Cap. 1.

VVho on this wise, with no slen­der charge, Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of this Prophesie, and keep the things writ­ten therein; for the time is at hand (Verse) And with precious time to be short, that returns not, the happy Reader whieh would a taste of this Angelical food have, mini­stred to Iohn by the Angel, whose Name signifies both the Grace of God, and the Year of Grace, as Ioann Anno, &c. by these shall un­derstand, that the Gospels progress or pilgrimage tis to be paced out, by Noahs days, or like his few and evil, Iacobs; which attained not to those of his predecessors: as by this [Page 5]account of the Gospels coming short of the former, both before the Law and under, fulfilling seventeen Centuries, like his seventeen years sojourning in Egypt, before ended the tedious days of his laborious life, Sevenscore and seven years, his Ladder reaching from Earth to Heaven.

And thus with the expedition of Churches captivity in spiritual Ba­bylon finished; Iohn, with these joyful Tidings the Time at hand, salutes the seven Churches, Grace and Peace unto you, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits before the Throne, besides the familiar Voyces of Time also, personating the Holy Spirits gift; even his watchful ser­vants [Page 6]day and night, these next to eternity, about to take their leave, remember their service to the chur­ches, especially sabbath days, where inclusive Times whole family, with the Anniversary day Easter, the Resurrections feast, the year when begins and ends, those spiritual, &c. VVho all with one voyce and con­sent cry down Times person, no more allegiance due, or adored with superstitious Ceremonies longer:

From voyces to good tokens, all to the same end and effect, vers. And from Iesus Christ the faithful witness, &c. the first begotten of the dead: The prince of the Kings of the earth that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, the Lamb of God, &c. a Bathe [Page 7]able to contain certainly the whole world, even from Iudas Iscariot that Traytor in grain, to the Red old Dragon, to present them in their primitive estate in his appointed time, in whom we live, move, and have our being every one: where points to the custom of former ages of the Church, their administring about Easter, Baptism, and the Lords Supper.

VVhich seven weeks for spiritual exercise how imployed before the Holy days, too well known: And the Holy Spirit made their open pastime too, such a gift bestowed upon them, possest with Sodom blindeness reigning such.

Nevertheless, with the words of this prophesie, This tree of Life [Page 8]come to his full ripeness; going on shewing a greater Potentate then either Cesar slain, vvho set the year, arriv'd at their sun-setting that Mo­narchy: or then C. R. Defender, &c. with his monthday 27 about Easter, and priests in his presence, in whom bleeding commiseration none such, never too soon in shortening such Reigns hereby as shadow'd out.

And so proceeding with another expression of his much love, ex­ceeding Solomons to the queen of the South, vvhich could but ask and have; (vers.) and hath made us Kings and Priests (unto God and his Father) to vvhom be power and dominion to ages of ages, Amen; in the Churches old age, as much to say, Princes every one & Preachers [Page 3] [...] [Page 4] [...] [Page 5] [...] [Page 6] [...] [Page 7] [...] [Page 8] [...] [...] [Page 11] God and the Father, &c.

VVhereof Eden that parted River that became four Heads a figure, where in those three Gold very good; The Onyx-stone, and the un­known Bdellium, the Manna like­ned to it, compar'd to a round white seed, whence comes doubtless our Orient Pearl, that queen of E­gypts for one, as well bestowed up­on a Swine, the Gentiles Emblem; how it fares with them even to this day in holy things.

And the whole sacred current flow­ing this way of Old and New con­curring, as the Tabernacle for ex­ample, shews wrought wiih blue, pur­ple and crimson, in which the Table, the Shew-bread, and the Candlesticks, those Memorials also the signifi­cant [Page 12] Ark four-square, containing the Tables of the Law, he pot of Manna, and the budding Rod: of the four winds, who may doubt too, un­known whence they are: And the fourth part of the VVorld, because but three formerly, or with doubt­ing Thomas, &c.

As witness this, Trinity in Ʋnity (Exodus the 3.) say, The Lord God of your Fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, &c. This is my memorial to all generations; four several times repeated, to beware of going less, no vain repitition from the Lords own mouth, a Lesson to his first Ambassador Moses, bare footed, before the thorny Bush, the fiery Throne, the fourfold Aleluiah [Page 13]voyces, saying, Amen, Revel. with that four-square virgin City, un­folding as much, said to have the glory of God; measured (144) her reign.

So now to return home to the mat­ter of his coming in his cloudy cha­riot, thus advertised, verse. Behold, he cometh with clouds, &c. Even so, Amen: to the greater sort, as a thief in the night welcom, or some open enemy, even wounded by Jew and Gentile both.

Of his Name, sacred eve­ry tittle; thus, I am A. and O. the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come; the Almighty, where the truth of it: the burthen of the word of the Lord the acceptable year pro­claims [Page 14]at hand, witnesd to be with the Scriptures, the Original Languages as pointed unto manifests, the old & New, where the first begins the last ends (as it were) the Suns rising of the one, the others setting, like An­tipodes the Hebrew and Greek; and so of the Old-year end, married to New-years day.

And as here by his ovvn Exam­ple recommended, Iohn our brother and companion; what patience re­quisite in a Prophet, shews he to the Isle of Patmos confined, scituated in the Egean sea by that Tyrant, &c.

So a Revolution vvithal as the Noon-day visible, and the Stars in the firmament, directed to this Isles three, from him which is, was, and is to come; the very voyce of the pre­sent [Page 15]Reign, the first of his name, &c. even this kingdom, where began the Reformation, (as it were) by several languages or ways to them reveal­ed, his second coming.

And these the sum of the blessed words of this prophesie, the day of Iudgements summons to Great Bri­tain foreshewed.

Shewing upon the Lords-day how it came to pass a great voyce of a trumpet behinde him heard, me­ditating it may be how long to the Resurrection, or about the meaning of those, What if I will he tarry till I come? answered by the Resurections alarm appears, saying, I am Alpha and O mega, the first and the last; and what thou seest, write in a book, &c. at which turned about that dreadful [Page 16]apparition beheld, one in the likenes of the Son of man, a very book at all points, as it were in fine paper gild­ed, bound and clasps: the flaming Eyes some combustable stuff de­clares, not onely but the sharp in­strument two edged coming out of his mouth, the cutting or opening of the leaves.

And so for his voyce as the sound of many waters, even the floods voyce lifted up, as the days of No­ah, the coming of the Son of man, the evening of time come, the seven golden Candlesticks, and the seven stars in his right hand, by whose influence Iohn revived, dead afore, unani­mously the same Vision the Pro­phet Daniel saw, saying, a thing wus revealed, but the time was long (as it [Page 10]were) belongs to the time of the end to be understood, as referr'd to those one and twenty prophetical days, when withstood so long by the Per­sian prince, Dan. 10. it being therea­bout since Cyrus, so many hundred years since this Secret revealed to him. And thus much for the BOOK and its Contents, with his Commission signed and sealed with those mystical letters, and stars seven, to remember the Church to stand on their guard and be watch­ful, those lights almost extinct, Bi­shops about 27. in the first place.

A piece drawn in the Ancient of days likeness; a Robe girt (as it were) spurs and sword, an ireful aspect, answe­rable to his confused voyce, a rod in his right hand, or scepter, indued with [Page 18]such power, with his age, &c. the least touch; his watchword or Mot­to, vers. I am the first and the last; I am he that was dead, and am alive to ages of ages, and have the keys of He and Death; consisting of variety of expression, sounding the Resurre­ctions Alarm, he standing in the midst of those Centinels, or walking in that solinary place, not the least a­mong the Isles; like his walking in the fiery furnace, beheld by the King of great Babylon, at whose command the same was heated seven times more then afore; a forerunner of his own judgement of seven times, &c.

And from these significant things, and those his last words, Behold, I am with you all days, until the consum­mation of the age (Mat. 28.) as [Page 19]follows, shewing the holy Spirit not in power onely visible to all; but in person again sent before the last Day, to some one even a Re­volution or return to be of the for­mer; Also of the very time gives to understand from his standing in the midst of so many watch-lights (to wit) about the midst of such Cen­tury, to look about us then, with our brother John, who turning saw and heard these, presaging too some special judgement being foreshewd then, accompanied for a testimony of it, with no inferior persecution; And the prophesie accomplished accordingly, this to be the day of Iudgement Herald, verily to all Nations, &c.

Much more to be provided for [Page 20]aforehand then the years of scarcity the former when brought forth by handfuls, where Joseph the prisoner so advanced, surely more to lookt after then tything of Rue and Rose­mary, or great tythes either; Howso­ever by them the Day of Iudgment passed over; From moreover, who wrote to a Lady that loving Epi­stle, so He that hath an ear, &c. (even which accompanies the times gene­ral Out-cryes, and Nevvs cryed) let him give ear to the truth of his presence and company vvill enjoy, who stands without and knocks, freely offers to sup, &c. to sit in his Throne with him.