any bloud in the third part of the sea would haue liued become dead in hereticall prauity The verity and accommodation hereof is more then cleare as principally in Arrius so in all the other Arch-heretikes of that time men more learned then holy and more quicke then modest like blazing Comets corrupting the truth of doctrine in a great part And therefore for the full perfection of euill in this kind when not onely the third part but wholy al both earth Sea fountaines shal be burnt turned into bloud and made bitter and al light eclipsed the like type is vsed in the fift Trumpet but with this notable difference that that starre falleth to the earth and so breedeth the mischiefe 9 The fourth Trumpet bringeth a darkenesse in part vpon Sunne Moone Starres day and night A kindlie degree of euill to follow on the former and there withal noting yet a higher degree of Apostasie and aduancement of the mystery of iniquitie as the heauenly lightes are aboue fountaines and riuers This is the type of darke ignorance comming on the world first in a great part The former euils arose more vpon contention pride and bitter despite then vpon ignorance while men either not aduerting or maliciouslie miscarried they tooke place but now together with these commeth also grosse ignorance in a great part darkening all true knowledge Christ is our sunne whom wee behold in the true light of his Gospell whereof when the third part is darkened so farre is our sunne darkened to vs. The Moone and starres are they in whose hearts God so shineth as they are able to make the light of the knowledge of God to shine in the hearts of others in the face of Iesus The day is that light thus ministred from our sunne by these starres wherein we walke who are children of the day and not of the night For starres here must bee considered more as receiuing light from the sunne they dispense it to vs then for that they shine in the night And here the night signifieth that light which naturall men who are not children of the day but of the night yet haue in humane sciences liberall arts in comparison to the light of the Gospell but a night of darkenesse whereof now by this Trumpet came a great decay as in story is more then manifest Now as these euils are said to worke but on the thirde part in each kind to shew that the first degrees came on but in part so as first the loue and life of God abode in the most part of the Church as in the second degree yet the most part worshipped purely and in the third held still the Orthodox faith like as now in the fourth yet continued great measure of learning both in diuine and humane sciences Whereas in the next Trumpet al falleth to the height of euill and a totall and common Apostasie is set downe And therefore for preparation to it a heauie warning is giuen of a triple woe But this warning is by an Angell flying through the middest of heauen and so farre remoued from the perception of earthly men it being so farre and obscurely deliuered as few were capable thereof or aduerted it see Chapter 14. and 18. 1. Diuers learned and godly men of whome this Angell is the type saw the mischiefe comming on through these euils more and more preuailing and gaue warning of it euen Gregory Bishop of Rome saw so much and made him say Rex superbia prope est quod dicinefas est Sacerdotum est paratus exercitus and vbi est ille Antichristus qui appellationem vindicabit vniuersalis Episcopi cui Sacerdotum exercitus paratus est ad assectandum cum prope est in foribus Hee did hit very right for within little more then three yeeres after him his owne successor Boniface the third tooke to himselfe the title of Vniuersalis Episcopus which all the succeeding Bishops retaine and so by sufftage of a most famous Bishop of Rome they are that Antichrist CHAP. IX FOllow the heauier woes denounced in the fourth Trumpet to fall on the earthly sort on whome are all these iudgements from which the sealed ones are exempted Of these three the first is in this fift Trumpet euen that huge mischiefe of Antichrist to which height of iniquity the former euils were al 's many steppes The other two woes following in the 6. and 7. Trumpets are the consequences in God his iust indignation of this great woe the one for punishment to prouoke repentance in the 6. Trumpet which being ineffectuall to conuersion vpon obstinate impenitency verse 20. 21. the seuenth Trumpet bringeth the third great woe and last wrath to Antichrists vtter destruction 2 In this euill are the origine whence it ariseth and the euill it selfe the origine is first and secundarie arising of the first The first is the fall of a great star from heauen to the earth the type of Pastors of great marke falling from being heauenly to becom earthly from the true state of Saints to the state of the world and to the loue thereof from light to darkenesse from the keyes of the kingdome of heauen to the keyes of the bottomlesse pit Now as this fall was not in one instant or point of time nemo repente fit turpissimus but by degrees so is it not to be taken of one man personally but is the generall type of that euill wherein Pastors falling they became ignorant and ministers of darke ignorance out of which arose the mischiefe of Antichrist and his poysonable Armie the euill is the loue of the earth where through cometh this change of Keyes by an Apostasie and falling away of these who had beene starres of heauen and ministers of light as hauing the keyes of the kingdome of heauen to bee the ministers of other Keyes euen these of Gehenna This is that succession and these are the Keyes the Church of Rome and Bishoppes thereof so much bragge of as this whole prophesie euinceth clearely The secundary origine of the euill is darkenesse arising through this fall and change of Keyes and that in a strange degree for this darkenes is not in part as that of the fourth trumpet but it eclipseth all light actiue and passiue sunne and aire Christ is our sunne whose beames lighten our spirituall aire whereby wee both walke in light and draw in a pure breath for intertainement of our spirituall life This by this darkenesse of the bottomlesse pitte which arose through that pastors falling to the loue of earthly things lost the key of knowledge and became Ministers of darkenesse is wholy eclipsed so as all the face of the visible Church is darkened and common life in it corrupted The euill of the third Trumpet was by fall of a great starre but that fell in the fountaines and riuers so making them in a part bitter but here the desire of riches and loue of the earth maketh all erre from the faith 3
the Gospell and by the powerfull and wide preaching thereof gathering of his Church and defeating darkenesse hee will raise first in mens harts a loue of knowledge and of the booke of God who thereupon by his motion shall study the same most diligently as eating it with appetite and shall finde in studying it exceeding sweetnesse and spirituall ioy to their soules and letting it as it were downe in their stomachs and filling their bellies with it they shall bee so filled as not able to containe it they must burst foorth though the preaching thereof beget them of the world great trouble and many teares For all this frame of speech see Ezech. 2. and 3. and Ierem. 15. and 20. and withall obserue herein the distinct degrees of a true inward calling whereof none can be lacking in the true minister of Christ First a loue of God and of the knowledge of his word begotten in the heart by diuine motion 2 A heart to pray for light 3 A diligent and carefull study of Scripture 4 A sweet delight and taste found therein of spirituall ioy to their owne soules Now all these any good Christian may haue but to make a Pastor thou must also find the last that is bitternesse of belly The accommodation of this is so cleare in story of these whom God thus first stirred vppe to the loue of learning and by whom the true light both of diuine and humane sciences was restored so as Antichrist was discouered and noted for the man of sinne that it needeth not here to be inlarged Reade the story and accommodations of Writers on this place CHAP. XI HEere the effect in some degree is shewed of that which typically was spoken of Iohn in the last verse of the former Chapt. in that the little booke being eaten giueth to the eaters a faculty to discern the true Church from the false by assistance and instigation of the great Angel who giueth it And this is by applying the rule and measure thereof sound and straight as a reede strong apt and maniable as a rod and as Aaron his rod which deuoured the rods of the Inchanters whereby the body of the true Church is found to bee small as the Temple in comparison of the Court and City and hid as the Temple wherein none entred but the Priests as a small center in the midst of a large circumference and closed vp within it The Ministers in number few beeing but two the smallest of numbers and yet sufficient for witnessing of a truth In calling witnesses and of diuine things being Prophets and standing before God In condition afflicted as doing it in sackecloth in much heauinesse and many teares In this condition yet hauing great and diuine power towards the Temple dispersing plentie of grace as oliues and true light as candlestickes and outward hauing vengeance in readinesse against all disobedience as Elias and Moses hauing nor vsing against their enemies no armour but spirituall and that for the space of a 1260. daies al the while the Gentils occupy the Court and holy City and tread them vnder foot that is all the time Antichrist possesseth the name and title of the visible Church defacing and downe treading therein true worshippe which therefore is cast out and hath not with God the account of his true Church now-onely closed vp within the Temple The frame of speech is from the Iewes Temple thereby to expresse the condition of the Christian Church vnder and within the compasse of Antichrist vsurping the title and glorying in multitude and visibility who therefore after the same frame of speech hath with his false Church the name of Gentiles obtaining a good space the whole City Court of the Temple euen that beast who worketh 42. moneths Chapt. 13. All which time God had his owne Church albeit small and not seene of men euen within the bowels of the Antichristian vsurpation as the Temple is within the City and Court. Which true Church hee intertained in the life of God by a hidde but powerfull dispensation of grace of a secret vnknowne and small number of true Ministers Whose state and condition in course of time and Antichrist his opposition is threefold First they prophesie long and powerfully and albeit in sackcloth yet without bloudshed beeing hid in the Temple Secondly the Angel of the bottomelesse pit King Abaddon smelling them out they are openly murthered and cruelly and barbarouslie intreated euen with applause and congratulation of the world in all parts of the Antichrist his power the great City so as they seemed to bee vtterly vndone and extinguished and the earth and earthly men thereupon reioysed as freed of them who by the light reprooued their darke workes and thus tormented them not as the Locusts tormented men Chap. 9. But as Elias and Micheas did Ahab Ieremias the Land and Amos Israel Thirdly the spirit of life from God which neuer can be killed for the truth can neuer be bound raiseth them that is others hauing the same spirit and power who stand vp on their feet that is stoutly and vigorously set themselues to fight against Antichrist so as hee shall then beginne to be affraid and his former great mirth shall be troubled and that so much the more when hee and his sectators shall see to their great both griefe and feare these few hid afflicted slaine mocked ones of whom they thought they had beene rid for euer by diuine calling called vp to heauen that is separated from the fellowship and all communion with Antichrist and his earthly sort to bee with account protection acknowledged and seene the true Ministers of God his true Church which now from vnder Antichrist his darkenesse vnder which it lay vailed as the Temple within the Court shall become visible in a degree euen to the enemies Whereupon immediately ensueth a great commotion and stirre so as a part of Antichrist his kingdome falleth and the power thereof is much impaired by ouerthrow of a great number and conuersion of others And thus way is made to the seuenth trumpet wherein not a part but all Babel falleth an eternall fall 2 Consider now how distinctly and clearly â—heere Antichrist his whole dealing in the diuers degrees thereof and the true Church her case all the while is euen painted out before the eies of any that is not blinde So great light commeth by the little booke eaten and rod applied The first of the three conditions was of the Church before this time of application of the rod but the measuring and finding it out is of this time The other two conditions come now vpon this applying of the rod by such as through eating the little booke were inabled thereto which Antichrist perceiuing they are killed and lie dead c. And as for course of time and story this Chapter is orderly put so also exceeding pertinently for order of matter For where by the restoring of prophesie in the last Chapt.
The shifts of the Papists for exempting the Pontificality from this blot 183 Whence he arriseth 175 His fall irrecouerable 78. 89. 165. 177 His presumption obstinacie and vnexpected foile 218 Aplaine crossing of all Popery 54 An incouragement to Praier 60 The false Prophet all one with the Beast and for what cause they be distinguished 121. 177. 178 The Lord God of the holy Prophets 254. 265 R RAine twofold 62 The Rainebowe about Christ his head 86 All Religion 19 The first Resurrection 224 Who they are that are said Chap. nineteenth to rise the first Resurrection 224. 225 The Reuelation worthy of our study 11. 265 The dignity thereof shewed in two great points 21 The course thereof 32 Riches and authority without wisdome are but the weapons of a foole 30 The Riches of Christ 30 Riders on Horses 33 Christ his Riding on a white horse 212 White Robes in Scripture haue a triple signification 38 Rome her presumption 192. 218 The Renting of her in three 171 By whom shall her fall bee 152. 163. 182 The first and second degrees of her fall 157 The third degree of her fall 158 The fourth 160 The fifth 161 The sixth 163 What her fall shall be 181 It is irrecouerable 165. 177 And vnexpected 192 The certainety and greatnesse thereof 188. 191. 198 The equity thereof 189. 198. 205 Yet in considering the equity a diffeerence is to bee put betwene the state euery particular mēber of that state 193 S TO the Saints is giuen a kingdome euen heere 107 Satan his twofold dealing against the Church 105. 106 What is his first attempt alwaies 106 How he is said to be in heauen to fight there to bee cast downe out of heauen into the earth 107 The Scripture is onely to bee heard and no voice else in the Church of God 25 In what respect it is a little Booke 86 It is kept secure by the Pope Ibid. It must be eaten 91 In the Scripture all is reuealed requisite for light or manners 266. 267. 268 To couplerightly the parts thereof 268 The glassie Sea a type of the Word 15. 149 The Sea for the common worship 49. 64 For that which is below 120 The Red Sea and pillar of fire types of the Word and Spirit 150 For what reason the Sea is said Chap. 15 to be mingled with fire 150 There was no more Sea 120. 250 Seamen 196 The Seale of God 51 Seducing of two sorts 228. 233 The twofold Seed of the Church 130 Seuen Lamps 15 Seuen hornes and seuen eies of the Lambe 26 Seuen points of his praise 30 Seuen heads 118. 175 Seuen Seales Seuen Trumpets Seuen Vials 153 Seuen diuers times recorded in all this booke and concerning this number Seuen 232 The Shining of the Bride her attire 208 Showers twofold 62 Two great Signes in heauen 100 The Signe of the Dragon 102. 147 The Signe of the Sonne of Man 147. 212 To Sit. 191 The Slaughter of the Lambe the reason of his worthinesse and in what sense must thinke so 24 Sobriety 88. 211 Example of Sobriety in the Author 12. 232. 258 Solitary places 188 The Holy Spirit his procession and name of Comforter signified by the Rainebow diffunded about the Throne 12 In a diuers consideration he both sitteth in the throne and also is before the throne set foorth in Seuen burning Lamps 13 Starres for great men of the earth 40. For Pastors 67 And in that case how they are to be considered 68 To stand in the Sunne 216 T The Tents of Saints 233 Theodoricus the Ostrogoth the seuenth head of the Beast 122 Thrones 161 Thrones Beasts and Elders 202 Thrones set for saints 228 Christ his white Throne 235. 240 Seuen Thunders 87 Why their speeches were vttered and yet not written 88 The Times recorded in the Reuelation 73 A refutation of Propheticall yeeres as they call them 74. 96 How to vnderstand the Times of the Reuelation 76 The Time of tenne daies 76 The Time of fiue monthes 77 How the Trumpets beginne and ende in respect of time 80. 89. 90. The Time of fourty two monthes and of 1260 daies and of Time Times and halfe a Time 96. 231 The Time of three daies and a halfe 97 Which also is the space that the Dragon is let goe loose after his first binding 222 The effects of that his loosing 203 The Time of a thousand yeeres 226 It is the onely Time in all this prophesie to be taken definitly 230. The Thighi to put the hand vnder the thigh Christ his name written on his thigh 216 Tragicall times of some Emperours 43 Treasons of Papists by whom they are atchiued how good and worthy works they doe esteeme them 72 And what setteth them so madlings a worke 165 The Tribes of Israel 53 Why they are recorded but to be twelue seeing they were thirteene 127 Trumpets 58 Twelue 120. 128 Turkes their heades terrible Army the great desolation they make V GOlden Vials types of faithfull and pure hearts 27 Golden Vials cups of wrath 153 The reason why they come in place after the trumpets 154 On whom they are powred out 156 Vintage 146 Of the Visibility of the Church 138. 139 The Vnity of the Church of Rome 180 The Voice of Christ is bold as a Lion and powerful as thunder How to know if the Ministers speake his voice Pope Vrbane the second and his successors kindlers of the holy warre for recouery of Ierusalem 229 W LOue of the Wages ofvnrighteousnes 196 The Warre proclaimed in Paradise 102. 105 Christianity is a Warfare against whom it is and how to fight it out 108 And ouercome 180 Counsel and strength are for the Warre 213 The holy Warre 229 Waters of two sorts 67 Many Waters 162 The drying vp of many Waters 162. 173 White colour White horses 33. 145. 212 White robes 38 White linen apparell 153 A White throne 240 Windes for influence of spirituall graces 49 Deepe Wisdome 204 The Whoore described 174 Who shee is 182 How the restoring of Prophesie and dispelling of darkenes is a Woe 98. 160 Two great Wonders in Heauen 100 Wondring of two sorts 174 The Word compared to water figured by the Lauer in the Tabernacle and by the brasen Sea Temple and in this booke Chap. 4. set foorth vnder the type of a glassie Sea before the throne 15. 16 The Word contemned of a blessing becommeth the first of plagues 34 The Word is the weapon of Christ his victorie 86. 88. 215 Three degrees of operation which the Word of God hath in the hearts of his owne 132 Our Worship to God must proceed of knowledge 20 The Wound of the Beast in his sixth head 117 How Works doe follow the dead 142 FINIS Faults escaped Page 8 Line 1 Fault Affliction that Correction Affliction them that Page 8 Line 29 Fault sex Correction step Page 27 Line 12 Fault three Harps Correction their Harps Page 31 Fault last Correction of ingratitude Correction of our ingratitude Page
speake as he roareth and except he roare no thunder vttereth any voice His sheepe know his voice and not the voice of a stranger All this is to shew that the ministery of the Gospell through the power of Christ accompanying it shal consume Antichrist to powder That notable things were vttered by these Thunders Iohn his readinesse to write argueth cleerely From which hee is staied by commandement not to write but to seale and close vp what they had spoken Wee must be sober and contented with what it pleaseth God to open as not able at all times to receiue al things I doubt not but now in cleere manifestation of Antichrist these thunders haue beene and are still thundering that openly which heere for the time was sealed vp But for this time their speeches haue beene as I thinke so plaine as Christ thought not meete to put in register For these mysteries are as it becommeth so deliuered that the wise in time shall vnderstand them but the wicked shall do wickedly To them things are spoken by parables that hearing they may heare and not vnderstand and seeing they may see and not perceiue That these speeches were vttered and yet closed vp was partlie for Iohn his particular information and strengthning As to such effect God in reuelations sheweth to his seruants of high imploiment sometimes more then in either lawfull or possible to vtter And truly I am of this opinion that none can be an able minister of the Gospell who for his owne both light and feeling hath not more then he can publish It is partly also for all readers and hearers of this Prophesie to exspect and aduert in their time these thundering speeches as to the praise of God we now doe cleerely For that heere Christ commandeth to seale them vp and that heereafter in this Prophesie which is but one continuall trance they are vttered I neither see any reason of it nor any place yeelding any probability that so it is 4 Thus is the great personage instructed with his weapon the word vnderstood and preached in all boldnesse and power The end of his comming thus instructed is to Finish the mystery of God and that without longer delay or protraction of time So as vpon the sound of the seuenth trumpet and in the daies thereof all shall bee accomplished whatsoeuer the Prophets had foretold either of the destruction of the enemies or the Church or of God his plentifull mercy and grace in her deliuerance and her goodly gracefull and peaceable condition thereupon For this is the mistery of God which in the daies of the seuenth Trumpet shall bee fulfilled Which trumpet as it hath begunne to blow long agoe and praised be our God we see the effect of it in good degrees aduanced so how long it shall blow God onely knoweth This alwaies is certaine that Antichrist his destruction already begunne shall hold on to euerlasting woe neither shall he recouer strength As also the increase of light and grace towards the Church shall continue till Antichrist being ouerthrowne and the Iewes ioâ—ning to the faith she inioie a gracefull and peaceable state heere as a Bride prepared for her husband This to be the minde of the Holy Ghost the whole course of this prophesie sheweth euidently And the many goodly promises of the Prophets gathered together in the Church her description Chap. 21. and 22. proue cleerely that therein is the mystery of God fulfilled according as hee foretold By his seruants the Prophets Now the things in this Chapter and to the 15. verse of the next hauing such congruity of argument with that of the seuenth Trumpet and last woe as whereof they are not onely the preparation but euen such great beginnings yet notwithstanding they are deliuered vnder the sixth trumpet and second great woe Because albeit it be true that these Trumpets no more then the seales or Violâ— be put for knots and periods of time exactly cutted but for distinguishing diuers matters yet thus farre in them time must be looked to that they fall out in course after other as they are heere ordered by the spirit For though the euill of the sixth Trumpet was euer in time of the fifth and the euils of both fifth and sixth Trumpets hold on in some degree in the beginning yea a good space of the seuenth yet the world felt first the fifth Trumpet and woe thereof whereupon the sixth Trumpet and second great woe insuing albeit the first woe ceased not yet when the world felt most the second as in the height of it beeing then the most sensible plague all euils and punishments whatsoeuer of whatsoeuer kinde are ioyned with the greatest woe in the time And thus is it that albeit these beginnings of Antichrist his fall heere and to the 15. verse of the next Chapt. agree in argument with the matter of the seuenth trumpet yet because these beginnings first degrees fell out in the greatest height of the second woe and were yet of no such weight or measure as the worldly sort and Antichrist feeling a heauier woe vpon them did so much regard therefore they are put vnder the second woe and sixth trumpet But when these small beginnings grow on so farre as Antichrist and the worldly sort following him become first afraid Chapt. 11. 11. and vpon the seene danger of his kingdome already begunne to fall then falleth to count light of the other woe in respect of this then is the seuenth trumpet saide to blow and the second woe to bee past the third now comming in place And this order of deliuery which the spirit vseth as it is exceeding artificious and pleasant so being well aduerted it bringeth great light and satisfaction Now because this end of this great Angel his descending seemeth incredible Antichrist and his kingdome being so strongly setled as the ouerthrow thereof appeared impossible the great Whore presuming thereupon to sit still as a Queene and to see no mourning therefore that the promise may bee the moâ—e sure it is confirmed by an oath Wherein for instruction are to be obserued the swearer his gesture the forme of oath and the point sworne 5 As we haue heard the end of this great Angel his descent so is shewed how this end is effectuate And this is by fitting and preparing fit instruments thereto who are stirred vp by diuine instigation to take the little booke from him only in whose hand it is open to eat it vp receiuing in their hearts all God his words c. Ezech. 3. 10. This eating hath a double effect in the eaters of sweetnesse and delight in the mouth and of bitternesse in the belly that so they may be meete for that effect set downe in the last verse where is the interpretation of all this signe Shewing in Iohn who here is the type of these whom Christ shall thus and to this end stirre vp that for raising againe the true light of