in their foreheads signifieth their open Profession of Fidelity to the Father and the Son and God's gracious noting them for his own And it helps us to expound what the mark of the Beast was even some open signal obliging Profession of Idol Worship 2. And I heard a voice from heaven as the voice of many waters and as the voice of a great thunder and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps 3. And they sung as it were a new song before the throne and before the four beasts and the elders and no man could learn that song but the hundred and fourty and four thousand which were redeemed from the earth 2 3. The voice of many Waters signified the multituâ—â— of Converts that by the Gospel were gathered to this Church on Mount Sion who praised God with the 〈◊〉 of Harps or joyful Psalmody And it was new Psalms of Praise for Man's Redemption and the Grace of Christ which they sung as before God and the Cherubims and the holy Church which none of the Jews were fit to sing save the foresaid chosen saved number 4. These are they which were not defiled with women for they are virgins these are they which follow the Lamb whither soever he goeth these were redeemed from among men being the first-fruits unto God and to the Lamb. 5. And in their mouth was found no guile for they are without fault before the throne of God 4 5. The Vision being of those in Heaven as the Precedents of the Christian Church at Jerusalem that should afterward succeed them they were the first-fruits of the Apostles Ministry described Act. 1. 2. 3. 4. who were eminent in Purity and Love free from Idolatry and Fornication as a People chosen out of the Jewish Nation unto Christ and as they were holy on Earth they are faultless and perfect now in Heaven 6. And I saw another angel flie in the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth and to every nation and kindred and tongue and people 6. Whether the midst of Heaven have the Mystical senses that divers give or be only sent from Heaven to Earth I know not Some say it is called the Everlasting Gospel because it was decreed from everlasting some because it dureth to everlasting or tendeth to life everlasting By the Gospel some understand only the glad tydings of the Fall of the Roman Empire some the Doctrine of Reformation and tydings of the Fall of Popery and some the common Doctrine of Salvation by Christ as it was now more freely and universally to be published to the Gentile World 7. Saying with a loud voice Fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his judgment is come and worship him that made heaven and earth and the sea and the fountains of waters 7. Away with your Idols that are no Gods and turn to and fear the true and living God who made Heaven and Earth For the time is come that he will judge and destroy Idolaters Other expositions I omit 8. And there followed another angel saying Babylon is fallen is fallen that great city because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornification 8. Another part of my vision was another Angel c. implying a further revelation to me Whether it signifie also another sort of Preachers on Earth and who as some say the Albigenses and Waldenses or Luther Zuinglius or Illyricas and his century writers let them tell that know Babylon is here described and more fully after to be that great City that drew all nations unto Idolatry whether this were Rome as Heathen or Rome as Papal or Rome as containing both see my Advertisement 9. And the third angel followed them saying with a loud voice If any man worship the beast and his image and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand 10. The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb 9 10. Those that partake of the sins of Idolatrous Babylon or Rome shall partake of her plagues and the Judgment that overthroweth her shall extend to all her companions in Idolatry and also the punishment in the life to come And Christ and his Angels will execute and behold it as just and good Some to save their charity say that damnation is not denounced to all that only have the Name of the beast or the Number but only to them that receive his Mark as his slaves and worship him and his Image But I think receiving his Name and its Number is included in receiving the Mark. But all my be pardoned to the penitent believers Whether this Angel be Luther Chemnitius Whittaker and such others I leave to the proof of the affirmers It s enough to me that this additional revelation and punishment is notified to John as by another Angel Though many think that only temporal punishment is here meant doubtless the same sin deserveth more 11. And the smoak of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever And they have no rest day nor night who worship the beast and his image and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name 11. Though temporal calamity be here included this seems plainly to mean Hell And the Mark of his Name is here made equal to His Mark verse 9. O the restless misery that is prepared for the impenitent 12. Here is the patience of the saints here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus 12. This misery of impenitent Idolaters and Enemies of Christ will shew the World how wise and happy the Saints were that by patient suffering did overcome and kept to the end the Commands of God and the Faith of Jesus Faith Obedience and Patience are all necessary to Salvation 13. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me Write Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works do follow them 13. Though it be always happy to be at Rest with Christ the sufferings of those times will be so great as will make it seem a sesonable blessedness to go to that Rest where they shall no more labour or suffer but receive the fruit of their labours and work performed for Christ on Earth Some make this to be but a promise of after-freedom from Persecution here The Text proveth a Blessedness for separated Souls before the Resurrection For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 henceforth signifieth from this time forward The Socinians therefore abuse the Text that make the Blessedness to be but Resting in a state of death till the Resurrection For life with God's service and acceptance in a time of Persecution is a
heaven having great power and the earth was lightned with his glory 1. The Fall of Rome is so great a work that it was foreshewed me as by an Angel of wondrous Glory Those that tell us that this Angel was an eminent preacher and such other particularities of filling the earth with his Glory go further than my knowledge goeth 2. And he cried mightily with a strong voice saying Babylon the great is fallen is fallen and is become the habitation of devils and the hold of every foul Spirit and a cage of every unclean and hatefull bird 2. The Language of those times was to call deferred ruined places where no man dwelt the places haunted by Devils and Goblins and Satyrs and Owls and Serpents So that this signifieth Desolation And the Jews then thinking that as Babylon that before captivated them is destroyed so the very City of Rome would be the Prophecy calleth the Destruction of the Pagan Empire and Idolatry with all its retinue of Literate upholders by the name and titles of the Destruction of the City For it was not Babylon as a City nor quâ Roma as this City nor as a Rich and Great City But as the Great Idolatrous Power which captivated and persecuted the Church Therefore it is destroyed not as a Great or Rich City but as Babylon And so it is desolate Some think that this is spoken of it as when Rome was burnt in part by Totilas and the remnant of Pagans destroyed by Alaricus That 's more than I can prove But it being the Pagan Empire that captivated the Church that made it Babylon I think Babylon fell when that fell though many Pagans did survive 3. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies 3. For their Power and Learning have spred the poyson or drunkenness of their Idolatry to all nations and the Kings of the earth have been encouraged in the guilt and her wealth and grandeur have promoted all pride and sensuality in the nations that have traded with her or depended on her Others say It is the sale of pardons indulgences and Ceremonies and Church-preferments that are her Merchandize and delicacies 4. And I heard another voice from heaven saying Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues 5. For her sins have reached unto heaven and God hath remembred her iniquities 4 5. That is Away from Idolatrous Pagan Rome as Lot fled from Sodom if you love your lives and Souls avoid all partaking in her sins Eat not things offered to idols imitate them not and comply not with them in any act of Idolatry or other sin For the time of her destruction is at hand and you may suffer with her if you sin with her and fly not from her Or Come out from Popery and partake not of the sin lest you partake of the plagues Here say some Protestants we answer the question Where was your Church before Luther And why do you separate from Popery To the first say they our Church was in Babylon where God bore with it till he call'd it out To the second God commanded us to come out No doubt we must partake of no mens sins 6. Reward her even as she rewarded you and double unto her double according to her works in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double 6. God who is her Judge will have you lay doubly more on her than she laid on you by persecution And this is no injustice it being for sin against him and not only as against you This giveth the reason of Gods execution by Constantine but alloweth no private men to take arms against Government on pretence of revenging the injuries of the Church 7. How much she hath glorified her self and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her for she saith in her heart I sit a queen and am no widdow and shall see no sorrow 7. The sins of Sodom were pride fullness idleness and unmercifulness And Pagan Rome grown proud and sensual by power and wealth shall now suffer debasement and dejection Or Rome Papal that saith I am the successor of Peter and the mother of all Churches shall be dejected and destroyed for her pride and cruelty 8. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day death and mourning and famine and she shall be utterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her 8. The Fall of the Pagan Empire shall be sudden and terrible like the burning of a City Or say others The remnant of Pagans shall be burnt out of Christian Rome by Alaricus c. Say others Papal Rome shall be cast down Say others burnt But it is not like if the City were burnt but some would rebuil'd it as we did London 9. And the kings of the earth who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her shall bewail her and lament for her when they shall see the smoke of her burning 10. Standing afar off for the fear of her torment saying Alas alas that great city Babylon that mighty city for in one hour is thy judgment come 9. The Nations that were her companions in Idolary shall bewail her great and sudden fall Obj. Papal Rome falls not suddenly Ans We know not what it may do yet But it 's certain Pagan Rome did 11. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her for no man buyeth her merchandise any more 12. The merchandise of gold and silver and precious stones and of pearls and fine linnen and purple and silk and scarlet and all thynewood and all manner vessels of Ivory and all manner vessels of most precious wood and of brass and iron and marble 13. And cinnamon and odours and ointments and frankincense and wine and oyl and fine flower and wheat and beasts and sheep and horses and chariots slaves and souls of men 11 12 13. The Pride and Greatness of Rome bought up all that many Countries could bring in of all sorts for necessity and delight and they fed the Pagan Idolatry and Tyranny Others apply it to Papal Pardons Offices and Preferments But these were rather bought at Rome than sold thither By Souls of Men some understand Pagan Romes Slaves some their Soul-murdering Idolatry and some Papal Soul-murders 14. And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee and thou shalt and them no more at all 15. The merchants of these things which were made rich by her shall stand afar off for the tear of her torment weeping and wailing 16. And saying Alas alas that great city that was clothed in fine linnen and purple and scarlet and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls 17.
Religion into a humane hurtful love-killing Faction If I abhor millions and millions meerly on my uncertain exposition of the Revelations I cannot do it in Faith If one ask me why I do it and I say because they are of Babylon or worship the Beast and you ask me how I know it I must say that I know it not But most here believe it because Mr. A. Mr. B. Mr. C. c. say so And so as Papists found their Faith and their hatred of us as hereticks on the credit of their Teachers that say so so shall we ours on the word of our Teachers And here I dread the effects viz abhorring men causelesly corrupting our Prayers and Sermons and Books and fathering all on God condemning all as favouring Popery who have not contracted this hating disease crying down many good and many harmless things merely because they come from the beast and Babylon Temples themselves good Prayers excellent Ministers and Churches yea Baptism it self have been cryed down and renounced as Babylonish and Antichristian and a ground of endless Divisions and starting at every shaddow that Rome hath had to do with is thus laid yea the Seekers greatly countenanced that say Scripture Church and Ministry are lost in the wilderness and the Church feigned to be brought into the wilderness just when it was brought out of it which was the Pagan persecution even the Protestant Churches are condemned as being yet Antichristian And the Martyrs that suffered by Papists yea and those that suffered in the 3d 4th and 5th Centuries by Arrians and others are all made by many to be the Children of Babylon And a war proclaimed between professed Christians by which all the Romanists are tempted to hate and destroy us as those that would do so by them And all this by the expounding the Revelations of that which no man that hath not more knowledge than I can find that it saith or medleth with And that needlesly while we have plain texts enough that condemn Popery and all sin by which we may abhor bad men without the danger of hating the Children of God Christ is in our Creed but Antichrist is not All the old Fathers were not Papists that took not the Pope for Antichrist But more probability of it may be gathered from other Texts than from the Revelations VIII To say I know not what I would know and cannot is easier to me than the dread of being guilty of the sin threatned in the conclusion of this Book that God will add the plagues in it to them that add to it and blot his name out of the Book of Life who taketh from it I deny not other mens knowledge but my own Ignorance of mens ignorance is the mortal disease of the world To add to the sense is to add to the Book To say this is the sense when I know it not and where five of the wisest are of four minds and Common Christians take all on trust this exposeth me to the dread of this heavy curse If this account excuse me not to the Reader it excuseth me to my Conscience whose censure I must more fear than mans lest I prefer my interest in the good opinion of partial misled censorious dividers before the pleasing of God and my Salvation and that when I am going from this World to him And if all this seem too much to any the diseases and danger of the Churches the extreams of many and their sad effects these fifty years and the confuting of those who falsly interpret my History of Bishops and Councils do make it seem otherwise to me I blame not modest conjectures if men will but confess their uncertainty when they are uncertain and not make an uncertain Opinion an Article of Faith and sacrifice to it certain Fundamental Truth or Duty the Churches Peace or Christian Love nor use it to kindle a partial hating dividing Zeal Good Mr. Brightman did with a Pious Mind determine many things very confidently which time hath already confuted He hath concluded that the Blessed Resurrection and time of Christs Thousand years Reign in the New Jerusalem shall be 1695 eleven years hence Thomas Rogers and many others have been shamed by setting times which being past have confuted them This hath frighten'd some others from that boldness who yet in other uncertainties have been so confident as that they have drawn many good People thereby to measure their Faith and Charity I am far from thinking that deeper Students are as ignorant herein as I But I would not have all that are as ignorant lookt upon as Aliens And I confess that I am less able to expound Prophecies than Daniel who yet thus concludeth Ch. 12.8 9. And I heard but I understood not Then said I O my Lord what shall be the end of these things And he said Go thy way Daniel for the Words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end Yet I say as Calvin I make no doubt but the Revelation is Gods Word though I understand it not and that it is not useless Yea so much as I do understand is of exceeding comfortable use Though I know not whether the New Jerusalem will come down from Heaven before or at the Common Resurrection it rejoiceth me that it will come And God having condescended to describe it as Glorious by corporeal Similitudes to us that have no full Idea's of things Spiritual it is a meet means of our comfort by such Similitudes to conceive of that Glory and even to imprint them on our minds to further our desires of that Blessed State and make us Loves and long for Christs appearing and cry daily Come Lord Jesus While I was writing this there came to my hands Isaac Vossius his Var. Observat In which he sheweth the magnitude of Rome when it was in its Grandeur it being about 60 Miles about and how it decreased and that Constantine destroyed Rome far more and before the Goths by building Constantinople so that within 80 years it was not the fifth part so big as in Aurelians time And that when Rufus and Victor wrote there remained not the 20th part of the old City and that now under the Pope it is so far from containing the seven Hills that it is almost all contained in the Campus Martius and containeth not now scarce the two hundredth part of the old City And that it was fitly called Babylon the great we read that old Babylon was near as great as Rome at the greatest and by Herodotus and some others made greater It is answered to this that it is the same City still known by the same Name But it hath not either the same Situation Magnitude Power Dominion and Idolatrous Fornication by which John was to know it nor would that description agree to it now By many such reasons I suspect that the Questions who is the Beast which is Babylon and who is the Antichrist are not the same in the
otherwise you must look for severe judgement from God and to be repaid by man and used as you used others 3. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brothers eye but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye 4. Or how wilt thou say to thy brother Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye and behold a beam is in thine own eye 3 4. So censorious are hypocrites of others that the mote of a small infirmity or dissent is seen in their eyes as if it were some intollerable thing which they must pluck out as the Pharisees censured Christ and his Disciples for not observing their ceremonies and traditions But if thou know thy self mayest thou not find worse than this in thy self Hath a Pharisee nothing worse than Non-conformity to his ceremonies and traditions How canst thou think his mote of ceremonial or small difference intollerable while thou easily bearest thy own formality magisterial pride and worldly mind and other great and deadly sins 5. Thou hypocrite first cast out the beam that is in thine own eye and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brothers eye 5. Thou Hypocrite first see that thou have no greater fault thy self cast away the beam of pride worldliness formality malignity and fleshly vice out of thy self and then thou wilt be more capable to judge of thy brothers sailings and sitter to reprove him 6. Give not that which is holy to the dogs neither case ye your pearls before swine lest they trample them under feet and turn again and rent you 6. And as it is not every one that is fit to reprove so it is not every one that is fit to be reproved Tho to seek mens salvation by teaching and reproof be a work of great moment when it is used in season to them that are capable of it yet take this rule pretend not duty to teach and reprove when it s clearly like to do more hurt than good some men are hardened soorners and some sensless neglecters and some hateful persecutors To such as those holy counsel doctrine and reproof is but like casting Sacramental or consecrated bread to the dogs or pearls before swine To be thus wise and righteous over much is but the way to perish and be rent or at least made a scorn to beastly men It is no duty where it is no means to good yea to greater good than hurt Note Yet if a slothfull hypocrite shall rashly censure others to be Dogs and Swine and desperate to excuse himself from duty and trouble this is but a doubling of his sin 7. Ask and it shall be given you seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened to you 8. For every one that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened 7. And to obtain grace and mercy to your selves true Prayer is Gods appointed means Ask of God and he will give it you seek diligently and you shall find c. For every one that asketh in sincerity and seeketh with diligence and constancy shall obtain Note That is if he pray to God believing his power and goodness in the name of Christ and trusting in his merits and intercession and this first and chiefly for God's glory and for things spiritual and everlasting and for earthly things as means to these and if he be earnest diligent and constant in such askings seeking and knocking he shall certainly have grace and Glory and all outward things so far as they are sit for him and he for them 9. Or what man is there of you whom if his son ask bread will he give him a stone 10. Or if he ask a fish will he give him a serpent 11. If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him 9 10 11. Do not distrust Gods goodness and willingness to do good All the love that is good in you is but a spark from the God of infinite goodness Therefore if you would not give a stone to your Children that ask bread of you nor a Serpent to that Child that asketh a Fish and if you that are so bad men will give good things and not evil to your Children O how much more abundantly should you believe your heavenly Father ready and willing to do good to his children who ask it of him being fitted to receive it 12. Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do ye even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets 12. And as you may gather by your own love to your children what love God hath to you so if you would have God over-rule the hearts and actions of men to love you and do you good see that you first love them and do them good and that is the most probable way to obtain it It is desirable that all men do use you with Justice and Charity Do you therefore be sure so to use all men Not that a man who hurteth himself or would have another hurt him by temptation or sin may therefore hurt another But be more forward to do good than to expect it from others and put your self in their case and do to them whatever prudently and justly you would have them do to you supposing their case and yours were exchanged 13. Enter ye in at the strait gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way which leadeth to destruction and many there be which go in thereat 14. Because strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and few there be that find it 13 14. And let not the strictness of the gate and way of life discourage you The gate is wide and the way is broad that leadeth to destruction It is easie to please the flesh and to neglect a holy life and great is the multitude that go this way But do not you follow the multitude in sin unto damnation The entrance into a life of Faith and Holiness is strait and the way is narrow requiring self-denial mortification holy diligence and patient suffering and it is but few that find this way and the life to which it leadeth But life eternal cannot be too dearly obtained Therefore let no difficulties stop you or turn you off N. 1. It is because of our corrupt averseness such as sick men have to a feast and the restraints and sufferings of the flesh that Godliness or Faith is called difficult or strait But in it self and to a sound understanding and will it is the only pleasant life To believe God's love and our everlasting glory must needs be sweeter than to live in guilt and terrour and in despair of any future happiness 2. The Gate is the entrance by conversion into a life of Faith and Holiness as the way and the Devil the
and the last e're long To understand and believe this Prophecy will be comfortable But to keep the Precepts of it avoid the Sins threatned believe the Promise of my Victories and Coming and wait in Patience is needful to all 8. And I John saw these things and heard them And when I had heard and seen I fell down to worshp before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things 8. Note All faulty Worship of Angels is not Idolatry nor maketh a Church Idolatrous It was not Divine Worship which John gave the Angel If really he wrote most of this Book against Popish Idolatry as many think he would never be twice guilty of worse than their praying to Angels and Saints themselves whom he condemned For they worship them noâ— as Gods though amiss John thought Venerâ—tion was the Angels due 9. Then saith he unto me See thou do it not for I am thy fellow-servant and of thy brethren the prophets and of them which keep the sayings of this book worship God 9. See before cap. 19.10 God is jealous of any thing too like Idolatry Note Are Angels our fellow-servants love them then and be thankful to God for their Love and Help and rejoyce in this privileage and think it not unlikely that you should live with them for ever O what a people should we be then in holiness 10. And he saith unto me Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book for the time is at hand 10. The most of it is to be performed ere long in the ruine of the Pagan persecuting Empire 11. He that is unjust let him be unjust still and he which is filthy let him be filthy still and he that is righteous let him be righteous still and he that is holy let him be holy still 12. And behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be 11 12. I come quickly to fulfil and execute this Prophecy and then I will take and judge men as I find them there shall be no more place for preparation as it was with the wise and foolish Virgins Matth. 25. when the midnight cry was The Bridegroom cometh as I find you I will use you 13. I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending the first and the last 13. I am God eâ—â—rnal the first cause and ultimate end of all things able to fulfil my Will and Word 14. Blessed are they that do his commandments that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the city 14. Blessed are they that do what Christ requireth to Salvation in his Law of Grace or purifie their heart and life that they may by his free gift have right to enter into the New Jerusalem and live with Christ for ever 15. For without are dogs and sorcerers and whoremongers and murderers and idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie 15. For all filthy cruel persecuting Idolatrous persons and Lyars and deceitful Teâ—chers and Hypocrites though called Christians are shut out of the holy City as Dogs are turned out of the house 16. I Jesus have sent mine angel to testifie unto you these things in the churches I am the root and the off-spring of David and the bright and morning Star 16. I Jesus have sent my Angel to tell these things to John that he may tell them to the Churches of Asia and by them to others the matter much concerning those Churches then alive Take these as my own Words who am the Messiah prophesied of as the Root and Son of David and am the Light of the World sent to teach men the way of life 17. And the Spirit and the Bride say come And let him that is athirst come And whosoever will let him take the water of life freely 17. And seeing Church-deliverance now and the Glory of the New Jerusalem at last are the effects of my coming as my Spirit teacheth men to desire my coming and my Church and Chosen do desire it so let all desire it that wouâ—d partake of that felicity For all shall have it by my free gift who do but bâ—lievingly desire it For I will shut out none but final obstinate refusers 18. For I testifie unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book If any man shall add unto these things God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book 19. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy God shall take away his part out of the book of life and out of the holy city and from the things which are written in this book 18 19. If any wilfully corrupt this Prophecy in words or sense to draw men from believing it to the belief of their own corrupt Additions God will add to them his Plagues and deprive them of any part of the blessings here foretold and shut them out of this holy City of God Note It 's dangerous then to make bold Cabalistical Fanatick Expositions of this Book and to call our own conceits the sense of the Revelation And it 's dangerous groundlesly to expect more Prophecies of God's usage of his Church or to add to any of his Word or dimâ—nish from it and father any of our Errours on Christ and on his Spirit which hath here finished that Book which must be the universal Churches Rule of Life 20. He which testifieth these things saith Surely I come quickly Amen Even so Come Lord Jesus 20. Jesus who is the Author of this Revelation surely promiseth that he will come quickly by degrees to perform all his word and chargeth you not to question it through unbelief or to saiâ—t by doubting as if he did fall by his delay And let us all with Faith hope and desire prepare and earnestly pray for his coming Even so come Lord Jesus 21. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen 21. I conclude all with this best Request to God for you and Benediction to you that the Grace of our Lord Jesus which is our preparation for Glory and our earnest pledge and foretast of it may be with you to prepare you and Seal you up as the certain Heirs of that Blessed Sâ—ate and save you from all sin and Temptation and Enemies that would deprive you of it Amen An Advertisement READERS I Here give you notice which I desire you not to forget in the reading of this Paraphrase that it is but some General Notes and not a proper Exposition of the Revelations which I offer you And that I here confess to you that very much of it I understand not And if this offend any that say I should have better studied it I only say 1. That you suffer fools gladly seeing your selves are wise 2. That I am far below Dionysius Alexandrinus and most of the Ancient Fathers even Augustine himself who professed that they