A Discourse Upon the Powers of the World to Come, Treatise · Treatise proper · Part 6
Head 3d. The Third Head ſhall be to conſider, What Standards, according to Scripture-Reaſon, and the Ballance of the Sanctuary, there are, by which the Interpretation of prophecy may be judg'd to be a True Interpretation, when it is offered us by any one that hath made it; or whereby the perſon that hath himſelf made it, may know it to be Juſt, and according to the Senſe of the Holy Spirit of prophecy, and his Conduct into that Senſe.
The Standards of Tryal for the True Interpretation of prophecy, I would lay down, are Theſe:
1. When the Types and Symbols of prophecy in the Old and New Teſtament, are taken, All, as under One intire View and Conſideration, and ſo Analogized, and ſhewn in their Agreement one with another, as to make up a Full and perfect Portraicture and Table, each Part appearing in its proper Symetry and Proportion, in its own Scituation, in its Lively foreign, the Beauty, and Lively Air of prophecy. This is like a philoſophick Syſtem of the Creation, ſolving All Phenomena. But if we take ſome ſingle Parts only, though there may be handſome and fine plauſible and probable Deſcants upon them, as they ſtand by themſelves, and if they alone were to be anſwered for; Yet when they come to be examined by the reſt of prophecy, and it be conſidered, how one part anſwers another, in the whole Frame of prophecy, and one ſingle part under ſuch or ſuch a Deſcant; Thoſe Deſcants will be diſcovered to be only worthy of Rejection This therefore I have endeavoured, and moſt cloſely and diligently attended to in the Scheme of prophecy I have given, viz. to make a Juſt and Full Agreement and Correſpondency between All parts of it, and a Conciliated Harmony in the whole Frame of prophecy.
2. In the point of prophetick Numbers the Standard is,
1. That All the Prophetick Numbers are made to meet alſo in One full and intire Conſideration and Computation of them one with another, and not any of them ſingle, and by themſelves only. And that they be ſo both diſtinguiſhed, and yet ſo joyned, and ſo concerted, that they ſtand fair one with another: Elſe the application of them will be precarious, incertain and contingent only.
2. That when they are thus both Diſtinguiſhed and Harmonized; they can be applied and aſcertained by that Application to ſuch Events, as are witneſſed to, and acknowledged by the moſt known, agreed and general Records of Hiſtory and Chronology; providentially prepared by God to Gibeonite, as it were, to Sacred Prophecy; to give both Teſtimony to the Truth of Prophecy, as alſo to be Helps to the Interpretation of it; if Interpreters take care to compare one with the other, or would be perſwaded to do ſo. Furthermore, theſe being ſo ſ…ttled by Compare, and ſo Teſtified, enable the Interpreter himſelf, and thoſe to whom his Interpretation is offered, to Judge whether the Interpretation be True, and whether it be Just and Right: Whereas, if either there be no Concord of Supporting Hiſtory; or that if it be not as a City on an Hill, Hiſtory univerſally Known, and agreed; the Interpretation will be but Dark and Lubricous, and the ſtanding upon it not firm and ſtable.
3. When the Prophetical Numbers being by Fair and Juſt Commiſſures, Joyn'd to, and United with the Plain Hiſtorical firſt Part of the Scripture-Line of Time, Run on together in a ſtrait, even, progreſſive Motion, from the Creation and first Sabbatiſm, ſo as to Run upon a Laſt Iſſue and Event; Great enough to be that Laſt, and to conſtitute a Fullneſs of Times, or of All Times; the New Creation and its Sabbatiſm, the Apocataſtaſis, or Reſtitution of All Things to the Firſt State, and much above it; the Anacephalaioſis, or Bringing All under Chriſt, as the Head: And all This, as I ſaid, in a Strait, Even, Progreſſive Motion, Taking in at their Juſt and Proper Seaſons All other Great and Cardinal Events, Emboſſing the Line of Time; and principally that Great and Soveraign One, the Coming, Dying, Riſing and Aſcenſion of our Lord Jeſus into Heaven, ſtyl'd by the Apoſtle, the Fullneſs of Time; the greateſt Honour of Time, except the Forenamed Fullneſs of All Times. Theſe Two, The Fullneſs of Time; and the Fullneſs of Times, or of All Times, ſtand thus Diſtinguiſhed, Gal. 4. 4. and Eph. 1. 10. and Fix all Time.
Now This Conſtant, Even Progreſſion of Time, keeps All Interpretation at a Gauge, and at a Certainty, from a Fugitive, or Arbitrarious wandring hither and thither; and is the greateſt ſecurity for the Truth of it; both to the Interpreter himſelf, and to All that would put his Interpretation to the Teſt, that can be; For thus Nothing can be taken in, nor thruſt out at pleaſure; nor can there be Any Other Events ſhuffled in, but what are found in that very Juſt and Natural Order of Time, according to all Hiſtory. Thus Interpretation comes to the ſame Certainty as the Progreſſes of Time it ſelf; from Day to Day, Month to Month, Year to Year, and Century to Century; or as the parts of the Body in their True Situation one to another. Whereas any other way of Interpretation hath its Starts and Leaps, its Subterfuges and Evaſions, without Certainty or Fixedneſs.
3. Another Standard of Interpretation of Prophecy, is, when there are found in the Interpretation, ſome ſurprizing Tranſcendenc…es in the Contrivances and, as one may humbly ſay, Artifices which the Spirit of Prophecy hath inlaid the Prophetical Frame with, and engraven upon it, as upon the Stone that hath ſeven Eyes, throughout Perſpicuous, as well as Perſpicacious. And theſe falling in with the more Eſſential, and Subſtantial Parts of Prophecy, and the Events Anſwering in not only thoſe Subſtantials, but thoſe Extraordinaries, as it were, Peices of Art, in the Frame of Prophecy; They muſt needs give ſometimes even Raviſhing Tranſports of Satisfaction, and Aſſurance; That one hath the True Key of Interpretation of Prophecy, by the Becomingneſs of the Work to the Great Artiſt, when Materiam fuperat Opus; The Curiouſneſs of the Work excells the very Materials wrought upon.
Even as beſides the main Pillars and Rafters of the Creation, and the more Bulky Parts of the Animal Creatures; ſuch Exquiſite Curioſities are found herein; They, as much as is poſſible, give Scientific Proofs of the Supreme and Divine Workman: and when any one hath found them, he cannot but break out into a Kind of Ecstatical foreign; or, as Galen, I have Found.into an Hymn to the Creator, upon beholding the Admirableneſſes of his Divine Hand, in the Animal Contextures; For both in the Works of God, and in his Prophetick Word, ſuch Wonders plainly diſcovered give greateſt pleaſure, both in regard of the Beauties of the Hand of God, and in regard of the Joy, that we have receiv'd the Key of Natural, or Prophetick Knowledge.
For theſe are Great Things, we looked not for, and meeting with them unexpectedly, we become more than Aſſured, even Triumphantly Aſſured; For thus it becomes him, whoſe Ʋnderſtanding is Infinite, both in Creation, and Prophecy, to abound to us beyond All we could Ask or Think; and though our Aſſurance might be ſolid without theſe, yet it would not be vivid, and ſo high.
4. A Fourth Standard of True Interpretation of Prophecy, is, When there is Found in All Parts of the Interpretation of Prophecy, a perfect Agreement between Prophecy Interpreted, and the Grand Principles of Scripture, which the Apoſtle calls Prophecying according to the Analogy of Faith: When Prophecy is ſo Interpreted concerning the Kingdom of Chriſt, that it be not Repreſented as a Carnal, Senſual Kingdom, but like it ſelf, Holy and Spiritual; That it Agree with the Apoſtles, and our Lord's Doctrine, concerning the Reſurrection, both as to the Saints dead and ſleeping in and by Jeſus Incorruptibly Raiſed, and the Living Remaining Saints Changed, and as to the wicked Riſing to Condemnation, to Shame and Contempt; that Prophecy is not made to call the Proud happy, or to make ſad the Souls, whom God would not have made ſad; that Darkneſs is not put for Light, nor Light for Darkneſs; That thoſe Black Names in Scripture-Prophecy, as Beaſt, Falſe Prophet, Whore, Horns Giving their Power to the Beaſt, be applied to ſuch Perſons, and Things, as the Conſtant and moſt Avowed Doctrine of Scripture makes worthy to be ſo Character'd; however call'd by Great and Glorious Names in this Dark place of the Apoſtaſy. And on the other ſide, that Perſons and Things be Cloathed with the Honourable Names, Prophecy hath put upon them; as the Woman Cloathed with the Sun, Witneſſes, Martyrs of Jeſus, to whom the ſame Constant and Allowed Doctrine of Scripture will Allow them; although in this Thick and Groſs Atmosphere they are Bandenitoe'd with other Names, as Hereticks, Schiſmaticks, Factious, or Fanaticks.
5. The Crowning, and Topping, and moſt Aſſuring Standard for the Interpretation of Prophecy is, when a Thread and Line is Laid from ſome Plain, and Litteral Interpretation of Prophecy by the Holy Spirit of Prophecy it ſelf in one Place, to ſuch Litteral Interpretation in another place; till we come at laſt to that Iſſuing Point of All Prophecy, The Glory of the Kingdom of Christ: We have the Beginning of the Four Monarchies in Nebuchadnezzars Image by very Litteral Interpretation, ſettled in Nebuchadnezzar himſelf; For Daniel ſaid to him, Thou art this Head of Gold, Dan. 2. The Perſian and Grecian Monarchies are in the ſame manner by Littteral Interpretation of Prophecy, aſſured, Dan. 8. In the ſame manner the Epoch of the Revelation is Aſſured by the Apoſtles being in the Spirit on the Lords Day of the Reſurrection, Rev. 1. c. 5. By the Mention of the Lamb Newly Slain. The Fourth Monarchy is Aſſured to be Current in the Time of the New Teſtament by Auguſtus Caeſar Cenſing all the World, Luke 2. By the Litteral Interpretation of the Great Whore to be the City Reigning then, or that at that preſent was Holding the Kingdom over the Kings of the Earth, which could be no other than Rome; For no other had then the Kingdom: beſides the Seven Mountains, on which ſhe Sate, is Litteral; The Seven Succeſſions of Government are given Litterally; And that under the Beaſt, is Affirm'd to be the Seventh Succeſſion, as Head, and the Eighth as King; The Sixth Succeſſion is Litterally Affirm'd to be then in Being, or now is: that the Seventh King, being the Chriſtian Emperours, was no Head; It is Litterally Aſſur'd, the Eighth King, but Seventh Head, call'd The Beaſt, goes into Perdition, and the Kingdom of Christ immediately Succeeds; Now all theſe do ſo lead us in the True Line, and Courſe of Time, that we cannot be ſurer of the Courſe of the Seaſons, and Months, that run along, and fall out between Seaſon, and Seaſon; then we are of the Things, which in Event or Matter of Fact, and Hiſtory run along all this Time, from the Reſurrection of our Lord, and Anſwer the Symbols, and Images of Prophecy; Hereby then the Seals, the Trumpets, with the grand Events Compriz'd under Them are made moſt certain to Run along the Time of the Roman Empire from the Appearance of Chriſt in the Fleſh, at the Fullneſs of Time, to his Appearance in the Fullneſs of Times, or of All Time at the Kingdom of Chriſt.
Now if any one ſhould ſay, Theſe Standards of Interpretation of Prophecy of Scripture are not ſufficient to ſecure Interpretation according to them, to be alſo according to the Mind, and Senſe of the Holy Spirit of Prophecy; I ſhould be Bold to ſay, he either Contradicts, what the Apoſtle hath ſaid, That Prophecy of Scripture is not of private Interpretation; or he muſt ſuppoſe the Senſe of the Apoſtle in theſe very words, All, Every Prophecy of Scripture is not of private Interpretation, are, as, or more Dark, and more Hard to be Underſtood, than the Darkeſt Prophecy of Scripture it ſelf; and Further, That things may be made by Art▪ or by Chance to fall into an Exact Harmony with the Word of Prophecy; or that even a Serious, well grounded Reſearch of Scripture, according to all the Commands, and Encouragements of the Word of God, and a keeping cloſe to all the Rules of Scripture, and Reaſon in ſuch a Search, may be all to no End, or purpoſe; we are never the Nearer to the Truth and Mind of the Holy Spirit of Prophecy, than if we had never ſearch'd at all; which how Opprobrious and how near to Blaſphemy againſt the Holy Spirit, It is ſo to ſay, I leave to every ſerious Conſiderer to Judg.
Now as to what I have my ſelf done, I cannot without Tranſcribing a Conſiderable Part, of what I have already Written, and made Publick, ſhew; How cloſe I have kept to theſe Rules, and Standards, given by my ſelf for Interpretation of Prophecy; Nor will I preſume to ſay any thing in the groſs concerning it; I will only firſt make my Humble Petition to any Perſon, able to Weigh, and to Conſider, and to Compare one part of Things with another; that if I have been wanting in any one, he would pleaſe by Free Entercourſes to Remonſtrate it to me, and to allow Liberty of Debate upon it, that ſo a due Care may be Taken to Vindicate, Enlarge, Strengthen, or if neceſſity ſhould ſo Require, to Retract or Reform.