till afterwards, in the _Inside_ of it,
the Kingdom of Anti-christ came to be Exposed. Thus, the Judgments of
God on the _Roman Empire_, first unto the Downfal of _Paganism_, and
then, unto the Downfal of _Popery_, which is but Revived _Paganism_, are
in these Displayes, with Lively Colours and Features made sensible unto
us.

Accordingly, in the Twelfth Chapter of this Book, we have an August
Preface, to the Description of that Horrid _Kingdom_, which our Lord
Christ refused, but Antichrist accepted, from the Devils Hands; a
Kingdom, which for _Twelve Hundred and Sixty_ Years together, was to be
a continual oppression upon the People of God, and opposition unto his
Interests; until the Arrival of that Illustrious Day, wherein, _The
Kingdom shall be the Lords, and he shall be Governour among the
Nations._ The Chapter is (as an Excellent Person calls it) an
_Extravasated Account_ of the Circumstances, which befell the _Primitive
Church_, during the first Four or Five Hundred Years of Christianity: It
shows us the Face of the Church, first in _Rome_ Heathenish, and then in
_Rome_ Converted, before the _Man of Sin_ was yet come to _Mans Estate_.
Our Text contains the Acclamations made upon the most Glorious
Revolution that ever yet happened upon the Roman Empire; namely, That
wherein the Travailing Church brought forth a Christian Emperour. This
was a most Eminent _Victory_ over the Devil, and _Resemblance_ of the
State, wherein the World, ere long shall see, _The Kingdom of our God,
and the Power of his Christ_. It is here noted,

First, As a matter of _Triumph_. 'Tis said, _Rejoyce, ye Heavens, and ye
that dwell in them._ The Saints in both Worlds, took the Comfort of this
Revolution; the Devout Ones that had outlived the late Persecutions,
were filled with Transporting Joys, when they saw the _Christian_
become the _Imperial_ Religion, and when they saw Good Men come to give
Law unto the rest of Mankind; the Deceased Ones also, whose Blood had
been Sacrificed in the Ten Persecutions, doubtless made the Light
Regions to ring with _Hallelujahs_ unto God, when there were brought
unto them, the Tidings of the Advances now given to the _Christian_
Religion, for which they had suffered _Martyrdom_.

Secondly, As a matter of _Horror_. 'Tis said, _Wo to the Inhabiters of
the Earth and of the Sea._ The _Earth_ still means the _False Church_,
the _Sea_ means the _Wide World_, in Prophetical Phrasaeology. There was
yet left a