The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 3

VIII. President Burr-Panorama of Prophecy Nearing Climax

AARON BURR ⁵² (1716-1757), Presbyterian minister and president of Princeton, was born at Fairfield, Connecticut. Graduating with honors from Yale at nineteen, and having specialized in Latin and Greek, he did graduate work in the classics. During this period he underwent a marked religious experience, which turned him to theological study. In 1735 he was licensed to preach, becoming pastor of the First Church of Newark, New Jersey. He became interested in the extensive religious revivals of the Great Awakening and began his career as an educator-gathering eight or ten pupils in English and the classics. PFF3 197.2

Burr soon became identified with a movement to establish a college in the middle colonies to rank with Harvard and Yale in New England, and the William and Mary of Virginia. He was one of seven original trustees of the College of New Jersey (later Princeton), which opened in 1747 under President Dickinson, who died in less than six months. Burr was elected the second president in 1748, and the college moved to Newark. He drew up the entrance requirements, the first courses of study, the code of rules, and supervised the construction of the first building, which was completed in 1756. Consequently he may be said to be its real founder. Several small works were written by him. (Portrait, appears on page 144.) PFF3 197.3

In common with fellow college presidents like Increase Mather of Harvard, and Timothy Dwight of Yale, as well as his own successor, Jonathan Edwards, at Princeton, Burr was an earnest and discerning student of prophecy. Small wonder that ministers and professional men were interested in prophecy and familiar with its terms and expectations, when the outstanding educators of their own colleges were ardent students and expositors of inspired prediction. PFF3 197.4

The contrasting evaluation and summary of Burr’s sermons during the period as seen through Roman Catholic eyes, is couched in these words: PFF3 198.1

“The second, Aaron Burr, held the presidency [of Princeton] from 1748 to 1757. His sermons delivered during that period are of the politico-religious type which begins with the Roman Empire and the barbarian invasions, traces the triumphant career of Antichrist to the Reformation, which dispelled the ‘dark and dismal Night’ brought on by ‘Popery and Mohamet,’ reviews the ‘slaying of the Witnesses’ (i.e., the Protestants) in the religious wars which followed, and concludes with a summary of the political situation in Europe and America.” ⁵³ PFF3 198.2

Burr preached one of these truly typical yet remarkable sermons at Newark, in 1756, before the Synod of New York. It was titled The Watchman’s Answer to the Question, What of the Night (1757). ⁵⁴ Its significance will become more impressive as this epitome unfolds-the prophetic outline of the Christian Era, the allotted periods of the two great antagonists of the church, and the approaching day of deliverance. PFF3 198.3

1. APOSTOLIC LIGHT OBSCURED BY DARKNESS

Applying the “watchmen” to the ministry on the walls of God’s Jerusalem, he refers first to Israel’s time, when they might have seen that the scepter was about to depart from Judah and “Daniel’s 70 weeks or 490 years, were near expiring.” ⁵⁵ The dawn then began to break under John the Baptist, just before Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, appeared. This same light and beauty en shrouded the early church-clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet, and the crown of twelve stars on her head. ⁵⁶ But the light was soon obscured, as darkness and superstition crept in. Honor, position, and riches corrupted the clergy. ⁵⁷ PFF3 198.4

2. PAPAL APOSTASY AND MOHAMMEDAN IMPOSTURE

Then the barbarian incursions swept over the empire, and ignorance engulfed the Christian world. ⁵⁸ This gave opportunity for the Bishop of Rome to reach his ambitious height of head of all the churches. ⁵⁹ But even this darkness was heightened by the rise of Mohammedanism, symbolized by smoke and locusts from the bottomless pit of Revelation 9, the Turks succeeding the Saracens. ⁶⁰ Thus the night of the church was deepened, until day again began to dawn under Wycliffe, the Waldenses, Huss, and Luther. PFF3 199.1

3. BEAST IN POWER; CHURCH IN WILDERNESS

The duration of the papal Beast’s power is 1260 years (or forty-two months, or three and a half times), the Roman state being the prophesied “Let.” Burr applies the year-day principle thus: PFF3 199.2

“These several Numbers in prophetic Stile, taking a Day for a Year, make the same Period 1260 Years. So long the persecuting Power of the Beast will continue; and while it does, the Church will be in a Wilderness State, and the faithful Ministers of Christ will Prophesy in Sackcloth.” ⁶¹ PFF3 199.3

This oppressed state of the church will be followed by Satan’s confinement in the bottomless pit. ⁶² PFF3 199.4

4. NEITHER PAPAL NOR TURKISH PERIODS ENDED

The time of the Little Horn dates, then, from Rome’s division into ten kingdoms. Therefore the destruction of Antichrist and the end of this “Night of Popish Darkness” are near at hand. ⁶³ Yet the darkest part-the three and a half days, or years, for the slaying of the Two Witnesses-will come first, and is near at hand. ⁶⁴ The second woe, or sixth trumpet, is not yet ended. Burr adds: PFF3 199.5

” ‘Tis evident, this woe bro’t by the Mohametan Imposture, is not yet passed away, great Part of the World still groaning under it; and it is probable, this Woe is to End with the total Destruction and Abolition of the Turkish Empire.” ⁶⁵ PFF3 199.6

Neither has the tenth part of the Antichristian city fallen, as represented by the earthquake. ⁶⁶ PFF3 200.1

5. DESTRUCTION OF ANTICHRIST AT ADVENT

During the brief triumph of the “Whore of Babylon or mystical Rome,” when she shall say, “1 sit a queen,” then- PFF3 200.2

“happy shall they then be, who have come out from her, and are not Partakers of her Sin, that they may not receive of her Plagues. The Destruction of Antichrist, will not be at once; yet on the Resurrection and Exaltation of the Witnesses, he shall receive a deadly Wound, of which he shall never be healed, but consume away by the Breath of Christ’s Mouth, and Brightness of his Coining. Such sudden and awful Judgments will then be brought upon him, as shall affrighten the Rest of the World, and cause them to give Glory to God.” ⁶⁷ PFF3 200.3

This time of receiving the deadly wound indicated a new view, of which more will be heard later. PFF3 200.4

6. ETERNAL DAY SOON TO BREAK

The third woe and the sounding of the seventh trump “will issue in the final and complete Destruction of Antichrist.” Burr continues: PFF3 200.5

“Then shall be heard great Voices in Heaven, and the joyful Sound will spread far and wide on the Earth, saying, The Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever. Then, My Brethren, tho’ we may be entering on the darkest, and the most gloomy Part of the Night, which has continued so long, we may lift up our Heads with Joy, our Salvation draws near. The Night is far spent, and the Day is at Hand.” ⁶⁸ PFF3 200.6

This will be followed by the millennial period-the thou sand years-some holding that Christ will reign on earth after the resurrection of the saints. ⁶⁹ PFF3 200.7

7. WATCHMEN RESPONSIBLE FOR WARNING

Appealing to his ministerial brethren to sound the warning of approaching judgment, Burr asserts: PFF3 200.8

“This may especially be expected of us, who are appointed as Watch men, to give warning to others. Tho’ we can’t pretend to penetrate into the Council of Heaven, as to future Events, yet he that runs, may read the present threatening Aspect of divine Providence; the loud Calls God is giving to the World, and to his Churches, to prepare to meet him.” ⁷⁰ PFF3 200.9