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1. Babylon fhall fall, the Kingdom of Anti- Part 2. chrift fhall cease.

2. The Church fhall be reunited in the fame opinion; fchifms and divisions shall be at an end.

3. The Idolatrous and Infidel Nations, efpecially the Turks, who are at this day fcandalized at the divifions, manners and the falfe DoEtrines of the Chriftians, fhall fubmit themfelves, at least the greatest part of them, being prevailed upon by the purity of Doctrine and holinefs of manners.

4. Lastly, The fews overcome by fo unanimous a confent, and, it may be, by fome glorious apparition of our Lord, fhall be converted, and ftrongly labour to convert the rest of the Nations, far diftant and separated from us. Then hall be the Dedication, the confummation of the Church. And bleffed is he that fhall wait, and come to the 1335 days, i. e. to seventy five years after the fall of the Popish Empire. For he shall fee the reign of 7. Chrift in all its Glory.

CHAP. III.

What the Last times are. It doth not fignify the
end of the World. There are many times
with reference to the Church, and with refe-
rence to the World. If Antichrift must reign
1260
years, he is come. Mahometanifm
not Antichriftianism.

Hus much is enough to deftroy that Chimara,
of the duration of the Kingdom of Antichrift

for

Chap. 3. Part 2. for three natural years and a half. 'Tis neceflary only to answer a difficulty that may be raifed from hence, that the reign of Antichrift is called the last times, which feems to mean the end of the World. And without doubt, this is that, which gave occafion to the ancient Writers to fuppofe, that the end of this Empire was not to be above forty five days before the day of judgement. But to fall into this errour, a man must be little used to the ftyle of the Scripture. One thousand two hundred and fixty years, 'tis faid, can't be called the last times, the period is too long. 'Tis neceffary the reign of Antichrift should be nearer the end of the World and the day of judgement, than fo. But what will thofe Gentlemen fay, that make St. John this objection; what will they fay of Saint John, time the who fpeaking of Antichrift, and precifely of that latime tradition according to which he was to come in 1 Ep.2.18. the last times, faith, Little children, it is the last time, and as ye have heard that Antichrift shall come, even now are there many Antichrifts, whereby we know that it is the last time. 'Tis above fixteen hundred years ago, that Saint John faid fo, and then from that time he counted the last times. With much more reafon may we reckon thofe ages that came not till four or five hundred years after, for the last times.

calls his

The laft

Joh.6.54.

Neither muft we imagine, that the last times day, & the fignify a fhort space. We muft well diftinguish are not the the last day, from the laft time. When the Holy famething. Spirit fpeaks of the last day, he always means short time. He that eateth my flesh, faith our Lord, I will raise up again at the last day. But the last time, and especially the last times in the plural number, always fignifieth a long period. See the proofs of both these things.

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times doth not always

laft day.

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First, that the last times fignify not the end of Part 2. he World. The last time in the fingular number The laft fometimes doth. St. Peter faith, that we are e kept by the power of God through faith unto falvation, rea- fignify the dy to be revealed in the last time. But it doth not; Pet. 1.5. always fo fignify, as appears by that paffage of St. John, which we quoted a little before, 'tis the laft time. As for that in the plural number, the last times, and the last days, we find, they always fignify a time far enough off from the end of the World. Saint Paul in the fecond verfe of the Epi- 1 Ephef. 1à ftle to the Hebrews faith, that God hath foken to us in thefe laft days by his Son. The Apostle Saint Peter faith, that Jefus Christ was fore-ordained be fore the foundation of the World, but was manifeft in thefe laft times for us. The fame Apoftle tells 2 Pet. 3. us, in the last days shall come fcoffers, walking after 3* their own lufts, and faying, where is the promise of his coming? 'Twas the very time in which Saint Peter fpoke and wrote. For 'tis fpoken as of perfons that were in being already. And it appears by the second Chapter of the Epistle to the Thef falonians, that there was an opinion fpread abroad, that the end of the World was at hand, which made prophane ones fay, where is the promife of his coming, which they tell us is nigh? The Prophet Joel faith, in the laft days I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. St. Peter applies this Oracle to that which happen'd on the day of Pentecoft, and in the ages of the Primitive Church. St. Paul 2 Tim. 3. g faith to Timothy, Know this, that in the last days perillous times shall come, for men shall be lovers of their own felves,&c. These last days began a little after St. Paul; For the Church was not long, be fore the corrupted her manners. These very fame Texts prove alfo the other thing we have laid down,

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Part 2. which is, that the last times do not fignify a short duration. For the manifeftation of Jefus Chrift made in the last times, and God fpeaking to us in the last days by his Son, and the last days wherein the prophane thall bear fway, all this I fay, fignifieth the time that paffeth from I.Chrift to the end of the world:

The times

to three

To understand why the Period that paffeth divided in- from Jefus Chrift to this prefent time, is called parts in re. the last time, we muft obferve, that in the Scriference to pture the times are divided either with reference the Church. to the Church, or with reference to the World.

The times in refe

rence to

into four.

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With reference to the Church, there are three times; A time when the Church was without the Law, and without the Gospel; this is the first time that pafled from Adam to Mofes; A time wherein the Church had the Law of Mofes, that was the time from the departure out of Egypt to I. Chrift, that's the fecond time; Laftly, A time wherein the Church enjoys the light of Iefus Chrift; that's ours, and that's the third time.

With reference to the World, the time is divided into four great Monarchies, that muft prethe world cede the lait reign of I. Chrift. The firft was the are divided Monarchy of the Affyrians, which had its feat firit at Niniveh, and afterwards at Babylon; The fecond is that of the Perfians; the third that of the Greeks; and the fourth that of the Romans, whofe reign must be prolong'd till the Kingdom be given to J. Chrift and his Saints.

Since Jefus Chrift we are in the

laft times.

Now whether we refer it to the firft divifion, or the fecond; 'tis ftill true, that we are in the last times; that I. Chrift came in the last times, and that the Empire of Antichrift must be in the last times. 7. Chrift came in the third and last time, with reference to the times of the Church, seeing he came

fince the Law of Mofes ceafed to be in its vigor. Part 2. And Antichrift alfo hath his reign in the third and laft period of the Church. Jefus Chrift alfo came in the last times with refpect to the World, for he came in the time of the fourth Monarchy. Antichrift with much more reafon may be affigned to the last times of the fourth Monarchy, because he himself is but a continuation of that fourth Monarchy.

But to be fo much the more fully perfwaded, that 'tis a very proper expreffion, it must be obferv'd, that the fourth Monarchy figur'd by the fourth beaft, was to have two great periods, one of fix heads, the other of a feventh head, having ten horns. The Period of the fix firft heads is the Roman Empire under Kings, Confuls, Decemvirs, Tribunes of the people, perpetual Dictators and Emperors. And this firft Period contains about 12 or 1300 years. The period of the little horn, or the feventh beaft with ten horns, is that of Antichrift and the ten Kings, which must also be between 12 and 1300 years. Antichrift therefore is come in the last time of the last time, i. e. in the laft period of the fourth and laft worldly Monarchy. And confequently the Holy Spirit might with very great reafon call his reign the last times. And thence it can by no means be concluded, that this Kingdom muft laft but a few years, before the end of the World.

Having faid all that I had to fay, to destroy this falfe imagination, that the Empire of Antichrift muft laft but three years and a half, Imight juftly reaffume, and urge all thofe Arguments I formerly mentioned, to prove that the Idea of Antichrift, which the Papifis frame to themselves, is falfe, and that the popish Roman fee is the true Antichrift,

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But

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