rather to the beginning of the thousand years The first four Trumpets which are reckoned the milder miseries upon that World of the Roman Empire contain somewhat above two hundred years after Constantine Rev. 8. When the Goths Vandals Hunnes Almains c. by degrees took away the Emperour who was he that letted the revealing of Antichist spoken of 2 Thes 2. The other three Trumpets called the Vae vae vae Tubae or three Woe-Trumpets Rev. 8. last vers are as follows The first Woe-Trumpet or fifth Trumpet is coneived to begin Anno Dommine 622. according to Helvicus when those Locusts out of the bottomless Pit viz. the Saracens subdued and over-ran one half of the Eastern Roman Empire bringing in with them that horrible Imposture of Mahomatism Rev. 9. first part of the Chapter which continued till about Anno Domini 1300. When the second Woe-Trvmpet or sixth Trumpet is conceived to have begun when the Turks the other Mahometan Locusts overcame the Sarecens and overcame likewise the other half of the Eastern Roman Empire Rev. 9. latter part of the Chapter which Trumpet will end with the utter perdition of the last Head of the Roman State viz. the ruine of the Popedom being the Feet and Toes of the Image expounded by Daniel cap. 2. And for the state of the Church contemporary with these contained in the little Book in the Angels Hand Revelations 10. after a short Chronological Table as it were of both Prophesies chap 11. to vers 15. and thence to the end of the Chapter a short Relation of the sounding of the seventh Trumpet and state of the World then and thence forward as after follows The first Contemporary State of tho Church is set down chap. 12. dontaining the Primitive times till Constantines and the Dragons flood of Arrian Pesecution from those times till the Womans the True Church her flight into the Wilderness not long after the Year of our Lord 400. when its probable the Date of the Beast began the false Apostatical Church when the Western last Head of the fourth Beast which had received a deadly wound was again healed set forth by two Beasts chap. 13. The first having seven Heads and ten Horns deciphering the Politick State the other with two Horns like a Lamb and speaking like the Dragon the Ecclesiastical State thereof whose time is forty two months the same with the Lord Christs two Witnesses Prophesying Sackcloth 1260 days of years Rev. 11. and the Womans the True Church her abode in the Wilderness for a time times and half a time as chap. 12.14 where the Lord 's said Witnesses nourish her to the end of the said time and last period of the sixth Trumpet under which most if not all of the seven Vials the seven last Plagues Rev. 15.16 are poured out upon the beast the Popish State and Church to the utter destruction thereof whilst the 144000 followers of the Lamb stand with him upon Mount Zion Rev. 14. harping with their Harps and singing as it were a new Song before the Throne and the four living Wights and twenty four Elders who are excellently described ver 4 5. till all the Angels had done their Messages and the Son of Man that sate on the White Cloud had thrust in his sharp Sickle several times at the request of the last Angels to reap the Harvest Grapes of the Earth fully ripe to the end of the chap. Which Angels seem contemporary if not the same with the seven Angels pouring out the seven Vials chap. 16. particularly set down And it seems probable that the sixth of those Vials is now pouring out by the Turkish Army drying-up the great River Euphrates of the German Emperors dominions and forward towards Rome whereby the maintenance honour and desence of the Popedom hath been long upheld and conveyed to it As the great River Euphrates was useful unto old Babylon until the great Army of Cyrus having turned the waters another way passed thorow the Channel thereof into old Babylon Or if by such means with others as by the conversion of some and plagues and confusions in others the Turks Dominions as the great River Euphrates shall be dryed up in the issue to make way for the Jews the Kings of the East to come into Palestine yet so it will but the sixth Vial upon the great River Euphrates and it may not improbably be true of both The seventh Vial will end the Popes Being and all evil Dominion being poured upon the Air where the Prince of the power of the Air hath so long prevalently ruled which is called the end of the second Woe Rev. 11.14 at the end of which the seventh Trumpet will sound which is called the Wo-joy Trumpet first bringing for the most part destruction to the Wicked in the World and likewise bringing in great happiness to Gods faithful People following in the thousand years Rev. 20. and other things concerning the New Jerusalem and the contemporaries therewith in the two last Chapters of the Book of the Revelations Concerning which state of things in the Church then I conceive the not distinguishing between the seventh mystical Trumpet and the last loud-sounding Trumpet 1 Thes 4.16 is the occasion of some misapprehensions of some things to be in the said thousand years which are also an occasion of stumbling to many as to the matter of Doctrine of the Kingdome of Christ upon Earth whence the great and sudden change of all the Faithful is apprehended to be at the beginning of the seventh mystical Trumpet which I conceive from the Apostle's words will not be until the other loud-sounding Trumpet above a thousand years after at the last Resurrection and great day of the last general Judgment at the end of the World 1 Thes 4. which will follow the last attempt of the Devil by Gog and Magog Rev. 20. at the end of the thousand years at which great sudden momentany change in the twinkling of an eye at the Voice of the Archangel and sounding of the said Trumpet both all those that were raised at the beginning of Christ's Reign or all along the thousand years as learned Mede conceives and all the Faithful that are found alive at last on Earth must all then pass through that momentany change and be rapt up with the Faithful likewise which departed this life in the said 1000 years then raised to meet Christ in the Air in a glorious condition For though such as were raised before the beginning of Christ's Reign were before in an excellent state in regard of their bodies suitable to what Christ's was in before he ascended unto the Father yet then it seems probatile they will be more glorious bodies than formerly mortal eyes could endure to behold therefore saith the Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 15.51 We shall not then all sleep but we shall all then be changed both living and dead All be changed both living and dead or raised before namely all that are faithful
Saracen Mahomatan Locusts Cap. 9.4 and so it is to be noted which I also adde that the blasts of the first four Trumpets being the milder miseries on the Empire were stayed Rev. 8.1 2. until much Incense was offered by Christ with the prayers of the Saints that they might be accepted where those four Trumpets took effect namely upon the Western part from the time the barbarous Nations came in there for the most part till he that letted as the Apostle speaks 2 Thes 2. should be taken away in the West as he was there first to make room for Antichrist to whom the Dragon by degrees gave his Seat and Power and great Authority And that the 14400 were to arise out of the Greek Church viz. which were sealed Cap. 7. Some of the said Authors grounds are farther namely That the Angel that would have the four Winds stayed till they were sealed is said to arise out of the East and the evil of the Woe-Trumpets was to fall upon the East chiefly and that if those sealed ones Cap. 7. be not of Christians in the East Church in the times of the Woe-Trnmpets there is nothing spoken of them in all the Book of Revelation remarkable which have been so long under such sad tribulation and their being said to come out of great tribulation doth more fitly seem to decypher out the Christians of the Greek Church than any others under those Trumpets To which I may adde as being of the same Judgment That they are farther described to have specially washed their Robes in the Blood of the Lamb whom they would not leave for Mahomatan impostures at the highest Price of Fears or Favours and seem to differ from what is set down of those 144000 Cap. 14. with the Lamb in Mount Sion having their Fathers Name in the Forehead which seems to be in the Western Church preserved in the darkness of Popery from spiritual ruine by Antichrist who are called there The Followers of the Lamb wheresoever he goeth keeping close to him and not turning into the Beasts by-ways and thickets though he pretended never so much to be the Lambs Deputy and Vicar-General on Earth and they are said to be Virgins which denotes their avoiding of Anttichrists Idolatry and have no guile in their mouths to pretend for Christ and follow Antichrist with other particulars observable Cap. 14. which seem to set them forth to be the sealed ones in Antichrists Dominion rather than in the East parts where Mahonetism prevails c. and therefore the four Augels stayed their four Winds while the former 144000 Cap. 7. were sealed which seems to signifie they were to be within the reach of their four first Trumpets that for the most part fell upon the Western Empire till that Seat of the former Beast was taken away and preparation should be made for the new Beast the Dragons next Substitute to whom he gave after his Seat and Power and great Authority Cap. 13. For by the first Trumpet Rev. 8. seems to have been weakened the Dominion of the Western Empire by the incursion of the barbarous Nations by the second the great City or Mountain sacked or burnt by the third the Emperour in the person of Agustulus the last of that Order there utterly taken away being plucked out of his Throne and in the fourth the light and glory of all that Kingdom formerly by taking away their antient Senate by means whereof Rome had so long shined so glorious with all her Lights in that Orb before was wholy extinct but in the fifth or first Wo-Trumpet Rev. 9. to vers 11. Gods Dispensation seemed very evident not in respect of Antichrist as the fore-mentioned Author conceived for all the particulars Chap. 9. to the 11th verse seem better to agree to the Sardcens than to him Vide Notes of the Bible on that chapter the Sober Guess c. with others But against the spiritual hurt falling on the one part of the Eastern Empire by the Incursion and Conquest made by the Saracens some of those before sealed chap. 7. were preserved as by means of the two Wings of an Eagle spoken of chap. 12. on that part where the Saracens setled and after on the other part which the Turks took away besides what the Saracens formerly had as likewise that Woman the Church had her other Eagles Wing in the West that Eagle denoting the Roman Empire after Constantine had built Constantinople in the East dividing the Empire into two parts in East and West and the Eagle with her two sade-Wings being the Ensign thereof upon which advantage the Woman the true Church fled into the Wilderness chap. 12. about the end of the second Trumpet or beginning of the third when probably Antichrist had his rise with his ten Kings or Crowned Horns soon after the beginning of the fourth Century from which time the said Woman the Church hath been fed by her true Pastors the two sackcloth-Prophets in her Wilderness-condition which she is shortly to come out of But on the other part that said Woman the Church brought into the East by the other Eagles wing of the Eastern Empire before into her Wilderness condition or rather miserable bondage and great tribulation being cast under the stroke of Mahometan Tyranny by the prevailing of the Saracens at the beginning of the fifth or first Wo Trumpet about the year of our Lord 600 or not long after who then I say began to bring her into her great tribulation in the East on one part wherein she so continued until the second Wo-Trumpet under the Turk about the year of the Lord 1300 by whow the other part of the Eastern Empire was subdued utterly and Mahometism likewise prevailed wholly over the formerly famous visible Greek-Church c. only the said 144000 of sealed ones have been and are still wonderfully preserved amongst them and even of late an 1629. or thereabouts an excellent Confession of Faith was sent from Constantinople by Cyril late Patriarch there well approved by judicious men amongst us as an evidence of the abiding still of such poor persecuted oppressed souls in those parts whose great tribulation spoken of chap 7. for about a thousand years now past and still are like to be under the Turk for his day and weck and month and year as Mr. Mede computes them or until his 396 years be expired Now when the Spirit of God as seems probable having set forth the Wrath and Judgment upon the very seat of the former Beast in the season of the six first Trumpets both East and West where in their order they fell the greatest part contemporating with Antichrists Tyranny both which shall be finished at the beginning of the seventh Trumpet whereby the same spirit of God seems to lead us by the hand as it were to the borders of Christs glorious Kingdom upon Earth approaching upon the beginning of the seventh Angels sounding chap. 11. 2d General Prophesie Rev. 10. He then
in the little book chap. 10. begins again with the affairs of the Church more especially having set forth Gods dispensations in respect of the Empire both while it was Draconized and after it had been Christianized Which little Book when John had eaten up he is told by the mighty Angel of the Covenant that he must prophesie again before Peoples and Nations and Tongues and Kings so that they might have advantage to know these Prophecies had they enquired as he had so prophesied for as it was otherwise of them so it was before them and as he had done it in one respect before namely of the Empire wherein the Church had her being so he should do it again in another respect namely of the Church who had her being there but chiefly under Antichrist in his time where there was another 144000 followers of the Lamb to arise chap. 14. Therefore after the Table of the Times in part of chap. 11. to ver 15. wherein we may see ver 1. a description of the state of the Primitive Times in ver 2. her state in Antichrists forty two months and ver 3. the true Churches state in regard of the most eminent part of it namely of the two Witnesses her Pastors their thousand two hundred and sixty days of years who should feed the Woman in her Wilderness condition and stand on Christs part against Antichrist powerfully and successfully till about the time of finishing their Testimony to ver 7. and then what should befal the Beast upon his last War against the finishing Witnesses upon their Resurrection and Ascention after the Beast had killed them to ver 17. where is the ending of the second Wo and thereupon comes in a short Abridgment of the seventh Trumpet containing the great Changes of the affairs of the World and of the Church namely evil to the wicked World but happy to the true Church and this excellent Abridgment seemed needful in regard of the great concernment of all sorts to understand this as of main use to the whole Book Again the foresaid Author faileth in not distinguishing between the first War the Beast makes against the Saints and Servants of Christ wherein he kills and prevails whereupon all the World wonder after the Beast and the second War against the Witnesses which is dismal and fatal to himself as Mr. Mede well observes and hence the said Author reckons the Witnesses slain above an hundred years ago and so passeth without taking notice of the last finishing Witnesses as then counting the Beasts forty two months expired reckoning the Vials in the seventh Trumpet before the second Wo be past or almost any thing of the Beasts ruine begun which work the Angels that have the Vials are to begin and finish as Mr. Mede and others judge upon considerable grounds c. But in chap. 12. is begun the story of the new Prophesie of the true Church in the Primitive times which is there represented by a Woman cloathed with the Sun and having the Moon under her feet and upon her head a Crown of twelve Stars whereby was described her excellency of the Primitive Church of Christ which soon contesteed with the great red Dragon and his Angels till she by Faith and Prayer obtained the Man-child Constantine the reforming Emperor by whose means God cast down the great red Dragon from his heaven upon earth together with his Angels by which means the Woman had two wings of an Eagle given her to flee into the Wilderness for a time times and half a time but before her flight into that retired hidden condition the Serpent cast out his flood of abominable Heresies chiefly against the Persons of the Holy Trinity by Arrius Eutiches Macedonius and others to have carried her away thereby which took up probably almost an hundred years before her time times and half with Antichrists 42 months took place all which time from Constantine the forementioned Author reckons within the date of the Beast and consequently he ends it as much too soon as may farther appear and yet for the Earths opening her Mouth and swallowing up of the Dragons flood of Heresies what he objects against the usual opinion to wit That it was not the incursion of the Barbarous Nations because some of them favoured Arrianism the same might likewise be objected against what he says of the visible Professing Rulers to be the Earth then opposing those Eerrors in many Councils though they favoured Superstition and so might be accounted the Earth but to that might be answered amongst them were many in those times good and Orthodox men about the fourth Century and yet perhaps more fitly it might be applyed to the Bishops of Rome and their party that in those times to get to themselves preheminence did take upon them to end differences in Religion and became in a sort famours thereby getting honor and credit among men thereby and being to be the Beast out of the Earth acting for earthly ends the Earth might be said to help the Woman by withstanding errors against the Sacred Trinity yet promoting Superstition c. and so might swallow up the flood Rev. 13. Concerning the two Beasts in the thirteenth Chapter the said Author is very excellent full and clear above any I have seen if he had timed their rising rightly only he seems to confound the number of his Name ver 17. with the number of the Beast ver 18. whereas the first denotes evidently the remotest sort of Antichrists followers that only may be reckoned or numbred amongst his party which were to be in the last days as they are described by the Apostle 2 Tim. 3.1 2 3 4 5. when others of the Beasts party come in the latter times which forbid Marriage and command to abstain from Meats c. 1 Tim. 4.1 2 3. But the number of the Beast ver 18. belongs to the Beast himself concerning the Exposition whereof he giveth a probable conjecture of his many errors as the Sober Guess and others produce many more which learned and industrious men have observed and particularly opposing the Beasts number to the 144000 or the measure of the Holy City and I conceive the considering it as numerus Terminans as Dan. 5. may be more considerable than many think as was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in another consideration setting out what Countrey man Antichrist should be and what Language he should use in his Laws and Worship wherein I conceive the wonderful Divine Wisdome of God is much to be acknowledged in setting down Mystery Babylons name so to exercise the several gifts he hath given to several men several ways to have their apprehensions agreeable to truth and considerable in reference to this menifold monstrous Beast wherein they are to be found in one respect on other and so the largest comprehensive sence is like to prove the true sence and many of them to be acknowledged real in such a strange compounded Creature of many as he
the want of which discovery occasioned many learned men to err as Assert 5. of the Key also of several senses of Christs comings in the New Test Assert 6. and large proofs of his personal appearance coming and reign Assert 7. also many needful distinctions not known to many before as two sort of Christs subjects 1. Raised Saints at his coming 2. Converted Jews and Gentils Assert 13. and for them two Jerusalems Assert 14. also the twofold consideration of Christs execution of his three great offices Assert 17. not in any former works that I have known c. the difference of the two last Trumpets namely of the last mystical and last sounding Trumpet above 1000 years after Assert 18. and note the distinction of the two Gogs and Magogs one in Ezek. 38.39 the other Rev. 20. Assert 19. also observe that as the spiritual divine foundation of Redemption of the souls of the Saints was surely wrought by Christs first coming so the visible glorious perfecting of Christs work of Redemption for the bodies of his Saints with the restitution of all things c. will be performed at his second coming with all promised Mercies and Covenants to and with the Fore-fathers Assert 21. with the consideration of those Covenants pag. 5 6 7 8 9 10. besides many other profitable matters in divers other former Assertions in the said Key Also take special notice of those great foundations of these truths in our last practical piece on Rev. 20.5 pag. 1 2. where many great differences of Christs second personal coming and his descending at the last Trump with those other great foundations mentioned pag. 2 3. with the hints of the subject nature times and end or scope of Revelation Prophesie p. 3 4 5 6. which last is largly proved in our System and in that whole next ensuing Treatise by the use of Christs own Divine Key Rev. 20.21 22. as may appear by this our last and great discovery through divine grace pertinently applyed to other proofs of the first bodily Resurrection of the Saints 1000 years before the rest of the dead with many other evidences and improvements of these Doctrines now needful to be known in these last times by the observant perusal of these matters and references men may by Gods blessing apprehend much Divine truth of this nature which God hath been pleased for a time much to set forth mystically by many divine Hieroglypsicks and resemblances of a weak woman for the Church and of strong and cruel Beasts for the successive enemies and the womans Divine Seed first to be her Saviour at his first coming about the 4000th year of the world 2. Her great Redeemer at his 2d but her head and Husband in their Sabatism of the world to come and 4thly to be actually her all in all with the Father and Holy Spirit in full reconciliation and perfect fruition upon Christs sentence of approbation and his delivering up his Mediatory Kingdome for all eternity Which way of these Divine Doctrines I have often in my thoughts compared to the Astronomers teaching that art the tearms of the circles seem strange at first to the learner as the Polar Circles Collures Tropicks Eccliptick Line Zodiark Meridian Orizon with the Zenith Nadir and the like but easie to be understood when their use is discovered so in the turning of Gods great Sphere of the worlds Millenniums of which Moses first made an Ephemeris viz. of the old world of the new world or now world and the world to come as in ch 5. of the Iren. about the middle whereof Daniel makes his great Kallender in his 2 3 8th chap. of the four Gentile Kingdoms for 2300 years until the Messiahs second coming and his little Calender of 70 weeks or 396 years ch 9. to his first within the compass of the former and John adds the last of that world to come in the three last chap. now discovered to be Christs Divine Key of all times with Gods great design in them from the fall respecting the Lamb and the Bride in that said designed estate by God of the 1000 years Rev. 20. before Christ shall give up the Kingdome to the Father and when such Scripture Chronologie is a little well considered with the carrying on of Gods said design therein as in our last Systeme of the seven millenniums may be observed these Divine Doctrines will by degrees appear I doubt not more and more easie to many See our Table of Chronol in the beginning of the Iren. with ch 5. Ibid. and the book of the Parallels of Dan. and Rev. to that purpose if they seem at first hard they will soon be familiar and after both enlightning and delightful as Divine Discoveries have ever been formerly and there is an excellent Divine art to be observed in them which by practise and due application with observing their right seasons may be made familiar and more and more perfected 3. But 3dly as for those seasonable Prodromal texts of Scrip. in the Revelation respecting these latter times p. 5 6 7 8. we shall hint a few things observable as first of that Rev. 16.12 to the end of the sixth Vial on vers 13. by the three unclean spirits according to Paraeus may be meant 1. Those Legatia Latere or plenipotentiaries sent to Princes 2. Popish Bishops and Doctors 3. Priests Jesuits c. by a joynt mission 1. from the Devil the old Dragon by instigation 2. from the Popes Councel of Cardinals and their associates by advice 3. By the Beast himself by his authorized Commission pag. 4. The latter part of that prophesie seemeth according to Mr. Mede to concur with that which followeth Rev. 14.14 to the end which he conceives may be fulfilled in the utter ruine both of Pope and Turk who seems to be therefore called Gog in the Land of Magog Ezek. 38.2 as having gotten a great part of the old Roman Impire and is that King of the North that overflowed with his multitudes after the Saricens pushings in the Holy Wars were over as Dan 11.40 who will be both probably destroyed then v. 45. at Christs appearance Rev. 19 20. ch and the discription of one in a cloud with a Crown and sharp Sickle Mr. Mede noteth always to belong to Christ and v. 16. by the reaping of the harvest he understands the Turks ruine and by the gathering the Clusters of the Vine v. 19. the distruction of the Pope though probably like to be of both suddainly See Joel 3.2 to 13. being gathered then with their Armies as those Tares Mat. 13. into bundles to be burnt and both as is conceived making up together one mystical Antichrist the one holding the worldly Babylon the other the spiritual to the great prejudice both of Jews and Gentils then to be united in one sheepfold The 3d. Prophesie more fully setting forth the destruction of Antichrist is Rev. 19.11 to the end of the ch after that joyful exultation