XIII. 14.

Paul faid, only Worketh till the Man of Sin 2 Thef should be Revealed. And the Sign of this Time II 7. was to be, When they should fee the Abomination Matth, xxiv.15. of Defolation, Spoken of by Daniel the Prophet, Mark Stand in the Holy Place. And thus it was this Man of Sin that fhould fet up Idolatry in the Temple of God, by making himself be Worshipped II. 4. where God only ought to be Adored, which is fetting up an Abomination.

Why it is called of Defolation, or of the Defert or Wilderness, (for the Original Word imports that) is fully Explained by St. John, when he gives an account of the Angels Difcourfe, who faid to him,

st

2 Thef.

I.

"Come hither, I will fhew unto thee the Rev xvii Judgment of the great Whore that litteth upon many Waters.

"With whom the Kings of the Earth have "committed Fornication, and the Inhabiters of "the Earth have been made Drunk with the "Wine of her Fornication.

"So he carried me away in the Spirit into "the Wilderness, and I faw a Woman fit upon S 2

3.

23

Rev.xvii

42

Rev. XIV. 6.

Matth.

Mark

xiii, 14.

"a Scarlet Coloured Beaft full of Names of Blafphemy, having Seven Heads and Ten:

"Horns.

"And the Woman was arrayed. in Purple and "Scarlet Colour, and decked with: Gold and "Precious Stone, and Pearls, having a Golden

Cup in her Hand, full of Abominations, and "Filthiness of her Fornication.

"And upon her Fore-head was a name written,

Mystery Babylon the great the Mother of Harlots "and Abominations of the Earth.

"And I faw the Woman Drunken with the "Blood of the Saints, and with the Blood of "the Martyrs of Jefus, and when I saw her, I "Wondred with great Admiration. "

Here is then that Abomination of the Wilderness xxiv.15 or Defolation spoken of by Daniel, and by this we may fee, how strange and inconfiftent it is to apply Daniels Prophecy of the VIII. Chapter, on this Subject, to Antiochus Epiphanes upon no other Authority than that of the first Book of Maccabees, in Contradiction to the Words of our Saviour, who fpeaks of it as a future Event,

and

and Contrary to all the concurring Descriptions by which it plainly did not belong to the Interruption of Burnt Offerings on the Brazen Altar, which expired with the Jewish Temple among the Jews, and with Chrift's Death, who offered Himself Once for All, in the Spiritual Senfe among the Chriftians. But it belonged to a Spiritual Service, on the Golden Altar with the Prayers of the Saints, where Chrift is High Prieft, and which Sanctuary is his Church, which the Papifts have Polluted, by fetting up a Man to be Worshipped, and to be a Vicar of God, with Power to Dispense even with Gods Laws.

But the rest of Daniel's Defcription in the XI. Chapter is too material to be omitted in Confirmation of all this.

"Neither fhall he regard the God of his Fathers, Dan. XI. "nor the defire of Women, (that is Marriage)

nor regard any God, for he shall Magnifie him"felf above All.

37

"But in his Eftate fhall he honour the God of 38 "Forces," (That is, the Dii Tutelares of the Romans, who are exactly Revived in the Images

off

Dan, XI.

39.

2 Thess.

of Saints and Angels, fet up in Houses) "and

.56

a God, whom his Fathers knew not, fhall he "honour with Gold and Silver, and with Precious "Stones and Pleafant Things.

"Thus fhall he do in the most strong Holds, "with a ftrange God, whom he fhall acknow"ledge, and increase with Glory; and he fhall "caufe them to Rule over many, and fhall divide "the Land for Gain.

It is very Obvious how well this agrees with the Description of the XIII. and XVII. of the Revelations, already cited, in what goes before.

I will only add a few other places where St Paul and St. Peter allude plainly to the fame Thing, and which indeed need no Commentary. St. Paul fays to the Theffalonians,

"The Mystery of Iniquity doth already work, II. 7. "only he who now Letteth, will let, until he be "taken out of the way;

"And Then fhall that Wicked be Revealed, "whom the Lord fhall confume with the Spirit "of his Mouth, and fhall deftroy with the bright

nefs of his Coming;

"Even Him whofe Coming is after the work"ing of Satan, with all Power, and Signs, and "Lying Wonders,

66

"And with all Deceiveableness of Unrighteouf

nefs in them that Perifh, because they receive "not the Love of the Truth, that they might be "faved.

"And for this caufe God fall fend them strong Delusion, that they should believe a Lye.”

And again, St. Paul warns Timothy,

2 Thef

I

IV. I.

"Now the Spirit fpeaketh exprefly, that in the Timn. “ Latter Times some shall depart from the Faith, giving heed to Seducing Spirits, and Doctrines "of Devils, (or Damms)

"Speaking Lyes in Hypocrifie, having their "Confcience feared with a hot Iron,

"Forbidding to Marry, and Commanding To abstain from Meats which God hath created to "be received with Thanksgiving of them which: "believe and know the Truth.

2.

3.

III. 1.

Thefe, he fays again, are to be "In the Left 2 Tim. "Days, when Perillous Times fhill come, Men hall be Lovers of their own felves, Covetous,

&c.