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Having searched [& by the grace of God obteined after knowlegknowledge in the prophetiqꝫque scriptures, I have thought my self bound to communicate it for the benefit toof others, remembring yethe judgment of him who hid his talent in a napkin. For I am perswaded that this will prove of great benefit to those who think it not enough for a sincere Christian to sit down contented with the principles of yethe doctrin of Christ such as yethe Apostel accounts the doctrin of Baptisms & of laying on of hands & of the resurrection of yethe dead & of eternall judgment, but leaving these & the like principles desire to go on unto perfection until they become of full age & by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good & evil. Hebr 5.12
I would not have any discouraged by the difficulty & ill success that men have hitherto met with in these attempts. This is nothing but what ought to have been. ffor it was revealed to Daniel that the prophesies concerning yethe last times should be closed up & sealed untill yethe time of yethe end: but then the wise should understand, & knowledg should be increased. Dan 12.4, 9, 10. And therefore the longer they have continued in obscurity, the more hopes there is that yethe time is at hand in which they are to be made manifest. If they are never to be understood, to what end did God reveale them? Certainly he did it for yethe edification of yethe church; & if so, then it is as certain that yethe church shall at length attain to yethe understanding theirthereof. I mean not all that call themselves Christians, but a remnant, a few scattered persons which God hath chosen, such as without being blinded led by interest, education, or humane authorities, can set themselves sincerely & earnestly to search after truth. For as Daniel hath said that yethe wise shall understand, so he hath said also that none of yethe wicked shall understand.
Let me therefore beg of thee not to trust to yethe opinion of any man concerning these things, for so it is great odds but thou shalt be deceived. Much less oughtest thou to keep to rely upon the2 the judgment of yethe multitude, for so thou shalt certainly be deceived. But search the scriptures thy self & that by frequent reading & constant meditation upon what thou readest, & earnest prayer to God to enlighten thine understanding if thou desirest to find the truth. Which if thou shalt at length attain thou wilt value above all other treasures in yethe world by reason of yethe assurance and vigour it will add to thy faith, and stedysteddy satisfaction to thy mind which he onely can knowsknow how to estimate who hasshall experience it.
IThat the benefit wchwhich may accrew by yethe understanding the sacred Prophesies & the danger by neglecting them is very great & that yethe obligation to study them is as great may appear by considering yethe like case of yethe Iews at yethe coming of Christ. For the rules whereby they were to know their Messiah were the prophesies of the old Testament. And these our Saviour recommended to their consideration in the very beginning of his preaching Luke 4.21: &And afterward commanded the study of them for that end saying, Search the scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternall life, and these are they which testify of meeme: A& at another time severely reproved their ignorance herein, saying to them when they required a sign, Ye Hypocrites can ye can discern the face of yethe sky but can ye not discern yethe signes of yethe times And after his resurrection he reproved also this ignorance in his disciples, saying unto them, O fools & slow of heart to beleive all that the Prophets have spoken! Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, & to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses & all the Prophets he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. Thus also yethe Apostles & those who in yethe first ages propagated yethe gospel urged chiefly these Prophesies and exhorted their hearers to search & see whether all things concerning our saviour ought not to have been as they fell out. And in a word it was yethe ignorance of yethe Iews in these Prophesies wchwhich caused them to reject their messiahMessiah & by consequence to be not onely captivated by the Romans but to incur eternall damnation. Luke 19.42, 44.
If then the Prophesies wchwhich concerned the Apostoliqꝫque age were given for yethe conversion of yethe men of that age to the truth & for the establishment of their faith, & if it was their duty to search diligently into those Prophesies: why should we not think that the Prophesies wchwhich concern the latter times into wchwhich we are3 are fallen were in like manner intended for our use that in the midst of Apostacies we might be able to discern the truth & be established in the faith thereof, & consequently that it is also our duty to search with all diligence into these Prophesies. And If God was so angry with yethe Iews for not searching more diligently into yethe Prophesies wchwhich he had given them to know Christ by: why should we think he will excuse us for not searching into yethe Prophesies wchwhich he hath given us to know Antichrist by? For certainly it must be as dangerous & as easy an error for ChistiansChristians to adhere to AntichistAntichrist as it was for yethe Iews to reject Christ. And therefore it is as much our duty to indeavour to know him as be able to know him that we may avoyd him, as it was theirs to know Christ that they might follow him.
Thou seest therefore that this is no idle speculation, no matters of indifferency but a duty of the greatest moment. Wherefore it concerns thee to look about thee narrowly least thou shouldest in so degenerate an age be dangerously seduced & not know it. Antichrist was to seduce yethe whole Christian world and therefore he may easily seduce thee if thou beest not well prepared to discern him. But if he should not be yet come into yethe world yet amidst so many religions of wchwhich there can be but one true & perhaps none of those that thou art acquainted with it is great odds but thou mayst be deceived & therefore it concerns thee to be very circumspect.
* * Consider how our Saviour taught the Iews in Parables that in hearing they mighmight hear & not understand & in seeing they might see & not perceive. And as these Parables were spoken to try the Iews so yethe mysticall scriptures were written to try us. Therefore beware that thou be not found wanting in this tryall. For if thou beest, the obscurity of these scriptures will as little excuse thee as yethe obscurity of orour Saviours Parables excused the Iews. Consider also the instructions of orour Saviour concerning these latter times by the Parable of the Fig-tree. Now learn a parable of the Figtree, saith he: When his branch is yet tender and putteth forth leaves, ye know that Summer is nigh. So likewise when ye when ye see these things know that it is near even at the doors. — Watch therefore for ye know not what hower your Lord doth come. Wherefore it is thy duty to learn the signes of the times that thou mayst know how to watch, & be able to discern what times are coming on the earth by the things that are already past. If thou doest watch thou mayst know when it is at the door as a man knows that by the leaves of a figtree that Somer is nigh. But if through ignorance of the signes thou shalt say in thine heart My Lord delayeth his coming; And shalt begin to smite thy fellow servants & to eat & drink with the drunken: Thy Lord will come in a day when thou lookest not for him & in an hower that thou art not aware of, and cut thee asunder and appoint thy portion wthwith the Hypocrites, whereThere shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matt 24. If thou doest not watch, how canst thou escape more then other men, For as a snare shall it come uponon all them that dwell upon the face of the whole earth. Luke 21.
**** Consider that theythe same Prophets who foretold orour saviours first coming foretold also his second coming; & if it was the main & indispensable duty of yethe Church before yethe first coming of Christ to have searched into & understood those prophesies aforehand, why should it not be as much yethe duty of yethe Church before his second coming to understand yethe same prophesies aforehand so far as they are yet to be fulfilled? Or how knowest thou that the christian church if they continue to neglect, shall not be punished even in this world as severely as ever were the Iews? Yea will not yethe Iews rise up in judgment against us? For they had some regard to these prophesies insomuch as to be in generall expectation of orour Saviour about that time when he came, onely they were not aware of the manner of his two comings; and were mistake they understood yethe description of his second coming, & onely were mistaken in applying that to yethe time of his first coming. Consider therefore, if yethe description of his second coming was so much more plain & perspicuous then that of yethe first, ytthat yethe Iews who could not so much as perceive any thing of yethe first could yet understand yethe second, how shall we escape who understand nothing of yethe second but have turned yethe whole description of it into Allegories. And if yethe Iews were so severely punished for not understanding yethe first more difficult Prophesy, what can we plead who know nothing of yethe more perspicuous; & yet have this advantage above them that yethe first wchwhich is a key to yethe second & was hidden from them is made manifest to us, and ytthat we have the second also much further explained in the new Testament. Consider how also Again consider how the Apostels instructed yethe Churches of the first age in the knowledg of these latter times 2 Thes 2.5. And if it was the duty of those Christians to understand them wchwhich were not to live in them, shall we think ytthat yethe knowledg thereof is of no concernment to us.
Again considerConsider also the designe of the Apocalyps. Was it not given for yethe use of the Church to guide & direct her in the right way,? And is not this the end of all prophetick Scripture? If there was no need of it, or if it cannot be understood, then why did God give it? But if was ne Does he trifle? But if it was necessary for the Church then why doest thou neglect it, or how knowest thou that thou art in the right way, and yet doest not understand it? * * This was yethe principal caus of the reformations which have hitherto been made from yethe Roman errors first by Waldenses and Albigenses and then by yethe Protestants, & therefore we have reason to beleive ytthat God foreseeing how much yethe Church would want a guide in these latter ages designed this Prophesy for this end & by consequence we may expect that he hath some further counsel to be brought about by the fuller manifestation of it.
Lastly consider yethe Blessing wchwhich is promised to them that read & study & keep yethe things wchwhich are written in this5 this Prophesy. Blessed is he that readeth & they that hear the words of this Prophesy & keep the things that which are written therein, for yethe time is at hand, Rev. 1.3. And again to reinforce yethe invitation to take these things into consideration, the same Blessing is repeated in Ch 22.7 And does God ever annex his blessings to trifles or things of indifferency? Wherefore be not overwise in thine own eyes conceipt, but as thou desirest to inherit this blessing consider & search into these Scriptures wchwhich God hath given to be a guide in these latter times, & be not discouraged by the gainsaying wchwhich these things will meet with in the world.
[They will call thee it may be a hot-headed fellow a Bigot, a Fanatiqꝫque, a Heretiqꝫque &c: And tell thee of the uncertainty of these interpretations, & vanity of attending to them: Not considering that the prophesies concerning orour Saviour's first coming were of more difficult interpretation, and yet God rejected yethe Iews for not attending better to them. And whither they will beleive it or not, there are greater judgments hang over the Christians for their remisness then ever the Iews yet felt. But yethe world loves to be deceived, they will not understand, they never consider equally, but are wholly led by prejudice, interest, the prais of men, and authority of yethe Church they live in: as is plain becaus all parties keep close to yethe Religion they have been brought up in, & yet in all parties there are wise & learned as well as fools & ignorant. There are but few that seek to understand the religion they profess, & those that study for understanding therein, do it rather for worldly ends, or that they may defend it, then for worldl to examin whither it be true wthwith a resolution to chose & profess that religion wchwhich in their judgment appears the truest. And as is their faith so is their practise6 practise. ffor where are the men that do never yeild to anger nor seek revenge, nor disobey governours, nor censure & speak evil of them, nor cheat, nor lye, nor swear, nor use God's name idly in their common talk, nor are proud nor ambitious nor covetous, nor unchast, nor drink immoderately? Where are they that live like yethe primitive Christians, that love God with all their hearts & with all their soules & wthwith all their might, and their neighbour as their selves; & that in what they do well are not rather led by fashions and principles of Gentility then religion, & where those disagree do not account it rudeness to depart from the former? I feare there are but very few whose righteousness exceeds yethe righteousness of the Scribes & Pharisees.
This is the guise of yethe world, and therefore trust it not, nor value their censures & contempt. But rather consider ytthat it is yethe wisdom of God that his Church should appear despicable to yethe world to try the faithfull. For this end he made it a curs under Law to hang upon a tree that the scandal of yethe Cross might be a tryall to the Iews; & for yethe like tryall of the Christians he hath suffered yethe Apostacy of the latter times, as is declared in calling it the hower of temptation wchwhich should come upon all yethe world to try them that dwell upon the earth Rev 3.10. Be not therefore scandalised at the reproaches of yethe world but rather looke upon them as a mark of yethe true church.
And when thou art convinced be not ashamed to profess the truth. ffor so otherwise thou mayst become a stumbling block to others, & inherit the lot of those Rulers of yethe Iews who beleived in Christ but yet were afraid to confess him least they should be put out of the Synagogue. see Ezek. 3.18 Wherefore when thou art convinced be not ashamed of yethe truth but profess it openly & indeavour to convince thy Brother also that thou mayst inherit at the resurrection the promis made in Daniel 12.3, that they who turn many to righteousness shall shine as the starrs for ever & ever. And rejoyce if thou art counted worthy to suffer in thy reputation or any other way for yethe sake 7 of yethe Gospel, for then great is thy reward.
But yet I would not have thee too forward in becoming a teacher, like those men who catch at a few similitudes & scripture phrases, & for want of further knowledg make use of them to censure & reproach superiours & rail at all things that displeas them. Be not heady like them, but first be throughly instructed thy self & that not onely in the prophetiqꝫque Scriptures but more especially in the plain doctrines delivered therein so as to put them in practise & make them familiar & habituall to thy self. And when thou hast thus pulled out the beam out of thine own eye then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote out of thy Brothers eye. Otherwise how wilt thou say to thy Brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye & behold a beam is in thine own eye.
Some I know will be offended that I propound these things so earnestly to all men as if they were fit onely for yethe contemplation of yethe learned. But they should consider that God who best knows yethe capacities of men does hide his mysteries from yethe wise & prudent of this world and reveal them unto Babesbabes. They were not the Scribes & Pharisees but yethe inferiour people who beleived on Christ & apprehended yethe true meaning of his Parables & of yethe Prophesies in yethe old Testament concerning him. The wise men of yethe world are often too much prepossest with their own imaginations & too much intangled in designes for this life. One has bought a piece of ground, another has bought five yoke of Oxen, a third has Married a wife, & therefore since they are for yethe most part otherwise ingaged it was fit that the halt & poor and yethe maimed & yethe halt & yethe blind & those that are in yethe high ways & hedges should be also invited. And God who intended this Prophesy chiefly for their sakes is able to fit their understandings to it. And it is yethe gift of God & not of human wisdom so to understand it as to beleive it.
Tis true that without a guide it would be very difficult not onely for them but even for yethe most learned to understand it right But if the interpretation be done to their hands, I know not why by the help of such a guide they may not by attentive & often reading be8 be capable of judgi understanding & judging of it as well as men of greater education. And such a guide I hope this Book will prove: especially if yethe judgment of yethe Reader be prepared by considering well yethe following Rules for inabling him to know when an interpretation is genuine & of two interpretations wchwhich is yethe best.
It was the judiciously learned & conscientious Mr Mede who first made way into these interpretations, & him I have for yethe most part followed. ffor what I found true in him it was not lawful for me to recede from, & I rather wonder that he erred so little then that he erred in some things. His mistakes were chiefly in his Clavis, & had that been perfect, the rest would have fallen in naturally. Whence may be guessed yethe great uncertainty of others who wthwithoutwithout any such previous methodising of yethe Apocalyps have immediately fallen upon giving interpretations. ffor so by taking yethe liberty to twist yethe parts of yethe Prophesy out of their natural order according to their pleasure wthwithoutwithout observing wthwith having regard to the internall characters whereby they were first to be connected, it might be no very difficult matter amongst the great variety of things in the world to apply them more ways then one to such as should have some show of an interpretation. And yet all that I have seen besides yethe labours of Mr Mede have been so botched & framed wthwithoutwithout any due proportion, that I could heartily wish those Authors fear some of those Authors did not so much as beleive their own interpretations, which makes me wish that they had been moved to more caution by considering the curs ytthat is annexed to yethe end of this Prophesy.
I testify unto every man that heareth the words of yethe Prophesy of this book; If any man shall add unto these things God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. And if any man shall take away from the9 the words of yethe book of this Prophesy, God shall take away his part out of yethe book of life, & out of yethe holy city & from the things wchwhich are written in this book.
For to frame fals interpretations is to prejudice men & divert them from the right understanding of this book And this is a corruption equipollent to yethe adding or taking from it, since it equally deprives men of yethe use & benefit thereof. But yet I hope they did it neither out of yethe vanity of appearing somebody in the world, nor out of designe to promote yethe externall splendor & felicity of Churches rather then yethe internall purity wchwhich is of infinitely more value, nor out of any other temporal ends, but wthwith an upright heart that God may not lay it to their charge
Yet I could wish that those who make all to be long since past, even in yethe Apostels age, had considered that when according to them this Prophesy should have been usefull to yethe Church, their interpretations were not so much as thought upon. All sacred Prophesies are given for yethe use of yethe Church, & therefore they are all to be understood by the Church in those ages for whose use God intended them. But these prophesies were never understood by yethe Church in yethe former ages: They did not so much as pretend to understand them, nor thought that they concerned their times, but wthwith one universall consent delivered down to posterity yethe famous Tradition of yethe Antichrist described therein to come in the latter ages. And therefore since they were never yet understood, & God cannot be disappointed, we must acknowledg that they were written & shall prove for yethe benefit of yethe peresent & future ages, & so are not yet fulfilled. Wherefore let men be carefull how they indeavour to divert or hinder yethe use of these scriptures, least they be found to fight against God.
Considering therefore the great concernment of these scriptures & danger of erring in their interpretation, 10 it concerns us to proceed wthwith all circumspection. And for that end I shall propound to myself make use of this Method.
First I shall lay down certain Rules general Rules of Interpretation, yethe consideration of wchwhich may prepare the judgment of yethe Reader & inable him to know when an interpretation is genuine & of two interpretations which is the best.
Secondly, To prepare the Reader also for understanding the Prophetiqꝫque language I shall lay down a short description thereof, showing how it is borrowed from comparing a kingdom either to yethe Vnivers or to a Beast: So that by the resemblance of their parts the signification of yethe figurative words & expressions in these Prophesies may be apprehended at one view & limited from yethe grownd thereof. By wchwhich means the Language of yethe Prophets will appear become certain & yethe liberty of wresting it to private imaginations be cut of. The heads to wchwhich I reduce these words I call Definitions.
Thirdly, These things being premised, I compare yethe ꝑparts of yethe Apocalyps one wthwith another & digest them into order by those internal characters wchwhich yethe Holy-ghost hath for this end imprest upon them. And this I do by drawing them up the substance of yethe Prophesy into Propositions, & subjoyning the reasons for yethe truth of every Proposition.
And here I cannot but loudly proclaim the admirable & more then humane wisdom that shines in the contexture of this Prophesy & its accurate consent wthwith all other prophesies of yethe old & new Testament.
Fourthly,