Order of it, called the Word of his Patience: Thefe fhall be kept from the Hour of Temptation, which will at that time come upon all others. Now for an Encouragement unto the Children of God, that they might not faint under thefe Confiderations, but hold faft that which they had received unto the End, the Lord promifes, (with a Remark to take Notice of it) behold, I come quickly.

Heb. x. 37. For yet a little while, and be that fal come will come, and will not tarry, Who is this that will come and will not tarry? This can be no other than the Lord Jefus Chrift: And what a coming is it, that is here promifed? It must mean his perfonal coming from Heaven, or at leaft his coming by his Spirit, in the begining, or firft Branch of his Kingdom; which will be the time of the Saints Deliverance, and the beginning of their fpiritual Glory. Well, what can be more certain, both with Refpect unto the Reality and Nearness thereof, and therefore it is faid to be yet a little while, and be that fall come, will come and will not tarry. If the Lord faith that he fhall and will come, who then fhall hinder it? If the Lord promifeth, that it will be yet but a little while, and he will come without making any Delay; fignified by that Word, and will not tarry; then here is a strong Foundation for us to believe that now it cannot be long before Chrift will fet up his Kingdom vifible in the World; but the Juft shall live by Faith. Verse 38.

Rev xxii. 7. Behold I come quickly; bleffed is be that keepeth the Sayings of the Prophecy of this Book, &c. This perfonal Appellation cannot in thefe Words be applied unto none but Jefus Chrift:

Behold

Behold (let this be took Notice of) I come quickly: I will not only come (as if Chrift should fay) but I will come quickly. Bleffed are thofe who fhall be found ready, continually waiting for him," Verfe 12. And behold I come quickly; and my Reward is with me, to give every Man according as his Works fhall be. Here is the fame Promife again: This is not a needlefs Tautology, but a very needful Repetition; the Lord knew how hard we were to believe, and how fubject we were to forget what he hath promifed, and therefore doubles and trebles his Promifes to his Children; that it might be the more obferved by them, for the incouraging and ftrengthening of their Faith.

Verfe 20. He which teftifieth thefe Things, faith furely I come quickly. Amen. Even fo, come, Lord Jefus. The Perfon who teftifieth these things, is the Lord Jefus Chrift. These are the laft Words which Chrift fpake unto his Church, as left upon Record, in Sacred Writ, and therefore. fhould rather be the more obferved, and took Notice of, by all who love the Lord Jefus, the time when he fpake thefe Words, was after his Death, Refurretion and Afcenfion; when he had been fome time in Glory; which fhews that his Heart is full of, and ftill running over with Love, (now he is in Heaven) unto his Church and Feople, whilft in her fuffering State; as much as when he was perfonally prefent with her in the World; and that his Heart is upon, and mindful of his coming again. This Book of the Revelation is like a Love Letter dropt from the Hand, or rather from the Heart of Chrift after his Exaltation and Advancement at the Right Hand of God, for the Support and Com

fort

fort of his Spoufe, whilft fhe was perfonally abfent from her beloved. Well, he which teftifieth thefe things, faith, furely, I come quickly. Here we have again both the Certainty and Nearness of his coming expreffed. How wonderful do these Words found, Surely I come? You may believe and depend upon my Word (as if Chrift should fay) furely I come, and not only fo, I will not only furely come, but I will quickly come, I will make no Delay, I will not tarry, not a Minute, no not a Moment beyond the time appointed of my Father; but I will both furely and quickly come. What can we defire more but only Faith to believe and Patience to wait for the Accomplishment of this Promife? And oh that we might be filled with those Bridelike Affections and Defires of the true Spouse of Chrift, as to be continually crying out from our very Hearts, Amen, even fo, come Lord Fefus! This Promife of coming quickly we find three times promifed in this laft Chapter, which is like a threefold Cord, that cannot be broken.

Having thus proved, from plain Scripture Affertions, that the coming of the Lord Jefus Chrift, in the Accomplishment of thefe latter Day Prophecies muft certainly be near, even at the very Door; I fhall now come in the fecond Place to fhew the nearness of this glorious time; from fome Argument or Inference drawn from Scriptures: Therefore,

Secondly, The firft Argument is, if the laft Days began 1720 Years ago, if it was called the laft time, the End of the World, the End of all Things; and that the Judge did fo long a time fince ftand at the Door, as has been fhewn; then certainly it can

not

"

not be long now, the time which we have been fpeaking of must be near at hand. The time in which we live muft not only be the laft, but the laft of the laft Days, and the very Dregs of the laft Times. The World is now grown old, grey-headed, or like an old Cottage that is ready to tumble and fall. And iffo, how difmal then are those contrary Inferences, which are by fome drawn from hence; that because it is fo many hundreds of Years fince these things were fpoke or promised; therefore, fay they, it may be as many hundreds of Years more, before they come to pafs. What is this lefs than a putting the Day of the Lord far from us; and a faying in our Hearts my Lord delayeth his coming. Surely this too much favours of the Spirit of the Atheift, or the Scoffers which the Apofle Peter fpeaketh of, fhall come in the laft Days, faying, where is the Promife of his coming; for fince the Fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they did from the beginning of the Creations. We do not fee (as if they fhould fay) fuch Alterations nor Signs of the nearness of his coming, not confidering what Changes there was made in the World by the Flood: Nor yet what Signs has been fulfilled fince these things were written. 2 Epiftle of Pet. iii. 3. 4.

Secondly, It is a great Argument to me, and I think it may be.fo to others, if duely confider'd; and that is, if the last Days began at the time of Chrift's first coming, and that then it was the laft time, called the ends of the World; thefe things being written for our Example upon whom the Ends of the World are come. Then certainly the time that is to run out betwixt Chrift's firft and fecond coming, cannot with the leaft fhew of Reafon be. fup

pofed to be half, if near half fo long, as was to run ont before the laft Days began. Now we know from the Record which we have both in Scripture and Hiftory, that the time which ran out from the Creation unto Chrift's firft coming, was but about four thousand Years. And now fince it hath been faid to be the last time, the laft Days, the end of the World; there has run out above feventeen hundred .Years. I know what fome are ready to fay, that this one thousand feven hundred and twenty Years is but a little time with God: It is true, a thousand Tears with the Lord being but as one Day. And fo upon the fame account it may be faid, that it is but a little time fince the World was created; as not being yet fix Days old; but what then? If the World was looked upon and accounted by the Spirit of God to be old, and to be got into its laft Days and its laft Times, when four thousand Tears were run out; and now fince thefe laft Days began; we are haftening apace to two thoufand Years; then certainly it cannot now be long, before thefe Wonders must have their Accomplishment; Unless we will have the laft Days and the laft Times to be as long, and to run Parallel with the first Days, or that time which was to be allowed for the World's Continuance, before it was to be accounted the laft Times, or the laft Days. Which by no means can be granted. For if it fhould, then the time of Chrift's firft coming, when he fuffered for Sin, would have been in the middle Age of the World, and therefore it would rather have been faid, but now once in the middle Age (and not in the end of the World) hath he appeared to put away Sin by the Sacrifice of himfelf; which is quite contrary

to