Page images
PDF
EPUB

7.41. the feet and toes, part of potters clay, and part of iron, the Kingdom shall be divided, viz. into ten other Kingdoms, as the feet into ten toes. For the ten toes of the ftatue, and the ten horns of the Beaft, are the fame thing; which all Interpreters have acknowledged. Among these ten Kings muft he come, that must fubdue three, i. e. Antichrift. As therefore the ten Toes make a part of the Statue, and the ten horns a part of the Beast, 'tis plain that the ten Kings, that must arise from the divifion of the Roman Empire, and the reign of Antichrift that must establish himself, by the ruin of three of thofe Kings, are the continuation of the Roman Empire, and the Roman Empire it felf.

,

Now immediately after, and without any thing happening between comes the reign of Jesus Chrift, and of the Holy people, fignified by the little ftone cut without hands out of the moun44 tain. And in the days of thefe Kings shall the God of Heaven fet up a Kingdom, which shall not be left to other people, but it sball break in pieces and confume all thefe Kingdoms, and it shall stand for

ever.

The fame thing is evident by the Revelations of Saint John. The first Beast in the 13th of the Revelation, is certainly the fame with the fourth Beast in the 7th Chapter of Daniel: 'tis the Roman Empire. We have feen before, that 'tis a greed, that the fecond Beast in the fame Chapt. which had but two horns, is the fame with the fore-going Beaft that had ten. Now the foregoing Beaft is the Roman Empire; the fecond Beast is the Empire of Antichrift. Whence it is plain that the reign of Antichrift must be the continuation of the Roman Empire.

Saint John, after having defcribed the Roman Empire, continued under Antichrift, in the 13th Chap. carries on this continuation in the 14th Chap. to the total ruin of that Empire, to the judgement that God causes to fall on the Kingdom of Antichrift, to the harvest and to the vintage, i. e. to the total deftruction of the Devils Kingdom. The following Chapters carry on the matter alfo to the reign of Jefus Chrift, the der fcription of which begins in the 20th Chap. of the book. There is nothing comes between; whereby it is clear, there is no interval of time, nor any Monarchy between the Roman Empire, and the Monarchy of 7. Chrift; and fo that the Antichriftian Empire, that muft immediatly procede the reign of Jefus Chrift, is the continuation of the Roman Empire.

The fame thing is evident from the 17th Chap. which is an explication of the vifions of the 13th. The 13th Chap. fpeaks of two Beasts, the one had feven heads and ten horns, the other hath but one head and two horns. The 17th Chapt. fpeaks no more of the fecond Beaft. It fpeaks only of a woman riding on a Reaft of feven heads and ten horns. 'Tis because the second Beast at the bottom was no more than a continuation of the firft; i. e. it was no more than the continuation of the Roman Empire. Therefore the Holy Spirit in explaining the adventures of the firft Beaft, pretends to explain thofe of the fecond alfo. For otherwife, if the two Beasts had been different, 'tis plain the H. Spirit would not have been wanting to have spoken of the one as well as of the other in the 17th Chap.where he explains the vifions of the Beafts. Now this Beast with seven beads and ten borns, i.e. the Roman Empire must

reach

He that did

poffefs in

the time of

reach to the end of the perfecutions, and to the reign of 7. Chrift. This appears plainly in the 18th, and the following Chapters, where the ruin of Antichrift is reprefented and described at large.

[ocr errors]

If these proofs did not fuffice to prove, that the Empire of Antichrift must be a continuation of the Roman Empire, one might bring others from the comparison of the two Beasts of the 13th. Ch. For tis clear, that 'tis one and the fame Empire reprefented by two Beasts. And the thing is fo plain, that the Popish Authors themfelves do acknowledg it. We have heard Bellarmin confefs it, and fay, that Antichrist must be a King poffeffing the Roman Empire, but without the name of the Roman Emperour.

If this be fo, what muft we understand by those words of St. Paul, only he that now letteth St. Paul, or poffeffeth, will let or poffefs till he be taken out of beremo. the way, and then shall that wicked one be revealed? ved out of It doth not import, till the Roman Empire be abolisht, as the Ancients did believe

and was to

the way

before

came, is

and as

Antichrif the Agents of Antichrift at this day would fain the fixth perfwade us. We muft remember, that in the Beaft in the Revelation, with feven Heads and ten with ten Horns, the feven Heads are feven forms of GoHorns and vernments, under which the Roman Empire hath

head of the Beaft

feven heads.

[ocr errors]

paft. 1. Kings. 2. Confuls. 3. Decemvires. 4. The Tribunes of the People. 5. Perpetual Dictators. 6. Emperours. 7. and laftly, Popes. Every one of these Heads and thefe Governments hath had its time, one hath paffed away and another hath come in its place. In the time of St. Paul the Head of the Emperours was in poffeffion. And 'tis of that we muit understand those words of his Prophecy, only be which now with-holdeth, or poffeffeth, i.c.

the

the Head of the Emperors, fhall ceafe at Rome, and then the Antichriftian Kingdom fhall be revealed, and quickly form the feventh Head which fhall be that of the Popes, calling themfelves the Vicars of J. Chrift, but being indeed the true Antichrifts.

And thus you have what I thought neceffary to be added for the explication of that Prophecy of St. Paul contained in the 24. Ep. to the Theffalonians.

CHAP. XV.

An explication of the Vifions of the thirteenth Chapter of the Revelation, and of the two Beafts that appear therin.

WE E come now to the description of the Antichriftian Empire, according as we find it in the Revelation, a book particularly defigned to defcribe it to us. 'Tis found above all in the 13th. Chapter. Two Beats are feen in this Chapter. We fhall immediately examin both the one and the other, following the Text word for word.

V. 1. And I saw a Beaft rife out of the fea, having feven Heads and ten Horns, and upon his Horns ten crowns, and upon his Heads the name of Blafphemy.

2. And the beaft, which I faw, was like unto a Leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a Bear. and his mouth as the mouth of a Lion; and the Dragon gave him his power, and his feat, and great authority.

There is no need that I fhould obferve here,

that

A beaft

enemy of

God.

that in the style of the Prophets a Beaft fignifies fignifies a worldly an Empire. All the world knows it, and conEmpire, feffes it. It muft only be noted that a Beat fignifies an Empire that is worldly, terreftrial, and an enemy to God. The Kingdom of God and of Jefus Chrift, that must be given to the Saints after the fourth Monarchy, is never reprefented under the image of a Beast. The Beaft that appears here, is the fourth Monarchy, which we have seen defcribed in the text of the feventh Chapter of Daniel. The Prophet had faid, that it was diverfe from all the other Beafts. And Saint John in the explication of it faith, that it was compofed of the fhape of a Lion Leopard, and a Bear; wheras the fore-going Beafts had but one fimple fhape. The First was as a Lion with the wings of an Eagle. The fecond was as a Bear, and the third as a Leopard. But this fourth Monarchy hath all the strength, and all the advantages of the three others together. Tis couragious and strong as a Lion. It had the fwiftness of a Leopard in its conquefts. It hath the firmness of a Bear, whofe large feet make a firm bafis for its whole body.

fourth Mo

a

The Holy Spirit lays before the Prophets eyes this Roman Monarchy whole and entire, altho narchy about a third part of it was already paft, beappears en- cause this Monarchy was to be the fubject, on Revelati- which all the great events were to turn. And to

tire in the

on.

[ocr errors]

know an object well, it must not be fhewn by pieces, but all entire. So that 'tis reasonable the Prophet fhould fee this Beaft, or this Monarchy, in its whole extent. He rifeth out of the Sea. This is not what was faid in the eleventh Chapter, he rifeth out of the bottomless pit. The bottomlefs pit and the fea are not the fame thing.

The

« PreviousContinue »