courfe of the gofpel, which is a spiritual plague.

They are faid to ftand upon the four corners of the earth, because power was given them to plague, not fome one or two countries, but the univerfal world, both East, Weft, North and South.

The blowing of the winds doth very fitly reprefent the preaching of the gospel, and that heavenly inspiration and breathing of the Holy Ghoft which goeth with it. Wind is fo taken, John iii. 4. where our Lord Jefus faith, the wind bloweth where it lifteth, &c. So is every man that is born. of the Spirit.' And again in the fourth chapter of the Song of Solomon in thefe words; arife, O north, and come, O fouth, ' and blow on my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out.' Where it plainly appeareth, that the church craveth the infpiration of the Spirit, that her fruits may abound; for what can be meant by these winds which fhe wifheth to blow upon her garden, but the breathings of God's Spirit and word? It followeth then, that if the blowing of the winds in the fcriptures do fignify the breathing of God's grace, and Holy Spirit, that the ftopping of the winds by reafon of the contraries, doth here fignify the ftopping the fame, and the deprivation of all heavenly bleffings. So that it

is clear, that a fpiritual plague is here reprefented, which alfo is the more apparent because here is fuch a special provifo and care had for the church's fafety, that it might not be infected with this fpiritual contagion. Now all this doth plainly foreprophefy, not only the ftopping of the courfe of the gofpel, but even the utter taking of it away from the world, for their great contempt thereof and the horrible murdering and maffacring of all the true profeffors of it; according as it came to pafs afterward in the prevailing firft of herefies, and afterward of the Popish and Mahometan religion, as in the two next chapters following fhall plainly appear.

And I faw another angel come up from 'the east, which had the feal of the living C God, and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom power was given to hurt the earth and sea, saying, Hurt ye not the earth, neither the fea, 'neither the trees, till we have fealed the 'fervants of God in their foreheads,' Rev. vii. 2, 3.

This angel is Jefus Chrift, who by the prophet is called the Angel of the covenant.' That angels do represent and fuftain the person of Chrift their head, is fo common and ufual a thing in the scriptures, that I fhall not fay more on it.

That this angel is Chrift, it doth plainly appear by the things here attributed unto him, which can agree to no other.

First, In that he hath the feal of the living God (which is the Spirit of adoption) to fet upon all the elect, for he is the only keeper of this great feal, and this privy feal. He only hath authority to fet it upon whom he will.

Secondly, Becaufe he is faid to come up from the eaft:' that he is the only Sun of Righteoufnefs which arifeth upon his church every morning, and with his bright beams expelleth all darkness from it; according to that of Zacharias in his prophetical fong, through the tender mercy of our God, the day fpring from on high • vifited us,' Luke i. 78.

Thirdly, Because he holdeth a fovereignty and command over the devils: for he chargeth them here to ftay their hands from doing any hurt, till he had provided for his elect.

Whereas it is faid, that power was given to thefe devils to hurt the earth; the fea and trees,' Rev. vii. 2. that is, the number of reprobates, we may note, that the devils have no abfolute power, but only by permiffion, as appeareth in this, that they could neither touch Job, nor enter into the herd of fwine without license.

till we have fealed God in their fore

Whereas it is faid, the fervants of our 'heads,' it doth plainly fhow that the punifhment of the wicked are deferred till provision be made for the elect. The flood came not upon the old world, till Noah and his family were received into the ark. The angels destroyed not Sodom, till Lot was in fafety. The plaguing angel fpared the firft-born of Egypt, till the posts of the Ifraelites houfes were fprinkled with the blood of the pafcal lamb. The fix angels fent to destroy Jerufalem, are charged to stay the execution, till the fervants of God were marked in their fore-heads, Ezek. ix. 1, 2, 3, 4.

All these examples do manifeftly declare what tender care the Lord in all ages hath had of his own people, that they might be delivered and fet in fafety in the midst of all extremities. Even fo here we fee that God is very careful that his own children might not be infected with thofe damnable herefies which now already, upon the stopping of the courfe of the gofpel, began to be hatched, and afterwards did fpring and grow up in the church, both thick and three-fold.

'And I heard the number of them that were fealed, an hundred and forty and 6 four thousand of all the tribes of the chil

⚫dren of Ifrael; of the tribe of Judah, were ⚫ fealed twelve thousand,' &c. Rev. vii. 4.

Now John heareth the number of them that were fealed, and he reckoneth up the whole church militant, confifting both of Jews and Gentiles, he faith, that of the church of the Jews there were fealed an hundred and forty-four thoufand.' Here he putteth a certain number for an uncer tain, and a definite number alfo for an indefinite; for his meaning is not that there were fo many, and neither more nor lefs fealed; but this number doth arise of 12 times 12, in that he faith, of every tribe ' twelve thousand;' for twelve times twelve thousand, make an hundred forty and four thoufand. Neither yet may we think, that of every tribe there were an equal number fealed, not more nor lefs of one tribe than another, but this number of twelve, is used as the perfect and full number; in as much as the church of the Jews was founded upon the twelve patriarchs, unto which our Saviour had respect, when for to gather the difperfed and loft sheep of the house of Ifrael he chofe twelve apostles.

Now here we are to obferve, that notwithstanding the horrible perfecutions and calamities which fell out upon the opening of four of the feals, yet God had his church even of the Jews, which in the judgment