A history of the work of redemption. Containing the outlines of a body of…

(2) The other remarkable instance which I shall mention of the fulfilment of scripture-prophecy, i• in fulfilling what is foretold concerning Antichrist, a certain great opposer of Christ and his kingdom. The way that this Antichrist should arise▪ is foretold, viz. not among the Heathen, or those nations that never professed Christianity; but that he should arise by the apostasy and falling away of the Christian church into a corrupt state: 2 Thes. ii.3. "For that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition."—It is prophesied, that this Antichrist, or man of sin, should be one, that should set himself up in the temple or visible church of God, pretending to be vested with the power of God himself▪ as head of the ⟨p. 244⟩church, as in the same chap. vers. 4. All this is exactly come to pass in the church of Rome. Again, it is intimated, that the rise of Antichrist should be gradual, as there, vers. 7. "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth, will let, until he be taken out of the way" This also came to pass.—Again, it is prophesied of such a great and mighty enemy of the Christian church, that he should be a great prince o• monarch of the Roman empire: so •e is represented as an horn of the fourth beast in Daniel, or fourth kingdom or monarchy upon earth, as the angel himself explains it, a• you may see of the little horn in the 7th chapter of Daniel. This also came to pass. — Yea it is prophesied, that the seat of this great prince, or pretended vicar of God, and head of his church, should be in the city of R•me itself. In the 17th chapter of Revelation, it is said expressly, that the spiritual whore, or false church, should have her seat on seven mountains or hills: Rev. xvii.9. "The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman […]:" and in the last verse of the chapter, it is said expressly, "The woman which thou sawest, is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth" which it is certain was at that time the city of Rome. This prophecy also has come to pass in the church of Rome.