ceive men; enjoining them to worship his image on pain of death, and caufing all to have his mark in their right hand or forehead, or elfe be deprived of the common privilege of mankind in buying and felling; all which has been done by the Romish antichrift; and the account is concluded with the number of his name 666, about which there have been many conjectures; but none bid fairer than the antient one of Irenæus, which is Lateinos, the letters of which amount to this number; this was the name of a man, a king of Italy. Now the church of Rome is the Latin church; its fervice is in the Latin tongue; the Pope is head of it; and his feat is in the Latin empire. In chap. xviith antichrift is represented by a woman fitting on a beast with seven heads and ten horns, which defigns him in his twofold capacity as before; and as fitting on many waters, interpreted of people and nations; and is described as a whore by her drefs and attire, by her fornication, filthinefs and murder; all which exactly points at, and has been fulfilled in the church of Rome. And now, who that confiders these things, and obferves the exact accomplishment of them, but will fee abundant reason to believe, that what is faid of the ruin of this antichrift fhall be performed; that the feven vials of God's wrath fhall be poured out on the antichriftian states; that the whore fhall be burnt with fire, and that her feat, Rome, myftical Babylon, fhall meet with the fame fate, and the beast go into perdition? The zeal of the Lord of hofts will perform this ". Secondly, The increase of the kingdom of Chrift in the latter day, foretold in this verse, will be owing to the vast numbers of Gentiles that shall be called, and to the converfion of the Jews. Many and antient are the prophecies concerning the calling of the Gentiles; as, that when Shiloh, or the Meffiah fhould come, the gathering of the people should be to him; that he fhould be fet up as an ensign to them, and they should feek to him, and he be a light unto them, and the covenant of them; and the abundance of them fhould be converted to him which had their completion in part in the first times of the gospel, by the miniftry of the apoftles every where; and especially when the Roman empire, or the whole world became chriftian; and alfo at the time of the Reformation; but as yet they have not had their full accomplishment, as they will when the kingdoms of this world fhall become Chrift's, and all kings and nations shall serve and worship him: and fince they have been in part fulfilled, we may be affured of the full performance of them; fince we have seen the kingdom of the ftone cut out without hands, as Mr Mede diftinguishes, we need not doubt of the kingdom of the mountain, which will fill the whole earth, taking place: the converfion of the Jews, as a body, as a nation of men, is what is predicted, and will make much for the increase and glory of Chrift's kingdom. That » Rev. xvi. 1. and xvii. 8, 16. and xviii. 10. 0 2 P • Gen. xlix. 10. Ifai. xi. 10. and xlii. 6. 154224 That people have been of old the subject of prophecies, which in a variety of inftances have been fulfilled. It was foretold to their great ancestor, Abraham, that they his pofterity should be ftrangers, and serve in a land not theirs in much affliction, four hundred years, and then come out with great substance, as it is well known they did at that exact time; their going into captivity in Babylon, and their return from thence at the end of 70 years, were predicted many years before these events, which were punctually accomplished: the various ftraits, difficulties, and diftreffes these people fhould come into for their fins, at different times; the befieging of their cities, and the dreadful famine they fhould be reduced to, fo as to eat their own flesh, and delicate women their own children, as at the siege of Samaria, and at the fiege of Jerufalem, both by the Chaldeans and Romans; and their difperfion all over the world; and even the very characters of their enemies, are given us, being of a far country, of a fierce look, and of a language they understood not all these, with many other things, are foretold by Mofes in Deut. xxviii. 20-68. fome of them at the distance of two thousand years, and which have had their exact accomplishment': but what is most furprising of all, is the continuance of this people as a diftinct people, notwithstanding all this, as it was faid they should, and as the Lord promised he would not caft them away, deftroy they utterly, or make a full end of them, as he has of other nations their enemies'; who are no more, nor their names to be heard of any where, as the Edomites, Moabites, Ammonites, and others; but these are still in being: yea, what is more wonderful, that feveral of thofe nations among whom they are now difperfed, have been even fince their scattering among them, fo mixed and confounded with other people, that they are not able to diftinguish one from another, or trace their original, as particularly in Spain, France and England; yet, these people remain a diftinct people, as they do every where, without any king over them, not having their own magiftrates, and without the obfervance of many of their own laws: now what can be the reafon of this? no other, than as the tribe of Judah was kept a diftin&t tribe till the Meffiah came, that it might appear that he fprung from it, according to prophecy; fo the Jews are kept a diftinct people unto the time of their conversion, that that may be manifeft to all the world. Moreover, even the ignorance and blindness of this people, their unbelief and rejection of the Meffiah, and their obftinate perfiftance in it, are the fulfilling of prophecy; both our Lord, and the apoftle Paul, when they fpeak of thefe things, refer to antient prophecy, as being no other than what were foretold. Seeing then all thefe things concerning t Jer. xxv. 11. 12. and xxix. 10. * See Dr Newton's Differtations P Gen. xv. 13, 14. on the Prophecies, Differt. 7. jaf published; wherein thefe prophecies are largely and excellentiy explained, as fulfilled; with many others relating to that people, and their enemies, fupported by good authorities. • Lev. xxvi. 44. Jer. xxx. 14. 1 John xii. 37-41. Rom. xi.8-10. cerning them have been accomplished, we ought moft firmly to believe, that what concerns them in futurity alfo will; as that they fhall feek and find the Lord, and David their king; that a spirit of grace and fupplication shall be poured on them, and they shall look on him whom they have pierced, and mourn; and fhall turn to the Lord, and receive him as the Meffiah, and embrace his gospel and ordinances; and fo all Ifrael fhall be faved in a spiritual sense, and Ball return to their own land, and refettle there, as is foretold they fhall: The zeal of the Lord of hofts will perform this. Thirdly, By the above means the kingdom of Chrift will be fet up in the world in greater glory than now it is, of which we have no reason to doubt; efpecially when we obferve the feveral steps which were to be taken, and have been taken towards the advancement of it; as the opening of the feven feals, and blowing of fix of the trumpets. The feven seals are so many feveral steps, and gradual advances to introduce the gofpel, kingdom and church of Chrift into the world. The opening of the first feal brought the gospel into the Gentile world, in which. Christ is reprefented riding on a white horse with a bow, and conquering, and to conquer; the fecond, third and fourth feals opened, brought the fword, famine. and peftilence into the Roman empire, as God's judgments for the ill usage and perfecution of the preachers and profeffors of the gofpel; and the fifth feal reprefents the fouls under the altar crying for vengeance on their enemies for fhedding their blood; and the fixth opened brings utter deftruction on the whole Pagan empire, as fuch, fignified by the darkening of the fun, moon and stars, and by other things. And here one might have expected that the kingdom of Chrift would have been now fet up in all its glory: but though here were peace. and prosperity introduced into the church of God, and it was greatly enlarged; yet the worldly wealth and riches brought into it, iffued in the corruption and apoftacy of it; and brought in the papacy, which arofe, and continued, and. ftill does, and ftands in the way of Chrift's kingdom. The feventh feal opened, brings in feven angels with feven trumpets to blow, fix of which are blown already. The first four blown, brought in the northern nations, the Goths, Huns, Vandals, &c. into the western empire, which overrun feveral countries, entered Italy, facked and burnt Rome itself, fignified by the burning mountain, and spread darknels and ignorance over all the empire, defigned by the fmiting of the fun, moon and ftars; and which broke it to pieces, and divided it into ten kingdoms, fignified by the ten toes in Nebuchadnezzar's dream, and the ten horns in Daniel's vifion. The fifth trumpet brought in Makomet and his Saracens, the locufts; and the fixth trumpet the Turks, the four angels loofed at the river Euphrates into the eastern empire, which fet up a kingdom there that ftill continues. And now, fince fix of these trumpets have been blown, and Hof iii. 5. Zech. xii. 10. z Cor. ii. 16. Rom. xi. 25, 26. Ezek. xxxvii. 21, 22. the the effects have followed predicted by them; why fhould we not moft firmly believe, that the feventh trumpet will be blown, when the mystery of God will be finished; when the kingdoms of this world will become our Lord's; when he will take to himself his great power and reign; when he will deftroy them that destroy the earth, and give a reward to his fervants, and to all that fear his name? The zeal of the Lord of bofts will perform this". Fourthly, As by the above events, the spiritual reign of Christ will take place in the world, fo by his fecond coming the perfonal reign will be introduced, which will daft a thousand years; and from the fulfilment of prophecy concerning the first coming of Christ, which is predicted in the context, as we have seen, we may most strongly argue the certain performance of all that refpects his fecond coming. He came at firft exactly at the time pointed out in prophecy; before the fcepter departed from Judah, while the fecond temple was ftanding, into which he came, as he was to do, and juft at the expiration of Daniel's weeks. All characters and circumstances in prophecy meet in him; all things concerning him in the law, pfalms and prophets, had their fulfiling end in him; concerning his birth, and the place of it; his mean appearance in the world; his doctrines and miracles; his fufferings and death, and many particular circumftances refpecting them; as the betraying of him by one of his dif ciples; felling him for thirty pieces of filver; crucifying him between two thieves; piercing his hands, feet and fide; giving him gall and vinegar to drink; cafting lots on his vefture, with other things; alfo his refurrection from the dead, afcenfion to heaven, and feffion at the right hand of God. And fince these things have been completely fulfilled, what room or reason is there to doubt, that he will appear a second time without fin to falvation? The angels at his ascension affirmed he would defcend from heaven, as he ascended: the apostle Paul affures us he shall descend from heaven with the voice of an archangel, and be revealed from thence with his mighty angels; and he himself has faid no less than three times, in the close of the canon of the scripture, Lo, I come quickly. Let us believe therefore that he will come, and make all things new; produce new heavens, and a new earth, and set up his tabernacle among his people, and dwell with them, and they reign with him; The zeal of the Lord of hofts will perform this. Which leads me, II. To confider to what the performance of all this will be owing; to the zeal of the Lord of bofts: he is the Lord of hofts or armies, the maker of the hosts of heaven, and the disposer of them, and rules among them, and does whatever he pleases; nothing is impoffible with him, or too hard for him; and as Abraham believed that God, who promised, was also able to perform; so should u Rev. x. 7. and xi. 15—18. we we believe, that whatever the Lord of hofts has prophefied of, he is able to fulfil, and will fulfil; his truth and faithfulness are engaged, as for the performance of his promife, fo of his prophecies; he is the unchangeable Jehovah, God that cannot lie, and who never repents of what he has fpoken, but makes all good: his zeal moves and puts him upon it; which may be understood. either of his wrath and indignation against his enemies, that jealousy of his that fmokes against them; that zeal and vengeance with which he is fometimes clad : this will put him upon performing all that he has faid concerning antichrift, against whom his indignation must be raised; who has spoke great things against him, and blafphemed his name, oppofed his Son, his kingdom and interest, and perfecuted his people: or else it may defign his great love and affection.. As zeal with men, when right, is no other than fervent charity, burning love, and flaming affection, so it may be confidered here; and mean his love for himfelf, his zeal for his own glory, which is his ultimate end in creation, in providence, in his works of grace, and which will be answered in the destruction of antichrift, and setting up the kingdom of his Son in the world. alfo his strong. love and affection to Chrift, both as his own Son, and the mediator between him and his people; and therefore it may be depended on, he will make him his first-born, higher than the kings of the earth to which may be added, his great love to his church and people; which has been fo great as to give his Son for them, to become incarnate, and to fuffer and die in their room, and to make him king over them to protect and defend them; and therefore it need not be doubted that the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to them, according to promife and prophecy "; The zeal of the Lord of bofts, the zeal of his. house, and for it, will perform this. I fhall close with a word or two. What has been faid will ferve greatly to fupport the credit of divine revelation; the sacred Word will appear from hence to be indeed the Word of God, and not the word of men; we may be affured the fcripture is divinely inspired, and is a fure word of prophecy; for what elfe could have foretold fuch numbers of events, which have been exactly fulfilled: particularly what relate to Jews and Papists, who are two fuch living and standing proofs of the truth of the divine revelation, that all the Deifts in the world are not able to fet afide? Likewife, this may ferve to encourage our faith,, as to the performance of whatfoever has been spoken by the Lord; for if he performs all things for us in pro. vidence, as he does for particular perfons, as Job, David, and others, as he did; then much more may we believe that he will perform all that he has faid he will do for himself, for his Son, and for his church and people in the world. But then, though he has fo particularly prophefied of, and fo peremptorily promisedi "Dan. vii. 27.. |