the Papacy being Antichriſt, I think that the great perſon ſpake well, who would not be peremptory in the caſe ; but
ſaid, it had fo many of bis Marks,that upon an Hue and Cry for Antichriſt, he ſhould apprehend him. I ſhall add,that if be were fo apprehended and tried, be could never acquit himſelf enther at the Bar of Scripture or Reaſon.
CHAP. I Though therefore we may allow this Verſe to be the Key to open 1 t PIN | . 1: | the whole Apocalyps, yet we muſt judge th
John direfeth the Revelations to the ſeven Churches in Aſia, wiſhing op it + oy. Chriſt hath | nhares* 1.19 iran = — them grace from 59, from the ſeven Spirits, 1=——4. and 94 ruſalem, Matth. 24. nor was it now the matter of a Prophecy, but Zeſus Chriſt, whoſe Per/on, Titles, and 9x. 4 of Coming "a fu G Hiſtory. The fix firſt Seals plainly ſhew the ſtate of the Chriſtian ment are deſcribed, $5——8. He declares his Name, Place, an | op + under Rome Bagan ; what ſhall we ſay to all things repreſent- Time when he received this Revelation, 9, 10. The Voice that ſpake ed under the ſeventh Seal, gc. e Firſt by one Angel, then by ano- to him, the Viſion of the ſeven Candleſticks, and the glorious appear- | ty ©; (poſſibly) conſtantly by the ſame. f Who this John was, we ance of Chriſt's Perſm, 11————16, John being terrified at the ſhall declare further, v. 2, 4; | .
3zht, is comforted, 17, 18. A Charge to write the things he had | _ which aro, and are to come, 19. The Myltery of the ſeven Stars 2 Who bare record of the word of God g , and of
and Cand/e tichs explained, 26. $ the teſtimony of Teſus Chriſt h, and of all things char = Revelation of Jeſus Chriſt a, which God gave he ſaw 7. |
: | : 2 £ This Phraſe determines the Controverſie. about the Penman of unto him 6, to ſhews unto his ſervants c things | this part of holy Writ, and puts it out of doubt, that it was Fohn -kich muſt ſhortly come to paſs 4; and he ſent and | the Apoſtle and Evangelift, The Phraſe fo agrees to Fohn 1. 19, 32, hgnified zz by his angel c unto his ſervant John . 34- and 19. 35. The word in the Greek ſignifies, bare Teſlimony to, # The Apocalyps, (as this Book is ſometimes called) that is, the | Or of the Word of God. Some underſtand Chrift fo called, x Fobn x. 2. diſcovering, or unveiling of ſome hidden things ; (fo the word Re- Some would have the Goſpel meant by it; and if any think this the welation ſignifieth.) The Greek word is often uſed in the New Te- | More probable ſenſe, becauſe, though Chriſt be elſewhere called the ſtament, and is ordinarily tranſlated ſo. It is called the Revelation Word, yet he 1s not called the Word of God ; and it is not here in the of Jeſus Chriſt, becauſe Chriſt received it from his Father, as the Dative, but the Accuſative Caſe; I {ee no reaſon to contradift them. next words thew. b Which God gave unto him, as he was Media- | Þ By the Teſtimony of Chriſt, 15 to be -underſtood- the Doftrine of tor ; By God, here is to be underſtood the Father, not excluſruely to Chriſt, called ſo, becauſe it isa T eſtimony concerning him : Or ra- the Son as it he were nor God, but to ſhew the order of working | fÞ<r, that which he teſtified, who is elſewhere called the rue and in the Holy Trinity, 7oþn 7. 16; and 14. 10. Chriſt in his ſtate of faithful Witneſs. 7 This may be underſtood with reference to what Humiliation is ſaid to /earn of the Father ; in his ſtate of Exaltation | Went before; ſoit agreeth with T John 1, or to what followeth in to receive frm the Futher. c To John, and by him to all Saints that this Revelation, made to him in Viſions, in a great meaſure.
_—_——
will be ſtudious of things revealed. d *a #6 Wm odxe, This | 3 * Bleſſed 7s he that readeth &, and they that hear »cy, 22.7. Phraſe put out of doubr, that this Book is not a Relation, or Nar- | the words of this prophecy /, and keep thoſe things *Rom. 13. wy by > LCL ; » o 4 . by . 4 . - ſn A _ _
native 01 things pait, but a Revelation, or Predifion of things to which 1re written therein WM : T For the time 1s at _
come. See alfo chap. 22. 6, 16, which makes me wonder at the
Confidence of a Learned Annotator of our own, That all things here | Band 77. : BD I Pet; 4. 7- rate cither to the Siege of Hieruſalem, (which was paſt more than k From hence is well concluded, That. this is a Portion of holy Wi
Writ, to be read publickly and privately, otherwiſe no Bleſſing would have been pronounced to the Readers, or the Hearers of it. I It is alſo well from hence concluded, That this Book is no Hiſtory of things done, but a Predition of things to come to paſs; for though Prophecy in ſome Scriptures ſignifieth more largely the Reve- lation of the Divine Will, yet here it muſt fignifie ſtrictly. 7: That keeps it in Memory, and liveth in view of it, and as a Perſon that believes it ; they are bleſſed, as they will from it be comforted ; con- cerning all the Sufferings of the Church, and People of God. n The Seaſon for the Accompliſhment of theſe things is nigh, not paſled, but
20 years before this Revelation to St. Fohn) or to Pagan Rome, which, indeed, continued-200 and odd years after this. But his Notion is contrary to the general Senſe of all Interpreters, whether the anci- ent Fathers, - or modern Writers. The Phraſe, indeed, fignifies ſhortly, but never what was paſt; nor always, What ſhalk-in a few days come to paſs. See Luke 18. 8. Rom. 16. 20, though indeed ſometimes it ſignifies the time immediately following a Command, as As 12. 7. and 22. 18. and confidering it is God's Phraſe, to whom a thonſand years are but as yeſterday, Pſalm go. 4. and who calls the things that are not, as if they were; and who manifeſtly calls all thoſe
years betwixt Chriſt's coming, and the end of the World, (almoſt the time when they ſhall begin to happen, 1s not very far ct.
1700 of which are paſt already) the /aft Days, we may allow him | $ WR Set” or "op to ſay, Thoſe things ſhould beſhorely, which ſoon after ſhould begin | ©" Fe HN » to the ſeven Churches which are in Afia, k
to be effected, though not finiſhed till Chriſt's ſecond coming,
(race be unto you, and peace p from him which
I,
*" + A 2 X
Chap.I.
Fjom1.t. js, and F which was 9, and which is to come, and from the ſeven ſpirits which are before his throne Fr:
0 7obn the Apoſtle and Evangeliſt writes either to all the Churches
of 4fia under the Notion of ſeven, ( which is the number of PerteCti-