twelve thousand; which cannot be underftcod of any other than the Jews; as appears from the Di ftinction here is between them and the Centiles,. Verle 9. And after this I beheld, and lo a great Multitude which no Man could number, of all Nations, Kindreds, People, and Tongues, &c. to fhew what a wonderful time of Convertion here is yet to come. . But oh, what a time of Mourning will this be at the first! When the Spirit of Grace and Suppli cation fhall be poured down upon the Jews; when they hall look upon him whom they have pierced, and mourn for him, as one that is in Bitterness for his first born. And there, fhall be a great Mourning in Jerufalem, (at that Day) as the Mourning ne, of Hadadrimmon in the Valley of Megiddon. Zech xii. 10, II. This I do apprehend to be fpoke in Allufion unto that great Battel, which was fought by good fofiah and the Jews in this Valley; and where Jofiah was flain, which caufed fuch an univerfal Mourning at that time, for the Death of fo good a King fo that the Spirit of God alludes to it, to fhew, what a great Mourning there will be again among the Jews, as there was then, and abundantly more, when they fhall look upon Chrift and believe in him to be the only and true, Meliab but this Mourning will be different from the other, it being in a penitential way, or in a Gofpel Evangelical Manner, from a feeling Senfe, not, only of Sin, but from a Senfe of Pardon, which will abundantly flow in, or be applied unto them, in the Blood of him whom they have pierced. And oh, what a Multitude will there be of thefe, when every Family with their Wives, and all the Families that remain fall mourn each one apart! Verfe 14.

a

Well,

Well, thefe are the Signs which are not yet ful filled; and therefore fome are ready to say the coming of Chrift is not fo nigh, as you do think it is; becaufe there are many things to be done, which are i1ot yet come to pass. Antichrift is not yet deftroyed, the Jews are not yet converted, &r. True,

But what then? This makes nothing against the nearnefs of that time which I have been fpeaking about. All thofe things which are yet to be done, doth not put the time at a greater Distance from us, neither fhould we look upon itufo, be caufe here is nothing to be done, but what will (when they come to take Place in their Fulfilment) ufher in that bleffed Kingdom of Chrift. As for that time of Tribulation, God will work the way nnto his Kingdom through it. The Deftruction of Antichrift is to make way, and give Place for the Kingdom of Chrift to be fet up in the World. The Deftruction of the Turkifb Power is in order for thofe Kings of the Eaft, or the Jews, to return unto their own Land. Again, The Converfion of the Jews will be the beginning or the firft break. ing forth of that Spiritual Glory; and therefore all thofe Signs which remain yet to be fulfilled, will ufher in the time which we have fo long defird, and ca neftly prayed for. As to thofe other Signs,

are to have their Fulfilment before, and to prefage the Lord's coming to be near, they all of them have been fulfilled, either in whole or in part, they have been and are ftill fulfilling upon us. I dare in this challenge all the World to tell me (if they can) but of one Sign, (I mean with res Spect thofe which are to fhew the nearness)

which hath not been, and is fulfilling in a wonderful manner this Day. Sme

Now if all these things be but duely weighed, confider'd and laid together; it muft certainly fhew, and is no less than a Demonftration to prove that the glorious Coming and Kingdom of our Lord Jefus Chrift is nigh, even at the Door, that is the firft Part or Branch of that Kingdom, in the time of the Spirit's pouring down; yea fo near, as that I cannot but think that this Generation (in which we now live) will not pafs away, or, go off of the Stage, until they fee the Fulfilment of thefe great Wonders. Did not our Lord fay unto hisDifciples (in Mat. 24) that that Generation fhould not pafs away before thofe things were fulfilled? Which things refpected the Deftruction of ferufalem, and the Calamity that was to come upon the Jews; which accordingly did come to pafs in that very Generation. What fhall we then fay, as to this prefent time, wherein we fee fuch great, fuch wonderful and extraordinary Sights, and Signs, both in the Earth and Heavens, daily fulfilling, in a remarkable manner on every fide of us? Surely then we may be bold to fay, (without fear of be ing counted falfe Prophets) that this Generation will not pass or go off the Stage, before they fee the Kingdom of God come in its Spiritual Glory, or this Generation (in which thefe Signs have had their Fulfilment, in fuch an eminent, vifible way, that he which runs may read them) will not pafs off, before that dreadful Storm, or difmal Calamity fhall fall upon the Wicked and Ungodly, which will (as afore) ufher in the Kingdom of Chrift. As for my Part, I cannot but look

upon

upon thefe Signs, which we have left upon Record, to forefhew the nearness of this Time; and their Fulfilment, which we may read very plain in the Footsteps of Divine Providence, to affect us in this prefent Generation, how hard foever we are to believe it Nay, our Slownefs of Heart to believe and our Faithlefnefs about thefe Things is a cer tain Sign that the Time is at hand. For if the Lord doth nothing in vain, then here must be some Certainty in the Signs, which our Lord hath given us as a Rule, to know the Nearnefs of that Day by. It is my thoughts from the Reafons before given, that there may be fome living, which fhall not fee Death, until the Kingdom of God doth appear. May the Lord therefore, awaken each one of us, into a due and practical Readiness against that time.

From the whole we may conclude then, and be certainly affured, that the Coming, Glory and Kingdom of our Lord Jefus Chrift, cannot now be long ere it fhall appear vifible over all the Earth. This having been proved firft from Scripture Affertion; fecondly from Scripture Arguments. Thirdly, from plain, and undeniable Scripture Signs: Which, like a Cloud of Witneffes, does fhew that these Things are near, even at the very Door: Befides the Concurrence and Agreement that hath been, and is in the Footsteps of Divine Providence, in order to the Accomplishment of what hath been fo long prophefied of

け

The

est

Some Ufes, by way of Inftrution from the what hath

been faid.

A

ND now I have done what I first promifed, which was to prove (from many Texts of Scriptures) first, that the Lord Jefus Chrift will have a glorious vifible Kingdom in this World. Secondly, fhewing the manner of that Kingdom in its two fold Branches firft Spiritual, fecondly Perfonal, the latter running Contemporary with that great Day of Judgment, firft among the Saints. Thirdly proving that this time is near at hand, from many undeniable Signs. The whole being an Expofition of Scriptures

I fhall now clofe this Subject with a few Words by way of Improvement. First, A Use of Infor mation. What hath been faid in the Explanation of fo many Scriptures doth certainly prove, that

the