trampled under foot but such as by way of Office were distinguished from others Mat. 10.41 Prophets distinguished from righteous men and Prophets distinguished from Saints Babylon is therefore ruined because in her is found the blood of the Prophets and of the Saints Revelat. 17.24 Twelve hundred and sixty days These are not natural days but prophetical every day taken for a year as Ezek. 4.6 Numb 14.14 the days of their Prophecying in sackcloth are twelve hundred and sixty years and so expire not till the 42. months of the Beasts raign be expired For months taken prophetically as before every day for a year and reckoning for every month 30. days now multiply the 42. by the 30. and the raign of the Beast is 1200 and 60. years and though there be great difficulty when to begin the rise and raign and most expositors herein much vary yet in the continuance there is a general accord and none can rationally make any question of it Now if we descend from the words of this Prophecy and come to observe the answerable events in History we shall find that in every age there were Witnesses opposing the 〈◊〉 canny Idolatry and Blasphemies of Antichrist their particuler names times places and their manner of resisting the man of sin it would be too large to infirst upon From the 600. year of Christ to the 16. century See a Catalogue of the Witnesses in their several ages in the Ministers of London their Jus Divinum Ministerii Evangelici page 53. Also the Histories of the Maegdeburgon See also Illyricus his Catalog Testium Veritatis Also Jacob. Vsher de Eccles Success Statu And Mr. Sim. Birckbeck his Treatise called Protestants evidence yet a Catalogue is given of them by Protestant writers As Our famous Jewel for 600. years from the time of Christ and his Apostles hath abundantly proved that the truths professed in the reformed Churches were maintained by the Antients And in the succeeding centuries when the man of sin began to prevail there were in their several ages godly and learned Ministers who opposed Popish errors defending the sufficiency of the Scriptures and of Communions to be received in both kinds justification by free grace disclaiming the defilements of worship in adoring Images invocation of Saints praying for the dead worshipping reliques declaiming against his supremacy and Title of universal Bishop as Antichristian Yea Protestant writers make mention of Magistrates as well as Ministers opposing Antichrist yea in this one Kingdome you shall find in History before the Conquest Kings for piety called Saints opposing the insolency and wickedness of the Church of Rome King Edgar acknowledged no Supremacy in the Pope but saith the care of the Church ad nos spectat it belongs to the King and not to the Pope Yea when the Popes were swelled to that hight that Kings kissed their feet yet then the Kings of England opposed their Usurpation Object If the Witnesses Prophecy 1200 and 60. days then they Prophecy after they are slain Answ In that sense they are said to be slain they may prophecy in sackcloth nay they will necessarily do so viz. performe their witness with sadness and mourning Their finishing their Testimony doth not cause their Prophecying to cease their suffering and their slaying is the most glorious part of their sackcloth Prophecy And so I proceed to the fourth Verse Vers 4. These are the two Olive trees and the two Candlesticks c. That is they are like unto Zerubbabel and Joshua restorers of the Jewish Church under the Babylonish Captivity in resemblance to whom the two Witnesses should endeavour to bring the Church out of Antichristian bondage and slavery These are represented by two Olive trees Zach. 4. ◠standing on the two sides of the Candlestick continually supplying it with Oyl But why two Candlesticks when Zachary mentions but one See the conjecture of Mr. Mede upon this Chap. The Candlestick signifying the Church of these times maintained with spiritual supplies not by strength or armies but by Gods special blessing and influence the Olive Trees extraordinarily dropping Oyl for light into those Candlesticks Vers 5. And if any will hurt them fire cometh out of their mouths and devoureth their enemies And if any will hurt them he must in this manner be killed Here the witnesses are compared to Elijah and Elisha restorers of Gods pure Worship from Baalitical Idolatry In this allusion is signified a double power which is granted to them First A power to avenge themselves against their Enemies not by any external fire or sword-power when hurt by them but their revenge like fire proceedeth out of their mouth t is by the mystical fire of the word they preach denouncing Gods wrath against their wickedness As Elisha called for fire from Heaven upon the Captains and their fifties 2 King 2.9 10 11. If any shall hurt them he must in this manner be killed i. e. spiritually and mystically by the word of their prophecy which as fire devoureth them according to that of the Prophet Jer. 5.14 he makes his word a savour of death unto death to them they have ever the vengeance in a readiness for their enemies 2 Cor. 10.6 Thus they avenge their own wrong but how the wrong done to the Church Secondly Therefore secondly they have power to avenge the Church of Christ against the defilers and Gentilish prophaners thereof These saith the Text have power to shut heaven that it rain not in the days of their Prophecy viz. Mystical rain As Elijah shut Heaven that it rained not on Israel almost consumed with drought and famine in the days of his Prophecy till he had destroyed the false worship and worshippers of Baal So these Witnesses by the Keys of the Kingdome of heaven have power to shut heaven against the Idolatrous Gentiles excluding them from hope of eternal lise by the blood of Christ and showers of Divine grace till they repent and forsake their Idolatrous worship and being mindful of their baptismal Covenan returne to the pure worship of God by one mediator Jesus Christ and so put an end to the mournful Prophecy of these witnesses Of this power of the Witnesses we have an example Chap. 14.9 where t is said the third Angel whereby is meant according to Interpreters Luther and his Successors denounceth most woful torments to all the followers and worshippers of the Beast If any shull worship the beast and his Image or receive his mark c. he shall drink of the Wine of the wrath of God c. It is added Annotations upon the Bible In the days of their Prophecy three years and six months in Elijahs time answerable to the number of months here verse 2. Vers 6. Lastly These witnesses have power over maters to turn them into blood And to smite the Earth with plagnes as oft as they will Here the Witnesses are resembled to Moses and Aaron deliverers of Israel out of
that made Heaven and Earth which they do mainly in envy and opposition to the Christians profession of the Trinity while themselves are in the mean time under Abaddon and Apollyon which signifieth a destroyer and are still as truely Pagans as the Assyrians and Greeks that worship Adad and Apollo The sixt Trumpet Vision as the second wo Tramp 6. is the loosing of the four Angels that were bound in the River Euphrates This was fulfilled upon the Roman Monarchy by the Turks which four Angels at the River Euprates Mr. Mede very fitly Interprets to be the four Sultans of the Turkish Dominion Bagdad Cosarea Aleppo Damascus planted on this side and that side Euphrates he Calculating the time of a dar month and year that is 396 years from the Inauguration of Togzulbeck the Prince of the Turks to the taking of Constantinople v. 14 15. which is just 396. years he applying those Myriads of Myriads of horse vers 16. to the known numerosity of the Turkish Armies who being Persians by their long abode in that Country are called Persee in the Greek History 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paras quo nomine in saâ—râ—s literis vocatur Persia so that the foot are in this allusion horsemen too the Hebrew word signifying Eques as well as Persia which allusion to names is used also by Daniel in making the He-goat stand for the Kings of the Aegeades i. e. of the Macedonians their brest-plates of Fire Jacinct and Sulphus he interprets of that aspect they seem to have by discharging their Carbines or Pistols in the fight which makes all their breasts for a time seem fiery then of a blew Jacinct colour by the smoke and the most lasting object of sence is the stincking Sulphur which representation is to be understood of them nearer at hand this invention of Gunpowder foreseen by that spirit that inspired John and not vainly pointed at in these visions but for the better assurance of the time they belong to is again intimated in that it is said the heads of their Horses were as the heads of Lions because of the terror of their noise dreadful like to the roaring of a Lyon when they discharge against the enemie For presently follows vers 17. Out of their mouths came fire and smoke and brimstone all were breathed out together from their jaws at once this interpretation of Mr. Mede seems very apposite before him also Brightman Interprets this of guns peices of Ordinance and Gunpowder more used by the Turkes then any other men the greatness of that Gun was almost incredible which Mahomed used in the beseiging of Constantinople for the drawing whereof seventy Yoke of Oxen and 2000. men were used as Laonicus Chalcocondular in his Eighth Book of Turkish History reports And those 1200. Jenazaries which are the ordinary Guard of his body are all Gunners The tayls of the Horses were as if they had been half a Serpent vers 19. clapt to and hanging out with her head Mede makes in Embleme of that sad after-clap of their victory over men the Devil then that Old Serpent being ready to parley with them vers 20. and to seduce them to Mallonatism to drink in the Sarazen Mahometan Religion whereby they proved very hurtful and pernicious as the Sarazens before them The calamitous effect wrought by the loosing of these four Angels and their Euphratean Horsemen and Horses was the killing of the third part of men i. e. many of the Roman Empire which was the third part of the world This is amplified by the incorrigibleness and impenitency of the rest of the Roman Empire that had escaped the deadly fury of this Euphratean Army of Turks though these judgements were inflicted before their eyes on their brethren yet they repented not of their sins and abominations 1. Not of their devil-worship this worshipping of Demons and Idols Mede interprets in the proper sence and applies it to the rest of the Roman Empire infected with that we call Papal Superstition and Idolatry This is very fit and appropriate none can deny 2. Nor of their murders of the Saints whose souls cry under the Altar 3. Nor of their Sorceries v. 20 21. 4. Fornications 5. Thefts procuring upon the Roman world the judgements of this Trumpet The Application of these two last Trumpet-visions is so particular and exquisite that it would make one eager to know the meaning of the seventh and last Trumper-Vision which consists of loud praises to the God of heaven that all the kingdoms of the world are become the kingdome of the Lord and his Christ Cap. 11.15 This we have in the third Period when the seventh Angel doth found Period 3. and withall the seventh Judgement is executed upon the enemies of the Church which is the third wo. Cap. 10. It being a Trumpet of wo to the wicked and unbeleiving answerable to the seven thunders that filled the space of the seventh Trumpet whilst that mighty and illustrious Angel roars like a lion and is justly conceived to represent our Saviour Christ the lyon of the Tribe of Judah who being once stired up will never cease pursuing the prey till he hath brought all under his feet death it self not excepted And so I come to speak of the Third Appearance of Jesus Christ to John mentioned before p. 13. in the likeness of a strong Angel cap. 10. who in the third period hath all things put under his feet and reigneth In this 10 cap. according to Mede begins the second Prophesie Here the judicious Reader may be pleased to consider that the holy Spirit of Christ seems purposely here to have suspended the actual sounding of this 7th Trumpet by interposition of so much of the second prophefie contained in this I trie book as is parallel with and contemporary with the first Prophefie from the very beginning of it to the end of the fixth Trumpet that to by linking and as it were by looping these two prophesies together after this manner he might indigitate unto us the right way of interpreting both these prophesies by parallelling and comparing them one with another in respect of their visions and mysteries which are so notably contemporaneous This Angel is said to be be cloathed with a cloud having also in his hand a little book which John swallowed down and thereupon prophefies how things shall come to pass especially In the Ecclesiastial State In the first Period for 400 years and upwards Period 1. Where 1. The Church is built up under great persecution chap. 11.1 2. The Church is gloriously beautified and cloathed with the Sun of Righteousness hath the Moon under her feet despiseth all worldly and earthly things and reigneth over the works of darkness and upon her head a crown of twelve stars the Apostles and the wholesom doctrine of the same chap. 12.1 2. 3. The red Dragon the Devil stirreth up many heresies persecuteth the Church
the beast that is described Chap. 18 and 19. doth altogether precede the destruction of the beast and the False Prophet as is manifest in the Text. To sum up all in a word happily it may so come to pass that that first destruction of Babylon viz. of the City of Rome may be without any very great slaughter at least without the total destruction of the Citizens for though the City be utterly destroyed yet a great part of the Citizens may fly from the destruction of the City timely consulting their own safety or for some other cause which the event will make manifest and thus the doubt or scruple concerning the small number of the slain may be satisfied 2. And will yet more fully if we consider what number may be designed in the words names of Men. Names of men may be taken for eminent and renowned Men high and great persons cheif heads of Noble Families Names of men is as much as to say men of name An Hypallage frequent in Scripture as silver Shekels for Shekels of silver Levit. 5. the Law of righteousness for the righteousness of the Law Rom. 9. Riches of grace for rich grace Ephes 1. So names of men may here be put for men of name persons of great honor and dignity in opposition to men without name base and ignoble Persons Job 30. According to this interpretation which nothing can be said against Names of Men signifing high and great persons suppose they be of the Popish Ecclesiastical Order whom we call Church men by great names and titles distinguished from the inferiour Clergy if 7000 of these be slayn how many of a lower rank and order which the Holy Ghost would not so much as count or reckon Besides this there may another interpretation be given of Names of Men viz. Companies and Societies of men which are wont to be called by proper names as well as particular men as Cities Towns Parishes Villages Monasteries and Nunneries and what are these if we consider the Matter but names of men as the Roman name is put for the Romans themselves the Thebane Polity is called the Thebane name what is therefore the Names of those humane Societies whether they be either of Rome or in that they call the Church State be the 7000 in this great Earthquake to be slain i. e. subdued by the adverse power which the Scripture useth to call death but we must not rashly determine any thing in a thing to come the best commentary of a Prophecy is the fulfilling of it but I bring these things to shew that of these words a larger sense may be given then is commonly conceived When the word Name in Scripture doth not use to be restrained to one single signification neither are Names of men joyned together in any place of Scripture but in this neither is the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Names taken simply for particular single persons but onely in two places Acts 1.15 Rev. 3.4 in other places it hath several significations It follows And the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of Heaven i. e. the rest of the Bestian party are amazed and terrified and thereby compelled to acknowledge the just judgements of God which he hath poured out upon them and to confess their sins which to do is to give glory to God Vers 14. The second we is past and be bold the third we cometh quickly The Second we is past the meaning is this great Earthquake continues to the end of the second we or of the sixth Trumpet together with which is to be finished the Prophecying of the mourning Witnesses For after so great a Victory over the beast and their ascending up into the Church-Heaven with so great honour they put on their mourning weeds no more But now if this second wo or plague of the sixth Trumpet be the Turks from Euphrates flowing in upon and over-running the Roman Empire in times past as was interpreted Chap. 9. it cannot be but the passing away of this second wo must be the overthrow of the Turkish Empire the drying up of the waters of Euphrates at the end of the pouring out of the fifth Vial whereby way is made for the coming of the Kings of the east cap. 16.12 At which coming of the Kings of the East least there should be left too wide a space betwixt both Trumpets the seventh Trumpet seems to begin Hiatus And so the wonderful preparation of the beast and false Prophet to the Armageddon Battel Cap. 16.13 together with the event thereof at the pouring out of the last Vial vers 17. must be made to begin at the sounding of the seventh trumpet And truely it seems very congruous that the preparation to the Battel as well as the battel it self should appertain to the same Trumpet but here an objection must be removed out of the way viz. Object Whether the Beasts 42 months and the Witnesses 1200 and 60 days are one and the same terme but now these days of the mourning Witnesses ending at the passing away of the sixth trumpet plague or second we It may very well be asked why the months of the beasts may not be supposed to be longer when after this time so great a part of the beast still remaines not to be quite abolished till the beginning of the seventh Trumpet It may be answered Answ This may be either because at the calling of the Jews there called the Kings from the East a new kingdom begins Or because in the duration of the beasts reign there is an ey or respect chiefly to the Empire of the City of Rome but now this great Royal City of the Beast in this Earthquake is taken demolished So that the Beast from thenceforth shall have changed his form when he is driven from his Metropolis it can no longer be counted which is the signification of his other seven heads a seven-mountained Kingdom Behold the third wo comes quickly This begins at the sound of the seventh Trumpet Wherefore these words immediately follow Verse 15. And the seventh Angel sounded And the seventh Angel sounds a Jubilee and then there be great proclamations and acclamations in heaven Called by some Divines the wo-joy Trumpet that the kingdoms of the world are the kingdoms of Christ and whereas before the Devil Dragon and Beast and his horns reigned now Christ takes to himself his great power and reigneth for which the whole Church under the type of 24. Elders praise him though the Nations be angry as they ever are when Christ puts forth his just power Verse 15 16 17 18. He now gives reward unto his servants the Prophets c. and destroys them that destroyed the earth that is he ruines the wicked and Idolatrous generation of Antichrist who wasted his Church before ver 18. His tabernacle is now open in heaven and the ark of his testimony seen ver 19. i.e. Christ represented by the ark is clearly manifested before