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CHAP. IX.
1. Tail; Temple. 2. Throes; Throne of God. 3. Thunder an Iconism of Divine assistence for the discomfiting of the Enemies. 4. Other more mystical meanings thereof. 5. Time; Hours; Days. That Day signifying a Year is an Icasmus. 6. The appropriation of Months and Days to the story of the Wicked and Righteous, with an inference from the latter of a latitude of compute in the 1260 days in the Apocalyps. 7. Trees; Vintage; Water. 8. White-clothing; Wilderness; Winds. 9. Whore and Whoredom. 10. The exquisite Analogie Idolatry bears thereunto. 11. Wine-press. 12. That it signifies also spiritual Destruction and slaughter. 13. Woman and Women. 14. Worship; World. 15. That the Prophetick style is so determinately intelligible, that the endea∣vour of understanding Prophecies is most unjustly reproached for any insuperable difficulties therein. 16. Certain Rules to try Interpreta∣tions of Prophecies by, which are more warrantable and genuine, which less.
1. TAil. The Tail of a Beast is that part that follows or comes be∣hind, to which therefore the Train of a great Prince or Potentate will correspond in Analogie. But, me-thinks, the Analogie is most exact in Serpents of a great length, who therefore have a long train following them. But it is significant enough in other Animals also, as the Oniro∣criticks have taken notice. Achmet. c. 152. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (he means 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 If any one dream he rides on a generous Steed, (such as the Persi∣ans called Pharas) having a large Tail, thick of hair and long, he shall have a Retinue or Train of Men or Officers answerable to the fulness and length of the Tail. This Analogie will hold good from Nobles to Princes and Em∣perours, or any Sovereign Power over a State or Kingdom. In which case their Forces and People are their Train or Tail.
Temple. To omit those more Mystical or Moral meanings of Temple, it signifies sometimes in the Prophetick style a People consecrated to God by an outward profession of him, and so set apart from other Nations, as consecrated Places are from other buildings or plats of ground. 1 Tim. 3. 15. That thou maiest know how to behave thy self in the House of God, which is the Church. And Rev. 3. 12. Him that overcometh will I make a Pillar in the Temple of my God: which both Grotius and Dr. Hammond interpret of the Church Visible; Grotius of the Sardian, Dr. Hammond of the Church Catholick.
2. Throes of Child-birth. The Throes of Child-birth are a Figure or Image of great endeavours to bring something to pass, not without much difficulty, pain and danger. And the compassing their end is a delivery of what they were big with, and a deliverance from the pain and danger they laboured under. There are several examples of this Iconism in the Pro∣phets.