I ! ~ PART I. ~ Chap. 4· Chap. 5· Chap. 6. Chap. 12. vfn ExPOSITION Now briefly then to fum up all this Book ; It is a Trage-comical Vifion of the Occurrences of the World, and of the Church in the World, through all Times and Ages: whereof thts may truly be the Title, [The Story ofChrijl's Kingdom, and the Removal of the feveral Diffi– culties of hi< coming to it]. The Stage for this is let up in chap. 4· whe.re there is a rcprefenration of the Univcrfal Church in all Ages, let forth according to the exact Pattern of a Church Vifible and ln{tituted ; into which all Saints on Earth fhould be caft. Then enters the Prologue, chap. 5· in which is fer forth Chrift's taking upon him the Kingdom and Government, by takjng the Sealed Boo/z; as thereby !hew– ing, he undertaketh to be God's Commiflioner, to execute the Decrees con– tained in this Book, and to gtve the Vtfion of tt unto ']oh11. At whtcb Enftal– ment of him into his Kingdom, there is a Song of Praife lung to the Lamb, by the four and twenty Elders, and four Beafts, (who are the CharM in this Show) with a triumphing A!furance, and Expectation of what will be the happy Con– clufion of all, even, 011r reigning on Earth with him, fay they there. Now the Scene or Puce where all was to be acted, which thefc ViGons here hold forth, is the Roman Empire, and the feveral Dominions of it in the Eaft and Weft, called, oi<•,w/VH, the whole Wol'id. Then begins the Story it felf at Chap. 6. The General Argument of which is, That whereas Chrift's Government was to be executed a1.J ften ; Firft, Io put– ting down all oppofite R.ule and Power that liand in hi> W•r, as St. Paul fpeaks I Cor. I). 24, 2 5· Then conteth the E11d, when he JhaU he"c c!cliv<·•·ed 11p the King– dom to God even the Father, when he Jba/1 have put donm ,,1/ R11le, and all AiJthori– ty, and Power. F<r be nu;JI: reign, tt!l he hath put all EnemiCI under his Feet. And, fecondly, in a vifible taking the Kingdom tO hirnfelfand his Saints (which makes the Fifth Monarchy) Accordingly here the Story of this Book, 1. Shews how Chri!t cloth put down all the 'oppofitc R.ule, and Power, and Dominion, whatfoever, in the fourth and bit foregoing Monarchy of the · Ro– mdlu, in the feveral Succeflions and Revolutions of it, one after another, till that he bath worn them all out that were ordained to fland up in it. And thefe many Difficulties of his coming to, and obtaining his Kingdom, do exceedingly ferve to make the Story of it appear the more glorious. Then, 2. it dofcth and endeth in a glorious vifible Kingdom which Chrift [ets up on Earth, and peaceably po£ldTeth together with his Saints, as the Cata– firophe of all. More porticularly the Story is this, according to the feveral Contents of each Chapter. Chrifl when he afcended up to Heaven, found the R.oman Monarchy (whole room he was tO po!fefs) ftretched both over Eaft and Welt, even over all thofe parts of the World, where he was to feat his Church and Kingdom; and all this wholly in the Hands, and under the Dominion and Power of one Monarch or Emperor; under whofe Government all that were fubjected, were altogether Heathcnif\:1, and Idolatrous, and wholly brought under the power ofSatan, who was let up therein, as the God of this World. Hereupon, Chrift the defigncd King firfl: fets upon the Conqueft of Satan's Dominion and Worjbip in it; and by the preaching of the Gofpel, overturns that vaft Empire as Heathenijh, throws down Satan from his Throne, and height of Glory in it, and brings it into fubjea:ion and acknowledgment of himfdf as King; and turns both it and its Emperors to Chrijlianity, within the fpace of three hundred Years. This is the fum and mind of the fixth Chapter of the Seal-Prophecy, and likewife of the 12thChapter of the Book-Prophecy. But this Empire, though wholly turned Chrif\ian in outward Profeflion, yet having perfecuted his Church whilfl!dolatrous, and alfo after it was Chriflian, (when
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=