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AN

ESSAY

ON THE

NUMBER SE VE N.

Wherein the

Duration of the Church of ROME,

AND OF THE

MAHO METAN IMPOSTURE;

The TIME also of the

CONVERSION of the JEWS;

And the

YEAR of the WORLD,

FOR THE

Beginning of the MILLENNIUM;

And for the

First RESURRECTION of the MARTYRS,

Are attempted to be Shewn.

By a MEMBER of the Church of CHRIST.

LONDON:

Printed for J. RIVINGTON and J. FLETCHER, at the Oxford Theatre in

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10-20-32 Line

Tappan Press, Ass
2-9-1932

A N

ESSAY

ΟΝ ΤΗ Ε

NUMBER SEVE N.

GENESIS II. 2, 3.

On the feventh Day GOD ended his Work which He had made: and He rested on the seventh Day from all bis Work which He had made.

And GOD bleffed the feventh Day and fanctified it: because that in it He had refted from all his Work, which GOD created and made.

A

FEW Observations acknowledged by the most esteemed Interpreters of Scripture must precede the Explanation of the Number Seven.

The first is, That the Mofaic Law is the Figure in all its Branches of the more full and open Revelation, which was to be brought by Jefus Chrift, who is the End of the Law in every Part of its Oeconomy.

Secondly, That those Parts, which wait for their Accomplishment under the Gospel, are selected from the Writings of Mofes and the Prophets of his Difpenfation, and are transferred into the Writings of the Evangelifts and Apostles; and the most important are taken into the great Prophet St. John in his Revelation.

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Laftly, That God brings about the great Events predicted under the Gospel, by a fecret Power, which were effected under the Law, by a more open and visible Display of his mighty Hand; fo that the chief Difference does not confift in Events unlike, but in the Manner of bringing them to pafs.

Thefe Obfervations are confeffed by most Christian Writers.

Upon this Ground then, we must have Recourse to the Prophecies for thofe illuftrious Events and Revolutions, and for those fignal Judgements, or Bleffings, which are expected under the Gospel, as the THEOCRACY of the MESSIAH over many, even all Nations.----Thefe Prophecies are tranfplanted into the Revelation of St. John.

In this View the Law looks toward the Gospel for those Parts of it, yet to be accomplished, and the Gospel looks back to fuch Things figured or fhadowed out under the Law, which have not received their great End and Import. This Truth will be more evident in difcuffing the Subject before us, wherein I fhall endeavour to open the great interior Senfe and Meaning contained under the Number Seven, which is the moft peculiar one ufed by the Spirit of God in both Dispensations.

Secondly, Will be pointed out some remarkable Agreements between the Prophecies of Daniel and of John.

Thirdly, It will be inquired whether CHRIST has not given forth fuch Marks and Characters, by which his Church may underftand the Signs of the Times for great Events, as it is clear the Law and its Prophets held out to view to difcern the Coming of the MESSIAH.

In the last Place, Several Reasons fhall be affigned for entering upon this Kind of Interpretation, and the moft fpecious Objections, which will probably be formed against the Designs of this Effay, shall be confidered and replied to.

First, of the Number Seven, used in both Dispensations, as a Mark fet apart by divine Wisdom for the Figure of the greatest

Events.

The facred Writings caft before our View these leading Truths: first, the original State of Dignityand Happiness Adam, as the Fountain

Spirit

Spirit of this Creation, was placed in; his Fall and Degradation; the Promise of his Restoration with the Means leading to it; and laftly, what he is to be, when fully restored. These are the capital Points ever kept in Sight; these constitute not only the Weight and Greatness of every Part of the Revelation from Adam, to the Patriarchs and to Mofes, but lead us into the Design and End of the Types or Shadows of the Mofaic Dispensation----The Gospel carries on the fame interefting Topics with this Difference, that the Figures of good Things are openly declared, in regard to their Na-. *ture and Importance, and are no longer under the Veil of Mofes. But Man is still only on his Way, as the loft Son to his Father's House, and to the Recovery of his great Inheritance; yet cannot find it until He reach the Kingdom of Paradife by the Circumcifion and Death of this Body of our Humiliation, which original Phil. iii. 21. Sin brought forth, and is the Curfe marked out to be abolished by Christ. This View of Man's Condition leads into a more easy, noble, and fcriptural Way of unfolding the hidden Senfe of the Types instituted under the Law. Many of these remain yet unfulfilled, and the most illuftrious and eminent are taken into the fublime Prophecy of St. John, as an Earneft and Pledge of their fure Completion in their Time and Seafon.

In this Light the Explanation of the Number Seven will be attempted.

Now it is impoffible for us to affign any particular Reason a priori (which has been vainly affected by one or more,) why divine Wisdom should have felected this Number, rather than any other; but, as such a Choice has been made, and is continued to the End of the facred Writings, it is our Duty to follow the Light fet before us: no other Reason can be yet given for this, than the Will of God revealed a pofteriori, but without Doubt the Will of God is founded on fome fufficient Reason, though it be not made known to us, who are in the first and infant State of Exiftence, and what is of more Weight, in a degraded State.

In the Words of our Subject we find that Almighty Gòd chose to arrange and difpofe the great Fabrick of our World, from its Chaos in fix Days, and finished his Work on a feventh, which was.

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