of the R EV E LA T I 0 N. his beginning to his end. And to know when, ond iri wh>t Age he began, the ~ Holy Ghoft bath given us a Hint and Choraller, Cb<~p. '7· telling us that he~ rifeth 0 ,e bo11r 1vitb tbe ten /(ingi; whrch was not long after the Year of Chrift 4oo. So that 300 Years ore all, that before that, even from ]ohn's Time, d~ belong to the Primitive Times, before t!le Pope's R.ergn. And then after the end of this Pope's or Bcaft's Tim·e, there ts but the Turks Rum to come, (which is the fccond Vlo mentioned here, verf. 1 4-) and t!,e'l comes m the New ]emfalall. And if we who !ive in thefc laft Days, could but know when he either begins his Time, or ends it, we might eafily tell (at leoft with a conjeCtural ]mowledge) how long it will be from the Incarnauon of Clmfi unto his Kingdom here on Earth, which is the Fifth Momrchy. 2. I might alfo, at large !hew, how this Computation coming in here in this Chapter, !hews the true fynchroniilng and contcmporaneoufnefs of things; both in the Seal and Book-Prophecy; which was nece{]ary fomewhere to be done; and is here in this Chapter moft fitly done, between both thefe Prophecies. For the fixth Trumpet of the Seal-Prophecy is verf 14- made to end upon (or not long after) the ending of the Pope's R.eign, whofe Story belongs to the Book– Prophecy. For, fays the Angel there, (after the R.iltng of the Witneffes) The fecond Wo i.r pdji, •nd beholii the third IVo cometh q~tirk,Jy. Now that feconC! Wo is the fixth-Trumpet of the Seal-Prophecy, (fo chdp.8. 13.) and the paffing of it away, is the !ixth Vial in the Book-Prophecy, the effect of which is the Ruin of the Turk, or at leaO: a preparation thereunto, by the calling of the Jewi. And then the feventh Trumpet begins with the feventh Vial. And fo (as it is probably-rl10ught) thefe 1260 Years of the BeaO:, and the riling of the Wimeffes, do end with the fifth Vial ; after which the ltxth Vial !hall ~~~ . And it is probable, that the Angel's Divi!ion of things into this double Series, of fix Seals and Six Trumpets, is fuit<.d to his divilion of all Times. Which, from Jolm's Time to the Kingdom of ChriO:, be branches; either into the Time of the BeaO:·s R.eign, which he defines to be 12 6o Years, orthe Time be– fore his R.ifing, which he defines not. For the beginning and ending of the Beaft's Time bti~g once known, thereby the other Times foregoing (or the Primitive Times) mig.bt eafily be computed. So as when we know (through the help of this Angd's Speech in this Chapter) that the Book-Prophecy and the Seal-Prophecy do meet towards their ending and clofure downwards; then, how they run along upwards, is not uneafy to conjeCture. For the Seal-Pro– phecy being branched into two fo equal Divilions, of fix Seals, chap. 6. and then fix Trumpets, cb,,p. 7, 8, 9· the fix Seals, containing the Story of the Em– pire till the Beaft's riltng, and fo taking up all that trail of the Primitive Times before the Beafts I 260 Years do begin; it is therefore likely, that the fix Trumpets do contain the Story of the Empire during thofe 1260 Years, in which the Pope is to R.eign. And then, as they end not far off from each other (as was even now \hewed): So alfo the Times of thefe ilx Trumpets, and the Beaft's R.eign of 1260 Years, fhould begin not fitr off of each other. Thus the mention of this one Term or Period of Time here, ferves (as you fee) for the meafure of the Computation of the whole Times of this Book, and both Prophecies of it ; and fo comes fitly in between both for fuch a pnrpofe. And laftly, the Reafons why the Holy Ghoft fingleth out only the Times of this \aft Head, the Pope, thus to be the R.ule and Meafure whereby to fum and caft up the Account of all the Times of this Book, are, 1. For that the Beaft's Reign was to have the longeft Time allotted it of any Monarchy after Chrift, and the longeft of all the Heads of the R.oman Monar– chy foregoing him ; yea, it was to contain as much Time, as had paffed from Rome's firft Building, until his Rifiog; and fo, would afford a Computation of the greatef\ part of that Time, and indeed three parts of the whole Time from ]ohn until the Kingdom of Chrift. ' 2. The Matters of this Book being not fo fully to be opened, till about the Time of de end, (as it is in Dan. 1?.. 4·); if the Times of the BeaO: ( whofe R.cign was tO cominue till towards the end ) fhould then come to be known l Q2 then
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