640 chap. 4o. an Expofition upon the Book, of o B. Verf. 19. were both of them his creatures or of his making, as the Text fpeaks of Behemoth. God can make his ?word approach beaus in the likenefs of men, as well as bea'Rs in their own likenefs. And hence is is, that the HolyGhoii expreffeth all More powers of the world, which thould atfli&-the Church in feveral ales, by the name of beaks,all of Gods making. Daniel in his 7thChar- ter had a vifionof four great beafis that came upfrom the lea; whereof the fir+, was like a Lion ; the fecund, like a Bear ; another, like aLeopard ; and a fourth, dreadful, and terrible,and lîrong ; foexceedingly dreadful, terrible and Prong, that (as if no beati could be found like it) it is not expreffcdby the likenefs of any beati. But what were there beads ? 'cis anfwered (ver. 1 7.) Thefe great beat?: which are four, are four great Dings, which fhall arijeout of the earth, that is, four fucceflìons of Kings. The Babilonian, the Perfian, the Grecian, the Romanpowers were thofe great beaus. Now the Lord who made them, made his fword approach unto every one of them, as the hi+ories, both of the Church and of the world, hold clearly our. The Lord who made that great Behemoth the Babilonianpower, and that great Behemoth the Per/ian power, that great Behemoth the Grecian power, as alto that great Behemoth the Romanpower, bath made his fword, in feveral ages, and by feveral Reps or degrees, ap- proach unto them. So in the Revelationof Saint John, the great beans there mentioned, what were they, but the powers of the earth fet againti the true Church of God ? We read (Revel. 12. 3. ) of a great red dragon ; this red dragonwas the hea- thenifh Romane power perfecuting the Church. Again (Revel. 1 3. X. )John floodupon the fand of the fea, and few a 6eaff rife sip out of the fea, having feven heads and ten horns. What was this beati ? Mailer Mead faith, that by this bean , and his fevers heads, andken horns, we are to underftand the Pope, with the companies or affociations of all chofe Princes that put themfelves under his power ; all there were figured ( faith he ) by that beta rifing upout of the fea. At the rich verfe of the fame Chap,. ter, Saint fobn faith, I beheldanother 644 coming out of theearth, and hehad two bairns likea lamb, and he fpake like a dragon. Apo- calyptical Interpreters have various opynions about this fccond bee+, but whoever,or whatever this or the former beaft is( to be flare they arc fame body ) the fpirit of God reprefents them as terrible
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=