pa- any farther Intimations of this nature. And then as to the Vials in particular, which are, in my Opinion, the Contents of Apoc. viij. 7. the feventh Trumpet, they are all along fo conform'd, and 8. 10, 12. rallel to the Trumpets in the feveral Inftances, as 'tis cafy to obxj. 19. with ferve upon the parallel, and as will hereafter be in particular re- Chap. xvj. 2, mark'd, that the fulfilling, and understanding of the one Series, 3, 4, 8, 10, 12, cannot but mightily guide, and affift us in the other. They 18. See Obtherefore not beginning till the former fix Trumpets are over, before the Jervation II. the accomplishment of thofe Trumpets will very probably con- Trumpets intribute fufficiently to the Obfervation of the Accomplishment fra. of the parallel Vials continually. But however, the Vials being in my opinion,ftill wholly future, and fo beyond the bounds of my prefent enquiry, I fhall not profecute that matter any farther; but return to the Seals and their Interpretation. 'A' The PREFACE to the SEALED BOOK. ND I faw in the right hand of him that fat on the throne, Apoc.v. 1.&c. a book written within, and on the backside, sealed with Jeven Seals. 2. And I faw a strong Angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the feals thereof ? 3. And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth was able to open the book; neither to look thereon. 4. And Iwept much because no man was found worthy to open, and to read the book, neither to look thereon. 5. And one of the Elders faith to me, Weep not; behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loofe the feven feals thereof. 6. And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne, and of the four animals, and in the midst of the elders ftood a lamb, as it had been flain, having feven horns and feven eyes, which are the feven Spirits of God, fent forth into all the earth. 7. And he came, and took the book out of the right hand of him that fat upon the throne. 8. And when he had taken the book, the four animals, and four and twenty elders fell down before the lamb, having every one of of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of Saints. 9. And they fung a new fong, faying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the feals thereof, for thou waft flain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, ont of every kindred, and tongue, and people and nation. 10. And haft made us unto our God, kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth. 11. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many Angels round about the throne, and the animals, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12. Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was flain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. 13. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and fuch as are in the fea, and all that are in them heard I, faying, Bieffing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that fitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. 14. And the four animals faid, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever. This Chapter contains the Preface, or Introduction to the Seal'd Book; and imports in general, the peculiar Privilege of God the Father, to reveal the deep and fecret Myfteries of Providence with regard to the future State of the Church: The unworthiness of all Mankind, if not of all Creatures to underfland and comprehend them: The Merits of Chrift's Sufferings the caufe of the Fathers revealing them to him, and giving him Commiffion to reveal them to his Church: The Joy and Exultation of the Church, in hopes of fuch Revelations, and of the Glorious Confequence of all, the Univerfal Establishment of his Kingdom: and the Praifes and Adorations due to the Father and the Lamb, for fuch Glorious Manifeftations, and Profpects afforded to his People. The more particular Explication of all which Matters belong properly to large Commentaries, and not to this Short View of the Apocalyfe; and fo fhall be no farther profecuted at prefent in this place. Corollary Coroll. 1. Since we here find that the great and efpecial Reason of our Saviour's peculiar Privilege and Frerogative of Unfealing the Scaled Book; or Underflanding and Revealing the Secrets of God's Providence with respect to his Church, is the Aerit of his Death, and Efficacy of his Sufferings:[For the Lamb appears as one that had been Ver. 6. flain ere he at all pretends to the Sealed Book; and is particularly affirm'dto be worthy to take the Book,and to open the Seals there- ver. 9, of, because he had been flain,and had redeemed mankind to God by his blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation:] It is to be obferv'd, that before thofe Sufferings, and his Afcenfion to plead the Merits of them with his Father, our Lord,in his Human Nature, did not directly know all those Myste ries, or at leaft, not the times for the fulfilling of them: Nay possibly he did not know 'em till a little before he was fent to reveal them to St. John. This may, perhaps, feem aftrange Assertion: But 'tis certainly true, as to the time of the Confummation of the fe Prophecies, the Day of Judgment, and fo may be easily believ'd of other previous great Mutations also. For when our Saviour had Matt. xxiv. 34. affur'd the Jews that That prefent Generation fhould not pass, till Mar. xiij. 30. all thofe things, he had foretold concerning the Destruction of Jerufalem were done,as being things of which he had an exact knowledge; he adds, But of that day and hour, [viz. when they shall Matt. xxiv. 36. fee the son of man coming in the clouds with great power and Mar. xiij. 32. glory;] knoweth no man, no not the angels which are in heaven, Mar.xiij. 26. neither the fon, but the father only. And this is confirm'd,as to the Time for his coming and erecting of his Kingdom upon Earth, by bis Anfier made at his Afcenfion, to those who enquir'd, Wilt Act.j.6, 7. thou at this time reftore again the kingdom to Ifrael? And he faid unto them, It is not for you to know the times, or the feafons, which the father hath put in his own power. Which exaEtly agrees with the Texts just now quoted, that the Father only knows the time of the last Judgment. Hear the Judicious Mr. Mede's Opinion in this matter. "Illud folum in præfenti obfer- p.545. "vare lubitum eft, quod facultatem libri refignandi merito paffionis Agni manifefto acceptam referant: Dignus es, inquiunt, ape"rire Librum, & fignacula ejus, quoniam occifus es, & rede"misti Deo nos in fanguine tuo ex omni Tribu, & Populo, & "Lingua, & Gente. Quo fortaffe Lux fieri poffit dicto SalvaR "toris, Matt. xxiv. 30. 23. "toris, necdum paffi net glorificati, De die vero illâ & horâ (puta "fecundi adventus fui, citiúfne an seriùs futurus fit) nemo novit, "neque Angeli in Cœlo,neque Filius, fed Pater folus : quippe, "nondum Apocalypfin Chrifto a Patre datam,neque ordinem rerum "ad adventum ipfius gerendarum patefactum fuiffe. And then, according to his ufual modesty, he adds, (what I defire may also "be taken as faid by me alfo;) Nihil temere affero; rem fecum "lector expendat. Corollary (2) Since therefore our Saviour himself, whilst he was on Earth at least, if not alfo till the Revelation was given him by God, to fhew to St. John, did not know the Duration of the Days of the Meffias, nor the time of the rife and duration of Antichrift, which was to be included in it; and fince the Apostles could not know more than their Mafter in these matters, hence we see a plain reason of those frequent expreffions of Chrift and his Apoftles, as if the Day of Fudgment was not remote even in their days, notwithstanding, as we now find, it was near two thousand years future at the leaft. Thus when Christ faid of St. John to St. Peter, If I John xxi. 22, will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee follow thou me we fee what notion the Hearers had of that expreffion, viz. that that Difciple fhould not die, or should live till the coming of Chrift. And if our Saviour had pofitively affirm'd, that he should tarry till He came, as he did not; the words feem to be allow'd, to imply fo much; at least in the Opinion of the Chriftians of that age. The like intimation we have also in Chrift's exhortation to all, to watchfulness, from the abfolute uncertainty of the time of His coming to judgment. Watch ye therefore, for ye know not when the Matter of the house Mar. xiij. 35. cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning. And fince this comes but three verses after He bad faid, that the Son did not know that day and hour, it agrees very well withit; and together intimates, that neither himself nor they knew but the Day of Judgment might come at even, that is in the very beginning of the Day, or in the first genera tion of Chriftians, as well as be defer'd till midnight, cockcrowing, or the morning i. e. till more remote Periods and 1 Pet. vi. 7. Ages afterwards. Thus, fays St. Peter, The end of all things is at hand, be ye therefore fober and watch unto prayer: which argument, if the end of all things, refers to the Day of Judgment, as no doubt it most properly does, is very fuitable and cagent: but if it only refers to the diffolution of the Jewish aconomy at Jerufalem, as the moderns would have it, how that Argument was of force, to the Strangers fcatter'd throughout Pon- Pet. i. 1. tus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Afia, and Bithynia, to whom the Epiftle was directed, I am wholly to feek; and therefore cannot affent to that interpretation: especially when, but two verfes before the Apoftle had faid, that God was then ready to judge the quick and 1 Pet. iv. 5. the dead, which even thofe Commentators will not dare to expound otherwife, than of the last judgment. So St. Paul to the Corinthians (who were not at all concern'd in the Deftruction 1 Cor. x. 11. of Jerufalem;) Thefe things are written for our admonion, upon whom the ends of the World are come. And again to the Ro-Rom. xiij. 11. mans, (who were fill lefs concern'd with that deftruction;) Now Philip. vi. 5. Heb. x. 25. Heb.x. 36, 37. is our Salvation nearer than when, we believ'd; And to the Hebrews. But now hath Chrift once appeared,, in the confum- Heb. ix. 26. mation of the Ages, to put away fin by the facrifice of himfelf. All which might very well be faid by one, who did expect the Day of Judgment in a little time, and poffibly in that age. But would be fomewhat strange, if he had known that That day was fome two thousand years yet future, Thus the fame Apotle in another place. Let your moderation, be known unto all Men: the Lord is at hand. And elsewhere. Exhorting one another, and fo much the more as you fee, the day approaching. And again, Ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promife; for yet a little while, and, he that fhall come will come, and will not tarry. Thus Speaks St. James. Be ye alfo patient; ftablish Jam. v. 8. 9. your hearts for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.. Grudge not one against another brethren, left ye be condem ned: behold the judge ftandeth before the door. Thus St. Peter efteems the manifeftation of Christ to have been in the end, Pet. i. 20. of the World, or in the laft days of it: St. Paul that in these, laft days, God has fpoken to us, by his Son. And St. John himself in his first Epiftle fays Little Children it is the laft hour, John. ij. 18. on last time; and as ye have heard that Antichrift is to come, fo R 2 Heb. i. 2. |