chapter, is to fhew, that both the Roman empire and papacy fhall ebb as faft as ever they did flow, fhall wain as fast as ever they did wax, fhall decrease as fast as ever they did increase, and fall down as fast as ever they did rife up, even until they come to utter ruin and defolation.

This chapter containeth feven principle things.

First, It fheweth that God had his church upon the earth, even then when it feemed to be utterly extinct by the prevailing of the two outragious beafts, Rev. xiii. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,

Secondly, It fheweth that the poor perfecuted church did fincerely and zealously worship God even in the fire and flames of afflictions, verse 6, 7.

Thirdly, It fheweth that the gofpel fhall be preached with great fuccefs in these last days throughout many kingdoms, verfe 8. Fourthly, It fheweth that Rome fhall fall down at the preaching of the gofpel, verfe.

9, 10, 11.

Fifthly, It fheweth that all papists shall be condemned, and cast into hell fire for ever, verft 12, 13.

Sixthly, It fheweth that it fhall go well with God's elect, which having refused the worship of the beaft, do live and die in the Lord.

Lastly, It defcribeth the day of judgment, wherein all, both good and bad, fhall have according to their deferts.

Then I looked, and behold a Lamb flood on the mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty and four thoufand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads,' Rev. xiv. 1.

Now at the laft the Holy Gholt bringeth in Jefus Chrift upon the theatre of the world, as it were to play his part in this tragedy, and to help the poor weak woman, which we heard of before, against the dragon, and the two monstrous beafts, which would have torn her in pieces, and utterly devoured her, if this Lamb Jefus Chrift had not stept in and rescued her. Well, now cometh in our Lord Jefus, and beginneth to ftir in thefe matters, and to take upon him the protection and defence of the poor helpless woman, against both the dragon, and the dragon's too great inftruments. But fome may fay, What is a poor lamb to encounter with a dragon, with a lion, with a leopard, and a bear? I anfwer, that although Christ be a Lamb to his church, even the Lamb of God that taketh away the fins of the world, and the Lamb That was a flain facrifice from the beginning for the redemption of his elect: yet to all his enemies he is a moft ftrong and terrible Numb. II.

A a

lion, even the Lion of the tribe of Judah, as he is called before, Rev. v. 5. Now this moft terrible Lion, even the Lord of hosts, the Lord mighty in battle, cometh forth to protect and defend his church against all her enemies, who is of fuch infinite might and puiffance, that neither the old dragon, nor his young imps, nor all the curfed hell hounds that bark, and bite, and take their part, fhall ever be able to stand in his hands: for, rage they never fo much he fhall hamper them all well enough. For though he hath given them the reign a long time, and let them alone, and fuffered them to play the tyrants with the woman his fpoufe; yet now he will no longer put it up at their hands, but will up and maintain the wo man's caufe, and bear her out against them all: nay, he will make ready his bow, that he may fhoot off, and make his arrows drunk in the blood of her and his enemies, and will whet his glittering fword, that he may fheath it in the heart of antichrift and all his adherents. Therefore now let both the great beafts and their fire look to themfelves; for here comes in one that will knock them all down, and lay them in the duft, that they fhall never rife up again.For this caufe now at length St. John in a vifion feeth a Lamb ftand upon mount Zion, that is, Chrift prefent with the

church: for mount Zion was an ancient figure of the church; as it is written, mount Zion, lying northward, is fair in fituation, it is the joy of the whole earth, and the city of the great King,' Pfal. xlviii. 2.— And again, The law fhall go forth of Zlon, and the word of the Lord from Je'rufalem,' Micah iv. 2.

Moreover, St. John feeth here with the Lamb a hundred forty and four thoufand: that is, the particular members of the church, putting a certain number for an uncertain, and fpecially alluding to the fealing of the twelve tribes of Ifrael, as before hath been fhewed. For it might be demanded, where the church was when all the world wondered, and followed the first beast? Rev. vii. 4. And alfo when all, both fmall and great, rich and poor received the mark of the fecond beast? St. John anfwereth, that even then, in the midft of the heat of perfecutions, God had his hid and invifible church, whom Jefus Chrift did protect and preferve even in the very flames of perfecutions, being always prefent with them, and amongst them, as he faid to his disciples a little before his bodily departure from them: Lo, I am with you even unto the end of the world.' And here he is faid to ftand upon mount Zion with 'his hundred forty and four thoufand.' And

it is added, that this number of God's faithful elect children had his Father's name written in their foreheads:' that is, they did profefs and practife the doctrine and religion of God their father only, utterly renouncing and abhorring the worship and religion of the beast. For the Father's name in this place is fet oppofite to the mark of the beaft; to fignify, that as the worshippers of antichrift received his mark; fo the true worshippers of God received his brand, which is his Spirit, and the fruits thereof, whereby they were perfectly difcerned from thofe which had the beafts mark. So then, it clearly appeareth from this place, that God preferved many thoufands of his true worshippers, even in the days of the great antichrift, when there seemed to be very few or none remaining upon the earth, as it was in the days of Elias. In vain therefore do the papifts afk us where our church was before Luther's time, fince the holy apoftle here floppeth their mouth, and telleth us plainly, that Chrift had his little flock in the wilderness, even then, when it was in greateft ftaights, and as we fay, driven to the walls. And therefore vifibility is no found note of the church, as the papifts do moft ignorantly difpute. For it is a fond and abfurd kind of reafoning, to fay there is no church at all, because it