^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) /. 1.0 I.I s: 1^ 12.0 ■IHi L25 III 1.4 IE Ii4 '^I^' Photographic Sciences Corporation :\ \ II WNT MAIN ITMIT WliniP.NV I4SM tn*) ira-4i0> .*>. o'^ flik, (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or tha aymbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included In one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames aa required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Un des symboles suivants apparattra sur la darnlAre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: la symbols -^ signifie "A 8UIVRE ", le symbols V signifie "FIN". Lj(( c'trtes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre filmis A des taux da rAduction diffArents. Lorsque le document est trop brand pour Atre reprodult en un seul olichA, 11 est filmA A partir de Tangle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite. et de haut en bas. en prenant la nombre d'images nAoessaira. Lea diagrammas suivants illustrant la mAthoda. i by errata mad to nent une pelure, fagon A 32X 1 a a 1 2 9 4 8 9 3* • .*" ixsa 4. nitsT iiqii Air EPISTOLARY DISCOURSE, CONCERNINO THF. # 11CS3 Mm 9AM OX ABSX-eiSMSS, tiV lyrK >•' i UKV. ROUKRT FLKMING, Minister uf the tioKpfl. '^ KiltST I'lJULlSHLIJ IN LUNi»ON, JANUARY 1, 1701. FUKDEHlCTOiX ; 4 Kqirlukd for the rublishcrii, by J. P. A. PillLLlFS. ; MDCCCXLVl. 4 #: I ■( f V ( 4 » In presenting the present edition of Mr- Fi.eming's excellent Apocalyptical Discourse to an enlightened public, the Publishers deem it due ta themselves and to the reader to say a few words in explanation of the reasons which have induced them to undertake the re-publication of a work of this nature at the present period. Without entering into a detail of the re- markable events, which the author clearly shews had been shadowed forth in the pro- phetical writings of Saint John the Divine, previous to the beginning of the Eighteenth Century ; or examining the critical accuracy with which those have been traced, the Pub- lishers have been forcibly struck with the minute and literal fulfilment of those predic- tions which relate to events which have transpired nearly a century afte* the writer IV PREFACE. »#■» t was in his grave. The ciiuses ot the French Revolution, and the events of the vear 1794, were predicted by Mr. Fleming with aston- ishing accuracy ; and the intelligent reader will not fail to discover in the present signs of the times, strong indications of the aj)- proach of other great events in the religious world, which Mr. Fleming confidently expects will take place in the year 1848, and others in the year 1860. A knowledge of the ap- proach of ev(Mits, derived from the insp'ued writings of the Kvangelist, and explained by an eminent Divine 145 years before their re- ])ublication, is calculated to awaken some interest in the mind of every thinking man : and should the remarkable events which have; been predicted, with reference to our own times, be fulfilled with the same accuracy as ! those relating^ to periods which are past, the Publishers will have the satisfaction of know- ing that they have contributed in some degrees to prepare the minds of a j)orti()n of their Chris- tian brc^thren for the changes which may happen. .fP* ' PREFACE, *rhe valuable moral and religious reflections with which this little work abounds, would, in themselves, amply repay the reader for the most careful peiusrl. The admirable prc- <'epts for the proper and most profitable em- ployment of onr time, the earnest exhortations to lead a godly life, and the brinian|; pictures of the final reward of the faithful, must con- vince every dispat;sionate reader that Mr. Fleming was a man of no ordinary talent, and a Christian of more than ordinary piety. There is a benevolence of feeling pervading every chapter of his discourse, and an earnest- ness and acuteness of reasoning which he jiever fails to make Lubscuvient to the princi- pal aim of the work, which is to render the reader a wiser and a better Christian. The price at which the work is fixed, will shew that the Publishers seek no pecuniary benefit from its republication ; and it may l)e proper to add, that they are associated in repuLl.'^^ing this book, from a well-founded cimviction that it will be a benefit to the public. VI PREFACE. The Publishers have studiously avoided any alteration in style, punctuation, or ortho- graphy, in this Edition. It is, in fact, an exact reprint of that published in London in 1701 ; — and as the work is now nearly out of print, it was thought ad- visable to preserve it without the slightest alteration. ' N TO THK R [ G H T H O N O R A B r. E JOHIV LORD CARIfllCHAEL, Principal Secretary of State Jor the Kingdom of Scotland i one of Kis Majesty^ s most Hon, Privy Council, and Chancellor of the College of Glasgow. MY LORD, The honour I have in being related to your Lordship, and the happiness I enjoy in being acquainted with you, do not only encourage me to prefix your Lordship's name to the following discourses, but allow mt also to be- lieve you will not take it>r\ apart to the ministeiial ollice, t'ob. 9^ IlISE AND FALL OF aIsTI-CHRIST. 3 J 687-8, wliicli I have the rather consented to print now, because it doth m only suit with the second discourse, but because 1 re- member several false or at least imperfect copies were taken of it, when I did at first deliver it. And seeing the last discourse (which yet was first as to time) doth now appear in the view of the World, I find myself in some sort obliged to interest all my friends in this prefatory address ; whr niin 1 do particularly include those of the Ennjlish church of Ley- den, and Scots church in Rotterdam, to whom I stood related successively as minister ot pastor ; whom I do the rather mention here, that I niciy let thepi know, how much they are still upon my thoughts, though we arc separated as to place. But seeing my work is now more parti- cularly a|)pro|)riated to you, whom l am more immediately concerned with and re- lated mito at present, 1 do therefore, in a more special manner, address myself to you at this time. And I hopi^ ye will Ixuir with me, if from my sincere respect for your wel- fare, I d(Hain you for a whih^ here before ye enter u[)on the perusal (^ither of my Apoca- liptical thoughts following, or the other dis- coius(»s, which I do present you with, at your own (li*sire. For iu cas(* either of death, or luring otlnu'u is(^ rcjidered inca|)abh' to serve you, I am willing to give a vent to my 4 A DIS€OVRSE CONCERNING THE thoughts and affection at this time ; that what<^ ever becomes of me the following discourses^ together with this, may stand as a lasting witness of my real concern for your souls' welfare. In the first place therefore, I do declare, that though I am not willing to state my suf- ferings upon little matters or modes of wor- ship and (sxpression ; yet I can sincerely say, that should the Divine Providence call me to lay down my life for the truths themselves which I have preached amons you, I hope 1 should be so far from quarrelling with the procedure of God this way, that I should rejoice in such a martyrdom. And 1 hope I have not contradicted in giy life what I have preached in the pulpit, whatever my infir- mities have been. So I presume it will not be looked upon as pride or vanity, if I say with the great Apostle (though as to the last clause I dare not pretend to have ixien any pattern to you) ** Finally, brethren, what- soever things are true, whatsoever things arc venerable, whatsoever things are just, what- soever things are pure, whatsoever things arc lovtily, whatsoever things are of good re- port ; if then} l)e any virtue, and if there be any jiraise, think on these tilings. Those things which yv have both learned and receiv- ed, and heard and seen in me, do : and the God of peace shall be with vou." PhU. iv. 8, 9. RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. For in the next place, I thank God, that he that knows the secrets of all hearts, doth testify together with my conscience, that a sin- cere concern to be useful to our common Christianity, was the thing that did at first influence me to enter upon this great work of the ministry, and hath ever since engaged me, though under more discouragements than most men, to continue and labour in it. So that it is a matter of sweet reflection to me, that I never gave any occasion to brand our holy profession with the odious name of Priest- craft, whatever any others may have done. For, as I have no other ambition, than to en- gage and draw men over to the great and catholic interests of Christianity itself, in or- der to their becoming the followers and ser- vants of our glorious God and blessed Sa- viour ; so I am sure I can confidently say, without any vanity or affectation, (for which I dare appeal not only to you, but all others that have known me ever since I began to pre«icli) that there is not one in the world that ever had just occasion so much as to think, that I (lid at any time attempt to bring any person ovrr to my way, as a party. And, as thiss I have been far from seeking either honour, interest, or popularity ; so there arc* not a few that can bear mo wit-* ness, that I have incurred the censures of some men of very diflerent denominations, because I could never Ik) induced to think 9 A P19(C0UR6£ CONCERNING THE tbiit religion did properly stand in the ri- tuals of any o4 the contending parties. ., The differences therefore, bi|t especially the animosities, that are among the Protes- tant Christians, have ever been grievous and aifflictive to me. And to heal these I could cheerfully be, offered up a sacrifice, if I can be supposed to be conscious of the sentiments and movements of my ovi^n soul. For though we of this congregation differ from all others that dissent from the episcopal communion^ ui this, that we are, in a peculiar sense, u{)on a national foundation, viz., in as far as we not only own the same church government^ but keep up the same way that the church of Scotland useth, in her public administrations ; to which most of us belong as natives, and all of us as proselytes : yet I must publicly own, that abstracting from this, I am a dissenr t«v fron) that party that engross and monopo* lizo the name of the church of England. For though 1 have ever looked u|>on other cont troversies as more edifying and momentous^ than those unhappy ones tliat have kept that great l)ody and ours divided ; yet I have so m considered them, as hillierto to find no reason to quit that way I was oilu^ated in ; notwithstanding the specious reasons made use of to prejudice people against us as schisma* ticks, rather than to convince us that wo are so. Thorelbre, in the tiiird [Jace, I cannot but own (without any design to reflect upon them mm RISE AND FALL OF ANJI-CHRIST. % that differ from me in such matters) that I look upon that way as nearest to the Chiis- tian institution, that ha& the fewest and most natural and unaffected, and consequently most spiritual rites and ceremonies, in the performance of gospel ordinances. For, as a learned Conformist* says, in a book which he did afterwards indeed seem to differ from, but never attempted to retract or refute, and perhaps was never able to do : " Certainly the primitive Church, that did not charge men with such a load of articles, as now in these latter ages men are charged with, would much less have burthened men with imposing doubtful practices upon them as the ground of church commimion. There is nothing then that the primitive Church deserves more immitation in by us, than that admirable tem* per, moderation and condescension which was used in it towards all the members of it. It was never thought worth the while to make any standing, laws for rights and customs^ that had no other origin^il but tradition, much loss to suspend men from her communion for not observing them." And if this was the practice of the primitive Chuich, it was eminently so in the apostolic age ; to whom, as acted by th(^ Holy Glipst, it se«m(^d good to require nothing by way of imposition, but a very few necessary thingSi viz.^ that Chris- ♦ Stilling Iren. pages 09 and 12«. ' " 6 A DISCOURSE CONCBlRNiNG THE tians should abstain from idols, blood, things strangled, and fornication. But alas ! since that time it hath seemed good to men, but I am sure not to the Holy Spirit, to impose a great many unnecessary things on the con- sciences of others ; without any such allow- ances as was given them, thiit every man should be fully persuaded in his own mindj in what he did. For what regard have some men to this apostolical rule, when their im- positions are laid as stumbling-blocks in their brethren's way ; without any regard to the wounding of their v/eak consciences, upon the supposition they are so ? Is this, to imi- tate the Apostle's tenderness, who resolved rather never to eat flesh, than to offend any weak brother ? Or do men this way seek the things of Jesus Christ, or their own private ends and emoluments most ? — Romans xiv. 6, 13, &c. 1 Cor. viii. 12, 13. Phil. ii. 21. Therefore, let men dispute about forms and ceremonies, and their decency or neces- sitjv, as long as they pleaso ; I must say with a reverend conforming minister^ : ** That all th(^ art and power of the world cannot make trifles in the worshi^r of God seem matters of importance to them that r'^lish heaven. What trumpery are habits, various * Seo P. M. in his Vanity, Mischief, and Danger of Ceremonies, proposed to the Convocation, and printed Anno 1G90. , , ^ RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 9 gestures and postures to a man that is swal- lowed up in the contemplation of the infinite Majesty of the glorious God ? or that is lost in the ravishing admiration of his good- (less and Icve ? or that is sunk into the lowest abatements and self-abhorrence for his sms ? Such a soul may be loaded with human in- ventions, but he can never look upon them as ornaments or helps to devotion.'^ : Whatever then be the various ideas and theories ol what we call edification : yet stiB, as none can dispute us out of what we de- ceive most advantage from, as to our bodie^;^ so neither as to our :.ouLs. For af no man can be able to persuade me, that his consti*- tution of body is such a standard to man'^ kind, that 1 and all others are obli^d to reckon )that food most healthfiil ror us, which the imposer tells us is so to him, though at the same time we experience it to be noxious, or disagreeable to us : I know no more reason, why any man should |ve- tend a power of imposing modes and forms on my conscience, which I am dissatisfied witli, from no other reason but this, that they appear to Ihj the most excellent or decent to him. So that, as liberty is equally necessary in the one case as in the other, unless we value the health of our bodies above the pei;ce of our consciences and se- curity of our souls : so the contrary prac- tice, when force is used, can admit of no to A DISCOURSE CONCERNING TliE softer term than that of anti-christian tyranny. I cannot, therefore, but highly approve of what I find in a book* I have already men- tioned : " What possible reason can be given," says the author, " why such things should not be sufficient for communion with a church, which are sufficient for salvation ? And certainly these things are sufficient for that, which are ?aid down as the necessary duties of Christianity by our Lord and Skviour in his word." I mention these things, God is my witness, for no private design, to uphold a party, or to serve the ends of it, as such ; but to let those that are prejudiced against us know, thr-'t we afe acted by Religion as a principle, and not as ^ notion only ; and that this is the reason of our dissent from those that share the emoluments of the church among them. Otherwise it were not probable, that we should unite, in acting contrary to our ovvn int^est, mertily from faction or humour, if we may presume to know our own sentiments and I hope most, if not all of us, durst not dissi^mble before the great God all our days, in a matter of so great importance as this is. So that the dissenting of so many persons from the established church, to their own hurt and disadvantage in the world, may be looked upon as no contemptible argument, * Siilling. Iren. pref, pagf. 8 RISE ANIi FALL OF ANTI-CHRIS*'. II by unbiassed persons, that there are some men that are acted L> religion as a principle, and that take up the ministry otherwise than as a trade. ^ But I had this further design in touching upon our unhappy differences ; that consi- dering that they do only concern the exter- nals and circumstantials of re'^gion, both ye and all others that peruse these lines and the following discourses, may be taken off from that fury and bigotry, by which so many seem to be possessed at this day, and may learn to mind the great essentials of christi« aniiy more, acting conscientiously yourselves in all things, and judging charitably of those that differ from you, whether they do so of you or not. For what I have said on this head, is not in the least designoa to reflect upon these that differ from us, among whom I ac- knowledge there are many distinguishable, not only for parts and learning, but for piety and moderation also, upon which accounts I cannot but honour and lovp them, thdKgh they should both despise and hate me. Nay^ 1 question lOt, but even many of the bigots for catiiedral worship and its annexed hier- archy, who are for running up these to as near a conformity to Rome as they can, and yet stamp all with a confident pretending to a Jus Divinum, may act from conscience, even in their uncharitableness to them that conscien- tiously difJer from them, yea, in their hatred 12 A DISiCOURSE CONCERNING THE of them, and rage against t^em where they have power. But then it t n be remem- bered, that as theif zeal is not according to knowledge ; so they are of the same tribe with these of whom our Saviour speaks, when he tells us, John xvi. 2, 3, " that they would parsecute, yea, kill bis servants," when they had opportunity, " believing" at the same time, " tliat they did God most acceptable service." But he immediately adds, " And these things will they do because they have not known the Father, nor me." However, my design is not to reflect even on them, but rather to pity them and wish them more knowledge and a better mind. Foar as a contentious, and especially a per- secuting temper, was never from God, nor according to the rule of the meek and holy Jesus ; wlK)se religion is iSrst pure, and then Seaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated;" am« iii. 17, so such a disposition was never more unseasonable than at this time. For they must be unaccountably unobser- vant of, and unconcerned with the present state and prospect of aflairs in Europe, who see not in what danger the Protestant inter- est is at present ; considering what it has lost already, and is in ha»ard of losing further ; together with the sad decay of true Christian piet^, as well as unity, among all sorts of persons. I could therefore wish we might learn a little prMdeuce, even from our Popish PMi RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 13 adversaries, that we might unite in love, and in design to promote a general interest, though we attain not to an exact uniformity in all things. For why should not we join as one soul against that bloody, and idola- trous party, when we see them do so against us? though their various sects and orders, such as Franciscan and Dominicans, Jesuits and Jansenists, differ as much from one ano- ther both in their opinions and in their forms and habits, as they are regimented under their several heads or generals, and as they live according to vastly different lavvs and rules, as we can possibly be supposed to do. But alas ! what moral prognostications have we now, but such as seem to portend ruin and misery to us ? when we see the differences of parties grow up into a stated hatred, with a fixed design to ruin one another, and conse- quently murder the reformed cause, which we are obliged not only upon religious accounts to appear for, but even upon civil consider- ations, seeing Popery is inconsistent with freedom and liberty than which nothing, in this world, ought to be so dear to ?is. Can we have forgot what barbarities that inhuman \mrty have committed in the world ? *' For if we may believe historians," says a learn- ed man ?* <* Pope Julius was the occasion of Dr. More in his Divine Dialogues, pajre 1(31. See also his Mystery of iniquity. Lib. 2. Chap 15, 10, &c. 14 A DISCOURSE COiSCERNING THE the slaughter of 200,000 Christians. The massacre in France cut off 100,000, in three months. P. Perionius avers that in the per- secution of the Albigenses and Waldenses, 1,000,000 lost their lives. From the begin- ning of the Jesuits till 1580, that is, thirty or forty years, 900,000 perished, saith Bal- duinus. The Duke of Alva by the hangman put 36,000 to death. Vergerius* affirms that the Inquisition in 30 years destroyed 150,000- To all this I may add the Irish Bebellion, in which 300,000 were destroy- ed, as the Lord Orery reports in a paper printed in the reign of Charles II." And how many have been destroyed in the late Persecution in France and Piedmont, in the ^alatinate and Hungary, none I believe can fully reckon up besides those that are or have been in the gallies, and that have fled. This b the idolatrous Harlot, so glutted with the blood of the saints, that a late author, in his Treatise of Convocations, sets up as a pat- tern to the church of England, and that another author in his book, intituled the " Case of the Regale and Pontificate," to the scandal of the church of England, for whom they pretend such a zeal, would so fain have us united unto, and represents therefore in such favourable colours. But I hope all true Protestants will easily see " the snake • The some Vergerius that attended on Francis Spira. See his Life, tlM»l>'tttiiM|««'>k*>'*-' RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST, 16 in the grass. '^ And surely when we are in hazard of being betrayed within ourselves, We have sufficient reason to awake out of our lethargick sleep, that we may do what possibly we can to save the nations we be- long to from approaching desolations: or if '^ that cannot be, that we may at least save our own souls in the day of the Lord. For seeing we are like to feel the effects of the new conjunction of France and Spain, the election of a young politic Pope, and the apostacy of some protestant princes to the Rotnish interest, (which, together vdth the impieties and scepticism of a great many within ourselves, are I am sure no' good prognosticfcs,) have we not just reason to prepare for remarkable revolutions? while therefore I think of these things, I cannot forbear to give a vent to my thoughts on the great and dark head of futurity ; in pre- senting to you with some conjectures in re- lation to our times, founded upon scripture prophecy, as far as I understand it. Therefore seeing this is the chief design of this discourse, which I have inscribed to you, I hope you will bear with me in giving you some brief account of the times we are fallen in, and what we may expect if we live much longer. Which I am the rather induced to do, because we are now entering upon a new agey from which we look back upon se^ venteen centuries, which have elapsed since 16 A t)«»COURSE CONCERNING THB our blessed Redeemer came into the world, and may therefore be allowed to conjecture, with some just ground perhaps of probability (for I do industriously avoid the fatal rock of positiveness, which so many apocalyptical ^men have suffered themselves to split upon) what part of the Revelation remains yet to be accomplished. But since I am lo confine myself to a little compass here, as remembering I am writing no book properly, but an epistolary discourse, prefatory to those that follow, with which therefore it must keep some proiK)rtion ; I shall content myself in giving you a few hints, towards the resolution and improvement of that grand Apocalyptical Question ; when the reign of Anti-Christtanism or the Papacy liegan ? -— =4)Qc=:. There are two things therefore, which lie before me to be considered at this time. I. 1 must fulfil my promise in giving you a new resolution of the grand Apocalyptical Question concerning the rise of the great An- ti-Christ, or Rome rapal : for when we have done this, and fixed this auaor epocha, We may by an easy consequence see the time of the final fall and destruction, of this dreadful enemy. RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 17 11. J must in the next place, improve the resolution of this question, both theoretically as a Key to unriddle the dark Apocalyptical times and periods ; and practically, in order both to the regulation of your thoughts and the government of your lives, in some very weighty considerations deducible from thence. The^r^^ thing therefore which I have to do, is to attempt the resolution of the prin- cipal Apocalyptical question concerning the rise of Anii'Christianism, Now in order to answer this distinctly, which hath exercised and wearied out all Apocalyptical writers hitherto, there are some things I \^ ould premise as so many jx)stulata, which generally all are agreed in, and which Mr. Mede, Dr. More, Mr. Durham, and Dr. Cressener, have iriefragably proved. I. That the Revelation contains the series of all the remarkable events and changes of the state of the Christian Church to the end of the world.^ 2. That Mystical Baby- lon or the great Whore,t described there, doth signify Rome, in an Anti-Christian church state. 3. That therefore this cannot be Rome Pagan properly, but Rome PapaL 4. That the seven heads of the Beast or the seven kingH,t ar(^ the seven forms of govern- ment, which obtain<)d successively among the Romans. And seeing the sixth^ of these * Boo Rov. iv. 1, ^c— t Rov. xvii. 1,5, 18.— | Rev xvii. 40, 11. 16 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE was that which was only in being in John's time, the fwmer five having fallen before, that therefore consequently, the seventh head, which under another consideration is called the eighth, (the intervenient kingdom of the Ostro-Goths being the seventh in number, though not properly Roman, and therefore, in that sense, none of the heads of the Ro- man governnieiii) is the last species of go- vernment, and that which is called most peculiarly and by a speciality the Beast, or Anti*Christ. These postulata being supposed as certain, (which I would reckon no difficult thing to prove, were it needful) I must in the next place premise two preliminary considerations, before I come directly to answer the question itself. Tiie first is this ; That the three grand Apocalyptical numbers of ' 1260 days,' *42 months,' and * time, limes and a half,' are not only synchronical, but must be interpre- ted prophetically, so as years must be undty- stood by days. That these three numbers are synchroni- cal, will appear plain to any impartial con- sidt^er, that will be at pains to compare them, as we hav(i them sot down in this book of the Uevelations, viz. the * 1260 days,' (^hap. xi. S. and (haj). xii. G. the *42 months,' clu^), • SeoRcv. xvii. 10, 11. RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 19 xi. 2. and chap. xiii. 5. and the ' time, times and a half,' chap. xii. 14. For it is clear, that the Gentiles treading ' down the hoij city 42 months,' chap. xi. 2. is the cause of the ^vjtnesses prophesying for > 1260 days in sackcloth,' v. 3. and is the wo- men or church's being in the wilderness for the same term of days, chap. xii. 6. any other than a new representation, of the witnesses prophesying in sackcloth ? Seeing this must be while the Beast is worshipped and served by the whole Roman world, during men's lunacy of 42 months continuance, chap. xiii. 5. And therefore seeing the woman is said to be ia wilderness state of desolation and persecution, for * a time, and timeis, and half a time,' in order thus to be preserved from the Beast and Serpent, as we see chap. xii. 14. It is likewise plain, that this number of three years and a half, must be the very same with the two former numbers. Only it is to be observed by the way, that this pe- riod of time, when it is mentioned in relation to the church, is spoken of with respect to the sun, either as to his diurnal or annual rota- tion : whereas when it is described in relation to the Beast's unstable kingdom of night and darkness, it is made mention of Wtth respect to the in(M)n8tant lumintuv, which changes its face continually, while it makes our months. And hence it is that the church is represented, chap. xii. 1. under the emblem 20 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE of " a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet." Now as these numbers are synchronical, and the same ; so it is easy to prove that they must be understood prophetically for years. I shall not insist here upon the conjecture of a learned man* ; that there was no diurnal rotation of the earth before the fall, and con- sequently no days of 24 hours, but only an annual rotation of this our planetary world : which he gives us as the original reason of the scripture's putting days for years fre- quently. For whatever be in this, it is plain that the scripture speaks thus in several pla- ces ; by putting a lesser number figuratively for a greater, as well as a definite one for an indefinite. Witness the appointment of the week of years, Exod. xxiii. 10, 11, which is siK)ken of as if it were a week of days, verse 12, the seventh year of which is therefore called Sabbatical, with respect to the seventh day Sabbath. In the same way oi speaking Ezekiel was commanded to lie 390 days on his left side, and forty on his right, each day for a year, as God himself says, chap, iv. 6, 6. So likewise God pun- ished the murmuring Israelites with 40 yi^ars aliolte in the wilderness, with relation to \\\v 40 days that werc^ spent in searching of the land o^(^•lnaan, Numb. xiv. 32. The seven } ears of Nebuchadnezzar's lycanthropy * Wltiston'9 Theory of ihe Korllj, pago 8, 70, bl. 'wrMtr-*.***. RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 21 is thus called, indefinitely, * days' or * times,' Dan. iv. 32, 34. Nay our Saviour himself speaks in this dialect when he calls the years of his ministry days, saying, " I do cures to- day and to-morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected." Luke xiii. 32. But the most remarkable place to our purpose, is the famous prophesy of Daniel's ' 70 weeks' or *490 days,' chap. ix. 24. reaching down from the edict of Artaxerxes Longimanus, in his 20th year, Neh. ii. 1 — 10, to our Saviour's suffering at Jerusalem , which was exactly 490 prophetical years, not Julian ones : the not distinguishing of which has hitherto confounded all interpreters, as I might shew at large were this a proper place for it. But what the difference between these is we shall quickly see. In the mean time, I am now to prove that the 1260 days are to be understood, in a prophetical sense, for years : for if I can prove this, it will necessarily follow, that the other numbers must be so interpreted also ; since they are the same with this. ]Now that the 1260 days cannot be taken literally, but prophetically, will appear from hence ; that it is impossible to conceive how so many, great nnd wonderful actions, which are pro- phesied to fall out in that short time, could happen during the space of three solar vears and a half ; such as e. g. the obtain- mg power over all kindreds, tongues, and 22 A DiBCOtJRSE CONCURNING THE nations ; ine world's wondering at and sub- mitting unto the Beast's reign ; and the set- ting up an image to the imperial head, and causing it to be worshipped, instead of the living Emperor's, &c. And bssid^s these things, seeing the 1260 days are the whole time of the Papal authority, which is not to be totally destroyed until the great and re- markable appearance of ChriiJt, upon the porrinff out of the 7th Vial ; aifid that there- fore Christ [will have the honotjr of destroy- ing him finally himself, though this iniquity l)egan to work even in the apostolical times : therefore we may certainly conclude, that it must take up some centuries of years to carry on this " abomination that maketh desolate." For though the Lord will gradually consume or waste this great adversary ** by the spirit of his mouth," yet he will not sooner abolish him than by the " appearing of his own pre- sence," 2 Thess. ii. 8. as I chiise both to ren- der and understand the words * * The learnc(] Dr. Whitby, in his late paraphroso and commentary upon the Euistles, does indeed advance a new notion, on this verse ana chapter, viz. tliat the Jewish San- hedrim, fTovornment and nation, is primarily and chiefly un- derstood hero hy the npostie, sr the nun of sin and Anti- Christ, both upon the account of their jpposingf themselves t'^ Chriflt and peruociUinff of his followers, and upon the ao- rount also of tUuir reheilion against the Romans. And he has a»id »o much for the proof of this, that it may be thought to conttiin n refutation of my interpretation of Iho place. But even upon the supposition tliat all that the doctor saya for his opinion should bo true ; yet it will be found no way to invalidate what I odvance hero. For all that are ac- RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 23 The 2d preliminary consideration is that in order to understand the prophetical years aright, we must reduce them to Jnlian years, ox such as are in use with m now in Europe. This is no idle or chimerical inquiry ; see- ing the ignorance of ithis has misled all our great Apocalyptical men hitherto in their cal- culations ; and yet unless We are able to ad- just the difference between prophetical and Julian years, We must still reckon at a ven- ture, without any certainty of the truth and exactness of our arithmetick. Therefore that we may understand this differeince, we are to remember, that .the antients were far more rude and indistinct in their calculation fluainted with tho Jewish and apostolical writing^s know, that besides a first sense to be oborved in Prophecies, there i» a second and remoter one more tficitly insinuated fre- nuentlv, as tho principal design of the Spirit of God. I might shew this in innumerable instances, especially in the an- tient prophecies that relate to David, or some other pcrpon, in the first sense or typical one, but in the Messian ulti- mately ond completely. But I shall not insist upon any thmg of this kina now, seeing so many have done it already ; and there is no need to do it here, seeing Dr. Whitby him- self doth grant all I desire, when he says in his preface to this Epistle, page 363. ** But that I may not wholly dilTor from my brethren in this matter, I grant these words may in a secondory sense," (in which expression onlfi I differ from tho doctor, seeing I look upon it to be the principal sense, because it is tho second) '* be attributed to the Papal Anti- christ, or Mon of Sin, and may be signally f\iltliled in him, in the destruction of him by tho Spirit of ChrisCs mouth, he being the successor to theepostato Jewish Chjreh) to which these characters agree, as well as to her: and therefore in the annotations, I have still given a place tp thia interpreta- tion also/* 24 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE of time than we have been since. And indeed such is their confusion this way, that we are obliged to God's providence in giving us the exact compass of a prophetical year, even in this book, by fixing the synchronism of the three numbers above-mentioned. For bv these it is determined, that 30 days make a month, and 12 of such months a year. So that 1260 days being divided into three years and a half (or time and times and a half in the Apocalyptical dialect,) 360 days must make up a year, without the additional five days and odd hours and minutes, that are ad- ded, in the calculation of the Julian year. For the Julian (and Gregorian) months, consist- ing some of 30, and some of 31 days (excepting February only,) and the years consequently of 365 days ; there must needs be some considerable difference in the revo- lution of many centuries. Which difference appears still greater, if we consult the late curious astronomical calculations of Petavius, Tycho, Kepler, and others. But since their exactness hath only added 6 hours to every year, together with some minutes, seconds, &c., commimibns annis, which they them- selves ar6^ not fully agreed in, 1 shall not be so nice uj)on this ]K)int as to follow them exactly in all their criticisms this way. How- ever smce five hours additional to a year arise to an intire day, in the revolution of 163 years, it ought not to be altogether neglected, RISE AND FALL OF ANTl-CHRlST. 25 But passing even these, and considering only the 5 days that are added to the 360, in out ofdinary years, we will find that th^ 1260 days in the Revelation being reduced to years, airiB 18 years short of Julian years, in the pro^ phetical reckoning, by reason of the additional days turned into years in the ordinary accounts now, above the Apocalyptical reckoriin'g. To demonstrate which, I present you Witii the following scheme : — The Propheticcd year. One DaT9. 360 360 Two 720 Three 1080 PLZZ. Three years and a half. 180 1260 The Julian year. Dats. 365 365 730 1095 183 -*- -rr-'-r- 1278 Now if according to this computation, we subtract 1260 Apocalyptical years from 1278 Julian, or Gi*egorian ones, (I call them so ore rotimiio, overlooking the smaller n^sures of time) there remains 18 years to be™t off. To apply this therefore to our design. If we may suppose that Anti Christ began his reign in the year 606, the additional 1260 years of his duration, were they Julian or or-» dinary years, would lead uiidowu to the vcaf D 26 A DISCOURSE CONCERNIiNO THE I .^1 ft I i 1866, as the last period of the seven-headed monster. But seeing they are prophetical years only, we must cast away 18 years in order to bring them to the exact measure of time that the Spirit of God designs in this book. And thus the final period of Papal usurpa- tions, supposing that he did indeed rise in the year 606, must conclude with the year 1 848. And now that 1 have hinted at the time of Anti-Christ's rise, as the conclusion ot the preliminary considerations, I must proceed to frove this to be in one sense the true aera of the *apal Beast's reign. And here it is that I find myself extremely straightened, in dis- coursing of so great a subject in so narrow a compass. All therefore that I can say here will amount to a few short hints only, though perhaps no inconsiderable ones. Seeing therefore as I said before in the 4th postulatum, it is plain from Rev. xvii. 10. that the imperial government was the regent head of the Roman Beast at the time of the vision, we have only the two following heads to con- sider, as to their rise and duration. Let these things therefore be minded here, 1 . That the seventh head, or king of Rome, (as I hiiJid before) whose character is, that he was immediately to succeed tf> the iipperial government, and to continue but a *slwrt' space,' Rev. xvii. 10. that, I say, this govern.- nient could be no other than that of the king? dom of the Ostro-Goths in Ital^ . HISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 27 For it is PlaSn, that the imperial dignity was extinguished in Italy and in the Western parts of the Empire, by Odoacer, the king of the Heruli, who forced Agustulus, the Jast sprig of an emperor, to abdicate his throne and his power in the yfear 476, or 476, ^s others say. And though tliis Odoacer Was soon destroyed by Theodorick the king of the Ostro-Goths, yet the same form of regal govefiiment "was continued by Theodorick and his successors. And though this kingdom continued fof near 80 years reckoning from Odoacer to Teiiis, yet the angel might justly call this a short time: for so it was, If compared either with the preceding imperial or succeeding Papal Government. Which suggests a very strong argument against some, who would itiake this seventh king to denote the Oriental empire, which, as it began lone before thi^ time, so lasted many centuries afterwards, and was not totally extinct till Mahomet the Great's time, in the year 1463. And surely this kingdom was sufficient to constitute a new head of the Roman people, seeing Rome and Italy were subjected intirely to those Gothish kings, and that they not only acted with the sarne autho- rity that the emperors had us^^d before, ex- cepting that they abstained f.'om that title, by a specul providence, that they might not be confoiiuded with that government, but were owned by the senate and people of Rome as their superiors, yea by the Emperors of the 28 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE East also; a^ might easily he proved from his- torian^,* particularly Cassioporus,t who was chief Miuister of state to two of those kings* Whence it does plainly appear, that thi^ kingdom of Ostro-Goths was the seventh head thait was to continue a short time. And that therefore it follows, 1.' That the change wrought by Constantine the Great, both as to the seat and religion of the empire, could not be; looked upon as a new head; seeing the old goverrment in all other respects w?is coi|- tinned. And 2» neither can any person justly suppose that the form of the government was altered, when the I^mpiie was divided into the East and West ; seeing in all other res- pects also the imperial rule and authority was presei?v^d. 'f herefore 3. it follows al^ that the Papal Govornment was not regnant, until the destruction, of this Gothish kingdom in Italy: for there could not be two supreme heads of the church of Rome at the same time* Therefore, 2. we may conplude that the last head of the Beast, whjch is the Papal, did arise either immediately upon the extirpation of the Gothish kii^gdpm, or sopje time aifter. But it could not rise to its power immediately after, seeing Justinian did by the conquest of Italy revive the imperial government again • See Baron, ad Ann. 472, 475, &c. P«tav. Ration, Temp. Ub. 7.Cap.5. B«llarm. de Translai. Imp. Rorp, Lib, ,1. Cap. 9. dtc. f In Lib. Variarurrt, Lib. 1. Ep. 28, 31, &c. Lib. 4. Rp. 46^ &c. Lib.A %. 16, 18. Lib. 8. Ep. 2,3,4. I i, RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 29 '% I r there, which by that means " was healed" after " the deadly wound" which the Heruli and the Goths had given it. Though I con- fess Justinian's conquests of Italy laid a foun- dation for the Pope's rise, and paved the way for his advancement, both by the penal and sanguinary laws which he made against all those that dissented from the Romish Church, and by the confusions that followed upon Narses bringing in the Lombards. For du- ring the struggles of them and the Exarchat, the Pope played his game so, that the Empe- peror Phocas found it his interest to engage him to his party, by giving him the title of Supreme and Universal Bimop, Therefore we may justly reckon that the Papal Head took its first rise from that re- markable year 606, when Phocas did in a manner devolve the government of the West upon him, by giving him the title of Universal Bishop. From which period, if we date the 1260 years, they lead us down, as I said al- ready, to the year 1 866, which is 1 848, ac- cording to a prophetical calculation. Or, if a bare title of this sort be not thought suffi- cient to constitute the Pope head of the Beast, we may reckon this two years later, viz. from the year 608, when Boniface the 4th did first fublickly authorise idolatry, by dedicating the 'antheon to the worship of the Virgin Mary and all the saints. remarkable, that in tl iy D # year 30 A DISCOURSE CONCERr ING THE 666 Pope Vitalian did first ordain, that all public worship should bb in Latin, And therefore however the notion of Irenseus^ has been of late rediculed, who observed th^t the rharacteristical number of the Beast, viz. 666, answering to the number of a man's name, was to be found in the word Latcmos, from whence lie concluded that he was to be a Roman ; I cannot but think Ihere is something remark- able in 'tl)is (even thougli the numerical let- ters of other words shodld jump with this number also) not so much because of the an- tiquity of the notion, as upon the account of the reason he suggests to us, for this when he says that though lie grants that other names (as that of Euanihos) may be so rendered, yet he fixes upon this, because the l^atin mo • nan hyt is the last of all, and therefore the * Irnjn. ndv. lIicrGt. Lib. .5. Cap. 30. f It ongljt to 1)0 obsorvod, tlmt not only tlie Grook word, but even the Hebrew contnina the number iXKi, in tiio nume- I'icnl letters tlioroof, wlietber wc miiko use of RUM I ITU Ifomana, scil. Setks, or RMAUNUSH Homanus vel Lutinus} ns will nppoor from tlie following scheme :— Kr.sii 11 200 RESH R »00 h 50 VAU U (5 MEM M 40 n 1 MKM M 40 AIN AU 70 t ;]oo J . D I 10 NUN N 50 e 6 .TOD T lOVAU U fJ * JO TAD TU 40(),SHIN SH im n ^ 70 ( m\ cm 8 1 200 (m And whcrons Unllnrmin objects, that Latinos should bo ren- dcifd by n sin|;lelnta uud not by ci. ho is excoedingly mil- tfikcn : For not only Irena'ue rondorB the wowl thu«, but nil Iho CJreoki do the s;une, ns is jdntn in innumerable instancci, RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 31 1 this e an- 111 1 of en ho times lered, nmo- B the wor d, niunc- 50 1 000 5 JO SO 70 900 10 ren- y mii- but all anccf, Beast must relate to this or none. Wherein I suppose healkidesto Daniels account of the four monarchies, chap. ii. and vii. And in- deed the little horn that arose out of the head of the fourth Beast, chap. vii. 8. seems not unfitly to represent not only AntiochiusEpip- hanes, but the Papal Anti-Christ, whose type he may therefore be supposed to be. For as he supplanted three kings, in allusion to which that little horn is said to have pkicked up three horns before it by the roots : so did the Papal Government rise also upon the ruins of the Exdrchat, the Lombards, and the au- thority of the Emperors in Italy. I believe this account of Anti-Christ's rise will not be very acceptable to some, whose zeal for the Pope's downfall has made them entertain hopes of living to see that remarka- bk' time ; which has made them invent plau- sible schemes to prove that this great enemy was seated in his regal dignity long before the year 606. But if a man will trace truth impartially, he will have reason to think, that the ris(^ of this adversary could not be before that time. Nay I must tell you thatl do not reckon the full rise of the Poj)e to tlie head- ship of the empire till a later date still. For though tlu; Pope got the title of Universnl Buch ns in tlio nnmcs ,/inloneino9, Sabcinoa, which the Ro- mans pronounco Jlntoninoa y Sithinoa. Nny tho nncient Ro- man.'? Bpako the Nnmo wny ns tho Grookn, ns is plain in Pinu- tU8 snd tho frngmonts of Enniu.s, with whom nothing is nioro common tlian qmis for quU^ prtimut for primus, Sfc 32 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE Bishop at that time, yet he was afterwards for a long time subject, in temporal concerns, to the emperors. And therefore I cannot reckon him to have been, in a proper and full sense, head of Rome, until he was so in a secular as well as ecclesiastical sense. And this was not until the days of Pipin, by whose consent he was mpde a secular prince, and a great part of Italy given to him as Peterh patri- mony. So that as Boniface the Third (and his successors) by assuming the title of Uni- versal Bishop, was the forerunner of Anti- Christ, as Gregory the Great prophesied he would be, who should be known in the world bv that proud title; so likewise we may con- clude that Anti-Christ was indeed come, when Paul the First became a temporal prince also. Phocas therefore did proclaim the Pope to be the last head of Rome, in the Apocalyp- tical sense : but it was Pipin who gave him the solemn investiture, and seated him on his throne, which Charlemain did afterwards con- firm to him. Now iis near as F can trace the time of this donation of Pipin, it was in or about the year 758, about the time that Pone Paul the first began to build the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul. Now if we make this the jEra of the Papal kingdcmi, the 1260 years will not run out before the; year 2018, according to the computation of Julian years : but reducing these to prophetical ones, the expiration of the niSE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 33 sfor Vapal kingdom ends exactly in the year 2000^ according to qur vi^gar reckoning. And if what I suggested aI?ove be true, that Anti- Christ &hall nut be finally destroyed matU the mmim qf Christ, then may this calculation be kvoked upon to be very considerable. For i^ has been a very ancient opinion, that the world would last only six thousand years ; that, aiccording to the old traditipn^l prophecy of the house of Ellias, the worlfl should stand as many Millenaries as it was niade i|i days ; ' and that therefore as there were two t^usfind ye^MTs from the oreaption lx> Abraham, without u written directory ot Religion, and two thou- sand from thence to Christ, under the old eco- siomy of the Ifiw ; so th^re would be t^ o thousand years more under the Messi^^b. So thuc aitqr the nrillitaiit state of the .ChrJs^an Church is run out, in the year 2000, it is to enter upon that glorious sabbatical millenary^ when *^ the saints shall reign on the earth,'' in a peaceable manner *' for a thousand years,'^ more. After the expiration qf which Satan shall be let loose to play a new game, and men shall begin to a()ostatize almost imiver* sa)ly from tive truth, gathering themselves to- gether, under the characters of Gpg and Ma- gog, from the four corners or parts of the world, until they have reduced the Church to ^ small compass. But when they have brought the sdints to the last extremity, Christ higifelf will appear in his glory, and destroy 34 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE his enemies with fire from Heaven, Rev. xx. 9. Which denotes the great conflagration, 2 Pet. iii. 10, &c. Which is followed with the Resurrection, and Christ's calling men before him into judgment. >nd perhaps the time of this judgment will take up thie greatest part Or the whole of another Millenary of years : that as thiere were four thousand years from the creation to his first cdtning, there may be ^ foUr from thehee, to his triumphant entry into Heaven with all his saints. For thoiigh the scriptures cill this time a day, yet we know what Peter says, 2 Epis. iii. 8. that " a thou- sand years and a day are the same thing in Divine reckonihg." Biit that all men that ever li^ed should be publicly judged in a day, or yeafr, or century, so as tb have all their life and actions tried and searched into, is to mc I confess inconceivable, not indeed in relation to God, but in relation to wien and aiigels who must be convinced of the equity of the pro- cedure and sentence of the judge. But to return, I cannot forbear to take rio- tice of one thing here ; that the year 768 was the year 666 from thc.persecution of Domitian when John was in Patmos and wrote this book, as Tertullian, Irenteus, Origen, Use- bius, Jerom, and all the antients excepting Epiphanius tells us, which though some say was A. C. 95, was most prol)ably in or about the year 92, the persecution of Domitian hav- ing begun two years before. So that here we in tai cai RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 36 have another characteristical w^ri of the num- ber of the Beast. And now I hope I have said enough of the future part of time, as to the general idea which 1 think the Revelation gives of it. But I must proceed one $tep further with you, and consider under what revolution of time we are at present ; that we may thence see what we are to expect, and how we are to act. So that liere I find myself insensibly taken off from any further direct prosecution of the question proposed by way of ai*swer thereun- to. And Therefoie II. I proceed to improve what I have said as to this question, both theoretically and practically. And 1st. I shall advance something here, as a theoritical improvement of what i have said upon the former head. For by this key^ we jnay attain, in a great measure, to unlock the dark Apocalyptical periods and times : those I mean that relate to the continuance of the Papal power, both as to his gradual growth and mcrease first, and his decav after- wards, until his last and final destruction. And in relation to these the far greatest part of tjicj Apocalypse must be understood. J\ow in order to this performance, I must premise this one thing ; viz. That the seven Sealsi Trumpets, and Vials, in which is con- tained the order and series of the whole Apo- calyptical prophesy, and to the explication and n m A DtShCOURSE CONCERNIISG THE illustration of which all the other particular visions are sabserrient, that 1 say these are joined together by the link of the seventh seal and seventh trumpet ; so as the seventh seal doth as it were produce or hoclnde the seven trumpets^ and the seventh trumpet the seven vials in the same manner. This 1 shouH reckon no difficult thing to demonstrate, but that it would be too long to insist upon it in this place. And seeing Mr. Duiham has done it in a great measure al- ready, I pass it now the more easify. Only let me desire you to consider, that it was not until after the Opening of the seventh seal that John sow the angels with the seven trumpets, chap. viii. 1, 2. And that it was after the sounding of the seventh trumpet also, that he tells lis, ** he s^W allose^neian meh km that$^ tnason another signr grent and wonderful,** chap* XV* l,whichwa»the Visiotiof the Vials, So that I tvondef that Mr. Mede, Ur. More> ahd atirtost all others, have suffered themselves to be confounded in their interpretations, by reasbn of their not obsei'ving this, and conse* qucntlv by jumbling some of the trumpets with the seals, and most of the vials with the trumpets. Now this being supnowid, we will find tlu^ seiics of time run in the following order, ac- cording to this threefold septenary of periods^ whicli do insensibly run out one into th^ other. RISK AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 37 n cular e are I seal i seal seven seven '4,' U ; t ng to ng to ^Mr. e al- Otify IS not 1 that ipets, )Y the lat he thau* Vials, More, iselves ns> by nons(?« mpets th the lid the &r, acf** erioilsy io the The first septinary of seals relates to the Christian Church during the state of the Ro- man empire. And these do accordingly run in this order. The first Seal exhibit^ the state of the Church under the conduct of a glorious rider << on a white horse, having a bow in his hand, and a crown given unto him who went out conquering and to conquer," chap. vi. 2. Un- der which emblem Christ himself is repre- sented, going forth upAi hh conquests over JVws and Gentiles. And as this relates to Christ's first victory over his enemies, after his commission to his disciples '* to preach the gospel to all nations," Matt* xxviii. 18, 19, lo, and the pouring down of his spirit for this end, on the day of pentecost, Acts li. ; so the full completion of it is not until the end of time. For after all other hor .omen and enemies of the Church have done their utmost against Christ and his people, we find this horseman leading them all in triumph as his captives, and proceeding in his conquests to make a full and final end of them. For which see chap. xix. 11, 12, &c. So that this seal begins with Ann. 33 or 34, and does not end until the end of time, as to its full completion. But if we reckon it only in re- lation to the beginning of the next seal, Christ's conquests being darkened as to the outward view of men, by what follows, we shall see that immediately* 38 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE The second Seal chap. vi. 3, 4, under the emblem of a rider upon " a red horse, who had a great sword given him in order to take peace from the earth, and to engage men in wars," represents the state of the empire from the time that Nero made war on the Jews, Ann. 66, and so contains the civil wars of Galba, Olho, and Vitellius, when men did so remarkably kill one another, and the wars of Vespasian and Titus against the Jews, com- pleted afterwards by the terrible destruction of that nation under Hedrian ; together \#th his other wars and the preceding persecutions of Domitian and Trajan, and the conquest of this last prince. So that as this begins with Ann. 66y it ends with Hedrian's wars, Ann. 134, or with his life, Ann. 138. The third Seal, chap. vi. 5, 6, begins there- fore with Ann. 138 ; where, under the hiero- gljphick of a rider on " a black horse, with a pair of ballances in his hand," to weigh and measure all things exactly, are set forth the excellent reigns of the admirable Antonines, Pius, and Philo^ophus. And therefore this iSMal runs out in the year 180. The fourth Seal, chap. vi. 7, 8, represents the Roman horse turned pale, and the rider changed from a graven and awful judge to a murderevy so as to be called ** death," by reason of his throwing so many into hades or tiie future state,, by immature deaths. Where We have a very remarkable account of tlM3 t)i RISE AND FALt Of ANtl-CHRlSf. 39 r the who ) take len ill ; from Jews, ars of did so rars of com- uction r \^h ;utions jest of s with , Ann» there- hiero- 5, with ghand rth the mines, e this esents 3 rider e to a '," hy ides or Where 3f tlM3 ff state of the Roman empire after the decease oi the brave Antoninus Philoso^hus, under the barbarities of Commodus, the short lived reigns of Pertinax and D^dius Julianus, but especially under the seveje and bloody Sep- timiiis Severus in his w^rs against Perseeh- nius Nigerius, Albinus imd others, and under his son Caracalla ; atid afterwards under Miacrinus, Heliogabulus, (the reign of the ex-' cellent Alexander Severus being but a sliort breathing to the empire and tbe Christians) Maximinus and his s6n Pupiienus, Balbiniis ahd Gordianus, and PhiKppus and his son : with whose death I think this Seal runs out* in the year 260. Arid with the death of the^e rhilippi, who favoured Christianity, the four evangelical living creatures^ which youf translation renders Beasts, most unarc6unt-' ably, cease to speak openly. 'The fifth Seal therefore discovers the dtkie OT the Christian Church to be exceedingly languishing and melancholy, as if the saints were all slain, praying and Crying for ven-* geance against their persecutors, while they are represented as lying under the altar, chap, vi. 9, 10, 11. So that this period begins with' Decius the first universal persecutor of Chris- tians (for all the former persecutioiis, undeif' ' Hero, Domitian, Trajan, and the Antonines, wdfe but provincial ones, and that of Maxi- minius agamst the ttiinisters only) who begart' his reign and persecution together in the ycar^ 4» A DISCOURSE CONCERNlNCt tH£ 260, and was seconded in it by Vilerian, for the short reigns of Trebonianus Gallus and iEmilianus hardly deserve to be taken notice of in this case. Now the souls of the mar- tyrs are desired to rest patient^iy, until the confused reign of Galienus should run out, and the 30 tyrants that rose in his time should be cut off, together with the short lived Clau- dius Gothicus ; seeing after that little inter- val, their brethren were also to suffer still fur- ther under Rome Pagan, viz. under Aurelian, and afterwards (when the short reigns of Tacitus, Probus, Carus, and Carinus should be over) under the cruel persecution raised afiainst them by Dioclesian and Maximianus elder and younger, together with Sevenisand Maximinus. So that this seal ends with the conclusion of this last persecution begun by Dioclesian, and so expires, Ann. 306. The sixth Seal, chap. vi. 12 — 17, gives U9 an account of God's grac!Ous answer at length to the prayer of the slain witnesses, in the destruction of Rome Pagan, after their cup was made full by the last cruel persecution. And this is described as if Heaven and Earth were come to an end. For so the Prophets use to represent the ruins of kingdoms and monarchies, as we see among otherplaces, in Jer. iv. 24. Isa. xiii. 10, and xxiv. 21, 23. and Joel ii. 10. So that this seal contains the ffreat LAd terrible wars of Constantino the Great against all those la^t Tyrants, from the ll RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 41 ,1 year 806 to the death of the last Pagan em- peror Licinius, Ann. 324. The seventh Seal thereof, chap. viii. 1. re- presents the short breathing of the Church and peace of the Christians under Constan- tine from the year 313, when he first pub- lished an edict in their favour, and particu- larly from the death of Licinius, Ann. 324, to his own decease in the year 337, immediately upon which the scene alters. And then begins The second septenary of Tr»impets, giving us an account of the state of the Church in relation to the gradual growth and increase of her Anti-Christian enemies, though in a way also of judgment upon them. Which Ire- present to you in the following series and order. ? The first Trumpet, chap. viii. 7, began a little after Constantino's death, in the war*i between his eldest and youngest son, or at the death of the first in battle, and of the last by the usurpation of Magnentius, which was a kind of mixt storm of hail, fire and I'ood. The continuance of it was in the persecutions against the orthodox by Constantius and Va- lens, with the intervention of th at against all Christians by Julian the Apostate. And the conclusion of it seems to be the usurpation of Maximus upon the death of Gratianus, and afterwards the death of Valentinian the Second, and finally the wars and death of Theodosius. So that it began with the year 339, and ended Ann. 395. 43 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THK The second Trumpet, chap. viii. 8, 9. re- presents a great kingdom, under the emblem of a mountain (see Jer. li. 25.) burning with lire, (i. e. in a cruel and fierce manner) and thrown into the midst of the body politick or empire of Rome, represented by the sea ; (see chap, xviii. 15) by which the third part of it became blood. By which we are un- questionably to understand the irruptions of the barbarous nations of the Vandals and Goths into the Roman dominions. This be- gan about the death of Theodosius, and made a formidable progress Ann. 405, in the days of Arcadius and Honorius, by Radagisus, and afterwards Alaricus, who took Rome, Ann. 410. And it was continued during the in- roads of Athaulphus the Goth, (who pillaged the great city, Ann. 414) and of Genserious the Vandal, and of Attila the Hun into Italy, and other Roman provinces, which they and others about that time wasted miserably to theyear 455, and afterwards to the year 476. The third Trumpet, chap. viii. 10, 11, doth plainly represent the destruction of the Western empire, by a star falling from the heaven of its glory as a burning lamp. For, after it had struggled with its fatal destiny, under the obscure Csesars, Avitus, Majoranus, Severus, fee, it did at length expire with Au- gustulns, Ann. 475 or 476. This star was called WorniAvood, because of the bitter troubles this brought upon the empire. For u w RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 43 the Ostro-Goths planted themselves in Italj, and reigned as arbitrarily as the emperors had ever done. So that this period began with the kingdom of the Ostro-Goths, Ann. 476^ and ended with it Ann. 553. The fourth Trumpet, chap, viii. 12, brings yet further desolations on Rome, by darken- ing its splendor and glory, represented by the eclipsing of the sun for a third part of it, and the moon and stars also in like manner. By which we are to understand, no doubt, the decay of the imperial power and authority in the West, by the Lombards and the Exar-* chat afterwards. So that this trumpet lasted from the year 568 to the year 758, when Pi- pin made the Pope in a manner Kin^ of Rome, (who, in requital of his kindness, gave his son Charlemain the empty title of Emperor of Rome, making thus the succeeding Western empire an image of the ancient one, Rev. xiii. 14, 15,) by which both the power of the Lombards, of the Exarchat, and the Empe- rors did, as it were, terminate in him. And as th^ Exarchat ended Ann. 752, so the Lom- bards were totally expelled Italy a little after, viz. in the year 773. Now follows a threefold woe, which makes up the subject of the three following trumpets, which are therefore called the tvoe trumpets^ because of the remarkableness of these judg- ments above the former. Therefore The fifth Trumpet, chap. ix. 1 — 11, brings 44 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE forth the first woe. The description of which is long, and the figures many : so that I can- not be supposed to say much on so large a head here. Let a short account satisfy you. In the first place thereof, we are to under- stand that no other than the Bishop of Rome can be meant by the Star that fell from hea- ven. For this is the symbol of the Gospel ministry, chap. i. 20., and agrees not there- fore with Mahome*. Neither can the place this star fell from, viz. Heaven, which denotes the glorious and holy state of the Church, agree to any other, than one that apostatizeth from the service of Christ to the service of the world and Satan. So thai as ancient Ba- bylon, Isa. xiv. 12, is said to fall from the beaven of temporal glory, as Lucifer or the morning star of the nations : so is the Bishop of Rome said to fall from the spiritual heaven of his primitive glory and purity ; being de- generattd from the first angel oi light in the Church, t(> be the grand angel of darkness : and becoming thus the prince of incarnate devils, th(^ key of the bottomless pit, witich he and his followers boast of as the keys of St. Peter, being put into his hand by the old Ser- pent, for carrying on the black designs of hell. 2, The dark |iiicliy snioak thatcame out of the ])it, upon his opening it, wns certainly de- sigiica to signify the ignorance that did then prevail in the world, and the gross and horrid errors that were spread abroadand vended for RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 45 divine truths by the sottish Monks, that then swarmed abroad under various names and leaders, and particularly the idolatry that then began to prevail universally in the world. For about that time, though several of the Greek emperors did stiiHv oppose ima^e-worship, yet the Popes did at length prevail, though mul- titudes on both sides lost their lives in this quarrel. 3. The Locusts that came out of this smoak were the Saracens, that followed Mahomet, who compiled the model of his re- ligion, by the help of Jews and Christian he ritics, especially of Sergius, a Nestorlan monk, whom the Arabian and Turkish writers call Bahira.* T^ese Arabian locusts, whose Hegyra or ^ra is d?«led from Mahomet's flight from Mecca, Anil. 622, a little after the Pone got the title of Universal fiishop, A^n• 60o, cud in a little time so incrsase, that they conquered or over-run agreat many countries in a very little time. For they over-flowed Persia, Syria, £gypt, Palestine, and other places "^bout the year 729. They extended their ffrms into India, Ann. 64o, and into Spain. Ann. 711, and ravaged several parts of France from Ann. 721 to the year 726, till they were routed at length with great slaugh- ter by Charh s Martel, about the year 728. However they continued after that to be a scourge to the Christians, especially under the reign of the great Almanzor, until about the • aft Dr. PridMui'f Ufn of Mfthomt t, p. 4ft*4ft 46 A DISCOURSE rONCEllNING THH! year 772, when the Turks began to grow fa- mous. So that the five months or 160 years, wherein they tormented the Christians (though th^ey had no power to destroy their empiire) was from 622 to 772. But we must not infia- gine that these five months of years are thfe period of this Trumpet. For this must be reckoned from 758 to Ann. 1067, or there- abouts, when Tangrolipix the Turk put an end' to the Saracen empire by conquering the Caliph of Persia. Now therefore, in the fourth , plaice, to pass by the other things observable in this Saracen woe-trumpet, let it be con- sidered that as the apostate Bishop of Rome is called" the " Angel" or messenger " of the bottomless pit ;" so Mahomet the king and ^prophet of these Saracen locusts is called Ab^ addon or Apollyon, Verse 11. i. e, a destroy e^y as carrying on his religion by sword and vio- lence : from whence his locus.t followers arc said Verse 10, to have stings like scorpioris,*; by which they j)oisoned the souls of r^en, it they did at all spare their bodies ; for they were, in other respects, swift and strong as horses, and had faces like men in their rea- soning as well as fighting, for their supersti- tion, adorned with hair like women ; appear- ing soft, and insinuating at first view, though armed with lions t(»eth, as Ix^ing fierce and cruel. By reason of which qualifications they got many victories, and are therefore repre- sented i\n crowned witl.crownsof gold. Verses f IfttSE AND PALL OP ANTI-CHRIST. 47 a- 7, 8, 9. But upon the whole matter thjs Trumpet, as it supposes the rise of the Sara- cen empire, from the JEra of the Hegyra 622 ; and the begun rise of the Pope from the year 606 or 608 : so after 5 months or 160 years, i. e. to the year 722, the Saracen preparations continued, and the Papal from 606 or 608 to 756 or 758. So that the duration of this be- gins with Ann. 758, and expires, in relation to that part of it that concerns the Saracens, about the year 1060. But in as far as it re- lates to the Popish Anti-Christian party, it is continued down through the next trumpet and the last both. But seeing the Saracens are brought in here as a scourge to the worship- pers of the Beast, the Turks succeeding them m this work, therefore the Trumpet is deno- minated from this visible scene of affairs, and we must accordingly suppose that it ends with them. The sixth Trumpet therefore, which is cal- led the second woe, brings in the Turks upon the stage of the Roman empire : who are re- presented as Four Angels or messengers of judgment, chap. ix. 13, 14, 15, &c., which were lK»und on the other side of the river Euphratos for a time ; but are now let loose to pass that river and make their inrodes into the Roman empire, and to erect themselves into a monarchy upon the ruins of it. Now they are called /otir Aiii^els, because they were then divided into four Sultanies or Principuli- 48 A BISCOURSE C01fC£RNING THE ties, as their ambassadors told the emperor Justin, in the year 570, as is related by one of the Byzantine historians, and taken notice of by all writers on this head.* For at their re- markable passing the river Euphrates, they were under the command of Solyman Shahrm and his three sons ; and when he was drowL ;' d in the passage, they brought themselves un- der four other Captains, viz. Otrogules and his three sons ; of whom one was the famous Ottoman, who a little after laid the founda- tion of that great empire, over which his fam- ily keeps the sceptre to this day. They are described as horsemen^ for so they generally were, fighting on horseback for the most pan, of which the horse's tail is still a monument, being used as their chief ensign of honour and command. Their number was prodigious, and might be at that time perhaps exactly two hundred thousand thotisandy as it seems to be here asserted : for they seldom sent out an army of fewer than a thousand thousand fight- ing men at once. Their polished breast- plates represented fire, when shone upon by the sun ; and their horses are said to be like lions for their fierceness. And seeing fire- arms beffan then to be used in war, Tof which they had a great store, toeether witn cannon of prodigious bigncss,fwhicndid facilitate their taking of cities, and particularly Constanti- nople) their shooting these on horseback is * ■•§ Pooock'i Bii^lem. td. Abul phtr, p. 10(j» 109, RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 4» presented as if the fire and smoke and brim- stone had come out of their horses' mouths, their pieces, being discharged over their heads. With these ihey killed the bodies of men, and with their tails, which had heads also, they killed the souls of those poor creatures tliat were stung or bit by their poisonous doc- trines : insomuch, that the third part of men, i. e. tlie third part of the ancient Roman Em-, pire (viz. that par*^ which fell to Constantius, when Constantine divided the whole among* his three sons) was destroyed and conquered by them. Now if we in^iuire into the time of this Trumpet, we have an exact calcula- ti(m given of it. For they are said to oe *' prepared for an hour, and .a day, and a month, and a year :" an hour being ever used indehnitely in this book for a season or period of time, we are accordingly to take it here, l^ut days, years, and months being used de- fmitely always, we nuist likewise interpret them so her(; also. So that the sense of the place; is, that the Turks were; loosed from Euphrates, as being prepaiuid instruments in* the hand of Cod, for the ruin of the Grecian empin? for a certain hour or s(;ason : even for. a day, and a month, and a yc^ar. For in that period of timi^ they destroyc^d the; eastern em- |)ire. For a propluHical year b(;ing 'HiO, and a month 'M) ; these with the addition of ont; more mnke up the period of .'391 years. Now we took notice before, that in or about the 60 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE year 1067, i. e. 1062 of prophetical reckon- ing, Tangrolipix erected the Turkish Empire upon the ruins of that of the Saracens. From thence, therefore, if we compute the 391 years, we are led down to the year 1468, ac- cording to our ordinary computation ; but ac- cording to prophetical reckoning, to the re- markable year 1463, when Mahomet the Great took Constantinople, and so erected his own empire upon the ruins of the Grecian. For as it is very remarkable that John does not make the period of 391 years to be the whole duration of the Turkish empire, but only its preparation for after-action from its first rise to its highest exaltation ; so we see how exactly this is fulfilled in the evont ; which therefore I hope is no unedifying spe- culation. Now seeing there is a remarkable stop and void, as it were, between the end of the sixth Trumpet and the beginning of the seventh, which is filled up with the account of the slaying of the witnesses, chap, xi., I do hum- bly conceive, that whatever particular slaugh- ters of the sain Is were before or may be after- wards, the great slaughter must have been du- ring that interval of time. For this could not l)e during the height of the two former woes upon Anti-Christ and his followers. And much less can it be supposed to be after the sound of the eventh Trumpet, and while God's last plagues ujmn the Beast are a pour- RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 51 ing out. I do therefore reckon, that the wit- nesses who prophesied in sackcloth from the beginning of Ps^pal superstitions, were the ho- nest Piedmontoi^, Albigenses, and Walden- ses ; who were slain at length, after they had stood the shock of all former attacks, particu- larly that of Simon Montfort with his 500,^ 000 Croissades, whom Innocent the Third di- verted from the Saracen war, in order to ex- tirpate that good people, about the year 1200. Now the slaying of these witnesses began in the year 1416, when John Huss, and after- wards Jerom of Prague, were burnt, but came not to its height until the Bohemian Calix- tines complied with the Council of Basil, Ann. 1434, after which the faithful Taborites were totally ruined, as well as their brethren in Piedmont, France, &c., which happened about the year 1492. For they being des- troyed, the Calixtines were no better than the dead carcasses (as they are called, v. 8.) or corpse of the former living witnesses ; over which the Popish party did triumph ; for thev looked upon them as standing trophies of their victory, and therefore did not think fit to kill Ihem further, or biuy them out of their sight. For it is said, v. # , 8, that ** after they had finished their testimony, the beast d'/J hiake war upon them, kai apnktemi autous km W ptomata autorij^^ ^c. *< ho killed them and their corps also (for the additional words in our version, shall ly, are not in the original, 52 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE and do but mar the sense) or their bodies (for some readings have it somata) in the street of the great city," i. e. in Bohemia, one street of the Papal dominions, or the great city Rome, in a large sense. For I find that towards the end of the fifteenth century the witnesses were in a manner wholly extinct. For Comenius tells us>* that about the year 1467 the Waldenses in Austria and Moravia had complied so far, as to dissemble their re- ligion, and turn to Popery in profession and outward compliance. The Taboritesf iti the mean time, upon their refusing to do so, weire so destroyed, that it was much that seventy of them cbuld get together, to consult about continuing their church, and about finding out some qualified person to be their minister, for they had none h^ft, Ann. 1467. And so low was the Church of Christ then, that when the hidden remains of the Taborites (who were called Speculani, from their hirking in dens and caves) sent out four men (as the same author relates in another bookj) to travel, one through Greece and the East, another to Rus- sia and the North, a third to Thrace, Bulgaria, and the neighbouring places, and a fourth to Asia, Palestine, and Egypt : they did all in- deed safely return to their brethren, but with * riist, Pora. Eccl. Rohem. Ch. QO. Sect. 4, 5. page 70, 71. \ Ibid. Ch. m Rprt..'i t Commonius in hissliort hielory nf tlio Bohemian Church, prcn.xod to his Exhortitiun to the Church of England, Sect, (ifi. page 40. RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 53 sorrowful news, that they found no church of Christ, that was pure, or free from the gross- est errors, superstition and idolatry. This was in the year 1497. And when they sent two of their number two years afterwards, viz. Luke Prague and Thomas German, to go into Italy, France, and other places, to see if there were any of the old Waldenses left alive : they returned with the same melan- choly news as the former had done, that they could neither find nor hear of any remaining ; only they w^ere informed of the martyrdom of Savanarolla, who suffered in the year 1498, and they were lold of some few remains of the Piernontois, that were scattered and hid among tfie Alps, but nobody knew where. Now a few years after this even the few re- mains of the Taborites were found out and persecuted, hardly any escaping : so that Ann. 1510, six suffered together publicly, and the year following, that famous martyr Andreas Paliwka, who I think was the last of that period. From whose death, in the end of the year 1511, or beginning of 1512, to the dawning of the reformation by the first preach- ing of Carolastadius and Zuinglius, (who ap- peared at least a year before Luther, as Hot- tinger^ and others tell us) there was only about three years and a half, which answers as near as can be, to the three days and a half of the unburied state of the witnesses. • Hist, Reform, vol. 1, n 54 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE :ftesses, I So that the Spirit's entering into the v V. 11. began with the year 1616, il not the year before, though this appeared most re- markably when Luther opposed the Pope pub- lickly, Ann. 1617. They were not only en- livened, but (to explain the words of John, v. 1 1 . a little further) they rose up upon their feet, Ann. 1629, when so many princes and free cities in Germany protested against the edict of Worms and Spire, and so got the name of Protestants, They heard a voice from Heaven, saying, v. 1 2. ascend hither, i. e. to power and peace ; when Maurice of Saxr ony, beat the Emperor Charles, Ann. 1662. And accordingly they did after that ascend to the Heaven of honour, rest, and security, as ,^ if they had been wafted up by a cloud, and that in the sight even of their enemies ; when the Protestant religion was established and legally settled and allowed of, in the year 1666, which was continued and confirmed by Maximilian and Rulolph afterwards. In whose days the Church began to be settled in seve- ral other countries, viz. in England, Scotland, Denmark, Swedeland, Switzerland, and the Low Countries. Now it is observable that in this period of time, when the witnesses finished their testimony, or were about to do so, the Turks took Constantinople, Ann. 1463, which I take to be designed by the earth- quake that destroyed the tenth part of the Roman dominions, verse 13, for the Grecian RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CITRIST. 55 empire was reduced before that, from being the third part of that empire, to be the tenth part only. So that Mahomet's prevailing over the Greek Church, and the Pope's con- quests over the Western Christians was much about a time, and therefore said to be in the same hour or period of time, i. e , before the sixth trumpet ended, and before the seventh began : for the sixth trumpet is the hour of the Turkish woe. And indeed their triumph was much of the same kind also. For as the Papists triumphed only over the dead bodies of the witnesses, i. e. over the Calixtines, (who were no longer living witnesses, the Taborites being all gone, and having " over^r come their enemies by their blood and the word of their testimony,") so the Turkish triumph was only over seven thousand names of men, i. e. over the remaining Eastern Chris- tians, who were so degenerated in all respects, that they were only names or shadows of true Christians. Only whereas the Grecians did yet own themselves to be the same in profes- sion with their ancestors, and so were the same with them as to name, the Calixtines were even debarred that privilege. These things being therefore considered (which I coula easily enlarge upon, were I not confined at this time) I think it is abundantly plain, that tlie great slaughter of the witnesses must have been precisely at the time 1 have mentioned. For it could not be till Anti^ i # ^^-e mWW K t O ' 56 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE Christ was at his highest pitch of power and grandeur, which was not before this time. — And it was not possible that it should be after the seventh Trumpet sounded, and the Viate began to be poured out : seeing the witnesses were not only risen then, but were the instruments of this last and greatest woe to the worshippers of the Beast. And therea fore we fiiid, chap. xi. 14, 15, &c., that as soon as the witnesses arose, the second woe ended, and the third commenced in the begun exaltation of the saints and servants of God. And it is to me altogether inconceivable, that the witnesses should be risen, and the Anti- Christian interest decline ; and yet, that the witnesses should be entirely cut off during such a period. So that I am almost bold on this head, (though I am resolved to propose my Apocalyptical thoughts only by way of probable conjecture) to affirm that it is impossible, morally speaking, that the wit- nesses can ever be so entirely slain, as they have been before, whatever particular and provincial persecutions they may be under for a time, and whatever formidable appear- ances there may be against the Protestant interest every where. Against this assertion 1 can foresee no ob- jection of moment, excepting one ; and this is, That seeing the witnesses are said to pro- phesy all the 1260 days of the Beast's reign m sackcloth, and to be slain only when they HISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 67 and have finished their testimony, verse 3, 7, it seems therefore very strange to say that they shall be slain during the time of their 1260 days or years prophesy, and so long before the end of them. To which I answer ,that in the third verse there are two things spoken of, with respect to the opposers of Anti-Christ. The first is, that they are called witnesses or martyrs, against the abominations of that enemy. And the second is, that they are ^crid to preach or prophesy against that inter- -est. Now it is only in the second^ sense that they are spoken of in relation to the whole 1260 days. So that, though the propketeia or witness-bearing of the saints continue, in a large and general sense, for 1260 years, (and that for the most part in sackcloth, be- cause of the constant troubles they meet with from that restless enemy ;) yet their marturia, or witness-bearing by martyrdom and suffer- ings, in a strict and proper sense, relates only to the time of their low and obscure state during the rage of the Papists, before the sounding of the seventh trumpet. Now it is not said (though perhaps this was never taken notice of before) that the witnesses were kill- ed after their whole prephesy or preaching was over, or after the 1260 days were run out ; but only that after their marturia, or testimony for Christ by suffering was over, that then, I say, they were universally slain and cut off, verse 7. Now, though there 68 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THG have been many persecutions since the refof' marion, and uie sounding of the seventh trumpet, yet they were never universal ones* Besides, that the difference is great between the witilesses before and since that time in this respect; for since Luther^s appearing, our religion has been established publickly in several nations, and authorized by law, in opposition to Popepy, which it never was be- fore. But to proceed, The seventh Trumpet sounds, chap.«xi< 14. &c., immediately upon the end of the sixth, i. e. upon the rising of the witnesses. Now as the xiii. and xiv. chapters are but further representations of the state of affairs under the six trumpets preceding, relating to the condition both of the Church and Anti- Christian party : so the xv. and xvi. chapters are preliminary to the period of the seven vials bein^ poured out upon the Papacy and its dominions. Of which visions I have a great many things to say ; but 1 must curb myself now, least I prove too tedious. I shall therefore only put you in mind of what I hinted before, that the seventh trumpet comprehends the seven vials. For these are but the i)arts of it, which gradually destroy the Papal interest, which had increased under the former trumpets. As therefore this period brings in reformation, and by various steps makes the ** kingdoms of the world," which before were under Anti-Christ, to RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 69 change so far and so wonderfully as "to be- come the kingdoms of God and Christ," chapi xi. 14. &c. So after a general but glorious account of the state of the church from the reformation, chap, xiv., and a general ac- count of the vials to be poured out on the Popish party during the same period, chap« XV., we have a distinct account of the pour- ing out of these seven vials, chap, xvi., in obedience to the great voice out of the Tem- ple, verse 1 , which is but a repetition of the soundipg of the seventh Trumpet, chap. xi. 14, under a new representation of it. The third and last Septenar}', therefore, is that of the Vials j or last plagues and judg- ments upon Rome Papal ; which, as far as I ( an, I shall explain, by a distinct account of such of them as I reckon to be fulfilled, and by some few conjectures upon the remaining ones. But before I proceed to the particular con- sideration of these, there are two things, which I would premise. The first is, that as the Trumpets aid raise Anti-Christ up, and the vials must pull him down : so there is a wonderful relation that the last bear to the former, especially the four first ones. For the first Trumpet and first Vial bring judg- ments on the Earth, the second Trumpet and Vial on the Sea, the third Trumpet and Vial on the Rivers, and the fourth Trumixit and Vial on the Sun. The second is thin : that 60 A DISCOURSE CONCEUNISG THE seeing the Vials do suppose a niggle and war between the Popish and Reformed par- ties : every Vial is to be looked upon, as the event and conclusion of some new periodical attack of that first party upon this other: the issue of which proves at length favorable to the latter against the former. Which seeing it is the most noble and remarkable part of the period that the Vial relates to, is there- fore that which denominates the period itself ; even as the conquest of Pompej by Capsar, and of Antony by Augustus, suppose their wars before, and give the denomination to their governments. These things being pre- mised, I now proceed • The first Vial, which fell upon the earth, to the tormenting of the subjects of the Beast, chap. xvi. 2, doth denote God's judgments upon the foundation of the Papal power; the earth being that on which we walk aiul build our houses, and out of whose womb we are maintained. So that hy this 1 understand the Popish Clergy and the Papal donnnions and revenues, as they are uplu^hl hy them. — This, therefore, began with th(^ reformation, and eontiiuKMi until tlu^ time that the Popish factors and trumpery wure thrown out of as mjaiy countries of Kurope as embraced the reformation. And \\v may easily eonccnve what a niortifieation this was to that partVf when the pretiuided sanctity of their Priests, Monks, and Nuns, was found to be mere RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 61 cheat, and their miracles nothing else but lies or legerdemain ; and when their tales of pur- gatory were exposed to public contempt, and their paidons and indulgencies would sell no longer: and consequently when the Pope, and his red-hatted and mitred officers saw themselves driven out of so great a part of tjieir dominions, their seminaries for breeding their motly soldiers of all denominations ana orders pulled down, and so much of their yearly revenues lost. Whence they are said to fall under a noisome and grievous elkos, ulcer or sore ; being this way pained and '^exed . inwardly, and rendered contemptible to the whole world, that looked upon them as no better than vermin, and the plagues of mankind. So that this Vial began with the rise of Zuinglius and Luther, and the other reformers, in the year 1516, and 1617, and continued to the year 1566, i. e. about forty years ; for again, that time all the reformed churches were settled, and had published their creeds and confessions against Rome, in opposition to the determinations of the Popish Council of Trent, published Ann. 1563, and the Creed of Pope Pins the Fourth, which added twelve Anti-Christian articles to the twelve primitive Christian ones, which was put out, Ann. 1564. The second Vial, ver. 3, must therefore begin where the other ended, as to the1[)eriod of time that commences from thence. Now G 62 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE i M i find that in the year 1666, the wars be- tween the King of Spain and the states of the Netherlands began, when the latter got the nickname of Geuse. And though the Spaniards were often victorious at first, yet they were at length forced to declare them free states. It was then that the sea became blood to the Romanists, their votaries being miserably defeated in their expectations. — For after their cruelties under the Duke of Alva in the Low Countries, and their massa- cres of the Protestants in France, and other places, the scene was changed very quickly. So that Ann. 1608, the Spaniards lost their vast Armado, and did ever after decline in their power. And the Duke of Guise, the inveterate enemy of the Protes^^ants was kill- ed the same year. And Ann. 1698, died Philip the Second of Spain, being eaten up of lice : the edict of Nants being given out the same year in France in favor of the Pro- testants. So that as the reformed interest was in peace every where, and conquered in Holland and England, the Popish party on th(i otiuu' hand saw Spain, the late terror of the Protestants, brought to a languishing con- dition, and all their ijllies weary of wars and persecutions. And as in the year 1609, the truce was made b(Mvveen the Spaniards and the Dutch ; so t'je war, though renewed and carrietf on afterwards, became huiguid and faint, so as hardly to be felt or mmded by RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 63 either party, especially the Dlitch, who were for the most part victorious and successful. — So that, as the period of this Vial began, Ann. 1566, so we may reckon it continued about fifty years, viz.: to the year 1617 ; see- ing we shall find that the third Vial did begin then. For The third Vial, vcr. 4 — 7, was poured out upon the rivers and fountains of water, or those territories of the Papacy w^ ich were as necessary to it as rivers and fountains are to a country, being, as it were, the former Vial continued, as to the kind of the plague. For as the former destroyed the living creatures or living souls that were in or upon the sea, viz. : the Spaniards, the groat mariners of the world at that time, as to their marine power, who, after the year 1588, lost their former sovereignty of the seas, to the English and Dutch : so this latter plague makes it difficult for the Popish party to subsist and keep their ground even in the inland country and several dominions of Germany, and the neighboring {)lacos. For in the year 1617, Ferdinand )eing forced upon the Bohemians by the Emperor Matthias, and crowned king : the foundation of new quarrels was laid this way. For a littit^ whili^ after another most bloody religious war ensued, which shook all the empire, and frightened Europe. And though the Protestants lost Bohemia, the Palatinate in part, and were driven out of Moravia, 1' 64 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE Austria, and Silesia at this time, and were not only persecuted in many places, but like to be extirpated and rooted out universally : yet the tide turned all on a sudden. For after the Emperor had ruled Germany with a veteran army, for a considerable time ; Gas- tavus Adolphus enters Germany in the year 1630, and conquers every where. And though he was killed about two years after, yet his army continued victorious ; until at length all things were accommodated at the peace of Munster, Ann. 1648, with which therefore the period of the third Vial must be supposed to end, which consists of 31 years. Nov/ as this began with persecutions against, and cruelties upon the Protestants; so at length the Angel of the waters is heard to give thanks for making the Papists drink of tJicir own blood at last. Which song of praise another Angel falls in with, and says amen to. All which seems to denote the joy both of the Protestant State and Church upon the success of the Swedish arms against the Em- peror. • The fourth Vial comes now to be consider- ed. And as this is }X)ured out upon the Sun of the Papal kingdom, ver. 8, so the effect of it is men's being scorched or burnt with fire, which yet does not make them turn to God, but blaspheme his name the more, as we may see, ver. 9. Now as this Vial must begin * where the other ends, viz. : at or a little after by RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 65 ! liB the year 1648; so I cannot see but it must denote the wars that followed the peace of Munster, with other incidental occurrences. Now we find that the French hostilities and wars in Flanders began about this tjjme. — And though this fire seemed to be quenched by the Pyrenean peace about ten years after that of Munster ; yet this proved rather fuel to the flame, which broke out with more violence than before, by the seizure of Lor- rain, the new conquests of the French in Burgundy and Flanders, and the wars upon Germany, and invasion on the Low Coun- tries. To which we may add the French King's quarrels with several Popes, about the restitution of Castro, the rights of the Duke of Modena, the aflfair of Corsi, and about the Regal and the Franchises. Now seeing the bombarding of towns and cities was chiefly made use of in these latter wars, we may see how properly the scorching or burning men from above (as if the sun had sent down fire and heat from his own body^ is made use of to characterize the time of*^ this Vial. But the chief thing to be taken notice of here, is, that the sun and other luminaries of heaven are the emblem of princes and kingdoms, as we took notice before. Therefore the pour- ing out of this Vial on the Sun must denote the humiliation of some eminent Potentates of the Romish interest, whose influences and countenance cherish and support the Papal G* 66 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE 111 \ I cause. And these therefore must be prin- cipally understood of the Houses of Austria and Bourbon, though not exclusively of other Popish princes. Now it is not unusual with God to make his enemies crush and weaken one another. And thus 1 suppose this Vial is. to be understood 'vhen it is said, that upon the pouring of it t : Ca the sun, " power was given to him," i. e., the . v n, (as most under- stand thp words from the connection) " to scorch men with fire." And this is plain in what uf the Vial is fulfilled, and will be per- haps more so afterwards. As therefore France was made use of, in the instances given, to vex an^ scorch the Austrian family, in both branches of it ; so afterwards was he himself tormented, when he saw himself forced to leave Holland, which he was so near sur- prising, Ann. 1672; and especially when he was forced to resign all his conquests in Flan- ders, by the late peace of Reyswick. It is true, he seems now to have got more glory than ever, by the accession of his grandson to the Spanish Monarchy ; but then this is by an eclipse upon the Austrian family, which is expiren in the first branch of it. And who knows but this advancement may lay the foundation of the ruin or decay of the French power, by exhausting that kingdom, both as to men and money, in defence of a weak monarchy. In he mean time, we see this Vial has already taken place, in darkening RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 67 the glory of King James (whom the Papists expected new conquests from) by the hand of King William ; by whom also God put a stop to the career of the French Monarch in his con- quests in Flanders, and on the Rhine. And we see it further poured out, in the eclipse of the Austrian family, by the loss of Spain and its dependent Principalities, as also in defeat- ing the wicked designs of the three confed- erate monarchs of Poland, Denmark, and Russia. And now, seeing I have marked out the time we are in at present, it is time also to put a stop to our Apocalyptical thought ; seeing no man can pretend, upon ai^ just grounds, to calculate ^^wre times. However, seeing I have come so far, I shall adventure to present you further with some conjectural thoughts on this head ; for I am far from the presumption of some men, to give them any higher character. Now my conjectures shall relate to two things, viz. : to the remaining part of this Vial, and to the other Vials that follow this. And, 1st, as to the remaining part of this Vial, I do humbly suppose that it will come to its highest pitch about Ann. 1717, and that it wul run out about the year 1794. — The reasons for the first conjecture are two* The first is, because 1 find that the Papal kingdom got a considerable accession to its power, upon the Roman Western Empire's 68 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE being destroyed, Ann. 475, to which the Heruli succeeded the year following, and the Ostro-Goths afterward. Now if from this remarkable year we begin the calculation of the 1260L^ears, they lead us down to Ann. 1735, wnich in prophetical account is this very year 1717. The second is, because (as I have many years ago observed) this year leads us down to a new centenary revolution : for is it not observable that John Huss and Jerom of Prague (to run this up no further) were burned, Ann. 1417 ? After which the true religion in Bohemia, and other places, was more and more obscured and suppressed, until that famous year 1517, when Luther arose, and gave the reformation a new resur- rection : according to that remarkable predic- tion of Jerom of Prague, " Centum annis re- volutis Deo respondehitis et mihi ;" which the Bohemians afterwards stamped upon their coin as their motto. From which year the reformed interest did still increase (whatever particular stops and troubles it met with) till the year 1617; about which time the Ger- man and Bohemian wars began to break out. And it is but too obvious, what an ebb hath followed since that time to this, notwithstand- ing the pouring out of the second, third, and fourth Wals. So that there is ground to hope, that about the beginning of another such century, things may again alter for the better ; for I cannot but hope that some new niSE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. m >.nortification of the chief supporters of Anti- Christ will then happen; and perhaps the French Monarchy may begin to be consider- ably humbled about that time : that whereas the present French King takes the sun for his emblem, and this for his motto, " Nee pluri- bus impar,^^ he may at length, or rather his successors, and the Monarchy itself (at least before the year 1794) be forced to acknow- ledge, that (in respect to neighboring poten- tates) he is even singulis impar. But as to the expiration of this Vial, I do fear it will not be until the year 1794. The reason of which conjecture is this : that I find the Pope got a new foundation of exaltation, when Justinia, upon his conquest of Italy, / ieft it in a great measure to the Pope's man- agement, being willing to eclipse his own authority, to advance that of this haughty prelate. Now this being in the year 552 ; this, by the addition of the 1620 years, reaches down to the year 1811 ; which, ac- <}ording to prophetical account, is the year 1794. And then 1 do suppose the fourth Vial will end, and the fifth commence, by a new mortification of the Papacy, after this Vial has lasted 148 years : which indeed is ' long, in comparison with the former Vials ; but if it be considered in relation to the fourth, fifth, and sixth Trumpets, it is but short, seeing the fourth lasted 190 years, the fifth 302, and the sixth 393. mm T0 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE I And now, my friends, I may be well ex- cused, if I venture no further, in giving you any more conjectural thoughts upon this pre- sent period of time. But seeing I pretend to give my speculations, of what is future, no higher character than guesses, I shall still venture to add something to what I have al- ready said. Therefore be pleased, 1. To call to mind, what I premised to the consid- eration of the seven Vials, as the second pre- liminary, viz. : that seeing the Vials do (all of them) suppose a struggle or war between the Popish and Reformed parties^ every Vial is to he looked upon, as the event and conclu- sion of some new periodical attack of that first party upon this other; the issue of which proves at length favorable to the latter against the former. For if this be duly considered, it will let us see, that great declining of the Protestant interest for some time, and great and formidable advances and new degrees of increase in the Romish party, are very con- sistent with the state of both these opposite interests under the Vials. For, as Rome Pa- gan was gradually ruined under the Seals, under many of which it seemed to increase to outward observation, and to become more rampant than before, when yet it was indeed declining; so must we suppose it will be with Rome Papal. For monarchies as they rise gradually and insensibly, so do they wear out so likewise. And therefore we must not no RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 71 entertain such chimerical notions of the fall of the Papacy, as if it were to be accomplish- ed speedily or miraculously, as many have done. For as it rose insensibly, and step by step, so must it fall in like manner. But to illustrate this further, as to what of the Vials is yet unfulfilled, by what is pasyt ; let us look back on the two preceding Vials. The second Vial therefore began with a for- midable attack upon the Protestants by the growth of the Austrian family, from the year 1666 to the year 1588 ; during all which time the Vial seemed rather to be poured out on the Protestants than Papists. But as there must be a war, to denote a victory ; so it was in this case. So that the Vial was seen at last in its effects upon the Austrian party, from Ann. 1588 to 1598, and after- wards to 1617. For it is with the Church as it is with particular Christians, who'are often sorely buffeted by Satan, and sometimes brought even to extremities by temptations ; but do ever carry the victory at last. Who would have believed that the Christian Church was about to triumph over the Roman Pagan Empire, v\ hen the dreadful persecu- tion under Diocleslan and his collegiate em- perors was at its highest pitch ? But the darkest time of the night ushers in the dawn- ing of the Church's day, in the usual way of God's providence over the same. And this is very conspicuously to be observed in the ! 'V $ 72 A DISCOURSE CONCEnNING THE period of the third Vial. Who would have thought that the loss of Bohemia, and the Emperor Ferdinand's ruling all Germany with a formidable army, were like to issue in thfe victories of the Swedish arms, and the future security of the Protestant interest through the empire and elsewhere ? So that we must not wonder, if ^or sixteen years the House of Bourbon be raised up to be a fur- ther terror and scourge to the world and to Protestant nations particularly. And, as a confirmation of tWis conjecture, let it .^e con- sidered, in the second place, (besides what I hinted before on this head) that it is some- thing very extraordinary and peculiar in some sense to this Vial, that the sun, upon which it is poured out, should yet be made the ex- ecutor of the judgment of it on others, at the same time that he is tormented with it him- self. So that whosoever is denoted by the sun here (as I suppose the House of Bourbon principally is) is made use of, as the Devil is, both to torment others, and to be tor'nented himself in so doing. And if the King of France therefore be denoted by this princi- pally, 1 fear he is yet to be made; use of in the hand of God, as Nebuchadnezzar was of old against the Jews, viz. : as a further severe scourges to the Protestant Cluirclies every when\ And, b(»sid(;s this characteristical mark, which seems to forebod(5 his further exaltation and our hunrlliation ; ihen? is vet RISE AND FALL OF ANTJ-CHRIST. 13 have 1 the man} ue in 3 the erest that s the fur- id to a third thuig, that I cannot but think upon with dread and tremblin^^ of heart, viz. : that it is further said, That while this sun of the Popish world is running his fatal and dreadful career, and scorching men with fire, they are so far from being bettered by these judgments that they go on more and more to blaspheme the name of God, who has power over these plagues. And while this con- tinues to be the state of the Protestant world, and while atheism, deism, sccinian'sm, iire- ligion, profaneness, scepticism, formality, hatred of godliness, and a bitter persecuting spirit, continue and increase among us ; what can we expect but new and desolating Judg- ments ? For, while we continue to walk thus contrary to God, we cannot but expect that h(^ should walk contrary to us also. It is in vain for us to boast of our privilege i, or plead exenijjtion from judgments on this ac- count. For wlieve there is no national refor- mation and repentance, national sins iwo like to pull down mis(»ries upon us, so much the soon(T and more certainly, that we have been so singularly and peculiavly j)rivileged. For we may in this casc^ ex|)i'ct that God will say to us, as to the Israelites of old, Amos iii. 2, ** You hav(^ I spc^cially known and chosen alM)ve alt the f;unili(»s or niitions of the earth, then^fore will i punish yv)u uiortu'crtainly and more severely than any other kingdom or nation." And therefore if we go on in sin, H fl 74 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE as we have hitherto done, let us take heed to ourselves, lest vengeance be near. I pray God I may be mistaken in my fears ; but I am afraid I have but too just reason to turn prophet here, by applying to ourselves what Peter said to those of his time: " The time is come, that judgment must begin at the house of God." Though I do also conclude with him, that " if it begin at us, dreadful will be the end of our enemies at last. And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly a}) pear ? Wherefore if we be called to suffer" for our holy religion, let us do so •* according to the will of God, com- mitting the keeping of our souls to him in well doing as to a faithful Creator." And I wish luv conjecture be not found to be more than a mere guess, that for al)out 16 years our Romish enemies may prevail more and more. Tliou^ii how far these may be length - t^ned out or ortmcd, we can only conjec- tiirnll^ judjjr (ti\ from the future carriage of the Reioniird Churrhes, under the circum- stance's iiiH( inny lie stated afterwards. If a. \, rhriT these are melanclioly con- jectures, f must tell them thai I cannot help ti%e matter, tor 1 imm follow the thread ol the text and thr :}npf>rf of tjie times. If they ask, but wliin will liti tid«; 1 irn for tiie Pro- testant ( hurrh ' i rtusnrr, when thev turn more univtrs.illv to sooner. lUu if they imjuire further, whether the Sun ^# RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 15 of the Popish King^dom is not to be eclipsed himself at length ? I must positively assert he will ; else this Vial were not a judgment upon him, and the Romish party. But if yet again the question be, when this is to fall out and how ? I must tell you, that I have no- thing further to add to what I have said, as to the time. But as to the manner, how this is to be done, our text does lay a foundation of some more distinct thoughts. Therefore, in the fourth and last place, we may justly suppose, that the French Monarchy, after it has scorched others, will itself consume by doing so ; its fire, and that which is the fuel that maintains it, wasting insensibly; till it be exhausted at last towards the end of this century, as the Spanish Monarchy did before, towards the end of the sixteenth age. And if we do now heartily and unanimously enter upon a war agaiast Frances with the assist- ance of allies, and bo but vigorous and faith- fjil in thi; prosecution of it, securing the source of money and treasure in \hv heart of Aimerica, and bringing the war into the bowels of a nation, wiiere a young monarch is liardly established : 1 say, if we do this, without losing our op|K)rtunities, our ])eace and security may yet be Kngthened out. Whereas if we suffer or.rs(*lves to be hilled asleep at this lime, we may have cause to lament our not having improved the season. But seeing I am not called to give n>y I 76 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE ad rice one way or other, I shall leave the determination of such weighty matters to the wisdom of national councils. However, as my duty is to pray for direction unto these, so I earnestly wish, that there may be no- thing to stop the regular and secure proce- dure of public matters in this critical juncture ; upon the wise improvement of which our futute stability anc' peace so much deponds. And now after all this, I desire ye may con- sult a lK)ok I formerly published, called, " The Rod or the Sword, or the present Diiemma of these nations." For ye will there see more fully my thoughts of our times, and how the moral reasons given there, taken from the aspect of our age, though preached in 1692, and published in the year following, do e\-» hctly agree with my present Apocalyptical (• , thoughts. One thing only 1 sh:^ll furt . take notice of here, upon the occasion ot tlie King of Spain's death, that God seems to mark out great things sometimes by very minute ones, such as Nannvs, E. G. as the Spanish Mon- archy began with Charles the 6th, (as to the Austriaji family) so it luis n w expired in one of the SaniQ anme : which f the rather ob- lloifc, bnc; me of many instances of the same ki'^d. Of which numlx^r take these follow- ing : l")?*Hus * he Mer»e, as Daniel calls him, (thou^'i Xenophoi' calls him Cyajr^res) tlie uncle of Cyn s, was thc^ firHt IVfedo-Pt^rsian | >i,.)(L5i.1 iy..r RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHHIST 77 Monarch, after the destruction of the Baby- lonian ; and Darius Codomannus was the last. Ptolemeus Lagi began the Egyptian kingdom alter Alexander's death, and Ptolemeus Dionysius was the last of that race. Augus- tus fixed the Roman Einph-e, and it ended in Augustulus. The Eastern Roman Empire was erected by Constantine the Great, and expired with Constantine Paleologus. The Scots race came into England in a James, and has gone out again in another of that name. And whether William, the Third King of England of that name, as well as the Third William, Prince of Orange, be likely to be the last both these ways, is left to future time to unriddle. Only I pray that God may long preserve him, and us by him : and may he live to be a further scourge to France, and a terror to Romanists. But second, to proceed with my other con- jectures relating to the remaining Vials : I do further suppose that The fifth Vial, ver. 10, 11, which is to be poured out on the seat of the Beast, or tho dominions that more immediately belong to, and depi^nd upon the Roman See; that, I say, this judgnu^it will probably begin about the year 1791s ai^.d ex|)ire about Ann. 1848 ; so that the duration ol it, upon ihis supposi- tion, will ' c the space of T) 1 yt-ars. For I do supposf , (hilt seeing the Pope received the thie of ^fl^leme Bishop no sooner than 606, IP I' *! hi ' 78 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE he cannot be supposed to have any Vial poured upon his seat immediately, (so as to ruin his authority so signally as this judgment must be supposed to do) until the year 1848, which is the date of the 1260 years in prophetical account, when they are reckoned from Ann, 606. But yet we are not to imagine that this Vial will totally destroy the Papacy, (though it will exceedingly weaken it) for we find this still in Ixjing and alive, when the next Vial is poured out. The sixth Vial, ver. 12, &c., will be pour- ed out upon the Mahometan Anti-Christ, as the former on the Papacy. And seeing the sixth Trumpet brought the Turks from be- yond Eu[)!irate3, from their classing which river they dat< their rise ; this sixth Vial dries up their waves, and exhausts their power, as the means and way to prepare and dispose the Eastern Kiii^^ and kingdoms to renounce their heathenish and Mahometan errors, in order to their receiving and embracing Chris- tianity. For I tliink ihis is the native import of the text, and not that the Jews are to be under- stood umlci this ij< nomination of the Kings of the East ; whieh is such an odd straining of it to serve a turn, as I cannot admit on Now se« ing this Vial is to destroy the Turks, we ilea of three unck^an spirits like frogs or toads, that were sent out by Satan and the remains of the polity and Church of Rome, 1 RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 79 ''I :i 'I )oured lin his must which letical Ann. e that ipacy, t) for en the pour- ist, as g the m be- which 1 dries 'er, as ispose ounce )rs, in Chris- r)f the nder- Kings ining it oh iirks, •gs or I the ome, called the Beast and the False Prophet, in order to insinuate upon the Eastern nations, upon their deserting Mahometanism, to fall in with their idolatrous and spurious Chris- tianity, rather than with the true Reformed doctrine. And these messengers shall be so successful as to draw these Eastern Kings and their subjects, and with them the great- est part of mankind, to take part with them. So that by the assistance of these their agents and missionaries they shall engage the whole world in some manner, to join with them in rooting out the Saints. (And here in a pa- renthesis Christ gives a watchword to his servants to be upon their guard in this hour of trial, ver. 16.) But when the Pope has got himself at the head of this vast army, and has brought them to the place of battle, call- ed Armageddon, i. e. the place where there will be a most diabolical, cunninj;, and powerful conspiracy against Christ's follow- ers ; then immediately doth the seventh Angel pour out his Vial to their ruin and destruction. The seventh Vial therefore being j)oured out on the air, ver. 17, brings down thunder, lightening, hail, and stornisi ; which together with a terrible eartlKjuakc destroys all the Anti-Christian nations, and particularly Home or mystical Babyloii. And as Christ con- cluded his surtcrings on th(^ cross wi(h this voice, " it is iinishcd ;"" so th(' Church's suf- ferings are concluded with the voice out of 4_ /ill I \-U ' 80 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE the Temple of Heaven, and from the throne of God and Christ there, saying, " It is done." And therefore with this doth the blessed Millennium of Christ's spiritual reign on earth begin ; of which^ and what may be supposed to follow, we took some notice above. Now seeing these two Vials are, as it were, one continued, the first running into the second, and the second compleating the first ; the one giving us an account of the Beast's preparations for warring against the saints, and the other shewing the event of the whole : there is no need to give you any conjectures about the conclusion of the sixth Vial, or the beginning of the last ; only you may observe, that the first of these will pro- bably take up most of the time between the year 1 848, and the year 2000 ; because such long messaj^es and intrigues (besides the time spent before in destroying the Turkish Empire) and preparations for so universal a war, must needs take up a great many years ; whereas our blessed Lord seems to tell us, that the destruction of all those his enemies will be accomplished speedily, and in a little time, in comparison of the other Vial. Sup- posing then that the Turkish Monarchy tihouid be totally destroyed between 1848 and 1900, we may justly assign 70 or 80 years long(;r to the end of tlie sixth Vial, and but 20 or 30 at most to the last. Now how great and remarkable this last destruction of the RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 81 '1 ■ ■■ !; as It into the ' the the It of l^apal Anti-Christ will be, we may guess by that representation of it, chap. xiv. 19, 20, where it is set forth under the emblem and character of " the great win-epress. of the wrath of God" (which can refer to nothing properly but the event of the seventh Vial, as I might shew at large, had I time.) Now this wine-press is said to be trodden without the city, (viz., of Jerusalem or the Church, tseeing this is called the City, in scripture stile, as Rome is called the Great City) m Armageddon, Rev. xvi. 16, which may bear allusion to the Valley of Decision, Joel, iii* 2, 12, 14. However the greatness of this slaughter appears in this, that the blood is represented to flow in such a current as to reach even to the horse bridles, viz. : of the servants of God, employed in this execution : for without doubt this relates to what we have, chap. xix. 14, which 1 beseech you to com- pare with this place. For yc will find that a large account is given of the fall of Babylon, chaj). xviii., and of the triumph of the Church upon her final victory over this enemy, chap, xix. 1, &c. And iniong other thhigs spoken of relating to the battle and victory obtained at Arma^j^oddon, ye have this account of the General and his victorious army, ver. 11, &c. *'And I saw Heaven opened, and be- hold, a white horse, and he that sat on him was called Faithful and True, — and lie was c;loth(;d with a vesture dipped in blood, and m n 82 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THfi his name is called The Wbrd of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses. — And he treaded the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of God. — And I saw the Beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to fight with him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the Beast and the False Prophet were taken, — and both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth : and all the fowls were filled with their flesh." And now to return to the representation of this slaughter by the wine-press of blood, chap. xiv. 20, it is further said of it, that it flowed to the height of the horse-bridles, for the space or extent of 1600 furlongs. So that Armageddon seems fo be denoted here, in the extent of it, as the field of battle, which is now turned into a field of blood. — Now what place can we imagine to be so properly meant by this as the territory of the See of Rome in Italy, which, (as Mr. Joseph Mede, who first made this observation, says) from the city of Rome to the furthermost mouth of the river Po and the marshes of Verona, is extended the space of 200 Italian miles, that is, exactly 1600 furlongs ; the Italian mile consisting of 8 furlongs. — Now the Hebrew word Annageddon, or lowed ed the ith of ngs of ^ether s, and id the were with n with horse, louth : lesh." ion of blood, that it 3s, for . So here, battle, ►od. — be so of the oseph sajs) rmost les of talian ; the igs.— n, or RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 83 Harmageddon, may be justly derived from HARMHA, which signifies both a maledic- tion or anathema, and a destruction or slaugh- ter, and GDUN, or more fully GSDEUN, which signifies an army, or their army. So that both the anathemas darted against the saints by the Roman isia, and their armies made use of against them (all which proceed- ed from Rome Papal) may be here alluded to, in the expiration of both their ecclesiasti- cal and temporal interest. So that this con- jecture upon the name does not confirm that other of Mr. Mede, that the Stata Delia, Chiesa, or the territory and possession oif Italy belonging to the See of Rome, is the place called Armageddon, where the final destruction of Anti-Christianism will be. And now, my friends, I have fulfilled my promise to you, in giving you not only a re- solution of the grand Apocalyptical question. When the Papacy began, and when we may suppose it will end ; but some considerable improvement of it, with respect to the know- ledge not only of times past, but that particu- lar period we are now under, to'^ether with conjectures (and some of them, I am sure, new and uncommon) about future time. By all which I hope I have given the world such a key to unlock all the chambers of the book of the Revelation, as I hope 1 may venture to say (if considered and used impartially, judiciously, and diligently) will be found to i! '.'. >& A^< IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) &^ {./ L< ^1^ :A 11.25 Li 12.8 y* m 12.2 1 1^ |2.0 httau IJi& "^ ^ ? ^^ A Photographic _,Sciences Corporation as WItT MAIN ITRIIT WIUTMNY USIO (71*) ira-isoa VSKi 84 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE give some new light to us, in our mental journey through the mazes and turnings, and dark passages thereof. And had I not been so confined, as ye may see I have been,# I might hare cleared a great many other dark things in this prophecy. But, seeing I could not neglect this opportunity of presenting these thoughts to the vi^orld, as a new year and a new age's gift at once, 1 do therefore hope ye will the more easily excuse what may seem dark or defective in this discourse, as considering how much 1 am straitened, not only as to the limits of paper, that I must keep to, but of time also. Now, seeing 1 have already given you a theoretical improvement of the question 1 have presented you with a resolution of, all that remains is to bring you from speculations and notions to practice ; that your thoughts may be seasoned with a serious and deep sCkioC of your duty and interest, that ye may get advantage both by the perusal of my pre- ceding Apocalyptical meditations, and tlie following discourses : that after ye have con- sidered the duty of improving your time, (which together with some other things I am now to treat of) ye may make appfica- tion to vourselves of what I have said con- cerning God's dwelling with men upon the earth, so as ye yourselves may beconu? tem- ples of the living God ; seeing God hath promised this privilege to all true christians, ' RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 85 nental s, and t been een^ I • dark could snting year 'refore It may rse, as id, not [ must you a tion 1 of, all lations :>ughts deep e may \y pre- d tlie e con- time, in^s I )prica- 1 con- )n the toni- hatli itiaus, saying, 2 Cor. vi. 16, "I will dwell in them and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." And when ye have thus applied to yourselves the first of the following discourses, I hope ye will not reckon it lost time to consider what I have said as to the ministerial work, especially the application, as to that part of it at least, which does immediately relate to you and all Christians, as well as ministers ; that this way ye may learn to join in with Christ's ordinances for the future, with greater seri- ousness, and in order to further good than perhaps «iny of us have yet attained to do. And when ye have improved this, way also by the perusal of the second discourse, lei me desire you to read the last concluding one, with serious mediation, in order to see the connexion and design of the whole. For though it be short, yet it contains much in iittle, and may be of use to introduce your minds to some further and more distinct a|v- prehension of our holy Religion, as it ccnteri m Jesus Christ. And when ye have thus perused and considered lK)th this and the following discourses, I am willing ye think as meanly of both me and them as ye please, upon condition that ye may this way value the Holy Scriptures more. For, as my de- sign, in all my performances of this kind, is to dig my materials from the fruitful and rich /pines of this divine depositum and sacred 86 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE treasure ; so I have no other end than to lead you in there also, that ye may be more and more enriched with the saving know- ledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. In order to this, therefore, Let me in the second place suggest some- thing here, by way of a practical improve- ment of what I have said above, especially as to that part of our discourse which I was last upon, relating to the Apocalyptical times and periods, with, the transactions of the same, in as far as they concern . us. And what I have to say here I shall propose by way of observations, which may be of some use, I hope, both to regulate our thoughts and actions, while we live in this word, in relation to the concerns of the Church of God^ The (1) obi^crvation is, That it it may justly be looked upon as an eminent confirmation of the truth of Christianity, that so wonderful an account should be given of the transactions of the world, so long bt?fore they came to pass. The verity of our holy religion is proved from two things principally, viz. Miracles and Prophecy : and both these arguments have been excellently improved by learned men. But yet, as the first of these was perhaps the principal and most convincing topic to those that lived in our Saviour's days; so 1 look upon the second to be the most considerable to those that lived in after ages. Nay we find that Christ himself did not lay the foundation RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 87 of the belief of his Mission on Miracles alone, but seemed to build the faith of his Disciples chiefly on the Old Testament prophecies ; as he*did to the two Disciples going to Emaus, Luke, xxiv. 27, &c. And I suppose, it is too plain to need any proof, that the Apostles did ever insist upon the prophecies of the Old Testament, more than either upon Christ's miracles or their own, in order thence to de- monstrate that Christ was the Messias. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of pro- phecy, Rev. xix. 10. i. c. (as I understand the words) the spirit of prophecy is the great standing evidence and testimony of the Di- vinity of Christ, and of the vority of his word. And therefore (as the Angel argues with John) he only is to be worshipped who is truly God, and who ir^^nircs his servants with the gift of kr owing things to come. It has therefore been the work of learned men of all x^^cs to prove that Christ was the true Messias, and consequently that his insti- tution of Religion was truly Divine ; by shewing how punctually the Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled in him. But 1 am much mistaken, if an impartial considcref of the New Testament prophecies may not find some things that do almost as plainly charac- terize several later events, as the ancient prophecies did the former. And of this, let what I have said of the Gth and 7th Seals, and 5th and Gth Trumpets, and of the slaughter •«• 88 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THS * » m of the Witnesses, betaken as instances. Or if this will not be aUowed, let it be considered, Jiat we see the full completion of the Old Testament prophecies relating to the erection of Chris tiarjiy, whereas we see not the entire fulfilling of the Apocalyptical ones. There- fore we must make allowance for the different representation of the one and the other of these. For they only that shall live after the great battle of Armageddon is over, can see the exact fulfilling of this prophecy in the destruction of Anti-Christ, with the same advantage they itc also the fulfillmg of Dan- iel's visions with respect to the coming of the Messiah and his death. We therefore now have no more advantage, as to time, in ex- plaining and understanding this latter event, than the Jews had as to the first, who lived in the diys of tiie Maccabees, while Daniel's weeks of years were running out. And I question if th(?y then did understand the periods of time they were under, more clearly, if at all so distinctly, as we do the times that have passed over the Christian Church, and that urrt of time we are now under. There- fore i say we have great reason to thank God, that so much of this book is already made so clear to us, as to prove confirming thus far our faith. For whatever differences Ijiive been among the most eminent interpreters of this book, as to particular calculations and accommodations of things ; yet they have all I RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 89 Or lered, eOld ection entire ^here- fereiit her of er the m see n the same Dan- of the J now in ex- event, lived aniel's 4nd I d the learly, IS that I, and rhere- iGod, made lus far Ijjave ters of s and ive all of them agreed in the main foundations ot the interpretation thereof, which I have built upon, (excepting Grotius and Hammond, whose hypothesis has had few followers, and will have ^ewer) as Doctor Cressener has ir-- refragably proved in his book, intituled, ** A Demonstration of the First Principles of the Protestant Applications of the Apocalypse." So that there are two things almost equally strange to mc, that the Jews should own the verity of the Old Testament and particularly of Daniel's prophecy, and not see that the Messias is come ; ^nd that the Papists should believe the Divinity of the New Testament, and particularly of the Revelation, and not see that their Church is Anti-Christian. But while I admire the wilful stupidity of both these parties, I cannot but admire also the wisdom of God in making use of both these in his providence to confirm to us the verity of Christianity, in prophesying both of the one and the other so long before, and in continu- ing them to this day as stimdinjj monuments of the Divinity both of the Old and New Testament. But besides this, A (2d) observation, that may be of great use to us this way also, is, 'J'hat this book represents to us, as in a small but exact map, the steadiness and exactness of Providence, and Christ's gov(»rnment of the world. For lier(^ we seo the various and seemingly confused events of Pruvi(h;nce so exdcily 90 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE methodized, as to make up one uniform and noble piece : the seeming discords and jarring sounds of things, being so disposed by infinite wisdom, as to make up one perfect harmony. Here piety and wickedness, Angels and De- vils, the Church and Anti-Christ, act various and contrary parts : and yet Christ makes use of all for noble purposes, and carries all on for one great end. And now, as in other respects, so in this, we may take notice of the perfection of the Holy Scripture ; that what is wanting in his- tory is made up in prophecy, which in some sense is history also. For if history, in the general notion of it, be an account or relation of the actions of men in the world, prophecy is no less a species of this than that to which the ?^ame is most commonly appropriated. For as that is a relation of things past, pro- phecy is an account of things to come. Now as Daniel makes up the hiatus or defect of the history of the Old Testament, so the Revela- tion of John supplies that of the New, by leading us down from Christ's first to his second coming. And here let me observe, that these two books give us the exact plan of a Divine History, which never yet was given : the only essay towards something of this kind, that 1 know of, having been given by a near and dear friend of mine.* For though there have ^ My fkther in his third part of the fulfilling of Scripture. RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 91 m and arring nfinite mony, d De- ^arious .es use es all n this, of the in his- ^ some in the elation 3phecy which •riated. It, pro- Now ; of the levela- w, by to his se two Divine le only that 1 ir and e have icripture. been many ecclesiastical as well as civil hiS' tories written, yet none cf these run in the strain of Scripture History, where all matters of fact are related not so much in a reference to men as in a relation to God, and his pro- vidence in governing the world. A (3d) observatior is this : That we may nows after what I have said, attain to a dis- tinct view of what part of this prophesy is past, and what remains yet to be fulAlled. Of this I shall say nothing directly at this time : seeing the preceding scheme I have given of the Apocalyptical periods may, I humbly hope, afford you a sufficient thread to regulate and fix your thoughts and medita- tions in relation to this subject ; only I shall hint some things to you, that are deducible from what I have already said this way. Therefore, 1st, let me advise you not to suffer you /selves to be deluded with the specious or confident pretences of some men, when they go about to impose not only upon themselves, but upon the world, by their no- tions relating to the sudden coming of Christ to judge the world, or to the speedy destruc- tion of the Papacy. I love to expose no man's weaknesses, and I perfectly abhor the way that of late is become modish, to rip up and publish personal failings. And therefore I sliall neither trample upon the graves of the dead, nor affront the living : as remembering that we do all know in part, and prophesy w 92 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE in part only. But, without detracting from others, I do in faithfulness and love desire ye may not suffer yourselves to be imposed upon by a vain imagination that the end of things is so near, as some both of old and of late have pretended to foresee. For, from the scheme I have given you, ye may easily see that there are many and great events to fall out before the final fall of Anti-Christianism, and more before the consummation of all things. And 2d, as I would not have you to suffer your hope to carry you too far, so neither your fear. For as the warm imagination of some men has represented to them the fall it of Anti-Christ and the day of Judgment so V near, that these must happen in their times ; so the melancholy and fear of others has so far wrought upon them, that they have fan- cied the great slaughter of the witnesses is yet to come. And of both these sorts of men this observation will be found generally to be true ; that those over whose reason, fancy, and imagination has the ascendant (whether it bo an airy or sprightlj'-, or a dull and melancholy one) have still limited great events to their own time, and most common- ly to a very few years. But I am much mis^ taken if I have not proved, that the universal slaii<:;hter of the witnesses is already past : though, at tli*^ same time, 1 do readily grant that there is just ground to fear that we are RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 93 from re ye upon lings late the see fall lism, )f all near some very trying judgments, of some years continuance. But I have said enough of this above, and therefore shall add no more here. But 3d, seeing 1 have touched but slightly upon the Millennium, or the thousand years reign of the saints on earth ; I shall desire you to think a little further on this, as the greatest event that is to happen before the end of the world. I dare not indeed expatiate upon this vast subject; only I shall suggest a few things concerning it. The 1st is, that this is to begin immediate- ly after the total and final destruction of Rome Papal, in or about the year 2000 ; and that therefore Christ himself will have the honour of destroying that formidable enemy, by a new and remarkable appearance of him- self, as I said above. But second, we must not imagine that this appearance of Christ will be a personal one, no more than his ap- pearance m the destruction of the Jews by Vespasian and Titus was such : for " the hea- vens must retain him, until the greats "dlast day of the consummnrion" or restitution **of all things." Acts iii. 21. — Third, Yet we must have a care of confounding this millenary peaceful state of the Church, with the Day of Judgment : seeing nothing is more plainly distin^uisheid than these are m the 20th chap- ter of the Revelation ; where it is told us, 94 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE Thai after the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be again let loose, and men shall apostatise almost universally from Christ, and make war against the Saints ; and that after the destruction of those enemies, the day of Judgment shall commence. And therefore, 4th, we are not to imagine that the millenary reign of the Saints shall be free from all mix- ture of hypocrisy and wicked men, or from sin and trouble : seeing the sudden and gen- eral Apostacy that follows that period is a demonstration, that all were not Israel that feigned themselves to be of it, and wanted therefore only an opportunity to shake off the Church's yoke. Nay, the expiration of that period shews, that long peace and prosperity must have corrupted the Church itself; else it cannot be conceived to be consistent with the equity and goodness of God to suffer her enemies to go so near to the total extirpation of his own professing people. These things 1 have hinted thus, because I have no time or room to insist upon them as the subject does require. But I do the more readily pass them now, because a late learned author* has materially considered them, at least the three last of them : wherein he has very much confirmed my Apocalyptical thoughts, which several years ago I had en- tertaiued upon this head. • Dr. Wbithy'e Treatise of the Milleuniiini. RISE AND PALI. OF ANTI-CHRIST. 95 And the same author has prevented my inquiry concerning the call of the Jews, and their national conversion to Christianity ; for, as I took notice before, I could never fall in with the strained interpretation of Rev, xvi. 1 — 12, as if by the kings of the East the Jews were to be understood, and that conse- quently their full conversion was to be under the sixth Vial. Therefore after various thoughts upon this head, being satisfied that the Jews were to be converted, and that this great event could not be wholly left out in the Revelation, I did at last conclude that this must not be (whatever particular conversions of some part of them might happen) until the final destruction of the ropish party, whose idolatry, villanies, lies and legends, and bloody temper, is the chief thing that prejudices them against Christianity. So that I did at length conclude, that the resurrection or re- vival of the ancient Jewish Church is under- stood by the resurrection of the Martyrs, chap. XX. 4, who being thus added to the true reformed Christian Church, and making up one body together with those gentile be- lievers, in the fulness or ripened state of the Gentile Church, shall be, to them aslife^from the dead. See Rom. xi. 16^ — 25. One notion only I crave leave to add to those of the al)ove-cited author on these heads, viz. : that I look upon the millenary state to be the most eminent and illustrious 96 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE time of the Christocraty, (I hope none wilf reject the word, though it be new, seeing it is so expressive of the thing) wherein Christ will revive, but in a more spiritual and ex-f cellent way, the ancient Theocraty of the JewF. For as under Moses, the judges and kings of Judah, God acted as king of the Jews (or Clirist rather in a more particular and immediate s^^nse, as I may perhaps have an occasion afterwards to prove to the world) so I do expect, that after God has delivered his Christian Church from spiritual Egypt, and destroyed his enemies in the Red Sea of their own blood ; he will once more exert his power and authority, and our blessed Re- deemer will reign as king of his people, not indeed in such a pompous way as among the Jews of old, (for John saw no temple in the New Jerusalem, Rev. xxi, 22,) but in a way adapted to the New Testament di^ipensation, and more immediately preparative unto, and typical of the state of glory in heaven, after the dav of judgment is over. Anr now that I am upon this great pro* phetical event, 1 cannot forl)ear to give you a new conjecture upon the last numbers pf Danieh for his seventy weeks of years, chap. ix. 24, arc already remarkably elapsed in the incarnation and d'^ath of our Redeemer, And the number of 2000 days, chap, viii., are plainly to be interpreted of the time of Antiochus Epiphanes' profanation of the RISE AND FALL OF ANTl-CHRLST. 97 m. sanctuary : for as it is restricted to that short period, as is plain to any 'hat will attentively consider the words theuiselves, ver. 9 — 14^ especially if compared with ver. 21 — 26, so the Spirit of God, by designing this period by the title of muchthemeron, or a period of evenings-mornings, i. e. natural days, does plainly assure us that we are not to interpret these days prophetically for years, as we are allowed to do the seventy we»eks and other numbers. To return therefore to the last numbers of Daniel ; there are two distinct periods of time, as I take them to be, (though all other interpreters go another way) to be found in his xii. chap. The first is of a time, times and a iian, or iiiroo }'6di's fiiiu a nan, ver. 7, i. e. 1290 prophetical days, or years, as Daniel himself has it explained to him, ver. 11. This therefore is the same piiriod of time that John borrows from Daniel, and accommodates to the duration of Rome Papal : excepting that there is Jic diflference of thirty days or years ; only that jrra of this perid in Daniel, is vastly different from that of John : for, as to the latter, we have seen it already ; but as to the former, Daniel fixes it at the scattering of the holy people, or the Jewish nation, ver. 7, and at the taking:: away the daily sacrifice, and the setting up the abomi- nation that inaketh desolate, ver. 11. Now our Saviour, who was certainly the best expositor of his own word, expli^n^^ this( '7^ [ ^8 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE abomination that maketh desolate, and which was to pollute and ruin the sanctuary, to be nothing else but the idolatrous and desolating Roman army ; as we see by comparing Mat. xxiv. 15, with Luke xxi. 20, 21. The epocha therefore of the time, times and a half in Daniel, or his 1290 years, must he the year 70 from the birth of our Saviour, when .Verusalera was taken, if we should consider the beginning of the setting up the abomina- tion tiiat maketh desolate. But seeing the aera of this number is not the begmning of the conquest of the Jews, but the complete scattering of that nation, or the accomplish- ing the scattering of the power of the holy neonle. as the words are. ver. 7. and full set- ting up of the abomination that maketh de- solate, ver. 11, which was not done till Hadrian's time ; who fully conquered the Jews, and built a city near the ruins of Jeru- salem, which he called iElia, building at the same time a temple to Jupiter, on the ground where the temple had stood, and engraving over the gate of this new city the figure of a swino in derision of the Jews. Now this work was finished in or about the year 135. From whence the period of 1290 years leads us down to Ann. 1425, which in prophetical reckoning, is the year 1407. AlK)ut which time th(^ Papal power was at its utmost ele- vation ; for after this time tht; Hussites, AN bigenses^ VVicklifites, Waldenses, Picards, RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 99 &c., began to fall before the Romanists, until they were, in a manner, totally extirpated before another century had well nigh run out. Now this dismal period expires about this time ; and then there follows the second period of 1336 days or years, ver. 12, which being calculated from the year 1407, ter- minates Ann. 2742, i. e. 2722 of prophetical reckoning : which therefore includes the be- fun downfal of the Papacy under the seven lals ; and the final accomplishment thereof afterwards, together with the greatest part of the Millennium, and consequently the great conversion of the Jewish nation during that period. And perhaps the begun apostacy of Jewish and Gentile Christians (which is to issue in a universal war against the saints, upon the expiration of the Millennium) may begin about that year 2722. And now, that 1 have come again uj)on prophetical numbers, I shall venture to digress a little more still, in giving you some further illustration of these two great periods, from the xiv. chapter of the Revelations. Of which take these few hints ?t this time. In tJje first place then, ye have a description of Christ's followers adhering to him, during the reign and rage of Anti-Christ, from ver. 1, to ver. 5, inclusive : which must therefore reach down from Ann. 606, or 758 rather, to Ann. 1517. After which we have the begun re- vival of the Church of Christ represented in Iff--- V s 100 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE i the second place, by the testimonies of the three angels, succeeding one another. The first angel has a commission to preach the gospel purely to all nations, ver. 6, 7, which must therefore begin with the preaching of Zuinglius and Luther ; and does include, I humbly suppose, the periods of the four first Vials. The second angel follows, ver. 8, and proclaims the fall of Babylon or the Papacy ; and must therefore be synchronical with the fifth Vial, being poured out upon the seat of the Beast. The third angel gives men warn- ing that they should not join with the Beast, and denouncetli severe judgments against them that shall be found to do so, ver. 10, &c. Which therefore relates to the last part ^f the time of the sixth Vial, when the un- clean spirits go forth to insinuate into the na- tions, in order to engage them to make w^r against the saints, chap. xvi. 13 — 16. Now after all these things, we have, in the third place, a typical or emblematical account of the deliverance of the Church and of the destruction of the bloody persecuting Anti- Christian party. Therefore we have, first, the emblem of a harvest ; which seems im- mediately to relate to Christ's gathering his Chinch into a happy state, ver. 14 — 16. And then, second, we have the representation of the final destruction of the Popish party, under the emblem of a vintage : wherem the bloody clusters of the several Popish RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 101 of the The ch the which ing of ude, I ir first 8, and hpacy ; th the seat of warn- Beast, igainst er. 10, ist part iie un- the na- te war Now i third mnt of of the Anti- ', first, ns im- ing his 4—16. ntation party, ^herein Popish fraternities and communities are to be bruised and squeezed to death in the wine-press of God's wrath, ver. 17 — 20. But I have spoken already to this great period of time al)ove, which issues in the blessed Millen- nium ; and therefore I shall say no more to it at this time. Only there is one thing that falls in my way here, which ought not to be passed over in silence ; and that is, to what period we are to refer the happy state of the New Jerusalem, chap. x\i., and of the blessed river and tree of life, chap. xxii. For I find in- terpreters at a mighty loss this way, whether these relate to the Millennium or Heaven itself, after the day of judgment is past. And indeed there arc some things that seem in- consistent with either of these states. For what is said of the nations flocking into this new state and walking in the light of it, and of the kings of the earth that they shall bring in their glory and honor to the Church, chap, xxi. 24 — 26, seems not to agree with the notion {\w, scripture gives us of the state of the gloiilied in tlu^ higher Heaven, after the resurrection ; but does exa«tly suit with the ])eacerul reign of lh(^ saints, wlu^i Jerusalem ,()r the Church shall be; exalted above ^ke nations, who shall all run in to her. And yet upoji the other hand, there are things also that s(Hun to be too grinU (iven for the blessed Millennium, as we hav(^ given the notion of w~- i;i 'ii . i I? 102 A LISCOURSE CONCERNING THE it above. Such is the account of the perfec- tion of this state, that it will be exempted from all death, sorrow, crjing, and pain, chap, xxi. 4. And yet as the former expressions may be adapted to the state of the Church triumphant in Heaven, in a spiritual sense, so these last expressions may be made to suit also with the state of the Church on earth during the Millennium in a compara- tive sense, i. e. if considered with respect to the preceding afflicted condition of Christians. Therefore seeing this last glorious scene of affairs may be interpreted in relation either to the one or the other of these periods, 1 con- clude that we ought to interpret it of both, viz. : of the Millennium in a first sense, and of the future glory of the Church in Heaven, in a second and complete sense. For, as I observed above, tliat the sacred prophecies, particularly that in the 24th chapter of Mat- thew, and 2d chapter of the 2d epistle to the Thessalonians, are to be interpreted both in a first and second, or ultimate sense : so I do believe we must of necessity und(Mstand the account of the new heavens and new earth, and of the heavenly Jerusalem in thiS book. And if this be once suj)posed, then it will be easy to adjust the seeming different figures used by the Holy Spirit, in this place : seeing the whole is so contrived, that it mav corres- f)ond both with the Millenary state and the future state of glory, viz. : to the first as an RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 103 erfec- npted chap, ssiops hurch sense, de to h on ipara- 3Ct to itians. 3ne of her to con- both, e, and eaven, *, as I lecies, Mat- to the thin a I do iid the earth, book, vill be figures seeing :orres- id the as ^n emblem and type of the latter. So that as thi». destruction of the Jewish nation and Church, is given :n such words, Matt, xxiv., as to become this way an emblem of the final destruction of the world ; so likewise is the Millennium so painted and described, Rev. xxi., as to be designedly given as a type of the state of the church triumphant in heaven, after the day of judgment is over. A 4th observation from what I said before, is this : That our reformers did not rashly, but upon just grounds, desert the Church of Rome, as Anti-Christian and Apostolical. For not 'n insist upon prophetical indica- tions of the Roman Church being indeed the great Anti-Christ ; there are four things that lay a just foundation for all honest men's leaving that interest, viz : 1 st, gross errors, such as Purgatory, human merits, and works of supererogation, indulgencies, transubstantia- tion, Sic. Second, horrid idolatry, in wor- shipping angels, saints, and canonized per- sons, together with images, statues, crucifixes, and a consecrated wafer. Third, the pre- tended inf^illibility of the Roman See, in im- posing* upon men's consciences what they please, and debarring us from reading the scriptures ourselves, or making use of our own nmson in the matt(Ms of religion. And 4th, The dreadful tyranny of that party, seen and felt both in their inhuman cruelties, persecu- tions, massacres, and diabolical barbarities Wr 104 A LISeOURSE CONCERNING THE used against all those that differ from them. For the proof of ail which things, let Cha- mierus be consulted, together with " Hey- degerus de Babjloiie magna, Turretinus de nec6ssaria Secessione ab Ecclesia Romana ;" and, besides innumerable others, Stillingfleet's late pieces against the Romanists; for my time allows me not now to enlarge upon any of these heads. Only, that I may not leave you without some specimen of popery, I shall copy out in English the twelve articles of the Romisli faith, additional to the twelve christian ones, which are contained in the Apostles' Creed, as to the sum and substance of them. These- twelve additional articles are contained in the famous Bull of Pope Pius IV., dated at Rome in the year 1564, in the ides of November, and the fifth year of his Pontificate, whici* is to be found at the end of the printed canons and decrees of the council of Trent ; where after an enumeration of the primitive articles, beginning with " Credo in unum Deum," &:c. " I believe in one God," &c. He proceeds to charge all men that would be saved, to own and to swear unto the follow- ing articles also; anathematizing all that do not so. These begin thus : " Apostolicas et Ecclesiasticas Traditiones," &;c., which take in English thus : 1. r do also (i. V. together with the Articles of the Apostles' Creed) most firmly admit and HISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. l(j)5 9? embrace the Apostolical and Ecclesiastical traditions^ and all other observations ind con- stitutions of the same (i. e. the Romish) Church. 2. 1 do admit the Sacred Scriptures in the same sense that holy Mother Church doth ; whose business it is to judge of the true sense and interpretation cl them ; which I will re- ceive and interpret according to the unani- mous consent of the Fathers. 3. I do profess and believe, that there are seven Sacraments of the new law, truely and properly so called, instituted by Jesus Christ our Lord, and necessary to the salvation of mankind, though not all of them to every person. These are Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Extreme Unction, Or- ders, and Marriage, which do all of them confer grace. And I do believe thatpf these, Baptism, Confirmation and Orders, may not be repeated without Sacrilege. I do also receive and admit the received and approved rites of the Cathc'ic (i. e. Roman) Church, in ^»er solemn administration of the above-said sacraments. 4. I do receive all and every thing that hath been defined and declared by the holy council of Trent concerning Original Sin and Justification. 6. I do profess, that in the Mass there is offered to God a true, proper, and [)ropitiatory Sacrifice fc/ the quick and the dead : and that fr 106 A DISCOURSE CONdERNlNG THK I ii in the most holy sacrai u of the Eucharist, there is truely, reallj, and substantially, the body and blood, together with the Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ ; and that there is a conversion made of the whole sub- stance of the bread into the body, and of the whole substance of the wine into the blood ; which conversion the Catholic Church calls Transubstantiation. \ 6* I confess that under one kind only, whole and entire Christ, and a true Sacra- ment, is taken and received. 7. I do firmly believe that there is a Pur- gatory, and that the souls kept prisoners there, do receive help by the suflfrages of the faithful. 8. I do likewise believe that the saints reigning with Christ are to be worshipped and prafyed unto, and that they do offer prayers unto God for us, and that their relics are to be had in veneration. 9. I do most firmly assert, that the images of Christ, of the blessed Virgin the mother of God, and of other saints, ought to be had and retained, and that due honor and veneration ought to be given to them. 10. 1 do affirm, that the power of Indul- gences was left by Christ in the Church, and that the use of them is very beneficial to Christian people. 11. I do acknowledge the holy Catholic and Apostolic Rom^n Church, to be the RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 107 mother and mistress of all churches : and I do promise and swear true obedience to the Bishop of Rome, the successor of St. Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, and Vicar of Jesus Christ. 12. 1 do undoubtedly receive and profess all other things which have been delivered, defined, and declared by the sacred Canons and oecumenical councils, and especially by the holy synod of Trent ; and all things con- trary thereunto, and all heresies condemned, rejected, and anathematized by the Church, I do likewise condemn, reject; and anathe- matize. Lo here, my friends, ye have a fair pros- pect of Popery, without any misrepr*^senta- tion, or so much as comment: for these are the words of the creed itself, which all the Papists are obliged to believe and profess, in order to salvation : and which all those Who enter into religious orders do solemnly swear unto. And therefore it is plain that these things are not looked upon by the Church of Rome as disputable opinions, but as necessary articles of faith : and the ve fore let the author of " the Case of the Regal and Pontificate," see how he can make good tlie last concluding words of his book, which are these : Concors Romanae and Reformatae ecclesioe fides," &c., i. e. the faith of the Roman and Reform- ed Churches doth agree, or is the same, &c. For if these things be so slight and trivial to t i I 1 108 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE him, that lie can (as the Popish Gallioan Church doth) swallow and digest all, except- ing the eleventh article ; he must pardon others, if they continue in the faith of the Reformed Church, as that which is opposite to the Roman Creed, in so manj momentous particulars. Nay, let me add one thing further here, as a necessary consectary or inference from what I have said in relation to this consideration we are still upon ; That, as our reformers did justly separate from the Romish Church ; so we have just ground also to continue sepa- rated from that Anti-Christian party. Let others, under a pretence of a dread of what they call schism , run back into Anti- Christian errors and heresies. Let them, if they are so disposed, forsake pure Christianity, that theg^ may promote the priest's power, and adorn their altars with gold and jewels. And let them, in order to enslave men's con- sciences and bodies botli, sound a retreat to Babylon again. We, I hope, know our duty better than to run the risk of damning our souls, by becoming runnegadof^s to that bloody and wicked party, against whose abominations so many thousands of our ances- tors witnessed under racks and torments, and at the state in Smithfield and elsewhere. They believed, that what they did and suffer- ed was in obedience to the call of God, say- ing, ^^ Come out from the apostate Romish RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 109 Church, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues: for her siiis have reached unto hea- ven, and God hath remembei^ed her iniqui- ties," Rev. xviii. 4, 5. And God forbid that any temptation should bring any of us back acain to that sink of all impurities and errors,, after we have enjoyed the sunshine of the gospel, in its purity and power, so long.. Therefore, seeing we know what interest we are to keep to, let us be faithful to it, by doing all we can for its security, establish- ment, and honor. And if God call us to suffer for it, let us act as the former heroes of the Reformation have done before us, that- Christ may be glorified, ^nd the Church edified by us, whether it be by doing or suf- fering, by life or by death. The 5th and last observation I shall pro- pose to your thoughts, as the conclusion of all I have said, in this ; that though we are not to live to see the great and final destruc^ tion of the Papacy, the blessed Millenniuiq, or Christ's last coming to* judge the world :. yet seeing death is the equivalent of all t^se to us, if we be so happy as to get into Para-:, disc ; we ought therefore accordingly to spend and improve our time, that we may partake of the future glory when we go hence^ 1 say, death is the equivalent of all these things to us, if we be so happy as to get into Paradise. For then we shall get the concjuest i-Biii- amriT*- f B ll ■f i 110 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE over all Anti-Christian enemies, and be with Christ in a better state than any earthly millen- nium can be supposed to be, waiting until he come to judge the world, and till we appear also with him in glory^ having reassumed our then glorious bodies* Improve your time therefore, and all the opportunities and advantages of it, with your utmost diligence and seriousness, as remem- bering that ye are dying and accountable creatures, and that your time is given you for this very end, that ye may prepare for a bet- ter world* And now that we see the beginnhig, not only of a new year, but of a new age, I must give a further vtjpt to my zeal and concern tor your souls' good, upon this great and practical head, viz. : the improvement of time, with respect to the upper world ; that when I am gone, I may, by what I have said, and am about to say, contmue to speak still to those that shall survive me, and even (if this discourse last so long) to succeeding generations also. And I suppose ye will the more readily bear with me in this^ when ye remember with what unanimity and impor- tunity ye desired me to print a sermon or. this head, whirh I preached on new-year's day, 1699, from Psalm xc. i2. Foi- seeing I was prevented in yielding to your desire then, 1 shall lav hold on this opportunity to make amends, m some measure at least, for be with y millen- r until he B appear imed our J all the vith your ; remem- :ountable n you for for a bet- ning, not ;e, I must concern reat and Ejment of >rld; that iavc said, peak still I even (if jcceeding e will the when ye id inipor- rmon or. ew-year's or seeing )ur desire >rtunity to least, for n!SE AND FALL OF ANTI-CKRIST. Ill that seeming neglect, by presenting you with some useful hints on this subject. And here, as 1 begin to speak upon this head, the story of Xerxes comes to my re- membrance ; who, when he saw his vast army of a tho'jsand thousand men march by, (with whom he expected to have swallowed up the poor Grecians) is reported to have wept, upon this thought, that before a hun- dred years should run out, none of all that multitude would be alive : little imagining, that before the end of that very year, he was to see the destruction of almost all of them, and draw his last breath himself also. For methinks it is a serious and weighty thing, to think that before the end of this century, all those that now make a figure in the world, will have finished their course, and be gather- ed into heaven or hell ; new actors coming up on the stage in their stead. And yet, while I lengthen out my meditation to the end of a century, I find just reason to con- tract my thoughts, and suppose I see both you and all others, that crowd our streets and places of worship, or fill remoter islands and continents, gradually dropping into an eter- nity, some tins year, some the next, and soon. fiiit to proceed to the consideration of the subject in hand ; I suppose I need not tell you what we are to understand by the im- provement of time ; seeing this is too plain to need any explication in a general sense. ^■1 'I fi :r:'~ni"TTrr,i-nj 112 A t)IS<;0UR3E CONCERNING THt And neitjier can it be dark to Christians, in a spiritual sense : for it can dendte nothing else, but such a rational and religious regula- tion of our time, and disposal of our talents and opportunities, especially as we live under the advantages and means of the gospel, that we may ever be occupied in doing and get- ting good, so as to find favor in the sight of Cod, and attain afterwards to the happy en- joyment of him. For seeing, as the Apostle says, 2 Cor. vi. 1, 2, now is your accepted time and day of salvation, we ought to take heed to ourselves that we receive not the grace of God in vain. We ought to reckon therefore that this space of our life is given us, that we may be taken up in promoting the honor of God and our own and other men's good, as being, in all these respects, in a state of trial. Let us therefore improve our time, by laboring to gain our own assent ^md consent fully to the terms of the gospel ; by studying the word of God more and more ; by a close and impartial trial of ourselves ; by frequent and fervent prayer ; and by a uni- versal and constant obedience to all God's laws and institutions. And let us argue our- selves into this as our duty, by considering, how dearly our Lord Jesus has purchased our day of grace and opportunity of salvation ; how many have been damned and lost for cver^ by their not improving this talent of lime ; how dreadful the condemnation of such ins, m a nothing regula- talents e under }el, that nd get- sight of ppy en- Apostle Lccepted to take not the ) reckon is given [omoting d other pects, in improve i assent gospel ; id more ; Ives ; by a uni- 11 God's gue our- sidering, ased our ilvation ; lost for talent of 1 of such illSE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 113 will be, who chuse darkness rather than light ; how unreasonable it is to be so careful of tho body, and so regardless of the soul ; how strange it is, that we should not do that for our eternal advantage, which worldlings do for a little temporal gain; and lastly, how uncertain we are of the continuance of time and seaLson of grace. And seeing, in order to improve time aright, we ought to lay hold of all the special seasons and peculiar opportunities, which God puts into our hand for this end ; these will deserve to be particularly considered by us. But since it is the work of prudence, that every man know and observe his own cir- cumstances and providential occurrences, in order to a right improvement of them accord- ingly ; all that 1 can do here, is to hint at some generals this way. Therefore first let me advise you to make a right improvement of the circumstances of your outward lot in the world. Are you in a state of prosperity ? Then be thankful to your gracious Benefac- tor. Are ye honored? improve this, that God may be honored through you. Arc yo in any place of* power and authority ? lay yourselves out to advance the kingdom of God among men. Are ye rich ? remember what Solomon says, Kccles. vii, 11. that '* wisdoPi is good with an inheritance ;" and therefore servi; Ciod with what he gives you, Cut if ye be in advesity, despond not : but ^,1 If ' L 1.1 I' 4 lU A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE remember, that as prosperity gives men greater advantages for doing good ; adversity affords niore seasons usually for getting good. For in the day of adversity we are more ready to think and consider, than in the time of pros- perity, as Solomon says, Eccles. vii. 14 : for then is the time and season, to consider the vanity and uncertainty of the worldy to know ourselves better and God more, and to pre- pare more readily and thoroughly for another world. Second, improve your circumstances in relation to company or retirement. If ye be hurried with company, labour to gain that by them, which may in some measure make up your loss of time. If ye can get no good from them, then study if possible to do them good, by insinuating what may tend to their advantage : and then ye can have no reason to reckon your time lost. But if ye enjoy the company of good and wise men, it is not to be believed what profit and advantage may be got by mutual discourses to edification, where men are communicative, and can bear with different apprehensions about things, without running into heats and quarrcllings. But if we are shut out from company, we may justly look upon solitude and retirement as a happy opiK)rtunity of advantage and profit, if we do know how to improve the same, by filling up such seasons with study, meditation, and prayer. Third, improve the means and opportunities of gvace and mm greater affords . For ady to : pros- 4 : for ler the I know to pre- nother itances If ye ill that make o good 3 them o their reason enjoy is not ^c may cation, in bear things, filings, ny, we rement ;e and )ve the study, 3ve the e and RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 115 salvation. For the end of ajl that Christ has suft'ered and done for us, is '* to redeem us from all iniquity, and to purify us to himself a people zealous of good works," Tit. ii. 14. Therefore let us so hear the word preached, and so join with the prayers of the Church, and so partake of the ordinances of Christ, particularly that of the Lord's Supper ; that we may be built up a spiritual house, as lively stones concurring to the raising up of such an edifice ; and that we may become also a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacri- fices, acceptable by Jesus Christ to God, 1 Pet. ii. 5. And 4th, if at any time, or upon any occasion, ye find the Spirit of God to move your thoughts and affections more sen- sibly than usually, as the angel moved the waters of the pool, of old : Oh ! my friends, neglect not such a fair gale and favorable opportunity ; but improve this happy season, and strike the iron when hot and malleable. For how dreadful must it be to quench the Holy Spirit, and stifle the convictions, mo- tions, and influences thereof, especially such as are sensible and peculiar ! But seeing, to begin, aright, is one great mean to carry on anything successfully, we ought to set about the improving of our time as early as we can, without any delay or procrastination in a matter of this weight and *aoment. For it is only our present time that we can reckon ours. For as our yesterdays "SBSOSBS m . I'G A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE are irrecoverable ; so our to-morrows are but tnay-bes and uncertainties. Therefore we are always called to hear God's voice, to-day, if we will do it at all. And therefore let us not delay, but make haste, to keep God's righteous and holy commandments. See Heb. iv. 7 ; 2 Cor. vi. 2 ; Job xxii. 21 ; Psal. cxix. 60. Now if we would improve our time and life to advantage this way, let us be sure not to neglect the morning of time. And here then let me put you in mind of four morn- ings of time. The 1st, is the morning of your life, i. e. the time of your youth, health, and strength. Such of you, as have lost this season in whole or in part, pray double your diligence, in the improvement of what re- mains of your time. But such of you as are- young, be advised to remember your Creator in the days of your youth, and act so as ye may afterwards look back upon your past days with satisfaction and pleasure. Second, the morning of every day is a time to be pecu- liarly improved for God and your own good ; for the doing so has a mighty influence upon us as to the right spending of the rest of the day. It is a season, that is not only amica musis, a friend to study, as the old saying is, but that is favorable also orationi et dcvotioni, to prayer and devotion : for while our minds are fresh and undisturbed with the hurries of company and business, it is certainly the e but e we )-day, et us God's See Psal. 3 and e not here morn- ng of ealth, St this 3 your at re- as are- reator emay days d, the pecu- ^ood ; upon )f the arnica ng is, )tioni, minds 'ies of ^ the RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST, 117 filest time for duty as well as study. And therefore the saints of old were careful not to neglect this season. See Psal. v. 3 ; Job i. 5 ; Acts V. 21 . Third, improve the morning df erery week carefully, i. e. the Lord's Day. For as we discharge our duty then, we may expect God's blessing through the week more or less. But if we refuse to give God what is his due on his own day, we must not think it strange, if God withdraw from us on those days that he has allowed us to serve ourselves upon. And hence it is no wonder, if we find that true, which many have confessed with sorrow at the hour of death, that the profanation of the Lord's 3^ay has been the inlet to all their after sins and miseries both. And 4th, perhaps it may not be unprofitable for us, to set apart the morning of every year to review what we have done and what has happened to us the year past, and to beg God's blessing through the year following. It has been the practice of some holy persons to do this : some reckoning the year, as it is usual with us in our computations, from the 1 st day of January ; and others reckoning it from the day of their birth or baptism, or conversion : in all which every one may take which way pleaseth him best. And now, that we enter upon the morning or beginning of a new century ; let me beseech you to be* gin this work now, if ye have neglectt'd it during the years of the ast age, which ye : (3 u ii' m \ i 118 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THp have run through, whethe/r these have been more or fewer. Having thus given you an account of time, and the opportunities and seasons of it to be improved ; I shall proceed to recommend this duty from three considerations ; and then to direct you how to do it, by proposing three rules to be observed this way. In the 1st place therefore, let me earnestly recommend this duty to you from three weighty considerations. The 1st consideration is this, that it is the duty and wisdom of every one of us, to be duly and deeply impressed with the sense of the worth and value of time. I might take occasion here to shew you, from innumerable examples, that the best and wisest men in all ages, both christians and heathens, have been under the deepest and most constant impressions of the value of time. But. as this would be too long for this place, so it is needless to insist upon it; seeing I believe ye can as little form an idea of a wise or good man, that does not value or improve time, as 1 can. Therefore I suppose there is no need to prove to you the worth and preciousness of time; to you, I say, who know the uncertainty of it, and yet how much depends upon the improvement and loss of it. But if any of you need any awakening this way, consider how valuable time will appear to a convinced ; . II fttSE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 119 you, and and and 3 of sinner when he lies upon a death-bed, who sees himself dropping into another world, and yet apprehends that his peace is not made with God. O, cries the poor wretch, that I had spent less of my time on the world and my lusts, and more of it in minding the good of my own soul ! O that I haC those hours and days back again that 1 spent in taverns and bad company ! O for a year, or a month, or a week at least of health and strength, to make my peace with God ! And pray, my friends, were ye never sick, and under some such thoughts then ? Were ye not sensible then of mis-spent time ? Or did you never promise amendment and reformation, if God should recover you ? Where is now the per- formance of your vows ? O, if there be any that forget God, and neglect to do as they have promised and resolved, let them consider their duty and interest in time, lest God tear them in pieces when there is none to deliver them. Alas ! my friends, what would those poor wretches give for one day, nay for ono hour, who are now in the infernal prison ? What would they give for one offer of a Savior, who are now lamenting their slight- ing of the gospel, and their mis-spending their time and opportunities of salvation ? There- fore do ye learn to value time more, and im- prove it belter, before it be too late to retrieve lost opportunities. And this leads me to another consideration. Therefore, 120 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE The 2d consideration is, That it is our wisdom, not only to be impressed with the sense of the worth and value of time, but to be duly and deeply affected and influenced this way, so as to set about the improvement of it, as our greatest and most concerning duty and interest* For it is not speculation but practice that we are to mind here : and therefore if our ap- prehensions of the worth of time do not influ- ence us to improve it, they will only tend to our greater condemnation. Therefore, that what I have said may so affect you, as to in- cite you to your duty this way ; I shall not grudge a little pains in writing further on this head, in hope that ye will not be weary in reading what is written. Take it not amiss therefore, if I address you with some serious- ness and warmth of affection, and, through you, all others that may cast their eyes upon these sheets. My dear friends, some of you have lived twenty, some thirty, some forty, some fifty, some sixty, or more years in the world. Now I beseech you to consider wjiat ye have been doing all this time. Have your performances borne any proportion to the mercies ye have received from God ? Have ye l)een faithful to improve your talents for your God and Savior ? Have your convictions brought forth a saving conversion ? Have your resolutions and promises been all performed? Has it and is t wo con to 1 thui RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 121 s our h the but to enced ement erning e that )ur ap- t influ- end to e, that to in- ill not on this eary in : amiss jerious- :hrough ;s upon e lived \e fifty, 1. Now ve been •mances ye have faithful rod and rht forth olutions Has it been a matter of conscience to you, to serve God vv^ith the best of your time, the greatest vigor of your thoughts, the utmost energy of love and delight, and in a word, with all your heart and strength ? If ye have been deficient this way, then pray consider, not only how impossible it is to bring back any part of the time that is past, but how little, or at least how uncertain the time is, that remains to be lived over. And if any be secure this way, because they are young, or strong, or healthful, let them remember how often ihe old carry the young to the grave, and the weak and sickly see robust and vigorous persons drop off before them. And what is our life at longest ? Does not the scripture labor, as it were, under a want of metaphors, to dc^scribe its vanity, when it compares it to a hand-breadth, a span, a vapour, the grass that is soon mow- ed down,, the flower that quickly fades, the shadow that declines, and the tale that is told ? How poor a thing then is it, to be able no otherwise to number our days and years, than by our being born ai such a time, and having lived to such another time. There is therefore no more unreasonable desire in the world, than to live long, where there is no concern to live well ; for this is only to wish to have more time to mis-spcmd, to sin longer than others, and to be more miserable in the M P i II I |i ;-= ,f 122 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE Other world. Besides that it is impossible, as the course of things is now, to live long in a proper sense : for as the following distich expresses it : Vivere quisq ; diu queerit, bene vivere nemo : At bene quisq ; potest, vivere nemo diu. THAT IS, To live long, all desire ; to live well, none : Yet all may live well, but none can live long. For is it not for this very end that time is given us, that it may be improved and lived well, in order to our being fitted and prepared for the happy state of a glorious immortality ? Surely Grod did never make so glorious a creature as man, endued with an immortal soul, merely to live the life of the beast, to eat, and drink, and sleep, or to enjoy his sen- sitive lusts and pleasm*es. Think then, my friends, that according as ye improve or misimprove time, ye are to be happy or miserable for an eternity. For we are now in a state of trial, and upon our be- haviour, in order to be rewarded or punished afterwards, as we shall be found to have act- ed, when we come to be judged : therefore we may rejoice now and take our pleasure as we please. But we have reason to rejoice with trembling, when we remember, that we are to be called before God, and judged for all we do now. For they that live in the flesh, according to their lusts, must give an RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 123 account to him, that is to be the Judge of the quick and the dead. And then every one of them will hear that dreadful word, " Take the unprofitable servant, and cast him into the outer darkness, where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." — ^Eccle. xi. 9. — Psal. ii. 11. — 1 Pet. iv. 2,5. — Mat. xxv. 26,30. Consider therefore, that it is impossible to recal any moment of time that is lost in a proper and physical sense : and that thus it is a foolish and ridiculous wish ; " O mihi prseteritos referat si Jupiter annos !" O, if God would give me back the years that are past ! But yet, in a moral sense, we may be said to bring back past time, when by doubling our diligence, we do, in some sort, retrieve the mis-improvement of former days. But then it must be remembered, that this must be done now or never ; for if our time comes to an end here, there is no returning to a state of trial again, such as we now enjoy : " If a man die, shall he live again ?" No, alas, says Job, for '* As the cloud is con- sumed and vanisheth away ; so he that goeth to the grave shall come up no more, (i. e. to live on earth again, as the following words explain the meaning :) " He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more." — Job xiv. 14 ; vii. 9, 10. Therefore let us all say with him (and improve the thought,) " When a few years m 124 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return." — ^Job xvi. 22. Now, besides all these things, it may be of great use to enforce this consideration, to take a view of the complexion and genius of our age, or the time wherein we live. For if the Apostle Paul, when he exhorts his con- temporary christians to redeem the time, gives this as the reason of his advice, " be- cause the days are evil ;" I am sure we have much more reason to call the days wherein we live by this name. For the sense of the Apostle, when he calls the days wherein he lived evil days, is no doubt this chiefly, if not only, that they were afflictive and perilous times : for times of troubles are called evil times, or evil days, frequently in scripture. But we may justly take this in a larger sense, in reference to our times ; for an age or time may be denominated evil, either with respect to the abounding of errors, profaneness, or calamities. And upon all these accounts, these days of ours may be justly said to be evil. For as to errcs, how many and how gross are these ? How many deny the Lord that bought them ? I low many oppose his divinity and satisfaction both ? Vea, how many revile him as an impostor, and ridicule all revealed n^ligion ? Nay, how many dare blaspheme God, and deny his being, and even the first principles of natural religion ? And, as to profaneness and immorality, where did RrSE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 125 we ever hear or read of more among chris- tians ? Nay, it may be a question, if ever the heathens were worse than most christians are now. And again, as for calamities and troubles, we see what other churches have suffered of late, and do suffer still ; and we see in how tottering a condition all the Pro- testant interest is. And though I believe it will prove a barthensome stone to the enemies of Christ ; yet how far God may suffer them to prevail for a time, none of us know : only 1 am afraid we are upon the brink of very great troubles. And that (as I have hinted already) as we have been, like Israel of old, peculiarly blest with mercies and privileges, and are as peculiar and singular in sinning ; so we are like to be punished in a peculiar and particular manner also. So that if there be (as sm^ there is) a rule to judge of the connexion of mercies, sins, and judgments, we may see our case, as well as that of Israel of old, in the prophetical threatenings of God to that people, when he says, ^' jou only have I known of all the families of the earth ; therefore will I punish you for all your iniquities." — Amos iii. 2. Seeing therefore this is the state and com- plexion of our time, let us take he(;d to our- selves, that v/e be not involved in tho sins of it, lest we come under the judgments also that seem to hasten on this generation. Con- sider, for this end, the aijostle's advice ; \ 3?' '■ ' I ! i\ ^ \ i 126 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE *' beware," says he, " lest as the serpent beguiled Eve, so your minds should be cor- rupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." Cor. xi. 3. Let us not therefore " hear the instruction that cause th us to err from the words of knowledge ;" but let us beware, " lest being led away with the error of the wicked, we fall from our own steadfastness." Pi-ov. xix. 27 ; Pet. iii. But yet, be not so selfish as to mind only your own concerns, but remember that ye are members of a city, ot a church, and nation, and that ye are members also of the Catholic Church of Christ that is every where dis- persed. And therefore act as under all these ties and relations. And if you can do no more, intercede at least with God, that he may be gracious : stand in the gap, that yo may, if possible, avert his displeasure. Act therefore as serious, faithful, and importunate remembrances of the Lord, " giving him no rest, but crying unto him night and day until he arise, and until he make his Zion and Jerusalem a praise in the whole earth." There is yet a 3d consideration, which [ would add to the former, in order the more eftectually to recommend this duty to you, viz. : the improvement of your time. And this is whdt is indetnl frequently insisted upon, but 1 am afraid very little live up to, viz. : that we are in the si^^ht, and under the inspection of an all-seeing God, who is to Ik! > I erpent \e cor- hrist." lar the >m the eware, of the tness." d only hat ye nation, -atholic re dis- 11 these do no :hat he that yo t. Act rtunate liiin no ly until on and J? • Anch I e more :o vou^ And nsisted up to, d(3r the s to Ik? RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 127 our judge at last. O, my friends, is this a matter only of speculation to you ? Dare any of you do that in the sight of God, which ye would be ashamed to do in the view of the world? I remember 1 have heard of an eminently holy man, wlio, being tempted by a harlot to commit lewdness with her, in a place where she was mistress and had the command, seemed to consent lor the present, with this condition only, that she should find out a close retirement, where none could be present and see what they did. Upon which she carried him from chamber to chamber, and from place to place. But he had still something to object against the privacj' of every one of ihem. At length she brought him to a very dark and obscure corner, tell- ing him that none could see what was done there but God and the devil. What, said he, is that nothing? You must carry me where neither God nor the devil can see us, else I will never do what you desire. And 1 re- member also 1 have heard ol' another, who, being tempted in like manner, consented upo 1 condition of having liberiy to choose the ^)lace. Which Ix^ng granted, he chose the public market-place. WIhmi she refused this, saying, she eould not for shame do so in the open view of the world : he replied, that he durst far less do this in the sight of God ; and asked, how she durst do that in the sight of God, which she was ashamed to do before men. ill :i 1 128 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE Even the heathen moralist, Seneca, ad- viseth men to act in all things as if they had both God, and the wisest and best of men looking on. " Set Cato, Scipio, or Lselius, before you," says he, " or some such excel- lent person, upon whose appearing even the most wicked person would be frighted from doing amiss openly." But he adds in another place ; " what will it avail you, to hide your- selves and your actings from men, since there is nothing concealed from God ? for he looks into our breasts, and is present in our very minds and hearts." And elsewhere ; " it avails a man nothing," says he, " to shut up or stifle conscience, since every thing we do lies open to God's view ; and therefore our great wisdom is to act so, that we may ap- prove ourselves to him." How consonant are such expressions to the sacred standard of our holy religion ? And what shall we answer to our Master at the great day, if we suffer such persons to exceed and out-run us, who are Christians ? " Let us therefore mind the principle that swayed Joseph, when he said, under a very great temptation, considering his low and obnoxi- ous condition ; " shall I do this great wick- edness and sin against God ?" — Gen. xxxix. 9. And let us imitate l^avid, who " set the Lord always before him," and looked upon him as present at " his right hand," to the ^nd that ** he might never bo moved," but bo RISE AND FALL OF ANTI^CHRIST. 129 encouraged still to trust in him. For we nre t3ver to remember, that our secret, as weh as public sins, " are set in the light of God's countenance;" seeing the darkness hides us no more from God, than the meridian light of the sun. — Psal. xvi. 8, xc. 8, cxxxix. 12. But we must consider likewise, that we have not only a constant witness and inspec- tor of our actions without us, but one within us, even our own conscience ; which doth excuse or accuse us, according as we behave and act. And as one says well on this head, "Quid prodest non haoere conscium, habenti consciontiam ?" i. e. What avails it to have no witness of our actions, while we have a con- science that keeps an exact register of all we do? Only we musi remember, that this is but a secondary witness ; for " if bur heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things." — 1 John iii. 10. And now, my friends, I have done with what I had to say to the three considerations, from which I proposed to recommend and^ enforce this great duty of improving our time.' And 1 leave it to you to consider, whether what I have said be not sufficient this way, through the blessing of God, and your pains and concern to apply to yourselves what has been said. Therefore, in the 2d place, I proceed to direct you, how ye may attain rightly and successfully to improve your time to the best 130 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE n advantage, as ye are Christians and account- able creatures. And this 1 shall do, by pro- posing three rules, which will take in all that is necessary or useful this way : though the first rule is the principal and only direct one, which doth take in the whole of our duty this way ; the second and third being only sub- servient unto this, though exceedingly useful, if not necessary also, in their places. The 1st rule is this, that ye take heed, that ye lose not youi time, and the opportunities and seasons thereof, by sin and vanity : but that it be always filled up, with the conscien- tious and diligent discharge of all necessary duties. This being, as I said already, the principal rule, in order to the regulation of our time ; and being so contrived, as to direct us both negatively and positively, as to what we are to avoid and what we are to do ; I shall ac- cordingly consider it distinctly in both the parts of it. The 1st part of this rule teaches us, how time is lost, and what we are therefore to avoid, in order to the right improvement of it. And it is necessary to premise this, be- fore we consider the other part : for we can only then apply ourselves to fill up our time wisely, in the ])crformance of those duties, in the discharge whereof the redemption and improvement of time consists ; when we ap- pn^hend what those things are, which are RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 131 detrimental and hurtful to our souls, both here and hereafter. Now, in general, we are to take care to rescue our time out of the hand of those two grand robbers, that thieve it away from us, viz. : sin and vanity. For as we are care- fully to avoid the mis pending of our time, by thinking, doing, or speaking, what is sinful in itself: so we are to take heed of such things, which though they are not simply sinful in themselves, are yet such trivial mat- ters or by-concerns, as become sinful to us, when we spend too much time upon them, or mind them as if they were our most weighty and principal business. But because those things, that are evil and sinful in themselves, such as blasphemies and lies, immorality and profaneness, ought not to be so much as named among Christians, or have a moment's time allowed them, so as to be entertained or thought upon with delight or design, far less brought forth in life and action, we shall therefore pass by these wholly at present ; in order to consider those things that, though lawful in themselves, ought not to be so minded, as to take up all or most of our time. Allow me then, to give you my advice in these things following. Be not too prodigal of your time, in the gratification of your senses, and the services of your body. Let the cultivation and adorn- ing of your souls take up more of your time, 132 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE than the dothing and dressinoj of your bodies. Be not buried in sleep and sloth too long, while time is so short and uncertain, and ye have so much business to fill it up with. Neither do ye allow yourselves more time than is necessary or convenient, for the feeding and pampering of your bodies. Be not like them therefore, who are so severely reproved by God, for living sensually in this world, when they ought to have minded higher things. Of whom this sad character is given, Amos vi. 3 — 6 ; that they " put away far from them the evil day ;" that they " lay upon beds of ivory," and did " eat the lambs out of the flock and the calves out of the stall," chanting at the sound of the viol, drinking wine out of bowls, and anointing themselves with the chiefest ointments: but that in the mean time they were altogether unmindful of the state of the church, and no way " grieved for the afflictions of Joseph." Therefore, as the apostle exhorts, " let us walk honestly, as in the day, (or clear sunshine of the gospel) not in rioting (or in dancings, komois) and drunkenness, not in chambering and wanton- ness, not in strife and envying ;" for these things, says he, are the making " provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts hereof." Spend not too much of your pKH'.ious time in divertive exercises and recreations. We may indeed use these not only lawlully but profitably, both with respect to the health RISE AND FALL OF ANTI -CHRIST. 133 and strength of the body, and the vigour even of the mind ; which being unbended for a while with innocent amusements, will be in better case to return again to close thinking. But we must not make recreation our busi- ness, as too many do, who are so intoxicated with the secret witchery of gaming, as to have their minds rendered almost incapable of any close application to serious and im- portant matters. > - Spend not too much of your time in com- pany and discourse, unless business oblige you to do so. The company of atheistical and wicked men, especially if they be witty, and of an engaging temper, carries common- ly an infection with it ; and their discourse breathes a secret and insinuating poison, that every one has not a strong enough antidote in his nature to resist. And though the com- pany we associate ourselves with be good, yet we are to remember the old saying, " Amici sunt fures temporis," that friends are frequently the thieves that rob us of our time ; the commodity that of all others we are to be most parsimonious of, seeing we can never retrieve its loss. To visit friends, is often a great duty ; but it is frequently to the hurt bot'vi of the visiters and visited that these are made. For as much time is commonly lost this way to no purj)ose, so the discourses that are the entertainment of most companies, are too often mere vanity, if not worse : for it is 'N 134 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE i i too customary at such times to give way to foolish talking and jesting, or to censorious reflections upon other persons. There is an innocent freedom indeed, and facetiousness in discourse, which is both allowable and pleasant : but alas, ho^v soon doth this de- generate, if great care be not taken to keep our minds in a right poize ? And if I appear to any to be rigid in what 1 say on this head, let it be remembered, that Christ has fore- warned us. Matt. xii. 36, that we must give an account of every idle word, as well as un- warrantable action, "in the Day of Judg- ment." As therefore we are to avoid moroseness on the one hand ; so we are to take care that we tire not our friends by too frequent or too long visits. There are indeed some such friends in the world, though very rare to be found, who the more they are to- gether, do the more love and profit one another. But as to ordinary friends, the case is quite otherwise : in relation to whom Solomon gives this wise advice ; " Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbor's house, lest he be at last weary of thee, and so hate thee," — Prov. XXV. 17 : that is, according to the gloss of some upon the words ; make thyself pre- cious ; wear not out every man's threshold, by obtruding thyself upon them ; neither make thyself vulgar and cheap, as a mean commodity, that is every man's money. But remember also, that ye may be guilty IE RISE AND FALL OF AiNTI-CHRlST. 135 e way to lensorious lere is an jtiousness able and this de- to keep r I appear this head, has fore- nust giv^e ell as un- of Judg- to avoid ^e are to Is by too re indeed ugh very y are to- rofit one I, the case to whom Vithdraw lest he be thee," — the gloss self pre- ;hreshold, ; neither a mean ley. be guilty of mispending your time in vain and un- profitable musings, as well as in vain discourse. Idle thoughts are as foolish a mispence of time as idle words : for every sort of thinking and meditating is not judi- cious no more than holy. And though a man think not upon his lusts, he may think very impertinently, and consequently sinfully. And this is not only the fault and weak- ness of plebeian, but of learned heads, who mispend time frequently as much as any other sort of men, upon their difficiies nugae, their useless, yet painful curiosities and niceties. This was the custom of the learned doctors of old Athens, who spent their days in almost nothing else, but telling or hearing some new notion, scheme, or theory ; and then disputing, pro and contra, for and against it. But ivhile they were earnest to dispute about forma substantialis, universale a parte rei, fuga vacui, apathy's, the possibility of motion, and such like nugse and whims, they fvtrgot God and solid religion ; and were such sceptics, or superstitiously ignorant, (for ye may interpret the words either way) that in the midst of their multitude of gods, they were willing to erect one altar more, with this inscription,. Agnostotheo^ " To the unknown God." It is true indeed, there are many curiosities of this kind, that a wise man may improve to great advantage. But when they are made our main or only business and study, instead of IS6 A brSCOtJRSE CONCERNING THE being parergons, or by-studies, we are cer- tainly far out of the road of true wisdom. What profit has the metaphysician, in ab- stracting from all particular beings, that he may define ens generically, as unum, verum, bonum, while he is ignorant of him that is truly such. To how little purpose at length will the mathematician find he has studied, in order to adjust and determine the propor- tions of points, lines, sides, and angles, if he neglect the proportions of piety and virtue ? What will it avail the astronomer to see the planets through a tube, if he fall short of the happy world at last that is above all these ? Is any man the better for being able to adjust and reconcile the Egyptian, Chaldee, and Grecian Dynasties, by reducing all the differ- ent aeras of nations to the Julien period, while he neglects to number his own days, so as to apply his heart to true wisdom ? And lastly; what advantage has any man, by being able to speak all the languages in the world, while he worships and praises God in none of them? Nay, I tell you further, that a man may even mispend his time in the service audi worship of God, circumstantially considered. For though we worship God, yet what ad- vantage can we reap by it, if we do so igno- rantly, or hypocritically, or customarily, and merely for the fashion, or profanely and ir- reverently, or dully and heartlessly ? Nay, c n a n RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 137 we may lose our labour this way also, when by this we thrust out more immediately in- cumbent and necessary duties ; or when we neglect the performance of this, till we be altogether unfit for it, offering thus to the Lord a corrupt thing while we have a male in our flock. And if thus we may mispend time, how much more are we like to do so, while the cares of the world, and the inordinate desire of what we call its pleasures, profits, and honors, justle out religion, both from our thoughts and lives ? Solomon adviseth us, " not to labor to be rich ;" but he immediate- ly subjoins, " cease from thy own wisdom," Prov. xxiii. 4, 5. Whereby he insinuates, that a man must be mortified to his carnal and worldly ratiocinations, and taught by the Spirit of God to know the true value of things, before he can possibly learn this lesson from him« However he positively determines these two things, thai, " He that hasteth to be rich, hath an evil eye," Prov. xxviii. 22 ; and that he that does so, shall not be found to be innocent ; ver. 20, mottos that all men might find it convenient to write on the head of their books of accounts : and if Solomon's words have little effect upon you, consider what a greater than Solomon says of a covet- ous or anxiously solicitous disposition and practice, in the 6th chapter of Matthew, where he represents and condemns it as 1 138 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE i n i! i»! unchristian and heathenish, and as unreason- able and pernicious. And, after all, remem- ber these serious and |3ungent words of his, " What is a man profited, if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul ? Or what can a man give in exchange for liis soul ?" Matt, xvi. 26. And now 1 hope 1 have said enough as to the things we ought to avoid, if we would rightly imp) we our time : but seeing it is not sufficient to know how time is lost, unless we know also what we are to be occupied about, and wherein the best and wisest disposal of our time stands ; therefore we must further consider the great and necessary duties with which we ought to fill up the seasons and vacuities of our life. And therefore 1 proceed now to The 2d part of this great and principal direction concerning the improvement of our lime ; which is this. That we take care to fill it LP with the conscientious and diligent dis- charge of all necessary duties. And here, though in general we cannot but know, that our time is wholly to be taken up in getting and doing good ; yet we must remember, that it is only in relation to time that we ar(^ to consider our duties in this place. And tlu^ri^fore I am only to consider hero those great and necessary duties which are always obligatory upon us, and the neglect of which is inseparable from the misiinprove- iiiireasoii' I, remem- ds of his, the whole what can I ?" Matt. Jgh as to ve would 5 it is not unless we led about, isposal of t further ities with sons and principal [It of our are to fill irent dis- cannot be taken ^ve must to time in this consider )s which ' neglect ni prove - RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHTilST. 139 ment of time. For it cannot be supposed that 1 should so much as hint all those things that come under the general notion of duty : or consider those things which particular circum- stances and emergents render obligatory to us, or such duties which are called relative, from the stations we are in, and the relations we bear to others. There are therefore a few things onlv which I shall recommend to you as altogether useful and necessary, and which none of us can ever plead exemption from. And in the first place, let me beseech you to improve your time, by frequent, diligent ind serious reading and studying the Holy Scriptures. In the first book of which ye will find your minds led jp to the first antiquities, which no other book beside can furnish you with any just account of. There we see the origin of man and of the world ; man's prim- eval state, when first created ; the original of sin, death and misery ; the subversion of the first race of men, by the great deluge, which heathen antiquities speak of only as through a cloud ; the first spring and dawning of mercy and iiope to lapsed man; the suc- cession of the first and most primitives Church, and the beginning and progr(\ss of Gentile idolatry, snpcsrstition, and wickcsdness; toge- iher \^ ith the first original of nations, cities, arts, governments, languages, and in all these the superintending providence of God, in its III! m 140 A DISCOURSE Concerning the justice and goodness, wisdom and steadiness. And by this knowledge we bring back, as it Were, all past time, and make it our own as to our profit and advantage. In the other books of Moses, we have an account of God's erecting a poor oppressed people to be a church, and God's peculiar possession ; where- in we see his wonderful appearance for them, by signs and miracles ; his strange and un- usual way with them in al! their journey, in trying, feeding, and preserving them ; his giving them laws ecclesiastical, moral, and political; his wrapping up most profound mysteries under ceremonies and customs, and his bringing them into a noble country with power and glory, destroyiug their enemies before them ; together with mnumerable ob- servable occurrences, and theoretical and use- ful things to be taken notice of therein. The historical part of the Old Testament, that fol- lows that of the law, as the Jews call it, gives us a relation of most admirable and great re- volutions and transactions as ever fell out in the world. Wherein we may observe the various, and yet uniform steps of Divine Providence in governing the world and the church ; God's trying, and yci rewarding the righteous ; his permitting sin, and yet [)unish- ing sinners. In iill wriich occurrences wc have the best examples that can be, to be imitated by us, and an account of the worst also, that we may avoid such pernicious a u o RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 141 v20urses. The book of Job is a mirror, wherein we may learn what afflictions the best men are liable unto, and what reproaches they may unjustly fall under even by good men like themselves, through mistake and infirmity: as also, how we ought to behave in the time of calamity ; and what the end of the Lord at length usually is. The Psalms are the most excellent model of practical and experimental piety, and the best prayer-book and directory for devotion that ever the world was blessed with. The Proverbs of Solomon are the most excellent and refined ethics that were ever published, or ever will be. Ecclesiastes is the noblest picture and demonstration of the world's vanity. And Solomon's Song the most spiritual pastoral, the finest allegory, and the divinest poetical description of the love between Christ and devout souls that over saw the light. The prophetical writings jnve us the noblest and distinctest idea of God's government ot nations, and the righte- ousness and ecpiity of all his providences and administrations ; besid(^s innumerable other lessons to be learned from thence. And as for the New Testament, the nrsr thing that occurs to us, is the most excellent part of the whoK^ Bibli^ ; I mean, the fourfold history of our blessed Saviour. O, let your thoughts dwell long, and strike deep here ; for all the historical piissages of the gospels, all the wise and sage j)arablcs to be found 142 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE {i ! I'i there, all the miracles wrought, all the pro- phecies mentioned, all the truths revealed, and all the counsels and exhortations there given ; I say, all these are as so many rich veins of what is more precious than the Anest gold, and admirahle and useful above all thought. The book of the Acts O' *:he Apos- tles gives us a noble and impartial account of the beginning and progress of the gospel, and the first settlement of the church : wherein we have a naked and clear view of Chris- tianity in its pure and primitive dress ; toge- ther with some most profitable examples, and useful discourses. The Apostolical Epistles give us a full and copious account of the reli- gion of the blessed Jesus, both in its principles and practice, its original and design. So that these are sufficient alone, if rightly under- stood, to enlighten our minds, to mfluence our affections and designs, and to regulate our lives and conversations. And the book of the Revelation, though dark and enigmatical, re- presents to us, in an august and lofty manner, the rectorship of our Lord Jesus in governing the world, over-ruling and disposing the de- signs and actions of men, and making all thmgs at length work together for the illus- tration of his own glory, and his people's good. Thus we see something of the special pro- perties of the several parts of the Scripture, and what excellent things may be learned from thence. But let us consicier also those RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 143 properties that are common to the whole Bible, and every part of it. Let us therefore look upon all the l)ooks that compose this sa- cred volume, as divinely inspired, and as de- signed, in all respects, for our profit and edification. Therefore let us read and study them, " not as the word of men, but as they are indeed the word of God ;" i. e. so as to prize and value them according to their worth ; to love an^. delight in them ; to praise God for them ; to meditate upon them as men, not as children ; and to conform our lives wholly to them. And in order to become thus the humble, impartial, and obedient scholars of Christ, let me put you in mind of one thing, than which nothing is more neglected, and yet nothing more necessary in order to profit truly by the Bible, viz. : that ye have a care of laying down any opinion or scheme of opinions in matters religious, previously to your having impartially examined the sacred Scriptures m such matters. For they that do so, come not to be taught of God, but to dic- tate to the Almighty, and are not afraid often to wire-draw th(5 sacred text, in order to force it to speak, not what it really does, but what they would have it do, as best suits with their prejudices, passions, and party designs, that I say not lusts also. Therefore let me desire you (as I have often done from the pulpit) to make the Bible itself, and particularly the New Testament, your chief (and in a proper 144 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE r Ii .1 sense only) system, confession of faith, and creefJ. For whatever excellency there is in any human composures of this kind, we are to own them no farther than we find them to agree and harmonize with the divine oracles. In the next place, let us improve our time, by frequent, serious, and close meditation on divine and profitable thinejs. Let the charac- tejr of the blessed man, Psal. i. 2, 3, be ours, by our meditating on the laws and truths of God day and night. For to what purpose do we read the Scriptures, and other good books, if we be not at pains to penetrate into the things therein contained ? Now it were end- less, and in some sense impossible to name all those things that may be profitably thought upon. But perhaps it may not be amiss to sug- gest to you the principal heads of sacred theo-: logy ; by which, as so many avenues, ye ma} attain mentally to converse with God and truth. In the first place then, meditate on God himself, his attributes, works and word, and the blessed Persons of the Godhead. Then think on man in his first innocent state, in his lapsed condition, and begun recovery ; and on thyself particularly, thy nature, thy facul- ties, thy state, thy faults, thy end, thy duties, and thy privileges and advantages. Meditate often on Jesus Christ, his person, his proper- ties, his oflices, his merits, his sufierings, his conquest, ^is br.siness and work now in hea- ven, and his management of the Church on RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 145 earth, and the world in general. Then think of the Holy Spirit, his office, work and influ- ences. And let the Church also be consider- ed in its obligations, ordinances, sufferings, progress and victory. And think likewise of the particular state of the saints of God on earth, their temptations, the principles by which they are acted, their conversation, and the promises made them. Hence let your minds be led in to contemplate the great blessings of true religion, such as conversion, justification, adoption, sanctification, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, commu- nion with God, the prelibations of heaven, and final perseverance. And then let your thoughts terminate upon what we call the last things. Think therefore on death, its certainty, yet the uncertainty of the time of it ; the great change it brings upon us, how terrible it will be to be unprepared for it, and the happiness of being ready for so great a change. Then thnik upon the dissolution of this world, when the elements shall melt with fervent heat, and this vast pile of our planet- ary world become one great bone-fire. And from thence let your minds contemplate the great Day of Judgment, those grand assizes, where all mankind must be impartially judged, and sentence be pronounced upon them ac- cordingly. And aftrr all let your thoughts pass beyond the limits of time, and step in to the eternal state. There ao down to the infernal 146 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE prison for a while, and view the horrors of the place the frightful aspect of the company, and the intenseness and perpetuity of the torments. Then mount the steep ascent, and soar aloft upon the wings of contemplation^ to the blissful regions of the celestial paradise. There satiate your thoughts with the plea- sures and beauties of the place, the felicities and joys of that state and government, the excellency of the company, the glory of the discoveries made there, the noble employ- ment that takes them up, and the eternity and immutability of all these. Think then upon these few hints, my friends (where there are almost as many subjects as words) and ye can never want matter for your thoughts to work upon. And now, seeing all our study and medi- tation must be so managed, that we may re- ceive some real and abiding advantage, let us ever call ourselves to a serious and impartial account as to the spending of our time : for how can we satisfy ourselves, without con- versing with our own souls, in order to know how it is with them ? And how can we at- tain to know ourselves, if we never examine and try how it is with us ? If merchants, and men of business, are so careful to set down every thing in their journals and books of account, that they may be able exactly to balance what they call their debit and credit, their losses and gains ; ought not Christians RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 147 to mind their eternal concerns, with the like exactness and accuracy ? How wonderfully does Seneca speak on this head, when he tells us, that in imitation of one Sextius, whom he highly commends, he had been ac- customed to examine himself every night ? *' When at night," says he, " the candle is out, and all is still and quiet, then do I look back upon, and search all the day past, by measuring and running over all I have thought, said or done. I hide nothing from myself; I overlook and pass by nothing. I say to myself, so and so thou hast done unadvisedly, do so no more. And again, I ask myself, what evil have I healed ? what vice have I resisted ? what passion have I moderated ? what lesson have 1 learned ? and what good have 1 done ? And O," says he, " what a sweet sleep fol- lows, after this recognition of a man's self, when one is conscious of his impartiaHty and seriousness, in the review and censure of him- self and his own manners I" And to this purpose we find an excellent direction in the golden verses, as they are called, of old Pythagoras ; which begins thus, ** Mede hupnon^^^ &c. The sense of which I render thus : " Before Ihino eyes to slumber sweet give place, Be sure the past day's journal first to trace. Survey thy steps and actions all : then say, Which good ? which bad ? how ordered were they ?" O then, my friends, let it not be said of u» 148 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE that we live iii the neglect f this duty, lest heathens rise up in judgment against us and condemn us. But since we are not born for ourselves only, let us be concerned to promote the good of others also. Let us therefore improve time, by being useful in our stations to the Church of God and good men, and to all as far as we can : for so we are obliged, as we are members of communities, cities and na- tions ; and as we are inhabitants of the world. And in order to be thus useful, let us set be- fore ourselves the glorious example of Christ, whose meat and drink it was to do the will of his Heavenly Father, and who went about alwciys doing good. And therefore let us be ashamed to live as useless plants in the world, which do only cumber the ground. And in order to perform all these things aright, and so to improve our time to the best advantage, let us be sure to spend as much of our time in prayer as possibly we can : for as It is' thus that we attain to most immediate and direct communion with God, so it is this way that we attain to be strengthened and directed in the performance of all the duties we are obliged to be taken up in. Therefore let us remember, that it is not without just ground that we are commanded to " pray always," Eph. vi. 16; and to ** pray without ceasing," 1 Thes. v. 17. The sense of which expressions I take to be this : that as we are ni RiSE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 149 y, lest IS and rselves legood nprove to the all as as we id na- world. set be- Christ, he will t about t us be ! world, things he best nuch of : for as nediate : is this ed and ! duties erefore ut just " pray ;vithout f which we are to keep up stated times of solemn prayer to God, and to have recourse to him, in a more special manner, upon extraordinary emergents and occurrences, in order to be peculiarly directed and assisted then from God ; so we are ever to keep ourselves, as much as pos- sibly we can, in a praying frame, and for this end to fill up all the vacuities of other affairs and studies with ejaculatory prayers and breathings. But besides all these things,' there is one thing further that I never found any writer take notice of, that I look upon to be the principal design of such expressions ;^ and this is, that we be careful to prosecute the design of our prayers from one time of our life to another, waiting for the answer of them, and improving the same in praise, when received ; e. g. If a Christian pray long for a full victory over such or such a temp- tation or lust, let him prosecute this design in all his prayers until he receive lEm an- swer ; which, when he has got, let him turn this from the catalogue of his petitions to that of his thanksgivings. And so let him' act also, with respect to mercies to be re- ceived, promises to be fulfilled, and miseries to be averted. And thus I have at length finished the first and principal rule I had to propose to you, with res[>ect to the improvement of time in both the parts thereof. And now 1 am td hint to you two more, which are only subser-' 7 1 '1 160 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THK vlent ones ; though, at the sarnie time, worthy of your most serious thoughts. The 2d Rule therefore is, that in order to the right improvement and disposal of time, we do both dedicate ourselves solemnly to God, and as explicitly as we can, in order to spend our lives wholly in his service ; and be concerned, in order to this, to keep a secret and exact register or diary of all our own ac- tions, and the providences of God in relatioa to us. But seeing I have hinted something in re- lation to both the parts of this rule in another discourse, viz., that concerning the ministerial work ; I shall not therefore trouble you with any thing more upon either of these heads. Only let; inc say this one thing further, in relation to the keeping of a diary or private register ; that every man must be left to his own discretion as to the manner and method of adjusting those things that occur to him in his life. A,^ therefore some may think it best to set things down according to the series of the time they fall out in : so others may look upon the method of heads, or common places, to be the best. And if any serious person shall think this last way the best (for as to the first the method cannot be mist) he may per- haps find these heads not unreasonable or useless, viz. : That after a short series of his life, to be further continued, he proceeds in this order^ RISE AND FALL Of ANTI-CHRIST. 151 worthy rder to f time, mnly to rder to and be I secret own ac- relatioa ig in re- another nisterial ^ou with leads, rther, in • private ft to his method :o him in ik it best series of nay look n places, 5 person as to the nay per- nable or ;s of his ceeds in 1 . To consider God's providence to him, in adapting and disposing of him for particular ends, agreeably to the faculties of his soul and constitution of his body, together with his external circumstances, in a relation to both. 2. What his conversion has been, with the time and manner of it. S. How far, and in what way he has been led in to covenant with God, with the reno- vations of the same. 4. What crosses and troubles he has met with, and how far these have been improved and sanctilied. 5. The dangers, spiritual or temporal, he has been delivered from. 6. The sins he is most inclinable unto na- turally, and those he has been most guilty of and overcome by. 7. How frequently, in what manner, and upon what occasions, he has been deserted by his God ; and, so far as he can conclude, for what ends these have happened to him. 8. What evidences he has had of the wrath and displeasure of God upon the account of sin. 9. And what intimations he has met with of the love and kindness of his heavenly Father. 10. What temptations, inward or outward,.^ he has been most assaulted by, and what he has found to be the best antidote and relief against these. 11. What observations and experiences he has met with, to confirm him in the belief of 152 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THfe ,1- f 11 the Christian religion, as to the being of God, the divinity of Christ, and the existence of invisible pov^ers. 12. What observable and remarkable things have happened to him, in his business, studies, or converse with men, that may be of use to himself or others, as to life and conversation in the w^orld. 13. Particularly, what has occurred to him in the remarkable turns and changes of his life, in health and sickness. 14. What intimacy, familiarity and com- munion God has graciously admitted him into with himself; and what answers and returns of prayer God has granted him. And 15. What special and peculiarly distin- guishing circumstances he has been under, wherein the footsteps of a peculiar conduct have been conspicuous to him. Under these heads I humbly suppose all things may be regularly disposed, that can be thought necessary to compose a private Christian's register. Though 1 presume not to dictate to any man, but leave every one to follow his own method. The 3d and hist Ru^e is this, That, in or- der to the right regulation of time, we set down some short, rational and n.itur.jl direc- tory, according to which we may l)e enabled and assisted rightly to improve our time. But seeing every one is to compose ^his, according to his own circumstances, there is RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 163 no ipan that can justly prescribe to another in this matter. Nay, there is none that can set to himself such a directory, as to all particu- lars, that he can be supposed to be tied up to, at all times ; since the providence of God is so various this w^ay, that our circumstances render our condition, and consequently our duty almost as different as the weather is. And therefore a spiritual prudence is that w^hich is to every one the great directory of his life. For when the providence of God renders our particular rules and methods im- practicable, unlawful or inconvenient, it is both our duty and wisuom to fall in with the present circumstances of things, rather than with our own arbitrary determinations ; seeing then the state of the question is, whether God's method or ours should be followed ? All therefore that I shall propose to you here, is the consideration of three things ; which are easily minded, and may be put in practice every day, whatever our circum- stances are. First. — When ye awake in the morning, let this be among your first thoughts : How shall i spend this day to best advantage, for the honor of God, and my own good ? And .vhen ye have considered what is most proper to [)romote tlunse ends, then firmly propose to yourselves your busincjss through the day, and fixedly resolve upon acting so ; and ac- cordingly proceed and fall to work. 164 A DISCOURSE cor CERNINO THE Second. — In the midti.e of all your busi- ness, or studies, allow yourselves some time of breathing, in order to reflect upon hese two things, viz. : What ye are, and what ye do ; putting these frequently to yourselves by w:iy of query, thus : What am I ? i. c. am I sure 1 am in favor with God ? am 1 indeed regenerated ? am I spiritual in thought, affec- tion, and design ? And again. What do I ? i. e. am I employed as 1 ought to be ? are my ends right ? are my studies, or my business, such as I ought now to be occupied about ? do I behave in all respects as one that is journeying towards the better country ? Third. — In the evening sleep not, before ye have examined yourselves, as to the actions and occurrences of the past day. But having spoken already to this duty, 1 shall only, add here, that it will be of great use for you to ex- amine yourselves as to two things, by way of question to yourselves, thus : What has God's providence been to me this day ? what have I seen or heard that deserves special observation and improvement ? what mercies have I re- ceived r what troubles have I met with ? what dangers have 1 escaped ? did God assist me, or desert mo in my devotions and business ? have I learned nothing new from his holy Word ? did ho seem to receive or shut out my prayers ? And again, what has my way been towards God ? have I done nothing to dishon- our him, or to discredit my profession ? have 1 RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 165 acted so as to approve myself to my God, in thought and design, as well as in word and action ? wherein have I failed in my duty ? what have I done for religion ? and what for my own good, or the good of others ? what have I done that I ought to beg the pardon of, and what I to praise God for ? Now, my friends, I hope these three gene- rals are easy, both to be remembered and practised. For as to the particular questions I have suggested, they are only proposed to shew more fully the design of the general ones : and therefore every one may pick and choose, or vary from these, as his own cir- cumstances do require, and as his prudence will direct : I only desire you then to remem- ber the three heads themselves, with relation to the morning, the day, and the evening, as they are comprehended in these three mnemo- nical words, propose, reflect, and examine. And thus I have at length come to the end of that which I had to say to you upon this great and practical head of improving time to the best advantage. Which I conclude with those few watch-words. Spend not your time so, as to be afterwards obliged bitterly to repent of what ye have done : spend no time on that which ye cannot review and look back u|)Oh with comfort : spend no time so, as ye dare not pray for a blessing from God upon what ye do : spend no time, without some respeci to God's glory, or your own and 156 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE r;ii'' li other's good. And be sure so to spend and improve your time, that your greai work may be done before your life end ; that when your few days are lived over, ye may joyfully enter in upon a happy eternity. Now, having finished all I had to say, by way of improvement of the Apocalyptical thoughts I have presented you with ; I desire ye may candidly interpret my design, and favorably construe my performance. And one thing I hope ye will remember, that see- ing this discourse is by way of epistle, I have therefore used an epistolary freedom, both in what I have said, and in the way of writing, not tying myself up to so close a method as in other discourses, though I have not alto- ffether neglected even that: but if 1 have failed in any respect, remember furthei, that I write to those I look upon to be my true, good, and kind friends. Let therefore the name and ties of friendsiiip plead lor me, where ye may discern my infirmities, and in- duce you to pass a favorable sentence upon my attempt to assist you in the way to heaven. And now, that I write to such dear friends, and have mentioned the ties of friendship, let me beg of you that you would make it your business to live together as such ; for there is nothing Christ has injoined us more, than mutual love, in so much as he has made it the badge of our Christianity, when he tells us, John xiii. S5j <^ by this shall all men kno'v RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 157 n d and k may nyour oyfully ;ay,by yptical desire and And lat see- I have both in writing, jthod as lot alto- 1 have iCi, that my true, fore the lor me, , and in- ce upon ) heaven. • friends, dship, let ; it your r there h )re, than Fide it the tells us, en kno^v that ye are my disciples, if ye love one ano- ther." And therefore it was one great end of his coming into the world, to introduce a divine and universal friendship among men. For as the devil promotes his kingdom in the world, by dissentions, emulations, hatred and malice, so our blessed Master carries on his by union, gentleness, peaceableness, and uni- versal kindness, love and charity. But besides a genera! friendship, it would be of great use to cultivate a peculiar one with one or more, whose disposition is most agreeable to ours. And seeing there is little of this now to be found in this selfish age, let me give you such a description of it, as may make you fall in love with it. And if this ap- pear too florid, remember that, as the subject itself is so, it is part of a youthful composure of mine, in a letter to a worthy friend, who had desired my thoughts upon this head many years ago. " True friendship is a divine and spiritual relation of minds, a union of souls, a marriage of hearts, and a harmony of designs and affections : which being founded on a known agreeableness, and entered into by a mutual hearty consent, groweth up into the purest kindness, and most endearing love ; Hiaintaiiiing itself by the openest freedom, the warmest sympathy, and the closest secrecy. And such friends are as twins, every day alike ; or like sweet flowers, agreeing in beauty, though perhaps differing in colour, like I . III. ^yt,. i . 158 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THfi the rose and lily, the primrose and violet, twisted round one another, and mixing both colours and smells. Or tiiey may be com- pared to two pleasant rivulets flowing from one spring and fountain, though separated perhaps by some unlucky rising of the ground ; yet meeting again in some kind and flowery mead, which they bless by their cheerful and gentle meanders ; and it may be thence sepa- rated again at some distance, where they glide along silently, murmuring now and then to one another, and mutually complaining of the rude banks that obstruct their joining ; until at length, having run their full course, and becoming one stream, they pour them- selves forth into the great ocean itself, and become one with it also. So that, like the rest of the bitter sweets of this life, friend- ship has its ups and downs until it flow into heaven, from whence it took its rise : which is the consummation of all divine friendships, and where all true friends do at length hap- pily meet, never to part." And now, my friends, I shall conclude this long epistle in the words of a famous doctor* and father of the ancient church : " Learn, O faithful and religious men, and carehilly apprehend the design of the gospel polity, lor which end, study to conquer fleshly lusts, to be humble in heart, pure in mind, and mas- ters of your passions, if ye are called to suffer * Dasii MHgn. violet, r both ; com- r from »arated round ; lowery ful and e sepa- f they nd then liing of oining ; course, them- ;elf, and like the , friend- ow into : which ndships, 5th hap- lude this i doctor* '* Learn, carefully il polity, hly lusts, and inas- l to suffer RISr AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 159 act heroically, and do something over and above mere passiveness, for the honor of your Lord. If ye are unjustly treated, evidence that ye are not contentious ; if hated, love your enemies ; if persecuted, endure it ; and if reviled, answ^er no man otherwise than by prayer and good wishes. Die to sin, crucify your affections for God, and cast all your care upon your Lord and Master. That thus ye may at length reach the glorious place, where millions of angels, and the glorious assembly of the first-born are praising God, and where the holy apostles, prophets, patriarchs, mar- tyrs, and all the righieous are. To this blessed society, let us labor and pray to be joined, through Jesus Christ our Lord. To whom be glory for ever." Now, that both ye and I may attain, through grace, to be thus happy, is and shall be the serious, fervent, and constant prayer of. My very dear Friends, liondon. Jan. 1, 1701, being the first day both of the year and Century. Yours to love and serve you in the Gospel of our liOrd and Saviour Jesus (^hrist, ^ ROBERT FLEMING. 160 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE POSTSCRIPT M CONTAINING A short account qf the first principles ofthS Apocalyptical interpretations advanced in the preceding discourse. After 1 had finished the foregoing dis- course, and that all the sheets were almost printed, I was earnestly urg^d by a friend, to say something to secure the foundation I go upon : especially because the learning of Grotius and Dr. Hammond had influenced many to follow another way of interpreting the Revelation, as the reputation of Mr. Bax- ter had swayed others to think well of the same. And when I urged that Dr. Moore, in his " Mystery of Iniquity," and Dr. Cres- sener, in his " Demonstration of the first Principles of the Protestant Interpretations of the Apocalypse," had done this sufficiently already ; he replied, that these books were both voluminous and dark, and not easy to be I rchased by every one ; and that there- fore some short account of this matter at this pui Foi caj the he (l0(| I :!: RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 161 time seemed to be necessary. 1 urged many things against this, as that this advice came too late, and that should I contract never so much, it would swell this part of my book too much, to keep a due proportion with the other discourses, and indeed make the whole too bulky. But after all, importunity and the respect I bore my friend, prevailed with me to say something to all those things, that he thought \ ought to premise. T^ i^refore not to spend any longer time, in givm;^ the reasons, why I did not speak to these things before, in their proper place, or why ^ do so now, I shall give my thoughts of this book and the first principles of the righi interpre- tation of it, in some propositions, which do gradually lay the foundation of what I ad- vanced before. 1. Proposition. — The Revelation was writ- ten b}* the Apostle John, and is a sacred and canonical book of the New Testament. I hope there is no Christian that will dis- pute the truth of this proposition with me. For, besides that the style of John may be easily traced in this book, notwithstanding the difference of the subject from that which he wrote of in his gospel and epistles ; he does frequently make mention of himself, and that with such peculiar circumstances, as agree with none but the apostle ; as we see, chap. i. 1,4, 9 ; also chap. xxi. 2, and xxii. 8. I know indeed that . some of the ancients 162 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE doubted of this, as Caius, a Latin father, mentioned by Eusebius, Hist. Lib. 3 Cap. 28, and Dionysius of Alexandria, who made a great noise against it for a while, as we see in Eusebius also, Hist. Lib. 7, Cap. 4. But yet even this man declares that he owns it to be a sacred book, though not written by the apostle John. W herein he speaks, what we must look upon to be altogether absurd. For if St. John be not the author, it must be an imposture, seeing his name is inserted in it, as being the penman. So that if it be not St. John's, it is no sacred book. Or if it be a sacred book, the author is none but the be- loved apostle. But the weakness and incon- sistency of this Dionysius's reasons, against this book, are sufficiently though briefly ex- posed by Monsieur Du Pin, both in his pre- liminary dissertation to his " Bibliotheque des auteurs Ecclesiastiques," and in his " History of the Canon of the Books of Scripture." And if this were any argument against the divinity of this book, that some persons have doubted of it, or denied it to be canonical, there is hardly one book in the New Testa- ment that would stand the test ; seeing we find in the ancient church history that there have been not only particular men, but even sects of them, that have excepted, some against one book, and some against others. And we know that the epistles of James and Jude, and the second and third epistles of RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 163 ather, p. 28, ade a Ire see But IS it to by the lat we For be an I in it, be not if it be the be- l incon- against efly ex- his pre- jque des History re." linst the )ns have monical, T Testa- eing we lat there but even d, some t others. Lines and 3istles of John, and that admirable epistle to the He- brews, have been controverted, as well as the Apocalypse : of the authority of which neither Papist or Protestant, Grecian or Armenian Christian, doubts at this day. And as all Christians do now acquiesce in the Revelation, as a canonical book : so ex- cepting those I mentioned, and the hereticks called Alogians, all the eminent fathers of the church received it of old. So did Justin Martyr, Dialog, cum. Tryph Ireneeus lib. 4, cap. 37 and 50, and lib. 5, cap. 30, and apud Euseb. lib. 5, cap. 8, Tertullian, adv. Marc, lib. 3, cap. 5, Clemens Alexandrinus, apud Euseb. lib. 3, cap. 23, Origen in Mat. and in Joh. and apud Euseb. lib. 6, cap. 26, and Eusebius himself, Hist. lib. 4, cap. 28. Nay, all the other fathers agree in this also, viz. : Epiphanius, Victorinus, Theophilus, Cyprian, Methodius, Jerom ; and other authors quoted by Eusebius, Epiphanius, and Jerom, viz. : Melito, Hippolitus, Victorinus, &c. But for my own part, were all these autho- rities wanting, there is that in this book itself, that would inforce me to own it as divine. For besides the augustness of its style, the wisdom of its contexture, and the purity of itsldesign and counsels, there is something that I want a name for, that commands my belief and veneration, and insinuates itself into my affection and conscience, as if Christ himself breathed something divine in evqry 164 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE line. But the clear view of the fulfilling of the several parts of its prophecy, is an argu- ment that even several other books of the New Testament want. II. Proposition. — The book of the Reve- lation of John was written after the destruc- tion of Jerusalem. The notion of Grotius, upon which his in- terpretation of the Apocalypse is founded, is this: that the seven kings or heads of the Beast, mentionecf Rev. xvii. 10, are not to be understood of seven several forms of govern- ment, but of seven particular emperors, viz. : Claudius, Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Ves- pasian and Titus, and that Domitian is the eighth, who was of the seventh ; because, as he pretends, he governed during his father's absence. The foundation which he lays, for the pro- bation of this, is that John w;?s banished into Patmos, in the reign of Claudius: but that though he saw his visions then, he did not write them till Vespasian's time. For he must make this last supposition, as well as the first, else his notion would be condemned immediately, seeing it is said, that five of these kings are fallen. Rev. xvii. 10, that is, says he and Hammond, when he wrote, not when he saw these visions. But how false this is, any body may see with half an eye ; seeing these words are not John's but the angel's to him. And therefore the defenders age bail Jol sec( assi baj suj no ties ev( g of argu- tlie leve- truc- is in- ed, is bf the to be )vern- viz. : Ves- is the ise, as ither's le pro- id into It that id not I'or he veW as enmed five of :hat is, te, not / false 1 eye; lut the fenders RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 166 of this opinion must find out five emperors that were fallen before Claudius, if they will restrict these heads of the Beast to particular men : for if the angel spake these words to John in the days of Claudius, they must re- late them that went before, or to none. This is enough to destroy this notion of theirs, and I know not how it is possible for any of their admirers to save their credit this way. But seeing the principal thing they found upon, is this, that John saw the Apo- calyptical visions in the days of Claudius, and that so all, or at least most of the Reve- lation relates to things that fell out before the destruction of Jerusalem ; I shall say something further to disprove this assertion, and to confirm the v^erity of our proposition. Now there are only two things adduced by Grotius and Hammond to prove, that John was in Patmos in Claudius his reign : the first is, that Claudius raised a persecution against both Jews and Christians, and that being the first persecutor, it is probable that John was banished at that time. The second is, that Epiphanius does expressly assert, ihat it was by Claudius that John was banished to Patmos. As to the 1st of these, it is nothing but a supposition, without any proof; for we have no account, either in the Acts of the Apos- tles, or in any other writer, that Claudius did ever persecute either Jews or Christians. 166 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE ■<■ J m And Lactantius de Mort. Pers. does expressly assert, that no emperor did persecute the Christians before Nero. It is true, Sueto- nius says, *< Claudius Judaeos impulsore Chresto tumultuantes Roma expulit." And Luke tells us, that Claudius banished the Jews froui Rome, which occasioned Aquila and Prisciila, and other Christian Jews, to retire from Rome : but neither of them say that he persecuted the Christians, or even the Jews. Now, as for the e:' iression of Sueto- nius, ** impulsore Chresto,'' or " Christo," the meaning must be this, that the Jews that did not believe, going about to stir up the govern- ment at Rome, as they did every where else (as is plain from the book of the Acts) against the Christians, and appearing against them in a tumultuous manner, upon the occasion of (yhrist ; complaints might probably be brought to the i^.mperor, who no doubt, upon this ac- co!mt, banished all of this nation from Rome : so that Suetonius having a confused notion of Christ, might easily be induced to expn^ss himselt this way. And now that this was all that Claudius did against the Christians, is plain to me from one argument that has es- caped Dr. More, but is to me unnnsA^crable, taken from the 18th chapt*;r of the Acts; where after the sa(!red historian had taken notice of Clauciius, his banishing the Jews out of Rome, and of Aqnilp and Priscilla's being lately come upon that account from Italy to a I th th( Je ihi SU( Pi] do an an se fal 8 1 KiSE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHllIST. 167 iressly e the Sueto- )ulsore And ^d the Aqiiila ws, to m say ^en the Suetc- o," die hat did Tovern- ve else against them in ision of brought this ac- Rome : lotion of expn'ss 5 was all itians, is has es- iverable, e Acts ; d taken lews out l's being Italy to Corinth ; he tells us of Paul's lodging with them, because he was of the same occupation. But being pressed in spirit, to preach Christ, upon the coming of Silas and Timothy from Macedonia, he goes into their synagogue, and reasons with the Jews and proselytes there, upon this head : and having converted some, particularly Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and Justus, in whose house he afterwards disputed ; Crispus no doubt being thrown out of his office, and Sosthenes put in his stead, and Paul continued to preach in Justus' house, which joined to the synagogue ; the Jews are incensed to such a degree, as to rise tumultuously against Paul. Sosthenes therefore, the new chief ruler of the syna- gogue, and the rest of the unbelieving Jews, make an insurrection, and seize upon Paul, and carry him to the judgment seat, before the pro-consul Gallio, that excellent Roman, the elder brother of Seneca. He tells the Jews, that il Paul, or anv other man, were guilty of what was lewd, wicked, or unjust, that ill that case he was obliged to punish such persons accordini^ as thf^ LJoman law and justice did r(M|ui»'e. Rut seeing they accused Paid of nothiiij^ of that kind, but only of doctrinal matters, relating to then own law and religion, hv had nothing to do with them ; and ther( for(* he drove tli(;ui all away, and set Paul at liberty, which made the (ientiles fall u()on Sosthenes, the chief author of this 168 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THK ! '1 tumult, and beat him before the judgment seat ; which Galiio permitted to be done and connived at, either as judging that he did deserve to be so treated, or as supposing it might prevent the Jews from acting so fac- tiously and tumultuously again. Now, after this short, but exact account of this history, it will be easy to see how precarious and groundless, nay false, Grotius' opinion is, of a persecution being raised against Jews and Christians, in the days of Claudius. For if there had been any such thing, or any edict for it, how came Galiio to tolerate a public synagogue of the Jews, and suflfei' Paul to preach openly ? or, if the Christians were only ordered to be persecuted, why did not the Jews use this, as the reason of their ac- cusing Paul, who to be sure wanted not a good will to have done so, and were uot igno- fant that this would have been the niiiin argnroent to prevail with the pro-consul ? And had there been anv such edict, can we rmijjjjine that Galiio was ignoraut of it ? for so he iiwist have been, seeing hi* tells the Jews, that he Iwid no orders to punish any man for his religifm ^jc sentiments that way, but only thosr '^hat urn; iiiiilvy of wickediu^ss or lewd- in -.N III life. If an} say, that his temper was to cdvr jor none of Jieso things P I answer, this v%\)i< ssion may indeed denote; his tem[)er ; but I sup|)Osr ii speaks fonh not only that, but his principle and sentiment, as judging it an als< Aci to detj f i RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 169 yment le and le did ;ing it fac- , after istory, IS and is, of 7S and For if y edict public *aul to i were lid not eir ac- not a 3t ij[>'no- 3 mil in consul ? can we ? for so e Jews, vian ibr lit only )r lewd- per was answer, tenijHn* ; ily tliat> d«;ing it unrighteous to persecute, or punish any man for mere opinion. But, whatever this had been, had there been any edict for persecuting the Christians or Jews, he durst not have neglected his orders, especially when the edict must have been so recent, and when he had what might have past for a just reason of his punishing both the party accusing, and the party accused, viz. : their disturbing (as he might have represented it) of the public peace. But indeed it is too plain to need any further proof, that Claudius his banishing the Jews out of Rome, was accompanied with no perse- cution, either against them ox against the Christians. And this Dr. Hammond con- firms, by what he says in his annotations on the .31st verse of the 26th chap, of the Acts, forgetting that this way he destroys his own foundation of interpreting the Revelations ; where upun the words of Luke, that Agrippa. Fesrus, and Berenice, and the rest of the company, after they had heard Paul's defence, did conclude, that he had done nothing that deserved either death or imprisonment ; the doctor observes, that the reason why thev did conclude so was, because' there had been as yet no ftdict emitted against the C-hristians, ly any ot the empj^rors; and this was the reason also, says he, why Callio, the pro-consid oj Achai, said j)ub!icly, that it was not for him to judge of things that the Roman laws had determined nothing about : ior, conti' aes the I;0 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE ■5; ! doctor, though Claudius had commanded the Jews to leave Italj, hy which the Christian Jews were forced to go away also, not as they \^ere Christians, but because they were Jews ; yet there was yet no law made against Christians, as such, at this time. It is true, he says, that John was not only banished, as Aquila and Priscilla were, but confined in the Isle of Patmos. But he should have given the reason, why John was the only person persecuted ; however, ] shall examine this assertion, and the reason that the doctor gives for it in other places of his annotations. We come thereibre now, in the second place, to consider the testimony of Epipha* nius, upon whose credit alone Grotius and HfUnniond believe that John was in Patmos, in Claudius's time. And here by the way, I cannot forbni^r to ol < /e the strange mis- take of Dr. Lightfoot, iv ho agrees in the main with these Icv'irned men, in interpreting the Revelation, in relation to the Jews before the destruction of Jerusalem, and therefore makes John to see these visions )on«* before that ; but has this peculiar to himself, that he imagines John was not banishcid there, but v,*ent thither voluntarily to preach the gospt;! to the inhabitants; whereas John himself doth e.vpre .sly XvW us, that he was there as a s?uOerer md witness for Christ, chap. i. 9, * I John, who also am your brotlu^r and com- panion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and the tian t as ere inst rue, d, as the ajiven orson this ^ives Bcond 3ipha- s and itmos, way, 3 mis- Li main ig the ore the makes that ; lat he re, but gospel tiimself re as a p. i. 9, id com- om and RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHBISl. 171 pati< of Christ, was in the isle that lence is called Patnios, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ:" so that as this refutes Dr. Lightfoot, and confirms what Grotius and Hammond agree in, that John was not in Palmes as a traveller, but as a prisoner and suFerer ; so it is enough to re- fute even them also : for the words do plainly insinuate, that John was not the only perse- cuted man at this time, but that there was then a persecution raised against all Chris- tians in general ; and therefore we may be assured that he was not in that island in the days of Claudius, in whose time we have proved there was no persecution. But to return : Epiphanius says indeed, that John saw his visions in Patmos, in the reign of Claudius, Heres. 51, Sect. 12 and 33. But can his single authority weigh down all antiquity, that says the contrary ? shall we believe him rather than IreneuSy who lived two hundred years before iiini,and was the scholar of Polycarp, tlw scholar of John himself? Now wh;U can he plainer than the words of Irenens, lih. 5, cap. 30, as they are pn»served by ICusehius, III). 5, cap. 8, (list. Eccl., ** If his name (viz., that of Anti-Christ, or tlu^ Beast) had been openly to be divulgtid at this time, it W(uild no doubt Lave becMi told b> liiin that saw the Apoca- bprical Visions : lor it is not a long time since he Haw these, but v.ven in some sense, in oitr 172 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE m ji own time, viz. : towards the end of the reigw of Domitian." And that Ireneus had just rea- son to say, that John's seeing the Revelation was almost in his own time, or within the memory of the men of that generation, if not his own also, is plain from chronology : for he being the scholar of Polycarp, who w^as martyred in the year of Christ 167, and being himself put to death in the year 202, if we su[)pose that he wrote this but ten or twelve yea "s before his death, yet he might justly say, that there was but about an age's dif- ference from his time, and that wherein John saw the Revelation : for if John was in Pat- mos towards the end of Domitian's reign, it could net be sooner, in any propriety of speech, than the year 90, seeing he began his i^overnment, Ann. 81, and died 96. And who can do«jbt but Ireneus does deliver here, whav his master Polycarp had told him ? for as ijone knew the history of John better than that worthy person, so none had better op- portuviiity to know what related to this mat- ter than ijj.'neus, by reason of his long and intim ite arqv'aintance with him. This seem- ed a found^ti )n sure enough of old to Euse- bius : and if some men had not some private ends to [)r >mote, by opposing it, might be a S3 fTiricnt foundation to all men still. Let us tJHMcfore hear what this learncul hiistorian says on this head : Euseb. Ecclc. Hist. lib. 3, cap, 2i3, ** hi those days (vias. : in the days a ioi RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 173 IglT •ca- tion the not for of Cerdo, Ignatius, and Simeon, of whom he had been speaking) the apostle John, the beloved disciple, was yet alive, inspecting the churches of Asia, having returned after Domitian's death from the island, whither he had been banished. Now that John was then alive, it is enough to adduce the testi- mony of two persons of great authority, who are worthy of all belief, and were ever emi- nent for defending the truth, I mean, Ireneus, and Clemens Alexandrinus ; the first of whom, in his second book against heresies, speaks thus : ' All the Presbyters, (says Ireneus,) who lived familiarly with the apos- tle John in Asia, do assure uf^, that they had this related to them from John himself ; for he lived with them even unto the times of Trajan.' In his third book also, Ireneus gives us the same account, in these words : '^ The church of Ephesus also which was founded by the apostle Paul, and was after- wards under tht^ care of the apostle John, until Trajan's time, is an eminent witness oi what was delivered to us by the apostles.' And besides him, Clemens likewise d'^es not only take notice of tlie same time, but gives a particular ntory relating to him, in that book of his, which bears this title, * What rich man can be saved?'" And then Eusebius re- cites the story at full length, which were too lt)n{i: to insert here. Now if John lived fo the days of Trajan, 174 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE I he must have been a prodigiously old man, according to Epiphanius, who sajs he was ninety years of age in Claudius' time. For giving him all the allowance that can be de- s^red. viz. : that John was so old in the last year of Claudius, and that he died in the first year of Trajan, he must have been one hun- dred and thirty-four years old at least when he died ; seeing Claudius died, A. C. 54, and Trajan did not begin to reign until the year 98, though others say, with more probability, not until A. C. 100. Now, besides that it is not easy to believe, that so thoughtful and laborious a man should live so long, the improbability of what Epiphanius says, ap- pears further from this ; that if in the year fifty-four from Christ's birth, John was ninety year i of age, he must have been thirty-six elder than Christ. And if so, it seems very odd, that Christ should say to him, from the cross, " man, behold thy mother," and to (Mary, " woman, behold thy son." For as this seems to say, that he was at least as young as Christ, this account makes him an old man of near seventy years of age at that time. Which as it must supj)os(i Mary to he ii very ^ii;ed person of between eighty and uint^ty at least, so it contradicts the constant and unanimous tradition of the Church, which supposes him to be very young at tliat time. Whence^ Haronius says, that he was but twenty-five vears old. And Nicephorus re- RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 176 lates, out of an epistle of Evodius, Bishop of Antioch, that the virgin herself was not then fifty ; seeing Christ, as he asserts, was born when she was but fifteen years old. Whence it appears, how little we ought to trust Epiphanius, in opposition to all anti- quity besides. Which made Drusus say, " scimus onines Epiphanium in multis gra- viter hallucinatum," Lib. 14, Obser. chap. 21. And upon the same account Petavius scruples not to correct him ; for where he has it " imperant Claudio," he writes this short note in the margin, " mendose pro Domitiano." But the truth is, though I am not willing to detract from this author's credit, yet I sus- pect it was not so much an error of judgment as of will, or that which some call a pia fraus, that made him desert the tradition of the church in this matter. For his telling us this story is upon the occasion of an objec- tion of the Montanists against the Apocalypse, taken from this supposition, that there was no church in Thyatira, when John wrote the Revelation : whir*h it seems, he thought would serve another turn, if he inverted it, by telling them that John said so only by way of prophecy. Whence he proceeds to prove the verity and divinity of the book ; and therefore thought his argument would be the more; cogc nt, the further he run up the date of th(^ Revelation and John's being in Pat- ^^ lU 12.2 I.I lb 11.25 Itf 12.0 Hiotogrdphic Sciences Corporation A /./ ^*>.^ z. ^^^2' ■^^^' ;\ 33 WIST MAIN »TRNT WMITH.NY I4SM (71«)in-4S03 '^ 178 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE naturally follow from what has been said, and remain as certain truths. 1 Corol. The visions of the Apocalypse, relate neither to the Romish nor Jewish state, before the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus. 2 Corol. The Revelation relates to the Church and her adversaries, as to those things that were to fall out after the eversion of the Jewish state. Now before I proceed, I must desire the reader to observe the distribution, which Christ himself makes of the subjects treated of in this book, chap. i. 19, when he com- mands John, saying, " Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter," where it is plain three things are distin- guished. First, The things which John had seen, viz. : the emblems, figures, cr hierogly- phica! representations, that had been objected to his eyes or imagination, from ver. 12 to ver. 19. Then second, the things which were existent and in being at the time when John was in Patmos, viz. : the churches planted by the Apostles, ))articularly the seven Asiatic ones, to which John had a peculicir relation, and to which he was order- ed to direct, seven Epistles. And then, third, The things which were to fiill out hereaftjected 12 to which I when lurches '\y the had a order- I, third, reafti^r, begin- n from the 1st /erse thereof. Where after John had written what related to both the former heads : he tells us, chat he ^< hoard a voice, like the voice of a trumpet," talking with him, and commanding him now to begin and write the things which he was to shew him and represent to him emblematically, which were to be after the expiration of the other things mentioned before, which were said then to exist, viz. : the then' present circum- stances of the Asiatic churches. So that this is a sufficient answer to those that object, that this book cannot be supposed to contain a prophecy of the state of the Church for any long time, seeing it h said, that the things prophesied of in the Revela- tion must shortly come to pass, chap. i. 1. For seeing we have a double explication of this expression, viz.: chap. i. 19, and chap, iv. 1 . I ask, whether we are to stick so to the letter of the first short proposition, as to re- ject the explication given of it in the follow- ing places? It was very proper indeed, when some things in this book did concern the then present state of the church, and some other things that did relate to the future condition of it : to say, as in chap. i. 1, that the prophecy related to things that were shortly to come to pass : because not only were those to be soon fulfilled that concerned the churches of Asia at that time ; but the other things were then also to enter upon their 180 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE begun accomplishmem. But that we might not imagine that the whole of this book was to be accomplished shortly, we are told, chap, i. 19, and chap. iv. 1, that what related to future time, was to be accomplished and fall out afterwards. And that accordingly we might see the full extent of this prophecy, we are led down from scene to scene, till we are brought to the end and consummation of all things at last. And now seeing we havi* proved that this book was written after the destruction of Jerusalem, we must desire our antagonists to find out something else, to which they can accommodate all the figures of the Revelation, before we quit our inter- pretation, merely because they dislike it, though they can offer us nothing in the room of the same. So that until they be able to enlighten our minds, with another scheme than that of Grotius, which we have suffi- ciently, though briefly, refuted : I must be bold to lay down this further Corollary, which is the same with our first postulatimi in the preceding discourse. 3 Corol. That the Revelation contains the series of all the remarkable events and changes of the state of the Christian Church to the end of the world. And the same distribution of this Inyok into the three parts I have mentioned, lays a sufficient foundation for another proposition also, u of RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 181 night . was chap. 3d to 1 fall y ^^ y,we ^e are of all have ;r the re our se, to ifTures inter- SLCi it, room ble to heme suffi- st be which n the ntains ami hnrch lM>ok lays a Witioii III. Proposition. The seven epistles di- rected to as many Churches in the Lesser Asia, do not immediately relate to the Chris- tian Church in general, and therefore cannot be interpreted prophetically in any proper sense, as if they did denote so many periods of time in relation to it. I might demonstrate this, were it needful. But seeing it makes nothing for my design, which way soever men understand it, 1 sluill say nothing to it now ; especially because the learned Witsius, my professor and master formerly, has sufficiently demonstrated what 1 assert in this proposition, in his " Diatribe de septem Epistolarum Apocalyj)ticanun sensu Historico et Prophetico," publish(^d in his *' Miscellanea Sacra." And neither havr 1 time to i)rove other propositions, that might appear more neces- sary : only seeing the Key of interpreting the Apocalypse, wlich the Angel gives John, (•hap. xvii., is so very plain, 1 cannot but l)uild another pro})osition u[)on it. » IV. Prop. Babylon the great, or the Apo- calyptical Beast, taken in a general si^nse, as It is re[)resenled, with its seven heads, and ten horns, is no other than an emblem of the Roman Emj)ire. Fur b(»sid(*s that Dr. Cressencn*, and others, hav(^ [)rov(;d this, lh(^ text itself is demonstra- tion (enough to all thos(; that will beat pains, attentivelv and impartially, to couJiider it. U 182 A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE i For seeing the Angel does expressly say, that by this was meant the seven-hilled city, ver. 9, and the city that then did reign over the kings of the earth, ver. 18, I cannot imagine what he could have said more plainly upon this head. But seeing he represents the Empire, under the peculiar consideration, of its being gov- ernc^J by a woman, who is called the great Whore, or Adulteress : therefore this lays a foundation for another proposition. V. Prop. ^The seven-headed Beast, more especially considered, as it is represented as rid upon by the Whore, doth represent Rome to us as it is under the Ecclesiastical Gov- ernment of the Papacy, or apostate Church of Rome. This the angel does sufficiently insinuate, chap. xvii. 8, wh-.n he says, " the Beast which thou sawest, was, and yet is not at this time," i. e. the Beast which thou sawest, is indeed the same Roihan Empire which was before, and was represented to thee, chap, xiii. 1. But it is not yet, in another sense, viz. : as now thou beholdest it under the rule of a Whore, or the apostate Church of Ronne. For this last Ecclesiastical form of govern- ment is not yet come, but it is to come (when it ariscth)out of the bottomless pit, in order thither asrain, into endless « go pel tion. And if this be once granted, then that will »«».i — ■ n iiii MMmfc i S that , ver. 5r the lagine upon under gov- great lays a more :ed as Rome Gov- )hurch [luate, Beast not at iwest, h was chap, sense, e rule on^e. lovern- vvhen order pcrdi- at will I RISE AND FALL OF ANTI-CHRIST. 183 naturally follow, which I am to represent as another proposition. VI. Prop. The seven Kings, represented by the seven heads of the Beast, are no other than the seven forms of supreme Govern- ment, that did successively obtain among the Romans. This the Antrol doth likewise sufficiently insinuate, ver. 10, which can never be under- stood of particular emperors, at least not ol those Grotius fixed upon, whose opinion this way we have already refuted. And there- fore seeing five of tlio forms of the Roman government were fallen in John's time, viz. : Kings, Consuls, Dictators, Decemvirs, and military Tribunes, (as Tacitus reckons them, Annal. lib. 1, sect. 1,) and seeing the Impe- rial authority was that which was in being then, we have no reason to quit so plain and exact an interpretation, until more be said against it, than ev(;r has been yet produced to the world. And were it not that I am confined so much now, both as to time, and lest this postscri[)t should swell to an enormous bulk, 1 should not fear to attempt the demonstration of these last propositions, and to proceed to others that would lay a further and more strong tbuiidatioii still, of that nu^thod of interj)reting the Revelation, which the generality of Pro- testants are agreed in. But 1 hope I hav(^ said enoueh for this place to secure the # 184 A DISCOUHSE CONCERNING THE *l If" I principles I go upon, by which the thin,!2;s which I proposed at first as postulata, are, I think, sufficiently proved. }nd seeing my princi])al design in writing this postscript, was to refute the hypothesis that Grotius and Hamnnond go upon : I hiavc it to the candid and impartial thoughts of the reader, whether 1 have not said enough, to prove it to be alto- gether precarious. And now seeing every one must see how much I have been straitened, both as to time and paper, in this postscript, 1 hope the rea- der will pass the more favorable construction on what defeats he may observe in my per- formance, either as to matter, method, or the calculations of time, which I have run upon ; in which if there be any thing obscure or confused, the study of brevity and despatch has occasioned it. But since 1 have advanced nothing, in relation to future time, but by Wi\y of conjecture, nor indeed asserted any thirg (i'.i relation to that ])artof the prephecy which is fulfilh^d) dogmatically and positively, but (/uly proposed my thoughts, after th(j manncn* of a nitiop.al pro'hability ; I sup{)ose no man will think it worth his while to make a poise al>out little mistakes, that perhaps I may have been guilty of, through haste or inadvertancy. Hut if any person shall X:\kv, o(xasion, from what I iiave said, to study thc^ Apocaly|)se to better advantage than 1 hav». attained to do, and sliall give the world a / . A-.. .... uisf: \N!> fall oi anti-christ. i85 are, 1 :, was s and andid lether ; alto- l)etter Imilt, and more clearl} connected scheme of the Visions of this book : 1 assure liim, that none shall more rejoice in such a performance tlian 1, and 1 shall be one of the iirst to return him thanks for refuting me. For truth is all 1 seek after, and that it may rver, and in all respects prevail, is, and shall be my constant ))raycr and study. ! how ) time 3 rea- uction i per- or the itpon ; ire or ^paich anced ut by d any phecy tively, n* th(i ppose make laps I ste or I take [\y t he hav^ jrld a ^ FINIS. ♦'# I 186 A DISCOLKSE CONCERNING, &C. In addition to what Mr. Fleming has said relative to th^ number of the Beast, which is ' also said to be the number of Man, the editor begs leave to remark, as a very singular cir- cumstance, that the title " Vicarius Filii Dei," which the Popes of Rome have as- sumed to themselves, and caused to be in- scribed over the door of the Vatican, exactly makes the number 666, when decyphcMcd according to the numeral signification of its constituent letters. Thus, V I C A R 1 V S F I L I 1 DEI. 1 JOO ] 5 1 50 1 I 500 ADDED TOGETHER THUS I 1 c 100 A U — 1 — 1 V — 5 s F I — 1 L — 50 I — 1 I — I D — 500 E — 1 — 1 Tht iminber of th' Beast (5()6