of what sort they are and the Word preached shall be Fire to burn up Wood Hay and Stubble And then shall Popish Priests appear to be but as the Priests of Baal Now by this means Unity shall be restored to the Church For this Elias will be a blessed Peace-maker among the Saints and shall make Brethren to dwell together in Unity so that one shall not be of Paul another of Apollo Now sometimes Fathers begetting and Children begotten through the Gospel have fallen asunder But this Elijah shall turn the hearts of Fathers to their Children and the hearts of Children to their Fathers And that Promise will be fulfilled Phil. 3.15 If in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you And thus the Multitude of the Disciples will be as in the Apostle's days of one Heart and of one Soul Secondly To the Jews in particular For they shall be called and be the Children of the living God And so the Adoption Glory and Covenants and giving of the Law shall be restored to them and more than they had under the Law And we may well suppose that the Elijah spoken of in Malachy will be the means of the first calling of the Jews For he shall turn the hearts of Fathers to their Children and of Children to their Fathers Through his Ministry the Jews shall come to have the same Hearts with their Fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob. Abraham believed God and his Faith was counted to him for Righteousness and he was obedient to the Commands of God He saw Christ's day and rejoyced And at last the Children shall have the same heart with Abraham their Father They shall believe unto Righteousness and rejoyce in Christ's day And when Abraham Isaac and Jacob shall be in the beloved City then their hearts will be to their Children So this Elias will be as the Instrument of turning the Childrens hearts to their Fathers so the occasion of the Fathers turning their hearts to their Children And now the disobedient will be turned to the wisdom of the Just that is of just Abraham 'T is to be observed that the Jews great disobedience was in refusing to hear Christ and to obey the Gospel which he preached which was after John Baptist was beheaded Now Elias must turn these disobedient ones to the wisdom of the Just which shews that there is an Elias yet to come to restore all things And when he comes the Kingdom of the Spirit which was so evident and eminent in the Apostles days shall be restored And then the Spirit in and by the Word shall mightily convince the World wondering after the Beast of their great Error therein whereby they shall be made to hate the Whore and to eat her Flesh and burn her with Fire Thus much of the restoring all things by an 〈…〉 et to come 2. Christ at his coming shall restore all things Acts 3.21 The Heavens must receive him till the time of the restitution of all things Christ will come and set all things right Elias will restore all things of the Primitive Apostolical Estate Christ will restore all things of the Primitive State of Innocency and Uprightness Elias all lost through Antichrist's Apostasie fore-told 1 Tim. 4.1 Christ all lost by Adam's Apostasie and shall set the Saints in a better Estate than Adam had in Paradise A particular description of this Restitution is not to be expected but we must rest satisfied with those generals which we have in Scripture about it Rev. 21.5 He that sitteth upon the Throne shall make all things new The Works of Antichrist yea all the Works of the Devil shall be destroyed All Babels will be thrown down and all Idols be utterly abolished The New Heavens and Earth will be created in such Glory and Beauty that the former shall not be remembred And as Light Grace and Peace shall be most plentifully and abundantly restored to the Church so Righteousness Judgment and Quietness to Civil States No Inhabitant of the Beloved City shall say I am sick None of the New Earth shall complain of violence or wrong then the Kingdom shall be restored to Israel yea the Kingdom lost by the First Adam shall be restored to the Second And a Paradise will be restored with the Tree of Life in it In a word all the dead Saints shall be restored and shall live and reign with Christ. 3. A description of the two Beasts mentioned Revel 13. As there hath been occasion to mention the Beast in the fore-going discourse so 't will be requisite to consider the description given of him in the Scriptures Two are described in the place last cited The first riseth up out of the Sea having seven Heads and ten Horns and upon his Horns ten Crowns Some are apt to conceive that the Roman Empire as Heathenish was this Beast But this can't be because this Beast is said to continue Fourty and two Moneths And besides the Roman Empire as Heathenish is that Dragon we read of Rev. 12.3 A great red Dragon appeared having seven Heads and ten Horns and ten Crowns upon his Heads And this Dragon gives to the Beast rising out of the Sea his Power and Seat which is Rome and great Authority And 't is to be observed that the Dragon hath Crowns upon his Heads but this Beast on his ten Horns which are the ten Kings which give up their Power to the Beast Now for the better understanding of what we find in this Chapter about these two Beasts we may consider that in Prophetical Style sometime by Beast is meant the Fourth Kingdom which was to be on Earth Dan. 7.23 The fourth Beast shall be the fourth Kingdom Revelat. 17.7 I will shew thee the Mystery of the Woman and of the Beast that carrieth her which hath seven Heads and ten Horns Here the Beast is the Fourth Kingdom and the Woman riding the Beast is the Ruler of this fourth Kingdom And as sometimes by Beast is meant the fourth Kingdom so sometimes the Head thereof is called the Beast Revel 11.7 The Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless Pit shall make war c. Where by Beast the Pope or Papal Head of this fourth Kingdom the Slayer of the Witnesses is meant This first Beast then is the fourth Kingdom as becoming Papal or as under Popes as the Head thereof having Rome which is Mystical Babylon for a Seat This is the Beast with seven Heads and ten Horns that is ruling in that City which was built on seven Mountains and which hath had seven sorts of Government having in himself the Monarchical Power of the Beast which before had been in the six preceding Kings or Regiments and to whom ten crowned Kings gave up their Power which continue one hour with the Beast v. 3. John saith I saw one of his Heads as it were wounded to death and his deadly wound was healed That is taking this Beast with seven Heads for the fourth Kingdom so
the sixth Head of Roman Emperours was wounded by the Goths and Vandals who prevailed so much in Italy and took Rome But now that which did lett being taken out of the way the Man of Sin was revealed and by this means the Pope was advanced and he becoming Head and ruling this fourth Kingdom kept it alive and so the deadly Wound was healed The time of this Beast's continuance is Fourty and two Moneths which is the time of the Witnesses prophesying in Sack-cloth and of the Womans being in the Wilderness Now when this time shall be run out then He that leadeth into Captivity must go into Captivity he that killeth with the Sword must be killed with the Sword v. 10. This first Papal Beast then as sitting on seven Mountains and having ten Horns and Rome for his Seat shall be destroyed for then the ten Kings shall hate the Whore and eat her Flesh and burn her with Fire And his Seat shall be destroyed under the Fifth Vial. But the Fourth Kingdom will not be destroyed at this time though now it will have another Wound seemingly deadly given to it which will be healed as after is to be shewn by the second Beast But that which will be destroyed will be the Papal Head of this Beast as in his Seat at Rome at the end of the Fourty and two Months which will be expired long before the Battel of Armageddon which should be well observed by the Reader in relation to what follows concerning the second Beast A clear Proof of this we find Rev. 11.14 Where the Rise of the Witnesses and the Fall of the Tenth part of the City being fore-told which declare the Fourty and two Months to be ended It follows The second wo is past and behold the third wo cometh quickly So that after the fourty two Months shall be ended there must be time for the third wo which will be caused by the cruel persecution of the second Beast and that will end in his final overthrow and the destruction of that fourth Kingdom whereof he shall be the Head The second Beast cometh up out of the Earth and hath two Horns like a Lamb and spake as a Dragon ver 11. And his coming up is after the first Beast shall be killed with the Sword and therefore is not in Being during the fourty and two Months as they conceive who say that the same Antichrist in the fourty and two Months time is here represented under divers forms as having a twofold Original out of the Sea and Earth a double body a twofold shape and person being both a Secular and Ecclesiastical person a Tyrant and a false Prophet an Emperour and High Priest But against this it may be urged John calls him another Beast and why should not we judge so of him And he comes up after the other will be destroyed If he be the same he must be destroyed with him and in him at the end of the forty and two Months And if he should be destroyed with the other then there would be no Beast after the forty two Months but the Scripture gives clear Testimony that a Beast will be after this time and shall continue till he be taken at Armageddon which will be the ending of the third woe By this it appears that they are two distinct Beasts one succeeding another Yet must it be acknowledged that in some respects they may be accounted one as in respect of Power For the second Beast executeth all the Power of the first v. 12. And causeth all to worship the first Beast which will be as it were revived in this second For the deadly wound given to the fourth Kingdom by the ruine of Rome and of the first Beast there will be healed by the coming up of this second Beast So then though they will be two Beasts yet but one Antichrist or Man of sin and so are spoken of 2 Thess 24.8 And whereas 't is said the Beast that was and is not he is the eighth and is of the seven Rev. 17.11 why may we not conclude thus the former Beast is the seventh and this second is the eighth Usually they are thus made up One is that is the sixth order of Pagan Emperours the other is not yet come that is the seventh order of Christian Emperours and then the Pope is made the eighth But the former way seems more probable Thus then when the forty and two months Beast shall be destroyed Satan will immediately send forth another Beast that in him the Antichrist and Man of Sin may be revived and an Head may be raised for the fourth Kingdom and this will be Antichrist 1. In a better shape and form more fit to deceive withal for so great will be the Light of this Day that if Antichrist should appear in his old form he would be hated of all Satan will therefore bring him forth in a better form that he may have the more Followers He appears like a Lamb with a shew of meekness and innocency and in this the subtilty of the old Serpent will be seen who will as near as he can imitate the Work of God in raising the Witnesses who when risen will be more pure and spiritual so this Beast will be raised in a better shape and be transformed as the Witnesses of Christ and Ministers of Righteousness that he may more powerfully deceive 2. He will have as another shape so another Seat For First Rome the Seat of the first Beast will be destroyed under the Fifth Vial Revel 16.10 The fifth Angel poured out his Vial upon the Seat of the Beast and his Kingdom was full of darkness Not now wholly destroyed but full of darkness and is to continue till the pouring out of the seventh Vial. Secondly we may observe that as two Beasts so two Babylons as Seats of those two Beasts are mentioned in the Revelations The first Chap. 14.8 Where after the rising of the Witnesses and their standing with the Lamb on Mount Sion 't is said Another Angel followed saying Babylon is fallen Which is meant of Rome and the destruction of the first Beast there and his Seat after which the second Beast comes up And hence it is that presently after the Fall of Babylon and the destruction of the first Beast there v. 9. A third Angel followed saying If any man worship the Beast and his Image and receive his Mark the same shall drink of the Wine of the wrath of God This seems strange that when Babylon is fallen and the Beast in it come to his end another Angel should be sent to warn Men not to worship the Beast But by this 't is evident That when Rome the first Babylon falls another Beast will arise and as he will be a grand Impostor so there will be great need of this warning to beware of him The second Babylon is mentioned Revel 16.19 as in Being at the pouring out of the seventh Vial for then 't is said Great
For the Kings of the Earth give up their power to him and so he is mighty by their power And lastly which makes the thing most clear as the King of fierce Countenance shall stand up against the Prince of Princes even Christ so this is plainly said concerning this second Beast Rev. 19.11 Christ hath this name upon his Vesture and his Thigh King of Kings and Lord of Lords The same with Prince of Princes And v. 19. I saw the Beast with the Kings and their Armies and they make War against him that sate on the white Horse And lo here we find that King of fierce Countenance standing up against the Prince of Princes viz. the second Beast making War against him that had a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords The vile Person Of him 't is said Dan. 11.21 He shall obtain the Kingdom by flatteries appearing as a Lamb meek and peaceable but having gotten the Kingdom shall do according to his own will v. 36. And shall exalt himself above every God And shall prosper till the Indignation be accomplished He shall enter into the glorious Land and then Michael shall stand up and at that time the Jews shall be delivered and this Beast this vile Person with his false Prophet shall be taken Now these things being considered we may judge it probable that this second Beast will have his Seat somewhere in the East In the next place I shall offer this to consideration whether what is added about the Number of the Beast may not be chiefly meant of this second Beast Some things may be observed which make it probable 1. This is added in the close of the description of this second Beast And seeing this comes up after the other is destroyed we may judge that what is spoken of the Number of his Name should belong to this Beast 2. 'T is said to be the Number of the Beast not of the Beasts which doth shew that it belongs to one and not to both 3. By the knowledge of the Number of his Name and Mark the Beast is known Let him that hath understanding count the Number of the Beast Why Because thus he may be known Now as for the first Beast if we had not other ways of knowing him than by the Number of his Name we should be much at a loss For what hath been discovered hitherto of this Mystery True Men have found out the Number 666 in some Names But what is this for the discovery of the Beast And hath it been a matter of so great wisdom to find out this Number in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or in some other Names Surely there is much more in it seeing a Victory is to be gotten over it Rev. 15.2 Now for the first Beast there are evident Characters given of him by which he is known and whereby we may come to a certainty and say we know that we know him but yet the Number of the Beast remains a Mystery These Characters we have 2 Thess 2.3.4 The Man of Sin opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God and sitting in the Temple of God sheweth himself that he is God And 2 Tim. 4.1 2. In the latter times Men shall depart from the Faith giving heed to Doctrines of Devils speaking Lyes in Hypocrisie forbidding to Marry and commanding to abstain from Meats And lastly in Rev. 17.7 I will tell thee the Mystery of the Woman and the Beast which carrieth her which hath seven Heads and ten Horns 'T is evident that Rome is here meant which was the great city reigning over the Kings of the Earth So the first Beast is known sufficiently by other Characters though we have not found out the Mystery of the Number of his Name Therefore it seems most probable that this respects the second Beast who as he shall be in a better form and do lying Wonders and more powerfully deceive so it would be more difficult to discern him but the Elect shall discern him for he shall not be able to deceive them but they shall look through his lying Wonders and shall have understanding to count the number of his Name 4. Observe those expressions Here is wisdom let him that hath understanding count Which implies that this is a very aenigmatical and obscure thing and 't will be an excellent piece of wisdom to find out the Number of his Name It implies also that this wisdom may be attained For to some it shall be given to count If none shall have it in vain 't is said Here is wisdom let him that hath understanding count This shews that such an understanding shall be given to some But where is this Wisdom now and who hath the Understanding to count What is there of satisfaction given by any for the discovery of this Mystery Wherefore it seems that this discovery is reserved for the time of the second Beast and God will then give an Understanding to some to know him and they shall have this Wisdom to discern the Number of his Name For a conclusion of what shall be said concerning this second Beast let these three Particulars be observed 1. This second Beast will be of very short continuance in comparison with the former for he will not much exceed fourty and five years For first under the fifth Vial the Seat of the Beast and consequently the first Beast will be destroyed Secondly under the sixth way will be made for the Kings of the East and the Jews shall be called and return to their own Land Thirdly from the time of the first calling of the Jews till the Battel of Armageddon where the second Beast shall be taken and after which the Jews shall have rest will be fourty and five years Which appears Dan. 12.11.12 From the time that the daily Sacrifice shall be taken away shall be One thousand two hundred and ninety days and at the end of these days the Jews shall be called And then it follows Blessed is he that cometh to the one thousand three hundred and thirty five days Why blessed Because the Jews Enemies will then be all cut off and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the People of the Saints of the Most High Now the latter Number is Fourty and five years more than the former and at the end of them this Beast will come to his end 2. This Beast will have his false Prophet workking Miracles before him The Beast and false Prophet are not one person but must be taken as two distinct persons and so are they still set forth There will be one in whom the Devil will be a Lying Spirit who shall preach up this Beast and cry up his Authority and shall work Miracles before him causing Fire to come down from Heaven in the sight of Men and by this means shall wonderfully deceive and draw many after the Beast As an Elias and true Prophet of Christ shall come so
1260 days will also end together The grounds of this conception I shall after lay down in the distinct handling of these Numbers and 't will be of great Use to clear this because if we can't find out the right Epocha of every one of these numbers yet if we can find the Epocha of one of them by that we shall know when all the rest will end I shall take notice of these numbers distinctly but chiefly insist upon one of them viz. the 1290 days and endeavour to find out the Epocha of it for I think the great mistake hitherto hath been about its Epocha First of the Number 2300 days Dan. 8.14 some would understand days here in a proper sence and so take them as setting out the time of Antiochus Epiphanes his Persecutions but this is very improbable for seeing that the other numbers mentioned in Daniel are taken by general consent for so many years why should not these be so taken also And besides Antiochus his Persecutions were but for six years as Pererius hath shewn out of the First Book of Macchabes But 2300 days make six years three Months and twenty days This appears farther by considering who is meant by the little Horn Dan. 8.9 who should tread down the Sanctuary and host till the 2300 days should be finished Now Antiochus Epiphanes was not this little Horn seeing the Characters do no way agree to him For 1. 'T is a little Horn at his first Rise and afterward waxes great But it 's evident that Antiochus was great at first being the Son of Antiochus Magnus who left him a great Kingdom 2. This little Horn was to wax great to the South and to the East and to the Pleasant Land but Antiochus did not so not to the East for he was put to flight and expelled out of the East by the Citizens of Elamis in Persia Not in the South for he had a repulse in Egypt by the Captains of Ptolomeus and was forced thence by the threats of Popilius the Romane Ambassador and after his Cruelties in Judea his Armies were overthrown and put to flight by the Jews and their Captain Judas Macchabaeus 3. The acts of this little Horn are extended to the time of the end yea the last time of Indignation v. 17. At the time of the end shall be the Vision That is its fulfilling And I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the Indignation the same end with that Chap. 11.35.40 Chap. 12.4.9.13 by this it is evident that Antiochus Epiphanes was not this little Horn and therefore the days are not meant of the time of his persecution Neither was the fourth Monarchy when it first became so this little Horn. For the Roman Power was very great before the Grecian Monarchy was subdued by it so great that it awed much Antiochus as appears by what was said of Popilius Neither was the first Beast or Antichrist in his first estate as Pope and as being in his Seat at Rome this little Horn for he never did wax great to the East and to the South and to the pleasant Land but onely in the West therefore we must conclude that the second Beast spoken of Rev. 13. shall be this little Horn which shall wax great to the East and to the South and to the pleasant Land 'T is said v. 24. He shall destroy the mighty and holy people and also he shall stand up against the Prince of Princes he shall not onely stand up against Christ in his Members but also which shews it to be another distinct standing up he shall stand up against the Prince of Princes that is Christ in person Rev. 19.16 Obj. This little Horn must arise out of one of the four notable Horns of the Grecian Monarchy how then can we judge this little Horn to be the second Beast which rises up when the fourth Monarchy draweth very near to its end A. The little Horn will come forth in the last time of the fourth Monarchy and be the Head of it and as heretofore so then that which was under the Grecian Monarchy in part at least will come under the fourth Monarchy again and this little Horn will then arise out of one of the four Horns that is out of one of those Kingdoms or Countries which before made one of the four and we have most reason to conceive that in Graecia will be that Horn because 't is said that he shall wax great to the East and to the South and to the pleasant Land Obj. But it 's said Dan. 8.23 In the latter end of their Kingdom when the Trespassers are come to the full then shall the little Horn arise Their Kingdom what is that but the Graecian A. To this I spake somewhat formerly that this is to be understood so as that it shall be fulfilled in the time of the fourth Kingdom and 't is called their Kingdom because theirs did run into the Fourth and was in it Now to clear this more fully consider first That these Four Kingdoms in the first representation of them are set forth as one body appearing as a great Image of a Man the Head whereof was Gold the Breast and Arms of Silver the Belly and Thighs of Brass the Legs of Iron and the Feet part of Iron and part of Clay When the time of its destruction comes the Stone breaks all even the whole Image in pieces Dan. 2.35 Then was the Iron the Clay the Brass the Silver and the Gold broken to pieces together and became like the Chaff of the Summer Threshing-floors and the Wind carried them away that no place was found for them So then the latter end of the Fourth is the latter end of the Third yea and of the Second and first also Hence thirdly we may gather That all the Kingdoms all the Dominions and Powers which shall be in any of those Nations and Countries which formerly were or now are under any of the four Kingdoms represented in that Image standing in opposition against Christ shall be all smitten by the Stone and thus broken in pieces This will be the first work of the Stone which after this will become a great Mountain and fill the whole Earth Fourthly The smiting will begin at the Feet of Iron and Clay so 't is said Dan. 2.34 The Stone smote the Image upon the Feet that were of Iron and Clay and brake them in pieces The Head was in the East and other parts were in the East or towards the East the Legs Feet and Toes came down to the West Now they are the Feet and Toes that are first broken in pieces that is the Fourth Kingdom as in this Western part of the World in the destruction of the first Beast at Rome and the extream parts of the Toes will first be broken in pieces and then will the Stone proceed to the Legs Thighs Belly Breast Arms and Head till all be destroyed together And therefore as this great
Widow saith Babylon but thou shalt know Widowhood and loss of Children saith the Lord. I shall not see sorrow saith Babylon but what is the Word of the Lord concerning her How much she hath glorified her self and lived deliciously so much torment of sorrow give her Rev. 18.7 3. If these things be so much expected in Heaven how much more should they be expected on Earth If where there is no sin nor sorrow but perfect holiness and happiness then sure the Saints here in this present evil World have great reason to be much in the thoughts and expectation of these things As therefore 't is the duty of Saints to look for these things so let me give a few Directions for the right performance of this Duty 1. Expect the same things which Christ expects He expects till his Enemies be made his Footstool he expects the Fall of Babylon he expects to be revealed from Heaven and to be glorified in his Saints and admired in them that believe And these things should the Saints on Earth look for even the blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Thus we are sure our expectations shall not perish because they are Christ's also but the expectation of his Enemies shall perish and their hope shall be as the Spiders Web. 2. Expect because Christ expects he knows what he expects and hath sufficient ground for his hope and hath power to make good his own expectations Now when the Saints want some Stay and Support for their hope and their Hearts like Moses his Hands are heavy they should look to Christ's Hope and this will be to their hearts as Aaron and Hur were to Moses his hands they stayed them up and so they were steady till the going down of the Sun and till Amalech and his People were discomsited by Joshua with the edge of the Sword 3 Expect as Christ expects Hopes on Earth should bear the Image of Heavenly Hopes there 's no fear no taking thought in Heaven Hope deferred doth not make any heart sick there but there is joy of hope As Christ expects that his Enemies be made his Footstool so he laughs at their Imaginations and Contrivance against him and hath them all in derision Such should the Saints hope be here and so they shall be able to say of Babylon the Man of Sin and all that give up their power to him as Isaiah did of Sennacherib when he besieged Jerusalem Isa 32.22 The Virgin the Daughter of Sion hath despised thee and laughed thee to scorn the Daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee The Power and threats of the Romish Beast with all that take part with him should not shake the hearts of the faithful Witnesses but they should shake their Heads at him and laugh him to scorn Surely there is little cause to fear those who shall very shortly be Christ's Footstool Christ expects also with Constancy and Perseverance there is perseverance in the hope of Heaven Christ expects till his Enemies be made his Footstool Christ's hope is like himself The same yesterday to day and till all be accomplished which he hopes for Nothing on Earth weakens the hope of Heaven no changes no scattering of the Power of the holy people no Death of the Witnesses make any the least alteration in the hope of Heaven Now such should the Saints hope be on Earth even the same in all changes they should hope when the Beast kills the Witnesses and those that dwell on the Earth rejoyce over their dead bodies as well as when the Witnesses have power to shut Heaven and to smite the Earth with all Plagues as often as they will they should hope not onely when a deadly Wound is given to the Beast but when that deadly Wound is healed and when Babylon triumphs and glorieth most then may Sion hope the more and rejoyce most of all in her hope For when Babylon saith I sit a Queen am no widow and shall not see sorrow then her plagues shall come in one day Rev. 18.8 That is a very short time after this her vain triumph For when having been under great Fears and these passing away she saith The bitterness of death is past and comes forth delicately like Agag then if the Sauls that should do it will not some Samuels will be found that shall hew that great Whore in pieces And secondly when her plagues come quick dispatch will be made with her even in a day as it were yea in one hour so great riches and glory will come to nought Thus we see what the expectations of Heaven are which do call for such hope on Earth as that which Peter exhorts 1. Pet. 1.3 Be sober and hope to the End For the grace that is to be brought unto you at the Revelation of Jesus Christ And thus we see 't is the Saints duty to look for these things and how they should do it Q. But here it may be askt as the Disciples did of Christ When shall these things be Seeing we are to look for them we would gladly know when we may expect them at least when the time is near A. For answer to this it may be said as Elijah did to Elisha Thou hast asked a hard thing 'T is indeed a hard thing to tell when the time will be yet certain it is that the time is revealed in Scripture when the Jews shall be called when Babylon shall fall and the two Beasts shall be destroyed and why is it revealed but that first or last Men might come to the knowledge of it Daniel understood by Books the number of the years of the Jews Captivity in Babylon though it was but a very short time before the expiration viz. in that very year in which Babylon was taken Dan. 9.1 and why may we not hope it may be given to some beloved ones to understand by books the number of the years of the Churches desolations some little time at least before the accomplishment of them We may observe three numbers in Daniel and one in the Revelations which concern the times when these things shall be brought to pass The first is Dan. 8.14 How long shall be the Vision of the daily Sacrifice and 't is answered unto Two thousand and three hundred days that is years for so the rest of the numbers are interpreted and why should not these days be so taken also The other two are mentioned together Dan. 12.11 12. From the time that the daily Sacrifice shall be taken away and the abomination that maketh desolate set up shall be One thousand two hundred and ninety days Blessed is he that cometh to the thousand two hundred and five and thirty days The fourth number is Rev. 11.2 3. Forty and two months and a thousand two hundred and sixty days being the same time Now it is upon good ground conceived that the 2300 days and 1335 will end together and that the 1290 days and the
heed given to it And did not this tend to the taking away of the daily sacrifice and was it not an abomination making desolate 3. Touching Prohibition of Marriage It was endeavoured in the Council of Nice A. 326. to make a Decree That Bishops and Elders should refrain from their Wives But Paphnutius opposed himself to the whole Council urging that of the Apostle Marriage is honourable among all men and so far prevailed that a Decree of Liberty was brought forth But in An. 396. the second Council of Carthage was held saith Helvicus which made a Law against their Marriage and this was confirmed in the Council of Toledo in Spain with an Allowance to have Concubines A. 400. and likewise Siricius who was Bishop of Rome from A. 385 to 398. as saith Alfred in Chron. Paparum imposed single life upon the Clergy endeavouring to justifie it by abusing those words of Paul They that are in the flesh cannot please God Thus we see when forbidding to Marry came in viz. A. 396. 4. As for a Command to abstain from Meats which is the last thing mentioned by the Apostle Socrat. lib. 5. saith That about the year 396. Laws were made about Meats and other things were instituted which he called Jewish Rites which made Augustine complain That about this time Religion was so corrupted with Traditions and Humane Rites that the very condition of Jews under the Law was much more easie than that of Christians under the Gospel And Dionysius Bishop of Corinth did in an Epistle admonish another Bishop not to load Christians with heavy burthens Ceremonies and Traditions nor obtrude upon his Brethren single Life Thus we have seen somewhat that History doth afford touching the Apostasy foretold by the Apostle These things before mentioned and more may be seen in Wolfeus his Centenaries Now seeing the great things of the Apostasy foretold by the Apostle appear to have been commanded and practised in and about the year 396 therefore that year is most likely to be the Epocha of that Number 1290 dayes and that then the daily Sacrifice began to be taken away and if so then we may easily conclude about what time the Jews will be called Thus much of the Second and Third numbers And lastly touching the 1260 days I would have it considered 1. That the 1290 dayes and the 1260 dayes will end together for we may observe Rev. 16.10 12. that the fifth Angel poured out his Vial upon the Seat of the Beast and so destroys that and consequently the Beast as in that Seat then the sixth Angel pours out his Vial upon the River Euphrates that a way may be made for the Kings of the East These Kings of the East are the Jews and chiefly the ten Tribes Now we may well suppose a calling of the Jews before this it may be a considerable time They are called Kings at the time of the sixth Vial which supposes their calling before and getting into such power as to be called Kings as the Israelites when brought out of Egypt and gathered into a body then were a Kingdom of Priests And besides 't is said he shall save the Tents of Judah first therefore their calling is before the sixth Vial and so we may suppose it will be at the end of the 1260 dayes For my part I conceive that the Jews first Call at least the Call of those of the Tribe of Judah will be at the time of the Witnesses being raised Which seems hinted Ro. 11.15 If the casting away of them be the reconciling of the World what shall the receiving of them be but Life from the dead Life to the dead Witnesses a civil Life and Spiritual to them in a far more eminent degree than before and also a Spiritual Life to many of those that were dead in sins and then the fulness of the Gentiles wil begin to come in 2. The first appearence and Rise of the Man of Sin or first Beast is not to be reckoned for the head of this Number 1260 dayes It 's evident he did begin to appear about the time of the great Apostacy and the taking away the daily Sacrifice 'T is observable in the year before mentioned 196. There was a division of the Empire upon the death of Theodosius and division was the way to ruine and in few years after Alaricus took Rome and the Bishop of Rome begâ—â— to usurpe the power of the Keys as appeaâ—â— by a saying of Augustine The keys are delivered to the whole Church and not to one Peter and then a little after the Horns of the Beast appear 3. If we would pitch upon the right time for the beginning of the 1260 dayes let 's consider two places which give us two eminent marks of that time the first is Rev. 11.2 his having such power as that he thereby treads down the Holy City the other is Rev. 13.5 power was given him to continue Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make War 42 Moneths we may well conceive he might have his Being some time before his making War and before he was able to tread down the Holy City Now upon that supposition that the 1290 and 1260 days will end together and that the head of the former number being reckoned to be about 396 it doth Appear that the head of the latter must be 30 years lower 4. At the Rise of the Witnesses the 1260 dayes will end and then the Beast's time also will be run out But we must consider in what sense this is to be taken that is then the time of his Treading down of the Holy City and his making War so as to prevail therein will have an end for so 't is said That he shall tread down and make War so long Now when the Witnesses shall be raised they shall begin to grow into a City and considerable body For then 144000 are said to be upon Mount Sion They get out of the Wilderness and afflicted estate and begin to be a Mount Sion and to tread down that wicked City Babylon for the tenth part of it then will fall and soon after the other parts and Rome it self and at this time the Witnesses will be able to make War with the Beast and first shall slay 7000 Names of Men and then shall overcome and kill him For he that killeth with the Sword must be killed with the Sword when the tenth part of the City falls and the 7000 Names of men are slain then a deadly Wound not to be healed will be given to the first Beast True he may doe somewhat towards his defence but all in vain So that his warring time so as to conquer and prevail by it will then be ended and his 42 Monthes compleated at the rising of the Witnesses And thus Although I had declared some resolutions not to medle with the times farther than to give some signes of them yet being earnestly prest to it I have adventured to doe somewhat in this matter which