TO THE ISLES OF Great BRITTAIN these; From PATMOS ILE:
BEcause the time short, as here shewed, in the NAME OF GOD, Amen: shall name the Child, Namely the blessed LAMBE extold so, and magnified in the Apocalyps: Even the weeke of EASTER, (as much to say) when the generall RESƲRECTION time: And this is the interpretation thereof; of which aforesaid Feast covered under NO few figures, Metaphors and the like; Thus,
Given with such a speciall charge, to keepe the things written therein; verse 3 (to wit) containes. Jnfalible fore-runners and signes, when the End of time at hand for the Churches Preparation to stand on their gaurd, lest surprised unawares.
And as here Times and Seasons mistery proclaim'd with Times treble voices: grace and peace from him which JS, and which WAS; and which JS to COME: And from the seven spirits before (or in sight of) the THRONE, so shews withall His day of comming a GREATER then his proclaimed BY great BRIITAIN, whose feast solemnized about the Resurrections feast, March 27.: Those first and last Princes, or Kings; Of which last time the Prophet Daniel Thus in his last; And at that time shall Michael stand up the great Prince &c. who seales it with these, Dan. 12. And many that sleep in the dust, shall awak, &c. including those observed Feasts aforeshewed, for an expresse token of the generall Resurrection in their Reigne, and at that very time and season.
Touching which turning again to the Revelation
And with the Signe of the LAMB, proceeding lation, bearing the same date, vers. 5. And from Jesus CHRIST the faitfull Witnesse, the first begotten of the dead, PRINCE of the KINGS of the Earth: That loved VS, and washed VS from our sins in his own blood, concluded With these, and hath made us Kings and Priests, &c. To HIM be glory and dominion, for ever and ever, Amen.
Behold HEE commeth, &c. Saying, J am ALPHA and OMEGA: Even so upon the LORDS day shewed unto that happie man: The Disciple whom he Lord above the rest entrusted, The likenesse of the dreadfull day of JƲDGMENT standing in the middest of Watch-lights, saying; feare NOT, J am the first and the last King; J have the Keyes of HELL and DEATH: Write the things which Thou hast seen, &c. And he that hath an Eare let him heare the Spirit of Prophecie, and repent. Behold, I stand at the doore and knock, to Supp with him who holds the seaven Starres in his Hand, The evening of TIMES Ensigne.
briefly beyond hope, that pre vailed to open the seven Sealed Booke of Times Mystery; after his much weeping, because no man was found worthy to read, or look? thereon: No not the Prophet Daniel, who more then once was bidden go thy way, (Dan. 12.) for the words are referred for the end of time.
Thou shalt rest, &c.
Even so, Glory, Honor, and Peace, be ascribed to the Lamb, (Easter our Rest) before whose face (Rev. 6.) Kings of the Earth, Mighty men, Great men, Rich men, and chiefe Captains, then taking their flight, as who able to stand in such a Storm of confusion, then commeth the great day of the wrath of the Lamb.
As herè the yeare of Grace 1644. followes, when. accomplished (Or Seal'd) those pernitious Windes till then not let loose.
And, the Seales being sealed or oppened, thus proceeds.
And after these things, I saw foure Angels standing at the foure corners of the Earth, holding the fower Winds, that the wind should not blow: Saying hurt not the Earth, nor the Sea, till Wee have sealed the Servants of God in the Foreheads. [Page 7]And I heard the number of them that were Sealed, and there Was seald a hundred and forty &c. twelve times twelve, serving both for the months and yeare, and the equall houres divided between day and and night, when those unrestrained windes.
And as he heard the number of the one: Thenafter that (or the following yeare) which no man could number, so he saw of all Nations standing before the Throne, and before the Lamb, saying salvation to our God that sitteth upon the Throne, and unto the Lamb, the yeare of our salvation (to wit in the month of March) renown through the world beginning about Easter. And as by sitting on the throne expresses the Rest or Sabboth day when it began also, observ'd by Christians so loug, likewise every one by those Palmes in their hands Ensignes of Victory and Peace, even proclaiming the Ioyfull yeare 1645. this victorious time of such thanksgivings, wherein Babylon is blown up, and thus the last yeare, and the New Model signified hand in hand who have washed their Robes in the bloud of the Lamb, and made them so fayre.
Wherefore there needs no further question to be made of that Albion Army, who they are that serve him day and night, since not unknowne the [Page 8]condition of souldiers, companions of restles time, of whose service hard to indge between the state of prisoners, where desired, death flees away, and such liberty as they enioy, which to be preferred or desired, (as the Prophets Esay 49) shewes or bindes them together here. That thou mayest say to the prisoners go forth, and them that sit in darkenesse, shew your selves. They shall hunger nomore, neither shall the heat of the Sun smite them: The Lamb is their leader, asmuch as to say Easter shall bid them welcom to the Lords table, and thus from their eyes teares wiped away by the Lamb in the midst of the throne, when peace and the day of iudgement together going.
Revel. Chap 14.
AND following the Lamb whether he goeth, and his Albion Troups in their Virgin springaray, his fathers name having in their foreheads, such a year of God, of the interpretation whereof as followes. And loe a Lamb stood on mount Sion, and with him a hundred forty and foure &c. where again the foresaid yeare of our redemption, witnes these words.
These are redeemed from among men, being the first fruits unto God and the Lamb, And these whereas singing a new song before the Throne, which song no man could learn but such a certain number a hundred forty foure which were redeemed from the earth, no other then some watch word given (as it were) shewing When such a New time come to passe of Reformation, That then our Redemption drawes neere; As hereby shewed the houre come of his iudgement, This for another signe Babylons fall, first her Numerous Jdols cast downe its faln, its faln; The time exprest in that overflowing Wine presse of hers, a thousand six hundred bearing date.
Wherefore no marvell though Syon tun [...]s up her Harps, so long out of tune, for such a blessed day where the Cup or Chalice of his indignation, not in a corner or in privat administred, but powred out in the Presence of the holy Angels, and in the Presence of the Lamb: Even NO more of their reall PRESENCE and the like, to wit, who have no Rest day nor Night, with sulphorous Smokes suffocated, in their own kind rewarded for the blessed Sabboth dayes, violation, That solemne rest prophand.
Even so again on the other side write, Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord henceforth, that they may rest from their labours, and their workes follow them. Shewing also for them with such Vallour and Courrage that have followed the Cause, these their everlasting Epitaph.
And so much for the NEW Time, and for Babylons judgement, the day of judgements forerunner, Her grapes being cryed full ripe, the houre unexpected Come, the Wine-presse trodden without the Citie up to the Horse-bridles, the horses too drinke their fill of blood without measure, the sixteen hundred yeares being fulfilled, serving for the measured compasse of this Island, 1600 myles also, Those furlongs. And this the contents of the Apocalyps 14. Chap. where Like the fruitlesse tree after the fourth yeare cut downe, sufferd to stand no longer.
And proceeding on, Revela. Chap. 19.
FOr the great dayes Preparation, as here: a greater priveledge then those Writs of Parliament to bee cal'd hether, to partake of The [Page 11] Lambes marriage Supper; A blessing to bee desired much more Then the beauty of Lillyes, to beare HER Company, granted she should be arrayed in fine Lynnon, cleane and white: As cleare by such voices and Acclamation: Of which marriage Writs to be published; briefly as followes: Requiring rather a quire of paper, Then circumscribed within the Narrow limmits of a sheet or two.
For such a meeting so long waited for: Represented (as it were) by the ghests invited Now to the Lords table the Easter-weeke: when as that Deciple about to fall down and worship, Charg'd; See thou do it NOT: not the first caveat entred to to flee Jdolatry.
But going on with the Season and Time, a thing of such Consequence, as here the Ʋirgins day in Lent, after which, when Marriage licences so frequent, accompanied with the victorious Bridgrom, clothed in his Easter robes: a Vesture dipt in blood, proclaimed King of kings, and Lord of lords, that in righteousnesse makes war: his Coronation feast then, as crownd with so many Crowns, followed with his Saints, mounted or white Horses every one; a greater shew then St. Georges his coming at hand, or any other.
whose Name called the Word of GOD, that unknowne Name in another language (as it were) written, Not unlike those words: Rex: Parliament: Peers &c. ver. Where shewd lastly the fowls feasted on flesh, the Storke and Crane &c. Not ignorant of their time of comming, in the Spring time; as the Horse (Chap. 14.) swimming in blood up to the neck, which know their owner; called unto the supper of the great God, to assemble and muster themselves to eate the flesh of Kings, the flesh of Captains, the flesh of mightie men, even Licenced by the Lamb, all the fowls to bee filled: All but so many tokens, or Ensignes displayed proclaiming when the houre of his Judgement, Come.
Revela. Chap. 21.
ANd as cald to witnesse here, a Reformation set forth before the End; a new Modell, a new Heaven and a new Earth, new Jerusalem prepared as a Bride to meete her Husband, where no more paine, teares, and the like, but like the Peacable Spring; when painfull Winter past, to such infirmities subject, as that heavenly voice making known; Behold I make all things new, former things are past away, saying, it is done: J am Alpha and Omega; seales it with that unsearchable Name, the quintessence of Mistery and Mercy.