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contrary to the Pope. This is a little glittering Light, but I am much afraid 'tis a Deceitful one. For First, Why fhould we comprehend, in this Empire of Satan, the Reigns of Conftantine and Theodofius, which were fo happy for the Church? 2dly, Why should it be faid to this Antichriftian Period, I know thy Good Works, and that thou haft not Denyed my Name? feeing there never were fewer that made profeffion of the Truth, than in this Period. If ever the Church may be accused of having renounced the Name of Jefus Chrift, 'tis in the time of Antichriftianifin, which is called an Apoftacy: fo that this Article doth not hit well; but that which follows doth much worse.

Thyatira, according to this Author, is the Church from the time that the Albigenfes were destroyed, to that time that entire Nations abandon'd the Communion of Rome. 'Tis it may be a time the moft barren in Virtue', and the most overwhelm'd with Superftition, that ever was fince Jefus Chrift: yet must this great Praise be attributed to it, I know thy Works, and thy Patience, andthy Charity; and that thy last Works are more than the first. What is faid to the Church of Ephesus, which 'tis pretended is the Apoftolical Church, is not fo honourable, nor fo great; Thou fuffereft the Woman Iezabel, that calls her felf a Prophetess. How can this be applied to those Ages that have run out fince the Ruin of the Albigenfes, to the Reformation? Jezabel, that Roman Whore, hath not only been fuffer'd and tolerated,

rated, the hath reigned with lefs Contradictia on than in any Age.

Sardis is the fifth Church, which fignifies the fifth Period according to Dr. More; and this Period is that of the Reformation, to the laft Vial, i.e. to the laft Ruin of Antichrift. 'Tis to this Church that the Holy Spirit faith, Thou hast a Name to live, but be hold thou art dead. Can it be imagin'd, that God fhould give fuch great Praises to the Church that was fince the Ruin of the Albigenfes till the Reformation, and that the Ho ly Spirit fhould be made to fpeak with fo much Difdain of the Reformed Church? What comparison is there between the Church in its Reformation, & that corrupted Church, wherein hardly any was to be found that preferv'd himself from the mighty Corruption of Error and Vice?

Philadelphia, which is the fixth Church,' fignifies a fixth Period, wherein Antichrift fhall be entirely ruin'd, and the Infidel Nations be converted. This is to divine; and that which the Holy Spirit faith to the fixth Church, doth not exactly import any fuch thing.

Lastly; Laodicea, of which the Holy Spi rit fpeaks in fuch difadvantageous terms, is the Church that must fall into decay after the Fall of Antichrift, and the Converfion of the Peo ple. And this Decay muft bring the Church to the coming of the Kingdom of Jefus Chrift on the Earth. See here anew Period, and of which there is not the leaft foot-step in all the

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Prophecies. 'Tis a Period that must run out from the Ruin of Antichrift, and the Conver fion of the People. All the Prophecies foretell, that the Reign of Jefus Chrift shall come immediately after the Fall of Babylon, and the Fulness of the Gentiles. Yet here behold a Period, that feparates these two Events, which ought to be joyned together.

Laftly; this Syftem is fubject to the fame inconveniencies as that of Cocceins. There muft be fuppofed an eighth Period for the reign of the thousand years, which Dr. More acknowledges. Now it must be confeffed, that this eighth Period is altogether unknown to the Prophets; for we do not any where find, that the time hath been divided into Eight parts.

Those that will attentively reflect on what we have just now faid, willconfess, if I am not much mistaken, either that these Epiftles to the feven Churches are not prophetical, or that the Mystery hath not yet been discovered: For nothing that hath been faid about them, hath this certain Character of Truth, which s obvious to every one. The Prophecies must be like Enigma's, which till they have been well explained, feem unintelligible; but when one hath hit right upon them, they appear fo clear, that they cannot otherwise be underftood.

CHAP. II.

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CHAP. II.

An Explication of the Vision of the four living
Creatures,& of the twenty four Elders, con-
tained in the fourth Chapter.

Eeing there's nothing propheticall in the
three first chapters of the Revelation we
may go on to the fourth Chapter. One may
fay, that this is the opening of this great &
divine Theater on which thefe admirable pro-
phetical Vifions will immediatly appear.
The entrance is like that of the Prophet Ezes
kiel. God appears in the Temple, which is
in heaven, fitting on a magnificent Throne.
Round about the throne there is a Rainbow :
this is the Symbol of Peace. Before the
Throne there was a Sea of Glafs like to Chryftal.
This may fignify the Purity of the Doctrine
of the Gofpel,by which we are washed & jufti-
fied. It is of Glafs & of Chryftal, because of its
firmness. For the Gospel is an eternal Cove-
nant, that shall not be done away by a new

covenant.

But that which is most confiderable, here is the four living Creatures & the twenty four Elders that are round about the Throne.

6. And before the Throne there was a Sea of The exGlafs like unto Chryftal, & in the midst of the plication Throne & round about the Throne were four fion of the Beafts full of Eyes before & behind.

7. Andthefirft Beast was like a Lion, & the fecond beaft like a Calf, & the third beast had C 2

twenty four El

ders & the

four living Creatures

The Opinion of 7. Mede about

livingCre

four Elders.

a face as a man & the fouth beast was like a flying Eagle.

8.And the four beasts had each of them fix wings about him, they were full of Eyes within, G they reft not day & night, faying, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, & is to come.

9. And when thofe Beasts give Glory, & Honour,& thanks to him that fate on the Throne, who liveth for ever & ever.

10. The twenty four Elders fall down before him that fate on the Throne, & worship him that liveth for ever & ever, I caft their Crowns before the Throne.

In the 4th. v. thefe Elders are reprefented fitting on twenty four feats cloathed in white Raiment, having on their heads Crowns of Gold.

We must firit know what these four living Creatures are, & then we fhall eafily guefs what the twenty four elders fignify. The conthefe four jecture of our fofeph Mede is ingenious & atures & learned. He believes thefe four living Creathe twenty tures reprefent the whole Chriftian-Church, i. e. all the Chriftian People, by way of allufion to the encampings of ancient Ifrael: It was, faith he, diftributed into four bodies, three tribes in each body, each body had its commanding tribe that marched in the front; & every one of these four tribes had its standard, wherin was the figure of a living Creature. Zudab marched in the front of the First body, & had under it Ifachar & Zabulon. Reuben was the fecond head, & had under it Simeon & Gad. The third head was Ephraim, which

had

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