340 A:tevelation ofthe Apocal-ypfe. CA P.-7o. not,`but that lohn is here propounded fora. Typeof the Mitt/fiery of that time, as he doth commonly elfewhereBand in the room of the. faithful!. As he therefore fhouldtake the Bookfrom the Angel , and after he had eaten it up,fhould again do the Work of aProphet; fo there fhould be faithfull Minifters railed up.about thefe times, who fhhould preach the truth unto the world. We have laid before , that Tome Godlymen did rife up by and by after the Turkï,fb tyranny began, who being thofe feet of the Angel let upon the Sea, and theearth, did difcharge this office of Prophecying cotsragioully. Which was a notable blel3ing of God, feeingnoW of a longtime. this office was exiled from the earth , beingchafed away with that hellifh fmoke , which the bottomleffe pit that Was opened by the Romifh Star font out of it; Now it returned again by the mercy of God, and men were invited to take the little openBook, which' the former times had shut up.The force ofwhich commandment fl:irred op thofe that I fpake o;andmany others that followed after,who would never have call their lives into fo great dangers, which they mull: needs undergo in great envy andhatred almoft of all men, unlefs Tome heavenly defìre put into their hearts by God had isflarned them. But out of this commandment we may draw this generali propofition,rhat men arefuggifb andflackunto thefiudy ofprophecying, an)do not girdup their loins readily to. undergo this office, till they be pricked forward unto it byGods Spirit. 9. So IWent to' the Angel. This gift is to be obtained by prayer, even in thofe that have power givers them by vertue of their office to Prof hefìe. Wemuft beg earnefily at Gods hand,together with Iohn, th.it heWouldg ve at the Book, yea though webe already entred into this function. And the bookie riven, when men are furnifhed with abundanceof more fidl, and fruifull knowledge thereof. And fo in- deed in this age therewas molt excellent abundanceofthis, whenas prow fi"rfi óf all,the Art ofprinting Book! was found out through the great Mating of God. But betides; thefe things do declare, that the m n of that time being once awakened by god out of their dead fleep, fbouldbendall theirforce, toprofit moreand more in the truth that Was no* kiniled in the*odd. And indeed, the induftry ofthofe men was fo rare,and their increafe in-all kinde ofknowledge was fofwift and f'eedy,fbecially of divine things,that a man might worthily fay they di t rarher devour then readBooks. After trick/ifs time, when the choulmens Barbarous writings were caf-t behinde doores as refufe k.0 ie, good and liberall learning revived by means offohappy ltore of
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