Dissertations on the Prophecies

CHAP. XXI. Ver. 1-8: the new heaven, the new earth, and the new Jerusalem, 672; the
new heaven and the new earth to take place after the millennium, 673-4. Ver. 9-27:
a more particular description of the new Jerusalem, 675-7.

CHAP. XXII. Ver. 1-5 a continuation of the description of the new Jerusalem, 677-8.

Ver. 6, 7: a ratification and confirmation of the foregoing particulars, with a blessing

upon those who keep the sayings of this book, 678. Ver. 8-21: in the conclusion

several particulars to confirm the divine authority of this book, 678-80; this book,

that sure word of prophecy mentioned by St. Peter, 680; a double blessing upon those

who study and observe it, 681.

pope

DISSERTATION XXVI.

RECAPITULATION OF THE PROPHECIES RELATING TO POPERY.

Popery being the great corruption of Christianity, there are more prophecies relating to

that than to almost any other distant event, 682; it is thought proper to represent these

in one view, ib. I. It is foretold that there should be such a power as that of the

and church of Rome usurped in the Christian world, 682, &c.; a tyrannical,

idolatrous, and antichristian power foretold, 682-3; a great apostacy in the church

foretold, 683; this apostacy to consist chiefly in the worshipping of demons, angels

and departed saints, ib.; the same church that is guilty of this idolatry, to forbid

marriage and enjoin abstinence from meats, ib.; the pope's making himself equal and

even superior to God, ib.; his extending his authority and jurisdiction over several

countries and nations, 684; the power and riches of the clergy, ib.; the pomp and

splendor of their ceremonies and vestments, ib.; their policy and lies, and pious

frauds, ib.; their pretended visions and miracles, 685; their excommunications of he-

retics, ib.; their making war with the saints, and prevailing against them, ib.; besides

these direct, other more oblique prophecies, 685-6, &c.; Babylon, Tyre, Egypt, the

types of Rome, 686; more frequent intimations of popery in the New Testament, ib. ;

in our Saviour's caution in giving honor to his mother, and in rebuking St. Peter, ib.;

in his institution of the last supper, 687; in his reproving so particularly the vices of

the Scribes and Pharisees, ib.; in his prohibitions of implicit faith and obedience, of

the worship of angels, of all pretences to works of merit and supererogation, of lording

it over God's heritage, of the service of God in an unknown tongue, &c. ib.; in Saint

Paul's admonishing the Romans to beware of apostacy, 688; in Saint Peter's and Saint

Jude's description of false teachers, ib.; in Saint Paul's prediction of the corruption

of the last days, ib. IL Not only foretold that there should be such a power, but the

place and the persons are likewise pointed out, ib. &c.; in Daniel's description of the

little horn, which only one person in the world can fully answer, 689; Daniel's cha-

racter of the blasphemous king, which agrees better with the head of the Roman, than

with the head of the Greek church, 690; in St. Paul's portrait of the man of sin,

690-1;
in St. John's vision of the ten-horned beast, and of the woman riding upon the

beast, 691; several arguments to show that not Pagan, but papal, Rome was intended,

692-3. III. Besides the place and the persons, the time also is signified of this tyranni-

cal power, when, and how long, 693, &c.; to arise in the latter days of the Roman em-

pire, 694; to prevail 1260 years, ib.; the beginning of these 1260 years not to be

dated too early, ib.; to be fixed in the eighth century, and probably in the year,

694-6. IV. The fall and destruction of this antichristian power, 696, &c.; the

second woe of the Othman empire must end, before the third woe can be poured out

upon the kingdom of the beast, 696-7; Divine judgments upon the kingdom of the

beast displayed under variety of figures and representations, 697; Antichrist and his

seat both to be destroyed by fire, 698; about the time of the fall of the Othman empire

and of the Christian Antichrist, the conversion and restoration of the Jews, 699; the

proper order of these events, 700; after the destruction of Antichrist the glorious

millennium commences, or the kingdom of Christ upon earth for a thousand years,

700-1; best to forbear all curious enquiries into this subject, 701-2; after the thousand

years and the general judgment, the world to be destroyed, and the new heaven and

the new earth to succeed, 702. Conclusion, the corruptions of popery being so particu

larly foretold, we have the less reason to be surprised and offended at them, 702 3; the

gospel will finally prevail over all enemies and opposers, 703.

CONCLUSION.

From these instances of the truth of prophecy may be inferred the truth of revelation,

703-4; a summary view of the prophecies now fulfilling in the world, 704-5; a large

quotation from Dr. Clarke, tending to confirm and illustrate the same subject, 705-13;

no room for any possible forgery of the prophecies, 713; the harmony, variety, and

beauty of the prophetic writings, ib. Though some parts are obscure for good

reasons, yet others are sufficiently clear, and the perfect completion will produce

a perfect understanding of all the prophecies, 714; human learning requisite to ex-

plain the prophecies, and particularly a competent knowledge of history, 715; the

patrons of infidelity are only pretenders to learning and knowledge, ib.; modern in-

fidelity worse even than that of the Jews, 716; so many instances of prophecies and

their completions, the strongest attestations of a divine revelation, ib.; miracles and

other proofs of the truth of the Christian religion, 716-7; prophecies accomplished the

greatest of all miracles, 717. Conclusion, ib.

INTRODUCTION.

ONE of the strongest evidences for the truth of revealed religion is that series of prophecies which is preserved in the Old and New Testament; and a greater service perhaps could not be done to Christianity than to lay together the several predictions of scripture with their completions, to show how particularly things have been foretold, and how exactly fulfilled. A work of this kind was desired by the Lord Bacon in his Advancement of Learning :* and he intitleth it, the history of prophecy,' and therein would have every prophecy of the scripture be sorted with the event fulfilling the same throughout the ages of the world, both for the better confirmation of faith," as he saith, "and for the better illumination of the church, touching those parts of prophecies which are yet unfulfilled allowing nevertherless that latitude which is agreeable and familiar unto divine prophecies, being of the nature of the author with whom a thousand years are but as one day, and therefore they are not fulfilled punctually at once, but have springing and germinant accomplishment throughout many ages, though the height or fulness of them may refer to some one age.”

Such a work would indeed be a wonderful confirmation of our faith, it being the prerogative of God alone, or of those who are commissioned by him, certainly to foretel future events; and the consequence is so plain and necessary, from the believing of prophecies to the believing of revelation, that an infidel hath no way of evading the conclusion but by denying the premises. But why should it be thought at all incredible for God upon special occasions to foretel future events? or how could a divine revelation (only supposing that there was a divine revelation) be better attested and confirmed than by prophecies? It is certain that God

hath perfect and most exact knowledge of futurity, and foresees all things to come, as well as comprehends every thing past or present. It is certain too that as he knoweth them perfectly himself, so he may reveal them to others in what degrees and proportions he pleaseth; and that he actually hath revealed them in several instances, no man can deny, every man must acknowledge, who compares the several prophecies of scripture with the events fulfilling the same.

But so many ages have passed since the spirit of prophecy hath ceased in the world, that several persons are apt to imagine, that no such thing ever existed, and that what we call predictions are only histories written, after the events had happened, in a prophetic style and manner: which is easily said indeed, but hath never been proved, nor is there one tolerable argument to prove it. On the contrary there are all the proofs and authorities, which can be had in cases of this nature, that the prophets prophesied in such and such ages, and the events happened afterwards in such and such ages : and you have as much reason to believe these, as you have to believe any ancient matters of fact whatever; and by the same rule that you deny these, you might as well deny the credibility of all ancient history.

But such is the temper and genius of infidels; they understand neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm;' and so betray their own ignorance, rather than acknowledge the force of divine truth; and assert things without the least shadow or colour of proof, rather than admit the strongest proofs of divine revelation. It betrays ignorance indeed, altogether unworthy of persons of liberal education, not to know when such and such authors flourished, and such and such remarkable events happened; and it must be something worse than ignorance to assert things without the least shadow or colour of proof, contrary to all the marks and characters by which we judge of the truth and genuineness of ancient authors, contrary to the whole tenor of history both sacı ed and profane, which in this respect give wonderful light and assistance to each other and yet these are the men, who would be thought to see farther and to know more than other people, and will believe nothing without evident proof and demonstration.

The facts, say they, were prior to the predictions, and the prophecies were written after the histories. But what if we should be able to prove the truth of prophecy, and consequently the truth of revelation, not by an induction of particulars long ago foretold and

long ago fufilled, the predictions whereof you may therefore suppose to have been written after the histories, but by instances of things which have confessedly many ages ago been foretold, and have in these later ages been fulfilled, or are fulfilling at this very time; so that you cannot possibly pretend the prophecies to have been written after the events, but must acknowledge the events many ages after to correspond exactly with the predictions many ages before? This province we will now enter upon, this task we will undertake; and will not only produce instances of things foretold with the greatest clearness in ages preceding, and fulfilled with the greatest exactness in ages following, if there is any truth in history sacred or profane; but we will also (to cut up the objection entirely by the roots) insist chiefly upon such prophecies as are known to have been written and published in books many ages ago, and yet are receiving their completion, in part at least, at this very day.

For this is one great excellency of the evidence drawn from prophecy for the truth of religion, that it is a growing evidence; and the more prophecies are fulfilled, the more testimonies thère are, and confirmations of the truth and certainty of divine revelation. And in this respect we have eminently the advantage over those, who lived even in the days of Moses and the prophets, of Christ and his apostles. They were happy indeed in hearing their discourses and seeing their miracles, and doubtless many righteous men have desired.to see those things which they saw and have not seen them, and to hear those things which they heard and have not heard them,'-Mat. xiii. 17: but yet I say we have this advantage over them, that several things, which were then only foretold, are now fulfilled; and what were to them only matters of faith, are become matters of fact and certainty to us, upon whom the latter ages of the world are come. God in his goodness hath afforded. to every age sufficient evidence of the truth. Miracles may be said to have been the great proofs of revelation to the first ages who saw them performed. Prophecies may be said to be the great proofs of revelation to the last ages who see them fulfilled. All pretence too for denying the prophecies of scripture is by these means absolutely precluded; for how can it he pretended that the prophecies were written after the events, when it appears that the latest of these prophecies were written and published in books near 1700 years ago, and the events have, many of them, been accomplished several ages after the predictions, or perhaps are accomplishing in the

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