Part 2 of Antichrift, the Church was intirely changed. By Antichriff's being at the Height, the Corruption was alfo at the Higheft; and at length by the fall of Antichrift, the muft put on another face.

This being fuppofed, that the feven Periods anfwer to the feven days; we muft obferve in every of thofe Periods fuch Events, and fuch things as anfwer to the feveral works of the Creation done on every day; fo that what was made on the first day, may refemble that which happened in the firft Pe riod of the Church and that which was done on the fecond day, be the image of what happened in the fecond Period, and fo of the following. If we and a perfect correfpondence between the Copies and the Original, between the Types and the things which we pretend were reprefented by them, we that have reafon to believe,that 'tis fomewhat more than a fport of wit,or the effect of Fancy and Imagi nation, which is the next thing we are to confider.

CHA P. X X I.

The Explication of the Mysteries fignified by the Chaos, by the Creation of Light, by the feparation of the Waters, and by the Creation of the Plants. The first days of the Creation, and the three firft Periods of the Church.

Iknown, and hath been laid already and there

Intend not to ftay long upon what is well

fore fhall fpeak but little of the Chaos. We fee plainly, that this confufedMafs, without form and void, which was properly nothing but a vast Abys, covered with darkness, was the image of

that

that fad eftate, to which fin had reduced the Part 2. World. It was without form, fpoiled and defaced by fin, for it had nothing at all of beauty. It was confufed; for every thing there was in diforder, that which should have been above was below; God was blafphemed inftead of being worshipt, and felf-love had placed theCreature on the Throne of God. It was empty and void; for nothing that was good could be found in the World, It was covered with darkness; for a stupid ignorance might be obferved to reign there. This was the ftate of the World; out of which the Church was to be drawn, as a new World. God was doubtless the Creator of unshapen Mafs; and I doubt not but we have an account of its Creation in the first Verfe. In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth. "Tis not, as is commonly thought, an abridgment of what is more amply and by particulars related afterwards. "Tis the Creation of the Chaos, called Heaven and Earth, because it poffeffed that place which the Heaven and the Earth now do poffefs, and because it contained the matter of them. This is plain enough by the fecond Verfe, and the Earth was without form and void,&c. 'Tis the defcription exactly of that Earth, which he was fpeaking of in the first Verfe.

not faid

created the

Nevertheless, though God created the Chaos, Why 'tis 'tis but implicitly faid fo; for Mofes faith not, that exprefly God made the Earth without form and void. Which that God may import,that though God do govern that which Chaos. we call the wicked World,and that enormous Mafs is not formed without his Providence; neverthelefs, he will not be acknowledged the Author of it, because he is not the Author of Evil. God appoints no certain day to this Chaos, which is the Image of the corrupted World. 1. Because this

Chaos

Chans hath

no affigned

day.

Chap. 21. Part 2 Chaos hath its reign and extention during the VVhy the whole fix days of the spiritual Creation; for 'tis the perpetual fund whence God draws all the parts of the intelligible World, which is his Church, as the Chaos was the fund from whence by little and little God drew all the parts of the Universe. 2. God affigns it no particular day, because 'tis the Empire of darkness, into which the Light and the day cannot enter. He produced not the Chaos by a Fiat, faying, let there be a Chaos, as he created the Light; because the Word of God doth not make the wicked World by its efficacy; this World produceth it felf by its own corruption. Laftly, he gives it not his Approbation, he fays not, and God faw that it was good; he bleffeth it not, as he did the works of the fix days, because God feeth nothing good in the carnal World; instead of bleffing it, it is under his curse.

VWaters in

Type of the

fignify

People.

In the meantime, the Spirit of God moved upon all the the waters, Waters in the Language of the ProCreation phets and of the Types do fignify People. This we have obferved before; and is too well know to need to be proved. This we must remember that Waters fignify People in all the Type of the Creation. The Spirit of God moved on the waters of the Chaos, to prepare that matter, to bruife and reduce it into little parts, and to introduce the difpofitions to receive that form which he intended to give it. God intending to draw his Church out of the World, and from among the Nations, hath What is prefided over them by a wife providence. If he had intirely abandon'd the World to it felf, after the entrance of fin, it had been impoffible to draw thence ving on the the intelligible World. It would have fallen into a total deprivation of Light, Equity, and Goodnefs; and into that Spirit, which the Scripture calls,

fignified

by the Spi

gits mo

Waters.

a fpirit

a fpirit of flumber, paft feeling, and a reprobate Part 2. fenfe; But the Spirit of God hath prefided over these Waters; he hath preserved and kept up in the World fome fragments and remainders of Light, Conviction, Conscience, the knowledge of God, the diftinction of right and wrong, and the apprehenfion of future rewards and punishments. We may fee every where this motion, this action ofthe Spirit of God on the Waters, that is, the People of the World, even to the approach of the fourth Period, which is that of our Lord Iefus Chrift; God was then about to give a Form to the Church, to this intelligible World, which (properly speaking) it never yet had. Then he caufed in the World fuch things as would difpofe to this great work; he prepared his matter by the study of Philofophy, which drew men from that stupidity, that before rendred them uncapable of receiving the Light of Truth. He difperfed the fews,who carried every where the knowledge of the true God, and made an infinite of Profelites. He caufed the Bible to be turned into the Greek Tongue, which then fpread and prevailed in the World; and guided the Heathen infenfibly to a diflike of their Idols, and their Religion. This is the Mystery of the Chaos.

ries of the

tion.

In the first day, God faid, Let there be Light, TheMyftëand there was Light. The first day anfwers to the first day of firft Period of the Church, which lafted from Adam the Creauntill Abraham. 1. By what did the firft day begin? by Light. Jefus Chrift the Meffiah is the Light, which inlightens every man that comes into the World: 'Tis from him that the Creation of the intelligible World takes its beginning; from the firft moment that Light hath fhined in that famous Oracle; The feed of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head. The first day hath two parts, It

was

Part 2. was Evening, and it was Morning; the Light of the Evening was the first,but the dimmer of the two, the Light of the Morning was the fecond,but the cleareft. The knowledge of Chrift began by that Oracle,The feed of the woman, &c. The Period ended in Abra ham, by the fame Light, viz. the knowledge of the fame Meffiah, but propofed lefs obfcurely in that prophecy, And in thy feed shall all the Nations of the Earth be bleft. This was the Morning; for the Light began to increafe. 2. By whom was this Light produced? By the Word of God, His Eternal Word. He faid, i. e. by this Eternal Word, by his infinite Wisdom, by the fruit of this understanding that God manifefted to Adam and Abraham, this Light to conduct and guide them. 3. This Light preceded the Creation of the Sun. This knowledge of a Redeemer was given to the first World, before the Meffiah its Sun was produc't, before the Word was incarnate. 4. The Light which appeared on the first day is originally the fame with that which was put into the Sun The feed of the woman revealed to Adam, is the fame with the word made flesh many ages after 5. The Light of the first day was doubtless ob fcure, its feat in the illuminated Waters, was not yet well prepared; the Earthly parts were not separated, and the Light could not have a very free paffage through that thick matter. In the first Period of the Church knowledge was but dim, People were not yet well difpofed to receive it, it had not yet entred into them: 6. After all, to what purpose was the Light of the first day? to enThe lighten a Chaos, and an unformed Mafs. To what Church be- end alfo was the Knowledge of the firft Period, ham was from Adam untill Abraham? to inlighten a Chaos, and that Chaos was not only in the World, but in

fore Abra

without form

the