A34679:556
An exposition upon the thirteenth chapter of the Revelation by that reverend and eminent…
An exposition upon the thirteenth chapter of the Revelation by that reverend and eminent servant of the Lord, Mr. John Cotton ... ; taken from his mouth in short-writing, and some part of it corrected by himself soon after the preaching thereof ; and all of it since viewed over by a friend to him ... wherein some mistakes were amended, but nothing of the sense altered.
London: printed for Tim. Smart, 1656
Title page typeset from the transcription.
AN EXPOSITION Upon the thirteenth Chapter of the REVELATION. › Part
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Now if it had not been as effectual and real before his coming, as when he did come, doubtless the efficacy of his death would have been less powerful and more weak in them that lived before his coming; but when you see such liveliness spring from the virtue and power of it, then you see the efficacy of it from the foundation of the world, only the manifestation of it was not so clear as afterwards, whence it comes to pass that the generality of Christians now are, ⟨p. 192⟩or ought to be, more clear and more pure then the generality of Christians then; but in some men, you have had them that exceeded those that lived in Christs own time, and since.
Now if it had not been as effectuall and reall before his coming, as when he did come, doubtlesse the efficacy of his death would have been lesse powerfull and more weak in them that lived before his coming; but when you see such livelinesse spring from the virtue and power of it, then you see the efficacy of it from the foundation of the world, onely the manifestation of it was not so clear as afterwards, whence it comes to passe that the generality of Christians now are, ⟨p. 192⟩or ought to be, more cleare and more pure then the generality of Christians then; but in some men, you have had them that exceeded those that lived in Christs owne time, and since.
5. There is a fifth respect in which Christ is said to be slain from the beginning of the world, and that is in respect of the faith of Gods elect who lived from the beginning of the world: As soon as there was a man on the earth, the same day the Lord put emnity between the seed of the woman and the Serpent; now the seed of the woman looks for salvation in the seed of the woman, and they did even then look to the Lord Jesus the Messiah as much as we do since in John 8. 56. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, he saw it and was glad: that was the day of the coming of Christ into the world to be an atonement for the sins of his people: If Abraham saw it, then Enoch, Noah, Abel, and Adam, and Eve; and who ever lived by Jesus Christ, they all saw Christ afar off, yet they saw him notwithstanding, they saw his day, the day of his Incarnation, and Passion, and Resurrection: and it is said in