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PREFACE.

IF the prophetic parts of the oracles ofGod^ from what may bejtiled '' afacred Calendar;'' or^ " an Almanac of Prophecy^' it is -with thegreatejl propriety, that the Watchmen of Zion are difpofed, now and then, to confult this facred calendar, in view of determining the watch of the night, and, ofconfequence, how long before the arrival of the long-wifiedfor promifed day. Frompromifes which the facred fcriptures afford, calculations may, with a good degree of precifion, he made, refpeEling the time of the accomplifliments of the prophecies which relate to the future profperity of the Zion of God. The redemption of the church of God from the bondage of Papal Babylon, as xcell as from the general dominion of the Powers of Darknefs, is a glorious and anii^ating fubjeH of prophecy. The Lord hathfpoken, and the decree fiall be fulfilled. — If, in ancient tifne, the people of God believed what the Lord had fpoken refpe£ling the redemption of his people; if,from the facred calendar, they difcovered the time of the promifed redemption — prayed for, and actually faw the fulfilment of the ob-jed of their hopes, in temporal and infpiritu-al deliverance, what forbids that^ in this day

of general captivity, the prophets of the Lord Jlioidd look with the fame fiith and prayer for thefulfilmentofthofepromifes which refpe^the fpiritual deliverance of the Chrifdan Church, both from the bondage of Babylon, and from the thraldom of Satan? — And more efpecially, {^s we evidently fee marks of the divine progrefs in this work, in his prefent judgments among the nations of the earth, and particularly on myjlicool Babylon; zohich all allow, are but a little to precede the glorious redemption and profperity of the Church in the Milleimial-day. '. — " One circumftance, faith Dr. Halifax,^ ought not to be pafled by unnoticed—-namely, the menaces of certain vengeance tQ be hereafter inflifted on the enemies of the true religion, intimated by the deflruction of the body of the fourth beaft; tind fubfequent to that the promife of the univerfal efiablifii-mentofthe reign of Chrifl, when thef one cut-out of the mountain withov^t hands, fhall fir ike and break to pieces the image on its feet; and become a great mountain, andfJl the xohole earth. ^ This part of the prophecies is yet unfulfilled; nor is it for us to afcertaiu

NOTE.

'* Hal]if-ix*s Sermon, preached at Biflicp Warbuvton*s LeclurCj 3L-incola's-irin Chape!, London, page 96, publiihed 1776.

PREFACE. T

riie manner in which fo important a revolution, in the religious world, will be effefted: The ufe intended by the obfervation here is, from the fymptoms of decline which are now difcernible in the fyflem of the Papal power, to point out to you the prefumptionthata-rifes in favor of the truth of the prophetical denunciations, and from the concufllons which have already (hook the tottering throne of fuperIlition,to learn to expect, in God's good time, its full andjinal deinolitiGny

And if this celebrated Author, in his day, thought there was ground to ufe thefollozoing language, in view of prophecies already ful-filed, and events then exifing, vjith how much more reafcn may loc confidently adopt it now, and fay, that, " under the aufpices of fuch a guide we may hope to advance, fecurely, in our projefled work; and to have the plea-fure of thofe, v/ho, after long travelling m a dreary night, perceive, at laft, the darknefs to diminifh, and the reddening ftreaks of the morning, betokening to them, that the day is at hand?"—r

The object in publifiing Dr. Bellarnys dif courfe is to efablifi the doElrine of the Millennium as to matter of fad: and by publfnng Prefdent Edwards s '' Humble Attempt to

P R E J^ A C E.

promote explicit Agreemerxt and vifible U-nion in Prayer;" it is hoped attention will be excited to the ufe of thofe means which God hath ordained to be iifed in view of a gracious

filfilment of cv^ryprcmife made to his Church and to his People, Thus faith the Lord, I will yet for this be enquired of by the houfe of Ifrael, to do it for them.

The dejign of the third and lajl difcourfe is tofupport the objeds of the tivo former, by an appeal to exifiingfacts, to the demonjlration ofprefcnt events. By thcfe it appears, that what Dr. Halifax termed " the reddening ftreaks of the morning/'have become entitled to thejUle of the dawn, if not to the morning of the day, — Hoxv does our faith groio — our confidence increafe, and our joyful hearts exult at the fight, or rather Ojt the found of the

fia'elyfi.cppirigs of our God vn the prefent re-volutions of his providence, fulfilling the pur-pofes of his great decree! — From what we ob-

ferve to have-, already, taken place, may ice not confideri ily a nticipate all tliat is to come ? —The teftimony o{'\it[\x%, faith the angel to St. John, is a fpirit of prophecy.— If, in afpirit of prophecy, the Great Head of the Church hathfpo-ken of things to come, to firengthcn the faith^ and to cheer the hope of his followers, it can-

7iol be denied, but our time and talents are vjell employed, whiljl, injludy, with mceknefs and prayer, we labor to underjiand and topof-fefs the blejj^ngs he hath fo gracioujlyprepared, andfo abundantly promifed to his Church,

If, in the day in which Prejident Edwards lived, it zoas thought time for the Zion of God to go into labor, in view of the approach of the tirae of promifed redemption to Ifrael, with how much more courage and confidence viay the Church of God now proceed in the arduous^ yet noble and interefing work?

The arguments which his invaluable trafl fuggcfisfor explicit Agreement and vifble U-nion of God's People in extraordinary Prayer^ for the Revival of Religion, and the Advancement of Chrifi's Kingdom on Earth, purfuant to Scripture-promifes and Prophecies, concerning the LAST TIME, are as applicable to the flate of the Church, and of the world, 7iow, as they were then, and the encouragement, from prefent circumfances, much more animating.

If any individual Chnfian, any fociety of Chrifian People, or any Mzni/ler, or affocia-iion of Minifers,fhould be fofar imjyrefjed with the propriety of a prefent compliance with what Prefdent Edwards labored to bring about in his day, as to defrc that meafuresfhould

be taken for the accoiwplifhment of theobjeEldf his work, and exyrejs a willircgncfs to aid in laying a foundation for a general and united exertion in prayer throughout all the Chrijliah Churches in our land; the Editor pledges his whole heart in aid to anyfuch frcpofal, and would think hira[elf highly favored by any communications, from any quarter, on thefublivfie and animating fubjeel.

That the Great Head of the Church zvould gracioiifly take this humble attempt to the ho-nor of his name, and for the interejts of his Zion, under his holy proteElioni and profper, and do his own hle/fed will in all things zvhich itjirives to accoinpliJli,is the fervent prayer of one, zvho knows no higher objeci ofprefcnt or future ambition, than to approve himfelf, and to be approved of his Lord and Mcijter, as an indujtrious hezver ofzoood, and drawer of water for the chiirch of God,

DAVID AUSTIN.

Elizabeth Tow^, Itla^ I, I794«

THE

MILLENNIUM.

JOSEPH BELLA MY> A. M.

MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL AT BBTHLEM*

l^FifJlpuhlfjiosd at Bojlon m 1758.]

Hevelatiom XX. 1,2,3,

jind Ifaw an angel come down from heaven, having the kei ■of the bottomlefs pit, and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old ferpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him a thoufand years* And, cajl him into the bottomlefs pit, and JJiut him up, and fet a feal upon him, that he Jhould deceive the nations n$ more, till the thoufand years JJiould kefulfdUd.

TN agreat variety of refpefts the Bible is the A moft remarkable book in the world. In it we have God's moral charafter clearly exhibited to view, by a hiftory of his conduft, as moral governor of the world, from the beginning; and the nature of fallen man painted to the life, by a hiftory of their behaviour for four thoufand years. In it we have opened the glorious and aftonifhing method that has been entered upon to difappoint all

10 The millennium.

Satan's defigns, by the interpofition of the Son of God; and are informed of his birth, life, death, refurreftion, afcenfion and exaltation; and of the glorious defigns he has in view. And the whole is fo contrived as to be admirably fuited to all the circum.ftances and needs of a good man, that, as it was de-figned to be the good man's book, in a peculiar fenfe, fo it is perfeflly fuited to his cafe. It is profitable foi' docirine,for reproof, for correction, for ivftruclion in rightcovfnefs, thcit the man of God may be perfzB, thorough*' ^lyfiirnified to all good zcorks.

That fincere concern for the caufe of truth and virtue, for the honor of God and inte-re^^ of true religion, which is peculiar to a good man, whofe character it is to love Chrift above father and mother, wife and children, houfes and lands, yea, better than his own life, muft naturally fubjeft him to a. peculiar kind of folicitude; even as a child, of a truly filial fpirit, is paired'whea it goes ill with his father's family, to whofe intereft. he is clofely attached, and has a whole fyf-tern of inward fenfations that a ftranger intermeddles not with. The Bible, the good, man's book, is, therefore, wifely adapted to eafe the good man's pained heart, and ^*

ford confolation in this interePting and rnoft important point, as it gives the ftrongeft af-furances that the caufe of virtue fhall finally prevail.

How infupportable muft the grief of the pious Jews have been, fitting on the fides of the rivers of Babylon? There zbe fat down, fay they, yea, zve wept zohen we remembered Zion, And on the willows they hung their harps, nor could any thing divert their minds. Jf I forget thee, 0 Jerufalem, let my right hand forget her cunning! If Ida not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth! —How infupportable, I fay, muft their grief •have been, w^hile their glorious holy temple, and their holy city, the place of all their facred folemnities, were lying defolate, and God's people in captivity, had it not been for that promife, fo often repeated, that after feventy years God would vifit them, and caufe them to return to their own. land. God knew before-hand the anguifti which would be apt to fill their hearts, the finking difcour-agements, and all the train of dark and gloomy thoughts they would be incident to, and before-hand provided a remedy. Yea, no fooner had he denounced their doom in the Xxxixth chapter of Ifaiah, but immediately

J2 The MI L L E N NIU M.

in the next chapter, and for ten or twenty chapters together, does he provide for their fupport. Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people ; Jpeak comfortably to Jerufalem, &c, &c.

So, how infapportable would have been the grief of the church of Chrift, through the long, dark, cruel reign of myftical Baby Ion, while they beheld error and wickednefs univerfally prevail, Satan getting his will in almoft every thing, and, to appearance, no figns of better times, but a.11 things wearing a dreadful afpefl: before their eyes:—How great their grief? How finking their difcou-ragements? How almoft infuperable their temptations to apoftatize, and forfake a caufe that heaven feemed to forfake, had not the day of deliverance been exprefsly foretold, and the glory that fnould follow opened to view by the fpiritof prophefy? But in a firm belief that the caufe they w^ere engaged in, and for which they fpilt their blood, would iinally prevail, and prevail in this world, x\rhere they then beheld Satan reigning and triumphing; I fay, in a firm belief of this, the whole army of martyrs could march on to battle courageoufly, willing to facrifice their lives in the caufe, not doubting of final yiftory, although they themfelves muft fall in the field.

Indeed, were the falvation of his own foul the only thing the good man had in view, he would naturally be quite eafy upon a full affurance that this was fecured. So, had Mofes cared for nothing but the welfare of himfelf and of his pofterity, he might have been fatisfied, M'hile the v/hole congregation of Ifrael were dellroyed, if he might become a great nation, and that without any folici-tude for the honor of the great name of the God of Ifrael; yea, although the idolatrous nations round about were fully eftabliflied in the belief of the divinity of their idols, and brought to look upon the God of the Hebrews with ever fo great contempt by the means. But, attached as he was to the honor of the God of Ifrael, nothing could give him fatisfaclion, but a profpeft that that would be fecured. The welfare of himfelf and of his family was of no importance in his cfleem, compared with this. See Exod, xxxii.

It muft, therefore, be remembered, that, as the Son of God left his father s bofom, and the realms of light and glory, and expired on the crofs in the utmoft vifible contempt, that he might fpoil principalities and powers, bruife the ferpent's head, deftroy the v^orks of the Devil, fo hi* true difciples have

J4 The MILLENNIUM.

imbibed a meafure of the fame fpirit, and, as volunteers enlifted under his banner, have the fame thing in view; they long for the deftruftion of Satan's kingdom, and thefe petitions are the genuine language of their hearts ; " Our Father which art in heaven, *^ hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, ♦^ thy will be done on earth as it is in hea-*' ven/* Nor can the falvation of their ovrn fouls, although ever fo fafely fecured, fatisfy their minds, without a clear view and fair profpefl: of Chrift's final viftory over all his enemies: " But if our great general, w^ho *^ has facrificed his life in thecaufe, may but *' at laft obtain a complete viftory, notwith-*^^ (landing all the prefent dark appearances, ^' this is enough," fays the Chriftian Soldier; *' I am willing to rifque all in his fervice, and " die in the battle too. But if Satan were *^ always to carry the day. Oh, who could •^ live under the thought!'*

This having been the temper of good men, fnore or lefs, even from the early ages of the world, and through all fuccefnve generations to this day, they have evidently wanted a peculiar fupport, which the reft of man-kiiid ftood in no need of, to carry them

comfortably through fuch a long fcene of darkncfs; wickednefs prevailing, God dif-honored, Satan triumping, the world pe-riHiing, tlie true church of God more generally in fackcloth. And accordingly the final viftory of the caufe of truth and virtue was intimated in the very firft promife made to fallen man ; and, from time to time, God repeated this comfortable prediftion to his church and people ; and finally made it the chief fubjetl of the laft book of holy Scrip-ture he ordered to be wrote for the ufe of his church.

Now let us take a brief view of the whole feries of thefe divine prediftions, from the beginning of the world, even down to this in our text, contained in one of the laft chapters in the Bible, that we may fee what full evidence there is of this truth, and fo what abundant caufe for confolation to all the people of God.

1. Immediately after the fall, when the ferpent, even the Old Serpent the Devil, had juft feduced mankind to revolt from God; and had, to all appearance, laid this whole world in perpetual ruin, even in the depths of this midnight darknefs, a ray of light

i6 Th£ millennium

flione down from heaven— The feed of the' Tjoomanfiall bruife theferpent's head. As if God had faid, " I fee the fcheme that Satan ** has laid to ruin the world, and eilablifli his '' impious, malicious caufe: I fee it, and " am determined to defeat it. The feebler *' woman he has over-matched, but her al-*^ mighty feed fhall conquer him, and as ef-*' feClually fubdue him, and prevent all fu-" ture mifchief by him, as a ferpent is fub-*' dued and incapacitated for further mif-** chief when his head is crulhed to pieces, ^' under the indignant heel of one determine " ed on his death." This was a complete doom, indeed, denounced againft Satan, at the head of the kingdom of darknefs. And it fully implied, that the caufe of light, truth and righteoufnefs, fhould finally obtain di complete viftory.

2. After this gracious and gl6rious pro-mife had been the chief foundation of all tlie hopes of God*s people for two thoufand years, God was pleafed to point out the particular family from whence this mighty deliverer fhould fpring, and to intimate what a univerfal bleffmg he fhould be to all the nations of the earth. And in thy seed fiall ALL the families of the earth be blef/ed^ iaid

God to Abraham; which again plainly fuppofed, that the caufe of truth and right-eOLifnefsj notwithftanding the dark Hate the world then was in, all finking faft into idolatry, and would for many ages be in, buried in heathenifh darknefs, fhould yet, in due time, univerfally prevail over the whole earth. For in thy s^ETiJkall all the families of the earth be bleffed. This fame pro-liiife was repeated again and again to Abraham, and afterwards to Ifaac and to Jacob,

3. Hitherto God had fupported his peoples' hopes chiefly with promifes, with verbal prediftions; but from the days of Mofes to the days of Solomon king of Ifrael, to affift his peoples' faith, God did^ befides repeated promifes of the fame thing, by a great variety of wonderful works, fhadow forth the glorious day; and, at the fame time, {hew. that he had fufficient wifdoni and power to accomplifh the greateft de-figns. That his people might be convinced that he could eafily bring to pafs, for the good of his c&urch, whatfoever feerned good in his fiffht.

Ifrael, in the Egyptian bondage, were a defigned type of a fallen world, uader the dominion and tyranny of Satan; nor \yag

B

i8 The MILLENNIUM.

Pharaoh more loth to let Ifrael go, than Satan is to have his fubjefts deferthim, and his kingdom go to ruin ; but notwithftand-ing all the feeming impoffibilities in the way of Ifrael's deliverance, infinite wifdom knew how to accomplifh the divine defigns. God could even caufe a member of Pharaoh's family to educate one to be an inftrument of this defigned deliverance. And, in due time, behold all the armies of Ifrael march forth from the land of Egypt, out of the houfe of bondage; and Pharaoh, and his chariots, and all his hoft, lie buried in the Red Sea! So eafily can God bring forth his people, even out of the anti-chriftian kingdom, which is fpiritually called Sodom and Egypt; and, if he pleafes, raife up the inftruments of this glorious work, even in the court of Rome.

And when the name of the true God was almoft forgotten through all the earth, and the Devil worlhipped in his room, in idols of various names, through all the nations, God knew how to make his name known, and to caufe his fame to fpread abroad, and fill the whole earth with his glory, by wonders wrought in the land of Ham ; by def-cending on Mount Sinai; by leading the

Armies of Ifrael forty years in the wilder-nefs, in a pillar of cloud by day, and of fire by night, giving them bread from heaven and water out of the flinty rock ; dividing Jordan; delivering up one and thirty idolatrous kings to the fword of Jofhua; raifing up judges, one after another, in a miraculous manner, to deliver his people, until the days of David and Solomon, types of Chrift.— Of David who, Meffiah-like, fubdued the enemies of Ifrael all around; of Solomon, who built the Holy Temple, and filled Jeru-falem with riches and glory.—He who hath done all thefe things, can eafily accomplifh all the defigns of his heart, preferve his church, raife up deliverance, break to pieces the kingdoms of the earth for her fake, make truth viflorious, and fet up the New-Jeru-falem in all her fpiritual glory, build up his church as a glorious Holy Temple, and fet the Son of David upon the Throne; by whofe hands Satan, and all the powers of darknefs, fhall be fubdued, chained, fealed up in the bottomlefs pit, as much afraid, and as much unable, to attempt any mifchief, as the fubdued nations around Ifrael werean the very height of David's power.

But when fhall the Son of David reign.

20 The MILLENNIUM.

and the church have reft ? When fliall the caufe of truth and righteoufiiefs thus prevail? Perhaps the very time was defigned to be ftiadowed forth in the law of Mofe5, in the inftitution of their holy days. The feventh day, faid God, who always had this glorious feafon of reft in view—" The feventh day fliall be a Sabbath of Rejl, the feventh month fiall he full of holy days, the feventh year fiall be a yea.r of refiT —So^ perhaps, after fix thou-fand years are fpent in labour and forrow by the church of God, the fevea thoufandth {hall be a feafon of fpiritual reft and joy, an holy fabbath to the Lord.—And as God the Creator was fix days in forming a confufed chaos into a beautiful world, and refted the feventh; fo God the Redeemer, after fix thoufand years labour in the work of the new creation, may reft on the feventh, and then proclaim a general liberty to an enftav-ed world, and grant a general pardon to a guilty race ; as in the year of jubilee, among the Jews, every enflaved Jew was fet at liberty, and the debts of all the indebted were cancelled,

4. Thefe things, thus {hadowed forth in types, were alfo exprefly declared by the^ mouths of the ancient prophets, from the

iflays of David and forward, to the end of that difpenfation ; and the fame things are hinted here and there in the New-Tefta-ment, and largely opened to view in the Revelation of St. John. So that both the Old and New Teftaments join to raife in us, who live in thefe ages, the higheft aflurance that it is God's defign to give his Son the Heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermojt parts of the earth for his poffefjion. For all kings f mil bow dozon before hivi, and all nations fhall ferve him. And the mountain of the Lord's houfe fliall be eftablified in the top of the mountains, and JJiall be exalted above the hills, and all nations fliall flow unto it. Theyfiall beat their fwords into plough fhears and theirfpears into pruning-hooks, and learn Tjoar no more. For the earth fiall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the fea. A nation fiall be born in a day. All thy people fhall be righteaiis, Theyfhall all know the Lord, from the leajl to tlie great-eft. And holinefs to the Lord fiall be written on every thing. Kings fiall become nurfng fathers, and queens nurfng mothers; and there fiall be nothing to hurt or offend. The inhabitants fiall not [fo much as]y^ I a^n fck And this kingdom fiall f II the whole

22 The millennium.

earth. And all nations and languages Jliall ferve him. And the kingdom and dominion^ and the greatnefs of the kingdom under the xjohole heaven Jhall be given to the people of the faints of the Mojt High God; and the Jewsfiallbe called iri, and thefulnefs of the Gentiles. For the Gofpelfiall be preached to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. And Satan Jhall be bound, and Chrijl Jhall reign on earth a thoifandyears,^ And as furely as the Jews were delivered out of the Babylonifh captivity, and Babylon itfelf deflroyed, even fo furely (hall all thefe things be accompliflied in their time; and myili-

MOTE.

* Satan Jhall helourj, Szc. " The church of Chnft fhall enjoy purity of religion in peace, without any difturbance from thofe old enemies of minkind, working in the children of difobedi-efice." Daiihuz on the Place,

" And this feems to imply, that all fiiall be converted—However, if there be any that remain unconverted, they will, during the im-prifonment of Satan, be in fo fmall a number, and fo feeble in com-parifon of the true Chriftians, that they fhall neither dare, nor be able to difturb the peace of Chriil's kiagdom."

Lonuman on the Place,

A fpirit of itrift piety fhall rife fo high, and fo univerfally prevail, that it fliall be as though all the martyrs of former ages were rifen from the dead, and appeared upon the ftage all at once. This feems to be tl-.e fenfe of thofe words in Rev. xx. 4. The martyrs are faid to rife from the dead and reigi with Chrifl: a thoufand years, much in the fame fenfe as John the Baptiji is called FMds^ viz, becaufe he was a man fo nearly referabling that celebrated pio* phet. See Lo'wmar. on ike Place.

cal Babylon {hsdi^nk as a milljlone into the fea, andjhall be found no more at all.

5. But when (hall thefe things be? I an-fwer, in the firfl place, it is plain, as yet they have not been; thefe great things have not been accomplifhed. They were not accom-pliflied when the Jews were brought out of their Babylonifli captivity; for, from thence to the coming of Chrift, they never were in fo flouriHiing a (late as they had been before. They were not accomplifhed in the apofto-lic age; for St. John, when moft, if not all, of the other apoftles were dead, fpake of thefe things, in the Revelation, as yet to come to pafs. They were not accompliflied in the three firfl centuries, for that was al-moft one continued fcene of blood. They were not accomplifhed in the days of Con-ftantine the Great; for it is fince then that the Man of Sin has been revealed. Nor are they accomplifhed to this day; for Satan is ftill walking to and fro through the earth, and going up and down therein: Babylon is not fallen ;>.the Jews are not called, nor is the fulnefs of the Gentiles come in, but the greateft part of the earth, to this day, fit in hieathenira darkaefs.

64 The MILLENNIUM.

' When then fliall they be accomplifhed? Not till the holy city has been trodden under foot forty and tzoo months. Not till the wit-nejjes have prophefied a thoufand two hundred and threefcore days, cloathed in fackcloth. And not till the zooman has been in the wil-dernefs a time, and times, and half a tiiJie* Now a time, and times, and half a time, i. e* three years and a'half is equal to forty-two months, which is equal to one thoufand two hundred and fixty days, which doubtlefs means one thoufand two hundred and fixty years, a day for a year; as the event has proved, was the cafe in the prophecy of Daniel, who declared it to be feventy weeks, from the going forth of the commandment to build Jerufalem to the death of Chrift; for it proved to be four hundred and nine-ty years, which is feven times feventy, a day for a year. Ban, ix. 24.

So that there is no difficulty in determining the dov^nfall of Antichrift, but what a-rifes from the uncertainty we are at when to date the beginning of his rife and reign.— The Bifliops of Rome were fome hundred years rifmg gradually from the honeft cha-rafter of a fcripture-bifliop to the grand title of UNIVERSAL POPE, which was obtained.

A. D. fix hundred and fix. And it was a long time from this before they got to the height of their grandeur, and the Pope was conflituted a temporal prince, which was not till a. d. feven hundred and fifty-fix.* And perhaps he may fall as gradually as he rofe. And as now he has been falling two hundred and forty years, even ever fince the beginning of the reformation", fo we may rationally expeft he will continue to fall till BABYLON finks AS A MILLSTONE INTO THE SEA. And then themoun-* tains and the hills JJiall break forth intojing^ ing, and all the trees of the field Jliall clap their hands. And all the hofl:s of heaven, as loud as thunder, fhall fay, Hallelujah! For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him ; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, o.ndhis wife hath made herfelf ready.

And thus we have taken a brief view of the fcripture-evidence, that the caufe of truth and righteoufnefs will finally become glorioufly victorious.

6. Nor is there the leafl; reafon to doUbt the accomplifliment of thefe things; for God

C

NOTE,

See Bo\ver'3 Hiilory of rhe Popes,

t6 The MILLENNIUM.

in all times pad has been faithful to his worcf^. and is evidently fufficiently engaged in this affair—knows hov/, and can eafily accomplifh it, and it will be mueh to the honor of his great name to do it.

God has been faithful to his promifes ta his church from the beginning of the world. To all human appearance, it was a very unlikely thing that the Hebrews, enflaved in Egypt, under Pharaoh, a very powerful monarch, and funk down into idolatry, and very low-fpirited, fhould arife and go forth with all their flocks and herds, and march through the wildernefs, and conquer the fe-ven nations of Canaan, and poflefs their land. And fo it was, to all human appearance, equally unlikely, that the Jews in Babylon fliould ever return to their own land, «—But God had promifed in both cafes, and God performed. And an event more fur-prifmg than either of thefe, yea, the moft aftonilhing that could have happened, has alfo come to pafs, jufl as God had faid,—-The promifed seed has been born, and the ferpent has bruifed his heel; and methinks-now not only God's faithfulnefs, but even the nature of the cafe itfelf, fhould lead us to believe, that the si.'E.i> JliallbruifehishecL

For after God has appeared to be fo in^ finitely engaged to deftroy the works of the Devil, as to give his only begotten Son, it can furely never once be imagined that he wants fufBcient refolution to carry him thro' what yet remains to be done.

And he who could fend Pharaoh's daughter to take up Mofes, when an infant, out of iiis baflvct of bulrufhes, and educate him in Pharaoh's court, that he might be {killed in all the arts of government; and when he had fpent forty years in this fituation banifh him into the land of Midian, that in the fo-litary life of a fhepherd for another forty years, he might attain to the meekeft man on earth, that he might, by both, be thoroughly qualified for the work defigned him; and he, who could take David from feeding his father's fheep, and, after a courfe of trials, fo exceeding neceffary to prepare frail man for high honors and great ufeful-nefs, exalt him to the throne of Ifrael, fo thoroughly furniflied to head their armies and fubdue their foes, advance their external grandeur, and put great honor upon their religion; and he, who could take Daniel, one of the Jewifli captives in Babylon, and raife him to fuch high honor and great

^8 The MILLENNIUM.

authority, to be a father to his people thro' their fcventy years captivity, and by his means, perhaps, influence Cyrus fo gene-roully to releafe them, and afTift them in their return;* and finally, he, who could take a number of poor illiterate fifhermen, and the perfecuting Saul, and by them lay the foundation of the Chriflian church, in fpite of the united oppofition of earth and hell; and after their death gaufc the Chrif-tian church to live through, yea, at laft to triumph over the ten bloody perfecutions, find even conquer the Roman empire; and that which is ftill more wonderful, to fubfift to this day, notwithftanding all the fubtle and cruel methods which have, for fo many hundred years, been t^ken by Antichrift tq

NOTE.

* As Daniel underflood the prophecies of Jeremiah, which had determined the time of the captivity to be feventy years, Dati. ix. a. and had his heart fo much in the affair of their return, as \ofet Ms face to feck the Lord hy fujiing and -pr.njer^ verfe 3; and being t^ie chief man in the kingdom, muft have free accefs to Cyrus, Tfau. vi. fo nothing could be more natural than to fhew him an ancient Jewifh prophecy, wherein he was mentioned byname, near two hundred years age, and ^jointed out as the perfon who was to let go the Jev/ifn captives, bbild Jerufalem, and lay the foundation of the temple. Ifaiah xliv. 28. and chap. xlv. 1—3. To which Cyrus no doubr refers in his proclamation. Ezra i. a, 3, 4. Thus faith Cyrus king cf PerfiUy The Lord Gfd of heaven hath given Trie all the klngdovis if the earthy and he hath chakged »ie tc build Ufd an hcul3 at Jerufalem^, rf:hkh is in Judak, Who is there a^ 7Vcngyc:Ci &c.

extirpate Chriftianity out of the world; I fay, he who could do thefe things, cannot be at a lofs for means, or want power to ef-feft the glorious things foretold^ which yet remain to be accomplifhed.

And what if mankind are ever fo eftrang-ed from God? And what if they are ever fo averfe to a reconciliation? And what if Satan reigns in the courts of princes, in the councils of the clergy, as well as in the cottages of the poor? And what if even the whole world in a manner lies in wickednefs? So that a general conflagration might rather be expefted, as it is fo eminently de-ferved—are thefe things any bar in the way?

What if mankind have abufed divine grace from the beginning of the world? What if they have murdered his prophets, his Son, and his apoftles ? What if they have refift-ed and grieved the Holy Spirit, and perverted the doftrines, and gone counter to the precepts of his holy word? Yea, what if it appears that mankind are really on Satan's fide? And this, after all the kind methods God has taken to reclaim a guilty world, fo that even the befl: man on earth, or the kind-eft angel in heaven might be difcouraged, totally and finally difcouraged, and think it

ho The MILLENNIUM.

tiever worth while to take any more pains with fuch a perverfe race, but that it were liidre fuitable to the rules of good govern-rhent to refign them to deftruftibn !~Are any, or all thefe things together, a fufficient bar to the accomplilhment of God's defigns, whofe goodnefs is abfolutely infinite? Can they be fo, after the Son of God has been oiFeredasa facrifice of atonement, to fecure the honour of the divine government, and open a v/ay for the honourable exercife of his grace ?—What! after the Mefiiah has been exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour^, to give repentance and remiffion of fins ?— And after all power and authority in heaven and earth is given into his hands, on purpofe to deftroy the kingdom of Satan, and bring every nation, kindred and tongue, to bow the knee to God ! Yea, when the infinitely wife Governor of the world has before determined to permit the wickednefs of mankind to come out and fland in fo (glaring a light, and to fuffer Satan fo long tio praclife and profper, to this very purpofe, that his power, wifdom and grace, might be the more effeftually and the more glori-oufly difplayed, in the accomplifnment of all his dorious defi^ns ?

I

Inftead of being difcouraged, from a view of the paft, or the prefent (late of the world, as without the light of divine revelation we fhould naturally have been, methinks now, viewing all things in the light of holy fcrip-ture, it muft be perfeftly rational to conclude, that all thefe things are only preparatory, as an introduftion to the glorious day ; even, as all the cruel bondage of Ifrael in Egypt, and all the haughty conduft of Pharaoh, were but preparatory as an introduction to the glorious event that God had then in his eye. And what unfpeakable honour will redound to God moft High, if after all the vile conduft of this apoftate world, and notwithllanding all their ill-de-fert; and after all the fubtle methods Satan has taken to make his kingdom ftrong; I fay, what unfpeakable honour will redound to God moft High, if, after all this, he fliould accomplifh his glorious defigns ? And when things have been ripening thefe five or fix thoufand years, and are now fo'nearly every way prepared for God, to get himfelf agreat name in the total deftruftion of Satan's kingdom, can we once imagine, that God will let the opportunity flip ? Or rather, ought

%2 The millennium.

we not firmly to believe, that when every thing is quite ripe, then God will arife, make bare his arm, and fill the whole world with his glory?

Efpecially, confidering that, as things {land, the honour of all his glorious perfeftions lies at ftake; for ever fince the Almighty gave out the word, that the seed of the woman Jhould bruife theferpent's head, even from that very day, that Old Serpent, with all his fubtilty, has employed his whole power to defeat the divine defigns, maintain his kingdom in the world, and efcape the dreadful blow. He ftirred up Cain to kill his brother, and never ceafed till the whole earth was filled with violence, which brought on the general deluge; and after the flood, he was induftrious to divert mankind from the knowledge and worfhip of the true God, and to eftablifh idolatry and the worfhip of the Devil, in all the kingdoms of the earth ; and fince Chrifl:ianity appeared, he has turned himfelf into every {hape to defeat the gracious defigns of the gofpel, and has prevailed and reigned above a thoufand years, at the head of the grand antichriftian apoftacy; and Ihould the Al-

niighty fufFer him to go on and profper, and finally prevail, what would become of his own great name? and how great would be their triumph inthe infernal regions, to think that in fpite of God and of his Son, from the beginning to the end of the world, they have held out in a conftant war, kept the field, and at laft come off victorious ?— Wherefore, as when God repeats the wonderful works which he had done for Ifrael in the days of old, in the xxth chapter of Ezekiel, he conftantly fays, / wrought for mine own great name. So here, in this cafe, will he do it again, and that in the mod eminent manner; as it is written. The zeal of the Lord of Hojls wilt perform this.

So that, in a word, if almighty power and infinite wifdom, at the head of the univerfe, infinitely engaged, are a fufficient match for the guilty, impotent powers of darknefs, then we may depend upon it, Satan will meet with an overthrow, as notable as did Pharaoh and his hoft in the Red Sea;— and as proud Babylon, once the mifl:refs of kingdoms, is now no more, fo myftical Babylon fhall fink as a millftone in the fea, and rife no more for ever. And,

D

34 The MILLENNIUM.

7. Whatever miftakes the Jewifli Rabbies might fall into, in their interpretation of Daniel's feventy weeks, and in their attempts to fix the precife time of the MefTiah's coming ; and whatever miftaken notions any of them had about the nature of his kingdom, as though it was to be of this world, and he to appear in all earthly grandeur; and although his coming, to fome, might feem to be fo long delayed, that they began to give up all hopes of it, and to contrive fome other meaning to all the ancient prophecies, or even to call in queftion the infpiration of the prophets; yet neither the miftakes of fome, nor the infidelity of others, at all altered the cafe. Days, and months, and years haftened along, and one revolution among the kingdoms of the earth followed upon another, till the fulnefs of time was come, till all things were ripe, and then, behold^ the Mefliah was born. Even fo it {hall be now.

Whatever miftakes Chriftian Divines may fall into, in their interpretation of fix hundred and fixty-fix, the number of the beaft; or in their endeavours to fix the precife time when the one thoufand two hundred and fixty years of Antichrift's reign

fliall begin and end; or whatever wrong notions fome have had, or may have about the nature of the Millennium, as though Chrifl was to reign perfonally on earth; and if fome, mean while, begin to think, that all things will go on as they have done, and to conclude, that the expe&ation of thcfe glorious days, which has prevailed in the Chrif-tian Church from the beginning, is merely a groundlefs fancy: Yet none of thefe things will at all alter the cafe. Days, and months, and years will haflen along, and one revolution, among the kingdoms of the earth, follow upon another, until the fulnefs of time is come—till all things are ripe for the event; and then the minifters of Chrift will accomplifh in reality, what St. Johnfaw in his vifions:— If aw an angel Jly iji the midjt of heaven, having the everlajling gofpel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue and people. And then (hall it come to pafs that the veil of ignorance, which hath fo long fpread over all nations, (hall be deftroyed: and knowledge fhall fo greatly increafe, that it (liall be as though the light of the moon were as the light of the fun, and the light of the fun fevenfold; until the knowledge of

the Lord cover the earth as the waters do the fea; and then thereJliall be nothing to, hurt or offend in all God's holy mountain ; for Bab)Ion fhall fall,, Satan be bound, and Chriflwill rei^n,' and truth and riorhteouf-Afefs i^!iivei*fally prevail-a thoufand years.

REMARKS AND INFERENCES.

1. 'When, therefore, our Saviour, in the days of hii flefli, denorninated his followers a littleJlock, from the fmallnefs of their number, he had no deuga to teach us that this would always be the cafe; for aUhough it wa$ very true, that his flock was at that time a Mule Jlock, yet the day was coming, when that little leaven^aonld. leaven the whole lumpy and thcjlone ciit out without liands fliould become a great mountain^ and Jill tlie whole earth. So, although it was a faying very applicable, not only to our Saviour's day, but to moil other periods of the church, that many, are called, and Jew are chojen; yet it docs not hence follow, that this will be the cafe^ when a. nation Jliall he horn in a day^ zwA all the people Jliall be righteous,—-And although it has commonly been fo, that of the MANY who have fought ta enter in at

the fir ait gate, but few have been able, and the GENERALITY havc, from age to agc» gone in the broad way, which leads down to dcjirudion; yet it fliall be qurre otherwife, \vhen Satan is bound, that he may deceive the nations no more; and when all Jkall know the Lord, from the leajl to the greatejl, when the kingdom, and the greatnefs of the king^ dom, under the whole heavens, fiall be given to the people of the faints of the Mofl High. For it is very plain, that thefe, and fuch like cxprefTions ufed by our Saviour, which v/ere applicable to the then times, and to moft other periods, when the number of true converts hath been comparatively very fmall, were never defigned to be applicable to that glorious period yet to come, which is to be the grand harveft time, when the Jews,^Nfho are, to this day, for that very purpofe, no doubt, by divine Providence, preferved a diftinft people, and the fulnefs of the Gentiles fliall come in. Nor can it be right to interpret fuch exprefiTions in fuch a fenfe, as to render them inconfiftent with what the fcriptures fo plainly teach fhall be the cafe in the latter days: Therefore,

2, Notwithftandiug hitherto but few have

g8 The MILLENNIUM.

been faved, there is no evidence but that yet the greater part of mankind may be faved. Nothing can be argued againft this frorn fuch expreflions as have been jufl mentioned, for the reafon already fuggefled. Nor can any thing be argued from any other paffages of feripture; for the fcripture no where teaches, that the greateft part of the whole human race will finally perifh. I am fenfible, many feem to take this for granted, and they are greatly ftrengthened in this belief from a view of the awful flate mankind have been in from the beginning of the world to this day. But if we fhould even grant, that hitherto not one in ten thoufand have been faved, yet it may come to pafs, (there may be time enough for it, and men enough yet born;) I fay, it may yet come to pafs, that by far the greateft part of mankind may be faved.

For as the fcriptures conftantly teach that, in thefe glorious days, univerfal peace ft all prevail, and inftead of war the nations flial] employ their time in ufeful \dho\xr, JJiallbeat their [words into plow Jliares, and theirfpears into pruning hooks; fo it will naturally come to pafs, that mankind, who are now in vaft

multitudes deftroyed in the wars from one generation to another, vvill be greatly in-creafed in numbers, and plentifully provided for. Only remove Vv^ars, famines, and all thofe defolating judgments, which the fins of mankind have, from age to age, brought down on a guilty world, and let that uni-verfa! peace and profperity take place, which indeed will naturally refult from the fincere praftice of pure Chriftianity, and mankind will naturally increafe and fpread, and fill all the earth. And while every one improves his time well, and is diligent in his calling, according to the rules of our holy religion, and all luxury, intemperance and extrava^nce are banifhed from the nations of the earth, it is certain that this globe will be able to fuftain with food and raiment a number of inhabitants, immenfely greater than ever yet dwelt on it at a time. And now if all thefe (hall knoxo the Lord from the leajt to the greatejl, as the fcripture afferts, fo that the knowledge of the Lordfiallfill the earth as the zoaters cover thefea, for a thou-fand years together, it may eafily, yea, it will naturally come to pafs, that there will be more faved in thefe thoufand years, than ) ever before dwelt upon the face of the earth from the foundation of the world.

40 The MILLENNIUM.

Some indeed underftand the thoufand years in the Revelation, agreeable to other prophetical numbers in that book, a day for a year; fo the time, and times, and half a time, i. e. three years and an half, and the forty two months, and the one thoufand two hundred and fxiy days are no doubt to be reckoned; and if the dark period is to be reckoned by this rule, it fhould feem that the light period fhould likewife; for other-wife the dark period, which in that book is reprefented to be the fhorteft, will indeed be the longeft—the one thoufand two hundred and fixty days longer than the thoufand years; and if the thoufand years is reckoned a day for a year, as the fcripture-year contains three hundred and fixty days, fo the one thoufand years will amount to three hundred and fixty thoufand years; in which there might be millions faved to one that has been loft. But not to infift upon this, if this glorious period is to laft only a thoufand years literally, there may be many more faved than loft.

If it be granted, that it is difficult to compute with any exaflnefs in fuch a cafe as this, yet it is eafy to make fuch a computation as may fatisfy us in the point before us;

Th£ MILLENNIUM. 4!

fef in Egypt the Hebrews doubled at the rate of about on^e in fourteen years; in New-England the inhabitants double in lefs than twenty-five years; it will be moderate, therefore^ to fuppofe mankind^ in the Millennium, when all the earth is full of peacfe and profperity, will double every fifty years. But at this rate, there will be time enough in a thoufand years to double twenty times, which would produce fuch a multitude of people, as that although v/e fhould fuppofe &1I who live before the Millennium begins to be loft, yet if all thefe fliould be faved^ there would he above feventeen thoufand faved to one that would be loft; as may appear from the table below.

E

16,384 32,768 65,536

262,144

5a4>2B8 1,048,576

Sum total 2,097,150 In tlifc firfl coliirtinj we have the twenty periods, whicli one thonfand years wdl make at fifiy years to a petiod. In the feccnvl column, \ve fee in what propoition mankind will increafe, if they are fuppofed tO double in every fifiy y^ars. At the end of the firfl fifty years there will be two for one, and fo on. At the end of the twentieth period there will b« above st raillion for one. Now fup-

42 The MILLENNIUM.

3, The periods paft, that have been fa dark, ought to be confidered as introductory to this bright and glorious fcene, and in various refpefts as preparatory thereto.

An apoftate race, who had joined with the fallen angels in a courfe of rebellion a-gainft the Governor of the Univerfe, might juftly have been forfaken of God, and given up to a ftate of perfeft darknefs and wo, from generation to generation, entirely un-

pofe the world to (land lixthoufand years before the Millennium^ and fappofe it in every age to be as full of inhabitants as it will be when the Millennium begins. And fuppofe, through all the fix thoufand years, all the inhabitants of the earth to have died off, and new ones eorne in their room, at the rate of once in fifty years, CiK thoufand years, at fifty years to a period, will be one hundred and twenty periods—one hundred and tweaty worlds full, all loft; fuppofe, yet by the table we fee, tha:t the feventh period alone, \vhich is one hundred and twenty-eight, would more than coun-* ter-balance the whole—

Suppofc all before the Millennium loft =r 120 Suppofe all in the Mlllennuim faved =» 4,097,150 Then 120 : 2,097,150 : : i : 17,456 iVo Q^E* D. That is, above feventeen thoufand would be faved to one loft, which was the point to be proved; therefore nothing hinders but that the greatefc part of mankind may yet be faved if God fo pleaf-es. There is time enough for it, and may bs men enough yet born; and if thefe calculations may ferve to clear up this, they an-fwer the propofed end. What proportion of mankind will finally be faved, and Vv^hat loft, no one can tell—it is no where revealed; God was not obliged to fave one out of all this guilty loft world. Hitherto the generality may have perifhed, and the Lord is righi-eov}!s; but who can tell to what a degree God may yet glorify his grace? The holy fcriptares encourage us to look for things ex-Cvicding great and glorious; even for fuch events as may put a ae^s> fece on all God's pa»ft difpenfations.

der the power of the Prince of Darknefs.— What has happened in dark ages paft, may help us a little to realize what might juftly always have been the woful ftate of a fallen world. We have had a fpecimen of the dreadful nature and tendency of Satan's government in all the idolatry, wickednefs and wo which have filled the world; and we have feen a little what is in the heart of fallen man, who have flain the Lord's pro-phets, crucified his Son, and fhed the blood of thoufands, yea, of millions of his fervants. And what has happened may help us to realize a little what muft have been the ftate of a fallen world, if grace had never interpofed. At the fame time it hath appeared, after the befl contrived experiments have been fufficiently tried, that it is not in the heart of fallen man to repent, nor can he be brought to it by any external means whatfoever, whereby the abfolute neceffity of the interpofition of fupernatural grace hath been fet in the moft glaring light. And DOW, if after all, God fhould effeftually iu-terpofe, deRroy the influence of Satan, feat-ter the darknefs which fills the world, recover mankind to God, and caufe truth and righteoufnefs at laft to prevail^ it would ap-

44 The MILLENNIUM.

pear to be altogether of God, of his own mere felf-movin^ goodnefs and fovereign grace. And after fo long and fore a boa-dage mankind will be the more fenfible of the greatnefs of the deliverance. Nor can it ever be faid by a proud and haughty world, ^' We did net need the influences of divine ^^ grace to bring us right;" whereas all other methods had been fufficiently tried, and tried in vain. But God may juflly fay, ■' What *' could have been done more to reclaim <• mankind that I have not done.^ And ta *^ what purpofe would it have been to have ^' taken one ftep further? I tried them e-*^ nough—there w^as no hope—their heart " was a heart of ftonc; therefore, behold I, '' even I, will take away the heart of none, *^ and give ap heart of flefii; and an apoftate " world fiiall be aihamed and confounded,, " and fliall never open their mouth when I ^■' {hall do all thefe things for them."

We are apt to wonder why thefe glorious-days fnould be fo long delayed, if God, in-, deed, intends fuch mercy to men; but God, infinitely wife, knows what is beft—knows, liow to condufl: the affairs of the univerfe— knows when is the fitteft time to introduce this glorious ftate of things—knows w^hen

matters will be all ripened, and every thing in the moral world prepared, fo that this glorious day may be ulhered in to the beft advantage, in a manner moft fuited to honor God and his Son, to humble a haughty world, and to difappoint Satan moft griev-oufly, after all his wily fchemes, great fuc-cefs, and high expeftations; I fay, God knows when this will be; and this is the very time he has fixed upon for this glorious work.

4. It therefore becomes all the followers of Chrift, in their feveral fpheres, under firm belief of thefe things, to be of good courage, and exert themfelves to the utmoft, in the ufe of all proper means, to fupprefs error and vice of every kind, and promote the caufe of truth and righteoufnefs in the world, and fo be workers together with God.

If one flood at the head of this glorious army, which has been in the wars above thefe five thoufand years, and has lived thro' many a dreadful campaign, and were allowed to make a fpcech to thefe veteran troops upon this glorious theme, he might lift up his voice, and fay—" Hail, noble heroes! " Brave followers of the Lamb! Your Ge-*' neral h?is facrificed his life in this glorious

^6 The MI L L E N NI U M.

*^ caufe, and fpoiled principalities and pow-*^ ers on the crofs, and now he lives and ^^ reigns! He reigns on high, with all power *^ in heaven and earth in his hands! Your *' predeceflbrs, the prophets, apoftles and *^ martyrs, with undaunted courage, have *' marched into the field of battle, and con-*^ quered dying, and now reign in heaven! *' Behold, ye are rifen up in their room, are ^' engaged in the fame caufe, and the time ** of the laft general battle draws on, when *^ a glorious viftory is to be won. And al-*^ though many a valiant foldier may be flain *^ in the field, yet the army fhall drive all *' before them at laft; and Satan being con-*^ quered, and all the powers of darknefs *^ driven out of the field, and confined to •* the bottomlefs pit, ye fhall reign withChrift *' a thoufand years-—reign in love and peace, '* while truth and righteoufnefs ride triumph-*^ ant through the earth; w^herefore lay afide " every weight, and, with your hearts whol-*^ ly intent on this grand affair, gird up your *' loins, and with all the fpiritual weapons of *' faith, prayer, meditation, watchfulnefs, &c, *^ with redoubled zeal and courage, fall on " your fpiritual enemies: Slay every luft that *' yet lurks within, ^s knowing your domef-

The MILLENNIUM. 47

'^ dc foes are the moft dangerous; and with «' gentlenefs, raeeknefs and wifdom, by your *' holy conduft, your pious examples, your «* kind inftruftions, your friendly admoni-'' tions, fpread the favour of divine know-*' ledge all around you, as ye are fcattered *' here and there through a benighted world, ** labouring to win fouls to Chrift, to induct " the deluded followers of Satan to defert *' his camp, and enlift as volunteers under *^ your prince Messiah. And if the pow-" ers of darknefs ftiould rally all their for-*' ces, and a general battle, through all the " Chriflian world, come on, O love not your *' lives to the death! Sacrifice every earthly *' comfort in the glorious caufe! Sing the " triumphs of your viftorious General, in prifons and at the ftake, and die courage-oufly, firmly believing the caufe of truth and righteoufnefs will finally prevail." Surely it ig infinitely unbecoming the followers of him who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, to turn afide to earthly pur-fuits, or to fink down in unmanly difcou-ragements, or to give way to floth and effeminacy, when there is fo much to be done, and th£ glorious day is coming on. How (hould thofe who handle the pen of the wri-

ti

€6

48 The MILLENNIUM.

tet, exert themfelves to explain and vindi* cate divine truths^ and paint the Chriftiari Religion in all its native glories! HoW fliould the pulpit be animated, from Sabbath to Sabbath, with fermons full of knowledge and light, full of fpirit and life, full of zeal for God and love to men, and tender pity to infatuated finners! Chrift loves to hav6 his minifters faithful, whether the wicked will hear or not.—And let pious parents be unwearied in their prayers for, and inftruc-^ tions of their children, and never faint un^ der any difcouragements ; as knowing, that Chrift is exalted to give repentance and re-miffion of fms^ and can do it for whom he will. Bring your children and friends, with all their fpiritual difeafes, and lay them at his feet; as once they did their fick, when this kind Saviour dwelt upon earth.—Let pious perfons of every age, and in every ca-pacity, awake from deep, and arife from the dead, and live and a£l worthy their glorious charafter and high expeftations; and in their feveral ftations exert themfelves to the utmoft to promote the Redeemer's gloriou.^ caufe.—Let this age do their fliare, as David, although the temple was not to be built in his day, yet exerted himfelf to lay up

materials for that magnificent edifice, on. which his heart was intently fet; as knowing that, in his fon's day, it would be fet up in all its glory.—So let us rife up, and with the greateft alacrity, contribute our utmoft towards this building, this living temple, this temple all made of lively ftones, of ftones alive, in which God is to dwell, and which will infinitely exceed in glory the Temple of Solomon, that was built of dead timber and lifelefs ftones.—And let this be our daily prayer, an anfwer to which we may be affured of, whatever other requefts are denied us, Our Father zohich art in Hea^ ven, &Q.—for thine is the kingdom, the pow^ er^ and the glory, for ever* Amen.

F

A W

HUMBLE ATTEMPT

I TOPROMOTE

EXPLICIT AGREEMENT

AND

VISIBLE UNION of GOD's PEOPLE'

I N

EXTRAORDINARY PRAYER,

FOR T h'e

REVIVAL OF RELIGION And the

ADVANCEMENT of CHRIST'S KINGDOM

O N

EARTH,

PURSUANT TO

SCRIPTURE-PROMISES and PROPHECIES

CONCERNING THE

LAST TIME.

By JONATHAN EDWARDS, A.M.

Minifte?- cf the Gofpsi at Northampton.

WITH A PREFACE BY SEVERAL MINISTERS.

Printed at Boftcn, in Ne-Jj-England, 1747. Reprinted at North, at?:p tony in Old E7igland, 1789.

ELIZABETH TOWN: Printed by chepard kollock, Printer and Bookfeller. 1794.

PREFACE

B Y T H E EDITOR, IN ENGLAND.

I

Olney, May 4, 1789.

F any enquire why the enfuing work is repiiblijlied, I would beg leave to lay be^

fore them the following intelligence:

At an afjbciation of the minijlers and mef

fengers of the Baptijl churches in the counties of Northampton, Leicefer, &c. held at Nottingham, in the year 1784, a refolution was

formed to eflablifi, through the affociation, a meeting of prayer for the general revival and fpread of religion. This was to be ob-

ferved the firjl Monday evening in every calendar month, by all the churches. It Jlill continues, — In 178S, another Baptif affociation, commonly called the Midland, held that

year at Aulcejter, in the county of Warwick, entered into th-efame refolution. Many other churches, particularly in Yorkfiire, have a-dopted, and now follow the above praSiice. —

We have the plea fare alfo to find, that fever al P^do-Baptift churches Jlatedly rueet on thcfe evenings, for the fame piirpofe.

The re-publication of thefollovjing work, is with the avowed defgn ofprmnoting the above aggeenient and pradice, Thofc concerned in itsfirfiinfiitution, never intended itfhould be confined, to any peculiar connection, or parti-^ cidar denojuination. Blather they ardently wifiiedit might become general among thereat friends of truth and holinefs. The advocates of error are indefatigable in their endeavours to ovevthrozo the diftinguifiing and interefing do5irines of Chrifuanity ; thofe doElrines which are the grounds of our hope, and fourccs of our joy. Surely it becomes the followers of Chrift, to ufe every effort, in order tofirength-^ en the things vAich remain.

By re-piibl'fliing the following work, I da not confider myff as becoming anfcoerablefor every fentimcnt it contains. An author and an editor are very d?finct characters. Should any entertain different views refpecting fome of the prophecies in the infpiredf)age ~from thofe thai are here advanced, yet ftich may, and I hope zoill,. approve of the general defgn.

In the prejent imperfect fate, xve-may rea-

fonably expect a d.iverfity of fenliments upon

'religious matters. Each ouglit to think for

PREFACE &Y THE EDITOR. Iv

fimfelf; and every one has a rigkt, on proper cccajons, toJJiezo his opinion, YetallJIioulcl remember, thai there are but ttvo po.rtm in the world, each enga.ged in oppofite ca/itjis; the caufe of God and of Satan; of holimfs and of fin ; of heaven and helL The advd^e-ment of the one, and the downfall of the other^ rniifi appear exceedingly defrablc to every real friend of God and man. Iffnch, infome re-fpects entertain difexentfentiments, andprac-tife dijlinguipjiing modes of worfiip, furely they may unite in the above bvfnefs. 0 for thoifands upon thoifands, divided intof nail hands in their refpective cities, towns, villages and neighbourhood, all met at the fame time, and in purfnit of one end, offering up their united prayers, like fo many afcending clouds ofincenfe before the Mof High! May he fhower down bleffings on all thefcattered tribes of Zion ! Grace, great grace be with all them that love the Lord Jefus Chrijl infinceri-

ty ! Amen !

JOHNSUTCLIFF-

^-

M

^^=^5^^==^—-r^==v-i^

THE

PREFACE.

^TPHE ruin of Satan's miferaljle kingdom^ -^ and the advancement of the univerfal and happy reign of Chrift on the earth, were included and hinted in the fentence denounced on the ferpent, that they^^^ of the zoo-man Jliould bruife. his head. What was a terriblethreateningto Satan, in the furprized ears of our firtl guilty parents, implied a joyful prophecy, to keep them from defpair, and enliven their hopes for themfelves and their defcendants, of obtaining by this feed of her s an eternal triumph over him who had fo fad-ly foiled them. And it is likely, their hopes and faith immediately arofe, laid hold on the reviving prophecy, earneftly defired its hap-py accompiifliment, and tranfmitted it to their pofterity.

Biit though this prophecy was at firfl only delivered in the form of a threatening to Satan ; it was afterwards direclly given in tlie form of a promife to Abraham, though ftill in general terms, that in his feed JJiould all G

the nations of the earth be blejfed. Yet this general promife was more clearly by. degrees explained in the following ages, to iTiCa-n a Divine King, no other than the Son of God affuming human nature of the feed of Abraham, Ifaac, Jacob and David ; that fnouM be born of a virgin in Bethlehem of Judah ; and at firft defpifed, abufed, rejefted, and put to death; but fliould rife to immortal life, afcend to heaven, and thence extend his bleffed kingdom over all nations ; not by outward force, but inward overcoming influence, by his Vvord and fpirit, making them his zvilling people in the day, of his poioer; and reigning in glorious light and holinefs, and love and peace for ever; and the advancement of this univerfal and happy reign has been the earneft defire and prayer of the faints in all ages to the prefent day.

But hov^r great the honour and how lively the encouragement given in fcripture to thofe their prayers; by reprefenting them as offered by Chrift himfelf with the fragrant in-cenfe of his own merits and intercefnon, on the golden altar before the throne, and afcend-ing together in one grateful perfuine to God! And how cheering to every faint is that pro-

mife of his— From the rijing ofthcfiin, even to the going down of the fame, my name ftall be great aviang the Gentiles, and in everyplace ■incenfe fiall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering! How plcafing to God^'and the heavenly hofts to fee, as the fun goes round the globe, this grateful incenfe rifing from every part on high ! and the more ex-tenfive and inceffant are thefe prayers, af-cending from the circle of the earth, the more does this bleffed promife go into its defired fulfilment, and the holy God is more pleafed and glorified.

To promote the increafe, concurrency, and conftancy of thefe acceptable prayers, is the great intention both of the pious memorial of our reverend and dear brethren in Scotland, and of the worthy author of this exciting effay. And this defign we cannot but recommend to all who defire the coming of this blifsful kingdom in its pro-mifed extent and glory, in this wretched world.

As to the author's ingenious obfervations on the prophecies, we entirely leave them to the reader's judgment: with only obferv-ing, though it is the apprehenfion of many learned men, that there is to be a very ge-

\K The P R E FA C E.

neral fianghter of the witneffes of Chrift about the time of their finifhing their tefti-mony to the pure worfhip and truths of the * gofpe!, about three or four years before the feventh angel founds his trumpet for the ruin of AntichriR ;—yet we cannot fee that this is any juft objeftion againft our joint and earneft prayers for the glorious age fuc-ceeding, or for the haftening of it.

For if fuch a terrible time is coming in Europe, which we in depending America are likely to (hare in; the more need we have of joining in earneft and conftant prayers for extraordinary fuffering graces for ourfelves and others. And that fuch a time is coming on the members of Chrift, is no more an objeflion againft their prayers for the haftening of the follov/ing glory^ than it was before the incarnation of him their head, that his moft bitter fufferings were to precede the fpreading of this joyous kingdom among the nations. And the nearer the day approaches, the more need we have to be awakened to continual w^atch-fulnefs and prayer.

May God pour out on all his people a-bundantly, the fpirit of grace and fupplica-tion, and prepare them for the amazing

changes haftening on the earthy both for previous trials and for following glories !

Jofeph Sewall, "^

Tfmnas Prince, l^jnifi^^

John Webb, >inBofton,

Ikomas roxcrojt, \ Jojliua Gee, J

Boston, N. E. January 12,1747-8.

^^

trnmrmmKom

An HUMBLE ATTEMPT to pTomoU an explicit agreement and vifible union of God's People through lhe World, in extraordinary prayer, yi?r the revival ^/'religion, and the Advance?nent oj Christ's Kingdom on Earth, purjuant to Scripture-Pro^nifcs and Prophecies concerning the last time.

OCCASIONED

By a late Memorial piabliHied by a Number of Miniflers in Scotland, and fent over to Ameiica, giving an Account of a certain Concert for Prayer, which has already been come into by many Minifters and others in Great Britain and fume other Parts, and in which they defire the general Concurrence of their Chriftian Brethren every where.

CONTAINING

A Copy of the faid Memorial, wiih a more particular View of the Affair it relates to: a Variety of Arguments and Perfuafives to comply with the Motion therein made, for united and extraordinary Prayer; and Anfwersto fome Objedlions.

TOGETHER WITH

Seafonable Confiderations on the Afpeds of Providence in many late wonderful Difpenfitions, and the prefent State of Things in the Church and moral World; pointing out the Fulfilling of the Scriptures, and the Voice of God to his People, in thefe Events.

By JONAr Han EDWARDS, A.M.

Mifiijisr oftk Cofpd in Northaj^iptct:, N. E.

A

PART I.

The text opened, and an account given of the affair propojed in the memorial from Scotland^

Zechariah viii. 20, 21, 22. Thus faith the Lordof Hojh — Itjhall yet come to pafs, that there JJiall come people^ and the inhabitants of many cities ; and the inhabitants of one cifyfhallgo unto, another, fay^ ing—Let us go fpeedily to pray before the Lord, and to feck the Lord oj Hnjis, I will go alfo. Yea, many people andjirong nations fhall come tofeek the Lord of Hofs in Jerufalem, and to pray before the Lord,

IN this chapter we have a prophecy of a future glorious advancement of the church of God; wherein it is evident, fomething further is intended than ever was fulfilled to the nation of the Jews under the Old Tef-tament. For here are plain prophecies of fuch things as never were fulfilled before the coming of the Meffiah; particularly what is faid in the two laft verfes in the chapter, of many people and Jlrong nations worjliip-pnng andfeeking the true God, and of fo great an acceffion of Gentile nations to the church of God, that by far the greater part of the vifible worfliippers of God fliould confift of this new accelfion, fo that they fi:iould be to the other as ten to one —a certain number

S^ filE TEXT OPENED.

for an uncertain. There never happened any thing, from the tirre of the prophet Ze-chariah to the coming of Chrifl, to anfwer this prophecy; and it can have no fulfihuent but either in the calling of the Gentiles, in and after the days of the apoftles, or in the future glorious enlargement of the church of God in the latter ages of the world, fo often foretold by the prophets of the Old Teftament, and by the prophet Zechariah in particular, in the latter part of his prophecy. It is moft probable, that what the fpirit of God has chief refpeft to, is that laft and greatefl: enlargement and moft glorious advancement of the church of God on earth, in the benefits of vvdiich efpecially the Jewifli nation wT-re to have a fiiare, and a very e-mincnt and diftinguidiing fliare. There is a great agreement between what is here faid and other prophecies, that mull manifeftly have refpefl to the church's latter-day-glory; as that in Ifaiah Ix. 2, 3, 4. The LordJIiall arife upon thee, and his glory Jliall he feen upon tkee; and the Gentiles Jliall come to thy light, and kings to the brightncfs of thy rijing. Lift up thine eyes round about, and fee; all they gather thevifelves together, they come t(y ihcc. That whole chapter, beyond all dif-

fUi. TEXT OPENED. Qr,

pute, has refpecl to the mofl: glorious ftate of the church of God on earth. So chap. Ixvi. 8. Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day ? Shall a nation be born at once? —verfe lo. Rejoice ye with Jferiifalemy and be glad with her, all ye tho.t love her. — verfe 12. I will extend peace to her like a nv€r, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing Jlream, —Mich. iv. at the beginning: but in the lajl day itfhall come to pafs, that the mountain of the hoife of the Lordfhallbe eftablifiied in the top of the mountain, and it fiallbe exalted above the hills, and peoplefhall flow unto it; and many nations fhall come andfiy, come^^ and let us go up unto the moun^ tain of the Lord, and to the houfe of the God, of Jacob. And hefiall judge among many people, and rebuke Jlrong nations afar offx and they fiall beat their fwords into plow-fharesyand their fpears into pruning-hooks ; nationftail not lift upfnoord againjl 7iation, neither flail they learn war any more.-—See alfo, Ifaiah ii. at the beginning. There has been nothing yet brought to pafs in any mea-fare to anfwer thefe prophecies. And as the prophecy in my text cind the following verfe does agree with them^ fo there is rea-

H

foil to think it has a refpeft to the famf times. And indeed there is a remarkable a-greement in the defcription given throughout the chapter, with the reprefentations made of thofe times elfewhere in the prophets, as may be feen by comparing ver. 3. with Ifaiah Ix. 14.—ver, 4. with Ifaiah Ixv. 20, 22. and xxxiii. 24.—ver. 6, 7, 8. with EzeLxxxv'ii. 2, 11, 12,21.—ver. 7. with Ifaiah xliii. 5, 6. and xhx. 12. and lix. 19. —ver. 12, 13. with Hofean. 21, 22. and EzeL xxxiv. 22—29.—ver. 8, 12, 13. with Ezek. xxxvi. 28—30.—ver. 13. with Zeph. iii. 20. and Ifaiah xix. 24.—ver. ig. with Ifaiah Lxi. 3. and Jer. xxxi. 12, 13, 14.

So that however the prophet, in fome things that are faid in this chapter, may have refpeft to future fmiles of heaven on the nation of the Jews, lately returned from the Babylonifh captivity, and refettled in the land of Canaan, in a great increafe of their numbers and wealth, and the return of more captives from Chaldea and other countries, &c. )'et the fpirit of God has doubtlefs re-fpttl: to thmgs far greater than thefe, and of which thefe were but faint refemblances.— We find it common in the prophecies of the Old Teltament, that when the prophets are

/peaking of the favours and bleflTings of God on the Jews, attending or following their return from the Babylonilh captivity, the fpirit of God takes occafion from thence to fpeak of the incomparably greater blefTings on the church, that fhall attend and follow her deliverance from the fpiritual or myfli-cal Babylon, of which thofe w^ere a type ; and is, as it were, led away to fpeak almoft wholly of thefe latter, and vaflly greater things, fo as to feem to forget the former.

And whereas the prophet, in this chapter, fpeaks of God's bringing his people a-gain from the eajl and wejl to Jerufalem, (ver. 7, 8.) And multitudes of all nations taking hold ofthefkirts of the Jews; fo far as we may fuppofe that this means lilerally that nation of the pofterity of Jacob, it cannot have chief refpeft to any return of the Jews from Babylon and other countries in t*hofe ancient times before Chrift, for no fuch things as are here fpoken of, attended any fuch return; but it muft have refpefl: to the great calling and gathering of the Jews into the fold of Chrift, and their being received to the blefhngs of his kingdom, after the fall of Anticbrift, or the deftruftion of myf-lical Babylon,

In the text we have an account how thi^ future glorious advancement of the church of God fliould be brought on, or introduce edjviz. By great muhitudes in different towns and countries taking up a joint refolution, and coming into an exprefs and vifible a^ greement, that they will, by united and ex^ traordinary prayer, feek to God that he would come and manifefl; himfelf, and grant the tokens and fruits of his gracious pre-fence.-—Particularly we mary obferve,

1. The duty, with the attendance on v/hich the glorious event foretold fhail be brought on, viz. The duty of prayer.—Prayer, fome fuppofe, is here to be taken fynechdochical-ly, for the whole of the worfhip of God—■ ]j.rayer being a principal part of the worfhip of the church of God in the days of the gofp pel, when facrifices are aboliflied; and fo, that this is to be underftood only as a pro-phecy of a great revival of religion, and of the true wcrfiiip of God among his vifible people,theaceelTion of others to the churchy and turning of multitudes from idolatry to the worlhip of the true God, But it appears to me reafonable, to fuppofe, that fomething more fpecial is intended, with regard to the duty of prayer j confidering that prayer is

here exprefsly and repeatedly mentioned; and alfo confidering how parallel this place is with many other prophecies, that fpeak of an extraordinary fpirit of prayer, as preceding and introducing that glorious day of revival of religion, and advancement of the church's peace and profperity, fo often foretold, (which I (hall have occafion to mention hereafter) and particularly the agree-ablenefs of what is here faid, with what is faid afterwards by the fame prophet, of the pouring out of a fpirit of grace andfupplica* tions, as that with which this great revival of religion fhall begin, chap. xii. lo.

2. The good, that fiiall be fought by prayer; which is God himfelf.—It is faid once and again, They f tall go to pray before the Lord, andtofeek the Lord of Hofts. This is the good they afl?: for and feek by prayer. The Lord of Hofls \i\m{t\L —To feek God, as the expreflion may, perhaps, be fon;ietimes ufed in fcripture, may figrvify no more than feeking the flivour or mercy of God. And if it be taken fo here, praying before the Lord, diXidi feeking the Lord of Hofs, muft be looked upon as fynonymous expreffions. And it mull: be confefled to be a common thing in fcripture. to fignify the fame thing re-

peatedly, by various expreffions of the fame import, for the greater emphafis.—But certainly that exprelTion oi feeking the Lord^ is very commonly ufed to fignify fomething more than merely, in general, to feek fome mercy of God: It implies that God himfelf is the great good defired and fought after» that the bleHings purfued are God's gracious prefence, the blefled manifeftations of him^ union and intercourfe with him ; or,in (hort, God's manifeftations and communications of hi^Tiielf by his Holy Spirit. Thus the pfalmift defired God, thirfled after him, and Iciight liim. 0 God, thou art my God ; early xmll I feek thee, MyJieJIi longethfor thee, in a dry and thirjly land, xoere no water is, to. fee thy power and thy glory, Jo as Ihavefeen thee in thefan^uary. — Myfoulfolloweth hard after thee, — Whom have Tin heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that Idefire he-.fides thee. The pfalmifl earneftly purfued after God, his foul tltirfted after him, he fir etched forth his hands unto him, &c. And therefore it is in fcripture the peculiar cha-rafter of the faints, that they are thofe that feek God. This is the generation of them that feek him. Your heart fhall live that feek God, And in many other places. If the ei^cpref-

Hon in the text be underftood agreeably to this fenre,thenby feekingthe Lordof Hofts, we muft underlland a feeking that God, who had withdrawn, or as it were hid himfelf^ for a long time^ would return to his church, and grant the tokens and fruits of his gracious prefence, and thofc bleffed communis cations of his fpirit to his people, and to mankind on the earth, which he had often promifed, and which his church had long waited for.

And it feems reafonable to underftand the phrafe, feeking the Lord of Hofs, in this fenfe here, and not as merely fignifying the fame thing with praying to God; not only becaufe the expreffion is repeatedly added to praying before the Lord, in the text, as fignifying foraething more; but alfo becaufe the phrafe, taken in this fenfe, is cxaftly a-greeable to other parallel prophetic repre-ientations. Thus God's people's feeking, by earneft prayer, the promifed reftoratiou of the church of God, after the Babylonifh captivity, and the great apoflacy that occa-fioned it, is called their feeking God, and fearchingfor him; and God's granting this promifed revival and reftoration is called his hGing found of them. For this faith the Lord,

that after feventy years be accomplijlied at Bd^ bylon^ I zoill vijit you^ and perform my good word towards you, in caufing you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think towardsyou^ faith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expect-id end. Thenfhallye go and call upon me^ and I will hearken unto you; andyefiallfeek me and find me, when ye fiall fearch for me with all your heart; and I will be found of you, faith the Lord, and I will turn azvay your captivity. And the prophets, from time to thne, reprefent God, in a low and afiflift^ ed ftate of his churchy as being withdrawn, and hiding himfelf. Verily thou art a God that hidefl thyfclf, 0 God of Ifrael, the Savi^ our. I hid me, and was wroth. And they reprefent God's people, while his church is in fuch a ftate, before God delivers and le-ftores the fame, as feeking him, looking for' him, fearching and w^aiting for him, and calling after him. / will go and return unto my place, 'till they acknowledge their offence, and feek my face from the houfe of Jacob, and I will look for him. And when God, in an-fwcr to their- prayers and fucceeding their endeavors, delivers, reftores, and advances his churchy according to his promife, thea

he is faid to anfwer, and come, and fay, here am I, and to fliew himfelf; and they are faid to find him, and fee him plainly. Then Jlialt thou cry, and he fmil fay, here i am. But Ifraeljliall befaved m the Lord, with an everlajling falvation. I faid not unto the feed of Jacob, Seek ye 7ne in vain. The Lord will wipe away the tears from off all faces, and the rebuke of his people fiall he take away front off the earth. And itfiall be faid in that day^ Lo^ this IS our God, we have waited for him^ and he willfave us: This is the Lord, we have *waitedfor him; we will be glad, and rejoice in his falvation. We have ivaitedfor thee : The defire of our foul is to thy name, and t(^ the remembrance of thee 0 With my foul have Idefredthee in the night; yea^ withmyfpirit within me will I feek thee earlyi For when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteoufnefs. Therefore my peoplefhall know my name; therefore theyfliall know in that day^ that I am he that doth fpeak: behold, it is L How beautiful vpon the mountains are the feet of him that hringeth good tidings, that publifieth peace^ that bringeth good tidings of good, that pub-Ifhcth falvation, that faith unto Zion—Thy

I

God reigneth! Thy watchmenjhall lift up the voice, together Jhall theyjing; foi^ theyjhall fee eye to eye, when the Lordjiiall bring again Zion.

3. We may obferve who they are, that lliall be united in thus feeking the Lord of Hofts; the inhabitants of many cities, and of many countries, jv^^, many people andflrong nations-, great multitudes in different parts of the world fhall Gonfpire in this bufinefs* From the reprefentation made in the prophecy, it appears rational to fuppofe, that it will be fulfilled fomething after this manner—Firft, that there (hall be given much of a fpirit of prayer to God's people, in many places, difpofing them to come into an ex-prefs agreement, unitedly to pray to God in an extraordinary manner, that he would appear for the help of his church, and in mer--cy to mankind, and pour out his Spirit, revive his w^ork, and advance his fpiritual kingdom in the world, as^ he has promifed \ .. and that this difpofition to fuch prayer; and union in it, will gradually fpread more and more, and increafe to greater degrees; widi which at length will gradiiaUy be introduced a revival of religion, and a difpofition to greater engagednefs in the worfhip and fer-

vice of God, amongfl: his profefling people; that this being obferved will be the means of awakening others, making them fenfible of the wants of their fouls, and exciting in them a great concern for their fpiritual and everlafting good, and putting them upon earneftly crying to God for fpiritual mercies, and difpofing them to join with God's people in that extraordinary feeking and ferving of God, which they fliall fee them engaged in; and that in this manner religion Ihall be propagated, until the awakening reaches thofe that are in the higheft Rations, and until whole nations be awakened, and there be at length an accelTion of many of the chief nations of the world to the church of God. Thus after the inhabitants of many cities of Ifrael, or of God's profefling people, have taken up, and purfued a joint re-folution, to go and pray before the Lord, and feek the Lord of Hofts, others fhall be drawn to worfhip and ferve him with them; till at length many people and flrong nations fliall join themfelves to them; and there fliall, in procefs of time, be a vafl: ac-ceflion to the church, fo that it fliall be ten times as large as it was before; yea, at length all nations fliall be converted unto God.—

Thus ten men fhall take hold, out of all lan^ guages of the nations, of the flurt of him that is a Jew, (in the {Quk of the Apoflle) faying, " We will go with you, for we have V heard that God is with you." And thus that (hall be fulfilled,' 0 thou that heareji Sray-er, unto theejliall alljlejk come,

4. We may obferve the m^ode of their u-nion in this duty. It is a vifible union, an union by explicit agreement, a joint refolu-tion declared by one to another, come into by being Erft propofed by fome, and readily and exprefsly fallen in with by others.— The inhabitants of one city fhall apply them-felves to the inhabitants of another, faying, Id lis go, &c. Thofe to whom the motion is made, fliall comply with it, the propofal {hall take \vith many, it fhall be a prevailing, fpreading thing; one ihall follow another's example, one and another fliall fay, / will go al/v. Some fuppofe, that thofe words— J zoillgo alfo —are to be taken as the words of him that makes the propofal; as much as to fay, I do not propofe that to you, which 1 am not wilhng to do myfelf, I defire you to go, and I am ready to go with you. But this is to fuppofe no more to be expreffed in thefe latter words^ than was expreffed be-

THE TEXT OPENED. fjj

fore in the propofal itfelf; for thefe words, let us go, fignify as much, as that I am willing to go, and dcfire you to go with me. It feems to me much more natural, to under* Hand thefe latter words as importing the confent of thofe to whom the propofal is m^de, or the reply of one and another that falls in it. This is much more agreeable to the plain defign of the text, which is to re-prefent the concurrence of great num.bers in ^this affair, and more agreeable to the repre-ftntaaon made in the next veif?, of one following another, many taking hold of the Hurt of him that is a Jew, And though if the words are thus underftood, we mufl: fup-pofe an ellipfis in the text, fomething underftood that is not exprefled, as if it had been faid—Thofe of other cities fliall fay—• I will go alfo;—yet this is not diflScult to be fuppofed, fuch ellipfis are very common in fcripture. We have one exaflly parallel with it in Jer. iii. 22. Return,ye backjliding childi'en, and I xvill heal your backjlidings: behold, we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God, i. e. the backfliding children fhall fay—" Behold we come unto thee," &c. And in Cant. iv. Let my beloved come into his garden^ and eat his pleafant fruits, —

lam come into viygarden, myjijler, myfpoufe, L e. her beloved (hall fay— '' I am come into my garden." V/e have the like throughout that fong! So Pfal. 1. 6, 7. The heavens Jhall declare his righteoufnefs^ for God is judge hivifelf. Hear, 0 my people, a.nd Izvillfpeak, i. e. the Judge fhall fay—'' Hear, O my people/' &c. The pfalms and prophets abound Vvith fuch figures of fpeech.

5. We may obferve the manner of prayer agreed on, or the manner in which they agree, to engage in and perform the duty. Let us go fpeedily to pray ; or as it in the margin, let us go continually. The words literallytranilatedare,/^^iij^om^^zn^. Such an ingemination or doubling of v^ords, is very common in the Hebrew language, v/hen it is intended that a tiling fliall be very ftrong-ly exprelied ; it generally implies the fuper-lative degree of a thing; as the holy of holies fignifies the moft holy ; but it common, ly denotes, not only the utmoll degree of a thing, but alfo the utmoft certainty ; as when God faid to, Abraham, in multiplying, I will multiply thy feed. It implies both that God would certainly multiply his feed, and alfo mukiplyitexceedingly. So when Godfaidto Adam, in the day that thou eat eft thereof in

TH£ TEXT OPE^EJy^ jg

J^ing thouflialt die (as the words are in the original) it implies,both that he mould furely die, and alfo that he fliould die molt terribly, Ihould utterly periili, and be deftroyed to the utmoft degree. Yea, fometimes it feems to imply fomething elfe ftill; and, in fhort, as this ingemination of words in the Hebrew, in general, denotes theftrength of ex-preflion, fo it is ufed to fignify almoft all thofe things that are wont to be fignified by the various forms of ftrong fpeech in other languages ; fometimes it fignifies the utmoft degree of a thing; fometimes certainty; fometimes peremptorinefs and terriblenefs of a threatening, or the greatnefs and pofi-tivenefs of a promife, the itriftnefs of a command, and the earneftnefs of a requeft.

When God fays to Adam, dying thou Jlialt die, it is equivalent to fuch ftrong expreffi-ons in Englifti, as, thou flialt die indeed, or, thou ftialt die with a witnefs. So when it is faid in the text, let us go in going, and pray before the Lord, the ftrength of the ex-prefTion reprefents the earneftnefs of thofe that make the propofal, their great engaged-Hefs in the affair; and with refpeft to the duty propofed, it may be underftood to fignify that they Ihould be fpeedy, fervent, and

conftant in it; or, in one word, that it fliould be thoroughly performed.

6. We may learn from the tenor of this prophecy, together with the context, that this union in fuch prayer is foretold as a becoming and happy thing, and that which would be acceptable to God, and attended with glorious fuccefs.

From the whole we may infer, that it is a very fuitable thing, and well pleafing to God, for many people, in different parts of the v/orld, by exprefs agreement, to com6 into a vifible union, in extraordinary, fpee-dy, fervent, and conftant prayer, for thofe o-reat effufions of the Holy Spirit, which ihall bring on that advancement of Chrift's church and kingdom, that God has fo often, promifed {hail be in the latter ages of the world.

And fo from hence I would infer the duty of God's people, with regard to the memorial lately fent over into America, from Scotland, by a number of minifters there, pro-pofing a method for fuch an union as has been fpoken of, in extraordinary prayer for this great mercy.

And it being the fpecial defign of this difcourfe, to perfuade fuch as are friends to

the interefts of Chrift's kingdom, to a compliance with the propofal and requeft made in that memorial, I (hall firft give a fhort hiftorical account of the affair it relates to, from letters, papers, and pamphlets^ that have come over from Scotland ; to which I fhall annex the memorial itfelf * and then I (hall offer fome arguments and motives;* tending to induce the friends of religion to fall in with what is propofed; and laftly^ make anfwer to fome objeftions that may-poflTibly be made againft it.

As to the firfl of thefe things^ viz, an hif^ torical account of the concert, which the memorial relates to, the following obferva-tions may give a fufticient view of that affair.

In Oftober. a. ei. 1744J a number of mi-iiifters in Scotland, taking into confideration the flate of God's church, and of the world of mankind, judged that the providence of God, at fuch a day, did loudly call fuch as were concerned for the welfare of Zion, to united extraordinary applications to the God of all grace, fuitably acknowledging Him as the fountain of all the fpiritual be-* nefits and bleffin^s of his church, and ear^*

K

neftly praying to him, that he would appear in his glory, and favour Zion, and manifeft his compaffion to the world of mankind, by an abundant effufion of his Holy Spirit on-all the churches, and the whole habitable earth, to revive true religion in all parts of Chriflendom, and to deliver all nations from their great and manifold fpiritual calamities and miferies, and blefs them with the un-fpeakable benefits of the kingdom of our glorious Redeemer, and fill the whole earth with his glory. And confulting one another on the fubjecl, they looked on themfelves, for their own part, obliged to engage in this duty; and, as far as in them lay, to perfuade others to the fame; and to endeavour to find out, and fix on fome method, that fhould moft effeftually tend to promote, and uphold fuch extraordinary application to heav* tn among God's people. And after feek-ing to God by prayer for direftion, they determined on the following method, as what they would conform to in their own practice, and propofe to be praSifed by others, for the two years next following, viz. To fet apart fome time oa Saturday evening, and. Sabbath morning, every week, for the purppfe aforefaid, as other duties would al-

Jew to every one refpeftively; and more fo-lemnly, the firft Tuefday of each quarter, (beginning with the firft Tuefday of Novem. ber, then next enfuing) either the whole day, ^ or part of the day, as perfons find them-fclves difpofed, or think their circumftances w^ill allow; the time to be fpent either in private praying focieties, or in public meetings, or alone in fecret, as (hall be found moft prafticable, or judged moft convenient, by fuch as are willing, in fome way or other, to join in this affair; but not that any fhould make any promifes, or be looked up-pn as under ftrift bonds in any refpeft, con-ftantly and without fail to obferve every one of thefe days, whatever their circumftances fhould be, or however other duties and ne, ceffary affairs might interfere; or that perfons fhould look upon themfelves bound with regard to thefe days in any wife as tho» the time were holy, or the fetting them a-part for religious purpofes were eftablifhed by facred authority; but yet, as a proper guard againft negligence and unfteadinefs, and a prudent prefervative, from yielding to a difpofition, which perfons might be liable to, through the prevalence of indolence

§4 AN ACCOUNT OF THE

&nd liftleflhefs^to excufethemfelves on trivial occafions, it was propofed, that thofe who unite in this affair fhould refolve with them-felves, that if, by urgent bufinefs, or other-wife, they are hindered from joining with others, on the very day agreed on, yet they would not wholly negleft bearing their part in the duty propofed, but would take the firft convenient day following, for that pur-pofe,

■ The reafon why Saturday evening and Lord's-day morning were judged mod convenient for the weekly feafons, was, that thefe times being fo near the time of dif-* penfmggofpel ordinances through the Chrif-tian world, M^hich are the great means, in the ufe of which God is wont to grant his Spirit to rnankind, and the principal means that the Spirit of God makes ufe of to carry on his work of grace, it may be well fuppof-ed, that the minds of Chriftians, in general, will, at thefe feafons, be efpecially difengag-ed from fecular affairs, and difpofed to pious meditations and the duties of devotion, and more naturally led to feek communication^ of the Holy Spirit, and fuccefsof the mean^ of grace. And as to the quarterly times, it was thought helpful to rnemory^ that they

Ihould be on one or other of the firll days of each quarter; Tuefday was preferred to Monday, becaufe in fome places people might have public prayers and fermon on the dated day, which might not be fo convenient on Monday, as on fome day at a greater diftance from the Sabbath,

It was reckoned a chief ufe of fuch an a-greement and method as this, that it would be a good expedient for the maintaining and keeping up, amongft the people of God, that great Chrillian duty of prayerfulnefs for the Gomingof Chrift's kingdom, in general, which Chrift hasdirefted his followers to be fomuch in, that it may not be out of mind, and in a great meafure funk. Things, that we are too little inclined to, through floth, carnality, or a fulnefs of our own worldly and private concerns, and that are to be attended at fome feafons or other, but have no fpe-cial feafons ftated for them, are apt to be forgotten, or put off from time to time, and, as it were, adjourned without day; and fo, if not wholly neglefted, yet too little attended. But when we fix certain feafons, which we refolve, unlefs extraordinarily hindered, to devote to the duty, it tends to prevent

forgetfulnefs, and a fettled negligence of it. The certain returns of the feafon will naturally refrefh the memory, v/ill tend to put us in mind of the precept of Chrift, and the obligations that lie on all his followers, to a-bound in fuch a duty, and renewedly engage us to the confideration of the importance, neceffity and unfpeakable value of the mercy fought; and fo, by frequent renovation, to keep alive the confideration, and fenfe of thefe things at all times. Thus the firft promoters of this agreement judged that it would be fubfervient to more abundant prayerfulnefs foreffufions of the Holy Spirit at all times through the year, both in fe-cret and focial worlhip; particularly as to this laft, in congregations, families, and o-ther praying focieties. And then they alfo judged, that fuch an agreed union would tend to animate and encourage God's people in the duty propofed; and that particular perfons and focieties, knowing that great multitudes of their fellow-Chriftians, in fo many diftant places, were, at the fame time, (as a token of the unionof their hearts with them in this affair) by agreement, engaged in the fame holy exercife, would naturally be enlivened in the duty by fuch a confideration.

It was not thought beft to propofe at firft a longer time for the continuance of this pre-cife method than two years; it being confi-dered, that it is not pofTible, before any trial, fo well to judge of the expedience of a particular method and certain circumftances of the managing and ordering fuch an affair, as after fome time of experience. And it was not known, but that, after long confi-deration, and fome trial, it might be thought bed to alter fome circumftance; or whether others that had not yet been confulted, might not propofe a better method. The time firft agreed on, though but fhort, was thought fufficient to give opportunity for judgment and experience, and for fuch as were dif-pofed to union in an affair of fuch a nature, in diftant places, mutually to communicate their fentiments on the fubjeft.

The way, which thofe that firft projefted and came into this agreement, thought beft for the giving notice of it and propofing it to others, was not by any thing publifhed from the prefs, but by perfonal converfation with fuch as they could conveniently have immediate accefs to, and by private corref^ pondence with others at a diftance. At firft it was intended, that fome formal paper, pro-

pofing the matter, (hould be fent about for proper amendments and improvements, and then concurrence; but on more mature deliberation, it was confidered how this might give a handle to objeftions, (which they tho't it beft, to the utmoft, to avoid in the infan*-cy of the affair j and how prafticable it was, without any fuch formality, to fpread the fubftance of the propofal by private letters, together with a requeft to their correfpond-ents, mutually to communicate their tho'ts. Therefore this was fixed on, as the method that was preferable at the beginning. Accordingly, they propofed and endeavoured to promote the affair in this way, and with fuch fuccefs, that great numbers in Scotland and England fell in with the propofal, and fome in North America. As to Scotland, it was complied with by numbers, in the four chief towns, Edinburgh, Glafgow, Aberdeen, and Dundee, and many country towns and congregations in various parts of the land. One of the minifters, that was primarily concerned in this affair, in a letter to one of his correfpondents, fpeaks of an explicit declaration of the concurrence of the praying focieties in Edinburgh, which they had made in a letter. The number of the

CONCERT FOR PRAYER. go

praying focieties in that city is very confi-derable. Mr. Robe, of Kilfyth, (in a letter to Mr. Prince, of Bofton, dated November 3, 1743,) fays—There were then above thirty focieties of young people there, newly erefted, fome of which confifted of upwards of thirty members.—As to Glafgow, this union was unanimoufly agreed to by about forty-five: praying focieties there, as an eminent minif-ter in that city informs, in a letter.

The two years, firft agreed on, ended laft November. A little before this time expired, anumberofminiftersin Scotland agreed on a memorial, to be printed and fent abroad to their brethren in various parts, propofing to them, and requefting of them, to join with them in the continuance of this method of united prayer, and in endeavours to promote it. Copies of which memorial have lately been fent over into New-England, to the number of near five hundred, direfted to be diflributed in almoft every county in this province of the Maffachufetts-Bay, and alfo in feveral parts of Connecticut, Nev/-Hampfhire, Rhode-Ifland, New-York, New-Jerfey, Pennfylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Carolina^ and Georgia. The moft, I fup-

go The MEMORiAt/i^om sCotland.

pcfe, of thefe were fent to one of the congregational minifters in Bofton, with a letter fubfcribed by twelve minifters in Scotland, about the affair; many of them to an* other of the faid minifters of Bofton, and fome to a minifter in Connefticut. It being fhort, I ftiall here infert a copy of it at length —It is as follows:

A M £ M o RIA hfromfeveral Minijlers in ScoU land, to their Brethren in different places, for coiilimiing a concert for prayer, Jirji entered into in the Year 1744.

WHEREAS it was the chief fcope of this concert, to promote more a-bundant application to a duty that is per* petually binding, j^rajy^r that our Lord's king-' dom may come, joined \^\th. praifos; and it contained fome circumftantial expedients, apprehended to be very fubfervient to that defign, relating to ftated times for fuch ex-ercifes, fo far as this would not interfere with other duties; particularly a part of Saturday evening and Sabbath morning, every week; and more folemnly of fome one of the firft days of each of the four great divi-fions of the year, that is, of each quarter; as the firft Tuefday, or firft convenient day af-

The MEMORIALy"?'{??/i SCOTLAND. Ql

ter;* and the concert, as to this circum-ftance, was extended only to two years; it being intended that, before thefe expired, perfons engaged in the concert fhould reciprocally communicate their fentiments and inclinations, as to the prolonging of the time, with or without alteration, ^s to the eircum-ftancc mentioned; and it was intended by the firft promoters, that others at a diftance fliould propofe fuch circumftantial amendments or improvements, as they fliould find proper; it is hereby earneftly intreated, that fuch would jcommunicate their fentiments accordingly, now that the time firft propofed is near expiring.

2. To induce thofe already engaged to adhere, and others to accede to this concert, it feems of importance to obferve, that declarations of concurrence, the communicating and fpreading of which are fo evi, dently ufeful, are to be underftood in fuch a latitude, as to keep at the greateft diftance from entangling mens' minds: not as binding men to fet apart any ftated days from fecular affairs, or even to fix on any part of

O T E.

* The meaning is the firft Tuefdays of February, May, Augult and November, or the firft convenient days after thcfe.

g2 The MEMORIAL from Scotland*

fach and fuch precife days, whether it be convenient or not; nor as abfolute promifes in any refpeft, but as friendly, harmonious refolutions, with liberty to alter circumftan^ ces as fiiall be found expedient. On account of all which latitude, and that the circum^ ftantial part extends only to a few years, it is apprehended, the concert cannot be Hable to the objeftions againft periodical religious times of human appointment.

3. It is alfo humbly offered to the confir deration of miniilers, and others furniflied with gifts for the moft public inflruftions, whether it might not be of great ufe, by the blefTmg of God, if fhort and nervous fcrip-ture perfijafives and direftions to the duty in view, were compofed and publifhed, (either by particular authors, or feveral joining together, which laft way might fometimes have peculiar advantages) and that, from time to time, without too great intervals, the better to keep alive on mens' minds a jufl fenfe of the obligations to a duty fo important in it-fclf, and m Vv'hich many may be in danger to faint find turn remifs, without fuch repeated incitements; and whether it would n,ot alfo be of great ufe, if roinifters would be pleafed to preach frequently on the irn-

The UEMORiALfroin Scotland, g^

portance and neceflity of prayer for the coming of our Lord's kingdom, particularly near the quarterly days, or on thefe days them-felves, where there is public worfhip at that time.

4. They who have found it incumbent on them to publifh this Memorial at this time, having peculiar advantages for fpreading it, do intreat that the defire of concurrence and affiftance, contained in it, may, by no means, be underflood as reftriSed to any particular denomination or party, or to thofe who are of fuch or fuch opinions about any former inftances of remarkable religious concern; but to be extended to all who (hall vouch-fafe any attention, to this paper, and have at heart the intereft of vital chriflianity, and the power of godlinefs; and who, ho\fever differing about other things, are convinced of the importance of fervent prayer, to promote that common intereft, and of fcripture perfuafives to promote fuch prayer.

5. As the firft printed account of this concert was not a propofal of it, as a thing then to begin, but a narration of it, as a defign already fet on foot, which had been brought about with much harmony, by means of private letters^ fo the farther countinuance, and,

54 The MEMORIAL/r07?l SCOTLAND.

it is hoped, the farther fpreading of it feems in a promifing way of being promoted by the fame means, as importunate defires of the renewing the concert have been tranf-mitted aheady from a very diftant corner a-broad, where the regard to it has of late in-creafed; but, notwithftanding of w^hat may be done by private letters, it is humbly ex-pefted, that a memorial fpread in this manner may, by God's bleffing, farther promote the good ends in view, as it may be ufefully referred to in letters, and may reach where ihey will not.

6. Whereas in a valuable letter, from the corner juft now mentioned, as a place where regard to the concert has lately increafed, it is propofed, that it fliould be continued for feven years, or at lead for a much longer time than what was fpecified in the firft 3.^ Sfreemcrdi'^thole concerned in this memo-rial, who would wiui rather to receive and fpread direclions and propofals on this head, than to be the firft authors of any, apprehend no inconvenience, for their part, in a^ greeing to the feven years, with the latitude above defcribed, which referves liberty to make fuch circumftantial alterations, as may be hereafter found expedient; on the con-

trary, it feems of importance, that the la* bour of fpreading a concert^ which has already extended to fo diftant parts, and may, it is hoped, extend farther, may not need to be renewed fooner, at leaft much fooner, as it is uncertain but that may endanger the dropping of it, and it feems probable, there will be lefs zeal in fpreading of it, if the time propofcd for its continuance be too incon-fiderable. Mean time, declarations of concurrence for a lefs number of years may greatly promote the good ends inview, tho' it feems very expedient, that it Ihould exceed what was firft agreed on, feeing it is found on trial, that that time, inftead of being too long, was much too Ihort.

7. If perfons who formerly agreed to this concert, fhould now difcontinue it, would it not look too like that fainting in prayer, a-gainft which we are fo exprefsly warned in fcripture? And would not this be the more unfuitable at this time, in any within the Britifh dominions, when they have the u-nited calls of fuch public chaftifements and deliverances, to more concern than ever a-bout public reformation, and confequently about that which is the fource of all thorough reformation, the regenerating and

q6 The uEMORiALfro7n Scotland.

fanftifying influence of the almighty Spirit of God?

Augujl 26, 1746.

The minifter in Boflon afore-mentioned, (io whom moft of the copies of this memorial were fent) who, I fuppofe, has had later and more full intelligence than I have had, fays, concerning the propofal, in a letter— " The motion feems to come from above^ " and to be wonderfully fpreading in Scot-«^ land, England, Wales, Ireland and North ** America.

Motives to a Compliance with what is propO' fed in the Memorial.

I NOW proceed to the fecond thing intended in this difcourfe, viz. to offer to confideration Tome things, which may tend to induce the people of God to comply with the propofal and requeft made to them iri the Memorial.

And I dcfire that the following things may be confidered:

1. It is evident, from the fcripture, that there is yet remaining a great advancement of the intereft of religion, and the kingdom of Chrifl, in this world, by an abundant outpouring of the Spirit of God, far greater and more extenfive than ever yet has been. It is certain, that many things, which are fpokeit concerning a glorious time of the chiirch s enlargement and profpcrity, in the latter days, have never yet been fulfilled. There has never yet been any propagation and prevailing of religion, in any wife, of that extent and univerfality, which the prophecies

M

g8 THE LATTER-DAY GLORY

reprefent. It is often foretold and fignified, in a great variety of Ilrongexpreffions, that there fliould a time come, when all nations, through the whole habitable world, (hould embrace the true religion, and be brought into the church of God. It was often pro-mifed to the patriarchs, that in their feed all the nations, or, (as it is fometimes expreffed) all thefaviilies of the earthJhould be blejfed, A greeably to this, it is faid of the MefTiah, That all nationsJhallferve him, and menjhall ke blejfed in him, and all nations JJiall call him blejfed. And it is faid, that all nationsJliall f.ow unto the mountain of the hoiife of the Lord. And, that all nations Jliall be gathered unto the name of the Lord to Jerifalem, andfiall toalk no more after the imagination of their evil heart. So it is faid, that all fiefifiall come and wmfiip before the Lord, And that allffh fiouldfee the glory of God together. And that allfefifioidd come to hivi that hears prayer. Chrift compares the kingdom of heaven, in this world, to leaven, which a woman took and hid in three meafures of meal, till the whole was leavened. It is natural and reafon-able to fuppofe, that the whole world fhould finally be given to Chrift, as one whofe right it is to reign, as the proper heir of him who

NOT YET ACCOMPLISHED. gg

is originally the king of all nations, and the pofTefTor of heaven and earth; and the fcrip-lure teaches us, that God the Father had con-ftituted his Son, as God-Man, and in his kingdom of grace, or mediatorial kingdom, to be the heir of the world, that he might in this kingdom have the heathen for his inheritance, and the utmojt ends of the earth for his pofjeffion. Thus Abraham is faid to be tht hcirofthevJorld,ViOim himfelf, but in Azi" feed, which is Chrift. And how was this to be fulfilled to Abraham, but by God's fulfilling that great promife. that in Eis feed all the nations of the earthfiould be hleffed? For that promife is what the apoftle is fpeaking of; which fliews, that God has appointed Chrift to be the heir of the world in his kingdom of grace, and to poffefs and reign over all nations, through the propagation of his gofpel, and the power of his Spirit communicating the bleflings of it. God had appointed him to this univerfal dominion by a moft foiemn oath: Ihavefuoorn by niyfelf the word is gone out of my mouth in righte-oufnefs, andfiall not return, that unto me e-very hieefhall bow, every tonguefhallfwear. Though this foiemn oath of God the Father is to be underftood in fo comprehenfive ^

fenfe, as to extend to what fliaH be accom^ pli{lied at the day of judgment, yet it is evident by the foregoing and following verfeSs that the thing moll directly intended, is what fhall be fulfilled by the fpreading of thegof-pel of his faivation, and power of the Spirit of grace, bringing all the ends of the earth ta look to him that they may he faved, and come to him for righteoufnefs andjlrength that, in him they might be jujlzjied, and might glory, God has fuffered many earthly princes to extend their conquefts over a great part of the face of the earth, and to pofTefs a dominion, pf a vaft extent, and one monarchy to conquer and fucceed another, the latter being ftill the greater; it is reafonable to fuppofe that a much greater glory in this refpefl fhould be referved for Chrift, God's own fon and rightful heir, who has purchafed the do% minion by fo great and hard a fervice; it is, reafonable to fuppofe, that hi^ dominion fliould be far the largeft, and his conquefts vaftly the greateft and moft extenfive. And thus the fcriptures reprcfent the matter, in Nebuchadnezzar's vifion, and the prophet's interpretation, Dan. ii. There the four great monarchies of the earth, one fucceeding an-fither^ are reprcfented by the great image of

KOT YET ACCOxMPLlSHED. lOl

gold,Jilver, brafs, iron and clay; but at laft a Jlone, cut out of the mountains without hands^ finitcs the image upon his feet, which breaks the iron, clay, brafs, fiver and gold in pieces^ that all becomes as the chaff of the fummer threfiing foors, and the wind carries them azvay, that no place is found for them; but the ftoJie loaxes great, becomes a great mountain, and YiLLS THE WHOLE EARTH; fignifying the kingdom which the Lord God of heaven Ihould fet up in the world, laft of all, which fhould break in pieces and confume all other kingdoms. Surely this reprefen-tation leads us to fuppofe, that this laft kingdom fliall be of vaftly greater extent than any of the preceding. The like reprefen-tation is made in the viith chapter of Daniel; there the four monarchies are reprefented by four great beafts that arofe fucceflively, one conquering and fubduing another; the fourth and laft of thefe is faid to be dreadful and terrible, ^nd frong exceedingly, and to have great iron teeth, and to devour and break in pieces, and ft amp the refidue with his feet; yea, it is faid, verfe 23, that the kingdom reprefented by this beaft fhall devour the tvhole earth; but laft of all, ojie like the Son of Man appears, coming to the Ancient of

Days, and being brought near before him, a7id receiving of hint a dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations AND LANGVAGESfioiddfervehim, Thislafl circumftance, of the vaft extent and univer-fality of his dominion, is manifefily fpoken of as one thing greatly diflingin(hing this holy kingdom from all the preceding monarchies; although of one of the former it was faid, that it Oiould devour the whole earthy yet we are naturally led, both by the much greater eraphafis and ftrength of the expref-fions, as well as by the whole connexion and tenor of the prophecy, to underfland the u-niverfality here expreffedin a much more ex-tenfive arxv}abfolute fenfe; and terms ufeH in the interpretation of this vifion are fuch, that fcarcely any can be devifed more flrong, to fignify an abfolute univerfality of dominion over the inhabitants of the face of the earth; ver. 27. And th^. kijigdom, and dominion, and

great NESS OF THE KINGDOM UNDER THE

WHOLE HEAVE N,fiall be given to the people of the mojl high God, Agreeably to this, the gofpel is reprefented as preached unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every na^ tion, andtongue, and kindred, andpeople. The univerfality of the prevalance of true reli-

gion in the latter days, is fometimes expref-fed by its reaching to the utmojl ends of the earth. To all the ends of the earth, and of the zvorld. All the ends of the earth with thofa that are far off upon the fea. From the ri-fug of the fun to the going down of the fame. The outgoings of the morning and of the even^ ing. It feems that all the moft ftrong ex-prefTions, that were in ufe among the Jews to fignify the habitable world in its utmoft extent, are made ufe of to fignify the extent of the church of God in the latter days, and in many places a variety of thefe expreffions are ufed, and there is an accumulation of them, expreffed with great force.

It would be unreafonable to fay, thefe are only bold figures, ufed after the manner of the eafl:ern nations, to exprefs the great extent of the Chriftian church, at and after the days of Confl:antine; to fay fo, would be in effefl: to fay, that it would have been irapof-fible for God, if he had defired it, plainly to have foretold any thing that fhould abfo-lutely have extended to all nations of the earth. I queftion whether it be poffible to find out a more ftrong expreffion, to fignify an abfolute univerfality of the knowledge of the true religion through the habitable

world, than that in Ifai. xi. g. The earthJhall iefull of the knowledge of the Lorcl^ as the WATERS COVER THE SEAS. Which is as much as to fay, as there is no place in the vafl: ocean where there is not water, fo there fhall be no part of the world of mankind where there is not the knowledge of the Lord; as there is no part of the wide bed or cavity poflefTed by the fea, but what is covered with water, fo there (hall be no part of the habitable world, that fliall not be covered by the light of the gofpel, and pof-feffed by the true religion* Waters are often in prophecy put for nations and multitudes of people; fo the waters of the main ocean feem fometimes to be put for the inhabitants of the earth in general; as in Eze-kieFs vilion of the waters of the fanftuary which flowed from the fanftuary, and ran eaft, till they came to the ocean, and were at firft a fmall ftream, but continually en-creafed till they became a great river; and when they came to the fea, the water even of the vafl ocean was healed, reprefenting the converiion of the world to the true religion in the latter days.—It feems evident, that the time will come, when there will not be one nation remaining in the world, which

fiiall not embrace the true religion, in that God has exprefsly revealed, that no one fuch nation (hall be left ftandincr on the earth;

The nation and kingdoyn that will not ferv6 theejliall perijli; yea, thofc nations Jliall be utterly zoojied. —God has declared that heathen idolatry and all the worlhip of falfe gods fliall be wholly abolidied, in the moft univerfal manner, fo that it (hall be continued in no place under thfe heavens, or upon the face of the earth ; the gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even theyjlialt perijh from the earth, and from under thefe heavens. They are vanity, and the zoork of errors, in the time of their vifdation theyfnalL perifi. This muft be underftood as what fliall be brought to pafs v/hile this earth and thefe heavens remain, f. e, before the end of the vN^orld. Agreeable to this is that in. Ifaiah. Sing, 0 barren^ and thou that didfl not hear;—for more are the children of the defoliate than the children of the married zcifCf faith the Lord. Enlarge the place of thy tent, mid let them flretch forth the curtains of thy habitation; [pare not; lengthen thy cords, flrengthen thy fta^kes. For thy maker is thy hufband; the Lord of Hofls is his name; and ^ N

rob THE LATTER DAY GLORY

thy Redeemer the Holy One of Ifracl; the

GOD OF THE WHOLE EARTH SHALL HE BE CALLED.

The prophecies of the New Teftament do no lefs evidently fhew, that a time will come v/hen the gofpel iliall univerfally prevail^ and thekinirdom of Chrifl: be extended over the whole habitable earth, in the moft pro-per fenfe. Chrift fays, I, if I be If ted up from the earth, toill draio all vien unto me^ It is fit, that v/hen the Son of God becomes man, he fiiould have dominion over all mankind : it is fit, that fince he became an inhabitant of the earth, and fiied his blood on the 'earth, he fliould poflefs the whole earth: it is fit, feeing here he became a fer-vant, and was fubjett to m^n, and was arraigned before them, and judged, condemned and executed by them, and fuffered ignominy and death in a moR public manner^ before Jews and Gentiles, being lifted up to view on the crofs upon an hill, near that populous city Jerufatem, at a moft public time, when there were many hui^dred thou-{^md fpeilator.s, from all parts, that he fhould be rewarded with an univerfal dominion over mankind; and it is here declared he flaall be. The apoPile, in the xith of Ro-

mans, teaches us to look on that great outpouring of the Spirit and in-gathering of fouls into Chrift's kingdom, thaf was in thofe days, firfl: of the Jews, and then of the Gentiles, to be but as the firft-fruits of the intended harveft, both with regard to Jews and Gentiles ; and to look on the in-gathering of thofe firft fruits as a fign that all the remainder both of Jews and Gentiles fnall in due time be gathered in. For if the firjl-fruit be holy, the lump is alfo holy: and if the root be holy, fo are the branches. And in that context, the apoftle fpeaks of the FULNESS of both Jews and Gentiles, as what fliall hereafter be brought in, as diftinft from that in-gathering from arnong both, which was in thofe prim.itive ages of Chrif-tianity; we read of the fulnefs of the Jews, and of the fulnefs of the Gentiles ; and the apoftle teaches us to look upon that infidelity and darknefs, which firft prevailed over all Gentile nations, before Chrift came, and then over the Jew^s after Chrift came, as v/hat was wifely permitted of God, as a preparation for the manifeftation of the glory of God's mercy, in due time, on the whole world, conftituted of Jews and Gentiles. God hath concluded them all in unbelief.

loS THE LATTER-DAY GLORY

that he might have mercy upon all. Thefe things plainly fnew, that the time is coming when the whole world of mankind Ihall be brought into the church of Chrift ; and not only a part of the Jews, and a part of the Gentile world, as the firft-fruits, as it was in the hrft ages of the Chrillian church; but the fulnefs of both, the whole lump, all the Tiation of the Jews, and all the world of Gentiles.

In the laft great conflift between the church of Chrift and her enemies, before the commencement of the glorious time of the church's peace and reft, the kings of the earth, and the whole warld, are reprefented as gathered together, and then the feventh angel pours out his vial into the air, which limits that kingdom that Satan has, as god of this v/orld, in its utmoft extent;—and that kingdom is reprefented as utterly overthrown. In another delcription of that great battle, Chrift is reprefented as riding forth, having on his head many crowns, and on his vefture and on his thigh a name writ-

f ten, KING OF KliVGS AND LORD OF LORDS,

Which v/e may well fuppofe fignifies, that he is now going to that conqueft, whereby he fhall fet up a kingdom, in which he Ihall be

king of kings, in a far more extenfive manner than either the Babylonifh, Perfian, Grecian, or Roman monarchs were. And an angel appears (landing in the fun, that overlooks the whole world, calling on all the fowls that fly in the midft of heaven, to come and eat the flefh of kings, &c. And in confeqaence of the great viftory Chrift gains at that time, an angel comes doivii from heaven^ having the key of the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand, and lays hold on the devil, and binds him, and cajls him in--to the bottomlefs pit, andjliuts him up, and Jets a feal upon him, that he fliould deceive the nations no more, Satan's being difpof-feffed of that higheft monarchy on earth, the Roman empire, and caft out, in the time of Conftantine, is reprefented by his being caft down from heaven to the earth ; but now there is fomething far beyond that; he is caft out of the earth, and is ftiut up in hell, and confined to that alone, fo that he has no place left him in this world of mankind, high or low.

Now will any be fo unreafonable as to fay, that all thefe things do not fignify more than that one third part of the world ftiould be brought into the church of Chrift, beyond

v/hich it cannot be pretended that the Chrif-tian rehgionhas ever yet reached, in its great-eft extent? Thofe countries, which belonged to the Roman empire, that were brought to the profeffion of Chriftianity, after the reign of Conftantine, are but a fmall part of what the habitable v»^orld now is; as to extent of ground, they altogether bear, I fup-pofe, no greater proportion to it, than the land of Canaan did to the Roman en pire. —And our Redeemer, in his kingdom of gi*ace, has hitherto poffefied but a little part of the world, in its moft ilourifliing (late, fince arts are arifen to their greateft height, and a very great part of the world is but lately difcovered, and much remains undif-covered to this day.

Thefe things make it very evident, that the main fulfilment of thofe prophecies that fpeak of tjie glorious advancement of Chrift's kingdom on earth, is ftill to come.

And as there has been nothing as yet, with regard to the flourifhing of religion, and the advancement of Chrift's kingdom, of fuch extent as to anfv^er the prophecies, fo neither has there been any thing of that duration that is foretold. The prophecies fpeak of Jerufalem's being made the joy of the whole

NOT YET ACCOMPLISHED. m

earth, and alfo xhtjoy of viany generations. That God's people Jhould long enjoy the loork of their hands. That they fhould reign with .Chri/t a thoufand years; by which we muft at lead undejftand a very long thne. But it would be endlefs to mention all the places, which fignify that the time of the church's great peace and profperity fhould be of long continuance: almoft all the prophecies that fpeak of her latter-day glory, imply it; and it is implied in very many of them, that when once this day of the church's advancement and peace is begun, it fhall never end, till the world ends; or, at leaft, that there fhali be no more a return of her troubles and ad^ verfity for any confiderable continuance; that then the days of her 7nourning fiall be ended; that her tribulations^Zz^w/^i then be as the waters of Noah unto God; that as he has fworn that the waters of Noahfiouldno more pafs over the earth, fo he tvillfwear that he vjill no more he wroth zoith his people, or rebuke them; that God's people fiould no more walk after the imagination of their evil heart; that God would hide himfelfno more from the houfe of Ifrael, becaufe he has poured out his Spirit upon them; that their fun fiould no more go down, nor the moon zoithdraxo ifelf;

that the light Jliould not be clear ajid dark; (i. e. there fhould be no more an interchange of light and darknefs, as ufed to be) but that It Jliould be all one continued day; not day and night, (for fo the words are in the ori-ginFxl in Zech. xiv. 7.) a.herna.tt\y, but itjliall come to pafs, that at evening-tivie (i. e. at the time that night and darknefs ufed to be) it Jliall be light; and that the notions fliould beat their fwords into plow-Jliares, and theirfpears into pruning-hooks; and that nation Jhall Qiot lift np floord againjl nation, nor leant war any more; but that thtx^Jliould be abun* dance of peace Jo long as the moon endurHh„ And innumerable things of this nature are declared.

But the church of Chrift has never yet enjoyed a (late of peace and profperity for any long time; on the contrary, the times of her reft, and of the flourifliingHate of religion, have ever been very fliort. Hitherto the church may fay. Return,for thy fervants* fake, the tribes of thine inheritance; thepeo^ pie of thy holinefs have poffeffed it but a little while. The quietnefs that the church of God enjoyed after the beginning of Conftantine's reign was very fliort; the peace the empire enjoyed, in freedom from war, was not more

NOT YEf ACCOMPLISHED. Ho

thai! twenty years; no longer nor greater . than it had enjoyed under Ibme of the heathen emperors. After this the empire was rent in pieces by inteftine wars, and wafted almoft every where by the invafions and ifi-curfions of barbarous nations, and the Chrif-tian-world was foon all in contention and confufion, by herefies and divifions in matters of religion. And the church of Chrifl has never as yet been for any long time, free from perfecution; efpecially when truth has prevailed, and true religion flourifhed. It k manifeft, that hitherto the people of God have been kept under, and Zionhas been in .a low affliaed ftate, and her enemies have had the chief fv/ay.

And another thing that makes it exceeding manifef>, that that day of the church'5 greateft advancement on earth, which is foretold in fcripture, has never yet come, is that, it is fo plainly and exprefsly revealed that this day Ihould fucceed the laft of tlie four monarchies, even the Roman, in its laft ftate, wherein it is divided into ten kingdoms, and after the deftruftion of Antichrift, fignified by the little horn, whofe reigri is contemporary with the reign of the ten kings. Thefe

things are very plain in the fecond and fc-venth chapters of Daniel, and alfo in the Re. vela^nn of St. John. And it is alfo plain by the ninth chapter of Romans, that it fhall be after the national converfion of the Jews, which fhall be as life from the dead to the Gentiles, and the fulnefs of both Jews and Gentiles fliould be come in, and all the nation of the Jews, and all other nations, fhall obtain mercy, and there fhall be that general • in-gathering of the harvefl of the whole earth, of which all that had been converted before, either of Jews or Gentiles, were but the firfl fruits. And many other evidences of this point might be mentioned, which for brevity's fake I omit.

And thus it is meet, that the laft kingdom which fliall take place on earth, fhould be the kingdom of God's own Son and heir, whofe right it is to rule and reign; and that whatever revolutions and confufions there may be in the world, for a long time, the caufe of truth, the righteous eaufe, fhould finally prevail, and God's holy people fliould at lait inherit the earth, and reign on earth; and that the world fhould continue in tumults, and great revolutions, following one ^mother, from age to age, the world being.

as it were, in travail, till truth and holinefs are brought forth; that all things fhould be fliaken, till that comes which is true and right, and agreeable to the mind of God, which cannot be Ihaken; and that the wif-dom of the ruler of the world (hould be ma-nifefted in the bringing all things ultimately to fo good an iffue. The world is made for the Son of God ; his kingdom is the end of all changes that come to pafs in the (late of the world of mankind ; all are only to prepare the way for this ; it is fit therefore that the laft kingdom on earth Ihould be his.— It is wifely and mercifully ordered of God that it fhould be fo, on this account, as well as many others, viz. that the church of God, under all preceding changes, fhould have this confideration to encourage her, and maintain her hope, and animate her faith and prayers, from generation to generation, that God has promifed, her caufe fhould finally be maintained and prevail in this world.

Let it now be confidered,

2, The future promifed advancement of the kingdom of Chrifl is an event unfpeak-ably happy and glorious. The fcriptures fpeak of that time, as a time wherein God and his Son Jefus Chrifl will be mofl emi-

nently glorified on earth; a time, wherein God, who till then had dwelt between the cherubims, and concealed himfelf inthe holy of holies, in the fecret of his tabernacle, beliind the veil, in the thick darknefs, fhould openly fliine forth, and all flefla fhould fee his glory, and God's people in general have as great a privilege as the high prieft alone had once a year, or as Mofes had in the mount; a time, wherein the temple of God in heaven Jhould be opened^ and there JJioiild be feen the ark of his tejlament; a time, where^ in both God will be greatly glorified, and his faints made unfpeakably happy in the view of his glory; a time, wherein God's people fliould not only once fee the light of God^s glory, as Mofes, or fee it once a year with the high prieft, but fiiould dwell and walk continually in it, and itfhould betheir conftant daily light, inftead of the light of the fun, which light fl^iould be fo much more glorious than the light of the fun or moon, that the nioonjliallbe confounded, and the fun €jliamed,wheii the Lord of Hofsfiould reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerufakm, before his ancients glorioifly.

It is rrprefented as a time of vaft increafe pf kiiowledgc and underftandipg, efpecially

in divine things; a time, wherein God would dejlroy the face of the covering cajl over all people, and the veilfpread over all nations ; wherein the light of the moonfiallbe as the light of the funy and the light of the fun fevenfold. And the eyes of them that fee fiall not he dim, and the heart of the rafh fliall underfand knowledge. And theyfiall no more teach every man his neighbour^ and every man his brother, faying, Knozo the Lord, becaufe they fiatl all know him from the leajl to thegreatef. A time of general holinefs. Thy people fiall be all righteous, A time of great prevailing of eminent holinefs, when little children ihould,infpiritual attainments, be as though they were a hundred years old. Wherein he that is feeble among God's peo^ plefiould be as David. A time wherein ho-linefs fhould be, as it were, infcribed on eve-thing, on all mens' common bufinefs and employments, and the common utenfils of life, all ftall be dedicated to God, and improved to holy purpofes. Her merchandize and hire fliall be holinefs to the Lord. In that day fhall there be upon the bells of the horfes, holiness UNTOTHELORD; and the pots in the Lord's houfe fhall be like the bowls before the altar ; yea, every pot in Jenfalevi and in Judahfiall

he holinefs unto the Lord of Hojls, A time wherein religion and true Chriftianity fhall, in every refpeft, beuppermofl in the world; wherein God will caufe his church to arije andjhake herfclffrovi the dujl, and put on her beautiful garvients, and ft down on a throne; and the poor fhall be rafedfrom the duf^ and the beggarfrovi the dunghill, andf mil befet among princes^ and r,iade to inherit the throne cf God's glory. A time wherein vital piety fhall take poffeffion of thrones and palaces, and thofe that are in moft exalted ftations fhall be eminent in holinefs. Andkingsfiall he thy nurfng fathers, and their queens thy nurfng mothers. Thoufialt fuck the breafls of kiyigs. The daughter of Tyrefiall he there tvith a gift, the rich among the people fJiall entreat thy favour. A time of wonderful union, and the mod univerfal peace, love and fweet harmony, wherein the nations fhall beat their fwords into plow-fliares, &c. and God will caufe wars to ceafe to the ends of the earth, and break the bozo, and cut the fpear in [under, and hum the chariot in the fire ; and the m ountains fiall bring forth peace to God's people, and the little hills by righteoufnefs; wherein/A^ zoolf fiould dtvell with the lavih, &c. and wherein God's people fhall dwell in a peaceable hahita-

OF THE LATTER-DAYS. ng

tion, andinfure dwellings,an d quiet rejlingpla-ces, A time wherein all herefies, and falfe doctrines fhall be exploded, and the church of God {hall not be rent with a variety of jarring opinions. The Lord JIiall be king over all the earth ; in that day there Jliall be one Lord and his name one. And all fuperfti-tious ways of worfliip fliall be aboliflied, and all agree in worfhipping God in his own appointed way, and agreeable to the purity of bis inftitutions. L will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them and their children after them. A time wherein the whole earth fhall be united as one holy city, one heavenly family, men of all nations fhall as it were dwell together, and fweetly correfpond one with another as brethren and children of the fame father; as the prophecies often fpeak of all God's people at that time as the children of God, and brethren one to another, all appointing over them one head, gathered to one houfe of God, to worfhip the king, the Lord of Hofts.—A time wherein this whole great fociety fliall appear in glorious beauty, in genuine amiable chrifti-anity, and excellent order, as a city compaft together, the perfeftion of beauty, and eter-

nal excellency, fhining with a refle£lion of the glory of Jehovah rifen upon it, which ihall be attraSive and ravifliing to all kings and nations, and it fhall appear as a bride adorned for her hufband.—A time of great temporal profperity ; of great health. The inhabitant jhall not fay, I am Jick. As the days of a tree, are the days of my people, A time wherein the earth (hall be abundantly fruitful. A time wherein the world (hall be delivered from that multitude of fore calamities that before had prevailed, and there ihall be an univerfal bleffing of God upon mankind, in foul and body, and in all their concerns, and all manner of tokens of Gods prefence and favour, and God Jhall rejoice over them, as the bridegroom rejoiceth over his bride, and the mountains Jhall as it were drop down new wine, and the hillsJJiall Jlow with milk, A time of great and univerfal joy throughout the earth, v^htnfrovi the utmojl ends ojthe earth shall be heard Jongs, even glory to the righteous, and God's people shall zoith joy draw water out of the well ofjalva-tion, and God Jaallprepare in his holy mountain, ajeajl ofjat things, ajeajl ojwines on the lees, ojjat things Jull oJmarrow, oJ wines on the lees well refined, which feafl is repre-

lerited, as the marriage /upper of the Lamb. Yea, the fcriptures reprefent it hot only as a time of iiniverfal joy on earth, but extraordinary joy in heaven, among the angels and faintSi the holy apoftles and prophets there. Yea, the fcriptures reprefent it as a time of (extraordinary rejoicing with Chrift himfelf, the glorious head, in whom all things in heaven and earth Ihall then be gathered together in one. The Lord thy God in the midji of thee is mighty; he will fave; he -will rejoice over thee with joy; he will reft in his love; he will joy over thee witkfmgijig. And the very fields, trees and mountains fliall then, as it were, rejoice, and break forth into fing-ing. Yefliall go out zvithjoy^ and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills fiall break forth before you into fnging, and all the trees of the field fhall clap their hands,— Sing, 0 heavens, for the Lord hath done it: J7iout,ye lower parts of the earth; break forth intofinging,ye mountains; 0 for eft, and e-very tree therein ; for the Lord hath redeem^ ed Jacob, and glorified himfelf in IfraeL

Such being the ftate of things in this fu-ture promifed glorious day of the church's profperitv, furelv it is worth praying for,

Nor is there any one thing whatfoever, if we viewed things aright, which a regard to the glory of God, a concern for the kingdom and honour of our Redeemer, a love to his people, pity to perifliing finners, love to our fellow^creatures in general, compaf-fion to mankind under its various and fore calamities and miferies, a defire of their temporal and fpritual profperity, love to our country, our neighbours and friends, yea, and to our own fouls, would difpofe us to be fo much in prayer for, as for the dawning of this happy day, and the accomplifii-ment of that glorious event;

It may be worthy to be confidered,

3. How much Chrift prayed and laboured and fuffered, in order to the glory and happinefs of that day.

The fum of the biefiTmgs Chrift fought, by what he did and fuffered in the w^ork of redemption, was the Holy Spirit. So is the affair of our redemption conflituted; the Father provides and gives the Redeemer, and the price of redemption is offered to him, and he grants the benefit purchafed ; thf Son is the redeemer who gives the price, and alfo is the price offered ; and the Holy Spirit is the grand bleffmg obtained by the

price offered, and beftowed on the redeemed. The Holy Spirit, in his in-dwelHng, his influences and fruits, is the fum of all grace, holinefs, comfort and joy; or in one word, of all the fpiritual good Chrift pnrchafed for men in this world ; and is alio the fum of all perfeflion, glory and eternal joy, that he piirchafed for them in another world. The Holy Spirit is that great benefit, which is the fubjeft-matter of the promifes, both of the eternal covenant of redemption, and alfo of the covenant of grace; the grand fubjefl: of the promifes of the Old Teflament, in the prophecies of thebleffmgs of the Mef-fiah's kingdom ; and the chief fubjeft of the promifes of the New Teflament; and particularly of the covenant of grace delivered by Jefus Chrifl to his difciples, as his lafl will and teflament, in the xiv. xv. and xvi. chapters of John ; the grand legacy that he bequeathed to them, in that his lafl and dying difcourfe with them. Therefore the H«-]y Spirit is fo often called the fpirit of pro-mife,.and emphatically, the promife, the pro-mife of the Father, &c. This being the great bleffmg Chrifl purchafcd by his labours and fufferings on earth, it was the bleffing he received of the Father, when he afcended

into heav^en, and entered into the holy of holies with his own blood, to communicate to thofe that he had redeemed. It is expedient for you, that I go away ; for if I go not away, the comforter zqHL not come; but if I depart, I will fend him unto you. Being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promife of the Holy Ghofl, he ho^thfhedforth this which ye 7iozofee and hear. This is the fum of thofe gifts, which Chrift received for men, even for the rebelliQ-"is, at his afcenfion. This is the fum of the benefits Chrift obtains for men by his interceffion. / will pray the Father, and he fiiall give you a^nother comforter, that he may ^ abide with you for ever — even the fpirit of truth. Herein confifts Chrift's communica-: live fulnefs,even in his being full of the Spirit, and fo full of grace and truth, that we might of this fulnefs receive, and grace for grace* He is anointed with the Holy Ghoft; and this is the ointment that goes down from the head to the members. God gives the Spirit Xiot by meafure unto him, that every one that is his might receive a.ccording to the meafure of the gift of Chrift. This, therefore, was the great blefting he pz^ayed for in that wonderful prayer, that he uttei^d for

SUM OF CHRIST S PURCHASE. I25

his difciples, and all his future church, the evening before he died. The bleffing he prayr ed for to the Father, in behalf of his difciples, was the fame he had infifted on in his preceding difcourfe with them; and this, doubtlefs, was the blefhng he prayed for when, as our High Prieft, he offered up flrong crying and tears with his blood. The fame that he fhed his blood for, he alfo Ihed tc^rs for, and poured out prayers for.

But the time that we have been fpeaking of, is the chief time of the beflowment of this bleffing—the main feafon of the fuccefs of all that Chrift did ^nd fuffered in the work of our redemption. Before this the Spirit of God is given but very fparingly, and but few are faved; but then it will be far other-wife; wickednefs fiiall be rare then, as virtue and piety had been before; and, undoubtedly, by far the greatefl: number of them that ever receive the benefits of Chrift's redemption, from the beginning of the world to the end of it, will receive it in that time. The number of the inhabitants of the earth will, doubtlefs, then be vaftly multiplied, and the number of redeemed ones much more. If we (hould fuppofe that glorious day to laft no more than (literally) a thou-

126 THE LATTER-DAY EMINENTLY

fand years, and that at the beginning of that thoufand years the world of mankind (hould bebutjuftas numerous as it is now, and that the number fliould be doubled, during that time of great health and peace, and the univerfal bleffmg of heaven, once only in an hundred years, the number at the end of the thoufand years would be more than a thoufand times greater than it is now; and if it-fliould be doubled once in fifty years, (which probably the number of inhabitants of New-England has ordinarily been, in about half that time) then at the end of the thoufand years, there would be more than a million inhabitants on the face of the earth, where there is one now. And there is reafon to think, that through the greater part of this period, at leaft, the number of famts will, in their increafe, bear a proportion to the in-creafe of the number of inhabitants. And it muft be confidered, that if the number of mankind at the beginning of this period be no more than equal to the prefent number, yet we may doubtlefs conclude, that the number of true faints will be immenfely greater, when inftead of the few true and thorough Chriilians now in fome few countries, every nation on the face of the whole

earth fliall be converted to Chriftianity, and every country (ball be full of true Chrillians^ fo that the fucceffive multiplication of true faints through the thoufand years, will begin with that vaft advantage, beyond the multiplication of mankind; where the latter is begun from units, the other, doubtlefs, will begin with hundreds, if not thoufands. How much greater then will be the number of true converts, that will be brought to a participation of the benefits of Chrift's redemption, during that period, than in all other times put together? I think, the foregoing things confidered, we fhall be very moderate in our conjeSures, if we fay, it is probable that there will be an hundred thoufand times more, that will actually be redeemed to God by Chrift's blood, during that period of the church's profperity that ,we have been fpeaking of, than ever had been before, from the beginuing of the world to that time.

That time is reprefented in fcripture, as the proper appointed feafon of Chrift's fal-vation; eminently the eleft feafon, the accepted time and day of falvation, the year of Chrift's redeemed. This period is fpoken of as the proper time of the dominion of the

i28 THE LATTER-DAY EMINENttY

Redeemer, and reigri of his redeeming love, in the fecond and feventh chapters of Daniel, and matiy other places; the proper time of his harveft, or in-gathering of his fruits Irom this fallen world; the appointed day of his triumph over Satan, the great deftroy-tr, and the appointed day of his marriage; with his eleft fpoufc; The time given to the Sun of Righteoufnefs to rule, as the day is the time God has appdirited for the natural fun to beat rule • therefore the bringing on of this time is called Clirijl's coming in his king-^om, wherein he xvillrent the heavens and come downs and the Suji of RighteoufnefsJfiall a-^

The comparatively little faving good there is in the world, as the fruit of Chrift's redemption, before that time, is, as it were, granted by way of anticipation; as we aiiti^ cipate fomething of the fan's light by re*-fleftion before the day-time, the proper time of the fun's rule; and as the firft-fruits are gathered before the harveft: Then more ef-pecially will be the fulfilment of thofe great promifes, made by God the Father to the Son, for his pouring out his foul unto death; then f mil he fee his feed, and the pleafure of the Lordfiallprofper in his hand ; xhcxifhall

he fee of the travail of his foul, andbe fatis* fed, and, fiall jifify maiiy by his knowledge ; then will God divide him a portion zoith the great, and he fhall divide thefpoil with the flrong; then fhall Chrift, in an eminent manner, obtain his chofen fpoufe, that he loved and died for, that he might finEiify and cleanfe her, with the zoafiing of water, by the word^ and p'refent her to hivfelf a glorious church. He will obtain the joy that wasfet before him^ for xvhich he endured the crofs, and defpifed ^ thefhame, chiefly in the events and confe-quences of that day: That day, as was ob-ferved before, is often reprefented as eminently the timeof the rejoicing of the bridegroom. The fore-knowledge and confider-ation of it was what fupported him, and that which his foul exulted in, at a time when his foul had been troubled at the view of his approaching fufferings; as may be feen in Johnxii. 23, 24, 27,31, 32,

Now, therefore, if it be fo, that this is what Jefus Chrift, our great Redeemer and the Head of the Church, did fo much defire, and fet his heart upon, from all eternity, and which he did and fuffered fo much for, offering up ftrong crving and tears, snd his

Q

precious blood, to obtain it; furely his dif-ciples and members fhould alfo earneftly feek it, and be much and earneft in prayer for it.

Let it be confidered,

4. The whole creation is, as it were, earneftly waiting for that day, and conftantly groaning and travailing in pain to bring forth the felicity and glory of it. For that day is above all other times, excepting the day of judgment, the day of the manifefta-tion of the fons of God, and of their glorious liberty; and, therefore, that elegant re-prefentation the apoftle makes of the earneft • expeClation and travail of the creation, in Rom. viii. ig—22 is applicable to the glorious event of this day. The earneji expec^ tation of the creature waiteth for the viani-fejlation of the fons of God, For the creature was made fuhjeB to vanity, not willingly, but by reafon of him who hathfubjeHed the fame in hope. Becaufe the creature itfelf alfofiall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the childre^i of God. For we know that the whole creationgroaneth and travaileth in pain together until now, — The vifible world has now, for many ages.

been fubjeQed to fin, and made, as it were, a fervant to it, through the abufive improvement that man, who has the dominion over the creatures, puts the creatures to. Thus the fun is a fort of fervant to all manner of wickednefs, as its light, and other beneficial influences are abufed by men, and made fub-fervient to their lufts and finful purpofes. So of the rain, and fruits of the earth, and the brute animals, and all other parts of the vifible creation; they all ferve mens' corruption, and obey their finful will; and God doth, in a fort, fubjeft them to it, for he continues his influence and power to make them to be obedient, according to the fame law of nature, whereby they yield to mens' command when ufed to good purpofes. It is by the immediate influence of God upon things, afting upon them, according to thofe con-ftant methods which we call the laws of nature, that they are ever obedient to mens' will, or that we can ufe them at all. This influence God continues to make them obedient to mens' will though wicked; which is a fure fign that the prefent fl:ate of things isnotlafting, itis confufion, and God would not fuffer it to be, but that he defigns, in a little time, to put an end to it, when it fliall

no more be fo. Seeing it is to be but a little while, God chufes rather to fubjefl: the creature to man's wickednefs, than to dif-turb and interrupt the courfe of nature according to its ftated laws; but it is, as it were, a force upon the creature; for the creature is abufed in it, perverted to far meaner purpofes than thofe for which the author of its nature made it, and to which he adapted it. The creature, therefore, is, as it were^ unwillingly fubjefl, and would not be fub-jeft, but that it is but for a fnort time, and it, as it v/ere, hopes for an alteration. It is a bondage the creature is fubjecl to, from which it was partly delivered when Chrift came, and the gofpel was promulgated in the %vorld, and will be m.ore fully delivered at the commencement of the glorious day we are fpeaking of, and perfeftly at the day of judgment. This agrees with the context, for the apoftle was fpeaking of the prefent fuffering flate of the church. The reafon why the church in this world is in a fuffering ftate, is, that the world is fubjefted to the fm and corruption of mankind. By vanity, in fcripture, is very commonly meant fin and wickednefs, and alfo by corruption, as might be fliewn in many places would ray intended brevity allow.

Though the creature is thus fubjeft to vanity, yet it does not reft in this fubjeflion, but is conftantly afting and exerting itfelf, in order to thjat glorious liberty that God has appointed at the time we are fpeaking of, and, as it were, reaching forth towards it. All the changes that are brought to pafs in the world, from age to age, are ordered by infinite wifdom, in one refpeft or other, to prepare the way for that glorious iffue of things, that (hall be when truth and righte-oufnefs (hall finally prevail, and he, whofe right it i^, (hall take the kingdom. All the creatures, in all their operations and motions, continually tend to this; as in a clock, all the motions of the whole fyftcm of wheels and movements, tend to the ftriking of the hammer at the appointed time. All the revolutions and reftlefs motions of the fiin and and other heavenly bodies, from day to day, from year to year, and from age to age, arc continually tending thither; as all the many turnings of the wheels of a chariot, in a journey, tend to the appointed journey's end.— The mighty ftruggles and conflifts of na-tions,and fliakings of kingdoms,and thofe vaft fuccefiive changes that are brought to pafs, in

the kingdoms and empires of the world, from one age to another, are, as it were, travail-pangs of the creation, in order to bring forth this glorious event. And the fcriptures re-prefent the laft ftruggles and changes that fliall immediately precede this event, as being the greateft of all—as the laft pangs of a woman in travail are the moft violent.

The creature thus earneftly expeftingthis glorious manifeilation and liberty of the children of God, and travailing in pain in order to it, therefore the fcriptures, by a like figure, do very often reprefent, that when this (hall be accompliflied, the whole inanimate creation fhall greatly rejoice: That the heavens fiall Jing, the earth be glad, the mountains break forth into finging, the hills he jo)iful together, the trees clap their hands^ the lower parts of the earthfiout, thefea roar and the fulnefs thereof and the foods clap their hands.

All the intelligent eleS creation, all God's holy creatures in heaven and earth, are truly and properly waiting for, and earneftly expecting that event. It is abundantly re-prefented in fcripture as the fpirit and cha-rafter of all true faints, that they fet their hearts upon, love, long, wait and pray for

the promifed glory of that day; they are fpoken of as thofe that prefer Jerufalem to their chief joy ; that takepleafure in theflones of Zion, and favour the dujt thereof; that wait for the confolation of IfraeL It is the language of the church of God, and the breathing of the foul of every true faint, that we have in Pfal. xiv. 7. 0 that thefal-vation of Ifrael zvere come out of Zion f when the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob fiall rejoice, and Ifraelfhall be glad. Agreeably to this was the fpirit of old Jacob, which he expreffed when he was dying, in faith in the great promife made to him and Ifaac and Abraham, that in their feed all the families of the earth fhould be bleffed, I have loaited for thy falvation, 0 Lord, The fame is reprefented as the fpirit of his true children, or the family of Jacob. I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth himfelf from the houfe of Jacob, and I will look for him, — They that love Chrifl's appear-ingl is a name that the apoftle gives to true chriftians.

The glorious inhabitants of the heavenly world, the faints and angels there, that rejoice when one finner repents, are earneftly waiting, in an affured and joyful depend-

136 SCRIPTURE PRECEPTS, &C.

ance on God's promifes of that converfion of the world, and marriage of the Lamb, which (liall be when that glorious day comes ; and therefore they are reprefented as all with one accord rejoicing and praifing God with fuch mighty exultation and triumph, when it is accomliflied, in Rom. xix.

5. The word of God is full of precepts, encouragements and examples, tending to excite and induce the people of God to be much in prayer for this mercy.

The fpirit of God is the chief of the blef-fings that are the fubjeft-matter of chriflian prayer ; for it is the fum of all fpiritual blef-fings; which are thofe that we need infinitely more than others; and are thofe wherein our true and eternal happinefs conGfts.— That which is the fum of the blcffings that Chrifl purchafed, is the fum of the blcffings that Chriflians have to pray for; but that, as v;as obferved before, is the Holy Spirit; and therefore when the difciples came to Chrift, and defired him to teach them to pray, Luke xi. he accordingly gave them particular direftions for the perform.ance of this duty ;—theconclufion of his whole dif-courfe, in the 13th verfe, plainly {[\qw^ that the Holy Spirit is the fum of the blcffings

FOR THE PRAYER PROPOSED. 137

that are the fubjeft-matter of that prayer about which he had inftrufted them. Ifyc then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much morejliallyour heavenly Father give the Holy Spi rit to them that ajk him ? From which words of Chrift we may alfo obferve, that there is no blef-fing that we have fo great encouragement to pray for, as the Spirit of God ; the words imply, that our heavenly Father is efpecially ready to beftow his Holy Spirit on them that afk him. Of the more excellent nature any benefit is, which we {land in need of, the more ready God is to beftow it in anfwer to prayer. The infinite goodnefs of God's nature is the more gratified, and the grand defign and aim of the contrivance and work of our redemption, is the more anfwered, and Jefus Chrift the Redeemer has the greater fuccefs in his undertaking and labours ; and thofe defires that are ex~ preffed in prayer for the moft excelJent bleftings are the moft excellent defires, and confequently fuch as God moft approves of, and is moft ready to gratify.

The fcriptures do not only direft and encourage us in general to pray for the Holy Spirit above all tilings elfe, but it is the ex-

R

prefsly revealed will of God, that his church fiiould be very much in prayer for that glorious out-pouring of the Spirit that is to be in the latter days, and the things that fhall be accornpliFned by it. God fpeaking of that blefied event, Ezek. xxxvi. under the figure olcleanjing the hoiife of Ifraelfrom all their iniquities, planting and building their xoajte and ruined places, and inaking them to become like the garden of Eden,andfdlingtheni rjoithmcn like a flock, like the holy flock, thefock of Jerufalem in herfolemnfcafs ; wherein he, doubtlefs, has refpefl: to the fame glorious reftoration and advancement of his church that is fpoken of in the next chapter, and in all the following chapters to the end of the book, he fays, ver. 37. Thus faith the Lord, I will yet for this be enquired of by the houfe of Ifrael, to do it for them. Which, doubtlefs, implies, that it is the will of God that extraordinary prayerfulnefs in his people for this mercy Ihould precede the beflow-ment of it.

I know of no place in the Bible, where fo ftrong an expreflion is made ufe of to figni-fy importunity in prayer, as is ufed in Ifai. Ixii. 6, 7. where the people of God are called upon to be importunate for this mercy:

EXAMPLES OF SUCH PRAYER. 1 OQ

Ye that make mention of the Loixl, keep not flence, and give him no rejl, till he ejlahlijli, and till he make Jeriifalem a praife in the earth, Hovv^ ftrong is the phrafe ? And how loud is this call to the church of God, to be fervent and incefTant in their cries to him for this great mercy ? How wonderful are the words to be ufed, concerning the manner in which fuch worms of the duUrticuldaddrefs the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity ? And what encouragement is here, to approach the mercy-feat with the greatell freedom, boldnefs, earneftnefs, conflancy, and full affurance of faith, to feek of God this greateft thing that can be fought in chriftian prayer?

It is a juft obfervation of a certain eminent minifler of the church of Scotland, in a difcourfeof his, cuifocial prayer, in which, fpeaking of pleading for the fuccefs of the gofpel, as required by the Lord's prayer, he fays, " That notwithftanding of its being fo ** compendious, yet the one half of it, that " is, three petitions in fix, and thefe the firft " prefcribed, do all relate to this great cafe ; *' fo that to put up any one of thefe petiti-'' ons apart, or all of them together, is upon " the matter, to pray that the difpenfation

140 EXAMPLES OF SUCH PRAYER.

^' of the gnfpel may be bleffed with divine ^•' power." That glorious day we are fpeak-ing of IS the proper and appointed time, a-bove all others, for the bringing to pafs the things requefied in each of thefe petitions; as the prophecies every where reprefent that as the time, which God has efpecially appointed for the hallowing or glorifying his own great name in this world, caufmg his ^lary to be rev ceded, that all jlejh may fee it tcgether, cauhng it openly to b€ mardfejled in the fivht cf the heathen, filling the whole world with the light of his glory to fuch a degree, that the moonjiiallbe confounded and thefiuiauiamedhefore that brighter glory; the appointed time for the glorifying and mag-nffying the name of Jefus Chrift, caufmg every knee to bow, and every tongue to confefs to him. This is the proper time of God's kijigdovis coming, or of Chriffs coming in his kingdom: that is the very time foretold in the iid of Daniel, when the Lord God of heaven fliallfet up a kingdom,'\n the latter times of the faft monarchy, w^hen-it is divided into ten kingdoms; and that is the very time ' foretold in the viith of Daniel, when there ftiouid be given to One like to the Son of Man^ doinimon, glory, and a kingdom^ that all pea-

EXAMPLES OF SUCH PRAYER. I41

pie, nations, a7id languages, Jhouldfcrve him; and the kingdom and dominion, and the great-nefs of the kingdom under the whole heaven fiiall be given to the people of the faints of the mofi high God, after the deftruftion of the little horn, that fhould continue y^?'(2 time^ times, and the dividing of time. And that is the time wherein God's zvillfiall be done on earth, as it is done in heaven ; when heaven fhall, as it were, be bowed, and come down to the earth, as God's people fiall be all righteous, and holinefs to the Lordfiall be written on the bells of the horfes, Sec, So that the three firft petitions of the Lord sprayer are, in effeft, no other than requefts for the bringing on this glorious day.—And as the Lord's prayer begins with aflcing for this, in the three firft petitions, fo it concludes with it, in thefe words. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever. Amen. Which words imply a requeft, that God would take to himfelf his great power, and reign, and manifeft his power and glory in the world. Thus Chrift teaches us, that it becomes his difciples to feek this above all other things, and make it the firft and the laft in their prayers, and that every petition fhould be put up in a fubordination to th€

142 EXAMPLES OF SUCH PRAYER.

advancement of God's kingdom and glory in the world.

Befides what has been obferved of the Lord's prayer, if we look through the whole Bible, and obferve all the examples of prayer that we find there recorded, we (hall not find fo many prayers for any other mercy, as for the deliverance, reftoration, and profperity of the church, and the advancement of God's glory and kingdom of grace in the world. If we well confider the prayers that we find recorded in the book of Pfalms, I believe we ihall fee reafon to think, that a very great, if not the greater part of them, are prayers uttered, either in the name of Chrift, or in the name of the church, for fuch a mercy; and undoubtedly, the greatefl: part of that book of Pfalms, is made up of prayers for this mercy, prophecies of it, and prophetical praifes for it.

The prophets, in their prophecies of the relloration and advancement of the church, very often fpeak of it as what fhall be done in anfwer to the prayers of God's people. Ifai. XXV. g.—xxvi. 9, 12, 13, 16, 17. to the end. Chap, xxxiii. 2. PfaL cii. 13—22. Jer. iii. 21. Ifai. Ixv. 24.—xli. 17. Hof. V, 15. with vi. 1, 2, 3. and xiv, 2. to the

EXAMPLES OF SUCH PRAYER. 1^3

end.—Zech. x. 6.—xii. x. and xiii. 9. Ifai. Iv. 6. with ver. 12, 13. Jer. xxxiii. 3. The prophecies of future glorious times of the church, are often introduced with a prayer of the church for her dehvcrance and advancement, prophetically uttered, as in Ifai. li. 9, &c. Chap. Ixiii. 11. to the end, and Ixiv. throughout.

In order to Chrift's being myftically born into the world, m the advancement and flou-rifhing of true religion, and great increafe of the number of true converts who are fpo-ken of as having Chrift formed in them, the fcriptures reprefent it as requifite, that the church fliould firft be in travail, crying, and pained to be delivered. And one thing that we have good reafon to underftand by it, is her exercifing flrong defires, and wreflling and agonizing with God in prayer for this event; becaufe we find fuch figures of fpeech ufed in this fenfe elfewhere. My little children, o/whoni I travail in birth again, until Chrijl he formed in you. Lord, in trouble have they vifited thee; they poured out a prayer when thy chafiening was upon them. Like as a woman zvith child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is zn pain, andcryeth out in her pangs, fo have zve been in ihyfght, 0

Lord, And certainly it is fit, that the church of God fhould be in travail for that, which (as I before obferved) the whole creation travails in pain for.

The fcriptures do not only abundantly manifeft it to be the duty of God's people to be much in prayer for this great mercy, but they alfo abound with manifold confi-derations to encourage them in it, and animate them with hopes of fuccefs. There is, perhaps, no one thing that fo much of the Bible is taken up in the promifes of, in order to encourage the faith, hope, and prayers of the faints as this, which at once affords to God's people the cleared evidences that it is their duty to be much in prayer for this mercy, (for, undoubtedly, that which God does abundantly make the fubjeft of his promifes, God's people fhould abundantly make the fubjeft of their prayers) and alfo affords them the flrongeft alTurances that their prayers fhall be fuccefsful. With what confidence may we go before God, and pray for that, of which we have fo many exceeding precious and glorious promifes to plead ? The very firfl promife of God to fallen man, even that it Jliall bruife thy head, is a promife which is to have its chief fulfilmeut at

SCRIPTURE ENCOURAGEMENTS, &C, 145

that day; and the whole Bible concludes with a promife of the glory of that day, and a prayer for its fulfilment. He that tcjtifieth thcfe things,faith — Surely, I coine quickly — Amen.. Evenfo, conie, Lord J ejus.

The fcripture gives us great reafon to think, that when once there comes to appear much of a fpirit of prayer in the church of God for this mercy, then it will foon beac-complilhed. It is evidently with reference to this mercy, that God makes that promife, When the poor and needy fcek water, and there is nonei and their tonguefailcth for thrift /, the Lord, will hear them; L the God of If rael, will not forfake them; Izoillopen rivers in high places, and fountains in the midfi of the vallies; Itoill make the wildernefs a pool oficater, and. the dry landfprings of water ; I will plant in the wildernefs the cedar, the fiittah-tree, and the myrtle, and the oil-tree; Iicill fet in the defart the fir-tree, the pine, and the box-tree together. Spiritual waters and rivers are explained by the apoftle John, to be the Holy Spirit. It is now a time of fcarcity of thefe fpiritual waters; there are^ as it were, none: If God's people, in this time of great drought, were but made duly

S

146 SCRIPTURE-ENCOURAGEMENT TO

fenfible of this calamity, and their own emp-. tinefs and neceffity, and brought earneftly to thirtt and cry for needed fuppIies^God woidd, doubtlcfs, foon fulfil this blelFed promife.— Wc have another promife much like this, in Pfal. CH. 16, 17. Wheii the LordJIiall build up Zion, hejiiall appear in his glory; he will regard the prayer of the dcjlitute, and not de-

fpife their prayer. And remarkable are the words that follow in the next verfe: This

Jliall be written for the generation to come; and the people zvhich fliall be created fiall

praife the Lord, Which feems to fignify, that this promife fliall be left on record to encourage fome future generation of God's people to pray and cry earneflly for this mercy, to whom he would fulfil the promife, and thereby give them, and great multitudes of others, that fhould be converted through their prayers, occafion to praife his name. Who knows but that the generation here fpoken of, may be this prefent generation? One thing mentioned in the chara6ler of that future generation, is certainly true concerning the prefent, viz. That it is defHtute; the church of God is in very low, forrowful and needy circumflances; and if the next thing, tliere fuppofed, were alfo verified in us, viz.

That we were made fenfible of our great calamity, and brought to cry earneRIy to God for help, I am perfuaded that the third would be alfo verified, viz. That our prayers would be turned into joyful praifes, for God's gracious anfwers of our prayers. It is fpoken of as a fign and evidence, that the time to favour Zion i^ come, when God's fervants are brought, by their prayerfulnefs for her refloration, in an eminent manner, to fliew that they faxjoiir her Jiones and clujl. Thou Jlialt arife, and have mercy upon 7Aon; for the time to favour her, yea, thefet tune is come; for thy fervants take pleafure in her f ones^ and favour the dufl thereof-

God has refpeft to the prayers of his faints in all his government of the world, as we may obferve by the reprefentation made. Revelations viii. at the beginning. There we read of feven angels flanding before the throne of God, and receiving of him feven trumpets, at the founding of which great and mighty changes were to be brought to pafs in the world, through many fucceffive ages. But when thefe angels had received their trumpets, they muft fland ftill, and all mufl be in filence, not one of them muft be allowed to found, until the prayers of the

148' SCRIPTURE-ENCOURAGEMENT TO

faints are attended to. The an^el of the co-vcnant, as a glorious High Priefl, comes and liands at the altar, with much incenfe, to offer with the prayers of all faints upon the golden altar, before the throne; and the fmoke of the incenfe, with the prayers of the faints, afcends up with acceptance be-fore God, out of the angel's hand; and then the angels prepare themfelves to found.— And God, in the events of every trumpet^ rea:embers thofe prayers, as appears at laft, by the great and glorious things he accom-pliflies for his church, in the iffue of all, in anfwer to thefe prayers, in the event of the laft trumpet, which brings the glory of the latter days, when thefe prayers fhedl be turned into joyful praifes. Rev. xL 15, 16, 17. AVfil thefeventh angel founded, and there were great voices in heaven, faying — The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Chriji; and he fiall reign for ever and ever. And thefour-and4xventy elders, which fat before God on their feats,fell iipon their faces, and zoorfaipped God, faying. We give thee thanks, 0 Lord God Abmghty, %johich art, ajid wafl, and art to come, becaufe thou haft taken to thee thy great forcer^ and.

hajl reigned. Since it is thus, that it is the pleafure of God fo to honor his people, as to carry on all the defigns of his kingdom in this way, viz. by the prayers of his faints; this gives us great reafon to think, that whenever the time comes that God gives an extraordinary fpirit of prayer for the pro-mifed advancement of his kingdom on earth, (which is God's great aim in all preceding providences, and which is the main thing that the fpirit of prayer in the faints aims at) then the fulfilling this event is nigh.

God, in wonderful grace, is pleafed to reprefent himfelf, as it were, at the command of his people, with regard to mercies of this nature, fo as to be ready to beftow them whenever they (hall earneftly pray for them. Thus faith the Lord, the holy One of Ifrael, and his maker, Afk of me of things to come, concerning myfons, and concerning the work of my hands, command ye me. What God is fpeaking of in this context, is the reftoration of his church ; not only a reftoration from temporal calamity, and an outward captivity by Cyrus ; but alfo a fpiritual reftoration and advancement, by God's commanding the heavens to drop dovjii from above, and thefkies to pour downrighteoufnefs, and can-

Jing the earth to open and bringforthfalvation^ and righteoufnefs tofpring up together, God would have his people afk of him, or enquire of him by earneft prayer, to do this for them; and manifefts himfelf as being at the command of earneft prayers for fuch a mercy: and a reafon why God is fo ready to hear fuch prayers, is couched in the w^ords, viz. Becaufe it is prayer for his own church, his chofen and beloved people, his fans and daughters, and the work of his hands; and he cannot deny any thing that is afked for their comfort and profperity.

God fpeaks of himfelf as flanding ready to be gracious to his church, and to appear for its refloration, and only waiting for fuch an opportunity to beftow this mercy, when he ihall hear the cries of his people for it, that he may beftow it in anfwer to .their prayers. Therefore zoill the Lord wait, that he may be gracious to thee ; and therefore toilL he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: For the Lord is a God of judgment ; bleffed are all they that wait for hird-. For the people fiall dwell in Zion at Jcrifalevi. — Thouflialt weep no more; he will be very gracious unto thee, at the voice of thy cry: — when hefhall hear it, he f mil anfwer thee, —

The words imply as much as that when God once fees his people much engaged in praying for this mercy, it (hall be no longer delayed. Chrilt defires to hear the voice of his fpoufe, that is in the clefts of the rock, m the fecret places of the flairs \ in a low and obfcure flate, driven into fecret corners: he only waits for this, in order to put an end to her ftate of affliflion, and caufe the day to break, -and thefhadows to flee away. If he once heard her vo'ce in earnelt prayer, he would come fwiftly over the viountains of feparation between him and her, as a roe, or yoimg hart. When his church is in a low flate, and oppreffed by her enemies, and cries to him, he will fwiftly fly to her relief, as birds fly at the cry of their young. Yea, when that glorious day comes, that I am fpeaking of, before they call, he will anfwer them, and while they are yet fpeaking, he will hear; and, in anfwer to their prayers, he will make the zoo f and the lamb feed together, &c. When the fpoufe prays for the effufion of the Holy Spirit, and the coming of Chrifl:, by granting the tokens of his fpiritual pre-fence in the church, faying, Azvake, 0 north wind, and come, thou fouih, blow upon my garden, that the fpices thereof may flow out;

let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleafant fruits; there feems to be aii immediate anfwer to her prayer, in the next words, in abundant communications of the Spirit, and beftowmentoffpiritual bleffings'; lam come into my garden, viyjijler, myfpoiife; I have gathered my ?nyrrh loith viy fpice ; / have eaten my honey-comb with my honey ; I have drunk my toine wkh my milk. Eat, 0 friends ; drink,yea, drink abundantly, 0 he* loved.

Scripture inftances and exarnples of fuc-cefs in prayer, give great encouragement to pray for this mercy. Mofl of the remiark-able deliverances and reilorations of the church of God, that we have account of in the fcriptures, were in anfwer to prayer. So was the redemption of the church of God from the Egyptian bondage. The great reftoration of the church in the latter day, is fpoken of as refembied by this ; as in Ifai. Ixiv. 1—4. xi. 11, 15, 16. xliii. 2, 3, 16 — 19. h. 10, 11, 15. Lxiii. 11, 12, 13. Zech. X. 10, 11. Hof ii. 14, 15. It was in anfwer to prayer, that the fun flood ftill over Gibeon, and the moon in the valley of Ajalon, and God's people obtained that great viiiory over their enemies : in which

Wonderful miracle, God feemed to have fome refpcfl to a future more glorious event to be accompli(bed for thechriftian churchy in the day of her viftory over her enemies, in the latter days ; even that event foretold, Ifai. xl. 20. Thy fun Jliall no viorego down^ neither Jliall thy moon zvithdrazv itfelj\ It was in anfwer to prayer, that God delivered his church from the mighty hoft of the Af-fyrians, in Hezekiah's time; which difj^en-fation is abundantly made ufe of, ^s a type of the great things God will do for the chri-ftian church in the latter days, in the prophecies of Ifaiah. The reftoration of the church of God from the Baby lonifh captivity, as abundantly appears both by fcripture-prophecies and hiftories, was in anfwer to extraordinary prayer; feejer.xxix* 10—14. and 1. 4, 5. Dan. ix. throughout. Ezra viii. 21, &c. Neh. i. 4. to the end.—iv. 4, 5. and chap. ix. throughout. This reftoration of the Jewifh church, after the deftruc-tion of Babylon, is evidently a type of the glorious reftoration of the chriftian church, after the deftruftion of the kingdom of Anti-chrift; which, as all know, is abundantly fpoken of in the revelation of St. John, as the anti-type of Babylon. Sampfon, out of

T

weakncfs, received ftrength to pull down Dagon's temple, through prayer. So the people of God, in the latter days, will, out of weaknefs, be made fl:rong,and will become the inltruments of pulling down the king-' dom of Satan, by prayer.

The Spirit of God v/as poured out upon Chrift himfelf, in anfwer to prayer. Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pafs, that Jefus alfo being baptized, and pray-ing, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Ghoji defcendcd in a boddly jhape like a dove, upon hivi; and a voice came from heaven, which faid, Thou art my beloved Son, in Thee I ant ' well pleafed. The Spirit defcends on the church of Chrift, the f^me way, in this re-fpeft, that it defcended on the head of the "church. The greateft effufion of the Spir-,it that ever yet has been, even that which wa^s in the primitive times of the chriftian church, which began in Jerufalem on the (3ay of Pentecoft, was in anfwer to ex-.traordinary prayer. When the difciples were gathered together to their Lord, a little before his afcenfion, he commanded them that they Jlio^ild not depart from Jerufalem, but wait for the promife of the Father, which, faiih he, ye have heard of me, i. e. the pro-

mife of the Holy Ghoft ; Afts i. 4. What fhey had their hearts upon was the reftora-tion of the kingdom of Ifrael: Lord, fay they, wilt thou, at this time, rejiore again the kingdom to Ifrael, ver. 6- And according to Chrift's direftion, after his afcenfion, they returned to Jerufalem, and continued in u-nited fervent prayer and fupphcation. It feems they fpent their time in it from day to day, without ceafing; until the fpirit came down in a wonderful manner upon them, and that work was begun which never ccaf-ed, until the world was turned upfide down, and all the chief nations of it were converted to chriftianity; and that glorious deliverance and advancement of the chriftian church, that was in the days of Conflantine the Great, followed the extraordinary cries of the church to God, as the matter is repre-fented, Rev. vi. at the opening of the fifth feal. The church, in her fuffering ftate, is reprefented crying with a loud voice, How long. Lord, holy and true, daft thou not judge, and avenge our blood on them that divell on the earth ? And the opening of the next feal brings on that mighty revolution, in the days of Conflantine, compared to thofe great changes that (hall be at the end of the

w

orJd.

As there is fb great and manifold reafon from the word of God, to think that if a fpirit of earned prayer for that great effufi-on of the Spirit of God which I am fpeak-ing of, prevailed in the chriftian church, the mercy would be foon granted ; fo thofe that are engaged in fuch prayer might well expect the lirft benefit. God will come to thofe that are feeking him and waiting for him; Ifai. xxv. 9. and xxxvi. 8. When Chriil: came in the flefh, he was firfl revealed to them who were vjaitingfor the confo^ Idtion of Ifrael, and looking for i^edemption in Jerufalevi, And in that great out-pouring of the Spirit that was in the days of the apoflles, which was attended with fuch glorious effefts among the Jews and Gentiies, the Spirit came down firft on thofe that were engaged in united earned prayer for it.—x\ fpecial blefhng is promifed to them that love and pray for the profperity of the church of God. Pray for the peace of Je-rufalem. Theyfhall prof per ^ that love thee.

y. We are prefented with many motive^ in the difpenfations of Divine Providenc^ at this day, to excite us to be much in pray, er for this mercy.

There is much in Providence to fhew us

our need of it, and put us on defiring it.— The great outward calamities, in which the world is involved, and particularly the bloody war that embroils and waftes the nations of Chriftendom, and in which our nation has fo great a fhare, may well make all that believe God's word, and love mankind, ear-neilly long and pray for that day, when the wolf {hall dwell with the Iamb, and the na« tions fhall beat their fwords into plow-fhares &c. But efpecially do the fpiritual calamities, and miferies of the prefent time, (hew our great need of that bleffed effufion of God's Spirit; there having been, for fo long a time, fo great a witb-holding of the Spirit, from the greater part of the Chriftian w^orld, and fuch difmal confequences of it, in the great decay of vital piety, and the exceeding prevalence of infidelity, herefy, and all manner of vice and wickednefs; and efpecially in our land and nation; of which a moft affefting account has lately been pub-liftied in a pamphlet, printed in London, and re-printed in Scotland, entitled, Britain's Remembrancer; by which it feems that luxury, and wickednefs of almoft every kind, is well nigh come to the utmoft extremity in the nation; and if vice Ihould continue to

prevail and increafe for one generation more, as it has the generation paft, it looks as tho' the nation could hardly continue in being, but mufl fink under the weight of its own corruption and wickednefs. And the ftatc of things in the other parts of the Britifh dominions, beGdes England, is very deplorable. The church of Scotland has very much loft her glory, greatly departing from her ancient purity, and excellent order; and has of late been bleeding with great and manifold wounds, occafioned by their divifions and hot contentions. And there are frequent complaints from thence, by thofe that lament the corruptions of that land, of fin and v/ickednefs, of innumerable kinds, a-bounding and prevailing of late, among all mnks and forts of men there. And how lamentable is the moral and religious (late of thefe American colonies? Of New-England in particular! Hov/ much is that kind of religion, that was profefled and m.uch experienced and practifcd, in the firft, and apparently the beft times in New-England, grown and growing out of credit ? What fierce and violent contentions have been of late among mini'fters and people, about things of a religious nature? How much is the gofpel-

miniftry grown into contempt ? and the work of the ^miniftry, in many refpefts^ laid under uncommon difficukies, and even in danger of finking amongfl us? How many of our congregations and churches rending in pieces? Church-difcipline weakened, and ordinances lefs and lefs regarded- What wild and extravagant notions, grofs delufions of the devil, and llrange pra6lices have prevailed, and do ftill prevail, in many places, under a pretext of extraordinary purity, fpirit-uality, liberty, and zeal againft formality, ufurpation, and conformity to the world? How ftrong and deeply rooted and general are the prejudices that prevail againft vital religion, and the power of godlinefs, andal-moft every thing that appertains to it, or tends to it? How apparently jire the hearts of people, every where, uncommonly (hut up againfl: all means and endeavours to a--waken finners and revive religion? Vice and immorality, of all kinds, withal increaf-ing and unqfually prevailing?—May not an attentive vievr and confideration of fuch a flate of things well influence the people that favour the duft of Zion, to earneftnefs in their cries to God for a general out-pouring of his Spirit, which only can be an effeftual remedy for thefe evils?

Befides the things that have been mentioned, the frefh attempts made by the Anti-chriftian powers againft the Proteftant inte-reft, in their late endeavours to reftore a Popifti government in Great Britain, the chief bulwark of the Proteftant caufe; as alfo the perfecution lately revived againft the Proteftants in France, may well give oc-cafion to the people of God, to renewed and extraordinary eaVneftnefs in their prayers to him, for the fulfilment of the promifed downfall of Antichrift, and that liberty and glory of his church that ftiall follow.

As there is much in the prefent ftate of things to (hew us our great need of this mercy, and to caufe us to defire it; fo there is very much to convince us, that God alone: . can bejlow it, and ftiew us our entire and ab-folute dependence on him for it. The in-fufficiency of human abilities to bring to pafs any fuch happy change in the world as is foretold, or to afford any remedy to mankind, from fuch miferies as have been mentioned, does now remarkably appear. Thofe obfervations of the apoftle, i Cor. i. The world by wifdovi knows not God, and God makes foolijh the zoifdom of this ivorld, never were verified to fuch a degree as they are

THE MJERCY SOtJGHT. t6t

now. Great difcoveries have been made in the arts and fciences, and never was human learning carried to fuch a height, as in the prefent age; and yet never did the caufe of religion and virtue run fo low, in nations profeffing the true religion. Never was an age wherein fo many learned and elaborate treatifes have been written, in proof of the truth and divinity of the Chriftian religion; yet never were there fo many infidels among thofe that were brought up under the light ofthegofpeL It is an age, as is fuppofed^. of great light, freedom of thought, and dif-covery of truth in matters of religion, and deteftion of the weaknefs and bigotry of our anceftors, and of the folly and abfurdity of the notions of thofe that were accounted e-minent divines in former generations; which notions, it is imagined, did deftroy the very foundations of virtue and religion, and enervate all precepts of morality, and, in effeft^ annul all difference between virtue and vice; and yet vice and wickednefs did never fo prevail, like an overflowing deluge. It is an age wherein thofe mean and ffingy principles as they are called, of our forefathers, which, as is fuppofed, deformed religion, and led

U

to unworthy thoughts of God, are very much difcarded, and grown out of credit, and fup-pofed more free, noble and generous tho'ts of the nature of rehgion, and of the Chrifti-an fcheme are entertained; but yet never was an age, wherein rehgion in general was fo much defpifed and trampled on, and Je-fus Chrift and God Almighty fo blafphem-ed and treated with open daring contempt. The exceeding weaknefs of mankind, and their infufficiency in themfelves for the bringing to pafs any thing great and good in the world, with regard to its moral and fpiritu-al (late, remarkably appears in many things that have attended and followed the extraordinary religious commotion, that has lately been in many parts of Great Britain and America. The infirmity of the human nature has been manifefted, in a very affefting manner, in the various paffions that men have been the fubjefts of, and innumerable ways that they have been moved, as a reed fliaken with the wind, on occafion of the changes and incidents, both public and private, of fuch a ftate of things. How many errors and extremes are we liable to? How quickly over-topped, blinded, mifled, and confounded? And how eafily does Satan

make fools of men, if confident in their own wifdom and ftrength, and left to theinfelves ? Many, in the late tvonderful feafon, were ready to admire and truft in men, as if all depended on fuch and fuch inftruments, at leafl: did afcribe too much to their (kill and zeal, becaufe God was pleafed to improve

them a little while to do extraordinary things; but what great things does the (kill and zeal of inftruments do now, when the Spirit of God is withdrawn?

As the prefent ftate of things? may well excite earnell defires, after the promifed general revival and advancement of true religion, and ferve to fhew our dependence on God for it, fo there are many things in Providence, of late, that tend to encourage us in prayer for fuch a mercy. That infideli-ty, herefy and vice do fo prevail, and that corruption and wickednefs are rifen to fuch an extreme height, is that v/hich is exceeding deplorable; but yet, I think, confidering God's promifes to his church, and the ordinary method of his difpenfations, hope may juftly be gathered from it, that the prefent ftate of things will not laft lon^, but that a happy change is nigh. We know, that God Hcver will defert the caufe of truth and ho-

164 ENCOURAGEMENT TO BE DRAWN

linefs, nor fufFer the gates of hell to prevail againft the church; and that it has ufually been fo from the beginning of the world, that the ftate of the church has appeared moft dark, juft before fome remarkable deliverance and advancement. Many a time may Ifraelfay — Had not the Lord been on our Jide, then our enemies would have fwallowed us up quick — The zvaters had overwhelmed us. The church's extremity has often been God's opportunity for the magnifying his power, mercy and faithfulnefs towards her. The intereft of vital piety has long been in general decaying, and error and wickednefs prevailing; it looks as though the difeafe were now come to a crifis, and that things cannot long remain in fuch a ftate, but that a change may be expected in one refpeft or other. And not only God's manner of dealing with his church in former ages, and many things in the promifes and prophecies of his word, but alfo feveral things appertaining to prefent and late afpefts of Divine Providence, feem to give reafon to hope that the change will be fuch, as to magnify God's free grace and fovereign mercy, and not his revenging juftice and wrath. There are cer* tain times, that are days of vengeance, ap-

pointedfor the more fpecialdifplays of God's juftice and indignation; and God has alfo his days of mercy, accepted times, chofcn feafons, wherein it is his pleafure to fliew mercy, and nothing (hall hinder it; they are times appointed for the magnifying of the Redeemer and his merits, and the triumphs of his grace, wherein his grace (hall triumph overmens' unworthinefs initsgreateft height. And if we confider God's late dealings with our nation and this land, it appears to me that there is much to make us think that this day is fuch a day; particularly Gods preferving and delivering the nation, when in fo great danger of ruin by the late rebellion, and his preferving New-England, and the other Britifh colonies in America, in fo remarkable a manner, from the great armament from France, prepared and fent againft us the laft year; and the almoft miraculous fuccefs given to us againft our enemies at Cape-Breton the year before, difappointing their renewed preparations and frelh attempt againft thefe colonies, this prefent year 1747, by delivering up the ftrength of their fleet into the hands of the Englifti, as they were in their way hither. And alfo in protefting us, from time to time, from armies by land.

that have come againft us from Canada fince the beginning of the prefent war with France. Befides many flrange inftances of proteftion of particular forts and fettlements, fhewing a manifeft interpofition of the hand of heaven, to the obfervation of fome of our enemies, and even of the favages. And added to thefe, the late unexpefted reftoring of the greater part of our many captives in Canada, by thofe that held them prifoners there. It appears to me, that God has gone much out of his ufual way, in his exercifes of mercy, patience and long-fuffering in thefe inftances. God's patience was very wonderful of old, towards the ten tribes, and the people of Judah and Jerufalem, and afterwards to the Jews in Chrifl's and the apof-tles times; but it feems to me, all things con-fidered, not equal to his patience and mercy to us. God does not only forbear to deftroy us, notwithftanding all our provocations and their aggravations, which it would be endleft to recount; but he has, in the fore-mentioned inRances, wrought great things for us, wherein his hand has been moft vifible, and his arm made bare; efpecially thofe two inftances in America, God's fucceeding us a-gainft Cape-Breton, and confounding the ar-

DISPENSATIONS OF PROVIDENCE. 167

mada from France the laft year; difpenfa-tions of Providence which, if confidered in all their circumllances, were fo wonderful, and apparently manifefting an exti:aordina-rv divine interpofition, that they come, perhaps, the nearefl to a parallel with God s wonderful works of old, in Mofes's, Jofhua's, and Hezekiah's time, of any that have been in thefe latter ages of the world. And it is to my prefent purpofe to obferve, that God was pleafed to do great things for us in both thefe inflances, in anfwer to extraordinary prayer. Such remarkable appearances of a fpirit of prayer, on any particular public oc-cafion, have not been in the land, at any time within my obfervation and memory, as an occafion of the affair of Cape-Breton.— And it is worthy to be noted and remembered, that God fent that great ftorm on the fleet of our enemies the laft year, that finally difperfed, and utterly confounded them, and caufedthem w^holly to give over their de-figns againft us, the very night after our day of pubHc fafting and prayer, for our protection and their confufion.

Thus, although it be a day of great apof-tacy and provocation, yet it is apparently a dayof the wonderful works of God; w^onders

of power and mercy, which may well lead US'* to think on thofe two places of fcripture, Pfal. cxix. 126. It is time for theei Lord, to work, for they have made void thy lazu. —■ And Pfal. Ixxv. 1. That thy name is near^ thy zvonderous works declare. —God appears, as it were, loth to deftroy us, or deal with us according to our iniquities, as great and aggravated as they are, and (liews that mercy pleafes him. As corrupt a time as it is, it is plain, by experience, that it is a time wherein God may be found, and Hands ready to fhew mercy in anfwer to prayer. He that has done fuch great things, and has fo wonderfully and fpeedily anfwered prayer for temporal mercies, will muc^ more give the Holy Spirit if we afl-i him. He marvel-loufly preferves us, and waits to be gracious to us, as though he chofe to make us monuments of his grace, and not his vengeance, and waits only to have us open our mouths wide, that he may fill them.

The late remarkable religious awakenings, that have been in many parts of the Chriftian world, are another thing that may juftly encourage us in prayer for the pro-mifed glorious and univerfal out-pouring of

the Spirit of God. '' In or about the year . *' 173-2 or 1733, God was plea fed to pour *• oiu His Spirit on the people of Saltzburg, *• in Germany, who were living under Fop-'•' iHi darknefs, in a moH uncommon man-''ner; fo ihawabovc tv/cnty tboufand of '• them, r)iii?fe^' by reading the Bible, which '' they made a fhift to get in their own lan-** g^'-^g^? were determined to throw ofTPop-"'' ery, and embrace the reformed Religion; *' yea, and to become fo very ^zealous for '•' the truth and gofpel of Jefus Chrid, as to *•' be willing to fuffer the lofs of all things in '•' the world, and actually to forfake their '' houfes, lands, goods and relations, that '' they might enjoy the pure preaching of ''the gofpel;—wiih great earneflnefs, and » *' tears in their eyes, befeeching Protedant '* miniilers to preach to them, in different '' places Vv'here they came, when banifhed '• from their ov/n country.''—In the year 1734 and 173,5, tliere appeared a very great '"' and general awakening in the county of Hampfnire, in the province of the Maffa-chufetts-Bay, in New-England, and alfo in many parts of Connefticut. Since this, there

X

170 LATE ENCOURAGING El'ENTS.

has been a far more extenGve awakening of many thoufands in England,Wales, and Scotland, and almofl: all the Britiili provinces in North America. There has alfo been fdmc-thing remarkable of the fame kind in fome places of the United Netherlands; and about two years ago, a very great ^vakening and reformation of many of the Indians in the Jerfeys and Pennfylvania, even among fuch as never embraced Chriilianity before; and wfthin thefe two years, a great awakening in Virginia and Maryland. Notwithitand-ing the great diverii^y of opinions about the iffue of fome of thefe awakenings, yet I know of none that have denied that tliere have been great awakenings of late, in thefe times and places, and that multitudes have been brought to more than comm.on concern for their falvation, and for a time were made more than ordinarily afraid of fm, and bro't to reform their form.er vicious courfes, and take m»uch pains for their fal^ition. If I fhould be of the opinion qfthofethat think thefe awakenings and ilrivings of God's Spirit have been generally not well improved, and lb, 2s to nofl:, have not iffued well, but have ended in enthufiafm and delufion, yet.

that the Spirit of God has been of late To v/onderfully awakening and (Irivino- wii!i fuch multitudes, in fo many different parts of the world, and even to this day, in one place or other, continues to awaken men, is what I fliould take great encouragement from, that God Vv^as about to do fom.ething more glorious, and would, before he finilhes, bring things to a greater ripenefs, and not finally fu3er this work of his to be fruflrat-ed and rendered abortive by Satan's crafty management; and that thcle unufual commotions are the forerunners of fomething exceeding glorious approaching; as the wind, earthquake and fire, at Mount Sinai, v/ere forerunners of that voice, v/herein God was, in a more eminent manner; althoucrh they aiiO were cauied by a divme power, as it is reprefented, that thefe things were caufed by the Lordpoffing by. i Kings xix. ii. 12.

8. How condecent, how beautiful, and of good tendency would it be, for multitudes of Chriilians, in various parts of the world, by explicit agreement, to unite in fuch prayer as is propofed to us.

Union is one of the mofl amiable thinp-s that pertains to human fociety; yea, it is

one of the moft beautiful and happy things on earth, Vv^hich indeed makes earth mod like heaven. God has made of one blood all nations of men, to dwell on all the face of the earth; hereby teaching us this moral leffon, that it becomes mankind all to be u-nited as one family. And this is agreeable >to the nature that God has given men, dJ-])ofing them to fociety; and tie circum-ilanccs God has placed them in, fo many Av^ays obliging and neceffitatlng them to it. A civil uniQD, or an harmonious agreement among men, in the managem^ent of their fe-cular concerns, is amiable; but much more a pious union, and fweet agreement in the rreat bufinefs for which man was created, and had powers given him beyond tlie brutes; even the bufinefs of religion, the life and foul of which is love. Union is fpoken of ;n fcripture as the peculiar beauty of the church of Chrill, Cant. vi. g. My dove, my undifded is but oiic^Jlic is the only one of her mother, JJie is the choice one of her that bare her; the daughters faw her and blejjcd her, yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praifedher. Pfal. cxxii.5. Jerufalem is build-cd as a city that is compact together. Eph. iv.

OF THE PROPOSED CONCliRT. !-<>

/ o

3—6. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one fpirit; even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, cnc haptifm, one God, and Father of all, vclio is above all, and through all, and in you all. \^er. 10. The zchole body filly framed together and compacted, by that zvhich'every joint fvpplieth, according to the effcdttal working in the nieafire of every part, niikelh increafe cfthc body, unto the edifying iff If in love. . As it is the glory of the church ofChriil, that [lie, in all her members, however dif-perfed, is thus one, one holy foiciety, one city, one family, one body; fo it is wtry de-firable, that this union fliould benianifefted, and become vifible; and fo, that herdiilart members (houldafl as one, in thofe things that concern the common intcrefl oftlie whole body, and in thofe duties and exer, cifes wherein they have to do v»ith their common lord and head, as feeking of l^im the comnion profperity. It becomes all the inembej's of a particular family, who are liriftly united, and have in fomany refpefls one common interefl, to unite in player to God for the things they need; it become: a

nation, in days of prayer, appointed by national authority, at certain feafons, vifibly to unite in prayer for thofe public mercies that concern the intereft of the whole nation; fo it becomes the church of Chrift, which is one holy nation, a peculiar people, one heavenly family, more ftri6lly united ? in many relpe61:s, and having infinitely greater interefts that are common to the whole, than any other fociety; I fay, it efpecially becomes'this fociety, vifibly to unite, and exprefsly to agree together in prayer to God for the common profperity; and above all, that common profperity and advancement that is fo unfpcakably great and glorious, which God has fo abundantly promifed to fulfil in the latter days.

It is becominof of Chriftians, with wliofe character a narrow felfidi fpirit, above all others, difagrees, to be much in prayer for that public mercy, wherein confifts the welfare and happinefs of the whole body of Chrift, of which they are members, and the greateft good of mankind. And union or agreement in prayer is efpecially becoming, when Chriftians pray for that mercy, which above all other things concerns them unit-

OF THE PROPOSED CONCERT. lyr

edly, and tends to the relief, profperity and glory of the whole body, as well as of each individual member.

Such an union in prayer for the general out-pouring of the Spirit of God, would not only be beautiful, but profitable too. It would tend very much to promote union and charity between diflant members of the church of Chrifl, to promote public fpirit, love to the church of God, and concern for the intereil of Zion, as well as be an amiable exercife and manifeftation of fuch a fpirit.— Union in religious duties, efpecially in the duty of prayer, in praying one with and for another, and jointly for their common welfare, above almoft all other thincrs, tends to promote mutual affeftion and endearment. And if miniflers and people (hould, by particular agreement and joint refolution, fet themfelves, in a folemn and extraordinary manner, from time to time, to pray for the revival of religion in the world, it would naturally tend more to awaken in them a concern about things of this nature, and more of a defire after fuch a mercy; it would engage them to more attention to fuch an affair, make them more inquifitive about it, mqre ready to ufe endeavours to promote

^75 GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT GIVEN

that which they, with fo many others, fpend fo much time in praying for, and more ready to rejoice and praife God when they fee or hear of any thing of that nature or ten-dcTKy; and in a particular manner, would it naturally tend to engage minifters (the bufmefs of whofe life it is, to feek the vrel-fare of the church of Chrift, and the advancement af his kingdom) to greater diligence and earneflnefs in their work; and it would have a tendency to the fpiritual profit and advantage of each particular perfon. For perfons to be thus engaged in extraordinary

f)rayingfor the revival andflourilhing ofre-igion m the world, will naturally lead each one to refleft on himfelf, and confider hov/ religion flouriflies in his own heart; and hov/ farhisexam^ple contributes to the thing that he is praying for.

g. There is great and particular encouragement given in the word of God, to ex-prefs union and agreement in prayer. Daniel, when he had a great thing to requeft . of God, viz. That God, by his Holy Spirit, v;ould m:raculoufly reveal to him a great fecret, which none of the wife men, aflrolo-gers, magicians, or footh-faycrs of Babylon could find out. he goes to Hananiah, Mi-

TO EX^RESS AGREEMENT IN PRAYER. I77

Ihael and Azariah, his companions, and they agree together, that they will unitedly defire mercies of the God of heaven, concerning this fecret; and tlieir joint requeft was foon granted: and God put great honor upon them^ above all the wife men of Babylon, to the filling their mouths with praife, and to the admiration and afionifhment of Nebuchadnezzar; infomuch,that that great and haughty monarch, as we are told, fell upoa his face and worfliipped Daniel, and ov/ned that his God zcas of a truth a God cf gods^ and greatly promoted Daniel and his praying companions in the province of Babylon. Edher, when fhe had a yet more important requeft to make, for thefaving of the church of God, and v/hole nation of the Jews, dif-perfed through the empire of Perfia, when on the brink of ruin, fends to all the JewsU' in the city Shufhan, to pray 4nd faft with her and her maidens; and their united prayers prevail, fo that the event was wonderful; inilead of the intended deftruftion of the Jews, the Jews enemies are deflroyed every where, and they are defended, honored and promoted, and their forrow and diftrefs is turned into great gladnefs, feafting, triumph, and mutual joyful congratulation^;.

Y

178 GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT, &C.

The encouragement to explicit agreement in prayer is great from fiich inltances as thefe; but it is yet greater from thofe wonderful words of our bleffed Redeemer. Mat. xviii. 19. I fay unto you, that if tiny tvjo of youfiaU agree on earth touching any thing thoot they f mil afk, itfiallbe done for them of my Father -which is in heaven, Chriil is pleaf-ecl to give this great encouragement to the union of his followers in this excellent and holy exercife of feeking and ferving God; an holy union and communion of his people beinp^ that which he g^reatlv deiires and de-]i<Thts in, that which he came into the world to bring to pafs, tliat which he efpecially praved for with his dying breath, John xvii. that which he died for, and which was one chief end of the whole affair of our redemption by him. Eph. i. In zohovi zve have re-dcnipiion thrditgh his blood, the forgivenefs of fihs, according to the riches of his grace, wherein he hath abounded towards us znallwifdovi and briidence; having made knozvn to us the Dificry of his will, according to his good plea-fare, which he hath prop ofed in hdnifef; that tn /he difpenfation of the fulnefs of times, he might gather together in one ail things in Chrifl, both xchich are in heaven, and zvhich are on earth, even in him.

tsr^imfWtKSailMSuem

OBJECTIONS A N S W P: R E D.

I COME now, as was propofed,in the third place, to anfwer and obviate fome objections, which fome may be ready to make a-gainft the thing that has been propofed to us.

Objecl. 1. Som.e may be ready to fay, That for Chriftians, in fuch a manner tofet apart certain feafons, every week, and every quarter, to be religioufiy obferved and kept for the purpofes propofed, from year to year, would be, in effeft, to eftablifli certain periodical times of human invention and appointment, to be kept holy to God, and fo to do the very thing, that has ever been objected againfl, by a very great part of the moft eminent Chriftians and Divines among Proteftants, as what men have no ricdit to do, it being for them to add to God's infti-tutions, and introduce their own inventions and eftablifhments into the ftated wordiip of God, and lay unwarrantable bonds on mens' confciences, and do w^hat naturally tends to fuperHition.

Aiif To this I would fiy. There can be nojuiiicein flich an objeftion againft this

propofal, as made to us in the foremention-ed memorial. Indeed, that caution and prudence appears in the projefl:ion itfelf, and in the manner in which it is propofed to us, that there is not fo much as any colour for the objetlion. The propofal is fuch, and fo well guarded; that there feems to be no room for the weakeR Chriilian that well qbferves it, fo to miilake it, as to underfiand tbofe things to be implied in it, that have, indeed, been objected againit, by many eminent Chriilians and Divines among Proteflants, as entanghng mens'confciences, and adding to divine inltitutions, &c.—Here is no pretence of eltablifhing any thing by authority ; no appearance of any claim of power in the propofers, or right to have any regard paid to their determnnations or propofals, by virtue of any deference due to them, in any re-fpeft, any more than to every individual perfon of thofe that'they apply themfelves to. So far from that, that they exprefsly mention that which they have thought of, as what they would propofe to the thoughts of others, for their amendments and improvements, declaring that they chufe rather to receive and fpread the direfHons and pro-pofals of others^ than to be the firll authors

of any.—No times, not fanctified by God's own inftituiion, are propofed tobeobferved more than others, under any notion of fuch times being, in any refpeft, more holy, or more honorable, or worthy of any preference, or diftinguifhingregard; either as being fanctified, or made honorable, by authority, or by any great events of Divine Providence, or any relation to any holy perfons or things; but only as circumflantially convenient,helpful to memory, efpecially free from worldly bufinefs, near to the times of the adminiiira-tion of public ordinances, &c. None attempts to lay any bonds on others, with re-fpe6l to this matter, or to defire that they fnould lay any bonds onthemfelves, orlook on themfelves as under any obligations, either by power or promife; or fo much as come into any abfolute determination in their own minds, to fet apart any ftated da) s from fecular affairs, or even to fix on any part of fuch days, without liberty to alter cir-cumftances, as fliall be found expedient, and alfo liberty left to a future alteration of judg-ment, as to expediency, on further trial and confideration. All that is propofed is, that fuch as fall in with what is propofed in their judgments and inclinations, while they do

l82 NO SUPERSTITION IN THE CASE.

fo, Tnall ftrengthen, affift and encourage their brethren that are of the fame mind, by vifi-bly confenting and joining with them in the affair. Is here any thing like making laws in matters of confcience and religion, or adding mens' mftitutions to God's, or any fhew of impofition, or fuperftitious efleeming and preferring one day above another, or any poffible ground of entanglement of any one's confcience?

For men to go about by law to eftablifn and limit circumftances of worfliip, notefta-blifhed or limited by any law of God, fuch as precife time, place, and order, may be in many refpecls of dangerous tendency. But furely it cannot be unlawful or improper for Chriilians to come into fome agreement w^ith regard to thefe circumftances, for it is impof-fible to carry on any focial worfliip without it. There is no inflitution of fcripture requiring any people to meet together to wor-Ihip God in fuch a fpot of ground, or at fuch an hour of the day; but yet thefe m.uft be determined by agreement, or elfe there will be no focial worfhip, in any place, or any hour. So we are not determined by in-ftitution, what the precife order of the different parts of worfhip fliall be, what fhall

THE CONCERT NOT WHIMSICAL. 183

precede, and what fhall follow; whether praying or finging (hall be firll, and what fhall be next, and what fhall conclude; but yet fome order mull be agreed on by the congregation that unite in worflnp^otherwife they cannot jointly carry on divine worfhip, in any way or method at all. If a congregation of Chriilians do agree to begin their public worfhip with prayer, and next to nng, and then to attend on the preaching of the word, and to conclude with prayer; and do by confcnt carry on their worfliip in this order from year to year, though this order is not appointed in fcripture, none will call this fuperflition. And if a great number of congregations, through a whole land, or more lands than one do, by common confent, keep the fame method of public worfhip, none will pretend to find fault with it. But yet for any to go about to bind all to fuch a method, would be ufurpation and impofition. And if fuch a precife order fliould be regarded as facred, as though no other could be acceptable to God, this would be fuperftition. —If a particular number of Chriflians fliall agree, that befides the flated public worlhip of the fabbath, they will, when their circum-flances allow, meet together to carry on

184 THE CONCERT NOT WHIMSICAL.

feme religious exercifes on a fabbath-day night, for their mutual edification; or if fe-t^eral focieties agree to meet together in different places at that time, this is no fuper* fiition, though there be no inflitution for it. If people in different congregations voluntarily agree to ^ake turns to meet together in the houfe of God, to worfliip him and hear a public ,le6lure, once a month, or once in fix weeks; it is not unlawful, though there be no inflitution for it;^ but yet to do this as a thing facred, indifpenfible, and bind-"ing on mens' confciences, would be fuper-ftition. If Chriftians of feveral neighbouring congregations, initeadof alefture, agree on fome fpecial occafion to keep a circular faft, each congregation taking its turn in a certain time and order, fixedonby confent; or indead of keeping faft by turns, on different days, one on one week, and one on another, they fhould all agree to keep a faft on the fame day, and to do this either once OF frequently, according as they flia-ll judge their own circumftances, or the difpenfations of the Divine Providence, or the importance of the mercy they feek, do require; neither is there any more fuperftitioa in this than the other.

THF. CONCERT NCt WHIMSICAL. 185

Objed. 2. Some may be ready to fay, therc feems to be fometliinff whimfical in itsbeinir infifled on that God's people, in diifercnt places, fliould put up their prayers for this mercy at the Tame time, as though their prayers would be more forcible on that account, and as if God v/ould not be fo likely to liear prayers oHcred up by many, tho' they happened not to pray at the fam.e time, as he would if he heard them all at the fame moment.

Anf, To this I Vv'Ould fay, If fuch an ob-jcftion be made, it muil be through mifun-derftanding. It is not fi^nified or implied in any thing faid in the propofal, or in any arguments made ufe of to enforce it that I have feen, that the prayers of a great number, in different places, will be more forcible, merely becaufe of that circumftance, of their being put up at tlie fa ire time. It is^ indeed, fuppofed, that it will be very expedient, that certain times for united prayer Ihouid be agreed on; which it may be v/ith-out im.plymg the thing fuppofed in the ob-jeftion, on the following accounts.

1. This feems to be a proper expedient for the promoting and m.aintaining an uni-^

Z

l85 THE CONSERT NOT WHIxMSICAL.

on among Chridians of difiant places, in extraordinary prayer for fuch a mercy. It appears, from what was before obferved, that there ought to be extraordinary prayers a-mong Chriftians for this mercy; and that it is fit, that God's people fliould agree and unite in it. Though there be no reafon to fuppofe that prayers will be more prevalent, merely from that circumflance, that different perfons pray exatUy at the fame time-^ yet there will be more reafon to hope, that prayers for fuch mercy will be prevalent, when God's people are very much in prayer for it, and v/hen many of them are united in it. If therefore agreeing on eertain times for united and extraordinary praver, be a likely means to promc>te an union of many in ex-traordinary pra^^er, then there is more reafon to hope that there will be prevalent prayer for fuch a mercy, for certain times for extraordinary prayer being agreed on. But, that agreement on certain times for united extraordinary prayer, is a likely and proper means to promote and maintain fuch prayer, I think will be eafily evident to any one that confiders the matter. If there fhould be only a loofe agreement or confent to it as a dutyj-or a thing fit and proper, that Chrif-

THE CONCERT NOT WHIMSICAL. 187

lians fliould be much in prayer for the revival of rehgion, and much more in it than they ufed to be, without agreeing on parti-<:ular times, how liable would fuch a lax a-greement be to be foon forgotten, and that extraordinary prayerfulnefs, which is fixed to no certain times, to be totally neglefted? To be fure, diftant parts of the church of Chrift could have no confidence in one another, that this v/ould not be the cafe. If thefe minifters in Scotland, infteadofthe propofal they have m.ade, or any other mi-niiters or Chr jftians in any part of the Chrif-tian world, had fent abroad only a general propofal, that God's people ihould, for the time to come, be much more in prayer for the advancement of Chrift's kingdom, than had been common among Chriftians heretofore; and they fiiould hear their propofal was generally allowed to be good, 'and that minillers and people, in one place and another, that hadoccafion to fpeak their minds upon it, owned that it was a very proper thing, that Chrifiians fliould pray more for this mercy than they generally ufed to do; could they, from this only, have, in any meafure, the like grounds of dependent, that God's people, in various parts of the

l88 THE COx\CErs.T xNTOT WHIMSICAL.

Chrlftian world, would, indeed, henceforward aft unitedl)^ in maintaining extraordinary prayer for this mercy, as if they fhould not only hear that the duty in general was approved of, but alfo that particular times were aftually fixed on for the purpofe, and an agreement and joint refolution was come into, that they would, unlefs extraordinarily hindered, fet apart fuch particular feafons to be fpent in this duty, from time to time, maintaining this praftice for a certain number of years?

2« For God's people, in difiant places, to ag^ree on certain times for extraordinary prayer, wherein they will unitedly put up their requefts to God, is a means fit and proper to be ufed, in order to the viability of their union in fuch prayer. Union am^ong God's people in prayer is truly beautiful, as has been before obferved and fnewn; it is beautiful in the eyes ofChrif!:, audit isjuilly beautiful and amiable in the eyes of Chril-tians. And if fo, then it muft needs be de~ firable to Chriflians that fuch union fliould be vifible. If it would be a lovely fight in the eyes of the church of Chrift, and much to their comfort, to behold various and dif--

THE CONCERT NOT WHIMSICAL. 189

ferent parts of the church united in extraordinary prayer for the general out-pouring of the Spirit, then it muft be defirable to them that fuch an union fhould be vifible, that they may behold it; for if it be not vifible, it cannot be beheld. But agreement and union in a multitude in their worfhip becomes vifible, by an agreement in fome external vifible circumftances. Wcdhip it-felf becomes vifible v/orfhip, by fomethin^ external and vifible belonging to the worfhip, and no other way; therefore union aiid agreement of many in v\^orfhip becomes vifible no other vv^ay, but by union and agreement in the external and vifible afts and cir-cumftances of the worfliip. Such union and agreement becomes vifible, particularly by an agreement in thofe tw^o vifible circum.-fiances, time and place. When a number of Chrifiians live near together, and their number and fituation is convenient, arid they have a defire vifibly to unite in any acis of worfhip, they are wont to make their union llj^ and agreement vifible by an union in both thefe circumilances. But when a much greater number of ChriPdans, dwelling in diflant places, fo that they cannot unite by worfliip^ ping in the fame place, yet defirc a vifible

igo THE CONCERT NOT WHIMSICAL,

union in feme extraordinary worfhip, they are wont to make their union and agreement vifible, by agreeing only in the former of thofe circumftances, viz. that of time; as is common in the appointment of public Tafls and thankfgivirgs; the fame day is appointed, for the performance of that extraordinary worfnip, by all thofe Chriftians, in different places, that it is intended fhouldbe united therein, as a vifible note cf their union. This the common light and fenfe of God's people leads Chriftians to in all countries. And the wifdom of Godfeems to dictate the fame thing, in appointing that his people, through the world, in all ages, in their ftatcd and ordinary public worfhip, e-very week, (hould manifcft this union and communion one with another, in their wor-{hip, as one holy fociety, and great congregation of worfiiippers, and fervants of God, by offering up their worOiip on the fame day, for the greater glory of their common Lord, and the greater edification and comfort of the whole body, jl

If any yet find fault with the propofal or certain times to be agreed on by God's people in different places, in the manner fet forth in the memorial, I would afk whether

THE CONCERT NOT WHIMSICAL, igj

they objeft againfl any fuch thing, as a vifi-ble agreement of God's people, in different parts of the world, in extraordinary prayer, for the coming of Chrifl's kingdom? Whether fuch a thing, being vifible, would not be much for the public honor of God's name? And whether it would not tend to Chriftians afTiltance, quickening and encouragement in the duty united in, by mutual example, and alfo to their mutual comfort, by a manifeft-^tion of that union which is amiable to Chrift and Chriflians, and to promote a Chriftian union among profefiing Chriflians in general? And whether we have not rcafon to think, from the wOrd of God, that before that great revival of religion foretold is ac-complifhed, there will be a vifible union of the people of God, in various parts of the world, in extraordinary prayer, for this mercy? If thefe things are allowed, I would then afk further, whether any method can be thought of or devifed, whereby an exprefs agreement, and vifible union of God's people, in different parts of the world, can be come into, and maintained, but this, or fome other equivalent to it? If there be any exprefs agreement about any extraordinary

Ig2 THE CONCERT NOT WHIMSICAL.

prayer at all, it raafl firfl: be propofed by-feme, and others muft fall in, in the manner as is rcprefented in my text. And if extraordinary prayer be agreed on and m.aintain-ed by many in different places, vifibly one to another, then it muft be Agreed in fome refpeci, and with regard to fome circumftan-ces, what extraordinary prayer ihall be kept up; and it muft be feen and heard of, from one to another, what extraordinary prayer is kept up. But how fiiall this be, when no times are agreed upon, and it is never known nor heard, by thofe in different parts, nor is in any refpeft vifible to them, when, or hov/ often, thofe in one tov/n or country, and another do attend this extraordinary prayer? The confequence mufl neceffarily be, that it can never be known how far, or in what re-fpe6l others join with them in extraordinary prayer, or whether they do it at all; and not fo much as one cir'cumftance of extraordinary prayer will be vifible; and indeed nothing will be viftble about it. So that L think any body that well confidcTs the m?.9 •ter, wnli fee, that he who determines to op-pofe fuch a method as is propofed to us ia the memorial, and all others equivalent to

THE CONTCERT NOT \^%MIMSICAL. IQ3

it is, in cffeci, determined to oppofe tliere ever being any fuch tiling at all, as an agreed iand vifibly united extraordinary prayer, ill the churcli of God, for a general out-pour-tng of the Spirit.

3. Though it v/ould not be rrafonable to fuppofe, that merely fuch a circumflance of prayer, as many people's praying at the fame time will dire£Hy have any influence or prevalence with God, to caufe him to be the more ready to hear prayer; yet fuch a cir-fcumflance may reafonably be fuppofed to have influence on the minds of men ; as the confideration of it may tend to encourage and affift thofe in praying, that are united in prayer. Will any deily, that it has any reafonable tendency to encourage, animate, br in any refpeft to help the mind of a Chrif-tian in ferving God in any duty of religionj to join with a Chriitian congregatioB, and to fee an afTembly of his dear brethren around him, at the fame time engaged with him in the fame duty? And fuppofmg one In this afTembly of faints is blind, and [cqr ho one there, but has by ether m.eans ground of fatisfaftion that there is prefent at that A a

194 I'HE CONXERt NOT WHIMSICAL^

time a multitude of God's people, that are united with him in the fame fervice, will any deny, that his fuppofing this, and being fatisfied of it, can have any reafonable influence upon his mind, to excite and encourage him, or in any refpeft to aflift him in his worfliip? The encouragement or help that one that joins with an affembly in wor-{hipping God, has in his worfhip, by others being united with him, is not merely by any thing that he immediately perceives by fight, or any other of the external fenfes (for union in worfhip is not a thing objefted to the external fenfes;) but by the notice or knowledge the mind has of that union, or the fa-tisfaftion the underftanding has that others, at that time, have their minds engaged with him ill the fame fervice; which may be when thofc unitedly engaged are at a diflanceone from another, as w^ell as when they are pre-fent. If one be prefent in a worfhipping af-femblv, and is not blind, and fees others pre-'fent, and fees their external behaviour, their union and engagednefs with him in w^orfhip is ^'hat he does not fee, and w^hat he fees encourages and aflifts him in his worfnip, only as he takes it as an evidence of that union and concurrence in his w^orfhip, that

THE CONCERT NOT WHIMSICAL. IQ;^

is out of his fight. And pcrfons may liave evidence of this concerning perfons that are abfent, that may give him as much fatisfac-tion of their union with him, as if they were prefent. And therefore the confideration of others being at the fam*e time engaged wdth him in wordiip, that are abfent, may as reafonably animate and encourage him in his worfhip as if they v/ere prefent.

There is no wifdom in finding fault v/ith human nature, as God has made it. Things th^t exift now, at this prefent time, are, in themfelves, no m.ore weighty or important, than like things, and of equal reality, that Gxifted in time pad, or are to exift in time K) come; yet it is evident, that the confideration of things being prefent (at leaft in m.oll cafes) does efpecially affefl human nature. As for inftance, if a man fiiould be certainly informed, that his dear chi'd. at a difcance, v/as now under fom.e extreme fuffering, or that an abfent m.oft. dear friend was at xlus time thinking of him, and in the exercifeof great affefiion towards him, or in the performance of fome great deed of friendfhip; or if a pious parent fliould know that now his child was in the aft of fome enormous vrickednefs; or that, on the contrary^ he was

agS THE CONCERT NOT WHIMSICAL.

now in forne eminent exercife of grace, and in the performance of an extraordinary deed of virtue and piety; would not thofe thing^y be more aflefting to tlie human nature, for be/1 incT confidered as things that are in exigence at the prefent time, than if confidered as at fome diftance of time, either pall or future? Hundreds of other indances might be mentioned wherein it is no lefs plarin, that the confideraticn of the prefent exiftence of things gives them advantage to affeft the -minds of men. Yea, it is undoubtedly fo with things in genera!, that take any hold at all of our afFeftions, and towards which v/e are not indifFerent. And if the mind of a particular child of God is difpofed to be aiTe61ed by the confideration of the religion of other faints, and with their union and concurrence with him in any particular duty or aQ: of religion, I can fee no rcafon why the human mind (hould not be more moved by the objeft of its afieciion, when confidered as prefent, as well in this cafe, as in any o-ther cafe; yea, I think, we may on good grounds determine there is none.

Nor mav we Iook uoon it as an inftance of the peculiar weVknefs of the human na-

turc, that men are more affe61cd with things that are confidered as prefent, than thofe that ^re diftant; but it feems to be a thing common to finite minds, and fo to all created intelligent beings. Thus, the angels in heaven have peculiar joy, on occanon of the con-verfion of a finner, when recent, beyond what they have in that which has been long paft. If any therefore ftall call it iiily and whimfical in any, to value and regard fucli ^ circumftance, in things of religion, as their exifting at the prefent time, fo as to be the more affefted with them for that, they mull call the hoft of angels in heaven a parcel of filly and w^himfical beings.

I remember, the Spe61:ator(v/hom none will call a whimfical author) fomewhere fpeaking of different w^ays of dear friends mutually exprelfiqg their affe6iion,and maintaining a kind of intercourfe, in abfence-one from another, mentions fuch an inftance as this, with much approbation, viz. That two friends, that were greatly endeared one to another, v/hen about to part, and to be for a confi-derable time neceflariiy abfent, that they might have tlie comfort of the enjoyment of daily mutual exprefiions of friendfliip, in their abfence, agreed that they would, eve-

ig8 THE CONCLRT NOT PHARISAICAL.

ry day, precifely at fuch an hour, retire from all company and bufnicfs, to pray for one another. Which agreement they fo valued, and fo ftriclly obferved, that when the hour came, fcarce any thing would hinder them. And rather than mifs this opportunity, they would fuddenly break off converfation, and abruptly leave thecompany they were engage ed with.—If this be a defirable w^ay of inter-courfe of particular friends, is it not a defirable and amiable way of maintaining inter-courfe and fellowfiiip between brethren in Chrift. Jefus, and the various members of the Sioly family of God, in different parts of the world, to come into an agreement, tliatthey will fet apart certain times, which they w^ill fpend with one accord, in extraordinary prayer to their heavenly Father, for the advancement of the kingdom, and the glory of their common dear Lord and Saviour, and for each other's profperity and happinefs, and the greateft good of all their fellow-creatures through the world?

Object. 3. Some perhaps may objeft. That it looks too much like Pharifaifm, when per-fons engage in any fuch extraordinary religious exercifes, beyond what is appointed by cxprefs inftitution, for them thus defign-

edly to make it manifefl abroad in the wo^ld^ and fo openly to dillinguifh themfelves from others.

Aiif, 1. Allopenly engaging in extraordinary exercifes of religion, not exprefsly enjoined by inflitution, is not Pharifaifm, nor has ever been fo reputed in the Chriftian church. As when a particular church or congregation of Chriftians agree together to keep a day of fading and prayer, on fome fpecial occafion; or when public days of fading and thankfgiving are kept, through-* out a Chriilian province or country; and though it be ordinarily the manner for the civil magiftrate to lead, in the fetting apait fuch days, yet that alters not the cafe; if it be Pharifaifm in the fociety openly to agree in fuch extraordinary exercifes of religion^ it is not lefs Pharifaifm for the heads of the fociety leading in the affair. And if that were now the cafe with the Chriflian church, that once w^as, for about three hundred years together, that the civil magiftrate was not of the fociety of Chriftians, nor concerned himfelf.in their affairs; yet this would not render it the lefs fuitable for Chriftians, on proper c^ccafions, jointly, and vifibly one to another, to engage in fuch extraordinary ex-

206 THE CONCERT NOt PHARISAICAL;

^trcires of religion, and to keep days of faft-ing and thankfgiving by agreement.

Anf, 2. As to the latter part of the objec» tion, there can be no room for it in thi^ cafe; It cannot be objecred againft what is propof-ed in the memorial, that if perfons fhould comply with it, it would look like affefting fingularity, and open dillinflion from others of God's profefiing people, in extraordinary religion, fuch as was in the Pharifees of old-becaufe it is evident^ the vfery defign of thei memorial, is not to pron^ote Angularity and diftinftion, but as mut:4^as poffible to avoid and prevent it. The end of the memorial is not to confine and limit the thing propo* fed, that it may be praciifed only by a few, in didinftion from the generality; but on the contrary to extend it, and make it as general among profeffing Chriftians as poilible. Some had complied with the extraordinary duty propofed, and therein had been diftin-guifned from others, for two years, before: the m.emorial was publifhed; and they w^ere more dirtinguifhed than they d^fired, and therefore fend abroad this memorial, that the pi-aflice might be more fpread, and become more general, that they might be lefsr diRinguifhed. What they evidently feek, is

to bring to pafs as general a compliance as poffible of Chriflians of all denominations, '' intreating, that the defire of concurrence '" and affiftance, contained in the memorial, *' may by no means be underflcod, as reflric-" ting to any particular denomination or *' party, or thofe who are of fuch or fuch *' opinions about any former inftances of re-'' niarkable religious concern; but to be ex-" tended to all^ who (hall vouchfafe any at-'•' tention to the propofal, and have at heart *• the interefl of vital Chriilianity, and the /' power of godlinefs; and who, however dif-'' fering about other things^ are convinced '' of the importance of fervent prayer^ to *' promote that common intereft, and of '' fcripture perfuafives, to promote fuch ^"' pray en

Object, 4. Another objection^ that is very likely to arife in the minds of many againfl fuch extraordinary prayer as is propofedfor the fpeedy coming of Chrift's kingdom, is that we have no reafon to expeft it, until there firft come a time of mod extreme calamity to the church of God, and prevalence of her anti-chridian enemies againfl her; even that which is reprefented, Rev. xi. by the flaying B b

of the witnefTes; but have reafon to determine the contrary.

Anf. It is an opinion that .feems pretty much to have obtained, that before the ful-fihnent of the promifes relating to the church's latter-day glory, there muft come a mofl terrible time, a time of extreme fuffering, and dreadful perfecution of the church ofChrift, wherein Satan and Antichrift are to obtain their greateft viftory over her, and Ihe is to be bro't lower than ever by her enemies. Which opinion has chiefly rifen from the manner ■ of interpreting and applying the fore-mentioned prophecy of the flaying of the wit-neffes. This opinion, with fuch perfons as retain it, mull needs be a great reflraintand hindrance, with regard to fuch an affair as is propofed to us in the memorial. If perfons ex pe61 no other, than that the more the glorious times of Chrift's kingdom are haftened, the fooner will come this dreadful time, wherein the generality of God's people mufl: fuffer fo extremely, and the church ofChrift be almoft extinguifhed, and blotted out from under heaven; how can it be o-therwife, than a great damp to their hope, courage and activity, in praying for and reaching after the fpeedy introduftion of

.^ "^

thofe glorious promifed times? As long as this opinion is retained, it will undoubtedly ever have this unhappy influence on the minds of thofe that wifh well to Zion, and favor her ftones and dull. It will tend to damp, deaden, and keep down life, hope, and joyful expeftation in prayer; and even in great meafure, to prevent all eavneft, ani' mated and encouraged prayer, in God's people, for this mercy, at any time before it is aftually fulfilled. For they that proceed on tliis hypothefis in their prayers, muPc, at the fame time that they pray for this glorious day, naturally conclude within themfelves, that they fliall never live to fee on the ea.rth any dawning of it, but only to fee the dif-mal time that fhall precede it, in which the far greater part of God's people, that (hall live until then, (hall die under the extreme cruelties of their perfecutors. And the more they expe61 that God wiil anfwer their prayers, by fpeedy bringing on the promifed glorious day, the more mull they withal ex-peft themfelves to have a fhare in thofe dreadful things, that nature fhrinks at the thoughts of, and alfo expeft to fee things that a renewed nature flirinks at and dreads; even the prevailing of God's enemies^ and

the almofl total extinguifhing the true reli-* gion in the world. And on this hypothefis? thefe difcouragemcnts are Hke to attend the prayers of God's people, until that difrnal time be aftually come; and when that is come, thofe that had been prophefving and praying in fackclolh, fhall generally beflain; and after that time is over, then the glorious day fliall immediately commence. So that this notion tends to difeour^ge and hinder all earneft prayer in the church of God far that glorious coming of Chrift's kingdom, until it be aftually come; and that is to hinder its ever being at all.

It being fb, this opinion being of fuch hurtful tendency, certainly it is a thoufand pities it fhoald prevail and be retained, if truly there be no good ground for it.

Therefore in anfwer to this objeflion, I would, with all humility and modefTy, examine the foundation of that opinion, of fuch a dreadful time of victory of Antichrift over the church, yet to be expefted; and particularly fiiall endeavour to fliew that the Jlaying of the witmejjes, foretold, Rev. xi, 7 —10. is not an event that remains yet to be fulfilled.—To this end, I would propofe the following things to confideration.

1. The time vvherein the witnrjfes lie dead in thejlreets of the great city, doubtlefs, f3g~ nifies the time wherein the true church of Chrifl is lowed of all, mod of all prevailed againft by Antichrift, and nearefl to an utter extinftion; the time wherein there is left the lead vifibility of the church of Chrift yet fubfiding in the world, lead remains of any thing appertaining to true religion, whence a revival of it can be expefted, and wherein all means of it are miod abolidied, and the date of the church is, in all refpeQs, furthed from any thing whence any hopes of its ever flourii'hing again might arife. For before this the \v'itnef[i^spropheJy infackcloth, but now they are dead; before this they were kept low indeed, yet there was life, and pov/-er to bring plagues on theirenemies, and fo much of true religion left, as to be a continual eye-fore and torment to tliem ; but novv^ their enemies rejoice and fead, and have a general public triumph, as having obtained a full victory over them, and having entire-. ly extirpated them, and being completely delivered from them, and all that might give them any fear of being troubled with them any more. This time, wherever it be fixed, doubtlefs,is the time, not only v/herein fewe-ft

2oS WHETHER THE SLAYING OF THE

profeffors of the true religion are left in the world, but a time wherein the truth (hall be fanhefl out of fight, and Out of reach, and moft forgotten; wherein there are left few-eft beams of light, or traces of truth, feweft means of information, and opportunities of coming to the knowledge of the truth; and fo a time of the moft barbarous iraorance, moft deftitute of all hiftory, reliques, monuments and memory of things appertaining to true religion, or things, the knowledge of which hath any tendency to bring truth a-gain to light, and moft deftitute of learning, ftudy and enquiry.

Kov7, if we confidcr the prefent ftate of mankind, it is credible tliat a time will yet come in the Vv^orld, that in thefe refpefts exceeds all times that were before the Reformation? And that fuch a time will come before tlie fall of Antichrift, unlefs v/e fet that at a much greater diftance, than the farih-eit that any vet have fuppofed? It is next to impoffibie, that fuch a change fhould be brouGfht about in fo ftiort a time—it cannot be v/ithout a miracle. In order to it, not only muft the Fopifti nations fo prevail, as utterly to extirpate the Proteftant religion through the earthy but muft do many other

WITNESSES BE A PAST EVENT. 207

things, far more impoffible for them to effefl in order to cover the world with fo grofs and confirmed a darknefs, and to bury all light and truth in fo deep an oblivion, and fo far out of all means and hopes of a revival. And not only muft a vaft change be made in the Protellant world, but the Popifh nations muft be ftrangely metamorphofed, and they themfelves muft be terribly perfe^ cuted by fome other power, in order to bring them to fuch a change; nor would perfe-cution without extirpation be fufficient for it. If there fhould be another univerfal deluge, it might be fuflBcient to bring things in the world to fuch a pafs, provided a few ignorant barbjirous perfons only were pre-ferved in an ark; and it would require fome cataftrophe, not much fhort of this, to ef-feft it,

2. In the Reformation, that was in the days of Luther, Calvin, and others their contemporaries, the threatened deftruftion of Antichrill, that dreadful enemy that had long oppreffed and worn out the faints, was begun; nor was it a fmall beginning, but Antichrift hath fallen, at leaft, halfvv^ay to the ground, from that height of power and

2o8 WHETHER THE SLAYING OF THE

grandeur, that he was in before. Then began the vials of God's wrath to be poured ^ut on the throne of the beajl, to the great {baking of its foundations, and diminution of its extent; fo that the Pope loR near half C of his former dominions^ and as to degree of authority and influence over what is left, he is not poffeffed of what he had before. God nov7 at length, in anfwer to the long contin^ ued cries of his people, awaked as one out of fleep^ and began to deliver his church from her exceeding low ftate, that Ihe had continued in for many ages, under the great oppreffion of this grand enemy, and to re^ {tore her from her exile and bondage in the fpiritual Babyloii and Egypt. And it is not agreeable to the analogy of God's difpenfa-tions, that after this, God fhould defert his people, and hide himfelf fronl them, even jTiore than before, and leave them mofe than ever in the hands of their ehemy, and all this advantage of the church againfl An-tichrift (hould be entirely given up and loil, and the power and tyranny of Antichrift be more confirmed, and the church brought more under, and more entirely fubdued than ever before, and further from all help and means to recover. This is not God's way

WITNESSES BE A PAST EVENT. 2O9

of dealing with his people, or with their e-nemies; his work of falvation is perfeft— when he has began fuch a work he w:ill carry it on—when he once caufes the day of deliverance to dawn to his people, after fuch a long night of difmal darknefs, he will not 'extinguifh the light, and caufe them to return again to midnight darknefs—when he has begun to enkindle the bleffed fire, he will not quench the fmoaking flax, until he hath brought forth judgment unto viftory. When once the church, after her long labour and fore travail, has brought forth her man-child, and wrought fome deliverance^ her enemies fhall never be able to deflroy this child, though an infant^ but it (hall af-c^nd up to heaven, and be fet on high out of their reach.

The deftruftion that God often foretold and threatened to ancient Baby-Ion (which is often referred to in the Revelation, as a great type of the anti-chriflian church) was gradually accompliflied, and fulfilled by various [}eps, at a great diilance of time one from another; it was begun in the conqueft of Cyrus, and was farther accompliflied by Oariusj about eighteen years after, by a yet Cc

210 WHETHER'THE SLAYING OF THE

greater deftraftion, wherein it was brought much nearer to utter defolation; but it was about two hundred and twenty-three years after this, before the ruin of it was perfeft-ed, and the prophecies againft it fully ac-complifhed, in its being made an utter and perpetual defolation, without any human inhabitant, becoming the dwelling-place for owlsj dragons, and other doleful creatures. But yet wlien God had once begun to de-ftroy her, he went on until he finifhed, and never fuffered her any more to recover and eftabliih her former empire. So ihe refti-tution of the Jewifh churth, after tlie Baby-lonilh captivity, was gradual, by various fteps; there v/ere feveral times of return of the Jews from captivity, and feveral diftinft decrees of the Perfian emperors, for the re-ftoring and rebuilding Jerufalein, and re-eflablifliing the Jewifli church and ftate; and it was done in turbulent times, there were great interruptions and checks, and violent oppofitions, and times wherein the enemy did much prevail: But yet, when God had once begun the work he alfo made an end: he never fuffered the enemies of the Jews to bring Jerufalem to fiich a ftate of defolation as it had been in before, until

WITNESSES BE A PAST EVENT. 211%

the promifed reftoration was complete. A-gain, the deliverance of God's church from the opprefTion of Antiochus Epiphanes, (a-nother known type of Antichrift) was gradual; they were firft alhfled in a fmall degree, by the Maccabees, and afterwards the promifed deliverance was completed, in the recovery of Jerufalem, the reftoration of the temple, the miferable end of Antiochus, and the confequent more full deliverance of the w^hole land. But after God once began to appear for the help of his church in that in-ftance, after it feemed dead and paft all hope, he never fuffered Antiochus to prevail a-gainfl: his people, to that degree, again; though the utmoft ftrength of this great monarch was ufed, from time to time, in order to it, and his vaft empire was engaged againft an handful that oppofed them: God never forfook the w^ork of his own hands; w^hen he had begun to deliver his people, he alfo made an end. And fo Haman, tliat proud and inveterate enemy of the Jews, that tho't to extirpate the whole nation, who alfb was probab'y another type of Antichriir, when he began to fall before Efther and Mordecai, never flayed, until his ruin, and the church s deliverance was complete. Haman's wife

fpeaks of it, as an argument of his approaching inevitable full deftruQion, that he had begun to fall, Efth. vi. 15.

3. Ifitfhould be fo, that anti-chriftian tyranny and darknefs fhould hereafter fo prevail againft the Proteftant church, and the true religion, and every thing appertaining to it, as to bring things to the pafs fore-mentioned, this would hardly fo properly anfwer the prophecy of flaying the two wit-nefies; for, doubtlefs, one reafon why they are called two witnefles is, that the number of the remaining witneffes for the truth was, though fufBcient, yet very fmall. Which was remarkably the cafe, in the dark times pi Popery; but fince the Reformation the number of thofe appearing on the fide of true religion, has been far from being fo fmall,^ -—The vifible church of Chrift has been vaflly large, in comparifon of what it was before; the number of Proteftants has fome-times been thought nearly equal to that of the Papifts; and, doubtlefs, the number of true faints has been far greater than before.

4. It feems to be fignified in prophecy, that after the Reformation, Antichriil fhould never prevail againft the church of Chrift any more, a3 he had done before. I cannot^

WITNESSES BE YET TO COME. 223

but think, that whoever reads and well con-fiders what the learned Mr. Lowman has written on the five firft vials, Rev. xvi. in his late Expofition on the Revelation, mufl: think it to be very manifeft, that what is faid, verfe lo, of the pouring out of the fifth vial on the throne of the beajl, (for fo it is in the original) is a prophecy of the Reformation. Then the vial of God's wrath was poured out on the throne of the beaft, i. e, according to the language of fcripture, on his authority and dominion, greatly to weaken and diminifh it, both in extent and degree. But when this is reprefented in the prophecy, then it is added, and, his kingdom was fall of darkncfs, and they gnawed their tongues for pain. If we confider what is commonly intended by fuch like phrafes in the fcripture, I think we fhall be naturally, and, as it were, necefTarily led to underfland thofe words thus: Their policy, by w^hich heretofore they have prevailed, fliail now fail them; their authority fhall be weakened, and their dominion greatly diminifhed, and all their craft and fubtilty fhall not avail them to maintain and fupport the throne of the beafl, or even again to extend his authority fo far as it had been before extended.

214 WHETHER THE SLAYING OF THE

and to recover what it loft; but all their crafty devices to this end (hall be attended with vexatious tormenting difappointment; they that have the management of the affairs of the beaft's kingdom, fiiaH hencefor^ ward grope as in the dark, and ftumble, and be confounded in their purpofes, plots and enterprizes; formerly their policy was greatly fuccefsful, was as a light to guide thern to tlieir ends, but now their kingdom fhall be full of da.rknefs, and their wifdom (hall fail them in all their devices to fubdue, and again to bring under the church of God.— The fcripture takes notice of the great policy and fubtilty of the powers that fupcort this kingdom, Dan. vn.'%.- -jj^-^dy behold, in this horn ivere eyes like the eyes cf a'man.' So • it is (aid of Antiochus Epiphanes, that great type of Antichrilt, Dan. viii. 23. A king of fierce coimtenance, and underji.anding dark fcntences.JIiaUJland up, Ver. 25. And thro' his policy alfo.jliall he caiife craft to prof per in his hand. This underftanding and policy is the light of this kingdom, as true wifdom is the light of the fpiritual Jerufalem^ And, therefore, when the light fails, then may the kingdom of this fpiritual Egypt be faid to be full of darknefs. God hencefor-

WITNESSES BE YET TO COME. 215

vfard v\^ill defend his people from thefe my-ftical Egyptians, as he defended Ifrael of old from Pharaoh and hjs hoft, when pur-fuing afler them, by placing a cloud and darknefs in their way, and i'o not fuffering them to come nigh. So he will protect his church from the men of that city that is fpi-ritually called Sodom, as Lot's houfe, wherein were the angels, was defended from the men of Sodom, by their being fmitten with darknefs or biindnefs, fo that they wearied themfelves to find the door; and as God defended the city in which was Eliflia the prophet, and witnefs of the Lord, from the Syrians, when they compafled it about with horfes and chariots, and a great hoft to apprehend him, by fmiting them with biindnefs. The fcripture teaches us, that God is wont in this w^ay to defend his church and people from their crafty and powerful enemies. Job V. 11, &c, Tofet'itp on highthofe that be low^ that thofe which mourn may be exalted tofafety: He dijappointeth the devices^' of the crafty, fo that their hands cannot per-form their enter prize: He taketh the wife in their own craftinefs, and the counfel of the forward is carried headlong: They meet with darknefs in the day-time, and grope in the

2l6 WHETHER THE SLAYING, &C*

noon-day as in the night; but hefavcth Uw poor from theftcord, from their mouth, and from the hnnd of the mighty, PfaL- xxx v. 4.6* Let then be confounded and put tofmme, that feek after my foul; let them be turned back^ and brought to cbnfufon. that devife my hurt ^ — Let their wuy^ be dark andflippery.

Upon the account of fuch defence of God's Proteftant church, and difappointment and confufion of all the fubtle devices, deep-laid fchemes, and furious attempts of their anti-chriftian enemies, to bring them under^ and root them out, and their feeing theni ftill maintaining their ground, and fubfifting Jn an independency on them, in fpite of all that they do, it makes thein as it weregnafli' their teeth, and bite their tongues for mere rage and vexation; agreeable to Pfal. cxii. p, 10. His righteoifnefs endurethfor evefy

''his hornfhall be exalted with honour: The wicked f tail fee it and be grieved, andgnafji

'^"^with his teeth and melt away: The defire of

^ the zoickedfnall perifi.

Hitherto this prophecy has been very fig-tially fulfilled; fince the Reformation, the kingdom of Antichrift has been remarkably filled with darknefs in this refpeft. Innu-

WHETHER THE TWO WITNESSES, &C. 2I7

merable have been the crafty devices, and great attempts of the churchof Rome, wherein they have exerted their utmofl: policy and power, to recover their loft dominions, and again to fubjugate the Proteftant nations, and fubdue the northern herefy, as they call il* They have wearied themfelves in thefe endeavours for more than two hundred years paft; but have hitherto been difappointed^ and have often been ftrangely confounded. When their matters feemed to be brought to a ripenefs^ and they triumphed as though their point was gained, their joy and triumph has fuddenly turned into vexation and torment* How many have been their politic and powerful attempts againft the Proteftant intcreftin our nation in particular? And how wonderfully has God difappointed them from time to time! And as God has hitherto fo remarkably fulfilled his word in defending his Proteftant church from Antichrift, fo I think we have ground to truft in him, that he will defend it to the end.

5, The hypothefis of thofe who fuppofe" the flaying of the witnefles is a thing that yet remains to be fulfilled, makes the prophecies of the Revelation to be inconfiftent Dd

2l8 WHETHER THE TWO WITNESSES .

one with another. According to their hy-pothefis, that battle. Rev. xi. 7. wherein the beail makes war with the witnefTes, and o-vercomes them^ and kills them, is the lafl and greatell: conflift between Antichrift and the church of Chrift, v/hieh is to precede the titter overthrow of the anti-chriftian kingdom. And they muft fuppofe fo, for they fuppofe, that immediately after the fuffer-ings the church fhall endure in that war, fhe fliall arife, and, as it were, afcend into hea-ven; i. e, as they interpret it, the church fhall be direftly advanced to her latter-day reft, profperity and glory. And confequent-ly^ this conflift muft be the fame with that great battle between Antichrift and the Cfiurch, that is defcribed, chap, xvi. 13. to the end, and more largely, chap. xix. 11. to the end. For that which is defcribed in thefe places, is moft evidently and indifputably the greateft and laft battle or conflifl that fliall be between the church and her anti-; ehriftian enemies, on which the utter downfall of Antichrift, and the church's advancement to her latter-day glory, fiiall be immediately confequent. And fo the earthquake that attends the refurreftion of the wifnef-fes, chap. xi. 13. muft be the fame with that

great earthquake that is defcribed.chap. xvi. 18. And the falhng of the tenth part of the city muft be the fame with that terrible and utter defiruaion of Antichrill's kingdom, chap. xvi. 17. to the end.

But thefe things cannot be. The battle, chap. xi. 7. cannot be the fame v/ith that laft and great battle between the Church and Antichrift, defcribed, chap xvi. and xix.— For the things that are faid of one and the other, and their iffue, are in no wife confift-ent. In that battle, chap. xi. the church of God confiifts with her enemies in forrow, fackcloth, and blood; but in the other the matter is reprefented exceedingly otherwife —the church goes forth to fight with Antichrift, not in fackcloth and blood, but cloath-ed in white raim.ent, Chrift himfelf before them, as their captain, going forth in great pomp and magnificence, u^on^i white horfe, and on his head many crowns, and onhisvef-ture, and on his thigh, a navie written, king

OF KINGS A^JD LORD OF LORDS; and the

faints who follow fo glorious a leader to this great battle, follow him on white horfes, cloathed in fine linen, white and clean, in garments of ftrength, joy, glory and triumph ; in the fame kind of raiment, that the

220 WHETHER THE TWO WITNESSES

faints appear in, when they are reprefented as triumphing with Chrift, with palms in their hands, chap. vii. g. And the iffue of the latter of thefe conflifts, is quite the re-verfe of the former. In the battle, chap, xi* 7. The beajt makes war with the witnejfes^ and

OVERCOMES THEM, AND KILLS THEM; the

fame is foretold, Dan. vii. 21. I beheld^ and the fame horn made loar toith the faints, and prevailed agaivfl them. —^And Rev. xii. 7, And it was given unto him to make war with the faints, and to overcome them. But in the iifue of that laft and great battle, which the church {hall have with her anti-chriftian e-* ricmies, the church (ball overcome them, AND KILL THEM, Rcv. xvii. 14. Thefefhalt ■"make war toiih the Lamby and the Lavibfliall overcome them; for he is Lord of Lords, and King of Kings; and they that are with him, are called, and chofen, and faithful, compared with chapter xix. 16, and following verf-es, and chapter xvi. 16, 17. In the conflift that the bead fliall have with the wutneffes, the beafl kills them^ and their dead bodies lit %inburied; as though they were to be meat for the beafts of the earth, and fowls of hea-» yen; but in that laft battle, it is reprefented that Chrift and his church fhallfay their e-

nfiTiies, and give their dead bodies to be meat for the fowls of heaven, chap. xix. 17. to the end. There is no manner of appearance, in the defcriptions which are given of that lafl; great battle, of any advantages gained in it, by the enemies of the church, before they themfelves are overcome, but all appearance of the contrary. Be fure the defcriptions in the xvi. and xix. chapters of the Revelation will, by no means, allow of fuch an advantage, as the overcoming God's people, and flaying them, and their lying dead for fome time, and un-buried, that their dead bodies may be for their enemies to abufe, and trample on, and make fport with. In chap. xvi. we read of their being gathered together againft the church, a mighty hoft, into the place called Armageddon, and then the firft thing we hear of, is the pouring out the feventh vial of God s wrath, and a voice faying— It is done. And fo in the xix. chap, we have an account of the beaji, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, being gathered together to make war againfl him that fat on the horfe, and againfl his army. And then the next thing we hear of is, that the beafl is taken, and with him the falfeprophet; and that thefe arc both cafl alive into the lake of fire; and

222 WHETHER THE TWO WITNESSES

that the remnant of their vafi army arejlain, and all the fozvls filled with theirfiefii. The iffue of the conflict of the beafl with the wit-neffes, is the triumph of the church's enemies over God*s people, looking on them as entirely vanquifhed, and their intereft utterly ruined, pad all pofiibility of recovery: They that dwell on the earth JJiall fee the dead bodies of the faints lying in thejlreets of the great city, andfiiaU rejoice over tJum, and make merry, and fend gifts one to another. — But the iflue of that great and laft battle is quite the reverfe; it is the church's triumph over her enemies, as being utterly and for ever deftroyed.

Here, if any one fhall fay, that the afcen-fion of the witnefFes into heaven in the fight of their enemies, may, as has more generally been fuppofed, fignify the church's laft viftory and triumph over her anti-chriftian enemies, and final deliverance from them, and yet the battle between Antichrift and the witneffes, fpoken of, Rev. xi. 7. wherein the witneffes are flain, may not be the fame with that laft and greateft battle between Antichrift and the church, chap.xvi, and xix. which immediately precedes and iffues in the church's final vi6lorv and deli-

verance; there may be two great battles, foon following one another, though both are not mentioned in the fame place; one a con-flift, wherein Antichrift prevails againft the AvitnefTes, and overcomes them, and kills them, and another that great battle defcrib-ed, chap. xvi. and xix. after the witnefies refurreftion, before their afcenfion into heaven, wherein they fliall prevail and overcome their enemies, and kill them; I fay,if any one fhall fay thus, they will fay that which the prophecies give no reafon, nor -allow any room to fuppofe. Thatlaft battle between the Church and Antichrift, w^herein Chrift and his people obtain a complete victory, is evidently one of the greateft and remarkable events foretold in all the Apoca-lypfe; and there is no one thing, unlefs it be the confummation of all things, in the two laft chapters, that is defcribed in fo fo-lemn and auguft a manner. And the de-fcription (hev/s that it is an event which, with its circumftances, muft take up much time. There is vaft preparation made for it by the church's enemies; the devils, in order to ftir men up, and gather them together, to this battle of that great day of God Almighty^ go forth unto the kings of the earth.

224 WHETHER THE TWO WITNESSES

and of the whole world, to propagate various kinds of delufions, far and wide, all over the world; which, undoubtedly, muft take up many years time^ chap xvi. 13, 14. And then great preparation is made in the church of God, to make oppofition, chap. xix. 11 —17. Now can any reafonably fuppofe, that in what is reprefented, chap. xi. of a great conflifl: between Antichrift and God s people, wherein the latter are overcome and flain, and lie dead three days (or three years) and a half, and their enemies triumphing o-ver them, but God's people rifing again from the dead in the midft of this triumph of their enemies, and afcending into heaven, while the enemies ftand aftonifhed and arnazed fpeclators—that the manner of the defcrip-tion leaves fair room for us to fuppofe, that after this refurreftion of God's people, they continue long before they afcend, to encounter with Antichrift in a new confliQ, wherein their enemies, after long time to prepare, {hould engage with them with vaftly greater preparations, ftrength and violence than before, and fhould wage war with the migh-tieft army that ever was gathered againft the church, and in the greateft battle that ever was fought!

REMAIN YET TO BE SLAIN. S225

And befides, the witnefFes afcending into heaven in the fight of their enemies, fpokcn of chap. xi. cannot be the fame with the church's gaining a glorious afcendant over her enemies, in her final viciory over Anti-chrift^ fpoken of chap. xvi. and xix. becaufe the defcriptions of the events that attend the one and the other do by no means anfwer each other. For, obferve, it is faid, that when the witnefies arofe, and.Jlood on their feet, and afcended into heaven^ the fame hour there "was a great earthquake; but this does not feem to anfwer to w^hat is defcribed, chap* xvi. 18. Andtherewere voices^ and thunders^ and lightnings, and there was a great earth-^ quake, fuch as was not f nee men were upon the earth, fo mighty an earthquake, andfogreats —-It is faid, that at the fame time of the firfl earthquake, chap, xi, 13* The tenth part of the city fell; but hov/ far does this fall (hort of what is defcribed, as attending the great earthquake.^ chap. xv. ig, 20. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell; and great Babylon came into remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fiercenefs of his wrath; and every if and fled away, and tkc Ee

226 WHETHER THE TWO WITNESSES

moimtains were not found. It is faid of the earthquake, chap. xi. And in the earthquake were Jlain of men feven thoufand ; but how far is this from anfwering the {laughter de-fcribed, chap. xix. 17, &c. Which is repre-fented as a general flaughter of the kings, captains, mighty men, horfes, and armies of the earth, and of the whole world; fo that all the fowls that fly in the midfl: of heaven, as far as the fun flxines, are filled with the flelli of the dead carcafes, it being \hejlejli of all men, both free and bond, both fnall and great; (compare chap. xvi. 14.) who can think, that this great flaughter, that is thus reprefented, fliould, in chap. xi. be only caU led 2i faying offeven thoifand men?

If we read this very eleventh chapter thro', we (hall fee that the falling of the tenth part of the city, and the witnefles rifing and af-cending into heaven, are entirely difl:in6l from the final deftruftion of Antichrift, and that advancement of the church to her latter-day glory, that is confequent upon it.— I'he judgments here fpoken of, as executed on God's enemies, are under another woe; and the benefits beftowed on the church, are under another trumpet. For immediately after the account of the rifing and afcend-

ing of the witRefTes, and the tenth part of the city's falling, and the flaying of L^f feven thoufand men, and the affrighting ott,he rett, and their giving glory to the God of heaven, follow thefe words in the 14th and 15th verfes, Thefecond woe is pajl, and behold the third looe cometh quickly. And thefeventh angel founded, and there were great voices in heaven, faying — The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Chrifl, and he fmil reign for ever and e-ver. And in the following verfes, we have an account of the praifes fung to God on this occafion. And then in that lad verfe, we have a brief hint of that fame earthquake, and the gr^at hail, and tliofe thunders, and lightnings, and voices, that we have an account of in the latter part of chap. xvi. So that the earthquake mentioned in the laft verfe of chap. xi. is that great earthquake that attends the laft great conflift of the church and her enemies, and not that mentioned ver. 13.

The three woes are the woes of God on Antichrift and his fubjefts; and the third and laft of them evidently fignifies the terrible judgments of God on Antichrift, by which God's wrath upon him fliall be ful-^

228 WHETHER THE TWO WITNESSES

filled in his utter de{lru6iion; but the calamities <f)n Antichrifl, fpoken of as attending the rififrg and afcending of the witnefTes, fuch as the falling of the tenth part of the city, and fiaying feven thoufand men, do not belong to this laft woe, and therefore do not fignify the final deftruQion of Antichrift; for the words of verfe 14. will by no means allow of fuch a fuppofition; for there, immediately after giving an account of thefe calamities, it is added— ThefecGnd zcoe ispajl; and, behold, the third woe covieth quickly; making a moR plain and exprefs diftin^Hon between thefe calamities that had already been mentioned, and efpecially- thefe that werejuft then mentioned in tlf^ very laft words, and the calamities that belong to the third woe, that yet remain to be mentioned; for by being paffed, the prophet is to be un* derftood no othevwife than paffed in the declaration and reprefentation—it was not paft m any other refpefli; it is as much as to fay. Thus an account has been given of the ca-j lamities upon Antichrifl that belong to the fecond woe; now I proceed to give an account of thofe difpenfations of Providence that belong to the third and laft woe, which fhall prove Antichrift's final deftru6iion, eu^

in the kingdoms of this world becoming the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Chrift.

What was fulfilled in the Reformation, well anfwers the reprefentation made concerning the witneffes. Rev xi. 11. 12. Of the fpirit of Ife from God entering into them, and their fanding on their feet, and afcending up to heaven, in thefght of their enemies. A little before the Reformation, the Hate of the church of God, and of true religion was low-eft of all, and neareft to utter extinftion.— Antichrift had, after great and long ftrug-gles, prevailed againft the Waldenfes, Albi-genfes, and Bohemians. The war with the Albigerifes feems efpecially to be intended by the war of the beaft with the witneffes, fpoken of verfc 7. Thefe were witneffes to the truth that were the moft numerous and confiderable, and thofe that moft tormented the church of Rome. And the war that was maintained againft them, was, by far, the greateft that ever Antichrift had againft any of the profeffors of the truth, before the Reformation, and was properly the war of the beaft; it was the Pope that proclaimed the war, and that raifed the foldiers by his emif-faries and priefts, preaching the crofs, gathering innumerable multitudes of pilgrims

230 WHETHER THE TWO WITNESSES

from all parts of Chriftendom, and raifing one croifade after another, which were conduced and managed by the Pope's legates; and it was the Pope that paid the foldiers with pardons, indulgences, promifes of Pa-radife, and fuch like trumpery. When An-tichrift had gradually prevailed againft thefe witnelfes, with much difficulty, and long continued violent firuggling, and after innumerable vexatious difafters and difap-pointments, the church of God, in the time of Luther, and ether reformers, on a fud-den, in a wonderful manner, revives, when fuch an event was leaft expefted, (to the fur* prize and amazement of their anti-chriftian enemies) and appears in fuch ftrength, that the reformed are able to ftand on their own legs, and to withftand all the power and rage of the church of Rome, Prefently after this revival, the people of God are fet on high, having the civil magiftrate in many countries on their fide, and henceforward have the power of many potent princes engaged for their proteftion. And this, in fight of their enemies, and greatly to their grief and vexation; who, though they, from time to time, exert their utmoft, never are able to prevail againft them, to bring thera

under any more, as they had done in former wars. Oftentimes, in fcripture, God's church's dwelling in fafety, out of the reach of their enemies, is reprefented by their dwelling on high, or being fet on high; as Pfal. lix. 1. Ixix. 29. xci. 14. cvii. 41. Prov. xxix. 25. Ifai. xxxiii. 16. The children of Ifrael, in their deliverance out of Egypt, from their cruel taflv-mafters, w^ho would fain have brought them into bondage again, w^ere faid to he carried on eagles wings, which is lofty in its flight, flies away towards heaven, fo that the Egyptians could not come at them; and they were protefted by the cloud that went with them, as the witnefies are faid to be caught up to heaven in a cloud. Compare this with Ifai. iv. 5. And the Lord will create upon every dzoelling-place of Mount Zion, and upon her ajjcmhlies, a cloud and fmoke by day, and thejhiningofajlamingjir^ by night; for upon all the glory fhall be a defence.

I fliall not pretend to explain the myftery of the three days and a half of the witnefies lying dead, or to determine the precife du- / ration fignified by that myftical reprefenta-tion. Poffibly no particular meafureoftimc may be intended by it, and yet it may not

232 WHETHER THE TWO WITNESSES

be without fignificancy.* As no particular numbcrof perfons is intended by the two wit-neffes, but, in general, it intends a fmall number, and yet a lufficient number; and as fmall as might be, and yet be fufficient; as lefs than two witnefies was not fufficient, fo, perhaps, no particular duration of that low ftate that the church was in before the Reformation, may be intended by three days and an half, but, in general, it may be hereby fignified, that this time of the triumphing of the wicked, and extremity of God's church, ihould be but fliort. Poihbly three days and an half may be m^entioned, becaufe that is the utmoft fpace of time that a dead body can be ordinarily fuppofed to lie without putrefaction, fignifying that at this time the church fliould be brought to the very brink of utter ruin, and yet {hould be preferved, and revive a-gain. And half a day may be mentioned to

NOTE.

* IVJr. Lowman, In the preface to his Paraphrafe on the Reve* lation, page 3, obferves as follows: Prophetic tiu7?ihers do net aU ivays exprefs^ a determinate duration^ or fpace of time^ any Piora than they alnvays exprefs a certain number. Prophecy^ I acknoiu-ledge^ ufes nuvibers fo?netimes as other expreJionSi in a figurate nieaningy as fymhols and hieroglyphics. Thus the number seven fometimes does not denote the precife numberfeven; hut fgurative-ly de7iotes perfe^ionyor a full and complete nu?nher; andthe?iu?K' . her tenfo7netimss dots not mean precifely ten in nwnbsr^ hut ?/ia?ty in general^ <fr a confidarahle rmmber^

fignify the particular care of Providence in exadlly determining this time of his church's extremity. And probably there may be fome reference to the three tim.es (or three years) and an half of the witnefTes prophefying in fackcloth: the more apparently to fliew the difproportion between the time of the church's welfare, and the time of her enemies viflory and triumph; the time of the church's af-fliftion and conflict may be long, and in the iffue (he may be overcome; but the time of this viftory (hall be but {hort, in comparifon with the other, but as a day to a year; {he may, as it v;ere, be killed, and lie dead, until the comes to the very brink of utter and hopelefs ruin, but yet God will not fuffer her to fee corruption; but at that very time, when her enemies expe6led that flie (hould putrify, file fnall rife, and be fet on high, out of their reach, greatly to their aflonifliment-The grand objetlion againfl all this is, that it is faid, that the -wiincffes faould pro--phefy twelve kiindred andjixty days cloathed in fackcloth ; and when they havefiniflied their tejlimony, the beaftJJioidd make zvar agaivji them, and kill them, &c. and that it feems ma-nifefl, that after this, they arc no longer m

234 WHETHER THE TWO WITNESSES

fackcloth, for henceforward they are in an exalted ftate in heaven; and that, therefore, feeing the time of their v/earing fackcloth is twelve hundred and fifty days, which is the time of the continuance of Antichrift; hence their being flain and rifing again, muft be at the conclufion of this period, and fo at the end of Antichrift's reign.

In anfwer to which I would fay, that we can juftly infer no more from this prophecy than this, viz. That the twelve hundred and fixty days is the proper lime of the church's trouble and bondage, or being cloathed in fackcloth, becaufe it is the appointed time of the reign of Antichrift. But this does not hinder but that God, out of his great com-paffion to his church, ftiould, in fome refpecl, {horten the days, and grant that fhe fhould, in fome meafure, anticipate the appointed great deliverance that Ihould be at the end of thofe days; as he has, in faft, done in the Reformation, whereby the church has had a great degree of reftoration granted, from the darknefs and power of Antichrift, before her proper time of reftoration, which is at the end of the twelve hundred and fixty days. Thus the church of Chrift, through the tender mercies of her Father and Redeemer, in

fome refpefts, anticipates her deliverance from her forrows and fackcloth; as many-parts of the church are hereby brought from under the dominion of the anti-chriftian powers, into a ftate of power and liberty, though, in other refpefts, the church may be faid to continue in fackcloth, and in the wildernefs, until the end of the days; many parts of it flill remaining under grievous perfecution.

What we render, When theyjliall kaveji' nijiied their tejlimony, Mr. Lowman, from Mr, Daubuz, renders, Whiletheyjhallperforvitheir tejlimony; and obferves, that the original may mean the time of their teftimony, as well as the end of it.

I might here obferve, that we have other inflances of God's fhortening the days of his church's captivity and bondage, either at the beginning or end, very parallel with what has been now fuppofed in the cafe of the wit-neffes. Thus the proper time of the bondage of the pofterity of Abraham in Egypt, was four hundred years. Gen. xv. 13. But yet God in mercy deferred the beginning of their bondage, whereby the time was much fhort-ened at the beginning. So the time wherein it was foretold, that the whole hnd of If-

BgS WHETHER THE TWO WITNESSES^ &G.

raeljliould he a defolation and an ajioniflivient, and the landjliould enjoy herfabbaths, by the Babyloniili captivity, v/as feventy years, Jer. XXV. 11, 12. and thefe feventy years are dated in 2d Chro. xxxvi. 20, 21. from Zede-kiah's captivity; and yet, from that captivity to Cyrus's decree, was but fifty-two years; though it was indeed feventy years before the more full reftoration of the Jewifh church and ilate by Barius's decree, Ezra vi. So the proper time of the oppreflion and bondage of the Jewifh church under Antipchus Epi-phanes, wherein both the fandtuary and hojl Jliould be trodden underfoot by him, was two 'thoufand three hundred days, Dan. viii. 13, 14, The time from Antiochus's taking Je-rufalem, and polluting the fanftuary, to An-tiochus's death, feems to have been about fo long; but God Ihortened the days, by granting remarkable help to his people by means of the Maccabees, before that time; yea, the temple and fancluary were reftored, and the altar rebuilt and dedicated before that time. Upon the whole, I think there appears to be no reafon from the prophecy concerning the two v/itnefTes, Rev. xi. to expeft any fuch general and terrible deftruftion of the ^hurch of Chrift, before the utter downfal of

OF THE SUPPOSED GREAT, &C. 237

Antichrifl;, as fome have fuppofed, but good reafon to determine the contrary. It is true, there is abundant evidence in fcripture, that there is yet remaining a mighty conflift between the church and her enemies, the mofl violent flruggle of Satan and his adherents, in oppofition to true religion, and the mod general commotion that ever was in the world, fince the foundation of it to that time; and many particular Chriftians, and fome parts of the church of Chrift, may fuiTer hard things in this conflift; but, ii^ the general, Satan and Antichrifl fliall not get the victory, nor greatly prevail, but, on the contrary, be entirely conquered, and utterly o-verthrown, in this great battle. So that I hope this prophecy of the flayingof the wit-neffes will not ftand in the way of a compliance with the propofal made to us in the memorial, as a prevalent objeftion and dif-couragement.

Object, 5. A late very learned and ingenious Expofitor of the Revelation, viz. Mr. Lowman, fets the fall of Antichrifl, and con-fequently the coming of Chrift's kingdom, at a great diftance,fuppofing that the twelve hundred and fixty years of Antichrifl's reign did not begin till the year feven hundred

^238 OF THE SUPPOSED GREAT DISTANCE

^ and fifty-fix; and confequently, that it will /^ not end until after the year two thoufand, more than two hundred and fifty years hence, and this opinion he confirms by a great variety of arguments.

Anf. 1. If this objeftion be allowed to be valid, and that which ought to determine perfons in an affair of this nature, and thofe things concerning God's people praying for this glorious event, be alfo allowed to be true, which before were fliewn to be the will of God abundantly revealed in his word, then the following things mull be fuppofed, viz. That it is the will of God that his people be much in prayer for this event, and particularly that it is God's revealed will and purpofe, that, a little before the accom-plifhment of it, his people be earnefl:ly feek-ing and wriiting, and importunately and in-ceffantly crying to God for it; but yet that it was God's defign, that before this time comes of extraordinary prayer and importunity of his church, for the bringing on this glorious event, his church fhould have it given them to underfl:and precifely when the appointed time fhould be, and that accordingly he has now aftually brought the fixed time to light by nieans of Mr. Lowman.—^

239

But is it reafonable to fuppofe, that this fhould be God's manner of dealing with his church, firfl to make known to them the precife time which he has unakerably fixed for the fliew-ing this mercy to Zion, and then make it the duty of his church, in an extraordinary manner, to be, by prayer, enquiring of him concerning it, and faying— Hozolong, Lord! and waiting for it, day and night, crying to him, with exceeding importunity, that he would bring it on, that he would come quickly, that he would hide himfelf no longer, but would arif^ and have mercy upon Zion, and awake as one out of fleep, openly ma-nifeft himfelf, and make bare his holy arm for the falvation of his people? That they that make mention of the Lor djlioidd not keep filence, nor give him any rejl, until heejlabljjji and make Jerufalem a praife on the earth ? And that the church fhould then fay to Chrift, Make hajt.e, my beloved, and be thou Like a roe or a young hart on the mountain offpices?

It may be many w^ays for the comfort and benefit of God's church in her afflifted ftate, to know that the reign of Antichrifl is to be no more than one thoufand tvv^o hundred and fixty years; and fome things in general

240 THE TIME OF ANTICHRIST S FALL

may be argued concerning the approach of it, when it is near; as the Jews could argue the approach of Chrift's firfl: coming, from Daniel's prophecy of the feventy weeks^ though they knew not precifely when that feventy weeks would end. But it is not rea-fonable to expefl: that God fiiould make ^, known to us beforehand, th^ precife time of Chrift's coming in his kingdom* The dif-ciples defired to know this, and manifefted their defire to their Lord, but he told them plainly, that it was not for them to know the times and feafons^ which the Father ■ hath put in his own poioer, Afts i. 6, 7. and there is no reafon to think that it is any more for • us than for them, or for Chrift's difciples in thefe days, any more than for his apoftles in thofe days. God m.akes it the duty of his church to be importunately praying for it, and praying that it may come fpeedily; and not only to be praying for it, but to be feek-ing for it, in the ufe of proper means, endeavouring that religion may now revive e-very where, and Satan's kingdom be over-^ thrown; and always to be waiting for it, being in a conftant preparation for it, as fer-vants that wait for the coming of their lord^ or virgins for the coming of the bridegroom,

WILL NOT BE KNOWN BEFOREHAND. 24I

not knowing at what hour he will come.— < But God's making known beforehand the precife time of his coming, does not well confift v/ith thefe thingr,.

It is the revealed will of God, that he fliould be enquired of by his people, by extraordinary prayer, concerning this great mercy, to do it for them, before it be fulfilled. And if any fuppofe, that it is now found out precifely when the time is to be, and (the time being at a confiderable diflance) that now is not a proper feafon to begin this extraordinary prayer, I would, on this fup-pofition, afk—When we (liall begin? How long before the fixed and known time of the beftowment of this mercy comes, (hall we begin to cry earneftly to God that this mercy may come, and that Chiift would make hafte and be like a roe^ &c. For us to delay, fuppofing that we know the time to be far ofT, is not agreeable to the language of God's people in my text— Come, let its ga SPEEDILY, and pray before the Lord, and feek the Lord of Hojls.

Anf. 2. I acknowledg-e that Mr. Lowman'^s Expofition of the Revelation is, on many accounts, excellently written, giving great Yighi

into fome parts of that prophecy, and an in-fiance of the fuIfiHrncnt of that precli61ion, Dan. xii. 4. Manyjhall run to and fro, and knowledgefaall he increafed; and efpecially in his Interpretation of the Five Firll Vials, (which he fuppofeth already poured out) exceedingly fatisfying. But yet the opinion of Mr. Lowman, with regard to the particular time of the beginning and end of the time, times, and an half of Antichrid's reign, and of all others that pretend to fix the time, is the leaft to b^ regarded, becaufe it is clearly revealed, and exprefsly declared by God, that that matter fliall be fealed up and hid, and not known until the time of the end of this time, times, and an half. Daniel, in the laft chapter of his prophecy, gives us an account, how the angel told him of a future time of great trouble and aftliftion to the church of God, and then faid to him, ver. 4. But thou, 0 Daniel, shut up the words,

AND SEAL THE BOOK, EVEN TO THE TIME

OF THE END. And then the prophct proceeds to give an account of a vifion that he had of one earneflly enquiring of the angel of the Lord how long it would be to the end of this remarkable and wonderful time of the church's trouble^ faying, Boio long fliall

it be to the end ofthefe wonders? ver. 5, 6. The anfwer was, that it/Iiould be for a time, times, and an half, and that when fo long a time was palt, then this wonderful affliftion and fcattering of the holy people (hould be finiflied, ver. 7. But then Daniel tells us, in the next verfe, that he heard, but he under-' flood not, and faid, 0, my Lord, whatfiallbt the end of thefe things? He did not under-ftand that general and myflical anfwer, that thofe things fhould have an end at the end of a time, times, and an half; he did not know by it, v/hen this period would have an end; and therefore he enquires more particularly v/hat the time of the end was. But the angel replies, ver. g. Go thy way, Daniel, the zcords are clofed and fealed up, until the time of the end, I do not know what could • have been more exprefs. The angel gently rebukes this over inquifitivenefs of Daniel, very much as Chrift did a like inquifitivenefs of the difciples concerning the famxe matter, when he faid to them—/^ is not for you to know the times andfeafons, that the Father hath put in his own power, —I think there can be no doubt but that this fpace, of a time, times, and an half of the church's great trouble, about the end of which Daniel enquires.

!g44 ^^^ TIME UNKNOWN, &G.

is the-fame with that time, times, and half, that is fpoken of, chap. vii. 25. and Rev. xii. 14. as the time of Antichrift's reign, and the church's being in the vv^ildernefs, and not merely the time of the church's troubles by Antiochus Epiphanes. But we fee, when Daniel has a mind to know particularly when this time would come to an end, he is bid to go away, and reft contented in ignorance of this matter; for,fays the man cloath-ed in linen, th£ words are closed up,

AND SEALED, UNTIL THE TIME OF THE

END. That is,- very plainly, the matter that you enquire about, when the end of this time, and times, and half &ail come, ihall not be known, bu t be kept a great fecret, until the time of the end actually comes, and all attempts to find it out before that fliall be in vain. And therefore wiren a particular divine appears, that thinks he has found it out, and has unfealed this matter, and made it ma-nifeft with very manifold and abundant er vidence, we may well think he is m,iftaken, and doubt whether thofe fuppofed evidences are truly folid ones, and fuch as are indeed fufficient to make that matter manifeft, Vv^hich God has declared lliould be kept hid^ and not made manifeft before it is accom-

plifhed. Mr. Lowman's own words in hh preface, p. 24, 25. are here worthy to be repeated: " It will (fays he) ever be a point •" of wifdom, not to be over bufy, or over *' confident in any thing, efpecially in fix-*' ing periods of time, or determining fea-^^ fons, which it may be are not to be deter-^' mined, it may be are not fit to be known, " It is a maxim, of greater wifdom than is *' ufually thought, Seek not to know what ^^Jliould not be j-evealed. Such are many *' future events. Theprecife time of our Sa-^^ viour's coming to judgment, was not re^ " vealed, becaufe not fit to be revealed.— " The uncertainty of his appearance was of ^^ greater fervice to preferve a care of reli-'' gion, than the revelation of it would have '^ been; for the uncertainty itfelfgives many ." ufeful exhortations— Watch,foryeknow7iot " zvhat hour the Son of Man cometh. S,iip-'' pofe then fome of the events defcribed in ^' this prophecy fhould be of doubtful ap-'' plication; fuppofe the precife time of the ** downfall of the beaft, the flaying and re^ *' furre6iion of the witneffes, and the begini-" ning of the thoufand years happy fl:ate of "' the church, fiiould not be fo determined, '' but it would admit of different calcula-

Q^5 AntichrijTs Fall groundlefsly

'^ tions; may it not be wife, and therefore ^^ fit, it fliould be fo? The certainty of thofe *' events in a proper time, though that time *^ fliouId not be precifely determined, will *^ anfwer the greater ends of ufeful inftruc-*' tion. And if the revelation {hould go no *^ farther than this, it would yet be a revela-^^ tion, of great benefit and advantage, as the *^ certainty of the day of judgment in its pro-*^ per time furely is, though of that day and *^ hour know^eth no man."

Anjl 3. Though it is not for us to know the precife time of the fall of Antichrift, yet I humbly conceive that w^e have no reafon to fuppofe the event principally intended, in the prophecies, of Antichrift's de(lru6lion, to be at fo great a diftance, as Mr. Lowman places it, but have reafon to think it to be much nearer. Not that I v/ould fet up my-felf as a perfon of equal judgment with Mr, Lowman in matters of this nature. As he diflPers from mod others of the m.oft approved expofitors of the Apocalypfe, in this matter, fo I hope it will not appear vanity and prefumption in me, to differ from this particular expofitor, and to agree with the greater number. And fincc his opinion (lands fo m.uch in the way of that great and import-

^nt affair, to promote which is the very end of this whole difcourfe, I hope it will not look as though I affefted to appear confi-derably among the interpreters of prophecy, and as a perfon of (kill in thefe myfterious matters, that I offer fome reafons againfl Mr, Lo\vman's opinions. It is furely a great pity, that it (hould be received as a thing clear and abundantly confirmed, that the glorious day of Antichrifl's fall is at fo great a diftance, (fo direftly tending to damp and dif-courage all earnefl prayers for, or endeavours after its fpeedy aecomplifliment) un-lefs there be good and plain ground for it. I would therefore offer fom.e things to coiifi-deration, which, I think, may juflly make us look upon the opinion of this learned interpreter, of this happy event's being at fa great a diftance, not fo certain and indubitable, iis to hinder our praying and hoping for its being fulfilled much fooncr.

The period of Antichrift's reign, as this author has fixed it, feems to be the main point infifted on in his Expofition of the Revelation, which he fuppofes a great many things in the fcheme of prophecies deliver-.ed in that book do concur to eftabliCn. And, indeed, it is fo, with refpeft to the fcheme

248 Antichriffs Fallgroundlefsly

6f interpretation of thefe prophecies, which he goes into, and finds it requifite to main^ tain, in order to confirm this point. But there are feveral things in that fcheme, that appear to me juflly liable to exception.

Whereas it is reprefented. Rev. xvii. 10^, 11. that there are feven different fucceffive heads of the beafl; that five were paft, and another was to come, and to continue a ftiort fpace, that might, on fome accounts^ be reckoned a feventh; and that Antichrifl was to follow next after this, as the eighth; but yet the foregoin'g not being properly one of the heads of the beafl, he was properly the feventh. Mr. Lowman does not think with others, that by the feventh that was to continue a fhort fpace, which would not be properly one of the heads of the beaft^ is meant Conftantine, and the other Chriflian emperors; (for he thinks they are reckoned as properly belonging' to the fixth head of the beafl) but that hereby is intended the government that Rome was fubjeft to un-* der the Gothic princes, and the exarchate of Ravenna, after the imperial form of government in Rome ceafed in ^^guftdlus, until the Pope was invefled with ms temporal dominion, called St. Peter's Patximon/^

by Pipin, king of Fi-ance, in the year fevcA' hundred and firty-fix. And he fuppofeSj that that wounding of one of the heads of the beafl with a fword of death, that we read of, chap. xiii. 3 and 14. was not fulfilled in the deltruftion of the heathen empire^ and the giving the imperial power unto Chriflians, but in the deftruflion of the imperial form of government, by the fword of the Goths, in the time of Augufruius. But it feems to me to be very unlikely, that the Spirit of God fhould reckon Conftantine and the Chriflian em.perors as proper mem.bers, and belonging to one of the heads, ofthatmon-ftrous wild and cruel beaf}, that is compared to a leopard and a bear, and a devouring lion, and that had a mouth fj^eaking great things and blafphemies, and that rules by the power and authority of the dragon, or the devil f^^ which bcaft is reprefentcd in this 17th chapter, as full ofnam.es of blaf-phemy, and of a bloody colour, denoting his exceeding cruelty in perfecuting the Chrif-tian church. For Conftantine, inftead of Hh

Tf NOTE.

* The word Therion fipniiies a wild favage bead:, as Mr. Low-man hlmfelf obferves, page n;.

250 Antichrijl's Fall groundlefsly

this was a member of the Chriftian churchy and fet by God in the mod eminent ftation in his church, ar-d was honoured above all other princes that ever had been in the world, as the great proteftor of his church, and her deliverer from the perfecuting power of that cruel fcarlet-coloured bead. Mr. Lowman himfelf ftyles him a Chri/iianPrince,andPro^ tedorof the Chrijlian Religion. God is very-careful not to reckon his own people among the Gentiles, the vifible fubjecls of Satan, Num. X xiii. 9. The peopleJlidl not he reckoned ' among the nations, God will not enroll them with them; if they happen tobe among them, he will be careful to fet a mark upon them, as a note of diflinflion, Rev. vii. 3, &c. when God is reckoning up his own people, he leaves out thofe that have been noted for idolatry. As among the tribes that were fealed. Rev. viii. thofe idolatrous tribes of Ephraim and Dan are left out, and in the genealogy of Chrift, Matth. i. thofe princes that were chiefly noted for idolatry, are left out. Much more would God be careful not to reckon his own people, efpecially fuch Chriftian princes as have been the m.oft e-minent initruments of overthrowing idolatry, amongft idolaters, and as members and

heads of that kingdom that is noted in fcrip-ture as the moft notorious and infamous of all, for abominable idolatry, and oppofition and cruelty to the true worfhippers of God. And efpecially not to reckon them as properly belonging to one of thofe feven heads of this monarchy, of which very heads it is particularly noted that they had on them the names of blasphemy, which Mr. Low* man himfelf fuppofes to fignify idolatry. It was therefore worthy of God, agreeable to his manner, and what might w^ell be expected, that when he was reckoning up the fe-veral fucceffive heads of this beaft, and Con-ftantine and his fucccffors came in the way, and there was occafion to mention them, to fet a mark, or note of diftinftion on them, fignifying that they did not properly belong to the bcaft, nor were to be reckoned as belonging to the heads, and therefore are to be fkipped over in the reckoning, and Anti-chrift, though the eighth head of the Roman empire, is to be reckoned the feventh head of the beaft. This appears to me abundantly the moft juft and natural interpretation ofRev. xvii. 10, it. It is reafonable to fup-pofe, that God would take care to make fuch 51 note in this prophetical defcriptioa

252 Antichrijl's FoJl groundlefsly

of this dreadful beaft, and not, by any means to reckon Conftantine as belonging properly to him.—If we reckon Conftantineas a member of this bead having feven heads and ten horns, defcribed chap. xvii. and as properly one of his heads, then he was alfo properly a member of the great red dragon with feven heads and ten horns that warred with the woman, chap. xii. For the feven heads and ten horns of that dragon, are plainly the fame with the feven heads and ten horns of the bead. So that this makes Conftantine a vifible member of the devil; for v;e are told exprefsly of that dragon, ver g. that he was that oldferpcnt, called the Devil and Satan, And to fuppofe that Conftantine is reckoned as belonging to one of the heads of that dragon, is to make thefe prophecies inconhRent with themfelves. For here in this 12th chapter, we have reprefented a war between the dragon and the woman cloathed with the fun • which woman, as all agree, is the church; but Conftantine, as all do alfo agree, belonged to the woman, was a member of the Chriftian church, and was on that fide in the war againflthe dragon; yea, was the main indrument of that great viftory that was obtained over the dragon there fpO'

ken of, ver. 9—12. What aninconfiftency therefore is it, to fuppofe that he was at the fame time a member and head of that very-dragon, which fought with the woman, and yet which Conflantine himfelf fought with, overcame, and glorioufly triumphed over! It is not therefore to be wondered at, that Gcd was careful to diflinguifh Conflantine from the proper heads of the beaft; it would have been a wonder if he had not. God feems to have been careful to diflinguifh him, not only in his word, but in his providence, by fo ordering it that this Chriftian emperor ftiould be removed from Rome, the city that God had given up to be the feat of the power of the beafl, and of its heads, and that he fliould have the feat of his empire elfe-where.

Conflantine was made the ihflrument of givinga mortal wound to the heathen Roman empire, and giving it a mortal wound in its head, viz. the heathen emperors that were then reigning, Maxentius and Licinius,— But more eminently was this glorious change in the empire owing to the power of God's word, the prevalence of the glorious gofpel, by which Conflantine himfelf was converted, and fo became the inftrument of the o-

254 Aiitickrift's Fall groundlefsly

verthrow of the heathen empire in the eaft and welT. The change that was then bro't to pafs, is reprefented as the deftruftion of the heathen empire, or the old heathen world, and therefore feems to be compared to that difTolution of heaven and earth that (hall be at the day of judgment. Rev. vi. 12. to the end. And the re fore" well might the heathen empire, under the head which was then reigning, be reprefented as wounded to death, chap. xiii. 3, It is much more likely, that the wound the beaft had by a fword, in his head, fpoken of ver. 14, was the wound that the heathen empire had in its head, by that fword which we read of, chap. i. 16. and xix. 15. that proceeds out of the mouth of Chrift, than the wound that was given to the Chriftian empire and emperor by the fword of the heathen Goths. It is moft likely that this deadly wound was by that fv\^ord with which Michael made war with him, and o^ vercame him, and caft him to the earth, chap, xii. g. and that the deadly wound which was given him, was given him at that very time. It is moft likely, that the fword that gave him this deadly wound, after which he llrangely .revived, as though he rofe from the dead, was the fame fword with that which is fpoken of.

as what fhall at lafi: utterly deftroy him, fo that he fhall never rife more, chap. xix. 15, ig, 20, 21. This wounding of the head of the beaft by the deilruction of the heathen empire, and converfion of the emperor to the Chriftian truth, was a glorious event indeed of Divine Providence, worthy to be fo much fpoken of in prophecy. It is natural to fup-pofe, that the mortal wounding of the head of that favage cruel beaft, that is reprefent-ed as conRantly at war with the woman, and perfecuting the church of Chrift, (hould be ibme relief to the Chriftian church; but, on the contrary, that w^ounding to death, that Mr. Lowman fpeaks of, was the viftory of the enemies of the Chriftian church over her^ and the wound received from them.

It is faid of that head of the empire that fliall be next after the fixth head, and. next before Antichrift, and that is not reckoned as properly one of the number of the heads of the beaft, that when it comes, it JIiill continue aJJiortfpace, chap. xvii. 10. By which we may underftand, at leaft, that it fliall be one of the (horteft, in its continuance, of the fucceffive heads. But the government feat-ed at Ravenna, in the hands of the Goths, or of the deputies of the Greek emperors,

2^6 Antic/iri/i's Fall groundlcfsly

(which Mr. Lowman fuppofes to be meant by the head) continued, as Mr. Lowman himfelf takes notice, very near three hundred years. And if fo, its continuance was one of the longefl of the heads mentioned.

And befides, if the government that Rome was under, from the time that Augullulus abdicated, to the tim.e when the Pope was confirmed in his temporal dominion, was meant by the feventh head that was to be between the imperial head and the papal, there would doubtlefs have been two different heads mentioned, inftead of one, between the Emperor 4nd the Pope, viz. Firfl, the Gothic princes, which reigned near an hundred years. Secondly, the Exarchs of Ravenna, which governed for about one hundred and eighty-five years. The Gothic kingdom was much more properly a diftinft government from the Imperial, than the Exarchate of Ravenna; for during the Exarchate, Rome was under the government of the emperor, as much as it v/as in Conftan-tine's time.

In Rev, xvii. 12. it is faid, the ten koriis are ten kings, which are to receive power as kings one hour with the beajl, or (as Mr. Low-man fays, it ought to have been tranflated)

the fame hour, ox point of time -with thebeajl. This will not al'ow the time when Aniichrift firfl receives power as king, to be fo late as Mr. Lowman fuppofes. This divifionof the empire into many kingdoms, denoted by the number ten, was about the year four hundred and fifty-fix, after Genfericus had taken the city of Rome; but Mr. Lowman places the beginning of the reign of Antichrift in the year feven hundred and fifty-fix, which is three hundred years later. I know, fuch an expreffion as in one hour, of thefanie hour^ may allow fome latitude, but furely not fuch a latitude as this. This is a much longer time, than it was from the time of the vifion to Conftantirie: much longer than the fpace of all the firil fix feals, longer than it was from Chrift's afcenfion to Conftantine^ and near as long as the time of all the reigns of the heathen emperors put together, from Aucruftas Csefar to Conftantine. An hour is every where, in the other places in this book of Revelation, ufed to fignify a very fhort time, as may be feen in places cited in the margin.*^ And the expreifion, the fame

li

N O T K.

* Rev. xviii. lo, ir, i9» Chap. iii. 3, r®.—viii. i.—ix. 1^.-—>

xiv. :,

258 Antichrijt's Fall groundlefsly

hour, every where elfe in the Bible, intends near the fame point o^ time.t The phrafe one hour is ufed feveral times in the next chapter, fpeaking of the downfall of Anti-chrifl:;J and each time, evidently fignifies a very fhort fpace of time. And there is no reafon why we fhould not underfland the fame phrafe in the fam.e fenfe, when it is ufed here concerning the rife of Antichrift. Mr. Lowman greatly infills upon it, that Vv^hat is fpoken as continuing one thoufand two hundred and fixty days, is not fo much any fpiritual authority orecclefiaftical power of the Pope, over the nations of ChriHen-dom, as his temporal government and dominion in that individual city of Rome, and therefore to determine v/hen thefe one thoufand two hundred and fixty days or years began, and when they will end, we muft con-fider when the Pope firft received this his temporal povrer over tlie city of Rome, and the neighbouring regions, called St. Peter's patrimony. But I can fee no good reafon for this. Indeed it is llrange, if it be fo.— God has been pleafed in thefe revelations

NOTES.

f Dan. ill. 6.—iv. z:-,>—\. 5. Maith. viii. 13.—x. 19.—Luke vlu II.—xii. 12.—XX. 19.—xxiv. .^3. Jolm iv. 53. Ads xvi» 18, 33.—xxii. 13. Her. xi. 13. X Ver. 10, 17, 19.

and prophecies, which he has given for the benefit of his church in general, to fpeak much concerning an anti-chriftian power that fhould arife, that (hould perfecute the faints, andfcatter the power of the holy people, and be an occafion of great affliftion to the church ofChrift; and in thefe revelations, in both Old Teftament and New, has declared, and often repeated it, that his dominion fhall continue fo long,and no longer; and for the comfort of his church in general, Chrift hath fworn with great folemnity, that the continuance of this perfecuting power {hall be limited, Dan. xii. 7. Now it would be ftrange if, in all this, the thing principally intended is not that dominion of this anti-chriftian power which chiefly concerns the church of Chrift in general, but merely his temporal dominion over one province in I-taly, called St. Peter's Patrimony. Doubt-lefs, that dominion of Antichrift, which the prophecies infift upon and defcribe, is the dominion whofe duration and limits thofe prophecies declare. But the dominion of Antichrift which the prophecies infift upon and defcribe, is not any dominion over a particular province in Italy, but the dominion by which he fucceeds the four great

s6o Aniichriji's Fall groundlefsly

monarchies of the world, Dan. vii. The dominion by which hcfucceeds the dragon in. Ms power, throne and great authority, Rev, xiii, 2. The dominion in which he \i7x^power nven him over all kindreds, tongues and. nations, ver. 7. The dominion by which the great whore Jits on many waters, chap, xvii. 1. which the angel explains to h^pco--ples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues^ ver. 15. and the dominion in which he reigns, over the ten kings, into which the Romaa empire is divided, Rev. xiii, 1. an4 xvii. 3, 12. 13. The beaft that had ten horns, is not the city of Rome, and the neighbouring region, but the Roman empire; they are the horns or the kings, not of the city, but of the empirCe If we ccnfider what is expreff-ea in ths paffages themielves, v/hich fpeak of the three years and an hah''of Antichrift, they will lead us to underftand»fomething very diver(e from the duration of histem^ poral dominion over St. Peter^s Patrimony. In Dan. vii. 25. the time, times, and half of the little horn, is exprefsly the continuance of time, wherein it Jhall be given to him to change times and lazvs, and wear out the faints <>.f the Mofi High;- and in chap. xii. 7. it is fpaken of as the time of hisfcattering the

power of the holy people; in Rev. xi. 2. the forty and two months is fpoken of as the time of Antichrift's treading underfoot the court of the temple and the holy city; i. e. the external and vifible Chriftian church abroad in the world, or the nations of Chriftendom. In ver. 3. the one thoufand two hundred and fixty days of Antichrifl are fpokenof as the time of the witneff'esprophefying infackcloth; and in chap. xii. 6. and 14. the time of the zoomans being in the -wildernefs, which was through the great power that Antichrifl: had over the ChriRian world, and not his fmall temporal dominion in Italy.

It is true, fome regard is had in the prophecies to the city of Rome, the city built on feven hills; which being the fountain of all rule and authority in the Roman monarchy, and the capital city in the empire, from w^hence the v/holeempire was denominated, and the place where the head of the empire ufually refided, was properly made ufc of by the angel. Rev. xvii. g, 18. to (hew what empire Antichrifl fhould rule over, and what city he fliould ufually refide in. And this is all tliat can be meant by the words of the angel; and not that thofe flreets and walls, and the very ground, were fuch main and

262 Ajiiichri/i's Fall groundlefsly

effential things in what the prophecy intended by the beafl; that when Antichrift's dominion ceafes in that place, then the beaft ceafes. For, if fo, then it will follow, that the beaft had liis head wounded to death a fecond time, and ceafed to be, when the Popes redded at Avignon in France, for the bfefl part of a century; w^hen not only the Popes did not refide in Rome, nor in any part of St. Peter's Patrimony, nor any part of Italy, but fome of them were neither Romans nor Italians. Though the angel fays of the great whore. Rev. xvii. 18. The wo-7?ian which thoufaieejt, is the great city which reigns over the kings of the earth; yet by the city, in this cafe, is not meant fo much what was contained wnthin thofe Roman walls, as the Roman empire, as is evident by chap, xi. 8. And their dead bodies Jliall lie in the Jireet of the great city^ which isfpiritually colled Sodom and Egypt, Here,by that great city, neither Mr. L owman himfelf^ nor, I fuppofe, any other Proteftant interpreter, underftands the city cf Rome, ftrifclly fpeaking, but the Roman m.onarchy.

And though it fee true, as Mr. Lowman obferves, the Pope's ecclefiaftical monarchy, and power and influence through Chriften-

dom, was greatly eflablifhed and advanced by Pepin's making him a temporal prince over the Exarchate of Ravenna; yet, I would afk, whether the Pope's power and influence in the world, and his ability to difturb the quiet of the nations of Chriftendom, and (as it is expreffed in Daniel) to change times and lazos^ and to carry his own defigns, in the various countries and kingdoms of Europe, was not greater before Pepin, than it is now, and has been for a long time? And yet Mr. Lowman fuppofes that now is properly the time of Antichrifl's reign, that the one thoufand two hundred and fixty years of his reign continues, and will continue for about two hundred and feventy years longer; tho' his power be now fo fmall, and has been declining ever fince the reformation, and flill declines continually.

One thing that Mr. Lowman fuppofes con* firms his opinion of fo late a beginning of the one thoufand two hundred and fixty years of the reign of the beafl, is the order of the feveral periods of this prophecy, and the manner of their fucceeding one another.

As to his particular fcheme of the feven periods, fo divided and limited, and fo ob-vioufly ranked in fuch order, and following

264 AntichriJTs Fall groundlefsty

one another in fuch direft and continual fuC-cefTion, and each ending in a flateof peace^ fafety and happinefs to the church of God, it feems to me to be more ingenious than folid, and that many things might be faid to demonftrate it not to be founded in the truth of things, and the real defign of the divine author of this prophecy. But now to enter into a particular and full examination of it, would be to lengthen out this difcourfe far beyond its proper limits. I would only ob-ferve, (which direQly concerns my prefent purpofe) that to rrake out this fcheme, Mr. Lowman fuppofcs that the fifth and fixth trumpets, that bring on the two firft woes, and the whole ninth chapter of the Revelation, altogether refpecls the Saracens. But it appears to me not very credible, that the Saracens fliould have fo much faid of them in this prophecy, as to have a whole chapter taken up about them, and not a word in the prophecy be faid about the Turks, who immediately fucceeded them* in the fame

K O T E.

* For though it be true, that the reign of Othman, or Ottomaff^ \v'ho htgan what they call the Ottoman empire, was a long time -after this; yet the Tmks themfelves, under other princes, in the government they fet up in territories that had formerly been pof--ieilbd by Chriftians, and in their over-running and ravaging Chrif"

fuppofed at a Very great BiJlarLce. sSj

J-eligioii, and proceedirig On the fiime prin-tipies, and were fo muc^h more confiderable, and brought vaftly greater calamities on the Chrirtian world, and have fet up and long maintained one of the greateil, ftrohgeft and moft extraordinary empires that ever the Vorld faw, and have been the moft terrible fcourge to Chriftendom, that ever Divine Providence made ufe of, and one of the great-eft of all God's plagues oti the world of mankind.

Mr. Lov^^^man, in purfuance of his fcheme, alfo fuppofes, (v/hich is yet more incredible) this period of the trumpets ends in a flateof fafcty, peace and hap pinefs to the church of God; fo that, on that occafion, there are great voices in heaven, faying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord^ and of his Chrif, And yet he fuppofes, that it ifl'ucs ill fetting up the kingdom of Aiiti-chrift; and that about that very time, wheu thefe heavenly voices fo joyfulh^ proclstim-ed this, the bead was enthroned, arid the time, times and half, or one thoufand twd Kk

NOT F.

\\2X\ couritrie^, immediately facceeding the Saracens; and from' thenceforward have been a terrible, rhu ahnr.ft continuai icourgr *-'^ the church.

hundred and fixty days of his reign began, which is fpoken of every where, as the time of the church's great'eft darknefs and trouble, the time wherein the little hornjliould wear out the faints of the Mojl High, The time appointed for his fcattering the power of the holy people. The time of the woi?iaris being in the zoildernefs. The time of treading underfoot the court of the temple. And the time of the witneffes prophefyinginfackdoth. However, I do not deny that the time when Mr. Lowman fuppofes the reign of the beall began, even the time when Pepin confirmed t6 the Pope his temporal dominions in Italy, was a time of the great increafe and advancement of the power of Antichrift in the world, and a notable epoch. And if I may be allowed humbly to offer what appears to me to be the truth with relation to the rife and fall of Antichrift, it is this—As the power of Antichrift, and the corruption of the apoftate church, rofe not at once, but by feveral notable fteps and degrees, fo it will in the like manner fall; and that divers, fteps and feafons of deftruciion tothefpirit-ual Babylon, and revival and advancement of the true church, are prophefied of under one. Though it be true, that there is fome

particular event, that prevails above al! o-thers in the intention of the prophecy, fome remarkable feafon of the deftruclion of the church of Rome, and the papal power and corruption, and advancement of true religion, that the prophecies have a principa* refpeft to.

It was certainly thus with regard to the prophecies of the deftruftion of old Babylon, and the church's deliverance from captivity and oppreffion by that city and king, dom, which is abundantly alluded to in thefe prophecies of the Revelation, as a noted type of the oppreffion of the church of Chrift by the church of Rome, calling the latter fo often by the name of Baby Ion, and the church of Chrift Jerufalem. The captivity of the Jews by the Babylonians was not perfefted at once, but was brought on by feveral notable fteps. So neither was the reftoration of the Jewifh church, after the captivity, per-fefled at once. It was feveral times foretold, that the duration of the captivity (hould be feventy years; and alfo, that after feven-ty years were accomplifhed, God would de-ftroy Babylon. But this period had mani-feftly feveral different beginnings, and feveral endings. Thus from Jehoiakim's capti-

vity to Cyrus's decree, for the return of the Jews, and the rebuilding of Jerufalem, was feventy years. And from Zedekiah's captivity to Darius's decree feventy years. And from the laft carrying away of all, to the fi* nifhing and dedication of the temple, was alfo feventy years. So alio the prophecies of Babylon's deftruftion were fuUilled by fe-veral fleps. Thefe prophecies feem to have a principal refpeft to that deftruftion that was accomplifhed by Cyrus, at the end of the firft feventy years fore-mentioned; but there were other things in the very fame prophecies, that were not fulfilled until the fourth year of Darius, when what remainecJ^ of Babylon was fubjefted to another dread-, ful deftruftiona which, in a great meafure^^ completed its defolation, which Vas at the-end of the fecond feventy years, and at the fame time that the reftoration of the Jew^s was perfefted by the decree of Darius.*—? But yet, there were many other things contained in the fame prophecies of Babylon's deftruftion, rendering it thenceforward per- j feflly and perpetually defolate^and the haunt

N O T B.

♦ Prjdeaux^s Conne(?iion, part I. p. i8jj 184^5 and 267, 3^2^ 5(^,9. Edi;. 9» and p. 271 and aj^o

offerpents and wild beafls, that were not fulfilled until more than two hundred years after, in the time of Seleucus king of Syria.* So alfo it was with refpefl: to the prophecies of the deflruftion of Tyre, in the xxvith, xxviith and xxviiith chapters of Ezek. from which many of the cxpreflions ufed in the Revelation, concerning the deflruftion of the kingdom of Antichrift, arc taken, and which is evidently made ufe of in fcripture as a type of the latter. Thefe prophecies of the de-ftruflion of Tyre were fulfilled by various ftcps. Many things were fulfilled in the de-ftruftion of the old city by Nebuchadnez-zar,+ and yet other parts of the fame prophecies were fulfilled by Alexander,J which was about two hundred and forty years afterwards. And yet both thefe defolations are prophefied of under one.

And thus it feems to me very probable, that it will prove, with refpeft to the prophecies of the defl:ru6iion of myftical Babylon. It is, I think, pretty manifefl by the prophecies, that this anti-chriftian hierarchy and apoftate church will at laft be fo de-ftroyed, that there fliall be no remainders of

NOTES.

* Prld, Connea. Part I. p. 808—812. f Ibid. nS, 129, 130. i Ibid. p. 693,

270 ANTICHRISTS FALL GRADUAL*

it left, and fhall have as perfeft a defolatiori, before God has done with her, as old Babylon had; there fhall be no fuch thing as Pope or church of Rome in the world.* It feems alfo pretty manifeil, that after that event that is chiefly intended in the prophecies of Antichrift'sdeftruftion, there will befome remains of the Romiili church. This appears by that moft particular and large defcrip-tion of that deftruftion, Rev. xviii. There it feems to be implied, not only that many fliall yet remain of the church of Rome, that fhall bewail her overthrow, of her people and clergy, but that there fliould be fome princes among them, Kings of the earth, that have committed fornication, and lived delici-oifly with her. And it is exceeding improbable in itfelf, that every Papift, in each quarter of the world, fliould be defliroyed, or ceafe from the world, at one blow. And as long as fo confiderable a number remains, as may be gathered from the prophecy, they will doubtlefs have an hierarchy, and there will be one among them that will bear the name of a Pope, although the church of Rome Ihall be mainly deilroyed, and the interefl: of Popery fliall be funk very low in the v/orld,

NOTE.

* See Rev. xviii. zi—z^- and xix. jo, 21. Daa. vii. a6, 27.

fo that there will yet remain fuch a thing as a papal church and hierarchy in the world, to be wholly extirpated at another period,* fometime after that great overthrow principally infifted on in the prophecies. And this fecond deftruftion of Antichrift, or rather extirpation of his remains, together with the complete extirpation of all remains of mahometanifm, heathenifm and herefy thro* the world, and the finifhing ftroke towards the overthrow of Satan's vifible kingdom on earth, and fo the beginning of the Millennium, or fpiritual reft of the world, may, for ought I know, be about the time Mr. Low-man fpeaks of; agreeable to the opinion of the ancient Jews, and many Chriftian divines that have followed them, that the world would ftand fix thoufand years, and then, the feventh thoufand years fhould be the world's reft or fabbath. The ruin of the Popifti intereft is but a fmall part of what is requifite, in order to introduce and fettle luch a ftate of things, as the world is repre-fented as being in, in that Milk-nnium that is defcribed. Rev. xx. wherein Satan's vifible kingdom is every where totally extir-

N O T E,

* At the pouring oat of the feventh vial upon the air,-ths pria-cipahties and powers of Satan.

272 The Beginning of the Millennium

pated, and a perfeft end put to all herefies^ delufions, and falfe religions whatfoeven through the whole earth, and Satan henceforward deceives the nations no more^ andhass no place any where but in hell. This is the fabbatifm of the world, when all fhall be in a holy reft; when the wolf fhall dwell with the lamb, and there fhall be nothing to hurt or offend, and there fhall be abundance of peace, and the earth fhall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the feas, and God's people fhall dwell in quiet refting-places. There is not the leaft rea-fon to think, that all this will be brought to pafs as it were at one ftroke, or that from the prefent lamentable ftate of things, there fhould be brought about and completed the deftruftion of the church of Rome, the en« tire extirpation of all infidelity, herefies fu-perftitions and fchifms, through all Chrift-endom, and the converfion of all the Jews, and the full, enlightening and converfion of all Mahometan and heathen nations, thro* the whole earth, on every fide of the globe, and from the north to the fouth pole, and the full fettlement of all in the pure Chrif-tian faith and order, all as it were in the if-fue of one battle, and by means of the vie-

may he about the Year 2000* 273

tory of the church in one great conflifl with her enemies. This would contradift many things in fcripture, which reprefent this great event to be brought to pafs by a gradual pro-grefs of religion; as leaven that gradually fpreads, until it has diffufed itfelf, through the whole lump, and a plant of muftard, which from a very fmall feed, gradually becomes a great tree. And like feed which a man cajis upon the ground, that Jprings and grows up, night and day ; and Jirjl brings forth the blade, then the car, then the full coj^n in the ear. And efpecially would this contra-di6l the prophetical reprefentation in Ezek. xlvii. where the progrefs of religion is repre* fented by the gradual increafe of the waters of the fanftuary; being firft a fmall fpring iffuingout from under the threfliold of the temple, and then after they had run a thoufand cubits, being up to the ankles; and at the end of another thoufand cubits, up to the knees; and at the end of another thoufand^ up to the loins; and afterwards a great river, that could not be palled over; and being finally brought into the fea, and healing the waters even of the vaft ocean. If the Spirit of God fliould be immediatclv poured out,

274 '^^^^ Beginning of the Millennium

and that work of God's power and grace fhould now begin, which, in its progrefs and iffue, fhould complete this glorious efFeft; there muft be an amazing and unparalleled progrefs of the work and manifeftation of divine power to bring fo much to pafs, by the year two thoufand. Would it not be a great thing, to be accompliflied in one half century, that religion, in the power and purity of it, Ihould fo prevail, as to gain the conquell over all thofe many things that ftand in oppofition to it among Proteftants, and gain the upper hand through the Pro-teftant world? And if in another, it fhould go on fo to prevail, as to get the viftory o-ver all the oppofition and flrength of the kingdom of Antichrift, fo as to gain the af-cendancy in that which is now the Popifh world? And if in a third half century, it {hould prevail and fubdue the greater part of the Mahometan world, and bring in the Jewifh nation, in all their difperfions? And when in the next whole century, the whole heathen world fhould be enlightened and converted to the Chriltian faith, throughout all parts of Africa, Afia, America and Terra Aullralis, and be thoroughly fettled in Chrif-tian faith and order, without any remainders

may he about the Year 2000. 275

of their old delufions and faperftitions, and this attended with an utter extirpation of the remnant of the church of Rome, and all the relicls of mahometanifm, herefy, fchifm and enthufiafm, and a fuppreffion of all remains of open vice and immorality^ and every fort of vifible enemy to true religion, through the whole earth, and bring to an end all the unhappy commotions, tumults, and calamities occafioned by fuch great changes, and all things be fo adjulled and fettled through the world, that the world henceforward fhould enjoy an holy reft or fabbatifm,

I have thus diftinguifhed what belongs to a bringing of the world from its prefent ftate, to the happy ftate of the Millennium, the better to give a view of the grestnefs of the work; and not, that I pretend fo much as to conjefture, that things will be accom-pliftied juft in this order. The whole work is not the lefs great and wonderful, to be ac-compliftied in fuch a fpace of time, in whatever order the different parts of it fucceed each other. They that think that what has been mentioned would not be fwift progrefs, yea, amazingly fwift, do not confider how great the work is, and the vaft and innumerable obftacles that are in the way. It was

N

276 CONCERNING THE SIXTH VIAL

a wonderful thing, when the Chriftian religion, after Chrift's afcenfion, fo prevailed, as to get the afcendancy in^the Roman empire in about three hundred years, but that was nothing to this.

Anf, 4. There are, as I apprehend, good reafons to hope, that that work of God's Spirit will begin in a little time, which in the progrefs of it will overthrow the kingdom of Antichrift, and, in its iffue, deftroy Satan's vifible kingdom on earth.

The prophecy of the fixth Vial, Rev. xvi. 22—16. if we take it in its connection with the other Vials, and confider thofe providential events, by which the preceding Vials have manifeftly been fulfilled, I humbly conceive, affords juft ground for fuch a hope.

It is very plain, from this whole chapter, as alfo the preceding and following, that all thefe feven Vials are Vials of God's wrath on Antichrift; one is not poured out on the Jews, another on the Turks, another on Pagans, another on the church of Rome; but they all fignify God's fucceffive judgments or plagues on the beaft and his kingdom, which is in this chapter and almofl every wherein this book, called great babylon. And therefore undoubtedly, v\^hen it is faid. The

ON THE RIVER EUPHRATES. 277

Jixlh angel poured out his Vial on the river Euphrates, and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the eajt might be prepared. By the river Euphrates is meant fomething fome way appertaining to this myftical Babylon, as that river that ran thro* Chaldea, called Euphrates, was fomething appertaining to the literal Babylon. And it is very manifeft, that here is in the prophecy of this Vial an allufion to that by which the way was prepared for the deftruc-tion of Babylon by Cyrus, which was by turning the channel of the river Euphrates, which ran through the midft of the city, whereby the way of the kings of the eaft, the princes of Media and Perfia, was prepared to come in under the walls of the city, at each end, where the waters ufed to run, and deftroy it; as they did that night wherein Daniel interpreted the hand-writing on the wall, a-gainft Belfliazzar, Dan. v. 30. The prophecies of Babylon's deftruftion do, from time to time, take notice of this way of deftroy-ing her, by drying up the waters of the river Euphrates, to prepare the way for her enemies, Ifai. xliv. 27, 28. That faith to the deep — Be dry — and I will dry up thy rivers; that faith of Cyrus — He is my fervant, and

278 CONCERNING THE SIXTH VIAL

Jkallperform all my pleajure. Jer. li. 31,32. Onepojljhall run to meet another, tojlieio the king of Babylon that his city is taken at one end, and that the pafages arefopped, and the reeds they have burnt with f re, and the men of war are affrighted. And ver. 36. / will dry up her fea, and make her fprings dry, — The Medes and Perfians, the people that de-ftroyed Babylon, dwelt to the eaftward of Babylon, and are fpoken of as coming from ' the eaft to her deftruftion, Ifai. xlvi. 11. Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counfel, from afar country. And the princes that joined with this ravenous bird from the eafl, in this affair of deftroying Babylon, are called kings, Jer. li. 11. The Lord hath raifed up thefpirit of the KINGS of the Medes; for his device is a-gainjl Babylon to defiroy it, Ver. 28. Prepare agaivjl her the nations, zoith the kings of the Medes, the captains thereof, and the rulers thereof, —The drying the channel of the river Euphrates, to prepare the way for thefe kings and captains of the eaft, to enter into that city, under its high walls, was the laft thing done by the beCegers of Babylon, before her a61ual deflruftion; as this fixth Vial is the laR Vial of God's wratb but one.

on the myftical Babylon, and the effeft of it, the drying up the channel of the river Euphrates, is the laft thing done againft it, before its aftual deftruftion by the feventh Vial, and opens the way for thofe that fight in a fpiritual war againft it, fpeedily to bring on its ruin.

Hence I think it may, without difpute, be determined, that by the river Euphrates in the prophecy of this Vial, is meant fome-thing appertaining or relating to the myftical Babylon, or the anti-chriftian church and kingdom, that ferves that, or is a benefit to it, in a way anfwerable to that in which the river Euphrates ferved old Babylon, and the removal of which will in like manner prepare the way for her enemies to deftroy her. And therefore what we have to do in the firft place, in order to find out what is intended by the river Euphrates, in this prophecy, is to confider how the literal Euphrates ferved old Babylon. And it may be noted, that Euphrates was of remarkable benefit to that great city in tv/o refpefts; it ferved the city as a fupply—it was let thro' the midft of the city by an artificial canal^ and ran through the midft of the palace of the king of Babylon; that part of his pa-

28o CONCERNING THE SIXTH VIAL

lace called the Old Palace, {landing on one fide, and the other part called the New Palace, on the other; with communications from one part to another, above the waters by a bridge, and under the waters, by a vaulted or arched pafTage, that the city, and ef-pecially the palace, might have the convenience of its waters, and be plentifully fup-plied with water. And another way that the waters of Euphrates ferved Babylon, was as an impediment and obftacle in the way of its enemies, to hinder their accefs to it to deflroy it; for there was a vafl moat round the city, without the walls, of prodigious width and depth, filled with the water of the river, to hinder the accefs of her befieg-ers; and at each end of the city, the river ferved inftead of walls. And therefore when Cyrus had dried up the river, the moat was emptied, and the channel of the river under the walls left dry, and fo his way was prepared.

And therefore it is natural to fuppofe, that by drying up the waters of the river Euphrates, in the prophecy of the deftruc-tion of the new Babylon, to prepare the way ^ of her enemies, is meant the drying up her incomes and fupplies, and the removal of

thofe things that hitherto have been the chief obftacles in the way of thofe that, in this book, are reprefented as at war with her, and Seeking her deftruftion, (fpoken of Rev. xix. 11. to the end, and chap. xii. 7.) that have hindered their progrefs and fuccefs^ or that have been the chief impediments in the way of the Proteftant religion* The firft thing is the drying the dreams of the wealth of the new Babylon, the temporal fupplies^ revenues^ and vaft incomes oftheRomifh church, and the riches of the PopiOi dominions* Waters in fcripture language very often fignify provifion and fupplies, both temporal and fpiritual, as in Prov. ix. 17. Ifai. xxxiii. 16.—xliii. 20.—Iv* i.andlviii. 11* Jer. ii. 13 and 18.—xvii. 8 and 13. and in other places innumerable. The temporal fupplies of a people are very often in fcripture called waters, as Ifai. v. 13. Therefore my people u gone into captivity, and their honourable men are famijlied, and their riiulti-tude dried up -with thirjl, i. e. deprived of the fupports and fupplies of life. And the drying up the waters of a city or kingdom, is often ufed in fcripture prophecy, for the depriving them of their wealth, asthefcrip-M m

282 CONCERNING THE SIXTH VIAL

ture explains itfelf^Hof.xiii. 15. His fprings Jhall become dry, and his fountainjliall he dried up: He Jhall fpoil the treafure of all pleajaixt vejfels. Ifai. xv. 6, 7. The waters of Niin-rivifliall be defolate, for the hay is withered^. the grafs faileth, there is no green thing, — Therefore the abundance they have gotten, and that which they have laid up,fhall they carry away to the brook of the willows. By the brook of the willows there feems to be a reference to the waters of AfTyria orChaldea, whofe ftreams abounded with willows. So that the carrying away the treafures of Moab, and adding of them to the treafures of Af-fyria, is here reprefented by the figure of turning away the waters of Nimrim from the country of Moab, and adding them to the waters of Affyria, as the prophecy explains itfelf. Yea, even in the prophecies of the deftruftion of Babylon itfelf, the depriving her of her treafures, feems to be one thing intended by the drying up of her waters.— This feems manifeft by the words of the prophecy in Jer. 1. 37, 38. Afword is upon her treafures, and they fiall be robbed; a drought is iLpoji her loaters, and they ft all be dried up. Compared with chap, li, 15. 0 thou that dwellefl upon many waters^ abundant in trea^

fares; with ver. 36. / will dry up her fea^ and make her fprings dry. The wealth, revenues, and vaft incomes of the church of Rome, are the waters by which that Babylon has been nouriflied and fupported; thefe are the waters which the Popifh clergy and members of the Romifli hierarchy third after, and are continually drinking down, with infatiable appetite; and they are waters that have been flowing into that fpiritual city like a great river; ecclefiaftical perfons pofleffing a very great part of the Popifh dominions; as this Babylon is reprefented as vaftly rich, in the prophecy of the Apocalypfe, efpecially in the 17th and 18th chapters. Thefe are efpecially the waters that fupply the palace of the king of this new Babylon, viz. the Pope, as the river Euphrates ran through the midft of the palace of the king of old Babylon. The revenues of the Pope have been like waters of a great river, coming into his palace, from innumerable fountains, and by innumerable branches and lefTer ftreama, coming from many various and dif-tant countries.

This prophecy reprefents to us two cities very contrary the one to the other—viz. New Babylon and the New Jerufalem^ and

284 CONCERNING THE SIXTH VIAL

a river running through the midft of each, -—The New Jerufalem, which fignifies the church of Chrift, efpecially in her beft eftatg, is defcribed as having a river running thro' the midft of it, Rev. xxii. 1, 2. This river, as might eafily be made moft evident, by comparing this with abundance of other fcriptures, undoubtedly fignifies the divine fupplies, and rich and abundant fpiritual incomes and provifion of that holy city. Mr, Lowman, in his late Expofition, faysr, *• It ^' rcprefents a conftant provifion for the com-**' fortable and happy life of all the inhabi-^' lants of this city of God." And in his notes on the fame place, obferves as follows: *' Water, (fays he), as neceffary to the fup-^•' port of life, and as it contributes in great *' cities, efpecially in hot eaftern countries, *' to the ornament of the place, and delight ^' of the inhabitants, is a very proper repre-^^ fentation of the enjoyment of all things, *' both for the fupport and pleafure of life." As the river that runs through the new Je-rufcilem, the church of Chrift, that refrefties that holy fpiritual fociety, fignifies their fpi-ntual fupplies, to fatisfy their fpiritual thirft, fo the river that runs through the new Ba-^ bylon, the anti-chriftian churchy that wick-^

cd carnal fociety, fignifies, according to the oppofite charafler of the city, her worldly, carnal fupplies, to fatisfy their carnal de-fires and thirftings.

This new Jerufalem is called in this book the Paradife of God, and therefore is repre-fented as having the tree of life growing in it. And it being defcribed, as though a river ran through the midft of it, there feems to be fome allufion to the ancient paradife in Eden, of v/hich we are told that there ran a river through the midft of it to water it; i, e. to fupply the plants of it with nourifli-ment. And this river was this very fame river Euphrates, that afterwards ran through Babylon. And in one and the other, it re-prefented the divers fupplies of two oppofite cities; in Eden, it reprefented the fpiritual fupplies and wealth of the true Chriftian church, in her fpiritual advancement and glory, and feems to be fo made ufe of. Rev. xxii. 1, 2. In the other it reprefented the outward carnal fupplies of the falfe anti-chriftian church, in her worldly pomp and vain glory, chap. xvi. 12.

When the waters, that fupply this myfli-cal Babylon, come to be dried up in this fenfe, it will prepare the way for the ene-

f86 COKCERNING THE SIXTH VIAL

mies of anti-chriflian corruption, that feek her overthrow. The weakh of the church of Rome, and of the powers that fupport it, is very much its defence. After the ftreams of her revenues ar)d riches are dried up, or very greatly diminifhed, her walls will be as it were broken down, and (he will become weak and defencelefs, and expofed to eafy ruin.

When Joab had taken that part of the city of Rabbah, that was called the City of Waters, whence the city had its fupply of water, the fountains of the brook Jabbok being probably there, and which was alfo called the royal city, probably becaufe there the king had his palace and gardens, on the account of its peculiar pleafantnefs; I fay, when he had taken this, the conquefl of the reft of the city was eafy; his meffage to David implies, that the city now might be taken at pleafure, 2 Sam. xii. 27, 28. It is pof-fible that by the pouring out of the fixth Vial to dry up the river of the myftical Babylon, there might be fomething like the \ taking the City of Waters in Rabbah; fbme one of the chief of the Popifh powers, that has been the main ftrength and fupport of the Popiih caufe, or from whence that church

has its chief fupplies, may be deftroyed, or converted, or greatly reduced. But this e-vents muft determine.

In the prophecies of Egypt's deflruftion, it is fignified, that when their rivers and waters fhould be dried up, in that fenfe, that the ftreams of their temporal fupplies fhould be averted from them, their defence would be gone, Ifai. xix. 4, &c. The Egyptians will I give over into the hand of a cruel lord^ and the water sjliall fail from thefea, and the river Jfiall be wajled and dried up^ and the brooks of DE^LNC Ejhall be emptied and dried up, and the reeds and flags fliall zvither— Every thing fown by the brooksfhall zvither: ThefiJJiers alfo fliall mourn —

Thofe whofe way was prepared to come in and deftroy Babylon, by the drying up the river of Euphrates, were the army that was at war with Babylon, Cyrus the king, and his hoft, that fought her overthrow; fo there feems to be all reafon to fuppofe, that thofe whofe way will be prepared to come in and deftroy myftical Babylon, by drying up the myftical Euphrates, are that king and army that are, in this book of Revelation, reprefented as at war with Antichrift. And what king and army that is, we may fee ia

288 CONCERNING THE SIXTH VIAL

chap. xii. 7. and xix. 11. to the end—Michael the king of angels, and his angels; he lohofe name is called the Word of God, and that has on his vejture, and on his thigh, a name written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords; and the heavenly armies that follow him, cloathed in fine linen, white and clean. Cyrus, the chief of the kings of the eaft, that deftroyed Babylon^ and redeemed God's church from thence, and reftored Jerufalem, feems, in that particular affair, very mani-feftly to be fpoken of as a type of Chrift: God calls him his fiiepherd, to perform his pleafure, to fay to Jerufalem—Thoufialt be built, and to the temple — Thyfoundationfhall he laid. God calls him his Mefiiah. Thus faith the Lord to his anointed, (in the original to his MeJJiah) to Cyrus. He is fpoken of as one that God had raifed up in righteouf nefs, that he might build his city, and freely redeem his captives, or let them go without price or reward. He is faid to be one whom God had loved; in like manner as the Mef-fiah is faid to be God^s eled, in whom his foul delighteth. As by Babylon, in the Revelation, is meant that anti-chriftian fociety that is typified by old Babylon; fo by the kings of the ead, that fnould deflroy this anti-

chriftian church, mud be meant thofe enemies of it that were typified by Cyrus, and other chieftiaiis oFthe eaft, that deftroyed old Babylon; viz. Chrift, who was born, livedo died, and rofe in the call, together with thofe fpiritual princes that follow him, the principalities and powers in heavenly places, and thofe minifters and faints that are kings and priefts, and (hall reign on earth; efpecially thofe leaders and heads of God's people— thofe Chriftian minifters and magiftrates^ that fliall be diftinguifhed as public bleffings to his churchj and chief inftruments of the overthrow of Antichrift*

As the river Euphrates ferved the city of Babylon as a fupply^ fo it alfo was before obferved, it ferved as an impediment or ob-ftacle to hinder the accefs of its enemies; as there was a vaft moat round the city^ filled with the water of the river, which was left empty when Euphrates was dried up. And therefore we may fuppofe, that another thing meant by the effeft of the fixth Vial, is the removal of thofe things which hitherto have been the chief obftacles in the way of the progrefs of the true religion, and the viftory of the church ofChrift over her enemies j

2gO CONCERNING THE SIXTH UIAL

which have been the corrupt doftrines and praftices that have prevailed in Proteftant courktries, and the doubts and difficulties that attend many doftrines of the true reli-gion, and the many divifions and contentions that fubfift among Proteftants. The removal of thofe would wonderfully prepare the way for Chrift and his armies, to go forward and prevail againft their enemies, in a glorious propagation of true religion. So that this Vial^ which is to prepare the way for Chrift and his people, feems to have re-fpetl to that remarkable preparing the way for Chrift, by levelling mountains, exalting valleys, drying lup rivers, and removingfium* bling-blocks, which is often fpoken of in the prophecies, as what fliall next precede the church's latter-day glory, aslfai. xlii. 13, &c» The Lor dfaall go forth as a mighty man; he Pialljlir up jealoiijy asamanofvjar; hejliall prevail againjl his enemies, — Izoill make wajle mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs ; and I loill make the rivers ijlands, and I will dry up the pools; and I will bring the blind by a zoay that they know not, and I will lead them in paths thai they have not known; I will make darknefs light before them, and crooked thingsJtraight: thefe things xvilllda

unto them, and notforfake them. Chap. xL 3, 4, 5. Prepare y'e the way of the Lord; makejlraight in the defart an high-way for our God: every valley fiall be exalted, and every mountain and hillfhall be made low, and the crooked fliall be made flraight, and rough places plain ; and the glory of the Lord fliall he revealed, and allflefh fhallfee it together. Chap. xi. 15, 16. And the Lordfiall deflroy the tongue of the Egyptian fea, and with his mighty wind fiall he (Jiake his hand over the river, and shallfmite it in the feven f reams thereof, and make men go over dry shod; and there shall be an high-way for the remnant of his people which shall be left, from Affyria, like as it was to Ifrael, in the day thai he came out of the land of Egypt. Chap. Ivii. 14. Cafiye up, cafl ye up, prepare the way, take up the fiumbling'block out of the way of my people. And chap. Ixii. 10. Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people ; cajl up, cafl up the high-way ; ga-ther out thef ones ; lift up aflandardfor the people. Zech. x. 10, ii, 12. I will bring them again alfo out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Affyria ; and L will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon ; and place shall not be found for them. And

2gZ CONCERNING THE SIXTH VIAL

he shall pafs through thefea with offliElion^ and shall finite the waves of thefea; and all the deeps of the river shall dry up ; and the pride of Afjyria shall be brought downy and thefceptre of Egypt shall depart away: And I Will frengthen them in the Lord, and they shall walk up and down in his name, faith the Lord. And it is worthy to be remarked, that as Cyrus's dellroying Babylon, and letting go God's captives from thence, and reftoring jerufalem, is certainly typical ofChrift'sde-ftroying myftical Babylon, and delivering his people from her tyranny, and glorioufly building up the fpiritual Jerufalem in the latter days; fo God's preparing Cyrus's way, by drying up the river Euphrates, is fpoken of in terms like thofe that are ufed in thofe prophecies that have been mentioned, to fig-nify the preparing Chrift's way, when he (hail come to accomplifh the latter event. Thus God fays concerning Cyrus, Ifai. xlv. 2. / -will go before thee, and make crooked. PLACES STRAIGHT. And vcr. 13. I will diretl, or make fir aight (as it is in the margin) all his zcays. This is like chap. xl. 2,4. Prepare ye the way of the Lord; niakeftraightin i^he depart an high-way for our God. — The ^rooked things fiall he made fir aight, Chap^

ON THE RIVER EUPHRATES. 293

xlii. 16. I will make darknefs light before them^ and crooked thingsJlraight,

If any fliould objeft againft underftanding the river Euphrates, m Rev. xvi. 12. as fig-nifying v/hat has been fuppofed, that when mention is made of the river Euphrates, in another place in this prophecy, it is mani-feilly not fo to be underftood, viz. in chap, ix. 14. Saying to thejixth angel -which had the trumpet — Looje the four angels which are hound in the great river Euphrates; and that there is no reafon to underftand the river Euphrates in the vifion of the fixth Vial., as fignifying fomething diverfe from what is meant by the fame river in the vifion of the fixth trumpet.

I anfwer. That there appears to me to be good reafon for a diverfe underftanding of the river Euphrates in thefe two different places; the diverfity of the fcene of the vifion, and of the kind of reprefentation, in thofe two divers parts of this prophecy, naturally leads to it, and requires it. It is in this book as in the Old Teftament; when the river Euphrates is fpoken of in the Old Teftament, both in the hiftories and prophecies, it is mentioned, with refpeft to the twofold relation of th^it river, viz. ift, with re-

/

294 CONCERNING THE SIXTH VIAL

gard to its relation to Babylon. And as it was related to that, it was fomething belonging to that city, as its defence and fupply, as has been reprefented. Thus the river Euphrates is fpoken of in many places that have been already obferved, and others that might be mentioned. 2dly. This river is fpoken of with regard to its relation to the land of Ifrael, God's vifible people; and as it was related to that, it was its eaftern boundary. It is fo fpoken of, Gen. xv. 18. Exod. xxiii. 31. Deut. i. 7. and xi, 24. Jofh. i. 4. 2 Sam. viii, 3. 1 Chron. xviii. 3. 1 Kings iv. 21. Ezra iv. 20. Agreeable to this diverfe re-fpeft or relation of this river, under which

it is mentioned in the Old Tellament, fo muft we underfland it difiFerently in different parts of the prophecy of this book of Revelation, according as the nature and fubjeft of the vixion requires. In the xvth chapter, where the prophecy is about Babylon, and the vifion is of God's plagues on Babylon, preparing the way forherde{lru6lion,there^ when the river Euphrates is mentioned, we are naturally and neceffarily led to confider it as fomething belonging to Babylon, appertaining to the myflical Babylon, as Euphrates did to old Babylon. But we cannot

underftand it fo in the ixth chapter, for there the prophecy is not about Babylon. To mention Euphrates there, as fomething belonging to Babylon, would have been improper; for the nature of the vifion, and prophetical reprefentation, did not lead to it, nor allo\\r it. John had hadno vifion of Babylon; that kind of reprefentation had not been made to him; there is not a word faid about Babylon till we come to the fecond part of this prophecy, after John had the vifion of the fecond book, and Chrift had faid to him— Thou viujl prophecy again before peoples^ and nations, and kings, chap. xi. The fcene of the vifion, in the former part of the prophecy, had been more efpecially the land of If-rael, and the vifion is concerning two forts of perfons there, viz. thofe of the tribes of Ifrael that had the feal of God in their foreheads, and thofe wicked apoftate Ifraelites that had not this mark. Compare chap. vii. 3—8. and chap. ix. 4. The vifion in this ixth chapter, is of God's jndgments on thofe of the tribes of Ifrael, or in the land of Ifrael, which had not the feal of God in their foreheads ; and therefore when mention is made, ver. 14. of a judgment coming on them from the river Euphrates, this river is here fpokea

296 CONCERNING TME Sli^TH VIAL

of in the former refpeft, viz. with regard 10 its relation to the land of Ifrael, as its eaft-ern border; and thereby we muft underftand that God would bring fome terrible calahii^ ty on Chriftendom from its eaftern border, as he did when the Turks were let loofe upon Chriftendom.

If thefe things that have been fpoken of^ are intended in the prophecy of the fixth Vial, it affords, as I conceive, great reafoil to hope that the beginning of that glorious work of God's Spirit, which, in the progrefs and iffu^ of it, will overthrow Antichrift, and introduce the glory of the latter days^ is not very far oflF.

Mr. Lowman has, I think, put it beyond all reafonable doubt, that the fifth Vial was poured out in the time of the Reformation, It alfo appears fatisfyingly,by his late Expo-fition, that take one Vial with another, it has not been two hundred years from the beginning of one Vial to the beginning of another, but about one hundred and eighty years. But it is now two hundred and twenty years fmce the fifth Vial began to be poured, and it is a long time fince the main effefts of it have been finilhed. And therefore if the fixth Vial has not already began

to be poured out, it may well be fpeedily lexpefted.

But with regJlrd to the firft thing that I have fuppofcd to be fignified by the efFeft of lliis Vial, viz. The dning up the fountains and ftreams of the wealth and temporal incomes ^ndfupplies of the antichrifHan church and territories, I would propofe it to confi-tlerationj whether or no many things that have cbme to pafs within thefe twenty years paft, may not be looked upon as probable begiilnings of a fulfilment of this prophecy; particularly what the kings of Spain and Portugal did fome years fince, when dii-pleafed with the Pope, forbidding any thenceforward going to Rome for inveltitures, &c, thereby cutting off two great ftream.s of the Pope's wealth, from fo great and rich a part ofthePopifii world; and its becoming fo frequent a thing of late for Popi(h prmces, in their wars, to make bold Vvith the trea-fure of the church, and to tax the clergy within their dominions, as well as laity; or which is equivalent, to oblige them to contribute great fums, under tlie na-xe of a free gift; and alfo the late peeling and im.pove-riihing the Pope's temporal dominions in Oq

298 Aiitichrijrs Ruin fpeedily follotos*

Italy, by the armies of the Auftrians, Neapolitans and Spaniards, pafiingand repaffing through them, and living fo much at difcre-tion in them, of which the Pope has fo loudly complained, and in vain; receiving nothing but menaces, when he has objefted a-gainfl giving liberty for the like p-ifTage for the future. Thefe things make it hopeful that the time is coming when the princes of Europe, the ten horns,Jliall hate the whorey and make her defolate and naked, and eat her fiefli, as Rev. xvii. 16. which will prepare the way for what next follows, her being burnt -withfire; even as the fixth Vial poured out, to confume the fupplies of Antichrift, and ftrip him.naked of his wealth, and, as it were, to pick his fleOi off from his bones, will make way for vs^hat next follows, thefeventh Vial, that will confume Antichrift, by the fierce-nefs of God's wrath.

Thefe things duly confidered, I imagine? afford us ground to fuppofe, not only that the efiFeS of this fixth Vial is already begun, but that fome progrefs is already miade in it, and that this Vial is now running apace. And when it fhall be finiflied, there is all rea-fon to fuppofe that the deftrutlion of Antichrift will very fpeedily follow, and that the

two laft Vials will fucceed one another more clofely than the other Vials. When once the river Euphrates was dried up, and Cyrus's way was prepared, he delayed not, but immediately entered into the city to defiroy it. Nor is it God's manner, when once his way is prepared, to delay to deliver his church, and (hew mercy to Zion. When once impediments are removed, Chrifl will no longer remain at a diilance, but will be like a roe or a young hart, coming fwiftly to the help of his people. When that cry is made, Cajl ye up, ccijl ye up, prepare the zoay, &c. The high and lofty One that inhabits eternity, is reprefented as very near to re-vive thefpirit of the contrite, and deliver his people with whom he had been wroth. When that cry is made, Ifai. xl. Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make fraight in the dcfart an high-way for our God; every valley fmil be exalted, See, God tells \\\^ ch\xrQh,that her loarfare is accomplified, and the time to comfort her is come, and that the glory of the Lord noxofiall be revealed, and allflrfi fee it together. And agreeably to theie things, Chriil:, on the pouring ou tthe fixth Vial, fays. Behold I come. The fixth Vial is the forerunner of the fcventh or laft, to prepare

300 A great Revival of Religion

its way. The angel that pours out this Vial^ is the harbinger of Chrift, and when the harbinger is come, the king is at hand. John the Baptift, that vv:as Chrift's harbinger, who came to level mountains and fill up vallies, proclaimed, The kingdom of heaven is at hand; and when lie had prepared Chrift's way, then, the Lordfuddenly ca'me into his temple, even the meJfenger of the covenant, Mai. iii. i.

It is true, that we do noj: know how long this Vial may continue running, and fo Chrift's w^ay preparing, before it is fully prepared; bur yet if there be reafon to think the eflFcft of this Vial is begun, or is near, then there is reafon alfo to think that the beginning of that great work of God's Spirit, in reviving of religion, which, before it is finidied, w41l idue in Antichrift's ruin, is not far off. For it is pretty manifefl, that the beginning of this work will accompany the fixth Vial; for the gathering together of the armies on both fides, on the fide of Chriil and Anti-: chrilt, to that great battle that fliali iiTue in the overthrow of the latter, will be under this Vial; (compare Rev. xvi. 12, 13, 14. with chap. ,xix. 11. to the ^vA.) And it is plain, tluit Chrin's manifefling himfelf, anc" wonderfully appearing after longhidinghiin-

[elf, to plead his own and his people's cauf'% and riding forth againd his enemies in a glorious manner, and his people's foJlov/ing him in pure linen, or the praftice of righte^. oufnefs and pure religion, will be the thing that w^ill give the alarm to Antichrifl, and caufe him to gather that vaft holt to make the utmoft oppofition. But this alarm and gathering together is reprefented as being under the fixth Vial; fo that it will be a great revival, and mighty pro^Tefs of true religion under the fixth Vial, eminently threatening the fpeedy and utter overthrow of Satan's kingdom on earth, that will fa mightily roufe the old ferpent, to exert him-felfwith fuch exceeding violence, in that greatefl: conflift and flruggle that ever he had with Chrift and the church, fince the world flood.*

All the feven Vials bring terrible judo-„ ments upon Antichrifl; but there feems to be fomething diflinguifhing of the three lafl: the fifth, fixth and feventh, viz. That they

NOT E.

* If there be any miflake here, it is an anticipption of the de-f^rudion of Antichrifl, through the prevalence ofvit:-!] rehgicn, inftead of the prcfent rod of tlie divine indignation; hut, it raiiy be, there is a warfare between truth and error yet to come, towards v/hich our author's views might Le diixa^d, and for which it be-comes us ail to be piepared. Eun or.

more direftly tend to the overthrow of his , kingdom, and accordingly each of them is • attended with a great revivino[ of reliorion. The fifth Vial was attended with fuch a revival and reformation, that greatly weakened and diminiflied the throne or kingdom, of the beaft, and went far towards its ruin. It feems as though the fixth Vial (hould be much more fo, for it is the diftmguilhing Bote of this Vial, that it is the preparatory Vial, which more than any other Vial prepares the way forChrift's coming todellroy the kingdom of Antichrift, and to fet up his own kingd^-^m in the world. A great outpouring of the Spirit accompanied that dif-penfation which Vv'as preparatory to Chrift's coming in his public miniftry, in the days of his flelh; fo, much more, will a great outpouring of the Spirit accompany the dif-penfation that will be preparatory to Chrill s coming in his kingdom.

And befides thofe things which belong to the preparation of Chrifl's way, which are fo often reprefented by levelling mountains, drying up rivers, c&c. viz. The unravelling intricacies, and removing difficulties attending Chriftian doftrines, the diftinguilhing between true religion and its falfe appear-

ances, the deteaing and exploding errors and corrupt principles, and the reformmg the wicked lives of profeffors, which have been the chief ftumbling-blocks and obfia-cles that have hitherto hindered the progrefs of true religion; I fay, thefe things, which feera to belong to this preparatory Vial, are the proper work of the Spirit of God, promoting and advancing divine light and true piety, and can be the effedl of nothing elfe. Ao-reeably to what has been fuppofed, that an extraordinary out-pouring of the Spirit of God is to accompany this fixth Vial; fo the beginning of a work of extraordinary a-wakening has already attended the probable beginning of this Vial; and has been continued intone place or other, for many years paft; although it has been, in fome places, mingled with much enthufiafm, after the manner of things in their firft beginnings, unripe, and mixed with much crudity. But it is to be hoped, a far more pure, exten-five and glorious revival of religion is not far off, which will more properly be the beginning of that work, which, in its iffue, ftall overthrow the kingdom of Antichrift, and of Satan through the world. But God will be enquired of for this, by thxhoufe of If rad to do it for than.

Anf, 5. If, notwithflanding all that I hav^ ftid, it be flill judged that there is fufficient i*eafon to determine that the ruia-of Anti.. chrifl; is at a very great diftance, and if all that I have faid^ as arguing that there is rea-fon to hope the beginning of that glorious revival of religion, which, in its continuance and progrefs, will deftroy the kingdom of Antichrift, is not very far off, be judged 10 be of no force; yet it will not follow, that our complying v/ith what is propofed to us in the late memorial from Scotland^ will be in vain, or not followed with fuch fpiritual bleffings, as will richly recompence the pains of fuch extraordinary prayer for the Holy Spirit, and the revival of religion. If God does not grant that greateft of all effufions of his Spirit, fo foon as we defire, yet we {hall have the iatisfaclion of a confcioufnefs of our having employed ourfelves in a mait-ner that is certainly agreeable to Chrift's will and frequent commands, in being much in prayer for this mercy, and much more in it than has heretofore been common with Chriftians; and there will be all reafon to hope, that we (hall receive fome bleffed token of his acceptance. If the fall of myfti-cal Babylon, and the work of God's Spirit

that (hall bring it to pafs, be at feveral hundred years diftance, yet it follows not that there will be no happy reviv?^ls of religion before that tinae, which flialhbe richly worth the mod diligent, earned and condant praying for.

I would fay fomething to one objeftion more, and then haden to a concludon of this difcourfe.

Object, 6, Some may be ready to objefta that what is propofed in this memorial is a new thing, fuch as never was put inpra6lice in the church of God before.

Anjl 1. If there be fomething circumdan-tially new in it, this cannot be a fufficient 'objefticni The duty of prayer is no new duty; for many of God's people exprefsly to agreCj as touching fomething they diall aflv in prayer, is no nev/ thing; for God's people to agree on circumdances of time and place for united prayer, according to their own difcretion, is no new thing; for many, in different places, to agree to offer up extraordinary prayers to God, at the fame time, as a token of their union, is no new things but has been commonly praftifed in the appointment of days of fading and prayer for

QoS What is propofed in the

fpecial mercies. And if the people of God fhould engage in the duty of prayer, for the coming of Chrift's kingdom, in a new manner, in that refpeft, that they refolve they will not be fo negligent of this duty, as has been common with profefTors of religion heretofore, but will be more frequent and fervent in it; this would be fuch a new thing as ought to be, and would be only to reform a former ncghgence. And for the people of God, in various parts of the world, vifibly, and by exprefs agreement, to unite for this extraordinary prayer, is no more than their duty, and no more than what it is foretold the people of God fhould actually do, before the time comes of the church's promifed glory on earth. And if this be a duty, then it is a duty to come into fome method to render this prafticable; but it is not practicable (as was fhewn before) but by this method, or fome other equivalent.

Anf. 2. As to this particular method, propofed to promote union in extraordinary prayer, viz. God's people, in various parts, letting apart fixed feafons, to return at certain periods, wherein they agree to offer up their prayers at the fame time, it is not fo new as fome may poflTibly imagine* This

may appear by what follows, which is part of a paper, difperfed abroad in Great Bri< tain and Ireland, from London, in the year 1712, being the latter end of queen Anne's reign, and very extenfively complied with, entitled, " A ferious Call from the City to " the Country, to join with them in fetting *' apart fome time, viz. from feven to eight, " every Tuefday morning, for folemn feek-" ino- of God, each one in his clofet, now ia " this fo critical a junfture,"

Jonah i. 6, Call upon God, iffo be that God will think upon us, that loepcrijli not. — What follows is an extraft from it.

" You have formerly been called upon to *' the like duty, and have complied with it, ^•' and that not without fuccefs. It is now '' thought highly feafonable to renew the " call. It is hoped that you will not be more '' backw^ard, when it is fo apparent that there " is even greater need. It is fcarce imagin-'' able how a profeffing people fhould Itand " in greater need of prayer, than we do at '' this day. You were formerly bcfpoke from '' that very pertinent text, Zech. viii. 21. '•' The inhabitants of one cityJJiallgo to ano-" ther, faying, Let us go fpeedily to pray be-''fore the Lord, or, (as the marginal reading.

*^more exprelTive of the original reading, *' is,) co7itinually,from day to day, to entreat *' the face of the Lord, According to this ex-'' cellent pattern, we of this city, the metro-*' polis of our land, think ourfelves obliged ^- to call upon our brethren in Great Britain '^•' and Ireland, at a time when our hearts can-^' not but meditate terror, and our flefh trem-'' ble for fear of God, and are afraid of his " righteous judgments; thofe pafl being for •' the moft part forgotten, and the figns of *' the times foreboding evil to come, being *' by the generality little, if at all, regarded; " w^e cannot therefore but renew our earneft *' requeft, that all who make confcience of '' praying for the peace of Jerufalem, who " widi well to Zion, who would have us and ''our poflerity a nation of Britifh Protef-'' tants, and not of Popifh bigots and French '' {laves, would give us (as far as real and ''' not pretended neceffity will give leave) a ^' meeting at the throne of grace, at the hour " mentioned, there to wreftle with God for '•' the turning away his anger from us, for " our deliverance from the hands of his and " our enemies, for the turninor the councils " of all Ahitophels, at home and abroad, in-^^ to fooliflmeiy, for mercy to the queen and

^' kingdom, for a happy peace or fuccefsful ^' war, fo long as the matter {hall continue ■^ undetermined; for fecuringthe Proteftant -'fucceffion in the illultrious houfeofHa--' nover, (by good and evil wilhes to which, -" the friends and enemies of our religion and " civil rights, are fo effentially diilinguifh-^^ ed,) and efpecially for the influences of di-^' vine grace upon the rifing generation, par-" ticularly the feed of the righteous, that the ^\ offspring of our Chriftian heroes may ne-^' ver be the plague of our church and coun-'' try. And we defire that this folemn pray-" er be begun the firfl Tuefday after fight, '' and continued at leafl the fummer of this, " prefent year 1712, And we think, every ^'modeft, reafonable and jufl requefl, fuck '' as this, fliould not on any account be de-" nied us, fince we are not laying a burden " on others, to which we will not mofl wil-." lingly put our own fhoulders; nay, indeed, " count it much more a blefhng than a bur-'' den. We hope this will not be efleemed, *' by ferious Proteftants, of any denomina-** tion, a needlefs ilep; much lefs do we fear *' being cenfured by any fuch, as fanciful " and melancholy, on account of fuch a pro-" pofal. We, with them, believe a provi-

€(

2 lo What ispropofed in the Memorial^ &c.

^' dence, know and acknowledge that our God is a God hearing prayen Scripture " recordeth, and our age is not barren of in-*^ fiances of God's working marvellous deli-** verances for his people in anfwer to hum-** ble, believing and importunate prayer, ef» ** pecially when prayer and reformation go *•' together, which is what we defire. Let *^ this counfel be acceptable to us, in this ** day of the church's calamity, and our com-" mon fears. Let us feek the Lord while he ^' may be found, and call upon him while he ** is near. Let us humble ourfelves under *^ the mighty hand of God. Let us go and *^ pray unto our God, and he will hearken *' unto us. We fhall feek him and find him, *^ when we fearch for him with all our hearts. " Pray for the peace of Jerufaiem; tl:iey fhall ** profper that love her. And may Zion's " friends and enemies both cry out with won-'• der, when they fee the work of God—Be-''• hold they pray!—What hath God wrought! ^^ Verily there is a God that judgeth in the ^'^ earth.

•' Pojlfcript. It is defired and hoped, that ** if any are hindered from attending this '* work at the above-mentioned hour, they '' Will neverthelefs fet apart an hour week-'' ly for it.".

tnt coNCLustor?. gii

God fpeedily and wonderfully heard and anfwered thofe who were united in that extraordinary prayer, propofed in the above^ mentioned paper, in fuddenly fcattering thofe black clouds which threatened the nation and the Proteftant interefl: with ruin, at that time; in bringing about, in fo remarkable a manner, that happy change in the ftate of affairs in the nation, which was after the queen's death, by the bringing in king George the Firft. jufl at the time when the enemies of the religion and liberties of the nation had ripened their defigns to be put in fpee-dy execution. And we fee in the beginning of this extraft, this which is propofed, is mentioned as being no new thing, but that God's people in Great Britain had formerly been called upon to the like duty, and had complied, and that not without fuccefs. Such like concerts or agreements havefeve-ral times been propofed in Scotland, before this which is now propofed to us, particularly there was a propofal publifhed for this very praftice, in the year 1732, and another in 1735; fo that it appears that this objection of novelty is built on a miftake,

THE CONCLUSION-

And now, upon the whole, I defire every

ferious Chriftian, that may read this difcourfe^ cahnly and deliberately to confider whether he can excufe himfelf from complying with what has been propofed to us and requefted of us, by thofe minifters of Chrift in Scotland, who are the authors of the late memorial. God has flirred up a part of his churchy in a diflant part of the world, to be in an extraordinary manner feeking and crying to him, that he would appear to favour Zion^i as he has promifed. And they are applying themfelves to us, to join with them, and make that very propofal to us which is fpoken of in my text, and in like manner and circum-ftances. The members of one church, in one country, are coming to others^ in other diftant countries, faying, Let us gofpeedily and conjtantly to pray before the Lord, and to feek the Lord ofHoJls. Will it not become us readily to fay, Iwill goalfo? Whatthefe fervants of Chrift afk of us, is not filver or gold, or any of our outward fubftance, or that we would put ourfelves to any coft, or do any thing that will be likely to expofe us to any remarkable trouble, difficulty or fuffering in our outward intereft, but only that we would, help together with them, by our prayers to God, for the greateft mercy

in the world, and that a mercy which as much concerns us as them, for the glory of their Lord and ours, foi"^ the great advancement of our common intereft and happinefs^ and the happinefs of our fellow-creatures through all nations; a mercy, which, at this day efpe-ciaily, there is great need of; a mercy, which we, in this land, do ftand in particularneed of; a mercy, which the word of God requires us to* make the fubjeft-raatter of our prayers, above all other mercies, and gives us more encouragement to pray earneltly and unitedly to him for, than any other mercy ; and a mercy, which the providence of God towards the world of mankind, at this day, does loudly call the people of God to pray for. I think we cannot reafonably doubt but that thefe minifters have afted a part becoming difciples of the great Meffiah, and minifters of his kingdom, and have done the will of God, and according to his word, in fetting forward fuch an affair at this day, and in propofing it to us; and therefore I defire it may be confidered, whether we fiiall not really fm againll God, in refufmg to comply with their propofal and requeft, or m neglecting it, and turning it by, with but lit-

O q'

tie notice and attention, therein difregard-ing that which is truly a call of God to us. The miniHers that make this pfopofal to us, are no feparatifts or fciiifmatics, promoters of no public diforders, nor of any wild-riefs or extravagance in matters of religion, but are quiet and peaceable members and minillers of the church of Scotland, that have lamented the late divifions and breaches of that church. If any {hall fay, that they are under no advantage to judge of their charafter, but muft take it on truft from o-thers, becaufe they conceal their names; in anfwer to this, I would fay, That I prefume no fober perfon will fay that he has any rea-fon to fufpeft them, to be any other than crentlemen of honeft intention. Befure there is no appearance of any thing elfe, but an upright defign in their propofal, and that they have not mentioned their names, is an argument of it. It may welt be prefumed, from the manner of their expreffing them-felves, in the memorial itfelf, they conceals ed their names from that, which, perhaps, may be called an excefs of modelly, chufmg to be at the greaieft diRance from appearing to fet forth themfelves to the view of the world, as the heads of a great affair, and the

firfl projeclors and movers of fometliing extraordinary, that they defire (hould become genera], and that God's people, in various diftant parts of the world, fliould agree in. And therefore, they are moreover careful to tell us, that they do not propofe the af-f^iir, as now fetting it on foot, but as a thing already fet on foot, and do not tell us who firft projefted and moved it. The propofal is made to us in a very proper and prudent manner, with all appearance of Chrillian modefty and fincerity, and with a very prudent guard againft any thing that looks like fuperftition, or whatfoever might entangle a tender confcience, and far from any appearance of a defign to promote any particular party or denomination of Chriftians, in op^ pofition to others, but with all appearance to the contrary, in their charitable requeft, that none would, by any means, conceive of any fuch thing to be in their view, and that all, of every denomination and opinion con-cci ning the late religious commotions, would join with them, in feeking the common inte-reft of the kingdom of Chrifi; and, there-r fore, I think, none can be in the way of their duty, in neglefling a propofal in itfeif exceK lent, and that which they have reafon to

think is made with upright intentions, merely becaufe the propofcrs modeflly conceal their names. I do not fee how any ferious perfon, that has an ill opinion of late religious flirs, can have any colour of reafon to refufe a compliance with this propofal, on that account; the more diforders, extravagancies and delufions of the devil ha\'^ lately prevailed, the more need have we to pray earneftly to God, for his Holy Spirit, to promote true religion, in oppofition to the grand deceiver, and all his works; and the more fuch prayer, as is propofed,is anfvv^ered, the more efFeftually w^ill all that is contrary to fober and pure religion be extirpated and exploded.

One would think that every one who favours the duft of Zion, when he hears that God is ftirring up a confiderable number of his miniflers and people, to unite in extraordinary prayer, for the revival of religion and advancement of his kingdom, fhould greatly rejoice on this occalion. If we lay to heart the prefent calamities of the church ofChrift, and lon^ for that bleffed altera-tion which God has promifed, one would think it fliould be natural to rejoice at the appearance of forr.ething in fo dark a day,

which is fo promifing a token. Would not our friends that were lately in captivity in Canada, who earneflly longed for deliverance, have rejoiced to have heard of any thing that feemed to forebode the approach of their redemption? And particularly may we not fuppofe fuch of them as were religious perfons, would greatly have rejoiced to have underftood that there was ftirred up in God's people an extraordinary fpirit of prayer for their redemption ? And I do not know why it would not be as natural for us to rejoice at the like hopeful token of the redemption of Zion, if we made her intereft our own, and preferred Jerufalem above our chief joy. If we are indeed called of God to comply with the propofal now made to us, then let me befeech all that do fmcerely love the intereft of real Chriftianity, notwithftanding any diverfity of opinion, and former dif-putes, now to unite in this affair, with one heart and voice—and let us go fpeedily io pray before the Lord. There is no need that one (liould wait for another. If we can o-et others, that are our neighbours, to join with us, and fo can conveniently fpend the quarterly feafons with praying focieties, this is defirable; but if not, vrhy fhould we \vholly

negleft the duty propofed? Why (hould not we perform it by ourfelves, uniting in heart and praQice, as far as we are able, with thofe who, in diflant places, are engaged in that duty at that time?

If it be agreeable to the mind and will of God, that we fhould comply with the memorial, by praying for the coming of Chrift's kingdom, in the m.anner therein propofed, then doubtlefs it is the duty of all to comply with the memorial, in that refpetl alfo, viz. in endeavouring, as far as in us lies, to promote others joining in fuch prayer, and to render this union and agreement as exten-five as may be. Private ChriRians may have many advantages and opportunities for this; but efpecially minifters, inafmuch as they not only are by office overfeers qf whole congregations of God's people, and their guides in matters of religion, but ordinarily have a far more extenfive acquaintance and influence abroad, than private Chriflians in common have.

And I hope that fuch as are convinced it is their duty to comply with and encourage this defign, will remember we ought not only to go fpeedily to pray before the Lord, and to feek his mercy, but alfo to go con-

itantly. We (hould unite in our praftice thefe two things, which our Saviour unites in his precept, praying and not fainting. If we fhould continue fome years, and nothing remarkable in Providence (hould appear, as though God heard and anfwered, we (hould aft very unbecoming believers, if we (hould therefore begin to be di(heartened, and grow dull and (lack, in our feeking of God fo great a mercy. It is very apparent from the w^ord of God, that God is wont often to try the faith and patience of his people, when crying to him for fome great and important mercy, by with-holding the mercy fought, for a feafon, and not only fo, but at (irft to caufe an increafe of dark appearances, and yet, without fail, at laft, to fucceed thcfe who continue inftant in prayer with all perfever-ance, and will not let God go except he blef-fes. It is now propofed that this extraordinary united prayer (liould continue for fe-ven years, from November, 1746. Perhaps fome that appear forward to engage, may begin to think the time long, before the fe-ven years are out, and may account it a dull (lory, to go on, for fo long a time, praying in this extraordinary method, while all yet continues dark and dead, without any dawn-

ings of the wifhed-for light, or new promill ing appearance in Providence of the near approach of the defired mercy. But let it be confidered, whether it will not be a poor bufinefs, if our faith and patience is fo fhort-winded, that w^e cannot be willing to wait upon God one feven years, in a way of taking this little pains, in feeking a mercy fo infinitely vaft. For my part, I fincerely wifli and hope, that there may not be an end of extraordinary united prayer, among God's people, for the efFufions of the bleffed Spirit, when the feven years are ended, but that it will be continued, either in this method^ or fome other, by a new agreement, that will be entered into, with greater engaged-nefs, and more abundant alacrity, than this is; and that extraordinary united prayer for fuch a mercy will be further propagated and extended, than it can be expefted to be in one feven years. But yet, at the fame time, I hope, God's people, that unite in this a-greement, will fee fome tokens for good, before thefe feven years are out, thatfliall give them to fee, that God has not faid to the feed of Jacob—Seek ye me in vain; and fhall ferve greatly to animate and encourage them to go on in united prayers for the

advancement of Chrifl's kingdom, with en-creafing fervency. But whatever our hopes may be in this refpeft, we muft be content to be ignorant of the times and feafons, which the Father hath put in his own power; andmufl.be willing that God fhould anfwer prayer, and fulfil his own glorious promifes, in his own time; remembering fuch inftru6lions, counfels and promifes of the word oPGpd as thefe— Wait on the Lord, he of Good courage, and hejliall Jlrengtheii thine heart; zvaity I Jay, on the Lord. For the vijion is yet for an appointed time; but in the end it -will jipeak, and not lie: though it tarry^ xoaitfor it, becaufe it -willfurely come, it will not tarry. Itoill look unto the Lord, I tdll waiitfor the God ofmyfalvation; my God zcili hear me. God xcill zcipe away tears fy^m off m faces', and the rebuke of his people fliall he take azvayfrom off all the earth; for the LoM hathfpoken it, Anditfiall be [aid in thai day, Lo, this is irur God! zoe have rjoaited for Jiivi, and he xcillfave us: This is JEHOVAH r cve have zvaitedfor hini^ zee %viU be glad and rejoice in his falvation. Amen,

Rr

T H 1'

DOWNFALL

O V

MYSTICAL BABYLON;

O R> A

KEY TO THE PROVIDENCE of GOD,

IN THE

POLITICAL OPERATIONS of 1793-4,

BEING THE SUBSTANCE OF A DISCOURSE, PREACHED, FIRST, AT ELIZABETH TOWN, AND AFTERV/ARDS AT NEW-YORK, ON THE EVENING OF THE LORD's DAY, APRIL 7, 1793., AND NOW OFFERED, VvITH NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS, IN EVIDENCE OF THE

. SENTIMENTS THEN DELIVERED.

By DjIVID /lUSTINy A.M. Minlfter of the Firll Prefbyterian Church at Elizabeth Tov/n.

APOLOGY.

AS the folio-wing difcourfe was delivered from Jhort notes, it is hoped that any Utile difference in arrangement, or any additional proof s or illuf rations, now obferved^ will be readily excufed by any who heard the difcourfe preached; efpecially, whiljl it is re* membered, that in a printed difcourfe much higher authorities are expeEled, than what is neceffary in the common courfe of parochial preaching.

For any fentiments obferved to be omitted, the reader is referred to the tenor of the preceding difcourfes; and ifanyfhould be ready to fay, that proofs and illuflrations are need-lefsly multiplied, it may not be improper to anfwer, that on thefubjeB, of prophecy, as well as in refpeSt to every other, the truth gains in proportion to the evidence by which it is aitefl-ed; andfhines much brighter whilfl fupported by a cloud of approved witneffes, than whilfl refiing on the opinion of anyfngle interpret tcr^

T H 3-

D O W N F A L L

o s

MYSTICAL BABYLON-

Revelatiom XVlii, 20.

Rejoice over her thou heaven, and ye holy a^ pojlles and prophets, for God hath avenged you on her^

IN all the calamities which it pleafes God to bring upon his enemies, or upon the enemies of his church, all holy beings have caufe to rejoice. The ground of their joy, in fiich events, however awful to the fuffer-ers, is founded in the reafon and nature of things as well as in the exprefs appointment and call of God.

The caufe of God in heaven, and the caufe of Chrill: and of his church on the earth are one and the fame; and fo far as either the former or the latter, or both unitedly, may be employed, in their ufual methods of exertion, in counterafting, and in overturning

the purpofes of the Grand Adverfary or of his inftruments; in the fame degree may the ftruggle be ftiled a common caufe, or a general war. The enemies of God are the e-nemies of his church, and they who feek the overthrow of the latter, would, if poffible, dethrone the former. On this account, therefore, it is, that all holy beings, whether in the heaven of heavens, on high, or whether in the heavens of the Chriftian church, (for fo, in prophetic ftile, the word fometimes fignifies,) are called upon to rejoice at the calamities which God, in judgment for their fins, brings on his enemies, and on the ene* mies of his Zion.

All holy beings have caufe to rejoice in the downfall of the wicked, as fuch a difaf-ter, under the management of heaven, may tend to the upbuilding of the kingdom of Chrift, and of the truth in the world. By fuch events viftory is, renewedly, afcribed to God. The faith and hope of the pious are revived and confirmed.—That fuch effefts, by fuch difaflers upon the wicked, have been produced, the fcriptures plainly teach. The drowning of the old world, and the deftruc-lion of Pharaoh and his hoft are inftances in point. In view of the latter,y^?2^ Mofes,

Mystical babylon-. q2q

^nd the children of Ifrael this fong unto the Lord, aMfpake, faying —/ zoilljing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed glorioujly: the horfe and his rider hath he thrown into the Jed, The Lord is my^Jlrength andfong^ and he is become my falvation: he is my God, and 1 will prepare him an habitation ; my father's God, and I will exalt htm. The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name.

Not only is the confidence of the righteous maintained by fuch difplays of vindic^ live powder, but the fame events load, with increafing danger, the interefls of Sataii and of the wicked in-general.

To revive the interells of truth and of grace—to fupport the caufe of God in the bofoms of the righteous, and to accumulate the degrees of danger, apprehenfion and final deftruflion, on the part of the wicked, have no doubt been important, if not leading objeQs to be accompliihed, in all the denunciations and executions which^ in all ages^ have been, in a higher or lefs degree, emptied forth upon the wicked, from the vials of the divine indignation.

In purfuance of the fame important ob-jefts^ a call is iffued, on a mighty and folemn

S s

occafion, to all friends to God, and to hi§ government to rejoice. Rejoice over her thou heaven, and ye holy apojtles and prophets^ for God hath avenged you on her.

Unfolding this paffage I propofe tolliew,

I. Who it is over whofe deilruftion holy beings are called upon to rejoice.

II. The caufe of this difafler.

III. Notice the means employed to bring this event to pafs. And,

IV. Shew the foundation the event lays for univerfal joy; concluding with fome reflexions from the whole.

And will a very gracious God fo enlighten the mind, both of the fpeaker and of the hearers, that truths may be opened, impref-fions made, and effefts wrought anfwerable to the nature and import of fo folemn and momentous a fubjeft.—I am,

I. To fliew who it is over whofe deftruc-tion, or downfall, all holy beings are called upon to rejoice.

For this knowledge we muft repair to the firft and fecond verfes of the context. And after thefe things, faith the infpired ajx)flle. If aw another angel come doxonfrom heaven^

MYSTICAL BABYLOiY. ggt

having great power, and the earth was light* enedwith his glory. And he cried mightily mth a Jlrong voice,faying, babylon the

GREAT IS FALLEN, IS FALLEN.

It is very generally, if not unanimoufly, agreed by ProteRant writers, that by Babylon, as ufed in this place, you are to under-fland the extenfive, once triumphant, and peiTecuting power of anti-chrillian Papal Rome, filled babylon, becaufe there are fo many appendages to this idolatrous power, which fo nearly refemble, and fo exaflly anfwer the prophetic defcription of Babylon, of the Chaldees—the inveterate, the powerful, and, for a feafon, the fuccefsful ene* my of the people of God, in ancient time.

Figures of fpeech, efpecially in the prophetic parts, are very frequent in the fcrip-tures. Indeed, almofl the whole of this book of the Revelation of Jefus Chrif vjhich God gave unto him, to fliew unto hisfervants things zohich mufifiortly come to pafs, is made up of figures. Sometimes, left the figure (hould be unintelligible, the angel fent to communicate the very interefting intelligence of this invaluable book, explains the figure.— And fometimes the prophetic herald gives a different view of the fame object in differ*

ent figures. Of this method we have an example in the fubjeft before us.

Papal Rome, here ftiled babylon the GREAT, in the chapter preceding is called,, becaufe of her idolatrous praftices, and be-caufe of her forfaking her original faithful Lord and Hufband—^the great whore: And that it might be known to be the fame power, as is here defcribed, the word Babylon is annexed or interwoven with the o-ther charafters of this myftical harlot. This fa6l will be yet more clear if you liften to the teftimony itfelf So he carried me away in thefpirit into the zvildernefs: and I Jaw a roomanjit upon a fcarlet-coloured beaJi^fulL of navies ojblajphemy, having feven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and fear let-colour, and. decked loith gold, and precious Jiones, and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand, full of abominations a.ndfilthinefs of her fornication. And upon her forehead zvas a name^'written, mystery, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

In fupporting the allufion, or in running the parallel between ancient heathenifii and modern anti-chriftian Papal Babylon, yea

MYSTICAL BABYLO.V. g^^

will permit, that I but touch upon the different branches of fimilarity, leaving the more full illuftration to be fupplied by your own recolleftion and ftudy.

As in the prophetic writings the words Jerufalem, Zion, the Temple of the living God, &c. are ufed to exprefs the ftate of the church under the Jevv^ifh, fo the fame words are fometimes applied to exprefs the ftate and charafter of the church under the Chriftian difpenfation. On the other hand^ as Sodom, Egypt and Babylon were names given to the enemies of God, and of his church, in ancient time, fo, under the fame names, their fucceffors are fet forth and de-fcribed as to exift in later times.

All thefe dark (hades of national character, and many more, did time allow, might be proved to be, with juftice, applicable to this anti-chriflian power of Papal Rome.— To Sodom this power may be likened for her fin, and to Egypt for her darknefs, idolatry and oppreiTion. And, without doubt, by the angel of God, in his addrefs to St. John on the fubje6l of the (laughter of the witneffes, thefe dark fiiades are applied to this tyrannical dominion. And their dead bodies JJiall lie in the Jireet cf the great city.

xohich fpiritually is called Sodom and Egypt^ tohere, alfo, our Lord was crucijied^ On thefe words, faith an approved commentator*—• *' The place where this was done is ftiled " Sodom and Egypt, and the great city *' xohere our Lord was crucified; which, if *' literally underftood, fignifies Jerufalem, ^' but if myftically underftood, ROME,orthe *^ Roman empire."—And no one, I may add, will fuppofe it is perverting the prophetic emblem, if it be applied, folely, to Rome; efpecially, if it be recollefted, that as Jeru-falem was the head of the Jevvifh, fo Rome profefTes to be the head of the Chriftian empire; and alfo, that the once crucifying of our Lord at Jerufalem, is but a faint emblem of the thoufand crucifixions he has fince undergone in the multiplied perfecutions and tortures of the members of his myftical body; and, I may add, which he ftill undergoes in the daily offerings, the myflical fer-vices, the fuperftitious maffes of the church of Rome.

Hear, alfo, to this point, the teftimony of a late very refpeclable writer on the fubjeft of prophecy.t " As to the great city, men-

NOTES.

* Buikit in loco, f Langdon in loco«

MYSTICAL BABYLON. ggg

*' tioned under the figurative names of So-*' dom and Egypt, and comparedalfo to Je-•* falem, where our Lord was crucified, we *' {hall find by following vifions that Rome, *^ with its empire, is meant. It is called So-" dom, on account of the abominable crimes *'committed in it; Egypt, on account of *^ abounding fuperfiition and idolatry, and *' the cruel bondage in which it holds the *' people of God: And it is compared to *' Jerufalem, being faid to be the city where •' our Lord was crucified; becaufe w'hile it " pretended to be an holy city, it had killed *^ the prophets and faints, and crucified Chrill *^ afrefh in his members. Here it may be '' more efpecially obferved, that as in the *' beginning of the chapter the temple is the *' emblem of the Chriflian church, that city, " with its empire, in which the church is com-*' prehended, may very properly be compar-" ed to Jerufalem, the city in which the Jew-" ifli temple flood: And as our Lord was " crucified within thejurifdiftionof theRo-*' man empire, and by the Roman authori-" ty, and the Papal empire has fucceeded to " the other, and claims an equal extent,there, " is a propriety in faying that our Lord was ^^ crucified in the great city Rome, confi-

*^ dered in connexion with the empire of " which it is the capital."

Having laid this foundation as to the ufe and application of prophetic figures, to which much might be added, were it neceffary, the way is plain to proceed v/ith my fubjeft, in an attempt to fliew, that by babylon the GREAT, whofe fall is predifted in the text^ is meant the prefent anti-chriftian power of Papal Rome*

This fafl: will, at once, appear moft palpably evident, if, with attention, you are pleafed to follow me in a confideration of thefeveral articles of analogy, between anci* ent and modern Babylon, defigned to juftify the prophetic allufion.

1. Did Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Ba* bylon, fet up an image^ and call upon the fubjecls of his empire to fall down and wor-fhip it, fo hath the Nebuchadnezzar of the church of Rome, fupported by the magi of his kingdom, fet up, and continued to fet up images innumerable, to which the homage of bowing and kneeling is continually paid in churches, in many public places, and even on the common country roads, by the fubjecls of this myftical empire, as is well known to thofe who have paffed through this idolatrous country.

2. Did the decree of the king of Babylon enjoin homage to this image on pain of being ccifiiiito the midjl of a burning Jieryfurnace; fo doth the church of Rome enjoin homage to her idols on pain of exclufion from her communion, with the tortures of the inquifition in this world, and the pains of purgatory and damnation in the next.*

3. Did Nebuchadnezzar a6lually inf]i61-, or attempt to inflifl:, the pains of the fiery furnace on fome who refufed to bow down to his image; fo hath the church of Rome aftually inflicted, on thoufands of innocent Proteftants, refufing to partake in her idolatries, all the tortures which imagination could invent.

Let the hiftory of her perfecutions, maf-facres, flaughters and burnings teftify to this

faa.t

Tt

NOTES.

* The Author once had his own hat knocked ofr by the bayO" net of a ibidier, belonging to a party who efcoried and proteded a Bi(hop and his confederates, during a very thronged procefiion, at Nantes, becaufe he would not do culloraary h.arnage at the pre-fence of the Holl, which was carried along the llreet?, claiming religious homage, during the farcical exhibitions on the celebration of the Fete de Dieu.

f ** Satan has oppofed the Reformation with cruel perfscu-tions. The perfecutions with which the Proteftants, in one kingdom and another, have been tormented, by the church of Rome,

4. Was ancient Babylon the feat and fource of idolatry in the Pagan; fo is Rome in the Chriftian world.

NOTE.

have been, in many refpeds, beyond any that were before. So that Antichrift has proved the greateil and moil cruel enemy the church of Chrlll ever had; agreeable to the defcriptlon given of the church of Rome, jhii I fa-iM the ^.v-imaji drmikcn imth tbe Ihodof the faints^ and '•^nth the blood' of the martyrs of Jefus. — jlTid /;; her <was found th' blood of prophets ^ and of faints, a?id of c.ll them that ivere^flain upon the earth.

The heathen perfecutions !iad been very dreadful; but now per. fecntion, by the church of Rome, was improved, and fludied, and cultivated as an art or fcience. Such methods of tormenting were found out, that were beyond the invention of former ages. And, that perfecution might be managed more effeflually, there were certain focieties efcabliftied in various pnrts of the Popifii dominions, whofe bufinefs it rtiould be to ftudy,' improve, and pradife perfecution in its highefl perfev3ion, which are called the courts of inquifition.* A perufal of the hiilories of the Romilh perfecution, and their courts of inquifition, will give that idea, vv'hich a few worc!'^ cannot exprefs.

* Thefe infernal tribunals were firfc ere.51ed in the twelfth century by th^2 infamous Father Dominic, under the patronage of Pope Innocent IH. ia order more completely to extirpate the Waldenfes, and other pretended lieretics. It is difhcuit to con. ceive, tivat if God had delivered the world entirely into the Devil's hands, {as Satan once pretended) tliat his ingenuity and niaHce could have invented any ihing more dsteilable and (hocking. In faft, there is fcarcely a method that could delay or pervert juftice, but they have adopted it in their forms; nor does there feem a pofiible method of touure but they have invented and repeatedly exercifed. "1 he reader, whofe nerves can bear fuch reiterated fcenes of cruelty, mav read Baker's Hiftory of the Inquifition—the Hiilcry of the Inquifition at Goa, written by a Papiil, and fimilar works. But to flicw how far it is pcJTible for human nature to go, let him read the following e.xtradt from a fermon preached at E-vora, on occafion of one cf the moft horrid fcenes the fun ever beheld, an tf«/i? ;/^'^/^j when they burn or rather roafc heretics (as

MYSTICAL BABYLON. gog

Did her kings rule over many kingdoms and provinces; io this anti-cKriftian idola-

NOTE.

they call them) alive, from a principle of religion- " Beloved Portuguefe," laid the inhuman wretch, ** let us return thanks to Heaven, for his great goodnefs in giving us this holv tribunal (the Inquiiition.) Had it not been for this tribunal out kingdom would have become a tree without flowers or fruits, fit only to be committed to the flames. What progrefs has herefy made, for want of an Inquifition, in England, France, Germany, and the Netherlands ! It is evident, had it not been for fo great a blefling, our country would have b^en like tothofe above-mentioned.'*

When the Reformation began, the bcaft with feven heads and ten horns began to rage in a dieadful manner. After the Reformation, the church of Rome renewed its perfecutfon of the poor Waldenfes, and great multitudes of them were cruelly tortured and put to death. Soon after the Reformation, there were alfo terrible perfecutions in various parts of Germany, and efpecrally in Bohemia, which lafted for thirty years together, in which fo much blood was (bed for the fake of religion, that a cenain v/riter compares it to the plenty of waters of the great rivers of Germany, The countries of Poland, Lithuania, and Hungary \^'ere, in like manner, deluged wiih Protellant bJood.*

* *' If Rome Pagan hath fl.iin her ihoufands of innocent Chrif-tians, Rome Chrijlian hath flain her ten thoufp.nds. lor, not to mention other outrageous flaughters and barbarities, the croifades againfl; the Waldenfes ?ia<\ Aibigenfes, the murders committed by the Duke of Alva in the Netherlands, the maiTacres in France and Ireland, will probably amount to above ten times the number of all the Chriftians fl.rln in all the ten perfccutioriS of the Roman emperors put together.''

" By means of ihefe and other cruel perfecutions, the ProteH:-ar.i religion was in a great meafure fuppi efTed in Bohemia, and the Palatinate, and Hungary, which before were Protedant countries. Thus was fulfilled what was foretold of the little horn." Jndof tks ten horns that vjdre in his head, and of tJ)a other nyyhich came upland before ^hom three f II, even t^f thai horn that had eyes» and a mouth thatfpake g-reut thingsy ^hofi look "aias vi'irejloiit than hisfelbz^js: I bdeld and the fame horn, made vjar '■j^ith ths

trous harlot is faid to Jit upon many waters; with whom the kings of the earth have commit-

note; faint Si and prevailed stgainjl them. And what was foretold of the beaft having feven heads and ten horns. And it 'was given unto him to make 'war 'with the faints, and to overcome them ; andpo'-w-er 'was given hiyn over alt kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

Alfo Holland, and the other low countries, were,for many years, a fcene cf nothing but the nsoft affecting and amazing cruelties, being deluged with the blood of Protefiants, under the mercilefs hanris of the Spaniards, to whom they were then in fuhjedion.— But in this perfecution the Devil in a great raeafure failed of his purpofe, as it i/Tiicd in a great part of the Netherlands cafting off the Spanifh yoke, and fettiag up a wealthy and powerful Proteft-ant fiate, to the great defence of the Proteftani caufeever fince.

France alfo is another country which, fince the Reformation, in fome refpe<^s, perhaps, more than any other, has been a fcene of dreadful cruelties fuffered by the Proteftants there. After many cruellies had been exercifed towards the Protefiants in that kingdom, there was begun a perfecution of them in the year 15 71, in the reign of Charles the IX. king of France.

It began with a cruel mafTacre, wherein feventy thoufand Pro-teftants were flain in a few days time, as the king bcafted; and in all this perfecution, he fiew, as is fiippofed, three hundred thoufand martyrs. And it is reckoned, that about this time, within thirty years, there were martyred in this kingdom, for the Pro-. teftant religion, thirty-nine princes, one hundred and forty-eight / counts, two hundred and thirty-four barons, one hundred and forty-feven thoufand five hundred and eighteen gentlemen, and feven hundred and fixty thoufand of the common people.

The Parifian mafTacre was aggravated with feveral circumflan-ces of wantonnefs and treachery; but we hope that the above numbers are exaggerated. Thuanus, their own hiftorian, reckons thirty thoufand lives deftroyed in this flaughter; but Proteflant anthors feem to have reafon for fuppofing them not lefs than one hundred thoufand in the whole. But the moii horrid circumftance in the hiflory is, that when tlic news of this event reached Rome, pope Gregory XUL inftitaicd the moit fclemn rejoicings, giving

MYSTICAL BABYLON.

tedfornication, and the inhabitoMtsof tlie earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

NOTE.

thanks to Almighty God for this glorious vi<Slory ! ! !—An in-fiance that has no parallel, even in hell.

But all thefe perfecutions were, for exquifite cruelty, far exceeded by thofe which followed in the reign of Lewis XIV. which, indeed, are fuppofed to exceed all others that ever have been; and being long continued by reafon of the long reign of that king, almoft wholly extirpated the Proteftant religion out of that kingdom, where had been before a multitude of famous Proteftant churches all over the country.* Thus it was given to the beafl to make war with the faints, and to overcome them.

* The Perfeciition U7ider Lenjcis XIF. —This followed the revocation of the Edi6t of Nantes, a. d. 1685. The following ex-tra6l is taken from a French work of reputation.

" The troopers,foldiers and dragoons went into the Proteftants* houfes, where they marred and defaced their Iioufehold ftufF broke their looking-glafTes, and other utenfils and ornan-.ents, let their wine run about their cellars, and threw about their corn, and fpoiled it. And as to thofe things which they could notxle-ftroy in this manner, fuch as furniture of beds, linen, wearing apparel, plate, &c. they carried them to the market place, and fold them to the Jefuits and other Roman Catholics. By thefe means the Proteflants in Montaubon alone were, in four or five days, flripped of above a million of money. But this was not the worfl.

** They turned the dining-rooms of gentlemen into flables for their horfes, and treated the owners of the houfes where they quartered with the highefl indignity and cruelty, lafhing them a-bout from one to another, day and night, without intermiflicn, notfufFering them to eat or drink; and when they began to fink under the fatigue and pains they had undergone, they laid them on a bed, and when they thought them fomewhat recovered, made them rife, and repeated the fame tortures. When they faw the blood and fweat run down their faces and other parts of their bodies, they fluiced them with waterj and putting over their heads

5. Was ancient Babylon a fcourge to the people of God, and did (he bring them into

NOTE.

kettle-drums, turned npfide down, they made a continual din upon th^m till thofe unhappy creatures loft their fenfes. When one party of thefe tormentors were weary they were relieved b^^ ano-iher, who pradifed the fame cruelties with frelh vigor.

At NegrepiiiTe, a town near Montaubon, they hung up Ifaac Favin, 2 Piotsftant citizen of that place, by his arm-pits, and tor-Fnented him a whole night by pinching and tearing off his flefli with pincers. They made a great fire round a boy about twelve years old, who, with hands and eyes lifted up to heaven, cried out—" il> God, help me!"—And when they found the youth Fcfolved to die rather than renounce his religion, they fnatched tim from the firejud as he was on the point of being burnt.

*' In feveral places the foldiers applied red hot irons to the Lands and feet of men, and the breads of women. At Nantes they hung up fjveval women and maids by their feet, and others by their arm-pits, and thus expofed them to public view llark-naked. They bound mothers that gave fuck to pofts, and let their fucking infants lie idnguifliing in their fight for feveral days and nights, Giying, mourning and gafplng for life. Some they bound before a great fire, and, being half roailed, let them go—a puniHi-nient worie than death. Amidil a tlioufand hideous cries, and a ihouiand blafphemies, they hung up men and women by the hair, and foxf by their feet, on hooks in chimneys, and fmoaked them with wifps of wet hay till they werfe fuffocated. They tied feme under the arms with ropes, and plunged theai again and again into wells. They bound others like criminals, put diem to the tor-tuje, and with a funnel filled them v/ith wine, till the fumes of it took avv'ay their reafon, when they made ihem fay rhey confented to be Catholics. They fcripped them nakeJ, ana, after a thouf-iind indignities, fluck them with pins and needles ftom head to foot. They cut and flafhed them with knives, and fometimes with red-hot pincers took hold of them by the nofe and other parts of the body, and dragged them about the rooms till they made them proraife to be Catholics, or till the cries of thefe miferable wretches, calling upon God for help, forced them to let them go. They beat them with ftaves; and thus bruifcdj and with broken bcnes.

a feventy years captivity? fo this anti-chrir-tian power hath been a fcourge to the true worlhippers of God in modern times, and hath had a great part of the Chriftian church

NOTE.

dragc^ed them to church, where their forced prefence was taken for an abjuration. In fome places they tied fathers and hufoands to their bed-pofts, and, before their eyes, ravaged their wives and daughters with impunity. They blew up men and women with bellows till they burll them. If any, to efcape thefe barbarities, endeavoured to fave themfelves by flight, they purfued them into the fields and woods, where they (liot them like wild beafts, ajid prohibited them from departing the kingdom, (a cruelty n^ver pradifed by Nero or Dioclefian) wpon pain of conhfcation of ef-tedts, thegallies, the lafh, and ^rpeiual imprifonment; infomuch that the prifons of the fea-port t^owns were crammed v/ith men, women and children, who endeavoured to fave themfelves by fiiglit from this dreadful perfecution. With thefe fcenes of dcfo-iation and horror, the popifh clergy feafted their eyes, and made only a matter of laughter ar 1 fport of them.'*

0/Z'fr <:r«^///>/.~Befide the Proteftant blood Hied in thefe per-fecutions, Popery has to anfwer for the lives of millions of Jews, Mahometans, and barbarians. When the Moors conquered Spaio in the eighth century, they allowed the Chriftians the free exer-cife of their religion. But in the fifteenth century, when the tables were turned, and Ferdinand fubdued the Morifcoes, (thede-fcendants of the a^ove Moors) many hundred thoufands of them were forced to be baptized, or burnt, mafTacred, or baniHied, and their children fold for flaves; befides an innumerable multitude of Jews, who fhared the fame cruelties, chiefly by means of the infernal Inquifition. A worfe flaiighter, if poffible, was made among the natives of Spanin\ America, where fifteen millions are faid to have been facrificed to the genius of Popery in the courfe of about forty year?. Well, therefore, miglit the infpired apoflle fay, that at my flic Babylon's deflrudion— hi her'was found ths blood of prophets^ a7id of faint s ^ and of all that nverd fain upon ths earthly

Rev. xviii. 24 [Sec Edv;ards's Hifcory of Redemption, with

notes, page 452, 459, of the London, or new American edition.')

in more than Egyptian bondage for tv/elve hundred years.

During this bondage it is that the two WITNESSES—they^^ri)faithful, who, in every age, have teftified to the truth; (as fome have fuppofed) but if fo, there may be alfo an al-lufion, and perhaps a primary one, to the TWO OLIVE TREES of the prophet's vifiou, the anointed ones thatjiand by the Lord of the whole earth.

The olive tree afforded light from its fat-nefs, and nourifhm.ent from its fruit. Un-derftanding, therefore, the purport of the TWO WITNESSES, as explained by the angel, to be the two olive trees, and the Tv/o CANDLESTICKS, Jianding before the God of the earthy I am rather inclined to think, that they have a more extenfive, myf-tical, and important meaning than v/hat they have been generally underllood to imply. If the olive trees and candlefticks were an emblem of fpiritual and divine communications during their {landing in the Jewifh, v/hat fhould hinder the fame application whilfl they (land in the Chriftian church?

As the gifts and graces fhed down upon the minifters of our bleffed Lord, and upon his churches, after his afcenfion, were fup-

pofed to have been typified or prefigured by the anointing and common oil of the fanfluary; fo the olive tree as giving light and heat, and, I may add, nourilhment too. Was found in the ufage and appointment of heaven, no unbecoming reprefentation or emblem of thofe fpiritual communications which were then fhed upon the true wor-fhippers, and which will ever be continued as long as Chrift is the vine, or true olive, and his people the needy branches.

May we not then fuppofe, that by thefe

TWO OLIVE TREES and the two candlestick S,j/?a7Z(iz?2^ before the God of the earthy is meant the fources of divine and fpiritual fupplies to his church, the mediiivi of communication, or methods of outward and o-pen exhibition; or {hall we fay, that the emblem may partake a little of each, andftand a lively figure of them all?

If you afiv how this interpretation can cdrt-fift with the epithet, with their being called xvitnejfes, it may be anfwered, they are juftly and literally fo to be ftiled. Are not the Word of God preached, and his ordinance^ adminiftered, by his faithful minifters, properly to be (tiled witnesses for God?-^ Uu

And if you choofe to retain the number tico, may we not fay the^m^ and the word,v7\\\\ their ufual and outward methods of admini-ftration^ are fignified; or fay the word, and the ordinances of God in general, or the whole exhibition of the teftimony of God? whether in things inward and fpiritual, or in things outward and vifible?

With this interpretation agrees well the idea of their prophefying 2?ij^<;/^(:/^^/z; for no one can pretend, but the adminiftration of the word and worfliip of God, in the Ro-milh church, is fo beclouded by ignorance, ftiled darknefs; by fuperftition and error, and by the miniftry of a corrupt priefthood, as to layjuft foundation to fay, that the wit-nefles, with this interpretation, are emphatically prophefying in fackcloth.

With the fame ideaconfifts, very exaQIy, the term of time in which thefe witneffes are appointed to prophefy:—It is during the whole reign of Antichrift, the forty-two months, or twelve hundred and fixty years. And J zvill give, or appoint, unto my tzco zoit-nejfes, and they jliall prophefy a thoufand tzco hundred and threefcore days, clothed in fackcloth.

With the fame interpx'etation agrees the

declai'ation or expofition of the angel in the next verfe. Thefe are //z^ t w o o l i v e t r e e s and the two candlesticks Jianding before the God of the earth. And, in faft, there feems nothing in the chapter but what may, with as great apparent truth, be reconciled to this interpretation, as to any other; and there are forne things in it which cannot, with eafe, be interpreted as applicable to the witneffes, in any other fenfe, underftood or explained.

And if any fhould be difpofed to believe, that the prefent reigning perfecuting infidel power, now waging war againfl: all revealed religion, in France, is likely to be the death of thefe fame witneffes, who, for a long time, have already been made to prophefy in fack-cloth, perhaps the opinion may find fupport from the declaration of the angel: And when they Jliall have fijiijlicd tluir tejlimony, the beajl that afoendeth out of the bottomlefs pit^ fiall make war againjl them, andfliall overcome them, and kill them. If this interpretation be true, the mourning witneffes are now fuflfering death in thofe parts of myfli-cal Babylon, where the exifling exterminate / ing power has prevailed.

Did time allow, and was the prefent a

proper place in the order of my difcourfe, I might expound upon the whole chapter, and eahly reconcile any expreflions which, at firft view, might appear intricate, or doubtful, to the fpirit of this interpretation. Suffice it, for the prefent, to fay, that \vith this in^ terpretation agrees well the declaration made refpefting the injury thefe witnefTes are able to do their enemies. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouthy and devoureth their enevnes. And of nothing (hort of the adminiftration of Heaven can it be faid: Thefe have power tofiut hea* ven, that it rain not in the days of their pro-! phecVc And of nothing {hort of this can it |)e [sLid-^They have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to finite the earth with ail plagues as often as they wilL And very cor-refpondent to the death of the witneffes, and 10 the lying of their dead bodies inihejlreet qf the great city, is the death, the broken and demolifhed ftate of external religion in thofe parts of Papal Rome, in which the prefent exterminating power hath prevailed. And equally correfpondent is the decla-rauon, that they of the people, and tongues, and nations; probably thofe nations and churches out of the communion of the church of Rome^

MYSTICAL BABYLON. g^g

Jhallfee their dead bodies three days and an half, andyhy a more lively adminiftration of the word and ordinances of God, J/iall not fuffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.

And over the death of thefe witnefTes it is, that the men of this world Jliall rejoice, and make merry, and Jliall fend gifts 'one to another; becaiife thefe two prophets torment- -ed them that dwelt on the earth.

To the refurreftion and final exaltation of thefe witneffes well applies the verfes fucceeding. And after three days arid an half, thefpirit of life from God entered into them, and they food upon their feet, andp-reat fear fell upon them thatfaw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven, fayino- unto them — Come up hither» And they afcended up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies beheld them. During thefe events it is faid

And the fame hour was there an earthquake. May it not mean the earthquake now begun —the prefent convulfions amongft the nations, (for fo in prophetic ftile the word fig-nifies) which are to be fucceeded by the opening of the temple of God in heaven. And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was feen, in his temple, the ark of his tejlament; and there were lightnings, andvoi-

250 Antichrijl's Fall groundlefsly

'this was a member of the Chriftian churchy and fet by God in the moft eminent ftation in his church, ar<d was honoured above all other princes that ever had been in the world, as the great proteflor of his church, and her deliverer from the perfecuting power of that cruel fcarlet-coloured bead. Mr. Lowman himfelf ftyles him a Chriftian Prince^ and Pro^ teElorof the Chrijiian Religion. God is very-careful not to reckon his own people among

■ the Gentiles, the vifible fubjecls of Satan, Num. X xiii. 9. The peopleJliall not be reckoned among the nations. God will not enroll them with them; if they happen to be among them, he will be careful to fet a mark upon them,

. as a note of diftinftion, Rev. vii. 3, &c. when God is reckoning up his own people, he leaves out thofe that have been noted for idolatry. As among the tribes that were fealed. Rev. viii. thofe idolatrous tribes of Ephraim and Dan are left out, and in the genealogy of Chrift, Matth. i. thofe princes that were chiefly noted for idolatry, are left

' out. Much more would God be careful not to reckon his own people, efpecially fuch Chriflian princes as have been the moft e-minent inilruments of overthrowing idolatry, amongft idolaters, and as members and

heads of that kingdom that is noted in fcrip-ture as the moft notorious and infamous of all, for abominable idolatry, and oppofition and cruelty to the true worfhippers of God. And efpecially not to reckon them as properly belonging to one of thofe feven heads of this monarchy, of which very heads it is particularly noted that they had on them the names of blasphemy, which Mr. Low* man himfelf fuppofes to fignify idolatry. It was therefore worthy of God, agreeable to his manner, and what might w^ell be expeft-ed, that when he was reckoning up the fe^ veral fucceffive heads of this beaft, and Con-ftantine and his fucccfTors came in the way, and there was occafion to mention them, to fet a mark, or note of diftinftion on them, fignifying that they did not properly belong to the bcafl, nor were to be reckoned as belonging to the heads, and therefore are to be fkipped over in the reckoning, and Anti-chrift, though the eighth head of the Roman empire, is to be reckoned the feventh head of the beaft. This appears to me abundantly the moft juft and natural interpretation ofRev. xvii. 10, u. It is reafonable to fup-pofe, that God would take care to make fuch a uote in this prophetical defcription

252 Antichrijl's Fall groundlefsly

of this dreadful beaft, and not, by any means to reckon Conftantine as belonging properly to him.—If we reckon Conftantineas a member of this bcaft having feven heads and ten horns, defcribed chap. xvii. and as properly one of his heads, then he was alfo properly a member of the great red dragon with feven heads and ten horns that warred with the woman, chap. xii. For the feven heads and ten horns of that dragon, are plainly the fame with the feven heads and ten horns of the bead. So that this makes Conftantine a vifible member of the devil; for v/e are told exprefsly of that dragon, ver g. that he was that old ferpent, called the Devil and Satan. And to fuppofe that Conftantine is reckoned as belonging to one of the heads of that dragon, is to make thefe prophecies inconfiflent with themfelves. For herein this 12th chapter, we have reprefented a war between the dragon and the woman cloathed with the fun; which woman, as all agree,is the church; but Conftantine, as all do alfo agree, belonged to the woman, was a member of the Chriftian church, and was on that fide in the war againftthe dragon; yea,w^as the main inRrument of that great viftory that was obtained over the dragon there fpo*

ken of, ver. g—12. What aninconfiftency therefore is it, to fuppofe that he was at the fame time a member and head of that very dragon, which fought with the woman, and yet which Conflantine himfelf fought with, overcame, and glorioufly triumphed over! It is not therefore to be wondered at, that God was careful to diflinguifh Conftantine from the proper heads of the beaft; it would have been a wonder if he had not. God feems to have been careful to diflinguifh him, not only in his word, but in his providence, by fo ordering it that this Chriflian emperor fhould be removed from Rome, the city that God had given up to be the feat of the power of the beafl, and of its heads, and that he fhould have the feat of his em.pire elfe-where.

Conflantine was made the ihflrument of givinga mortal wound to the heathen Roman empire, and giving it a mortal wound in its head, viz. the heathen emperors that were then reigning, Maxentius and Licinius.— Butmore eminently was this glorious change in the empire owing to the power of God's word, the prevalence of the glorious gofpel, by which Conftantine himfelf was converted, and fo became the inflrument of the o-

254 Aiytichrijl's Fall groundlefsly

verthrow of the heathen empire in the eafl and weft'. The change that was then bro't to pafs, is reprefented as the deftru6tion of the heathen empire, or the old heathen world, and therefore feems to be compared to that diflblution of heaven and earth that (hall be at the day of judgment. Rev. vi. 12. to the end. And therefore^well might the heathen empire, under the head which was then reigning, be reprefented as wounded to death, chap. xiii. 3. It is much more likely, that the wound the beaft had by a fword, in his head, fpoken of ver. 14, was the wound that the heathen empire had in its head, by that fword w^hich we read of, chap. i. 16. and xix. 15. that proceeds out of the mouth of Chrift, than the wound that was given to the Chriftian empire and emperor by the fworci of the heathen Goths. It is moft likely that this deadly wound w^as by that fvv^ord w^ith which Michael made war with him, and o-vercame him, and caft him to the earth, chap, xii. g, and that the deadly wound which was given him, was given him at that very time. It is moft likely, that the fword that gave hirn this deadly wound, after which he llrangely revived, as though he rofe from the dead, was the fame fword with that which is fpoken of.

as what fhall at lafl utterly deflroy him, (b that he fhall never rife more, chap, xix. 15, 19, 20, 21. This wounding of the head of the bead by the deitruction of the heathen empire, and converfion of the emperor to the Chriftian truth, w^as a glorious event indeed of Divine Providence, worthy to be fo much fpoken of in prophecy. It is natural to fup-pofe, that the mortal vv^ounding of the head of that favage cruel beaft, that is reprefent-ed as conflantly at w^ar with the woman, and perfecuting the church of Chrift, fhould be fome relief to the Chriftian church; but, on the contrary, that w^ounding to death, that Mr. Lowman fpeaks of, was the viftory of the enemies of the Chriftian church over her^ and the wound received from them.

It is faid of that head of the empire that (liall be next after the fixth head, and. next before Antichrift, and that is not reckoned as properly one of the number of the heads of the beaft, that when it comes, it JliaU continue ajlwrtfpace, chap. xvii. 10. By w^hich we may undcrftand, at leaft, that it fhall be one of the (horteft, in its continuance, of the fucceffive heads. But the government feat-ed at Ravenna, in the hands of the Goths, or of the deputies of the Greek emperors,'

gg6 THE DOWNFALL OF

that thoujlialt take up this proverb againjl the king of Babylon, and fay — How hath the op^ preffor ceafed! The golden city ceafed! — The jjohoLe earth is at ref, and is quiet, they break forth into fin ging: Yea, the fir-trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon fiaying — Since thou art laid down, no feller has come up a^ gainfi us. Hell from beneath is moved for thee, to meet thee at thy coming: itfiirreth up the dead for thee.

Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the nofe of thy viols; the wormis fpreadun^ flcr thee, and the worms cover thee.

How art thou fallen from, heaven, 0 Luci^ fir! Son of the Morning, hovj art thou cut down to the ground, ^ohich d.id tveahcn the nations!

TJiey tliatfie theefiiall narrowly look upon thee and confider thee,fiaying — Is this the man that made tlie earth to tremble? thatdidfiiake kingdoms? that m.ade the world as a zoilder-nefs? and defiroyed the cities thereof? tJiat opened not the houfc of the pr if oners? ' For I tvtll arife up aga.infi t/iem faith the LordofiHqfts, and cut offrom Babylon the name and remnant, thefion and nephewfiatth the Lord. Iwillalfio make it a poffeffionfor ihc bittern, and pools ofi zvater; and I will

fweep it with the befovi of deJlniElionfaith the Lord of Hofls,

Having thus taken but a very brief fur-vey oith^ joyful, though aioful expreffions of exultation at the deftruftion of ancient Babylon, let us, for a moment,examine what there is, upon facred record, to anfwer this emblem in refpeft to the downfall of myfti-cal Babylon.— And after thefc things Ifaw another angel come dozonfrom heaven, having great power ; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a firong voice,faying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul fpirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath cf her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are zvaxed rich thro' the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, faying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her fins, and that ye receive not of her plagues: For her fins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as fie rewarded you, and double unto her double^ according to her works: in the

cup ivhichjlie hath filled, Jill to her double. How much file hath glorified herfielf, and lived delicioufiy, fio much torment and fiorrozo give her: forfiie faith m her heart, I fit a queens and am no xoidozv, and fiiall fiee no fiorrow. Therefore fiiall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; andfiie

Jhall be utterly burnt with fire: for firong is the Lord God loho judgeth her. And the kings of the earth, zoho have committed fornication and lived delicioufiy zoith her,fiiall bezoailher, and lament for her, zjohen they fiiall fee the

fnoke of her burning. Standing afar of for the fear of her torment, faying, Alas, alas! that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one Iioiir is thy judgment come. And the merchants of tlie earth fiiall zoeep and mourn over Jier: for no man buyeth their merclian-dife any more: The merchandife of gold, and

fdoer, and precious fiones, and of pearls, and

fine linen, and purple, andfilk, andfcarlet, and all thyme zuood, and all manner vcffels of ivory, and all manner vefi'els of mofi precious

zuood, and ofbrafs, and iron, and marble, and cinnainon, and odours, and ointments, and

frankincenfe, and zjcine, and oil, and finefiour, and zjoheat, and beafis, andfiieep, and horfes,, andchm'iots, andfitaves, and fouls of men, —

And the fruits that thy foul lufeth after are departed from thee^ and all things which were ■dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thoufialt find them no more at alL The merchants ofthefe things, which were made rich by her, fiall fand afar off, for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing. And faying, Alas, alas! that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and fcarlet, and decked with gold, and precious fanes, and pearls! For in one hourfogreat riches is come to nought. And every fiip-mafer, and all the company in flips, andfailors, and as many as trade by fea,food afar off, and cried, when they f 110 the f nolle oflier burning, faying — What city is like unto this great city! And they caf difl on their lieads, and cried, weeping and wailing, faying, Alas, alas! that great city, wlierein were made rich all that had flips intliefea by reafon of her coflinefs! for in one hour fie is made defolate. Rejoice over licr, thou heaven, and ye holy apofles andpro-pliets; for God hath avenged you on her. And a miglity angel took up afone like a great mil-ftone, and cofi it into tliefea, faying. Thus with violence fiall tliat great city Babylon be tlirown down, and fiall be found no more at all. And the voice of harpers, and mificians,

and of pipers, and trumpeters, piall be heard

no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of

whatfoever craft he be, shall be found any

more in thee; and the found of a milfone shall

be heard no more at all in thee; and the light

of a candle shall shfne no more at all in thee;

and the voice of the bridegroom and of the

bride shall be heard no more at all iri thee:

for thy merchants were the great men of the

earth; for by thy forceries were all nations

deceived^ And in her wasfound^the blood of

prophets, and of faints^ and of all that zvere

flain upon the earth,

" And after thefe things I heard a great " voice of much people in heaven, faying, " Alleluia! Salvation, and glory, and honor, " and power, unto the Lord our God: For " true and righteous are hi^ judgments; for " he hath judged the great whore, which did ** corrupt the earth with her fornication, " and hath avenged the blood of his fervants ** at her hand. And again they faid, Alle-" luia! And her fmoke rofe up for ever and " ever. And the four and twenty elders, and *' the four beafts, fell down and worfliipped " God that fat on the throne faying, Amen; "Alleluia!—And a voice came out of the " throne^ frying, Praife our God, all ye hb

**. fervants, ftnd ye that fear him^ both fmall *' and great. And I heard as it were the voice " of a great mukitude, and as the voice of *' many waters, and as the voice of mighty " thunderings, fay ingj Alleluia! for the Lord " God omnipotent reigneth.

Did time allow, I might follow feveral o-ther prophecies in their application to this fame anti-chriftian churchy and fhew the e--vidence they all carry of a threatened overthrow; but I fliall wave this fortheprefent^ expreffing all neceffary to be expreffed in this place, in the vv^ords of an eminent Eng-lilh writer on this fubjeft,*

'' The prophecies of Daniel, St. Paul, and St. John^ though/%^ of great weight, receive additional force if brought near and illuftrated by each other. Having already examined them feparately, and apart, let us now confider them together, and colle6lthe evidence that arifes when they are taken in one view, and form an entire and perfect whole.

From the moft curfory vie\\r of the three prediftions it is evident, that the fame fchemS Yy

NOTE.

* Sec Hallifax*3 Sermons, page 3*8*

and conflitution of things, the fame events^, perfons and times, the origin, continuance and deftruftion of the fame tyrannical power, (which power, by Daniel, is noted by the appellation of the little horn, by St. Paul is denominated the vian i?/'^,?;!, and by St. John is branded with the titles of the beajl, and xh^falfeprophet:) are ^?/?m^/); foretold ia alL

If Daniel defcribes the kingdom in which the little horn was to arife, by fuch emblems as can belong to none but the Roman, the fame emblems, to pre-figure the kingdom of the beafl and the falfe prophet, are alfo employed by St. John, from whom we farther learn,thathis appropriated place of refidence is the city of Rome.

If Daniel reftrains the fovereignty of this Roman pov/er to the European or weftern . part of the empire, after it was divided into ten (hares, the fame reftriftion is intimated in one of the epiftles of St. Paul, and is more explicitly declared by the beloved difciple in the Apocalypfe. If Daniel reprefents the ^nature of this ufurped dominion as different from any other, St. Paul and St. John in-flruct u,s, that this diverfity confifls in its being fpiritual, not a civil dominion, whicl^is^

MtSTlCAL BABYLON/ ^Sj^

therefore to be fought for, not m the Heathen, but in Chriftiaii Rome. If the inftanccs in which this fpiritual dominion is exerted, according to Daniel, be chiefly thefe—afpir-ing to fupreme and uncontroulable authority over the inhabitants of the earth—affeft-ing divine titles and honors—enjoining the worfliip of daemons and departed faints— prohibiting marriage—working falfe miracles—and perfecuting and killing thofe who oppofe its claims; the fame particulars are related, and with new additions and explications in the writings of St. Paul and St. John. If the duration of this ecclefiaftical polity be limited by Daniel to a time, and times, and the dividing of time, the fame duration is expreffed, and, in a variety of phrafes, by St. John, by whom the reign of the beaft is fixed to a time, and times, and half a time, or to three years and an half, or forty-two months, or twelve hundred and fixty days. And laftly, if the demolition of this extraordinary polity be denounced by the prophet of the Old Teftament, the fame inte-refting event is promifed by the two apof-tles of the Nevv^ Such a number of coinci-dencies, all fo ftrange and unufual in their kinds, to be found in the compofitions of

three perfons, living in diffei^nt, and one in a very remote period, cannot fairly be a-fcribed to any other caufe than to the im-pulfe oS. \h^ felf-fmie Jpirit, who taught them all things, which it was neceffary fhould be communicated for the admonition of the church of Chrid, upon whom the ends of the zcorld fnould covie.

Now of the eharafters recorded in fcrip-ture, as the undoubted marks of Antichrift, many, at leaf!:, have been (hew^n to belong, exclufively, to tjie tyranny nov/ exifting in Papal Rome. Yox^firji of all, this power is certainly a Roman one: Secondly, it is confined to the limits cf the Latin, or wefl^ ern empire: Thirdly, it arofe among the ten kingdoms into which that empire was parted by the northern barbarians; Fourthly, its throne or feat is in the city of Rome: Fifthly, it is a Chriftian power; ?LnA,fixthly, it is difcriminated from all others, by being of the fpirituai or ecclefiaftic kind. Thefe are cir-cumllances fo plainly realized in that part of Chriftendom which is fubjefl to the Roman Pontiff, that it is not poflible, by any ait or fubtilty of our adverfaries, they cau be evaded or denied."*

NOTE..

* See the eleventh of Bilhop Hurd's Sermons on \\\t Proihg-

After fuch teftimony and volumes to the fame effefl: which might be produced, if ne-cefTary, you will not deem it harlh, uncharitable, or unfair, if I fay, the objeft pointed at in thefe prophecies, muft infallibly be the prefent tyrannical, though, blefled be God! the tottering church of Papal Rome. This is the haughty Babylon, and this is the zoo-man arrayed in purple andfcarlet-colour, and decked with gold andpreciousjlones, and pear Is, having a golden cup in her hand,full of abominations, and filthincfs of her fornication. And this is the ivonian,u^on whok forehead zcasaname written, mystery, babylon

THE GP.EAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS, <l?Z^ ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And

this is the woman that was feen drunken with the blood of the faints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jefus, And this is thtioovian ■ that is denominated by the great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

If, in this place, you think proper to afk any thing refpefting the rife, continuance, and final deftruclicn of this multi-formed

NOTE.

cies, where the prophetic characters of Antichrlft, above defcrib-ed, are fiiewn, and in a very fatisf'adlory way, to be, fairly, applicable to the chuich of Rome.

devouring monfter, I anfwer, briePiy, that according to the prefent mod approved calculations we are authorized to lay, that the origin of this anti-chriftian power was gradual, though its aftual continuance is feve^: ral times plainly expreffed by the prophets to be tioelve hundred andJixty years,

" Sometime between a. d. 500, and tha end of the reign of the Goths, w^hich was a, . D. 553, when Narfes tool^ Rome and their dominions in Italy from them, and began the exarchate of Ravenna, the reckoning of tw^elve hundred and fixty years mufl begin. But Antichrift cannot be fuppofed to Hart up into view at once, in ^ fudden manner, as he will not fall without many preparatory circumjlances. He becan^e, by degrees, dif-tineuifhable. and doubtlefs his ruin will be brought on by feveral fleps in Providence.

Therefore, if we begin at the earlieft date^ when we may fuppofe he fird prefented him-felf to view, the end of the period will bring us to the firil fleps towards his fall; but if we begin at the lateft time, twelve hundred and Jixty years, will bringus to the complete ruin of his power.

The firft open breach between the weft-em and eaftern churches was, as w^e have

faid, about the year 500. To reckon: twelve hundred and fixty years from that time brings us to A. D. 1760. And it is remarkable that from that very year, v/hen the Jefuits had excited the refentments of the kings of Europe, which finally brought on the diffolu-tion of that order,, the power of the church of Rome has been very apparently declining,, and feveral plain fleps have been taken by the providence of God toward her utter deflruftion. Convents have been fup-prefied, and their revenues feized in kingdoms w^here fuperflition had long reigned without controuL

The infernal Courts of Inquifition have received fevere checks, by which they are likely to be foon annihilated, in countries moft noted for Romifh bigotry.

Liberty of confcience has been given tO Proteftants in nations which had loner beea devoted to the papacy.

Roman Catholic princes begin to withhold from Rome the cuftomary revenues. Even a late Pope, by his liberal writing??, lias lent his help to render Romifh fuperftr-tion ridiculous. And appearances arejiill proceedings^

NOTE.

* Langdon en RereJatlon, page 2.66-

If, on the ground of the calculation juft now mentioned, we proceed, the conclufion obvioully is, that the deftruftion of Babylon \% very near at hand. If to 1760, the date of the commencement of her fall, be added fifty years, the term in which (he is fuppof-ed to be falling, the fum will be the period of her expefted overthrow. And from appearances, now before us, we have good ground to conclude, that, if the decree of Heaven goes on for fixteen years to come, until 1810, as it has for four years paft, the denunciation for the deftruftion of Babylon will be fully accomplifhed.

As to times and feafons, it is not for us exaflly to know; and whatever miftakes we make in our calculation of numbers, it does not however, at all alter the decree, or poft-pone the effeft.

Hear the tedimony of an eminent divine on this fubjed.*

" Whatever miflakes the Jewifh Rabbles " might fall into in their interpretation of Da-'* niel's feventy weeks, and in their attempts " to fix the precife time of the Meffiah's com-

NOTE.

* Dodor Bellamy's difcourfe on the Millennium, piibliihed ti* X75S>— piige 34 of this work.

„ mg; and whatever miftaken notions any of " them had about the nature of his kincrdom, •' as though it was to be of this world, and *' he to appear in all earthly grandeur, and '' although his coming, to (bme, might feem '* to be fo long delayed, that they b gan to *' give up all hopes of it, and to ccntrive *' fome other meaning to the ancient pro-'^ phecies, or even to call in queftion the in-*' fpiration of the prophets; yet neither the *' mijlakes of fome, nor the infidelity of o-** thers, at all, altered the cafe. Days, and ** months, and years haftened along, and one ** revolution, among the kingdoms of the *' earth, followed upon another, till theful" " nefs of time was come, till all things were " ripe, and then, behold, the Meffiah was " born! Even fo it fhall be now.

" Whatever miftakes Chriftian Divines " may fall into, in their interpretation of fix ** hundred and fixty-fix, the number of the " beail, or in their endeavors to fix the pre-'^ cife time when the twelve hundred and *^ fixty years of Antichrill's reign fiiall begin " and end; or whatever wrong notions fome *^ may have had, or may have about the na-** ture of the Millennium, a^ though Chrill

Zz

" was to reign, perfonally, on earth; and if. '^ fome, mean while, begin to think that all " things will go on as they have done, and to '•' conclude, that the expedation of thefeglori-" ous days which has prevailed in the Chrif-*' tian church, from the beginning, is merely ^' agroundlefsfancy; yet none of thefe things " w^iil at all alter the cafe. Days, and months/ " and years, will haflen along, and one revo-" lution, among the kingdoms of the earthy " follow upon another, until the fitlnefs of *' tivie is come; till all things are ripe for ^' the event; and then the miniflers of Chrift *^ will accomplifh, in reality, what St. John *^ faw in his vifions: Ifazo an angelJly in the *^ viidji of heaven, having the everlajiing gof-*' pel to preach unto them that dwell on the " earth, and to every 7iatiooi, and kindred, and ^' tongue, and people. And then fhall it come " to pafs, that the veil of ignorance which *' hath fo long fpread over all na.UonsJIiali " be dejiroyed, and knowledge fliall fo great-*' ly increafe, that it fliall be as though the *' light of the moon were as the light of the '-fun; and the light of the fan fev enfold, un-" til the knowledge of the Lord cover the earth ^' as the waiters do thefea. And then there ^'fliall be nothing to hurt or offend in all God's

" holy mountain. For Babylon (liall fall, Sa-*' tan be bound, and Chrift will reign, and *' truth and righteoufnefs univerfally prevail *' a tlioufand years.''

Having, thus, confidered who it is over whofe deftruftion all holy beings are called to rejoice, and fa id fomething of the origin, continuance, and expefted downfall of this power, I proceed,

11. To confider the caiife of this awful dif-after.

Rejoice over her thou heaven, and ye holy apojlles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

If we confine our refearchcs after the procuring caufe of this difafter to the appendages of Babylon, we fhall find it in her ozon guilt.

Permit me to point out her guilt as hinted at in the chapter from which my text is taken.

1. Babylon is charged with the extent of her idolatry.

The kings of the earth have committed fornication with her; that is, have been embraced by her idolatrous communion—united with her in a general apoftacy from God.

2. She is charged with a felfifh, mercena"

r\^ fpirit in the concerns of her adminiftra« tion. The merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. *' By the merchants underftand all fuch as trade in Babylon's wares; her pleafing and CO ly wares of pardons, mafTes and indul-gencies, by which fo many are enriched; as well as thofe who trade in images, and in all the coftly trappings of their idolatrous wor-! iliip, and efpecially in the fouls of men."

3, She is fpoken of as contaminating ?^nA endangering thofe who tarried within her limits, expofmg the people of God to be bewitched by her forceries. And I heard an-, other voice from heaven, faying, Come out of her my people, that ye he not partakers of her fns, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

My brethren, doth not this folemn decree,, for the feparation of God's people from the fins and abominations of Babylon^ preach to us in thefe United States, even to us, who inhabit this afylurn of the diftreffed, to beware of the habits, cufloms, influence and inchanting prerogatives of thofe who are fleeing before the vengeance of an incenfed God ? Be not partakers of her fins, that ye receive not of her plagues.

Xbis caution is fupported by the annum-

elation of the angel of God. And therefoU

lowed another angel, faying, Babylon is fallen,

is fallen, that great city, becaufefie made all

nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her

fornication. And the third angel followed

them, faying with a loud voice, If any man

zoorjhtp the heafl and his image, and receive

his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the

famefiall drink of the-wine of the wrath of

God, which is poured out without mixture in-*

to the cup of his indignation: and hefiallbe

torjnented loithfire and brimfone in the pre"

fence of the holy angels, and iii the prefence of

the Lamb,

4. The guilt of Babylon is Ipoken of as fending forth a cry: For her fns have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Either a cry of the perfecuted and fuffering church, or a cry for vengeance. And when he had opened^ the fifth feal, I faio under the altar the fouls of them that were fain for the word of God, and for the tefiimo-ny which they held. And they cried toith a loud voice, faying. How long, holy ojnd true, dojt thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was [aid imto t/ieiUs thattheyffiouldrefl yet for a little

feafon, until their fellow-fervants alfo, and their brethren, that fJiould be killed as they toere^JIiould be fulfilled,

5. A remembrance of the perfecuting fpi-rit of this anti-chriftian power is fpoken of as warranting a decree for vengeance from the Court of lieaven. Reward her even as

file rewarded you, and double unto her double^ according to her work; in the cup whichfiie hath filled, fill to her double.

It is probable this injunction or command is given to the minifters—to the miniflering angels of God's judgments, in behalf of his church; and though it doth not call for the peaceful followers of the Lamb to wage a carnal warfare wnth this intolerant power, yet it doubtlefs authorifes our prayers that her dellruflion may be fpeedy and inevitable.

6. The lad inherent caufe of this awful calamity I (hall mention, is found in the pride and haughtinefs, luxury and voluptuoufnefs of this felf exalted anti-chriftian powder.—> How much file hath glorificcd herfielfi and lived delicioufiy,fio much torment and fiorrozo give her. For fine fiaith in her heart — Ifiit a queen, ayid am no widow, and fiiall fiee nofior-rovj. Thercfiore fiiall her plagues come in one

day, death, and mourning, and famine: and fiejhall be utterly burned with fire: forJlrong is the Lord God loho judgeth her.

I am led to conclude this branch of my difcourfe, by adding, that they??Z(2/caufe of the deftruftion of Babylon is ihefentence of God againil her. This fentence is pronounced by an angel from the court, from the tribunal of heaven. And he cried inightily with afirong voice, faying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen. And a mighty angel took up afione like a great milftone, and caft it into thefea, faying. Thus toith violencefiiall that great city Babylon be thrown down, andfhall be found no more at all. If you afk the rea-fon of this judicial fentence from the tribunal of heaven, it is faid— For by thy forcer ies were all nations deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of faints, and of all that zcerefiain upon the earth*

Having pointed out who it is over whofe deftrufiion holy angels and men are called upon to rejoice, and conhdered the caifeoi this awful cataftrophe, my fubjeft leads,

III. To confider the means by which this event fhall be brought about.

And what 7neans, my audience, fhould you fuppofe might be adequate to fuch a talk?

to the tafl^ of overturning a power which hath fubfifted more than twelve hundred years, fupported by the kings of the earth, who drink of her cup, and delight in her force-ries—who have long fince lent their aid for her fupport againft the voice of reafon—the demands of Heaven, and the cries of per-ifning thoufands?—What pow^r is equal to the talk of accomplifhing even the decree of Heaven againil fuch might, fuch united force as Babylon is able to bring into the field? more efpecially, when you confider that for the terror of her enemies, and for the comfort of her friends, this intolerant power pro-feffes to have in poffeffion the keys of heaven and of hell?

Retreat you will be ready to fay from fuch a taPis.! Let no one be fo prefumptuous as to provoke her to anger, as to flir up her fury! —Many have been devoured by this leviathan, by this multi-formed, infatiable mon-fter; and God forbid that any more fhould befwallowed up, whilfl: they are able to make but a feeble, though honed attempt!

Our fears, my friends, are relieved whilft I read to you, from the infpiration of God, that the angel that pronounces the decree of deftruftion is commiffioned from the Court

of Heaven; has great power, and that the earth is lightened zoith his glory. And to fupport the executioner of the fentence it is a.ddcd,forJtrong is the Lord God zoho judg-eth her^

As then the decree hath its origin inhea-veri, and the promulgation of it is by a mef-fenger from Heaven, we are authorifed to look to Heaven for means to accompHfii what its decree hath ordained.

Did it pleafe the Lord of Hofts, in ancient time, to promife dehverance to the Hebrews in Egyptian bondage; and did he not gracioufly provide the means of deliverance? —Was it in after times threatened againfl this rebellious people that, for their hypo-crify and fins, they fliould go into captivity ; and did not a righteous God provide the means to execute the fentence?—Hear the appointment of heaven to this taflc. 0 AJfy-rian! the rod of mine anger, and thejlaff in their hand is mine indignation! I will fend him againfl an hypocritical nation, and againjt the people of my wrath will I give him a charge to take thefpoil, and to toJie the prey, and to tread them down like the mire in the ftreets. Howbcit he meaneth not fo, neither doth his

A3

\

378 .THE DOWNFALL OF

heart think fo ; but it is iii his heart to dejlroyf and cut off-nations not a/ew, . Vikerefwe itjliall come to pafs, that, roheit the Lord hath performed his whole work upon Mount Zion, and on Jerufalem, Iroill punijk ihejTuit ofthejtout heart of the king of AJjy-Q'ia, and the glory of his high looks; for hs faith, bytheftrength ofiny hand I have done it, and by my wifdovi; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treafures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man,

I cite this paffage at length, not only that the fentiments under confideration may be fiipported, as to ineans of execution, appointed by the decree of Heaven; but to teach that means may be appointed, and m.ay e-ven execute the v/ill of Heaven, and yet be themfeU'cs wholly ignorant of the God they are ferving-—be vaftly finful in what they do, and be, final]y, forely puniPned for the ungodly deed.

Again, did it pleafe God to promife deliverance to the captive Jews from Babylon;. and did he not gird his man for the purpofe? Thus faith the Lord to his oMointed, to Cyrus^ xchofe right hand I have holden, to fubdue nations bfore him; and I zvill loofe the loins of

MYSTICAL BABYLON. r^J^

kings, to Open before him the two-leavedgates, and the gates Jliall not be Jliut: I loill go before thee, and make the crooked placesJlraight: I will break in pieces the gates ofbrafs, ajid cut in funder the bars of iron. For Jacob my fervant's fake, and Ifraelmine eled, Ihavt even called thee by thy name: Ihavefarnam^ ed thee though thou haft not known me. I ani the Lord, and there is none elfe, there is no God befAes me: I girded thee, though thoU hafl not known me.

Thefe examples of means provided for the accomplifnment of mercies promifed, or for the execution of judgments denounced, in the wifdom of God, lay good foundation for us to proceed, and afford unerring di^ Teftion to us in our enqurics after the means or methods which God will provide and ufe, for the execution of the awful fentence of which our fubjeft treats.

Babylon is fallen, is fallen! But by what means is (he to be brought down?

The ftate of this anti-chriRian church is fpoken of under feveral figures or emblems, all of Vvdiich are to ^ave their end in fome method fuited to the deftruftion of the original figure.

If we afk after the deftruftion of this

g8o THE DOWNFALL OF

church under the figure of Babylon, we fhalj find the means pre-figured under the pour-ins: out of the fixth vial—-the vial Vv^hichall

o

prefent expofitors allow to be now running. ' And thejixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof toas dried up, that the way of the king^ of the eaft might be prepared.

I need not detain you here to fay that the river Euphrates fignifies the wealth, the revenues, the ftrength and fupport of whatever kind, by which Papal Babylon hath, in time paft, been upheld:—-And if you wilh to ' know whether this river hath been, or is now drying up, you may be informed by aflung thofe who can tell to what end the revenues of the church of Rome have lately come. You may ad; where are her privileges and prerogatives, her churches, her church-lands, her wonted revenues from princes and from fubjefts, efpecially, in re-fpeft to thofe parts of the empire on whicli the contents of this vial have already been poured?—-You may alk, where is that faith, that implicit faith which Vv^as once put in her?—that domination which flie maintained over the confciences of men ?—Wher^ are her idols^—her mafies-—her fuperfcitions

.—her minifters?—As to her revenues, it will be anfwered, they have ceafed;—as to fdith, confidence and truft in this once reputed fountain of truth and infallibility, it will be faid, it is departed; her fubjefts have thrown off the mafk, and refufe to be hood-v/inked any longer. As to her idols, fo far as there was any value in them, they are now paffing in coin; and as to her minillers, they are executed and difperfed. Even the college of Sorbonne* is obliged to yield up her magi, and give them, to her foes, a prey.

If you afl^ why the drying up of the river Euphrates is fpoken of, that the zvay of the kings of the eajl may be prepared? I anfwer, in a word, that as ancient Euphrates was dried up, that the way of her enemies, who ^'eame from the eaft, might be prepared, in their approach to her de{l:ru6lion; fo this myftical river is dried up, that the city itfelf may become.an eafy prey.

On this pafiage hear the language of a judicious divine.t

*' In the drying up of the river Euphrates,

NOTES.

'^ A celebrated in{lltution,or college, for the refidence of doctors, profefTors, and {ludents in divinity, at Paris, who fufFered ip the general calamity.

t B.urkit in loeo.

manifefl: allufion is had to the manner of old Babylon's deftruftion. The river Euphrates rail through eld Babylon, and vs^as a greater defence to it than its celebrated walls, which, for thicknefs and height, were the wonder of the world. Cyrus," the leader of the Kings of the EaR," whea he took Babylon, cut many ditches, and let the river Euphrates run out, and fo he and his foldiers entered the city, and took it. As the drying up of Euphrates, theii, was^an immediate forerunner of the dellruQion of Babylon; in HIkj manner, the drying up of Euphrates, fignify it what it will, fiiall be the immediate forerunner of the deftruftion .of anti-chriftiaq Babylon, whenever it (hall be. The RoiBiflj Euphrates being dried up, the Romifii Bar bylon will hallen^ amain., tpwaiids itS: final

ruin.'*

Vv'hether the Euphrates of the R6mifh Babylon is not already fo far dried up, a^. that the Kings of the E a ft have made a breach upon her, let fa61s and daily intelligence dcr

ieanine.

What though you call the inftruments of this fuccefsful attack upon Rome a lawlefs banditti—a race of infidels—men, whopro-fefs to '' knov/ no God but Liberty, and no

pofpel but their ConlHtution.''—What then! are th^y not, in the hand of God, as well cho-fen inftruments for the execution of threatened vengeance upon myflical Babylon, as the heathenifli kings of the eaft were, for the fame defign, upon Babylon of the Chaldees?

Thofe who look through the great plan, viewingthcpurpofesofHeavenuponabroad fcale, believe and know that Kings and Captains, in all ages; nay, that even wicked men and devils, in the fullnefs of their rage, are yet under the divine controul; that the wrath of tile whole, in the end, VnaWpraife him, and the remainder he is able to reftrain.

In runnins: throucfh with the deftruclion of Babylon, the prophet notices a movement of a very extraordinary nature; an exertion made to oppofe the deluge which Almighty God is caufmg to overfpread the anti-chrif-tian world. But, alas! a feeble exertion, and, in the end, does but expedite the overthrow denounced.

And Ifcizv three iincleanjpirits, likefrogs^ xovie out of the mouth of the dragod, uiid^oM. of the mouth of the beajl, and out of the moiak rf thefalfe prophet. The apoftle proceeds .to interpret tl:e objefls prefentcd. For they are the fpirits of devils, zoorking miracles^

ioohich go forth unto the kings of the earth, and cf the whole world, to gather them to the hat-tie of that great day of God Almighty.

*' In the foregoing verfes,'*' fakh the author juft now cited, '' an account was given of the " fubjed upon which the fxth vial was pour-*' ed out, namely, upon the river Euphrates. " Here we have an effeft that followed there-*' upon; a warlike expedition, or gathering *' to battle. Where, note 1. The principal •^ commanders, in this battle, the Dragon^ " the Bead, and the Falfe Prophet.

" 2. The inftruments employed and made ^' ufe of by them who are faid to be, for their " xiB-iure, fpirits; for their qm.Vily, unclean; " for their number^ j^Ar^^; for theirfmilitude " and refemblance like frogs; namely, with " refpefl: to their corrupt origin, and their *' numbers—they fwarm and croak in all <* places, and live both in the v/ater and up-" on the earth:—by all which, many inter-" preters underfland emiffaries, miffionaries^ " negociators, folicitors and legates, fent '' forth, and employed by Antichrift for th^^ '' fupport and flrengthening of him and his ^' kingdom, by foliciting the kings of ths *' earth to join together in battle againfl: his *' enemies,"

We need no teflimony to fupport the o-pinion that the nuncios, legates, bifiiops and monks of the church of Rome have been in-dullrioufly, and, fpeaking after the manner of men, but too fuccefsfuUy employed in ranging the prefent combination of kings a-gainft the progrefs of the divine decree.— But Babylon is fallen, is fallen in the councils of heaven, and no popifh emiifaries fhall prevail to parry the fatal blow. True, they have boafted their art and fuccefs in parrying the arguments, and the appeals of Pro-teftants in time pad, but they cannot parry the judgments of God.

And he gathered them together into aplace^ called in the Hebreio tongue Armageddon.

'' He, that is Almighty God, by his per-*' midive providence, fuffered the kings of " the earth to hearken to Antichriil's miffion-« aries, and to affemble and gather together^ '' as Jabin and Sifera gathered together a-*' gainft Ifrael to their own defl:ru6lion: And '' whereas the place of their gathering to-«' gether and deftruSion is called a r m a g e d-** DON, that is fo named from the event of '' the battle, fignifying fuch a place where •' the enemies of the Lord Ihall be deilroy-

'' ed."

Bq

If any are difpofed to enquire after this place of deftruftion, let them perufe the accounts of the many bloody battles which have been fought fmce refiftance has been made to the purpofes of heaven in the exijl-ing decree, and anticipate the deflru6lion yet to follow.—One hundred and fifty, if not two hundred thoufand, are fuppofed to have perifhed in all the conflifts, battles, fieges, af-fafmations and executions which have taken place fince the prefent vial has begun to run. Vv^itnefs, efpecially, the late very feri-ous rencounters between the forces of France and the allied armies, in and about the Auf-trian Netherlands, as well as upon all their frontiers, and we may add alfo the maffacres of internal commotion.—Muft not fuch torrents of blood be placed to the account of the battle of the great day of God Almighty?

If this anti-chriftian power, for her apof-tacy from God, and for her idolatry, be figured forth to us under the degrading and abominable idea of a proftitute. herdellruc-tion is find to come from the hatred of the itn kings or kingdoms heretofore in her idolatrous communion.

And iiie ten horns which thoiifawejl are ten kings, zvhich have received no kingdom as yet;

but receive power as kings one hdur,OY<iX.\\\Q fame time, with the beajl, Thefe have one mind, andJhall give theirpozoer andJlrength unto the beajl.

But, in the day of God's wrath, whilft the Jixth vial continues to deliver its myfterious? but avenging contents, the ten kingsJliall hate the whore, and Jliall make her defolate and naked, and Jliall eat herjlejli, and burn her with fire.

If it pleafe God to fet forth this anti-chriftian power under the denomination of a beaft, his deflruftion, with his adherents, is threatened by an angel of God, not only as to this life, but as to the life to come.

And the third angel Jollowed them, faying with a loud voice. If any man zoorfiip the beaft.^ and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the fame fiall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, zohich is poured out without 7nixture into the cup of his indignation: and he Jhall be tormented with fire and brimfione in the prejence of the holy angels, and in the prefenceofthe Lamb,

If it pleafe God to fpeak of this idolatrous and intolerant power under the character of the man of fin, whofie coming is after the working of Satan, xvith all power, andfigns, and

lying zoonders; his deftruftion is denounced as being brought about by the vindiQivejuf-tice of God;— W/ioiii the Lordjliall conjumt Tcith thcfpirit of his Tfiouth, ayid Jhall dejtroy zviih the brightncfs of his coming.

If this power is reprefented as interwoven with the civil power oith^fourth great king^ dom of the world; if the civil and ecclefiaf-tical power of Rome forms the iron and the cla^\ well m^y its deflruftion be predicled by the rolling of the ftone (cut out, not with human hands, but by the providence of God.) apainft the legs, or rather the feet and toes of this kingdom, wdiich is founded of iron and clay-—partly firong and partly -voeak — partly true and ^dinlyfalfe: well, I fay, may deftruftion come from the ftone prepared of God with this defign. Thou fazvfl, faith Paniel to Nebuchadnezzar, till that ajlone was cut out without hands, zvhichfmote the image upon his feet that zvere of iron and clay^ and brake them to pieces: And the f one that fviote the image became a great moimtain, and filed the whole earrth.

Can I better fet before you the interpretation of this portion of prophecy, than in the words of Bifiiop Newton, fupported by

the celebrated Mr. Mede?* " As the fourth kingdom, or the Roman empire, was repre, fented in a twofold ftate; firft, ftrong and flourifhing, with legs of iron, cinAxhtn weakened and divided, withy^r^^ and toes, part of iron and part of clay ; fo ihisffth kingdom, or the kingdom of Chrift, is defcribed like-wife in tzvo ftates, which Mr. Mede rightly diftinguifheth by the names of regnum lapi-dis, the kingdom of the ftone, and regnum montis, the kingdom of the mountain; the fyf, when the Jione was cut out of the mountain without hands; the fecond, when it became itfelf a mountain, and filed the whole earth,

" Thefonewas cut out of the mount ainwith^ out hands. The kingdom of Chrift was firft fet up while the Roman empire was in its full ftrength, with legs of iron. The Roman empire was afterwards divided into ten lef-fer kingdoms, the remains of which are fub-fifting at prefent. The image is ftill ftand-ing upon h\?>feet and toes of iron and clay. The kingdom of Chrift is yet afoneoffwU" bling, and a rock of offence. But the ftone will, one day, fmite the image upon the feet

NOTE.

* Newton on the Prophecies, vol. ii. page 244,

and toes, and deftroy it utterly, and will it-it\i become a great mountain, and fill the whole earth: or, in other words, the kingdoms of this world JIialL become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Clmjf, a.nd hefiallreignfor ever and ever.

" We have, therefore feen the kingdom of xh^Jlone, but v/e have not yet feen \h^ kingdom OF THE MOUNTAIN. Some parts of this prophecy ftill remain to be fulfilled; but the exaft completion of the other parts will not fuffer us to doubt of the accomplilhment of the reft alfo, in due feafon."

And what period of time, ray brethren, hath ever looked fo likely to be introduflo-ry to the regnum montis, to the kingdom of the mountain, as the prefent? Is not the flone now rolling againft the feet and toes of the mighty image? And when it fliall have fplit in funder the heterogeneous and unnatural mixture, of which the empire of Rome is now compofed; when the civil and eccle-liaftical authority (v/hich hath fo long compofed what, in the dignity and pride of an-ti-chrillian glory, hath been ftiled the holy ROMAN EMPIRE,) (hall bc fcparatcd or diffolved, there will be good ground to believe, that the empire of Jefus Chrift—the regnum montis, w^ill begin.

MYSTICAL BABYLON. ggi

The rolling of the ftone, then, and the in-creafe of it to the fize of a mountain, may JLiftly be placed to the account of means ordained of God for the deftruftion of myfti-cal Babylon—the empire of the church of Rome.

And if it may not be prefuming too far, I would venture to aflert, that appearances are not only now favoring the introdu£tion of the REGNUM MONTIS, but that it has already begun, and is confiderably advanced in its progrefs. But,

How {hall the IzUleJlcnebzcQmc 3. mountain, and how fhall it deftroy this mighty image, this anti-chriflian colofTus, which hath flood fo many a florm?

Muft it not acquire a power — gain a mo-mentwn equal to the tafk?

Muft there not be fome power applied be-fide reafon and argument; the force of which this power hath found means fo long to with-ftand?—Undoubtedly, you will fay, there muft be fuch a power—but wliere is it to be found, and from what quarter muft it come?

Behold, my brethren, behold in the fcenes now paffing in the drama of Europe—another Aft'yrian and his hoft!—another axm the hand oi him that heiodh thereicith, and

anothery2iZ(; in the hand of Am thatjhaketli Hi—

In the fame group behold another Cyrus, xohofe right hand the Lord hath holden tofub--due nations before him —before whom the Lord loofened the loins of kings, and opened before him the two-leaved gates. Before whom the Lord went to make crooked placesJtr aight; to break in pieces the gates of brafs, and cut in f under the bars of iron: —Whom the Lord furnamed, and whom he girded with power, though the AiTyrian knew him not.

If this language feem too myfterious to any, let them receive a familiar itile, and behold the regnum montis, the kingdom of the mountain, begun on the Fourth of July, 177S, when the birth of the man-child —■ the hero of civil and religious liberty took place in thefe United States. Let them read the prediftions-of heaven refpe6iing the in-creafe of his dominion—that he was to rule all nations with a rod of iron; that is, bring them into complete and abfolutefubjeftion; and that the young hero might be equal to this mighty conqueft, he is fupported by an omnipotent arm; he is caught up unto God^ and to his throne. Behold, then, this hero of America wielding the ftandard of civil

and religious liberty overthefe United States! —Follow him, in his flrides,acrofs the Atlantic!—See him, with his fpear already in the heart of the beail!—See tyranny, civil and ecclefiaftical, bleeding at every pore!—See the votaries of the tyrants; of the beafts; of the falfe prophets, and ferpents of the earth, ranged in battle array, to withfland the pro-grefs and dominion of him, who hath com-miffion to break down the ufurpations of tyranny—to let i\\t prifoner out of the prifon-houfe; and to fet the vafTal in bondage free from his chains—-to level the mountains— to raife the valleys, and to prepare an high way for the Lord!

Againft all oppofiiion to the execution of this decree, the Lord, from the heavens, will laugh. He that Jitteth in the heavens Jhall uiugh, the Lord Jhall have them in dcrijion* — ThoUjfhalt break them with a rod of ii^on; thou fJiCvlt daji them in pieces like a potter s vcfeL Be zoife now, therefore, 0 ye kings, be injtrudedye judges of the earth.

It feems no unnatural conclufion from ancient prophecy, and from prefent appearances, that in order to ufher in the dominion of our glorious Immanuel, as predic-

ted to take place, and ufually called the to-tcT'day-glory, two great revolutions are to take place; i^n^firjl outward and political; the y^C6)7i^ inward and fpintual.— Thejirjl is now taking place; its happy ef-fecis we, in this country, already enjoy; and O that the Lord would gracioudy put it into the hearts of his miniilers and churches, nay, of all now under the dominion of civil and religious liberty, to begin th^fecond revolution, that which is inzoardand fpiritual^ even the revolution of the heart. Come forth then, may we not pray, all ye votaries of truth! ye advocates for the foiritual empire oithe latter day, come forth!^—

Let the ftandard of truth and of duty, the flandard of allegiance to God, through faith in his beloved Son, be fet up! Let us preach, let us pray, let us fight, manfully, the warfare of faith—not doubting, but in God's owu time, the glorious things, of which the prophets have fpoken, (hall be fulfilled !

Behold the firjl revolution, (through the agency of the hero of America] in this country, already begun, nay, already accompliih-ed!—why not then now begifi thefecond?

What encouragement is there to proceed, v/hilft we fee feme of the lafl events taking

place, under the fixth vial, which are to precede the glory of the latter day, to hcti/Jier-ed in.imrnediately on the pouring out of the feventh!

I have now gone through with aconfider-ation of the means appointed of God for the overthrow of my Rical Babylon. Thefe means, I make no doubt, you will believe fully adequate to the execution of the decree. It now cnly remains that I confider,

Lajily, The foundation which the execution of this decree lays for univerfal joy.

Rejoice over her thou heaven, and ye holy apojlles and prophets; for God hath avenp-ed

you Oil her.

If there was no other caufe of rejoicino-on this mighty occafion, but the invitation of heaven to the general concert, fufficient caufe might be found for the emotion the event demands.

But we are not called to rejoice without fufficient light afforded, to guide us in this rational and Chriftian exercife.

1. There is caufe of univerfal joy on this occafion, becaufe by the deftru6tion of myRi-Qhl Babylon, the great Michael ofthe churcli hath gained a v^ry important viclory over the principalities and powers of helh The

placing of one, bearing horns like a lamb, and fpeaking with the mouth of a dragon, in high-eft authority in the church of Chrift, is allowed, on all hands, to be a mafter-piece a-mong all the devices of Satan; the highelt, the moll crafty and fuccefsful effort which the wicked one hath ever played off againft the interells of Chrift in any age of the world. —Well then may the dete6iion and overthrow of Satan, in this fcherae of ruling the church, in the garb of an angel of light, demand the iivelieft acclamations of general

2. A participation in this general anthem of praife, at the downfall of Babylon, is de-manded, as matter of exultation on the part of the holy prophets, apofties and martyrs, whofe blood (he had formerly flied. Rejoice over her thou heaven, and ye holy apojlles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

And in her loas found the blood of prophets, and of faints, and of all that wereflain upon the earth,

v\ There is caufe of joy, at this event, on the partof the church, as in her advancings to her promifed perfection and glory, ftie ft^all not be obftrutled by the perfecutions, maffa-cres, inquifitions, tortures, and thunders of thisapoftate church of Rome.

4. On the part of all who have received, and now maintain the teftirnony of God, as recorded in his holy word, there is caufe of joy, that the fulfilment of the many prophecies refpefling Antichrijl, the man of Jin, &c. are fulfilled, and thereby an accumulation of evidence is obtained of the authenticity of the fcriptures, as being in deed and in truth the lively oracles of god.

5. There is caufe of joy, in this folemn and afFefting event, becaufe it is one of the lajl things to tnke place, before it fliall be proclaimed— The kijigdoms of this zoorld are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Ckrift, and hefhalL reign for ever^and ever.

And I heard a loud voice faying in heaven.

Now is come falvation, and flreiigth, and the

kingdom of our God, andthepower of his Ckrifi ;

for the accufer of our brethren is cafi out, which

accufed them before God day and night.

This fubjeft being a leading objeft, in this w^ork, you will permit me to prefent, in a very brief manner, the feveral denunciations of wrath againft myftical Babylon, and (hew the acclamations of joy that immediately follow, on account of the important and inte-reding events which follow,

Is the anti-chriilian power of Rome fet

gg8 THE DOWN/ALL OF

forth by the ii'oii and clay of the great image? and is it to be dafhed in pieces by the (lone cut out without hands? immediately it is .predicled, that the ftone that fmote the image became a. great mountain and Jilled the whole earth.

Is this intolerant pov/er reprefented by the horn which came up among the ten horns;— by the horn which had. eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth fpeaking great things, I beheld, then, faith the prophet, hecaiife of the great words which the ]iorn [pake: I beheld even till the beafl was fain, and his body de-firoyed, amd given to the burning fame., If aw in the night vifons, and behold, one like the Son of Man came in the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, andglojy, and a kingdom, that all people, and nations, and languages fiould ferve him. His dorrdnion is an everlafing dominion, zohichfiall not pafs away, and his kingdom that xohichfiallnot be dejiroyed.

Is this power fpoken of as to rife, after the

falling away,in the cha rafter of the man of

SIN— the fonaf perdition, ivho oppofeth and

exalteth himfef above all that is called God^

or loorf lipped; fo i/iat he as God,ftteth in the

MYSTICAL BABYLON. ngg

temple of God, J/iewing himfelf-that he is God —it is the fame whom the Lordfliall con fume xvith the/pint of his'mouth, aiidfliaUdeftroy

•with the BRIGHTNESS OF HIS COMING.

And after the deflruftion of Babylon, as recorded in this ninteenth chapter, I heard, faith the apoftle, a great voice of niiich people in heaven, faying, AUekcia: Salvation^ and glory, and honor^ and pozoer, unto the Lord our God: for true and righteous are his judgments ; for he hath judged the great whore, zvhich did corrufjt the earth xvith herfprnicd-tion, and hath avenged the blood of lusftr-vants at her hand.

In the conclufion of the whole fcene of diftrefs, of which the ninteenth chapter of this book is a lively pifture, the twentieth chapter begins with the introduaion of the Millennial-da\^

And Ifiw an angel come down from heaven, fmving the key of the bottomlefs jyit, and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that oldferfent, zo/uch is the Devil, andSatoJz, and bound him a thou -

SAND YEARS,

After Rich defcriptions of fuccef^, and ioy to follow, in favor of the church of Chrid, after the dov/nfall of Babylon, yoa will not

wonder that the church fhould be called, nor that fhe fhould be difpofed to rejoice at the overthrow.

I have now gone through with the doftri-nal part of my difcourfe: I have confidered who it is, over whofe deftruftion holy beings are called upon to rejoice—the caufe o^ilv.^ difafter—the means employed to bring it a-boutj.andthe foundation it lays for univer-fal joy.

If, after fuch lengthy illuftrations, any reflexions might be admitted, may they not, briefly, in view of the objefts of this work, be fuch as follow?

1. If the general fcope of our fubjeft is allowed to be confonant to the word of God, and be truly applicable to thofe objefts towards which it has been direfted; no one carl be at a lofs for a key to the providence of God in the national, civil, and ecclefiafli-cal coiivulfions which are now fliaking, to the foundation, fome of the moft potent pow^ ers in Europe.

Is not the day of the divine vengeance come?—Are not the vials of the divine indignation now pouring out?—Is not Babylon, like a millflone', finking into the fea?~ Is not this the time of the falling of the flars

---tlie dethroning, in church and ftate, of thofe who, by their iniquities and tyrannies, have^ .Out-ran the compafTion of their God? And iheftars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig-tree caf.dh her untimely figs, when file is fiiaken ofi a mighty wind.

Is not tliis the time of the rife of the bead from the bottomlefs pit, who (hall make war againfl the witneffes, and fhall overcome them, and kill them?

Is not the time now introducing, in which

It fhall be faid by the ^ngt\~Thrvfi in thy

fickle, and reap; fior the time is comefior thee

to reap; for the harvefi ofi the earth is ripe?

And the angel thruji in his fickle into the eojth, and gathered the vine ofi the earth, and cajl It into the great zvine-prefis ofi the zorcitk ofi God,

And have v/e not caufe to fear, that after the finidiing of the prefent fixtli vial, which dries up the myfticai Euphrates, the order vriil be iffued to pour out the feventh into the air—as fome fuppofe, upon all the fub-jefls of the Prince of the Power of the Air, throughout the world? A.nd thefieventh angel poured out his viaiinto the air; andthere came a great voice out ofi the tcmble of heaven^ I>3

from the tkrone,faying~Itis done. And there were voices^ and thunders, and lightnings; and there toas a great earthquake, fuch as was ^ notjince men were upon the earthy Jo mighty an earthquake, and Jo great.

And do we not begin to fee the chara£iers and proceedings opening to view, which fulfil the prophetic declaration, immediately on the fall of Babylon ?—/472ii is become the ha-hitation of devils, and the hold of every foul fpirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird?

Is not the time-now come, in which, from the many flaughters which are continually taking place, the fcene may be fuppofed to be begun, in view of which faith St. John, And If aw an angel fanding in the fun; and he cried voith a loud voice, fiying to all the fowls thatfy in the midfc of heaven. Come and gather your fives together unto the flipper of the great God, thai ye may eat theftefi of kings, andthefefi of captains, and the fiefi of mighty 7nen, and thcfcJJi of horfcs, and of them that ft on them, and the fiefi of all men, both free ' and bond, both f nail c^nd great.

To v/hat height of diftrefs the world may yet, in judgment for their difobedicnce to God, be allowed to com.e, God only knows;:

But in view of the awRil, judicial profpeft, vrell may we cry out, 0 Lord rebuke r,ie not in thine anger, neither chajlen rue in thy hot difplecifure! Governs, Othou gracious and companionate Redeemer, by the broad hand of thy prote61ing providence, until the indignation be over-pafi!

But from thefe folemn fcenes we are all, but efpecially as many as have good hope in God, allov/ed to turn off our eye, whilft, on equally fure ground, we are called to contemplate the hlejjedne.fs which Jliallfpeedily follow, —To fupport your confidence on this fubjeft, I need but refer you to the general annunciation of praife from the choirs of heaven, which our fubjeft hath noted, as immediately to follow the defiruflion of the enemies of God, and of his people. We give thee thanks, 0 Lord God Almighty, which art^ and zoajl, and art to come, beciufe thou hajt taken to thee thy grea.t power, and hajl reigned! —

2. In viev7 of our fubjeft may we not re-flefl, that, hov/ever the doctrine of the Millennium—the doftrine of the thoufand years of profperity,promifed to the church of Chrifl, iriay have been negleQed, decried or mifun« derflood, yet it is a doPirine plainly contain-

ed, and folidly eftabliflied in the wordof God —and as fach is entitled to the credit, the fludy and embrace of a:l who believe the fcriptures to be the unchanging oracles of God.

3. If this doftrine be true, we juPdy con^ dude, thatthofe miniflers of Chriii, who, ia the feveral ages of the church, have been purfuing and enquiring after the glorious. Millennial-day, have not been purfuing a fhadow, nor following a phantorr..

4. If they are to be juftified in their re-fearches, and if, w^iilft under the clouds of antiquity, they rejoiced in view of the dif-tant, yet affurcdly approaching fcene,, how much more may we be jullified in fuch pur-fuit, and in increafmg joy, v/hilft the '' reddening flreaks of the morning betoken to the weary traveller, that the day is at hand?'*

5. If the great Michael of the church intends to u(her in his glorious dominion by the previous accompliOiingof two great KEVOLUTIONS— thcfirjl outward and political— ihcfecond inward and fpiritual; and if he hath already advanced fo far in the majefty of his power, as to have completed xhtjirji revolution in this country, through the inilrumentalitv of the fons of men, how

necefTary and proper, that they/r^^T^fliould now be undertaken, and carried on tlirough the inflrumentality of the fons of God?

Can we, who are nniniRers of ChriU—can the churches of our Lord, througlicut this our dehghtfiil land—can we unitedly or fe-verally be w^illing to fuffer, that the civil and military exertions of our country (liould contribute more to the profperity of the Zion of God, than the fons of Zion themfelves?—• Can we be willing that, with th-e prov/efs and dignity ofraen,thefe fhould fo worthily and valiantly have difcharged the duties allotted them, whilfl: we, loitering upon our pofts, refufe to hear the voice of our illuRrious Leader, in his word and providence, commanding us to imitate his example, and to prefs forward to exertion, to viflory, and to renov/n?

For a moment let us caft our eye upon the vifion of St. John refpefling this matter. And If aw heaven opened —that is, the ordinances of heaven, or the fcenes difplay-ed in the church of Chrift, by the minifiers and churches of Chrift, which, in the language of prophecy, fignify liea ven; as a people of a contrary fpirit and cbaraQer are fet forth by the earth, or nations of the earth:

And behold a zohitc horfe, and he that fat upon him teas called Faithful ojid True; and in righteoufnefs he doth judge and make war. And the armies which toere in heaven, that is, in the church militant, and, it may be, tri-\xm^\idini,folloioed him upon white horfes — emblems of valor, of viftory, and of triumph — cloathed in fine linen, white and clean, — And out of his mouth goeth a fliarp fword, that with it he fiould fnite the iiations; and hefhall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the zoine-prefs of thefiercenefs and -wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his veflure and on his thigh a name zvritten, king

OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.^^

If, my Chriftian Brethren, we profefs to belong to the armies of the living God—to be in the train of the great Michael of the church, why not prefs on?—Why not keep clofe to our Leader, that we may be within the hearing of his orders-—may imitate his example—may perform exploits before him —may prove ourfelves worthy to hold rank in fuch an heavenly train?

But hozo, in what manner follow on, you

NOTE.

* For an expofition of this paiTage, fee Lowman, Burkit, or Langdon in loco.

may be ready to fay?—Muft we take arms? —Muft we go to war?—Muft we commence hoftilities againft the empires, the kings, the tyrants, the civil and ecclefiaftical eftablifh-ments of the world?—Yes, my brethren, this is our duty, and here is our employment: But always remember, with our valiant file-leader, that, in the accomplifliment of this fccond revolution, the weapons of our zoar-fare are not carnal^ but mighty, through God, to the pulling down of flrong holds; cafling down ima^ginations, and every high thing that exalteth itfelf againfl the knowledge of God^ and bringing into captivity every thought into the obedience of Chrifl.

Such, my brethren, are our weapons, and fuch is our warfare. Happy for the true fer-vants of Chrifi, that, as yet, they are not called, in this prefent conflift, to engage in the bloody contefts of ungodly men—not to welter in the fcenes of war, where the battle of the warrior is, and garments rolled in blood. It may be in the accomplifliment of ih^firft great political revolution, fomething like this may be necefiary; but, in this land, at prefent, we have little to do, but with an armour of truth, of righteoufnefs, and of peace.

But if, in the general conflift, it fhould

|o8 THE DOWNFALL OF

happen that the once vanquifhed Lion—the poUtical and, I may add too, the Proteftant Dragon, (hould return to perfecute the woman which brought forth the man-cpiild — the warrior of the world—thepionierof the church; we need not afpirit of prophecy to fay, that the jav/s of this infatiable leviathan {hall again be broken, in a manner anfwer-able to the fpirit—to the redoubled fury and reiterated ftrokes of thofe who, under God^ at firft gave the promifcd hero of civil and religious liberty birth.

If any (hould aflc on what authority we ground an allulion to the Proteftant perfe-cuting power under the idea or figure of c^ dragon—I anfv/er. That the chapter from w^hence this language is taken is of a very extenfive and momentous fignification.

It truly is enveloped in fome degree of jnyftery, as it was undoubtedly defigned to be, efpecially, under the characters of the woman —the eagle s wings —the wildernefs — the man-child, and the dragon, who feeks to devour the ftruggler as foon as he fhall be born.

But as a key to this chapter, I would humbly, and in the fear of God, prefume to fay, that, under the charafter of the woman and

her forrows, we have exhibited the ftate and llrugghngs of the true church of Chrift, in every age of the world, in which fhe hath, or may be called to]fufFer, from the Chrifti-an ^ra until the confummation of all things. That under the general figure of the dragon we have exhibited the moft confiderable e-nemies and perfecutors of the church of Chritt in every age; Satan himfelf;that old ferpent, the Devil, being the prime inftru-ment, and firfl mover of the whole. That by the wildernefs, we are to underfland a ftate of fpiritua! dearth and barrennefs, orthofe leaves, {hades, and darkening boughs of fu-perftition, which have been as the (hades of a wildernefs to hinder the fpirituai growth; or, laftly, a wildernefs in the literal and common acceptation of the word. And, by the general figure of*a maxNT-child, you are to underfland the particular and feverai deli-ances, which the church of Chrift, in any, and in every age of the world, hath enjoyed, from its firll inftitution until theprefent moment. And, by the two wings of the great eagle, may we not underuand thefpe-cial providence and agency of Almighty God m thefe feverai very imerefling events?

E3

In this fenfe, denoting the power of God In conquering the enemies of his people, and in fecuring them under the banner of his own prote6iion—the phrafe is ufed in Exodus xix. 4. Ye have feen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how 1 hrire you on eagle's WINGS, and brought you unto viyifelf. And after a long courfeof prottftion afforded to the people of God, througli the wildernefs of Sinai, and their fettlement in the promif-ed land, it is again faid, Dent, xxxii. g—12. For the Lord's portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. He found him in a defert land, and in the wajle howling tvilder-nefs: he led him about, he inJlruSied him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. As an eagle fiirreth up her nef, flutter eth over her young, fpreadeth abroad her zvings, taketh them, bear-eth them on her wings; fo the Lord alone did lead him, and there was nojlrange god with him.

Under the fame idea of the divine agency and proteftion afforded, faith the Pfalmift— Becaife thou liojl been my help, therefore, in thefiadow of thy loings, will Lrejoice.

This foundation being laid as a key to the chapter, may we not proceed, and fay, that the woman denotes the Hate of the church

in its firfl iriflitiitif^n? And there appeo.red a great wonder in heaven, a woman cloathed with the fun; it may be with the veftments of the fun of righteoufnefs; and the via on under her feet;, the earth and other fublu-nary things in their proper place; and upon her head a crown oftzoelvefars; guided and governed by the unadukerated doftrines of the twelve apoflles. In this charafter, the church of Chrill at firfl flood forth; but fo foon was the truth beclouded—her privileges reflrained, and her members perfecut-ed, that fhe, flruggling for civil and religious liberty, is denominated as being zoith child, as travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. The charafter of a woman the church is fuppofed to take, as denoting her delicacy—her fi uitfulnefs, and her need of proteftion.

But under the laflies of paganifm and hea-thenifh tyranny, flie was obliged to groan out the ten perfecutions, v.vx\], in the perfon of Conftantine the Great, the firfl Chnflian emperor, fhe brought fanh her firft-bcrn, and lived, for a while, und^r the happy dominion of civil and religious liberty.

And v;ho would have thougrht that, in procefs of time, profperity would have pro-

duced fuch pride, dominion and tyranny in fpiritual, and in earthly things; even in thofe who have but jail tiow emerged from a fuf-fering and pe^fecuted ftate?

But, alas! behold the Pagan Dragon re-ftored to life, in the papal, anti-chriftian image ! And under this papal, perfecuting pov/< er behold the feries of heathenifh perfecu-tion again renewed!

How did the woman again labor to be delivered, and v/hat were the effeftsof her labor, under papal tyranny, but the glorious reformation v/hich took place in thefixteenth century, under the preaching of WicklifF, John Hufs, and Jerom; and afterwards carried on by Luther, Calvin, and others?

And fiiall it, may it now^ be faid, that the fpirit of proteftantifm—the hero of deliverance from the thraldom of Popery, ever become fo degenerated as, in the fmalleft degree, to aft over the part of its Papal and Pagan predeceffors ? Let the perfecutions of civil and ecclefiaftical powder, under Mary, James, Laud, and others, whilft they flrug-gled for uncontrouled dominion in church and ftate, '' m things civil and ecclefiaftical," anfwer to this point!

The fufferings of the Proteftants, under

this new-formed intolerant power, do well anfwer to the charafter of the cluirch—of tlie woman in lier fuffering and perfecuted ftate.

But, behold! howfoon does the perfecuted woman receive an anfwer to her folema appeals, and reiterated cries? See, on the wings of a bounteous providence, how fne is wafted acrofs the Atlantic, and fettled in thefe peaceful American abodes!—Happy, that as the time of general redemption comes, her enemies are held in partial reifraint.— Here {he is purfued and perfecuted only in outvfard and civil things; though what de-figns might have been formed againft her religious freedom v/e cannot fay.

In a word, behold the hero of civil and religious liberty born in thefe weftern climesl And fee him already on his way back to de-molifh the proud and haughty eUablifhrnents of civil and ecclefiaflical tyranny, which have in thefe feveral forms, perfecuted his mother, whilft fhe labored to give him birth!

And is it too much to fuppofe, that, in his progrefs back, he will demolilh all that is contrary to the fpirit of the truth—to the intent and defign of that power, under whofe aufpiccs he now proceeds, conquering and

to conquer; whether fuch counterfeits of truth be found in Proteftant, in Papal, or in Pagan Rome? Efpecially, whilft you read, that this hero is to rule all nations with a rod of iron, and is caught up to God and to his throne? —If you requeft any further il-luftrations to authenticate this interpretation, attend to the declaration, that when the Dragon, in his multi-formed charafter, was caft out, was conquered, difappointed, or dif-graced, he perfecuted the woman that bro't forth the man-child. And thus, my audience did the Pagan Dragon, in the perfon and perfecutions of Julian the Apoflate; and thus did the Papal Dragon, in all the perfecutions, thunders, and councils, by which he hath vexed and deflroyed the Proteftants; and thus has the ProteftantDragon done, not only in heavy perfecutions for confcience fake, but, efpecially, in the flood of troops, armies and fleets—Britons andIrirn,Brunf-wickers and Waldeckers, Heffians and Anf-pachers, which this red dragon vomited forth for the deftruftion of the woman in the A-nierican wiidernefs, during the late unprovoked and cruel v;ar; and thus is this Proteftant Dragon, even nov/, but too ready to exprefs of his perfccuting temper, in open^

ing upon thefe defencelefs ftates the Alge-riiie Corfairs—in committing depredations upon our commerce, and in letting loole, or in countenancing their f'avagc allies, in making war upon our weftern frontiers. But we believe in God, our hope and confidence is in him, and to his protefting power and providence do we, therefore, humbly appeal.

You will not nov/ doubt of the propriety of the allufion, juft now hinted at, refpefting ing the perfecuting power of the ProteRant Dragon—nor at all deny the propriety of our holding ourfelves in lively and animated readinefs to break the jaws of this leviathan, as God may give us power, fhould he attempt again to break our peace.

And if any fhould be difpofed to afk what has become of the eagle, on whofe wnngs the perfecuted woman was born into the American wildernefs, may it not be anfwered, that (he bath taken her ftation upon the broad feal of the United States; and from thence has perched upon the pediment of the firft government-houfe, dedicated to the dominion of civil and religious liberty, where fhe is flill to be feen, an emblem of thepro-teftion of Providence towards our prefent government, and towards this our happy land.

If any fliould be difpored, further, to aflc whether the dragon of the regions below, even that old ferpent called the Devil, and Satan, is to be feen in any other form than as animating the dragons—the combinations of civil and ecclefiaftical power, in the many external injuries they have wrought againft the church of God on the earth? I anfwer, yes, in every age of the church, whether her external ftate has been peaceful or trouble-fome: The errors in doftrine—the breaches upon the purity of Chriftian praflice—the fcifms, divifions and difcords in churches— the prejudice, hatred and malice which have, at times, prevailed in the church, have been, for the moft part, but the ebullitions of Satan, the great dragon of dragons, who continually goeth about, as a roaring lion, feeking whom he may devour; and haplefs ftate the church, too frequently, has been in, that even within her own bofom, the Devil himfelf fhould find fo many willing inftruments of his plea-fure; agents of his infernal crafto Look a-broad upon our churches, and behold the dearth of religion—the want of unity, animation and zeal amongft both minifters and people; and pray, oh fervently pray, that when, as at the prefent time^ the enemy (hall

tome in like a flood, the fpirit of the Lord, in his word, in his minifters and churches, may lift up a ftandard againft him.

But returning to the important fubjeft of i\\^ fecond great revolution, after which it is our duty conftantly to labor, may we not add, in view of the example of our late political ftruggle—

If, then, noble exerrions for the firft revolution have been made by our brethren, guid^ ed by heaven in the field, and in the cabinet; are not we now, as Chriftians, and as iiiinifters, to be guided?—Is it not full time, that we fliould be led, by the zeal of their tioble example, whilft we fight the battles of the Lord of Hods, in our clofets and in our families—in our churches and in our pul-* pits?

Purfuing this objeft, let us reafon the point, for a moment, with yonder infidel—Let us aflc what more evidence he needs of the truth of the fcriptures, than to fee the events, long Cnce predifted, daily fulfilling before his eyes ?—Let us afk him to read a page or two in a late publication, on the fubjeft of prophecy, as the teftimony of Jefus.*

K O T E.

* See Hinfdale's Difco. A. P. voL iv. page laJ.

■ " Where ai^e now ihoie renounced cities^ Nineveh, Babylon and Tyre, v/hofe defola-tion was fo often Jenoanced by the prophets ? —What is now the condition of Jerufalem and Jadea?—Are they not trodden dozon of the Gentiles, and likely to be Itill trodden down, until the times that the GentilesJliall he fiiljilled? How remarkably do the aftions and ftate of the Turks, who have To long trodden them down, agree to what was pre-difted of them ? Hejliall covie xoith horfevieny and manyjiups, and Jliall overfuoio and pafs o-ver. He (hall enter into the glorious land, and many countries (hall- be overthrown. Do you not find it even fo ? And that he hath ftretched out his hand over the land of E-gypt, with the Lyhian at hisjleps, whilft the Arabians /till efco.pe out of his hand.

Hath not the Rate of Egypt, for many paft ages, been juft as was foretold? a hafe, and the bafefi of kingdoms, without a ruler of her own, and zcajted byjlrangers?

Obferve the fourth kingdom of Daniel's vifion broken into ten. Behold that wonderful power, diverfe from the Jirfl, which hath arifen up among them, with a lookmore Jlout than his fellows, and a mouth fpeaking great things^ even great words againft the

MOST HIGH: thatpowerwhichwearetli out the faints of the most high, and changeth times and laws. Behold him cajling down the truth to the ground; forbidding to Jjiar-ry, and commanding to abjiain from meats: Yea, behold hxmjitting in the temple, in the church of God, and fiezoing himfeIf ihdit he is God, whofe coming is with fgns and lying zvonders. And remember that the feat of this horrid tyrannical power is ^/i^j^^rm^^a^jVtt'AzV/^ fandeth on feven mountains, and vs^hich, in the days of the prophecy, reigned over all the kings of the earth. —In fine,

" You fee the church of God fubfifting, at this day, in the world—the fame church which, before Chrift, w^as continued in the feed of Abraham, and which, at and after his coming, took that nesv form which Daniel faw under the name of the kingdom OF HEAVEN; and hath ever fmce fubfifted among the Gentiles. You know the prefer-vation and final prevalence of this fociety, together with the hoflile attempts, and final ruin of all her enemies, have been predifted by all the prophets from Mofes to St. John.

" Now, when ye fee this very church prefent in exiRence and enlargement, afier al! the attempts v/hich liave been made, in all man-

ner of ways, and through a long fuccefTion of ages, for her deftruftion; and notwith-ftanding (lie has all the feeds of defolation in herfelf, has often been extremely feeble, and in the hand of her enemies, and at the point of death: When you fee this, you behold an event, which, though perfectly cor-^ refponding to hundreds of fcripture-prophe-cies and promifes, is yet unparalleled

IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD. Suffer

me to repeat, it is unparalleled in the HISTORY OF THE WORLD. The mofl Unlikely event, when it was foretold, ever to have exifted, and which indeed never could have exifted, but by the marvellous providence of God, defeating the influence of natural caufes, that he might fulfil the defigns of his mercy—that he might confirm the words of hisfervants, and perform the counfel of his vieffengers; and, at the fame time, that he mightf^ii/irafe the tokens of the liars, and make diviners mad, and clofe the mouth of infidels m perpetualflence,

'• Thus is the fpirit of prophecy the tefli-mony of Jehovah to the facred fcripturesas his ovv'N ORACLES,andtoJefusas theChrift, ^nd of confequence to the Chriltian Religion

^S DIYINE."

And where fhall the minifters of Chrift next turn their attention, in order fuccefs-fully to carry on the purpofes of this fecond, this inward and fpiritual revolution of the heart?

Unlefs the great Michael of the church fiiould aid, our hopes of fuccefs would be loft; but fo long as we have his promife— Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world —we are encouraged to go on»

Let us, then, make our addrefles to men of underftanding—to men of found judgment, and reftitude of heart, and folicit the force of their intereft and example.

Let us even attempt to touch the ambition of the ambitious, by pointing them to the robes of diftinftion, and inconceivable marks of favor in the regions of glory, which await the man whom the king delights to honor.

Let us affail the caftle of the mifer, and tell him, that in the regions of glory are rivers of treafure, floods of falvation, a thoufand fold more regaling to the appetites of the foul, than earthly fubftance can be to the body.

Let us guide the wandering views of the man of bufinefs, by fetting before him thene-

cmTity of feekingj^r/? the kingdom of God and his righteoufnefs, that all thefe things may be added.

May we not aroufe the attention of the ftupid, the obftinate, and fenfual, by painting to them, in lively colours, the danger to which they are expofed, as well as the bafe-nefs oi earthly Z-Tid fenfual gratifications, in comparifon v/ith thofe which are intelleflual and heavenly? ,,

May we not folicit the aid of the improved, the elevated, and the polite, by affuring them that a field of improvement, profpefts of elevation, and the moR finifhed examples of heavenly grace, are all prefented to their embrace, in the purfuit of the rewards pro-mifed by our exalted king?

And, laft of all, may v/e not, Vvith high profpefts of fuccefs, humbly fuggeft, that by the example and influence of the female world, even of the mofl delicate and refined, much might be done to further the pur-pofes of heaven?—If any of our fair audience ihould fay, '^ We have not yet learned the paths of piety ourfelves: we are, alas! but too far from hope of fetting good example to others, or of aiding the interefts of vntue, by the feeble efforts of what, at beft.

can be only ftiled the improvements cf nature, deflitute of the refinements of heavenly grace:"—Let us pray th.em to lend their hand to fome guardian angel, v/ho may lead them, perhaps, abroad to view the v/ondrous traces of wifdom, and of power, in all creation's handy works; and when, from the o-racles of truth, they become farther convinced of the being of a God—of his equitable^ holy, juft and good laws—of their ovv^n im-perfeclions of heart and life—of their final accountablenefs at the bar of an impartial judge; they maybe willing to follow their heavenly guide into the retirements of fecret devotion, and there unbofom the foul to God, imploring the pardon and ablution of fin, through the blood of the Lamb. What though a tear of contrition find its way, e-vincing the deep woundings of the heart, purfued by an upbraiding confcience, for time and talents mifimproved—for negleft of God, the univerfal Creator—for neglecl of the overtures of proffered mercy—for the grievings of the holy fpirit of God, occa-fioned by the pride of the heart, refufing to bow to thefceptre of fovereign grace? What though, from caufes likethefe, a tear of con-trition might fall, and the bofom heave in

fighs ofpenitence and prayer? If pardon fof the foul, and acceptance with God fliould be the happy fruit, and a life of unexampled piety the permanent effefts-—how interefting the change—how promifmg the profpecl!

With fupport of numbers, and example of graces fuch as thefe, with what fuccefs might the advocates of truth plead the caufe of heaven, and how foon might we expeft that in the place of unbelief, ftupor, infenfibility and hardnefs of heart; we Ihould difcover the feeds of the happy wifhed-for revolution already to be fov/n, and the effefts to appear in full and abundant fheaves of heavenly grace!

But—whither do I run, leading my audience—fathers and brethren, it may be^ into paths lefs promifmg than thofe in which they have been accullomed, fuccefsfully to tread !—-I paufe, then; nay, I draw to a con-clufion by faying, in the words of a refpefted father in the church of God, on the fubjeft of Minifterial Charafter and Duty,*—" It requires no fmall attention and labor to feek out fit and acceptable words, as the preacher expreffes it, to ftir up the attention of the

NOTE.

* Witherfpoon, voK i. A» P. page 19,

inconfiderate—to awaken, fecure, and convince obftinate Tinners—to unmafk the covered hearts of hypocrites—to fet right the erring, and encourage the fearful."

Notwithftanding this^, may we not all, animated by the profpefts of promifed aid, go forth manfully, to fight the battles of the Lord—to play the man for God, and for the cities of our God; knowing that in our faithful exertions the name of the Lord'is honored, though Ifrael be not gathered.

Finally, my brethren, " Have we feen the fcriptures fealed by paft events; let it exalt our faith into a full affurance, that all the prophecies which remain, and efpecially thofe which fpeak of jesus' future 01.0-= HY, ftiall receive, in due time^ their perfe6t accomplifhment.

" This GRAND ^RAis approaching with k fpeed rapid as the flight of time. The night is far fpent, the day is at hand. In this profpecl, with what ardour fliould we pray— thy kingdom come;"'^ and in the fervency of our united devotions, may we

G3

NOTE.

? HInfdale, A. P. vol. iv. p. 133, 134,

not add—/A); will be done on earth, as it is done in heaven; for thine, gracious God! is the kingdom, and thine is the power, and thine {hall be i\itglory, world without end. Amen,

END OF inz FIRST VOLUM

CONTENTS.

I'Will go alfo. Tea^ many people and Jlrong nations JhaU come t% /eek the Lord of Hojls in Jerujakmy and ta pray before th^ Lord.

PAGE.

dy Text is opened, and Union in Prayer recommended. 81. An \ccount of the Concert for Prayer, 90. A Memorial from Scotland.

Motives to a Compliance 'with fwhat is propofed in the Mejua^

rial. 97. The Latter-Day Glory not yet accomplifhed.

iij. The great Glory of the latter Day.

\x%. The Holy Spirit the Sum of Chrift's Purchafe.

127. The latter Day, eminently the Day of Salvation.

130. How the Creation travaileth in Pain for that Day.

J36. Scripture Precepts, Encouragements and Examples of Prayer for Chrift's Kingdom.

i^(). Dlfpenfations of Providence at this Day, prefent with many Motives to Prayer for it.

171. The Beauty and good Tendency of uniting in fuch Prayer.

176. The particular and great Encouragement in the V^Tord of Gqc5 ^0 exprefs Agreement in Prayer.

Ohje£IioT2s anfivered^ ijg. No Superftition in the Cafe. 185. The Concert not whimfical. 198. The Concert not Pharifaical. aoi. The flaying of the WitnefTes confiJered. 237. The Fall of Antichrift approaching. «4i. The Time not known beforehand. 246. The Time not at a very great Diflance, a66. His Fall will be gradual-ayO. Good reafon to hope that that Work of God's Spirit will

foon begin, which will, in its Progrefs, overthrow Anti-

chriftand Satan's Kingdom on Earth. Ihid. The fixth Vial probably now in fulfilHng. 896. Antichriit's Ruin fpeedily follows it.

304. However if other wife, yet our Prayer will not be in vain.

305. Such an Agreement in Prayer no new Thing. The Duty of agreein- to pray no new Duty.

The like pradifed in ijUt with the wonderful Confequence. 311, The Conclufion.

CONTENTS,

PART III. A Difcourfe by the Reverend Mr. Auftin, entitled—The Downfall of MYSTICAL BABYLON; Of, a Key to the Providcnce of God in the political Operations of 1793-4—founded on Revelation xviii. ao. Rejoice over her thou hetveii^ ar.d ye holy apojlks and prophet si fer God hath avengedyeu on her.

PAGE.

328. All Holy Beings are called upon to rejoice in the Calamities which God brings on his and their Enemies.

330. Plan of the Difcourfe.

331. Prophetic Figures point us to Papal Rome, as the Object of

the divine Decree.

336. A Parallel run between ancient Heathcnifh, and modern An-

ti chriflian Rome.

337. Sketch of the awful Perfecutions of Papal Rome, in a note. 344. The two WitnefTes.

350. The prefent is the Time of the flaying of the WitnefTes, and

affords a Key to the Caufe of the prefent Dearth of Reli-

ligion in many Parts of the Chriflian Church. 361. The Prophecies of Daniel, of St. Paul, and of St. John re-

fpeding Babylon brought to a Point. 365. Of the Rife, Continuance, and probable Deflrudtion of this

anti-chriflian Power. 371. Caufes of this Difafler. 375. Means by which it fhallbe brought about. 388. The little Stone fmiting the Image, and becoming itfelfa

great Mountain. 393. Two great Revolutions to ufher in the Latter-Day Glory;

outnuard and political — innvard 2i^Afpiritual. 395. The foundation of univerfal Joy in the Profped. 401. The Time of the Falling of the Stars of Heaven is come. 403. The Dodlrine of the Millennium is true. 405. Duty of Miniflers and Churches, 408. The Proteflant Dragon. 413' The Hero of America on his Way to demolifh the Ufurpa-

tions of Proteflant, Papal and Pagan Rome. 4'5- '^he Eagle and her Station. 416. The Dragon of Dragons, and his efforts againfl the Church

of God. 4i7« Addrefs to an Infidel. 4ii. to Men of underflanding.

C O N T E K T a>

4ii. Addrefs to the Ambicious.

to the Miftr.

■ to the Man of Biifinefs*

^33. .» to the Stupid and Obilinate,

to the Elevated and Polite.

Hopes from the Example and Influence of the Fair. 45^3. The Fair Penitent led by a Gu«irdiaa Angel to the Throne of Grace*

Erratum.— ?age 344* line 5, after th? v/ovd. fuppofeJ^ add^ havs prophejicd infackctoth.

rpHE fubfcribing editor to the American preacher pre-^ fents his moft afFe(51ionate and Chriftian regards to all his Fathers and Brethren in the Miniftry; and, efpecially, to thofe ■who have aided in contributing Materials for the Execution of the Plan of that Woiji thus far; and is happy in being able to affure them, that their Labors have been, to fuch a degree, acceptable to the Public, that fcarcely a Copy of the three Firft Volumes is to be found for Sale; and repeated applications are made to the Printer for farther fupplies. The Fourth Volume is now circulating, and promifes fair to fecure, and to increafe the Reputation cf this, generally, interefting Work.

As the prefent is a Day full of great Events, and a general attention to the di6lates of Prophecy feems to be gone forth, it is propofed, that a Volume of Difcourfes, on the Subjed of Prophecy, with particular application to Predidlions.now fulfilling, or yet to be fulfilled, fliall be prepared, and ilTued, perhaps, at the clofe of the prefent Year.

Any of our Chriflian Brethren, who would contribute to the Execution cf fuch a Plan, might be inflrumental in reviving the Caufe of Truth—in animating their Brethren, and of comforting the Church cf God; and would receive the mofl grateful Acknowledgments from the Friends and Promoters of the propofed Volume.

Shortly will be put to Prefs a Volume of Difcourfes, preached on occalion of the late Vifitation of the City of Philadelphia by the Yellow Fever, entitled, *' A Comment on the Providence of God, Jn the lare Vifitation of the City of Philadelphia, by the Yellow Fever: or, InflructiveLefTons to the People of the United States, on the Subjed of that folemn Event, comprifed, in a Number of Difcouifes, preached by feveral Minifters of Chrifl:, oh that Oc-cafion, who are willing to leave this Teflimony as a Memorial of the tragical Scene which gave it Birth."

Any of our Chriflian Miniflers, who are willing to aid in the fuitherance of either of the foregoing Defigns, may be affured that their Contributions will meet a mofl: friendly welcome, and be duly noticed in View of forwarding the Defign for which they may ps fent.

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