24. Mar. xiii. 24. But in those Days, after that Tribulation, the Sun fhall be darkened, and the Moon fhall not give her light. 25. And the Stars of Heaven fhall fall, and the Powers that are in Heaven shall be shaken. 26. And then shall they fee the Son of Man coming in the Clouds, with great Power and Glory. 27. And then shall he fend his Angels, and shall gather together his Elect, from the four Winds, from the uttermoft Part of the Earth, to the uttermoft Part of Heaven. 28. Luke xviii. 8. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man cometh, fhall he find Faith on the Earth? Conftitut. vi. 18. Of whom faith the Lord, when the Son of Man comes, fhall he find Faith on the Earth? Luke xxi. 24. And the Jews fhall fall by the Edge of the Sword; and, shall be led away Captive into all Nations; and Jerufalem fhall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the Times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. 25. And there fhall be Signs in the Sun, and in the Moon, and in the Stars; and upon the Earth Distress of Nations, with Perplexity; the Sea and the Waves roring. 26. Mens Hearts failing them for Fear, and for looking after thofe Things that are coming on the Earth; for the Powers of Heaven fhall be fhaken. 27. And then shall they fee the Son of Man coming in a Cloud, with Power and great Glory. 27. And 27. And when thefe Things begin to come to país, then look up, and life up your Heads, for your Redemption draweth nigh. Conftitut. vii. 32. In the laft Days false Prophets fhall be multiplied, and fuch as corrupt the Word; and the Sheep shall be changed into Wolves, and Love into Hatred; for through the abounding of Iniquity, the Love of many fhall wax cold; for many fhall hate, and perfecute, and betray one another, [as before, Pag. 24. 26.] And then shall appear the Deceiver of the World, the Enemy of the Truth, the Prince of Lies, [Antichrift ;] whom the Lord Jesus fhall deftroy with the Spirit of his Mouth, who takes away the Wicked with his Lips: And many shall be offended at him: But they that endure to the End the fame fhall be faved. Then shall appear the Sign of the Son of Man in Heaven; and afterward fhall be the Voice of a Trumpet, by the Archangel. And in that Interval fhall be the Revival of those that were asleep, [at the firft Refurrection perhaps.] And then fhall the Lord come, and all his holy ones with him, with a great Concuffion, above the Clouds, with the Angels of his Power, and the Throne of his Kingdom, [to the general Judgment perhaps,] &c. N. B. But now give me Leave to add to these Signals out of the other Books of the New Teftament, a moft remarkable Prediction of St. John's in his Revelation. Apoc. xi. 13. And the fame Hour [viz. upon the Afcenfion of the two Witneffes] was there a great Earthquake, and the tenth Part of the City fell; and in the Earthquake were flain Names of Men feven Thoufand; and the Remnant were affrighted, and gave Glory to the God of Heaven. Apoc. xi. 13. 14. The second Woe [or fixth Trumpet]is past; and the third Woe [or feventh Trumpet] cometh quickly. Now the principal Events here foretold by our Bleffed Saviour, as Prior to, or accompanying the Reftoration of the Jews, are thefe following. 77. That the Prophet Elijah himself, Elijah the Tifhlite fhall come to reftore all Things to their original Purity; or, in the Words of the Father of Sirach, to restore the Tribes of Ifrael. Ecclus. xlviii. 10. Perhaps to call Home the ten Tribes, and convert them to original Judaism, and conduct them to Judea, to join them to the two Tribes, already perhaps by that Time arrived there; nay, perhaps to direct them all in the rebuilding of their Temple, and fettling them according to their Difpofition in Ezekiel, &c. 78. That the Jews were to fall by the Edge of the Sword: 79. That they were to he led away Captives to all Nations: 80. That Jerufalem fhould be trodden down of the Gentiles. 81. Till the Times of the Gentiles be fulfilled, or till after the 1260 Years of the Gentile Times be over. See Efay on the Revelation, Pag. 233. This is to end the long Tribulations of thofe Days; immediately after which were to be expected, 82. Signs in the Sun, which was to be darkened; 83. Signs in the Moon, which was not to give ber Light; 84. Signs in the Stars, which were to fall from Heaven. 85. The next Signal is this, that the Powers of Heaven fhall be fhaken. 86. The next Signal is this, Upon the Earth fball be Diftrefs of Nations, with Perplexity: 87. It is foretold, that in these last Days many shall run too and fro, and Knowledge, or Learning, fhall be increased. Dan. xii. 4. 88. It is foretold, that there fhould be great Storms at Sea: The Sea and the Waves roaring. 89. It is foretold, that, in Confequence of fo many terrible Judgments already begun, or foon approaching, Mens Hearts fhould fail them for Fear, and for looking after thofe Things that are coming on the Earth. 90. The next Signal is, the Appearance of the Sign of the Son of Man in Heaven; or fuch a Crofs, I fuppofe, tho' perhaps more awful and folemn, as appeared to Conftantine the Great, and prefigured his Victories, and occafioned his Establishment of Chriftianity in the Roman Empire. 91. The next of thefe Signals, or rather grand Conclufion of all the foregoing Signals, is the vifible Coming of the Son of Man in the Clouds of Heaven, with great Power and Glory; together with the Voice of a Trumpet, already mentioned; and with the the first Refurrection, that of the Martyrs or Saints, both Jews and Chriftians. Pag. 26. priùs. N. B. I have added here, from the Revelation of St. John xi. 13. in the 92d Place, an Account of a diftin&t Great Earthquake, in fome very confiderable City, wherein the tenth Part of the City is foon to fall, and wherein Seven thousand Names of Men, Men of Name and Note, are to be flain; when, and the very firft Time in the whole Book of the Revelation when God's terrible Judgments then denounc'd, and already accomplished, had their proper Effect: The remaining Citizens being affrighted, and giving Glory to the God of Heaven. What City I apprehend this to be, [London,] and the ftrong Reasons I go upon in that Apprehenfion, the Reader may find in the N. B. at the End of the Additional Sheet to the fecond Edition of my Effay on the Revelation, just published; which Sheet, which most important Sheet, will be given gratis to thofe that have already bought that Edition, and without which Sheet no more Copies will be fold of that Book hereafter. And now, for a Conclufion, let us produce a few Signals out of thofe Parts of the Sibylline Oracles, written much earlier than the Days of Chrift, which I have fully proved to be genuine, and to be Branches of divine Revelation for the Heathen World; and out of which I formerly felected these, as belonging to the Times now under Confidera |