~nExPosiTioN ~ mities were exprefied by this, (H•J.to. 8.) They foal/ foy to the MoHI1tains, Cover PAR T I. "'; and to the Rock.!, Fall upon m. So that Chri!l:, the giver of this Vifion, and ~ opener of this Seal, bath but borrowed the Similitudes and Expr~ffions ufed by roe Prophets in feveral places, to fet forth the hke Change, Calamtty, and Con– fu!ion, that befel the Heathenilli State of the Roman Empire. But then, 2dly, Becaufe thefe places of the Prophets alluded unto, do fpeak of the overthrow of Kingdoms by Wars; therefore Mr. Forbes would have this Seal to be that utter overturning of the We!l:ern Empire of Rome, by the Goths and Va11dals, which began four hundred Years after Chri!l:; and fa, to riote out the R.uin of the Empire it felf, and not <if Heathenifm in it. And but for theft: Reafons following, I lliould have thought fa alfo : As, 1. That the fir!l: Seal beginning but with the Conque!l: of Heathenifm in the Empire, (for Chri!l: in the preaching the Gofpcl, did at fir!l: feek outwardly to overcome or plague nothing elfe) here in this Seal mull: be the accomplirhment of that Victory or full Conque!l: gotten, defcribed and fet forth ; and fa, the f.1me thing made the Subject of the campleat Conque!l: defcribed here, that is, made the Subject of the fir!l: Onfet, in the fir!l: Seal, vcrf. 2, and 3· and that was, the Heathenifh Religion in the Empire, and the Upholders of it. And fo Chri!l:'s firfl !l:ep, or degree of Conquefl in order to his Kingdom, is compleatly in this Chapter prefented: with his fir!l: full Victory over the fir!l: Enemy, whom he encountred in the World, even Satan, and his falfe Worlliip; to lliew, that what Chri!l: begun with, he makes an end a£ And fa this Book !l:ill !hews how he makes a clear and full difpatch of fuch Enemies fir!l:, as fir!l: he encounters. He encountred Heathenifm fir!l: by the Gofpel, then by Plagues: but now as one grown angry, he compleats the Victory by Power and Might, and by a violent concufiton and !baking of that State. And having difpatch'd this Ene– my, and fo made clear work as be goes, (as wife Conquerors ufe to do) then he falls upon the Empire it felf, in the Trumpets. And that is the reafon why this la!l: Act of this Tragedy is reprefented under fuch Metaphors as the Great Day of Judgment is fet out by: even for this, that it imports a full and a corn– pleat Victory, and a final overthrow of that which he had encountred. That as the Day of Judgment is a final Conque!l: of all Enemies by the Lion of]~<dah ; fo is this a like final Conqueft by the Lamb, of this fir!l: Enemy whom he did fet himfelf to conquer,even Satan and his falfe Worfhip fet up by that Roman Monarchy. 2dly, The Trumpets that come afrer, are referved for the Ruin of the Em– pire, as a diflinct thing from Heathenifm in it : and the Vials for the overthrow of Popery, and the Faction of Mahomet, And,3dly, Thus the parts of this Prophecy are found to run on fimilarly; and things alike are put together in di!l:inct Vifions. Here are three forts of Ene– mies, and fa of Plagues to ruin them in this Prophecy. 1. The fix Seals; which are the b~ginnings of Sorrows to the World ; and they fall upon Satan's falfe Worfhip, which !l:ood in Chri!l:'s way. o. The fix Trumpets; which fell upon the Empire it felf, for having perfecu– ted and profecntetl the Church. 3· The Vials; which fall on the Pope, and his Idolatry, and on the Mahu– metan Faction, the Turks, his la!l: Enemies; Thefe therefore are called the Jail: Plagues, chap. 16. And for a fourth Reafon, obrerve, That the 12th Chapter, (which begins and contains the Story of the Church in the fir!l: Primitive Times, as this doth of the Heathenilli Empire) doth wonderfully agree with this Chapter here, containing the hke fpace of T1me, and defcnbmg the fame Conque!l: and Victory over Sa– tan (the Dragon) in the Roman Empire (in Heaven) ; only with this diffe– rence, that her~ the Calamlttes.and Confufion that befel the Kings or Emperors, 3nd the Clueftams of Heathemlli Worfhippers, that did fee~ to uphold that R.eligion _
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