The Kingdom of Jesus Christ Entering at 1697, Discourse · Part 2
Poſit. 1 This Calendar is to expire in the Stone cut out of the Mountains without Hands, that is, by a High, divine, ſupernatural power; ſmiting the Image, and Becomming a Mountain, that ſhall Fill the whole Earth. And in the days or Their dayes of thoſe Kings (to make the date moſt exact) viz. of the Feet, and Toes, part of Iron, and part of Clay; The God of Heaven ſhall ſet up a Kingdom, that ſhall not End, not be left to other people, but it ſhall Break in pieces, and Conſume all theſe Kingdoms, and They ſhall be Broken in pieces and become, as the chaff in the Summer Threſhing Floors, and the Wind ſhall carry them away, ſo that their places ſhall be no more found.
And according to the Second Viſion, the Calendar muſt expire in the Giving the Body of the Little Horn (Broken in the following Viſion without Hand that is, by an immediate divine power, to the conſuming Flame) and giving a Dominion, Glory, and Kingdom to the Son of Man, that All People, Nations, and Languages, ſhould ſerve Him; The Kingdom, and Dominion, and Greatneſs of the Kingdom, viz. particularly of that Ʋniverſal Monarchy, that had been according to the Image ſhifted from part to part; and more then that, the whole Dominion or the Dominion under the whole Heaven ſhall be given to the People of the Saints of the moſt High.
Now I would appeal to all thinking, and conſidering Men, who do not Implicitly yield up their faith to the Stream of Interpreters, whether Theſe things have yet been plainly, viſibly, and notoriouſly Fulfill'd; as is juſtly to be expected in Prophecies already Incarnate, and compleated in their Events; And eſpecially in an Event ſo great above all other Events; or whether it can be ſuppos'd; ſuch Firm, Solid, natural Expreſſions of a Kingdom can be Attennuated, and Evaporated into Metaphor, and Similitude; Seeing it is much to be believ'd, that therefore Metaphor and Similitude is ſo often us'd; becauſe All Things that are written, ſhall be at laſt Fulfill'd in ſo High, Perfect, Subſtantial, maſſy Event, and uncontradictable Reality.
If then theſe Things are in this manner to come to paſs, and are not yet come to paſs; we know, this Calendar cannot be as yet expir'd, or out dated.
Poſit. 2 If the Calendar then be not expir'd, it can be continued onelyonly in the Roman Monarchy; For there is nothing more evident, then that it muſt be continued in one of thoſe Four Monarchies, that are given in the Image, and in the Viſion of the Beaſts; and ſeeing the Babylonian, the Perſian and Grecian, whether in Alexander, or in the Diviſions, into which his Kingdom Fell, have had their ſucceſſion, one after another, and that none of them continue at this day in ſuch a ſucceſſion, The Calendar muſt ſubſiſt in a Monarchy of ſuch a Succeſſion, as is given in thoſe Viſions, and a Monarchy that ſurvives in that Succeſſion at this very day.
It muſt be a Monarchy of ſuch a Succeſſion, becauſe the Two Viſions do plainly import, and declare ſuch a Succeſſion, as cloſely connected, and conjoyn'd, as the members of a Humane Body from Head to Foot, and as the parts of Time from part to part are conveyed in each Month and Year; As therefore the member of any other Body, the Legs, or Foot of a Foreign Body, cannot ſupply the place of ſuch a member in this, or that Body that it is not of, no more can any other Monarchy or Kingdom ſupply the place of any of theſe Monarchies, that are not Joyn'd in the juſt order, and ſcituation of each Monarchy, with reſpect one to another in this Image; or any more, then a Month, or a day taken from another Year, or Month, can ſupport the Courſe of this Year, or Month.
And it muſt be a Monarchy, that ſurvives at this day, or elſe it cannot be a Monarchy of the Image; For ſuch a Monarchy muſt whatever it be, ſuſtain the Courſe of Time to the Kingdom of Chriſt as before deſcribed; which no Monarchy can do, that is not even now extant, becauſe the Kingdom of Chriſt hath not yet appeared.
Now no Monarchy can anſwer Prophecy in theſe Two points, but onelyonly the Roman Monarchy; For all Hiſtory agrees, no Monarchy or Kingdom ſucceeded Alexanders proper and perſonal Kingdom deſcrib'd in this Prophecy, but the Grecian diviſion of that his Kingdom, which beſides it was Grecian ſtill, and therefore cannot be ſaid to ſucceed the Grecian Monarchy; beſides this, Is does not remain in that ſucceſſion at this day, that it ought to do, to ſupport the Courſe of Time as given in this Prophecy; That Grecian diviſion therefore muſt be reputed one Third Monarchy with Alexanders, All Grecian, though of another Model from Alexanders; Yet ſuch as Prophecy gave it, as of one in Alexander, and as divided into Four after Him, and then more Remarkably into Two; If that be ſo, then no other Monarchy, but what ſucceeded that Grecian Monarchy as ſo divided, eſpecially into the King of the North, call'd the Greco Syrian, or Seleucidean, and the King of the South, the Egyptian, or Lagidean Kingdom, can be the Monarchy we deſign; Becauſe, as hath been ſaid, it muſt be in immediate ſucceſſion to the Foregoing Monarchies; ſo that any ſuppoſable Grecian Monarchy, or Kingdom under the Turk at this day, that hath come in, out of the orderly courſe of Succeſſion, and not of ſuch a Figure, as this Prophecy hath given it, can be the Monarchy, we are in purſuit of, although ſuch Monarchy may continue, till the Kingdom of Chriſt ſhall ſucceed.
But now how exactly does the Roman Monarchy Anſwet in the point of Succeſſion; For firſt, the very Prophecy of Daniel tells us, that the Kingdom of Alexander ſhould be divided to the four Winds, and then that it ſhould be pull'd up for others, beſides Thoſe; It was divided for the Four, and yet remain'd the ſame;Dan. 8. 8. Dan. 11. 4. But it was to be pull▪d up for others, ſo as to ceaſe to be a Monarchy; Now thoſe others beſides muſt be they, whoever they were, who devour'd, and ſtamp'd on the Reſidue with Legs of Iron, Dan. 2. 40.as in the Image, with Feet of Iron as by the fourth Beaſt, in the viſion of the Beaſts, and they muſt be Romans.Dan. 7. 19.
For it is very well known, that the Grecian Partite Monarchy came near to the days of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt in the Fleſh, and yet not ſo near, as to make any fair Interpretation of ſo much, as the God of Heaven ſetting up the Spiritual Kingdom of the Goſpel in the days of thoſe Kings, pourtrayed in the Image, if that divided Grecian Kingdom had been the Fourth, and Laſt; and yet again ſo near, that it is moſt known in all Hiſtory, that no other Monarchy could come between that Grecian Monarchy, and the Birth of Chriſt, but the Roman Monarchy onelyonly, ſo that if the Kingdom of the Stone out of the Mountain, had been onelyonly a Spiritual Kingdom; Yet ſtill the Roman Monarchy muſt be the fourth. This ſeems order'd as on purpoſe to divert Interpreters from the divided Grecian Kingdom as the fourth Monarchy, and neceſſarily to ſhape them on the Romans; And it is moſt evident, not onelyonly in all Hiſtory, that the Roman Monarchy was then come to its Zenith in the Reign of Auguſtus, but eſpecially in the ſacred Hiſtories of the Goſpel, for there came out a Decree from Caeſar Auguſtus, at that very Time*Luk. …. that our Lord was Born. And that it particularly cover'd the Jewiſh Nation the onelyonly People of God at that Time, to which Prophecy had ſo ſingular an Eye; And the decree from Auguſtus was, to Tax or deſcribe the whole Oecumen, or Habitable World as by the poll; Was not this a Fourth Ʋniverſal Monarchy from the Babylonian, the Perſian, the Grecian, and was it not Roman &c?
But further to make it more known, at the death and Crucifixion of our Lord, The Sentence was given by Pilate the Roman Subſtitute, or Governour, and the Jews declared on the occaſion; They had no power to put any one to death. So that the Roman Ʋniverſal Monarchy at that Time, is become an Article of Faith, Crucified under Pontius Pilate, declares the Roman fourth Monarchy.
And now that the Evangelical Kingdom by the Birth, Miniſtry, Death, Reſurrection and Aſcenſion of Chriſt was ſet up by the God of Heaven, that we might not think, This Spiritual Kingdom was the Fulfilling of Prophecy; There was no Breaking of this fourth Kingdom by it, nor of any other Kingdom, as is Foretold in theſe Viſions; But Chriſt, altho' he own'd himſelf King of the Jews, yetJoh. 18. 36. declar'd his Kingdom not of this World, nor from hence; That is, not from below, but to come down in the Jeruſalem from above; He did not therefore diſannul Caeſar's Kingdom, nay He Eſtabliſh'd it by that Command, Render unto Caeſar &c. as it were in care, that Prophecy might be Fulfill'd concerning that fourth Monarchy; Agreeably after the Aſcenſion of Chriſt, Paul, as directed byActs 25. 1… God, made that Famous Appeal to Caeſar, and all the Apoſtles taught ſubjection to the Roman Powers. This ſhews, a ſpiritual Kingdom was not the deſign of Prophecy, but an Imperial; For when Constantine, as an Ʋniverſal Emperour declared for Christ; It was then ſaid, with high Doxologies, the Kingdom of our GodRev. 12. 10 is come, as an Emblem of that Kingdom yet to come.
Thus far I have then undeniably, as I muſt be Bold to ſay, Reaſon'd; That ſeeing the Kingdom of Christ is not yet come, ſome of theſe four Monarchies muſt be in Being; For they are a Calendar to it; that it can be onelyonly the fourth Monarchy, that is thus in Being; For the Babylonion, the Perſian, the Grecian, which were the three firſt even by name in Daniels prophecy, are paſt and gone off, as in the ſucceſſive Dominion of Each; The Roman then ſucceeding the Grecian and being ſo Great a Monarchy after it, as hath appeared, muſt be the Fourth. And even becauſe, it is the Fourth, it muſt be in Being, becauſe the Kingdom of Christ is not yet come; And it muſt therefore continue in Being, till that Kingdom comes.
On the other ſide, we may aſſuredly Argue, that as the Roman Monarchy was in Being, as an Ʋniverſal Monarchy ſince the days of Chriſt, ſo by the general knowledge we have of the World; It continues in Being in the Roman Papacy, and the Kings yet devoted to it: It is therefore certain, the Kingdom of Christ is not yet come, as it is to come according to this Prophecy. And thus much then we are ſure of before hand, that we cannot ſtir off from this very Roman Monarchy, till we come to the Kingdom of Christ; For if it were ever a fourth Monarchy, there is no Monarchy after, nor beſide it, according to this ſure word of Prophecy, that can be a Remaining Calendar to us to that Kingdom; Becauſe whatever Monarchy was the fourth Monarchy, muſt continue to the Kingdom of Chriſt, we muſt therefore run upon it, as upon an Ecliptick Line given us, from which there muſt be no variation.
And if we can hold the Footing we have hitherto found in the Hiſtory of the New Teſtament by the Prophecy ſucceding it, and to which the Hiſtory leads us, and in Agreement with Ʋniverſal Hiſtory, we ſhall certainly come down with the Calendar we are upon, to our own Times, and know how near we are to the End of it, and ſo to the ſucceſſion of the Kingdom of Jeſus Christ.
Poſit. 3 I come therefore to the third Poſition, There is ſuch an Idea of the Roman Monarchy in the Prophecy of the New Teſtament, as will moſt exactly Correſpond the Prophecy of Daniel, in concert with moſt Agreed, and Indiſputed History, and ſhew us, whereabouts we are in this Calendar, and how near to the Kingdom of Jeſus Christ.
But before I come to compare this Idea with the Prophecy, and moſt known Roman History, and thereby to Educe the Calendar, as it goes on, I muſt obſerve by way of premiſal theſe Three Things.
1. That the Prophecy of Daniel does not name the fourth Monarchy, nor tell us what Monarchy, or what National Cognomination it hath, as it hath in ſome part of Daniels Prophecy (as hath already appear'd) told us, that the Head of Gold or firſt Kingdom was the Babylonion, that the Babylonian Kingdom was divided to the Medes and Perſians, the Kingdom therefore neceſſarily after it; And the He Goat of Greece was moved with choler againſt the Ram of Perſia, and ſtamp'd upon Him, that is ſubdued Him, and therefore that muſt be the Third Kingdom of Braſs.
All this notwithſtanding, it never diſtinguiſhes the Fourth Kingdom by its name; Herein the Apocalyptic Proyhecy agrees; It very plainly, as we ſhall ſee, deſcribes a Monarchy or Kingdom, yet it never expreſſes to us what Kingdom it was; As Daniel tells us, the fourth Kingdom in the Image is in the Legs of Iron, and Feet, and Toes part of Iron, part of Clay; and in the Viſions of the Beaſts, the fourth Beaſt with its Feet of Iron, its Horns and its little Horn was the fourth Kingdom upon Earth, and yet never ſays, in any part of his Prophecy, what Kingdom it was; even ſo the Revelation deſcribes a Dragon, giving His Throne, Power, and Great Authority to a Beaſt, to whom Power was given over all Kindred, People, Tongues, and Nations, and therefore muſt have a Great Kingdom, yet it never declares, of what Nation or People, this Kingdom ſhould take its name.
Nevertheleſs, if it be ſo evident, as it hath been, that no Kingdom came between the Grecian and the Romans, no not ſo much, as any Spiritual, or Evangelical Kingdom of Chriſt, as hath evidently appear'd by expreſs Scripture Hiſtory; It is even Scripture Demonstration, the Roman Monarchy was the fourth Monarchy, and therefore muſt be the continuing Monarchy, until it, and all the reſt ſhall be Broken by the Kingdom of Christ.
There muſt be therefore ſome great Reaſon, and which Prophecy would have us take notice of, why it Throws ſo Reſolvedly ſuch a veil of Secreſie over this Monarchy; And we may plainly find, it is for the ſake of the laſt part of this Monarchy, which is in a mystery, an Apostaſie comming out of a mystery of Iniquity, a City in the mystery of an Apostate Adulterous Church and an Imperial Idolatrous power in the mystery of a Spiritual Supremacy: For the ſake of which laſt ſtate of this Monarchy the firſt is not diſcloſed; Becauſe if the laſt were joyn'd, as Prophecy hath joyn'd it; The diſcloſing the firſt, would diſcloſe the laſt; and that both ſhould be joyn'd, the very Prophetick frames require.
Thus the Covering this fourth Kingdom in Daniel, and the Revelation, doing the ſame in the Kingdom it deſcribes, argues they are both one and the ſame Kingdom, and that He that would underſtand them, muſt have Wiſedom, as the Prophecy admoniſhes to lay things together, and to compare them; For if this ſtate had been openly Foretold, the very opportunity and Action of this Apostaſie had been ſurpriz'd. The very Concealment is therefore to the prudent conſiderer a diſcoverery and an aſſurance, what Kingdom it is; And the unwary, which are the multitude; And even the wiſe, under the Enchantment of the growing Apostaſie knew little of it.
2. The frame of the Divine prophecy is herein very admirable, and obſervable, in that there is no determinate form aſſign'd to the fourth Beast, whereas the first had the Form of a Lyon, the Second of a Bear, the Third of a Leopard, the Fourth had no Form at all aſcrib'd to it.
Now the Reaſon of this is, partly, that the Ballance of Prophecy might be held even, between the Concealment of its mind to the generality, and the poſſible diſcovery of it by the wiſe, and conſidering Reſeacher of Prophecy. If there had been a form given in Daniel, and the ſame form given in the Revelation, it had been too open, and plain a diſcovery: If there had been one form given in Daniel, and another in the Revelation, it had made a confuſion ſo great, that even the Serious, and prudent ſearcher of Prophecy could not have Broken through, except there had been ſuch an Expoſition, as is given in the change as it were of Scenes, as of the Perſian Ram in Dan. 8. which was Emblem'd by a Bear, c. 7. and of the Grecian He Goat, c. 8. which was as a Leopard, c. 7. and ſuch an Expoſition had been too open in this caſe.
The Prophecy of Daniel therefore gives no ſhape at all, becauſe the Prophecy in the Revelation would have a peculiar reaſon to give the fourth Beast, in its firſt ſtate or Legs of Iron, and a Beast with Iron Teeth, the form of a Dragon, which Reaſon had not been ripe in Daniels Time, as we ſhall ſee preſently; And it had great Reaſon to give the ſame Roman Beast in its laſt ſtate, [peculiarly to ſhew its ſucceſſion to the Three first Beasts,] firſt the form of a Leopard, as in the Belly and Thighs, becauſe of its immediate ſucceſſion to the Grecian Monarchy, as it was Roman; And then as by the Grecian Monarchy, it ſucceeded the Perſian Monarchy, it is ſaid to have the Feet of a Bear; Eſpecially, as the Bears Fore-feet are its ſtrength, and reſemble Arms in the Body of a Man, and ſo agree with the Arms in the ſecond Kingdom of the Image; and then it had the Mouth, or Head of a Lyon reſembling the Head of Gold; whereby its ſucceſſion by the Graecian and Perſian to the Babylonian is aſſured. And thus the Calendar of Time in theſe ſucceſſive Monarchies is firmly eſtabliſhed, and brought▪ down and Recapitulated, as in the laſt ſtate of the Fourth Kingdom; both as in the Image, and as in the Viſion of the Beaſts; wherein alſo it is to Expire: Apply further to the Fourth Roman Kingdom in its laſt ſtate the Legs of Iron, all other parts of the Image being already diſpos'd, in the Dragon, giving his name [Beaſt] abſolute, and without any Form, which the Revelation aſcribes ſo generally, and Emphatically to the laſt ſtate of the Roman Beaſt in the Head of Ten Horns, as one with the whole Roman Beaſt, and alſo with the Image; and you have the Calendar of the Four ſucceſſive Monarchies brought down to this laſt Roman ſtate in an Emblem ſo lively and certain, that no wit of Man could have Excogitated; OnelyOnly the divine Spirit hath found it, which is a great Aſſurance of Prophecy in this matter.
3. It is yet to be Remark'd, There muſt needs be many conſiderable variations betwixt the Prophecy of Daniel, and of the Revelation; Becauſe both Time was ſo much further and higher advanc'd at that Time, and alſo becauſe it may well be expected, The Revelation of the New Teſtament, may according to the excellent Light of the Goſpel throughout it, excell the Revelation of the Old Teſtament, or the Prophecy of the Prophet Daniel; This is to be well ſettled in our Thoughts, that we may not be ſtumbled or offended, when in after particulars we obſerve the Variation.
And firſt there is this general variation, that the Prophecy of the New Teſtament, knowing, that the Three firſt Kingdoms were paſs'd off before the days, even any of ſo much, as the very firſt of the days of the New Teſtament gives no Repreſentation of them any further, then as They are Recapitulated in the Beaſt; So that the whole Apocalyptick Prediction appertains onelyonly to, and gives the Schemes of the ſtate of the Roman Empire, after it had ſubdued all the Three firſt Kingdoms under it ſelf, and become the Ʋniverſal Monarchy of the World. And this it does with Relation to the Church duplicate page duplicate page of Jeſus Chriſt, as its principal object and aim, which is a moſt remarkable Conſideration, Aſſuring us, the Revelation is a Continuation, and further Explication of what remain'd unfulfill'd of Daniel's Prophecy, from thoſe very firſt days of the New Teſtament, or when They began.