An exposition upon the thirteenth chapter of the Revelation by that reverend and eminent…

First,¹ it shows you the dangerous and damnable estate of the world from the foundation of the world; the deep depravation and corruption of the world from the foundation of it; it is said by John, 1 John 5. 19. We know we are of God, and all the world lies in wickedness: Did it lye so in Johns time, when all the great Nations of the world worshipped the Devil, Apollo, Hercules, and Jupiter, and such dunghill gods? Did it not then lye in wickedness? Truly it was so since the world began, it was never better from Abraham to Moses, from Moses to Christs time, and from Christs time to this, the whole world lies in wickedness; for otherwise to what end should Christ be slain from the foundation of the world, if there were no need of a Redeemer, else there had been no need of his sacrificing from the foundation of the world There were all errors in the world, not as God made it, but they suddenly corrupted themselves. Man being in honour abideth not, but is like the beast that perisheth, Psal. 49. 20. The word in the Original is, he shall not sleep in it, nor lodge in it, meaning that he shall not take one nights rest, but become like a beast, and clad with the skin of a beast: So this is the condition of civill men that are like brute beasts from the foundation of the world: The Lord looked down from heaven, and beheld the children of men: And the Apostle interprets it of all men; He looked down and beheld all the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand and seek God: They are all gone aside, they are all become filthy, &c. Psal. 14. 2, 3, 4, 5. This is the case of all men by nature. The Apostle expounds ⟨p. 196⟩it of all, Jews and Gentiles by nature, in Rom. 3. 10. to 16. And in Gen. 6. 5. The Lord looked upon the earth, and beh•ld it was corrupt. And in