A RESOLUTION Of three Important Questions premis'd as a Foundation to an intended Exposition of the fourth and fifth Chapters of the Apocalypse in Answer to the late Reverend and Learned Dr. H. M. Wherein is shewed I. That the Fourth and Fifth Chapters of the Revelation are properly a Prophecy of things to come to pass after St. John 's receiving of the Vision of them II. That by Opening of the Book Rev. v. is meant or prefigured the Explaining of it III. That by the Throne in both the said Chapters is meant a Throne of God on Earth and not in the highest Heaven By W. G. V. T. Printed in the Year 1688. THE PREFACE AS to this little Treatise the smallness whereof would easily be excus'd if it were not also of it self imperfect as design'd in order only to some other thing I desire the Reader to take this following account It is now more than four Years ago since I wrote an Exposition on the fourth and fifth Chapters of the Revelation and communicated it to some certain Friends whom I thought best able to make a right Judgment of it who for the most part modestly excusing their unacquaintedness with these Studies advis'd me to impart it to the famous Dr. H. M. To him therefore I dispatch'd it who quite contrary to what I imagin'd finding very little to say against the Particulars of my Exposition set himself wholly to overthrow the very Foundation on which I built and which I thought so plain that no body could have oppos'd it In short the main and in effect the only things that he objected were the contrary Propositions to what I here assert in these Papers Whereupon about the end of February 1685 / 6. I put forth the first of these three Sheets wherein I prove from the very Title presixt to those very Chapters by the Spirit himself that they are properly a Prophecy of things to come to pass after St. John's receiving the Vision which Dr. M. with great earnestness had denied in the xxist Chapter of his Paralipomena Prophetica a Book which he put forth about November 1685 after he had seen my Exposition but he had never taken notice that the SPIRIT himself has expresly entitled it a Vision of future things which was indeed a very great Oversight in the Doctor So I thought that my putting him in mind of this would easily put an end to the Dispute between us there being nothing to be said against so plain a Demonstration And indeed my Expectation did not fail me for from that time to this I have never had a word of Answer from him which in effect was yielding up the whole to me that I contend for in these Papers For if those Chapters be A Prophecy of things to come to pass after St. John's receiving of the Vision they were not either past or present at that time And consequently the Opening of the sealed Book which St. John then saw must be a Type of the explaining of it afterwards for it prefigures that most naturally and can prefigure nothing else and also the Throne which he saw at the same time must needs be a Throne of God which was afterwards to be on Earth and cannot signify his Throne in the highest Heaven which existed before all Ages Altho to make all as sure as I could I have prov'd these things by many other Arguments in these Papers It is therefore highly to be presum'd that the Doctor would in all this time have defended his Book against that first attempt of mine if it had been possible but since he has not done it we may well conclude that as his Modesty would not suffer him to confess his Error otherwise than by Silence so it would much less allow him to engage in defence of it I lately hear that since viz. in August last God has taken him to his Mercy and let his Memory be ever precious I hope it will be no Offence to those that have a just esteem for it if before I publish my said Exposition to the World I undertake to clear those Points in difference between us upon which I am to lay so great a stress and which if I am not able to make good it would be vain to meddle any further in this business June vii 1688. A VINDICATION of certain Papers not yet made publick concerning the Exposition of the fourth and fifth Chapters of the Revelation the right understanding of which Chapters would be of the greatest advantage to the Church from the Exceptions of the Reverend and Learned Dr. H. M. THere is no Vision in the whole Book of the Revelation that has been less understood hitherto than that of the 4th and 5th Chapters and yet there is none has been expounded with more ease to those that have undertaken that Task than those Chapters have For tho there be many Objections both very weighty and very obvious to be made against the Expositions of every one of them for they all agree as to the main in a literal kind of way of interpreting them such as any Child that is but just come to the use of Reason would be apt at first sight to pitch upon concurring unanimously in one grand mistake That by the Lamb 's coming and taking the Book out of the hand of him that sat on the Throne Rev. 7. is represented God's giving his Son the Revelation tho there be many Objections I say both weighty and obvious to be alledg'd against this way of expounding yet no Man tho never so learned ingenious or curious in these Speculations has so much as mention'd one of them till the learned and ingenious Dr. M. being urg'd by some Papers I sent him a while ago has been pleas'd both to insert the Objections into his Paralipomena Prophetica Chap. xxxiv and to give us his Solutions of them It is a glorious Vision as any one may see by the bare letter of it which made me while I look'd upon it only by the Light which I receiv'd from others never to read it over without a Sigh For I could perceive nothing from their Expositions but what is deliver'd much more plainly in other Scriptures and I could not by any means perswade my self that so magnificent a Vision as this is was written only to inform us how obscurely and mysteriously common Truths well kown before plain easy and familiar might be represented I hope no Man will be so uncharitable as to interpret the design of what I have here said to be as if I meant to disparage other Interpreters to most of whom for any commendable Quality I am no way comparable For as I honour every Man that with so much as but a good intent has seem'd to have bestowed his pains in explicating these Mysteries so I ingenuously profess that nothing but the love of Truth has mov'd me to lay open the seeming Inconsistencies of their Exposition In order to the manifesting of which Truth
Reader It is therefore to me one of the greatest Wonders in the World that the Doctor who cries up the Apocalyps for a Book so throughly symbolical that he will by no means allow Hail-stones or Earthquakes to be interpreted literally See Par Proph. Chap. xlviii p. 444. should be here so stiff for the literal sense of opening the Seals of a Prophetick Book which as God would have it has no literal sense at all But certainly one would be surpriz'd who has heard to what a degree the Doctor both derides and pities R.H. of Salisbury Epilogue to Apoc. Apocalypseos p. 297. for doting on the literal sense of the Apocalypse to sind him caught in the same snare himself and become as zealous an R. H ian as the Gentleman he oppos'd even in a Type or Symbol which is never known to have been us'd in such a sense For a further Confirmation of the Sense of which Phrase I will instance but in one plain case which we have Dan. xii 4. where the Prophet is commanded to seal the Book even to the time of the end For if opening the Seals of a Book be no more than exposing the bare words without sense to view how can the Book of Daniel be said to have been sealed to the time of the end when the words of it have been visible from the time of his receiving them If you say That opening the Seals of a Book may signify only exposing the bare words tho not in that place of Daniel I desire but what is very fair That you would shew me then some other place where the Phrase signifies what you contend or else confess that you have err'd about it But if it could be shew'd which I believe can never be that opening the Seals of a Book is somewhere found to have a literal sense yet such a sense not only would be dissonant from the stile and genius of the Apocalypse but in the Vision we are now upon impossible to be true For in the literal sense the Seals were open'd by the Lamb in the presence of St. John 1600 Years ago at the time of his seeing this Vision whereas I have before manifestly proved this Vision to be a Prophecy of things that were to come to pass after From whence it follows that the Representations made to St. John in it whereof that of opening the sealed Book is the most insisted on of any are meerly symbolical and to be consider'd only as Images of those future things Moreover there are two other things which make the literal sense of the Seals open'd in St. John's time impossible One is That no such loud Proclamation was ever heard before that opening as is expresly said to have been made before the true opening of them Rev. v. 2. I saw says the Prophet a strong Angel proclaiming with a loud voice Who is worthy to open the Book and to loose the Seals of it And this Proclamation is represented as made in the hearing of all the World as plainly appears from the Return given in upon it in the next Verse viz. That no Man in Heaven in Earth or under the Earth was able to open the Book c. Whence we may certainly conclude that if no Man living in St. John's time did ever hear any such Proclamation made then was not that which is meant by opening of the Seals transacted in St. John's time For it seems very absurd to infer that no Man was able to open the Book because upon loud or publick Proclamation made no Man appear'd to do it if no Man then in being ever heard the Proclamation To this Dr. M. answers That the Proclamation was never made but only in Vision Par. Proph. Chap. xxxiv Resp ad prim And he there also gives this reason why it was not needful to be fulfill'd because the Vision is Dramatical i. e. in the nature of a Stage-play And he explains his Sentiments of the Vision yet more clearly Chap. xxi p. 189. lin 19. where speaking with respect to the Vision in Rev. iv v. he tells us that it is the priviledg of the Angelical Kingdom that they can exhibit Prophetical Shows or Plays when we Mortals can exhibit only Historical Ones So that according to this account the ivth and vth Chapters of the Revelation are a Play or Show exhibited by the Angelical Kingdom and for that reason there needs be no completion of them To this I reply 1. That I have prov'd those Chapters to be as much a Prophecy as any part of the Revelation can be prov'd to be and that from the clear Testimony of the Spirit himself who has prefix'd the Title of Things that must be hereafter to them 2. If Rev. iv v. be a Play that was really acted in Heaven I desire to be inform'd 1. Who acted the Sitter on the Throne and the slain Lamb which are the chief Parts in it The Doctor tells us Par. Proph. Chap. xxxiv about the beginning that by the Sitter on the Throne is meant God and by the slain Lamb Christ Jesus But it were absurd to say either that they act Plays or that any Creature acts their Parts Therefore the Vision is not Dramatical 2. It is manifest that those under the Earth by whom the Doctor on the place understands Wizards c. have a part in this Play too as may be seen Rev. v. 3 13. But none of the Angels in Heaven could have such a part put upon them therefore the Vision is not a Play acted by Angels but like other Visions prefigurative of things to come But now as to the reason why there needs be no completion of this Vision viz. because it is Dramatical this is so far from being a reason of it that if it were true it would be a good reason for the quite contrary For 1. How can this be a Prophetical Show or Play as the Doctor calls it if it be not to be fulfill'd in some real thing to come 2. It is the nature of all Plays to represent real things so far is it from all reason to imagine a Play acted by Angels to be only a Fiction as the Proclamation we speak of must needs be if it were never made nor to be made but only in the Vision 3. If the Vision of the Angel proclaiming needs not to be punctually fulfill'd as being a part of a Dramatical Vision since it is certain and confest by the Doctor himself that the Vision of the opening the Seals whereof that of the Angel proclaiming is part reaches to the end of Rev. xi It will follow that from the first mention of the opening of the Seals Rev. v. to the end of the whole Relation of it Rev. xi the Visions are Dramatical and therefore need no punctual Completion So that the Doctor has bestow'd a great deal of pains to little purpose in interpreting the Visions of the Book Rev. vi when it may be alledg'd that they were
represented as comforting him with the joyful News of the unfolding of it in these words Weep not Behold the Lion of the Tribe of Judah the Root of David hath prevailed to open the Book v. 5. As who should say Behold through the assistance of Christ whose Merits are ever prevalent with God for the good of his Church I have set forth an Explication of it Whence it undeniably follows That the time of the Church presigur'd in that Chapter is the very time wherein it would please that Lion of the Tribe of Judah to impart the first true Exposition of that Book to his People And the Book is the same which the Lamb takes Chap. v. 7. and opens Chap. vi where also the Contents of it are particularly rehearsed If therefore that Book be truly expounded as no doubt it is already then is the time prefigur'd in Rev. v. 5. past And the Person that has done it being one of the four and twenty Elders was a Member of that glorious Church describ'd Chap. iv 4 c. So that that Church or state of the Church must needs be come also which Observation will be of great use to us when we come to the particular Explication of the Prophecy FINIS III. More Arguments to shew That by the Throne Rev. iv v. is meant a Throne of God on Earth and not in the highest Heaven With Answers to Objections TO the two Arguments made use of in the former Sheet to prove that by the Throne Rev. iv v. is meant some Throne of God on Earth and not in the highest Heaven I now add Thirdly That it is certain and confest by all Interpreters that by Heaven in some places of the Revelation as also in other Prophecies of Scripture is meant an Heaven upon Earth As in Rev. xii where we have mention of a Woman in Heaven and of a great Red Dragon there also persecuting her which Dragon is call'd at ver 9. the Devil and Satan and the Woman afterwards flying into the Wilderness c. Who can be so sensless as to interpret this Heaven otherwise than of an Heaven upon Earth where the Woman the Church is persecuted by her profest Enemy the Devil Since therefore it is so demonstrably certain that in this Prophecy Heaven is sometimes taken for an Heaven upon Earth and it cannot be made out clearly that Heaven where it is spoken of as the Scene of any Action is ever used there in any other sense it follows that the Heaven we speak of Rev. iv v. is an Heaven upon Earth too and consequently the Throne there spoken of an Earthly Throne But Fourthly If it could be made appear that Heaven where it is made the Scene of Action is any where us'd in this Prophecy for the highest Heaven Yet here it were a most unreasonable thing to take it in that sense For then the Sitter on the Throne with the Book sealed in his Right Hand Rev. v. 1. must be God Almighty And whereas it is said in the next Verse that Proclamation was made by a strong Angel Who is worthy to open the Book c. In the 3d Verse it is return'd thereupon That no Man in Heaven nor in Earth neither under the Earth was able to open the Book neither to look thereon The meaning of which if by Heaven be meant the highest Heaven must be That Christ himself was not able to open the Book neither to look thereon which were most absurd And the more because it is certain that God had given his Son the Revelation whereof the Book we speak of is confest to be a part before ever this Vision was exhibited to St. John. For Christ would not have sent his Angel to signify it to his Servant John Rev. i. 1. if God had not signified it to Christ before Wherefore when it is said That no Man in Heaven was able to open the Book the meaning cannot be that no Man in the highest Heaven where Christ sitteth at the Right Hand of God was able but it must be expounded as it is certain that it ought in other places of an Heaven upon Earth To this the Doctor answers That Christ is excepted according as is answered by St. Paul in a like Case 1 Cor. xv 27. But I reply That let the Doctor understand it how he pleases it is certain that St. John did not understand it with exception of Christ viz. as if it had been said No Man in Heaven but Christ was able to open the Book And this appears from what follows in the iv ver where St. John tells us He wept much because no Man was found worthy to open and read the Book neither to look thereon For if the Sitter on the Throne were God Almighty on the Throne of Glory with a Book in his Right Hand sealed how odly would it have look'd in St. John to weep and that much because no Man but Christ was found worthy to open it For whom could he expect or desire should do it besides But the Doctor adds Par. Proph. Chap. xxxiv resp ad 5. That St. John did not know as yet that Christ was worthy to open the Book and read it nor so much as to look upon it Repl. I wonder the Doctor should venture to say so For this is to make that great Apostle and beloved Disciple a very ignorant Man indeed For did not St. John know the Worthiness and Abilities of Christ as well as any Man The Prophet had cause to weep then indeed if he were so weak as to think that Christ himself was not worthy to read the Book But how could he be ignorant of that which every Christian is suppos'd to know Besides St. John must needs have known what the Book was or else he would not have wept that no Man could open it But it is confest on all hands that the Book was part of the Revelation So that St. John of all Men could not be ignorant of Christ's Worthiness to open the Book when he knew that Christ had call'd him on purpose to communicate it to him Object But if St. John's ignorance of Christ's Worthiness had not been the cause of his Weeping how comes the Elder ver v. to comfort him in these words Weep not behold the Lion of the Tribe of Judah the Root of David hath prevailed to open the Book c. For by this it should seem that St. John did not know that Christ could do it Answ I have before prov'd this Vision to be a Prophecy and that by Opening the Book is prefigur'd the Explaining of it So that the meaning of the Elder 's words is plainly this Not that Christ in his own Person hath given out an Exposition of the Book but that some Member of his Church on Earth hath done it through the prevalence of his Intercession As if the Elder had said Behold I through the Merits of Christ have been enabled to Expound the Book So
when it shall be thought fit by those that are the Judges of what is fit in such cases I shall now only endeavour to prepare the way by shewing that which the Reverend and Learned Dr. M. is forced to deny at any rate as being utterly inconsistent with his own and the common Hypothesis viz. That the Vision of the fourth and fifth Chapters of the Revelation is properly a Prophecy and consequently that the design of the fifth Chapter is not to represent God's giving to his Son the Revelation That the fourth and fifth Chapters of the Revelation are a Prophecy This appears so plainly from the Preface that the Spirit himself has prefixt to them that one would think it impossible for any Man to be mistaken in this Point After this I looked says St. John Chap. iv 1. and behold a Door was opened in Heaven And the first Voice which I heard was as it were of a Trumpet talking with me saying Come up hither and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter Is not this as plain an Indication as can be desired that the things which St. John was now about to see were things to come and consequently that the seeing of those things is prophesying But what were those things which the Voice shewed him What can they be if not those which immediately follow of which St. John gives this Relation ver 2 3 c. And immediately says he I was in the Spirit and behold a Throne was set in Heaven and one sat on the Throne c. And round about the Throne were four and twenty Elders sitting c. and out of the Throne proceeded Lightnings and Thundrings and Voices And there were seven Lamps of Fire burning before the Throne c. And in the midst of the Throne and round about the Throne were four Beasts c. who rest not day and night saying Holy Holy Holy c. And when those Beasts magnify him that sate on the Throne the four and twenty Elders with profound humility give God the Glory of the Works of his Creation Then in the fifth Chapter he proceeds to tell us how that the Sitter on the Throne had a Book in his right-hand written within and on the back-side sealed with seven Seals Whereupon a strong Angel is seen proclaiming with a loud Voice Who is worthy to open the Book c. vers 1 2. None in the whole World is found worthy vers 3. Wherefore St. John weeps ver 4. One of the Elders comforts him ver 5. Whereupon St. John espies in the midst of the Throne a Lamb standing as if it had been slain c. ver 6. who came and took the Book out of the right-hand of him that sate on the Throne ver 7. Upon which the said Beasts and Elders fall down before the Lamb and sing a Song to him congratulating his taking the Book and opening the Seals ver 8 9 10. Then the Prophet hears the Voice of many Angels round about the Throne and the Beasts and the Elders applauding the Lamb ver 11 12. And next he hears no less than every Creature in Heaven Earth Sea and under the Earth giving Blessing Honour Glory and Power to him that sitteth on the Throne and to the Lamb. The four Beasts saying Amen and the Elders doing most profound reverence also ver 12 13. Then he proceeds in Chap. vi 1 2 c. to tell us what he saw in the Book when the Lamb had opened it And I saw says St. John when the Lamb opened one of the Seals and I heard as it were the noise of Thunder one of the four Beasts saying Come and see And I saw and behold a white Horse and he that sat on him had a Bow c. And in like manner he goes on describing what he saw at the opening of each Sea. Now the thing which I affirm is this That whether the things which St. John saw in the Book be a Prophecy of future things or not yet it must needs be that the many other things which he saw and heard before the opening of the Book are a Prophecy The reason is plain because those words of the Voice Chap. 4.1 I will shew thee things that must be hereafter do most plainly and immediately affect the things which he saw in the fourth and fifth Chapters but not those things which he saw in the Book Chap. 6. Nor does this only appear from the order of Narration but also from the reason and nature of the the thing it self For those words of the Voice Come up hither and I will shew thee things that must be hereafter must necessarily refer to the things which the Voice shew'd him viz. those things which he saw by virtue of his being call'd up into Heaven which things are plainly the Throne with the Sitter on it together with the other things afore-spoken of But as for the things that were contained in the Book he was not shew'd them by the Voice but by the Lamb that opened the Book and the Beasts that called him to see them as appears most evidently from Rev. 6.1 2 c. Besides the Title of things that must be hereafter is not adequate to the Visions of the sealed Book whose Events even according to Dr. M's own Exposition begin as soon as those of the Epistolar Prophecy As therefore the Title to the Epistolar Prophecy is things that are and things that must be hereafter Rev. 1.19 because as the Doctor truly affirms the Epistles concern the state of the Church then present as well as that which was to come why should not the Prophecy of the sealed Book have the same Title since the reason in all points is the same So plain is it every way that those words of the Voice Come up hither and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter respect not the Visions of the Book Chap. 6. but those that immediately follow the said words in Chap. 4.2 3 c. viz. the Vision of the Throne and the rest that follow If therefore the Vision of the Throne with the Sitter on it the Elders and Beasts praising him the Book in the Sitter's Right-hand the strong Angels proclaiming c. I say if these things be not some of those which the Voice points at Vers 1. telling the Prophet he would shew him things that must come to pass hereafter it will be impossible to prove that any part of the Revelation is a Prophecy Come up hither says the Voice and I will shew thee things that must be hereafter And immediately says the Prophet I was in the Spirit and saw such and such things And are not they the things then which the Voice said he would shew him Which things since the Voice says they are future things or things that must be hereafter it is plain the Vision of them is a Prophecy But notwithstanding this mighty Evidence of Truth the Reverend Dr. M. is pleased to express his
Wonder in his Paralipomena Prophetica Chap. xxi that any Man of Wit and Parts and Learning should be so heedless and grosly mistaken as to make it a Prophecy properly so called c. Whereas he that has but the least judgment in the World must needs see if he will not wilfully wink that the Spirit himself stiles it a Vision of things to come And therefore if the Spirit speaks properly the Vision is properly a Prophecy But let us hear what that Learned Person urges in defence of his own Opinion Now the substance of what he alledges in the said Chapter is this That the Vision of the fourth and fifth Chapters of the Revelation is no more a Prophecy than that in Ezekiel the first to which also it is very like in many respects as that of Ezekiel is to the glorious Representation of the God of Israel made to Moses and the Elders in the Mount Exod. xxiv wherefore as neither that which Ezekiel or Moses saw was a Prophecy So neither is it likely that that which St. John saw is a Prophecy It is only or chiefly intended for an Introductory Vision to the Prophecy of the sealed Book which begins Chap. 6.1 a thing usual with the Prophets as may be seen Isa 6.1 2. c. Ezek. 1. Daniel 10.5 c. and no more a Prophecy than those in Isaiah Ezekiel or Daniel are intimating the Divine Inspiration of John in writing those Prophecies and setting forth that in pompous and magnificent Expressions which is noted in a more vulgar stile Rev. 1.1 viz. That God gave his Son the Revelation To this I answer It is here taken for granted that the Vision which Moses and Ezekiel saw in the places afore-cited is not a Prophecy which ought to be clearly proved before any stress can be laid upon it But suppose it to be no Prophecy for I cannot spare time for cavilling will it thence follow that the Vision of Rev. iv v. is no Prophecy only because in some things it agrees with that Vision of Ezekiel i. e. it seems to borrow some of its Types from thence Are not all Interpereters generally agreed that the Types in the Revelation are mostly borrowed from Stories Rites and Constitutions of the Jewish Church and taken out of the Old Testament as well the Historical as Prophetical Parts of it and yet no Man denies it to be a Prophecy For Example do not both Mr. Mede and your self also in several Particulars resemble the Prophecy of the Woman Rev. xii 1 c. to the History of the Children of Israel in Egypt and coming out of it Exod. i. and in the following Chapter And yet you never doubt of its being a Prophecy ere the more for that But further There is a vast difference between the Vision of Ezekiel and Moses and that of St. John Rev. iv v. in that this latter is entitled by the Spirit himself a Vision of things that must be hereafter Now if these or the like words be not prefix'd to that Vision of Ezekiel Moses or that of Daniel either aforementioned how can it be thought good reasoning to say those Visions are no Prophecies therefore this is none I expected the Doctor should have clear'd this point viz. the Argument hitherto insisted on from those obvious words Come up hither and I will shew thee things that must be hereafter which are the most apposite in the World to prove the Vision immediately subsequent to be a Prophecy but I find not the least notice taken of it But because the Doctor insists much upon its being an Introductory Vision to those of the sealed Book as if it could be no Prophecy if it were an Introductory Vision I answer by granting it to be an Introductory Vision indeed but no otherwise Introductory than the Prophecy of the Sealed-Book introduces that of the Trumpets Chap. viii or than that does the Prophecy of the Opened-Book as the Doctor loves to call it Chap. xi 1 c. Or than the Vision of the Vials Chap. xvi introduces that of the Beast Chap. xvii As one History may introduce another so one Prophecy may introduce another What should hinder But now If by an Introductory Vision be meant a Preface there is no other such as I see than that of Chap. iv 1. where the Voice calls St. John to him saying Come up hither and I will shew thee things that must be hereafter This I say is all the Preface that I can find for in the very next Verse begins an account of the things themselves which the Voice promis'd to shew him viz. a Prophetical Representation of a glorious Church with a particular Description in the likeness of an History of the Beginning Progress and Accomplishment of the Opening of a certain Book whose Contents are particularly described Chap. vi and those that follow So that here is Prophetia in Prophetiâ i. e. the Prophecy of the Book it self contained in the Prophetical Relation of the opening of it As if it had been said thus Hereafter shall arise a Church like that described Rev. iv wherein a certain Book shall be open'd by the Lamb in such manner and circumstances as are described Chap. v. containing such and such things as are said to have been seen in it in the sixth and following Chapters Now in such manner of speech as this who does not see that the Description of the Church and the manner of opening the Book is introductory of the things contained in the Book and yet is as properly a Prophecy as that contained in the Book is To which Prophetical History of the opening of this Book those words Come up hither and I will shew thee things that must be hereafter is the only Preface By which and by his adding immediately after that he was immediately in the Spirit upon the speaking of these words to him St. John's Divine Inspiration in writing this Prophecy is sufficiently intimated But whereas the Learned Doctor further asserts That the fifth Chapter is added for the setting forth of that in more pompous and magnificent Expressions which is done but in a vulgar stile Rev. i. 1. that God gave his Son the Revelation this being a Stone that most Interpreters have stumbled at I endeavoured to remove it by demanding several things the attentive Consideration of which would give great light to this whole matter in dispute And the Doctor has done me the honour to set down the Queries themselves as he had them from me in Manuscript with his Answers to them in the 34th Chapter of his Paralipomena Which Answers tho I am not at all satisfied with unless it be that I am much the more confirm'd by them in my former Opinion Yet I shall not here bestow that needless pains of shewing the insufficiency of them For so long as that Assertion stands good which I have been hitherto proving viz. That the fourth and fifth Chapters of the Revelation are a
Prophecy of things to come to pass hereafter it cannot be that they should be taken up in setting forth God's giving to his Son the Revelation which was done before Notwithstanding Sir if you do not think that I have clear'd this Point sufficiently yet if you desire it I will make it my next business God willing to give you all the satisfaction I can by shewing one by one that my Queries or Objections do still remain in their full force notwithstanding all that you have said to them But I would not willingly engage so deep against a Person for whom I have so singular an esteem And as for that which I have here ventur'd upon I desire your Pardon with your most candid and charitable Interpretation of it FINIS II. That by opening the sealed Book Rev. v. is meant Explaining it And that by the Throne there is meant a Throne of God on Earth and not in the highest Heaven HAving prov'd in the former Sheet That the Vision of the fourth and fifth Chapters of the Revelation is properly a Prophecy of things that were to come to pass after the exhibiting of it to St. John notwithstanding what has been alledg'd to the contrary by the Learned Dr. H. M. I proceed now to shew concerning the other Points in dispute between us First That by that Phrase of opening the sealed Book so often us'd Rev. v. is meant or prefigur'd the explaining of it Secondly That by the Throne Rev. iv 2 c. is prefigur'd some Throne of God on Earth and not his Throne in the highest Heaven First That by opening the Sealed Book is meant or prefigur'd the explaining of it For the truth of this Proposition I appealed to the constant and unquestionable use of that Phrase of opening a Sealed Book where-ever it occurs throughout the Scripture As Dan. ix 24. Seal up the Vision viz. that it be not opened and xii 4. Seal the Book even to the time of the end Also by the sealed Book Isa xxix 11. is meant a Book which no Man could open or understand Also that opening of Prophecies signifies explaining them appears from Luke xxiv 32. where Christ is said to have opened the Scriptures and Acts xvii 3. St. Paul is said to have opened and alledg'd viz. out of the Prophecies of the Scripture that Christ must needs have suffer'd Whence the Argument is plain That if by Sealing a Prophecy be constantly meant in Scripture concealing the Sense of it so that altho it be written and in every Man's Hand yet none knows what it means and if on the other side by opening a Prophecy consider'd as sealed or mysterious be constantly meant explaining it it is all the reason in the World that it should be so expounded in the place we are upon as it is in all other places To this the Doctor answers in the xxxiii Chap. of his Par. Prophetica by distinguishing between opening a Book and opening a Text. To open a Book is to unclasp it to open the Text is to explain it And thus it is one thing to open a sealed Book where the Prophecy is and another to open a sealed Prophecy which is evident from Luke iv 17. where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which sometimes signifies to explain signifies only to open a Book of Prophecies or to expose the Writing to view which says the Doctor is the case here of the seven-sealed Book as appears from Rev. vi where the opening of the Seals is exemplified and the meaning shew'd to be only the exhibiting to John so many particular Visions but not the explaining of those Visions Reply 1. The Lamb is said Rev. vi not barely to have opened the Book but to have opened the Seals of it Now the Seals of a Book are always upon the Text for we no where read of a Book sealed any otherwise than in respect to the mysteriousness of it The Seals of a Book are not such as may be broken with the Finger or cut off with a Knife or mall'd with an Hammer if the seven Epistles indeed had been said to have been sealed we might have had more reason to have fancied them such but which yield only to the judgment and understanding of the pious Reader through the assistance of the Spirit of God. And this the Doctor grants while he shews himself very willing but as little able to produce one instance to the contrary But now if the Seals be always upon the Text then the Lamb 's opening of the Seals in the Vision must needs figure the opening of the Text which the Doctor grants to be explaining the sense of it And since I have before proved the Vision to be a Prophecy it appears from hence that it is a Prophecy concerning the explaining of the sealed Book in which the Lamb opening the Seals to St. John and shewing him the inside Writing is a Type of Christ or of his Church that should afterwards explain the meaning of it to the Faithful 2. The Doctor in his Apoc. Apocalypseos on Rev. v. 1. grants the Seals of the Book to signify its Arcana and whereas the Book is said to have been written within and on the back-side the Doctor there expounds the inside Writing to be the inward Sense of the Book in opposition to the literal sense which is the back-side writing Whence it must undeniably follow That to open the Seals of the Book so that the inside-writing may be seen is to shew the inward sense of it or which is all one to explain it Wherefore as to what the Doctor says of the Lamb 's opening the Seals Rev. vi that it is only the exhibiting certain Visions to St. John but not explaining them from whence he peremptorily concludes that whatever in other places may be meant by opening the Seals of a Book it cannot be understood here of explaining it I answer The Doctor to maintain a literal sense of this Phrase of opening a sealed Book the sense which he is so zealous against in other cases is pleas'd to make himself extremely ignorant in a point of ordinary cognizance For why I beseech you Sir may not Christ's explaining the inward sense of this Book at some time or other to his Servants be fore-signified by the Lamb 's opening the Seals of it in the Vision and shewing the inside-writing of it to St. John The Doctor grants the Lamb to represent Christ St. John to represent the People of God upon Rev. v. 4. he grants the inside-writing of the Book to signify the inward sense of it in the place a little afore quoted What is it then that he denies Why tho he grants all this singly yet he denies when put together that the Lamb 's opening the Seals and shewing the inside-writing to St. John signifies Christ's explaining at some time or other to his People the inward Sense of the Book Which how unreasonable a thing it is I leave to the judgment of any impartial
no real thing And as to the Completion of it we must not think that the Prophecy is to be understood in that gross manner as if it were never to be fulfill'd till the Persons signified by the Living Creatures and Elders should get together about a Throne paying their most profound Devotions to one looking like a Jasper and a Sardine Stone sitting in the midst of it But the meaning is only to shew the Order of the Hierarchy the Person sitting in the midst of the Throne being the Supreme Visible Governour the Living Creatures in the midst of the Throne and round about the Throne next under him and the 24 Elders under them In which Order not Local but Political or Subordination one to another the Inferiours pay their duties to their Superiour and all of them to that good God who invisibly presides in the midst of them Object But the Doxology we speak of Rev. iv 11. is addrest to the Sitter on the Throne for his Creating of all things and how then could any Mortal have an hand with him Answ In the Language of the Prophets any notable alteration of Affairs is call'd a New Creation And as for the term of all things it is very often said not of * 〈◊〉 which â—he Reaâ—â— observe 〈◊〉 the Oriâ—â— is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the 〈◊〉 know 〈◊〉 easily 〈◊〉 to this â—an to aâ—â— as if â—â—en said â—ou hast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all these 〈◊〉 Vid. 〈◊〉 in parâ—â— all things Uniâ—ersally but of those things only which had been the subject of the foregoing Discourse Which Points being confest by all Interpreters of Scripture so far as I know will need no further proof And thus have I vindicated the Sitter on the Throne to be a Man and consequently the Throne to be an Earthly Throne I proceed 6. The Throne appears to be an Earthly Throne also by the Company that are gather'd about it For these are call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Living Creatures and Elders which are Names we never find given to any but Mortals And it is a very dangerous thing for the sake of an Hypothesis and to serve a Turn to depart from the constant and unquestionable use of Words by affixing private and unwarrantable Interpretations to them These Persons are also prov'd to be Mortals by the Incense they are represented with Rev. v. 8. which is a Type of the ascending up of the Prayers of the Church from Earth to Heaven From whence Dr. Hammond upon the place infers that the Persons using it are the Church on Earth And he infers the like from what they say of themselves ver 10. that they were made to God Kings and Priests and that they should reign upon the Earth For this description can neither agree to Angels nor to Souls departed But if the Company about the Throne be Mortals the Throne must needs be an Earthly Throne And since mention has been made of the Famous and Learned Dr. Hammond I crave leave to add That he is so far from scrupling to interpret the Sitter on the Throne to be a Man that he makes him not so much as a King but only a Bishop For which see his Annotations on Rev. iv 2. and I look upon Dr. Hammand to be as good a Judg as any Man of what Interpretations are safe tho' not so always of what are sound But to return to our purpose 7. The New Jerusalem is a City that was to be on Earth as appears from Rev. xxi 2. where it is said to come down from God out of Heaven The same is said of it again at ver 10. where also St. John is carried up but to an high Mountain to see it so that it must needs be an Earthly City And if it came down from God out of Heaven as is said of it whither could it come but to the Earth Accordingly we find it said at ver 24. That the Kings of the Earth do bring their Glory and Honour into it And at ver 26. They shall bring the Glory and Honour of the Nations into it From whence it is very plain that the New Jerusalem was to be a City on Earth But now in Rev. xxii 3. The Throne of God and the Lamb is said to be in the New Jerusalem which Throne of God and the Lamb is the same with that we are speaking of as will appear from Rev. v. 6. where the Lamb is represented in the midst of it And therefore the Throne we speak of is an Earthly Throne as being in an Earthly City 8. Lastly For fail Dr. M. himself against whom I unwillingly dispute all this while confesses the 24 Elders to be a Type of our Noble Reformers i.e. of Mortals See his Apoc. Apocalypseos upon Rev. xi 16. whence it follows That the Throne about which they are represented in the Vision must be a Type of an Earthly Throne Nay and even this the Doctor has asserted too tho he now seem to have forgotten it or else what mean those words of his upon Rev. vii 9. After this I beheld and lo a great multitude which no Man could number of all Nations and Kindreds and People and Tongues stood before the Throne and before the Lamb. Namely says the Doctor before the Throne above viz. in Chap. iv v. described in Heaven For John he adds is supposed to see all these Visions in Heaven tho they concern things here on Earth Of which words the plain meaning is That altho the Vision represents these things in Heaven yet they are to be fulfill'd in things on Earth And what is this but to grant that the Throne seen in Heaven in the Type is in the Antitype an Earthly Throne And so much for proof that by the Throne Rev. iv v. is meant an Earthly Throne I shall therefore conclude this Point with a further Illustration of it taken from that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is easie to be observ'd between the Sitter on the Throne we speak of and the Dragon with Seven Heads and Ten Horns described Rev. xii Concerning which Dragon it is confest by Mr. Mede Dr. More and all the best Interpreters that thereby are meant the Pagan Persecuting Emperours of Rome the profest Enemies and Opposers of the Church of Christ Notwithstanding which consent of Interpreters the Holy Spirit himself tells us at ver 9. that this Dragon is the Devil and Satan And yet the Prophecy mentions but one such Seven-headed Dragon neither So that it must necessarily follow according to them and indeed according to the truth it self that by the Dragon is represented both the Pagan Emperours as Instruments and Satan as the prime mover of them by whose Instigation and Assistance they became so active in endeavouring the Churches Ruine The Emperours were the visible Dragon actuated and set on work by Satan the invisible The Reddition or Application of this to the Sitter on the Throne is obvious For by Interpreting the Sitter on the Throne to be a King notwithstanding that the Prophecy sets him forth as God I do no more make two Sitters on the Throne then they who expound the Dragon to be a King notwithstanding that he is said to be the Devil make two Dragons And as the things spoken of the Dragon there are applicable to Satan as the prime Mover but to the Emperours as his Instruments so the things spoken of the Sitter on the Throne are applicable to God as the first and principal Cause of all and to Men employed by him in the Service only as Instruments and second Causes And I would fain know whether the nature of the opposite Relation that there is between two Princes the one a violent Persecutor and profest Enemy of the Church and the other as zealous a Defender of it do not oblige that as the one is represented like the Devil and Satan whose work he does so the other should be represented like God whose Image Instrument and Representative on Earth he is According as we find Interpreters to agree in the Exposition of the Man-child said to be caught up to God and to his Throne Rev. xii 5. for they expound it generally of Constantine the Great as I took notice before And if other Scriptures are found to flie so high in the setting forth of Kings as to call them Gods much more may we expect them to be describ'd as such in this Book of the Revelation which must be confest for loftiness of Expression to exceed all others in the Sacred Volume FINIS