The key of the Revelation, searched and demonstrated out of the naturall and proper charecters of the visions.: With a coment thereupon, according to the rule of the same key, / published in Latine by the profoundly learned Master Joseph Mede B.D. late fellow of Christs College in Cambridge, for their use to whom God hath given a love and desire of knowing and searching into that admirable prophecie. Translated into English by Richard More of Linley in the Countie of Salop. Esquire, one of the Bargesses in this present convention of Parliament. With a præface written by Dr Twisse now prolocutor in the present Assembly of Divines.

THe space of the Seales being runne * 1.1 over, wherein the affaires of the Em∣pire were described, let us proceed to the other prophesie by much the more noble; as containing the fates of the Church or of Religion. Iohn is prepared to it by the delivering and eating up of an open Booke, as it were to take the degree of the facultie of prophesying.

And the voyce, saith he, which I heard from heaven, spake unto * 1.2 me againe (to wit, that voyce as of a Trumpet speaking, Chap. 4. 1.) and sayed, Goe and take that little booke which is open in the hand of the Angel which standeth upon the Sea and upon the earth.

I went therefore unto the Angel, and sayed unto him, give me * 1.3 the little booke, and he sayed unto me, take it and eate it up, &c.

Furthermore since the prophesie now to be revealed, as the knowledge of all divine and hidden things, especially to come,

should be in the first receipt indeed sweet and pleasant, but by * 1.4 reason of the lamentable estate of the Church, contained in the hidden part thereof, bitter as Aloes, or for the obscuritie happily of those Allegories and Types, where with it is covered, it should much perplex the minde of the opener or searcher into the mean∣ing thereof: therefore it is said the booke to be eaten up, shall be to the Apostle in his mouth indeed sweet, that is at first sight and first taste shall be delightfull to his minde; but being received in∣to his belly and to be digested, it shall be bitter. And it shall make thy belly bitter, saith he, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as bony. The whole representation is taken out of Ezekiel, saving that * 1.5 there, the sweetnesse in the mouth, but bitternesse in the belly, are either not mentioned, or but obscurely.

The book being so received and swallowed down, the mean∣ing of the symbole is opened in most cleere and expresse words; to wit, that there was imposed upon Iohn a charge of receiving from Christ, and bringing into the knowledge of the Church, another yet, and a more noble prophesie by much, and which should runne over the same space of time with the former.

And I tooke, saith he, the little booke out of the Angels hand, and * 1.6 did eate it up: and it was in my mouth sweet as hony; but when I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.

Then he said thou must prophesie againe (this is the meaning of * 1.7 the symbole) before many people, and nations, and tongues, and Kings.

This was the inauguration of Iohn; the prophesie followeth, which hath its beginning from his worke about the Temple of God; and therein he setteth forth a twofold estate of the Church to come in order, by the representation of a two-fold court, one measured, another cast out because of the prophanation thereof by the Gentiles.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Chap. 10.
• * 1.2

  Vers. 8.
• * 1.3

  Vers. 9.
• * 1.4

  Chap. 11.
• * 1.5

  E••ech. 3.3.
• * 1.6

  Vers. 10.
• * 1.7

  Vers. 11.