<<

66

&

of all other nations, yet he will not make a full σε end of them; but a remnant of them fhall be preserved, and return out of all countries whitber "God has driven them: That he will fift the boufe of Ifrael among all nations, like as corn is fifted in a fieve; yet shall not the leaft grain "fall upon the earth: That the Lord fhall fet “his hand again the fecond time, to recover the "remnant of his people, and fhall fet up an enfign for the nations, and shall assemble the out-cafts of Ifrael, and gather together the difperfed of Judah, from the four corners of the earth: "For I will bring thy feed from the east, faith "the Lord, and gather thee from the weft; I will say to the north, Give up ; and to the South, Keep not back; Bring my fons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth: Bebold, I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles, and fet up my ftandard to the people, and they fhall bring thy fons in their arms, and thy daughters fhall be carried upon their shoulders: For å Small moment have I forfaken thee, but with great * mercy will I gather thee: In a little wrath I hid my face from thee, for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee. "And that these prophecies might not be applied to the return from the 70 years captivity in Babylon, (which moreover was not "a dif

'

"c

а

"a difperfion into all nations) they are exprefly "referred to the latter days, not only by Mofes, " but by Hosea, who lived long after, (For the "children of Ifrael fhall abide MANY DAYS “without a king, and without a prince, and without "a facrifice; AFTERWARD they shall return, "and feek the Lord their God, and David their

66

cc

king, and fhall fear the Lord and his goodness " in the LATTER DAYS) and by Ezekiel, who "lived in the captivity itself; After MANY "DAYS [fpeaking of those who should oppose "the return of the Ifraelites] thou shalt be vifited, " in the LATTER YEARS thou shalt come into "the land;—upon the people that are gathered out of the nations;—In that day, when my people of Ifrael dwelleth fafely,--thou shalt come up against "them,-it shall be in the LATTER DAYS. "These predictions therefore neceffarily belong "to that age, when the times of the Gentiles shall "be fulfilled, and the fulness of the Gentiles be "C come in. And that, through all the changes "which have happened in the kingdoms of "the earth, from the days of Mofes to the present time, which is more than 3000 years; nothing should have happened, to prevent the possibility of the accomplishment "of these prophecies; but on the contrary, the "ftate of the Jewish and Chriftian nations at

66

66

"this day, should be fuch as renders them eafily capable, not, only of a figurative, but "even of a litteral completion in every parti-> “cular, if the will of God be fo; this (I say) " is a miracle, which hath nothing parallel to "it in the phænomena of nature.

66

"Another inftance, no lefs extraordinary, is "as follows. Daniel foretels a kingdom upon the earth, which fhall be divers from all kingdoms, divers from all that were before it, exceeding dreadful, and fhall devour the whole earth: That, <6 among the powers into which this kingdom "fhall be divided, there fhall arife one power "divers from the rest, who shall fubdue unto " himself three of the first powers, and he shall

have a mouth speaking very great things, and "a look more flout than his fellows. He shall make "war with the faints, and prevail against them. "And he shall fpeak great words against the most High, and fhall wear out the faints of the moft High, and think to change times and laws; "and they shall be given into his hand, for a

<<

long season; even till the judgment shall fit, " and the kingdom under the whole heaven shall "be given to the people of the faints of the most High.

66

66

(7)" Gods-prote&ors, as 'tis

66

High. He fhall exalt himself and magnify "himself above every God, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of Gods ;-"Neither fhall he regard (5) the God of his fathers, nor (6) the defire of women, nor regard any God; for he shall magnify himself. "above all. And in his estate shall be honor (7) "the God of forces, and (8) a God whom his fathers knew not, fhall be honor.-Thus fhall "be do in the most strong holds with a strange "God, whom he shall acknowlege and increafe "with glory; and he shall caufe them to rule 66 over many, and fhall divide the land for gain. Suppofe now all this to be spoken by Daniel, "of nothing more than the short perfecution "under Antiochus Epiphanes; which that it "cannot be, I have shown above. But fuppofe "it were, and that it was all forged after the "event: Yet this cannot be the cafe of St. "Paul and St. John, who defcribe exactly a "like power, and in like words; fpeaking of things to come in the latter days, of things ftill future in their time, and of which there "were then no footsteps, no appearance in the "world. The day of Christ, faith St. Paul, Shall

66

66

in the margin of the Bible,
"or faints-protectors."
(8)" Changing times and laws,
VOL. III.

66

"Ch. VII. 25; fetting up new religions."

66

Ff

"(9) .'Tis

66

fhall not come, except there come a falling away firft, and that man of fin be revealed, the fon of perdition: Who oppofeth and exalteth himself "above all that is called God, or that is worShipped; fo that he, as God, fitteth (9) in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God: -Whofe coming is after the working of Satan, " with all power, and figns, and lying wonders, "and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness. Again The Spirit fpeaketh exprefly, that in "the latter times fome shall depart from the faith, giving heed to feducing Spirits, and (1) doctrins of devils;-Forbidding to marry, and com". manding to abstain from meats, &c. St. John "in like manner prophecies of a wild beast, or "tyrannical power, to whom was given great authority, and a mouth Speaking great things " and blafphemies: And he opened his mouth in blafphemy against God: And it was given unto "him to make war with the faints, and to overcome "them; and power was given him over all kindreds "and tongues and nations; and all that dwell upon "the earth fhall worship him.—And he that exercifeth

66.

"C

"i

66