forth as the Great Prince to have That great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Fold that is a Court One Shepherd and One Fold In the Goodness and Faithfulness of the Spirit of Truth Guiding into all Truth Glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ by taking of the Things That are His and so of his Kingdom and shewing them to his Servants and shewing them Things that are to Come I have Great Assurance in his Tenderest Mercies having Led and Guided and Supported me thus far in the Search after his Kingdom and Manifested so much to me He will not Leave more to be ashamed of my Hope I can Humbly say before Him as his Servant Jeremy Oh Lord thy Words have been Found and I have Eaten them and they have been the Joy and the Rejoycing of my Heart I Humbly therefore Expostulate with Him Wilt Thou Wilt Thou be to me as a Lyar I know it is Impossible He should Lye He is God that cannot Lye And therefore herein His Servants may plead with Him The Vision shall not Lye He will not â—e aâ— Waters that are not sure of which he hath given so Lively â— Description in comparing the Unfaithfulness of Friends to Theâ— My Friends have dealt Deceitfully with me as a Brook and â—s the Streams of Waters that pass away Which are Blackish by Reason of Ice c. But what Time they are warm They Vanish when â—â— is Hot They are Consumed out of their Place the Paths of their â—y are turned aside They go to nothing and Perish The Troops of Tema Looked and VVaited â—he Companies of Seba were Confounâ—â—d Because they had Hoped they came thiâ—her and were Ashamed Jer. 15. 15. c. Job 15. 15. c. How fully does this Express what Jeremy understood by Waters not sure And how Applicable to My Case if the Hopes I have of the Kingdom of Christ should prove mistaken It may be said Indeed if I were sure I had the Right Sense of â—â—ripture-Prophecy the Argument were enough sure I therefore â—erein Rely on his Grace that he hath Guided me into the Truth â—â— his Word that as I am sure His Word cannot Fail He cannot 〈◊〉 so neither can any Iron any Created Power break the Norâ—â—rn Iron or prepared Steel of his Wisdom Truth and Power But lest any should say If you have such a Fasth have it to â—â—r self before God and Happy are you if you do not find Reason â— Condemn your self in what you so much approve This therefore â—my Third Profession The things that I have so heard and seen by continual search into Meditation upon and seeking Divine Diâ—â—tion in I cannot but speak I look upon the Kingdom as of â—ose Things wherein we should confess Christ and not be ashamed of â—â— before Men who so despise his Kingdom and of those of which Confession is to be made with the Mouth uneo Salvation And therefore â—â— have Humble Hopes That Jesus Christ hath been Graciously â—â—as'd to draw out my Heart Thoughts Meditations to â—â—ch Every Retirement of his Word therein above All that â—e been before me And to give me Greater Confidence and â—â—surance and a more open Profession and Publication of what I have Found So that he will graciously Accept Remember Pardon spare me through the Multitude of his Mercies and not 〈◊〉 up to shame and Confusion of Face before Men and confess 〈◊〉 before his Father and before his Holy Angels That such a State of his Kingdom and such a Revolution with it and by it shall this very Year Appear to All thâ— World as hath never been since the Apostacy of Humane Nature and that therefore All Mighty Works shall shew forth Themselves in it The Spirit shall be poured out from on High The Wilderness shall Become a Fruitful Field viz. in the highest Purity and Prosperity of his Churches and that which look'd like a Fruitful Field become Desert even the Antichristian State and whatever partakes of it the Glory of All this World and the Grandeur of it and so the Everlasting Gospel shall be preached to every Nation Tongue and People and every Thing move to the Glory of that Kingdom To whom then Most Reverend and Right Reverend could I present equally as to you the consideration of these things who I am assured are so Richly Furnished with all Advantages of Learning both in that Sure word of Prophecy and in History and Chronology Correspondent therewith And whose very Title Imports the Office of Those who are on the VVatch Tower waiting for the Speaking of the Vision which will not Tarry beyond its Time And therefore should be able to Answer the Question VVatchman VVatchman what of the Night Or how Near is the Morning and who as Persons of an Elevated Station ought to Vindicate your selves by a Higher Zeal for the Kingdom of Christ and even by a Holy Haste to bring Him to his Throne above otheâ—â— That you may not Fall under any Ombrage of the Anti-christ … Hierarchy who as Feet of Clay are found in the Undermine of the Kingdom of Christ and are Broken by the very First Openings of it as upon which that Image Rests that Stands in delay of that Kingdom How therefore should you be able to answer that Question What do you more than others for the Kingdom of the Chief Shepherd who hath it on his Vesture and on his Thigh King of Kings and Lord of Lords and who Profess to Attend upon him more Near and in Ordinary 〈◊〉 â—â—st Humbly therefore submit this Apology to your Severest â—â—ation and that as Prophets that is Persons above Ordinary â—â—ted in the Sure Word of Prophecy for no otherwise can it be 〈◊〉 you would Judge The Grounds Themselves I freely tender to â—age and Learned a Christian a Protestant Presidency There is a 〈◊〉 of Intuitive Knowledge and Plerophory of Satisfaction I must with â— Reverence yet and Humble Fear Hope I have a Right unto as â—â—per to the having seen together the Curious Lines of Prophecy eâ—l to the Curious Lines and Symmetry in the Works of God which â—â— most Exact Astronomer Anatomist Naturalist Mathematician 〈◊〉 or can Observe I desire the Things I offer might be brought 〈◊〉 Seriousest Consultation and Debate as in the Days of Herod â—â—erning the place where Christ should be born so now concerning â—â— Time of his Kingdom Appearing It cannot be but most Great â— be near the proclaiming of the Kingdoms of this world to be the Kingâ—â—s of the Lord and of his Christ How would it releive in All the â—ost Inextricable Labyrinths of the present Difficulties of Nations â— our Nation particularly to our King to the Councel of the Nation in â—â—liament That He whose Right it is is now about to take to Himâ—â— his Great Power and to Reign and to destroy them who have been â—â—ong destroying the Earth I know the Paganizing Nations and Spirits will be very 〈◊〉 even at the Mention of these Things as Vtopian Imagiâ—â— Fanatical and think to Scoff it off But as an Hidden and â—â—ncealed Train that Gives Fire and hath its Effect in a Moâ—ent so the Chain of Divine Councels the Predictions of â—â—nisciency in All Times take Full Effect in their own Just â—â—ments how Unawares soever the World be concerning them â—â— He who is wonderful in Counsel and excellent in working â—â— neither be out-witted nor over ruled What I offer can be onely from Sense of Duty to declare â—â—at I have so Full Assurance of Duty as to the Great Reâ—â—r of Prophetical Secrets the wonderful Numberer of the Times â— Prophecy so Duty to the Publick in the so Generally Acâ—owledged Distress of Affairs For which my Constant Supâ—â—cations Ascend as also for You whose Most Christian Assiâ—â—ce and Administration according to Your Higher Sphere I Beseech and who I Hope Count it Your 〈…〉 to Serve Him who is the Prince of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore will not with a Gallio-like Spirit 〈…〉 any of these Things Most Reverend Right Reverend Your Most Humble Serv … In That Kingdom of our Lord T. BEVERLEY This First Month of the Year 1697. FINIS
AN APOLOGY For the Hope of the Kingdom of Christ Appearing Within This Approaching Year 1697. Wherein some of the Principal Arguments for such an Expectation are briefly Couch'd and the Greater Objections Answered Presented to the Notice and Examination of the Arch-Bishops and Bishops Now in PARLIAMENT Assembled By T. BEVERLEY â—zek 10. 13. As concerning the Wheels It was cryed to them in my Hearing Oh! Revolution LONDON Printed for and Sold by Will. Marshal at the Bible in Newgate-Street and John Marshal at the Bible in Grace-Church-Street 1697. An APOLOGY for the Hope of the Kingdom of Christ Entring Its Succession within this Now Beginning 1697. And an Answer of Principal Objections presented with It. To the Archbishops and Bishops as in Parliament at This Time Assembled Most Reverend Right Reverend I Have now by the Space of Fourteen or Two Weeks of Years been Serving for that Beautiful Rachel-State of the Church of Christ in the place of that Rachel in the Wilderness weeping for her Children in Sackcloth and under Death and would not be comforted Because They were not I have set my self all along by Meditation and Supplication to the Father of Lights to search out and by the Assistance of the Spirit of Prophecy to Find What or What Manner of Time the Spirit of Christ did signify for the Fullfilling that Grand Petition of his Servants Thy Kingdom come That thy Name may be Sanctified and Thy Will done as in Heaven and upon Earth and I am now Wrestling to the Break of Day and I Hope the Dawn of the Morning and Resolv'd not to Let Go Till I obtain the Blessing of it The Time that from the First and throughout it pleased the Lord of Time to fix upon my Mind as the Time of That Kingdom Entring into its Succession and Preparation for its Glory was and is This Approaching 1697. A Year to which I could have no Temptation either in Regard of Nearness or Distance or on any Account whatever but as a Scripture-Line of Time and Concurrent Reasons of Prophecy and History very many and in a Series and Continuation have Led me On this Foundation having Setled I have by Gracious Vouchsafements of Help from God Turn'd my Self to All the Grand Prophetick Points of Scripture and Found New Confirmations and have Given as Publick Accounts of them as I could attain and presented some of Them to Your Selves and to the Great Councel of the Nation And in as much as Supreme Goodness hath Granted me to Set up an Eben Ezer now at the Portal of 97. I have Thought it my Duty to offer this Apology for the Kingdom of Christ so near Approaching And that The Great Isaac The Son of Promise of Universal Laughter and Rejoycing The Desire of all Nations will Appear at a Set Time this Next Year the very Last of those Three Set Seasons Time Times Half Time Eleven Times expresly or Vertually Recorded in Scripture Prophecy and therefore I can have no Doubt But in the observing These so often Repetitions Remarking close upon Them and on what Accounts They are Recalled and to what Applied and Ballancing These One with Another I have Arriv'd to Full Assurance They are Assign'd to the Papal Last State of the Roman Monarchy the Last of the Four Kingdoms or Monarchies and the Four now Expiring in the Expiration of These Times and Half Indeed I look upon no Truth of Scripture to be more Plain and Certain except the Articles of Faith and Rules of Holy Practice necessary to Salvation Then that Those Four Monarchies are given as a Calendar of Time for the Embarrassment of the Kingdom of Christ or that Glorious State of Christianity which even the Prayers styl'd Establish'd by Law oblige the Belief Desire and Expectation of Scripture takes therefore so particular Notice of the Four viz. the Babylonian and Persian as is well known and Takes Account of Their Time of the Grecian more obscurely Yet the very New Testament in that Language and the so often Division of the People of that Time into Jews and Greeks is a very undoubted Owning Them as one of the Monarchies Out of which through a Great Part of the 70 Weeks the State of the World had been sliding into the Fourth the Roman Monarchy which Surrounds the whole New Testament History and Prophecy as is undeniable But assoon as ever the Time allowed to the last of these is at an End The Kingdom of Christ will immediately succeed and there can be no Inter-Reign Nor can any other Kingdom Interpose The Vision is so sure and its Interpretation so certain And such a kind of Kingdom it must be as was Congenially to have its succession so Connexed to those before it that tho it is a Holy a Heavenly a Spiritual yet it must be also a Visible Sensible Kingdom as to the Dominion and Glory of it and no Metaphor or Allegorical sense can satisfy without it And we know the Nations to which we belong are a part of the Ancient Roman Empire and Remaine still of the Ten into which it was canton'd Which Division hath been to me an Infallible Reason of Confidence France should no more prevail to an Vniversal Monarchy then the House of Austria hath done And herein for the keeping a within the Figure allowed its King by Prophecy I know God hath made our K. an Instrument All the Iron of it could never break the Northern Iron and Steel of the sure Word of Prophecy But seeing we I say are such a part of the Ancient Roman Emâ—ire we are the more concern'd and ought to be the more Awake an the Fullfilling of Prophecy as of the first of the Kingdoms of the World which is to become the Kingdom of the Lord and of as Christ. I have the same assurance that this Time Times and Half Time must be just on the Expiration By Prophecy we might rather have expected their End sooner The Wisdom of the Divine Spi … t draws them so very near to the Time of the Roman Empire Becoming Christian in all its Portraitures of the Anti-christian State As I know my self able by Divine Assistance to make out to the satisfaction of Any that will allow themselves the thought they know and yield necessary in any more retired Parts of Science That had I not the Faithful Evidence of the Scripture Line 〈◊〉 Time I have already mention'd together with uncontestable Events I should Fourteen Years ago have pitch'd upon some nearer Time For to mention one of the most obvious the very Casting the 1260 and Additional 75 so manifestly into Indictions a Fifteens of Years a Character of Time not Regulated and known till soon-after Constantine would have Enclin'd to have commenced them sooner I know the Hope for which I Apologize cannot but Encounter Great Objections but I am assured God hath set it and my self as a Minister of it as a Brazen Wall that tho it be Fought against It shall not be prevail'd
over The Objections and Solutions I shall very much in short thus Account for First It will be pretended against it It is a Presumptuous Curiosity to undertake to Pry into Prophetick Times and that it ought to be immediately check'd with that of our Lord It is not for you to know the Times and Seasons which the Father hath Set in his own Power But as to that Particular Scripture it is evident it was an Importune Enquiry of the Apostles not in the order of Scripture Researches nor in the due waiting for of the promise of the Spirit which was the Duty of that very Juncture And therefore tho our Lord is quick upon their disorderly question yet he implies there would be a Gracious method for their Resolution in it and commands them to Jerusalem to wait for The promise of the Spirit from the Father which saith He you have heard of me One Branch of which was The shewing them things to come Joh. 10. 14. And in general we find the search of Prophetick Times is much more under the Favour then the Displeasure of Scripture It is recorded with Honour to the Children of Issachar that they had understanding of Times and knew what Israel was to do Particularly 1 Chron. 2. 32. concerning Davids Kingdom which was the concernment of that Time And in which I doubt not they laid together the Prediction of Jacob and other Revelations of God peculiar to that People and those Times by which they were able to give a Judgment And it is observed Their Brethren were at their Command This sway'd no doubt in the Union of Israel in David The Prophet Daniel was not satisfied with what he found by Immediate C. 9. 1. Revelation but understood by Books of Scripture and civil Records It is a Recommendation of that method the Number of Years God had Determin'd for the Desolations of the Sanctuary The Prophets in the same manner search'd What and what manner 1 Pet. 1. 11. of Time the Spirit which was in them did signify The Apostle by the Spirit Praises the Giving heed to the sure Word of Prophecy as doing well Seeing then the Account of Time is one eminent Branch of that sure Word It is Praise-worthy to give heed to that and no Presumption to do so Our Lord charges it as Hypocrisy not to discern the Signs of the Times those Characters and Notes of Impression God hath set upon them by Prophecy How often is there Encouragement given in that Great Prophecy of the Now Testament Blessed is he that Readeth and they that hear the Words of the Prophecy of this Book Let Him that hath Wisdom Count. Here Rev. c. 1. 3 is the Mind that hath Wisdom Let any one now Impartially lay these things together and it will plainly appear There is waranty for searching Times revealed in Scripture And They are still in the Fathers Power when the Knowledge of them is waited for by the assistance of his Spirit in the understanding of his Word It may be further Argued against the Defining of Time from Scripture-Prophecy That the Scripture-Prophecies are so Dark and Enigmatical that it appears most probable The Spirit of God did not intend They should be understood or Laid Open till the very End of All Things at the Day of Judgment or in the Kingdom of Heaven in Eternity And therefore The Soberest Gravest Men though very Learned and of Great Sagaciousness do not engage themselves therein and Least of All in the Accounts of Time To This I would by way of Defence Rejoyn in the First Place That it is most True That in the Darkness of the Present State while the Apostacy of the Papal State so much Eclipses the Glory of Christianity There is a Great Indisposition and a Great Inability to Interpret Scripture-Prophecies The Vnlearned Esa 29. 12. say They are not Learned and the Learned say The Book is Sealed And This Begets a Prejudice against Any Undertakers herein and they are Charged with Boldness and Presumption or with Madness or Enthusiasm It is said to Them Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from us to you How come you to be wiser than others And this will in a very Great Measure continue till the Kingdom of Christ come into its Succession that the Ears of the Deaf shall hear the Words of this Book and the Eyes of the Blind see out of obscurity But yet in the second place it is undeniable That which is most Enigmatical and under what we call Riddle if it be wisely contriv'd and design'd must have sense under it tho not so open but that it shall require close Attendance the most Exercised Thought And on those Terms it is so prepar'd that it may be understood and excellent Sense found under it tho a Riddle Samsons Riddle had a very certain Determinate sense and if we knew fully the meaning of it advances beyond the First Unriddling very admirable Instructions All retired Parts of Knowledge in Anatomy Astronomy Mathematicks Algebra Call for Understandings speculiarly fitted to them and most attent Application and Curious Instruments Microscopes Telescopes and yet the Knowledge and Assurance that rises from them when understood is the most Refined and Satisfactory And so it is in Prophecy of Scripture altho it does not offer it self at so easie a Rate as some other Points of Scripture-Knowledge Yet by deep and fixed Meditation by comparing of its parts one with another and especially waiting upon the Spirit of Prophecy for its Illumination we shall find it is prepar'd and weigh'd out with the greatest Severity of Truth Divine Sense and leads into very sublime Discoveries of Divine Wisdom in the Government of the World in Relation to his Church the Times and Seasons of it And tends to the Greatest Aws of God and obedience to the Supreme Majesty of Heaven and Earth and to know That he is God In the Third Place It is affirm'd by the Spirit of God that it is intended it should be understood For it affirms 2 Pet. 1. 19 20. It is a Light that shines in a Dark Place Now if it be darker than the Dark Place How can it be call'd a Light Or how can it enlighten such a Dark place And it is not of Private Interpretation as I have heretofore given an Account publickly The very meaning is It is not of a Reserv'd or Apart-Interpretation As it is said Christ privately or apart Interpreted his Parables to his Disciples God says of Himself Esa 45. 19. I have not spoken in secret or in a Dark Place of the Earth like the Dark dubious Oracles of Devils I Jehovah speak Righteousness I declare the things that are Right of Greatest Sincerity Vprightness and Truth not perplex'd but plain to them that understand most Right Straight and direct to Him that understandeth Right to them that find knowledge And I have not said saith our God to any of the Seed of Jacob Seek ye my Face
or Punishment of the House of Judah clasps Fast with the 390 of Bearing Israel's Sin because God commanded Ezekiel when He bad Born the sin of Israel on the Left side without any Intermission to Turn on the Other side and to Bear the sin of the House of Judah on the Right side and the Bearing the Sin of the House of Israel goes back to the Division of the Tribes into Two Houses at Solomon's Death In the Last Place I dare Appeal to the Greatest Chronologers â—â— Historians whether our General Accounts do not within â—ome Fair Proportion Allow the Years of the Papacy of the Paâ—â— Power of the Roman Empire of the Grecian Persian Babyâ—â—sh Kingdoms to serve these Prophetical Accounts and so â—â—ward by the Kings of Israel and Judah to the Death of â—â—lomon Now all these Things were there Room to Represent Them clearly particularly and in Full would Give such certainty â—â— these Points according to the Exactness of Scripture-Time as â—ould amount to the Justification of the Great Hope I so pubâ—â—ly make Offer of and against which in every minute Parâ—â—ar I Humbly Pledge my self to be Ready to Receive Exceptions and to Return Due Satisfaction and therefore shall â—ow Return to the more General Objections This way of Endeavour to Justify every Thing by Plain â—â—counts and Arguments of Reason Approachable by every â—â— Reason and Subject to the Examination of every Man â—oever will take so much Thought and Care of Tryal and â—â— Judgment upon Himself may take off much of that Exceâ—â— Why should All This be Reveal'd to you more than to Any â—er For The Answer I would give is Because God hath â—ngaged my Heart and Thoughts to this Inquiry And it hath been the Principal Subject of my Intellectual Inquiries though I hope not in a Neglect of other Points of Theology and Scripture-Knowledge But by this means I have been looking every way into All the Advertisements of Scripture-Prophecy comparing Prophetical Things with Prophetical and any of the most Accurate Memoirs of History and Chronology I could Attain And This is no other than what Any Other Studious in these Things might have Attained and much Higher according to the Advantages of Learning more enlarged Capacities of Mind Clearness of Expression as is most experimental in that Excellent Person The Annotator on the Reâ—elation and his Annotations Published about Four Years ago The Only Thing that I pretend to of Peculiar Favour herein from the Most High is That he hath thus engaged my Heart and Thoughts to separate my self and to Intermeddle with this Wisdom and Assisted me so far therein When any one vouches any Immediate Revelation that cannot be disprov'd by its plain Disagreeableness to other Sealed Parts of Divine Revelation though indeed from God Hâ— and his Revelation are Inaccessible but by the same Spirit of Revelation in some suitable Efficacy of the same Spirit enabling to discern or to feel the Vertue of it As in the Apostles Days When the Prophets spake one by one 1 Cor. 14. 29. Then the Rest Judged that is Discern'd the Divineness of the Revelation by the Participations of the same Spirit in themselves But when Any offer the Interpretation of written Prophecies or Prophecies of Scripture by the Assistance of the same Spirit that gave them this Interpretation if Just and True and according to the Sense of the Divine Spirit is the Spirit of Proâ—â—cy Because it is the Testimony of Jesus which is the very Essence of the Spirit of Prophecy Now this is plainly Approvable by All who wait upon the same Word of God by the Assistance of the same Spirit I do not therefore in Any of these Prophetical Discourses offer at any such thing as in which the Spirit of the Lord passing by others should have spoken to me but what every one hath the same Right and Open Door to and Freedom of and what every one hath a Riight to Examine and Accept or Reject according to the Evidence he sinds of an Agreeableness with the Sure Word of Prophecy or not That onely I stand up for is That He Judges as a Prophet according to the measure of that Dispensation of the Blessed Spirit now vouchsefed to his Servants That is that he Judge by the Due Compare of Prophecy with Prophecy by Attendance to every Hint and Indication of the Prophetical Mind Flowing from that Spirit and that he lay this First as a Foundation that the Prophecies of Scripture ought to be Given Heed to and that they may be understood as a Light shining in a dark place And whoever doth not thus address himself can no more Judge then any one could of the Revelations then made by the Spirit to the Prophets of those First Times when they met in those Prophetical Exercises without the Communication of the same Spirit to themselves or then an Illitterate or unknowing Person in any Science or Art Can Judge of the Exercitations of the most knowing Persons or Artists when they meet together for the Communication of their most Elaborate Exercitations therein And so I do indeed Claim and Insist on this Priviledge That none undertake to Judge of what I have offered in these things but by such Prophetical Preparations and Attendances upon Scription Prophesies that are indeed open to every one that Desires to â—nter by the Key of Scripture Prophetical Knowledge and shut to others And this is no more Presumption then what every one thinks his Priviledge that no one Judge of his Art but He that Understands it first Himself And this I hope Vindicates from any undue Assumption of any more then the Gracious Direction of my Heart and Thoughts to that Book of Scripture Prophecy that Lies open to every one that draws nigh with due Preparation And that every one may Judge of by the same Preparation It may be further Objected that yet it is very hard if not Impossible to attain the Sense of the Divine Spirit to a Year or any such Precise Definitive Account of Time To this I Answer It will easily be allowed that the Divine Spirit hath Determin'd and knows according to that its Expression of it self to the very Self same Day And therefore seeing it hath given Numbers of Time it must be to the very Self same Day For the end of every Number is so Precise and Definite That It must needs be to the very Self same Year and even Day if we could have as Punctual Account of Days as of Years But I find not the Holy Spirit ordinarily is more particular then Years By therefore a due Poize of that Trine Aspect of Prophetick Emblems Prophetick Numbers and Providential Effects in Event and Matters of Fact of the Records of which It hath taken Care by General History and Chronology we may come to know to a Year And of this Besides several other Assurances that Require more Discourse There is that Time of the Reformation more Easy and Immediate to every