(1.) The kingdom of Syria was totally destroyed and reduced into a Roman province sixty years before the na- tivity of Christ; and the Egyptian thirty. So that it is impossible that the kingdom of Christ by his birth should be set up in their days.
(2.) It is ascribed to the efficacy of this kingdom, that being established it shall break in pieces all those king- doms : which how can it be, when at the first setting of it up, they had neither place, nor name, nor scarce remem- brance?
So that it must needs be the declining, divided Roman empire, shared among sundry nations, that is here intimated:
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and so consequently the kingdom of Christ to be established, is that glorious administration thereof, which in these days, he will bring in.
2. Be it so or otherwise, this from hence cannot be de- nied, that the kingdom of Christ will assuredly shake and translate all opposing dominions, until itself be established in and over them all, o-rrep tStt ^tl^ai, which is all I intend to prove from this place. The ten-partite empire of the west must give place to the stone cut out of the mountains with- out hands.
Dan. vii. 27. 'The kingdom, and dominion, and great- ness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High : whose king- dom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.' Hitherto is the end of the matter. Either antichrist is- described in the close of this chapter, or one very like him, St. John painting him in the revelation with all this man's colours, plainly intimating, that though in the first place that mad, raging tyrant, Antiochus the illustrious, was pointed at, yet that another was to rise in his likeness, with his craft and cruelty, that with the assistance of the ten horns should plague the saints of the Christians, no less than the other had done those of the Jews. Now what shall be the issue thereof? 'His dominion with his adherents shall be taken away, and consumed ;' ver. 26. And then shall it be given to the people of the Most High, as before. Or they shall enjoy the kingdom of Christ in a peaceable manner, their officers being made peace, and their exactors righteousness.
3. It is clearly evident from these and other places in that prophecy, that he who is the only potentate will sooner or later shake all the monarchies of the earth, where he will have his name known, that all nations may be suited to the interest of his kingdom which alone is to endure.
Isa. Ix. in many places, indeed throughout, holds out the same; ver. 12. 'The nation and kingdom which will not serve thee, shall be broken to pieces :' that is, all the nations of the earth, not a known nation, but the blood of the saints of Christ is found in the skirts thereof. Now what shall be the issue when they are so broken?
Ver. 17, 18. 'I will make thine officers peace, and thine
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exactors righteousness. Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders, but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.' See at your leisure to this purpose, Amos ix. 11 — 15. Jer. ?xxi. 23—25. Isa. xxxiii. 21—24.
I shall only add that punctual description, which you have of this ' whole matter,' as Daniel calls it, in the Revela- tion, with respect unto its accomplishment. Chap. xvii. the Roman harlot having procured the ten kings or kingdoms, into which the last head of the Roman empire sprouted about the year four hundred and fifty, by the inundation of the northern nations to join with her, they together make war against the Lamb. Ver. 12. ' The ten horns which thou sawest' (upon the last head of the great beast the Roman monarchy) ' are ten kings, which have received no kingdoms as yet' (to wit, when John saw the vision), * but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.' About four hundred years after this, the pope ascended to his sovereignty, and these western nations grew into distinct dominions about the same time. Ver. 13. ' These have one mind' (that is, as to the business in hand, for otherwise they did and do vex one another with perpetual broils and wars) ' and shall give their power and strength to the beast,' or swear to defend the rights of holy church, which is no other than Babylon, and act accordingly. Ver. 14. ' These make war with the Lamb' (having sworn and undertaken the defence of holy church, or Babylon, they persecuted the poor heretics with fire and sword, that is, the witnesses of the Lamb, and in them the Lamb himself, striving to keep his kingdom out of the world) ' and the Lamb shall overcome them' (shaking and translating them into a new mould and frame) : * for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings, and they that are with him' (whose help and endeavours he will use) ' are called, and chosen, and faithful.' Ver. 16. 'The ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast' (being now shaken, changed, and translated in mind, interest, and perhaps government) * these hate the whore, and shall make her desolate' (are in- strumental in the hand of Christ for the ruin of that anti- christian state, which before they served) ' and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.'