FROM THE La: ELEANOR DOƲGLAS. Vpon the 7. Chapter of the REVELATION.
THe Time come to remove, the Covering having NO short space been shutt up in the ARKE, our present state also have presented an Olive-Leafe plucked from the Tree of LIFE, of the VVaters abate dryed up, as it were, those Teares from the face of the Earth, as appeares finish'd a tedious Ʋale of Ʋanity: for soules imprisoned without release [Page 4] and restlesse, till Times utmost minnit run out, or Expired.
So of the DOVES-LAST return findes rest for the Sole of her foote, as followes: Revealed even the most holy and reserved of Time and Seasons conseald Mistery; Except that of the unknown DAY and Houre imparted NOT to Angels: Namely, NOT Yeares; But forty dayes, The day of Judgements Last Warning-peice; AS the number of forty no stranger to the present either: which here bears date from Easter-weeke 1646. to the ASSENSION thereabout, for appearance before the Judge of quick and dead; His great Tribunall extracted out of that sealed Number, a Hundred forty foure &c. Saying, he heard the Number of Them Revelati. 7. Chap. Wherefor the Keeper of the great Seal, and the Cryers voice, Thus (verse 2.)
VVhere farther contains These, belonging to Our Clymate or Jland described for a Tryall before a Thron of Judicature, NOT heard till such an appointed Time: witnessed by those restrained Winds foure, withall points at Easter Terme in May, the first Terme; VVinesse the fresh Boughes in their hands, (all in white Robes) Where the innocent Lambe, as it were, araignd before Them: And by Them also evident, where the Jury called by Name Judah, the Fore-man of those Twelve godfathers or Elders sealed in the Foreheads, or sworn-men; And such innumerable attendants as though the great day Come: Such Legions of ANGELS standing about the Throne, and about the Jury, where face to face the foure VVITNESSES all Thronging to heare their Testimony, Namely the foure Beasts, what they produce, [Page 6] These makes it plaine enough: About this Prisoner, his holding up the hand at the BARRE, the very MODEL of a Court, representing it: where shewes withall in the Peerlesse Lambs Livory and posture ; This his humble Servant, (by the Lambe represented) presents his Person before the Throne, together with the woefull state of so many Prisoners at this Time, being accompanied there-with:
But proceeding with this, the day of Judgements Ʋsher; doubtlesse where made by Them, such Lowe Obeysance to HIM sitting on the Throne, subscribing & submitting to his Pleasure, saying, Amen, &c. (verse)
And so the Jury also, those Elders No ordinary MEN: declares this Prisoner one of their owne degree: NO [Page 7] Common ONE, pleading Not guilty, neither deserving death or imprisonment: The Lamb acquits HIM here, though Condemn'd. Neverthelesse; The white Robes suffers, where so many hands (as it were) held up; AS goes the ƲERDJCT: SO the sentence LORD have mercy on Them; And so theirs the KINGDOM of Heaven, as declared; The Lambe hath Compassion on them; HIM-SELFE shall Lead Them to Living-Springs and Fountains: Coelestiall FOƲNTAINS and SPRJNGS, which never fayle, or shall be taken away, intayld so sure.
And in which portion of Scripture, as inclusive Whitsontydes mistery: Shadowed too under the White Robe, (as much to say) The great and dreadfull day in the Moneth of MAY: NO [Page 8] more Whitsontides, as by the Suns not Lightning on them, &c.
And so much for Easter and Penticost, a feast observ'd by Jew & Christian, cleerly exprest by that sealed Number, and by the others without Number of so Many severall Nations, whereas Noting withall; Baptisme, and the LORDS Supper adminstred (only) at those two Feast-times, as heretofore an Old custome : (vers) So they shall Thirst no more, NOR hunger either in that Kind, an unlawfull restraint, without doubt points at the Present. VVhere Virgins excluded from living Waters those.
Herewith, one Thing more: Making known, touching That question By one of the Grand-jury-Elders, saying [Page 9] (verse) What are These which are Arrayed in white, and whence come They? Answered HJM, Sir, Thou knowest; (as much to say,) The present Reigns character or Colours: Serves both for the Yeare 1644. to bee accomplished before the Church her Triumphs or rejoycing shew: And his Crownation solemnized in March 1624. compleat about EASTER: HE, the foure and twenteth since the Conquest, of those Elders Jn-Thrond: As Not unknown, both Father and Sonne about the aforesaid RESVRRECTION Feast Crown'd. VVho needs Then inquire what STRANGERS These? Much like as in the Glasse, one knew not his owne FACE: Or these in the SPRING, as it were, going a PRECESSION, with those Palms in Their hands, extended from the [Page 10] yeare, 1625. to the yeare, 1645. That deliverance Time: Hetherto for born, (as it were, the Winds restraind) as since Yeare, 1605 so long since that Powder-Blowe intended.
Revelation, CHAP. XIIII.
ANd thus, abrupt for Expedition sake; Farthermore a touch of This the finall blowe, for the sake of his Chosen: As the Time shortn' [...] in consideration of which, the hastened END, So shewes how the VVO [...] [...]nistical Weeke abated, how much, [...] the houre COME of HIS Judgem [...]nt: By that great ARMEY a hundred forty & foure Thousand, singing both one song, with the former sealed Number, as Chap. the 7. informes: Extoling such a Yeare accomplished of our SALVATION, with these harping The same Note, The yeare of our Redemption, 1644. to bee [Page 11] accomplished, Accompanying the Day of JƲDGEMENTS houre, immediately which followes, Who before hand tune the MARRIAGE-SONG, so all following the LAMB whethersoever he goes. Also which Number includes the 4000. yeare of the world, his Incarnation Then. Chap. 21
And so much for the Brid, prepared the LAMBS Wife: Compared to such a uniform CITIE; where a Hundred forty foure Cubits the measured wall; (called Salvation, Isaiah 60.) Namely, the aforesaid Yeare of GOD, and serves for Dayes and Houres too, with the 4000. yeares of the World, our Saviours first Comming.
As here the MISTICALL-VVEEKE of six Thousand Yeares current, exprest in the Number of the Lambs followers: The Hundred forty and foure, &c. standing on the Mount:
Even the Houres fulfilling of SIX [Page 12] DAYES, amounting to a hundred forty foure Houres; or Six times [...]24 (or 12 times 12.) As the equall Houres distributed to DAY and NJGHT about EASTER: And six dayes, and six thousand yeares, all one with HIM Eternity, so much suffices.
VVhere also forty odd DAYES, (Chap. 14.) between Easter and Whitsontyd: By his sitting on the WHITE CLOƲD proclaimed, One like the Son of MAN crown'd; (to wit) Whitsontyds figure or expression:
As this for another, Cast in the same mould, (Chap. 19. & 20.) seal'd with Him that satt on the White HORSE, with his Albion-trayn. And again, Hee, who satt on the great white Throne: from whose dreadfull face, EARTH and HEAVEN fled away; And [Page 13] hell and death delivering up iheir Prisoners, as the sand of the SEA: as the VVorld Then to receive Condigne reward, NO better which have improved their precious Talent of TJME, sixteen compleat Centuries since OƲR blessed Saviours JNCARNATJON, proved by Scripture account.
VVitnesse that Ʋniversall imposed Taxe, in the Yeare ONE and FORTY of Caesar August-reigne: Yet not like to the present heavie dayes since (1641) but weighed: Of whose difficult Number 666. so obscure; The truth of it, even so many Moneths as stiled the Number of a MAN. And the Moneths of WOMAN her Reckning too; As fullfils HIS 55. yeares Reigne and a halfe. VVherein the peace-maker, the Lamb of GOD, came into [Page 14] the World: So the cruell Beast, bearing seven heads and ten horns (Chap. 13.) it being considered, who Needs to bee unresolved, who the MAN of sinne; Or what Date that writing bears (mistery-Babylon) Or whom it Concerns (Chap. 17.) No lesse then the LORDS second Comming which points at it; The day of Judgements expresse Character, by those Sabbaticall heads, and sinfull horns tenne: VVhen as the MAN OF SIN, the ROMAN Beast aged 17. Centuries. And the servants of the Lamb as sealed in the foreheads with his Fathers Numbe [...]: Likewise the Beast with his marke, shews what Communion his Factors have, with [...] their Father.
And thus in the 15. Yeare of Tiberius Reigne, (as Saint Luke beares witnesse) Our Saviour about [...] Yeares of age Then, That was about the age of Yeares 15, When as Augustus HE deceased, since when the Moneth of August [Page 15] Continues in the Name of the BEAST ever since; So then the aforesaid Monethes his Numbred reigne. Who that Other, with two Horns like a Lambe, That exerciseth all the Power there, where NO Man buys or sels, &c. No more but referred to themselves.
So prayse him the ancient of dayes, for ever more Day and Night, his ancient servants, Hee that hath begining None or ending.
Lastly, for which premises concerning Prisoners araignd, These keyes of darknes, excluds Not these, of expressing the Churches power of binding & loosing: As here The Model or patterne Therof: What Discipline Agreeable with the APOSTLES, Rules Included: where The PEOPLES approbation and Consent: As it were shadowed under That Multitudes Holding up their HANDS, with Those Sealed ELDERS Verdict or Iudgement, joyning Their Voyces, saying; AMEN, &c. As directed to Eastern and Western Churches both, (Verse 2) By that Angels ascending from the East.
And thus concluding with the Number of his rageing Reigne, the Antichristian Beast: Even since that Sea-Monster 88. With that Admirable Victory, Just 666. monethes, or 55. Yeares and a halfe; So just and true are Thy wayes: Thou King of Saints.