A LETTER OF A Protestant Clergyman TO THE Reverend CLERGY OF THE Church of England, AND To all other good Protestants, advertising them from the sacred Revelation of St. John of the Evil which he apprehends to be coming upon THE PROTESTANT CHURCH, etc.  
Written by DIGBY BULL, M. A. and late Rector of Sheldon in Warwickshire.  
London: Printed for the Author, and are to be sold by the Booksellers of London and Westminster. 1695.   

Reverend Brethren both of the Clergy and Laiety,  
I Am apprehensive and very confident than an Evil Time is at hand, and that Popery is ready to come in upon us, for the great Abuse of that blessed Light of the Gospel, which we have so freely enjoyed: And I doubt that first and last there will be a great deal of Bloodshed in this Nation; and I would have you all advertised hereof, That you may make all the due Preparation against such a Dreadful Time that may be; and may do all that lies in your Power to preserve yourselves and the Flocks that are committed to your Care, that you may not fall to Popery, nor be taken in any other great Wickedness, and so be swept away with the Besom of Destruction. I would have you to peruse Archbishop Usher's Prediction, and to make the best use of his Advice that may be: For I take it to be of a Divine Nature, and do believe that there is Truth in it, and that the dismal Time which he speaks of is now at hand. And I am persuaded that this Day will come in a surprising manner, as he saith, and that such as give themselves up to a carnal and vain Security, will be wrapped up in Misery and Destruction before they are well ware of it. And therefore it behoveth all Men to look well to the grand Concerns of their Souls and Lives, and to be continually upon their Watch and Spiritual Guard, that they may not be taken in a vain Confidence, like the rich Fool in the Parable, Luke 12.16—. And from Rev. 11. I do believe that Popery will prevail over us for three Years and an half, and that then (to the great wonder of the World, and like Men from the dead) the Protestant Religion shall rise up again, and be as Glorious as it was before, if not much more so. And from the comfortable expectation of this lightsome and joyful Morning, we may be the more encouraged with Patience and Perseverance in the Truth, to weather out this dark and dismal Night. And by the blessed Help and Assistance of Almighty God we shall be able to do it; and his Divine Help will never be wanting to us, if we seek it with that diligence and care that we ought. And the more to keep us from falling to Popery, we may remember how strictly we are commanded to keep the Faith and Doctrine of the Gospel pure and uncorrupt, and how severely the Violators thereof are threatened: And we may sufficiently see, that Popery is not at all consistent therewith.  
First, We may see that we are strictly enjoined to keep the sacred Commands of Almighty God, and to contend earnestly for the Faith of the Gospel; and at our Baptism we did solemnly engage to do so by our Sureties. Upon our love to him doth our blessed Lord require of us that we should keep his Commandments. If ye love me (saith he, Joh. 14.15.) keep my Commandments. St. Paul also in sundry places doth strictly charge both Timothy and Titus, and in a Solemn manner before God, to keep the Precepts and Commandments that he gave them; 1 Tim. 5.21. and 6.13. And he showeth that the Philippians were to strive together for the Faith of the Gospel. Phil. 1.27— That ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the Faith of the Gospel; and in nothing terrified by your adversaries—. And this St. Judas presseth also, Judas 3. It was needful for me (saith he) to write unto you, and exhort you, that ye should earnestly contend for the Faith, which was once delivered unto the Saints. And to the Angel of the Church in Sardis saith our Saviour, Rev. 3.3. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. By the Angel here we are to understand the Bishops and Pastors of the Church and the Flocks under them; the Angel seems to be put for the whole Church, but especially for the Governors and Pastors of it. And this place, as Dr. More showeth, respecteth our own times. And here we are admonished to remember how we have been Instructed in the sacred Scriptures; and also how we have been taught by the blessed Reformation to lay aside all the sinful Errors and Practices of the Romish Church: And here we are also strictly enjoined to retain and hold fast all that is good and agreeable to the sacred Scriptures; and upon our neglect herein we are severely threatened with Judgement, as the following words show.  
Secondly, We may see that such as any ways make void the sacred Word of God, are sharply rebuked, and severely threatened for it. Our blessed Lord himself doth sharply rebuke the Jews upon this account, and shows that such Religion is vain, when Men leave the Divine Laws and Commandments of Almighty God to follow the Traditions and Precepts of Men. Mar. 7.7. In vain do they worship me (saith he) teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men—. And saith he, Mat. 5.19. Whosoever shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so; he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven—. St. Paul also doth show that he that disannulleth the Gospel of Christ, and setteth up any thing in opposition to it, is to be had accursed, yea tho' he were an Angel from Heaven. Gal. 1.8. But tho' we (saith he) or an Angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. And this the Apostle doubleth that it might be the more heeded and minded, and that none might presume to do so. And saith St. John, 2 Joh. 9 Whosoever abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ, hath not God. And saith he again, Rev. 22.18— For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the Prophecy of this book; If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this Book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this Prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life—. By these plain places of Scripture we may see how closely we ought to keep to the Sacred Word of God, and that it is in vain to pretend to worship and serve Him except we do so: And we see that it is a cursed thing to make void the Gospel, and to preach up any thing in opposition to it; and that such as do so must expect the Wrath and Judgement of God to come upon them. And according to these places of the Sacred Scriptures do we make profession in St. Athanasius' Creed.— Which Faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly—. And we may clearly see that the Romish Religion is flat contrary to the first and second Commandments of the Decalogue. This is the grand Commandment of all, viz. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me. Exod. 20.3. But this grand Commandment do the Papists violate, and make Petty Gods of the Saints, and worship the Elements of Bread and Wine in the Sacrament, and make Gods of them. And they make, and worship, and bow down to Images, flat contrary to the express Letter of the second Commandment. They teach for Doctrines the Commandments of Men, and preach another Gospel, which Christ and his Apostles preached not, in that they preach up the Pope's Supremacy as a fundamental Doctrine in their Religion, and Purgatory, and Popish Pardons, etc. which are not in the Gospel of our blessed Lord and Saviour, but are repugnant to it; and therefore they do incur the Curse of the Apostle, in preaching another Gospel. And herein we may see that they sin with a high hand, in that they stifle the Sacred Word of God, and will not let the Common People know it, that they may keep it and do it, contrary to God's express Command, who would have all Men to know his Sacred Word and Commandments, and to do them: And instead hereof, they order their own Precepts and Traditions to be observed and kept: Thus superseding and overruling the whole Word of God by their own Commands, at their own will and pleasure; thus exalting themselves above God himself, in keeping his Sacred Word in an unknown Tongue from the People, and ordering their own Commands to be kept as the supreme Commands of all. And the Papists are accounted no better than Gentiles, Heathens and Pagan Idolaters, by the Sacred Oracles of the Revelation of St. John, as I understand them. And you may see that Archbishop Usher and Dr. More, these Learned and Pious Men are of the same mind; and Dr. Barrow, another Learned and Pious Man saith little less. See Dr. More's Antidote against Idolatry, and Dr. Barrow's Treatise of the Pope's Supremacy. We may see that there is no hope of Salvation for such as are of this Communion, so long as they continue therein. And I wish that all well-minded Papists would seriously lay these things to heart, and take a due Care to save their Souls, and not suffer themselves to be deluded to their Eternal Woe and Destruction. But farther,  
Thirdly, We may see that Righteous and Holy Men would by no means be driven to break the Sacred Commands of Almighty God, and to departed from his Blessed Word; but would rather part with their Lives than do so. The three Children would not be driven with all the Terror of a Fiery Furnace to fall down and worship King Nebuchadnezzar's Image, contrary to the express Command of Almighty God, Dan. 3. The Church in Pergamos would not deny the Faith of Christ, tho' they dwelled even where Satan's Seat was, and in those Days too wherein Antipas the faithful Martyr of Christ was slain among them; and they are highly commended for so doing. Rev. 2.13. I know thy works (saith our Lord) and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is; and thou holdest fast my Nome, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. The Church also in Philadelphia is commended for keeping the Word of God, Rev. 3.8. And St. John doth show that many have been put to death for the Word of God, and for adhering and sticking close to the Truth, and giving Testimony to it. Rev. 6.9. I saw under the altar (saith he) the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held. And Rev. 20.4. And I saw (saith he) the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God—: By these Instances and many more that might be alleged from the Sacred Scriptures and other Authors, we may see with what great Courage and Magnanimity righteous Men have stood to the blessed Word of God and maintained it; and have chosen rather to resist even unto Blood, than to be driven from it, or to violate it in any notorious manner. And this doth show that we ought to do so too; and may serve for a sufficient dissuasive to us to keep us from falling to Popery, tho' we run very great hazard in standing against it. But  
Fourthly, We may farther consider that we are under several solemn Engagements that are flat against Popery. We of the Clergy especially, and many others have taken the Oath of Supremacy; and many of us have subscribed the Declaration called the Test: We have read and given our Assent to the 39 Articles of Religion, and have subscribed the three Articles in the 36th. Canon: And these in many particulars are all directly against Popery. And if we should now fall to Popery, we shall notoriously break and violate all these solemn and sacred Engagements to the contrary, and be most wretchedly perfidious, and show to the World that there is no Truth and Faithfulness in us, but that we are cursed lying Children. And according to our great Wickedness herein, if we should do so, shall we be dealt with: For we are plainly told, Rev. 21.8. That all liars shall have their part in the lake, which burneth with fire and brimstone: And it will be sufficiently manifest both to Men and Angels too, that such we are, and that in a high manner too, if we have no regard to all these solemn Engagements which we call God to attest and bear Witness to. If then we have any fear of God before our Eyes, and would avoid his dreadful Wrath, and have his Favour which is better than Life itself; If we have any regard to the grand Concerns of our Souls, and our eternal Well-being and Happiness in another World; If we would avoid that dismal place where the Prince of Darkness and the Father of Lies is to have his residence and abode; Then we must have a care that we do not violate the sacred Word of God, and these solemn Engagements that we have made, but resolve rather to part with our Lives, tho' it be at the Stake, than to break them and fall to Popery.  
But I am apt to believe, That the standing against Popery in a Meek and Christian manner with Spiritual, and not with Carnal Weapons, will be the best way to preserve both Life and Soul too; and that such as do so shall be preserved alive, when many others, that fall to Popery on the one hand, or that rise up against Authority on the other, shall perish and lose their Lives. And Archbishop Ʋsher doth show that the sincere and faithful Worshippers and Servants of God shall then be preserved, when many others are like to perish.  
Many of you, Reverend Brethren, by your late Miscarriages in taking the New Oaths, etc. have put yourselves into a worse Condition than otherwise you would have been in; and after a short time, I suppose, you will be fully convinced of your Error in so doing. But by your sincere and hearty Repentance and earnest Prayers to God, and by all other good Endeavours to this purpose, and especially by the blessed Help and Assistance of Almighty God (which we must all rely upon) I hope you may recover your Ground, and be able to stand against Popery, and so preserve your Souls and Lives too, if God sees it good to spare them; or else may be able cheerfully to lay them down, if he shall require it at your hands. I hope and am fully persuaded that Mercy doth yet wait upon you, and that if you will now return and repent, you may be saved. But if ye still proceed on in your own ways, and despise the Goodness and Long-suffering of God, which doth now in an extraordinary manner wait for your Return to him; If you now stop your Ears against all the loud Cries and Calls to Repentance and persist on to Backslide more and more; If you now slight all the kind Invitations and Warnings of Providence, and instead of repenting should fall to the Black Religion of Rome; There is then no Peace nor Comfort for you that I know of, but a Tremendous expectation of Judgement and Fiery Indignation which will consume all before it. With Eyes therefore full of Tears, and with a Heart full of Sorrow and true Christian Charity and Compassion, as I hope, do I earnestly entreat and beg of you, That you would not now Trifle with Eternity, when you are upon the very Brink of Destruction, and have but one moment of time to provide for your Security, and to save yourselves in. Remember poor Esau, that could find no place for Repentance, tho' he sought it carefully with Tears, when once the Sentence was passed against him, Heb. 12.16, 17. Gen. 27.33—. It was then irrevocable, and all his Tears and his exceeding bitter Cry could not alter it. And when once the Heavens now are covered with thick Darkness, your Cries will hardly pierce through it, and find access to the Throne of Mercy: And when once the consuming Fire of God's Wrath is kindled, it is not a few Tears that will quench it.  
In the Bowels of Christ Jesus then, and by all the Endearments of a Christian Brother, do I earnestly beseech you now to return, and thankfully to accept of the Overtures of Mercy, while Mercy may be had, before abused Goodness be turned to Wrath, and Mercy itself be shut up in displeasure against you: For than you may cry aloud for Mercy, like the Worshippers of Baal, (1 Kings 18.) and find as little answer and regard as they did. But if you will now repent and return to God with all your heart, and firmly resolve to abide by him at all times, I hope you will readily find him, and find him a God ready to help and secure you now in the greatest Straits and Dangers.  
And to animate us all the more herein, we may see that we have very great Encouragements in the Sacred Word of God, patiently and contentedly to undergo all the Persecutions and Sufferings that befall us here for doing our Duty to God, and keeping a good Conscience, and sticking close to our Profession and the Truth of the Gospel. And  
First, We may see that this is declared to be a blessed thing, when Men suffer for Righteousness sake; and those that do so are pronounced blessed and happy. Behold (saith St. James 5.11.) we count them happy, which endure. And saith St. Peter, 1 Pet. 2.19. For this is thankworthy if a man for conscience towards God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. And ver. 20—, But if when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently; this is acceptable with God. And 1 Pet. 3.14. But and if ye suffer for righteousness sake, happy are ye; and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled. And to this purpose, 1 Pet. 4.14. If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ, happy are ye; for the Spirit of glory, and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. This we see is a most blessed thing, and highly acceptable in the sight of God, when Men suffer for Righteousness sake, and keeping a good Conscience towards Almighty God.  
Secondly, We may see that such as endure constant to the end, and forsake not their Profession for any Persecutions that befall them, shall be sure to be saved from Eternal Death and Destruction; and often, tho' not always, from Destruction here in this World, when they are in great danger of losing their Lives; God then in a wonderful manner delivering them by his good Providence out of all their Troubles and Danger. This is often declared by our blessed Lord in the Gospel, that such as endure constant to the end shall be saved. Matt. 10.22. And ye shall be hated of all men for my Name's sake; but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. And Matt. 24.12, 13. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold: but he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved. And these words are not so to be confined to one particular State of the Church as to exclude all others; but so as to be Instructions to Christians at all times when there is need of such; and such in an especial manner doth this present juncture of time seem to me to be. The Church while it is Militant here below is always like to be subject to Persecutions; and when these grow very smart and sharp, the love of many is like to grow cold: But that this may be no great discouragement to good Christians at such a time, and may not make their heart to grow faint when they see so many to fall off, they are to encourage themselves with such Sacred Consolations as these. And saith our Lord, Mar. 8.35. For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospel's, the same shall save it. The exposing of our Lives to hazard upon this account is the best way to preserve both Life and Soul too; and so I believe it will be now.  
Thirdly, We may see that our blessed Lord doth promise abundant reward, even in this Life, to all such as do sustain any loss for his sake and the Gospel's. Mar. 10.29, 30. And Jesus answered and said, verily I say unto you, there is no man that hath left House, or Brethren, or Sisters, or Father, or Mother, or Wife, or Children, or Lands for my sake and the Gospel's, But he shall receive an hundred fold, now in this time, Houses—. And to this purpose in other places. And I do believe that such as sustain any loss, and run any great hazard at this time, to keep a good Conscience towards God, shall be well rewarded even in this World, besides what they may expect hereafter in another. But  
Fourthly, For our great Comfort and Encouragement herein, we have many promises of a blessed Reward hereafter in Heaven, for suffering for a good Cause, and for Righteousness sake. Eternal Glory and Happiness shall then be sure to be our Reward for such high Obedience as the suffering meekly and patiently for the sake of the blessed Jesus is. Matt. 5.10— saith our Saviour; Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake; for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake: Rejoice and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in Heaven—. And to this purpose, Luke 6.22— Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: For behold your reward is great in Heaven; for in the like manner did their Fathers unto the Prophets. And those that forsake Houses and Lands for Christ's sake and the Gospel's, shall, besides their reward here in this World, inherit Eternal Life and Happiness in the World to come. Matt. 19.29. and Mar. 10.30. And in the world to come, eternal Life. And saith St. Paul, Rom. 8.17—. If so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory, which shall be revealed in us. Christ ought to have suffered, and so to enter into his Glory, Luke 24.26: And if we will be his Disciples and followers, we must expect to do so too, and to enter in by the straight Gate of affliction. But our sufferings here will bear little or no proportion to the Glory that doth await us for them: For if St. Paul could say foe, who hath given us so large an account of his sufferings (2 Cor. 11.23—) much more may we say so. And again saith St. Paul to Timothy, 2 Tim. 2.12. If we suffer, we shall also reign with him. And saith St. James 1.12. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is tried, he shall receive the Crown of Life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. And this is our Lord's promise by St. John to the Church in Smyrna, Rev. 2.10. Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a Crown of Life: And all are to hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches, ver. 11. And again, Rev. 3.21. saith he, To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his Throne. To this high Dignity is the faithful Sufferer like to be advanced.  
Fifthly, For our farther Comfort and Support in all the Sufferings that we meet with for Christ's sake, and for keeping a good Conscience towards God, we may see that God doth regard and pity us in all our distresses and afflictions; and that he will then secure and strengthen us, and not suffer us to be overpowered and born down with the violence of such temptations as we have not strength to resist and withstand. Tho' our Trials sometimes may be sharp; yet if we have recourse to him, and call upon him in that due manner that we ought, we shall be sure of a supply, and shall have strength sufficient for all the Combats and Encounters that we shall meet with. Our God is a God of Love and tender Compassion towards his Creatures and faithful Servants, and will not desert and forsake them in the Day of Anguish and Distress; but will hear and secure them when they cry to him for help. This he declareth by the Psalmist, Psal. 50.15. And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. And saith God by the Prophet Isaiah, 49.15. Can a Woman forget her sucking Child, that she should not have compassion on the Son of her womb? Yea they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. The care of these tender Mothers towards the Children of their own Womb, is not comparable to that of God towards his faithful Children. And saith the Apostle, Heb. 13.5, 6. For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee: So that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. And our Saviour doth promise to be constantly with his Church as need shall require; Matt. 28.20; And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world; Amen. And saith he, Matt. 10.30; But the very hairs of your head are all numbered: Fear ye not therefore—. So great is the Care that God hath of his Servants, that the smallest matters belonging to them are all regarded and minded by him, and due care is taken about them. And saith St. Paul, 1 Cor. 10.13. There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. God by his infinite Wisdom and Power, will so order all things, that we shall be able to overcome the temptations that we meet with, some way or other, if we do our utmost endeavours; and he will so help us, that we shall not be overpowered by them.  
Sixthly, For a fuller confirmation of this [viz. That God will always be ready to help us in our greatest needs] we may see that he hath always been with his faithful Servants in a remarkable manner, and afforded them extraordinary Help and Assistance, when their Need and Necessities have required it. In an extraordinary manner was he with Joseph in the Prison; with David, when Saul sought to take away his Life; with Elijah, when Jezebel would have put him to death; with the three Children in the Fiery Furnace; with Daniel in the Lion's Den; with Paul, when he was brought before Nero the Roman Emperor; and with Stephen when he was put to death. These, and many more that might be alleged to this purpose, are like a Cloud of Witnesses to confirm this to us, viz That God will be sure to be with his faithful Servants in the worst of Times and Dangers to assist them with his Almighty Arm: And as the sufferings of the Apostles did abound, so did their inward Joy and Strength; (2 Cor. 1.5.) And in the midst of their sufferings could they rejoice, (2 Cor. 12.10. Col. 1.24.) such sweet Influence and Communications of his Love and Goodness did God then afford them. And I am apt to believe that many, who have been driven out of this World with the Fire of Persecution, and with the merciless Torments of cruel Men, have departed hence with as much, if not more, ease than many that have died quietly upon their Beds, and undisturbed by the sinful and restless Troublers of this World. And if so, than we have no great cause to draw back, or to be sore afraid even in the worst of Times and Dangers. To animate us the more than herein, let us remember how victoriously many Saints have gone out of this World to those unspeakable Joys that are prepared for them in the next; And as Paul saith (Rom. 8.37.) have been more than Conquerors, through him that loved them, in all the Trials and Combats that they have been exercised with. And seeing that we are listed Soldiers under Christ, Let us follow them in a meek and patiented suffering of all the Adversities and Injuries that befall us here for keeping the Faith of Christ, and a good Conscience towards God: Let us be persuaded as St. Paul was, Rom. 8.38, 39 That neither Death nor Life, nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor Powers— shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord: Let us look unto Jesus the Captain of our Salvation, the Author and Finisher of our Faith, who endured such contradiction of Sinners against himself; Who for the joy that was set before him, endured the Cross despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God, Heb. 12.2—: Let us consider him that we may not be wearied and faint in our minds, but be faithful unto death, that we may not lose our Crown of Life.  
But if we will not be prevailed upon by all these powerful Arguments and Persuasions to keep Faith and a good Conscience, and to stick close to our Profession even in the worst of Times; If the glory of such sufferings, and the unspeakable Reward that doth await them; If such assurances of Divine Help and Assistance, that Almighty God will never be wanting to us, but will have us always under his watchful Eye, and will always grant us Succour and Strength answerable to our needs; If these will not prevail with us, Then we may farther take notice what a miserable condition such Revolters will be in, that for fear of Persecution shall forego their Profession. Such are like to lose their Lives, as our Lord showeth, Mar. 8.35. For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it—. And such as are ashamed of him and his words, must expect the same measure again to their great and eternal Reproach, as our Lord shows, ver. 38. Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me, and of my Words, in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father, with the holy Angels. And those that deny him, must look for the same return again to their utter confusion. Matt. 10.33. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. The Apostle's words also are now especially to be heeded and laid to heart; Heb. 6.4.—. For it is impossible for those (saith he) who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good Word of God, and the powers of the world to come; If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame—. And saith he again, Heb, 10.26.— For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the Truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins; But a certain fearful looking for of judgement, and fiery Indignation which shall devour the adversaries—. And if we Protestants should turn to the Popish Religion, we may expect that this will be our condition. And to conclude, we may see that all Cowards that are not at all valiant for the Truth, are like to go to the Lake that burns with Fire and Brimstone. Rev. 21.8. But the Fearful and Unbelieving— shall have their part in the Lake, which burneth with Fire and Brimstone—. And this consideration also will be of great use to keep us from Backsliding and falling away from our Christian Profession to any Idolatrous, or to any other sinful Practices, that are not consistent with the Truth of the Gospel, when we so plainly see, as here we do, That such Revolters must bid adieu to all the Bliss and Happiness that is promised in the Gospel; and are like to go to the grand Apostate, and to that everlasting Fire that was prepared for him and his Angens; Matth. 25.41. And if these Arguments will not prevail with us, I know not what will.  
Seeing then that the Concerns before us are so very great, the avoiding of Eternal Woe and Misery, and the obtaining of Eternal Life and Happiness depending upon our good Behaviour and Christian Carriage here; Let us be wise then betimes, and show ourselves Men, and not be like Solomon's Fool, that had a price in his hand to get Wisdom, but had no heart to it; Prov. 17.16. Let us not to avoid a little Suffering here, forfeit our Title to the Crown of Life and the blessed Kingdom above, and run into endless Misery and Destruction; For this will be prodigious folly and madness. But seeing it is the Lord alone that must keep and uphold us all, or else we shall be sure to fall; and all the Watchman's care, without his good Protection, is to no purpose, (Ps. 127.1.) Let us then be careful and diligent to call for his blessed Help and Succour at all times, and never trust to our own strength and abilities, but let us always be mindful of that Divine Instruction of our blessed Lord, and put it in practice; Luke 21.36. Watch ye therefore and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things, that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.  
And now that all men may be the more sensible of the heavy judgement of God, which I affirm to be at hand, I shall here add the Eleventh Chapter, and some other places of the Revelation of St. John, which do particularly treat of the second grand Woe of that sacred Book, which is the judgement that I speak of. And that this Eleventh Chapter may be the better understood of all men, I shall add a short explication of it, according to that little Insight that I have into this great Mystery; wherein, through God's help, I intent to be plain, that the meanest Capacities may in a good measure understand it if they will, and may clearly see, that this judgement is there foretold, and therefore will certainly come to pass.  Revelation, Chapter XI. 1. And there was given me a reed like unto a rod, and the Angel stood, saying, Rise and measure the Temple of God, and the Altar, and them that worship therein. 
This is spoken in allusion and with respect to the great Temple of God's worship at Jerusalem. But by the Temple here, we are to understand the Christian Church; and by the Altar, the Religious Worship and Services and Devotions that are performed in the Christian Church; and by Them that worship therein, we are to understand the Worshippers in the Christian Church: For the great Temple at Jerusalem hath long since been destroyed, even before St. John wrote this Book of Revelation, as it is affirmed. And by this measuring the Temple of God here, is showed That our blessed Lord would come to take a strict View and an exact Account of his Church in the end of this sixth Trumpet, which gins, Rev. 9.13, and before the second dreadful Woe should come upon it, which is now at hand: As heretofore God told Abraham that he would go down to Sodom, and see whether they had done altogether according to the great Cry of their sin and wickedness that was come unto him (Gen. 18.20, 21.) before he destroyed it in such a dreadful manner.  2. But the Court which is without the Temple, leave out, and measure it not: For it is given unto the Gentiles; and the holy City shall they tread under foot forty and two months. 
As if our Lord had said; But the Court which is without the Temple cast thou out as waste ground that affordeth me neither profit nor pleasure and delight; and therefore I have given way to the Gentiles (that is, to the Papist) that they may take possession of it, and use it as a part of their Church; and therefore have thou no regard of it, and be not curious about it in measuring of it: And the holy City (that is, the true Christian Church) shall they tread under foot and domineer over forty and two months (that is, about three years and an half.)  
By the Court without the Temple, we are to understand the formal Professors of the Protestant Church, whose Religion consists in an outward Show, that, like the Pharisees and Hypocrites, they may appear righteous before men, Matth. 6.16. and 23.28; but they do not take that due care that they ought to approve themselves to God, and to purify their lives and hearts from all sin and wickedness, that they may be fit Temples for the blessed Spirit. And this the Reverend Archbishop Usher showeth. The outward Court (says he) is the formal Christian, whose Religion lies in performing the outside Duties of Christianity, without having an inward Life and Power of Faith and Love, uniting them to Christ; and these God will leave to be trodden down, and swept away by the Gentiles: But the Worshippers within the Temple and before the Altar are those who do indeed worship God in Spirit and in Truth, whose Souls are made his Temple, and he is honoured and adored in the most inward thoughts of their hearts, and they sacrifice their Lusts and vile Affections, yea and their own Wills to him—. And he also taketh the Papists to be the Gentiles that are here mentioned, as I also affirm them to be. And as the outward Court was far larger than the inward Court and the Temple; so is it to be feared that the greater part of those that now go for Protestants, will then turn Papists as soon as these Popish Gentiles appear with their displayed Banners and menace and threaten the Protestants with death. But let not this shake the faith of any good Protestants, but let them remember what our blessed Lord hath told us, Matth. 7.13, 14, viz, That the Gate is wide, and the way broad that leadeth to Destruction; and that many there be which go in thereat: But that the gate is straight, and the way narrow which leadeth to Life; and that there are but few that find it. By the holy City, are we to understand the true Church of Christ, that it shall be trodden down of the Papists, and that they shall prevail and domineer over it forty two months, or about three years and a half, or 1260 days as it is Rev. 12.6. But these I understand of natural and ordinary days, and not of prophetic days, when a day is put for a year: For there is no appearance of truth in taking them that way, and suppossing them to be now past. For about three years and an half than is Popery like to reign over the true Church of Christ, and to spread itself as far as ever it did before. This seems to be plainly showed, Rev. 13. 5-9; And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things, and blasphemies, and power was given unto him to make war forty and two months.— And it was given unto him to make war with Saints, and to overcome them; and power was given him over all Kindred's, and Tongues, and Nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear. This is certainly meant of the Papacy and Romish Church: And here we see that this Romish Beast, viz. the Popedom is like to overcome the Saints, and to have Power over all Nations, that is, all Christian Nations where it had power before. This Romish Beast had his deadly wound given him in the Reformation when so many Provinces and Kingdoms fell off from Popery and the Romish Church, and it was in a fair way to have been totally destroyed. But now this Wound is like to be healed up again for a time, and all these Provinces and Kingdoms are like to be brought again under the Power and jurisdiction of Rome, and all are like to worship this Popish Beast, but the true Servants of Almighty God, who are resolved to die rather than to defile themselves with the Popish Religion, and to fall down and worship this Beast and his Image.  3. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days clothed in sackcloth. 
As if our Lord had said; But that I may show my Pastoral Care over my Church, and not be wanting to it at such an extraordinary Time as this is, I will order my two Witnesses (two eminent parts of my Church and some of my faithful Servants) and they shall prophesy 1260 days, that is, about three years and an half in a mournful manner, before these Popish Gentiles shall have power to tread down my Church, and the Romish Beast shall prevail over it; That all my Servants may have timely notice of it, and such as will hearken to my Sacred Oracles, and the Voice of my Providence may be advertised of it, and may have time to Arm and prepare themselves against it, and may not be surprised therein in to their prejudice; And that I may declare to all the world how desirous I am that all men should come to Repentance and be saved, and that now I wait with long Patience three years and an half after I have sent forth my Heralds in mournful habit to proclaim my coming in judgement, that hereby the formal and hypocritical Worldlings and all Sinners might be brought to a true and sincere Repentance and Reformation of their Lives according to my Divine Precepts, and so find Mercy at this time. But if this Gracious method of mine will not prevail with them, and no Overtures of kindness will work upon them; I will take away the Mask and Vizard of their Hypocrisy, I will suffer the Popish Gentiles and the Beast of Rome once more to bear Rule over my Church, and then it will be manifest to all the world whether they will own me for their Lord and Master, or whether they will reject me, and adore this Beast of Rome flat contrary to my sacred Laws, and that Abhorrence and Detestation that I have declared against this Romish Beast and the Popish Religion in these sacred Oracles. And if they will presume to do this, let them know that my second Dreadful Woe is at hand, and at their Eternal Peril let them look for the Direful Effects of it.  
This doth not all indeed arise from this single Verse, but it may be fairly drawn from this Verse and the rest of the Chapter. These Witnesses seem to be two eminent parts of the Protestant Church, and the faithful Servants of God. And I am persuaded that the eminent men of the Non jurors of this Kingdom do bear a considerable part herein, being now suspended purely for a Point of Conscience, and in a mournful condition. And perhaps something of a like nature may be now acted in other Protestant Countries. And these two Witnesses are to prophesy 1260 days, that is, about three years and an half before that Popery shall prevail and have power over the true Christian Church. And although it be now above three years and an half since these men were suspended, yet this doth not prove that they can be no part of these Witnesses. For though they began then to be in a mourning condition, yet the more solemn time of their Prophesying did not begin till afterwards; and this may be looked upon as a Praeludium to their more solemn Prophesying. But I would not have any one to think that there will be three years and an half yet before Popery shall come in: For it may come in within a twelvemonth month for aught I know. I am fully persuaded that these 1260 days are now a running, but I cannot define the exact beginning of them, and therefore not the end, and am ignorant of God's secret working in the Prophesying of these Witnesses. The exact time belongs to God, and I know it not.  4. These are the two Olive-trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. 
This may have some respect to the Prophet Zechariah's Vision, and the answer that the Angel gave him to his question about it. Zec. 4 11, 14. Then answered I (saith the Prophet) and said unto him (that is to the Angel) What are these two Olive-trees upon the right side of the Candlestick, and upon the left side thereof?— Then said he, These are the two Anointed Ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth. And this is understood to be meant of Zerubbabel and Joshua those two eminent Servants of God, and is a high commendation of them. And so is this to be looked upon as a high Encomium and commendation of these Witnesses, and shows our blessed Saviour's high approbation of them. And this may be farther confirmed by what is said of the undefiled Ones in the Church of Sardis, and is an argument to show that these places contemporize and belong to the same time. Rev. 3.4. Thou hast a few Names (that is Persons) even in Sardis (saith our Lord by his Angel) which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white; for they are worthy. Tho the Generality of the Bishops and Pastors in the Sardian Church be very tardy and faulty, yet we see that there are a few in this Church that are approved of and highly commended: And these I take to be the Witnesses here. And by these high Characters that our Lord hath given of these Witnesses, he hath showed that these are the great Lights of his Church, and hereby hath admonished all men to have a due regard to them, and to hearken to their voice, and to be ready to be guided and directed by them. And as I take the eminent men of the Non-jurors to be a part of these Witnesses, so would I have all men to have a due regard to them, and now to hearken to their pious Instructions and admonitions, that they may save their Souls and Lives too if it may be. But if any Non-jurors do show themselves to be sinful and wicked men in other respects, or to be favourers of Popery, they are not to be looked upon as any part of these Witnesses. For these are the true and distinguishing Characters whereby all men are to know these Witnesses at this time; to wit, Their sad and mournful condition, Their Prophesying in sackcloth, as it is in this xi. Chapter; and their undefiled Garments, as it is, Rev. 3.4.  5. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their Enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. 
This may have some respect to Moses and Aaron, whom God did in an extraordinary manner protect, when he sent them to Pharaoh King of Egypt to redeem his People out of their Egyptian Bondage, as we may see Exod. 7. and thence forward: And afterwards in the Wilderness did God in a miraculous manner destroy those that risen up against them, causing the earth to open and swallow up one part of them; and sending down fire from Heaven to consume another part of them, as we may see Num. 16. And this may also have some respect to God's two great Prophets Elijah and Elisha, for the protection of the former of which, God twice sent down fire from Heaven to consumè the two Captains and their men that were sent to apprehend him; 2 Kings 1. And for the protection of the other, God vouchsafed an heavenly Host of Horses and Chariots of fire; 2 Kings 6.17. And by this fire proceeding out of their mouth here, we are to understand (as I conceive) that God will in an extraordinary manner protect and defend these Witnesses during the time of their Prophesying; and will execute some signal punishments upon their Enemies rather than suffer them to hinder his Witnesses in the execution of their offices, which they do in obedience to his blessed Will. And it may seem the more requisite that he should vouchsafe them this extraordinary Safe Conduct for their protection, as he did to Moses and Aaron, and to Elijah and Elisha, seeing the World heretofore hath been too ready to stone his Prophets; and seeing these Witnesses are sent out as his special Heralds, and have such a weighty Charge upon their hands to Proclaim his coming in judgement, and to give warning that this second Dreadful Woe is now at hand, and coming upon all such as will by no means be Reclaimed and brought to Repentance.  6. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their Prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood; and to smite the earth with all Plagues as often as they will. 
This seems to be spoken in allusion to the Miracles that God wrought by Moses and Elijah. Elias (saith St. James, 5.17.) was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it reigned not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And this was in Ahab's time, as we may see 1 Kings 17. and 18. Chapters. And Moses at God's command bid Aaron to stretch his rod over the waters, and they were turned into blood, Exod. 7.19. And many other Miracles did God by their hand in the land of Egypt, as we may see in the Book of Exodus. And with respect to these do these words here seem to be spoken. And by these Witnesses having power to shut Heaven, etc. we are to understand (I conceive) That Almighty God will in an extraordinary manner order and Overrule the Affairs of the world during the time of their Prophecy; and will do little less than work Miracles upon their account while they are executing their Offices and fulfilling his Will; that they may not be interrupted in the doing of it, and others may have the greater opportunity to mind them; and that with an high Hand, and an outstretched Arm he will keep out Popery till they have done their great Work and the 1260 days of their Prophecy are fulfilled: For if God had not with a high Hand kept out Popery, it had been here before this time.  7. And when they shall have finished their Testimony, the Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless Pit, shall make War against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. 
When these Witnesses shall have finished their Testimony, and fully executed their Office in Proclaiming the coming in of Popery and the Dreadful Woe that is at hand, and have given other seasonable Instructions and Admonitions for such a great juncture of time as this is; And when the 1260 days, or three years and about an half, that are allowed them for this work, are ended; Then the Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless Pit, (that is, the Papacy the Pope and his Agents) shall assault them; and those of the Romish Religion shall prevail over them, and will quite put them to silence, and deprive them of all the Rights and Privileges of living men, and pass the Sentence of Excommunication and Death upon them perhaps, as seems probable; and will then put a stop to all outward appearance of the Protestant Church. This seems to be the meaning of Killing them, here. And here in these sacred Oracles we may see what a sinful Religion Popery is, and what a sinful Church the Romish Church is; to wit, That it is Diabolical and Hellish enough, that it comes from the Infernal Pit of Darkness, and that it is promoted and carried on by the Devil and his Agents, and is a grand Enemy of Christ's Church, and the Killer of his faithful Servants. Here we may see with what black Characters and Marks our Saviour hath Stigmatised and branded the Papacy and Church of Rome. And let no good Protestant then ever any more presume to say, that there is any hope of Salvation for such as are of the Romish Church and continue therein, and so help to deceive the Papists, and such as turn to the Romish Church. And Rev. 13.5, 6. And there was given un to him a mouth speaking great things and Blasphemies; and power was given unto him to make war forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in Blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his Name, and his Tabernacle, and them that dwell in Heaven. Here we may see that the Popedom and Romish Church is flatly charged with Blasphemy against Almighty God himself; that the Religion and Practice of the Papists is no better in God's account than downright Blasphemy against him. And how then can any man be saved by joining with those that Almighty God hath declared to be Notorious Blasphemers of him, and grand Rebels against him: For it is clear that the Popes of Rome and the Popedom are meant by this Beast, as I have showed before by the deadly Wound that was given him in the Reformation, and the healing of it up again now when Popery is to be extended as far as it was before, and the Pope and his Ministers are like to Lord it over all the Protestant Church again. And as for the Beast with two Horns, Rev. 13.11—, It is clear that he is a Creature subservient to the Popes and Popedom, and perhaps these late western Emperors may be meant by him. Horns denote Principalities and Power; and these Emperoes have been some times Kings of France or Spain and Emperors; and some times Princes or Dukes and Emperors. And the cursed Courts of Inquisition, their merciless Racking and Tormenting of poor Souls that are unwilling to join in their Idolatrous and sinful worship, and their threatening of men with Fire and Sword, and the most terrible Deaths that can be invented, may look like the doing of great Wonders and making of Fire to come down from Heaven on the earth in the sight of men, ver. 13; when by these Terrors, in a manner like thunder from Heaven, they fright and drive men to fall down and worship this Beast of Rome, and own him as it were for a Deity. And again Rev. 14.9—; And the third Angel followed them, saying with a loud voice; If any man worship the Beast and his Image, and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand (that is, shall own the Pope to be the Head of the Church, and join in the Popish Religion, and any ways publicly declare himself to be a Papist; which we are to understand by worshipping the Beast and his Image, and receiving his mark—) The same shall drink of the wine of the Wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture in the Cup of his Indignation, and he shall be Tormented with Fire and Brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their Torment ascended up for ever and ever—. And can any man now say that Papists may be saved that continue in the Romish Church, except he will flatly contradict these sacred Oracles of Truth? For all men that will seriously mind this book of the Revelation may see that these things are spoken of the Church of Rome by the Angel's interpretation Rev. 17.9—, and other places. And the more these sacred Oracles come to Light, the more peccant and culpable will those be that offend against them. And I conceive that men will be far greater Sinners now in turning to the Popish Religion, than they would have been heretofore; Because the Light of these sacred Oracles doth shine more clearly now, than it did in the days of our Forefathers, as to what respects Popery and the Romish Church.  8. And their dead Bodies shall lie in the street of the great City, which Spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 
That is, these Witnesses and Servants of God shall remain like dead men (being cast aside like dead Carcases) in the street, that is within the jurisdiction and within the reach of the Power of the great City of Rome, which in a Mystical way by the Spirit of God is called Sodom and Egypt; and within whose jurisdiction and by whose Power our blessed Lord and Saviour was crucified. Rome is the great Metropolis of the Popish Church, and by it we are to understand the whole Romish Church, within which the dead bodies of these Witnesses are to remain; that is, these Witnesses themselves in a dead and forlorn condition, being cast aside like dead men, and having no more to do with the Affairs of the Church or State than dead men. And Rome and the Romish Church for the great wickedness thereof is compared here to Sodom, which God destroyed in a prodigious manner with fire and brimstone from Heaven, for the abominable sin and wickedness therefore, as we may see Gen. 18. and 19 Chapters. And it is also compared here to Egypt, for the Tyranny and merciless Cruelty that the Romish Church exerciseth towards the Servants of God and all good Christians; as Egypt kept the People of God under hard Bondage, and in a merciless manner destroyed their Children, that they might not increase, Exod. 3—; and was prone enough to Idolatry, as the Romish Church also is. And within the jurisdiction, and by the Power and Authority of the City of Rome was our blessed Lord crucified. Pompey the Roman General had taken Jerusalem and brought Judea into subjection to the Romans about sixty years before our Saviour was born: And Pontius Pilate the Roman Governor, by the Power and Authority that he had from Rome, did pass Sentence upon our blessed Saviour and caused him to be crucified and put to death.  9 And they of the People, and Kindred's, and Tongues, and Nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. 
That is, the Papists the Popish Gentiles, and all other Sects, and People of several Nations, that shall then join with them, shall behold these Witnesses and faithful Servants of God in this dead and forlorn condition, being made as the filth of the World (as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 4.13.) and esteemed like dead carcases, but still continuing steadfast in the Faith of the blessed Jesus; These poor Wretches shall they behold and see before them three years and an half, while they have the Government; and shall carry themselves as Unchristianly towards them, as it would be to see a dead man lie upon the ground, and not vouchsafe to bury him: But by an high Hand of Providence they shall be prevented from killing them in a natural and common Sense, and taking away of their Lives. By, their dead Bodies, I understand these Men in this forlorn and dead condition, but still to be living Men. And by, not suffering their dead Bodies to be put in graves, may be meant their Unchristian carriage and Inhumanity towards them, and that God with an high Hand would still preserve these Witnesses that the Papists shall not really kill them, and send them clean out of the World. And by three days and an half, we are to understand three years and an half wherein Popery is to reign; this being an usual thing to put days for years in the Prophecies in the Scriptures. And to the Prophet Ezekiel the Lord said, Ezekiel 4.6. And thou shalt bear the Iniquity of the house of Judah forty days; I have appointed thee each day for a year. Days were to signify years here in Ezekiel, and so oft in other places; and so in this place of the Revelation But to make three days and an half to signify 1260 years, is a strange racking of the Sacred Text, as the Learned Dr. More hath done to make it comply with his own Sentiments, and being altogether ignorant, as it seems, of this great Woe that is now at hand. And he hath confounded the 1260 days of the Prophesying of the Witnesses, with the 42 months wherein the Gentiles are to tread down the holy City; whereas these 1260 days are first to be finished and ended before the 42 months of the Gentiles begin. For the Beast is not to prevail over them, ver. 7. till they have finished their Testimony; and therefore the Gentiles are not to tread down the holy City and pure Christian Church till that time. And if the 1260 days should signify so many years, as he would have them to do, and should end at the Reformation, they must begin before the Reign of Constantine the Great. And if they begin after the time of Constantine, they must take in the time of the Reformation; so that there is no appearance of Truth in understanding them this way, and taking them for so many years: For if these be times of Sackcloth, all are Sackcloth since Christianity began. There is no appearance of Truth in this Learned Man's exposition of this Chapter; but it is indeed flat contrary to the Sacred Oracle in this place. I say this, because I would willingly prevent Men from being deluded by the mistaken Interpretation of this Learned Man in this weighty Matter to the great hazard of their Lives and Souls too.  10. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another, because these two Prophets tormented them that dwell on the earth. 
That is, the Papists and Romish Church shall then rejoice over these Witnesses and the Protestant Church, and be merry and hearty glad, and show great expressions of their joy and gladness one to another, because they have brought the Protestant Church under again, and intent to put an utter end to it: Because these Witnesses and the Eminent Servants of God in the Protestant Church were continually upbraiding them with the sinfulness of their Religion and Practice, and warning all men to have a care of the Romish Religion, and drawing Papists from it, telling them that it was flat contrary to the Sacred Word of God, and that nothing could be expected from it but Eternal Death and Destruction; and this was very tormenting and vexatious to those of the Romish Party to hear of the Sinfulness and Danger of their Religion, which they were unwilling to leave, because of the sinful and worldly Profits and Pleasures and Honours that they received by it. To hear this profitable Diana of theirs cried down, and to see men, dissuaded from the worshipping of her, this moves their blood and puts them into a tumult; Act 19.28.  11. And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them; and they stood upon their feet, and great fear fell upon them which saw them. 
That is, after Popery shall have Reigned three years and an half, and after these Protestant Witnesses and Servants of God shall have remained in this dead and forlorn condition three years and an half, Then by the Omnipotent Power of God they shall be raised up again from this dead and miserable condition into a lively and happy one. Not by might, nor by any Power of their own, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts; Zec. 4.6. And then shall all men be struck with exceeding great fear at this wonderful Work of God, and must then expect the dreadful Effects of this second Woe, as the following verses show.  12. And they heard a great Voice from Heaven, saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to Heaven in a Cloud, and their Enemies beheld them. 
That is, By an extraordinary Hand of Providence, like a commanding Voice from Heaven, there was a way made for their great exaltation; and accordingly they were exalted to great Honour and Power and Authority in the Church of Christ in a remarkable manner; which I understand by their ascending up to Heaven in a Cloud. And their Enemies of the Church of Rome saw this, and wondered at it, that these Protestants, which they thought they had in their Power and were wholly subdued, should be so strangely rescued from them, and exalted again, and set out of their reach and power. And this is to come to pass after Popery hath prevailed three years and an half over the Protestant Church.  13. And the same hour was there a great Earthquake, and the tenth part of the City fell, and in the Earthquake were slain of men (or Names of Men, that is Persons of Men) seven thousand: And the Remnant were affrighted, and gave Glory to the God of Heaven. 
That is, At the same time that the Protestant Witnesses shall be raised up again in such a wonderful manner, there will be a great Earthquake; that is, an exceeding great Commotion and Tumult of War in the Protestant parts of the World, and great Alarming and Fight: And then the Third Part of the Romish Church, as I conceive, shall be destroyed and fall off from the Popedom, part being killed in this great Earthquake and Tumult of War, and part turning Protestants: And then will there be an exceeding great Slaughter of Men; for seven thousand seems here to be put, not barely for seven thousand, but for an exceeding great number of Men that shall be then slain. This we may conclude, because this is one of the three grand Woes of this Book; and we see that a far greater number than seven thousand have often been slain, and yet accounted no Woe by these Sacred Oracles. And the rest of the Papists, being struck with fear and astonishment at this wonderful and heavy Judgement of God upon them, will acknowledge in their Hearts and Consciences that this is in truth the Handiwork of Almighty God; and many (as may be hoped) will upon this turn Protestants, and so give Glory to the God of Heaven both with their Heart and Mouth and in the whole course of their Lives.  
By the Tenth Part of the City here, I conceive may be meant a Tenth Part of the old Roman Empire and about a third Part of the Popish Empire as it will then be when the Protestant Kingdoms are united to it again. This seems probable to me, because St. John saith ver. 15, There were great Voices in Heaven, saying, The Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ—. And hereby, I conceive, we are to understand a considerable part of them, and more than a Tenth Part of the Popish Empire. And three of the ten Horns, in Dan. 7. fell before the little Horn with Eyes and a Mouth; whereby I understand that the Popish Empire was to be extended over three tenth Parts of the old Roman Empire; and so a third Part of the Popish Empire will be a tenth Part of the old Roman Empire, which I suppose may be here meant.  
It seems probable to me that there will be some Bloodshed when Popery cometh into this Nation; and let the great City of London look to that: Let the worthy and pious Citizens thereof hearken to the Watchman's Voice, for he is willing to do all that lies in his power to save their Souls and Lives too at this great juncture of time. But Woe, Woe, Woe to poor England and the whole Kingdom thereof, and the other Protestant Kingdoms at the end of the three years an and half, when Popery shall be driven out: For than we see that this dreadful Woe is to be executed. Then let the Revolting Protestants and all the Papists of these Kingdoms expect that the heavy Wrach of Almighty God will come upon them, if they do not in due time take care to prevent it, by harkening to Wisdom's Voice, and taking a due care to reform their Lives according to her Divine Precepts.  14. The second Woe is past; and behold, the third Woe cometh quickly. 
When the three years and an half of Popery are past, and this heavy Judgement of God hath been executed upon the formal and sinful Professors of Christianity, and an exceeding great multitude of them are slain, Then we are to know that the second great Woe is past. And behold the third Woe cometh quickly: That is, in a short space of time, and in a far shorter space of time than had been between the first Woe and this second Woe. And this third and most dreadful Woe of all is like to come upon the Romish Church about an hundred and thirty years hence, and about the year of our Lord 1826. This is too great a Mystery for me, and, as I conceive, for any man else to define the exact year when this dreadful Woe shall fall; and therefore I only say about the year 1826, and do not define that for the exact year when the Popedom shall go down. But yet I am persuaded that it will stand but a very few years after that time. For by these Sacred Oracles we are assured that the number of the Beast is but 666. Rev. 13.18. Here is Wisdom (saith the Angel, or St. John from him.) Let him that hath understanding count the number of the Beast: for it is the number of a Man; and his number is six hundred threescore and six. By the Beast here, I understand the Beast with seven heads and ten horns; and by this Beast with seven heads and ten horns, I understand the Papacy and Church of Rome. For tho' this Beast be said to have seven Heads both in respect of the seven hills upon which Rome stood and was built, and also in respect of the seven Supreme Governments of Kings, Consuls, Dictator's, Emperors, etc. by which that City and the Roman Polity have been governed, and which resided there as their great Metropolis; yet it is plain to me, that by this Beast is for the most part, or altogether meant the Popedom and Romish Church since it became an Idolatrous and Persecuting Church. And when the Popedom and Church of Rome hath stood 666 years from its first assuming the Nature and Disposition of a Beast of Prey; when 666 years are completed from the time that it first put the true and faithful Servants of God to death in a notorious and remarkable manner, then shall the Popedom and Romish Church be destroyed in a most dreadful manner, and then shall the third and last Woe be executed upon it. And these 666 years do begin, as I conceive, about the time of the Waldenses and Albigenses, and about the year of our Lord 1160. What was done before that time may be looked upon as done in the Minority of the Beast before he came to his full growth and not to be reckoned of; but about that time he became of a full Stature and Strength, and in a bloody and remarkable manner did destroy the Sheep and Church of Christ, and thousands lost their Lives and perished by him. And about that time, and about the year 1160 do these 666 years begin: And when they shall be ended, this third Woe cometh; which may be said to come quickly, in respect of this far longer distance of time that hath been between the first Woe and this second Woe.  15. And the seventh Angel sounded, and there were great Voices in Heaven, saying, The Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever. 
The seventh and last of these Trumpet-Angels here soundeth to Usher in the seventh and last Scene of Affairs of the Church, as they are divided under these seven Trumpet-Angels. For after the time of this seventh Trumpet-Angel is expired, an End is to be put to this World, and there is to be time no more, as the Angel swore, Rev. 10.5— And the Angel— lifted up his hand to heaven, and swore by him that liveth for ever and ever—, That there should be time no longer: But in the days of the voice of the seventh Angel, when he should sound, even the Mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his Servants the Prophets. In the end of the days of the voice of the seventh Angel the Mystery of God is to be finished, and this World then is like to be at an End. In this Sacred and Mysterious Book of the Revelation there seem to me to be three Septenaries or distinct Sets and Orders of Prophecies. The first is of seven Churches; the second of seven Seals; and the third of seven Angels sounding with their Trumpets. And in the times of the three last of these Trumpet-Angels were to be three grand Woes, as the Angel declared, Rev. 8.13. And I beheld (saith St. John) and heard an Angel flying thorough the midst of Heaven, and saying with a loud voice, Woe, Woe, Woe to the Inhabitants of the earth, by reason of the other voices of the Trumpet of the three Angels which are yet to sound. The first of these Woe's was in the time of the fifth Trumpet-Angel, and is now long since past; the second, which is to be in the time of the sixth Trumpet Angel, is now at hand; and the third is to fall under the time of the seventh and last Trumpet-Angel, and will be fulfilled hereafter, as I said before. And the time of the seventh Trumpet-Angel doth begin presently after this second dreadful Woe shall be executed. And upon his sounding there were great voices and acclamations in Heaven (as it was represented to St. John in this Vision) declaring that the Kingdoms of this World, that is, a considerable part of them, were become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and hereby showing that they will then be so indeed, and will then become Protestant Kingdoms, and sincere Professors of the pure Word of God, and live and act according to the blessed Precepts and Commands of the Gospel of Christ: And then he shall Reign over them to the World's end, and be owned by them for their Lord and Master, and his Sacred Laws shall then stand valid and in force with them; and neither the Pope of Rome, nor any other such cruel and sinful Lord shall any more in such a manner Tyrannize and Domineer over them and Persecute them, and drive them to Idolatry or any other notorious violation of the Sacred Word of God.  16. And the four and twenty Elders which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God. 
Upon this wonderful Work that Almighty God had wrought here upon earth for his Church and faithful Servants, the Elders of the Court of Heaven were represented to St. John as falling upon their Faces before God, and worshipping of him in this profound manner; and hereby showing that the Church than ought and will magnify him in an exceeding high manner. For these Elders seem to allude to the Jewish Sanhedrim and great Council, and are the Representatives of the Christian Church, as we may see, Rev. 5.9, 10. where they say of the Lamb: For thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every Kindred, and Tongue, and People, and Nation: And hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests, and we shall Reign on the Earth. By declaring that they were redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, and that they should Reign on the Earth, they show that they are the Representatives of the Christian Church.  17. Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and waste, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great Power, and haste Reigned. 
And here is their Song of Thanksgiving and ascribing of Glory to Almighty God, who was from all Eternity and endureth to all Eternity, upon the account of what he had done for his Church and Servants; because in the Day of Anguish and Distress he had in such a wonderful manner stretched out his Omnipotent Arm, and rescued them from the very Jaws of Death and Pit of Destruction, and given such a Proof of his irresistible Power.  18. And the Nations were angry, and thy Wrath is come, and the time of the dead that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy Servants the Prophets, and to the Saints, and them that fear thy Name, small and great, and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. 
This is a Narration of the Elders showing their high Approbation of what God had righteously done, Declaring that the Popish Nations were angry and enraged against the Protestant Church and true Servants of God, resolving to put an end to the Protestant and pure Church of Christ; And that the Wrath of God then came upon them, and prevented them from doing of it, and defeated this bloody design of theirs; And that it was time then that these Dead Men, that were dead in trespasses and wickedness, and past all hopes of being Reclaimed and brought to Repentance, should be judged and sentenced to Destruction according to their great Sin and Wickedness; And that it was time then that God should think upon all his faithful Servants and all such as fear his Name of what Rank or Degree soever they be, and reward them according to their Piety and the faithful service that they have done for him; And that he should destroy and Sentence to Corruption those of the Romish Church, that destroy the Earth, and corrupt all the Morals of Mankind: For this is here related as past.  19 And the Temple of God was opened in Heaven, and there was seen in his Temple the Ark of his testament, and there were lightnings, and Voices, and thunderings, and an Earthquake, and great hail. 
And The Temple of God (saith St. John) was opened in Heaven: And hereby seems to be meant, that the Protestant and pure Worship and Service of Almighty God shall then be publicly set up again, and celebrated in public Churches to the Praise and Honour of his great and glorious Name; and that all men shall then have free access to his sacred and pure Worship again, and to all the Mysteries of the Christian Religion, which seem to be meant by the Ark of his Testament being seen therein, to wit, That all men shall then be admitted again to draw nigh to God in his Church and Temple and sacred Worship, and admitted to his Table again in the holy Communion: And the lightnings and Voices, etc. seem to show the great acclamations and shoutings of joy that there shall be then, and the Psalms of praise and thanksgiving that shall then be hearty sung to Almighty God, and the great alterations that shall then be made for the better ordering of Affairs both in Church and State. The third and grand Woe of all is to be executed in the time of this seventh Trumpet-Angel, about the year 1826 as I have said; but the Angel having declared ver. 14, That the third Woe cometh quickly, the farther treating of this Woe seems to be put off till some Chapters after, upon which I shall briefly touch by and by.  
I have here endeavoured to make this sacred and infallible Oracle as clear as I well can, that the Light thereof may now shine forth, and that it may Proclaim aloud to the world this second dreadful Woe that is now at hand; That men may now at the last be admonished and prevailed with to repent and amend their lives, seeing the heavy Wrath of God now hangeth over our heads, and this Woe is now ready to be executed upon us; That they may now be awaked out of their carnal security, and take some effectual means for their own safety, seeing the Danger is so great and at hand, and there is but one step between them and the Pit of Destruction. And let all the Bishops and Pastors of the Protestant Church now read over with hearty attention the Epistle to the Church in Sardis, and look upon it as directed to themselves. There they may see that they are too tardy and too negligent of Christ's Flock, even according to the Divine and Infallible Censure of our blessed Lord himself; Rev. 3.2. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: For I have not found thy works perfect before God. Be watchful and double your diligence, and look after and strengthen that little Flock of Christ, that remaineth, and is ready to die and perish; For your works, you see, are not found perfect before God. Let all the Bishops and Pastors of the Protestant Church now take care to cherish and strengthen their Flocks, and especially to fortify and strengthen them against Popery, that they may not be devoured by that Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless Pit. I here give public Warning to all the Bishops and Pastors of the Protestant Church that our blessed Lord is coming and at hand; and therefore let them take care, That their loins be girded about, and their Lights burning, and they themselves like unto men that wait for their Lord—. Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching—. Luke 12.35—. And ver. 43— Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. Of a truth, I say unto you, that he will make him Ruler over all that he hath. But if any man will not take warning, but put his confidence in an Arm of flesh, and trust to Carnal security; If any will not prepare for such a Coming of our blessed Lord, as I here warn him of, but will put the Evil Day far off and out of his thoughts, and sing Requiems to his Soul, and pursue his pleasures and delights; Let that man know that these very words of our blessed Lord shall be verified upon him; Rev. 3.3. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. And how our Lord will then treat such a man he hath plainly told us, Luke 12.45, 46. But and if that servant say in his heart, my Lord delayeth his coming, and shall begin to beat the men servants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken: The Lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not ware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his Portion with the unbelievers. And let all the Protestant Bishops and Pastors and all men else take care that this be not their Condition and Doom at this time.  
Now is the time that the Angel is to be sent forth with the Seal of the living God, to Seal the Servants of God in their foreheads and to mark them out for Protection and Deliverance, that the destroying Angels may not hurt them, Rev. 7.2—. And let all the Pastors of the Protestant Church take diligent care that they may be fit and well qualified for such an Angelical and Divine Mark of Mercy and Protection; And let them use their utmost endeavours that others may be so too, and may be Registered in the Book of Life both for Salvation at this time, and also in the world to come. Now is the time that the gloriously adorned Woman, the pure Church of Christ, is like to undergo her hard and sore Travel, when the great red Dragon will wait and stand by her ready to devour her hopeful Offspring as soon as it is born, Rev. 12.1—. And let all the faithful Pastors and Members of Christ's Church now implore the Divine Assistance of Almighty God, That now, seeing the Child is come to the Birth, there may be strength to bring forth, (2 Kings 19. ●;) and that the Fruit of her Womb, this Royal and hopeful Issue may be delivered from the bloody Talons and merciless Paws of this red and fiery Dragon, and may be caught up to the Throne of God, and there preserved, that in due time he may Rule all Nations with his strong and iron Rod. Now is the time That that Grand and Set Battle is to be fought between Michael and the Dragon, Rev. 12.7—. For now will Michael the Archangel and all the Host of blessed Angels that are under him, exert and put forth their utmost strength and power, and use their utmost vigilancy and Industry for the supporting and upholding of the pure Church of Christ, and to keep the Servants of God from Revolting and Backsliding and falling to Popery, and being driven by the Terror of men to fall down and worship the Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless Pit. And now will the Dragon also set his shoulder to the work, and he and his black Regiments will labour with Might and Main to extinguish and utterly to put an End to the pure Christian Church, and to drive all the faithful Servants of God to desert and forsake him, and to turn to the Popish Religion, and to join with the Beast of Rome, which God hath declared to be a grand Rebel against him and his Kingdom. And now therefore it is the Duty of every good Protestant, and especially of the Bishops and Pastors of the Protestant Church to be at their most ardent Prayers to Almighty God, and to implore his Help, that he would have Mercy upon his Church and preserve it from being destroyed by the restless Enemies thereof. Now is it their duty to lift up their incessant Cries to the blessed Jesus, that he would make good that Promise to his Church (Matth. 16.18.) That the Gates of Hell should not prevail against it: That he would now hold up his Auspicious Hand while this Battle is fought, as once Moses did upon a like occasion, (Exod. 17.11.) and that he would stretch out his Almighty Arm for the support of his Church and Servants, and Secure us frail Creatures in the Day of Trial, and Grant Success and Victory to Michael and his Angels, who is represented as General of the Christian Forces. Now let all the valiant Soldiers of Christ put on the whole Armour of God that they may be able to stand against all the Wiles of the Devil, Eph. 6.11— For we are now to wrestle, not with flesh and blood, against the bodily strength of a single man, as wrestlers do; But against Principalities, against Powers, against the Rulers of the darkness, or the dark and sinful Rulers, of this world; against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore let us take unto ourselves the whole Armour of God, that we may be able to withstand in the evil Day, and having done all that is in our power that we may stand. Let all the faithful Servants of Christ now give all that little help and assistance that they can in so righteous and sacred a Cause as this is, when the Church and Spouse of Christ lieth at the Stake, and wherein the blessed Jesus and Saviour of the World requireth their service: And then if they fight valiantly in this sacred and Renowned Cause, and persevere to the end; then let them expect his Euge, Well done thou good and faithful Servant—, Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord; Matth. 25.21. And saith our Lord to the Church in Sardis, to the Pastors and Members thereof, even to the present Christian Church (as I understand it, and as Dr. More also hath interpreted it) Rev. 3.5. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot out his name out of the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his Angels. Those that overcome in this Grand Battle against the Dragon, in this splendid manner like Victors and Conquerors are they to be clothed; their Names are like to stand Registered in the Book of Life, as those that are like to enjoy eternal Bliss and Happiness; And to their unspeakable joy and endless glory they will be had in honour before Almighty God and his Angels. But if any man draw back, his Soul will have no pleasure in him, Heb. 10.38. And our Lord hath told us, Matth. 10.33; That whosoever shall deny him before men; him also he will deny before his Father which is in heaven. And now let all the Bishops and Pastors of the Protestant Church remember that bitter Curse which the Angel pronounced against the Inhabitants of Meroz, Jud. 5.23. Curse ye Meroz (said the Angel of the Lord) Curse ye bitterly the Inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the Mighty: And let them take care, that there may be no cause for the Archangel Michael now to pronounce such another bitter Curse against them for their backsliding at this Day, when this great Battle of the Lord upon the account of his Church is to be fought. And here we are taught how we must prevail and overcome; Rev. 12.11. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their Testimony, and they loved not their Lives unto the death. These are the means by which we are to overcome at this time, and not by carnal Weapons, viz; By procuring an interest in the Blood of the blessed Jesus; and by a meek and patiented suffering for his sake, and a firm resolution rather to die than to departed from the Testimony and Faith of Christ, and violate and break his sacred Commandments, freely offering up our Lives to him, if he should call us to the Cross to suffer Martyrdom for his sake. And for our great Comfort and Encouragement herein, saith the Apostle, 2 Tim. 2.12. If we suffer, we shall also reign with him. And saith St. John Rev. 14.13. And I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me, Writ, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from hence forth, yea saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours, and their works do follow them. And again saith he, Rev. 20.4— And I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the Word of God, and which had not worshipped the Beast, neither his Image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.— This is the first Resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection; on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be Priests of God, and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years: See Dr. More upon this place. And for our great stay and sure support in such a fiery Trial, saith our blessed Lord, Matth. 28.20. And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world; Amen. Which words I hope I may thus paraphrase with respect to this great juncture of time. My incessant Care and watchful Providence shall always attend you my Servants, and I will never be wanting to you, but will be ready to assist you always with my Counsel and Help, if ye will hearken to me, and carefully observe the motions of my Hand: And even now in this dark Day and fiery Trial that is coming upon you, mine eyes shall be continually upon you, and my hand stretched out to uphold and strengthen you, and Death with its ghastly looks and dreadful face shall not then too sorely affright and terrify you when ye die Martyrs in my Cause: And know that it is I the Saviour of the world that am the sure and faithful Watchman, and that I do now advertise and give you warning of the dark Days that are coming upon you, and the heavy Woe that is to follow them, that ye may know these things beforehand, and may not be surprised at them when they come, to your astonishment and prejudice: For it was I that awoke my Watchmen, and set them to give warning of the Evil approaching, otherwise they had been taken in a drowsy and sleepy Condition: I am faithful in what I promise, and according to my Word, Lo I am with you now, and at all times even unto the end of the World. Amen.  
The second Woe, which is now at hand, and like to fall, as I conceive, upon the Protestant Kingdoms chief, is like to be very dreadful: But yet the third Woe, which is like to fall upon the Popish Kingdoms and within the jurisdiction of Rome about 130 years hence, is like to be far more dreadful; for so do these sacred Oracles plainly seem to declare. Then is the terrible Vision of the sixth Seal (as I conceive) to be consummated and completed; Rev. 6. 12-17. And I beheld (saith St. John) when he had opened the sixth Seal, and lo, there was a great Earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood, and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a figtree casteth her untimely figs when she is shaken of a mighty wind; And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together, and every mountain and Island were moved out of their places; And the Kings of the earth, and the great Men, and the rich men, and the chief Captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every freeman hid themselves in the dens, and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hid us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the Wrath of the Lamb: For the great Day of his Wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand? This Seal may in part belong to this second Woe, that is now approaching; but it will be consummated and completed, as I conceive, when the third and last of these three dreadful Woes cometh. And then Woe, Woe, Woe to Rome and the Romish Church; for then are all these dreadful things like to be fulfilled and completed according to the sense and meaning of them: And the Destruction of new and Mystical Babylon is set out in as prodigious a manner, as the Destruction of old Babylon was, (Isaiah 13.9—) as if the Frame of the whole world should then shake and tremble and be disordered at that Day; and as if the Terror of it should be like the Terror of the last Day, when the Heavens and the Earth shall be dissolved; and as if men should then be surrounded with Blackness and Darkness on every side; and should then seek to hid themselves in the dens and caves of the rocks, and call to the rocks and mountains to hid and shelter them from the fiery Wrath and merciless Cruelty of that Day, that should have no Light nor Comfort at all in it. Then will be the time that the great Harvest of the earth, the great Harvest of Sin and Iniquity, will be fully ripe and fit for the Sickle, and shall then be cut down and cleared away, Rev. 14. 14-16. Then will the great Winepress of the Wrath of God be trodden, Rev. 14.19, 20. And the Angel (saith St. John) thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great Winepress of the Wrath of God: And the Winepress was trodden without the City, and blood came out of the Winepress even unto the horses bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs. O Dreadful! What an astonishing treading of the Winepress of the Wrath of God is this like to be, when Blood shall thus flow from it like a great River, whose Stream shall swell and rise as high as the horses bridles, and not be stopped before it hath run a thousand and six hundred surlongs? What an Akeldama and field of Blood will Rome and the jurisdiction thereof then be? But thro' the good Providence of God, this great and stupendious Winepress of the Wrath of God shall be trodden without the City: Not without the City which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt; Not without the City of Rome and the jurisdiction thereof; for these are like then to be the Shop and Anvil of Divine Vengeance, where all the Heats of Wrath and Fury are to be hammered: But it will be trodden without the holy City and pure Church of Christ; God then so overruling and ordering Affairs, that his faithful Servants shall not then be dipped in this bloody Stream; And our Lord then making good his Promise to the Church of Philadelphia his beloved Spouse. Rev. 3.10. Because thou hast kept (saith our Lord) the Word of my Patience, I also will keep thee from the Hour of Temptation, which shall come upon all the World, to try them that dwell upon the earth. From this dark hour of Trial and judgement is the Church in Philadelphia then to be preserved, as a recompense for her sore Travel and great exercise of Patience that she is now to undergo in the end of the Sardian Church; and after this second Woe is past, the Philadelphian Church, I hope, will begin. Then, when the third Woe cometh, are all the seven last Vials of the Wrath of God to be poured out upon the earth and upon the City which Spiritually is called Egypt, and it is like to be plagued in such a manner as heretofore the Land of Egypt was; Rev. 16.1—. Then is the water of the great River Euphrates to be dried up, that the way of the Kings of the East may be prepared to come in to the Fall of great Babylon; Rev. 16.12. Then are the three unclean Spirits like frogs, proceeding out of the mouths of the Dragon, the Beast, and false Prophet, to go forth to gather the Kings of the whole world to the Battle of that great Day of God Almighty: And then they are to be gathered into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon, which shows that they are all there to be destroyed, where this vast Army shall be drawn together; Rev. 16.14, 16. Then is to be that grand Earthquake, such an Earthquake as the world had never known before; ver. 18. And there were Voices (saith St. John) and thunders, and lightnings, and there was a great Earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an Earthquake and so great. Then is the Earth to be shaken in such a manner as it had never been shaken before, with the Tumults of War, and Armies, and Battles, and bloody Tragedies that shall then be acted upon it. Then is great Babylon like to be shattered and rend to pieces. ver. 19 And the great City was divided into three parts,— And great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the Cup of the Wine of the fierceness of his Wrath. The great City of Mystical Babylon is then to be divided into three parts, but never an one of these three parts will be left to uphold the Papal Chair. For than will the Kings of the earth, that have committed fornication with her, and her Merchants and Paramours and Lovers that doted upon her, be glad to make their escape from her Torment and Burning, and to stand afar off for fear of it, and there to pour out their doleful lamentations for her when they behold the smoke of her Burning; Rev. 18.9—. And of the ten Horns it is said, Rev. 17.16. These shall hate the Whore, and shall make her desolate, and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. And then will they be ready to curse the day, wherein they were made such Slaves and Drudges to the Papacy and Popish Religion. And of the Beast and false Prophet it is said, Rev. 19.20. And the Beast was taken, and with him the false Prophet;— These both were cast alive into a Lake of fire burning with brimstone: which shows that they shall be totally destroyed, and swallowed up with a swift and merciless Destruction. Then, when this third Woe cometh, are all the Popish Princes like to lay down their Sceptres, and to bid Farewell to all Regal Authority; for so do these sacred Oracles show. Rev. 16.19. And the Cities of the Nations fell; saith St. John: That is, all the Popish Principalities and Polities shall then fall to nought and be destroyed. And under the sixth Seal it is said, Rev. 6.15— And the Kings of the earth, and the Great men— hid themselves in the dens, and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us and hid us—. Then are all the ravenous Fowls of heaven to be called to the Supper of the great God; That they may eat the flesh of Kings; Rev. 19.17, 18. And I saw an Angel standing in the sun (saith St. John) and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the Supper of the great God: That ye may eat the flesh of Kings, and the flesh of Captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men both free and bond, both small and great. When this third Woe cometh, Than not only the Popedom and Popish Church and Religion, but even the very City of Rome also shall then in a Violent manner be totally destroyed, and no Artificer's hammer shall any more be heard therein, and the sound of the millstone is then like to cease there, and no candle is to shine there any more; Rev. 18.21—. And a mighty Angel (saith St. John) took up a stone like a great Millstone, and cast it into the Sea, saying, Thus with Violence shall that great City Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. Here we have the Type of Rome's dreadful destruction, viz. that it is to be like the violent dashing of a great millstone into the Sea. And ver. 22— And the voice of harpers and musicians, and of Pipers and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman of whatsoever craft be he, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of the millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the Bridegroom, and of the Bride shall be heard no more at all in thee—. The very City of Rome itself is then like to be totally consumed, and nothing left but the sad Ruins thereof to declare to Posterity, That there once stood the great City that Spiritually was called Sodom and Egypt, which was the great Metropolis and Den of all the bloody Tyrants and cruel Persecutors of the Church and Servants of God, and the place where Satan himself kept his black Court; Rev. 2.13. These Melodious and joyful voices and comfortable sounds shall then totally cease there, and the hideous howl of the beasts of the desert are then like to succeed in their room. Rome then is like to become the Rendezvous of Daemons, and the Cage and Receptacle of all hateful and uncouth birds: For this is the proclamation of the Angel that came down from Heaven, Rev. 18.2. And he cried (saith St. John) mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of Devils, and the hold of every foul Spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. The Satyrs and Goblins may then dance there, and the Owls may take it for their habitation: All the doleful Creatures of the twilight may then resort thither, that are fit to howl and hollow forth the sad Ruin and Desolation of this place, and to proclaim to the World That Rome's Day is at an End, and the dismal Night of Darkness is come upon her.  
And this third Woe also will come in a surprising manner upon all such as are wrapped up in Carnal security, and are too intent upon their worldly Concerns, and eagerly pursuing their sins and wickedness. This our Saviour showeth, declaring that his Coming at this third Woe should be like the coming of a thief. Rev. 16.15. Behold I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. Let all men than take care to be upon their watch, and look to it, that they be not surprised in their sins and filthiness to their eternal shame and reproach. And saith the Angel, Rev. 18.8. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine, and she shall be utterly burnt with fire. This seems to intimate that her plagues should come unexpectedly one upon another; and she is to be totally consumed. And it seems probable that the City of Rome the Mystical Babylon will then be burnt down with fire. And as Noah gave warning of the Destruction of the old World a hundred and twenty years before the Flood came to sweep away and destroy the Sinners thereof: So let these Papers now give warning of this dreadful Woe 130 years before it cometh, that all such as shall have any fear of God before their eyes, and shall be hearty concerned for the safety of their Lives, and the eternal Salvation of their Souls, may be advertised of it beforehand, and may take a due care to save themselves that they may not then be destroyed and perish. Let them hearken to the Voice of Mercy, which St. John heard from Heaven, while Mercy may be had and before it be too late; Rev. 18.4. And I heard another Voice from Heaven (saith he) saying, Come out of her my People, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her Plagues. Let all Persons of the Popish Church both now and hereafter hearken to this sacred voice and be admonished by it to leave the Communion of the Romish Church, while there is hope of Mercy for them, before Mercy be shupt up in displeasure, and there remaineth no more but a certain fearful looking for of judgement, and fiery Indignation, which shall devour the Adversaries, Heb. 10.27.  
It is clear to me that both Mr. Mede and Dr. More, though learned men, are mistaken in these passages that relate to these two great Woes; and therefore perhaps it may not be a miss for me to set down those places in this sacred Book of the Revelation, which appear to me to respect these Woes and the times about them. And perhaps it might be the Will of God that these things should remain as it were under a cloud till now, that the Light of them breaking forth on a sudden and unexpectedly might the more startle and fright men out of their Carnal Security and worldly mindedness, and have the greater influence upon them to persuade them to Repentance and a Reformation of their Lives, and stir them up to use their utmost Care for their own Safety and Salvation at this great juncture of time, when they apprehend themselves to be in so great Danger of Perishing both in this World, and that which is to come too.  

The Places that seem to respect this second great Woe, and the Times about it  
The Church in Sardis, Rev. 3.1— 6.  
The Sixth Seal, Rev. 6.12— 17. In part, and in part to the next Woe.  
The Sealing of the Servants of God, Rev. 7. In part, and in part to the next Woe.  
The three Woes, Rev. 8.13.  
The two Woes to come, Rev. 9.12.  
The measuring of the Temple, Rev. 11.  
The giving up of the outward Court, Rev. 11.  
The Treading of the Holy City under foot, Rev. 11.  
The Prophesying of the two Witnesses, Rev. 11.  
The Beast's War and killing of them, Rev. 11.  
Their returning to Life again, Rev. 11.  
The great Earthquake and Slaughter, Rev. 11.  
The Woman in Travel, Rev. 12.  
The War between Michael and the Dragon, Rev. 12.  
The War of the Beast with the Saints, Rev. 13.5—.   
As for the seven Epistles to the seven Churches, Rev. 2d. and 3d. Chapters, we are to look upon them, not as the Epistles of St. John to particular Churches, but as the Epistles of our blessed Lord directed to his universal Church at certain junctures of time, written by St. John as they were dictated to him by the Angel. For tho' he addresseth himself to them, Rev. 1.4. saying, John to the seven Churches—; yet when he cometh to write these Epistles, he writeth them in the Name of our blessed Saviour, as the Prefaces of them do show: Rev. 2.8. These things saith the First and the Last, which was dead and is alive. And ver. 18. These things saith the Son of God—; and so of all the rest of these Epistles. And these Prophetic Epistles our blessed Saviour directeth to his universal Church at the great junctures of time when it was, or shall be most seasonable for him to do so; and when his Church stood, or shall stand in the greatest need of his Divine Instructions, Admonitions and Encouragement. And about what times they seem to me to be directed to the Christian Church, I shall here set down.  
The Epistle to the Church of Ephesus, Rev. 2.1— 7, seems to be directed to the Christian Church some considerable time before the 16th. Year of the Emperor Adrian, and doth chief respect the Christian Church in Judea. For herein our blessed Saviour takes notice of their Labour and Patience, etc. but withal tells them that they had lost their first Love, and that he would remove their Candlestick out of his place, except they should repent and show a higher pitch of Zeal and Love than of late they had done, ver. 4, 5. Nevertheless (saith our Saviour) I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first Love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy Candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. Our Saviour doth here tell them that they were fallen from the great Zeal and Love that the Church had formerly showed; and doth admonish them to repent, and show such Love and Zeal towards him: And tells them plainly that if they would not, he would come quickly, and remove their Candlestick out of his place; that is, that he would remove the Light of the Gospel from them, if they would make no better a use of it. And when the Christian Church in Judea and of the Jewish Nation had had a considerable time to repent in after this Admonition and Threatening; they not repenting as they ought, our Saviour according to this Threatening did remove their Candlestick out of his place between the 16th. and 18th. Year of the Emperor Adrian. For about that time the Jews were all driven out of Judea and their Land was laid waste, and the Christian Church there was quite destroyed; several hundred thousands were slain in Battles, a great number perished by Famine and Diseases, and others were banished into Spain, and the Jews were forbid to come within sight of their Country: And till that time the Bishops of Jerusalem had been of the Jewish Nation; but after that time, when there came to be Bishops of Jerusalem again, there were no more Bishops of the Jewish Nation. See Eusebius, lib. 4. chap. 5 and 6. and the Authors that Valesius mentions in his maginal Notes upon the 6th. Chapter. And it was just and right, that, seeing the Christian Religion was first planted in Judea and in the Jewish Nation, their Candlestick should be first removed, when they began to abuse and did not make that good use of the Light of the Gospel that they ought. And this our Saviour had told them when he was conversant among them; Matt. 21.43; That the Kingdom of God should be taken from them, and given to a Nation bringing forth the fruit thereof. And this was to be a warning to all other Churches and at all times, that they also are like to have their Candlestick removed, when they grow unfruitful under the blessed Light of the Gospel and begin to abuse it; Rev. 2.7; He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches The Period of this Church therefore is not to be placed till the 18th. year of the Emperor Adrian at the soon, and till about the year of our Lord 135; and Dr. More hath placed it too soon in placing it in the 10th. of Nero, and in the year of our Lord 63. For it is not to be placed till this Candlestick was removed, and till about the year 135.  
The Epistle to the Church in Smyrna, ver. 8— 11, seems to be directed to the Christian Church some time before Dioclesian's Persecution, which began about the year 303. For herein our blessed Saviour doth take notice of the Tribulation and Hardships that they had undergone in the Persecutions that they had already endured; but yet notwithstanding this, he tells them that they were still to have Tribulation for ten days, that is for ten years, days being put for years, as I have said before. I know thy works (saith our Saviour, ver. 9) and tribulation and poverty, but thou art rich: And I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the Synagogue of Satan. That is, I know the tribulation and sorrow that thou hast sustained in the Persecutions that are past, and the Poverty that thou art now under in respect of the things of this World, but thou art rich in Spiritual Treasure that is more precious than Gold tried in the fire, and will one day be thy glory and comfort too: And I know the blasphemy of the Gnostics and such wicked Wretches that say they are Jews, that is, which pretend to be Christians, but in truth and reality they are not, but are the Synagogue and Servants of Satan, living impure lives, and blaspheming my Servants because they take up the Cross and suffer Martyrdom for my sake, as I have commanded them. And because this was the sharpest Persecution of all, our Saviour doth here advertise them of it beforehand, and encourage and fortify them against it, saying ver. 10; Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: Behold, the Devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried, and ye shall have tribulation ten days: Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a Crown of Life. Thus doth our Saviour advertise them of, and animate them against this bitter Persecution of ten years, which was begun by Dioclesian, and was carried on after he resigned up the Empire. The ten days are put for ten years; and that this Persecution lasted ten days Eusebius affimeth, lib. 8. chap. 15. And when Constantine the Great had overcome all the Adversaries of the Church, and became a nursing Father to it, than those Christians that survived enjoyed a Crown of Life and Happiness here; and those that suffered death enjoyed a better in another World. And seeing this Promise was completed by the year of our Lord 324, where Dr. More sets the period of this Church, I do not think good to alter it, or any thing else that he hath well done; but shall let the year 324 remain still for the period of the Smyrnean Interval of the Church. But the Tribulation ten days, cannot well be understood of the ten Persecutions, because before all these Persecutions this Church had undergone no Tribulation; but our Saviour doth here take notice of the Tribulation that they had already undergone, and yet tells them that they were to have ten days of Tribulation more: And some of these Persecutions also were before the Ephesine period of the Church.  
The Epistle to the Church in Pergamos, Rev. 2. 12-17. seems to be directed to the Christian Church some time before the Waldensian and Albigensian Wars, but after the suffering of the Waldensian and Albigensian Martyrs that suffered about the year 1160 and presently after that time. For herein our Saviour doth mention his Martyr Antipas that was slain among them, v. 13. And by this Martyr Antipas, I understand the Waldenses and Albigenses and the Martyrs that suffered under the Popish Persecutions about the year 1160 and presently after that time, and before the year 1200. And here our Saviour also doth accuse them, because they had some that held the Doctrine of Balaam and the Doctrine of the Nicolaitans which he hated, v. 14, 15. That is, which did not live such pure and chaste lives as they ought, but were too much given to their fleshly lusts and pleasures. And these our Saviour admonisheth to repent and amend; and if they do not, he threatneth to come quickly upon them, and to fight against them with the Sword of his Mouth, ver. 16. Repent (saith he) or else I will come unto thee quickly, and I will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. By this fight against them with the Sword of his Mouth, I understand the Waldensian and Albigensian Wars after the year 1200, when so many hundred thousands of the Waldenses and Albigenses were killed with the Sword in France and other places, between the year 1200 and the year 1242. And seeing what our Saviour here threatened was fulfilled by the year 1242, where Dr. More setteth this period, and when he saith the Waldensian War was ended, I shall not alter the period of this Pergamenian Church, but let it remain at the year 1242 where he hath set it.  
The Epistle to the Church in Thyatira, Rev. 2. 18-29. seems to be directed to the Christian Church some time before the Reformation. For herein our blessed Saviour doth take notice of their Charity or Love, and of their Service, Faith and Patience that they had showed under the Popish Persecutions; and that their last works of this kind did exceed the first, v. 19 And he blameth the Princes and Governors of the Church that had some sense of Piety towards him, and yet adhered to the Romish Church, because they suffered that Woman Jezebel to teach and seduce his Servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto Idols, v. 20. That is, because they suffered the Papacy and Church of Rome to seduce his Servants to commit Idolatry, and to make them join in their sinful Religion, and did not cast off the Popish Authority and Religion, seeing things were then come to that maturity that they might do so. But as for those that had already cast off the Popish Religion, our Saviour exhorteth them to hold fast, and to persist on in leading their lives according to his blessed Word, ver. 24, 25. But unto you, I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this Doctrine (that is of the Romish Church) and which have not known the Depths of Satan, as they speak (that is which have not known and practised the deep Mysteries of the Popish Religion, as they call them, but are in truth the deep Mysteries of Satan) I will put upon you none other burden; but that which you have already, hold fast till I come: That is, persist on in your reformed Religion, till I come to give you freedom from your Popish Persecutions, etc. And here our Saviour doth threaten this Jezebel, that is, the Papacy and Church of Rome; ver. 22, 23. saying; Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her, into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds: And I will kill her Children with death—. And what our Saviour here threatneth, I conceive had its completion towards the latter end of this Thyatirian Interval, in the Plagues and Wars and other Calamities that were then inflicted upon the Popedom, from about the year 1500 till 1558, the Pope himself being then taken prisoner by the Emperor Charles Vth. and Rome being taken and sacked, etc. And here also our Saviour doth promise to give power over the Nations to him that overcometh and keepeth his works unto the end, v. 26. And seeing this Power over the Nations was granted to the Protestants in these Kingdoms when Queen Elizabeth came to the Throne, therefore with respect to these Kingdoms of England and Ireland, I shall set the period of this Thyatirian Church at that time when Queen Elizabeth came to the Throne, and at the year of our Lord 1558.  
The Epistle to the Church in Sardis, Rev. 3. 1-6, seems to be directed to the Protestant Church some considerable time before this Second Woe that is now at hand. For here our Saviour admonisheth the Protestants to remember how they have received and heard concerning their Predecessors and the Reformation, and to hold fast the Protestant Religion according to the blessed Word of God, and not to return to the Popish Religion again. And also he exhorts them to repent and mend their lives, and not only to bear the dead name of life, but to take care that the Spiritual Life may be quick and vigorous in them, and exert and show itself in all the vital operations thereof in all kinds of Piety and Goodness: And if they will not be admonished to repent and take more care, he tells them plainly, That he will come in judgement upon them as a Thief, and that they shall not know at what hour he will come, and be sensible of his coming, ver. 3. And seeing this is a prophetic Epistle of our blessed Saviour directed to the Protestant Church some time before now, therefore it is that I desire that all the Bishops and Pastors of the Protestant Church would carefully read it over and lay it to heart, and look upon it as directed to themselves, as I have said before. And when this second Woe shall be passed, and the sinfuller part of the Church cut off; and when the Protestant Religion shall be set up again after Popery hath prevailed over the Protestant Church three years and an half, then, I conceive, the Sardian Church will end, and that of Philadelphia will begin.  
The Epistle to the Church in Philadelphia, Rev. 3. 7-13, seems to be directed to the Christian Church between this second Woe which is now at hand, and the third Woe which is like to fall upon the Popish Church about the year 1826. That this Epistle is directed to the Christian Church before the Destruction of the Popedom and Popish Church seems plain by ver. 9, where our Lord saith: Behold, I will make them of the Synagogue of Satan, (that is, of the Popish Church) which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie (that is, which pretend to be Christians, but in truth and reality are not, but are lying deceivers) behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. That is, as I understand it, I will make them to stand in fear and awe of thee, and in a submissive manner to crave thy favour; and to know and be sensible that thou art protected by an extraordinary and peculiar hand of Providence. And here our Saviour doth advertise his Church and Servants of the third dreadful Woe; and for their great Patience doth promise to protect and keep them, if they stick close to him, then when all the World about them is like to be up in Arms, ver. 10, 11. Because thou hast kept the Word of my Patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of Temptation, which shall come upon all the World, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly, hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy Crown. The Church and Servants of God will then be in great Danger, and will see great cause to fear, as is showed in this place and elsewhere in this sacred Book; and the Papists then will make their last Attempt against them: But if they hold fast and keep close to God, they will be sure then to be preserved, and may expect a Crown when the Marriage Supper of the Lamb cometh after this third Woe, as I conceive. And as for the period of this Philadelphian Church, it seems probable to me that it will fall about the year of our Lord 2826. The Popedom is like to be destroyed about the year 1826, as I have showed; and then I conceive the thousand years when Satan is to be bound, Rev. 20.2—, will begin. This seems to be intimated, Rev. 12.12, where it is said; Woe to the Inhabiters of the Earth, and of the Sea; for the Devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. By the Earth and the Sea here, I understand the Popish Kingdoms and the Heathen World. And when the Devil is expelled and cast out of the true Christian Church from Domineering over it any more after this second Woe, than he will go with greater wrath and fury into the Popish Dominions and Heathen World; because he is sensible that he hath but a short time to domineer and play his games in till the third Woe cometh, when he must be bound a thousand years. And if the thousand years begin about the year 1826, and do signify the full and just number of a thousand years, and so far as I know they may; And if the Philadelphian Church shall endure to the end of these thousand years, and so far as I see, it may; Then the period of the Philadelphian Church will fall about the year 2826.  
The Epistle to the Church of the Laodiceans, Rev. 3.14— 22, seems to be directed to the Christian Church some considerable time before the end of the World. For herein they are exhorted to be zealous and repent, ver. 19 And a considerable time for repentance is here to be allowed, as in all the other Epistles where any Evil is threatened. And if they do not repent, and get out of their lukewarm condition and grow more zealous, our Saviour threatneth to spew them out of his Mouth, ver. 16, and to have no more to do with them, as being nauseous and loathsome to him: And this is to be fulfilled at the end of the World. And if the period of the Philadelphian Church falls about the year 2826, as I have said before; than it seems probable to me, that the period of this Church and the end of the World will be about the year of our Lord 3000, and when the World hath stood about 7000 years from the Creation of it. For the Reverend Archbishop Usher, I suppose, is not much mistaken in setting the Birth of our Saviour in the year of the World 4000; for I am apt to believe that he was born about that time. And the Week consisting of seven Days, and the often using of the number Seven in the sacred Scriptures, may make it seem the more probable, that the World may consist of seven Millenniums and endure just seven thousand years. And altho' the World should endure just 7000 years, yet our Saviour's Words will still prove a verity and truth, as they are applied to the end and last period of the World. Matt. 24.36. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the Angels of Heaven, but my Father only. For as no man now can tell exactly how many years are passed since the World was Created; so will no man then be able to know exactly when the 7000 years will be expired and completed. I know not the Day and Hour when this second Woe will fallen, nor the the Day and Hour when the third Woe will fall, nor the Day and Hour when the End of the World will be. Through the good Hand of God, so much Light I have as to be able to give warning of these two Woes, and to advertise men to take care that they do not perish therein, and to let them know when they are approaching; but not to tell them the Day and Hour when they will come, nor the Day and Hour when the End of the World will be. Thus much for the seven Epistles to the seven Churches.  
The seven Seals, Rev. 6. and chap. 8.1; do represent and signify so many successive Scenes of Affairs here upon Earth from the beginning of the Church to the end of the World. And how I understand them, I shall here briefly set down.  
The White Horse at the opening of the first Seal, Rev. 6.1, 2. and the Rider thereof with a Bow and a Crown, that went forth Conquering and to Conquer, I understand to be a representation and signification of the propagation and progress of the Gospel under the auspicious Conduct of the blessed Jesus from the beginning of the Christian Church till about the 16th. year of Trajan, and the year of our Lord 113, or there about.  
The Red Horse at the opening of the second Seal, Rev. 6.3, 4. and the Rider thereof that had a Sword given unto him, and power to take Peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another, I understand to be a representation and signification of that great Scene of Blood and Slaughter both of the Martyrs and others from about the 16th. year of Trajan till Constantine had overcome Licinius and the year 324. I take the Red Horse and the Rider thereof with his Sword— to represent and signify the great Wars and Bloodshed that was in the Roman Empire in this Interval of time.  
The Black Horse at the opening of the third Seal, ver. 5, 6. and the Rider thereof with a pair of Balances in his hand, I understand to be a representation and signification of that black Scene of Affairs during the time that the Barbarous Nations over-ran the Roman Empire from Constantine's time till towards the time that the Saracens set up their Kingdom at Bagdad, and till about the year 740. In this Interval there was a black and calamitous Scene of Affairs; great Fires, Earthquakes, Inundations and Plagues; and the Goths, Huns and Vandals, and other Barbarous Nations caused great Bloodshed, and plundered and spoiled all before them, and caused great Scarcity and Famine. For great Armies, tho' they find a Land like the Garden of Eden, full of all plenty and store, yet do soon make it a desolate Wilderness, consuming and destroying all before them, and putting a stop also to tillage and agriculture do soon bring a miserable Famine upon a Land and Nation. And that there was to be great Scarcity and Famine in this Interval of time, the Voice in the midst of the four living Creatures doth show, ver. 6, saying, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny, and thou shalt not deal unjustly in the oil and Wine. The measure here is something above a quart, and the penny here is about seven pence half penny of our Money. And when a man can buy but a little above a quart of wheat with seven pence halfpenny, it shows that there must be great scarcity and dearth. And as Dr. More observeth (though he be quite mistaken in his Interpretation here) the Choenix, which is the measure here, was an allowance of food for a day; and the penny here was the wages of a day's labour. And there must needs then be great scarcity and famine, when a man's labour would only buy him food, and there is nothing left to buy him  and other necessaries, and to help to maintain the rest of his Family. And what is here predicted was accomplished in the scarcity and famine that was caused by these Barbarous Nations, and the other famines that God sent upon them in this Interval of time.  
The Pale Horse that had Death for his Rider, and Hell or the Grave for his Attendant, ver. 7, 8, at the opening of the fourth Seal, I understand to be a representation and signification of the great Scene of Mortality and Destruction of men during the time of the Saracens from about the year 740 till about the year 1150. That this was to be a Scene of great Mortality and Destruction of men is here showed, ver. 8. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with the sword, and with hunger, and with death (that may be with the pestilence and mortal diseases) and with the beasts of the earth. And these seem to have had their completion in this Interval of time, when the Saracens over-ran so great a part of the Roman Empire; and men, so far as I see, might be destroyed all these ways.  
The Souls under the Altar at the opening of the fifth Seal, ver. 9, 10, 11, I understand to be a representation and signification of the great Scene of Martyrs, viz. of the Waldenses and Albigenses and the Martyrs that suffered under the Popish Persecutions from about the year 1150 till about the Reformation and the year 1558 when Queen Elizabeth came to the Throne. At the opening of this fifth Seal saith St. John, I saw under the altar the Souls (that is the persons) of them that were slain for the Word of God, and for the Testimony which they held. That is, in this Vision he saw a great number of Martyrs, that were put to death and killed for Truth and Righteousness sake, and for keeping the Commandments of God, lying at the foot of the Altar and round about the Altar, like sacrifices of sheep that lay ready killed beside the Altar to be offered upon it to God after the Jewish way of worship. And these Martyrs in this Vision are a representation and signification of the great Scene of Martyrs that was in this Interval of time: For in this Interval many thousand Martyrs were put to death by the Papists in the Popish Persecutions; and myriads of Protestants were killed with the sword in the Wars that the Papists raised against them. And as God said to Cain concerning Abel the first Martyr that suffered for his sake, Gen. 4.10. The Voice of thy Brother's blood cryeth unto me from the ground; So were these Martyrs here, though dead, represented to St. John as crying with a loud Voice and saying; How long, O Lord Holy and True, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? That is, How long shall it be thy good pleasure to suffer this bloody Society of men of the Popish Church to put thy Servants to death in this cruel and Merciless manner, before thou wilt be revenged on them? And white Robes were given unto every one of them; which shows that they should be rewarded in a glorious manner for their dying for the Word of God and the Testimony of the Gospel. And it was said unto them, That they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow Servants also, and their Brethren that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. That is, that they and their surviving Brethren should have a little patience till those Martyrs that were to suffer after this Interval of time, and after the year 1558, as I have distinguished this Interval, had undergone their Matyrdom; and that then God in his due time would take vengeance upon this bloody Society of men: And this he will do in part at this second Woe which is now at hand; and will fully execute vengeance upon them, and totally consume and destroy them when the third Woe cometh.  
The Earthquake, etc. at the opening of the sixth Seal, ver. 12-17, I understand to be a representation and signification of these two dreadful Woes; but this Seal seems chief to respect the last of them, as I have showed before. And the time of this Seal, as I have pointed it, is from the year 1558 till the third dreadful Woe is completed and fully ended. And this third Woe is like to fall about the year 1826 or soon after that time, as I have showed before.  
And when he had opened the seventh Seal (saith St. John, Rev. 8.1.) there was silence in Heaven about the space of half an hour. And this long time of silence I understand to be a signification of a long time of Peace and Tranquillity that the Church shall enjoy, after the third Woe is completed and fully ended, to the end of the World. And the Interval of this Seal is from the end of the third Woe to the end of the World, which perhaps may be about the year 3000, as it seems probable to me, as I have said before.  
The seven Angels with Trumpets, Rev. 8, 9, 10 and 11 Chapters, signify also so many successive Scenes of Affairs with the judgements that are or were to fall in them, from the beginning of the Christian Church to the end of the World. And how I conceive they may be divided I shall here briefly set down.  
The vision of hail and fire mingled with blood, at the sounding of the first Trumpet, Rev. 8.7. may denote and signify the great Commotions and Bloodshed that were from the beginning of the Christian Church till the end of the Emperor Adrian's Reign and the year 138; and so the Interval of this Vision will end with the Ephesine Interval of the Church, for the end of that may be set at this year. And the Destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, and the Bloodshed and Commotions that were before St. John wrote the Revelation, as well as those after, are to be referred to this Vision: For as the Ephesine Church, and the first Seal do comprehend the time before St. John wrote, as well as after; so also doth this Vision. The hail and fire mingled with blood here, may signify the judgements of God that were inflicted in this Interval of time. By the Earth here may be meant the Roman Empire; by the Trees, may be meant the Cities and Corporations of men; and by the Green Grass, may be meant the Common People. And from our Saviour's time to the end of Adrian's Reign, the destruction of these was so great, that a third Part of them might be said to be destroyed and dissolved by the judgements of God in this space of time, exceeding great numbers of men being destroyed in Vespasian's, Trajan's, and Adrian's time, beside what were destroyed in the time of Nero and others.  
The Vision of the second Trumpet, ver. 8, 9, may denote and signify the judgements of God that were inflicted upon the Roman Empire between the year 138 and the year 324 inclusively till Constantine had quite vanquished Licinius. The great Mountain here, burning with fire, that was cast into the Sea, may signify the heavy judgements of God that were inflicted upon the Roman Empire in this Interval of time. By the Sea here, may be meant the Roman Pagan Empire; and by the third Part of it becoming Blood, may be meant that a third Part of it should be much watered and soaked with blood. By the Creatures here, may be meant the Creatures, as we say, of the Heathen Empire; that is, the great Zealots for the Heathenish Idolatry, such as Dioclesian, Màximianus Galerius, Maximinus, and Licinius. And by the Ships here, may be meant the Roman Pagan Armies and their Naval Forces which are Ships in a literal sense. And I think that there is no great reason to doubt, but that a third Part of these were destroyed by this fiery Mountain of God's Wrath in this Interval time, there being so many bloody Battles fought even in Constantine's time, besides all the Bloodshed before, and the judgements that Almighty God had inflicted upon this Pagan Empire before in this Interval.  
The Vision of the third Trumpet, ver. 10, 11, may denote and signify the judgements of God that were inflicted upon the Roman Empire from the year 324, till towards the time of Odoacer and about the year 470. The great Star burning like a Lamp, may denote the Barbarous Nations. And by the Rivers and Fountains of waters, may be meant the Kingdoms and Provinces of the Roman Empire. And a third Part of them being made bitter, and many dying thereby, may denote and signify the great Calamities that should come upon them in this Interval by the Eruptions and Invasions of the Barbarous Nations plundering and destroying where they came, and killing many with the Sword. The Star is called Wormwood, to show that it should be very bitter and grievous to those places upon which it should fall, that is, where these Barbarous Nations should come and abide some time.  
The Vision of the fourth Trumpet, ver. 12, may denote and signify the destruction of the Western Empire, first by Odoacer, and afterward the stripping and depriving Rome of all Imperial and Regal Power in this Interval of time, viz. from about the year 470 till about the year 740. The Sun here may signify the Imperial and Regal Power; and the Moon, the Senatorian Power; and the Stars, the Inferior Magistrates and Governments. And all these were destroyed and extinguished in the Western Empire in this Interval of time, and Rome itself became tributary to Ravenna in the time of the Exarchate. And a third Part of these Lights are said here to be smitten: And in the time of Augustulus, I suppose, the Western Empire was not above a third part of the old Roman Empire; and part of Italy after was subject to the Eastern Emperors in this Interval of time.  
The Vision of the fifth Trumpet, Rev. 9. 1-12, seems to denote and signify the Saracens as Dr. More hath explained it. And the time of this Trumpet may be from the year 740 to the year 1150. But Dr. More seemeth to end it at the year 1258.  
The Vision of the Euphratean Angels and Horsemen at the sounding of the sixth Trumpet, ver. 13-21, seems to denote and signify the Turks and their taking of the Eastern Empire, as Dr. More hath explained it. And the other part of the Contents of this Trumpet in Rev. 11. Chap. I have already explained. And the Interval of this Trumpet, as I place it, is from about the year 1150, to the end of this second Woe which is now near at hand.  
The seventh Trumpet, Rev. 11. 15-19, I have explained. And the Interval and time of this Trumpet is from the end of this second Woe which is now nigh at hand, to the end of the World, which perhaps may be about the year 3000. And in this Interval about the year 1826, the third and most dreadful Woe of all the three is like to be executed. And thus have I briefly communicated my present thoughts concerning these three Series and Orders of Prophecies.  
And as for that Grand Battle between Michael and the Dragon, I am satisfied beyond all doubt that it is to be fought now, and was not fought in the time of the Primitive Martyrs. The Dragon here is said to have seven Crowned Heads, Rev. 12.3; but in the time of the Primitive Martyrs he had but six, Rev. 17.10. Here the Dragon is said to have ten Horns; but then he had none, Rev. 17.12. The Dragon here is said to draw with his Tail the third part of the Stars of Heaven, and to cast them to the earth, Rev. 12.4; that is, to bring under his jurisdiction a third part of the Princes of the old Roman Empire. And before the little Horn with eyes and a mouth, Dan. 7, three of the other ten Horns fell and were plucked up by the roots. And this little Horn signifying the Popish Empire, doth show that the Popish Empire was to be extended over three tenth Parts of the old Roman Empire; that is, over about a third part of it, according to what is said here, Rev. 12.4. These Characters and Notes do show, that by the Dragon here we are to understand, not the Pagan, but the Popish Empire and the Devil working therein: And therefore that this Grand Battle doth not belong to the times of the Primitive Martyrs, but to these times under the Popish Empire. And all that Dr. More hath said upon this particular is of no force at all.  

The places that seem to respect the third great Woe, and the times about it.  
The hour of Temptation, Rev. 3.10, 11.  
The sixth Seal, Rev. 6. 12-17. In part, and in part to the second Woe.  
The sealing of the Servants of God, Rev. 7. In part, and in part to the second Woe.  
The three Woes, Rev. 8.13.  
The two Woes to come, Rev. 9.12.  
The third Woe cometh quickly, Rev. 11.14.  
The number of the Beast, and not of his name, Rev. 13.18.  
The Angel with the everlasting Gospel, giving warning of the third Woe. Rev. 14. 6-20.  
The Harvest of the earth. Rev. 14. 6-20.  
The treading of the great Winepress. Rev. 14. 6-20.  
The seven last Viols and Plagues. Rev. 15 and Chap. 16.  
The ten Horns hating the Whore. Rev. 17.16:  
The description of the Fall of Babylon. Rev. 18.  
The Lamentation of her Royal Paramours and Merchants. Rev. 18.  
The Rejoicing of the Apostles and Prophets. Rev. 18.  
The Fowls called to the Supper of the great God. Rev. 19.11.— 21.  
The Beast and the Kings gathered together to make War against the Rider of the white horse. Rev. 19.11.— 21.  
The Destruction of them. Rev. 19.11.— 21.   
These are the chiefest places of the Revelation which seem to me to respect these two great Woes and the times about them. And it highly concerns all men, both Protestants and Papists to mind them and to be warned by them, and not to be wilfully blind, and to run headlong into the Pit of Destruction, when they may see it so plainly before them, if they will but seriously mind these sacred and infallible Oracles of Truth when rightly understood. And I hope it will plainly appear by these Papers to all such as are piously disposed and willing to understand the truth of these things, That these two great Woes are clearly predicted and foretold in this sacred Book of the Revelation, and therefore will certainly be fulfilled in their appointed Times.  
Now is the time for all good Christians to encourage and assist one another what they can; and to give and take all the good advice and Instructions that may be. And that I might do my part herein, according to the Talon that is committed to my trust, I have thought good to write these few sheets to you. And what I have written with good will, I desire may be so taken.  
I hope Repentance and a Reformation of our sinful Lives will abate something of the Severity of this Day: but without this, I doubt it will go very sore with the Protestant Church, as well as with the Papists. And therefore we had need to neglect no opportunity in doing all the Good we can; and to observe the Prophet Daniel's advice to King Nabuchadnezzar: when he told him of the Evil that was coming upon him; Dan. 4.27. Wherefore, O King, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the Poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.  
Dear Brethren, I earnestly desire that you would mind and lay to heart what I have here written to you. I desire also your earnest Prayers for the Good of the Protestant Church, and of all the Members thereof; and particularly for myself, that my Faith may not fail, nor my strength be too weak in the Day of Trial, but that I may persevere to the end, and not lose my Crown of Life, and be exiled and banished from the glorious presence of God the fountain of all true joy and Happiness, and be sent to the Infernal Shades of Death below, and the Regions of Eternal Darkness and Misery. And the God of all Love and Mercy preserve and keep us all from falling away from him; and grant that his watchful Providance and the Light of his Countenance may always attend us here through this Vale of Misery, that we may find Help and Comfort from above, when we can meet with none here below: Which God of his infinite Mercy Grant for his dear Son Christ Jesus' sake.  
Amen.   

A Quotation taken out of the Remarkable Predictions of the Holy and Learned James Usher Archbishop of Armagh, as it was written by the Person who heard it from his own mouth not long before he died, and published with Licence in the year 1678.  
I Then presumed (saith this Person) to inquire of him what his present apprehensions were concerning a very great Persecution which should fall upon the Church of God in these Nations of England, Scotland, and Ireland, of which this Reverend Primate had spoken with great confidence many years before, when we were in the highest and fullest state of outward Peace and Settlement. I asked him whether he did believe those sad times to be past, or that they were yet to come. To which he answered, That they were yet to come, and that he did as confidently expect it, as ever he had done, adding, That this sad Persecution would fall upon all the Protestant Churches of Europe. I replied, That I did hope it might have been passed as to these Nations of ours, since I thought, that though we, who are the People thereof, have been punished much less than our sins have deserved, and that our late Wars had made far less devastations, than War commonly brings upon those Countries where it pleaseth God in judgement to suffer it; yet we must needs acknowledge, that many great Houses had been Burnt, Ruined, and left without Inhabitants, many great Families impoverished and undone, and many Thousand Lives also had been lost in that bloody War, and that Ireland and Scotland, as well as England, had drunk very deep of the Cup of God's Anger, even to the overthrow of the Government, and the utter Desolation almost of a very great part of those Countries.  
But this Holy Man, turning to me, and fixing his Eyes upon me with that serious and ireful look which he usually had when he spoke God's Word and not his own; and when the Power of God seemed to be upon him, and to constrain him to speak, which I could easily discern much to differ from the countenance wherewith he usually spoke to me; He said thus.  
Fool not yourself with such hopes, for I tell you, all you have yet seen, hath been but the beginning of sorrows to what is yet to come upon the Protestant Churches of Christ, who will ere long fall under a sharper Persecution than ever yet has been upon them; and therefore (said he to me) look you be not found in the Outward Court, but a worshipper in the Temple before the Altar, for Christ will measure all those that profess his Name, and call themselves his People; and the Outward worshippers he will leave out, to be trodden down by the Gentiles. The Outward Court (says he) is the formal Christian, whose Religion lies in performing the outside duties of Christianity, without having an inward Life and Power of Faith and Love uniting them to Christ, and these God will leave to be trodden down, and swept away by the Gentiles; But the worshippers within the Temple and before the Altar, are those who do indeed worship God in Spirit and in Truth, whose Souls are made his Temples, and he is honoured. and adored in the most inward thoughts of their hearts, and they sacrifice their Lusts and Vile affections, yea and their own wills to him; and these God will hid in the hollow of his Hand, and under the shadow of his wings; and this shall be one great difference between this last and all the other preceding Persecutions; For in the former the most eminent and spiritual Ministers and Christians did generally suffer most, and were most violently fallen upon, but in this last Persecution these shall be preserved by God as a Seed to partake of that Glory which shall immediately follow and come upon the Church, as soon as ever this storm shall be over; For as it shall be the sharpest, so it shall be the shortest Persecution of them all; and shall only take away the gross Hypocrites and formal Professors, but the true Spiritual Believers shall be preserved till the Calamity be overpast.  
I than asked him by what means or Instruments this great Trial should be brought on. He answered, By the Papists; I replied, that it seemed to me very improbable they should be able to do it, since they were now little countenanced, and but few in these Nations, and that the hearts of the People were more set against them than ever since the Reformation. He answered again, That it would be by the hands of Papists, and in the way of a sudden Massacre; and that the then Pope should be the chief Instrument of it.  
All this he spoke with so great Assurance, and with the same serious and concerned Countenance, which I have before observed him to have, when I have heard him foretell some things which in all humane appearance were very unlikely to come to pass, which yet I myself have lived to see happen according to his prediction, and this made me give the more earnest attention to what he then uttered.  
He then added, That the Papists were in his Opinion the Gentiles spoken of in the 11th. of the Revelations, to whom the outward Court should be left, that they might tread it underfoot; They having received the Gentiles Worship in their adoring Images, and Saints departed, and in taking to themselves many Mediators; And this (said he) the Papists are now designing among themselves, and therefore be sure you be ready.  
This was the Substance, and I think (for the greatest part) the very same words which this Holy Man spoke to me at the time beforementioned not long before his death, and which I writ down, that so great and notable a Prediction might not be lost and forgotten by myself nor others.  
This gracious Man repeated the same things in Substance to his only Daughter the Lady Tyrril, and that with many tears, and much about the same time that he had expressed what is aforesaid to me, and which the Lady Tyrril assured me of with her own mouth, etc.  
FINIS.