C A P. 1. Akwiatton oftbe Apocalypse. zì attending on divine contemplations , prevent the heavenly grace,but as if he had been oneof the vulgar fort, heareth a voice behind him, as it were admonifhing him of the common inconfideratenefs of us all. We are all of us unfit to còmpreh-endheavenly things, until! at unawares we be induce' from above with powerto undeifcand them, as thewhich not any worthinefs of ours obtaineth forus but Gods meet mercy givethunto us. Now it was,agreat voice,àu it had been of rrumpet,left we ftiould think,thatfomething mutteredwith a more low voice, might perhaps efcape the hearing or knowledge of John; Herecouldnothing be concealed from him , or pafs from his ears, which did ring through with fo loud, high,and thrill a voice;which is a great argument of the certainty of thofe things that are to be related. I I. Saying, IamAlpha andOmega. Thefe words we had above, in the8.varf. but there then theywere the words of John, defcribing theperfon of himwhofe authority he followed, in writing this pro- phecy,here they are the words of Chrilt himfelfe, pronouncing the fame things with his ownvoice. Therefore Iohn ufing this manner of fpeech above,did not draw it forthof the Chop of hisown brain , but learned it fromGod,fromwhom nothing that is not molt holy can come. eirataas,the vulgar and Complutenfis read not thefe things ; but yet they feem to be rashly dallied out by fome man , perhaps be- caufe they were repeated after the interpofition of fo few things.Ne- verthelefs, there ought tohavebeena diftinc`tiou made between John and Chrift,neither ought thof words to have been thought fitperflu- ous,which teachwhat Author there was of ufing thembefore. Write What thoufèefl ina Book.That is,that which thou art ftraight- ways to fee, and likewife alto tohear. This expreffe commandement to write,and that with naming to whom he should write , fheveth, that this Embalfage was not voluntary but deputed and afligned to him frcmGod. Which are in Afla,Ephefm.&c. Above in the4verfe, it was laid in generall only inAfia; but now feeing thefe Cities are named, we un- derftapd,thatnot the whole continent is defigned,which is called by this name, and is much fpokenof for a third part of the woïsld,but little part ofit only,which is fo properly called of the comr oñfort which lying in aplacealmoft like an l land by the Euxine,Egeum and Pamphilian fea, is bounded on the Northfide -with 7fithinia , on the Weft with Hellefpontw and the trEgeanfea, on the South with Licia, on the Eaft pattlywith Licia, partly with Pamphilia and Ge
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