days, cloathed in fackcloth, are the fmall number Part 2. of the faithfull, who during the reign of Antichriftianifm, muft keep themselves from its corruption, and condemn its idolatries and tyranny. God calls them witneffes, because these are they who bore witness to the Truth, which, but for them would have been forgotten. They prophefy cloathed in fackcloth; i. e. they preach under the Crofs. For we must well obferve, that hefe two Phrases, one used in our language, the other in that of the Holy Ghoft; to prophefy cloathed in fackcloth, and to preach under the Cross, are abfolutely of the fame fignification. He makes them onely two in number, to exprefs that thofe faithfull, who fhall preferve themselves from the corruption of Idolatry, fhallbe but a very fmall number. And indeed, experience hath too much verified this prediction. Nevertheless, he makes them two in number, to fignify, that however fmall the number of true Chriftians is, it shall notwithstanding be great enough to fupport the Truth, and keep it from falling; for in the mouth of two witnesses every word shall be establisht.

have pow

er to

ter into

heaven.

. God afcribes to thefe two witneffes, power to How thefe shut Heaven, that it rain not in the dayes of their witneffes prophefy, and power over waters to turn them into blood, and to fmite the Earth with all plagues as often change waas they will. Jofeph Mede gives a very ingenious blood, and reafon of this, which I believe is very folid, viz. shut up That the Holy Ghoft borrows his Emblems from v. 6. the hiftories of the Old Teftament, and alludes unto feveral Pairs of eminent witnesses, which God raised up at feveral times: as Aaron and Mofes at the coming out of Egypt; Joshua and Caleb at the conquering of the promised Land; Elijah and Elisha at the time of the grand Schifm of the ten

tribes.

Part 2. tribes. Zerubbabel and Jehoshua, at the return from the captivity. Among these witneffes Elijah and Elisha had power to fhut Heaven, to hinderrain for three years, and to make fire come down from Heaven. Mofes and Aaron turn'd the waters of Egypt into blood. Joshua and Caleb brought the people of Ifrael into the Land of Canaan and Imote the ancient Inhabitants with a fore plague. To this the Holy Ghot alludes.

Here is fore-told a

sion that

F

But we muft further add, that God ascribes to thefe witneffes. 1. The shutting of Heaven that it rain not in the days of their prophecy, to fignify, that during the 1260 years of their Prophecy, and of the reign of Antichrift, there fhould be a great drought of grace, and a barrenefs of virtues and gifts in the Church. 2. The turning of waters into blood, and the fmiting of the Earth with all plagues; Because all the heavy judgements of God, that during the course of thefe 1260 years, came upon the Antichriftian Church, were fent on the account of thefe two witnesses, and to punifh the oppreffion under which it held both the Truth and those who were willing to profeßit.

The feven verfes which we even now have read, haft perfecu- concerning the perfecution, which thefe two witmuft hap. nefes muft fuffer, and the confequent of that perpen before fecution, contain a grand event, which must come Antichrifts to pafs before the laft fall of the Antichriftian Kingreign. dom. And 'tis one of the principal circumstances of

the end of

this fall. Firft, we must observe the circumftance of time, and when they shall have finisht their teftimony. Mark, this teftimony muft laft a thousand two hundred and fixty days. My two witneffes shall prophefy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, cloathed in fackcloth. Now these thousand two hundred fixty days, of the prophefying of the wit

neffes,

neffes, are the forty two moneths of the Antichrifti- Part 2. an reign; for forty two moneths make exactly 1260 days. All the World is agreed, that these are the three years and a half of the reign of Antichrift, and that Antichrift and these two witneffes are abfolutely and exactly contempories. "Tis therefore the very fame, as if the Holy Ghost had faid, And when the Beaft, or the man of fin, shall have finisht hisreign of 1260 years, it shall make war against the two witneffes. This is therefore a perfecution of Antichrift against the faithfull, and a perfecution that must happen before the end of Antichrifts reign.

These words, when they shall have finisht, muft not be understood as if the Holy Ghoft would fay, when the 1260 years shall be finisht. For after the 1260 years are finifht, there can be no perfecution, feeing the Beast fhall have loft his power. So that this perfecution muft begin and end within the 1260 years, but yet at the end of them, 'tis the ordinary custome, not only of Scripture, but of all men, to fay, that fomething comes to pafs, when this or that is finifht; because it happens when that thing is finishing, and very near its end. This is therefore the last perfecution of Antichrist against the Church: This perfecution hath its Characters; i. It must continue a long time; for 'tis compa- of the lag red to a war: The Beast that comes up out of the bot- perfecutomless pit, shall make war against them. 2. This war or perfecution must end in a victory over the two witnesses, and fhall overcome them and kill them. Mark, that God does not reckon the death and martyrdom, which the faithfull fuffer for the Truth, as a victory, that the Devil gains over them; (on the contrary, he reckons thefe to be a victory, which they gain over the World and the Devil: Hefpeaks of Martyrs, when he faith, He that overcomes, I will

make

Characters

tion.

Part 2. make him fit down on my Throne.) So that when 'tis here faid, that the Beaft shall overcome the witneffes, this fignifies, that he fhall make them faint under the tryall. Which thing ought to be well obferved, that we may difcern the fingular CharaEter of this prefent perfecution, that hath conquer'd and overcome above a million of fouls. 3. This victory of the Beaft muft prevail, even to a total extinction of profeffion: there fhall remain no more figns of outward life in the faithfull, who fhall ftand for the Truth: they shall lye on the ground as dead bodies. 4. This murther and the effect of this perfecution fhall be done in the freet of the great City. 5. The death ofthefe witneffes muft laft three years and a half, denoted by three prophetick days and a half.. 6. During thefe three jears and a half, the Truth fhall remain as it were dead, but notwithstanding not buried: men fhall not dare to make profeffion of it; notwithstanding it fhall be vifible; the people who are neighbours of them, who fhall have flain it, fhall hinder it from perifhing and putrefaction, to which the bodies that are in the grave are obnoxious. 7. At the end of these three years and a half, the faithfull who are oppreffed, and whofe profeffion fhall have been violently fuppreffed, fhall rife again; after that, fhall afcend to heaven, and fhall be exalted in the world. 8. At the fame time, and after the exaltation of the faithfull, there fhall be an Earthquake, i.e. a great emotion and trouble in the World, and in the Antichriftian Kingdom. 9. In this emotion, a tenth part of the City fhall fall, .e. a tenth part of the Antichriftian Kingdom shall be taken away from it. 10. Seven thousand men fhall perish in this Earthquake, and be buried un der the ruin of the City, i. e. that this fhall be

brought

brought about with fome blood fhed, (though not Part 2. confiderable) in that part of the City, which fhall be taken away from the Pope and the Popedom. 11.And laftly, within a little while, this tenth part of the City, which fhall be taken from the Popedom, fhall give glory to God and be converted. Behold what are the Characters of this laft Antichriftian perfecution. Now, when I fearch after the time in which this perfecution must happen, I cannot doubt but that it is that in which we now are. After this perfecution fhall be over, God will begin to ftrike those fore blows to deftroy the Antichriftian Kingdom, which must be deftroyed within 25, or 30. years.

That none may wonder, that I speak fopofitively That the about a thing which feems to be as yet hid in futuri- prefent ty; I entreat all equitable minds to confider; that I on is the perfecuti have (as I think) with great evidence proved; laft. 1. That the reign of the Popedom must last 1260 jears. 2. That thefe 1 260 years began about the year 450, or455, and confequently they must end about the year 1710, or 1715. this being fo, we are but 25 or 30 years from the end of the Popish Kingdom. And if this be fo, the prefent perfecution mult needs be the laft; fince there is no probability, that this prefent perfecution being ended, the calm reftored to the Church, fhould leave room for another perfecution, which muft happen before the fall of the Popish Kingdom. For we muft allow the space of at least 20, or 25 years, in which popery fhall be perfecuted and attacqued, and not be the aggreffor and the perfecutor. And certainly, a fhorter time cannot ferve, for the utter deftru tion of this vaft Kingdom. For it fhall not be deftroy'd in a way of violence but in a way of perfwafion; and because the charm that holds men

en