Church from the great Trouble: that preſently enſued. For ir = year 411, Alaricus King of the Goths took Rome, and continual Troubles ſo enſued, that by the year 480, the Weſtern Empire was quite extinguiſhed, ending in Augyſtulus, who becauſe of his mani-
fold Afffiiatons, is ſuppoſed to be the Star mentioned chap. 8.10,11.
called Wormwood, who fell upon the ſounding of the third Trum- pet. b By the Wilderneſs is undoubtedly meant in ſome places which were like a Wilderneſs for Solitarineſs, where the Church might
have ſome reſt. ' c The place ſaid to be by God prepared for the -
Church, ver. 6. d where God hid, and prote&ed, and provided for his People a certain time, expreſſed in the next words. I know not whether we need be ſo critical or no, or whether it be not (a- fer to expound all the foregoing words more generally, viz. That God graciouſly provided for his People hiding-places againſt the Storm now coming upon the whole Roman Empire, bearing them, as it were, upon Eagles wings, as he did his old [raelites when he brought them out of Egypt. It 1s the very Phraſe uſed by God, Exad. 19. 4. e For a time, and times, and a half time. It is appa- rent, that the ſame ſpace of time 1s here meant, that is mentioned ver. 6. and called Twelve hundred and threeſcore days. Moſt Inter- preters agree, that it ſignifieth three years and a half, conſiſting each of them of 35o prophetical days, that is, years; for although we count 365 days to the year, (and there are ſtrialy ſo many, beſides ſome odd hours) yet anciently they counted but 360, 1ta- ving out the five odd days (as we do now the odd Hours and Mi-
* nutes, which in four years make up an odd day, which makes eve-
ry fourth year Leap-year.) Now three times 360 make up 1080, to which add 180: for the half year, it makes juſt 1280, the num- ber of days mentioned, ver. 6. If any enquire why, what was expreſſed by 1260 days there, is thus expreſſed here ? 1t is anſwer- ed, To make this comport with the Prophecy of Danjel, chap. 7. 25 and 12. 7. where it is thus expreſſed. |
15 And the ſerpent f caſt out of his month g wa- ter as a flood, after the woman : that he might cauſe
her to be carried away of the flood z. f The Devil, the old Serpent, mentioned ver. 9, being able no longer to execute his Malice as a Dragon, by the Civil Power of the
Heathen Emperours, tearing Chriſtians in pieces, but diſcerning the
Church ſecured by the ſpecial Providence of God, went to work another way, g corrupting the Judgments of ſeveral Perſons. who out of the abundance of Errour 1n their Hearts, preached corrupt Dodtrine. . Such were the Followers of Arrius, Neſtorius, Eutychus Pelagius, &c. Prov. 18. 4. The words of a Mans mouth are as deep waters. Prov. 15. 28, The Mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things. 3 On purpoſe to ruine the Church : And, indeed, ſuch
were the 1]! Effedts of theſe Herefies, thar he who is but meanly verſed -
in the Hiſtory of the fifth Age, will ſee reaſon to adore the Pro-
vidence of God, that the Roman Emperours, upon the fight of
them, did not again turn Pagans; and add their force to the
_ of theſe pretended Chriſtians agafnſt the fincerer part of the urch.
16 And the earth helped the woman &, and the earth opened her mouth, and ſwallowed up the flood which the dragon caſt out of his mouth /.
hk There are divers Notions here of the Earth; to me theirs ſeemeth moſt probable, who underſtand by the Earth the Goths and Vandals, &c. who, Ann 410, invaded the Roman Empire, and gave it continual Trouble, till they had-put an end to.the Weſtern Empire, 480. By whoſe continual Conteſts with the SubjeAts-of the Roman Empire, the Church enjoyed ſome quiet in the Exerciſes of Religi- on; and though all this while they were troubled by the Broods of Arrians, Pelagians, Neſtorians, and Eutychians, yet they could do them no great hurt; and the Church had a Liberty to condemn them by the ſecond and third General Councils ; in which, it is pro- bable, there were many too that deſerved no better Name than the Earth. | But yet they ſerved, in a great meaſure, to ſwallow up that Flood of Herefies which the Devi! threw out of his Mouth by theſe Hereticks.
17 And the dragon was wrath with the woman »7,
and went to make war with the remnant of her ſeed z,
the teſtimony of Jeſus Chriſt 9.
m The Devil hath been defeated in two Deſigns againſt the whole Church; he could not wholly root it out by the Ten Per- ſecutions under the Roman Emperours, nor by the Water thrown out of his Mouth, Peſtilent Do@rines which he influenced ſome to broach; but he was angry ſtill, his* Rage was not extinguiſhed. n He gives over his Deſign to ruine the whole Church, as not pra- Aicable, but reſolves to do all the Miſchief he could to the Remnant of her Seed, to particular Chriſtians ; o thoſe eſpecially, which kept cloſeſt to the Dofrine of Faith called here the Teſtimony of Feſus Chriſt ; and to the Rule of an holy Life, which is meant by keeping the Commandments of God. Hence AntichriF's Rage hath not been againſt Chriſtians in general, as was the Pagans, but only againſt ſuch Chriſtians as he hath not been able to bring over to him, in CEE with his Corruptions' in Dofrine, Worſhip, and Diſ- cipline. |
CHAP.
which keep the commandments of God, and * have *Cor. 2. r.
1 Joh. 5.10.
| On
%
| Chap. XIII.
| CHAP. XIIL
A Beaſt ariſeth out of the Sea, with ſeven Heads and ten Horns, 1, 2: One of the Heads being wounded, is healed, 3. The whole World worſhip the Bea$t and the Dragon, 4, 5. The Beaſt blaſphemeth God, makes war with the Saints and overcome them, 6, 7. They whoſe Names are not written in the Book of the Lamb, worſhip him, 8. Another Beaſt cometh out of the Earth with two Horns like a Lamb I. and exerciſing the Power of the firſt Beaſt, 12. doth wonders, 13+ Seduceth the Inhabitants of the Earth, and makes an Image of the firſt Beaſt, 14. All killed that deſpiſe to worſhip the Image, 1 5- None may buy or ſell, but ſuch as have the mark, of name, or num- ber of the name of the Beaſt, 16, 17.
God 7s now coming to ſhew his Prophet that grand Ene- my of his Church, who is emphatically called Anti- chriſt ; after the Determination of whoſe time of 1260 years, the Kingdom of Chriſt ſhall begin, whe- ther in the Day of Fudement, or in ſome Period of time before that, and here upon the Earth, I dare no! determine ?