A PERSUASIVE To the STUDY of the REVELATION: OR, An EXPOSITION of the Three first Verses of that PROPHECY.  
WHEREIN There is an Account given of the Unintelligibleness of the Revelation ●or a long time, viz. Till the Time itself prefixes for the Understanding of its own Visions.  
Dr. Hammond's Key taken from [things shortly to come to pass] and [seal not the Prophecy] is shown to be a mistaken one.  
That neither the Doctor himself, nor any one else in his time, understood the meaning of those Passages.  
That it can proceed from no better Cause, than Injudiciousness or Unskilfulness in these Mysteries, to take Exceptions at our Modern Protestant Expositions of the Revelation, upon the account of Novelty.  
By Wal. Garrett, Rector of Everly.  
●●thing what or what manner of Time the Spirit of Christ, which was in them did signify, etc. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister.  1 Pet. i 11, 12. 
Science has no Enemy but the Ignorant.  Gnom. 
LONDON, ●●inted March, 1698/9. And are to be had (with the rest of the Author's 〈◊〉 Tracts) at W. Dotchen's, Bookseller in Holborn, over-against Chancery-Lane … d; and at M. Ball's in Leestreet near Red Lion Square.   

The PREFACE.  
THAT the Wisdom of this World is Foolishness with God, as the Wisdom of God is with the World, (1 Cor. i 18, 24. iii. 19) appears in nothing more than in those great and unjustifiable Endeavours, that have been used, to keep the Mysteries of this admirable Prophecy in perpetual darkness; at the same time when the blessed Author of it is doing all be can to recommend it to our serious and diligent perusal: He does not suffer it to be entitled the Vision (or Words) of the Prophet, as was usual in former times (Isa. i. 1. Jer. i. 1.) but the Revelation of Jesus Christ, with this notable Addition, which God gave unto him; intimating thereby his high esteem of the Gift, for the Givers sake. And accordingly, it is well worth our Observation, in what a glorious, as well as graceful form of Words the Dignity of Opening (or unfolding) those Divine Mysteries is set forth to us, Rev. v. 1, 2, 3, etc. But alas! it is but too too evident, that the Great ones of the world have very far different thoughts of it. Their Objections indeed are civil enough: I wish I could say; the same of their Oppositions too. And besides, I shrewdly suspect some to make use of unlawful Weapons, poisoned Arrows; these I leave to the just Judgement of God, who is a true Beholder of all the dark paths they tread. But if any Man has a mind to traverse the Point fairly with me, I shall be ready (by God's Assistance) to give him a clear and a full Answer to all pertinent Allegations. My Design at present is, to persuade the Study of the Revelation to be worth our while, especially at This time; and to take off the grand Objection, drawn from the Unintelligibleness of it. To which purpose I here show, That the Time when our blessed Saviour designed to have the Revelation understood, is plainly noted in the Prophecy itself; which is a very considerable circumstance, that no former Expositor has been ware of; and which the Reader, I hope, will take notice of, as a good Omen of what may be expected Now, above what is to be met with in any former Interpreter. My Design then is, by degrees, as God shall enable me, to carry on the Exposition of the Revelation to where Mr. Mede begun his, viz. to the end of the uth. Chapter. The iuth. and uth. I have done in Latin already, to try (before I was engaged too far) what the more learned sort had to say against it; which (in point of Argument) I do not find to be discouraging at all. But I see These labour under mighty Prejudices; from which the m●aner sort of Scholars being free, may pr●v● (for aught I know) as capable of Sense as they. I am therefore now (good English Reader) by the Blessing of God, preparing for thee a plain Exposition of the Five first Chapters of the Revelation, a truly Noble and Divine Prophecy, (never before understood by any Man) extending from the Beginning of a Christian Church in Rome, to the Times we Now live in. And I pray, take this Sheet of Paper, as a Specimen of what may be expected in the following. If you like This, prepare for greater Discoveries: and I hope this will convince thee, That the Time is now come for that Blessedness to him that Reads and Hears, and Keeps (or Observes) this Prophecy, Chap. i. 3. to take effect; and wherein we may safely affirm, without a new Revelation, That Christ Jesus will not take it well of those that would obstruct the Opening of those glorious Mysteries. Let nothing then discourage us from lending every one his helping hand towards it. For,  
When Man cries, Seal the Book; and God says, Not Whose Word shall stand? Man talks he knows not Study it then (good Christian) and depend (what On God's sure Promise for a blessed End.   

A Persuasive to the Study of the Revelation, etc.  
REV. I.  
Vers. 1. THE Revelation of Jes●s Christ, which G●d gave unto him, to show unto his Servants things that must shortly come to pass: and he sent and signified them by his Angel to his Servant John. 2 Who have Record of the Word of God, and of the Testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things which he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this Prophecy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and keep (or observe) these things that are written therein; for the Time is at hand. In which words the Book is Entitled, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, that is, The Discovery of Future things revealed or made known by Jesus Christ, the Author of the Discovery: which Discovery he was enabled to make, in virtue of his Divine (not Human) Nature, Mat. xxiv. 36. which is the meaning of those Words, Which God gave unto him. For hence it is, That with respect to his being the Author of this Prophecy, he so often takes upon him the Style or Title, of the Only True God, viz. The First and the Last, etc. Rev. i 8, 11, 17: xxii. 13. For this very Title does Isaiah set forth as the into nmunicable Attribute of the Only True God, Isa. xli. 4. xliv. 6. xlviii. 12. And hence also it is, That Jesus Christ is called, The Lord God of the Holy Prophets, Rev. xxii. 6. And the Lord God of the Holy Prophets sent his Angel, etc. For at verse 16 of the same Chapter, it is said of the same Mission, and the same Messenger, I Jesus have sent mine Angel. Jesus therefore it need; must be, whom a little before, the Angel that was sent, had called The Lord God of the Holy Prophets. And can any one now ●●●nk, either that Christ, as a Good Man, w●●●● have thus intruded himself into the Society of the Godhead; Or, That the JEALOUSY of God would ever have permitted such clear intimations of our Saviour's Divinity to be every where interspersed in his own Books, if our blessed Saviour were not God?  
Next then, The End for which the Revelation was given him, is said to be, To show unto his Servants things that must shortly come to pass; that is, shortly after the Writing of them by John say all Interpreters hitherto that I have seen or heard of: concluding hence, That the Revelation (generally speaking) is a Prophecy of things that were shortly after the Writing of them to begin to be fulfilled; and all of them to have their Completion speedily, one after another; [See Dr. Hammond's Premonition to the Revelation, at the beginning.] And yet these Interpreters do All (for aught I know) extend the Prophecy to the very End of things. But on the contrary, 1. The Revelation speaks as well of things than Present, Chap. i. 19 and things a long while After to come to pass; as they themselves acknowledge. Yea, and the chief things of all, and the Most too, are of these sorts. And 2. There was nothing ever Shown from the Revelation to be shortly to Come to pass, which Must be the meaning of Shown in that place. For to give out a Prophecy in Writing that no one can understand, till after its Completion, cannot be said to be, to show us things to come. It may speak of things shortly to comee to pass, and show, that the Author of the Writing fore-knew them; but it cannot be said, to show things shortly to come to pass, to those that understood nothing by it till the things were Past. I give out this Prophecy (says Christ) to show my Servants things shortly to come to pass, that is, says Dr. Hammond, The Destruction of Jerusalem, with the ensuing Calamities on the People of the Jews. But (not to insist, That these things had been shown much plainer in the Gospels, Mat. xxiv. Mar. xiii. Luke xxiv. (Whoever discovered the destruction of Jerusalem in the Revelation before Dr. Hammond? Was then the Revelation given to show the Dr. and those of his Age, the destruction of Jerusalem, and that under the notion of a thing shortly to come to pass too? I cannot believe it! The plain meaning therefore of the Words is this, (which it is extremely to be admired that no body has hit upon before) viz That the Revelation was given, from thence to show unto the Servants of Christ, Some Certain things of great importance to the Church: so that they should be able to foresee them coming some little time before they were fulfilled; that is, to make the Servants of Christ Prophets. Against this Interpretation what can be objected, I cannot see; till some body will be so kind, as to make me sensible. But for Confirmation of it, is that which follows, And he sent, and signified Them (not It, as our Translation has it) by his Angel, to his Servant John. Whereby is ●●mated, That the things for showing of which chief the Revelation was given, are (not All the Revelation, which 〈◊〉 no where said to have been showed by 〈◊〉 Angel; but) only those things which towards the End of it are expressly said to ●●ve been showed to John by an Angel, dispatched from Christ to him for that purpose, viz. The Vision of the Bride, the Lamb's Wife; Or, The now. Jerusalem descending from God out of Heaven. No Prophecy is of any private Interpretation (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, of private impulse; either as to Invention, or Interpretation) 2 Pet. i 20. If then the Spirit, as he is the Author, so must be the Interpreter of these Words, To show unto his Servants things that must shortly co●e to pass; end he sent and signified them by his Angel to his Servant John. How can it be expected, that he should tell us plainer what things he means, than he has done, Rev. xxi. 9 etc. and xxii. 6, 8, 10, 12, 16. Where an Angel comes to John, talks with him, and takes him aside as it were on purpose to show him great things; telling him withal, That he is sent by the Lord God of the Holy Prophets (Chap. xxii. 6.) that is, by Jesus, vers. 16 to show unto his Servants things that must shortly be done. (Need any thing be plainer?) Whence I conclude, That the foreshowing of those things some little time before they came to pass, was the chief end of this glorious Prophecy, The REVELATION.  
The Second Verse informs us, What John is here meant, to wit, the same, who in his Gospel bare Record of the Word of God, and of the Testimony of Jesus Christ; where And is taken Exegetically, as they speak, viz. for that is. As if it had been said, Who bare record of the Word of God; that is, of the Testimony of Jesus Christ, and of All the mighty Things which he saw Jesus do in confirmation of his Testimony. This therefore is the Apostle John, the Beloved Disciple, described in his own Phraseology; as may be seen by comparing herewith his Gospel and Epistles; where he so frequently uses those very Expressions, of bearing Record, and the like; and insists much upon his being a present Witness of the Testimony of Jesus Christ. And this also is another Enhance of this Prophecy, viz. That it is derived from God to his Beloved Son, dispatched from the Beloved Son to his Beloved Disciple. And this Point will be much illustrated by comparing it with what is said, Dan. ix. 23. x. 11, 19  
The Third Verse contains a formal denunciation of a Blessing to the Reader (that is, Interpreter, Isa. xxix. 11) and to the Hearers, and Observers of this Prophecy; which is clear enough. But, Why is this added as the Reason, For the time is at hand? Of which no Man as yet, I think, has given any good Account. But the meaning is plainly this; For the time is now come, wherein this Prophecy was to be understood and rightly interpreted, or shown to the Servants of Christ; so that they should from thence perceive the things shortly to come to pass, to wit, The Vision declared by the Angel, in xxi and xxii Chapters of the Revelation aforementioned, to be Near upon fulfilling; which would be a Blessed thing to the Reader, Hearers, and Observers of this Prophecy. But to those who lived at any great Distance from the time of its fulfilling, this Blessedness is not intended to belong; as is manifestly imported by the said Reason, that is given for it. But then, In what respect is that time said here to be near at hand? I answer, The Revelation is so contrived, that it was impossible to be understood without the help of that Angelical Exposition of the Master-types, which is given us, Chap. xvii. This is plain of itself; unless we think that the Angel there interprets them to no purpose; when they might as well have been understood without it. But now we must observe, That the Angel, that explains those Mysteries, is expressly, noted to be One of the Angels that had the seven Vials, to pour out upon Babylon, Chap. xvii. 1. Whereby is signified, That till the Times of the Vials (or Last Plagues, as they are called, Rev. xv. 1.) that Vision of Rev. xvii. which is the Key to all the rest, should not be understood. This Promise therefore, Blessed is he that readeth (or interpreteth) etc. could not take its true and just Effect, till the Times of the Vials, that is, of the Declension of the Babylonish Tyranny; whatever City we can imagine to be meant by Babylon. With respect to Those Times therefore is that Promise to be understood, and not to any Times preceding the Vials. By all which we see, That this Prophecy should lie dormant (as it were) till the time of the Vials; but that then our Blessed Saviour would raise up such as should interpret it to his Servants, notwithstanding all the opposition that should be made by such as would have the true meaning of the Prophecy to be sealed, shut up, or stifled: For as when the Vial-Angels are said to have brought several Plagues upon the adverse party, Rev. xuj. we thence conclude, That therefore those Plagues were really to come in the Time of the Vials: So when a Vision is said to have been showed, or interpreted by a Vial Angel, we are as much obliged to infer therefrom, That therefore that Vision was to be Really and Eventually showed or interpreted in the Vial-times. Thus than we see, the Revelation gins with addressing itself to those Times of the Vials, which were a little to precede the fulfilling of its Chief Vision; when first it was to be understood; and in respect of which it bears the Title of A REVELATION. For while the Mysteries of it lay in Darkness, (as confessedly they did for many Ages, and were so ordained of God to do) it could not in any tolerable sense be called A REVELATION, (or a Book Unsealed) to those Ages.  
Objection. But if a Vial-angels interpreting the Mysteries of the xvii. Chapter is an intimation, That those Mysteries could not be interpreted till the Times of the Vials. And if a Vial-angels saying, Seal not the Prophecy, must be understood with respect to the Times of the Vials; then why must not a Vial-angels Exposition of the seven Kings, (Rev. xvii.) where he says, Five are fallen, One is, etc. be conceived to reset to the Times of the Vials too; as meaning, One is Now in the Times of the Vials, which would unjoint the whole Prophecy? I answer, The Angel speaks those Words, Five are fallen, One is, etc. as an Interpreter, and not as a Minister or Actor in the Vision; as appears from vers. 7, 9 And therefore he must be understood to regard the Time in which he Really spoke the Words; for Otherwise his Interpretation would signify nothing; for we should still be to seek, when the Times of the Vials were to be. But in saying, Seal not the Book, for the Time is at hand, he speaks as a Minister or Actor in the Vision, and must be understood mystically, viz. with respect to the Part assigned to him in the Vision. But further, we have this irrefragable Demonstration, that the One is cannot be referred to the Mystical Time (viz. the Time of the Vials) nor those Words of our Saviour, Blessed is he that readeth, etc. for the time is at hand (answering to those of the Angel, Seal not the Prophecy, that is, Read it, Interpret it, Isa. xxix. 11. for the time is at hand) of the Real time that St. John lived in. For the One is, is the sixth Head (or King.) After him is the seventh. After him again the Eighth; who also is called, The Beast that was, and is not. Together with This Beast, (or Eighth King) arise Ten other Kings, that for a time contribute their Power, and Strength, and Kingdom to him (that is, to the Whore, or Babylon, the City that he heads and rules in.) After this, the Friendship of those Kings is turned to mortal Hatred. These shall hate the Whore (says the Angel) and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her Flesh, and burn her with Fire; that is, they shall pour out the Vials (or Last Plagues) upon her. All which is exceeding, clear beyond all possible Exception, from Rev. xvii. 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18. From whence we see, That the Vials (or Last Plagues) whereby Babylon is to be destroyed come not upon the Stage, till the Ten Kings, who are to destroy the Whore, begin to Hate her. Between which, and the One is, there is interposed all the time of the Confederacy of the Ten Kings with the Beast; and also, all the time of the seventh King: So that to say, That the One is (or Sixth King) belongs to the time of the Vials, how Absurd were it! Wherefore the One is cannot possibly be referred to the Time of the Vials, or Mystical Time; but to the Real Time St. John lived in, to whom the words were spoken.  
And on the other side, the Absurdity of understanding those words, [Blessed is he that readeth, etc. (or seal not the Prophecy) for the time is at hand] of the Real Time St. John lived in, is altogether as gross and palpable as the other. For it is confessed on all hands, that this Prophecy was sealed (if ever Prophecy in the World were sealed) and could not be read (as a Prophecy or Declaration of Future, things) to any purpose, for many Ages after. And the complaints of the skilfullest Divines of all Persuasions at this very day (to whom the obscurity of these Mysteries is the pretended discouragement) are a sufficient Evidence of the undeniable Truth of that Assertion. Wherefore if those passages cannot be understood of the Real Time St. John lived in, they must relate to the Mystical Time of the Angel that spoke them to him, considered as an Actor in the Vials.  
If you still insist, the Prophecy in Saint John's time was written for any one to read (or understand) that could; I answer, so was Daniel's in his time written too, which yet was commanded to be sealed (Dan. xii. 4.) till the time of the end. It is not therefore the Writing, but the Understanding of a Prophecy that Unseals or Opens it. And This is Demonstration by heap to a truly good Man, who is the only competent Judge of Discourses of this nature, Dan. xii. 10. and who only can receive Benefit by the Showing of these Mysteries to him, Rev. xxi. 9 etc. xxii. 11. Insomuch that whoso is Averse to them, is manifestly deficient in one Symptom of true Goodness. And so much for the Objection.  
Lastly then, as a Consectary from what has been said, we may observe, how very injudiciously those Gentlemen, who make Rome Pagan (and not Papal) to be Babylon, have managed their Interpretations of these Visions: For they all make the Vials to be emptied, and Babylon to have been destroyed above a thousand years ago; but all the while they show no true Interpretation of the xvii. Chapter to have come abroad. For Every one of them appears at the head of a new pretended Exposition of his own, so making Vial-Angels of Themselves (unsent by Christ, because Mistiming their designs) with no better Authorities, and Accoutrements than (perhaps) some useless Relics of old Empty Vials.  
But on the contrary, As for those that take a Prejudice at the Protestant Expositions of this Prophecy upon the account of NOVELTY; these show as much Unskilfulness and Injudiciousness on the other hand. For according to the Protestant Scheme, the Vials are Now a pouring out; which hath been shown to be the Proper Season for interpreting the xviith. Chapter, That indisputable Key of all the other Visions. And as for the main Vision of all, viz. That of the Bride, the Lamb's Wife, etc. (when, her Enemies being subdued, the Church shall be put into a most firm and lasting state of Splendour and Tranquillity) that was to be foreshowed but a little while afore its coming to pass, Rev. xxi. 9, etc. xxii. 6, 7, 10, 12, 20. As therefore they who make 〈◊〉 Lamb's Wife to have been come abo●● these Thousand years in the state she 〈◊〉 there described in; but do not show h●● Coming predicted a little afore from the●● Visions, know not what they speak of▪ So we, who, being in expectation of a speedy Accomplishment of that great Revolution, are offering every foot and anon some new Exposition or other (one Right, another, Wrong; and all of us anew the matter, and according to the Ability that God giveth) act as consistently with Our Hypothesis, as the others inconsistently with theirs. For it is certain, That 
Ours must be New, if they be True:  
But Theirs, if True, cannot be New.  And so much for this time. If any thing here delivered be unsatisfactory or obscure; upon Notice given, I do not question, but (by God's Assistance) I shall clear it fully in the next Paper. In the mean time let the Reader that designs for any degree of Skilfulness in these Matters, take care to acquaint himself well with the xvii. Chapter (to which purpose my Exposition of that Chapter, in want of a better, may be serviceable to him;) for that Chapter as hath been often said (but nor Too often) is the Key to the whole Prophecy; and till we are agreed in the sense of That, I cannot undertake to render any thing so Clear, as I could wish, to him. For I confess, it is the height of my Ambition, to dismiss him at the last with all imaginable Satisfaction (such as I have myself, I ble●● God for it) and to leave nothing in h●● way, if possible, but Sunbeams to stumble at.   
FINIS.