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of their Sorceries,nor of their Fornication, nor of their Thefts.This fignifies to us, that the Periods of the fixth Trumpet, and the ravages of the Turks, is that of the corruption of the Church in the fourth Monarchy, & in the Antichriftian Kingdom; a period, during which there reigned Idolatry, worshipping of Demons, or fecond Mediatory Gods, Images placed in the Temples & Oratories, depravation of manners, by Poisonings, Aflaffinations, Sodomies, Incefts, Adulteries, and other impurities, Thefts, Robberies and Violent Dealings. And in truth, the Roman Church fince the tenth Age, fell into fuch shameful Idolatry, and fuch horrible Corruption of Manners, that never was any thing like it feen in the History of the World. This point may be feen juftified at large in our just Prejudices against Popery.

CHAP. VIII.

The Explication of the Tenth Chapter of

TH

the Revelation.

He ninth Chapter ends the first part of the Revelation and the tenth begins the fecond; wherin is what we feek after, viz. Antichrift, the time of his continuance, and the circumftances of his end.

This tenth Chapter is properly the preface to the fecond little book; Wemuft explain it here before we proceed.

And

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down from Heaven

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V. I.

appears a

time for a fecond

And I saw a nother mighty Angel come clothed with a Cloud, J. Chrift a Rain-bow was upon his Head, his second Face was as it were the Sun, & his Feet as Pillars of Fire. 'Tis clear by this Pomp, that vifion. this Angel is Jefus Chrift. They are very near the fame colours wherwith he was described in the first chapter of the book his Countenance was like the Sun, & his Feet like unto fine Brass. This is an Argument, that here a new Prophecy begins, a fecond act of this great piece. 'Tis Jefus Chrift, the Prophet of Prophets, that must cause these Vifions to enter.

renes

little book

& the

He had in his hand a little Book open: & The diffe be fet his right Foot upon the Sea, his left between Foot on the Earth. See here a little book the first different from the firft, which was given to of the Rethe Lamb in the fifth chapter. Another velation, argument, that 'tis a Revelation wholly fecond. new, of another order. The first book contained the Destinies of the Empire, and this eontains the Deftinies of the Church. The first book was Written without & within; by reafon of the multitude of events that were to befall the fourth Monarchy, the adventures wherof God would foretel, until the coming of the fifth Monarchy; that is to fay, the Kingdom of Jefus Chrift. The first book was Sealed with feven feals. But this later one is a little book opened. 'Tis because the first part of the Revelation, which respects the deftinies of the Empire, is incomparably more obfcure, & more difficult to be under

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Chap. S. The defti- ftood than the fecond. In this fecond part, the Church Which refpects the deftinies of the Church, are more Antichrift is very plainly feen, & all thofe Clearly prediated things that muft befall the Antichriftian Empire. But the first part of the Revelation pire. which contains the deftinies of the Empire, is fo obfcure that hardly any thing of it is understood, tho at this day all the events are come to pafs, & the prophecies fullfilled. Jofeph Mede in my opinion is the first, that understood any thing of it. He fet his right foot on the fea, his left foot on the Earth. This fignifies his Empire over the whole terreftrial Globe composed of Earth and water; & it fignifies alfo, that what he was about to fore-tell, refpected all the men that dwell in the world. He fet his right foot on the Sea. The Sea in refpect to the land of Canaan was on the Weft; & this fignifies, that the West should be the principal Theater of the Adventures of the Antichriftian Empire, which he was going to defcribe.

.3.

Výhat

And he cried with a loud voice as when a Lion roareth; & when he had cried, feven Thunders uttered their voices. This roaring of a Lion was a prefage, that that which he was about to predict, was terrible: As in truth nothing is more fatal to the Church, than the Empire of Antichrist. Seven thunders uttered their voices. In this Book, Lightnings, Thunders, Voices efpecally always fignify the words & oracles of God. in the The feven Thunders of this fecond little book, part are exactly the feven Spirits of the former.

Voices & fignify in the Reve

thunders

lation,

fecond

For

For both the feven Spirits, & the Seven Thunders fignify the divine Oracles: Spirits because of him that dictates them: Thunders, because of their efficacy, because they beat down to the ground, they aftonifh, & they fhake: Seven, because of their perfection. When Jefus Chrift by his roaring had given the prefage of Future Events, the Oracles were given & pronounced concerning those Events.

A fealed vifion is

And when the feven Thunders had uttered their Voices, I was about to write, & I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up an obfcute thofe things which the feven Thunders uttered, & write them not.

vision.

A Sealed Book, a Writing; a Word fealed, according to the Style of the Scripture, is a word that is not understood. The Vision of 11. 29. 11. all is, faith Efay, as a book that is fealed: that is to fay, you fhall not understand it. God Dan.8.26. faith to Daniel, feal up the vifion, for it fhall be for many Days. And in another place, O Daniel, fhut up the words, & feal the Dan 12.4 book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to fro, & knowledg fhall be encreafed. That is to fay, God will not have the Prophecies be understood till a certain time. In like manner the Prophecy that refpected Antichrift was Sealed up till an appointed time. For above ten whole ages nothing of it was understood, or fo little, that 'tis to be reckon'd as nothing. And write them not: that is to fay, do not exprefs them in fuch

terms,

When the

iound.

terms, that in them the events may be read at least not very foon.

V.5. And the Angel which I faw ftanding upon the Sea and upon the Earth, lifted up his Hand to Heaven.

V.6. And fware by him that liveth forever and ever; who created Heaven, and the things that therein are; and the Earth, and the things that therein are; and the Sea, and the things which are therein, That there fhould be Time no longer.

V.7. But in the days of the Voice of the feventh Angel, when he fhall begin to found, the Myfery of Godfhould be finifht, as he hath declared to his Servants the Prophets.

The Voice of the feventh Trumpet is that laft Trum- which muft found at the moment of the last Fall of the Antichriftian Empire, when Popery fhall be destroyed: Then all the Nations fhall turn unto God, to make up the Kingdom of Jefus Chrift, that is yet to come; as appears by these words:

Ch. 11. 15.

The Seventh Angel founded, and there were great Voices in Heaven, faying, The Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Chrift, and he shall reign forever and ever.

Here our Angel fwears, that in that time, that is to fay, when the Kingdoms shall be reduced to Jefus Chrift, Time fhall be no longer. Time in this place is not oppofed to Eternity, as if the Angel would fay, that then the World hall end, and Eternity begin; but his mean

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ing

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