wherein a great manie by their extravagancies have lost themselvs insomuch that even the greatest Divines and scholars are very warie and cautious how to meddle with the Revelation therefore that it is and should remain a Book sealed till such time that the accomplishment of things doth reveal it But especially it is to bee observed what answer Christ returned to his Disciples upon their curious question concerning the restauration of the Kingdom of Israël Acts 1. vers 7. when hee said It is not for you to know the times or seasons which the Father hath put in his own power Whereupon wee answer that the Revelation of St John is indeed full of Mysteries which will remain Mysteries and hidden things till the accomplishment doth discover and reveal them to us and till wee by the application of Histories and events see before our eies the effect and what by this and that thing hath been meant But it doth not follow therefore that the Revelation ought to bee laid aside and that wee ought not at all to search what hath been already fulfilled or is shortly to bee exspected chiefly concerning the fulfilling of the determined time when the Enemies of the Church shall bee destroied and the Church bee brought to a quiet and peaceable condition Whereas Daniel did the like and did observ by Books the number of the years whereof the Lord spoke c. Daniel 9. vers 2. And St John writeth concerning his Revelation chapter 1. vers 3. Blessed is hee that readeth and they that hear the words of this Prophesie and keep those things which are written therein For the Revelation is a book of Memorable Acts. Wherein is foretold how and what things shall befal to the Church of God and to the Romane Empire under which the Church doth subsist Now manie things have been already fulfilled in the one thousand five hundred fiftie years by-past and if wee compare the Histories and the things hapned in the Romane Empire with the Revelation wee shall discover cleerly how far the accomplishment reacheth and what wee may exspect ere long so that the things represented are no more Mysteries and hidden things but cleer and accomplished Acts unto us But hee that forbeareth to read this Revelation and is not versed in the Old and New Romane Histories and knoweth not how to distinguish the times of the Revolutions and changes but confoundeth the Apocalyptical numbers and doth make manie Epoches whereas they comprehend nothing but relata and Correlata or carelesly passeth by the application of the numbers as an hidden Mysterie which indeed is the main keie of the Revelation To him must the Revelation needs bee full of Mysteries and obscurities and remain a sealed and unopened Revelation But why manie learned men of note wee do not speak of all have been much mistaken in their expositions The causes amongst others have been these 1. That the antient Interpreters in the primitive times have applied to their times manie things which yet as then had no relation to them The Modern Interpreters do follow their steps not minding so much the Historie as the Autoritie of the Interpreters whereby they lead themselves and others out of the waie 2. Secondly the Method and Harmonie is not observed In the Revelation all things are set down in good order what from time to time should com to pass the Synchronismes or concurrencies of times are set down one after another and the Revolutions and changes in the Ecclesiastical and civil States are exactly and punctually distinguished even as an excellent and well-versed Historian is wont to do in the description of humane actions but contrarie to all this the Interpreters do pervert overturn and disturb the Method seek and finde out by-waies of error the things as relata belong to one and the same time they set down as following one another What shall com to pass after the fall of Babylon they do place before it oftentimes not knowing themselvs where they stick or how they shall winde themselvs out 3. Besides they mistake and confound the States one with another not observing where mention is made of the Ecclesiastical or civil State so that manie times they applie Monastical matters and the actions of Antichrist to that which in the Revelation is spoken of the civil State And hence it is that the more one doth read Expositors the more one is confounded But that therefore the Revelation should bee a book shut up is contrarie to the letter of the cleer text for 1. The seven Epistles were never sealed 2. The Lamb opened the book sealed Revel chap. 6. and 8. 3. The third was a little open book chap. 10. vers 2. 8. 4. And in the end of the Revelation the Son of God saith to John Seal not the sayings of the Prophesie of this book for the time is at hand chap. 22. ver 10. And although the Prophet Daniel was commanded to close up and seal the book of his Prophesie chap. 12. vers 4. 9. yet no longer till the time of the end for afterwards the said Prophesie was unsealed by the Revelation of St John Therefore it is added Man shall run to and fro and knowledg shall bee increased The answer our Saviour Christ gave Acts 1. vers 7. is very impertinently applied and objected to this purpose For hee speaketh there of times and seasons that is de tempore occasionato sive tempestivo as Ausonius declareth it when a good opportunitie is presented to go on in a business as in the Gospel of St John chapter 2. vers 4. when Christ saith Mine hour is not yet com and yet nevertheless within a little while hee doth supplie Wine But here wee consider the time in general which is determined upon the Blasphemies and persecution of the Antichrist and in what year it should begin or end but wee do not compute the daie or hour wherein hee shall bee overthrown Besides Christ doth speak of the times and seasons which the Father hath put in his own power and hath not revealed Here wee consider the years which the Father hath not reserved as a secret to his own power but revealed to us by his Son The third objection THe strongest and chiefest objection is That in general all the Divines and States-men write and hold that the fourth Monarchie and Romane Papacie shall continue until the end of the world and shall be removed and come to an end with the comming of Christ to the last Judgment Answer The Revelation of St John doth intimate no such thing but contradicteth it plainly For after the destruction of the Citie of Rome chapter 18. There was heard a great joie in heaven chapter 19. vers first till the ninth The heaven is opened and the Son of God who chapter 6. vers 2. at the opening of the first seal went forth conquering and to conquer upon a white hors presenteth himself here again upon a white hors as a Conqueror c. vers
to our present times that which hee hath concurrent with Mr Mede ought to bee look't upon as the fruit of God's grace sprung up elswhere from the seed which was sown here whereat wee should rejoice as at a seal of approbation set unto the truth which formerly was attested and that which hee hath peculiar of his own as raised upon these grounds and applyed circumstantially to shew the time when Antichrist's prevailing power shall com to an end should bee look't upon as the Autor modestly desire's us to do with judgment and discretion to examine that which hee saith without prejudice and partialitie for hee doth not arrogate unto himself anie infallibilitie but onely hath offered that which seemeth most likely to him to bee the minde of God in the Prophesie whereof the truth will soon bee known whether his conjecture bee right or no becaus hee bring 's the matter within the compass of five years to bee tried by the event which is no long time of exspectation and whether hee hath hit right in this or no it can bee no prejudice to us to take warning to bee readie alwaies for wee are sure the time is not far Let this bee to us a crie made at midnight behold the Bridgroom commeth go yee out to meet him As for the Mysteries themselvs which are conteined in the Apocalyptical visions I have alwaies thought them to have a deeper sens then what most Interpreters have endevored to make out nor have I ever been able to finde satisfaction in the attempts which som as Doctor Alabaster and others of that strain have made to laie open these Mysteries I confess Mr Mede and upon his grounds this unknown autor hath made the visions in reference to the outward events in their several times so plain that I think no rational man can finde caus to contradict what they saie but becaus the truth of this kinde of Interpretation doth depend upon an exact knowledg of the Historie of the times and the Chronologie of events since the daies of Christ and his Apostles and upon the knowledg of the Prophetical style which doth express harmonically the form and constitution of the societies of mankinde in the civil and Ecclesiastical parts thereof together with the Changes incident thereunto by the similitude of the parts properties and Changes which in their visions to them appeared to fall out in the outward Heavens and Earth and Sea and things contemed therein therefore the certaintie of that interpretation is not obvious to everie one and although it might bee so fully made out to bee an undoubted truth that it should becom demonstrable to everie ordinarie capacitie yet to my understanding that would not exhaust the Mysterie which the Spirit of God doth recommend unto us in the matter of the vision for although a man should fully believ and bee able demonstratively to prove the truth of the Accomplishment of all the events as this autor doth make them to mee verie probable yet hee might fall short of that spiritual understanding whereunto this promise is made Chapter 1. vers 3. Blessed is hee that readeth and they that hear the words of this Prophesie and keep those things which are written therein I shall therefore saie that there must bee a certain reading and hearing of this Prophesie which bring 's a blessednes with it so that hee who read's and hear's in that kinde is inabled to keep the things which are written therein and as there is such a reading and hearing so there must bee a sens and an interpretation of that sens which is able to fit a man for the keeping of the things which are written therein and if there must bee such an interpretation for that kinde of hearing then there must also bee a keie and Rule of interpretation answerable to that sens which is immediately subordinate unto the promise of blessedness for that this bare Historical sens of the Accomplishment of the visions is not that whereupon properly the promise of blessedness is intailed is cleer becaus a man may bee fully convicted of the truth of this and believ it and demonstrate it unto others and yet himself not keep the things which are written in this Prophesie moreover that reading and hearing whereunto the promise of a blessing is annexed must needs bee proportionate to the capacitie of all men that make sincerely profession of Christianitie but this reading and hearing which is thus grounded upon the Historical and Chronological interpretation of the visions is not proportionate to the capacitie of all sincere professors and therefore it cannot bee taken for that reading and hearing whereunto the promise of a blessing is annexed and consequently there must bee som other interpretation found which is immediately subordinate unto this effect That which I am now intimating is this that the Prophetical visions of the Revelation have a main matter of Mysterie in them beyond what is here or any where that I know by anie Interpreter directly insisted upon for I conceiv this which is here delivered to bee indeed a true opening of the Mystical vision as to one part of it which is the prediction of the Historical events and Changes of things which should befal unto the Government of the worldlie Empire and to the visible State of the Church therein but besides this part of the Mystical vision which I call the Historical presignification of events there is in the matter presignified a deeper Mysterie wrapt up which require's another keie to open it then that which shew's the bare accomplishment of events and this is the Mysterie of the Kingdom of Christ in opposition to the Mysterie of Iniquitie for this is mainly to bee taken notice of in the events which are foretold and do fall out now hee that read's and hear's and keep 's the things written in this Prophesie concerning this Mysterie hee is truly blessed indeed but except wee can read and hear the sens of this Mysterie in it I know not what advantage the knowledg of the Historical Mysterie can bring to us further then to convict us that the penman thereof was truly inspired by God when hee wrote it becaus hee did truly foretel things to com and that the warnings threatnings promises precepts and doctrines conteined therein deserv to bee heeded more then the words of a bare man And truly although I have much valued the gift and studie of those that have set themselvs to unfold by the observation of Histories the Mystical presignification of events yet I could never bring my spirit much to applie it self to anie such search becaus I found that both in the beginning of this book in the place forementioned chapter 1. vers 3. and in the end thereof chapter 22. vers 7. 14. the promise of blessedness is made to another kinde of studie then this and the name and scope of the whole Prophesie which is the Revelation of Jesus Christ and a record of the testimonie of
Jesus Christ chap. 1. vers 1 2. doth import to mee somthing more then what is in the outward visible events which everie rational man who can read Histories and understand Symbolical speeches is able to take notice of and discern to bee fulfilled as they were foretold therefore although to manifest the Truth of God the events are very useful if not necessarie to bee look't after yet I am cleer that they are neither useful to us nor necessarie to bee known but as they are subordinate unto this Mysterie of the Kingdom and Testimonie of Christ the knowledg and keeping of which doth give us a right unto the tree of life and an entrie thorow the Gates into the Citie This then is the Mysterie which I look after viz. to finde the Manifestation of the spiritual Kingdom of Christ in the Nature of man and in humane societies so advanced that the works of the Devil are destroied therein and that the salvation of Israël doth thereby effectually com out of Sion to bring back the captivitie of the people of the Lord and to make the whole Creâtion partaker of the glorious libertie of the Sons of God for to shew unto the eie of our Faith by what means and waies this is to bee brought to pass in the Regenerate souls of men and by the state of Regeneration in the outward societies and professions of believers I conceiv the visions were mainly sent unto the Prophet and that it was his principal aim by describing of them to declare this unto us if then by the representation of bare outward events wee are not made capable of partaking this Mysterie whereby Christ beeing apprehended in his testimonie doth becom in us the hope of glorie all our discoveries will bee of no great advantage unto our happiness nor shall wee reach the aim which the Holie Ghost had in sending this Prophesie unto us wee must therefore consider what the keie is whereby the secret of that dispensation which bring 's with it felicitie doth stand is opened I shall now briefly till God grant a fitter opportunitie to bee larger touch this matter onely to let you know that as the keie of the Historical Mysterie of the visions is the discoverie of Paralel events by Syncronisms and the understanding of the Symbolical speeches of the Scripture wherein the harmonie between the great and little world is expressed So the keie of the spiritual Mysterie of the visions must bee the discoverie of the paralel perfections which are found to bee between Christ as the head and the Church as the Bodie which is the fulness of him that filleth all in all and the understanding of the harmonical properties of things visible and invisible wherein the correspondencie between the outward and inward man the temporarie and eternal natures of things and the state of true life as it is present in the first fruits and as it is to com in the full harvest are expressed Now to finde these keies as they are properly fitted to open the locks of this Prophesie as it should bee our studie so when wee have found them our care must bee to use them discreetly This Prophesie is not shut in respect of the matter but yet that matter is not obvious to the capacitie of everie one in respect of the manner of the dispensation for it is certain that all the counsel of God whereby wee are made partakers of the Divine nature if weelook upon the substance of the Truth it is made manifest by the Gospel without vail and with much plainness of speech as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 3. vers 6. till the end of the chapter but here the wonderful waie and manner of dispensing of that nature to the Church and working out the counsel of God in all the world as this world is to bee made subordinate to Christ and his Saints is laid open in the Apocalyptical visions which although they are not covered with anie vail which doth hide the glorie of God's work as Moses's face was yet they represent it onely to us as in a glass with Images wherein the face of Christ doth appear by waie of reflexion and through a medium till wee com to behold directly his glorie face to face without a medium and to apprehend him in it so as wee are apprehended by him wee may not then call those visions dark Mysteries without injurie to the Spirit of Christ but they are livelie figures of the truth of God's presence in his Saints and over the world to represent it to those that have eies to see it and to help our weak eie-sight which may bee dazled at the resplendencie of the glorie thereof wee should make use of the prospective waies which are offered unto us in the word elswhere which are applyable to these visions either as keies to unlock the dispensation of the Mysterie conteined therein or rather as directing and multiplying glasses through which our understanding may bee led and enlarged to reflect upon the spiritual objects properly so called which concern the state of the Kingdom which is inwardly everlasting in it self and to the Reasonings of men invisible and incomprehensible Now the prospective waies to bee made use of for the discoverie of this Mysterie are of two sorts som relate unto the Matter it self conteined in the visions som to the dispensation of that matter by waie of vision the waies relating to the matter it self are the cleer and universal Rules of Scriptural and Prophetical interpretation and the waies relating to the dispensation of the Mysterie by waie of vision are the special rules of Interpretation leading us to take notice of the peculiar characters and circumstances of each vision as they are subordinate unto the Mysterie of the Kingdom which is administred by Jesus Christ unto the end and in the end of this world If I should enter upon these Subiects at large you may perceiv that I would bee obliged to write not a brief epistolical discours as now my purpose is but a whole Treatise therefore I shall onely give you the summarie heads of that which might and somtime must bee more largely spoken to that by the hints which shall God willing bee suggested you may exercise your thoughts to dive into the Mysterie by your self as the Lord shall guid you for none of us can profit in these things any further then God's Spirit doth lead us forth to meditate through faith upon Christ and to improve practically our talents about the work of the Mysterie of our union with him Thus then in reference to the matter the universal Rules of Prophetical Interpretation are generally known to bee these The first that wee must prophesie according to the Analogie of Faith Rom. 12. v. 6. The second that wee must keep the form of sound words delivered in the Scriptures 2. Tim. 1. 13. The third that wee must analyse that is resolv and divide the text aright 2 Tim. 2. 15. and to the
of glorie both in himself and in all his members Wee conclude therefore that the whole Mysterie of Godliness is intended here to bee manifested in respect of the waie by which it is to bee carried on unto the end of the world and fully accomplished at the end thereof by the destruction of the enemies of that Kingdom which hee erected in the nature of man over the whole Creätion by the renewing of all things for the elect's sake to put them in full possession thereof as is promised Revel 21. 5 6 7. and by uniting them to God for ever Revelations 22. 4. 5. This beeing the full intent and purpose of the Prophesie let us now briefly look upon the heads of matters handled therein to see how suitable the particulars are to reach this main aim and bow this design is thereby made known to bee carried on The things handled in the Prophesie are of three kinds as they are in the first vision by Christ himself commanded to bee written chap. 1. vers 19. Write saith hee the things which thou hast seen and the things which are and the things which shall bee hereafter The things which hee had seen are written Châ—p 1. The things which then were are written in chap. 2. and 3. And the things which should bee afterward are from chap. 4. till chap. 22. vers 6. The things which John saw in chap. 1. are Christ's presence with his Churches revealed in the first vision whereof the properties shew him to bee First the Mediator and High-Priest of the Churches administring the affairs thereof in things perteining to God by his walking in the midst of the golden Candlesticks Secondly the King who hath all power to support the Rulers thereof as holding the seven Stars of the Churches in his right hand Thirdly the Prophet of the Churches who dispenseth the word of God unto them which as a two-edged sword com's out of his mouth chap. 1. vers 12. till 17. These are the chief properties of his presence relating to the Churches which are heightned with other circumstantial perfections of his head eies feet and whole countenance c. and withal there are other properties of glorie expressed which relate to his person in himself considered by which hee is manifested to bee the first and the last hee that was dead and is alive and living for evermore and having all power of hell and death vers 11. 17 18. This vision then tend's cleerly to set him forth in his Mediatorie office by the properties of his inherent and relative glorie The things which then were are the seven Churches under Christ's What Christ's intent in the seven Epistles written to the Churches is and how it is gathered from the matter and words of them care and administration which are set forth in the seven Epistles which by Christ's appointment and inditement are written unto them in Chap. 2. 3. wherein I conceiv that under the Characters of perfection and imperfection given to the Churches and under the threatnings and promises together with the admonitions reproofs exhortations and commandements annexed thereunto all the degrees both of the defection from Grace and of the progress in Grace which our nature is capable of together with the changeable conditions under which the Churches should bee till the Marriage of the Lamb com to pass are set forth For if wee should call to minde the Rule of scriptural interpretation heretofore mentioned that no Prophesie is of private interpretation it will appear from the words of the text that these Epistles are by Christ intended not onely to those particular Churches or to the Angels thereof alone which are named but to all the Churches which then were elswhere in the world and which should bee in all ages till his second comming and to all the men of any spiritual understanding that should hear thereof till the end of the world Becaus it is not onely certain that Christ still hold's the seven Stars in his right hand and walk's between the seven Candlesticks and speak's unto them but it is evident by the matter of the promises that they are universally appliable unto all the professors in all ages who shall overcom and bee faithful unto the end and the peculiar admonitions at the close of everie Epistle do intimate no less for to my understanding these words Hee that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches doth speak this much that others even all who ever should hear the tenor of these Epistles ought to think themselvs spoken to and concerned therein although they should bee no visible members of these particular Churches For what els can bee the meaning of that expression hee that hath an ear but that everie one should take that to himself which is said of and to these And then if wee observ the expression to run in the plural number what the Spirit saith unto the Churches this will make it yet more manifest that these seven are here put in stead of all for no doubt the Spirit then spake effectually and doth still speak to more Churches then to these and therefore wee may conclude that the things spoken off to them are taken as relative unto all both men and Churches not at that time onely but at all times so long as the seven Candlesticks should bee on earth and the Spirit hath a voice to speak unto them for to daie if you will hear his voice out of Psal 95. was not onely meant for that daie but for this also as the Apostle make's it plain Heb. 3. If then the narrow limits of this discours would give mee leav it might bee made out that in the cases of these seven Stars and Churches as here they are described all the varieties of the conditions of Professors and all the fundamental defects of Church-societies in all the Churches which have been since the Apostle's times are set forth and that in the promises made unto them all the degrees of perfection atteinable in this life by single believers or Societies are expressed but this would bee a matter of inlargement beyond my present purpose I shall therefore leav it till another season onely this may bee further observed as a translation from this first to the second vision that in the first John saw the Administration of Christ's Kingdom as then it was on earth but in the following vision which begin's chapter 4th hee is taken up from earth into Heaven to see the administration of the Kingdom there also and from thence how it should bee managed over the whole world for the Churche's sake in time to com So that wee ought to take notice that the Manifestation of Christ and in him the Mysterie of Godliness doth fill not onely the Churches on Earth but the Church also in Heaven and that God by him as hee is in the Church both in heaven and earth doth govern the world for Christ's interest towards the fulfilling of his
administration which is revealed In the first as a Man in dealing with men in the second as a Lamb offered up to God in dealing with God and in the third as a mightie Angel in dealing with Satan and his Angels and with the powers of darkness in the world Secondly for the opening of the matter of this vision I observ that the summe of all is to shew when and how the Mysterie of God which hee hath spoken by the Prophets should bee finished and to shew this First two means are used to lead John to the knowledg thereof then secondly the thing it self is summarily related by word of mouth unto him and afterward thirdly it is represented in several visions The means leading to the knowledg of the finishing of the Mysterie are two First an open little Book inable's him to prophesie Chap. 10. Secondly a Reed given him like unto a Rod to measure the Temple the Altar and those that worship therein The summarie relation of the whole business by word of mouth doth concern the time of the treading of the utter court under foot the power of prophesiing given to the two Witnesses during that time the war which the Beast shall make with them while 's they prophesie and the issue of that war set forth in the circumstances of their death and resurrection and that which immediately doth follow thereupon both in earth and in Heaven In earth there was an earthquake which made the tenth part of the Citie to fall and killed seven thousand men and frighted the rest The second wo doth pass and the seventh Angel doth sound his Trumpet In Heaven there is great joie and and thanksgiving offered unto God becaus hee hath taken the Kingdom to himself and doth reign over the Kingdoms of the world to give rewards unto his servants chap. 11. Hitherto the whole Series of matters concerning the Mysterie of God hath been related in plain terms to shew the things by which it should bee accomplished now followeth the description of the visions by which the particulars of the things summarily mentioned in this Narrative are more at large reveled whereby the Prophet is made to understand concerning the Mysterie of God which is Christ in the Church Ephes 5. 32. or which is all one Christ in us the hope of glorie Colos 1. 27. what the state of the Church was in Heaven at that time and what it should afterward bee on earth during the time of the Churche's abode in the Wilderness during the time of her comming out of the wilderness and during the time of her Reign over the earth as the Spous of the Lamb with her bridegroom At that time the temple of God in Heaven beeing opened and the Ark of the Testament therein beeing seen the Church as shee was constituted by the Apostles appeared and brought forth a Man-child against whom the Dragon did set himself to devour it but the child was to bee caught up to Heaven and the Dragon to bee cast out of Heaven upon the earth where hee set's himself to persecute the woman which fled into the Wilderness and to make war with the remnant of her seed chap. 12. During the time of the Churche's abode in the Wilderness the mysterie of iniquitie is set up and come's to it's perfection in the earth God send 's his judgments upon it when it is com to it's height c. 13 till 19 This Mysterie of Iniquitie hath two parts the Mysterie of the Beast and the Mysterie of the Woman riding upon the Beast The Mysterie of the Beast ruling over the earth is seen in one Beast coming out of the Sea with ten horns and another coming out of the earth with two horns Chap. 13. during the time of the rising and reigning of these Beasts over the earth the state of the Church upon Mount Sion and God's administrations for the knowledg of his will thereby unto the world concerning the everlasting Gospel concerning the future fall of Babylon and concerning the punishment of those that adhere unto the Beast and for the waie of gathering up the harvest and vintage of the earth are revealed chap. 14. God's Judgments upon the Beast are poured out in the Phials of his last wrath whereunto seven Angels are appointed and prepared Chap. 15. and commanded to put the Judgments in execution Chap. 16. The Mysterie of the Whore of Babylon riding upon the Beast is shewed to the Prophet chap. 17. and the Judgment which befalleth unto her for her destruction is described chap. 18. The state of the Church in her comming out of the Wilderness is described in the congratulatorie acclamations given to God in Heaven at the destruction of Babylon and at the preparations of the wife of the Lamb for the Marriage-Supper and in the war which the Armies of Heaven under Christ's conduct do make against the Beast the fals Prophet and the Kings of the Earth For by this means the power of all her adversaries beeing destroied shee is fitted to appear visibly upon the stage of the world Chap. 19. The state of the Church during her Reign with Christ on earth is before the last Judgment a thousand years and after the universal Resurrection both in Heaven and earth for ever and ever Chap. 20. 21. and 22. till vers 6. Thus wee see the contexture and coherence of the matter and parts of the whole Book if then wee should consider how these particulars relate unto the main scope of the Prophesie which is to reveal Jesus Christ unto us in the Mysterie of his Kingdom wee see that everie thing is most directly subordinate thereunto and that the whole doth most completely reach a full discoverie of the accomplishment of the Mysterie whereof the brief summe is this That the professors of the name of Jesus Christ by their sufferings for his sake by their testimonie of him in opposition to the Dragon to the Beasts and to the Whore by the Judgments of God against all these to destroie their power by the war of the Saints against them by the setling of the Kingdom of Christ in the hands of his Saints and by the Manifestation of the Glorie of the heavenlie Jerusalem comming unto them from Heaven to earth whereinto the Kings of the earth shall bring their glorie shall get the full victorie over the world and with the purchase of the Inheritance of all things in the New Heavens and the New earth they shall have the enjoiment of the presence of God for ever In all which at this time as to our present condition the opposition which the Beast hath to the Lamb the fals Prophet to the two Witnesses and the Whore to the Bride and the manner of their warfare is most considerable for in the opposite properties of their Natures and waies the Mysteries of Iniquitie and of Godliness are most completely revealed and by the manner of the war which is between them and the issue thereof the state and
of God c. 10. v. 7. By which means 1. The Devil is cast and shut up in the bottomless pit chap. 20. v. 1 2 3. 2. The Son of God taketh the possession of the Kingdom and reigneth chap. 11. v. 15. c. 11. v. 6. c. And the Church liveth in peace and tranquillitie FINIS The occasion of this discours and the end thereof Gener meus per duas Hebdomadas abfuit Wratislaviam missus Brigam nihil affert praeter terrores per Pacem quae derelictis à Pace exclusis nihil praeter novas Conscientiae carnificinas allatura metuitur prodromi non absunt Tractatus Germanicos de Periodicis Apocalypticis ad finem decurrentibus en communico tibi faxit Deus ut haec nè pereant neque in alienas veniant manus Sed eâ lege ut Judicium de his expromas hujus enim eliciendi causâ nobis ista communicari voluit autor ut quisquis legeret judicet simul censuram addat Audivi de isto libello jam nuper veram esse Apocalypseâ—n Apocalypsin quod maximè solabitur si rem acu tetigerit quod à termino tam propè absimus Communica quaeso vestris si quos Josephos Medes habetis sed erit in vestratem linguam transferendum Observation of the Providence of God to caus this book to bee published at this time 1 Cor. 10. 13. 2 Cor. 1. 5. 1 Pet. 1. 7. For the support of the Bohemian Exiles with comfort For several uses to us also 1. To confirm us in the exspectation of the fulfilling of the Apocalyptical promises Isa 59. 19. 2. To put us in minde of God's waie by which hee will finish his work Isa 54. 15 16 17. 3. To put us in minde of our dutie in order to God's work 4. To warn us not to bee secure but exspect a trial Concerning the Treatise expounding the Revelation what esteem is to bee had of it Mat. 25. 6. Concerning the interpetation of Apocalyptical Mysteries In respect of outward events that to shew their fulfilling is not all which is intended by the Spirit But that there is a manifestation of the Mysterie of the Kingdom of Christ intended thereby above the Historical events Colos 1. 26 27. And what the keie of that Mysterie is in general Ephes 1. 23. And the prospective which may bee had thereof in the Apocalyptical dispensation Which is of two sorts The Rules of Interpretation relating to the Matter as it is a scriptural Prophesie Mat. 2. 15. 23. The right use of these Rules The evils attending the non-observing of them That there is a neerer prospect of the Mysterie of the Kingdom to bee had then by these Rules Colos 2. 3. 1 Cor. 1. 24. Revel 19. 10. Yet not so as not to bee liable to bee tried by these Rules What the grand principle of our Faith is concerning Christ to which all the Interpretation of these visions must bee made proportionate What to bee look't upon in the Prophesie to finde the proportion it hath to that principle How the matter and scope of everie rational discours is to bee observed and found out Concerning the Title of the book shewing the matter and scope thereof Concerning the Preface shewing the same Concerning the Conclusion which doth speak still the same matter and scope Concerning the parâ—s of the matter as they reach the main Scope The division of the book The substance of the first vision The difference of the first and second vision The substance of the second vision Concerning the third vision And wherefore the whole Book is to bee reduced to three visions And what the summe of the third vision is The visions shewing the fulfilling of the Mysterie of God have a respect to four times 1. Before she Church fliâ—'s into the Wilderness 2. Whiles shee is in the wildernes The Mysterie of iniquitie appears which hath two parts One of the Beast another of the Whore And the State of the Church though in the Wilderness yet also upon Sion appear's in like manner The Judgments of God in his last wrath is poured out upon the Beast And the Mysterie of the Whore and her judgment appear's also 3. Whiles shee is coming out of the Wilderness 4. After that shee is com out of the Wilderness during the time of her Reign with Christ The brief summe of the whole Mysterie of God as set forth in the two last visions of the Revelâ—tion And the things which at present are most considerable therein which are The discoverie of the Beast The discoverie of the Lamb. The comparison of the Government of â—he and of the Lamb. The discoverie of the fals Prophet The discoverie of the two witnesses The comparison of the fals Prophet and of the two Witnesses The discoverie of the Whore Vers 5. The discoverie of the Bride Revel 19. vers 8. The manner of the warfare Chap. 19. 12 13. Heb. 4. 4. Revel 19. 20. Hebr. 12. 26. 42 moneths at the rate of 30. daies 1260. daies the two Witnesses