as we shall see presently Now that it so began at Twenty five or six we have a threefold Testimony Of the Apostle Paul that the Mystery of Iniquity viz. the Apostacy as a Womb in which the Man of Sin was curiously form'd as in the lower parts of 2 Thess 2. 7. 1 John 4. 3. Revel 2. 4. the Earth was then at work that it might bring forth the Man at his full growth at 666. The Apostle John assures us Antichrist was then in the World and the supreme Apocalyptes Christ tells us Ephesus the Image of the Apostolical Church had even in the Apostles Times left its first Love when therefore Apostolical Time had doubled it self from Twelve to Twenty Four and was moving onward as at a precise Time from Conception the Mystery of Iniquity began to work at 25 or 26. And it is no wonder the Man of Sin beheld by the Apostle in Spirit when no Eye saw him in this his Embrional Condition in his first Principles was thus remark'd by him For then every thing receives its nature Even as Jacob in the Womb as John the Baptist as our Lord in his Conception is celebrated so this Man of Sin is dated from the conceiving of Sin as well as from the manly State from the Conception as well as from the grown Man till then Iniquity fully accomplishing its Time brings forth Death This Psendo Abrahamite this spiritual Edom and Esau struggled as another Nation in the Womb of the Apostacy while the pure Israelitism without guile lay in the Womb of true Christianity to both which the outward Profession was a common Womb. This prophane Esau is he that sold the Birth-right of the Gospel for a Mess os Pottage and the Heavenly Kingdom for an Earthly Dukedom and wherein he got the start Thus the Number of the Name of the Beast and the number of the Beast or the time of his adult and man-like Bestianism so closely related so closely joyn'd as not possible they should lead two several ways both being the Time of worshipping the Image receiving the Mark the Name and the Number of the Name assure beyond all doubt that they are both one Nature appearing manifestly at one and the same Time and by both mathematical and prophetical Certainty if the Top of the Number be 666 Twenty five must be the Root and Bottom and if the Root be Twenty five from the Resurrection the top must be 666 from that twenty five viz. 725 or 726 and so both from the nature counter-Apostolical under the pretence of Apostolical as also the Root and the top of Time being compar'd It can neither be Mahometan not so early up as twenty five nor Pagan that did not live so long as 725 but must be Antichristian or the Beast And by this wonderful Hieroglyphick of Number God hath surpris'd all defence from Antiquity out of the hand of Antichrist that is not built upon his Word Truth and solid Reason for seeing the Mystery of Iniquity wrought so soon as 25 from the Resurrection all Proof from Antiquity only is but proof for Antichrist taken from the Mystery of Iniquity beginning to work and so not to be for that cause allowed I come therefore now to the second point viz. To see Head 2 where this Pillar of intimate Time this six hundred sixty six can be only duely and proportionably plac'd And we shall find evidently where it is thus to be plac'd That we may then understand this we must consider that there is in Time Times Half Time an intimate Time or Season signified to us 3 ways 1. By the force of the Words us'd in the Chalde in the Dan. 7. 25. Dan. 12. 7. Rev. 12. 14. Hebrew and in the Greek Originals to express this Line It is indicted appointed Time or Season Seasons half Season Now Season is the most virtual lively point of Time for though all Season must have Time to support it yet Time is only Season to those things whereunto it is especially appointed and gives advantage the very words therefore import Season within Time and thus the Apostle says The Man of Sin is reveal'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were in the same Words with that of the three Seasons and half in his own Season 2. The intending and elevation of the Events speak the same for as much as Prophecying in Sackcloth is transcended by lying dead as much as being in the Wilderness so as to be hid from the face of the Serpent exceeds being in the Wilderness only in general as much as changing Times and Laws and wearing out the Saints and scattering the holy People by the Antichristian Prince himself exceed the rude Gentiles trampling the holy Court or the Beasts mere Power of Continuance so does the intimate Time or season of seasons seasons half season transcend the Time at large and in general and therefore all these Notes of Time are first given and then Inward time with this Exaltation of the Effects 3. The Three times and a half pointing and propending towards though not rigidly denoting three years and a half even as twelve hundred sixty days do and as forty two months of Lunar years do they have two great Paralels one of Years the other of Days and both fitted to the very 1260 days of the Witnesses The first of years is that of Elijah declaring that there 1 Kings 17. 1. should not be these years Rain nor Dew but according to his Word Now the Time of this Drought is most expresly affirmed twice that we might take the more notice of it to be three years and six months once by Christ himself a second Luc. 4. 25. Jam. 5. 17. Time by the Apostle James And yet by the History we cannot find that the Drought was any longer than a part of the three years and a part of 1 King 18. 1. the six months for it is said in the third year Elijah appeared to Ahab and Rain ensued accounting then from the latter end of the first year to the beginning of the six months after two years there might be no Rain a part of the first year the whole of the two years nor till the six months began and yet it might be in the third year according to precise account of years as may be easily understood For there may be three full years within a part of the first of the three years and of the six months viz. the latter part of the first year and the beginning of the last six Months comprehending two whole years in the middle That of Days is the instance of our Lords three days in the heart of the Earth which by the full evidence of the Evangelists we know was but a part of the first day the whole of the second and a part or the first part only of the third Now these three days both lay as an intimate part of Time within the three full years and half of our
who was the fourth King richer than all the former viz. In compliance with that Character The History of Esther thus describes him This is that Ahasuerus that Reigned from India to Ethiopia Esth 1. 1. and according to best History He was the fourth to the three from Cyrus for Darius being of the Seed of the Medes and the Mede is not accounted among the Persian Kings the Three after Cyrus then regnant are Cambyses Smerdis Darius Hystaspis and Xerxes the fourth who as stirring up all against the Realm of Grecia near the very Time of the Jews Danger as Christ signifies by the King of Grecia coming when he return'd to fight with the Prince of Persia concerning Haman's Decree laid the Foundation of that War Alexander the Great a Prince doing after his own Will pursued so as to put an end to the Persian Monarchy and the Grecian succeeded And this I have treated the more largely because it confirms and farther clears what hath been said of the Words going forth 3. This Vision being drawn out of the Scripture of Truth that is out of the former Visions of Daniel which can be only Cap. 10. 21. suppos'd Scripture of Truth in relation to these things The Vision I say passes on to the Successors of Alexander and especially stays in the King of the South and the North the Egyptian and Graeco-Syrian Kingdoms the DHIL-KARNAIN Cap. 11. 5. c. or two Horns as the Mahometans call it or as this Prophecy also the two Thighs of the Grecian Empire in whose Motions the 62 weeks ran and the Troubles of the Jews were as Historians observe most concern'd but especially as Types of those after-Kings of the South and North to which the Prophecy tends For in that Acarith of the Grecian Monarchy as the former Vision ch 8. v. 23. expresses it that long after part the King of fierce Countenance and understanding dark Sentences arose viz. in the Time of the Southern Saracens Heirs of the Egyptian Potentacy and the Northern Turks Inheritors after of the Grecian Empire to which the Prophecy especially directs it self so leading on also the space of the Weeks to the Roman Empire till all things went forward to the Antichristian State wherein these three principal Things are especially in our Eye that are prepar'd to clear to us the Apocalyptical Prophecy into which this of Daniel Disembogues it self 1. The Confederacies betwixt Antiochus and the Apostatizing Jews are lively set out as very prophetically descriptive of the Gentiles and the other Beast first preparing for and after conspiring with the Grand Beast of the Revelation and so by all manner of Arts corrupting the Minds of Men into the Apostacy that the daily Service of God may be taken away and the Abomination that maketh desolate establish'd in its place and as They who in the Days of Antiochus fell under that Tyranny by Sufferings and would not accept Deliverance that they might obtain a better Resurrection for even Heb. 11. 35 then the End was known and was for an appointed Time even so the Witnesses and sealed Servants of God were in the same manner resolv'd not to defile themselves but were purified and made white by Sufferings for the Glory of that End And thus in this Vision these shaded Lines of the Gentiles and the other Beast not given in the former Visions are now given and the End vigorously represented as encouraging the Saints of God in their Opposition to those Corruptions 2. The Agency of the Antichristian King is more fully set out in some Particulars that had been given some not at all some not so clear as before as in these three things 1. We have the Exaltation of himself above all Magistrates or deputed Gods every 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or August Name that calls Properly the Name of August Majesty as Acts 27. 1. for civil Worship and Reverence according to God's Ordination so the Apostle out of this very Prophecy describes him 2 Thess 2. 4. 2. His marvellous Pretension to be the Vicar and Vice-Gerent of Christ on Earth in so absolute and immediate a manner as to swallow up Christ's own true Power This is a speaking marvellous Things against Christ the God of Gods or supreme Prince an opening his Mouth in Blasphemy against the most High because such a Power is a Blasphemy against Christ's Divine Power for it is to sit in the Temple of God as God shewing himself that he is God 3. His Prohibition of Marriage is shaded under the Not regarding the Desire of Women taking it either as what Women of Vertue and Honour desire Marriage honourable in all or Mens lawful Desire of Women in that Estate of Honour and the Bed undefiled in Detestation of Concubinacies and Stews and this Prohibition yet is on the pretended Accounts of Virginity and immoderately honour'd single Life but indeed for base Advantages of Riches and Power to which those Pretences are made serviceable while in the mean time all Impurities even the Deeds of the Nicolaitans are so allowed as to be made a Doctrine Thus the Apostle also brands the Apostasie as forbidding to marry 1 Tim. 4. 3. compar'd with Rev. 2. 14. 4. The Idolatry introduc'd by him formerly unheard of and unknown in the World an Idolatry committed under the Pretence of honouring Saints and Holy Angels the Mother of Christ and even Christ the Spirit God the Trinity Names the lowest of which are indeed of true and real Honour and Excellency according to the Scriptures but as thus manag'd A Blaspeming God his Tabernacle viz. The whole Worship of the Gospel call'd after the Language of pure Israelitism His Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven Saints and Angels who are especially thus blasphem'd under the Name of Worship by putting upon them the Notion of Patrons Patronesses Defenders Tutelary Powers Presidiary Munitional or Municipal Saints which is such a new Host of Heaven such a new way of Idolatry so proper to this State of Antichrist as in just Propriety to be said A God that his Fathers not only of the Roman Ancestors of the Beast but even his first Father of Babylon Nebuchadnezzar had not known a God strange to the whole Auncestry of Idolaters that it is most fitly and livelily express'd by the Prophecy The Silver Gold precious Things with which their Shrines are honour'd Their Presidency over such Countries the Land or whole Territory of the Beast being divided to them for gain each Saint in his proper District or Division and so as to bring in Gain most advantageously And all these are thus honour'd upon the Account of a Supreme over them in Name and Title however often not only equal'd but even submitted under them in Veneration and Resort as we know the Name of CHRIST bears up the whole weight and yet is not only competitor'd by such or such a Saint in such a place or as they speak by our Lady but even by that very
Voices had now prepar'd for the Vials and the Thunders then were unseal'd for the Vials pouring out Rev. 22. 10. And this agrees with the sealing Vision and Prophecy at the very cutting off of Messiah altho there was a Time of farther Tryal of the Jews the last Half-week yet it was then indeed seal'd the Jews having rejected and crucified their King who yet even by Pilate's Inscription in Hebrew Greek and Latin This is the King of the Jews by his Resurrection Ascension and sending down the Spirit was Anointed But till the End of the Indignation The Prophecy of his Kingdom was seal'd from its Glorious Appearance altho this Sealing had several new Sealings after some partial and momentary Discoveries of the Kingdom which are most necessary to be here understood and carried all along It is most evident It was here seal'd and answerably in the Revelation c. 5. It was a Book seal'd with seven Seals when Christ took it at his very Resurrection and though the opening the first Seal was a Publication of his Kingdom to the Jews and Gentiles and he went out conquering and to conquer c 6. 1 2. after the opening the first Seal yet it could not then appear for there were six Seals still upon it Now these Seals carry most evidently as we shall see a Course of 400 years from the last half week when the sealing was complete in the final rejection of the Jews For the first Seal opened and the Gospel not received by the Jews the rest had greater Force of Sealing which Sealing yet was determinately made at the very Death of Christ and the Indignation upon that Parricide And though these Seals carry a Course of Time yet condecent to the Type of the great secrecy of the seven Seals There is no express Line of Time drawn till the Kingdom of Our God is celebrated as come after the sixth of the Seals opened and the Rev. 12. 10. compar'd with c. 6. 12. c. 8. 3. 4. seventh also opened as compleating that whole Vision of the manly Birth Caught up to the Throne and the Dragon cast down Revel 12. in Theodosius the Great 's last Victory over Heathenism as we shall see in those Visions But then immediately at the sixth Seal as it were by way of prevention of the Kingdom of Christ breaking out at the seventh The 144000 were first sealed and this was such an c. 7. obscuring Christs Kingdom under the Apostasie That the Lines of Time were according to the Decency of the Type concealed till the Thunders uttering their Voices and the Book opened Apoc. c. 10. c. 11. without which Apocalyptick Lines these Numbers of Daniel could not be understood So till the End viz. the seventh Trumpet finishing all and the Kingdom of Christ proclaim'd there is a continuance of this sealing in some Degrees even till the Thunders unseal'd Chap. 14. But yet there are convenient Notations of Time along the Seals For every Event upon their opening leads us demonstratively enough from Time to Time and that general Character of this First space of Time of the Seals after Christs Resurrection is most significantly imprinted by that Motto Many shall run to and fro and Knowledge shall be increased Dan. 12. 4. which was so notably fulfill'd in the Apocalyptical Ministry it self and after that especially during the Three following Seals in those Gospel Voices of a yet continuing Apostolical Ministry though inferior to the Apostles and daily growing flatter but still saying Come and see All labouring to have then proclaim'd Christs Kingdom For so Come and see imports all along c. 6. till the Fifth Seal Christ having now commanded the sealing of the Book with that Latitude not to the End but to the Time or whole Current of Time to the End The Two Angels on either Bank attending Christ the Man in Linnen upon the Waters of the great River Hiddekel as in the Preface c. 10. v. 4. These two by divine Ordination from that very word The End start this Question Vnto how long the End of these Wonders viz. That End until the Time of which Christ had just now signifyed The Book was seal'd To this Christ is pleas'd intending to reveal this Course of Time to his Church by Daniel to return an answer in the very sight of Daniel by lifting up both his Hands to Heaven and swearing by the Eternal Being living for ever to whom all Time is but as the Drop of the Bucket That there should be Time Times half a Time for the scattering of the holy People or the Revel 12. Womans being in the Wilderness which is the Apocalyptick Comment on it and when that was accomplished According to the Correspondent Oath in the Revel c. 10. All these things should be finished in the Days of the seventh Trumpet Now it is most observable Christ gives an answer by this Oath not of the Time from the End of the Weeks or at his Resurrection but from the Time of the Seals opened confirming that sealing the Book to make a Line of Time in its unsealing For who can think Time Times c. were together with the Seals seeing those three Times and Half are so plainly given after the Seals But because the Divine Spirit knew that neither could the Cypher of Time Times half a Time be truly discypher'd but by it self and that the Half Time would open in some appearance of the Kingdom and that this very Oath that now Lett out this Time would be revers'd upon it at that very prophetical Juncture Daniel is mov'd by the same Spirit as not enough intelligenc'd by this Oracle to desire a further Divine Responsal I heard saith he but I understood not and therefore I said Lord what the End of these things Upon which Christ declares first a second sealing and discharges Daniel from farther Attendance in this matter after this last Oracle given him v. 9. which is again repeated v. 13. Go thy way Daniel saith Christ that is the way of all Flesh or Dye at thy Time till Thou stand in thy Lot at the end of the Days Not the Book now but the Words referring to the Thunders Vtterances and the Words within the open Book are seal'd or stay'd from an immediate coming to pass till the very Time of the End much farther promoted viz. to the Vials And then Christ is pleas'd to give first this Emblem of the Time of the Vnsealing in these Words Many shall be purified and made white and tryed or refin'd viz. by the Voices and by the Efficacy of Divine Truth then breaking out but as is discover'd in the Vials The wicked will do wickedly and will not understand by so great a Thunder of Truth and therefore it is so eminently noted of them in the Vials They Repented not but blasphem'd and in proper Application to the same Time it is said He that is Vnrighteous and Vnjust let him be so still and He that is Righteous let
Conversions to Christianity though so great as to be a very strong Argument of its Truth were small in comparison of what this shall be for the Mistery of Iniquity began early to work Ephesus the Type of the Apostolical Church left its first love as soon as the Apostles went off the World and notwithstanding all the sufferings of the Primitive Christians under the Type of Smyrna yet a Synagogue of Satan an authoritative Ecclesiastick Apostasie then overshaded it till in the times figur'd by Pergamus all was cover'd with the Throne of Sathan a Supremacy of Apostacy and so things went on and they are not yet recover'd in the Best Christian Churches but they shall be after the space of ten prophetical Days that is years to that degree that the Kingdoms of this World shall be proclaim'd to be the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ and so things shall go on amain to the Restitution of all things as God hath spoken by his Prophets since the World began the Lord will hasten all this in his own time and if it be wonderful in our Eyes should it be therefore wonderful in Gods The Witnesses shall then put off their Sack-cloth the everlasting Gospel shall be preached to every People and Language the Monarchy of Christ Jesus shall be an Vniversal Monarchy and the Tenfold Principality the ten Kings shall fall perfectly off from the Beast and the City that is born up on high by it that hath so long reign'd over the Nations and Kings of the Earth shall fall Stay then you Atheists and Despisers of all Religion and asswage the high Atheistical Humour see whether God hath not call'd the end and declar'd it from the beginning and declar'd all along the great things to come that you and all may know that he is God have so much Patience as to see what these ten years will produce at their end but if you will not be perswaded take your fill of Atheism and your farewel also for the very Air you breath in will be too bright and hot for Atheism to live any longer in Let us considering at what Door this fatal Apostasie Remark 2 enter'd even at a departure from the Apostolical twelve and so grew up to its number 666 let us I say fear the least remove in Doctrine Worship and Practice from the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles or from Christ the chief corner stone We need not so much mind combating Parties in Religion by names hateful or reproachful to them much less those little snatches at them by trifling Reflections upon them let us center our selves upon Truth it self in the word of God and grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and that will secure us from this Error of the Wicked and from falling from our own stedfastness this will cut off Offence from all but those who are resolved to take Offence this will preserve us in due regard to Authority if we dissent from it in matters of Religion and yet we shall preserve our Religion while we keep close to those Images of things Scripture hath given us and observe those notes of Time it hath fitted to them and suffer History which is every mans Priviledge to read to hear or to know even by the Law of Nature to declare what fell out and this we cannot be deny'd since God hath furnished us in all things and commands us to search his word and to hear and read the Words of his Prophesie and count the numbers he hath given with Wisdom and Vnderstanding and his Ministers are to expound to us and then we are to search and try whether those things are so or not and in all things receiv'd from the word of God we know and all know it is more reasonable to obey God than Men. These are two things in which the Happiness and Welfare of Man consists for this World and for that to come both which he hath made as certain and evident to us as the Light One and the First and Principal is true Religion fix'd in his Word with the present Consent of Natural Conscience and the Awes of that even whether we will or no. If we would but rest in the clear plain and undoubted Truths of it and not be hasty of removing from them till we have full Evidence from them to conduct us farther into Divine Knowledge without suffering our own Fancy to mislead us or our Credulity and sudden Belief of others to hurry us according to their Impositions The Second is Loyalty or Subjection to the Sovereign Power set over us by God and what that is we may easily know For the Sword of Justice is Supremely in the Hands of it and the Government of that World in which we live that the Disorders of Mankind may not swallow up it self depends upon it It carries before it a Terrour to evil works and a praise to them that do well Upon which account we must be subject not only for wrath but for Conscience sake And when this is in the Hand of a Prince whose Ancestors have been Princes throughout many Ages when the Succession is Clear and Lineal we can have no greater Assurance The Power that is is ordain'd of God And such blessed be God is the Case of our Nation that we can have no possible Scruple Now our Subjection is clear what it ought to be even in all things but our Religion whether Reveal'd or Natural for that is Gods and to be rendered to him onely All things else are Caesar's A Christian as a Christian can have no Scruple or Doubt in any thing else whatever it be This he can by no means submit It is to impeach Sovereignty in its highest Orb even as it is to obey a Subordinate Magistrate sent by the King against the King and his Supremacy But in all things else he needs as a Christian ask no Question for Conscience sake What men may as men as the Subjects of such Laws such Establishments as every Nation hath peculiar to it self insist upon I leave to those Laws I know as Christians the rendering our Lives our Estates if call'd for by God and the Edicts of Princes cannot hurt our Consciences but rendering our Religion to any but God and his Word will So these two things Religion and Loyalty can never clash can never interfere for to deny the surrender of our Religion can never hurt our Loyalty for to be Religious according to the Word of God onely and Natural Conscience guided by that is the highest Loyalty This is all the Loyalty Man can require to render All things else without Resistance and to Love Honour Pray for the Prince that requires all our Loss God will recompence in the Resurrection of the Just So a Christian hath no need to be Disloyal if he understand his Religion aright It is not our Loyalty to our Prince to be of our Prince's Religion though it be right