The Double Prophecy of the State of the Undefiled under Antichrift. PERIOD II. A Large Account Apoc. vii. 9-17. FTER this I bebeld, and lo a great multitude which no man could number, of all Nations, and kindred, and people, and tongues food before the throne, and before the lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands : 10. And cryed with a lond voice faying, Salvation to our God which fitteth upon the throne, and to the lamb. 11. And all the angels flood round about the throne, and about the elders, and the four animals; and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God. 12. Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour. and power, and might be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. Short Account Apoc. xiv. 6. 7. AND I saw a angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth; and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and People. 7. Saying with a lond voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of bis judgment is come; and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the fea, and the fountains of quaters. 13. And one of the elders answered faying unto me,What are those which are array ed in white robes, and whence came they & 14. And I said unto him, Sir, thou knoweft. And be faid `unto me, Thefe are they which came out of the great tribulation; and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and ferve him day and night in his temple; and he that fitteth on the throne fhall dwell among them. L12 16. They 16. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither Shall the fun light on them, nor any heat. 17. For the lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God fhall wipe away all tears from their eyes. In this fecond Period of the double Prophecy before us We have a particular account of the eminent preaching of the firft Reformers, which brought on the Proteftant Reformation; and converted vaft Multitudes all over Europe, from their former Idolatries and Corruptions, to the pure and acceptable worship of the One true God, through the one and only Mediator Chrift Jefus. This firft preaching of Luther, and the other Reformers is here moft lively represented in the Open Codicil, by an Angel flying in the midst of Heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach to them that dwell on the Earth: and moreover by the particular defignation of the Multitude, that heard and were wrought on by his preaching, fome of every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. And the Sealed Book exactly agrees, affuring us that the Palmbearing Company, in the very fame words, were of all nations and kindreds, and people, and tongues, [which phrafe in this Book seems ever after to belong to the Proteftants, in distinction from thofe who dwell on the Earth, which seems to denote the Papists.] And with very good reafon are the Proteftants fo ftil'd, fince they are fcatter'd almost all over the several Countries of Europe. We have alfo here the Characters of the Reformed Churches; thofe who came out of the great Tribulation and Perfecution under Antichrift; which till the Reformation all the Undefiled were fubject to: They are a great multitude which no man can number, as in fact the Proteftants are, to diftinguish them from the fewer Undefiled before, under the former Period, which were particularly numbred. They are alfo dear to God, and admitted to his immediate prefence with their Devotions; and they have a fure promife that this their happy state fhall for ever continue, and improve that they fhall never be fupprefs'd, or deliver'dto the Spite and Tyranny of Antichrift again; but fhall by degrees : advance advance to greater perfection, till it end in the glorious Kingdom of Christ at the laft: which is the plain End and Period of this State of the Undefiled before us. Corollary. Hence we fee the vanity of all thofe Fears, and pretended Predictions as if there was to be a total Suppreffion, or at least a general Depreffion, and Perfecution of the Reformed Religion before the fall of Antichrift. For we have here, according to our prefent Expofition, our Savior's firm promife to the Proteftant Churches in general, (for of any parti cular Church we have nothing reveal'd,) that they shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, and that the fun fhall not light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb, which is in the midft of the throne, fhall feed them, and shall lead them to living fountains of waters, till at length God fhall wipe away all tears from their eyes. Which gracious promife, as it refpects the Reformed Churches in general, to which aLone it belongs, has been plainly fulfill'd hitherto; and fo we need not at all doubt butthat what remains shall equally be fulfill'd hereafter. Scholium, 1. And thus far this Double Prophecy relates to the Times either past or prefent; and fo has hitherto been explain'd. But the reft of this Prophecy, and of the Revelation belonging to Times yet Future, is beyond the bounds of this Effay; and fo muft no farther be profecuted here. Only I fhall conclude with the following Scholia or Obfervations. Scholium, 2. Since we before obferv'd that the Hymns of Praise, were the Work of a Sacred Chorus, in this admirable Coroll. Lem. Drama; and were Notes of the feveral 7 riumphs of Chrift, V. fupra. or Marks of the principal happy Mutations all along, it will be fit here to review our Scheme, and fee whether thofe to which we have apply'd any of thofe Hymns, do appear to have been the most remarkable of all the paft Ages. Now fince it will appear on a comparison, that but two of thefe Hymns belong to the times paft in our Expofition, and fince they are byme apply'd to the change of the Religion of the Roman Empire under Conftantine; and to the Proteftant Reformation; I dare appeal to the Reader whether thofe be not moft juftly to be efteem'd the two most remarkable Triumphs of Chrift's Kingdom, or moft eminent Events relating to the Chriftian Church of all others whatfoever: and fo whether this exactnefs of agree ment Gagarine for Nov. 1750 o'hiile766 ment with all these most famous Characters, be not a confiderable confirmation of this our prefent Interpretation of this Book; and efpecially of thofe branches which relate moft directly to thofe two Eminent and Signal Advances towards the fetting up of Chrift's Glorious Kingdom in the World. Scholium, 3. And if after all any now ask, what great Mutations are to be expected at that grand Period, which shortly is approaching at 1715 or 1716? of which I have spoken fo often in the foregoing Effay: I fhall return my answer generally in the very words of the feveral Prophecies hereto relating, without any other particular explication. Not doubting but that the obferving Reader, at the time of the fulfilling of them, will be able to make a much better expofition of the feveral Prophetick Expreffions, than any one at even this fmall diftance of time beforehand can be able to do. (1.) Then, at this grand Period is to be expected the End of the Tyranny or Power of the ten Horns, or of the feveral Idolatrous Kingdoms in the divided Roman Empire. 'Tis Apoc. xi. 5. the conclufion of the ten Kingdoms 42 Months power of making war with the Saints, and overcoming them. 7. (2.) At this grand Period is to be expected the end of the Tyranny of the Little Horn or Ecclefiaftical Hierarchy, of which the Pope is the Head. 'Tis alfo the conclufion Dan. vij. 25. of the time, times and a part, wherein the Little Horn was to Speak great words against the most high, and to wear out the Saints of the most high, and to project the changing of times and laws. (3.) At this grand Period alfo is the fanctuary to be cleanfed, and the fanctuary and the host to be no longer troden under foot, in Daniel's phrafes; or in St. John's, here is the end of the 42 Months, wherein the Gentiles are allow'd to tread under foot the outer court of the temple, or the holy city. Dan. viij. 13. Apoc. xj. 2. (4. At this grand Period there is to be the Conclufion of the Perfecuted and Affli&ced State of the Church; i. e. of that time, Apoc. xij. 6. times, and a half, or 1260 days wherein the Woman was to be fed or nourifb'd in the wilderness, from the face of the Serpent. (5.) At this grand Period a finalConclufion isto be put to the Afflicted Condition of the poor Vaudois. It being the end of Apoc. x. 3. thofe 1260 days, in which the two witnesses were to pro 14. phecy phecy clothed in fackcloth. It being alfo the time when they ир a cloud, in the fight of their Enemies. (6.) At this grand Period alfo there is to be a great earth- Apoc. xj. 13. quake; the To Sing or of the city is to fall: In that earthquake 14. 15. 7000 names of men are to be flain, fo that the remnant shall be affrighted, and give glory to the God of heaven; and foon after the feventh Angel is to found the Great Trumpet for the Re- Ifa. xxvij. 13. ftoration of the Jews, and for the powring out the feven Vials or laft Plagues upon the Beafts Kingdom, in order to its xvi. utter ruin and deftruction for ever. Scholum 4.And if it be ask'd in the laft place, upon what Evidence or Calculations I depend for the expectation of fuch great Events at this Period 1716? I anfwer that this Evidence, and thofe Calculations have been already produc'd in the Series of the foregoing Effay; and are in fhort thefe feveral coincidences following. Apoc. xv. & (1.) This year is determin'd by Daniel's 2300 evening mon- See p. 237. nings, when the fanctuary is to be cleanfed. For from the third prius. year of Belshazzar, when that Vifion was heard by Danel, till 4. D. 1716 are juft 2300 Chaldean Years. (2.) This year is determin'd by Daniel's time, times and See p. 248. a part, or three years and a month i. e. 1110 years for the prius. overbearing Tyranny of the Little Horn, or of the Pope and his Hierarchy. For from A. D. 606 when that Tyranny began, till A. D. 1716 are just 1110 years. prius. (3.) This year is determined by St. John's Vision of the See p. 201. two Courts of the Temple; the inner Court reprefenting a pure State of the Church for 360 years, and the outer a corrupt State for 1260 years fucceeding it. For from A. D. 96 when St. John was bid to measure the two Courts of the Temple, till A. D. 456. when the corrupt State began, are just 360 years and from thence till 1716 are juft 1260 years. (4.) This year is determin'd by St. John's Vilion of the tono See p. 203. witneffes, which were to prophecy in fackcloth, all the 1260 prius. years of the Antichriftian Corruptions in the Church; which as they must begin with thofe Corruptions, A. D. 456, fo |