Apoc. xi. 2, 3. their Durations are certainly equal, is fo fairly imply'd in the Texts themselves, and their mutual connexion, that 'tis generally own'd, and fo need not be farther infifted on. The words are thefe: The Court which is without the Temple caft out, and measure it not; for it is given to the Gentiles: and the holy City fhall they tread under foot 42 months. And I will give power unto my two Witneffes, and they shall prophecy 1260 days, or all thofe 42 months, cloathed in fackcloth. And, as Mr. Mede Apoc. xi. 18. well obferves, this is confirm'd by the Anger of the Gentiles, exprefs'd as foon as the Witneffes are afcended up into Heaven, on account of their being at the fame time excluded and banifh'd from the Court of the Temple, which hitherto for fo long a time they had poffefs'd, and trampled under their fect. There appearing no other reafon in the Text for fuch their Anger, than that Exclufion and Banishment, and the confequent punishment from God; and that being a most natural occafion of fuch a paffion. So that fince this their Anger is contemporary in the Prophecy with the Afcenfion of the Witneffes, or the Conclufion of their Sackcloth-condition; it is a ftrong Indication that these two equal Periods of the treading down of the holy City, or Outer Court of the Temple by the Gentiles, and of the condition of the two Witneffes prophecying in Sackcloth, end at the same time, and by confequence are intirely contemporary. Ver. 2. Apoc. xi. 1. & c. xij. So that, upon the whole, (to re-capitulate the three laft Arguments) fince it particularly appears from the fecond Argument, that the third and fourth Prophecies are intirely contemporary and from the third Argument, that the fecond and fourth are intirely contemporary and from the fourth Argument, that the first and fecond are alfo intirely contemporary the Confequence is, that all four are univerfally and intirely contemporary from the beginning to the end. Corollarium. The State of the Church, reprefented by the Inner Court, meafur'd by St. John, as being facred and pure; and that reprefented by the Struggle or Combat between the wagon and his Angels on the one fide, against Michael and his Angels on the other, about the Woman with Child, and the Snares laid for her before he arriv'd in the Wilderness, are contemporary to each other, other, and prior to the State of the Church, represented under the four foregoing Synchronisms, contain'd in the prefent Propofition. This is plain, because these two States do directly precede the Contemporary States before-mention'd. The Inner Court, both in the Situation of the Temple, and in the Order of St. John's Actions and Narrations, being just before the Outer; and the pains of Geftation and Childbirth, and Flight, with the Combat and Snares appertaining to them, being just before the habitation or continuance in the Wilderness. And fince it has been prov'd in this Propofition, that the Outer Court, and the Woman's habitation in the Wildernefs, are exactly contemporary; it will follow, that the Inner Court, and the Contest about the Woman with Child, and her flight into the Wilderness, are contemporary, and immediately preceding them also. X. The fecond Beast in the Revelation, which is also That the fecond Beast in the Revelation, is the fame that is there alfo ftiled the falfe Prophet, is evident by their Defcriptions compar'd together; and by the confent of Interpreters of The Lib.v.c.xxviij. the Apocalypfe, even as early as the Times of Irenæus. words of the Text concerning the fecond Beaft, are these. P. 444. He doth great Wonders, so that he maketh Fire to come down from Apoc. xiij. 13% Heaven on the Earth in the fight of Men; and deceiveth them 14. that dwell on the Earth by the means of those Miracles which he had power to do in the fight of the Beast; faying to them that dwell on the Earth, that they Jhould make an Image to the Beast which had the wound by a fword, and did live. The Parallel defcription I of 20,25 * of the falfe Prophet runs in thefe words, The Beast was taken, Apoc. xix. 20. and with him the false Prophet, that wrought Miracles before him; with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the Beaft, and them that worshipped his Image. That the Little Horn alfo in Daniel (I mean not that belonging to the Third King dom, Dan. viij. but that belonging to the Fourth, Dan. vij.) is the fame with this fecond Beast, or falfe Prophet, is evident, not only becaufe there is nothing elfe in the Revelation which can agree to it; but alfo by their common relation to, and dependance on the firft Beaft with feven Heads and ten Horn's; and by the likeness of their Characters: And accordingly the general confent of Interpreters has determin'd them to be thè Dan. vij. 8, 11, fame. The Little Horn had eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth Speaking very great things: whofe looks were more stout than his fellows. Who should speak great words against the most High; and fhould wear out the Saints of the most High; and think to change times and laws. Part of the fecond Beaft's Character is, That tho' he had two Horns like a Lamb, yet that he spake Apoc. xiij. 11, as a Dragon. That he exerciseth all the power of the first Beast before him, and had power to give life to the Image of the Beast; that the Image of the Beast should both fpeak, and cause that as many as would not worship the Image of the Beast should be killed. Thefe Characters are fo like, that they make it highly probaBle they refer to the fame thing, and both concenter in the fame fubject. That the Man of Sin, in St. Paul, is the fame with this Second Beaft and Little Horn, is alfo evident in their Defcriptions compar'd together. The Little Horn did not arife till after the Rife of the Fourth Beaft with its Ten Horns, i.e. till after the Roman Empire was divided into TenKingdoms; 2 Thef. ij. 6, 7. and the Man of Sin is not to arise till the Toy or intireDan.vij. 20,21 nefs of the Roman Empire, as the Fathers expound it, be ta2 Thef. ij. 4.ken away. ken away. The Little Horn domineers over all; fo does the 12, 15. 2 Theff.ij. Dan, vij. S. Fixum & ftabile & omnium quoque confenfu firmatum, &c. It is fure and certain, and confirmed also by the confent of all, that Daniel did understand by the Little Horn, and as it were point at with his Finger nothing else but Antichrift that was to come. Malvenda de Antichrifto p. 224. It is the agreeing opinion of the Fathers and Interpreters, that Antichrift is called the Little Horn. Idem, p. 25.3. Man 11. Man of Sin likewife. The Second Beaft or Little Horn pretends to strange Wonders and Miracles, and thereby deceives Apoc. xiij. 13, the World; fo does the Man of Sin alfo. And the Second 14. Beaft or Little Horn is deftroy'd at Chrift's coming to fet up Dán. vij. 9, 10, 2 Thef.ij.9.10. his glorious Kingdom in the World; and the Man of Sin is to be confum'd with the Spirit of Chrift's Mouth, and de- Apoc. xix. 20. Stroy'd with the brightness of bis Coming: In short, the Little 2 Thef.ij.8. Horn, Second Beaft, and Man of Sin, are fo exactly alike through their whole Defcriptions, that hardly any Commentator has ever doubted of their being the fame things. But then the reason why St. John's Defcription of the Twohorned Beaft does not mention his Duration, nor his dif planting or humbling Three Kings, which are principal Characters in Daniel; is plainly, because his chief bufinefs was to fupply Daniel's defects, and particularize fuch things as were omitted by him, according to St. John's known method both in his Gospel, with respect to the three former Evangelifts, and in the Apocalypfe with respect to Daniel. And that this Little Harn, Second Beaft, Falfe Prophet, or Man of Sin, is in the main contemporary with the first Beast with feven Heads, and ten Horns, is evident by the following Arguments. 1. They have both no very different Duration of their Dominion: For the Beast with feven Heads and ten Horns, as we have already feen, has power to make war 42 months: And Apoc.xiij.. the Little Horn has Times and Laws given into his hand until a Dan. vij. 25. Time, Times, and a divifion or part of Time: which, as a Learned vid. Hypoth. Friend of mine Judiciously expounds it, is three years and one vij. prius. of the known and most evident divifions of a year; i. e. a month or 37 Prophetick months; i. e. but five fuch months fewer than the other Beaft. So that fince he is exprefsly faid to arife after the other, and that this five months later rife exactly agrees herewith, 'tis probable that the rest of their Durations do go along together, and fo they are in the main contemporary. 2. The Beaft with seven Heads and ten Horns begins the fame hour with the ten Kings; or as foon as ever the Roman Em- Apoc.xvij 12 pire is actually divided into Ten Kingdoms; i. e. when those Divifions which came on gradually amounted to the juft and full Number of Ten. [And it feems impoffible to be other I 2 wife wife; for while there were but eight or nine Horns, it could not be a Beaft with ten Horns: but as foon as ever the Tenth was arifen,it must needs be a Beaft with that number of Horns.] Dan. vij. 8, 24. And the Little Horn is faid to come up among the ten Horns in place; and yet he is faid to arife after them in time. i.e. Tho' this Little Horn was to obtain his power in the fame place with the other, yet did not he begin to Rule or Reign till fome time after all the other Ten were up; and that-therefore his Date is fome time after the Rife of all the other Horns. Which being fuppos'd, and that as we have already feen, the Duration of the Little Horn's Dominion is not very much fhorter than that of the Beast with ten Horns; 'tis evident that the Period of fuch their Dominion muft end about the fame time alfo, and they in the main be contemporary. 3. They having both no very different Duration, as we have already feen, do appear alfo to end at the fame time; I mean as to their Reign or Tyranny; and therefore must be in the main contemporary. Now that they end together, is plain, because the first Beafts 42 Months end at the beginning of the feventh Trumpet, or the Commencement of Chrift's Kingdom; as we have already feen, and as the Nature of the thing evidently requires: and becaufe the Little Horn, or Second Beafts Time, Times, and a Divifion of Time, do alfo expire at the fame Commencement of Chrift's Kingdom, as is Dan.. vij. 21, plain in Daniel's Account of him. The Little Horn making war with the Saints, and prevailing against them, until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the Saints of the most High; and the time came that the Saints poffefs'd the Kingdom. So that by Confequence they must in the main be contemporary. 22, 25, 26. 4. The intimate Relation and Agreement which the first and fecond Beaft have all along with each other, feems to imply that they are for the main infeparable Companions, and in general belong to the fame time. The fecond Beaft is faid to Apoc. xiij. 12, exercife all the power of the first Beast before him; and to cause the Earth, and them that dwell therein, to worship the first Beaft. He has power to do Miracles in the fight of the Beast. He caufes that no man may buy and fell, fave he that has the Mark, or the 14, 17. Name, |