank of the River were very many trees on the one side and the other fruit trees whose leaves shall not fade neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed it shall bring forth new fruit every moneth This farther denotes Grace which is our meat and drink to satisfy our hunger and quench our thirst which is the Manna in the Wilderness and Water out of the Rock The fruits of this tree shall be for the healing of the Nations Ezekiel saith the leaf thereof shall be for medicine v. 12. That Grace which shall be our food shall also supply the use of Physick Every one may see here a manifest allusion to the Earthly Paradise to its Rivers and to the Tree of Life that was there To denote that the Church in this her last Period shall be a true Paradise where plenty and abundance of all blessings may be met with 'T is of this reign and of this last Period of the Church that the last part of the eleventh Chapter is to be understood We have already seen how that Chapter is an Epitome of what shall befall the Church In the first part we have a short account of the happy state of the Church during the time of its purity In the second the reign of Antichrist is described and the last persecution which the Church shall suffer And in the Third we have the glorious state of the Church after she hath subdued her enemies This is the Prophecy V. 15. Chap. 11. And the seventh Angel sounded and there were great voices in Heaven 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 V. 16. And the four and twenty Elders who sat before God on their seats fell upon their faces and worshipped God. V. 17. Saying we give thee thanks O Lord God Almighty which art and wast and art to come because thou hast taken to thee thy great Power and hast reigned V. 18. And the Nations were angry and thy wrath is come and the Time of the dead that they should be judged and that thou shouldst give reward unto thy Servants the Prophets and to the Saints and them that fear thy name smal and Great and shouldst destroy them which destroy the Earth V. 19. And the Temple of God was open'd in Heaven and there was seen in his Temple the ark of his Testament and there were lightnings and voices and thundrings and an Earthquake and great Hail We have observed that the seven Trumpets followed upon the seven seals and were
the Earth v. 11. and he had two horns like a Lamb and he spake as a Dragon The second Beast hath two hoths In the fore-going vision the Holy Spirit represented the fourth Monarchy in its two Periods and its whole extent by only one Beast We have seen more-than once that this Monarchy hath two periods very near of the same duration The first is from the birth of Rome to the ruin of the Imperial dignity and the division of the Empire into ten Kingdoms The second from the destruction of the Imperial dignity to the entire ruin of the Roman Church 'T is this second period which the Prophet here represents under the image of a second Beast 'T is another Beast because it is another name another sort of Empire an Empire hidden under the name of the Church 'T is a matter that begins again all anew As the City of Rome in its birth was little insensible a small matter in a word during two or three ages so this new Roman Empire that was to be brought forth again was to commence also from weak beginnings and to be but a very little thing for some ages As this later period of the fourth Monarch was to last as long as the other and was to have a form wholly different from it it deserved to be called another beast This second Beast ascends out the Earth and not out of the Sea. 'T is the same Beast that is spoken of in the eleventh Chapter that it ascends out of the bottomless pit that is to say from Hell. The one hinders not the other The Papism comes from Hell but not by the same means as the first beast did These two Empires come not from the same place The first Empire springs from the people and their ambition The second Empire proceeds from the Clergy and their ambition It springs from the Earth as a plant that shoots out small and becomes great insensibly without effusion of blood and without spoil He had two horns like a Lamb. The Roman Church calls her self the Spouse of the Lamb usurps his power the name of Jesus Christ is always in her mouth and if she may be believed she doth but exercise the power of Jesus Christ that hath been lawfully conferred upon her Jesus Christ hath two powers in Heaven and in Earth All power is given me in Heaven and Earth saith he The Roman Church saith the same thing of her self She ascribes to her self the temporal power and the spiritual one He speaks as a Dragon For he utters blasphemies against God and terrible threatnings against his Children And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him v. 12. The Papism hath re-establisht all the authority of the ancient Emperours The Roman Church causes her self to be served by Kings She takes away their demeauss she disposes of their Crowns she draws tribute from them and exerciseth jurisdiction in all their States The first Beast that is to say the Roman Pagan Empire did no more in the countries that were subject to it And causeth the Earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first Beast Raising up in her self the power of the ancient Empire she makes that ancient Empire be raised up again under a new name viz. that of the Roman Church be adored and served v. 13. And he doth great wonders so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on Earth in the sight of men We shall have occasion to observe and prove several times hereafter as we have already done before that in the style of the Prophets Heaven when an Estate and an Empire is treated of always signifies the soveraign region of those dignities The Sun is the Soveraign the stars are the Grandees Here an Empire a State is treated of under the name of a Beast The Soveraign region of that State is the Heaven from that State falls fire that is to say thunders It can't be doubted but this is what the Roman Church it self calls thunders and thundring Bulls 'T is those decrees and those Papal Bulls which proceed from the Court of Rome These are no other than Past-board thunders and artificial fire-works However 't is known that they have set Kingdoms is a flame a hundred and a hundred times and have may times thought to set all Europe on Fire To this are added Signs that is to say prodigies of pride ambition madness policy carnal weapons and other means by which the Beast of Rome hath used to establish its dominion and subject Kings to its self This doth not exclude the false miracles which the Papism hath used to establish it self But as it is here consider'd much more as a Kingdom than as a Religion by these signs 't is much better to understand the wicked means it hath employed to establish its tyranny than the lying miracles which it used to establish its false mysteries And deceiveth them which dwell on the Earth by the means of those miracles That is to say v. 14. he induced them by all the ways of deceit and violence to do homage to him and submit themselves to his dominion Saying to them that dwell on the Earth that they should make an image to the beast v. 15. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast that the image of the beast should both speak and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the Beast should be killed This here is an admirable place The Roman Church is an Empire However it is but an image of an Empire an imaginary Empire founded only on the deceived imagination of men They need but say NOT to destroy this Empire The reality of an Empire consists in citadells in fortresses in armies The Roman Church hath none of all this For the little armies that the Pope might raise is not that which secures his Empire 'T is not therfore a true Empire The Convents of the Monks are his Citadels The Monks are his Souldiers and Armies The Priests are his Emissaries The Bishops and Arch-Bishops are his Lievtenanis But all these are but images Nevertheless this image of an Empire speaks acts makes decrees raises all Europe and causes all those to be killed that will not pay it the like homage which was render'd to the ancient Roman Empire And he causeth all v. 16. both small and great c. to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads And that no man might buy or sell save he that had the mark or the name of the Beast The Forehead is the seat of profession Thence it came that ancient Christians signified their profession of Christianity by a sign of the Cross on the forehead The Hand is the instrument of action The inhabitants of the Earth can neither buy nor sell under the dominion of the Papism that is to say partake of its favours and its riches unless they have the Profession of a Papist
that hath mercy on them shall lead them even by the springs of water shall he guide them I will make all my Mountains a way c. 55.12 13. and my high ways shall be exalted ye shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace The Mountains and the Hills shall break forth before you into singing and all the Trees of the Field shall clap their hands Instead of the Thorn shall come up the Firr-tree and instead of the Bryer shall come up the Myrtle-tree and it shall be to the Lord for a Name and for an everlasting Sign that shall not be cut off The Sun shall be no more thy Light by day neither for brightness shall the Moon give Light unto thee Is 60.19 but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting Light and thy God thy Glory The Sun shall no more go down neither shall thy Moon withdraw it self for the Lord shall be thine everlasting Light and the days of thy mourning shall be ended Is 54.9.10 This shall be as the waters of Noah unto me for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more go over the Earth so have I sworn that I would not be wrath with thee nor rebuke thee for the Mountains shall depart and the Hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee What is meant by all these prophecies All these and the like Expressions which we read in the Prophets do import 1. A profound Peace which shall never be interrupted by war. 2. Plenty and Abundance of all sorts of Goods 3. An Exemption from all Evils 4. Such a Prosperity where are Riches and Plenty and Joy. 5. A Felicity that is not to be interrupted by the return of Calamities This must be fixt that all these Prophecies respect the State of the Church under the Messiah for as to those who endeavour to turn them to another sense and apply them to the Temporal blessings of the Iews I cannot consider them as Christians but reckon them enemies to Christianity These promises have not been accomplisht We must therefore search for the accomplishment of these Prophecies in the History of the Church that no such thing can be found there the Antimillenaries themselves confess For they constantly tell us that these thousand years of Rest are altogether inconsistent with the orders of Divine Providence and the condition of the Church which is appointed to be always calamitous and afflicted upon Earth that Sorrow and Suffering Persecution and the Cross do inseparably belong to it that we must judge of what is to come by the History of what is past 'T is true in the three first Ages the Church was under the Cross of the Pagans in the fourth under that of the Arrians in the fifth she began to sink into superstition and hath remain'd overwhelm'd with it during the whole reign of Antichrist Where then shall we place those happy days the Prophets promise 'T is trifling to apply those promises of Peace and Tranquillity to certain little intervals of Quiet which from time to time the Church hath had in some places for it would be a very ill use of Rhetorick and a strange force put upon figures to represent so imperfect a calm by such terms as give us an Idea of the greatest and most perfect Prosperity imaginable Moreover the Prophets speaking of an endless Peace to which no affliction shall succeed it must be such a one as is like the waters of Noah which shall never return to cover the Earth it must be a peace so firm that though the Mountains be overthrown shall never be changed These Prophecies not accomplisht by the spiritual graces which the Church hath received We may not say that all this hath respect only to spiritual Graces the stability of God's Covenant and the Joy of the Faithfull I will not deny but the Holy Spirit may have some reference thereto but it is false that those spiritual favours in that weak degree wherein we see them at this day can comprehend the full signification of such great Expressions which clearly import a peace in reference to Earth as well as Heaven Add to this that though these Promises should not be applied but to Spiritual Blessings there must yet be a new Kingdom and a new Age for the fulfilling of them for we have never yet seen any wherein Spiritual Peace and invisible Graces have been so abundantly poured out to satisfy in any measure the greatness of such Expressions CHAP. XIX The fourth Head of Arguments for the reign of a thousand years are the Types Four Types of this Period the Principal is the seventh day of the Creation which is not an immediate Type of Eternal Rest but of the Peace of the Church on Earth I Come now to the fourth Head of Arguments viz. the Types They as well as the Prophecies are Pictures and representations of future Events They are not vain speculations of Divines and the Great wits that look upon them to be so approach very near to Impiety 'T is very certain that God hath been pleased to shadow forth his Mysteries in certain dispensations of his Providence Saint Paul teacheth us that Hagar the servant of Sarah Sinai a Mountain in Arabia were Types of the legal Institution As Sarah and Sion were also Types of the Covenant of Grace That Melchisedeck was a Type of our Lord Jesus Christ and in general that the Law had shadows of which the substance is to be found in Christ The Types therefore are no false or deceitfull Light whereby to judge in case they be rightly used Now I pretend that all the Types make for the Reign of Christ before the end of the World. We may find a great number of them The Captivity of Israel in Egypt was certainly a Type of that bondage under which the Church should groan The deliverance of Israel out of Egypt figured that of the Church from under the bondage of Antichrist during the Reign of Antichrist The Antichristian Empire is therefore called Egypt Now after the Israelites were come out of Egypt they entred into Canaan the Land flowing with Milk and Honey which did certainly prefigure the happy State of the Church after all her enemies should be subdued 'T is supposed that the Land of Canaan was the Image of that great and Eternall Dwelling to which the faithfull should be transported after the last judgement I deny it not But you must know 1. Type the Rest in the Land of Canaan that in the Old Testament the descriptions of the future Blessedness of the Church by Emblems Types Figures and metaphorical resemblances have not their immediate relation to Eternal Blessedness St. Paul hath told us that eye hath not seen it nor ear heard it nor can it enter into the heart of man to conceive and consequently
prove our notion of the Reign of Christ for a thousand years and the Triumphant state of the Church upon Earth before its final glorious Triumph in Heaven we might be furnisht from these last Chapters For they are not as is commonly supposed a description of the Church in Heaven The Prophecy of the nine last Chapters of Ezekiel is the same with that of the last Chapt. of the Apocalypse They exactly answer to the nine last Chapters of the Prophecy of Ezekiel That Prophet in those nine last Chapters sets forth in a figurative manner the condition of the Church of Israel after its restoration their glorious Kingdom and the wonderful Peace they should injoy after their return which return or recalling was to be after the fall of Antichrist St. John gives an account what the Church shall be after with relation to that Fall after it shall have bin accomplisht so that both these Prophets describe the Church as to the same Period and the same condition This will easily appear if we briefly run over that which remains of the Apocalypse It cannot be questioned but that our Prophet concludes the 20th Chapter with a description of the last day of Judgement The war of Gog and Magog follows upon the reign of a thousand years to the revolt of Gog and Magog succeeds their defeat after their defeat there is nothing but the last day which shall come and surprize the World in the twinkling of an eye This is signified by those words V. 11. Chap. 20. Then I saw a great white Throne and him that sat on it from whose face the Earth and Heaven fled way and there was found no place for them White as well as Purple is a Royal colour and withal a Priestly for the Priests were clothed in white The Holy Priest's garments on the day of Expiation according to the tradition of the Iews were called Bigdei Lavan white garments In like manner he that sat upon the Throne is our King and Priest The Earth and the Heaven fled from his face for they shall be burnt that they may be renewed V. 12. And I saw the dead small and great stand before God c. 'T is a description of the last Judgement to the end of the Chapter all this is plain The 21. v. 1. Chapter begins with these words And I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth for the first Heaven and the first Earth were passed away The first Vision of 21 Chapt. to the 9th V. respects that which follows the end of the world These words do evidently allude to what he had said just before and the Heaven and the Earth fled away As that was interpreted of what should happen at the last day of Judgement it is clear that these new Heavens and this new Earth must be understood in a literal and not a figurative sense for the new World after it hath been refined by fire And so the description we read of here even to the ninth Verse is that of eternal Rewards and Punishments 'T is true that which is spoken of the H. City v. 3 4. of the new Ierusalem coming down from Heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband of the Tabernacle of God with men of his dwelling with them and they with him and that God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and that there shall be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain All this I say might very well be applied to the Church as victorious upon Earth but this description is determin'd by what precedes and by what follows to Eternal Glory by that which precedes which is the description of the last day of Judgement and by that which follows which is the description of everlasting Punishment but the fearful and unbelieving c. v. 8. shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone which is the second death The 9th v. begins a new Vision The ninth Verse begins a new Vision and a more perticular description of the blessed Reign of Christ upon Earth In the same manner as the H. Spirit after he had in the 13th Chapter given an enigmatical and general description of the Antichristian Empire under the image of the two Beasts gives a more ample account of it in the 17th Chapt. So having in the 20th Chapt. described the reign of Christ though in few words he set forth that reign more at length afterwards that state of the delivered Church under the image of a great City called Ierusalem as after having set out the Antichristian Church under the image of a Beast and of an Empire he represents it under the Emblem of a great City called Babylon V. 9. And there came unto me one of the seven Angels which had the seven Viols full of the seven last plagues and talked with me saying come hither I will show thee the Bride the Lambs wife 'T is in all likelyhood the last of those seven Angels who had poured out the Viols and the same who show'd unto the Prophet the great City the mother of Fornications Cha. 17.1 Then came one of the seven Angels unto me which had the seven Viols and talked with me saying Come hither I will show thee the Judgement of the great Whore that sitteth on many Waters As it was this seventh and last Angel who had the Viols by whom the ruin of Antichrist was effected it doth most properly belong to him to show Babylon faln and Ierusalem rebuilt V. 10. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high Mountain and showed me that great City the Holy Jerusalem descending out of Heaven from God. This is somewhat like what the Devil did unto Jesus Christ when he carried him up into an high Mountain and shows him all the Kingdoms of the world what the Devil makes appear by illusion St. Iohn sees by vision That he was carried or seemed to be carried up into an high Mountain makes it plain that the Ierusalem he was to be made see from thence was here upon Earth and not the Triumphant Church in Heaven though it be called the Holy Jerusalem descending out of Heaven from God. She shall be descended from Heaven because she shall abound in Graces which come from thence she is called the great City and 't is the first time she is so called 'T is a detestable name which in all the preceding Prophecy is given only to Spiritual Babylon But 't is on this account that then the Church shall possess the multitude of the Nations as Antichristianism doth at present V. 11. Having the Glory of God and her Light wus like unto a stone most precious even like a Iasper stone clear as Cristal V. 12. And had a Wall great and high and had twelve Gates and at the Gates twelve Angels and names written thereon which are the names of the twelve Tribes of the children of Israel V. 13.
not contemporary with 'em the seven seals carry the Prophecy almost as far as the fall of Paganism unto Constantine the first Christian Emperor The seven Trumpets divide the rest of the Time between Constantine and his Christian Successors to the end of the World. And the seventh Trumpet that sounds here is the beginning of the last Period which comprehends the fall of the Empires of the World and particularly that of the Antichristian Kingdom or the Papacy The seventh Angel sounded and there were great voices These are voices of Acclamation and joy That Thunders and Lightnings are joyned to those voices signifies the preaching of the Gospel And the four and twenty Elders who sat before God on their seats fell upon their faces and worshipped God saying we give thee thanks O Lord God Almighty c. 'T is the Song and subject matter of thanksgiving wherewith the Holy People should praise God during the reign of a thousand years when God shall have subdued all their Enemies Observe here that the four and twenty Elders appear alone and begin the Song whereas in the first Vision the living Creatures begun the Song and the Elders followed ' em 'T is not to exclude the living Creatures and the Ministry in the last Period of the Church but to signify that then the People shall be so filled with the Divine Spirit that they shall not need to wait the inspiration and assistance of the Holy Ministry to ingage them to praise God and perform holy duties The Nations were angry and thy wrath in come i. e. the Nations of the Antichristian People have executed their malice and fury and thou hast avenged it by destroying their Empire And the Time of the dead that they should be judged and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy Servants the Prophets and to the Saints and them that fear thy name small and great This doth not signify the last judgement or the last Resurrection 'T is the first Resurrection the Deliverance of the Church her coming to the expected Kingdom This is set forth after the same manner in the 20th Chapter of the Apocalyps as hath been already seen The Time of the Dead to be judged he saith not the Living and the Dead or all the Dead but speaks of the Church which lay as dead during the reign of Antichrist and shall rise again when that Kingdom is destroyed The Dead shall be judged And how 't is God will reward the faithfull and the Church by giving them Peace and a Kingdom 'T is a judgement of Grace and of Beneficence He speaks not of eternal Rewards as appears by what follows and to destroy those who destroyed the Earth Which is not a proper term to signify eternal punishments wherein nothing is destroyed men continue under them for ever so that the ruin of the Antichristian Empire must be here meant V. 19. Chap. 11. And the Temple of God was opened in Heaven and there was seen in his Temple the Ark of his Testament The Ark is the sign of God's Covenant with the Iews so this Prophecy of the Ark in the Temple of God signifies the recalling of the Iews The Temple of God was open The Church shall be open to all Nations all People shall resort to it and among others we shall see that People who derive their Glory from the Ark of the Covenant CHAP. XXIV The Characters of the Kingdom of the Church Eight are certain and five doubtfull What shall happen after this Kingdom What is meant by Gog and Magog There shall probably be a lesser kind of Antichrist a little before the end of the World. HAving confirmed the Truth of this Reign of Christ upon Earth we ought now to consider the Nature and Characters of it they may be divided into two Classes some that are doubtful and others certain It is fit that we begin with the certain We are not to reckon among the Characters of this Reign either the fall of the Babylonish Empire or the conversion of the Iews or the conversion of the remaining Gentiles For these three things are to go before it They can never be brought about but with confusion and Tumult The Popish Empire cannot fall but it must cost blood and make a mighty noise The conversion of the Iews must needs be attended with great Commotions among the People and it may be violent contradictions 'T is likewise impossible to conceive that the Conversion of the Gentiles can be brought about without the utmost endeavours of the Devil to hinder it he will raise all his forces every where to hinder the last establishment of this Kingdom of Christ as he did in the first Ages of the Christian Church So that we cannot doubt but he will cause great opposition not only by words but it may be blows Now this cannot belong to the Kingdom of Christ whereof the principal Character is Soveraign Peace Insomuch that we thus conceive of it 1. The Papal Empire shall fall 2. After that some years will be necessary to abolish Sects and Parties and compose the differences among Christians 3. That after this many Heathen Nations and the Iews shall be converted for it cannot be thought that they should be converted while Christians are so much at variance among themselves and seeking the destruction of one another 4. After the Conversion of the Iews the remainder of the most remote Nations shall also be converted Now for all this there must be time for should we think that God will act in a more miraculous manner in this than in the establishment of the first Christian Church Wherefore as the Christian Church was near an hundred years in its first setling no less will be necessary perfectly to resettle it and then shall that blessed Kingdom come which we expect not but that there is some probability that God may begin to compute the thousand years from the fall of Antichrist even before the Conversion of the Iews and Gentiles and so the fall of the Antichristian Kingdom and the Conversion of the Nations may in some sort be comprehended within the Reign of Christ for a thousand years But when we speak here of the Kingdom of Christ we speak of it as in its perfection which will not be till after these things are come to pass An extraordinary effusion of the Spirit the first certain Character Chap. 2.28 29. The first certain Character of this reign of Christ is the plentifull effusion of the Spirit of God upon men The Prophecy of Ioel to this purpose is one of those which is but in part accomplisht hitherto I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh and your Sons and your Daughters shall prophecy your old Men shall dream dreams and your young Men see visions also on the servants and the hand-maid in those days will I pour out my Spirit That lesser effusion of the Spirit which the first Christians experienc't is not enough to fill up the
of late have given it They say the Time of the Regeneration is the Time of the Church from Jesus Christ to the end of the World. That during all that time for 1600 years the Apostles have sat as it were on Thrones to judge the Church because we consult them and have recourse to their Oracles But 1. 'T is a strange abuse of words to call by the name of Regeneration such corrupted times as those of the Church for the last twelve hundred years 2. 'T is to take the words in a very figurative sense indeed to call that which the writings of the Apostles do at this day sitting upon Thrones and judging the twelve Tribes of Israel 3. Lastly I know not why the twelve Tribes of Israel should come into this promise and why they only since they are altogether excluded from the Covenant and are not governed by the writings of the Apostles I confess then that I find nothing therein but what is obscure But all is plain if by Regeneration I understand the happy Reign of Peace and Righteousness and Charity For the Church must be greatly renewed to reach that blessed state Then indeed the Son of man shall be sat on the Throne of his Glory He shall then have the full Dominion whereas now he reigns as it were but by halves and after the end of this World he shall reign no longer for then he shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God his Father If we suppose that then the raised Apostles shall be at the head of the twelve converted Tribes and shall govern them and send their orders by them to the rest of the World according to which all other Governours throughout the Earth shall manage themselves If I say this be supposed no Text can be plainer The word Thrones will then be taken in its natural signification and to Iudge will signify the same as it doth throughout the Scripture perticularly in the book of Iudges where we read that Iephta and Sampson and Samuel judged Israel so many years Lastly by this means we shall understand why the twelve Tribes of Israel are mentioned 't is because the Apostles are to have a perticular care and oversight of them as being their own People although their authority shall be universal I confess this seems to me most probable Nevertheless I determine nothing but suspend my judgement 4. Doubtfull Character Whether Jerusalem shall be rebuilt 4. I leave it also as doubtful whether Ierusalem shall be rebuilt to be the seat of Christ's Kingdom to say the truth as I believe that the Iews shall meet together in their own Country I see no reason why they should not rebuild the City of Jerusalem Which being rebuilt will doubtless be the most illustrious City in the World and if you will the seat of the universal Empire not of an Earthly Monarchy that hath its Armies Tributes Customes Forts and Governours spread throughout the Earth but it shall be the principal seat whence shall flow the Orders and Oracles of Iesus Christ whereby the whole World shall be governed 5. Doubtfull Character The duration of this Kingdom 5. Lastly I will not determine how long this Kingdom shall last A thousand years are exprest oftentimes determinate numbers are put for indefinite But I see no inconvenience will follow if we take that number in its natural signification and I am of that opinion After this Reign of a thousand years there is a great Event to be brought about set forth in these words V. 7. Chap. 20. And when the thousand years are expired Satan shall be loosed out of his prison V. 8. And shall go out to deceive the Nations which are in the four quarters of the Earth Gog and Magog to gather them together to battel the number of whom is as the sand of the Sea. V. 9. And they went up on the breadth of the Earth and compassed the Camp of the Saints about and the beloved City and fire came down from God out of Heaven and devoured them VVhat shal happen after the thousand years explained I see but one sense can be given to this that you may comprehend it you must know that we are not to take those promises of the conversion of all Nations and of all men in perticular in such a strict and rigid sense as to admit of no exception I have already told you that the Church shall then as far exceed the World and the Good the wicked as now the World and the Men of the World do the Good. Therefore there shall then be some remaining people not converted They shall be supprest and kept under during the thousand years and shall not molest either the Peace or Purity of the Church But at the end of this Period their numbers shall be increast and become very considerable And before the end of the World a cruel persecution against the Church shall arise from them and because the number of three and half is fatal for persecutions 't is not unlikely that this shall also last three years and half before the end of the World. During three natural years and half the Sanctuary was shut up and prophaned by Antiochus For three years and half Iesus Christ preacht in an afflicted state for three prophetical years and half the two witnesses prophecied clothed in sackcloth for three prophetical days and half i. e. three natural years and half these two witnesses should remain dead in the streets of the City So to me it seems probable that the last Persecution after the thousand years of Rest shall last three years and half and then may come the Antichrist of St. Irenaeus whom I will so far honour as to believe that he had learnt the Mystery of this last Persecution from some Apostolical Persons which he confounded with the reign of the Apocaliptical Beast for 1260 days Neither is it improbable but that the Ring-leader of this last Persecution may be a Iew for there is no mean to be found among that People they are all either very Good or very Bad. They who shall live when the Iews shall be converted shall be able to Divine something of it For if they then see a remnant of obstinate Iews cantonize themselves in some corner of the World and resist the general stream of Conversion there will be some ground to believe that this shall be the first bud of that Great Rebellion which the Providence of God reserves for the end of the World. And so it may be there shall arise a Iew as St. Irenaeus said pretending to be the Messiah who shall persecute the Church and reign for three years and half before the end of the World and be destroyed within a few days before the last Iudgement This shall be the Diminutive of the great Antichrist which should not be confounded with the Man of sin of whom Saint Paul speaks nor with the Beast in Revel 13. nor with the Woman chap.
of the future prosperity of the Church upon Earth The 21 and 22. Chap. of the Apocalypse interpreted that in those Chapters the Church is described as victorious upon Earth and not as Triumphant in Heaven Pag. 357 Chap. XXIV The Characters of the Kingdom of the Church Eight are certain and five doubtfull What shall happen after this Kingdom What is meant by Gog and Magog There shall probably be a lesser kind of Antichrist a little before the end of the World. Pag. 375 Chap. XXV An Answer to the reasons of the Anti-millinaries against the Reign of a thousand years Pag. 388 THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE PROPHECIES OR THE Approaching Deliverance of the CHURCH THE FIRST PART Of the Establishment of the Antichristian-Empire its Characters CHAP. I. Of the Seven Epistles to the Seven Churches That in all probability they are not Prophetical The Thoughts of Interpreters thereupon WHen I undertook this Work I had no Design to make a compleat Commentary on that which is Prophetical in the Revelations as did appear in the first Edition However when I observed that without designing it I had explained almost the whole Apocalypse I did believe that as for three or four chapters that remained to be explained I ought not to leave them behind tho they had no respect to the scope of this book which is to find out Antichrist learn when his Empire must end When one sees a system that is very perfect well attended with all the events foretold in this book this will give such a fair aspect of truth to all the parts of it as will be most easily perceived Moreover the publick may have observed that in the pourtraiture of Antichrist I have referred the Reader in many chapters as in the 13th the 17th to my Book of Prejudices Now us I have promised to epitomize the book of Prejudices I thought it would be more proper to bring out of that book into this present work all that respects the Prophecies their Explication on the subject of the description of Antichristianism than to refer a part of this to another Book So that in this second Edition there will be found an explication of all that is prophetical in the book of the Revelation We believe with the learned Joseph Mede that this book is divided into two parts The first is contained in the book sealed with seven seals which is to be seen in the beginning of the 5th Ch. And the second in the book which the Angel gave to St. John in the 10th Ch. The two little books move upon the same time the one the other reach even to the end of the World but they donot say the same thing have not the same object For the first little book that appeareth sealed with seven seals principally respects the affairs the adventures of the first Period of the fourth Monarchy viz. the temporal Roman Empire And the second book contains the destinies of the Church corrupted during the same ages the same duration of time this is what we call the Spiritual Roman Empire I say that the first book contains properly the destinies of the Empire not but that those of the Church are included in it too For that which God foretold should befall the Roman Empire was always with respect to the Church to its Persecutions the great Changes that befall it So that to speak properly the whole work respects the Church But the second little book which reaches from the 10th Chapter to the end respects the Church what was to befall it much more particularly yea more clearly The first thing that appears in the book of the Revelation is the seven Epistles to seven principal Churches of Asia Q. Whether the seven Epistles are Prophetical contained in the three first Chapters T is very much question'd whether these Epistles are Prophetical or not Some maintain that they are with a great deal of heat others deny it As for me I have nothing certain to say upon it So that I would not raise a prejudice against any person or any opinion by my own tho I am much more enclined to believe that there is nothing of prophecy in them but that all that is said in these Epistles refers to things that had happened in those seven Churches It is certain that the Revelation is nothing but an Epistle This is clear by its beginning end Now it was not usuall with the Apostles to direct their Epistles to the Universal Church in generall of all places all times as some would have St. John here to have done The Apostles were wont in their Epistles to rank in the first place what they had which was dogmatical Prophetical to write of afterward came that which respected what was moral This is the method of St. Paul. St. John on the contrary in this Epistle sets that which is moral therein before that which is Prophetical The reason is because he little design'd to stay upon that which is moral his principal aim was to relate the visions which God had given him Therefore he dispatcheth in the beginning that which was to make the least part of his Epistle which was less important that without diversion he might stick to that which he principally intended therein I see but one thing that seems mightily to favour the opinion of those that believe that the seven Epistles are Prophetical Why the H. Spirit wrote but to seven Churches 'T is the number of seven Why did the H. Spirit write to no more than seven Churches Were there not many more in Asia Were these the only ones in which there was any thing to be reproved or to whom the H. Spirit had something to say It seems therefore that the seven Churches are the Universal Church of all Ages divided into seven Periods But this reason doth not appear strong enough to me First because the number of seven is evidently consecrated in the Revelation The holy Spirit useth it in counting up all things the seven Spirits seven Lamps seven Angels c. Surely whatever we understand hereby 't is certain that the number of Spirits of Lamps of Angells is not reduced to the number of seven Not but that oftentimes the number of seven in the Revelation must be taken for a determinate number as in the seven Seals in the seven Trumpets the seven Vialls but that is when the division of time into Periods is treated of Now this is that which is doubtful that by these seven Churches are meant seven Periods And we shall also see hereafter that what is said to these seven Churches doth not at all agree with the events in what manner soever the times be divided So that this only thing that the H. Spirit maketh here seven Churches doth not prove that they are so many Period's of the duration of the Church 'T is probable that by these he means all
Pastors must lift up men from Earth to Heaven fly up towards divine things The Eagle sustains the rays of the Light looks stedfastly on the Sun the Pastors of the Church are called to sustain the sight of the most adorable mysteries These living creatures are called Seraphims i. e. Burning to express the greatness of their Zeal Kerab in the Chaldee signifies to labour the true original of the word Cherubims They are called Cherubims a word that in the Syriack the Chaldee signifies Labourers This name is given them for the same reason as the head of an Ox to represent that they ought to labour in manuring the field of the Lord incessantly They have four wings according to Ezekiel six according to Esay St. John to represent their Vigilance the Swiftness with which they must run to execute the commandments of God. According to Ezekiel when these living Creatures walk they turn not but every one walks to the place with his Face forward This is to signify that the ministers of the Gospel must be far removed from all obliquity that they must go straight in their ways One part of their Wings serves them to cover their Bodies i. e. their less comely parts as Interpreters Understand it 't is the Emblem of that modesty that must rule in all their words actions According to Ezekiel Cap. 1.13 the likenesse of the living Creatures was like burning coals of fire like the appearance of Lamps It went up and down among the living Creatures the fire was bright out of the fire went forth lightning 'T is a description of the Word of Preaching that sheds light abroad spreads knowledg in scattering darkness by the ministry of the Pastors Is not my word as fire Thy word is a Lamp to my feet Chr. 1.21 22. 'T is a fire that sends forth the light of faith communicates the heat of charity In Ezekiel When the living Creatures moved the Wheels also moved when the living Creatures Were lifted up from the Earth the Wheels also were lifted up When those went these went when those stood these stood These Wheels are the People the living Creatures i. e. the pastors are the Spirit of the People The People do not go or stand still or lift up themselves or fall down but by the inspiration of the Pastors In St. John the living Creatures are in the throne round about the throne i. e. immediately near the throne nearer than the Twenty four elders 'T is because the Pastors are the mediators between God the People They are nearest to God the People draw nigh to God by them These living Creatures are full of eyes within 'T is because they inwardly have the Spirit of Penetration Discerning not only like Solomon's Wise Man that hath his Eyes in his Head but they have Eyes in their Heart i. e. they have a clear-sighted mind full of the knowledg of man. They cease not day nor night saying Holy Holy Holy c. 'T is the office of the Ministry to labour without intermission about the sanctification of God's name the establishing his glory When the living Creatures gave Glory honour praise to him that sate on the throne c. the Four and Twenty Elders cast themselves down before him This is the same thing that Ezekiel signified by these Wheels that went when the living Creatures went the people represented by the Twenty Four Elders follow the inspiration of the Pastors represented by the four living creatures When the living Creatures praise God the elders cast themselves down He that will follow these four living Creatures in the Revelation will see that every where they perform the office of Pastors Ministers of the commands of God. The Elders are the Christian people As for the Elders I don't know how it comes to pass that they have not been taken for the Faithful People from the very name of Elders Some would herein find the Pastors of the Church 'T is true the Gospel calls Pastors so But here it should be remembred that the Emblems are borrowed from the Law not from the Gospel 'T is agreed that in this vision the Prophet hath a respect to the distribution which the ancient Law made of its people Now we shall no where find that the Elders signify the Levites Priests On the contrary they are always distinguisht yea they are opposed to the Priests as well in the Old as in the New Testament The Priests the Elders of the people Every where the Elders signified the heads of the Tribes and Families that were consulted with in great affairs they were properly the Representatives of the people So that the Twenty Four Elders are the new people by allusion to ancient people There is twenty four of them because the ancient Israel had twelve Patriarchs twelve Tribes the new Israel hath twelve Apostles which are the twelve Patriarchs Heads of their Tribes The twelve Elders of the Jewish Church joined with the twelve Patriarchs of the new covenant make twenty four in all these twenty four are the whole Church Representative i. e. the whole body of the faithfull people These Elders sit round about the throne as Assessors because the Saints shall judg the World saith St. Paul They are cloathd in white Raiment That is the habit of a Priest And that signifies that the Priesthood is no longer confined to one only Tribe that the eleven tribes are re-entred into their ancient rights For naturally all the first-born of what tribe soever they were were Priests This is what the Holy Spirit means when he calls the faithful ones of the New Testament the first-born Priests a royal Priest-hood These Elders have on their heads crowns of Gold. 'T is because every one of the faithfull people is made not only a Priest but also a King. Wherfore they say in their sâ—ong To him that hath made us Kings Priests This description of the Church by four living Creatures twenty four Elders belongs principally to the Church reigning glorious on the Earth so as it will be described to us in the last Chapters of the Revelation For the only the Pastors the people shall perfectly have the qualities represented by these Aenigma's However 't is reasonable to place them here because the Pastors of all ages of the Church if they have not these qualities represented by the four living Creatures yet at least they are obliged to have them they have them in part tho they have them not in the degree of perfection CHAP. III. The Key of the Revelation This book is no other than a comment on what Daniel saith in the 7th Ch. of his Revelations touching the fourth Beast the fourth Monarchy BEhold the Theater open'd prepared we proceed to view the Visions that are as so many Entrings But I think it
said we must find the fall of Paganism Indeed a little time after Dioclesian Constantine ascended the Throne of the Emperours made the Christian Religion reign He his Successors ruin'd Paganism This fall of the Pagan Religion is thus represented to us And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal lo there was a great Earth-quake v. 12. the Sun became black as sack-cloth of hair the Moon became red as blood And the Stars of Heaven fell to the Earth even as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs v. 13. when she is shaken of a mighty Wind. And the heavens departed as a scroll when it is rolled together v. 14. every mountain island were moved out of their places And the Kings of the Earth v. 15. the great men the rich men the chief captains the mighty men every bond-man every free-man his themselves in the dens in the rocks of the mountains And said to the mountains rocks v. 16. fall on us hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of his wrath is come v. 17. who shall be able to stand The fixth Trumpet contains the fall of Faganism All these images are borrowed from the last judgment wherfore they are usually applied to it Because indeed this fall of Paganism is the most terrible judgment that yet ever fell since the beginning of the World on the Devil's Empire We must know that in the whole Revelation we see these three heads reigning the Dragon the Beast the false Prophet The Dragon is the Devil the Beast is the Roman Empire the false Prophet is the Pope The Dragon hath two Empires the First is pure Paganism purely Pagan The second is Antichristian Paganism mingled with Christianity See here the fall of the first Empire that is the purely Pagan Empire of the Dragon 1. There is a great Earth-quake In the style of the Prophets particularly of St. John an Earth-quake always signifies a Change of the face of affairs in the world because Earth-quakes overturn the Earth make it Change its face Now what change of the face of affairs in the world can be imagin'd greater than that which happen'd under Constantine his successors The Church had been beat down massacred it was bathed in its own blood all on a sudden behold 't is the Mistress of the world It is become rich powerfull it builds stately Temples it overturns the Temples of Idols 2. The sun becomes black as sack-cloth We must hold it for certain that the Sun the Moon the Stars in the Revelation always signify the Sovereign the Dignities Powers of the Empire treated of We shall afterwards see this every where Here the Empire treated of is that of the Red Dragon viz. The Devil So that the Sun is the Soveraign of that Empire who is the Devil himself The Moon is the Pagan Religion which borrowed all its power from the Devil as the Moon takes all its lights from the Sun. The Stars are the Pontifexes Priests of Paganism All these powers suffer'd an Eclypse were destroyed by the Christian Emperours tumbled to the ground like Figs by a great wind 3. Every mountain Every Isle were removed out of their places i. e. the Temples the Idols the Cities the places peculiarly consecrated to the devotion of certain Pagan divinities were changed superstition therin was abolisht The hand of God fell heavily on the Gods of the Romans as formerly it did on the Gods of the Egyptians 4. Lastly The King all men of every age condition are exceedingly terrified run up down flee hide themselves endeavour to escape the judgment the wrath of God. One might have seen above a hundred times more than what the Prophet here saith if one could have seen the commotions that then happen'd the terrors the distresses the frights that the invisible Empire of Demons suffer'd at the fall of Paganism All that the Devil suffer'd at the coming of J. Christ into the world was nothing in comparison of this He reigned notwithstanding he was master of Empires Crowns Temples Altars But all on a sudden at that very time when he thought he had entirely ruin'd the Empire of J. Christ by the persecution of Dioclesian behold him himself cast down on the Earth 'T is easy to judg that the Horrours Commotions of the evil Spirits were unconceivable And moreover who can doubt but that this great body of Pontifexes Priests Pagan Ministers felt a prodigious commotion when Constantine turn'd Christian his successors beat down run'd all the Temples of the Idols History tells us enough of this tho it said nothing it would be very easy to apprehend that the images here made use of are not too lively to represent the commotions of the Heathens of Paganism This Period brings us to Theodosius the great under whom Paganism expired but after whom also the glory quiet of the Empire was quite lost as we shall see hereafter The greatness of the Roman Empire Paganism fell at the same time This was a great matter of triumph to the Pagans who said The Gods had abandon'd the Empire since their Altars had been beaten down But God was providing for great events it was necessary the temporal Empire should fall to make way for the Spiritual Empire of Antichrist CHAP. VI. An explication of the four first Trumpets which are the five degrees of the Fall of the Roman Empire or the Soveraignty of Rome The 7th Ch. is a vision that interrupts the course of the seven seals The mystery of the 144 thousand sealed persons in the 7th Ch. Here God causes his Elect to be sealed their number amounts to 144 thousand We shall see in the process of this discourse that 144 is a sacred number appointed to signify the Church a number that arises from twelve multiplied by it self For the present it is sufficient to observe that God takes the time between the sixth seal the first Trumpet to cause his elect to be sealed because more unhappy sad much more fatall times were at hand than the foregoing ones In the ages of the Heathen Emperours under the Seals there were cruell persecutions men had suffer'd much in their bodies But under the Trumpets must come the dark Kingdom of Antichrist wherin the souls of the Christian-Church must be attack'd with Spiritual Temptations be swallowed up in Superstition Idolatry that in such a manner that the number of the faithfull should be almost as nothing The 144 thousand signify the Church the pure Church under Antichrists reign Now 144 thousand are almost nothing in comparison of that innumerable multitude that is in the reign of Antichrist This little number therfore was to be sealed to the end
into the lesser waters For here a Mountain of fire is much more than a star of fire tho in truth a star is a thousand a thousand times bigger than a Mountain But the H. Spirit frames his speech according to appearances hath chiefly are spect to those fires that are often seen falling from heaven which are called Falling-stars Joseph Mede with all other Interpreters would find in this Mountain of fire this Starlike a Lamp much more of mystery than is in it pretending that this means some great person distinguisht by his dignity as a king or an Emperour or by his knowledg as a great Doctor Therfore many by this star understand a great Prophet But 't is not so This must be explain'd with relation to the first Trumpet we must know that this is but the sequel of the history of the destruction of the Roman Empire by the Barbarians The first part of this destruction was but Hail mingled with Fire a common storm such as often happens in summer wherin thunder lightning in hot countries are always mingled with the hail But afterwards this inundation of the Barbarians increased in such a manner that it was no longer an ordinary storm There fell not only Fire mingled with Water Hail this Storm becomes wholly pure fire a fall of terrible Lightning a true Mountain of Fire that fell on the Roman Empire over-whelm'd it Afterwards the fire continued to fall on a third part in truth no longer as a Mountain but as a fire-brand such as the stars are that appear to fall in the air See therfore here three fires The First is mingled with Hail The second is meer fire great as a mountain The third is as a great Lamp. The First afflicts the Trees of Europe or of the third part of the World. The second falls into the sea changes it into blood The third falls on the rivers fountains makes their waters bitter This evidently signifies the three first degrees of the Barbarians invasion They come at First like fire mingled with hail which burns the trees like a storm that spoils the fruits of the Earth They pillaged the Goods the Riches of the Empire The mountain of fire that falls into the sea is Alario that made Italy desolate took Rome 2ly They come like a meet fire that consumes devours They fell on the sea By that I understand the people of Italy the taking of Rome by Alaric Italy was in respect to the Roman Empire what the sea is in respect to the rivers The sea is the center the rivers are all round about it The sea is the gulf the rivers come from all parts to pay their tribute to this gulf Rome Italy was the midst of the Empire Rome was the sea whither all the Provinces came to pay their tribute their riches Alaric his Goths falls like a burning mountain on Italy the city of Rome he takes it and sacks it This sea becomes blood Italy was filled with slaughter After this the Barbarians suffer'd themselves to be appeased Alaric after he had taken Rome and made there a new Emperour named Attalus with whom he went to besiege Honorius in Ravenna gave peace to Honorius quitted Italy retired among the Gaulls where with his Goths he establishthimself The Vandals possessed Spain The Burgundians staid on the Rhone The Huns inhabited Pannonia And then the Fountains the Waters i.e. the people that depended on Rome felt the force of this fire of the judgment of God. But this fire did not turn the waters into Blood because then the slaughter ceased the opposition ceasing the Barbarians saw themselves Masters But they turned the Rivers and the Fountains into Wormwood i. e. They reduced the Roman Provinces into a bitter Servitude And by reason of this the name of Wormwood is given this last Fire that is to say this last Judgment and Punishment less than the former but yet so great as to make the people live in Bitterness For the Goths spoiled them of their Lands Goods See the Mystery of the second and third Trumpet I have no need to give notice that the third part of the Sea and the third part of the Rivers signifie the Sea and the Rivers of the third part of the World i. e. of Europe For I have given notice already of that once for all In truth they were the People of Europe that suffered these Desolations V. 12. And the fourth Angel sounded and a third part of the Sun was smitten and the third part of the Moon and the third part of the Stars so as the third part of them was darkened and the Day shone not for a third part of it and the Night likewise The Fall of the Reman Empire 'T is still the same Figure that rules that is to say that the Sun of Europe which is the third part of the World was darkened in like manner the Moon and Stars We must remember that in the Prophecies the Sun Moon and Stars alwayes signifie the Powers of a State. The Heaven of the politick World is the superior Region of Dignities that sheds kind or malignant Influences on the People We shall see this constantly observed in this Book in such manner that in all places where the Sun Moon and Eclypses are spoken of 't is unquestionable that we must understand the darkening and destruction of the sovereign Powers in the State or Empire spoken of Now what Empire is it that is here spoken of 'T is the Empire of Rome For yet once more we must stick to this Principle as one of the principal Keys of the Revelation viz. that it moves wholly on the Roman Empire and that 't is properly nothing but a Comment on what is said of the fourth Beast in the 7th chap. of Daniel The Roman Empire and în part the Invasions of it by the Goths and other Barbarians being here treated of there is no room for doubting but that the Sun of the third part of the World which is smitten signifies the Sovereign of Rome the Roman Emperor the Moon is the Imperial Dignity the Stars are the Grandees of the Empire And 't is the Extinction of the Roman Empire of Italy that happen'd in the year 455. after the Death of Valentinian the 3d when Genseric came from Africa with his Vandals took Rome and sackt it fifteen days one after another after which the Empire was torn among tell Kings according as St. John foretold it in the sequel of this Book CHAP. VII An Explication of the Visions of the fifth sixth Trumpet wherin are seen the Empires of the Saracens Turks THis fall of the Imperial dignity at Rome in the fourth Monarchy is a great affair Therfore the H. Spirit stays upon it makes a pause as a mark of distinction as we have before observed But that which follows also is a great affair
And when the seven Thunders had uttered their Voices v. 4. I was about to write A sealed vision is an obscure vision I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me seal up those things which the seven Thunders uttered write them not A Sealed Book a Writing a Word sealed according to the Style of the Scripture is a word that is not understood 1s 29.11 The Vision of all is saith Esay as a book that is sealed that is to say you shall not understand it God saith to Daniel seal up the vision Dan. 8.26 for it shall be for many Days And in another place O Daniel shut up the words Dan 12.4 seal the book even to the time of the end many shall run to fro knowledg shall be encreased That is to say God will not have the Prophecies be understood till a certain time In like manner the Prophecy that respected Antichrist was Sealed up till an appointed time For above ten whole ages nothing of It was understood or so little that 't is to be reckon'd as nothing And write them not that is to say do not express them in such terms that in them the events may be read at least not very soon V. 5. And the Angel which I saw standing upon the Sea and upon the Earth lifted up his Hand to Heaven V. 6. And sware by him that liveth forever and ever who created Heaven and the things that therein are and the Earth and the things that therein are and the Sea and the things which are therein That there should be Time no longer V. 7 But in the days of the Voice of the seventh Angle when he shall begin to sound the Mystery of God should be finisht as he hath declared to his Servants the Prophets VVhen the last Trumper must sound The Voice of the seventh Trumpet is that which must sound at the moment of the last Fall of the Antichristian Empire when Popery shall be destroyed Then all the Nations shall turn unto God to make up the Kingdom of Jesus Christ that is yet to come as appears by these words The seventh Angel sounded Ch. 11.15 and there were great Voices in Heaven saying The Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign forever and ever Here our Angel swears that in that time that is to say when the Kingdoms shall be reduced to Jesus Christ Time shall be no longer Time in this place is not opposed to Eternity as if the Angel would say that then the World shall end and Eternity begin but his meaning is that the times afforded to Antichrist shall be ended shall be no more It must be remembred that the Holy Spirit as well by the mouth of Daniel as by that of St. John assigns to Antichrist a time times half a time This shall be no more There shall not be neither time nor times nor half a time for Antichrist Time shall be no more for his reign it shall be the time of his total destruction Then the mystery of God shall be finisht as he hath declared to his servants the Prophets viz. The mystery of this glorious reign of Jesus Christ on the Earth which hath been foretold by all the Prophets in so magnificent a manner as we shall shew in the process of this work which Daniel saw so clearly as to mark the time circumstances of it And the voice which I heard from heaven v. 8 spake to me again said Go take the little book which is open in the hand of the Angel which standeth upon the sea upon the Earth And I went unto the Angel v. 9 said unto him give me the little book And he said unto me take it eat it up it shall make thy belly bitter but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as Honey The voice which he heard from Heaven is the same as spoke to him in the beginning of the book I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day heard behind me a great voice as of a Trumpet saying I am Alpha Omega the First the Last And this also shews that this here is a new prophecy not the continuation of the first For the same voice of God the Father that began the First Revelation returns begins the second as the same Jesus Christ also appears again a second time Saint John receives the book from the hand of the Angel that is to say of Jesus Christ because 't is he that sends the Prophets that inspires them by his Spirit This little book is Saveet in Saint John's Mouth because the Spirit of prophecy the glory of being the mouth of God from heaven pleases the inclination of men that love honour But this little book Made his belly bitter because that after having reflected on the events which he was about to fore-tell after having digested consider'd them in his own breast he found them so dreadful that they filled his soul with sorrow And he said unto me v. 11. thou must prophecy again before many people nations tongues Kings These words do no longer leave any cause of doubting whether this be a new prophecy not a continuation of the First Thou must make a Second Prophecy to Kings People Nations wheras what thou hast prophecied to them respected their Temporal state for the future that which thou shalt foretell them respects their Spiritual state the things of Religion CHAP. IX A short System of all the Events of the Church which are noted in the Apocalypse first of all an Epitome of the Chronology The history of the Church is not to be found but in the last eleven Chapters of the Apocalypse WE must not seek for the History of the Church in the First Nine chapters of the Apocalypse Joseph Mede is the first that hath discover'd that the Apocalypse consists of two bodies of Revelations meant by two Books the first of which we find in the beginning of the fifth Chapter v. 1. And I saw in the right hand of him that sate on the throne a book written within on the back side sealed with seven seals The other we find in the 10. Chap. v. 2. And he had in his hand a little book open he set his right foot upon the sea his left foot on the Earth It is plain that these two Books are two bodies of Revelations perfect in their kind different each from the other that both the one the other run through all reach to all the times from the beginning of the Revelation of St. John even to the end of the World. One cannot imagine any thing more reasonable than this that the First Book contains the destinies of the World the Empire the Church also in respect to her Temporal as far as she is
five things are co-temporary in the third Period Five things cotemporary in the Period of the reign of the thousand years I. The reign of the Saints for a 1000 Years Rev. 20.4 II. The Dragon that is bound whose power is broken Rev. 20.2 3. III. The New Jerusalem the description wherof we have Rev. 21. 22. Chapters IV. The company of Saints that are clothed in white garments who carry Palms in their hands singing this song Salvation to our God that sits upon the throne Rev. 7.10 Rev. 7.17 unto the Lamb and of whom it is said they shall hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shall the sun light on them nor any heat the Lamb shall feed them shall lead them unto living fountains of waters For these are not the 144 thousand Sealed persons spoken of in the beginning â—f the 7th Chap. St. John saith expressely After this v. 9. i. e. after these 144 thousand sealed persons I beheld lo a great multitude which no man could number of all nations kindreds people tongues stood before the throne before the Lamb c. This plainly shews that these are not the persons that were Sealed For they might easily be numbred because they were not above 144 thousand wheras these here spoken of are innumerable In truth these are the same that are spoken of in the 20th of the Revel who are there called the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Iesus for the word of God here they are called they which came out of great tribulation C. 7.14 have washed their robes made them white in the blood of the Lamb. They are therfore co-temporary with the reign of Christ for a 1000 Years as the 144 thousand that were sealed are co-temporary with the reign of Babylon for 1260 Days V. The fifth and last thing co-temporary is the duration of the seventh Trumpet And the seventh Angel sounded with a Trumpet there were great voices in heaven Rev. 11.15 saying the Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of the Lord. For at the sound of the Last Trumpet the last blow must be given to the Babylonish Empire at the same time shall begin the reign of Iesus Christ to which is assign'd a Period of 1000 Years And the influence of this seventh and last Trumpet must reach even to the end of the World. Thus you have the Chronology of the twelve last Chapters of the Revelation We proceed to consider the History CHAP. X. A short System of the Events foretold in the Revelation concerning the Church as to the Historical part A short explanation of the 11th Chap. IN the 11th Ch. where the Destinies of the Church do begin the H. Ghost in the first place gives us an abridgment of these Destinies Events nothing is more methodical than that First to give a general Idea of those things that are afterwards more particularly to be explained So this Chapter from the 2d. v. to the end contains a short History of the 1260 Years of Antichrist's reign of the 1000 Years of Christ's reign as in the first verse he had described the first Period of 360 Years as we just now observed in the foregoing Chapter This reign of Antichrist is here described by this Paganism that was to tread under foot the Holy City for 42 Months v. 2. The afflictions of the Church its perpetuall subsistence in the midst of those afflictions during this reign of Antichrist are signified by the two Witnesses clothed in sack-cloth A great persecution that must befall the Church at the end of these 1260 Years of Antichrist's reign v. 3. is there also predicted The total suppression of the profession of the truth by that persecution is signified by the death of these two Witnesses v. 7. who must remain dead in the territories of Babylon the great for three prophetical days and a half i. e. three Years a half We shall see afterwards what that means where we must place this great event At the end of three years a half these two Witnesses i. e. the publique profession of the truth shall rise again and be gloriously reestablisht For the H. Ghost saith that the two Witnesses shall ascend again up into Heaven i. e. shall be exalted glorified upon the Earth In the same time the tenth part of the City shall fall v. 13. i. e. one of those ten Kings that gave their power to the Beast shall revolt from him And a little after the seventh Trumpet shall sound which will give the last blow to the Babylonish Empire v. 15. After which the Reign of the Saints shall commence which shall continue to the end of the World. This is the Epitome of the whole History of the Church the sense of the 11th Chapter After this general idea of the History of the Church Ch. 12. its explication the Prophet enters upon the particulars In the 12th Ch. God shews him the vision of the Woman that was with child deliver'd of a Son persecuted by the Red Dragon who fain would devour the Child of the Woman Afterwards there is a battle fought by Michael his Angells against the Dragon The Dragon is overcome and cast to the Earth but as much overcome as he was he ceaseth not to persecute the Woman She is forced to escape into the Wilderness where she is nourisht 1260 Days The Dragon not being able to reach her vomited out a flood after her but the Earth open'd swallow'd up the flood saved the Woman This Woman is the Apostolical Church this Child of which she is deliver'd is pure holy Christianity The Dragon is the Devil who by the authority of the Roman Empire would devour extinguish Christianity in its birth Michael his Angells are Jesus Christ his Ministers celestial as well as terrestrial The combat of the Red Dragon Michael is the combat of 300 Years that was between God the Devil during the ten persecutions of the Roman Heathen Emperours The Devil endeavouring on one hand to destroy the Christian Church by the cruelty of the Emperours God on the other hand defending it by his Martyrs Teachers The victory gotten over the Red Dragon is the casting down of Heathenism which falls to the Earth is cast from Heaven i. e. 't is tumbled down from the throne by Constantine his successors to the reign of Theodosius The great flood which the Red Dragon casts after the Woman when he was thrown down on the Earth is those inundations of Heresies that Arrianism that cover'd the Christian World immediatly after the fall of Heathenism under Constantine The Earth swallowed up this flood in favour of the Woman these Heresies were destroyed swallowed up as in a moment the Church remained deliver'd from them by a kind of
God is incommunicable to any one besides J. Christ and being at his right hand to present our requests unto him This is evidently that which makes the connection of this Text of Saint Paul now the Spirit saith expresly there shall be a departing from the faith with the foregoing one God manifest in the flesh c. received up into glory Naturally received up into glory should follow after justified in the Spirit and come before seen of Angels preached to the Gentiles believed on in the World. But he would place the words received up into glory at the end of the mystery of Godliness and immediately before the prediction of the Apostacy to signify that that Apostacy should principally aim at the ruin of that Article For in truth it seems The Papism pulls down the Lord from his glory that the mystery of iniquity did principally design to draw down Jesus Christ from the Heavens and tumble him again into a low estate It encloses him in a bit of bread it makes him descend into unclean entrails it sends him to the draught it causes him to be eat by Mice and Rats It takes away from him his arms legs head life and leaves him without any action or defence It sets up rivals to him in all his offices and divides his honour to wood and stone All this well consider'd deserves the name of abomination and apostacy 'T is an abomination to invocate any creature before Gods face That this may be more plain with respect to the invocation of Saints and to take off the veil under which they hide the horrours of that worship we must observe that that sitting of Jesus Christ at the right hand of his Father imports a very near presence of the Son who assists perpetually before his Father and who is perpetually before his face environn'd and as I may so say buried by the rays of that glorious face of God. Thou shalt not have other Gods before my face This face of God is a lively spring of light that swallows up whatsoever there is of brightness in the most excellent creatures in such a manner that they are as nothing in the presence of God. There is but one creature that is not swallowed up by these rays and that is the humane nature of the Son of God. That is upheld by the glory of the second Person to which it is supernaturally united By reason of this the Son may be invocated before the face and in the presence of the Father because the glory of the Son is not swallowed up and annihilated by the glory of the Father But it is a true abomination to go and worship and invocate a simple creature before the face of God and at the foot of his Throne This consideration doth utterly destroy that vain pretence which so many take for a good reason One may pray the Saints which are on Earth to pray to God for us because being far from the face of God they are not swallowed up by his beams We lawfully pray the Saints on Earth to pray to God for us say they what greater harm is there to invocate them in the heavens The difference is plain the Saints that are upon Earth are conceived as far from God their rays are not swallowed up by the infinite brightness of the Divinity we may give them some homage But to go and serve them before the face of God to give them a religious worship in Heaven 't is insolently to violate the Majesty of God. And under what pretence soever it may be done 't is a bold attempt that is not pardonable A Subject that is highly preferred when he is alone and far from his Prince may receive great honours from those that are beneath him But both the smallest and the greatest when they are in the Soveraign's presence are equal It would be a piece of high Treason to render homage to a Subject before the Soveraign's face The Sun swallows up all the Stars The glory of God in his Throne annihilates all glory 'T is therefore an odious crime to go and render homage to the Saints at the foot of the Throne of God. If I honour the Saints here below by my praises and my imitation of them this doth not reach to the Throne of God 't is to men that I speak but my prayers reach Heaven There is but one Subject that doth invocate in the behalf of others in the Heavens and but one Object that may be invocated This is what St. Paul means There is but one God and one Mediator between God and men There is but one God that may be prayed to in the Heavens and only one Jesus that prayeth for men So that I conclude that the invocation of the Saints is an abomination and an apostacy because it highly affronts Jesus Christ in that double manner as we have said both because it snatches away from him the priviledge of assisting alone at the right hand of the Father and because it violates the Majesty of God in whose presence all grandeur disappears So far are the Saints from being more worthy of adoration because of their glorification that on the contrary the more they are glorified and the nearer they are to God the more are they as nothing and invisible Add to this that J. Christ hath reserv'd it to himself as an incommunicable piece of his glory that we should call on the Father in his name The Papism calls on him in the name of Saints for it invocates him by the merit and intercession of the Saints This is another abomination As to the adoration of Images 't is so plain an abomination and apostacy that it cannot at this day any longer be defended but by denying it and saying God forbid that we should adore or serve Images we only make use of them as a means to ascend to their originals The Idolatry of the Jews was never carried so far as that of the Heathens The second difficulty is that the Holy Spirit speaks of the Antichristian Idolatry in more odious terms than it doth of the heathen Idolatry Which is very strange But none will any longer wonder at it when he considers in what manner God under the Old Testament spake of the Idolatry of the Israelites One thing is as certain as it can be viz. that the Israelites in their Idolatries did never totally abandon the true God. They worshipped a golden Calf in the wilderness but they pretended it was an Emblem of that great God that had brought them out of Egypt They served Baalim the Gods of strangers 't is true but this was in associating them with the true God whose worship they never did reject If ever there was a time of corruption it was that of Ahab who to the sin of Jeroboam added all the abominations of the Tyrians which his wife Iezabel taught him Nevertheless at that very time Elias confesses that the nation halted between two worshipped
Gods. They placed these Gods in the Stars as souls in bodies therefore the Greeks called them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 runners as always going and always running as Plato saith in the Dialogue entitled Cratylus These Gods were so very much above the others that they believed them only immortal for the same Plato saith somewhere that the inferiour Gods were not immortal by their nature They called these inferiour Gods Daemons and they ascribed this distinction to Zoroaster In lib. de defectu graculorum They saith Plutarch seem to have removed great difficulties who have establisht a species of spirits called Daemons between the Gods and men They have found that they are these Daemons that do unite us with the great Gods and do conciliate them to us whether this Doctrine cometh from the Magi and Zoroaster or whether it drew its original from Thrace by Orpheus or from Egypt or from Phrygia The Papism makes no more distinction between the Saints and God than the Heathens did between the Gods and Daemons The Papism acknowledgeth the very same distinction And they must not tell us that it supposes but one Soveraign God and no inferiour Gods for the Saints are its true inferiour Divinities It calls them Divus and Diva as well as he was called Divus Augustus The Heathens put the very same difference between their great Gods and their inferiour ones as the Papism doth between God and the Saints For the superiour Gods were almighty and eternal and the other were created by the great Gods did not act but according to their orders and were not immortal in their own nature The Papists can't make a greater distinction between God and the Saints than this The Daemons were Mediators between God and men The superiour Gods of the Heathens were according to them so heavenly so sublime and so pure that they could not by themselves have any commerce with men nor abase themselves so far as to take care of humane affairs to govern them immediately and by themselves Therefore they establisht a kind of Daemons Plato in Symposio to be as Mediators and Agents between the Soveraign Gods and mortal men said Plato God doth not converse with men saith the same Author but all commerce between God and men is by the mediation of Daemons The Daemons are Messengers and Interpreters that come from God to men and go from men to God. They bring to men the presents of the Gods and to the Gods the prayers and homage of men He that would see this Theology more at large may find it in Plutarchs discourse de Defectu Ordculorum In Apuleius de Deo Socratis in Jamblichus de mysteriis and above all in Saint Austin in the eighth Book of the City of God with Ludovicus Vives's notes Now one drop of water is not more like another than this Pagan Theology is to that of the Papism God and Jesus Christ say they who are their great Gods are too sublime for us to address our selves directly to them We must have mediatours that may be more of our rank the souls of Saints and the Angels do this office for us They are the interpreters of our thoughts and our wants before God and they receive commission to do us good an serve us Therefore it is that prayers are addressed to them Therefore 't is that cures and deliverances are expected from them Lastly therefore 't is that men put themselves under their protection Hesiod the first author of the deifications of souls the first order of Daemons In the heathen Theology the mediators spirits were of two sorts One were humane souls the other separate intelligences The most ancient of the Greeks in which we see this deification of souls expresly is Hesiod who saith that by the counsel of Jupiter the great men after their death are establisht guardians and patrons of mortal men inspectors of their good and evil works destributors of riches and that in this consists their royal dignity Therefore afterwards this sort of Gods were called the Gods of Hesiod Plato entirely adopted this Theology and Eusebius quotes from this Philosopher these words touching the Heroes Euseb l. 3. c. 11. de praepar Evang. We will for the future serve and adore their sepulchers as of the Daemons following the advice of the Oracle Those that have the smallest acquaintance with the Pagan Theology and History The Laws of ancient Rome about the worshipping of Saints exactly like those of new Rome know this that the greatest part of their Gods were deified men They themselves made no secret of it it may be seen in Plutarch's book about the ceasing of Oracles The Laws of ancient Rome are express and remarkable hereupon Divos illos qui coelestes semper beati habiti sunt colunto eos quos in coelum merita vocaverint That the Saints should be worshipped as well those that had been always esteemed the happy inhabitants of Heaven as those that by their merits have been exalted into Heaven See another Roman Law like it Deorum manium jura sancta sunto hos letho datos divos habento That the rights of the Gods Manes should be inviolable and that they should be reputed for Saints after their death Is there not an admirable Providence in this that new Rome hath re-establisht the same Laws almost in the same terms And who can doubt after this whether Antichristian Rome hath renewed ancient Rome's Doctrine of Daemons A second rank of Demons separate spirits But besides these men become Daemons that ancient Pagan Theology did acknowledge others that were always such and that never had been men All the monuments of Paganism that we have are full of this Theology Apuleius expresses it in these words De Deo Socratis There is another sort of Daemons that are superiour and more august who being free from the bonds and dis-engaged from the chains of body have each of them received a certain particular strength and power 'T is from this rank of superiour Daemons that Plato hath taken those Daemons of which he believes every man hath one all his life time for a witness of his actions and a guardian How is it possible that one should not perceive this perfect conformity between the Pagan Theology and the popish Theology The Papists also make two sorts of mediatory spirits Exactly as the Heathens did so do the Papists make two orders of spirits that are the mediatours and protectors of men humane souls or glorified Saints and Angels naturally separate from matter The Heathens took Guardians from among those Daemons who had never been men the Papists assign to each man a guardian spirit but he is taken out of the order of Angels They call him the guardian Angel and every devout person recommends himself to his guardian Angel when the undertakes any thing of danger The Papism in the crection consecration and worship of Images hath perfectly
fraud and violence which the Tyrant was to make use of to pervert the nation of the Jews the constancy of some the falling of many And all this without doubt agrees to the head of the Papism as well as to Antiochus the application is easy every one may make it For all the world knows how many frauds have been used by the Papism to engage the true believers in a revolt and how always violence hath been used together with fraud In the 36. v. the H. Spirit pursues the description of the Tyrant and saith This King shall do according to his will and shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every God and shall speak marvellous things against the God of Gods and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplisht for that that is determin'd shall be done This is so like what St. Paul saith that the son of perdition shall exalt himself above all that is called God The Pope exalts himself above all that is called God. and that he shall sit in the Temple of God as if he were God And to that which St. John saith of the First Beast in the 13th Ch. that there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies and that he open'd his mouth in blasphemy against God to blaspheme his name and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven This I say is so like that t is inpossible not to see that 't is the same thing This passage of Daniel gives us a great deal of light for the understanding that of the Revelation When we would apply these words to the Papism and its head he shall exalt himself above all that is called God and speak blasphemies against God they cry out 't is notorious to all the world that the Pope calls himself the most obedient servant of the true God and doth not blaspheme his name Just the very same is said of Antiochus he shall magnify himself above every God He shall not regard the God of his Fathers and he shall not regard any God. Antiochus and the Pope have exalted themselves above every God not by Atheism but by Pride This doth not appear in his History 'T is well said that he was a wicked person and I would easily believe it but the Prophecies do not predict the thoughts of the heart but events Now as to the event so far was Antiochus from being impious towards his Gods and from exalting himself above them that on the contrary he had a furious and outragious zeal to cause them to be worshipped Never did any idolatrous Prince carry this false zeal so far He did not persecute the Jews to make them become Atheists but to make them worship Jupiter Olympius whose Idol he had caused to be placed in the Temple This is to exalt ones self above God to mount to that pitch of Pride to which Antiochus and the Popes have mounted CHAP. XXIII A notable Prophecy of the Mahuzim that Antichrist was to worship The whole found admirably accomplisht in the Papism What is the literal sense of the Prophecy with respect to Antiochus An explication of the beginning of the 12th Chap. of Daniel applied to Antiochus and the Papism IN this Prophecy which literally respects Antiochus Dan. 11. v. 37 38 39. and mystically Antichrist the most considerable passage is this Neither shall he regard the God of his Fathers nor the desire of women nor regard any God for he shall magnify himself above all But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces and a God whom his Fathers knew not shall he honour with gold and silver and with precious stones and pleasant things Thus shall be do in the most strong holds with a strange God whom he shall acknowledge and encrease with glory and he shall cause them to rule over many and shall divide the Land for gain The Papism doth not only agree that we understand this Oracle of Antichrist but with its utmost force endeavours to have it so understood because it hopes to draw great advantages to it self thereby A notable Oracle concerning the Mahazim which Antichrist must worship pretending that nothing of this doth agree to the Pope He hath not abandoned the God of his Fathers he doth not worship the God of Mahuzim That 's the word in the original which our translation renders the God of forces Our Ioseph Mede thinks quite contrary to this he is so far from believing that this cannot agree to the Pope and to the Empire of the Papism that he believes that St. Paul had a regard to this Oracle when he saith in that passage of the fourth Chapt. of the first Epistle to Timothy that the Spirit saith remarkably or expresly that some shall depart from the faith and shall teach Doctrines of Daemons To understand his notion which assuredly is pretty and ingenious we must represent the Text of Daniel according to his version which is much better than our ordinary one 36. And a King shall do according to his will c. In this Verse there is no essential difference between our vulgar translation and that of Ioseph Mede 37. He shall not regard the God of his Fathers nor the desire of women nor regard any God but shall magnify himself above every God. 38. For he shall honour the God of Mahuzim besides the true God in exalting them together with him in his seat And together with this God whom his Fathers knew not he shall worship the Mahuzim with gold silver precious stones and desirable things 39. He shall make strong holds of the Mahuzim with the strange God whom he shall acknowledge he shall multiply the honour and make them rule over many and shall divide the Land for a recompence Here Ioseph Mede by the unknown God understands Iesus Christ whom ancient Rome knew not and whom the new Romans know and worship Together with this God whom his Fathers knew not he shall worship the Mahuzim Mahuzim the unknown God in this Prophecy are not the same thing Interpreters ordinarily confound these Mahuzim with the unknown God and the Papists say 't is the Idol that Antichrist shall worship But it is clear that the Mahuzim are distinguish'd from the unknown God. For in the 39th verse the H. Spirit clearly distinguishes the Mahuzim from the strange or unknown God in saying he shall make strong holds of the Mahuzim with the strange Gods. hhim Elohah necar So that these words serve as a comment on those that go before which have the same sense but are a little different The Prophet doth not use the praeposition hhim which signifies with besides but uses the particle L. which usually signifies to L'Elohah Mahuzim which may be translated to the God of Mahuzim He shall give honour to the God of Mahuzim So in the same Verse the Spirit adds and he shall glorify or he shall give glory and honour L'Elohah to the God whom his Fathers knew
they are at a prodigious distance from it So the Prophet looking on these two resurrections the first and the last it is not strange that beholding them at so great distance he looked on them as joined together though they are a 1000 years distant from each other Moreover the H. Spirit from this first resurrection in which the Church must be deliver'd and which it may be is but a figurative resurrection would raise us up to the contemplation of the last and general resurrection because this first resurrection that must be before the 1000 years of the reign of Jesus Christ must be but an Embleme of the great deliverance of the Church when it shall be in one body translated from earth to heaven by the last resurrection 'T is usual with the Prophets to have holy sallies that from temporal things do transport them to spiritual and eternal ones Isaiah speaking of a sign that God would give to Ahaz and which he refused passes over many ages leaves there Ahaz and his sign Esai 7. and saith the Lord God shall give you a sign behold a Virgin shall bear a son The rest of the twelfth Chapter is not less profound but as it respects the duration of the persecution of Antiochus literally and mystically the time of the duration of the Kingdom of Antichrist we shall reserve it for that Chap. where we must speak of the duration of his Kingdom CHAP. XXIV In which are gather'd together 35. Characters of Antichrist that perfectly agree to the Papism and cannot agree to any but it A short portraiture of Antichrifi and his fearures AFter sounding all the fountains whence the pourtaiture of Antichrist is drawn I believe it will not be unuseful to gather together here all the strokes that we may see them all with one view and that we may discern the perfect conformity that is between that Antichrist and the Papism 1. It must be an Empire Rev. 13.1 for it is called a beast now in the Prophetick style a beast always signifies an Empire when Kings are treated of The Papism is an Empire in all the forms of worldly Empires ancient and modern We have proved it with the greatest evidence in our prejudices 2. It must also be a Religion 2 Thes 2. for it is called a mystery and it must be a false Religion for it is called a mystery of Iniquity and an apostacy There is only the Papism in which an Empire and a Religion are found both together 1 Tim. 4.1 8. 'T is true Mahomet made an Empire and a Religion at the same time But in Mahometanism the Religion is not the Empire nor the Empire the Religion and the Priests are not Soveraign Lords under the pretext of Religion Mahometanism is divided into many Aempires and yet there is but one Religion a proof that the Religion and the Empire are not the same thing The Papism is the only Religion that boasts of a Prophet always living Rev. 19.20 3. Antichrist must have a Prophet i. e. a man that saith he is infallible and that pretends to pronounce Oracles as well as the ancient Prophets For with the beast is joined the false Prophet The beast was taken and together with him the false Prophet that wrought signs before him There is no Religion in the World but the Papism that pretends to have an infallible head always pronouncing Oracles when it is necessary always speaking and always living This is a very peculiar Character and which should make us well discern him 4. The corruption of the Religion of Antichrist must principally consist in Idolatry 1 Tim. 4. 2 Thes 2. Rev. 17. for it is called apostacy a Doctrine of Daemons spiritual whoredom The Papism is a Religion in which Idols are re-establisht under new names We have also clearly proved it The Idolatry of Antichrist must be an idolatry of Christians Rev. 17. 5. This Antichristian Idolatry must be an idolatry of Christians which must be exercised in the Church and not without by the Spouse of Jesus Christ and not by a stranger For this idolatry is called adultery and conjugal unfaithfulness The Papism with its Idolatry retains the foundation of the Church and preserves Christianity 6. The chief City of this Empire and of this Religion must be a City seated on seven Mountaïns Rev. 17.9.18 and the great City which in the time of Saint John ruled over the Kingdoms of the Earth that is to say Rome The Papism hath for the capital of its Empire and Religion new Rome built where the ancient one was 7. This Empire was to form it self not by force but by craft by seduction and by the consent of the Kings of the West Rev. 13.13 that were to give their power to the beast The power of the Papism and the Bishop of Rome come by illusion rather than by the violence that both Kings and people have suffer'd 8. This Antichristian Empire must be a continuation of the fourth Monarchy which is that of the Romans Dan. 2.7 Rev. 13. as hath been shewn by the vision of Daniel's Statue by that of the four beasts and by the beast of the 13th of the Revel The Papism is a true continuation of the Roman Empire having the very same seat and very hear the same Provinces 9. This Empire must be only an Image of an Empire an Image of the Roman Empire Rev. 13.14 15. Yet this Image must speak and must be worshipped in all the Earth The Papism hath no arms nor citadels that really make an Empire it hath nothing but superstition and foolish fondness for all its arms however it speaks it threatens it promiseth it teacheth it seduceth and by this means it reigns 10. The Empire of Antichrist must have ten horns Rev. 13. end 17. that is to say ten Kings vassals and subjects props and upholders of its throne The Papism hath always had under it ten principal Kings that have worshipt and maintain'd its power 11. Antichrist must speak great things in his own behalf Rev. 13.5 but against God for they must be blasphemies The Papism saith of it self and its capital great and mighty things saying that Rome is eternal that she is infallible that the Pope is Superiour to all the Kings of the Earth the Spouse of the Church the Vicar of J. Christ God upon Earth his Holiness and most holy Lord. And these arrogant pretensions are true blasphemies against God against J. Christ and against the true Church the Spouse of J. Christ 12. Antichrist must raise wars and cruel persecutions on the account of Religion Rev. 13.7 For 't is given to him to make war against the Saints and to overcome them The Papism hath bathed it self in humane and Christian blood for six or seven hundred years 13. The Empire of Antichrist must be an Empire raised up again Rev. 13.3 an head mortally wounded but healed again The Empire of
The 8th Argument spiritual Babel is represented as a City en riched by a long commerce Eighthly Moreover doth a City become rich in three years and a half What kind of commerce then must that of this Antichristian Empire be that shall make the fortunes of her merchants in so little a time The H. Spirit borrows these figures from what is done and seen inhumane life 'T is seen therein that Cities become rich and powerful by long commerce But never were any of them seen to attain to a surprizing greatness by two or three years commerce Lastly A City and an Empire that are raised and destroyed in three years and a half have not time to gather together voluptuous things The 9th Argument spiritual Babylon is represented as having enjoyed a long peace and to enjoy them It must always fight to conquer to grow greater or to defend it self If the Antichristian Empire lasts but three years and a half this is not too much to establish its greatness by sword and by fire and to repell that force that must destroy it Of necessity Antichrist and his adherents must always be in violent motion in trouble and in war. Whereas the description of spiritual Babylon imports the possession of a long peace during which she must heap together both all the riches and all the pleasures of the World. The 10th Argument the ruin of the Babylonish Empire according to its description in the 19th Ch. cannot be wrought in three years and a half The 19th Chapt. is the last where in the ruin of this Empire is described to us We there see him who is called the faithful and the true and the Word of God i. e. J. Christ that prepares himself for the combat that causes the armies of Heaven to follow him that calls all the birds of Heaven and all the beasts of the Earth to the slaughter that gives battels that obtains the victory that casts the beast and the false Prophet into the lake of fire and brimstone For this alone more is necessary than three years and a half For an Empire so vast so large and so strong as that of Antichrist must be is not destroyed in a few days CHAP. II. The last Argument against the Chimaera of three years and half taken from the time during which the Temple was prophan'd by Antiochus Four quite different times set down for that in Daniels Prophecies An explication and a reconciling of those four times An application of these four times to the Kingdom of Antichrist and the ruin of that Kingdom I Draw my last Argument against this chimerical duration of three years and a half from the most famous of all the types of Antichrist viz. Antiochus Epiphanes 'T is he that persecuted the Church that oppressed it that defiled the Temple that caused the daily sacrifice to cease for the space of three natural years and a half Wherein it is evident that God hath set him as a type of Antichrist who during the space of three prophetical years and a half was in like manner to seize on the Church to fill the Temple of God with Idols and make the pure service of God the continual sacrifices of praises and prayers which God hath reserved for himself alone to cease Now we must remember this maxime which we have already advanced in the fore-going Chapter viz. that types are oenigmatical and short pictures of great events great in their extent as well as in their qualities Types are short pictures in a little This maxime is evident it hath no need of proofs And according to this principle seeing the times must be short as well as the other strokes it is clear that contracted years cannot be better represented than by days not by months for a month is the revolution of the Moon and consequently it can't be proper to represent the revolution of the Sun which is a quite different Star. But the day and the year are the revolutions of the Sun the year is the great revolution the day the little one If one would represent in short the great revolution of the Sun one can't do it better than by the small revolution of the same Star. And thence I conclude that the oppression of the Church by Antiochus who was the type having lasted 1260 little revolutions of the Sun they must represent so many of the great revolutions of the same Star. I spend a Chapter on this last proof because in the duration of the oppression of the Jewish Church by Antiochus Epiphanes there are considerable difficulties which spring from the differences of the Prophecies of Daniel and the events such as the first book of the Macchabees represents them to us I hope that the clearing these difficulties about the duration of the persecution of Antiochus will give us such light into the duration of the Kingdom of Antichrist as will please the curious Four times noted by Daniel for the duration of Antiochus's persecution We must therefore observe that the Prophet Daniel describes the time of the duration of the persecution that was to befall his nation in four different manners First of all he saith in the eighth Chap. after having spoken of Antiochus Epiphanes under the embleme of the little horn C. 8. v. 13. Then I heard one Saint speaking and another Saint said unto that certain Saint that spake How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice and the transgression of desolation to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot And he said unto me unto 2300 days then shall the Sanctuary be cleansed v. 14. Daniel reassuming the affair of Antiochus in the eleventh Chapter and continuing it in the twelfth observes three time Cap. 12. v. 6 7. And one said to the man clothed in linnen which was upon the waters of the river How long shall it be to the end of these wonders And I heard the man clothed in linnen which was on the waters of the river when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven and swore by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time times and a half It is plain this signifies one year two years and half a year three years and a half So then you see the second time The third is observed in the same Chapt. C. 12. v. 11. And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away and the abomination that maketh desolate set up there shall be 1290 days Lastly The fourth time is found in the following verse Blessed is he that waiteth v. 12 and cometh to the 1335 days See then four different numbers Two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings 2300. A time times and half a time 1260. that make three years and a half and days One thousand two hundred fourscore and ten days 1290. And lastly 1335. one thousand three hundred and thirty
encrease of the papal Tyranny 'T is known this papal Tyranny had its degrees since Leo the first that sate in that See in the year 450 to Gregory the Great the Bishops of Rome endeavoured to arrogate to themselves a superiority over the Universal Church but yet however without desiring to be called Oecumenical Bishops After Gregory the first to Gregory the seventh the Popes called themselves Vniversal Bishops but without styling themselves Soveraigns and Masters of Kings and Kingdoms This Gregory was the first that endeavoured to depose Emperors and Kings This is Antichrist perfected Those also that did not know him when he was yet in his first periods did know him when he arrived to this We have many testimonies of the German Bishops of that time who profess that this Gregory the seventh and his successors were Antichrist CHAP. VI. The circumstances of the fall of Antichrist re-establisht in their order An explication of the fifteenth Chapter Principles for the right understanding the sixteenth Chapter Divers interpretations given of it and their visible faults AFter having seen the time in which the fall and last ruin of the Antichristian Empire must happen 't is time to see the circumstances of that fall and I am very well satisfied that therein we shall find what will confirm that which we have affirmed touching the approaching end of Antichristianism I pretend to improve my conjecture to a kind of demonstration by the full agreement there is between my hypotheses and the Prophecies The circumstances of the fall of the Antichristian Empire are to be found in the 11 14 15 16 17 18 and 19th Chapters 'T is certainly that part of the Revelation that hath been least understood I mean as to what respects the circumstances of the ruin of the Antichristian Empire For as for the Characters of that Empire which are also contain'd in those Chapters they have been well enough apprehended But as to the fall of that Empire the time and progress of that fall God would not let men hitherto be so happy in their conjectures I hope that in what I shall now say something shall be met with that shall much more bear upon it the Characters of truth Divers circumstances of the fall of Antichrist which the H. Spirit hath not pleased to put into one vision The H. Spirit 's so often repeating the prophecy of the fall of Babylon and the ruin of its Empire is not only to give us a perfect certainty of the event 't is principally to mark out unto us that fall by divers circumstances But it hath not pleased God to give us all these circumstances in one vision that so the Prophecy might not be too plain For it is not at all the intention of God to inform us clearly of things to come with respect to their circumstances But only as to the substance of the thing The fall of the Antichristian Empire is the substance that which is necessary to support the hopes of the Church Hence it is that there is no obsecurity in the prophecy with respect to this no more then there was in the Prophecies concerning the Messiah with respect to the substance of it and the certainty of his coming but there was much as to the circumstances of that coming Therefore God hath misplaced the circumstances in the visions that they might be obscure because God was willing that the circumstances of the fall of the Kingdom of Antichrist should be obscure he hath for this reason divided them into several visions And for the same reason that is that he might put a venerable veyle upon that which he was not willing that we should know before the time He hath not placed the circumstances exactly according to the order of their coming to pass The vision which marches fore-most contains things which ought not to come to pass till afterward and the visions which follow contain things which ought to come to pass before Therefore that we may place these adorable obscurities in such a Light as is necessary to pierce into them we must bring things into their natural order and explain the visions according to the order of those events which they fore-tell In doing this we will begin with the 16th Chapter of the Revelation which contains the admirable vision of the seven viols which are the seven periods through which the Antichristian Empire ought to pass to come to its fall God does ordinarily prepare for greater visions by lesser The fifteenth Chapter is nothing but a preparation for the vision of the sixteenth Where are the seven last plagues as the twelve first verses of the 14th are nothing but a preparation unto the vision of the harvest and vintage which is very evident from the beginning of the 15th Chapter which is And I saw another sign in Heaven great and marvellous seven Angels having the seven last plagues As a preparation unto the vision of these seven last plagues God does make the Prophet see a sea of glass or of chrystal mingled with fire that is a sea where ice and fire are mingled and them that had gotten the victory over the beast and over his Image that is them that had escaped his corruption and idolatry stand upon the sea of glass or of ice and they sung the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb Great and marvellous are thy works It is clear A lively Image of those who escape the corruption of Popery its persecutions that the Prophet does make an allusion unto the passage through the red Sea and unto the Children of Israel who being got upon the shore of that Sea sung the song which Moses composed for them The Sea of glass mingled with fire answers to the red sea they who had gotten the victory over the Beast answer to the Israelites who had overcome the Egyptians Egypt out of which the Israelites marcht answers to this Antichristian Empire out of which the Elect do escape Therefore as the red sea and its waves were the danger out of which the Israelites coming out of Egypt were deliver'd so this sea of glass mingled with fire represents the evils which the Faithful who leave Babylon do escape These evils are called a sea on the account of their greatness and bitterness my breach is great like the sea said Jeremy they are called a sea of glass or a sea of ice because of their hardness 'T is more easy to escape out of a sea of water because the liquidity of waters does make it possible to swim through them but if a sea was glass or ice it would be impossible to get out of it There is also fire mingled with glass to represent the burning and extream dolours of those evils Fire and Ice are two extreams in evil yet they are joyn'd in the description of the calamities of the Church though they seem inconsistent if it be a sea of ice there cannot be fire there and if
with blood even to the tops of the mountains The mountains shall be melted with their blood saith Isaiah 34.3 there must be rivers of blood to do this v. 5. And I heard the Angel of the waters say Thou art righteous O Lord which art and wast and shall be because thou hast judged thus v. 6. For they have shed the blood of Saints and Prophets and thou hast given them blood to drink for they are worthy There will not want some who from these words will object and say that untill this time there had been no persecution on the account of Religion and that the Popedom had in no wise shed the blood of Saints of Prophets To this I answer First 'T is not true that during the time of the Croisades Why God chargeth Antichristian Rome with the blood which she had not yet shed no blood had been shed on the account of Religion for it was exactly in the middle of the Croisades that that horrible barbarity was used against the Waldenses and Albingenses Innocent III. publisht the fifth Croisade at the end of the twelfth Century and at the same time gave sentence of death against the poor Albigenses But that which is especially to be observed in this matter is this that those who make this objection must make a stronger against those words of Jesus Christ Luc. 11.50 51. That the blood of all the Prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation From the blood of Abel c. verily I say it shall be required of this generation What reason to require of the Jews who lived in the times of Christ the blood of Abel and other holy men who were slain before the Flood what reason to require of them the righteous blood shed before Abraham Nay what reason to require of them the blood of the Prophets slain by their fathers since they disapproved the deeds of their fathers Why this is the reason God when he executes judgement ought to hear the cries of all the righteous blood that is shed for these cryes make up but one voyce and the race of murtherers makes up but one people on which God will charge that blood It matters not that it was shed by the Parents or the Children before the one were born or after the death of the others this makes no difference God looking upon this murthering race all in one body will charge the whole upon the whole in the lump Which evidently appears from that which God here speaks of this generation of Antichrist they have shed the blood of Prophets he saith not of Apostles he goes back as far as the Prophets and inflicts the punishment of the blood of the Prophets slain so many ages before upon the Antichristian Empire Rome hath always been a murthering City the holy Apostles Martyrs Doctors Confessors of the first ages of Christianity were slain by its orders and in its Dominions Modern Rome within the circuit of its Jurisdiction hath shed an infinite quantity of holy and faithfull blood The old and new Rome in the account of God and in the executing of his judgements make up but one body because God beholds the whole in one instant or point He looks upon her as one murthering tyrant as one race of manslayers It matters not that as to some particular persons and some particular ages she is not guilty of the blood of the Prophets she is guilty as to her whole in her beginning and her end now the beginning and the end do involve the middle But it will be objected Had not Rome Pagan been sufficiently punisht for the blood of Apostles and Maryrs which she had shed So many sackings and desolations as she had felt did not they suffice Must Antichristian Rome pay once more for that blood I will object on the same grounds Had not Jerusalem the mutherer of the Prophets suffer'd enough for her murthers by that dismal desolation made by the Chaldeans by the captivity of all her Inhabitants by the fire which consumed her Palaces Must God chastise her by the Romans for those crimes which had been punisht by the Babylonians Thus was it necessary that God should punish Rome Antichristian for the crimes committed by Rome Pagan or for the sins which were not committed till the following ages of this Antichristian Rome 'T is to this objection that the other Angel answers who speaks at V. 7. And I heard another out of the Altar say even so Lord God Almighty true and righteous are thy judgements That is though it seem unjust to give blood to drink unto new Rome on the account of the blood that was shed by old Rome or of that which shall be afterward shed by the new notwithstanding thy judgements are righteous and true Behold the three plagues which bring us down unto the thirteenth Age. The last Croisade was the second expedition of St. Lewis who carried out and lost 60000 men at Thunis in the year 1269. CHAP. VIII The fourth plague the encrease of the heat of the Sun denoting the encrease of the Papal Authority which had almost utterly ruin'd the World and the Church The fifth plague is the desolation of ROME when the Pope retreated to Avignon and the diminution of the papal Authority by the grand Schisme of the West v. 8. ANd the fourth Angel pour'd out his viol upon the Sun and power was given to him to scorchmen with fire v. 9. And men were scorched with great heat and blasphemed the name of God who hath power over those plagues and they repented not to give him glory This is the fourth plague in which we see the Sun. 'T is known and confess'd by all who know any thing of prophecies dreams and visions that the Heavens What is the Sun of the Antichristian Empire the Sun the constellations and the Stars are emblems of dignities and grandeurs on earth and the image does bear a lively resemblance for the Heavens are the superior region of the World from whence good and bad Influences do come and supream Authority is the heaven of the lower World from whence both good and evil proceed great dignities are like constellations in Societies The Sun always signifies the Soveraign and the Stars inferior Magistrates Before in the sixth Chapter the fall of the Empire of Rome Pagan and of the imperial dignity is represented to us by the same images Chap. 6 12 13. And the Sun became black as sackcloth of hair and the Moon became as blood and the Stars of heaven fell unto the earth This is a thing which admits not any dispute The Sun of the Antichristian Kingdom is the Pope That the Antichristian Kingdom is treated of here is generally agreed to therefore it cannot be doubted that the Sun is the Soveraign of this Kingdom The heat and beams are the instruments by which the Sun operates 'T is by his beams that he quickens warms
persons that they might be taken notice of will yet affirm that not so much as one of these seven plagues is hitherto come to pass This singularity is neither too edifying nor too comfortable I earnestly entreat them to lay aside the desire of contradicting and to consider without prejudice these two things First that in the whole explication of this 16th Chapter there is not the least forced application the Emblems which the Prophet makes use of do exactly resemble the events set down in History The second that in the application of these seven plagues unto the events every thing does hang together no part of this System contradicts another This being supposed I entreat them to consider if chance can do this and hath ever done it chance may hit right in some points but never does so in all I say again that we are at the end of the seventh period for it ought to be well observed that there is not one viol which distinct and seperated from others lasts 200 years the greatest part does not come near that number This hath already lasted 170 years it cannot last much longer 'T is true the papal authority whose beams so scorched men under the fourth viol lasted above 200 years but this was because it was inlayd or jointed in those that preceded and those that followed And its particular strict period must be reckon'd to be onely 108 years which begun at the year 1270 when the Croisades ended and continued untill the grand Schisme which happen'd in the year 1378. for then began the diminishing of the papal authority and the darkning of the Kingdom of the Beast The seventh viol hath already lasted longer then any of the rest and 't is probable that it must last about 200 years which none of the others hath done but we shall see the reason of this in the next Chapter where we shall shew that this seventh period is it self divided into three other periods the harvest the vintage and the time that is betwixt the harvest and the vintage The harvest is already past the time betwixt the harvest and the vintage is almost expired we are approaching to the vintage and at this day ought to say Come Lord Jesus come but within a little while we shall say He is come he is come CHAP. XI The explication of the 14th Chapter The vision of the harvest and the vintage the harvest of the Reformation made in the age last past the vintage is the Reformation which shall be made this present age THe fourteenth Chapter is the second of those wherein we find the circumstances of the fall of the Babylonian Kingdom In the beginning of the Chapter we find the 140 thousand marked ones who are the same with the two witnesses whom we shall discourse of hereafter the small number of faithful ones whom God preserved in spiritual Babylon and who did not partake of her Idolatries We find them I say who sing a song which none was able to learn but they i. e. they tast peculiar joyes and pleasures which the Antichristian Christians were notable to taste In the following verses an Angelappears flying in the midst of heaven Chap. 14.6 having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth and to every nation and kindred and tongue and people This is the preparative unto that preaching of the Gospel which must be made to all Nations when the Antichristian Kingdom shall be ablosht This preaching is said to be of the everlasting Gospel because it shall last untill the end of the world All Nations shall be converted and their purity shall suffer no alteration as long as the world shall last And to signify that the Kingdom of Antichrist shall fall through the preaching of this everlasting Gospel immediately after another Angel cryes Babylon is fallen is fallen that great City Which proves that in the vision that follows the harvest and the vintage are the two parts of the fall of the Babylonian Kingdom The persecution of the Waldenses Albigenses foretold in the 14th Chap. vers 9.10 11. In the third place we have in this Chapter an Angle who denounces the terrible judgments of God that must fall on those who worship the Beast and his image and receive his mark in their foreheads or in their hands And at the same time by these words here is the patience of the Saints is signified a sore persecution that must go before the fall of Antichrist not that persecution which we suffer at this day and which must be the last but that which the Church endured in the Waldenses the Albigenses the Bohemians c. For this is the persecution which happen'd before the Reformation of the last age because the fall of Babylon which is spoken of in this Chapter begins by the Reformation made in the last age Therefore the persecution here spoken of must be that which went before our Reformation but there is no other besides that against the poor Waldenses which lasted a full 100 years before the preaching of Luther All these things are onely a preparative unto the last vision of this Chapter which contains a new prediction of the fall of Antichrist with new circumstances and 't is this V. 14. And I lookt and behold a white could and upon the cloud one sate like unto the son of man having on his head a golden crown and in his hand a sharp sickle V. 15. And another Angel came out of the Temple crying with a loud voyce to him that sate on the cloud Thrust in thy sickle and reap for the time is come for thee to reap for the harvest of the earth is ripe V. 16. And he that sate on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth and the earth was reaped V. 17. And another Angel came out of the Temple which is in Heaven he also having a sharp sickle V. 18. And another Angel came out from the Altar which had power over fire and cryed with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle saying Thrust in thy sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth for her grapes are fully ripe V. 19. And the Angel thrust in his sickle into the earth and gather'd the vine of the earth and cast it into the great wine-press of the wrath of God. V. 20. And the wine-press was trodden without the city and blood came out of the wine-press even unto the horse bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs A distinction of circumstances and substance in this vision In this vision there are circumstances and substance the circumstances are these the Angel who sits on a white cloud and his cloathing another Angel who bids him thrust in his sickle another Angel who appears likewise having asickle the ripeness of the corn and grapes the wine-press of the wrath of God the blood that flows out by the space of 1600 furlongs These I
which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was crucified V. 9. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three dayes and a half and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put into graves V. 10. And they that dwell upon the Earth shall rejoyce over them and make merry and send gifts one to another because these two Prophets tormented them that dwelt upon the Earth V. 11. And after three days and an half the spirit of life from God entred into them and they stood upon their feet and great fear fell upon them which saw them V. 12. And they heard a great voyce from heaven saying unto them Come up hither and they ascended up to heaven in a cloud and their enemies beheld them V. 13. And the same hour was there a great earthquake and the tenth part of the City fell and in the earth-quake were slain of men seven thousand and the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to God. The Witnesses who prophecy cloathed in sackcloth are the faithful who preach under the Cross As to what concerns these two witnesses i.e. what is signified by them I have not changed my opinion since I wrote the book intitled Lawfull prejudices against popery Though as to all the rest the studious attention which I have used in reading these Prophecies hath given me quite different apprehensions I do therefore still believe that these two Witnesses who must prophesy 1260 days cloathed in sackcloth are the small number of the faithfull who during the reign of Antichristianism must keep themselves from its corruption and condemn its idolatries and tyranny God calls them witnesses because these are they who bore witness to the Truth which but for them would have been forgotten They prophesy cloathed in sackcloth i. e. they preach under the Cross For we must well observe that these two Phrases one used in our language the other in that of the Holy Ghost to prophesy cloathed in sackcloth and to preach under the Cross are absolutely of the same signification He makes them onely two in number to express that those faithfull who shall preserve themselves from the corruption of Idolatry shall be but a very small number And indeed experience hath too much verified this prediction Nevertheless he makes them two in number to signify that however small the number of true Christians is it shall notwithstanding be great enough to support the Truth and keep it from falling for in the mouth of two witnesses every word shall be establisht How these witnesses have power to change water into blood and shut up heaven v. 6. God ascribes to these two witnesses power to shut Heaven that it rain not in the dayes of their prophesy and power over waters to turn them into blood and to smite the Earth with all plagues as often as they will. Joseph Mede gives a very ingenious reason of this which I believe is very solid viz. That the Holy Ghost borrows his Emblems from the histories of the Old Testament and alludes unto several Pairs of eminent witnesses which God raised up at several times as Aaron and Moses at the coming out of Egypt Joshua and Caleb at the conquering of the promised Land Elijah and Elisha at the time of the grand Schism of the ten tribes Zerubbabel and Jehoshua at the return from the captivity Among these witnesses Elijah and Elisha had power to shut Heaven to hinder rain for three years and to make fire come down from Heaven Moses and Aaron turn'd the waters of Egypt into blood Joshua and Caleb brought the people of Israel into the Land of Canaan and smote the ancient Inhabitants with a sore plague To this the Holy Ghost alludes But we must further add that God ascribes to these witnesses 1. The shutting of Heaven that rain no in the days of their prophecy to signify that during the 1260 years of their Prophecy and of the reign of Antichrist there should be a great drought of grace and a barreness of virtues and gifts in the Church 2. The turning of waters into blood and the smiting of the Earth with all plagues Because all the heavy judgements of God that during the course of these 1260 years came upon the Antichristian Church were sent on the account of these two witnesses and to punish oppression under which it held both the Truth and those who were willing to profess it Here is fore-told a last persecution that must happen before the end of Antichrists reign The seven verses which we even now have read concerning the persecution which these two witnesses must suffer and the consequent of that persecution contain a grand event which must come to pass before the last fall of the Antichristian Kingdom And 't is one of the principal circumstances of this fall First we must observe the circumstance of time and when they shall have finish their testimony Mark this testimony must last a thousand two hundred and sixty days My two witnesses shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days cloathed in sackcloth Now these thousand two hundred sixty days of the prophesying of the witnesses are the forty two moneths of the Antichristian reign for forty two moneths make exactly 1260 days All the World is agreed that these are the three years and a half of the reign of Antichrist and that Antichrist and these two witnesses are absolutely and exactly contempories 'T is therefore the very same as if the Holy Ghost had said And when the Beast or the man of sin shall have finisht his reign of 1260 years it shall make war against the two witnesses This is therefore a persecution of Antichrist against the faithfull and a persecution that must happen before the end of Antichrists reign These words when they shall have finisht must not be understood as if the Holy Ghost would say when the 1260 years shall be finisht For after the 1260 years are finisht there can be no persecution seeing the Beast shall have lost his power So that this persecution must begin and end within the 1260 years but yet at the end of them 't is the ordinary custome not only of Scripture but of all men to say that something comes to pass when this or that is finisht because it happens when that things is finishing and very near its end This is therefore the last persecution of Antichrist against the Church This persecution hath its Characters 1. It must continue a long time Characters of the last persecution for 't is compared to a war The Beast that comes up out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them 2. This war or persecution must end in a victory over the two witnesses and shall overcome them and kill them Mark that God does not reckon the death and martyrdom which the faithfull suffer for the Truth as a victory that the Devil gains over them on the
Among the considerations laid down by me in the Preface which induce me to believe that this persecution is the last I mention'd the singularities of it I named several such Behold one which in my judgement deserves to be added to the rest 'T is the horrible Edict which commands that the new Converts being sick shall communicate after the popish way This is the worst effect that ever was produced by the spirit of rage and reprobation And 't is not conceivable how a Clergy that will be called Christian can do such horrible actions The Edict ordains that they who will not communicate shall be sent to the Galleys if they recover There is none who is so mortally sick that is sure that he shall dye and fearing to recover he will also fear to go to the Gallies and this affrighting object is able to induce a sick man to communicate without faith and to worship that which he judgeth to be a piece of bread that is to say to commit a horrible sacriledge and an act of Idolatry and consequently to damn himself certainly So that properly this Edict is a trick of the Clergy to procure the damnation of all the new Converts This is perfectly to imitate that Italian who that he might take a compleat vengeance having his enemy in his power promis'd him his life on condition that he would deny God which having done he murther'd both his body and soul Will men never open their eyes to behold such objects as these The Reformation is foretold by three figures signifying three Methods And the spirit of life from God entred into them These words teach us how the Reformation shall be re-establisht in France for in these Prophecies I find three ways by which the Truth is establisht or re-establisht The first is by lightnings voyces and thunders thus after the seventh viol was pour'd on the air the Reformation in the last Age was made by lightnings voyces and thunders i. e. by the preaching of the Divine Oracles And the seventh Angel pour'd out his viol into the air and there were voyces and lightnings and thunders In this Prophecy thunders always signify the Divine Oracles The seven thunders that uttered their voyces in the tenth Chapter are the Oracles of God which ought to be uttered in the sequel Thus the Reformation was made in the last Age in a most sensible manner by the preaching of the word The Reformation shall come into France by way of internal grace But behold a second way of reforming A Spirit of life from God enters again into the dead Witnesses i. e. those who are at this day under oppression shall suddenly rise up again by a secret operation of grace and an extraordinary motion not by the means of preaching the word not by the ministry of some new Preachers but by a heavenly operation that shall open the eyes of them who are as yet in darkness and strengthen again the hearts of those who at this day have fallen through weakness At that time in all appearance the yoke of the Persecutor shall be broken a time of ease shall come and all those who at this day groan under the Captivity of Babylon shall lift up their heads and shall improve that season of calm to repair that which they are now forced to do by violence 'T is these words signify a Spirit of life from God not from any man nor by the ministry of any man but from God entred into them and their zeal was enlivened again But things shall not stay there God is preparing other wonders There is a third Reformation which shall be set on foot by way of Authority by the Royal power and this is expressed in the words that follow And the Witnesses heard a great voyce from heaven saying unto them Come up hither and they ascended up to heaven in a cloud and their enemies beheld them What heaven and lifting up to heaven signify in the Prophecies In the style of the Prophets heaven and lifted up to heaven is the Throne and to be exalted to dignity greatness and power even in the language of heathen Prophets for Apomasar in his Apostelismata insomniorum saith If a King dreams that he sits upon the clouds and is carried where ever he pleaseth this signifies that his enemies shall serve him But if he fancieth that he is carried up to heaven where the stars are this presages that he shall be lift up above all Kings The Prophets of God do also make use of these representations to signify the same thing Isa 14.13 Isaiah describes the exaltation of the King of Babylon by an ascending up into heaven I will ascend into heaven I will exalt my Throne above the stars And Jesus Christ saith of Capernaum that she had been lift up unto heaven but should be brought down unto hell 'T is therefore evident that God does here signify that some time after these three years and a half of death the Reformation shall be lifted up to a great glory but not every where 't is only in that place which is called the street of the great City and is after called the tenth part of the City for the total destruction of the Antichristian Kingdom must not happen untill some years afterward There will shortly be a Reformation in France by the Royal Authority And after These words signify that when the Reformation shall be establisht again in France by way of Divine immediate operation by which the zeal of the Apostates and of others who know the truth but with-hold it in unrighteousness shall be quickned again some space of time shall pass probably some years before France shall wholly throw off the yoke of popery That Kingdom shall not be entirely Reformed by way of Authority immedately after out Reformation shall be again set on foot by way of inspiration and recovering of zeal For and after signifies an interval of time but whether it shall be short or long is not expressed notwithstanding I see no likelihood that it shall be very long nor do I believe so They heard a great voyce from heaven Yet once again Heaven is the Throne 't is the Soveraign dignity which in a State is exactly the same that Heaven is to the Earth in light in lustre in good or bad influences in scituation and in elevation From Heaven i.e. from Authority and the Prince who reigns they heard a voyce they received an order not a small clandestinsilent voyce but a great voyce i.e. a publick command a solemn Edict and this voyce said to them Come up hither Then the Truth shall get up into the Throne and as God hath contrary to all probability given a popish Prince to England so God will give a Protestant Prince to France in spight of all oppositions of the Papists And the ascended up to heaven in a cloud i.e. Their elevation and that of the Reformed Religion shall be made publickly as the
elevation of Elijah and of Jesus Christ who were lift up above the clouds And their enemies beheld them Popery shall not as yet be destroy'd in France when this shall happen The Priests the Clergy and Monks shall be spectators of this great work But the end of popery in France shall come quickly after For the same hour-there was a great Earthquake mark the same hour he saith not and after as he had said to express a space of time between the resurrection of the witnesses and their ascending up even to the Throne But he saith the same hour to signisy that assoon as the Reformation shall be establisht by a solemn Edict of the Prince as by a great voyce from heaven the total destruction of popery shall happen as we are about to shew And the same hour there was a great Earthquake I will not spend time upon the signification of this representation an Earthquake For 't is known by all who are versed in the Prophets See Isa 170 13. and 24.19 20. Jer. 4.24 and 49 20. that in the Prophetick style an Earthquake signifies a great commotion of Nations that must change the face of the World because Earthquakes do overturn Cities Mountains and wholly change the face of a Countrey make Valleys where there were Mountains and Hills where there were Valleys and Lakes which were dry Land before and deserts of Countries which were inhabited so that 't is certain that according to this Prophesy in a very few years the face of the Antichristian Kingdom shall be changed but not every where It shall be only in the tenth part of the City which shall fall by this Earthquake The City signifies the Roman Antichristian Empire and not Rome alone And the tenth part of the City fell This is a passage where Interpreters have been short sighted not excepting our Joseph Mede who often hath so quick a sight To understand this we must first know what the City is Joseph Mede is mistaken together with all the rest when he understands this to mean precisely the City of Rome 'T is a truth which must be held as certain being one of the keys of the Revelation that the City the great City signifies in this book not Rome alone but Rome in conjunction with its Empire The name of this great City is Babylon Now 't is clear that Babylon is the whole Babylonian Kingdom Come out of Babylon my people 'T is not from the City of Rome that the Holy Ghost invites his Elect to come out 't is from the Church of Rome from the Babylonian Empire This passage alone together with that in this eleventh Chapter v. 8 And their dead bodies shall lye in the street of the great City which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was cruicified are enough to prove that the Babylonian City is not Rome alone Our Lord was not crucified in Rome and if we should here take crucifying in a figurative sense for the crucifying of the Religion of Jesus Christ this hath been sacrificed at Rome no more than in other places of the Latin Church In the 14th Chapter the Holy Ghost describes the fall of this City of Babylon Babylon is fallen is fallen that great City and in the same vision he fore-tells the ruin of the Antichristian Empire under the Metaphors of an harvest and a vintage which proves that this City is nothing else but the intire Kingdom of Babylon In the 18th Chapter the Prophet makes a long description of the desolations of this City under the Metaphors of a City of Merchandise which had a great traffick and was fill'd with pleasures and delightfull things Now 't is certain that the shamefull simony the wicked pleasures of the Papacy have not reigned less in the Provinces of the Babylonian Kingdom than in the Capital City from whence 't is again evident that the City signifies the whole Antichristian State. Lastly the constant opposition between the Holy City and the great City proves that the City includes the whole Antichristian Church even as the Holy City signifies the whole Christian Church De Launay hath confessed this in the eleventh Chapter of the Revelation and in the 16th but no exception is to be made every where the City and the great City Babylon signifies the intire Kingdom of the Papacy And the reason of this is evident old Rome made her whole Empire to be one only City by means of that right of citizenship which she bestowed on all who were of some considerable quality though they dwelt in the Provinces The citizens of Rome dwelt in all Countries now where the citizens of a City dwell there is the City this made Rutilius say Dumque offers victis proprij consortia juris Vrbem fecisti quod prius Orbis erat Thus it goes exactly in the Church of Rome which hath re-establisht the Roman Empire All those who are members of this Church are citizens of her capital City The Church of Rome is but one City Persons of all Nations are admitted into her Senate or Colledge of Cardinals The Tribunal which is called the Rota is constituted of Councellors taken out of all the Provinces which pay subjection to Rome Every Forreigner may come to be a Cardinal and every Cardinal may come to be Pope Therefore there are properly no Forreigners in that State no Papist is a Forreigner to the Church of Rome and that which they call the holy See. That which hath deceived Interpreters v. 9 1â— is the 17th Chapter where the City is called the Woman which sitteth on seven Mountains and that great City which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth This say they is the City of Rome and the Papists themselves do grant it and without doubt 't is Rome and we have above proved it but 't is Rome conjointly with her Empire Babylon signifies the whole Antichristian Empire and this Antichristian Empire is said to sit upon seven Mountains and to rule over the Kings of the Earth Rome must always be considered together with her Empire because this is true of its Capital City Nothing is more ordinary not to add that 't is constantly used than to denote a whole Kingdom by the ruling City Thus men always spoke of Rome Rome hath conquered the Nations Rome hath enlarged her Empire to the end of the World this signifies that the Roman Empire hath subdued all Nations and extended its bounds even to the utmost parts of the Earth The tenth part of the City is one of the ten Kingdoms that make up the Empire of the Papacy Chap. 17.12 13. This being supposed and proved that the City is the whole Babylonian and Antichristian Empire it must be remembred that this Empire of Antichrist is made up of ten Kingdoms and ten Kings who must give their power to the beast The ten horns which thou sawest are ten Kings These have one mind and shall give their power unto the
first Subject They say 't is the Kingdom of the Father we pray for i. e. of the Heavenly Paradise the Eternal Kingdom But we need only read what follows in the Lords prayer to be assured that it must be understood of a Kingdom upon earth Thy Name be hallowed Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven That clause on Earth as in Heaven is common to all three Petitions Thy Kingdom come upon Earth as it is already come in Heaven 'T is reasonable to think that God hath reserv'd a time for the Kingdom of grace which hath not yet 12-ken place So great a difficulty have these Gentlemen the Antimillenaries to conceive a Kingdom of God upon earth and for my own part I find as great a one not to conceive it How can we reconcile it to the wisdom and goodness of God to have abandon'd and forsaken the World thorowout all the duration of it without preserving a certain time in that duration for himself and his own Kingdom Now when was it that God did reign in the world by his Kingdom of grace It was not in the first World before the Flood where wickedness prevailed to that degree that obliged him to destroy it by the Deluge It was not in the Time from Noah to Moses for in those Ages Idolatry sprung up increas't and multiplied Much less in those Ages from Moses to Iesus Christ for the Devil reigned every where oftentimes not excepting that little corner of the Earth which God had reserved to himself It is not from the Appearance of Christ to that of Antichrist for saving about one hundred years since the Emperors were Christians Paganism hath always been uppermost and the prevailing Religion It cannot be since the birth of Antichrist for the 1260 years of his reign are the Empire of the Beast and of the Dragon and this will lead us even to the end of the World according to these Gentlemen And the course of the World will be finisht and God and his Kingdom of Grace have found no place in it I confess that in all ages God hath saved some persons but that is not to Reign for Truth and Grace have never yet ruled and been uppermost They never had the Empire the number and the multitude of their side The number of wicked and worldly men hath always carried it How much more reasonable then is it to conceive that God after having abandon'd six periods to the World and the Dragon hath at least reserved one seventh to himself wherein Truth and Grace shall rule and prevail whereas in the other preceding they have been supprest The conversion of the nations and of the Iews shall form the Kingdom of Christ I find nothing more odd and singular than the Hypothesis of these Gentlemen They acknowledge that all the Nations hitherto under Infidelity shall be converted St. Paul hath expresly said it in the eleventh Chapter of his Epistle to the Romans according to them also the Iews are to be converted Behold the fairest Empire of Grace which can be imagined why should we make it fall assoon as it is raised and make the World it self to end soon after Is it not more reasonable to conceive that God will preserve the Church in that glorious state for several ages to injoy as it were the fruit of his Labours and see the Intelligible World compleated and brought to its perfection Since the Iews the fullness of the Gentiles are to be brought in to J. Christ as all the World grants is it not reasonable that in that period of the re-union of all People that they who have been an holy People to whom we owe the Patriarchs and the sacred Oracles for observe it there is no one book of the N. Testament any more then of the Old but was made by a Iew is it not just I say that that Nation should then have the Pre-eminence above all other Nations There is then in my opinion a Kingdom of God to be expected and this Kingdom is that of the Messiah the Kingdom of the Iews The Reign of the Messiah which is not yet come for to speak properly we cannot say that Christ hath hitherto reigned upon Earth His party as yet hath been in no place or part of the World the prevailing ruling Party the wheat hath been always buried in the Tares The Kingdom of the Iews promised by the Prophets so often and in so many different manners And these two Kingdoms that of the Messiah and that of the Iews are to take place at the same time 'T is true we may compute the beginning of Christ's Kingdom from the fall of the Kingdom of Antichrist and 't is manifest that from that point God will reckon the thousand years Nevertheless the Kingdom of Christ cannnot be well said to be come till all Nations shall be converted now the Iews are not to be converted till the last of all People J. Christ hath not yet reigned upon earth in a proper sense Ioseph Mede hath a reflection thereupon which I confess I am pleased with 'T is but a Conjecture but I find it to be very well framed 'T is this that the Conversion of St. Paul a zealous and bigotted Iew in the highest degree is the Type of the future conversion of the whole Nation 1. He was a great zealot for the Law and a furious Persecutor of Christianity The Iews are also very zealous for Moses and irreconcileable enemies to Iesus Christ 2. Paul was converted not as other men The conversion of S. Pauls a type of that of the Iewish nation by the bare preaching of the Gospel and the sight of Miracles but by the glorious appearing of Christ to him from Heaven 'T is likewise very probable that the Conversion of the Iews will not be in an ordinary way as by preaching for the Hearts of that People are under an invincible obduracy So that 't is likely that Christ will convert them by some glorious and surprizing apparition and will appear clothed with those Characters the Prophets have given him that they may no longer be able to disown and refuse him 3. Those who accompanied St. Paul saw indeed the Light but Christ did not appear to them the Gentiles and Christians who shall then be may have some part in that glorious Apparition but it may be shall not see it all 4. Paul was instructed by way of inspiration in all Mysteries assoon as Iesus Christ had appear'd to him The Iews shall have their minds inlightned and the vail which is now on their hearts shall be taken away and on a sudden shall see clearly into the Oracles of their Law and Prophets 5. St. Paul was the last of the Apostles who was converted the Iews will be called the last of all People 6. Paul after Conversion was the most zealous of any the Iews when converted shall be the most affectionate and zealous of all Christians 7. St. Paul
't is not that which the H. Ghost would immediately describe because he would that we should be kept ignorant of it So that those Descriptions have an immediate relation to the flourishing State of the Church in the last Period and by analogy they may be transfer'd to the blessings of Paradise 2. Type the Rest after the Babylonish captivity The Captivity of Babylon was doubtless another Type of the Captivity of the Church under Antichrist and therefore the Papacy is called the City of Babylon and after that Captivity the People returned to their own Land and lived peaceably there So doubtless the Church being delivered from the bondage of Antichrist shall return to its rest here on Earth 3. Type the Rest after the persecution under Antiochus The Persecution of Antiochus was also a Type of the Persecution which the Church hath suffered under Antichrist Now after the three years and half of that Persecution the People of the Iews returned to the possession of their Temple and rose to a more flourishing condition than they had ever been in since their coming out of Babylon 4 Type the number seven which is so often mentioned I leave these and many other Types which may be found to insist on one which I find to be very evident and convincing 'T is that which may be found in the number of seven 'T will be granted that this is a mysterious and sacred number and that it signifies perfection 'T is on this account it is mentioned so often in the Apocalypse There are seven Churches seven Stars seven Candlesticks seven Spirits seven Lamps seven Eyes seven Horns of the Lamb seven Plagues seven Trumpets seven Thunders seven Viols So in the Books of Moses the seventh day is Holy and the seventh year was the year of Rest and the seven times seventh year was the great Jubilee The living Creatures entred into the Ark by sevens the first-born of every beast remained seven days with its Dam the male Children were to be seven days old before they were circumcised the Candlestick of the Tabernacle had seven Lamps a Woman after her uncleanness a Leper after he was cured of his leprosy were to be purified for seven days It would be too long to recite all the Examples of this nature which might be mentioned for the number seven is almost every where to be found For what reason is it so who sees not that this number signifies Completion and Perfection and of what can it signify the Perfection if not of the greatest work of God that for which all his other works were wrought that is the Church If then the 7th the be every where sacred why is not the seventh Period reckoning from the creation of the World also sacred and a Period of perfection It will be said the number seven is sacred because of the seventh day which was consecrated to the service of God but why hath God chosen the seventh day to be holy and a day of rest for man is it not plainly to signify that the seventh day or the seventh Period of the Church shall be a time of Holiness Tranquility and Peace The 7th day of the Creation a type of the seventh period of the Church The seventh day they farther tell us was consecrated to Rest and Holiness because God created the World in six days and rested on the seventh Behold now we are at the Spring Head and can rise no higher but here also we shall find an excellent Type of our seventh Period 'T is here I would ask with boldness Wherefore God created the World in six days and rested on the seventh Why did he not imploy five days eight ten or twelve in the work of Creation but precisely seven Certainly the infinite wisdom of God will not permit that he should do any thing without reason Here is this reason because he intended to hold the Church in an imperfect state for six Periods of Time labouring in that great work for which he made all others and causing it successively to pass through seven degrees We must not say that the Sabbath the seventh day on which God rested was the image of that great Rest into which the Church is to be brought after he shall have compleated it upon Earth for the seventh Period ought to bear proportion to the other six whereas Eternity hath none with Time much less with one day So that the seventh Period cannot be the Eternal Rest It must be a Time that bears proportion to the six preceding Periods As then after six days of labour God finisht his work by a day to which he affixt Holiness and Rest as its Characters there must likewise be for the Church after six days of sins and sufferings one last day that is to be distinguisht by those two Seals Peace and Holiness upon Earth Not but that the Sabbath is also a figure of the Eternal Rest but 't is because these thousand years of Peace and Holiness on Earth shall be the image of that perfect Peace and Holiness which the Church shall injoy in Heaven and so 't is a mediate Type of the Eternal Rest These thousand years I confess have no proportion with Eternity but it is not to be a Type in the duration of the Time but in respect of the state of Peace and Holiness Images of the Coelestial Peace So these thousand years may be Types of the Heavenly Glory but the seventh day could not be the immediate Type because of what was said before Because the seventh day of the Creation is a Period of the same nature with the six preceding and which by consequent ought to bear proportion to them It will be said that 'T is easy to make these suppositions hut difficult to prove them But I have a sure Method for the proof of this when the several parts of a System support one another even therein they are proved in an Hypothesis that is false there is alway some part inconsistent with it self Now I will make it evident that the seven days of the Creation do perfectly answer to the seven Periods of the Church that in every one of those days such works were wrought which were exact Emblems of the Events which have happened and of the things which were done in every Period of the Church answering to every day If I make it evident that in the six Periods of the duration of the Church which are past we have seen those things which were painted out by the six days of the Creation so that the first Period contains that which was figur'd by the work of the first day the second Period that of the second and so of the rest if I say I can do this methinks it will then be proved that what was done in the seventh day of the Creation is the image of that which shall be done in our seventh Period of the Church The parts of this System do admirably support one
Abraham it began to assume a new form she had then Sacraments and the distinction of People began By Moses the Church took another form quite different from the Preceding By Christ she became incomparably more perfect By the rise and growth of Antichrist the Church was intirely changed By Antichrist's being at the Height the Corruption was also at the Highest and at length by the fall of Antichrist she must put on another face This being supposed that the seven Periods answer to the seven days we must observe in every of those Periods such Events and such things as answer to the several works of the Creation done on every day so that what was made on the first day may resemble that which happened in the first Period of the Church and that which was done on the second day be the image of what happened in the second Period and so of the following If we find a perfect correspondence between the Copies and the Original between the Types and the things which we pretend were represented by them we shal have reason to believe that 't is some what more than a sport of wit or the effect of Fancy and Imagination which is the next thing we are to consider CHAP. XXI The Explication of the Mysteries signified by the Chaos by the Creation of Light by the separation of the Waters and by the Creation of the Plants The first days of the Creation and the three first Periods of the Church I Intend not to stay long upon what is well known and hath been said already and therefore shall speak but little of the Chaos We see plainly that this confused Mass without form and void which was properly nothing but a vast Abyss covered with darkness was the image of that sad estate to which sin had reduced the World. It was without form spoiled and defaced by sin for it had nothing at all of beauty It way confused for every thing there was in disorder that which should have been above was below God was blasphemed instead of being worshipt and self-love had placed the Creature on the Throne of God. It was empty and void for nothing that was good could be found in the World. It was covered with darkness for a stupid ignorance might be observed to reign there This was the state of the World out of which the Church was to be drawn as a new World God was doubtless the Creator of unshapen Mass and I doubt not but we have an account of its Creation in the first Verse In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth 'T is not as is commonly thought an abridgment of what is more amply and by particulars related afterwards 'T is the Creation of the Chaos called Heaven and Earth because it possessed that place which the Heaven and the Earth now do possess and because it contained the matter of them This is plain enough by the second Verse and the Earth was without form and void c. 'T is the description exactly of that Earth which he was speaking of in the first Verse Why 't is not said expresly that God created the Chaos Nevertheless though God created the Chaos 't is but implicitly said so for Moses saith not that God made the Earth without form and void Which may import that though God do govern that which we call the wicked World and that enormous Mass is not formed without his Providence nevertheless he will not be acknowledged the Author of it because he is not the Author of Evil. God appoints no certain day to this Chaos which is the Image of the corrupted World. 1. Because this Chaos hath its reign and extention during the whole six days of the spiritual Creation VVhy the Chaos hath no assigned day for 't is the perpetual fund whence God draws all the parts of the intelligible World which is his Church as the Chaos was the fund from whence by little and little God drew all the parts of the Vniverse 2. God assigns it no particular day because 't is the Empire or darkness into which the Light and the day cannot enter He produced not the Chaos by a Fiat saying let there be a Chaos as he created the Light because the Word of God doth not make the wicked World by its efficacy this World produceth it self by its own corruption Lastly he gives it not his Approbation he says not and God saw that it was good he blesseth it not as he did the works of the six days because God seeth nothing good in the carnal World instead of blessing it it is under his curse VVaters in all the Type of the Creation signify People In the mean time the Spirit of God moved upon the waters Waters in the Language of the Prophets and of the Types do signify People This we have observed before and is too well know to need to be proved This we must remember that Waters signify People in all the Type of the Creation The Spirit of God moved on the waters of the Chaos to prepare that matter to bruise and reduce it into little parts and to introduce the dispositions to receive that form which he intended to give it God intending to draw his Church out of the World and from among the Nations hath presided over them by a wise providence What is signified by the Spirits moving on the Waters If he had intirely abandon'd the World to it self after the entrance of sin it had been impossible to draw thence the intelligible World. It would have fallen into a total deprivation of Light Equity and Goodness and into that Spirit which the Scripture calls a spirit of slumber past feeling and a reprobate sense But the Spirit of God hath presided over these Waters he hath preserved and kept up in the World some fragments and remainders of Light Conviction Conscience the knowledge of God the distinction of right and wrong and the apprehension of future rewards and punishments We may see every where this motion this action of the Spirit of God on the Waters that is the People of the World even to the approach of the fourth Period which is that of our Lord Iesus Christ God was then about to give a Form to the Church to this intelligible World which properly speaking it never yet had Then he caused in the World such things as would dispose to this great work he prepared his matter by the study of Philosophy which drew men from that stupidity that before rendred them uncapable of receiving the Light of Truth He dispersed the Iews who carried every where the knowledge of the true God and made an infinite number of Proselites He caused the Bible to be turned into the Greek Tongue which then spread and prevailed in the World and guided the Heathen insensibly to a dislike of their Idols and their Religion This is the Mystery of the Chaos The Mysteries of â—he first day of the Creation In
superior Waters which were the family of the Patriarchs were nothing in comparison with the rest of mankind And hereby we have the reason why in that great work of the Creation God would make so much account of so small a matter as the Clouds are in nature even to assign a perticular day for their creation 'T is because they were the Image of the families of the Patriarchs who were very inconsiderable for their number but yet were to make so great a figure in the History of the Church 6. The superior Waters were little or nothing as to their extension but had this advantage above the waters which were beneath that they were near Heaven so the families of the Patriarchs little in number had this advantage to be admitted to secret and special communion with God. He conversed with the Patriarchs as a man with his intimate friend 7. The Clouds are lifted up to so high a place by the rays of the Sun and the attraction of Heaven the families of the Patriarchs were advanc't to that glory of being distinguisht from all others by the mercy of God. 8. The Clouds are the fruitfull springs whence proceed the rain the fruitfullness and blessing of the Earth God would make the Patriarchs the springs of blessing to the Church In thy seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed Therefore the Iews did always in their prayers make mention of the Covenant made with Abraham Isaac and Iacob 9. God put the Firmament or Expansum between the upper and lower Waters 't is that large vacuity of Misery and sin which separates the World from the Church 10. From the Clouds 't is easy to fall into the lower Waters but the Waters which are beneath rise with difficulty to the Clouds The fall is easy from the Church to the world and sin but 't is difficult to pass from the world to the Church In the third day was made a perfect separation of the waters i. e. that work of the separation of the Waters was finisht and this is the reason why God blessed not the work of the second day We must not look for a Mystery in that or imagine that on that account the waters must needs signify sin God blessed not the work which he had not yet finisht We find no Benediction in the second day but to make amends we meet with two in the third for those words and God saw that it was good are repeated twice 't is because in that third day we find two works the compleating the separation of the waters is one and the Creation of Plants another and God said Let the waters that be under the Heavens be gathered together into one place and let the dry Land appear 'T is an image of a perfect separation of People into one place i. e. into the World which is a great and vast abyss full of darkness and impurity into that I say let the Waters run there let the reprobate People gather together 2. And let the dry Land appear the holy People who till now had appeared mixt with the men of the World let them appear seperate from all other People 3. The World is represented by the Sea the Church by the Earth and dry Land so since that time in the stile of the Prophets and of Preachers the Sea hath always been an image of the World. The Ark of Noah which floated on the waters of the Deluge is the Emblem of the Church beaten by the waters of this world Jesus Christ sleeping in the Ship which was tost by a Tempest is the Image of the Church where Christ seems to be asleep while she is beaten and afflicted by the World. 4. The Sea is the habitation of Monsters the world is the residence of the wicked where we may see Monsters of covetousness of Ambition of Impurity and violence The greatest Animals upon Earth are not to be compared with those which live in the waters There are disorders to be found in the Church 't is true but they are nothing in comparison with those which are in the world 5. The face of the Waters is barren and produceth nothing whereas the superficies of the Earth is fruitfull The World doth inwardly nourish Monsters and in its outside produceth no solid good or true vertue 6. The Earth is the Synagogue of the ancient Church she is incompast with waters on all sides the People and Nations of the World. 7. She is continually afflicted by them and if we regard the violence of the waves one would think she should be overwhelmed 8. Nevertheless she stands her ground and remains victorious 9. The waters of the Sea have no setled foundation they are always in motion but the Earth is fixt the People of the world are unstable always changing The Church is a Land that hath its roots in the foundation of the world in God's eternal decrees 10. The Sea makes a frightfull object especially in a Tempest but the Earth presents our eyes with an agreeable diversity of Mountains and Hills of Trees and Flowers of Fruits and Blossoms The world is a deformed spectacle by reason of its disorders and uniformity of its faults But the Church shows us an agreeable diversity of gifts greater and less of vertues of good works of good Fruits for the Plants and Fruits are to the Earth that which vertues and good works are to the Church The Plants have their roots in the bowels of the Earth they appear on the outside of it they serve for ornament and use and need the kind influences of Heaven to make them grow All this agrees well to the vertues and good works of the Church God said Let the Earth bring forth Grass as if the Earth produced Plants by its own vertues 't is because he will have us act as if our vertues proceeded from our selves as if we were the Authors of 'em that he might thence take occasion to reward us for ' em But among the Plants of the Earth which are thus good usefull there are some hurtfull ones some poisons among the good Fruits of the Church there are some wicked works 12. Lastly the nearer any Land is to the Sun the better its Fruits the nearer any Church to God the Sun of Righteousness the better its works CHAP. XXII Explication of the Mysteries of the four last days of the Creation THe fourth day answers to the fourth Period of the Church 1. In this fourth day God created the Sun the Moon and the Stars 'T is easy to take notice therein of Christ the Sun of Righteousness of the Church who derives all her Light from the Sun and the of Teachers of the Christian Church which are as the Stars of the Intelligible World. This alone should open all mens eyes and make it evident that we ought to search after the Church throughout the whole work of Creation for this is the Key of the whole Mystery This fourth Period is from Iesus
Christ unto the birth of Antichrist i. e. till the middle of the fifth Century In this Period we have the Sun of Righteousness so Jesus Christ is called by the Prophets and Evangelists John c. 1. The Light which inlightens every man that comes into the world So by the Apostles The Father of Lights in whom is no shadow of change James 1. i. e. a Sun that hath no Tropicks The Parrallel of the Moon with the Church The Parrallel between Iesus Christ and the Sun is too manifest and easy to make to be long insisted on I will rather speak somewhat of the Moon which is an admirable Emblem of the Church 1. The Moon hath all her Light from the Sun The Church hath all her Beauty Holiness Vertue and Glory from I. Christ 2. The Moon retains some spots and those considerable ones in her borrowed Light the Church hath many great and plain defects in her vertues 3. The Moon hath no fixed Light she often changeth and is sometimes more and sometimes less inlightned The Church remains not long in one state she is always rising or falling she looseth some of her Light and then receiveth more she defiles herself and then is cleansed and hath Periods almost as regular as those of the Moon 4. The Moon besides her constant and periodical decrease suffers Ecclipses and sometimes total ones The Church besides her ordinary declensions is sometimes so Ecclipst as not to appear which is more or less according to the inundations of Herely or the corruption of manners 5. 'T is not the fault of the Sun but of the Moon it self that these Ecclipses happen she plungeth herself in the shadow of the Earth and so deprives herself of the Sun. The Ecclipses of the Church by the loss of Truth or vertue happen in like manner because she falls into sin and falshood which is shadow and darkness the product of Earth and Hell. Your sins have separated between God and you 6. When the Moon is Ecclipst she becomes black and puts on a frightfull Aspect when the Church suffers herself to lose the Light of the Sun her visage becomes deformed by her disorders and crimes Why doth not the Church appear but in this fourth Period since she was created from the beginning of the World so the Moon which was a figure of the Church should have been created on the first day I answer that the Church may also be found in the three preceding Periods but in the first and second day 't is a Land covered with waters The Church is mixt and confounded with the People of the World and even covered and hidden among 'em In the third she appears as a dry Land that is visible but as yet it is but Earth producing Plants and Fruits In our fourth Period she is advanc't from the quality of Earth to the dignity of the Stars she becomes a Moon a luminous body which may be seen afar off which spreads its rays throughout all the world Stars of six magnitudes images of the six orders of Teachers In the fourth day there were also Stars which are of six different magnitudes from the first to the sixth In our fourth Period we have several Teachers as shining Stars but they lessen by degrees The Apostles are the Stars of the first magnitude Apostolick Persons were Stars of the second magnitude their Disciples who lived in the second Century were Stars of the third the Doctors of the Church in the third Century were Stars of the fourth magnitude Those of the fourth Century were of the fifth magnitude Lastly in the fifth Century when the good days of the Church ended there were more Teachers more Stars in number but they were but of the sixth magnitude their Light began to be obscured by mixing with the darkness of Superstition and Heresy After them in the following Ages we see no Stars but under a Cloud the witnesses covered with sackcloth Christians concealed and hidden among the multitude of those who were sunk into error and Idolatry In this Period there is also another sort of Stars viz. Confessors and Martyrs who shined as Stars of the first magnitude and the common sort of the Faithful who are truly Stars though but of the sixth magnitude Lastly in the fourth Period we find Planets wandring Stars Apostates Iudas's and such as Hymenaeus and Philetus who concerning the Faith made shipwrack Mysteries of the 5th day We proceed to the fifth day of the Creation The fifth Period is that from the rise of Antichrist to his Completion from the fifth Century to the eleventh In the fifth day God said Let the waters bring forth Fishes abundantly or moving Creatures which have life and Fowl that may flie above the Earth in the open firmament of Heaven Behold two sorts of Creatures Birds and Fishes and they are to be Emblems of men who should rule in the fifth Period of the Church It may be the name of Bird may prove a good Omen to some one would think we should find something of good there because Birds are a kind of Coelestial Creatures but we must remember that in the two following Periods we shall meet with nothing that is good because they belong to Antichrist If there be any thing good in these two Periods 't is the remnant of the fourth for all is evil that belongs to their perticular Character So that by Birds we understand men of rash and daring spirits who would pierce beyond the Clouds attempting to reach unto God himself and have done violence to his Holy Mysteries by their bold Inquiries Such was Arrius who would dive into the mystery of the Eternal generation of the Son and was there stumbled Such was Macedonius who would fathom the Mysteries of the Procession of the Holy Spirit and not being able to effect it made him a Creature as Arius did the Son. Such was Eutyches who not being able to fathom the Mysteries of the union of the two natures in Christ did confound them Such was Nestorius who lost himself in searching into the manner of the Vnion of the humane Nature with the Divine Person and so establisht two Persons in Christ and I know not how many more such Birds there were men of bold and daring spirits who did great mischief to the Church We need but consult History to be informed 'T is true among those Birds there were some whose flight was happy enough The fourth and fifth Centuries produced some Eminent Doctors in comparison of the preceding The first Doctors of the Christian Church after the Apostles were but poor Divines they could flye but a little way There is more Divinity in one piece of St. Austin then in all the three first Centuries Origen excepted who was the Eagle of his Age. But those Birds who made some happy flights were yet guilty of great faults and often lost themselves by endeavouring to go too far The Fish of the fifth day are Antichrist
In the sixth Period near the end whereof we now are God will compleat his Church by the ruin of Antichrist and bring the Kingdom of Christ upon Earth to its perfection This should be well remembred that the Church in the Type of the Creation appears under four Emblems 1. As the Earth buried and covered under waters 2. As a dry Land above the waters and bearing fruit 3. As a Moon inlightened by the Sun. 4. And lastly as the Woman And our Lord Jesus appears there under three Emblems 1. As the Light of the first day without or before the Sun. 2. As the Sun. 3. Under the Emblem of the Man. The Church in her first state before the Law was as the Earth under water she was obscure and as it were buried among the Nations In her second state under the Law she was as a discovered Land distinguisht and known and bearing fruit but yet she was but Earth i. e. not very considerable In her third state under the Gospel she appears as a Moon a rival of the Sun imitating his Light and therein she is more glorious than the Earth This is the Apostolical Church so glorious and full of knowledge In the fourth state she appears as the woman taken out of the side of Adam closely united with him being one Body and one Flesh 'T is in the last Period that she shall be more united to Christ than before In the fourth Period she is as the Moon and notwithstanding the nearest approaches of the Sun there remain vast distances between them But towards the end of the sixth Period and throughout the seventh her union unto Christ shall be immediate and intimate as that of a Wife with her Husband therefore the Church in this seventh Period is represented as a Spouse which was to be brought to the Lamb. On the other hand Jesus Christ appears under three Emblems In the fourth Period as a Sun which scatters the darkness of Idolatry Paganism and Ignorance that covered the face of the Earth This Sun is plac't in the fourth point just in the middle of the seven to let us know that he is the Center of the Church the Sun which gives light before and behind to the preceding Ages and to those which follow him Towards the end of the sixth Period and throughout the seventh he is A man to whom God gives dominion over the Fowls of the Air the Fish of the Sea and creeping things and four-footed Beasts i. e. That Christ in this last Period shall be Lord and King who shall rule over the Birds tame the boldest and most aspiring spirits who mount even unto the Heavens he shall humble them and keep 'em within the bounds of their duty over the Fish of the Sea to deliver'em from their corruption over Creeping things to destroy the influence of their poison over wild Beasts to tame their fierceness and render them meek as Lambs In the first day Jesus Christ was figured but by a dim Light because in the first Period of the Church he vouchsaf't her but a very imperfect knowledge of himself This methinks is the Mystery of the six days which way well serve as a favourable omen in reference to the seventh day The mystery of the seventh day of the Creation because every thing therein seems to accord well what then is wanting to the World after the works of the six daye to render it perfect Holiness and Rest and these are the two Things which God added on the seventh day Holiness for he Sanctified the seventh day and thereby the rest of the World. Rest for till then God had been at work and the World in Motion Now God gave the World that Rest which it wanted in that he himself rested on the seventh day All this is an admirable Emblem of our seventh Period for the sake whereof all this explication of the Type of the Worlds Creation hath been given During the six days God made the Church to pass through several changes he will bring it to perfection at the end of the sixth by the ruin of the Antichristian Kingdom and by the Conversion of all Nations What then is wanting to it Rest and Holiness Rest for hitherto she hath always been in toyl and Travel Holiness for she hath alway been imperfect We must therefore look for a seventh Period which shall be a Kingdom of Rest and Holiness wherein the Church shall no more be persecuted either by Fire and Sword or by Heresy and Idolatry wherein also there shall be a plentiful effusion of the H. Spirit to produce a great degree of Holiness and Sanctification among men This mystery shall be accomplisht upon Earth We must not say that the accomplishment of this Type will be found in Heaven where is Rest and Holiness and that therein is the mystery of the seventh day I say again that cannot be meant because this seventh Period must be of the same kind and order with the other six We even now observed that the Sun was created on the fourth day there are three days before and three after exactly in the middle of the seven to signify that Christ the Son of Righteousness is the Center of the intelligible World. If he be the Center of the seven Periods he must certainly have an equal reference to all the points of that Circumference Now what relation can he have to the seventh day if Eternity be meant by it In that Eternal abode Christ shall have no more the relation of a Center a Sun and a King. For St. Paul tells us that then God shall be all in all and Christ shall deliver up the Kingdom again to his Father Moreover 't is certain there ought to be a proportion between the seventh Period and the six fore-going ones Now there is none between Eternity and the duration of the Church upon Earth And lastly I am bold to say that the ancient Types were not establisht by God immediately to figure Heavenly Things but only the Graces and Favors of God in this World under the Kingdom of the Messiah You cannot show me any one of the ancient Types which hath an immediate relation to the glories of the Heavenly Paradise The marriage of Adam and Eve was the immediate Type of the Vnion between Christ and his Church in the Kingdom of his Grace It did only mediately typify their Vnion in the Kingdom of Glory By consequence this seventh day which all acknowledge to be Typical must have its immediate relation not to the Sabbath of the Church in Heaven but to its State of Rest upon Earth CHAP. XXIII A farther Confirmation of the future prosperity of the Church upon Earth The 21 and 22. Chap. of the Apocalypse interpreted that in those Chapters the Church is described as victorious upon Earth and not as Triumphant in Heaven WE may not pass from the Apocalyps without saying somewhat concerning the last Chapters If we needed another Head of Arguments to
On the East three Gates on the North three Gates on the South three Gates and on the West three Gates In the description of this City we have every thing that is rich and precious all signifies its great Holiness excellent Vertues and perfect Peace for they are the substantial Goods and real Treasures of the Church It had a great high Wall by that is meant Divine Protection which shows also that 't is the Church upon Earth which is spoken of for the Church in Heaven hath no need of walls being out of the reach of Enemies And had twelve Gates We have observed before that the number Twelve is frequently to be met with in this description and that it is a sacred number because of the twelve Patriarchs the twelve Tribes and the twelve Apostles the Gates are the entries into this City and so denote the recalling of the Iews according to their twelve Tribes from that great dispersion they are now under The recalling of the Jews foretold That these twelve Gates have a particular relation to the People of the Iews is plain by what follows That on the twelve Gates were written the names of the twelve Tribes of Israel For by those Tribes of Israel we may not understand the Church of the converted Gentiles they have a distinct place in what remains of the description of the new Ierusalem So the twelve Gates at the four Cardinal points of the World East North South West are to the same effect as what God had said in another place I will call my Sons from far and my Daughters from the ends of the Earth I will say unto the North give up and to the South keep not back At every one of those twelve Gates are twelve Angels These are the twelve Apostles called Angels or Pastors who whether they shall be raised from the dead or no shall by their preaching and Doctrine guide the Iews to enter again into the Church and open the gate unto them For they are here described as Keepers of the Gates who both open and shut them V. 14. And the Wall of the City had twelve Foundations and in them the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. The protection safety and the Wall of the Church depends on the foundations whereon she shall be built Those foundations are Articles of Faith and Christian Verities according to the Idea of St. Paul who saith there is but one Foundation which is Jesus Christ but on this foundation some build Hay and Stubble but others Gold and precious Stones â— Cor. 3. These precious Stones and this Gold signify Pure Doctrine as the Apostle doth sufficiently explain it These are the foundations of the Church which is built upon Truth The Prophet gives twelve for the number of these foundations because of the twelve Articles of Faith contained in the Creed on these foundations were written the names of the twelve Apostles because they were the persons who publisht the Gospel and maintained those Articles of faith by their preaching and by their blood The Holy Ghost in what follows describes these foundations and assigns a precious Stone to each of ' em V. 19. And the foundations of the Wall of the City were garnished with all manner of precious Stones the first foundation was Iasper the second Saphire the third a Chalcedony the fourth and Emerald V. 20. The fifth a Sardonyx the sixth Sardius the seventh Chrysolite the eighth Beryl the ninth a Topaz the tenth a Chrysoprasus the eleventh a Iacinth the twelfth an Amethist If we had leasure and time to spare we might compare the twelve Articles of the Christian Creed to those twelve Stones and see wherein every Article of Faith might symbolize with every Stone Supposing that the Holy Spirit had regard to the order in which the Church hath plac't the twelve Articles But I fear lest we should herein go beyond the intention of the Holy Ghost and deliver things rather curious than solid for the true design and scope of Figures and Mysteries is lost by stretching them too far I suppose the design of the Holy Spirit is only to show us in general how valuable and precious are the Christian Verities They who let go those Truths unto Hereticks and reckon the Secinian Heresies to be tolerable are far from esteeming them thus precious and do not sufficiently understand the worth and excellence of Truth I now return-to the description of the Heavenly Ierusalem i. e. of the Church in its last Period here on Earth V. 15. And he that talked with me had a golden Reed to measure the City and the Gates thereof and the Wall thereof V. 16. And the City lyeth foursquare and the length is as large as the breadth and he measured the City with a Reed twelve thousand furlongs the length and the breadth and the height of it are equal V. 17. And he measured the Wall thereof 144 cubits according to the measure of a man that is of the Angel. V. 18. And the building of the Wall of it was of Iasper and the City was pure Gold like unto clear Glass What it is to measure in a prophetical sense To measure is to make account of to esteem to reckon among things that are considerable Wherefore in the eleventh Chapt. St. Iohn was ordered to measure only the Temple and the Altar and those who worshipped there Not to value or make account of any but true Believers But for the outer Court it was said unto him Measure it not I have left it unto the Gentiles As to the outward part of the Church make no account of it for the Paganism of Antichrist and Popery shall be there establisht and shall reign for the space of 42. Prophetic moneths i. e. 1260 years Here the H. Spirit measures the Holy Ierusalem throughout not only the Temple and the Altar but the Court that was before abandon'd to the New Pagans and not only the Court but the whole City to measure the City the Gates thereof and the wall thereof 'T is to signifie that in this last Christian Church of the last Period every thing therin shall be Great and Good worthy to be esteemed and measured and reckon'd as things of value and consideration Men do not measure waste and barren Heaths sands and rubbish 't is not worth the while but Palaces and fruitfull grounds vineyards and orchards and the buildings of a City This is the mystery of the measure But observe the difference between the Circumstances of the first measure in the 11th Chap. and those of this second here besides those we have already taken notice of 1. That the first measure reacheth only to the Court and the Altar that was the Christian Church for the 3 first ages as hath been said but here the measure extends to All and even to the City which denotes the Primitive Christian Church to be very inconsiderable compared with the Church of this last Period 2.
be content with what is necessary so that they to whom God shall have given plenty of wealth shall make no difficulty therewith to supply the necessities of the Indigent A community of Goods shall then take place like that which was seen in the first years of the Church at Jerusalem Not that Men shall lose their property in the Goods they have but every one shall dispense largely to such as need As they who gathered more Manna than the rest and nothing over and those who gathered less had no want That which thus happened in the Wilderness was not only an Emblem but a true Type of what shall be in this last Period of the Church They who have more than others in regard of possession shall have no more than others in respect of Vse 8 Character Uniformity in worship Religion 8. The face of the Church as to the external part of it shall be uniform in its worship in its Government and Ceremonies For that diversity and mixture of colours which is at present proceeds not from the Spirit of God. This uniformity it may be shall not be such as to remove every little difference but there shall be none left that is essential none that may be called evil all that which savors of Pride and Tyranny shall be banisht from the Government of the Church and that which serves only for Pomp shall not be admitted into its Ceremonies Thus much for the certain Characters 1. Doubtfull Character Christ shall descend from Heaven 1. The doubtful Characters are First The Descent of Christ into this World to reign visibly here The Prophecies of Saints Iohn and of Daniel seem to import thus much The latter saith that the Son of man i. e. Jesus Christ came to the ancient of days and that Dominion and a Kingdom was given him And St. Iohn saith that the Saints shall reign with Christ a thousand years I would not be too confident that this ought to be understood of a visible descent and abode of Christ upon Earth yea I do not believe it probable But to me it seems very Evident that this Reign shall begin with some miraculous appearance of our Lord in his Glory After which he shall go back to Heaven and from thence govern this victorious Church Mr. I. Mede and others after him would make this reign of Christ for a thousand years to be the Day of Iudgement and that within this time shall be the Resurrection of the dead Others say that the Resurrection and last Iudgement shall be before this Reign of Christ but I dare not determine that 2. Doubtfull Character whether all earthly Powers shall be abolisht Dan. 7.11 12. 2. It is likewise dubious whether all the Powers of the World must then be abolisht Which those words of Daniel seem to signify The Beast was slain and his Body destroyed and given to the burning flame Concerning the rest of the Beasts they had their Dominion taken away yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a Time. Beasts do certainly denote States and Empires so that it seems as if all Soveraign Power i. e. Monarchical should be taken away and that Christ alone should rule by his Vicegerents I leave this undesided But to me it seems probable that the government of the World shall assume the ancient form of the Commonwealth of Israel That it shall be a Theocrasy that God will establish Iudges and Governours by a a perticular instinct of the People and their guides that he will instruct them in his will by inspired Persons whose orders shall be punctually followed 3. Doubtfull Character whether the Martyrs shall be raised Rev. 20.4 3. 'T is also uncertain whether the Martyrs shall rise to be the Administrators of this Kingdom 'T is true St. Iohn seems to say so in express words the Souls of those who were beheaded for the Testimony of Iesus c. shall live and reign with Christ a thousand years Though I have some difficulty to be of that opinion yet I know not what to answer to that Text for if it intend only the deliverance of the Church in general under the Emblem of a Resurrection what need was there to mention only the Martyrs It is said that the discourse is not of Bodies but of Souls and that the original word doth not signify to rise again but only to live and the Souls of those who were beheaded shall live But first 't is well known that Souls dye not and consequently cannot be said to rise but as they reassume their Bodies 2. The learned know also that the Soul is often put for the whole person especially when the resurrection is spoken of witness that passage Thou wilt not leave my Soul in the Grave Lastly I am not subtile enough to discern the difference between living again and rising I always thought they were two words of the same import And I think it were easy to prove that those who have been beheaded cannot live again but by a Resurrection 'T is true in the fourth Verse 't is only said they shall live but 't is plain by the fifth Verse that to live and to live again in the Text are the same thing For 't is added that the Rest of the dead should not live again till the thousand years were accomplisht The other dead men spoken of v. 4. must then live again at the beginning of the thousand years Farther without this I know not what our Lord Jesus Christ would say to his Apostles in those words Verily I say unto you that you who have followed me in the regeneration Matth. 19.28 when the Son of man is sat on the Throne of his Glory you shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel What ever sense is given to these words I cannot find any thing that gives me satisfaction Should it be understood of the last Iudgement to the same effect as St. Paul speaks We shall judge the World and we shall judge the Angels that seems to be but a small matter that deserved not to be so solemnly ushered in with a verily I say unto you For after all 't is but in a figurative sense that we shall then judge the World by approving the sentence of Christ who alone shall be the Iudge Moreover I know not why our Lord should restrain that judgement to the twelve Tribes of Israel judging the twelve Tribes of Israel for the Saints as the words are taken shall judge the whole World even the wicked too Wherefore it cannot be said that the Church is to be understood by the twelve Tribes of Israel Once more the Saints shall judge the World more than they shall the Church for besides their approbation of the sentence given against the World they shall bear witness against them which they shall not do in reference to the Church I do not find much more reason for another sense of this Text which some
17. nor with Babylon chap. 18. The Fathers who lived near the Apostles time it may be heard some discourse of this and that probably gave occasion to the mistake This is the most that can be said with any pretence of reason to excuse St. Irenaeus and those of the Ancients who followed him in the description of Antichrist Gog and Magog are names borrowed from Ezekiel which in my opinion do not signify the same People in both places Here it denotes in general the Enemies of the Church Nevertheless I know nothing concerning it with any great certainty CHAP. XXV An Answer to the reasons of the Anti-millinaries against the Reign of a thousand years ACcording to the Method of a Regular Disputation I come now to answer the Reasons of the Anti-millinaries But most of them are so weak that they hardly deserve to be considered but that the mention of 'em will serve as a further proof to confirm the truth of our seventh Period For 't is a very good Argument for any opinion to be supported on the one hand by powerfull and weighty Reasons and to be opposed on the other by weak and slender ones Those Gentlemen have the plurality of voices on their side and are doubtless men of worth and learning 'T is nevertheless true that they have suffered themselves to be born down with the stream without much minding it First Objection Christ not to come but at the day of jugdment 1. First they say that the Scripture speaking of Christ's second coming never speaks of any other than that when he shall appear in the Clouds of Heaven attended with Angels and Archangels to raise mankind and judge the quick and dead Whereas we suppose a kind of a clandestine coming of Christ to settle a Kingdom upon Earth which the Scripture knows nothing of for it speaks of no future Kingdom of Christ that is yet to be save that which he shall have in Heaven after the distribution of Eternal Rewards and Punishments I answer 1. These men suppose by this Argument a Kingdom of Christ in Heaven after the last judgement but there is no such Kingdom neither shall there ever be any on the contrary St. Paul doth expresly tell us that he shall then cease to reign and give up the Kingdom into the hands of his Father 1 Cor. 17. So that since we are assured from Scripture of Christs coming to reign it must be before the end of the World for the Kingdom of Christ the Mediator shall then be finisht 2. 'T is supposed in this objection that the Scripture speaks of no more than one coming of Christ which shall be accompanied with the voice of the Arch-angel to summon the Dead to judgement This is plainly to suppose the thing in Question and those who have read the fore-going Chapters with attention and without prejudice will still believe that there is a first coming of Christ and it may be a first Resurrection 3. Lastly who can be certain that this coming of Christ to establish his Kingdom upon Earth shall not be in that manner with the voice of an Arch-angel and in great magnificence and Glory Who can prove that at that first coming of Christ he shall not raise some of the dead as St. Iohn seems expresly to have fore-told all the little reasons pretended from Conveniency and Inconveniency which are here alledged will have much ado to resist the evidence of so express a Text and of that Matth. 19. Verily I say unto you that in the Regeneration when the Son of man shall be sat on the Throne of his Glory you shall also sit on twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel 2. Object Christ is to remain in Heaven till the end of the world 2. The next thing alledged is that the Heavens are to contain Jesus Christ till the restitution of all things The restitution of all things that they say is the End of the World and so Jesus Christ must be confined to Heaven till the end of the world and consequently shall not come to settle a Kingdom upon Earth for a thousand years If this were true that Christ must stay in Heaven till the end of the World might he not destroy his Enemies give Peace to his Church and govern it in Peace by his Prophets and Servants without coming in Person from Heaven Moreover in case our Lord should for a short space come down from Heaven to establish a Kingdom for a thousand years and to give his seal to the Conversion of all Nations by some glorious Apparition returning back to Heaven immediately after might it not be said notwithstanding this that the Heavens shall contain him till the end of Time So small an interruption of his abode in Heaven could not hinder but that the heavens may still be reckon'd the place of his abode Lastly how will they prove that by the Restitution of all Things the end of the World is to be understood on the contrary that end is represented as the Overturning and not the Restitution of all things The Heavens the Stars the Elements shall be burnt up and destroyed by fire 'T is true after this there shall be new Heavens and a new Earth but the Scripture doth more frequently describe the end of the world by an universal confusion and Overturning than by the new Heavens which shall follow And the new Heavens in most places of Scripture signify the Renovation of the Church in its last Period of a thousand years So that I hardly make any doubt but that by the Restitution of all things Chap. 8. Acts we are to understand the Establishment of the Church before the end of the World. 3. Argum. Peace and Prosperity are not to be the Lot of the Church 3. The third Argument of the Anti-millenaries is this that such a state of Peace and tranquillity as we promise to the Church doth not at all agree with what the H. Scripture speaks of the Persecution and afflictions that the Church and the Faithfull are always to meet with in this World. 1. Ought not this to be mutually granted that the whole is to be denominated from the major part for six thousand years the Church was to be persecuted and in a low Condition and in a seventh Period she shall have Rest And shall we count it strange that the Holy Ghost doth for the most part speaking of the state of the Church here below as a low and miserable condition and that he saith very little of her state of Glory since the difference between the first and second state is as six to one 2. I answer that they suppose that which is not true viz. that the Scripture speaks of the Church as being alway in a state of suffering On the contrary more places can be brought wherein her Prosperity and Peace are promised than of those where she is threatned with calamity and persecution We may see the truth of this