From the signs our Saviour proceeds to treat concerning the time of the destruction of Jerusalem, 377. He affirms that it would be in the present generation, 378. Some then living would be hold and suffer these calamities, ib. But still the exact time unknown to all creatures, ib. According to St. Mark unknown to the Son, 379. The genuineness of that text vindicated, and the sense explained, ib. 380. The destruction of Jerusalem typical of the end of the world, 381. Reflections upon the whole, ib. The exact completion of these prophecies a strong proof of revelation, ib. The prophecies plain and easy, taken from Moses and Daniel, but improved and enlarged, 382. Vespasian and Titus wonderfully raised up and preserved for the completion of these prophecies, and Josephus for the illustration of their completion, ib. The great use and advantage of his history in this respect, 383. The cause of these heavy judgments on the Jews, their crucifying of Jesus, 284. Some correspondence between their crime and their punishment, ib. Application to us Christians, 385. ST. PAUL'S PROPHECY OF THE MAN OF SIN. St. Paul's and St. John's prophecies copied from Daniel with some improvements, 386. Two most memorable prophecies of St. Paul, the first of the man of sin, ib. I. The sense and meaning of the passage, 386-388. The coming of Christ in this place, and the day of Christ, not meant of the destruction of Jerusalem, but of the end of the world, 356-399. Other memorable events to take place before, 389. What the apostacy, ib. Who the man of sin, ib. His exalting himself, 390. His sitting in the temple of God, 391. These things communicated before to the Thessalonians, ib. What hindered the revelation of the man of sin, 392. His destruction foretold before his other qualifications, ib. His other qualifications described, 393. II. This prophecy strangely mistaken and misapplied by some famous commentators, 393–402. Grotius's application of it to Caligula and Simon Magus, refuted, 393–395. Hammond's application of it to Simon Magus and the Gnostics, refuted, 395. Le Clerc's application of it to the rebellious Jews and Simon the son of Gioras, refuted, 396. Whitby's application of it to the Jewish nation with their high-priest and Sanhedrim, refuted, 398. Wetstein's applica tion of it to Titus and the Flavian family, refuted, 399. They bid fairer for the true interpre- tation, who apply it to events after the destruction of Jerusalem, 400. Application of it to Mohammed, refuted, 401. Application of it to the Reformation, refuted, ib. Application to the future Antichrist of the papists, refuted, 402. III. The true application of this prophecy, ib. The apostacy charged upon the church of Rome, ib. The pope shown to be the man of sin, 403. How these things came to be mentioned in an epistle to the Thessalonians rather than to the Romans, 495. The seeds of popery sown in the apostle's time, ib. The empire of the man of sin raised on the ruins of the Roman empire, 406. Machiavel cited to show how this was effected, ib. Miracles pretended in the church of Rome, 408. The empire of the man of sin will be totally destroyed, 409. The man of sin the same as the little horn or mighty king in Daniel, ib. Generally both by ancients and moderns denominated Antichrist, 410. The an cient fathers give much the same interpretation of this whole passage, ib. Justin Martyr, Irenæus, and Tertullian in the second century, 410, 411. Origen in the third century, 411. Lactantius, Cyril, and Ambrose in the fourth century, ib. Jerome, Austin, and Chrysostoine in the latter end of the fourth, or the beginning of the fifth century, 412. Whosoever affected the title of universal bishop, he was Antichrist, in the opinion of Pope Gregory the Great, 413. How the true notion of Antichrist was suppressed, and revived again with the Reformation, ib. How this doctrine afterward became unfashionable, but is now growing into repute again, 414. Conclusion; such a prophecy at once a proof of revelation, and an antidote to popery; ST. PAUL'S PROPHECY OF THE APOSTACY OF THE LATTER TIMES. St. Paul much affected with the foresight of the great apostacy of Christians, 416. Described here more particularly, 417. I. The apostacy shown to be idolatry, ib. Some in Scripture often signifies many, 419. The apostacy to be great and general, 420. The same in the Jewish and Christian church, ib. II. Shown more particularly to consist in the worshipping of demons, ib. Demons in the Gentile theology middle powers and mediators between the gods and men, 421. Two kinds of demons, souls of men deified or canonized after death, and separate spirits, 422. Good and bad demons, 423. The Gentile notion of demons has sometimes place in Scripture, 424. A passage in Epiphanius, that much confirms and illustrates the foregoing exposition, 425. The worship of saints and angels now the same as the worship of demons formerly, 427. The rise of this worship, 428. Too much promoted and encouraged by the fathers from Con- stantine's time, and particularly by Theodoret, ib. The conformity between the Pagan and Popish worship, 430. III. The worship of the dead to take place in the latter times, 431. What these latter times are, ib. IV. The worship of demons foretold expressly by the Spirit in Daniel, 432. V. Propagated and established through the hypocrisy of liars, 433. VI. For- bidding to marry, a farther character of these men, 434. Who first recommended the profes sion of single life,, 435. The same persons, who prohibited marriage, promoted the worship of the dead, ib. VII. The last note of these men, commanding to abstain from meats, 437. The same persons, who propagated the worship of the dead, impose also abstinence from meats, ib. This abstinence perverting the purpose of nature, 435. All creatures to be received Very useful to trace the rise and progress of religions and governments, 439. None more the Spirit of prophecy, and particularly in the Revelation, ib. The objections made to this book by several learned men, 440. This book difficult to explain, ib. A memorable story to this purpose, of Bishop Lloyd of Worcester, ib. This book not therefore to be despised or neglected, 441. The right method of interpreting it, ib. What helps and assistances are requi- site, 442. Hard fate of the best interpreters of this book, ib. Great encouragement, however, in the divine benediction, ib.-CHAP. I. ver. 1-3: contain the title of the book, the scope and design of it, and the blessing on him that readeth, and on them that attend to it, ib. Ver. 4–9: the dedication to the seven churches of Asia, and a solemn preface to show the great authority of the divine revealer, 443. Ver. 9-20: the place, the time, and manner of the first vision, ib. The place, Patmos, whither St. John was banished in the reign of Nero more probably than that of Domitian, 444. The arguments for this opinion, 444-447. The Revelation given on the Lord's day, 447. The manner and circumstances of the first vision, ib.-CHAP. II. III. contain the seven epistles to the seven churches of Asia, 447-456. Why these seven addressed par- ticularly, 450. These epistles not prophetical, but peculiar to the church of that age, 451. The excellent form and structure of these epistles, ib. In what sense they may be said to be pro- phetical, 452. Present state of the seven churches, 452-456. Of Ephesus, 452. Of Smyrna, b. Of Pergamos, 453. Of Thyatira, ib. Of Sardis, 454. Of Philadelphia, 455. Of Laodicea, ib. Use that we are to make of these judgments, 456.--CHAP. IV. the preparatory vision to things which must be hereafter, 457. The scenery drawn in allusion to the encampment of the children of Israel in the wilderness, and to the tabernacle or temple, 457.-CHAP. V. a con- tinuation of the preparatory vision, in order to show the great importance of the prophecies here delivered, 458. Future events supposed to be written in a book, 459. This book sealed with seven seals, signifying so many periods of prophecy, ib. The Son of God alone qualified to open the seals, 460. Whereupon all creatures sing praises to God and to Christ, ib.-CHAP. VI. ver. 1, 2: contain the first seal or period, memorable for conquest, ib. This period com- mences with Vespasian, includes the conquest of Judea, and continues during the reigns of the Flavian family and the short reign of Nerva, ib. Ver. 3, 4: the second seal or period noted for war and slaughter, 461. This period commences with Trajan, 462. Comprehends the horrid wars and slaughters of the Jews and Romans in the reigns of Trajan and Adrian, ib. Continues during the reigns of Trajan and his successors by blood or adoption, 463. Ver. 5, 6: the third seal or period, characterized by the strict execution of justice, and by the procuration of corn and oil and wine, ib. This period commences with Septimius Severus, 464. He and Alexander Severus just and severe emperors, and no less celebrated for procuring corn and oil, &c., ib. This period continues during the reigns of the Septimian family, 465. Ver. 7, 8: the fourth seal or period, distinguished by a concurrence of evils, war, and famine, and pestilence, and wild beasts, ib. This period commences with Maximin, ib. The wars of this period, 466. The famines, ib. The pestilences, ib. 467. The wild beasts, 467. This period from Maximin to Diocletian, ib. Ver. 9-11: the fifth seal or period, remarkable for a dreadful persecution of the Christians, 463. This the tenth and last general persecution, begun by Diocletian, ib. From hence a memorable era, called the era of Diocletian, or era of martyrs, 469. Ver. 12-17: the sixth seal or period remarkable for great changes and revolutions, expressed by great com- motions in the earth and in the heavens, ib. No change greater than the subversion of the Heathen, and establishment of the Christian Religion, ib. The like figures of speech used by other prophets, 459-473. The same thing expressed afterwards in plainer language, 471.— CHAP. VII. a continuation of the sixth seal or period, ib. A description of the peace of the church in Constantine's time, 472. And of the great accession of converts to it, 473. Not only of Jews, but of all nations, ib. This period from the reign of Constantine the Great to the death of Theodosius the Great, 474.--CHAP. VIII. ver. 1--5: the seventh seal or period comprehends seven periods distinguished by the sounding of seven trumpets, ib. The silence of half an hour previous to the sounding of the trumpets, 475. As the seals foretold the state of the Ro- man empire before and till it became Christian, so the trumpets foreshow the fate of it after- wards, ib. The design of the trumpets to rouse the nations against the Roman empire, 476. Ver. 7: at the sounding of the first trumpet Alaric and his Goths invade the Roman empire, twice besiege Rome, and set fire to it in several places, ib. Ver. 8, 9: at the sounding of the second trumpet Attila and his Huns waste the, Roman provinces, and compel the eastern emperor, Theodosius the Second, and the western emperor, Valentinian the Third, to submit to shame- ful terms, 477. Ver. 10, 11 at the sounding of the third trumpet Genseric and his Vandals arrive from Africa, spoil and plunder Rome, and set sail again with immense wealth and innu- merable captives, 478. Ver. 12 at the sounding of the fourth trumpet Odoacer and the Heruli put an end to the very name of the western empire, 479. Theodoric founds the kingdom of the Ostrogoths in kaly, 480. Italy made a province of the eastern empire, and Rome governed by a duke under the exarch of Ravenna, ib. Ver. 13: the three following trumpets are dis- tinguished by the name of the wo-trumpets, and the two following relate chiefly to the down- fall of the eastern empire, as the foregoing did to the downfall of the western empire, ib.- CHAP. IX. ver. 1-12: a prophecy of the locusts, or the Arabians under their false prophet Mo- hammed, 481-488. At the sounding of the fifth trumpet a star fallen from heaven opens the bottomless pit, and the sun and air are darkened, 481. Mohammed fitly compared to a blazing star, and the Arabians to locusts, 482. A remarkable coincidence, that at this time the sun and air were really darkened, ib. The command not to hurt any green thing, or any tree, how fulfilled, ib. Their commission to hurt only the corrupt and idolatrous Christians, how ful- filled, 483. To torment the Greek and Latin churches, but not to extirpate either, ib. Repulsed as often as they besieged Constantinople, ib. These locusts described so as to show that not real but figurative locusts were intended, ib. Likened unto horses, and the Arabians famous in all ages for their horses and horsemanship, 484. Having on their heads as it were crowns like gold, ib. Their faces as the faces of men, and hair as the hair of women, ib. Their teeth as the teeth of lions, their breastplates as it were breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings as the sound of chariots, 485. Like unto scorpions, ib. Their king called the destroyer, ib. Their hurting men five months, how to be understood, 486. Fulfilled in every possible con- struction, ib. Conclusion of this wo, 487. Ver. 13-21: a prophecy of the Euphratean horse- men, or Turks and Othmans, 487, 488. At the sounding of the sixth trumpet the four angels or four sultanies of the Turks and Othmans are loosed from the river Euphrates, 488. In what sense they are said to be prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, to slay the third part of men, 490. Their numerous armies, and especially their cavalry, 491. Their delight in scarlet, blue, and yellow, 492. The use of great guns and gunpowder among them, ib. Their power to do hurt by their tails, or the poisonous train of their religion, 493. The miserable condition of the remains of the Greek church among them, ib. The Latin or western church not at all reclaimed by the ruin of the Greek or eastern church, but still persist in their idolatry and wickedness, ib.--CHAP. X. a preparatory vision to the prophecies relating to the western church, 494. The angel with the little book or codicil to the larger book of the Apocalypse, 495. This properly disposed under the sixth trumpet, to describe the state of the western church after the description of the state of the eastern, ib. Cannot be known what things were meant by the seven thunders, ib. Though the little book describes the calamities of the western church, yet it is declared that they shall all have a happy period under the seventh trumpet, ib. St. John to publish the contents of this little book as well as the larger book of the Apocalypse, 496.--CHAP. XI. ver. 1-14: The contents of the little book, ib. The measuring of the temple to show that during all this period there were some true Christians, who conformed to the rule and measure of God's word, 497. The church to be trodden under foot by Gentiles in worship and practice forty and two months, ib. Some true witnesses however, to protest against the corruptions of religion, ib. Why said to be two witnesses, 498. To prophesy in sackcloth, as long as the grand corruption itself lasted, ib. The character of these witnesses, and of the power and effect of their preaching, ib. The passion, and death, and resurrection, and ascension of the witnesses, 499. Some apply this prophecy of the death and resurrection of the witnesses to John Huss and Jerome of Prague, whose doctrine revived after their death in their followers, 500. Others to the Protestants of the league of Smalcald, who were entirely routed by the emperor Charles V. in the battle of Mulburg, but upon the change of affairs the emperor was obliged by the treaty of Passau to allow them the free exercise of their religion, 501. Some again to the massacre of the Protestants in France, and to Henry III.'s afterwards granting them the free exercise of their religon, 501. Others again to later events, Peter Jurieu to the persecution of the Protestants by Lewis XIV., Bishop Lloyd and Whiston to the Duke of Savoy's persecution of the Protestants in the valleys of Piedmont, and his re-establishing them afterwards, 502. In all these cases there may be some resemblance, but none of these is the last persecution, and therefore this prophecy remains yet to be fulfilled, 503. When it shall be accomplished, the sixth trumpet and the second wo shall end, ib. An historical deduction to show that there have been some true witnesses, who have professed doctrines contrary to those of the church of Rome, from the seventh century down to the Reformation, 504, &c. Witnesses in the eighth century, 504, 505. The emperors Leo Isauricus and Constantine Copronymus, and the council of Constantinople, 504. Charlemagne and the council of Frankfort, 505. The British churches and Alcuin, ib. The council of Forojulio, ib. Paulinus bishop of Aquileia, ib. Witnesses in the ninth century, 505-507. The emperors of the east, Nicephorus, Leo Armenius, &c. and the emperors of the west, Charles the Great, and Lewis the Pious, 505. The council of Paris, ib. Agobard archbishop of Lyons, ib. Transubstantiation first advanced by Paschasius Rabbertus, and opposed by many learned men, 506. Rabanus Maurus, ib. Bertramus, ib. Johannes Scotus, 507. Angilbertus and the church of Milan, ib. Claude bishop of Turin, ib. Witnesses in the tenth century, 508-510. State of this century, 508. The council of Trosly, ib. Athelstan, ib. Elfere earl of Mercia, 509. Heriger and Alfric, ib. The council of Rheims, and Gilbert archbishop of Rheims, 510. Witnesses in the eleventh century, 510--512. State of this century, 510. William the Conqueror, and William Rufus, ib. Heretics of Orleans, 511. Heretics in Flanders, ib. Berengarius and his followers, ib. Ecclesiastics in Germany, &c. ib. The council of Winchester, 512. Witnesses in the twelfth century, 512-517. The constitutions of Clarendon, 512. Fluentius, ib. St. Bernard, ib. Joachim of Calabria, 513. Peter de Bruis and Henry his disciple, ib. Arnold of Brescia, ib. The Waldenses and Albigenses, 514. Their opinions, 515. Testi monies concerning this sect, 515-517. Of Reinerius, the inquisitor-general, 516. Of Thuanus, ib. Of Mezeray, 517. Witnesses in the thirteenth century, 517-520. Farther account of the Waldenses and Albigenses, 517. Almeric and his disciples, 518. William of St. Amour, ib. Robert Grosthead or Greathead, bishop of Lincoln, 519. Matthew Paris, ib. Witnesses in the fourteenth century, 519-522. Dante and Petrarch, 519. Peter Fitz Cassiodor, 520. Michael Cæsenas and William Occam, ib. Marsilius of Padua, ib. In Germany and England the Lollards, ib. The famous John Wickliffe, ib. The Lollards' remonstrance to the parlia ment, 521. Witnesses in the fifteenth century, 522-525. The followers of Wickliffe, 522. William Sawtre, ib. Thomas Badby, ib. Sir John Oldcastle, ib. In Bohemia, John Huss and Jerome of Prague, 523. Opinions of the Bohemians or Hussites, 523--525. Jerome Savonarola, 525. In the sixteenth century the Reformation, 526. Hence an answer to the popish question, Where was your religion before Luther? ib. Ver. 15-18: a summary account of the seventh trumpet and the third wo, the particulars will be enlarged upon hereafter, 526, 527. Conclusion of the first part, 528. DISSERTATION XXV. AN ANALYSIS OF THE REVELATION. The right division of the Revelation into two parts, 528. This latter part an enlargement and illustration of the former, 529. Ver. 19, of the eleventh chapter should have been made ver. 1, of the twelfth chapter, ib.-CHAP. XII. ver. 1-6: the church persecuted by the great red dragon, 530-532. The church represented as a mother bearing children unto Christ, 530. The great red dragon the Heathen Roman empire, 531. His jealousy of the church from the beginning, ib. But yet the church brought many children unto Christ, and in time such as were promoted to the empire, 532. Constantine particularly, who ruled all nations with a rod of iron, ib. The woman's flight into the wilderness here anticipated, cometh in properly afterwards, ib. Ver. 7-12: the war in heaven represents the contests between the Heathen and Christian religions, 533-535. The Christian prevails over the Heathen religion, 533. Constantine himself and the Christians of his time describe his conquests under the same image, 534. Still new woes, though but for a short time, threatened to the inhabiters of the earth, ib. Ver. 13-17: the dragon deposed still persecutes the church, 535, 536. Attempts to restore the Pagan, and ruin the Christian religion, 535. The church now under the protection of the empire, ib. Her flight afterwards into the wilderness, ib. Inundations of barbarous nations excited to overwhelm the Christian religion, 536. But on the contrary the Heathen conquerors submit to the religion of the conquered Christians, ib. Another method of persecuting the church, ib.-CHAP. XIII. ver. 1-10: the description of the ten horned beast successor to the great red dragon, 537-543. All, both Papists and Protestants, agree that the beast represents the Roman empire, 537. Shown to be not Pagan but Christian, not imperial but papal Rome, ib. How successor to the great red dragon, 539. How one of his heads was as it were wounded to death, and his deadly wound was healed, ib. The world, in submitting to the religion of the beast did in effect submit again to the religion of the dragon, 540. The beast perfectly like the little horn in Daniel, ib. A general account of his blasphemies and exploits, and how long to prevail and prosper, 541. A particular account of his blasphemies, ib. His making war with the saints, and overcoming them, and so establishing his authority, 542. An admonition to engage attention, ib. Something added by way of consolation to the church, ib. Ver. 11-18: the description of the twohorned beast, 543-550. The ten-horned beast, the Roman state in general, the two-horned beast the Roman clergy in particular, 543. His rise, and power, and authority, 543. His pretended miracles, 541. His making an image to the beast, 545. What this image of the beast is, ib. His interdicts and excommunications, 546. The number of the beast explained, 548.CHAP. XIV. ver. 1-5: the state of the true church in opposition to that of the beast, 550. Ver. 6, 7: the first principal effort towards a reformation in the public opposition of emperor and bishops to the worship of saints and images in the eighth and ninth centuries, 552. Ver. S another effort by the Waldenses and Albigenses, who pronounced the church of Rome to be the Apocalyptic Babylon, and denounced her destruction, 553. Ver. 9-13: the third effort by Martin Luther and his fellow-reformers, who protested against all the corruptions of the church of Rome, as destructive of salvation, 554-556. A solemn declaration from heaven to comfort them, 555. How the dead were blessed from henceforth, 555–557. Ver. 14-20: represent the judgments of God upon the followers and adherents of the beast under the figures, first of harvest, then of vintage, 557. These judgments yet to be fulfilled, 558.--CHAP. XV. a preparatory vision to the pouring out of the seven vials, 559--561. These seven last plagues belong to the seventh and last trumpet, or the third and last wo trumpet, and consequently are not yet fulfilled, 559. Seven angels appointed to pour out the seven vials, 560.--CHAP. XVI. ver. 1: the commission to pour out the seven vials, which are so many steps of the ruin of the Roman church, as the trumpets were of the ruin of the Roman empire, 561. Rome resembles Egypt in her punishments as well as in her crimes, ib. Ver. 2: the first vial or plague, ib. Ver. 3--7: the second and third vials or plagues, 562. Ver. S, 9: the fourth vial or plague, 563. Ver. 10, 11: the fifth vial or plague, ib. Ver. 12-16: the sixth vial or plague, 563, 564. Ver. 17-21: the seventh or last vial or plague, 565.--CHAP. XVII. Having seen how Rome resembles Egypt in her plagues, we shall now see her fall compared to Babylon, 566. Ver. 1-6: an account premised of her state and condition, ib. &c. St. John called upon to see the condemnation and execution of the great whore, 567. This character more proper to modern than ancient Rome, ib. Her sitting upon a scarlet-coloured beast with seven heads and ten horns, 568. Her ornaments of purple and scarlet colour, with gold and precious stones, and pearls, ib. Her enchanting cup, 569. Her inscription upon her forehead, ib. Her being drunken with the blood of the saints, 571. Ver. 7-18: the angel explains the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carried her, ib. &c. A general account of the beast and his threefold state, 572. The seven heads are explained primarily to signify the seven mountains on which Rome is situated, 573. Also to signify seven forms of government, ib. What the five fallen, ib. What the sixth, ib. What the seventh or eighth, 574. The ten horns explained to signify ten kings or kingdoins, 575. Their giving their power and strength unto the beast, ib. The extensiveness of the power and dominion of Rome, ib. The same kings, who helped to raise her, to pull her down, 576. The woman explained to signify the great city, or Rome, ib.-CHAP. XVIII. ver. 1--8: a description of the fall and destruction of spiritual Babylon, 577. To become the habitation of devils and foul spirits, 578. A warning to forsake her communion, ib. To be utterly burnt with fire, ib. Ver. 9--20: the consequences of her fall, the lamentations of some, and rejoicings of others, 579. Ver. 21-24: her utter desolation foretold, 580-CHAP. XIX. ver. 1-10: the church exhorted to praise God for his judgments upon her, 581. Her smoke to rise up for ever and ever, 582. God also to be praised for the happy state of the reformed church in this period, ib. St. John prohibited to worship the angel, 583. Ver. 11--21 : the victory and triumph of Christ over the beast and the false prophet, 583-585.-CHAP. XX. ver. 1-6: Satan is bound, and the famous millennium commences, or the resurrection of the saints and their reign upon earth for a thousand years, 585. The millennium not yet ful filled, though the resurrection be taken figuratively, ib. But the resurrection to be understood literally, 587. Other prophets have foretold, that there shall be such a happy period as the millennium, ib. St. John only, that the martyrs shall rise to partake of it, and that it shall continue a thousand years, ib. The Jewish and Christian church have both believed, that these thousand years will be the seventh millennary of the world, ib. Quotations from Jewish writers to this purpose, ib. 557. From Christian writers, St. Barnabas, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Lactantius, &c. 587-591. How this doctrine grew afterwards into disrepute, 592. Great caution required in treating of it, ib. Ver. 7--10: Satan to be loosed again, and to deceive the nations, Gog and Magog, ib. &c. How Gog and Magog are to be understood, 593--595. The final overthrow of Satan, 501. Ver. 11-15: the general resurrection and judgment, and end of the world, ib.-CHAP. XXI. ver. 1-8: the new heaven, the new earth, and the new Jerusalem, 595. The new heaven, and the new earth to take place after the millennium, 596. Ver. 9-27: a more particular description of the new Jerusalem, 598.--CHAP. XXII. ver. 1--5: a continuation of the description of the new Jerusalem, 609. Ver. 6, 7: a ratification and confirmation of the foregoing particulars, with a blessing upon those who keep the sayings of this book, ib. Ver. 8-21 in the conclusion several particulars to confirm the divine authority of this book, 601. This book that sure word of prophecy mentioned by St. Peter, 602, 603. A double blessing upon those who study and observe it, 603. DISSERTATION XXVI. RECAPITULATION OF THE PROPHECIES RELATING TO POPERY. Popery being the great corruption of Christianity, there are more prophecies relating to that than to almost any other distant event, 604. It is thought proper to represent these in one view, ib. I. It is foretold that there should be such a power as that of the pope and church of Rome usurped in the Christian world, ib. A tyrannical, idolatrous, and Antichristian power foretold, ib. A great apostacy in the church foretold, 605. This apostacy to consist chiefly in the wor shipping of demons, angels, and departed saints, ib. The same church, that is guilty of this idolatry, to forbid marriage and enjoin abstinence from meats, ib. The pope's making himself equal and even superior to God, ib. His extending his authority and jurisdiction over several countries and nations, 606. The power and riches of the clergy, ib. The pomp and splendour of their ceremonies and vestments, ib. Their policy, and lies, and pious frauds, ib. Their pretended visions and miracles, 607. Their excommunication of heretics, ib. Their making war with the saints, and prevailing against them, ib. Besides these direct, other more oblique prophecies, ib. Babylon, Tyre, Egypt, the types of Rome, ib. More frequent intimations of popery in the New Testament, 608. In our Saviour's caution in giving honour to his mother, and in rebuking St. Peter, in his institution of the last supper, ib. In his reproving so particularly the vices of the Scribes and Pharisees, ib. In his prohibitions of implicit faith and obedience, of the worship of angels, of all pretences to works of merit and supererogation, of lording it over God's heritage, of the service of God in an unknown tongue, &c., 609. In St. Paul's admonishing the Romans to beware of apostacy, 610. In St. Peter's and St. Jude's description of false teachers, ib. In St. Paul's prediction of the corruption of the last days, ib. II. Not only foretold that there should be such a power, but the place and the persons likewise are pointed out, ib. In Daniel's description of the little horn which only one person in the world can fully answer, ib. Daniel's character of the blasphemous king, which agrees better with the head of the Roman, than with the head of the Greek church, 611. In St. Paul's portrait of the man of sin, 612. In St. John's vision of the ten-horned beast, and of the woman riding upon the beast, 613. Several arguments to show that not pagan, but papal Rome was intended, ib. III. Besides the place and the persons, the time also is signified of this tyrannical power, when, and how long, 614. To arise in the latter days of the Roman empire, 615. To prevail 1260 years, 616. The beginning of these 1260 years not to be dated too early, ib. To be fixed in the eighth century, and probably in the year 737, ib. IV. The fall and destruction of this antichristian power, 617. The second wo of the Othman empire must end, before the third wo can be poured out upon the kingdom of the beast, 618. The divine judgments upon the kingdom of the beast, displayed under a variety of figures and representations, ib. Antichrist and his seat both to be destroyed by fire, 619. About the time of the fall of the Othman empire and of the Christian Antichrist, the conversion and restoration of the Jews, 620. The proper order of these events, 621. After the destruction of Antichrist the glorious millennium commences, or the kingdom of Christ upon earth for a thousand years, 622. Best to forbear all curious inquiries into this subject, ib. After the thousand years and the general judgment, the world to be destroyed, and the new heaven and the new earth to succeed, 623. Conclusion; the corruptions of popery being so particularly foretold, we have the less reason to be surprised and offended at them, ib. The gospel will finally prevail over all enemies and opposers, ib. CONCLUSION. From these instances of the truth of prophecy may be inferred the truth of revelation, 624. A summary view of the prophecies now fulfilling in the world, 625. A large quotation from Dr. Clarke tending to confirm and illustrate the same subject, 626-632. No room for any possible forgery of the prophecies, 634. The harmony, variety, and beauty of the prophetic writings, ib. Though some parts are obscure for good reasons, yet others are sufficiently clear, and the perfect completion will produce a perfect understanding of all the prophecies, ib. Human learn. ing requisite to explain the prophecies, and particularly a competent knowledge of history, 635. The patrons of infidelity are only pretenders to learning and knowledge, ib. Modern infidelity worse even than that of the Jews, ib. So many instances of prophecies and their completions, the strongest attestations of a divine revelation, 636. Miracles and other proofs of the truth of the Christian religion, ib. Prophecies accomplished the greatest of all miracles, 637. Conclusion, ib. B |