notwithstanding with the Prophets of God and therefore is called Propheticall as Ezekiel a day for a yeare and Daniels Ezek. 4. 6. Dan. 9. 24. seuentie weekes are weekes of yeares euery weeke containing seuen yeares as throughout this prophecie Also the months are months of yeares to euery month accounting thirtie yeares From whence we conclude Antichrists three yeares and a halfe both here and in Daniel deciphered by a time times and half a time to be yeares of yeares euery yeare containing twelue moneths of yeares which amount to 360 yeares and multiplied by three and a halfe do in the totall amount to 1260 yeares And to the end the world may take better notice of these his two testifiers and preseruers of truth the Lord commendeth the knowledge of the parties by the description of their garments in saying they are cloathed in sackcloth thereby not onely disseuering their testimonies from all the soft and courtly commentaries of flesh and blood which for the most are raised with infected matter and vested with affected stile but also teaching vs that no man can retaine to the Lord before whom they minister vnlesse he serue in the same liuery that they doe and can turne ouer the leaues of his life and pilgrimage in fasting and sackcloth and true repentance as these his seruants the Prophets and Saints haue done Verse 4. These are the two oliue branches and the two candlesticks which stand in the presence of the Lord of the earth ANd these my two Testaments are those two oliue trees saith the Lord described by my Prophet Zechary which stand and fructifie before the Ruler of the earth for euer and euer For their leafe that is to say their word and iudgements shall neither wither nor fade though heauen and earth should perish and melt away And they are also two candlesticks which carry in them the light of my truth and power of my Spirit the great moderator of heauen and earth Verse 5. And if any man will hurt them fire shall come forth of their mouth and deuoure their enemies and if any man shall hurt them so must he be slaine ANd if any man shal wrest their word from the aime intention of their meaning saith the Lord or turne their prophecie out of the way by peruerting or clipping the honour or purpose of their word the fire of my wrath denounced by the mouth of these my two testaments for though they be two yet they haue but one mouth shall surely iudge and execute those louers and makers of lies and for the more assurance of this sentence against them the Lord doth iterate the curse and vengeance of his heauy displeasure saying And if any man will hurt them so must he be slaine meaning I say by hurting all maner diminishing of the words of their testimonie by false blasphemous and lying expositions as some haue done Verse 6. These haue power to shut heauen that it raine not in the dayes of their prophecie and they haue power ouer the waters to turne them into blood and to smite the earth with all maner of plagues so often as they will FOr the Lord hath touched the mouth of these his two Prophets as he did the mouth of Ieremie and the rest of his seruants of whom he saith Behold this day haue I set thee ouer nations and ouer kingdomes to plucke vp roote out destroy and throw downe build and plant and in another place Therefore haue I cut them downe by my Prophets and slaine them by the words of my mouth Such priuiledge the Lord hath giuen to these his two Testaments that if they once shut the heauens that it raine not in the dayes of their prophecie that is to say if they denounce a famine of the bread of life to wit the word and knowledge of God or pronounce a sword to come vpon a nation kingdom or people which the Lord here signifieth by turning waters into blood or if it pleaseth them to prophesie which the Lord here calleth to strike of any pestilence earthquake or other iudgement to come such power is giuen them that if they say the word it is done as it is written Heauen and earth shall perish but the words of their prophecie shall not passe till all be fulfilled Verse 7. And when they shall haue finished their testimonieâ— the Beast which ascendeth from the depth shall wage battell against them and kill them ANd when his seruants the Prophets and Apostles shal haue fulfilled their course and be translated from the land of their labours to the land of rest leauing to the world the inheritance as it were of their ministery sealed vp in the two Testaments of God to preserue the feare of his name and the knowledge of his pleasure among the sonnes of men which the holy Ghost calleth finishing their testimonie Antichrist the Beast whose proper place whence he is and whither he must is here described by the name of the depth shall not onely hurt and wound them by slanderous lying expositions as his Clerks and Assects do but shall set his feet vpon their necks and tread downe their diuine authoritie by the aduancing of his cursed keyes and the beautie of his whorish Church aboue them which the Spirit calleth waging battell inhibiting them to prophecie or teach the words of their testimonie vulgarly And not onely putting them to silence but also reprouing condemning them for corrupters seducers and sowers of heresies among the people which presumptuous blasphemie and murder the Spirit discouereth in saying that he shall ouercome them and kill them Verse 8. And their carkeises shall remaine in the streete of the great Citie which is spiritually called Sodome and Egypt where their Lord also was crucified ANd the letter or text of their testimonie which the Spirit calleth their corps or carkeises shall remaine in their houses Cels Temples hang at their girdles through all the cities and kingdomes where the Beast and his Church is adored which in regard of their number be here named the great Citie so in respect of their execrable worship and adulterous seruice contrary to God and his holy Citie they are here called also spiritually Sodome meaning that as Sodome her sister did forsake the lawfull vse and prescription of nature and wrought filthinesse against nature so these loathing truth and louing lyes should erect strange oblations and propitiations as contrary to the offerings and satisfactions of the Saints as was the sinne of Sodome opposite to nature And the Spirit further calleth them by the name of Egypt for that in blindnes and hardnes of heart they euery way match the presumptuous and indurate Egyptians still pursuing and persecuting the truth as Pharaoh did Israel till the God of Israel destroy them by the Spirit of his mouth as he did Pharaoh and his hoast by water And in further detestation of the cruel murder and immanitie of this Beast and his adherents the holy Ghost layeth the blood
his accomplices against the Church and Spouse of Christ that so the glory of his iustice in their iust condemnation and iudgement may be more bright and manifest CHAP. XII 1. A confirmation of the prophecie following 2. The description of the Church and of her first fruit 4. The Churches first persecution raised by Ethnicke Rome by whose immanitie it came to passe that her beautie was no more seene in her visible and eminent graces but liued here and there dispersed and scattered ouer the face of the earth 8. The great battell betweene Christianisme and Paganisme Christ and his truth ouercommeth Iupiter and his prophanation 18. The Empire remoueth his Throne pretending to stop the floate of the enemie but intending to roote out the dispersed remnant of the Church Verse 1. And the Temple of God was opened in heauen and the Arke of his Couenant was seene in his Temple and there was made lightnings voices thunders earthquakes and great haile THE Apostle hauing drawne in the former part of this prophecie a slight draught as it were and designement of Antichrist doth now in the prophecie following revisit and perfect the discouery of the Beast and hang him vp to the view and discerning of heauen and earth And to the end that this his work of manifestation may carry in it faire and vncontrollable credit the Apostle in this verse assureth vs that he reuealeth no other word concerning the Church her pressours here on earth during the personal absence of her Lord then that which he heard at the Councel table of God which he deliuereth in a maner of speech vsuall with the Prophets And the Temple of God was opened in heauen and the Arke of his couenant was seene in the Temple alluding to the Temple of Ierusalem and signifying thereunder that the words of this his Reuelation are no lesse sooth and true then if he had receiued them from the Oracle of God which spake from ouer the Arke of his testament within the Temple of Ierusalem whose words and answers for their diuinitie maiestie power and glorie are here as elsewhere figured by voices proper to God and not to man as lightnings thunders earthquakes and haile Verse 2. And a great signe appeared in heauen a woman cloathed with the Sunne and the Moone vnder her feete and on her head a crowne of twelue starres BVt before the Spirit takes in hand to discouer the persecuters of the Church it pleaseth him first to describe the Church it selfe that so the barbarous immanitie of her enemies may be more apparent and iustly abhorred being vsed against a creature of such virginal innocent and patient modestie who for her rare and admirable beauty is here called a great signe or heauenly apparition symbolizing her fearfull modest sober and matronlike behauiour with the appellation and qualitie of a woman for so she is in holy Scriptures often called the fairest woman the Kings daughter daughter of Sion daughter of Ierusalem the Spouse of Christ Mother of the iust c. And to the end she may the better be discerned of vs the Apostle describeth her garments and wearing saying she was cloathed with the Sun meaning that she had put on the Lord Iesus Sonne of iustice that is to say her soule was vested with an assurance of the mercie and loue of God in Christ Iesus her Lord which iustice or iustification of the Spouse and her children is called in holy Scripture by way of metaphor the white stone and the wedding garment For as a stoale or garment couereth the shame and nakednes of our vile bodies so the mercy and loue of God insured vs in Christ Iesus our Lord hideth the shame and nakednesse of our sinfull soules And to proue that her garment was truly wouen of the two diuine threds to wit the assurance of mercie the assurance of loue in Christ Iesus her Lord the Spirit giueth in for euidence the fruits of this her liuely and iustificall faith closely hiding her newnesse of life her hatred of sinne and her loue of God as vnder a vaile in these words And the Moone vnder her feet signifying thereby that she had now quite forsaken forgotten her fathers house that is had slaine her naturall sinfull and wonted affections and was reuiued and renewed in mind and with her Lord was now risen and ascended vp as he into the heauen of heauens so she to a new custome and cariage of life far aboue and higher then the Moone for all her study and hearts delight was now in heauen where her hope her loue her life and her dearest Lord liueth reigneth God to be praised for euer and euer Amen Last of all the Spirit setteth forth her head attire whereby her honour and estate was best knowne and wherein she most delighted saying that she wore on her head a crowne made of a mettall much finer then gold for it was made of the doctrine of the twelue Apostles who for that they are the Lords lights and lanternes to guide the feet of sinners when sinne hath benighted them are here called by the names of Starres And on her head a crowne of twelue starres Verse 3. And being great with child she cried trauelling and labouring to be deliuered ANd by the words which her eares receiued her heart conceiued and she was great with feare and godly sorrow trauelling vnder the burthen of her sinnes and restlesse desire to be reconciled to God which anguish and paines of her sorrowful heart and broken spirit the Apostle most excellently compareth to the sorrowes of a woman in trauell In which her spiritual labour and paine she could by no meanes be relieued or eased vntill her Lord were fashioned in her that is vntill her heart were sanctified by faith for no Treacle could heale her miserable wounded soule but the assurance of mercie onely nor any water could quench the burning flames of her restlesse desire but the loue of God onely insured her in Christ Iesus her Lord and written in the fleshly tables of her heart by the finger of God according to his promise his first and last and euerlasting couenant Verse 4. And another signe appeared in heauen for loe a great red Dragon hauing seuen heads and ten hornes and on his heads seuen diadems AS night doth follow day and the shadow the body so must the Crosse follow Christ and affliction his Church whose Sunne could no sooner shine but the enuious man raised vp a mightie storme of persecution to cloud the brightnesse of her beautiful beames which for the extraordinary furie thereof the Apostle calleth a wonder or signe meaning the Churches first and primitiue persecution raised by Ethnik Rome who for his power immanitie and malice to the Church of God is here called a great red Dragon and both for that his Throne and Citie was seated on seuen hils as also for that he was in all impietie pride and prophanation the totall summe and epitome as it were
the wals of Ierusalem and to restore the morning and the euening sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing as in the former time and in the dayes of old in saying And the rest were cast into a feare and gaue glorie to the God of heauen Verse 14. The second woe is gone and behold the third woe will come quickly THe first woe was the blasphemie of Arianisme which the holy Ghost in the ninth Chapter most aptly resembleth vnto a smoake ascending from the depth saying that the Sunne was darkened and the aire with the smoake of the pit meaby the Sunne the Sonne of God and by the aire the word of his truth by whose onely meane and interposition the obiect of his Deitie was truly discerned and in regard of this first woe which was kindled by Arius wherewith the inhabitants of the earth as the Spirit foretold vs should be tormented fiue moneths meaning moneths of yeares which by propheticall account amounteth to one hundred and fiftie yeares which was the time of the Arian persecution as in the Ecclesiasticall histories more plainly appeareth The holy Ghost I say in regard of this first woe calleth the tragicall reigne of Antichrist the second woe whose long time of tyrannie within this Chapter in a generall maner is declared and in the thirteenth Chapter following more particularly and exactly discouered though at the writing of this prophecie it had his being only in the foreknowledge of God and was not yet begun to be acted much lesse fully ended yet in respect it is here in a generall maner fully reuealed the Lord to whom all things past and to come are present saith the second woe is gone vpon determination whereof the third woe must ensue which for it surpasseth both the former in terror and greatnesse the holy Ghost bringeth it in with a word of audience Behold the third woe will come meaning the great and terrible day of the Lord fore denounced by his seruants the Prophets in the which all nations shall stand as prisoners before him and receiue euery one according to the wayes wherein their heart hath walked And because the day of the Lords coming in glorie and consummation of the world shall not long tarry after the determination and consumption of Antichrist as in the last verse of the thirteenth Chapter following shall be more fully declared the holy Ghost addeth the word quickly as a precise note of his speedie coming which our Lord also in another place confirmeth by a like word immediatly saying And immediatly after the tribulation of those dayes speaking of Math. 24. the tyrannous reigne of the selfe same Antichrist they shall see the Sonne of man coming in the clouds of the aire Verse 15. And the seuenth Angell sounded with a Trumpet and there were made loud voices in heauen saying The kingdomes of this world are made our Lords and his Christs and he shal reigne for euer and euer Amen THe vnderstanding of this verse dependeth vpon the eighth Chapter where it is said And when he had opened the seuenth seale there was made silence in heauen c. and I saw seuen Angels stand in the sight of God and there were giuen them seuen trumpets c. where the holy Ghost meaneth by the Lamb the Sonne of God and by opening the seuenth seale a more particular discouery of all such things as concerne the estate of his Church from his ascension to his comming in maiestie diuided into seuen acts declared by seuen trumpets sounded by seuen Angels of which acts the sixt was the pageant of the desolation of Antichrist the seuenth and last is the coming of the Lord in the clouds of heauen and consummation of the world vttered in these words And the seuenth Angell sounded with a trumpet and with a loud voice proclaimed the kingdome of this world so long time vsurped by Monarks and Antichrists which by right of Lordship and inheritance did euermore belong to the God of heauen and Prince of the Couenant shall now at length be restored to the right Lord and lawfull owner and of his reigne dominion and glorie there shall be no end as the Spirit concludeth saying And he shall reigne for euer and euer Amen Verse 16. And the foure and twenty Elders which sate on their seates in the sight of God fell on their faces and adoring God said We thank thee Lord God omnipotent which art which wast and which shall come because thou hast receiued thy great power and brightnesse BY the foure and twenty Elders is meant the testimonie of Moses and the Prophets who for that they spake by the seuen fold Spirit of maiestie which burneth night and day about the throne of God are here said to sit on their seates in the sight of God And for that their iudgements denounced frō time to time against Antichrist and his worshippers are now iustified vpon them and the euerlasting kingdome of the Lord their God who hath stretched his wings from sea to sea and from the Riuer to the end of lands is now set vp for euermore therefore the Spirit saith that they fell on their faces and adoring the iustification of God brake foorth in praises and thanksgiuing saying We thanke thee Lord God omnipotent c. Verse 17. And the Gentiles were angrie and thy wrath is come and the time of the dead to be iudged and to render reward to thy seruants the Prophets and Saints and to them that feare thy name litle and great and to destroy them that haue corrupted the earth ANd all kingdomes nations and people which haue euill intreated Ierusalem and made a sport of the shame and affliction of Iacob shal now reap the fruit of their sauage heathenish liues and mauger their furie shall endure the wrath and iudgement of him who with iustice iudgeth and fighteth as the Spirit affirmeth saying And the Gentiles were angrie and thy wrath is come and the time of the dead to be iudged And the Spitit further testifieth that the Lord for whose glorie that day is made shall render to euery one their due hire or wages for so the originall importeth commonly interpreted reward first to his Saints and seruants and all that ouercome their hire and wages which by promise and for his owne name sake is due vnto them next to all execrable Atheists blasphemous Catholiques incredulous heathen liers heretiques carnall Gospellers and all other brazen and vnregenerate Christians the hire and wages which to their works and deeds and merits is due as the Spirit concludeth saying And to render reward vnto thy seruants the Prophets and Saints and to them that feare thy name little and great and to destroy them that haue corrupted the earth But concerning this seuenth age wherein the Lord shall come in maiestie to iudge the quicke and the dead the holy Ghost deferreth yet a while to speak more particularly thereof and resumeth more exactly to intreat of the terme and persecution of Antichrist and
And on the Dragons part were Leaders and Chieftaines diuus Tiberius diuus Caligula diuus Claudius diuus Nero and the rest of that most filthy and execrable traine So great was the multitude and number of souldiers that none of what degree sex age or condition soeuer but must be prest for the one side or for the other the valour and vertue of the souldiers exceeded all praise few subdued many the weake ouercame the strong a handfull of Christians a world of infidels The cause was great and higher then the heauens whether God or Belial Christ or Iupiter Christianisme or Paganisme were more venerable for antiquitie maiesticall for amplitude more constant for continuance and in all other respects of wisedome honour and maiestie more worthy to be embraced and adored of the sonnes of men which was for life contended by the Dragon his Angels and assects and was for life withstood and disapproued by Michael and his Angels and their followers The issue of this contention followeth Verse 9. But they preuailed not neither was their place found any more in heauen AS the battell was great so was the victory glorious for though the Dragon with his sapient Senates his prophane Angels and his vncleane abbettors intended all their forces mouing as it is in prouerb heauen and earth to make roome for the abomination of Iupiter and to keepe vnder water the euerlasting Lord and Prince of the Couenant as among the many monuments of time is sufficiently proued and maintained by Orosius and by him to whom he wrote in his booke de Ciuitate Dei yet the Spirit foreseeing the Dragons folly and how in vaine he kickt against the spurre in scorne of his presumption saith But he preuailed not and concluding affirmeth that the possession of heauen so long time vsurped by incestuous murtherers and execrable curtizans gods and goddesses of their owne forgeing must be resigned now to the true Lord and owner of all who hath taken his place at the right hand of the Father and hath deposed for euer from their vsurped titles of deitie all gods and goddesses phantasmes made of wormes created and diuified by the inuentions relations consecrations and canonizations of the Dragon his Taile and successors as the Spirit discouereth in saying Neither the place of them was found any more in heauen Verse 10. And that great Dragon was throwne downe the old Serpent called the Diuell and Satanas which seduceth the whole world and he was cast into the earth and his Angels were throwne downe with him ANd the great and prophane power of the Romane monarchie which had so long time oppressed and corrupted the earth was now at length detected and thereupon disseized of and from her vsurped claime of heauen for euer as the Spirit discouereth in saying And that great Dragon was throwne downe And for that the diuell did corporally dwell as it were in her spreading the beames of his wickednesse at full in all idolatrie impietie and presumption against God and in all oppression iniustice and immanitie towards man the Spirit crowneth her with the cognoments of her sire calling her for her malice to the truth a Serpent for her crimination of the Saints a diuell and for hostilitie to God and his Saints Satanas speaking therein after the maner of the Lord himself who calleth his trecherous steward a diuel thogh he were a man because the fulnesse of Satan did dwel in him filling his heart with such a perfect hatred of his innocent Lord lamentable loue of his guiltie penie that he sold Canaan for Egypt heauen for hell God for siluer And because the impietie of gouernours is not onely their owne decay by euill doing but also by enforcement and euill example the ruine of their people the Spirit layeth the seduction of the whole earth to the charge of the Dragon for the ruling it after the leuell and prescription of Rome saying which seduceth the whole world and thereupon giueth iust iudgement and sentence of death against him namely that as in his beginning he crept out of the earth and by the scale of his wickednesse ascended so high as to presume to thrust his haughtie head into heauen and build his neast aboue the starres as did his antecessors Assur Beltassar Darius Alexander and the rest of their compeeres so by a like power of sword and crueltie he shall shortly returne to his friends again and be made euen with the earth from whence his stocke and first estate was borrowed and the power of his Cesars councell of his Senators sophistrie of his Sorcerers which with such indurate and obstinate mindes stood for the honour and worship of diuels should be no longer able to vphold the reuerence of their Iupiter Capitolinus who was now deteced for a rogue and by the voices of Michaels Angels as by whips and pasports was sent home againe to the place of his birth namely the earth from whence his mortall and vile genealogie was taken and with him also were Cesars vndiuified and for all their Senates proud relations were made to take vp the graue for their latter end and shame for their fame and wormes for their heritage as the Spirit foretelleth saying And he was cast downe vnto the earth and his Angels were throwne downe with him Verse 11. And I heard a great voice in heauen saying Now is made saluation and force and kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ because the accuser of our brethren is cast downe who accused them before the sight of our God day and night NEither was this famous victorie obtained in a corner or spoken in the eare but as the Spirit reporteth so valorously gotten and so audibly proclaimed that all the world heard the report thereof witnesse the records of those times at which the holy Ghost pointeth in these words And I heard a loud voice in heauen saying and sounding the victorie of Christ and Christianisme against the Dragon and his Angels his sorcerers and their prophane and idolatrous paganisme in these deuout diuine notes Now is made saluation and force and the kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ and yeeldeth a reason of this so pious and triumphant ioy because the folly and fury of the Dragon and his Angels which so continually accused the Saints and seruants of God for pestilent fellowes mouers of sedition maintainers of sects polluters of the Temple teachers of new gods enemies to Cesar wordsowers babblers blasphemers is now vpon setting and going downe for euer Which death and downfall of their spirituall whoredome the holy Ghost discloseth in saying because the accuser of our brethren is cast forth And for the greater comfort of the Church and iudgement of her enemies concludeth that there is a perfect courtroule kept as wel of the sufferings of the Saints as of the slanders of their foes so openly committed in the face of the Court and before a Iudge of so cleare a sight and eternall
memory as that they shall neuer be discharged or forgotten the Spirit inferreth saying who accused them before the sight of our God day night Verse 12. And they ouercame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimonie and they loued not their liues euen vnto the death LAst of all the holy Ghost discouereth the spirituall armour and weapons wherewith the Angels and seruants of Michael obtained this famous victory ouer the Dragon and his sectaries and saith that they were tempered of these two diuine vertues faith and patience For by the shield of faith which the Spirit by a metonymie calleth the blood of the Lamb and with the sword of his two witnesses and by the word of their testimonie they ouerthrew all forces and arguments drawn from reason or reading which the Spirit obserueth in these words And they ouercame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimonie and all such arguments as were drawne from the blocke as fire sword persecution interdiction and such like the children of the Church quenched them with teares prayers patience and martyrdome as their Lord had giuen them charge and left them example which the Spirit vncouereth in saying And they loued not their liues euen vnto the death Verse 13. Therefore reioyce O heauens and you that dwell in them Woe to the earth and to the sea because the diuell is descended to you hauing great wrath knowing that he hath but a little time AS after victory followeth diuision of spoile so the Spirit shuts vp this heauenly conquest with triumph and ioy inuiting thereunto all the Saints and seruants of God which haue from time to time maintained and defended the honour of his name against the Dragon his sorcerers and sorceries And because by their good profession and godly conuersation they testified the glorie of God as doe the heauens by their obedient conuersions the Spirit crowneth them with the name of the heauens saying Therefore reioyce O heauens and you that dwell in them And on the other part pronounceth woe first to all nations and kingdomes accessary to these spirituall whoredomes of the Dragon whom according to their earthly mind he most aptly resembleth to the earth next to the Empire it selfe as the scelerum caput and stable of iniquitie whom for his fearfull power and vnbridled rage the Spirit most elegantly calleth by the name of the Ocean and the sea and concludeth his woe with a reason why because both in one and other the power of Satan had taken such deepe roote that the more the light of the truth did bewray their madnesse the more they stroue and stormed against it and so much the rather because their sinne was now at the highest and that the kingdome of Christ did gather so fast vpon them that of necessity a mutation of their fortunes must needs follow with a subuersion not onely of their Paganisme but also of their power Cesaricall which the Spirit closely foldeth vp in these words Knowing that he hath but a little time which one Apostle also obserueth 2. Thess 2. Verse 14. And when the Dragon saw that he was throwne to the earth he persecuted the woman that brought forth the man child ANd when the raging Romane Empire saw that his maintenance of Iupiter and his idol art of making shrines was to descend for euer as among many voices some euen to this day are heard to crie vengeance vpon his idols inforcing them with shame to resigne their vsurped titles of gods and claime of heauen to the true Lord and owner thereof he took the course of the wicked whose custome is as one of their owne noteth malitia alia aliam trudere and to adde sin to sin as a holy one saith to quench his Deut. 29. thirst with drunkennesse for so proceeded this Beast adding to his blindnesse boldnesse redeeming his blasphemie with rage and persecution and was so far from coming to himselfe and taking vp repentance to wash away his crying sinnes that as the Spirit concludeth he more and more pursued the Church persecuted the woman which brought forth her first borne and primitiue fruit here called for their faith their patience and their godly valour the man child Verse 15. And there was giuen vnto the woman two wings of the great Eagle that she might flie into the desart vnto her place where she was nourished for a time and times and halfe a time from the face of the Serpent BVt the Lord who had so dearly bought his Shunamite was no lesse carefull to preserue and carry her to the place of her rest with a strong and out-stretched prouidence euen vpon his owne two wings whose feathers were made of the truth of his promse sealed and deliuered by the hand of his two witnesses which the Bridegroom of purpose left with his Spouse to accompanie and guide her whensoeuer she remoueth If she trauell by day they are her leading cloud if by night they are her pillar of fire if she flie they lend her wings if she wander they harbour her if she be naked they couer her if in prison they visit her if captiue they redeem her if she be weake they sustaine her if blind they leade her if she be heauie they comfort her if sicke they recouer her if she doubt they resolue her if she erre they direct her if she thirst they giue her to drinke and if she hunger they feed her and make her so strong of constitution that afflictions are reioycings to her banishment a hauen dispersion a friend losse and death aduantage And by these comforts as by hands they conuey her to her solitude and restlesse place of rest as the Spirit discouereth saying But there were giuen to the woman two wings of the great Eagle that she might flie into the desart vnto her resting place where euer since her primitiue dispersion she hath liued strewed and scattered far and neare ouer the face of the earth seene and knowne of her Lord by whom she is protected and of the children of wisedome of whom she is iustified and so doth and must remaine hidden and retired into the priuie chambers of Gods prouidence and her owne conscience during the reigne of Antichrist whose curst and arrogant supremacy was to rise out of the ashes of the Dragons Emperioritie as the holy Ghost prophecied And thus hiding her eminent primitiue graces must closely and silently keep the Lords watch and stand vpon her honorable guard three propheticall yeares and a halfe here as in Daniel determined by a time and times and half a time from the reach and rage of the Serpent his taile and successors Verse 16. And the Serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water as it were a flood that he might make her to be carried away with the flood ANd when the Dragons traine of Cesars who for their malice to the truth and seducing the nations are here called by
or the number of the man is nothing else but the period and finall determination of the vsurped tyrannie and domination of Antichrist which the Lamb the Lord and preseruer of Israel for the glorie of his name consolation of his Church and confusion of her foes with a mighty and outstretched arme shall bring to passe in the yeare which shal be 666. Forasmuch as the egge of Antichristianisme was laid in the dayes of Innocent the first successor to Anastasius the first also of that name in the yeare of saluation 406 as is before declared and that by expresse commission there was furthermore granted to the Beast his heires and successors 1260 yeares for the hatching fostering and perfecting this child of perdition and mystery of iniquitie which being added to 406 by rule of true audite must needs verifie this admirable iudgement which the Spirit of God hath here denounced and determined to make good vpon him in the yeare which shall be 1666. In which account and discouery of his end the holy Ghost of purpose leaueth out the millenarie number as not onely knowne perfect and immutable for that these vile and euill dayes shall not exceed more thousands then one but as respecting also the common vse of all nations as well Hebrewes as Gentiles who in their stiles for breuitie sake do no lesse often speak Vide Calendarium Heâ—raieum Sebastianl Munsteri and write by the imperfect number omitting the millenary then after the perfect adding the millenary as Munster well obserueth And in that yeare my Lord of Rome shall lay downe his proud waues and although he fortifie neuer so strong and lay his foundation as low as hell and build his turrets as high as heauen and place his Miter aboue the starres yet in that day he shall die the death of the vncircumcised and perish like the Amorite whose fruit is destroyed from aboue and roote from beneath and the multitude of his offences shall consume the multitude of his forces and it shall be more possible for him and easie vnto him to weigh the fire or measure the wind or call againe the day that is past or recouer the verdure of the withered grasse as a holy one saith then to auoide this counsell and decree of his downfall here determined by the Spirit against him saying and the number of him is 666. And then all kingdomes and people shall see the eternitie of that eternall citie as one of her owne calleth it and the immortalitie of her soule meaning the soueraigne power and supremacie of her Cesars and high Priests to wither die and forsake the earth for euer and as Babylon her mother left vnto her the inheritance of her pride and prophanations so shall she also leaue vnto her the heritage of her death and iudgements for as her glorie hath been great so shall her dishonour when all her excellencie shall be translated into shame and sorow Now therefore as King Baltasher cried aloud when he saw the hand-writing against him that they should bring the Caldeans Astrologians and Inchanters to reade and interpret so thou that once and long before our dayes hast been deemed by lawes of all nations a power so soueraigne holy call now about thee thy Councell and thy Clergie who call themselues Good men learned and wise whose onely grace is to loue antiquitie grauitie wisedome and constancie call them I say cloath them with purple and chain them with gold yet shall they not deliuer thee froÌ„ this iudgement to come but as the mill-stone which the mightie Angell took and cast into the sea which may not rise and floate againe with such violence thou and thy Church in that houre shall be throwne downe and shall be found no more And all such Kings on earth or rather Kings of earth whose loue thou hast stolen to the losse of their soules that haue liued in drunkennesse delights and wantonnesse with thee shal weep and waile for thee as for their first borne when they shall see the smoake of thy torments ascend and the apples which thy soule lusted after to depart from thee and no man to buy thy trasn and commodities any more for that God which iudgeth thee is a strong Lord and thy derision shall be the ioy and Alleluia of Sion But her faire and halcyon day may not long endure before the Lord that with iustice iudgeth and fighteth shall come in the clouds of heauen to render vnto euery man according to the ways wherein his heart hath walked as more directly is reuealed in the 20 Chapter following But as coÌ„cerning the day houre of the coming of that Lord who for the glorie of his name shall bring these things to passe it is fast sealed vp in the treasurie of God far beyond the aime of all his seruants in earth or Angels in heauen and yet his beloued seruant Daniel is bold in spirit and layeth downe the yeare to be the fiue and fortith yeare according to his Caldaicall supputation after the consumption and extermination of Antichrist that it may be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet Verily the Lord of hoasts will doe nothing but he reuealeth his secrets vnto his seruants the Prophets Amos 3. FINIS