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power was at its utmost elevation; for after this time the Huites, Albigenfes, Wickliffites, Waldenfes, Pickards, &c. began to fall before the Romanifs, until they were, in a manner, totally extirpated before another century had well nigh run out. Now this dismal period expires about this time; and then there follows the fecond period of 1335 days or years, ver. 12, which being calculated from the year 1407, terminates An. Dom. 2742, i. e. 2722, of prophetical reckoning; which therefore includes the begun downfall of the papacy under the seven vials; and the final accomplishment thereof afterwards, together with the greatest part of the millennium, and confequently the great converfion of the Jewish nation during that period. And perhaps the begun apostasy of Jewish and Gentile Christians (which is to iffue in an univerfal war against the faints, upon the expiration of the millennium) may begin about that year 2722.

And now that I have come again upon prophetical numbers, I fhall venture to digress a little more ftill, in giving you fome further illustration of these two great periods, from the fourteenth chapter of the Revelations. Of which take thefe few hints at this time. In

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the first place then, ye have a description of Christ's followers adhering to him, during the reign and rage of Anti-Chrift, from v. 1 to v. 5, inclufive; which must therefore reach down from An. 606, or 758 rather, to An. 1517. After, which we have the begun revival of the church of Chrift reprefented in the second place by the teftimonies of the three angels, fucceeding one another. The first angel has a commiffion to preach the gospel purely to all nations, v. 6, 7, which must therefore begin with the preaching of Zuinglius and Luther; and does include, I humbly fuppofe, the periods of the four firft vials. The fecond angel follows, v. 8, and proclaims the fall of Babylon or the papacy; and must therefore be fynchronical with the fifth vial, being poured out upon the feat of the beast. The third angel gives men warning that they should not join with the beaft, and denounceth fevere judgments against them that shall be found to do fo, v. 10, &c. Which therefore relates to the last part of the time of the fixth vial, when the unclean fpirits go forth to infinuate into the nations, in order to engage them to make war against the faints, chap. xvi. ver. 13, 14, 15, 16, Now after all these things, we have,

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in the third place, a typical or emblematical account of the deliverance of the church, and of the destruction of the bloody perfecuting Anti-Christian party. Therefore we have, first, the emblem of an harvest, which feems immediately to relate to Christ's gathering his church into a happy state, v. 14, 15, 16. And then, fecondly, we have the reprefentation of the final deftruction of the popish party, under the emblem of a vintage, wherein the bloody cluflers of the feveral popish fraternities and communities are to be bruised and squeezed to death in the wine-prefs of God's wrath, v. 17— 20. But I have spoken already to this great period of time above, which iffues in the blessed millennium; and therefore I fhall fay no more to it at this time.

Only there is one thing that falls in my way here, which ought not to be paffed over in filence; and that is, to what period we are to refer the happy ftate of the New Jerufalem, chap. 21, and of the bleffed river and tree of life, chap. 22. For I find interpreters at a mighty lofs this way, whether these relate to the millennium or heaven itself, after the day of judgment is paft. And indeed there are fome things that seem inconfiftent with either

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of these states. For what is faid of the na tions flocking into this new state, and walking in the light of it, and of the kings of the earth, that they fhall bring in their glory and honour to the church, chap. xxi. 24, 25, 26, seems not to agree with the notion the Scripture gives us of the state of the glorified in the higher heaven, after the resurrection; but does exactly fuit with the peaceful reign of the faints, when Jerufalem, or the church, shall be exalted above the nations, who fhall all run in to her. And yet upon the other hand, there are things alfo that feem to be too great even for the bleffed millennium, as we have given the notion of it above. Such is the account of the perfection of this ftate, that it will be exempted from all death, forrow, crying, and pain, chap. xxi. 4. And yet as the former expreflions may be adapted to the state of the church triumphant in heaven, in a spiritual fenfe; fo thefe laft expreffions may be made to fuit alfo with the state of the church on earth during the millennium, in a compara tive sense, i. e. if confidered with refpect to the preceding afflicted condition of Christians. Therefore feeing this laft gloricus fcene of affairs may be interpreted in relation either to

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the one or other of these periods, I conclude that we ought to interpret it of both, viz. of the millennium in a first sense, and of the future glory of the church in heaven, in a second and complete fenfe. For as I obferved above, that the facred prophecies, particularly that in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew, and second chapter of the fecond epiftle to the Thessalonians, are to be interpreted both in a first and fecond or ultimate fenfe; fo I do believe we muft of neceffity understand the account of the new heavens and new earth, and of the heavenly Jerufalem in this book. And if this be once fuppofed, then it will be easy to adjuft the feemingly different figures used by the Holy Spirit in this place: feeing the whole is so contrived, that it may correspond both with the millenary ftate and the future ftate of glory, viz. to the first as an emblem and type of the latter. So that as the destruction of the

Jewish nation and church is given in fuch words, Mat. xxiv. as to become this way an emblem of the final deftruction of the world; fo likewife is the millennium fo painted and defcribed, Rev. xxi. as to be defignedly given as a type of the state of the church triumphant in heaven, after the day of judgment is over. A fourth

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