Part 2. alfo facred, and a Period of perfection? It will be faid, the number seven is facred because of the fe venth day, which was confecrated to the fervice of God: but why hath God chofen the seventh day to be holy, and a day of rest for man? is it not plainly to fignify, that the feventh day, or the Seventh Period of the Church, fhall be a time of Holiness, Tranquility, and Peace?

The 7th

Creation,a

The feventh day, they farther tell us, was conday of the fecrated to Reft and Holiness; because God creatype of the ted the World in fix days, and refted on the feeventh pe- venth. Behold, now we are at the Spring Head, Church, and can rife no higher; but here alfo we shall find

riod of the

an excellent Type of our feventh Period. 'Tis here I would ask with boldness, Wherefore God created the World in fix days, and rested on the feventh? Why did he not imploy five days, eight, ten, or twelve in the work of Creation, but precifely feven? Certainly, the infinite wisdom of God will not permit that he should do any thing without reason. Here is this reafon, because he intended to hold the Church in an imperfect state for fix Periods of Time, labouring in that great work for which he made all others, and caufing it fucceffively to pass through seven degrees.

We must not fay that the Sabbath, the seventh day, on which God refted, was the image of that great Reft into which the Church is to be brought, after he shall have compleated it upon Earth; for the feventh Period ought to bear proportion to the other fix; whereas Eternity hath none with Time, much less with one day. So that the feventh Period cannot be the Eternal Reft. It must be a Time that bears proportion to the fix preceding Periods; As then after fix days of labour, God finisht his work, by a day to which he affixt Holiness and Reft

as its Characters, there muft likewife be for the Part 2. Church, after fix days of fins and fufferings, one laft day, that is to be diftinguifht by thofe two Seals, Peace and Holiness, upon Earth. Not but that the Sabbath is alfo a figure of the Eternal Reft; but 'tis because these thousand years of Peace and Holiness on Earth, fhall be the image of that perfect Peace and Holiness which the Church fhall injoy in Heaven; and fo 'tis a mediate Type of the Eternal Reft. These thousand years, I confefs, have no proportion with Eternity, but it is not to be a Type in the duration of the Time, but in refpect of the state of Peace and Holiness, Images of the Coeleftial Peace. So these thousand years may be Types of the Heavenly Glory: but the fe venth day could not be the immediate Type, becaufe of what was faid before. Becaufe the Jeventh day of the Creation is a Period of the fame nature with the fix preceding, and which by confequent ought to bear proportion to them.

It will be faid that 'Tis easy to make these fuppofitions, but difficult to prove them. But I have a lure Method for the proof of this, when the feveral parts of a System support one another, even therein they are proved; in an Hypothesis that is falfe, there is alway fome part inconfiftent with it felf. Now I will make it evident, that the feven days of the Creation, do perfectly answer to the feden Periods of the Church; that in every one of thofe days fuch works were wrought, which were exact Emblems of the Events which have happened, and of the things which were done, in every Period of the Church, answering to every day. If I make it evident, that in the fix Periods of the duration of the Church which are paft, we have feen thofe things which were painted out by the f

Pp

day's

Part 2. days of the Creation; fo that the firft Period contains that which was figur'd by the work of the firft day, the fecond Period that of the second, and fo of the reft, if, I fay, I can do this, methinks it will then be proved, that what was done in the feventh day of the Creation is the image of that which fhall be done in our seventh Period of the Church. The parts of this Syftem do admirably fupport one another, the Syftemit felf will be its own proof. This is that I am about to do, by giving here the full explication of this wonderfull Type ofthe Creation, in which we may fay, that God hath concealed fome of his greatest mysteries under an adorable obfcurity, which hath never hitherto been perfectly cleared.

Creation

to be ex

CHA P. X X.

The Type of the Creation hath not been well explained: Ive must make a System of it. Principles to establish that Syftem'; the divi fion of the duration of the Church into feven Periods, anfwering to the feven days of the Creation.

The Type IT the Creation are not obvious, and eafy tobe muft needs be, that the Mysteries of the Type is difficult explained, fince from the time they have been inpounded, quired into, they have not hitherto been perfectly difcovered. There are many things fenfible therein, that appear at firft view, and are obvious to all the World; as the Light of the first day, fignifying fpiritual Illumination; the Sun of Righteouf nefs in the Sun that was created on the fourth

day.

day. Adam as the figure of the fecond Adam, Part 2. Eve, the Image and figure of the Church. There needs no labour to fearch into thofe Mysteries, for the Holy Scripture doth clearly enough inftruct us therein. But for the doubtful Mysteries, those efpecially of the fecond, third, fifth, and fixth days, I know not whether they have hitherto been met with.

ment upon

of the

Creation,

caus

There hath nothing appeared on this fubject fo A judge. handfom and ingenious, as that which hath been the Type done by Placans. However I be confident, may withont being rafh, that he hath not discovered as explainthe true Myfteries thereof. The first fault he is guil-ed by Pla ty of, is, that he did not make a Syftem of thofe Mysteries, and of the feven days of the Creation. This is the reason why he doth not maintain his ground, but runs prefently into things improbable. There is nothing more lively or more taking than that which he hath conceived concerning the first three days. In the first he finds the Illumination of man being ignorant: in the second the work of Juftification of man being a finner: in the third the Sanctification of man being unholy : and it must be confeft, that fo far nothing could be more happy, and argue greater ftrength of Imagination. These are excurfions out of the way, 'tis true; but they are ingenious. They are perticularly furprizing to thofe, who know that this great man always addicted himfelf to difputations against Hereticks, which he managed after the way of the Schools, than which nothing doth more dull the fancy, and caufe a barren imagination. When he comes to the fourth day, it is no longer fo, and he is not fo happy, he cannot but fee there Jefus Chrift and the Church, in the Sun and Moon, as all others pretend; but he is fufficiently puzled to PP 2

make

Part 2. make the connection between this fourth day and

the preceding ones. He is yet lefs happy as to the two laft days. He would have the Birds and the Fishes of the fifth day to fignify the service of God; that the Fishes do fignify good motions of the heart, and the Birds vifible and outward acts. In the Beasts of the field created on the fixth day, he finds the Chriftian vertues. All this is forced, and however he stretcheth his fancy to get through it, yet he doth not fucceed. It may be faid, without doing him any injuftice, that except the three first days of the Creation, there is nothing at all well conceived in that work of the Types.

The other fault of Placans, is that he took for the object of his Type of the Creation, Man to be delivered from mifery, Homo a miferiâ liberandus: whereas 'tis certain, we must look there for the Church to be establisht, Ecclefia Conftituenda. This is the great work of God, next to his own glory; 'tis the chief and only end of his works. 'Twas for the fake of the Church that he created the World, and made all things; about this he hath been imployed from Everlafting, and will be fo to Everlafting. 'Tis the Spouse of Chrift,tis his other felf: we ought to find her every where, as God hath given her fome place in all his works. Particulars were made for the Church, and not the Church for them. Therefore we ought not to look for the Type of the deliverance of Man in the Creation, any farther then we can therein find the Church, in which men are re-establisht and delivered. I therefore find my felt obliged to proceed farther in this inquiry, finding nothing at all in that which hath been faid by others, wherein I can perfectly acquiefce. But that I may not fall into the fame faults which I have obferved in others, 'tis neceffary that good Princi

ples