"High. He shall exalt himself and magnify "himself above every God, and shall speak mar

velous things against the God of Gods ;-"Neither fhall he regard (5) the God of his fathers, nor (6) the defire of women, nor re

66

gard any God; for he shall magnify himself. "above all. And in his eftate fhall he honor (7) "the God of forces, and (8) a God whom his fathers knew not, shall be honor.—Thus shall

66

be do in the most strong holds with a strange "God, whom he shall acknowlege and increafe "with glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain. Suppofe now all this to be spoken by Daniel, "of nothing more than the short perfecution "under Antiochus Epiphanes; which that it "cannot be, I have fhown above. But fuppofe "it were, and that it was all forged after the " event: Yet this cannot be the cafe of St. "Paul and St. John, who defcribe exactly a "like power, and in like words; speaking of

66

things to come in the latter days, of things "still future in their time, and of which there "were then no footsteps, no appearance in the "world. The day of Chrift, faith St. Paul,

1

66

"fhall not come, except there come a falling away firft, and that man of fin be revealed, the fon of perdition: Who oppofeth and exalteth himself "above all that is called God, or that is worhipped; fo that he, as God, fitteth (9) in the temple of God, fhowing himself that he is God: "-Whofe coming is after the working of Satan, "with all power, and figns, and lying wonders, "and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness.

Again The Spirit fpeaketh exprefly, that in "the latter times fome fhall depart from the faith, giving beed to feducing Spirits, and (1) doctrins of devils-Forbidding to marry, and com"manding to abstain from meats, &c. St. John "in like manner prophecies of a wild beaft, or

tyrannical power, to whom was given great "authority, and a mouth Speaking great things "and blafphemies: And he opened his mouth in

blafphemy against God: And it was given unto " him to make war with the faints, and to overcome "them; and power was given him over all kindreds "and tongues and nations; and all that dwell upon "the earth fhall worship him.-And he that ex"ercifeth

66

ercifeth his power before him,--doethgreat won"ders, and deceiveth them that dwell

upon

the

"earth, by the means of thofe miracles which he "had power to do. And he caufeth that no man “might buy or fell, fave be that had the mark or "the name of the beast ;-And the kings of the "earth have one mind, and shall give their power "and ftrength unto the beaft ;-even peoples, and "multitudes, and nations, and tongues.-For God "bath put in their hearts [in the hearts of the kings] to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give "their kingdom unto the beaft, until the words of God fhall be fulfilled. The name of the " perfon, in whose hands the reins or principal "direction of the exercise of this power is

ઠંડ

८८

દ

lodged, is Mystery, Babylon the great, the mo→ ther of harlots, and abominations of the earth: with whom the kings of the earth (2) have com→ "mitted fornication, and the inhabitants of the "earth have been made drunk with the wine of "ber fornication. And the herself is drunken "with the blood of the faints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jefus: And by her (3) for

"ceries

(3) σε φαρμακεια [σοφοίς φαρ panos] methods of making "men religious without virtue." Ff2

6.6

"ceries are all nations deceived: And in her is found the blood of prophets, and of faints, and of all that are flain upon the earth. And this person, [the political perfon] to whom these <titles and characters belong, is that great city (ftanding upon feven mountains) which reigneth "over the kings of the earth.

If in the days of St. Paul and St. John, "there was any footstep of fuch a fort of power as this in the world; Or, if there ever "had been any fuch power in the world; Or, if “there was then any appearance of probability, "that could make it enter into the heart of man "to imagin, that there ever could be any fuch "kind of power in the world, much less in "the temple or church of God; And, if there "be not now fuch a power actually and con• fpicuoufly exercifed in the world; And if

any

picture of this power, drawn after the event, "can now defcribe it more plainly and exactly "than it was originally defcribed in the words "of the prophecy: Then may it with fome "degree of plaufiblenefs be fuggefted, that the prophecies are nothing more than enthusiastic "imaginations."

For these things you have the atteftation of past, and the experience of prefent times; and you cannot well be deceived, if you will only believe

4

believe your own eyes and obfervation. You actually see the completion of many of the prophecies in the state of men and things around you, and you have the prophecies themselves recorded in books, which books have been read in public affemblies thefe 1700 or 2000 years, have been difperfed into feveral countries, have been tranflated into feveral languages, and quoted and commented upon by different authors of different ages and nations, fo that there is no room to fufpect fo much as a poffibility of forgery or illufion.

The prophecies too, tho' written by different men in different ages, have yet a visible connexion and dependency, an entire harmony and agreement one with another. At the fame time that there is fuch perfect harmony, there is alfo great variety; and the fame things are foretold by different prophets in a different manner and with different circumstances; and the latter ufually improve upon the former. They are all excellent in their different kinds and you may observe the beauty and fublimity of the stile and diction of the prophets even from thofe quotations which have been made from their writings. Indeed they are very well worthy of your ferious perufal and meditation, not only confidered as prophets, but confidered

Ff3

even