the Jews did poyson this dart so in Pilates sight and hearing that either it must kill Christ or greatly hazard Pilate after many clearings of Christ and offers to release him and propounding him or Barabbas a notorious offendor that Christ might escape which when he failed in he would know what he should do with the King of the Jews Yea when he had scourged Christ and suffered the Souldiers shamefully to abuse him as a King in scorn putting on him a Scarlet Robe a Crown of Thornes a Reed for a Scepter in his hand bowing the knee in mockage crying Hail King of the Jews and according to his wives admonition from her dreams and his own conviction to have freed Christ and lets the Souldiers bring him before the Jews in that garbe saying himself Behold the man as thinking probably all this would satisfie since he was innocent and knowing for envy they did accuse him as Mar. 15.10 Yet at last by that poysoned dart I say they would strike home If thou let this man go thou art not Cesars friend for whosoever makes himself a King speakethagainst Cesar and yet after that he bad them Behold their King and when they cryed Crucifie him He urges Shall I crucifie your King And when he was enforced still upon his Loyalty to Cesar and to avoid tumult having washed his hands as guiltless of Christs blood and the Jews taking it upon themselves and their children he delivered him to be crucified But after all to witness to all the world what Christ was and what was the accusation that carried the cause Mar. 15.26 against him First Pilate is over-ruled by God to write his Title in Greek and Latine and Hebrew Luk. 23.36 This is the King of the Jews as if the successions of the Greek Latine and Heorew Churches in order might read and acknowledge it till he took his Kingdom And when the Jews envied this â—itle and would have Pilate write He said I am God over-rules again and Pilate resolutely refuses with what I have written I have written and observe Pilate was too much convinced and netled and galld to mock in the matâ—â—er of that Title as a the other persecuters then did whom therein he did not then seek to please but resist c. And happily that earnest enforcement of that truth as our Saviour said to him before Joh. 18.37 when Pilate perceived that though he was not a worldly King yet he would not deny himself to be a King He thereupon urges him further in that respect Art thou a King then saith Pilate he Answereth with such a double asseveration and as if this was the main thing he had now to bear witness to and a main cause of his coming into the world saying For this end was I born and for this end came I into the world to bear witness to the truth which seems to be mainly the truth that he was a King and that of Israel us afterwards the Priests Scribes and Elders at the Cross called him Mat. 27.42 and King of the Jews as the Souldiers likewise then mocked vers 44. And after that above all not to insist upon many other passages take notice here of that wonderful Confessor if not first Martyr of and with Christ the formerly infamous but since famous good thief that when the world sought to cast the greatest ignominy and contempt upon Christ he most of all to their faces set forth his honour and even then by putting forth his right hand of a true faith upon the Cross to lay hold upon his last and best booty to steal unexpectedly the Kingdom of Heaven condemnes then both himself and his fellow-thief and the wicked world which condemned and crucified our Saviour and King in the lowest dejection of his present condition acknowledging then Christs Soveraignty and right to his Kingdom and power to give it to others yea even to himself when he was so vile and miserable in other respects saying Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom happily he had been before a well principled Jew but had for a time with-held the truth in unrighteousness but now by grace such good education breaketh forth with light of truth and comfort in him and he looks for no less then a Kingdom at the hands of a crucified Saviour and Soveraign here was a glory above the wonted brightness of the Sun when the Sun himself for shame hid his face in darkness from the then darkned and spiritually hardened world Thus the Kingly glory of Christ was even then so held out by the Spirit of power to the saith of Gods people so that from the first humiliation of Christ at his birth and even conception too all along to the very hour of his death his Kingly excellency was strongly attested by all sorts of Angels and men young and old high and low good and bad Creatour and creatures in Heaven and Earth the star at his birth the sun at his death the Rocks the Earth the Vale of the Temple the dead Saints that slept and rose again and went into the holy City Jews and Heathens enemies and friends what evidence in all respects could be more glorious in such an ebbe of seeming dejection of the true Son of God the true King of Israel till by his glorious conquest over sin death and Hell whereby it was impossible for him any longer to be held under he wonderfully at his resurrection declared himself to be a most powerful King and that all-conquering King that will set up his Kingdom in the world when he will yet further make his enemies to feel his Kingly power by making them his foot-stool as his Father had promised after the set time of his sitting at his â—ight hand when that shall be fulfilled Psa 110. th at he may triumph with his people in his glorious raign according to the promises and covenant made unto the Fore-fathers and recorded by the holy Prophets since the world began And once more after his resurrection he once again to his Disciples implyes no less having finished almost the forty days in speaking to them of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God Acts 1.3 when they would know of him whether at that time he would restore the Kingdom to Israel though he repels their curiosity in respect of the time which God then kept in his own power to make known verse 7. that it was not for them to know the time then yet he doth not at all gainsay the thing but in the next verse he shews they should receive power by the Holy Ghost which accordingly they did in that particular as appeared in James Peter Jude then in Paul being converted and last of all he gave to St. John the Revelation of things to come to the end of the world he sets down in the due place in the series of times ensuing when that his Kingdom should be set up namely under or af-the seventh Trumpet and in that
divided the land of Canaan in the 50. Jubilee from the Creation which was 2500. years that is 50. times 50. 2. Again saith he when the Jews returned from Babylon after 70. years Captivity it was the 70. Jubilee which was 3500. years that is 20. times 50. or 10. hundreds Again concerning the New Testament times saith he as aptly again in breif the seventh Seal and the seventh Trumpet of that seventh Seal and the seventh Vial falling under that seventh Trumpet brings us to the seventh Millenary or great Sabbatisme of the Saints with Christ in the thousand years as 't is called Heb. 4.9 Again secondly more particularly when Nebuchadnezzar had obtained the Monarchy of Babylon then in a dream is presented to him the Image of four Mettals setting forth the four Kingdoms or Monarchies whereof he was the first the head of gold Dan. 2. after Daniel Chap. 7. hath a Vision of four Beasts signifying the same Kingdoms succeeding each other But the Babylonian Monarchy of gold about 70. years after ended in the death of Belshazzar and Cyrus his taking of Babylon when began the Persian Monarchy of the silver Armes and Breast about the 3390th year of the world according to Helvicus which continued 230. years to the year 3620. Whereupon begun the Grecian Monarchy upon the speedy conquest of Alexander the Great which held according to the said Author 280. years reaching to the year of the world 3900 when began the Roman of the Iron Legs with Feet and Toes of Iron and Clay which last denoted the state thereof in the Popes time which Roman Empire began about 47. years before Christs birth who was born saith the same Author the 3947. year of the world But thirdly From Christs Nativity the account is more certain 1. The Dragons casting down when Constantine the Great set up the Christian Religion in the room of Heathenish Idolatry in the Roman Empire about the year of Christ 312. or 320. as some conceive and from thence to the beginning of the date of the Beast Vide Excid Antichrist whilest the Barbarous Nations broke in pieces the Western Empire about 80. years or more when soon after the beginning of the fourth Century it is conceived the twofold Beasts 42. mouths Rev. 13. began together with the 10. Crowned Horns at one hour Rev. 17. both in the Western Empire But in the East about the 600. year of Christ the Saracens pushed at the Roman Empire in the East as was foretold Dan. 11.40 called there the King of the South And about the year 1300. the King of the North the Turk overflowed all with his multitudes and though Edom Moab and Ammon escaped in Arabia Petrea being a great shelter to the Jews v. 41. as Mr. Mede observes yet though Egypt long by the Mamalacks held out they were at last subdued and at his steps as ver 42 43. about the year of Christ 1517. and that only remains to the Turk to hear tidings to trouble him out of the East probably from the Jews seeking to get their own Country and out of the North which happily may be of the Israelites from Assyria lying North of Judea upon the like design whom in rage the Turk will go to resist in the glorious holy mountain but he shall certainly come to his end and none shall help him ver 44 45. to be executed about the sounding of the seventh trumpet Rev. 11.15 But as for the Pope's 42. months the same time with the Womans time times and half a time in her wilderness condition and with the two witnesses Rev. 11. their 1260. days of years their beginning with his is reckoned about the 406. year of Christ or 110. as some conceive In his viz. the Popes or Beasts said date there are considerable 1. His rise 2. His reign 3. His ruin 1. His rise to the great darkness of Popery towards the 11. Century till the Berengarians and Waldenses discovered him above 600. years 2. His reign whilst he prevailed in his Wars and Massacres against the Waldensian Germane and French Churches above 400. years more 3. The time of his ruin since he hath begun to fall by the hand of God according to his word and though he hath been killing the witnesses for considerable time successively yet at last by killing the finishing witnesses after 3. days of years and an half they rising his great ruin comes on eminently to be finished at the pouring out of the vial of the seventh Angel Whereupon ensueth the glorious Kingdom of Christ reigning eminently with his Saints on earth the thousand years The PREFACE Containing many instances whereby it hath appeared how backward many if not the most of Gods people have been to beleive the accomplishment of the great things that have been promised by God and for long time beleived and expected by his people till near the time of their accomplishment all which notwithstand God hath fulfilled both in the Old and New Testament as is still likely so to be in the great things remaining hereafter to done for the true invisible Church till the mystery of God shall be finished With an intimation how wily and watchful Satan hath been is and it may be expected in these things remaining he will still be more so in opposing and perverting the Doctrine of Christs Reign approaching as knowing that thereby his own Dominion will be utterly cast down THE PREFACE To my late well known and well approved Friends and Brethren B. D. F. K. N. S. T. A. P. I. O. C. increase of faith truth and consolation from him that sits upon the throne from the Lamb that was slain and from the seven spirits before the throne Amen My well beloved Brethren in the Lord IT hath all along seemed remarkable that in the great Revolutions of Divine Providence when great things have been drawing on to be acted for the good of Gods Church though they have been foretold and promised yet at the time of their accomplishment they have been usually by many of God people little expected if not gainsay'd and opposed by most When the 430. years preceding Israels return out of Egypt which God had foreshewed to Abraham were towards their expiration the Israelites would not take notice that God would by the hand of Moses deliver them and even when the time was almost fully come that God should deliver them out of that Egyptian bondage so long as Pharaoh was able to resist they were frequently out of heart and complained against Moses and Aaron and yet upon the self same day from the promise to Abraham wherein the said 430. years were expired the Children of Israel were actually delivered Exod. 12.41 And after that all the while they were in the Wilderness how often upon how many occasions did the most of them turn back in their hearts as the Psalmist speaketh into Egypt and by their renewed rebellion so provoked God that he sware in his wrath against that generation that they
1. In their falling down shewing their humble subjection 2. In their worship their sincere affection to the glorious object Him that lives for ever So that in this Cap. there is an excellent testimony of Jesus set forth by the spirit of Prophesie being the main substance and scope of New Testament Doctrine as in the Gospels are excellently set forth whereunto the Lamb as it were slain hath reference being eternally slain in the Fathers decree but then actually slain in due time and yet alive again and was but as it had been slain being the All-sufficient Mediator that had conquered Sin Death and Hell and had perfect power and providence over all the earth but by his Divine Spirit holily and wisely ordering all for the good of his universal true invisible Church and so according to his glorious excellency hath thence forward both the said Testimony and Spirit of Prophesie and power to reveal and execute all the holy pleasure of his Father in what remaineth to be accomplished upon the earth to the end namely in revealing and fulfilling all things contained in the Book of * The Book given to the Lamb to look into and to open the Seales thereof viz. The Book of Revelations is diversly apprehended by severall persons some describing it as a book bound containing many folio's or pages and yet to have seals upon it closing it up Others more probably to be a Volume or Roule containing the Prophesies of many things to be unfolded successively in order being one rouled upon another and on the outside to have 7 seals hanging down each by other as on 7 labels but it may seem rather probable they were 7 narrow Scrowls each one sealed down at the end upon the Roul one by another in the length of the Roul to hold it together till all the said 7 seals were loosed and that at the loosing of each seal the contents of each Seal-prophesie was made known thereupon successively but when the last was loused in what part soever of the length of the roul it was upon the taking of that came off the larger Volume of the 7 Trumpets which so proceeded out of the seventh seal being thenceforth loosened to be unfolded successively from the whole length the roul which in such case must needs greatly abate the bigness of the Book or Volume as first delivered to Christ the Lamb and thereupon the remainder of the same book might well be stilled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little book in the Angels hand c. 10. which was open not sealed as before which St. John was afterwards bidden to take and eat up whereupon he was enabled from that Book-prophesie to set down what concerned the affairs of the Ceurch more especially begining at the same time with the first Seal-prophesie all along to the end of the world contained in Chapter 12. and so forward to the close of the Book Revelation in two distinct Prophesies through all times both first in the Seal-Prophesie of State matters respecting the Roman Empire in chap. 6 8 9 and 11. some things to ver 15. respecting both Church and State And secondly Of the Book-prophesie chap. 12. concerning the Church affairs to the end of the Book which was in the hand of the Angel Rev. 10. 1. Concerning the Seal-prophesie in chap. 6. are contained the six first seals containing all to be done in the first three hundred years till the woman in travel obtain'd a man-child from God to wit Constantine the Great the famous Christian Emperor after all those ten throws of persecution while Michael the Dragon fought hand to hand as it were whether the Devils religion of heathenish Idolatry or Christs true Religion should prevail and out of the seventh Seal proceeded the seven Trumpets containing all time succeeding both the interim untill Antichrist arose and his time and times and half a time or forty two moneths took place wherein as Christ in the first Seal rode upon a white horse and by the preaching of the Gospel went on conquering by bringing in the faâ—thful to the Gospel thereby so to conquer afterwards all his enemies by the red black and pale horse and other judgements to subdue his enemies successively and in the three first Trumpets took away the very seat and mansion of the Dragon that he that till that time letted might be taken out of the way that Antichrist might come in his room as the Apostle Paul foretold 2 Thess 2.7 But from the time Antichrists forty two moneths begun to the end of the sixth Trumpet or the second woe we have the fourth Trumpet proceeding in the ruine of the Empire in the West and the fifth Trumpet is the beginning of the ruine of it in the East cap. 10. by the Mahumetan Saracens those locusts out of the bottomless pit hurting all but the green fruits sealed to be preserved from that first wo Trumpet as was foreshewed chap. 7. who destroyed one half of the Eastern Empire and after the other Mahumetan Locusts under the sixth Trumpet namely the Turks took away the other part of the Eastern Empire whose 396 years are not yet expired till the end of the sixth Trumpet and the second woe as is said Rev. 11.14 which is to be at the rising again and the ascention of the Witnesses And from ver 15. of the 11. chap. is a brief comprisal of the seventh Trumpet to the end of the Seal-prophesie which ends all time yet in the first part of that 11. chap. is contained a Cronological Table having reference to both the Seal-prophesie and the Book-prophesie in the Angels hand Rev. 10.2 which begins again chap. 12. and so forward to the end But here first observe the table of all the times of both Prophesies Rev. 11. where the first verse hath reference to the primitive times when the Temple and the Altar and they that worshipped therein were regular and measured Verse 2. contains the time of Antichrist set forth by the Court without to be left to the Gentilizing Papists to be trodden under foot 42 moneths From that Verse to the 14. is the contemporary two Witnesses prophecying in sackcloth to the finishing of their testimony and last great killing and resurrection at the end of the aforesaid second Woe and beginning of the said seventh Trumpet to the end of the chapter But the second or Book-Prophesie in the Angels hand Chap. 10.2 contains all the former times in the Seal-Prophesie and to end at the same Period going over them again begins at Chap. 12. wherein was again contained what is given to Christ the Lamb to reveal and execute in reference to the affairs of the Church In Chap. 12. are contained chiefly in that respect the state of the true Church in the primative times before Antichrist arose both in regard of her primative glory and the rage of the Dragon against her till her flight into the Wilderness to be fed there by the two said Witnesses in
Sack-cloth for a time and times and half a time In Chap. 13. We have the description of the false Apostatical Church from about Anno. 406. as is probably conceived from Honorius the Emperor and Pope Innocent the first his time set forth in a twofold beast wherein Antichrist and his followers are vers 1. described in their politique capacity as taking possession of the seat of the Roman Emperour in the West into which when the Dragon who was before dipossessed cunningly winds in that his substitute the Beast giving his power and place unto him under a new shape of Idolatry and so he riseth out of the Sea having seven heads and ten horns expounded Cap. 17. having upon his horns ten crowns and upon his head the name of Blasphemy By the other Beast vers 11. he is set forth in his Ecclesiastical capacity making up one body with his Clergy so he is said to come out of the Earth of an earthly constitution having two horns of power Ecclesiastick and Civil like a Lamb but speaks like a Dragon But concerning the twofold Beast Christ the mighty Angel described Chap. 10.1 when he gave the Book to John containing the Beasts forty two moneths speaks vers 6.7 that his time should be no longer And to that end had his two Sack-cloth Witnesses prepared Cap. 11. The Pastours to feed the woman in her wilderness-condition 1260. days of years whom in a seeming disgraceful manner he sets up against this great Beast which in appearance is maxime impar congressus they being contemptible in the worlds eye and yet lets them know they should have all along such power that they shall by the spirit of Prophesie overcome the Beast with all his worldly grandure and greatness and by suffering and dying after the Lambs example at last totally and finally overcome him And yet all the while that false Antichristian Apostatical Church of spiritual Babylon that scarlet whore described Rev. 17. Sits as a Queen not onely bewitching the Christian world with her Sorceries but also making the Kings of the earth drunk with the cup of her spiritual fornications the true Church though in a wilderness-condition yet continues to sing a new song on Mount Sion with the Lamb and to follow him where ever he goeth while the destroying Angels by their judgments surprize the Whore Chap. 14. And therefore while the Whore in all her gay gaudery promiseth her self security that she should see no sorrow Christ hath his seven Angels with their seven last plagues or Viale to be poured out upon her bringing her inevitable destruction by degrees upon what ever was of worth in her accompt even to destroy the Kingdom Throne and Empire of the Beast and even to make those Kings which the Scarlet Whore riding upon the Beast had before made drunken to hate the Whore and make her desolate and naked and eat her flesh and burn her with fire And lastly as a mighty Conquerour Rev. 19. Christ overthrows in the Armagedon Battel all the Hosts of the Dragons substitute and possesseth his Empire there and in all other the Dragons dominious besides and casts the Beast and the False Prophet the Pope and his counsel into the Lake of fire and brimstone and then as the most puissant King of Kings and Lord of Lords lays hold on the Dragon Rev. 20. and binds him likewise with a great Chain and shuts him in his Dungeon the bottomless pit And sets up his own Kingdom Dominion and Soveraignty generally over all persons places and times of the seventh Trumpet and thousand years wherein by his word he declares he will reign with his Saints upon earth Rev. 11.15 and 19.20 where again all time will end And in this last period are set forth as Synchronals the binding of Satan the raign of Christ with his Saints a thousand years on earth The new Heavens and new Earth for the same space of time and the Tabernacle of God with men The new Jerusalem The pure River of water of life and the tree of life bearing the twelve manner of fruits whose leaves are for the healing of the Nations All which are to be during that happy time when the Kingdomes of the world are said to be the Kingdoms of our God and of his Christ as was expressed Chap. 11.15 And when the Lord God omnipotent reigneth as the great multitude of his servants are taught out of the Throne to praise him so enlargedly Chap. 19.5 6. For as we noted before in all the Book of the Revelations where things are not said to succeed one another as the Seals Trumpets and Viols but one Table of Chronology is assigned to them all such distinct Visions are contemporaries as all that concerned the true and false Church in Antichrists time have the same measure though diversly computed by moneths days a time times and half So all these Visions under or rather after the seventh Trumpet have one Chronogical Table to compute their time viz. a thousand years all which particulars being by Christs special order so strongly asserted by the Angel and the antient and latter Prophets as earnestly called in for evidence hereunto for the stablishment of the Faith of Gods people herein since he the Lamb that had power to reveal them to his beloved Disciple Saint John hath likewise power to execute and fulfil them in their seasons till all be done which in his Office of Mediatorship is committed to him having therefore seven horns and seven eyes which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth whereby with his perfect wisdom and providence he will accomplish all that his undertaking Which Synchronismes in the last Period according to Mr. Mede in his Clavis Apocalyptiea are as a guiding thread which who so taketh and humbly and faithfully useth may greatly through grace be helped in passing through many otherwise inextricable labyrinths in many dark passages of this book for in this last period the said Mr. Mede hath gone contrary to the stream of Exposituours for many hundreds of years as others since him have done wherein for the substance there seems to be much clearness though the mysteries therein comprised are very high and intricate which in the ensuing and now neer approaching times will doubtless be much unfolded when the mystery of God shall be finished at the beginning of the sounding of the seventh Angel Chap. 10.7 and when likewise Gods Temple shall be opened in Heaven and there shall be seen in his Temple the Ark of his Testament Chap. 11.19 Now seeing in regard of all Christs other actings past since his taking of the book of Revelation at his Fathers hand they have been mystically and spiritually executed though all most really and powerfully so I conceive the mystical manner of understanding his reign on earth the thousand years As I then apprehended seems in regard of the Symetry proportion and suitableness to what hath already been done is here to be understood