The works of the pious and profoundly-learned Joseph Mede, B.D., sometime fellow of Christ's Colledge in Cambridge

CHAP. XII.

A more particular account of the Last Times in general, and of the Latter Times of the Last Times. That the Four Kingdoms of Daniel are the Great Kalendar (as the LXX weeks the lesser Kalendar) of Times. That the Times of the Fourth or Last Kingdom (that is, the Roman) are the Last Times meant in Scripture. That the Latter Times of the Last Times are the Latter Times of the Fourth Kingdom, wherein the Great Apostasie should prevail.

THEREFORE without any more preambles, I come now directly to resolve what was before propounded, viz. First, What is meant by LAST TIMES in general, Whence and How we are to reckon them. And then in the Second place, What are these 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 LATTER TIMES in my Text, which must be, as I said be∣fore, a Latter part of that general.

For the true Account therefore of Times in Scripture, we must have recourse to that SACRED KALENDAR and GREAT ALMANACK of PROPHECY, The Four Kingdoms of Daniel, which are A Prophetical Chronology of Times measured by the succession of Four principal Kingdoms, from the beginning of the Captivity of Israel, un∣til the Mystery of God should be finished. A course of Time during which the Church and Nation of the Iews, together with those whom by occasion of their unbelief in Christ God should surrogate in their rooms, was to remain under the bondage of the Gentiles and oppression of Gentilism: But these Times once finished, all the King∣doms of this World should become the Kingdoms of our Lord and his CHRIST. And to this Great Kalendar of Times, together with that other, but lesser, Kalendar of LXX weeks, all mention of Times in Scripture seems to have reference.

Now these Four Kingdoms (according to the truth infallibly to be demonstrated•• if need were, and agreeable both to the ancient opinion of the* 1.1 Iewish Church whom they most concerned, and to the most ancient and universal opinion of‖ 1.2 Christians derived from the times of the Apostles, until now of late time some have questioned it) are, 1. The Babylonian, 2. that of the Medes and Persians, 3. the Greek, 4. the Roman. In which Quaternary of Kingdoms, as the Roman, being the Last of the Four, is the Last Kingdom; so are the Times thereof those Last Times we seek for; du∣ring which times (saith Daniel. chap. 2. v. 44.) The God of Heaven shall set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor left unto another people, but it shall break in

pieces and consume all those Kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever: which is figured by a Stone hewen out of the mountain without hands, before the times of the Image were yet spent; which Stone at length smote the Image upon his Feet of Iron and Clay, and so ut∣terly destroyed it; that done, the Stone that smote the Image upon the feet became a great Mountain, and filled the whole earth. The meaning of all which is, That in the Last times, or under the Times of the Last Kingdom (the Roman) should the Kingdom of CHRIST appear in the World, as we see it hath done.

And this is that which the Apostle saith, Hebrews 1. 2. God in these Last days, or Last times, hath spoken to us by his Son: and S. Peter 1 Epist. 1. 20. that he was fore∣ordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifested in these Last times. This is that Fulness of time whereof the Apostle speaks, Galat. 4. 4. When the Fulness of time was come, God sentsorth his Son made of a woman: and Ephes. chap. 1. v. 9, 10. Ha∣ving made known to us the mystery of his will—That in the dispensation of the Fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ. Agreeable unto all which is that Hebrews 9. 26. Christ hath once appeared,* 1.3 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in the end of times, or ages, to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself: Where these Last times, Ful∣ness of time, and Conclusion of ages, are nothing else but the Times of the Fourth King∣dom, whose Times are the Last period of Daniel's Four, the Fulness of the Propheti∣cal Chronology, and Conclusion of the Sacred Kalendar. During these Times Christ was looked for, and accordingly came, and reigned; whose Kingdom shall at length abolish the brittle remainder of this Romish State, according to the other part of the Prophecy, when the Fulness of the Gentiles shall come in, and our Lord subdue all his enemies under his feet, and at the last even Death it self.

HAVING thus found What Times are termed the Last times in general, let us now see if we can discover which are the Latter Times of these Last times, or the Latter times in special, which are those 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Latter Times in my Text: which will not be hard to do. For if the Last Times in general are all the Times of the Fourth King∣dom, then must our Latter times, as a part thereof, needs be the Latter times of that Kingdom. Let us therefore again to our Prophetical Kalendar, and survey Daniel's de∣scription of the Fourth or Roman Kingdom, as it is Chapter 7. from verse 19. where we shall soon find the Latter times thereof to be that Period of a* 1.4 Time, Times and half a Time, during which that prodigious Horn with eyes like a man, and a mouth speaking great things, should make war with the Saints, prevail against them, and wear them out, and think to change times and laws, until the Iudgment should sit, and his dominion be taken away; and in him that long-lived Beast finally be destroyed, and his body given to the burning flame, verse 11. For this Hornish Sovereignty is the Last Scene of that long Tra∣gedy, and the Conclusion of the Fourth Beast; and therefore the times thereof are those 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Latter times, whereof the Spirit spake expresly, that in them there should be an Apostasie from the Christian Faith.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Vide Targ. Haba••. 3. 17.
• ‖ 1.2

  Vide Cy••••l. Hi••ro•• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. & Hiero∣ny•••• ••••um in∣fra ••••atum.
• * 1.3

  Add here that of Christ him∣self, Mat. 1. 15. The time is ful∣filled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand. Huc quoque pertine•• ill••d, 1 Tim. 2. 6. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.4

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.