be a want then of 60 years ; to anſwer which objeftion, the afore- faid Author (XN. Stephens) undertaketh to make out, that the year which according to our account was 606, was according to Daniel's Chronology 666; for it is the fix hundred fixty fixth year of the Roman Monarchy, which, faith he, is to be counted from the time when that Empire firſt Invaded the Church, which was when C:c#10 and Antonius were Conſuls, about 60 years before Chriſt ; for ther the Romans firſt ſubdued the Fews (the ancient Church of God. As to this notion, there is nothing to be proved, but that £55 mu be counted from that Epocha ; and admitting that the time of the Beaſt's Reign as to the beginning of it, fell much about 545, I ſhai! only ſay of it, that 1 do not judge it a contemp ible notion. This makes this Prophecy a prediction of the time when this Beaft ſhould begin to ſhew his Power, and therefore it is called the Number of his Name; (Name in Holy Scripture often fiznifyinz Dominion and Power :) But there is yet another notion, which is the moſt , Learned Mr. Potter, 1n his Book, called The Interpretation of the
Number 666 ;, a Book juſtly valuable both for the preat Wit and , Learning in it, and much magnified both by Dr. Mc, and Mr. Mede, whoſe Judgment of it, is prefixed to it : in which je ſaith, It is the happieſt Traf# that ever came into the Wor '1, and though at firſt he read the Book with much prejudice, yet when he had done it, it left him poſſeſt with as much admiration. The joundation on which he goeth is, that this number 1s to be interpreted bv the cp- poſite number of 144, Chad. 21. 17. as the meaſure of the Wall of the new Feruſalem ;, which is to be underſtood of ſquare meature, as he proveth Chap. 6. for the Wall could not be 144 Cubits hi-h, nor 144 Cubits broad; but in ſquare meaſure ſo mu-h, that is 12 Cubits high, and 12 Cubits broad (for the length cannot be underſtocd) it being impoſſible that a Wall 144 Cubits long, ſhould encompats a City 91 Furlongs about: In like manner he think- 555 ouht to be counted by the ſquare root of that number, which is 25 2) Hence he concludeth, that as 12, the ſquare root of 144 is God's number, ſo 25 is the ſquare root of Antichriſt's number 545 : and by .this enigmatical expreſſion, we are tauzht that 4nrichrift ſhould he a Political Body that ſhould as much affet the number of 25, as # God ſeemeth to have in his Church affeted the number of 12. : Under the Old Teſtament God built his Church upon 12 Patriarct's, it was made up of 12 Tribes; H'eruſalem mentioned by Ezeb. cha.
48. 31. and in this Book, Chap. 21. 12. had twelve Gates, wer. 21.
theſe were 12 Pearles; at the Gates ver 12. were 12 Angels; the
Wall, ver. 14. had 12 Foundations, in them the names of twelve
Apoſtles ; ver. 16. the meaſure of the City was 12009 Furlonzs,
Chap. 22. 2, the Tree of Life had 12 manner of Fruits ; by all
which 1t appears that 12 was the number God affe&ted to uſe with
reference to his Church, and the ſquare root, both of the 144 Cu-
bits, which were the meaſure of the Wall, Chap. 21. 17. and like-
wiſe of the 144 thouſands, mentioned in the next Chapter as the
number of Chriſt's retinue. On the contrary 25 is the ſquare root
of 656 (adding the Fraftion) which is the Beaſt's Number : ang
that Learned Author proves, That the Pope and his Clersy as much
affefted the number of 25 in their firſt forming their Church, 3+
God did the number of 12 : They at firſt divided Rome into 25
Pariſhes (inſtead of the old 35 Tribes,) over which they {ct 25
Cardinals (which were their firſt number) who had 25 Churches :
They made 25 Gates to the City ; at laſt they alſo bron>kt the
Articles of their Creed to 25; this that Learned Auth-r abun-
dantly proveth, Chap. 17, 18, 19, 20, 22. He alfo Chap. 24, 25,
26. ſheweth how in a multitude of things of lefſer moment they
affefted this number of 25 : This ſeemeth a very probable notion.
| I further refer my Reader to the Learned Author's Book, where he
enlargeth npon theſe things with great Wit and Learning : In this variety I ſhall poſitively. determine nothing, but have ſhortly men- tioned the ſenſes I think moſt probable, as to this myſterious num-
ber 666, | CHAP. - XIV,
The Lamb ſtandeth on Mount Sion with his marbed one, I, A New Song is Sung before the Throne, 2, 3. None underſlandeth the Song but the Virgins that follow the Lamb, whitherſnever he poeth, 4, 5. Amther Angel Preacheth the everlaSting Goſpel; 5, 7. This Angel | followed by another, foretelling the Deſtru#tion of Babylon, 8. 4 | third Angel threatneth eternal puniſhment to the Worſhippers of the Beaſt, 9 IT. The Patience of the Saints, 12. The Bleſſing of them that Dye in the Lord, 13. One like unto the Son of - ſm ſitteth on a white Cloud with a Sickle in his hand, 14. An Angel coming out of the Temple, cryeth to him on the Cloud to thruſt in the Sickle into the Ripe larveſt, 15. It is done, 16, Another Angel from the Altar, cryeth to him that hath the Sickle, to Gather the Cluſters of the Vine, 18. This is done, and the Grapes caſt in- to theWine-preſs of God's Wrath, 19, 20.
ND I looked, and loa lamb ſtood on the mount Sion a, and with him *, an hundred forty and *Ch:p.7.4- four thouſand b, having his Fathers name written in their foreheads c. |
- made up the Church under Antichriſt's Peri-cutioh; but if ftgnt- fles, 1. A ſmall ndimber in compariſon of ſuch as ſ-ovld Ge of anc
ther ſtamp. 2. It 1s a namber made up of twelve times frelve,
| by which is fignified thaf they were z Feople that ſhould anfoet
the [raelites indeed of the Oid Teſtament; that remnant of the CVE
Chap. XIV.
REVELATION.
Chap. XIV,
twelves Tribes whom God had choſen, who adhere to the Doftrine \ about 710, but it was aboliſhed by a Synod at Conſlantinople, 71 2.
and Precepts of the twelve Apoſtles. c Making an open Profeffion
of being the Children and Servants of God ; as thoſe Servants and
Soldiers did that had anciently the Names of their Ma$ters and Ge-
| nerals in their forcheads (it being an ancient Cuſtom for Maſters
| to Brand their Servants, and Captains their Soldiers, as we do our | Bcaits at this day.) |
W *Chap. 1. 2 And | hearda voice from heaven, * as the voice
[i 15-X 19:5. of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder
WW: tChap.5.2. 4 : and I heard the voice of + harpers, harping with
| /'F their harps e.
d A loud Voice, and terrible alſo to the followers of Antichriſt.
e A Muſical melodious Voice, as of Perſons rejoycing. Mr. Mede