of the R EVELAT I 0 N. ~. It is called another Sign; for that Sign, chap.12. was the Sign ol'the Devil's ~ being thrown down in Hea~henifm ; but this, ?f t?e Devil's throwing down ~ out of Popery, and Chnfis commg to let up hts Kmgdom.. So that we of this Age do indeed fiand in the midfi of the Times of thefe Vtals, and fo may fee bow much of Chrifi's Train is gone before, and what is to come hereafter, himfdf being to come in the Rear of all. The third Thing to be premifed and obCerved, is, That they are called the /aft 'Plagues. ' Chrifi had three forts of Enemies to fubdue, by three feveral forts of Plagues. 1. Satan and his Falfe Worfhip, together with the Heathenifh Empire, which he difpatcb'd by the fix Seals, chap. 6. 2. The Roman Empire, which he ruined by the fix Trumpets. 3· The Pope in the Weft, and the Turk in the Eafi, who fucceeded in the place of rhe fl.oman bath Eafl:ern and Wefiern Empire; and for thefe he bath prepared feven Vials. And becaufe thefe are the /aft Enemies, therefore thefe Vials are called the lfljl ['lagues. Thus much in general; now more particularly to defcend to the feveral Contents of this Chapter. . There are two Things which are more eminently prefented to our view in this I sth Chapter. Firft, The Church, or Company of Believers ftanding in the Temple, defcri– bed from verf 2, to 5· and verf 8. Secondly, The Angels, who are Executioners of the Vials out of that Tem– ple, defcribed from verf 6, to 8. Firft, For the Company from among whom the Angels come ! 1. They have a Temple over their Heads, as vcrf. 8. continually ftlled with Smok!, verC /aft ; as at the firfi dedication of Mofes his Tabernacle, Exod. 40. 34, 35· and at the dedication of Solomon's Temple, (which was a larger Edition of that which Mofes had given the Pattern of) I Kings 8. 16. To fhew, that during the Vials, there fhould be new Erections, and Editions, and Reforma– tions of the Temple ; unto all which God fiill gives the tefiimony of his Pre– fence. As, I. when that firfi Separation from Popery was made, and Tr!le Churches were fet up by the Waldenfes, and Smoke filled their Temples. 2. In the Reformation made by L11ther and Calvin, there was a farther Edi– tion of the Temple, and Smoke did afrefh fill it alfo. 3· In the 1 Ith Chapter, verf. 1. you will meet with another Reformation, and carting away the Outward Court ; and Smoke will afrefh fill thofe New– meafured Temples alfo: God ftill giving new Tefiimonies of his Prefence, as new Editions of purer Churches do come forth. 2. Their Station in this Temple is upon a Sea of Glaf; which (as you heard out of the 4th Chapter) was an allufion to that Brafen Sea, in which the Priefls warhed themfdves. To !hew, that this Company of Believers, from out of which the Vials do come, fhould be fuch as fhould !l:ill more and more purify themfelves afrefh in their feveral Ages, from thofe Defilements of Doctrine and Woriltip which Antichrifi had brought into the Church. And they, in their fe– veral Succcffions, difcovering new and further Defilements, are therefore fiill prefented as coming forth frefh and anew out of the Sea of Glafs ; and accord– Ingly are prefented ftanding upon the Brim, as being new come out from wa!hing themfdves, and fo growing purer and purer, until they become a Bride fully prepared for their Lord and King. 3· They are alfo prefented as Victors and Conquerors ; for fuch, ihrough pouring forth thefe Vials, they do become; and in the end fhal! fully prevail over the Beafl, and over his Image, and over his Mark, and over the Number N of
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