__194 TheBleffednefrof Good Menafter Death. Vol. I. really he (hall be very cruel. It (hall be pretended, that he does all without Vi- olence, and without Arms ; but he (hall fpeak as a Dragon, that is, in Truth (hall exercife great Force and Cruelty ; either alluding to the Cruelty of he Dragon, literally fo called; or perhaps prophetically pointing at á particular fort of Armed Soldiers, called by that name of Dragons, or, as we according to the French Pronunciation-call them, Dragoons. 3. He (hall arife during the continuance of the ferll Beall, and engage in his Caufe ; but the firft Bead (hall only ítand by and look on, Ver. i 2. andhe ex- ercifeth all the Power of f thefart Beall, before him, and caufeth the earth and them that dwell therein, to Worfhip the Beaft, whofe deadly wound was healed ; plainly declaring, that this Perfecution fhould not immediately arife from the All Beaft, which is faid to come out of the Sea, which in this Prophecy denotes the State Ecclefia/lical; but from the fecond Beat, which comes out of the Earth, and denotes the Temporal Power. But yet all this ought to be a&ed in the fight of the firft Bead, and in his behalf, to compel Men to worfhip him. 4. That he 1ha11 be remarkable for canting Fire tocome down from Heaven to Earth, in a wonderful manner, to the great Terrour and Amazement of Men ; Ver. 13. And he loth great wonders ; fo: that he maketh fire to come down from heaven on the earth in the fight of men.. 5. That he would interdift all thofd, who would not. Wor(hip the Beall, all Commerce with Humane Society, the Exercife of Civil Tradesand Profeilions ; Ver. 17. And he caufeth, that no man might buy er fell, fave he that had themark of the Beal. 6and Lallly (which feems to be the molt Peculiar and Charaderiftical Note of all the refs,) that bis Number fhould be 666, that is, (as molt of the Anci- ents underítand it,) that the Numeral Letters of a certainWord+or.Name, Ihould, being computed amount to that Number. And it is exprefly laid to be the Num- ber of a Man. Ver. 18. Let him that bath underflanding count the Number of the Beall ; for, it is the Number ofa Man. And in the Verfe before, it is faid to be the Number ofhis Name. Now to whom all thefe Chara&ers do agree, and efpecially the last, concerning the Number of his Name, I (hall not prefume to conjefture ; much lefs politively to determine, whether he be now in being ; becaufe it is faid to require a parti- cular Wifdom and Underftanding to find it out. Here is Wifdom; let him that loath Underflanding count thenumber of the Beall. However the Event, when the thing isfully accomplifht, will dearly difcover it. Thus much is certain, that this extream Perfecution, whenever it (hall be, will forerun the Final Deftruftion of Babylon, which will not then be far off. And concerning this it is that St. John fpeaks, Ch. 14. 52. when he fays, Here is the Patienceof the Saints, here are they that keep the Commandments of God, and the Faith of Jefus. And then he immediately adds, as it is in the Text, And Iheard a voice from heaven, fail- ing unto me, Write, Ble/fedare the deadwhich die in the Lord, from henceforth : Tea, faith the Spirit, that they may re/l' from their labours; and their works do accompany them. Thus much may fuffice to have been fpoken on this Text. SERMON
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