I HAVE presented many Things to publick Considerati­on concerning the near Approaching Kingdom of Christ; I shall at this Time under the Conduct of the Spirit of Pro­phesie offer the Prophetical History of the Reformation in that Divine Vision, or Table of it, which we have Revel. 10. Because there is nothing that may probably more move, or more as­sure us concerning that Kingdom, than a deep Inspection into this Pourtraicture given by Inspiration of the State of Prote­stancy, or the Reformation; (If it shall be found to be so;) or that may more enable us to make the truest Judgment, and to fix the most just Character, far beyond Humane Story, or the most Authentick Records of matters of Fact upon that Reformation, wherein we All profess our selves so highly concern'd, and so affectionately engag'd, as to defend it with the hazard of what­ever is most dear to us in this World.

When therefore by the close and near Reviews of this Visi­on, we shall find the just Reasons we have to set such an estimate upon the Reformation, as an Appearance of the Kingdom of Christ; and yet shall by research into this very same Vision find, how far short it is from the near approaching succession of that King­dom in the days of the seventh Trumpet, wherein the Mystery of God shall be finish'd, much more of the very Glory of the King­dom it self; and that a Time is fixt in this Vision, How long this low state shall continue, and upon what accounts the state is so low, and when Things shall move by a much higher Key, I hope by the Blessing of him, who is on the Throne, and of the Lamb, and by the mighty Influences of the seven Spirits before the Throne, we may have a much clearer Apprehension of, and more holy passionate Affections for, and desires after the Kingdom of Christ to appear, and so nigh its Appearing.

For the due management therefore of so great a Discourse, I lay down this Method.

1. As the foundation of the whole, I will endeavour to make good, that this Tenth Chapter of the Revelation is the Visi­onary Table of the Reformation, in this Great prophesie concerning the Church of Christ under the New Testament.

2. I will consider the Types; or Figures of the Vision, and shew, that They are such Types, as we know in matter of Fact to be most agreeable, at least upon due Reflection, to the Reformation.

3. I will endeavour to Evince; The Time of this Vision does most exactly agree with the Time, wherein the Reforma­tion or Protestancy; (on which word I lay some weight, as most proper to prophesie;) according to prophesie must begin; and when the present state of it shall end; and this I shall treat of, as a further demonstration this Vision must be the Vision of the Re­formation.

4 I will then consider according to the Types, and according to matter of fact, the true Elevation of the Reformation; and wherein It is a Symbol of the Kingdom of Christ making an appear­ance, and giving a pledge of it self; and wherein, and on what Accounts, It bears the Types of the Kingdom of Christ Estop'd, or retir'd from that appearance, and shall do so, till there be a Reformation of the Reformation, and Protestation at its full Di­mensions; that is, till the Witnesses shall give their Testimony; or make their Protestation on Mount Zion.

In the last place, I will subjoyn some things by way of Co­rollary, or Inference.

I begin with the first point to be secur'd, and made good, as the Foundation; viz. That this Tenth Chapter is the Visionary Table of the Reformation, which I shall undertake to settle upon these Arguments.

Argum. 1. The great design of the Apocalyptical prophesie, or which we style, The Revelation, is to represent the Fall of the Fourth or last of Daniels Monarchies in its two states; of the Legs of Iron; and in its state of the Feet and Toes of Iron, and of Clay; or in its state of the fourth Beast consider▪d, as in its single or simple Head; and in the Ten Hornes Rising on its Head, and a little Horn Rising among them; or if we take the thing out of the prophetical mystick Language, and give it in our vulgar way of speaking; The Apocalypse is the Revelation of the Fall of the last of the four Roman Monarchies in Daniel, in order to the Kingdom of Christ; first in its pagan Imperial state; and then in its Antichri­stian papal state, united with the Ten Kings, that gave their power and Kingdom to the Papacy, as the universal spiritual Head of the Church on Earth; which is universal monarchy, or Empire in an Image. And this last is the principal end of prophesie.

Now the truly universal Kingdom, being due to Jesus Christ at his Resurrection, Christ had his Churches, as witnesses against the Paganism of the Roman Empire in the first part of this prophesie; and against the Antichristianism in the latter part of it; and then the glorious Kingdom of Christ, as the last [...] and complement of prophesie, or It is Done; As [...], It is Finish'd, was the complement of prophesie so far as to his Death, until his Resur­rection; As therefore the one is set at the end of the Evangelists, So the other at the end of the Revelation, and indeed of all Scripture.

But between these Two; the Pagan Empire, and the Anti­christian Papacy; Thre is a Christian Empire, an Emblem of the last Glorious Kingdom of our God, wherein the Dragon was cast down, and the whole Beast of the Roman Idolatrous Monarchy lay wound­ed; In the pagan part, because that was vanquish'd entirely, and to rise no more; In the Antichristian part, because the Apostle Paul's [...], and [...] Detain [...]. was this Christian Empire, that 2 Thess. 2. prevented its coming on in the Man of sin; though but till its own Time; This Christian Empire was short; for even before It ended, It grew Antichristian, and though Antichristianism was [Page 4] to come on with a fuller Sail by its removal; yet in the deep Judgment of God, It was Done, as the Apostle speaks, out of the midst; both that that man of sin or Antichrist might be revealed in his own Time; as also because of the just Indignation, and abhorrence of our God; that the Emblem of his own Kingdom should be so debauch'd by that greatest opposite to his Kingdom; Antichristianism.

These Things I am bold to say, I have abundantly clear'd, and prov'd in other Discourses; and therefore I now presume upon them, and Any one will, I am assured acquiesce, whoever shall observe the Roman City so plainly character'd by the seven Mountains, on which It sitteth, and its having a King­dom over the Kings of the Earth at the Time, when the Revela­tion was given; and its Three Last Kings, (for Five had been be­fore) viz. The pagan Emperor, that then was, even at the same Time of the Prophesie given; The Christian Emperor, that was not then Come, but was to Come, and not very far off, but was no Head, and was to continue but a short space, and the Eighth King, and seventh Head. viz. the Papacy, call'd the Beast, who was to succeed the Christian Emperor; and first, as Rising out of the Troubled Sea of this worlds Changes; and then to Rise out of the bottomless Pit, as his Appearance in power; and He, and his City then to go into utter perdition; and after that the State of the New Jerusalem opens in the Kingdom of Christ. Whoever, I say, shall but with glancing Thoughts observe these Things, will find the very bounds of this Great Prophesie of the New Testament, the Revelation, to be fix'd in the King that then was, along by the short spac'd King, through the King, that hath conti­nued ever since, unto his going with the City into perdition, just before the Kingdom of Christ; except that final delivery up of the Thousand years Kingdom to God and the Father, the ultimate Issue of All Things, though indeed Transcendental to this Prophesie, chiefly Aiming at that Kingdom of the Thousand years.

To bring all this then home to the Argument, we are up­on; if the Roman Antichristian Kingdom be the principal scene of Prophesie, as It is to be destroy'd before the Kingdom of Christ, and that the Reformation was such a Thunder-clap on the Bea­stian Kingdom, and City, that they blaspheme and rage to this day against it; and on the other side, such an Appearance, open­ing, and presence of the Kingdom of Christ, as All the Reformed Churches valewing it above Estate, Life, Liberty, and ready [Page 5] to suffer greatest Extremities, rather then to loose it, acknow­ledge it to be; It cannot but have place in so great Prophesie so principally relating to both, the Kingdom of Christ, and to the Abolition of the Papacy in order to it.

And further seeing Christ had Witnesses bearing out even to Death their Testimony against that Beastian, and Antichristian Kingdom, whose prophetical History is so particularly, and ex­actly given, c. 11. If the Reformation brought some of those Witnesses out of that Death, and even as it may seem out of their very Sackcloth, Though some shall continue in both, till the end of the 1260 days. How can we possibly supppse, but that Prophesie hath given a Vision both of this Retrenchment of the Beastian Kingdom, and of such an Appearance of the Kingdom of Christ; and of such a motion of the Witnesses to a Resurrection, and Ascent as the Reformation carried with it; and is therefore so providentially according to Prophesie, call'd Protestation, or Pro­testancy from the publick, and open Avowment of the Testimony of the Witnesses against the Papacy; So that however the occasion was particular, and the Protestation particular among the Ger­man Princes at first, yet the Appellation hath spread, God so guiding Things, upon the whole Reformation, as it were a monument of Prophesie.

Now if when the Empire became Christian, and the Roman Beastianism, or Idolatrous Monarchy lay wounded upon it, even while Paganism was prostrate, and Antichristianism not yet rea­dy to Rise; Prophesie took such an Illustrious notice of it, as to give several Visions of it, as in the sixth Seal, in the seventh Seal, in the Grand Vision of the Dragon, and in the Vision of the seven Heads and Eight Kings, of which the seventh was the Christian Empe­ror. How can we think, there could be such an Infraction upon the Beastian Kingdom, during his Forty Two Months, where­in It was Given to Him to have power over all Kindreds, Tongues and Nations; That so many States, and Kingdoms, even amongst his Ten, should at the Reformation fall off from Him; while yet so many continued firm to Him, because His Forty two Months were not yet Expir'd; and that Prophesie should pass it over in silence, and give no satisfaction, This might be, and was in a peculiar Juncture of Time, wherein It might be Born, and Prophesie yet stand good, as to the Forty two Months, or Time, Times, and Half Time of the Beast?

I confess; The Empire becoming Christian was in many Regards a greater Event towards, and Emblem of the Kingdom of Christ, in that It was an End of Paganism in the Roman Empire, and a change more indisputable among all, that would be call'd Chri­stians, as a most lively Idea of Christs universal Monarchy. Yet there may be found some Things wherein the Reformation Excells. But However, when there are so many Visions of the one, we may be assur'd, there is one Representation, and that to the Life too, of the other; and that therefore It may be this Great Vision of this 10th Chap. if All Things agree.

Argum. 2. If then the Vision of the Reformation be to be found in this Prophecy, It is certainly to be found in its due Scitua­tion, place, and order with Relation to the other Visions of this Prophecy, and so as to be known to be in the proper place of it; This will be easily Allowed in Honour to so divine a Pro­phecy, which certainly were it Fully understood, as it will be in the State of the Kingdom of Christ, and more and more, the nearer we come to it, will appear a mirrour of Infinite understan­ding in the most exact mixture of Lights and Shades, Reveal­ing and yet concealing, that Things could receive, or the minds of Angels, and of Men be presented with, as we may easily apprehend, by what every Eye may with wonder and Astonishment behold in it. Among which are the highest points of Truth for the Glory of Immense wisdom, Justice and Mercy, and for the Happiness and Exaltation of Christ, and his Saints, and profoundest Judgment on his Enemies.

But the order of the Visions of this Prophecy is not so much in the Contexture of the parts, as they lye in Chapters, but in the Adjustment of each Vision from Chap. 5. to the end, to those great Aque-ducts or Conduits of Prophecy, the Seven Seals, the Seven Trumpets, and the Seven Thunders opened and unseal'd in Voices, and the Seven Vials. Each of which setts of Tubes, or Apocalyptical Pipes; and each single Tube or Pipe is to be joyn'd to the precedent Tube or Pipe, as at their full length, Reaching from one end of the Prophecy and of its Times to the other; So that from the first Seal to the last Vial pour'd out, the Prophecy extends till the Thousand years King­dom of Christ, as its utmost reach; the Kingdom deliver'd up to God, and the Fathers, at the white Throne being briefly sub­joyn'd; Except only, that the Seventh Trumpet is Concorpo­rated with the Thunders and Vials, so that the Seventh Trum­pet [Page 7] Issues wholly into them, and the Seven Thunders or Voices, and the Seven Vials are the Seventh Trumpet discharging it self; All which may be demonstratively made out either in a pro­gressive, or Retrograde motion, were it not too large for this purpose, and is in readiness to offer to any considerer, that shall desire it.

But though these prophetical Conveyances are the True Rule of the order of the Visions, yet very often the Contexture of the Prophecy, as it lies in Chapters, gives the true order also, which being Tryed by that sure Rule of those Conduitss of Prophecy, and found to be so, is to be own'd, and acknowledg'd as so, and here it is so. For the Vision of the Reformation stands in its just place, and Time, within the Sixth Trum­pet and in the Tenth Chapter. For this Tenth Chapter lies with­in the Sixth Trumpet or Second woe-Trumpet beginning to sound, c. 9. 1. 12. and being pass'd c. 11. 4.

Now this sixth Trumpet is the Judgment of the Turkish Ty­rany upon the whole Anthristian World, but especially, as it seiz'd upon the Graecian Empire, and its Imperial City, Constan­tinople, Call'd also New Rome; and the Empire, the Eastern Ro­man Empire, Become, when the whole Roman Empire grew Antichristian, by the division of it into East and West, as the other Iron Leg in Nebuchadnezzar's Idolatrous Image; and to the same purpose recorded in this Prophecy as Two Wings of the Great Eagle, carrying by its Antichristianizing the True Church of Christ into the Wilderness, as into a Lost, Hidden, out of sight Condition; that it might well be ask'd, where was it? For the Apostasie had Ecclips▪d and close muffled it, even from the Eye of the Serpent c. 12.

Now this Seizure of the Eastern Empire and City, in the pos­session of which the Revelation found that Empire, as having drawn down the Third of the Stars, so Impropiated by Rome, as a part of it self, and challeng'd at the very Time by the Beast, as one of his Horns, that ought to give its Power, and King­dom to Him; The Prophecy, that Traces the whole Empire of Rome from its King, that then was, when the Revelation was given, or the Pagan Emperour, through the Christian Em­perour, no Head, that was to come, and then to endure a short space, and be done out of the way; to make way for the Beast its Eighth King and Head so long a space till He Goes into per­dition; The Prophecy, I say, could not omit this Turkish Im­pression [Page 8] upon the Roman Eastern Empire, and especially the Papacy, as making the chief City of one of its Legs, and a Horn of the Beast the Port of the Rival False Prophet, and the Antichrist to the Antichrist; Mahomet. For Mahomet is not the Antichrist to Christ immediately, but the Antichrist to the Antichrist to Christ, viz. to the Pope.

And if that Turkish seizure be not omitted, where can the place of it be, but in this Sixth Trumpet, where the Types so agree? As from Euphrates, in so great a number of Horsemen, Arm'd with Guns then newly Invented, with the Poysonous Religion of Mahomet in their Tayls, Killing the Third of Men, or making to cease the Eastern Roman Empire, Hieroglophic'd by the Third of Men (as Engrossing Daniels Third Monarchy; and therefore call'd drawing down the Third of the Stars, Revel. 12. 2.) Following upon Mahomets Arm'd Locusts, the Saracens, who were the First woe, and rose with Mahomet Himself, A. D. 622. Who came into the World, that was prepared to receive so Poysonous an Imposture, by having before Receiv'd the Great Lye of Antichrist, Hoys'd into Supremacy by that great Fable of having the Keys of Heaven and Hell. call'd justly the Key of the Bottomless-pit, from which the Papacy Ascended, at 606. Attended with that even whole Air of smoke, Legendary Miracles, that an Alcoran and its Locusts, might be properly said to come out of it; Now this Supremacy follow▪d, upon Rome and its Western Empire brought to an utter Inglorious dark­ness by the Four first Trumpets, and its Glory utterly extinguish'd, had not that Apostate B [...]shop fell as a Star to enlighten it with that Supremacy. And All this followed upon the Roman Pagan Empire, chang'd to be a Christian Empire, from Constantine the Great becoming Christian, till the Death of Theodose the Great; when Antichristianism was near its Times; Sathan the supreme Spirit and Intelligence of that Pagan Empire, giving the Successi­on to Antichrist, after having been cast down from Heaven; as over­come by the Martyrdoms of Saints sum'd up in the Fifth Seal, who loved not their Lives unto Death; and by the word of their Te­stimony, or the universal preaching of the Gospel, symbol'd by those Voices, Come and see in the Four first Seals; till we come down to the Fountain of all Victory, the Epoch of the Revelation, viz. the Death and Resurrection of the Lamb, who was Dead, is Alive, lives for evermore. All which I give in this Running View, ha­ving elsewhere Discours'd the Particulars at Large.

Thus Demonstrative is the order of the Turkish Woe in the Sixth Trumpet, into which the Reformation is Enchas'd upon so great Evidence of matter of Fact, and on so great Reason.

The Evidence of Fact is, That within about Sixty Four years, after Constantinople that Imperial City of Greece became the Ottoman Port, viz. 1453. The Reformation dawn'd, viz. 1517. The Time between was no longer, then that the Impenitency of Western Rome in all its Idolatry, Murthers, Blood, Sorceries, and Thefts could give the Experiments of it self; as the Prophe­cy observes, Cap. 9. the last.

And with this particular Remarque, The very occasion of the Reformation Taken, was detecting the Thefts of Indulgen­ces, as Prophecy calls them, by Luther's Preaching against them, at that Time Expos'd to Sale, to raise a Fond for the Tur­kish War, as if Providence Lin'd out Events, and chain'd them exactly according to Prophecy.

And so the Turkish woe, and the Reformation have continued together ever since waiting the great change of Things at the end of this Sixth Trumpet; This is matter of Fact.

Now the Evidence of Reason, and Argument, that the Turkish Woe should be so soon followed by the Reformation, is;

1. That the Turkish Empire placing it self so in the Imperial Seat, and Territories of Greece did seem exceedingly Dero­gative to the Kingdom of Christ, and to the Acquist it had madc upon the Pagan Empire, when in Symblols of Christ's Ʋniversal Monarchy, as it were own'd, and Ratified in Hea­ven, The Manly Birth was caught up to the Throne of God, and as a Counterpart of it, the Name of Christ was to be for ever after the Supreme Imperial name in the Roman Empire.

For Antichristianism, though it be the most close, and Diame­trical Enemy of all others to the Kingdom of Christ, yet it is by way of Ecclips, Surprize and Stealth of the Glory of Christ, which it pretends to Advance; and is therefore Figur'd most Elegantly by the Moon under the Churches Feet, stealing the Rays of the Sun with which the True Christian Church is cloath'd and Investing the false Antichristian Church with them; So that it self is not seen in Glory, but still the Glory is Christian, even as Christian is Roll'd up in Antichristian, and Christ Furl'd up in Antichrist.

But now the Turkish Empire, however it make some Col­latteral Acknowledgment of Christ, yet it Advances the False [Page 10] Mahomet above Him; and that openly, and Avowedly, and displays its Banners in his Name; And to do this in New Rome look▪d like an Infringment upon the manly Birth caught up to the Throne of God. Because indeed Mahometism is Infidelism.

Of this even Antichristianism hath been always so sensible, and of its own concern in it, pretending to an Ʋniversal Kingdom as Vicarious to Christ, That as It hath from the first Rising of that Paraselene, or Mock-moon to it self made all service against these Infidels, as for the Honour of Christ, highly meritorious; as appears by all the History of Indulgences, Croisades, Orders of Knighthood, and other Titles of Glory given by the Popish See on that Account of War against Mahomet; whence, as Prophe­sie speaks, The Earth helpt the Woman against these professed Infidels, though They call Themselves Believers; And They are indeed a sort of Mock-believers to the Antichristian Believers in the Esteem of Christ.

Now then to vindicate this Appearance, Christ is pleas'd to make that Sally of his Kingdom, presented in the Reformation at no Time so seasonable, as when a Name so openly, and avow­edly an Enemy to Christ had possess'd one of Romes Imperial Names; For hereby Christ remonstrated, that his True Glory, and Kingdom was not that which was open in Rome and its Ten Kingdoms about it, but Hidden; that He had a Church in the Wilderness, and witnesses in Sackcloath, who were indeed his Kingdom in the World, and that Rome and its Supremacy, where­in as in a Spiritual Ʋniversal Mornarchy, The Ten Kings were united, was the same Beastian Fourth Monarchy, that the Pagan had been before it; and that the Turkish Woe upon it was up­on that very Kingdom,, that was to be destroyed before his King­dom, and that City, Rome, that was to be Burnt as a Sodom from Heaven; of which the Turkish Woe was some pledge tho' afar off.

Yet partly for the sake of Christs Imperial Name Roll'd up in Antichrist's Name, and partly for the Time allowed to the Beasts Kingdom; That Piercing Turkish Leviathan could never nor ever shall Reach the Western Roman Empire or City, but is placed in an out-lying Imperialism, that Rome Antichristian, always Challeng'd an Empire over, as one of its Horns: But as a Pawn, and Pledge, and Earnest of his Kingdom, It pleas'd the Supreme King of Kings, and Lord of Lords to bring some of his Witnesses out of Sackcloth into an open Witness, or Pro­testation with Authority; and so a part of his Church out of the [Page 11] Wilderness to appear visible in the Reformation, so immediately after the Turkish Sultany fix'd in the Eastern Rome; as it were by way of Reprizal from Rome in the West, so much of a Kingdom, which by the Reformation should become real to Him there, as upon the Account of Antichristianism, and in Judg­ment upon it, He had given up in the East, as a Port to Mahomet; an Enemy Acknowledg'd his Enemy by his pre­tended Subjects of the Antichristianism, though indeed his most Diametrical Enemies themselves; to convince and move them to Repentance.

For that both the Eastern, and Western Antichristian Empire was, as All one Body of men, in the same Condemnation of Idolatries, Murthers, Thefts, Sorceries, It is witness▪d; In that it is said, notwithstanding the Judgment of God on the Eastern Empire for these Sins; The Rest of men, viz. of the Western Empire Repented not; So the Reformation was a Remonstrance from God, and Christ, the Antichristian Empire of neither East nor West was his Kingdom; but a Church, He brought out of the Wilderness, and her Seed out of Sackcloth, that lay hid in that Western Beastian Kingdom, were so brought out, as a small, and Imperfect Map of his Kingdom; And this Remonstrance was then seasonably given after the Eastern Empire so seiz'd.

2. The Reformation was thus Scituated in the sixth Trumpet, and Second woe, Continuing till the seventh Trumpet; that it might be known, that even the Reformation it self was but a dark, and Imperfect Table of Christs Kingdom; For so Great a Kingdom as Christs, cannot bear such an usurpation, as the Mahometan Imposture and Tyranny to have Invaded that, which was once the Residence of his Imperial Name.

So that while the Popish Supremacy calls it self the Kingdom of Christ, and damns the Reformation, as Heresie; and while the Reformation knows it self, if it does aright understand it self, a first breaking out of the Kingdom of Christ; Yet by the so universally Acknowledg'd enemy of the Christian Name, as the Mahometan Signiory upon so Eminent a Mountain, as Con­stantinople; There might be Assurance to the Antichristian King­dom, It cannot be the Kingdom of Christ, but that it Ecclipses it; and to the Reformation, that is was, and is but as the first Essay to the Kingdom of Christ.

And thus by the Infinite wisdom of the Spirit of Prophecy, the whole Time of the Reformation was Inlay'd with the sixth Trumpet, after the Great Execution of it upon the Eastern Empire; And its Woe still continued as a Woe, but by an un­movable decree so stopp'd, that it could notwithstanding all its Attempts never extend it self to Rome, to Fix there; nor so much as to possess it self of that so called Imperial City of Vienna; But its Proud Waves are ebbing Back now, so as by the end of the sixth Trumpet to return to their Original Euphrates.

Thus on one side, the Reformation appear'd soon after the Seizure of the Greek Empire, to shew, Christ was not unmind­ful of his Kingdom; Though He suffer'd that part of the King­dom proper to Him during the Beastian Kingdom to be usurp'd, not immediately from Himself, but from the first usurper, the Beastian Kingdom, as a Brand upon its first usurpation from the Kingdom of Christ; And to shew, that although it is not the Time of his Kingdom, yet that He is mindful of it; He therefore gave that Earnest, and beginning of it in the Reformation: But on the other side, the Woe continues after the Reformation, to shew; Even the Reformation is but a very dark Idea of the Kingdom of Christ; that besides the Imper­fections in it self, He suffers not onely such a Continuance of the Counterfeit Christ, the Papacy, but that more pro­fess'd enemy of his Name Mahometanism; Two such to one another, as well as to his own Kingdom Counter usurpations; and both of them such, that while either continues, his King­dom cannot Come.

Argum. 3. The Vision we have before us, must be by all the Figures of it, a Vision of very Great significancy, and Im­portance; It must stand in its due order, and Scituation af­ter the seizure of the Eastern Empire; Let then any one pro­duce out of all History an Event of such Lustre, and Re­mark, as that of the Reformatio [...], that may Answer this Vi­sion, and the Types of it, as in the next place are to be pre­sented; and at the Time, that is also to be demonstrated to be the Time of this Vision; In both which, It is to be fur­ther prov'd, that this Vision can be no other, then the Vision of the Reformation; So that if there be no Types in this Pro­phecy that can so exactly, as these, Answer the Revolution of the Reformation, or at all in its due order, and Time, (which as hath been prov'd, must have such a Vision somewhere [Page 13] in this Prophecy) And on the other side if there be no event) in History, that can in that order, and that Time be pro­duc'd to answer these Types; we have all the security that can be given in a Mysticall Prophecy, that this Vision, and the Reformation do most certainly Answer, and Indent, the one with the other.

That which alone can be pretended to Answer one side of this Argument, viz. The Reformation not having any other place, then of this Vision in this Prophecy is; That the Vision of the Reformation is Included in the Rising of the Witnesses, as the proper place of it; the Reformation being a beginning Re­surrection and the compleat Resurrection being at the end of the 1260 days; and so that Reformation, which is Acknowledg'd worthy to be Honour'd with a Vision, and to have a place in this Prophecy shall find it, and that in the most proper place, viz. as a part in the whole, that is, this partial Resurrection in the Plenary Resurrection of the Witnesses.

But besides, that this Supposition leaves the other side of the Argument; viz. That there is no event in due order, and Time to be found in History, that may answer the Vis [...]on of Chap. 10. It is also unsatisfactory in this Regard; viz. That the Reformation is of such peculiar nature, and at such a peculiar Time; That it must have a Vision, as peculiar to it; (though it be also Included in that of the witnesses Re­surrection) and no less could satisfie it, as shall be further made good in the Types of the Time; wherein also any seeming objection from part of the Resurrection of the Witnesses, and of their History being given before the whole, shall be not only answer'd, but be shown to be Enforcive of the main point; That this Vision is the Vision of the Re­formation, both (as hath been said) from the Types, and from the Time of the Vision.

I come therefore to the second point, viz. To consider the Types of this Vision, which are to be distributed into two kinds.

• 1. Those which are proper to the breaking out and to the appearance of the Kingdom of Christ.
• 2. Those which are prepar'd to signifie the Estoppage of that Kingdom; That it should not Appear in Glory according to the Hopes at first given.

There is also another peculiar Type, proper to neither sort, but mediating between both, viz. of Time; But that per­tains to the Third point, to which I deferr it.

1. I Begin with the first sort of Types, viz. Those, which are proper to the opening, and Appearance of the Kingdom of Christ; And they are those, which we find in the very Vision, viz. A Mighty Angel coming down from Heaven, appearing as to Daniel of old, as an Angel; though it was Indeed Christ the Lord of Angels; who in regard of the greatness of his work is said to make a descent from Heaven; which is accord­ing to the General manner of Scripture speaking, when God does any great thing in the World; He Bows, and rends the Heavens, and comes down. And such expressions are not one­ly according to Scripture Eloquence; But they have all some­thing Prophetical also of that great Opening, and Bowing the Heavens, that shall be at the Kingdom of Christ.

It is with all greatly Conducing to the present purpose, to observe, that the Types of this Vision are with great Allu­siveness to the vision of Daniel, c. 10. and especially c. 12. even as the Visions are closely Allyed, and in some things even united: The Angel here is Cloathed with a Cloud, a Bright, white Cloud, as it were parallel to the Linnen in Daniel: He had a Rain-bow on his Head, the great Symbol of the Kingdom of Christ from the days of Noah into the very Appearance of it in the New Jerusalem; and therefore was also Round about the Throne in Ezek. c. 1. and in this Prophecy, c. 4. and does Admirably Represent the Glory of the Divinity as the Father of Lights reflected by the Humanity in that King­dom of Christ, as it were distinct, and at a distance, and as obverted to the Sun, the Divine nature; and so making a King­dom distinct, and as it were separate for the 1000 Years, until it be again delivered up to God and the Father, and the Divinity be All in All as in the Kingdom of Eternity. 1 Cor. 15. 24.

The Face of Christ, as God, was, as the Sun even as the Lightning in Daniel, and Lamps of Fire sending out the Rays, from which the Rain-bow sprang upon the Humanity, as it were the Cloud, with which He was Cover'd, Beautified with all the Colours of the Rain-bow, or as the Beryll; His Feet were as Pillars of Fire, or Pollish'd Brass, Burning in a Furnace; sig­nifying an Irresistible power, with which He Tramples the Nations of his Enemies, and Treads them in Fury, while His [Page 15] own Servants and members are High refin'd, and purifyed; And He had in his Hand the Book of his Kingdom, which He declares seal'd in Daniel, and so receiv'd seal'd c. 5. open now, as it were to the immediate Appearance of his Kingdom; and as in Daniel, He was on or over above the waters of the River; so here He sets his right Foot on the Sea, and his left Foot on the Earth, to shew, They were both of his Right, and under his dominion: and He Cryed, as a Lyon roareth in his Dread, and Majesty upon the whole Wilderness of the Beasts: [...]o the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah in token of his dread Majesty and Supreme power, Cryed with a Loud voice, and Seven Thun­ders, as Issuing out of the Roar of the Lyon uttered their Voi­ces; And as when Christ went out on his white Horse, c. 6. 1. Conquering and to Conquer, in the First Seal, The Voice, come and see was as of Thunder; so all along the Prophecy So here seven Thun­ders, now all these are evidently Types of the Kingdom of Christ.

But as it were over against these, are the Types of the King­dom of Christ, stay'd or Estopp'd in this its Appearance.

1. The first of which is John's being Commanded to Not Write, but to Seal the Ʋtterances of the Thunders.

Now writing, and sealing are oppos'd in this Prophecy as Delay, and immediately Coming to pass are oppos'd: The seal on the Foreheads of the 144000. was a Reserve of their Glory to a Future Time, or after the 1260 days; The writing the Fathers Name on their Foreheads was for a present appear­ance with the Lamb on Mount Zion, in order to Glory, af­ter the 1260 days ended; Thus it is said to John, as at the Time of the Vials; For the Angel of the Vials was then with, Revel. 22. 10. and by him; Seal not the sayings of this Book, for the Time is at Hand. Seeing then the Thunders were great Promulgations in order to the Kingdom of Christ; the fealing and not writing was a certain Estopple put to the Kingdom of Christ, that it should not then Appear.

2. The Command upon John to Eat the Book that was held open in the Hand of the Angel, is a very plain Symbol of the Retyr­ing the Kingdom, and so a stop of it: For the opening the Book, and Loosing the seven seals was opening to the Kingdom; and according­ly, when Paganism was desolated by the sixth seal open'd; the King­dom c. 12. 10. c. 7. 4. of our God gave an Ombrage of it self, within the seventh seal; But then for the stay of the Kingdom, The 144000, of the same Import, and at the same Time with the Witnesses in Sackcloath, [Page 16] and with the Church in the Wilderness, were Seal▪d, and so the Book at that Time was not seen open. At this Vision of the Re­formation therefore, the Time being so much nearer, and the Reformation so great a pledge of the Kingdom of Christ, The Book was seen open; But then its being Eaten and conveyed down in­to the Belly, a Scripture Emblem of Secresie was certainly in ar­rest Prov. 20. 27. &c. of the Kingdom of Christ, that at that Time it should not Appear; And therefore tho' the Book was sweet in the Mouth, as signifying a publication of the Kingdom of Christ certainly to come, yet it was in the Belly very Bitter, signifying the delay of that Kingdom, as John assures us.

What is more Bitter to the Servants of Christ, in whom the Spirit and the Bride say, come, then the delay of the Kingdom of Christ; and yet what more sweet then the Publications of it, as certainly to come?

3. The Prophecying again is the last Type of the Kingdom of Christ under Estoppage: For that Kingdom being the utmost [...], the It is Finished of all Prophecy; Prophecy must con­tinue, till that Kingdom come; Then, as the Apostle says, It Fails, or ceases; For the Prophecy is of things to come; But when they are come, to what end is Prophecy any longer? To say therefore, John is to Prophesie again, is to say, the Time was not yet come for the last Finishing of the Myste­ry, which God had declared by all his Servants the Prophets.

Let us then look on the Reformation in its undoubted Matter of fact and we must needs allow, it was a Revolution of wonder, at least as of a pre-appearance, or pledge of the Kingdom of Christ it self; There had been indeed Motions towards it a far off, like those, we call Farly Thunders by the Albigenses, and Waldenses, but they were by the Papal power destroyed with prodigious slaughters, and so the Witnesses deeper in Sack­cloth; There were the Attempts of the Bohemians nearer Hand: But these with some others however Remarkable in themselves could not (the Time appointed by God being not yet come) sustain themselves in a certain Train, and Series to that settled state, we call the Reformation, whatever preparations they might be to it.

But when that Time was Come, though the Papacy Sat like the Strong man Armed in the Gospel, with its Ten Kings about it, and its Goods, dominion over Consciences, Infallibility, Subjection to Idolatrous decrees, Superstitions, Canons, Indulgences, Pardons, vast [Page 17] Revenews were all in Peace; Princes and People lay deeply Charm'd and Enchanted by that Sorceress, the Mother of Har­lots and Abominations, Intoxicated with the Golden Cup of For­nications Held in the Hand of that Anticristian Church of Rome, which the Prophecy in just detestation Calls The Whore. Yet at this very Time by the Appearance of Luther, first an Augustine Fryar. a Marked Ser­vant of the Beast, single, and Inconsiderable to that Purpose, Preaching against Indulgences; There was such a Roar, or Cry of the Lyon, that so many Princes, and States, as we know, one after another Aroused Themselves, and vindicated their Kingdom and Power from the Beast, and their Consciences from the Sorceries of that Apostate Church, to whom for so many Ages They had given them; and so far Chang'd the Face of the Christian Church, and Western World, as since then hath been seen; And if Things had Gon on, as They began, The King­dom of Christ had long since Appeard.

But we must Acknowledge, Least we be wise in our own Con­ceits, and we know it by sad Experienc; that according to the Schems of Prophecy, the Kingdom of Christ that gave such an Appearance, and that as It pleases, works its signs, and Wonders in Heaven and Earth, in what a sudden, and by what Inconsi­derable means It pleaseth, and None can Stay it, but it self, was staid; We must not Therefore Think of the Protestant Church­es above what we ought to Think, and above what is written and so be Prejudic'd against a Reformation of the Reformation, or a­gainst a much Higher Appearance of the Kingdom of Christ, that is so near us; We have not, however we Talk of the best Re­formed Churches in the World, Seald up the Sum of Beauty, and Perfection in our Christian Wisdom; we have not been in Eden the Ezek. 28. 13. Garden of God, the Paradice of the new Jerusalem, nor are the Pre­cious Stones of it the Covering of any of our Churches; It is only that Man of Sin, that Babilonian Queen, that may Arro­gate thus; The Apostacy is still inits Half-Time not fully Expir'd. We see Mahometanism still over-powering the Greek Churches; The Tabernacle of Testimony and the Arke of the Testament are not yet seen; The Thunders utterances, since their Sealing are not yet Ʋnsealed, much less the Sanctuary Cleans▪d: Nay indeed Our Churches are very Low.

Whoever then shall Attend to the Types of this Vision, and to both sides of Things in the Reformation, viz as It is a pledge and Pre-Appearance of the Kingdom, and yet stay'd and E­stop'd, will Find, that Both Agree; And that the Types of the [Page 18] Vision are Types of the Kingdom of Christ, not as It should then Appear, but as It shall Appear at the Last: For if The Types had been Absolutely of the Kingdom, as then Appearing, There had been no Estoppage. So the Reformation was not the Appear­ance of the Kingdom it self, but a Pre-Appearance: The Kingdom therefore is not to be measur'd by the Reformation, because There was a Stop put; Nor can the Reformation be measur'd by the Types of the Kingdom it self, or Single, and by themselves Alone; For so They are much too High, and too Great; But It is to be measur'd by the Types of the Kingdom, and by the Types of the Estoppage of the Kingdom together; It is therefore no Argument The Vision is not the Vision of the Reformation, Be­cause the Types of the Kingdom by themselves are much too Large for what the Reformation hath yet prov'd; But It is to be Consider'd There are Types of the Estoppage of the Kingdom, as well as of the Kingdom it self, and Both are to be Equally Ap­ply'd to the Reformation; And then we shall, when we come af­ter to Compare the Types of the Kingdom and of the Estoppage, and of the State of the Reformation, Respectivly Each to other, in a more Discursive, Applicatory Review, Find how Exact One is to the other.

For in the very same manner, the Christian Empire, Revil. 12. 10. was Given in Vision, as the very Glorious Kingdom of Christ; Now is Come Salvation, and Strength, and the Kingdom of Our God. One would hence Think, It was the Kingdom of our God it self. But even that Christian Empire was far too Low, and much too short for those Types; and so much more for the Kingdom it self; we must therefore Attend to the other Types Given with it; viz. to the Churches Flight into the Wilderness, to the Devil Coming down with Great Wrath; to the Dra [...]ons Persecuting the Woman the True Church and her Flight again Repeated; and then Cast­ing out a Flood after Her, and when He Could not overtake her, then making war by the Beast with her Seed, Keeping the Command­ments of God, and Holding the Testimony of Jesus Christ.

Now none of These Things could Agree with the Kingdom of Christ it self; The Types therefore Taken together shew, the Christian Empire was only a Fore-Runner, a Pledge, an Emblem of That Kingdom, however Great It was, and not the Kingdom it self. And so Proportinably the double Types Teach us to Esteem of the Reformation as a Pre-Appearance a Precursion, and Pledge, and not the Kingdom it self; And so the Vision and the Reformation will to Admiration Concert.

I Come then to the Third Point of this Discourse; viz. To Point 3. demonstrate the Time of this Vision, or the definition, and de­termination of the Time; when this Vision was first to Take place; and how long It is to Continue in Date; or when the Kingdom of Christ Appearing in it, first made that Appearance, and then was Estop'd; and how Long It will Continue under that Estoppage, till all Things shall be in Motion for the Finish­ing the Mystery, or the very Full Appearance of the Kingdom it self: Which truely Explain'd will make according to this Prophecy a farther, and most Undeniable Argument, This Visi­on is the Vision of the Reformation.

Now the Resolution of this Point is to be Found in that most peculiar Type of the Angels lifting up his Right-Hand to Heaven, and Swearing by Him, that made Heaven, and all Things that therein are (So Solemn is this Oath) and the Earth, and All Things, that therein are; and the Sea, and the Things that therein are; That there should be Time no Longer, but that in the days of the Seventh Angell, when He shall Begin to Sound, The Mistery of God shall be Finish'd, as He hath Gospelliz'd by his Servants the Prophets; which Type as I have said mediates be­twixt the Two sorts of Types, viz. of the Kingdom Appearing, and of the Kingdom Estop'd; and defines the Time both of the Appearance, and of the Estoppage.

Now of this Great Type or this most Sollemn Oath, I Affirm these three Things as drawn from it.

1. That this Oath must be definitive of a certain Time when this Vision was to Take place, and when to End.

2. That That Time is such, as must most necessarily ac­cording to this Vision Compar'd with the whole Prophecy be the Time of the Reformation, and Can be no Other.

3. That that Time so demonstrated must determine this Time, when the Reformation shall be no Longer in so Low a State, but when the Reformation, it self shall be Reform'd by the Action under the Seventh Trumpet, Hastening All Things to the Finishing of the Mistery, or to the Appearance of the Kingdom of Christ in Glory: For at that Seventh Trumpet The Kingdom of Christ shall be in its Succession, but not immediatly Appear in Glory.

Affirm, 1. This Oath, must be definitive of the certain Times, When This Vision was to Take Place; For the make­ing out of which, I will proceed by these Three Gradations of Argument.

Argument, 1, The Oath, and the Vision are so Enfolded, United, and Combind, that if the Time of the Oath Taking Place Can be defin'd by the Oath it self, The Time of the Visions Taking Place, may also be defined by the Time of the Oaths Taking Place; because they are so United, that they must Take Place together.

Now the Oath we Find so Carv'd, and Engraven into the Vision it self, that They can in nothing be Separated the one from the other.

The Vision Evidently Began in the Mighty Angels Coming down from Heaven, That Angel Stands upon the Sea, and the Earth; That Angel that stood upon the Sea, and the Earth Lifts up his Hand to Heaven, and Swears this Oath at the same Time: Thus what ever Pertain'd to the description of the Angel, Pertain'd also to the Oath by vertue of the Angel Swearing it.

Again this Angel had a Little Book open in his Hand, and Cry'd as a Lion Roaring: Upon his Cry, either as Issuing out of it, or as Attendant upon it Seven Thunders Ʋttered their Voices; John is Commanded by a Voice from Heaven to Not write, but to Seal the Thunders Ʋtterances. The same Voice, that Bid him not write but Seale, spake to Him again, and Commanded Him to Take that Book, which was Open in the Hand of that very An­gel, that Stood upon the Sea, and the Earth, and Eat it; and the Angel Told Him, It would be sweet in the Mouth, and Bitter in the Belly, and Commissioned him to Prophesie again. So the Angel, and Voice from Heaven Enfolded thus in the Vision, Enfold the Vision, and All parts of it one with Another; that with­out Loosing the Harmony and Tone of the whole Vision, None can be Separated: The design of one, is the design of all. The Time of one is the Time of All. And for this End and as on purpose, Prophesie is most Careful, to tell us, The Angel is the same, and Concern'd in every pointof the Vision; and the Voice from Heaven the same, Running throughout it also: Twice the Angel is Assur'd to be the Same, that stood on the Sea and the Earth: Twice the Voice is said to be from Heaven, and to be the same the Second Time, that spoke to John the First: and Both so Entwin'd with all parts of the Vision, as no way to be parted; and therefore the Vision and the Oath, a Prin­cipal Act of the Angel and a Principal part of the Vision can­not be parted from one Another; For an Oath is a Principal Act, and must be so in Him, that Swears, and must be so [Page 21] in the Vision, that Represents it. Thus all Things relating to Each must Go together, and therefore Particularly the Time of the one Taking place must be the Time of the other Taking place; that is within the due order of the Vision.

Argum. 2. The Oath, and the Vision and the several parts of the Vision Taking Place together, as so united, as hath been already Shown; Each Type of Each sort viz. of the Kingdom Appearing, and of the Kingdom Estop'd must Take their Places within the Bounds of the Vision according to the Oath; So that the Angel might so Appear first in the Proper Time of the Vision with his Face as the Sun, Holding the Book of his King­dom open; He might then Cry as a Lyon, and Seven Thunders Ʋtter their Voices. And then the Thunders must be Seald, the Book must be Clos'd; And all must Retreat again into Pro­phesie, and this according to the Time, that the Oath shall di­rect us to, in the very Proper Time of the Vision. And the Oath is a Vision Relating to Time; For the Thing Sworn is; Time shall be no more, but in the days of the Seventh Angel, when He shall Begin to Sound, The Mistery of God shall be Finished; So then the Bounds of the Time of the Vision and of the Oath are from the Time, In which It could Truely be Sworn, Time shall be no more, till the days of the Seventh Angel and his Beginning to Sound. For then the Visions of Estoppage Cease and All is Finishing.

And seeing an Oath and an Oath of Christ, that must Cer­tainly be an End of all Strife Cannot be Suppos'd to Give an Incertain Sound; There is Certainly then by Assur'd, however Se­cret Characters Some Key to be Found, by which the Time, when this Oath and so this Vision might according to it Take Place, and when It is to End, or Issue into the Seventh Trumpet.

Argum. 3. That we may Find this determinate Time of the Oath and Vision, we can have no Key, but the Key of Scrip­ture, and because, we are upon Prophetical Scripture, the Key must be Found in Prophetical Scriptures.

Now in dealing with Scripture, we know, It is a Great and Necessary duty to Compare Scripture with Scripture, and so Prophetical Scripture with Prophetical Scripture, when we are up­on Prophesie.

No One then, that Considers this Oath, and hath Read, and Remembers that Oath, or will be but Guided by the Margin of his Bible, to Dan. 12. 7. and minds to Compare Scrip­turo with Scripture Can Choose, but Compare the Oath there [Page 22] and the Oath here, to see how far they Agree; And first He will Find an Angel Cloath'd, there with Linnen, here with a Clou'd, a Bright Clou'd, as it were Fine Linnen; there Stand­ing on the Waters, or over them, here on the Sea, and on the Earth; Lifting up both his Hands to Heaven there, his Right Hand here, as the Principall, and Inclusive of Both; Swear­ing by Him, that Liveth for Ever and Ever there, and here by Him that Liveth for Ever and Ever, and that made the whole Ʋniverse; In all these there is so Little Variation, that the Harmony is as Great as among the Evangelists.

And yet these Agreements are Small in Comparison of these Three Essential Congruities.

1. Both the Oaths are with Relation to Time; the Oath in Dan. is, There shall be Time, Times, and Half a Time: The Oath here is, There shall be Time no More; and in a Neigh­berhood to this Oath (though indeed, as we shall Find; They make up with it the Time Allow'd to this Vision, as prece­dent, or Foregoing parts of the whole) Time, Times, half Time viz. the Twice Forty Two Months, the Twice 1260. Days, and once the very Time, Times, and Half Time; and to the same sense, though with Variation of words, once also Three days, and a Half; That Oath in Dan. having therefore determin'd, Such Times shall be; This Oath determines; There shall be no more Time, than these Times and Half; and all with Rela­tion to Scattering the Holy Peoples Power.

2. Both the Oaths have a Close Relation to an ultimate Finiture or Finishing; For the Oath in Dan. Says; All these Things, Call'd Wonders Dan. 12. Shall be Finished. And in this Oath the Mistery of God shall be Finished.

3. Both the Oaths lead to some Time Allow'd further for Great Action in order to a Blessed State or End. For upon the Oath in Dan. There is an Addition of 30. Days to the 1260. Days, into which the Times and Half are Expounded, Dan. 12. 11. 12. 13. making 1290, and then 45. more, making 1335; the waitng and Coming to which is pronounced Blessed; and Dan. is promis'd a Lot therein: Accordingly in this Oath [...]here are the Days of the Seventh Angel, when He Shall Begin to Sound; And the Se­venth Trumpet Finishes the Mistery, One Principal Branch of which is Giving Reward to the Servants of God, the Prophets, Revel. 11. 18. Among which Daniel was Greatly Belov'd; Thus Certain It is These Two Oaths do Essentially Convene and Unite one in [Page 23] Another. They Cannot therefore Possibly Encounter, but must be to one Another, as the Impress, and Reverse in the same Medal: The Impress, There shall be Time, Times, and a Half; The Reverse, There shall be no more Time, then those Times, and Half; except the Time of the Seventh Trumpet for Finish­ing, till the Sabbathism, Time of Another Species, Ensues.

We must enter therefore into a strict Enquiry of the Time, when this latter Oath, Time shall be no more, Could take Place, without any Infraction upon the Former; which we are sure, It could not make, because the Oaths are so suited one to the other, as that the latter is in Confirmation, and Complement also of the Former.

Let us then in the First place State concerning the Two Oaths, and what It is, that Each Oath Requires; and what will Follow from the Things Requir'd by Them; And that therefore must be Certainly Answered, and so we shall be directed upon the very Time of this Vision, and Oath, taking place, and behold the Admirable Agreement of the Two Oaths between Themselves, and of the Vision with them Both.

The First Oath then Requires, that there should be Time, Times, and Half a Time, as a Time of Delay, or before the Finishing of Wonders; And that at the Finishing of the Scatter­ing the Power of the Holy People, There should be a Finishing of all Those, viz. Wonders. This is Exprest in Daniel, For the Angel Answers the Question, Unto how Long or at what Length of Time shall be the End of Wonders? The Answer is, That for Time, Times, and Half a Time, and at the [...]inishing Dan. 12. 6. 7. of the Scattering the Power of the Holy People, All These, that is, Wonders, Concerning which the Question was, shall be Finish'd.

In which Answer, there must be some supply to fill up the sense; For the Oath runs thus, That unto Time, and Times, and unto the Half of Time, and when He shall Accomplish or in the Accomplishing to Scatter the Power of the Holy People, All shall be Finish'd: Now these words make not up Full sense with­out Assuming most naturally from the latter clause; There shall be a scattering the Holy People for Time, Times, and Half of a Time, and in the Accomplishing to scatter, All these wonders shall be Finish'd.

And those words (shall be Finish'd) must be Expounded, (shall be in an immediate Course of Finishing:) to which are Allowed the 75 Years in Daniel just now spoken of; which [Page 24] therefore must needs be the Days of the Seventh Angel in this Chapter, wherein the Mistery shall be Finish'd into the King­dom, by the Voices and the Vials; whose Motion is swift, sud­den, and Immediate, according to the quick Coming of the Seventh Trumpet: And thus the First Oath in Daniel requires.

The latter Oath in this Prophecy, in full Agreement with the former requires, there should be no more Time, Times, nor Half Time, which the former Oath Allowed; But that at the Seventh Angel Beginning, (as we well translate [...]) to sound, and all the while, He is sounding, the Mystery should be in Finishing, till Finish'd in the Kingdom in Glory.

It follows then from the first Oath, that the Time, Times, and Half a Time, and the scattering the Holy People must be together; and that all that Time, Finishing the wonders should have no place; But then it requires also, that the Times and Half, and the scattering should end together; and that at the very end of the scattering, or in the Finishing of that, the won­ders should be in Finishing also, and come on immediatly in those Forenam'd Seventy five years to be Finish'd.

From the latter Oath it follows; That there must be a Point of Time, when it might be sworn, Time should be no more; So a point of Time, wherein in the Sense, It was Sworn, It might be actually said, Time is no more; That that Time must be a Time of Finishing; and that it must be, as soon, as ever the Days of the Seventh Angels sounding Begin.

From both these Oaths in Agreement it follows; that when­ever the Seventh Trumpet begins to Finish, the Times, and Half, and the scattering the Power of the Holy People must be at an end; For during those, there could be no Finishing; But by the First Oath, when they end, there must be Finishing, and by the latter Oath, there must be no more such Times of scattering, but the Seventh Trumpet must Finish; Accordingly we find the Holy Peoples scattering to cease by the Witnesses Rising, and Ascending; and the Church Consequentially Coming out of the Wilderness, just before the Seventh Trumpet sounds, and proceeds to Finish by the Voices, and the Vials; wherein Rev. 11. 11. 14. the Harmony of Prophesies is Admirable; Then therefore must be the end of Times, and a Half.

Now from All this that cannot be denied, It is so express in Prophecy; One must needs be very prone to think, there could be no Time, wherein it could be Sworn, Time shall be [Page 25] no more, but at the very end of Times and Half; when really and Actually, Time of those sorts of Times and Half shall be no more.

And here give leave to Interpose a Caution against the Sup­posing, as some pious minds in Contemplation of Eternity may be apt to do, that the meaning of the Oath is; There shall be no more Time at all, but Eternity shall ensue. Now though the Meditation hereupon may be High, Holy, Spi­ritual, and Heavenly, and certainly shall be True in its Time; Yet it is certain by the compare of the Oaths, the Rule of Interpretation; The Oath Intends Time of such a kind, as the Time, Times, and Half were; shall be no more.

And whereas it may be very well thought, there could no such Oath, as this, have place; Till those Times and Half, are actually Run out; and that therefore the Vision, and Oath so closely joyn'd must take their place at that Time; Yet by the three Notes of Estoppage of Finishing, we are as­sur'd; Both the Oath and the Vision find their place of Entry before.

1. For the Sealing the Thunders of so great service to Fi­nishing, must be most contrary to Finishing, which yet is com­manded in the Vision; Finishing therefore could not be at the same Time with the Vision; and therefore [...] not at the Half Time ended, when Finishing must be.

2. The Book eaten and bitter in the Belly is most contrary to Finishing; For else the Book had been as sweet io the Belly, as in the Mouth, as was before Explain'd: But that also the Vi­sion commands, and therefore is not at the Half Time ended to have its place, but before.

3. Prophecying again is most contrary to Finishing; For as to Prophecy of the sufferings of Christ, after he had said, It is Fi­nish'd, had been to deny Him the Redeemer; So contradicto­ry would it be to his Kingdom, to Prophecy of it, when it is Come; But the Vision at the same Time with the Oath Com­missionates John to Prophecy again: Therefore it must be be­fore Finishing had place, therefore before the Seventh Trum­pet, therefore before the Times, and Half Time ended.

The Vision and Oath must have place therefore within some part of Half Time, else it could not have been sworn; Time shall be no more, without overthrowing the former Oath, that such Times and Half should be; It must be in the very be­ginning [Page 26] of Half Time, else the Notes of Estoppage so essenti­al to the Vision could not have had Time to be decently Born.

It must therefore in the very Beginning of Half Time, even as soon as ever there was such a diminution of Half Time, as that any of the Atoms, or sands of it were Run out, and that it was no longer an entire Canton of Time accord­ing to the Oath of Time, Times, Half Time; (For Half Time, though it be but Half Time, is as entire a Canton of Time ac­cording to the Oath, as any of the rest) As soon as ever Half Time was broken, that it was no longer Half Time it gave place, and yielded to this Oath of Christ, Time shall be no more; As soon as ever It was not a due just Half Time, this Oath of Christ entred; There shall never to Eternity any morebe such a Half Time, much less Time, or Times.

Christ took the very first Advantage, as soon as Half Time had lost it felf, and swore; Now Time, viz. any Canton of Time, not Time, nor Times, nay, not so much as Half Time shall be any more for ever.

It is true, This was Implyed in the first Oath, as hath been shewn: But here it is not only seconded, but made more open; and it is true also, this Vision and so the Oath was Represented to John long before, either Times, or Half Time entred, even when this Prophecy was given; But it was but in Vision and not suppos'd to be, till the Vision and Oath took place together; As we well know according to the Na­ture of Vision, which Represents things as in being, and yet not to be, till their Appointed Time; So this Vision, and Oath of Christ are given, as if they were then, and yet not to be, till their just season.

As soon therefore, as one Minute of Half Time was gone, It is according to the Law of Vision to be suppos'd; Christ swore, and not till then; For when one Minute of Half Time was gone, it was broken immediately; It could not then be, so much as Half Time any more for ever; For though Leave was given to it to run out its last dust, e're the Time of Fi­nishing shall enter; Yet as soon as ever the first dust of it was spent, it Abated of, it departed from it self; and ever after every minute it spends, it is still less, and less Half Time, till it is no Time at all in any sense.

But as soon, as ever the Web of Half Time had but an Edg, a Border, a Selvage of it clipp'd, or rather worn off by run­ning out; It was no longer the Half Time of Prophecy as a day is not a day, when any the smallest particle of the Twenty Four Hours is to be defalk'd, as spent, when the first Minute is spent; For Prophecy is exact to a Grain, a Scru­ple, a Minute, a Second, every Fraction of a Second, even as Astronomy would be: And as soon as ever the first, the least Ramentum or shaving of Half Time was taken off, the Oath of Christ Interpos'd; There shall never be Time any more according to those distributions of Time, Times, or the last, and least part, Half Time.

It is therefore most demonstrative, this Oath according to the Oath of Time, Times, and Half Time could be no sooner, then the morning of Half Time: It could not be so much as a minute before it; For then the Half Time had been entire, and if so, it had been Time according to the Sense of Prophe­cy, and then one of the Oaths must have fail'd; For either the Half Time had been cut off by the last Oath, and no Half Time had ensued, contrary to the Former Oath; or it had stood according to the Former Oath, and the latter Oath had effected nothing but fallen to the Ground by Half Time, which in the sense of Prophecy is Time, coming in its order, notwithstanding this last Oath; But either of these Supposals is impossible, for if Heaven and Earth shall pass, but not a Jot of the words of Christ shall pass; How much less of his Oath, it being the Greater and more Immutable of those Two things, wherein It is impossible for him to lye.

But when Half Time by spending any, the least part of it self was degraded, dismounted from being Half Time; Then there was not any of those Cantons of Time left, that could in the Ballance of the former Oath be call'd Time, but only a Remainder of Half Time already entred, and some part spent of it; Christ might then well Swear, there shall never now be Time any more; not so much a Canton of Time, as Half Time was, and yet this Oath might very well also Reserve to Half Time the Allowance to run out it self; As on the very dawn of the last day of a mans Life, It may be truly said to him; He shall never have a day more, tho' he live to the very last minute of that day already entred.

At the very possibility therefore, it could be done with Justice to the former Oath, Christ zealous of his Kingdom Foreclos'd all Future Time for delay; He entred his Cau­tion, his Protestation against any more Time, or so much as Half Time; Here then may this Oath take place, not be­fore some of Half Time expended for his former Oaths sake; but as soon as any of it was expended, that it was not Time according to any, the least Canton of Time in that Oath, for his Kingdoms sake, he sware, Time shall be no more.

As He settled Time, Times, Half a Time with an Oath ac­cording to his Fathers Counsel concerning the delay of his Kingdom; so according to the same Counsel He Jealous for his Kingdom fix'd an Immovable Barr against any more Time, Times, or so much as Half Time with an Oath also.

Affirm. 2. Having thus far established my first Affirmation concerning this Type of Time, viz. That there is a definite Time, when this Vision, and Oath are to take place, and that It is at Half Time so entred, as to be the entire Time of Half Time no longer; And that this Half Time is to end together with the Types of this Vision for Estoppage of the Kingdom, when the Seventh Angel shall, but Begin to sound; I come now to the second Affirmation; That this Time is such, as must necessarily according to this Vision compar'd with the whole Prophecy, be the Time of the Reformation, and that It can be no other Time.

To Argue this, I will only Remember the proof, I have already given, that this Vision is the Vision of the Reformation; But because I would further promote from this Type the Ar­guments already given, that this Vision is the Vision of the of the Reformation, I will not Insist upon what I have done, but go on to prove further; That as this Oath hath been even Demonstrated according to this Prophecy, to have been at the Half Time, and that it could be at no Point else; So I shall now Argue, that the Reformation could be at no other Point of Time, but of Half Time begun; and therefore also that this Vision must needs be the Vision of the Reformation.

And the Argument is this: The Little Horn, who is also call'd the Beast in Daniel, even as in this Prophecy, had assur'd to him Time, and Times, and Half a Time, which are in this Prophecy, cap. 13. Expounded into Forty two Months; and he was to Rise to a Kingdom by degrees; And when He [Page 29] should Ascend from the Bottomless Pit, and attain his Number 666. It was given to him, that he should have Times, and Laws in his Hand, or an Ʋniversal Monarchy; or as in this Prophecy, Power was given to him over all Kindreds, Tongues, and Nations; and that because of his Kingdom, either as prepar'd for by the Gentiles, or erected from its Infant state, or come to its height, the Witnesses should put on Sackcloth for 1260 Days; and by Consequence the Church should be in the Wil­derness, or in a lost hidden or Scatter'd State; and that in some Deep part of this Time, the Witnesses should be war'd with, overcome and kill'd by Him; and thereby the Church hid so close, that the Serpent knew not how to find it.

It Becomes therefore a Great doubt, how there should be such an Appearance of the Kingdom of Christ, such a Comming of some part of the witnesses, as it were out of Sackcloath, and some parts of the Church, as it seems, out of the Wilderness into so Visible a State, as in the Reformation; and thereby a Re­trenchment of the Kingdom of the Beast by so many of Tongues, Kindreds, and Nations, Refusing to serve Him any Longer: and that too within Half Time and before the Seventh Trumpet for Finishing.

One must be here again very Enclin'd to deem, that as in the former Case, we might be Ready to Think It could not be Sworn, Time shall be no more, till Half Time was Run out; So that this Change of Things could neither be till then: Each of them seems a like, hardly Reconcileable with Prophesie; which yet yeilds such a Resemblance of the Oath with the Re­formation in this matter, that may make us Apt to Believe, They are Closely Related in point of Time, and Both one and the same way, to be Reconcil'd to that Seemingly En­countring Prophecy.

The wisdom of the Lord God of the Holy Prophets is therefore to be observ'd by the Minds, that Have Wisdom. For the space Allow'd to the Beasts Kingdom, and to the Sufferings of his Church, and of his Witnesses under it, hath not Fortuitously, by Accident, or on any small Reason been destributed into Three Cantons, viz. Time, Times, or Two Times so Combin'd, as to be Two in One, or One in Two, in regard of Uniform­ness; and into Half Time.

But upon this Great Reason they are so distributed; Be­cause It was Fore-determin'd, and so also Fore-seen, and so [Page 30] also Fore-told, that the Beast would be almost the whole First Time Climbing up to his Kingdom; And this must needs be a different State from his supreme Regnancy. For First He hath Gentiles, who were to be his People, pressing into the Empire and so into the outer Court at 437. Then He Rises out of the Sea at his Succession at 475. or 476. But He was a Long Time Obscure, Un-Notable; Then He Rises out of the Bot­temless Pit, by the name of Ʋniversal Bishop, Supreme Pastor at 606; then He Attains his Number at 725. Then He makes War, Overcomes, Kills by that Council of Nice 787. within Ten Years of the End of his First Time.

From thence as a Grown Establish'd Prince, His Kingdom is Equal, and alike in the main, however Spreading and En­croaching during the Two Times.

At the Half Time There is a Retrenchment of his Kingdom by the Reformation both as to the Universality, and uncontrole­ableness of his Kingdom, as we shall see, Beginning 1517.

And thus It is Proportionably in the Sufferings of the Wit­nesses, the Seed of the Woman the Church, and by necessary Consequence upon her self; These are Greater or Less ac­cording to the Beasts Tyrany; First, The Witnesses Bear a Testi­mony in Sackloth; Then they Finish their Testimony; Then they are Overcome, Kill▪d, Lye Dead, till a part mov'd to a Rising; according to which the Church was more or Less out of Sight in the Wilderness.

Now to Convey us into all this variety, There is first the distribution of the Twice 1260. days, and twice Forty two Months into Time, Times, Half a Time, that the Changes, which the Intire Uniformness of the Months and Days could not Represent; the Time, Times, and Half Time, as in a Gene­ral view might Give us: A Stupendious Contrivance of Pro­phecy.

But Least this might not Enough Inform us; By a Close observation of the words chosen in the Originals, Hebrew and Greek, There is a Significancy of Time with Opportunity or Seasons, and Indicted Appointed Times; A Contrivance yet more Stupendious.

But behold still the further Manifold Wisdom of Prophecy, Least we might Think, All and the whole of Time, and Times, and Half Time, was Season or Deep Time, These Times, or Sea­sons, and Half are, as I may say, put into the Habit, and [Page 31] dress of Three days, and a Half, and into so Close an Imita­tion of, and Allusion to our Lords Three days in the Grave, that we may not miss to Take notice, that there was a Great difference between the First and the Last Part of the First of those Three days; That the Second day was a like; and that the Precedent part untill the very morning of the Third day, while It was yet dark, and all the Rest of that Third day Exceeding­ly Differ'd from one another; So Differ'd the First and the Last part of the First Time, or day of the Witnesses and of the Church; The Two days or Times were much alike; But then very different were the very Entrance of the Last Half Time, and the Following Part of it till the End, in regard of some of the Churches, and Witnesses by the Reformation: Oh the Heigth, and the Depth of this Prophetick Wisdom!

Now whoever misses this Key of Prophecy, and especially that of our Lords Time of Death, Leading us to make a di­stinction betwixt [...] the General word for Time; and [...] the Close word for Oppertunity, Can never under­stand Apocalyptical Time, nor Find, how the Apostacy Should Begin so Early as 437. by the Gentiles Entring the Outward Court; the succession so Early as 475. and yet the Beast Gain'd not the Ascendent till 606. From thence indeed he proceed-amain to have have his Image worshipp'd at his Number as it were in words at length, viz. from 725 downwards till 787. Nor without this Key can the Reformation at 1517 be recon­cil'd to Prophecy, that Assigns an Ʋniversal Monarchy, and the Saints and Church to be Scatter'd, to the Papacy for Forty two Months when loe so many Protestant Princes, States, and persons have turn'd themselves from him so much sooner; and so many Witnesses and Churches have withstood the pre­tended Successor of Peter to the Face; and he knows not, however enrag'd he be, how to help it, while they are patroniz'd, by powers out of his reach so to do.

It is therefore far from the Extravagancy, the Reverend and Learned Dr. Cressener charges, thus to Interpret Three days, and a Half, to signifie Three Times, and a Half.

It is True 1260 Days in the same Vision, and so near, signifie no more Time, then those Three days and a Half; But when the Fundamental Reason of things necessitates us to seek ano­ther Key for them, then according to the ordinary Cyphar of a Day for a Year, (which fully serves the purpose of the 1260. [Page 32] but can no way serve the Three days and a Half,) we are justified in so doing; For neither would the Beast lose so much Time of his Forty two Months as to stay till the last Three Years, and Half to Kill, and expose the Witnesses d [...]ad; nor would that Time possibly serve, as is fully discours'd in the Vision of the Witnesses.

And to what I have there said, I here super-add, if as we ought, we fetch the Three Times, and a Half of the Church in the Wilderness out of c. 12. 14. and match them with the Three days, and a Half of the Witnesses lying dead, and in open view; The Variation is very easie and even with Reference c. 11. 9. to our Lords three days, even graceful; For there ought to be a Correspondence in each point of Time in Time at large, and in deep season or Intimate Opportunity betwixt the Wit­nesses, and the Church, both on the Witnesses, and the Church­es part; as in the 1260 days, so in the Witnesses three days, and Half; which there would not be, if the Three days, and Half are not the same with Three Times and a Half; But if they are so taken, the Correspondence is Illustrious on both sides. For Day, we know throughout Scripture, Applys it self to all portions of Time.

Indeed if we go about to match the Three days, and Half with the Twelve hundred Sixty dayes, as we ought not, (because though the word days is the same, and the space the same, yet the Scheme of Time design'd is vastly distant) the vari­ation of so great and so small a number of days, while yet the same space is Intended is very Rough, Harsh, and even Intollerable.

But thus explain'd, as I have set out before every eye, the whole plot of Time Allowed to the Beastian Kingdom is un­derstood by it; For to the utmost stretch of Times and Half at large, or 1260 days; The Beast is to have a Tyranny over the Power of the holy People, either preparing, or rising; or Remaining after Retrenchment; or else in full Supremacy. But for the deep and Intimate part, or deep Season of Times, and Halfs he must have a full, and Absolute Autonomy, or Supremacy to do after his own will.

And of this there seems to me to be an Eye, Dan. 12. 7. (There shall be Times, and Half for Dispersion; and when he shall have Accomplish'd to Disperse so or Scatter;) As if there would be a deep Time of dispersion, Answering the deep of [Page 33] Times and Half, and then an exhausting, a drawing down to the very dreggs that dispersion, as in the last part of Time at large; at the end of which would ensue the seventh Trum­pet for Finishing.

And this perfectly agrees to the Vision, we are upon, for Jesus Christ zealous of his Kingdom and of all the Appear­ances of it, according to his Fathers Counsel, and according to his own Oath in Daniel, knowing that the deep Time, the Time of the Absolute Supremacy of the Beast was expir'd; even as soon as ever the Little Horn, or Antichrist had had any part of the [...] of the Half season, and so that Antichristian Kingdom might be Retrench'd by a party Ap­pearance of his own Kingdom; He looses no Time, but makes his Claim; This is Represented in this Vision by all the forenam▪d Types of the Kingdom, His comming down from Heaven, His Face, as the Sun, &c. Roaring as a Lyon, Com­manding the Attendance of Seven Thunders, the Book of his Kingdom, as the great Pattent of it open in his Hand: And at the same Time with his Right Hand Lifted up to Heaven he sware, [...], or Time at large shall be no more: much less Intimate Time.

Now the Twelve hundred Sixty days contain'd Times, and Half Time, both as Time at large, and as strict Time, and opportuni­ty; At the Time of this Vision, Deep, and Intimate Time in the 1260 days was so near spent, that the Kingdom of Christ Appears in the Foremention'd Types, together with that Oath, Time shall be no more; Hereon follows by the German Protestation, about Ten yeaars after a Famous Retrenchment of the Beasts Kingdom.

But in Regard of the most exact Justice of Christ to the Times, and Half Time at large, determin'd by his Father, and sworn by himself, as it hath been shown; The Oath In­cluded a Reserve for Half Time at large, to run out it self; So here are those Notes of Estoppage set to the Kingdom of Christ, that as the Resurrection of Christ was not known ex­cept to Chosen Witnesses, till after his Ascension; so his King­dom should not Appear in its Succession, nor Finishing begin, till the very last of Time at large, or the very last of Half Time, and of the 1260 days was also expir'd; when his Witne [...]es shall Ascend and the Mystery shall be so far Finish'd, that his King­dom shall be in its succession, and effectively Finishing all to the Glory of his Appearance.

And thus I hope it will be clear, and evident to the Minds, that have Wisdom, that there is in this Vision a Manifestation both of the Appearance, and of the Estoppage of the Kingdom of Christ in the Reformation, according to the Oath of Christ, and according to undoubted experiment.

And thus Christ took the opportunity before this, at the opening of the Sixth and Seventh seals, to make the Appearance of his Kingdom in the Christian Empire of Constantine and his Successors; Although he knew there were the Twelve Hun­dred Sixty days to come, as an Estoppage of his Kingdom; and that in the first of them, the Remainder of that very Christian King­dom would be Antichristianiz'd; which Antichristianism was to be, and hath been a long, and a most Pressing Estoppage of his King­dom: And yet to this he yielded, according as hath been said, to his Fathers Counsel, and his own Oath in Daniel; so that he gave the Appearance of his Kingdom in those Illu­strious Types of the Manly Birth, Jesus Christ, Caught up not only to Heaven, but to the very Throne of God; And so that he Retains the Imperial Name, however undermin'd by Antichrist to this day; The Dragon, or Sathan in the Pagan Empire was so cast out of Heaven, that his place is found there no more; the Paganism being either Antichristianiz'd, which carries the name of Christ under it; or Mahometiz'd, which is, as hath been said an Antichristianism rather to Antichrist then to Christ, a Mock-state Intruding as a Judgment, and as a Paraselene dure­ing the Beasts Moons. There was therefore so Great a Doxo­logy; The Kingdom of our God is come, &c. Yet together with these Notes of the Kingdom were given also the Notes of Estoppage in the 144000 Immediately Seal▪d, in the Churches Flight into the Wilderness; All which just there Hunt or tread in the very Footsteps of the Types of the Lords Annointed in the Christian Empire; From all which it appears, It is the manner of this Prophecy to omit no just season of shewing the Kingdom of Christ; but till the Finishing, to give together with the Types of the Kingdom the Types of Estoppage, and so here in the Reformation.

And thus the Second Affirmation being Established, I come to the Third.

Affirm. 3. The Time of the Vision, and of the Oath thus demonstrated must determine the Time, when the Reforma­tion shall be no Longer in so Low a State, or indeed, when [Page 35] the Reformation It self shall be Reform'd by the Action of the Seventh Trumpet, Hastning All Things to the Finishing the Mistery, or to the Appearance of the Kingdom of Christ in Glo­ry; For at the Seventh Trumpet, the Kingdom of Christ shall be in its Succession, but not Immediately Appear in Glory.

And this Follows with Ease, and of it self; For if, as hath been prov'd, the very Dawn of the Reformation be the Dawn also of Half Time, and of this Vision and Oath Taking Place; seeing we know the Reformation so dawn'd at [...]517. in Luther, we easily Compute the Just distribution of the 1260 days in­to Time 360 years; Two Times 720 years; and Half Time 180 years. So the present State of Things Beginning at 1517. and having an hundred Eighty years for their Race; They must needs End at at 1697; when the Reformation shall be under a Refor­mation, and the Seventh Trumpet succeed to Finish the Mistery into the Kingdom of Christ Appearing in Glory; In the mean time Things are to be under Estoppage, and delay.

There Remains nothing upon this part of the Discourse in my Thoughts, but to Remove, what may seem a Great objection to this Adjustment of the Oath of Christ, this Vision, the Reformation, and Half Time one to Another. And that is; That immediately after the Commission Renew'd to John to Prophecy again; the whole, and Entire Vision of the Witnesses and of the 1260 days from their puting on Sackcloth to their Rising, Ascension, and the Great Consequence, or Concurrents of them are Given together, Chap. 11. So the Reformation shall have a Vision, and in its Just place; And It is unreasonable to Give it any other Vision, or so Antedated to the Proper Order, and place of it as in the Vision of the Witnesses to which It properly Belongs; whereas the Relation of the Reformation to the Mahometan Seizure of Constantinople is in an Undue Order of Time, and therefore not the Real Order of the Vision.

Ans. To this objection I will advance a very Breif Anwer in these Six particulars.

1. By way of Concession, or Allowance, that the Refor­mation must be suppos'd to have vertually a place in the Vision of the Witnesses, and by this Vision we know where it must be; Even as soon, as ever the Deep Time of the 1260 days, that is, at the Dawn, or Morning of the Half day; For then the Witnesses and Churches of the Reformation Gave a Dawn, [Page 36] and a Pre-Appearance, and a pledge of the Full Rising of the Witnesses, and of the whole Christian Church coming out of the Wilderness, by their open Avowed Testimony, and Pro­testancy.

2. This notwithstanding, So Great an Appearance of the Kingdom of Christ, as was at the Reformation, Requir'd such a particular Vision of it, as in this Chapter, to which nothing Else Answers in Time, or order in History; Nor is that ne­cessarily suppos'd place, the Reformation hath in the Vision of the Witnesses, Clear, Illustious Enough for the Reformation, as hath already been urg'd on all sides of this matter.

3. This Vision of the Reformation hath not only a Just pur­suance in order, and Time to the seizure of the Antichristian Eastern Empire by Mahomet, but a stricter and nearer one to the Impenitency, being the Beginning, and a pledge of those Speci­fic Judgments of the Seventh Trumpet for the utter destruction of the Antichristian Kingdom; viz by the Appearance of Christ Himself; according to 2 Thess. 2. for which the Mahometan Woes were too Forreign, and Aloof; And so the occasion Tak­en is that Impenitency of the Western, more Antichristian Empire, notwithstanding that so dreadful Woe, upon which a Kingdom of Christ, specific for destroying that Antichristian Kingdom and Mahometan Tyranny, the mock of it together, is in its Pre-Appearance Display'd in this Vision; Thus as Christ says Con­cerning that very Church of Thyatyra, in which the Reforma­tion first Appear'd; I Gave to the Spiritual Jezebel space to Re­pent, and she Repented not; So she is to be Cast into the Bed of Flames, into which the Vials shall bring that Roman Apostate Church, of which the Reformation is the Pledge.

4. It is very natural to History, (besides the secrecy of Pro­phecy) to Give the Relation of an Illustrious Event in its just Place, and order; and then to give the whole Family, as it were, and Pedegree, and full History of that Event together, Leaving out in that Fuller Relation, what had been first Given of it; This Prophecy Gives the Vision of the Reformation, just in the due order, the Time, and Place; and Gives the Vision of the Witnesses, which Comprehends the Reformation in­deed in the latter part, and yet Leaves out any one Open Men­tion of the Reformation there, because, It was Given before.

5. The Vision of the Witne [...]es Touches the Vis [...]on of the Reformation in the just proper, precise, and as it were Indivi­sible [Page 37] Point of the Command to John to Prophecy again before People, Tongues, and Kings.

For the Vision of the Witnesses Giving a Prophecy of 1260 days Prophecy in Sackcloth before People, Tongues, and Nations, (For before whom, They Lay Dead, They also Prophecy) which Course of Sackcloth Prophecy Seeming to be Interupted by the Reformation, and by the Kingdom of Christ Appearing, as in a pledge of it; John Sustaining the person of the Witnesses in Prophetick Type is made to Know; The Time of Sackcloth Pro­phecy by a Great part of the Witnesses was not past, but must upon that seeming Interruption (as in Vision only) Be­gin again, till the 1260 days quite Ended. Thus these Two Visions are Fitly Joynted one into Another at a just Point.

6. This Vision of the Reformation, and of the Witnesses Com­par'd together, sets the whole State of the Prophetical Time, with Relation to the Beastian Kingdom, and to the Suffering of the Holy People, Right, and Strait; and Keeps it Tight to its Just Epoch, or Beginning, and to its Period or End: which can no way be so Easily, and manifestly Assur'd as by this Vision.

For the Witnesses have 1260 days, wherein They must Pro­phecy in Sackloth; and the Woman, or Church in the Wilderness, as so united with the Witnesses, must needs have 1260 days also; and the Gentiles and the Beast 42 Months, Answering together the 1260 days as the Cause of the Witnesses and of the Churches Sufferings: These days, and Months on the Beasts part and on the Witnssees, and on the Cburches part are Can­ton'd into Three Times, and a Half; and for that Peculiar Reason already Given, call'd Three Days, and a Half on the Witnesses sole part; but from Parity of Reason must needs be the same with Time, Times, and a Half as hath been shown.

Who now can Believe with any show of Reason, that so many, and so distinct Characters of Time should be Given only to Crucifie search and Inquiry, by that Spirit, that hath Commanded us to Search Scripture; and that the Begin­ning, and the End of these Times can by no certain Test of this Prophecy be cettainly Known?

I Acknowledge, There are many other ways by which we may be Assur'd, as I have elsewere Argued; And it can­not according to Common Computation, from the very In­timations Prophecy Gives to Search, as High, as Constantine [Page 38] but be every day expected, The 1260 days should End, the Wit­nesses Rise, and Ascend, the Beastian Power and of his City Fall, and the Seventh Trumpet Sound to Finishing; Seeing by All Signs we Know; They must needs be near their End; and that They are not yet Ended; as by all things else, so parti­cularly by that, that the Turkish Woe is not yet Remov'd from Constantinople, nor from the Greek Churches; which is the most Loughty Pirami'd of Time, distinguishing betwixt the Sixth, and the Seventh Trumpet, that could be by Prophecy Given.

But what is there more plain than what I have now of­fer'd to Fix this whole Time? At no other Time, but Half Time Could the Oath, or the Reformation according to the Types of this Vision be; If then the Reformation be at the Half Time, and the Half Time at the Reformation; we must necessarily Know, how far back the Vision of the Witnesses must Run with all its Concurrents even to the Year of General Christian Ac­count 437. where also the First Trumpet Began, and so End at 1697. All which cannot be so Readily, plainly, and Demon­stratively, and to Full satisfaction Known, as by this Vision; So that with Admirable Conduct of the Divine Prophetick Spirit was It prefix'd to the Vision of the Witnesses, as Un­ridling the 42 Months, the 1260 days, and the Three days, and Half in it; and so Proportionably the same Times, As­sign'd to the Church, as the 42 Months; also to the Beast, and withal unlocking the Times of Daniel to us: viz. the Times, and Half Twice Given; and the 1290 and the 1335 days at the Time of Blessedness.

I cannot Find any place of doubt in this matter, Except we should Startle at dating the Reformation, and Half Time, so Early as Luthers Appearance at 1517. But if we Consider the undoubtedness of the Reformation Beginning in that Cloud, but as Big as a Mans Hand, and yet Going on so Continuedly; and that the very Earliest Time according to our Lords Re­surrection, while It was yet dark, is to be Taken, for the Angels Coming down, in Allusion Cloath'd in White, and as it were Rolling away the Stone from the Winesses Dead State, however Ʋnbury'd; sure our doubt must be Resolv'd, though the Kingdom of Christ took some Further Time to display its Appearance, and when deep Time was more Expir'd, as at that Solemn Protestation of the German Princes about Ten years after; where I Think, the End of deep Time, as in the First Retrencement [Page 39] of the Beasts Ʋniversal Monarchy is most conspicuously Fix'd; For Deep Time might have a place in Half Time, after Christ had sworn, Time of either sort could by the Oath be no longer Time according to the first Oath; that is, entire; For Deep Time, as it ought, was almost wholly spent, and Half Time at large was so impair'd as to be Half Time no longer: as hath been fully set out; and yet each might run out, whatever was left to either; which yet must needs be less then entire Time in the sense of that first Oath, even less then Time at large; much more so of deep Time, now almost wholly spent.

I come now to the Fourth Point or General Head of dis­course; that is, to consider, and to Argue according to the Types of this Vision, and according to matter of Fact, what must needs be the True Elevation of the Reformation; and wherein it all along ought to have born the Symbols of the King­dom of Christ and its appearance, according to such the True Elevation of it; and wherein also on the same Account, It must needs fall below the Types of that Kingdom, as Estopp'd, and Retir'd from its Appearance; and how long it must do so, and when there shall be a Reformation of the Reformation, and Protestation at its full dimensions: Or wehn the Witnesses Ri­sing, and Ascending on Mount Sion with the Lamb, shall give their Testimony with his Fathers Name written on their Fore­heads.

I begin then to Argue, that the Reformation according to its True Elevation ought to bear, and did bear the Types of the Kingdom of Christ.

1. The Reformation in its Fundamental Nature was, and is a disowning, and Ab-Renunciation of the power, and usur­pation of the Papacy, and of the pretended Catholicness of the Church of Rome.

And even as it was, so it ought to be by some of the Ten Kings, and States, that had been the defensive Horns of the Beast, that carried that Mystical Babylonish Woman and Whore, who made the Kings drunken with her Cup of Fornication, and so they gave their Kingdom, and Power to Him; But when their Hearts are turn'd to Hate the Whore, They Renounce the Beast also: And as it ought, so it did and hath come to pass in several States and Kingdoms, and particularly in these Kingdoms, to which we belong.

Now to make out, that this Ab-renunciation ought to bear the Types of the Kingdom of Christ making an Appearance, Two things according to Prophecy are to be remembred.

1. That this last State of the Roman Monarchy was compos'd of Feet, and Toes, part of Iron, part of Clay; that is, of the Ten Warlike Kings; and a Hierarchy of Cardinals, Archbishops Bi­shops, and the Spiritual Emperour, the Pope (a Spirituality falsly so call'd.) And these Two, the Iron, and the Clay mingle in­deed, but do not cleave; There is nothing therefore neces­sary to disolve this State, but the dis-union of these Two; or the Kings hating the Whore, and so giving no longer the Kingdom, and Power to the Beast, they had Given; And this is call'd taking away the Dominion of the Little Horn from Him, Dan. 2. 42. 43. with Dan. 7. 26. till it be Consumed unto the End. Shewing the thing is done by degrees, first at the Re­formation in a Beginning; then at the end of the 1260 days, when the Witnesses Rise, and Ascend; and by an utter Aboli­tion in the Glorious Appearance of Jesus Christ.

2. There can be nothing between this Renunciation of the Papacy and its Hierarchy, (when it shall be Universal,) and the Kingdom of Christ; so that whenever the first is, the Last must Immediately Follow, or Enter its Succession: So in Daniel, c. 2. c. 7. So in this Prorhecy, c. 19. If therefore the Renunciation could have been Universal and entire in the Ten Kings together; as by Reason of the Half Time Remain­ing It could not; It had been impossible the Kingdom of Christ should not have succeeded; Seeing then some of the dominion of the Little Horn was taken away by those of the Ten Kings Resuming their Power, who had before given it; There were most duely such Types of the Kingdom of Christ, as ready Immediately to Appear; viz. of a Mighty Angel coming down from Heaven, &c. and Crying as with the Roar of a Lyon.

2. The Reformation was a disengaging, and disencumbring of Christianity from the Abominable Idolatries, hateful Supersti­tions, Paganish Ignorance, many practical Impurities of that Nicolaitanism, and its Indulgences; as also lastly from the Af­fectation of a sensual, worldly Grandieur upon the Account of Christian Religion, even to that degree, as to turn it into a great Fable.

The Reformation was the Illuminating Christianity with its own Lustre, with its own native Beauties of Truth, Puri­ty of worship, Holiness of Action, Spirituality, and Heaven­liness; and thereby restoring it in some degree to it self, after it had been overgrown with Antichristianism, Corruption and Barbarity.

Upon this Account Seven Thunders in this Vision utter'd their Voices; That is, there were mighty Eruptions of Truth, and the sounds of it Heard a far; There were wonderful Purgations of the Christian Air from the black vapour, and Smoke of the Bottomless-Pit, that had darkned it, ever since the first Letting it out by the Key of that Fallen Star, the Apo­state Bishop of Rome: Such a Type as this of the Thunders was in the Grace of God an Honour Condigne to the Lightsome, and purer state, or dawn of his Kingdom in the Protestant Churches.

3. The Reformation hath brought forth very Remark­able Ministerial unsealings of the Book of the Kingdom; of the Prophesies of Scripture, especially of the Prophecy of Daniel, and of the Revelation; Among whom I cannot forbear to Name Mr. Meede, [...]r. More, Mounsieur Jurieu, Dr. Burnet the most Worthy Master of the Charter-House, in t [...]at his Admirable late Theory of the New Heavens and the New Earth and of the Conflagration before it; and the just now appearing Dr. Cressener, besides many others of deserved Estimation.

And I hope General Report does not deceive as general Expectation, and desire, that a most Judicious, and Learn­ed Bishop is giving further Light to the Churches in so Grand a Point, as of the Apocalyptical Prophecy so solemnly di­rected to them.

Upon this Aceount then in subordination to that higher one of the Kingdom Advanc'd so near its Appearance; the Book was Held open in the Hand of the Angel; viz. that Book of the Kingdom, commanded to be Seal'd, Dan. 12. 4. Receiv'd seal'd from the Hand of Him, that Sate on the Throne by the Lamb, Revel. 5. 7. Gradually open'd c. 6. c. 7. and now shewn Open in the Angels Hand.

4. The Reformation was at the Half Time or Morning of the Half day; There must be then in proportion to the Rising of our Lord the Third day, while It was yet dark, some motion to the Rising of the Witnesses; as we know hath come to pass, in [Page 42] the Protection, and Patronage of so many Eminent ministers of Christ; Preachers, and writers under puissant Princes, and States; who have secured them in the publication of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with all the displays of Eloquence, Free Reason, and Admirable Learning in general; and also particularly detecting, and exposing the Frauds, the Cheats, the Impurities, the Irrationalities, the Unlearnednesses, as well as Antiscripturisms and Antichristianisms of the Roman Apostacy.

And They have not been only Secur'd, but set in Honor, and had in Great Veneration, and Esteem; while their Ene­mies have even Beheld it with Terror, though so much short of the Rising and Ascension of the Witnesses in a Clou'd, that shall be.

And That there should be such a Beginning of the Wit­nesses Rising, The Three days, and Half doe, as Types of it Ab­solutely, as I have shewn, Require; For it is too poor, and private a design for Providence, to Confine so Great Events, as the Death, Exposal, and Rising of the Witnesses to so Stint­ed a Term, as Three Years, and a Half, neither more nor Less; only for the sake of Conformity to the Larger spaces of 1260 days 42 Months, and Three Times and a Half; Each determin'd to a Ternary, or Three and a Half; And It cannot be suppos'd without a particular designation of Providence, so vast, and so narrow spaces, as 1260 Years, and but Three Years and a Half should Chime so Exactly, not only in the Threes, but in the Halfs also; which would be much below the majesty, both of Providence and of Prophecy to take care of; But the Prophe­tical Platform is very Great, if Expounded, as I have just now done.

Further, as if there was an Eye of the Witnesses Coming out of their very Sackcloth, and that there was an Interruption of that Mournful Prophecy, John is Commanded to Prophecy again.

And thus we have seen the Light, or Bright side of the Pillar, that hath Conducted us so far out of Spiritual Egypt; And It calls to mind the Coming of some of the Captivity from Ba­bilon with an offering of Gold to the House of the Lord, of which Zeck. 6 9. Crowns of both the Royalty, and of the Priesthood, to unite in the Great Melchisedeck, were made, and set on the Head of Joshua, the High Priest of that Time; and the Crowns were to Remain, as Memorials in the House of the Lord to those Offer­ers; [Page 43] though both the Priest-hood, and the Royalty were in a low Condition, until the coming of Christ in the Flesh, and his Ascention in the Spiritual Glory; and much longer, till the Appearance of both in the new Jerusalem.

Even Thus, The coming of some Reformed Princes, and Church­es out of Mystical Babilon was Honour'd with these Types of the Kingdom, that Remain as Memorials in the Temple of this Prophecy to them; though the Kingdom it self be not in it so much as its Finiture for Glory, till the End of the Half Time.

And therefore still In Relation to that Half Time we are ob­lig'd to Consider the Dark side of the Pillar, whose Shade in­deed Falls especially upon the Egyptions, the Resolved Vota­ries of Antichrist; and the mixed Multitude of the Reformation; and those of the Synagogue of Satan, who say, They are Jews, and best Reformed, but are not, but doe lye; All which are Pore-Blind, and cannot see afar off, nor look to the Glory that is to be Reveal'd; which is to them a Land that is very Far off, out of their Ken, and Belief: But alass, Even the Churches and Servants of Christ are Envelop'd, and Cover'd, and Kept Low; waiting for that Glory, that is to be Revealed, and yet Hidden by the Courseness of the Remaining Time of Sackcloth; And they are Themselves too much in the dark by it, as to their own present State, and with regard to the Illustriousness of that which is so near to Ensue, and of which there are Generally so very small Sentiments.

But indeed, If the Thing were to be Consider'd only in Reason; It could not be Suppos'd, that so Great a work, as the Reformation was; if measur'd, and Compar'd with the State of the Papacy, and that Thick, and Vast Picce of Night be­fore it; should be left so Imperfect by Christ Jesus the Truly Chief Bishop, and Shepard of his Church, as also the Prince of the Kings of the Earth, and more especially, when we duely ob­serve the stout Resistance, and Vehement Motion, That Anti, christian Policy both in the Beast, or Papacy it self, as also by the Remainder of the Ten Kings hath made to a self Resti­tution; the Great Effect of an Impenitency, that is Represented like that of Pharoahs, and which is Rais'd up, made to stand up, as a Rock against God; and that maintins to the Last an Antitypy or Repercussion, and bold Resistance to the very Plagues and Vials power'd out; and therefore may well be understood [Page 44] to Resist the Reformation, as Jannes and Jambres did Moses be­fore the Plagues themselves, that Follow'd:

But what Reason then have we to expect, that God will not give over, till he hath Cast that Beast and its Rider into the Red Sea of the Everlasting Burnings; and till Babilon and the Papacy that carries her, sink as a Stone, and as Lead into the Lake of Fire? and till He also bring his Servants of the Reformation into that purity, and perfection of it, to sing the Song of Moses and of the Lamb, and to behold the Temple of the Tabernacle of Testimony Open'd in Heaven.

But yet in the mean Time, and for that little Remaining space of the 180 Days, or Half Time and day,

It is our Duty to Humble our selves to behold the Refor­mation, as It Bears the Types of the Kingdom of Christ in Retire­ment, and Estoppage according to this Vision.

But because, This is a very Nice, and Tender point, and I am most sensible of it; Least I should Offend against the Ge­neration of The Righteous, while yet I present the truth of things agreeable with the Divine-Oracles; and with a due Regard to the Reformation of the Reformation Assur'd to us; I will heed­fully; 1. Lay down together; as in a Table the Types of the Kingdom in Estoppage, as they are found in this Vision: 2. I will search out for a Correspondent Representation of the Reformation in the Vision of the Churches; haveing first Argued It ought to be so done: 3. I will Endeaver to Argue both ac­cording to this Vision, and according to the Vision of the Churches, that the Kingdom of Christ is, even in the Reformation, under a Suspension, till the End of Half Time, and the Fuller Rising of the Witnesses; on which the Finishing of the Seventh Trumpet shall Immediately press on: And least as I say I should Offend against, or Condemn the Generation of Gods Children, I will be careful to Ballance the Remaining Vertue of each Type of the Kingdom of Christ in Appearance (which sustains the Reformation to be the Reformation still; notwithstanding that Estoppage) with the Types of the Kingdom of Christ in Estoppage; and this I will Endeavour in the Arguing on each Type of Estoppage, to doe, that no shade may be without its Light.

• [Page 45]1. The Types of Estop­page are.
  • 1. The Kingdom Appearing, yet not in its Succession.
  • 2. The Thunders Words Seald.
  • 3. The Open Book Enclos'd in the Pro­phets Bowels, with which is to be Joyn'd.
  • 4. The Commission to Prophecy again.
• 2. That there are Churches among the Apocalyptical Septena­ry, or Seven of Churches, that Bear a Parallel Symbol of the Reformation with this Vision, is next to be Argu'd.

And the Arguments I shall Insist upon, are these Two.

Argum. 1. If the Seven Churches are a First Tome of this Pro­phecy of the Revelation, whch Runs along with the After Visi­ons, both in Time, and in the Brief Character of each Time, with strict Relation to the Church of Christ; Then certainly the Reformation that is so peculiar a Concern to the Church of Christ, and that hath so particular a Visson, as hath been Insisted, must have a Resemblance in those Churches.

And that the Churches are such a First Tome, I very Briefly Argue, Because It is not the Proper Business of this place.

1. There are Two distinct notes prefix'd to Each, that are not Found in the whole Prophecy besides. 1. The Voice of a Trumpet Talking, or Speaking singly, and Solely to the Atoca­lyptical Apostle. 2. His Being in the Spirit; Both these we Find first before the Vision of the Churches, c. 1. 10. and so before the Vision of the Seald Book, c. 4. 1. 2. And neither of them are found any more, either together, or so much as single in the whole Prophecy after. The Excellent Mr. Mede Endevor'd, but very Succeslesly, to have found the Trumpet Speaking to John in the Vision, c. 10. 8. and therefore would have Sup­ply'd the words (as of a Trumpet) to the Text, that have no shade in it; Reading thus, And the Voice which I heard from Heaven as of a Trumpet again Spoke to me, and said, Take the Book, &c. And if so, There had yet wanted the other note of distinction, viz. of the Apostles being in the Spirit; But indeed his whole Foundation is mistaken. For neither doth the Book Prophecy begin here; as shall presently Appear; Nor does the Voice from Heaven Refer so far off, but very Close; For the Voice from Heaven in this very same Vision, c 10. v. 4. Bid him first Seal the Thunders; Then, as of the same design, It again Bids him Take the Book, and Eat it, v. 8.

I confess it is wonderful, that that Admirable Apocalyptic Interpreter, to whom God gave to see so much, did not see this; But God gives, as he pleases; Blessed be his name for All.

Here then are the Two Tomes of Prophecy; The Church-Prophecy; And the Book-Prophecy, beginning in the Seals, and going on to the end; Mr. Mede excellently divin'd at Two Apocalyptical Tomes, and one of the Book-Prophecy; but did not rightly fix on the Two; missing the first, and misplacing the second.

Now if these Two, the Churches and the sealed Book are only Two distinct Visions, and not two Tomes of Prophecy, why are these Two peculiar Notes found here, and no where else? And if the Churches were not Prophetic, why are All the Prophetic Solemnities plac'd upon them?

2. There is great reason, the Vision of the Churches should be Prophetic; For seeing the Kingdom of Christ is a General As­sembly and Church of the first Born, and a Sanctuary cleans'd; And also a Church enfolded in a Dominion given under the whole Heaven; There is Reason, so great a Prophecy should have Types suitable to each; So that the first Tome is strictly the Prophecy of the Kingdom, under the Type of the Churches separately; and the latter is the Book Prophecy of the State of the Kingdom of Christ, under the Type of Empire, but always Inclusive of the State of his Church within it.

Argum. 2. The Agreement betwixt the Symbols of some of the Churches, and of the Reformation in this Visiom so ad­mirable as we shall find Argues a Parallel.

If then the Churches run along with the Prophecy, They are to be distributed into these four Classes, or Ranks of Time.

1. Before the Apostasie, and Beastian Kingdom; And those Churches are Ephesus, 1. As in its pure Apostolic State, when the Voice of the Gospel was as Thunder in the Opening of the First seal: 2. As Gradually it Lost its first Love, by the First workings of the Mystery of Iniquity.

And the Church of Smyrna, when it summ'd up the Christian Martyrdoms under the Pagan Emperors, and then receiv▪d the Crown of Life in an Emblem under the Christian Empire; but all its Time the Mystery of Iniquity was Rising to a more Au­thoritative Synagogue of Sathan.

[Page 47] 2. The Churches under the Apostasie, or the Churches of the Witnesses; Pergamus, under the entire Night-piece of the Time, and Two Times of the Beastian Kingdom; or of Balaam and Ba­lac the Beast, and his Hierarchy the False Prophet, and the Ten Kings; when the true Church could not make a Separation, but Had Them of Balam: And Thyatyra, that is under a necessity to suffer the Jezebelian Idolatrous Church, because of the Potish Princes to this very day, ruling over them, and too often with great Tyranny; and so shall continue more, or less till the end of the 1260 days, or Time, even Half Time, be in Ab­solute sense no more, but the Witnesses fully Rise.

3. The Churches under the Vision of the Reformation; where the Princes have Renunciated to the Beast, and his Usur­pataion. And they are Sardis, and Philadelphia; Philadelphia first in a low state, when it hath small strength; and many would shut its door that Christ had set open to it, before the Succession of the Kingdom of Christ; and then the Higher state of Philadelphia, when They of the Synagogue of Sathan shall worship at its Feet; that is, all Churches shall fall into Union with it; and the New Jerusalem comes down upon it.

4. The Church of Laodicea is Admirably Adjusted to the Little Time of Sathan Loos'd, as were it not out of the proper Bounds of this Prophecy, and so of this discourse, reaching onely to the Thousand Years, might be made out.

And thus far I have laid the general Ground-work of discourse on the Types, from which we are to judge of the Suspension of the Kingdom of Christ during this low state of the Reformation.

I come therefore in the third place to argue upon this Foundation the Kingdom of Christ in a Suspension.

Argum. 1. I Argue first from the Types of the Angels Ap­pearance, as if the Kingdom of Christ was just then breaking out in Glory; But it is most evident, that these Types are not Types, that imported a Kingdom of Christ in any more then a pre-appearance in this Vision; This is most express in Prophecy.

For this Vision is plainly before the Seventh Trumpet, as I have beyond Contradiction prov'd from the Notes of Estop­page of Finishing, which is to be in the days of that Trum­pet; But it is the Seventh Trumpet, in which the Succession is proclaim'd; Then it is c. 11. 15. that there are heard Loud [Page 48] Voices in Heaven, Saying, The Kingdoms of this World are be­come the Kingdoms of the Lord, and of his Christ; and not be­fore.

These Types of Glory are therefore Types of the Kingdom, as it shall be in the days of the Seventh Trumpet, not as now in the Reformation: These Types therefore wait the Seventh Trumpet for their Complement, and are not yet come into Act, and Life; How then stands the Estoppage? Why, we are to consider, what it is, the Kingdom of Christ hath its Succession to; and as hath been already declar'd; It is to the Feet of Iron and to the Feet of Clay, or to the Ten war­like Kings, and to the Papacy, and its Hierarchy.

As to the first, the Feet of Iron; The Kingdom of Christ hath certainly yet had no Succession, where the Princes, and States have not yet withdrawn their Kingdom and Power from the Beast: But under all such Powers according to the Types of the Church, the Church of Thyatyra is forc▪d to suffer Je­zebel, and is therefore so highly commended for its Service, and Patience, or Suffering, as well as Faith and Charity; and while it is reprov'd in a Type for suffering Jezebel, yet the Fate of that Idolatrous Queen, (if I may so speak) is related to it; And it hath no other Burden put upon it but to Hold fast, till Christ comes in his Kingdom; and its Last works are Foretold to be Greater, then the First; viz. in the First Re­formation; That it shall with Christ Rule the Nations with a Rod of Iron, and see the Morning star of his Kingdom.

It is no wonder therefore, that so many of the Servants of Christ have been under so great Tyranny; as not long since in Hungary, in France, in the Savoy yet continuing; in Ireland heretofore; and now, under the Inquisition in Italy, Spain, and other places: Thus It ought to be more or less, that Prophecy might be Fulfill▪d; until the Witnesses fully Rise and As­cend, and the Tenth, the Hicrolyphic of the Great City, fall by the rest of the Ten Kings falling off from it, But yet from them, we are now to expect Greater works for the Kingdom of Christ, then even those, when Princes and States and Churches with them first flung off the Yoke of Antichrist.

In those Kingdoms, Nations, and States where the Whore is Hated; It must with all Reverence, Honour, Fear and duty to the Supreme and Subordinate Powers over them, as Beloved, and Partakers of the Benefit be yet Acknowledg'd; [Page 49] The Glory of Christ does not shine out in their Government, as It shall do at the end of Half Time; All Men now seek their own, and not the Things of Jesus Christ; The Philadelphian State most valewed by Christ hath little strength from them; that is, only so far, as they with it are separated from Rome; But at the Half Time ended and in the Succession of Christ Kingdom, Even Princes, their Nobles, Chief Counsellers and Ministers of State shall seek to Christ, as their Sovereign Lord; and in Spirit as Da­vid did his Son, Call him Lord, and not only at the Low Rate of present profession; The power of Christianity shall be the Highest Loyalty, Honor, and Interest.

But now in Ballance to this, and to give the Light with the shade; As when the Manly Birth was Caught up to the Throne of God, The Name of Christ became Imperial, and how­ever wrap'd up in Antichristianism could never, shall never be depos'd; so in the Protestant Kingdoms and States Repriz'd from Antichrist, There shall be no Reversal of those Royal Appear­ances in this Vision.

And I am most Assur'd, Our late King James stumbled at this Rock of Offence, viz. A design of Refunding his King­doms to the Be [...]st, which had so often Avowed their Princes under God, and Christ, Supreme Governors; and on which accord­ing to the Types of this Vision, Christ had in Token of his Right set his Right and his Lest Foot.

Intentions therefore made so manifest by that Crowned Head, so contrary to this Appearing Kingdom of Christ were so vindicat­ed, as by an Immediate Hand from Heaven; as we have seen; In which Light of Prophecy, It were much to be desir'd, All the Conscientiously dissatisfied might behold the present Juncture.

And yet all this notwithstanding, It is Evident; The King­dom of Christ is in Abatement, even in Relation to the Re­formed Powers; For were but one of them Inspir▪d with that very Magnanimity, where with the Kingdom of Christ in its Suc­cession shall Inform them All; He would be as David, and David as an Angel of God, so that all the Popish Force in the World should not be able to stand before him: But It is the want of the truly Philadelphian Spirit, and an Eye to him, that hath the Key of David, that keeps the Reformed States Low: So much of the Sardian Glory, of this Worlds policy, and small Regard to the Kingdom of Christ, Hangs yet upon them; yet even this shade hath its Light, in order to that Glory that [Page 50] is to come; There are Ʋndefiled Names in Sardis, that shall walk with Christ in White with those Armies of Heaven; Al­though they are yet but Low; And especially the Philadel­phian State is drawing near, when the more defiled State of Sardianism shall be Reformed also.

I come now to the Second part of the Beastian Kingdom, to which the Kingdom of Christ is to succeed; and that is, the Feet of Clay; the Cadinals and other parts of the Roman Hierarchy, or the False Prophetism; the Falsly call'd Spiritual Powers, undivided from the Beast, the Spiritual Emperor, or Caesar in an Image; For the making of which Image by the Inhabitants of the Earth, the other Beast, who is also the False Prophet, wrought Miracles be­fore the Grand Beast: as Appears by Revel. 13. 11, &c. Com­par'd with Revil. 19. 20.

Now this Hierarchy is; being Interpreted, or by Interpreta­tion; Holy Rule, or Dominion deriv'd from, and of the same nature, and Blasphemous Cognomination, as his Holiness the Pope; And we know, the Reformation hath not yet brought forth the Kingdom of Christ in Succession; Because This Hie­rarchy hath place in so many of the Ten Kingdoms at this day, and is puting in practice the Depths of Satan in his now Ancient Kingdom against Thyatyra, or the Protestant Churches un­der Popish Princes; and as far further as it can Reach in de­spight of the Reformation.

But Blessed be God, (which Inlightens this shade) we have seen the Counsels of them, who work so deep as it were, to hide them from the Lord, Esteem'd as the Potters Clay, easily turn'd into another Mould; And so it shall be, till the Beast, and his False Prophet the Hierarchy are taken, and Cast into the Lake together.

But we must further yet examine, how far even the Re­formed Church-Power, or Holy Rule is in Abatement of the King­dom of Christ; and that even in regard of that, It plainly Ap­pears, It cannot be yet in Succession.

Now this Point of discourse will, I foresee, lanch immedi­ately into a deep Consideration of the Prophetic Figures of the Churches, and so into the present State of the Reformed Churches under the Princes of the Reformation.

Here especially therefore, I would be most tender, and cautious of Offending against any of the Generation of the Re­formed; I will therefore keep most close to the Symbols of Pro­phecy; [Page 51] and by laying them together, or comparing Spiritual Things with Spiritual, endeavour to find the just Standard of the Sanctuary; without set Aplication to any particular Orders, or Names of Men, as the Prophecy speaks; But where the Ap­plication will seem obvious of it self; I must Humbly, and Earnestly Beg, Respect may be had to the Duct and Gui­dance of Prophecy, and not to the mean and unworthy Ex­positor; who is sincere from all design and Intention of Offending.

To come then to that, which is Truly the Intention, and design; that is, to find out the mind, and Judgment of Prophecy concerning the present state of the Reformation; that we may with all Humility compose our selves to what is most Approved by it: These following Remarks are to be duely weigh'd, arising from a Collation of the Types of Estop­page of the Kingdom of Christ as given in the foregoing Ta­ble of them.

1. The Kingdom of Christ makes its way by the Seven Thun­ders: For immediately, as out of the Open Book and the Cry of the Gloriously Appearing Angel, Symbols of his Kingdom Appear­ing, Seven Thunders utter their Voices, or speak their Voices.

2. The Thunders had as it were a general, and unform'd sound, and Articulate, and distinct words. For there were the Voices of the Thunders, and the Things, the Thunders spake; which John was about to write, and was Commanded not to write but to Seal.

3. When the Kingdom of Christ was Estopp'd in the Appear­ances; the first thing that was done by way of Estoppage, was the Sealing of the Thunders; For the Book as enclos'd, and re­tir'd into Secresie is Transpos'd out of its order; It was seen Open before the Thunders spake; But it is enclos'd after the Thunders seal'd, and after the Oath; Intimating, how long they should be seal'd; even till the days of the Seventh Angel sound­ing, and then no longer; For then Finishing ensued: Now this order teaches us, when the Book was open, the Services of the Thunders were required; But when the Services of the Thunders were suspended; The Book must have also a Co-Temporary enclosure, and Prophecy be continued so long also; as shall after be further clear'd, as to the reason of it, Funda­mentally resting in the Book, and declaratively (and so conse­quentially) in the Thunders seal'd.

[Page 52] 4. The Thunders must needs be Reserv'd under their Seals till the Seventh Trumpet, when the Mystery or Kingdom shall be in Finishing; For because the Kingdom made an Appearance, They spake, or Ʋttered their Voices; But because Finishing should not be till the Seventh Trumpet, They were Seal'd; So their service attends Finishing.

5. Seeing then, as I have argued, the Churches are Co-Temporary, and run along with the whole Prophecy; In whatever Church State of the Reformation we find Finishing, there the Thunders must have had the fullest effect, when they did utter their Voices, though what they distinctly spake, was after seal'd; and in that Church state also they must be unseal'd, because there Finishing is to be.

6. The Church of the Reformation, that bears the most clear and evident Characters of Finishing the Mystery in the Sanctu­ary cleans▪d, and of the Kingdom of Christ, is the Philadelphian Church; For that hath a Door open'd to it by the Key of David, that cannot be shut: That hath a Crown; That hath above all, the Names, saith Christ, of my God, and of the New Jeru­salem the City of my God, that cometh down from my God out of Heaven, and my new Name. All which we know are found in the ultimate Finishing of the Mysteuy, c. [...]9. cap. 21. c. 22.

It is true indeed, the Overcomers, of every Church have promises deriv'd from the New Jerusalem state; but none so High and Orient, or so Intimately conjoyn'd with the Church state it self, as Philadelph; as were it not too long for the present purpose might be made out, though very visible of it self.

7. Seeing the Thunders are so serviceable to the Kingdom; The Church of the Reformation of the clearest, and most un­balm'd Acceptance with Christ, must have most of the power of the Thunders. Now Thyatyra is blam'd, tho' only in Type, for suffering Jezebel; Shewing it was not, nor would be of that Mighty vertue, Elevation and Power as to cast her quite out; while oppressed by Popish Princes; though it se­parated from it; Because the Time was not yet come, else it had been not a small, but a great thing against it; Its last works would yet be greater towards Jezebels casting out, then of the first Reformation; which last works so great are there­fore to be expected suddenly from among those Reformed Churches, though yet they are suffering under Popish Powers. [Page 53] And then All Thyatyra shall fall into the Philadelphian Church, having held fast, what it had till the coming of Christ, that is till the succession of his Kingdom: The Church of Sardis is, except in the undefiled Names blam'd throughout. The Phi­ladelphian Church is alone Illustrated with the un-allayed Commendations of Christ vouchsaf'd to it; That then must have most of the Thunders.

8. Seeing what words the Thunders spake were seal'd, there must needs be a lower, and a higher state, even of the Phi­ladelphian Church; a lower, while the Thunders words are seal'd; a higher, when they are unseal'd; some things therefore in the Character of Philadelphia speak it in a state of conflict, viz. till the Seventh Trumpet and the succession of Christs Kingdom; Some things speak it in a state of Exaltation, as in that Kingdom in its Succession; and as of the Witnesses rising on Mount Sion, and the Thunders fully unseal'd.

9. The Sardian so imperfect, or Faded state of, and in the Reformation, does, as it must, and according to this Frame of things ought, shew, that the Thunders did not make the due dint, and Impression upon it, as we shall see.

10. The Impression of the Sardian state, will be best un­derstood by the opposition, it carries to the Graces of the Philadelphian state, even now in its Conflict; And so the unde­filed Names of the Church of Sardis may be also understood by their Agreement with the Graces of the Philadelphian Church; Because it is so much the Pattern.

11. These things are strictly, and critically to be applyed to the Church-states, and not to particular persons; but as they are vitally inspir'd by the Truly Philadelphian graces; or deeply, and viciously Immers'd in the Sardian defilements; For there may be Hypocrites even in the Philadelphian, and there may be in the Sardian Church overcomers, that surmount the state, wherein they are involv'd, in Holiness, and in the vertues of the Thunders upon their Hearts, and Lives, as I may be allowed here to speak.

For though all these Types of Prophecy are to be stripp'd out of the Ciphar, and Figure, into plain practical Truths, and documents by our Minds; yet in discourses upon them, It is very decent to speak according to the Laws of Prophe­tical Iconism, and Imagery; as leading to those spiritual senses included in them.

[Page 54] 12. The Kingdom of Christ making its way by mighty pow­ers of Truth, symbol'd by these Thunders sounds; And these Thunders having been us'd by God to produce the Reformed Churches; and of several Elevations according to the deeper dints, and Impressions, or participation of these Thunders in their general, only, or particular distinct sounds; All this having been already lay'd down, it may be very necessary that we may judge the better of the state of the Reformed Churches to consider, and Contemplate these Thunders in their most distinct, and Articulate speakings: For it is certain, tho' they were sealed in this Vision, yet they are to be found in a Vision of this Prophecy under the Sevenih Trumpet, that is to Finish to the Kingdom of Christ in Glory.

And further, there are some things in them, that are to be aspir'd to by the Churches of the Reformation now; Tho' there are others to be waited and prayed for at the end of the Half Time, or at that Seventh Trumpet; By a very brief prospect over them as they lye before us, c. 14. I shall there­fore so Represent them.

Thunder 1. The first Thunder is, the, as it were, new Song played, or Harped to the 144000, or the Witnesses appear­ing v. 1, &c. on Mount Zion with the Fathers Name on their Foreheads. Now this Song, because it is only, as a New song is to be un­derstood, as the highest Key of Gospel Truth, even that great Song of Redemption; For it was learn't by the Redeemed from the Earth; who are in the purest, and most separate state from the Apostasie; For they are Virgins, not defiled with women, the Sym­bol of the Whoredoms of Babylon; They are resign'd up per­fectly to thc Lamb; Following him, wherever he goes; They are Redeem'd from among men, from the common state of Mankind; and are the first Fruits to God, and to the Lamb; that is the Philadelphian state in its Heighth; before the New Jerusalem comes down upon it; and there is no Guile, no Antichristian falshood in their Mouths, but they are without any blame before Gods Throne; This is the highest Philadelphian state of the Reformation Reform'd; at the Rising of the Witnesses, at the end of Half Time, and of the 1260 days, when the Thunders shall be unseal'd; This state indeed cannot be attain'd yet; But the greatest participations of it are in the present Philadelphian state, and yet in every thing possible, it is to be aspir'd to by all the Reform'd.

Thund. 2. The second Thunder, or Loud voice is of that new v. 6. mission, that is to communicate men with the Everlasting Gospel: or which is the same though in other words with the Mystery, viz. the Kingdom of Christ, which God Evangeliz'd, or Gospel'd by all the Prophets now in Finishing; and with the duties of fearing God, who is the Creator of the universe, that was first Canton'd out by the Pagans to several Deities; then by the Antichristians to several Saints; This New mission we are not able to erect, but he will instruct it, when the Time appointed by him comes: Yet herein also we are to make the nearest Approach we can.

To shew an order of Voices or Thunders, This, though the first Angel is call'd Another: Because it was Another, or the second Voice, though the first Angel.

Thund. 3. Conjoyn'd with this universal Preacher is the v. 8. second Angel proclaiming Babylon fallen, even that Babylon, that at that Time Reign'd over the Kings of the Earth, and is born up by the Papacy to this day; This is then to be spo­ken with a full Voice, which many Reform'd have been scru­pulous hitherto in declaring; But then it shall be pronoun­ced with the Voice of Thunder, and it is united, as it were in one, with the Voice of the Everlasting Gospel; that the Hour of his Judgment, or Government is come; Because if Babylon had not been fallen, the Hour of his Kingdom could not have been come; For the Kingdom of Christ waits for that fourth Monarchy, and its Babylon falling. And because the Half Time was ended and Christ had sworn, there should be no more Time, but that Half Time expiring; therefore Babylon must needs have fallen in its principality: And this is a doctrine, wherein the Reformation must needs be in a great measure clear; That Antichristian Rome is Babylon, because of the high separation from it; Yet it needs more clear Elocution; That Baby­lon is actually fallen, needs the Confirmation of this Thunder unseal'd, e're it can be so said; The Voice therefore of this Angel comes in, as a Reason, why the hour of his Judgment or Kingdom is come, because Babylon is fallen; This Thunder then issues out of the fall of that Tenth of the Great City fallen; that is, the Hierogliphic of the whole Fallen, and from the Loud voices of the seventh Trumpet; The Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ; and till this Trumpet, the Philadelphian Church arises not into its own heighth.

Thund. 4. Immediately upon the Fall of the City, (the Third v. 9. Angel Expresses a certain order, Another and Another, and a Third making a Fourth) For the First Another, must have one before it of the same kind; not Angel, but Voice or Thunder Ʋnseal'd; And this Fourth Voice Denounces the Dreadfulness of the Judgment upon the Worshippors of the Beast. The Beast that Carries the City, and the City cannot be divided; and so one follows Close on the other: But the Doctrine of this Thunder did not now begin to be true, But in the opening of these Thunders It is now first fully Proclaim'd; And the whole state of things, which cannot now, shall then Proclaim it; Yet it had been Declar'd; Those who wonder after the Beast, and worship his Image, had not their Names written in the Lambs Book of Life; and to the same purpose, all along the Prophecy, we meet with Instructions of their danger, and Doom.

Thund. 5. The Fifth Voice from Heaven, of Thunder, Teaches the Blessedness of the First Resurrection; Concerning v. 13. which, the Spirit (in a parenthesis) says; It is just now at Hand or from hence forth according to Revel. 20. Even of all the Dead in Christ, whom God will bring with Him, 1. Thess. 4. 14.

Thund. 6. The Sixth is an Earnest Supplication to the Crowned Lord of the Harvest for the Reaping the Earth, or Ga­thering v. 15. the whole Harvest of the World by the Abundance of the Jews and of the Gentiles Converted; And this Petition is declared Heard, and Answered; For the Earth was Reap'd; which shows the mighty power of this Thunder Ʋnseal'd.

7. Thund. The last dreadful Thunder is the Treading of the v. 18. Wine-press of the wrath of Almighty God in Vengance on his Ene­mies; Their Wine and Clusters are of Sodom, and their Grapes the Grapes of Gomorrah; according to that Ancient Prophecy of Moses. Deut. 32. 32,

These Three last Thunders call for Earnest prayers, and free Supplications; which is all we can do, and the more we do so, the Higher we are in the Reformation; but however till these Thurnders are in action, the Kingdom of Christ is Estop'd.

Now in these Thunders Seald; It is most Evident, the King­dom of Christ must be under Suspension; For seeing Christs Kingdom mov's not by outward Force, or at least not by out­ward Force Alone, but by the mighty power of Divine Truth; How can it be otherwise, but that while such migh­ty and wonderful Truths, and Concernments of his Kingdom, [Page 57] as these were Restrain'd in the Sealed Thunders; the Kingdom must be Estop'd; And when these Thunders are Open'd; The Kingdom cannot but be in its mighty Activity of Succession, and in order to its Glory: And with a Fore-sight of this migh­ty Voice of God in the power of Truth to be Resembled by Thunders, I cannot but think; David in a whole Psalm, Cele­brates Psal. 29. Thunders, as the Voice of God in many mighty Effects.

Having thus fully Remark'd on the Types of the Thunders, I now come in the second place in due order to consider the Church-State in the Reformation, Succeeding the Feet of Clay; and that more particularly under Reformed Princes, and States; ac­cording to the second Type, joyn'd with the Third; that is, the Book, that was Open in the Hand of the Angel, and after Retir'd, and Enclos'd; and thereupon a Commission to Pro­phecy again; And therein I am to shew, that in it there is a clear Signification; The Reformation is but in an Imperfect State, as yet: and that It shall certainly at the End of Half Time, be, as it were a new Reformation.

The Type of the Book is therefore diligently to be consider'd; For it is the Book of the Kingdom Seal'd at the Death of Christ, when Vision, and Prophecy were Seal'd: The Seales were Gradually open'd under the Pagan Emperors by the Blood of the Lamb, by the word of his Testimony, by his Saints not Loving their Lives unto Death, as hath been already Discoursed: and the Seals were all Ʋnsealed in the Christian Empire, when the Kingdom of o [...]r God came into Appearance. But then the whole Course of the Six Trumpets, and of the Antichristian State, which were Lamentation, Mourning, and Woe, were written in it, within, and without, as in Ezekiels Roll; All which were to have their Course, before It Open'd into the Kingdom.

At the Morning of the Half Time, There remain'd nothing written, but the Remaining part of the Witnesses Sackcloth Pro­phecy; before the Kingdom of Christ would be in Succession by the Witnesses Rising, and its Grand Concurrents, at the Seventh Trumpet Sounding, when the Book would be fully Open: So near therefore to the Fulfilling of all things written in the Book, and at the Remaining of none of the Time, Times, or so much as Half Time Entire; The Angel had the Book Open in his Hand.

And as it were out of the Book, wherein the Kingdom was written, He makes the Loud Cry of that his Kingdom, as the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah; and so out of that Cry from that Book, the Thunders derived the things, They spoke in order [Page 58] to that Kingdom; The Kingdom and the Book of the King­dom being always the same.

But when the Thunders words, as they are call'd, Dan. 12. 9. and in this Prophecy (The things which they spake) were Commanded to be Seal'd; which was the first stay of the King­dom, after this its Appearance; And when the Angel had Sworn the utmost Time of this Estoppage viz. Till the Seventh Trumpet; Then the Book it self, from whence the Thunders were taken by the Mediation of the Angels Cry, was convey­ed into Secrecy also; And this Secrecy was the Belly of the Prophet; And a Commission was given to Prophecy again, with this Express signification; John sustaining the person of the Witnesses, whose History of whole Prophecy for 1260 days Immediatly Ensu'd, ought to Prophecy again; viz. In regard of the Remaining part of the 1260 days, or Half Time.

And so this was to signifie; The Time of the delay of the Kingdom was during the Remainder of the Witnesses Prophecy, and so during the Remainder of the 1260 days; and so the Book Conceal'd, and Prophecy out of, or according to it conti­nue together, till they Open in the Witnesses Rising, and Ascen­sion just before the Seventh Trumpet; And then the Kingdom of Christ is in its Succession, so Prophecy ceases in Finishing; and the Book of the Kingdom, and the Kingdom open together by the Witnesses open and Ʋnsealed Testimony, and Ministration of the Thunders Ʋnsealed also; when the 144000 Appear with the Lamb on Mount Zion.

This is the true History of the Sealed Book, become as in Symbol a Little Book in this Vision, by so much being Ful­fil'd; which Book in the Seals of it, in the things writen in it, within, and without, are of the same measure with the whole Apocelyptick Prophecy; But the Kingdom being so near at the Re­formation, it was held Open, and then Enclos'd; At the Succession of the Kingdom of Christ, It shall be fully Open, and so lye Open for Ever.

And thus there is indeed the Book Prophecy distinct from the Church Prophecy; But it must needs begin at the Seals; For the Opened Seals were Essential to the Kingdom, so to the Book of the Kingdom, and so to the Prophecy of the Kingdom accord­ing to the Book: And there can be no difference between the Book; c. 5. and c. 10. Except its being call'd a Little Book, which [Page 59] is no difference, but most Agreeable to the Symbol of so much of it Fulfil'd, as was just now noted; So the Remainer was Little.

Now that which will Redound to us from this Type of the Book Open, and then Enclos'd, as in Relation to the Kingdom of Christ; is.

1. That there was a necessity of the Sealing the Thunders; For such mighty powers of the World to come, in the display of themselves, must needs have brought forth the Kingdom of Christ; which is the World to come; If they had not been Seal'd.

But because, there was yet so much written in the Book to be Accomplish'd in order to that Kingdom; The Book could not be Open'd, as Fulfil'd in that Grand Effect. But it was still to be committed to Prophecy, as was Figur'd by the Prophets Eating it, and finding it Bitter in his Belly; Therefore the Thunders must needs be Seal'd for that Time also.

Hence it follows; This state of the Reformation cannot be the Kingdom of Christ in its Succession, nor can be Capable of the High Actuation of the powers of it; The Thunders can­not be in their Operation, or at work, because the Kingdom of Christ cannot yet come.

2. Those Witnesses of the Church of Thyatyra, or of the Re­formed Churches under the Popish Princes, yet united with the Feet of Clay, cannot but be in Sackcloth, and not Risen; For the Kingdom of Christ hath no Appearance of Succession there; Though in those Reformed Churches mighty powers of the Thunders first Speaking still shew forth themselves.

But what the Thunders then spake, hath been ever since so Seal'd, and shall be; That they cannot prevail, as they did at the first Reformation; But as if the Thunders were to open again first among them; Their last works are to be expected Greater than the First, as Christ hath Fore-tol'd: As yet then they are under a necessity to suffer Jezebel, whch they shall not then be. All which hath been before Intimated, but is hereby in this Reason of it further Explain'd.

3. There cannot be even in the best Reformed Churches, and under the most Reform'd Prince, Princes, or States, such a per­fection of the Reformation, as should bring the Kingdom of Christ into a Succession among them; For if it were so in Succession in one place, It would Immediatly spread every where; whereby we know, It is not so in Succession any where; [Page 60] And because the Book is so enclos'd, as not Fulfil'd, and the Thunders thereupon Seal'd, we know, it cannot be so.

4. So much of the Kingdom of Christ, as appears in the Re­formation, or of the Enjoyment of the Gospel, is to all the ser­vants of Christ, as the Book sweet in the Mouth; But what is wanting, is as the Book bitter in the Belly; whether in Regard of Remaining Darkness, and Impurity; or in Regard of Af­ffliction, and Remaining Sackcloth; All which causes a High Va­lew, of what they enjoy; And earnest Faith, Hope, and Pray­er, for what they want, are in Action.

5. By way of Allusion, It may be added; The Book Hidden in the Prophets Belly shews, how little Prophecy would be under­stood, during the Sealed Thunders; And that those whom God Enclines, and Enables to Read, find a Sweetness in the Mouth, or in declaring, what they have found; But in regard of the unwelcome Reception by Hearers, It Returs, as not well En­tertain'd, with Bitterness into their own Bosomes.

But I offer this only by way of Allusion; For the second Thunder, first speaking and then Seal'd, gives the most sub­stantial Reason; why Prophecy is either so well, or no better Read, or Heard; Even because, that Thunder did speak, there hath been since the Reformation all along, some light Concern­ing this Kingdom, and the Prophecies of it; But it is no greater a light; Because That new Mission of Prophecy, of that Excellent order of the Everlasting Gospel, is not yet gone out, or the Book open in the Succession of the Kingdom; All which shallcome to pass in its own Season, and that very shortly, to Inlight­en this shade.

And so I come to the last point of Judgment upon the Re­formation by its Types, viz. By an Inspection into the Types of the Churches of the Reformation, under Reformed Princes also; which as I have before laid down, are Sardi [...] and Philadel­phia; wherein it will appear the Kingdom of Christ is under Sus­pension and Estoppage, even by the compare of these Two Churches.

Now It is most Evident by this Prophecy, and by all other Prophecy; The Kingdom of Christ consists in two things, 1. All Purity, Holyness; Spirituality, Heavenlyness, as the Intrinsick, or inward Form, Spirit, and Constitution of it; and 2. In an Illu­strious Appearance of Happiness, peace, and Visible Greatness, and Excellency, as the outward Attendant Glory. If then, [Page 61] and so long as these two stand divided; and that there is the greatest outward Appearance of power and Lustre, where there is least of Inward purity, and Spirituallity; and most In­ward purity, and Spirituality, where there is least outward power and Lustre; So long we may know, the Kingdom of Christ is under a Suspension, and Abatement; Even although It hath made some Appearance.

Thus It was during the Pagan Empire; There were High measures of purity, and of the power of the Gospel, but then the outward Appearance was dark, Gloomy, and under suffering, and Persecution; The Kingdom of Christ is therefore Represented under Seals. And till those Seals were Open'd, It could not Appear.

In the Christian Empire, the Seals were Opened, and the Church having an outward Glory in that Imperial State, and the Aposta­cy not yet Risen to a Throne; The Kingdam of our God is said to be Come, viz. only in an Emblem of it self; not as it then was, but as it shall Come; But because the Apostacy was now Risen to a Synagogue of Satan, and that the Church was taking its Flight into the Wilderness, therefore the Kingdom of Christ was under an Estoppage for Twelve Hundred and Sixty Days; and Antichrist surpriz'd the outward Glory (so far as it Ap­pear'd) without the purity, and Spirituality; And so Ecclips'd the Kingdom of Christ by his foul Corruptions of Christian Re­ligion.

Thus in the Reformation, there being an Appearance of the Kingdom of Christ in the power of Truth, breaking out by the Thunders; and the Princes of the Reformatlon Giving some degrees of outward Glory, and peace to it; tho' far below, what shall shine outwith the Kingdom of Christ it self; we shall find by these two Churches Types, how the Estoppage arises; The Supreme, and Infinitely holy Cause is; That Jesus Christ will not bring forth his Kingdom, till the full end of Half Time, and till all written in the Book be Accomplish'd for it; But the de­fective, or sinful Cause is to be found in the Churches them­selves; that is, as not prepar'd, nor rising high enough in the power of Truth: as in Thyatyra, or the Reformed Churches under Popish Princes, it was a Sin of Infirmity to suffer Jezebel; and under Reformed Princes, there is a Type of Reformed Churches, that loose the high Spirit of the Thunders in the Reformation; a sin of a much higher degree, and therefore not call▪d, a [Page 62] Little Thing; yet that Christ will visit in the mercy of a further Reformation, and not in wrath, as upon the Apostasie, as we shall see presently.

And these two so different Causes concurring, we may plainly see, how the Kingdom of Christ is stay'd from its glo­ry; Even when the Princes, and the Churches are both Reform'd: For Philadelphia, that hath evidently the greatest Symbols of Purity, and of the power of Truth, and so of the Thunders, hath least of outward glory, and peace; For it hath least strength or Protection from Princes; and there appears a Syna­gogue, tho' not a Throne of Sathan, that would shut its door, that Christ had open'd to it; And it keeps the word of Christs pati­ence, shewing, it is in a low and depress'd estate, even as the Kingdom of Christ yet is, in the world.

On the other side Sardi [...], that had least of the power of Truth, had most of outward Glory. And to make this the more Apparent, it is added in Sardis; The Ʋndefiled Names in it were, not only Few, but Small, as the word Im­ports.

Here then is the state of the Suspension of the Kingdom of Christ in the Reformation; Either there is more of the power of the Kingdom of Christ, as in Philadelphia, and the Ʋndefiled names of Sardis, and less of outward splendor, and strength; through disinclination of Reformed Princes, very low in the truly Philadelphian Spirit, and too prone to the Sardian; Or there is more of outward Splendor and strength, but less of the power of Truth, and purity by having Forgotten the things, the Thunders spake at the first Reformation, as in Sardis: and either way there must be a stop upon the Kingdom of Christ; which consists in the Abundance of Truth, and Peace, of Righteousness, and of Glory, Psal. 85. 8. &c.

Let us then set these Two Churches, as in the the Types gi­ven here by Prophecy, in Parallels opposite one to the other; and then let us in our minds compare them with the Churches of the Reformation, we know by experience now in the world; and after argue by reason upon them, that we may know, what keeps the Kingdom of Christ under Estop­page, as it is to succeed the Feet of Clay, or the Antichristian Hierarchy.