Beast is Affirm'd to be the Seventh Succession as Head and the Eighth as King The Sixth Succession is Litterally Affirm'd to be then in Being or now is that the Seventh King being the Christian Emperours was no Head It is Litterally Assur'd the Eighth King but Seventh Head call'd The Beast goes into Perdition and the Kingdom of Christ immediately Succeeds Now all these do so lead us in the True Line and Course of Time that we cannot be surer of the Course of the Seasons and Months that run along and fall out between Season and Season then we are of the Things which in Event or Matter of Fact and History run along all this Time from the Resurrection of our Lord and Answer the Symbols and Images of Prophecy Hereby then the Seals the Trumpets with the grand Events Compriz'd under Them are made most certain to Run along the Time of the Roman Empire from the Appearance of Christ in the Flesh at the Fullness of Time to his Appearance in the Fullness of Times or of All Time at the Kingdom of Christ Now if any one should say These Standards of Interpretation of Prophecy of Scripture are not sufficient to secure Interpretation according to them to be also according to the Mind and Sense of the Holy Spirit of Prophecy I should be Bold to say he either Contradicts what the Apostle hath said That Prophecy of Scripture is not of private Interpretation or he must suppose the Sense of the Apostle in these very words All Every Prophecy of Scripture is not of private Interpretation are as or more Dark and more Hard to be Understood than the Darkest Prophecy of Scripture it self and Further That things may be made by Art or by Chance to fall into an Exact Harmony with the Word of Prophecy or that even a Serious well grounded Research of Scripture according to all the Commands and Encouragements of the Word of God and a keeping close to all the Rules of Scripture and Reason in such a Search may be all to no End or purpose we are never the Nearer to the Truth and Mind of the Holy Spirit of Prophecy than if we had never search'd at all which how Opprobrious and how near to Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit It is so to say I leave to every serious Considerer to Judg. Now as to what I have my self done I cannot without Transcribing a Considerable Part of what I have already Written and made Publick shew How close I have kept to these Rules and Standards given by my self for Interpretation of Prophecy Nor will I presume to say any thing in the gross concerning it I will only first make my Humble Petition to any Person able to Weigh and to Consider and to Compare one part of Things with another that if I have been wanting in any one he would please by Free Entercourses to Remonstrate it to me and to allow Liberty of Debate upon it that so a due Care may be Taken to Vindicate Enlarge Strengthen or if necessity should so Require to Retract or Reform I will therefore here subjoyn but some of the grounds I have rested upon in the Interpretation of Prophecy according to a few Notes on these Standards as the Next Head of Discourse Proposed I First according to our General Scripture Account Fix Historical Time For the drawing then into one View the Types and Symbols of Prophecy from the Time the Spirit of Prophecy was pleas'd to Compose it into a Scheme and had prepar'd so to do I have consider'd the Archetypal Vision of Ezekiel's Temple and City c. 40. to the End Representing the Kingdom of Christ in its Glory and the New Jerusalem also having the Glory of God Now when this was once given it becomes a Standard gives Types to the State of the Church of God from that Time among the Jews before Christ and in the Days of our Lord in the Flesh then of the Jewish and Gentile Christian Church in all the States of it either in the Dartings out of the Glory of it or the Stops Stays and Darknings of its Glory because as is Evident both by Scripture and Experience that Glory hath been and yet is under so long a Delay from the Time of that Vision given to this Day Now this I have all along observ'd from Prophetick Vision to Prophetick Vision through the Prophecy of Daniel and of the Revelation in those Express References to that as I justly call it Archetypal Vision from the very giving it to the End And I Account it as a Pole-star like the Star that Led the Wise men to Christ so this Vision shapes an Unerring Course to the Kingdom of Christ And because one Principal Point in that Vision of Ezekiel was the Throne Leading to the Throne of God and of the Lamb in the New Jerusalem Ezek. 4. 3. 7. and Rev. 22. 3. And that there was to be as I have said so long a Delay Soon after the Vision of Ezekiel given There is a Vision given to Daniel c. 2 in Nebuchadnezzars Image and of Four Beasts c. 7. describing Four Monarchies as Four Thrones which should successively reach to the Kingdom and Throne of Christ And then as it is expresly said the Thrones were east down these Counter Thrones to the Throne of Christ and the Throne of the Son of Man Established alone Dan. 7. v. 9 This therefore I lay before me as another Archetypal Vision relating to the Powers of the Gentiles and the Enemies of the Kingdom of Christ And having to do with the Roman Monarchy the last of the Four from the Times of the New Testament I most particularly consider that and Finding that the Evangelist Luke gives an Early Notice of it as an Vniversal Monarchy in Augustus Caesar Commanding a Cense of the whole World as his own Dominion Luke 2. 1 Even before the Birth of our Lord I conclude this must be the Fourth of Daniels Monarchies For though some would have it the Macedonian as Divided after the Death of Alexander the Great I find That cannot be both because the God of Heaven would not have set up a Kingdom in the Days of those Kings as is expresly said Dan. 2. v 44. And also because The Kingdom of Christ Even yet is not that Universal Dominion it was Foretold it should be And Lastly Because I find so Admirable an Haâ—mony beâ—wen the Prophetick Figures in the Revelation and the plain Historical Accounts of that Monarchy and that the Spirit of God hath even to plain Litteralness or more than so Interpreted it to be Rome and its Empire I lay therefore before me this Roman Monarchy in the Pagan Empire in the Antichristian Empire viz. The Papacy which to give publick Notice it is a Throne Assumes so Solemnly and Notoriously Enthroniczation to it self and the European Kings given as Horns of Strength to it as also the Mahometan Saracens and Turks coming as two Woes upon it are adjusted in Time Now
move us and reclaim us but you see what he says that Knew all Men and that knew what was in Man and needed not that any one should Testify to him of Man what he would do in such a Case he Assures us This would not perswade Now the very same thing by all proportion of Sense Reason Experience may be said concerning the Works of God the Providence of God the Word of God If Men are not perswaded by these neither would they be perswaded by Miracles werâ— they never so great and many this thereâ—ore Argues to me To move Men to Conversion and Repentance is not the proper and Adequate Reason of Miracles 2. I would further strengthen this by the observation of the Behaviour of those to whom Miracles were more immediately Directed and we may find how they stood up like Rock against the Force of them as we see in Pharoh Would any one think God should send upon him Ten Miraculous Plagues one after another to take him down and bring him into Subjection to God and that at last we should find him Driving into the Heart of the Sea after the People of God and then overwhelmed the sin God had so often warn'd him of and Plagued him for and yet thus it was I acknowledg God magnified his Power and got himself a great Name in his Destruction but we may see there was a further Relation to the World to come by the Recalling the Song of Moses at the Red Sea the place of his Perishing and Joyning it with the Song of the Lamb and by the paralel Course of the seven Vials destroying Spiritual Egypt as was before intimated Rev. 15. In the same manner the Miracles of Christ and of the Apostles were Directed first and immediately on the Jews of That time But how little they Avail'd to Conversion we know beyond Doubt I do not deny God Justified himself more abundantly thereby in their utter Destruction by the Romans about forty years after But the Interest the Kingdom of Christ prevail'd beyond that End of Conversion For It Faild But when that was first Proposed How Proper it was to make so glorious an appearance of that Kingdom that shall fully appear in its own time tho not then that not being the proper Time in a like but much greater and more Illustrious Efficacy of Miracles 3. The moving men home to God cannot be the adequate end of Miracles God hath been pleased to bring some Home suddenly without Miracle as Matthew the Publican Matt. 9. 9. and the Apostle prefers 1 Cor. 14. 23. Prophecy or Powerful Preaching the Gospel as above Miracles for the End of Conversion or a more Spiritual Inward Miraculous Power above a Miracle that seems more wonderful to sense viz. a Speaking with all manner of Tongues or â—anguages And indeed That great and mighty Work of Conversion whatever service it may receive from Miracles yet is much more to be acknowledged to the Spirit of God powr'd out and laying hold on those Ordain'd to Eternal Life than to Miracles which much assures This working upon the Hearts of Men to a sense of God is not the End of Miracles in a full direct Adequation to it 2. It is assigned as a much more Agreable and Commensurate end of Miracles that they are Given as a Testimony from Heaven of the truth of any Divine Revelation from Heaven of the will and mind of God Touching any Law or Rule of Faith worship and Life in order to Eternal Life especially when the Points of that Revelation are above over and super-added to the Law and Light which we Call of Nature or to any former Manifestation and Declaration of the Will of God that had been fixed and setled in the Church and among the People of God throughout their Generations such Miraculous Power is therefore given into the Hand of such Ministers of Divine Pleasure as he hath Chosen for it Thus a great Presence of Divine Power was with Moses the Servant of God in the fixing that whole Frame of the Ceremonial Law Thus the Tabernacle and Service of it was fill'd with the glorious coming down of God into it so Solomons Temple was as we may say Consecrated by God himself And thus Especially and much more That supreme Revelation of the Gospel for the Excellency of the Declaration it self for the Glory of the Lord by whom it began to be spoken for the sake of so great and Antient a Sanction as that of the Mosaick Law which it gave a Cessation to not so much by Abrogation as fulfiling it was so Seal'd in all these Regards God bare Witness to Christ and to the Apostles by Divers Signs Wonders Miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit according to his Will In the assured Knowledg hereof Châ—ist said The Works which the Father hath given me to do bear Witness of me Believe me for the Works sake John 5. 36 c. 14. 11. The Apostle Peter signifies the Boldness in speaking the word of God arising from the signs and wonders that were done by the Name of the Holy Child Jesus Acts 4. 30. Paul and Barnabas spake the word of God boldly the Lord giving Testimony to that word of his Grace and granting Signs and Wonders to be done by their Hands Acts 14. 3. These moved men to Believe This beginning of Miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee and manifested forth his Glory and his Disciples believed on him John 2. 11. Christ makes it the great Aggravation of the unbelief of the Jews that he did the Works among them that no man else ever did John 15. 24. Now from all these Scriptures Joyn'd with the Reason of the thing it self It is undeniable The Confirmation of the Truth of the Gospel was a principal end of Miracles and that hereby men might be made obedient by Word and Deed through mighty Signs and Wonders by the Power of the Spirit of God Rom. 15. 19. But all thiâ— notwithstanding which I most Fully and Humbly Acknâ—wledg I have yet many things to observe upon by which it may Appear This is not the Adequate end of Miracles Now that wherein It appears The confirmation of the Doctrine of the Gospel is not the chief end or Reason of Miracles is That Miracles need a Confirmation from the Doctrine Preached with which they go along and are Joyn'd as well as the Doctrine needs a Confirmation from Miracles Nay Doctrine may Prove it self by it self when Miracles cannot prove themselves without the Doctrine This appears from many Great Scriptures as Deuteronomy 13. 1. If there Arise among you a Prophet and He giveth thee a sign or a wonder and the sign or wonder come to pass whereof he spake unto thee saying Let us go after other Gods which Thou hast not Known and let us serve them Thou shalt not Hearken to the words of that Prophet c. For the Lord your God proveth you c. You shall therefore walk after the Lord your God
Nicodemus How can these things be Thou speakest of impossible things How can a man be born again Can he enter the Second Time into his Mothers Womb and be born We see this great Acknowledger of Miracles when he came to a Point of Miraculous Power indeed that is the Renovation of Man the giving a New Heart and a New Spirit He is Puzzled He is Posed He do's not know what to say I cannot forbear to take notice That the great Men of Free-will are the greatest Arguers of the Truth of Christianity by Miracles and yet notwithstanding they are as much puzzl'd and Blunder as much concerning the very Miracles of Regenerating Grace the Regenerating Spirit as this great Man Nicodemus did It is true to hear them speaking of it as it is not Miracle but according to the Law of the First Creation or very little Differing They may speak more Tollerably of it But saith our Lord to him That which is Born of the Flesh is Flesh According to the Law of the First Creation Let Flesh be your Spring and Well-Head you shall never rise above it do what you can Therefore marvel not saith Christ I said you must be Born again This Regeneration is by the Spirit alone no man can Beget himself but he must needs beget himself the very same He was before The New Birth is as Isaac was the Child of Promise It is as the Birth of our Lord and several of his Progenitors was by Miracle He can Communicate no New principle to himself And just as the Apostle says here Divers Miracles and Gifts of the Holy Spirit according to his own will So in this Miracle of Regeneration saith Christ The Spirit bloweoh where it Listeth To shew It is all immediate power that is Miracle Thus also the Apost Discourses 2 Cor. 5. If any Man be in Christ he is a new Creature or a new Creation All Old Things are past away behold all Things are become New I would ask any one whether this is Miracle or not If it be only according to the Law of the First Creation It is not Miracle but if it be entirely and perfectly a new Creation It must needs be Miracle Argum. 3. The Resurrection is agreed to be Perfect Miracle The Kingdom of Christ is the Kingdom of the Resurrection From hence appears the strong and close Connexion between the Kingdom of Châ—ist and Miracle I could Heartily Pray the Threed and Train of the principles Arguing from the Râ—surrection as Miracle were closely pursued and followed Home The Apostle says Acts 17. 31. God hath appointed a Day in which he will Judg the World by that man He hath Ordain'd whereof he hath given Assurance unto All men whereof saith he God hath made Credit He hath offered greatest Reasons of being assured of what he had so Ordained by Raising the Lord Jesus from the Dead and therefore he is so often called He that is Risen from the Dead and the First Born the First Begotten from the Dead God says to him Thou art my Son this day of the Resurrection have I Begotten Thee and so Royal Power is more solemnly settled upon Him I was Dead and am Alive and behold I Live for evermore I have the Keyes of Hell and Death the Prince of the Kings of the Earth Now this Resurrection is the very Finger of God and therefore It iâ— justly acknowledged the Principal Miracle It is indeed the Center Miracle in which all Lines meet as all the greatest Reasoners on Miracles do also Fix in it as so Now that the Kingdom of Christ is the Kingdom of the Resurrection of all his Servants is plain For he Rose First His Saints Rise at his Coming 1 Cor. 15. 23 His Coming and his Kingdom are Conjoyn'd 2 Tim 4. 1. So it is the Kingdom of the Resurrection But I would expresly Establish it on that Revel 20. 4. I saw Thrones and they sate upon them And I saw the Souls that is the whole Persons of Saints Souls Re-united to their Bodies of them who were Beheaded for the Word of God c. Now these Lived They Lived and they Reign'd with Christ a Thousand years And the rest of the Dead That is all those who were not in a State of Blessed Life but under the Condemnation of Christ during the Thousand Years They Lived not again after the Thousand Years were fulfilled This is the first Resurrection the Kingdom of the Resurrection Blessed and Holy is he who hath his Part in this First Resurrection as all the Living Remaining Saints have Over them the Second Death shall have no Power For they in a Paradisiac State on the New Earth chang'd into Bodies of Paradise are Priests of God and Christ for the Thousand Years Fitted to be Caught up and to be together with the Saints Dead in Christ Raised to Enjoy the Kingdom of the Resurrection as the Children of the Resurrection the Principals of the First Resurrection in the New Heaven I have often Heard and Read the Discourses of the Men of Reason Magnifying the Resurrection as is most Due As the Hand of God stretched out in the Highest manner as the Greatest of Miracles But oh why should they not follow on to the Kingdom of the Resurrection the World to Come of the Resurrection during its Thousand Years the New Creation the New Heaven the New Earth the Kingdom of all Miracle and then All delivered up to God and the Father that he may be All in All. For from all this I conclude the Kingdom of Christ is the Kingdom of all Miracle Every Miracle therefore that hath been in this World is but a Peice a Parcel a Portion of that so vast and entire Sum. Argum. 4. I have now Argued The New Creation The New Heaven and the New Earth are certainly Miracle because above the Constitution and Law of the First Creation and that therefore all Miracle is but part and parcel a peice and portion of the Great State of the Kingdom of Christ For he that is upon the Throne says Behold I Create all New And he adds Write For these Words are True and Faithful Why did he say so But because he knew very well what an Opposition what a contrary Sentiment even Christians would be of to this Truth Be assur'd therefore saith the Great Prince upon the Throne These Things are Faithful and True and shall have their full Accomplishment in their own proper Times But now as there is in The Kingdom of Christ so Miraculous a State of Mercy and of Grace to his Servants so there is a Miraculous State of Judgment Desolating and Dissolving the Present State of this World even as it is upheld now by the Grace of the Mediator and that in the Introducing the World to Come whereof we speak and also to settle such a Counter-state of Wrath and Judgment wherein all the Wicked that have been in the World shall be in a most Visible State of Contempt
of Christ in his Time and in the Time of the Apostles There was such Evident Matter of Fact it could not be denied by Sense in what pertain'd to Sense or by the Mind in what pertain'd to Mind Infrence 2. This Ponderous and Tremendous Consideration Rises from hence We ought to give the more Eaynest Heed to the things that have been spoken lest at any time we should let them slip For if the Word spoken by Angels was stedfast and Every Transgression and Disobedience received a Just Recompence of Reward How shall we escape if we neglect so Great Salvation c. If the Salvaâ—ion was so great and God brought it in and surrounded it on every side with Miracles or Miraculous Power Oh how shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation so Almightily Testifyed I appeal to All whether we do not Think God dealt Righteously with Pharoah whether he had not a great deal of Patience with him to shew him Miracle after Miracle although he after Buried him in the Red Sea and whether he did not deal Righteously with Israel in the Wilderness that for Forty Years saw his Works and yet did alway Err in their Hearts and did not know the ways of God though their Carcases Fell in the VVilderness and whether seeing the Miracles of Christ and yet Rejecting him They Crucified him and were delivered up to the Romans not many Years after and are now scattered over the Face of the Earth because they sinn'd with so high a hand against a Miraculous Power so exalted before them Now if God bare so Great Witness to that very Gospel we have now confirm'd with Signs and VVonders and divers Gifts of the Holy Spirit How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation Oh therefore let us look to it continually If God hath been at so great Expence as I may call it in the manifestation of Himself as to give us the Gospel sealed with such a curious Needle-Work of Miracles with such a Rich Explication of the manifoid VVisdom of God Oh how shall we escape if the Gospel-Faith Repentance Holiness be not found in us which will convince us of Great Neglect of it If it be said what was Miracle undeniable to the Beholders hath lost the Force of Miracle to us to whom it is gone out of Matter of Fact into Htstorical Account Tradition and Discourse I answer to this in a Third Inference Infer 3. That which presses forward the Exhortation and Answers the Objection is Let us consider and deeply weigh that God sealing any Doctrine with Miracles declares the Intrinsick Value and worth of that Doctrine the Fitness of it to bring Souls into the Kingdom of Christ Miracles are only a sensible Declaration of the Intrinsick Excellency of the Doctrine whether They are present or absent The Excellency of Divine Truth is still the same For Miracles are never a Seal to a Blank The Writing hath the Essence of the matter whether the Seal be at every Line or not It is enough It is once set It needs not be set a new every Time It is Read The Fine of Miracles once pass'd the Gospel as a Deed of Uses imports the Sense and Virtue of All and carries it and the Fine of Miracles as I may call it along with it however but once pass'd Miracles are no more necessary continually than One Rising on all Occasions from the Dead But the Divine Excellency and Truth of the Doctrine is always the same Christ coming and speaking Things of so Supreme Excellency that never man spake like him did also the works that no man else ever did Hence it is alike Infer'd If I had not come and spoken they had had no Sin but now they have no Cloak for their sin and if I had not done among them the VVorks no man ever did they had had no sin Conversion therefore hath been without Miracles and with Miracles Not therefore by the Vertue of Miracles which of themselves raise no more than Wonder without the Spirit of God working with the Truth of the Gospel and that without Miracles is most Efficacious Miracle can do nothing without the principal Truth even the Divine Spirit never works by Miracles without the Divine Doctrine It continually works by that without Miracles many who themselves wrought Miracles shall yet have that dreadful Sentence upon them I know you not depart from me you that work Iniquity A man may have a Faith Removing mountains and yet be nothing Matt 7. 22. 23. 1 Cor. 13. 1. It is certain therefore Conveâ—sion follows not Miracles But Miracles have and shall indeed Follow the mighty Power of Converting Grace working with the Gospel as at the Time of Christs Appearance in the Offertures of his Kingdom when here upon Earth and by the Apostles so at the Glorious Appearance of his Kingdom Great and many workings of Miracles so great Conversions many Converts and therefore by the way let me give this very Serious and Practical Notion It may be we should look upon our Selves as Persons highly Favoured of God If we could Heal Diseases or do any thing that would look like Miracle But it is not so great a Thing as a Power to Touch Christ and Believe in him To Conquer the Lusts and Corruptions of our own Hearts and the Impurity of our own Spirits The Faith that Touches Christ and Draws Vertue from him is a far more Excellent Faith than that which can Remove Mountains or Heal Diseases If we had a Power of Miracles it would indeed amaze the World with the View and be a kind of Nine days Wonder But it would Flatten upon the Hearts of Men by being daily They would grow familiar with it and Resist it as the Jews did as Pharaoh did If the Power of Converting Grace did not go along with it But this Inward Power is all pure perfect Spirit and never fails Tho Christ will say to many that had Cast out Devils and did many wonderful works in his Name I never knew you depart from me you workers of Iniquity yet to them who have by Faith Deriv'd from him Righteousness Holiness Victory over Sin Vanity Lusts and Corruptions over the World that have Receiv'd Renovation Mortification Heavenliness of Heart Christ will never Profess I know you not depart from me you workers of Iniquity Agreeably therefore to this when the seventy Returned and gave Account of their Success and Christ gave them Power to Tread on Serpents and Scorpions c. Yet saith he In this Rejoyce not but Rejoyce that your Names are written in Heaven Oh! what an Admirable Thing is True Grace Faith Repentance Love Hope Obedience How curious is the Inlay and Variety the Curious Needle VVork like the Variety of Miracles in the Times of the Apostles or as Solomon speaks in his Song there are all Spices and Perfumes all the Richest Perfumes and Powders of the Merchant in the various Graces of the Spirit of which the
so they cannot a tend to the sure word of prophecy as they are commended here for doing 3. In their peculiar Enmity to the searching the Prophecy of Scripture and denying even to the most Learned to intermeddle with it seeing their own Condemnation in it contrary to the Apostle's most peculiar Commendation of those who give heed to Prophecy 4. In their setting up Tradition a thing dependent wholly on Human Will above Scripture whereas the Apostle commends Scripture and its Prophecy that it came not by the Will of man but by the Spirit 5. In their allowing to their own Votaries the Credit and Honour of their pretended Inspirations above the Close attendance to Scripture Prophecy and its Interpretation which the Apostle hath here so recommended to every Christian and without the least signification of Inspiration Given to All and his plain making former Scripture the Test of All following 6. By exalting their Fabulous Legendary Miracles above Scripture or the Prophecies notwithstanding even to the Transfiguration The Apostle prefers the sure Word of Prophecy Although That was no Cunning devised Fable and of so great an Excellency by which the Apostle seems prophetically to Glance most severely upon those Cunningly Devised Fables that should arise in the Christian Profession 7. The Apostle Foretelling those Scoffers in the last days who should set up the Mock Fifth-Monarchy so earnestly recommends the Words of the Prophets and the Commandments of the Apostles of the Lord and Saviour the Great Messiah and Jesus whereby he hath also given a very damning Predictory Admonition of the Grand Antichristian Apostacy Now in all these it may be said to those Antichristians as it was to the Jews and their Rulers of old while they read these Scriptures and the Prophecys of Scripture in their ownway they not understanding the Voices of the Prophets are most justly condemned in fulfilling them For thus ought the Antichristian Apostacy to do though most wickedly they do so that these Scripture Prophecys may be fulfilled All that hath now been spoken being by way of premisal and preparation I lay down these Propositions 1. That Scripture Prophecy is given by God for a Light that must shine in the dark place of the Antichristian Apostacy till the end of which the Kingdom of Christ is in delay 2. Christians do well to take heed to it as so shining and giving the time when the day of that Kingdom shall dawn and the day Star of it shine into the hearts of all Saints 3. Such heed cannot be given except there be a Right given to Christians and a power of interpreting Scripture Prophecies 4. It is a First Principle to Christians of the Apostle's setting and fixing that all and every Prophecy of Scripture and particularly of Time relating to the Kingdom of Christ is Open and Free and not a Private Record or of any way an Enclos'd Impropriated â—or Appropriated Interpretation For the more clear and illustrious arguing the Grand Proposition That all and every Prophecy of Scripture is not of a private or secret but of an open free and publick Interpretation I will first proceed by direct and down right proof and Argument that of all Scripture except that which lays down the Truths precisely and absolutely necessary to Salvarion The Prophecy of Scripture is in its Interpretation most Free open and most certain I will in the second place give Answers to the great Objections against this Proposition so prov'd I will in the Third Place consider what Standards according to Reason and Scripture-understanding may be given whereby we may judge whether any one hath given a true Interpretation of Scripture Prophecy viz. whereby the person giving such Interpretations may know himself he hath given such true Interpretation and whereby Any other may judge of it and find it so In the Fourth Place I will draw out in most publick view the Evidences I my self have within my self and have offered to others that I have given a True Interpretation of Scripture Prophecy All this I will do with most particular relation to prophetical numbers of Time I will Super-add a Judgment upon the state of Time Intermedious from hence to the Kingdom of Christ and shew that the Kingdom of Christ shall be very sudden and as Lightning And this I shall do by way of retractation and correction of Any thing wherein I have err'd in this matter and what will be as an Answer of an Objection that Glories in the present appearance of Things to Sense as if no such Kingdom were near I will recollect the whole in some very Brief Reflections for the settlement of the Judgment and practice in relation to Scripture Prophecy concerning Time I begin with the First The arguing the Proposition which shall insist upon these Four Heads or Topicks 1. I argue from the Infinite Ability of the Divine Spirit so to give Prophecy that the Interpretation may be Free and Publick 2. I argue from the necessity That whatever is written with sense and coherence of the things written and with the Harmony of Truth if the parts of such Discourses are diligâ—â—tly compar'd and sagaciously intermedled with by persons separating themselves thereunto a certain Interpretation must needs fly out to them 3. I argue from the gracious Assistances and Promises that the Holy Spirit will as the Spirit of Truth lead into all Truth shewing things that are to come and give the key of knowledge leading into the Sectets of Prophecy even wherein our Dulness and Slowness of Heart makes them so notwithstanding the Provision of the Spirit for their Interpretation Argument I. The Divine Spirit hath an Infinite and Infallible Prescience of things that are to come to pass Known to him are the Works of God from the very Foundation of the World to the end of it with every particular Accident to the very least Circumstance and therefore he can foretell all things as clearly as he pleases and so that they may be interpreted and understood He searcheth all things even the deep things of God whose Counsels of old are faithfulness and truth who calleth the End from the Beginning and can declare it For he worketh all things after the Counsel of his own Will which Will he knew from Eternity within himself This Prescience of the Divine Spirit is acknowledg'd by All Christians except some few who least deserve the Name of Christians who deny the Actual Determinations of Free or what we call Fortuitous Agents to be Scibilia or Knowable I make not therefore here any dispute concerning the High Mystery of the Supreme Prâ—science how or in what manner God foreknew when the things fore known depend on causes acting so freely that what they will choose seems impossible to be known before hand or so fortuitously that if it could be foreseen how they would be cast the Fortuitousness seems destroyed But that God does foreknow I take for granted even as it is much the more generally agreed and
fulfilled as he hath spoken or Evangelized as Happiest Tydings by All his Strvants the Prophets Rev. 10. 7 Prophecy is therefore a Light shining till then and guiding to the Time when iâ— is to begin and then falls in One with it as the sorenam'd Scâ—iptures shew 2. There is a very particular dark place that Prophecy shines as a Light in tfll then and it is indeed the whole Time from the Delay of the Kingdom of Christ at his Resurrestion and â—scension till it dawns and rises as a Day-star but it is yet more particularly the Time and State of the Apostacy which is as a Smoak darkning the Air even the whole State of Christianity in the very Heavens of it Prophecy shines therefore as a Light in a dark place giving Assurance of and shewing the Time of that Day and Day-Star dawning upon the World till it shall Illuminate into the very Heart with its mighty Influences and Beams of Glory Object 4 It is to be further urg'd If the Time of this Kingdom and Glory be not generally known and agreed upon it can do but little Service for the Inlightning the dark place of the Apostacy and that we do not find it hath been and if Prophecy be not in its own Constitution of private Interpretation yet if it hath Eventually proved so how is the Light of it seen Answ 1 It is very agreeable to the Wisdom and Glory of God that the Fountains of Truth should be running and the Lights of it shining though the Streams and Rays are not received nor have their kindly Effect as the Evangelist John says The Light shineth in darkness though the darkness comprehend it not God lâ—ft not himself without Witness among the Heathen though we know of Few who received the Testimony Acts 14. 17. How many have the Gospel-Light wâ—thout its proper saving Effect Answ 2 There hath been a sâ—range Collineation or Levelling and Aiming of the Servants of God upon the Years of this Last Part of this Seventeenth Century for the Glory of Christ's Kingdom and besides some Later a Prophecy found in the Study of Justus Lipsius transcrib'd into the Preface of Dr. Mayer to the Volume of his Interpretation on the Prophets Great and Small is perpendicular on the Year Ninety Eight in such a Language as speaks Effects begun and in their Course as at Ninety Seven as shall Appear in a short Appendix to this Treatise Buâ— to All that hath been said it may be added in satiâ—faction of the Principal Objâ—ction that supposes â—roâ—hecy hath not been understood tâ—ll fullfillâ—d It is very plain we cannot give a certain Account what Light God may have given his Servants into Pâ—ophecy in any Times He gave Noah the Exâ—ct Time of an Hâ—ndred and Twenty Years before the Flâ—od to Abraham Four Hundred years from the Time of that Oracle to his seed Returning from the Egyptian Nation after God had Judg'd them Till which time They were under that oppression According to which Moses very Probably thought His brethren would have understood God would deliver his people by his hand Because it grew so near the time and Moses was a person so signalized by God in his miraculous preservation and his having the offer of being called the Son of Pharoahs daughter and yet Refusing that Glittering Honour as mark'd out by God for much Higher viz. In the deliverance of his People with whom he Chose to suffer Affliction rather then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Of all which I have no doubt He had the notices from the four hundred years He knew were Given to Abraham The Children of Issachar were men that had Knowledge and understanding of Times and Knew what Israel ought to Do 1 Chron. 12. 32. And undoubtedly some Oracular Instructions they had Joyn'd with Jacobs Prophecy by which they knew Judahs being a Royal Tribe and that the Lyon of the Tribe was the Emblem of it even till Christ the Lyon indeed of it and they Collected Davids Royalty should then begin Daniel understood by Books not onely the Book of the Prophet Jeremy But as we may very Reasonably suppose by the Books of other Servants of God that Kept or Searched Records of Times according to Jeremies Prophecy I doubt not Simeon Waited for the Consolation of Israel according to Daniels Seventy Weeks What Light God gave to his servants in the First times of Christianity we have not such certain accounts as might be desired But as it is reported to us by Ecclesiastick History It was foretold of Julian he was Nubecula cito Transitura a Cloud tbat would soon vanish But this I am sure was according to Prophecy that Sathan being cast down by the change of the Pagan Empire into the Christian Empire After Constantine there could be in the Roman Empire no place found for him any more of continuance in its Heaven though some short Attempts there might be as of Julian Eugenius Argobastes Maximus in his Pagan Supremacy altho under the Name of Christ as it were in his Right and as the Vicar of the Fifth Monarchy â—f him the Manly Birth on the Thâ—one Satan crept in as an underminer and in the Anti-Christian Supremacy He hath a Throne as on Earth whether therefore the Speaker had his Ground it self in Prophâ—cy The thing it self had and it could not be otherwise but that the Empire of an Apostate to Paganism must be very Short evâ—n as of a Prince relapsing to Popery in these Nations It was the business of Anti-Christianism to suppress the Interpretation of Prophecy that had so dreadful an Aspect upon it self as much as it could yet the common Fame and Bruit of Anti-Christs coming was spread far and near when the Christian Empire which was the Let according to Thes 2. c. 2. was taken out of the way the joynt being so Natural between the Christian Ceasing and the Anti-Christian Beginning to supplant having so much of the Name Christian The Voicing the Papacy to be that Antichrist lifting up himself above what ever was called Sebast or August as he did about that Time was heard all along from the time of Petrus Waldo till the Reformation and since the Reformation how many Eminent Servants of Christ have Labour'd with success in the Interpretation of Prophecy notwithstanding some particular mistakes with whom I humbly joyn my self a Fellow Labourer and one that hath taken part of their Labour and now the Fields are white unto the Harvest when many others shall enter into our Labours according to that saying One soweth and another Reapeth and yet he that Reapeth shall yet receive wages unto Life Eternal so that they who have sown and they that reap may Rejoyce together And indeed the Time is now so near that whatever Influence That nearness may be hop'd to have upon Interpretation of Prophecy according to Truth I may humbly hope for For tho the Time of Daniels public Interpretation upon the Seventy Years was
may be seen in B. Walton's Polyglot Bible And yet it is as if the Feet of Iron were joyn'd immediately with the Thighs of Brass and the Clay removed out of their place and as if the stroke were on the Brass before it was on the Clay whereas it was made again and again and a third Time Certain The stroke is on the Feet of Iron and Clay before the Brass should feel the Force of it Now all these are so great Points of the Vision that nothing can unsettle them without subverting the whole Frame For thâ—n the Dream could not as he hath said be Certain nor the Interpretation be sure nor what is grounded upon it be unshaken It must needs therefore be That for the Truth of the Conjunction the Order of the Metals and of the Parts and the Order of the Stroke were all given before as they are were and shall be And that the Spirit of Prophecy presumes that none would think It either on purpose or Casually would Destroy its own Frame I offer therefore to deep search of others and the Considâ—ration of All who have Regard for the sure word of Prophecy to Attend to the Reason He hath Assisted me the Unworthiest of all his Servants to give and I am Humbly perswaded he Foresaw He would so Assist me to give it in so publick a Ministry to his Servants in general And the Reason is this That God might make known to the King and in him to after Ages what should be hereafter As Daniel assures us Now the very utmost of that Hereafter is very near Come Even as Near as Ninety Seven as I have fully set out By comparing therefore the state of Things now with this Change in the Vision we may arrive to some good degree of Understanding in the Reason of the Change I say comparing it with the present State I look then upon the present state of the Ten Horns as Prophecy calls them or Kings and their Kingdoms I consider which of them of All others bears the Metal Iron at the greatest Lustre of Appearance at this Time and by plain matter of Fact that is the French Power and Kingdom Then I consider where that which was heretofore call'd the Brass in the Image of the Four Kingdoms now Resides and the Brass being the Grecian Kindom as All Interpreters agree The Grecian Empire is beyond all Contest known to be in the Hands of the Turk whose Port is known to be at Constantinople There are then two things God makes known to us by this Change in the Vision concerning that last State of this Image when the Stone shall fall upon it 1. That the Stroke shall be struck and the Fall of the Stone Grindâ—ng the Image to Powder shall be when the Iron in the most Illustrious Appearance of it near the very End shall be joyn'd to the Brass and in League with it So that tho the Iron even the whole Iron together with the Clay shall be broken before the Brass yet the Brass is Transferred out of its proper both Conjunction and Order not indeed so but as in a Figure to give a Watchword that when the Iron in an Eminency shall be signally Conjoyn'd with the Brass viz. That Turco-Grecian Power Then the Blow shall be given and the Brass not before the Clay but in its own Order shall be Broken viz. The Feet of Iron and Clay First and in their own Conjunction then the Brass and the Silver and Gold immediately upon it Now therefore observing the Iron in so Illustrious Appearance joyn'd with the Brass at a Time we know by the Line of Time the Blow is so near to be given It is a Concurrent Assurance It is very near 2. The Spirit of Prophecy is pleas'd hereby to Brand the Unnaturalness of the Conjunction of France with the Turkish Power a Kingdom belonging to the Feet and Toes mixed with the Hierarchic Antichristian Clay and giving Power to it and yet Uniting with the Brass or Mahometan Power a Woe upon that Antichristian State A thing as Monstrous as if the most Eminent Toe should separate it self from the Feet to joyn it self immediately with the Belly and Thighs so is the Papacies most Christian King Leagued with the Mahometan Enemy of Christianity as in the Antichristian State Rem 2. The second Remark I make on that Vision is from yet more undeniable if possible Letter of Prophecy that the management of the last Stroke when the Stone by its own Direction of it self shall fall on the Image and Smite it It shall be not by Humane but by Immediate Divine Power that tho it will Raise and Fit what Instruments it pleases Seven Shephards and Eight Principal Men yet the Stone it self will be Visibly seen Illustrious above All altho there shall be with the Lamb the Faithful and Called and Chosen yet the Lamb himself as by his Immediate Power shall be seen above All For the Stone that is Cut out of the Mountains is said to be in no Hand or which is not in Hands according to the Strictness of Translation or in any Hand of Man And when he comes to work it shall be as on the sudden and at an Instant For when Divine Power works Nullum Tempus Occurrit Regi Nothing can Lett Divine Power Altho then I most Sincerely and Earnestly Pray that the Lord of Hosts would Please to give Success to the Arms of the Protestant Princes and States and most particularly to our own So far as may possibly consist with his own Wise and Holy Determinations Yet I am Bold to make these Prognosticks from this Light of Prophecy I have first Receiv'd and now Offer'd Partly to Arm with Patience and Submission to the Delay of such an Issue as we Naturally Desire partly to Encourage and Assure as to some great Points at the Present and Especially to Ascertain that Grand Issue of the Kingdom of Christ in the End Prog. 1. Seeing the Time of the Fall and Stroke of the Stone is not upon the Iron and Brass till 97. and that it is to be upon them in Conjunction and upon the Iron as it shall in any Part in an Eminency be Conjoyn'd Therefore neither the Eminency of France as the Iron and so in League with the Turk nor the Potentacy of the Turk who is so to continue a Woe upon the Antichristian State shall be brought down till 97. Let therefore no Impatience at the Disappointment of an Expectation herein seize us For thus it is Determin'd by the sure word of Prophecy They must both continue in a Conjunction till that Time and the Stroke with it so fall upon Them so far as can be Found by Prophecy Prognos 2. Notwithstanding this Let what can be done France shall be kept within his own Bounds to be but one of Ten and the Turk shall be but in a Low Tottering Condition to be Supported only upon the Aides and Help of France that he may