end of the World. And his Answer was this: Ye are defirous to know the time and manner of my Second appearing, to deftroy my Enemies, and to eftablifh the Kingdom of the Meffias: But take hecd that no Man deceive you, and impofe upon you. 5. For many Impoftors fhall appear, who will pretend to be the Meffiah,fent by God to deliver fuch as will follow them; and they fhall fhew many wonderful Signs, and shall deceive many. 6. Ye fhall alfo hear of Wars and Tumults, Commotions,Revolutions, Terrors, and Panick Fears; But let not your Minds be disturbed at these things; For many fuch Calamities as these must happen, before the final and utter Deftruction of the Jewish Nation; (and in like manner, before the end of the World.) 7 For nation fhall rife against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there fhall be famines and peftilences, & earthquakes in divers pla ces. 8 All these are the 7. For one Country fhall take up Arms against another; and there must be Broils and Commotions and Civil Wars through the World: And there fhall be Famines, and Plagues, and Earthquakes in several parts of the Earth. 8. All these things are beginning of for- but the beginnings of that rows 9 Then fhall they deliver you up to be afflicted,and fhall kill you: and ye fhall be hated of all nations for my names fake. to And then shall many be offended, and fhall betray one another, and fhall hate one another. laft and total Destruction, which fhall come upon the Nation of the Jews: (And in like manner fuch calamities as thefe, will precede the laft Judgment, and the end of the World.) 9. In the mean time ye fhall be afflicted, and perfecuted even to Death; and both Jews and Gentiles fhall hate you for the fake of your profeffing Christianity. 10. And many Chriftians, difcouraged by these Sufferings and Calamities, fhall turn Apoftates; and to ingratiate themfelves with Unbelievers, fhall betray and perfecute their Brethren. X 2 11. Ma 11. Many falfe Teach ers alfo,and Hereticks fhall arife; who under pretence of preaching the Gospel, fhall feduce many to follow vain and vicious Doctrines; and fhall pervert weak Men, in hopes of escaping perfecution, to diffemble or forfake the Truth of Religion. 12. And because the Perfecutions moved by Unbelievers on the one hand;and the Apoftafies, Contentions, and Diffimulation of fome Believers on the other hand, will mightily perplex things,and cause great confufion; therefore the Zeal, which many others hitherto retained for true Religion, will at length cool, and they also will become lukewarm and fearful. 13. But he that under all these Trials and Afflictions, fhall continue ftedfaft and unmoved to the end, in the Profeffion and PraEtice of true Religion;fhall by the peculiar Providence of God be preserved here from the extremity of that final Calamity whereby the Jewish Kingdom fhall be utterly destroyed; and he shall hereafter inherit Eternal Life. 14. Now during these Calamities and Confufions, the Chriftians fcattered abroad by the Perfecution, fhall preach the Gofpel to the Gentiles: And as foon as the Gospel has been preached, and Churches established by them through the Roman Empire, the Jewish Nation and Polity fhall be utterly destroyed with their City and Temple: (And in like manner, when the Chriftian Religion has made its progrefs through all the Nations of the Earth, the End of the World fball come.) 15. When therefore ye fhall fee the Holy City compaffed about with Heathen Armies, the Abomination of Defolation fpoken of by Daniel the Prophet, (which let him that readeth, confider and under X 3 understand ;) that is, when 16. Then let them 19. But wo be to them, ees. con * |