.. tedly for when they fhall fay Peace and Safety, As to the Time and Seafon when the Lord will come, there is no Neceffity to write any thing about that, feeing you your felves have a perfect Knowledge that the Lord will come quickly, fuddenly, and unexpectedly, as a Thief in the Night, at the Time appointed; but if you will have a Sign to know when it is near, (as if he fhould fay) here is one among the reft, and that is, ben Men hall fay Peace and Safety; when they fhall look upon themfelves to be fafe and fecure (in the midit of the abounding of Wickednefs); when they fhall promife to themfelves Peace and Profperity, and in Expectation of feeing happy Days, notwithstanding the Signs of the Lord's Coming are fo evidently fulfilled upon them, which they will take little or no Notice of: Then look for the Lord's Coming, then you may expect and depend upon its being near at band; then Deftruction will unavoid ably fall upon the wicked and ungodly World, which will ufher in and compleat your longed for Deliverance. Well, if this be a Sign, as it is laid down by the Holy Ghoft, and we have and ftill do fee how evidently it is fulfilled upon us this Day; may we not then be affured that the Coming and Kingdom of our Lord Jefus Chrift, will in a little time take place and be fet up in the World, in order to the Accomplishment of all the latter Day Prophefies? Secondly, Having given you an Account of fome of thofe Signs which are to go before, and to prefage the near Approach of the Coming of the Lord Jefus Jefus Chrift, in his Spiritual Glory, together with their being fulfilled fo remarkably upon us; each one of which doth fhew, that this glorious Time muft be near at hand, i fhall in the next Place proceed to give a few Hints concerning thofe Signs, which have not yet been fulfilled; neither will they take Place in their Accomplishment until just upon the breaking forth of the Kingdom of Chrift. Firft, There will be a great Time of Tribulation, fuch as never was fince there was a Nation. This the Word of God is very full for Proof, Dan. xii. 1. And at that time hall Michael ftand up, the great Prince which ftandeth for the Children of thy People, and there Jhall be a Time of Trouble fuch as never was fince there was a Nation, even to that Jame time and at that time thy People fhall be delivered, every one that lhall be found written in the Book. Again, Matt. xxiv. 21. you read of fuch a Tribulation as never was before fince the World began. And, in Mark xiii. 20. fuch a Time of Affliction as has not been known from the beginning of the Creation, which the Days created. In Lake xxi. 22. they are called the Days of Vengeance, in which all Things that are written must be fulfilled. So that all thofe Troubles. and Diftreffes that have been in the World are but like the Beginning of Sorrows, unto what is yet to come, infomuch, that if the Lord did not Thorten thofe Days, no Flesh could be faved; but (it faith) for the Elects-fake thofe Das fall be hortened. This dreadful Storm which agrees with what Bishop Uther bath foretold) will be fo tremendous, not only upon formal Profeffors, but upon other Parts and Places of the World, by many dif mal mal Plagues and Judgments, as if no Flesh was to efcape. But the Lord hath promised to forten thofe Days at which time, they whofe Names fhall be found written in the Book of Life, fhall be faved. Now this Sign hath not yet been fulfilled, neither will, until juft upon, or immedi ately before the latter Day Glory breaks out. Secondly, Antichrift muft firft be deftroyed; this is true, there will certainly be a Deftruction of all the Antichriftain Powers, when the Kingdom of Chrift begins to appear vifible in the World For the Lord will ut it into their Hearts to hate the Whore; as it is in Rev. xvii. 16, and the ten Horns which thon faweft upon the Beaft, fall bate the Wbore, make her defolate and naked, eat her Fleft, and burn her with Fire. These ten Horns, or Kingdoms, which before upheld and fupported the Beaft, fhall now be the Inftruments of her Ruin because God hath put it into their Hearts to fulfil his Will, to agree, and give their Kingdom unto the Beaft, (how long) until the Words of God fhall be fulfilled. Well, feeing that thefe Words of God, which have already been fpoke unto, in refpect of the Rife, Reign, and Continuance of Antichrift, to gether with the Sufferings of the Saints, and many other Si ns are fulfilled, then we have ground to believe, that it cannot now be long 'ere the Lord will put it into the Hearts of thefe Kings of the Earth, and fpirit his People with Zeal, Strength and Power (who fall be gathered from all, or moft of these Nations and Kingdoms, where any of them are to be found) to fall upon Babylon, and thall hate the Whore, make her defolate and naked, eat her Flesh, Flef, and burn her with Fire. But this will not be until that great Day of the Spirit's pouring down, as in 2 Theff. ii. 8. And then shall that wick ed be nevealed, whom the Lord fhall confume with the Spirit of bis Mouth, and fhall defroy with the Bright nefs of his coming. The Spirit of Chrift's Mouth, and the Brightnefs of his coming, is to compleat Antichrift's Deftruction. Thirdly, The Turks are not yet destroyed, that way may be made for the Jews to return again into their own Land.is This I readily grant, that they are not yet, but fhall be deftroyed both Turk and Pope, upon the Entrance of the Kingdom of Chrift: As for the Deftruction of the Turkish Power, we have it plainly fignified, by the drying up of the great River Eu phrates, when the fixth Vial fhall be poured out, which according to Writers is look'd upon to be the utter Ruin of the Ottoman Empire, that fo the way of the Kings of the Eaft might be prepared. Rev. xvi. 12. Thefe Kings of the Eaft are generally underftood to be the Jews, who (now it is fuppofed) live moft in the Eaftern parts of the World. But a Way must be made for their Return, according to the Account given us in many Scripture Prophecies. Zecb. x. 1o. and in Micah vin rs. According to the Days of thy coming out of the Land of Egypt, will I fhew unto him marvelous Things. And therefore, Fourthly, The Jews muft be converted before this glorious time can come. This I acknowledge alfo, and do firmly believe that there is yet to be a wonderful Converfion among that People, as .. Fhave already expreffed; But befides what hath been faid, I fhall in this Place mention two or three more Texts, Rom. xi. 25, 26.for I would not Brethren, that ye fhould be ignorant of this Mystery Cleaft ye fhould be wife in your own Conceits) that bli dhefs in part is happened to Ifrael, until the Fulnes of the Gentiles be come in. And fo au Ifra fhall be Javed, as it is written, there fhall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Facob. Is not this a full Text for the Jews Converfion? It is true, Blindnefs in part was come upon them, in the Apoftles time, which did increafe more and more, and was to continue until The Fulness of the Gentiles were come in. By this Fuliefs of the Gentiles, I do not understand it of the whole Number that are to be converted; te canfe here will be a wonderful Converfion among the Gentiles, after, as well as before the Jews are brought in. But I underftand by it, the Fulnefs of Time, or that Difpenfation appointed unto theCen tiles, before the Jews are to be converted as the Jews Had a time allow'd and appointed unto them, before the calling or bringing in of the Gentiles. Now when this Fulnefs of time allowed to the Gentiles, under the prefent Gofpel Difpenfation, is expired, then it is that all Ifrael fhall be faved, by a Deliverer coming out of Zion, (that is the Lord Jefus Christ) who fall turn away Ungodlinefs for Unbelief) from Face and then Ifrael fhall be faved in the Lord, with an everlaffing Salvation. Ifa. xlv. 17. Again in Rev, vii. 4, 5. We read of the fealing of twelve thousand of every Tribe, which makes up an hundred forty and four thousand, out of all the Tribes of the Children of Ifrael. Twelve times |