into three general Periods. The Firft is that of the Christian Church in the four firft Ages, which were those of her purity; the fecond is that of her Corruption, Idolatries & Antichriftianifm, that was to endure 1260 years, at the conclufion wherof an end must be put to the Babylonifh Empire. The third Period contains the reign of a thousand years, during which the Church must have peace, & after which must follow the last judgment.

The firft of thefe Periods is the shortest, not lafting above 3 or 400 years. And therfore St. John doth not ftay much upon it. This is the Period which he defcribes in a few words in the beginning of the 11th. Ch. And there was given to me a reed like a rod, & the Angel food, faying, rife & measure the temple of God, & the Altar, & them that worship therin. But the court which is without the Temple, leave out & measure it not, for it is given to the Gentiles, & the holy city fhall they tread under foot forty & two Months. All the world is agreed, that the Temple built by Solomon according to the orders of God, was an Emblem of the Church. This Temple had two Courts, an inward and an outward one. Here the H. Ghoft reprefents the whole duration of the Chriftian Church by the extent of this Temple and its Courts. Nothing is more proper to fhadow forth the extent of time than the extent of place. This inward Court that was measured by St. John, together with the Altar & them that worship therin is the firft Period of

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the Church, the Ages which we call the happy times of the Church which reach to the end of the fourth Age, about 360 or 380 Years. The reft of the Chriftian Churches duration The intill the reign of the 1000 years is fhadowed ward court forth by the outward Court, which God leaves blem of to the Gentiles to tread under food 42 the pure Monthes This is the Chriftian Church & the turn'd Pagan by the admiffion of fecondary outwa Deities, mediating Spirits, & Images. Here Emblem of is one thing that deferves to be carefully

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taken notice of: between the duration of the Church, Church in its purity and in its corruption, there is exactly the very fame proportion as there is between the greatnefs & the extent of the inward Court & the outward one. Thofe that have taken the pains to compute the extent of these two Courts according to that defcription of them, that we meet with in the Jewish Authors, both facred & prophane, find that the proportion of the inward Court V. Villal to that without, is the fame with that of Ezech. fpand. in one to three & a half. Now there is the very fame proportion between the duration of the Church in its corruption & in its purity, The corrupt Church lafts 42. Months, that is three years & a Half: according to which the Church in its purity muft not have lafted above one prophetique year, which contains 360 Days, that is to fay 360 Years. Indeed the Church did continue in its purity just so long. About the year 360 the unhappy fur perftions about Reliques, & the invocation of Saints began to creep into the Church; which quickly

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quickly degenerated into Idolatry. Thus the reign of Anti-Chriftian Idolatry hath lafted three times & a half, hath lafted as long as the reign of pure Chriftianity. This is the outward Court, that is left out, & trodden under foot by the Gentiles & prophaned by Idolatry, & which nevertheless is called the Holy City, because there God did preferve his elect. And they shall tread under foot the Holy City for 42. Months.

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'Tis chiefly upon this Period of 42 Months that the Prophecies of the Apocalypfe do turn: & 'tis neceffary to obferve in this place, that during this Period feveral things fall out that are co-temporary. For this Period is oftentimes repeated, & its characters are often affixed to diverfs fubjects; to the Woman that lies hid in the Defert, to the Gentiles that are to tread down the Court, to the two Witnesses that are to Prophecy clothed in fack-cloth, to the Dragon & to the Beast, to whom it is given to exercise his power for 42 months. Thefe are not different Periods that must be faftned one to the end of the other. These are different Events, or the very fame events prefented under different ideas which must be accomplisht in the fame Period. For the right understanding therfore of the Chronology of the Apocalypfe, it is neceffary to know what events & things are co-temporary. As thus:

I. The Court which is to be trodden down the Apoca- by the Gentiles for the space of Forty Two typfe co- Months, Rev. 11.2.

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II. The Woman, to whom are given two great Wings of an Eagle, to fave her felf in the Wilderness, where she is fed 1260 dayes, a time, and times, and half a time; i.e. one year, two years, and half a year; which make three years and a half, or forty two months. This is what is faid Rev. 12.6, 14.

III. The two Witnesses, that must prophefie, clothed in Sackcloth for 1260 days, Rev. 11.13. 1260 days make juft forty two months, or three years and a half.

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IV. The Beast with feven Heads and ten Rey. 13. Horns, to whom Power is given to fulfil forty two months: But we muft obferve, that thete 42 months are affixed only to the feventh head of the Beast, which is that of Antichrift: the whole entire Roman Empire is fignified by that Beast with feven Heads and ten Horns. The lait Head is that of Antichrift, which alone muft laft as long as the other fix. The Roman Empire under Kings, Confuls, Decemvires, Tribunes of the People, perpetual Dictators and Emperors, laited about 1250 years, a little more or lefs. The feventh Head of the Roman Empire is Antichrift, and he is to continue 1260 days. Tis evident, that we must affign the duration of forty two months to the fe venth Head, becaufe 'tis to that we must affix theten Horns, that fignifie ten Kings; and 'tis to Antichrift that Daniel affigns for hisduration a Time, Times, and Half a Time. All the World acknowledges, that he means Antichrift by the little Horn, that grows in the midft of the ten, and that fubdues three of them.

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C. 7.v. 25° Hefball speak great words against the Most High, and fhall wear out the Saints of the Most High, and they shall be given into bis hand,until a time, and times, and the dividing of time. have already obferved, that this fignifies one year, two years, and half a year. This is the duration of the Kingdom of Antichrift; 'tis also the duration of the feventh Head of the Roman Empire; and this is what they ought to take particular notice of, that make a fcruple to grant, that thefe forty two months express the duration of the whole Beaft with seven Heads and ten Horns.

V. In like manner the second Beast of the 13th chap. of the Revel. that hath but Two Horns, like to those of a Lamb, and that spake like the Dragon, is also of the fame duration; i.e. it must be found in the space of 42 months.

VI. The Whore alfo of the 17th chap. fitting upon the scarlet-coloured Beaft, reigns in this Period of forty two months, 1260 days, or three years and a half. She fits upon the Beast, i.e. on the first Beat, that had feven Heads and en Horns,and lafts as long as the 7th Head.

VII. Lastly, The 144 Thousand fealed perfons, that appear in the 7th chapter, and are mention'd frequently afterwards, are alfo co-temporary with the Beast, and the Court trodden down by the Nations: for they are no other than the two Witneffes, that prophefie clothed in Sackcloth for 1260 days, whilft the outward Court is trodden under foot by the Gentiles; & they are no other than the Woman that remains in the Wilderness, and