God are to preferved from the Storm, and fo confe quently not corporally killed, yet they being fo fecretly and fecurely hid by the Lord from this dif mal Maffacre, there will not (as I humbly con ceive) be one of the Witnelles appear to give ax open and vifible Teftimony, during that little T of the Calamity; and therefore may be faid toke fpiritually flain. But at the End of this Time, Spirit of Life from God will come down, and raiser thefe Witneffes, as a Seed to partake of that Glory which will immediately follow; and that they may be fpirited to fall upon their Enemies, in the utter Overthrow of Babylon. Thus I have freely given my Thoughts concerning the Death and Refurrection of the Witneffes, I fhall now leave the Matter to the Readers ferious Confideration.

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But if all these things be laid together, it doth carry an Evidence in it felf that this glorious Time which I have been fpeaking of, is very nigh, even the very borders of their Fulfilment. I fhall now come to the third Thing, and thatis, to prove the Nearness of this Time, from plain and undeniable Scripture-Signs And in fpeaking to this, I fhall diftinguish and branch out thefe Signs into two Parts: Firft, Thofe who are to have their Fulfilment before this glorious Time begins, and to prefage or fhew the Nearnefs thereof. Secondly, The fecond Part of the Signs are thofe which will not have their fulfilment, until juft upon the breaking forth of the latter Day Glory.

As to the firft, the 24th of Matt is very full of them, where we read that there fhall be Wars and Rumours of Wars; Nation fhall rise against Nation, and Kingdom against Kingdom. V.6, 7. Now tho' many of

thefe

thefe Signs were to be fulfilled before, and to fhew the near Deftruction of Ferufalem; yet I look upon the Deftraction of Jerufalem to be typical of the Deftruction that will come upon this wicked and ungodly World; and therefore the fame Signs which were to fhew the near Deftruction of the one, are again to fhew the near Deftruction of the other: Upon which account it is that our Lord intermixeth the Difcourfe of his fecond Coming, and the Signs thereof, with the Deftruction of Jerufas lem. Wherefore the Wars which have been, is, and may yet be, are doubtlefs a Sign of the near Ap proach and Deftruction that will fall heavy upon all the Wicked And alfo the glorious Deliverance which at the fame time fhall come unto all those who are interested in the Lord Jefus Chrift

Secondly, There fhall be Famines, Peftilences, and Earthquakes in divers Places. Thefe Signs have had their fulfilment, I believe we may fay more than a hundred times over, fince, as well as before ferufalem's Deftruction: And therefore thefe may be reckoned among the reft of the Signs which are to prefage the Nearness of the Lord's Coming. v, 7.

Thirdly, There fhall arife falfe Chrifts, and falfe Prophets, and fall fhew great Signs and Wonders, &c. How hath this Sign been fulfilled? Both among the Jews and among the Chriftians? As thofe who have read any thing of Hiftory may eafily judge. Sabati Sevey, with others among the Jews, who did pretend to be the Chrift, whereby they difmally deceived a great Multitude of People: And in particular that grand Impoftor Sabbati, who in the Year of our Lord 1666, did publickly declare bimSelf to be the Chrift, or long look'd for and much de

fired Meffiah. Which fo won upon, as to perfuade the Generality, if not all the Jews in thofe Parts, into a Belief that he was fo; as appears by the great umber of People that he drew after bim, in and about Smirna, as Hiftory gives us an account.

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Again, among thofe who bare the Name of Chrifians, one Hacket, with others, may be reckoned This Man pretended to be anointed by the Holy Ghoft, and that he reprefented Chrift, by partaking of his glorified Body: Having made choice of one Edmund Coppinger and Henry Arthington, which he fent out (as two Prophets, one of Justice, and t'other of Mercy) into the City of London, who were to proclaim in the Streets that Jefus Chrift was come, with his Fan in his Hand, to judge the Earth. This was in the Year 1591.

As to falfe Prophets, who have pretended to fhew great Signs, and to work Wonders, we need go no further than the Papifts and Quakers, with thofe who of late were called French Prophets. What Miracles and Wonders have the Papifts pretended to, for the holding up of their tottering Church, is obvious enough unto thofe (and the Falfity of them) who have been at all converfant with their Writings. Again, what aSpirit was it that the Quakers ufed to be agitated by, when they had fuch a, wonderful Quaking and extraordinary Motions in their Bodies (befides the Corruption of their Do Etrine) Was it not diabolical? Yea both of them pretending to be infallible, with refpect unto what they uttered. What falfe, corrupt, and erroneous Doctrine, contrary to the Word of God, have they broached, and ftill endeavour to maintain in the World? The one praying to Saints and Angels, and

making our Works meritorious for Salvation; the other denying the imputed Righteousness of Chrift for Fuftification; and in the room thereof fet up their own inherent Righteousness as the Light and Chrift within. Yea all that lay any ftrefs upon any thing short of Faith, in the Perfon, Blood, and Righteousness of the Lord Jefus Chrift, for Juftification, may be reckon❜d among thefe falfe Prophets and Deceivers that were to come into the World. A Now are not thefe evident Signs? Being by our Lord laid down as fuch, to fhew the Nearness of the Lord's Appearance. Mat. xxiv. 24.

Fourthly, And there fhall be Signs in the Sun, and in the Moon, and in the Stars; and upon the Earth Diftrefs of Nations, with Perplexity, the Sea and the Waves roaring, Mens Hearts failing them for Fear, and for looking after these things which are coming on the Earth: For the Powers of the Heaven fhall be fhaken. And then fhall they fee the Son of Man coming 1in the Clouds with Power and great Glory. Luke xxi. 25, 26, 27. Thefe Signs may be taken either in a literal or metaphorical fenfe. Firft, Literally. WhatSigns hath there been in the Heavens, both in the Sun, Moon, and Stars; which our Eyes have feen? Befides, what hath been in Years paft, if confidered, will demonftrate thefe Signs to have had their fulfilment. It was observed by Luther, in his time, who looked upon the frequent Eclipfes of the Sun and Moon in thefe latter Years (to what they used to be in Ages paft) to fignifie the Nearnefs of the World's Diffolution. What a difmal Darkness was there of late of the Sun (between 6 and 7 Years ago) which made the Day appear like the Night! How often have thefe two great Lights

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Lights been darken'd by frequent Eclipfes in thefe latter Years! What ftrange Motions and Signs have there been, by Blazing Stars and fiery Meteors! How dreadful, difmal, and amazing, were thofe fearful Sights in the Air, March 6, 17, when the Heavens feemed to be all of a fire, and in an extraordinary violent Motion, as if they had been striving with each other for Maftery; wherein there was a vifible Appearance of Blood, Fire, and Vapours of Smoke, all over the Heavens, as was feen by many thousands of People. And not only then, but many times fince, have these fiery and extraordinary Lights been feen in the Heavens, fometimes after one, and fometimes after another manner. Neither dol think that it can fo foon be forgotten, as not to be remember'd, what a wonderful Light did fill the aerial Heavens, March 19, 171, which did fo en lighten the Earth, as to make the Night appear (for a Minute's time) like the Day. And as fome fay it, the firmamertal Heaven feemed to open large Sheets of Fire (as to ontward Appearance) to defcend and come down to the Earth. Which did look (tothe great Aftonishment of many) as if the World were about diffolving. This being feen, as I underftand, all over the Nation: Befides the Ruins (as we have been informed) that these fiery Vapours have brought upon fome Countries.

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Much like thofe Words in Joel ii. 30. And I will few 'onders in the Heavens and in the Earth Blood and Fire, and Pillars of Smoke. The Sun fhall be turned into Darkness, and the Moon into Blood, be fore the great and the terrible Day of the Lord come, Verfe 31. To this agrees thofe Words in Luke xxi. 11. And there fhall be great Earthquakes in divers

Places,