A34679:759
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.
But the Scripture requires us to use wisdom in finding out this number: but what wisdom were it for the holy Ghost to leave out a thousand, as we leave out when we say 88. for 1500. the holy Ghost doth not so here. And besides, I would fain learn of any man of that judgement, what victory the Saints got, either the year when Antichrist began, or when he shall end. What victory have we got? or shall no body conflict with this number of the beast but those that lived in the year 666? or that shall live in the year 1666? In Rev. 15. 2. They got victory over the Beast and his Image, and over his name and number of his name, before the pouring out of the seven vials; So that I cannot say this is the number of the period of the beast, that those are the number of his name.
But the Scripture requires us to use wisdome in finding out this number: but what wisdome were it for the holy Ghost to leave out a thousand, as we leave out when we say 88. for 1500. the holy Ghost doth not so here. And besides, I would faine learn of any man of that judgement, what victory the Saints got, either the year when Antichrist began, or when he shall end. What victory have we got? or shall no body conflict with this number of the beast but those that lived in the year 666? or that shall live in the year 1666? In Rev. 15. 2. They got victory over the Beast and his Image, and over his name and number of his name, before the pouring out of the seven vials; So that I cannot say this is the number of the period of the beast, that those are the number of his name.
And for a fifth thing, there is this further to be observed in it, that it is not the number of the followers of the beast, but the number of the beast: If it were the number of his followers, then it would be less then the number that followed the ⟨p. 251⟩Lamb; for they are said to be an hundred forty and four thousand, in Chap 14. 1. And had the beast had no more but 666. then he had a less number to fight for him, then the Lamb had to fight for him: but in Verse 8. of this chapter, he tells you, All that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the Lambs book of life: And the world was never so happy, as to leave but 666. reprobates in it in any generation, therefore that cannot be the meaning.