Works, Treatise · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
The Third Particular, or The Time of the Apostasie. That the Last Times in Scripture signifie either a Continuation of Time, or an End of Time. That the Last Times simply and in general are the Times of Christianity; the Last Times in special and comparatively, or the Latter Times of the Last Times, are the Times of the Apostasie under Antichrist. That the Times are set out to us to be as Marks to inform us when the Things to fall out in them should come to pass; and not the Things intended for signs to know the Times by. This Observation illustrated from Dan. 8.
OF the two first Particulars of the Four, whereby the Great Apostasie of Christian Believers is here decyphered, I have spoken sufficiently; viz. First, for the Quality and kind thereof, it should be a new Doctrine of Daemons: Secondly, that for the Persons revolting, they should not be All, but Some Now I am to speak of the Third, The Times when, foreign, In the Latter Times.
For the easier understanding whereof, we must know that speeches of Last Times in Scripture mean sometimes a Continuation or Length of time; sometimes an End of time.
A Continuation of time I mean, as when we say that Winter is the Last time or season of the year, or old age the Latter time of life; neither of them being the very End, but a space of time next the end; which therefore, in respect of some whole System of time, whereof it is the Last part, is truly termed the Last time thereof. Man's life is a Systeme of divers ages, the Last space whereof is the Last time of life. The Year is a Systeme of four seasons, and therefore the Last season thereof, Winter, may be called the Last time of the year. But by an End of time, I mean the very expiring of time, as the Last day of December is the End or last time of the year; the moment when a man dies is the Last time, that is, the End of his life.
Now in the New Testament, when by mention of Last time is meant an End or Terminus temporis, I observe it to be exprest in the Singular number; as foreign the Last day, being four times mentioned in the sixth of Iohn, and once in the eleventh, is in every one of them meant of the Day of the Resurrection at the End of the world. I will raise him up, saith our Saviour, foreign, in the last day, Iohn, 6. 39, 40, 44, 54. And Martha of her brother Lazarus, I know (saith she) he shall rise again in the Resurrection, foreign, at the Last day, Iohn 11. 24. So 1 Pet. 1. 5. foreign, the last time, is used in the self-same sense, being spoken of the incorruptible inheritance reserved in heaven, and to be revealed (saith the Apostle) foreign, in the Last time. In all which is meant the End of the world. But in 1 Iohn 2. 18. we have foreign, the Last hour, Little children, it is the Last hour; where no doubt he meaneth an End of some time, but not the End of the world, which was then far off; but an End of their time to whom he then wrote his Epistle, (that is,) an End of the Iewish State and Religion, which was then at the very door: which Exposition I will make more plain hereafter.
But when a Continuation or Longer space of time is signified, then I find the Plural number to be used; as 1 Pet. 1. 20. of the Incarnation of Christ it is said, that he was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world, but was made manifest foreign in the Last times, which times have continued these 1600 years at the least. So Heb. 1. 2. God (saith S. Paul) foreign in these Last days hath spoken unto us by his Son. And 2 Tim. 3. 1. This know also, foreign that in the Last days perillous times shall come. Again, Acts 2. 17. In the Last days I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh. In the 2 Pet. 3. 3. foreign, In the Last days shall come scoffers. And so in my Text, foreign, In the Latter times some shall revolt from the Faith, and give heed to Doctrines of Daemons.
Whatsoever the validity of this observation be, for the rest I make no question but it will be granted, That foreign in my Text means some Continued space of time, and not Terminus temporis or the very End of time: which therefore presupposed, I approach one step nearer, laying this for a second ground of our discovery, That these foreign Latter times, whereof S. Paul speaks and means, were Times not then present, but afterward to come: For the words of the Text are not a Narration of things present, but a Prediction (as I have already admonished) of what should beside the Christian Faith in after-times. Yet notwithstanding were the Times wherein S. Paul lived, and all the Times of Christianity, the Last times, and so styled in Scripture even by our Apostle himself, as by some of the forecited examples evidently appeareth. Wherefore it must needs follow, that the Times here meant and mentioned in my Text are not the Last times in general and simply, but the Last times in special and comparatively; that is, the Latter times of the Last times: That as the Last times in general were the times wherein CHRIST the Sun of Righteousness was to be revealed, and his Kingdom founded in the World; so the Latter times of these Last times should be the times wherein the Apostasie of the Christian Faith should prevail, and that Wicked one usurp the Throne of Christ.
Before therefore that we can know what are the Last times comparatively (that is, the Latter times, or the Last of the last) we must first understand what are the Last times simply and in general; why so called, whence reckoned, and how limited: For then will these Latter times in my Text, which are the Last part of them, be easily found, and in a manner demonstrated.
As for the Last times therefore in general, most use to describe them only thus, To be the times of the Kingdom of CHRIST,Ta…g. Eccles. 1. 11. expounds foreign Innovissimo foreign In di…bus Rigis Ch…ists. which began at his Passion, to continue unto the end of the World; which in respect that it succeds the Legal worship, and no other shall succeed it, is therefore the Last time. In like manner the foreign allotted to the Man of sin are (as I take it) usually no otherwise described than to be the Times wherein the Apostasie should appear; which in that it should immediately precede the Second coming of CHRIST, is therefore to be esteemed the Last times of all. But these descriptions are obscurum per magis obscurum, they declare an obscure thing by that which is or was more obscure than it; and therefore come short of making good the intent of the Holy Ghost in his so often mention of the Last times, especially in the New Testament. For the Last times or fulness of time were both a ground of the Iews expectation of CHRIST when he came, and are without doubt so often propounded and alledged by the Apostles for a confirmation of the *foreign 1 Tim. 2. 6.truth of his coming. But if the Last times could not be known but by his coming, how should his coming be known by them? So also the Holy Ghost in my Text mentions these foreign Latter times for an argument or sign of the Apostasie to fall out therein, or for a note and mark of time wherein we should look for, and therefore as fore-warned beware of being carried away in that Defection. But if these Times cannot be known nor described any other way than by the Defection to fall out in them, we should be never a whit the nearer, and this mark of time which the Holy Ghost gives us would stand us in no stead at all.
Let us therefore now take this as a Truth to be supposed, That the Times are set out unto us to be as Marks to inform us when that should come to pass which was to fall out in them, and not the Things which were to befall, intended for Signs to know the Times by. And therefore we are not to doubt but that the Holy Ghost hath somewhere else, by some other mark and ground of Computation, made known unto us when to reckon both the Last times, wherein was foretold that Christ should be anointed; and these Latter times of them, when the Christian Apostasie should be revealed: that so we might have a sure belief in the one, and a certain and sufficient mark when to beware of the other.
The Prophanation of the Legal Sanctuary and trampling down the holy people by Antiochus Epiphanes was marked out in Daniel's prophecy by the like circumstance and determination of time, as is this Apostasie here in our Apostle's prediction. Dan. 8. 23. In the latter time, or*foreign LXX. foreign. latter end of the Kingdom of Graecia, a King of a fierce countenance shall stand up, viz. He who should magnifie himself against the Prince of the Host of Heaven, and take away the daily Sacrifice, &c. as it is in the Vision which was foreshewed of him Verse 10, 11. Where it would be preposterous to think, that this Latter time or End of the Greek Kingdom could not be defined otherwise than by the Event to fall out therein; and not rather conceive that this determination of time, being such as might otherwise well enough be known, was therefore intended for a Character to observe the Event by. For when was this Latter end of the Greeks Kingdom to be taken notice of, but then when they should see that Kingdom begin to be given unto another people; when the Fourth Kingdom, the Roman State, should once begin to incroach upon the Third? especially when they should see the Head-Province thereof, Greece it self, to come under their obedience; when they should see this, then were they to prepare themselves; for the abomination of desolation was now at the door. And surely the Event was most punctual: For this Roman incroachment, having been some 28 years together manifestly attempting and advancing, was at length accomplished, when AEmilius the Consul having quite vanquished Perseus the King of Maccdon, all Greece came under the Roman obedience, 166 years before the Birth of Christ: which no sooner was come to pass, but the very self-same year, within less than three months after, Antiochus sets up the abomination of desolation in the Temple of Ierusalem. Why should we not then believe that the Holy Ghost intendeth here to give us as sure a Watch-word when to beware of the Man of sin, by this circumstance of Latter times in my Text, as we see he gave the Iews to look for the Persecution and Prophanation by Antiochus?