c BAP. IV; Of the Six firft Seals i1i Chapter the fixtiJ. H. Aving thus given a Scheme and Diviuc;in of the whole Prophecy, ariil a general Ai'gumerit bf the Story ofit, briefly fet togethe~ in one view, I will now run over each Chaf'ter apart; yet I fhalllargely in– fi(( only on the lixth Chapter, as bemg taken off by other Occali– ons fi·om commenting (o copiouOy, with Obfervations, upon the reil:, which l lha!l pafs over with a more Oight glance of Interpretation, (as haflening to the fecond Part, Which I more efpecially aim at~; Which although it arife not to~ full and copious Commentary, fhall, notwithll:anding, ferve .to hold forth that to be the true Portraifrofthe Holy Gholl:'sMind in this Story, which in the General Argument foregoing I have given it out to be. The Seal-Prophecy concerns the State of the Eniplte from John:sTime down– ward. Which State (as all Story will reprefent unto you) is to be confidercd, Either, 1. Whil(l Heathenifh, when falfe Gods were worfhipped,as 7npiter, }rLzrs, &c; and the Profdlors of Cbriflian Religion were perfecuted and maO:acred ; du– ting all which time, the Empire flood \ilhol~, undivided, and emire, qnder the Government of one Emperor, under whom both Eall: and Well: were fubjetled; and this for the fpace of three hundred Ycars after Chrill:. . Or e!Ce, 2. when turned Chriftlan; as by Con.ftantine it was; from whofe time the whole Empire fi\Ore generally was fubjefred to the outward Profeffion of Chrift; but withal, it began to be divided and broken into two Parts: Which Rent was afterwards ell:ablifhed by Theodoji111, the Eaftern part of E~ttope (whereof Confl•ntine m~de ByZAnliuf11, frqm hitn called Con.ft•ntinople, the Seat) being allotted to one Emperor, ~which Eafiern Part the Turk now pof– felfeth); and the Wefiern Part (which had Rome forth~ Seat of it J imtd ana: ther, (which Wdlern Part the Pope for many hundred Years bath entirely had under him); fo that the one was called the F;ajlern, and the other the Wejlern– Empire. And according to this Divilion, the Se./-PropherJ divides it felf intd two parts. 1 rjl, The foft Jix Seals, Chap. 6._ , . • , 1 •. : . • 2dly, The jirjl {ix Trumpets, wh1ch the feventh Seal brmgs forth in the 8th and 9th Chapters ; from the IVoe of which Trumpets; the Servants of God are ft.!led, Chap. 7' Here, in the ftxth Chapier,the firft Prophecy begins, and that with die Primi– tive Times : Of which thefe two Things are Evidences ; I. That in the fir~ Seai is the going forth; (the preaching df the Gofpel) conquering, and to conquer, (for as then, and in that manner.it h~d be~un ). This was the Foundation of all God's after· proceedings, the fir([ Corncr:srone of Chrill's,obtaining and fetting up his Kingdom. 2. That ihe fifth Seal mentions tiie Martyrdom of Saints, dying out for Ven– geance : which being the fidl mention of any fuch Martyrdom in this Book, mufi needs refer to thofe famous firf'c Perfecutions under Heathenifh Rome, which Wls followed by the Arrian a little after; ~s v<~f. I i. Tliefe fix Sds are fcvedl fieps and degree>, fetting fottq the moving Caufes and Means of God's plaguing and ruining the Empire.of Rome as Heathepifh. Chrill:
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