That the Gospel hath been preach'd amor all Nations. This Anfwer he rejects as u fatisfactory, and contrary to the Know ledge and Experience of that time. That being of the Number of the gratia gratis data, which were by them conceiv'd to be given to Men without any regard to the moral of natural Difpofition of the Reci vers, it must be refolved entirely into th arbitrary Pleasure of God, who divid them severally to every Man, according his good Pleasure: But neither does th Anfwer fatisfie him. He adds, The chie and great Reafon feems to be our luke warmness, and neglecting to fulfil that Command of our Lord, of praying the Lord of the Harveft to fend more Labou rers into his Harvest. To which, fays he, may be added, the want of Piety, particu larly in the Prelates, or Governors of the Church, whofe Iniquities make them un capable of receiving thofe Graces; for it is plain, that thofe Graces are not regn larly beftow'd on thofe who unqualifie themselves for the receiving them, though they are not given upon the Score of Merit. So the Marriage - Conversation ren dred even the Prophets themselves unc pable of receiving the Influences of the Spi rit. Thus far this Great Man. But to return to our Subject from whence we have made fition be--this (I hope not unprofitable) Digreffion § 16. LET us here contemplate a Chriftian the Oppofition that the Holy Scriptur and Anti-feems to make between the Antichriftan chriftian Characters. With the Doctrine Company Opinion of this 15th sampail The Oppo tween the little agree Company and the Followers of the Lamb, according to the different Characters and Denominations by which they are diftinguifhed to us. First then, answerable to Babylon in the Weft, the great Whore, the Mother of Harlots, Rev. 17. 1,5. is the Woman in the Wilderness, bringing forth the Man-child, that was to rule all Nations with the Rod of Iron, Rev. 12. as the being in the Wilderness or Solitude, is opposed to being in the City. Answerable to the Worshippers of the Image of the Beaft in the Eaft, Rev. 13.15. are thofe that Worfhip in the Temple, Rev. II. 1. The Beast and Falfe Prophet are oppofed by the Two Witneffes, Rev. 11. 3. The Hundred Forty and Four Thousand that receive the Mark of the Lamb upon Mount-Sion, Rev. 14. ftand in Oppofition to those who receive the Mark of the Beast, Rev. 13. 16. And all these, no doubt, with a peculiar regard to fome particular Marks, and Signatures, according to the arch-typal or myftical Order of Scripture Names and Characters; all which we must be contentto be ignorant of, till the Spirit that fearcheth the deep Things of God, fhall be pleafed to reveal them to us. invading the East, § 17. OUR laft View of Antichrift was, Antichrift as triumphing at Rome; we fee him next with his Magical Army marching to invade and the the East. This Tranflation of his Govern- Prophecy of ment is attefted by Irenæus *; as alfo by Joel exLactantius t, in these remarkable Words: this Senfe. plain'd in The Government fhall again return into Lib. 5. Afia; the Eaft fhall govern, and the Weft Cap. 30. L 3 * fhall P. 449. fhall obey (fpeaking of Antichrift.) The terrible and dreadful Pomp of this Army is largely defcribed by the Prophet Joel and Nahum, and fome small touches of it in Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Daniel and Zachary; which, because it may appear to be a new and unwarrantable Affertion, I fhall endeavour to ftrengthen by two or three Confiderations. The Prophecy then of Joel has not been yet perfectly fulfilled, either in the Deftruction of the City and People of the Jews, by Nebuchadnezzar, or in that by Titus Vefpafian. Now this Expreffion is much like that of our Saviour, Mark 13. 19. In thofe Days fhall be Afflictions, fuch as was not from the Beginning of the Creation which God created, even to this time, nor ever shall be. Which Words, as they relate indeed to the Destruction of Jerufalem by the Romans, yet are ultimately to be compleated at the End of the World: So likewife thofe of the Prophet Joel. For in v. 2. a Day which is called The Day of the Lord, is defcribed as a Day of Darkness, and of Gloominess, of Clouds, and of thick Darkness: And this fhall herein confift, that a mighty and a strong People, of whom there has not been ever the like, neither fhall be any more to all Eternity, fhall come upon Jerufalem as the Morning Spread upon the Mountains. 2dly, From the 12th to the 16th Verfe of the 2d Chapter, the Prophet gives Counsel how the Inhabitants of Jerufalem ought to behave themselves, and what they ought to do to be exempted from the Calamity, which does does not fo properly agree to the Babylonish Expedition, becaufe it was known out of the Prophet, that not only at that time there would be no Remedy; but that the Jews were bound, according to God's Will, to furrender themselves up to the Babylo nians; which, when they refufed to do, the King, together with the Nobles, made their Mifery fall heavier upon themselves, their City, and their People, Jer. 21.9. 38. 2. 52. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. Further, in the 17th Verfe Joel profecutes the Counsel, by advising the Priests to weep between the Porch and the Altar, and to fay, Spare thy People, O Lord! &c. whereupon follows in the 18th Verse, to the 27th, the Answer of this Prayer, viz. that God would be jealous for his Land, and pity his People. Now it is not found that either the Priests did then make fuch a Prayer, or that the promised Anfwer followed; the Temple, City, and whole Land being utterly deftroy'd and made defolate. Neither did this at all come to pass in the Deftruction from the Romans; for the Temple was deftroy'd fome Weeks before the City, and then no Relief followed, but fuch a Defolation as continueth to this very Day. 3dly, If the Promife of the Effufion of the Spirit upon all Flesh, v. 28. be accomplished fully and ultimately (as fome contend) at Pentecoft, then it was accomplished full Forty Years before the Defolation; which neverthelefs the Prophet fays must come after. This Prophecy then is yet to be fulfilled; and what L 4 can can be meant by this great and terrible Army, but that of Antichrift, who is the Confummation of the Curfe, and who by the Magical Power of his Spirit fhall unite all his Followers in the Principle and Powers of Hell; to which also we may reasonably refer all those great Things in Prophecy, which cannot with any Congruity be apply'd to any other notable Period of Hiftory. The Prophet Joel begins in fuch a manner, as plainly to point out to us the laft and great Affliction of the Church. Compare Chap. 1. v. 2. Chap. 2.2. with Dan. 12. 1. Matth. 24. 21. In the 4th Verse of the first Chapter, he nameth Four grand Causes of the great Defolation. The Palmer-worm, Locust, Canker-worm, and Caterpiller: By which Four Species of Infects, which are frequently the natural Caufes of a Famine, he does probably point out to us Four grand Divifions of the Antichriftian Army. The Three last of these being apply'd in Scripture by way of Comparison to Men, we need not doubt but that the firft bears the fame Relation in this Place. These Four Divifions may march under Antichrift their Head, at fome Distance from each other; the Second plundering what was left by the First'; the Third what was left by the Second; and the Fourth utterly confuming what was left by the Third. Thefe may properly be typified by the Four Angels, mentioned Rev. 9. 14, 15. and may really be under the Influence of the Four dark Hie . rarchies, ૩૧. |