both in respect of the seven hills upon which Rome stood and was built and also in respect of the seven Supreme Governments of Kings Consuls Dictators Emperors c. by which that City and the Roman Polity have been governed and which resided there as their great Metropolis yet it is plain to me that by this Beast is for the most part or altogether meant the Popedom and Romish Church since it became an Idolatrous and Persecuting Church And when the Popedom and Church of Rome hath stood 666 years from its first assuming the Nature and Disposition of a Beast of Prey when 666 years are compleated from the time that it first put the true and faithful Servants of God to death in a notorious and remarkable manner then shall the Popedom and Romish Church be destroyed in a most dreadful manner and then shall the third and last Woe be executed upon it And these 666 years do begin as I conceive about the time of the Waldenses and Albigenses and about the year of our Lord 1160. What was done before that time may be looked upon as done in the Minority of the Beast before he came to his full growth and not to be reckoned of but about that time he became of a full Stature and Strength and in a bloody and remarkable manner did destroy the Sheep and Church of Christ and thousands lost their Lives and perished by him And about that time and about the year 1160 do these 666 years begin And when they shall be ended this third Woe cometh which may be said to come quickly in respect of this far longer distance of time that hath been between the first Woe and this second Woe 15. 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 The seventh and last of these Trumpet-Angels here soundeth to Usher in the seventh and last Scene of Affairs of the Church as they are divided under these seven Trumpet-Angels For after the time of this seventh Trumpet-Angel is expired an End is to be put to this World and there is to be time no more as the Angel sware Rev. 10.5 And the Angel lifted up his hand to heaven and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever That there should be time no longer But in the days of the voice of the seventh Angel when he should sound even the Mystery of God should be finished as he hath declared to his Servants the Prophets In the end of the days of the voice of the seventh Angel the Mystery of God is to be finished and this World then is like to be at an End In this Sacred and Mysterious Book of the Revelation there seem to me to be three Septenaries or distinct Sets and Orders of Prophecies The first is of seven Churches the second of seven Seals and the third of seven Angels sounding with their Trumpets And in the times of the three last of these Trumpet-Angels were to be three grand Woes as the Angel declared Rev. 8.13 And I beheld saith St. John and heard an Angel flying thorow the midst of Heaven and saying with a loud voice Woe Woe Woe to the Inhabitants of the earth by reason of the other voices of the Trumpet of the three Angels which are yet to sound The first of these Woe 's was in the time of the fifth Trumpet-Angel and is now long since past the second which is to be in the time of the sixth Trumpet Angel is now at hand and the third is to fall under the time of the seventh and last Trumpet-Angel and will be fulfilled hereafter as I said before And the time of the seventh Trumpet-Angel doth begin presently after this second dreadful Woe shall be executed And upon his sounding there were great voices and acclamations in Heaven as it was represented to St. John in this Vision declaring that the Kingdoms of this World that is a considerable part of them were become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and hereby shewing that they will then be so indeed and will then become Protestant Kingdoms and sincere Professors of the pure Word of God and live and act according to the blessed Precepts and Commands of the Gospel of Christ And then he shall Reign over them to the World's end and be owned by them for their Lord and Master and his Sacred Laws shall then stand valid and in force with them and neither the Pope of Rome nor any other such cruel and sinful Lord shall any more in such a manner Tyrannize and Domineer over them and Persecute them and drive them to Idolatry or any other notorious violation of the Sacred Word of God 16. And the four and twenty Elders which sat before God on their seats fell upon their faces and worshipped God Upon this wonderful Work that Almighty God had wrought here upon earth for his Church and faithful Servants the Elders of the Court of Heaven were represented to St. John as falling upon their Faces before God and worshipping of him in this profound manner and hereby shewing that the Church then ought and will magnify him in an exceeding high manner For these Elders seem to allude to the Jewish Sanhedrim and great Council and are the Representatives of the Christian Church as we may see Rev. 5.9 10. where they say of the Lamb For thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation And hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall Reign on the Earth By declaring that they were redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and that they should Reign on the Earth they shew that they are the Representatives of the Christian Church 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 And here is their Song of Thanksgiving and ascribing of Glory to Almighty God who was from all Eternity and endureth to all Eternity upon the account of what he had done for his Church and Servants because in the Day of Anguish and Distress he had in such a wonderful manner stretched out his Omnipotent Arm and rescued them from the very Jaws of Death and Pit of Destruction and given such a Proof of his irresistible Power 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 shouldest give reward unto thy Servants the Prophets and to the Saints and them that fear thy Name small and great and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth This is a Narration of the Elders shewing their high Approbation of what God had righteously done Declaring that the Popish Nations were angry and enraged against the Protestant Church and true Servants
the Popish Religion as they call them but are in truth the deep Mysteries of Satan I will put upon you none other burden but that which you have already hold fast till I come That is persist on in your reformed Religion till I come to give you freedom from your Popish Persecutions c. And here our Saviour doth threaten this Jezebel that is the Papacy and Church of Rome ver 22 23. saying Behold I will cast her into a bed and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation except they repent of their deeds And I will kill her Children with death And what our Saviour here threatneth I conceive had its completion towards the latter end of this Thyatirian Interval in the Plagues and Wars and other Calamities that were then inflicted upon the Popedom from about the year 1500 till 1558 the Pope himself being then taken prisoner by the Emperor Charles Vth. and Rome being taken and sacked c. And here also our Saviour doth promise to give power over the Nations to him that overcometh and keepeth his works unto the end v. 26. And seeing this Power over the Nations was granted to the Protestants in these Kingdoms when Queen Elizabeth came to the Throne therefore with respect to these Kingdoms of England and Ireland I shall set the period of this Thyatirian Church at that time when Queen Elizabeth came to the Throne and at the year of our Lord 1558. The Epistle to the Church in Sardis Rev. 3 1-6 seems to be directed to the Protestant Church some considerable time before this Second Woe that is now at hand For here our Saviour admonisheth the Protestants to remember how they have received and heard concerning their Predecessors and the Reformation and to hold fast the Protestant Religion according to the blessed Word of God and not to return to the Popish Religion again And also he exhorts them to repent and mend their lives and not only to bear the dead name of life but to take care that the Spiritual Life may be quick and vigorous in them and exert and shew it self in all the vital operations thereof in all kinds of Piety and Goodness And if they will not be admonished to repent and take more care he tells them plainly That he will come in judgment upon them as a Thief and that they shall not know at what hour he will come and be sensible of his coming ver 3. And seeing this is a prophetick Epistle of our blessed Saviour directed to the Protestant Church some time before now therefore it is that I desire that all the Bishops and Pastors of the Protestant Church would carefully read it over and lay it to heart and look upon it as directed to themselves as I have said before And when this second Woe shall be past and the sinfuller part of the Church cut off and when the Protestant Religion shall be set up again after Popery hath prevailed over the Protestant Church three years and an half then I conceive the Sardian Church will end and that of Philadelphia will begin The Epistle to the Church in Philadelphia Rev. 3 7-13 seems to be directed to the Christian Church between this second Woe which is now at hand and the third Woe which is like to fall upon the Popish Church about the year 1826. That this Epistle is directed to the Christian Church before the Destruction of the Popedom and Popish Church seems plain by ver 9 where our Lord saith Behold I will make them of the Synagogue of Satan that is of the Popish Church which say they are Jews and are not but do lye that is which pretend to be Christians but in truth and reality are not but are lying deceivers behold I will make them to come and worship before thy feet and to know that I have loved thee That is as I understand it I will make them to stand in fear and awe of thee and in a submissive manner to crave thy favour and to know and be sensible that thou art protected by an extraordinary and peculiar hand of Providence And here our Saviour doth advertise his Church and Servants of the third dreadful Woe and for their great Patience doth promise to protect and keep them if they stick close to him then when all the World about them is like to be up in Arms ver 10 11. Because thou hast kept the Word of my Patience I also will keep thee from the hour of Temptation which shall come upon all the World to try them that dwell upon the earth Behold I come quickly hold that fast which thou hast that no man take thy Crown The Church and Servants of God will then be in great Danger and will see great cause to fear as is shewed in this place and elsewhere in this sacred Book and the Papists then will make their last Attempt against them But if they hold fast and keep close to God they will be sure then to be preserved and may expect a Crown when the Marriage Supper of the Lamb cometh after this third Woe as I conceive And as for the period of this Philadelphian Church it seems probable to me that it will fall about the year of our Lord 2826. The Popedom is like to be destroyed about the year 1826 as I have shewed and then I conceive the thousand years when Satan is to be bound Rev. 20.2 will begin This seems to be intimated Rev. 12.12 where it is said Woe to the Inhabiters of the Earth and of the Sea for the Devil is come down unto you having great wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short time By the Earth and the Sea here I understand the Popish Kingdoms and the Heathen World And when the Devil is expelled and cast out of the true Christian Church from Domineering over it any more after this second Woe then he will go with greater wrath and fury into the Popish Dominions and Heathen World because he is sensible that he hath but a short time to domineer and play his games in till the third Woe cometh when he must be bound a thousand years And if the thousand years begin about the year 1826 and do signifie the full and just number of a thousand years and so far as I know they may And if the Philadelphian Church shall endure to the end of these thousand years and so far as I see it may Then the period of the Philadelphian Church will fall about the year 2826. The Epistle to the Church of the Laodiceans Rev. 3.14 22 seems to be directed to the Christian Church some considerable time before the end of the World For herein they are exhorted to be zealous and repent ver 19. And a considerable time for repentance is here to be allowed as in all the other Epistles where any Evil is threatned And if they do not repent and get out of their lukewarm condition and grow more zealous our Saviour
and Honors that they received by it To hear this profitable Diana of theirs cried down and to see men disswaded from the worshipping of her this moves their blood and puts them into a tumult Act 19.28 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 That is after Popery shall have Reigned three years and an half and after these Protestant Witnesses and Servants of God shall have remained in this dead and forlorn condition three years and an half Then by the Omnipotent Power of God they shall be raised up again from this dead and miserable condition into a lively and happy one Not by might nor by any Power of their own but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts Zec. 4.6 And then shall all men be struck with exceeding great fear at this wonderful Work of God and must then expect the dreadful Effects of this second Woe as the following verses shew 12. And they heard a great Voice from Heaven saying unto them Come up hither And they ascended up to Heaven in a Cloud and their Enemies beheld them That is By an extraordinary Hand of Providence like a commanding Voice from Heaven there was a way made for their great exaltation and accordingly they were exalted to great Honor and Power and Authority in the Church of Christ in a remarkable manner which I understand by their ascending up to Heaven in a Cloud And their Enemies of the Church of Rome saw this and wondred at it that these Protestants which they thought they had in their Power and were wholly subdued should be so strangely rescued from them and exalted again and set out of their reach and power And this is to come to pass after Popery hath prevailed three years and an half over the Protestant Church 13. And the same hour was there a great Earthquake and the tenth part of the City fell and in the Earthquake were slain of men or Names of Men that is Persons of Men seven thousand And the Remnant were affrighted and gave Glory to the God of Heaven That is At the same time that the Protestant Witnesses shall be raised up again in such a wonderful manner there will be a great Earthquake that is an exceeding great Commotion and Tumult of War in the Protestant parts of the World and great Alarming and Fighting And then the Third Part of the Romish Church as I conceive shall be destroyed and fall off from the Popedom part being killed in this great Earthquake and Tumult of War and part turning Protestants And then will there be an exceeding great Slaughter of Men for seven thousand seems here to be put not barely for seven thousand but for an exceeding great number of Men that shall be then slain This we may conclude because this is one of the three grand Woes of this Book and we see that a far greater number than seven thousand have often been slain and yet accounted no Woe by these Sacred Oracles And the rest of the Papists being struck with fear and astonishment at this wonderful and heavy Judgment of God upon them will acknowledge in their Hearts and Consciences that this is in truth the Handy-work of Almighty God and many as may be hoped will upon this turn Protestants and so give Glory to the God of Heaven both with their Heart and Mouth and in the whole course of their Lives By the Tenth Part of the City here I conceive may be meant a Tenth Part of the old Roman Empire and about a third Part of the Popish Empire as it will then be when the Protestant Kingdoms are united to it again This seems probable to me because St. John saith ver 15 There were great Voices in Heaven saying The Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ And hereby I conceive we are to understand a considerable part of them and more than a Tenth Part of the Popish Empire And three of the ten Horns in Dan. 7. fell before the little Horn with Eyes and a Mouth whereby I understand that the Popish Empire was to be extended over three tenth Parts of the old Roman Empire and so a third Part of the Popish Empire will be a tenth Part of the old Roman Empire which I suppose may be here meant It seems probable to me that there will be some Bloodshed when Popery cometh into this Nation and let the great City of London look to that Let the worthy and pious Citizens thereof hearken to the Watchman's Voice for he is willing to do all that lies in his power to save their Souls and Lives too at this great juncture of time But Woe Woe Woe to poor England and the whole Kingdom thereof and the other Protestant Kingdoms at the end of the three years an and half when Popery shall be driven out For then we see that this dreadful Woe is to be executed Then let the Revolting Protestants and all the Papists of these Kingdoms expect that the heavy Wrach of Almighty God will come upon them if they do not in due time take care to prevent it by hearkening to Wisdom's Voice and taking a due care to reform their Lives according to her Divine Precepts 14. The second Woe is past and behold the third Woe cometh quickly When the three years and an half of Popery are past and this heavy Judgment of God hath been executed upon the formal and sinful Professors of Christianity and an exceeding great multitude of them are slain Then we are to know that the second great Woe is past And behold the third Woe cometh quickly That is in a short space of time and in a far shorter space of time than had been between the first Woe and this second Woe And this third and most dreadful Woe of all is like to come upon the Romish Church about an hundred and thirty years hence and about the year of our Lord 1826. This is too great a Mystery for me and as I conceive for any man else to define the exact year when this dreadful Woe shall fall and therefore I only say about the year 1826 and do not define that for the exact year when the Popedom shall go down But yet I am perswaded that it will stand but a very few years after that time For by these Sacred Oracles we are assured that the number of the Beast is but 666. Rev. 13.18 Here is Wisdom saith the Angel or St. John from him Let him that hath understanding count the number of the Beast for it is the number of a Man and his number is six hundred threescore and six By the Beast here I understand the Beast with seven heads and ten horns and by this Beast with seven heads and ten horns I understand the Papacy and Church of Rome For tho' this Beast be said to have seven Heads
Temple of God and the Altar and them that worship therein This is spoken in allusion and with respect to the great Temple of God's worship at Jerusalem But by the Temple here we are to understand the Christian Church and by the Altar the Religious Worship and Services and Devotions that are performed in the Christian Church and by Them that worship therein we are to understand the Worshippers in the Christian Church For the great Temple at Jerusalem hath long since been destroyed even before St. John wrote this Book of Revelation as it is affirmed And by this measuring the Temple of God here is shewed That our blessed Lord would come to take a strict View and an exact Account of his Church in the end of this sixth Trumpet which begins Rev. 9.13 and before the second dreadful Woe should come upon it which is now at hand As heretofore God told Abraham that he would go down to Sodom and see whether they had done altogether according to the great Cry of their sin and wickedness that was come unto him Gen. 18.20 21. before he destroyed it in such a dreadful manner 2. But the Court which is without the Temple leave out and measure it not For it is given unto the Gentiles and the holy City shall they tread under foot forty and two months As if our Lord had said But the Court which is without the Temple cast thou out as wast ground that affordeth me neither profit nor pleasure and delight and therefore I have given way to the Gentiles that is to the Papist that they may take possession of it and use it as a part of their Church and therefore have thou no regard of it and be not curious about it in measuring of it And the holy City that is the true Christian Church shall they tread under foot and domineer over forty and two months that is about three years and an half By the Court without the Temple we are to understand the formal Professors of the Protestant Church whose Religion consists in an outward Shew that like the Pharisees and Hypocrites they may appear righteous before men Matth. 6.16 and 23.28 but they do not take that due care that they ought to approve themselves to God and to purisie their lives and hearts from all sin and wickedness that they may be fit Temples for the blessed Spirit And this the Reverend Archbishop Usher sheweth The outward Court says he is the formal Christian whose Religion lies in performing the outside Duties of Christianity without having an inward Life and Power of Faith and Love uniting them to Christ and these God will leave to be trodden down and swept away by the Gentiles But the Worshippers within the Temple and before the Altar are those who do indeed worship God in Spirit and in Truth whose Souls are made his Temple and he is honoured and adored in the most inward thoughts of their hearts and they sacrifice their Lusts and vile Affections yea and their own Wills to him And he also taketh the Papists to be the Gentiles that are here mentioned as I also affirm them to be And as the outward Court was far larger than the inward Court and the Temple so is it to be feared that the greater part of those that now go for Protestants will then turn Papists as soon as these Popish Gentiles appear with their displayed Banners and menace and threaten the Protestants with death But let not this shake the faith of any good Protestants but let them remember what our blessed Lord hath told us Matth. 7.13 14 viz That the Gate is wide and the way broad that leadeth to Destruction and that many there be which go in thereat But that the gate is strait and the way narrow which leadeth to Life and that there are but few that find it By the holy City are we to understand the true Church of Christ that it shall be trodden down of the Papists and that they shall prevail and domineer over it forty two months or about three years and a half or 1260 days as it is Rev. 12.6 But these I understand of natural and ordinary days and not of prophetick days when a day is put for a year For there is no appearance of truth in taking them that way and suppossing them to be now past For about three years and an half then is Popery like to reign over the true Church of Christ and to spread it self as far as ever it did before This seems to be plainly shewed Rev. 13 5-9 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies and power was given unto him to make war forty and two months And it was given unto him to make war with Saints and to overcome them and power was given him over all Kindreds and Tongues and Nations And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world If any man have an ear let him hear This is certainly meant of the Papacy and Romish Church And here we see that this Romish Beast viz. the Popedom is like to overcome the Saints and to have Power over all Nations that is all Christian Nations where it had power before This Romish Beast had his deadly wound given him in the Reformation when so many Provinces and Kingdoms fell off from Popery and the Romish Church and it was in a fair way to have been totally destroyed But now this Wound is like to be healed up again for a time and all these Provinces and Kingdoms are like to be brought again under the Power and jurisdiction of Rome and all are like to worship this Popish Beast but the true Servants of Almighty God who are resolved to dye rather than to defile themselves with the Popish Religion and to fall down and worship this Beast and his Image 3. And I will give power unto my two witnesses and they shall prophesie a thousand two hundred and threescore days clothed in sackcloth As if our Lord had said But that I may shew my Pastoral Care over my Church and not be wanting to it at such an extraordinary Time as this is I will order my two Witnesses two eminent parts of my Church and some of my faithful Servants and they shall prophesie 1260 days that is about three years and an half in a mournful manner before these Popish Gentiles shall have power to tread down my Church and the Romish Beast shall prevail over it That all my Servants may have timely notice of it and such as will hearken to my Sacred Oracles and the Voice of my Providence may be advertised of it and may have time to Arm and prepare themselves against it and may not be surprized therein in to their prejudice And that I may declare to all the world how desirous I am that all men should come to Repentance and be saved
that is the persons of them that were slain for the Word of God and for the Testimony which they held That is in this Vision he saw a great number of Martyrs that were put to death and killed for Truth and Righteousness sake and for keeping the Commandments of God lying at the foot of the Altar and round about the Altar like sacrifices of sheep that lay ready killed beside the Altar to be offered upon it to God after the Jewish way of worship And these Martyrs in this Vision are a representation and signification of the great Scene of Martyrs that was in this Interval of time For in this Interval many thousand Martyrs were put to death by the Papists in the Popish Persecutions and myriads of Protestants were killed with the sword in the Wars that the Papists raised against them And as God said to Cain concerning Abel the first Martyr that suffered for his sake Gen. 4.10 The Voice of thy Brother's blood cryeth unto me from the ground So were these Martyrs here tho dead represented to St. John as crying with a loud Voice and saying How long O Lord Holy and True doest thou not judg and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth That is How long shall it be thy good pleasure to suffer this bloody Society of men of the Popish Church to put thy Servants to death in this cruel and Merciless manner before thou wilt be revenged on them And white Robes were given unto every one of them which shews that they should be rewarded in a glorious manner for their dying for the Word of God and the Testimony of the Gospel And it was said unto them That they should rest yet for a little season until their fellow Servants also and their Brethren that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled That is that they and their surviving Brethren should have a little patience till those Martyrs that were to suffer after this Interval of time and after the year 1558 as I have distinguished this Interval had undergone their Matyrdom and that then God in his due time would take vengeance upon this bloody Society of men And this he will do in part at this second Woe which is now at hand and will fully execute vengeance upon them and totally consume and destroy them when the third Woe cometh The Earthquake c. at the opening of the sixth Seal ver 12-17 I understand to be a representation and signification of these two dreadful Woes but this Seal seems chiefly to respect the last of them as I have shewed before And the time of this Seal as I have pointed it is from the year 1558 till the third dreadful Woe is completed and fully ended And this third Woe is like to fall about the year 1826 or soon after that time as I have shewed before And when he had opened the seventh Seal saith St. John Rev. 8.1 there was silence in Heaven about the space of half an hour And this long time of silence I understand to be a signification of a long time of Peace and Tranquility that the Church shall enjoy after the third Woe is completed and fully ended to the end of the World And the Interval of this Seal is from the end of the third Woe to the end of the World which perhaps may be about the year 3000 as it seems probable to me as I have said before The seven Angels with Trumpets Rev. 8 9 10 and 11 Chapters signifie also so many successive Scenes of Affairs with the judgments that are or were to fall in them from the beginning of the Christian Church to the end of the World And how I conceive they may be divided I shall here briefly set down The vision of hail and fire mingled with blood at the sounding of the first Trumpet Rev. 8.7 may denote and signifie the great Commotions and Bloodshed that were from the beginning of the Christian Church till the end of the Emperor Adrian's Reign and the year 138 and so the Interval of this Vision will end with the Ephesine Interval of the Church for the end of that may be set at this year And the Destruction of Jerusalem by Titus and the Bloodshed and Commotions that were before St. John wrote the Revelation as well as those after are to be referred to this Vision For as the Ephesine Church and the first Seal do comprehend the time before St. John wrote as well as after so also doth this Vision The hail and fire mingled with blood here may signifie the judgments of God that were inflicted in this Interval of time By the Earth here may be meant the Roman Empire by the Trees may be meant the Cities and Corporations of men and by the Green Grass may be meant the Common People And from our Saviour's time to the end of Adrian's Reign the destruction of these was so great that a third Part of them might be said to be destroyed and dissolved by the judgments of God in this space of time exceeding great numbers of men being destroyed in Vespasian's Trajan's and Adrian's time beside what were destroyed in the time of Nero and others The Vision of the second Trumpet ver 8 9 may denote and signifie the judgments of God that were inflicted upon the Roman Empire between the year 138 and the year 324 inclusively till Constantine had quite vanquished Licinius The great Mountain here burning with fire that was cast into the Sea may signifie the heavy judgments of God that were inflicted upon the Roman Empire in this Interval of time By the Sea here may be meant the Roman Pagan Empire and by the third Part of it becoming Blood may be meant that a third Part of it should be much watered and soaked with blood By the Creatures here may be meant the Creatures as we say of the Heathen Empire that is the great Zealots for the Heathenish Idolatry such as Dioclesian MÃ ximianus Galerius Maximinus and Licinius And by the Ships here may be meant the Roman Pagan Armies and their Naval Forces which are Ships in a literal sense And I think that there is no great reason to doubt but that a third Part of these were destroyed by this fiery Mountain of God's Wrath in this Interval time there being so many bloody Battels fought even in Constantine's time besides all the Bloodshed before and the judgments that Almighty God had inflicted upon this Pagan Empire before in this Interval The Vision of the third Trumpet ver 10 11 may denote and signifie the judgments of God that were inflicted upon the Roman Empire from the year 324 till towards the time of Odoacer and about the year 470. The great Star burning like a Lamp may denote the Barbarous Nations And by the Rivers and Fountains of waters may be meant the Kingdoms and Provinces of the Roman Empire And a third Part of them being made bitter and many dying thereby may denote and signifie
warning of the Destruction of the old World a hundred and twenty years before the Flood came to sweep away and destroy the Sinners thereof So let these Papers now give warning of this dreadful Woe 130 years before it cometh that all such as shall have any fear of God before their eyes and shall be heartily concerned for the safety of their Lives and the eternal Salvation of their Souls may be advertised of it beforehand and may take a due care to save themselves that they may not then be destroyed and perish Let them harken to the Voice of Mercy which St. John heard from Heaven while Mercy may be had and before it be too late Rev. 18.4 And I heard another Voice from Heaven saith he saying Come out of her my People that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her Plagues Let all Persons of the Popish Church both now and hereafter harken to this sacred voice and be admonished by it to leave the Communion of the Romish Church while there is hope of Mercy for them before Mercy be shupt up in displeasure and there remaineth no more but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversaries Heb. 10.27 It is clear to me that both Mr. Mede and Dr. More tho learned men are mistaken in these passages that relate to these two great Woes and therefore perhaps it may not be a miss for me to set down those places in this sacred Book of the Revelation which appear to me to respect these Woes and the times about them And perhaps it might be the Will of God that these things should remain as it were under a cloud till now that the Light of them breaking forth on a sudden and unexpectedly might the more startle and fright men out of their Carnal Security and worldly mindedness and have the greater influence upon them to perswade them to Repentance and a Reformation of their Lives and stir them up to use their utmost Care for their own Safety and Salvation at this great juncture of time when they apprehend themselves to be in so great Danger of Perishing both in this World and that which is to come too The Places that seem to respect this second great Woe and the Times about it The Church in Sardis Rev. 3.1 6. The Sixth Seal Rev. 6.12 17. In part and in part to the next Woe The Sealing of the Servants of God Rev. 7. In part and in part to the next Woe The three Woes Rev. 8.13 The two Woes to come Rev. 9.12 The measuring of the Temple Rev. 11. The giving up of the outward Court Rev. 11. The Treading of the Holy City under foot Rev. 11. The Prophesying of the two Witnesses Rev. 11. The Beast's War and killing of them Rev. 11. Their returning to Life again Rev. 11. The great Earthquake and Slaughter Rev. 11. The Woman in Travel Rev. 12. The War between Michael and the Dragon Rev. 12. The War of the Beast with the Saints Rev. 13.5 As for the seven Epistles to the seven Churches Rev. 2d and 3d. Chapters we are to look upon them not as the Epistles of St. John to particular Churches but as the Epistles of our blessed Lord directed to his universal Church at certain junctures of time written by St. John as they were dictated to him by the Angel For tho' he addresseth himself to them Rev. 1.4 saying John to the seven Churches yet when he cometh to write these Epistles he writeth them in the Name of our blessed Saviour as the Prefaces of them do shew Rev. 2.8 These things saith the First and the Last which was dead and is alive And ver 18. These things saith the Son of God and so of all the rest of these Epistles And these Prophetick Epistles our blessed Saviour directeth to his universal Church at the great junctures of time when it was or shall be most seasonable for him to do so and when his Church stood or shall stand in the greatest need of his Divine Instructions Admonitions and Encouragement And about what times they seem to me to be directed to the Christian Church I shall here set down The Epistle to the Church of Ephesus Rev. 2.1 7 seems to be directed to the Christian Church some considerable time before the 16th Year of the Emperour Adrian and doth chiefly respect the Christian Church in Judea For herein our blessed Saviour takes notice of their Labor and Patience c. but withal tells them that they had lost their first Love and that he would remove their Candlestick out of his place except they should repent and shew a higher pitch of Zeal and Love than of late they had done ver 4 5. Nevertheless saith our Saviour I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first Love Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do the first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy Candlestick out of his place except thou repent Our Saviour doth here tell them that they were fallen from the great Zeal and Love that the Church had formerly shewed and doth admonish them to repent and shew such Love and Zeal towards him And tells them plainly that if they would not he would come quickly and remove their Candlestick out of his place that is that he would remove the Light of the Gospel from them if they would make no better a use of it And when the Christian Church in Judea and of the Jewish Nation had had a considerable time to repent in after this Admonition and Threatning they not repenting as they ought our Saviour according to this Threatning did remove their Candlestick out of his place between the 16th and 18th Year of the Emperor Adrian For about that time the Jews were all driven out of Judea and their Land was laid waste and the Christian Church there was quite destroyed several hundred thousands were slain in Battels a great number perished by Famine and Diseases and others were banished into Spain and the Jews were forbid to come within sight of their Country And till that time the Bishops of Jerusalem had been of the Jewish Nation but after that time when there came to be Bishops of Jerusalem again there were no more Bishops of the Jewish Nation See Eusebius lib. 4. chap. 5 and 6. and the Authors that Valesius mentions in his maginal Notes upon the 6th Chapter And it was just and right that seeing the Christian Religion was first planted in Judea and in the Jewish Nation their Candlestick should be first removed when they began to abuse and did not make that good use of the Light of the Gospel that they ought And this our Saviour had told them when he was conversant among them Matt. 21.43 That the Kingdom of God should be taken from them and given to a Nation bringing sorth the fruit thereof And this was to
be a warning to all other Churches and at all times that they also are like to have their Candlestick removed when they grow unfruitful under the blessed Light of the Gospel and begin to abuse it Rev. 2.7 He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches The Period of this Church therefore is not to be placed till the 18th year of the Emperor Adrian at the soonest and till about the year of our Lord 135 and Dr. More hath placed it too soon in placing it in the 10th of Nero and in the year of our Lord 63. For it is not to be placed till this Candlestick was removed and till about the year 135. The Epistle to the Church in Smyrna ver 8 11 seems to be directed to the Christian Church some time before Dioclesian's Persecution which began about the year 303. For herein our blessed Saviour doth take notice of the Tribulation and Hardships that they had undergone in the Persecutions that they had already endured but yet notwithstanding this he tells them that they were still to have Tribulation for ten days that is for ten years days being put for years as I have said before I know thy works saith our Saviour ver 9. and tribulation and poverty but thou art rich And I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are not but are the Synagogue of Satan That is I know the tribulation and sorrow that thou hast sustained in the Persecutions that are past and the Poverty that thou art now under in respect of the things of this World but thou art rich in Spiritual Treasure that is more pretious than Gold tried in the fire and will one day be thy glory and comfort too And I know the blasphemy of the Gnosticks and such wicked Wretches that say they are Jews that is which pretend to be Christians but in truth and reality they are not but are the Synagogue and Servants of Satan living impure lives and blaspheming my Servants because they take up the Cross and suffer Martyrdom for my sake as I have commanded them And because this was the sharpest Persecution of all our Saviour doth here advertise them of it beforehand and encourage and fortifie them against it saying ver 10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer Behold the Devil shall cast some of you into prison that ye may be tried and ye shall have tribulation ten days Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a Crown of Life Thus doth our Saviour advertise them of and animate them against this bitter Persecution of ten years which was begun by Dioclesian and was carried on after he resigned up the Empire The ten days are put for ten years and that this Persecution lasted ten days Eusebius affimeth lib. 8. chap. 15. And when Constantine the Great had overcome all the Adversaries of the Church and became a nursing Father to it then those Christians that survived enjoyed a Crown of Life and Happiness here and those that suffered death enjoyed a better in another World And seeing this Promise was compleated by the year of our Lord 324 where Dr. More sets the period of this Church I do not think good to alter it or any thing else that he hath well done but shall let the year 324 remain still for the period of the Smyrnean Interval of the Church But the Tribulation ten days cannot well be understood of the ten Persecutions because before all these Persecutions this Church had undergone no Tribulation but our Saviour doth here take notice of the Tribulation that they had already undergone and yet tells them that they were to have ten days of Tribulation more And some of these Persecutions also were before the Ephesine period of the Church The Epistle to the Church in Pergamos Rev. 2 12-17 seems to be directed to the Christian Church some time before the Waldensian and Albigensian Wars but after the suffering of the Waldensian and Albigensian Martyrs that suffered about the year 1160 and presently after that time For herein our Saviour doth mention his Martyr Antipas that was slain among them v. 13. And by this Martyr Antipas I understand the Waldenses and Albigenses and the Martyrs that suffered under the Popish Persecutions about the year 1160 and presently after that time and before the year 1200. And here our Saviour also doth accuse them because they had some that held the Doctrine of Balaam and the Doctrine of the Nicolaitans which he hated v. 14 15. That is which did not live such pure and chast lives as they ought but were too much given to their fleshly lusts and pleasures And these our Saviour admonisheth to repent and amend and if they do not he threatneth to come quickly upon them and to fight against them with the Sword of his Mouth ver 16. Repent saith he or else I will come unto thee quickly and I will fight against them with the sword of my mouth By this fighting against them with the Sword of his Mouth I understand the Waldensian and Albigensian Wars after the year 1200 when so many hundred thousands of the Waldenses and Albigenses were killed with the Sword in France and other places between the year 1200 and the year 1242. And seeing what our Saviour here threatened was fulfilled by the year 1242 where Dr. More setteth this period and when he saith the Waldensian War was ended I shall not alter the period of this Pergamenian Church but let it remain at the year 1242 where he hath set it The Epistle to the Church in Thyatira Rev. 2 18-29 seems to be directed to the Christian Church some time before the Reformation For herein our blessed Saviour doth take notice of their Charity or Love and of their Service Faith and Patience that they had shewed under the Popish Persecutions and that their last works of this kind did exceed the first v. 19. And he blameth the Princes and Governors of the Church that had some sense of Piety towards him and yet adhered to the Romish Church because they suffered that Woman Jezebel to teach and seduce his Servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed unto Idols v. 20. That is because they suffered the Papacy and Church of Rome to seduce his Servants to commit Idolatry and to make them join in their sinful Religion and did not cast off the Popish Authority and Religion seeing things were then come to that maturity that they might do so But as for those that had already cast off the Popish Religion our Saviour exhorteth them to hold fast and to persist on in leading their lives according to his blessed Word ver 24 25. But unto you I say and unto the rest in Thyatira as many as have not this Doctrine that is of the Romish Church and which have not known the Depths of Satan as they speak that is which have not known and practised the deep Mysteries of