CAP.17. lervelatioit of the Apocalypfe. 577 Throne of the Dragon which Iohn law, to be made a fheepfold of Chrif} in force fort, after that the Dragon was thrua out thence, could rife upagaine, to this height of impiety? But we mull: not flick in the perfon of lohn onely, who doth now Beare the conmon per- fon of the faithfùll, but wemuft unnderffand that certaine godly men that live under the ffift Viall, confidering the horrible blafpherie of Rouse, which they have tried and known moft undoubtedly, and thinking withal' of this felicity of hers of what kinds faever it is, fhould wonder with themfelves exceedingly how it could be, that fo great impiety should remaine urpunifhed fo long, and this t.on-. dring of his moved the Angel to take upon him the full opening of thefe things. Verf. 7. And the Angel faid unto me, Wherefore doeft than mar- vel/ ? The interrogation containeth in it a certaine reproofe ofmens negligence, and fillineffe, as if he fhould fay, unleffe men had iíhame- fully tcorned to obferve the former times, they fhould have had no need to wonder at the whore now, becaufe they fee her to flourish with this kinde of felicity,fuch as it is. But oar,nercifull Father,who pardonethall the faults of his children for Chrifrs fake, loth for- give this carelefneffe of theirs alfo.And thereforehe fends his Angel, who may make the whole matter moft plaine tinto them; For this is that effec`I of the words following, I Will tell thee the rny/tery,&c. Whereby yet he intimateth, and that not obfcurely, that the inter- pretation alto it felfe should not be clearely known of all men, but that it should remaine hidden Bill from men of feared confciences, as we law above at the ;. and 5. verles. Vert 8. The Beall r'.bichthou faWeft. The firft interpretation is ofthe Keaft, and that firft in regardof his Whole Perfon, as we have diffinguifhed it in the Analyfis, whereby his diverte eftáte is de- clared according to the foure changes ofthe times,fuch as he fhould benow atlaft known tobe molt plainly under this Vial.'l he firft time is that Wherein he *a ,the fecondWherein he Was not,the thirdWhere- in he arofe oat ofthe bottornleffepit, the fourth Wherein he flail eoe at la(t intornperdition. As touching the firft, it is not to be underftood of any time which were before Johns age, or before this Prophecy was revealed unto him. For the Anise/ doth flatly affirme, that this Beat was not come yet,verf.io:Tl at is,that he was not extantas yet, when John received this Prophecie, but that he fhould receive power at the fame houre with the tenKings, who were not come to their Kingdom as yet in Johns
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