4 rÒela'ti wofthe Apocalypse. C A ,ß.2Z. cord thereby,. as lice was bidden prefently after the beginning; tÌat Which thouftr.fr Write it in a boo,andfend to the [even Churcher,Ch, Í , t r and again,wtioeWhat this thouhaftfeen, andWhich are, andWhich ctrë tö be;that is,do not conceal them from others,but make them openlyknown to the people.lslow if the publike Petting forth of thole things in writing be that which is hereby only meant, how is it that Daniel was cömanded tolut up his l'ords,en4to real theBookk,who yet did commit his ProphWetren ic to writing as well as Iohn. This prohibition therfcre ofnot fealin , deth fome further matter then that, namely, that matters to come (hould be fo defcribed,rhat men mightbe lead by the prefent, and inftant events as it were by the hand,to the plainunderftanding ofthe Prophecie,which fell out otherwife withDaniel, who (herald nor be plain and evident to every age,as who lightly touching fuch matters as comebetween,is chiefly taken up in laying forth fuch things as were to come to pafíe lati óf all, and therefore the determined time fhould be expected; before which itwas not able tobeexplained. And this that I fay ofDaniel, is to be un_ deraoodpartly touching thofe harder vifions,partly touching the people of rile jewves,wi m that-Prophe.cie doch chiefly refpect The words that follow,do confirm this interpretation, for the time is nber, as ifit had becii laid ; Seal notthe Prophecie, for the time that approachrth Jhall reveal it : but`Daniels was fealed, becaufe the fulfilling of it being long after to come,caufed it to lie in obfcurity a long time. Thefe words then have the fame force, which thofe former had, Behald, I come quick '. , ''erf. II. He that is unju(t; let hirebe unjvftfrill Ínthcfewords John preventeth and rernoveth a fecret fcruple, wherewith the mindes of weak Chriftians might be fhaken, and made more feeble. For they fee wicked men to perfevere in their wirkedneffe, and that Godsvengeance lingreth long for many 'ages: They might therefore make this doubtful! dueftion, how he can be laid to -reme quickly, who tolerateth wicked men for fo long a time. Here then free meeteth with this objeé ion and giveth a caveat, that none ofthe faithful! fhould be troubled at this, but underhand rather, that wicked men (hall perfff in their un- zodlyprat4ices, and that rightëons perfons {hall fall and hick hard to theix rightcotc4"and holycotitfès, but yet there are limits and bounds fer, beyond which, the wicked (hail not be able to range, and that it is not tobe marvelled,ifGod give way to a certain increafe ofwickedneffe, for a determinate time,to the more juft and fearfull condemnation of the wicked withal( he adnaonifheth the faithful], to let thefe men alone, in their own'defperatecourfes, and not to be offended at them, but rather to call their eyes upon the Elea, whofe confiant love, arid purfuit of ,godlineffe, ought to ftrengthen their weak and wavering mindes agai:nit the
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