P. 398 &c. do Romanus dicitur, memoratur: In nomine Chrifti fpondeo atque polliceor ego N. Imperator coram Deo & Beato Petro Apoftolo me protectorem ac defenforem fore hujus fanita Romana Ecclefie in omnibus utilitatibus, quatenus divino fultus fuero adjutorio, prout fciero poteroque. Upon the whole it feems to me very plain that the Empire of Germany, and that alone, can be that Image of the Beast here refer'd to: and not to mention See also. Mr. Garret's Dif others, upon enquiry I find, that Limborch a famous Divine courfe concer- among the Remonftrants of late, and the Lord Napier of Old, ning Antichrift inclin'd to the fame Opinion: with whose words I fhall conclude this Vilion, Limborch's words are thefe; Per hanc autem ImaTheolog. ginem, intelligere poffumus Imperium Germanicum; quod prioris, Christ. 1. 7. Romani nimirum, Imago tantum eft.Hanc ut faciant dicic. 11. §. 16. tur prior Beftia habitatoribus Terra dixiffe: quia Pontifex illius conftituendi autor fuit. And the Lord Napier's words are these that follow. "The other fort were the New Emperors call'd "the Emperors of Germany and Romans; of whom Charlemani "was the first. These alfo were but a figure of the first Old Empire, and were but only Roman Emperors in Name; "neither of their ancient blood, neither having fuch Authority as they. These did the Pope Crown and Inaugurate, as Emperors, or rather as Images of the first Empire. These in"fpir'd he with the Spirit of his Errors, and made them to "Speak as he willed them: and then confirmed he their "Empire, and proclaimed them Emperors, and caufed all "Men to Reverence them, as is faid in the Text. In Locum. Corollary. Since we have above shew'd that the particular Time of the Rife of this Image of the Beaft is no where determin'd in the Revelation; but only in general that he was to arife a confiderable time after the two Beasts, and to continue beyond the date of their Reign, till near their final destruction; we cannot here any more particularly compare his Epocha and Duration with Hiftory, nor define the exact time of his deftru Etion. The The Double Prophecy of the State of the Undefiled under Antichrist. A ND after these things, I faw four ANd I looked, and angels ftanding on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the fea, nor on any tree. 2. And I faw another angel afcending from t the caft, having the feal of the living God: and he cryed with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to burt the earth and the fea. 3. Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the fea, nor the trees, till we have fealed the fervants of our God in their foreheads. 4. And I heard the number of them which were fealed, an hundred and fourty and four thousand of all the Tribes of the children of Ifrael. 5. Of the tribe of Judah were fealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were fealed twelve thomfand. Of the tribe of Gad were fealed twelve thou Jand. lo, a lamb ftood on the mount Sion,and with him an hundred fourty and four thoufand,having his name, and his Fathers name written in their foreheads. 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 fong fore the throne, and before the four animals, and the elders: and по man could be + Qui Baptizabantur ftabant ad Orientem converfi; atque inde figillum Dei accipiebant. Med. Comment. Apoc. p. 563. Marg. Of See Ezek. ix. 1-7. 6. Of the tribe of Afer were fealed Of the tribe of Nephikalim were fealed Of the tribe of Manafjes were fealed 7. Of the tribe of Simeon were fealed Of the tribe of Levi were fealed twelve Of the tribe of Ifachar were fealed twelve 8. Of the tribe of Zabulon were fealed Of the tribe of Jofeph were fealed twelve learn that fong but the hundred and fourty and four thousand which were redeemed from the earth. 4. Thefe are they which were not defiled with women, for they are virgins: thefe are they that follow the Lamb whither foever he goeth: thefe 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. In this firft Period of the double Prophecy before us, we have an exact account taken of the number of the pure Worshippers of the Lamb, the true Ifrael of God; being 144000 in number; diftinguith'd into twelve Tribes; and built on the Foundation of the twelve Apoftles of the Lamb. And this account is taken before the beginning of the Trumpets, in order to diftinguish them from the Worshippers of the Beaft; and that they may be taken care of, and fecur'd from the Evils of the Trumpets; or however be enrol'd in a lafting Record, in order to their receiving a particular reward for their fufferings afterward. And 'tis here obfervable that this Catalogue is primarily taken in the Larger Account of the Sealed Book, before the beginning of the Trumpets, as the first time of their diftinction from the reft of the World: But in the Shorter Account of the Open Codicil, which begins all its Contemporary Vifions of the Antichriftian State of the Church fome time after the beginning of the Trumpets, we find the 144000 Undefil'd ones P. 554. &c. I introduc'd as then actually in being, and distinguish'd from the reft already, by having the Lambs name, and his Fathers name written in their foreheads,for fo the Alexandrian MS. has it; and then standing on Mount Sion,and joining with an Heavenly Chorus in Hymns of Praise to God their Redeemer and Protector. As to the reason of that peculiar and unusual order of the Tribes, which we here find, I have nothing to add to Mr. Mede's Conjecture, which may be feen at large in his Commentary: nor indeed can much depend even on that: and fo I fhall wave that matter, as not of any great importance in our prefent defign. But then as to the meaning of thefe 144000 pure Worshippers, 'tis very eafily apply'd to Hiftory: They plainly referring to thofe fewer, and lefs obferv'd Remnant of true Ifraelites, that, as the 7000 in the days of Elijah, never 1 King xix. 18. bowed their knee to Baal, nor comply'd with the Idolatries and Corruptions of thofe Antichriftian Ages they liv'd in. But in oppofition to the Followers of the Beast, who had his mark in their foreheads, or in their right hands, have their heavenly Fa- Apoc. xiij. 16. thers and the Lambs name written in their foreheads. They fing a New Song, or a Chriftian Hymn to their only Mediator; and fuch a Song as the Worshippers of the Beast cannot learn; because they have been us'd to join abundance of Saints, Angels, and Martyrs with their Saviour in their Adorations. They are not defiled with women, but are pure Virgins; untainted with all kinds of Spiritual Whoredom and Fornication, with which the reft of the World are fo horribly polluted. They follow the Lamb whither foever he goeth, through Profperity and Adverfity; in times of Peace, and in times of Perfecution; being refolv'd on a ftrict and univerfal Submiffion to, and Imitation of him. They are first fruits to God and the Lamb under Antichrift; as being Forerunners of that more plentiful Harveft of pure Worfhippers which fucceeds in the next Stage of this double Prophecy; in comparison of whom they are like the first fruits to the Harvest, but an inconfiderable number; and are accordingly particularly numbred in this place. But notwithstanding their paucity, yet, because they are intirely innocent in that fundamental Sin of Antichrift, Idolatry, which had fo wholly overspread the reft of the World; and are therefore look'd on lyrici Cata as without fault before God, a particular notice is taken of them, and a mighty Care and Providence exercis'd towards them for their Prefervation atd Continuance. In fhort, thefe are thofe brave Perfons, many of which are nam'd in our Hiftories of the paft Ages, who all along before the Reformation oppos'd the Vid. Flacii Il- increafing Corruptions of the Church of Rome, complain'd still of its Idolatry and Ufurpations, and kept their own Confcienlogum Teftium Veritatis. ces and Practices pure and untainted, even at the peril of all they had in this World, and frequently to the lofs of their own Lives. And to name no others at prefent, the Followers of Wickliff in England, and of Hufs, and Jerom of Prague in Bohemia, were eminent branches of this noble Company, and noted Firftfruits to God and the Lamb before the Preaching of Luther, and that larger Reformation then fpread thro' moft of the Countries of Europe; of which by and by under the next particular. Corollary 1. Since in this first branch of this double Prophecy, we not only find the whole fum of the Chiliads to be the fquare of 12. or 144. with a plain reference to the 12 Tribes of the Children of Ifrael; or rather to the 12 Apoftles of the Lamb; which number had been originally chofen in correspondence to to 12 Tribes of the Children of Ifrael; But we alfo find that the number of every Tribe is diftinctly fet down to be 12000 alse; we may bence conjecture at the reafon of this unusual Repetition: It thereby ftill more evidentby appearing that a relation is all along had to our blessed Savior and his Apoftles. Thefe Multitudes not only having every one the name of the Father, and of the Lamb written in their Foreheads; but every Tribe having just so many thonfands as there were Apoftles of the Lamb alfo. Corollary 2. Since we have only the time for the commencement of the Period of thefe 144000 in this Prophecy, viz. The beginning of the Trumpers A.D.376. or at least the beginning of the Antichriftian time in the next Century; and no intimation of itsduration,we must be content to fix the Conclufion by other Characters;or rather to fuppofe this State of the Undefil'd to continue till the next State does commence; which next State, as we shall fee prefently, belonging to the Proteftant Reformation, the most remarkable Event of the Chriftian Church fince the days of Conftantine, at once fecures the end of this, and the beginning of that Period. The |