Vers. 1. THE Revelation of Jes [...]s Christ, which G [...]d gave unto him, to shew un­to his Servants things that must shortly come to pass: and he sent and signified them by his Angel to his Servant John. 2 Who have Record of the Word of God, and of the Testi­mony of Jesus Christ, and of all things which he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this Prophecy [...] and keep (or observe) these things that are written therein; for the Time is at hand. In which words the Book is Entitled, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, that is, The Discovery of Future things revealed or made known by Jesus Christ, the Author of the Discovery: which Discovery he was enabled to make, in vertue of his Divine (not Human) Nature, Mat. xxiv. 36. which is the meaning of those Words, Which God gave unto him. For hence it is, That with respect to his being the Au­thor of this Prophecy, he so often takes upon him the Stile or Title, of the Only True God, viz. The First and the Last, &c. Rev. i. 8, 11, 17: xxii. 13. For this very Title does Isaiah set forth as the into n­municable Attribute of the Only True God, Isa. xli. 4. xliv. 6. xlviii. 12. And hence also it is, That Jesus Christ is cal­led, The Lord God of the Holy Prophets, Rev. xxii. 6. And the Lord God of the Holy Prophets sent his Angel, &c. For at verse 16 of the same Chapter, it is said of the same Mission, and the same Mes­senger, I Jesus have sent mine Angel. Je­sus therefore it need; must be, whom a little before, the Angel that was sent, had called The Lord God of the Holy Prophets. And can any one now [...]nk, either that Christ, as a Good Man, w [...] have thus intruded himself into the Society of the Godhead; Or, That the JEALOƲSY of God would ever have permitted such clear intimations of our Saviours Divinity to be every where interspersed in his own Books, if our blessed Saviour were not God?

Next then, The End for which the Re­velation was given him, is said to be, To shew unto his Servants things that must shortly come to pass; that is, shortly after the Writing of them by John say all In­terpreters hitherto that I have seen or heard of: concluding hence, That the Revelation (generally speaking) is a Pro­phecy of things that were shortly after the Writing of them to begin to be fulfilled; and all of them to have their Completion speedily, one after another; [See Dr. Ham­mond's Premonition to the Revelation, at the beginning.] And yet these Interpreters do All (for ought I know) extend the Prophe­cy to the very End of things. But on the contrary, 1. The Revelation speaks as well of things then Present, Chap. i. 19. and things a long while After to come to pass; as they themselves aknowledge. Yea, and the chief things of all, and the Most too, are of these sorts. And 2. There was nothing ever Shewn from the Revelation to be shortly to Come to pass, which Must be the meaning of Shewn in that place. For to give out a Prophecy in Writing that no one can understand, till after its Comple­tion, cannot be said to be, to shew us things [Page 5]to come. It may speak of things shortly to [...]omee to pass, and shew, that the Author of the Writing fore-knew them; but it cannot be said, to shew things shortly to come to pass, to those that understood no­thing by it till the things were Past. I give out this Prophecy (says Christ) to shew my Servants things shortly to come to pass, that is, says Dr. Hammond, The De­struction of Jerusalem, with the ensuing Calamities on the People of the Jews. But (not to insist, That these things had been shewn much plainer in the Gospels, Mat. xxiv. Mar. xiii. Luke xxiv. (Whoever discovered the destruction of Jerusalem in the Reve­lation before Dr. Hammond? Was then the Revelation given to shew the Dr. and those of his Age, the destruction of Jerusalem, and that under the notion of a thing short­ly to come to pass too? I cannot believe it! The plain meaning therefore of the Words is this, (which it is extreamly to be admired that no body has hit upon before) viz That the Revelation was given, from thence to shew unto the Servants of Christ, Some Certain things of great importance to the Church: so that they should be able to foresee them coming some little time before they were fulfilled; that is, to make the Servants of Christ Prophets. Against this Interpretation what can be objected, I cannot see; till some body will be so kind, as to make me sensible. But for Confirmation of it, is that which fol­lows, And he sent, and signified Them (not It, as our Translation has it) by his Angel, to his Servant John. Whereby is [...]mated, That the things for shewing of which chiefly the Revelation was gi­ven, are (not All the Revelation, which [...] no where said to have been shewed by [...] Angel; but) only those things which towards the End of it are expresly said to [...]ve been shewed to John by an Angel, dispatcht from Christ to him for that pur­pose, viz. The Vision of the Bride, the Lambs Wife; Or, The now. Jerusalem de­scending from God out of Heaven. No Pro­phecy is of any private Interpretation ( [...], of private impulse; either as to Invention, or Interpretation) 2 Pet. i 20. If then the Spirit, as he is the Author, so must be the Interpreter of these Words, To shew unto his Servants things that must shortly co [...]e to pass; end he sent and signified them by his Angel to his Servant John. How can it be expected, that he should tell us plainer what things he means, than he has done, Rev. xxi. 9. &c. and xxii. 6, 8, 10, 12, 16. Where an Angel comes to John, talks with him, and takes him aside as it were on purpose to shew him great things; telling him withal, That he is sent by the Lord God of the Holy Prophets (Chap. xxii. 6.) that is, by Jesus, vers. 16 to shew unto his Servants things that must shortly be done. (Need a­ny thing be plainer?) Whence I conclude, That the foreshewing of those things some little time before they came to pass, was the chief end of this glorious Prophecy, The REVELATION.

The Second Verse informs us, What John is here meant, to wit, the same, who in his Gospel bare Record of the Word of God, and of the Testimony of Jesus Christ; where And is taken Exegetically, as they speak, viz. for that is. As if it had been said, Who bare record of the Word of God; that is, of the Testimony of Je­sus Christ, and of All the mighty Things which he saw Jesus do in confirmation of his Testimony. This therefore is the A­postle John, the Beloved Disciple, describ'd in his own Phraseology; as may be seen by comparing herewith his Gospel and E­pistles; where he so frequently uses those very Expressions, of bearing Record, and the like; and insists much upon his being a present Witness of the Testimony of Jesus Christ. And this also is another Enhan [...]e­ of this Prophecy, viz. That it is derived from God to his Beloved Son, dispatcht from [Page 6]the Beloved Son to his Beloved Disciple. And this Point will be much illustrated by com­paring it with what is said, Dan. ix. 23. x. 11, 19.

The Third Verse contains a formal de­nunciation of a Blessing to the Reader (that is, Interpreter, Isa. xxix. 11) and to the Hearers, and Observers of this Prophecy; which is clear enough. But, Why is this added as the Reason, For the time is at hand? Of which no Man as yet, I think, has given any good Account. But the meaning is plainly this; For the time is now come, wherein this Prophecy was to be understood and rightly interpreted, or shewed to the Servants of Christ; so that they should from thence perceive the things shortly to come to pass, to wit, The Vision declared by the Angel, in xxi and xxii Chapters of the Revelation aforementioned, to be Near upon fulfilling; which would be a Blessed thing to the Reader, Hearers, and Observers of this Prophecy. But to those who lived at any great Distance from the time of its fulfilling, this Blessedness is not intended to belong; as is manifestly im­ported by the said Reason, that is given for it. But then, In what respect is that time said here to be near at hand? I answer, The Revelation is so contriv'd, that it was impossible to be understood without the help of that Angelical Exposition of the Master-types, which is given us, Chap. xvii. This is plain of it self; unless we think that the Angel there interprets them to no pur­pose; when they might as well have been understood without it. But now we must observe, That the Angel, that explains those Mysteries, is expresly, noted to be One of the Angels that had the seven Vials, to pour out upon Babylon, Chap. xvii. 1. Whereby is signified, That till the Times of the Vials (or Last Plagues, as they are cal­led, Rev. xv. 1.) that Vision of Rev. xvii. which is the Key to all the rest, should not be understood. This Promise therefore, Blessed is he that readeth (or interpreteth) &c. could not take its true and just Effect, till the Times of the Vials, that is, of the Declension of the Babylonish Tyranny; whatever City we can imagin to be meant by Babylon. With respect to Those Times therefore is that Promise to be understood, and not to any Times preceding the Vials. By all which we see, That this Prophecy should lye dormant (as it were) till the time of the Vials; but that then our Bles­sed Saviour would raise up such as should interpret it to his Servants, notwithstan­ding all the opposition that should be made by such as would have the true meaning of the Prophecy to be seal'd, shut up, or stifled: For as when the Vial-Angels are said to have brought several Plagues upon the ad­verse party, Rev. xvi. we thence conclude, That therefore those Plagues were really to come in the Time of the Vials: So when a Vision is said to have been shewed, or in­terpreted by a Vial Angel, we are as much oblig'd to inser there-from, That therefore that Vision was to be Really and Eventual­ly shewed or interpreted in the Vial-times. Thus then we see, the Revelation begins with addressing it self to those Times of the Vials, which were a little to precede the fulfilling of its Chief Vision; when first it was to be understood; and in respect of which it bears the Title of A REVE­LATION. For while the Mysteries of it lay in Darkness, (as confessedly they did for many Ages, and were so ordain'd of God to do) it could not in any tolera­ble sense be call'd A REVELATI­ON, (or a Book Unsealed) to those A­ges.

Objection. But if a Vial-Angel's inter­preting the Mysteries of the xvii. Chapter is an intimation, That those Mysteries could not be interpreted till the Times of the Vials. And if a Vial-Angel's saying, Seal not the Prophecy, must be understood with respect to the Times of the Vials; then why must not a Vial-Angel's Exposition of the [Page 7] seven Kings, (Rev. xvii.) where he says, Five are faln, One is, &c. be conceived to re­set to the Times of the Vials too; as mean­ing, One is Now in the Times of the Vials, which would unjoynt the whole Prophecy? I answer, The Angel speaks those Words, Five are faln, One is, &c. as an Interpreter, and not as a Minister or Actor in the Vi­sion; as appears from vers. 7, 9. And there­fore he must be understood to regard the Time in which he Really spake the Words; for Otherwise his Interpretation would sig­nifie nothing; for we should still be to seek, when the Times of the Vials were to be. But in saying, Seal not the Book, for the Time is at hand, he speaks as a Minister or Actor in the Vision, and must be under­stood mystically, viz. with respect to the Part assigned to him in the Vision. But further, we have this irrefragable Demon­stration, that the One is cannot be referr'd to the Mystical Time (viz. the Time of the Vials) nor those Words of our Saviour, Blessed is he that readeth, &c. for the time is at hand (answering to those of the An­gel, Seal not the Prophecy, that is, Read it, Interpret it, Isa. xxix. 11. for the time is at hand) of the Real time that St. John liv'd in. For the One is, is the sixth Head (or King.) After him is the seventh. After him again the Eighth; who also is called, The Beast that was, and is not. Together with This Beast, (or Eighth King) arise Ten other Kings, that for a time contribute their Power, and Strength, and Kingdom to him (that is, to the Whore, or Babylon, the City that he heads and rules in.) Af­ter this, the Friendship of those Kings is turned to mortal Hatred. These shall hate the Whore (says the Angel) and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her Flesh, and burn her with Fire; that is, they shall pour out the Vials (or Last Plagues) upon her. All which is exceeding, clear beyond all possible Exception, from Rev. xvii. 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18. From whence we see, That the Vials (or Last Plagues) whereby Babylon is to be destroy'd come not upon the Stage, till the Ten Kings, who are to destroy the Whore, be­gin to Hate her. Between which, and the One is, there is interposed all the time of the Confederacy of the Ten Kings with the Beast; and also, all the time of the seventh King: So that to say, That the One is (or Sixth King) belongs to the time of the Vials, how Absurd were it! Wherefore the One is cannot possibly be referr'd to the Time of the Vials, or My­stical Time; but to the Real Time St. John liv'd in, to whom the words were spoken.

And on the other side, the Absurdity of understanding those words, [Blessed is he that readeth, &c. (or seal not the Prophecy) for the time is at hand] of the Real Time St. John liv'd in, is altogether as gross and palpable as the other. For it is confest on all hands, that this Prophecy was sealed (if ever Prophecy in the World were seal'd) and could not be read (as a Prophecy or Declaration of Future, things) to any pur­pose, for many Ages after. And the com­plaints of the skilfullest Divines of all Per­suasions at this very day (to whom the obscurity of these Mysteries is the pre­tended discouragement) are a sufficient E­vidence of the undeniable Truth of that Assertion. Wherefore if those passages can­not be understood of the Real Time St. John liv'd in, they must relate to the Mystical Time of the Angel that spake them to him, consider'd as an Actor in the Vials.

If you still insist, the Prophecy in Saint John's time was written for any one to read (or understand) that could; I an­swer, so was Daniel's in his time written too, which yet was commanded to be sealed (Dan. xii. 4.) till the time of the end. It is not therefore the Writing, but the Ʋnderstanding of a Prophecy that Unseals or Opens it. And This is Demonstration by heap to a truly good Man, who is the only competent Judge of Discourses of this nature, Dan. xii. 10. and who only can [Page 8]receive Benefit by the Shewing of these Mysteries to him, Rev. xxi. 9. &c. xxii. 11. Insomuch that whoso is Averse to them, is manifestly deficient in one Symptom of true Goodness. And so much for the Ob­jection.

Lastly then, as a Consectary from what has been said, we may observe, how very injudiciously those Gentlemen, who make Rome Pagan (and not Papal) to be Babylon, have managed their Interpretations of these Visions: For they all make the Vials to be emptied, and Babylon to have been de­stroy'd above a thousand years ago; but all the while they shew no true Interpretation of the xvii. Chapter to have come abroad. For Every one of them appears at the head of a new pretended Exposition of his own, so making Vial-Angels of Themselves (un­sent by Christ, because Mistiming their designs) with no better Authorities, and Ac­coutrements than (perhaps) some useless Re­liques of old Empty Vials.

But on the contrary, As for those that take a Prejudice at the Protestant Exposi­tions of this Prophecy upon the account of NOVELTY; these shew as much Unskilfulness and Injudiciousness on the other hand. For according to the Pro­testant Scheme, the Vials are Now a pour­ing out; which hath been shewn to be the Proper Season for interpreting the xviith. Chapter, That indisputable Key of all the other Visions. And as for the main Vi­sion of all, viz. That of the Bride, the Lambs Wife, &c. (when, her Enemies be­ing subdued, the Church shall be put in­to a most firm and lasting state of Splendor and Tranquillity) that was to be fore­shew'd but a little while afore its coming to pass, Rev. xxi. 9, &c. xxii. 6, 7, 10, 12, 20. As therefore they who make [...] Lamb's Wife to have been come abo [...] these Thousand years in the state she [...] there described in; but do not shew h [...] Coming predicted a little afore from the [...] Visions, know not what they speak of▪ So we, who, being in expectation of a speedy Accomplishment of that great Re­volution, are offering every foot and anon some new Exposition or other (one Right, another, Wrong; and all of us anew [...] the matter, and according to the Ability that God giveth) act as consistently with Our Hypothesis, as the others inconsistently with theirs. For it is certain, That

And so much for this time. If any thing here delivered be unsatisfactory or obscure; upon Notice given, I do not question, but (by God's Assistance) I shall clear it fully in the next Paper. In the mean time let the Reader that designs for any degree of Skilfulness in these Matters, take care to acquaint himself well with the xvii. Chap­ter (to which purpose my Exposition of that Chapter, in want of a better, may be serviceable to him;) for that Chapter as hath been often said (but nor Too often) is the Key to the whole Prophecy; and till we are agreed in the sense of That, I cannot undertake to render any thing so Clear, as I could wish, to him. For I con­fess, it is the height of my Ambition, to dismiss him at the last with all imaginable Satisfaction (such as I have my self, I ble [...] God for it) and to leave nothing in h [...] way, if possible, but Sun-beams to stumble at.