of the R E V E LAT I 0 N. Ages ftill was; therefore, not to the Weft-Indians, nor Tartariaf!J, nor Chinefes, ~-, nor E.tft-Indi.ws, &c. where the Church bath not been (or not to any confidehap. , .. rabic purpofe) not any of thcfe Kingdoms doth this Prophecy concern. This ~"-.; Jikewifc agrees with God's man~cr in the Prophets, who propheficd, of fuch Kingdoms only, as had to deal wtt,h hts Church, thereby to !hew Clmfls Power in ruling Kingdoms for hts Churchs good. . o. This Book being written for the comfort of h1s Church, and all the Judg– ments therein mentioned, coming our of the Throne of the Temple, which is the Church, and likcwife upon the Prayers of the Church ; it contains there– fore the Fates of fuch Kingdoms as the Church !hould have to do withal. Now if fo; then, The third Step, or Propofition, is this, That the Roman Monarchy, or Em– pire, with the Territories both in the Eal1: and We11: Se.1, which were under its Jurifditl:ion (which Empire when ']oh" wrote, was in its height and flourifh; and with which the Church had moft to do, and in the Juriloitl:ion of which the Church had alwavs been chieAy,and in a manncr,only feared) mul1: needs be (in the feveral Revolutions and Changes of it) the main Subjetl: of this Book of the Revef,ttiom, together with the State of the Church under it. Now this Empire, a,nd the Dominions of it, was extended well-nigh as f:1r for Circuit, as the Dominions under the Turk in the Ea11:, and the ten European Kingdoms in the Wc11:. All which, in ]olm's Time, were wholly and folcly under the Empe– ror of Rome. And in this Empire, and throughout all the Territories of it, did God place his Church and Gofpel; and throughout all whidr the Chrifl:ian l>rofeffion cloth remain unto this Day, (even in the Eal1: as well as in the \Vdr, though darkly and corruptly) and in a manner here only. This Empire there– fore, with its Dominions, is in the New Tejl:ament called the Wo,·ld, even all the World, for the greatnefs of it, and becaufe indeed, this was the World which God had !et up to aB: his great Works upon. Thus, Lt•k.2.r,2. the whole World is fitid to have been taxed by Augrtftw: and AC1s r r. 28. there is foretold a Fa– miue that fhonld rage throughout a/J the World, in the Time of Cl.mdi!fl Cd!_fdr. And this World was the Liue, (as the Apol1:le's phrafe is) beyond whole reach the Apoflles preaching never fhetch'd to any conliderable purpofe. This was their chief Auditory, as appears by Mat. 24. 14. where before the Dellrutl:ion of Hierufolem, foretold vcrf. 1 5, r6. (as a Sign forerunning it) it is laid, t GoJPel foou/tl be prearhed to a/J the World; that is, over all the Dominions of the Roman Empire, (as it was, by the Apol1:les, before the ruining of it). Now that this Empire, and the Territories under it, (together with the Church in it) :fhould be the main Snbjetl: of this Book, there are thcfc Reafons for it; r. Becaufe (as bath been C1id) it is the chief (and 'in a manner only) feat of the Church ; which was, and !\ill is extended fo far, and no further. And by the Power of this Empire, and th~ fevera\ Succcffions of it, bath the Church been mainly opprelfed in a/J A,~es. I! therefore this Book-Prophecy be of the Church, thenfurdy, of the Church under this Empire; and if of the Ju~sments upon any Kingdoms for their Oppreffion of the Church, then furciy upon this, for the Church's f.1ke. And if the Judgments which are in this Booi<, fet out under Seals, and Trumpets, and Vtals, do come for the Church', fake and be made to filllnpon her chief Enemies; then they mul1: eminently Jigh~ . upon this Grand Enemy, (for fuch it bath been) and fo, this Prophecy mu!t note out the Judgments and Wars that ruined the Empire for its pcrll·cuting the Saints; who, cbap. 6. 10. do cry out for Vengeance; and the Trumpets are the hearing of their Prayers, chap. 8. 3· 2dlj', The Roman Empire ( and the Succ<ffions ofit Ealt and Wcfl:) was thot Fourth and Great Monarchy that fhould opprcfS the Earth, now only left, when Chril1: Afcended. Now in the Prophecies of the0/tl Teflament, theit· main Subjetl:, was the Great Monarchy then in being, or prcfcntly to come. So in D,miel, two or three Chapters arc chi<fly taken up with the Succeffions of the Greciln Monarchy, and then of the Roman. And Daniel foretold. that this Roman
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