of those signs unto the day of Judgment is but a short time as our Saviour also saith Mat. 24.33 therefore all the Prophecies in the Revelation from the sixth Seal to the nineteenth chapter v. 11. where the day of Judgment doth commence are to continue but a short time and consequently it is a long time before the four first Seals do end and for ought we know it is a long time before any of them shall begin 5. The opposition between the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things that must shortly come to pass Rev. 1. â— and the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things that must be done hereafter Rev. 4.1 intimate so much The first are a Preface to the things spoken of in the Epistles to the seven Churches and shew they were to begin shortly after Johns time the second are a Preface to the Prophecies in this chapter and in the chapters following and shew they were not to begin so soon but a long time after 6. The conjectural expositions of these Prophecies signifie as much for time is the best interpreter of Prophecies and if these Prophecies were fulfilled already men would not speak upon conjecture nor write so variously and uncertainly of the meaning of these Prophecies as they do CHAP. VII The Prophecy of the Sealed which were to be secured from suffering 1. ANd after these doleful sights were over I saw farther what should come to pass in the time of this Prophecy before the seventh Prophecy should begin to wit that four Angels should stand upon the four corners of the earth upon each corner one which should have power over the four winds that be in the earth to let them loose Mat. 24.31 or to keep them in that they should not blow upon the earth nor upon the Sea nor upon the Trees but as they pleased 2. And I saw that another Angel should then come with a Commission from the East and bring the Seal of the living God along with him and that he should cry with a loud voice to the four Angels which had power to hurt the earth and the Sea 3. Saying That they should not hurt the earth Ezeck 9.4 5 6. nor the Sea nor the Trees until we have sealed the Servants of God in their fore-heads 4. And I heard the number of them which were to be Sealed and they were a hundred and fourty and four thousand young men of the Iewish Nation which are to be reckoned in this manner 5. Of the young men of the tribe of Iuda shall be sealed twelve thousand of the young men of the tribe of Reuben shall be sealed twelve thousand of the young men of the tribe of Gad shall be sealed twelve thousand 6. Of the young men of the tribe of Aser shall be sealed twelve thousand of the young men of the tribe of Naphthali shall be sealed twelve thousand of the young men of the tribe of Manasse shall be sealed twelve thousand 7. Of the young men of the tribe of Simeon shall be sealed twelve thousand of the young men of the tribe of Levi shall be sealed twelve thousand of the young men of the tribe of Issachar shall be sealed twelve thousand 8. Of the young men of the tribe of Zabulon shall be sealed twelve thousand of the young men of the tribe of Ephraim shall be sealed twelve thousand of the young men of the tribe of Benjamin shall be sealed twelve thousand The Prophecy of the blessedness of the not sealed Martyrs after death 9. But lest any should be discouraged from suffering for the cause of Christ because they be not sealed and secured from suffering as the other were there was presented unto me the great felicity and transcendent bliss which the Martyrs should enjoy in Heaven at the same time that the sealed ones should be secured on earth and I saw they should be more in number than the other were to wit an exceeding great multitude which no man could number of all Nations and kindreds and people and tongues which should stand before tâ—e Throne of God and before the Lamb in white robes of Glory and Palms of triumph in their hands 10. Where they shall laud and praise the Lord for that Heavenly Glory and felicity which they shall be in at this time acknowledging and saying Salvation proceedeth from the Lord our God which sits upon the Throne and from Jesus Christ the Holy Lamb and to them be it ascribed for evermore 11. And not only they themselves but also all the Holy Angels which are in Heaven shall laud and praise the Lord for that Heavenly bliss and happiness which the Martyrs shall have in Heaven at that time when the sealed ones are sealed on earth 12. Saying Amen Blessing and Glory and Wisdom and Thanks and Honor and Power and Might be ascribed to the Lord our God for evermore 13. And that I might understand the meaning of the Vision one of the four and twenty Elders asked of me saying What be these comely persons whom thou seest arrayed in white robes of Glory and Palms of triumph in their hands and from whence came they to that blessed State and transcendent degree of happiness which thou seest them now to have 14. And I said Ah Sir thou knowest who they are and I would learn of thee who they be and from whence they came to that blessed State and transcendent degree of happiness which I see them in at this time and what it was that brought them hither Then he said unto me These be the Holy Martyrs of the Church which were in great affliction in the World and suffered death for the cause of Jesus Christ and shed their blood for professing of his Gospel for this cause it is that they be now in white robes of Glory which were made so by his blood and are given them as a reward for their suffering for him 15. For this cause it is that they be now before the Throne of God and serve him in the Church Triumphant as in their life-time they did in the Church Militant and God shall dwell with them and be their God 16. They suffered hunger heretofore but now they suffer it no more they suffered thirst heretofore but now they shall suffer it no more they suffered persecution heretofore but they shall suffer it no more 17. For Jesus Christ shall feed them with his Heavenly Food and give them drink of his Heavenly Well and God shall wipe all tears from off their eyes so that no sorrow shall come near them Disputation III. 1 Quest Whether the sealed ones be the Jews and they only Ans 1. The tribes of the Children of Israel be usually the Jews only as Gen. 49 16.28 Exed 24.4 and so in other places but the sealed ones here mentioned are one hundred fourty and four thousand of all the tribes of the Children of Israel v. 4. 2. Where the tribes of Israel are distinctly reckoned by their names there
the Lord therewith 3. And they shall sing a song of praise for their Victory over the Beast after the Pattern of the song which Moses and the Israelites did sing upon their Victory over Pharaoh and his hoast and they shall add to that song the song of Jesus Christ in which they shall praise God to this effect Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy dealings with the Sons of men thou King of Saints 4. Who shall not fear thee and give Glory to thy name for thou only art holy and none besides thee therefore all Nations shall come and worship thee for thy Judgments are manifest and all the world may see that they proceed from thee 5. And after this I looked and behold the Temple of the Tabernacle of Testimony the Holy of Holies the special place of Gods presence in Heaven shall be opened 6. And out of it shall come the seven Angels which have the execution of the seven last Plagues very gloriously apparelled with pure and white linnen and girt about the paps with Golden Girdles 7. And unto the seven Angels shall be given seven Golden Vials full of the Plagues and wrath of God which liveth for evermore 8 And the Temple it self shall be filled with smoak in token of Gods heavy wrath and vengeance which shall be so terrible and unsupportable that none shall be able to enter into the Temple where the representation of Gods wrath shall be until the seven Plagues of the seven Angels shall be executed to the full CHAP. XVI The Prophecy of the first Vial. 1. THEN the seven Angels shall have Commission from God to pour out the seven Vials of his fierce wrath upon the people of the earth successively one after another 2. And the first Angel shall pour out his Vial upon the dry Land and thereupon a very grievous noisome painful malignant ulcerous sore shall fall upon the men which shall take the oath of Allegiance to the first Beast and receive his mark or yield obeysance to his Image as heretofore there fell a grievous sore upon the Aegyptians Exod 9.8 9 10 11. Deus 28.35 but this which shall fall upon the Beasts obsequious Servants shall be far more grievous painsul and malignant then that which fell upon the Aegyptians The Prophecy of the second Vial. 3. And the second Angel shall pour out his Vial upon the Sea and it shall be turned into blood Exod. 7.17 18 19 20 22. Rev. 8.8 and that blood shall be like the putred blood of a dead man after it hath been for certain days out of his body and every creature which liveth in that Sea shall dye The Prophecy of the third Vial. 4. And the third Angel shall pour out his Vial upon the Rivers Exod 7.17 18 19 20 21. Ps 105.29 Rev 8.10 Rev. 14.17 and Fountains of Waters which run through the Beasts Dominions and they shall be turned into blood as the Waters of Aegypt were 5. And the Angel which hath power over the Waters hereupon shall say righteous art thou O Lord and holy because thou bringest such Judgments on them as are suitable to their sins 6. For they shed the blood of thy Saints and Prophets and thou shalt give them blood instead of Water to be their drink 7. And another Angel shall also say right so O Lord right so it is and ought to be just and righteous are thy Judgments very fit and suitable for such bloody persons be thy Plagues The Prophecy of the fourth Vial. 8. And the fourth Angel shall pour out his Vial upon the Sun and yet the Sun shall not be the object of Gods wrath but the instrument thereof and it shall be given to this Angel or to this heavenly body to torment men with fiery heat and they shall be the objects of this Vial and the Plague thereof is burning heat 9. And they shall be tormented with scorching heat from the influence of the Sun and blaspheme that potent God who hath power to inflict such exquisite Plagues as these upon them and shall inflict them at this time and yet their hearts shall be obdurate as the heart of Pharaoh was and shall not repent them of their sins and give God glory as by these Plagues they should have learned to do The Prophecy of the fifth Vial. 10. And the fifth Angel shall pour out his Vial upon the imperial Seat and Throne of the Beast and his Kingdom shall be full of darkness Exod. 10.21 as the Land of Aegypt was and it shall be such a darkness as shall be felt and they shall gnaw their tongues for the grievous pain thereof 11 And blaspheme the God of Heaven because of their pains and their sores so exquisite vehement and malignant shall they be and yet for all this repent not of their deeds The Prophecy of the sixth Vial. 12. And the sixth Angel shall pour out-his Vial upon the great and famous River Euphrates and cause the Water of the River to be dried up as the River Jordan and the red Sea heretofore were and this shall be done for this end and purpose that a broad and dry way may be made and prepared for the Kings which be on the East side of Euphrates to pass over to the West side thereof to their own destruction 13. And when the Devil and the first Beast and the second Beast Act 13.6 the false Prophet or Magician shall perceive that a broad and easie way is made for them to pass over they shall call for three unclean Spirits which shall be ready at their call and come as easily unto them as 't is for them to speak and call for them 14. And these unclean Spirits be in truth the Spirits of Devils and very Devils indeed working miracles as they go to perswade men the better to do what they would have them do and they be to go to the Kings of the earth and of all the Country and Nations Eastward that be up in Armes to this end and purpose that they may gather them together to destroy the Jews at one blow but God shall turn it to their own destruction and they shall all of them be overthrown themselves in the last Battel they shall fight which hereupon is and shall be called the Battel of the great day of God Almighty 15. Now look unto your selves ye People of the East Country that ye joyn not with these War-like men against the Jews to your own undoing for behold what Christ faith unto you I will come suddenly upon you as a Thief commeth suddenly on a man when he least of all thinketh on it blessed is he that looketh to himself 2 Chren 19.2 2 Chron. 20.39 36 37. and doth not joyn or go along with these men to his own destruction 16. So these unclean Spirits shall prevail with these Kings and Nations of the East Country and perswade them to pass over Armed
the Devil 1. AND I saw a great wonder in the Starry Heaven prefiguring what should be done upon the earth and the wonder which I saw was a woman representing the Nation of the Iews cloathed with the Sun in token of her future Glory and the Moon beneath her Feet in token she should change no more Gen. 37.9 10. and a Crown of twelve Stars upon her head which are the twelve Tribes of Israel 2. And their conversion shall be like the pains of a woman in Travel which hath hard labour and strong pains and throws before she be delivered even so they of this Nation that be converted first shall have hard labour and Travel to convert the rest 3. And I saw another wonder in the Starry Heaven and it was a great Red Dragon representing the Devil and his mighty Agents upon earth which shall oppose the Church of Israel in her Travel and hinder their conversion what they can and they be seven Heathen Kings which shall have Crowns upon their Heads and ten Heathen Kingdoms which shall have no Kings of their own in them at this time 4. And he shall be in a great rage to hear of the conversion of this Church and Nation and in this rage of his shall with his tail in which as some say his main strength doth lye seek to overthrow the frame of nature and had rather Heaven and Earth should have an end than the conversion of that Church be brought to pass Or else his tail may represent the vulgar people that be in his Kingdoms as his seven heads do represent his Kings and by the help of this vulgar people he shall turn aside some part of that Nation from minding their conversion at the present and draw their hearts away from Heavenly things to earthly or else do some other hurt unto them and he himself shall stand before the Church of Israel now ready to be converted to the Faith of Christ threatning to devour them and their Children so soon as they become Christians 5. Yet for all this they shall be converted to the Christian Faith and the Child that shall be born of them is Jesus Christ who is then said to be born spiritually whenas a Church or Nation is brought to believe in him and after their conversion he shall subdue all Nations that War against them with the Sword but he himself shall sit in Heaven at Gods right hand and on his Throne 6. And when they be converted a great part of that Nation shall flee into the Wilderness especially they that be instrumental to convert the rest where they shall have a place prepared for them by the Lord their God as their forefathers had Hos 2.14 15. when they came forth of Egypt that they may be nourished and preserved there three years and a half from the fury of the Devil and his Agents 7. But before that this is done there shall be a great battel in the Church Michael and his Angels shall fight against the Devil in behalf of the Church of Israel Dan. 10.13.21 Dan. 12.1 that they may be converted to the Christian Faith and the Devil shall fight against Michael and his Angels against the others Angels that they may remain in unbelief 8. But Michael and his Angels shall prevail and the Devil and his Angels shall be overthrown and there shall be no place for them any more in the Church of Israel 9. And the great Red Dragon that old malicious Serpent otherwise called the Devil and Satan who deceived our first Parents at the first and the whole race of mankind ever since shall be cast forth of the Jewish Nation and all his evil Angels cast forth with him 10. And there shall be great joy in the Church of Israel and loud acclamation and Thanksgiving saying Now is salvation come to the Church of Israel from the Lord our God he is the Author of it and to him be it ascribed for evermore And the might and Kingdom of our God shall now be seen and made known unto the World and the power of his Christ for the accuser of that Church and Nation is cast forth who before their conversion accused them of their unbelief before our God day and night but from henceforth shall accuse them of that crime no more 11. But they shall overcome him by the merits of his blood who died for them and by their Faith which they have in him and the open profession of the same and they shall not love their lives more than they love their Christ but expose them unto death rather than remain in unbelief and deny their Faith in him and for this it is that Satan shall be cast forth of that Nation 12. Rejoyce ye Church of Israel because Satan is cast forth of your Nation and from ruling any more therein but wo be to the unbelieving Gentiles after this is done for the Devil will be among you altogether and have great wrath as knowing he hath but a short time to stay among you 13. And when Satan shall perceive that he is cast forth of the Jewish Nation he shall set himself to persecute that Church and Nation especially those members of them which were converted first and shall be instrumental to beget the rest to the Faith of Christ 14. But power and opportunity shall be given to those members of that Church to fly into the Wilderness to the place prepared for them where they shall be nourished and preserved three years and a half from the power of the Devil and his Angels 15. And when the Devil shall perceive that they are fled into the Wilderness he shall send a flood of Water after them to drown them in the Wilderness or drive them out from thence 16. But God shall cause the dry and thirsty earth to open her mouth and swallow up the flood of Water which the Devil shall send after them and the Water thereupon shall do them no hurt 17. At which the Devil shall be very wroth and thereupon shall leave the Wilderness where they be and make War with the remnant of that Church and Nation which shall not flee into the Wilderness as the other shall but keep the commandments of the Lord their God and profess the faith of Jesus Christ in their known and open dwellings 18. And to accomplish this design of his he shall stand upon the sea shore representing the heathen people and Nations of the World out of whom he shall raise a beastly Tyrant to make War against that part of the Church of Israel which shall flee into the Wilderness as hereafter followeth Disputation VIII 1. Quest Whether this Prophecy doth belong to the seventh Trumpet and be a part thereof Ans 1. The seventh Trumpet doth not end with the former Chapter but reacheth onward to the end of the Book and whereas the other Trumpets have a close added to them this Trumpet hath no close at all and therefore
year be meant a hundred years then two mystical years must be two hundred years and half a mystical year half a hundred years and then we are far short of the number Such inconveniences do they fall into which turn the Scripture into mysteries and make a mystical sense of a Revelation Lastly a thousand years and upward is a long time but by 1260 days is meant a short time yea the whole time of Satans abode upon the earth from the time he is cast out of Heaven is but a short time as appears v. 12. and yet that time is much more than the 1260 days we speak of 3. Quest whether this Prophecy were fulfilled in the Reign of Nero Ans 1. This Prophecy was not revealed to John till after Nero's Reign in the time of Domitian one of his successours as hath been proved ch 6. q. 1. therefore it doth not prophesie of what was done in his Reign 2. This Prophecy doth belong unto the seventh Trumpet in which the mystery of God shall come to pass as hath been proved q. 1. but Nero's reign did not reach unto the seventh Trumpet 3. This Prophecy shall succeed the Prophecy of the two witnesses as hath been also proved q. 2. but that Prophecy of the two witnesses is long after the Reign of Nero as they with whom I dispute in this Question do confess for they say it came to pass in the Reign of Adrian 4. By the parturition of this Woman is meant the national conversion of some people or other Now there were some persons converted to the Faith in the Reign of Nero but what is that to the national conversion of a people The national conversion of the Romans came not to pass till the days of Constantine which was long afterward 5. The first general persecution of the Church was in the days of Nero and if this Prophecy should be meant of it the persecution spoken of in this place should be the first but the persecution in the fifth Seal was before this Rev. 6.9 10 11. 6. In Nero's persecution many were slain for professing of the Faith and amongst them Peter was one and Paul another but in the persecution here spoken of not any one was slain the Dragons power was too weak as appears vers 4 5 6.13 14 15 16. Lastly after the parturition of this Woman the Dragon knowes he hath but a short time but since the days of Nero to this day the Dragon hath had a long time and how much more is yet to come before the day of Judgement who can tell 4. Quest Whether this Prophecy be meant of the conversion of the Jews Ans 1. The Woman here spoken of had upon her head a Crown of twelve Stars and who should they be but the twelve Tribes of Israel 2. The national Church of Rome which some suppose to be the Woman here meant was not converted till the days of Constantine all the time before that she was in Travail and when she was converted in his time she did not flie into the Wilderness as the Woman here doth but was advanced to great honour and prosperity in the World and the head of that Church was the Emperour himself 3. The Dragon with seven heads and ten horns which some suppose to be the Pagan Roman Empire did no more persecute the Roman Church after she was converted in the days of Constantine but as soon as that Church was converted that Empire wholly ceased as Pagan and became Christian and persecution ceased with it but here the case is otherwise for as soon as the Dragon is cast forth of Heaven to the Earth the persecution of the Woman doth begin 4. We read Dan. 12.1 And at that time shall Michael stand up the great Prince which standeth for the Children of thy people and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a Nation even to that same time and at that time thy people shall be delivered c. Now who be meant by Daniels people but the Jews and who is meant by the Woman here spoken of but Daniels people whom Michael standeth for 5. What doth the Angel mean by the mystery of God Rev. 10.7 but the conversion of the Jews And when shall that mystery be finished but when the seventh Angel begins to sound And when doth this Woman fall in Travail but at the same time too And if it be said that by the mystery of God is meant the end of the world and the second coming of our Lord as Doctor Mayer doth expound it To this I answer 1. That the mystery of God there spoken of is the conversion of some Church or other and what Church can we imagine is left unconverted till the seventh Trumpet but the Jews only 2. The conversion of the Gentiles is called a mystery Eph. 3.3 4.6 Col. 1.26 and so is the conversion of the Jews too Rom. 11.25 But now the conversion of the Gentiles is already and the Apostle speaks of it in both those places as a thing then in being but the conversion of the Jews is yet to come and when shall it be finished but at the beginning of the seventh Trumpet which is the time the Woman here spoken of falls in Travail 3. The conversion of the Jews goes before the coming of our Lord and that which hinders or keeps back the coming of our Lord is the non-conversion of that Nation and that which expedites and hastens the coming of our Lord is the conversion of that Nation as St. Peter saith in two places Act. 3.19 20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hastning the coming 21. 2 Pet. 3.12 and seeing in this Prophecy of the seventh Trumpet is mention made of the coming of Christ Rev. 19.11 c. We may well conclude the conversion of the Jews to be meant in this place which is to go before it 4. Where shall we find the end of the world or the second coming of our Lord called a mystery The Incarnation is so called 1 Tim. 3.16 but where the end of the world or the second coming of our Lord is so called it concerns them to shew which do affirm it 5. The mystery which the Angel meant is declared by God to his servants the Prophets in the Old Testament and what do they speak of more than the conversion of the Jews Esa 11.11 12. Esa 14.1 2 3. Esa 27.12 13. Jer. 23.7 8. Jer. 31.27 28. Jer. 32.37 38. Jer. 46.27 28. Ezek. 37.16 17. Hos 3.4 5. Joel 3.1 Amos 9.11.14 15. Zach. 8.20 21 22. with many more the like 6. The Objection doth suppose the seventh Trumpet is to sound but one day and that one day is to be the end of the world but the Angel saith the seventh Trumpet is to sound more days than one and the mystery of God is to be at the beginning of them Rev. 10.7 Lastly Concerning the conversion of the Jews see what Bishop Prideaux Dr. Willet Mr.
Maton Mr. Mather and others have written of that subject See also Doctor Heilins Cosmography lib. 3. p. 95. it is not sense to say the end of the world shall be finished for then an end shall have an end but it is good sense to say the conversion of the Jews shall be finished or shall have an end that is an end of consummation not of annihilation as the world shall Rev. 20.11 CHAP. XIII The Prophecy of the first Beast and his rising and success against the Jewish Nation 1. THEN I saw a wild Beast representing a new Empire which shall be raised by the Devil out of the people and Nations of the world which shall be then in arms consisting of the same seven Kingly heads that the Dragon had Rev. 12.4 and the same ten horns but with Crowns added to them which they had not before 2. And this Empire shall be as cruel against the Christian Jews as ever the Greeks or Persian or Babylonian Empires were heretofore to that Nation and cannot sufficiently be deciphered by one cruel Beast alone but by variety of cruel Beasts made up together in one for it shall have the body of a speckled Leopard as the Greek Empire had and the feet of a cruel Bear as the Persian Empire had and the mouth of a devouring Lion as the Babylonian Empire had and to the making up of this Empire the Devil shall resign unto him his Militia his Imperial Throne and secular authority 3. But before he be established in his Throne there shall be some opposition made against the setling and uniting of this Empire and in the opposition one of his seven heads shall receive a wound by a sword to all mens thinking unto death but his deadly wound shall be healed and after that there shall be no more opposition but all the Country far and near shall admire at it and yield subjection to the Beast without resistance 4. And they shall worship the Beast as the substitute of the Dragon and in so doing they shall worship not the Beast only but the Dragon also and in worshipping of him they ascribe unto him titles of transcendent honour saying who is so potent as the Beast who is able to war with him 5. And he shall take upon him and it shall be permitted to him to speak great and proud things amounting to blasphemy Dan. 7.8.11.25 Dan. 11.36 and he shall have power to continue three years and a half in great prosperity and after they are past he shall decay from day to day and never come into prosperity any more 6. And he shall open his mouth wide unto blasphemy and shall not be afraid to blaspheme the God of Israel and his name and his Church and the Jewish Nation 7. And he shall be permitted by God to make War against the remnant of the Church of Israel that shall not flie into the Wilderness with their brethren and to overcome them in the War and he shall have power over all kindreds and tongues and nations far and near to make them joyn with him and assist him in this War 8. And all the Inhabitants of the Earth both far and near shall worship him and yield subjection to him and they that shall so do are such whose names were never written in the Book of life which Jesus Christ hath purchased by his Blood for all that believe in him 9. Let every man take heed how he joyneth with the Beast and taketh part with him against the Saints whom he warreth with 10. He that leadeth any of Gods Saints into captivity shall himself go into captivity he that slayeth any of his people with the sword shall himself be slain by the sword which maketh much for the patience and the Faith of the Saints and is a great encouragement thereunto and they need not use unlawful means for their deliverance or renounce their Faith to save their lives let them believe and trust in God and wait with patience for his help and he will surely visit them and work Deliverance for them The Prophecy of the second Beast and his Actings and Atchievements for the settling of the first Beast 11. And I saw another Beast which shall arise from among the people of the Earth which live a civil life as the other did from the men that were in Arms and he shall have but one Head and on that one Head but two Horns of no great strength and magnitude but very small short and feeble and can do no hurt therewith Act. 13.6 2 Pet. 2.16 but he shall speak like a Dragon and be a false Prophet or Magician as wicked Balaam was and shall do more Mischief by his Witch-craft than the other by his Arms. 12. And he shall be a chief Officer of the first Beast to manage his Affairs in his behalf and he shall execute all the secular or civil Power and Authority of the first Beast in his behalf and he shall cause the Inhabitants of the Earth where the Beast doth live to worship and yield Obeisance to the first Beast who received a deadly Wound at his first arising and was healed thereof 13. And he shall do great signs and wonders and one of those wonders is that he shall cause fire to come down from Heaven in the sight of men Exod. 7.11.22 Exod. 8.7 2 King 1.10.12 Rev. 11.5 Job 1.6 as the true Prophets of the Lord have done and as the Devil himself hath also done 14. And he shall deceive the Inhabitants of the earth through the signs and wonders which shall be given him to do in behalf of the other Beast and one of these wonders whereby he shall deceive them shall be this that he shall say to the Inhabitants of the earth where the Beast doth live that they should make a Molten or a Carved Image in honor of the Beast which had the mortal wound of a Sword and did live 15. And he shall have power to give not life Dan. 3.5 6 7. 10 11 12.14 15.18 but breath to the graven or molten Image of the Beast in so much that the Molten or Graven Image of the Beast shall speak and cause and appoint and command that as many as will not fall down and worship it shall be killed 16. And he shall cause all both small and great rich and poor bond and free to take an engagement or an oath to be true and faithful to the other Beast and receive a visible mark in their right hand or in their foreheads whereby it may be known that they have so done 17. And he shall take special order with the Inhabitants of the earth that no man shall buy or sell any victuals or commodities save he that hath taken the engagement or the oath to be true and faithful to the first Beast and hath received a visible mark in his right hand or in his forehead in token that he hath so done and this mark which he
Dan. 7.21 22.25 Now who are meant by the Saints in Daniel but the Jews 4. VVe read in the same Book that Daniels people shall be in great troubles such as never was since there was a Nation Dan. 12.1 Now from whom shall they have this trouble if not from the Beast here spoken of 5. VVe read in the Prophet Micah According to the days of thy coming out of the Land of Egypt will I shew unto him marvellous things the Nations shall see and be confounded c. Micah 7.15 16. Now the plagues which shall fall upon the Beast are many of them the very same for kind with the plagues of Egypt therefore as the plagues of Egypt fell upon them for the wrong they did unto the Jews so the plagues which shall light upon the Beast shall fall upon him and his people for the persecution of that Nation 6. After the parturition of the woman in the former Chapter v. 12. the Devil knows he hath but a short time and therefore the Beast who is raised by him afterward has but a short time too Now if we look upon the Beasts which are in the world at this time whether Turks or any other they have continued a long time and therefore this prophecy is not meant of any of them but remains to be expected upon the Jews Conversion 7. The Beasts which now are in the world came to their height and eminency by long and tedious wars and by the ruines of other Nations but this Beast is raised on a sudden by the Devils art and policy as you may read v. 2.4 and there are such strange courses taken such witchcraft and inchantment used such signs and wonders shewed such cunning and deceitful tricks invented and such a strange mark imposed by the second Beast to make men adhere unto the first Beast as you may read v. 12 13 14 15 16 17. as never yet was known take them all together at the rising of any Beast since the world began to this very day nor will be till the Jews Conversion and the rising of this enemy of theirs the Beast here spoken of The conclusion therefore is The Antichrist of St. John St. Pauls Man of sin and the Beast here spoken of be not all one The Antichrists of St. John be the false Christs that our Saviour speaks of in the Gospel Mat. 24.24 which should start up before and after the destruction of Jerusalem 1 Joh. 2.18.22 and 4.3.2 Joh. 7. The Man of sin spoken of by St. Paul is avouched by some and denied by others to be the Pope of Rome of which see those that have written on that subject But the first Beast here spoken of is a Heathen King or Emperour raised by the Devil to war against the Jews after their Conversion and the second Beast is a Witch as Balaam was raised by the Devil and imployed by the first Beast as Balaam was by Balak to help him and assist him and do mighty things for him and for his settlement in his Kingdom v. 12 13 14 15 16 17. and for the ruine of the Jewish Nation Chap. 16.13 14. CHAP. XIV The Prophecy of the Virgin Company 1. THen was presented unto me in a Vision what shall come to pass after the three days and a half allotted to the Beasts prosperity shall be ended and I saw a Lamb representing Jesus Christ stand on Mount Sion and with him an hundred forty and four thousand of the Jewish Nation spoken of before but to another purpose in the seventh Chapter who notwithstanding the power and prevalency of the Beast shall boldly profess the Name of Christ and have it and his Fathers Name besides legibly written in their Foreheads 2. And I heard a voice out of Heaven as the sound of many Waters and as the sound of a great and mighty Thunder and after that the voice of Harpers making pleasant Melody with their Harps 3. And they sung a new Song before the Throne of God and before the four living Creatures and before the four and twenty Elders which Song shall be sung by none that be upon the earth but by the one hundred forty and four thousand which shall be redeemed from the rest that be upon the earth 4. These be they which shall not be defiled with Women for they shall be Virgins and unmarried Persons these be they which shall wait and attend upon the Lamb as a Lifeguard doth upon their Prince whithersoever he shall go these shall be redeemed from the rest of men as being the first Fruits to God and to the Lamb of the Jewish Nation 5. These be they which shall be without guile fraud and deceit and without stain of hainous sin in the sight of God The Prolcamation of the first Angel 6. And I saw an Angel flie in the midst between the Heaven and the Earth with a commission to preach proclaim and make known and publish the everlasting Gospel of Jesus Christ to the inhabitants of Judaea and to every Nation and Kindred and Tongue and People that shall be therein 7. Saying and proclaiming with a loud voice as he shall flie along Fear God and give him Glory for the hour of his Judgment is come and will shortly fall on all that fear not him worship not the Beast nor yeild obeisance unto him in the way that he goeth in opposition to the Gospel of Jesus Christ but worship him alone that made the Heaven and the Earth and the Sea and the Fountains of Waters The Proclamation of the second Angel 8. And another Angel followed after him proclaiming and saying Babylon is fallen is fallen meaning thereby that she shall shortly fall and come to nought because she made all Nations drink of the bitter Wine of her spiritual Fornication The Proclamation of the third Angel 9. And the third Angel followed after them proclaiming and saying with a loud voice If any worship the first Beast or his carved Image or take an Oath to be true and faithful unto him and receive a mark in their right hand or in their Foreheads in token that they have so done 10. The same shall drink of the bitter VVine of the wrath of God without mixing any thing therein to allay the sharpness of it and shall be tormented with Fire and Brimstone in the sight and presence of the Holy Angels and in the sight and presence of the Lamb. 11. And the smoke of their torment shall ascend for ever and never have an end and they shall be tormented Day and Night without ceasing or intermission which worship the first Beast or his carved Image or take an engagement to be true and faithful unto him and receive the print of his Name in token that they have so done 12. Here will be the tryal of the patience of the Saints which are living in Judaea when the Beasts engagement comes among them then it will be known who they be which keep the Commandments of the Lord
to the other side of Euphrates and go along together to this great Battel and they shall gather themselves together to a place which at the accomplishment of this Prophecy and for ever afterward shall be called in Hebrew Armageddon Rev. 19 20 21. where what shall become of them and what shall be the issue of this matter shall be declared in the next Vial. The Prophecy of the seventh Vial. 17. And the seventh Angel shall pour out his Vial into the aire and all that is to be done shall now be done before this Vial endeth 18. And first of all there shall be thunders and lightnings and a great earth-quake the like was not known before since men were upon the earth so mighty an earthquake and so great 19. And the great Imperial City of the Beast shall be divided into three patts and the Cities of the Nations fall and great Babylon shall come into remembrance before God that he may give her to drink of the bitter cup of the fierceness of his wrath which shall now and not till now be put in execution 20. And every Island in the Sea shall be removed out of his place and the Mountains in the main Land shall not be found 21. And a great hail shall fall from Heaven upon men and every stone thereof shall be about the weight of a Talent and yet for all this they shall not repent them of their wicked deeds but increase their sins the more and blaspheme the God of Heaven because of the hail for the Plague thereof shall be exceeding great Disputation XI 1 Quest Whether the Prophecy of the seven Vials shall succeed the Prophecy of the Harvest and the Vintage in the fourteenth Chapter Ans 1. The last Plauges succeed the first but the seven Vials are the seven last Plagues Rev. 15.1 and therefore the Harvest and the Vintage of the fourteenth Chapter are the first 2. The Virgin Company obtain Victory over the Beast before any of the Vials do begin Rev. 15 2. and therefore the seven Vials do not begin the ruin of the Beast but it was begun before and the seven Vials are added to it to bring up the rere and put a final end unto him Ob. The sixth Trumpet puts an end unto the Beast Rev. 11.13 and therefore the seven Vials which put an end unto him too do contemporate with it Ans I deny the Antecedent for the seventh Trumpet puts an end unto the Beast and not the sixth Rev. 11.18 Rev. 19.19 20 21. Secondly that destruction ch 11. v. 13. is but of 7000 men and no more and therefore 't is but a partial destruction of the Beast and not a total Ob. But whether it be total or partial it is before the Harvest and the Vintage of the fourteenth Chapter and therefore the Harvest and the Vintage are not the first Plagues Ans This is very true if the Beast be the same and the heads the same in both places but it may be questioned whether the Beast ch 11. be the same with the Beast ch 14. v. 9. and if they be yet the destruction ch 11. may befal the Beast in the time of one head and the Harvest and the Vintage ch 14. in the time of another head Ob. The wound which the Beast received ch 13. v. 3. is before the Harvest and the Vintage ch 14. and therefore they be not the first Plagues Ans That wound doth not belong to the ruine of the Beast but was a stop and a hinderance to his setling for a time but no part of his destruction after he is risen 2. That wound is before the 42 months of his prosperity but after they are ended the first beginnings of his ruine are the Harvest and the Vintage ch 14. and the seven Vials which follow after are the consummation of it Ob. The Harvest is the end of the World Mat. 13.39 Ans The general Harvest at the day of Judgment is the end of the World and that is the Harvest Christ means Mat. 13.39 but the Harvest Rev. 14.15 is a particular Harvest of the Beasts men and no more Ob. The Harvest and the Vintage are both one and therefore they succeed not one another Ans The general Harvest and the general Vintage are both one and the reapers are the Angels in general Mat. 13.39 but the Harvest ch 14. is a particular Harvest and the Vintage a particular Vintage and one Angel has a hand in reaping of the Harvest and another in gathering of the Vintage Rev. 14.14 17. 2. Quest Whether the Prophecy of the seven Vials be literally or mystically to be understood Ans 1. A Revelation cannot be a mystery for a Revelation is a manifestation of things that before were hidden and secret Dan. 2.28 Mat. 10.26 Luk. 8.17 Rom. 6.25 16. Col. 1.26 but a mystery is when things are hidden and secret still but the Prophecy of the seven Vials is a special part of a Revelation 2. Where there is a mystery in the Revelation it is usually interpreted as the first Chapter and the seventeenth do demonstrate but here is no interpretation of any mystery in the Vials 3. No Scripture is mystically to be understood sine evidente necessitate without evident necessity but here is no necessity much less an evident one so to understand it 4. Where a literal sense may stand that which is furthest from the letter is the worst but here a literal sense may stand For 1. It is not repugnant to any Text of Scripture 2. It is not contrary to any Article of the Christian Faith 3. There is no iniquity therein 4. There is no absurdity at all doth follow therefrom therefore it is literally to be understood 5. The Plagues of Aegypt are literally to be understood but the seven Vials are for the most part the same for kind with the Plagues of Aegypt Exod. 9.9 The first Vial answers to the Boyl breaking forth with blaines upon man and Beast throughout all the Land of Aegypt and what man will say that that Boyl is mystically to be understood The second and third Vials answer to another Plague of Aegypt where all the Water in the River was turned to blood Exod. 7.20 21. and what living soul will say that that is mystically to be understood The fifth Vial answers to the darkness which fell upon the Land of Aegypt for three days together Exod. 10.21 22 23. and what understanding is so dark as to understand that darkness mystically The last Vial answers to the hail which fell upon the Land of Aegypt Exod. 9 22 23 24. and who will say that that hail is mystically to be understood only the fourth and sixth Vials differ in kind from the Plagues of Aegypt but the rest that are mentioned in this Chapter are the same with theirs 6. From the mystical interpretation of the Vials many absurdities will follow As 1. It makes the Prophecy but a common Prophecy and to speak of things
alive and complain of the pain of that sore in the time of the fifth Vial. 6. The last Seal is the longest Seal of all for it contains under it all the Prophecies in the Revelation from the beginning of the eighth Chapter to the end of the Book so the seventh Trumpet is the longest Trumpet and comprehends under it all the Prophecies in the Revelation from the fifteenth verse of the eleventh Chapter to the end of the Book and so thirdly the last Vial is the longest Vial and all the Prophecies in the Revelation from the seventeenth verse of the sixteenth Chapter to the end of the Revelation belong unto it and when I say the Vials are of short continuance it is to be understood of the sik first Vials and of so much only of the seventh as reacheth from the seventeenth verse of this sixteenth Chapter to the beginning of the twentieth CHAP. XVII The Prophecy concerning Babylon and the destruction of it 1. AND one of the seven Angels which had the essusion of the seven Vials in my Vision and shall have the execution of them when they are to be executed came unto me in my Vision and talked with me saying come hither and I will shew thee the destruction of the great Whorish City which at the commencement of this seventh Vial shall rule over many Nations and who they be that shall destroy her 2. With whom the Kings of the earth shall commit Idolatry and the Inhabiters of the same shall be made drunk with her spiritual and also with her corporal Fornication 3. So he took me aside and carried me in a Vision of my mind into the Wilderness where I saw a woman representing not what was then in being but what shall be hereafter sitting upon a Scarlet coloured Beast full of names of Blasphemy many ways committed against God and Jesus Christ and the Beast had seven heads and ten Horns representing what should be hereafter 4. And the woman which I saw was arrayed in costly apparel of Purple and Scarlet colour and decked with Gold and pretious Stones and Pearls and she had a cup of Gold in her hand representing still what should be hereafter full of abominable sins and wickedness and also most grievous and loathsome Fornication 5. And in her forehead she had a name written declaring what manner of City she should be not perspicuously but in a mystery Babylon the great the Mother of Whoredoms and vile abominations of the earth 6 And besides all this I saw the Woman exceeding drunk with the blood of the Saints of God and of the Martyrs of Jesus Christ and when I saw she was such a one I wondred greatly with exceeding admiration what this Woman should mean 7. And as I was thus wondring in my mind the Angel said unto me wherefore didst thou wonder and continue in so doing I will tell thee what is meant by this wicked woman and what is meant by the Beast that beareth her which hath seven heads and ten Horns 8. The Beast which thou sawest is a King which shall have a Crown and loose it and obtain his Crown again and then go into Perdition and never have a being any more he shall have a Crown before the seventh Vial shall commence he shall loose it a little after the commencement of it and obtain the same again and go into Perdition too before this seventh Vial shall be ended and all the Inhabitants of the earth which were not elected to Salvation shall wonder at it when they see the Beast which shall have a Crown and loose it to obtain his Crown again 9. And this is the sense and meaning of the Vision the seven heads be seven Mountains upon which the City shall be built 10. And they do also signifie seven Kings five of them shall fall and be dead and gone before the seventh Vial shall commence the sixth shall be alive at the commencement of that Vial and the seventh is then to be expected and when he cometh to the Crown he shall enjoy it but a little while 11. And the Beast which shall have a Crown and loose it he shall be the eighth King and succeed the seventh and yet be of the number of the seven too and go into Perdition and be no more for ever 12. And the ten Horns which thou sawest the Beast to have do also signifie ten Kings which as yet have not received a Kingdom nor shall have any one before the Beast hath lost his and recovered it again and then they shall receive power to Reign as Kings in one Kingdom one hour with the Beast and this shall be when the seventh Vial shall commence and in the time of it and not before 13. And though they be ten yet they shall have but one mind and adhere unto the Beast with one consent and give their Warlike power and strength to the assistance of the Beast till the rebellious City be destroyed 14. And yet we may not think that they be Christian Kings for after this is done they shall fight against the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcome them in the War and though they be Kings themselves yet he is a greater King then they even the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and they that be with him and on his side be chosen and better Souldiers then any the ten Kings have and also Faithful to him too 15. And the Angel also told me what is meant by the waters upon which the woman sitteth and he said unto me that they do signifie multitudes of People and Nations of divers Languages 16. And the ten Horns which thou sawest the Beast to have be they which shall hate the Whore not for her Religion but for her Rebellion against the Beast and make her desolate and naked without Inhabitants and slay her People with the Sword and burn her Houses with fire 17. And that which shall make them do it is because God shall put it into their hearts to fulfill his mind and will and agree together to give their Kingdom to the Beast until the City be destroyed and no longer 18. And the woman which thou sawest doth signifie the great imperial City which at the commencement of this seventh Vial shall have Dominion over the Kings and Nations of the earth and then it shall be known by name what this wicked Idolatrous and Blasphemous City is Disputation XII 1 Quest Whether Babylon be the City of Rome Arguments for the Affirmative §. 1. 1. The City which sits on seven Hills is Babylon as appears v. 9. but Rome and no other City in the World sits on seven hills the names of them are these the Capitoline Palatine Caelian Aventine Esquiline Viminal and Quirinal therefore 2. The City which hath seven heads that is seven kinds of Governours successively one after another is the City Babylon ' mentioned in this place v. 10. but Rome and no other City in the World hath seven heads that
the Goths and Vandals Ans Much more than this came to pass in the time of the Goths and Vandals and therefore the dividing of the great City into three parts cannot be meant of them 2. To be divided into three parts doth not note a destruction of the parts but a partition only the parts remaining still Math. 27.35.51 Mark 1.10 Act. 7.56.3 There be three degrees of punishment in that Verse whereof that which shall befall Babylon is the greatest and that which shall befall the great City is the least First It is said the great City was divided into three parts this the least degree of punishment it doth not betoken a destruction of the City but a partition only or a separation of the parts each from other Secondly It is said the Cities of the Nations fell this is a greater punishment than the former it notes a sudden downfall of their Cities no parts of them standing Thirdly It is said that great Babylon came into remembrance before God to give her the Cup of the Wine of the fierceness of his Wrath this is the sorest punishment of all it note some extream evil to befall her no pitty to be taken on her Lastly these three degrees of punishment do also differ in respect of time for they shall not come to pass altogether in the same moment but the great City shall be divided into three parts first and the Cities of the Nations shall fall next and great Babylon is reserved to the last that she may have a punishment far exceeding all the rest Ob. The burning here is an allusion to Dan. 7.11 his Body destroyed and given to the burning flame which yet signified no more than the translating of the Monarchy from the Seleucidae to the Romans and proportionably here the subduing this Heathen City to the faith of Christ which was the effect of this blow that befell Rome Ans That by the Beast Dan. 7.11 is meant the Monarchy of the Seleucidae I deny 2. But what ever Monarchy be meant thereby when 't is said his Body destroyed and given to the burning flame a total destruction is meant thereby and not a partial 3. The City of Rome was a Christian City in the days of Constantine before the War of the Goths and Vandals did begin 4. By the damnation of Cities and Kingdoms in the Scripture is not meant the subduing of them to the Christian Faith but a destruction of them in their corporeal substances and that either of the Inhabitants by a corporal death or else of the buildings of the City by consuming fire and both of these are meant in this place Revel 17.16 See Pareus disputing against Alcazar in this point Revel 14.8 Object The throwing the great stone into the Sea Vers 21. alludes to Jer. 51.63 Thou shalt cast a stone into the midst of Euphrates and say Thus shall Babylon fall and not rise c. And yet Babylon long continued a great City though the Dominion of it was translated from the Chaldeans to the Medes Answ But who told them that no more is meant by that Prophecy of Jeremy then was acted against the Chaldees by the Medes and Persians Read the 26 29 37 43 62 64. Verses and read also Jere. 50.3 13 39 40. and you shall find much more and that is a perpetual desolation of the City which though it were not quite fulfilled by the Medes and Persians yet it came to pass afterward and we see it verified at this day Object The voice of the Harpers c. V. 23. alludes to Jere. 25.10 I will take from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness the voice of the Bridegroom and the voice of the Bride the sound of the Milstones and the light of the Candle and yet Judea of which that is spoken still had people inhabiting it Answ It is true that Judea had a few poor people remaining in it still after the captivity but yet Jerusalem of which that is spoken had not any 2. Compare the Prophecies both together and you shal find a great deal more in the Revelation then in Jeremy for in Jeremy it is said I will take from them the voice of the Bridgegroom and the voice of the Bride the sound of the Milstones and the light of the Candle but he doth not say that this shall be for ever yea it is said in the next Verse for seventy years but in the Revelation he saith The voice of Harpers c. shall be heard no more at all in thee and no Craftsman of whatsoever craft he be shall be found any more in thee and the sound of a Milstone shall be heard no more at all in thee and the light of a Candle shall shine no more at all in thee and the voice of the Bridegroom groom and of the Bride shall be heard no more at all in thee And therefore a perpetual desolation is spoken of in this place never to be repaired any more 3. If as much be intended in the Revelation as was done by Nebuchadnezzar in Judea or by the Medes and Persians in Chaldea this Prophecy was nothing near fulfilled by the Goths and Vandals for the Civil Polity of the Jews was quite taken away by Nebuchadnezzar for seventy years and the Monarchy of the Chaldees was quite demolished by the Medes and Persians and never restored afterward but the Civil Polity of the Romans was not quite extinguished by the Goths and Vandals nor their Monarchy quite destroyed but the Roman Territories were shreudly wasted and their City fired for the greatest part of it yea and their Monarchy ceased in the West but continued in the East and their Territories were regained afterward out of the hands of the Goths and Vandals and their City was repaired and remaineth to this day 4. Quest Whether the Beast himself may not hate the Whore and destroy the City in the time of the eighth head and what may be the cause thereof Answ It is said Vers 13. that the ten Kings shall give their power and strength unto the Beast but we do not read that they shall give their power and strength unto the Whore and therefore it is possible if not probable that the Beast and the Whore may be at odds 2. It is said Vers 16. that they shall hate the Whore but we do not find that they shall hate the Beast at all and therefore the Beast and the Whore may be parted each from other 3. We do not read that the ten Kings shall revolt from the Beast as Men do think they shall but on the contrary we read Vers 17. That they shall give their Kingdom to the Beast until the words of God shall be fulfilled Which words do not imply a revolt volt but an adhearing to the Beast and a cleaving to him still 4. Until the words of God shall be fulfilled they give their Kingdom to the Beast but the words of God are not fulfilled until the City
be said to be crucified at Rome Ans I deny the sequele For Christ told Pilate thou couldest have no power at all against me except it were given thee from above Joh. 19.11 yet no man will conclude from thence that Christ was crucified in Heaven because Pilate had authority from Heaven no more ought any man to say that Christ was crucified at Rome because Pilate had authority from thence Herod had authority from the City of Rome yet the young children which were slain by him were slain at Bethlehem and not at Rome Mat. 2.16 Yea we may go a little farther and say that the City of Rome was not guilty of their death nor of Christs neither for the authority which Herod had was only in the general and that is not sufficient to make the City of Rome guilty of their blood it must be a special warrant order or authority from Rome that must do that and this Herod wanted and so did Pilate too Yea let us go a little farther and suppose that Pilate had a special order or authority from the City of Rome to put our Saviour Christ to death yet this will not suffice to make the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ubi or the where to be the City of Rome but Ierusalem alone and the reason of it is because the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ubi and the where do note the place where the thing was done and not the power or authority by which 't was done as when 't is said that Mary Magdalen and Mary the Mother of Ioses beheld where here he was laid Mark 15.47 it is not meant of the power or authority which they had from Pilate to lay his body there but of the place where they laid him And so give instance where you will it never fails See Ioh. 19.18.20.41 Ob. Christ was crucified not only by the Roman power but also for the Roman cause Ans It was a pretended cause and not a real for Pilate did acquit him and said he found no fault in him Luk. 23.4 and the reason why he put Jesus to death was for fear of the Jews and not for any other cause Mat. 26.27 Luk. 23.22 23. But secondly let the cause be what it will it is nothing to the purpose for the cause is not here spoken of but the place only and they which understand the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ubi or the where our Lord was crucified to be meant of the cause and not of the place are as far from the meaning of the Prophecy as Jerusalem is from Rome Ob. Christ was been crucified in his members at Babylon Ans Is this indeed the meaning Why Christ has been crucified in his members at Jerusalem as well as in his own body so that Ierusalem may be the City in that sense too 2. I deny that to 〈◊〉 meaning for it is not said in every City where our Lord was crucified but in the street of the great City pointing out but one City and no more 3. These words where our Lord was crucified were added to deelare what City 't is where the Witnesses shall be slain and if we understand them of the City where Christ was crucified himself we can quickly tell what City 't is that is meant in this place but if we understand it of the crucifixion of his members from time to time Christ has been crucified in so many places that we cannot tell by this description what City 't is is meant here 4. Who be the members in which you say Christ was crucified Be they the same with the two Witnesses Or be they other members of his If other members then unless you tell us who these other members be we cannot tell by this answer what the City is in which the two Witnesses shall be slain But if you say the members be the same with the two Witnesses what is this but a meer Tautology It amounts to no more than this the two Witnesses shall be slain in the City where they shall be slain That which makes men run into these errors and mistake the meaning of the Prophecy is because they put no difference between the seat of the Witnesses and the seat of the Beast in which respect the Protestants are as far remote from the meaning of the Prophecy as the Papists for the Papists make the seat of the Witnesses to be Ierusalem and the same the seat of the Beast too but the Protestants make Babylon the seat of both And both of them are out in this particular for Ierusalem is the seat of the Witnesses but not of the Beast and Babylon is the seat of the Beast but not of the Witnesses and it is altogether unlikely and inconsonant to reason that the Witnesses should Prophesie in Babylon where the Beast hath his Throne or that the Beast should let them Prophesie before his own door three years and a half before the War against them But it is very likely and consonant to reason that the Witnesses should Prophesie at Ierusalem some hundred miles distant from the City of Babylon for some space of time before the Beast hear thereof and it is also likely that as soon as he doth hear thereof he will send his Soldiers forth of Babylon to march unto Ierusalem to War against the Witnesses and put an end unto their Prophesying which Soldiers of his may come thither at that nick of time in which the three years and a half allotted for their Prophesying shall be ended So that the Witnesses are not slain within the compass of that time or before that time be ended as some would have it but immediately when that time is over This is my conception of this Prophecy which I shall adhere unto until a better shall be shewn me And here the Reader may perceive that I follow neither Papist nor Protestant in the exposition of this Prophecy but the truth only which if it please God to discover by my weak endeavours it is as much as I look after in writing what I do 4 Quest How long the six first Trumpets shall continue Ans The Plagues of Egypt did continue but a little while as the learned Bishop of Armagh hath proved in his Annals pag. 20 21. and most of these Trumpets are the same with them 2. The fifth Trumpet is to last but five months Rev. 9.10 which wants a month of half a year 3. The Sealed ones were Sealed before any of the Trumpets did begin Rev. 7.3 and the same persons are all of them alive after all the six Trumpets are ended and a good part of the seventh Trumpet also over Rev. 14.1 4. All the time from the sixth Seal unto the day of Judgment mentioned Rev. 19.11 c. is but a short time as hath been proved already ch 6. Disp 2. q. 5. CHAP. XII The Prophecy of the Woman and the great Red Dragon representing the conversion of the Jews and the opposition and persecution of