The TYom.rn, &c. Revel and Judgment that (hall be then. 6. As ofthe lilt Judgment, 19. And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was leen in his temple the ark of his tefiament, and there were lightnings; and voices, and thundrings, and an earthquake, and great hail. an. The Tifton of the opeu'd Temple in Heaven Iignifeth, the Freedom given ro the Gofpcl again' Perfecutors and Corrupters, and the pare preaching and profefflon of it, and God's owninghis Covenant and Church, by his eminent Bleffing t and the Lightnings, die: li - rifled the great manifeflation ofChrift's power, for his Church, in the Commotions and Changes in theWorld, and his Judgments On their Ene- mies, asfolloweth. (But inwhat inftances and periods of time, Expofitors (.1iffer, as afore- fa id.) C H A P. XII. 1< N D there appeared a great ex wonder in heaven, a woman clothed with the fun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve liars. t. Some Popes and their Flatterer, have laid, that by the Woman in Heaven is meant, the Pope, and Church of Rome in its power ; and by the Sun is meant, their fpiritual power, as Key - bearers of Heaven; and by the Moon is meant, all Princes fecular power, as under the feet ofthe Papal Church, at leaf', in order to the ends of the fpiritual power, by which he 'Ray, if they deferve it, excommunicate and depofe them. By others is undcrftood the Chriftian Church, now railed to Honour, and flourifhing in Grace and Wifdom, and having worldly Profperity as a lower part of her Blefling ; or, fay others, trampling, on Wealth and worldly things, with a holy contempt ; and known by this Enlign of Honour, that the twelve Apoftles were its Founders under Chrift ; and that Bill theyhold fait the Apoftolical Dodrine; and depart not from it by humane deprivations, or by heretical fedu&ion and corruption. This is a Crown of Glory to the pure Church; being not yet fedìi-, ced front Clmftia7 Apoftolick Simplicity. 2. And flee being with child, cried, travailing in birth, and pai.aed to be delivered. a. She laböur'd with earned define to prop- gate C6riffianity through the World. Some refer this to the Jewish Church deleting t`hrift's Nativity, but that to the Labour of Minihlurs anion. The redD.agon, &c. Ch. i 2 to fpread the Gofnel, and Come 'fpecially to the converSön of the llaman Empire. 3. And there appeared another wonder in heaven, and behold, a great red dragon, having feven heads, and tent horns, and feven crowns upon his heads. 3. The Devil appear'd in the fhape ofa great red Dragon (efpccially Mars, whom the Flea- then Romans took for their fpccial God.) His feats Heads and Crowns 'ignite his grant power, efpecially at Rome, the City that had Even Hills, and rul'd in the Earth : And the ten Horns are the Kingdoms or Provinces of the Roman Empire. 4. And his tail drew the third part of the (tars of heaven, and did caft them to the earth: and the dragon flood before the woman which was ready to be delivered , for to de- vour her child as foon as it was born: 4. By his Tail, fay many, is meant, his Sub. tilty ; by Hereticks he corrupteda thirdpart of Chriftians, which, faith Dr. FL. was by Sima'; Magus and the Gnofiic%s : Say others, by all the Swarm of Hereles. ( Lyra Guth, An this is fpoken of the War ofCefrce King of Perfa, egainft the Ch, i limn.) Mola Prateftánts fay, it is meant oftheRoman perfecuting Empero.us Succeffes, adled by Satan, who fought to ex- tirpateChriflianity, 5. And the brought forth a man- child, who was to rule all nations with a rod cf iron: and her child wvas caught up unto God, and to his throne. S. This Child, lip fame; was CIrift; others fay, Confantine; moll fay, theChurch, as pro_ fperous, which in Confiantine's tinte was to be advanc'd to power, and prevail assist }lea. thenilm, both by theWord and by the Sword. Or that Chrig, by the Church, was thus to rule. Or, as others, the Martyrs, taken up to God, triumph'dby fitfferistg, and further'd the Glory of the Church. Others think it merneth that¿ in the days of the honell Heathen Emperours, ,Alexander Paverso, Philip .troths, Conftantissa Chimes, &c. the CIaurch travail's!, as in the Pains of Childbirth, bat was to fi -ffer with pa- tience, as in theWldernef; till Decius, Direlo. fias, Mat. Hereul, Maxensus and Licinius had done p,rfzcuting, and then it was deiiver`ai by Conflaantise to an advanc'd flee Church-Rate. 6. And the woman fled into the wildernefs, where file la'i; a place prepared of G94, that the .fhould ` 2 fe.ed1
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