Ch. 4. Johnfees God's Revelation. Throne and Glory, &c. Ch. 4 unfeen to God,(tho' tome make this to lignifie the multitude ofWorfhippers. The four Beast", fome fày, refemble the four Standards and Camps oflfresel in the Wilder nefs ; or as others, the four Evangelists: but it is like to mean the Executioners byProvidence and Miracles ofChrift's Will and Power, full of Eyes, as knowing all theAffairs ofthe Sons of Mess, about which they are imploy'cl, cal- led livingCreatures, fortheir Executive Power. j. And the fink beast was like ,a lion, and the fecond beast like a calf, and the third beaft had a face as a man, and the fourth beaft was like a it clearly intimateth, r. that the Elders have a proper Dignity, and Honour, and Power figni- fled by their Seals, and white Raiment, and Crowns of Gold. I would not have ignorant proud Lads, that can but get a Lay-Patron to prefent them to a Benefice, where they may live in the Guilt of betraying Souls, to call themfelves these Elders, nor to feign in white Raiment that theyhave Crowns ofGold. g. And out ofthe throne proceed- ed lightnings, and thunderings, and voices : and there were feven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the (even fpirits of God. 5. Note, t. The Glory and Terrour of the Heavenly Apparition is thus exprefsd : From the fimilitudeof the Temple -worship, and more fully ofthe Church-worship and Sacred Affem- blies, whence mat proceed the Light of Do- árase, the Thunder ofReproof, and jut Cen- fares, and the Voices of common Confent and Praifes toGod. Whether it lignifie the fcorch- ing Lightnings, and Thunderings, and Excom- municationsof Lay-Chancellors, Officials, Surro- gates, Commufaries, be. that ufe an abfent Bi- shop's Name over (not one Parifi only, hut) many fcore or hundredParish-Churches, I leave to the Arguments ofthe Aflirmers. 2. The (even Lamps are expounded of the (even Spirits ofGod, relating,as Come suppose, to the Lamps which were continually to burn before the Tabernacle, Exod, t7. ao. and after before the Temple; and, as others think, to the feven Deacons at Jaufalem. Others think It is the (even Guardian Angels of the .Afian Churches, towhom John 'fpectally direfeth all this Book, tho' for the ufe ofall others. But of th:e, and other fuch paf(ages,the great doubt is, whether really there be not, in the fpiritualWorld whichSohn law, fuch things as he defcribeth, and the Intitutions about Taber- nacle, Temple, and Church-.A,(lemblies be not form'd to Come resemblance of thefe? Or whe- ther all be spoken only ofthe things below, of which the fuperiour World hath no real Simi- litude,but by FiSion ? 6. And before the throne there was a fea of glafs like unto crystal : and in the midst of the throne,and round about the throne, were four and is, and is to come. beafks, full of eyes before and be- 8. Note. The Beats refembling the Standard hind. bearer in theCamp, are likeft to lignifie both 6. Note, Before theTabernacle" and theTem- the Angels in Heaven, who glorifie God'sAr- ple there was a great broad Vetèl of Water, tributes, and ferve him its the perforrrànce of cord a Sea, for the Priet to wash in, Excl. his Ps omi(ès to th, Church ; and alto to the ao. IS. tKin. 7. a a. Ggnifying the Purityre- .ApoJiles, andProph4rs, and Ev.. %gelifls, and Pa- quir'd in the Worshippers of God ; being as fiors, who do their part herein on Earth. Sea Cryftal, tells us, that no Spots or Hypocrite is ¡fa. 6. a. of their Wings. SS 3 a. Holy, flying eagle. 7. Note, As these four agree with the Appa- rition in Ezekiel t. ro. in the main (notwith- (landingTome (mall difference) fo it is obferva- bie which Dr. Hammond noteth from .Aber Ezra, that thefe were the Efcutchcons on the four Ensigns or Standardsof theCamp ofIfrael, a Lion for the Camp of pieta, a Man for the Camp ofBeuban, an Ox for the Campof E- phraim, andan Eagle for the Camp of Dan : And ass Ox and Calfare oft ufed for the fame. And these four are noted to be the chief in theirfeveral ki s, the Lion among wild Beats, the Ox amon e tame and sèrviccehle, a Man among all An .Vals, and an Eagle among Birds. To conjebfure that Godwould lignifiebythem to Israel, mutl*eds be uncertain : r , "ow no- thing liker than an intimationofDuty and Pro- phecy, that lfrael should be vitortous over their Enemies, and valiant as a Lion, wife,and in Dominion as Man, and should have a fertile and plenteous Land, fig'nified by the Ox, and Seraphickand Divine in the holy Wor(hip of God, Ggnified by the Eagle that mounteth' Heaven-ward in her trength. And it's like fuch Bleffings are herebyGgnified to be confer- red on the Church : (òfne fix the signification onAngels, Tome on Miniters : And lcfsproba- ble are theirsthat think Peter, john, Paul, and Barnabas are meant, or they that apply it to the four Eaangelilîs or fout Patriarchs. 8. And the four beasts had each of ,them fix wings about him, and they were full ofeyes within, and they tell not day and night, Paying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, whichwas
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