INTRODUCTION.

THE learned and eminent Lord BACON, whose judgment no true fcholar, or good Christian, will ever difpute, anxiously recommended, that a Hiftory of the Prophecies fhould be under"taken, and carried down through all ages,

86

as the events should fulfil them ;" and there can be little doubt, had his leifure permitted, that he would have engaged in the facred work: but "non omnia poffumus omnes." He had, however, this great and pious defign fo much at heart, that he directed the manner how it ought to be performed. Thefe are his words: *"Secunda

pars (hiftoriæ ecclefiaftica) quæ eft hiftoria "ad Prophetias, ex duobus relativis conftat, Prophetia ipfa, et ejus adimpletione. Quapropter tale effe debet hujus operis inftitutum, ut cum fingulis ex fcripturis prophetiis eventuum veritas conjungatur; idque per omnes "mundi ætates; tum ad confirmationem Fidei,

* De Augmentis Scientiarum, lib. ii. cap. xi.

"tum ad inftituendam difciplinam-quandam et peritiam in interpretatione Prophetiarum, quæ "adbuc reftant complenda." That is,

"The

fecond part (of ecclefiaftical history), which "is a history of prophecy, confifts of two rela"tive subjects, the prophecy itself, and its completion. For which reafon, the method of "this work ought to be fuch, that the truth "of the events may be joined with each reSpective prophecy of the Scriptures, to the end that, throughout all ages, it may tend as well to the confirmation of the faith, 66 as to the establishment of a certain rule and Skilfulness, in the interpretation of the prophecies which remain to be fulfilled." This forting of the prophecies into two claffes, the first to confift of thofe which have been fulfilled, and the fecond of thofe, the particular events of which lie concealed in the darknefs of futurity, he faw indifpenfably neceffary to the right underftanding even of the firft clafs; and he farther was fatisfied of the impoffibility, in many inftances, of explaining the fecond: and therefore he prefcribes a rule for understanding them when they fhould be accomplished by their refpective and appropriate events. Without giving any other example to prove the good fenfe, as well as Chriftian humility, of such a mode

of proceeding, had commentators, in every age, thus acted, confining their explanations to prophecies which were fulfilled, and generally referred a particular expofition of the others to future commentators, as the events fhould arife, the hiftory of prophecy would have been a faithful record of divine truths, which all other hiftories would have confirmed. It would have been equally ufeful and excellent, and of the first and most beneficial importance to mankind. The mysterious fenfe of the figurative descriptions would have easily been explained by the events, and the appropriate events as eafily distinguished from others, and compared with that fenfe. Their correfpondency and fitness would have clearly been afcertained, the exact completion of the prophecies fully vindicated, and evident; and the infinite wisdom, power, and righteousness of the providence of God, demonstrated to the meaneft capacity. And moreover, this demonftration would have been accumulating throughout all ages, to the end of time. But for fallible men, however extenfive their abilities, and who, were we to afk them, What will come to pass to-morrow ? must anfwer, They do not know, to undertake unfolding, with certainty, the mysterious parts of the prophecies, which relate to future times and feafons,

2 2

feafons, is a prefumption and folly altogether unaccountable. It has proved a very mischievous folly, because it has given to the infidel and fophift a handle to treat the revealed will of God with cavil, and impious difdain; and even to feduce fome of the profeffors of Christianity to slander it, as *“wild and visionary, and barba66 rous even to folecifm."

For

my own part, I confefs, without regret, that I have again and again perufed the prophecies in general, vifionary and barbarous as they are impioufly called, with increafing admiration and delight; and I trust, not without receiving inftruction; and, may I be permitted to add, in the face of great authorities to the contrary, that the plan of narrative of the Apocalypfe in particular, against which the fpleen of infidelity has been for the most part directed, is critically regular and perfect, no less than grand; the chronological order of events exact, the style indisputably noble and fublime, replete with natural and beautiful images, and abounding with accurate and expreffive metaphors. And I fhall take the liberty of retaining this opinion of its excellency, till those who have endeavoured to bring the Apocalypfe into

Dr. South and others.

contempt,

contempt, by their rafh and unfupported flander; fhall condescend to point out some of those "wild and visionary allegories and barbarisms,” by which they affert it is rendered trifling and unintelligible; and fhall also submit their arguments to public investigation, and to the test of fair and found criticism. To return.

If, therefore, it has pleafed God, in all preceding ages, to reveal his power and providence, through the pure, though myfterious course of prophecy, and events without number have demonftrated the completion, it cannot reafonably be fuppofed, that he has passed over, in filence, thofe of the PRESENT TIMES: inafmuch as no just cause can be affigned why they are not of as great importance to mankind, and as indicative of his existence and fupremacy, as any that have gone before them. In this view of the fubject, I ought to have very little doubt, that, if any candid inquirer after truth could be convinced that he might, by "fearching the holy Scriptures,' obtain a juft idea of the great and extraordinary events foretold in ages paft, and by looking around him perceive the fame events, with all the particular circumstances defcribed, as it were, before his eyes, exactly correfponding with, and fulfilling the prediction, it

a 3

would