II. Hence it followeth, That many of the things Propheſied, are ful- filled ; but how many, is hard to determine, becauſe the time 1s not ſet when theſe Revelations ſhould take place ; whether (as ſome would have it) from the beginning of Chriſtianity, which, to me, ſeemeth nat probable ; becauſe at this time 95 Years were elapſed fince that time, and this Prophecy was concerning the things that were to be after the time of ohn's being 1n ch, 1,1. ch. 22. 6. Or from the beginning of the time when the Jewiſh Church and State ceaſed, which was 26, or 27 Years before this, or from the time when this Revelation was, which was An.95.0r thereabouts,in the time when Domitijan was the Roman Em- peror, and had began his Perſecution of the Chriſtians, which (as Hiſtorians tell us) was but 5 Years before he was ſlain (for he was ſlain in September 97.) And for thoſe that are fulfilled, the things ſpoken of are ſo applicable to various Accidents happening 1n that period of time, that it is very difficult oft-times to aſſert the Senſe of the Prophecy. |
HI. I take it for grahted alſo, That things hapned in the ſame order, as is here deſcribed; ſo as the things under the ſecond Seal came not to paſs till thoſe prophefied of under the firſt Seal, were 1n a
_ great meaſure accompliſhed, gFc.
IV. I agree with thoſe who think, that what we have, chap. 12, 13, 17, 18. are but a Prophecy of other things that happened to the Church at the ſame times ſpoken of, ch. 6, 7,8, 9, 10.
V. I do believe the Viſions of the Seals, Trumpets, and Vtols, chap. 6, 8, 15, 16. the principal Prophecies, and contain the Revelat- on of things in order as they were to happen, and of theſe, that of the Seals is the principal. | |
VI. I agrce with thoſe who think that God, by the firſt ſ:x Seals, intends the whole ſpace from the time when the things wrote 1n this Book, began to be fulfilled, unto the time when Paganiſm was rooted out of the - Roman Empire, which ſome make the Year 310,” ſome 325. In which time (counting the beginning from the time when John was in Patmos, which was in Domitian's time) the Emperors of Rome were Nerva, Trajan, Adrianus, Antonius Pius, Antonius Philoſophus, Antonius Venus, Commodus, Severns, Caracalla. Macrims, Heltogabalus, Alexander Severus, Maximi- my, Gordianss, Philippus, Decins, Valerianus, Gallienus, Claudiug, Aurelianus, Tacitus, Probus, Carus, Numertanus, Diocleſianus with Maximinianss, Conſtantins Chlorus, with Galerius, ConStantinus ; in all, Twenty ſeven, in about 200 Years. They were moſt of them Perſecutors, and God allowed them ſhort Reigns: So as what we have revealed in, and under the firſt fix Seals, happened all within the Space of the 3oo, or 325 firſt Years after Chriſt. Theſe things being premiſed, Ict us now come to conſider the
Text.
N D I ſaw when the Lamb opened one of the : ſeals 2, and I heard, as it were, the noiſe of thunder, one of the four beaſts ſaying b6, Come and lee c.
a John's Viſion continueth ftill ; by the Lamb he means Chriſt, the Lamb oft mentioned, chap. 5. and by one of the Seals, one of the ſeven Seals mentioned chap. 5. 1. that were ſet upon the Book which 7chn taw in the Right-hand of God the Father, given to Chriſt, v. 7. Chriſt began to diſcover the Counſels of God, rela- ting to that firſt period of his Church. þ And Fohn heard one of
the four living Creatures ſpeaking to him with a great and terrible |
REVELATION.
Voice like the noiſe of Thunder. c Inviting him to come near, or to attend and ſee.
Chap. VI.
2 And I ſaw, and behold, *a white horſe 4, and + Chap,
he that ſat on him had a bow e, and a crown was gi- ven unto him f, and he went forth conquering, and
to conquer g.
a Some, by this white Horſe, underſtand the Goſpel, others, the Roman Empire. e And by him that fat thereon with a Bow, fome underſtand Chriſt going forth with Power to convert the Nations - others (and in my Opinion more probably) the Roman Emperors ar- med with Power. f And having the Imperial Crown, g carrying all before them. So as that which God intended by this to reveal to St. Fohn, was, That the Roman Emperors ſhould yet continue, and uſe their Power againſt his Church. Thoſe that underſtand by the white Horſe, the Goſpel, or God's Diſpenſations to his Church under the firſt period, and by the Rider Chriſt, (amongſt whom is our famous Mede) think, that hereby all the time is fignified from- Chriſt's Aſcenſion, which was in the 34th Year after his Incarna- tion, till the time that all the Apoſtles were dead ; that is, the firſt Ioo Years after Chriſt, for ſo long Hiſtories tell us Fohn lived. It was the Age then current, and ſo may make up part of the Viſion of things that were to come. The Hiſtory of all but forty of thoſe Years we have in the A&s, till Paul was carried Priſoner to Rome. In this Period ruled Auguſizes Ceſar, (in whoſe time Chriſt was born Luke 2. 1.) Tiberius Claudius, and Nero, Galba, Otho, F. Veſpaſianus Titus and Domitian, Nerva, and Trajan, 10, or 11 in all, The went on conquering, and to conquer the World. But till Nero's time, about the Year 66, they did not begin to perſecute the Chriſtians: nor did +, Rana and Titus much rage, nor Domitian, till he had reigned 8 Years; fo as I leave it indifferent to the Reader, whe- ther to underſtand by the white Horſe and its Rider, God's Diſpen-
3 3
I9. IL,
ſations of Providence to: his Church theſe firſt years, cauſing his
Goſpel to prevail muth, and conquering many. to the Profeſſion of * - ug Roman Empire with thoſe that ruled it : what is ſaid is true (6) tn.
3 And when he had opened the ſecond ſeal þ, I
heard the ſecond beaſt 7 ſay, Come, and ſee.
h The ſecond of thoſe two Seals, with which the Book mentien-
ed, chap. 5. I. was ſealed. 7 The Beaſt like a Calf, chap. 4. 7.
hþ Inviting John to attend.
4 And there went out another horſe zhat waz red 7: and power was given to him that fat thereon, to take peace from the earth zz, and that they ſhould kill ons another x : and there was given unto him a greas
{word 0. |
I Signitying Blood and Slaughter. m Either to Chriſt, (as ſay) or, to thoſe that Ruled the Afffairs of the Roman © ome that time, to diſturb the Peace of the Church.” = This was a time of much Blood. o And therefore a Sword is given to him that rode upon this Horſe. Some think that this Period began with Nero, 34
Years before the other ended (according to what was ſaid before 3)