The Eleventh Chapter: Concluding Observations

On the fulfilment of prophecy relative to this chapter.

1 have already observed, that God is wont to fulfil prophecies, and the computations of them, over and over, in several degrees of accomplishment, as in Daniel’s twelve hundred and ninety days, and John’s twelve hundred and sixty; and also in the witnesses three days and a half, whereof some gradual accomplishments have transpired several times in Europe; yet I have proved a far greater slaughter of them yet to come. Now the observation of the revolution of time in the centuries past, wherein the killings of the witnesses fell out, may indigitate the time when the great and last slaughter, in the centuries running on since, may fall out; that is, as the partial and smaller killings of the witnesses fell out in A.D. 1547 — 9 in Germany, and in A.D. 1556, in England, (under Mary;) so about the time of the revolution of the same term of a hundred years, in the middle of a following century, the time of this last killing of the witnesses may also be. Thus John Huss who suffered martyrdom at a stake about A.D. 1417, said, “After a hundred years you Papists shall be called to account;” which remarkable speech the Bohemians had stamped upon their coins: accordingly in A.D. 1517, Luther arose, and with him the gospel in Germany; and again after another century, about A.D. 1618, began those notable alterations in Germany, which still go on to this time, the Deformation of the gospel proceeding with as strange a hand against the church as, through God, the Reformation did for it: so that I confess myself suspicious of the revolution of every century, since those former killings of the witnesses, fore-running the final one: and if England, Scotland, &c. as the tenth part of the city, is to be the eminent stage of this slaughter, then will it fall upon some centenary after the former trial of England; and as upon the rising of England and Scotland began that glorious harvest of blessed times, which lasted till the German wars began; so in the revolution of other hundred years, far more blessed times are likely to arise at the beginning of the forty -five years, (before spoken of,) allotted for the accomplishment of all. But I leave these conjectures to further light, lest I presume too far in fixing the times and seasons for God’s great works of wonder: for if chronologers even now are not agreed whence to date the seventy years’ captivity, how much more difficult must it be to fix the period before the accomplishment of any prophecy? Yet let an indefinite warning that these things are approaching, and our selves within reach of them, suffice to move us to prepare for them; (which is the only use of knowing them;) as it is said of death, The day is hid, that every day may be watched: And though we may c

680 THE FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY. [REV. XI.

think this dismal and black hour of temptation not likely to come soon, as the clouds rise not fast enough so suddenly to overcast the face of the sky with darkness; yet living in the extremity of times, when motions and alterations, being so near the centre, become quickest and speediest, we are at the verge and within the whirl of that great mystery of Christ’s kingdom, which as a gulf will swallow up all time in its haste to make a full end of all. And for the Jews’ call, which is conjunct with this killing and rising of the witnesses; as it depends not on ordinary means, there are like to be no preparations at all unto it, until it comes with this extraordinary voice, (t Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day, or shall a nation be born at once?” Isa. lxvi. 8: so that in the year before there will be no more outward appearances or probabilities of it, than there are now, or have been for centuries past: therefore our faith need not be put off from this, by our not seeing any stirring or motion towards it; the truth is, Both the killing of the witnesses and the calling of the Jews, may fall out sooner than we are aware.

The Reader will perceive, 1st, That he is left to make his own table of errata, except that in p. 577, is Gyrene for Cyprus; 2dly, That the Iota subscript is expressed by I after Eta and Omega, (or double E and 0;) 3dly, That some few passages of Scripture are not quoted verbatim; and 4thly, That he is relieved from the necessity of any reference to the date of the Author’s writing, except in p. 603, where the Editor has inserted a short parenthesis, suggesting the year A.D. 606, as that of the rise of the beast, (when Boniface III. by flattering the traitorous murderer Phocas, emperor of Constantinople, procured himself the title of Universal Bishop;) to shew how nearly the fall of Turk and Pope would synchronize, according to one of the dates in p. 596. If however our Author looked not beyond his own century, how shall we look beyond the eventful middle of ours, as the centre of all woes, and “the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth?’’ and if the outlines of these our days, which were so strongly depicted by his hand, are being filled up so strikingly by us, ‘•’ how sha/jj £is generation pass away till all these things be fulfilled?” For while our State (win -y two Acts of the Legislature, tolerates blasphemy against the holy Trinity, an. I iuu.<.>ves the disabilities of idolatry,) holds out her right hand and left to Turk and Pope; our Church, by a long-standing apostacy of her members, and by a more recent “falling away” among her ministers, is being robbed of the crown of her ekclion of God, and of that brightest jewel on its front, her justification by CHRIST ALONE through faith only: but if this Jachin and Boaz of our temple be shaken, what can bar our re-union with Rome, between whom and ourselves there will soon appear no more difference in sense or sound, than between Aholah and Aholibah? Such rapid retrogading into Laudean days must soon precipitate us backwards into the Bonnerian age: and what true Protestant hath not “great heaviness and continual sorrow in heart,” anticipating “such a time of trouble as never was, since England was a nation, even to that same time?’’ yet let us “rejoice with trembling,” knowing that, although “all shall war ship the beast, whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book of life;” “At that time her people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in this book;” see Dan. xii. 1. Rev. xiii. 8.

Preserve us, Lord, by thy dear word;
From Turk and Pope defend us, Lord:

Both these would thrust out of his throne
Our Lord Christ Jesus thy dear Son.

Old Ver.
END OF THIS VOLUME.
ENTERED AT STATIONER’S HALL.