208 ARevelation ofthe Apocalypse. C AP. 6. dement, about the end of the Empire ofDomitian,as Irene*: teacheth Ieremy in the fifth Bootie aping i J1 Herefes,, and Eufebius out of Irene- us, in the thirdBooke, 18. Chapter of his Ecclef. Hiff. which is about the ninetyfeventh yeere from the birth of Chrift) we hold that the beginning of the Seals, that is,of the firft period, is to be axed at that time,whence we (hall fee every thing following to flowwith a conti- nued and ready courfe, not hindered with any perplexities hard t® be gone through. What is the endof every period, the event (hall Phew us in the expofition. Thefethings being thus fetled, let us re- turne to the declaring ofthe word, and then we (hall fee the mat- ter it felfe, and the agreement ofit. The firft `Preparation is,of the Lambe opening the firft Seale : For this Lambe is the word ofthe Father, who furnifheth us with the un- derftanding of Gods Will, whatfoever it is we know thereof. Now theEvents are called Seale', both becaufe they containe a molt hid- den myfterie,kept from theunderstanding of the prophane multitude of men, Ifa.8. a6. ,As alfo becaufe thefe firft documents (houldbe, as it were, pledgesof thofe that fhould come hereafter ; Not that we tmdert}and them to be bare fore-figniftcations,and vain promifes and threatening, which do fore-tell and denounce good things and evill, only in word, the execution wherof is elfewhere recorded in this Booke, (for that is no where to be found) but that they be fuch kind of Signes, whichdoe carry at once with themfelves their execution, and yeeld a found pledge of things to come. He unfealeth the Seals án order,' one after another, not all together, with one and the fame labour_; bothbecaufe the nature of the things to be done, did fo re- quire, and the whole prophecie was not to beuttered out at once, but to be broached by little and little, that it might be able to minifiter to the Church , as it were , a daily pittance for her reliefe. The fecond preparation, is ofone of thefoure Bees, calling Iohn to come and fee. Now this firft Beaff is theLyon, Chapt. 4.7. The Bees are theGovernours of the Churches, as hathbeene obferved in the aforefaid place, whofe labour God doth ufe,to inftruet others. Theredo call to fee and marke, not only becaufe it is theiroffice to admonifh the Church,ofthings that fhould fall out,whether they be .good or bad, but efpecially, becaufe the matters which fhould come in the nextplace, fhould be notable through their faithfulneffe and diligence. Now the Lyon fpeaketh firft,becaufe they who flaould en- ter the lifts firft ofall, fhould be of like vertue and fucceffe, no leffe prevailing
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