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RUIN OF ROME:

OR, AN

EXPOSITION ON THE REVELATION.

BEFORE I enter into the expofition of

this prophecy, I think it not amifs to handle fix circumftantial points, which may give fome light to the whole matter following:

First,The inftrument that wrote this book.
Secondly, The time when he wrote it.
Thirdly, The place where he received it.
Fourthly, The person to whom he wrote it.
Fifthly, The end and use of his writing this
prophecy.

Lastly, The authority of it.

As touching the firft, it is agreed upon amongst the foundeft divines, that John the apostle, or evangelift, John the difciple, whom Jefus loved, was the author and inftrument of penning this prophecy, as he

himself teftifieth, faying, I am John which faw these things and heard them,' Rev. xxii. 8.-i. 19. And he received a commandment from Jefus Chrift which hath the keys of hell and death, that he should write the things which he had feen and heard, and fet them all down together in a book. Now we all know that the teftimony of John is of great weight, though he be but a man; for he is fuch a man as is firmly to be believed in all that he fpeaketh. Rev. i. 11. He is an apoftle, an inftrument of the Holy Ghoft, and fo guided by the Spirit of God, that he fpeaketh and uttereth nothing that is his own. He was well known and approved. For we must confider, that what an apoftle did utter, he did utter it as the inftrument of the Spirit, which cannot err. For the prophets and apostles did not write the holy fcriptures as they were men only, but as they were the immediate and certain inftruments of the Holy Ghost, of purpose chofen and fet apart to pen and publifh the holy books of God. This St. Peter confirmeth faying: Prophefy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God fpake as they were moved by the Holy Ghoft, 2 Pet. i. 21. The apoftle Paul also affirmeth the fame touching the gofpel, which faith, It was not after man, neither received

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he it of man, but by the revelation of Jefus Chrift,' Gal. i. 12. Therefore when this our apostle faith, I am John which faw these things, and heard them,' he gives us to understand, that he was both an eye and an ear witnefs. He bringeth not matters which he hath heard by uncer tain report: he delivereth this book to the churches, they which received it at his hands did know him to be a most faithful fervant of the Lord, even a great apostle, which delivereth not any thing but that which he had received of the Lord, and therefore he teftifieth, that he faw and heard all the things which he hath written in this book. Moreover he teftifieth of himself, that he was called unto authority by Jefus Christ,to write this prophecy, and did nothing herein of his own brain. For faith he, I John heard behind me a great voice, as it had been of a trumpet, faying, I am Alpha and Omega, the firft and the laft; and that which thou feeft write in a book and fend it unto the churches.'. Here we see how John is called by Alpha and Omega, that is, Jefus Chrift, to write this doctrine of the Revelation. But may fome man fay, was not John called before? was he not one of the Lamb's twelve apoftles? had he not many years executed the office of the apostleship? must he now have a new calling,

and a second calling? what needs he being an apoftle to be called and authorised again! To this I anfwer, that this matter now in hand was a new work, and therefore requires a new and special calling. It is a strange revelation, and therefore requires a new authority to meddle in it. For in this prophecy God dealeth with John, as he did with the old prophets. For when he would forefhew unto any of them efpecial matters, he called them by glorious vifion, as we may read what a glorious vifion Ifaiah had; what a vifion full of glory Ezekiel and Daniel had, even in majefty like unto this of John. Thus then it is to be confidered. John now is as one of the old prophets, to forefhew things to come; therefore the Lord appeareth unto him in a vision, and calleth him thereunto as he appeared unto them, and called them. Let this then fuffice for a reafon of John's now calling to his new work and office. And thus much touching the first circumstance.

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Now followeth the second circumstance, which is the time when John received this prophecy, which is noted to be upon the Lord's day. It is the day which St. Paul to the Corinthians calleth the first day of the week, in which the churches did meet for the holy exercifes of religion, which is alfo evident, because he faith they came to

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gether to break bread, Acts xx. 7. Now the obfervation of a feventh day is of divine inftitution, even from the beginning. It is natural, moral, and perpetual; for God blessed the seventh day, and fanctified it. We are therefore to think, that although John now in his exile was abfent in body from the church affemblies, yet he was prefent with them in fpirit, commending them most earnestly unto God in his holy prayers, and meditations; and therefore it is faid, that he was ravished in the Spirit upon the Lord's day. So we read that the like befel Daniel, when he was a prifoner in Babylon; the like befel unto Ezekiel, who was taken by the Spirit of God, and carried to Jerufalem, the like to Peter, the like to Paul, Acts x. 10. But the special ⚫ reafon of John's ravishment in the fpirit at this time was, that thereby he might be made more fit and capable to receive and understand all thofe great myfteries and heavenly vifions, which now fhould be fhewed unto him. And withal let us observe, that all men are always most capable of heavenly things, when they are most in the Spirit: For God doth evermore most reveal himself to fuch as are most in prayer, reading and meditation, and to fuch as make greatest confcience to fpend his fabbaths Chriftianly, and religioufly, accord

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