of the R E VELAT I 0 N. (as this Chapter !hews) which was more firmly rooted Sbeing of 4o6o Years "-A..r1 continuance) than ever Popery was, IS a Seal to us that Popery fhall be ruined. ~ Yon lee many things paft, and fulfilled ; The 'Beajl of Rome (the 'Pope then, when John wrote this, not Rifen) is now up in your Days; which may cor.· ·firm yoyr Faith,!hat he fhall as certainly be ruined: For the C1me Prophecy fore– tells his Fall, ch"P· 18. as his Rife, clup. 13. and that after this there is a glorious Kingdom to com'e, of which all the[e are Seeds. You find (in the 11th Chap1er) before the End, the Temple mealured anew, and the outward Court of Carnal Worfhippers and Worfhtp caftout; and you fee tt now m your days fulfilled; yea, your [elves fulfil it: You may therefore as certainlv expect that which follows in the tame Chapter, and prepare for it. Thus Zechflry begins his Prophecy, [o to a!Ture them of the truth of it; Bid you ever know Prophecy fail ! My words, (fays he, Zerh. I. 6.) did they 1101 tflk.p hold of (or arreft) your Fathers? by the Judgments threatned, and /ik.p as the Lord thought to do unto ur, -fo hath he d<flit with 11s ; therefore believe the reft. Now the four firfl: Seals arc reprclcnted unto us, under the Virion of four Horfls, in allufion to the Vifions in Zechar;•, Chap. 1. and Chap. 6. Chrifl: in the firil Chapter of that Book, verf 8. is prclented ridin·g on a Red Horle; and behind him fl:ood other Horfes, Red, Speckled, and White : And verf 10. they are interpreted to be Angels, who n>a/1{ to and ji"o thro11gb the Eartb; ,1nd, cbap. 6. 5. to be j011r Winds, or Spirits, th,lf go forth ji"om _(landing before the L ord of tha Eflrth. So the good Angels, Heb. I. 14are called minijlring Spirits Jent forth, &c. Thus Pftl. 104. 3, 4· compared with Heb. I. 7, r4· Eze4. 1. where they arc called Winds, as in thatofZerh. 6. 5· So tn ltke manner are the Evil Angels lent forth to do milchief, as 1 Kings 22. 21. and Job 1. 7· The Angels are the Executioner's of all God's great Defigns; and therefore wharfoever is done in this Book by Men, is fl:ill laid to be done by Angels. So chap. 8. 2, Se– ven [ Angeh J with feven Trumpets, CN. Here the Virion is of Horfes going forth in like manner with Commiffion from God. And this allurion to thofe Horles, who there were Angels, 01cws either, that thele Executions, under thele Seals, (by whomloever vifibly execu– ted) were yet performed under the Conduct of Chrifl: the firfl: Horle, (prefen– ted here, as allo in that of Zech. t. as an Angel) accompanied with other An– gels his l'ollowers, who are thole other Horles; or elfe however, to lliew, that as thole Angels upon Horfi.s in Zeclw')' went their circuit over the Earth, fo that here were Commiffions fealed to thele Executioners, to traverle and compals the Earth, as Angels ule to do. God begins here to war with the World, and fends out four Horle-men to give the firfl: On-fet. That this Virion is prelcnted under Horles, is but for variety r:1ke. The Revelation takes all the eminent VifionsoftheOid Teftament,and makes ulc ofthem. The Elegancies ofall the Types in the Prophets,(erve but to let forth and adorn the Vifions of this Book: as if you fhould make up one bea aiful Picture out of all Beauties, by taking what-ever is elegant and excellent ,, any one. The Virion of the Throne, ci"'P· 4· is borrowed from IJ"iah, ond EzeJI,!el; That of rhe Book fealed, from Daniel ; this of Horles here, from Zechary ; and lo that of the Olive Trees, and Candle-flicks, chap. I 1. from Zech. 4, &c. Oblerve from hence ; I. The Perfection of this Book : It is a Pofy of all Flowers, a Virion compo- Obferv. 1. fed out of all Vifions; as Solomon's Song was a Song of Songs. All the Types in Mofe/s Law, and all the Stories and Virions of the·Prophets, are borrowed to adorn if. II. Obferve, That the Occurrences under the New Tefl:ame>Jt, and the Story Obferv. 2. of the Church under it, have all the Perfetlions of all kinds that were under rhe Old. For in theNew Tel!ament the Old is more eminently aCl:ed over, in all Paffages of Provtdencc. Was there a Temple ? Mere is one more glorious ; this fecond exceeds the firfl:. Was there an Egypt, a Sodom, a Baby/on? Here al(o is one far worfe than all thofe were. So Rome is called in this Book, eh. 1 r. and
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=