Position 2.
The seven Trumpets Thunders & Vials of wrath are
yethe same & signify so many courses of war.
Artic: 1. That yethe plagues of yethe Trumpets are yethe same wthwith yethe seven Vials of wrath will appear by yethe following comparison of each Vial wthwith each Trumpet.
I. Chap: 8. v:7. And yethe first Angel sounded, & there followed hail & fire mingled wthwith blood & they were cast upon yethe Earth and the third part of yethe trees were burnt up & all green a a. χορτος gramen apud sacros scriptor pro herba usurpori solet ut in Mat 6.30, & 13.26. Marc 4.28. Iacob 1.10. 1 Pet 1.24.gras Herbs waswere burnt up. |
Chap: 16.v: 2. And the first Angel – poured out his Vial upon yethe Earth, & there fel a noysome & grievous sore upon yethe men wchwhich had yethe mark of yethe Beast & upon them which worshipped his Image. |
Here the hail & fire mingled wthwith blood wchwhich were cast upon yethe earth answer to yethe Vial poured out upon yethe Earth. And & yethe trees & gras wchwhich were burnt up answer to yethe men wchwhich were infected wthwith yethe noisome & grievous sore. Fig-Trees & Herbs in visions signify men of high & low degree, Fig 11 & yethe burning up yethe trees & herbs (that is yethe consumption of men by war Fig 11 & 48) has some affinity wthwith the noisome & grievous sore wchwhich fell upon men.
II. Ch: 8. v: 8, 9. And yethe second Angel sounded, & as it were a great mountain burning wthwith fire was cast |
Ch: 16.3. And the second Angel poured out his Vial upon yethe Sea & it became |
intoas4
into yethe Sea & yethe third part of yethe Sea became blood. And yethe third part of yethe creatures wchwhich were in yethe sea & had life died & yethe third part of yethe ships were destroyed. |
as the blood of a dead man, & every living soul died in the Sea |
III. Ch 8.10, 11. And the third Angel sounded & there fell a great star from heaven burning as it were a lamp, & it fell upon yethe third part of yethe rivers & upon yethe fountains of waters. And yethe name of yethe star is called Wormwood & yethe third part of yethe waters became – wormwood, & many men died of yethe waters becaus they were made bitter. |
Ch 16.4, 5, 6. And the third Angel poured out his Vial upon yethe rivers & fountains of waters, & they became blood. And I heard yethe Angel of yethe waters say, Thou art righteous O Lord, — For they – have shed yethe blood of saints & Prophets & thou hast given them blood to drink. |
IIII. Ch 8.12. And yethe fourth Angel sounded & yethe third part of yethe Sun was smitten |
Ch 16.8. And yethe fourth Angel poured out his Vial upon yethe Sun. |
V. Ch 9.1, 2, 3 4, 5, 6. And yethe fift Angel sounded, — & yethe Sun & yethe Air were darkned by reason of yethe — And their torment (i.e. yethe torment of those men wchwhich have not yethe Seal of God in their foreheads) was as yethe torment of a Scorpion when he striketh a man. And in those days men shal seek death & shal not find it. |
Ch. 16.10, 11. And yethe fift Angel poured out his Vial on yethe seat of yethe Beast & his kingdom was full of darkness & they gnawed their tongues for pain, & blasphemed God becaus of their pains & sores. |
The parallelism of yethe second third & fourth Trumpet & Vial is manifest. ethe seat kingdom of yethe Beast corresponds to yethe men wchwhich had not yethe mark seal of God in their foreheads; & the pains & sores to yethe stingings of serpents wthwith wchwhich men were exceedingly tormented but not killed.
VI. Ch 9.5
VI. Ch.9.13, 14, 16. And the sixt And the sixt Angel Angel sounded & I heard a voice saying — Loos yethe four Angels wchwhich are bound in yethe great River Euphrates.
And yethe number of yethe Army of yethe horsmen were two hundred thousand thousand |
Ch 16.12. And yethe sixt Angel poured out his Vial upon the great River Euphrates: & yethe water thereof was dryed up ytthat yethe way of yethe kings of yethe east might be prepared |
Here yethe four Angels bound at Euphrates wthwith their Army manifestly answer to yethe Kings of yethe East at yethe same river.
VII. Ch 10.7. In yethe days of yethe voice of yethe seventh Angel when he shall begin to sound yethe mystery of God shall be finished. — Ch 11.15. And yethe seventh Angel sounded & there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become yethe kingdoms of orour Lord & of his Christ & he shall reign for ever & ever |
Ch: 16.17. And yethe seventh Angel sounded poured out his Vial into yethe Air & their came a great voice out of yethe temple of heaven from yethe Throne saying, It is done. In Vers 14 this is called yethe great day of God Almighty, being yethe day of wchwhich orour Saviour in vers 15 gives this warning, Behold I come as a Thief. |
Vers 19. And there were lightnings, & voices & thundrings & an earthquake & great hail. — vers 18. And yethe nations were angry. |
Vers 18. And there were voices & thunders & lightnings; & there was a great earthquake. great hail out of heaven – & men blasphemed God becaus of yethe Plague of yethe hail. |
Vers 13. And yethe tenth part of yethe City fell. Vers 18 And thy wrath is come & yethe time of yethe dead ytthat they should be judged & that thou shouldst — destroy them wchwhich corrupt yethe earth. |
Vers 19. And yethe great City was divided into three parts, & yethe cities of yethe nations fell, & great Babylon came in remembrance before God to give unto her yethe cup of yethe wine of yethe fierceness of his wrath. |
I have here put a parallelism between yethe falling of the tenth part of yethe City & yethe falling of yethe Cities of yethe nations not as if they were yethe same, but becaus I take the6 the former wchwhich concludes yethe sixt Trumpet to be an immediate fore-runner of yethe latter wherewith yethe seventh Vial begins.
And thus you see yethe agreement between yethe plagues of yethe seven Vials & Trumpets is throughout very punctual so ytthat I think there can be no doubting of their coincidence. I may add that their IndIntroductions also resemble one another. For yethe sealed Saints wthwith wchwhich yethe Prophesy of yethe Trumpets is introduced (chap 7.3) correspondscorrespond to them that get yethe victory over the Beast & over his Image &c wthwith wchwhich yethe other Prophesy of yethe Vials is introduced Ch 15.2. For yethe sealed Saints were contemporary wthwith yethe Beast as shall be shewed hereafter, & consequently were yethe same wthwith those that get yethe victory over him. Also yethe vision of offering incense at yethe Altar before the Angels began to sound corresponds to yethe Vision of yethe vision of yethe Temple appearing opened in heaven & filled wthwith smoke from yethe glory of God, out of wchwhich yethe seven Angels came to pour out yethe Vials. And so the subsequent loud voices wthwith wchwhich yethe Trumpets & Vials are ushered in correspond. And lastly in that yethe Vials are called yethe seven last Plagues, they suit well wthwith yethe Trumpets wchwhich are yethe Plagues of the last Seale & inflicted on those wicked ages wchwhich yethe Prophets & Apostles considered as yethe last times.
Artic 23. This & yethe next Article are to be transposed ffor manifesting ytthat yethe 7 Thunders also seven Thunders are also yethe same wthwith yethe seven Trumpets Hence it may be collected that yethe seven Thunders are yethe same wthwith yethe Trumpets & Vials seeing they also by Fig ) denote seven wars or courses of war: but for fuller manifestation of this particular, I shall lay down yethe following observations. ffirst that yethe Prophesies of yethe Thunders & little Book are two distinct Prophesies whereof ytthat of yethe book begins to be considered described in yethe eighth vers of chap 10, & therefore yethe first seven verses of that Chapter belong to that of yethe Thunders.
Secondly that although yethe description of yethe prophesy of yethe litle book be deferred till after that other of yethe Thunders, yet yethe book it self is mentioned in yethe hand of yethe Angel at yethe beginning of ytthat other, & this interweaving them denotes that they are contempararycontemporary. ffor when two contemporary things are to be described one after another it is yethe method of yethe holy Ghost to interweave them by mentioning that in yethe first place wchwhich is last described, least7 least otherwise they should be taken for successive things. Thus in chap 7.1, 2 yethe vision of yethe four Angels holding yethe winds which were in yethe Trumpets to hurt yethe Earth & yethe Sea is interwoven wthwith that of yethe other other Angel sealing yethe saints, & in chap 11 the Witnesses are interwoven wthwith yethe Beast by mentioning in yethe first place yethe Gentiles wchwhich are yethe Beast, & so in chap 15 yethe Victors over yethe Beast are interwoven wthwith yethe Vision of yethe Vials; & much after yethe same manner in chap 12 yethe birth of yethe manchild is made contemporary to yethe Victory of Michael by subjoyning to both yethe flight of yethe Woman into yethe Wilderness. Seeing therefore yethe seven Thunders & yethe vision of yethe little book are in like manner interwoven it argues that they also are contemporary.
In yethe third place we are to consider ytthat although these two contemporary visions are not a part of yethe sixt Trumpet succeeding yethe Euphratean horsmen but a new prophesy deduced from a higher Epocha, yethe Prophet returning back (after yethe manner of an Historian) to describe other new things collateral to what he had described before. And this I gather from these considerations. ffirst becaus yethe Euphratean horsmen are yethe proper plague of yethe Sixt Trumpet & therefore ought to extend till towards yethe end of ytthat Trumpet & this plague is strook through yethe Vision of yethe Thunder & little Book by yethe Angel's saying at yethe end of their description, The second Wo is past & behold the third Wo cometh quickly.. 2dly Becaus yethe Prophesy of yethe little Book exprest in yethe 13 first verses of yethe 11th chapter is of things of a very different kind from yethe plagues of yethe Trumpets, so ytthat it cannot be supposed any one or part of one of ymthem, but rather something collateral 3dly Becaus this Prophesy is represented by another Book & so no part of yethe sealed one, for thence also it must be some thing collateral. 34dly4thly Becaus yethe whole prophesy of yethe Thunders & little book is omitted in yethe Vials where all yethe plagues of yethe Trumpets are repeated. 45thly Because yethe Angel wthwith yethe little book in his hand is described exceeding majestic & glorious. ffor this argues yethe subject he appears about to be very considerable & spacious, such as may require more room then a part of one of yethe Trumpets. 56tly Because yethe prophesy of yethe little bookBook is introduced by a voice from heaven speaking to StSaint Iohn chap: 10.8. ffor as first yethe prophetiqꝫque epistles to yethe seven churches chap 1.10, & then yethe prophesy of yethe seales chap 4.1 was introduced by such a voice speaking to StSaint Iohn, so by yethe analogy the new voice introducing this prophesy of yethe bookBook argues it to be, not a continuation of things described before but yethe beginning of8 of a new prophesy, & consequently collateral both to yethe Thunders & to yethe Trumpets. 6 7thly Yea this is exprest in vers 11 where so soon as StSaint Iohn had eaten yethe book yethe Angel told him he must prophesy again before many peoples & nations & tongues & kings, & then immediately follows yethe 1311th chapter wchwhich conteins severall things (viz: yethe measuring of yethe Temple & altar, yethe treading under foot yethe holy City by yethe Gentiles 42 months, & yethe prophesying of yethe witnessesWitnesses) of an earlier epocha ynthan yethe beginning of yethe sixt Seal Trumpet.
ffourthly yethe Epocha of yethe Thunders therefore since it transcends yethe 6t Trumpet must be yethe same wthwith that of yethe Trumpets, & that ffirst becaus ytthat is yethe most remarkable Epocha to wchwhich it can be referred in regard ytthat yethe seventh Seal is as it were cut off from yethe former six by yethe interposition of yethe 7th chapter & so made of it's self a complete & wholly independent course of time, & accordingly repeated by it's self in yethe Prophesy of yethe Vials. Secondly because yethe Angel when he decendeddescended & began to cry, set one foot on yethe Sea & yethe other on yethe earth. ffor this we are not to think an impertinent circumstance, & if it signify any thing it must be ytthat yethe Sea & Earth, that is yethe people signified by them, are yethe subjects of yethe Prophesies of yethe Thunders & Book wchwhich he appeares to reveale, & consequently that these prophesies begin wthwith those that concern yethe Sea & earth, ytthat is wthwith yethe Trumpets chap 7.1, 3, & 8.7, 8. or wthwith yethe Dragon's coming down to yethe inhabitants of yethe Earth & Sea chap 12.12, wchwhich as we shal show in yethe next Position falls in wthwith yethe beginning of yethe Trumpets. As for yethe circumstance of his setting his right foot on yethe Sea & left on yethe earth, I suppose ytthat only denotes yethe inhabitants of yethe Sea to be yethe more honourable or considerable people. In yethe third place I may argue yethe Epocha of yethe Thunders from ytthat of yethe contemporary prophesy of yethe little book, that is from yethe Epoch of yethe Vision of measuring yethe Temple & Altar & them that dwell worship therein chap 11.1. For yethe Epocha of this Vision as I shall prove in Posit 10.7 is yethe beginning of yethe seventh Seal. And therfore yethe first appearance of yethe Angel wthwith yethe little book cannot be of a later date, & consequently yethe Thunders not much later, for yethe Angel so soon as he was descended upon yethe sea & earth cried wthwith a loud voice & so soon as he had done crying yethe Thunders uttered their voices.
ffiftly, The Vision of yethe Thu (if I may so call it) of yethe Thunders extends9 extends downward to yethe end of yethe Trumpets. ffor it's being inserted into yethe end of yethe sixt seal Trumpet is argument enough ytthat it extends so far downward & besides yethe words of yethe Angel wchwhich conclude this prophesy of yethe Thunders [viz: That there should be time no longer but in yethe days of yethe voice of yethe seventh Angel when he shall begin to sound yethe mystery of God should be finished,] are a sufficient insinuation that yethe Thunders end inyethe sounding of ytthat Angel.
These things being premised I argue thus. ffirst yethe Thunders according to what we have now proved are coextended to yethe Trumpets, & being so there is no reason why each Thunder should not fall in wthwith its respective Trumpet, for their very being inserted into yethe Prophesy of the Trumpets argues that they concern yethe same subject. Secondly, the ThundersThunder denotes war by Fig . & therefore yethe seven Thunders must denote seven great successive wars or courses of war & consequently must be allotted to yethe seven main courses of war wthwithin yethe times of yethe Trumpets: But yethe seven Trumpets & Vials themselves are (as we shall presently show have shewed above) yethe very seven main courses of war to happen in their times; & therefore yethe seven Thunders must be yethe same wthwith these. If you suspect yethe Thunders may be subordinate courses of war, that cannot be becaus yethe seven Vials are called yethe seven last Plagues. Thirdly as yethe Trumpets were ushered in by loud noises chap 8.5, & yethe Vials by a loud voice chap 16.1, so yethe Thunders are ushered in by yethe loud voice of yethe Angel roaring like a Lyon chap 10.3: All wchwhich previous voices & noises denote a cours of war immediately to precede yethe seven main courses of war Fig but yet of a different kind from the so as not to be recconned one of them, Fig . You may further compare yethe short appearance of yethe Angel before he began to roar, to yethe half hower's silence wherein yethe 7 Angels first appeared wthwith their Trumpets ch 8.1, & Vials ch 15. And so yethe analogy between yethe vision of yethe Trumpets Thunders & Vials will be full. Wherefore since these visions have so perfect a harmony & nothing in them ytthat argues their diversity, they ought to be adjusted to one another by Rule Lastly by thus adjusting them two difficult Questions will be resolved. Quest: 1. Why were yethe voices of yethe Thunders sealed up & not written? Resp: It was not necessary to write them becaus they are sufficiently described in yethe Trumpets & Vials. Quest Had they been no where els described it is not so likely they would have been here past over. Quest: 2. Why then was not yethe whole Vision of yethe Thunders omitted? Resp: They were introduced to make up a ternary number wthwith yethe Trumpets & Vials, that by yethe first six intervals of each wchwhich yethe Beasts reign takes up they might represent yethe same mystery wthwith yethe number of yethe Beast 666, & explicate yethe mystery of that number by representing it. And therefore least it should be thought that they were introduced for any other end then to make up that a ternary number of those six spaces for representing & explicating that mystery, their voices were concealed left unwritten & not only so but forbidden to be written to assure us ytthat there was a mystery in the omission.
10
Artic 2. The Calamities wchwhich follow upon sounding yethe Trumpets & pouring out yethe Vials are all by war. For this yethe very soundings of yethe Trumpets imply as being so many Al-arms to war. But I shall run over yethe particulars.
At yethe first Trumpet yethe Blood mingled wthwith yethe hail & fire, at yethe second Vial yethe Sea becoming blood as of a deaddead man & every thing dying in it, & at yethe third Vial the fountain's becoming blood & god's giving them blood to drink becaus they had shed yethe blood of his saints, are manifest indications of war. For none of this bloodshed can be by persecution of yethe saints because these Plagues are termed yethe Vials of yethe wrath of God & so to be inflicted upon evil men, as is also manifest in yethe pouring out of yethe first & third.
Also at yethe fourth Trumpet & Vial yethe smiting of yethe Sun Moon & stars signifies yethe overthrow of some King or Kingdom by Fig 44 & 45, & so implies war.
And in all these four Trumpets there is also an expression of war by fire & burning. In yethe first there is fire mixed wthwith hail & blood, in yethe second a mountain burning wthwith fire, in yethe third a star burning as it were a Lamp, & in yethe fourth power is given to yethe Sun to scorch men wthwith fire: & this figure of fire & burning signifies war by Fig 48 & 49.
The wars of these four Trumpets are also signified by yethe four winds in Chap 7.1, of wchwhich we shal have occasion to speak in Posit 9
Moreover at yethe fift Trumpet there arose Locusts – like horses prepared to battel wthwith faces like men (i.e. Horsmen) & Breastplates as of Iron. And yethe sound of their wings was as of Chariots & Horses running to battel
At yethe sixt there were let loos four kings wthwith an Army of horsmen wthwith breastplates & licence to kill men.
And at yethe seventh yethe Beast wthwith yethe kings of yethe earth were gathered together against him that sate on yethe hors & against his Army. And there followed a great Hail wthwith thundrings & lightnings & a great shaking: wchwhich are yethe singular expressions of a great battel by Fig 51 & 53.
3. Hence it may be collected ytthat yethe seven Thunders are yethe same with the Trumpets & Vials, seing they also (by Fig ) denote —.
Posit 311
Position
3
The Woman in travail is
yethe Church of Christ, &
yethe Dragon a great Heathen Kingdome & both together
yethe subject of the seven Seales.
1. That yethe woman is yethe Church is plain by her habit: she is crowned wthwith 12 stars yethe 12 Apostles & cloathed wthwith yethe Sun yethe righteousnes of Christ, & supported by yethe moon her own righteousness, wchwhich receives itsit splendor from yethe Sun of righteousness as it were by reflexion. Its plain also from her being the mother of believers ch 12.17, & spouseSpouse of Christ ch 19.8, 9. But this is so trite a figure thallthat all acknowledge it.
2 The Dragon has a double signification: he is ftaken for yethe Devil ytthat wthwith his worship Gen 3 & Forfor a kingdome Fig 32 & in this visionVision for both together wthwith mutual respect; that is for Heathenism as it is in ytthat kingdome & for ytthat kingdome as it is heathen: the first in that he is called that old Serpent yethe Devil & SathanSatan wchwhich deceiveth yethe whole world vers 12; yethe last in ytthat he is said to have seven crowns upon his heads & to draw yethe 3d part of yethe stars of heaven wthwith his tail, (that is, yethe 3d part of yethe Princes of yethe world wthwith his armies Fig 2 & 39,) & to give his power & seat & great authority to yethe Beast, ch 13.2.
3. That yethe woman & Dragon are yethe subject of yethe Seales will appear by comparing yethe two prophesies. And first – concerning yethe war wchwhich yethe Dragon made wthwith Michael & his Angels it is said that they overcame him by the blood of yethe Lamb & by yethe word of their testimony & they loved not their lives unto yethe death ch 12.11. Whereby it appears that yethe Angels or soldiers ytthat warred wthwith them were yethe saints, & their weapons the blood of yethe Lamb & word of their testimony, & their courage that12 that they loved not their lives unto yethe death or that they exposed their lives freely for yethe sake of yethe Gospel. And so this war was managed on yethe saints part by persecuting & killing them for their testimony testifying the truth & on yethe Dragon's part testifying yethe truth of yethe gospel & on yethe Dragons part by persecuting & killing them for their testimony: whence he is called yethe accused of yethe brethren wchwhich accused them before God day & night vers 10. And that this war no slight skirmish but a very earnest conflict is further exprest by yethe emphatical repetition ytthat Michael & his Angels fought against yethe Dragon & yethe Dragon fought & his Angels. Now this action preceding yethe rise of yethe Beast, & consequently yethe first Vial to wchwhich yethe first Trumpet is coincident, must fall in wthwith some of yethe first six Seales: & if we take a view of them to see where it is described we shall not find any such persecution before yethe fift seale; but there it is exprest most lively by yethe soules under yethe Altar of them that were slain for yethe word of God & for yethe testimony wchwhich they held, who cried wthwith a loud voice saying: How long, O Lord, holy & true dost thou not judge & avenge our blood on them that dwell on yethe earth &c.
The next thing is yethe event of yethe war, wchwhich was that yethe Dragon & his Angels were not able to wthwithstand, neither was their place found any more in heaven; but the great Dragon was cast out y tthat old Serpent called yethe Devil & Satan wchwhich deceived yethe whole world, he was cast out into yethe earth & his angelsAngels were cast out wthwith him. Now by this victory we are not to understand yethe subversion of any temporall dominion but a victory of Christianity over heathenismHeathenism, as is manifest becaus yethe it was obteined by yethe blood of yethe Lamb & by yethe word of his testimony of his martyrs; & also becaus yethe Dragon wchwhich was cast out is called that old Serpent yethe Devil & Satan wchwhich deceiveth yethe whole world; & immediately after his being cast out a voice was heard in heaven saying: Now is13 is come salvation & strength & the kingdome of orour God & yethe power of his Christ for yethe accuser of orour brethren is cast down wchwhich accused them before orour God day & night.
And this agrees to yethe next Seal where this great overthrow of yethe kingdom of Satan is represented by yethe smiting of yethe Sun Moon & Stars, yethe great shaking & the departure of yethe heavens. For these expressions universally signify yethe overthrow of kingdomes Fig 44, 45, 51, & 3. And least this should seem to respect yethe overthrow of any other kingdome then that of Satan, the whole Seal is spent in describing the ruin of Idolatry. For yethe Stars of heaven falling unto yethe earth as figgs from a ffigtree signify Idols falling down by Fig 65. The heavens departing as a scroll when it is rolled together signify yethe roofs & glory of their Temples or the whole structure of them cast down by Fig 65. The moving of mountains & Islands out of their places signify yethe demolishing of their Temples & Altars high & low by Def 8 & 19. And the kings of yethe earth & great men & rich men & chief captains & mighty men & every bond man & every free man hiding themselves in Dens & in yethe Rocks of yethe mountains & saying to yethe mountains & to yethe rocks: Fall on us & hide us from yethe face of him that sitteth on the throne & from yethe wrath of yethe Lamb; these signify Idols of every sort degree & sort (whether they be worshipped by Kings or great men or rich men or Captains or mighty men or bond or free) to be first hid or shut up in their Temples & then sentenced to have their temples thrown down upon them. Def Fig 63 & 64. And lastly as a further indication that this seal is to be interpreted of a victory of Christianity over Heathenism the Kingdom of Satan it is added that they said: Hide us from yethe face of * i.e. of God ch 4.2. Him that sitteth on yethe Throne & from yethe wrath of yethe Lamb, for yethe great day of his wrath is come & who [i.e. what Idols] shal be able to stand. Which expressions seem borrowed from14 from Isa 2.21 where in like manner speaking of Idols; he saith that they shall cast them to yethe Moles & to yethe Bats to go into yethe clefts of yethe rocks & into yethe holes of yethe ragged rocks for fear of y ethe Lord, & for yethe glory of his majesty when he ariseth to shake terribly y ethe earth.
But that yethe analogy between yethe contents of this Seal & yethe overthrow of yethe kingdom of yethe Dragon may appear more fully, let yethe Dragon be compared to yethe Sun wchwhich became black as sackcloth of hair Fig 2, & his Angels wchwhich together wthwith him were cast out of heaven into the earth, to yethe stars wchwhich fell from heaven to yethe earth as figgs from a figtree Fig 2, & yethe Heathen Church (if I may so call yethe Heathens) to yethe Moon wchwhich became as blood Fig 45. For yethe Dragon & his Church are related to one another as yethe Church of Christ & to Christto Christ, that is as a woman to her husband, & so may be signified by yethe Sun & Moon like Iacob & Rachel Gen 37.10.
The next action is yethe persecution of yethe woman by yethe Dragon & her flight into yethe Wilderness. And this must begin wthwith yethe next seale. For it cannot begin sooner becaus yethe sixt sealSeal is wholly taken up in casting down yethe Dragon & it begins not till after yethe Dragon his casting down be fully accomplished. ch 12.13. Nor can it begin later: for yethe Wo wchwhich in chap 12.12 was proclaimed against yethe earth & inhabitants of yethe Earth & of yethe Sea becaus yethe Devil was come down unto them to persecute yethe Woman, began to be executed on yethe earth in yethe first Trumpet & on yethe Sea in yethe second: & therefore since God's judgments follow yethe sins of men yethe persecution of yethe woman wchwhich caused these judgments must begin some little time at least before yethe Trumpets & so fall in wthwith the time of incense. And wthwith that it suits most punctually: for yethe prayers of yethe Saints offered up together wthwith yethe incense to God15 to God & yethe contemporary sealing of yethe servants of God & yethe commission of yethe four Angels to hurt yethe earth & yethe Sea so soon as they were sealed are all arguments of evil times then beginning wherein yethe saints of God are oppressed & God's judgments shortly to ensue upon their enemies for opressing them.
And hence we may understand why yethe narration of yethe seals is interrupted between yethe sixt & seventh seal by yethe interposition of yethe seventh Chapter. For yethe design of such an interruption must be to signify an end of yethe former state of things & yethe beginning of a new one by some grand revolution, & so it will most fitly agree to that cardinall period of time wchwhich concluded yethe reign of yethe Dragon in heaven & began yethe flight of yethe womanWoman into yethe Wilderness. But of this more hereafter.
The next action is ytthat as yethe Woman fled into yethe Wilderness yethe Dragon cast out of his mouth water as a flood, & yethe earthEarth helped her & swallowed up yethe waters. Now for understanding this it must be considered: ffirst that by yethe earth is meant inhabitants of yethe Earth Fig 4; namely of that Earth wchwhich was mentioned a little before wthwith yethe sea to whome yethe Devil came down vers 12. Secondly that by yethe waters are meant multitudsmultitudes of people Fig 5. & those inhabitants of yethe Sea afforesaid. ffor since they are cast out of the Dragon's mouth they must be of his Kingdom & consequently of yethe inhabitants of yethe Earth & Sea to whom he came down. But not of yethe Earth since that swallowed up yethe these waters, & besides it is inconsistent wthwith yethe analogy of yethe earth & Sea Vision where two sorts of people are considered distinguisht by yethe names of Earth & Sea, to represent those of yethe Earth by water. These waters are therefore of yethe Sea. They are indeed compared only to a flood but that is in respect of their being cast out of yethe Dragon's mouth & hinder's not that they should be inhabitants of yethe sea since all waters originally16 originally proceed from thence. Thirdly, whereas yethe Woman was persecuted by yethe waters, & yethe Earth helped her & swallowed them up, there is opposition & war signified between the earth & waters wthwith victory to yethe Earth.
Now compare all this wthwith yethe Trumpets & you will find yethe analogy very full. For by Posit: 4, yethe Trumpets are so many successive wars or degrees of war wchwhich break out after yethe short peace during yethe stilness of yethe winds in yethe time of incense, & these wars falling heavy upon the Earth in the first Trumpet & upon yethe waters in yethe second & third, yethe earth & waters will therefore be yethe parties concerned in these wars & so may well be supposed yethe two enemies at war wthwith one another whereof yethe Earth is worsted in yethe first attempt but afterwards in yethe second & third Trumpet prevails over yethe waters & as it were swallows them up in victory drying them up so much that although they were compared to a sea in yethe second Trumpet, they remained only comparable to rivers in the third.
The last action of yethe Dragon mentioned in this 12th chapter is that after this he was wrath wthwith yethe woman & went to make war wthwith yethe remnant of her seed wchwhich keep yethe commandments of God & have yethe testimony of Iesus Christ. And this being when there was left but a remnant of yethe seed of yethe woman it must be understood of yethe times of greatest desolation, that is of yethe 42 months when yethe Woman was fully arived into yethe Wilderness & yethe witnesses prophesied in sackcloth: wchwhich in Posit 11 I shall show to be in the fift & sixt Trumpets.
And lastly at the end of this time it is recorded written of yethe Dragon in chap 16, that out of his mouth & out of yethe mouth of yethe Beast & fals Prophet there went three unclean spirits like ffroggs unto yethe kings of yethe Earth & of yethe whole world to gather them to yethe battel of yethe great day of God Almighty17 Almighty. And this is that great battel at the seventh Vial or Trumpet at wchwhich yethe Beast & fals Prophet are taken & cast into yethe Lake of fire & the rest, (that is yethe people of the Dragon / or kings of the Earth wchwhich were gathered together wthwith yethe Beast) slain wthwith yethe sword of him that sate on yethe horse & yethe Dragon or Devil bound & cast into yethe bottomless pit. ch 19.20, 21 & 20.2.
Thus we have deduced the reign of yethe Dragon from yethe fift Seale to yethe through yethe three last Seales: & I suppose it will not now be doubted whether he be also synchronall to yethe four first, since it is not likely that yethe wars & other things there described (especially in yethe 2d & 4th Seale) should relate to any other kingdome then that wchwhich before yethe battel wthwith Michael & consequently before yethe fift Seal, drew the third part of yethe stars of heaven wthwith his tail & cast them to yethe earth, that is wchwhich (by Def Fig 2 & 39) had then subdued yethe third part of yethe Kings & Princes of yethe world wthwith his Armies. He is indeed represented as if he had but newly done casting them down when he began that battel but he is not introduced rising out of yethe Earth or Sea like the two Beasts, but as preexistent wthwith yethe Woman & Michael: wchwhich is intimation enough that he as well as yethe woman & Michael was in being even before yethe writing of this Prophesy.
Position
4. 4
The wounded Beast is a great heathenizing Christian Kingdome derived out of the Dragon, & rose in
yethe sixt Seale first out of
yethe Sea & then after a deliquium out of
yethe bottomles pit, & became the subject of
yethe seven Trumpets: being
yethe same with
yethe Whore's Beast, &
wthwith the fourth Beast in Daniel, &
wthwith yethe legs of Nebuchadnezzar's Image,
& wthwith yethe apostate Church of yethe latter times prophesied of by StSaint PaulsPaul.
1. That this & yethe Whores Beast are yethe same is evident by18 by the agreement of their descriptions. For both of them have seven heads & ten horns. On yethe horns of one are ten crowns to denote that they are ten Kings, ch 13.1: & the ten horns of yethe other are also ten Kings, ch 17.12. The one is said to have upon his heads yethe name of blasphemyBlasphemy, ch 13.1: & the other to be full of yethe names of blasphemyBlasphemy, ch 17.3. The one was a a. ἐσφαγμένην ἐις θάνατον. wounded to death ch 13.3. slain wthwith a sword & b b. ὁ ἔχει τὴν πληγὴν της μαχάιρας, καὶ ἔζησε Quæ habet vulnus ensis et vixit. vers. 14. i.e. Quæ habet vulnus jam sanatūum et revixit. Non enim dicit: Quæ habet et vivit, sed verba in diverso tempore posita sunt ut ἔζησε ad initium restitutæ vitæ referatur dum ἔχει indefinitè respicit omne tempus post acceptum vulnus. revived, yethe wound of his c ἡ πληγὴ του θανάτου ἀυτου. vers 12. death being healed, ch 13.3, 12, 14: & the other is called yethe Beast wchwhich was & is not & shall ascend out of yethe bottomless pit, ch. 17.8. The one succeeds yethe Dragon in his seat wchwhich persecuted yethe woman in yethe wilderness ch 13.2, & consequently is also in yethe wilderness: & so is yethe other in the wilderness, ch 17.3. Of one it is said that power was given him over all kindreds & tongues & nations ch 13.7: & of yethe other that yethe ten Kings give their strength & power & strength to yethe Beast, & ytthat yethe waters where yethe Whore sitteth are peoples & multitudes & nations & tongues, ch 17.13, 15. Of one that all that dwell upon yethe earth shall worship him whose names are not written in yethe book of life of yethe Lamb slain from yethe foundation of yethe world, ch 13.8: & of yethe other that they that dwell on yethe earth whose names are not written in the book of life from yethe foundation of yethe world shal wonder when they behold him ch 17.8. Of one that he wthwith the kings of yethe earth & their armies shall be gathered together to make war against him ytthat sate on yethe hors (i.e. yethe king of righteousnes whose name is yethe word of God, ch 19.11, 12, 13) & against his army; & that he wthwith the fals Prophet shal be taken, (together wthwith yethe fals Prophet wchwhich wrought miracles before him wthwith wchwhich he deceived them that had received yethe Beast's mark & worshipped his Image ch 19. ) that is19 that is he whose mark was received & image worshipped ch 19.19, 20: & of yethe other ynthat yethe kings of yethe earth wchwhich give their strength to yethe Beast shall make war wthwith yethe Lamb, & he shal overcome them, ch 17.13. And lastly the destruction of both these Beasts is at yethe same time namely at yethe sounding of yethe seventh Trumpet. For by comparing ch 19.19, 20 wthwith ch 16.13, 14, 15, 16, it appears ytthat yethe agents of yethe Dragon Beast & fals Prophet gathered yethe nations to yethe battel of yethe great day of God against that time when the seventh Vial (wchwhich by Posit 2 is contemporycontemporary wthwith yethe seventh Trumpet) was ready to be poured out, & that at yethe pouring of it out they were overthrown, as is exprest by yethe falling of yethe cities of yethe nations ch 16.19, & by yethe taking of yethe Beast & fals Prophet & slaying yethe rest of yethe nations, ch 19.20. And so the Beast wchwhich ascendeth out of yethe bottomless pit, ch 11.7 that is yethe other Beast on wchwhich yethe Whore sitteth, ch 17.8, this Babylonian Beast shall war against yethe two Witnesses at yethe end of their prophesying & kill them, & consequently rejoyce wthwith yethe nations till their resurrection, that is till about yethe end of yethe second Wo, ch 11.12, 13, 14; & so continue till abou the sounding of yethe seventh Trumpet when (after yethe ruins of yethe great city ch 11.13) their kingdoms must become yethe kingdomes of God & his Christ ch 11.15, & great Babylon come in remembrance before God to give unto her yethe cup of yethe wine of yethe fierceness of his wrath ch 16.19. Both these beasts therefore perish together at yethe sounding of yethe 7th Trumpet; & so being contemporary, universal & alike in all their actions & qualities must needs be the same. Yea Babylon that great city (that is yethe Whore of Babylon ch 17.5, 18, & 18.2) is in chap 14.8, 9 joyned to that Beast whose Image is worshipped & mark received. And20 And so again in chap 16.13, 19: on wchwhich yethe 17th Chapter is but a Comment.
2 Out of yethe foregoing passages it is manifest not only ytthat these beasts are yethe same but also that they signify a Kingdom, I mean an universal one consisting perhaps of many subordinate kingdomes.
3. The Beast is a Kingdome derived out of yethe Dragon For yethe Dragon gave power to yethe Beast ch 13.4. He gave him his power & his seat & great Authority, vers 2. And hence it is that their Heads & Horns are in common as we shal show hereafter. But yet yethe Dragon did not give all away all so as to cease himself: for immediately before it is said that he went to make war wthwith yethe remnant of yethe seed of yethe woman ch 12.17; yethe unlimitedness of wchwhich expression may extend him much farther downward. And accordingly he & yethe Beast are afterwards worshipped together ch 13.4, & coexist at theirthe latter end ch 16.13. end of yethe Vials Beast ch 16.13.
4. Although yethe Dragon continue to yethe end a kingdome distinct from yethe Beast in respect of civil dominion, yet ytthat even his subjects imbrace yethe religion wchwhich yethe Beast brought out of yethe bottomless pit & so far may be accounted subjects of yethe Beast also & worship him & his Image. For all yethe world wondred after him & worshipped him & yethe Dragon together, ch 13.3, 4. And power was given him over all kindreds & tongues & nations: And all that dwell upon yethe earth were to worship him whose names were not written in yethe book of life, vers: 7, 8; that is all nations wthwithin yethe compass of this Prophesy: so ytthat yethe beast in respect of his religion is the universal kingdome beyond whose bounds this Prophesy here considers nothing.
5 The Beast in this general sense is the Kingdome wthwith his worshippers are yethe universal subject on wchwhich yethe plagues of the Trumpets & Vials are inflicted. For thus much is exprest in the first Vial where there fell a21 a grievous sore on the men wchwhich had the mark of yethe Beast & worshipped his Image; & in the fift Vial wchwhich was poured ethe seat of yethe Beast so that his kingdome became full of darkness; & in yethe sixt & seventh Vial where there came out of yethe mouth of yethe Beast & Dragon & fals Prophet three unclean spirits to gather yethe world to yethe battel of yethe great day wherein yethe Beast perished & great Babylon (yethe Whore wchwhich sate upon him) came in remembrance before God to give unto her yethe cup of yethe wine of yethe fierceness of his wrath. Also in yethe preface to yethe Vials yethe Prophet introduces yth Prophet first introduces yethe seven Angels having these seven plagues ch 15.1, & then yethe Victors over yethe Beast vers 2, 3, 4, & then returns to yethe description of yethe plagues: as if by thus interweaving them he intended to point at yethe Beast as yethe subject thereof. So in yethe Preface to yethe Trumpets yethe Angels are forbid to hurt yethe earth & yethe Sea until yethe servants of God be sealed, as if it were to signify that those hurts were to be inflicted on yethe men wchwhich have not yethe seale of God in their foreheads. For so it is exprest in yethe fift Trumpet: And who those are you may learn by comparing ytthat Trumpet wthwith that Viall yethe fift Vial; namely them that have yethe mark of yethe Beast. In a word yethe wickedness & universality of yethe Beast is such wthwith yethe Dragonthwith his worshippers is such so great as leaves no room for these plagues to fall beside them.
6. The Beast rose out of yethe Sea (that is out of yethe dition of yethe Dragons Kingdom sect 3) either at or a little after yethe opening of yethe sixt seal. For according to yethe tenour & order of yethe Visions, that rise must be after yethe war of yethe Dragon wthwith Michael, yethe Dragon himself22 himself being introduced but newly before & in that war represented wthwith his full power wchwhich he gave afterward to yethe Beast (some of it at least) to yethe Beast at his rise. This rise therefore could not be before yethe opening of yethe sixt seale. Nor could it be long after becaus
7. His wound was healed before the end of this Seale. The Beast ascended out of yethe bottomles pit at yethe opening of yethe seventh Seale. He had a double rise whereof yethe second (after a deliquium was out of yethe bottomless pit as is manifest from hence ytthat he is called yethe beast wchwhich was & is not & shall ascend out of yethe bottomles pit. His rise out of yethe Sea, (that is out of yethe dition of yethe Dragons kingdom, Sect. 3) signifies only his beginning to be a temporal Kingdom, but his Fig but his ascention out of yethe bottomles pit signifies moreover his bringing up wthwith him a fals infernal religion, Fig . The first preceded his mortal wound wthwith a sword, yethe second was at his reviving, for then or rather immediately after was set up his new religion as is plain from hence ytthat For when yethe two hornedhornd Beast caused themthe earth to set up yethe worshippingworship of him & make an Image to him, he is not called yethe Beast wchwhich rose out of yethe Sea, but yethe Beast whose mortal wound was healed vers 12, & yethe wounded Beast wchwhich lived or revived vers 14. And therefore yethe healing of his wound Now that this sea precedes yethe setting up of worship earth's worshipping him & making of his an Image to him, & consequently not only yethe first Vial, ch 16.2, but also yethe opening of yethe sixt seventh Seal at wchwhich, as I shall show in yethe two next sections, thisthe new religion was set up earth & they that dwell therein began to worship him & his Image. Moreover the sixt seale, as I shall show in yethe next positionPosition, is exactly commensurate the head of yethe beast in wchwhich he was wounded, & therefore yethe gaping of yethe wound cannot continue longer further then to yethe end of this seale; no nor so furfar, for if it do it will not be a wound made in yethe head, but one side of23 of the head chopt of.
8 The Beast when he rose from death by yethe healing of his wound, brought up wthwith him (as it were out of Ἁδης the infernal regions of yethe dead or bottomles pit), a new fals religion. For yethe worshipping yethe him, & making & worshipping his Image, & receiving his mark & the number of his name, are a figurative description of his new religion set up & propagated by yethe fals miracles of yethe two hornd beast: & all this according to what I newly signified followed not immediately upon his rise out of yethe sea but upon yethe healing of his wound. Hence he is called in ch 17.8, the Beast wchwhich was & is not & shall ascend out of yethe bottomles pit He was & is not; this respects not yethe time present in wchwhich yethe Apocalyps was wrote, but ytthat from wchwhich considered as present in yethe vision yethe Angel showed StSaint Iohn a prospect of yethe Whore. He was from his rise out of yethe sea until he received his mortal wound, & ceased to be so long as while he lay dead, & ascended out of yethe bottomless pit at his resurrection; & for ascention out of yethe pitbottomles pit signifies not only yethe rise of a temporal kingdom but moreover yethe bringing up some fals infernal religion wthwith that thing wchwhich ascends Fig & therefore must here be applied to yethe setting up yethe Beast's religion & so agree to his resurrection wchwhich introduced it.
9. The religion of yethe Beast was began visibly to be set up at yethe opening of yethe seventh Seale: as may appear by these reasons. ffirst it could not begin later becaus yethe plague of yethe first Vial was inflicted on men for it & therefore it must begin before ytthat time, & yethe Beast's ascention out of yethe pit requires ytthat it presently follow his resurrection because ytthat ascention comprehends both as one continued action. Nor could it begin much sooner becaus it followed yethe interval between yethe Beast's rise out of yethe sea & resurrection, all wchwhich fell wthwithin yethe sixt seal & could not but take up some considerable time. Secondly although yethe rising of yethe Beast out of yethe sea, becaus it expresses only yethe rise of a temporal kingdom wthwithout respect to religion be not inconsistent wthwith yethe things described in thatthe sixt Seale nor wthwith those in chap 12.10 coincident to it; yet his ascention out
24
— to one another by Rule
I should now proceed to show ytthat yethe Religion of yethe Beast is Christianity corrupted, but in order thereto it will be convenient to prove first that
10. The setting up yethe Beast's religion took up yethe time from yethe opening of yethe seventh seale to yethe sounding of yethe first Trumpet. For yethe holy rites performed in this interval do plainly refer it to matters of religion, & yethe offering up yethe saints prayers to God argue their affliction by yethe evil times coming on. And yethe sealing of yethe saints, wchwhich takes up this interval, is by its opposite relation to yethe mark of yethe beast, a mystical indication of yethe time when yethe rest of yethe world by degrees received ytthat mark of yethe beast till they had all received it; & expresses also yethe distinguishing them from yethe wicked by yethe standing of one & falling away of yethe other. AndAlso yethe hurting of yethe earth & sea seems to have been suspended till yethe end of this time, ytthat yethe world might not be punished universally before yethe saints & wicked Apostates were thus universally distinguished lest they should be both suffer alike therein; for this punishment was provided for & inflicted on those ytthat fell away to yethe Beasts religion as is exprest in yethe first Vial: whence it is manifest ytthat yethe world had then receivreceived that religion. And lastly as yethe setting up yethe Beasts religion exprest by his ascention out of yethe bottomles pit was of all others before his ruin the most singular revolution, so yethe interval here assigned to it is the most singular one being bounded by yethe two most cardinal periods between yethe beginning of yethe seales & last Trumpet: & therefore these must be adjusted by Rule ; so ytthat yethe whole seventh seale may be yethe time of yethe Beast from his first apparent beginning to ascend out of yethe pit, & yethe Trumpets yethe time of his reign after he was ascended.
11 There was to be a general Apostacy of in yethe visible Church. This you have plainly described by StSaint Paul in his second Epistle to Timothy chap 3 & 4 where first declaring how it should be from grace he saith: This know also ytthat in yethe last days perillous times shall come, for men shal be lovers of their own thwithout natural affection, despisers of all that are good truce breakers, fals accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those ytthat are good, traytors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasure more ynthan lovers of God, having a form of godlines but denying yethe power thereof. And then by comparing them to yethe corrupt Christians of his own time he shows how this Apostacy should be from yethe faith also: For of this sort, saith he, are they wchwhich creep into houses & lead captive silly weomen laden wthwith sins, led away wthwith divers lusts, ever learning & never able to come to yethe knowledge of yethe truth — men of corrupt minds, a a. αδόκιμοι non probati, adulterini. insincere concerning yethe faith. And then proceeding to exhort Timothy to diligence over his flock; I charge thee therefore before God sathsaith he, – preach yethe word, be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort wthwith all long suffering & doctrine; for yethe time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears: & they shall turn away their ears from yethe truth & shall be turned unto fables.
Now it is manifest ytthat yethe men here spoken of are men Professors of Christianity though corrupt ones, because they are said to have a form of godliness, & to be of that sort of men wchwhich in StSaint Paul's time crept into houses & led captive silly weomen & were men of corrupt minds & (αδόχιμοι) insincere concerning yethe faith that is ethe first hereticks & their followers wchwhich having departed from yethe faith yet retained yethe name & outward profession of Christianity, & through a form of godliness led after them many others of yethe weaker Christians; as StSaint Iohn saith of them They went out from from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would have continued wthwith us. Nor were these corrupt Christians to be few in respect of yethe true believers, for so StSaint Paul's words would have agreed as well to yethe Apostles times as to to after ages, there being even then a great many lukewarm Christians & a great many more that were turned away after yethe doctrines of hereckshereticks, as is to be learnt here & every where in StSaint Paul's Epistles. They were not a few persons such as dayly revolted, but yethe visible flock of Timothy (that is their posterity) wchwhich StSaint Paul spake of when he said: The time will come (viz yethe perillous times of yethe last days) when they will not endure sound doctrine but after their own lusts heap to themselves teachers &c. And by yethe Apostacy of his flock you may guess at yethe rest.
To this I may subjoyn ytthat other noted place of StSaint Paul in 2 Thes 2 where tis said ytthat ἡ ἀποστασίαyethe day of yethe Lord shal not come except yethe Apostacy come first & ytthat man of sin be revealed yethe Son of perdition. &c. But here for yethe better understanding yethe nature of this Apostacy, I shal lay down these observations.
ffirst ytthat it was to be a very durable one; for it began to work in StSaint Paul's time vers 7 & was to last till orour Lord should destroy yethe man of Sin by yethe breath of his mouth & yethe brightness of his coming vers 8. This coming & yethe brightnes of it & consumption of the man of Sin thereby respects yethe words before: the L God shal recompense to you rest wthwith us when yethe Lord Iesus shall be revealed from heaven wthwith his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them ytthat know not God & ytthat obey not the Gospel of orour Lord —— But concerning yethe coming of orour Lord — we beseech you brethren that ye be not troubled — as ytthat yethe day of Christ is at hand: Let no men deceive you by any meanes for ytthat day shall not come except the , &c. Whence you may perceive ytthat yethe discourse of yethe Man of Sin took occasion from & so is related to a former discours of orour Lords coming to judgment. so ytthat putting all together yethe sense will be: God shal recompense to you rest wthwith us when yethe Lord Iesus shal be revealed from heaven wthwith his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on ymthem ytthat know not God his enemies; but be ye not troubled concerning yethe coming of orour Lord as if it were at hand for yethe Apostacy must come first & yethe man of sin be revealed whom yethe Lord is to destroy wthwith yethe breath of his mouth & brightness of ytthat his coming in flaming fire to take vengeance on these his enemies. This brightness of his coming is in Matt 24 compared to lightning wchwhich cometh out of yethe east & shineth into yethe west: Of wchwhich in Acts 9, you have a specimen by yethe glorious appearance of orour Saviour to StSaint Paul. And ytthat wchwhich is here called yethe breath of his mouth is in yethe Apocalyps compared to a sharp sword wchwhich goeth out of his mouth ytthat wthwith it he should smite yethe nations Apoc 19.15, that is those nations wchwhich wthwith yethe Beast & fals Prophet are gathered together to yethe final war against yethe saints, vers 18, 19, 21. This is yethe diluvium ignis whereby yethe earth is to be refined, Mal: 3.2. the day ytthat shall burn as an oven & all yethe wicked shall be as stubble & yethe day shall burn them up, Mal 4.1.
In yethe next place we are to observe ytthat yethe may ethe consent of this Apostacy wthwith the other Prophesies of yethe last days & particularly wthwith yethe perillous times mentioned above are yethe same wthwith this Apostacy & StSaint Iohn's Antichrist 1 Iohn 2.18. ffor those must needs fall in wthwith this Apostacy because this from its first working strikes through all ages; & as here yethe Apostacy was to begin after a season & last till yethe coming of orour Saviour, so yethe perillous times there spoken of were those to come in yethe last days & the Antichrist in the last time.. Both also are They are also represented of yethe same nature & original, yethe Man of Sin being yethe accomplishment of ytthat mystery of inquity wchwhich began to work in StSaint Paul's days, & yethe perillous times to consist of such as those were that then crept into houses & led captive silly weomen, men of cor
rupt25rupt minds, insincere concerning yethe faith, seducers wchwhich were to grow wors & wors deceiving & being deceived till yethe perillous times should be come in. And yethe like is to be observed of StSaint Iohn's Antichrist compared wthwith yethe many Antichrists before him.
Some are apt to think ytthat yethe Apostles imagined yethe world would be at an end in their age or soon after, but these must so much yethe rather grant ytthat yethe meaning of StSaint Paul was ytthat this Apostacy & these last times were to continue to yethe end of yethe world & ytthat both Prophesies were meant by yethe Apostle of yethe same times there being no room for 'em to disagree. But if any one shall be so bold as to say further that these prophesies concerned therefore only yethe age next after yethe Apostles, they should rather consider that whatsoever were yethe Apostles private opinion yethe revelation was of yethe last days & God might reveal to 'em that yethe perillous times should be in yethe last days wthwithout revealing to 'em yethe distance or length of those days. But further, it does not appear by any thing in Scripture ytthat yethe Apostles expected a sudden end of yethe world any more then that orour Saviour did when he said Behold I come quickly & my reward is wthwith me, – surely I come quickly. Apoc 22.7, 12, 20, & threatned yethe Church of Sardis then in being: If thou shalt not watch I will come on thee as a Thief & thou shalt not know what hower I will come upon thee, Apoc 3.3 & admonisht his Apostles: When ye see these things come to pass know that it is nigh (my coming) is nigh even at yethe doors Mat 24.33. Yea ytthat yethe Apostles thought yethe contrary is plain: for StSaint Peter although in his hishis first Epistle ch 4.7 he tell us; The end of all things is at hand approaches yet in his 2d Epistle ch 3.3 he expresses ytthat it would be so long that there should come in yethe last days scoffers walking after their own lusts & saying where is yethe promis of his coming, for since yethe ffathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from yethe beginning of yethe creation. And then adds: But, Beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing that one day is wthwith yethe Lord as a thousand years & a thousand years as one day – the Lord is not slack concerning his promis (as some men count slackness) but is long suffering to us-ward – But yethe day of yethe Lord will come as a Thief in yethe nighttSaint Paul his designe in his discours about yethe man of Sin is to diswade yethe Thessalonians from interpreting his words or Epistles so as to think yethe day of yethe Lord was at hand, & to ytthat end uses this argument that there must come first these two great revolutions, yethe taking away that wchwhich letted & yethe rise & reign of yethe man of Sin. He knew also that yethe Iews were to be led away captive into all nations & Ierusalem to be troden down of yethe Gentiles untill yethe times of yethe Gentiles should be fulfilled, Luke 21.24, & ytthat afterwards all Israel (to whom blindness should happen in part till yethe fulness of yethe Gentiles were come in) should be received again to mercy, Rom: 11.26. And though yethe Apostles were shy of speaking expresly in this point least they should diminish yethe expectation of yethe Saints & fear of backsliders, yet they of understanding may easily gather from StSaint Paul's discours of yethe Rest of God, Hebr. 4, ytthat yethe world has not yet run out yethe years of his computation.
St. Iohn26
✝✝ StSaint Iohn indeed calls his own yethe last time 1 Iohn 2.18, but I suppose he speaks there to yethe Iews of yethe end of their state, whereof yethe first Antichrists & Pseudochrists Simon Menandar, Basilides &c were (according to orour Saviour's prophesy Luke 21.8) forerunners. ethe times of Apostacy are called ὕστεροι καιρὸι & ἐσχαται ἡμέραι the last dtimes or days in yethe plural number to express their greater length, here tis said ἐσχάτη ὥρα yethe last time or as it were yethe last hower to express some sudden end: In those yethe last times are spoken of yethe Apostacy it self, in this of yethe first working of yethe mystery of iniquity: for the does not say ytthat yethe Antichrist being then not come, but only tthat is many of his forerunners: And therefore This ἐσχάτη ὥρα therefore is not yethe last tim same wthwith yethe last times spoken of in other places, & but an admonition to yethe Iews only of yethe end of their state at hand.
There is a place of StSaint Iude also (vers 17, 18) where he may seem to apply yethe last times to his own days, but I suppose it is only comparatively; as if he had said Beloved remember ye how yethe Apostles of orour Lord told you there should be mockers in yethe last time who should walk after their own ungodly lusts; Of this sort are they that separate themselves &c.
StSaint Iohn indeed calls his own yethe last times 1 Iohn 2.18. But he does not mean thereby those last days wchwhich StSaint Paul calls perillous times but yethe days preceding them in wchwhich yethe mystery of iniquity began to work. For he said not ytthat yethe Antichrist was then come but only that there were many Antichrists, that is many of his forerunners already in yethe world. Whence we may learn ytthat according to yethe Apostles doctrine the last time was to consist of two states, yethe one strictly so called in wchwhich yethe Antichrist or Man of Sin should reign, yethe other yethe Harbinger of that in wchwhich yethe mystery of iniquity worked in many petty Antichrists untill that wchwhich hindred yethe rise of yethe great one were taken out of yethe way: & so ytthat yethe intent of yethe Apostle here StSaint Iohn here was to inform men that the times wchwhich yethe Apostles had so often told them of by yethe name of yethe last times were not to be supposed a great way off, or some short space suppose of 3 or 4 years at yethe very end of yethe world, but that they were already begun in yethe forerunners of yethe Antichrist & consequently in him & his forerunners together to take up all thatthe interval time from thence to yethe end of yethe world; As if he had said: Little children, Ye have been told formerly of yethe backsliding of yethe last time, but think not that because yethe Apostles then called yethe time of Antichrist yethe last time, that therefore it is a great way off; I say unto you it is now yethe last time. For as ye have heard that in yethe last time yethe Antichrist should come, even now there are many Antichrists whereby we know ytthat yethe last time foretold by yethe Apostles is already begun.
After yethe same manner yethe words of StSaint Iude are to be understood where he mentions how yethe Apostles of orour Lord foretold that there should be mockers in yethe last time who should walk after their own ungodly lusts, Iude
In the third place we are to consider observe that yethe Apostates were to be Christians, & this I gather, ffirst from yethe name Apostacy wchwhich is as much as to say a falling away from yethe truth. Secondly from God's sending them a strong delusion that they should believe a lie: for hence it follows that before this delusion they believed yethe truth. Thirdly from StSaint Paul's exhorting the Thessalonians to stand fast therefore & hold yethe Traditions wchwhich they had been taught whether by word or Epistle, for thence it follows ytthat yethe Apostacy was to come by yethe falling away of such as they were, & that not from yethe name of Christianity but from yethe purity of it by corrupting yethe Traditions of yethe Church whether written in yethe Scriptures or delivered down by word of mouth. ffourthly from yethe Mystery of iniquity's working when StSaint Paul wrote, tthat yethe Apostacy was to be of yethe same nature wthwith yethe Heresies of StSaint Paul's time, in all wchwhich yethe name & form of Christianity was corrupted retained but yethe truth of it corrupted. Compare this wthwith 2 Tim 3.6 & ethe Man of Sin's sitting in yethe Temple of God as a God, that is in yethe Church as a King or Monarch over it. Lastl Sixtly from yethe care wchwhich yethe Apostles took to give warning of these times, for it is not likely that they would have concerned themselves so much about a generation extrinsic to yethe Church. Lastly from ytthat plain description of these times in 2 Tim 3 & 4 where yethe Apostates are said to be such as have a form of godliness (that is in appearance Christians,) – of yethe same sort wthwith yethe first seducers wchwhich crept into houses & led captive silly weomen – ever learning & never able to come to yethe knowledge of yethe truth – men of corrupt minds, insincere concerning yethe faith (that is Hereticks) – Seducers waxing wors & wors, deceiving & being deceived – such as will not endure sound doctrine but after their own lusts heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears & turning away their ears from yethe truth unto fables. This (besides a large catalogue of other vices wchwhich yethe Apostle would not have busied himself to reprehend in any but Christians), is yethe description of those whereof yethe great Apostacy was to consist. To yethe same purpose are orour Saviours words: Then shall many be offended & shal betray one another & shall hate one another, & many fals Prophets shall rise & shall deceive many, & becaus iniquity shall abound yethe love of many shall wax cold. Matt 24.10, 11, 12.
In yethe last place it is to be observed ytthat this Apostacy was to be general & this I gather ffirst from yethe distinction ytthat is put between it & yethe working of iniquity in StSaint Paul's time set on foot by Simon Magus Menander Saturninus Basilides, Carpocrates Corinthus & other Heretiques like these between yethe perillous times of yethe last days & yethe seducers wchwhich in yethe first ages crept into houses 2 Tim 3. between yethe Antichrist & yethe many Antichrists 1 Iohn 2 Those heresies were but yethe seeds of this, this yethe complement of those; those were such as not to be letted by that wchwhich letted this; those in & for a good while after StSaint Paul's time were many in number, this but one in its degree those are all long since ceased, this was to continue to yethe end of yethe world those were too small to be called ἡ ἀποστασία an Apostacy or the Apostacy in StSaint Paul's sense or to be made the sign of yethe Lord's coming, for so long as yethe Church persevered wthwithout any further working of iniquity then by those partial Apostacies, they were to take it for a sign ytthat yethe day of yethe Lord was not at hand, & therefore this must be such an one as is manifestly distinguishable from them by its greatness. Ἡ ἀποστασία must here signify such an Apostacy as either does or does not obscure yethe Church, not yethe latter because in StSaint Paul's sense it agrees not to yethe working of iniquity then begun.
A second reason for yethe universality of it may be from yethe its caus of it so far as by yethe powerfulness of yethe cause we may judge of yethe greatness of yethe effect. The caus was yethe coming of yethe man of Sin after yethe working of Satan wthwith all power & signes & lying wonders & wthwith all deceivableness of unrighteousness, God sending them a strong delusion that they should believe a lye. Tis well known ytthat Simon Magus came wthwith as much infernal power & lying wonders as any of yethe first Hereticks or as any single Heretic could well do, & thereby seduced many, & yet StSaint Paul makes no recconning of him in comparison27rison of yethe strong delusion by wchwhich yethe man of Sin was to rise.
A third reason may be from yethe man of Sin's sitting in yethe Temple of God as a God ytthat is from yethe supreme person of ytthat body called yethe Man of Sin his presiding in yethe Church as an earthly God, or a Monarch in & over yethe Church. It is not said in this or yethe other part of yethe Temple of God but in yethe Temple of God wthwithout restriction.
We might here also repeat what was said above concerning yethe prophesy of yethe perillous times, where StSaint Paul exhorting Timothy about his flock said, The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine &c: And by yethe Apostacy of this Church you may guess at yethe rest.
The Apostacy therefore was to overspread yethe general visible body of yethe Church, & hence is that promis of orour Saviour to yethe Church of Philadelphia: Becaus thou hast kept yethe word of my patience I will keep thee from yethe hower of temptation wchwhich shall come upon all yethe worl world to try them that dwell upon yethe Earth, Apoc 3.10. Yea so generall was it to be ytthat orour Saviour puts yethe Question: When yethe Son of Man cometh shall he find faith on yethe earth, Luke 18.8.
And hence we may learn in what sense to take yethe word τινὲς in 1 Tim 4.1, wchwhich we translate: In yethe latter times some shal depart from yethe faith. The greek is of a larger signification then yethe English will beare, for τινὲς is sometimes put for yethe greater part, or all but a few. Thus of orour Saviours disciples those incredulous & offended ones who are comparatively called many in Iohn 6.60, 66, orour Saviour in vers 64 calls τινὲς some of them. So Rom 11.17 StSaint Paul saith of yethe rejected Iews, who were by much many degrees yethe greater part of yethe Nation, τινὲς some of yethe branches were broken off. Again 1 Cor. 10.7, 8, 9, 10. Neither be ye Idolaters as τινὲς some of them were – Neither let us commit fornication as τινες some of them committed – Neither let us tempt Christ as τινες some of them also tempted – Neither murmur ye as τινες some of them murmured –. Here are four great somes; for of yethe first tis said: And All allethe people brake of yethe golden ear-rings wchwhich were in their ears & brought them unto Aaron, Exod 32.3. Of yethe second: And Israel joyned himself to Baal-Peor — & yethe Lord said unto Moses take allethe heads of yethe people & hang them up before yethe Lord – ytthat yethe fierce anger of yethe Lord may be turned away from Israel, Num 25.3, 4. Of yethe third: The peopleethe fourth: All yethe children of Israel murmured against against Moses & against Aaron, & yethe whole Congregation said unto ymthem would God we had died in Egypt – And Moses said unto yethe Lord if thou kill all this people as one man — And yethe Lord said they shall not come into yethe Land save Caleb & Ioshua, Numb. 14 but their carcasses shall fall in yethe Wilderness Num 14. Its plain therefore ytthat yethe Apostle uses τινὲς for any some that's less then all: wchwhich being so, the analogy of this Prophesy of yethe Apostacy wthwith yethe rest ytthat concern yethe latter times, requires ytthat it be here understood of yethe generality.
I have hitherto considered only yethe Prophesies of yethe new Testament out of yethe Apocalyps; but if you now compare all wthwith yethe Apocalyptic Visions, & particularly wthwith yethe flight of yethe Woman into yethe Wilderness & yethe reign of yethe Whore of Babylon, they will very much illustrate one another: for these visions are as plain as if it had been expresly said ytthat yethe true Church shall be eclipsed disappear & in her stead an Idolatrous Church reign in yethe world. And of yethe same nature are yethe treading under foot the unmeasured holy City by yethe Gentiles, yethe prophesying of yethe witnesses in sackcloth, & yethe ascention of yethe Beast out of yethe bottomles pit whom all yethe world whose names were not written in the book of life (& consequently Heretiques & Hypocrites) were to wonder after & worship.
Lastly if to all this be added yethe most universal & constant tradition of yethe Church from yethe first ages, ytthat there was to happen in yethe last times of yethe world such a general Apostacy as we have described; & also yethe instances ytthat have been of such Apostacies of yethe Church both under yethe Law (as in Ahabs reign when yethe true worship so far disappeared ytthat Elijah thought himself yethe only untainted person) & under yethe Gospel either in yethe Arian age (as they call it) or in yethe ages ever since: this tradition & these instances joyned wthwith yethe foregoing evidences out of scripture may suffice to check yethe most prejudic't & obstinate doters on yethe Churches external grandeur & perpetual visibility & make 'em confess that it either hath been or shall be notably obscured. And this foundation being laid I now proceed.
12. The religion of yethe Beast & consequently of yethe Dragon also after his being cast down is heathenising Christianity: as I gather by these reasons. ffirst because the Beast arose28 arose out of yethe bottomles pit implying yethe rise of a new infernal religion must needs, so soon at least as that religion arrives to any considerable pitch, put an end to those things & wthwith them to that Seal & so begin the next. Thirdly yethe interweaving yethe vision of yethe Victors over yethe Beast wthwith yethe first appearance of yethe seven Angels of yethe Vials ch 15.1, 2, 6, is intimation enough that those victors begin then to get yethe victory & consequently ytthat yethe Beast's religion begins then to be set up. ffor it is necessary that that religion be adequately synchronal to those that get yethe victory over him because there wasis no cessation of yethe Church militant. Now the first appearance of these Angels, according to yethe analogy of thesethis Vision of yethe Vials wthwith ytthat of yethe Trumpets, must be at yethe same time wthwith yethe first appearance of yethe seven Angels of yethe Trumpets: that is at yethe opening of yethe seventh Seal. ffourthly by yethe opposite relation of yethe Seale of God to yethe mark of yethe Beast it is most natural to suppose ytthat yethe vision of sealing yethe saints is but a mystical indication of yethe time when men began to receive yethe mark of yethe Beast; that is of yethe time when yethe Beast's religion arose wchwhich therefore must be immediately after yethe sixt Seal. Lastly yethe rise of yethe Beast's religion by reason of its great wickedness & universality is one of yethe most cardinal revolutions in all the Prophesy, & so the beginning of it can fall in wthwith no time so well as wthwith that cardinal period between yethe sixt & seventh seale where both ethe beginning of yethe Trumpets & by yethe interposition of yethe 7th chapter is signified an end of yethe former state of things & yethe beginning of a new one. These two periods must therefore be adjusted to one another by Rule.
11 12. The religion of yethe Beast & a a. Pos Sect 4 hujus consequently of yethe Dragon also after his being cast down, is heathenising Christianity: as I gather by these reasons. ffirst because yethe beast arose29 arose not till after yethe Dragon was vanquished by Michael & his kingdom (out of wchwhich yethe Beast afterwards arose) sect 3.) possessed by yethe victors, that is by Christians. Whence it may be presumed that he vision of yethe world made derived a form of Christianity, & his heathenising is manifest by his blasphemy, Fig. & by what is said of the subject of yethe 6t Trumpet, that is of his worshippers: viz that they worshipped Dæmons & Idols of gold & silver & Brass & stone & wood: wchwhich neither can see nor hear nor walk, ch: 9.20. Secondly yethe Beast arose out of yethe Sea & therefore yethe inhabitants of yethe Sea are they wchwhich at his rise became his subjects. ButNow these inhabitants before untill yethe Dragon Devil came down among them ch 12.12, that is before untill about yethe opening of yethe seventh Seal Posit 5.3, & consequently before untill yethe Beast's religion was setsetting up, were no Heathens but Christians because yethe Devil wasuntill then was not among them; but his coming then among them is a direct expression that they began then to heatheniseheathenize. For as his casting out was immediately before made used to signify yethe extirpation of Idolatry so his coming again among men must signify yethe restitution of it, though perhaps in a different form the first being represented above in Heaven, yethe last below on earth. ThisThirdly because yethe two hornd Beast is represented yethe Author & promoter of yethe other Beast's religion by his fals miracles, we may conclude that they are both of yethe same religion. Which being so, their outward form of Christianity will is evident by yethe likeness of thatthe two horns of that Beast to yethe Lamb, ch: 13.11; & their heathenizing by yethe blasphemy of yethe other Beast, Fig his speaking likeethe Dragon, that is dictating or preaching up such kind of things as yethe Dragon used to speake or dictate. Lastly because yethe Whore sits upon this Beast & rules over him ch 17 Def Fig & commits fornication wthwith yethe Kings & makes drunk & deceives & deceives all nations she co of wchwhich yethe Beast he consists, we may conclude that they are also of yethe same religion. But yethe Whore by her very name is yethe Church of God relapstlapst into Idolatry, Fig
To these r To these reasons I might add another taken from yethe vision of yethe Gentiles treading down yethe holy City chap 11. For these Gentiles are yethe Beast vers 7. & their heathenising is implied by their name Gentiles, & their profession of Christianity by calling yethe dition of their habitation yethe outward Court & holy City. The temple wthwith its Court & yethe holy holy City is yethe whole Church & it's here distinguished into two parts; the one (yethe Temple) measured & not given to yethe gentiles, & this is therefore yethe elect part of yethe Church; yethe other (yethe outward Court & holy City) left unmeasured that is neglected, left out of yethe measure or compas of God's regard, not measured compassed or bounded by God's laws but left to transgression, & therefore yethe reprobate part of yethe Church. And this is given to yethe Gentiles to possess, that is to those that should gentilize to be yethe inhabitants or Citizens wchwhich it should contein or consist of: & they tread it under foot, that is, contaminate corrupt & overwhelm yethe truth of their Christian profession by Gentile practises.
Some I know will be apt to say ytthat yethe Beast is represented one of yethe most detestable statesStates ytthat ever was & therefore it is more likely ytthat he should be purely heathen then have his wickedness allayed wthwith a profession of Christianity: but he ytthat considers will rather conclude ytthat because he is represented yethe most wicked state therefore he ought to be Christianity corrupted, yethe worst things requiring yethe corruption of yethe best to generate them. Sins are yethe greatest where they are against yethe greatest light, & if Hypocrisy be added or a corruption of yethe meaning of yethe Law be added to yethe sin, it is yet a further aggravation & still a further if any shall wthwithout commission pretend a power to make lawfull what he acknowledges to be prohibited by God: ethe Idolatry of yethe Iews that they were God's peculiar people, or yethe wickedness of yethe first Heretiques ytthat they profest Christianity? Certainly no: ffor God never so frequently & severely reproved & punished any nation for their transgressions as yethe Iews, nor did yethe Apostles & first Christians aggravate yethe iniquity of any so much as of yethe Heretiques. A Let no man therefore be deceived wthwith yethe specious name of Christians, for a secret enemy is yethe worst & most carefully to be shund, & such are they that put yethe best colour of Christianity upon yethe worst corruptions of it. If they be corrupt & live not according to yethe Gospel, it had been better they had never heard of yethe name of Christ: for yethe profession of ytthat name shall so lit be so far from profitting yethe ungodly that it shall aggravate their damnation, in as much as yethe disobedience of a Son or Servant is more heinous then that of a stranger, & he ytthat knows his masters will & does it not shall be beaten wthwith many stripes.
13. The Beast is yethe universal visible Church in ytthat state of Apostacy wchwhich was to happen in yethe latter times. ffor ytthat he is a Church is manifest by his outward form of Christianity newly proved & yethe universality of ytthat Church is manifest by these expressions: All yethe world (ytthat is yethe Christian world) wondred after yethe Beast — & power was given him over all kindreds & tongues & nations, & all that dwell upon yethe earth shall worship him whose names are not written in yethe book of life, Apoc 13.3, 7, 8. Moreover his religion agrees wthwith ytthat of yethe Apostacy, for as he was to heathenizeHeathenize & worship Dæmons & Idols Apoc 9.27, so in yethe Apostacy they were to give heed to doctrines of Dæmons 1 Tim 4.1, That is to attend to doctrines concerning Dæmons or Ghosts of men such as were yethe doctrines of yethe heathens about their Divi, or of those ancient Heretics ytthat worshipt worshipt yethe Virgin Mary as Queen of heaven to whome Epiphanius thus applies this place of StSaint Paul, quoting it thus πληρουται γὰρ καὶ ἐπὶ τούτους τὸ, Ἀποστήσονταί τινες της ὑγιέος διδασκαλίας, προσέχοντες μύθοις καὶ διδασκαλιαις Δαιμονίων ἔσονται γὰρ νεκροις λατρεύοντες, ὡς καὶ ἐν τω Ισραὴλ ἐσεβάσθησαν. That also of yethe ApostlesApostle is fulfilled of these: Some shall apostatise from yethe sound doctrine, giving heed to fables & doctrines of Dæmons; for they shall be worshippers of dead men as they were worshipped in Israel. Epiphan: Hæres:78. The Beast & that Apostacy agree also in yethe likeness of yethe relation wchwhich yethe one has to yethe Whore wchwhich sits upon hishim back & yethe other to yethe manMan of sin wchwhich sits in it, yethe apostate Church being yethe polluted temple of God in wchwhich yethe man of Sin sits. And further as yethe Apostacy rose by lying wonders & a strong delusion 2 Thes 2.9, 10, 11 so did yethe Beasts religion Apoc 13. And lastly they agree in time, for yethe Apostacy was to be in yethe last times 1 Tim 4 & 2 Tim 3 & yethe Man of Sin to rise wthwith or soon after it & continue to yethe end of yethe world: & so yethe Beast ascended out of yethe bottomles pit at yethe opening of yethe seventh sealesseale (Sect supra) & consequenlyconsequently when yethe woman began to fly into yethe wilderness (Posit ) & continues to yethe 7th Trumpet at wchwhich yethe time ceases & yethe mystery of God is finished (Apoc 10.6, 7) & yethe Kingdoms of yethe world become yethe kingdoms of Christ for ever (chap 11.15) & yethe Word of God comes to destroy yethe w & yethe dead here judged & saints rewarded (chap 11.15, 18) & yethe wordWord of God comes to destroy yethe wicked wthwith yethe sword of his mouth & cast yethe Beast & fals Pro & fals Prophet into yethe Lake of fire (chap 19) wchwhich time is yethe great day of God Almighty even Thethe day wherein orour Saviour comes as a Thief
14 This Beast is yethe same wthwith yethe 4th Beast in Daniel. For both — 1314. This Beast is yethe same wthwith yethe fourth Beast in Daniel, chap 7 For both Kingdoms have one common period, ending at the day of judgment into the Kingdom of yethe saints wchwhich shall never be destroyed Dan 7. Rev 11.15, 18, & so at least they are synchronal. Also both are strange nameles monsters & have ten horns & yethe destruction one30 one has an animated horn answering to yethe Whore on yethe other's back, & yethe destruction of both is alike, wchwhich is to be cast into yethe fire Dan 7.11. Rev 19.1919.20, & that before yethe rest of yethe nations Dan 7.12. Rev 19.21 & 20.3, 10. Besides all this StSaint Iohn hath very elegantly expressed their sameness by describing the beastBeast wchwhich he saw to be like a Leopard & his feet as yethe feet of a Bear & his mouth as yethe mouth of a Lyon ch 12.213.2. ffor these three being yethe Beasts by wchwhich the three first kingdoms were represented in Daniel, the naming of them all in this description of yethe Beast by StSaint Iohn, seems to be on purpose to point at yethe vision of Daniel & insinuate yethe correspondence between yethe two Prophesies. And that only thre of those beastsBeasts yethe Leopard Beare & Lyon are named, it implies that yethe Beast described must supply yethe place of yethe fourth to make up yethe quaternary: wchwhich he doth yethe more fitly becaus they are set down in order backward & he is put in yethe first place.
1415. This beast therefore being yethe same wthwith Daniel's must be also yethe same wthwith yethe leggs of Nebuchadnezzar's Image since both those do most apparently, & by yethe consent of all men, denote both yethe same fourth Kingdome.
But yet this is not so to be understood as if this Beast was adequately yethe same wthwith Daniel's fourth kingdom. ffor ytthat kingdom immediately succeeding yethe Greek Empire must have begun before yethe writing of yethe Apocalyps & consequently before yethe rise of yethe Apocalyptic Beast, & so must comprehend the Dragon & Beast together, yethe Dragon being considered as conteining yethe Beast virtually in him untill his rise out of yethe Sea. Whence it is that although StSaint Iohn prophesying more articulately of yethe fourth kingdom then Daniel, distinguishes Daniel's Beast into two, yet he describes ymthem wthwith heads & horns in common to insinuate that they are but one fundamentally. Yea Daniel's Beast (as will hereafter appear) is a combination of both yethe Apocalyptic Beasts & Dragon in one: StSaint Iohn distinguishing & describing articulately what Daniel considers in general.